THE MARION PROGRESS
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1896 MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER, 16, 1948
VOLUME 53—No. 22
Corn Contest Winners Announced
At Annual Rotary Farmers' Night
The Seventh Annual Farmers'
Night was observed by the Marion
Rotary club last Friday night with
a banquet held at the community
building. Seventy - six Rotarians,
farmers and other guests attended.
D. Pat Davis, president, presided
and introduced the special guests
after which he called upon the mem
bers of the club to introduce their
guests for the evening. Rev. Chester
Smelser pronounced the invocation.
A feature of the evening was the
•presentation of prizes to winners of
the annual corn growing contest
sponsored by the Rotary club. These
prizes were awarded by Pat Davis,
president.
Arnold Baker, winner of first
place, received $25 for his yield of
156.42 bushels per acre of N. C.
26. He is the son of Mr. and Mrs.
J. E. Baker, route 1, Nebo.
Lynn Christy, second place win
ner, was awarded $15. His yield was
154.84 of N. C. T20. He is the son
of Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Christy, route
1, Nebo.
Robert Brinkley, son of Mr. and
Mts. E. B. Wright, route 3, Marion,
was awarded $10 as winner of third
place. His yield was 138.32 of
US 282.
The speaker, F. H. Jeter, editor of
the Extension Farm-News, Raleigh,
was introduced by James McCall, of
the local agricultural service.
Jeter commended the club for
sponsoring the corn contest, and said
every farmer who gives aid to boys
in achieving success in farm proj
ects is entitled to the respect of all
■citizens. He told of the work of
Hotary and other civic clubs in pro
moting corn growing contests, dairy,
pig and other club work, and the
progress that had been made
throughout the state as the result of
these projects.
He ^aid while N. C. ranked third
In value of crops, the state is far
short in the production of hay, dairy
products and grain crops, that 70
per cent of the land is not producing
these crops.
He pointed out that co-operation
in business and industry in promot
ing farm projects, greater produc
tion of the soil and providing a
market for products grown here
were essential for a prosperous and
better state.
CHRISTMAS"
SERVICES
ANNOUNCED
Christmas services in the local
churches will begin Sunday, Decem
ber 19.
Plans for services have been an
nounced as follows:
First Methodist
A Vesper Service will be held at
five o'clock, Sunday afternoon, De
cember 19, in the church auditorium.
The program will feature a playlet
illustrated with slides of famous
painting's. Music will be furnished by
the youth and junior choirs of the
church.
Margaret McLarty, Larry Gibson
and Alan Pless will play the leading
■roles. Narrators are Joby Smith,
Pollyanna Atkins, Eleanor Grayson
rnd Bill Suttle. E. C. Carnes will
have charge of backstage arrange
ments.
First Presbyterian
The First Presbyterian church
will present a pageant under the di
rection of Mrs. John Finley Sunday
evening, December 19, at 7:30
o'clock. A White Christmas offering
will be taken for local charities and
a Joy Gift offering for Ministerial
"Relief.
The Sunday School will have a
'Christmas tree and program at seven
o'clock, Monday evening, Decem
ber 20.
A Christmas theme will also be
•carried out in the Worship Service
next Sunday morning.
First Baptist Church
A cantata "Childe Jesus," by
Clokey and Kirk will be presented at
7:30 o'clock, Sunday evening, De
cember 19, at the First Baptist
church. The cantata consists of
'Christmas carols of various eras and
■countries, some dating back to the
(Continued on page 6)
POST OFFICE
TO BE OPEN
SATURDAY AFTERNOON
The Marion Post Office will be
open all day Saturday, Post
master John Finley said yester
day.
The usual half holiday will be
omitted December 18 and the of
fice will observe the week day
hours of 8 a. m. until 6 p. m.
HOLIDAY CLOSINGS
ARE ANNOUNCED
Christmas holidays for most of
the local stores, offices and other
establishments were announced this
week.
