THE ELKIN TRIBUNE
Published Every Thursday by
ELK PRINTING COMPANY, Inc.
. Elkin, N. C.
, I '
Thursday, November 21, 1940
Entered at the poet office at Elkin, N. C.. as
second-class matter.
C. 8. FOSTER. -President
H. F. LAFFOON Secretary-Treasurer
SUBSCRIPTION RATES, PER TEAR
In the State, $1.50 Oat of the State, 92.00
NATIONAL €DITORIAL_
111 111W ASSOCIATION
Member North Carolina Press Association
Dr. Hugh Parks
Prophets, they say, are not without
honor, save in their own country or com
munity. That may be so, but it does not
apply to the medical profession whose mem
bers are more beloved at home than abroad
—and for abundant reason.
And so when we go to record the death
last week of Dr. Hugh Parks, it is right and
proper to make appraisal of the man who
has been so inextricably woven into the
hearts of the people of this community and
for such good reason. In another column of
this paper will be found in detail the record
of his preparation for his chosen work; it
tells that after this preparation he came
here sixteen years ago to cast his lot among
us and to minister to human ills. How pain
stakingly and efficiently he went about this
work needs no re-telling, for in many homes
the story of his ministrations is an impor
tant page in an open book. And the memory
of the man will not fade.
As a private practitioner, Dr. Parks en
deared himself to our people by his ability,
and efficiency and by the deep personal in
terest he took in his patrons and in the com
munity. For he was not only a good doctor,
he was a good citizen.
Because of his recognized ability he was
made physician-in-chief and assistant super
intendent of the Hugh Chatham Memorial
hospital three years ago, and in that post,
since that time, he has justified the confi-»
dence of those charged with directing the
destiny of that great institution, and his un
timely passing (he was only 45 years of age,
ripe in judgments and efficiency) robs that
institution of one of its most valuable work
ers.
Dr. Parks was not of that jolly, back
slapping type whose friendliness is such a
psychological help in the practice of medi
cine. But that does not mean that he was
not friendly or lacking in sympathy. He
very definitely was. But his chief reliance
was in his knowledge of medicine and
surgery and how it should be applied, and
the long list of human lives conserved for
future usefulness is a monument to his thor
oughness and ability. Dr. Parks was modest
and unassuming, but he was also capable
and efficient.
For two months Dr. Parks had been ill,
and in that time this community had ample
evidence of his popularity in the interest his
neighbors manifested in his fight for recov
ery. We are all deeply grieved that he who
had healed others, could not himself be
healed.
An Outmoded System
Right now some of us are abusing a plan
adopted by the founding fathers and made
a part of the constitution, and insisting that
it be changed, and at the same time con
demning a presidential third-term for any
body, although the builders of the constitu
tion refused to go that far.
The plan adopted by the founders, and
which we now are complaining about is the
fol-de-rol of choosing personal electors—
mere figureheads—who in turn are expected
to formally name the President of the
United States, instead of electing the chief
executive by popular vote.
It would seem that measuring the public
will at the ballot box and abiding by the ver
dict would be the most democratic way of
going about the choosing. Under the present
system there is the possibility that one can
didate for this high office may actually be
the choice of a majority of the people,
while another who gains a majority of the
electoral votes goes to the White House. As
a matter of fact that has happened more
than once.
In the recent election Mr. Roosevelt had
a majority of both the popular vote and the
electors, yet it is a fact that the shift of less
than a million votes could have changed the
political color of enough strategic states to
bring victory to his opponent. This time
Mr. Roosevelt's victory is greatly exaggerat
ed by the electoral vote he received. It can
not properly be called a landslide, although
the electoral count points that way. Mr.
Roosevelt's majority in the electoral college
is 449 to 82, yet he had a majority of only
5,000,000 votes in a total of 48,052,236 as
actually cast at the polls. Examining those
figures and their conflicting relationships,
Mr. Roosevelt and his friends have little rea
son to make whoopee over his victory.
Several plausible, meritorious and xork
abte plans have been advanced to take the
place of this antiquated machinery provided
by the constitution. But our representatives
in Congress have never come to the point
where they were willing to submit one of the
plans to the people for approval. So we con-
tinue to adhere to an admitted fault in the
constitution, while getting fidgety and red
in the face and all het up over the third
term tradition which the framers of the
constitution wouldn't write into it.
