THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BI
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT*
families twice each week
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ Hi
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT1
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME LIII—NUMBER 85
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, October 26, 1950
ESTABLISHED 1899
Thirty Cases In
. Recorder's Court
Monday Morning
Judge Chas. Manning Long
On Road Sentences
This Week
In a session lasting until about j
J:00 o’clock Monday, Judge Chas. j
H. Manning reached into the bag
and pulled out a number of road
sentences. In addition to the
* “time” sentences, fines were im
posed in the amount of $340.
Proceedings:
Continued and literally kicked
around since last July 31, the as
sault charge against Harvey Let
Mooring was cleared from the
calendar. The defendant was sen
tenced to the roads for three
months, suspended upon the pay
ment of a $25 fine and costs.
• Pleading not guilty of an as
sault with a deadly weapon. Nym
phus James was adjudged guilty
and drew six months on the roads.
Robert Jones, colored, was fin
ed $15, plus costs,' for an assault
wdth a deadly weapon He pleaded
not guilty but apparently could
not support his plea.
Pleading guilty of non-support,
Willie O Person was sentenced to
the roads for six months, the court
Suspending the road term upon
the payment of the costs and $12
a month for the support of his
family. He is to reappear for fur
ther judgment the fourth Monday
in October, 1951.
Caught twice in one day for
operating a motor vehicle with
out a driver’s license, Eli Carr
was doubly fined $25 plus double
xosts.
Joe Lanier, charged with an
attempted assault, pleaded guil
ty and drew sixty days on the
roads.
Charged with assaults with
deadly weapons. Mary Glenn Tay
lor and Flossie Whitehurst were
adjudged not guilty.
Judgment wijs suspended upon
I lie payment of the cost in the casj
charging Prim Sherrod with an
'assault.
Adjudged guilty of an assault
with a deadly weapon, Ernestine
Williams was sentenced to jail
lor thirty days, the sentence to be
suspended upon the payment of
tlie costs.
Pleading not guilty, William
Henry Bryant was found guilty of
bastardy and was sentenced to
^he roads for six months. The sen
tence w'as suspended upon the
payment of the court costs and $3
a week for the support of his child.
Mildred Graham was fined $25.
Plus costs, for operating a motor
vehicle without, a driver's license.
Charged with violating the hq
iui laws and being puohei.y drunk,
John Rawls, RkJL) 2. Williamston,
wi*s found guilty of being public
ly drunk and was fined $25, plus
costs.
George Spruill pleaded guilty of
bastardy and was sentenced to the
loads for six months The sen
tence was suspended upon the
payment of the costs and $15 a
month for the support of his child
during the next two years.
Kelly Moore was fined $25. plus
costs, for being publicly drunk. He
pleaded not guilty.
Charged with violating the
^ liquor laws and being publicly
drunk, Joe Bland was found not
guilty.
James A Warren appealed to
the higher courts when he was
fined $50 /or allegedly violating
tile liquor laws. Bond was requir
ed in the sum of $10Q,
Raymond Albritton was fined
$25, plus costs,. for operating a
motor vehicle without a driver’s
license.
t Charged with the possesion' of
(Continued on Page^2ight)~~ j
I LITTLE NOTICED
s-——-J
The United Nations' fifth
anniversary was little noticed
here last Tuesday. No pro
gram was planned and if
there were any prayers, they
were silent ones.
A lone United Nations flag
waved from a short pole in
the yard of the county agri
culture building, but rain kept
it inside most of the day. The
American flag waved proudly
along the main street, but
alone.
Harvest Festival
Queen
Crowned queen of Williamston’s third annual Harvest
Festival, Miss Jean Carol Griffin, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. John A. Griffin of Griffins, is pictured with Mr. A1
Sweatt, executive director of the Williamston Boosters,
Inc., sponsors of the event. The queen received a dinner
ring and other gifts.
Tobacco Market To
Close Next Tuesday
9,640,624 Pounds
Are Sold Locally
So Far This Year
Ineoine Mon* Than u Mil
lion Dollars Greater
Than In 19T9
Williamston’s tobacco market
1 will close the current season at
i the end of sales next Tuesday,
j October HI, it was announced by
I the Tobacco Board of Trade yer
; terday And it goes without say
ing that the market is closing one
of its best, if not the best, sea
sons in all its history.
After handling more than 100.
000 pounds on Monday of this
week, the market reported only
small sales Tuesday and yester
day, the warehousemen explain
ing that by next Tuesday all far
mers in this section will have mar
keted their crop.
Through yesterday the fnarket
here had sold 9,640,624 pounds
for $5,528,099.96, an average of
$57.34 per hundred pounds.
