THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B!
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B!
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 6
William at on, Martin (Jaunty, North Carolina, Thursday, January 19, 1950
ESTABLISHED 1899
Guard Unit About
Really For Federal
Inspection On 24th
-o
More Than 10(1 Men Sijrne<l
l p By Organization:
80 Pass Physical Test
Martin County’s newly formed
National Guard unit is almost
ready for federal inspection, lead
ers said early today. Corning here
yesterday, Captain Henry V. Reid
from Headquarters of the 252nd
Anti-Aircraft Artillery Group of
the National Guard, said he was
very much impressed with the or
ganizational work so far, and
voiced the opinion that the tem
porary armory at the old muni
cipal water plant should meet
government specifications. It was
explained that the inspecting of
ficials would be mainly interest
ed in armory facilities and in the
battery records. Work on the
temporary quarters is progressing
rapidly, it was learned.
So far 101 men have signed up
for duty in the Guard. Eighty
eight have taken the physical ex
aminations and eighty passed the
tests. Other young men interest
ed in joining the Guard are ask
ed to contact Elbert S. Peel, Jr.
At the present time there are no
definite plans foi1 further mass
physical examinations, but if a
sufficient number of additional
men are interested, it is likely
that arrangements for another
mass examination can be made
before federal inspection.
Officers, named by the spon
soring committee, are awaiting
orders today to report to State
Guard headquarters in Raleigh
tomorrow for their physical ex
aminations.
Several men have shown in
lerest in the full-time job of ord
nance repairman which is to be
treated when ail equipment ■ is
made available The job, how
ever, has not been filled and
others interested in it are asked i
(Continued on page six)
Several Cases In
Justice’s Court
-
Justice Chas. R. Mobley hand
led six cases in his court here dur
ing the past few days.
Charged with an assault with a
| deadly weapon, Lafayette Pears
idl was bound over to the county
court under bond in the sum of
$100.
H. C. Spruill, drunk and disord- 1
erly, was taxed w ith $8.85 costs
Charged with false pretense,
Ivey James was required to reim- I
burse the Employment Security j
Commission $12.50 and pay $5.85 j
costs.
Drunk and disorderly, John I
Raw ls of Beaufort County was re
quired to pay $9.85 costs.
Jesse Rascoe was taxed" with;
$7.85 costs for being drunk and
down.
Stella Andrews, charged with
false pretense, was required to re
fund $8 to the Employment Se- !
curity Commission for Compensa
tion unearned and pay $5.85 costs.
A third defendant, charged with
false pretense, died some time
ago, scoring a victory in death
over the law.
Local Lions Will
Invade Goldsboro
-n
Williamston Lions are making
extensive preparations for invad
ing Goldsboro next Tuesday when
the clubs in this district hold their
mid-winter convention in the
Wayne capital.
Forming a motorcade, the Lions
are leaving here that morning at
7:30 o'clock, accompanied by the
Williamston High School Band,
Miss Angela McLawhorn, who is
to represent the club in the dis
trict beauty contest, and Miss
Letitia "Tish” Welch, who will
ride the local club’s float in the
big parade, beginning at 10:00 o’
clock. The motorcade, with es
cort, is to include a special bus
for the band, truck for the band
instruments, and a goodly number
of automobiles.
Special Lion club emblems are
being prepared for the band mem
bers to war on their caps.
Two-Day Extension
%
School For Farmers
| PUBLIC MEETING |
vt
A proposal to extend the
town limits will be discussed
at a public meeting in the
county courthouse here next
Monday night at 8:00 o’clock,
and all interested citizens
from within and without the
town are invited to attend,
ask any question and discuss
the plan.
It has been reported that
petitions have been circulat
ed, calling for a vote on the
proposal.
The people of the town and
those just outside owe it to
themselves to study the prob
lems at hand and make cer
tain how much longer already
overburdened public services
can be maintained and how
needs vital to the health of
all can be provided.
