TOE ENTERPRISE IS READ HI
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT*’
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
VOLUME HII—NUMBER 90
Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tiu-sday, Novrinhrr 11, 1950
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ HI
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
ESTABLISHED 1899
Ben F. Roberson
* Dies ai His Home
Friday Afternoon
1’roiuiiu‘nt Griffins Farmer
Suffered Heart Attack;
Funeral Sunday
-♦- '**•*»»
Benjamin Franklin Roberson,
prominent Griffins Township far
mer and floor manager for the
New Carolina and Farmers, tobac
co warehouses here for eight or ten
years, died suddenly at his home
there last Friday afternoon at
5:15 o'clock. He had been in de
clining health for possibly some
time, but his condition was not
considered serious until last
Thursday when he accompanied
his wife to the hospital and, at
her request, submitted to an ex
amination. Doctors advised him to
* take his bed immediately and rest.
During most of Friday he felt
about as well as usual, and Mrs.
Roberson left him in bed while
she went to the kitchen to pre
pare the evening meal. Return
ing a few minutes later she found
him in a dying condition as a re
sult of a heart attack, the end
coming before medical aid could
reach him.
^ The son of the late Noah and
Martha Whitley Roberson, he was
born in Griffins Township 49
years ago on June 1, 1901, and liv
ed and farmed there all his life,
working on the Williamston to
bacco market several months each
year.
Mr. Roberson was first married
to Miss Margaret Manning about
1923 She died in September, 1920.
•and several years later was mar
ried to Miss Irene Coltrain.
He was a faithful member of
the Church at Maple Grove, serv
ing as deacon for twelve years. He !
was a splendid neighbor and citi
zen, one who worked for the bet- I
terment of his community and
county through the schools, :
church and civic organizations. 1
Although he experienced many re- '
I verses, he accepted them without 1
complaint, always striving to car
ry on for what was best for his 1
fellowman and for the finer ideals
in life. He gave in full measure to
worthy causes and willingly re
sponded to the call of everyone in ■
need.
Surviving are his widow; six
brothers, Simon, Lewis, Staton,
George A., Arnold and Archie
* Roberson; and four sisters, Mrs.
Jesse Griffin, Mrs. Dawson Grif
fin. Mrs. David Griffin and Mrs ■
Dock Hardison, all of the home
community
Funeral services were conduct
ed in the Maple Grove Church!
Sundav afternoon at 2 30 o'clock
by the pastor, Rev. M. Luther
Ambrose, assisted by Elder P. E !
Getsinger. Burial was in the Man- j
ning Cemetery.
Youthful Pianist
Has Fine Record
Ervin Laszlo, Hungarian-born
piano genius, will appear in the
first series of community con
certs in the Williamston High
School auditorium Wednesday
evening of this week at 8:30
o'clock.
The extraordinary success
which Laszlo scored when he
made his debut in New York had
such an electrifying effect upon
the audience and music critics
present that the New York Her
ald Tribune the next day declared
Lasizo to be "the most remarkable
young pianist encountered in
twenty years of experience in re
viewing music in this city,”, while
the New York Times immediately
placed him "among the outstand
ing keyboard artists of the day.”
Ervin Laszlo was born in Bud
apest in 1932. He had his first
piano lessons at the age of five
from his mother, and, two years
later, won his first prize at the
Music Academy of Budapest. His
first public appearance was made
when he was nine and in the en
suing years he gave numerous
concerts. The boy won |he Fran
cois Liszt Prize when he was only
fourteen and soon after was
awarded the Artist Diploma of
the Academy of Music. Later
young Laszlo won firs# prize in
the International Music Competi
tion at Geneva over 424 -entrants
from 40 countries. This led to his
(Continued on page eight) j
County Man Is Missing In Northern Korea
S/Sgt. Martel Hardy, Mai tin County young man, is miss
ing in Northern Korea, according to a message received
lust Saturday by his mother, Mrs. Nellie Hardy, of Cross
Roads Township. Offering few details, the message said
that the young man was missing since November 11 (Nov
ember 10 our time). A veteran of World War II, was an
Army Air Force mechanic, but is believed to have been
on a mission when he was reported missing. His father;
A. Lon Hardy, died a few years ago. The young man is
the fourth Martin County man to be included in the Ko
rean war casualty list. The above picture of the young
man was taken just a few weeks ago, while the one to the
right was taken during World War II.
