McDowell
County’s
Leading
Newspaper
MARION PROGRESS
Advertising
in the
Progress
Pays
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1896
MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 15, 1940
VOL. XLV—NO. 3
FLOOD CAUSES HEAVY
LOSSES OF PROPERH
THROUGHOUT McDOWELL
HAN LOSES LIFE
UNDE LANDSLIDE
Jeter Williams’ home was washed
away. He also lost some hogs and
chickens.
Garden creek which follows High
way No. 70 north went on a ram
page and two homes were twisted
from their foundations. One was oc
Transportation Facilities Fromjcupied by Mr. and Mi's, Bryant Hoyle
Marion Disrupted By Slides
And Washouts.
SETTLEMENT IN PARKWAY
SUIT IS PROPOSED HERE
Flood waters rolling down river
valleys and swollen streams wrought
untold damage in McDowell county
and the western part of North Caro
lina Tuesday with one death and one
serious injury being reported in this
section.
John McGee, farmer of the Ash
ford section of McDowell county was
said to have lost his life late Tuesday
afternoon and hia wife was reported
seriously injured when a landslide
swept down on a porch on which
they were standing. The McGee’s
were said to have left their home
when rising water threatened their
home. While standing on the front
porch of a neighbor’s house, they
were caught in the slide. The family
was said to have lost two children
in the 1916 flood.
Two narrow escapes from swollen
streams in the county have been re-
I>orted. Dr. J. R. Shull of Charlotte,
while driving toward Old Fort Tues
day with Roy Harvey, a boy living
in the Moffett section two miles
south of Old Fort, narrowly escaped
drowning. Dr. Shull’s car was said
to have stalled on the Catawb i river
bridge. Harvey, finding the water
too deep to wade out, leaped into the
current and swam to Willie Nichols’
store about one mile out of Old Fort
on Highway No. 64.
Dr. Shull was unable to swim and
about an hour later was seen float
ing down the river. It was thought
he had drowned but he was finally
discovered hanging to some bushes
in the swift river current.
Tieing a rope around himself, B.
T. Nichols, of Old Fort swam to the
rescue of the Doctor who was pulled
to the bank. Boy Scouts of Old Fort
aided in the rescue.
An unidentified man was reported
to have been pulled from a stream in
the Ashford section by reacuers who
joined hands and made a human rope
from the bank to the struggling man
According to Cline Lee of Val-
dese, a bread delivery man who was
marooned in the Ashford section all
Tuesday night, the section around
Sevier and Ashford was damaged
more than any other part of the
county. According to Mr. Lee the | gj. supply lines had broken. As a re-
and his mother-in-law, Mrs. Mode
They were forced to leave home.
Senator-elect L. J. P. Cutlar, of
McDowell, and his family were driv
en from their home at Pleasant Gar
dens, four miles northwest of Mari
on, on No. 70 where Buck Creek
flows into the Catawba river.
Tuesday night Marion was the
haven for approximately 300 tour
ists who were stranded here, being
unable to leave on any of the high
ways through this section. All local
hotels, tourist homes and rooming
houses were filled to capacity and
many travelers were going from door
to door begging for rooms.
Hundreds of people jammed High
way No. 70 where it forks with No.
221 about two miles north of Marion
all Tuesday afternoon. Roads were
blocked at that point, but crowds
jammed as close ag possible to watch
the swollen Catawba river sweep
down through the valley. Highway
No. 70 was covered for about a mile
from the forks and highway officials
feared that the Catawba bridge just
beyond the forks on No 221 would
be carried away any minute.
From the forks of the highways
the crowds watched the flood waters
swirl around the two-story home of
Charlie McMahan. Several outbuild
ings on the McMahan property were
carried down the river and many
farm implements were swept away.
Mr. McMahan was said to have lost
31 pigs and hogs in the flood waters.
Before evacuating his home all fur
niture had been moved to the second
floor. Water rose to the roof of his
barn and carried away all farm sup
plies, including several hay stacks
which floated down the river.
A total of 8.09 inches of rain fell
in Marion Tuesday in a period of
24 hours in addition to the 2.19 inch
es that fell Sunday and Monday.
Much damage to streets about Mar
ion has been reported, curbings hav
ing been washed away in many pla
ces and sewage seeping out at places
where sewer lines have been washed
out.
