TUT7 T?\TT1?D DD TCI?
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT*" ■ E ■ El . ■ 1 . I ^1 ■ ■ 1 - | I I 1 -
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK JL JL XI i M—J JL ^ JL H >X U.X 1 % 1 L f 1
VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 82
-- --. .
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ HI
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTI
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEl
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, October 17, 1950
ESTABLISHED 1899
Local Firm Switches
To War-Time Work
Marvil Package
Firm Made Last
Baskets Friday
Scheduled To Make Ply
wood for Indefinite
Period, Reports Say
The Marvil Package Company,
operators of the large basket fac
tory on Roanoke River here, made
its last baskets Friday, presum
ably to switch over to the manu
facture of plywood to meet war
and defense orders.
^ No official announcement has
been released by the company -and
complete details could not be
learned. Approximately one-half
of the labor force has been 'laid
off", leaving less than one hun
dred workers with jobs when ply
wood manufacturing operations
are started.
One report said that the basket
making machinery would be left
intact, indicating that a switch
^ back is possible if and when con
ditions demand it.
It is understood that the pre
sent equipment is ample to cut
the veneer, but machinery will be
added to glue and pack the ply
wood. Just how long the change
over will require could not be
learned, but production is believed
possible within the course of a
0 few weeks. The product will be
prepared and packed for ship
ment to other plants of the Atlas
Plywood Corporation for manu
facture into packing cases.
M. M. Levin, salesman for the
company, tendered his resigna
tion some months ago but he a
greed to continue in its service
until the first of next month when
he plans to devote his entire time
to sweet potato marketing and
the operation of the Martin Coun
ty Yam Growers Association. .
Few other changes are antici
pated in the management person
nel, but it is likely that additions
will be made to the present stall
from the company’s plywood di
visions.
It was learned yesterday that
the package company has more
*■ (Continued on page five)
Levin Leaving
Narvil Company
Effective Nuvenibei 1st, Mcyei
M. Levin will leave the service.'
i>f the Marvi I Package Company
with whom he has been eonnectec
for the past three years.
He came here when the plan'
was first built by the Goldmar
Package Company, of which hi
was Vice President in charge o
sales. The plant later was sole
to local interests and operated a:
the Williamston Package Co., anc
then resold by them to the Mar
vil Package Co.
Mr Levin intends to devote hi:
time to the rapid growing swee
potato business, which he believe;
will play an important part ir
the agricultural interests in thi;
community. He is Secretary
Treasurer of the Martin Count;
Yam Growers, who have mad<
rapid strides in gaining aeceptanei
and recognition of a quality pro
duct encouraging growers to grov
better yams.
Mr. Levin has had years of mar
keting and selling experience 11
produce and is acquainted witl
the entire industry, and will de
vote his time to selling and mar
keting for growers throughou
this area.
SPECIAL OKUER
\
Mr Eugene Rice, Chairman
•>f laical Board No. GO, Mar
tin County, N. C, requests that
all men who registered with
the local board in Williams
ton, N. C. during the month
of September, 1950 report ter
the local board office, City
Hall, Williamston, N. C. not
late' than October 23, 1950.
All men reporting are direct
ed to bring their Registration
Certificates with them.
ROUND-UP
\/
Nine persons were rounded
up and placed in the county
jail here last week-end, re
ports declaring that the jail
traffic was also heavy in
other parts of the county dur
ing the period.
Of the nine jailed here, five
were charged with possession
of “bush" liquor, three with
public drunkenness and one
with an assault.
Marlin General
Given Approval
Following detailed inspections
the Martin General Hospital s
few days ago was formally op
proved by the North Carolina ant
American Hospital Associations
ithe action automatically invok
jing hospital savings plans. Thi
hospital was also approved for tin
use of new drugs for treatment o:
'arthritis, Administrator D. C
Sharpe Announced.
Three Injured In
Recent Accidents
On County Roads
Patrol Busy Sunday Haul
I iii|£ Drunken Drivers and
Drunks To Jail
j Three persons were hurt, pain
fully but not critically, in a series
I of four motor vehicle accidents
on highways in this county dur
ing the past few days.
