NEARLY 1000 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 THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK. VOLUME XLVII—N UMBER 70 William ston. Marlin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, September 5, 1944. ESTABLISHED 1899 Peace Rumors Heard Following American -Bri —— Belgium Freed and Allies in Holland; Russians Start New Offensive Confusing end delayed reports coming from the European War Theater have been interpreted to mean that a move in the direction of peace there is in the making. Rec ognized news agencies have men tioned certain peace overtures, but they hastened to point out that they were rumors and could not be con firmed. The first of the more recent peace rumors came out of Switzerland, a dispatch stating “that the German government has been making efforts to establish contact with Allied rep resentatives in order to obtain a compromise peace.” The move tow ard peace was described as the most serious to date. The peace proposal runs counter to the “unconditional surrender” ultimatum issued by the Allies, and it is likely that the Ger mans will have to return and come again. Following the Switzerland re port, the Brussels radio was quoted this morning as saying that Germany has capitulated to the Allies. The source of the report could not be traced, and it was not given much credence in official quarters. It is possible that the Brussels radio meant the Germans had all but sur rendered in the face of the powerful Allied push into Belgium over the week-end. The position of the Allied armies in Europe is clothed in secrecy. It is quite certain that the powerful drive has been extended into Holland, and rumors maintain that the Allies, pos sibly General Patton’s smashing forces, had driven two miles into Germany, that they were storming the Siegfried line. On the strength of developments on the Western Front it is hard to understand how Germany can hold out much longer. In Southern France the Allies have moved 65 miles be yond Lyons, France's third largest city. The Canadians and British have the rocket coast under con trol, the maneuvers there cutting off thousands of Germans. On the Italian front, Hitler’s Goth ic line is wavering, late reports stat ing that advances, fourteen miles deep, had been made on a twenty mile front. The Russians, after centering their work in the Balkan areas, have re newed their activities in the War saw sector. The initial drive after the lull there netted 13,000 German dead, but it was not quite clear whether the action would mark a re newal of a general offensive all along the Eastern Front, a drive to liberate battle-torn Warsaw or mark the beginning of a drive toward Ber lin. Military observers, paying little attention to peace rumors, are of the opinion that the “pay-off” in this war will come as a result of the ac tion now getting underway on the Polish Front. It has been argued that one more big battle is necessary to the removal of the last barriers to peace. In the Pacific, especial attention is being given to the clearing of a path for a drive to the Philippines. More ships have been sunk in recent days in that area and the Bonin and Vol cano bases have been blasted by ~ ^(Continued on page six) County Authorities In Regular Meeting With very little business on their calendar, the Martin County com missioners yesterday held one of their shortest sessions in recent months. The session was adjourn ed before noon. Commissioners Per ry, Coltrain, Roberson and Haislip were present for the meeting. The commissioners authorized the county account to make corrections in tax accounts where errors are evident. M. L. Peel was reappointed tax collector for the new tax year. A salary of $25 a week was fixed for Mrs. Richard Smith, applications clerk, who works in the Martin County War Price and Rationing Board office. The Welfare Department listed its expenditures for August at $5,687.21. the county paying $2,864.19 as its part. The new 1944-45 tax books were not turned over to the collector at the meeting, but a special session will be held later this month when the records will be audited and the new accounts are charged against the collector. The new tax books have been com pleted and the notices are being made ready for the mails. Two Suita For Divorce Are Filed In Superior Court -« Two divorce suits, both based on two years of separation, were filed in the Martin County Superior Court last week. One was started by Luzetta Knight against Jonah Knight and the other by Lillie Rog ers against Octavius Rogers. r Tobacco