NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MEN NOW READING THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK. THE ENTERPRISE Williamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday^ December 5, 1944. NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MEN NOW READING THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK. ESTABLISHED 1899 VOLUME XLVII—NUMBER 96 Nineteen Marriage County Last Month Issuance Is Second Largest Reported So Far This Lear Nineteen marriage licenses, the second iargest number on record so far in 1944, were issued in this coun ty last month. For the fourth time out of the eleven months, the issu ance of licenses to white couples out numbered and then by a very small margin those issued to colored cou ples. The issuance did not depend altogether on civilian patronage, the records showing at least three or four of the contracting parties were in the service. Ten of the nineteen licenses were issued to white couples, as follows: White James E. Garrington, Lynchburg, Va., and Lola Griffin, Williamston. J. P. Raynor, RFD 3, Williamston, and Mamie Clyde Wells, Plymouth. Billie John Davis, of Hamilton, and Julie Baker, of Oak City. Willard Earl James and Mary Elizabeth Ward, both of Roberson ville. Willie Gray Let- and Neiiie Faye Bunch, both of Williamston. George W. Taylor, of Everetts and Camp Cooke, Calif., and Thelma Peel, of Everetts. Marvin Leroy Spruill, U. S. Navy of Roper, and Marjorie Bray Ashy, of Plymouth. Curtis Haislip and Maryland Vir ginia Leggett, both of Robersonville. Lt. George C. Mahler, of Wilming ton, and Lorene Weaver, of William ston. Fred Weaver, of Edenton, and El la Griffin, of Williamston. Colored Sam Brown and Arnecia Gorham, both of Washington. James Henry Mayor and Mary Lee Jones, both of Oak City. William Frank Spruill and Carrie Letha Sheppard, both of Oak City. Charlie Thomas and Mary Moore, both of Robersonville. John Linwood Powell and Mar jorie Page, both of Robersonville. Willie Alexander Rodgers and Mary Elizabeth Howell, both of Wil liamston. William Eborn Sheppard and Es telle Ward, both of Robersonville. Berman Rogers and Sallie Mae Harrell, both of RFD 1, Hobgood. County’s November Draft Registration Reaching their eighteenth birth days during the period, twenty-sev en Martin County boys registered for the draft last month. Fourteen were colored and thirteen were white. Their names and addresses at the time of their registration fol low : Garland Mitchell Wilson, c, RFD 2, Robersonville. West Kech, c, Warren Street, Wil liamston. Milton Robert Greene, c, Hamil ton. Andrew Jackson Everett, c. Wil liamston. Roland McKinley Beddard, w, RFD 3, Williamston. Kelly Wallace, c, Everetts. James Lloyd Moore, w, State Col lege Raleigh. Samuel Tim Jackson, w, William ston. Perry Bryant, c, RFD 1, Oak City. Charles Irving Stokes, c, RFD 2, Williamston. Gene Wayland Taylor, w, The Cita del, Charleston, S. C. Frederick Harrell Bennett, c, Wil liamston. Elmer Lee Griffin, c, RFD 3, Wil liamston. Frederick Leon Hardison, w, Duka University, Durham. Francis Darrell Taylor, w, Ever etts. Tom Brown Manning, w, James ville. Gordon Ray Hinson, w, RFD 1, Bethel. Albert Dord Williams, c, RFD 1, Palmyra. James Albert Coltrain, w, RFD 1, Williamston. # Edward Earl Whitley, w. RFD 1, Robersonville. Quinton Durward Jones, c, Par mele. Willie James Purvis, c, RFD 3, Wil liamston. Oscar Lewis, c, RFD 1, Oak City. James Edward Stokes, c, William ston. __ , Romas Taylor Griffin, w, RFD 1, Williamston. Marvin Odell Harrell, w, RFD 1, Oak City. James Wallace Bennett, c, William ston. Mrs. Bill Myers Is Badly Hurt In Fall Saturday Mrs. Bill Myers critically hurt her knee in a fall while making ready to get into a car in front of Alpha Cleaners on Main Street here last Saturday evening. Someone had dropped and broken a bottle of oil in the street and Mrs. Myers step ped into it and slipped. The bone in her knee was crushed and reports from the local hospital indicate that she will not be able to walk in some time. County Believed Nearing Its Troal Witfi^ hand Purchases' i Called out of town unexpectedly I and before.he could prrpa'ss-i report ! on recent bond purchases in this county. Chairman Hennan A. Bow en was quoted as saying earlier in the day that it was fairly apparent the quota is within sight. Several very encouraging reports, while of a general nature, were received over the week-end. but there is some doubt