THE ENTERPRISE is read bv
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
families twice each week
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE I SPREAD BY
OVER 3,000 MARTIN* COINTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME UI—NUMBER 53
Williamaton Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, July ", /9/9
ESTABLISHED 1899
IN umber Of Tragic
Deaths Mounts In
Holiday Week-End
—
Mort Than Lijihi Hundred
Lost Lives In Nation
During Period
While Martin County people
■were “sweating out” the long
holiday week-end without serious
incident, more than eight hundred
persons in the nation met tragic
deaths on the highways, at the
beaches, in the air and various
other places. *
The July Fourth period, for the
most part, was quietly observed in
this county. Only one minor high
way accident was reported. There
were no serious fights and the
youthful population went by free
of fireworks injuries. Several
persons found then way into the
various jails, and four speeders
were temporarily detained, but
officers—state, county and local—
said the period was observed
about as quietly as any they could
recall.
Hundreds of Martin County peo
ple sought % lief from the heat at
the beaches and in the mountains,
but possibly more remained at
home than in the past, discussing
the weather and sweating out the
heat.
In those areas where excessive
rainfall had damaged their crops,
farmers were busy trying to save
the tobacco. Farmers in other
parts of the county reportedly
“took it easy.”
North Carolina reported at least
27 untimely deaths, highway acci
dents claiming nearly half or thir
teen of the number who lost their
lives. The highway death toll ex
ceeded by one a forecast of high
way totalities. A truck-bus wreck
near Smithfield claimed three
lives and injured more than a doz
en other persons. The accident
was one of the worst reported in
the State.
In the nation approximately
R73 persons met untimely deaths,
J32 in highway accidents, 293 by
drowning, ninety of heat prostra
tion, 19 in air tragedies, and 139 in
miscellaneous tragedies.
Texas, with 47 violent deaths,
was leading the tragedy list until
late Monday afternoon when a
windstorm struck the New York
New Jersey area and materially
boosted the drowning count.
The 1949 toll was the highest
eve. recorded for any Fourth of
July. The previous record of acci
dental deaths on the Independence
Day holiday was 628 in the three
dav period in 1941. This year’s
mark compared with 571 reported
over a three-day period in 1948.
Sweltering weather across the
nation brought an outpouring of
millions onto the highways head
ed for vacation lands and resorts.
The traffic toll, as generally ex
pected, was the leader, with 393
fatalities on the highways. The
National Safety Council had esti
mated 290 persons would lose
their lives in traffic mishaps over
the holiday. !ft|
Hamilton P.-T. A.
Met On Tuesday
The Hamilton P. T. A. held its
seo-o?' the sumniif
Tuesday evening at the school
building. Mrs. Clinton James,
vice president, presided. The
main -topics of discussion were:
Sc h ool” roo m 1 mprb vernent, lunch
room improvement and continued
improvement of the school
grounds.
r-y
| OPENING DATES
is
The local tobacco market
will open this year on Thurs
day, August 18, it was an
nounced last week-end by the
Board of Governors of the
Bright Belt Warehouse Asso
ciation in executive session at
Kaleigh.
Georgia markets open on
July 26, followed by the
Border markets on August 2.
Only one change in selling
regulations was made. This
year the selling time will be
five and one-half hours in
stead of five with a 400-pile
per-hour sale limit and maxi
mum baskets of 300 pounds.
4
1
! Plan Completion Of Road
\ Project In This County
According to official informa-;
tion received here this week, the'
North Carolina State Highway
Public Works Commission plans to j
complete the surfacing of Route;
171 from a point several miles out
of Jamesville to the Beaufort
i County line. The project was for
mally approved by the county
commissioners at their meeting
held on Tuesday. Engineer J. C.
Parkin of Ahoskie submitted the
map for the proposed project and
if there are no objections on the
part of the public the project will
be included in the list to be sub
mitted to contract within the near
future, Engineer Parkin said.
The State is planning to com- j
plete the surfacing of the road1
from the point near Jamesville to
that point where it intersects what
as the Holly Springs
Road, a distance of about three
miles. The remainder of the pro
ject will be placed under contract
as a State-Federal aid undertak
ing.
