THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
THE ENTERPRISE
THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY
OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY
FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK
VOLUME LIV—NUMBER 78
Williamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, September 27, 1951
ESTABLISHED 1899
4
)
\
Superior Court In
Final Session (H
Term On Tuesday
(Juite A Few Cases Were
Continued For Trial At
November Term
With a hoctic week of criminal
proceedings behind it. the two
week term of Martin County Su
perior Court was brought to a
hurried close at 6:40 o’clock Tues
day evening after only a few cas
es had been cleared from the cal
endar and many had been con
tinued. Most of the continued cas
es were scheduled for trial dur
ing the two-week term to con
vene the third Monday in Novem
ber.
Proceedings not previously re
ported:
In the case of Robt. Wilson
against C. L,. Nelson in which a
farm contract is involved, Clar
ence Griffin was named referee
to hear the facts and report his
findings to the court.
Estelle C. Frazier was granted
a divorce from John Frazier. The
divorce, the eighth granted dur
ing the week, was based on two
year separation grounds.
The Critcher Lumber Company
was given a judgment in the sum
of $376.29 in its case against Cun
ningham Machinery Company.
W. R Everett, in his case
against Win. Everett, was allow
ed $260 damages resulting when
the defendant started a woods
fire allegedly in a careless man
ner.
The case of the Williamst.in
Lumber Company against Ray
mond Williams was settled by
agreement, the piaintiff to be al
lowed to cut timber to line set
out in complaint
The case of Susie White Nelson
against Robert B. Nelson was
scheduled to be heard in Wilson
next Wednesday afternoon at
2:30 o’clock.
II G. Morton was appointed re
feree in the case of Griffin and
others against Perry and others.
(Continued on Page Eight)
-®--—
Cases Accumulate
In County Court
Idle while the superior tribu
nal was in session during two
weeks, the Martin County Re
corder's Court will face a crowd
ed docket at its regular session
next Monday
Clerk L. B. Wynne said yester
day afternoon that fifty-one cases
are already on the docket and
that possibly others will be add
ed by the week-end.
There are nine drunken driv
ing cases, most of them bouncing
back from the superior court last
week. Fourteen defendants are
charged with speeding, five for
assaults, five for operating mo
tor vehicles without drivers’ li
censes, four for liquor law vio
lations, two each for resisting ar
rest, and careless-reckless driv
ing, and one each for hit-and-run
driving, temporary larceny,
drunkenness, trespassing, receiv
ing stolen goods, non-support,
driving while license was revok
ed, and allowing unlicensed dri
ver to operate a motor vehicle.
-®
Lester Whitfield j
Funeral Today;
——
Funeral services are being con
ducted at the home near Rober
sonville this afternoon at 3:30
o'clock for Lester L Whitfield,
Martin County farmer, who died
suddenly of a heart attack suffer
ed in a Durham hospital last
Tuesday morning. The Rev J
M. Perry wil conduct the service
and burial will follow in the Rob
erson ville Cemetery.
Funeral arrangements, delayed
at first, were completed late yes
terday when it was learned that
a son, Seaman Bobby Whitfield,
could not return home immediate
ly from his station in Korea. The
young man is expected home
within the next few days, how
ever.
Mr. Whitfield had been in the
hospital only a short time, and
few realized his condition was so .
serious until he suffered the fa-:
tal attack. '
School Bus Damaged In Main Street Accident Here
After thirteen children were injured, seven of them
badly and one critically, in an accident on West Main
Street here last Thursday afternoon, the old 1941 school
bus ('tided its last run at the highway underpass. All of
the youthful victims injured when the bus sideswiped a
concrete pillar supporting the railroad bridge, have been
discharged from the hospital except one and he is report
ed to be recovering. The bus is being sold and is being
replaced bv a newer one.
Note Upward Trend
In Legal Liquor Sales
| MEETINGS
--/
Little new business is on
their schedule, and (he Mar
tin County Commissioners are
anticipating a quiet peaceful
meeting next Monday. They
are to draw jurors for the
special term of superior court
convening in November, but
that'll take only a short time.
YVilliamston’s town commis
sioners have very little on
their calendar, but a session
lasting two hours or longer
nearly always can he expect
ed.
