Newspapers / The Alleghany News and … / Dec. 25, 1941, edition 1 / Page 1
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NBWS-StAK-CTMKS is dedicated to covering the News and to the promotion of progress for all of the people in Sparta and Alle ghany county. “1 AND STAR-TIMES—(CONSOLIDATED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1941)—ALL EGHANY COUNTY’S ONLY NEWSPAPER. THURSDAY. DEC. 25. 1941 VOLUME 54. NO. 17 $1.00 a Year in Alleghany County SPARTA, NORTH CAROLINA $1.50 a Year Out of County People YOU KNOW In Alleghany By Staff Writer SANTA CLAUS K k A childlike faith makes Santa Claus possible. And this “real” personality is the most popular in dividual in the world. Of course there is a Santa Claus! The New York Sun edi torially described him in 1897 in reply to a little girl’s letter ask ing if there was a Santa. “He ex ists as certainly as love and gene rosity and devotion exist,” said the Sun. Santa, then, would not be where there is no love and thoughts of others. And, too, we find out that he will come in a number of ways if we but know it. It is more than some gift we could have bought at the comer store that is unwrapped on Christ mas day. Inside that holiday pa per and stickers may be the heart of some member of the fa mily or a friend. This is some thing only Santa will bring. We dine every day, but there is only one Christmas dinner. Let our memories go back a moment and we’ll recall that the most ex uberant happiness we have ever known was those times when the entire family gathered around the Christmas table. Santa Claus was there. Certainly there is something un usual about when strangers bid us be merry . . . when the mails bring many cheery messages in stead of the usual drab letters. Isn’t this because everyone has caught the spirit made possible by having a Santa Claus? “There is a veil covering the unseen world which tbijl strongest man, nor even the uni ted strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart,” wrote the editorial writer in the Sun. “Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view the picture, the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah . . . in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding.” Life must have a Santa Claus. For 364 days we can be conscious of business and bombs and the undoubting realities nobody wants—but we must have one day when persons are all con scious of faith and love, which are Santa Claus. We welcome you Santa. May you ever continue to come to our midst and be dearer to our lit ^ tie folks. This year you come r finding a world at war. Next year g the hope is it will be a Christmas of peace. But we will look for you. Dance To Be At Laurel Springs For War Relief A square dance will be held at the Laurel Springs” school on New Year’s eve, December 31, begin ning at 8 o’clock. All proceeds from this dance will be turned over to the Red Cross war relief fund, according to Miss Alice Taylor, chairman of the Cranberry township in the drive for funds. Congressman and Mrs. R. L. ' DougHton visited friends here last Sunday. NEW YEAR’S DAY IS PROCLAIMED AS “DAY OF PRAYER” IN U. S. New Year’s day has been proclaimed by President Roose velt as a “day of prayer” and Alleghany civilian detente committee is requesting ev ery minister and every per son in the county to co-operate in this timely observance. “We are confident in our de votion to our country, in our love of freedom, in our Inheri tance of courage, but our strength, as the strength of all men everywhere, is of greater avail as God upholds us,” Pres Churchill In U. S.; Hitler Fires Gen.; Japs Land Forces CAT-DOG STORY “Bunchy” hasn’t had any pup pies, but she has adopted kittens. She is the two and a half year old dog owned by R. C. Houser, of Whitehead, and last summer when the mother of kittens died at their birth, “Bunchy” decided to help the little orphans live. She nursed the little tykes and now they are grown and doing fine— thanks to “Bunchy”, who is shown above with one of the kittens. Acetylene Gas Catches Afire Castevens Employee Is Pain fully Burned In Ac cident. Harrison Fenley, colored em ployee of the Castevens Motor company, received serious burns 'About the hands and legs Monday morning about 9:30 when he ran as his clothing caught fire, and acetylene gas ignited to cause what would have been a damag ing fire had it not been quenched by fire extinguishers. Report yesterday from the hos pital in North Wilkesboro where Fenley was taken said that he had rested uncomfortably all night, and it would be two or three days before the outcome of his condi tion would be known. Fenley was using the acetylene torch when his pants caught on fire. In the excitement, it is be lieved he dropped the torch and it burned the hose into and thus caused flames to spread rapidly. In the excitement, he also knocked