According to the map the road
will be maintained in its present
locations with one exception. It is
proposed to “shoot” the road
straight across the Hardison Mill
Pond, eliminating a dangerous
curve.
Washed out in several places,
the road from Jamesville to Ha. di
son Mill was blacked for two days
following the big rain on Wednes
day of last week.
f RAINFALL
v'
The 9.08 inches of rain fall
ing here in June established
no record, but it was within
.63 of one inch of the 9.71 re
ported in 1938. There's no
doubt but what the month
will go down in the record as
a wet month, the rainfall be
ing 4.66 inches above the 4.42
inch average for the past nine
teen years.
And even then this imme
diate section did not bear the
brunt of J. Pluvius’ attack,
reports from Jamesville stat
ing that nearly as much rain
fell there in one afternoon as
was recorded by Hugh Spruill
at the weather station here on
Roanoke River for the entire
month.
Rain fell on 17 of the 30
days in June. During the first
five days of this month 2.04 of
rain was recorded here.
Justice Johnson
Has Five Cases
j Justice R. T. Johnson handled]
five cases in his court here during
the past few days, working on
'July 4 to keep his calendar up to
date.
Seven youthful colored boys
were in the court for assaulting
j Archie Lee James and inflicting
bodily injury. Louis Moore was
sentenced to the roads for thirty
days, the court suspending the
term upon the payment of $5 and
costs . James Bell, taking temp
orary leave from a sentence im
posed a short time ago in the
county court, was ordered to ap
pear before the county court.
Fi ank Bell, 15, and James Bridges,
17, were found not guilty. Howard
Purvis, Frank Brown and Her
man Davis, all minor, were sent
before the juvenile judge.
Charged with disorderly con
duct, Nathan Reid was sentenced
to the roads for thirty days, the
court suspending the road sen
tence upon the payment of the
costs.
Joe Walter Williams was fined
$5 and taxed with the costs in the
case in whh'h he was charged
** h disorderly conduct.*
I^hj^jase charging Nicodemus
| Lonf^^TO) skipping a'bbaiu biih
i judgment was suspended upon
| the payment of the board bill and
| court costs.
I The case charging Louis Earl
Clay with operating a motor ve
hicle without a driver’s license
was sent to the county court.
Peeping Tom Gets
Away In County
Prowling around the home and
peeping through the windows of
the Powell home in Gold Point
last Monday evening about 8:30
o’clock, a person whose identity
has not yet been definitely estab
lished, barely escaped.
Tom Powell, visiting in the
home at the time, chased the
prowler and got hold of him twice,
but the man pulled away.
Bloodhounds were carried there
from the county prison camp by
Capt. A. H. Sessoms and Datrol
man M. F. Powers. A track was
followed for some distance but it
was lost at a road intersection.
I
Peanut Company
Handles Contract
I Entering into a contract with
the government, the Williamston
Peanut Company is now working
sixteen hours a day to shell and
deliver to Virginia shipping points
approximately 42,000 bags of far
mers’ stock peanuts.
Receiving the contract last
Thursday, the company started
moving peanuts out of storage
about an hour later, and the big
shelling task was under way the
following morning. There was no
July 4 holiday observance around
the storage warehouse and the
plant.
The contract calls for the com
pletion of the work by July 20.
Employment has been increased
and local haulers and truckers
have been materially benefitted
by the contract.
Marvin H. Ayers
Died On Saturday
r Marvin Hugh Ayers, 47, diet! at
his home near Bear Grass early
, Saturday morning after being ill
j for 10 d.'.ys. Funeral services were
j conducted at the home Sunday
afternoon at 3:30 o’clock by the
Rev. Prestos Clayton, pastor of
the Cross Roads Christian Church.
Burial will be in the Rehoboth
Holiness Church cemetery near
Bear Grass. Mr. Ayers was born
and lived all his life in Martin
County and was a farmer. He was
a member of Cross Roads Chris
tian Church. He was married to
Mrs. Lena Horton in 1921, who
survives with one stepson, Reubin
Thomas Gray of Norfolk, Va.,
three stepdaughters, Mrs. Lillie
Mae Williams of Newport News,
Va., Mrs. J. R. Messer and Mrs.
| Carson Taylor of Rocky Mount; a
brother, Lloyd Ayers of near Bear
Grass; and a sister, Mrs. Holly
Hooten of Portsmouth, Va.