The Power of thp Press
The result of the recent national election
proved two things very definitely: We still
have a free press, in spite of protestations
to the contrary and in spite of the echoes
from the wailing wall that the freedom is
about to be lost. That is one thing that has
been proven. The other is that the old-time
ballyhoo about the "power of the press" is
the bunk.
Unlike the radio, newspapers are not li
censed, except in that the government re
quires a permit for the use of the mails
which is easily secured and under require
ments that are not at all exacting. The radio
is restricted by rules from expressing any
opinions. The newspapers do have opinions
and can and do express them.
Secretary Ickes during the campaign
went out on a limb when he declared that
newspaper opinion especially in the metro
politan areas was controlled by the adver
tisers. Ickes' offense was that he gave ut
terance to what he could not prove. But he
spoke a half truth just the same. The news
paper that flies in the face of its advertisers
is either a courageous crusader or so well
heeled with the wherewithal that it just
plain doesn't give a hang. Editorial opinion
is not actually bought and paid for, but fre
quently it leans as a tree to the wind.
As for the "power of the press," one has
only to remember that eighty per cent, of
larger newspapers of the country opposed
Mr. Roosevelt's re-election. Some of them
left their editorial pages and crowded the
news off the front pages in order to make
sure their messages would not be overlook
ed. They overlooked no argument that gave
promise 01 driving a wedge between the
President and his well-wishers, and some of
them indulged in unjustified bitterness in
trying to nail Mr. Roosevelt's candidacy to
the barn door. And yet they failed, utterly
failed. Not with all the blocs and strange
bedfellowing could they head off Mr. Roose
velt. If ever there was a time when the
press really should have gone to town it was
at the last election, When the third-term is
sue itself was supposed to be enough to do
the trick, with political hatreds standing by
to help. But the press failed.
The power of the press remains about
what it always has been—the ability to de
liver a message, and the message has to be
good if it influences anybody. When eighty
per cent, of the papers of this country can't
crystallize public sentiment in a given direc
tion then there must have been something
wrong with the message, else never again
should the press be credited with the pres
tige and influence that has been claimed for
it. Yet if we were a candidate for office,
we'd hate like sin for any newspaper to take
out after us.
Not Too Late
Reports from those conducting the drive
for membership in the American Red Cross,
the annual Red Cross Roll Call, show a grat
ifying response on the part of the local pub
lic. Which means that our people sense the
importance of # this great humanitarian
agency and are willing to support it with
their interest and dollars. And that is as it
should be.
But the job is by no means finished until
everyone has contributed—something. For
either poor in deed, or negligent, will be the
home that does not display the Red Cross
window card of membership; unhappy
should be the individual who deliberately or
negligently fails to heed this humanitarian
call.
These canvassers are busy people, just
like the rest of us. It is reasonable to sup
pose that they have missed a few persons on
their rounds and it should be the purpose of
these to get in touch with Mrs. Bryan, who
is in charge of the drive locally, and enlist
as a member of this erreat organization.
Right now we are talking and thinking
a great deal about national unity, and where
pray, is there a better place to start than in
bolstering the Red Cross with our dollars. It
is an opportunity for ALL our people to
have part in the greatest charity of all. No
donation is too small, and none could be big
enough to meet the need. For these mem
bership dollars are the main dependence of
the Red Cross, and they are needed now
more than they have ever been* needed be
fore, and the urgency of this need will be
augmented as the days go by.
During the past fiscal year the American
Red Cross has been called into action in one
hundred and two disasters, one of them
right here at our door. More than 100,000
of our citizens have been the beneficiaries of
its interest, in time of stress, and countless
others have been aided in the safety cam
paigns and rescue work that may have
meant the preservation of life for many who
otherwise may have been under the sod.
These activities require a lot of money,
not a cerjt of which is wasted, and not a cent
of which goes into the pockets of officials.
And so if you have been missed during the
Roll Call, it is not too late to enlist. By all
means see Mrs. Bryan or one of the commit
tee and have the satisfaction that comes
from having part in this noble work.
