NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN THE ENTERPRISE NEARLY 4,000 COPIES OF THE ENTERPRISE GOING INTO THE HOMES OF MARTIN COUNTY AND TO COUNTY SERVICEMEN OI TIME XLVIII—NUMBER 66 Williamston, Martin Countys North Carolina, Tuesday, August 21, 1915. ESTABLISHED 1899 Reviews Costs Of Operating School Busses-ln Gotmir j Worn-Out E«— Ninety-five tires—82 for passenger cars and thirteen for trucks—were issued by the Martin County War Price and Rationing Board last Fri day evening. Passenger car tires were issued to the following: James A. Hassell, H. G. Godard, Clyde Revels, Elbert Tice, J. D. j Knox, J. S. Ayers, Zeb Brown, Mrs. Daisy Lewis, Paul Bailey, W. Mayo Hardison, R. R. Carson, W. S. White, S. H. Mobley, S. G. Burnett, Sgt. J E. McCormick, J. Edward Corey, A. F. Coltrain, Joseph Holliday, C. A. Hough, Dannie Mobley, II. M. Peel. R. N. Turner, Daniel Gurganus, A. L. Hardy, Geo. L. Cooper, Z. S. Cowin J. D. Beach, Mack D. Leg gett, W. G. Thomas, Paul Johnson, James E. Keel, Kelly Rawls, Ray mon Heath, Chester Taylor, D. A Brown, L. R. Andrews, W. C House, A. C Roberson, J. B. Coltrain, Roy ! Godard, Leamon Beach, Cecil G. Leggett, C. J. Freeman, Archie T. Coltrain, Richard F. Everett, Warner Bailey, Bryant Ward, Andrew Kirby, W. J. Beach, J. W. Griffin, J. Dawson Lilley, Slade, Rhodes Co., Arthur Beaks, Harrison Land, C. M. Hurst, N. W. Worsley, H. W. Ford, T. B. Leggett, Charles Everett, William J. Roberson, Howell Warren, Jr., George Hopkins, D. L. Peel, P. C. Barber, J. Daniel Biggs. Truck tires were allotted as fol lows: Barnhill Supply Company, J. B. Everett, J. R. Coltrain, John Gurkin, Allen Griffin, J. L. Coltrain. -;8, Returns After Long Service In Pacific —»— After spending thirty-two months in the Pacific Theater of Operations and participating in five maior in vasions, Miller Harrell recently re-) turned to t^e States, and is now spend*"* his furlough here with Mrs. Harrell, the former Miss Fran ces Bowen. Pvt. Harrell was connected with a combat engineering outfit of the U. S. Marine Corps. “So far as I am individually concerned, the Japs or anyone else may have the South Pa cific Islands. There is nothing ro mantic or interesting about them,” Harrell said. ! County Youth Badly Wounded On Iwo Jima Five Months Ago Seriously wounded on lwa Jima 'about five months »go. Pvt. Roland jgfecrry recently wrote-'bis. wihrJJMS former Miss Motie Bell Taylor, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Luther Taylor, stating the he was rapidly recovering in a rest camp in Hawaii. In addition to a serious wound in the lowe rintestines, ^vt. Cherry had all his teeth knocked out. Fortunate ly, according to Cherry, they have been replaced. The young man, son of Mrs. Mar shall (Tan) Cherry, has been in the South Pacific for one year. The young man in his last letter, dated August 14, said, in part: “Today, I am in fairly good con dition N;v, that 'he wav La .over. py? No m®r Given all the gas they want or all they can pay for, motor ists are appearing on the high ways in this section in ever-in creasing numbers, according to highway patrolmen and reports from other sources. The number of cars on local streets last Sat urday night was possibly an all high. About the only thing standing between the motorists and a wild ride to yonder and back is the tire shortage. That will improve in time, and then more accidents are to be ex pected, certainly will more ac cidents take place if the speed limit is thrown wide open. Strange Campaign Handled on Island By 4!)th Division -—4>—— Two Willinniston Iloy 8 Were Members of the Outfits Handling Task (The story below, appearing in the second anniversary edition of the 45th Division (Thunderbird) Di vision, will be read with interest by people in this section. Captain Jas. S. Rhodes, Jr., was with the 45th and at the time the invasion was made, Lt. Russell Roebuck, son of Sheriff and Mrs. C. B. Roebuck, was one of the officers on the U. S. Knight which figured in the assign ment. The story tells quite frank ly that the invasion was a “flop”.