Sales Are Well Over Half Million Pounds To Date After holding to an unusually low j level during the first week of thej marketing season, tobacco sales start ed jumping in size on the local mar ket today. Early estimates placed the poundage for today at close to 275, 000 and the leaf was still moving in to the warehouses at 11 o’clock this morning. The market will possibly end the sales with a small amount of leaf unsold, but the block will not be of any great size. Prices for the most part are hold ing firm and 47-cent piles are possi bly more numerous today than they have been at any time so far this season. Last Friday, the market sold ap proximately 154,000 pounds, the largest sale of the season up until today. The price average still holds to a figure between 42 and 43 cents a pound, and farmers are still grati fied with their sales. With few exceptions the harvest season is being completed in the county this week, and it is quite like ly that the laborious task will be completed in its entirety next week. Those farmers who have completed the harvest and curing, are now busy preparing the loaf for the market, and it is generally believed that the volume of sales will steadily climb from day to day. A report on the first week sales in the belt states that the poundage offered for sale during the period was the smallest in many years. There were 1G,156,716 pounds sold in the belt the first week for an average of $42.03. Last year, when the open ing week consisted of only four sales days, 28.892,000 pounds were sold at an average of $38.66. A government report states that dealers and manufacturers now hold 365.310.000 pounds of bright flue cured leaf an hand as compared with 435.310.000 pounds in storage a year ago. MEETINGS Preparatory to the opening of the public schools in this coun ty on Monday, September 18th, education authorities are plan ning a series of pre-school meet ings, including a county-wide gathering of teachers here on Thursday, September 14. Inci dentally, the teachers’ pay will start as of that date and checks will be issued for the first month two weeks after that date, it was said. Thursday afternoon of this week, representatives from sev eral schools in the county will meet here to formulate plans for the county-wide meeting to be held on the 14th. The principals will hold their meeting on Wed nesday, September 13. Nine Marriages Are Reported In County During Past Month ■ —<*>— Ihkiiuiicc Ih Smallest for Any August Since Depression Year of 1932 -$ Nine marriage licenses were issued in this county last rnonth, the num her of recorded marriages in that period being the smallest for any August since the depression year of 1932 when seven licenses were is sued. For the second consecutive month, only one marriage license was issued to white applicants. Not since July, 1931, had the number of white marriages recorded in this county reached such an inconse quential low figure. In a few instances, Marlin Coun ty parties married outside the coun ty last month, but even then Cupid has made little progress under ex isting war conditions in recent weeks. In the year before the out break of war in 1941, there were 226 recorded marriages in the coun ty. Each year the number has dwin dled, and it is now fairly apparent that a new record low will be reach ed this year. So far this year only 118 marriage licenses have been is sued "in this county. Licenses were sold last month to the one white and eight colored cou ples, as follows: White Irving Bennett and Pattie Modlin, both of Williamston. Colored William C. Jenkins and Pattie Broadie, both of Hassell. James Earl Purvis and Willet Wil son, both of Robersonville. William Henry Bryant and Rosa Clark, both of Palmyra. Luther Spruill and Ruth Reddick Page, botli of Williamston. William Reddick, RED 2, William ston, and Elnora Jones, of Williams ton. M. C. Lawrence, of Oak City, and Ella Purvis, RED, Williamston. Earma Staton, of Oak City, and Beatrice Williams ,of Hamilton. (Continued on page six) County Board Buys Home In Jainesville The Martin County Board of Edu cation recently purchased the Hardi son home and all its furnishings for $6,200 in Jamesville. The property is to be used as a teacherage for the school there. Arrangements are being made tc open and maintain the home during the corning school term, it was an nounced. -<8> Farmer Ralph Taylor Lo»es Tobacco Barr Farmer Ralph Taylor lost a ban packed with tobacco on his nea: here last week. It was about the 22m barn destroyed by fire in the count; this season. Ten Thousand More