THE ENTERPRISE 1 -a? nm s PAT PAT 5 WAN t BOND DAT iw sranrnt?un kmums J }J7 FOR VICTORY IIMTED STATU 1 BONDS-STAMPS VOLUME XLV?NUMBER 54 William*ton, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, July 10, 1942. ' ESTABLISHED 1899 Campaign For USO Gets Underway in County This Week| First Report From Williams Chapel Community is Encouraging Perfecting an organization last Friday evening, a special committee ably assisted by volunteers, has start ed a county-wide drive to raise $1, 135 for the USO. Only five of the ten townships, Jameeville, - Williams, Bear Grass, Williamston and Goose Nest were represented, but special appeals have been directed to the other district leaders urging them to support the drive and help meet the county quota. There is every reason to believe that the amount will be raised, that everyone in the county will do his part in supporting the movement. Six of the townships. Jamesville, Griffins, Bear Grass, Cross Roads, Hamilton and Goose Nest, are being asked to raise $70 each. Williams and Poplar Point, two of the smallest townships in the county, are being asked to raise $40 each. Williams ton is already working to raise $400 as its part, and Robersonville is be ing asked to raise $225 The first report, and an encourag ing one too, was filed by Chairman H. M. Ainsley for Goose Nest Town ship this week. Heading the drive in the Williams Chapel community, Mrs. Ethel Leggett collected and turned in $28, Chairman Ainsley adding that his committee was bus ily engaged in raising the remain der of the quota for his township. Donations in the Williams Chapel community were made by the fol lowing: Mr and Mrs. Jesse Bunch, $1; Mrs. Lucy Bellflower, 50c; Mr. and Mrs Peter Bellflower, $1; Miss Ora Cof field, 50c; Mr and Mrs Coffield, $1; Mrs. Joe Early, $1; Mrs. Henry Ear ly, $1; Miss Harriet Everett, 50c; Miss Hattie Everett, $1; Miss Margaret Everett, $1; Mr. W. R. Everett, $5, Mr. and Mrs. Luke Harrell, $1.50; Miss Ruth Harrell, $1; Mr. Haywood Harrell, $1; Mr and Mrs Jasper Harrell, $1.50, Mrs. Bettie Perry, $1; Mr. and Mrs. Milton Robinson, $1; Mrs. Julian Mizell, $1; Misses Gladys and Stella Mizelle, 50c; Mrs. Carrie Thompson, 50c; Mrs. Mattie Wil liams, 50c, Mrs. Emily Smith, $1; Mrs. Helen Smith, $1; Mrs. Selma Turner, $1; Miss Beatrice Turner, 50c; Mrs Ethel Leggett, $2. Preliminary reports will be sub mitted at a meeting of the commit tees in the Legion Hut here this evening at 8:30 o'clock for the coun ty, as a whole. Reports from the field clearly indicate that the cam paign is progressing very well in most sections of the county, that lit tle is being done in other commun ities. Dr. John D. Biggs has been named treasurer of the USO in this county, succeeding Rev. John W. Hardy who was made chairman when R. H. Goodmon resigned. a Commissioners in Uneventful Meet? Authorities Handle Routine Business in Brief Ses sion Monday Morning The regular meeting of the Mar tin County commissioners last Mon day was an uneventful one. the au thorities handling their routine du ties before adjourning for lunch. It was an off-day for the commission ers, the general public taking tlme" out to observe the Fourth of July two days later. Very few visitors ap peared before the meeting, and com pleting their work in record time some of the officials joined the coun ty forest fire warden in fighting a fire in Robersonville Township. A few tax relief orders were granted, much time was spent reviewing re ports submitted by the various de partment heads and a petition to in clude a mile of road in the highway system was received and approved. Tax relief orders were granted to the following: Frank Hardison, Wil liamston Township, $2 on account of physical disability. Smith Thomp son, Hamilton Township, $3.03 on account of physical'disability. Elliot Jordan, Goose Nest Township, $2.75 charged through error. Frank Brown, Goose Nest Township, $2.75 charged through error. K A. Edmondson, Poplar Point Township, $4.00 on ac count of physical disability. The board approved a petition to include in the State highway system about qne mile of road running by (Continued on page six) > Griffin* Farmer Injured By Falling Log Wednesday Mr. Mat Biaaell, well-known Grif fins Township citizen, narrowly es caped death while loading logs on a truck last Wednesday. Getting loose from its handlers, the log knocked Mr. Bissell down and roll ed over him, breaking several ribs, ing internal injuries. His condition is improving rapid ly in the local hospital and his re covery is expected if no complica tions develop. Dr. V. E. Brown said. Dry Weather Continues Firm Grip In The Immediate Area H Trailing two years marked by the absence of rainfall in any quantity, the dry season setting in weeks