North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BV OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT! FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME LII—NUMBER 85 Williamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, October 27, 1919 ESTABLISHED 1899 Thousands See Fifty Minute Parade Here Yesterday Afternoon Mile-Long MarcR “Biggest” Event Seen In Section Fifty-four Unit Parade* Big Climax To Town’s Second Harvest Festival A mile-long parade, requiring fifty minutes to clear the review ing stand, climaxed Williamston’s second annual two-day harvest festival here yesterday afternoon. Attracting a crowd, estimated be tween eight and twelve thousand people, or a third more than was present for the first annual event of its kind a year ago, the parade was the “biggest” event ever seen in this section. Visitors were here from eight or ten counties, from all over Martin, and at least two other states. There wasn’t a weak spot in the show, and it was evident that Sen ator Frank P. Graham, main speaker for the festival, was greatly impressed when he watch ed the eight high school bands parade by the reviewers’ stand. The Williamston Boosters along with the other townspeople feel greatly indebted to the bands and others who participated and help ed make the parade a great suc cess. Favorable comment was heard from every quarter, the spectators commending highly the performances by the bands and the work of the volunteer bands. After viewing the young musi cians and the twelve princesses, Senator Graham could not help but mention them in his speech, declaring that in them and other youth rested the hope of the world. The 54-purade units measured up to the best of expectations. Cpl. T. Fearing of the Highway Patrol brought the parade into Main Street off Watts promptly at 2:00 o'clock. He was follow ed by Senator Frank Graham and other dignitaries, including coun ty officials and town mayors. The Wiliiamston Public Library had a unique parade entry, fol lowed by Williamston’s High School Green Wave Band and high school cheer leaders. Next were two of the giant balloons, followed by Belk-Tyler’s “Fash ions of Tomorrow” float. Ahos kie's 42-piece band moved up next, the twenty-eight youthful baton twirlers adding color to the! march. The first of the princess- j es, “Miss Ahoskie” moved by next, with a Corey Plumbing Company float, Princess Bear Grass, Courtney Furniture float and Princess Bethel next in line. Edenton’s 48-piece band was next, followed by Princess Edenton. Three giant balloons moved ahead of Princess Farm Life. An old-1 model Bmck, reminding one of| the styles of a quarter century ago, was driven by, followed by a Chas. H. Jenkins and Jenkins .. ,Xvv lament Coir.p^ij^^L carry- : mg a cub tractor. Other farm'1 equipment, one a tractor driven by a small lad, followed in the! parade just ahead of Princess Jamesville. Tarboro’s 50-piece band moved up the street next, followed by a horse-drawn float of the Jaycees, offering a lesson in safety. Princess Oak City was next, and John Deere and Linds ley Ice Company moved six units in the line of march. Plymouth’s 38-piece band was next, followed by Princess Plymouth. The Lions were next with a regular float, followed by a caged lion and an armed guard. Princess Roberson ville w'as next in line, her driver picking up a weary clown whose identity could not be established immediately and who rated pro fessional status. More giant bal loons were carried by just ahead of Princess Scctland Neck. The 29-piece J. J. Clemmons High School Band of Roper mov ed up the line of march, followed by a float entered jointly by the Roanoke Chevrolet Company and the Williamston Motor Company. (Continued on page six) ESTIMATES Estimates on the number of people witnessing the harvest festival parade here yester day had considerable range. Frankly, it was next to im possible to offer an accurate estimate, for people lined the streets from the residential areas, up Main and out Wash ington Street. The lowest estimate offered placed the crowd at 6,000; the highest placed the figure at 18,000. The most common estimates ranged from eight to twelve thousand. Others maintained the number was in the neighborhood of seven or eight thousand. There were more than 600 persons in the parade. Man Found Dead In Robersonville Burleigh Nelson, 48, was found dead in an out-house near the Grimes Dairy in Robersonville yesterday morning at 8:30 o’clock. He had been dead approximately twenty-four hours, reports stating that he was last seen about 9:00 o’clock Tuesday morning entering the little house. He was found by John Rogers, colored employe at the dairy, Making an investigation, Coron | er S. R. Biggs said there were | no signs of foul play, and it is thought the man died of a heart attack. It was reported that he had complained of a pain in his chest several days prior to his death. Son of the late Mack G. Nelson and wife, he was born in Pitt County, and moved with his par ents to this county when he was quite young, locating near Par mele. Surviving are three children, Burleigh, Jr., Mrs. James Dickens and Miss Letha Mae Nelson, all of Philadelphia; four brothers, Per lie of Bethel, Johnny and James Henry of Robersonville