THE ENTERPRISE IS READ B1 OVER I,WO MARTIN COi/NTT FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK it THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ HI OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNY1 FAMILIES TWICE EACH Will ;j VOLUME UV -NUMBER l Wiliiantaton, Martin (.aunty, North Carolina. I uasilay, January 2, / V,i/ ESTABLISHED 1899 Fewer Marriages! Recorded lit The! .JEuuLy Last Year! Hu-t-IHimile Hush Fails To Pull Average Ip For 'File Period *» The* number of marriages in Marlin County last year dropped •' to the lowest figure in five years. While the decrease was limited to eight compared with 1949 records, it was 123 below the 1946 issu ance, a record. During the past . twenty years, the marriage license hurdnu in this county has, on an average, issued 232 licenses each ye ay; leaving 1950 issuance twenty belosy the average, but consider ably above the low of 123 record ed for the depression year of 1931. For tne second time in a row, the number of licenses issued were equably divided among the races in 4^50—106 to white and 106 to colored couples for a total of 212 The issuanee for last month was trailing badly until December when twenty-eight licenses were , issued, but even the last-minute rush did not pull the average up for the year. Licenses were issued to thirteen white and fifteen colored couples in tin county last month, as fol lows: White Thomas H. Stewart and Ina Mae Wright, both of Raleigh. Robert Norman Hales of Dur ham and Mary Lou Coltrain of WiHiamston. William Gray Gurganus of RFD. 1, Robei sonville, and Annie Bass of RFD 1, Bethel. Harry Eller Heafner of Windsor i and Sally Louise Roberson of Wil liamston. Edgar Scott of RFD 1. Bethel, and Pauline Whitfield of Oak City. Cecil R. Batts, Jr., of Koberson ville and Thelma Car row of Wil liamston Eli Mills Heniy Avers and Nel- l lie Faye Whitaker, both of Rober- j sonville. Sherman E. Long, Jr., of Dur- ! ham and Sallie Elizabeth Hardison of WiHiamston. P l ank T. Hill of Greensboro and Mary Louise Griffin of Williams ton Jesse S. Fulfill'd of Hamilton ! and Mattie Wynne Leggett of RFD 1. Robersonvillc John D Price, Jr., and Sarah Frances Barber, both of James ville. Dalton Purvis qf RFD 1. Bethel, and Velma Stocks of Roberson vi be. Duelon Van Heath and Elsie ! leelan Williams, both of James- I \ die. Colored George Lee Walker and Queen Esf her Bazemon , both of RFD 1, Windsor. Lawyer Bell and Carrie Mae Rogers, both of Williamston Elisha Crandall. Jr., and Mary fii na Sheppard, both of Roberson ville. Milton Solmon and Roberta Brown, both of Hobjiood. Johnnie Mae Manning and Elsie Cooper, both of RFD 2, Windsor. (Continued on page s’x) -i Restraint Marks Observance Here A definite restraint marked the observance of the passing of the OM and the coming of the New Year here. There were the usual bells and horn toolings, interrupted occas ionally by a firecracker, but the parties were few in number and subdued, for the most part. The celebration was fairly shortlived, too. The observance of the event was centered in a union religious ser vice in the Baptist church] begin ning at 11:00 o'clock Sunday night. While there was no large crowd and very few young people pre sent. the service was a very im pressive one Following the Scripture reading by Rev. John L. Cioff, there were meditative pray- ! ers for peace with audible clos ings by Reverends E. R. Shuller, Thomas L. Hastings and N. J. Ward. Rev. Stewart B. Simms de livered the New Year’s message which was most timely and well * received. FarmJ&roup Against Antii InsiirahTiTPlnii | ROUND-UP I V_- , , .. .J All, or nearly all, was quiet on the crime front in this county as the old year spent itself, according to informa tion coming from the sheriff's office. Following a reason ably quiet Christmas period, there were only two arrests during the last week-end of the old year. One person was taken into custody for being absent from the services without leave, and one was hooked for public drunkenness. One was white, and their ages ranged from 23 to 45 years. Jamesville Nan Died Suddenly in Plymouth Clinic Funeral Srrvin1 Is Bring (inmlncteil At Home This Afternoon Phillip Cecil Blount, Sr., mem ber of one of eastern North Caro lina oldest families, died sudden ly in the Plymouth Clinic Mon day morning at 10:30 o'clock of a heart attack Mr. Blount, a cit izen of Jamesville for many years, had been troubled with a heart condition for some time, but it was not considered serious. He went to the clinic for a check-up and treat ment. and u as ieaving when he ruffesed the attack. He was re turned to the clinic where he died within a few, m|nutes. The son of the late James E. and Claudia Johnston Blount, hi' was born in the old Blount plantation home near Mackeys, Washington County, 85 years ago on May 1, 1885, and spent his early life there When a young marr he located in Jamesville and was connected with the Dennis Simmons Lumber Company until the plant was clos ed there He was then associated with plants at Hollister, Beau- i tort, Wallace in this State and at Marion, South Carolina, before ! returning to his old home in! Jamesville about 18 years ago. He was a member of the Episeo- j pal church. His ancestors figured prominently in the