AND STAR-TIMES— < CONSOLIDATED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1941) —ALLEGHANY COUNTY’S ONLY NEWSPAPER.
SPARTA, NORTH CAROLINA
KEEP ON * * * * *
WITH WAR BONDS
THURSDAY, MAY 18, 1944
VOLUME 55, NO. 35
$1.50 a Year in Alleghany County
$2.00 a Year Out of County
[Association Of W. M. U.
To Hold Meet May 23;
Miss Lawton To Speak
Missionary To Shanghai Will
Deliver Address To Group
At Laurel Springs
The Alleghany Association of
the Woman’s Missionary Union
will present an all-day program,
featuring an address by Miss Ol
ive Lawton, missionary to Shang
hai, China, on Tuesday, May 23,
beginning at 10:00 o’clock at the
Laurel Springs Baptist church.
An unusual period of praise
and worship will be conducted by
Mrs. Ben G. Reeves, assisted by
Mesdames Gene Irwin and Bruce
Wagoner and Rev. Richard L.
West, pastor. Mrs. T. S. Moxley
will give the address of welcome;
the response by Mrs. George
Crutchfield.
Following the organization, re
ports of the associational officers
and chairmen of committees, in
the form of a playlet, will be giv
en. A message on “Today Molds
Tomorrow,” will be brought by
Mrs. O. R. Mangum, of Lenoir,
Supt. of the Wilkesboro division.
Mrs. Lawton will deliver the
main address on, ‘Today and To
morrow in Missions,” which will
be preceeded by a solo by Mrs.
Odell Richardson.
A picnic lunch will be served
by the ladies at the noon hour.
The afternoon session will be
gin with a chorus by the Sparta
Baptist choir and invocation by
Rev. W. H. Caldwell. Mrs. Man
gum will then lead a conference
on “How to Teach Mission Study”
and a memorial will be observed
in honor of Mrs. W. N. Jones, who
was president of 'the State W. M.
U. convention for twenty years.
Rev. Brice Barton will close the
program with prayer.
The associational officers are as
follows: Supt, Mrs. *A. O. Joines;
ass’t supt., Mrs. Hazel H. Taylor;
secretary and treasurer. Mrs. Sam
(Continued on Page 4)
Billings Working
On Winston Papers
Fifteen-year-old Boy Takes
Good Job. Formerly Lived
In Alleghany County
Horace Billings, son of Mr. and
Mrs. R. L. Billings, of Winston
Salem and formerly of Piney
Creek, has recently accepted a job
with the Winston-Salem Journal
and Sentinal, as a society reporter
from the Old Town district and a
staff writer pf the sport section
of the Journal.
Young Billings is fifteen years
old and is a junior in the high
school at Old Town. He is now
editor-in-chief of the high school’s
newspaper.
He attended Piney Creek high
school, where he was a member
of the baseball and basketball
teams before moving to Winston
Salem. He also played on the
Old Town basketball team, cham
pions of the Northwestern Caro
lina Basketball tournament.
- Horace is the grandson of Mr.
and Mrs. G. R .Wagoner, of Pin
ey Creek.
Sends Proof Of
i t* Action In Italy
“Don’t let anybody tell yon
' that tire don’t have plenty of
! fireworks over here,” Pfe. Joe
Caldwell wrote his Ulster, Mrs.
B. H. Williams, of reden, from
somewhere in Italy.
To prove his statement, Pfe.
Caldwell enclosed in his letter
the fragments of'a V-mail let
ter he had previously written;
"• one that was net fortunate
enough even to reach' the cen
Ho related that he had pot
the V-mail letter in the mall
jnst moved away
b came a hit too
tee mall box and
Dough to ii Spoke
To Chamber Of
Commerce Here
Highly Commended Members
Upon Organization; Berry
And Beed Talk >
_v- <■
“I am proud of this organiza
tion and what it stands for,” J. K.
Doughton told members of the
Sparta Chamber of Commerce at
their regular meeting last Friday
night* in the community building.
Mr. Doughton, president of the
Federal Land Bank of Baltimore,
Md., spoke briefly to the group,
highly complimenting them on
the organization of the Chamber
of Commerce.. He is the son of
Gov. and Mrs. R. A. Doughton and
was reared in Alleghany county.
Gov. Doughton, honorary pres
ident of the organization, present
ed to W. O. Hooper a certificate
from the National Red Cross
headquarters commending him on
the splendid work he did as
chairman of the recent Red Cross
drive. A certificate awarded to
the Alleghany chapter of Ameri
can Red Cross was then present
ed to T. R. Burgiss, Alleghany
county chairman.