ago continues a firm grip on this im mediate territory and is causing ser ious concern in some quarters. Wide ly scattered and falling in streaks as if the territory had been survey ed for them to fit in, intermittent showers have relieved the dry sea son in some few spots, but as a whole, crops in general have been materially affected and the fall har vest outlook is not at all bright. Peanuts and cotton are doing well, but otber crops are not doing at all well, one farmer declaring that the rainfall had been insufficient to wet the first fertilizer he put under his crops, that there wasn't enough wa ter to even dampen his watermelons. Large numbers of farmers declare that they won't produce enough corn to begin to meet their own needs, and the tobacco crop, on an average, will not exceed 650 pounds per acre. There are a few fairly good tobacco fields scattered here and there in the county, but the crop as a whole is the poorest in several years. Advised last Sunday that rain fell in Williamston on Saturday, Herman Harrison, Poplar Point farmer, said he wished he had know it was go ing to rain for had he known it he would have walked all the way to town just to have seen one more shower. Farmers, worried over Hit ler and dry weather in the past, are now worrying more about the dry weather it is becoming so serious. ?Up until the first of this month about fifteen and a half inches of rain had fallen in 1942, compared with 17.75 inches in the first six months of 1941 and 14 04 for the cor responding period in 1940. About three and one-quarter inches of rain were recorded by the weather sta tion on the river here for June. The recordings prove that rain does still fall in these parts, but in greatly re duced amounts these past three years compared with the fall for the first six months of 1939 The rainfall in that period is nearly twice as great as in the corresponding periods in. 1942, 1941 and 1940. ..." Army Finds "Spotter Posts Poorly Manned AUTO STAMPS k Advised that there will be a check on the purchase of auto mobile use stamps, motor vehi cle operators have bought heav ily of the supply of the little fi stickers at the local poetoffice during the past few days. Start ing out with a supply of 1,400, the office here has sold a few more than 1,200 of the stamps to date. \ It is not absolutely necessary to have the stickers to get a gas rationing card, but gas purchases without a stamp will be illegal after August 1st, according to an official announcement Just re leased. Vlrs. Annie Crisp Dies at Home Near Oak City Monday j Funeral Services Held There! Tuesday -Afternoon; Bur ial in Oak City Mrs. William Annie Crisp, widow if T. C. Crisp, died at the home of ler son, Mr. Jesse Crisp, near Oak lity, last Monday morning at 9:27 ?'clock following a long period of eeble health. Despite her advanc 'd age, she was able to be up until ast Friday when she suffered a troke of paralysis, her condition gradually growing worse until the >nd. Experiencing poor health for :ome time, Mrs Crisp lived close at tome for a long number of years, ?njoying the peace and quiet of her lome in Parmele for a long time and hen in the home of her son during (Continued on page six) ? Hero's Identity Is Not Established! 'I'U ,. I,l,,,t| I1J , ,f L' ,. >. 1 I \ A uU loll a . , ? l fitr lacniiy O! ban u. nsniry, bc* rlaimed hero of Williamston, has lot been definitely established. No race of a young man by that name :ould be found here, but it is be ieved that the hero referred to fol owing his successful exploits against he Japs in the Battle of Midway, is Murray D. Ashley, a young man who ?ame to this county from Chowan ibout five years ago. Murray D. \shley is understood to have joined I :he Army, a later report stating that | le was in the Air Corps. The story of the hero who figur ed in an attack on a Jap carrier and who was wounded could not be checked at its source. It was learn ed that Chowan County has an Earl D. Ashley, but an investigation re veals that he is still at home Murray Ashley, a former member of a itring band in this county, is from Cisco, Chowan County. CONTRIBUTOR While complete figures are sot to be had at this time, it is fairly certain that D. M. Rober son will lead the list of individ aal contributors to the rubber salvage drive in this county. Handled by the Sinclair Serv ice Station, the single collec tion weighed 1,117 pounds, the strtbutor turning over the to the current (ISO Complete figures on the rub be available for several days, bat preliminary reports main tain that the collection hi this ooanty wtll exceed 7S.MS or ?MM glials Not A Single Post In County Is Open Twenty-four Hours Faithful Few Have Cooperat-j, ed Splendidly Rut Amdwt anee Badly Needed - ' " ? ? ' ? While