Six Injured In School:
Bus- Truck Accident
FAIR LUCK |
vi
Ifuliting squirrel’s in the
Roanoke River lowlands, Gov
ernor Kerr Scott and his party
had fair luck yesterday, but
no report on the second day
had been received. Ben Ron
ey, the governor's assistant,
was top inan and Bob Gra
ham of the State Agriculture
Department, scored a lew hits,
but the Chief executive com
bined his report in the plural
possessive.
Governor Scott and his par
ty are guests of the Bill Ab
bitts.
Cnable to go to Montana for
pheasants on account of wea
ther conditions, the Governor
chose this area for hunting.
Recovering From
Accidental Wound
Ben Roberson, 40-year-old Rob
erson v'ille man, is recovering from
an accidental bullet wound re
ceived while fishing in Gardners J
[Creek late Sunday afternoon He]
Ientered the Martin General Hospi
tal here that evening and under
went an operation, late reports
stating that he was getting along
very well
While fishing from a boat, the
victim saw a snake and reached
around for his foreign-make .25
caliber pistol. The weapon acci
dentally fired, the bullet striking
and lodging ip his right thigh.
-o-——.
Firemen t.alleil To (iruxtt
Fire Friday Afternoon
Firemen were called to a grass
fire just off Elm Street, near the
Shiloh Baptist Church, last Fri
day afternoon at 1:35 o'clock.
NBC Bread Truck
Hits School Bus
Near Jamesville
---
Only One of Five Children
Detained In Huapilul
For Treatment
Five school children and a
truck driver were painfully but i
believed not badly hurt in a school
bus-truck accident just east of
Gardner’s Creek near Jamesville
last Thursday afternoon about
3:30 o’clock. The injured were
treated in a local hospital and all
but one were able to continue
to their homes by early evening.
The injured:
Bruce Lilley, 13, cut in fore
head and bruises.
Arthur Lilley, Jr., 8, injured '
about the nose and mouth.
Larry Asby, 0, arm injury and
face lacerations.
Jasper Barber, 12, hip injury.
The lad-was detained in the hos
pital for treatment until Sunday.
He was out and in court Monday,
apparently getting along all right.
Bettie Lou Griffin, M, right
eye injury.
George Allen, driver of a Na
tional Biscuit Company truck of
Greenville, received an eleven
stitch cut in the forehead when
he butted out the windshield. He’]
pleaded guilty of reckless driving '
and was fined $100 in Court Mon- |
day.
Others in the school bus were i
jarred a bit, but were not listed i
among the injured 1
Leaving the Jamesville school
about the usual time with his hu- ]
man cargo, Fred Griffin, 17, was
driving toward Williamston when '
he slowed down to make a stop I
and discharge some of his pai-sen- i
(Continued on page eight)
Initiate Deputy In
Method Of Liquor
Law Enforcement
Nim* Dihlillrrirh Wirt'kcil
III (bounty During Karly
I’arl Of Mo.ill.
• —
Going with the Martin County
Alcoholic Beverages Control
Board’s enforcement division the
first of this month, Cecil Bullock,
former game protector, has been
thoroughly initiated in the ways
of enforcing the liquor laws dur
ing that time.
Working with Enforcement
Chief J. Roebuck, Bullock has
helped wreck nine illicit liquor
distilleries, and that is just the be
ginning for the full-time team.
Two men were recognized at one
plant and were booked for hear
ings.
In their first raid early in the
month, the two officers wrecked
two plants a short distance from
N. C. Highway 11 in Roberson
ville Township. Each plant was
equipped with a crude 50-gallon
oil drum. At one plant the offi
cers poured out 100 gallons of
mash, and at the other they
wrecked three 50-gallon fermen
ters, but found no mash.
In their second raid, they
wrecked an oil drum still and
poured out 150 gallons of mash,
rwo men were recognized at the
plant.
On Monday of last week the
aiders invaded Bear Grass Town
ship and took a 50 gallon copper
cettle, wrecked eight 50-gallon
lermenters and pouied out 250
gallons of mash.