Last year the market sold 8,
910,898 pounds for $4,371,162, an
average of $49.05.
The total money received this
year, exceeding last year's re
ceipts by $1,156,937.96, is believed
(Continued on page six)
Club To Sponsor
Halloween Party
-A,
Williamston's Womans Club
will sponsor a big Halloween par
ty in the Planters Warehouse
here Saturday night, beginning at
7:00 o'clock, it was announced to
day.
Extensive preparations are be
ing made for the event and hun
dreds are expected to attend and
participate in the special pro
gram.
There’ll be bingo, fishing, apple
bobbing, fortune telling, penny
pitching, a cake walk, doll show
and quite a few surprises. The
club members will maintain a
food booth. Prizes will be given
for the best costumes. A 10-cent
admission fee will be charged.
| STILL PENDING '
v.
J
Contracts for the construc
tion of a new colored high
school building here, an addi
tion to the local white school
and a gymnasium in Rober
sonville are still pending, it
was learned today.
Considered too high, the
bids received some months
ago are being held in abey
ance until changes can be
made to bring the costs in
line. Representatives of the
county board of education
were in Raleigh yesterday to
discuss the proposed changes,
but approval was delayed by
the illness of a representative
of the State Planning Com
mission.
Native Oi County
Dies In New Bern
Mrs. Della Coltrain Perkins, na
tive of this county, died in the
Neuse Forrest Convalescent Home
near New Bern Tuesday morning
at 9:00 o’clock. She had been in
declining health for months.
Mrs. Perkins was born in Wil
liams Township, this county, 79
years ago, the daughter of the
late John and Nancy Griffin Col
tram. She married in 1892 to Dave
R Perkins who died in 1924. She
had made her home in Pitt Coun
ty for about forty years, and was
a member of the Robersonville
Primitive Baptist Church.
The funeral service was held
at the home yesterday afternoon
at 3:00 o’clock by Elder A. B.
Ayers, and interment was-in the
Perkins family cemetery near
Stokes.
Surviving are a son, Church L.
Perkins of Greenville, a daughter,
Mrs. J. R. James of Stokes; one
grandson; two brothers, Ira Col
train of Jamesville and Janies H.
Coltrain of Williamston; and two
sisters, Mrs. Walter Mobley and
Mrs. A. F. Lilley of Williamston.
TO VISIT HERE
Christopher Crittenden, director
Department of Archives and His
toary, Raleigh, will make an offic
ial visit in this county next week.
Benjamin Johnson
Died In Oak City
Tuesday Morning
Funeral Service Held There
Yesterday Afternoon for
Prominent Citizen
Benjamin Louis Johnson, prom
inent county citizen and a leader
in the Oak City Community for
many years, died at his home
there early Tuesday morning fol
lowing a long period of declining
health, lie was very active in
managing his farming operations
until about two years ago when
feeble health forced his retire
ment. He was confined to his
l home most of the time during
the past five months and his con
dition was critical for about ten
days, death being attributable to
the infirmities of his advanced
years.
The son of the late Joshua L.
and Martha Daniel Johnson, he
was born near Gold Point in Kob
ersonville Township 87 years ago
on May 28, 1888, and spent his
early life on the farm there. In
1905 he located in Oak City where
he operated a mercantile business
for about ten years or until he
found it necessary to be out of
doors much of the time on ac
count of his health
Mr. Johnson, championing wor
thy causes and exemplifying high
ideals and Christian character in
his daily walk through life, serv
ed his community in many ways,
including years of service as a
member of the local school board,
and as a member of the Conoho
Primitive Baptist Church the
greater part of half a century.
In 1907 he was married to Miss
Sallie L. Worsley who survives
with one son, N. W Worsley of
Oak City; two daughters, Mrs
James L. Johnson of Washington
and Mrs. J. L. Hassell of Oak City;
one brother, C S. Johnson of Rob
erson viile.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at the home yesterday after
noon at 3:00 o’clock by Elders W.
E. Grimes, E. C. Stevenson arid
Robbins. Interment was in the
Oak City Cemetery.
Liquor Traffic
j On the Increase
There is an apparent increase
| in the illicit liquor traffic in this
county, observers pointing out
that part of the decrease in legal
beverage sales is being offset by
a greater consumption of the
home-made brands.
The manufacturing front is
showing new life, enforcement of
ficers stating tha* -he Free Union
1 Section, after slowing down for
a period, is stepping up its opera
j tions.
