* \
NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY
-STM!VICE MEN-NOW READING '
THE ENTEPR1SE IN ALL PARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
THE ENTERPRISE
NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY
”T READING
THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS
OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK.
VOLUME XLYTII—NUMBER 5
ff illiamston, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, January 16, 1945.
ESTABLISHED 1899
Drive On 4 County
Wide Basis Friday
Appeals To Re Made Through
Schools, Clubs arul By
Direct Mail
Plans are being completed this
week by Chairman L. B. Wynne with
the assistance of Vice Chairman Mrs.
Glenn Norman of Rcbersonville for
advancing the annual drive for the
infantile paralysis fund in Martin
County. Tentative plans for the
drive to raise $2 282 have already
been made and the chairman is visit
ing various parts of the county, dis
tributing coin collectors and appeal
ing to the schools, club leaders and
others for their all-out support of
the drive The . — ifr n|—
most double the amount raised last
year, but it is based on conservative
estimates, the authorities explaining
that every precaution should be
made now in case poliomyelitis:
strikes in the future.
Chairman Wynne is addressing ap
proximately 300 letters to individuals
in the county, explaining the need
for replenishing the fund now and
urging liberal donations. In addition
to the direct appeals, the school chil
dren are expected to materially aid
the drive with their “mile of dime
envelopes.” Coin collectors are being
placed throughout the county, and
the general public is urged to fill j
’em up. On Saturday, January 27th, j
club leaders and others will conduct
lapel sales on the streets in the sev
eral towns. No dance will be held,
and the success of the drive will he
determined by individual contribu
tions.
Considerable progress was made in j
combatting the disease last year, and
preparations to meet any emergen
cy are now being advanced. During
the epidemic that swept sections of
North Carolina last year, the nation
al fund contributed $324,000 to the
emergency hospitals for handling the
cf&es in this State. The State $'110(1
contributed $50.772 92, including
$243.65 raised during the emergen
cy by the Williamslon Junior Wo
man’s Club.
There were three cases of the dls- ,
ease reported in this county last ’
year, one in Bear Grass and two in
Goose Nest Township. Cue of them
(Continued on page six)
Insurance Group ;
In Annual Meeting !
_____ c(;
Completing a most successful year ,
in 1944, the Martin County Branch ’
of the Farmers Mutual Fire Insur- 1
ance Association held its annual
meeting in the courthouse recently.
Officers and directors were re-elect
ed and the business of the association
was reviewed. Mr. Sylvester Peel j
was chosen to head the organization
as president for the new year Joseph j
S. Griffin was elected vice president j
to succeed himself and George C.
Griffin again is serving as secretary
treasurer. Messrs. S. T. Everett, W.
M. Green, Leroy Taylor, Jos S. Grif- ^
fin, W. B. Harrington and Joshua L. c
Coltrain were re-elected as directors, j
The association now has 678 mem- p
bers and has $1,148,275.00 insurance
in force. At the present time the as- s
sociation has $20 406.09 cash on hand.
During the year, the association re-! j
ported losses amounting to $1,220.50, j
and the rate was unusually low.
Five persons, including: a
young white woman, were ar
rested and detained in the coun
ty jail during the week-end. Four
were charged with being drunk
and disorderly and one was jail
ed for alleged drunken driving.
Earlier in the week & young
white man whose name was not
divulged was detained in the
county jail for being absent with
out leave from the armed serv
ice.
The ages of those arrested
last week-end ranged from 25
to 34 years. Three of the five
were white.
Club Members HoJd
Annual Meeting In
County Courthouse
—«—
ProfTress Made in 1 944 Brief,
ly Reviewed and Achieve
ments Recognized
-<*>
More than two hundred and fifty
persons attended the annual Federa
tion of Home Demonstration Clubs
and 4-II achievement at the county
courthouse recently. The meeting was
opened with a song and devotional!!
led by Mrs. M. C. Liverman, of Oak
City. Mrs. Henry Early, Palmyra,
gave the welcome address with a re
sponse by Mrs. Herbert Roebuck,
Cross Roads. The treasurer’s report
shows that $25 was given to Jane S.
McKimmon loan fund; $2.10 to Pen
hy fur Friendship fund; $5.00 to Red
Cross, and Chinese Relief; $2.50 to
Slate dues, and $20 to county home.
