ji!'
Mrly tod«7 from
•tMdy tomadac force of Nwt
fttackm Irteo left Heary damage
a^d 4 ^antlog Hat Of casuaitiee
.1% the empire capHat.
''The raiders rlolently strafed
the'center of London, drosH>lag
fat, blast&g oil bombs In an effort
to set fliee In the city to guide
them to their targets.
More planes took part in the
rald-^he 12th overnight attack
•luce Oermany bbgan> her "all
assaults on London—than
Ita the Tuesday-Wednesday over-
Lt raid which caused heavy
laltles.
Bat while the Germans dump
ed their bombs on London, Brit
ish bombers were visiting de-
strootlon on German bases on the
Naat-held French and Belgian
coasts in violent attacks against
“invasion ports.”
— The German bombers caused
great destruction in the slums of
Bast London In the early phases
of the raids. Now they have turn
ed their attention to the fash
ionable sebtors of the capital as
\'eU. subjbcthig them to heavy
>omblng.
In the latest punishing stuck.
Ploughing men and women stum
bled frpm fashionable apartments
after direct hits were scored by
incendiary bombs In central Lon
don.
From All Directions
Big bombs were hurled at the
metropolis from the north rim to
the south, east and west.
The shopping area, long the
home of many of the world’s fa
mous fashion stores, was hit a-
gain and again by high explosive
projectiles.
PuUic
Funds This liiHitfa
Totaled $7,4D5.00
Needy Aged Receive $5,034;
Dependent Children $1,«
922, And Blind $449
Registration For
Conscription To
Be On Oct. 16th
President Signs Bill Author-
iz'nng Registration And
Draft In Nation
conBcrlption the law of the lattd
and proclaimed October 16 as the
day on which all men from 21 to
35, Inclusive, must register for
selective military training.
The first peacetime draft of
manpower in American history
became law at 3;08 p. m. (e. s.
t.) with a stroke of the presi-
> dential pen. Mr. Roosevelt pro
claimed registration day a mo-
ment later.
The momentous action came
two days after Congress gave its
final approval to the legislation.
An eetlmated 16.500,000 men
—citizens and alien alike—^must
register at polling places through
out the country. From this num
ber, the nation will build up over
the next five years a reservoir
of 5,000,000 trained men for its
land and sea forces.
.Sees Nation at Crossroatls
“America stands at the cross
roads of its destiny.” Mr. Roose
velt said in his proclamation fix
ing the date of registration.
He took cognizance of the cur
rent world situation and served
notice in direct language that
the United Slates is ready and
able to defend at any cost the
heritage of i‘s freedom.
Public asslsUnce grants to
needy people in Wilkes county
this month totaled $7,406, ac
cording to figures released today
by Charles McNeill, Wllkea coun
ty welfare officer.
Of this amount $1,922 went]
to 160 families with 321 depen-'!
dent children, $5,034 to 6$3
needy aged and $449 to 35 blind.
The munber still leaves 133
aged per.sons on the waiting list
for old age assistance, that many {
having been approved ibut who
are not being paid because of I
lack of funds- appropriated by
the state. ^
During the past month the
welfare office has distributed
foods from the Surplus Commo- j
dlties corporation to aibout 900
families. In addition to the usual
number about 200 families were ]
added because of flood losses and ^
wilt continue to re elve food
twice monthly as long as they |
need it. I
A month’s supply of several
staple foods was given to each I
familj" who registered because of
flood losses Immediately after
the flood August 14..
Singiil$r
, 29 At
- -yp'-Es'xw.
'Ihe next meetiug «t the Hon
da Binging convention will be
held at Bethel Church', Gve mlloB
sooth west Of Blkln, Sunday,. Sep-
ttemher 29, beginning at ten o’
clock.
The public is invited to attend
'and all gospel.singers are asked
to attend and have a part in the
days program.
W. H. Jones is chairman and
Rev. R. ft. Crater, secretary.