if two or three of the districts are making the progress necessary for a unanimous over-the-top report. In the absence of a complete report from the chairman, the progress of the drive can be stated only in gen eral terms. However, two bond ral lies were held with marked success in the county last Friday night in Griffins and Cross Roads, and it is believed that both districts reach ed and passed their quotas. Out in Griffins, the auctioneer, Jimmy Tay lor, had to be called from the floor when the supply of bonds was ex hausted. The crowd, a fairly sizable one, really pulled out the wallets and shucked out the greenbacks. When the records were checked, the small but earnest gathering had bought $32,168.75 worth of “E” bonds | or just about three times tneir orig-' liiisl quota and more than its eoi.a | bined quota of E's and negotiables,; ! Very few bond' w' auctioned off! jin unusually large denominations, J but a prospective $25 bond purchas er eyeing one of the cakes or pies or other items did not have a ghost of a chance. Chairman Geo. Griffin thanked the people and expressed great satisfaction. Tiie rally at Cross Roads was a very successful one. Valuable prizes were offered and Jakie Taylor was getting hot when he got down to auctioning off a package of chewing gum for as much as $750. Chairman Paul Bailey explained that no bonds were delivered at the tally, but he was fairly well convinced that the pledges along with the support of others would carry his district over the top within the next few days. A complete report on the bond drive is expected the latter part of this week. During the meantime, our peo ple are asked to continue to buy bonds. Quotas may have been reach ed and passed, but one hasn’t done his best in behalf of the fighting men until he has invested every avail able dollar. Retired Banker Passes At Home Here Sunday | BULLETIN I| ^j The American Red Cross pub lishes at regular Intervals a Prisoner of War Bulletin, and it is believed that those who have relatives in prisoner of war camps will find the bulletin in formative^ Several persons in the county are receiving the bul letin regularly, and others who have relatives in prisoner of war camps and who care to re ceive the bulletin are directed to contact Mrs. Eva A. Grimes of the local chapter, American Red Cross, and she will ask the au thorities to add their names to the mailing list for the bulle tins. It is possible that some are receiving more than one bulle tin. In those cases the extra cop ies could be distributed if they were mailed or placed in the hands of the local Red Cross. Seal Sale Receiving Favorable Response The current sale of TB Christmas seals is making splendid progress, the chairman, Mrs. Asa Crawford, stating that it is quite possible the sales will set a new record. During the first week of the drivp, son special letters were mail ed to citizens in the town and coun ty, asking them to buy the seals en closed. Nearly 200 of the letters have been answered. Only *£ix returned the seals, but in other cases the do nations were double the amounts sought. In addition to the direct mail solicitations, the drive is featuring TB bond sales, the preliminary re port showing that eighteen local business houses and clubs had bought bonds ranging from $5 to $10 each. No report has been filed for the street sales and those in the schools, but they are certain to add up to a goodly sum. Contributions of $1 or more will be publicly acknowledged within the next few days. --- Woman Critically Attacked By Hog Mrs. Lilley, 65 years of age and a member of a tenant family on Joe Bunting’s farm between Oak City and Tarboro, was critically hurt when attacked by a hog near her home last Friday. Few details of the attack could be had here im mediately. but according to the first reports, the animal chewed the wo man’s fingers and hands and tore out part of her jawbone and tongue. Removed to a Tarboro hospital, the victim was said to be in a ser ious condition when last reports were received. It seems that some pigs were run ning loose in the yard and a dog caught one of them. Mrs. Lilley wa? said to have gone out to free the pig when an old sow ran toward her Mrs. Lilley fell while trying to jump a ditch and the hog piled in on top of her. She was home alone at th« time, but some neighbors came about that time and drove the ani mal away. Start Campaign to Reduce Rat Menace Here Today Another drive against rats