THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BT
OVER 3,0*0 MARTIN COUNT""
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ HI
OVER 3,00* MARTIN COUNTS
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEES
VOLUME LIY—NUMBER 2
William stun, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, January •/, 1951
ESTABLISHED 1899
Skirla PIqo^
Downward Trend
Reported- In The
Business Lately
Enforcement Officers Look
Toward Dry Times In
Marlin County
Recent activities carried on by i
ABC Officers Joe H. Roebuck and '
Cecil Bullock arc said to have j
just about placed skids under the
illicit liquor manufacturing busi- i
ness in Martin County, and Chief
Enforcement Officer Roebuck is;
predicting mighty dry times on J
the illicit liquor front in the fu
ture.
Reporting the most extensive I
operations in the history of li- j
quor business in this county, eith !
er with or without prohibition,
the officers last year turned the j
tide, leaving the illicit manufac
turers without an economic leg
to stand on. "There'll be a few
who will continue in the business,
but fewer still will find their op
erations profitable," Officer Roc
buck declared.
During the month of Decern-1
her, the officers destroyed an ev
en dozen hquor stills in the coun
ty and wrecked eight partial
plants. At least six of the plants
never had been placed in opera
tion, the officers finding and
wrecking them before the liquor
manufacturing ingredients could
fermfcnt. In addition to wrecking
the twenty plants, the officers in
December poured out 5,300 gal
lons of mash and more than forty
rations of white liquor. Six per
sons were arrested. Three of them
save been convicted in the courts
of the county, and trials are pend
ing for three others.
Reviewing the record for the
past year, Officer Roebuck said
that 170 stills were wrecked in
addition to a number of plants
partially equipped. Approximate
ly one-third of the plants were
equipped with copper kettles
Crude barrels and tin stills were
used at the other plants.
The officers poured out 52,850
gallons of mash and 211 gallon,- of
bush liquor.
Twenty-seven persons were ar
rested, and twenty-four of them
have been tried and convicted in
the courts Three others are' fac
ing tre y Fines impost d in the
courts amounted to SI,075, ancj the
. oad sentences totaled 102 months
The officers traveled 14.630 miles,
handling enforcement works.*■
Unofficial estimates place the
dubious value of the illicit liquor
manufacturing business in this
county at about $75,000 last year.
Some few operators made money,
but most of them are believed
tn have lost money
The beer was valued at 25
cents a gallon, making a total of
$13,212.50. The plants cost on an
average, about $100 each, adding
$17,000 to the investment. Liquor,
confiscated, cost about $800, In
ether words, it cost the illicit
manufacturers at least $33,012.50
to do business, and if the gross
was no more than $75,000 then
some of the operators worked on
a mighty narrow margin of pro
fit, considering the risk. These
costs include
(Continued on page eight)
Examination For
Oak City Oitice
An examination for filling the
position of postmaster at Oak
City has been announced by Mrs.
Pauline J. Rawls, acting post
mistress. The examination is held
pursuant to an act of Congress,
approved June 25, 1938, which
placed Presidential postirfaster po
sition within the classified civil
service.
Applications must be filed with
the U S. Civil Service Commis
sion,, Washington 25, D. C , not
later than January 25.
Requirements for the examina
tion are given in detail in forms
available at the Oak City office.
Applications must be in the hands
of the Commission in Washington,
D. C , on or before January 25, it
BONDS
r
Two hundred Town of Wil
liamston bonds of the $1,000
denomination are being sign
ed by Mayor Kobt. Co wen and
Treasurer Marion Cobb today.
The bonds, floated to finance a
S200.000 water and sewer line
expansion program, will be
delivered to Raleigh late to
day and turned over to the
banks in New York Saturday.
vl)uriug the meantime, work
is progressing on both the
sewer line extensions and
foundation for a water tank.
Three Accidents
On Main Street
During Two Days
•
No One Hurl But Property
Certain To Exceed
$2,000 Figure
As far as it could be learned, !
motorists traveled highways and I
streets in this county without ac
cident on the first day of the year,
but the wrecking business was
; launched before the second day
was spent.