Marion was without water for sev
eral hours yesterday morning while
workmen labored to discover breaks
in the supply lines feeding the town
and to remedy them. Mills and fac
tories were requested late Tuesday
to cease operation as the town wat-
The McDowell county jury of
view, named to hear the $200,000
suit against the State Highway and
Public Works Commission in connec
tion with a section of the Blue Ridge
Parkway running through an orchard
in the northern part of the county,
last Friday recommended a settle
ment of approximately $75,000.
The plaintiffs to the action, Su
preme Court Justice J. Wallace Win-
borne, as executor and trustee of
the W. W. Guy estate, and John
Yancey, have charged that the con
struction of the Parkway had dam
aged the Holston and Heffner apple
orchards to an amount between
$200,000 and $250,000. They charge
that the State Highway commission
appropriated 206.76 acres of land,
containing approximately 6,825
“valuable apple trees” for the Park
way, and that surrounding property
has been damaged.
The preliminary hearing held here
before the jury of view was to per
mit the jury to appraise the dama
ges after hearing the evidence in the
case. Members of the jury were
Zeno Martin, W. S, Shiflet and J. R.
Jimeson.
According to an announcement
made here, the verdict of the jury
of view will be appealed to McDowell
Superior court.
Attorneys in the case are former
Governor J. C. B. Ehringhaus and R.
W. Proctor, representing the plain
tiffs; and Ernest Gardner and D. F.
Giles, representing the State High
way commission.
Charles Ross, general counsel for
the State Highway and Public Works
commission, has said damages to the
orchard did not amount to much
more than $13,000. He said the
Highway commission exercised em
inent domain over 100 acres of the
orchard for the Parkway, and also
provided for scenic easements on an
other 100 acres.
The scenic easements, he said, do
interfere with the orchard, ^
prevent the owners from building on
the tract, unless such building is ap
proved by the Parkway.
OLD-TIMERS OFTHE
SOUTHERN RAILWAY
MEET HERE FRIDAY
Program Announced For Sixth
Home-Coming At The High
School Auditorium.
Colonel C. E. Smyer of Clovis,
New Mexico, Captain Ted E. Wins
low of Decatur, Ga., Albert Kirkman
of Victoria, Va., and Mrs. Mary Bur-
gin Morris are among the speakers
that will take part in the program
of the sixth annual meeting of the
“Old-Timers” Memorial reunion to
be held here tomorrow. The meeting
will be held in the high school audi
torium here and will officially begin
at 10 o’clock. The reunion will mark
MARION EMPLOYMENT
OFFICE DISTRIBUTES
$5,890 IN CHECKS HERE
The Marion employment office
(white) distributed $5,890.95, in
cluded in 1,102 checks in the montn
of July, while in the 31 months of
distribution, 38,536 checks for $255-
353.93 were delivered through this
office.
Benefits to unemployed eligible
workers in North Carolina amounted
in July to $505,486.61, included in
93,809 checks, distributed through
the 46 white and 10 colored branch
Employment offices in the state—
less 1,541 checks for $13,930.50 sent
to residents of other states who had
previously established wage credits
by work in this state, Charles G.
Powell, chairman of the N. C. Unem
ployment Compensation Commission,
announces.
Cumulative benefits in the 31
months of distribution, through July,
amounted to $15,408,734.88, inclu
ded in 2,400,939 checks, of which
the 70th anniversary of the arrival crrz? oo
„ ^ ^ . . . 26,178 checks for $287,576.82 went
of the first passenger tram reaching ^ ,
Marion in August, 1870.
Between 700 and 1,000 people are
expected to attend the reunion with
many of them coming here on a spec
ial train from Asheville. The train
leaves Asheville at 8 o’clock in the
morning and leaves Marion at 5 that
afternoon.
Officials of the reunion have sent
out invitations to widows of deceased
railroad employees and to all officers
and employees who have worked on
the Asheville Division of the South
ern for 30 years or more. Invitations
have also been sent to employees of
other divisions of the Southern and
to all railroad men who have worked
in the Asheville division at any time
during the past 30 years.
to former North Carolina workers
later residing in other states.
M’DOWELL FARMER HELD
HERE IN SHOOTING CASE
Hunter Cowan, farmer of the Dy-
sartsville section of McDowell coun
ty, was being held in the county jail
here yesterday, pending the outcome
of a gunshot wound he is accused of
inflicting upon Pink Francis, negro,
about midnight last Monday.