is being being statde here today and owner! are warned to keep up their pate. First County Bank Organized In 1900 By Jos. G. Godard -— Funeral Servires Conducted By Elder A. B. Ayers Here Yesterday Afternoon Joseph G. Godard, pioneer in the county’s commercial banking field, died at his home on Marshall Ave nue here Sunday morning at (1:05 o’clock following a long period of declining health. His condition had been critical since a fall three weeks before when he broke several ribs. Almost eighty-two years of age, he had not been very active during the ! past eight or ten years. He almost i lost his sight some years ago, and : he is believed to have stumbled in i his room, causing him to fall against a table. The son of the late Jos. G. God ard and Frances Peel Godard, he | was born in Griffins Township on | December 22, 1862. He was only a i year old when his father returned I to the Civil War and was killed. ! Nothing was ever heard from him. When in his teens, Mr. Godard at i tended Stephen Outterbridge’s school in Mimosa, not far from Hamilton, i He walked the approximately twen ! ty miles and would travel the same ! way at intervals of a few weeks to i see his mother After teaching in the j county schools two or three years, he started a business career that was destined to gain for him fame and a small fortune. Not so long aeo. Mr. Godard recalled his trip to William ston to work for Staton Godard, gen eral merchant and county treasur er. Packing his clothes in a cracker box, he walked to town and work ed hard for a year or two before he returned to his old home commun ity and opened and operated a gen eral store at Hardison’s Mill. His re sales were small, hardly exceeding $25 or $30 a week there, and he then located in Everetts where he oper ated a store for a short while. Later | he moved to Plymouth and was em ployed by the Hornthals. Having gained a splendid business knowl edge in his early associations with the sretion’s leading merchants, he returned to Williamston in the nine ties and entered into a partnership with the late Joe Everett. He bought out his partner’s interests and along about 1899 he sold his business to his brother and made ready to or ganize the first bank in this county. Placing $5,000 of his own money into the venture, Mr. Godard opened the Bank of Martin County in 1900 in the building now occupied by the Alpha Cleaners, corner of Smith wick and Main Streets. Two years later the Godard building, housing the bank and a number of offices, was constructed just across Smith wick Street. He served the institu tion as president until its consolida tion with the Farmers and Merchants Bank in 1917. During those years, Mr. Godard and his bank figured prominently in the material prog-' ress of the county. His acts were not publicised, but he befriended many down through the years, lending his own money to those in need when there wasn’t sufficient security to support a loan with the bank. He farmed extensively and was instru mental in forming land and seed im provement associations, and while he is remembered as the county’s first eor’mereial banker, possibly his work in agriculture was equally as important. Following the consolidation of the . bank, he was instrumental in form (Continued on page six) Jimmy Watts Tells XTfBMhb Raid CESt Territory of Enemy Young Local Man Stationed in iialy v-itV American iiomb Squadron -» Stationed somewhere in Italy .vith an American bomb squadron, Sgt. Jimmy Watts, chief mechanic on a big bomber, describes a raid over eneipy territory in the following story recently received by The En terprise: This is just a note to give the folks there at home an idea of how it feels to be on a bombing raid over enemy territory. To start at the beginning, on the days we had missions, the C. Q. would awaken us several hours be fore sunrise, informing us as to the time of our briefing. After rushing through breakfast, we start toward the operations building, for brief ing. After briefing, we draw flying equipment, and load the trucks for our ride out to our ship. At the specified time, we begin to warm up engines, the engineer watching the instruments for any tell-tale sign of trouble. At last we are given clearance for take-off, and the ships line up in position for take off. After take-off, we seek our posi tion in formation. The squadron formed, we circle the locality until the group has formed, then set out on course for the