In addition to investigating the
accidents, members of the high
way patrol were kept busy haul
ing drunken drivers and highway
drunks to the jail in Roberson
ville and to the county hoosegow.
About a dozen persons were jail
ed for liquor law violations of one
type or another, a member of the
patrol said.
Mr. J. W. Grimes of Roberson
ville and Etta Little of Parmele
were injured when the car in
which they were riding with Ed
ward B. Simmons, No. 1, Tryon
Palace, Portsmouth, was struck
1 head on by a 1941 Buick sedan
owned and driven by Harry C.
Walker of Hertford. Mrs. Grimes
suffered a broken left arm and
shoulder, and the Little woman
. suffered a broken right arm They
were treated in the Ward Clinic.
(Continued on page eight)
Stolen Bonds Found
By Kentucky Sheriff
Two Young While
Men Linked Will
Everetts Robber]
--
Kohl. Foreman and Jowpl
Murray Wauled In Al
Least Six Stales
-.$>
Government bonds, valued <
several thousand dollars and sto
en from the family of the late J. !
Ayers in Everetts the early pai
of June, have been recoverei
according to Deputy Sheri:
Raymond Rawls. Complete detai
of the recovery could not be ha
immediately, the officer explair
mg that all the facts could not b
learned until a personal investig.
tion is made in Lexington, Ker
tucky.
The arrest of Joseph Murra
and Robert Foreman, young whil
1 men, in Fayette County, Keritir
ky, last week virtually solved tb
June robberies in Everetts an
! also the robbery of the store <
1 Stokes and Congleton at Stoki
several months ago.
According to information ri
| leased by Warren Franklin, chii
I of Fayette County’s police, Mu
rav and Foreman were arrestt
in the Kentucky county last wet
1 and charged with robbery. A
investigation led to the home <
Foreman’s sister in the Kentucb
, city. It was reported that goveri
1 ment bonds issued to members <
the Ayers family were four
’ there along with bonds owned t
(Continued on page aix)
c
FARM BUREAU
l|
t\
*1
1
-|
l.
Nearly 1,300 members have
been signed and reported by
the Farm Bureau In this coun
ty, according to a report re
leased following a meeting of
the membership committee in
the American Legion hut last
Friday evening.
Another meeting of the
committee is scheduled for
Friday, October 27, when the
president, Mr. C. L. Daniel,
hopes the drive will be right
at its 2,000 member goal.
d
e
y
e,
e
u
•f
■s
if
d
k
n
>f
y
1
>f
d
y
Native Of County
Died Saturday At
Home in Beaulorl
Fii lirrul Siinihty AI tin* Oe«l
nr Rruitcli Ulturrli for
James H. L. Peel
James Henry Lawrence Peel
native of this county and retire
farmer-teacher, died at his hom
near Pinetown in Beaufort Coun
ty last Saturday morning at 6:0
o’clock after a long period of de
dining health. He suffered
stroke of paralysis six years ag
and had been an invalid sine
that time.
The son of the late Henry Pec
and wife, Frances Peel, he wa
born in Griffins Township 7
years ago on October 10, 1878, am
(Continued on page six)
Local Church To Observe
100th Anniversary Friday
Observing its one hundreth an
niversary on Friday of this week,
the Church of the Advent has
prepared a timely program under
the direction of the rector, the
Rev. Mr. Thomas L. Hastings. Sev
eral former rectors, including
Rev. John Hardy, rector of St.
John's Church, Wilmington, and
Rev. Edwin F. Moseley, rector of
St. Mary's Church, Kinston, will
have parts on the program along
with the Rt. Rev. Thomas H.
Wright, Bishop of the Diocese;
Rev. Edwin Spruill, rector of
j Grace Church, Plymouth.
Mr Norman Cordon, grandson
of the late Rev. Thomas B. Haugh
I ton, beloved rector of the church
! for a number of years, will be
| guest soloist at the 11:00 o’clock
! service. Mr. Cordon is a noted
singer.
At 1:00 o'clock that afternoon!
afternoon a luncheon will be serv
ed the members and special guests
in the Woman's club, and Bishop
Wright will speak That evening
at 8:00 o'clock, the Rev. Mr. Mose
ley will be the guest preacher.