Prisoners Of War
To Get Benefits
Martin County had quite a few
men who were held as prisoners
of war in foreign countries dur
ing World War II and who are
now entitled to certain benefits
under the Federal War Claims
Act of 1948. Unfortunately some
of the young men died before they
could be liberated, and it is point
ed out that surviving relatives
may be entitled to the benefits.
Claims forms are now in the
hands of Edgar Gurganus, Martin \
County service officer for the
North Carolina Veterans Com
mission, and he will be glad to as
sist eligible claimants in prepar
ing the forms at his office in Wil
liamston.
Former prisoners of war may
receive $1 for each day of impris- i
onmenf on which the enemy fail
ed to provide adequate food. Un
der certain conditions, civilian in-j
ternees may be entitled to $60 for
each month of their internment.
•o.
Building and Loan
Stockholders Meet
•—*—
The annual meeting of the
stockholders of the Martin Coun
ty Building and Loan Association
wiil be held here in the office of
Wheeler Martin, secretary, Mon
day morning, January 23, at 11
o’clock.
Stockholders of the organiza
tion have been given a special in
vitation to attenri the annual
n.eeting of the institution and
participate in the election of of
ficers and hear a report of the
condition of the association which
has now grown to be a million
dollar organization.
Drops Dead While
Working In Yard
——
John Simmons, 49 years old and
a well-known painter here, drop
ped dead while working in his
yard.across the road from Sunny j
Side Inn about 10:00 o'clock last
Tuesday morning. Death was at
tributable to a heart attack,
County Coroner S. R. Biggs said.
Funeral services are being con
ducted this afternoon in the Black
Swamp Church and burial will
follow there.
Surviving are his widow, the
former Madeline Simmons, and
four children.
•»
Annie Rooney,
Popeye,
Blondie,
and Little
Miss Muffet
join the
March of Dimes
► » ■■■
Specialists From
State College To
Lead Discussions
Large Crowds Expected for
Two-Day Discussions Be
ginning January 26
A two-day extension school for
farmers and other interested citi
zens will be conducted in the Mar
tin County courthouse beginning
Thursday morning, January 26,
at 9:00 o’clock. Top specialists
in the various fields of agriculture
will conduct the discussions and
large crowds are expected to at
tend the meetings, including one
Thursday night at 7:30 o'clock.
Similar farm sessions held in
the county last year were well at
tended, and much good was^deriv
ed from the discussions.
Dr. W. C. Shaw of State College
Extension Service, will open the
school Thursday morning with a
discussion on weed control, a topic
that is certain to interest every
progressive farmer. Following
Dr. Shaw’s discussion, Mr. Chick
Parrish, poultry specialist, will
discuss poultry problems.
Thursday afternoon will be de
voted entirely to tobacco culture,
diseases and other problems re
lating to the crop. Dr. R .R. Ben
nett will be in charge of the pro
gram beginning at 1:00 o’clock
that afternoon.
Thursday night at 7:30 o’clock,
one of the most timely topics,,
sweet potatoes, will be the meet
ing theme. The program that
night is to be featured by the
awarding of special prizes to win
ners in the 1949 sweet potato con
test conducted by the Martin
County Yam Growers Association.
One of the winners of the contest,
it has developed, is the champion
sweet potato grower in the entire
nation. The young man was a
bit late in getting his records in,
and the delay literally robbed him
out of the championship title and
a free trip to Chicago, Anyway,
he is receiving special awards and
a free trip to New York. Mr. H.
M. Covington, a recognized auth
ority on sweet potatoes, will be
in charge of the program that
evening. He will show pictures
(Continued on page six)
Hearing Friday
In Assault Case
Walter Wade Carson, 24-year
old Bethel man charged with
criminally attacking Janet Bow
ers, 17-year-old Bethel High
School girl, will be given a pre
liminary hearing in Greenville
tomorrow afternoon at 2:00
o’clock, according to information
reaching here.
