NEWS-STAR-TtMES
is dedicated to covering the
News and to the promotion
of progress for all of the
people in Sparta and Alle
ghany county.
The Alleghany News
AND S^TAR-TIMES—(CONSOLIDATED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1941)—ALL EGHANY COUNTY’S ONLY NEWSPAPER.
/— .—
SPARTA NEEDS NOW ...
an industrial plant, a mo
dern. hotel, a federal post
office building and a civic
club. Let’s go after them!
VOLUME 54, NO. 12
$1.09 a Year in Alleghany Co unty
SPARTA, NORTH CAROLINA
$1.50 a Year Out of County
THURSDAY, NOV. 20, 1941
Temporary Vocational Shop Planned For Sparta High School
People
YOU KNOW
In Alleghany
By Staff Writer
LON MAC REEVES
Go past Twin Oaks about three
quarters of a mile towards New
River and you’ll see a large, two
story, white house on the right.
Surrounding the house is a white
picket fence, and at the foot of
a hill are several sheds surround
ing a new bam. From the appear
ance of the place, you know a
progressive farmer lives there.
This is the home of Lon Mac
Reeves, who certainly is a pro
gressive farmer, as well as one
of Alleghany county’s 10 rural
mail carriers. In fact, to many
people, Mr. Reeves is better
known as a mail carrier than a
farmer, because he has been car
rying the mails about 22 years.
Drove Horse and Buggy
He first carried mail using a
. horse and buggy, and many times
ihad to ride noi->e'odck v‘hi"5 *tr
weather wds bad. Then came the
days of the Model T, although Mr.
H Reeves owned a “tin lizzie” some
time before he began using it on
his mail route. Folks who drove
those early models will remem
ber many stops to repair a flat
tire, or to clean the spark plugs.
But let’s go back to the begin
ning when Lon Mac was born on
April 9 in 1898. He was born and
raised on the farm where he now
makes his home, being the son
of the late Van W. Reeves, and
Mrs. Reeves who now lives in
Sparta.
He helped out on the farm
(Continued on Page Four)
Red Cross Drive
Short Of Quota
Several Workers Not Yet Re
ported and Response Has
Been Good.
The Red Cross drive for mem
bership is continuing in Allegha
ny county this week and the re
mainder of the month with early
reports showing the roll call is
meeting with fine response but
with prospects the drive will fall
short of the $400 quota for this
county, according to Chairman
Ernest Edwards.
Mr. Edwards reported yesterday
the sum of $79.70 had been turned
in thus far by workers, with sev
eral workers yet unreported.
High school girls will be on the
street in Sparta this Saturday to
accept contributions to the Red
Cross fund. Persons not contacted
by workers were asked by Mr.
Edwards to join at the Register of
Deed’s office
All the names of members
joining were not turned in this
week, but the following were re
ported: Gov. R. A. Doughton, Dr.
N. D. Fox, Mrs. Crystal Heinz,
William Sprinkle, Jay Hardin,
‘Ben Reeves, Ed M. Anderson,
Jimmy Mitchell, Chas. R. Roe,
Farmers’ Hardware, R. Floyd
Crouse, S. C. Richardson, D. C.
Bledsoe, Sam Brown, Miss Selma
Dickson, Mrs. Sally Vass.
Richard Griggs, Mrs. Mayme
Halsey, Mrs. Ella Gentry, Miss
Mary Margaret Bates, Mrs. R. E.
Black, Ernest Edwards, Mrs. Roy
Burgiss, T. Roy Burgiss, Ralph
Evans, Hugh Perry, Amon Ed
wards, Mrs. Gfeo. Reeves, Miss
Ann Worth, Mrs. Hugh Choate,
Glenn Duncan, Mrs. C. A. Reeves,
W. A, Hooper, Mrs. A. V. Choate,
An Editorial
It isn’t often that we publish an editorial on the front
page and consequently when this is done we feel that
the subject about which we are writing is of eminent
importance and justifies immediate action on the part
of the public.
During the last election we elected a President of
the United States and members of Congress to run our
government in a Democratic way. To preserve Demo
cracy in the world, the President, the Congress and a
majority of the people of this nation decided that we
should make the armed forces of our nation so strong
that all of the combined powers of the globe could not
lick us and that we should give all possible aid to the
nations defending themselves against the aggression of
Dictator nations.
With utter disregard for these objectives and with
selfish motives more apparent than a spirit of patrio
tism, certain labor union leaders have been and are
now seriously retarding the defense program.
During the past few days John L. Lewis, C. I. O. Dic
tator, has defied the President and the Government.
