North Carolina Newspapers

I ELKIN The Best Little Town In North Carolina THE TRIBUNE Is A Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulations The Elkin Tribune ELKIN Gateway to Roaring Gap and the Blue Ridge THE TRIBUNE Is Read By 14,000 People In Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin I VOL. No. XXXVI No. 3 PUBLISHED WEEKLY ELKIN, N. C.f THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1947 $2.00 PER YEAR 20 PAGES—THREE SECTIONS Oil Situation Here Critical Dealers State Take Dim View Of Immediate Improvement A survey of local oil dealers yesterday revealed that the supply j of fuel oil in Elkin and Jonesville is critically short, and most deal- '• ers took a dim view of chances for the situation to improve before ; January. One dealer reported that he. had been out of oil for 10 days and didn’t know when his next shipment would come in. Another said he had no prospects for new deliveries of oil for two months. He stated that he had a small amount on hand and that he hoped to be able to supply his old customers with limited amounts of fuel, however. A third dealer thought he might have enough to supply his regular customers through December, but didn’t see any-chances of an in ^creased supply for some time. A fourth wholesale oil man re ported that he was turning down all orders except those from his oldest customers, and that he saw no hope for the oil situation to improve any time soon. Allotments of oil to local deal ers have been cut from 25 to 55 ; per cent, and the hardest fuel short months are yet to come in the opinion of dealers here. Inadequate transportation fac- | (Continued on page eight) l WILL PRESENT PAGEANT HERE “A Little Child Shall Lead Them” To He Staged At Pilgrim Church SUNDAY EVENING 6:15 Christmas Pantomime-Pageant, “A Little Child Shall Lead Them,” by J. H. Kuhlman, will be present ed at. the Elkin Pilgrim Church ~ Sunday evening. December 21, at ▼ 6:15 o'clock. The Pageant will be presented in eight scenes which will con trast: "The Children of Yester day” with "The Children of To day:” “The Common People of Yesterday" with "The Common People of Today;” "The Wise Men of Yesterday” with "The Wise Men of Today;” and “The Gift Bearers of Yesterday” with "The Gift-Bearers of Today.” Forty five characters will participate in k the eight scenes. ■ Preceeding the Pageant there m will be a Christmas Program pre r sented by the Sunday School Boys and girls. The public is cordially invited to attend this service. New Band To Play For Jaycee Dance The newly - organized orchestra of Maurice Purtill, former drum mer with such famous bands as Glenn Miller and Tommy Dorsey, will play for the annual Jaycee Junior Woman”s Club Christmas dance to be held at The Club Pines, five miles west of Roaring River, on Friday night, December 26 at 9:30 o’clock. Invitations have been extended to “graduated” Jaycees to attend the event as well as members of the Junior Chamber and the Jun ior Woman’s Club. Persons without a means of transportation to the dance arc asked to contact Haddon Kirk, Jr., at Chatham Manufacturing Company. Arc To Close Two Days Here For Christmas Elkin stores will be closed Thursday and Friday of next week in observance of Christ mas holidays, -Mrs. Buford Stanley, secretary of the Mer chants Association, has an nounced. Stores will reopen Saturday morning at the usual time. 1 City Schools To Close Friday For Holidays Elkin City Schools will close Friday for Christmas holidays and will re-open January 5, it was announced yesterday by Superintendent N. H. Carpen ter. The same two-week holiday schedule will be followed by county schools, according: to County Schools Superintend ent, John W. Comer. Jonesville schools will be olosed only one week. Classes will be dismissed Friday and will be resumed Monday, De cember 29, it was announced by Principal Watt Deal. WALL OFFERED BAPTIST POST Shelby Pastor May Succeed I. G. Greer As Home Superintendent A F T E R RESIGNATION The post of general superin tendent of the Baptist Orphanage of North Carolina, including the Mills Home at Thomasville and the Kennedy Home in Goldsboro, was offered to Dr. Zeno Wall of Shelby Tuesday. Dr. Wall, pastor of the first Baptist Church of Shelby, would succeed I. G. Greer, who resigned effective January 1 to become executive vice-president of the Business Foundation of the Uni versity of North Carolina. The position was tendered Dr. Wall at a meeting of the board of trustees of the orphanage at O. Henry Hotel in Greensboro Tues day. Resigning as president of the board, Dr. Wall stated that he would give his decision at Shelby Monday. Greer was elected to head the board of trustees, which had earlier accepted his resignation of the orphanage post with regret. Dr. Wall told the group that he would give serious consideration to acceptance of the superintend - ency. Pastor of the Shelby church for 23 years, he attended Mars Hill College, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary at Louis ville, Ky„ and received his D. D. degree from Mississippi