A short time ago, ABC officer
J. H Roebuck and Deputy Roy
Peel wrecked a 150-gallon capaci
ty copper kettle in that area This
week the two officers wrecked
three plants there and confiscated
two copper kettles, one with forty
gallon capacity and the other with
a capacity of 100 gallons. A third
plant was found within 500 yards
of the first, but no kettle could
be found there. The officers pour
ed out more than 1,000 gallons of
sugar mash at the three places
yesterday, and wrecked fourteen
fermenters .including a 400-gal
lon box.
Last week the officers raided in
Bear Grass and wrecked two
plants. One was equipped with a
200-gallon capacity submarine
type still and the other had a 100
gallon copper kettle. The raiders
poured out approximately 1,000
gallons of mash and twenty gal
lons of white liquor. One of the
plants was extensively equipped
with equipment and materials
HIGH RATING
Volunteering for service in
the U. S. Navy a short time
ago, hi wood Kay Boyd, son of
Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Boyd of
Hamilton, made the highest
score ever made in a qualifi
cation test in this district, the
recruiting officer announced
here yesterday.
Making a perfect score, the
young recruit left last Wed
nesday to enter the electron
ics field in San Diego. He was
accompanied by Fritz Wool
ard, Jr., another recruit from
Aulander.
Call Eight Cases '
In Justice Court
In Past Few Days
Man Placed (hitler Bond In
Holdiery-Assault (law
By Justice Mobley !
Willie Moore, young colored 1
mar,, was placed under $750 bond 1
by Justice Chas. R. Mobley here
last Tuesday in the case in which ■
he was charged with robbing and !
assaulting "Peg" Northern with !
intent to kill. Unable to arrange
bond, Moore was returned to jail
to await trial in the superior court !
in December. It was alleged at
the hearing that Moore, claiming
Northern owed him a quarter,
knocked the one-legged man
down, took his victim's pocket
knife and left a 15-stitch gash
around his head. It was also al
leged that Moore pulled,$3 from
Northern's pocket.
Murray Wallace, charged with
assaulting Ins wife, was booked
by Justice Mobley for trial in the
county court. Bond was arranged
m the sum of $100.
Justice II. T. Johnson heard the
following cases
Charged with improper park
ing on the highway, Ernest C.
Mooring, Jr., was found not guil
ty
Erah Ayers, charged with being
drunk on the highway, was taxed
with the costs.
Jim Jarman was taxed with
1 $7.85 costs for being drunk on
the highway.
j Charged with operating a motor
j vehicle with improper equipment,
Samuel Manning was found not
I guilty.
William Brown was taxed with
] the costs for an affray.
I Wclton Arnold, charged with an
i assault, was bound over to -the
j county court in $200 bond. Al
j lodged to have threatened the
lile ol his wifi- and other members
I of his family, the defendant was
i also placed under a $200 peace
I bond for two years.
. — ’ . ...
I Receive Bids On
Road In County
•
I The J. S Hill Construction
I Company of Washington was low
i bidder on a road project in this
j county, it was announced follow
| ing a meeting of the North Caro
I lina State Highway and Public
! Works Commission in Raleigh
| Tuesday. The company submitted
la bid in the sum of $56,449.40. No
! official statement has been rc
j leased, but the bid calls for the
grading of the road leading from
ja point a short distance from Eve
retts ubout right and one-half
miles through Bear Grass to Cor
ey’s Cross Roads.
A previous bid on the project
was rejected when the commission
ruled it was too high
Bids on 35 projects were re
ceived by the commission this
week. The total was $2,818,179.07,
an amount $114,220 08 below en
gineers estimates
I
Draw Jurymen ior
I Recorder's Court
Thirteen county citizens were
drawn this week for jury duty
in the recorder’s court next Mon
day when John Hayman will be
tried for assaulting his wife and
H. L. Roberson wdl be booked
i <jn a drunken driving charge.
Names of the jurymen are:
Jamesville Township, It. L.
Waters.
Giiffins Township: H. Thomas
Daniel, N. S. Roberson, Carlyle
Manning and Aubrey H. Gurgan
us.
Bear Grass: Jos. S. Holliday,
Collins H. Gurgarius and War
nei Bailey,
Wiiliamston: U. V. Bunting,
Hebei T. Selby, W, H. Harrison,
R. A, Critcher and Horace A. Ray.
Vitlim Of Wrvck Is
Hr/iorlnl I in proved
Critically injured in an auto
| mobile accident early last Sunday
I afternoon near Hassell, Mr. James
j Henry Lilley was reported to be
j getting along fairly well in a local
hospital this morning. His condi
tion is much improved, one re
port stated.