Surgical Dressings Need To Be Folded —$— Kepeat Call For Volunteers To Help Complete Task As Soon as Possible Starting out several weeks ago with 50,400 surgical dressings to be prepared for use by the armed forces the local Red Cross room with the help of willing volunteers at James villo, Bear Grass and Hamilton has reduced that number to about ten thousand, according to a check made after the project was closed last night until this afternoon. Approximately fifty persons found time to visit the room since last Thursday afternoon, but it is strik ingly apparent that the room is not receiving the support it should get. To be perfectly frank, it is dis heartening to those who make every effort to visit the room as often as possible to see the same old crowds, their heads hanging high, moving to the amusement centers and never finding time to darken the bandage room door to help in a work that is designed to help relieve suffering humanity. The little group at the bandage room last night prepared 1,000 ban dages. It is possible for an increased number of volunteers to move in and complete the task this week. Quite a few local people are doing their part in the war effort in other ways, but there are others who could well afford to volunteer and help com plete the surgical dressings project. Nine volunteers reported at the bandage room opened in Hamilton yesterday. No report has been re ceived on the progress there, but Mrs. J. B. Taylor who went there yesterday to help start the work is confident that the task will be han dled rapidly. Jamesville and Bear Grass are still working on their quo tas, and it is now hoped that the project will be completed by the middle of the month. The names of those reporting to the room here since last Thursday afternoon follow: Thursday night: Mesdames M. M. Levin, B. S. Courtney, Call Wynne, Dolmas Barnhill and J. H. Edwards and Misses Evelyn Wynne and Ethel Guest. Friday afternoon: Mesdames J. D. Page, Harcum Grimes, Travis Kitch in, Dean Speight, Luther Peel, Jack Hardison, and Frank Weaver. (Continued on page six) -i County Young Man Writes from France -qp, Writing to his mother, Mrs, Lew enda Mobley, RFD 3, Williamston, Pvt. LeRoy Mobley who is now in France, said in part: “Today is Sunday and it is a very beautiful day here. 1 went to church this mWe have service in a tent and sat on the ground. I enjoy ed it very much. There are many boys attending church here every Sunday. “I haven’t received any mail since 1 have been over here. Maybe I will get some next week. The people ov er here are very nice to us even if we 'can’t understand them When we go through a town they wave to us like a bunch of kids. JThere isn’t much left of their homes and towns. We have very warm days but the nights 1 are cool.” Tobacco Barn Fire Is Checked By Hard Work More than twenty tobacco barns have been destroyed by fire in the county this season, and another one i was nearly lost by fire last week. Farmer Lucian Hardison and neigh i bors saved a bain on his farm last • week after much of the tobacco and I one gable in the barn had burned, r “We saved it hv hard work,” Mr. Hardison explained. MARTIN COUNTY In WORM) WAR I (Reviewed from old Enterprise files twenty-seven years ago) May 24, 1918. Never in the history of Martin County has there been such a scene as that enacted here yesterday, when a magnificently planned and execut ed Red Cross parade formed on the nigh school campus, and led by Asa J. Manning mounted on a horse and carrying a large United States flag, marched up Mam Street to Kim, thence to Haughton and up to Sim mons Avenue, down Smithwick to the Main again and ending at the Brick Warehouse. Private Ronald Campbell, an Am erican who has just returned from France, and who was sent here by the Red Cross to address the mass meeting, seated in a cai with several citizens, followed and immediately behind came the Macclesfield band in full dress: ik xt came in order the Home Guards, High School girls, Junior Red Cross of the High School here, Martin County chapter’s float exhibiting Red Cross work room, Hamilton Auxiliary’s float with sol diers and nurses, Oak City float with Red Cross workers. At 8:30 p. m., the Brick Ware house was packed to the doors to lis ten to Private Ronald Campbell, who was presented to the audience by W. R. Burrell; the audience sang “Am erica," and then every eye was on the speaker, who talked interesting ly of his experience in the war. He went over to France to drive an am bulance before the U. S. went in. He had with him German gas masks, ri