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MARION PROGRESS
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF McDOWELL COUNTY.
ESTABLISHED 1896.
MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, SEPT. 21, 1916.
VOL. XXI—NO. 4
GRADED SCHOOL OPENS
With Enrollment of 400—Nebo
Opens Under Promising Pros-
pecrs—School Notes,
The MarioD graded school open
ed on Monday, the 18th, with an
eDrollment of 400 pupils. Several
visitors—Mr. B. B. Price, Rev.
B. S. Lassiter, Rev. L. D. Thomp
son and County Superintendent
Conley—honored the occasion and
made short addresses.
The school is this year in charge
of Mr. S. L. Sheep, a practical
educator of 40 years experience.
Mr. Sheep comes directly from
Helena, Ark., but was, for many
years, an educator in our state.
We venture to prophesy for Mr.
^heep and his enthusiastic faculty
a season of exceptional fruitfulness.
The Nebo school opens this year
under very promising auspices, a
very earnest and efficient corps of
teachers being in charge. We wish
that every faculty in our county
might exhibit the same interest
and seriousness with respect to the
problems presented by the incom
ing body of pupils.
We hope, too, that these pupils
may appreciate and enjoy to the
extent not only the interest shown
in them but also the beauty and
freedom offered by their nature
surroundings. One cannot ref rain
from comparing the latter with
the environment of the average
city school.
In the interest of more adequate
equipment and of general improve
ment, the Nebo school will enter
tain at a minstrel show and box
supper on Friday evening, Sept.
^9, at 8:30 o’clock. Let the pub
lic turn out and do its part.
Death of Virginia Blanton.
“There is a reaper whose name is Death,
And with his sickle keen
He reaps the bearded grain at a breath,
And the flowers that grow between.”
Swiftly the message passed from
home to home last Thursday morn
ing, “Virginia Blanton is dead.”
At the home of her parents, Mr.
and Mrs. J.^ D. Blanton, at Green
lee, almost without warning, Vir
ginia, eldest child in the home,
passed into her heavenly home.
The whole community was shocked
and saddened by this visit of the
reaper, following only a day or
two the passing of her grandfather.
Virginia was born in Marion in
August, 1901, and lived in our
midst up to about six years ago,
when she moved with her parents
to their country home at Greenlee.
Just in the full promise of sweet
and lovely girlhood, entering on
her sixteenth year, with life and
youth beckoning her, she passed
from us into a life of fadeless
beauty. Gone from the home
where she was idolized, the com
panion and joy of mother and
father, the elder sister to the little
ones, into a home in heaven, where
she had already begun to lay up
her treasures; taken from young
friends and companions who loved
her, into a company of hosts of
angels.
NEWS FROM THE COUNTY
Brief Mention of Some of the Hap
penings in McDowell County—
Items About Home
As soon as the census of each
district is complete the teachers of
the district are requested to com
pare their enrollment with the cen
sus and to look up all pupils of
school not in attendance. The com-
DYSARTVILLE
Dysartsville, Sept. 18 —Rev. Grover
Kirksey of Mors'anton preached a splen
did sermon at the Baptist church Sun
day. A large crowd attended.
J. H. Taylor and son and daughter,
Bhonie and Miss Bertie, of Bridgewater,
were visitors here Sunday.
P. J. Satterwhite of Spencer spent the
week-end with relatives here.
Born, to Mr. and Mrs. P. D. Spratt,
Sept. 17, two fine girls.
J. L. Spratt made a business trip to
Marion today.
Chas. and Morris Laughndge of Ma
rion were visitors here Sunday.
J. C. Goforth and Key Landis made
a business trip to Marion today.
B. H. Laughridge and B. Landis
are jurors in court at Marion this week.
B. T. Denton of Charlotte is visiting
his grandparents here.
Col. H. Forney Has Narrow Escape
—Fell from Cliff.
