i THE ENTERPRISE IS READ Bl
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES
VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 33
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ Bl
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COCNTT
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES
■■ -t-» 1 naj*,.'
Williamston» Martin County, North Carolina,
Tuesday, April 25, 1950
ESTABLISHED 1899
.Reviews History Of
The Building - Loan
Association Was
Formed In April,
Forty Years Ago
Office of the Organization
Traveled Around Quite
A Bit Back Yonder
Seven men, A. R. Dunning, S
A. Newell, J. G. Godard, Chas. H. |
Godwin, Warren Biggs, W. C.
Manning and J. W. Watts, Sr., rnet
on April 23, 1910, in the Bank of
Martin County, now known as the
♦ Lawyers’ Building, and subscrib- i
ing to sixty shares of stock at j
$100 a share, founded the Martin
County Building and Loan As
sociation, a small and humble or
ganization destined to become a
valuable institution in this coun
ty in later years.
Unfortunately the minutes of
the early meetings are not in ex
istence, but it is known that lit*
£ tie progress was made during the
first four years. In 1914, the as
sociation was re-organized and
with the new officers and direc
tors the little business began to
gain momentum. From the min
jtes, it is found that the names
of K. B. Crawford, John D Biggs,.
A. D Mizelle, J. H. Saunders,
Alonza Hassell, C. D. Carstarphen,
Sr., C. A Harrison and Wheeler
Martin, Jr., were among the direc
^ tors and officers of the reorgan
ized association. From 1914 to
1917, the office of Wheeler Mar
lin, Jr , was used for the associ
ation's meetings and all records
were kept there.
After 1917 the officers and di
rectors met for some years in lo
cal banks and business houses,
or wherever the records were be
ing kept at the time. Many of
A those meeting places no longer
xist. The records were carried
to the Farmers and Merchants
Bank and were kept by J. C. An
derson for a time. Later, Mr. An
derson left the bank and carried
| the books with him to Anderson
and Crawford Company. It is re
ported that around 1920. Mr. J. E.
Pope took charge of the books
and they were carried to the Mar
tin County Savings and Trust Co.
I ®’ln 1922, A. D. Mizelle took charge
| and all records were kept at the
Dennis Simmons Lumber Com
pany office which was located
where Attorney Hugh G. Horton
has his office now. Mr. Asa Tom
Crawford, one of the bookkeepers
tor the lumber company, became
'In- keeper of the records a few
tears later when Mr Mizelle left
Wiiliamston.
In 1926, Mrs. Vella Andrew's
^ Wynne took charge of the books
™ and w'as later elected treasurer of
the association, a position she has
held to this date. When the
i Branch Bank and Trust Com
pany bought out the Farmers and
Merchants Bank and moved into
the old People’s Bank building,
an office was established there.
Then, later when the Branch
Bank moved into its new build
ing, the association followed and
Jt opened an office there.
™ From the minutes it is shown
that the association financed the
first electric light plant in Wil
liamston. It also financed the
old S R. Biggs Iron and Motor
(Continued on page six)
Slight Decline In
Postal Receipts
After showing fairly consistent
gains over a period of years to go
into the first-class division, the
local post office last quarter ex
perienced a slight decline in its
receipts, according to Postmaster
W. E. Dunn.
The January business dipped a
little, but February stamp sales
held their own. March business
dropped from $3,211.42 in 1949 to
$2,968.86 in the same month this
year, the report for the quarter
showing a drop from $9,708.51 in
1949 to $9,121.67 for the corre
sponding period this year.
While the stamp sales last quar
ter were $586.84 below those for
the first three months in 1949,
the money order business dropped
iron: $66,166.31 in 19-ie to $61,
278.27 ir. the corresponding period
this vear. a decrease of $4,882 04,
ROUND-UP
An even dozen persons
were rounded-up and jailed
temporarily here last week
end by local county and state
officers. Three were booked
for drunkenness, two for in
decent exposure of persons,
two for investigation, and one
each for issuing a worthless
check, attempted forgery,
breaking and entering, no op
erators license, and one, a
young woman, for speeding
and drunken driving.
Seven of the group were
white, including a female, and
the ages ranged from 1C to 42
years.
