MERRY
XMAS
TO
ALL!
I ■ fc&SBtf, ^ - - 4
hany News
AND STAB-TIMES-: (CONSOLIDATED ON SEPTEMBER 2, 1941) —ALLEGHANY COUNTY’S ONLY NEWSPAPER.
VOLUME 56, NO. 14
$1.50 a Year in Alleghany County
SPARTA, NORTH CAROLINA
$2.00 a Year Out of County
THURSDAY, DEC. 21, 1944
| Plan Is Started
To Encourage
Sheep Raising
Twenty-four Sheep Are Don
ated To Start Chain In
Alleghany County •
A “Sheep Chain”, sponsored by
the Sparta Grange, has been or
| ganized for the purpose of pro
| moting the sheep industry in Al
| leghany county and to help 4-H
I and FFA members-to get started
■■ in sheep raising, county agent R.
E. Black announced this week.
One ewe will be given to the
individual 4-H club and FFA
| members as their own personal
property ana they in turn will
give back one lamb which will
be used on the purchase price of
another ewe to be given to anoth
er qualified boy or girl, he point
. ad out
Twenty-four sheep have been
donated, he explained but approx
imately 40 will be needed to take
care of die application. Any firm
or individual wishing to do so,
may contribute to this 'project.
Eugene Transou contributed
L two ewes and the following have
f each contributed one ewe:
Van Miller, Arthur Gambill, W.
O. Hooper, Ralph B. Cheek, E. C.
Minnich, R. E. Black, J. R. Gam
bill, J. C. Gambill, J. H. Doughton,
Cleve Gambil’ C. R. Roe, Clyde
Fields, Roy Ellison.
Jay Hardin and C. G. Collins,
Lonnie Edwards, C. T. Edwards,
Smithey’s Store, Kay’s 8 and 10c
Store, Drs. B. O. and P. L. Choate,
Farmer’s Hardware 8b., Cash A
Carry, Belk’s Department Store,
B & T Drug Store, Northwestern
Bank of Sparta.
Wounded Vet Is
Home From Front
Pvt. Raleigh Caudill Tot*
Part In D-Day And Fight
h«
ii . and Mr*.
Sratford, one ■
ed Alleghany county men to re
turn home after seeing action in
tiie recent European invasion, is
spending a 30-day furlough with
his paints.
Private Caudill, who landed
with the American troops on the
French coast twelve days after
D-Day, saw three months’ active
duty, first in France, then to Bel
gium and on to Germany before
a stray bullet hit Him in the foot.
Following the injury, the Alle
ghany soldier was placed in a
field hospital in France for one
week and then moved to Eng
land where he remained for two
months before returning to the
states On December 1. He is now
stationed at Moore General hos
pital near Asheville, where he
will return after his furlough.
, Priv«te Caudill, a little reluctant]
to ta. is experiences, told of
small towns in France and Bel
gium that had, once been thriving
little places about the size of
Sparta, now flattened to the
(Continued on Page Four)
THOMAS B. LANDRETH
RECEIVES SILVER WINGS
Thomas Burton Landreth, 19,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Bob Lan
dreth, of Sparta, received his sil
ver wings as an aerial navigator
of the Army Air Forces as he was
commissioned a second lieutenant
at San Marcos, Texas, December
16.
Lt. Landreth is a graduate of
Pjney Creek high school.
NEWS TO BE CLOSED
ON SAT. AND XMAS
l The office of The Alleghany
Sincere Christmas Greetings To Everyone .... Everywhere!
Fight Hard To Halt
German Drive; Make
Progress On Leyte
Bloodiest Bfittle Of European
Area Now in Progress On
Wide Front
Veteran American doughboys,
flung into one of the war’s weird
est battles on a moment’s notice,
brought the German attack on the
northern flank in Belgium to
bloody halt yesterday in a welter
of tanks and dead
At least six*Gei
mil
eens
stand like Christmas trees, the
Germans elite guard tank columns
have been stopped and hurled
back while their flying bombs
still thunder overhead.
