MARION PROGRESS
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF McDOWELL COUNTY.
established 1896.
MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY 27, 1916.
VOL. XX—NO. 48
with
rccly
heavy DAMAGES BY FLOOD
four Bridges and Twelve Houses
Washed Away—Crops Badly
Hurt—Five Lives Lost.
Later and more accurate reports
from all sections of McDowell
county seem to indicate that the
flood damage is as great or greater
as first reports indicate. In the
Catawba river valley practically
rail growing crops are destroyed,
very few stacks of wheat being
left, while many very valuable
farms were seriously damaged.
The county sustains a loss of ap
proximately $30,000 in bridges on
the Catawba alone. Four bridges
across the river are washed away
completely, while the Garden City
bridge and the Greenlee bridge
were only partly destroyed.
The North Fork and Armstrong
sections seems to have suffered
even more than the Catawba val
ley. On Buck Creek very little
cultivated land is left, which will
cause many of the inhabitants of
this section to move elsewhere in
order to make a living. The dam
age to farm land and growing
crops in the county is estimated to
be anywhere from $600,000 to
$1,000,000.
The Southern and C. C. & O.
railways suffered probably the
heaviest loss in their history. It
is estimated that it will be many
weeks, possibly months, before the
regular schedules are again in ef
fect. The first train to reach Ma
rion since July 15th came in from
Rock Hill, over the Charleston di
vision of the Southern, last Thurs
day afternoon. This division seems
to have suffered less damage than
any railroad entering Marion. The
C. C. & O. has been operating
nassenger trains between Marion
and Spartanburg, S. C., since Mon
day. Trains are also now running
from Marion to Salisbury, trans
ferring passengers and mail by
ferry at Catawba station.
The town of Marion up until
Monday has been getting its water
supply from nearby springs. How
ever, a pump has been installed in
the old distillery well which is at
present furnishing water for neces
sary purposes.
It will be impossible to tell just
when the electric light plant will
be in operation, but it is very
doubtful whether Marion will have
electric lights in less than thirty
days.
Old Fort suffered heavy losses,
much damage being done by huge
landslides. The Episcopal church
was moved from its foundation by
a landslide. The Oak Hill Inn on
the hill opposite the depot was
struck by a landslide and almost
completely demolished. All the
bridges on Curtis and Mill creeks
were washed away, while Crooked
Creek bridges and farms fared
equally as bad. Several residences
in and near Old Fort were flooded
but none were completely washed
away.
Ruth Grant, the eight-year-old
daughter of Postmaster T. L.
Grrant, of Old Fort, was drowned
at the home of her grandfather on
Cedar Creek, about ten miles from
Old Fort. The little girl was visit
ing her grandparents when a land
slide struck the house, crushing
and carrying it from the founda
tion, and before she could be got
ten from the ruins life was extinct.
Her grandmother, Mrs. S. B.
Grant, was rescueid from the wreck
with difficulty.
It was reported last week that
eleven or more lives were lost near
Altapass. This report, upon in
vestigation, has been found to be
a mistake. Four lives were lost
in North Cove, according to re
liable reports. The dead are Sher
man McKinney, two small children
of Zieb McGee and one child of
Bulow Gillespie. McKinney was
killed by a falling chimney, and
thildren were drowned while being
rescued by their parents.
About ten houses belonging to
The T. T. Adams Lumber Com
pany at Sevier were swept away,
together with a quantity of lumber,
their total loss being estimated at
$15,000. The homes of J. P
Hennessee and Sam L. Brown in
North Cove were washed complete
ly away, while the residence of
Geo. W. ConTey at Woodlawn was
wrecked and badly damaged. M
C. Caldwell of Ashford lost a barn
and several other outbuildings.
The receivers of the Piedmont
Lumber company report the loss
of about 25 carloads of lumber.
The county commissioners held
a call meeting Thursday and im
mediately began preparations to
rebuild a number of the demolished
bridges throughout the county.
Mr. G. C. Conley has taken charge
work and will devote his
entire time to the reconstruction
work until the most important
bridges are replaced.
Two Cars Carried 12 Miles by Flood
Mr. Walker Lyerly, who has
considerable interests at Bridge
water, estimates his loss at between
$10,000 and $15,000. He had 160
acres of fine corn swept away, a
wide ravine cut through his lands,
300,000 brick melted and quantities
of lumber covered with water.
An unusual feature of the flood
at Bridgewater was related by Mr.