In connection with the obser
vance. the rector, Rev. Hastings
has written an interesting history
of the church, and Senior Ward
en N. C. Green will read it as
part of the morning program. The
historical sketch, reflecting much
study and research, has been pre
served in booklet form, but since
I it is certain to prove of interest
i to members of other denomina
jtions, it is being published in this
I paper. The first installment ap
pears today and the second will
follow Thursday.
History Of The
Church Of The Advent
By Thomas L. Hastings, Rector
James L. Wilson was a resident
of Williamston in 17114. In the
court house records today wo find
that he witnessed the will of one
1
j Kenneth McKenzie in that year.
Five years later Mr. Wilson was 1
called to Holy Orders and he trav
elled to Philadelphia where he
was ordained by the Right Rev
erend William W.hite, the first,
Presiding Bishop of the Episco
pal Church in America. The Rev- 1
erend James L. Wilson returned
to Williamston and from the first
federal census in 171)0 we learn
this much about his family: he 1
had “one boy under sixteen years
of age and there were two white
females in his household-includ- 1
ing the head of the family”. With
in seven years he had purchased
lots number 14 and 18 on the
south side of Main Street between
Biggs and Harrell Struts. Some
time in the year 1797 Mr Wilson
moved from here to Halifax Coun
ty from where our history loses
sight of him. Between the years
1790 and 1797, however, Mr. Wil
son will be seen as one of most
influential leaders of the Episco
pal Church in North Carolina.
By the year 1790 the Episcopal
Church in all of America had but
shortly been organized; the first
General Convention being held in
1785. Yet only five years later in
1790 we find Mr. Wilson and the
Reverend Charles Pettigrew of
• Eden ton, N. ('., meeting in Tar
pon and holding the first etuiven
tion in an effort to organize the
Church in the State of North Car
olina. The following passage is
j from the “History of Edgecombe
County.” “Di. William White, an
eminent figure in the Episcopal
" Church after the Revolution, in
1789, wrote Governor Samuel
Johnston of his desire to inaug
1 urate a movement for the reor
’ ganization of the Church. Gov
’ ernor Johnston, being a layman
of the church, referred the letter
to the Reverend Charles Petti
s grew. Governor Johnston and Mr.
^ Pettigrew had for sometime been
intimate friends, he being a mem
ber of Mr. Pettigrew’s congrega
lion at St. Paul's Churcft in Eden
ton The contents of the letter
voiced a desire to select some
convenient place for the clergy
men to meet and consult as to
procedure to reawaken an interest
in tile Church.
After the matter was referred
to Mr. Pettigrew, he wrote let
ters to Dr. Cutting, rector at New
Bern; the Rev. Mr Wilson, of
Martin County, and the Rev. Mr.
Blount, residing on Tar River,
expressing a desire that they meet
at Tatboro on the second Thurs
day of May, 1790. He mentions
this place as a central and con
venient location. Accordingly, Mr
Pettigrew and Mr. Wilson met
in Tarboro on June 3, 1790, and
held the first convention of the
Episcopal Church in North Caro
lina These two gentlemen wen
met in Tarboro by Dr John Leigh
and Mr. William Clements, win
were residents and staunch
churchmen. Mr. Pettigrew, in ;
letter addressed to Bishop White
regretted the fact that no inort
were in attendance, and that hi
had expected that as many as si>
clergymen would hi' present . .
Two years later (after 1791)
the third convention met in Tar
boro. Mr. Wilson was presiden
and Mr. Clements was again sec
retary. This convention made con
siderable more progress in tin
movement for a church reorga
nization. A State committee wa;
appointed, and a circular wa;
published calling a lourth con veil
lion to be held ill Tarbc ro in May
1794. The convention of 17915 w<a
the largest held since the Revo
: lution, but consisted of only si:
persons: Dr. Hailing, of Nev
Bern; the Rev Mi Gurley o
Murfreesboro; the Rev Mr Wil
son of Williamston; Mr Win
Clements, Dr Leigh of Tarboro
and Mr F. Green of Craven Coun
ty . . (The convention of 179
elected Mr Pettigrew to be tin
first bishop of North Carolina, bu
his early death prevented bin
from ever being consecrated.