Other features of the morning pro
gram were:
Report of Home Demonstration
Work in 1944, Mrs. Arthur Peaks,
Sweet Home; Duet, Susie W Gurgan
us and Elvin H. Rawls, Everetts 4-H
Club; Forecast of Spring Fashions,
Mrs R. L. Leggett, Bear Grass; group
singing, 4-H members of 6th grade,
Farm Life School; a picnic lunch was
served in the curb market building.
Tlie main feature of the afternoon
program was the presentation of a
$25 war bond by Mr D. V, Clayton,
representing the Bankers Associa
tion of Martin County. This bond was
riven by the banks as a reward to
the 4 H boy or girl who had done the
most toward “Feeding a Fighter” in
1944. In awarding this bond to El
ion Coltrain, Farm Life 4-H mem
ber, Mr. Clayton presented a real
challenge to the boys and girls to
io even greater work in 1945, Eldon
lloltrain, 11-year-old boy, made $412
m a two-acre peanut project with
:206 clear after he had divided the
irofit with his landlord.
Dorothy Brown Manning, Ola
jray Williams, Mary Dean Hardison
ind Madolin Hudgins modeled
Iresses which they had worn in the
ounty style review in September at
lalifax, N. C. A clothing achieve
nent medal was presented to Mary
hcan Hardison and Dorothy Brown
Manning.
Certificates of achievement were
iresented to the following as county
vinners:
Jla Grey Williams, records; Rachel
iimpson, food conservation; Edith
togerson, home improvement; Mary
)eari Hardisoa, clothing achieve
nent, and Dorothy Brown Manning,
tyle review.
In recogniton for helpful service
n the war effort, certificates of |
(Continued on page six)
By Allied Forces On
Every
Germany ami Toward Ma
nila; Moving
Now that the Belgium bulge has
been virtually wiped out and with
the Americans driving back into
German territory along the West
ern Front, and with the Russians
making great progress in the East,
it is fairly apparent that the tide of
war has reached an important point
in the European theater, that the
present struggle has reached a point
comparable to that reached in the
last war when the Germans had
spent their last major force and start
ed retreating, defeat following a
few months later. It will be recalled
that the enemy offered a stubborn
resistance in 1918, and it is certain
that much heavy fighting still lies
ahead in this war, but it is hard to
believe that the Germans can again
launch a great offensive. The Kai
>er had his back free in 1918, but to
day Russian armies, numbering
aver one and one-half million men
are on the march from the East. The ■
rourse of the war now depends on
:he enemy’s fanatical leaders. If
-hey recognize the facts, they will
submit to the inevitable. If they
'hoose to have their own nation wip
'd out the struggle will continue for
some time. *j
After eliminating virtually all the
3elgian bulge, American First and
rhird Armies have joined ranks and
ire now driving back into German
erritory. American casualties since
December 16 up to about a week ago
n that sector, totaled approximately
rO.OOO, a figure considerably below
chat had been feared. Most of the
asualties, or a goodly party of them,
cere prisoners. The enemy’s losses |
cere estimated at more than 80,000
nd will possibly run up to 100,000.
lie enemy’s losses in guns and other
quipment were enormous and, no
loubt, he will find it difficult to ,
quip his battered divisions. I
Described as one of the greatest
ffensives of the war, a drive is in
rogress by the Russians against the
(Continued on page six)
Mendenhall Youth !
Wounded In Foot;
-m- | i
Pvt. Earl Taylor Mendenhall, 1
voung son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter 1
Mendenhall of Bear Grass Township, 4
was painfully but not seriously
wounded last Saturday morning *
when he shot himself in the foot with
a rifle at the home of Fate Hodges. v
The young man, nearing the end *
if a furlough at home, was return
ing the rifle to the owner bpfore he '
left for his station at Fort Bragg. He |
"emoved the bullets from the rifle v
nagazine and apparently overlook
ed the one in the barrel. He was sit
ing in the Hodges home handling
he gun when it accidentally fired,
he bullet entering just above the
inkle and tearing through the big
>one in his foot. He was given first
lid treatment in the local hospital
md was removed in an Army ambu
ance late that evening to ari Army
lospital at Seymour-Johnson Field
it Goldsboro for treatment. Last re
jorts stated he was getting along
lery well. The young man has been
n the service only a few months.
The accident followed two trage
lies in the Mendenhall home, a
mother, Walter Thomas, having lost
in arm while in action on the Italian
ront early last summer, and two
isters having lost their lives when
hey were run down by a drunken
Iriver near their home early last
all
r
In the wake of drastic ch.-.i^es
recently proposed by the War
(tower Co.narpi
let-live Service aiitOTfitleST
Partin County War Roar-i ^re
ed before the board last Friday
while possib'y twelve '•■‘hers had
planned to appear buv apparent
ly changed their minds when
drastic changes in manpower
rulings were proposed. The lone
applioant, appearing before the
board, asked that his temporary
release be extended for a short
time. It was extended for him
to continue his extra work in an
essentia! industry.
