I 1 - | THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY X OVER 3,004 MARTIN COUNTY fAF’IUES TWICE EACH WEEK WUliamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Thursday, January 21, 1054 THE ENTERPRISE IS READ BY OVER 3.000 MARTIN COUNTY flfirSlUEii -TWICk^SKCft SVEfeK ESTABLISHED J8VJ VOLUME LVII—NUMBER 6 [ Call Twenty-Six Cases h County : » Court On Monday l —•— Fines Rdd Up To S580 And Severai Sentenced To Serve Road Terms -—• Judge H. O. Peele called twen l ty-six cases during a short ses sion of the Martin County Record I erfs Court last Monday morning. 1 imposing fines in the amount of $580 and meting out several road I ^erms. The session attracted only a small audience and was completed before the noon hour. Proceedings: Pleading guilty of issuing a | worthless check, W. H. Joyner / had*judgment suspended upon the 1 payment of the court cost and the amout of the check. Charged with operating a mo tor vehicle after his driver’s li cense hud been revoked, William . Jasper Page pleaded guilty and I. was sentenced to the roads for one | year. Willie Ampley was fined $25, plus costs, when he pleaded guil i ty of operating a motor vehicle without a driver’s license. John Douglas Howell was taxed with the court costs for speeding 65 miles an hour He pleaded guil ■ ty. Bernice and Andrew Hudgins i were charged with the possession of non-tax paid liquor. The action against Bernice Hudgins was nol pressed, and Andrew pleaded guilty. He was sentenced to the , roads for six months, the court suspending the road term upon the payment of a $250 fine and ; court costs. L. D. Lanier was found not guil ty of drunken driving. Pleading guilty of speeding 50 miles an hour in a 35-mile zhne, James Kebb was taxed with the • court costs. Maintaining he was innocent. Lonza Harrison, Jr., was fined .*^100, plus costs, when he was ad judged guilty of drunken driving. He loses his opeiatoi'- license for a year. Lacy Roy liatton, pleading ' Jti'l tv of speeding 85 miles an hour, was fined $10 and taxed with the costs. ^ Pleading guilty of operating a motor vehicle without a driver's license, John Brown was fined $25, plus costs. Jasmius Wilson Grandy, charg ed with speeding 65 miles an hour, pleaded guilty and was fin rd $25, plus costs. Charged with speeding 45 miles \ Ifcn hour in a 25-mile zone in a truck, Jode Bridges, Jr., was tax ed with the cost. Charged with careless and reck less driving, S. T. Jackson plead ed guilty and was sentenced to f the roc ' for thirty days, the court suspending the road term upon the condition the defendant surrender his operator’s license i for a year and pay a <25 fine. Faring the court in two cases, one >n which he was charged with an assault with a deadly weapon , and the other charging him with assaulting a female, Clyde Sil verthorne pleaded not guilty and was found not guilty. Judge Peele [ had warned the defendant at a previous session that if he (Sil vertjiorne) appeared in ' court again. a suspended sentence I would be invoked. The defendant drew ninety days on the roads under the terms of a judgment handed down on January 11, this Ifccar. Booker Taft Smithwiek, plead ing guilty of operating a motor vehicle after his driver's license had been revoked, was fined $25, plus costs. Charged with public drunken ness and violating the liquor laws, George Alfred Hardison plead ■Cnmniied on page eight! FOLLOW-UP *• r 1 Following up the current tuberculosis survey, the Mar tin County Board of Health is asking a number of those who have had their chests X raycd to report to the health center, corner of Harrell and 4t bmithwick Streets in Wil lianiston, for further examin ation. It is possible that some of the group who are in line for further examination will want to report to their per sonal physicians. In this case, the health department asks that it be notified. Postal Receipts In Local Office Show Sizable Gain Williamston's post office handl ed a record business last year when its stamp sales amounted to $55,096.22. The $4,176.50 increase represents a net gam of 8.41 per cent. The percentage gain over 1952 business was about the larg est reported by the office here in a number of years. While increased rates had their influence on the 1953 total. Post master W. E. Dunn pointed out that most of the gain is traceable to a large volume of business in general. After reporting a gain of about $600 in its stamp sales during the first 1953 quarter, the office slip ped a notch in the second quarter ly period. The loss was more than offset in the third quarter and then the office went on to report | \ DELAYED Unfavorable weather has delayed the preparation of to bacco plant beds in this coun ty. While the delay is creat ing no serious problem, a few farmers are getting a bit ner vous over the delay, and are ] trying to prepare their beds even though the ground is too wet. A few farmers prepared their beds before the weather got too bad week before last. A few sowed their seed Tues day, but a majority of the growers are sitting out the bad weather, hoping there’ll be a favorable break between now and early February. Injured In Wreck On Country Road —•— Three persons were injured, one of them painfully, late yesterday afternoon in an automobile acci dent on a rural road running from the old Biggs School house to j Highway 17. Suffering minor cuts j and a back injury, J. D Price, Sr.,, continue.