early history! of this section of the State, a rel- 1 ative having been associated with the North Carolina Historical Commission in later years. In early manhood he was mar tContinued from Page Six) i Explain Delay In Fire Alarm Misunderstanding about a re ported delay in handling the lire alarm foi the Cotton Club ,^te , here early yesterday morning has been cleared up. Night Offieei Arthur Perry ex- 1 plained that he and Officer Jones' were on duty at the time (about 2:30 o’clock a m), that no tele-! phone alarm was received “We were making ready lo make one of our rounds when two marines drove up and said there was a tire,” Officer Perry said, explain inging that that was the first they knew anything about a fire. “The marines were unable to tell where i the fire was, and Officer Jones I took them in the police car to lo cate it, and I stood by the police radio for directions,” the officer added. “A few- seconds later Officer Jones radioed the location, and the alarm was sounded,” the of ficer declared. It has been well established that the fire had gained so much head- ! way before anybody discovered it that it would have been almost i impossible to save the property, i It was also declared that the fire- | men. battling in freezing weather, did a good job as it was. Persons, j apparently upset and speaking j without thinking, were said to | have made some mighty bror statements during and after the fire. Leaders Explain Need Higher Dues For Farm Bureau Ke|»rcsHilHtivr (•roup’ II< n'ivcK Kt'porl On ('.on ventimi In Dallas I I In a meeting held in the court house last Friday evening, repre sentatives from various parts of thi' county thought it wise for the i Farm Bureau to limit its activities j to strictly farm problems, the group voting almost unanimously ■ against a proposed Farm Bureau | automobile insurance plan. With | out discussing the details of the | plan its they relate to savings and | operation, the representatives of the Farm Bureau explained that here in Martin County the Farm Bureau had enjoyed a strong sup port from all groups—farmers, laborers, professional and business men—and that the cooperative spirit was worth far more than any small savings that could be effected immediately by the pro posed insurance plan. It was pointed out that the in surance plan is in operation in thirty states, that its adoption pro posed for North Carolina at the organization’s last one or two state conventions, has been rejected. The proposed plan is not to be confused with any insurance bus iness now operating in this State, leaders declared. "If we go into the insurance bus iness, someone would next suggest that we open a store," President Chas. L. Daniel declared, explain ing his stand against the proposal. The last Friday meeting also I discussed annual membership I dues, the leaders pointing out that the present $3 lee was no, .-alt: cient to finance the organization s operations. For the past several years, the cost of the annual bar beetle suppers has depleted the | treasury. The State and national j offices are finding it impossible to maintain their schedules on the present dues, it was explained. After discussing the problem at length, the group voted almost four to or." t oincrease the annual dues from $3 to $4 only one of the representatives voted to retain the j-r-'ki MSft'C* ..—■ | Ufc: endure, the county orgunixa 1 tion's treasury has retained $1 to finance prizes for stoc k shows, the annual barbecue and other pro jects. 1 he State office received S>1.50 and fifty cents went on to I the national office. Under the pro posed plan, the county will retain $1.50, send $1.75 to the State office and seventy-five cents to the na tional office in Chicago. Delegates to the national con vention held in Dallas. Texas, re ported on its activities. It was ap parent that the delegates—Mrs. Hugh Bennett and Messrs C L Daniel, S. T and Reuben Everett and Garland ^Forbes, were im pressed by the organization’s pro gram and the national leadership. President Daniel, going as a vot ing delegate from the national or ganization, stressed the strong re- 1 ligious feelirg existing at thi con- ' vention, and how the resolutions committee of which lie was a ' mem bet had worked long hours j trying to offer a workable prog ram for agriculture without over looking other segments of our so Mr. S. T. Everett briefly review- ] ed some of the reports, stating that the national organization now had i 1,149,715 members, that the Farm ' Bureau was recognized as the voice of agriculture. The convention heard prominent leaders from the nation and Unit ed States Senator Ellender of Lou- , tsiana was quoted as saying that “ the farm program was traceable to the Farm Bureau. Another meeting of the county Farm Bureau will be held within 1 the next tew weeks when dele- 1 gates will be named to the State [ convention to be held in Asheville. 