North Carolina Newspapers

Watch The Label On Tot Paper. Ac It Oairtaa The Data I Tour Subeatptfau Bxpiraa. Ttn? T?\TTT?DT)T> TOT? I??,-! IrlEi m.\| 1 mvr KIoHi VOLUME XLIV?NUMBER 66 ' ? Williamtton, Martin County, North Cmrolina, Tuesday, August 19, 1941. ESTABLISHED 1899 MARKET TO OPEN TUESDAY * * * * * ****** ****** ****** ****** * * * * ****** farmers, Warehousemen Ready For Initial Sales Martin County Well Represented In The Nation's Air Corps Hamilton Native Just Recent ly Returned from London To Report Observation! Records show that Martin County has furnished daring men in past wars, and early reports clearly indi cate that young men now in the serv ice will maintain the tradition. Complete reports are not avail able, but it is a well established fact that this county has leaders in sev eral branches of the armed service! Especially is this true in the air serv ice. In addition to the large number of young men who have volunteered their services and are now climbing in the air corps, there are several who have already made exception al records in that field. Frank Armstrong, a native of Hamilton and who used to spend much time here with his grandpar ents, the late Clerk of Court and Mrs. J. H. Hobbs, returned a short time ago from London where he observ ed the operations of the Royal Air Force. Last week he was on his way to Washington to confer with Major General Henry A. Arnold, deputy chief of staff for aviation and former Chief of the Army Air Corps. Arm strong, well remembered here, wss in charge of the flights during a scheduled blackout here two or three years ago. Wheeler Martin, Jr., is a seasoned flier in the Canal Zone, having been graduated from Randolph and Kel ly Fields, the West Point of the Air. Daniel Lilley is also stationed with the Army Air Corps in Panama. Pete Egan, recently home on leave, Is a key mechanic at Pensacola. William Peel, of Hamilton, is an instructor at Randolph Field, Peel, it will be recalled, submitted a radio invention to the government a year or two ago. It was reported this week that William Roebuck was training the lads in Florida how to parachute, the report quoting the young man as saying that no matter how many times he jumped that uncertain feel ing was always with him. O. D. Pearson, Jr., of Oak City, en tered the service last Friday, and is now on his way to Randolph Field. Oscar Anderson, Jr., S. W. Manning, Jr., and T. F. Davenport left week before last for Missouri where they are now in an Army Air Corps school These are just a few of the Mar tin County boys who are offering their services tar defense of the na tion. There are others, no doubt, who are making names for themselves in the air corps, not to mention such figures as Bill Harrell and Don God win, both Williamston men, who are now ranking officers in the U. S. Navy. ? a Low-Flying Plane Causes Alarm Here Flying low over the town and lead Hag many local people to believe it was in distress, an airplane caused some excitement here shortly after 10 o'clock last Sunday night. Con' trary to the belief entertained by quite a large number of local peo pie, the plane apparently did not crash or come down in a forced land ing in this section. According to un official but fairly reliable reports, the plane was occupied by two men who had participated in an air show at Washington earlier in the day and who were on their way to Norfolk. They were said to have been drink ing, and their antics seen over the town substantiated the report Circling low over the town sever al times, its motor being cut off and on several times, the plane attract ed much attention. In a last circle, the plane, traveling in a westerly direction, was seen heading toward the earth in the J. B. Cherry farm area. Observers said they heard the motor cut off and the plane lights go out .and saw or heard nothing more of it No one heard the plana crash, but wild reports were heard, some stating that the machine had crash ed and several persons were killed. Numbers of local people went into the Whitley and Cherry Wands and fields, but saw nothing of the plane. It was later learned that the plane, thought to have been the one seen here, landed In Norfolk. f iti prtrri n g f tt/frtW w y ~Cmr Accident Two Months Ago Injured in an nearly two months ago Miss Mary Lou Roberson was report ed much Improved at her home in Cveretts yesterday. She was able to sit up for a few minutes for the first Strong Corps Buyers On Local Leaf Market GRADING Their harvesting work vir tually completed, Martin Coun ty tobaeeo farmer* are now . shifting in a big way to tobae eo pidlnf in preparation for the opening next Tuesday. Going into the rural sections yesterday, a warehouseman said that he found nearly nine out of every ten farmers in their pack houses sorting and tying the golden leaves into bundles. Present indications point to a big opening, scattering reports stating that a majority of the farmers will visit the first sales Tuesday. Germans Continue Costly Push Into Russian Territory Soviet Lines Are Badly Bent But Not Broken, Late Reports Declare In one of the most costly cam paigns known in military history, the German barbarians in utter disre gard for human life and property, are continuing their push ever deep er into Russian territory, late re ports stating that