praising the cooperative spirit and the able work carried on by a faithful few, representatives of the Army quite frankly explained at a meeting in the courthouse here Wednesday evening that the system for observing airplane movements over this county was very unsatis factory, that it was a disgrace. Thv? report was read before the smajl group following an unannounced check of the twelve ground observa tion posts in the county earlier in the day bV Sergeant W. A Shotwell arvJ Privates I B. Levitsky and John P. McCarthy of the U. S. Army. "Not a single post in your county is being manned 24 hours a day," Pri vate McCarthy said, explaining that the observation post offered the first line of defense and that it was vi tally necessary for the protection of this section that a complete system be maintained after an efficient man ner. "It isn't asking a lot of anyone to report for a few hours of work (Continued on page six) Holiday Is Quietly^ Observed in County Observed two days latr, the July Fourth holiday was described as the quietest during recent years in this part of the country. Four popcrack crs, according to actual count, were heard to explode. Numbers of local people wandered off to the beaches, but Sunday and Monday reminded one a little bit of the old days be fore the horseless carriage. Travel through the town was much less than it was a year ago, and there were no accidents reported. Five drunks were Jailed last Sat urday, but even if the number of drunks was increased by 150 per cent over the figure a year ago, the most glorious of days in American his tory, was quiet The liquor store was closed and its understudy, Joe Wil son, went out of business unexpect edly, police declaring that the sus pension of business in those quar ters made a vast difference in be havior on the streets. "People did not block the sidewalks. They were not cursing and they were polite," one officer declared. About the biggest gossip topic of the season was created when the flags were not displayed until Mon day. His Honor, the Mayor, reasoned that since business would go forward on the Fourth and that Monday would be the day for celebrating, he would not hang out the flags until Monday. And did the "patriots" hol ler. Mayor Hassell assured everyone that the change would not be made permanent, and indirectly hinted that 99 per cent of those "bellyach ing" about the flags not being out last Saturday had not volunteered to do the first damn thing in support of their country?The bunch of flag wavers! Etcopea Injury In Auto Accident Late Tuctday Mrs. L. H. Gurganus escaped with only minor injuries when her auto mobile, a 1941 Plymouth, crashed in to H. S. Manning's Buick coupe park ed on Haughton Street late last TUMday hlghl Damage to the Buick was estimated at $138, and it is un derstood that the damage to the oth er car will approximate $100. The crash was heard several blocks away. f OPENING DATES The local tobacco market will open on Tuesday, August 25th, according to dates fixed and an nounced by the annual meeting of the I'nited States Tobacco As sociation last week-end. The 1942 auction sales get underway on July 28th in the Georgia belt. South Carolina and the border markets open on August 6th, the Middle Belt on October 1st, and the Dark Fired Virginia belt on December 7th. Sales this season will run for only five hours daily, starting at 9:30 each morning except Satur aays and Sundays. Officers \\ reck River Distillery Operating in the Roanoke River swamps not far from Broad Creek after a fashion designed by the Ken tucky colonels and barons, a big li quor ring felt the sting of total warj as delivered by Officers Joe Roe buck and Roy Peel and several fed-1 t?ral agents a few days ago. Tracking the operations down a few days before, Officer Roebuck called for help, and even with the additional aid the raiders worked long hours destroying the plant The inventory submitted by Officer Roe buck follows One 4-horse upright boiler, two | 500-gallon capacity stills, on'- 50 ijallon doubler, a 1,500-gallon cool-1 ?r, one 1,000-gaUon superheater, an | even dozen 300-gallon fermenters, seven 10-gallon kegs, fifteen 5-gal lon tin cans, a big force pump pow ered by a steam engine, three 30 gallon tin tubs, 150 feet of pump pipe, 140 feet of copper tubing, half ion of coal, 400 pounds of rye meal, and thirty feet of 3-inch rubber hose. Very little sugar was found, the of ficers stating that a few small size ?rnpty bags were seen around the plant which was cold. Last Tuesday, the county nffir??r? 1 wrecked a 50 gallon capacity copper kettle and poured out two barrels of itinking molasses beer in Cross Roads rownship No arrests were made at | ?ither plant. Women Will Tackle Red Cross Project