Here it one of the most recent
Bbatoa of Greta Garbo, famons
Bwedlah film ai^tress who will pass
her thlrty-dfth birthday on Septem-
W U. Sate in the United States
While her native Sweden remains the
Independent state in the Scan-
^vlap peninsula, Garbo retains
traditional reticence and dis-
for personal publicity.
Annual Drive For
Membership B y
Legion Under Way
WdrkFcl
- .'-V ■«■■■.'>-■I'tw, -‘A'.*
County A«e9^ MQ
ler, Highettiillk, ‘
To Take Part
pote K
Ustei
Shorthand, Typing
Courses Oflered
McNeill Speaks
At Meeting Of
Young G, 0. P.
Out-Of-School People May
Receive Commercial Tram*
ing In Afternoon! Here
Candidate For Governor
Blasts Administrations Of
State And Nation
Gold For Wilkes Post Is
125; Over 70 Per Cent Of
Former Members Enroll
Fourteen Important 'meetings
In various comnranltiea to discuss
plan? of work for five agencies .
were announced today by J. B.
Snipes, Wilkee county farm a-|
gent.,
The meetings will not only j
concern extension work but otherj
V. v.^. :.rf,
■ - , •
Frank nggiuson, 77, a Canadian
Paul S, Cragan, superintendent
ol North Wilkaaboro high
iSk' aM Bhortfimd
for out-of-school persons wjll
open at the school on Monday,
September 23.
The courses will be conducted
by Miss Lilyan Miller, commer
cial teacher in the school, and
will begin for out-of-school stu
dents at three p. m.
The course will be offered by
the school In cooperation with
the North Carolina State Em
ployment Service and the state
Board of Vocational Education.
Only a nominal fee will be charg
ed because a great part of the
cost for such vocational instruc- ^
tion is furnished by the federal I
government. Further information j
relative to the course can be oh-1
tained from Supt. Cragan or the i
employment service office here
to his native county and delivered
an address Monday night before
Wilkes post number 125 of the
American Legion is now in the
midst of Its 1941 membership
drive and the goal is 12’5 mem
bers to equal the number of the
post, L. M. Nelson, poet com
mander, said today.
There are more than 400 ex-
service men in Wilkes county,
Commander Nelson said, and a
cordial Invitation is extended
each one of them to join the
post—without any ' strings at
tached—any person who had ac
tive service in the army, navy
Pr.hprt H McNei'l. v>et)’thlican
candidate for governor, returned'-O'- marines and who has an hon
orable discharge during the per
iod of the World War being eli-
sn organization meeting of Young glbl®-
ipiS^li^ng in the WllkeajpourV. -nie ananal/dues ar«
y^rV"wfii!i VloOuaiiB
i ; ^_i
hybrid
Hybrid corn, b'eing grown on
25,000,000 acres in the North
Central states, constitutes more
than half of i;he total corn acre
age, reports the U S. Agricultural
Marketing Service.
Mr. J. Horton Doughton, of
Statesville, spent several hourt
in the city Wednssday.
-’His address, a scathing denun
elation of what he termed waste
and inefficiency of natlonnl and
state administ'ratlons. was en
thusiastically received by the
crowd, which almost filled the
auditorium.
Paul Osborne, of Wlikeshern
called the meeting to order and
presided in the absence of A. A.
Triplett, county Young Republi
cans chairman for the na-st two
years, who could not attend be
cause of illness. High tribute was
paid to the work of Chairman
Trip-lett during the past two
years in org.-inization and activity
among young Republicans.
Officers of Young Republicans
were elected as follows: Max Fos
ter, of North Wllkesboro, presi
dent; Attorney Ralph Davis, of
North Wilkesboro, vice president:
Miss Cora Caudill, .secretary; A.
A. Triplett, member of county
executive committee.
President Foster named an or
ganization committee as follows:
Paul Osborne, chairman, E. R.
Eller, Dewey Minton, S. R. I.aws,
Clifton Prevette. Mrs. Louise
Tait, Mrs. Jack Hoots, Miss Ruby
Blackburn, Carl Church and T.