- in a local h' .- pita! Horn 1 mie Wynne and C. B. Ayers re-! ceived minor cuts but were able j >(< leave the hospital following | I treatment Dallas Wynne and; John A. Harrison, riding in the i car, were said not to have been injured. Said to have been driving Price’s 1953 Mercury, Tommie Wynne lost control of the ma chine in a curve and two or three flips were made before the ve hicle came to a stop No official estimate on the dam age could be had immediately, but one report placed the property , loss at between $800 and $1,000. On« of the occupans was pinn- 1 ed down in the car and was re | leased only after help rushed to the scer.e and turned the vehicle over. -j, Wreck Spot On Jamesville Road Four cars went out of control at the same spot on Highway 64 about one mile this side of James ville during the course of about thirty minutes last evening. No one was hurt and damage was} limited to two vehicles. Driving a 1949 Ford, Joseph Price Wilson of Williamston lost control when the car ran into a muddy surface on the highway. The machine skidded and turned over, causing about $200 damage. Wdiile the wreck was being cleared another car skidded at the -ame spot on the highway and went into a ditch without result- ; ing damage. A third car skidded arid turned almost around on the 1 highway, but the driver got his bearings and continued without further trouble. At 8:30 o’clock, Lloyd Wayne Modlin of Wenona skidded his 1952 Chevrolet into a 1953 Ford stopped at the scene of the firstj accident by Archie Allen Lilley j of RFD 1, Jamesville. No one was j hurt and damage was limited to ! about, $50 on the Chevrolet, a j member of the highway patrol, investigating the accidents, re ported. CLOSEDFOR REPAIRS -<$— The Hotel George Reynolds has been closed temporarily for re pairs. It has not been announced when the hostelry will be reopen ed. A few regular roomers con tinue in the building. i record business and gain in the final quarter of last year. Stamp sales jumped from $15,826.11 dur ing the last three months of 1S52 to $18,455.31 in the fina' period of 1953, a gain of nearly $3,000 in the period. While stamp sales showed a! sizable gain, money order business 1 showed a slight decrease, dropp-1 ing from $313,913.23 in 1952 to j $312,059.90 in 1953. The decrease in mail order business was fairly consistent throughout the year, falling a few hundred dollars each quarterly period. The money ord er window is still handling a siz able business. At the same time the parcel post division is having its troubles. It was learned that numerous parcels are held in the office for weeks and that many are returned from time to time. Polio March On Town-Wide Basis —•— Plans have been completed for the Mothers’ March on Polio on a town-wide basis it was announc ed today. Mrs. Cleo Tyner is di recting the march for the color ed citizens and the following will make the canvass Friday night of next week: North Sycamore Street, Mrs. Waddell Brown; Little and Hill Street, Mrs. Ruth Slade; Rober son Street, Mrs. Sophoronia La tham and Mrs Annie B. Bell; Red dick Street, Mrs. Cleo Finch; White Street, Mrs. Birdia M. Brown; Bj-oari and Franklin Street, Mrs. Dorethy R. 'Bagley; Hyman, Center and Martin Streets, Mrs. Alice Harris; Rhodes Street, Mrs. Mattie Ormond; Biggs Main and Roanoke Avenue, Mrs. Beatrice Rogers; Henderson Street Mrs. Mary Rogers Brown; Mor rison and Peel Street, Mrs. Oliva Lambson; Faulk Street, Mrs. Ad die Lee Armston; Hunter and Rail Road Street, Mrs. Mattie Gorham. South Sycamore and Slade Streets, Mrs. Sarah Huff; Pearl Street, Mrs. Sue Green, film Street. Mrs. Rosanna H. , John son; Washington Street, Madams Artie Man son and 0^{yi\ Money; Church Street, Mrs. Mary Mizelle; Griffin Street, Mrs. Mary Joe (Continued on page eight > —-* Local Committee Studying Schools Meeting last Tuesday evening, the local school committee studied the needs for an expansion pro gram in the several schools here. Details of the study could not be learned immediately, taut it was reported that the committee pro poses the construction of ten classrooms, a vocational shop and enlargement of one or more build ings at the E. J. Hayes school. Two additional class rooms, a vo cational shop and gymnasium are needed at the Williamston High School, according to a report heard following the Tuesday eve ning meeting held in the office of Attorney R. L Coburn, chair man of the group. It is planned to submit the pro posed program to the Martin County Board of Education on or about the first of next month. Similar programs of needs are being prepared throughout the