f - uAtn W1B BOiPS (J/ VOLUMN LXXIV $1.50 per year in / dTance LOOISBURG, N. CAROLINA FRIDAY, DKCEMIiKR 24, 1043 (Eight Pages) NUMBER 46 OBSERVES LADIES NIGHT i ? ? ? ? REV. C. K. PROCTOR MAKES ADDRESS Louisburg Masonic Lodge Presents a Most Enjoyable Social Event With Barbe cue Supper on Thursday Night of Last Week ? Large Number Braves the Weather to be Present Louisburg Lodge No. 4X3 A. F. & A. M. observed Ladles' night with a most enjoyable social oc casion on Thursday night of last week. There were ninety-one present to enjoy a bountiful re past of delicious barbecued pig with all the usual trimmings, that go to make up a "feast fit for a King." This time it was espec ially prepared for "Queens." Not a minute of fun and pleasure was lost in the pleasantries passed by the many visitors and members that were present. The feast was a great treat, but not the only one for the oc casion, as the entire number present enjoyed one of the strong est and most forceful addresses that has been heard In the halls of the Lodge In many years when Rev. C. K. Proctor, Superintend ent of the Oxford Masonir Orphan age, delivered a most interest ing address on "Loyalty." He took his audiences at will from the fields of gaiety, where laugh ter and enjoyment ruled to the more serious and sympathetic trials of the war times. Not a few of those enraiiped in the pic tures he threw upon the scene, passed from laughter to tears in their emotions. The speaker drove home his many points to an appreciative audience. W. M., John F. Matthews was master of ceremonies and intro duced the. speaker of the occas ion, welcomed the ladles and visi tors and called upon the retiring and incoming officers who res ponded with interesting and ap propriate talks. The outgoing officers besides W. M., John F. Matthews, who becomes a Past Master, are Perry W. Wheeler, S.' W., and James Speed, J. W. The visiting ladles were partic ularly impressed with the im provements and redecorations of the lodge rooms as well as Mas onry, as explained and presented by the speaker of the evening. Much credit is due W. G. Lan caster, W. B. Joyner and L. A. Wheless who were appointed am arrangements committee to assist the officers of the lodge In pre senting this occasion, which was declared the best of the season by the large number who had dared the extremely bad weather to be present. FIRE DESTROYS HOME The home of Mr. R. W. Wig gins, Carrier on Louisburg rural route number 1, located in Pruitt town about a mile east of Louis burg, was destroyed by Are Tues day afternoon. The lire was sup posed to have originated around a chimney, but had a strong headway when found. The fire department responded, although the building was out of town, and did what it could, but there be ing tip water available it was im possible to save the building, and a smokehouse nearby, both of which were completely destroyed at a lost of around $3,000 to $3,500, and were insured. The estimated loss to the furnishings and contents would probably reach $2,000 or more. Only about a third of this was saved. This was not insured. A question often asked: "What's in it for me?" PROGRAM AT THIS LOUISBURG THEATRE! The following Is the program at the Loulsbnrg Theatre, begin ning Friday, Dec. 24th: Friday ? Don Barry In 'Califor nia Joe.' Friday ? Mldlilt Show ? Ann Miller, Frank Sinatra, Bob Cros by and Band, Count Baal. Duke Ellington and Band in 'Reveille With Beverly.' Saturday ? James Cagney. Grace Oeorge and Marjorle Main in 'Johnny Come Lately.' Sunday ? Mae West, Victor Ma ture, Wimmlal Gaxton and Xavier Cugat and Band in 'The Heat's On.' Monday ? Stan. Laurel and Oli ver Hardy' in 'Dancing Masters.' Tuesday ? Lon Chaney, Robert Paige and Louise Albrltton in 'The Son of Dracula.' Wednesday ? Oeorge Montgom ery and Annabella In 'Bombers Moon.' Thursay-Frlday ? Robert Young and Dorothy McGuire in 'Claudia' New Year's Eve Mldnlt Show ? Patricia Morrison, Kenny Baker, Bellta. and Ted Flo Rito and Band in 'Silver Skates.' WAR NEWS London, Dec. 21. ? A force of possibly 800 Pathfinder-guided RAP heavy bombers attacked the Important German chemical and armament center of Frankfurt last night with 2,000 long tons of explosives and incendiaries in one of the heaviest raids of the war, pounding their target witn relative ease after Nazi fighters had been drawn off by a wily feint assault 50 miles to the south. The bombloads loosed on Frankfurt came close to the war's record of 2,300 long tons drop ped on Berlin November 22. The British heavies blasted and burn ed the city after a diversionary at tack had been made on the twin German cities of Mannheim and Ludwlgshafen. These attacks highlighted a busy 24 hours as the Allies' pre invaslon air offensive surged to a new winter intensity. Britain based American heavy bombers attacked Bremen by daylight yes terday as Mediterranean-based American heavies were hitting the Bulgarian capital of Sofia and an airfield near Athens, Greece. Last night. RAF Mosquito bombers struck at Western Germany and Belgium, and today American and British medium bombers raided Northern France by day-light. Pearl Harbor, Dec. 21. ? Four motored Liberators, carrying the United States Army Seventh Air Force's Mid-Pacific offensive against the Japanese-held Marsh all Islands into its ninth consecu tive day, dropped 25 tons of bombs on Taroa islet, Maleolap atoll, yesterday, causing 'Many fires and explosions" in hangar and stor age areas Admiral Chester W. Nlmltz announced today. Three of the Liberators are missing ? the most lost in a single strike since the greatly stepped up aerial operations began in mid-November. Other Liberators were damag ed by anti-aircraft fire and in a battle with 30 Japanese Zero fighters. The enemy, attempting unsuccessfully to break up the attack, lost four fighters and pro bably nine. Allied Headquarters, Algiers. Dec. 21. ? Battling through a mountain blizzard American troops have captured 2,600-foot Mt. Spinuccio on the eastern rim of the Liri valley, pointing a third Allied spearhead at Cassino, while the Canadians have bypassed the Adriatic stronghold ort was as fol lows: ) Lumbenon, Dec. 16. ? More than 75 persons