District Legion Plans Big
Armistice Day Event Here
The Third District of The Amor- |
lean Legion will hold a District
rally and Armistice Day celebra
tion here on Friday November
10th, beginning at 2:00 p. m , it
was announced this week.
The program includes a recep
tion for distinguished guests, pub
lic speaking, banquet free to all
Legionnaires holding 1951 mem
bership card, and a mammouth
street parade with Military units,
L^gionaires, several high school
j bands and firing squads taking
| part. The festivities conclude with
i a dance with the public invited.
; Music will be furnished by an out
standing orchestra.
Many top Legion officials have
been invited to attend the cele
bration which was set for No
vember 10th so it would not con
flict with Armistice Day Celcbra
tions in local Legion Posts.
Department Legion officials ex
pected to be present include Com
mander Hugh Alexander, of Kan
napolis and Department vice com
mander J. C. Lamm, Jr , of Wil
son.
Legion Posts included in the
| Third District are located at Ham
jilton, Robersonville, Williamston,
jCreswcll, Plymouth, Columbia
land Oak City
Twenty-live Leaving
For Service In Army
J
HOARD MEETING |
Meeting in special session
I this evening at 8:00 o'clock,
Williamston's town commis
sioners will try to find a so
lution to the problem created
by high bids received on the
proposed sewer line project.
It is impossible that new
I bids will be asked, or the of
ficials will consider private
bids. It could be the authori
ties will consider altering the
specifications. It is fairly def
inite that every effort will be
made to relieve the present
condition, that some plan ran i
and will be worked out.
Concert Group
To Neel Nonday
Final details for the member- |
ship campaign of the Martin
County Community Concert Asso
ciations be held beginning Mon
day, October 30, are complete ac
cording to Mr. IS G. Stewart, Pres
ident of the Association.
The membership chairmen of
the Association and the dinner
chairmen are making a last-min
ute check-up of all preparations
and attendance at the dinner
meeting to be held at the Woman's
Club on Monday night, October
30 to insure that the drive will be
| a complete success,
l A number of reservations for
the dinner have been made and a
100 per cent attendance is expect- j
ed. The diftnei* will also be at- |
tended by Mrs. Marjorie Lee, rep
jiesentative of the Community j
; Concert Service, who will ad
| dress the meeting and be pre
j.'ent the entire week to assist ml
the campaign.
i The gathering will be enter-!
I lamed by a musical film of about
20 - minutes length, in which
famous stars of the concert world
have been especially filmed with
sound for this purpose.
The campaign will close the'
following Saturday, November 4,1
after which no more members canj
be taken. The artist committee
will meet immediately after trie
final results have been listed and
choose the series of concerts from
a list including the most celebrat
ed names in the music world. The
cost of the memberships will be
the regular $5.00 plus tax for
adults, and $2,50 plus tax for the
students. One membership entitles
'he holder to attend every one of
the concerts.
Guard Building
Site Approved
A .site for u National Guard
housing project, including modern
armory at a later date, has been
tentatively approved by a repre
sentative of the U. S. Army, it
was learned today.
The Army colonel eliminated
all but two sites, one of them be
ing on the Washington Highway
and the other in West End.
The site is to be purchased by
local units, and the federal and
State governments will improve it
and construct the buildings, it w as|
explained.
Twelve Others To
Answer Induction
Call November 2nd
Forty-Five More !Y1en Itein^
Cnlletl for Examination
On November I 7
Selective Service machinery, |
moving along in low gear for [
months, is being speeded up rap
idly in this county. Calls are pil
ing up, including two for final in
duction and one for pre-induction
examinations.
Twenty-five Martin County
young men are leaving tomorrow |
morning at (1:00 o'clock for final i
induction into the Army at Fort!
Bragg.
Those scheduled to make the
trip are:
Alton Fay Peele, HKD 1, Wil
, liumston.
Willie El wood Kovels, HFD I,
Wiliiamston
James Walton Ward, Main
Street, Wiliiamston.
Dalton Staton Jones, HKD 3,
Wiliiamston.
Garland Hunting, Oak City.
Harper Marshall Peel, Jr., Ilam
i ilton.
Mallet Swinson Davis, HKD 1,1
Jamcsvillc.
Vance LeKoy Poole, HKD 3,
Washington.
David Aaron lloyild, Hamilton
Charlie Hoell, Jr., Ill Pine
Street, Wiliiamston
Jesse Elwood Everett, Hamilton
Pcarlie Bennett Lilley, Jr., HKD
j I, Wiliiamston
Henry Brown Winslow, HF D 1,
; Itoberso/i cille I
Dixie Fllliot Greene, Hoberson
ville
j Archie Lee Bevels, HKD 1, Wil
| liamston.
j Eli David Harrison, HKD 3, Wil
I liamston
William Marvin Martin, James
ville.
