I- EARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN THE ENTERPRISE NEARLY 4,000 CORIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN VOLUME XLVIII—NUMBER 60 William*ton, Martin County, North Carolina, Tuesday, July ill, 1945. ESTABLISHED 1899 r Man Fatally Burned Ii] House Fire Late Last Saturday Night Ralph W. Barbour, Raleigh Man, Was Visiting People In Griffins Township Ralph W. Barbour, young Raleigh man and representative of an insur ance company, was burned to death last Saturday night when fire de stroyed the home of his wife’s par ents and all contents in Griffins Township. Few details about the tragedy could be learned here, but Coroner S. R. Biggs, making an investigation, ruled that no foul play was evident, that the man died of burns caused when the home was accidentally fired and destroyed. Coming down with his wife from Raleigh to spend the week-end with his wife’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Henry Hodges, Barbour, 32, left the family at a tobacco barn and went to the house about 9 o’clock * to retire. It is possible that he * lighted a lamp and that it went out of eontiy’v n ' fired a curt expiain loat he may have &cen smoking a cigarette and dropped off to sleep, that the burning cigarette fired the bed clothing and he was overcome by smoke before he could escape from the burning building. Mrs. Barbour was at the tobacco barn and when the family saw the house ablaze thef rushed there and tried to rescue him, but their efforts * were in vain. One report stated that the body was burned beyond recognition. The house, valued at approxi mately $2,000, was a two-story struc ture and Mr. Barbour was said to have been sleeping in an upstairs room. In addition to the home, an automobile parked nearby, some cured tobacco, the family’s supply of meat and other food provisions, packed in the house were also burn ^ ed .according to reports reaching here. Mr. Barbour was born and reared in Raleigh and had spent all his life there. About eighteen months ago he was married to Miss Kathleen Hodges, an empolyee of the Bell Telephone Company in Raleigh. He is survived by his widow; two sisters, Mrs. R. M. By an and Mrs. Hudson Johnson both of Raleigh, and a brother, Bobby Gene Barbour of Raleigh. Mrs. Barbour was employ 41 ed by the same insurance company her husband represented. Funeral services were held Sun day afternoon at the grave side in the Hodges family cemetery in Grif fins Township by Rev. W. B. Har rington, county Baptist minister. » « County Young Man On The Shangri-La —*— Aboard the U. S. S. Shangri-La in the Pacific.—(Special)—James Sta ton Whitehurst, aviation machinist’s mate, third class, of RFD 3, William ston, N. C., serves aboard this great aircraft carrier which today is a very real source of danger to the Japs and not just the mythical base popularized three years ago when the Doolittle raiders hit Tokyo. Planes from the Shangri-La help ed defeat the Japs in the recent Okinawa campaign, raining bombs, rockets, and bullets on enemy pill boxes .caves, airfields and communi cations centers, in support of ground troops. Not long ago this carrier was just an idea in the minds of the Ameri can people who had listened to the late President Roosevelt *e!l the world that Lt. Gen. James Doolittle’s planes had raided Japan’s capital from “Shangri-La”. Through a nationwide campaign that idea became reality as people bought war bonds to build the car rier. As soon as news of her con struction was released, the Navy department was flooded with re quests from men asking to serve on her. Soon she was nicknamed ‘ The Tokyo Express". Home After Three Years In Europe After spending thirty-six months overseas, S/Sgt. Luther O. Strick land recently returned home and « has been honorably discharged by the Army under the point system. The young man had 124 points. The young man arrived unexpect ed at the home of his sister, Mrs. Annie Weathersbee, near Roberson ville on July 13. Members of the family did not even know he was in the States until he reached home, and there was much excitement. Sgt. Strickland entered service ^ in 1939 and received hij training at Fort Meade, Md., After staying in the States three years, he went over seas and participated in seven ma jor campaigns, Tunisia, Sicily, Naples, Foggia, Rome, Arno, South ern France, Rhineland and Central Europe. He was awarded the good conduct medal, American Defense Service Medal, European, African, Middle f Eastern Service Ribbon with one Bronze Arrowhead. The young man received no wounds during his three years of active service overseas. Drunks Fall Out In Numbers /* allot In a / - Iq-u tes— --- Sales slightly in excess of $2,500 were reported by Martin County s No. 1 alcoholic beverage control board store here