The assault is alleged to have
taken place near Greenville on
the night of January 7. Carson
surrendered to Pitt County offic
ers the early part of last week
and continues in the Pitt County
jail. The victim was treated in a 1
Tarboro hospital, reports reach
ing here stating that at least two;
blood transfusions were necessary
for her.
The case is already attracting j
much attention in this section, re
ports stating that Attorneys Clif-1
ton Everett of Bethel and Bert;
James and Albion Dunn had been
employed by the defense, and that!
Attorneys Elbert Peel of Wil- j
liamston and Clay Carter of i
Washington would assist the pro-1
secution.
Daily Attendance
In Local Schools
Past Four Months
Fifly-iiine Pupils Absent
Eaeh Day On Average
During Period
♦ ' 1 -
The number of pupils absent
each day on an average is almost
large enough to claim two addi
tional teachers, Principal B G
Stewart said this week following
a review of the figures for the
first four months of the 1949-1950
term.
Up until last week the local
schools had enrolled 1,047 pupils.
From September 20 to the Christ
mas holidays, 21 pupils moved
out of the school district and nine
teen moved into the area. Since
Christmas seven others moved
away and nine moved in.
At the present time, the schools
here have a membership of 1,019
pupils, an increase of about 25 or
30 over the membership figures
recorded a year ago. On an aver
age, 958 pupils attended the
schools each day, leaving 59 un
accounted for. The attendance
was only 94.2 percent of perfect.
Commenting on the absences,
Principal Stewart said that many
of them were traceable to farms
where the little folks were held
at home to help harvest the crops.
One-third of the absences were
due to sickness of the children.
Commenting further, the prin
cipal said. “Most parents keep
their children in school unless
there is a definite need for their
help ai home and on the farm or
because of illness. We still have
a few parents who impose upon
their children’s education," the
principal said, explaining that
the parents kept them at home to
provide more spare time for
themselves. "It is these children
and those who remain at home
due to lack of interest who cause
us much concern and who make
up the great part of the list of re
peaters,” the school man declares,
adding that repeaters cost the
State $100 a year each.
East Carolina Man
To Address P.T. A.
—<$>—
An address by Dr. A. D. Frank,
chairman of the Department of
Social Studies at East Carolina
Teachers College, will be a feat
ure of the January meeting of the;
Williamston Parents-Teachers As
sociation to be held in the Giam
mar School building Monday eve
ning at 7:30 o’clock.
Di. Frank will talk upon the
subject of “World Citizenship.”
He is regarded as an interesting
speaker and has been in much
demand as a speaker by various
clubs and organizations in this
section of the state. lie is a vetei -
an of many years of teaching and
lecturing at the college at Green
ville.
Commission Case
Workers In Meet
—«“•—
Field representatives and case
workers for the Commission for
the Blind in this district are con
cluding a two-day meeting here
today. Mrs. O. S. Anderson, field
representative for the commission
in this district, is in charge of the
program.
Those attending are Mrs. Mae:
Campbell, field representative of
Wilmington; and the following
case workers, Miss Winona Gra
ham of Roanoke Rapids, Miss Im
ilda Townsend of New Bern, Miss
Bernice White of Elizabeth City,
Mrs. Esther Stone of Wilson, Miss
Jennie Manning of Bethel and
Mrs. Miller of Williamston.
Fourteen Cases
Heard In County
;
Court on Monday
j
Two Jury Trials* Hold Court
In Session Cntil I,ate
In Afternoon
-»
After handling a near record
number of cases the week before,
the Martin County Recorder’s
Court, in regular session last
Monday, worked until late after
noon before clearing its docket of
fourteen eases. Two jury trials
prolonged the activities, and fines
dropped to the lowest figure—
$200—in many months. Compara
tively few spectators were in the
court.
In the case in which William
Quincy James was charged with
drunken driving, the jury delib
erated the greater part of one and
one-half hours before finding the
defendant guilty. Fined $100 and
taxed with the cost, James ap
pealed to the superior court and
bond was fixed in the sum of $200.