Virtually all stores will observe
Saturday and Monday as Christmas
holidays. The Post Office will be
! closed on Christmas Day only. The
First National and Marion Industrial
Banks will close Saturday and Mon
day. The North Carolina Employ
ment Service office will observe
Friday, Saturday and Monday as
holidays.
The court house offices will be
closed Friday and Saturday.
Schools in the Marion City unit
will close for Christmas vacation on
December 17 and reopen January 3.
County schools will close December
j 21 and reopen January 3.
Hilton Addresses
Kiwanis Club
Carl Whitesides was in charge of I1
the program at the Kiwanis meeting!'
held in the community building last *
Tuesday evening. He presented to
the club as guest speaker Dr. J. H. (
Hilton, Dean of Agriculture, State ^
College of the University of North M
Carolina. (
Dean Hilton discussed the future
of agriculture in North Carolina and i
was highly encouraging in the views J
he took on the subject. The speaker,'
a relative new-comer of North Caro
lina, was high in his praise in the
natural position of our state and
compared it to several sections of
| the mid-west where he had spent
some thirty years in agricultural
work.
As an example of what can be done
by agriculture in North Carolina,
Dr. Hilton used corn as an example.
He used charts to show the tre
mendous increase in yield per acre
in this commodity emphasizing the
tremendous gains being made during
the past four years.
President V. T. Eckerd presided
at the meeting and recognized aj
number of guests among whom were!
included: Miss Helen Smarr, Mrs.;
Rosamond Braly, Miss Mickey Mit- j
chem. Miss Celia Owens, Mrs. Ray |
Cline, Reverend M. 0. Owens, Jack j
Hewitt, Charles C. Elledge, Homer
Hagna, Edgar Morgan and Bruno
Brunei-. A large number of the above
mentioned guests assisted the Ki
wanians in their presentation of the
Kiwanis Ministrel.
Wildlife Clu'o
Elects Officers
For New Year
i
Joe Blalock was elected president
of the McDowell County Wildlife
club this week. He succeeds S. L.
Homewood.
Other officers elected at the meet
ing held Monday evening in the com
munity building were: Robert Car
penter, vice president; Dysart Mar
tin, secretary, and E. D. Ricks, treas
urer.
Win Donat, of the education divis
ion of the Wildlife Commission,
spoke of proposed changes in the
game laws. Members adopted reso
lutions instructing Roy W. Davis,
McDowell's representative in the
1949 General Assembly of North
Carolina, in regard to the wishes of
the club regarding the proposed
changes.
GOVERNOR-ELECT SCOTT
TO TAKE OATH JANUARY 6
Raleigh—Now it's official. Gov
ernor-elect Kerr Scott will take the
oath of office in inaugural ceremon
ies here on January 6.
EAGLE SCOUTS-—The three boys in the photo above were proud
and happy last Vriday night when they were awarded the rank of Eagle
Scout at the Court of Honor.
Reading left to right they are: Gerald Murray, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Ray Murray; Jack Murray, son of Mr. and Mrs. Coyt Murray, and
David Patterson, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Patterson.
Three Eagle Scout Badges
Awarded At Court Of Honor
The McDowell County Boy Scout
Court of Honor was held Friday
night at the First Methodist church.
After presentation of a film, "The
Diesel Engine," and a prayer by
Rev. H. M. Wellman.
Eagle Scout badges were pre
sented to: Jack Murray, David Pat
terson and Gerald Murray, all of
:roop 4, Marion. Follwing the cus
tom of the Piedmont Council the
Eagle badge was presented to the
Scout's mother who pinned it on her
;on. The Scout then presented the
nother with a miniature Eagle Scout
)adge. R. M. Schiele, scout execu
ive, made the presentation talk to
he Eagle scouts.
John Gilkey presented the Fran
is Marion club's Arthur Allen award
o Henry S. Brown, ox troop 1 Ash
ord„ as the most outstanding scout
if the year.
