North Carolina Newspapers

I VOLUME LVI—NUMBER 55 Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, July 9, 1953 ESTABLISHED 189J Enters Upon His New Duties With Town's Boosters Edward L. Grady Making Good Impression In His New Job Here Succeeding Aliord Sweatt who resigned to go with the Rocky Mt., Merchants ^Association,, Edward L. Grady, during his first few days in his new job, is making a good impression as executive secretary of the Williamston Boosters. The young man is ra pidly mastering the office de tails and has already moved to assist several members in various ways, president Marvin Baker said. “He is on the ball, and we can look to him for constructive leadership and effective work,” Mr. Baker added. Mr. Grady, after completing special studies and work that ideally equip him for his new po sition, says he is impressed by the friendliness and cooperative spirit prevailing here that he already likes Williamston and is looking forward to meeting all the people of the town. He, also explained that he was impressed by the great potentialities of the section and predicts a bright fu ture for it. The new secretary was born and reared in Kinston and was graduated from Grainger High School in June, 1942. The follow ing November he enlisted in the Air Corps and served in the Paci fic Theater, gaining his discharge in January, 1946. He attended the University of North Carolina and also Colum bia University in New York, do ing social work at Youth House in the big city one and one-half years before returning to the Uni versity of North Carolina and gaining his degree in 1952. After teaching in the Charoltte schools, he went with a large manufacturer as a traveling re presentative. Anxious to get em ployment in public relations and a position that would permit him to be at home with hiS family, he turned to Williamston and the job with the Boosters. Mr. Grady is married to the forfner Diana Jayne Grady of Boiling Springs, home of Gard roer-Webb College. Mrs. Grady iformerly played violin in the North Carolina Symphony, and attended University of North Ca rolina and Columbia University. The Gradys have two children, Allegra Marta O. Grady, 16 (Continued on Page Eight) Worcester Nan Dies Near Here Algo Leo Hendrickson, 53, died In a tourist court near here on Highway 17, south, a^ 11:30 o’ clock last night, he had been suf tenna with a heart.oondition, hut Uvea only a sKortume following1 the attack last night. Accompanied by his wife, the former Mary Westluna. and 1 daughter, Ann, h^ was returning from a vacation in Florida to their home, 40 Pinehurst Ave., L Auburn, Massachusetts, a suburb of Worcester, and stopped at the motor court to spend th^ night. He was born in Worcester on April 7, 1900, the son of Mrs. Emily Hendrickson and the late Sigfried Hendrickson. He'was a spool machine operator for a manufacturing company in Wor cester. Mrs. Hendrickson and daughter, accompanied by Mr. Walter Jones, continued to their Massachusetts home this morning, and the body •* will be shipped there by train later today. STORAGE HOUSE > Construction work is prog ressing fairly rapidly now on a second large storage build ing at the end of Morrison and Peele Streets, just off Washington Street. Contrac tors started placing the steel this week, and a large fire wall is about half completed. It is planned to have part of the'building ready for occup ancy this fall. Owned by the Williamston Storage Corporation, the structure, like a similar one completed last year, will house about ten thousand hogsheads of tobacco. Tobacco Harvest In Full Swing In The County Now Started nearly four weeks on just an individual scale, the to-1 bacgo harvest went into full swing j in the county this week. And as a I result town streets are nearly I deserted at times, and there's lit tle or no news on other fronts. It is estimated that between 95 and 98 p^-cent of the farmers will have harve’st one or more barns of the leaf by the end of this week. Some h^ve made three j "pullings” already. The reports | from those farms where early curings were made are said to be really encouraging. While the crop prospects with some isolated exception where dry weather prevailed for the most part of whre hail struck, are the port or where hail struck, are the situation is becoming critical. It is possible that some, if not a good ly portion, o£ the crop will be lost because there isn’t available labor to harvest the crop on sche dule. Farmers from miles around are canvassing the back streets and out-of-the-way places look ing for help to handle the harvest. A late report states that