Black Mountain, Sent. 11.—
Col. H. Forney, of Union Mills,
came near loosing his life by fall
ing from a cliff a few days ago on
fetone Mountain, 3200 feet above
sea level. Mr. Forney was return
ing to the valley after spending
several hours on the mountain
when he saw a beautiful water falls
some distance from the trail and,
wishing to get a better view it, he
stepped aside to the edge of the
falls. He was cautioned of his
danger, but the warning came too
late, for before the words reached
his ears he had lost his footing
THOMPSON’S FORK.
Thompson’s Fork, Sept. 18 —Bruce
and Ralph Tate of Nebo visited their
grandmother here last week.
Albert and Will BufiE of Morganton
are visiting relatives here.
Mrs. Maggie Janes and daughter,
Joncie, visited the former’s parents at
Sevier last week
Clayton Janes was in Marion today.
Marion Simmons has gone to Glen
wood for two or three days.
Mrs. M. L. Kay lor and daughter,
Elsie, were in Manon, Saturday.
Duff Browning was a visitor at
Linyille one day last week.
Vanus Brown of Glen wood was
VinainAaa viRitxir harfl today, .
Annie Bowman of Harmony Grove
visited friends here Sundav-
Mr. and Mrs. D. C. Brown were in
Marion one day last week.
Sam McNeely has purchased the D.
C. Brown farm and will soon come here
to live.
Joncie Janes left today for Charlotte.
J. N. Yelton with a force of hands
has completed a bridge across Muddy
creek at this place.
pulsory education law will be con- , , . ,, , •
sistently enforced and all cases of bottom of the falls,
non-compliance should be reported
at once to the superintendent.
It will be in order hereafter in
in all schools of the county to dis
miss grade 1 at 3 p. m.
a distance of ninety-two feet.
When his companions, Mills and
William Nanney, reached the foot
of the fall, to their surprise, they
found Mr. Forney on his feet,
thou bleeding freely from a deep
cot on the chin. He was badly
bruised and had several small cuts
Superior Court Opens.
4. # « . .^1 I about his limbs and body, but his
Superior court for the trial of .
-criminal and civil cases convened
here Monday for a term of two
weeks with Judge Shaw presiding
and Solicitor Michael Schenck
prosecuting on behalf of the State.
T. W. Wilson was made foreman
of the grand jury, with Garland
Williams as officer in charge. The
criminal docket is made up of the
usual number of minor cases, sev
eral of which have been disposed
of. A full list of the cases tried
at this term and their disposals
will be published next week.
The Catawba Indians in South
Carolina are seeking to secure the
return of 164,000 acres of rich land
leased to the state nearly a century
ago. The Indians made the lease
for 99 years, and the state sub-let
it to individuals. Now the lease
is nearly up and they want the
land or its cash value. Meanwhile
the land has been settled up and is
owned by many farmers who knew
nothing of the lease.
injuries are not considered serious.
He was rushed to the home of
W. L. Nanney where his wounds
were dressed and where he will be
cared for until able to resume his
journey.
Mr. Forney is well known in
this section and has many friends
in this section. He has spent much
of his time in hunting and travel
ing. He says he has had many
close calls but this was the most
miraculous escape in all his life.
NEALSVILLE
Glen wood, Sept. 18.—Mrs. F. J. War
rick of Erwin* Tenn., yisited relatives
here last week.
Miss Maggie Goforth has returned
home from Shelby, where she spent
several weeks with her sister, Mrs. J
F. Parker. »
Mrs. Hoke Brown and Verla Rayburn
were shopping in Marion last week.
Miss Miggie Byrd, who is teaching
at Old Fort, ^pent Saturday and Sun
day with homefolks here.
Mrs. George Williams of Old Fort
has returned home after spending
,few days with her p^€Ats>
Mr. Millard Tate and daughter. Miss
Carrie, of Bridgewater yisited Mr. and
Mrs. T. W, Wilson last week.
