MARION PROGRESS
- — L_ - II ... I I—„ „— i» >
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF McDOWELL COUNTY.
ESTABLISHED 1896,
MARION, N, C„ THURSDAY, OCT. 5, 1916.
VOL. XXi—NO. 6
6IANT ZIPPELINS
GREAT CROWDS C1HEHR AS BIG
AIRSHIP FALLS A MASS OF
FLAMES.
A FEW BOMBS ARE DROPPED
German Air Raider Descends In
Flames Within London District
With Great Glare Which is Visibl#
For Many Miles.
London. — Another Zeppelin raid
•against London and the eaat coast o1
England was very spectacular. An
airship was brought down In flames
north of London, according to the
^official statement.
The statement reads:
“A number of hostile airships cross
ed the east coast between '9 o’cloclfe
and midnight. A few bombs were
'dropped near the coast, but no dam
age Is yet reported.
“An airship Is reported brought
down In flames north of London.”
A later dispatch conveyed this In-
tormation:
“Great crows cheered the spec
tacle of the burning Zeppelin as It
fell In the London district. The great
flare from the burning aircraft was
Tislble for a long distance.
Graphic accounts of the manner In
which the Zeppelin—the fourth to
T)e brought down on the English soil
—fell a victim to Great Britain’s anti
aircraft defenses, have been received
from London’s suburbs.
Although the Zeppelin crashed to
earth almost due north of London
the spectacle was witnessed by thou
sands of Londoners.
CARRANZA’S FAILURE TO RUN
DOWN VILLA IS EMBARRISSING.
In Negotiations of U. S. and Mexican
Commission Relative to Improv
ed Border Conditions.
Atlantic City, N. J.—Representa
tives of the more Important American
mining Interests in Mexico are ex
pected to appear before the Ameri
can members of the Mexican-Amerl-
can Joint Commission here in sup
port of a memorandum already sub
mitted regarding conditions in Mexi-
Before they are received, the
commissioners will hold their first
joint session here In continuation of
the discussions begun at New Lon
don four weeks ago.
Consideration of plans for the
maintenance of peace along the Mex
Ican-Amerlcan border will be resum
ed, but reports which continue to
arrive of Villa’s activity in Chlhau-
liua may serve as a further delay to
agreement. The commissioners make
no secret of the fact that failure of
General Carranza’s forces to r
down Villa has proved embarrassing
to them In considering means for
Improving border conditions.
It was considered probable that
Oeneral Carranza’s latest electoral
decree would be discussed. A copy
of the decree has reached the Ameri
can commissioners from Washington
and while the details of the document
have not been revealed, it is said to
stipulate that none of those connect
ed even remotely with the Huerta
Administration shall have the right
to vote at the coming presidential
^ election. ^
SENATOR CLARKE, «
U. S. SENATE, IS DEAD
Death of Mrs. W. B. Ratliffe.
Friends and acquaintance^ will
be deeply pained to hear of the
sudden death of Mrs. W. B. Rat
liffe, which occurred Monday at
her home on Garden street. She
arose Monday morning as well as
usual and about 9 o’clock, while
looking after her household duties,
was seized with a sudden attack of
iCngina pectoris and suddenly be
came very ill. The physician was
called and she seemed to be recov
ering, but within a few hours she
had a second attack of the same
disease, and passed peacefully a-
way about half past one o’clock.
The deci^ased leaves behind to
mourn her loss her devoted hus
band and daughter, residents of
this place, and son John, living
in Seattle, Wash., and three sisters
and three brothers.
Mrs. Ratliffe was the daughter
of the late John C. Whorton of
Greensboro, N. C. She was born
in Guilford county in June, 1849,
and died in her 68th year. When
about twelve years of age she con
fessed Jesus Christ as her Savior
and joined the Presbyterian church
of Greensboro, the church of her
fathers. She lived a faithful, de
voted Christian life, and like Enoch
of old walking with her Savior for
over tifty vears, grew more like
him as the days of her earthly pil
grimage passed. Her daily life
was characterized by Christian
kindness, and courtesy. Her loss
to her church and to the whole
town is irreparable.
The funeral services were con
ducted from the family residence
by her pastor, Rey. J. C. Story
assisted by Rev. W. H. Moore,
Tuesday afternoon at 3 o’clock.
Interment was made in Oak Grove
cemetery.
NEWS FROM THE COUNTY
Brief Mlentiofl of Some of the Hap
penings in McDowell County—
Items About Home People.
DYSARTVILLE
Dysartsville, Oct. 2.—Alfred Gibson
of Crooked Creek is visiting relatives
here.
J. Ray Denton of Atlanta, Ga., is
visiting his parents here.
Mra. Cora Cowan of Rutherfordton
returned home yesterday after visiting
friends and relatives here.
Miss CuUey of Statesville spent the
week-end with her uncle, Q. A. Steph
enson.
G. E. Cowan went to Rutherford hos
pital yesterday for treatment.