College in 1916. He was president of the North Carolina Baptist State Con vention from 1933 to 1936. “For 15 years I have been sup erintendent of the orphanage,’’ Greer stated in a farewell address to the board. “They have been happy years. It has been a very difficult decision to make, but after seeing the picture as a whole, I felt that the opportunity that the business foundation offered was too much of a challenge to turn down .... “The board,'' he added, “was wise in its choice, of Dr. Wall, who has been closely in touch with the orphanage for a number of years." Square Dance Set For Saturday Night The Elkin Junior Woman's club will sponsor a Christmas square dance Saturday night at 8:30 at the American Legion hut, located behind the grammar school, Mrs. Hugh Salmons, chair man of the Ways and Means com mittee of the club, has announced. Tickets are on sale by the club members or can be purchased from Mrs. Clyde Cothren at Har ris Electric Company. Proceeds derived from this source will go into the city schools project fund. Ovid Wilcox. “Tat" Davis and Joe G. Bivins will call the figures. Also as one of the holiday sea son projects, the club will enter tain high school students from Elkin and Jonesville and former students who are at home from college, Tuesday night, December 30, at the YMCA at a teen-agers party. Mrs. Sam Atkinson is chairman of the party plans. The Northern Lights or Aurora, are seldom seen except from New York to Salem, Oregon and only in the country districts. High buildings and electric lights pre vent them showing in cities. NAMED SCOUT HEAD—R. VV. Harris, above, was elected chair man of the Elkin-Yadkin Scout District at a meeting here Tues day afternoon. He has been active in Boy Scout work for a number of years. HARRIS NAMED SCOUT LEADER Committee Chairmen Elect R. W. Harris Chairman Of Elkin-Yadkin District OTHER OFFICERS NAMED R. W. Harris was elected to suc ceed H. C. Hatch as chairman of the Elkin-Yadkin Scout District at a meeting of scout 'committee chairman in the YMCA Tuesday afternoon. Ollier officers elected were Rus sell Burcham, vice-chairman; Fred C. Page, Jr., district com missioner; and H. C. Hatch, exe cutive board member at large. The group heard reports of operating committees and voted to postpone election of new opera ting committees until a later meeting. Present at the meeting were C. J. Hyslup, H. C. Hatch, Fred C. Page, Jr., Tom Roth. Buck Hines, R. W. Harris, Fred Neaves, Bob Lankford, Paul Price, Jacques Phelps and Russell Burcham. DOBSON GYM FIRE HAZARD _ Grand .1 u r y Recommends Gymnasium Re Closed Until More Exits Are Installed REPORT IS SUBMITTED The Grand Jury for the Dec ember term of Surry Superior Court recommended that the Dob son High School gymnasium be closed to the public “unitl ade quate exits can be installed for use in case of fire.” The recom I mendation followed investigation of the building by a Grand Jury committee which found "only one small door from which people can come and go.” Grand Jury committees also re commended that several repairs be made to the county jail and the courthouse, and that markers be placed at the graves of deceas ed inmates of the county home. The complete report, signed by F. E. Layne, foreman, and sub _ (Continued on page eight) Chatham Employees To Get Bonus, Party Thousands Invited To Party Saturday; Bonus Largest In History Of Company The Chatham Manufacturing Company will act as host to its thousands of employees at a gala Christmas party to be held at the Gilvin Roth YMCA Saturday, December 20. During the party Christmas bonus checks will be given out, which, according to President Albert L. Butler, will represent the largest bonus ever to be paid in the history of the company. The program will get under way at 10 a. m. Prom 10:00 until 11:00 the bonus checks will be distributed and refreshments ser ved. From 11:00 a. m. until 12 noon, special entertainment jvill be held in the gymnasium which will be featured by a talk by Thurmond Chatham, chairman of the board, music by the Briarhop pers well-known radio entertain ers, and other festivities which will include drawings for valuable atendance prizes. Those in charge of the Christ mas party have promised plenty PAGEANT TO BE GIVEN SUNDAY Presbyterians To Present “Good Tidings of Great Joy” Sunday At 7 :.