* the enterprise is read by
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNT”
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT
OVER .V»00 MARTIN COUNT!
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEB
| VOLUME LI 11—NUMBER 102
i ——___
If iUiamHon, Marlin County, North Carolina, Thursday, Dvr,cm hrr 28, 1930
ESTABLISHED 1899
i Seven Accidents
, On County Roads
At Holiday Time
One Person Killed lint No
Olliers Hurl; Danuif'e
Nearly 82.000
——* ——
There were at least seven high
way accidents in this county at
holiday time, one resulting in
death Preliminary reports from
the highway patrol office in this
county indicated no others were
badly hurt. It was pointed out,
however, that the property dam
age wotild run right at $1,850,
Since the last accident report
was made on Wednesday of last
week, Patrolmen said they were
kept busy investigating minor
wrecks.
9 The first in the series was re
poited the evening of the 20th
when LcRo.v Leggett, driving a
1950 Ford pickup on the new Bear
Grass-Willianiston Road, swerved
the machine to miss a loose pig
in the highway. He did not miss
the pig, and to aggravate it all, the
truck turned over Hi' was not hurt
but Patrolman John T. Rowe,
making the investigation, estimat
'd damage to the truck at $300.
Last Friday afternoon about
5:30 o'clock, Lewis B. Royston of
the 2nd Tank Battalion, Camp Le
jeune, was driving his Hudson
toward Hobguod from Oak City
on Highway 125 when Roscoe
Locke, driving a 1938 Ford started
to make a left turn The Hudson
struck the Ford, causing it to turn
over. Investigating the accident.
^Patrolman H P. Narron said that
Locke gave a hand signal, that ap
parently Royston failed to see it
in time. Damage to the Hudson
was estimated at $200 and that
to the Ford at $50. No one was
hurt.
A 1938 Ford truck driven by M
H. Hollis and a 1941 Chevrolet]
driven by Katerine Mae Haislip ol
Hassell figured in a minor acei
nent near Hassell about 7:30
o’clock Friday evening No one
was hurt. Patrolman Narron said
A car turned over on the Bear
Grass-Everetts Road Saturday
night, but rut detailes could be had
immediately.
Early Sunday morning, Elmer'
Rav Lilley was fatally injured.
The was a minor accident on the
streets of Robersonville Tuesday
atternoun, involving about $100
damages.
Wednesday afternoon of this
week, A. S. Roberson was driving
his 1949 Dodge west on 84 when
(Continued from Page Six) !
•--—■#>
Farmers Killing
Hogs In County
Taking advantage of the cold,
crisp weather existing for several
weeks until a few days ago, Mar
tin County farmers had killed a
goodly number of hogs and pack
ed away the meat with the virtual
assurance that it will not spoil.
Bad weather Thursday and Fri
day caused a few farmers to post
pone their hog-killings, but others
went ahead with the task Most of
the farmers will pack their meat
in Janua’-y and February, but
more farmers have already pack
ed away their supply at this time ;
than usual.
Martin farmers, while desert
ing the old-time big hog-killings, i
are packing away supplies suf- j
ficient for their own consumption.
Most hogs are sold on the hoof.
Farm Trainees To
Neel January 4th
—*—
The first class of Veterans’ farm j
training group will be held in the j
Williamston High School on '
Thursday, January 4 between the
hours of 7:00 and 9:00 o'clock p. m.. I
tt was announced.
Jaycees’ Christmas Party
Last Week Great Success
After attracting State-wide at
tention with their Christmas party
last year, Williamston’s Jaycees
came back this year to promote
one of the most enjoyable events
of its kind ever held here.
; The little guests, remembering
! the good time they had last year,
were ready when transportation
was arranged and the fifty-five
■ boys and girls, their ages ranging
from three to twelve years, were
! present and accounted for at the
I opening event last Friday evening
at 7:00 o'clock in the Woman’s:
Club hall. While most of the tots,
came from this community, a few j
were brought in from points near- \
ly ten miles away.