last Saturday. While the sales established no new high record, they were the largest reported in some weeks. Hardly be fore the board employees had finish ed counting the money, the drunks started falling out in semi-private and public places. Before midnight, six had flopped on lawns, in driveways and in the streets, one taking refuge in Town Commissioner Geo. H. Harrison's front yard, another, a middle-age white man, in the Dunning yard just across the street. Two others fell out within half block of the ABC store and were found dead to the world on Dr. E. T. Walker’s office lawn. Still another fell and stretch ed himself out in the bus station driveway. Two others, a colored BIG ONION CROP || ' Way feacMMOK AJC# culturist Charlie James planted some onion sets to help ward off an onion shortage. He got his instructions mixed at the time, and placed the onion sets in a deep furrow and then covered them up and packed them down. The apparent planting error was detected by Mr. James’ neighbor, Sheriff Charlie Roe buck. The unusual planting method attracted public atten tion, and the agriculturist just dropped his head and grinned, saying nothing and doing noth ing about it until a short time ago when he went out and har vested onions by the bushels. No count was made, but Mr. James says there were several bushels. "And as for the sheriff, why he did not harvest the first onion." Bruce Whitley Tells Of High Living fx>st In Liberated Areas -a>—— Peaches Selling In Brussels As High as Seventy-five Cents Each, Boy Says -49 Writing from Kassel, Germany, G-p-I.-Fr-Brace Whitley, former En terprise employee, says he is hav ing a hectic time handling the job of mail clerk and exchanging money for the boys going into various coun tries on furloughs. Incidentally, the corporal had quite a time during a short furlough spent in Belgium a short time ago. He writes, in part: “I am still serving as mail clerk, and I like the job better than work ing in the field. There are a few headaches sometimes," handling so many different kinds of money for money orders and conversion from one kind to another. You have to use the money of the country that you are in, so when one gets a pass either to Belgium, France or Holland you have to have the money con verted over to the currency of the country in which you plan to visit. | “I just returned from a three-day furlough spent in Belgium. I was in Brussels the entire time. Spent just "bout all my money and had a wonderful time sleeping in those soft beds. Boy, it was surely worth the money, and I hated to return ; to camp. I was away seven days, Hour days of the seven having been spent traveling. “I traveled the super-highway from here to Frankfort. It is a high way over the mountains and is simi lar to the skyline drive at home; only it is four lanes with an island in between. The scenery is beau tiful. I traveled down the Rhine River and the country there is the prettiest I have ever seen. It really was worth the trip even though I did have to ride in a truck. “Things surely are high in Bel gium, and there is much more food in Belgium than in France, but the black market is still flourishing in Brussels. In the stores, a fresh peach costs from 50 to 75 cents eacn, and everything else costs in propor tion. You could get a fair meal at the restaurant for two dollars, the food comparing about with what one used to get back home for twen ty-five cents. “So Duke Ward and Geo. Lee 1 Roberson got point discharges. Boy 1 are they lucky! I am not looking for ■ a discharge until Japan is defeated But I am looking forward to goinf ■ home, if it isn’t but for a short fur 1 lough... Vocational Work Approved For the Oak City Schools -« According to a recent announce ment by Miss Dennis, State super visor of vocational economics, the Oak City home economics depart ment has been approved for voca tional work, entitling the school to aiv extra high school teacher. Miss Frances Eakes, of Stokes, will have charge of the department, it was announced. man and a colored woman, were found helpless. on Washington Street No arrests, wer made; in fact, no arrests have been entered in the jail records since last Monday. Ap parently “big” crime was taking a holiday during the period, or it was pushed out of the picture by the drunks. Possibly all of the liquor did not come from the ABC store, unofficial reports declaring tha* there is more bootleg whiskey or white lightning being passed out by the drink in Williamston that an any other time in years. Citizens declare that white customers are wearing regular paths to any number of colored homes. Mill owners state that so many workers, after experiencing gay week-ends are unable to return to work before Tuesday, that Monday is fast being recognized as a drunk