When Jack Garner took to raising chick
ens it was only natural for him to select
bantams, if you get what we mean.
And now the "indispensable man" shifts
to the main dependence on your favorite
football team.
THE ELKIN TRIBUNE. ELKIN. NORTH CAROLINA
CLUB OBSERVES
LADIES'NIGHT
Preachers Do Swell Job of
Entertaining Group at
Banquet Thursday
TO ENTERTAIN NURSES
The Elkin Kiwanis club last
Thursday night entertained wives
and friends at a banquet staged
In the Kiwanis room at Hotel
Elkin, hearing an entertaining
program presented by preachers
of the town.
Carl Foindexter acted as master
of ceremonies, presenting Rev.
Stephen Morrisett, who played a
group of piano numbers, and Rev.
H. P. Duncan, whose subject was
"A Woman in the Case."
In humorous vein. Rev. Mr.
Duncan declared that woman has
been man's enigma from the time
of creation, and went on to point
out that even though man can
not get along with woman, he can
not get along without her. He
then changed from humorous to
serious and paid tribute to women.
C. J. Hyslup was welcomed as a
new member of the club during
the meeting.
Attendance prizes were won by
Mrs. R. B. Harrell and Mrs. R. C.
Freeman.
The nurses of Hugh Chatham
hospital will be guests of the club
at their meeting this evening
(Thursday).
ORDER NUMBERS
IN THIS ISSUE
(Continued from Page One)
mean anything so far as selective
service is concerned. Registered
men should not confuse their
serial numbers, which were pub
lished in The Tribune for this
area several weeks ago, with their
order numbers.
According to draft officials,
numerous registrants of this area
and of area No. 1, which includes
Mount Airy, have been mailed
their questionnaires.
Announcement has also been
made qt the appointment of the
draft advisory board for this
area (No. 2), with John W.
Comer, of Dobson, as chairman.
Other advisors who aid regis
trants in filling out question
naires are B. P. Folger and Bausie
Marion, of Dobson; J. Mark Mc-
Adams and Julius Hall, of Elkin;
J. Sam Gentry, of Mountain
Park; T. N. Woodruff, of Low
gap; Marvin H. Shore, of Pilot
Mountain; L. A. Matthews, of
Shoals; Hugh L. Atkinson, of Si
loam; Arthur P. Graham, of
Copeland; Wendell Wilmoth, of
Rusk; and George Pulp, of
Ararat.
DRAFT MEDICAL
GROUPS NAMED
(Continued from Page One)
members, one each of the follow
ing: Internist, surgeon, radio
grapher, psychiatrist, pathologist,
orthopedist, eye, ear, nose and
throat specialist and dentist.
"It has been thought best to
select these as nearly as possible
In the cities where the boards will
meet, for the reason that they
will have hospital facilities, and it
will be more convenient for the
members to meet when necessary
without the inconvenience of
travel and loss of time. The mem
bers also serve without pay."
The counties in district 4,
which includes Surry, Yadkin, Al
leghany and Wilkes, and the per
sonnel recommended for the
board, follows;
District 4: Alexander, Alle
ghany, Ashe, Caldwell, Davidson,
Davie, Pordyth, Guilford, Iredell,
Randolph, Rockingham, Rowan,
Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes
and Yadkin counties.
Drs. S. D. Craig, J. P. Rousseau,
B. N. Jones, R. A. Moore, Elbert
A. MacMillan, W. L. Grimes, T. T.
Frost and Harry Keel, all of Wln
ston-Salem.
DR. J. R. JOHNSON
TO PRACTICE HERE
Dr. J. R. Johnson, formerly of
Ramseur, but more recently of
Richwood, West Va., arrived here
the early part of the week to en
gage in the practice of medicine.
Dr. Johnson graduated in 1927
from the Medical College of Vir
ginia, and interned at the Associa
tion of Hospitals at the Medical
College of Virginia at Richmond,
•and since his graduation has been
a member of the hospital staff.
He is a native of Randolph coun
ty, North Carolina.
Dr. Johnson is living tempor
arily at Hotel Elkin, and his fam
ily will join him here as soon as
he can secure living quarters.