substantial gains have been made by the invaders toward Leningrad and into the rich Ukrainian territory, and that the Black Sea port of Odessa is still the object of a fierce attack. The Red Army, battered at both ends of their nearly 1,000-mile-long front, is said to have abandoned the town of King isepp, putting the Germans within about 75 miles of Leningrad. The loss of Nikolaev, important naval base and grain port on the Black Sea, has also been admitted by the Soviets along with the loss of Krivoi Rog, important iron and mining center. "While paying ah extremely high price, the invaders gained little in tangible properties for the Russians laid waste to everything as they yielded the burned earth to the bar barians. Despite the murderous push into Russia, the situation there has its bright spots, and It Is now believed that Russia will drag Adolf Hitler and his hordes through a costly win ter. Many more Russians, possibly millions, will surrender their lives for their country and for the defeat of Hitlerism before the mass slaugh ter is ended and the way for peace is carved from the sufferings of hu manity and the inhumanity to man. Forging ahead with their panzer units, the Germans are experiencing costly attacks behind the battle lines. , Lost battalions of Soviet troops en circled by German pincers move ments were reported to be fighting their way back toward Red army lines in the face of persistent Nazi attempts to exterminate them. Pravda told of the fighting behind the German front and said that Sov iet mobile forces were being sent deep into the German lines in raids to check the Wehrmacht offensive. The reports supplemented the Monday communique, which said merely that fighting continued along the entire front. Prfvds said one lost regiment re joined the main forces after a dra matic two-week campaign in which it broke out of the German encircle ment by killing 1,500 men of a Pan zer brigade. The newspaper also told of a suc cessful dash into German lines by a mobile regiment supported by ar tillery and tanks. The regiment was credited with wrecking a German motorized column of several hum dred cars. Three officers were said to have been seized and many documents and maps taken. The German gen eral commanding the division was said to have fled, leaving his uni form behind him. In a final encounter before return ing to the Soviet main forces, the regiment was said to have killed more than 600 Germans, captured considerable booty and dispersed a German cavalry-artillery division. Official Red army reports and Pravda dispatches told of increasing guerrilla activity. T. P. Bomshekov, a hero of the Soviet Union and leader of a famous guerrilla band, sent Pravda a report on campaigns of bis detachment, "one of the many thousands in White (Continued on page Six) Several Companies Sending New Men to Market This Season I Buying Personnel Regarded As Strongest Ever To Be On Market Here ? With several new men coming in and with the return of several of the best from last year, Willaimston is assured one of the strongest corps of buyers ever to walk down be tween the rows of farmers' tobacco on a local warehouse floor, a ware houseman said today. "We are great ly pleased with assignment of buy ers, and we have every reason to be lieve that top prices will be made available by these men," the ware houseman who is acquainted with most all the men, added. Several changes have been made in the buying personnel for the sea son opening next Tuesday. While some mighty able and fine buyers have been transferred to other mar kets, Williamston has been greatly favored with appointments that are certain to prove popular with its market patrons. Williamston, it will be admitted, has been fortunate in having able buyers In the past, and it is good to know that the buying personnel this season will be no ex ception to the rule. The new men coming to the market here for the first time have creditable records, several of them coming despite pro tests filed by farmer* and ware housemen on other markets. They come here highly recommended as a friendly group, and able tobaccon ists. Dale Harper, the Kentuckian who has made many friends among local people as well as many farmers dur ing the past years, is returning for American. Mr. Harper is a recogniz ed asset to the market and his re turn is welcomed by both townsmen | and farmers. It i? with marked pleasure that warehousemen and farmers as well as the other citizens of the town and county learn that Jack Buster is re turning for Liggett-Myers Company. This is Mr. Buster's fourth season in Williamston, the people remember ing him as a conscientious and popu lar buyer. Norwood nomas, the "old reli able" is returning for the J. P. Tay lor Company. Mr. Thomas, well known here as a friendly and coop erative buyer, is favorably recogniz ed as a fixed and valuable asset to the town and market. Arthur Beal, an able and friendly buyer who has gained the confidence of farmers, is returning for the Washington Tobacco Company. Bruce Roebuck, an up-and-coming I buyer, is expected to represent the | Scales Company. Last but not least, the W. I. Skin- I ed by Mr. Iverson Skinner. In addi tion to their own account, the Skin ner Company will handle a number of valuable independent accounts. Several other companies