Seven And A Half
Million Pounds Of
Tobacco Sold Here
Yfarkct Is Gradually Work*
iiifr Its Way Out Of
Record Block
-Se
Including today's sales, the Wil
liamston tobacco market during
Ihe 27 selling days of the current
season has sold right at seven and
one-half million pounds, accord
ing to an unofficial report gained
today. The price average for the
season today stands at $51.25.
Prices, ranging fifty cents or
more per hundred pound since
the early part of the month, con
tinued to hold to a high figure
this week, the market reporting
:>• thud highest sa'v t.u,.\ - ■
yesterday when 293,640 pounds
were sold for $163,065, an aver
age of $55.53.
An individual record was re
ported yesterday when a farmer
•old an entire row of tobacco with
.he’ price ranging from seventy
:o ninety cents for all of it. Ob
servers said it was the best sale1
if the- season.
Quality is said to be figuring
imminently in the price average-,
ndividual farmers being a bit
lesitant to say that prices have
advanced very much, grade for
grade considered.
Up until September 27, last
rear, the market here had sold
1,593,566 pounds of the 1950 crop
'or $3,772,469. The pounds this
rear, not including those today,
ire greater by 616,206 pounds,
jut money received this year for
■he greatei poundage is about
>82,658 less than the amount re
ceived for the 6,593,566 pounds
;old up to September 27.
The market is gradually pulling
mi of a record block that has,
p ipped it since the latter part ot'
(Continued on page eight) ^
Total Of $5,861,826
Spent lor Whiskey
Since July 1,1951
-——
Second (Quarter Sides #10,
000 Greater Than Those
Listed A Year Ago
Legal liquor sales after hitting
an eight-year low during the sec
ond quartet of last year, have
started bouncing up again in this
county, according to an official
audit just recently released b.v
the Jdartin County ABC Boat'd
The sales in the three months
ended last June 30 were approxi
mately $10,000 greater than those
for the {(^’responding period in
1950, but were about $67,000.00
less than the record high of $157,
994.75 recorded for the second
quarter in 1947.
During the second quarter of
this year, the four legal stores in
this county reported gross sales
in the amount oi $91,023.90 as
compared with $81,443.30 report
ed for the corresponding period
in 1950. Profits last quarter
amounted to $18,363.13, a sum
slightly more than $3,000 greater
than the lotal for the correspond
ing quarter in 1950.
The audit shows that the ABC
Board had a gross profit of $24,
112.27 on its $91,023.90 sales in |
last April, May and June. Operat
ing expenses amounted to $5,- j
775.86, including $3,850.85 direct
expenses and $1 925 01 ad
ministrative and general expens
es. j
At the erid ..f June, the board!
tjad assets in the amount <0 $01,- i
665 40. including $8,038.32 in cash, j
$50,795.93 in inventories, $2,- i
065.85 in fixed an el $765.30 in oth
er assets.
Liabilities listed included, $15,
662.52 in accounts payable, $18,
800.95 due county and towns, $15,
201.93 for law enforcement, and
$12,000 surplus.
The profits pie was cut as fol- j
lows:
State of North Carolina, $7,
730.75; Martin County, $7,176.85;
reserve law enforcement, $1,
063 24; town of Williamston, $!,
393.41; town of Robersonvilie,
$394.76; town of Oak City,
$143 80; town of Jamesville,
$148.63; town of Hamilton, $123.08;
town of PaiYnele, $97.34; town of
Everetts, $58 61; and town of
Hassell, $32.65.
The first quarter sales this year
wire about $10,000 greater than
those fur the first quarter in
1950, and the second quarter sales
(Continued on page eight)
Lonnie Williams
Died Yesterday In
Virginia Hospital
Ihiilcrwcnl Major Opera
tion There Two Weeks
\"o kiisl Tuesday
Lonnie W Williams, retired
farmer, died in a Richmond hos
pital at 3:30 o'clock Wednesday
afternoon after a two-week ill
ness, Taken ill suddenly on Sep
tember 6, he was moved from lus
home near Jamesville that day to
a local hospital and was immed
iately transferred to Richmond
where lie underwent an opera
tion the night of September 7.
