NEARLY 1900 MARTIN COUNTY
SERVICE MEN NOW READING
THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
THE ENTERPRISE
NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY
SERVICE MEN NOW READING
TIIE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
VOLUME XLVII—NUMBER 54
Willi ants ton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, July 11, 1911,
ESTABLISHED 1899
Allies Take 54,000
Nazi Prisoners In !
France Last Month
Allies Knocking Against Nazi
Inner Fortress; Russian
Drive Rolls Forward
( bitter and costly, the first phase of
the invasion just recently complet
ed is re ignized ar a preliminary
bout in the main struggle now at
hand in France, accoiding to some
observers. In the first month of the
invasion fight, the Allies have taken
54,000 German prisoners and made
ready to launch an all-out drive on
• Hitler’s innner fortress.
The great port of Cherbourg is
being made ready for extensive use
beginning possibly tomorrow. Just
as soon as the Allies can pour an
endless stream of heavy equipment
into France through the port and the
one just captured by the British at
Caen, increased action is expected,
r Much progress has been made there,
no doubt, but only a fraction of the
Allied striking power apparently has
been moved into line for an all-out
drive.
The end anchors in Rommel's de
fense line have been weighed, the
Americans taking La Haye du Puits
and the British taking Caen which
blocked the road to Paris.
According to individual reports
filleting back home, Martin County
is now well represented in France.
Frank Saunders Weaver says he is
over there and while he is behind
the lines at present, he is close
enough to hear the bullets and shells
flying by. Individual letters have
also been received from Simon Col
train, Pete Fowden, Ben Daniel, Ce
, cil Brown, Willard Peel and others,
including one or two that were
wounded there.
On the Italian front, the Germans
are offering an increased resistance,
but the Allies are pushing closer to
Leghorn.
Over on the Eastern Front, the
Russians are hardly more than s,x
days from the German border if
their rate of speed of the past few
weeks is maintained. One Soviet
army is in Latvia, another is driving
to the Polish border and still another
is pushing forward in Lithuania. The
Red Armies have driven 230 miles
in the past eighteen days, and are
about eighty miles from East Prus
sia.
Hitler’s supply, including reserves
and current production, will not last
another year ,and his gas needs, ac
4 cording to one report, will deplete
the supply in a matter of a few
months’ and possibly weeks’ time.
There is some talk about the
military favoring a peace. One fac
tion is ready to sue for pea4e and
salvage as much as they can while
the other group is ready to fight to
the last.
Over in the Pacific, progress is
still being made, but Saipan will
hold the spotlight for the present, at
least. The success there was the
most costly of the war, but over 14,
000 of the enemy was wiped out.
Fifty-eight of his ships were put out
of action and several hundred planes
were downed in the fight there. It
is believed that runways for the
big B-29’s are being built, that more
bombing of the Jap homeland will
follow.
Draft Registration
For Month Of June
, . -♦—
Twenty-two Marun County men,
most of them having just become
eighteen years of age, registered for
the draft IWBfc.'..
Three of the registrations were
delayed, the registrants, Robert
Knox, w, of RFD 1, Wilhamston, and
Melvin Cordon, col., RFD 1, James
ville having been released or hon
orably discharged by the Navy dur
ing recent week. A third registrant,
Paul P. Peel, w, of Hamilton and
Williamston, had been a patient in
a hospital for several years. Late
reports state that Mr. Peel is grad
ually improving.
Names and addresses of the other
June registrants follows:
Edgar Lee Savage, col, RFD 1,
Palmyra.
Albert Lacy Smith, w, RFD
Palmyra.
James Arthur Melton, coi, RFD 3,
* ' Williamston.
Nathaniel Davis, col., RFD 3. Wil
liamston.
Edward Curtis Carter, col, Par
mele.
Lester Carr, col, RFD l, Oak City.
Charlie James Meeks, col, Parmele
Ernest Bowen, col, RFD 2, Wil
liamston.
Robert Worsley James, Jr., w,
RFD 2, Robersonville.
Willie Lee Taylor, w, RFD 3, Wil
liamston.