The coal mine strike now threatens to tie up everything,
civilian as well as defense activities!
Who’s running this nation anyway, the President and
the Congress, or John L. Lewis? If it’s Mr. Lewis, we’re
ready to move out at once!
Certainly a crisis has been reached in the govern
ment-labor union defense program and it is high time
for the Congress to clamp down good and strong on
strikes and strikers in defense industries and mines.
The war today is still in Europe and Asia, but unless
immediate action is taken, we’ll have a war here, too.
Won’t you ask your Congressman and Senator for
prompt action?
^ -- ——— ■ wm - W,
Thanksgiving Day Is Being
Quietly Observed In Sparta
Joint service At Methodist
Church This Morning At
9:00 O’clock.
STATES DIFFERENT
Thanksgiving Holiday is being
observed here quietly today with
many taking advantage of the
[ opening of the hunting season,
some going away to witness foot
ball games and others going to
church or observing a day of rest
here at home where practically
all business will be at a stand
still.
Business houses, city and coun
ty offices, stores and banks will
observe the national holiday, as
will the schools, most of which
closed yesterday afternoon for
the remainder of the week.
A Thanksgiving service was held
at the Methodist church this
morning at 9 o’clock for all deno
minations of Sparta. Rev. C. R.
Allison delivered the sermon.
The observance of Thanksgiv
ing here and in North Carolina
marks the first time the state has
observed the early date under
Roosevelt. Thirty one other states
including Alabama, California,
Connecticut, Colorado, Idaho, Illi
nois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louis
iana, Maine, Massachusetts, Mary
land, Michigan, Minnesota, Miss
issippi, Missouri, New Jersey,
New Mexico, New York, Ohio,
Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vir
ginia, Washington, West Virginia,
Wisconsin and Wyoming are giv
ing thanks officially today. The
other remaining states will ob
serve next Thursday.
President Roosevelt’s proclama
tion for Thanksgiving day is as
follows:
“I, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Presi
dent of the United States of
America, do hereby designate and
set aside Thursday, the twen
tieth day of November, 1941, as
a day to be observed in giving
thanks to the Heavenly Source of
our earthly blessings.
“Our beloved country is free
and strong. Our moral and phy
sical defenses against the forces
of threatened aggression are
mounting daily in magnitude and
effectiveness.
“In the interest of our own fu
ture, we are sending succor at
increasing pace to those peoples
abroad who are bravely defend
ing their homes and their precious
liberties against annihilation.
“We have not lost our faith in
the spiritual dignity of man, our
' belief in the right of all
to live out their lives in
and with equal treat
love of democracy still
‘EfContinued on Page 4)
Roylance Added
To Conservation
Service’s Staff
Planning Technician Accepts
* Position With New River
Soil District
Richard Roylance, planning
technician with the soil conserva
tion department, has been sent
here from Salisbury and began his
duties this week in the New River
soil conservation office in the Al
leghany courthouse.
Mr. Roylance will work with W.
O. Hooper, local conservationist,
in the soil management plan for
this county. The WPA project,
which was scheduled to begin
November 17, has been temporar
ily delayed because of the labor
shortage, but Mr. Hooper said this
week he expects the project to
get underway immediately.
With two men on the project,
Mr. Hooper says more farms will
be reached in assisting the farm
ers in establishing soil conserva
tion practices. Mr. Roylance is ex
pected to be of material help be
cause of his experience with cat
tle and sheep, Mr. Hooper said.
Let'Contracts To
Revamp N’thwest
Electric Systems
Work To Star* At Once. Ur
gent Appeal For Materials
Placed Before OPM.
r*ET IN WASHINGTON
Contracts have been let by the
Blue Ridge Electric Membershin
corporation directors and work is
expected to commence at once on
the $150,000 improvement pro
gram of the electric systems in
Alleghany, Ashe and Watauga
counties, formery owned by the
Northwest Carolina Utilities.
The contract to supply materials
was awarded to the Westinghouse
Company, in the amount of $17,
553.43. Bouligny Construction
bidder on the labor, $51,984.10,
and a company in Spartanburg,
S. C., received the order for 1,400
new poles, at $13,687.70.
“Our engineering survey shows
that the entire Northwest system
which was obtained recently by
the REA co-op needs to be re
vamped,” Supt. G. F. Messick
stated.
“This worx will go forward as
rapidly as possible, but we may
have some difficulty in getting
necessary materials because of the
OPM restrictions,” he said.
The co-op now has some mat
erials on hand and an application
was filed this week with the OPM
of approval of all other materials
needed to complete the improve
ment job.