(Continued on page four)
can Legion 'magailne. Comfnand-
er Nelson hatt asked that veter
ans who wish' to Join contact Ad
jutant W. C. Grier, John Hall,
membership chairman, the post
commander or any other Legion
naire. “In these times of crisis
the American Legion needs you,’’
Mr. Nelson said.
Over 70 per cent of last year’s
membership in the Wlllyes post
has already been renewed. Com
menting On the membership in
phases of actlvKles among rural
people will be discussed ib:* the
following: lime,, legume^ and
livestock, by J. B. Snipes, county
agent; soil conservation, by P.
W. Edwards, of the Wilkes unit
of the soil conservation,service;-
Farm Security, by J. B. Hlgh-
smlth, of the North Wllkesboro
office of the Farm Security ad
ministration; Trtplo A, by Law
rence Miller, secretary of the
county committee; home econom
ics, by Miss Elizabeth Williams,
home demonstration agent.
The county agent pointed out
that the meetings will ha*® some
thing of interest for all members
of the family and urged attend
ance of all rural people and oth
ers interested at the most con
venient meeting place and date.
It was also explained that nom
inations for Triple A committee
men will be made at the meet
ings and attendance of persons
participating In the farm pro
gram Is highly Important.
The plaining motittngs ere be-
field fhrongilkt Tfie ,^tate hr
order to set working goals and
to coordinate activities of the
several agencies serving rubai
people. The meetings in Wilkes
will begin on Monday, September
23, and continue through October
4. The complete schedule for
Wilkes follows:
Monday, September 23, 3:30 p.
m.. Mount Pleasant school.
Tuesday, September 24,
p. m.. Mulberry school.
Wednesday, September
3:30
the nation. Commander Nelson 3:30 p. m., Mountain
25.
View
said that over 1.000,000 have
already joined and the member
ship is growing rapidly.
Further discussing the Legion,
Commander Nelson cited,the fol
lowing ten reasons for continued
membership:
1. Continued Service—The blue
and gold button of The American
Legion testifies to your honorable
service for God and Country in
the World War; to 22 years of'reath.
school.
Thursday. SeptenubP' 26, 7:30
p. m., Benham school.
Friday, September 27, 7:30 p.
m., Clingman school.
Saturday, September 28, 2:30
p. m., county courthouse.
Monday, September 30, 3:30
p. m., Austin school.
Tuesday, October 1, 3:30 p.
m., Mountain Crest school at Gli-
loyal service to community, state,
and nation In time of peace: to
emergency service, and In com
bating fifth column activities
during world crises.
2. Rehabilitation — You are
.making it possible to attain our
(Continued on^page eight)
Tuesday, October 1, 7:00 p. m..
Boomer school.
Wednesday, October 2, 7:00 p.
ra.. Millers Creek school.
Thursday, October 3, 3:30 p.
m., Pleasant Ridge school.
Friday, October 4. 3:30 p. m.,
(Continued on page eight)
M«r llvtaiC in the United 8in>en,
inkM n close semtiny of the sUea
'^Istrnfloa bUnk before filling ent
fonn at the Brooklyn pest office.
OM ef aliens now living here
^be registered nnd fingerprinted
the next fonr months.
Tracbt
Forester Is Elected
i^ident Youi^;
Wilkes Democrats
Orgaiuzatlon Perfected
Fish Fry Meeting In
This City Tuesday
In
P. D. Forester, prominent
young business man here, was nroeress of the city
elected president of Young Dem- ‘
InthuCries Want Sites Atbnmk;
flood Danfor But Muirt .
- Have Railroad Tnutk
Boi^ueraof. / tbe 6on;hii$^[:
compspy havs bheig
.worttog-hne this week seekfac
a rtrtte fbr a apn/ track to ast
elevation above tbe danger eC
Yadkia flooda
While details have not been
inUs public, H lis understood
several prospective sites for
spur track have been gone
by. engineers in aLi effort to flaA
a place tor construction of indoe-
trlal plants above flood danger.
