North Carolina Newspapers

rAT DAY WAS ION! DAT -MH MUMf THE ENTERPRISE 0VE8 THE >0? FOR VICTORY UNITED STATES WAR BONDS'STAMPS VOLUME XLVI—NUMBER 51 W illiamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday. Jam- 23, ESTABLISHED 1899 Glut Afi4 Bad Condition of -feist Potatoes Bring Slump In Prices Slump In Prices Is Chargeable To Poor Harvesting Methods — Army and Navy Buyers Said To Have Withdrawn from State Markets ■ft'" After holding firm during the first few days of the current season. Irish potato prices went into a slump Wednesday or about the time the first shipments started arriving at their destinations on the northern markets in bad condition. Prices hit the government “floor” of $2.25 per 100 pounds less grading and bagging charges, and in some instances buy ers were forced to quit the markets altogether. The outlook, unusually bright just a few days ago, is not very encouraging at this time, but government action is being sought according to Congressman Herbert C. Bonner who advised local people in a late communication to Elbert S. Peel here yesterday that he had been in constant contact with the admin istrator of food distribution, urging an immediate buying program for potatoes on the North Carolina mar kets. The price slump presents a pe culiar situation, and one that is not readily understood even though the cause for most if not all the trouble is quite simple, according to some. There is still a big demand for po tatoes, reliable reports stating that the current crop could be handled to the last potato at maximum prices, and that produce exchanges are beg ging for potatoes of good quality. Potatoes started moving out of this section last week-end. Upon reach ing the northern markets, many of them were rotten, one report reach ing here this morning stating that three solid carloads of the cobblers were in such condition that the smelly juice was miming out the car doors. The market was depressed, and in an effort to save those that had not deteriorated, dealers on the markets tried to make quick sales by offering potatoes for as little as $1 per hundred pounds. Army and Navy.,.HuKfTS. .said to have take lj from one-fourth to a thud of the crop offered during the first few days in this State, went off the mar ket when the first purchases were delivered in bad condition. Only two things can improve the market after a logical fashion, it was pointed out by a dealer today. The farmer can harvest his pota toes after a recognized and success ful system, and cooler weather can relieve the situation considerably. Whether all the farmers will do that is doubtful, and th eweather is prob lematical. It is a r~'r'T--ized fact that many (Continued an page six) -« Four Martin Boys Enlist In the Navy Four Martin County youths. Cur tis Beach, RFD 3, Williamston, Ellen Whitaker, Williamston, and Allen Lewis, RFD 3, Williamston, volun teered for service in the United States Navy this week, Recruiting Officer Dallas Taylor said yesterday. These men reported to the head- j quarters in Raleigh yesterday. A fourth volunteer, Cecil Liliey, of RFD 1, Jamesville, is tc report to | Raleigh next Monday, the recruiting j officer explained. All the boys are under eighteen years of age, and are the first to en list from this county in recent weeks, it is understood. Commenting on enlistments, Re cruiter Taylor said that the youth of this section a*e signing up in large numbers. Mr. Taylor stated that special j openings are now avaiiaole to young women between 20 and 38 years of; age in the WAAES. Physical re quirements have been modified con siderably’for enlistment and young women in this section are urged to make immediate application for specialist training. There are approximately 800 North Carolina women already wearing the trim WAVE uniforms, and there are openings for many .more. Commander Charles B. 