over a bucket of paint primer which increased the flames. His clothes afire, Fenley ran through the garage and other em ployes caught him to extinguish the flames which were envelop ing him. Except for fire extin guishers, he might have been burned to death and serious dam age done to the Castevens build ing. Fenley was working in the body works shed that adjoins the ga rage when the accident occurred. The flare of the acetylene ignit ed paint thinner and flames leaped high. The tcAvn fire signal sounded and volunteer firemen rushed to the scene of the fire, but employ es of the company had already quelled the flames with the ex tinguishers. Fenley was rushed to North Wilkesboro in a Reins-Stur divant ambulance. Knox Says U. S. Successful Against Subs; British Vic torious in Libya. Hitler assuming command of his armies and Prime Minister Chur chill’s arrival in Washington for a parley with Roosevelt were the two biggest highlights of the war during the past week, because of their far-reaching consequences. The Russians reported continued success on the Moscow front as did the British in Libya. And fighting in the Pacific speeded up with the Japanese making every effort to capture Hongkong and Malaya and to gain a foothold near Manila. Monday, a heavy force of Jap anese sea-borne troops, support ed by airplanes, landed at Santo Tomas, northwest of Manila, but Gen. Douglas McArthur reported that the Americans had the sit uation well in hand. Axis subs, mostly Japanese, have been thick off of the Cali fornia coast for the past few days, but have done little damage, ac cording to official reports. Secre tary Knox reported this week that the U. S. Navy had been success ful in bagging at least 14 subs and probably damaged several others. Reports from the Netherlands show that during the past few days their forces have sunk three more Japanese troop ships off of Borneo. This brings the total to 13 Japanese transports which the U. S. and Dutch forces have sunk so far, in the Far East. Italian papers are admitting that the victory of the British in Libya may be a decisive turning point in Italy’s part of the war since she has engaged practical ly all of her forces here and “on their fat(£. depends the fate of Italy”. In Germany serious trouble and speculation arose over the fact that this week Adolf Hitler cast aside Field Marshal General Wal ter von Brauchitsch, commander in-chief of the army and had as sumed command himself. Many point out that it is a definite in dication of the weakening of the organization or a definite admit (Continued on Page Four) Mrs. Thompson To Head Drive Mrs. Alton Thompson has been named chairman of the Infantile Paralysis campaign in Alleghany county and will have charge of the President’s Birthday ball to be held here the latter part of February. Mrs. Thompson said yesterday a ball would be given in Febru ary and plans are being made for the poliomyelitis fund. Few Hunters Are Seen In County Few hunters have been seen in Alleghany county in recent weeks, according to Dick Gentry, game warden. Mr. Gentry said many men have been seen digging burls and cutting extract wood, and this may account for few hunters be ing seen, he pointed out. “Most folks have been too busy to go hunting,” Mr. Gentry said. Congressman Doughton Says Our First Duty To Win War The following communication lias been received by this news paper from Congressman Robert L. Doughton, of Laurel Springs, chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means: My conception of duty to our county in this hour of world cri sis is clear. Our first duty is to win the war. This takes precedence over everything and everybody. And that we will win, I have not the slightest doubt. We are in no way responsible for this war. Both the President and the Congress strove for and hoped for peace to the last minr ute. But when the dastardly dic tators stabbed us in the back, peace and discussion were out country took its undivided I belong to that school of faith that develops only, in a Democra cy—the faith that comes from the conviction that it is not the first blow that really counts, but the last blow. In a Democracy we may expect to suffer initial re verses, but in the long view when 1-30,000,000 Americans gather mo mentum and militant determina tion, no dictator can hold his lines. To those of us who will b« charged with the joint responsi bility of seeing that the needs of our armed forces come first, there devolves the second duty. We must clear perspective of all thi forces of the nation as a whole, and take care to preserve in America the cherished things and ideals that our men are fighting (Continued on Page Four) THREE DESCENTS I FOUR GENERATIONS are shown in the picture above, which was made when they were recent ly together at the home of E. T. Hamm at Whitehead. Mr. Hamm is holding