The following were advanced in
ank:
Tenderfoot rank: Charles D.
3enge, troop 2, Marion; Harles
Vloore, troop 4, Marion; Arnold
White, Frank White, Frank Hark
srode, J. C. Norman, Jr. and Donald
Seagle, troop 3, Marion; Sam Yan
cey, troop 6, Marion, and Tommy
Brown, troop 1, Ashford.
Second class: Johnny Cooke and
Billy Wilkinson, troop 6, Marion;
Bobby Hughes, Willie Hughes and
Taylor Russell, troop 3, Marion.
First class: Donald Johnston,
troop 6, Marion; Charles Burgin,
William Jaynes and Robert Parker,
troop 1, Sugar Hill.
Merit Badges
Carpentry: Charles Burgin, Wil
liam Jaynes, Donald Wilkerson and
Norman Melton, all of troop 1,
Sugar Hill.
Dairying: Norman Melton, troop
1, Sugar Hill.
Dog Care: Norman Melton, troop
1, Sugar Hill.
Farm Home Planning: Kerry
Montieth, troop 1, Sugar Hill.
Farm Layout: Kerry Montieth,
troop 1, Sugar Hill.
Farm Mechanics: David Patterson,
tract) 4. Marion.
Firemanship: Lee Holland, troop
1, Sugar Hill.
First Aid: Wayne Bradburn, troop
4, Marion.
Home Repair's: Dean Ennis, troop
4, Marion; Charles Burgin, William
Jaynes, Bronson, Montieth and Rob
ert Parker, troop 1, Sugar Hill.
Horsemanship: Robert Parke r,
troop 1, Sugar Hill.
Machinery: Norman Melton, troop
1, Sugar Hill.
Masonry: Lee Holland and Bron
son Montieth, troop 1, Sugar Hill.
Music: Ray McCurry and: Crerie
Cross, troop 6, Marion'.
Pathfinding: Howard Ward, Har
old Hughes, Frank Locke, Dean
Patrick, Billy Roland and F. H.
Hughes, troop 3, Marion; Billie
Wilkerson, troop 1", Sugar Hill.
Pioneering: Bill Wilson, troop 6,
Marion.
Poultry Keeping: Bobby Bright,
troop 5, Marion.
Public Health: Wayne Bradburn,
troop 4, Marion.
Public Speaking: David Patterson,
troop 4, Marion.
Reading: Bobby Bright, troop 5r
Marion.
Scholarship: Jack Brown, troop 1,
Ashford. ,
W. E. Landis
Died Tuesday;
Funeral Today
William Edwin Landis, 82, died
Tuesday afternoon in the residence
here after a lingering illness.
He is survived by the widow, Mrs.
children; two brothers and five sis
tres, Mrs. J. S. Cowan and Mrs.
James L. Laughridge of M'arion, Mrs.
G. E. Cowan and Ben Ladis of
Dysartsville, Mrs. J. E. Satterwhite
of Rutherford College, Mrs. R. L.
D&ves of Drexel and John Landis of
Lumbterton.
Landis was reared in the Dysarts
ville community, was in the furniture
manufacturing business for many
years, retiring about ten years ago
on account of his health.
Funeral services will be held
Thursday at 11 a. m. in the resi
dence, West Henderson street.
The Rev. Carl McMurray, pastor
of the First Presbyterian church,
will officiate and burial will be in
Oak Grove cemetery. .The Masons
wil conduct graveside rites.
Library Trustees
Meet Wednesday
The Board of Trustees of Mc
Dowell Public Library met at the
Community Building in Marion last
Wednesday afternoon. Members of
the Board are S. W. Blanton, Mrs.