and Frank Nelson of Leens; three sisters, Mrs. Gilbert Wetherington and Mrs. Lloyd Warren of Roberson ville, and Mrs. Will Martin of near Parmele. Funeral services are being con ducted at the home of his brother, Johnny Nelson, this afternoon, and burial will be in the Rober sonville Cemetery. His father lost his life in an ac cident at the old Mobley Mill near Williamston ten or twelve years ago. Springtime In Marti". ^County —. <*,— Cold weather can hit anytime now. but it has been springtime in Martin County during recent days._ As^T^/nPSce of the summer weather, Mrs. Odessa Smithwick, superintendent of the Martin County Sanatorium, this week plucked blossoms from bushes and trees. Mrs. Smithwick found sev eral blossoms on bare stalks of a fringebush. Three apple trees nearby had scattered blossoms and several new leaves at the base of the blossoms. Two peach trees had a few blossoms and scattered buds but no leaves, Mrs. Smith wick said. V. GOOD > The harvest festival clowns, some slipping in and out un der perfect disguise, did a good job in entertaining the thousands of visitors here yesterday. And no doubt, John Ringling would be proud to have several of them for his show. One or two of the clowns could have passed as profes sionals without the least trou ble. Shirley Graham, Princess Windsor, Is Festival Queen Crowned Queen of Harvest Festival At Ball Here Last Evening Miss Shirley Graham of Wind- | sor was crowned Queen of Wil liamston's second annual harvest festival in a formal ceremony in the Planters Warehouse here last evening, the event climaxing the two-day festival program. Sev eral hundred, many of them at tending the festival ball, witness ed the ceremony and were con tent to leave the queen selection to the judges. Miss Doris Strong' of Charlotte and Mr. Pat Patter son of Washington. The thirteen young princesses were introduced to the judges and audience by Alford Sweatt, direc tor of the Williamston Boosters, in the following order: Miss Ann Willoughby of Ahoskie, Miss Lib Cherry of Bear Grass, Miss Janice Roberson of Bethel, Miss Sybil Cayton of Edenton, Miss Leona Hardison of Farm Life, Miss June Gardner of Jamesville, Miss Gladys Everett of Oak City, Miss Shirley Roberson of Plymouth, Miss Shirley Stevenson of Rober sonville, Miss Faye Walker of Scotland Neck, Miss Rachel Ches son of Williamston, and Miss Gra ham. After appearing before the I judges, the princesses, attired in | evening gowns, were called to the stage and awarded gifts of appre ciation, engraved compacts, the director of the Boosters express l ing appreciation to the young ladies for participating in the event and helping make the fes tival a success. The judges asked for more time, so difficult was their task. Miss Katie Leggett, queen of the 1948 festival, surrendered the crown and Mr. Sweatt placed it on Miss Graham's head, the young lady obliging the former queen with her princess’s cap. Miss Gra ham was then awarded a $200 dia mond ring, made available by the Columbia Ring Company through Peele.’s, Jewelers. Miss Graham, a bit shy of the microphone, said she was surpris ed, but pleased. She was con gratulated by the princesses and many of those attending the ball. The ceremony over, the dancers enjoyed a number by Bob Mays and his Collegians before taking intermission and returning to (Continued fiom Page Seven) -<*> Receive Bid On Highway Project The paving of a fraction over nine miles of road from a point about three and one-half miles out of Jamesville to connect with the hardsurface at the Martin-Beau fort line, will, in all probability, be let by the State Highway and Public Works Commission tomor row. A low bid of $113,519 has been received from the J. S. Hill Construction Co/;s'u..J ul Waan ington, N. C. A contract was recently let to the Coastal Construction Coro puny of Wilmington for the rnjv struction of a bridge at the old Hardison Mill, placing the cost of the entire project right at $140, 000. During the meantime, state forces are clearing the right-of way for paving the remainder of the Holly Springs-Farm Life road. It could not be learned when construction work on the 171 pro ject would be started, but its com pletion is hardly expected before sometime next spring or summer. Local Official League Director Mayor Robt. Cowen of Wil liamston was re-elected a director of the North Carolina League of Municipalities at a meeting of the organization held recently in Win ston-Salem. The local man is one of ten serving in the State in that position, his district including the towns in Dare, Tyrrell, Washing ton. Martin, Bertie, Hertford, Gates, Chowan, Perquimans, Pas quotank, Camden and Currituck. Long Session County Court Held Monday J Thirty Cases Are V On Doeket; Fines Amount To $865 Jury Recommends License^ Hr Revoked After Find- j iiijj Man Not Guilty With thirty cases on its docket and two jury trials to handle, the Martin County Recorder's Court ) remained in session until almost dark before calling it a day last Monday. Several cases were con tinued. Fines imposed during the day amounted to $865.00 and one or two defendants were sentenced to the roads. Proceedings: Charged with drunken driving, : William Clifton Hudgins was | found not guilty, but