county in an icipation of bringing the school plants up to standard in all districts. Neighbors Aiding Stricken Family Just about all their earthly be longings destroyed in a fire that swept vheir home in Griffins Township last Sunday morning, the Joseph Lilley family this week was assured substantial aid by neighbors and other friends throughout the section. It was reported yesterday that between $1,500 and $2,000 in cash had been contributed and that approximately enough lumber had been placed on the site for a new home. Spearheading the movement to provide a helping hand for the family, the Farm Life Ruitan Club is making splendid progress in lining up volunteer labor for the construction work, it was re ported. Mrs. James Bowen Died In Hospital At Durham Today —<*>—_ Funeral Arrangements Hud Not Been Completed This Morning -•— Mrs. Carrie Roger:,on Peaks died in a Durham hospital this morning at 7:30 o’clock. She had been in declining health for sev eral ydtrs, but continued active until Tuesday of last week when she suffered a stroke at her home here on West Main Street. She was removed immediately to a local hospital, and transferred the following day to Duke. Sun day, she suffered a second attack and little hope was held for her recovery. Mrs. Bowen was born in Bear Grass Township 58 years ago and spent most of her life there. In early womanhood she was marri ed to Wheeler Peaks who died eleven years ago. She continued to make her home in Bear Grass until January 1, 1946, when she was married to Mr James D. Bo wen, making her home here since that time. A devoted wife and mother, she played the role of a good neigh bor and friend to all. She was a member of the Rose of Sharon Free Will Baptist Church for years, and was faithfui in its ser vice as long as her health per mitted. Surviving are two sons, Arthur and Jodie Peaks, both of Bear Grass Township; seven daught ers, Mrs. Surreatha Phelps of Cross Roads Township, Mrs. Ruby Bonds, Mrs. Mollie Whitehurst 'Continued on Page Eight) —,,— Youth Trapped In Local Store —*— Leisurely attending to his owr • business in a se-ciiided corner Paul Williams, 15-year-old Wil liams Township youth, twas un intentionally trapped in the Mar tin Supply . Company store- -.-ac Washington Street here yesterday when the doors of the busines. were closed about 12:30 for tin observance of the town's firsi ball holiday of the year. Learning his plight, the youtl went to the front and attracted the attention of a passerby ane Mr. Irving Griffin, one of thi owners, returned and let him out The half-holiday schedule was uniformly observed here yester day. Rolarians Elect Oliicers Tuesday At their regulai* meeting held at the Switch Tuesday noon, Wil liamston Rotarians elected offic ers for the new year beginning ir July. A. L. Jameson was moved up from vice president to president succeeding Robt. If. Cowen, F M Manning was named vice presi dent and N. K. Harrison was re tained as secretary and treasurer The elections were by acclama t* C. T Roberson, holdi.ni> ^ perfect attendance record, was named sergeant-at-arms. Th< board of directors includes W. M Tetterton, Wm. Everett, Dar Sharpe and Asa Crawford. THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . After plaiting the first fev, days of the current year with « twelve-accident bang, motorist: traveled thr nigh the second weel with a record still far from per fect but far better than the om recorded during the first ten days The second-week record look good in this county when compar ed with the 20-death count u other parts of the State durini the past week-end. The following tabulations offer a comparison of the ac cident trend: first, by cones ponding weeks In this year and last and for each year to the present time 2nd Week Wrecks Inj’d Killed Damagt 1954 6 1 0 $ 785 1953 5 0 0 580 Comparisons To Dale 1954 18 12 0 $8,485 1953 20 3 0 4,000 A Look Ahead For! Agriculture This; Year In The Slate; Prices This Fall Expected j To Hold To About The ! Same Le* el Of 1933 Prices farmers receive for their I products in 1954 are expected to | average close to 1953 prices. This ! is the consensus of economists in the Agricultural Marketing Ser vice, after a careful analysis of business conditions, expected trends in employment and income and purchasing power, together with prospective supplies of agri cultural products. No marked change in the do mestic demand for food and other agricultural products appeals with 1953. Also, foreign takings of farm products, while sharply reduced in the 1952-53 market ing season from other" recent years, are expected to continue at about present levels over the next year or so. Supplies of most farm products are expected to continue large in 1954. Carry-over stocks may in crease further at the end of the current marketing year, but a large part will be held by the Government, under'the price sup port programs. Acreage restrictions will bring smaller wheat and cotton crops; and price supports for these and several