North Carolina Newspapers

NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MEN NOW READING THE ENTEPRISE IN ALL PARTS • *j'HE > LACE Wig. i—THE ENTERPRISE NEARLY 1000 MARTIN COUNTY SERVICE MEN NOW READING 15 ■ OF THE WORLD EACH WEEK. T VOLUME XLVin—NUMBER 20 Williamtion, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday. March 9, 1945. ESTABLISHED 1899 Bear Grass Exceeds l Its Red Cross Quota j By a Large Margin] j p c District Firs) To -Campaign!, School Raises Almost SI00.00 Accepting the challenge willingly and getting off to an early start, Bear Grass Township citizens suc cessfully endede their annual Red Cross War Fund drive in less than a week and exceeded the original goal by a large margin. Assigned a quota of $450.00, the district report ed $451.65 collected earlier in the y week, the little folks in the school coming in with $84.10 to boost the totai to $535.75, an amount $85.75 in excess of the original quota. The Enterprise sincerely regrets it will be unable to publish the con tributors' names in the schools, for the little folks did a great job at Bear Grass and those in the other schools are giving the drive a liberal and willing support, too. It is esti mated that between four and five k thousand school children in this county will have contributed some thing to the Red Cross by the time the drive is completed, and the short age of help in the office makes it next to impossible for the publishers to handle all the children’s names. The amounts will be listed by grades however, and every name and the amount contributed by each child will be preserved as a part of the county war records. Contributions by grades in the y Bear Grass School are listed, as fol lows: First, $5; second, $5.35; third, 1 $7.85; fourth, $9.25, fifth, $13.10; sixth, $10.15; seventh, $3.90; high school, $30 —Total, $84.10. Names of contributors in the sev- j eral townships and the amounts they contributed will be published as j rapidly as possible and in the order I they are reported. Contributors in ■ Pear Grass Township follow: Mrs. Roy Ward, solicitor: Mr. and ^ Mrs. J. S. Griffin, $10; Clyde Ward, 25c; Mr. and Mrs. W. K. Ward, $l;j Rome Rogerson, $1; Mr. and Mrs. E Slade Peele, $10; H. U. Peele, $5; Mr. and Mrs. Milton Mendenhall, $1; Mrs. Lewis Holliday, $3; Mr. and Mrs. Archie Hodges, $3; Maryland Hadley, 3c; Mrs. Ben Ward, $1 Mr. and Mrs. Frank Holliday, $2: Mr. and Mrs. Fate Hodges, $2; Mr and Mrs. Ben Whitehurst, $2; Dalton Rogerson, $1; Mrs. Rome Rogerson, _ $2; Mr. and Mrs. Roy Ward, $3; Nan ^ cy Ward, 20c; Bill Hadly, $2.—Total, cy Ward, 20c; Bill Hadley, $2, Mr. 1 and Mrs. Jasper Griffin, $2.—Total, i $51.48. Susie Gray Bow»n and Tobie (Continued on page six) « First Army men Race Across Rhine Barrier Americans Surprise m Germans In Darin Crossing of Stream —«— Almost Certain Accomplish ment Will Mark Turning Point in European War m In one of the greatest feats of the war since D-Day last June 6. Ameri can forces this week crossed the Rhine River to deliver trembling German a blow which observers be lieve will hasten the end of the European war. The brilliant blow was made last Wednesday at Remagen, 32 miles south of Cologne where General Courtney Hodges’ First Army troops were reported to have captured in tact a rail bridge across the stream. The entire course of the war has been changed—ana pernaps snorun-1 ed by months—by the swift, demor alizing lunge across the river bar rier on which a reeling Germany pinned her hopes of holding off de- [ feat in the west. Ten or fifteen minutes after the first company had crossed the Rhine, others began throwing everything in the book into the crossing. If fighting men ever took advan tage of a break, these First Army troops did: A singe infantry com-j pany marching into the main Ger- j man army on its own side of the Rhine. Now the prisoners are com ing back—unattended, because our men up front have no time to bother with them. It was a coup of amazing, breath taking character, and the men who did it made history. It caught the Germans at a weak spot, undefended except by snipers and machine-gunners, without fixed fortifications. The firing is lively | now, and even though there is still a security blackout, it is safe to