North Carolina Newspapers

* NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MSN NOW READING TOE 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 BACH WEEK. VOLUME XLVIII—NUMBER 12 Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, February 9, 1945. ESTABLISHED 1899 Big Drive Launched By Canadian Forces In Northern Holland pnko Again Rrpor? Red Army Gaining * ♦ *• 4 * Starting an all-out offensive ir the Holland sector at the top of thf Siegfried Line, the Canadian Firs' Army, aided by British forces, grab bed hold of one of the draw string; that are being drawn ever tightei around Germany’s neck. The move throws the entire Western Front in to fierce action. During the mean time, the Russians have made new gains on the Eastern Front, an un confirmed report coming from Fin land yesterday stating that Red Army tank spearheads had pene trated for a second time the suburbs of Berlin. Jumping off at mid-morning yes terday behind fearsome, flame throwing crocidile tanks, Gen. H. D. G. Crear’s Canadian First Army, bolstered by British troops, swept ahead two miles along a five-mile front aimed at the major fortres'C" of Kieve and Goch, guarding the flat Rhineland plain. The attack began at the closest point of Anglo-American penetra tion toward Berlin, somewhere southeast of Nijmegen in Holland. German reports said that the Brit ish Second Army and the American Ninth alsc are attacking along the Roer in a “curtain raiser to the great battle in the west,” which now has been joined by five Allied armies from Nijmegen south to Trier. The new attack was opened by a famous “Monty barrage” from the barrels of 2,000 artillery guns be hind the troops as Field Marshal Sir B. L. Montgomery, commander of the 21st Army Group, turned his fav orite instrument of battle against the Siegfried anchor towns of Kieve and Goch. The barrage lasted 11 hours. The thunderous prelude began shortly after mdir.ight and roared steadily hour after hour in concert with the screaming attacks of 2 700 planes heaping bombs upon the de moralized Germans. The aerial at tack went on even after the weather turned bad and visibility was reduc ed to zero. The offensive, renewed on a large scale after more than a three months’ lull in the north, was driv ing against the northernmost tip of the old Siegfried Line at Kieve. Special British flail tanks were cutting through the enemy’s mine fields guarding the Siegfried pill boxes. Other tanks and flame throw ers were rolling into battle along a 100-mile stretch of specially rein forced road that was improved to support the deluge of men, materials and firepower Montgomery is pre pared to throw into the assault. Meanwhile, to the south of the new drive the U. S. First and Third Armies ripped great new holes in the Siegfried Line, with Lt. Gen. Geor. S. Patton smashing through the W^stwall on an eight-mile front west and north of Prum. The First Army, driving to gain control of the Roer River headwa ters, captured Schmidt in a similar drive that broke through the forti fied pillbox defenses in the area and swept ahead at least a half-mile against weakening German resist ance. Other Third Army troops punch ed out new half-mile to mile gains across the Our and Sure rivers east of Luxembourg, extending their dents in the Siegfried Line to some two miles. On the Eastern Front, no marked gains as far as miles are concerned have been made in the Kustrin area, but the barriers along the Oder River have been crossed in strength and it is apparent that that city and Frankfurt farther south are just about encircled. A late Moscow re port declared that the last barrier to the march on Berlin had been cracked, that the German capital is in panic and witnessing the crumbling of the last obstacle in its forefield. Fighting in that sector has been described as the fiercest of the war. It is apparent that powerful forces plan to drive straight on to Berlin in that sector, but the progress of the drive there may depend on the success of flanking movements, one directed toward Stettin to the north and the other pointing in the directio not Dresden to the south west. The northern movement is making progress, one report stating that Allied airmen were working in close cooperation with the Russian (Continued on page four) -« Sunday Will Be Observed As Woman's Day In Church Sunday, Feb. 11th, is being observ ed by the Woman’s Council of the Williamston Christian Church as Woman’s Day. The pastor will bring a Missionary Message at the morn ing hour. At 7:30 in the evening a cast of nine persons will present a one-act play. ‘The End Is the Beginning." The