Francis was taken to Grace Hos
pital in Morganton where he was
first reported to be in a critical con
dition. His condition yesterday was
reported improved and it is expec
ted that he will live. The bullet went
STATE SCORES
391.714 GAIN
INPOPtlUTIOM
Census Figures Assure North
Carolina Of Another Con
gressman.
CHAMBERS IS SPEAKER
AT ROTARY MEET HERE
store and filling station of Guy Lon
on, located above Woodlawn was
swept away by the flood waters. On
ly the ca^ register and several small
items were said to have been saved.
Mr. Lonon’s loss was estimated at
around $4,000,
Blocked in by a landslide just
above Ashford and swollen streams
throughout that section, many mo
torists were marooned in their cars
throughout Tuesday night, Mr. Lee
suit mills and factories were not in
operation yesterday morning. Town
residents were cautioned by Mayor
Zeno Martin to use water sparingly
as the supply was low.
According to town officials, water
from the supply lines stopped com
ing into the city reservoir about 3:30
o’clock Tuesday afternoon. One sup
ply line from Mackey’g creek was in
use again late yesterday afternoon
and the possible water shortage ap-
I completely through the chest from
Registration at the reunion will be- gj^jg
Sheriff Grady Nichols and Deputy
Jim Roland arrested Cowan about
4:30 o’clock Monday morning after
witnesses told they had seen Cowan
shoot Francis with a rifle. The shoot
ing was said to have followed a heat
ed argument at the home of Logan
Economic maladjustments which
threaten democracy could be elimin
ated if the American public would
practice in its e v e r y d a y living
the vocational service program of
Rotary, stated Bill Chambers, of
Marion, speaking at the weekly
luncheon of the local Rotary club
here Tuesday,
He outlined the three aims of Ro
tary vocational service to be: to in
spire each Rotarian to maintain high
standards of personal and ethical
conduct in his business or profession;
to inspire each individual to work
progressively to advance his profes
sion and better his services; and to
inspire each Rotarian to follow the
golden rule in his relations with the
public. These ideals, when put into
practice, will preserve the American
way and promote international peace,
he stated.
Dr. Bruce Boney, of Warren, Ark,,
addressed the Rotarians briefly on
the subject, “Rotary Spirit.”
Guests at the meeting were Henry
Sea well, of Charlotte; Dr. Roland, of
Marion; and Dr. Boney,
THREE NEW BUSES TO
BE USED IN M’DOWELL
reported. Five or six cars were said j peared to have been averted. Work-
to have been swept off Highway No, i were still laboring late yester-
221 by the flood waters. Some ten Clear creek supply line,
persons were said to have climbed to j jj. said to have been broken
the top of Mr. Lee’s truck, where -^here it crosses Catawba river.
they found shelter most of the night
from the flood waters.
In the Sevier section one or two
houses were said to have been car
ried away by the swollen streams
and the Sarah Good Hosiery mill was
reported to have been damaged con
siderably by high water.
Flood waters that threatened to
cause much damage in Old Fort sub
sided Tuesday night. Fourteen feet
of concreate was torn from the ap
proach to a Catawba river bridge,
eliminating travel from Marion to
Old Fort. Several families of Old
Fort took refuge from the flood
waters in the Community building.
The honve of Luther Robinson of
Old Fort was almost washed away
and several outbuildings were car
ried away.
On the southern side of Marion,
Late Tuesday afternoon and early
yesterday morning all main roads
leading out of Marion were blocked.
Highway No. 70 to Asheville was
closed because of a washout about
three miles out from Marion and a
land slide at Point Lookout. Late
yesterday afternoon the road was
still out between Marion and Old
Fort. Enough of the land slide had
been cleared at Point Lookout to al
low one-way traffic. Throughout
yesterday cars going to Asheville
were routed through Rutherfordton,
Lake Lure and Hendersonville,
High water that covered several j
sections of the Marion to Morgan-
ton highway late Tuesday and early
yesterday subsided and traffic was
resumed over this stretch.
Three new school buses will be
used in McDowell when the county
schools open for the fall term on Au
gust 29, announced County Superin
tendent N. F. Steppe this week. The
new buses will replace old ones
which have been found unsafe for
hauling children.
The new buses will serve the Old
Fort, North Cove and Glenwood
schools. No provisions have been
made for running more buses than
last year, Mr, Steppe said.