hail' damage resulting from the last Friday evening storm in the Hamilton, Oak City, Hassell tri angle is running as high as 72 percent, or much higher than the preliminary estimates. One farm er was said to have received $2, 000 for damage done to a limited acreage. r TESTS "S J V. The Employment Secu rity Commissioi^will test col ored women between the ages of 18 and 45 for sewing ma chine operators in the color school here Wednesday, July 15 and in Robersonville on July 14 and 15. All colored fe males who ate interested will contact the Employment Of fice in Williamston or for those who live nearer Rober sonville, contact Martin Man ufacturing Company, for cards to take these tests. ] Cow Displaces ' Hog In County It is now known what effect] recent price decreases in milk will have in the future, but in at least one case a cow has dis placed the hog in this county. Martin County is one of the great swine raising counties in the State, reports stating that more hogs are raised per acre in Martin than in >any other coun ty. Some say that a similar ratio for the milk cow would be a great thing, and it could be that Mary Manning, member of the Eve retts Negro 4-H Club is doing something to mark a new trend. Last fall she asked her father, Washington Manning, if she could raise a pig as her club project. 9he entered her pig in the Fat Stock show last sp. ing and sold it for $41.25. During the mean time she talked with another member of her club and got in terested in a milk cow. That in terest, plus the fact that no milk was available on the farm, open ed the way for a switch from the pig to the cow. Borrrowing $60 from her fath er through" her mother s pleading, the youthful club member with the help of the county agent's of-1 fice, got a 6-month-old heifer, and she is now looking forward to a 1 successful project Commenting, Agent R. M. Ed wards said, "With the interest that ig^sMTwjf e m - bers in dairy cattle, I believe thai in the future the peyientage of Negro families owning milk cows will be much larger.” Income From Fees For Past Month Martin County received $4,583. 43 in fees from its several de partments last month, according to a ^report filed with the board of commissioners during their re gular meeting. The county recorder’s court ac counted for $3,523.30 of the amount, including $2,120 in fines. The superior court fees amounted to $88.30 and miscellaneous ueiiis in the clerk’s office added up to $249.28. Register of Deeds J. Sam Get singer reported fees in the sum of $479.05, including $392.55 for recordings, $34.50 for delayed death and birth certificates and $52 for marriage licenses. Sheriff M. W. Holloman report ed $243.50 in fees for serving vari ous papers. ^ Negro library Note Open In W'illiamaton — A,_ The Mary Gray county library is now open in Williamston and is observing the hours from 4:00 to 6:00 o’clock p. m. daily except Saturday .when it is open from 10:00 a. m. until 12:00 o'clock, noon. The public is invited, and users are urged to return over due books. Forty-Six Cases On Court Docket Enjoying a holiday last Mon-' day, the Martin County Record er’s Court will find itself literally “snowed under” when it opens its regular session next Monday morning. *• A preliminary study made ear ly yesterday showed forty-six cases already on the docket with the possibility that quite a few others cases will find their way there before next Monday. A few of the 46 cases now on the docket are not scheduled for trial next Monday, but have been docketed for attention later in the month. Speeders lead the list of alleg ed law offenders, the record show ing that fourteen have been book ed on that, count. Eight others are charged with drunken driv ing. Four are charged with driv ing after their operators’ licenses were revoked; four others are booked for alleged violation of the liquor laws, and still four others are facing assult charges in the court. Three motor vehicle operators are alleged to have driven without licenses. Two are booked with careless and reck less driving, two with larceny and two with allowing unlicensed drivers operate motor vehicles. Three others face the court, one for issuing a bad check, another for violating the motor vehicle law's and still another for carrying a concealed weapon The docket is one of the largest to face Judge H. O. Peele and Solicitor Clarence Griffin in some time. Two Curing Barns Burned In County Two tobacco curing barns have already been destroyed by fire in the county, and the harvest season is just now in full swing. The first of the barn losses was reported a few days ago over