incident presents a youth in war ^ service challenging his friends to ^ their Christian responsibility to play a constructive part in the building of the world that is to follow the war. Jamesyille Boy Killed in Action January 16 V IN ACTON J| j Pfe. (inward L. Gardner, son of Mrs. Emma Gardner, RFD I, Jamesville, made the supreme sacrifice for his country on the Western Front in Belgium, the 16th of last month, his mother was notified by the War Depart ment yesterday. Judge Calvin Smith Calls Dozen Cases In County’s Court -$ Tribunal In Session Hardly Two Hour** Clearing the Docket Last Monday Judge J. Calvin Smith held the , Martin County Recorder’s Court in session jurt about two hours in clear ing the trial docket last Monday. Very few white spectators were in the court room, but the colored pop ulation was well renresented, and those in attendance listened intently to the proceedings. Solicitor Paul D. Roberson prosecuted the docket. Proceedings: Blythe Delbert Pierce, pleading guilty in the case in which he wa* charged with drunken driving, was fined $50 and taxed with the cost, the court recommending that his li cense to operate a motor vehicle be revoked for twelve months. John Teel, charged with the lar ceny of a watch ,was fined $10 and required to pay the cost. Charged with disorderly conduct and assaulting a female, James Ev erett pleaded guilty of being drunk and disorderly. The plea was ac cepted and the defendant was fined $10 and taxed wtih the cost. Thomas Purvis, charged with an assault and non-support, pleaded not guilty and the case was continued until the first Monday in June. The case charging Homer Clem mons with non-support, was also continued until the first Monday in June. Pleading guilty of assaulting a fe male, Elijah Brown was sentenced' to the roads for ninety days. The sentence was suspended for one year upon the payment of a $10 fine and costs, and on the further condition that the defendant is not to assault his wife or have intoxicating liquors or. his premises or his person dur ing the one-year suspension period. R. R. Hilliker, charged with speed ing, failed to answer when called in open court. Leon Outlaw, pleading guilty in the case charging him with an as sault with a deadly weapon, was fin ed $15 and required to pay the case costs. Charged with an assault with a deadly weapon and an affray, Bill Henry Williams pleaded guilty of an affray. The plea was accepted by the solicitors and the defendant was fined $15 and required to pay the costs. Jesse Baker, charged with speed ing, pleaded guilty and was fined $15, taxed with the cost and had his license to operate a motor vehicle revoked for thirty days. Richard Vines, charged with vio lating the health laws, pleaded not guilty. Adjudged guilty, he was (Continued on page four) PRISONER LABOR ) German war prisoners, sta tioned in the local prisoner of war camp, continue fairly active in relieving the labor shortage on Martin County farms. Dur ing the month of lanuary, 461 prisoners worked 3,443 hours handling various duties on the farms, cutting tobacco woe I, shrubbing and ditching for drain tile lines. The cost of the labor, based on a 25-eent hourly rate, was approximately $860. Farm work just at this time does not carry a very high pri ority rating, and all the requests for prisoners could not be grant- | ed, it was learned. OtmtmkL Gardner W as First Reported Missin g in December Young: Man, Member of Med ieal Detachment. Had Been Overseas Since October Pfc. Onward L. Gardner, young est son of Mrs. Emma Gardner, RFD 1, Jamesville, and the late Mr. Lloyd D. Gardner, was killed in action on the Western Front in Belgium on January 16, his mother was advised by the War Department yesterday. No details were given, but the mes sage explained that more informa tion would follow. Young Gardner, about 25 years of age, was reported missing >n action along the Belgium front last Decem ber 17, the second day of the big jRundstcdt drive into Belgium and iTuxenibourg. As far as it could bi learned here he had not been re ported found, but apparently he re I turned to duty or else he was killed during the meantime and not offi cially listed as dead until January 16th. He is the 36th Martin County young man known to have been kill ed or who died in line of duty, and the sixth from the Jamesville area. Pvt. Gardner entered the service back in 1942 and was attached to the 324th U. S. Army Medical Corps, training at Camp Van Dorn, Miss., for quite a while. He went overseas last October and wa* believed to have been driving an ambulance when he was first reported