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, OCTOBER 13, 1949 " VOLUME 54 No. 13
Concord Presbytery
Held Here Tuesday
1
John Hawes,- elder, of Lenoir,
was elected moderator of the Con
cord Presbytery for a three months
term at the meeting of the Presby
tery held at Landis Memorial
Church Tuesday. He succeeds J. C.
Harper of Lenoir. Rev. J. D. Stimson
was named temporary clerk.
Rev. A. A. McLean, of Lenoir,
delivered the sermon to about 100
representatives composed of minis
ters and elders. Rev. Robert Turn
er presented movie films of Home
Mission churches and manses now
feeing built.
James A. Sloan t elder of Thy
atira church near Salisbury, presi
dent of the Men of the Presbytery,
made a talk urging that as many as
possible of the men" attend the meet
ing of all men of the Southern Pres
byterian Church to be held in At
lanta, November 4-5.
Rev. Robert Turner made a talk
orging churches ' to lay particular
stress on mission work arid evangel
ical work.
Announcement was made that
Landis church has purchased a res
idence on U. S. highway 221, about
one-quarter of a mile from the
church to be used as a manse.
Rev. J. E. Flowe announced that
lie closed a meeting at Landis
church last Sunday arid '14 new
members were received, five by let
ter and nine on profession of faith.
A bountiful dinner was served on
the lawn at noon with the Landis
ladies being assisted by the ladies
of Conley Memorial and the First
Presbyterian church of Marion.
Beaver Resigns
i4s Principal Of
Hudgins School
F. M. Beaver tendered his resig
nation as principal of Hudgins Col
ored School this week, according .to
a statement by H. F. Beam, super
intendent of Marion City Schools.
Beam said the letter of resigna
tion stated that it was to become ef
fective immediately upon the ap
pointment of his successor. The let
ter further stated: "in the .mean
time I find it necessary to be ab
sent because of the serious illness
of my wife."
Beaver left Marion last week and
to date no one has been named to
succeed him in the position of
principal.
Miss Elsie Garrett accepts her
duties next week as Home Demon
stration Agent of this county. A na
tive of Ellijoy, Ga., she comes to
Marion from Cedartown, Polk
County, Ga., where she has been
agent since May. She succeeds Miss
Jean Steele who is now Agent in
Pitt county.
Polio Committee
Grant A Loan
To Orthopedic Home
The McDowell County Infantile
Paralysis committee made a loan of
$4,000 to the Asheville Othopedic
Home at a meeting held Monday
afternoon in the court house,
j Mrs. Retha F. Fullam, superin
tendent of the Asheville Orthopedic
Home, and Miss Pauline Powell, as
sistant superintendent, met with
the group to explain the financial
needs of the Home and ask that a
loan be made. Mrs.' Fullam said the
epidemic during the past summer
had a heavy burden on funds of the
National Foundation and the
amount available to the Home at
the present time is not adequate to
meet the needs. It was stated that
the money to be advanced would
be credited to the local chapter to
be applied on bills of local patients
as the needs arise.
HOME AGENTS
ATTENDING MEET
Miss Elsie Garrett, county home
dmonstration agent, and Miss Ruby
Lee Kiser, assistant agent, are at
tending a meeting of the newly
formed Southwestern District of
Home Demonstration clubs in Char
lotte on Wednesday and Thursday
of this week.
Marauder Playing Manager
Named For 1950 Season
Employ Handicapped
Theme Of Address
At Rotary Meet
National Employ the Handicap
ped Week was the subject of an ad
dress presented by Rev. J. B. Mc
Larty at the weekly luncheon meet
ing of the Rotary club last Friday.
The program was under the direc
tion of David Gray, chairman of
programs for this month.
R. C. Spratt reported on a meet
ing of civic club representatives
lield last Saturday in the interest
of the Teen-Age - club. The Board
of Directors was instructed to re
"view the facts at its meeting Tues
day and make recommendations at
the Rotary meeting next Friday.
Alvin Rader was the high school
honor student of the month.