Lyerly today. He said that two
carloads of stuff—one of chairs and
the other of lumber—were lifted
from the trucks and carried twelve
miles and dropped in Mr. Manly
McDowell’s Dottom. — Hickory
Becord.
NEWS FROM THE COUNTY
Brief Mention of Some of the Hap
penings in McDowell Cotinty—
Items About Home People.
WOODLAWN
Woodlawn, July 24.—The flood of the
16fch was the f^reatest disaster that the
people of this section of the county
have ever witnessed. Thousands and
thousands of dollars worth of property
has been swept away. Many people are
without shelter and several lives are re
ported lost. In and around Sevier six
teen or seventeen houses and bams were
washed away. Some of the finest farms
in this section of the county are almost
ruined. North Cove has been hit the
hardest of any place. Nearly all the
fine farms of that section haye been
stipped of their fertile soil and are con
sidered {dmost worthless. Wheat and
other crops on bottom land were totally
destroyed. G. W. Conley’s farm was
completely ruined, and he lost all his
crop, a fine horse and a mule, several
head of cattle and all his farm machin
ery. His house was badly wrecked and
much of his household furniture dam
aged. His loss was very heavy.
W. Q. Fox left Wednesday for his
home in Hickory.
George and Clarence Pendland spent
the week-end here with relatives.
N. Y. Leakey left one day last week
for Kingsport, Tenn.
J. Harvey Greenlee of Spartanburg
was here on business last week.
County tarm demonstrator Bailey was
here last week.
T. T. Adams of Richmond, Va., is
here on a business trip. Tho Adams
company received a pretty hard blow
from the flood. Their damage is esti
mated at $15,000, besides the loss of
time and labor to repair the damag^
Tod Green spent Sunday at Little
Switzerland.
As Woodlawn is cut off from the out
side world by communication and rail
road service there is not much news.
Farm Notes.
For hay it is advised tha^ Sudan
and millet sowed on rich land #ill
help some but that the main de
pendence should be rye sowed ear
ly on rich land. ^
With good pastures have come
good cattle till one small station
has shipped several cars of high
grade dairy cattle. In this con
nection it is well to remember
what the late Joe Wing said.
Meadows and pastures are the
very bed rock of xsiyilization; they
feed mankind.”
G. M. HarriS;Of Sugar Hill has
an experiment with lime that is
worth going far to see. Six years
ago he applied 1400 pounds of
ground limestone to i>art of a field
at the rate of about three and one-
half tons per acre. The present
corn crop on the limed land will
make at least four times as much
as that adjoining that was not
limed. No fertilizer was used.
Corn on the limed land has rich
dark green color and large flat
stalks, that on the unlimed land is
very yellow, spindling and small.
In view of the experience of Mr.
Harris and other progressive men
as T. W. Wilson, J. L, Morcan,
J. L. Padgett, H. A. Tate, Lee
Williams and others, are we not
all ready to agree with T. W.
Wood, who has said “Putting
money in lime is the best invest
ment a man ever made.” It is well
to remember tbat bagged lime ad
vances 25c per ton August 1.
CROOKED CREEK
Crooked Creek, July 24.—No lives
were lost by the flood last week but
several persons were injured by land
slides. J. A. Burgin lost 100 or more
bushels of rye, James Gibson had 100
bushels of small grain and three stacks
of fodder washed away, and other lost
much feed. All the fords and bridges
are gone and we haye no way of cross
ing the creek. We hope the county
commissioners will replace the bridge
as soon as possible as this is the only
means of crossing the streams by many
of our folks who are dependent upon
hauling chestnut wood for a living.
The bridge has not been washed more
than 300 yards awaf and appears to be
in very good condition.
STATE NEWS OFTHEWEEK
items Conberning Events of In
terest and Importance Through-
out the State.
According to information given
out by high officials of the South
ern raiWay at Asheville, the Salis
bury division will not be opened
for travd before September.
Additional bodies were found
Monday in widely separated dis
tricts of North Carolina brought
the number of deaths from the re
cent floods up to approximately 50,
with six persons missing and be
lieved to be dead.
At a conferen& of the board of
trade of Asheville, Gov. Craig in
attendance, it was decided to re
build and repair, as soon as possi
ble, the highways through the
mountain section. First attention
will be given to the Hickory Nut
Gap road and to the State Central
highway, which crosses the Ridge
at Kidgecrest.
Lime the Premises.
The recent excessive rains have
caused everything about the place
to become more or less flooded,
which is going to cause more or
less vegatable decay. There is
danger of sickness from this de
cayed matter, so in order to avoid
as much sickness as possible it is
wise to sprinkle lime about the
house, lots, pens, etc., and especial
ly where the water has overflowed
green vegetable matter and re
mained over long enough to cause
decay.