— ed.) Very little has been printed about one of the strangest campaigns in which any element of the 45th Di vision ever participated—the tak ing of the Island of Ventetone in the Gulf of Naples before the 45th had even set foot upon the Italian | mainland. It started about 3:30 in the after- J noon on September 9, 1943. Orders reached the troop ship carrying the 3rd Bn., 157th Inf., that a task force of 50 men was to be created to carry out a special mission. Shortly there after the special force was taken to the destroyer, USS Knight. It consisted of a squad of rifle men, a squad of 81 mm. mortars, a squad of heavy machine guns, a squad of chemical mortars and a de tail of aid men. At three minutes past 9 p. m. as darkness deepened over the blue waters of the Bay of Naples, the task force was put ashore on the Island of Venetone to eliminate a j Nazi garrison there. The men found their job already I done for them. A raiding party from the 82nd Airborne Division had al ready landed and taken the Germans prisoner. The PW's were loaded aboard the Knight together with the Thunderbirds and Ventetone was in American hands with troops of the 82nd garrison the island. No, no one got a battle star for that one. Kills Large Bear In Griffins Township -% By the light of a flashlight held by Eugene Roberson, Sampson Hodges took deadly aim and killed a large black bear on the Edward ! Corey farm in Griffins Township last Friday night. Roberson and Hodges heard the bear tearing down and eating com several minutes before they could get the black object in the focus of the flashlight. Keeping at a comfor table and safe distance, the bear i finally carne within range of the gun and light, and Hodges killed him with the first shot from a 12 gauge gun. -♦ ,Sgt. Jimmie B. Cherry Gets Honorable Discharge j -- Sgt Jimmie B. Cherry, local young man with 125 points to his credit, recently received his honorable dis charge from the Army. In the serv ice six years, he saw action in the South Atlantic and Pacific areas. Junior Chamber Of Commerce In First Last Week; Mayor HaaseM-AfoatfTtve i Organization* To Build Hotel and Airport -» With 26 Williamston young men and a few invited guests in attend ance, the local Junior Chamber of Commerce held its first formal meet ing in the local Woman’s club last Friday evening. Walter Pittman, president oi the Wiison Junior Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the local organization, presided over the meeting. President Pittman was accompanied here by several Jaycees from the Wilson and Rocky Mount organizations. Mayor John L. Hassell gave the town’s and his persona! blessings to the local organization and closed his brief remarks with the follow ing statement: “I hope this organi zation will do its utmost to give Wil liamston a hotel and an airport,” T. Forbes, vice president of this district and former president of the Wilson Jaycees, spoke briefly and related the incidents that led to the organization of the local Chamber of Commerce. “We serve without compensation and it is the desire of every Jaycee to make this a better world and a better nation in which to live,” Mr. Forbes said. Ray Bandy of Rocky Mount, for mer vice president of the national organization and a former president of the State Jaycees, made an in structive talk on the work of the organization in the State and nation. In his closing remarks, he said, ‘‘You must be enthusiastic, have vim and vigor and a burning desire to make Williamston a better town and com munity. It is the duty and obliga tion of every Jaycee to remain ever active and keyed to active projects.” The local club adopted its con stitution and by-laws and made for mal application for entrance into the State organization. N. R. Manning and John Hollowell were elected as delegates to the state meeting which was held in Gastonia during the past week-end. Clarence Griffin, president of the local organization welcomed the visiting Jaycees and made a short and interesting talk relative to the organization of a Junior Chamber of Commerce in Williamston. Meeting c (Continued on page four) Will M. Ayers Found Dead Last Saturday Will M. Ayers, 73 years of age, died in very unusual circumstances along a county road leading from Hobersonville to his farm, last Fri day night. Investigating the death, Coroner S. R. Biggs and Sheriff Roebuck and members of the high ; way patrol found no evidence of foul play, the coroner explaining that heart trouble caused death. A victim of a heart ailment, Mr. Ayers, who lives alone on farm not so farm from Gold Point, had started to Robersonville to see a doctor. He had gone only a short distance when a wheel on his buggy gave way. He stopped at a neighbor’s home, bor rowed a cart, and hitched the buggy to it and was returning home when he apparently suffered a heart at tack. Living in an out-of-the-way place, he was not seen until the following afternoon shortly after two o’clock. Going to the home, officers found his head resting be tween the cart body and wheel and part of the man’s head torn off. The mule had wandered over