Called upon to make 36,000 surgi cal dressings for the Army, numbers >f women in the Martin County Red I'ross chapter have accepted the challenge and are making plans fori darting the huge project in early | \ugust. Complete details will be handled | is soon as possible. During the mean ime, Miss Nell Harrison is attending I i special school in Kinston where, jnder the direction of the Red Cross ihe will learn the project require- | nents. Returning here, she will in itruct a number of women who will, | n turn, supervise the work. It is estimated that at least 2001 lours of work will be required cue veek from early August until next lanuary to complete the project. It s apparent that women and young ?irls, too, will have to volunteer their .ervices on a larger scale "than ever before if the project is to succeed, rhis work will be in addition to the | vgular Red Cross sewing room proj ect. 4 Mart Work In hoi I Conservation Unit Work in the recently created Coastal Plain Soil Conservation Dis rict hi being launched here?mts veek with Conservationist H F. McKnight in charge in this county. Dnly preliminary plans have been advanced so far, but, according to Mr. McKnight, a fairly definite pro gram will be formulated within the lext few days or as soon as possi ble. ? The district, embracing the coun :ies of Martin, Edgecombe, Pitt and "Jreene, was created a few months igo by a large vote of interested far riers. The new program, its value raving been firmly established in ither sections, is optional and is nade opssible without expense to the rounty. Mr. McKnight, a native of Clin :on, Arkansas, has been in North Carolina during the past two and rne-half years doing soil conserva tion work principally in the west ern section. He will be joined by Mrs. McKnight over the week-end and they will be at home with the Brandons on Grace Street. SUSPENDED Activities iq the local Red Croas sewing rooms have been suspended on Tuesday evenings for the present, at least, accord ing to the project chairman. There just wasn't sufficient in terest In the work to keep the room open evenings, but the work will be continued each Tuesday between It a. m. and 4 p. m. A new sewing room quota will be released to the Martin Coun ty chapter within the next few days in addition to the order for ?4 AAA i ? ? , . __ -rt),Wvv surjpcmj QrMsinjs, Ten-Cent Decrease In Town's New Tax Rate Rate Decrease Is Based Principally On Value Increase Litlle Change Made in Kali mates Bui Kale Will Be l>rii|>|M'il Ti? #2. K) ? Williamston's 1942-43 tax rate was tentatively fixed at $2 40 the $100 assessed property valuation by the town commissioners in regular ses sion last Monday evening, the levy being 10 cents below the figure in effect . for the fiscal year recently ended Favored with an estimated gain of $400,000 in property values this year over those of a year ago. the board found it possible to take care of a few increases and at the same time effect the ten-cent rate drop As a whole, the directors of the budget anticipate no great drop in revenue during the ensuing twelve months, but they did allow for mi nor decreases in revenue coming from water connections and allied services. While there were a few mi nor additions and changes in the budget figures for several of the de partments, about the only noticeable increase, and that is quite small con sidering, was the one advancing po licemen's salaries. Working on an average of 87 hours per week, Night Patrolmen Roebuck and Gurganus had their weekly pay increased from $25 to $3U. and Officer J H. Alls brooks is to receive the same amount as the chief or $32.50 a week. It is estimated that $75,992.50 will be required to operate the town and its various departments and meet bond principal and interest require ments during the new fiscal year. Starting out with a cash balance of $6,i47.00 as of July 1, the board pro posed to raise the remainder as fol lows: Collection of prior years' taxes, $15,000; privilege taxes, $500. tax penalties, $850. auto tags. $375; court costs, $150; paving assessments, $1, 100; liquor profits, $2,500; swimming pool, $750; water sales, $14,000; wa ter connections, $300, and the re mainder or $34,320.50 with a $2.40 rate on an assessed property valua tion of $2,420,738 00. It will be noted that the rate will produce more than the stipulated amount, hut the budget directors estimate that only that portion of the entire levy of $58,097 00 will he collected during the new fiscal year. It will be seen that the hoard is expecting to col lect $15,000 from the 1941 42 and prior year taxes before advertising (Continued on page six) Little 1 ?emand For Kxtrii Las I) uotas [ While motorists were busy sign ing up for gas rations under the permanent