‘t0 I'. M. MRS. DICKSON DIRECTOR A Christmas pageant. “Good Tidings of Great Joy,” will be presented Sunday evening at 7:30 o’clock at the First Presbyterian Church, this city, under the direc tion of Mrs. Carter Dickson. Those participating in the page ant are Mrs. John Cloninger, Mrs. Luther Yandell. Mrs. Joe Gwyn Bivins, Mrs. Linville Hendren, Mrs. O. D. Causey, Carter Dickson, John Cloninger, Lewis Alaxander, Rev. Ralph V. C. Ritchie, Mary Sue Wagoner, Bettie Jean Combs, Polly Price, Bettie Lou Wall, Ed na Dillon, Annette Yandell, Clara belle Causey, David J. Causey, David Dickson. Joe Price, Johnnie Bell, Bill and Jim Edwards. Gwen Dickson will accompany at the piano. On Tuesday night a short ser vice of carol singing will precede j the annual visit of Santa Claus with his bundle of presents for the children of the Sunday school. The Christmas party, or treat, will begin at 7 o'clock in the ! church. A gaily decorated tree and filled stockings will feature the occasion. Recruiting Office To Close 15 Days _ Sgt. Sherman Colvard, of the army recruiting service for the Elkin district, will close the re cruiting service December 21 for 15 days during the Christmas holidays. Sgt. Colvard, who is stationed in the post office every Monday j through Friday at noon, will be back on the job January 6, he said. of fun for everyone, and it is ex pected that all employees will attend. It was stated that the Chathm plant will be closed during Christ mas week, according to present plans. assaOltcase IS BOUND OVER Yadkinville Man To Be Tried At February Term of Court On Serious Count IS VETERAN OF WAR II Tom Driver, 25, of Yadkinville, was bound over to the February term of Yadkin County Superior Court after Magistrate Roger Rus sell found probable cause of as sault with attempt to rape at a preliminary hearing Friday night. Driver, World War II veteran, was charged with attempting to assault Lois Holcomb, 15-year-old Yadkinville school girl and daugh ter of Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Holcomb, on the evening of No vember 8. The alleged assault took place near the north edge of the Yad kinville city limits about dusk. Ida Louise Lynch, Negro, testi fied as a witness for the state at the hearing, while Howard More field and Melvin Dudley testified for the defendant. FORMER SURRY MAN IS AIDING : Wade B. Hampton Playing Part In Forthcoming Su preme Court Test IS WASHINGTON LAWYER Wade B. Hampton, a native of I Dobson, but who is now practicing i law in Washington, D. C., is play j ing a part in the forthcoming Su i preme Court tests of property covenants, which bar negroes from : moving into white residential dis ! tricts. j Mr. Hampton has filed an I “Amici curiae’’ (friends of the j court), brief, with the Supreme I Court seeking to have the racial J covenants upheld. Hampton’s be I lief, filed on behalf of Washing ton white citizens’ associations, is the only such brief to be sub mitted on that side of the case. Attorney General Tom C. Clark has ordered the Department, of Justice to intervene on the other side, seeking to uphold Negro rights by having the restrictive covenants declared unconstitu tional, while several liberal or ganizations have similarly filed briefs supporting the appellants. Father George Joseph Camellus found in a China port in the 18th century a flower which he carried to the Queen of Spain. Since then all such flowers have been called Camellias in his honor. POSTMASTER PASSES — French W. Graham, above, postmaster here since 1934, died Monday morning at the Hugh Chatham Memorial Hospital following a heart attack. He had been in declining health for some time. Funeral was held Tuesday afternoon at the Elkin Methodist Church, of which he was a member. F. W. GRAHAM DIES MONDAY Postmaster Passes Following Heart Attack; Headed Post Office Since 1934 LEADER CIVIC AFFAIRS Fiench Wampler Graham, 52, postmaster in this city since July 1934, died at 9 a. m. Monday in Hugh Chatham Memorial hospital I here following a heart attack and hemorrhage early Saturday at his home. He had been in declining health for some time from a heart condition. A native of Mouth-of-Wilson, Va., Mr. Graham was a son of the late William A. and Anna Cox Graham. The family has resided in Elkin since the death of his father. He was a graduate of Trinity College at Durham, now Duke University. He yas a navy veteran of World War I and was a mem ber of the George Gray Post of the American Legion, of which he served as commander; also the ! Masonic fraternity. Having served for a number of j years as a member of the Surry County Board of Education, Mr. Graham was very active in the educational as well as civic prog ress of the city and county and in political affairs of the section. The local postoffice advanced to a first class rating during the ad ministration of Mr. Graham, and his last appointment as postmas ter several years ago was for life. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Ohna Harris Graham; one son, Dr. Richard If. Graham of Lenoir; one daughter, Patsy Graham of the home; two sisters, Mrs. I. L. Halsey of Mouth-of-Wilson, Va., and Mrs. L. E. Osborne of Pitts burgh, Pa.; six brothers, Herbert P., Hardin C., Dixie, Worth A., and Sheffey Graham, all of Elkin, and Rev. Grover C. Graham of Coleridge; and one grandchild. Funeral was held at 3 p. m. Tuesday at Elkin Methodist Church, of which he was a mem ber. Rev. Robert G. Tuttle, pas tor, was in charge of the rites, as sisted by Rev. L. B- Abernethy. of Charlotte, a former pastor; and Dr. J. S. Hiatt, general superin tendent of Hugh Chatham Me morial hospital. Interment was made in the Hollywood cemetery. Seven Families Here Face Empty Christmas Most families this year are , looking forward to the brightest | and merriest Christmas