ard’s holiday. Story Of The One Hiinck&d#^ First Airborne Division —• — Brief Review of Daring Paris Handled hy Daring Men In European Theater 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 and possibly other Martin County boys are members of the 101st. The fifth installment of the story follows: -* Here and there outer lines sagged. German tanks were allowed to in filtrate, infantry following behind were cut to ribbons by Eagle sol diers. Tanks also were given a rous ing reception by Ail borne doughs and their bazookas, by anti-tank gunners and by tank destroyers. During the siege, 148 tanks and 25 half-tracks were knocked out—pos itive indication of the importance Germans attached to the taking of Bastogne. Nazis threw both book and book case at Bastogne; armor, infantry, parachutists, Luftwaffe. Night after night, bombers searched out Air borne troopers. Hospitals and troop quarters were hit. Low-flying dive bombers arid heavy artillery were 'Uhp'ieaS'uiit arid damaging"-]but not unbearable. The 101st stayed on. Complete encirclement of Bastogne placed the division squarely behind the eight-ball for supplies. Airborne artillery long had been accustomed to giving more than it took. Shells now had to be rationed. Artillery waited “to see the whites of plenty eyes” before letting go. Food became scarce. Screaming Eagles sought clear skies — flying weather nof'onTy~idr"~alfTP^BUppiy, but for planes to keep the Luftwaffe , down. Evacuation of wounded became a pressing problem. But they had to wait—there was no way out of the doughnut. Reports circulated daily that the 4th Armd. Div. was on its way to open a road. Mutual confidence characterized the vicious battle preceding the junction of the 4th and the 101st. Airborne troopers hoped that armor would crack open a path for move (Continued on page four) Sgt. S. Burroughs Home from Europe —*— T/Sgt. Sutton A Burroughs, aft er three years to the day away from home, returned last Friday evening for a thirty-day furlough with rela tives and friends here and in other parts of the county. A member of the 15th American Air Force, Sgt. Burroughs was sta tioned in Italy for about two years, and had many exciting experiences while there. He expects to draw an assignment on the West Coast at the end of his furlough. Sgt. Burroughs said he saw only two men from Martin County dur ing his twenty-eight months over seas. Asked about the possibility of a discharge, he said that his 120 points did not carry much weight, but that he hoped they would get consideration soon. School Canning Day At Oak City on August With -* Thursday, August 16th, has been set aside as school canning day for the Oak City Schools, Principal H. M. Air.sley has announced. Patrons are asked to bring vegetables in quantities. ' Professor Ainsley, who has full responsibility of the cannery, sug gests that the people in the com munity help relieve the crowded i conditions each Tuesday and Thurs day by preparing vegetables at home and reporting to the cannery in the , early afternoon on the days specified for community canning. TOWN - FARM IN WARTIMF, (A weekly greet from the rural pres® section of the OWfBfi+'» bureau) The government needs and asks its citizens in this 191st week of the war against Japan to: Report all overcharges, howeve smali, to the Price Control Board of yjur ration board. Without this check by individual shoppers, prices cannot be held down. You need not give your name. Gas Coupon Thefts Increase Thefts of gasoline ration coupons from service stations have increased vo such an extent that every station operator shouid adopt all possible safeguards. Apparently organized gangs of racketeers, who formerly made the distributed counterfeit gasoline ration coupons, have found that their former racket is no longer safe nor profitable and that the markets for their invalid ration coupons have disappeared. As a re sult, the racketeers have turned to the theft of valid currency from service stations and have been sell ing coupons at various prices to ■" ’ -I"v* August Tire Quotas August quotas of 2,500,000 pas senger tires and 386,862 small truck tires for civilian motorists, exactly the same as for July, and a reduced quota of large truck tires were an nounced this week by WPB and the OPA. The quota of truck tires size 8.25 and larger was cut from 234, 308 in July to 200,00 for August. Where the Money Goes It costs about $500 to fly a wound ed man from Okinawa to Pearl Harbor and another $200 to fly him the additional 2,100 miles to San Francisco, the Navy Depart ment informs the War Finance Di vision of the Treasury. + Refrigerator Prices Price regulations governing sales and rentals of used mechanical household refrigerators have been amended, effective August 6, OPA announces. The