fle, pistols, machine gun, bayonets, which he had taken from the enemy and exhibited steroptican slides. Ap peals were made to increase the fund, and dozens responded. Dr. Higgs announced that $7,500 had been given, and the apportionment was only $1,500. May 31, 1918. Charles S. Biggs has enlisted in the Marines this week. Robert S. Biggs, who lias been at Camp Mc Clellan, Anniston, Ala., has left there (Continued on page six) -$ Name Principal For Bear Grass School D. F. Giles, experienced school man and well known in education circles in North Carolina, has form ally accepted the principalship of the Bear Grass school, it was an nounced last week-end. Mr, Giles, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, was in the county last week-end making ready to move into the teacherage at Bear Grass. Mrs. Giles, also well known in education and civic circles in the State, will teach the fifth grade. Retiring from the school room some years ago, Mr. Giles, recogniz ing the need for teachers, returned to the profession and taught in Chadbourn last year, During his long service in the field of education, Mr. Giles was superintendent of schools in Wake County and later in Morganton and still later he was connected with the State Board of Education. The election of Mr. Giles to the faculty leaves five positions to be filled. Applications for most of the five positions are being considered, it was learned. The following elec tions were recently reported: Miss Lucy Mat Crofton, second grade; Mrs. Grace Ayers, third; Mrs. Cox, fourth grade; Mis. D. F. Giles, fifth grade, and Mr. Giles, principal and high school teacher. CORRECTION Reporting the capture of a liquor still near Williamston last week, it was stated through error that Jesse Council was arrested at the plant. It was William Council, Williamston man, who was found at the plant. The Enterprise gladly corrects the r>>' take. | THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . Motorists on Martin County highways and streets traveled through the first week of the marketing season virtually un scathed. The record was possi bly best for a first week in the marketing season in recent years. Sales were light and ap parently the “week of wrecks” was postponed. Then, too, there aren’t any new cars and few seconds moving into the high ways now. The following tabulations of fer a comparison of the accident trend: first, by corresponding weeks in this year and last and for each year to the present time. 35th Week Comparison Accidents Inj’d Killed Dam’ge 1944 1 0 0 $ 200 1943 210 50 Comparison To Date . j 1944 45 23 1 1943 31 15 5 8050 4825 Land in This County Leased This ’Wvrk TwSi,mtdui.di'Qil CiMipany And Others For Oil Prospeeting Town Commissioners Vote To Purchase A New Fire Truck With very little business on their calendar, the local town commis sioners in a short session last evening discussed the need for new fire-fight ing equipment and voted to buy a new truck. Tentative specifications were studied, but details will be handled with a special factory rep resentative, possibly within the next few days. On a motion offered by Commis sioner V. D. Godwin and seconded by Commissioner L. P. Lindsley, the board voted to purchase a Model 75 Mack Truck. Costing $7,H2G, the new machine has a pumping capacity of 750 gallons per minute and is pow ered by a 165-horsepower motor. The cost is for the truck completely equipped with the exception of hose and nozzles, meaning that the com pk'U' job including hose will call* for an expenditure of approximately $10,000. Priorities will have to be obtained before the order can be accepted by the company, but it is believed delivery can be effected in about 120 days. The commissioners were first in favor of purchasing a 500-gallon pumper costing $5,000 equipped ex cept for hose, but a majority voted in favor of the larger machine. The old truck now in operation was purchased in 1928, or about six teen years ago, and cost $11,500 with out hose and minor equipment. The volunteer firemen have managed to answer most calls with it, but on sev eral occasions it had to be pulled in for repairs, and at various times it has been out of commission for short periods. Respected Farmer Dies at Home Near Here Last Friday Funeral Serviees Art* Held Sunday Afternoon For Mr. J. S. Meeks John Sam Meeks, respected citi zen and industrious farmer, died at his home near Williamston on the old Everetts Hoad last Friday after noon at 4:30 o’clock following a long period of declining health. He suffer ed a light stroke six years