North Carolina Newspapers

THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTY FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK THE ENTERPRISE THE ENTERPRISER READ BY OVER 3,000 MARTIN COUNTT FAMILIES TWICE EACH WEEK VOLUME LV—NUMBER 70 Williamston, Marlin County, North Carolina, Thursday, August 28, 1952 ESTABLISHED 1899 Seven Thousand To Enier School In This County -• - Colored Schools To Opet Tuesday and the White Ot Schools Wednesday Vacation days for between 7,00( and 7,500 children will end next week when the Martin Countj schools open the new term—tht colored schools Tuesday afternoor at 1:30 o'clock and the white schools Wednesday afternoon a! the same hour. While one or two of the schools will likely report an enrollmenl increase, the enrollment trend ir *"■ the white schools is expected tc continue downward. A slight in crease is likely in the colored school enrollment. In' 1950-51, there were 7,701 children enrolled in all the coun ty schools, including 3,540 white and 4,161 colored. At the begin ning of the 1951-52 term there were 7,360 pupils enrolled, in cluding 3442 in the white and 3. 918 in the colored schools. . Officials said yesterday that the plants are about ready to receive the children, but there were ob stacles such as a teacher shortage in one white high school, and a bus driver shortage in some of the colored schools. Principal B. F Sloane said yesterday that he hoped to fill the commercial teacher position before the week end. There is a possibility that there will not be enough drivers to man the busses for the colored 4 schools. Several were short yes terday, and difficulty was being experienced in getting applica tions. Several who had been se lected to handle the busses failed to pass the driver tests, it was learned. In an effort to relieve the bus driver shortage, the board of ed ucation is sponsoring a driver ed ucation course in the culored high school here. An especially equip ped car furnished by the Griffin Motor Company is being lent tc the school and a teacher trained for the task. The car has dual controls, and the course will of fer practical training as well as oral instructions. New school plants, costing more than half million dollars will bd occupied at Williamston, Oak City and Robersonville for the first time next week. The general con tract work has been approved and •only a few minor details are to be handled before final accep tance, it was learned. Several of the teachers in the Williamston schools have already reported for work, but no meet ings arc scheduled before the early part of next week. Interrupt Power Service Briefly There was . JM-J-TS: '"“T wl“" “S «■* f“ . „„n Williamston and the line between recently llO,000-v*)Vt substd S-. sr^^ss,”—• - w ,i’“ 't iicials declared Cowen Placed On Bnl«« Commiilee *n,« Hohe-t * Cr“T'"co apjjmted o c#roli mittee of tne ig sched ’-rcsT-*. >« si.... Si to he he,d id Greens V'i° next we^ was announc rry,p appointment T"‘ William W. Staton, State •d f tue Young Democrat* president of ^ group L,P first meeting of tne b "to l« heldj«pt«mber_*. > Man Returned * L"‘ y«,i,nl<iy from lior‘*‘ After Net-; 0l returned home yes "".fue was an artilleryman.| ’^i^v Many Are Called But Few Are Chosen For The Draft Man> art1 being called but mighty few are being chosen for the draft from this county, ac cording tq unofficial information gained this week. Out of the thir ty-four men called to answer a pre-induction draft call on Au gust 19, only eleven passed the examinations, it was learned. While most of those rejected were unable to pass the requred mental tests, quite a few did not measure up physically . As far as it could be learned eight out of the eleven white men reporting, passed the examination, or about 73 percent. Only three out of twenty-three colored men passed the examination or just j about thirteen percent. While final induction depends upon the size of the calls in the future, it is possible that few of those reporting for the pre-induc tion tests last week will be called before December, if then. How ever, it is pointed out that an increase in the size of the calls could altar the schedule, and just now no one seems to know just when final induction will be plac ed on the schedule. Twenty-five registrants are to report for pre-induction on Sep tember 15, and four men will be called* to report for final induc tion on September 26, according to information released this week. Native Of County Accident Victim Virgil McKeel. native of thi; county, was killed in an autumo; bile accident near Whiteville about 10 o'clock last night. His car turned over on a slippery roac and he was injured internally, dy ing a short time later in a White ville hospital.. He got out of the wrecked car, thumbed a ride to his home, walked in, and later entere danother car and went to the hospital. A son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Willis McKeel, he spent most of his early life in this county, farm ing in his early youth and work ing as an automobile mechanic before going to Whiteville about seventeen years ago. He operated an automobile agency there and was doing well. A son was fatally injured in a school bus accident near Williams ton about twenty years ago. 1 Surviving are his widow, the ' former Miss Elizabeth Allen ol this