'Neeley, head of the State’s Navy recruiting, says that plans for in vasion paint a vivid picture why WAVES are needed in the Navy. Every woman who volunteers re leases a fighting man to help in a chieving victory. Navy Recruiting Officer Taylor will return to this county m about two or three weeks, and he will re ceive applications at that time, but interested young women may make application at recruiting centers in New Bern or Raleigh The youths who signed up for service in the Navy this week did so subject to physical tests. DECORATED v. For meritorious service in the Pacific and Caribbean ap proaches to the Panama Canal, Major Wheeler Martin, local young man, was recently decor ated as a member of the U. S. Army Air Corps. Plan Recreational Program for Youth Of This Community Ministerial Group ami Civic Club louder* Are Hold ing Meeting Tonight The Williamston Ministerial Asso ciation met in the study of Memor ial Baptist Church last Monday morning at which time the executive committee of the Senior Woman’s Club met with them. Tentative plans were worked out for the meeting of a steering committee composed of two representatives from each of the churches and from the Senior "ar.-d—Jtii'.kw Woman’s Clubs. This committee meeting on Friday eve ning at 8:30 at the Baptist Church will effect a permanent committee for the promotion of supervised rec reation for the young people of the community It has long been felt that some such effort on the part of the community should be made to provide a wholesome and worthwhile outlet for the young people. It was the consensus of opinion by the members present that a whole some and stimulating recreational program could be made possible to the community if the leaders of the community would become sufficient ly interested. Never was a time more opportune than the present to do such a worthwhile thing for the young people. With all the tensions created by war and the dislocation of families and the curtailment of so many of the commercial amuse ments, the necessity falls upon each community to provide its own recrea tion. The following members of the committee are asked to meet this evening in the Baptist Church at 8:30: Senior Woman’s Club, Mrs. John L. Goff and Mrs. N. C. Green; Junior Woman’s Club, Mrs. H. O Peel and Mrs. D. R. Davis; Baptist CtergSv..Lav> t>. s>sgj J-jhn Miller; Christian Church, Mrs. G. G. Woolard and Miss Evelyn Griffin; Episcopal Church, Mr.,. Paul d! Simpson and Miss Mary Charles Godwin; Methodist Church, Mr. Wheeler Manning and Miss Alberta Swain; Presbyterian Church, mem bers to be appointed Members of the Ministerial Association are also requested to be present. Other civic leaders will be asked to share in the sponsorship of this program when more headwav is made. PAYMENTS The distribution of soil con servation payments to Martin County farmers is virtually complete, according: to a report just released by Miss Mary Car starphen in the farm agent's office here today. To date, 3,496 checks, totaling $112,710.19 and representing 1, 558 applications, have been dis tributed in this county. There are about 30 applications pend ing, it was learned. Earned in connection with 1942 AAA contracts, the pay ments are about half the sixe of those received a year ago un der the 1941 contracts. No parity payments will be made on the 1942 crops, and the checks representing soil conservation payments will be the last the fanners will receive as benefits irom their 1942 operations. Howard Cone Writes Interesting Letter About Fiji Islands Loral Young Man Sailed for The Little South Paeifie Island Year Ago -& Sailing for a small outpost in the Pacific south of the equator about a year ago. Pfc. Howard Cone, in a letter to his mother. Mrs. P. B. Cone, under date of Juno \2, offers a graphic word picture of his trip to and stay on the Fiji Islands. His letter follows: "At last we are allowed to reveal • >tir last location—Fiji Islands As far as 1 know we can mention every thing except facts pertaining to mili tary matters. I will attempt to tell you some of our life on Fiji as well as cur Irip over “About a year ago our outfit sail eu’ for overseas duty in the South west Pacific; it was the first time overseas for any of my comrades as well as myself. Naturally we were worried over the submarine menace, but all of us were set for adventure and ready for action. Our destina tion was of course unknown and that seemed to make things more fasci nating, and yet there was that feel ing of uncertainty among this happy go-lucky band of modern warriors. It wasn’t long after we boarded the S. S. President Coolidge before we were passing under the Golden Gate Bridge and into the vast blue Pacific waters. Every man’s head was turn ed toward the California coast for each of us knew it would be months and probably years until we could witness this same coast line which means home to all of us. Land fad ed out of sighl and the luxury liner began to rise and fall with the swells of the waves. The word