Edward Flai l Mobley, Hamilton.
Ernest Saunders Wynne, HF'D
j 3, Wiliiamston.
Asa Thomas Whitley, Jr., HF'D
| 1, Wiliiamston.
Colored
Gaston Alexander Carr, HF’D 2,
Hoherson ville.
Crawford FI Lane, White Street,
j Wiliiamston
I James Hudgins, West Main
I Street, Wiliiamston
Willie Isaac Latham, HKD 3,
Wiliiamston
Norman Harris, colored, was
transferred from Baltimore to the
board in this county for induction.
William Berry, HKD 2, Rober
sonville, and Willie Crandall, Jr.,
HFD 2, Kobersonville.
Willie Crandall, Jr., HF’D, Hober
son ville.
The group of twenty-five is the
first of any size to be drafted
from this county since late 11)45.
Only one registrant has answered
a draft call since the end of World
War II and he was called because
he was delinquent.
On Thursday of next week. No
vember 2, twelve additional men
are scheduled to leave this county
for final induction.
On FTiday, November 17, forty
five other men are scheduled to
report for pre-induction examina
tions.
It has been pointed out that
the authorities at the receiving
(Continued on page eight)
Retires After 62
Years In Service
Of The Railroads
John R. Kllison, Former flo
ral Man. Worked In
Suffolk < >ffire
An old Williamston man re
cently retired from the railroad
service in Suffolk, and Preston
Charles wrote the following .story
under a Suffolk date line:
Fifteen years ago J. R. Ellison,
Atlantic Coast Line Railroad
agent for Suffolk, was preparing
to retire. The ACL said every em
ployee had to quit work at 70,
and he was getting on toward that
age.
So, to supplement his pension
money after quitting the railroad,
he bought a piece of property .just
across the street from the ACL
station on East Washington. The
idea was to start a wood and coal
yard after he retired and ai ve
out a new career for himself in
the business world.
Llut he didn't have to retire
after all. The Federal government
took over the railway pension
fund and put out a new ruling;
any railroader who was willing
and able, and his work was sat
isfactory, could stay on as long
as he liked.
So Mr Ellison stayed on as
agent here, not to retire until
September 30, 11)50 at the age of
32 a little over 02 years after he
first started working on the rail
road.
His career as a railroader, inci
dentally, began 1888, when he
was a boy of 20 He went to wea k
as a check and transfer clerk for
the Norfolk Southern Railway at
Williamston early that year and
a year later was made agent for
the NS at Centerville. «
His first job with the ACL
| was at Williamston, N C., hu
home town. He was taken on there
as clerk-operator at the hand
some stipend of $30 a month 11c:
served successively as agent at
Jamesvillc and Parmele, then m
1898 or 1899, he isn’t sure which,
he got a transfer to the transpor
tation department and became a
conductor.
A few years of that was enough,
j “I decided 1 liked three meals a
day anil sleeping home nights,"
says Mr Ellison So he took a job
that would fill the bill. It turned
I out to be the post of agent at Suf
I folk.
That assignment started April 1,
1904, and it never ended for him
until he retired. That is, except
for one month he spent soli if
years ago as agent at Petersburg
"1 took that job,” he explained
in an interview, "on the condition
that they'd keep an extra man on
here a while so if I didn't like it I
could come back. 1 didn't, so I
came back."
What was wrong with the job'.’ ,
It wasn’t the job so much; it was
being away from Suffolk.
"I've never lived in a place 1
liked half as well as Suffolk," ho
declared "And I've never seen a
place, either, that would suit me
as well.”
Like most any veteran railroad
man, Mr. Ellison declares he loves
the work Hut unlike most, he
isn't at all sure he’d go into it if
he had it to do over again.
He went into it because it seem
ed like a good job at the time, and
he had learned telegraphy al
ready from an operator at Wil
liamston. So from then on, it was
railroading for him.
All the same, if the choice of
work his anything to do with
health, railroading has done all
(Continued on page eight)
FEW KECJISTEK
Complete reports could not
be had immediately, but judg
ing the trend in those pre
cincts where reports were re
leased, less than a dozen new
names have been added to
the registration books for the
November 7 election.
Those whose names are al
ready on the books do uot
have to register again, but
those who have never regis-,
tered and those who have reg
istered but moved to new pre
cincts will have to register if
they are to participate in the
election. Saturday of this
week is the last day to regis
ter. _J