rendezvous point to meet other units of the wing who are to accompany us on the mission. After forming the wing, we set out on course toward the target. As we reach a “safe” territory (where stray bullets will not harm anyone) we test-fire our guns to assure our selves that everything is in perfect working order. Each man then settles himself In a comfortable position until we near enemy occupied territory, at which time we begin searching the skies for enemy fighters, being careful not to mistake our own ships for those of the enemy, as we are often given fighter protection for our raids. We are alert in every way, for once a fighter is close enough for recognition, they are almost within range, and once they start, it’s on ly a few seconds we are able to fire —and it's either him, or us. As we near the expected areas for flak, the navigator warns us to don our protective armor. This done, we | resume our watch for enemy aircraft, | only watching more closely than ev er for fighters, as they are more likely to appear close to the target, than at oilier times. The fighters nat (Continued on page six) Suffers Fractured Arm In Auto Wreck —$— Wheeler Smith Boston, colored man of Jamesville Township, suf fered a compound fracture of his left arm last Sunday morning when his car plowed into one driven by Mr. Grover Lilley at Dardens. No one else was hurt, but both cars were badly damaged, Patrolman W. E. Saunders estimating that it would cost $300 to repair Smith’s old Pon tiac, and $200 for the Lilley car. Mr. Lilley, it was reported, was turning into his driveway and had the front wheels of his car off the highway to the left when Smith rounded a curve and tried to run by in front of the Lilley car. Town Commissioners Hold Brief Seesion ImsI ISiffht Very little business was discussed at the regular meeting of the local town commissioners last evening. The session was the first held in two months, the regular November meet ing have been cancelled when only one member reported. No action was taken on a request by H. I.. Swain for a permit to pen hogs on his farm at the edge of town. Several requests for street lights were heard, but not action was tak en on any of them. The commis sioners propose to clear off and pre pare the property between the Roa noke-Dixie warehouse and the rail road for a parking lot. I QUOTAS AND PRICES j Quotas for the 1945 tobacco crop were invoked by the De partment of Agriculture last Friday just a few hours before the deadline. The allotment svstem provides for the same acreage next year as was allow ed this year. Since the 1944 plantings were less than the al lotment, farmers with few ex ceptions are not expected to en ter any objections to the control plans. Accompanying the order an nouncing the continuation of the production control program was an order fixing prices for the 1916 crop at the same figures in effect for the 1944 crop, and no serious objections are anticipat ed on that count. 'SELL' $552,675 IN WAR BONDS BEFORE THESE TRIPLETS—Janet Lee. Nancy Sue, and Karen Ann Bachant —decided to eat war bonds, they "sold” $552,075 worth of them in five hours at a rally in New York City. Their fathor, Harry Bachant, was killed in action in the Europeun theatre of operations (international! County Officials Start New Term on Monday ExpectAppointment Fifth Commissioner Within A Few Days Tnx Supervisor Named ami Homls Approved; Offi eers Take Oath The county’s governmental system marked the end of one term and the beginning of another yesterday with out a single change in the officiat ing personnel. It was hard to tell just where the old term ended and the new one began, there being only a slight interruption for the admin istering of the oaths of office. The new term called for extra activities the first day, but even then the mem bers of the board of commissioners completed their work and adjourn ed by mid-afternoon. The only change in the official county family was noted when Com missioner C. D. Carstarphen did not report and qualify for the office to which hg was elected for another two years. He had advised the county au thorities that his work made it im possible for him to continue as a member of the board and that he would not qualify. His successor has not been named, but at) appointment by Clerk of Court L. B. Wynne is expected within the week. No appli cations for the job have been receiv ed, and just now the position is beg ging. Completing two