Tuesday afternoon about 12:00
o'clock, Ben Ward, Jr., was de
livering from a loc , filling sta
I tion Julius Gurganus' new Ply
! mouth sedan to the Gurganus
I home on West Mam Street. He
had almost completed a left turn
into the driveway when Thomas
T. Kuffin, also colored, of Bertie
plowed into the side of the Ply
mouth with his 1947 Ford, doing
I about $200 damage to his own car
land about $300 damage to the
i Plymouth, according to estimates
offered by local police who made
the investigation.
A hearing will be held in the
case tomorrow evening. Ward is
charged with operating a motor
vehicle without a driver's license,
and Ruffin is charged with operat
ing a motor vehicle with improp
er brakes.
| Yesterday morning about 2:00
o'clock, J. P. Raeford was driving
'his 1949 Dodge into town from
1 Windsor when he fell asleep and
ran into and tore down the gas
tank at the Harris filling station
Hast Main Street'.-No estimate
on the damage could be had im
mediately, but it will run into
I seevral hundred dollars, accord
i ing to one report.
The big wreck in the senes of
three was reported yesterday af
ternoon when a tractor-trkiler
crashed into the rear of another
at the Main and Watts intersec
tion. It was estimated that the loss
there will approximate $1,500,
but no one was hurt
Three trucks, all belonging to
• J. K Pinnell of Warren ton, were
i traveling east on the main street.
One truck, a tractor-trailer,
caught by the light and he stop
ped quickly. Joseph Maeklin, Ji.,
driving the third truck, could not
'stop and crashed into the rear
of the one driven by Debnam. The
front end of the Dodge tractor was
j smashed. The engine was ripped
; from its base, the transmission
i was broken and the housing was
! damaged. Truck line operators,
! viewing the wreckage, said the
i loss wmuld exceed $1,500.
To Open Bids On
School Projects
—i,—
| Meeting in special session here
I next Tuesday noon the Martin
j County Board of Education will
| open bids for the construction of
! three school projects—a new coi
! ored high school and an addition
| to the white school here and a
I gymnasium in Robersonville.
| It was learned unofficially iu
i day that several contractors are
bidding on the general eonstruc
j lion work, but only one or two
! electrical and plumbing contrac
! tors had submitted bids,
j Before opening the bids, the
i board will offer for sale to the
I highest bidder several abandoned
j school properties
ScottCalls For I
ConsoTIHaiion Of:
Slate's Advances
-- »
Reviews Work «f Hi* Ad
ministration at the Half
Wav Mark
Governor Kerr Scott in his
biennia! message to the North
Carolina General Assembh at
noon today, reviewed the work of
his administration during the past
two years and proposed a "con
solidation of the advance we have
made, but not that we dig in for
stoppage of the advance." He
stressed the need for river val
ley development, and that he had
work with federal agencies on
such a program.
Indirectly, the Chief Execu
tive answered his critics on sev
eral points, and took a definite
stand on a number of issues.
Explaining that he did not think
it out of order, the Governor
said:
“As 1 come before you to dis.
cuss my stewardship for the past
two years and to advise with you
about the second half of my term
off office, I think that it is not
out of order to say something
about my own creed — the funda
mental principles which have
been guiding me - and to which
I turn frequently in self-exami
nation.
"I believe that the proper oh
ijcctivc of our country is preser
vation of freedom under God,
and that our State must be ready
to support this objective at all
: costs.
"1 believe that although the pre
isent world unrest is extremely
i dangerous to us, testing both our
{faith and our statesmanship, it
; can prove to be the travail of a
I better society.
“I believe that we must start at
I home when we want to build a
better world; and although some
of our plans for North Carolina
may be affected temporarily by
the general emergency, we must
be firm in our purpose to continue
improvement of public service.
"1 believe in the high quality
of the natural values of our State;
that both people and material re
sources ai\ worthy of great in
vestment
I beiieve that the North Caro
I.of 1950 with more than four
million inhabitants will bo a State
of eight million or more bv 19fi0.
and that we should plan with
such probable increase in mind.
