ENTERPRISE
OVER THC TOP
FOR VICTORY
UNTO STATES WAA
BONDS-STAMPS
VOLUME XLV?NUMBER 81 Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, October 13, 1942. ESTABLISHED 1899
Draft Board Defers
County Registrants;
Reclassifies Others
?
Few Just Reaching 20 Years
Of Are Are Placed in the
1-A Classification
Holding their first meeting in re
cent weeks, members of the Martin
County Selective Service Board here
last night granted occupational de
ferments. reclassified a few regis
trants, classified several youth just
attaining the age of 20 years, and
ordered several cases investigated
before fixing definite classifications.
The board was in session almost un
til midnight, reading special instruc
tions and studying carefully all
claims for deferment.
Receiving special instructions re
cently, the board is virtually forc
ed to recognize all claims for de
ferment based on occupation in the
vital industries. While most of those,
claiming occupational deferment,
were already in the 3-A class, the
board was instructed, more or less
directly, to give them a lower rat
ing and they were grouped for the
most part in the 3-B class. Farm de
ferments were granted in a num
ber of cases, but the deferment per
iods were limited to a few months
in most cases.
Beginning within the next few
days, the draft board will start call
ing registrants in the 1-B classifica
tion for examinations, the outcome
of which will determine their new
ratings. They will either go into the
4-F group or they will be given 1-A
ratings. Those receiving 1-A ratings,
or a number of them at least, may
expect a call to report for final ex
amination at an Army induction cen
ter the latter part of next month, it
is understood.
It is fairly apparent that the draft
board in this county will soon be
forced to pounce on the 3-A classi
fications for manpower. Instructions
have been received stating that all
future quotas must be filled. Howev
er, there is a great deal of talk about
including eighteen- and nineteen
year-olds in the draft, and such ac
tion will relieve the situation to
some extent.
The following registrants were ei
ther deferred, classified, reclassified
or their cases were ordered investi
gated:
John Mack Terry, w, RFD 1, Rob
ersonville and Newport News, 3-B.
George Daniel Lynch, c. RFD 1,
Oak City, deferred untli December 1.
Ok. Harrison, c, Robersonville, 3-A.
Arthur Thomas Rose, w, William
ston and Norfolk, 3-B.
Bernard Swain Harrison, w, Wil
liamston and Norfolk, 3-B.
Whitney Everett Saunders, w, Wil
llamston, 3-A.
LeRoy Knox, w, RFD 1, William
ston and Suffolk, 3-B.
Clifton Earl Manning, w, RFD 1,1
Williamston, 1-A.
James Cecil Lilley, w, RFD 1,
Jamesville, 3-B.
Onward Lloyd Gardner, w, RFD I
1, Jamesville, 1-A.
Ben Bevely Daniels, w, Williams
ton, 3-B.
Herbert Lynn Brown, w, Everetts, I
classification pending outcome of
candidacy for officer's training.
Elijah Thomas, c, RFD 1, Palmyra,
3-A.
Gordon Earl Bryant, w, RFD 1,
Oak City and Portsmouth, 3-B
Jimmy Clari Wynn, w, Williams- I
ton and Portsmouth, 3-B
Thea Robcrson, w, RFD 3, Wil
liamston, classification pending.
Harry Edgar Mobley, w, William
ston and Portsmouth, 3-B.
Russell Nile Turner, w, RFD 1,
Palmyra, deferred until December I
15th. 1
Marion Brodice Roebuck, w, Rob
ersonville and Badin, N. C., 3-B.
Joseph Hubbard Saunders, Jr., w,
Williamston, classification pending
outcome of candidacy for officer's
training.
Bernice Dawson Bennett, w. Oak
(Continued on page six)
?
County Youth On
Trial At Accomac
Heber Coltrain, well-known Mar
tin County yojujg man and now a
member of th$' armed forces, is
scheduled to go on trial presumably
for involuntary manslaughter at Ac
comac, on Virginia's eastern shore,
tomorrow. Operating a big trans
port truck for a Norfolk company,
the young man, going for more than
24 hours without much sleep, was
traveling from New York last July
when his truck and an old school
bus loaded with WPA workers
crashed in Accomac County, killing
five persons and injuring Several
others.