will send in buyers, possibly including the re turn of their men, not to mention the independents. (Continued on page six) a Equipment Is Ready For Paving Project Equipment is on the (round and ready for the Roanoke River fill paving project, indirect reports from the contractors this morning stating that it is not certain Just what day the first batch of concrete will be dumped On the fill which was closed to traffic by high waters a year ago tomorrow. Numbers of workmen are coming in from the contractor's headquarters in Easley, 8. C., for work on the project, and a number of local men was reported looking for jobs this morning. Materials for the paving, thought to have been ordered last week, had not been shipped yesterday, and it is believed that actual paving work will not get underway before day after "tomorrow or Friday. Unfavor able weather may cause additional delay. According to the lerms of the con tract, the contractor, B. H. Martin, will expedite the flow of traffic with as little interruption and delay as possible. Persons, motoring for pleas ure only, will aid the work by trav eling in other directions while the project is underway. This Week In Defense President Roosevelt end Britain's Prime Minister Churchill held a ser ies of secret conferences at sea and jointly issued a declaration of na tional policies calling for: No territorial "aggrandizement," no territorial changes not in accord with the will of the people concern ed, right of all peoples to choose their form of government, equal ac cess to the raw materials of the world needed for prosperity, international cooperation for improved living standards, safety to all nations with in their own borders from fear and want, freedom of the seas, disarma ment and other measures to lighten "the crushing burden" of armaments. Assistant Secretary of State Berle, speaking in Washington, said "it is the plan of this Government, when the tides of barbarity shall be rolled back, to turn the full measure of its economic strength to bringing help. relief and sustenance to the .. . many countries . . . now cold (and) hun gry." Production OPM Director Knudsen, speaking in New York, said that by next July defense production will be at its peak and "after that America can write its own ticket on war material and it can be twice anybody else's tick et." To do this, however, small com munities and manufacturers must be willing to band together to seek de fense work, he said. William Batt, deputy production director, speaking in New York, said the Government and large coopera tions are more anxious to give work to small contractors now than a few months ago because of the great pressure of work today. Agriculture Agriculture Secretary Wickard an nounced there is no prospect of food rationing "in the foreseeable future" although the nation may have to de pend more on some foods than oth ers. He said there are 17 per cent more cattle on feed for market in the corn belt States than a year ago and the com crop will exceed last year's by nearly 180,000,000 bushels. In n letter to Mr. Wickard, the President said "increases in the pro duction of vital foods und feeds is reassuring (because) food is a weap on against Hltlerism just as much as munitions ..." The CCC agreed to furlough en rollees so they might help harvest where labor shortages exist. The work would be voluntary and the en rollecs would receive the prevailing wage. Congress passed a measure forbidding the Government to dis pose of any cotton or wheat now in its bins except for domestic and for eign relief, export or lend-lease aid. The bill also permits farmers to use excess wheat for feed or food with out penalty and extends 85 per cent parity loans to peanut growers. Air The OPM announced 1,480 military planes were produced in July. War Under Secretary Patterson, dedicat ing a new plane factory, said the (Continued on page six) Good Will Tour Very Successful Conducting a aeries of good will tours, featuring concerts by the Wil liamston High School band under the direction of Professor Jack But ler, the local Chamber of Commerce last Friday evening reported a very successful meeting at Farm Life. The good will group was given a cordial welcome by more than 300 people who were quite appreciative of the visit. Addressing the group briefly, May or John L. Hasaell by way of intro duction declared to the people of that district that he and his little band wanted to show that they were ready and willing to visit with them on an occasion when there was no pic nic dinner to be served. Hie mayor appealed for a greater unity among all Martin County people, and left with the audience a warm and cor dial welcome to visit Williamston at any and all times. The program was much enjoyed. Tomorrow afternoon at 3 o'clock, daylight saving time, the band and good will party will leave for Cole rain where a program will be offer ed at 5 o'clock. A picnic is being planned for the band members who have so willingly volunteered their services in the present campaign. Thursday evening at 8:10 o'clock, daylight saving time, 7:10 old time, a program will be held at Macedonia. The series of meetings will be brought to a close at Oak City next Monday evening, according to pres ent plans. WILLIAMSTON MARKET IS BETTER PREPARED THAN EVER BEFORE TO