♦ NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AN' TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN VOLUME XLVIII—NUMBER 57 ESTABLISHED 1899 Williamaton, Martin County, North Carolina, Friday, July 20, 1945. Story Of The One * ~ Hundmi am! f irsT \irborne Division —#— ^ Brief Review of Daring Part* Han«lle(i bv Daring Men In European Theater -;»j, The story below offers a review of the daring work handled by dar ing men in the U. S. Army’s 101st Airborne Division. It will be read with interest by all Americans and especially by local people because Lt. Billy Biggs, son of Mr. and Mrs. S. R. Biggs of Williamston, is a li member of the outfit. The second installment of the story follows: Holland—2nd D-Day for Screaming Eagles Where next? This was the question in the mind of every Eagie trooper. By August, 1944. tremendous Allied advances across France and the fluid state of German defenses indicated the likelihood of another Airborne 0 mission. Twice the division was alerted and moved to departure airdromes to await the battle signal. Twice the division trudged to marshalling fields only to return to base camps. Swift-moving armor eliminated the necessity for both operations. But the third operation wasn’t a dry run. Its second eombat mission —Holland! As part of the newly formed First Allied A/B Army, Eagle soldiers If were sent skyward toward German defenses in the land of wooden shoes and windmills. Again it was a sky dash over the English Channel, over flak towers, and down behind Ger man lines. The mission was to secure bridges and the main highway winding through the heart of Holland from Eindhoven to Arnhem to facilitate the advance of Gen. Sir Miles C. Dempsey’s Second British Army ov 4 er the flooded dike-controlled land. September 17 was the date for the lOlst’s second Airborne D-Day. The greatest Airborne fleet ever massed for an operation roared from U.K., spanned Channel waters. While the first planes spewed forth parachut ists and gliders crashlanded on low lands, planes and gliders transport ing the division still were taking off from British airfields. Flak met the invaders en route, but the huge armada droned steadily C on. Troop Carrier formations held firm despite fire. Pilots of burning planes struggled with controls as they flew to designated Drop Zones, disgorged their valuable cargoes of fighting men, then plummeted earthward. Pilot heorism was com monplace, proved inspirational to Eagle sky fighters dropping well be hind enemy lines. Surprise was complete. There was (| little initial opposition from the Germans. Eagle veterans assembl ed quickly, then marched on their objectives. Division missions called for the capture of Eindhoven and the seiz ure of bridges over canals and rivers at Vechel, St. Odenrode and Zon. To attain these objectives the division had to seize and hold a portion of the main highway extending over 0 a 25 mile area. Commanders realiz ed units would be strung out on both sides of the main arterial highway from Vechel to Eindhoven, that se curity in depth would be sacrificed. Dropping near Vechel, the 501st Parachute Inf. Regt., commanded by Col. Howard R. Johnson, Washing ton, D. C., later killed in the cam paign, pressed forward. Two hours later, Vechel was taken and bridges (Continued on page four) Slightly Hurt In Car Accident Near Here Cpl. Calton E. Hardy, just recent ly back from the European war theater, was painfully bruised and scratched about the head last Tues f day evening about 8:45 o’clock when the car he was driving sideswiped another driven by Mallie Bonds be tween here and Everetts. Both cars were badly damaged, W. E. Saunders and W. S. Hunt, of the highway patrol, estimating the loss to Hardy will run close to $300 and that the damage to Bonds’ 1934 Chevrolet will approximate $200. Hardy, driving a 1937 Chevrolet, ♦ was traveling toward Williamston and had just come out of a curve when he struck the other car. He continued down the road for about 150 feet before the car turned over. It was first reported that some one was pinned under the Hardy car, but the report was unfounded. Bonds, who home is near Kenly, works in Norfolk and was on his way home at the time of the ac cident. _% Camp for Martin County 4-H Club Members Is Called Of) V --- Badly needed at home to help with the tobacco harvest, about thirty Martin County 4?H club members will not be able to attend the 4-H Club camp at Hoffman next week r Miss Margarette Ricks, assistant home agent, announced this week It is possible that the youths will gc at a later date, but present indica tions are that the encampment wib be called oflf tnis summer. Over 13,000Acres Planted In waccoin County 1 his rear . . Acco- ding to fairly complete sijnrv just recently made by the Triple A office, Martin County far mers planted approximately 13.650 acres in tobacco this season. While it possibly isn't a record acreage, it is believed that it just about equals the allotment. There are 1.580 far mers growing tobacco in the coun ty this season. Making and reporting their own acreage measurements. 