The Rev. Mr Wilson had been i
(Continued on page eight)
Five Of Twelve Prineesses )Xho Will Ride In Parade
W ednesday
Pictured above are five of the princesses who/will compete for the tit
le, ‘Queen of the Harvest.” Heading from left to right they are Joyce Har
rell, Oak City; Jean Carol Griffin, Farm Life; Lib Charry, Bear Grass; Fra
nces Perry, Windsor, and Bessie Pearce, Williamston. Princesses not pic
tured are Hannah Early, Ahoskie; Joyce Beverly, Bethel; Hazel Leary, E
den ton; Margaret Perry, Jamesville; Shelton Owens, Plymouth; Janie
Griffin, Robersonville and Kay Tankard, Washington. With private ehauf
feurs, the princesses will ride in the big festival parade here tomorrow
(Wednesday), beginning at 2:00 o’clock P. M.
I
Great Day Expected In The
Ole Home Town Tomorrow
Pupils Are Impressed By
Special School Program
-•» ■ -
A special program, pointing out
the evils of alcohol, is receiving
a splendid response in the high
sehols of this county, a member
of the ministerial association, the
sponsoring organization, said this
morning. "The pupils, impressed
bv the picture, ‘The Effect of Al
cohol on the Human Body’, were
attentive but a bit aesitant to par
ticipate in the open forum," the
association member, one of seven
making the tour of several
schools yesterday, said.
Rev. Stewart B Simms, presi
dent of the Martin County Minis
terial Association, outlined the
, program planned to educate the
youth in the dangers of alcoholic
! beverages, discussed the special
essay contest. Rev. E. R. Shriller
conducted the open forum, and
while they were limited in num
ber, some timely questions were
asked. For example one youngs
ter in one of the schools wantec
to know if alcohol was so injur
ious to the human mind and body,
why did the State license the sale
of it. S. K. Procter, executive di
rector of the alcoholic rehabilita
tion program of Raleigh who
brought the Special film to this
county, had a part on the program,
explaining what was being done
to rehabilitate alcoholism victims.
Literature and books on the
l subject were left in the schools,
and the ministerial group believe
: the young people will give the
material serious study.
! The program was carried into
the Williamston, Jamesville and
1 Farm Life Schools yesterday. To
day, the group, including seven
ministers, will be at Bear Grass,
Robersonville and Oak City. Or.
I Wednesday the group will be in
the colored high schools here and
| at Parmele.
The program will be followed
by another series in January and
1 March of next year.
Tobacco Sales Pass
Mine Million Pounds
-<§>
ABSKiyi'KKS
Absentee voting, avowed
only in general elcetions, may
be arranged in this eounty by
submitting written applica
tions to C. 1>. Carstarphen,
chairman o!' the Martin Coun
ty Hoard of Klections. Appli
cation forms may be had from
the registrars in the several
precincts.
>! A number of absentee bal
lots were prepared for mem
bers of (he armed forces, but
so far no applications have
been received for ballots. Lit
tle interest is being shown in
the off-year election in this
county, and a miserably small
vote is expected.
Native Of County
■\ Died Late Sunday
In Wilson County
, -——
Fnm-riil This Afternoon for
Mrs, Vernon (!. I.iin^lcy
Of Si. I.ewis
’ — t- —
1 Mrs Mary Amelia Langley, na
tive of this eounty and member of
a family prominent in the' affairs
of tins section, died at the home
1 of her daughter, Mrs. Leon Grif
' fm, m St. Lewis, Wilson County,
Sunday night at 11:30 o’clock. She
1 had been ill declining health for
several years and hud been con
• fined to her home following a
(Continued on page six)
Farmers Receive
Million Dollars
Above 1949 Price
SiiIvm Almost Ortuin To (Jo
Over Nine uml Olio-Half
■Million I'oiintls
Sales mi Williamston's tobacco
market went over the nine mil
lion-pound mark last Friday with
neat ly one hundred thousand
pounds to spare. The 143,370
pounds sold yesterday boosted the
total sales for the season up to
0,240,041) pounds. Total income
now stands at $5,314.50, an aver
age of $57.52 per hundred pounds
If the market maintains the
| same pace maintained during the
latter part of 1040, total sales will
! go well in excess of nine and one
half million pounds.
