North Carolina Newspapers

t the ENTERPRISE is read by OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTS FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK -- ~| VOLUME LIV—NUMBER 81 ESTABLISHED 1899 ffilliamtton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, October 9, 19,11 Larly Trials 01 Farm Bureau In Slate Recalled Prominent Farm Leaders at Meeting In This t flinty On Friday Evening Speaking to representatives of the Martin County Farm Bureau in the Methodist Church dining room here last Friday evening, prominent State farm leaders re called the early trials of the Farm Bureau in this State and went on to stress the importance of far mer organizations. Held in connection with the current membership drive, the meeting was assured that this county’s goal of 2,000 members would be reached, that approxi mately 1,000 farmers and busi ness men have already joined the organization since the canvass was started a few weeks ago. Chas. L. Daniel, president of the County Farm Bureal, recognized the special guests, and called up on J. E. Winslow, the first State president and who was instru mental in bringing the organiza tion into North Carolina in 193(1. Mr. Winslow said that next to the church, the Farm Bureau is do ing more to build up our commun ities than any other organization. But he warned that there had been trials and that continued hard work is necessary. The former State president re called a trip tu Washington and his appearance before a U S. Senate committee. Ho explained lhat the economic ills of that hoc tie period could be solved by pro viding agriculture a fair income, lidding that while the administra tion was sympathetic, it was ap parent that the farmer had to or ganize and do something for him lelf. “We looked around for an or ganization to tie to, and decided nn the Farm Bureau, but there were problems anti we barely had enough members to keep the or ganization in tact,” Mr. Winslow said. “But we had been told to organize, set production to meet demand and then expect a good price,” he said, explaining that at u hearing in 1932 representatives nf the tobacco companies admit ted that the farmer was never laken into consideration when they went on tjie markets to buy tobacco. “The companies were in n competitive business, and they were Inking after their own hides,” he said. Mr. Winslow then reviewed leg islation, including the old Triple A, the Stabilization Cooperative Corporation, Tobacco Associates und other agencies that had been created in an effort to help agri culture. He pointed out that there is a movement now underway to perfect a world-wide organization in an effort to remove restraints and promote research on a world wide basis. (''ontlnued on oaer- eight) County Boys To Go To Germany Several Martin County young men of the U. S. Army’s 43rd Di vision are slated to sail from Nor folk tomorrow mornine for ser vice in Europe, possibly Ger man'.-. No official release could be had but i. was reported that Henry Rohorson. Carl Johnson, Bill Gur ganus, Russell Roberson and Gar land Tay lot woxiivi.bv. -tit th, j group. It is iikeiy that Herman Earl Crawford will not be able to make the trip, reports stating that he was a patient in the hos pital at Camp pickett. Va. Jesse Gray Lilley, another member of the unit, was transferred tn In diantown Gap. Pa. for further training. He is reporting to the new station today. Fuuond Hold lloro For Infool Foul Thursday -& James Garland, the 17-day-old infant son of Mrs. James Garland Manning and her late husband, died in a local hospital last Wed nesday night at 9:30 o’clock. Fun eral services were conducted at the home on West Main Street Thursday afternoon at 4:00 o’clock \ hv the Rev W. B. Harringtort, \ and interment was tn Woodlawn j Cemetery. 1 Survey for Proposed Truck Route Here A bout Finished A survey for a proposed truck route i>i by-pass here is just about complete, according to in formation gained from engineers last week-end. While the proposed route is not yet definite, it is proposed to run it straight off the river bridge across the Wilson and Griffin farms, crossing the eastern end of U. S. Highway 64 near the Heilig Meyers lurniture warehouse, back of G and H. Builders’ Supply Company mill and on across U. S. Highway 17 between Sunny Side Inn and Joe Peel’s black smith shop, on to the Martin farm and butting into the dirt road be tween Skewarkey Church and Highway 64 at a point back of the West End Baptist Church and Gordon’s grocery, and