121 farmers reported an excess of 118 acres over th§ir allotments. Making 335 spot checks, representatives of the Triple A found a few errors in the report ed measurements, but most of the growers reported the excess them selves. The excess ranged from one tent! i to 9.5 acres. Six farmers planted a total of 8.6 acres without having any allotment whatever. According to the records, Martin farmers tried to plant their allot ted acreage, no more and no less, : with fow exceptions In ins-tan ; ees. farmes dared not plant their full allotments because they thought it would be next to impossible tc get labor to harvest it, and facts are proving them just about right. It was stated that one farmer, with a seven-acre aMotment, planted only 3.0 acres. That w.ts about the larg est single reduction reported. Those farmers with excess acreage will be asked to contact their com mitteeman and have him estimate the number of pounds produced aft er curing. A signed statement, showing the estimate, it to be sub mitted to the Triple A office in the county agricultural building. The penalty will be figured and if the farmer chooses he may pay the tax then and get a white marketing card. If he does not follow that procedure, lie will be issubd a red marketing card and the penalty of ten cents a pound on the excess will bo collect ed when the tobacco is sold. FARM LABOR I —-y In accordance with instruc tions received this week, the prisoner of war camp here is now making available a limited number of prisoners to farmers for harvesting tobacco. The al lotted number, while not large, Is expected to relieve the serious labor shortage for a few far mers, at least. Farmers are asked to apply to the office of the county agent for the labor. A minimum day of eight hours is covered by the contract, but the prisoners are allowed to work as many as twelve hours each day, it was learned. The hour wage rate is thirty cents. Soeital Security And Its Benefits —®—— The benefits von and your family will get when you retire and the benefits your family will get if you die depend on your social security account. So il is of No. 1 importance that your account be absolutely right. The Social Security Board does its end of the job with nearly 100 per cent accuracy. You can rely on that. But there are more than 70, 000,000 accounts, and some times errors do occur. They occur because every once in a while an employer I does not have a social security num ! ber or a name just as it appears on the worker’ scar'd. Therefore, it is advisable to check on your account. It is especially advisable to do so I if you have worked for short periods 1 for a number of different employers, or for a firm that was in business only a short time, or for an employ er who did not copy down your so cial security account number, or did not. deduct the 1 percent, social se curity tax from your pay. If you think an error has been made .write to the Social Security Board, Baltimore, Md., and request a statement of your account. You can get an addressed post card form at tire nearest Social Security Board office. If an error has been made, that office will help you get it cor rected. Once every four years you should check on your account any way because after four years some errors cannot be corrected. The Social Security Board office which serves Martin County is lo cated at Rocky Mount, N. C., Room 208, Post Office Building. Cotton Plantings Smallest In Years —®— According to the Statistical Di vision. North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the acreage of cotton jn North Carolina in cultivation on July 1, estimated at 595.000 acres, is | less than for any year since 1872. Farmers reduced their cotton crop 170,000 acres—or 22 percent—below that of last year and 305,000 acres— or 30 percent—below the ten-year (1934-43) average. The acreage of cotton grown in this state reached a peak in 1925 when farmers had in cultivation 1,802,000 acres.