SERVE FARMERS OF THIS SECTION Safety School Will Be Held Next Week For Bus Operators A special safety school for all Martin County school bus drivers will be held in the Williamston High School on Monday and Friday of next week, it was announced by the North Carolina Highway Safety Di vision through the office of the coun ty superintendent of schools this week. A call is being issued to the 40 regular and ten or twelve substi tute drivers, urging them to be pres ent for the school. Beginning at 7:30 o'clock a. m , daylight saving time, the two one day sessions will last until almost early evening. The drivers are to un ~dci'gu~B~ series" of tests,"und" instruc tion will be offered by safety lead ers in the classrooms and under ac tual operating conditions on the roads. Believed to have been instituted as a result of a fatal school bus acci Births Show Large ( Cain Over Deaths In County In 1940 About Four liirtliH Reported For Every Death During The Past Yeur The country, as a whole71nay_be approaching a peak figure in its pop ulation, but Martin County continues to show a wide margin of births ov er deaths, the latest vital statistics available showing that there were nearly four births for every one death reported during the year 1940. There were 638 births and 185 deaths in the county last year, the birth rate standing at 24 5 compared with the death rate of 7.1 per 1,000 populu tlon. While the deaths were reported among the races 98 to the white and 87 to the colored, the colored popu lation reported 358 births as com pared with 280 births among the white population. A review of the vital statistics for the period reveals some startling conditions surrounding the births. There were 69 illegitimate births, four among the white and 65 among the colored population. About one of every nine was of doilbtful parent age. And while it sounds more like Ripley, the records show thut a 15 year-old mother gave birth to her third child during last year. Of the 638 births, 303 were attended by midwives, no doctors being present at three-fourths of the cases in some of the townships. Cross Roads with a birth rate of *** per 1,000 population led the county, while Griffins trailed with a low of 17.3 births for every 1,000 persons. Corresponding to the low birth rate in Griffins is a low death rate, but Bear Grass wasflowest with a death rate of 4.1 persons per 1,000 population. A varied list of causes, including self destruction on down to whooping cough, was given for the deaths. The most striking causes were malnutrition and actual starva tion. Pneumonia was the ultimate cause for most of the deaths. Quite a few of the causes were undeter (Continued on page six.) I River Improvement Project Completed The deepening of the Roanoke River channel from Palmyra to Al bemarle Sound was completed last week with the exception of the re moval of a few stumps at various points along the stream. Work on the channel project was started eleven months ago and had been carried on 24 hours a day, Sun day and holidays excepted. Boat operators have experienced some trouble on the stream during low water between here and Pal myra, but the improvement has al ready proved of great aid to loggers and mill operators who are the main users of the river above this point It was estimated that the dredge removed some 1,100,000 cubic yards of mud and dirt from the channel. Dredging was continued to the breas. of the beach of Albemarle Sound, about half way to the railroad bridge. i c dent in Wake County last term, the safety schools are being held in nearly every county in the State, and according to many people, mark the beginning of a trend for greater safe ty for the thousands of little chil dren who ride the busses in this State. Nothing was said in the an nouncement about obsolete rolling equipment and the general condition of the busses, but there is an earnest hope on the part of the fathers and mothers that the State will clear death traps from the highways for ever. There are 47 white and three cob ored school dus drivers lit this OOUfl ty, and they will be instructed in the rules of safety by representatives from the Division of Highway Safety who will be assisted by members of the highway patrol and representa tives from the county. MARKETING CARDS Martin County farmers are making ready for the opening lobaceo sales next Tuesday. Their work Is now centered on tobacco grading, but large num bers are taking time out to call for their marketing cards to avoid a rush and to make sure that their sales will not be in terrupted on opening day next Tuesday. More than a hundred cards were issued in a short time yesterday by the office of the county farm agent, and the callers were frequent today. Very few red cards are being issued in this county. Enterprise Offers A Brief Review Of Interesting Topics liwli'i't' Attention Called To lliatorieul Events Having To Do With County ? Digging into records of the long igo and appealing to various ones for tories of personal interest. The En erprise offers its readers u brief eview of a few historical highlights a they relate^ for the most part, to dartin County and its people. The ittention of Enterprise readers is ordially directed to the contents, ncluding the sincere messages var ied in the various advertisements. A careful