in the island section of Williams Township •■/here Farmer Frank £sarSeflifosfa*T()g* barn. '*T?was equipped with the old-time furn aces and burned wood. The second loss was reported in Beal Grass Wednesday morn ing by Mrs. Gilbert Roger3on. It was her second barn loss in as many years, one report stating that the one destroyed last year had not been replaced. Mrs. Rog erson lost a barn on July 6, last year. Both were equipped with oil curcrs. Only eight barn fires were re ported in the county last year, eleven in 1951, jmd seventeen in 1950. Stair Recreation Agents To Be Here On July 22 The secretary of the local Re creation committee was advised this morning that representatives oi the State Recreation Commis sion who had planned to visit Williamston next week, would be here on Wednesday, July 22, and Thursday, July 2jJ, instead. Two representatives will be on hand for the study of local recre ation facilities and possibilities and to help local recreation offi cials with future plans. Reported Improving In Rocky Mount Hospital ■ — .A Suffering an attack last Satur day, Mr. Lewis Coker was re ported improving in a Rocky Ml. hospital this morning. His trouble was diagnosed as a kidney ailment yesterday, and it is possible that surgery will follow. Defendant Unable To Arrange Bond In Robbery Case Second Defendant Arrange ed $ 1,000 Bond at Hear ing Held Yesterday Unable to arrange bond in th# sum of $5,000, Lon Hassell, 45 year-old Virginia Beach man charged with robbery with fire arrhs, was returned to the Mar tin County jail following a hear ing held before Justice Chas. R. Mobley in the grand jury room here yesterday morning. James Beel, Virginia Beach taxi driver who was charged with aiding and abetting robbery with firearms, arranged bond in the sum of $1, 000 when Justie Mobley found probable cause of guilt in both cases. In a second case agaihst the taxi driver, Beel pleaded guilty of carrying a concealed weapon and an entry in the county court docket book will show he paid a fine of $50 and costs. Both defendants pleaded not guilty when they were arranged on the charge of robbery and aid ing and abetting in the rubbery with firearms of $580 from Mrs. Frances W. Herriott at her home here on South Biggs Street early last Monday morning. j Hassell, without an attorney, declared that the taxi driver was innocent, and \frcnt on to offer evidence that was ruled out as being irrevelant. Taking the stand for the prose cution Mrs. Herriott said that the taxi driver knocked on hdt door that morning about 7:15 o’clock, that when she opened the door Hassell moved in quickly and the taxi driver re turned to his cab. Mrs. Herriott told the court that Has sell started beating her, declaring that he meant business and want ed $500. Declaring her life was threatened, (the witness explain ing that the defendant had a pis tol), Mrs. Herriott said she did not have a cheek, and that Beel 1 was ser^t up town to get a b!ankj j check. -According to the witness, j Beel returned with atblank check | on each of the local banks, and that she, still under a threat, changed the name of the bank to that o( the Seaboard National Bank of Norfolk and made it puyable to Beel in the sum of $500. Unable to get the check cash ed at local business houses, Beel returned to the home and waited there until the banks opened, go ing for breakfast during the meantime and returning with coffee. Mrs. Herriott said after Beel went to the bank an assistant to the cashier called and wanted to know if -tbi- vhtiX n« ail light. “Under instructions and threats, I said the check v.-as aU right," the witness said, adding that upon his return Beel turned the money over to Hasssell. The witness quoted Beel as say ing that he had to get back to mi' Lii'nie nee drive him to a filling station :n Bertie so she could not contact po lice before he got out of town. Daring the meantime she had handed over to Hassell $100 fh cash, but he returned $20 to her. Beel apparently knew some thing was wrong, the witness quoting him as saying to Hassell that he (Hassell) would scare her (Continued on Page Eight) Scattered Rains In This County i Scattered showers fell in this county early last evening, leav ing some; areas comparatively dry and others with ample moisture. The rain fell in streaks, varying in amount as n\uch as one-half to three-quarters of an inch in the course of a mile or more. Just west of Williamston, poss ibly an inch of rain fell, but at the river bridge only .28 of an inch was measured. Poplar Point re ported a good shower, and some rain fell around Hamilton, Rob ersonville and