MARION PROGRESS
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTZREST OF THE PEOPLE OF McDOWELL COUNTY.
ESTABLISHED 1896.
MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 18, 1916.
VOL. XX—NO. 38
MARION TO SECURE
A PUBLIC BUILDING
Chances Appear Good for Approval
of Bill Providing $65,000 for*"
Site and a Structure.
The delegation from the Marion
Board of Trade returned last week
from Washington and brought with
them every assurance that Marion
is to have a government building.
The members of the delegation
were received by Congressman
Britt and Senators Overman and
Simmons most cordially and every
thing was done by them to advance
Marion’s interest before the com
mittee on public buildings and
grounds. Congressman Britt has
charge of the bill in the House,
where it originated, he being its
author, and Senator Overman will
introduce a like bill in the Senate.
The bill calls for an appropria
tion of $65,000. The delegation
appeared before a sub committee
of the House and presented rea
sons why Marion should have
public building. Mayor J.* W.
Streetman and Mr. L C. Griffin,
secretary of the Board of Trade,
addressed the committee. The
facts about Marion that justifies
her claim for a building as pre
sented to the committee are found
in the Washington correspondence
of the Greensboro Daily News, as
follows:
1. Population—there are more
than 2,000 people living withm the
corporate limits of Marion, and
there are 2,000 people in the two
mill villages just outside of the
limits, and there are 2,000 more
people who get their mails at the
postoffice, making a total popular
tion of approximately 6,000 served
by this postoffice. This does not
include the rural routes which or
iginate here and cover the entire
county.
2. Present building—the amount
of space in the building now occu
pied by the postoffice is not only
inadequate, for the efficient hand
ling of the daily mails, but is not
creditable to the town and to the
government.
3. Departmental offices-not only
do we need a building to serve as
I>ostoffice, but we also need offices
for the department of forest ser
vice, at least four offices; also for
the demonstrator in charge of the
work of the agricultural depart
ment, at least eight offices; and for
the division deputy, who has charge
of six counties, at least two offices.
It does seem that the erection of a
building to accommodate these dif
ferent departments would not only
be convenient but also absolutely
economical.
4. Present necessity—theoffices
of the departments of the govern
ment are scattered all over town,
and there is a waste of time and
energy in the transaction of the
government’s business.
5. Postoffice receipts—the re
ceipts are approximately $10,000
a year, and are constantly increas
ing, on account of the rapid de
velopment of our industries.
6. Industries—Two cotton mills
with an investment of $1,350,000.
With the assurance that the present
capacity will be doubled within
year indicate the progress of the
development of this industry with
in five years. Two hosiery mills,
four furniture factories, a veneer
plant, a tannery, two flour mills, a
crude drug factory, a novelty fac
tory, two planing mills, two lum
ber companies, a bakery and some
smaller industries are served by
this postoffice and deserve better
postoffice facilities than we now
have.
7. Trade—A large jobbing con
cern, doing over $500,000 worth
of business annually, three whole
sale concerns, and 50 retail stores
patronize this postoffice.
8. Banks—We have two banks
with total resoujces of over $800,-
000 and clearings in proportion.
9. City improvements—At con
siderable expense this town has
built concrete sidewalks, covering
practically the entire town.
We have more mileage of con
crete sidewalks per capita than any
other town in the state. We have
an ample supply of mountain water
brought to us by a gravity system,
pronounced absolutely pure by the
state chemist. The town has re
cently erected a modern and up-
to-date state high school building
equipped with every modern con
venience. We have a modern hotel
that meets every demand of the
traveling public.
10. Summer tourists—On ac
count of its altitude and climate
and attractive surroundings, Ma
rion is rapidly becoming a summer
resort. Visitors from other sec
tions of the country are surprised
that a public building has not al
ready been erected in Marion.