—three times as much as grown this season. The acreage of cotton has been re duced 50 percent or more from a year ago in the heavy tobacco pro ducing counties of eastern North Carolina. A material shift from cotton to peanuts occurred in all major peanut producing counties. Farmers in the lower Piedmont, where cotton is the main source of income, reported only a slight, re duction in acreage from a year ago. For the nation, the acreage of cot ton has been reduced approximately 10 percent from a year ago bring ing the total to 18,355,0(K res as compared with the ten-ye, * •-■ve) age of 26,359,000 acres. Sharp reduc tions occurred in Missouri, North Carolina and Florida. Texas, the leading state in acreage, showed a drop of 13 percent. The acreage in Alabama and Mississippi is prac tically me same as for the 1944 sea son although most other states re ported larger decreases. I Army "Wood for War Motorcade To Visit This Section Shortly Several Combat Veterans To Make Tour of State; To Annoiinee Dates An Army "Wood for War” motor cade, comprising an officer and sev eral wounded combat veterans, will start on a fifteen hundred mile tour of wood-producing sections of North Carolina, beginning July 23, in an intensified effort to meet skyrocket ing demands from the armed serv ices for pulpwood and lumber prod ucts for the all-out offensive against Japan, Captain Thomas B. Sawyer, Industrial Services Division, Fourth Service Command, announced in Raleigh this week. Tine motorcade is scheduled to visit Williamston, | but the date has not been definitely J fixed. It will be announced soon, i Meeting with Roger D. Huff, Area forester for the Timber Production !Waf Project, and Dr. J. S. Dorton, State Manpower director, to review the tentative itineary of the motor cade and formulate operating plans for the veterans’ tour, the represen tative of the Fourth Service Com nnand stated that, the program was I being inaugurated at the urgent re quest of the War Production Board and the War, Manpower Commission. “The ‘Wood for War’ veterans will bring a message to woods workers of North Carolina direct from the fight ing fronts regarding the importance of pulpwood and lumber products in the war,” Captain Sawyer stated, “and the necessity for all workers in the woods and in the mills to maintain full production until we have conquered the JSps.” Thu itineary of the "Wood for War ’ motorcade includes some fifty stops in the principal wood produc ing areas of the state. Lumber and pulpwood mills will be visited and walk-throughs and assemblies held in most of them. At various wood producing centers in North Carolina night rallies will be held under the joint auspices of the Army, Timber Production War Project, and the War Manpower Commission. At the night presentations the Army’s special combat film “San Pietro” will be shown. “San Pietro,” | according to a national magazine is one of the finest documentary pic tures to come out of the war. It de picts actual battlefield scenes, show ing through the miracle of photog raphy under fire, American infan try and tank men storming a key city in the Italion campaign, amid the shock and agony of a real bat tle field, the War Department ad vance notices state. "The Wood for War” motorcade will be a complete field unit, with motion picture projector, sound equipment, loud speaker facilities and transport- to carry the officers, veterans, and technicians who make up the staff of the project. All fac tors in forest industries have been enlisted to assist in the Army pro gram. Miss Williams Died Tuesday In Hospital Miss Kathleen /Williams, a native of Hamilton, died in a Wilmington hospital on Tuesday of last week. Miss Williams, for forty years a resident of West Virginia, was visit ing friends and relatives in and jnear Wilmington when she was tak |en ill and was removed to the hos ' pital a short time before her death. Miss Williams was 59 years old, thp daughter of the late Robert and Martha Elizabeth Williams of this' county. She was a member of the Metho dist church, remaining loyal to its its teachings and in its support down t/irough the years. 1 Funeral services were conducted in Hamilt u last Sunday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock by Rev. Thoms H. House, pastor. Interment was in the Hamilton cemetery. No immediate members of her family survive, but she has a num ber of distant cousins in this coun ty. I TOWN - FARM 1 frtm?rrMTr --- (A week!/ news digest from the rural press sectlor of the OWI news bateau) Men To Get Increase in Twill Work Clothes A temporary increase in the amount of herringbone twill avail able for production of men s work clothes in procurement of this type of finished cotton fabric by the Army Quartermaster Corps. WPB announced. Though tiie "holiday” is effective immediately, WPB said, it will be about six weeks before it is reflected in increased quantities of work clothing. More Feed Bags To Be Made of Dress Prints The farm woman who likes to have animal and poultry feed delivered in bags she can make into dresses and household articles will be per mitted a continuance of this war time aid, WPB said. A ceiling, ap proximating the 1944 peak-year "cut up” of such material, has been estab lished on the use of dress prints for