Linton Eugent Roebuck, RFD 3,
Williamston.
Jesse Howard Stroud, w, Hobgood.
Sam Peter Green, col, RFD 1, Oak
City.
Malotha Bowen Price, w, RFD 3,
Williamston.
Odell Black, col, RFD 1, Roberson
ville.
Jimmy Mike Mitchell, w, William
ston.
George Green, col, Hamilton.
Fred Wilson, col, Wiiliamston.
Arlester Bagley, col, 539 Cumber
land Street, Norfolk.
MARSHALL ISLAND EXCHANGE
imsr .T
The above picture shows Cpl. James Dalburgh Riddick of
Everetts at an open post exchange somewhere in the Marshalls
making a deal with two young native women for a grass skirt.
Pfc. Louis A. Avila of Gilroy, Cal , a member of the trading
group, was deleted from the picture which was furnished by
the Seventh American Air Force. Quite a few grass skirts have
been bought by servicemen in the Southwest and Central Pa
cific and sent to this county, giving rise to the possibility that
they will be in vogue in this country in the days to come.
Army-Navy Pass 112
Men From the County
GAS REBATES
_
Saturday, July 15, is the dead
line for farmers and non-high
wav gasoline users to file claims
for state tax rebates on petrol
eum used during the months of
April, Mav and June. Claims for
refunds will be considered only
on the gasoline used for farm
ing purposes or of a non-higli
way nature during the three
months.
The offices of the Harrison
Oil Company will gladly assist
farmers in preparing their
claims for refunds.
Series Of Accidents
Reported In County
During Recent Days
Several Persons Hurl, None
Critically^ on Street*
And Highways
Two persons were hurt, possibly
not seriously but badly, in a series
of accidents on the highways and
streets in this county during the
past few days. Several other persons
went through accidents without in
jury. *
Bernice Earl Williams, twelve
mdnchs-Siu ciaugiitei oi i*lr. aiiinST'
Raymond Williams, suffered a bad
cut on tier head when her father’s
car and one driven by James E. Dan
iel, crashed at a cross roads last
Saturday evening at 6 o’clock. Jernes
E Daniel, colored, driving a 1936
Ford coupe from Parmele to Gold
Point, started to make a left-hand
turn and crashed into the Williams
car being driven by Mr. Williams
from Hassell to Robersonville. No
others were hurt and property dam
age was limited to about $25 to both
cars, Officers Early and Saunders
said after making an investigation.
Daniel was given a hearing before
Mayor H. S. Everett in Robeisoti
ville last evening and fined $10 for
operating a car w htiirnproper brakes
and driving on the wrong side of the
road
Lucius Jones, white man of Rocky
Mount and Washington City, lost
control of his mother’s 1940 Chevro
let on a highway in Goose Nest
Township and leveled the dirt on a
ditch bank for quite a distance last
Saturday evening about 6 o’clock.
No one was hurt and no damage was
reported "to the car. Charged with
drunken driving, Jones was fined
$50 in the county court here yester
(Continued on page six)
Big Oil Transport Turns
Over On Washington Road
A big oil transport loaded with
about 4,000 gallons of fuel oil turn
ed over on the Washington Highway
in Beaufort County at 2 o’clock Iasi
Tuesday morning when the drivei
went to sleep and the machine rar
j into a ditch. No one was hurt, bu
j nearly 2,500 gallons of oil leaked ou
on the ground.
Largest Number To
Pass Pre-Induction
Examination So Far
Approximately 88 Men Ke
jeeteil in Group Answer
ing Call on June 2f»lli
One hundred and twelve young
Martin County white men passed the
pre-induction examination at Fort
Bragg week before last, according
to an official audit just recently re
turned to the Martin draft board.
One of the group. Ben Hassell
Grimes, was passed for limited serv
ice only. Approximately eighty
eight men were rejected. It was first
reported that 146 of the group pass
ed thi' examination, but according
to official information only 56 per
cent of the approximately 200 was
accepted. The number was the
largest to pass the pre-induction ex
amination at any one time from this
county since the war startl'd.