sea sick became common to all of us as our stomachs seemed to be a part of each wave: some were banging over Che rail feeding the fish with their sickly overflow, while others were clinging to their bunks, too sick to attend the evening meal. I was among the many that decided food wdofi’t eveiyHung at least for That nigni. After'a VoupicTif days nth. the sickness ceased and our trip be came more enjoyable every minute. Destination rumors were spreading far and wide and I am fairly sure that every island in the South Pa cific was our new home. There seem ed to be more mention about the Fiji Islands than all the rest, so we all agreed that this was the place we were to protect. "After a number of days out we knew our voyage was coming to an end. One night we went to bed and woke up and there was the Fiji off the starboard sid. Land was a beautiful sight, the waves breaking (Continued on page six) -• Half Dozen Cases In Mayor’s Court Justice John L. Hassell handled six cases in his court here this week .most of them centering around disorderly conduct and liquor. Charged with being drunk and dis orderly, Johnnie Jenkins was fined $5 and taxed with the costs. Henry Rogers, charged with dis ordi /ly conduct; wWP'idA’. M "J«». JU*" court costs in the sum of $7.50. Clark McClees, charged with dis orderly conduct, was fined $2.50 and taxed with the costs. Arthur Webb was ordered to pay $7.50 costs in the ease charging him with disorderly conduct. Johnnie Bryant was taxed with $8.50 costs in the case charging him with disorderly conduct. Probably cause appearing, the case charging Cortez Rogers with having carnal knowledge of a girl'under 15 years of age, was sent to the su perior court with the defendant un der bond in tile sum of $100. —-'*! Commercial Users Apply For Fuel Oil Renewals for fuel rationing books for commercial enterprises are be ing mailed this week by the local War Price and Ration Board. These applications have to be filled in and returned to the county board. Re newals for oil for private dwellings were mailed last week. No time lim it has as yet been set for returning them. The third quarter truck books are also being mailed and should reach owners by July 1st. All “T” gas cou pons will be void after June 30th. The “T” coupon will have to be re turned to a wholesaler, the bank, or the War Price and Ration Board. The : “TT” coupons will go into effect1 July 1st. Williamstoii Fliers (ret Recognition In Army Air Corps l ■. Rogers Receive Spec ial Air Medals , Two Wiiliamston young men, Ma 1 jor Wheeler Martin, Jr., and Techni cal Sergeant Eh Clayton Rogers, were given special recognition re cently for meritorious service in the Army Air Corps, the coveted med als being among the first, if not the first, ever received by local men in that branch of the service. Announcing Major Martin's dec oration, the Office of the Depart ment of Public Relations Officer. Headquarters, Panama Canal De partment, said: "Maj. Wheeler Martin, Jr., 26, of Wiiliamston, N. C., is one of 95 offi cers and 248 enlisted men to receive the Air Medal at an air base in the Caribbean area. "The citation reads as follows: ‘For meritorious achievement while par ticipating m long lange patrol flights over the Pacific and Caiihlvvm ap proaches to the Panama Canal. Ac complishment of many of the mis sions was made when unfavorable weather conditions made Hying haz ardous 1 members of 'he crews ex hibited untiring energy and meticu lous care while flying over this area. Possibility of encountering an en emy task force, enemy ships of Tight er type or anti-aircraft fire added to the hazards of these missions. These services reflect highest credit on themselves and the military forces of the United States.' “At a colorful ceremony, Col. H. K. Mooney, commanding officer of a bombardment group, presented the medals to the officers and men and lauded them for their achievements. “Maj. Martin is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Wheeler Martin, 214 East Main Street, Wiiliamston, His wife resides at the same address. He is a grad uate of Wake Forest College.” First reported missing in the Eu ropean theater of operations and now held prisoner by the Germans, Technical Sergeant Rogers, young son of Mr. and Mrs. Eli Rogers, of near Wiiliamston, is one of over 1, 000 men serving or having served in the Eighth Air Force to receive special recognition. “The intense air action the -Eighth