ago and a second one about two years ago. Hi' partially recovered from both strokes and was able to attend to a few mi nor duties around the home and farm. On August 25 lie was attend ing to a few minor duties near the house and fell, the victim of a third stroke from which he never rallied. The son of the late Marion and Nancy Moon* Meeks, he was born near Robersonville on November 4, 1859. He spent his early life in that section and on the farm. He lived and farmed in the Hamilton section one year and following his mar riage to Miss Martha Bowen nearly sixty years ago he located near Wil liamston where he continued to farm, proving himself a good neigh bor and one who held the respect of his fellowman. Mr. Meeks was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church for nearly half a century, his life reflecting the teachings of the late Elder Sylvester Hassell. He was faithful to the church, attend ing services regularly and seldom missing a chance to worship some where every Sunday as long as he was able. Following the death of his first wife about 25 years ago, he was mar ried to Mrs. Maggie Bullock Keel who survives. Hi- leaves no chil dren by either marriage, but he is survived by a brother, Mr. Jim Meeks, of Robersonville; three step children, Wm. Ashley Keel of Scot land Neck; Mrs. Jasper Smith, of Portsmouth, and Mrs. Donald Mc Diarmid, of Ashland, Kentucky; eight (Continued on page six) Lieut. S. W. Manning Gets Coveted Award —■-$ An Eighth Air Force Bomber Sta tion, England- 1st Lieutenant Simon W. Manning, of Williamston, N. C., 24-year-old pilot of the Eighth Air Force B-17 Flying Fortress “The Eagle’s Wrath,” has been awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for “exli aordinaiy achievement.” while participating in the massive air as sault against military and industrial targets in Nazi-held territory. The son of Mrs. S. W. Manning of Williamston, the flyer has prev iously been awarded the Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters. He wife, Mrs. Anne Manning, is alsc a resident of Williamston. A former self-employed service station operator, Lt. Manning enlist ed in the AAF in August, 1941. He received his pilot’s training at Fori Sumner, New Mexico, and was awarded his wings and commissior iti August, 1943. S' Arthur Perry Added To The Loral Police Foret -• Appointed by Chief of Police Chas R. Mobley just recently, Arthu Perry, former local man who return ed home a short time ago following ■ long residence in Brooklyn, enterer upon his new duties as a member o the local police force last night. Hi is the third member of the nigh force. ADI JED TEACHERS Four additional teachers were added to several of the county seliool faculties a few days ago when the State Board of Fduca tion liberalized its allotments and materially boosted the num ber for the State, as a whole. fine teacher over the 1943-44 schedules was allowed each of the schools at Jamesville, Farm Fife, Kobersonville and William ston, boosting the total number in the white schools to eighty nine, exclusive of departmental teachers. The task now facing education authorities is to find the teach ers. Firemen ("ailed To Stable Fire Sunday Believed to have been of incen diary origin, fire threatened the sta bles and pack barn of Dr. J. S. Rhodes just off Grace Street here last Sunday night at 11 o’clock. The fire was discovered soon after it was started and firemen brought it under control before much damage was done. It is thought that prowlers start ed the fire. A match, partly spent, was found at the door of the stall where the fire started, and the main door to the barn had been unfasten ed. Two mules, barred in their stalls, had been released and they attracted attention when they entered the doc tor’s flower garden. The fire, starting in a hay rack, burned through the loft floor, but several barns of tobacco and a quan tity of feed were not damaged. Shortly before 11 o’clock yester day morning, tin.