THE MARION PROGRESS
t - • i
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 189« MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1949 VOLUME 54—No. 21
Christmas
Seal Sales
Total $974
Receipts from Christmas Seal
Sales totaling $974 were deposited
through lact Saturday against a
quota of $1250, Mrs. Edna Earl
Stancell, Chairman, said this week.
She said she was well pleased
with the progress of the campaign.
Mrs. Stancell also called attention
to the fact that a booth in the post
office will be open every morning
this week for the sale of Seals.
The project this year is under
sponsorship of the Marion Junior
Woman's club.
The public is reminded to re
spond to the appeal as soon as pos
sible.
TOWN OF MARION
RECEIVES PORTION
OF FRANCHISE TAX
I
The State Department of Reve
venue alloted Marion $418.30 in
its second quarterly distribution of
the portion of the franchise tax
which the 1949 General Assembly
assigned to the cities and towns,
according to announcement last
Saturday.
All told, the pot came to $126,
972.39. The total was slightly larg
er than the amount distributed on
September 8, when the first distri
bution was made. That distribution,
covering the three-months period
ending last June 30, accounted for
|1I8,759.99. The checks mailed
i jf*. *>r *»**
during July, August and Septem
ber.
KIWAN1S CLUB
HAS PROGRAM
ON BANKING
A very interesting program was
presented at the regular meeting
of the Marion Kiwanis Club held
in the community building last
Tuesday evening.
Kiwanian Robin Hood was in
charge of the program and present
ed an educational picture to the
club dealing with banking. Avery
Fonda, assistant cashier and mem
ber of the Public Relations Office
of the First National Bank and
Trust Company of Asheville, pre
sented the film and made explana
tory remarks.
Special guests for the occasion
were the officers, members of the
board of directors and employees of
the First National Bank, Marion
Industrial Bank, and McDowell
(Continued on last page)
Hospital Drive
Is Nearing
The Deadline
Contributions to the Hospital
Building Fund drive totalled $20,
000 yesterday, although only a very
small part of the returns are in,
S. R. Cross, fund chairman, said.
The drive is scheduled to close on
December 10, but donations will be
accepted through the end of this
month and will apply toward state
and federal aid grants.
The list of firms contributing one
hundred per cent to date are: all
employees of Cross Cotton Mills,
Inc.; First National Bank, Clear
Creek Lumber Company, Radio
Station WBRM, Marion Bargain
Store, McDowell Insurance Agency,
Marion Hospital employees, white
and colored, Rock Wool Insulating
company of Asheville (local bran
ch) , Ayers Dairy, Tainters Drug
Store. Departments reporting 100
per cent at Clinchfield Manfactur
ing company included the shop
crew, outside crew and office em
ployees.
MARION P. T. A.
PROGRAM THEME
ON CHRISTMAS
The Marion Central Parent
Teachers association held its reg
ular December meeting on Tues
day evening with the Christmas
motif carried out throughout the
meeting.
The auditorium w*:s beautifully
decorated with greenery and red
tapers iteming in candleabra on
either side of the stage and the of
ficers table held an arrangement of
the same theme.
Mrs. R. C. Spratt conducted the
devotional using the Christmas
story from Luke, followed by the
National P. T. A. presidents mes
sage, read by Mrs. S. W. Blanton,
president, who presided during the
meeting.
Mrs. Blanton recognized the fol
lowing PTA presidents from other
Marion units: Mrs. T. L. Richie,
from the East Marion unit, Mrs.
Guy Hensley from Cross Mill; Miss
Elizabeth Conley, from West Mar
continued on last page)
New Florist Shop
Opened This Week
The Hunter Fk>rist was opened
Tuesday of this week on West
Court street by Penn Hunter, own
er of the Hunter Florist in Black
Mountain. The new firm occupies
the building formerly occupied by
Penland's Shoe Store. Hunter has
had eight years experience in the
florist business.
Marion High School Band
To Give Pre-Christmas Concert
Following a custom of many
years, the Marion High School
band will play its annual pre
Christmas conceit just before
school closes for the holidays. The
concert is set for Thursday night,
December 15, at eight o'clock.
The program, though not com
posed exclusively of Christmas mu
sic, is liberally interspersed with
music fitting the yuletide season.
■The concert opens with two Christ
mas processional marches on "0
Come All Ye Faithful" and "Hark
the Herald Angels Sing." Other
seasonal selections include a mod
ern "Sleigh Ride" by LeRoy An
derson, "Gesu Bambino" (The In
fant Jesus) by Pietro Yon and a
musical setting of Clement Moore's
delightful children's poem: "'Twas
the Night Before Christmas."
Youngsters, both old and not so
old, should enjoy this.