Most of those passing are in their
tee nages and come principally from
the farm. A big majority is single.
The young men are now subject to
call for linal induction possibly in
August.
The names and addresses of the
men accepted and their addresses
follow:
Fred Roger,son, RFD 2, Williams
too and Newport' News.
James Elton Smith, Robersonville
and Newport News.
Elmer Haywood Swain, RFD 3,
Williamston.
Jesse Earl Rawls, Jamesville and
Wilmington, Delaware.
Leon Crafford Williams, James
(Continued on page six)
Reported Missing, Then a Prisoner of War
A nd Later Missing Again, Youth Is Found
Marvin Melvin Whitfield, young
son of Mrs. Pearl Whitfield of Gold
Point, has had a hectic time in this
war to date. For him it has been a
war of hide and seek in addition to
the dangers of battle.
All the details an not yet known,
but it is quite certain that his record
is a most unusual one, that he will
have much to tell when he returns
home.
His record paralleled that of mil
lions of other G. I Joes up until
about the middle of February last
year. About the time, Rommel, the
old desert fox, stormed Faid Pass
in Nor'h Africa, young Whitfield, on
February 14, was reported missing
in action. About six weeks later or
on March 31, he was reported by the
International Red Cross held pris
oner by the Italian Government pre
sumably in Italy. Seven months
passed and he was reported missing
again, a letter received in January
of this year by his s.ster, Mrs. Kelly
Davenport of Williamston, stating
1 that he was a prisoner of the Italians
Thirty-Nine County
Colored Men Report
For Firath hwhirtww
Thirteen Married Men Leave
Fifteen ('liililrcn anil
29 Are Fariner
Thirty-nine Martin County color
ed men left the county yesterday for
final induction into the armed serv
ices. It could not he learned immed
iately if all would enter the Army
or the Navy or be distributed among
the various branches of the service.
Thirteen of the men leave wives
and a total of fifteen children at
homo. Twenty-nine of the men come
from the farms. All of the men are
in their early twenties, two missing
ago deferments by a matter of only
a few days. One will be 26 before
the present month is spent.
The names and addressee of those
reporting for active service follow:
George Daniel, RFD 2, Williarns
ton, and RFD 3, Washington, N. C.
Ivory Lee Bryant, RFD 1, Oak City
and Norfolk.
Stephen Griffin RFD 2. Williams
ton.
Willie Clifton Jones, RFD 2. Rob
ersonvillo.
William T. Williams, Williainston.
Wilie Floyd Scott, Robersonville.
Abort Williams, Everetts.
Eddie Sanders Clemmons, RFD 3,
Washington.
Wheeler Ben Latham, RFD 3, Wil
liamston.
Alfonsa Slade, RFD 1, Roberson
Chester Peel, RFD 1, Jamesville.
John Wessley Dunn, RFD, Rober
sonville.
Abraham Cordon, RFD 1, James
ville.
Alvin Darphy Windley, Jamesville
and Norfolk.
Walter Edison Cordon, RFD 1,
Jamesville.
Clarence Bowen, Williamston.
Spurgin Lambson, Williamston
John Henry Shephard, Oak City
James Calvin Overton, RFD 1.
Robersonville.
Tarleton Davis, RFD 2, Roberson
ville.
James Edward Berry, RFD 1,
Jamesville and RFD 2, Winterville.
Julius Cherry, RFD 1, Bethel.
Andrew Ilube Brown, RFD 2, Wil
liamston.
Russell Armstrong, RFD 1, Rob
ersonville.
Muriel Dennis Rascoe, Williams
ton.
Willie Jasper Jones, RFD 1, Rob
■ •rsonville.
Robert Peel, Jr., RFD 2, William
ston.
S. T. Jackson RFD 1, Roberson
ville.
James Ed Andrews, RFD 1, Rob
ersonville.
Elijah Junior Close, Jamesville
and Roper, N. C.
Elijah Fields, Jr., RFD 1 Palmy
ra.
Roman Lock, Oak City.
