Wilkeaboro hu
radius of 50 mi
1*0,&00 people
esteru Carolina.
Trail of Pi
In the "State of Wilkes" For Over 43 Yeor*
Vol. No» 43 No. 99
NORTH WILKESBORfy N. C„ Monday. March 27. 1
F RECEPTION COMMITTEE WELCOMES RUBINOFF TO THIS CITY
1 — 1 1 n — I
% Here are shown some of the members of the North Wijlkesboro Lions Club's recep
tion committee who greeted Rubin off, world famous violinist, when he arrived here
Wednesday morning for a series of school appearances and a fconcert • sponsored by
the Lions. Left to right are: Paul Cashion, district governor of Lions and Rubinoff
if committee chairman; R. T. McNiel, mayor of North Willcesboro; Mrs. Rubinoff,
Rubinoff and his violin; Tom Jenrette, manager of the Wilkes Chamber of Com
merce; and W. D. Jester, Lions Club president. — (Photo by S. Lane Atkinson, Jr.)
Series Pre-Easter
Services To Begin
Sunday, April 2nd
Pastors To Exchange Pulpits
In Wilkesboros At Even
ing Services
A series of Communty Pre-East
er services ■will be held in the
churches of the Wilkesboros
April 2-7 with ministers of the
Wilkesboros participating.
Members of all churches and
visitors are cordially invited to
tag, April 8, 7:30, at Wllkes
boro Baptist church with Rev.
Russell L. Young, First Methodist
pastor here, as the speaker. Re
mainder of the schedule of ser
vices, which will be at 7:30 each
evening, is as follows:
Monday, April 3 — Rev. B. M.
Lackey, rector, at St. Paul's Epis
copal church in Wilkesboro.
Tuesday, April 4 — Dr. John T.
Wayland, First Baptist pastor, at
Wilkesboro Methodist church.
Wednesday, April 5 — Prof.
Leo K. Pritchett at First Bap
tist church in North Wilkesboro.
Thursday, April 6 — Rev. C.
Jay Winslow, Wilkesboro Meth
odist pastor, at First Presbyter
ian church in North Wilkesboro.
$. JYiday, April 7 — Rev. W. N.
' Brtokshire, Wilkesboro Baptist
pastor, at First Methodist church
in North Wilkesboro.
Offerings at the services, after
• deductions of small incidental ex
Wkaases, will go to Church World
Service for use in world relief and
rehabilitation.
WiMHfe Ctob
To Hold Meeting
A meeting of the Wilkes Coun
ty Wildlife Club will be held at
the Courthouse on Thursday,
March 30, 1950, at 7:30 p. m.
Troy L. Perry, recently elected
president of the club, urges every
one interested In the wildlife of
Wilkes County to attend. Sever
al important matters will be taken
up and plans made for the club's
work during 1950.
Regardless of what sport you
particularly enjoy, plan to attend
meeting, and help make the
Wilkes Cdmnty Club one of the
strongest in North Carolina.
. o —
District Meeting
W.C.T.U. March 30
PlStrict number 9 of W. C. T.
U. will meet Thursday, March
80, ten S. m., at Broad Street
Methodist church in Statesvllle.
The district Is made up of Ashe,
Alleghany, Alexander, Wilkes,
Surry, Yadldn, Davie, Iredell and
► Xjjptan counties.
Tirs. J. W. Garner, of Hamp
tonville, said in announcement of
the meeting: "Members and In
terested friends are urged to at
Hitd. Bring s covered dish. Let's
get busy and organise some un
ions. Ypu need us. We need you.
PMA Seed Program
Will End March 31
■
IT was announced today by
Maude S. Miller, secretary to the
Wilkes County PMA committee,
that Friday, March 31 would be
the closing date for issuing pur
chase orders for grass seed.
Mrs. Miller urges all farmers
who have not received their share
of assistance to attend to this
matter immediately since the al
location for 1950 is more than
half spent.
All farmers who have unfilled
purchase orders are reminded to
present them to some approved
dealer between now and the close
date.
—o
Mrs. Hoots Rites
Held On Saturday
Funeral service was held Sat
urday, 11 a. m., at Pleasant
Home church for Mrs. Margaret
H. Hoots, 70, who died Wednes
day at her home in the Roaring
River community.
A member of a widely known
Wilkes family, Mrs. Hoots was a
daughter of the lath William A.
and Millie Mastin Tharpe, and
wife of the late L. S. Hoots. Sur
viving are one daughter, Mrs.