Arnold Modlin, Enoch Gardner,
Wheeler Warren, Elwood Everett,
Julius Manning and A. L. Smith
served on the six-man jury.
Pleading guilty of operating a
motor vehicle without a license,
William Clifton Lawrence was
fined $25 and taxed with the costs.
Pleading not guilty of speeding
forty miles an hour in a 35 mile
speed zone, James Long of Wil
liamston was adjudged guilty.
Judgment was suspended upon
the payment of the costs.
Charged with Jiastardy, Oscar
Depreast Staton was sentenced to
the roads for six months, the court
suspending the road sentence up
on the payment of the costs and
$3 a week for two years for the
support of the child.
John Moff Gomber, pleading
guilty of operating a motor ve
hicle without a driver’s license,
was fined $25 and taxed with the
costs.
Charged with violating the li
quor laws, Oscar and Amanda
Biggs carried their cause before a
jury and were found not guilty.
It was reported that the defend
ants had a mighty close call, that
only an all night wedding feast
next door saved them. Officers j
found several gallons of liquor in
the Biggs home on the old Staton j
farm near Williamston, but the
defendants declared that the cele
brants at the wedding feast car
ried the liquor there to support
the spiiit of the occasion Jurors
serving in the case were, Julius
Manning, Jimbo E. Newsom, El
wood Everett, A. L. Smith, Willie
J Knox and Arnold Modlin
Pleading guilty of bastardy,
Eugene Council was sentenced to
the roads for six months. The
load sentence was suspended up-!
on the payment of the costs- and
the payment of $U a week during
twenty weeks for medical services
and support of the child. After
twenty weeks, the payments are
to be made at the rate of $3 a
week for the child.
Neither denying or admitting
his guilt, William Henry Harris,
charged with entering and receiv
ing, wijs sente need to the roads
for six months, the court sus
pending the road term for two
years, and the defendant is to vio
late no criminal law during that
time.
Withdrawing his appeal, Levi
Dixon was directed to appear be
fore a Robersonville justice of the
(Continued on page six)
Continues Quite III
Folloiving Operation
-^
Mr. W H Williams, local man,
continues critically ill today fol
lowing an operation* in a Rocky j
Mount hospital yesterday morn
ing.
TVlSi. LUCS A •LASTiD IDJIT, 6UABOIM& *
Mill CKAnOH | AW. PO*>*vW.
SULV.'-TWlS MAT BOV « PillSD
OM£G AM' I JUST K.AMTSD TO
MAMS SUSS TMEV SSACHSD
noUNOMTIOM SA«LV!,
VOc1* COtJT»'»UT<X TO TMfr
"IBl
MAIICH OF DIMES W»u. ADMIT >Ou II
H /<!
^TO TW£ 60EATffiT JhOa/ On EAUTh
COMfc On POusS - V\t AcL C*nT )
--T Be ADrDffS, SuT C4N
v— m play a papt in
^ —-^mmaef Tme nation J
O F16HTIW6
90U0/f
Construction Valued
At $400,000 In 1949
Fifty-Three New
Homes Are Built
Here Last Year
Nine Commercial Struc
tures VinilI in Period Cost
About $117,000
■ »
Williamston’s building boom,
starting in the first postwar year,
maintained itself and went on to
set a new record last year, ac
cording to a report just released
by Building Inspector G. P. Hall.
Building permits, representing es
timates except in those cases
where contracts were entered in
to, were issued to fifty-three
home builders. Thirteen permits
were issued during the period for
repairs to homes Nine new cbm
nercial structures were either
completed or started in 1949, and
hermits were issued for repairs on
seven commercial structures.
Despite the addition of fifty
three new homes, living condi
tions are still a bit crowded, and
homes and apartments are still at
a premium.
The value of the fifty-three
new homes was estimated at
$253,500, the estimates ranging
from a low of $1,500 for rental
units to $14,000 for individual
residences.