Harvey Lee Parker, Oak City.
Robert Louis Davis, RFD 1, Oak
(Continued on page six)
THE RECORD
SPEAKS . . .
Two persons were hurt and u
property damage estimated at
$1,150 resulted in a series of four
highway accidents in this coun
ty last week, the count to dale
offering a bad accident record
picture.
The following tabulations of
fer a comparison of the accident
by corresponding
weeks in this year and last and
for each year to the present time.
27 th Week Comparison
Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge
1944 420 $1150
1943 0 0 0 000
Comparison To Date
31 17 2
23 11 5
1944
1943
6900
3250
li
MARVIN MELVIN WHITFIELD
and was getting along all right. The
letter apparently was written the
Renewed Plea Heard For the
Purchase Of More “E” Bonds
With the sale of “E" bonds lag
Ring in most of the ten twonships in
the county, Herman A. Bowen,
chairman of the Fifth War Loan
Drive, today made a renewed plea
the goal. It is no little job in same
of the twonships. but the people of
this county only have to invest about
$4 per capita to push the drive to a
successful conclusion before the
end of this month. Jamesville has
reached and passed its "E” bond
quota, but according to last reports
it was a bit short on its over-all
quota. Only two other townships, '
Popular Point and Hamilton, have i
reached and passed their "E" bond J
goals, and these two districts have I
also raised their quota in other I
types of bonds.
Williams Township is only about
$550 behind in its “E” quota. Grif
fins is lagging by only about $600.
Bear Grass is just a little over $1,
000 behind. Williamston is $40,
000 short after raising $80,148 75 of
its "E” quota. Cross Roads is lag
ging badly from a percentage point
and about $(5,750 in sales. Rober
sonville is about $35,000 short, and
Goose Nest is less than $2,000 from
ils goal. Five townships have reach
ed their overall quoImS, but are vet
measure up.
Following
bond quotas
townships:
are he figures for "E"
and “E” Dond sales by
Jamesville
Will; jins
Griffins
Bear Grass
Williamston
Cross Roads
Robersonville
Poplar Point
Hamilton
Goose Nest
Quota
5 8,350
3,900
15.600
10,000
120,300
10,000
85,800
4,000
17,850
9,650
Sales
9.042.00
3.353.00
14,924.50
8.873.25
80.148.75
3,279.50
50,387.00
4.858.25
22.377.75
7,765.75
$285,150 $205,120.75
Paul Bailey, Cross Roads Town
ship chairman, said. “Our township
has in every other drive met its quo
ta. We are short about $10,000 in this
one. Let’s not have it said we failed
to back our boys in the tight to the
limit.”
Board Cuts Town Tax
Bate by Twenty Cents
-<$>- <8
Youth Delinquency
IVohleni Is Dumped
In Lap of Committee
Propose Chief Appointment
And Additions to the Co
ral Police Force
Meeting in a long session last eve
ning, the local town commissioners
discussed a varied business calendar
but delayed action on most of them
pending the completion of investiga
tions and special studies by a com
mittee.
Definite action was taken on the
proposed budget figures, the board
tentatively adopting a $2 tax rate on
the $100 assessed property valua
tion. The rate, maintaining a down
ward trend in taxation assessments,
is twenty cents below the 1043-44
fiscal year figure. Complete budget
figures will not be available until
the latter part of this week, but
Treasurer N. C. Green explained
that little change had been made in
most of them. Substantial increases
were allowed for the purchase of ad
ditional equipment for the fire and
street departments, $3,500 for the
first and $1,500 for the latter. The
rate is based on a general property
valuation of $2,501,039, a total of
$144,509 greater than the base tax
value for the past fiscal year.
The gradual increase m the amount
of salt in the town’s water supply
was discussed and the board sug
gested that more water be pumped
from the old wells until the situa
tion can be remedied. Efforts are
being made to solve the problem, it
was explained to the board.
No definite action has been taken,
but plans are being advanced for
moving the town’s trash dump from
the river to another site just off the
Jamesville Road.
The fire department chief, G. P.