Returning to Robersonville
rownship the next clay, the of
’ieers destroyed a 50 gallon oil
Irum and wreeked live fermen
(Continucd on page eight)
Montford Griffin
Is Fatally Injured
Near Jamesville
Well Known Farmer Pin
ned Under Traetor In
Accident
Montford Nelson Griffin, well
known farmer of Jamesville
Township, was fatally injured in
a lodging accident about one mile
from his home at 9:00 o’clock
Monday morning. His skull crush
ed, hi' died while being moved to
a Washington hospital.
Mr. Griffin was pulling a load
of pulp wood with a tractor and
the load got caught between a
stump and a tree When he in
creased the speed of the engine,
the front of the tractor went up
and toppled over backwards, pin
ning his head down. No one saw
the accident, but other workers
in the woods heard the crash and
rushed to him. Unable to free him
with thei rhands, his rescuers
had to go for a truck and drag the
machine off him. He was never
conscious after he was hit.
The son of Mrs. Lottie Ange
Griffin and her late husband,
John 11. Griffin, lie was born in
Jamesville Township 47 years ago
on December 14, 1902, An indus
trious worker, he lived and farm
led at the old family home all his
life A faithful attendant upon its
services, lie was a member of the
Mt Olive Free Will Baptist
Church m Washington County for
a long time, and never hesitated
to answer a neighbor’s call for as
sistance Devoted to his family
and friends, he spent nearly all
his time at home and on his farm.
He was married to Miss Nar
cissie Ange twenty-nine years ago.
j Surviving besides Ins widow
and mother, are a son, C. D. Grif
fin of the home; two daughters,
Mrs Leon R Basye and Mrs.
Charles Hardison, both of Wash
ington, D. C.; one brother, Earl
W Griffin of Greensboro, and a
sister, Mrs Be Inter Hardison of
I Poplar Point.
Funeral services will be con
ducted at the home on Highway
171 Wednesday afternoon at 3:00
O’clock by his pastor, Rev. F. A.
Lilley, and burial will be in the
family cemetery near the home
Firemen Answer
Two Calls Here
Fired up during the recent cold
weather, oil stoves in two homes
here went out of control over the
week end.
Volunteer firemen were called
to the W R. Cherry home in North
End last Saturday morning about
7 00 o’clock Yesterday morning
: they were called to the J. I). Eve
rett Funeral Home, corner of Syc
amore and Railroad Streets.
Smoke caused some damage, but
i there was no fire loss.
| ROUIMD-UI* |
| --/
Attention, for the most part,
shifted from plain ole crime
to accidents in the county,
hut officers, representing the
Stale, county and towns, said
they found four drunks and a
suspicious character. The five
arrests were the smallest for
any week-end patrol period in
the county during the past
month.
Two of the live were white,
and the ages of the group ran
ged from 31 to 37 years.
Report Downward Trend
In Peanut Prices Recently
Peanut prices, after holding for
a short time to the highest level on
record, started weakening last
week and today are hovering near
or right at government support
figures One or two farmers said
they were receiving small prem
iums for their offerings, but the
market, for the most part, remain
ed a bit bearish with no certain
trend noticeable in any direction.
The market asserted itself early
last week, but early Thursday
several of the larger buyers vir
tually went off the market with
the unofficial declaration that 13
and 13 and one-half cents was loo
much for peanuts. Prices tumbled
about one cent by the last of ihe
week, and yesterday few sales
were made above twelve cents.
Other sales, grading around clev
i'll cents, were reported in limit
ed quantities.
Buyers, searching fields for pea
nuts the early part of last week,
were said to be holding closer to
home base at the beginning of this
week. Deliveries, after climbing
up to a peak of about 10,000 bags
daily at this point, were dccidcly
smaller.
Kains, falling last Saturday, de
layed some farmers, but most
growers were operating their
pickers early Monday.
Asked for a report on the mar
ket, a representative of the clean
ers said he hardly knew what to
say, that possibly the market
would adjust itself within a few
days. But he would not venture
a guess on the size of the adjust
ment figure.
Report Twelve Road
Aeeidents In County
r->!
I LAST COIIH'I’ I
'-/‘I
Judge Chas. II. Manning and
Solicitor Paul I). Roberson
held their last session of the
Martin County Recorder's
Court Monday, and both ap
peared unusually happy when
I they cleared the docket at
1 4:45 o'clock and told members
of the bar, the clerk and a
few friends good bye. Neither
offered any comment, hut ex
plained they hoped to be back
as counsel instead of as of
ficials.
