McDowell
County’s
Leading
Newspaper
MARION PROGRESS
Ad-rertisoMr
in the
Progress
Pays
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McO)OWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1896
MARION. N. C.. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19. 1940
VOL. XLV—NO. 8.
COURT DISMISSES
ACnON AGAINST
OLD FORT BOAKD
Judge Rules Town Failed To
State Cause Of Action; Cas
es Are Appeaded.
FIRST OF SERIES OF
CONCERTS GIVEN HERE
The September term of Superior
court, with Judge William H. Bob
bitt of Charlotte presiding, was ad
joumed here last Friday after the
civil docket had been cleared of
cases.
Two suits brought by the town of
Old Fort against J. F. Harmon, for
mer mayor, and former members of
^e board o/ aldermen, charging
them on two counts with making il
legal payments to C. L. Tate as chief
of police while he was a member of
the board, were dismissed on demur
rers in Superior court last week by
Judge William - H. Bobbitt on the
grounds the complaints failed to
state cause of action. The^ town
sought to recover $803.30 and $1,-
625, the sums alleged to have been
illegally pai(i, frt>m the defendant.
Board members named in the com
plaints were J. B. Johnson, G. E.
Moore, and H. R. Early, while T. R.
Kanipe and A. J. Harris were each
named in one of the suits. The plain
tiff, the town of Old Fort, filed no
tice of appeal to the Supreme court.
Action against the former alder
men was dismissed in two other cas
es in which Harmon is charged with'
failing to account for $2,954.25 and
$5,367.32 and the boards were char
ged with negligence. Members of the
boards named in the actions were
J. B. Johnson, G. E. Moore, H. R.
Elarly and C. L, Tate, while T. R.
Kanipe and A. J. Harris were each
named in one of the suits. The char-i
ges against Harmoir stiU stand,
tbe plaintiff appealed the Superior
court ruling dismissing action against;
the board members. Harmon has de
nied that he misappropriated any
funds.
The other suit brought by the
town of Old Port Will be tried. In
this action C. L. Tate is sued fort^
sum of $2,428.30 which he is alleg
ed to have received illegally for ser
vices as chief of police while he was
a member of the board of aldermen
In answering the charges Tate has
stated that he served in both offices
but he was not a member of the
board while serving as chief of po
lice.
In civil actions heard during the
latter part of the week, Sarah Louise
Sparks was ordered to recover noth
ing from the town of Marion for in
juries she was alleged to have re
ceived because of negligence of the
town.
In the case of John Pead vs. Miss
Joyce Decker, an action involving a
prommissory note, Frederick Ham
rick, Jr., was appointed a referee to
bear the evidence and report his
findings to the court.
Marion’s first Sunday concert of
symphonic recordings was held in
the Community building here last
Sunday with about 25 people in at
tendance. The program consisted of
mttsic written by Johann Strauss,
played over special equipment in
vented by Hubert Martin of Marion.
Programs for each Sunday after
noon are being planned under the di
rection of the "McDowell Chamber of
Commerce. Guest soloists and in
strumentalists will be featured on
the programs. Next Sunday’s con
cert, to be held at 2:30 in the after
noon, will consist of part of the New
World symphony by Dvorak.
Presented on last Sunday’s pro
gram were “God Bless America,” by
Berlin, “The Star Spangled Banner
by Key, and the following Strauss
compositions: “Emperor Waltz,
Voices of Spring”, “Vienna Blood”
Tales from the Vienna Woods'
and the “Blue Danube.”
Admission to the concerts is by
tickets which may be obtained free
of charge at local drug stores, Rabb
Hitchcock’s, . Oasis News Stand, the
Chamber of Commerce office, and
from members of the high school
band. Recordings and some equip
ment for the concerts is being fur
nished by the Record Shop of Mar
ion.
Guest soloist on the program will
be Albert Hewitt of Marion. Explan
atory remarks about the recordings
will be given by Bernard Hirsch, and
ushers will be furnished by the high
school band.
MARION’S HRST
STREET DANCE IS
SET FOR TONIGHT
HSH AND GAME
FARM PROJECT IS
DISCUSSED HERE
Entertainment To Be Held On
Main Business Block Of The
Town At 8:30 O’Clock.
Local Group Appointed To Aid
In Securing Appropriation
From The State.