missing. Born and reared in Jamesville Township, Gardner was a promising young man and was held in high esteem by all who knew him. Up un til he entered the service, he farmed at the old home near Jamesville, car rying on from an early age the farm duties of his father who died more than twenty years ago. A genuine favorite of the family, he and his brother, Herbert, maintained an al most inseparable companionship un til the war separated them. When duty called, he willingly answered and it is not believed of him that he hesitated in making the supreme sacrifice for hi* country, but that he maintained the great tradition so admirably established in war and peace by other Martin County men preceding him in death. The young man was a member of the Cedar Branch Baptist Church. Besides his mother he is survived by four sisters, Mrs. Lillian Lane, of Rocky Mount, Mrs. Marion Barber of Washington, D. C., Mrs. Clias. Sex ton of Jamesville, and Mrs. Effie Smith of the home, and five broth ers, Stephen Earl, Herbert (Slim), Enoch, Arthur and Willie Mayo Gardner, all of Jamesville. Employers Return P. B. Pollock, War Manpower Commission Area Director for the Elizabeth City-New Bern labor mar ket area today stated that local of fices of the USES are not receiving manpower inventory forms from em ployers in expected numbers. "The forms—known as WMC-63A —were mailed to employers of 25 or more workers early in January," said Mr. Pollock, "with the request that they be completed and returned to their nearest local office of the Unit ed States Employment Service by February 15." Many of the forms have been re turned, according to the .’rea direc tor, but there are still many employ ers who have not been heard from. Mr. Pollock described the form as necessary in order that officials may have accurate knowledge of the pres ent manpower situation. “The form is simple, but is design ed to reflect accurately the present manpower situation in North Caro lina,” he said. "From forms already received, we note that many em ployers have not yet reached the ceilings allowed them for employing workers. When all forms are in we shall be able to allocate or re-allo cate workers where they will be of most benefit to the war effort." Mr. Pollock urged that all employ ers send the form in as soon as pos sible, and added that if the form had been lost or misplaced, duplicates are obtainable at local offices of the USES. “Personnel in local USES of fices will be glad to assist any em ployer in filling out the form,” he added. Jamea L. Mobley Geta Commiaaion In Air Corpa James L. Mobley, son of Mr. Sid A Mobley of Williamston, was com missioned a second lieutenant in the U. S. Army Am Corps at special grad uation exercises held at Hondo Army Air Field, Hondo, Texas, last Sat urday morning. Mr. Mobley wanted to make the I trip and attend the exercises but was unable to go. WOUNDED 1 Pvt. MelviFe V, Wynne, local young man, was slightly wound ed in Germany on January 24, man to'Edwards, was advised at Rier home her*' Ulster Stivei j yesterday morning. 32 years old. is now in an Army hospital, the message stating that a le'ter direct from his bedside would follow within a short time. The young man, father of three children the oldest of whom is seven, entered the serv ice last April and has been ov erseas since October. In his last letter he stated he was in France and getting along very well. Two brothers are in the service, Hay wood and Garland, both of whom are in the Pacific theater of op erations. the former Miss Ar- ! Eighty-one Percent Of County Farmers Signed Work Sheets —*-— Order Placed for 895 Tons Of Lime To Be Delivered Early Next Month Approximately 1,321 of the 1,640 farm work sheets in this county have been signed to date, according to a report released by the Triple A of fice in the agricultural building yesterday. The sign-up, handled in the several districts last Friday and Saturday, was said to be virtually complete in several of the townships, but lagging badly in others. One re port indicated that the sign-up was hardly more than one-half complete in Jamesville. Williamston. Poplar Point and Goose Nest Townships. A special call is being directed to those farmers who have not yet signed their 1945 farm work plans to do so at the office of the countv neent with out fail during the coming week. It was pointed out that draft de ferments in many cases will depend upon the information contained in the new farm plans. Stressing the need for a wider use of lime on Martin County farm lands the program so far has received or ders for 895 tons. It is fairly certain that enough