Edwin E. Bridges of Morehead City,
was a visitor here Sunday.
Miss Thelma England spent the week
end with friends in Marion.
Mrs. A. C. Gardin and daughter, Mrs
A. P. Poteat, were shopping in Marion
Monday.
Misses Bessie and Yina Rayburn are
visiting in Rutherfordton.
W. C. Morris and E. G. Gtoforth were
in Marion Monday.
Thomas Given Year Sentence.
Raleigh, Sept. 16.—One year at
hard labor work on the county
roads was the sentence imposed by
Judge Bond in superior court this
morning on E. B. Thomas after
his conviction last night for an as
sault on Miss Eula Nunn, of Nash
ville, Tenn. He was tried for as
sault with intent to outrage. The
offense was in the ladies berth of a
Pullman car on the Southern Rail
way at the Union station in Ra
leigh two weeks ago.
Virgil Butt’s Body Found Close to
Scene of Sliooting.
The dead body of Virgil Butt,
the man >wh6 ran amuck here a
week ago Sunday and shot five
people, was found last Sunday
in the woods near the Houck place,
less than a mile from the scene of
the shooting. About noon J. M.
Houck, attracted by vultures, be
gan to search for the object of
their prey and found Butt’s body
in a decaying condition. By his
side lay a 22-calibre Remington
rifle, a razor, pocket knife, pencil
and a small bottle of strychnine.
The direct cause of his death is
unknown, but it is supposed to
have resulted from poisoning.
Bloodboui^ds and officers follow
ed what was thought to be Butt’s
trail for many miles and it was
thought he was still a fugitive from
justice until his bodv was found
and identified. The body was
buried without a coroner’s inquest
Dr. V. R. Butt, of Bakersville,
father of the deceased, was notified
Sunday of the finding of his son’s
body and he arrived Monday and
had the remains taken to Buck
Creek for interment.
The finding of Butt’s body brings
au end to one of the most noted
criminal records in the history of
McDowell county. Butt, while in
the army, murdered the captain of
his company and has been involved
in many other shooting duels.
Tbe“ &w persons wounded by
Butt will recover, except his wife,
who is in a critical condition.
Notice of Issue of Drainage Bonds
Notice is hereby giyen that in pursu
ance of a resolution duly adopted by the
Muddy Creek Drainage Commission at
its meeting held in the town of Morgan
ton on Saturday, September 16th, 1916,
bonds of said Muday Creek Drainage
District bearina: 6% interest, and run
ning for seven years from date of issue,
and in the denominations of One Hun
dred Dollars or Five Hundred Dollars,
as the purchaser may prefer, interest on
said bonds to be paid semi-annually,
and said bonds to bo in the aggregate
sum of $10,000.00, will be issued in pur
suance of the provifflons of the act of
the Generjd A^^mbly of Noith Caro
lina establishing said Muddy Creek
Drainage Commission, and authorizing
the issuance of said bonds. Said bonds
will not be issued before Nov. 1,1916.
This 16th day of Sept., A. D., 1916.
Muddy Creek Drainage
Commission,
By J. D. Patton, President,
J. A. Gettys, Secretary.
Black Blood Issue Again.
Raleigh, N. C., September 19.—
Four children of the Medlin family
who are “accused of having negro
blood in their veins,” have stopped
the Mount Vernon public school in
House Creek Township, Wake
County, located four miles from
Raleigh—and this in face of the
fact that both the County Superior
Court and the State Supreme Court
have decided recently thtit there is
no taint of negro blood in the Med
lin children, according to the evi
dence produced at the trial of the
case in court.
The neighbors of the Medlin
family think the court does not
know itself, or that they know
more than l(ie court. So the pa
rents of all the white children ac
companied their children to school
on the opening day of the new
school term, and when the school
superintefident declined to bar the
Medlin youngsters, all withdrew
their children from the school.