Recent requests for permanent
releases from the farm because
there was no one left to help
with the crops were denied by
the board. It has been pointed
out that where there is a scarc
ity of labor on the farm, those
left will find It logical to carry
on to the best of their ability, re
ducing their plantings to the
point where they can be handl
ed.
■Hifftad-Ruii Driver
Damages Lilley Car
Driving after a reckless fashion, an
operator of an old model Chevrolet 1
sides wiped an automobile driven by
Elmo Lilley on the Washington-Wil
liamston highway near here about
8 o’clock last Saturday evening. No
great damage was done and as fai
ns it could be learned no one was 1
hurt, certainly not badly. The fen
ders on the Lilley car were battered !
and a tire on the hit-and-run driver's
car was damaged, Patrolman W. E. 1
Saunders, investigating the wreck, I
estimating the damage at about $50. (
Continuing toward Williamston, 1
the hit-and-run driver soon desert- '
ed his car and ran away. The own
er’s identity could not be determin- '
ed immediately. *
Father Of Local
Man Dies Saturday
Jason V. Simmons, father of Mr.
Dampy L. Simmons of Williamston,
tied in a Wriiteville hospital last
Saturday morning following a long
illness A resident of Freeland, he
was 60 years of age. Funeral serv
ices were held at the home Sunday
ifternoon by Rev. Mack Moore, in
erment following in the family cem
etery.
Mr. and Mrs. Simmons attended
.he services from here.
The deceased is survived by his
vidow and several children besides
lis son here.
RESIGNATIONS
At least eight operators In the
local telephone exchange have
resigned during the past few
weeks, according to unofficial
reports heard here this week.
Included in the list were one »r
two operators who had been
with the company for a long
number of years. “It was no
strike,” one of the operators re
cently quitting the company,
declared. She added that it was
next to impossible to live on the
salary she received.
It was pointed out that some
and possibly most of those re
signing had accepted jobs nr
were planning to enter other
essential work.
Several operators have been
recruited locally and from near
by communities and towns, it
was learned.
b*
YounxJQ&uatK
w Ci-- J
White Boys Report
fer Final
EX^teen \ pars OltS; One
4-F Is Inei^deu
Called ins tne service of their
country, eight young county white
men left today for final induction
at Fort Bragg. All of those answer
ing the current call had just reach
ed their eighteenth birthdays during
recent months except one and he is
only twenty years of age. All of the
boys are single. Three come from the
farm, four from industry or non
farm jobs and one explained that
he was unemployed at the time he
registered. The group includes a
young man who had previously
made a trip to the induction center
and was rejected on account of phys
ical defects. The young man, appar
ently willing to serve his country,
had the defects remedied and re
cently passed the induction tests.
The names and addresses of the
young men answering the current
call are, as follows:
Benjamin Franklin Lilley, RFD 1,
Williams ton.
William Gray Waters, Williams
Russell Bailey Wynne, Everetts.
Luther William Respass, RFD 1,
(amesville.
George Tilghman Lilley, RFD 1,
rVilliamston.
Marvin Richard Knox, RFD 2,
tobersonville.
Ramon Otis Farmer, RFD 1, Rob
irsonville.
Willie Lilley, Jr., RFD 1, William
ton.
A fairly sizable group of white
nen will likely be called the latter
>art of this month for their pre-in
luction examinations. The exact
late they are to leave could not be
earned.
According to unofficial but reliable
eports heard during recent weeks,
he size of the draft calls is almost
ertain to be larger in the months to
ollow. However, as far as it could
e learned no calls have been made
ar February.
During the meantime, draft au
horities, it is understood, are study -
lg the list of 4-F’s and other regis
rants who have switched jobs with- :
lit board permission, and it is pos- j
ible that some out of those groups
dll be made subject to call.
Wounded Soldiers !'
11
Appreciate Gifts!
In sending gifts to a number of
Martin County service men in Am
erican hospitals convalescing from
wounds received overseas, pupils of
the Hear Grass school learned the
meaning of the great saying, “Give
:ind it shall be given unto you,” re
oorts stating that most of the boys
had expressed their great and sin
rre appreciation. The youth anxious
to do their bit worked earnestly un
ler the direction of their teacher,
Mrs. Borel, and prepared useful gift
oxes for every returned wounded
oldier wiio.se address they could
ot. It was a happy experience for
he pupils, and, no doubt, their
hmightfulness brought happiness to
ithers.