Cross Roads, but it was light, for the most part, according to reports reaching here. Bear Grass, Griffins and Jamcsville had good showers, with ^ater left standing in the fields, but in some parts of those districts more rain fell than in others. The rain, the first to fall in some areas of the county in about 1 three weeks, brightened the farm picture considerably, it was said. Will 01 Wealthy Negro Citizen Is Filed In County -4> Value of Rufus T. Chanee Estate Is Conservatively Placed At $55,000 Will power, determination and I an humble trust in the Lord paid off for Rufus T. Chance, respected Negro citizen of this county, whose will was filed in the Mar tin courthouse a few days ago. There was a time when the man had carried qust about all his earthly belongings on his back and had room left for more, but according to the terms of the will his estate carries a value con servatively estimated at $55,000. 00. He was abodt the wealthiest member of his race in this county, ’but wealth and position never turned his head from a righteous and humble course. With the aid of white friends who recognized his honesty and determination, he started at the bottom and acquir ed his after a manly fashion, never cutting a corner or injur ing another to enhance his own position. In addition to acquiring con siderable wealth, he reared a large family and sent most his children through college. He was married twice, and di vorced once, the will allowing Mary E. Chance, a former wife, $150. j Recognizing the advantages of an education, Chance acted to make up, to a certain extent at least, to those who did not get to college. To his children, Boston, King Bruce, Johnnie, James and William Chance and Sallis Chance Powell, he left $200 each, “in ord er to equalize them with such of my children who 1 have educat ed.” Without any explanation, he left $200 each to Lucious Chance, James Purvis, John Best, Minnie L. Chance and Bernice Lee Chance. Harper’s Mill" Rflfi Primitive Baptist where he held member ship and worshipped, received a $50 cash gift. The house hold and kitchen furniture was left to all the chil dren, share and share alike. The Salsbury farm, located in Hamilton Township and consist ing of about 70 acres, was left to two sons, Zeno and James Chance. The home place was divided in to eight plots. 'SJje No 1 plot goes to James Chance with the pro vision that he pay $1,500 each to Boston and Don Chance. The oth er sev^n divisions go to King Bruce Chance, fia I lie Chance Po fCcjitiziUed on page eltehii -« Gravely III Following Second Attack Tuesday Suffering an attack at his home here about three weeks ago, Mr. Henry D. Harrison experienced a i. '.i ?SJt this morning his condition was re ported to be grave. He had been conscious up until the second attack, which left him with no use of his faculties what ever, according to reports reach ing here this morning. A report received shortly after 10:00 o’clock this morning stated that the doctors following a visit a short time before, offered the fam ily no hope, that the end might come momentarily or he might linger on a day or two. THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . Motorists on Martin County highways and streets estab lished an enviable record, and members of the State High way Patrol were all smiles and justly proud when they reported only two minor acci dents during the 26tlv\yeek, including the July 4 holiday period when traffic moved in great volume. 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 26th Week Wrecks Inj’d Killed Damage 1953 3 1 0 $ 250 1952 110 00 'Comparisons To Date 1953 104 34 3 $29,052 1952 133 71 1 44,035 ABC Officers Had A Busy Month In County In dune Enforcement officers of the Martin County Alcohol Beverages Board reported a busy schedule in the county during June. The illi cit liquor business flared up on three fronts—wholesale, retail and manufacturing. Chief Enforce ment Officer Cecil Bullock point ed out that it was about the most active June for the business than in any other one during recent years, according to the records. Operations, for the most part, were limited to small schedules, the manufacturers using cheap equipment. Reviewing the enforcement ac tivities during the past month. Officer Bullock stated that his forces wrecked twenty-three li quor stills, that only three of them were made of copper. Quite a few oil barrels were used for kettles, but most of the plants were equip ped with the submarine type stills. The officers confiscated 154 gallons of raw liquor and poured out 15,050 gallons of mash, most of which was sloppy and filthy