Games, songs and contests were:
enjoyed under the direction ofl
I Program Chairman Edgar Gur
ganus, assisted by about a dozen
i other Jaycees and a lew special
j helpers.
Each one of the little folks re
| eeived toys, some of them almost
mobbing Santa before the merry
ola fellow eould distribute the
packages. Refreshments were ser
ved and confectioneries were plac
ed in the hands of the Special little
guests.
It was difficult to determine
who enjoyed the event more—the
guests or the sponsors. Consider
able work and time went into the
preparation of it, but the Jaycees
ably handled it.
Reports from nearly every sec
tion of the county declare that
similar programs were greatly en
joyed during the holiday season.
RADIO
v
j
Construction work on the
transmitter tower near the
river for YVilliamston's new
radio station is nearing com
pletion, but no definite date
for the formal opening has
been announced.
The studios in the Saund
ers building on South Smith
wick Street have been ready
for some time, but material
shortages delayed work on
the transmitter near the river.
Jas. W. Ashburn
Dies In County
Funeral services were conducted
at Horner's Funeral Home in Ply- ■
mouth at 10:30 o'clock Thursday
morning for James Wellington
Ashburn, who died at the home '
of his daughter, Mrs. Roland Co- (
burn at Dardens Wednesday af- '
ternoon at 4:30 o'clock. Later, rites I
were held at Bethany Church, near
Suffolk, Va., and burial followed
in the- church cemetery. The Rev
P. B Niekens, pastor of Ludford
Memorial Baptist Church, of Ply
mouth, was in charge.
Mr Ashburn was the Widower
of Rebecca Luke Ashburn. of
Newport News, Va. He was the
son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Isaac !
Ashburn. of Suffolk, and was born
there June 17, 1857 He was a re- |
tired farmer and had made his'
home with his daughter for the
last four months, coming to Mar- i
tin County from Newport News.
His death followed an illness of i
three weeks' duration.
Mr. Ashburn was a member of
the Methodist Episcopal Church
of Suffolk. Surviving besides his I
daughter are two sons, Samuel |
Ashburn, of Baltimore, Md.. and j
Walter Ashburn, of Newport 1
News; several nieces and nephews, j
National Guard
Dance Tonight
lomght, Friday December 29th,
from 9:00 p. m. to 1:00 a. m. Bob
Lee and his E. C. T. C. orchestra |
will furnish the music for a big '
holiday dance in the Williamston
High School gymnasium. All of
the proceeds will be used in a
fund being raised to purchase a
site for a proposed National Guard
armory here in Williamston. It is
hoped that attendance will be good
so that it will not be necessary to
make public solicitations for this
cause.
The price of admission is $1.25;
per person and the gym will be '•
heated.
Meeting Of LUt-Takera
Delayed Until Saturday
Scheduled to have met on
Thursday of this week, Martin
County s tax list-takers will meet
on Saturday and determine per
sonal property values.
Accidents Marred
Christmas Period
In Martin County
Olio Victim Ldm-n Si>jhl In
Kirill Kyi Ami Still
In 11 o.^pi la I
Accidents manctl the Christmas
period in Martin County, an un
official report showing one person
dead ar^d at least two others dan
gerously shot The fatality was re
ported on Highway 4 at James
ville early Christmas morning A
small child was shot through! the
head in Hamilton, but was still
living, according to the last report 1
received here A woman lost her
right eye in a shooting at Gold
Point, and two others were pain
fully shot there
There were at least five auto
mobile accidents in the county,
but the first reports indicated no
one was badly hurt except in one.
Elmer Ray Li I ley, 23, was fatally
injured when his car turned over
at Jamesville Sunday morning
and died Monda\ night at 11:50
o’clock in a Williamston hospital
without n gaining consciousness
A first check on highway acci
dents m North Carolina showed
twenty-five persons lost their
lives between last Friday and
midnight Christmas. Five more
were added to the death toll by
early Wednesday morning, send
ing the death count fat beyond
all predictions. The record toll
following shooting, burnings and
other accidents, is still being tab
ulated
The nation reported 724 violent
deaths during the three-day holi- i
day, but a complete count is a'
most certain to send the figure
over the 1.000 mark for the entire
holiday season.