other commodities will continue to cushion the impact of large supplies on farm cotton, peanuts, some types of tobacco and rice will continue at 90 per cent of parity for 1954 crops since marketing quotas for individual crops were approved by growers. The support levels for oats, bar ley, rye, and grain sorghums will be continued at 85 percent of pari ty. Hut because of lower parity prices, support prices will be a little lower for each crop except rye, which will be the same. The price support for flax-seed will be at 70 percent of the mid-Scp j tember parity price, compared with 80 percent of parity for the 1953 crop. Support levels for oth er commodities have not yet been announced _ Unless drought next year fore es liquidation of herds, cattle pric es may continue relatively stable close to current levels. Curren indications '■uggest (hat market mgs of hogs in 1954 are not likel; to be increased until the secom half of th year. Price prospect fffor hogs arc fairly favorable, a least thiough the first half o 1954. Farmers’ production costs were reduced slightly in 1953 and may decline further in 1954 Prices paid by farmers including inter est, taxes, and wage rates held relatively stable in the first 9 months of 1953, but at levels about 3 percent below 1952. M^t nl the decline from last year was due to lower prices for feeder livestock and feed. Prices of these majo, items are not likely to change much from current reduced levels. Prices of fertilizer and other in dustrial products purchased by farmers have stabilized in recent months and probably will change very little in 1954. Price conces sions, however, are likely to be (Continued on Page Eight) -—#. 'Child Welfare' P.-T. A. Subject —— The first meeting of the new calendar year for the Williamston Parents-Teachers Association will be held in the High School audi torium here on Monday evening at 7:45. Attendance before fht holidays was excellent and Pre-si , dent Asa Crawford is urging lh< . members to start the new yeai right by coming out Monday eve . ning when an interesting progran . has been a'Tanged. “Child Welfare” will be the j subject of the program and the . speaker will be Mis. Holley Mac-7 i Hell, child welfare specialist o ; Bertie County. The former (.'Ian Bond, Mrs. Bell was for a while a erise worker, with the- Martir County Welfare: Departme nt anr is well known here. She is :n excellent speaker. Other features of the prograrr will be a discussion of the pianc purchase, the awarding of $l.0( I to the person holding the luck> seat down front anef center and the presenting of a door prize te the holder of a lucky number. This is the first meeting of the association since last November. Little Time Left To List Property For County Taxes Little time is left for listing pro- j petty for current year taxation ini this county. Since the last clay of January, ordinarily the end of the! listing period, falls on Sunday,! Tax Supervisor M. L Peel an- j nounced this week that listings! will not be subject to penalty, in I accordance with law. While the lists are far from complete at this time, the work is progressing more rapidly than it did a year ago, according to the supervisor. Several districts have their lists more than 80 percent complete, it was learned. No definite trend in values has been established in the listings as of this date, but several town ships are apparently finding it Manufacturing Company Idle No official report could be had immediately, but according to in formation reaching here the Mar tin Manufacturing Company su spended, temporarily at least, part of most of its operations at its operations at its plant in Rober son vi lie this week. Only a few persons were working yesterday, it was reported. It was reported that orders, particularly those handled by or through mail order firms, had been canceled and that some or ders had been returned from points as far away as California. The company in an effort to maintain production was said to be introducing a new typo of pro duct, but it is not certain that the now typo of dress Will find a largo and ready market. No authentic reports have been released, bul it is fairly apparent that unemployment is mounting in this area, late reports stating that a large lumber mill has clos ed down in Bertie County, and that a fairly sizable number of workers had been dropped by plants scattered here and there throughout the county and area WrscfeJBig Liquor Still In County —•— A large illicit liquor., .distillery was wrecked in Griffins Town ship not far from the Beaufort County line yesterday afternoon by ABC Officers Cecil Bullock and Wiley Craft and Deputy Roy Reel. The plant was equipped with 34 200-gallon capacity fermeters of the hogshead type, six ,>C-gal lon doublers, two 100 gallon sup er heaters,, two 100 gallon rollers, a new upright boiler and two 200 gallon wood stills. The officers poured out 0,800 gallons of beer and about fifty gallons of white liquor. They found at the plant about