Hall, was instructed to make inquir
ies about the possibility of purchas
ing additional fire-fighting equip
ment and report to the board his
findings at the next meeting.
The subject of delinquency, both
juvenile and adult, was briefly air
ed when representatives of the min
isterial association and woman’s
club appeared before the board and
(Continued on page six)
early part of last November. That
message ..as the last direct word
received by relatives from the young
man, and yesterday his mother re
ceived a message from the War De
partment stating that her son had
been found and that he was return
ing to active duty presumably in
Italy.
A letter will follow, according to
the brief message received by rela
tives here last evening, but it isn’t
likely that the young man's ups and
downs will be revealed before he
returns home.
It is believed by some that Whit
field, after being captured in North
! Africa, was removed to an Italian
prison camp in Italy where he was
held until the Allies moved in. It is
thought that he either escaped or
i was released, and that possibly he
was held in hiding by the Italian un
derground until the territory where
he was located was liberated by Al
lied forces. Similar stories have been
told by other young men.
Whitfield volunteered for service
more than four years ago.
K A IN F ALL
The grip held by dry weath
er continues unbroken in this
immediate section with the ex
ception of a few scattered spots
where the rainfall, while not al
together adequate, has been of
sufficient volume to make for
fairly good crops.
Less than three inches—2.74,
to be exact—of rain have fallen
here since the first of IVlay, and
April was no wet month. Only
one rain of more than an inch
has been reported here since last
March. In May there were 1.51
inches of rain, or less than half
the fall in April. Eighty-nine
one-hundredths of an inch fell in
June, and up until shortly be
fore noon today, the total for
July was only .34 of one inch.
Early Morning Fire
Destroys Home Here
on Smithwick Street
I'imncii (lulled Tlirri* About
Four IIoiii'h Previously
To Put Out Fire
Fire of unknown origin destroyed
the home of Mr. and Mrs. Eddie
Price on South Smithwick Street
lu re at 3:20 o’clock yesterday morn
ing and wrecked most of the house
furnishings, Fire Chief tJ. 1“ Hall
estimating the damage to the build
ing at about $1,500 and that to the
furniture and furnishings at about
$500. According to the chief’s re
port, $1,000 insurance was carried on
the building by the owner, It. L
Whitfield of Newport News, and
$1,000 on the furniture.
Shortly before 11 o’clock Sunday
night, firemen were called to the
home when ihri^^^'' discovered in
tfie kitchen. /VppaTeiitly starting in
the wood box from a discarded cig
arette, the fire burned a small place
in the wall and blistered the ceiling.
The occupants of the house had the
fire out when the fire-fighting ap
pratue was carried to the scene.
Fairly certain the fire was out, the
firemen returned the equipment, and
it was stated that members of the
family watched for a possible flare
up of the fire until about 1 o’clock.
Just about four hours later, neigh
bors saw fire burning through the
roof of the “L”, and by the time the
alarm was sounded all that section of
town was lighted by the blaze There
was a short delay in handling the
call, but it v/as declared that the
fire had gained considerable head
way before it was discovered. Mem
bers of the family were quoted as
saying that fire was burning over
their heads when they discovered
it, that they were forced to flee from
the house partly dressed. Nothing
was saved during the fire, but sev
eral pieces of furniture were re
moved from the front two rooms
of the five-room house later with
(Continued on page six)
(bounty Boy Travels Great
Distance in Recent Months
-$
Bill Fagan, junior engineer in the
Merchant Marine, has just return
ed to this country following exten
sive travels during the past two and
one-half months. He went to Scot
land, participated in the invasion,
transferred the wounded from
France, traveled in the far north,
bobbed up at Curacao off Eouth Am
erica and just landed in New York.
He is the son of Mr. and Mrs. C. B.