Pvt. II’. t,. .Maori- !\oii
It flow The .Will Parallel
Pfc W G. Moore, in u recent
letter to his mother, Mrs Fannie
Moore, of Hamilton, said he had
withdrawn with his outfit below
the 38th Parallel, but added that
it was a tough pull. He intimated
that they were reorganizing some
where in South Korea, and added
that his outfit had been hard hit.
PRICE ADVANCE
v.__
• The publishers, in accord
ance with a previous an
nouncement, again point out
that subscription prices to The
Enterprise will be slightly in
creased as of January 1. Sub
scription prices within the |
county, after January 1, will I
be S3 per year, and those out- j
side the county will he S3.50
per year. Rising costs make
the increase imperative.
Until January 1, subscrip
tions will be received at the
old rates.
Christmas Spirit
Pays Dividend To
Former Residents
Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Old An*
I)<*hij{«*d with Oifts Worth
Thousands Of Dollars
(The following story, appearing
| under a Norfolk date line on
| Christmas Day, will be read here
with much interest since Mr and
I Mrs. Old and son made their home
m Williamston for a number of
I years and made many lasting
i friendships here during that time
I Mr. and Mrs. K. Ross Froncbcrgcr
and Mrs John R Peel went to
! Norfolk for the presentation and
special broadcasts. Ed.)
Christmas spirit paid off in a
large way for the W K. Old, fain
ily of 700 Raleigh Avenue, Nor
jlolk, Va., whose home today was
I deluged by the NBC “Welcome
I Travelers" radio show with thou
sands of dollars worth of gilts,
! including a new Chevrolet four
door sedan and a complete
'dream" kitchen.
Tommy Bartlett, master of cere
monies on the "Welcome Travel
ers" show, flew from Chicago to
: Virginia last Thursday with the
entire staff id’ the program, set
ting up operational headquarters
at the Cavalier resort hotel in
nearby Virginia Beach. A prelimi
nary check of the Old family had
been made a few days previously
by the show’s writers, after the
family’s selection by a board of
judges consisting of movie star
Irene Dunne, McCall’s magazine
editor Otis L. Wiese and Ladies
Home Journal associate editor
Hazel Rawson Cades
The Christmas morning broad
cast from the Old home, located in
a picturesque square, was the cul
mination of a six-week search by
"Welcome Travelers" for a Christ
mas family, a family group locat
ed anywhere in the United States
that typified the spirit of Christ
mas all year long. Letters nomi
nating potential Christmas fami
lies had been received from every
state in the union One of the pro
visions of the search was that
nominations could not lie made
by any relative of a family.
All the gilts for the Old family
were shipped to Virginia Beach,
where Les Lear, program busi
ness manager, supervised their
uncrating and gift wrapping.
Trucks started delivering the gift
packages on Saturady, December
23rd, with elaborate precautions
taken to see that the Olds had
no opportunity to see them while
they were being hidden in the
home of a next-door neighbor.
Tape-recording equipment for the
broadcast was installed iri the
Old home Saturday afternoon by
engineers working under the sup
ervision of Producer Stefan Halos
and Director Bob Cunningham,
while the Olds were being enter
tained by friends
The letter nominating the Old
family had been written by Mrs.
A M Murphy, wife of a service
man who received a leave from
Germany and had flown home for
Christmas with his family. Be
cause of lack of housing accomo
dations, the Murphy family was
spending the holidays in the Old
home. Mrs. Murphy receives a
Gi uen watch and a fully equipped
modern streamlined kitchen for
her letter.
Taking in the Murphy family of
father, mother and three child
ren for the holiday season is typ
ical of the Old family's operations
throughout the year
Mrs. Old, who is a registered
nurse, has taken care of sick
neighbors without pay for years
She is currently caring for an
aged couple in the neighborhood
who are afflicted with severe
rheumatism. She does their laun
dry, prepares food for them and
nurses them She is helping to
pay for a television set for this
couple although the Olds, them
selves, never had a television set
(Cuntmued on page an)
Three Shot After
Argument at Gold
Point Christmas
Out* Person Was Killed.