the jury re commended that the defendant’s : license to operate a motor vehicle j be revoked. Offering its recom i mendation in open court, the jury said it was of the opinion that the I defendant was too nervous to op erate a motor vehicle. The recom mendation is being passed on to the State Motor Vehicles Depart ment for final action. John Thomas Perry, who was returned to his county last week after he skipped bond and fled to | Baltimore, was sentenced to the roads for six months for violating the liquor laws. Jim Pierce, charged with as saulting a female, “squeezed” through with a verdict of not guil . ty. Thomas James, charged with operating a motor vehicle without 'a driver's license, was fined $25 and taxed with the costs. Entering a plea of not guilty and calling for a jury trial, Eu genh Rawls, charged with drunk len driving and resisting arrest, I withdrew his appeal after the i State had offered the evidence of 'several witnesses, lie was sen i tenced to the roads for three j months, the court suspending the road term for five years upon the payment of a $200 fine and costs. I His license to operate a motor vc | hide was ordered revoked for one year. | The case charging Joe Beach with assaulting a female was con tinued again. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the costs in the case charging James "Buddy” Ruffin with being drunk and dis ! orderly. j Charged with an assault with a deadly weapon, Nymphus James was sentenced to the roads for six months, the court suspending the 1 road sentence upon the payment j of a $35 fine and court costs. The case charging Edwin Cor don with being drunk and disord 1 erly, was dismissed. Grover Dixon, charged with as saulting a female, was sentenced to the roads for thirty days, but the, road term was suspended upon the payment of the costs. I Pleading guilty of drunken driving, Alonza Langley war fin ^WPW***tiAea with the costs and ! lort ills license to operate a car for 1 a year. j James, Langley was fined $10 and required to pay the costs for being publicly drunk. Keith Pratt Bowman of Kin ston was fined $15 and taxed with the costs for speeding. Charged with non-support, Hen ry Wiggins was directed to pay the costs and $10 a month for the support of his family until Janu ary when the payments are to be increased to $15 a month. Charged with speeding Casper Smith, New York man, pleaded guilty and was fined $15, plus costs. Matthew Crowell was fined $25 and taxed with the costs for oper ating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license. Judgment was suspended upon the payment of the court costs and tr.e amount of the instrument in the case in which W. 12. Davis was charged with issuing a worthless check. Charged with issuing worthless (Continued on page six) ■ TRIBUTE f v Senator Frank Graham, ad dressing a festival crowd here yesterday, paid tribute j to rural areas like ours when j he pointed out that the poet, Russell, had made a study of city population and found that the people there soon burn themselves out, ’’and the population and life itself are renewed by people from the rural areas such as yours." Officers Destroy Six Distilleries In Past F e yv Days Illicit lliisiiirss Dares To Lift Its Head I p In This County Battered and beaten by a con tinual drive by ABC Officer J H. Roebuck and his assistants, the il licit liquor traffic still dares to lift its head and bid for a place in the market. It is a changing picture, however, and the officers declare that the manufacturers, finding the business not so hot in some sections, are moving to others. The officers also advanc ed tin' opinion that tire Martin County product is moving up state, and oddly enough into the "wet" counties, some of it finding dry throats not for from the capi tal city. Reviewing the control work in the county recently, Officer Roe buck said that six plants had been wrecked and several partial dis tilleries were found during the period. Week before lust, the officers wrecked an oil drum still, poured out 100 gallons of sugar mash and found two partial plants in a single day in the Dardens section of Jamesville Township. On Tuesday of last week, the officers wrecked a fiO-gallon ca pacity copper kettle in Bear Grass Township, tore down five 150-gal Ion fermenters and poured out 600 gallons of sugar beer. Raiding along the Martin Beau fort line last Thursday, the ol'fic ers wrecked a 40-gallon copper still and poured out 100 gallons of mash and four gallons of white li quor. Continuing their work that day, (Continued on page eight) I Justices Handle Few Cases Here Only u lew eases were handled ! by Justices John L. Hassell and jC’has R. Mobley here during the : past few days. In tlie case in which Joe Mizelle was charged with false pretense jjustiee Hassell found probable cause and sent the case to the I superior couit with the defendant j undei bond in the sum of $200. K ‘.e.