bounty, une son, Clifton, and five 'daughters. Estelle, Dorothy Naomi, Barbara and Willie Ann, all of Whiteville; two sisters, Mrs. !Jack Stafford of Baltimore and I Mrs. Robert MeClaren of Ports i mouth; six brothers, Clarence and | Clayton McKeel of Williamston, ! Jasper of Micro, and Willis, Chas. B. and J. D McKeel. all of Balti more. Funeral services will be con ducted in the Whiteville Funeral I home tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 o’clock. Interment will be in the cemetery there. Band Parents' Picnic Tuesday —$— The local Band Parents Associa tion held its annual picnic at the high school here Tuesday eve ning, the event attracting nearly 200 band pupils and parents. The meal and fellowship were grea'tly enjoyed on the open field, the group repairing from there to the new band room for a business meeting. Jessup Harrison succeeds R. L. Coburn as president of the otga nization, and Hildreth P. Mob ley was elected vice president. Mrs. Ernest Carraway was named secretary-treasurer to succeed IMrs. J. D. Page who has ably served in that position for about five years. Following the business session, Director Jack Butler outlined the plans for the coming year and showed a film of the band major ettes. The director expressed his appreciation to those who had supported the band, and declared that he was proud of the new building. Young Democrats To Meet Tonight —— Martin County Young Demo crats are meeting in the court house this evening at 8:00 o’clock for their annual session, it was announced by Pete Rogers, pres ident of the organization in this county. The meeting is to elect officers for the coming year and name del egates to the State convention which is to be held in Greensboro next week. All young Democrats “in good standing” are invited to attend the meeting which will be held in the grand jury room, Mr. Rog ers said, HARVEST FESTIVAL i . .. —. — - s Willlamston’s annual har vest festival, sponsored hy the Boosters, will be held during the week of October 20, it was announced this week hy Secretary A<ford Sweatt. Plans are beinit rapidly ad vanced for enlarging the event this year, Mr. Sweatt said, and another record at tendance is expected. Small Increase In Milk Prices Here | Following action taken through out the country and in keeping with Office of Price Stabilization regulations, local milk prices will I advance oh the basis of one cent la quart, effective September 1, I according to unofficial but relia ble information gained here to day. i Coming as a result of the ! drought that curtailed feed sup plies and IqyverjMj milk produc tion, the increase is scheduled al most in its entirety to go to the producer. It tvas pointed out that producers in this county were fac ed with the possibility of going out of business. The increase of approximately 39 cents per hun dred weight allowed by OPS will enable the producers to "hang | on” a while longer, at least. The one-cent price increase will be prorated according to quantity; that is, quarts will sell for a pen ny more, pints, one-half cent, and half-pints, a quarter of a cent. The local dairy plant had taken every possible step to forestall the increase, but the increase was 1 found to be almost imperative if I the supply of milk was to be l maintained, it was explained. Education Board To Meet Friday —$— Meeting in special session here tomorrow evening at <1:00 o’clock the Martin County Board of Edu cation members will handle a few routine matters and discuss a special request f«*r*a special sched ule in some of the ai^ools during the early part of the ,tcrm open ing next week. It has been requested that some of the colored schoolg be allow ed to operate on the special sched ule until the tobacco marketing season is farther advanced and until after peanuts are dug and cutton is picked. It is proposed to start daily schedule at 8:00 o’clock and continue through tbe lunch period. Permission for adopting the schedule is being delayed pending action by the ed ucation board tomorrow evening. It is understood that the sched ule is being proposed for those schools mainly in the upper part of the county and for the colored pupils only. District Health Mooting In Washington Yesterday The School of Publif Health of { the University of Nortf Carolina held a district health meeting in Washington yesterday when sev eral vital health topics were dis cussed by recognized authorities. Messrs. John W. Williams. J. 1 Sam Getsinger, J. C. Manning and 1 Dr. J. M. Kilpatrick attended the 1 sessions from this county. * POSTPONED Williamston’s town commission- | ers are postponing their regular i meeting until September A, Clubs Make Plans For Fair During November 3 Week -*— Approximately $1,000 In Premiums Will Be Offered -<;> Preliminary plans are well ad vanced for holding a fair in the Carolina Warehouse here during the week of November 3, Fletcher Thomas, a member of the spon soring clubs committee announced yesterday. Planned by the Williamston Lions and Kiwanis Clubs, the event has a country-wide appeal and will be open to contestants from all over the county it was explained. Approximately $1,000 in premiums are to be offered, the chairman explained. Ruling out the gambling de vices, the sponsors propose to con tract for a number of rides and amusements fen the