Air Force is car (Continued on page six) -® Machinery Rationed By Board In County] The following farm equipment and machines were rationed recently in the county by the Farm Machinery Board: Romulus Revels, RFD 1, William stnn, peanut weeder. Mrs. Lola Britton, RFD 3, William ston, peanut weeder. D. O. Cherry, RFI) 3, WiUiamston, peanut weeder. L. G. Taylor, RFD 3, WiUiamston, peanut weeder. L. G. Taylor, RFD 3, WiUiamston, Boyette sprayer. H. H. Williams, Everetts, Boyette sprayer. W. B. Cannon, RFD 1, Hobgood, to bacco sprayer. J. Leroy Griffin, WiUiamston, wa ter system. F. F Pollard, Bethel, shallow well pump. L. L. Keel, Oak City, power pump. Urvie Bunting, RFD 2, Williams ton, water system. R. Sherrod Corey, WiUiamston, water system. A. T. Perry, WiUiamston, tractor A. T. Whitley, WiUiamston, water system. W Gorkin, WiUiamston, trac tor. - Dr. Garland Gray Is V Now A Commander (Robersonville Herald) Dr. Garland Gray, son of Mrs. Bet ti.- Ui ay, was recently promoted from Lieutenant Commander to Comman der and was transferred from Alas ka to Inc Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minn., where he will be given a special course in plastic surgery Dr. and Mis. Gray had been sta tioned in Kodiak, Alaska, for two years prior to Pearl Harbor but wi*t\ the beginning of the conflict Mrs. Gray and their two children were evacuated to Seattle, Washington. Immediately after the course is completed at Mayo Clinic both Dr. and Mrs Gray will come to North Carolina for a vacation and visit with relatives. Dr. Gray, brother of Mr. Jim Gray, expects to finish his course on or about September 1st. End Revival In Poplar Point Church Tonight The series of religious services, conducted in the Poplar Point Pres byterian Church during the past sev eral days, will be brought to a close thin evening. Rev. David C Craw- | ford, pastor of the Edenton Presby j teiian Church, is conducting the; meeting. A baptismal service will be held in the church Sunday night. ~Wilui-HailSto rm Da mages _ Crops In County Tuesday j Considerable aamaeo was done to ■ niiiiiin u ifta fimd>) afternoon by wind and hail storm. Spending most o. its fu.-y in the Oak City-Hassell com munities, the hail storm nearly wiped out the crops on several farms, one ! report stating that the damage will I run as high as 75 per cent in some cases. Accompanied by a heavy rain, j the storm left only two or three leaves clinging to tobacco stalks in some fields and filled the middles with leaves and stalks. Heavy rains and some hail fell in other parts of the county, mainly in i the Robersonville and Bear Grass areas, but the damage there was be lieved not to be so very great. A f strong wind leveled many crops 1n almost ruined. Decided improvement has been reported since then, and the ‘loss will not be nearly as great as some farmers believed it would be when they visited their fields after the storm and found their corn and tobacco lying on the ground. Wlnle possibly half of the county had a regular gully-washing rain and plows were stopped for several days, other sections had hardly no rain at all and tin showers were so light that plows were kept turning. Crop conditions, for the most part, are encouraging, but quite a few far mers state that tobacco worms and chinch bugs are giving tobacco and corn a terrible beating. Sixty-two Car Tires Allotted In County By Rationing Board Car Is Issued To Negro Home Demonstration Agent l»v Hoard This Week The County War Price and Ration ing Board issued another car this week, bringing the total for the month to three. The car was allotted to Cleopatra Tyner, Negro home demonstration agent, for use in her work in the county. Twenty-nine Grade I passenger car and pick-up tires, thirty-three Grade III tires, and thirteen truck tires were allotted by the board. Passenger car and pick-up tires and tubes were issued to the follow ing: J. C. Merritt, RFD 1, Jamesville, two tubes. A. T. Perkins, Robersonville, one tire and two tubes. P. T. Edmondson, Robersonville, one tire and one tube. Kelly Rawls, Robersonville, one tube. Dr. Edward L. Early, Jr., one tire and one tube. Better Chevrolet Company, Rober sonville, one tire and one tube. G. A. Crofton, Williamston, one tube. Russell Matthews, Robersonville, two tires and one tube. L. C. Brown, Williamston, one tire and one tube. J. H. Coltrain, RED 3, Williams ton, one tire. Dr. V. E. Brown, Williamston, one .tube. __ It. Edwin