Youth Hurt In
Road Accident
William Hardy Highsmith, sev
en-year-old colored boy, was pain
but believed not seriously"
qfeNfifaais A-.J)igbway
j tween Pa.-mele and Bethel Mon
day evening at 5:45 o’clock. With
■ his head badly battered and bruis
es all over his body, the victim
was treated in the Ward Ciiftie .w»J
, Robcrsonville and later removed
to his home near Parmele.
| Investigating the accident, Pd
| trolman B. W. Parker said that
| Benjamin Pressley Bullock of
Bethel was driving from Parmele
toward his home and that the boy
dashed into the highway and into
the front left fender. The boy was
j scooped up and rode the hood a
short distance before he fell off.
Bullock was said to have been
driving about 35 miles an hour
when his car struck the boy.
The Highsmith boy was walking
along the highway with a com
panion and both started to cross
the highway. The companion,
George Lee Hines, looked down
the highway, saw the approaching
car and held to the side of the
road.
Witnesses said the accident was
unavoidable on Bullock’s part and
no charges were lodged against
! the car driver.
Critcher Lumber
Company Opens
New Plant Today!
$40,000 Mill Will Employ
Twenty Persons At
Present Time
The Critcher Lumber Company
placed in operation today its $40,
000 plant just off the Plymouth
branch line of the A. C. L. Rail
road Company, a report stating
that normal operations would fol
low in a day or two or just as soon
as a few “kinks" could be iron out.
Machinists worked late yester
day making adjustments to the en
gines, carriage and pulleys. Some
trouble was experienced in tuning
up the engine, but no serious
handicaps were encountered, one
of the owners said.
Equipped with virtually all new
machinery and the latest mechan
isms, the plant will normally
manufacture around 20,000 feet of
lumber a day. The owners, while
holding several valuable outside
contracts, will also cater to local
builders, it was explained.
At the present time, the mill is
employing approximately twenty
persons in addition to logging op
erations. The company is also in
the market for additional timber
and footage.
Experienced in the timber and
saw mill business, the owners of
the new mill, Messrs. Titus and
Roger Critcher, Sr., brothers, and
i
i
(Continued on page eight)
Service Restored
After Short Delay
— ♦
Rail service, interrupted for two
days when a fill washed away
near Dardens the middle of last
week, was restored early last Fri
day afternon. Train schedules
were maintained on Thursday and
were resumed late Friday after
service was cancelled on Thurs
day.
Approximately sixty carloads of
rock were dumped into the three
washouts, it was learned. No of
ficial estimate on the damage
could be had, but the loss will run
into several thousands of dollars.
THE RECORD !
SPEAKS . . . !
Motorists, using Martin
County highways, are really
getting good. For the second
time in a row, they traveled
the highway without a report
able accident, and went
through most of the long July
4 week-end without marring
the record. Last year six per
sons were injured in holiday
accidents on the highways in
this county.
The following tabulations
offer a comparison of the ac
cident trend: first, by corres
ponding weeks in this year
and last and for each year to 1
the present time.
26th Week
Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge
1949 0 0 0 $ 00
1948 2 6 0 700
' Ta Date j
1949
* 1948
$13,255
RaceOf Cotton Blossoms
Is Close In This County
The race of the cotton blossoms,
trailing siightly those in other
counties, was unusually close in
the county this year and develop
ed some strategic maneuvering.
After the first few blossoms were
received, others accumulated so
rapidly that the reporter’s desk
had the appearance of a funeral
wreath
By a speed maneuver, W. H.
Rogers, Sr., colored farmer of Wil
liomston RFB 2, came in first with
a 1949 blossom. A relative, W. H.
Rogers, Jr., picked a couple of
blossoms on June 29 and went
over to show them to his uncle the
following morning. The elder
Rogers said he had blossoms, too.
The talk was away from blossoms,
but the elder man started figuring.
Be moved into his field, picked aj
blossom and with his newer car
literally outran the younger farm
ed to submit the first blossom. Ten
minutes later the nephew came in
with two blossoms.
Rev. J. W. Rodgers picked sev
eral blossoms on Wednesday of
last week and mailed them in the
following day. Clifton Gurganu.s
followed with a blossom.