children, but special emphasis is to be placed on noth commercial and farm home exhibits, it was pointed out. In addition to the exhibits, in cluding all types, the fair spon sors plan to underwrite special at tractions which will be staged on the inside of the warehouse each night during the week. ‘‘We will particularly stress home talent events which will supplement the over-all program,” Mr. Thomas explained. While the fair is not being pro moted as a money-making ven ture. the sponsors are hopeful the revenue will offset all expenses, including the cash premiums, and provide at least a small amount for the Boy Scout fund. Materials are being placed on the lot, cor ner of Smithwick and Railroad Streets, for a Boy Scout Hut and community building, and the club members are renewing their ef forts to provide sufficient funds for financing the project. Man Charged With Larceny Of Truck —,t>—. Charged with the larceny of a truck from the Anderson Milling Company in Washington last week, Charlie Barnes, 38-year-old Negro, was arrested near Hassell in this county Tuesday evening by CpI. M. C. Byrum and Officer Chas. R. Moore. The truck was recovered a few days after it was stolen. Barnes, admitting the larceny of the truck, denied the theft of $50 in cash from the Whitley home where he was visiting on Roanoke Avenue here last week. He waived a hearing, and is to go into court on the money charge Saturday. r BIG FIGHT y After feasting on the tobac co crop to the greatest ex tent ever known in this coun ty, worms this week were bat tling each other for the few remaining leaves, according to County Farm Agent T. B. Brandon. While checking up on the army worm damage, the agent went into a tobacco patch and saw two large worms fighting for the rights to a last leaf on the stalk. Unable To Raise ; Bond in Forgety Case This Week —<$>— j Detailed Charges Awaited In Lloyd Case from 'I'lie Boston Poliee Unable to raise bond in the sum of $1,000, James Lloyd, New York Negro, charged with aiding and abetting forgery, and Willie An : drew Russell. Georgia Negro, charged with forgery, were re turned to the jail in this county this wek following a preliminary hearing held before Justice Chas. R. Mobley. Russell, preparing an $1(5 check and signing Theo (Buster) Brown's name to it, admitted his part in the case, and Lloyd ad mitted cashing the check here last Saturday. Only the forgery charge is staring Russell in the face, but Lloyd is believed to have left a crime record across the country. He admits having stolen an auto I mobile in Boston and abandoning | it in New York. He also admits | having stolen Cadillac in New [York along with a sum of money. The automobile was returned to a New York finance company here late Tuesday. Lloyd said he was not worry ing about the forgery and theft charges, but it was apparent at i the hearing that he is troubled [about a rape charge allegedly pending in Boston. A warrant has been drawn in Boston, charging rape, but identity in the ease has not yet been definitely establish ed, according to Cpl. M. C. By rum, of the highway partol. The Fed eral Bureau of Investigation is handling the auto theft eases, but it could not, be learned immediate ly if the Boston authorities would follow up the rape charge. Russell was working with a Georgia logging contractor in this County, and Lloyd, having met him in another part of the coun try, came down from New York to visit him. They were rooming together when the forgery was planned, it was learned at the hearing before Justice Mobley. Will Argue Cases In Supreme Court The Jamesvillc election ease and the one involving the rail road underpass on Williamston’s West Main Street will be argued before the North Carolina State Supreme Court in Raleigh next Tuesday morning. Both eases have attracted much attention and several attorneys will offer argument before the high court. In the election ease, the plain tiffs, A. Corey and others, re ceived an adverse decision and they decided to carry the case to the Supreme Court. In the town’s suit against the Atlantic Coast Line Railroad Company and the North Carolina State Highway Commission, Judge J. Paul Frizzelle, the same 'oris* who handed down the ad verse ruling in the election ease, rendered a split decision, freeing the railroad company and holding the highway commission respon sible for correcting the existing hazard on the town’s main street. Attorneys Elbert S. Peel, Chas. H. Manning and Robert H. Cowen will join other attorneys from va rious parts of the State m arguing the cases before the court. Soy Bean Fields In County Attacked By Army Worms -- After battling and losing heav ily against the elements, quite a few Martin County farmers are low warring on the fall army vorm and the old army worm limself. From a point on the Asa Moore ! 