making new commercial bags. New Shoe Stamp in August The new shoe ration stamp that OPA announced would become valid August 1, 1045, will be Airplane Stamps No. 4 in War Ration Book No. 3, the agency said. Airplane stamps Nos. 1, 2, and 3 are good in denitely, OPA added. The last stamp was validated November 1, 1944. OPA pointed out that the in tervals between validation of stamps depend on the available suppiy of shoes. That the supply of shoes for civil ians will be increased is indicated in the downward trend in the pro duction of Army footwear. The War Department announced that produc tion of Army combat boots will be reduced in September from 2,100,000 to 1,500,000 pairs and that of Army service shoes will be lowered from 700,000 to 350,000 pairs during the same period. This decreased sched ule will be continued throughout the fourth quarter of 1945. Announce ment at this time of the reduction in Army footwear needs will provide a 60-day span during which time the shoe industry will be able to pre pare for increased civilian produc tion. To increase the serviceability of non-rationed shoes for juveniles and men, manufacturers will be permit ted to use leather welts and light weight leather insoles in these types of non-rationed shoes, OPA said. Straight or short shield tips and backstays of pigskin leather also will be allowed on these shoes. Returns After Long Stay Spent Overseas Just back from a long period of service overseas, Pfc. J. D. Taylor had his honorable discharge record ed in the office of register of deeds in this county this week. He is go ing to help his father, Mr Louis H Taylor, farm, the young man ex plained, proudly waving his dis charge sheet. Four months after entering the service he was booked for overseas duty. After five years, three months and four days in foreign service, most of which time was spent in the India-Burma area, he returned to the States the 28th of last month and was given his dis charge at Fort Bragg last Tues day. The young man, just 24 years old, wears the distinguished unit badge, defense service medal with three bronze service stars, the good con duct medal and any number of other ribbons and decorations. He is the 58th Martin County man to return home and have his discharge recorded in the register of deeds office. “Little Pete” Fowden Left Behind by His Old Division With more than enough points tucked away to support at! honorable and immediate discharge, S/Sgt Pete Fowden was already to come home with his outfit, the 30th Di vision, a few days ago when he was promoted and transferred. Expect ing to be nearing home by this time, the local young man could only write a “blue” letter, explaining his ill luck. “Little” Pete hasn’t given up all hope, however, and now he is of the opinion that they are keeping him in Europe until they can count up his points and clear his papers. “Here today and gone tomor row with the prospects of meet ing iiltKB&tt coming back," ap plies well to Pvt,.. Theron R, Gurganus, Martin County young man who is overseas, presum ably somewhere in Germany. Writing to have his paper ad dress changed, the young man, son of Mr. and Mrs. Billy Gur ganus, RED 1, Williatnston, said, “This makes exactly twelve times my address has changed since I’ve been overseas. I came over in March and haven’t been lucky enough to get a copy of The Enterprise yet.” ON THE MOVE CoilIIJ' U<>(■ •)•;I ota • ’ — By Approximately Million Dollars Review of Bond Sales in This County During Recent Drive Tho following figures, submitted by County Drive Chairman, D V Clayton, offer a picture of bond sales for both the “E" and negotiable types, and the excess sales for each township or district in this county dui ing the Seventh War Loan Drive just recently ended: Jamesville Williams Griffins Bear Grass Williamston Cross Roads R’ville Poplar Point Hamilton Hassell Goose Nest “E" Ronds Quota Sales $ 11.250 $ 16,200.00 7.300 7,537.50 18.500 18,525.00 13,000 13,725.00 157,500 177,250.25 11,300 12,337.50 111,300 126,250.25 7.300 8,212.50 14.750 15,056.25 7,500 0,431.25 11,300 14,868.75 Negotiable Bonds Over Quota Sales Over $ 4.950.00 $ 11,500 237.50 7,500 25.00 18,500 725.00 13,200 19.750.25 159,000 1,037.50 11,300 14.950.25 112,000 912.50 7,000 306.26 15,270 1,931.25 7,500 3,568.75 11,300 $ 16.369 S 4,869 9,080 1,580 22,949 4,449 25,261 12,064 603,860 444.860 45,517 4,217 394,694 282,694 32,580 25,580 65,278 50,008 23,738 15,238 12,369 1,089 Totals $371,000 $419,742.25 $48,742.25 $374,000 $1,250,698 $876,698 The figures include negotiable bonns bought and allocated to the county by the State and firms with offices in other places. The allocations were made as follows: American Tobacco Co., $25,000; Norfolk Southern Bus Corporation, $5,000; Standard Oil Co., $3,000; Colonial