his great-grandson, Randolph Owens, who is the son of Mrs. Jesse Owens, (right) of Buchanan, Va., and the grandson of Mrs. R. C. Houser, (left) of Whitehead. Yule Lights By Contributions Donations of Business Men Make Possible Decora tions. The gay street lights that have decorated Sparta for the Christ mas season were made possible by the business and professional men of the town, and many favorable comments have been heard about the lights. The Christmas decorations for the town cost $74.92, but the lights are now owned by the Mer chants under the name of the Sparta Merchants association and can be used from year to year. Of the total amount for decora tions, $18 was used for purchasing of laurel roping, which was strung across the street between the three bands of lights. The business men also made possible Santa Claus coming to Sparta the three Saturdays pre ceding Christmas, when the idol of children gave candy to each and all. The entire expenses incurred by the merchants during the Christmas season were $84.47, and the following contributed to de fray the cost: B. & T. Drug Co., $10; Belk’s Dept, store, $7.50; Smithey’s store, $5; Cash & Carry, $5; Western (Continued on Page Four) Turkey Market Is Again Good Turkey farmers received the same price for fowls in Christ mas shipments last week-end as they received at the Thanksgiv ing market, according to local buyers, and approximately the same number of turkeys were shipped north to grace Christmas dinner tables. > The average price at Thanks giving was 20.5 cents per pound, and this probably was true last Friday and Saturday when hum dreds of turkeys were bought in the county .and shipped out by truck. An estimated 15,000 to 16,000 turkeys have been sent north from this county in the Thanksgiving and Christmas shipments. Christmas Is Expected To Be Quietly Observed Here All Stores, Banks, County And City Offices to Be Closed On Thursday. In spite of unsettled world-wide conditions, Christmas is expected to be observed here in the usual manner, with the event probably being considered a little more serious than usual. This note will be expressed in gifts in many cases as those of this nature have been popular this season. Merchants are all re porting an unusually good busi ness and will be closed all day in commemoration of the 1941st birthday of Christ. Santa Claus is due to make his annual arrival in the morning, and late gifts are being purchased at local stores. All business firms and offices will be closed’ for Christmas day, however. i*. , The post office here will have windows opened in the morning and afternoon after mails are put up in order that packages might be handed out, acting postmaster Sam Brown said. The Northwestern bank will be closed Thursday and Friday in ob servance of the holiday, officials said. Other offices may be closed for a two-day period, while the health department will be closed until Monday. County offices in the courthouse will be closed only for Christmas day. The school children will have their holidays come to an end next Tuesday when Sparta pub lic schools reopen after being closed since December 18. A number of soldiers are enjoy ing visits with their parents in the county and dinners and un formal gatherings will honor these as well as a number of college students who home for the holi days. Most of the merchants reported unusually good business through out the holiday shopping season here. CCC Boys Join Red Cross Here The CCC camp in Alleghany county this week turned in $12.20 to the roll call of the Red Cross, and the total sum is now $262.85, according to Chairman Ernest Ed wards. The roll call ended the first of this month, but memberships have continued to come in, Mr. Ed wards said. Old Man Winter Arrives Monday Winter arrived on Sunday night at 11:45 p. m. and Mon day was the first day of the new season, but it seemed like any other day to most folks. The thermometer reading early Monday morning was 36 degrees, which has been about the average for this month. The skies were being watched for possible snow clouds to cause a White Christmas, but rain came instead. Plans Mapped To Raise $750 Red Cross War Relief Drive Is Underway; Dance Saturday. Every section of Alleghany county was represented at the mass meeting in the Community building last Thursday evening called by Rev. R. L. Berry, chair man of the county Red Cross chapter, to make plans for rais ing $750 as this county’s part of the Red Cross war relief fund. Talks were made by several present on the value of the Red Cross with the nation in war, and approximately $140 was contri buted in cash and pledges by those attending the meeting. A square dance with all receipts going to the war relief fund will be given Saturday evening, Dec ember 27, in the Cbmmunity building here, co-sponsored by the Sparta Woman’s club and