At present they have the teachers
and county superintendent Giles
“up a tree,” and there’s no school
going on at Mount Vernon. The
county board of education at last
accounts had taken up the matter,
and is now wrestling with the ques
tion of what is to be done under
these remarkable conditions.
WEAVER HERE MONDAY
Big Audience Hears Nominee Re
view State and National Ad
ministrations.
The court house was packed
Monday afternoon to hear ^bulon
Weaver, democratic candidate for
congress from the tenth district;
and this audience proved a most
enthusiastic one. Mr. Weaver was
frequently applauded. Especially
were his remarks relative to the
sectionalism issue injected into the
campaign by the national republi
can organization giving unstinted
applause.
Mr. Weaver attacked in no un
certain terms both Mr. Hughes
and the republican national organi
zation for the stand they have taken
in forcing upon the country an is
sue that should have died, he de
clared, a half century ago. In an
swer to their contention that the
democratic party represents the
south, to the exclusion of every
other section of the country, Mr.
Weaver made the bold assertion
that the democratic is “the only
national political party,” consider
ed in the broadest aspect. To back
up this assertion he pointed to the
fact that the party polls only one-
fifth of its strength in the south,
the remainder coming from all
other sections—north, east and
west.
Mr. Weaver devoted most of his
time to the discussion of what he
considers the real issues in the
present campaign. He reviewed
briefly present day conditions in
this state as they have been wrought
under democratic administration
since 1898. He called attention to
the sound financial condition of the
state; and, in answer to what the
opposition is sometimes saying
about its indebtedness in the form
of bonds, declared that, while the
state has a bonded indebtedness of
something like eight million dollars,
it holds stock in the North Caro
lina and the Atlantic and North
Carolina railroads that will prac
tically cover this bonded debt.
The speaker challenged compari
son of the state’s public school sys
tem and equipment; its system of
good roads, and all its institutions,
with those of any state in the south.
And yet, he pointed out, North
Carolina ha& a lower tax rate than
any of the union.
Mr. Weaver then turned his at
tention to national affairs, referring
especially to what the Wilson ad
ministration has accomplished.
As a result of this wise and lib
eral democratic national adminis
tration, Mr. Weaver declared that
the country is now enjoying an era
of prosperity that is altogether un-
predeoented; that this prosperity
is not confined to any particular
industry or to any particular sec
tion. In suppost of this he cited
his hearers to the increase of the
national wealth during the Wilson
regime.
Gibson-Brown.
Joseph Brown and Miss Maggie
Lee Gibson were married at the
home of the bride’s parents, Mr.
and Mrs. O. E. Gibson, near Old
Fort, Sunday, Sept. 10, Esq. J.
C. Sandlin officiating. The groom
is a son of J. H. Brown. Both
the bride and groom are well
known at Old Fort where they
have a large circle of friends.
Born, to Mr. and Mrs. B. M
Steppe, September 15, a daughter
Farmers’ Institute at Glenwood.
The farmers institute at Glenwood on
September 7 proved to be both interest
ing and worthwhile. In spite of the
fact that the farmers were very busy in
theilr crops there was a good turn out.
Instructiye talks were given by T, B.
Parker on soil building, B. SKymoniak
on fruit growing, E. E. Cuibeth on
rural credits, and Mrs. Cunningham on
fire prevention. A separate institute
was held for the ladies by Mrs. Cun
ningham and Mrs. Gurren. Mr. Oax-
ren’s talk on plant breeding and seed
selection was to the point. Mr. and
Mrs. Ganen have spisnt the past year
in Texas but find that there is no place
like North Carolina. They told of
storms and floods m Texas much worse
than ours.
The best part of the program wm the
splendid dinner that the la^es so gen
erously provided. It might be men
tioned tl^t Glenwood community uses
more phosphate and lime than any other
section of the county, and this means
more cloyer wMch is a sure sign that
the dinners will always be bountifuL
Watch Glenwood grow.