Jury Gave $1,500
Verdict In Damage
Suit Last Friday
—♦—
!£15,tHM) Case Finally Set
tled After Three Trials
In Superior Court
■ o - ■ ■
The damage suit brought by
Grover reel, administrator, to re
cover $15,000 damages alleged to
1 have resulted when his two-year
| old daughter was fatally hurt
| when hit by an Atlantic Coast j
Line freight train near Dardens on
i September 27, 1948, was finally
| settled in the Martin County Su
j perior Court last Friday afternoon I
at 3:35 o’clock when the jury rc
j turned a verdict allowing the I
plaintiff $1,500 damages.
The trial of the case, first schc
| dulpd to last a little over a day,
developed Into a three-day event
i featured by extensive evidence,
: prolonged argument and a long
I charge to the jury by Judge W. H.
Is. Burgwyn that sent the trial into
a third day. The plaintiffs finish
ed their evidence in time for the
defense to offer some of its main
witnesses Wednesday afternoon.'
| Testimony was continued Thurs-1
day morning and a brief time was
spent in rebuttal before Attorney
H. S. Ward opened the argument
for the plaintiff. Judge Burgwyn
started his charge to the jury Fri
day morning after Attorneys Rod
man, Coburn and Junie Peel car
ried additional argument to the
jurymen. Taking the case at 10:45
o’clock Friday morning, the jury
deliberated tne issues about three
and one-half hours before r"ach
ing a verdit
I The ease was first tried last
September when a $6,000 judg
,ment was awarded the plaintiff.
Judge Leo Carr, presiding over
the term, sat the verdict aside as
j being contrary to the weight of
(Continued on page aix)
Firemen Called
Ont Three Times
—•—
Williamston volunteer firemen
were called out three times during
the week-end, the fire-fighters
going out of town twice.
The first of the calls came Sat
urday afternoon at 3:00 o'clock
| when fire got away from a group
| of small picknickers a short dis
tance off the Washington High
way and threatened a large wood
! ed area about two miles from
i town.
They wrere called next to the A.
£. Lewis home about three miles
; from here on the Prison Camp
| Road. Centered in the attic of
the one-story home, the fire did
considerable damage before it
| was brought under control. Had
it not been for effective wmrk on
the part of neighbors and the
firemen, the small home would
have been burned. Furniture was
damaged some when it was mov
ed hurriedly from the house. No
i estimate on the damage could be
had immediately.
Two of three small boys, play
ing with fire, started a fire in the
Thigpen property just off East
Academy Street Sunday after
noon at 5:40 o’clock. Firemen
were able to connect with the
1 town wutei i>v.>L.in and checked
j the firg after it had burned over
I a very .-mall area.
Children Placed
In The Custody
Qi Mother Here
-——
Father Ordered To Provide
#50 Monthly Support
And Pay Attorneys
Three small children, the old
est not quite seven years of age,
were placed in the custody of
their mother, Frances G. Early,
and Judge W. H. S. Burgwyn, pre
siding over the second of a two
week special term of the Martin
Superior Court, directed the fath
er, Dr. Edward Early, Jr., to pro
vide $50 monthly support and pay
his wife’s attorneys $500 in fees.
Taken out of school, the oldest
of the three children was turned
over to the mother in open court
Monday afternoon.
The judgment, coming in con
sent form, after the plaintiff had
offered its evidence in the court
Monday morning, climaxes nine
years of stormy marital relations,
according to the plaintiff who
sought alimony without divorce.
The litigants were virtually
agreed on terms before the case
was ordered for trial, hut the pre
siding jurist said such a proposal
was contrary to the ways of civil
ization. The preliminary trems
were not made public, but it was
unofficially learned that given
sole custodv of the children, she
would not ask the defendant for
support for herself or the chil-j
dren. Judge Burgwyn insisted
that the defendant should help
support his children, and ordered
the case aired in open court.