“Our state-wide REA committee
(Continued on Page Four)
Electric Users
Will Meet Here
Next Wednesday
REA Co-op to Hold, .Important
Meeting. Te Discuss Fu
ture Plans.
There will be an important
meeting of all electric customers
in Sparta, Roaring Gap and Al
leghany county at the courthouse
here next Wednesday night, Nov
ember 26, starting at 7:30 o’clock,
Supt. G. F. Messick, of the Blue
Ridge Electric Membership cor
poration, announces.
The R. E. A. plans, privileges
and regulations will be discussed
at the meeting by Mr. Messick.
D. P. Nanney, REA co-op book
keeper, will discuss the billing
and accounting system. This will
be followed by an open forum and
remarks by local citizens.
An interesting movie will then
be shown and R. M. McGirt, lo
cal project utilization specialist,
will talk briefly on the REA co
op’s utilization program.
One of the highlights of the
program will be a food demon
stration by Miss Margaret Law
horne, Alleghany county home
demonstration agent. She will
make whole wheat biscuits and
serve them with coffee and other
good things to eat.
A number of free attendance
prizes will also be awarded.
All electric customers are urged
to attend.
Work Shop Built By School Boys
mmsm.
A portion of the interior of the new work shop at the
Glade Valley school is shown above, with two Alleghany
county boys operating tools which are used in woodwork.
Guy Darnell, of Laurel Springs, is in the foreground (right)
running a shaper, while Dale Shores, of Sparta (left) is at
a jig saw. (Staff photo). r-J_
Manual Training Shop Built
By Boys Glade Valley School
“LAURELS”
—TO—
Glade Val. Boys
The boys of the agricultur
al department at the Glade
Valley school did a swell job
in building themselves a work
shop, in which classes were
begun this week.
To all the boys who helped
build this shop, The AJlegha
> ny News this weak* presents
“Laurels” for their accom
plishment.
Army “Guarded”
Town Last Week
End On Maneuver
Town “Invade d”, Bridge
“Blown Up” And “Guard
ed” Against Enemy.
Sparta was “invaded” last Sat
urday by army troops who “took”
the town with two trucks and a
motorcycle.
Bridges to Roaring pap and to
Jefferson were theoretically
“blown up” by the six soldiers
who moved in here as a part of
the maneuvers in North Carolina.
Coming here to stop possible
movements of an “enemy” force
were a sergeant, corporal, and
four privates.
The soldiers were in com
munication with headquarters by
means of radio, and they were
well manned with fire-power.
After “blowing” the bridge at
Little River, a sentry was placed
there as a watchout.
Passersby wandered why a
(Continued on Page Four)
Turkey Farmers Get Good Prices
The turkeys shown above were on an Alleghany county
(arm last week in the Turkey Knob section, butltoday they
tnay be the main course of a Thanksgiving dinner in a north
ern city. In the background is the farm of John Delp, who
raised hundreds of gobblers and hens this year.
■ 'W-». A ’ \ \ »
Alleghany farmers have receiv
ed several hundred dollars during
the past week for sale of turkeys
to be shipped to northern markets
for Thanksgiving.
Largest buyers in the county
have been Smithey’s and Carl
Kennedy, who have purchased
more than an estimated 8,000 of
the Thanksgiving fowls. The tur
keys have been bringing the
grower about five cents more per
pound than last year's price.
Kern Wagoner, manager of
Smithey’s said the turkeys are of
better quality and. larger than in
the past few years. He attributes
this to the dry weather, in which
turkeys thrive. Mr. Wagoner said
out of 500 turkeys he found only
eight culls, which he pointed out
as being unusual.
Smithey’s purchased 21,523
pounds of turkeys at an average
price of 20.5 cents per pound in
two days, last Friday and Satur
day. These were shipped to Phila
delphia by truck.
There are not as many turkeys
I as usual in Alleghany county this
I year, according to report.
Classes Begun In Building
Erected of Lumber Off
Grounds.
WELL EQUIPPED
A new workshop for manual
training has been completed at
the Glade Valley school and clas
ses were started this week in the
building.
The shop was built by the boys
of the school, under the super
vision of R. E. Hanks, of Roaring
Gap. In fact, the boys even cut
white pine off the school farm \
last winter and hauled the timber
to the mill' in order to have lum
ber to start work on the structure
during the summer.
The building, which is 20 by 36
feet, was practically completed
the first of this month. The boys
are now pouring a concrete walk
to the front door, and are packing
a dirt floor of sand and oil mix
ture.