Visiting Rotarians were Glenn
James of Spindale, John Boyd and
Rhom Sparks of Spruce Pine.
Pleasant Gardens
PTA To Meet.
The Pleasant Gardens Parent
Teacher association will meet
Thursday night, October 20, at 7:30
o'clock. The glee club will be in
^charge of the program.
The Marion Recreation club nam
ed Russell L. (Red) Mincy playing
manager for the 1950 season, at a
meeting held Tuesday afternoon in
the city hall.
Mincy played last year witl* the
Douglas Georgia team in the Geor
gia State League and the previous
season was manager of the Lincoln
Cardinals. He was born in Catawba
coonty and spent N most of his life
in Lincoln county.
He is 30 years of age, single and
will assume his duties here in March.
He started his pro-ball career in'
Huntington, West Virginia as a
member of the Mountain State Lea
gue in 1938. In 1939 he played with
the Virginia State League at Roan
oke; in 1940 with Tarboro Coastal
Plane League; 1949 Southwestern
League, Jackson, Miss.; 1942 Vir
ginia League, Staunton, Virginia.
The years '43 and '45 were spent
in the Navy where he played ball
with the Norfolk, Virginia Naval
Air Station working under Andy
Pilney, well known Notre Dame
player. In 1946 he was released
from the Navy and "went to Kings
port where he played with the Ap
palachian State League leading the
hitting of the League at 396. In
1947 he was with JLnoxville Tri
State League.
Community Council
Will Meet Monday
The Marion Community Council
will hold its quarterly meeting at
8 p. m., Monday, October 17, in the
American Legion room at the com
munity building, Mrs. R. R. Cook,
prescient, announced this week.
Reports will be heard from club
representatives on club activities
and there will also be a report from
the project committee chairman.
ONE POLIO CASE
The McDowell County Health De
partment announced one case of
polio reported in the county. C. L.
Brown, Jr., ten year old son of Mr.
and Mrs. C. L. Brown, Sr., of Old
Fort, is a patient at the Asheville
Orthopedic Home.
Wildlife Club
To Meet Monday
The McDowell County Wildlife
club will meet at 7:30 o'clock, Mon
day night, in the court house, Joe
Blalock, president, announced this
week.
Election of officers will be held
and all members are urged to be
| present.
COURT OF HONOR
The McDowell County Boy Scout
Court of Honor will be held at 7:30
o'clock, Friday, October 14, at the
i First Methodist church, it is an
| nounced.
Chambers Reelected Moderator
Of Blue Ridge Association
VFW Convention
Will Be Held Here
Next Sunday
The Sixteenth District Conven
tion Veterans of Foreign Wars will
be held in Marion Sunday, October
16, at two o'clock in the Hut of
Mount Mitchell Post 2865 on Mc
Dowell street, C. B. Landis, District
Commander, announced this week.
William S. Humphries, of Ral
eigh, North Carolina Department
Commander of VFW, will be the
principal speaker.
Landis asks that local police,
garage and filling station operator^
aid in directing out of town mem
bers to turn east at the court house
and go four blocks to the Oldsmo
bile garage, turn left for one block,
then right, and proceed to the first
street on the left which leads to
the building.
McDowell Included In Paving
Program Of 9th Highway Division
Funeral Rites
For A. H. Mitchem
Held Tuesday
I Funeral services for Archie Hill
i Mitchem, 63, well-known Marion re
sident who died Monday in an Ashe
ville hospital, were held Tuesday at
4 p. m. in the First Baptist church
i here.
! The Rev. M. 0. Owens, Jr., and
| the Rev. Julius Henline officiated
and burial was in the church ceme
tery. Masons had charge of grave
side rites.
Mitchem was born in Gaston
county, the son of the late Luther
and Gabrilla Flowers Mitchem. He
came here in 1921 and had been en
| gaged in the insurance business
| since that time.
| H was a Mason and a member
| of the Kiwanis Club and the First
j Baptist church.