• f. nd.ml so! ’ a mortgaged niule. Charged with disorderly con duct, Thomas Meeks was sentenc ed to the roads for thirty days, the court suspending the term upon guaranteed good behavior for twelve months and the pay ment of $9.50 costs. Pierce Lynch and Sarah Ward, charged with trespassing on col ored school property, were sen tenced to jail for thirty days, the court suspending the jail sentence on condition that the defendants stay off the propel t.y. Charged with violating the dog law, Luther Perkins of near Jamesville was fined $5 and taxed with the costs in Justice Mobley’s court. HALLOWEEN CARNIVAL The Woman’s Club has complet ed plans for a big Halloween car nival in the club hall tomorrow evening, beginning at 7:00 o’clock, and hundreds of youngsters arc expected lo attend and participate in the various games. Many nice prizes are to be awarded. Belter Attitude For Mentally 111 Exists In State Slate Hoard of Health Now Administering Funds For New Program By William li. Richardson Raleigh.—The public’s attitude toward the mentally ill has been greatly modified since the word "insanity” has been thrown into discard and a more charitable and understanding attitude assumed toward the inmates of our institu tions for the mentally sick. The light of hope and reason seems to be breaking at last, now that mental illness definitely has become an object of attack through preventive medicine and a recognized Public Health prob lem. Within the past few months, Governor Scott has designated the State Board of Health as the State agency in North Carolina which will administer Federal funds made available in carrying on our mental health program, to gether with available State funds for that purpose. While the or ganization of a Mental Hygiene program has not been perfected, yet the ground work is being laid for an attack to be waged against mental illness as one of the pres ent and future Public Health pro blems. Lot us for a moment review the present mental health picture in North Carolina, as it is reflected in our institutions for the mental ly ill. According to a recent fact sheet, there are now 9,550 persons hospitalized in this State for men tal defects, or illness. This, ac cording to the latest compilation, just 125 short of the entire is available bed capacity of all gen eral hospitals in North Carolina in May, 1948. Among those in our State institutions are 1,285 feeble minded and 071 epileptics. There I were 1)10 patients who received j the first admissions to State hos- 1 pitals for the mentally sick in February, 1949, alone. North Carolina is now provid ing more hospital care for its men tally ill than in the past. Its aver age patient population in 1946 was 7,568 as compared with 8,552 in 1947-40. Furthermore, better care is being given the State’s mental ly ill. This is shown by the fact that there were 0 9 per employee in 1946 and only 5.4 patients per employee in 1947-48. The cost of care, largely reflecting the high er cost of living, increased from $898 per patient in 1946 to $584 per patient in 1947-48. Physical improvement of State hospital buildings also is being accom plished Approximately $14,000, <199, including Federal funds, was made available by the 1947 Gen eral Assembly. Purchase of the Camp Hut nor site and buildings under construction already ac count for $4,000,000 of this. 1 he above refleets investments for rare and treatment and not prevention, but it is encouraging to note that more money is being put into this humanitarian serv I ice, which naturally means better 1 rare of the mentally sick and hap pier surroundings fut them. Hos pital care, however, is nothing new. I bat has been going on in I humane states and countries for lias not always kept pace with progress in this respect. Hospital care is not enough for the mental ly ill, any more than it would constitute a panacea for any other preventable st'kness. As was stated earlier, Governor Scott has designated the State Board of Health as the agency to be respon sible in North Carolina for the execution of this State’s part in the nationwide Mental Health Program now in progress and for which North Carolina is receiving its proportionate share of Feder al funds, made available for the purpose. While the Board of Health s Mental Hygiene work has not been fully organized, a long i tinge program is being formulut ed, looking toward attacking men tal sickness for a preventive standpoint. It is heartening to note that preventive work now is being done through one school social worker and eight mental health clinics partially supported by State and Federal funds. These (Continued on page seven) U. S. Senator Spoke Here Wednesday To Big Festival Crowds ' I STATUS MIS STAND v>-/ Speaking to Williamston’s second annual harvest festi val yesterday afternoon, Sen ator Frank P. Graham stated his stand. “Despite what the great commercial interests may have to say, the farms in our land must be recognized as the base for civilization. And for the sake of Main Street, the back street, Wall Street and all streets, let’s keep price supports for the farm," he said. “Some might say I'm saying this because I'm in a great farming area, but I tell you I’d say it anywhere, and spread it on the pages of the Congressional Record for all to see." Senator Graham Great Traveler His willingness to serve the peo ple keeps Senator Frank F. Gra ham on the move. Despite ob staeles he, with the help of a good wife, the former Miss Marian Drane of Edenton, manages to keep his appointments. On their visit here yesterday, Mi s. Graham explained