While their terms do not ex
pire until December 4, the
two officials closed the court
down Monday to make way
for a special two-week term
of the superior court. On De
cember 4, R. T. Johnson will
will take the judge's scat, and
Clarence Griffin will take the
prosecutor's chair.
School Band Has
A Busy Week-end
—.—
Starting with a parade Friday
afternoon for the district Ameri
can Legion meeting and ending in
a trip to Durham for the Wake
Forest Duke football game, the
Williams!on High School Green
Wave Band had a busy time of it
last week-end.
After the parade Friday after
| noon they went to the high aclrool
! grounds and at <4:00 o’clock joined
! the Ahoskie hand in practicing
J for the half-time show to be given
I that night at the Ahoskie-WiJ
i liamston football game. Then fol
lowed the big picnic supper with
'the visiting band members as spe
cial guests. The half-time show
was next and after the game a vic
jtory celebration. Saturday morn
ing they were up about 5 o'clock
and left for Durham about 0:00.
They returned home about 0:00 on
: Saturday night.
Local folks saw the fine half- j
Dime show at the game here and
| reports from Durham are that the |
| band gave an excellent account of j
j itself at the hig game there. It1
! had a larger part this year than in
its last appearance there and in
| the words of Director Jack Butler
I "The kids were great all the way.”
Receive Bids On Drainage
Project On November 29th
. .Jk — ■■ -
Bids on an extensive drainage
project in parts of Bear Grass and
Cross Roads Townships will be re
ceived and opened in the office
of the clerk of the Martin County
Superior Court at 10:00 o’clock,
a. m., on Wednesday November
20, according to information re
leased this week
Work contemplated will include
construction of approximately
fifteen and one-half miles of can
als. The project anticipates the re
moval of 273,204 cubic yards of I
dirt and the clearing of slightly j
more tiian 112 acres of land. j
The project is one of the most:
extensive of its kind ever pro-1
i posed in tins county. While there
I has been some expressed opposi
tion with the possibility that
some differences will be aired
in the court, the project
has strong support. The interested
parties, headed by Chairman Syd
ney Beaeham, recognize the need
for the project and they have
worked diligently to have it pro
moted.
Known as Martin County Drain
age District No. I, the project will
be centered in Bear Grass Town
ship, but it will extend into Cross
Roads.
Several similar projects are be- (
mg proposed in other parts of the
county.
Minimum Of Eight
Persons Are Hurt
But None Fatally
Property Ihminpe Alone
Hiihh Clof*e To 11,000
Over The Week-eml
Hy the grace of a kind provi
I dence, no one was killed but at
least eight persons were nurt in
a series of twelve highway and
street vehicle accidents in this
county during the four-day per
iod ending Sunday night. At no
time in the history of motor ve
hicle traffic had there been as
many wrecks on the highways and
streets in this county than were
counted during the period under
consideration.
All the injured have cleared the
hospitals except one anil the ex
tent of his injuries has not been
definitely determined.
While the accident count liter
ally ran wild on highways and
streets, a prominent farmer in
Jamesville Township was fatally
hurt when a tractor turned over on
him in the logwoods, and another
man was painfully but not ser
iously hurt when he was accident
ally hit in the thigh by a bullet
, from a .25 caliber pistol.
Following the Jamesville school
bus-truck accident on Highway t>4
Thursday afternoon, Bobby Clai -
ton, popular drum major for the
Williamston High School band,
suffered a chipped ankle bone at
10:15 o’clock that evening when
his motor scooter and a truck
driven by Chas. Cullipher crashed
at the stop light corner on Wil
liamston's Main and Haughton
Streets. The young man is to wear
a cast around the injured limb
for five or six weeks. He is able
| to be out on crutches, and attend
ed the Ahoskie Williamston foot
ball game the following night.
Early Friday afternoon, Billy
| Baxter Harrison, driving his fath
icr’s 1950 Ford, lost control of the
car in a sand bed in a curve of
the Bear Grass-Corey’s Cross
Roads road and ditched it, doing
I about $300 damage to the body,
according to an estimate released
by Patrolman John T. Rowe who
made the investigation.
At 5:40 o'clock Friday evening
not far from Dewey Perry's store.