Rev. R. L. Berry and Joe Bill
Reed, members of the organiza
tion, made short talks. Mr. Reed
pointed out thatasofthall league
was being organized by the mem
bers and that they expected to
begin playing soon.
Clifton Evans was added as a
new member, making the mem
bership 53 to this date.
The Sparta Woman’s club serv
ed dinner to the forty-three mem
bers present.
Sparta Becoming
Marriage Center
Licenses have been issued and
five couples have been married by
Justice of the Peace B. F. Wagon
er in the Sparta courthouse with
in the past two weeks.
Smith Hash, of Independence,
Va., was iparried to Miss Hazel
Wood, also of Independence, on
May 3.
The marriage of Eugene Ward,
of Independence and Miss Inez
Jones, of Fries, took place May 6.
On May 11, Mr. Wagoner mar
ried Charlie Holiday, of Speed
well, Va., to Miss May Jane Fry,
also of Speedwell.
Lindsay Bazemore, of Ports
mouth,* Va., and Mary Kathryn
Doss, also of Portsmouth and Ray
mond Pickett and Lizzie Pickett,
both of Durham, were married by
Mr. Wagoner on May 13.
Plans are now underway for
the organization of a tri-county
lime co-operative for Alleghany,
Ashe and Grayson counties, pro
vided the necessary funds can be
raised at once to buy a lime mine
at Grant, Va., and necessary
e<juipment for its operation, it
was announced this week.
This lime quarry was operated
a number of years ago and it was
from this plant that the first lime
was used in Alleghany county.
The proposed operation will
probably be in the form of a
farmers* co-operative, with the
farmers buying stock.
Two meetings are to be held in
this county to explain to the
farmers the method of operation.
One meeting will be held in the
farm agent's office here, Satur
day, May 20, at 1:30 p. m., and the
other at Piney Creek school on
Monday night at 8 o’clock.
Lime from the deposit at Grant
has been a favorite with many
farmers who have used it It is
Views Of New State Test Farm At Laurel Springs
Here are some scenes of the new 425-acre livestock test farm which the State Department
of Agriculture recently purchased from W. M. Transou at Laurel Springs. Upper left photo
shows the eight-room house, which will be used by Mr. Transou, resident manager, who is
pictured, lower left, examining blooms in the 17-acre apple orchard. Right, above, is a
panoramic view of the broad meadow where much of the grain will be grown, and at lower
right is shown the entrance to the grounds.
Collect Clothes
For Red Relief
Around 1,000 Pounds Collected
By Schools And Club In
Alleghany County
Miss Clyde Fields, chairman of
the Russian War Relief drive in
Alleghany county, announced to
day that approximately 1,000
pounds of clothing hadiESTre
ceived to date.
However, she pointed out, re
ports have not been received
from all the schools, and the to
tal number of pounds of clothing
secured is expected to rise this
week end.
Sparta school has approximate
ly 750 pounds, while the Sparta
Woman’s club has turned in -200
pounds, with Glade Valley ele
mentary school turning in around
100 pounds.
(Continued on Page Four)
County Exceeded
April Bond Quota
Official figures reveal that Al
leghany county has again exceed
ed her monthly war bond quota,
with April sales amounting to $7,
725.00, Chairman Alton Thomp
son, announced this week.
The April quota was $7,469.00,
Mr. Thompson pointed out. All
of the sales were of series "E”
bonds.
Sales to date on the May quota
of $7,469.00, amount to $3,206.25,
he announced.
"Alleghany county has never
failed to meet any of the month
ly war bond quotas, always going
over by a substantial majority,”
Chairman Thompson stated.
Plan To Form A Tri-County
Lime Co-op To Buy Quarry
owned by a group including Eu
gene Transou, Coy Richardson,
Mrs. Jeff Carson and others and
has only been operated on a small
scale in the past, because of lack
of machinery, it was explained.
Those interested in forming a
co-operative, point out that this
would make possible high grade
lime, within trucking distance of
many farmers and at a small cost.
Those making a preliminary
survey of the needs of operation
report that, they have found the
machinery, equipment, and other
items needed for an efficient
plant can be secured at a total
cost of $10,000, if the necessary
funds can be raised through sub
scriptions by interested fanners
by June 1. This sum includes the
purchase of a sufficient acreage of
land bearing high grade lime
stone to keep the plant going for
many years, it was pointed out.
The plan proposed calls for set
ting up the tri-county cooperative,
{Continued on Page Pour)
Will Start Building
Three Barns On Test
Farm In NearFuture
JQ£XS PROMOTION,
S.-Sgt. Sam W. Osborne, son
of Mr. and Mrs. A. M. Osborne,
of Stratford, has recently been
promoted to his present rank.