they have ever known. Dinner tables on December 25 will be loaded with good things to eat. Gifts will be piled in profusion under gaily decorated trees. Children’s stock ings will be filled to overflowing. It will be a time of happiness and good cheer for nearly every home in the city. But „at least seven families liv ing in and near Elkin face the prospect of a Christmas that will be empty and sad. They have little or no funds with which to buy the things (hat make the Christmas season happy. They need help. Believing that (lie heart of El kin is generous enough to provide for these in need. The Tribune asks that citizens bring or send donations of food, clothing, money, or whatever they wish to give, to the newspaper office, and someone will see that they are delivered. The families in need are des cribed here. None of them know that this appeal is being made. Some of them might be embarras sed if they did know. But their happiness this Christmas will de pend on the response of their more fortunate neighbors in El kin to this request for aid. How ever small your contribution may be, it will be appreciated. The need is urgent, and the time is short. Give to one, or two, or as many families as you like. But give. To head the list. The Tribune is donating $3 to each of the seven families in need. All contribu tions will be recognized in next week's issue of the paper. Family Number One consists of a mother, a father and their nine-year-old son. The father be came completely disabled last May and has been unable to work. The mother took a job in order to provide for the family, but now she is expecting a child and has been forced to give up her work. Without your help, this family’s Christmas will not be bright. Family Number Two is an eld erly couple with an income of only $10 per month. They have no relatives close by to whom they can look for aid. Their subsis tence depends almost entirely on the contributions of friends. The husband, 63 years old, is in poor health and has little hope of re gaining a normal, healthy life. Family Number Three is receiv ing a small amount of aid from the state, but it is not enough to provide even for the necessities of life. There are only a husband and wife, both in their 60 s. The husband is not able to work. The appeal for Family Number Four is for children. The father is said to be a heavy drinker and does not provide adequately for his family. The mother is neg lectful of the welfare of her chil dren. There are two girls, ages 13 and 7, and two boys, 10 and 8. Santa Claus will probbaly pass them by. Toys, fruits or candies would be appreciated. The father of Family Number Five faces trial on a serious law violation charge and probably will be serving time on the road this Christmas. The mother has her hands full with four small children to care for, including an eight-months-old baby. The old est child, a boy, is seven. There arc two girls, 1 and 6 years of ag.i. Christmas looks gloomy to these small children. Family Number Six lias been so 1 burdened with hospital and med ical expenses that there are no J funds left for even a meager Christmas celebration. The father is seriously ill and may not live through the holidays. The mother was recently hospitalized, incur ring heavy medical costs. A nine year-old daughter had a serious operation several months ago which required an outlay of sev eral hundred dollars. In addition to the daughter, there are three other small children, a 20 months-old ba'oy, a threc-yrar old boy. and a 12-year-old boy. There are seven children, rang ing in age from 11 to one and onc-half years, in Family Num ber Seven. The father is ill and unable to work. The mother stays busy caring for her small chil dren. Food, clothing and toys arc needed if they are to have a happy Christmas. There are six boys and one four-year-old girl. In addition to the 18-months-old baby, there are boys 11, 9, 6, 5, and 2 year old. There may be other families in need this Christmas, but these have romc to the attention ol The Tribune. Won't you help make their Christmas happy? Court Disposes Of Many Cases As Term Ends Tribune To Be Published Day Early Next Week The Tribune will roll off the press a day early next week due to the fact that Christmas Eve falls on Wednesday, the regu lar printing date. Country correspondents and those who have social or other items for next week’s issue are urged to bear the earlier dead line in mind, and advertisers are asked to cooperate by hav ing their copy ready early. The Tribune office will be closed all day Thursday, Fri day and Saturday, December 25, 26 and 27, so that em ployees may have a brief vaca tion from work during the Christmas season. KIWANIS WILL STAGE AUCTION Annual Christmas Event To He Held At Meeting This Evening At YMCA MONEY TO SCOUT FUND The Elkin Kiwanis Club will hold its annual Christmas Auction at the Gilvin Roth YMCA this evening (Thursday), at 6:30 p. m. According to time-honored cus tom, each Kiwanian brings an ar ticle to be sold to the highest bid ders, and each year proceeds