Miss Mamie Bradshaw of near Old
Fort is spending some time here with
friends.
J. C. Goforth reopened school at San
dy Flat Sept. 25th.
Misses Annie Daves and Elma Chris
ty left last week for Morganton where
they have entered the State Hospital to
take training.
Miss Lillie Landis of Nebo High school
spent the week-end with homefolkshere.
L. R. Cowan has taken up his mall
route which goes out from Marion. He
begins today.
Will and Key Landis attended the
box supper at Nebo last Friday night.
Misses Mamie and Lona Goforth were
shopping in Marion Saturday.
J. A. Cochran has moved with his
family to Bridgewater.
Miss Hattie Taylor of Nebo spent the
week-end with relatives here.
Mrs. Ben Landis is visiting relatives
in Rutherfordton.
J. A. Laughridge of Marion spent last
Sunday here.
The receipts from the box supper at
Macedonia amounted to $10 25. The
proceeds go to the school.
Little Rock, Ark.—Senator James P.
Clarke of Arkansas, president pro
tempoVe of the United States senate
died at his home here. He suffered
a stroke of apoplexy the day before
and never regained consciousness.
Senator Clarke was born at Yaaoo
3ity Miss., August 18, 1854. He \ms
^uckted in the schools of W®
state and In 1878 was gradimt^ fr^
4e tew department of the University
of Virginia. He began the practice of
?aw in Helena. Ark., in 1879 he served
several terms In the Arkansas legis
lature and later was elected attorney
general of the state and .
In 1903 he was elected United
States senator and re-elected last year
for his third term.
State Treasurer Lacy Resents Lin-
ney Charge.
Raleigh, Oct. 2.—Resenting a
charge made by Frank Linney, Re
publican candidate for Governor,
in a speech this afternoon, that
through bad bookkeeping he had
lost track of $71,000 of State in
stitution funds, State Treasurer
Lacy tonight branded the charge
as wilfully false.
Also that Linney and other Re
publicans were afraid to have a
straight audit of the State treasury
and chose to rely on a “lying re
port made up by discredited check
flashing crooks. ” Lacy insists that
every cent of State funds has been
strictly accounted for.
A Trip to Little Switzerland.
Woodlawn, Oct. 2.—On Satur
day, Sept. 23, a party of ten spent
a pleasant day at Little Switzer
land. The merry party was chap
eroned by Mrs. Heywood, a very
popular chaperone. Our gracious
hosts were Messrs. Charles McCall
and Robert Brinkley, to whom we
owe a vote of thanks for the affair.
All were in gay spirits. Nature
being robed in her bright autumn
al colors seemed to reflect our joys.
After a gracious lunch and climb
ing rocks, crags, etc., some one
made the fitting remark that
the evening shadows fell it seemed
“the end of a perfect day that
memory painted with colors that
never fade.” M
OLD FORT
Old Fort, Sept. 30.—Mr. and Mrs.
Jule Lyda have just returned from a
week’s trip to relatives in Georgia.
Work on the Old Fort-Catawba Falls
road is still progressing nicely and much
of the new portion is already in use.
The colored folks to about 70 had a
kind of an Association meeting the 24th
on upper Crooked creek.
Miss Lula Hicks is teaching school at
Oatawba school No. 6.
Bring in or phone your news
items to The Progress office.
Court Adjourned.
Court adjourned last Thursday
afternoon. In the case of J. D.
Finley vs Tenn. & N. C. Railroad,
the jury failed to agree and a mis
trial was ordered. The case of
Sam Bailey vs James Silver et al
5 compromised. Other cases
were disposed of as follows: W.
O. Ledbetter & Bro. ys W. W.
Guy, judgment for plaintiff for $61.
S. C. Jamison vs Morganton Manu
facturing company, judgment for
plaintiff for $400 and cost. J. F.
Conniffe vs J. M. Bobbitt, judg
ment for plaintiff for $270.
Killed
Girl Who Refused to Go
With Him.
Because she told him that his at
tentions would have to cease, Flor
ence Stutphin, 16 years old, was
shot and instantly killed, a mile
north of Lenoir Sunday afternoon,
by Charles Walker, aged 21 years.
Two other girls witnessed the
tragedy. Walker was arrested
Sunday night and is in Caldwell
county jail, says a dispatch from
Lenoir to the Hickory Record.
The beginning of the tragedy,
according to relatives of the dead
girl, came Saturday, when Miss
Sutphin, at the request of her
mother, informed Walker that he
could not go with her any longer.
He had come to take her to the
moving picture show.
October 9 is Fire Prevention
Day in North Carolina.
Birthday Celebration.
At an early hour on Monday,
Sept. 25, relatives, friends and
neighbors began to arrive at the
home'of Mr^ A. B. Ledbetter in
Montford Coye to celebrate his
80th anniversary.