the farm during the night, dragging the cart and buggy with the man's head caught between the wheel and cart body. He is survived by the following children, Heber Ayers of Newport News, Mrs. Bertha Daniels of Bethel, Walter Ayers of Bethel, Mrs. Isa belle Knox of Tarboro, Charles Ayers of Tarboro and Mrs. Helen Williams and J. W. Ayers of Cole-: rain. THE RECORD SPEAKS . . . In the first few days of the postwar period and just about the time gas rations were lifted, highway accidents on Martin County highways and streets started pushing orward in ever increasing numbers. While it is no longer necessary to conserve gas and tires for the war, it is possibly even more necessary to conserve and drive carefully on old tires and equipment to save life, limb and property on the home front 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. Thirty-third Week Accidents Infd Killed Dim'te 1945 4 0 0 $ 175 1944 1 0 0 $ 150 Comparison TO Date 1945 39 17 3 . 8750 1944 44 23 1 7850 Early Sales Average Nearly One MifTTon Pounds On Floors Waiting for Buyers Farmers Fairly Jubliaut Over Priees Received for Sales Here Early Todav -<$> The first of the 1945 tobacco crop went on sale here this morning shortly after 9 o’clock, the opening sales attracting large crowds and bringing in big money for the pro ducers. Early indications point to a banner season for the local mar ket and its patrons this Reason. No definite price trend could he determined immediately, but the first few thousand pounds of the new leaf sold right at $44 per hun dred pounds. All buyers seemed very anxious to buy every pound they could for their customers, and the sales were lively and smooth. No tags were turned during the early selling period, and farmers generally ex pressed satisfaction with their first sales of the season. All companies were buying, but the warehouse stepped forward in a few instances to hold up prices. The quality of the leaf is hardly up to that reported on the local market opening day, a year ago. It was pointed out, however, that the tobacco was ripe and that nearly all of it was of the smoking type. A few piles of tips were seen on the floors, aud prices for them held right in line with those paid for the bet ter grades. With prices ranging for the most part in the thirties and up to 48 and 49 cents, there was no marked dif ference in them for the better and inferior quality tobaccos. It is fair-1 ly apparent that the man with the quantity rather than qaulity will be the man who will profits the most again this season. The crop is weighing out fairly light, but even then sales this sea son on the local market will match or pass those of a year ago, several observers predicted. It was estimated that nearly one million pounds of tobacco are on the four large warehouse floors here today waiting for the buyers. Fourth sales were f'lling up this morning, and possibly nightfall, some fanners will start placing some on the floors for sale next Monday. The market ing rush is on, and if it maintains the current pace, it is possible that a holiday will follow within a short time or the four-day selling week will be adopted. County Younji Man Writes from Foggia Writing from Foggia, Italy, to have his mailing address changed, Cpl. Julius Gurganus, said, in part: ‘‘I enjoy reading The Enterprise very much and would like it sent here. Right now I’m in more or less central Italy or about half way down the boot. The country here is pretty in spring, but this time of the year it’s rugged. Two days this week we had dust storms and now no one has anything real clean. We do have plenty of showers and soap ahd that’s the main thing. ‘‘I use to be up at Fano, which L north of Ancona. That’s where Geo. Roberson, I presume, left when he went home. At that time, I myself was with a fighter group right near him. Was glad to hear he is a ci vilian again. Guess I’ll be around this army for quite a while as I only have sixty-three points. “My job at present is an automo tive supply clerk. I’m one of the fel lows who issues auto parts for the trucks. It takes quite a few parts to keep them going as they are get ting old. Also I might add that I'm in occupational air force, and there is no time limit for the fellows in it. We may be over here for quite some time, but I’d be afraid to say how long, as I may be wrong. “I enjoy reading about the other fellows in The Enterprise from all over the world, so continue to print their letters, if possible.” Loral Youth Awarded the Combat Infantry RadgeJ -- -- I With the 32nd Infantry Division in Northern Luzon, P. I.