m
mask evert
m DAT
WAR
BOND DAT
THE ENTERPRISE
OVER THE TOP
FOR VICTORY
UNITED STATES WAS
BONDS-STAMPS
-Vi
IE XXVIII—NUMBER 52
If illiamston, Martin County, ISorth Carolina, Friday. January 1. Did.
-—_I
ESTABLISHED 1899
County Board Rations
Big Number Of Tiyes
Most 01 The Tires
Reclaimed from Old
And Surplus Stocks
Applications Pending for Sev
«*ral Months Are Cleared
From Files This Week
Acting a bit late but just as soon
as they were allowed to do so, mem
bers of the Martin County Rationing
Board literally played the roll of a
good Santa Claus this week when
they rationed a record number of
automobile and truck tires and tubes.
Virtually all the old applications
were cleared from the files, a few
having to go over for consideration
at a latc-r meeting. The supply was
exhausted for December. Hearing
that the board was issuing the tires
after a liberal fashion, auto and
truck owners from all over the cquu
ty rushed in with new application;'
and the requests are piling up in
fairly large numbers.
The board this week rationed 171
Grade III auto tires, 24 Grade II au
to tires, eight new auto tires, 47 re
cap auto tires and 102 auto tire tubes,
twelve new truck tires, 8 recap truck
tires and six truck tire tubes.
ooine 01 uic applications had been
pending since’fast August or before.
In a few instances classifications
could not be established or were not
established and rations were allow
ed.
New automobile tires and tubes
were issued to the following,
Reuben A. Edmondson, Hamilton,
one tire and tube for mail deliver
ies.
Mrs. J. R. Keel, RFD 3, Williams
ton, one tube for farm.
Z. D. F. White, Robersonville, one
tube for farm.
Simon Lilley, RFD 1, Williamston,
two tubes for farm.
Dannie Hollis, Robersonville, one
tube for farm.
C W Copeland, RFD 1, Palmyra,
three tires and three tubes for farm.
Harry G. Jones, Williamston, three
tires and two tubes for hauling fuel
and making repairs.
Kelly L. Rawls, Robersonville, one
tire.
New truck tires and tubes were
allotted to the
John W. Gu, lu.Tvbmfflffiin, five
tires and three tubes for hauling
peanuts.
John A. Manning, Williamston,
five tires and three tubes for hauling
peanuts.
Town of Williamston, two tires for
sanitary department.
Six recapped truck tires were is
sued to the Martin County Transfer
Co., Robersonville, for hauling farm
(Continued on page six)
-$,...
Liquor Sales Reach
A New High Point
*■ Liquor --1-- in thaw county reach
ed a new high point last Christmas
Eve day, the four stores reporting
a gross income of $4,797.45 for the
day as compared with $4,523.10 on
the corresponding day in i&41. While
the total for the day exceeded that
of the corresponding day in 194’,
two stores, Jamesville and Oak City,
reported decreases in their sales.
With the price of the fluid higher
than it was a year ago, it is quite pos
sible that the actual amount of li
. 'u* V'ypi ijwwY4f>v5IB
December 24, 1941. However, it is
believed that the salps on Christmas
Eve 1942^. wpuidhave been even
larger man iiiey were had u ho1
been for the rush a few days before
Christmas. At that time it was rum
ored sales would be suspended on
account of a reported shortage. The
supply was limited at Oak City and
Jamesville and possibly the shortage
made itself felt in the sales there.
In addition to the liquor sales,
wines and beers were in great de
mand and it is understood that in
come from that source ran into the
thousands of dollars.
Liquor sales by stores for Decem
ber 24, 1941, and December 24, 1942,
were as follows:
Williamston $2,403.30 $2,746.65
Robersenville 1,292.70 1,434.40
Oak City 522.10 355.00
Jamesville 305.00 261.40
$4,523.10 $4,797.45
During the four days before
Christmas, sales in all four stores
amounted to $12,577.60.