survey will reveal quite i number of interesting stories. For nstanee, there -is?a personal sketch bout Mr. Thomas F. Durden, a na ive of Hamilton who is now vice >resident of the Atlantic Coast Line taiiroad Company. Mr. Darden is he author of a brief history of the 'oast Line. The sketch will be found n the tabloid section, and his his orical article appears in a regular ection. Then there's the story about a set if valuable Audubon bird books. It ells about a Yankee soldier "lifting" hem from Judge Asa Biggs' office, ind how he unloaded the books vhich had a potential value at $16, 60. "Prerequisites of Success" are out ined in a speech written by the late larry W. Stubbs and delivered by he late W. H. Carstarphen at old ["rinity College. The essay appears n this issue. "Wllliamston in 1860" will, no loubt, offer interesting reading to nany, as well as the story telling ibout land troops attacking a gun >oat along the Roanoke banks be ween Jamesville and Hamilton. There's a story telling about grape rulture more than 100 years ago. "Farming in Martin County with tut cash crops in 1860," is the head ng for another story which many, 10 doubt, will read with interest. Tobacco was used as a panacea for nany ills years ago, a story in the :urrent issue recalls. There's a picture of A. Corey and lis school pupils of yesteryear. And here are other pictures showing the -esemblance of business leaders, gov erning officials and others. The edition is spotted with inter esting facts and figures as gleaned n an old book carrying the official (Continued on page six) Williamston Bids For A Continued (Growth Of Market tour It i?? Warehouses Are 0|?erHte?l By Stniii)(e?l Force in HUtorv ? Preparations were announced com plete in every detail for the opening of the Williamston Tobacco Market next Tuesday, August 26th, the op erators announcing that sales would get underway promptly at 9 o'clock and continue until 4 o'clock with an hour out for lunch. Reports from "Tobacco Town" this morning stated thut the personnel,-including a strong - corps of buyers, proprietors .office and bookmen, truckers and packers was complete and that the houses are now making ready for the first of ferings from the 1941 crop. The warehouse center here is rap idly taking on new life, and there is an expectant and cheerful outlook for the opening day price averages. Warehouse employees are already reporting for duty, and warehouse men are hurrying to and fro in an ticipation of large sales next week. Farmers, after long weeks of con stant toil, "are eagerly looking for ward to the new selling season, and they are busy as bees in their grad ing houses preparing as much of their Vaf as possible for early sale. Deliveries are expected to start rolling in the latter part of the week. Some markets are planning to ob setve Sunday and unload no tobac co on that day, and the plan is ex pected to result in heavy deliveries on Friday and Saturday, especially on Saturday. No set rule for observ ing Sunday has been announced, but it is generally believed that the de liveries can be handled very satis factorily on the six week days. With approximately four acres of floor space, the Williamston market is prepared to handle millions of The warehouse personnel, no doub.t is the strongest in the history of the market, and there has developed the keenest competition ever seen on the market here or on any market. Messrs. Holt Evans, Leman Barn lull and Joe Moye will be at the helm at.the New Jt'armega and Plan ters (Brick) Warehouses. They have an able force in every department, and they are looking for a very, very successful season. Messrs. Claude Griffin and Jimmy Tuylor are centering their power in the operation of the Roanoke-Dixie tins season, and they, too, have an able force in every department. Mr. Jule James, a veteran in the busi ness and a man who looks at the (Continued on page six) Nearly All ?attle In County Tested ?t? The drive to stamp out bang's dis ease among cattle in this county is almost complete, according to Dr. Allen A. Heflfn who with Paul Bal lard has been handling the work dur ing the past two months or more. Working now in the Jamesville sec tion ot the county, Dr. Heflin plans to complete the tests by the latter part of this month. Announcing the progress of his work. Dr. Heflin stated that it was possible that a few cattle in those areas already worked have been missed and he urges the owners in those rases to notify the county agent's office at their earliest convenience. To date, the doctor and his assist ant have made 2,650 tests, 123 of which were duplicates to eliminate doubt. So far seventeen postllve cases have been found in the coun ty. Commenting on the work, Dr. Hef lin stated that the people had coop erated splendidly, and that he had found the owners in this county more cooperative and better to work with than in any county he had been in previously. Tomorrow Dr. Heflin loses his as sistant ,Mr. Ballard, who has accept ed a job with the federal govern ment as general superintendent of the Seuppemong Cooperative Asso ciation in Washington County. There are more than 800 cattle on the farms at the present time, and the number will be increased to 1,000 within the next few months. Mr. Ballard will continue to maintain his heme hem for the present.