'arm in Williams Township across he county to the Poplar section, he worm is rapidly eating his vay through peanut and soy bean iclds, occasionally nibbling on a lit of tender grass and the foliage >f a few other crops. So far, ac cruing to Farm Agents T. B. Srandon and Sam Tuten, the dam ige has ben limited to aBout ten lercent, but the agents frankly dmit they cannot tell if the tern- < wj of the march will be stepped ip or whether it will subside. The army worm has been re- i purled in the Helds or farmers Asa Moore, Opheus Price, Dillon Peel, Willis Williams, Sam Tay lor, J. A. While, Dick Slade and others. Farmer Dick Slade, using DDT dust, was said to have slayed the worms by the tens of thousands. A few farmers said they planned to just let the worms go their way unmolested Advising action against the pest, the farm agents recommend a 20 percent toxaphene dust, applied at the rate of 15 to 20 pounds per acre. It is safe to apply toxaphene jp until ten days before digging peanuts. Ten percent methoxy ■hlor dust may be applied at the ate of 15 to 20 pounds per acre ight up to digging time, it was explained. Increase In Tobacco Sales Reported Here I LIMITED Next Monday, Labor Day, will be observed here as a limited holiday. In accord ance with a schedule adopt ed by business firms early in tbc year, stores and local of fices will remain open. Both banks here will be closed for the day. However, the day will be observed as a holiday by the ppst office, federal and state offices and a few other firms, it was announced. The town commissioners are delaying their regular meeting until September 8. Auto Death Rate Shows Gain First Half 01 The Year —1 - Highway Aceiilenl Toll I.* Placed Al 104 Daily In 'liu* [Nation Chicago. -Automobiles arc kill ing people at the rate of about 10*1 per day on the nation's street* and highways. Last year, the traffic death toll was 37,300, the National Safety Council reports During the first six months this year, 16,820 fa talities were recorded, a 3 per cent increase over the half-yeai toll of 1951. Just how good, or bad, is the mi lion’s traffic safety record? What’* wrong? What should be done? Car matters be improved? Actually, traffic accidents ac count fyr about one-fortieth o deaths from all causes throughou the nation The comparison in 1950 was 35,000 traffic deaths, I, 450,000 deaths from all causes. Still ,the traffic toll which is likely to reach 38,000 this year is impressive. It is the equivalent in human lives to the population of a fairly large city. But last year’s 37,300 toll is lower than those of 1930 when 38,089 fatalities were reported; in 1937 when the count was 39,043, and in 1941 when the all time mark of 39,909 was set. In 1941, the Safety Council says, there were 34,383,000 vehicles in Operation. They were driven 33 billion 390 million miles The 1951 toll was actually 2, 009 lower than that for 1941 al though the number of vehicles in operation had jumped to 52,238, 000 and the total mileage driven was 487 billion 550 million. Last year’s traffic death rate was 25.1 per 100,000 population, compared with a rate of 30 deaths per 100,000 in 1941 The figures indicate that things could be much worse Safety of ficials say the highway slaughter would be terrific if it were not for the efforts of hundreds of specialists in engineering, cduca tion and law enforcement. They add that the traffic death toll could still be cut dramatically if file public would cooperate to promote safe road conditions Increased highway safety is the aim of the President's Highway Safety Conference composed of some 2,000 experts and officials from all parts of the nation The conference has been working for safety since 1940. The Council of State Governments, a cooperative agency of officials from the 48 States, said in reporting on a 1950 study that "the highway fatality record continues to be a national (Continued on page eight) Ralcipli Attorney Speaks To Local Rotary Club -♦ L. H. Davis, Raleigh attorney, addressed the regular meeting of the Rotary Club in the Methodist Church building here Tuesday noon. CONTINUES ILL Wm M Harrison, member of, the county board of commission irs, continues ill in a Rocky Mount hospital. His condition was re ported improved today, but it .•ould not be learned when he'll eturn home. Next Monday Will Be Observed As A Holiday In Belt Siilo To l\is* llir Million-INinml Mark llriT This Vi H'k W i! I i, mist nil's tobacco market, after marking tune for the most part since the block was cleared last Friday is expecting a sixable increase in sales tomorrow with full sales m prospect for next Tuesday. Poundage dropped to a low for the season Tuesday when only 59,634 pounds were sold for a 48-cent average. The poundage almost doubled that figure yes terday and the offerings were even larger lodav. It is fairly evi dent that tin, sales will push on ' toward the one million pound j mark by closing time tomorrow afternoon. Up until this morning, the mar ket had sold 679,138 pounds for an average slightly below 50 cents, or $48.71 to be exact During the first five marketing days last year when the harvest was completed in its entirety and marketing preparations were much farther advanced, the mar ket here sold 983,904 pounds for $492,095, an average of $50 per hundred. Considering the late harvest and the quality (if the to bacco, the market is holding its own against the early 1951 re cord However, the good tobacco that was sold last year is not in prospect this season, and the sea son, admittedly, does not look too bright or encouraging A few tips were offered this week and for the most part the sales have been up to expecta tions. Farmer Paul Williams, pull ing a small barn of sucker leaves, declared he did all light with his | sale. Few barns of tips sold for ! less than