Other numbers include "The
American Folk Rhapsody" based
on several early American folk
songs, "Rodges and Hart Selec
tion" of some of their famous mu
sical comedy successes, and a Span
ish quick step March "Amparito
Roca."
The band this year numbers 62
musicians and is gradually rounding
into shape for a good musical pre^
sentation of the December 15 pro
gram. Band members axe in charge
of ticket sales.
Postal Receipts
Show Increase
Over Last Year
Postal receipts for November,
1949 totaled $4,761.62 and in No
vember, 1948, $4,085.47. Postal re
ceipts from January 1, 1949 to No
vember 30, 1949 were $48,885.17.
The total for the corresponding
period last year totaled $41,401.33,
a net gain of $7,483.84.
Bond sales for November 1949,
were $4,275.
Postal Savings certificates issu
ed for the month of November
were $39,171 and: those paid
$52,820, a decrease of' $13,644.
CORN CONTEST WINNERS
The fact that McDowell county's younger generation of farmers really know how to raise corn was
proved last Friday night when the Marion Rotary club observed Farmers' Night and presented awards to the
boys shown here. Reading left to right Lynn Christy held first place with a yield of 152.9 bushels per acre;
Roy Lonon followed second with 152.6; Bobby Eplee, third, 123.3. Bobby Jo Berryhill (who was not present
for the picture) had a record of 120 and held fourth place. J. M. Mackey, Jr., far right, produced 119.6.
Eighth Annual Farmers' Night
Observed By The Rotary Club
1
Day Of Prayer
To Be Observed
The Baptist Woman's Missionary
Union will observe annual Day of
Prayer at Bethlehem church on
Friday, December S, beginning at
10 a. m. Mrs. C. C. Parker will
preside.
All pastors are invited to at
tend. Mrs. W. D. Lawton will be
guest speaker and officers will be
; elected for the coming year. The
Rev. John Hicks, new pastor of the
First Baptist church of Old Fort,
will deliver the closing message.
All ladies will assist in serving
the lunch.
READ THE ADS
AND TRY TO WIN
A MOVIE PASS
j
The Marion Theatre and Marion
Progress awarded theatre passes
in last week's Read-The-Ads con
test as follows:
Theatre passes were awarded in
last week's Read-The-Ads contest
to Misses Fannie Mae Snipes and
Mary Helen Rector for persons x-e
siding within the city ilmits. Troy
Ellis won the student pass and Da
vid Norman ■ the child's.
County passes were won by Mrs.
J. D. Little and Ted Bright.
Each week from now until
Christmas The Marion Progress
and the Marion Theatre "will award
passes each week to two adults liv
ing Within the city limits, two liv
ing outside the city limits, one to
a student over 12 years of age and
one to a child under 12.
Anyone is eligible to try for
these passes except employees of
The progress and members of their
families.
Here s all you have to do.
(Continued on page 11)
Pleasant Gardens
PTA To Meet Tonight
The Pleasant Gardens Parent
Teacher association will meet at
7:30 o'clock, Thursday night in the
school auditorium, Mrs. Locke
Tate, publicity chairman, announc
ed this week.
An operetta will be presented by
pupils of Miss Geneva Link's fifth
grade and Mrs. Charles Corpen
ing's fourth grade.
BLOODMOBILE
AT CLINCHFIELD
YESTERDAY
safari:. . - ^
-«. 'Tr "f
Volunteer donors for the Red
Cross Bloodmobtle visit to Clinch
field this week totaled 175, accord
ing to a report Tuesday by Miss
Marie Jarrett, chairman of the un
it.
Those serving with Miss Jarrett
were Rev. Paul Stokes, publicity
chairman with Rev. R. C. Clontz
and Rev. H. R. Cornelius as mem
bers of his committee. J. Atlas
Cannon was recruiting chairman.
Miss Ruth Greenlee is volunteer
service chairman.
Recruiters in the various de
partments are:
Tom Hall, Wilford Taylor, Mary
Boone, G. W. Davis, Bertie Bigger
staff, Carl Rowland, Grace Row
land, Octavious Young, Lillie Coop
Jer.
Herman Moore, Ella Wages,
Stokes Proctor, Ella Reynolds, Max
Harris, Pinkie Crouch, Carl Mar
tin, Virginia Watson, Paul Pitt
. man.
G. E. Locke, Mildred Earley,
BLOODMOBILE __24 s c M P-l
Marshall McGalliard, Fuce Hughes,
Myrtle Freshour, Morris Matthews,
Rass Young, Daisy Foster.
Jannette Curtis, James Rhymer,
Nellie Norman, W. C. Higgins, Ben
T. Wylie, Jr., Mae Browne, Charlie
Greene, BesSie Procter, Homer
Taylor.