ENROLLMENT IN CITY
SCHOOLS EXPECTED TO
EQUAL LAST YEAR’S
The enrollment in city schools is a
little lower than last year, according
to City Superintendent Hugh F.
Beam, but several more pupils are
expected to enter schot)! this * week
"bring the number enrolled up t®,
about equal that of last year.
There are 472 pupils in the Mar
ion high school, a drop of about 50
from last year’s figure. The total en
rollment for all white elementary
schools in the city unit is 1,695, and
2,392 for all schools combined.
The enrollment in the different
schools of the city unit are as fol
lows: Marion high, 472; Marion ele
mentary, 422; Eugene Cross ele
mentary, 223; Clinchfield elementary
521; West Marion elementary, 215;
East Mari^ elementary, 314.
In the two colored schools in the
city unit there are 50 pupils in the
high school and 175 in the elementa
ry grades.
A total of 2,672 pupils are enroll
ed in the county schools. They are
divided among the different units as
follows: Old Fort high, 191, elemen
tary, 601; Pleasant Gardens ,high
148, elementary, 429; Nebo high, 82,
elementary, 264; Dysartsville, 119;
Sugar Hill 135; North Cove high,
58, elementary, 192; Glenwood high,
171, elementary, 272.
The total endollment for all the
schools of McDowell is 5,064.
Marion’s first street dance will be
held here tonight at 8:30 o’clock on
Main street. String music and an
amplijfying system are being secured
for the occasion and plans are. now
being made to provide for three
rings of square dancers. The enter
tainment is being sponsored by the
merchants division of the McDowell
Chamber of Commerce.
The dance will be held on South
Main street between the Court and
Henderson street intersections. The
city block will be closed to traffic at
about 8:15 tonight and to aid officers
in clearing the street all car owners
have been requested to refrain from
parking on the block after 6:30.
The street dance has been planned
here for some time and directors of
the dance have expressed the inten
tion of having one here every Thurs
day night. The dances will be held
in the open as long as weather per
mits and will then be scheduled for
some local building.
No admission will be charged for
tonight’s dance. Funds to finance the
entertainment will be raised by solic
itors. Six local young -ladies have
been appointed by the Chamber of
Commerce to help with the finances.
They are Jeanne Tennant, Virginia
Mae McCall, Elizabeth Tennant, Til
ly Sinclair, Marie Griffin and Loraine
Arneson.
Chamber of Commerce Secretary
Walter J. Cartier has been assisted
in arranging for the dance by Ralph
Tate, Ossie ifntton and
Shoemaker. Ciallers for the
have been engaged and all arrange
ments have been made to assure the
success of the dance.
In the event of rain the dance will
be postponed until Friday night and
Will be held at the same place at
8:30 o’clock.
A $180,000 project for the estab
lishment of a state fish hatchery and
game farm on Mackey’s Creek near
Marion was discussed last Saturday
night at the Marion Lake club by lo
cal sportsmen and members of the
Mimosa Fishing club of Morganton.
Local sportsmen, called together by
the McDowell Chamber of Com
merce, voiced their approval of the
project and appointed a committee
consisting of Gene Cross, Jr., W. W.
Neal, Jr., and Ashby Robinson of
Old Fort, to work with state groups
in carrying the project to completion
by securing an appropriation from
the state.
The proposed site for the hatch
ery and game farm is located on
Mackey’s creek about four miles
from Marion in the Pleasant Gar
dens section. Between 200 and 250
acres of land in that section was pur
chased by the state several years
ago and a bill providing for the
the hatchery was approved by the
last legislature. No appropriation
for the project has been made.
According to plans outlined here,
the project calls for one of the larg
est hatchery and game firm develop
ments in the state. The movement to
secure a state appropriation for the
project is being led by the Morgan
ton Mimosa Fishing club which has
enlisted the support of organized
groups throughout the western part
of the state.
Sportsmen are interested in the
e^jjja^lis^ent _ t>f„ , .Ahe.^ hatchery
raise small mouth bass, which can
not now be obtiiined in this section
in quantities. The game farm, it is
expected, would specialize in the
raising of turkeys.
TRAINING UNION MEET
IS HELD AT GREENLEE;
OFFICERS RE-ELECTED
The annual convention of the Blue
Ridge Baptist Associational Training
Union was held at the Greenlee Bap
tist church last' Sunday with N. C.