LOSS
The loss of European markets
as a result of the war cut exports
of American food products to
$15,279,000 in September as com
pared with $28,693,000 in the
same month a year ago.
Memories
Ti/'ASUK,CU?AN VwMP* s
%MSHTW'COOttW'PISHES, J j
evgrytuiwg RsAuy ftmrrais HKSTlfil
Da&Gt/irtsqif^
Author of "Hour to Win Friendt
and Influence People."
BEATING FATE
It's not so much what Destiny
does to ns, as what we do to Des
tiny. That's the force that
counts; that inner determination.
And when you have that, Destiny
may be baffled and beaten.
Fate may take a man and tear
off his leg, but it doesn't defeat
him. It did that very thing to a
young man, and made him a
great aviation figure. That man?
Alexander de Seversky.
Sometimes Fate puts a person
in bed and tells him he is defeat
ed. That very thing happened to
Florence Nightingale. She suffer
ed an invalid's life for fifty years
—and established public nursing
systems which led to the Red
Cross.
Fate took a young Australian
boy and blinded him at birth.
That young man has never seen a
human being. But Fate didn't
conquer the sturdy soul of Alec
Templeton, the blind musician,
singer, and entertainer.
Fate .took Immanuel Kant and
struck him with its black rod and
made him a hunchback and
a dwarf; it gave him a body so
ill-shaped that he never traveled
more than 40 miles from home in
all his life, so sensitive was he to
his outward appearance. But it
didn't conquer that noble spirit,
for he became a great philoso
pher and wrote a book that shcok
the philosophical world to its
foundations. The name of his
immortal book: "The Critique of
Pure Reason."
Fate tried its hand again. It
took a lad and racked him with
dyspepsia and chronic insomnia.
So bad were the combined at
tacks of dyspepsia and sleepless
ness that he gave up all thought
of trying to stay in bed, so he
rose in the middle of the night
and worked on his beloved math
ematics. Page after page he fill
ed while others slept; and in
these quiet hours he worked out
"descriptive geometry." Still Fate
though it had the better of him,
for it took him from the world
at the age of 39; but it didn't
succeed even then, for his
theorems live on, and every ship
that sails the sea pays a silent
tribute to his genius as does every
man or maid who clicks off the
keys on a comptometer, for he
invented the first adding machine
in history: Blaise Pascal.
Sometimes Fate says, "Ah! I'll
strike him through his eyes. I'll
make him shortsighted; I'll trou
ble and plague him all his life."
And Fate does trouble and plague
him; but also it makes him a
Toscanlni.
This same monster, Fate,
scourged a widow with ill health
and poverty 1 ! So terrible was this
wolf of poverty that howled out
side her door that she had to
burn her furniture to keep warm;
she could eat only one meal a
day. But Fate didn't quite have
his way, for that woman was
Carrie Jacobs Bond, and she
wrote a song that sold more
copies than any other song ever
composed in the Western world:
"The End of a Perfect Day."
If Fate seems to have marked
you for its toy, think of others
who have had the same mark and
thrown it off.
WITH THE SICK
The following patients have
been admitted to the local hos
pital during the past week: Mrs.
Fern Combs, Galax, Va.; Minnie
Lou Laster, Ronda; Webster Dar
nell, Elkin; Eugene Colbert, Ben
ham; Florence Greer, Warrens
ville; Mrs. L. B. Abernethy, Elkin;
Arvil Brendle; Mrs. Cora Mason,
Black Mountain; Mrs. Ruth
Brown, Mountain Park; Mrs. Ida
Jane Groce, Cana; Mrs. Colena
West, State Road; Mrs. Mary
Warren, Thurmond; Lee Law
rence, Jr., Elkin; Mrs. Mamie Ap
person, Jonesville; Odell Hutchins,
Rockford; Claudle Bryant, Yad
kinville; Raymer Sprinkle, Yad
kinville.