—--——4
TAX LISTING I
—--- j
The annual round-up of tax
1 is getting underway in the
county today and tomorrow. Two
list-takers, Messrs. John R. Peel,
Williamston, and H. S. Everett,
Itobersonville, are sitting in
thcu^^n^^^>£ownships to
day ^Hj^^^rorrow. The other
list-takers plah to start the
work on or about the 11th of this
month.
It is fairly certain that no ad
ditional time will be allowed for
listing properties after January
31, and those owners who list
early will avoid the last-minute
rush.
Tax Supervisor C. D. Carstar
phen promises a complete sched
ule of listing dates and places the
early part of next week.
Britishers Seem To
Enjoy Visits Here
During the Holiday
—
Can't HiulmtiHid Why Peo
ple Will Wash* Good Eggs
In Eggnog
Experiencing the comforts of
homelife and the friendship of ci
vilians for the first time in two
years or more, thirty-three British
seamen apparently enjoyed to the
fullest their visits as special guests
in private homes here, in the com
munity and in Hamilton during the
holidays. And it can be said that the
hosts enjoyed their special company,
that the presence of the visitors en
hanced the real Christmas spirit,
in these parts.
While the customs were a bit for
eign to both visitor and host at first,
the barriers were soon east aside and
mutual friendships followed in rapid
order. The fact that three of the
youngsters dared extend their leaves
on their own accord and the declara
tion by one that his Christmas in
Williamston was the most enjoy
able one he had had in nearly fif
teen years proved that the group had
an enjoyable time. Possibly some of
lirh' four4. (h( many ques‘4HMl
fired at them a bit tiring and boring,
but they were very accommodating
with the answers and poured them
out during long sittings. “Even be
fore we could answer one, they
would ask anotner, but we aid the
best we could,'- one youngster was
quoted as saying after an all day
bombardment of questions.
Surely, our ways and customs puz
zled the Britishers, but what sever
al of them said they could not under
stand was why should anyone waste
(Continued on pagt six)
-3
County Authorities Look
For Quiet Meet Monday
The Martin County commissioners
anticipate an uneventful business
schedule when they meet in regular
session here next Monday, according
to an advanced report coming from
their office today Very little busi
ness other than that of a routine na
ture has been scheduled. One or two
constables are to be appointed and
their bonds will be inspected as the
most unusual business before the
meeting.
Russia Mopping Up
German Invaders On
Five Major Fronts
\lli«‘«l Forres Driving To (ail
j Off Rommel's Advance
Towrad Tunisia
-#■
Continuing a strong offensive,
i Russian armies are mopping up Ger
[ mans by the thousands on five ma
jor fronts today, and bidding to de
stroy an estimated third of a million
i men in the southern Caucasus area.
Over a third of a million Germans
have already been killed or captur
ed before Stalingrad, the great in
dustrial city around which one of
the most stubborn and costly sieges
| in history has now been virtually
j lifted. For more than 140 days, the
j Russians suffered before the mer
! ciless pounding of the invaders, but
the tide has not turned and they are
threatening to wipe out the invad
ers by the hundreds of thousands.
A year-end review of the Russian
offensives in south Russia revealed
that they all were parts of a grand
scale plan to encircle and rout the
Germans and their allies in the
greater Stalingrad are:.. That now
has been done, the Hod army declar
ed.
Tin- official summary said 175,000
I Axis troops had been killed and
i 137,850 captured before Stalingrad
! on the Middle Don, and southwest of
Volga City since the Soviet thunder
bolt struck first on November 19.
The latest of the concerted offen
sive was reported whirling across the
Kalmyk steppes far below Stalin
grad, and the whole German front
there appeared to be collapsing. E!
ista, capital of the Kalmyk republic,
was virtually surrounded, while the
Russian right ring plunged down the
Stalingrad-Caucasus railway toward
| Rostov.
News from other fronts on this, the
i first day of the New Year is also en
jeouraging. Allied forces are driving
to cut Rommel off from Tunisia.