Christy Alexander, of Roaring
River; three brothers, L«. M.
Tharpe, of Charlotte, B. !».
Tharpe of Bel Air Md., N. S.
Tharpe, of Roaring River; two sis
ters, Mrs. T. F. Byrf of Ronda,
Mrs. E. W. Settle of Benham.
R3v. EMi Jordan and Rev. Eli
Smith conducted the funeral.
Rev. J. H. Wilcoxen
Is Claimed By Death;
Funeral Saturday
Rev. J. H. Wilcoxen, 78, fpr
many years a well known minis
ter of the Summit community of
Wilkes county, died Wednesday
following a lengthy illness.
Born December 23, 1871, Rev.
Mr. Wilcoxen was a son of the
late Elijah and Annie Parson Wil
coxen, of Ashe county. However,
he spent a greater part of his life
in Wilkse and preached at sever
al Baptist churches. He was a
Mason and was active in com
munity and public life.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs.
Nancy Wilcoxen and one daugh
ter, Mrs. Belva Woodle, of Sum
mit.
Funeral service was held Satur
day, two p. m., at Blue Ridge
church. Rev. Olenn Huffman and
Rev. Lee Beshears conducted the
service. Grave rites were con
ducted by members of the Masonic
lodge.
. o——
Mrs. W. Vt. Miller, Sr., and
Mrs. Thomas Crysel, of Wilkes
boro, were visitors In Winston
Salem Saturday.
o
Following students of Wake For
est oollege are spending <the spring
holidays this week at their respec
tives homes: Rev. Dean Minton,
Rev. Victor Watts, Mr. Jimmie
Moore. Mr. Bill Casey, Mr. Lynn
Kerbaugh, Miss Betty Campbell.
Mr. Dick McNiel, Miss Maxlne
Hayes of- Ronda, and Mr. Cecil
Former of North Wilkeeboro route
two.
locals
M<ag Arlette Hemden, of Cin
cinatti, Ohio, spent the week-end
here as guest of Mr. and Mrs. 8.
L. WhiUker.
Miss Elizabeth Smith, of New
bern, and who teaches in Char
lotte, was a guest here during the
week-end in the home of Mr.
and Mrs. W. O. Absher.
Sheriff C. G. Poindexter was
stricken ill Saturday afternoon
and "was carried to the Wilkes
hospital. However, his condition
has improved rapidly and he was
expected to return home today.
Miss Dot Sfctfl lemSwad*****
resume her studies at the West
minister Choir School at Prince
ton, N. J., after spending the
spring holidays here with her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Shell,
who accompanied her as far as
Greensboro.
Mis§ Margaret Anderson, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. James M. An
derson and Miss Betsy Barber,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William
Barber, students of Woman's Col
lege in Greensboro, are spending
the spring holidays at their re
spective homes this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Harry Hettiger
and Mrs. Hettiger's. sister, Miss
Audrey Templeton, went to Cam
den, S. C., Friday for the week
end. They went down to attend
the polo matches and while there
visited with Mr. John Speaks,
cousin of Mrs. Hettiger and Miss
Templeton, and Mrs. Speaks.
Mr. and Mrs. P. W, Eshelman
returned last week from a visit at
New York City. They were Joined
by their son, Mr. Tom Eshelman,
student at Princeton University,
and they visited their other son,
Mr. Ward Eshelman, Yale Univer
sity student, wh| has been ill for
some time. I
Mrs. Harry D. Kellett, of
Greensboro, was elected last week
as president of the Greensboro
Junior Woman's club. Mrs. Kel
lett is the former Miss Jane Whic
ker, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.
H. Whicker, Sr., of North Wilkes
boro. Special speaker at the meet
ing was Mrs. Edward M. Ander
son, of West Jefferson, state pre
sident.
Mr. and Mrs. Dermont Smith
and two daughters, Misses Donna
and Toby Smith, and Mrs. Harvey
Smith, of Thomasville,. mother
of Mr. Smith, left Friday for
Charleston, West Virginia, where
they spent the week-end with
Mr. and Mrs. O. M. Burton. Mre.
Burton is a daughter of the lat
ter Mrs. Smith.
—o :
Doctors Begia
Extension Work
Extension service of the North
Carolina University school of
medicine tomorrow will begin a
series of extension course clinics
for doctors in northwestern North
Carolina.