—Private . Spencer E. Coltrain, son of Mr. Jno. i R. Coltrain, of Wiliiamslon, N. C., j has been awarded the Combat In fantry Badge for exemplary conduct under enemy fire. Entering the army in October of last year, Pvt. Coltrain has been in the SWPA for three months. He was assigned as a rifleman to Company G of the 32nd (Red Arrow) Divis ion’? 126th Infantry. He saw ac tion in the Villa Verde-Santa Fe area in Northern Luzon, where the 32nd killed more than 9,000 Japs during the 119-day drive up the tortuous Villa Verde Trail in the Caraballo Mountains. ^JILII II Lilli .1 II .. IM.(I PA\ PENALTIES | V,___/ Approximately $2,500 has been paid in penalties by the few Martin County farmers who planted in execss of their to bacco allotments, it was learned this week. Estimates upon which the penalties were paid, were made by the township commit teemen, and they are subject to change, it was explained. If the estimates are too high, the farmer will be refunded some of the money he paid in. If they prove to be too low, the farmer will be billed for the difference, it, was pointed out. Mrs. Maggie Davis ! Died On Thursday After Long Illness Funeral Services Weie Held In Funeral Home Fast Saturday 1 p. in. Mrs. Maggie Jordan Davis, native of Williamston, dieil in the local I hospital hist Thursday.evening at It) o'clock. She had been in declining health for five years, spending much of that time in local and Virginia hospital. Her condition became worse the early part of last week for treatment. Pneumonia was giv en as the immediate cause of her death. The daughter of the late Joseph and Charity Latham Jordan, she was born in Williamston on June ft, 1871, moving when a child to Jame.-. ville witli her parents. She Was mar ril'd to John Davis in Jamesvillo and soon after her marriage located in Portsmouth. She was matron of an old ladies’ homo there for twelve years, resigning the post ion about five years ago on account < f failing health. Site underwent treatment in a Portsmouth hospital for a wlul, land returned to this county about four years ago to make her home 'with a niece, Mrs. Leslie Hardison, in Jamesvillo. Mrs. Davis was a member of the | Methodist church for many years, and was held in high esteem by all who new her. She bore her suf feting patiently. She was the last member of her immediate family. , Funeral services were conducted I ' in the Biggs Funeral home here on 1 Wiist Main Street last Saturday aft ernoon at 4 o’clock by the Itev. Mr. Wood, Methodist minister of Plym outh, and Rev. W. B. Harrington, Baptist minister of this county. In terment was in the Jordan family plot in Woodlawn Cemetery here. | Site is survived by a son, Hunter Davis of San Leandro, Calif., two grandsons and one granddaughter. Increase In Lard Likely Next Year —*>—— Housewives will lie able to pur chase more lard next year, for lard production will be about 100,000,000 pounds larger in the spring and j summer of 1940 than this year. Hasing his prediction on reports of the Bureau of Agricultural Eco nomics, D. S. Coltrane, Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture, point led out, however, that lard produc tion will be less this winter than | last winter, lie said the national . fall pig crop is expected to be about 13 per cent more than a year earlier. Marketings of 1945 fall-crop pigs will begin in late April, 1946. Hogs now being marketed are j from the 1944 fall pig crop, which 1 was 34 per cent smaller than the record fall crop in 1943. Hogs to be marketed from October to April will be from the 1945 spring pig crop, ' estimated to be seven per cent less than that of the spring crop of last , year. -A Victim of War Gets An Artificial Limb ' —. Losing his right leg below the knee in action over in France on June 12, 1944, Leroy Godard, son of Mrs. Jennie Holland Godard and the late Neal Godard of this county, is now equipped with an artificial limb and is learning unusually rapidly to walk all over again. The young man is spending a few weeks in the county with relatives , before returning to the hospital in i Atlanta for his service discharge. He is among the first, if not the first youpg man from this county, ■ to have a limb lost in the war re placed by an artificial one. Macedonia Church Clan* For Revival, August 26th -<$: Beginning next Sunday night, Au gust 28, a series of revival services will be held in the Macedonia Chris tion Church. On September 2, the Brambleton Avenue Choir of Nor folk, will have charge of the music, it was announced. The public is in | vited. 