Young Coltrain, terribly upset by
the accident, was drafted into the
Army some weeks ago and is being
given a 14-day furlough by his su
perior officers. According to a re
port heard following an investiga
tion of the accident, the young man
was not driving recklessly and he
was said to have impressed the in
vestigators by his truthfulness.
The young man's father, Mr. Oliv
er Coltrain .and Mrs. Lydia Griffin
and Messrs. Lucian Peel, J. C. Man
ning and Clarence Griffin are leav
ing here this afternoon to attend the
trial scheduled to open in the Vir
finis town tomorrow.
Women Workers at Navy Yard
For the first time in the history oi the New York Navy Yard women
will work alongside the men. Minerva Matzkowitz has already taken
her place at an engraving machine in the ordnance shop. At right is
Rudolph Ribenbauer, veteran employe. Official U S. Navy photo.
Roanoke Baptists Will
Meet Here Tomorrow
FORGETFUL
A
However many their merits
may be or how strong their cour
age is, one thing is certain and
that is the young men leaving
this county for the armed serv
ices are a bit forgetful. While
possibly more than 600 men have
left the county, less than fifty
of them thought to surrender
their sugar ration cards to the
county rationing board. May
be the young men instructed
members of their family to sur
render the cards in accordance
with the terms under which the
sweet stuff was rationed, and
the members of the family for
got to carry out the instructions.
Anyway, the rules and regula
tions call for the surrender of
ration cards by the young men
when they enter the service for
their needs are placed ahead of
the civilians there.
Jurymen Drawn For
The November Term
Of Superior Court
a
Judge R. I). Dixon To Preside
Over Term Convening
November 23rd
Thirty-six Martin County citizens
were drawn by the county commis
sioners at their regular meeting this
month for jury duty during the two
weeks' term of the Martin County
Superior Court convening on Mon
day, November 23rd. Judge R. D.
Dixon, of Edenton, is scheduled to
preside over the term which is con
vening unusually late and which will
bump into the Thanksgiving season.
Created by a special act of the
State legislature, the court will han
dle civil cases only during the term,
but no calendar of cases has yet been
prepared by the county bar associa
tion.
Names of the jurymen drawn for
service during the first week of the
term follow, by townships:
Jamesville Township: P. J. Mod
lin and C. A. Askew.
Griffins Township: Elmo Lilley,
J. Leroy Griffin and D. Andrew Grif
fin.
Bear Grass Township: Opheus Bai
ley.
Williamston Township: J. M.
Raw Is, Marvin Peed, W. Ira Harri
son and J. S. Whitley.
Cross Roads Township: J. R. Roe
buck, John H. Peel and W H. Brit
ton.
Robersonville Township: H. V.
Jenkins and A. L. Oakley.
Poplar Point Township: Andy
Leggett and Gentry Mills.
Hamilton Township: T. F. Respass
Second Week
Jamesville Township: P. M. Ange
and Elmer N. Modlin.
Griffins Township: J Raymond
(Continued on page fix)
INDEFINITE
The proposed location of a
State Home Guard unit in this
county is still indefinite accord
ing to Mr. W. E. Dunn who was
advised this week by General J.
W. Jenkins that no action had
been taken In allocating the
service. Several other towns are
bidding for the unit, and It is
understood from the officer's
letter that neither of the two
available units had been assign
ed at that time.
Numbers of eitlsens here and
ever the eounty are volunteer
ing their services, Mr. Dunn stat
ing that he was certain that eu
ready to join to form two
Approximately Four
Hundred Delegates
Expected To Attend
First of Two-Day Sessions Are
Underway in Spring Hope
Cluireh T?wlay
Following the first of a two-day
meeting in Spring Hope today, four
hundred or more delegates and oth
er leaders of state-wide and inter
national recognition are expected
to converge on Williamston tomor
row when the local Baptist church
will be host to the Roanoke Baptist
Association in the second session of
its 35th annual meeting "The local
membership is anticipating with
keen interest the arrival and enter
tainment of the expanding member
ship of the strong religious organi
zation," Dr Wm. R Burred, host
pastor, said this morning.
Instituting a new procedure in
holding its annual meeting, the as
sociation this year is dividing its
sessions between two towns, and the
new arrangement wll be observed
closely possibly as a precedent in
formulating future plans.