Sgt. Osborne, who is now sta
tioned at Fort Jackson, S. C.,
has been in the service since
January, 1943, and received his
basic training at Camp Mc
Cain, Miss. He is a graduate
of Sparta high school and at
tended State college.
Eight Men Start
Naval Training
A group of eight Alleghany
men left last Thursday to enter
the U. S. Navy at Spartanburg,
S. C.
The list included: Charlie Derol
Atwood, Lewis Jackson Hash,
Underwood Earl Medley, Gayle
Wyatt, Charlie Herbert Horton,
Ed McClain, Lacy Franklin Bil
lings and James Edward Billings.
The local board also announced
classifications of men for military
service this week when twelve
men were placed in I-A and 25 in
other classifications.
The list is as follows:
I-A: Billy C. Choate, Eugene P.
(Continued on Page Four)
SHEEP SHEARING SCHOOL
TO BE HELD TOMORROW
A sheep shearing school will
be conducted tomorrow morning
at the farm of C. T. Edwards in
the New Hope community and ev
erybody is invited to attend, es
pecially custom shearers.
E. S. Bartlett, representative of
the Flexible Shaft company, of
Chicago, is conducting the school.
*
State To Construct Road; Cot
tage And Two Acres Are
Bought For Farm
Plans are now being made to
start construction in the near fu
ture of three large, modern barns
and a caretaker’s home on the
newly established state livestock
test farm at Laurel Springs, Dean
Colvard, supervisor, announced to
day.
The new barnis will house sheep,
beef and dairy cattle and no es
timate was given as to the cost of
these buildings.
At the request of the state de
partment of agriculture, the
state highway and public works
commission has surveyed a mile
and a half through the farm and
work on this highway is expected
to be started promptly.
It was also announced today that
a cottage and two acres qf land
located next to the 425-acre test
farm have been purchased from
Mrs. Mamie Call, of Wilkesboro.
The cottage will be remodelled
and used for an office and other
purposes. The state gave Mrs.
Call $3,500 for the property,
bringing total purchase price of
the farm to $28,100.
Workers are now busy remod
elling buildings on the farm and
repairing fences.
With the view of destroying the
German armies in Italy and mov
ing into Rome, the allied fifth and
eighth armies launched a renewed
surprise offensive last Thursday
and during the past week the
American, British and French for
ces have made splendid progress.
Their smashing attacks, aided
by superiority in the air and from
the seacoast, have already crushed
the 25-mfle German Gustav line,
and have enabled them to advance
as for as eight miles in one sector.
They have captured at least a
dozen towns and are outflanking
the enemy’s entire defense system
guarding the important city of
Cassino and the mouth of the Liri
valley leading to Rome.
Meanwhile, American and Brit
ish bombers have continued with
day and night assaults on Hitler’s
occupied Europe. There was a
slight lull Tuesday in the bombing
operations because of bad weather,
but the devastating attack has
been renewed and the great aerial
blitz is now being carried into the
.S b . -n i-r iii-iui « *
Congressman To Speak At
Piney Creek Friday Night
And Sparta Saturday, A. M.
Twelve Students To Receive
Diplomas At Piney Creek
Friday Night
The graduation exercise at Pin
ey Creek high school will be pre
sented on Friday night at 8:00 o’
clock, when Congressman R. L.
Doughton will deliver the com
mencement address.
The program will open with the
singing of the senior class song,
which will be followed by the
salutatory address to be given by
Lacy Lee Weaver.
The valedictory address to be
delivered by Evon Jenkins will
follow, after which Principal
George M. VanHoy will make the
presentation of diplomas to the
twelve graduates.
The commencement exercise
opened at Piney Creek last Sun
day with the baccalaureate ser
mon, delivered by Rev. Richard
L. West, pastor of the Sparta Bap
tist church. Rev. Mr. West used
as the theme of his sermon, “Serv
ice to Humanity.”
Special music was furnished by
the school choir and members of
the faculty.
Members of the graduating class
are: Eula Jean Absher, Annie
Marie Anders, Sidney Donald
(Continued On Page Four)
Senior Play At
Piney Creek Sat.
“Pal Of My Heart” To Be Pre
sented. Play Written By
Mrs. Blevins
The senior class of the Piney
Creek high school will present the
play, “Pal of My Heart,” by Mrs.
Lilbert H. Blevins, on Saturday
night, May 20, at 8:00 o’clock, in
the high school auditorium.
The author, who is the former
Miss Gertrude Graybeal, of Clif
ton, has written and directed sev
eral plays in the past, which have
been very successful. "Pal of My
Heart” is a three-act comedy and
contains a “bit of romance, a |
thread of mystery, a tinge of sad
ness and a barrel of fun.” The
public is cordially invited to at
tend.