continuing i from that point up the dirt road | to Highway t>4 just this side of Chesson's grocery. The distance of the proposed route is about three miics which is slightly greater than the present route be tween the bridge and Chesson's grocery. Highway officials declare it is not in the present plans to build the truck route, that it could be five years, ten years or even a longer period before a highway is built along the proposed route. They point out that a truck route is needed now, that, in time, something will have to be done about relieving traffic congestion on the present routes, and that it is advisable to chart the route now and keep it open for the pro ject. Surplus Properly Racket Uncovered By Herb'rl Bonner Five Millions Worth of Ma terials Sold For Few Thousand Dollars -♦ Washington, D. C.—Congress man Herbert C. Bonner released a report through his Subcommit tee revealing a chain of events which enabled certain individuals to obtain property purchased by the Government for nearly 5 1-2 million dollars. These individuals paid approximately 35,000 dollars as the cost of this property to a school. Mr. Clayton C. Harrah, an air craft parts dealer, and Mr. Ho ward L. Ppmberton, formerly a test pilot, along with three other individuals started acquiring Government surplus property in December, 1940. This property was acquired in the name of the Bunker Hill School, which was an existing high school in Indiana. None of this property was ever delivered to the high school. In stead it was shipped to the Bunk er Hill Naval Air Station The Air Station was leased from the Navy for a dollar a year plus maintenance by the Town of Bunker Hill, Indiana. The Town had subleased the Air Station to a private corporation which was farming the land and renting the buildings thereon for storage The proposed school used this facil ity as their base of operations, though no lease was ever obtain ed from the corporation or town. In March, 1947, the Bunker Hill School of Aeronautics was incur porated as a non-profit school. Surplus property continued to pour into the base until August, 1947. No classes were ever taught (Continued on Page Eight) Take More Crabs In The Roanoke With the river holding to and ven slightly below sea level, ■rabs, ordinarily found only in orackish water, are being taken from the Roanoke in fairly huge quantities. Water from the sound is backing up in the stream and Ihe crabs have been found at points almost as tar up ,e Hamil ton. David Joyner took twenty or more sizable crabs from the stream early yesterday morning, aiid Hugh Spruill and Darryl Clayton, Jr., madi preparation ror a stew. | ROUND-UP v./ Nine persons were round ed-up and detained tempor arily. at least, in the county jail last week-end, officers explaining that there was a slight increase in activities on the crime front during the period. Four were booked for pub lic drunkenness and one each for drunken driving, reckless driving, assault and had check. A ninth person was held tor Edgecombe authori ties. Five were white and the ages of the group ranged irum 19 to 45 years. DRY TIME v_/ Unless there is a marked increase in rainfall from now ! on out, 1951 will go down in the record as one of the dry years. Last month was the driest September in ten years, Rridgckeeper Hugh Spruill reporting only .9f< of an inch of rain during the period. In September, 1941, there was less than one-half inch of rain in this immediate section. So far this year only 28.35 inches of rain have fallen here, or about 15 inches less than the amount recorded in the first nine months of last year. Reported Missing In Virginia City —*— Walter E. Barr, Williarhston resident, has been reported miss ing since he left his Norfolk boarding house to attend a drive in theater there with Mrs. Mamie Smithwick, a native of Washing ton, N. C., who was making her home in the same hoarding house Barr, a native of Washington, had known Mrs. Smithwick there. Mrs. Smithwick'g body was found in Lake Smith near Nor folk last Saturday afternoon, but Barr and his 1941 green Plymouth car have not been seen since Wed nesday. according to reports reaching here. Mis. Smithwick, | 57 and the widow of Worley Smithwick, maintenance superin tendent of the Methodist Orphan age in Raleigh for a long period prior to his death about three years ago, was believed to have been strangled to death before she was thrown into the lake. Barr, 34, came to Williamston with his parents when the Saun ders and Cox mill was built