The program in Spring Hope today
is attracting many notables, includ
ing Governor J. M Broughton, and
recognized church leaders from this
and o\^er states. While the programs
for the two days will adhere to sim
ilar schedules, they will be entirely
different in subject.
Preceded by a ten-minute song
service, the second-day sessions will
be formally opened by the host pas
tor, Dr. W R. Burrell, at 10:10 to
morrow morning. The first session
program lists several able speakers,
including Rev. W. E. Goode, Scot
land Neck pastor, who will speak
on, "Consistent Christian Living,"
and an address, "Parents Called to
a Deeper Sense of Responsibility,"
by John Hough, superintendent of
the Kennedy Home, Miss Myrtle
Bentmeyer will stress the work of
the Woman's Missionary Union in
an address, "Laborers Together with
God," and she will be followed by
Rev. Hartwell Campbell, Greenville
pastor, who will deliver an address
on the Sunday School work, entitl
ed, "The Fields Are White." The
morning sermon will be preached by
Rev. Carl N. Townsend, pastor of
the Hayes-Barton Baptist Church,
Raleigh. He will have for his topic,
"Evangelism in Today's World."
Ladies of the local church are pre
paring to serve dinner to the dele-1
gates at the Woman's Club at 12:30 |
p m.
The afternoon session, opening at
145 o'clock, will feature on its pro
gram an address by Rev. L. Bunn
Olive, returned China missionary,
who will have for his subject, "A
Realization of World Tragedies." J
(Continued on page six)
Mrs. Magnolia Ward
Passes In Jamesville
Mrs. Magnolia Ward, respected
county citizen and widow of Thomas
Ward, died at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. S. P. Bembridge, in
Jamesville Township last Friday af
ternoon at 3 o'clock. She had been
in declining health for almost
year, suffering from a complication |
of diseases.
The daughter of the late Harmon
and Bettie Modlin Simpson, Mrs
Ward was born in this county seven
ty years ago. A good and thoughtful
neighbor, she had been a member of
the Cedar Branch Church, near
Jamesville, for about forty years.
She is survived by ?ner daughter
and several grandchildren.
Funeral services were conducted
last Saturday afternoon at 4 o'clock
by Rev. B. E. Taylor, Plymouth min
ister. Interment was in the Modlin
Cemetery in Jamesville Township.
War As It Relates
To Home Front Is
Reviewed for Week
No More Furniture Made of
Iron and Steel Will Be
Made Available
Our armed forces have lopped off
some 400 miles of round-trip flying
distances to Jap-hcld Kiska by cre
ating an operations base in the bleak
and desolate Andreanof Islands.
Thousands of miles southward, in
the humid tropics others of our fight
ers hold beach and clearings against
the same foe. These men, vanguards
of the greater forces to come, must
have hundreds of items besides their
fighting tools, they must have exact
ly the right sort of food, clothing,
and equipment?adapted to the cli
mate and to the character of their
hazardous enterprises.
Much of what we send them comes
from our surplus of goods, but a
great deal necessarily must come
from our stock of things we do not
have in abundance, things of which
we may even be very short. And so.
under our tight war economy, every
single item, product, and service
must be examined, first, as to its
primary war use and, secondarily, as
to its place in essential civilian
needs.
Rigid Test Widely Applied
This rigid test is disposing of
countless oddly assorted products
and materials. All nickel must go
to implements of war and essential
war products. Our entire production
of distilled spirits is halted in order
to give place to war alcohol, an iri
gredient of explosives and synthetic
rubber. Except for what remains in
stock, we'll get no more furniture
made in whole or part of iron and
steel, no refrigerated display cases,
non-mechanical water coolers,
mechanical refrigerators for freezing
and storing farm products, these all
contain metals needed for the ma
chines of war.
Articles in which no iron or steel
may be used range from awning
frames to voting machines and ward
robe trunks, including such various
things as bath tubs, B-B shot, cro
quet sets, fireplace screen, pet cages,
skates, and household tongs. Next
year we will get only one-fifth of
the flashlights, portable electric
lights and batteries we have been
able to buy this year. And we'll save
tons of metal and hasten delivery
of heavy tools to the armed forces
by limiting sizes and types of heavy
forged hand tools? anvils, mauls,
hammers, mattocks, railway track
tools and mine blasting tools.