The meetings will be on Tues
day afternoons and evenings, al
ternating between North Wilkes
boro and Rlkin. The first will be
tomorrow, three p. m., at Hotel
Wilkes. Dr. Gilbert Horrix, of
Lehey Clinic, Boston, will discuss
"Neurosurgical Problems in Gen
eral Practice. Their Diagnosis
and Treatment."
North Wilkesboro fire depart
ment at 11:30 this morning An
swered a call to extinguish a
grass fire near Oak Furniture
company plant.
—o
RUMMAGE SALE
Members of the First Metho
dist church are urged to make
donations for the rummage sale
to be held Saturday, April 1st,
on Tenth Street. The sale will
begin at nine o'clock.
Widely Known Manufactur
er Died Saturday Morn
ing; Was Pioneer Here
—
• James Robert FInley» pioneer
industrialist, church and civic
leader, died Saturday morning at
his home in North Wilkesboro.
Born May 29, 1864, Mr. Fin
ley was a member of one of the
state's best known families, a son
of the late John T. and Sarah
Gordon Finley. He was born at
Oakland, the ancestral Gordon
home, which was recently re
moved from the site of the "Wilkes
General hospital now under con
struction.
He and his brother, J. T. Fin
ley established and operated the
first merchantile business here
before North "Wilkesboro was for
med and before a railroad was
built to this community. When
North Wilkesboro was formed in
1890 he was the town's first post
master.
In 1901 Mr. Finley with asso
ciates organized the Forest Furni
ture company, now one of the
leading industries in northwestern
North Carolina. He served the
manufacturing firm as secretary
and treasurer from its organiza
tion until his death.
Widely known in the furniture
manufacturing industry, Mr. Fin
ley was a frast president of the
Southern Furniture Manufactur
ers; Association. Active in civic
work throughout his life, Mr. Fin
ley was a past president of the
North Wilkesboro Kiwanis club.
He was a leader in many efforts
to promote better roads and was
the originator of the "Key to the
Blue Ridge" slogan which ap
pears on North Wilkesboro auto
license tags. „ .
Mr. Finley was a charter mem
ber of the Fir* Preabyterton
„■>. - «■— itTjuri Tl • tfeHlkAfihnrvv Alld
ur IN on u tpu n tssuuxi/ •»«
at tke time of Wter Mn ww seu^J
lor Elder* ' In/the church hw
held many j|»«ttions of leader
ship and otift a long period was
church school superintendent.
Surviving Mr. Finley a're his
wife, the foHner Miss Fannie Cam
eron, of Harnett county; two dau
ghters, Mrs. S. P. Mitchell and
Miss Kate Finley; one grandson,
Phil Mitchell, all of North Wilkes
boro; also • number of nieces and
nephews. He was preceded in
death by one daughter, Mrs. W.
C. Grier.
Funeral service was held Sun
day, three p. m., at the First
Presbyterian church. Conducting
the service was Rev. George Ogil
vie, a nephew, assisted by Rev.
John W. Luke, of Ashe county.
Burial was in Greenwood ceme
tery.
"pall bearers were great
nephews, Gordon Finley, Jr.,
Charles Harvey Greenlee, Jr.,
Billy Greenlee, Hubert Winkler,
Gordon Ogilive and John Finley.
Honorary pall bearers were elders
and deacons of the First Presby
terian church.
Fire Here Today
Here is pictured what remained of Brett Cothren's
pickup after It collided head-on with Dewey Bjrrd'i
truck near Roaring River Monday. Mr. Cothren was in
stantly crushed to death in the wreckage shown here.
Mr. Bryd, driver of the truck, was badly injured but is
recovering. — (Photo by S. Lane Atkinson, Jr.).
Bloodshed Boxscore
On N, C. Highways
Killed March 21 through March
23, 6.
Injured March 21 through
March 23, 67.
Killed through March 23 this
year, 199.
Killed through March 23, 1949,
170.
Injured through March 23, this
year, 2,392.
Iajured through March 23,
1949, 1.738.
Wilkes Purebred
Swine Sale 15th
*
By J. P. CHOPIJN
Wilkes Agent
Wilkesboro, March 15 at which
time thirty head of breeding stock
were sold at: auction for $1320.50
or an average of $44.02. Fifteen'
purebred swine breeders brought
in stock frotn all parts of the
state. Some as far as Duplin,
Wayne and Pitt Counties. Colonel
Harry Hamilton of Boone was the
auctioneer. Breeds of swine in
cluded in the sale were Berk
shires, Tamwgrths, Hampshires,
Poland China, Duroc and Spotted
Poland China.