The cast of characters is as fol
follows: Mrs. Edward Latham,
mother, Hazel Van Dyke; Miss
Linda Lue Latham, her daughter,
Wilma Dean Hashe; Miss Janet
Sue Latham, her daughter, Alma
Jean Hashe; Miss Evelyn Latham,
her daughter, Evon Jenkins;
Mose Austin, colored handy man,
Fred Johnson Weaver; Becky
Morgan, colored cook, Beulah
Fields; Douglas Johnson, Evelyn’s
boy friend, Sidney Blevins; Velin
da Cruise, an orphan girl, .Lacy
Lee Weaver; Silfrannie Jones,
society lady, Jean Absher; Miran
da Jones, society lady, Louise
Perry and Lutannie Jones, socie
ty lady, Marie Anders.
The public is cordially invited
to attend.
Allies Are Crushing German
Lines In Ita^y; Airmen Busy
34th. day of continuous operation.
At the same time, it is antici
pated that the big second front
push may be launched at any
moment. In Russia, the Reds are
massing a gigantic army with the
possible objective of striking at
the same time the second front is
opened.
In the Pacific theatre, the Chin
ese have started their first real
offensive against the Japs in 7
years of war. More than 20,000
Chinese troops have plunged a
cross the Salween river in West
ern Yunnan province at a dozen
points. The objective is to unite
with the American forces about
130 miles away in Northern
Burma.
On the diplomatic front, U. S.
and Britain signed administration
pacts Tuesday with the exiled
governments of the Netherlands,
Belgium and Norway looking to
the liberation of their homelands.
These agreements may be a hint
a* to the direction of the allied
invasion.
Graduating Class Exercises To
Be Given. Awards Will
Be Announced
Congressman R. L. Doughton
will deliver the literary address
at the graduation exercise to be
held at Sparta high school Satur
day morning, May 20, at 10:00 o’
clock.
Rev. R. L. Berry, pastor of the
Sparta Presbyterian church, will
give the invocation, which will be
followed by the president’s speeds
given'by Dennis Franklin.
The salutatory address will be
made by Tommie Osborne, after
which Eva Edwards will present
the class history. The class will,
given by Lorene Hendrix, follows.
Rebecca Irene Richardson will
give the class prophecy. The
class’ part of the program will
close with the valedictory address
to be delivered by Patsy Roy
Burgiss.
Ellen Hardin, a member of the
junior class, will give a piano solo.
Congressman Doughton has ably
served in congress for the past 34
years, the longest term of any rep
resentative from North Carolina.
For a number of years, he has
been the distinguished chairman
of the Ways and Means committee,
in which capacity he serves at
present.
Following Congressman Dough
ton’s address, awards will be giv
en and the presentation of the di
plomas will be made by Principal
C. R. Roe.
Sparta Seniors
To Present Play
Will Be Given Tomorrow
Night In High School Aud
itorium Here
The Sparta high school senior
class will present “Mama’s Baby
Boy”, a three-act comedy, on Fri
day evening at 8:30 o’clock in the
high school auditorium.
Luther Long, played by Brice
Richardson, finds himself in need
of money and disguises his seven
teen-year-old daughter, Juliet, or
Pat Burgiss as a twelve-year-old
child, with the hope that he may
impress Mrs. McLean as being
ten years younger and thus win
her love.
Mrs. McLean, acted by Eva Ed
wards, is faced with the same
problem and dresses her eighteen
year-old son, Shepherd McLean,
Jr., played by Tommy Osborne, as
a boy of thirteen.
The part of Mrs. Anglin, Mr.
Long’s sister, who tells many re
vealing things, is played by Nada
Landreth. Mrs. McLean’s mother,
Mrs. Blackburn, or Rebecca Irene
Richardson, along with others of
the cast take on a youthful air to
keep up the ruse.
Cynthia, Shepherd’s girl friend
and the daughter of Mrs. Anglin,
is played by Norma Fender and
Sylvia, another friend is played by
Irene Hendrix. One of Shepherd's
friends is Wilber, or Cebert Jar
vis. Max Moore, a real estate
agent who brings prosperity to
the scene is Dennis Franklin. The
(Continued on Page Four)
Plans Made For
Members of the Sports
Chamber of Commerce met
Wednesday afternoon at the
high school diamond for a
practice softball fame in prep*
aration for the organisation of
a three-team league in the fan*
mediate future.
The men have not been di
vided Into groups and captains
have not been chosen, but It is
planned to organise a mer
chants’ team, business mens'
team, a fanners' team and pee
sibly to corporate into the
league a high school boy's
team.
Organisation plans are ex
pected to be completed at the
Forming