The gifts included, cigarette cases,
rooks, decks of cards, checker sets,
tationery, wallets, bath robes, pa
amas and shaving sets.
Addresses were furnished by Mrs.
v H. Grimes, home service director
or the Red Cross in this chapter,
ind others were taken from The En
ei prise mailing lists.
There were a few other Martin
lounty servicemen recuperating in
mspitals in this country, but their
ddresses were not available.
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"Bonit Sties. in Gatmty
pearly Double Quota
■
Meeting in the county court
house tomorrow, farm leaders,
including community and coun
ty AAA committeemen and rep
resentatives of the several agri
cultural agencies will discuss
farm goals and plans for the 1945
season. Mr. A. P. Hassell, district
representative of the Triple A,
and other leaders will address
the meeting opening at 9:30 a.
m. and scheduled to last during
a greater part of the day.
In the light of recent develop
merits on the war fronts, it is
believed that increased goals of
food and feed crops will be ask
Four Presidential
Citations Reeeiv^
By Fighter Groups
-<*>
Young County Man Member
of Outfit (>iven Special
Recognition
A 12th AAE Fighter-Bomber Base
in Italy -Corporal Paul Cl. Swinson,
Armorer, son of Mr. and Mrs. Paid
G. Swinson, Williamston, N C., can
now wear the third Oak Leaf Cluster
to the Distinguished Unit Badge, now
that his unit, the 27th Fighter Group,
a veteran P-47 Thunderbolt air sup
port outfit, has become the first
AAF Unit in the Mediterranean
rheatre to be cited four times in
War Department General Orders.
When word of the latest citation
arrived on December 12th, it was
•aiise for a triple celebration for the
227th, which is now commanded by
Lt. Col. William K Nevitt, 1502 S.
Hull St., Montgomery, Ala., for that
vas the date of the Group’s second
anniversary in the Mediterranean
rheater of Operations and it was al
io the eve of its 2.500th combat mis
iion against the Nazis.
The citation covers the day of the
Salerno invasion. Sept. 10, 1043. On
hat day, the 27th, then flying A 36
nvaders and commanded by Col
dorr E Newton, Jr., Fox Hollow
’’arms, Malvern, Pa., in the words
d the citation, “set itself above and
ipart from other similar units ... in
he same engagement,” when it
'completely neutralised I he combat
(ffectivenesess of three Axis Panzer
livisions.” ,
In a “grueling, daylong assault,”
he General Orders read, “the 27th
'ighter Group, coordinated with at
irks of other units of the Allied
fir Forces, prevented the transfer
f overwhelmingly powerful rein
orcements and contributed in great
leasure to the successful establish
lent of the Salerno beachhead.”
The citation particularly lauds the
skill and devotion of the ground
ersonnel.” The Invaders were based
t that time on Sicily. Over half the
round personnel were on landing
raft and on the beachhead, under
■vcre artillery fire arid aerial at
ick, waiting to establish a new air
ase on the European mainland. The
“St remained in Sicily, laboring
ight and day to keep all aircraft fly
ig despite heavy damage from eri
my anti-aircraft fire. The highest
ibute is paid to these ground nffi
■rs, crew chiefs, armorers and en- |
ineering, communications, ordnance ■,
nd administrative personnel for [
he great credit they reflect upon
le military service of the United
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(Continued on page six) h
This County Meets
Its War Bond Goal
-$
Robersonville Leads in “E”
Bonds; Vi iliiamston in
Negotiable#
-<♦>
An all-time buying record was es
tablished by Martin County people
in late November and in December
when they purchased war bonds in
the Sixth War Loan Drive to the
tune of $1,333,392.75, an amount al
most double the assigned quota. Sales
of war bonds have exceeded the mil
lion-dollar mark in the county dur
ing past drives, but never did so soar
to such big figures until pleas were
issued for support of the recent
drive.
his final report just a few
'lay.; ago. County Chairman Herman
A. Bowen stated that every township
in the county either met or exceed
ed its quotas, both in "E” and nego
tiable bonds. It was a tegular buy
ing spree, tens of hundreds of peo
ple having been convinced that the
purchase of bonds holds a high pri
ority rating in our present economy.
It was pointed out, however, and
in strong terms, that the war is not
yet over, that the home front can’t
ifford to stop buying bonds until
tonic- time after the last shot is fired.