of the sale run up into several hun dreds of dollars. Proceeds will go to Scout activities sponsored by the club. At last week’s meeting Mrs. Liv ingston Williams was a guest of the club, playing a number of violin solos, accompanied by Mrs. Henry Beeson at the piano. Mrs. Beeson also aided in conducting a singing program on the part of the members. Both ladies were presented with Chatham blankets at the conclusion of the meeting. CONSTRUCTION PLANNED SOON Specifications For Two New Agricultural Buildings Are About Complete PILOT ANI) FRANKLIN Plans and specifications for new agricultural buildings at Pilot Mountain and Franklin schools arc expected to be completed at an early date, and it is hoped that construction can be started soon next year, Superintendent of Sur ry County Schools John W. Comer said yesterday. Plans are being drawn for new high school buildings at Flat Rock, Copeland and White plains, Mr. Comer said. Funds for the school expansion program were provided by the recent million-dollar school bond issue which Surry voters passed by a large‘majority. The school building program included plans for eight new buildings for the instruction of agriculture at various high schools in the county, and for new school buildings at Copeland, Beulah, Flat Rock and White Plains. New' agriculture bilildings at Copeland and White Plains are already under construction and are expected to be completed by Christmas. Construction w'ork is also advancing on agriculture buildings at Flat Rock and Beu lah. City Tags For’48 Now On Sale Here City automobile license for 1948 arc now on sale at the City Hall, according to an announce ment by Dixie Graham, city clerk. As in previous years, the price is $1. All motorists who live within the city limits are required to have tags on their cars by Jan uary 1. Tribune Advertising Gets Results i Murder Trial Continued To Later Session The December term of Surry Superior Court in Dobsqn was concluded Wednesday with the court calendar being cleared of a number of minor eases. Drunk driving charges accounted for a large portion of the docket. Most of the defendants in these cases entered pleas of guilty and Judge William H. Bobbitt let nearly all offenders off with fines and sus pended sentences. Trial for Eugene Childress, Mount Airy taxi operator charged with the fatal shooting of his wife, was continued. John H. Murphy, charged with I assault with a deadly weapon, was given a 12-months road sen ; tence. The following persons pleaded | guilty to charges of operating cars under the influence of liquor and were fined $100 and costs. Each was also given a 90-day sus pended sentence: Grade K. John son, George F. Bropks, Harvey H. | Finney, J. T. Inskeep, Jr., Homer Alexander, Kermit T. Cockerham, Paul Cockerham and Paul E. Shaw. B. K. Mullis, pleading guilty to charges of hit and run driving and operating a car under the in fluence of liquor, \Va.s fined $50 and costs and given a 90-day sus j pended sentence. ^ Ed Wagoner entered pleas of iguiity to charges of violating | prohibition Jaws, reckless driving and driving after revocation of li cense. He was fined $200 and costs and given a six-months sus pended sentence. Charlie A. Cockerham pleaded | guilty to a charge of driving after j revocation of license and was fin ed $200 and costs. He also re i ceived a four-months suspended sentence. Harry Jackson pleaded guilty to charges of driving after revoca tion of license and driving under the influence of liquor. He was fined $250 and costs and given a six-months suspended sentence. The case of Robert Childress, charged with reckless driving and damage to property, was continu ed to the January term of court. Robert H. Jones, charged with driving without operator’s license (Continued on page eight) Legion To Give Dance In New Hut Tuesday The local American Region post will sponsor a dance at the new Legion Hut in Memorial Parle Tuesday evening at 9 o’clock. "The Rebels,” local orchestra, will provide music for the event, which will mark the first social activity sponsored by the post since the building was completed. The new hut will be adequately heated and plenty of parking space will be available, according to Kemp Reece, chairman of the Legion Hut committee. Refresh ments will be served during the evening. Both stags and couples will be admitted. A small admission charge will be made. ! Surry County ! Sale Of Seals Totals $3,441 A total of $3,441.83 of Tuber culosis Christmas seals have been sold in Surry County to date, according to Miss Louise Bailey, of Mount Airy, county chairma n. The quota, for the county is $6,000, which indicates that sales have passed the half-way mark. Miss Bailey wishes to ex press her appreciation to Surry County citizens who have con tributed and urges those who have not purchased seals to do so as soon as possible. Elkin citizens who wish to buy seals or to make contribu tions may do so through the Junior Woman’s Club, which is sponsoring the sale of seals in this city. The campaign will be con tinued through December.