ius of SO milM, ,000 people & a Carolina. f ress in the "State of Wilkes" For Over 43 Published Monday. April 24.1950 . ma JL TvlVH DivWh# Ih Fish Like Snday Meal Highway 115 Arthur Byrd Sinks In 12 Feet Of Water In Lake Sooth Of This City Arthur Byrd, 16-year-old student of Wilkesboro school, drowned Sunday afternoon In a fish lake near highway 115, twelve miles south of North Wilkesboro. The boy was swimming In the lake, watchers on the bank told Coroner L M, Myers, who investigated the death, when he sank in IS feet of water and did not eome jap. Efforts to recover his body failed until Highway Patrolman Sidney Carter arrived on the scene, and dived and brought up the body. The drowning victim was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Byrd, Mpef the Rock Creek community. W Recently he had made his home with Mr. and Mrs. Lester Beshears near this city in order to continue school at Wilkesboro ■ after his parents had moved from this community. The fish lake where the accident occurred was constructed the past year by Robert Holland and Lester Beshears. The lake had not been opened for fishing and swimming. Surviving the Byrd youth are his father and mother, Harvey and Bvie Sales Byrd, of North Wilkesboro route two, and two brothers, Monroe Byrd, of Greensboro, and Eugene Byrd, of North Wilkesboro. Short Story Contest Will End April 30th Short story contest sponsored by the North Wilkesboro Junior Woman's Club will end April SO. This contest Is open to all high school students in Wilkes County. Prises of five and ten dollars will be given in two groups: the junior and senior group and the freshman and sophomore group. Entries must be sent to Mrs. James Ford, North Wilkesboro. o—■ Attorney and Mrs. J. H. Whick-1 er were business visitors in Ra-| leiKh Friday. Wilkesboro Chorus In Music Festival Twenty-five members of the Wilkesboro high school mixed chorus participated with 45 othei high school groups in the state music festival held in Greens bore Wednesday night. The total chorut had 500 voices* The Wilkesborc group, under direction of Mrs. 0. T. Doughton, gained the privilege of participating by having received a rating of "very good" in the district contests In addition to chorus memberi those frpm Wilkesboro attending Included John Prevette, Mrs. Lacs Huffman and daughter, Miss Lac; Huffman, and Mr. and Mrs. Slater Prevette. o—; Smith And Horner Deliver Speeches In Wilkes Connty Candidates Active In Campaigns Fpr Congress And Senate Seats Willis Smith, prominent Raleigh attorney who is making a determined bid for the United States senate seat now held bj Senator Frank Graham, and W. E. Horner, Sanford publisher opposing Represnetatlve C. B. Deanc in the primary for the Democratic nomination for congress, were busy in Wilkes last week. At noon Friday Candidate Smith addressed the North Wilkesboro Kiwanis club and on Friday night delivered' a campaign address to an audience at the Wilkes courthouse, where he was presented by Attorney W. H. McKlwee. The candidate was well received by audiences at both places. In addition to speaking, Mr. Smith called on many of his friends in Wilkes during the day. He was accompanied by his son, Willis Smith, Jr. Candidate Horner spoke on Wednesday^pight at Ron da school and on Thursday night at Millers Creek. In both speeches he attacked spending policies of ■ the federal government and the record of his opponent in congress. Mr. Horner had with him a complete string.band, which entertained the crowds with folk music. M.-SGT. LONG, PLANE CRASH SURVIVOR, IS VISITING HERE M-Sgt. Gwynne A. Long, U. S. Air Corp:,, has returned to WaahViagton, D. C., and thence to Ottawa, Canada, to re-enter a hospital there for farther treatment after a visit of several days with relatives and friends here. M-Sgt. Long is recuperating from injuries tWecelved when he Jumped from *T&e burning plane on which U. S. Ambassador Laurence A Steinhardt and four others lost their Jives, March 29. With reference to the crash M-Sgt. Long said: "I told them to get out of the plane." said Long, who was crew chief of the air force C-47 transport. "But something happened and they didn't move. I guess there wasn't time. Everything was happening so fast. And there was a terrific noise. I've only a vague memory of what went on in the cabin in the few seconds before I decided to Jump." Long said the plane's right wing blew up in "very spontaneous fire" when the plane was about 3,000 feet in the air and that flames shot Into the cabin within 45 seconds after the explosion. He said the pilot, LL Col. W. F. Trueblood, told him he would fly . a level course to give passengers a chance to Jump. "He told me to go back and get the others to Jump," Long said, "I realize there were only si* to seven seconds left before we would crash so I balled out. I went through the door