Stores, $2,000, and Washington Production Credit. $3,500. Purchases by Martin County service men during the drive boosted the “E" bond total by $43,036.00. Judge Calvin Smith Calls Few Cases In Several Cawen Coniiniietl To Avoid Conflict Willi Tobacco Harvest Judge J. Calvin Smith called five cases in the Martin County Record er’s Court last Monday, and con tinued two of them to avoid a con flict with the tobacco harvest. The judge again explained that he wanted no cases booked when their trial would interrupt in any way the harvesting of the tobacco crop. He suggested a short time ago that the cases be held in abeyance by the various justice of the peace or | other officers until after the cur rent tobacco crop is harvested. Only those cases, the trial of which would cause farmers inconvenience in har vesting tobacco, are to be continued, it was explained. Very few spectators were in the courtroom for the trials and little interest was shown in the proceed ings. The session lasted hardly an hour. Proceedings: Charged with operating a motor vehicle without a driver's license, and with reckless and careless driv ing, Dallas Mlzelle pleaded guilty. He was fined $25 and required to pay the costs of the case. The case charging Booker T. Mi zelle with reckless and can-less (hiv ing was continued until the fourth Monday in August for the defend ant. A continuance was also granted in the case in which Thurman Edmond son was charged with being drunk and disorderly. The heavy sentence of the day was imposed in the case in which William A Blown was charged with operating a motor vehicle with out a driver’s license. Brown plead ed guilty and was sentenced to the roads for ninety days, the court suspending the road term upon the payment of a $25 fine and the court costs. The court ordered that no driver’s license be issued the de fendant during the next two years. Charged with operating a motor vehicle with improper equipment,, Joseph Outterbridge pleaded guilty and was fined $20 and required to pay the court costs. Business of the court is now in a summer slump, officers declaring that there has been very little ac tivity on the crime front in recent days. Speaks Highly Of Filipino Peoples .— -4fc 1 1 Returning from • long period of service with the Sea bees in various parts of the world, including Alas ka and the Philippines, Fred Lawson, former resident of Hamilton, spoke very highly of the Filipinos. “I hate to say it, but I do believe that the Filipino has a higher moral stand ard than the American,” he declar ed. He described the Filipinos as being a friendly people and very accommodating The forme member of the Sea [ bees specialized in the construction | of air fields, explaining that a great i field was built as Kiska, and that | on the small island in the Philippines where he was stationed they carved out an airfield in short order and were sending big bombers out before the Japs were driven from sight, al most. He was quoted as saying that he saw many Japs, but they were most ly dead ones. Mr. Lawson visited here a short while this week RETURNS HOME j Badly wounded in his right arm on Okinawa last May 17, Pvt. Bruce Lambert Peel re turned home a few days ago to visit his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Noah Peel, in Griffins Township a short time before going to a hospital in Richmond for an operation. A piece of shell tore into his arm near the elbow, severing the nerves and leaving his right hand almost without feeling. The young soldier, on*- of four known to have been wounded on Okinawa, left the spot on a hospital boat and flew from Saipan to the States. Oak City Negroes Victims of Attack Clarence Everett, young Oak Cil.y colored man, was dangerously hurt last Monday afternoon when Russell Sherrod struck him over the head with a beet hot lie following an argu mi nt centering around either wine or women, according to reports reaching here. Everett’s condition was described as critical at first, but later reports indicate that he is improving. Ai rested by Constable Edmond Early, Sherrod waived preliminary hearing and was placed under bond in the sum of $00(1 by Justice J. R. Whitfield of Oak City where the at tuck took place. Sherrod had cme of his eyes shot out by a boy named Council some times ago, following an argument over a girl The defendant is now in the coun ty jail waiting for trial in Judge J. C. Smith’s court next Monday. McKinley Powell, 35 years old, was cut in Oak City last Saturday by James Saunders, 18, the knife assault climaxing an argument be tween the Iwo colored men. Carried before Justice J. B. Whit field, Saunders was placed under bond in the sum of $3(10. Unable to raisi the amount immediately, the man was placed in the county jail to await trial