Ills condition was considered very
satisfactory until last Saturday
when he suffered a relapse and
little hope for his recovery was
entertained since tjiat time.
The son of the late Phillip and
Martha Coltrain Williams, he was
born in Griffins Township (15
years ago on April 11, 1886, and
spent his early life there. Fol
lowing his marriage in 1914 to
Miss Ada Gardner, he made his
home in Williams Township, hv
(Continued on Page Fight)
“N
I
The town's new 300,00(1
gallon water tank, completed
i this week at a cost of right
at $50,000, was placed in use
Tuesday afternoon. However,
the tank had not been filled
to capacity today. The sever
al pumping stations have hern
running constantly to supply
the curent demand and build
up the new reserve.
IMans are being made to
repair the old 75,000 gallon
tank and have it painted
Slightly Hurt In
Road Accident
——-«£>-—
A young boy was slightly hurt
in Gold Point last Friday evening
when a ear driven by Elmer Par
risher of Robersonville crashed
into the rear of a tractor with his
1!)47 Ford. The victim was bruis
ed on his back when he fell from
the tractor to the street.
The ear driver backed away
and continued. Investigating the
accident, Patrolman ft. W Pat le
er estimated the damage to the
tractor at $100 and that to the eai
at $35.
County School .Enrollment
Despite an anticipated over-all increase, school enrollment at
the beginning of the current term tumbled quite a hit from the
figure established a year ago, according to a report just releas
ed by the office ot the superintendent of schools.
The nine white schools, although several reported an increase
in high school enrollment figures and one showed an increase in
elementary counts, lost 98 pupils. The seventeen colored schools
had 3,918 pupils or 248 less than the 1950 figure.
In 1948-49 there were in the white schools, 3,283 pupils enroll
ed, 2,559 elementary and 724 high school. In 1949-50, there wore
3.459 in the white schools, 2,692 in elementary and 767 in high
school. This year, the elementary grades lost 115 pupils while
the high schools gained 17 pupils.
It is believed that many pupil;- were held at home to help
handle farm chores, that the final figures will gradually climb
above those of last yeai.
The following figures show the enrollment in the white and
colored schools—elemental y and high - im last yeai and this
>* ill
1950-51
IIS Total
White Schools
Jamesville
Farm Lite
Deal Grass
Wil'iamstnn
Robe, sonville
Oak City
Hamilton
Hasseil
Everetts
Negro Schools
Williamston
Parmele
Diggs
Rogers
Williams
Burroughs
Roberson vi 11c
Everetts
Gold Point
Oak City
Hamilton
Salsbury
Whichard
White Oak
Jamesville
Dardens
Smithwiek
Total
G'and Total
Ele
354
126
254
837
477
217
172
56
182
133
66
96
233
21 1
126
487
192
350
1070
688
343
172
58
182
844
1951-52
I’.le IIS Total
109
58
100
252
234
129
2 *0
806
447
205
163
46
195
453
172
340
1058
681
334
163
46
195
2675 805 3540
2560 882 3442
826
238
132
134
107
71
433
252
138
315
227
188
139
89
152
128
62
221
265
1047
503
132
134
107
71
433
252
138
315
227
183
139
89
152
128
62
745
262
135
135
118
78
419
222
126
294
227
182
135
66
143
113
52
232
234
977
496
135
135
118
78
419
222
T20
294
227
182
135
66
143
113
52
3675 486 4161
6325 1351 7701
3452 466 3918
6012 1348 7360
Thirteen Report
-Te-Army Center
For First Tests
October Draft Tails Have
Been Increased. Hoard
Reported today
Thirteen Martin County young
men reported to the army center
at Fort Bragg Tuesday for pre
induction examinations. No re
port on the tests has been receiv
ed, but the group has returned.
rhose making the trip were:
White
Joseph Maliek Manning, UFO t,
Williamston.
Jack Smith, Jr , Oak City.
William Gilbert Long, RFD 1,
Williamston.
Raymond Stanley Fleming,
RFD 1, Robersonvilie.
George Marvin Roebuck, RfFD
1, Oak City.
Albert Wcathersbcc, Jr., RFD 1,
Roberson ville.
Benjamin Franklin Moore,
RFD 3, Williamston.