Taking the stand, the doctor s
wife declared that the defendant
charged her husband with brutal
#nd barborous treatment. She
said that he had assaulted her
with his fists, sticks and pistol
and threatened her life, that when
she left him for the last time in
April of last year, he said he was
going to show the people how
much he hated her. The trouble ;
at that time, according to me
witness, started when she answer
ed the telephone and did not say
the ‘‘right thing”. It seems the
doctor had a headache and did not
w ant to be troubled with patients
! calls. She said she had been
forced to leave him at least thir
teen times since they were mar
ried in July, 1941. She declared
that he had been critical of her
ever since she came here in Sep
tember, 1943, that he did not like
her cooking, the plaintiff explain
ing that she did not know how to
"cook too good”, that she was not
experienced.
The witness said that she bad
told her husband he could not go
| with the office girl and treat, her
'(office girl) nice, and treat her
(plaintiff) bad.
i She told how he had forced her
.into the car and carried her to
a lonely spot in Bertie and knock
ed her down.
Telling about another break in
family relations during Thanks
giving, 1948, the witness broke
and cried, but soon regained her
composure and continued with her
story. She told how she jump
ed out of his moving car near her
mother’s home in Edgecombe
County, fell into a ditch and found
' refuge in a farm home. She re
ported to an Halifax officer, but
the trouble blew over and she re
turned home where peace reign
ed for a short while.
The next trouble started when
he accused her of losing an in
come tax report. She escaped by
reporting to and remaining at
the police station the remainder
of that night.
"In general, I had no satisfac
tion in living with him,” the wit
ness said, declaring that she had
never done anything to cause
him to "fly off” (the handle).
On cross examination, the wit
ness said that she moved to Wil
^(Continued on page «U)
---t'--—'
Wreck Victim
Are Improving
fhjured in a bad automobile ac
cident between Wake Forest and
Durham three weeks ago, Mrs.
Jesse Lilley, Mrs. Ben Roberson
and Mrs. Marvin Coltrain, all of
this county, were reported yes
terday to be improving in a Ra:
leigh hospital.
If they continue to show im
provmei ♦, they are exported to
1 leave the hospital within the next
I week or ten days
Wells-Oates Company Will
Reopen Lumber Mill Here
Idle foh the past sixteen months,
the large lumber plant on East
Main Street here is being reopen
ed by the owners, Wells-Oates
Company, this week. No details
were officially announced, but
workmen, reconditioning the ma
chinery, said late yesterday that
steam likely will be raised in the
boilers late this afternoon, that
tests would follow possibly to
morrow morning.
The plant is being forced into
operation here to take care of
more than a million feet of tim
ber that was scheduled to have
been manufactured into lumber at
the company’s plants in Cove
City, near New Bern, and at Bel
haven. Those plants burned down
a short time ago, and the opera
tions here were said to have been
planned to relieve the emergency,
One report stated that present
plans call for the operation of the
plant here for about two months,
that the company has announced
no plans for the future. It is pos
sible the plant here will be con
tinued in operation or plants at
the other two locations will be re
built to supplant the activities
now getting under way here.
The plant will employ about
twenty workers here, but several,
if not most of the needed work
ers, will be imported from Bel
haven.
First Reports On
Cancer Drive For j
County Released
—«—
Williamstvii Huh RuihcmI
$358 of ItH $500 Quota;
Other Areas Luring
Preliminary reports on the
$1,500 cancer fund drive in this
county are encouragaing in some
areas, but it is fairly apparent
jthat the campaign is lagging in
other sections, according to Mrs
Neil Ripley, co-commander of
the drive. Williamston, on the
basis of incomplete reports, last
evening had raised $3511 of its
$500 quota. The colored citizens
of the county, accepting a $150
quota, reported $35 in hand, and
good prospects of meeting the
| challenge.
i Continued progress in cancer
| control is dependent on success of
i the 1950 Cancer Crusade now
I under way, C. B. Martin of Kob
jersonville, American Cancer So
jciety campaign chairman, declar
! ed today.
J “Our quota is very small com
pared with the $14,565,000 mini
mum amount needed to carry on
the relentless fight against the
disease.
"The attack on cancer,” he said,
“has made definite progress dur
ing the past five years.”
Mr. Martin pointed out that
progress had been in three direc
tions: 1) the building of a nation
wide machine for cancer control;
2) the greatest peacetime research
effort in history; 3) the beginning
of a program to alert people to
cancer while it is still curable.