Homer "Beaman, Miss Ruth Greenlee,
Mrs. J. F. Jonas, I. L. Caplan, and
R. J. Noyes. Mrs. S. W. Blanton,
chairman, presided. Mrs. Homer Bea
man, secretary-treasurer, read the
minutes. Miss Alice Bryan, librarian,
gave a report of library service for
the entire ' county, including the
Bookmobile and library service in
Marion and Old Fort. Highlights of
the National Plan for Library Serv
ice and the North Carolina Library
Survey were presented and dis
cussed.
Reporting on the condition of li
braries in the nation Miss Bryan
said:
"To reach the 1946 National aver
age of library income of 52 cents per
capita. North Carolina must have
additional annual income of $544,
572 A request -of $500,000 for each
year of the biennium 1940-50, 1950
51, for State Aid to Public Libraries
has been presented to the Advisory
Budget Commission, and will be pre
sented at the 1949 session of the
General Assembly."
The McDowell Public Library,
and almost every other Public Li
brary in North Carolina, its growth
and present quality of service to the
North Carolina State Aid to Public
Libraries.
Musical Program
At Story Memorial
The Young People of the Story
Memorial Presbyterian church at
West Marion will give a musical pro
gram at 7:30 o'clock next Sunday
evening.
The public is invited.
Pre-Christmas Band Concert
Will Be Given Tonight
LANNING NAMED
PLAYING MANAGER
The Marion Recreation associa
tion named John Y. Lanning, for
merly of Albany, N. Y., as play
ing manager for the 1949 baseball
season at a meeting in the city
hall last Friday. Lanning has ac
cepted the position, according to
announcement yesterday.
ACHIEVEMENT DAY
PROGRAM HELD
LAST SATURDAY
Betty Gonley and Bobby Epley
were named the outstanding- 4-H
club boy and girl for the year 1948
at 4-H Club Achievement Day held
in the office of Miss Jean Steele,
county home demonstration agent,
last Saturday. Each was presented
at $25 U. S. Savings Bond contrib
uted by the First National and Mar
ion Industrial Banks.
F. H. -Jeter, of the State Exten
sion Service, was guest speaker. The
keynote of his address was: '"boys
and girls in the United States can
look forward to the day when they
can assume positions of power and
leadership. In no other nation in the
world is that possible."
He emphasized the possibilities
open to all 4-H club youths by citing
instances in which rural boys and
girls had achieved renown by carry
ing out the practices taught them in
their 4-H club work. Jeter said 4-H
youths were not merely interested
in doing work, but in doing it well.
In the absence of the president,
Dorothy Dean Dobbins, vice presi
dent, presided and minutes were
read by Frances Barlowe, secretary.
Scripture was read by Ruth Boyd.
The North Cove 4-H club sang
"Silent Night", and a Christmas folk
song was rendered by Helen Boyd.
A reading, "Only Then Can Yiou
Keep Christmas," was given by
Gladys Baucom.
The Dysartsville club was awarded
first prize for the best programs and
record books during the year.
Awardi
Awards for the year were pre
sented by the Vice President to the
following club members:
Thelma Morgan, of Glenwood,
best canning exhibit; Marilyn Brink
ley, North Cove, best canning record;
Louise Cook and Kate Morgan also
received canning awards; Ellen Mc
Peters, Pleasant Gardens, best Safe
ty Record; Eloise Anthony, Pleasant
Gardens, first place in room improve
ment.
Senior Dress Contest Winners:
Betty Conley, of North Cove, first;
(Continued on page 9)
Johnson Electric Co.
Moves to New Location
The Johnson Electric company
will be open for business at its new
location on South Main street, to
day (Thursday), Andrew Tainter,
manager, announced this week.
The new building, adjacent to Mc
Dowell Cleaners, has a modernistic
front with display windows slanting
toward the entrance door. The in
terior is finished with flourescent
lighting, tile floor and streamline
design.
Formal opening will be held in
•January.
Soil Committeeman
Named Last Week
William Greenlee was elected a
member of the County Soil Con
servation committee for a term of
three years in elections hfeld. last
week. He succeeds James Goforth
whose term expires December 31
and will assume office on January
1. Other members of the committee
are J. R. Jimeson, chairman and
Tom Stacey.