Few direct reports have been re
ceived from New Guinea, hut the
fighting is progressing favorably for
the Allies with the Japs all but wip
ed out in the Buna area and with the
British forces pushing ahead in
Awjgn» the spot again i
| as me .mp^raWiiue a strong offen- j
sive in the south.
-«
Little Activity
On Peanut Market
• —<*—
The local peanut market has re
ported very little activity since the
holiday, farmers pointing out that
weather conditions had made it im
possible to carry on picking opera
tions and that the roads made deliv
eries almost impossible. Resuming
their threshing work this week, some
farmers found it advisable to slop
until the fields dried out to permit
movement to- and from, the pickers,
the government storage warehouses,
but a few shipments have been made
during the week to cleaners from
local warehouses. The government
will start receiving peanuts at this
point next Monday.
The market is a bit. dull but prices
ranging as high as 8 1-4 cents plus
a small premium have been report
ed during the past few days.
* GteWiai~'Bwsv/ms ~ Complete*
Successful Period In Comity
-«
General business in Martin Coun- ,
ty has rounded out what some de- :
scribe as its most successful year. !
The period was not without its un
certainties and changes, but as a
whole, the trade volume establish
ed new high records. The war had j
forced some few businesses out of
existence and dealt a heavy' blow to
others, but the general group strug
gled to a successful close.
A marked feature of the trade
during the last few months was the
purchase of needed or durable goods.
The shoppers, for the most part,
turned to the clothing, hardware and
furniture stores to make their gift
selections. Bodies, formerly ill clad,
came out all diked up in brand new
outfits, and wardrobes and dressers
weie weighted down with wearing
apparel.
While there is no question about
the record business volume, business
operators point out that profit taking
is threatened with uncertainty. Ceil
ing prices had their telling effect,
and taxes loom as a cloud almost di
rectly overhead.
Recent months saw the disappear
ance of many types of goods and ar
ticles, and, no doubt, many more will
disappear, but of that which was left
the population, blessed with a boun
tiful harvest last summer and fall
and with fair prices, bought freely.
The business line-up here for the
current year will likely undergo no
marked change for the present, at
least. Merchants and other business
operators are making ready to do all
in their power to carry on despite
expected changes and increased bur
dens as a result of the war.
s*^ MCI «*a s^av anaffl-j «p>jf
! II A P l» Y
J IN E W Y E A K !
F , —*—
' flHfl Peace
i abide in your heart, and
f a victorious happiness
[ come to you in the year
i just beginning.
Cyp c*» >.%» *,» \\p, sg* 5
War As It Relates
To Home Front Is
Reviewed for Week
-•
Over-till Picture of Wiir and
lls Effort on tlio 1 Ionic
Front Offered
-<•>
As the war progresses, the Allies i
no longer are caught napping at any
point, however obscure it may ap
pear in the grand strategy of the
United Nations. II it is surprising
that American light tanks are re
ported in action on the jungle-en
closed strip of New Guinea Beach,
how much more' extraordinary must
have been the means of getting them j
there.
uw*J!vB.s>,j»jeue sasA*J
| un mo economic front our gov
ernment. must bo equally far-seeing.
More than 50 million pounds of seed,
for example, have been destined for
planting on foreign soil, under lend
lease arrangements. Some of these
seeds are supplies to areas occupied |
by our troops, who will raise fresh I
vegetables when they aren’t fight- j
ing. Grass seeds are sent to now air j
fields for surfacing barren strips. J
But the bulk of the seeds go for
foods to feed the peoples of Allied
lands in desperate need of them and
to replant farmlands lately freed
from Axis control. And seeds take
up less shipping space than produce
in any other form.
Civxilians Will Not Benefit
Although American farms must
raise a great deal more crops of
many kinds in 1943, civilians must
not expect to benefit by the in
crease. Our armed forces will need
much more of all that is raised, and
so will our Allies, England, Russia,
the f
not only is food, us it supports fight
ing men, a direct instrument of war
i
N
pare, n is an essential bulwark of
I civilian populations in war time.