Patients dismissed during the
week were: Mrs. Mary Ruth Mid
dleton, Jonesville; Mrs. Lizzie
Swaim, Cycle; Mrs. Robbie Wall,
Mt. Park; Shirley Ann Vestal,
Jonesville; Mrs. Violet Mackie,
Jonesville; Mrs. Josephine Dud
ley, Boonville; Henry Layell, Elk
in; Mrs. Lillie Jenkins, Dobson;
Mrs. Tilda Barber, Rulk; Orville
Newman, Elkin; Mrs. Florence
Greer; James Reynolds, Yadkin
ville; Mrs. Florence Cheek, Jones
ville; Mrs. Ruby Hamby, Elkin;
Mrs. Angie Newman, State Road;
Mrs. Flora Turner, Jonesville; Mrs.
L. B. Abernethy, Elkin; Odell
Hutchins, Rockford.
MERCHANTS HERE
TO SECURE FLAGS
Sponsored by the local post of
the American Legion, a drive is
underway here to have all mer
chants and business firms to buy
and display the American Flag on
all occasions calling for such
showing of the Flag.
According to legion officials,
about 40 firms have signified their
wlllingness to purchase flags, and
although the drive is not yet over,
it is already considered a great
success.
YADKIN YOUTH SHOOTS
OFF ONE OF HIS TOES
Raymer Sprinkle, 18, of Yad
kin ville, shot off a toe on his left
foot Wednesday when a gun
which he was cleaning accident
ally discharged, sending the load
Into his foot. He was brought to
the local hospital for treatment,
where he is resting as well as
could be expected.
A Thought
The real cost of anything is the
amount of work required to earn
the money with which to pur
chase it. .
/
Tharadav. Novewber^jLJjg^O^
THE DOCTOR
PCBUCITT MAN
One of my former class mates
at high school drifted to New
York and became a publicity
agent. If ever a man was gifted
with a vivid imagination and the
ability to impress people with the
value of the odd things which he
proposed to do to stimulate busi
ness, it was Becker.
For some reason which he
alone knew, he favored bears in
helping him put across his num
erous publicity stunts. His first
appearance with one of these
trained animals startled the
whole town and brought the ar
ticle he was advertising great
publicity.
In the days of which I speak,
all the street cars of New York
were operated by cables—a cable
car, containing the mechanism
adapted to grip the cable run
ning in the slot, being ahead of
the passenger car. Followed by
his enormous bear which he rent
ed from an Italian bearing an
announcement on either of its
sides, Becker would enter the car,
the bear trudging behind him,
with the result that the passen
gers immediately left and a mild
panic ensued. He kept at this
until the police stopped him, but
he accomplished his purpose and
the entire town knew about the
product he was publicizing.
He told me that his ingenious
efforts were not appreciated in
the small town in which we re
sided so he came to New York,
and purchased a tame black bear
from a Maine trapper. Securing
the advertising account of an un
known brand of champagne he
guaranteed to increase its sale
through the medium of this more
or less mild bruin. A leather col
lar was placed about its neck,
adapted to hold four champagne
bottles of the brand to be fea
tured, and one morning at fbout
two o'clock, when the streets -, Vvr e
deserted in lower New York, the
animal was taken down town and
released at the head of Wall
Street—a real bear in Wall
Street.
Of course Becker expected the
papers to be filled with the story
of a bear walking about Wall
Street, but for three days there
was no mention of the anftnal or
the champagne. The fourth
morning, a tipsy individual, about
eight a.m., saw a bear, with four
bottles of champagne about its
neck, crawling out of a brick
tomb in Trinity Church Yard. He
emitted a yell and began to rim,
followed by the animal.
One of the bottles about its
neck hit an iron fence post in the
cemetery and exploded, upsetting
the bear, and as the poor thing
rolled over and over the other
bottles exploded, and there was a
live, mad bear in Wall Street,
sure enough. It howled, bit at
people, raced down the street,
turned around, bit itself and
started in to fight the world.
Pandemonium reigned. Hyster
ical crowds ran for shelter. Wo
men fainted. Horses ran away.
The police came and finally shot
the bear, and the champagne at
tained much publicity, only to
lose all possibilities of gaining a
market, owing to the dawn of
prohibition.
Pretty Crooked
"Can I trust him?"
"Never! He's so crooked that
the wool he pulls over your eyes
Is half cotton."