Pallbearers were: J. C. McKin
ney, Joe Pyatt, V. T. Eckerd, N. F.
Steppe, E. W. Parker and Gus Wat
kins..
Surviving are the widow; one son,
James L. of Newpo^rt News, Va.,
| two daughters, the Misses Grace
land Mickey, both of Marion; a bro
1ther, Harvey of Bessemer City; two'
.sisters, Mrs. A. J. Greer of Besse
mer City and Mrs. Bob Bellinger of
Gastonia and one grandchild.
■ '■
Raleigh, October 11—The State
Highway Commission today an
nounced a 297.6-mile paving pro
gram for rural roads in the ten
counties of the Ninth Highway Di
vision.
Joseph Graham of Lincoln coun
ty, Division Commissioner, said the
county road projects listed consti
tute the first phase of the $200,
000,000 bond issue program in his
area. The Ninth Division includes
Alexander, Burke, Catawba, Cleve
land, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Mc
Dowell, Polk and Rutherford coun
ties.
The program scheduled antici
pates using approximately one
fourth of the Division's share of
the bond money to build 255.9 mil
es of roads and regular federal aid
secondary road funds to construct
another 41.7 miles. In addition,
about $1,540,000 of the $4,602,150
bond money allotment will be de
voted to stabilization work in the
Division. .
Paving mileage allotted to the
ten counties was listed as follows:
Alexander, 16.1; Burke, 27.3;
Catawba, 35.6; Cleveland, 41.6;
Gaston, 34.5; Iredell, 45.96 Lin
coln, 22.7; McDowell, 20.1; Polk,
17.8; and Rutherford, 36.0.
Commissioner Graham said no
priority schedule has been set for
building the various roads listed.
Work is already underway, but
many of the projects will not be
started until next spring. Since a
portion of the Ninth Division lies
in mountainous area, engineers will
(Continued on page foul')
Symphony Orchestra Drive
Launched Here Last Monday
Two Building Permits
Issued This Week
The Town of Marion issued the
following building permits this
week:
R. L. Phillips for construction of
a block and shingle garage apart
ment containing three rooms, a hall
and bath. Cost was estimated at
$2750. ^
First Baptist church issued per
mit for a brick educational build
]ing. Estimated cost $70,000.
LEGION MEETING
The American Region transacted
routine vbusiness at its regular meet
ing Tuesday evening and discussed
the building. No action was taken
on measure discussed.
The 1949 North Carolina ^Sym
phony Orchestra drive was launch
ed at a meeting held Monday after
noon in the Marion . High School
auditorium. A goal of $750 or from
350 to 400 memberships was set.
Members hope to complete the
canvass within the next few days.
Mrs. E. W. Parker, Jr., symphony
chairman, explained that the Mar
ion drive will provide funds to bring
the North Carolina Symphony un
der the direction of Benjamin Swa
lin back to Marion for concerts next
season.
Mrs. Parker said when a person
takes out a membership in the
Symphony Society he is not only
providing several evenings of musi
cal enjoyment for himself, but also
he is helping to finance free con
(Continued on last page)
W. R. CHAMBERS
Baucom Addresses
CROP Membership
Officers Elected
The plans for CROP, Christian
Rural Overseas Program, were car
ried forward in a meeting at Mar
ion on Monday morning. Rev. H. W.
Ba,ucom, Baptist minister, and
State Director of CROP came from
Durham to help in the organization.
Rev. Baucom made plain the need
for rural Amrica to do something
to help the underprivileged in the
world. He said that according to his
figures there are 14,000,000 in Eu
rope who have been torn off the
land where they lived for perhaps
two or three generations and must
now depend upon help. He said it
is both Christian and American to
(Continued on last page)
Kiwanis Speaker
Appeals For Aid
For The Blind
Gene Cole, interviewer for the
State Commission for the Blind,
was speaker at the meeting of the
Marion Kiwanis club Tuesday night.
He outlined his duties speaking par
ticularly of his work in finding per
sons with defective eyesight and
aiding theim in obtaining glasses or
whatever treatment is necessary.