I The hatred felt by the people of oc
icupied Europe for their Nazi op
pressors is fed by the pangs of hun
ger. their hopes of liberation and of
ultimately getting food from us
strengthen their resistance and def
initely aid the Allied cause.
The plight of starving millions
abroad and the fearful conditions
under which many of our soldiers
are fighting in jungle and desert
should awaken in all of us at home
the willingness to take cheerfully
the slight discomforts and minor
hardships which necessarily go with
i a war.ojjdTjJ^^^^ow i.diy Jhi in
conveniences clonnected with ration
ing and other restrictions of scarce
goods.
The combined savings of millions
of Americans, in motoring and heat-1
ing, particularly among those living i
along the Atlantic Seaboard, helped!
our army land in North Africa and
attack the Axis, but the total quan
tity of these products needed for a
continuing campaign is enormous,
and will require the service of a
fleet of tankers For this reason, the
Arm* uas “sen i' an “urgent plea"' uij
civilians to save gasoline and fuel |
oil in every way possible. At the j
(Continued on page six)
BOARD HOURS )\
—--/
Effective this week, the Mar
tin County War Price and Ra
tioning Board is closing each
Tuesday and Friday afternoon
at 12 o'clock and at 12:30 noon
on Saturdays. On Tuesday and
Friday of each week, the em
ployees will clear certificates
and reports. On other days the
office will observe the follow
ing hours, 8 a. m. to 12 noon, and
from 1 to 5 p. m.
Everyone having any business
in the rationing board office will
save himself inconvenience if
he will note the new office hours
and arrange his trips according
[Large Dairy Barn
| Destroyed By Fire
i \\ edngadey Night
j 1iNumhrr ('ohm Driven
From Itiirnin^ Building
At Edgewood Dairy
Its origin unknown, fire burned
the large cow barn at the Edgewood
Dairy at the end of West Main
Street here early last Wednesday
evening, nearly trapping a large
number of prize cows and threaten !
ing feed barns and a potato curing
house. An accurate estimate of the
loss could not; be had immediately,
but Frank Weaver, operator-man-;
nger, stated that approximately 800 I
bales ot hay were burned and that
the building could hardly be replac
ed for less than $1,500 or $2,000.
The building was insured for a small
amount and it is understood that
none was carried on the contents.
When first discovered the fire
was breaking through that part of I
the building where most of the hay j
was stored and fanned by a strong
west wind it was sweeping through
the building and over the heads of
the large dairy herd. An employee
discovered the fire and called Mr.
Weaver. They raced across the field
and by the time they opened the
front door, Hubert Smith, Jr., see
ing the fire from the highway, ran
there and crawled through a win
dow back ol the cows and drove [
them to safety. Fire was leaping ov
i r the heads of the cows and the big
building was cracking and popping
from the heat
Called to the scene, the local file
department without an adequate wa
ter supply could do nothing to save
the hig building, but the firemen
kept it from spreading to other feed
barns and a curing barn filled with
potatoes near by.
Plans for replacing the structure
have not b.-on completed, the dairy
owners explaining that they were
not certain if a building permit
sou Id be had.
n was a noetic clay tor the dairy,
Manager Weaver stating that one of
lis employees left, the barn burned i
town and another employee died.
Report One Wreck
During Holidays
--a,
travel on the highways m this
county during the holidays was al
most without incident, Patrolman
Whit Saunders reporting only one
wreck and one or two minor bump
ins.
No one was hurt and no great
damage resulted to pjoperty when
a truck driven by Eddie Arthur Har
dy and a 1(142 Ford driven by Archie
Daniel Coltrain crashed early
Christmas eve morning in front of j
the Williamston Parts and Metal i
Company’s yard on West Main Street
mui ing a heavy |og, -
Hardy was making a left-hand
turn into the yard and CulLraiii was
driving into town when the two ve
hicle.;' crashed,- doing about $ too
damage to the two machines.