forty eases of one-half gal lon jars and about fifty pounds of damaged sugar. It was the twelfth plant of about that size destroyed by officers in that area during 'the past nine months. The plant was not in opera tion when the road was made. Purchase Sunny _ Side Business —*— Messrs J. C. Coltrain and D, L. Roberson have purchased the complete stock of the Sunny Side Market formerly owned and op erated by Morns Stalls and will I still operate under the same I name. After renovations the firm | was taken over by the new owners I this week. The two young men, Coltrain and Roberson, have been in deal ing with the public for a number of years in this vicinity, and are well known for their courtesy and service to their customers and friends. They have announced that they will carry a complete line of fancy and staple groceries and only the best quality meats. New stock and fixtures are plan ed to be added in the future. Although no formal opening was planned, Colt ruin and Ro berson extend a welcome to eve ryone to shop at the Sunny Side Grocery and Maiket arid assure the best possible service. Mr. Morris Stalls and Mr. John Vanlandingham will have their formal opening of their new store in the building formerly occupied by Wier Furniture Exchange in the near future. difficult to maintain their old valuation schedules. The marked reduction in the price of old au tomobiles is tearing down the lists, it was explained. Old model ears, including the 1953 models, art showing up in, the lists from $300 to $400 and more in some cases lower than they were last year. However, it is believed that the new cars will partially offset the loss in old car listings. It is estimated that new car listings, including the 1953 models, will run up to close to a thousand. Several townships are reporting right much new construction, in dicating that the total values should top those of 1953 by a small margin, at least. FUND CHAIRM VN x___/ i IIut;I' M. Martin, local at torney, this week was named fund drive chairman for the annual Ked Cross drive in the Martin County chapter. Mr. Martin plans to meet with chapter officials next week and map plans for the drive which get under way In March. He will be assisted in the drive by Wheeler M. Manning, co-chairman, it was announced. Corporal Byrum Speaks To Club .- ■ - ■■ .Stressing the. net'll for "Chris tianity In Driving” its an answei to the appalling death and aeci den rate on our highways,* Cor poral M C. Byrum spoke to tin members of the Williamston Wo man's Club and their gue-ts Tues day night on "Highway Safety”. Quoting Irom the Bible, Corp j Byrum used as his text, Nahun 2-4 "The chariot.-. shall rage ii the streets, they shall justle oru against another in the broadways they shall seem like torches, the; shall run like lightnings'” ant from the Ten Commandments "Thou shall not kill", "Thou shal not steal”. The safety of the public is o great concern to the State High way Patrol, and Corp. Byrun warned against stea.ing the righ nl way of the other drivers witf impropei passing, highci speeds permitted by the law, ant ! the use ol blinding lighb" He also told the audience tha we teach so much to our childrer in the home Hut neglect to teach the principles of sale driving, bi cycle riding and walking alonj the highway. Following the talk by Corp Byrum the film "A Day in Court” very vividly portrayed the basil rules of which he poke. Sticker: bearing the slogan “Courtesy a Contageous" were given to earl I person present as suggested 11 the film. Mr. McBrayer of the V. E. p Co., showed the film which hat been borrowed from the U. S Navy by the Virginia Electric anc Power Company for this program Tint Marriage Licenses Are Issued In Count) Two marriage licenses were is sued by Register of Deeds J San Gctsingcr in tins county last week end. One of the licenses went to Ku fus C. Barber of North Haughtor Street, Williamston, and Dolores Santos of San Luis Obispo, Cali fornia, and the other to Willie Ed ward Baker of Hamilton and Dorothy Virginia Brown of Oak City. Funeral Today Al The Home for Mrs. A, J. Nanning, Sr Well Known Re*i— Plans are rapidly shaping up for locating a truck terminal here for one of the major truck line opet a tors an this section of the State. Meeting Tuesday evening m the Wiliiamston Boosters office, 1 members of the newly formed ’! industrial commission called for two plans' for a building, and it is believed one of the plans will be adopted. The project details , are to be announced following an other meeting of the commission within the near future, Booster Executive Secretary Ed Grady ; j said. . J j,-v I HOG KILLINGS j It is estimated that hog killings on the farms in this | county are about half com I plrlcd, reports stating that the task is ixtssibly eighty percent complete in some . communities, ties. While; most farmers are killing pud packing a suffi cient supply of meat for home use, little surplus is being packed away on the farms. Surplus meat is being mid on the hoof.