'I believe that proper manage
ment of this State to provide a
■food life fm its present and pro
sp'eetive population demands not
i only the improvement of schools
I and roads, ports and other con
; ventional facilities, but also the
|scientific development of every
I large river drainage area we have
"These are articles of my own
faith. I have tried to chart a
course in the light of these be
liefs When I asked the people
to give me the responsibility of
the Governorship, I discussed a
specific program. 1 advocated the
extension of our road system to
form a state-wide chain of paved
secondary highways. 1 promised
to strengthen our public school
system. I advocated that the fi
nancial reserves that had accum
ulated and were lying without
interest in the banks be put to
work for service of the people
Declaring he was for “free en
terprise’, Governor Scott said he
looked forward to the develop
ment of dams in our river val
leys and u greater conservation
of our soils, adding that he fav
ored the distribution of power
from the river dams by existing
systems.
While hi.s budget message will
come later, ihe Chief Executive
made timely comment when he
said:
1 believe in a balanced budget,
but 1 believe also that if it is as
important to balance the State’s
budget of social and economic
needs as il is to balance its in
come and expense account. Let
us strive to avoid the costly defi
cits that imperil the well-being
of our people and defeat their
cultural and economic growth,
j We must not bury the people’s
I talents.
j He referred briefly to civil de
I fensc legislation and reviewed the
| road program, as follows:
j "We have emphasized better
roads as one of the most impoi
(CoiiUnued cm page eight)
To Heath March ()£ Dimes
Sponsoring the annual March of Dimes fund drive in
this county, Williainslon's Jn.vcees have named Bill Gray,
left, and Hoke Roberson, right, chairmen. Final plans for
the drive which is to get under wav on January 15, will be
made at a meeting of the Jaycees tomorrow evening. Fol
lowing one of the worst polio epidemics in history, the Na
tional Infantile Paralvsis Foundation is pleading for fifty
million dollars this year, and asking this county to raise
$6,000.
THE RECORD
SPEAKS . . .
Motorists, using till' streets
and highways in this county,
lust Sunday rode out the old
year with the ugliest accident
record on record. There’s on
ly one redeeming feature, and
that is reflected in the death
column count. Only four lives
were snuffed out, not many
compared with the 14 killed
back yonder, but still too
many.
The following tabulations
offer a comparison of the ac
cident trend: first, by corres
ponding weeks in this year
and last and for each year to
the present time.
52nd Week
Accidents ln.j’d Killed Dam’ge
1950 7 6 0 $ 1,470
1949 0 0 0 00
Comparisons To Date
1950 200 07 4 $44,560
1949 142 117 4 $44,500
Few Changes In
County Faculty;
- •
Few changes in the countv
sehmd...tat ul.i.v jiiTMMUn-i were re- ;
polled during the Christmas hol
iday break. One or two changed
their names, and one or two res
ignations became effective.
After carrying on an effective
work as principal of the Everetts
School, Professor George McKor
ie resigned to enter business in
RobersonviHe. He was succeeded
at the school by R. L. Freeman
ot Elm City
According to preliminary re
ports, attendance figures were
up to normai Tuesday when the
schools Svere reopened after the
holidays.
Last Rites For
Mrs. Armstrong
—<*■—
Funeral services arc being con
ducted m the Baptist church here
this afternoon at 3:00 o'clock for
Mrs Blanche Harrison Armstrong
who died suddenly at the home of
her mother, Mrs. C. A. Harrison,
Tuesday morning at 10 00 o’clock.
A former pastor of the Troy
Methodist Church, Rev. C. 1’. Mor
tis now of Durham, assisted by
Rev. K. H. Shutter, local Methodist
minister, and Rev. Stewart U.
Simms, pastor of the Memorial
Baptist Church here, will conduct
thi' last rites. Interment will be
m the family plot in Woodlawn
Cemetery.
The wife of David Harrison
Armstrong of Trov, she was visit
mg m the home of her mothei
when fatally stricken while tele
phoning Tuesday morning.
Local Firemen
Gel Two Calls
— _^> —
Firemen were calk'd out twice
in the past two days, but the flies
wcm both minni.