the lo cal Legion post. Dancing will be gin at 8:30 with music by Paul Miles and his band. Plans were made at the meet ing last Thursday to raise the $750, and workers will be named in each of the seven townships of the county to solicit every per son. The chairman of the town ship groups will name the work ers in their section. Township chairmen named by those attending the mass meeting are: Cherry Lane, W. C. Thomp son; Glade Creek, Miss Bettie Joines; Gap Civil, T. Roy Bur giss; Whitehead, Miss Merle Cau dill; Cranberry, Miss Alice Tay lor; Prathers Creek, Mrs. Ruth Choate, and Piney Creek, Miss Blanche Gambill. Registration Of Men From 18 To 64 Ordered; 19 To 44 Group Is Subject To Draft Plans are now being made in Washington to hold registration throughout the nation of the 23, 500,000 men, from age 18 to 64, inclusive, who are not already registered under the Selective Service Act. Last Friday Congress passed the new draft bill, requiring all men of these ages to register and mak ing those from 20 to 44, inclusive, subject to military service. Several weeks will probably be needed to complete plans for con ducting this registration. Added to the 17,500,000 who are already registered, this will give the nation a total of 41,000,000 4 . .. . * . 7 /= ' ~<!sSki.L . men registered under the Selec tive Service Act, and pave the way for a 4,000,000-man army. Army of 4 Million Although this new bill makes possible a 4,000,000-man army, there is no way of telling whe ther that many men will ever be called to colors. Both Houses speedily agreed to a compromise amendment of re quiring the age 20 group to reg ister. War officials said this would make a total of 2,215,000 men available in the next few months in addition to the 1,800, 000 now in uniform. This includes (Continued on Page Four) 4 Cheer Boxes Go To 28 Families In This County Donations Make Possible Christmas Gifts For 91 Needy Kids. CITIZENS GENEROUS Christmas boxes have gone into 28 needy homes and 91 under privileged children have received gifts through the “Christmas Cheer Fund” sponsored by The Alleghany News. The boxes were arranged with toys made possible by the Save the Children Fund and local con tributions, while clothing had al so been donated to the Christmas Fund. All cash contributed to the Cheer Fund was converted into groceries and edibles of Christ mas time. Six dozen oranges, 13 pounds of candy, 10 pounds of assorted nuts, three dozen tangerines, five pounds of sugar, three dozen ban anas, rice and oatmeal were some of the supplies divided among the 28 boxes going to needy homes of this county. The families to whom the Cheer boxes were s*(nt afe scattered over Alleghany county, as the most needy of each section receiv ed a box. Some of the families lived in almost inaccessible places, but boxes were delivered as near as possible to the homes. The people of Sparta and Alle ghany county were most generous in contributing to the Christmas Cheer Fund this year, and made possible the giving of nicer bon es than heretofore. The shipment of toys from the S. C. F. in New York greatly increased the num ber of children who received toys. These 28 underprivileged fam ilies would have had nothing for Christmas except for the gener osity of other citizens in this county. Assisting in packing the boxes were Whs* Parsons, Miss Rosamond Reeve* and Mrs. Clennel Richardson. The public welfare department greatly aided the News’ Cheer Fund, and individuals making contributions included W. C Thompson, Mrs. J. T. Inskeep, Mrs. Mexa Phipps, Mrs. Carrie Jones, Wayne Waddell, Mrs. C. A. Thompson, and Mrs. Jay Hardin. Mrs. Hardin not only helped the Christmas Cheer Fund, but pack ed gift goxes for 38 families to which she is sending Christmas packages. Each Christmas, Mrs. Hardin prepares many boxes and sees that needy families are re membered with gifts. Names Of Boys Called Not To Be Given Out Quotas and calls of the local Selective Service board will be censored, according to Mrs. Rob ert Gambill, clerk of the board. Mrs. Gambill said yesterday die had received notices not to release the number called or names ot the boys called, as has been the custom heretofore to be published in local newspapers. Itinerary Given Of Tax Listers The itineraries of the tax list ers in the seven townships of Al leghany county are given on page two of this issue, and all property owners and taxpayers can make returns on 1942 taxes at the places and times named. , All male persons between the . ages of 21 and SO years are to list their polls during the time of list ing of property, according to Ca bell Wilson, county tax supervis or. Belongings Are . * Lost In Flames
The Alleghany News and Star-Times (Sparta, N.C.)
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Dec. 25, 1941, edition 1
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