system, the rationing board yesterday was still meting out extra quotas under the old plan. The demand was considerably less than it had been, possibly giving credence to reports that no rationing cards are necessary at some stations. Allotments were made to the fol lowing: C. L Tyson, llassell, A minus three units. A. B Ores, RFD 1, Williamston, A minus four units. ?Charlie Henni.tt, RFD 3, William ston, A minus five units. Mrs. J K Keel, RFD 3, William ston, A minus five units J. H. Roebuck, Williamston, B-2 minus two units. B. L. House, RFD 2, Robersonville, A minus four units. W N Perry Jamesville A minus four units. Bessie Malone, Williamston, A minus four units. Frank Bell, Williamston. A minus four units. B. L. Johnson, Oak City. A minus three units F. S. Barrett, RFD 1, Oak City, A minus five units P. T. Norwood, Robersonville, A minus five units. Willie Jones, Robersonville, A minus six units V. A. Ward, Robersonville, A mi nus four units James Daniel, Jr., Robersonville, A minus four units. Ruby Williams, RFD 1, Oak City, A minus four units. Rudolph Parker, RFD 1, Oak City, A minus one unit. W. C. Wallace, Jamesville, B-l mi nus two units. Alfred B. Wynne, Parmele, A mi nus five units. . _ ,i ? t _ Croi* Roail* Farmer Undergoes Operation Mr. Lester Peel, well-known Cross Roads farmer, underwent a major head operation in a Durham hospi tal last Tuesday. According to re ports reaching here, the young man did not regain consciousness until the following day. He is understood to be some better today and is ex pected to be able to return home within a comparatively short time. DKAFT CALLS The seriousness of the war is being: brought closer home in the new gasoline rationing pro gram, but a far more serious meaning is associated with the ? July and August calls for young men by the Army. Figures and dates cannot be made public, but it is reliably understood that more men will be leaving this county for the induction centers during July and August than in any other period. Some less than a hundred are leaving before July is spent, and well over 100 are to answer the call before August Is gone. In these two months, it is un derstood. nearly half as many men will be called for armed service as are already in the service from this county. Local Youth Tells Of Experiences in Honolulu's Harbor Kli Liir^aiuit' Ship Cntlilinl VI illi Kff?'?'liw llefi'iiHi' On Di'i'i'iuhi'r Till Making liis first visit home muitlis. Eli Cuiuanus, young son of ills Mary Bonner Gurganus and he late George N Gurganus, this veek casually recalled his exper iences 10 Honolulu Harbor on the ateful morning of December 7th ast year. Claiming no praise and dis nissing the part he and his ship nates played in the defense, the -?ourig man did admit that the per sorinel of his ship was cited for ef ective work against the invaders. "We had just doek?^i the day he me in Honolulu, about five miles icross from Pearl Harbor, and were intieipatmg a pleasant but brief ?lay,"-the young Navy man said "I lad just finished making up my >unk when the first explosion was ieard across the harbor. Our men odk their sta.tio.ns ami a few min ites later a message was heard ad ,using them that the raid was no Irill," the young man said According to the young gunner, elision began to mount, and the men lardened as they watched smoke md fire black out Pearl Harbor. We continued at our posts, nervous y waiting for the attack to spread. Several formations came toward us, md we opened fire dispersing them >ne of the planes quivered in the dr and veered off toward the ocean t is believed that the plane crashed n the ocean out of our sight." Young Kli declares he did not get lightened, hut In- did admit that he |ot a bit nervous when he saw a wmber moving directly toward bis hip and dropping one bomb right ifter anohter "We opened fire just is he ncared our range and he turn (1 hack," the. young sailor man ad nitting that a shift in the plane's di 'ection eased the tension for the men iboard the ship. Members of the erew were given ecogmtion for having been in com )at action. Leaving today, the young man vi 11 report back for duty within the lext few days. Elizabeth City Man Injuml In Accident George* Lister Markham, 203 W Church Street, Elizabeth City, was )ainfully but not badly hurt when lis car, a 1941 Hudson sedan, turn ?d over on a curve between here and Sveiella this .morning about five >'clock. Five stitches were required o close wounds on his mouth and cnee. Apparently driving rapidly or nod ling at the wheel, Markham lost 'ontrol of the machine on the curve vhen it ran off the concrete. The ?ar bounced across the road drain ind turned over in a corn field damage to the car was estimated at f200 by Patrolmen wiut Saunders