!'hc first, ea IF was to the Richard
Vines home just beyond the Slau
fitter House on the McCaskey
Hoad at 2:35 Tuesday afternoon.
Sparks had fired the roof, but
Vines, called from the Slaughter
House, had the fire under eonrtol
by the time firemen reached
there.
Starting from a defective flue,
fire burned the portion of one
wail, some clothing and a piece
or two of furniture m the home
of Bell Goss near the depot on
Railroad Street at 11:35 o’clock
yesterday morning The damage
was comparatively slight.
College Develops Unique
7b/>ping-Suckering Device
A .simple mechanical device
that may save an untold amount
of hand labor for flue-cured to
bacco growers has been develop
ed by agricultural engineers at
N. C. State College.
The device consists of a pair
of pruning clippers connected by
plastic hose to a hand-operated
Spray tank. It is used to clip the
tops from tobacco plants and ap
ply a sucker-controlling com
pound in one simple operation.
Robert Wilson, a young engi
neer who joined the State Col
lege staff a little ovei two years
ago, did most of the work on the
new tool, which lu calls the
•‘Clip-Oil.”
The clippers are altered so they
will ccntei and clip the tobacco
stalk. Slight additional pressure
on the handles releases a small
amount of oil or other liquid from
the tank, which is kept under
pressure.
State College is inviting farm
I equipment manufacturers to sub
iniit proposals for making several
ul the “Clip-Oil” in time fur ex
perimental use on the lilfil cnip
The device will not be available
to farmers during the coming year
since it still is in the experimental
stage
The equipment developed by
Wilson is designed to apply suck
er control material in a process
worked out by Dr. D. B Anderson,
another State College scientist,
fri experimenting with growth
regulating compounds on tobacco,
Di Anderson discovered by acci
dent that ordinary mineral oil
controls suckers. When applied to
the top of the plant, the oil runs
down the .dalk and kills the buds
before suckers begin to develop.
However, use of mineral oil foi
sucker control is as yet recom
mended only on an experimental
basis. It has been found that in
some cases the oil encourages the
development oi rot at the bottom
ol the tobacco . talks. Koi this r ea
son growers are advised to use the
i method on only a small portion «>t’
| then crop.
HearjJj^ed Tenor
In Second Concert
Series Last Night
Cujufrity Honst* Crwls Don*
alii Dunn* ami \itoi:i]^ii
i-t In Auditorium
Donald Dame, noted tenor, came
to town last evening for the sec
ond in a series of three Martin
County Community Concert As
sociation programs and was about
to be held over by popular ac
claim. His departure, scheduled
for late evening, was delayed con
siderably by half dozen or more
encores, the audience finally
yielding out of consideration for
the artist and his accompanist,
Charles Ruetschi.
At the artist battled various ob
stacles, including terrible accous
tics, his audience gradually warm
ed to him, the concert reading a
great climax in the numerous en
cores.
Heard over the radio on the
American Album of Familiar Mu
sic possible by every one of his
last-night listeners, the singer
came to delight them in person
and reveal a dynamic personality
that captivated old and young.
As pointed out before, he im
parted new meaning and impact
to both music anil text of tradi
jtional music and his superlative
| gifts of characterization and mi
! mierying narrative song and com
| ic aria, made his program, a great
land entertaining one, He sang all
sorts of music, but the program
j med number, "The Wind Mill"
I struck the most receptive chord,
followed by “O Sing Again."
Anil then there were the re
quest numbers that were so much
enjoyed. It was beginning to ap
pear as if he would he encored
right out of a week's work in
one night.
Dame's voice has been rank
ed with the great following his
work on stage and radio and his
prowess was proved again last
evening, leaving his admirers on
ly to learn about his pleasing per
sonality. The man appears much
younger in person than he Iocs
in lus pictures, and his public ap
pearance enhanced his popularity
among our people.
A special feature on the pro
gram came rather unexpectedly
when his accompanist, Charles
Ruetschi, offered two piano num
bers and was acclaimed by the
audience. While he was given no
special booking, he rates a place
in the list of artists.