beyond safe consumption for swine, one officer declared. Five persons were arrested dur ing the month, one for wholesaling and four for retailing illicit li quor. Fines were imposed in the amount of $300 in Judge.H. O. Peele’s court, and the violators drew eighteen months on the roads. Since the first of this month, the officers have wrecked seven plants and confiscated 10(1 gallons of. liquor. • Plan Hearing Onj Stream Sanitation In North Carolina Meeting Will Be Held For This Area August 18 In Washington A hearing on stream sanitation in North Carolina will be held for this section of the State in Washington on August 18, it has been announced, and the interest ed public is invited to attend. The State Stream Sanitation Committee, established by Chapt er 60(1, Session Laws of 1951 (Ar ticle 21 of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes) has developed, after months of intensive study, a proposed State-wide series of classification and water quality standards applicable to each such classification for the waters of North Carolina. These tentative proposed classifications and standards have been reviewed by a number of technical experts re presenting industry, municipali ties, State agencies, federal agen cies, technical schools an<i others who feel that the proposed series of classification and standard are sufficiently complete and practi cal to be considered by the Com mittee for final adoption. It is proposed that these classifications' and standards, subject to such re-. vion as the Committee may deem advisable as a result of discuss ions at the five public hearings to be held through the State, shall be adopted as rules of procedure to be designated waters of the State. The series of classes, and ac companying water quality stand ards, as proposecheonsists of six classes for fresh surface waters (SA. SB, SC, and SI)). The classes have been based upon considera tions of best usage of the State's water resources and standards of water quality for each class have been developed which, when met, each best usage selected. The proposed series of classi fications and standards under con sideration at the public hearings to be held will not, if adopted, fix the classification or standards of quality for any particular waters Instead the adopted classifications and standards will be a guide to be followed in the future in classi fying specifically designated wa ters, and such waters will be as signed to one of the proposed classes having the - standards of quality proposed for such class The law requires that complete studies be made of waters prior to classifying and assigning stand ards of quality to such waters and then only after holding public hearings which have been duly publicized. The public hearings in question will not, therefore, re late to the classification of any specific waters, but only with thej suitability of the proposed series of classifications and water quali ty standards to be followed in the future classification of speci fic waters of the State. The State Stream Sanitation Law was enacted in 1951 for the purpose of establishing a rca sonable and effective program for safeguarding the water resources of the State to the end that our water requirements for health, re creation, fishing, agriculture, in dustry and animaly life will be protected. The proposed series of classifications and standards of water quality have been designed as a practical instrument to be followed in carrying out the re quirements of the Stalutc. MEETING Kn,joying a holiday along with most of the business houses anil offices, Williams ton's town commissioners will hold their July meeting next Monday evening at 8:00 o’ clock. Very little business is on the calendar for discussion, hut final adoption of the 1953 54 budget is expected, and the board is expected to review various contracts, Mayor Ro bert Cowen said. i Farmers Plant In Excess of Quotas i A somi final report shows that quite a few Martin County tann ers planted in excess of their to bacco and peanut allotments, but that most of the excess will be either destroyed or diverted from regular market channels. All farms, fncluding 1,699 to bacco and 1,660 peanut, have been checked. The report shows that I here was an excess planting, ranging from one-tenth to one and three tenths acres, in tobacco on 346 farms. Forty-five of the farmers called for remeasure merits, but only a few of the origi nal checks were found to be wrong. When the report was fil ed, the excess on 193 farms had been destroyed, and it is esti mated that all thr 1,899 farmers except about 30 will be within i their 'allotments when the final 1 report is submitted. The report shows that 699 of I the 1,550 peanut farmers had planted in excess of their allot ments, that 55 had destroyed OTP i excess. Pos^iblv ;»)) but fifty .