terms as a member of the board, Commission er Carstarphen has rendered a val liable service to the people. As tax supervisor, he was instrumental in procuring and maintaining about the best if not the best tax valuations the county has ever had. It is not perfect, to be sure, but it is so good that the board decided not to order a new valuation for 1945. He with all the members til the old board has plug ged steadily to reduce the county debt and handle the affairs of the county in an efficient manner, al ways balancing the conservative with the liberal to get a progressive gov ernmental system. All the county officers eKcent the fifth commissioner and the survey or qualified for office at the meet ing this week. Bonds were submit ted and approved, and the officials continued their work from the old to the new term. Mr. R. L. Perry was again chosen chairman of the board of commissioners. Elbert S Peel was appointed solicitor of the county court for two years and county at torney, the latter job carrying a $100 retainer's fee. John W. Bland was reappointed superintendent of the county home. Luther Peel was appointed tax supervisor for 1945. He will call his list-takers into a meeting during the week of December 18 to adopt a schedule of personal property values and make plans for. handling the new lists beginning on or about January !. Most of the old list-takers are ex pected to serve. Tax relief orders were granted in the sum of $2 each to two members of the armed forces, Irving Terry, of Bear Grass, and Hugh B Griffin of Griffins. A similar order was grant ed in the sum of $2 to Howard Hop kins, war veteran, and John W. Gur kin was relieved of the payment of $1.10 cn property listed in error. Reporting on the current tax col lections Luther Peel stated that a little over 61 per cent of tb» levy of $ 193.619.58 had been collected, or Cl 19,357.19. The 1943 levy was 98.4 per cent collected, the 1942 levy is 99 per cent and the 1941 levy is 99.2 per cent collected. | HOLIDAY SCHEDULE | v_J All IVIartin County school* will close Wednesday, December 20, for the Christmas holidays and reopen on Monday, January 1, the Martin County Hoard of education ruled In regular ses sion here yesterday. Consider ing the two days saved at Thanksgiving and the fact that repair work is needed on some of the busses, the three hoard members present favored the ten-day holiday schedule. Very little business was be fore the meeting which was ad journed after the annual audit had been approved and the sale of the old (iodard Hill school site in Williams Township was or dered '*hl. Turning Points For Soldier Come on 1.5 It seems as if turning points, the good and those not so good, come >n the 13th for ueorge Wynne, If. S Army, and son of Mrs. Katie Wynne and the late George I) Wynne'. Wynne registered on December 13, 11)41. He entered the service on August 13 104/!, and his serial num bei starts with 13. He has had three furloughs since entering the service and each one began on the 13th day of the month Not so long back from New Guinea, where his outfit completed its mis sion in about six months, Wynne wears the Oak Leaf Cluster for com bato service. The fighting was plenty tough, la? said, but hesitated to elab orate. However, he added that he knew he had killed one Jap and thought possibly he accounted for others. Completing a furlough here with relatives, the young man left last Saturday night for his base at Galveston, Texas. Openings In County For Censub Workers Openings in this county for at least eleven and possibly fifteen enumerators for the farm census to be conducted in early January were announced last week-end by E W Lupton, area supervisor, Washing ton. Those interested in the work are directed to write to Mr. Lupton immediately at his office in the Fed ral building at Washington, North Carolina, for application forms. The applicants will attend a three day school and they will be paid so much a day for their time and so much for each report they file. The Census Bureau is anxious to have "aeh township in the county repre sented, the authorities pointing out that when the enumerators come from their own localities their re muneration is greater. The census is strictly an agricul tural one and will have to do only with farming activities, it was ex plained. -- Firemen Called To Farm Home Near Here Saturtlf/ Local volunteer firemen were call ed to the Kelvin Grove farm home | on the Washington