The cotton crop, much larger in
the county this year than at any
time in recent years, is doing very
well. It has been damaged some
by heavy rains in some sections,
but in other areas and where the
crop is cultivated more etxensive
lv it is looking all right.
To cap the cotton blossom race,
Reddick Griffin, RFD 1 farmer,
submitted a twin squash. The ve
getables, firmly attached one to
the other, had separate stems.
County Board In
Regular Meeting
Tuesday Morning
Instruct Officers To Warn
Owners To Have Dogs
Vaccinated
Meeting Tuesday morning after I
observing the 4th as a holiday, the
Martin County Commissioners re
mained in session until 1:30
o'clock before clearing their cal
endar. There was very little- busi
ness other than that of a routine
nature, but considerable time was j
devoted to a discussion pertaining j
to dog vaccinations.
All members of the board wet e
present except Commissioner H. S.
Johnson of Hamilton who is im
proving in a Richmond hospital.
After reviewing the various de
partmental reports the hoard dis
cussed the veterans’ officer service
with Representative Dunn of Wil
son and employed Attorney Edgar
Gurganus as Martin County Vet
erans Service Officer. He suc
ceeds Mrs. Joanna Martin, resign
ed. His salary was tentatively fix
ed at $1,500 a year, the State to
pay one-half the amount.
Discussing the vaccination of
dogs in the county, the board in
structed officers to notify those
owners who have not had their I
dogs vaccinated, warning them
that prosecution in the courts can
be expected if the immunization
law is not recognized. If tin- dogs
that have not been vaccinated are
not vaccinated witlrin a certain
time, the owners are to be indicted
provided the dogs are not killed.
No official estimate on the num-1
ber of dogs not vaccinated was
made, but it is believed there are I
over HI2 to be vaccinated. The es- j
timate follows, by townships:
Jamesville, 131; Williams, 53; Grif
fins, 49; Bear Grass, 65; Williams
ton, 107; Cross Roads, 45; Rober
sonville, 88; Poplar Point, 32;
Hamilton, 92; and Goose Nest, 150.
The board also invoked a 25
cent penalty for late vaccinations.
In some cases the penalty has run
as high as $1. In those cases, 50
cents i? to be credited to the dog
owners tax account, 25 - .--st; go
ing into a fund for handling the
bookkeeping, and the other 25
cents to go to the vaccinator.
Tax relief orders were issued for
the 1948 tax year to Richard Mob
ley, Williamston, in the sum of $3,
and to the Bryant Gaynor estate
in the sum of $4.20, both listings
having been made in error.
Tax Collector M. L. Peel report
ed that all but $15,189.60 of the
1948 tax levy of $268,681.36 had
been collected, that $6,007.63 was
due on the 1947 levy of $228,898.94,
and that. $2,320.35 was uncollected
on the $205,139.42 levy for 1946.
Church Extends Cull
To Education Director
The Memorial Baptist Chinch
this week unanimously extended a
call to Miss Emilyn Wagner of
Taylorsville to head its religious
education department. Miss Wag
ner, who was interviewed by the
committee, has the call under con
sideration and is expected to reply
within the ne>:‘ day or two.
She is a graduate of Lenoir
Rhyne and holds the master of re
< •i'tUHtcam * i c: h wrr
Southwestern Seminary, Fort
Estimate Damage To
Crops In County At
More Than $250,000
Tobacco Crop Is
! About Wiped Out
! In Some Sections
—»—
Efforts Made To Save Some
Of Damaged Crop Not
N ery Successful
The tremendous rain the middle
of last week and sizable showers
falling on several succeeding days
have exacted a heavy crop dam
age in this county, according to
preliminary surveys. Accurate es
timates are not to be had, but the
preliminary reports place the da
mage at more than a quarter mil
lion dollars for tobacco alone, the
information sources admitting
that it is impossible to estimate
the damage to other crops. I
One or two reports declared the
damage would approximate an
amount nearer half million dol
lars, while others placed the dam
age as low as $175,000
It is fairly well agreed that the
damage to the crop in Jamexville
Township and in parts of Williams
and Griffins Townships will, on an
average, approximate $250 per
acre. In some sections, particu
lagrly in the Angetown, Free Un
ion, Poplar Chapel, Cedar Branch :
sections and on the old Manning
Hoad in Jamesville anj,l Griffins
Townships, the loss will run pos
sibly 75 percent or more and right
on up to more than 00 percent in
a few cases.