11. Power— Development — A
large corporation has recently in
vested over half a million dollars
in land in this vicinity with a view
to developing a large amount of
electrical power. It is proposed
to spend $5,000,000 in this develop
ment and upon its completion many
industries will be immediately es
tablished. This means more de
mands upon the postoffice facilities
here, for Marion is the logical place
and the geographical center for the
location of all business in connec
tion with this development.
12. Railway center—Two com
peting railway lines, extending in
five directions, with 18 passenger
trains and 16 mail trains daily make
Marion an important railway cen
ter.
It now behooves every member
of the Board of Trade and every
citizen of Marion to work enthu
siastically and in close co-operation
in order to secure this much de
sired and much needed building.
The Board of Trade has success
fully inaugurated the movement,
but it needs the co-operation of
every citizen in order to be cer
tain of success.
STATE NEWS OF THE WEEK
A New Mountain Trail.
Old Fort Sentinel.
Another mountain trail is being
constructed by Daniel W. Adams
in Catawba Falls neighborhood.
This new stretch of road will ex
tend from Rock Camp falls to
Ridgecrest, and when completed
will enable people to make the trip
from the latter place to Old Fort
by way of Catawba Falls over a
picturesque route embracing points
of exceptional scenic beauty. For
some distance this new trail will
follow the first stage-coach road
constructed through the mountains
of Western North Carolina.
Items Concerning Events of In
terest and Importance Through
out the State.
President Wilson has definitely
decided to attend the Mecklenburg
celebration at Charlotte next Sat
urday. He will arrive in Char
lotte Saturday morning at 10 o’
clock, deliver an address at 12:30
and board the train for Washing
ton in the evening.
Ivin Heavener had a leg broken
and Ernest Leonard and Dan John
son were badly scalded Saturday
afternoon when a boiler at Frank
Fulbright’s sawmill in Bandy’s
township, ten miles from Hickory,
exploded. Fire followed the ex
plosion and the mill was destroyed.
The Gilbert-Hopkins case, in
volving $1,500,000, was compro
mised in United States district
court at Asheville Saturday, be
fore Judge Boyd. This is said to
be the most famous land litigation
in the South, and has been in the
courts for 20 years. The compro
mise means the development of the
lumber interests of Graham coun
ty, held in abeyance for 20 years.
A. Tankersley, engineer in
char;?e of No. 38 when that train
crashed into the rear of the foot
ball special in Salisbury yard, on
November 24, killing two and in
juring 22 passengers, was sentenced
in Rowan superior court to aerve
four months in the county jail.
Tankersley last week was found
guilty of manslaughter, the jury
recommending leniency. The court
granted the commissioners permis
sion to hire out the defendant.
Tankersley is at liberty on $1,000
bail, his counsel having given no
tice of appeal to the supreme court.
Shooting Affair Saturday Night.
H. B. Mullenax was shot and
seriously wounded by Harve Pres
ley at the latter’s home near the
Marion mill last Saturday night.
It is said that Mullenax was drink
ing, that after repeated threats to
kill Presley he went to the latter’s
home Saturday night and, calling
him out, began snapping his pistol
at Presley, whereupon Presley shot
him. The wounded man was car
ried to the Rutherford hospital and
it is reported his chances for re
covery are favorable. Presley
gave himself up to the sheriff and
is now in jail. He will be given a
hearing Monday.
To Build Hotel.
The C. C. & O. is preparing to
build a large hotel near the Bostic
yards. Surveyors and contractors
were on the ground this week and
work is expected to begin within
a few weeks. The hotel will be
located just west of the union sta
tion and will be used principally
by employees of the road. The
erection of a new hotel is made
necessary by the constantly increas
ing force of men at the big coal
yards.—Forest City Free Press.
V PI
HON. SOLOMON GALLERT
Announces His Candidacy For The Democratic Congres
sional Nomination in The Tenth District.
Rutherfordton, N. C., May 8th, 1916.
To the Democrats of the Tenth Con- |
gressional District;
I am a candidate for the Democratic j
Congressional nomination in the
Tenth Congressional District at the
primary to be held on June 3rd, and
respectfully solicit your support of
my candidacy.