1 . Continues 111 v I . Geo. C. Grilfm continues l di at his home in Griffins \ ■ I Legislature Will Opel^irKaleigli Timimrum Scnaloi I i iiffli (I. Horton A ml Ht'|ircsc»iali\(' Ami <‘vm»h LraviiiK Today North Carolina's General As- I sembly is moving in on Raleigh today, making ready for the open ing tomorrow of what promises to be hecti but reasonably short biennial session. District Senator H. G. Horton and Representative E, G. Ander son are leaving the county today for their seats. Neither had any comment to offer, but Represen tative Anderson said he was con sidering supporting Fred Royster of Vance County for speaker of the House at the caucus tonight Each of the district’s two senators Horton and Sam Campon—and County Representative Anderson have said they would hold open minds and listen to the wishes of the people back home There has been little legis'a tion of a county or local nature mentioned back home, but some relief from the county’s costly court system is likely to be asked. It has been suggested that pos sibly jury trials in the recorder's court could be eliminated Such 'action, it was pointed out, wilt not endanger one's right since a defendant could carry his appeal to the superior court. Possibly, the number ul court terms in the county could be reduced since many sessions are called but lew are fully utilized. While such a measure may prove illegal, it is being suggested that a special law be passed, mak ing it possible to Indict owners for not listing property without going before the gVand jur>. If such law violation.?' wti»M be JvandH» s>et tor new 20 lout tobacco Ian n.s, and $200 fo» (Continued on page six) JACK POT? Mis Lee Davenport was re ported to have answered the questions on one ot the jack pot radio programs last Friday, but it would seem that some one playe da 'mean" joke on her. Wink it is possible that the re port is authentic, it has the ap pearance of the work of a radio expert. Mrs. Davenport heard the pro gram, answered the questions and was assured she had won the money. An expert radio, man could have rigged a broad cast from a nearby point and carried out the joke to perfec tion. Spectacular Fire Struck Here Ear!y_ | Monday Morning Cult*, Pool Itunin and Mnaii \parliiu‘i>l GiiIUmI On j Striking swiftly and in 20-de grcc weather, a spectacular fire gutted the Cotton Club building on Washington Street here yester day morning at 2:30 o’clock, wrecking Payton’s pool room, Mo ran's Cafe and the Floyd Taylor family's apartment. Six persons, sleeping in the up-stuirs apart ment, barely escaped with their lives. It was reported friat the family, mother and father and four children, had to break their wav out when the main exit was blocked by fire No one Was hqrt, but firemen, water freezing on their hands and in their hair, suE fered. • . All of the town’s available fire fighting equipment was carried, to the scene when the fire threatened the Dixie Motor Com pany building and the large Car olina tobacco warehouse. The firemen battled the fire almost two hours before bringing it un der control. Said to have started in Moran’s cafe, the lio buincd its way* through a partition and into the stairway leading to the apartment and had a good start before* even those in the apartment discovered it There was some delay in get- t ling m an alarm and by the time firemen reached there the fire was burning from the bottom tu the top of the two-story woodeij structure Although firemen connected several lines of hose and battled I the lire from nearly every side, the heat cracked the b|g jshikW room windows in the Dixie-1 Mo tor Company and scorched- the warehouse 'a ftNtf* feel avvtSy W-**'* the other'side Mota’n, operator of the cafe, said he turned out tjie gas stove and left his place of bu-un ss at 11.30 O’clock that night and went to church. He left the church after the special service and went home without going back by the busi ness. The reflection of the fire could be seen for quite a distance Members of the family in the apartment barely escaped with their lives, saving nothing except the clothes they wore No damage estimate ’could be had immediately, hut the loss pro 1 fiahTy vviii'e3Yeetr"’ffe,0Ub or $12,' -- 000, according to a preliminary report. Till' Taylor family had just re cently purchased a $450 radio, a new electric refrigerator and the home was well furnished through out The cafe was equipped with expensive refrigerating units and there were five or six pool tables in the pool room Some insurance was carried on the property, but the owner, Bruce Payton of Washington, could not be reached for a figure. The second fire call of the year was received at 0:55 o’clock last evening when a trash fire started to spread hack of the Blue Star Cleaners. Open Apartment House This Weeh — —. Tlu' four-unit apartment house recently completed by A. J. Man ning on Simmons Avenue is being opened this week. The comple tion of the two-story brick stiuc ture is making it possible for three new families to move to Wil liamston. It has been declared that possibly thirty or more fami lies would locate in Williamston if housing was available. Mr. and Mrs. Neil Alford and daughter of Raleigh are planning to move sometime this week. Mr. Alford is an insurance company adjuster. He has been here for some time hut is just finding an apartment. Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Parsons and son are moving this week into another of the apart ments. Mr. and Mrs. R. W. Earles and daughter are moving from Danville, Va., into a fourth apcd ment shortly. Mr. Earles is asso ciated with the new Texas term inal here.