This sale was sponsored by the
North. Carolina Swine Breeders
Association and was conducted by
Paul Choplln and the other local
farm agents and assisted by Mr.
H. D. Quess^nberry of the N. C.
Department of Agriculture, J. S.
Buchanan, If. C. State College
Extension Service.
—o '
Mrs. Augusta Sole
Claimed By Death
Funeral service was held today
at Cranberry Baptist church for
Mrs. Augusta Sale, 83-year-old
resident of the Cranberry com
munity who died Saturday at her
home. Rev. L. T.~ Younger con
ducted the last ritfes.
Surviving Mrs Sale are one son,
J. Everette ^ale, of Winston-Sa
lem; one daughter, Mrs. Charlie
Mathls, of Rearing River; and
one brother, #m Mathls, of Roar
ing River; fU^o seven grandchild
ren.
—o —;
Optimist Club
The Optimist club will meet
Tuesday at 12 o'clock at Hotel
Wilkes. Election of officers. All
members urged to attend.
MAY FORM COMMUNITY
RECREATION CODICIL HERE
Community Recreation Council
may be formed in tbe Wilkesboros
as an outgrowth of the Wilkes
'Teen Age center, it was learned
here today.
For the past several years a
'Teen Age Center has been in op
eration at Wilkesboro and North
Wilkesboro schools, and during
one period at a downtown center.
But in the present school term
the directors felt th-rt. the need
was being adequately met by plan
ned programs in the schools.
The Teen Age Center has been
finance*) _,by contributions from
ciric oranisations, and the or
ganisation has been controlled by
a board of directors made up of
representatives of the sponsoring
^ " . ; -
- "
The contributing organisations
are being- a^ked if -they would
prefer that the project be ex
panded into a Community Recrea
tion Council which would aid in
promoting recreation for all ages,
and which would serve as a clear
ing house for various recreation
al programs in the community.
However, the directors pointed
out that the organization would
not dictate to any individual
groups concerning their recrea
tion programs, but would sore,
if requested to correlate activi
ties for the benefit of the great
est number of people possible.
This council, if formed, would
serve in advisory capacity to the
Nortt Wllkesboro recreation di
Grant Holbrook
Gets 18-24 Yean
For KiHins Hemric
Jury Returns Verdict Of
Second Degree Murder
Late Friday Afternoon
Grant (Skinny) Holbrook was
sentenced in Wilkes court Friday
to 18 to 24 years In the peniten
tiary for the rifle slaying of Paul
Hemric, 88, of Ronda, on the af
ternoon of December 17 at Hol
brook's store near Traphill.
The Jury returned the verdict
of guilty of second degree mur
der at 5:15 p. m., after deliber
ating for one and one-half hours.
Judge J. C. Rudlslll pronounced
sentence.
Trial— of Holbrook began Wed
nesday with selection of a jury
from 75 Wilkes veniremen.
Witnesses for the state said
that a quarrel in which Holbrook
and Hemric participated started
in Holbrook's store relative to the
Quality of liquor they had been
sampling. Later Hemric went out
and was followed by Holbrook,
who came back in a few minutes
and went out with a high powered
rifle. A, neighbor who said she
saw the man from a distance of
150 yards said that Holbrook was
following Hemric with the gun
when she heard the shot fired.
The bullet entered the side of
Hemrlc's head. Holbrook's defense
was that Hemric was, striking at
him with a knife when he struck
at Hemric with the gun barrel
and the gun accidentally dia*
charged.
Attorneys for Holbrook gave
notice of appeal to the supreme
court. M - ■ '■ •.;
Coble Drivers Get
Safety Awards
- Ninety-seven men who are as
sociated with the Coble Dairy
products, Incorporated,, hare
been recognized in a natiorf-wide
safe driving contest conducted by
Employers Mutual Liability In
surance Company of Wausau, Wis
consin. Drivers throughout North
Carolina and Virginia received
various awards for their unblem
ished records of safe driving.
Wilkesboro award winners
were as follows: Wheeler A. Tea
gue merited an award for seven
'ears pf accident-free driving; Roy
Van Wiles received a six-year
award, while Allie O. McCee re
ceived a five-year award. Rich
ard £>. Adams earned a four-year
award, two-year awards went to
Barney Church, Roy C. Russell,
Phillip Li. Scroggs, and James E.