a 50-eent average. I The crux of the ptice situation ! is fourtd m the inferior quality of the lugs. Offered in various I colors, particularly brownish 1 black, these types are almost without friends. While some of them are actually below the grad ing system, the Stabilization Co o| rative is in there propping the pi lees. Were it not for stabiliza tion this veili farmers would, in all robubilit.y, be reminded of those days that were not to plea sant m times gone by. Good tobacco are selling all light, ajtd the companies seem to he anxious lor them, paying right on up to $70 and $71 per hundred for them. There’ll be no sales on the local market next Monday when the entire licit observes Labor Day as a holiday. Contract Is Let For Highway 17 —&— A contract for,relocating a por tion of U. S. Highway 17 and wid ening the route from a pond just beyond the Roanoke River fill to Windsor has been let to Dickerson, Inc., Monroe contractors. The pro ject is to cost $367,086 30. The bride contract was let to the Pyra mid Construction Company of i Wilmington a short time ago The j road is to be widened to 22 feet i Route 17 has just about been | rebuilt from Windsor to the Cho I wan River bridge. Work on the | widening ami rebuilding of ihe j Chowan bridge continues to drag with a completion date tentatively set for the latter part of next year, j Polio Victim In Norfolk Hospital ——— i Taken ill while visiting m the home of her grandmother, Mrs Mary Homier Gurganus, here ] early this week, Little Miss Jean I Waters, five, was removed im- i mediately to a Norfolk hospital I for treatment of what appears to be a light case of polio. i She is the daughter of Mr. and i Mrs. Phillip Waters of Windsor, t No other eases of polio have j t been reported in this county in re-1 i cent months. t Band Fund Drive OpeiRfiere NexT Monday for Week Will >V. .I \l Lea*l Murli Tlii* Year As Last To Keep Program (r«>in<£ Chairman D. V. Clayton and his co-workers are shaping up plans ||t*h weeK-end for the annual Hand Fund Drive of the Wilhams tnn Band Parents Club to supply the band organization with the ash needed to maintain its pre sent equipment, add new uniforms as needed, purchase sheet music, provide transportation and pay for new instruments purchased in the spring this year because they would not have been available in the fall. The fund drive is slated to start next week and run for one week. Because of the opening of schools, the necessity of doing consider able work m the new band room and the fact that uniforms for the coming year have not been de finitely assigned, there will be no tag day sales this year. Director Jack Butler said last night. Al though the money usually raised in this manner is needed. Direc tor Butler said he felt it. was of even more importance to have the youngsters get their year's work at school started off properly. As has been done in years past, the directors of the band organi zation will meet at the close of the drive to apportion the money rais ed to the various funds—general expense, which includes music and minor equipment, transpor tation so that the band can con tinue to travel first class, uniform fund and implement fund. Last year some $400.00 was set aside for the winter coats, the an nual spring concert added an other $200.00 and the band par ents themselves raised the bal ance amon£ their members to finish paying for the coats. It is likely that more of these will be needed from year to year, how ever. as is the ease with uniforms. Like the uniforms, the heavy coats will remain with the band from year to year as more of an investment than an expenditure. The instrument fund is in the red now because manufacturers advised Director Butler this spring that there was little chance of the instruments he was anxious to acquire being available in the fall They agreed to wait until fall for their money and so he purchased the instruments and the band has put them to gooii Use Other instruments are to be added this full as they and the (Continued on Page Eight) Joint Meeting On Friday Evening Thi1 Martin County Farm Bu reau and sponsors of CHOP. (Christian Rural Overseas Pro gram), will hold a joint meeting in the courthouse here Friday .veiling at 11 00 o'clock The meeting, planned to last on • ly a brief time, will discuss at rangements for launching the an nual Farm Bureau membership drive in this county, and hear the Rev. Carl R. Key, Durham minis ter, discuss the Korean relief pro gram. President Chas. 1. Deniel, president of the- county Farm Bureau, will outline the plans for the membership drive, and the Durham minister will show a timely moving picture in connec tion with the CROP program. An invitation is being extend ■d the general public to attend lie joint meeting by Fanner Mavo lardison, chairman of the CROP program in the county. County Board To Meet On Monday -- Next Monday, Labor Day, will nit be observed as a holiday by he Martin County Commissioners, t was announced today. However, cderal and state offices and a ew other business establishments, ncluding the banks, will be closed lere. As far as it could be learned the ounty board has little new bus less on its calendar for discus ion. Routine business will be andled and a jury for the spec' ll term of the October term of le superior court is to be drawn.