orders will come from those who have not yet prepared and signed their work sheets to boost the orders to more than 1.000 tons. If the 1,000 tons are ordered, the lime will be delivered directly to the far mers’ barnyards. The orders must be placed immediately, however, one report explaining that delivery can be expected early in March if the orders are received wtihin the next few days. It is estimated that there are 00, 000 acres of crop land in this county, and it is fairly apparent that 40,000 of those acres need lime badly. In other words, the lands could take 20,000 tons at the rate of 1,000 pounds per acre. The cost of the lime to the farmer is "dirt” cheap, and never before has such on offer been made. Plans are being advanced in an effort to make spreaders available to the farmers at a rental cost of 25 cents day. These plans have not been completed, and it is not certain that extra spreaders can be made avail able. -6 Justice Hears Four Cases In His Court Business in Justice J. L. Hassell’s court here is holding to a fairly steady level and just about to an av erage. During the past few days the trial justice heard four cases, and stepped up the size of the fines in two cases. John Outlaw, charged with an af fray, was fined $5 and taxed with $8.15 costs. Charged with drunkenness, Lon nie Rogerson was required to pay $8.50 costs. Andrew Hudgins was fined $5 and taxed with $6 costs in the case charg - ing him with operating a motor ve hicle with improper brakes. Probable cause of guilt having been found, Geo. Purvis was bound over to the county court in $100 bond to answer in the case changing him with assaulting Albert Wilson with a deadly weapon. THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . The 1945 highway accident record is showing up much bet ter to date than the one for the corresponding period in 1944. So far there has been less than one accident each week on an average and most of them have been minor ones. 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. 5th Week Comparison Accidents InJ’d Killed Dam’ge 1945 1 0 0 $ 75 1944 2 1 0 675 Comparison To Date 1945 4 1 0 $ 400 1944 6 1 1 1325 Postwar Road Building Program For County Discussed At Special Youth Wounded Third Time In Action On Western Front Pfc. Paul VanLandingham, local young man, lias had quite a tough time of it over on the Western Front, his mother, Mrs. Emily D. VanLand ingham, receiving a message from the War Department this week stating that he had been wounded a third time in Belgium. No details about his latest wound were revealed in the telegram, but the Adjutant General explained that a letter would follow from the hospital where the young man is now receivin medical atten tion. Last July Young VanLandingham was painfully but not badly wound ed in the chest during the fierce bat tle for St. Lo. Aficr undergoing hos pital treatment for about a month he j was soon returned to action. Short-1 ly before Christmas, he was report-1 cd missing for four days, the young man explaining later in a letter to his mother that he was wounded in the forehead and was listed as miss ing when the medics from another detachment picked him up and plac ed him in the hospital. He was miss ing only four days, and it is believ ed that his second wound was not a very bad one, for he was not long re turning to combat duty. He was in action along the Western Front somewhere in Belgium when he was wounded on January 20, the third time. The message received this week stated that he w ., slightly wounded. A brother. John Foster Van!.and ingham, w as reported missing in Bel gium on January 4th, a later message stating that he returned to active combat duty on January 8th. Mrs. Mary S. Lilley Died Tuesday Night After A Long Illness -- Funeral Service Was He'd in Smithwieks Creek Church Thursday Afternoon Mrs. Mary Stallings I.illev, high ly respected citizen of Griffins Town ship, died at the home of her broth er, David Bennett Stallings, there last Tuesday evening at f>:30 o’clock following years of declining health. Suffering n stroke of paralysis four years or more ago, she had been a semi invalid since, spending the last two years in bed. She bore her af fliction without complaint, however. While her condition had become much worse during the past three or four weeks, she was getting along very well and was eating the evening meal when she suffered a heart at tack, death resulting a few minutes later. The daughter of the late Stanley and Paulina Lillcy Stallings, Mrs. Lilley was born on January 8, 1806, in Griffins Township where she liv ed all her life. In early