Duvall; while Avery U. Dillard,
Earl W. Parsons, W. Gaither
Treadway, Wesley R. - White,
George S. Wilson, Homer A.
Carlton, Cary G. Glass, Jr., Bruce
Hall, Harold E. McGrady, and
Clyde R. Sebastian were present
ed ^ith one-year awards.
These men jpln ranks of many
throughout the eountry who have
been honored by the insurance
company for their skill and cau
tion behind the wheel.
^ ' —I O—1—r~ :—
Man less Wedding
will Be Presented
Junior ,class of Mountain View
high school wfll present "Manless
play, on Fri
7:30 o'clock,
Farther Infromation Asked
On Application For
'Phone Rate Increase
Ten additional communities In
Wilkes county have filed peti
tions for rural telephone service
since the Jforth Carolina Utilities
Commission held a public hear
ing here February 2, it was learn
ed today from the Trnasportatlon
and Utilities Committee of the
Wilkes Chamber of Commerce,
original petitioner.
Fourteen communities were re
presented, at the hearing, which
resulted in an order of the com
mission that Central Telephone
company, which serves the
Wilke8boros and ajacent areas,
make a detailed surrey of costs .
and anticipated revenues of con
struction in communities want
ing. telephones.
In accordance with a provision
of the order allowing petitioners
to amend or add requests, the
Chamber of Commerce has for
warded the new petitions, along
with four amended petitions from
areas already included, 'to the
Utflities Commission.
The additional communities
are: along Cart Path road 3 1-2
miles from North Wilkesboro and
between*highway 18 and Moun
tain View road; from Mountain
View community along Traphill,
Rock Creek and highway 268
roads; along old highway 60 four
miles east of Wilkesboro; Goshen
and Brown's Ford communities
mat of Wilkesboro along high
way 268; Buck community on
Halfway Hill road; from Boomer
to Caldwell line; from Ferguson
to Caldwell line; from Ferguson
to highway . 18 ~ through; Beaver :
Creek community; Wllbar com
munity along and between new
cation Central Telephone com
pany for rate Increases and filed
a request for further information
relative to increased costs and
increased revenue by the com
pany in recent years.
Maurice Walsh, postmaster and
committee member, reported on
efforts being made by the com
mittee and the postoffice here to
have the highway postoffice ar
rive one hour earlier each, morn
ing.
. Larry" Moore, committee chair
man, presided over the meeting..
Members attneding were Maurice
Walsh, J. B. Williams, C. Arthur
Venable, Jde Darlington, M. F.
Bumgarner,: J. L. Grogan, Paul
Greene, E. F. Caudlll, M. C.
Woodie, Cecil F. Adamson, J. "WjL
Leyshon and Tom Jenrette.
New Recruiter Is
Stationed In City
This week a change was made
in the army recruitfhg assign
ment in North Wflkesboro.
Sgt. Earl Triplett, a Wilkes
man who had been stationed here
for four years, was assigned to
line duty with the 44th tank ba
tallion at Fort Bragg.
Replacing Sgt. Triplett as re
cruiter here is Master Sergeant
Arthur Eiserman, of Atlanta, a
veteran of ten years in the army
air force. Sgt. Eiserman, his wife
and six-year-old daughter, are
now making their home here.
Sgt. Triplett's family is expecting
to move to Fort Bragg in the
near future.
Sgt. Eiserman will be on duty
at the North Wilkesboro town
hall here each week, Tuesday
through Friday, 'and will be in
Sparta on Mondays. ■:
Mrs. Nancy Baity
' Funeral Held Today
Funeral service was held this
afternc on at Hunting Creek Bap
tist church-for Mrs. Nancy Baity,
68, who died Saturday at her
home in the North Wilkesboro
route three oomm unity.
Mrs. Baity wai a daughter -of
the late Jerry and Sallle Ander
son Brooks, apd wife of the late
Arthur Baity. Surviving are one
son,. Boss Baity, of North Wllkee
boro route' three, and six daugh
ters: Mrs. Lester Hayes and Mrs.
Mansfield ifevette,. Of North Wil
kesboro route three; Mrs. Law
rence Marlowe, 6f y
Mrs. Wesley Marlowe,
mony; Mrs. James Worl
lorsville; Mrs. Isaac Worley, of
Hlddenite; Mrs. Woedrow Farm
er, of Statesville.