in Judge J. C. Smith's court next Monday. Youth Awarded the Purple Heart Medal Rome, G;i. The Purple Heart j Medal, for wounds received in ac- j lion against the enemy in the European Theater of Operations, j was awarded Pfe. James M Bareli ft. son of Mrs. Mattie Barclift, 513 War ren Street, Williamston, N. C. in formal ceremonies here at Battey I General Hospital a few days ago.! Col. B I). Faust, Commanding Of ficer, made the presentation. Barclift was wounded in April, 1544, on the Anzio Beachhead, and again in December, 1944, in North ern France. He was a member of the Service Company, 15th Regi ment, Third Division. Barclift, who is 20 years old, en ten d the service March 29, 1943, ..at Blending, Fla.. ■ and Camp Robinson, Ark., before shipping overseas where he joined) th/ Thiid’Division in Italy He was | overseas eighteen months, taking part in campaigns in Italy and France. He landed with th. Third Division in Southern France on D-Day. Bar clift has been a patient at Battery Hospit: 1 since March 5, 1945. The young man spent some time l here with iiis uncle, Mr. W. R. Banks, several months ago before I returning to the hospital in Georgia 'for further medical treatment. Over-All Sales For The County Totaled Right At $1,670,440 Kv«*ry Dslriet in lh<> County Ouolii- for \11 I v |M's of Ronds -c. Marlin County, with the help of its boys in the service and alloca tions made by a few firms with of fices elswhere, exceeded the over all war'bond quota by nearly one million dollars during the mighty seventh war loan drive, according to final figures released this week by D V Clayton, chairman of the drive Total “E” bond sales were $419, 742.25 or $48,742.25 in excess of the original quota. Total negotiable i bond sales amounted to $1,250,698.00 or $876,698 in excess of the original Kf North Carolina made purchases m the millions of dollars arid al located $349,000.00 to this county. 1 he Martin ( out,ty treasurer invest ed $19,745.00 of public funds in ne gotiable* along with several cor porations and firms with home of fices outside the county. These sales were allocated to the various distriels. Every district in the county ex ceeded its original quota for all types of bonds, and some of them bad right big goals. A tabulation, appearing on this page, gives a pictuie of tin* bond salt’s, showing ’ x,H‘tI.V what each district accom plished. The drive experienced tough travel at one time, but the people rallied to its support toward the • nil and did an excellent in meet ing and passing the quotas About Mile only bad feature about the drive tli.d 11u■ total number supporting il was not as large as il should or could have been, according to the chairman. If it had not been for a few who invested $5,000 or more, l lie “E bond quota would not have h<4-ii met. Despite that bad feature, Ihe ihive ranks as the most success ful held during the war to date. M irim County was one of the 47 counties in the State t,j meet and exceed both its “E’ and negotiable bond quotas and il is believed that it will rank ticai the top with its ovei -all quota excess. 1 he Stale, as a whole, purchased only about 98 percent of its “E” bond quota, and the nation was ‘‘bout three percent short of the goal. Chairman Clayton expressed his sincere appreciation to those faith ful workers who gave of their time •° interest the general public in I lie bond drive. And he is not un mindful of those who went down (Continued on page four) Justice Hassell Has Five Clases In Court —*— Justice John L. Hassell handled live cases in his court here during the post ft w days, and imposed two loads sentences and several fairly sizable fines. Alfred Jones, a frequent visitor by persuasion to the court, was sen tenced to die roads for thirty days when he was adjudged guilty of being drunk and disorderly. The defendant, given a JO days suspend ed sentence for an affray back in June, was ordered to the roads for thirty days, the sentences to run consecutively. Ilerber Reaves, charged with be ing drunk and disorderly at Duk Inn, was fined $10 and required to pay the court costs. Emma Bell Reaves, his wife, was fined $10 and required to pay $7.50 costs for her disorderly conduct at Duk Inn, a new beer joint recently opened on Washington Street here. Charged with a simple assault, Geo. M. Hardison was required to pay $7.50 costs. Meets Brother-1n-Latv In Manila Short Time Ago Private David C. Mizelle, away from the Pacific coast hardly a month, recently met his brother-in law, Benny Weaver, in the Philip pines recently. * According to letters from both the young men, the meeting was a glorious and happy one. Benny has been in the South Pacific for over two years and his brother-in-law was the first man he had seen from home since he left the States.