womanhood she was married to Ameleck Lilley who preceded her in death by about twenty years. Mrs. Lilley was a faithful attendant upon the services at, Smithwicks Creek Primitive Bap tist Church for a long period and had held membership there for about four years. She was a good neighbor and most thoughtful of others. Besides her brother she is surviv ed by one sister, Mrs. Sylvester Peel, RFD 1, Williamston. Funeral services were conducted in the church at Smithwicks Creek yesterday afternoon at 2:30 o’clock by her pastor, Elder P. E. Getsinger. Interment was in the Lilley Ceme tery at Lilley’s Hall in Griffins Township. Earlier Closing For Williamston Stores The Government has requested, and most of the local merchants have willingly agreed to cooperate to con serve fuel and energy in these try ing times of manpower shortage as well as shortages of everything else. Cities throughout the country are curtailing their activities, employ ing brown-outs to a marked degree, and otherwise complying in ways not available to communities of our size. However, everyone can have a part in this “All Out for Victory" pro gram and this measure, while rela tively small, is impoftant. To that end, the Williamston mer •hants are planning to change store closing hours to conform with exist ing conditions. It is not the plan of the merchants or the government to work undue hardships on us at the home front, but in these modern times the rural shopper does not wait for Saturday night to do his or her shopping, especially with car pools the shipping is arranged as most convenient. The first reaction to this plan may be unfavorable in some instances, but viewed in the light of national emergency, we will surely be able to make such personal adjustments as will insure the efficacy of this pro gram. Two Divorce Suita Filed In Superior Court This Week Based on two years of separation, two suits for absolute dilferce were filed in the Martin County Superior Court this week, one by Mordema Rogers against James Rogers, and the other hy John D Swimpson against Flossie Lanier Swimpson. INCOME TAXES Joyfully reminding nil feder al Income taxpayers that March 15 is the deadline for filing re turns, the Treasury Department this week announced that Its deputy, John D. IJlley, would gladly assist as many as possi ble In preparing their state ments. The Deputy Collector will be at Henry Johnson’s Store In Hamilton, February 19, 9 to 1 o’clock; J. II. Ayers’ Store, Oak City, February!??, 2 to 6 o’clock; Robersonville post office, Feb ruary 20 and 21, 9 lo 6 o’clock; Williamston post office, Febru ary 22 through 27, from 9 to 6 o’clock; Brown’s Store at James vllle, March 1 from 9 to 1 o’clock, and at Allen's store, Dardens, March 1, from 2 to 6 o'clock. Sam Bundy Accepts Principalship of the Williamston Schools -$ Will Enter Unon llis New Du ties Here Feb. 19; Sue* eecds E. G. Bourne Sam D. Bundy, experienced edu cator and prominent figure in dis trict Kiwanis and Masonic circles, was named last Wednesday evening to succeed E. G. Bourne as principal of the local school. The new appoin tee plans to enter upon his duties here on Monday, February 19, it was learned today. Principal E. G Bourne, tendering his resignation last week, is complet ing five months as head of the local schools today. He has not publicly announced his plans, but it was un officially learned that he will enter employment elsewhere. The under lying causes prompting the school man's resignation could not be learned, but it was stated that the action was taken voluntarily. Mr. Bourne’s successor has had much experience in public school work. A native of Farmvillc, he was graduated from the high school there in l!)2.’l and completed his education at Duke University in 1927. He taught in Duplin County one year and was elected principal of the school at Speed where he remained for five years. Eleven years ago he was made principal of the Leggetts School in Edgecombe County and when he saw those whom he had started with finish school he decid ed to make a change. Accepting a job as chief clerk of the Edgecombe County War Price and Rationing Board last June, he is resigning that post to come here. The professor plans to move his wife and two chil dren here just as soon as he can find a home. Mr. Bundy is a past master in the Tarboro Masonic lodge. In 1943 he was lieutenant governor in the 6th Kiwanis district, and at the present time is governor in the district for the organization. r CHECKS > Participating in the 1944 soil building program, 443 Martin County farmers recently receiv ed Triple A checks In the sum of $8,284.06, boosting the total re ceived to date in this county to $16,582.56. So far 742 checks, rep resenting 542 applications, have been distributed to farmers in this county under the 1944 pro gram. The office of the county agent said this week that 1,079 appli cations had been submitted to the state office, that possibly 150 county farmers had not yet sign ed their applications for pay ment Approximately 50 Miles Included In Tentative Program -a Plan To Pave Several Roads Complete One to Farm tile Not Yet Certain Mooting in special session with Highway Engineers G. K. Mack and J. G. Gardner, members of the Mar tin County Board of Commissioners discussed here last Tuesday the pos sibility of launching an extensive rural highway construction program. The meeting, lasting only a short time, was a most harmonious one, and the first attended by represen tatives of the North Carolina High way and Public in a iong, long time. It was exlreme 1 gratifying to see the representa tives appear in person • and discuss local problems and plan for the fu ture on the home grounds. Division al C rnmissioner Carroll Wilson of Roanoke Rapids, scheduled to at tend the meeting, was not present for t< ■ discussion. Candidly explaining that the pro posed program is not at all certain, that many things will have to be considered before any action can or will be taken, the highway represen tatives pointed out that if the pro posed plans materialize, Martin County will have about 50 miles of its rural roads improved and sur faced with rock-usphalt in the post war period. The meeting last Tues day designated the roads to be in cluded in the program, if and when that program takes definite form. Not every road in the county could be included, naturally, but the allo cations are fairly well distributed over the county and include nearly all of the most important secondary routes. No priority was mentioned for any one road, but it was made fairly ap parent at the meeting that the State commission is going back to basic democratic principles and consulting the people about their roads and con struction plans. Planning on the assumption that the Federal government will accept one-half the costs, the State will con sider the construction of about 54 miles of rock-asphalt roads, includ ing the extension of the road from John A. Griffin’s filling station to Farm Life in Griffins Township, a distance of about 5.8 miles. Other proposed projects to be included in the Federal-State plan, considering all the ifs and uncertainties, are: The old river road running from Hamilton to Palmyra, a distance of about twelve miles. The road from Butler’s Bridge on N. C. Highway 125 to the Edgecombe County line, a distance of about 8.4 miles. A road from Everetts to Bear Grass, a distance of about 5.8 miles. The old Greenville Road, begin ning near the Martin County Home, and running to the Robersonville Stokes Road, a distance of about 10.7 miles. The Williamston-Bour Grass Road, leading off U. S. Highway 17 about two miles south of Williamston, and running to the Beaufort County line via the residence of John Daniel Biggs and the town of Bear Grass, a distance of about 8.7 miles. In addition to the State-Federal program, the highway representa tives stated that Highway 171, run ning from Jamesville and intersect ing U. S. Highway 17 near Washing ton, is recognized as a primary road and that possibly it would be paved by Federal government aid entirely. It was also stated that it might be possible to include the road running from Holly Springs on U. S. 64 to the 171 Highway in Griffins Town ship as an all-State project. The commissioners discussed oth er roads and conditions with the vis iting engineers, and were advised that even maintenance of the high ways during the war period was not to be expected to measure up to any thing like normal standards, that machinery could not be had and la bor was scarce. And something was said about the many miles of ’tater ridges all over the county. County Youth Training At Great Lake* Center Reginald D. Peele, 17, son of Mr. and Mrs. George A. Peele, RFD 2, Williamston, is receiving his initial Naval indoctrination at the U. S. Naval Training Center, Great Lake*, Illinois. His recruit training consists of in struction in seamanship, military drill and general Naval procedure. During this period a series of apti tude tests will be taken by the re cruit to determine whether he will be assigned to a Naval Service I School, to a shore station or to im ! mediate duty at sea. When his recruit training is com I pleted, the seaman will receive n period of leave.