on the left side of the plane." ' He said he did not remember to push any of the pasout the door. There was no question of arguthem," he said. "There time, any more t^an to tell _ __ get out of the plane. They i't say anything at all that I and sisters of M-Sgt. Long who reside in North Wilkesboro are: Mr. and Mrs. Bron Long, Mr. and Mrs. Herman Long, Mr. and Mrs. Hobert Long and Mr. and Mrs. Bryce Hlgglns. : O T. S. Myers, Age 65, Dies Unexpectedly Tyre Sylvester Myers, 65, member of a widely known Wilkes family, died unexpectedly Saturday at his home near Dockery. ? Wilkes Coroner I. M. Myers, who Investigated the death, attributed death to a sudden heart attack. Mr. Myers was stricken Just after he had walked from his house to his barn. Born June 29, 1884, Mr. Myers was a son of the late George Ellha and Mary Staley Myers. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Maude Bryan Myers: one son, Staley Myers, a chief machinist mate In the navy and three daughters, Mrs. Vaughn Prultt of El kin, Mrs. Dock Wheeler and Mrs. H. o. Martin, of North Wilkeeboro. Funeral will be held Tuesday, 2:80, at Mt. Plsagh church near Dockery. Rev. L. E. Sparks and Rev. Mr. Weatherman will conduct the services. o Senior Class Of Millers Creek To Give "Spring Fever" "Spring Fever", the three-act comedy by Ray Hodges will be presented at the Millers Greek auditorium by the senior Class of Millers Creek high school on Friday evening, April 28, at 7:45. Admittance will be 50c for adults and 25c for children. [>•' 0 Renew Concert Membership. " 'y "" -nil ■■ Two Auto* Collide Head-on; Three Are Critci&lly Injured Saturday A six-year-old boy was killed and three critically injured Saturday afternoon when two can collided on highway 421 eight miles east of here. Monroe Sparks, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Sparks, who reside about 1* miles east of this city, died at six p. m., two hours following the accident. His mother sustained multiple injuries and nay not recover. His father received severe cuts, bruises and possibly internal injuries. Lawrence Call, of North Wilkesboro route three, received severe cuts and chest injuries. All persons are patients at the hospital here. The car driven by Call was traveling west on the highway when it collided head-on with the car driven by Robert Sparks. Both vehicles were demolished. Renew Concert Membership, * mwwn nv«*w, mwucur r*ui female, 70, oi Amiens, France, pose* with his wilt and the newest addition to the Demaie family after he became a father tor the thirty-sixtlr time. His first wife bore him twenty-four children and the present one, twelve. (International) SCHOOL BOARDS. AND P.-T. A. FAVORING SCHOOL MERGER ■ u. m ' At a joint meeting of members of the Wilkes County and North Wllkesboro boards of education held Friday night the proposed annexation of Wllkeeboro high to North Wllkesboro high was discussed at length and certain recommendations were made. The meeting recommended that tba lfcmgjUon property In 1<WHkeeJ»oro be need a« the site of a central high school and that a building be started as soon as possible with funds available. In (he event that available tends would not be sufficient to erect a building large enough to house the entire qentral school at present, that students of Wllkesboro high school be housed there first, because of extremely crowded conditions in Wllkesboro buildings, and that North Wilkecfboro students be taken into the school when the buildnig is large enough. It was also recommended that the central school begin - operation under the North Wllkesboro special charter With the provision that Wllkesboro join the district by voting the supplement tax now in force in North Wllkesboro. Meeting with the two schools boards wdre C. B. filler, £ounty superintendent of schools, and M. F. Absher and C. C. Sldden, members Of the Wilkes county board of commissioner's. Members of the county board of commissioners present, who had already stated willingness to appropriate $13,000 as half the cost of the proposed site in addition to avalable i funds* stated that the appropriation over a two Renew Concert Membership. year period could possibly be raised to $26,009, which represents total cost of t&e site. North Wllkesboro hig^L school bund received superior rating in the state contest held Friday in Greensboro. t Superior rating is the highest (given In the music contest and is coveted by all participants. \ In addition to receiving the highest rating possible, the band was highly complimented by many members Of the audience for the superior performance given at the contest. Directed by Miss Era Bingham the band has made wonderful progress in recent years. The right to participate in the state contest was earned by receiving a superior rating In the recent district contest. All who have relatives burled in