How it was done is one of the
war’s most .fascinating battle
stories. t
Despite the Americans desper
ate holding fight, the enemy’s
tank-led battering ram continued
probing into Belgium and Lux
embourg on a front of approxi
mately 70 miles extending from
above Monschau in the north to
the vicinity of Echternach in the
south.
The- Germans apparently were
hammering with the same fury
that in the first three days of the
assault rolled back the first army
(Continued on Page Four)
Five Men Left
Monday For Ajrmy
A group of five Alleghany coun
ty men left Monday for induc
tion into military service at Camp
Croft, S. C.
The men were given cigarettes,
candy and magazines by the Lu
cille Ford Circle of the Baptist
W. M. U. before their departure.
Those leaving included James
Franklin Halsey, Clifford Howard
Brooks, Otis Vaughn Brooks,
Jones Kent Andrews and Don
Rex Tolliver.
Laurel Springs
Man Decorated
With Silver Star
Receives Award In Italy For
Gallantry Shown In Action
■* On Italian Front
With The Fifth Army, Italy—
Staff Sergeant Coy EL Mabe,
Laurel Springs, North Carolina,
recently was awarded -£hl SiPver
Star for gaflantry in action on the
Italian front.
He is in the 135th Infantry
Regiment, 34th “Red Bull” Div
ision, a unit of Lieutenant Gen
eral Mark W. Clark’s Fifth Army.
Mabe, a private first class at
the time, led his squad against a
German machinegun emplace
ment of logs and concrete after
his squad leader had been wound
ed. Having maneuvered his squad
into proximity of the enemy nest,
Mabe threw a hand grenade at
the enemy, but the enemy crew
refused to surrender. Mabe with
drew his men, returned and threw
in another grenade, putting the
enemy gun and two-man crew
out of action.
“The courage and leadership
displayed by Mabe,” the citation
stated, “Enabled his company to
advance and move to a position
from where they wfre to support
another unit.”
J. D. Brawley Is
Reported Missing
Pvt. J. D. Brawley has been
missing in action in France since
Nov. 26 according to a message
received by his another, Mrs. W.
C. Brawley, of Roaring Gap.
Pvt Brawley’s wife and three
small children reside In Taylors
ville.
He had been in service for the
past nine months and had been
overseas since September.
Selective Service Director i ?
States Deferment Changes
_• _ • . r.f * •• .* *1 i
According to the director of the
Office of War (Mobilization and
Reconversion, there is a present
urgent manpower situation. The
Director * of Selective Servicfe,
General Hershey, state* that it
is increasingly necessary that all
persons, and particularly regis
trants 18 through 37 years of age,
participate to the full extent of
their abilities, either in the arm
ed forces or in the civilian war
effort and selective .service regu
lations have been amended ac
Fhipps,
cordingly, Mrs. Mexa
chief clerk, explained.
“It is important that all regis
trants in the 18 through 37 age
familiar with the
regulations have been amended
to restate the occupational classi
fication policy to be applied by
all local draft boards in view of
the present urgency for manpow
er, both by the armed forces and
in war production work directly
connected with the war program,”
she said.
Greater consideration will be
given, in the future, to regis
trants now engaged, or who be
come engaged, in war production
or in support of the war effort,
than to those engaged in activities
‘not supporting the immediate
prosecution of the war. Regis
trants of lesser skills may be
more important in war produc
Turkish Tobacco
To Be Grown On
State Test Farm
Experiment Will Be Tried Out
Next Year, Dean Colvard
Announces
Tobacco farmers will be inter
ested to learn that plans are now
being worked out to experiment
with the. .growing of Turkish
aromatic tobacco on the State
Test Farm at Laurel Springs, next
year, according to an announce
ment made by Dean Colvard, su
pervisor of test farms in Western
North Carolina.
Mr. Colvard told a News report
er that plans included the plant
ing of, one-fourth of an acre on
the fartn next year to determine
whether or not it could be suc
cessfully grown inthis section,
which is well adapted to some
types of burley tobacco. 1
Mr. Colvard pointed out that
work was going forward on the
building work on the farm con
sidering the unfavorable weather
and that some commercial grade
Hereford heifers had already been
shipped to the farm.
Experiments in both beef and
dairy cattle are a part of the plans
now underway, there.