here. He married here and had worked at various mills and plants until a few months ago when he went to Norfolk to work as a carpenter. He returned home every week until last week-end, it was report ed. -* Farmer Injured In Road Wreck — - ■»— Frank Perry, prominent Bertie County farmer of the Midway section, was critically injured early last Fridav morning when his pick-up truck which he was driving was knocked off the high way a short distance this side of the Cumne Creek bridge on High way 17 He suffered head and shoulder injuries when the ma chine went off the fill and turned over. A colored man, riding with Perry, suffered shock anu bruises, but his injuries were not consid ered serious. Tobacco, loaded on the truck, was scattered* on the highway and along the fill. Reports reaching here stated that two sailors, traveling in a 1951 Ford and apparently at a speed close to 90 miles an hour, plowed into the rear of the truck without warning. The sailors ran into the woods without offering tfi aid the wreck victims. The car was said to have been stolen in Norfolk the night be fore, and the FBI has taken over the case. It was reported that the sailor discharged from the service on September 28, had been iden tified. He is a native of Utah, but ins naiiie could not be learned here. Little Activity So Far on the Sweet Potato Markets Fanners In This Area Are Delaying Digging After Big Rain Monday Little activity has been report ed following the opening of the sweet potato markets in this sec tion last week and yesterday, and few sales are anticipated here dur ing the remainder of this week, according to reports released to day. The sales so far have been to such limited volume, that a true picture of the price trend is hard ly to be had. First deliveries made to the Bethel market last week were unofficially reported to have averaged around $2.50 per bushel. Deliveries were said to have been limited. In accordance with an an nouncement made last week, the market was opened here yester day by the Martin County Yam Growers Association, but no de liveries were reported Immediate ly Following the rain that fell late Sunday night or early Mon day morning, farmers in this sec tion decided to delay digging op erations until next week, if not longer. Henry M. Covington, horticul tural specialist, and John M. Cur tis, market specialist, of the State Extension service, released the following memorandum this week, in connection with the harvesting and marketing of sweet potatoes: “This year's sweet potato crop in North Carolina and in the en tire country as a whole is esti mated to be one of the smallest in history. North Carolina is expect ed to produce 4,400, 000 bushels as compared with 6,785,000 bush els harvested last year. Further, Louisiana is expected to produce 3,300,000 bushels as compared with 10,200,000 bushels last year. In other words, it seems to be one half to two thrids of a normal crop. z"Frum a marketing standpoint, what does the above mean to you? Supply and demand large ly govern the price of sweet po tatoes. With an extremely -short crop, prices will be higher than usual. If I may hazard a guess, you will see the highest prices on record next May or June. By all means, don’t give them away this fall! Why not store at least a part of your crop for sale after Christmas? “In the past we have recom mended that you put up the best possible field graded U. S. No. 1 pack and keep the lower grade at home for livestock feed, etc. With such a short crop expected this year we suggest that you save every potato that you think you can sell I would make at least two grades in picking up in the field—U. S. No. 1 and U. S. No. 2 -and prefeiably a third—Jumbos —if they are tree of growth cracks. Do not pick them up “field-run". The lower grades do j not usually sell to good advantage during harvest season. Top prices will be paid for the best pack. “It is always important to han dle your potatoes carefully—as we say, “like eggs”. Don’t let up on quality—quality always, pays off. Reluming Man To Philadelphia Chargr ri with non-support, Au gustine Jones, a native of this county, is bring returned to Phil adelphia to answer the charge Jones was unsuccessful in his fight against extradition. The pa pers were cleared last week-end and the man's return is pending, the sheriff's office reports. According to Jones, hr- has a good defense. He explained that he went to Pennsylvania some years ago and married there. Af ter a number of years in a steel mill he was forced to quit on ac count of a physical ailment Un able to make a living there he re turned to his old home in Goose Nest Township to farm, but his wife would not leave the city. Jones told officers he had offered his wife a home in ttiis county but that she refused to move south, that he had extended sup port to her in the city. New Price Record Reported On j Reviews Program Of World Tobacco Congress Ai Neel Or^aiii/.alion Working For! Fr«*«* Movement In World Trade* —— Raleigh, Oct. 8.