Two large plants, the Hosaa
Chair company factory and tka
’main plant of tbs International
Shoe company tannery, were fa
tally d^troyed fay fire in tha
flood on tbe Yadkin August 14
and other industrial plants hera
suffered losses upward of ona
million dollars. The heavy lossea
and the expressed desire of tha
eompanlee not to rebuild in tha
flood danger zone have spurrsC
efforts to find safer Industrial
sltee, provided a railroad spar
track could* be constructed tor
the desired locality. ,
J. D. Moore, .president oC!
Home Chair company, and off!-’
cials of the International Shaa
company have stated that avail
able sites not in the flood dang
er zone will definitely influenza
decisions of their companies
latlve to reconstruction here.
- In furtherance of the mova-'
ment to offer every cooperatloB
to Industries affected and for to-
along
ocrats' clubb of Wilkes county In
the organization meeting held
Tuesday night at the American
Legion and Auxiliary clubhouse
ja this city.
Mr /♦’farester succeeds Sheriff
Claude T Doughton, who has
headed the organization of Young
Democrats in Wllkes' for the past
few years.
Other officers elected at the
meeting were Miss Clyde Shep
herd as secretary and Claude
Johnson, treasurer.
The meeting Tuesday night
was described as veiy enthusias
tic and a large nunaber at
tended. A fish rry added to the
enjoyment of the occas.on and
the crowd was representative of
all parts of the county.
Principal address of the meet
ing was delivered by Attorney
John McLaughlin, of Statesville.
President Forester said today
that he had not completed plans
for organization of clubs but In
dicated that the organizntioM
may play an Important part in
the fall election campaign.
Industrial lines, tbe Wilkes coum-
ty commissioners have offered
to make avaiUbble part of tte
county farm lands in close praz-
the town at “nominal*
dost provided a railroad - track
could be constructed to that lo
cality.
Officials of the Southern Rail
way company have expressed a
desire to offer every reasonaW*
cooperation in efforts to solvw
the problem of finding desirable
locations and the construction oC
a railroad spur trank.
Triplett Infant Dies
Funeral service was held Fri
day at Lewis Fork church for
Alvin Blaine Triplett, infant son
of Oscar and Estella Shepherd
Triplett, of Purlear. He died
Thursday.
Time and distance have been
shortened,’’ he said. “A few '
weeks have seen great nations
fall. We cannot remain Indiffer
ent to the philosophy of fored
now rampant in the world. The
-lerible fate of nations whose
weakness Invited attack is too
“■•well known to us all.
“We must and will marshal
our great potential strength to
fend off war from our shores.
J We must and will prevent our
Ikland from beceming a victim of
aggression.
“Our decision has been made.
It Is the win of our people.”
’ Conscription i'ecame law on
the day that the first contingent
of national guardsmen—60,500
militiamen from 26 states were
mobilized for a year of intensive
training with the .
To Be Ozlled in November
The first group of conscripts—
about 400,000—probably will be
^ called to the colors about Novem
ber 16. Then, for the next five
years, about a million men wl 1
L Inducted into the army annual
ly for a year of training.
-a# They will be drawn by lot and
Reacted for service from the list
\rA6,500,oeO registrants.
The cal!
euardssnen and conscripts Is de
igned to hnlW » trained clvllla?
- Mf- Kooaovolt ohcarfod: v.
\ oar young'me* "*!!! como
o« FM* Towl
... I II ■ I I I I
Happenings On Siony Fork During The Night of August 13
■_£! — : —— — Xa oV- 4A AM
itbh,
Home Chair Co.
Has No Definite'
Plans At Pres^.
Purchase Or Lease Of Cot
ton Mill At Ronda Un
der Consideration
J. D. Moore, president of Home
Chair company, which lost its
riant here by fire In the flood
on August 14, said today that
the company has made no defi
nite plans for rebuilding and has
not closed any transaction fur
purchase or lease of any existing:
plant.