John Andres Harrison, RFD 2,
Williamston.
George Tilmon Hardison, RFD
1, Williamston.
Colored
Benjamin Franklin Purvis, Wil
liamston.
Janx\s Norman Davis, RFD 1,
Oak City.
James Earl Bryant, RFD 1, Pal
myra.
Edmond Horace Whitley, RFD
1, Williamston.
Connor Praise Lee, white of
RFD 1. Hobgood, was transferred
to Silver Springs, Maryland
The call was the first to be an
swerod for pre-induction tests by
Martin County men since April
23.
October draft calls, materially
increased in size over previous
ones, have been received by the
local board. Ten men are to re
port for final induction on the
eighth, and twenty-five men are
to report on the 2!)th for pro in
duction tests.
Luther Davenport
Died At Oak City
Early Wednesday
Funeral Servire Is Itciii"
(loiiiluclml There t his
Afternoon
—•*.
Luther Davenport, well-known
Oak City man, died at Ids home
there early Wednesday morning
following a long period of de
clining health. He had received
hospital treatment at intervals
during the past year or more, and
his condition was critical for sev
eral months
The son of the late Frank and
Mary Carolina Leary Davenport
lie was born in Washington Coun
ty 70 years ago and spent his
early life there Locating in Oak
City more than thirty years ago,
he engaged in the timber and
lumber business and carried on
farming operation for a long num
ber of years, retiring on account
of declining health.
Posessed of a jovial character
and a helpful friend, Mr Daven
port figured prominently in the
affairs of his adopted commun
ity lor many years, . > rving on
lln local school committee foi
number of terms and handling
other civic- duties from time to
time.
Surviving are three sons, Nor '
man Lari Davenport of Oak ('its',
William Luther Davenport of
Raleigh, and Oitis Linwood Dav
enport of Cleveland, Ohio; three
daughters, Mrs W T Brown,
Mrs Fred Barrett and Miss Mad
eline Davenport, all of Oak City;
a step-son, Rudolph Whitley, of
Clinton ;and a brother, Tom Dav
enport, of Tarboro.
Funeral services are being con
(Continued on Page Eight)
Srvrral ,S/«m To Haw
llitlitlay llcrr IS ext U wk
-»
Several stores, including those
of Margolis Brothers, Zemon's
Ready-To-Wear and Leder Bro
thers, will be closed here next ,
Monday in observance of the
Jewish religious event Leder ;
Brothers will also observe next <
I’ueselay as a holiday, it was an- c
lounced. 11
Plans Being Altered
On Highway Project
llcginning next Monday,
Williamston Lions will ad
vance Che organization's an
nual White t'anc sale as a
part of a nation-wide pro
gram to aid (he blind.
The club here has maintain
ed a valuable and active ser
vice in behalf of the blind,
and the success of the pro
gram depends to a fairly
large extent on the response
the White Cane sale receives
next week. The drive is to
continue through Saturday of
next week, and it is hoped
that the people here and
throughout the county will
lend a liberal and Willing
support.
Recommend Few
Changes In Farm
Program For 1952
Fai'mers l.xprcss Tlwmsclx
- cs At Scrips of Meclitifjs
Held In ('.utility
For the must part, the nation’s
farm program was given almost
unanimous endorsement by far
mers and business men in this
county at a si nes of mobilization
meetings held recently in every
one of the several communities.
After the meetings were held, the
individual reports were tabulated
and tin mobilization committee
recorded the results.
No recommendations were of
fered for most of the farm agen
cies.
The farmers were just about
unanimous in calling for an in
crease in penalties on excess to
bacco plantings They pointed out
that the present penalty is in
sufficient to prevent excess mar
keting and could result in a
breakdown of the present tobac
co program.
Consideration was given the
small farm group, the individuals
recommending that when an in
crease is needed m any crop 1
special consideration should be
given allotments held by small-I
scale farmers.
The farmers called for sepa j
rate quotas for Virginia and oil
type peanuts It was pointed out
that demand for the Virginia
type is greater than for the oth
er varieties.
It was also recommended that
when acreage increases are ask
ed for in commercial vegetable I
production, there should be a
support price set up "The far
mer should not be asked to in
crease production without some
guarantee as the prices for the
increase,” the report pointed out.