Road near here | last Saturday evening when a burn ing chimney threatened the struc ! tura. No damage vraa dona. Six Allied Annies Keport Fighting On Germany’s Soil j -* Russian* Driving Steadily in In t>{ »*>■»■ Civil War in Greece Six and possibly seven Allied arm ies are now fighting on German ter ritory, the combined forces slowly >ut steadily pushing forward against the vital industrial areas of the en . my. Patton's Third Army is holding the spotlight, temporarily at least, Advancing one and one-half miles ilmost overnight, three divisions from the Third are approaching the mportant centev of Saarbrucken vhile men of the First and Ninth \rmies are lining up fur a bloody ight along the Roer. It is fairly ap lurent that a new and even more bloody phase of the Western Front ight is now developing, that heavy casualties are to he expected. Accompanying the increased tem po on the Western Front, Allied planes are working in greater trength against enemy targets, es pecially rail centers feeding the en •my forces. For thirty-six hours, Ai ied planes roared across the Eng lish Channel to carry on an almost ceaseless drive against the enemy. Attention is also given the latest drive by the Russians in Hungary. Advancing as many as twenty miles a day, the Russians are now within fifty miles of the Austrian border, late reports staling that the Hungar ians and Germans are fleeing in great disorder ahead of the drive and that German officials are leav ing Vienna in great haste. In Italy the stalemate apparently has been broken by a new British Eighth Army drive which cut an im portant rail line leading into Bolog na. A lull continues on the front in Leyte, but naval action is still in progress, both sides losing a destroy er in recent action in Ororhoc Bay. Just prior to that engagement, Am erican submarines accounted for a cruiser, a destroyer and eighteen merchant ships, running the total Jap ships lost so far in the war to 874. Civil war about to break out in Greece is causing concern, and al ready there is a sharp difference of opinion among the 11 ios. Churchill said thi . morning that British power could be expected to step in to main tain order. Ilis declaration still leaves the fate of the liberationists in doubt. Sixty-Seven Tires Allotted By Board Certificates for sixty-seven tires six for small ti neks and 61 for pas senger cars--wore issued by the Mar lin County War Price and Rationing Board last Friday. For l he current month, the coun ty has been allotted 309 passenger car tires and forty-two for small I rucks. Grade I lire certificates were is .ued In the following: It C. Gurganus, James W. Gan is, F. S. Scott, Ira Jones, G. II. Martin, Hubert Mndlin, Starling Bell, Allie Griffin, Mack Wynne, Jeff IJ. Ether - idge, n. I,. Hardy, James Robert Wynne, Hr. J. S. Rhodes, Chas. H. Godwin, Jr., Grace Whitley May nard, J. S. Ayers, Jr., R. N. Turner, ’ M Holliday, John Mobley, N. M. Hyman, Arthur Peaks, L. W. Har ii on, Hubert Virgil Lilley. Charlie Bryant, W. C. Bailey, H. G. Harri ;nii, J A Roebuck, Bithel Braddy, Garland Cowan, Elmer E. Peel, E. t Rawls, Poland Corbun, Richard B Jones, Puke Harrell, David R. Davis, William Hopkins, J. T Heath, Stacy S Cox, J H. Coburn, Charlie Pee It W Wilson, Herbert Winches ter, G. W. Harris, J. D. Mason, Wool aid Hardware Co., B. S. Courtney. Certificates for small truck tires were issued to the following: J. R. Coltrain, Chas. H. Jenkins, V G Taylor, Royal Baking Co. War Board Denies Farmers Releases —®— Meeting in the agricultural build ing last Friday afternoon, the Mar lin County War Board denied sever d farmers releases from agriculture to enter industry. One or two per manent releases were granted when reasons acceptable by the board were offered for the changes. Quite a few were released from their farming ac tivities for short periods. Permanent releases were denied J. H. Culliplmr, Russell Wynn Mob ley and Luther Stallings. Just what action will be taken if a farmer leaves the farm without first obtain ing a release could not be learned immediately, but it is understood that one or two have been called for duty in the armed forces. The war board, composed of J. F. Crisp, chairman; T. B. Brandon, H. F. McKnight, J. C. Eubanks, J, W. Eubanks, V. B. Hairr and L. A. Clark will meet again Friday afternoon of this week in the agricultural build ing to hear applicants appealing for releases. The meeting will open about ona o’clock.