ADDITION MADE
TO FLORIST SHOP
An addition to the Roseland Flor
ist building on North Main street
was completed this week. The addi
tion houses a storage refrigerator.
Two interesting selections are
featured on tonight's band program:
first, a solo 'Romance" by Anton
Rubinstein spotlighting Bobby Ricks
on the French horn, and second,
"The Christmas Story", narrative by
high school principal Charles Elledge
and Christmas carols by Miss Jonas'
Girls' Glee club. Background music
for both features will be furnished
by the band.
George Gershwin's music also plays
a prominent part in the program. "A
Gershwin Selection'5' includes such,
favorites as: "Strike Up the Band",
"I've Got Rhythm", "Liza" and
many others. To top off the Gersh
win part of the music, the band has
programmed "The Little Rhapsody
in Blue" which consists of the main
melodies of the complete Rhapsody.
Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" is
always good for an enthusiastic re
ception because of its universal
popularity. Not to forget some of
the old masters, -J. S. Bach will also
get a hearing in his "Arioso" 'and
"Prelude and Fugue in B flat
Minor."
The concert is scheduled for eight
o'clock in the high school auditorium
and will commence promptly. Mem
bers who will appear in the first
concert are:
Flutes: Hilda Goodman, Polly
anna Atkins, Janelle Harrison,
Oboes: Harry McCall,
Bassoon: Mary Lou Haire,
B Flat Clarinets: Audrey Koon,
Vivian Suttlemyre, Sewell Laugh
ridge, Peggy Creasy, Joyce Pace,
Jane Shiflet, Hubert Martin, Jewell
Reel, Joe Eckerd, Bill Suttle, Vir
ginia McBee, Charlene Arrowood,
Jean Matthews, Betty Cuthbertson,
Ellen Ann Morris,
Alto Saxaphone: Bobby L 4 n g,
Ikey McLain,
Tenor Saxaphone: Gray Proctor,
Baritone Saxaphone: David Fin
ley.
Bass Clai-inet: Mary Belle Gray
son,
Cornets: Larry Gibson, John
Laughridge, Marshall Dark, Connel
ly Miller, Bill Hawkins, Norman
Elliott, Kenneth Cannon, Bill Smith,
Blake Suttle, Pauline Davis,
French Horns: Bobby Ricks, Jane
Brown, Thelma Sturgeon, Betty Jo
S.entelle,
Baritones: Mickey Walker, Gene>~
Cross,
Trombones: Dean Seagle, Donnie
Godfrey, Jimmy Greene, Glenn Wall,
Dean Morgan, Guy Smith,
Basses: Bobby Curtis, Ralph
Fender, Karl Warlick,
Percussion: Helena Browne, Pat
sy Cooper, Bill Bradford, Minnie
Jane Bowman, Dorothy Norton,
Loretta Walker.
LOCAL MERCHANTS
COMPLETE PLANS
FOR HOLIDAYS
The Marion Merchants associa
tion v-oted to observe the period
from December 24 through Decem
ber 27 as Christmas holidays, ex
tend closing hours during the holi
day season, and resume Wednes
day afternoon closings in January,
at the meeting held Friday in the
city hall.
Members present voted to close
their places of business December
25, 26 and 27 and to remain open
until 8 p. m. from Friday, Decem
er 17 through Friday, December 24,
except grocery stores, which will
observe the usual closing hours un
til December 22. From December 22
until Christmas they will remain,
open until 8 p. m.
The Wednesday afternoon closing
which was discontinued during the
holidays will be resumed the first
Wednesday in January.
Permit Issued
For Mill Addition
The Town of Marion issued a
building permit to C. Jack James
Monday for the construction of an
addition to his manufacturing plant
on Logan street.
The permit calls for a concrete and
brick plant to be constructed at an_
estimated cost of $8,000.