Hot weather the early part of
this week aggravated the damage
along with more rain.
In the affected areas, farmers J
were going ahead with the Har-1
vest on a big scale the early part |
of this week, but icporf.-- en the,
work were not very encouraging.1
jOne farmer said that the water-'
I soaked leaves were rotting and
falling off the sticks after they
were placed in the curing barns.
Other farmers abandoned the
lower leaves and started the race
higher up the stalk in an effort to
take care of the tobacco that is
certain to ripen rapidly. It is like
ly that the tobacco in the damaged
areas will have been harvested in
ten days or two weeks instead ol
during a normal harvest period
running from five to six weeks.
The effect record rains have had
on peanuts cannot lie determined,
I hut farmers are hoping they’ll sur
! vice But there’ll he a race be
tween the farmer and the grass.
Apparently the corn crop with
stood the excessive rains and is'
looking "pretty good,” as a whole.
Drainage and types ol soil along
( with the length of the rows had
much to do with the extent of the I
i damage to tobacco. Where there
(was good drainage and the rows
were short, the crop stood up bet
ter.
One farmer, examining a bent
stalk of tobacco, said the roots had
about rotted off, that new ones
wen■ tonei ne ,
I Out side the affected areas, |
< - h " « m
ing good, farmers explaining that
with favorable conditions existing
during the course of the next few
week* tie ! Ml harv'-st-their U-n
Otlico in t ve * Tve i ; years.
The rains are believed to have I
affected the crop throughout mostj
ol the county. Some tobacco is rip
ening rapidly while the crop, as a
whole, is turning green and grow
ing. In those eases the harvest
will be delayed a week or more.
Reports from other counties tell
of damaged crops. Bertie and
Chowan Counties report fairly I
heavy damage, and it was said that'
the Chocowinity area had some
damaged crops.
Coni in non Quito III
In 1l'nahinf(tim llos/rital
Suffering a relapse last week
after showing much improvement,
Shei iff C. 15. Roebuck continues
quite ill in a Washington hospital
where he has been a patient, for
almost seven weeks.
He was said to have rested very
well last night, but was nauseated
early this morning.
PRESIDENT
K. Ross Froneberger, popu
lar local young man and de
puty collector for the State
Department of Revenue, was
recently elected to the presi
dency of the YVilliamston
laoi s Club for the new year.
He has been active in civic
undertakings here for several
years.
E. H. Robertson
Died In Kentucky
Late Last Niglit
Funeral Plans For Naim*
Of Vtillianislon Are
Ineninplele
Eli H. Robertson, native of Wil
Lamston, died in an Owensboro,
Kentucky, hospital at I 4a o’clock
this morning, relatives were advis
ed here. Mr Robertson, appar
ently in’good health when he last
visited relatives and friends here
a month ago, was taken ill and
underwent an operation the early
part of last week. His condition
had been critical since that time.
The son of the late jo. ph L.
and Susan Ellison Robertson, he
was horn in Williamston <15 years
ago on October 12, 1883. Alter at
tending tin- local schools, he stu
died and trained in the field of
telegraphy under his uncle, the
late William A. Ellison, here. In
early manhood, he worked for the
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Com
pany as telegrapher in this section
and Virginia before going to Den
ver, Colorado, where he continued
in the railroad business. About
11)12 he located in Lewisport, Ken
tucky, making his home and work
ing for the Louisville and Nash
ville Railroad Company until
about a year ago when he located
in Owensboro.
He was an active member of the
Methodist church for many years,
serving much time as a steward.
A Mason and Shrincr, Mr Robert
Min'"Wii- .i ul 11 a,•'jlcr^^t
to" Lewisport IIge, ami was ae
tTvo m various c vie circles
Surviving are his widow, the
foimer Mrs. Lola Hopwood of
Owensboro; four brothers. James f
II Robert.. i,f' ^ashniuton.j
Charlie A. Robertson of Green
ville, Roland 11 Robertson of.S.uf-l
folk, and Kit/hugh L. Robertson!
of Edcnton; four sisters, Mrs. JO.
liuwcn ol Miami Beach, Mrs. J. C.