say that we have pJently of infantry a,id guns across. Minutes before the daring feat, no one around that picturesque stretch ■^of the Rhine, a stretch which had known no war in 340 years, thought (Continued on page six) c PRISONERS A total of 384 German prison ers worked on Martin County farms last month, handling gen eral farm work such as cutting wood, ditching and shrubbing. Requests were received for 619 prisoners during the month. The number of prisoners available for general farm work has been reduced to ten each day, and the labor supply is subject to be curtailed even more. The avail able prisoner of war labor has been booked up until the early part of May, it was learned. Farmers paid the eovernment $725.38 for the use of the prison ers last month. Thirteen Men Pass Army Examination ——— At least thirteen of the approxi mately twenty-two Martin County white men reporting to an Army cen ter on February 22 were accepted, according to official reports. The names of those passing the pre-induction examination follow: Hassell House Worsley, Lonnie Steward Bullock, Alfred Jones (transferred from New Bern), Wil liam David Scott, Rupert Turner, Robert Lee Everett, Joseph Warren Martin, Livingston Earl Hyman, William Blaney Cannon, Jr., Donald Gilliam Matthews, James Henry Bunch, Dallas Cortez Ayers and Harold Rudolph Edmondson. It could not be learned whether William J. Council had been accepted or reject ed. His case was listed as incomplete on the audit report. Jesse Delma Beach, scheduled to: make the trip, was hurt in an auto mobile accident and could not go. The names of those rejected could not be learned officially, but the fol lowing men were reported to have made the trip: David Aaron Boyd, Carey Garland Bunting, Hubert Frank Leggett, Frankie Coburn, Rus sell Leonidas Griffin, Wm. Oscar Council, Marion Thomas Hardison, McClendon Matthews and Wm. A.,a Rawls. KILLED Pfc. Clifton B. Moore was killed in the European Theater on last December 25, his mother, Mrs. Lucy Moore Perry, KFD 1, Jamesviile, was advised this week by the War Department. He was previously reported miss ing. judge Calvin Smith Calls Seven Cases In County’s Court -/§>.. ... Proceedings Attract Sizable* Crowd Last Monday Morning - , <9> No sensational cases were on the docket, but the proceedings in the last Monday session of the Martin County Recorder’s Court attracted a fairly sizable audience. Judge J. Calvin Smith called seven cases for trial and held the court in session for about two hours before clearing the docket. Appearing before the court for further judgment in the case charg ing him with non-support, Marion Thomas Hardison was ordered to continue paying $25 a month for the benefit of his children. The defend ant is to reappear before the court on the first Monday of December in this year for further judgment. Charged with drunken driving, A. W. Hardison was adjudged not guil ty. In the case charging Price White with disposing of mortgaged proper ty, the prosecuting witness express ed a desire to have the charge aired in the superior court before a jury. (Continued on page six) Wm. J. Smith Dies At His Home Here Last Wednesday Mornin j j Funeral Servwr* For Highly Respected Citizen Are Held Yesterday tfj i william Jayson smnn, mgmy re spected local citizen, died at his home on West Main Street at 3:40 o'clock Wednesday morning follow ing a ten-day illness. Despite his ad vanced age, he was unusually active and continued at his post of duty in the plant of the Williamston Pea nut Company until about ten days ago when he was taken ill. Pneu monia developed and that was the immediate cause of his death. Mr. Smith was born in Clarks burg, Indiana, on January 11, 1865, the son of the late James F. and Eli za Smith. He left home when a young man and worked in several of the Southern States as a construc tion engineer for several years, lo cating in Norfolk the latter part of the century where he was associat ed with the peanut industry for a long period. In 1887 he was AlvernOn Lyies ol who died in 1918. Seven children survive the union, five daughters, Mrs. Ruby Smith Handy of Doyles town, Pa., Miss Martha T. Smith, Mrs. Viola S. Chappell, Mrs. Mir iam S. Robbins and Mrs. Murvis Shiflett, all of