"From 1945 to 1949 inclusive,
American Cancer Society raised
by pubiic subscription about $53,
000,000 compared with only $2,
000,000 given by the public dur
(Continued on page six)
TAX SALES
In accordance with the law,
county and town tax collec
tors are preparing the names
of property owners delin
quent in their Ux payments
for advertising the early part
of May for sale in June.
While the list does not com
pare in site with those in
years past, there are several
hundred delinquents in the
county, the collectors said.
WATER
Their tobacco plants dying
in the extremely dry weath
er, farmers in this section last
week hauled approximately
50,000 gallons of water from
the municipal water plant
here for their plant beds.
Rain fell in minute quan
tities here Sunday evening,
but other sections were said
to have had helpful showers.
Some farmers are making
plans to start transplanting
their crops the latter part of
this and early next week.
Slightly Injured
In Car Accident
Joseph Fernando Griffin, 37
year-old taxi driver of 1340 W 37
Street, Norfolk, suffered a slight
back injury when his 1940 De
Soto went out of control and
turned over on "Dead Man’s
Curve", just this side of Gardner’s
Creek, on Highway 04 last Satur
day morning about 11:30 o'clock.
Treated in a Williumston doctor’s
office, the victim was released a
short time later.
Traveling toward Jamesville,
the man ran off the right shoulder
and lost control when he tried to
regai nthe road. The ear swerv
ed, skidded into a ditch bank on
; the left side of the road and
turned over, rolling to a stop 117
I feet farther away. Damage to
j the car was estimated at $500 by
Patrolman John T. Rowe who
•made the investigation.
Nan Is Fined $250
In Federal Court
— -<i>—
John 1.00 James, Martin Coun
ty man, was fined $250 and plac
ed on probation by Judge Don
nell Gilliam in federal court at
Washington yesterday for violat
ing the liquor laws.
James was alleged to have been
transporting one-half gallon of il
licit liquor and to have had about
000 gallons of bree-mash in his
possession for the purpose of man
ufacturing illicit liquor when he
was arrested by ABC Officer J.
H. Roebuck and ATU agents in
this county.
Another defendant, a man by
the name of Whitehurst, was
scheduled to have been tried in
the court, hut he did not report.
Lions Begin Work On Plan
To Send Band To Charlotte
«
“On to Charlotte!”
Having sent the Williamston
High School Band to Goldsboro
where it picked up first prize at
the district Lions convention re
cently, the Williamston Lions
Club and other friends of the
Green Wave Band have begun
efforts to raise enough money to
send the band “on to Charlotte”
for the State Lion’s convention in
June.
A finance committee laat night
virtually completed arrangements
for financing the promotion, the
main source of the funds expected
to be the sale of tickets to a drill
and concert in the Williamston
Athletic Park on the night of
June 13. If the sales of these
tickets reach the expected pro
portions no othei sources of rev
enue will have to be touched, al
though the committee has made it
clear that any help will he appre
ciated from any quarter and the
more money that is raised the
larger will be the group going to
Charlotte.
A minimum of $1,000 is being
sought as it will take this much
to finance the two large busses
which are needed to take the
band to Charlotte.
In connection with the drill and
concert, Professor Jack Butler, di
rector of the Green Wave Band
said last night tiiat preliminary
plans for the program included
the performance of all the nation
al requirements foi a high school
parade band as well as the con
cert which will include a number
of popular pieces.
Further details of the proposed
trip and1 arrangements tor it will
be announced as they develop.
Plant Shortages
Serious In Many
Sections Oi State
—* !
That Farmers In
County Continue Rlue
Mold Treatment
The tobacco plant situation is
serious in many areas of the state,
according to a recent survey by
the Department of Agriculture.
The plant scarcity is most evident
in the eastern sections because it
is now clear that the present
stand on the beds is all there will
be this year in time to do any
good. County Agent T. B. Bran
don says that there arc some far
mers here and there who will
have enough for their own needs
but the section around Whiteville
is the only one he knows which is
in fair shape with regard to plant
supply.
He points out that every effort
should be made by the growers to
nurse and protect the plants they
have left against dry weather,
blue mold and insects.