He encouraged Kiwanians to spon
sor work with the blind and aid
wherever needed.
The speaker was presented by R.
W. Twitty, program director for
the month.
Sheriff And Police
Chief Attending Meet
Sheriff C. M. Pool and Chief of
Police D. W. Smith are attending a
meeting of law enforcement offic
ools who were invited to Raleigh to
confer with Governor Scott and
State ABC Chairman Robert W.
Winston about enforcement of pro
hibition laws. Letters of invitation
went out early this month from
Scott's office to 100 sheriffs, about
30 chief ABC enforcement officers
and several hundred police chiefs.
Bray To Preach
Dr. B. F. Bray will be guest
speaker at both the morning and
evening services at the First Bap
tist church of Wadesboro Sunday,
October 16.
The church is celebrating its Cen
tennial Anniversary and these ser
vices held by Dr. Bray will high
light the celebration.
Dr. Bray is a former pastor of
the church and it was during his
pastorate that the present modern
structure was erected.
Otheir Officers Elected
At Session Tuesday;
Meet to End Wednesday
W. R. Chambers was reelected
Moderator of the Blue Ridge Bap
Baptist association at the 21st an
nual fall session which opened here
Tuesday.
Other officers elected are: Rev.
Carson Brittain, vice moderator;
Rev. C. C. Cross, clerk; Miss Doris
Hill, treasurer; Rev. L. G. Redding,
historian, and Rev. M. O. Owens,
Jr., promotion chairman.
Attendance on opening day was
estimated at 500 with 34 of the 35
churches in the Association having
representatives present.
J. D. Fraley, of Mills Home,
Thomasville, presented a report on
the work and needs of the Orphan
age. Dr. Phil Elliott, president of
Gardner-Webb College, Boiling
Springs, told of the growth and
program of the school and the need
for further development of the re
ligious school there.
P.ev. Millard Hall, pastor Chapel
Hill church, delivered a sermon
"Follow Thou Me".
E. L. Spivey, representative for
the State work in the cooperative
program, told of the different phas
es of the work in North Carolina
and the need for cooperative funds
to carry on the work.
The meeting was scheduled to
continue through Wednesday.
C. C. ELLEDGE
NAMED PRESIDENT
OF NEW CLUB >
C. C. Elledge was elected presi
dent of a Schoolmasters Club at the
organizational meeting held at Sun
set Restaurant Tuesday evening.
Other officers elected were:.
Richard Shaw, vice president; Har
ry Swofford, secretary-treaurer.
N. F. Steppe made an address and
plans were discussed for programs.
A motion was carried to hold meet
ings the first Monday in each mon
th at the Home Economics depart
ments. The next meeting will be
held at 7 p. m., November 7, at Ma
rion Central School.
The Club is an -organization for
male members of the Marion City
and McDowell County School Sy
stems to aid them in growing pro
fessionably, enable members to be
come better acquainted and share
problems.
School Teacher
Will Face Charge
Of An Assault
A preliminary hearing is sched- •
uled Saturday for W. J. Cay, Old
Fort school teacher, Sheriff C. M.
Pool said yesterday.
He will face charges of "assault
on Frank Lavender, a boy 13 years
of age, with a deadly weapon to
wit a leather strap," the warrant
stated. The hearing will be held be
fore J. M. Snoddy, justice of the'
peace. No arrest was made.
McDonald Victim
Of Plane Crash
John Bill McDonald, 35, of
Greeneville, Tenn., nephew of Mrs.
J. E. Neal and Mrs. J. Q. Gilkey
of Marion, was a victim of the C-47
plane crash on Mt. Mitchell last
week.
Funeral services were held at the
Andrew Johnson Memorial ceme
tery in Greeneville, with military
rites.
He is survived by his wife, his
mother and two sisters.
ATTENDS MEETING
Mrs. Ann Hawkins, executive se
cretary of the McDowell County
Chapter American Red Cross, at
tended a meeting of Red Cross,
workrs in Asheville Tuesday.