Norfolk, and two sons, Jasper B. Smith and Maury B. Smith both of Norfolk; one brother, Hom er B. Smith of Warsaw, Indiana, and a sister, Mrs. Gertrude England of Crothersville, Indiana. Mr. Smith came to Williamston in 1930 with the Columbian Peanut Company and had charge of the con struction of the large peanut plant here, and continued in its employ right up until the end. He was mar ried to Mrs. Jessie White Holloman in 1933 and she survives. He also leaves four step-children, Bruce Hol loman of Greensboro, Lt. (jg) Jessie Mae Holloman, now stationed at Pearl Harbor; Cpl. Maury Holloman with the U. S. Marines at. Guam, and Petty Officer 2/c Bill Holloman, who is now somewhere in the South Pacific. A Christian Scientist for many years, Mr. Smith was held in high esteem by all who knew him, and while he held closely to his work and spent most of his leisure hours in Ins home, lie made many strong friendships among local people dur ing his stay of fifteen years here. He had planned to retire several times, having given in full measure of his time and talent to industry’s progressive march, but when the war broke out he realized his services were needed more than ever, and he willingly and faithfully served at his post of duty until he was taken ill. Mr. Smith is remembered as a righteous and God-fearing citizen, one who never shirked a duty and one who contributed both in an ex emplary and pecuniary way to the advancement of lasting ideals and principles. Brief services were conducted in the Biggs Funeral Home yesterday morning at 10 o’clock and the fun eral party left immediately for Nor folk where the services were con cluded in the Holloman-Brown Fun eral Chapel by Rev. O. J. Hodges, pastor of the Tabernacle Baptist Church, assisted by a reader of the Chnslian Science faith. Interment was in the family plot in Norfolk’s Forest Lawn Cemetery. Two Fatally Hurt In Bertie Accident ——« Two young men, Raymond B. Couch and W. U. McElhenie, of the Naval An Station, Edenton, were fatally hurt and four others were injured when their jeep went out of control and turned over two and one half miles north of Windsor on U. S Highway 17 shortly after midnight Wednesday. Few details of the accident could be learned here immediately and the home addresses of the victims were not disclosed. -« Two Lwfiior Stills Taken In The County This Week -*- ip Two liquor stills, both' crudely equipped, were captured in Rober sonville Township this W'eek by ABC Officer Joe Roebuck and his assist ant, Roy Peel. The first plant was destroyed in the Flat Swamp area along with four barrels of beer, The still was made of tin and had a capacity of 50 gallons. The second plant, equip ped with a 50-gallon oil drum, was found in Great Swamp. A barrel of beer was poured out. - Minor School But Accident In Everett8 Yesterday No one was hu»i and very little damage resulted when a school Hus, serving the Parmeie Negro High School, sides wiped Jim Staton Ay ers’ Pontiac on the Main Street in Evoretls yesterday morning. An es timate of the damage couid not be lad, but th- ioss will hardly run more than a few dollars. Cpl. James E. Taylor, son of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Taylor of near Williamston, was wounded in Germany a few weeks ago. His wife and their three children are spending some time with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Pol lard, RFD 2, Robersonville. bounty Bookmobile Will Make Regular Schedule Next Week -<$>——— Now Hook* Added To Collcc tion for Distribution In This County New books this month are as var ied as this March weather. The first title sounds like spring itself—Look ing For A Bluebird, by Joseph Wech berg, is a refreshing collection of sketches of a young musician who left home to see the world and did most of it for a time as ship’s musi cian, but not without muny humor ous incidents. Tins is a sure relief from all the war stories. A new Tarkington novel is here— Image Of Josephine is a story of a young girl who would not present her true self. Then with the return of Lt. Bailey Fount from the Pacific for treatment, there was a change; in fact, two very definite changes in the lives of those concerned. Troubled Midnight brings us John Gunther’s venture