As to what should be done now
the following is listed by the ex
perts:
Water beds where the plants
are small or just coming up at
least every other day. The equiva
lent of 1-4 to 1-2 inch of water at
each application is fine on beds
at this stage. Plants that are well
set should be watered two or
three times per week with 1-2 to 1
inch of water to keep the plants
growing. (It will take a little over
5 barrels, 280 gallons of water, to
supply 1-2 inch to 100 square
yards). Apply water just ahead
of the blue mold treatment inso
far as possible. Many growers
have underestimated the dry con
ditions of the soil with strong
winds taking the moisture up im
mediately after each shower. In
many cases light showers fell im
mediately after the seed were
sown and some of the plants came
up, others that were sprouted
dried out and died.
Blue mold has been unusually
active in view of the dry weather.
As water is applied or when rain
comes, efforts to control blue
mold will need to be intensified.
Many grower's have confused cold
injury with blue mold and have]
consequently been discouraged in
continuing the treatment.
Good results with Formate Di
thane Z-78 and Parzate are in evi
dence everywhere that the grow
ers are applying the treatment li
berally, cat efully, frequently on
Ough and with the right equip
ment. Growers are strongly urg
] ed to continue theii blue mold
' ontrol program, strive to get the
best coverage possible and use li
beral applications of material, es
pecially when conditions are fav
orable for blue mold develop
ment.
The midge and crane larvae,
flea bottle and white grub have
contributed to poor stands in
many cases. They are still active
in certain areas. The midge lar
vae, flea beetle, and crane fly lar
vae can be controlled with DDT.
The wiiite grub can be controlled
with the use of Parahion (observe
precautions in applying this).
Keep a close look for the vege
table weevil worm that feeds on
the leaves and apply DDT for con
trol Keep on the look out for
(Continued from Page Six)
Shooting Victim
Leaves Hospital
K. D. Smith, young Pitt Coun
ty colored man who was shot an\’
badly beaten near Cross Roads in
this county on Easter Sunday, left
a Greenville hospital for his home
near Grimesland Monday after
noon In a cast, he will have to
continue in bed for four weeks
or more.
Smith, asked about the pay
ment of an. old $10 debt, shot
George Henry Ward, and Ward
returned the fire, striking him in
the hip and knocking him down.
Ward with his two brothers, John
and George Ward, sailed on the
man and stomped him, breaking
the man's hip
All the participants in the at
tacks are colored. They will be
given a hearing just as soon as
(Smith is able to attend court,
| Sheriff Holloman said yesterday.
Open New Chemieal
Plant Here Today
*
I FISHING
i ____—
Experiencing ill luck seas
on after season for several
years, operators of the fishery
at Jamesville were said to
have hit the jackpot last Fri
day and Saturday when large
catches were made.
One report said as many
as 18.000 herring were taken
in a single haul, that shad
catches have been larger this
season than in several years.
The big herring run disap
peared over the week-end,
and only a few hundred were
being taken at a haul yester
day. However, rock were
plentiful, the catches running
up to about 75 per haul with
the weight varying front
about three to 25 pounds per
fish.
Plans Go Forward
For County's Fat
Stock Show-Sale
—f—
Minelffn (Hub Hoys and
Girls To Kxhibit Twen
ly-Two Baby Beeves
Plans arc just about complete
for holding the county's annual
fat stock show and sale, Assistant
County Agent Sam Tuten said
this week.
The show, the seventh of its
kind held in this county, will open
in the New Carolina Warehouse
Williamston, on Thursday, May 4,
followed by, the sale the following
day. Farm Bureau day is to bt
observed on Friday, May 5.
Nineteen club boys and girls
will exhibit twenty-two fine baby
beeves, and forty-five boys and
girls will exhibit 90 hogs. In ad
dition to the entries exhibited by
4-11 Club and Future Farmers of
| America members, adult farmers
' will exhibit 198 choice hogs, hut
will not be in competition with
those exhibited by the club mem
bers.
The steers will be in place by
noon on Thursday of next week,
and the hogs are to be in their
pens by 8:00 o’clock that evening.
Sam Buchanan, animal hus
(Continuad on page sue)
Youngsters Give
P.-T. A. Program
■ ■ —
The Elementary Glee Club and
Mrs. Lamina Baker's First Grade
last night presented what was
yen; rally acclaimed the top pro
gram of the year before the Wil
liamston Barents Teachers Asso
ciation in the Grammar School
auditorium.