Rumors had been rampant here
this week that the company had y-
already acquired the vacant cot
ton mill factory building at Rou-
da, fifteen miles east of thle
city, and had made definite plaea
for installation of machinery im-
, mediately
B^DWIGHT NICHOLS
More than a month has elapsed
since the most disa.stroiis flood
in the history of northwestern
North Carolina left destruct ■■'u
and death in it.s wake but the
residents of western Wilkes and
eastern W’atanga. where slides
combined with high waters to
Sipread terror, will never forget
that awful night of August 13.
Determined to get at least a
straight forward, second hand
account of what people exper
ienced amid the slides on the
mountain, I went to the head
waters of Stony Fork creek j iit
west of the Wilkes county line
into Watauga and tried as best
I could to find out from the few
remaining residents just what
happened on the wogt prong of
the creek near Deep Gap.
Slides left destruction In their
paths at several polnta but at no
other place in the flood area did
they wipe otit four homes with
in a space of one-haf. mile. There
were five homes, all occupied by
Greens, and out of the five the
residence of Lawrence Green Is
the only one left except’the bouse
of Mrs. Bessie Green and It was
moved 300 yards.
The west prong of Stony Pork
Crert there In normal vresther
would run through s three-lnoh
pipe. On the night el August 13
and
It
Some idea of happened; when
slides went down a prong: of Stony Fork
Creek on the night of August' 13 «ih
gained by a study of this picture, which
shows the home of Mrs. Bessie , Green.
l^e house; wWch waa ^uilt by the peo-
Baptist church
pie of ' Stony Pork-
for
Mrs. Green and children after ttie death
of her-hn^and, i^cs mbveii About 800^
'yards by the slides in the yaHjOj’bu^'was
not demolished. It lodged Aminat the
trunk oLsk maple tree ik tUame-
• ter. The tree was uprooted antd broken.
S(Steff Photo by Dwight Nicbota) .v. >
about Mine o’clock it took the en
tire vsiley to hold the water, the
(boulders, the dirt, trees and
debris of one kind and another.
•It had been raining frequently
heavily for three days but
began to pour above five o’
clock on the afternoon of August
13. Wind and lightning added to
the horror of that awful night
when nine were killed and others
injured in that little community.
“The rain didn’t fall in drops, it
was in sheets of solid water,’’ one
man who survived the tragedy
said in de.scrlbing the weather.
’The steep mountainsides were
already soaked and the sod was
water logged before the rain be
gan to fall in its greatest inten
sity and for four hours “the rains
fell and the floods descended’’
Without letup. Great masses of
earth slipped from their moor
ings 4,000 feet above sea level
and rushed with destructive force
down to the ravines below. When
they hit the ravines t|tey didn’t
stop but thupdered on down the
beds of what had been little
streams in a madi rush tor the
vallsye faeltnr. In the valleys the
onnsh of mnlt^Ued tbousande
of tons o( water, dlrt,>roelEs and
tretf' Blaokened tat little nnti'
they disintegrated Into drifts, s
W.hile purchase of the property
at Ronda has been considered
and proposals have been advanc
ed to the company by the owner,
Mr. Moore said definitely today
that no business transaction had
been made by the company f*
that plant or on any other pro
posal and that at the present
time he was undecided about f»-
ture plans.
He did say, however, that early
action is necessary and that thw
company will formulate plans to
resume operations at some loca
tion as soon as possible.
Mr. Moore lost a plant in the
1916 flood and the loss of the
Home Chair company factory is
the August 14 flood this year
prompted his exj-ressed declsiow
not to rebuild on the old location.
ri;
!f
American Legion
Square Daiice Fridays
.vi.
Pat M. WilHams, recogidied a>
the best square dance csjier
theee hyar hlIU,”,.hM unuMnf|4
that tbe WUkee post o( tha. Aane^
lean Legion wlU eptafiorli; sqtiairw
dance at the -Legion aiUI ■
lary eliifahoase Friday alfht^ ec«?>
tembcW'fiOj, nntti IX A
otBd taad tfm wniaftM'-
— — - aish musle and A a >
little at a. time, nihny miles trom|g,ij,^|j) atte^^isf^ $2^^
(Continued on pug*
eouple.'