with the novel.; Here is the story of an American wo man working in glamorous Istanbul! for the Office of War Information Her many experiences there are not, however, always limited to the af fairs of the OWI. Owen Lattimore in his new book, Solution In Asia, points out the road America must take to achieve a vic tory for democracy in Asia, He dis cusses China, Japan, and all the oth er Eastern areas from their real basis, the people in them. Here is another timely book indicating that the solution is political and econom ic rather than military. A little book sure to give the read er a lift and several hours of good entertainment is This Little Pig Stayed Home, by Mrs. Willie Snow ! Etheridge .It has been called "gay and gallant an American ‘Mrs. Miniver’," and please remember that it is definitely American—as Ameri can as the little town of Prospeca, Kentucky. The bookmobile schedule in this county next weeks follows; Monday, March 12 9 a. m., Edward’s Service Station; 10 a. m., Hamilton School; 11:05, In front of Hamilton bank; 12:45 p. m., Gold Point School; 1:35 p m , John son’s Service Station, Gold Point; 2:10 p. m., Robersonville Public Library. Tuesday, March 13 9:30 a. m., Hassell School; 10:00 a. m. Hassell Post Office; 10:40 a. m., Edmondson’s Service Station; 11:15, Oak City School; 1:30 p. m. Barrett's Drug Store, Oak City; 2:15, Smith’s Store on Palmyra Road. Wednesday, March 14 9 a. m., Williamston High School; 10:00 a. m., Everetts school;; 11 a. m., Ayers’ Store, Everetts; 12, noon, Cross Roads Church; 1:30 p m., Ele mentary School, Robersonville; 2:30 p. m., Robersonville High School; 3:10 p. m., Parmele Post Office. Thursday, March 15 9 a. m., Williamston Elementary School; 10:45 a. m., Griffins Service Station; 11:15 a. tn., Farm Life School; 1:15 p. m., Corey’s Cross Roads; 1:45 p. m., Bear Grass School; 2:30 p. m., Terry Brothers' Store, Bear Grass; 3 p. m., Wynne’s Service Station. Friday, March 16 10 a. m., Joidan’s Store, Dardens; 11 a. m., Browning's Store; 11:45 a. m., Poplar Chapel Cnurch; 1:15 p. m., Jamesville School; 2:30 p. m., Brown’s Store, Jamesville. f~ CLUB MEETING ) ___/ Relieving a larger attendance upon the meetings will result, the local Senior Woman’s Club | is changing its schedule from Wednesday afternoon vo Friday night. The first of the night meeting will be held at 8:00 o' clock this evening when a social hour will be observed. i Thirty Persons Injured When Bus mvrnrnmw «** i» «■» y» .»M»rn >, , ^»m BMP, imni»ri wwiii-.iiii; -»■■■*>» t ears 1 lirougli 1 >i'i< sge Guart fRail And Turns Over In River Swamp Over $4,000 Reported In Red Cross Drive In Local Chapter Tlie annual Red Cross War Fund drive in the Martin County Chapter was announced hardly two-thirds complete last night. Chairman V J. Spivey explaining that he had to figure long and hard for a success ful close of the campaign. "We are going to meet the challenge, for, af ter all, it is not at all unreasonable, but it might be necessary to make some repeat calls. Up until last night a total of $4, 013 75 had been collected and re ported, leaving approximately $2,650 to be raised. Bear Grass is already over the top with about $H5 to spare. Farm Life, while no complete report lias been submitted, is over the top. Jamesville has reported $300 of its quota raised. Williams has made no report so far, and nothing has been heard from the colored citizens in the chapter However, it was learn I'd that the colored citizens leading their canvass had called for addi tional membership cards, indicating that they were making progress in the drive to raise $1,000 for the fund. Raising $2,718.00 to date, Wil liamston is approximately $1,232.00 short of its goal. Most of the can vassers in the business district have already completed their canvasses, and several of the six who are ex pected to report soon have limited fields. Only one residential canvass ei has made a report, and if the oth ers measure up in the closing days of the drive it is believed that the chuptei will reach and possibly ov ersubscribe its quota. The Robersonville Chapter, the other Red Cross unit in this county raised nearly half of its quota in the first two days of the drive, according to reports reaching here. Large Docket Heard By Justice Hassell In The Past Few Days -e Several Cu8<*h Arr Hound Ov rr lit (bounty Court For Trial !