Five work benches are well
lighted with seven windows in
the building and the shop has also
been wired for electric lights by
the Glade Valley boys, who were
directed by Ernest W. Hoppers, of
Sparta.
On the work benches is expen
sive equipment which the boys
will use in learning woodwork.
This equipment, according to Sup
erintendent E. B. Eldridge, was
made possible when some of it
was offered to the school at half
price, and a rip saw was present
ed by a friend of the Presbyter
ian school.
The tools with which the boys i
will work include a band saw,
jointer, jig saw, sanding machine,
shaper, and other equipment. The
boys will learn to repair the
school’s furniture, in addition to
making new pieces such as book
cases, chairs, tables and so on.
Supt. Eldridge says the manual
training will be used in connec
tion with the agricultural course.
He thinks the knowledge obtained
from working with the shop
equipment will be beneficial to
the boys when they operate farms.
A blacksmith forge may be added
to the workshop equipment in the
future, according to Mr. Eldridge,
and this will widen the boys’ ex
perience with tools.
The study of books is being
combined with practical training
at the Glade Valley school to help
build the future citizens of Alle
ghany county.
Material Coming
Make Garments
Mrs. Mexa Phipps, production
chairman of the local Red Cross
chapter, has ordered material
from national headquarters for
the knitting and sewing of gar
ments.
Individuals and groups are be
ing asked by Mrs. Phipps to noti
fy her if they will help with this
work.
The knitting will be of socks,
shawls and sweaters. Sewing will
be of layettes and children’s gar
ments, hospital gowns, and bed
shirts. The shipment will be ex
pected to arrive here in two or
three weeks.
WFA Jrroject Is
Shelved But To
Build Work Shop
Will Erect Shop To Keep Ag
ricultural Course In
High School
MEETING HELD HERE
The WPA project for a voca
tional building, -which was ap
proved for Sparta high school last
Spring, was shelved at a meeting
here Tuesday afternoon of the
county commissioners, WPA offi
cials, and school officials, and in
place of the planned building will
be erected or built a temporary
shop for boys taking an agricul
ture course at the local high
school.
C. M. Crutchfield, of Winston
Salem, district WPA director, told
the county commission there was
no skilled labor to be obtained in
Alleghany county. The commis
sioners in turn were faced with
the probability of having the pro
ject held up because of delay in
receiving orders for building sup
plies, they said. These two factors
caused the decision to delay the
vocational building project, the
commissioners reported.
Attending the meeting in the
commissioner’s room were Mr.
Crutchfield and R. C. Faucett, of
North Wilkesboro, construction
engineer, who were representing
WPA; the county commissioners,
Victor Phipps, Johnny Gambill
and Mack D. Wagoner; W. C.
Thompson, county superintendent
of public instruction, and Dr. T.
R. Burgiss, chairman of the coun
ty board of education.
Superintendent Thompson said
yesterday the type of temporary
shop to house equipment for vo
cational training would be an
nounced in the near future. The
project, which had been approved
and which called for WPA labor
wjth -the county furnishing (sup
plies, was for a brick veneer
building, 30 by 80 feet, to house a
shop, classroom and office.
Tal H. Stafford, of Asheville,
(Continued on Page Four;
A Big Christmas
Shopping Season
Is Planned Here
Streets To Be Gaily Decorated
and Santa Is Invited to
Come Here Early.
Sparta merchants are now mak
ing plans for a big Christmas
shopping season.
If present plans are carried to
completion, the streets here in
the business section will be gaily
decorated with laurel roping, col
ored wreaths and multi-colored
lights. An urgent invitation is be
ing sent to Santa Claus to pay an
official visit here the first part of
December.
The Blue Ridge Electric Mem
bership corporation has agreed to
order materials and erect decora
tions.
A committee, composed of Kem
Wagoner, Dr. T. R. Burgiss and
Ed Anderson, plans to solicit con
tributions. The total expenses is
estimated to run around $85.00.
The Alleghany News proposes to
get out its annual “opening Christ
mas shopping season edition1* on
December 4.
Next week local merchants plan
to start displaying Christmas mer
chandise.
’42 Farm Truck
License One-Half
Price, Black Says
1942 licenses for trucks that art
owned and operated by farmers
may be purchased for one-half of
the regular registration fee if such
trucks are used for transporting
farm products and farm supplies.
County Agent Black reminded
farmers in Alleghany this week.
"This law was enacted during
the last General Assembly and
our farmers can take advantage
of it by signing an affidavit wh«i
they purchase 1942 tags,” he said.
“This neat law was one of the
enactments of the last legislature.