->! j the remaining farmers found to •have planted in excess will hold down the surplus. Parokjyi'fllalflt— i Back in Courts Convicted in the Martin Coun 'ty Superior Court hist March and sentenced to the roads for from three to five years for care less and reckless driving result ing in personal injuries, Grady Keith Lamm, young white man, is back in the hands of the law. Placed on probation by Judge Joseph W. Parker following the trial and conviction, Lamm is al leged to have violated the parole terms. He was arrested this week in Baltimore and is being return ed to the county, lie is tentative ly scheduled to appear before Judge Walter Bene to show cause why his sentence should not be invoked. Brief Will Filed For Lale Citizen In a fairly brief will filed a j few days ago in this county, J,, Augustus Powell left all his pro perty to his wife, Sarah K. Powell for her lifetime. At her death.the real property was to go to his son, Cecil, with the provision that $2,1100 ho paid to each of his daughters, Mrs. Ida E. Taylor and Mrs Ottalie K Warren, and a like amount to lus other two sons. Vance A, Powell and Benjamin 'E. Powell. All the remainder ol' the property* was to go to the children, share and share alike. The will was dated March 27, 1U52. Marriage License Bureau Reported Slump Last Month —«— Issiianee .Smallest For Any June In County In Ten Years A sizable slump in business was reported by the Martin County Marriage License Bureau during June, Register of Deeds J. Sam Getsinger explaining that only thirteen licenses were issued dur ing the period. Not only was the issuance the smallest for any June since 1939, it was also the smallest for any month in 1953. In 1944, only 13 marriage licenses were is sued in this county, the smallest number since 1940 when only ten licenses were issued. In June of last year there were 28 licenses issued, and in 1951 a record was set when 34 licenses were issued in the month. Ordinarily June is a month of brides, but there was an exception to the rule last month. Licenses were issued in June of this year to thirteen couples, eight to white and five to colored couples, as follows: White Laurence Eason Lilley and Mary Anna Taylor, both of Wil liamston. Kenneth Earl Johnson and Ora Madaline Chesson, Both of Wil liamston. Arthur Augusta Edmondson of WiUiamston and Dorothy Rogers of RED 1, Robersonvilie. Alton E. Vick of Scotland Neck and Juanita V. Abrams of Tar boro. Kenneth Lee Sharlow of Bono, Ohio, and Beulah Ann Vanhorn of Roper. Milton Bennett Wynne of RFD 3. WiUiamston, and Irene Eliza beth Parker of WiUiamston. Richard Harrison of Rocky Mount and Jo Anna McLawhorn of WiUiamston. Robert P. Morris and Dorothy Wyman, both of Washington, D. C. Colored Ulysses Bowen and Hattie Bell Eborn, both of Oak City. Levie Savage and Annie Mae Williams, both of Palmyra. Shelton Howard of RFD 2. Rob ersonville, and Mary Louise Bow en of WiUiamston. Otis Clark and Nell Whitfield, both of Boston. Paul Lawn nee Lynch of RFD 1, Oak City, and Louray Saunders of Roberscmville. Accident Victim -Jfcporied Better Critically injured when run down by a truck a few days ago, William T. Bridge, three-year old colored child, is recovering in a Durham hospital, according to child was said to have suffered a skull fracture and a broken hip. Given first aid treatment in a hospital here, the victim was re moved a short time later to Dur ham. Walking along the Oak City Hasscll highway with a sister late hist Tuesday afternoon, the child was said by patrolmen to have darted into the highway and into the path of a truck driven by Don Estes of Durham, employee of the J E. Hartley Company, Durham firm handling a lunmber and log ging business between Hamilton and Aak City. The victim lodged in the grill and was carried down the high «av about sixty feet. It was re ported that the child lost consid erable blood before be could be removed to the hospital. AT OWN RISK | V/ Farmers using the oil sys tem tor topping tobacco and controlling suckers do so at their own risk, representa tives, of the North Carolina Extension Division warn. Tests have proved sucess ful under certain conditions, but they have not been gen erally accepted, it was ex plained. Farmers, unable to find suf ficient labor to handle suck cring by hand, are resorting to the comparatively new me thod out of necessity. How ever, they do so at their own risk.