While the meetings went on
record as retaining all phases of
the soil conservation program it (
is now constituted, the- farmers \
recommended that more finan
cial aid be extended to promote
large drainage projects, especial
ly in creeks used as outlets fori
canals It was explained that far
mers find it too much of a hiii-.i
den on land immediately involv
ed to finance the improvements, j
The groups favored some type I
of special loan to promote aj
livestock program. It was ex- !
plained that at present there is,
no adequatf source of funds avail- |
able at reasonable interest rates
and over a long enough period of
time to finance stock purchases.
The groups also went on record as
favoring an increase in the limit
on farm-ownership loans, ex
plaining that the present limit
is not sufficient to carry out farm
ownership in this county.
Furmor Fain fully llurl
In Full Fuat Ttiraduy
C. C. Coltrain, well-known far
mer of the Farm Life community,
was painfully hurt in a fall early
Fuesday morning. He was milking j i
t cow and fell when he got his i
ot caught in a box. He suffered
i broken thumb and a fracture
d one rib After receiving medi
al attention, be returned to his
ionic.
Three More Road
Paving Projects
Reported Pending
l nofficiul l{('|iorln Indicate
(> 1 Kotilc \V i11 Not Be
\llored Greatly
Unofficial reports heard here
this week indicate that the North
Carolina State Highway and
Public Works Commission has
considered or is considering alter
ing its original plans for improv
mg and relocating part of U. S.
Highwas ti4 between here and
the Washington County line.
It was announced some weeks
ago that the commission was ap
propriating approximately one
million dollars, including feder
al aid funds, for making the road
into a standard route. Officials
were quoted as saying that bridg
es across Sweet Water and Gard
ner's Creek would be replaced
and that approximately five miles
of the mad would be located, that
the present lli foot concrete strip
Would be widened to twenty-two
feet.
According to unofficial but re
liable information reaching here
this week, the commission is
planning to add only four feet
to the present road width, leave
the two creek bridges untouched
and possibly relocate considerably
less of the route than was firs)
considered.
Two surveys have been made on
parts of the route, according to
farmers whose lands are involv
ed along the route. It is fairly
certain that the "S" curves just
beyond Sweet Water Creek will
be eliminated, after a fashion at
least. The n xt curve at the L.
J. Hardison farm will be left un
touched except for widening a
bn.
No report could be had from
the commission immediately, and
it could not be learned if a move
ment is under way to cut back the
appropriation for the t>4 route so
that more morily could be switch
ed to some other route.
During the meantime, three
more short paving projects in the
county road system are being
consult red for immediate atten
tion. Just now the paving con
tractors are completing small
projects m the Hamilton-Oak
City area. Weather permitting
and if there are no other obstacles,
the pavers will start next
week laying? an eighteen-foot
strip of blacktop on the McCas
key Hoad from a point near the
Roberson Slaughter House to
connect with Highway 125 not far
from Abbitt’s mill. The road is
to have a two-inch base with a
second course of an inch thickness
as a sealer. The route is 3.1 miles
long.
A second project certain to get
immediate attention is the paving
of the Hig Mill road from a point
near Conway's tourist court to the
Holly Springs Farm Life road, a
distance of 2 2 miles.
The third project is the road
running from the J. Eason Lilley
store, via the J Dawson Li Hey
'■■tan , to a pomt i., the Holly
Springs-Earm Life road, a dis
tance of 2.2 miles.
These two roads are to be six
teen feet wide .and are to be cov
ered in a single operation, ac
cording to information gained
this week
Gas Theft Leads
To Car Recovery
-<$>
Driving away without offering
to pay for $3 worth of gasoline
at the Central Service Station
acre about 3:00 o’clock Tuesday
Homing, Donald Jackson, 23,
1'linton Moore, 1(1, and a 16-year
>ld friend, all of Portsmouth,
Acre arrested a short time later
n Washington where they wore
looked for the theft of a 1950
Chevrolet from a Portsmouth ga
uge late Monday night.
Relatives of the youths came
lore and paid the gas bill, and
he youths were turned over to
edoral officers and returned to
/irginia.