Each carried a basket of well
prepared food, which was later
spread upon a table erected on the
lawn. It was a sight long to be
remembered when they were all
assembled around the board with
“Uncle Burtis” and his aged com
panion seated at the head of the
table, surrounded by a number of
their eldest neighbors. Friends
mingled their voices in the cood
old hymn, VfSweetHourof Prayer,”
after whicli prayer was offered and
thanks returned for the many deli
cacies which had been prepared as
a token of the high esteem in which
these good people are held, both of
whom have been in declining health
the past year. After one hundred
and thirty-four men, women and
children had been served to all
they could partake as many more
could have feasted on what yet
remained. There were 28 cakes,
not to mention the variety of good
things to satigfy the inner man.
Many flowers had been sent to
“Aunt Minty” and these were used
to decorate the porch and table.
Those in attendance from a dis^
tance were Mr. and Mrs. J. D.
Lpdbetter of Forest City, Rey.
Huntley of Rutherford county, J.
R. Ledbetter and Millard JPoteat
of Marion.
In the afternoon the people as
sembled on the spacious veranda
and listened to a sermon by Bro.
Huntle.y, a valued friend of Uncle
Burtis. His text was taken from
the 57 Psalm, “My heart is fix, O
God.”
Mr. Ledbetter is the last mem
ber of a family of 14 children. He
was born Sept. 25, 1836, and has
lived almost continuously in the
old homestead of his father. Johna
than Ledbetter, who had it erected
in the year 1826, and died at the
age of 47 years. This old mansion,
one of the best in its time, is re
markably well preserved and any
one who ever drank from the
splendid spring in the yard will
long for h return visit. It was
here the first campaign in Ruther
ford county was opened in the year
’43. The election was held in
August. “Uncle Burtis” was born
in McDowell county before it be
came a county by that name. His
mind is clear, his body active, and
he is rich in experiences and his
torical facts which he delights to
relate to his friends.
Four generations met to cele
brate the occasion, and all were
loath to depart. After wishing
them many returns they bade fare
well and reluctantly took their de
parture. The day was ideal and
in perfect harmony with the crowd
who voted it. the best time they
had ever soent together on such an
occasion. “One present.”
STATE NEWS OF THE WEEK
Items Concerning Events of In-
terest and Importance Through
out the State.
The Presbyterian Synod of North
Carolin meets in Salisbury Octo
ber 24th.
John C. Drewry, grand secre
tary of the North Carolina Grand
Lodge of Masons, died at his home
in Raleigh Monday afternoon after
an illness of 18 months.
Senator Lee S. Oyerman is be>
ing prominently mentioned for suc
cessor to the late benator James
P. Clarke of Arkansas, as presi
dent pro-tem of the Senate.
Elections Saturday in three town
ships in Burke carried overwhelm
ingly for bond issues for good
roads. The townships voting were
Upper Fork, Lovelady and Silver
Creek.
An effort will be made by the
division of markets of the State
Agricultural Departmefbt to estab
lish the Carolina Apple exchange
for western North Carolina, the
headquarters of the exchange to be
located at Waynesville, the heart
of the apple growing sections of
the west.
Berry-Avery.
Quite a surprise wedding to their
many friends was that of Rom
Avery of Ashford and Miss Elma
Berry of Granite Falls, N. C.,
which was solemnized at the Meth
odist parsonage at Granite Falls
Thursday, Sept. 28th, with the
bride’s pastor^ Rev. W. V. Honey
cutt, officiating. Only a few re
latives were present to witness the
ceremony. Seawell Avery, broth
er of the groom, was best man and
Miss Eugenia Berry, sister of the
bride, bridesmaid.
The groom is the eldest son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Avery of
Avery and is well known through
out the county. The bride is the
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. S.
Berry of Caldwell county and is
very highly esteemed by all who
know her.
Shortly after the ceremony the
happy young couple boarded the
two o’clock train for Asheville to
spend their honeymoon. They re-
tured Saturday to the home of the
groom’s parents where they enjoyed
a quiet reception from six to eleven
o’clock Saturday evening with a
few friends and relatives. Those
present were Misses Beatrice
Brown, Ethel Wilson, Madge
Brown, Delia and Dora Gibbs and
Lena Brown; Messrs. Charles Mc
Call, Dewey Tj. Brown, James
Avery, Harry Caldwell and Sea-
well Avery.
Mr. and Mrs. Avery will make
their home with the groom’s pa
rents at Avery. We wish them
much happiness through married
life.
Thirteen persons were killed and
more than 25 injured, several prob
ably fatally, at Detroit, Mich.,
Sunday night, when a switch en
gine pushing two freight cars
crashed into a crowded trolley car
at a street crossing. There were
more than 90 persons in the street
car, many of them returning from
theater.
Births.
Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Whaley*
Sept. 21, a son.
Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Banner, Sept.
28, a son.
Mr. and Mrs. E. C. Guy, Sept.
28, a son.
If you know anything let us find
it out. ’Phone, write, telegraph
or do aDythifig. just so you let us
have it. That’s what we’re here
for. Send in news items as early
in the week as possible.