Uncle Sam Has
Extra Business
Many Post Offices Of The
County Report Record
Breaking Days
Due to the fact that many peo
ple are away from home this
year and will receive their Christ
mas greetings, as well as gifts, by
mail, the post offices of the
county report that business this
week has reached a new high
peak.
“I never knew there could be
so many Christmas cards,” one
postal worker declared.
Packages are also on the in
crease this year, both incoming
as well as outgoing. And in spite
of warnings of early Christmas
mailing ^o assure delivery, many
packages arc still being mailed
here. Packages are being sent
from Alleghany to all parts of the
world, where men in service are
stationed. “Uncle Sam is going
to have to cover a lot of territory
for Santa,” someone remarked. 1
Ffeedy Are To
Be Remembered
The needy families in this coun
ty will be remembered at Christ
mastime with baskets of food,
clothing and toys as various or
ganizations and individuals will
distribute them.
jrta Grange assisted by
Scouts, are gathering
distribute, to needy chil
Several toys have already
collected and more are ex
pected to come in by Friday night
The offering taken at the
Thanksgiving union service will
be used to prepare;
lor the needy, it
lives
Methodist
will
will
War Bond Record Of
Comity Is Praised By
Governor Broughton
I ~
Purple Heart Is
Awarded Thomas
Pugh; Now Home
Was Wounded In France On
His Birthday; Spending
Holiday With Parents
Wearing a Purple Heart and
campaign ribbons denoting one
major battle .Pvt. Thomas Gra
ham Pugh, son Of Mr. and MW. D.
M. Pugh, «f Topia, who was
wounded in action in France on
June 7, arrived at his home this
week to spend the Christmas
holidays with his parents.
Private Pugh was one of the
thousands of American troops to
land on the Cherbourg pennin
sula on D-Day, June 6. “I last
ed through the day and well in
to the evening before they got
me,” the young soldier told a re
porter. “We were advancing
through the tall grass and the
Germans had mines placed pret
ty thick around there. Someone
hit a wire and set off the mine
which exploded very near me.”
There had not been time to set
up aid stations on the coast of
France that June day and Pri
vate Smith lay there with a
wounded foot and leg for 24
hours before he was given first
aid treatment and put on a boat
for England.
A pal stopped long enough to
place a tourniquet just above the
knee which served to stop the
'(Continued on Page Four)
SPARTA MAN GOES IN
LAUNDRY BUSINESS
Emory Joines, formerly of Al
leghany county, has recently pur
chased a one-half interest in the
Boone Steam Laundry, Boone,
and has taken over the manage
ment of the business office at the
laundry.
Mr. Joines has resigned a posi
tion he Held with the Colvard Tire
and Chevrolet Company.
E Bond Sales Continue To
Mount; For Over tth War
Loan Quota
Bond sales in Alleghany coun
ty continued to climb this week
as sources of sales reported $15,
093.75 over the quota of $74,000.00,
according to Alton Thompson,
bond chairman. '
The “E” bond quota of $50.00,
was surpassed by $11,893.75 with
sources of sales reporting $61,
.893.75.
Governor Broughton in a letter
to S. R. Nichols, special drive
chairman, states:
“I acknowledge receipt of your
letter of December 11 and wish
to congratulate you and your
committee most heartily for the
notable achievement in Alleghany
county in this Sixth War Loan
drive, as well as in previous cam
paigns. I know of no finer record
being made anywhere in the
state.”
Mr. Thompson pointed out that
all tqwnships had met and exceed
ed their quotas and that official
figures would be announced at a
later date.
Both Mr. Thompson and Mr.
Nichols again expressed their ap
preciation for the co-operation of
the committees' and of the buying
public in making the drive such
a success.
Men Classified
By Local Board
The local board this week an
nounced classifications of nine
Alleghany men for military serv
ice. The classification list is as
follows:
1- A: Hugh Fufty, Robert L.
Evans and Chester L. Brooks.
2- A: Dewey G. Edwards.
2-B: Walter C. Royal,
4-A: Vearl G. Wagoner and
Welter G. Vanhoy.