Rationing Ls Another Story
To stop manufacture of an article
or limit its production involves rel
atively little bookkeeping for pro
ducers and a slight amount of paper
work for the Government. But when
national stocks are to be evenly dis
tributed, or rationed, is quite anoth
er story. To set up gasoline rationing
for 20 million additional motorists
nvolves printing 60 million ration
books, and some 160 million copies
of various forms and regulations.
Nor is the consumer's job always
easy. People using fuel oil furnaces
must determine how much fuel oil
they bought last year and must meas
ure the total square foot area of
their homes before they can receive
oil ration coupons. There'll be ex
tra fuel for families with children
under four years of age.
Our present voluntary "sharc-the
meat" ration?2 1-2 pounds per per
son per week?will not be entirely
simple if we are honest with our
selves and with our country. The ra
tion does not apply to light meat
eaters, infants, invalids and old peo
ple. But those who have been aver
aging more than the ration must eat
larger quantities of foods with nour
(Continued on page six)
?
Await Plans For
Fuel Oil Rations
While registrations for fuel oil ra
tions are due to get underway this
week .arrangements for handling the
work are being delayed in this coun
ty for a few days. Members of the
rationing board and employees are
in a meeting in- Greenville today
where they are being instructed for
handling the rationing system. Reg
istrations are due to get underway
on or about the 15th of this month.
Fuel oil users will aid the program
by checking their supply as of the
first of this month, and by giving in
detail certain required information
such as the number and size of
rooms, etc.
ADVANCE
A (light advance in pricea for
the superior quality grades was
reported on the local tobacco
market yesterday and today with
prices for the medium and infer
ior quality grades holding firm.
"There's more competition now
than at any time this season for
the better tobaccos," a tobaccon
ist was quoted as saying this
morning.
Despite unfavorable weather,
sales are holding up well on the
local market and selling activi
ties will continue until about
closing time today.
Eligible Motorists To Renew
Gas Requests At Board Office
Motorists entitled to have their
gasoline quotas extended beyond
October 21 may renew their applica
tions at the rationing board office
in the county agricultural building
on any week day except Thursday
and Saturday, Mrs. Irene Blount,
chief board clerk, announces. The
procedure to be followed in renew
ing the ration applications is fairly
simple, but the applicant must turn
in his old book.
Ten simple questions are asked in
renewing applications for supple
mental gas rations, as follows: Do
you have a truck9 How far do you
live from town? How many times
a week do you come to town? How
far do you haul your hands? How
many hands do you work? Give
names of people you haul for if you
haul for other people. Have you re
turned your rationing book? Are
you an owner or tenant? How many
farms do you operate? How many
acres do you have? The applicant, I
other than a farmer, is asked to give'
the number of miles he drives be
tween his home and work, and the
number of miles driven in the per
formance of his work during a j
month's period.
Those motorists whose rations do
not expire on Wednesday of next
week will not find it necessary to
re-apply for supplemental rations at
this time. It was also pointed out
that unless an applicant can estab
lish a valid claim for continued ra
tions he will be denied a special al
lotment during the next three
months, meaning that he will have
to get along with his basic ration of
"A" card. It is estimated that in
some counties only one out of five
motorists will be entitled to supple
mental rations during the next three
months.
Reject Sixty-Four Men
For Army l rom County
Only Twenty-Eight
Out Of Lirge Group
Accepted Recently
???
Thirty-nine Physically Unfit
Ami Twenty-five Are Be
low I-ileraey Standards
The doctrine, " Many are called but
few are chosen," is quite applicable
to contingents of draftees moving out
of this county to the Army induc
tion centers. Thirty-nine were found
,physically unfit and twenty-five
others were below literacy standards,
the Army rejecting the 64 colored
draftees following examinations held
at an induction center recently.
The number of rejectees was the
largest affecting a contingent mov
ing out of this county, but the per
centage was not as great as it had
been in at least two other instances
when nearly all of those reporting
for examination were rejected.
Five men failed to report when
called, and four of them qre being
reported to the Federal Bureau of
Investigation. The fifth one, Lee
Ward, of Robersonville, came puff
ing into the draft board office this
week, explaining that he had just
received his induction notice. Ward
was assured that no action would be
taken against him, and that just a
priority rating would be given him
when the next call for more men is
received.