Brooks, state Training Union secre
tary, speaking on “Living Epistles
of Christ” at the morning session.
Devotionals were given by James
Mitchem of Clinchfield and Gordon
Wilson, president, presided.
Beginning the afternoon session.
Miss Marion Harris gave the devo
tional. J. P. Thomas, of Gastonia,
regfional president, spoke on “Flow
ers for the Living”. Abalene Cresson
of Greenlee, gave a talk on “Our
Task in_the Blue Ridge.”
Rev. W. E. Pettit, of Old Fort, de
livered an address on “B. A. U.’s for
Every church”. W. R. Chambers, of
Marion, associational moderator,
moderator, urged all present to at
tend the association to be held Octo
ber 8 and 9 at the Bethlehem Bap
tist church. A playlet was presented
by the E. Marion Union.
Special music was given through
out the day by the Kannapolis quar
tet, the Whitson quartet of Cross
Mills, duets from Clinchfield and
West Marion, and a trio from Clear
Creek Baptist church. *
The following officers for the com
ing year were installed by J. P.
Thomas: Gordon Wilson, Marion
First church, president; W.C. Lonon,
Marion First church, vice-president;
Miss Marion Harris, Clear Creek,
secretary; Fred Walsh, Cross Mills,
treasurer; A. H. Mitchem, Marion
First church, pianist; Kermit Fender,
East Marion, chorrister; Mrs. R. G.
Brown, West Marion, B.A.U. leader;
Millard Hall, East Marion, senior
leader; Mrs. Claude Jones, Clinch
field, intermediate leader; Mrs. Fan
nie Copeland, Clinchfield, junior
leader; Mrs. Fred Walsh, Cross Mills,
story hour leader; Rev. Von King,
East Marion, pastor advisor; Van
Hughes. Old Fort, first district lead
er; J. D. Willis, Cleatf Creek, second
district leader; Mrs. Cecil Rajrbum,
Glenwood, third district leader; C.
W. Bradley, Clinchfield, fourth dis
trict leader.
DRAFT SIGNED
AND DATE SET
BY PRESIDENT
Proclamation Affects 16,500,»
000 Eligible in U.S.; 400,000
Will Be Called.
Wshington, Sept. 16. — President
Roosevelt signed the draft act today,
fixed October 16 as registratim day
for 16,500,000 young Americans
now subject to compulsory military
training, and asserted that the United
States was marshaling its strength to
avert “the terrible fate of nations
whose weakness invited attack.”
In addition, the Chief Executive
called upon the Governors of the
States to provide suitable places for
the registration, urged local election
officials “and other patriotic citizens”
to man the registration boards and
asked employers to give their affected
employes “sufficient time off” to pre
sent themselves and fill out the
forms.
Mr. Roosevelt, moreover, empha
sized a section of the act and a phase
of the building up of the army which
received much discussion in Con
gress—the voluntary enlistment sy^
tem. All between 18 and 35, inclu
sive, he said in a formal statement,
will be offered an opportunity to vol
unteer for a one-year period of ser
vice and training, and those who of
fer themselves — provided they are
suitable—are to be accepted before
any others are selected.
WESTERN N.C.E.A HAS
MEET IN LOCAL SCHOOL
MARION GRIDDERS
OPEN SEASON IN
NEWTON TOMORROW
BOARD VOTES NOT TO
ALLOW POOLROOM HERE
The Marion high gridders will op
en their 1940 season tomorrow night
when they journey to Newton to
meet the strong Newton high school
eleven. The local squad has shown
much progress since practice was be-
Representatives of one-half of the
Western District of the North Caro
lina Education Association niet in
the Marion high school auditorium
yesterday afternoon and outlined . , „ , ^
plans for local activity of the orga- SU" ‘‘'.s fall under Coach Art D.tt
nization who is starting his second year as
”‘TuiTb. Warren, secretary of thelf”'^”'' ‘'“s'*
N.C.E.A., was in charge at the af-1 u i.
ternoon session and a night meeting M*""" “T''"
held in the Community building. HeMar-
1 J ^ 4.„ui ion backs in action when they meet
led a round-table disousjiion on legis- . ^
lative problems confronting the as-l^-e Leno.r high school team m the
sociation. Mrs. Ruth Vick Everett, I day Same here
on Friday, September 27.