McDonald Hardison, Jr., blinded
by the lights of approaching traf
fic, crashed in to the rear of a
two-mule wagon on the Griffins
Township Road, causing about
$300 damage to his 1949 Chevro
let and $30 to the wagon owned
by Farmer Howard Coltrain and
driven by Handyman Orange Peel.
One of the mules was badly
bruised, Patrolman John Rowe,
investigating, said.
That was all for Friday, but
Saturday morning had hardly
come into being before the wreck
ers were at work again. Shortly
after midnight, Aubrey Williams
of 114 Hill Street, Williamston,
lost control of his 1937 Ford when
he tried to turn off Washington
into South Pearl Street in Wil
liamston and crashed into a pole,
causing about $75 damage to his
(Continued on page eight)
Jos. R. Harrison
Died Suddenly at
His Home Friday
WpII-Kuoh'h Farmer Of
Poplar I'oinl Ha.l Been
Feeble for Some Time
Joseph R. Harrison, weil-known
Martin County Farmer, died sud
denly of a heart attack at his home
in Poplar Point Township last
Friday evening at 5:30 o'clock.
He had been in declining health
for some months, but following
hospital treatment he was thought
to be getting along as well as us
ual. While sitting on the porch
Friday afternoon enjoying the
warm sun, he was cheerful and
active. A short time later he was
walking in the back porch, suf
fered the attack and fell. He was
able to walk to his room with the
j help of others, but weakened rap
j idly and died before medical aid
could reach him.
The son -of the late John and
Miranda Rawls, he was born in
Bear Grass Township 30 years ago
on January 9, 11170, and lived and
farmed there until 1910 when he
purchased a farm and located in
Poplar Point Township where he
had since made his home.
Mr. Harrison was a kind neigh
bor and friend, one who found
pleasure in growing crops. He did
not care so much for his tobacco,
but he got real delight in pro
ducing good corn and other food
and feed crops. He cherished the
i friendship of his fellowman, and
I few men could have walked more
humbly and sincerely through
life than he did. His simple way
[of life was attractive and appeal
ing, and he could be counted on
j the right side when things good
and noble were at stake.
In 1892 he was married to Miss
Amanda White who died in Oe
tober, 1918. His second marriage
was to Mrs. Annie Edmondson in
1920.
Surviving are his widow and
by his first marriage, five sons,
Norman K Harrison of Williams
i ton, Chester Harrison of Ft.
j Wayne, Indiana, Herman C., Ray
mond and Milton Harrison, all
of the home community; two
daughters, Mrs. Rose Peaks of
|Everetts, Mrs. Buck Howell of
l Poplar Point; one brother, Orlan
der Harrison of Beaufort County;
two sisters, Mrs. Nora B White
hurst of Washington and Mrs.
Nellie Hadley of Bear Grass
Township; seventeen grandchild
ren and eleven great-grandchild
ren.
} Mr. Harrison was a faithful
1 member of the Everetts Chnst
lian Church, having affiliated with
| the church at Macedonia more
‘than sixty years ago. Funeral ser
vices were conducted by Rev.
; J. M. Perry, pastor of the Robot
sonville Christian Church, assisted
by Rev. Olin Fox, Christian min
ister of Hassell, and Rev. E. R.
Stewart, Baptist minister of Ham
ilton. Interment was in Williams
ton’s Woodlawn Cemetery.
Nan Found Dead
Al Jamesville
———
Vance Brooks, Jr., 40-year-old
Negro, was found dead in a field
near the Games and Kirkman
lumber mill at Jamesville late
Monday afternoon, Acting Coro
ner Billy Biggs stating that the
man apparently died of exposure
Brooks, employed by Leslie
Hardison, was lust seen about 7:00
o’clock Saturday evening walking
toward his home near the lumber
mill. Said to have been in a drun
ken condition, he turned off High
way 04 at the old hotel in James
ville and walked several blocks
down the street. Instead of turn
ing to his right after crossing the
railroad and continuing to his
home, he wandered straight ahead
and apparently became lost He
fell into a shallow ditch beside
the path where according to
Sheriff M W. Holloman, he ap
parently struggled to get out
Going to his hog pasture Mon
day afternoon for the first time
since last Saturday, Farmer Ar
thur Wallace Lilley found the
body and nutified officers.
Examined in Everett’s Funeral
Home, the body showed no scars
or bruises, and Acting Coroner
Biggs ruled that the death was ac
cidental and that no formal in
quest would be held.