Wearing green vestments with
white trim, Mrs. Beecher Patter
son’s young singers, nearly half a
hundred strong, gave a good ac
count of them selves in the open
ing half of the program when they
sang several numbers with clear
ness and harmony that bespoke
excellent and careful training on
the part of their instructor and
patient work on the part of the
youngsters.
But it remained for the first
grade pupils of Miss Baker to take
not only the attendance prize but
the hearts of all those present as
they presented a program built
around the Easter theme. Opening
with church services as realistic us
it possibly could be made, the
Easter Parade was next depicted
and finally “Easter Bunny” came
"hippity-hopping” along with
Easter eggs and there was a solo,
“Alice Blue Gown.” There was
not time to list all the names of
the performers this morning be
fore press time.
It was announced that the next
P.-T. A. meeting, and the final
one for this school years, will be
held on Monday night, May 15.
Committees were named to help
with the pre-school clinics at the
Grammar School on Monday, May
i, at 'JGU alld on Tuesday, May 2,
at the same hour.
I -0
Company Officials
From Home Office
Here For Opening
Insretieide Haul of Stand
ard Fertilizer Company
Is A Modern One
Acting to meet u growing agri
cultural need in this section of the
country, the Standard Fertilizer
1 Company is opening a modern in
secticide mixing plant here today
for operation along with its ex
tensive fertilizer business on
Roanoke River. The event is at
tracting officials of the Mathieson
Chemical Corporation who left,
the home office in Baltimore by
special plane yesterday and con
tinued to the district plant here
from Rocky Mount early today.
Making the trip down from the
home office are, John C Lcppart,
executive vice president; Dr. Carl
F. Prutton, vice president and di
l rector of operations and research;
; S. deJ. Osborne, treasurer; S. L.
Nevins, vice president and direc
tor of agricultural chemical sales;
and D R. Stoneleigh, director of
agricultural specialties division
for the parent company, Mathie
son Chemical Corporation.
Although coming here especial
I ly for 'he opening of the new
| chemical mixing plant, the offic
ials, most of them making their
first trip to Williamston, will in
! spect the entire plant with the
possibility of inaugurating a gen
I oral plant inspection program.
; However, no official announce
■ ment could be had immediately in
I that connection, the officials busy ■
ing themselves with plant inspec
tions and getting acquainted witli
i the personnel and town.
• Engineers, discussing the new
I plant, declared this morning that
it was the most modern in this
section of the country, that the
machines were built by the Wal
(Iron Company in Pennsylvania
according to specifications prepar
ed by the nation’s foremost auth
orities on pest control.
With an hourly capacity of
about two tons, the mills is equip
ped with a storage, pre-mixer,
i blender and conditioner, the mu
i terials going into bags on convey
ors where they are automatically
weighed and the bags automatic
illy sealed.
Chemical engineers point out
that proper mixing is the secret
j to effectiveness of insecticides
Some of the ingredients are so po
tent that the mix ratio runs in
j some instances twenty to five. If
the mix is not thorough, some of
the dust will have a concentrated
amount of poison while other por
tions will be without effective
poison.
Several carloads of ingredients
have been placed in the plant,
(Continued from Page Three)
Charge Nan With
Entering Home
Johnnie Savage, young colored
man, was arrested in the upper
part of the county last Saturday
I night and jailed for allegedly en
tering the Francis Worsley home
near Oak City a short time earl
j ier.
No members of the family were
- at home when the house was en
tered. When the Worsleys re
turned they saw someone jump
over a fence, and they found a
light burning in the kitchen, but
! nothing missing.
j Deputy Sheriff Raymond Rawls
and Captain John Delbrulge and
his bloodhounds at the prison
camp were joined in Oak City
by Officers Wiley Craft and Gar
land Bunting and they started a
search The dogs picked up a
trail where the man was' report
ed to have jumped over the fence
and followed the track to the
Savage home. Tracks of his
'shoes compared with those found
at the Worsley home
Investigating the ease further,
officers considered the evidence
insufficient to hold the man, and
he w'as released late yesterday.