Following the concert, Dame's
friends cornered him on the stage
lot autographs,' out a .short time
later he was escorted to the home
economies room for coffee before
he and Mr. Ruetschi left for an
appointment in Alabama.
The next in the series of com
munity concerts is scheduled for
April 9 when Genevieve Rowe,
soprano, appears on the program
Native Oi County
Dies in Cleveland
—&—
Funeral services were conduct
ed on Wednesday afternoon of
lust week in Cleveland, Ohio, for
Henry Thomas Riddick, Martin
County native, who died in a hos
pital there on December 211 In
terment was in Cleveland's Knoll
wood Cemetery.
lit- had been in declining health
for some time, and his condition
i
hud been critical for almost two
weeks
Mr Riddick was born in Wil
liams Township, this county, till
years ago, the son of the late
Noah Thomas and Charlie Anne
Roberson Riddick. He spent his
early life in the county and after
attending the local schools and
Buies Creek Academy he went
to Pennsylvania where he made
his home for a short time before
locating in Cleveland.
Forty years ago last June lie
accepted a position with the Os
born Manufacturing Company in
the Ohio City. At the time of his
death he was office and personnel
manager and assistant treasurer
of the large concern.
Surviving are his widow, the
former Miss Cora Buell of Cleve
land; two sisters, Mrs. E. L. Ex
um of Moultrie, Gu , and Mrs.
Ruth Brumby and two brothers,
C. Ben and John F. Riddick, all
of Gainesville, Flu.
A niece. Miss Edna Barnhill, of
Wiliiumston attended the funeralJ
Abolish Jua*w Trials
In The County CourT
\ I’OSIPOMD |
v_--/
First postponed on account
of the New Year’s holiday,
the January meeting of Wil
liamston’s Town Commission
ers was again delayed Tues
day evening on acount of Mrs,
David Armstrong's death. The
hoard plans now to hold the
meeting next Monday night
at 11:00 o'clock.
Mayor Robt. Cowen said
that little business was on
| the agenda.
Editor Jeter To
Speak To County
Contest Winners
--•*>
Awurds ill Be Made I'o
The Sre! Potato Grow
era; Public Invited
By S. A. Tuten,
Assistant Agent
| Frank H. Jeter, Editor, North
Carolina State College Extension
Service, will be principal speaker
at a meeting of 4-H Club members
and Future Farmers of America
who participated in the 1950 Mar
tin County sweet potato contest.
The meeting, which is open to any
one desiring to attend, will be
held in the courthouse, Williams
ton, i,t 7:30 P. M , Wednesday, Jan
uary 10th.
Mr Jeter is widely known for
his accomplishments as a farm in
formation specialist. Radio listen
ers perhaps know him best lor Ins
farm news round-up which is
heard over Station WPTF every
week day at 12:15
M. M Levin, representing the
Martin County Yam Growers As
sociation, will make awards to
boys who entered the Sweet Pota
to Contest .
Winners in the Contest arc as
follows:
First place Fred Griffin, F. F.
A.. Jamesville.
Others in top five: Gilbert Angc,
F. F. A , Jamesville; William Har
dison, 4-11, Jamesville; John Rob
ert Modlin, F. F. A . Jamesville; C.
A. Martin, 4-H, Jamesville.
2nd Group of Five: David Gur
kin, 4-H, Farm Life; Calvin Ogles
by, F. F. A . Oak City; Larry
Jones. F. F. A., Jamesville; Dale
Lilley, 4 11, Farm Life; Stancil
Gardner, F. F A , Jamesville.
1 3rd Group of Five: Herman Hoi
I is, F. F. A., Oak City; George
James, 4-H, Robcrsonville; Billy
(Continued on Page Eight)
Crowded Docket
In County Court
-—$—
A crowded docket, accumulated
doling a two-week holiday, is
j awaiting attention in the Martin
i County Recorder’s Court, Clerk L.
B. Wynne said today.
At least forty eases have been
placed on the docket for trial next
Monday, not including six jury
| trials set for trial later in the
| month.