- volunteer firemen were called to the home of Mr. and Mrs. Julian Harrell on Williams Street. Starting from a defective flue, the fire caused minor damage to the kitchen roof. Twelve hours later the firemen were called to a trash fire back of Rose’s store. No damage was done but much smoke filtered into an open second-story window. The alarm was sounded shortly before 11 o'clock last night when smoke was seen pouring from the second floor windows. The trash fire was burn ing just back of the building and a draft through the second floor of the building carried the smoke into the street. - Autos Damaged In Main Street Wreck No one was badly hurt but dam age estimated at $2(10 resulted when two cars figured in a head-on colli sion on West Main Street about 9 o’clock iast Sunday night. Haywood Woodrow Gardner, driv ing George Gardner’s Ford, was go ing west and Boot Wilson of near Hassell was driving east on the street when the cars crashed. George Gardner, passenger in the Ford, was slightly cut on the nose. Kader Rawls, Letha Gardner and B. Moore, other passengers in the Gardner cat , were not hurt. Wilson was accom panied by Maggie Page, Selma and Velma Page and Clarice Hope. A hearing was scheduled before , Justice J. L. Hassell. - , —- - II. H. Comm anil Will Perkins Are First To Have Their Leases Heeorileil Several hundred acres of swamp land belonging to H. H. Cowen and Will Perkins and thousands of oth er acres controlled by the State have been leased to oil companies or pros pecting individuals, it was learned this week from the office of regis ter of deeds where three leases were filed for record"ig yesterday. It is understood that other leases are pending in this county, but those covering the Cowen and Perkins lands and propertly owned or con trolled by the State were the first to be recorded in this county. Exploration rights were based on a flat rental of ten cents an acre, the leasers to share one-eighth of the proceeds, if any, gained from the sale of oil from the lands. The terms of the leases, one fill'd by the Standard Oil Company and the other by A. J. Kellog, of Dal las, Texas, are similar. The Kellog lease, covering 226 acres of the Cow en land and 500 acres of the Per kins land located about three miles northwest of Williamston, calls for drilling within one year on those lands or on lands pooled by the leasee. The Standard Oil lease al lows eighteen months and further stipulates that the leasee is to sink a week at least 5,000 feet, if neces sary, before abandoning the project. The leases are to run ten years, but if no test wells are sunk within the stipulated time, the leases must lie renewed at the end of the first year in the case of the Kellog lease. The Standard Oil Company, it is understood, has procured leases on thousands of acres of State-owned or controlled river and lake bottoms. Most of the other leases cover ex ploration rights on swamplands northwest of Williamston. The big leases cover lands to the southeast of Williamston are confined in an area bordered on the south by Wash ington and running east to the At lantic Ocean, including several coun ties. It could not be learned here who Kellog was representing. It is pos sible that he is representing a com pany of his own or that he is an agent for other oil firms. Several representatives have con tacted landowners in this section, seeking leases, but only three agree ments have been filed so far in this county for recording in the office of the register of deeds. The prospect of finding oil in east ern North Carolina has occasioned much talk in some sections, but lit tle public attention has been given it in this county. It is quite likely that other land owners will grant the prospectors leases in the county during the next fi'W weeks. -- Hoard Allots Sixty Tires Last Friday Sixty tiros, fifty-three for pas senger cars and seven for small trucks, were allotted by the Martin County War Price and Rationing Hoard last Friday night. No tires for large trucks were allotted. Grade I tires were issued to the following: Raleigh Lilley, C. H. Ange, Russell Williams, Thurman Williams, Velma Hailey, Mrs. Dora C. Rawls, W. R. Griffin, Henry Modlin, Vernon Phelps, G. C. Jones, J. J. Whitley, Cortez Green, Willis Williams, King Tobacco Company, 1,. X. Roberson, Mrs. John Henry Roberson, Jr., S. T. Wynne, John Chance, Wheeler Rogerson, Dr. John Williams, L. H. Rawls, S. L. Ellis, J. Carl Griffin, R. L. Coburn, Archie T. Coltrain, Mar cellus House, J. V. Andrews, R. B. Jones, Cecil G. Leggett, John Biggs, C. M. Anderson, N. W. Worsley, P. M. Holliday, Lemuel McCoy Roe buck, L. A. Weaver, A. L. Harrison, Clyde Brown, Jeannie Gardner, J. D. Leggett. Small truck tires were released to the following: Pete Mendenhall, H. G. Harrison, Leslie J. Griffin, H R. Worsley, A. B. Ores and J. L. Coltrain. -* PackhouHP And Tobacco Burn In Oak City Fire -* Nan Council, colored farmer, lost his packhouse and three barns of tobacco at his home in Oak City last Wednesday. The fire started in the hay loft, but its origin could not be determined. No insurance was car ried on the property, according to reports reaching here, k