that when her husband was president of the Chapel Hill unit of the Greater University of North Carolina, they had the services of a yard man and a cook. "Now he is Senator and I find mvself doing the work of a yardman and cook in addi- \ tion to chauffeuring him around.” Dr. Graham does not drive. Monday night, the Senator spoke in New York. Tuesday night he was in Iredell County, teaching their temporary home in Chapel Hill yesterday morning about TOO o’clock. Unable to make plane connections, the Sena tor was driven here by his wife, reaching here hardly more than fifteen minutes late in their Ford car. Before the exercises were over yesterday afternoon, Mrs. Graham returned alone to Chapel Hill while her husband caught a ride to Elizabeth City about 4:30 o'clock. He was to board a plane there for a quick trip to Virginia and Washington before going to Raleigh and Fayetteville. Handle Traffic Without A Hitch| Although motor vehicles moved I into town by the hundreds and! north-south travel was thkk, traf fic was handled without a hitch by local police V TVl ' l,Y: . ^ ^ the highway patrol during the town’s second annual harvest fes tival parade yesterday afternoon. Several blocks in Main and, Oil, to give the parader: (dhow room. Through traffic was direct ed around the business section over South Haughton Street, Mar shall Avenue and Watts Street. THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . Four persons were injured and a property damage, esti mated at $1,3(50, resulted in a series of highway and street accidents in this county dur ing the past week. The fo'Iowtng tabulations offer a comparison of the ac cident trend: first, by corres ponding weeks in this year and last and for each year to the present time. 42iitl Week Accidents InJ'd Killed DanTge 194!) 5 4 0 $ 1,360 1948 4 6 0 2,000 Comparisons To Date 1949 J05 46 5 $23,386 1948 106 58 2 24,450 Frank P. Graham Explains Recent Farm Legislation Pleads for Cooperation Of All Peoples In Move for Freedom and Peace Addressing Williamston’s sec ond annual harvest festival, Unit ed States Senator Frank Graham yesterday afternoon made a strong plea for the cooperation of town people, country people, or farms and factories of localities, states and nations in our interde pendent world for the freedom, welfare and peace of all people. His address was the feature event on the two-day festival program and was broadcast over part of the eastern North Carolina radio net work. Just before Senator Graham spoke from an improvised stand in the main street just across from the city hall, Mayor Robert Cow en welcomed the approximately ten thousand people and express ed, on behalf of the town, appre ciation to the neighboring towns and communities sending their bands and princesses here for the parade and to all others who-par ticipated and helped make the event successful. Introducing the speaker, Attor ney Elbert S. Peel declared "I am proud 1 live in Williamston today and to see the biggest crowd I have ever seen here since moving my family here in 1902 from Jamesville.” He added that the crowd was a third larger than the one attending the festival a year ago. "Frank Graham taught youth for more than twenty-five years and served our State well. Now, we have lent him to the na tion and to the world. We love him for the enemies he has made. Moscow objected to him when he worked for peace in Indonesia. Some industrial leaders quarrel ed with him for voting for the new farm bill, and the commun ists declared he was a tool of Wall Street," Peel said, adding that the former university president came to this section to get a wife. Senator Graham said he was happy to be in Martin County to day, and added that the best thing he ever did was his coming to the Albemarle to find a wife. A stranger in the section, he told how he follo wed a sign on old No. 90 highway to save 75 miles in his trip to Manteo. "I saved the mile age, but lost eleven hours waiting for ferries,” he explained. Asked what hope we have in this dark world, the Senator told about a time he was at Nags Head when a hurricane struck. The water "poured in our cottage and we moved to another on higher giound," he said. 1 tiad t.. reas sure the neighbor’s cook and get some assurance myself, and I looked out the kitchen window and suei-wsted that the. ib ol wafetMltere was receding a bit. The cook told me that she wasn’t worried about the three feet of water, that she was worried about the 3,01)0 miles of water out in the ocean | The speaker continued, “It isn't the problems at home—farm, la bor and industrial—it is the prob lem at home—farm, labor and in dustrial—it is the problem 3,000 miles across the ocean and around the world. But as we confront those problems, let's begin at home. As 1 look in the faces of the people here today I have hope. Your cooperation displayed in staging this successful event is re assuring. We are one united peo ple. We are making progress. We are building roads, improving our schools and hospitals. We arc all building for a greater North Car olina.’' The former university president expressed the hope that federal aid to education would come, that there will be a time when every child will have equal opportuni (Continued on page six)