IVo Olliers Were Dan
gerously Shot
I Wild and costly shooting cli
I maxed a family quarrel at Gold |
Point Christmas night, reports
i from the sheriff's office stating j
' that one victim had lost the sight
| in her right rye and two othei !
| victims were painfully but be '
j lievcd not seriously hurt
A hearing in the ease, tenta
tively scheduled before Justice J
,S. Ayers in Williamston Wednes
day evening, was postponed when
it was learned that one of flu !
victims was still in the hospital.
Merman Morning, colored, I
quarreled w ith his wife, Ella and
I she departed, going to the home
of her sister, Bettie Lloyd. Her
man followed and was ordered to
leave the house by Raymond
Lloyd who fired upon Morning,
both shi ts missing Herman left
but soon leturned and fired on
Ins wife, her sister and Major
| Lloyd from a distance of about
twenty-five yards. Bettie Lloyd’s
right eye was put out and the
other two were badly peppered
With the No. 7 shot. Deputy I
Sheriff Raymond Rawls said j
Morning claimed only one shot |
was lin'd, but it appeared that i
two loads were discharged
The victims w ere treated in the j
Robersonville Clinic, the more
seriously in jured one in the group
being moved later to a hospital in
Greenville.
Morning and Raymond Lloyd,
both charged with assaults with
deadly weapons, were placed in
the county jail where they are
being held pending the coniple
tion of arrangements for the pre
liminary hearing
Remember Health
In Resolutions For
The New Year
A (><mhI ItcMtliiiion I- Not
Murli (>oimI \\ illioul
(ilMIll lll'illlll
Once more, New Year's rcsolu- ;
tains time has rolled round. With
the best intentions, people all
over the country are ■making an
other new start toward good hab
its.
Among those who actually .
make a list of their good inten
tions, many will be surprised to
note how some of then resolu
tions directly concern then own
health, whether they consider
themselves "health conscious" or
not
Many of us will resolve to get
to bed earlier, cut flown on drink
mg or smoking, or get weight
back to normal by exercise and
proper diet.
Perhaps this is evidence of our \
instinct of self-preservation The
average person realizes (hat he
may not have much time to en
joy the good things of this life
d he literally shortens Ins own
life by unhealthful living
Besides, lull enjoyment of the
things of life is impossible with
out good health. In turn, one ean
(Contiuuad on page six)
MISSING
v—-_---1
Mrs. W. E. Dudley ol Wil- j
liamslon has been notified by
the Army that her brother,
M/S|ft. Gordon L. Braxton,
has been missing in action in
Korea since November 30.
S(ft. Braxton, 38 years of a#e,
has been in the service for
twenty years.
He is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. D. If. Braxton of Rocky j
Mount.
Young Man Fatally
Hurt In Car Wreck
Elmer Ray Lilley
Died In Hospital
Christmas Night
SitoihI iMrinbrr of Family
To IMrvI t ragic Ih-ulli In
Lew Than Two Years
Elmer Ray Lille,v, promising
young man was fatally injured in
an automobile wreek at James
ville on U. S. Highway 04 about
5:00 o'eloek last Sunday morning.
His skull fractured and suffering
internal injuries, lie never regain
ed consciousness, dying in a local
hospital at 11'50 o'clock Christinas
night. Thrown clear of the ear,
he is believed to have lain on the
road for about an hour before he
was found
The young man, a building con
struction worker, was traveling
alone and all details o (the acci
dent probably never will be
known He was driving his Ford
east on 04 and apparently ran off
the road in a curve at Jamesville's
town limits. He swerved the ear
to the left and apparently while
trying to right it, the rear wheels
skidded into a ditch with the front ;
wheels on tile left shoulder. The |
machine is believed to have turn- i
ed over three times. I
Investigating the accident. Pa
trolman John T Rowe said dam
age to the car would possibly ex
ceed $1,000.