—J B., Hutson, president of Tobacco Associates. Inc., discussed the work of the re cently concluded Wrfrld Tobacco Congress here this week. “Providing for the free move ment of tobacco from country to country rather than its curtail ment through a world organiza tion, ” was the main accomplish ment of the Congress,” held in Amsterdam, Holland, the Asso-! dates’ president told the officers and directors at their meeting here. J. Henry Vaughn, Elm City presided at the meeting. Hutson, just back from the Con gress of which he was elected to serve as its first President, point ed out that the Congress has great educational value, where an ex change of statistical information will benefit till nations. Beginning September 17, the seven-day conference served as a means for discussing the history ol tobacco grown in various coun tries; natural science; technology methods of curing tobacco; and economics — consumption and trade In connection with the Con gress, samples of leaf tobacco were exhibited from 35 participating countries engaged in tobacco pro duction. According to the tobacco expert, these samples were of good quality tobacco with bright color and good eye-appeal. "Prac tically every country had some flue-cured tobacco exhibited,” Hutson said He also pointed out that these samples showed the need for continued emphasis on the production of "superior qual ity” leaf in the flue-cured area of this country. 'Emphasis on re search in other countries,” he said, ‘can be of great help to us,” Foi example he pointed out tin-1 Granville wilt resistant variety developed from stock from South America. Hutson, who has been making tours abroad for a number of years in the interest of tobacco trade, said the present prestige of the United Stall s in these conn- | tries is the highest d has ever I been. 'They feel they need the ad j vice and support of the United States m most of their problems (Continued on Page Six) Club Foundation Conducting Drive —•>— Negro 4-H Club members are starting a drive in North Carolina to raise $50,000 to supplement the foundation’s program, it was an- j nounccd this week. There are 1,500 Negro 4 II elubj members in this county and they are being asked to raise $1,100. j The drive, considered among the most worthy fund raising pro- j jeets, has be' " endorsed by State ' officials and i: being directed in ! this county by M. M. Levin, K P. ; Lindsley, N. W. Slade, C W. ! Slade and J. W. Roclgeis. Funds raised in the drive will finance the establishment of a State 4 11 camp, create scholar | ships and supplement the geneial j 4-H program, it was explained. CLOSED '__._> The Chowan Itiver bridge is dosed to traffic this week while contractors arc remov ing the draw bridge to a tem porary location where it will be used temporarily or while a larger bridge is erected on the main route. Closed to both highway and water traffic, the bridge will be reopened on or after Sat urday of this week, it was announced. It was first pro posed to close the route for several davs last week, but the action was delayed. NUMEROUS -—-» Hunters in this section arc Inking forward to a good sea son for squirrel and deer. Re ports declare that both squir rel and deer are fairly numer ous, that |M>ssibly there are more squirrels this year than in any other period in recent years. The season for taking squir rel, deer and bear open next Monday, and Governor Kerr Scott is expected to partici pate in the early hunts. Game Warden C. A. Man ning, Jr., says that few are killing squirrel out of season. “There are a few sections where the law means little, hut as a whole, the people are observing the regulations,” Manning said. Good Outlook For Jamesville Fair -<s>— “The Jamosville Community Fair, opening this week for its third successive year, promises to he the best of 'em all,” Professor Hairr announced today. The Jamesville gym has been arranged to receive a record num ber of exhibits, including family and farm displays and commer cial entries. The farm produce