Poole, Wiiliamstbri, one tire. Russell Griffin, RFD 3, Williams ton, one tire and one tube. J. W. Belflower, Jr., RFD, Pal myra, one tire. H. C. Norman, Robersonville, one tube. J. M. Highsmith, Robersonville, one tire and one tube. John R. Coltrain, RF Dl, William ston, one tire. Garland C. Tice, RFD I, Williams ton, one tire. F. L. Haislip, Jr , Hamilton, one tire. Mrs. Cletie Griffin, RFD I. Wil (Continued on page six) -* Find Child s Body Lying In the Street A prematurely-born child, its body cold in death, was found lying in White Street, just off Houghton, here early yesterday morning, Of ficer John H. Roebuck stating this morning that no clue pointing to the identity of the mother had been un covered . The small form of a body was un clothed, and its color could not be determined. Coroner S. R. Biggs was of the opinion, according to one •eport, that the child was white. When found by Joe Roberson, col ored man, about fi o’clock yesterday morning, the l>ody was right in the path of traffic, but it had not been run over, and as far as the coroner’s examination could reveal it had not been bruised. Unclaimed and t-nost certainly un wanted, 1' >■ body wa, placed in a tin can and buried in a garden near the spot where it wa.-. found Former Resident Accident Victim J. W Helvin, a native of Norfolk and for several years a resident of Williamston, da d in a Rocky Mount hospital yesterday morning at two o’clock from injuries received when he was thrown from a horse last Monday. During their stay here, Mr. Helvin and his family made many friends in the community Thirty two years of age, he was employed by a bus company. He leaves his wife, the former Miss Frances Holmes, of Rocky Mount, and a daughter, Bdlie Frances. Funeral services are being con ducted in Rocky Mount this after noon at 5 o’clock by Rev. Gray Tem ple, and interment will follow in Pine view Cemetery. GKTS AIR MEDAL Technical Sergeant Eli C. Rogers, of Williamston, was re cently honored as a member of the Eighth Air Corps when the First Oak Leaf Cluster was add ed to his Air IVIedal. The young man was last reported a prison er of the Germans. Extensive Attacks Are Maintained by Allied Air Forces -& Cain! Action in Wlikir l.nki Section Indicates! in Ruxstutt Report Wlulc tin' land military strategists eontinue to mark time with their in j vasion plans, the Allied air forces | eontinue to pulverize targets and I enemy objectives on the far-flung fronts. Reports, coming from under ground sources and without official verification, indicate that there are trying times in Germany, that the heavy poundings from the air is caus ing Hitler and his gang to draw in for defensive action, that unless some relief comes soon, the Nazi regime is subject to cave in. No immediate collapse is to tie expected, tint the air poundings are having their effect, to be certain. In the Mediterranean, airmen are believed to have almost cleared the way for an invasion of Sicily, one re port declaring that the island of about four million people had been cut off from Mussolini’s fast-crack ing mainland. Objectives are being obliterated in Germany itself, the British losing 33 planes in their last night raids, the loss indicating that the fighters and bombers were over Hitler’s head in force. In daylight yesterday, mighty blows were di rected against the Nazi “Atlantic -trail/' Allied airmen having pound ed coastal objectives all the way from the Netherlands down to Cher bourg peninsula after successfully attacking the Italian naval base of La Spezia. American airmen have been giving a pretty good account of themselves in the Pacific arena, and with the exception of activities around the Velikie Luki section in Russia, the war has taken to the air almost en tirely. How've., there is still some ,s< u ui-nutt going ult in the Mediter ranean, a late report stating that the Allies had sent to the bottom thir teen Axis ships during the past few days. In the land front fighting, the Nazis admitted that the Russians had (Continued on pagt six) i FIRST BLOSSOM v_ The first cotton blossom, a pink one, was reported on Wed nesday of this week by Farmer Lester Meeks, of the Roherson ville section of the county. The hlnssnm was found one day later in the season than the first one reported by Farmer Ira Roger son last year. Fairly complete reports from tiie seveiai farming areas indi cate that the cotton crop is very promising in the county this