Lilley, who lost a brother ,n a
(living accident at Albemarle
Beach summci before last, was
born in Williams Township 20
years ago on April fi, 1927, the
son ol Arthur Lilley and the late
Carrie Coltrain Lilley. Following j
the death of his mother he had i
lived with relatives and friends,
making Ills home witli Mrs. Fran
ces Lilley in Griffins Township
foi the past several weeks.
He was a member of the Maple
Grove Church, and during the
past several months lie had been
working in Jainesviile.
Surviving besides his fathei and
step-mother, an three brothers,
Alton Lilley of Jainesviile, J. A
Li I le> and Pete Lilley, both of
Williamston; loui sisters, Mrs.1
Crawford Coltrain of Williamston,
Mrs Noah Perry of Jainesviile,
Mis Hubert Creel’of Berkley. Va ,
and Mi s Herman Dixon of James
ville.
Funeral services were conducted
in the Fairview Church over in
Williams Township by Rev. W. H I
Harrington and Rev. M L Am
brose Wednesday afternoon at 3:(JU
o'clock Interment was in the farm
ily cemetery in Williams Town
ship
The young man’s death was the
fourth reported on the highways
in the county tins year
Three Fire Calls
Here on Tuesday
— i—
Alter tiding through the main
Christmas period without a call,
Williamston’s volunteer firemen
were kept on the jump Tuesday
when three calls were received
during the course of about three I
hours.
1 he I li st call was to a grass fire
next to the Christian church on
Smilhwick Street. A tall came uii
about 1:00 o'clock from Jamesvillej
where a grass fire reportedly was
about to get out ol hand. Firemen)
moved the equipment out but j
were called back when it was re-j
ported the fire was under control'
I he third call was to a grass fire i
just back ot thi post office. Sev-i
era! buildings were threatened,
but there was no damage.
f-(JKIMKKAL HOLIDAY ^|
v<
Next Monday—New Year’s
Day—will lie observed as a
general holiday here. All bus
iness houses, along with the
post office and county and
town offices will close for the
day.
There'll be no meeting of
the Martin County or Wil
lianiston Hoards of Commis
sioners, and the county court
w ill remain idle until the fol
lowing Monday.
The Hoards of Commission
ers are slated for the usual
hours on Tuesday, January 2.
Mrs. Anderson
Dies In Hospital
Mi s. Blanche Anderson, 77, died
j in a Durham hospital last Thurs
day afternoon at 1:30 o’clock. She
had been in declining health for
some time and her condition was |
critical for several weeks.
Funeral services were conduct
ed in Tarboro's First Baptist
Church Saturday afternoon at
I 3:00 o'clock by the pastor, Hev
j Curl Ousley, assisted by Kev.
I Stewart IV Simms, pastor of Wil
I liamston’s Memorial Baptist
! Church Burial was in the Wood
lawn Cemetery here. ' i
Mrs. Anderson, well known cit 1
i/en ol Edgecombe County where
she managed extensive farming i
operations near Tarboro, had
visited in Williamston with her
daughter, Mrs C A Harrison,
over a period of years during
which time she endeared herself
to so many local people who re
| member her for genuine friendh
i ness and thoughtfulness
Surviving besides her daughter
here are two sons, Samuel W An
derson of Whitakers, and Dr R.
, S Anderson of the home; six
grandchildren, seven great-grand
children and two nieces.
Native Of County
Killed In Korea
— y
C'pl Jesse Itoyster Jenkins, na
tive nt this enunty, was killed in
action in Korea, according to a
report receive*I by relatives from I
the Defense Department this
week No date was mentioned, but
it is thought he lost his life the
latter part of November
The son of Mr Jesse Jenkins
and wife, Mrs Minnie Whitaker
of Tai boro, CpI. Jenkins was born
near I’armele about 44 years ago.