With more than twenty-five years
of active service for the Democratic
party, during which time, in addition
to redeeming Rutherford county from
Republican rule, I have repeatedly
canvassed every county in this dis
trict in support of the nominees ot
the party and have made political
speeches in more than one-half of the
counties of the State, and have served
several terms as a member of the
Democratic State Executive Commit
tee as well as attended two Democrat
ic National Conventions as a delegate
from this district, I think I can claim
an unparalleled service to the party
in advocacy of my selection to this
position. In addition to all this, I be
lieve I am correct when I say that, of
all of those whd were active in wrest
ing the State from negro domination,
I am about the only Democrat west of
Raleigh who has not received recog
nition at the hands of the party. Do
you thinlc I am unreasonable in ex
pecting that a political party which
has been generous and kind to those
who were associated with me in those
trying times will, now that the oppor
tunity offers itself, bestow upon me
pose of redeeming the district and
retaining it in the Democratic column,
where it belongs, I want to call at
tention to some reasons why my can
didacy should commend itself to you.
In the first place, I could organize
the Democrats of the district so ef
ficiently that the party would poll the
largest possible vote. My long ex
perience as an active worker in the
party and the many victories of the
party in campaignis which have been
managed by me ought to commend
me for this work. None of the other
gentlemen who are aspirants to this
nomination can lay claims to any ex
perience which would qualify them to
efficiently organize the district for the
election campaign.
In the second place, I would be able
to give my entire time to the cam
paign for the success of the Demo
cratic party and would not be com
pelled to consume any time at fill in
defending my own public record, be
cause, not having been an office-hold
er, I have no public record to defend.
Some of the other gentlemen who are
aspiring to this position have been
holding office for some time and, nat
urally, their public opinions and of
ficial conduct are subjects which
might be criticized and, if criticized*
would require time to defend, which
time ought to be consumed in promul
gating Democratic principles instead
of defending personal views upon
public questions or official acts. It
seems to me, as an available candidate
this year, this
To-day is always
to clean up.
the best day
Ex-Congressman P. Hobson
tried to come back in Alabama last
week but he.was defeated for the
congressional nomination in the
tenth district by W. B. Bankhead
by a majority estimated at 153.
Hobson claims the nomination,
however, and threatens contest.
Born, to Mr. and Mrs. John M.
Tate, May 15th, a daughter.
the only political reward I have ever this nomination tms year,
sought ? ! should be a strong ground for my
I believe that it was Governor I nomination.
Vance, and later on Governor Glenn,] I" t**e third place, my long expen-
who publicly proclaimed the doctrine j debating public questions and
that “The horse that pulls the plow,'"»“ng Democratic speeches upon the
should have the fodder,” and it seems! *han
to me that the people have so per
sistently affirmed and 'ratified this
doctrine that I can with propriel^y re
fer to my political services. With
that of any other aspirant to this
nomination. It has been my pleasure
and privilege to debate public issues
with some of the strongest Republi-
all due respect to the other gentle- ca“Pa>^ers of the district
men who have announced their can-jStote »"» I »lwajs been able to
for this position, none can !
litical debate. Therefore, if the Dem
ocratic nominee should be allowed the
privilege of debating public issues
Republican nominee, and I
should be your choice, I would be in
didacy for this position, none can i
point to similar party service or more;
efficient results.
However, I do not expect you to be- j
stow this nomination upon me solely'
on account of my party service. Were
I not able to demonstrate my ability
to wage an aggressive campaign for
election and to properly fill the office,
after election, I would not offer my
self for this nomination. Realizing
that it is the desire of the Democrats
of this Congressional District to nomi
nate the strongest man with the pur-
a position to creditably maintain the
principles and policies of our party.
What record have the -other aspirants
to this nomination which could give
you the same assurances, should
either of them be nominated?
In the fourth place, the office of
(Continued on page eight.)