Prices, while falling from one
! to two dollars under the peak
reported earlier in the season, are
still “good”, according to tin
growers. The more than 250,000
pounds sold last Friday averaged
above $57 per hundred pounds
and there was no marked differ
ence in the price average y ester
i day.
The market here has already
sold 339,151 more pounds this sea
son than it sold all of last year
and the growers have received al
most one million dollars more
than they received all of last sea
son.
No closing date has been fixec
for the market here, but it. is like
ly that sales will be maintainec
through next week. Lust year thi
market operated 45 sales day:
and closed on Friday, October 21
If that pattern is followed, ther
sales will run through next week
but no official announcement ha:
been released, it is pointed out.
Reports from the entire bed
point to a downward trend u
| prices, ranging from two to si:
j cents.
Minor Damage In
Hamilton Fire
Fire, starting in a gnsolin
pump, threatened the Cherry am
Kdmonson grocery in llamiltoi
about 1:00 o'clock last Thursda
noon Kxtmguishers were usei
and the damage was limited, re
ports stating that only the ga
pump in front of the store wa
burned.
Fire departments were callei
and local volunteer firemen wen
making ready to leave the statiol
when a cull was received, advism
the fire was under control.
Narines Setting
Up Equipment on
The Main Street
!ti«i I'uruiU* Start* At 2:00;
Govmiur To Sp<*uk \l
2: to O'Clook
Plans were announced complete
this morning for Williamston’s
third annual Harvest Festival, F,x
ecutive Director Al Sweatt of the
Boosters. Inc., declaring that all
indications point to the biggest
event of its kind ever held here.
The display of canned foods,
sponsored as the first feature of
the two-day festival, attracted
attention in the Planters Ware
house this morning and the
ground display by the U S Ma
rines from Cherry Point is creat
ing much interest on the main
street in front of the Dunning
home. The first of the large
crowds is expected this evening
when a street dance gets under
way on Washington Street.
Frank Saunders Weaver and his
band will furnish»the music for
the round dances with spaces al
lotted for both white and colored
dancers. Farther down the street,
Otho Willard and his string band
, will play for the square dancers.
Headed by Major K P Dunn,
the Marine detachment is arrang
ing a special display of guns and
I rockets, jet engine models and
aerial pictures of the town and
section.
1 The big show tomorrow is
scheduled to start shaping up at
noon when the main street is
| cleared from Watts to Washing
I ton and Washington to the ware
houses. The clowns, numbering
nearly a dozen and including a
professional, are to take over for
about an hour beginning at 1:00
o’clock. The parade, led by Gov
ernor Kerr Scott and Congress
l man Herbert Bonner and other
: dignitaries is to start moving
1 promptly at TOO o'clock
1 The parade, forming on the
streets north of Main, will include
about fifty units. Twelve decorat
J (Continued from page five)
Open Bids Here
On Bond Projects
Bids, received from five con
tracting firms, exceeded the esti
mates for extensions to the town's
water and sewer systems by a
goodly margin A complete study
of the bids opened by the town
commissioners in a special meet
ing at 10:45 o'clock this morning
i was not made immediately, and
i action on the bids had not been
taken shortly before noon.
The bids on the two projects
combined exceeded estimates by
about $lti.000, according to an un
official report
Barnhill and Long of Tarboro
; submitted a bid of $151,005.00 on
the sewer project, and the Chicago
Bridge and Iron Company with
offices in Atlanta were low with a
$50,;)!)() bid on the 300,000 gallon
water tank.
The commissioners are studying
the conditions and the over-all
I picture, but no decision had been
I reached about noon today.
-N
SCOUTS
v-:j
It was learned unofficially
that nearly every circus, that
is circuses of any size, will
have scouts at the harvest
festival here tomorrow al'ter
( noon, searching for clowns.
1 One of the clowns, a profes
sional who was with one of
(lie largest in the world for
I several years, declares he can
i nol he bought, giving the am
ateurs a hotter chance. And
li then Air. J. Lawrence Peele
since he prefers an amateur's
i standing with professional
i ability.
Director Eugene Hire said
i today that he has a large bag
• of tricks and that he'll have
i his bevy of clowns shake the
■ hag just before the parade
tomorrow.