\«*xl Work -:* Justice J 1, Hassell handled a large docket in his court here dur ing the past few days, the period be ing about the busiest he had had this year. William I.illcy, operating a motor vehicle with improper licenses, was fined $10 and taxed with the cost. Moses Williams was required to pay $.'t.f>() costs in the case charging him with being drunk and disor derly. Facing a similar charge, “Tank’ Bennett was'taxed with $9.50 costs. John 1'hilpott was fined $1.50 and taxed with $9.50 costs for being drunk and disorderly. William Ailliui Bell was required to pay $8.50 costs in the case charg ing him with public drunkenness. Eddie Golphie, Arthur James, Will Clark and Noah Boston, charged with being drunk and disorderly, were fined $1.50 each and required to pay $9,50 costs. Judgment was impended upon the payment of $7.50 costs in the case charging Addie Griffin with disoi derly c<eiduet. Roy Hi stun v ,< required to pay $8.50 C' . fm being drunk and dis order! : Given . pn Inriinary hearing in the case charging him with drunken driving, W. Jackson Holliday was bound over to the county court ut der bond in the sum of $100. Nathan Reece, charged with an as sault with a deadly weapon, was bound over to the county court in $500 bail. One of his victims, Dallas Whitley, was sliced from his ear to the throat, 17 stitches being required to close the wound, and Nathan Bak er, the other victim, was badly cut on the thigh. The attack took place on Washington Street last Satuiday night. Rose Lee Latham and Essie Clark charged with assaults with deadly weapons, were bound over to the county court for trial. -a, H. Wilmer Barber Dies in Jamesville -4. H. Wilmer Barber, respected coun ty citizen and prominent farmer of Jamesville Township, died at his home yesterday afternoon at 2 o' clock. He had been in declining health for a year or more, and was confined to his bed about two weeks. The son of the late Benjamin Bar ber, he was born in Jamesville Township on August 27, 1883, and lived and farmed there all his life He was a diligent worker and a good citizen. He was a member of the church at Mapel Grove, and his pas tor, Rev. M. Luther Ambrose, will conduct the last rites at the home Saturday afternoon at 3 o.clock. In terment will follow in the Barber family cemetery, near the home. In early manhood, Mr. Barber was married to MLss Annie Hardison and she survives with three daughters, Mrs .Emma Bell Lilley, Mis. Annie Ijee Hardison and Miss Mary Ruth Barber, all of RED 1, Jamesville, and four sons, George, Amide and Llew ellyn, p'.l of Jamesville RED 1, and Libert Barberi, U. S N , now station ed at Miami. He also is survived by a sister, Mrs. Mattie Aukard of Rich mond, and three brothers, Frank Barber of Williams Township, Peril** Barbei A RFD 1, Jamesville, and Clyde Barber of Richmond. WOIIINDKD ---j v. Thomas Boston, son nl’ Sarah Jane Boston, Jamesville l{FI> 1, was recently wounded in action in 1 lie Pacific Theater, lioston, Steward’s Male 3/c, was not wounded seriously, according to a communication from ttie Bur eau of Naval Personnel. Victims Are Moved To Local Hospital In Four Ambulances All Bui Nine Oisehargeil After Receiving Fir*t Ai«l Treament Twenty-nine passengers and the driver were hurt, nine of them bad ly but not seriously, when a south bound Norfolk-Southern bus crash ed through the cement guard rail on the Roanoke River bridge and plunged about fifteen feet into the swamp below just east of the draw here last Tuesday afternoon short ly after 2 o’clock. Six other passen gers escaped unhurt except tec mi nor bruises and sught shock. Three other persons, riding or driving team hitched to log wagons, were hurt in the accident. Observers frankly de dared that it was nothing less than a miracle that several were not kill ed. The bridge attendant notified the highway patrol, and Cpl. W S. Hunt reached there in just a few minutes. Ih' radioed for all available ambu lances, and four responded, includ ing the one stationed at the prison er of war camp at the river. The fire department was called out and its ladders were used to take most of tin' victims