Begin now to prevent sickness
and it may save many lives later
in the summer.
We have received an attractive
illustrated circular of 16 pages from
the Agricultural and Mechanical
College. It presents a clear con
ception of the buildings, machines
and laboratory equipment of the
three engineering departments of
the College. Parents and young
men wishing copies should write
to the Registrar at West Raleigh
Subscribe to The Progress.
Bathing.
Thomas Kane, who is young and
“going strong” at 79 writes about
his life in the August American
Magazine. Among other interest
ing items be has this to say about
bathing:
“I do not think much of soaking
in a bathtub. I wash often enough
to keep the skin clean; but for both
cleanliness and health I have much
more faith in the thorough rub-
down which, with a rough damp
towel, I give my entire body both
night and morning. When I am
through I have a glowing skin, and
have had a fair amount of both
exercise and deep breathing.”
It seems funny to think of bath
ing with a half pint of ^ water but
at this time when the liquid is so
short it would certainly seem worth
trying. Another advantage; many
timid ones who go without for fear
of the soaking could muster up
courage for rub.
Ice Cream and Cake Sale
The Ladies of the Presbyterian
Church will hold an ice cream and
cake sale in the Marianna building
Friday afternoon, July 28, at 3
o’clock. Everybody invited. It
Preparing Stubble Land with Sub
soil Plow.
T. J. Fainter la Southern Agriculturist.
I am glad to recommend sub
soiling to those who may be inter
ested. The first point is it never
gets too dry to run the subsoil
plow. I tried it last year, running
my furrows twelve to eighteen
inches apart and about to that
depth. I followed with a disc
twice and had my ground ready
for seeding. I also learned that it
would stand dry weather much
better than turned soil. I had
moisture ready to sow any time,
having no clods, no low corners
and no water furrows to get rid of.
I can also prepare the land much
quicker than by the old way.
I tried ten acres of oats after
each method of preparing the land.
I drilled two bushels of seed per
acre where I turned the land and
one and a half bushels where I pre
pared the land by subsoiling and
discing. The stand on the latter
was thicker and better. I followed
both pieces with grass and found
the same differences.
Money for National Forests.
Washington, July 22.—Within
a few months one provision of the
good roads bill will make funds
available for good roads work
amonsc the national forest areas of
North Carolina. This provision
allows $1,000^000 a year for the
next ten years to be exoended in
the construction and maintenance
of roads and trails within or partly
within the national forests.
The bill provides that, upon re
quest of the proper officers of the
States or counties, the money shall
be used for building roads and
trails which are necessary for the
use and development of resources
upon which communities within or
near the national forests are de
pendent. Only ten per cent of the
value of the timber and forage re
sources in a county or counties may
be spent.
Detailed plans are now being
made for the expenditure of this
and the other moneys provided by
the good roads bill.
Adoption of School Books.
The State school text-book com
mission and the subcommission
have concluded the lengthy, hear
ings given publishers and have
closed communication with them
and all their agents and represen
tatives. The sub-commission are
now working carefully in examin
ing the books, the prices and briefs
submitted by tbt publishers. Their
conclusions and recommendations
will be presented at a joint meet
ing of the commission and sub
commission as soon as completed.
New Schedule on Western.
The following schedule of pas
senger trains on the Western road,
passing Statesville, is in effect:
Train No. 11, arriving h§re at
10:05 a. m., goes on to the Cataw
ba river, where passengers, hand
bags and mail are transferred to
the Catawba side. No. 11 then re
turns to Statesville and to Salis
bury immediately. A train leav
ing Marion at 6:10 a. m., arrives
at Catawba station at 7:50 a. m.
It remains there until it gets the
passengers, handbags and mail
from No. 11 and then makes the
trip back to Marion. This is the
only through service from Salis
bury to Marion.—Statesville Land
mark.
The farmers’ meeting at the
Iredell test farm, scdeduled for
the 21st, has been postponed until
next Friday.
The Southern will run another
excursion to Atlantic City on
Thursday, August 3. Fare, $14.50
for round trip from Marion. Tick
ets good on special train which
leaves Charlotte at 7:45 p. m., and
to return on all regular trains with
in 15 days’ Ismit. Stop overs al
lowed at Washington, Baltimore
and Philadelphia on return trip
only. Pullman and day cars on
the train going through to Atlan
tic City without change.