SERMON SUBJECTS FOR
LUTHERAN CHURCH SUNDAY
(Continued on last page)
St. Matthew’s Lutheran church,
will present a threefold treasure in
its services next Sunday, the pastor
announces. At 11 a, m. the subject
will be “Our Glorious Redeemer.
At 8 o’clock the topic will be,
“Come Home,” At both services ev
ery family represented will be given
the neat, daily meditation booklet
“Heirs of God,” The public is invi
ted.
gin at 9 o’clock tomorrow morning.
The meeting will officially open at 10
a. m. with Frank A. Burgin of Atlan
ta, president of the “Old-Timers”
Memorial Reunion, presiding.
The meeting will adjourn at 1:30
p. m. for lunch, which will be served
by ladies of Marion and Old Fort un
der the direction of Mrs, L. B. Coone
of Marion.
Local arrangements for the reun
ion and entertainment for the visi
tors have been under the direction of
George W. Sandlin of Old Fort and
W, K, M. Gilkey of Marion. Trans
portation for visitors will be furnish
ed by members of local civic clubs.
The complete program for the re
union is as follows:
Invocation, by Rev, W, G. McFar
land, of Asheville,
Song: “God Bless America” by the
assembly.
Address of welcome, by J, A,
Bolich, of Winston-Salem,
Response, by George E. Lee, of
Asheville. Alternate, Dr, J. H. Drake-
ford, of New York City.
Welcome to ladies, by Mrs. Ben
Carr, of Marion, introduced by Miss
Bonnie Burgin, of Marion.
Response, by Mrs. Virgil Dorsey,
of Newton.
Roll call of deceased during the
year, by John W. Cline, of Asheville.
Alternate, Captain Ivy Johnson, of
Rutherford College.
Tolling the bell, by Eugene T.
Adams, of Asheville. Alternate, Hor
ace L. Carpenter, of Rutherfordton.
Memorial address, by Colonel C.
E. Smyer, of Clovis, New Mexico.
Alternate, C. S. Fullbright, of Hen
dersonville.
Addressing honor roll, by Captain
J. W. Brunson, of Florence, S. C.
Roll call of McDowell honor roll,
by George E, Lee, of Asheville.
Address, “Brighten the Comer
Where You Are,” by Captain Ted E.
Winslow, of Decatur, Ga.
Music, by two children of Charles
M. Young, of Connelly Spfing^.
Address, “Changing the Gauge in
1879,” by Albert Kirkman, of Vic
toria, Va., introduced by George E,
Lee.
“The Arrival of the First Passen
ger Train at Marion in August 1870,''
by Mrs. Mary Morris Burgin, of Mar
ion.
Introduction of distinguished vis
itors.
Open forum of “Old-Timers” led
by Captain John Pearson, introduced
by Horace F, Payne, both of Mor
gan ton.
Report of the nominating commit
tee.
The program and arrangements
for the reunion have been under the
direction of the following committee
chairmen:
Captain W. B, Burgfin and J. H
Raleigh, Aug. 10,—The first state
wide census figures, released here
today by Census Area Manager E.
A, Hughes, showed that the popula
tion of North Carolina increased
391,714 in the last decade to a total .
of 3,561,990,
The increase will virtually assure
North Carolina of an additional mem
ber of the U. S, House of Represen
tatives, giving the state a total of 12
representatives.
The report, subject to minor cor
rections, showed Charlotte again as
the state’s largest city, and the firsrt
to exceed the idO.OOO mark. The
Mecklenburg county seat has grown
rapidly since 1900, when it was cred
ited with only 18,091 inhabitants.
The figures also revealed the con
tinued growth of the Piedmont in
dustrial region.
The second largest city in the
state is Winston-Salem, with 79,828
residents. Durham is third, Greens
boro fourth, Asheville fifth, Raleigh
sixth. High Point seventh, and Wil
mington eighth.
Five counties have populations of
more than 100,000. Guilford leads
with 152,218, and Mecklenburg, For
syth, Wake and Buncombe follow in
that order.
Twenty-one counties have popula
tions in excess of 50,000 and there
are 26 cities and towns with more
than* 10,000 residents.
The census area office, situated, in
Raleigh, was officially closed today
and all records will be transferred to
Washington, where any necessary
revisions and corrections will be
made.