In one or two other minor acci- J
dents, lenders were damaged slight- ;
ly, hut the wrecks were of so little
consequence that, no records were
made.
Urging Mobilization of
Conntry's Agric n iture
w ujmm;
A last warning was
week to .Martin County retau^^”
including wood and coal dealers
and filling station operators car
rying small grocery stocks .'■>
file a copy of their price 'Veil
ing" hv the tenth of this month
Any firm or dealer failing to
comply with the order requiring
the tiling of price ceilings will
tie reported to the office of war
price administration and be
subjected to prosecution in the
federal courts.
District Administrator Chap
pell was in the county this week
reviewing the records and mak
ing arrangements to hold a meet
ing with retailers in Williams
ton within the near future.
Normal Attendance
In County 's Schools
Closing unexpectedly ahead of an
announced schedule for the Christ
mas holidays, most of the county
schools reopened last Wednesday
with their attendance figures rang
ing close to normal. A good number
of absences was reported by one or
two schools and while the attend
ance was possibly below the aver
age m others it was up to expecta
tions.
The schools at Hamilton, Hassell
and Oak City delayed their post
Christmas opening until next Mon
day when road conditions would not
permit bus travel on some of the
routes, d was explained. In most of
the other school districts, the busses,
with some few exceptions, operated
□n schedule.
Mrs. Sarah Swain Sitterson Cher
son, well known and highly respect
ed citizen of Washington County,
(lied at the home of her daughter,
Mrs. Walter Gurganus, near here,
on Wednesday afternoon, December
23rd, following a long period of de
and had been visiting in her daugh
ter’s home near here for a few
months.
Funeral services were conducted
im i Mursaiiv auci noon in tnc M.
j I)f 11 k I it’s Christian Church, near
i Plymouth, where Mrs. Chesson had
j been a nu mber for a long number
I ol years. Rev. Preston Cayton and
Rev. John L. Goff conducted the last
rites.
Besides her daughter here, Mrs.
Chesson is survived by the following
children, J. I). Sitterson, of Southern
Pines; Ben, Chas. and Rufus Sitter
son, all of Norfolk; Mis. B. J. Bate
man, of Newport News; Mis. Willie
Davenport, of Washington, and Mrs.
It. L. Bateman, of Plymouth.
“Ana’ll Urn it Sunny
Si;lt‘ I an tnnlay
Starting from a falling spark on
the roof, fire did very little damage
to the Sunny Side Inn on the Wash
ington Road yesterday morning
about 10 o’clock. Firemen were call
ed, but the fire was out upon their
arrival.
Holiday"r3easmrmfs Qnfrtiy
Hbscroed In Martin'Comity’
The holiday season in Martin
County was quietly observed and
without incident, older citizens and
officers declaring that the period was
one of the quietest they could recall.
There were no serious accidents, ar
rests were limited indeed and the
general observance of the day clear
ly indicated that the day reflected
more of the real Christmas spirit
than many of those observed in the
past.
As far as it could be learned there
were only three arrests made in the
entin county on Christmas day and
the day before. Three drunks, one
in Robersonville and two in William
ston, were temporarily detained, but
they were out in time to join their
family circles on Christmas day. One
of them stands charged with drunk
en driving. The county jail was emp
ty nad officers really had a holiday
all their own.
travel on Christmas day was un
usually ligth, anci traffic on the bus
lines was hardly as large as it was
a year ago, an employee at the union
bus station declaring that traffic had
increased since Christmas day, that
it was handled without great diffi
culty during Christmas week.
While family circles were broken
by war and in a few cases by death.
I he season, as a whole, was an en
joyable one in this county.
A few fireworks were heard, but
the wholesale firing of the poppers
and snappers was not very much in
evidence during the period.
i.ast night the New Year pushed
the old one over the abyss of time,
but it did so after a fairly quiet fash
ion and without untoward incident.