will start moving to the exhibit hall possibly tomorrow All de partments are being readied for larger exhibits, it was explained. An amusement center was op ened on the school grounds next to the football field last night, and a special entertainment feature has been booked for Wednesday evening at 7:00 and 9:00 o'clock. The Laryingitis Four, featuring Evan Griffin, will hi- on the spec ial program at the amusement center The tug day will be Friday with a parade, led by Williams ton’s high school band, at 12:00 o’clock, and a public address at 1:30 o’clock. The Jamesville High School football team, playing eleven men this season for the first time, will meet Columbia that afternoon at 3:00 o'clock. The exhibit hall will be held open through next Sunday, it was announced, and the people of Jamesville are extending a cor dial invitation to all the people of this county and area to attend No better exhibits will be seen at any fair, the sponsors. The Ruritan Club in cooperation with the- Woman’s Club, declare. Bodies Of County Men On Way Back —i—— The bodies of two Miirtin Coun ty young men hit on the long journey homo from the buttle fields m Korea, relatives have been advised Mr and Mrs. Arlhui Roberson of Kveretts were advised last Sat urday that the body of their son, ( pi Harry Paul Roberson, had left the Far East by ship, but it could not be learned when it would arrive. The body .-I l pi. John II (iai rett, son of Mr. Carl Garrett and tin late Mrs GarrHt. has ar rived in the States, but it is not known just when it will reach home. CpI Roberson died of wound1 last Ei bruary Hi, and CpI. Gat reft whs killed lit action last April 30. Discuss Peanut Marketing Plans Meeting in Windsor today, pea nut buyers and cleaners are dis cussing the marketipg plans for the new season. The Production Marketing Administration is lead ing the discussions. Buyers from all over this section of the State were invited to attend the meet ng. No marketing plans have been announced, but it is understood that some changes are being made n the system to be followed dur ing the season now at hand. 385,942 Pounds 01 Tobacco Sold For Average Of $63.72 -sf> Sale* Are I*iimIi in^; Ki^lit On ToMaril Tin* I'rn Million Mark -- Tobacco prices, climbing to all time high peaks last week con tinued to push upward yesterday when 385,942 pounds of the golden leaf were sold for $245,916, an av erage of $63.72 and a figure near ly half dollar per hundred pounds higher than the previous high re cord of $63.26 recorded last Fri day for 292,564 pounds. Never in the history of the mar ket, has the price been so tenaci ously "bullish," today’s record bowing out in favor of the one the next day. Entire rows have | been selling for more than seven ty cents a pound straight through, and individual piles have sold right up almost to the Big Dollar. Three piles in one row sold above 90 cents without the buyers bat ting an eye. Through yesterday, the market here had sold 9,401,668 pounds for an average of $53.50 per hundred pounds. The marginal advantage of about four cents a pound held by the 1950 crop is gradually dis appearing At the close of sales today, it is fairly certain that the market will have sold more tobacco than was sold during all of last season but with the current season income trailing that of last year by ap proximately one-third of a mil lion dollars. The block sales yesterday are being cleared today, the farmers declaring the crop is rapidly be ing sold down to a thin point with the possibility that there'll be no more big sales this season. The market went back on a 5-hout selling schedule yesterday, the longer selling time helping cut down the si/e of the carry-ovei. A Department of Agriculture report, covering the entire belt, follows: During the seventh week ol Sales in the Eastern North Caro lina flue-cured tobacco belt near ly two thirds of the offerings brought the highest average prices ever established In U. S. grades The weekly general average for 50,933,741 gross pounds auctionei was $60.43 a hundred, also a re cord level, reports the Federal State Market News Service. Compared with the previous week, leaf giades were up $1.00 t< $6.00, cutters $1.00 and $2.00 smoking leaf and lugs $1.00 t( $4.00, nondescript $1.00 to $3 0( generally and a small amount of primings $2 00 to $6 00. Most o the increases were from $2.00 t< $4.00 per hundred. Largest gain; were for lower quality grades Weekly averages on all cutters good to choice lugs, low to choici smoking