The count for the counties in the
11th . district follows: Buncombe
Cherokee 18,639, Clay 6,-
FVancis, brother of the tvounded man
The shooting occurred in the Dy-
sartsville section.
If Francis survives it is expected; 108,648
that Cowan will betried on charges'401, Graham 6,407, Haywood 34,719,
of assault with intent to kill. Should i Henderson 26,049, Jackson 19,352,
Francis die the defendant will be'McDowell 23,401, Macon 15,894,
tried for murder. The trial has been jpolk 11,884, Rutherford 45,562,
delayed pending the outcome of theigwain 12,160, and Transylvania 12,-
shooting, 229.
The count of cities of more than
MARION MEN ATTEND 110,000 population:
MORGANTON MEETING] Asheville 51,263, Burlington 12,-
jl61, Charlotte, 101,305, Concord,
W. W. Neal, of Marion, chairman 115,556, Durham 59,731, Elizabeth
of the board of directors of the • City, 11,543, Fayetteville 17,413,
North Carolina School for the Deaf, | Gastonia, 21,311, Goldsboro 17,256,
and Dr. G. S. Kirby of Marion, chair-! Greensboro 58,786, Greenville, 12,-
man of the board of directors of the. 691.
State Hospital, conferred with mem- Hickory 13,488, High Point 38,-
bers of the Advisory Budget commis-i449, Kinston, 15,492, Lexington 10,-
sion of the North Carolina General 1586, New Bern 11,847, Raleigh 46,-
Assembly in Morganton last Thurs-!640, Reidsville 10,394, Rocky Mount
day, 125,909, Salisbury 18,968, Shelby 14,-
Mr, Neal and Dr, Kirby met • with i 936, Statesville, 11428,
other directors of the two state in-j Thomasville, 11,073, Wilmingfton
stitutions and members of the Ad-] 32,980, Wilson 19,213, Winston-Sa-
visory Budget commission to consider jlem 79,828.
financial needs for the institutions) *
for the next biennium. Members of | MARION MEN RETURN
the Advisory Budget commission
meeting in Morganton were Senators
W. B. Rodman and Pat Taylor and
Representatives John Caffey, A. S.
Brower and James Clark,
FARMERS FEDERATION
PICNIC IS POSTPONED
The Farmers Federation annual
district picnic scheduled to be held
at the Mountain Experiiront station
in Swannanoa yesterday was post
poned until August 24, Grady Wal
ker, manager of the Marion branch
of the Farmers Federation, an
nounced this week.
Washed out roads and swollen
streams led to the postponement of
the picnic, said Mr, Walker, the
town of Swannanoa being practical
ly isolated because of the recent
heavy rains.
Sullivan, reception committee of
Asheville; Mrs. Thomas H. Siler and
FROM TOUR OF WEST
Theodore Watkins and Gus Mar
tin, of Marion, returned last Sunday
from a four week’s tour of the Uni
ted States, during which they trav
eled through parts of Canada, Brit
ish Columbia and most of the west
ern states.
They visited friends in Salem and
Springfield, Oregon, and in Montana.
While in California the two comr
municated with Cato Holler in Mar
ion by long distance telephone.
They traveled through the Black
Hills, Glacier Park, Death Valley,
the Grand Canyon, visited the San
Francisco Fair and on the return
trip made a brief stop at Boulder
Dam.
NORTH CAROLINA FARM
INCOME SHOWS REDUCTION
Raleigh, Aug. 15.—Farm income
in North Carolina for 1940 will be
Mrs. Carl T./Gossett, ladies recep-j almost $40,000,000 less than last
tion committee of Asheville; Mrs.{year, Dean I. O. Schaub of the State
Sam L. Burgin, hospitality commit
tee; Mrs. W. S. Mauney, reception
committee of Marion; Mrs, John A.
Poteat, publicity corKmittee; Miss
Julia Burton, program; Mrs. L, B.
Coone, luncheon; Mrs. J. C, Raburn,
tables; Mrs. W. W. Neal, decora
tions; Mrs. J. H. Sullivan and Mrs.
Mac Ramseur, music.
College school of agriculture repor
ted today.
He said income from tobacco
would be $50,000;000 less than last
year and that better prices for cot
ton would ma^'e up almost $10,000,-
000 of the deficiency. He estimated
tobacco income at $25,000,000 and.
cotton at about $12,000,000.