year, that the outlook is possi bly better than it was at the cor responding time a year ago. ..Big... Crowd Gathers 1 At Regular fusion | Of Recorder’s Court ! «( nly-lwo * —ir-» By J. C. Smith Last Monday _— ' - Recorder s Court this week drew the largest number uf spectators in several months. Judge J. Calvin Smith presided, with Elbert S. Peel serving as county solicitor. Considerable interest was shown by the spectators in the case be tween the families of L. R. Donald son and George Beach of Wiliiams ton. L. R. Donaldson was found guil ty of assault with a deadly weapon upon George Beach the court sus pending judgment upon payment of a $10 fine and one-half the costs. George Beach was found guilty of .m assault on Lois Donaldson and judgment was suspended upon pay. men; of a $5 fin. costs. In the suit against Lee Perkins and Emma Simmons, indicted for forni cation and adultery, a nol pros was taken Klher! Whichard, charged with trespass, was found not guilty, as was J H. Skinner, charged with at tempted larceny. 1 lizelle Jenkins failed to appear to answer to the charge of dispos ing of mortgaged property. Judgment nisi, si fa, capias was ordered. Three sisters, Novella, Henrietta and Lena Bullock were charged with assault on Mr. C. H. Ayers. Prayer for judgment was continued until July 19th. Louis Cherry was charged with larceny for the second time in two weeks. He was sentenced to six months on the roads with sentence to begin at expiration of road sen tence he is now serving. This de fendant was charged two weeks ago with larceny of chickens and given nine months on the roads from which lie escaped wearing clothes belong ing to the State. Oscar Burns and Booker T. Mi zelle were found guilty of larceny. Oscar Burns was given six months on the roads, sentence being suspend ed upon payment of $20 fine and costs. Booker Mizelle was ordered to pay a fine of $10 and costs. Levander Roberson, charged with larceny of two rolls of wire from Lmdsley le.- Company, vvT»TSe'ft't'6nc: ed to the roads for six months. Weldon Radcliff paid a fine of $10 and costs for reckless driving. Leon Jones was found not guilty for assault on female. Claude Salsbury, charged with vi olation of the health laws, was sen tenced To 30 ild.i.i on the roads with sentence suspended upon payment of costs and continuation of treat ments required by County Board of Health. Hill Wimbush, charged with car rying a concealed weapon, received -i road sentence of 90 days. For throwing a root at his father md causing painful injuries, Arthur Nicholson was sentenced to the roads for four months. Charged with speeding and reek ess driving, Marshall Lee Williford paid the costs and had las operator’s license suspended for thirty days. For speeding, C. D. Smith and Wade Hampton paid the costs, and :;leo P. Vandeford paid a $10 fine aid costs. Dennis Bunting appealed to the luperior court after being fined $100 aid taxed with the cost for assaulting 1 F. Crisp, ration board panel mem >er. The case charging Alex Marshall (Continued on page six) June 30 Last Day To Ca&h Lott mi Stamps Merchants of Martin County who still have stamps redeemed for cot ton fabrics under the 1941 supple nu utary cotton program must cash them on or before June 30, accord ing to J. F. Crisp, chairman of the County AAA Committee. These stamps, the chairman said, were issued to farmers in 1941 in re turn for reducing their cotton acre agf 1« low their AAA acreage allot ments, and were used to purchase cotton materials from local mer chants. “Reports received by AAA offi cials at Raleigh indicate that some of these stamps issued in this state nev er have been cashed by the mer chants who accepted them,” Mr. Crisp said. “The federal appropria tion under which these stamps were issued will expire on June 30, and all stamps not cashed by that date will become invalid as no funds will be available for this purpose." The cotton stamp plan, he said, was discontinued after 1941, but many farmers held their stamps for several months before using them. Any cotton stamps still in the hands of farmer^ can be uo* J until June 30. During operation of the plan, it is estimated that Martin County farm ers received stamps valued at ap proximately $16,012.50. Merchants desiring to cash stamps still on hand must mail them ok or before June 30 to W. KILis Jones, Chief of Fiscal Section, Food Distri bution Administration, Western Un ion Building Atlanta, Ga,