PLEASANT GARDENS
P. T. A. GROUP MEETS
Marion will have no poolroom, ac
cording to action taken by the town
Board of Aldermen yesterday in re
fusing to grant a license for the op
eration of one. - Hearings before the
aldermen were held here Tuesday
night and yesterday morning with
advocates and opponents of the es
tablishment of the poolroom present
ing their views.
During the past several weeks peti
tions for and against a poolroom have
been circulated in Marion. Each of
the petitions was signed by several
hundred persons. The question of a
poolroom was first brought before
the aldermen on September 3 wheh
the board postponed discussion of
the proposal till September 17. The
delay was effected to allow opponents
and advocates of the proposal to
present their arguments.
The application for a poolroom li
cense was made ‘by Dula Hawkins,
of Marion.
DITT TO SPEAK
Art Ditt, director of athletics at
Marion high school, will be the guest
speaker at the ^efeular weekly mteet-
ing of the local Rotary club tomor
row at noon. He will discuss the
athletic program of the school.
The first meeting for the year of
the Pleasant Gardens P.T.A. was held
last Thursday night with a good at
tendance. After a short talk by the
new president, Mrs. J. R. Jimeson,
committees were announced, pro
grams for the ye»r distributed, and
reports heard. It was decided to take
for the main project for the year the
redecorating of the auditorium stage
including new stage curtains. The
prize for highest percentage of par
ents' present went to the second
grade. Miss Elsie House teacher, in
the elementary department, and to
Miss Carolyn Gray in high school..
The program‘chairman, Mrs. W. A.
Young, led a ten-minute singing per
iod, and then introduded the speaker
of the evening. Rev. W. A. Jenkins,
who spoke to an interested audience
on “The Purpose of the Schools in a
Democracy.” j|
ATTEND CONVENTION
Three members of the McDowell
j Young Democratic club attended the
state convention of Young Demo
crats in Ralei^ last week. Sheriff
Grady Nichols attended the conven
tion last Thursday. Other McDowell
men at the meeting were S. H. Pen
nington, and Ben Hendley.
CLUB VOTES TO HELP
PROMOTE ANNUAL SHOW
MARION MEN BOUND OVER
ON CHARGE OF ROBBERY
Ernest Hall and Guy Lewis of
Marion, waived preliminary heariilg
^in McDowell county court hereTnefr-
on a chaise of robbeiy and
were each bound over to the January
term of Superior court under $1,5(K>
bond.
The robbery is alleged to have oc
curred about 2:00 o’clock last Sun
day afternoon in north Marion. Lew
is and Hall were said to have severe
ly beaten E. D. Shoemake, of Booner
and to have taken approximately
$40 from him. The two were said to
have left Marion in a taxi after
beating Shoemake and were appre-
The Francis Marion club, meeting
here last Thursday night, voted to
aid other Marion civic organizations
in promoting the annual hoi*se and
cattle show, to be held here October | hemjed in Rutherford county after
4. A committee composed of Clar- local police had sent out a radio call,
ence Rabb and Rowe Mauney was j Both the defendants are now confin-
appointed to work with the group jed in the county jail,
arranging the show. j Seven other cases were disposed
Final approval of a proposal to' of Tuesday by Judge Paul J. Story,
stage a minstrel show here this fall Ross Williams was sentenced to 30
was voted with a committee compos
ed of Kelly Gilkey, Hugh Conley,
Bobby Hewitt, Bernard Hirsch, Nel-
days on the roads for simple assault.
Posey Buchanan was given three
months on the roads, suspended on
field representative of the association
also took part in the program.
Approximately 100 superinten
dents, principals and officers of local
units of the association from seven
counties and four towns in Western
North Carolina attended the meeting
Delegates were here from Yancey,
Mitchell, Avery, McDowell, Ruther
ford, Polk and Burke counties and
from Tryon, Morganton and Glen
Alpine.
The afternoon session was ad-
jburned Jit about 5:00 o’clock. Mem
bers of the association reassembled
for dinner at the Community buildii^'
at 6:30 last night. Dinner was served
by ladies of the Presbyterian church
under the direction of Mrs. G. W.
Kirkpatrick. Business of the associa
tion was discussed after the banquet.
ALIENS REGISTERED BY
CLERIC AND POST OFFICE
Alien registration at the Marion
post office is progressing very slowly,
according to Assistant Postmaster W.