Three men were transferred to
other boards and will report for in
duction as follows: Johnny Lee, Nor
folk; Charlie Bellamy, New Haven,
Cinn., and James Smith, Jr., Wash
ington, I). C.
The twenty-eight men accepted
are completing their fourteen-day
furloughs and returning for service
this week Their names are:
Elijah Boston, Sylvester Thigpen,
Collin Lugene Smith, Raleigh Jones,
William James Grimes, William M.
Britt, Lucious C. Chance, Charles
Edward (Snowball) Spruiil, Calvin
Knight, Lewis Bond, Willie Spruiil,
John Thomas Perry, Alexander
Douglas, Cleven Fields, William Har
ris, Joseph Burnette Edwards, Wil
liam James, Thomas Best, Hubert
Henry Nelson, Lonnie Langiey, John
Anthony Gregory, Willie Lester Wil
liams, Donald Knoble, Luther
Spruiil, Alton Bell, Willie Douglas,
Dock Perkins, Joe Junior Moon*.
Names of those rejected, follow:
Joe Henry Lawrence, Heber Lan
ier, Walter Alexander Rhodes, Thur
man Williams, Alphonza Thompson,
Orlando Duke Council, Willie James
Harrison, Columbus Blount Daniel,
Leroy Purvis, Robert Lee Ev&ns, Wil
lie House, Dossie Hinton, Sidney
Woolard, Elbert Bryant, Harding
Jauraze Taylor, James H Everett,
Jr., Mancy Smith, Alexander Bunch,
Claudia Daniel Tyner, Mack Wil
liams, Tommie Jones, Haywood Wil
liams, Robert Perry, Mose Savage,
Sylvester Scott, Curtis tittle, Char
(Continued on page fix)
Liquor Is Found At
Religious Meeting
The annual association at a colored
church near Hassell was made into
a dry and quiet affuir last Saturday
when Officer J. H. Roebuck, assist
ed by Roy Peel, snatched six pints
of illegal liquor from the bushes al
most under the preacher's stand. The
sincerity of the little religious band
was not questioned, but the devil's
cohorts, taking advantage of the sit
uation offered by a large gathering,
moved in but failed to register.
Earlier that morning the officers
raided a plant in Bear Grass Town
ship and wrecked a SO-gallon capaci
ty oil drum used along with a one
gallon keg for a cap, a 20-gallon keg
for a doubter and a SO-gallon cooler
for the manufacture of illegal liquor.
They poured out 100 gallons of mo
lasses beer.
r~
MODERATOR
Rev. John T. Coley, of Rocky
Mount, Moderator Roanoke
Baptist Association, will be here
tomorrow for the second -<4-^ a
two-day annual meeting of the
religious organization.
Two Sillier Broken
Legs In Accident
Saturday Evening
Sfcond MotorryrlfM*ar Wreck
of Week Seniln Two M??n
To the Monj?ilal
Martin County's motor vehicle ac
cident trend shot upward last week
when death claimed one victim and
threatened several others on the
highways. R. Bonnie Latham, young
Bethel white man, was killed, and
Alton Carson, also of Bethel, was
slightly injured in a motorcycle
crash near Parmele last Wednesday
night. Jack Palmer, driver of the car
figuring in the fatal accident, had
his hearing continued for two weeks
in the county court here yesterday.
Henry Mizelle, Jr., and Edward
Latham, young county white men,
each suffered a broken left leg when
their motorcycle and an old Chevro
let driven by Turner Hines, color
ed, crashed here on Washington
street, near the Carolina warehouse,
last Saturday night about - 9:45
o'clock. In addition to the fractures
the two men suffered bruises and
scratches. They were removed to
the local hospital for treatment
No hearing has been held in the
case, and the details are not quite
clear. Hines, charged with operat
ing the car, declares he was hot un
der the wheel and claims that Clin
ton Smith, his colored companion,
was driving Smith declares he was
not driving and according to one re
port he claims that ho told Hines
to watch out, that he was on the
wrong side of the road and that they
were meeting an automobile with
(Continued on page six)
ROUND-UP
The weekly round-up of
drunks and violators of the law
in general reached a new high
peak here last week-end when
nineteen persons were arrested
and jailed. The number was two
greater than the previous high
peak of a few weeks ago.