leaf and practically al low to fine leaf were al recoil level; by iiovernment grades Previously the highest prices had been paid at limes during thi 1046, 19411 and 1950 seasons The practical top price was $71.00 wit!, .o-oa of ihe better grade; (lo:',ii)nii' ! on i’aj'c jMghi) Electrical Storm Hits This Area —$— A meaningful electrical storm accompanied by some wind and ,!)7 of an inch of rain, struck here late Sunday night. Lightning split the skies durmp the greater par! of an hour, and although sever al bolts are believed to have struck close by, no damage has been reported The rain, the largest downfall m nearly seven weeks, brought some relief but did not conquer the dry spell The almost one inec of rain late Sunday night or early Monday morning followed a third of one inch of rain reported last week. Temperature readings, holding up in the unities last week-end, toppled as much as thirty de grees early Monday and went on down to fifty tins morning. Four Injured In Series Oi Road Street Accidents l’r»|M*rt\ Damage K.«iimat rd At More Than #2,100 In Seven \eeidents Four persons were injured, none of them believed seriously, in a series of seven motor vehicle ac cidents on highways and streets in this county during the past week-end. Only one vehicle was involved in most of the accidents, officers explaining that the driv ers were featuring flips during the period Two of the accidents, including one of the most serious in the series, were reported on Williamston streets. The first in the series was re ported shortly before midnight last Wednesday when a 1940 pick up truck skidded, went out of control and turned over on its side about six miles sduth of Wil liamston on Highway 17, pinning the driver, Linwood Engretn, 202,') Field Road, South Norfolk, underneath it. His leg caught un der the vehicle, Engrem remain ed there about ten minutes be fore a group of young boys ratne along and lifted the truck off him. Patrolman R. P Narron, in vestigating the accident, said the man wasn't hurt very much and estimated the damage to the truck at $50. No accidents were reported Thursday, but late Friday after noon business started picking up. At 5:30 o'clock that afternoon, Walter Lee Lynch, driving his 1948 pick-up truck on a 12-foot *tatcr ridge near the Halifax Coun ty line, lost control of the ma chine, ran it into a road bank, the vehicle coming to a stop bottom side up Lynch was not hurt, but Patrolman R. P Narron said the damage to tile machine would amount to about $150. Driving on a dirt road near Sweet Home Church in Bear Grass Township, Leon Hall Rawls lost control of his 1950 Mercury and turned it bottom side up, causing about $300 damage to the car. Rawls was not liuit, according to Patrolman Narron who made the investigation. Saturday night about 9:00 o’clock, Clay Winfield Harris of HK[) 2 W i!! i u it's ton, wok driving north on Highway 17 about five miles south of Williamston when El/ii- Lee, colored man of Palatka, Fla . traveling south, pulled to his left to pass traffic and plowed in to Harris' 1948 Chevrolet with a 1940 Chevrolet truck. No one was mi t, hut Patrolman W M. Boy ;in, of Washington, estimated the lamage to the car at $401) and that n the truck at $50, following his investigation. The truck was own 'd by Leonard Muliberry of Flor da, Patrolman Boykin said. The Inver was booked for careless md reckless driving. Joseph Raymond Williams lost •ontrol ot lus 1950 Chevrolet on a urve in the road running from he J Eason Lille,v store to the lolly Spi ings-Farin Life road Sunday evening at 7:00 o’clock (Continued on Page Eight) Insurance Rumor Declared False Contrail tn repeated rumors, 7 A Wetheringtou declared last A’: rk ( iid that lie carried no in surance oil his farm properties Tear Robersonville, that the li7,000 fiii ribout a month ago was i complete loss Everything we had, including building, tobacco, iiulcs, corn and ha> and farm supplies, was ■ complete loss, the .inner said. It was rumored that the pro perty was insured, but the owner said that nom was carried, Mr Wetherington adding that gossip ts in the community had misre iresented the facts. iccitlcnt I ietim Hack In Hospital For Treatment ladle Miss Lila Ruth Lamm, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carlton Lamm who was eritically burn ed while playing around a fire at her home in West End here seven weeks ago, re-entered a local hospital today for a series of skin graft operations. She is getting along as well as could be expect 'd.