R. Burleson, who stated that only
two registrations have been recorded
so far. The local post office has com
plete equipment for the registration
of aliens, including finger printing.
The number of aliens having regis
tered at the office of Clerk of Court
J. F. Moody now number five. A
North Carolina law passed in 1927
requires alien registration with the
clerk of court. Five nationalities are
n^resented in the alien registration
book for McDowell—-^n Albanian, a
Swede, a German w^^n, an English
woman and an Italian^
This year the boys will be dressed
in black whipcord pants and black
jerseys trimmed in orange.
According to Coach Ditt, a start
ing line-up for the opening game has
not been selected because of the
scrappiness of the inexperienced
men who are fighting for a position.
The squad will be built around eight
lettermen returning from last year’s
team.
Coach Ditt has asked that the peo
ple of Marion give the local team all
the support possible.
The schedule for the Marion high
eleven this year is as follows: ■
Date Team Place
Sept. 20 ^ Newton —Newton
Sept. 27 Lenoir ____ Marion
Oct. 4 Kings Mt. Kings Mt.
Oct. 11 Shelby Shelby
Oct. 12 Open Marion
Oct.-25 Forest City __ Forest City
Nov. 14 Open Away
Nov. 8 NX.S.D. Marion
Nov. 15 Cherryville Marion
Nov. 22 Morganton _ Morganton
C OF C MEMBERSHIP
DRIVE IS DISCUSSED
son Parker and Carlton Gilkey, be- j payment of $50 fine and the costs,
ing appointed to arrange the pro-|jjjs license was revoked for 12
gram. The cast for the show will be j months. The defendant appealed and
chosen from the membership of the: bond was placed at $200.
Francis Marion club. | Roy Brown, found guilty of petty
The club voted to have a social i larceny, was sentenced to one year
program at the Marion Lake club for j roads.
its next meeting on September 26.1 Jack Carver was given three
Wives and gfuests of club members qjj roads for driving
will participate in the program which
will be arranged by the social com
mittee.
WILLKIE HEADQUARTERS
ARE OPENED IN MARION
Directors of the McDowell Cham
1>er of Commerce met in the Comnm-
nity building here Tuesday night and
mapped plans for completing‘the
membership drive of the Chamber in
and around Marion.
Tuesday, Sept. 24, was set as the
date for the closing of the drive. Af
ter that time, the drive will be car
ried into other sections of the coun
ity.
Headquarters for the Marion
“Willkie for President" club were
opened here this week in the vacant
building on South Main street next
to Tainter’s Drug store. The first
meeting of the club in the headquar
ters building was held Tuesday night
with approximately 40 members at
tending.
Talks were made by several local
members of the club. Some four or
five precincts near Marion were rep
resented.
Another meeting of the club has
been planned for tomorrow night at
7:30 o’clock in the "headquarters
building. It is expected that a speak
er will be engaged for the meeting.
Officers of the local club' are Wil
liam C. Chambers, president; Charlie
Smith, vice-president; C. Y. Banning,
second vice-president; and Albert
Hewitt, secretary and treasurer.
drunk. The sentence was suspended
on payment of $50 fine and the costa
His license was revoked for 12
months.
Pink Lewis, found guilty of posr
session and transporting whiskey,,
was sentenced to six months on the
roads for possession, suspende4 on
payraent of $50 and costs, and 12
months for transporting, suspended
on two years good behavior. i
Percy R. Conner was found guilty
of driving drunk and not guilty of
hit and run. He was sentenced to
four months, suspended on payment
of $50 and costs and for dantages to
car of J. F. Clontz. His license was
revoked for 12 months.
James E. Whiteside was found not
guilty of reckless driving.
Six cases were continued until to
day when a special court will be held
because many local attorneys were
attending Superior court out of town
Tuesday.
BUSY
^Government figures indicate that
nearly 12,000,000 farm family work
ers and hired hands will be busy with
fall crops and livestock during Sep
tember.
CORRECTION
The Betty Jean Beauty Shoppe on
North Main street next to the Mc
Dowell Hotel was not included in
the property purchased by Sam M.
Yancey and C. F. Barnes, as was
stated last week. The property pur
chased includes the building housing
the Western Auto Store, the Ideal
Cafe and the Marion Drug Companjr#