Deadline Set
At December 11
For Crop Gifts
"Bring your gift for CROP to
your church on Sunday morning,
December 11," says S. J. West
moreland, chairman of the county
Christian Rural Overseas Program.
The pastors of the churches will
tell their people where to store the
gifts, and then Westmoreland
promises that a truck will pick up
all the gifts from all the churches
and bring them to the Farmer Fed
eration Building, where they will
be shipped by rail as part of North
Carolina's Friendship Food Train.
Westmoreland says that he hop
es that the county wiH contribute
one car load of corn to the hungry
Christian people overseas. This is
not a government undertaking and
(Continued on last page)
Agriculture is the basic indus
try in America and no business
compares with it in size, H. B.
Caldwell, State Grange Master,
said in his. address at the Rotary
Club Farmers' Night celebration
last Friday,
"Because of its Bixe and iropor
"tsn«e, agricaRore oxeHs 'inffuencl
over the economy-'of the nation.
National income will follow rises
and falls in farm income—employ
ment and unemployment follows
farm prices," he said. "We want
more independent action and less
monopolistic practice . . . We will
(Continued on last page)
Amateur Show
To Be Given
At Nebo Friday
An Amateur Show consisting of
a Black Face Quartet, Humorous
Readings, Songs, Quartets, Instru
ment Playing and other talent will
be presented at the Nebo High
School on Friday, December 9, at
7:30 p. m.
Judging from the people who
have consented to help—this will
be one of the best shows ever pre
sented at Nebo.
T. W. Stacy is to be master of
Ceremonies. Jim Parks is Presi
dent of the Club.
Commissioners
In Session
Last Monday
The County Commissioners drew
a jury list, approved road petitions
and named the listers at the De
cember meeting held last Monday.
A motion was also passed to
close the county offices on Satur
day, December 24, and Monday,
December 26, for Christmas holi
days.
Mrs. Mary G. Burgin was reap
pointed tax supervisor.
Tax listers for the ten townships
were named as follows:
A. P. Poteat, Bracketts and
Glenwood; Harlow Noblitt, Crook
ed Creek; C. M. Laughridge, Dy
(Continued or last page)
HOLLER'S MARKET
TO HAVE OPENING
NEXT WEDNESDAY
Holler's Market will be formally
reopened next Wednesday follow
ing a remodeling program. The
public is cordially invited to visit
the store next Wednesday evening
from seven until nine o'clock. Fav
ors will be given the ladies.
Rearrangement of counters, in
stallation of new equipment and
other improvements have matte the
store into a semi-self service store
providing all the advantages of
modern super marked and still
maintaining a phone order service*
The interior has been repainted
in a light green with white ceiling,
the most modern lighting fixtures
installed ahd a new floor laid.
Everyone is invited to the open
house next Wednesday.
AAA Election
Set December 15
The AAA County Committeemen
and Community Committeemen
elections will be held in the eight
townships on December 15, it is an
nounced. Elections will be for a
term of one year.
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Court Of Honor
To Be Held Friday
The McDowell County Boy
Scout Court of Honor will be held
at 7:30 o'clock, Friday night, De
cember 9, at First Methodist
church, it is announced.
Preceding the Court of Honor
a Scouters' Training Course will
be held at 5:30 o'clock and Scout
ers' supper at 6:30.
Zoning Commission Named
For Town Of Marion
Marion Merchants
Association
To Meet Tonight
The quarterly meeting of the
Marion Merchants association will
be held at eight o'clock, Thursday
night, December 8, in the Fire
men's room, city hall, it is announc
ed.
The schedule of hours for Mar
ion business firms to observe dur
ing the Christmas shopping .season
will be further discussed.
All members are urged to at
tend.
ATTENDS MEETING
Bryan Gibson, personnel director
of Marion Manufacturing Com
pany, attended the three day Occu
pational Vision Congress held at
State College last week.
A zoning Commission for ther
Town of Marion was named ai a
; call meeting of the Board of Alder
men Wednesday evening.
The Commission will be compos
ed of V. T. Eckerd, J. N. Morris,
Marshall Dark, David Blanton and
D. N. Lonon.
The Board voted to change the
name of Avenue A to Clay street
and to place a traffic signal at the
intersection of Clay street and
Avenue A.
Following a report by R. W,
Proctor, attorney for the Town,
on delinquent accounts of paving*
assessments, a motion was passed
to collect these accounts.
A proposed sewerage plant was
discussed, but no definite action,
was taken.
Building Permits
the Town of Marion issued
building permits this week as fol
lows:
Sterling Bower for construction
of a frame dwelling on Broad
street. Cost was estimated at
$8,000.