following changes are made: Control of refrigerator rentals by landlords to tenants is clarified. Re frigerators sold “as is” must have all parts necessary for operation. A con sumer selling a used mechanical refrigerator must give a written agreement to pay for all parts and repairs needed to fulfill the guar anty. All models produced in 1941 and 1942, and all lift top refrigerators, are given dollar-and-cent prices. I The $5 warranty allowance added by the seller on used refrigerators with a one-year guarantee Is in creased to $10 on 1929 and 194(1 models. -pines Jo*. Honrli Say* Supply Of Liquor Plontiful Tlirre, Hill Qnaiity is Poor Writing to express his appreciation for The Enterprise. Joseph S. Beach, S 2-c, described a few of his ex periences in the Philippines. His letter follows: “I wish to express my thanks to you for sending me The Enterprise. It is really a great help to a guy who is miles and miles from home. 1 got The Enterprise about a month late, but it is still good to me. “I am some where in the Philip pines. Due to censorship I can’t tell just where, but it is really a ter rible place. I mean the living con ditions are bad. The natives live in small crudely built houses. I would call them huts. They are made of bamboo slabs or any scrap pieces the yean pick up to build a shelter over their heads. I have been in some of their homes and found them in terrible condition. Some of war, this was a beautiful place. But the war came and tore down their homes and wrecked everything they had. “The natives are lacking for clothes. Most of them don't have enough clothes to cover their backs. And most of what they have are ragged and worn out. However, there are some people here lhat have some good clothes and plenty of them. Tin' American Red Cross and USO ar<' doing a mighty fine job for the service men over here. They have put up a U S. O. here and they have games of all kinds. We get soft drinks, and though they are hot, they are really good. The organizations are doing some mighty fine work. They are putting more improve ments to the U. S. O. about every day. They have even got a ‘juke box’. So, it really is a nice place to spend a liberty, and to pass away time. | I want to express my apprecia tion for the work the American Red Cross is doing for us. And I speak for quite a few of the fel lows, too. “I would like for all the ‘booze hounds’ to read this They tell me whiskey is scarce for some of them. Rut if they were here they could get all they want to drink. But I wouldn’t say they would like it, be cause it is really powerful stuff. Every where you turn there is some one asking, ‘Joe, want whiskey?’ But that stuff doesn't go with me. I'm not a drinker anyway, and if I was I don't think I would drink any of the stuff. But I bet a lot of people in Williamston would like to get hold of some of it, since they can’t get enough liquor coupons at home. “I have been to quite a few places since I left Williamston, but no place so far will beat old William ston. And 1 hope it won’t be so much longer before I will get a chance to see it. I just left the States last January, and- while—I—. haven’t been away such a long time, it seems like a long time to me.” Quantity of Liquor Is Found by Officer Raiding in several sections of the county last week, ABC Officer Joe IH. Roebuck and other officers found and poured out about five gallons or illicit liquor. No arrests were re ported but action is pending in at least one of the two cases, it was learned. The first stop was made near Rob crsonville where the officers found and poured out two gallons of white liquor. in Everetts last Saturday after noon, the officers searched F,d Bril ey's home, but found nothing in side. Switching to the back yard, the officers had their attention at tracted to a number of bottles hang ing on a string around a clump of bushes. Bliley insisted it was a means of frightening away the hawks and crows. Some said it was part of a conjuration scheme to keep colored partons away. After beating the bushes, the of ficers found two and one-half gal lons ol white liquor there. Operator of Local Bus Station Resigns -Q After ably serving the traveling public here for six and one-half years, Mr. W. R. Banks is resigning as operator of the union bus station In if, his resignation to become ef fective tomorrow. J. G. Whitehurst, formerly of Robersonvillc, but more recently of Raleigh, is succeeding him. A native of Hertford, Mr. Banks came here from Norfolk. Since the outbreak of the war, he has worked patiently and untiringly in main taining the best bus station service possible. His worries and work have been so trying tiiat he is being forced to retire to safeguard declin ing health. He will continue to operate a taxi service, it was an nounced.