4-F: Olen R. Black and Dewey
C. Whitaker.
78th Congress Adjourns For
Christmas; Meets Again Jan. 3
Washington—The 78th Con
gress adjourned sine die Tues
day night, ending one of the mosl
moAentous sessions in congres
sional annals.
The House adjourned at 6:59 p
m., and the Senate at 8:22 with
only a feyv members present in
both chambers.
Legislation authorizing a $500,
000,000 rivers and harbork con
struction program was caught in
the ruph for adjournment and was
allowed to die when a bloc oi
Western Senators succeeded in
stalling off action on a House-ap
proved conference report The
bill’s proponents promised to re
vive it in the next Congress.
Hie Senate passed and sent tc
the White Houses bill to abolish
the 221,000-acre Jackson Hoh
Monument in Wyoming. It was
created by executive order in
1943 and wai a pet project of Sec
retary of tiie Interior Harold L.
Ickes.
Members began leaving town
immediately to spend the holiday
season with their families. More
than 75 Legislators who were de
feated in the November elections
will not be back when the 79th
Congress convenes Jan. 3.
Adjournment ended an epichal
two years marked by enactment
of an anti-strike law, reconver
sion and surplus property bills to
ease the transition to a peacetime
economy, the Q. L Bills of Rights,
huge grants for postwar civic de
velopment, simplified tak hills
and other far-reaching wartime
Quiet Christmas
Expected To Be
Observed Here
Stores To Be Closed On Mon
day; Record Business Is
Reported
I -
I Christmas is expected to be
(quietly observed in Alleghany
on Monday, with the cessation of
business and according to ad
vanced reports should be a gen
erous one, judging from the am
mount of gifts purchased.
The severe winter weather
this section has exprienced, leav
ing ice and snow on many roads,
as well as other transportations!
difficulties, should keep most
people at home to enjoy an old
fashioned Christmas.
All stores are expected to dose
on Monday for Christmas Day,
but will be open for business as
usual on Tuesday. County offices
are also expected to be closed on
Monday, that be open on Tuesday.
The Northwestern Bank will be
closed on both Monday and Tues
day, officials announced.
Inspite of hampered travel con
ditions, because of the weather
and shortages in many lines of
merchandise, local merchants re
port a record business for the
holiday season and point out that
the public has not only bought
gift merchandise, but much prae
(Continued on Page 4)
Thomas H. Smith
Is A Crack Shot
[Makes Record At Camp Croft;
Is Praised By Officers
For Fine Shooting
Private Thomas H. Smith, of
Stratford, better known to his
friends as “Harry", recently dis
played some “pretty fancy shoot
in’ ” on the rifle range at Camp
Croft, S. C., where he is receiving
his basic training.
The easy-going mountaineer
fired on his targets in true Ser
geant York fashion as he scored
189 out of a possible 200, which
was the highest score in his com
pany. Then came the contest be
tween the highest scoring experts
of each company to determine the
best shot for the battalion and
Private Smith, from Alleghany,
came in one shot short to win
second place by scoring 193 out of
a possible 210 with his opponent
scoring 196 out of a possible 210.
To qualify for expert one must
score 180 out of a possible 200
shots.
General Hester, Commanding
General at Camp Croft, happened
to be on the firing range and ob
served Private Smith putting
(Continued on Page 8)
Methodists Plan
Special Meeting
A meeting of the Crusade for
Christ will be held at the Sparta
Methodist church on Sunday
night, December 24 with Mrs.
Gertrude Blevins in charge.
A duet, “Beautiful Christmas
Star,” will be rendered by Misses
Ellen Hardin and Mary Alice Lan
dreth. “The Crusade for a New
World Order” by Miss Wilma
Crouse; “World. Relief and Re
construction,” Rev. Worth Sweet
and “Stewardship,” Mrs. Blevins.
Other meetings of the Crusade
will be announced later.
SCHOOLS OBSERVING
A SHORT HOLIDAY
Alleghany county
observing only a part
week’s holiday next
Christmas and will
Wednesday, December 27,
less severe weather
vent this, Supt. Clyde
explained yesterday.
Due to the fact that
schools have bee
the past two weeks on
of the weather, it was
n §??!?»$