Repairs to thirteen homes were
estimated to cost $45,700, the cost
ranging from $150 to approxi
mately $22,000.
The nine new commercial
structures were estimated at
$117,650.00. Most of that amount
is represented in the new hos
pital now well under construction
on Liberty Street. Other build
ings figuring in the commercial
group are a storage house for the
Marvil Package Company, and a
shipping center for the Martin
County Vain Growers Association
on Washington Street. The cost
ranged from $600 to around $100,
000.
Repairs to seven old commerc
ial structures were figured at
$19,940.00, Inspector Hall said in
his report.
The yeai possibly recorded the
largest construction volume than
any other period in the history
of the town, equalling that in sev
eral towns two to three times
larger than Williamston.
While 1950 will hardly see the
building boom maintained on
such an extensive scale, it is ex
pected that home construction
will go forward, reports stating
that a goodly number of families
plan to build their own homes
during the year.
Two Young Boys
Attack Trainmen
--O—
Engineer M. H. Richardson of’
Portsmouth and Fireman J. M
Hailey of llobgood were fired
upon by a young boy when they ‘
drove a Coast Line freight train
aver the highway crossing on U.
S. Route 64 between Roberson
ville and Everetts about 2:30 o’- |
clock yesterday afternoon.
Using a bullet rifle, the youth,
accompanic d by another boy, j
tired on the cab, breaking the
window beside the engineer and
missing the man by a matter of
a few inches.
Stopping their train in Robot- i
sonville, the trainmen reported ;
the attack to police there, and
they with county officer.-: started :
m investigation. No arrests had ,
Oee nreported early today.
HONEST, MASH - 1 PEEL LIKE
DANCIN', TOO CAUSE
I KNOW EVERY
DIME WE SAVE IS
GONNA HElP
SAVE LIVES
YA, WHEN WE
I JOIN THE
MARCH
Of WM*S
| FIRST CHECKS )I
First checks, representing
overpayments of national
life insurance by members
of the armed forces during
the last war, were received
in the county early this week.
The first voucher, amounting
to approximately $250, went
to Pete Fowden in Williams
ston, his co-worker, “Pud
din' " Cooke, declaring that
tne owner "salted it down"
with a ton of salt.
The checks are coming in
to the county at the rate of
about a dozen each day, the
last being scheduled for de
livery about next June.
Sweet Potatoes
Move To Market
Sweet potatoes arc moving in
quantity from the local market
to several of the big centers, re
ports stating that the sweets,
packed under the trade name,
“D; ppm’ Honey’,, are meeting
with favor, and that repeat orders
are being received. The brand is
matching those established on
several of the big markets years
ago.
While several of the markets
continue dull due possibly to the
unusually warm weather, the de
mand fur Martin County yams
continues fairly good. Shipments
are moving from the local mar
ket to Philadelphia, New York,
Bridgeport and Providence, and
other shipments will start moving
into the Middle West shortly, it
was stated.
Arrangements are being com
pleted for handling potatoes for
individual farmers, and those in
terested in shipping are directed
to contact tile organization offic
ials at the shipping center on
Washington Street near the Dixie
Peanut Company plant.
Chicken Brooder
Wrecked By Fire
Starting when a three-burner
oil stove, fire wrecked a chicken
coop and burned up u number of
biddies on Thelma Street near the
Wells-Oates Lumber Company
plant on East Main Street here
yesterday afternoon at 2:45 o’
clock.
The fire was burning rapidly
when discovered, but firemen
brought it under control in a mut
ter of minutes.
The loss was negligible, fire
men reported.
-o
I\o Report Received
On Alexander Autopsy
-*
Performing an autopsy in an el
fort to determine the cause of Mr.