were killed and over 100 Injured early this mor ning when two heavily-crowded streamlined Atlantic Coast Line trains crashed in a pile-up on an icebound stretch of tracks at the little Robeson County town of Buies, 12 miles from Lumberton. It was the worst .railway acci dent in the history of the State. All but 18 of the dead were service men ? soldiers, sailors and marines, most of whom were en route home for the Christmas holidays. An unofTcial tabulation showed last night that 66 bodies had been carried to a Red Springs funeral home; bodies of six women were at a Fayette ville funeral home; and four service men were re ported to have died at the Maxton Army Air Basfe hospital after be ing carried there for treatment of injuries. How many more dead will be fouud in the 30-car wreckage is not known. Railroad officials said at least five to seven bodies are probably entangled In the mass of debris, which was being . hastily cleared away tonight. Further deaths are expected among the injured In the hospi tals, as many suffered seriously from exposure In the 10-degree weather and snow. There were no North Carolin ians listed in the early lists of dead and injured. l'loughi-d Into Wreckage The wreck occurred shortly af ter 1 a. m. Three cars of the southbound Tamiaml West Coast Champion jumped the track, and some 40 minutes later the north bound Tamiami East Coast Cham pion ploughed into the derailed coaches of the first train which lay Bprawled across the double track. The-scene of the wreck was in a cut four miles north of Red Springs, near Rennert. C. C. Sibley, vice-president of the ACL, said at the company's Wilmington headquarters that a broken rail apparently was the cause of the first wreck. Sibley said that he hoped to have a list of casualties for re lease soon. Only three known dead were on the first list. I Lumberton, Dec. 18; ? The en gineer of the northbound Atlantic Coast Line streamliner which plowed into a derailed south bound train near here Thursday morning said tonight the head lights of the derailed train so blinded him he was unable to see any effort to flag him. The engineer, Frank Belknap, made the statement to reporters at Rocky Mount, as wrecking crews at the scene tolled to com plete their search for any addi tional bodies that might be in the twisted wreckage, which already has been removed from the dou ble tracks. Belknap said he had been ill with flue about trree weeks ago, but had been back on duty for several days. He took the con trols of the northbound train at Florence, S. C., at 12:35 a. m. and the wreck occurred about an hour later. Was Not Fatigued "I was not fatigued," he de clared. The known death toll stood at 70 ? 47 service men and 23 civilians. Officials said there was a possibility a few more bod ies might remain in the wreck age. More than 60 persons were injured, some of them seriously. "The three engines powering my train were almost opposite the engine of the derailed train before I saw a man waving at me, and another dh the opposite side of the track, Belknap said. ?Pre vious to that, there had been no warning torpedoes or fuses on my track." He added: "I had been able to see the headlights of the south bound tr&in from as far away as four miles. The glare from the snow and lights prevented us from detecting anything wrong with the other train." He said his three Diesel engines jumped the track when he ap plied emergency brakes, driving into an embankment and then I righting themselves on the track by the weight of the long string (Continued on Page <) ECONOMIC HIGH POINTS OF 1943 i Babson Reviews A Few Basic Factors Babson Park. Mass.. December 24. ? In my Annual Forcast of the Business and Fi nancial Outlook for 1944, which will be published in this paper next week, I shall make some very definite pre dictions regard ing business, po litics and the War. Now, as 1943 draws to a close and parti cularly on this day before Chr- BABSON istmas, I wish to point out that it has been for most of us a pret ty good year. As we give and re ceive Christmas presents, we should also observe the day in its true light of Christmas Holi ness. Remember we are not cele brating any ordinary holiday. We are observing the birth of Christ and keeping alive, as men have done for centuries before us, the spirit ot His message. FREEDOM OF AMERICA At Christmas, more than at any other time, we should be thank ful that we are Americans; thankful that we worship as we please and thankful that we may bring up our children and our grandchildren in a democracy which, despite political bickerings remains true. For many families of all nations the casualty lists will make their Christmas Season a sad one. Whatever our feelings are against enemy nations, all these bereaved families should be remembered in our Christmas prayers. Those of us at home, safe and surrounded by conveniences and many luxuries, should appreciate that there is still a War ? in fact many wars ? going on. Hence, there should be no let-down in our home-front battles. War as such is unknown to the vast majority of us. To most families and in dividuals, it is a remote, state of affairs which we have become ac customed to read about and to voice opinions about. For most people. 1943 meant better jobs, more money and. despite short ages, more goods in the house. LOOK AT THE FACTS Americans will have received more in income in 1943 than in any previous year. Our National Income for the year will approach $145,500,000,000. This compares with $114,000,000,000 received In 1942. Remember this is income received solely by individuals. Money in peoples pockets and hide-aways per person at the end of 1943 amounts to about $150. 00 compared with $104.98 for December 1942. When realizing that these figures apply to every man, woman and child ? includ ing babes in arms ? the latent pOBtwas spending power of this free cash is tremendous. These vast sums of money are responsible for our rising retail trade. This has reached an all time peak in 1943. Total sales of retail stores for the year will approach $62,900,000,000 as com pared with $57,784,000,000 In 1942. But remember that al though this money has be