After spending his early life in
this county, he moved with his
family to Tarboro about 3H years
ago lit served in World War II,
and re-enlisted in the service sev
eral years ago
He is a cousin of Mesrs. Claude
Jenkins and Bod Taylor, and Mrs.
Dennis Hardy of Wilhamston, and
has other relatives in the county.
Critically Shot,
Child Improves
—
David Taylur, four-year-old
.son of Roosevelt Taylor was crit
ically shot by his six-year-old
brother, at their home in Hamil
ton last Thursday, Using an air
gun, the older brother fired from
close range, the' pellet piercing1
the child's temple and coursing
through most of the brain.
Given first aid treatment in a
local hospital, the victim was re
moved to Duke Hospital with a
patrol escort and underwent an,
operation. Last reports stated his
condition was improving, that he i
was able to talk. !
Draw Jurors For
Special Term 01
Court in January
-f>—
Martin County Drainage
District INo. 1 Cases Are
To Be Heard
Thirty Martin County citizens
were drawn Thursday afternoon
for jury duty during the one
week special term of the Martin
County Superior court opening on
Monday, January 22 They will
hear cases involving a drainage
project centered in Bear Grass
Township.
Chairman John H Edwards of
the Martin County Board of Com
missioners, Clerk of Court L. B.
Wynne, and Elbert S Peel and
Clarence Griffin, attorneys repre
senting the litigants, were at the
jury drawing.
The special term was called bv
Governor Kerr Se-ott upon the re
quest of the county commission
ers after the court found it did
not have time to hear the cases at
the December term.
Judge W 1 Halstead of South
Mills is scheduled to preside ovet
the term
No jurors were drawn from
Bear Grass, Cross Hoads or Rob
ersonville because the litigant!
are well known in those districts.
Names of jurors drawn in the
other districts follow, by town
ships;
Jamesville: Paul W. Allen, Koy
al Gurganus, John D Williams,
Dan Fagan, James 11 Hardison
and S. L Ellis.
Williams Township W L. Man
ning, Jr
Griffins Township: W. D. Dan
iel, Dalma G. Manning, John A.
Ward and W Marion Lilley.
Williamston Township: Henry
A. Roberson, Ernest P Capps, W
T. Ross, W Edward Cox, C O.
Price, Herbert S. Whitley, Fred L.
Chesson, W H Tarkington, D. W.
Manning, John Hatton Gurganus.
Poplar Point Township: W. L.
Edwards and Luther G. Leggett
Hamilton Township: S. B.
Brown, H. E. Downs and John
David Etheridge.
Goose Nest Township: Norman
Turner. John Daniel, J W Bell
flower and lleber Smith, Jr.
Announce Prizes
For Decorations
Prizes were announced for the
best holiday decorations this week
by the Wilhaniston Boosters, spon
sors of the contest.
Mr. and Mrs Boundurant were
awarded a prize for the most orig
inal decoration at their home on
Marshall Avenue. The prize for
the best housetop display went to
Mr and Mrs. Noah Hardison on
South Ilaughton Street, and Mr
and Mrs Bill Sessoms were
awarded a prize for the best door
way.
Young vandals, their operations
being recognized as a prankish
stunt, are causing much concern
among those who would add to the
Christmas scenes. Last year, forty
bulbs were removed fiuin one tree.
This year the tree was stripped of
nearly everyone of its lights. We
do not want to punish anyone, but
the work of the thoughtless ones
is causing concern, and parents
possibly could do something about
it if they were to check up on sur
plus lights brought in by the child
ren,’ a tree owner said.
Judging took place Sunday eve
ning, December 24, between the
hours of U:00 PM and 10:30 PM.
James Bulluck acted as guide for
the judges and these were Norman
Everett of Hamilton, Lawrence
Eason Lilly of Farm Life and fleu
ben Williams also of Farm Life.
The judging was very difficult,
according to all reports and final
decisions were made only after
much deliberation. The Boosters'
secretary stated that it was very
gratifying to have so many en
trants and their participation is
sincere1 v appreciated.