Anderson of Williamston, Mrs. W.
II Hooker of Plymouth and Mrs.
(Continued oil page eight)
Farmer Plagued
I5y Adverse Luck I
Misfortune befell Mr. end Mrs.
James E. Taylor over in Williams
Township lust week.
The first and most severe blow
eame on Monday when their
eight-month-old son, Kennie, died
in a Washington hospital. The
farmer then lost a mule and a pet
dog. Torrential rains fell Wed
nesday and wiped out his tobacco
crop.
State Patrolmen
r !
Capture Ccjnviets
In County Tuesday
Pill ( oiinlv Cami» fcseapees
Steal and Damage
Three Cars
i Three young white convicts,
I working u ruse to escape from the
j State Highway prison camp in
Pitt ’County late Tuesday after
noon. were captured by members
of the highway patrol between
Williamston and Bear Grass about
an hour later after three men had
stolen and damaged three automo
'■ biles.
They were taken into custody
by Patrolman M. F. Powers fol
I lowing a chase that covered High
ways 11, 903 and 17 and several
dirt marls in the Bear Grass area.
Cornered at Eli Bowen's store and
; gas station nn the Williamston
Bear Grass dirt road, the three
men submitted to arrest without
trouble. Patrolmen B. W. Parker
and E P. Simmons pulled up to
the station just after Patrolman
Powers placed them under arrest,
and they turned the three men
i over to Cpl John Laws and Pa
trolman Chadwick who returned
j them to the camp.
One of the convicts asked a pris
| on guard's permission to wash the
guard's car. The two other men
slipped into the ear, a 1940 Stude
baker, and the three drove away.
Tearing into the Bear Grass sec
tion, they literally burned up the
Studebaker and when they reach
ed Farmer J. 1). Wynne’s home the
trio saw J. D. Page's Dodge and
decided to switch machines. Page,
local insurance man who was talk
ins; business with Farnmr Wynne.
| saw the three men get out of the
Studebaker and into his ear,
I thinking they were going to move
i >t so they could drive into a path
!• partly blocked by his car. When
J they started turning around his
ear. Page ran toward them, reaeh
| mg the road just in time to be
!cooled by the breeze from’his pass
ing c,'ar. It was reported that
Page ran down the load after his
j <-ar. .veiling to the driver to wait a
1 minute.
Accompanied by Farmer Wynne
and Fletcher Thomas, Page fol
lowed tlu* trio in the Wynne ear
to Bear Grass, stopping there to
sound an alarm over the patrol
| radio station. Several patrolmen
picked up the signal and started
moving in. Powers from Wiliiams
ton, Parker from Stokes, Simmons
and 11. E. Perry from Everetts.
During the meantime, the trio
flew low to Highway 17 where
i he.v blew a tire rounding the
curve, they drove the Dodge to
Ilovt Coltiain s filling station near
Old Mill inn and asked lot a i|uiek
tire change. While Coltrain was
looking over the situation, the
three men spotted Joseph Thom
as Williams’ 1940 Ford on the
grease rack and they took it. Wil
liams hopped on the running
board and tried to turn off the
witch key, but Burlington Wood
i ow Jackson, one of the convicts
weighing about 235 pounds, land
ed a fist blow and knocked Wil
liams oil. He with the other two
convicts, Lawrence Mitchell, 26,
and El wood White, 24, drove
away They turtv>4 ...u.td • • i ...
ns Brothers’ station and went to
gas supply About that time, Pa
tiulnian Powers closed in on
them.
(Continued on page eight)
KOI MM I*
I
\
J
While the long week-end
was observed as a holiday
period without serious inci
dent, police and other officers
were fairly busy rounding up
alleged law violators here.
Ten persons were temporarily
detained in the jail, two for
public drunkenness, three for
violating the liquor laws, two
for assaults, and one each for
breaking and entering, bas
tardy and issuing a worthless
check.
Eight of the ten were color
ed and the ages ranged from
lb jo 50 years. Only three
persons were jailed during the
July 4 holiday period a year
ago.