Fhe chairman went on to explain
;hat quite a few thousand dollars had
peon invested in bonds since the
Irive closed last month. We will
lave not done our best and our duty
mtil we invest every possible cent
n war bonds, and it isn’t asking too
nuch to actually cut down on the
lecessities of life in order to do it.
Chairman Bowen and his assist
ed county chairman, S. L. Rober
ion, express their great appreciation
or the support given the undertak
ng by the people and especially by
hose who served as township chair
nen and all others who got out and
vorked in behalf of the drive.
Several agencies and corporations
lought bonds and credited their
mrchases against the county quo
a. The State bought and credited
he county with approximately $270,
00 negotiables and the county
'ought $19,980 to help boost the to
(Continued on page six)
iVilliam II. Taylor
Dies Last Friday
-<$>
William Hyman Taylor, aged and
[■spooled citizen of Kveretts, died at
is home there last Friday afternoon
t 2:30 o’clock following a long per
■fl of declining health.
The son of the late Henry and
ouisa Peel Taylor, he was born in
ross Road : Township 76 years ago.
Hen a young man he started work
ig for the Atlantic Coast Line Rail
ed Company and a short time later
i 1891 transferred to Georgia where
'• was married to Miss Ida Ganann
1 years ago. They moved to Sanford,
lorida, not so long afler their mar
age and lived there until 1936 when
:> retired and moved to Everetts, his
d home, to spend the remainder of
s days Mr. Taylor was a Mason for
any years, and was the last mem
■r of his immediate family. He is
irvived by his widow.
Funeral services were conducted
the home Sunday afternoon at
30 o’clock by Elder B. S. Cowin, in
rment following in the Clark Cem
ery in Everetts
County Men Wounded, Missing Or Killed In Or dust Prior rI'o Recent German Drive Into Belgium
Sgt. Francis VV. Fed, son ill
Mrs. Sadie Peel of Wiiliamston
and the late R. J. Peel, clerk of
the Martin County Superior
Court for many years, was slight
ly wounded in the left hand in
action along the Western Front
in Belgium on December 24. The
young man is now in an Army
hospital somewhere in England,
a recent letter received by his
mother slating that he was get
ting along all right.
in Daniel, son of
Mr .and Mrs. Noah Daniel of the
Farm Life Community, was
slightly wounded on the West
tern Front previously to the
time his brother, Thomas, was
painfully wounded on the West
ern Front on December 6 Few
details have been received rela
tive to the young man’s condi
tion. A cousin, Joseph N. Dan
iel, was wounded December 17
in Germany.
Henry Thomas Daniel, young
son of Mr. and Mrs. Noah Dan
iel of Farm Life, was slightly
wounded somewhere along the
Western Front on December 6,
one report stating that he was
painfully but not badly hurt in
his left shoulder, presumably bv
shrapnel. A letter, dictated by
the young man, was received by
his parents a short time ago, and
it stated he was getting along
vary wall.
Pfc. Lloyd M. Hassell, prom
ising young son of Mr. Charles
A. Hassell of Jamesvilie and the
late Maude Dillon Hassell of
Washington County, was killed
in action on the Western Front
on the first day the Germans
launched their powerful drive
into Luxembourg and Belgium.
Twenty-six years old, Pvt. Has
sell entered the service in De
cember, 1942, and was overseas
about thru months.
A member of the Medical
Corps, pfc. Onward L. Gard
ner, son of Mrs. Kmtna Gardner
and the late I,. I). Gardner of
Jamesville, was reported missing
in action in Belgium on Decem
ber 17. He is a brother of ''Slim”
Gardner who virtually reared
him, the two of them spending
just about all their time togeth
er until the young man entered
the service and went overseas
in October.
Ffc. Joseph N. I>anie!, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Nick Daniel of
Farm Fife, was slightly wound
ed in Germany on December 17,
the second day of the big push
toward Belgium and Luxem
bourg. The young man was
slightly wounded the latter part
of Juiy and had reiurned to ac
tual combat about the first of
December. He. Daniel was
awarded the Purple Heart re
cently.
T/Sgt. Jesse Fulford, son of
Mrs. 1'aitir Fulford Alexander
and the late Jesse Speight Ful
ford, was slightly wounded by
mortar vht'I in his right leg in
Germany on December 3. A na
tive of Cross Roads Township,
the young man is now in an
Army hospital somewhere in
England. He entered the service
in 1939, spent two ye*rs at Pearl
Harbor and went to Europe ov
er a year ago.