1 County Young Man Reports Eventful ! Reeord In .Service —«— ." ..Mm, Tfn^i (-tlber Rogcrson Joined Navy In 1910 Joining the Navy during the early part of 1940, Chief Machinist Mate Mack Gilbert Rogerson has seen much of the world, mostly the two main oceans, during his long and eventful service. The young man returned hon ■ recently for a thirty day leave with his parents, Mr. and Moi- Gilbert Rogerson of Bear Grass. Following tiis nasic training at Norfolk, he was assigned to the de stroyin' USS ...Qy.extofi and from then until late 1943 he saw service in all parts of the Atlantic, principally olV European and African shores. We were dropping depth charges on an enemy submarine in June, 1942, m the Caribbean Sea when the blast lifted the tail end of our ship j' ut of the water and threw me I •■gainst the main engine,” the sea n explaining that ho was confined j'11 ack for ntn ost two months, i ic ye / ; man had quite a number ,,f c'oc,, i ills, but the only other iir ■ l e t he spilled blood was o(T I wo ,1 ma when bomb fragments eck li: right index finger and •"f t’ r, Rogerson declaring that he did not consider the wound suf ficient to support a claim to the I’uinle lhait. "I just did not want it aftci I hart seen others receive the medal after having limbs torn from (lie bodies,” he said. Aftei a few months spent on his 11 olid ship, the USS Dortch, he was transferred to the r.cutze and went in the Pacific service. In all, he par ticipated m eight major engage ments, two in the Africa area, two in the Philippines and four in other Pacific an as. He was awarded the Bronze “A” medal. Going on the Leutze when it was first ‘commissioned, Rogerson made available the following story of its act ivit ies: The I.eutze, although in commis i"n only about a year, has an ac tion -cramnn d record that started "till the Navy’s battles for the Palau I land ri imp in September, 1944. lima tin I, utze felt the first sting of Jap fire, an experience she was l i know I'oui more times before she v. a: to leave the battle lires. At I'alau an i ight inch shell landed 25 ' arils 11IT her how, spraying the deck with shrapnel and injuring serious ly one man. It was at Palau, too, that the 1 utze earned her lirst official reeog Inition, a “well done” from Rear Ad I mil al J. B. Ollendorf, USN, for what [he called “excellent gunnery”. In her first batPe test the Leutze was called upon to fire 3,300 rounds in three weeks e> ui port of hard pressed ground Loops. After P< leu, (he Leui/e moved on to support the f; l phase of the Leyte campai u where she was at tacked four times by Jap bombers, suffering two near misses and a strafing assault that wounded many men and caused some damage. The Leutze, nevertheless, had her re venge by knocking down one plane and damaging another. The next “blood” for the Loutze cam. durii g the famous night battle til' Sni igao Stir ils With the other destroyers in her squadron, she par ticipated in a torpedo attack that was officially credited with the sink ing of a Jap battleship. Surigao Straits is also remembered by her men and officers as the place where she earned her nickname, “The "Lucky Lady Leutze”, symbolized in color on her bridge by a curva ceous, undraped female. This nickname was the result of her narrow escape from Jap suicide attacks by plane and small boat while she was on screening duty in the narrow straits, a fate that two other destroyers she had relieved had not missed. The “Lucky Lady” had the same attacks, but because of her gunnery, the skill of her Cap tain, Commander Berton Robbins, Jr. ,and what he termed “a lot of luck” she wasn’t hit. That the Leutze had chosen well in selecting a nickname and mascot j was apparent a few days later at Leyte Gulf. The Japs launched an (Continued on page four) Wounded Soldier (Jets His Discharge ■o> Cpl. Dallas G. Waters, son of Mr. and Mrs. Edgar G. Waters of James ville, was discharged fronr the U. S. Army with 90 points on Tuesday, August 14 at 11 o’clock a. m. His wife, Mrs. Margaret B. Waters, lives in Plymouth. He entered the service in April, 1941, serving seventeen months over seas. While attached to the First, Third and Seventh Armies, he serv ed in Ireland. Scotland, Wales. Eng land, France, Belgium and Germany. Cpl. Waters was awarded the Purple He.art for wounds received in action on April 11. He also re ceived the Good Conduct Medal, American Defense, European Tne atre of Operations Medal and four bronze battle stars. He has two brothers in service, S/ Sgt. Fenner T. Waters, now serv ing in the South Pacific, and Pfc. Robbie L. Waters, serving in France.