Purlear cemetery are asked to be at the cemetery Wednesday afternoon, with tools and ready to work on improving the cemetery. Cemetery Working PARADE LAUNCHES CLEAN-UP EVENT w V* M A OT_ VIM . m m * — a ■*»«. viwiu-w^! * Muvvyt jrAA-uy, event opened in the Wllkeeboros today with a clean-up parade and demonstrations by leading citiznes showing they could. do the work. The parade used to open the campaign and interest people in the subject of beautlficatkm started in Wllkesboro at 1:3b and attracted much Interest as it marched through streets of both towna. In the parade were official cars carrying the leaders of the twoweeks campaign, which is sponsored by the Civic Activities committee Of the Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, Woman's clubs and the Garden club. Student groups from Wilkesboro school participated in Wilkesboro and in North Wllkesboro the parade wau ' joined by the North Wllkesboro high school band and student groups. In each instance these groups carried tools and materials emphasising the theme of the event and posters m»UV UJ OVUWl VliUUIQU. AUIOO tracks with tools, materials and workmen emphasised paint-up clean-up and fix-up. Following the parade In Wilkeeboro a croup of citizens headed by Mayor W. E. Smlthey and Wm. T. Long, school principal, demonstrated clean-up on public property. In £?orth Wilkesboro Jack Swofford, acted as foreman of a group of citizens, with Mrs. G. E. Jenkins, Sr., as supervisor. Mr. Swofford's helpers were designed as follows: J. B. "Bull of the Brushles" Williams, Maurice "Uncle Sam" Walsh, Charlie "White Horse" Jenkins, Gilbert "Fair Deal" Bare, "Beagle" Joe McCoy. W. G. "Belk" Gabriel, Link "Macy" Spainhonr, Bill "Spic And Span" Marlow, "Diamond'' Jim Carter, "Homes" Robin Wooten. This group really put on a show. Dressed to the extreme, they were rery closely supervised ss ,they cleaned parts of Main and i Tenth streets to prefection. ► ' Without a dissenting rote a crowd oI about 300 patrons of North Wilkesboro school at the Parent-Teacher Association meeting Thursday night voted in favor of the North Wilkes bo ro-Wilkeeboro high school annexation plan recommended by a surrey panel appointed by the state department of public Instruction. The plan as recommended by the state panel favored the Doughton property it Wttkeeboro as site for the school, which would operate under the present city charter here with any areas adjaoent to North Wilkesboro, including Wilkes boro and other adjoining areas, having the right to vote into the charter district. Dermont Smith, P.-T. A. president, presided over the meeting and devotional was conducted by Miss Rebecca Raper. Rufus Church, member of the city board of education, presented two members of the survey committee appointed by Dr. Clyde Erwin, state superintendent of public instruction, Claude Griggs, superintendent of Albemarle schools, and Jim Slfford, Stanley county school superintendent. Mr. Sifford was first'speaker. He explained that the committee of five made a survey of the school situation in North Wilkesboro, Wilkesboro, Pairplains, Mulberry, Moravian Falls and other adjacent communities. At Wilkesboro he said crowded conditions were the second wont that he had witnessed in Jhe state, and that the school has 300 more students than It has room for. At North Wilkesboro he said conditions were not as bad but the school was lacking in facilities, including adequate room for library, scinece department, band and extra curricula activities. He stated that consolidation of high schools of the Wilkesboros into a central high school was the logical solution. He said the high school students removed from present buildings in the two towns would allow room for elementary atudents and would make possible the bringing In of Pairplains and eliminate the necessity ot a school building there. The speakers said they found that the Wilkesboros are in reality one community, and that available building funds for Wilkesboro, North Wilkesboro and Pairplains could be pooled to build a central high school, while neither place has enough money to do decent building Jobs individually. They said that there is a danger that fuqds will be dissipated by division instead of building something to make better educational advantages. The speakers described sites visited, Including the county home property, Johnston property and the Doughton property, which they said being centrally located was (Continued on Page 6) nT ,*e *ill hi aod ««3* Ct^«. Tor 7£\ . ^/acert Association - tue subject of the Lions Club program Friday craning, which I had a large attendance of Lions I present. Recor dines —ih» - - «ui<l non spoke briel _. The membership drive tor Community Concerts will be held in the near future, but present members are asked to send their re- i newals to Miss Scroggs or Mrs. < W. D. Halfacre