I. L. Alexander’s death near
Jamesville the early part of this
month, Dr. Strauss, Norfolk pa
thologist, yesterday had not an
nounced his findings, it was learn
ed here today Asked about the
report the pathologist in a tele
phone message said that he had
not completed all the laboratory
tests and mentioned no definite
time when the- report would be
made available.
| NKW YORK IU1I*
v
I
j
Walking away with top
honors in the 1949 sweet po
tato conest conducted by the
Martin County Yam Grow
ers Association, five young
county farmers are leaving
Monday, January 30, on a free
trip to New York City. The
trip winners are, Lewis Gor
kin, Dallas Cox, William
Hardison, David Gorkin and
Jack W'oolard.
Other winners in the con
test will he awarded prizes 1
(luring the special extension 1
school in the county court
house on Thursday, January 1
20, it was announced. {1
Officers \\ recked
Number of Liquor
Plants Recent I v
j
I ho I.aryr- Copji.-r Kellies
Vre Fonu*! In One l)is
Iriel Last Week
Thouglit to have suspended op
erations right after the holiday
season, manufacturers of illicit li
quor are resuming their work on
a fairly large scale, according to
leports coming from the county's
enforcement division headed by
Officer Joe H. Roebuck. The of
ficer would not comment on busi
ness prospects un the illicit liquor
front, but he admitted that the
operators were off to a fairly good
start. Unofficial reports indicate
that the price continues down
ward, that demand is weaker as a
result of a general tightening-up
on the general economic front.
After failing to register any
success in their raids conducted
the first few days of the new
year, Officer Roebuck and his as
sistant, Deputy Roy Peel, scored
on the 6th when they wrecked a
50-gallon capacity oil drum still
in Hamilton Township. There
was no mash at the plant, and
business had the appearance of
being "rotten" there.
Resuming their operations on
Tuesday of lust week, the offic
ers found and captured a 100-gal
lon capacity copper still in Bear
Grass Township, not so very far
from the Sweet Home communi
ty. They wrecked six fermenten
and poured out 600 gallons of su
gar mash.
Returning to the same* township
the following day. the raiders cap
tured another 100 gallon coppe!
kettle and poured out 200 gallons
of better-thap-average mash or
beer.
The next clay, the raiders went
through the same township to
wreck an old oil drum still and
pour out 200 gallons of rot-gut
beer along the Beaufoit-Mau'tin
boundary line,
Switching back to Hamilton
Township on Friday, the officers
tore down a plant equipped with
a 30-gallon oil drum still and
three fermenters. The plant was
located about three miles north
"f Hassell. The officers reported
that they poured out 150 gallons
of beer there.
o
Jaincsvillc Works
For Improvements
Pi ■ sive citizens of Jamts
villc and community are pushing
a general improvement program,
late reports declaring that much
progress already has been made.
Given the land by Mrs. J. E.
Smithwick, the town is develop
ing a 90-plot cemetery near the
southern town limits, near the
Gaines and Kirkman Mill on
Highway 171. A deed to the pro
perty was reported to have been
executed yesterday.
Recognizing the need for better
fire protection in the town and
community, members of the Ruri
tan club and others are receiving
donations to finance the purchase
ot a fire truck suitable for use in
the rural areas. Donations are be
ing made by property owners
within and outside the town, it
was explained,
-<{>
Badly Hurt In
Fall From Auto
Gary Stalls Joyner, two-and
one-half-year-old son of Mr. and
Mrs. Edward K. Joyner of Birm
ingham, and grandson of Mrs.
Evan Woolards of Williamston,
was badly injured Sunday after
noon in a tail from a moving car
driven 1a Mr s. Woolard.
Mrs. Woolard, Mr, and Mrs.
Joyner and their young son wore
driving to Plymouth to attend the
tuneral of Mrs. Joyner’s father,
Mr. J. A. Stalls, Just this side of
Dardens, the hack seat door if the
-ur came open and the small boy
ell out. He was carried to the
Plymouth Clinic-, and, after an
examination there, he was remov
'd to a Rocky Mount hospital,
’till a patient in the hospital, the
ittie victim was said to have suf
ert-d a brain injury.