Fagan of Dardens.
m
Over One Hundred
Tires Allotted Bv
Board Last Friday
Manufacturers Declare The
Truck Tire Situation
wmnawriBHii mmmamurnm
More than one hundred tires—8(i
for passenger cars and twenty for
light and heavy trucks—were ra
tioned by the War Price and Ration
ing Board in this county last Friday
Rationing authorities offered no
comment, but according to informa
tion coming direct from the manu
facturers, the truck tire situation is
rapidly becoming more critical. Big
truck tiro allotments have been re
duced almost t:> a minimum, and tire
dealers say they will not be surpris
ed if many trucks are forced off the
road in this section before the sum
mer is spent.
Grade l tires were issued to the
following:
James M. Perry, Robersonville,
two.
Julius Cherry, Robersonville, one.
Sadie Mae James, RFD 1. James
ville, two.
Fenner Bonds, RFD 2, Williams
ton, one.
S. R. Coburn, RFD 1, Jamesville,
two.
H. O. Gurganus, RFD 2, Willuim
ston, one.
Rudolph Goff. RFD 3, William
stun, one.
Adolphus Cotten, Hobgood, one.
James E. Leathers, Hobgood, one.
R. B. Brown, Williamston, one.
H. H. Corey, Jamesville, one.
Elmo Bullock, Robersonville, one.
Alphonazo Little, RFD 2. William
ston, two.
Nep Lee, Robersonville, two.
Daisy Marie Manning, Jamesville,
one.
Roy Clark. RFD 3. Williamston,
two.
Charlie Mill. RFD 3, Williamston
one.
Archie E. Hardison, Jamesville,
one.
Jas 1) Riddick, Everetts, one.
A. L. Hardy, RFD 2. Williamston,
one.
Jesse T. Price, Williamston, two.
W S. Rogerson, RFD 2, William
ston, two.
A. P .Hyman, Palmyra, two.
J. L. Wynne, Robersonville, two.
Ervin Roberson, Robersonville,
two.
J R. Rawls, Oak City, one.
Irving James, Jamesville, two.
William Little, RFD 2, William
ston, one.
Lester Bryant, RFD 3, William
ston, one.
George Hopkins, RED 1. James
ville, one.
Jim Haislip, RED 2, Robersonville,
two.
James 11, Gray, Jr., Robersonville,
one.
W G. Peel, Williamston, one.
S. E. Parker, Robersonville, one.
S. R. Jackson, Robersonville, one.
Oscar Stalls, Robersonville, one
S, A Perry, RED 2. Williamston,
one.
Archie Griffin, RED 1, William
ston, one.
B A. Critcher, Williamston, one.
Mrs. Mary Hardison, RED 1, Wil
liamston, two.
(Continued on page six)
Ciuli SoihIs 20,000
SmokesTo Soldiers
The local Lions Club recently
placed another order with a leading
cigUl i V * 20,0(10
more cigarettes to be distributed
free to our fighting forces on the
front liner. They requested that this
shipment be sent to a battlefront in
the Pacific theatre. This shipment,
representing an expenditure of
$50.00, was made possible by the
contributions of local and county
citizens, through the club’s collec
tion jars.
The club’s committee in charge of
this project has just completed its
third round of collections, and they
wish to publicly acknowledge the re
sults of the 3 leading jars. First
place honors for this period go to the
jar located at Mrs Joe Johnson’s
store near Piruy Grove Bapt's*
Church, where $ii 15 was donated,
to set a record to date This is the
second time that this location has
taken top honors, having been high
the first period.
Incidentally, Mrs. Johnson’s hus
band is serving in the armed forces.
Second place homes go to Terry
Brothers store at Bear Grass, where
$7.18 was collected. One of the pro
prietors of this firm is now serving
in the U. S. Navy. In third place
was Central Cafe, the jar there gath
ering $8.44 for the period.
The club wishes to thank all the
operators of establishments in which
these collection jars are located, for
their cooperation and interest. A
summary shows that the four lead
ing locations, with the total amounts
collected to date, are as follows:
1st, Mrs. Joe Johnson's store- $21.25:
2nd, Clark’s Pharmacy—$14.40; 3rd,
Central Cafe—$14.12; 4th, Terry
Bros, store $12.53. The last named
place has had a jar for only two
periods, while the others were locat
ed at about the same time, and three
collections have been taken from
each of them.