off the bus which was ly ing on its side in about two and one halt feet of water. One or two of the victims were lifted from the swamp with ropes. The ambulances and private cars delivered six loads to Brown’s hospital where arrange ments were quickly made to handle the emergency In less than two hours the injured were cared for, the Red Cross moving in and furnishing clothing to replace that which had gotten wet or was nearly torn from several of the victims. An inventory could not be had im mediately, but many personal ef fects, including suitcases, wraps, pocketbooks and money, were lost in the water. Several versions of the accident have been offered, and it could not la1 learned just what caused the wreck. J. B. Harrison, driver of 533 W. 34th Street, Norfolk, stated that he slowed the bus down before he drove off the fill onto the concrete bridge, that he was driving at a mod (Continued on page six) Two County i\len Lose Their Lives in Action WOUNDED v Alex Latham was slightly wounded somewhere in France on February 20, his parents, Mr. and Mrs. I). it. Latham, ICF1) 1, Palmyra, were advised by the War Department this week, lie went overseas hardly two months ago. Pvt. Latham was born in Iteaufort County hut tin- family moved to this county when he was a little fellow, lie was work ing in Virginia at the time he registered, and entered the serv ice from Halifax County. One report stated that he went over seas with J. A. Everett, Jr., of Goose Nest Township. Large Quantity Of Lime Distributed Nearly 1,40(1 tons of lime are be- j mg delivered to Martin County! farms this week in cooperation with the Agricultural Adjustment Admin istration’s soil building program. Up until late yesterday, eight carloads had been delivered to farmers in this section and a special contractor will distribute several more carloads be fore moving his crane and trucks to other points in the county. It could not be learned definitely, but the contractors will possibly go to Oak City within the next few days. The outfit has been distributing approxi mately four carloads each day. N j special-type spreaders could be had for spreading the lime in this county, but a few farmers are using their own spreaders. Others are plan ning to use wagons and scatter the lime with shovels aiici l.ariov. it into the land. Orders are being filled for 1,390 tons of lime, the office of the sve'n ty agent stating yesterday that no more cooperative orders could be handled this season unless the vol ume should be large enough to jus tify a return trip by the contractor. Former Local Youth t Reported Killed In Action February 111 l*fe. Clifton It. Moore Ami I'vl. J. It. Minton Make Supreme Saerifiee Two Martin County young men, Pfc. Clifton B Moore, of Jamesville, and Pvt J K. Minton, a native of Hobersonville, and Pfc. John C. New born, Jr., a former resident of Wil liumston, were killed in action dur ing recent months, according to mes sages reaching relatives and friends this week. Three other messages, announcing that their sons or hus bands hud been wounded, were re ceived from the War Department by relatives in the county during the past few days. Pfc. Clifton B. Moore, son of Mrs. Lucy Price Moore Perry, RFD 1, Jamesville, and the late James E. Moore of this county, was killed in action in the European theater on December 25, his mother was ad ! vised Wednesday afternoon. A prev ious message, received about a month ago, stated that he had been miss ing since that date. It is believed ttiat the young man lost his life when an American transport was sunk by ■ enemy action in European waters. Approximately 250 men w'ere killed and several hundred were reported missing, most of whom apparently lost their lives. Pfc. Moore was born in Henderson on August 5, 1925, his parents re turning to the county when he was six months oid. He lived in the Jamesville-Farni Life section and at tended school at Oak City and Farm Life, and at the time he entered the service on November 24, 1943, he I was working w ith Russeii Holliday on a farm near Oak City. Tire youth i went overseas last October and #f ! ter snending several months in Eng t land- he was being shipped eiuier to the Mediterranean area or to the (Continued on page six)