Thirteen of the nineteen were
jailed for public drunkenness,
one for drunken driving, one for
being drunk and disorderly, one
for carrying a concealed weapon
and one for violating the health
laws.
Five of the nineteen persona
were white, their ages ranging
from II to U yams.
Cruiser Sinkings In
Solomons Stinging
Blow To The Allies
Slight Shift from Stalingrad
Front; President Talk*
To The Nation
The announced sinking of four Al
lied cruisers?three American? in
the Solomon Islands on the morning
of August 9th came as a stinging
blow to the Allies, and verified fears
entertained here that one of the ships
lost was the Quincy on which young
L. Dan Roebuck. Jr . of this county,
was reported missing in a telegram
from the Navy Department nearly a
month ago Authorities explained
that the announcement of the sink
ings was delayed until the losses
could be offset by the reallocation
of ships Apparently the loss has
been offset, and the Navy released
a few details, pointing out that while
there were many casualties a ma
jority of the personnel was saved. It
was also revealed that the sinkings
raised to at least nine the number
of American warships and auxiliar
ies acknowledged lost 111 the Solo
mons campaign. Besides the three
cruisers, two destroyers and four
transports were lost in action there.
Offsetting these losses, the engage
ments there cost the Japs 38 ships
lost or damaged
The blow was the greatest sustain
ed by the United States since the
sneaking attack was launched on
Pearl Harbor last December 7th.
Casualty lists have not been made
public, but it is understood that quite
a few North Carolinians were in
cluded among the 592 officers and
men on the Quincy, As far as it
could be learned here, the parents
of young Roebuck have heart! noth
ing more from "him since he was re
ported missing about the middle of
last month.
While bitter fighting continues be
fore Stalingrad, there is apparently
a slight shift in battle plans in Rus
sia,where the defenders are more
than holding their own against the
invaders.
German armored and infantry
forces resumed the frontal onslaught
against Stalingrad yesterday after a
two-day lull and in one unidentified
area of the city the Russian defend
ers were pressed back somewhat, the
Soviet high command announced to
day.
Bearing out front reports that the
Red army had seized the initiative
in the Caucasus, a communique said
the Russians fought active battles in
the Mozdok area, advancing in some
sectors, and counter-attacked suc
cessfully southeast of Novorossisk
on the Black Sea.
The ferocity of the resurgent bat
tle for the Volga city was indicated
by the official report that a full reg
iment of 3,000 German troops, led
by 50 tanks, three times charged
Soviet positions in one metropolitan
sector defended by Red army guards.
All three onslaughts were beaten
off, the Red army's midnight com
munique said.
"Only in one part of the town were
our units somewhat pressed back,'
it added.
The Russians wrecked 20 German
tanks and annihilated up to two bat
talions?about 1,000 men?of enemy
infantry before yielding their bitter
ly contested positions, the high com
mand reported.
The initiative swayed back and
forth along the German flank north
west of Stalingrad. At one point the
Russians repulsed 12 German at
tacks in a bloody struggle for a stra
tegic height, killing 800 of the at
tacking force.
The high command reported that
Marshal Semyon Timoshenko's re
lief army, which has been driving
toward Stalingrad, was engaged
mainly in fortifying itself in occu
pied positions, and patrol activity
to feel out the German positions.
One Red army detachment pene
trated the German lines, destroyed
several dugouts and wiped out about
a company of enemy troops, the
communique said.
In the Caucasus, where the main
(Continued on page six)
?
Weather Interrupts
Scrap Metal Drive
After getting off to a splendid start
last week, Martin County school chil
dren have been interrupted by un
favorable weather so far this week
in their drive to collect every avail
able old piece of metal and scrap
iron.
No report on activities last Friday
and Saturday are had, but much
progress was made in many com
munities where farmers and other*
joined the young folks in making a
clean sweep for the precious scrap
metals.
The collection drive is to continue
through Wednesday of next week
and if Martin is to hold its own with
other counties there'll have to be a
graet deal of work done between
now and then.
It has bee suggested that farmer*
and others cooperate with the chil
dren in every way possible and de
liver their old scrap iron to their re
spective schools. Any and all coop
eration will be appreciated by the
school children and at the same tint*
an effective collection will aid the
war effort