Entei mg <• JJsl I for
an operation today. Solicitor Clar
' cnee Griffin will not be at his
! desk, but Cbas. A Manning, for
mer judge, will prosecute the doc
ket next Monday, it was learned.
More than one-tenth of the de
fendants slated to appear before
his honor, Judge It. T. Johnson,
next Monday are charged with
| speeding. Five are charged w ith
drunken driving, five with assault,
two each with larceny, violating
thi' liquor laws, non-support and
! issuing bad checks, four with up
I crating motor vehicles without
drivers’ licenses, and one each
! with bastardy, disorderly conduct,
false pretense, careless driving
jand violating the traffic laws.
The court observed Christmas
Day and New Year’s Day as hol
idays, and tlie session next Mon
day will be the first since Deceni
j ber 17.
Jury trials arc scheduled, three
: for January 13 and three fur Jan
! uary 29 Four of them involve
| alleged drunken driving.
Board Would Trv
Jury Cases Only
In Superior Court
Appropriate $2,000 for the
I’urrliajM' of [National
Guard Site
Finding the system costly, the
Martin County board ot Commis
sioners, in regular session Tues
day, would abolish all jury trial
in the Martin County Recorder's
Court, leaving such trials to be
handled only in the superior
court. Upon a motion advanced
by Commissioner W M. Harrison
and seconded by Commissioner
Herbert L. Roebuck, the board
went on record as favoring the
elimination of jury trials in the
county court. The clerk was in
structed to make the recommen
dation known to Representative
E. C. Anderson and Senator Hugh
G. Horton.
At the present time, several
jury trials are pending in the
|county court. In some eases de
fendants would ask for a jury
trial and then plead guilty. In
those cases where jury trials arc
called fur and the defendant is
found not guilty, the county bears
the extra expense. Crowded dock
ets in the county court have made
it necessary in some instances to
delay trials longer than would
have been necessary if they had
been scheduled in the superior
court.
No other changes in legislation
i as it relates to the county 01 local
I political subdivisions were sug
gested, but it is possible that oth
ers are being considered.
The board bad very liitle busi
ness before its regular n ceting,
but adjournment did not come un
til almost 1:00 o’clock.
Acting upon a request from
citizens in the area, the board
recommended that the road in
Griffins Township, runing from
the E. H Manning farm souther
ly 1.7 miles to the Srnithwick
Creek-Hardison Mill Road be
widened and stabilized. It was
recommended by the board that
eight-tenths of a mile of road
running from the R. L. Perry
farm on Highway 17 to the Per
ry-Bear Grass Road be widened
and stabilized.
Other road petitions were be
fore the board, but no action was
taken.
Upon the motion of Commis
sioner H. S. Johnson and second
ed by Commissioner W. M. Harri
son, the board agreed to appro
priate $2,000 as the county's part
for the purchase of a site for the
Martin County unit of the Na
tional Guard, leaving Williams
ton and individuals to raise the
remainder. The State and Federal
governments propose to construct
the necessary buildings for hous
ing the unit, an anti-aircraft bat
tery.
The board went on record as
not being responsible for any live
stock killed by dogs unless the
claimants comply with the con
ditions sci out in the special law.
It rs understood that-*-V-r n stock
is killed, the owner must get
three disinterested parties to view
the carcass and assess the damage.
Reporting to the board. Tax.
Collector M. I,. Peel said that
$104,967.33 of the $230,494.68 tax
levy for 1950 remained uncollect
ed. All but $11,124.61 of the $302,
189.45 levy for 1949 has been col
lected. Of the $284,357.55 levy for
1948, $6,686.34 remains uncollect
ed. There is a balance due of $3,
575.02 on the $235,185.59 levy for
1947.
W. Frank Taylor
Speaker oiHonse
\V. Frank Taylor of Wayne
County mustered strong forces
from the start and won the speak
ership of the State House of Rep
resentatives over Fred Royster,
representative from Vance Coun
ty, at the Democratic caucus held
in Raleigh Tuesday evening.
The legislature is settling down
[ to work. Proposed laws are being
drafted and will start pouring in
j to the hopper without delay.