' j -1
Ask in” Increase In
Food - Feed Crop
Production In 194.}
" .vje»w»3JW
| ;»• lor t i. * * 5 i * v i t
and l i'« Oilin' (.Vop* T
Hnnaiii about Same
-«
An urgent plea for the full mo
bilization of the nation’s agriculture
will be carried to every nook and
corner of the United States between
now and February I, Farm Agent
loni Brandon announced today fol
lowing a meeting of farm leaders
held in Windsor yesterday.
Detailed plans for the full mo
bilization of agriculture have not
yet been completed, but farmers
will eb asked to increase their food
and feed crop production by as much
as 10 per cent or more in some cases,
lohnccn and cotton acreages and
pi eduction ol some other crops will
lemain abut ti. same under the
sweeping plan. Price and labor fact
ors are to receive attention in con
nection with the full mobilization
program, but just now the govern
ment is appealing to the farmers to
make plans lor an all out produc
tion ol food and feed crops. There
is every reason to believe that a fair
and square deal will tie provided for
the increased productions. As far as
labor is concerned, many will have
to work harder and m other eases
many now employed in what might
be termed “non-essential" industry
will possibly be drafted for farm
work It is believed in some quar
ters that registrants over 38 years
ol age will finally find their way to
the farm or go into defense work.
The most noticeable increase Mar
tin County farmers are being asked
to make in production is in pea
nuts. In 1942, 22,132 acres were pro
duced in this county. This year, they
arc being asked to plant 23.967 acres.
Goals for other crops in this county
wlical, 27 acres; rye, 110 acres;
coin, 21,11,10 acres; oats, 455 acres;
barley, 139 acres; hay, 20,000 acres;
soy I>eans, (1,910 acres; cotton, 6,778
acres; irish potatoes, 900 acres; sweet
potatoes, 901 acres; cattle and calves,
4,970 head; sheep and lambs, 48; hogs
to farrow, 4,200; milk, 5,000 pounds;
. * 195, <^g|
*"! eggs, 454,841 dozens; turkeys,
1,450; tobacco, 10,454 acres.
I’bins are being formulated for
carrying the program to Martin
( ounty tanners. Tt is understood
that a ntobili-eifinn day will be held
on or about January 12 in every agri
eulturul county in the United States.
In addition to the meeting, it is like
ly that committeemen will carry the
program direct to every farmer. Fur
ther announcements will be made
as to dates and plans.
in connection with the launching
of the mobilization program, Unit
nl States Secretary of Agriculture
Claude Wickard addressed the fol
lowing note to agricultural workers
and others:
that all agriculture
(Continued on page six)
Delbert W. Stalls
Dios At Home Ht
TO
—
Di lln 11 W. Stalls, 26 years of age,
died at his home on West Main
S'leci here last Wednesday night at
| J...n J.i.:i1rt< l Jj.‘ ■ j in a ;• short
tsu! i ering i! link,- last iviomufyim^
the young man never regained <n>n
■MMWfc • "as m his usual health
just ‘In-fore he was taken ill.
The son of Mrs. Sudie Wynne
Stalls and the iate D. D. Stalls, he
w as born in Williamston and spent
his entire life here. Working at
various tasks since he v. as a young
fellow, he was an industrious young
man. During his employment at the
kdgewood Dairy here he was never
late, and seemed anxious and will
ing to handle his ussigrn .1 tasks well
• veil though he did not enjoy the
best of health at times. He did not
loin the church but be attended reg
ularly and Dr. Wm. R. Burrell will
onduct the last rites at the home
'his afternoon at 3 o’clock. Interment
wui follow in tiie family plot in the
local cemetery.
Beside his mother he is survived
by two brothers, D. D. and Oswald
D. Stalls, both of Williamston, and
two sisters, Mrs. Sidney Ring, of
Norfolk, and Miss Caroline Stalls
of Baltimore.