and save much 1 work and time on the part of volunteer workers and members. Fred Davis and Sam OgilTie j were In charge of the program. WHIbtaitiTir He said our government, jg im- . portant, next to our home and i oar church. It is Important in i our daily life. It Is Important to : our liberty. He said in the recent i years there has arisen the idea ; that the state is supreme. Our < nation has not grown great through that idea. Our people hare been different to the peoples of the world, and that difference J has made us the greatest nation i in the world— True, we have great resources, but the other i countries also hare resources, but ] their means of using them hare not led to greatness. Our kind of! government has made the difference. The prevailing ideas of great power i» the hands of these who govern us and their inclination to spend more on government than it can collect from the people is decidedly destructive in its nature. Guests Friday were as follows: Ben Stimson with H. H. Morehouse, Maurice Walsh with Tom Jenrette, James M. Anderson with J. B. WilliMMbriff. Floyd Wood- ' ward with Irfc P*£ne, Charlie Jenkins with Jobtfgjfalker, Clarence P. Coffey withxW' B. Ellor, Aveiy Waddell and Willis Smith, Jr., with W. H. McElwee, Roland Potter with John Cashion. Following the luncheon several members went to Millers Creek to Join in the high school program there pesenting a charter to the newly organised Key club. OrBBftriTj; To Meet Tiealay The Optimist Club of North Wilkeeboro will meet Tuesday, April 25thP at noon at Hotel Wilkes. Mr. J. Floyd Woodward, superintendent of the eity school, will address the club. Frailer Truck Crashes Into Ditch Near Wade Harris Bridge Thursday A Tom&urllle, Georgia, business Bsn was killed sad his partner ras Injured Thursday afternoon rhen a truck got out of control >n highway 421, 23 miles west of lere and crashed. John Mel Gunter, 26, elected 0 jump from the speeding truck ind was killed. With him was Jlyde Barnes his partner in the rucking firm of Gunter and Barles. Barnes remained in the ruck and sustained only bruises ind shock. <He received treatment it the hospital here. Wilkes Coroner 1. M. Myers ind members of the state highway >atrol Investigated the accidnet Sarnes told them that he snd hunter were carrying a load of nerchandlse by. tractor-trailer rom Clncinsttl, Ohio, to Georgia, md that Gunter was driving. They lacked only one mile of ■caching the bottom of the long Blue Ridge grade when the >rakes weakened to such an exent that they would not hold the oaded truck In _pheck. They had ust passed over the 110-foot tigh Wade Harris bridge when lunter tried vainly to change the ruck into a lower gear to slow its irogress. Barnes said the motor tad stalled, apparently from carinretor trouble, and the drtrer :ould not change the gears. Gutter chose to jump from the cab md apparently was run over by 1 wheel Of the heavily laden trail>r. Barnes said he tried to stop the truck with the emergency Mrakes but it sweveted Into the eft side ditch sad the tractor >art stopped after partially climb- % xactor. Merchandise from the ruck scattered .over a wide area >f the highway and roadside. Body of Gunter was taken to rhomasville, Georgia for buriaL u Local People To Establish Radio Station In Boone Tbe Wilkes Broadcasting Com>any announces that through the (ffort and cooperation of - the 3oone Chamber of Commerce, the federal Communications Oomaiasion has granted them a permit o establish a 250-watt station at Soone. The station will be a local >utlet and will begin operation iround July 1. The Wilkes Broadlasting Company operates WKBC, ;he 1,000 Watt station in North Wilkesboro. Owners of the Wilkes Broadlasting company, which will opsrate both stations, are Mrs. Doris 3. Brown, president and general nanager; John T. Cashion, rice (resident; Roland B. Potter, secretary-treasurer. . I O Mrs. Godfrey Is Taken By Death Mrs. Tennie Mae Godfrey, 60, rife of L. !>. Godfrey, for many rears a well known resident of Wilkesboro, died Saturday morning following a brief illness. Funeral service was held Sunlay, 2: SO p. m., at Wilkesboro Baptist church with the pastor, Eter. W. N. Brookshlre, In charge i—toted by Rev. Howard J. Ford, >f Elkin. Burial was in Monnt L<awn Memorial Park. Mrs. Godfrey was born January 18, 1890, a daughter ot the late 3tephen A. and Alice Hardin Godfrey. Surviving are her husband, two daughters, Mrs. George Parlier of Wilkesboro, and Mr*. W. A. Edens of Washington, D. C. two sons, L. H. Godfrey of Washington, D. C., and R. S. Godfrey of Wilkesboro, and six grand:hildren. o — ■ Music Recital Ensemble music recital will be jlven by the Handel Junior Musio Club, Tuesday April 2S, 8:00 p. m. at the North Wilkesboro Woman's Club..The public Is invited to attend. " u

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