MARION PROGRESS
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1896
MARION, N. THURSDAY, JANUARY 24, 1929
VOL. XXXIII—NO. 29
MARION LANDS
ANOTHER MILL
MORGANTON MERCHANT
DIES AFTER OPERATION
Lake City Hosiery Mill Com
pany Formed and Will Be
gin Operations Here Soon.
Announcement was made on last
Saturday of a new hosiery mill for
Marion. It will be known as The
Lake City Hosiery Mill Company
and the first Unit of 24 machines
will begin operation about February
10th. The plant will be located in the
Hudgins building on Railroad street
near the Southern depot.
The new concern will start with a
capital of $20,000, later to be in
creased. It will have a daily output
of 250 dozen pairs of girls’ golf hose
The value of the finished product
will be $250,000 per year, and the
plant will employ about 30 persons.
J. H. Tate, a Marion business man,
will be secretary and treasurer. J. M.
Lithcy will be superintendent and
president of the new mill. The new
concern was secured through the
efforts of the industrial committee
of the -Marion Chamber of Com
merce.
Morganton, Jan. 19.—The funer
al of W. P. Becker, 49, well known
and highly respected Morganton
merchant, who died in a Charlotte
hospital Friday night, will be held at
3:30 Sunday afternoon at the First
Methodist Church here. Mr. Becker
was a member of the board of stew
ards of this church and took an ac
tive interest in its affairs. The imme
diate cause of his death was an ab
scess on the bladder, this with other
complications having followed an at
tack of influenza. He was taken to
Charlotte last Sunday for an opera
tion, from which he failed to rally.
Seven sisters and a brother, prac
tically all of whom live in New York,
where Mr. Becker was bom and
reared, survive in addition to his
wjfe and two children. The Beckers
had been living in Morganton for 10
years, coming here from Lexington
During that time they had establish
ed and successfully operated variety
stores in Morganton, Marion, Valde-
se, and Granite Falls.
PYHUANS OmUNE
PIAN OF ACnVlTY
NEGRO JAILED FOR
SHOOTING HIS WIFE
PLAY AT EAST MARION
NEXT SATURDAY NIGHT
Joe Davis, 30-yearold negro, is
held in jail after being arrested Sat
urday night shortly after shooting
and killing his wife about 9 o’clock.
The shooting occurred on Main
street on the bridge across the rail
road and in the presence of several
passersby and those standing near
the scene.
Davis and his wife had not lived
together for some time and they met
on Main street Saturday night and
had an argument that resulted in his
killing her. He fired four times
and she died almost instantly.
Immediately following the shoot
ing Davis made his way up Main
street where he was met by Police
man Nichols who arrested him and
escorted him to jail.
Local Lodge Has Entered Into
Campaign Outlined by the
Supreme Advisory Board.
PWLTRY BRINGS
FAKMERS BIG SUM
Shipments During the Past
Year Bring Farmers of Mc
Dowell County $11,462.92.
On Saturday evening, Jan. 26th,
at the East Marion school house the
play, “Over the Hill,” will be given
for the benefit of the community and
school libraries. The East Marion
school is a standard school with
very fine library. The community li
brary, of which the people of the
community are very proud, is not
thoroughly organized yet it has
collection of six or seven hundred
books which are being used quite ex
tensively. However, there is a de
mand for more. Therefore the peo
ple of the community are giving this
play. The cast of characters is as
follows:
Samuel Crawford, Jessie Price
Robert Post Roy Queen
Walter Conrad Orvil Fender
Dr. Jimmie Reed Juanita Poteat
Salamander Alexander John Henry
Jones Garl Baldwin
Mrs. Davis Rosa Holland
Ruth Conrad Mrs. Lovella Smith
Flo Gray Ruby McGee
Lutie Annie Moore
Zuzu Mrs. W. A. Fender
PENDER STORE VISITED BY
THIEVES SATURDAY NIGHT
The Pender store located on West
BAND CONCERT NEXT
THURSDAY EVENING
A musical program will be given
Henderson street was entered by, . i. o i. i t> j 4.
night The i ^ Manon High School Band at
robbers last Saturday
manager of the store was unable to
estimate the value of goods taken
but stated the loss would probably
run about $200 or $300. The rob
bers took mostly cigarettes and sug
ar. Entrance was gained through
the ventilator over the front door.
Officers noticed the back door open
about 4 o’clock Monday morning.
No trace of the robbers could be
found.
KIRBY RE-ELECTED
COUNTY PHYSICIAN
the High School auditorium on next
Thursday evening, Jan. 31, at 8 o’
clock. A varied program consisting
of band selections, vocal and instru
mental solos and duets, quartet se
lections, etc., will be rendered. ^ The
proceeds will go to the bahd for cur
rent expenses. The band has a mem
bership of twenty and is making fine
progress under the leadership of
Mr. J. L. Greene. A delightful musi
cal program is promised and it is
hoped that all who are interested in
this organization, which means much
to the town, will attend.
At a meeting of the County Board
of Health on Monday, Dr. G. S. Kir
by was re-elected county physician
for the next two years and Dr. R. B.
Butt was elected quarantine officer,
succeeding Dr. J. B. Johnson.
The County Board of Health is
composed of five members: J. D.
Blanton, chairman of the Board of
County Commissioners; N. F. Steppe
County Superintendent of Schools;
H. H. Tate, Mayor of Marion; Dr. J.
F. Miller and Dr. D. M. McIntosh.
JOHN PRESNELL PASSES
Mr. John Presnell, an aged citizen
of Clinchfield, died at the home of
his son last Friday. Mr. Presnell was
90 years of age. His wife died about
21 years ago. He is survived by two
sons and three daughters, James and
Peter Presnell, of Marion; Mrs. W.
E. Coe and Mrs. John Wilson, of
Marion; Mrs. Julia Helton, of New
ton, and a number of grand and
great grand children.
The funeral services were conduc
ted Saturday afternoon by Rev. J.
N. Wise and interment made at
Proctor cemetery.
LONE STAR SERVICE
STATION BURGLARIZED
The Lone Star Service Station on
East Court street was broken into
and pilfered by unknown robbers
last Monday night. A quantity of
cigarettes and a few other articles
amounting to about forty or fifty
dollars were carried off. A small am
ount of change left in the cash
drawer was not bothered. Entrance
was effected through a window-
TO THE AMERICAN BOY
By M. L. Wright
I take off my hat to the American
boy— dirty, filthy, grimy — of the
earth, earthy. He is the composite of
the wildcat and the dove, lion and
the lamb. He is the autocrat at the
breakfast table, the dinner table and
the supper tabel
He is a walking encyclopedia of
family secrets, thumb-indexed and
automatic. He relates without preju
dice or personal bias. You can’t stop
him. He talks right on.
He rvms with the gang. He plays
hookey to follow the parade. He is
full of adventure. He is a hero wor
shiper. His interests center around
things and men in action. He is the
pride of his mother, the terror of his
big sisters, and the hope of the fu
ture.
He carries the destinies of the fu
ture up his sleeve and wears the pur
pose of the race on his countenance.
He wiH make and unmake empires
and kingdoms to bis liking. He will
build the future after his own ideals.
You can’t discourage him, for he
has the courage of his convictions.
You can’t befuddle him, fof he does
his own thinking. You can’t gainsay
him, for he knows and knows that he
knows. He carries the wealth of the
Nation in his pocket.
Go easy with him. Be patient. He
is a man in the cocoon. He may be a
plodder or a genius—one is as im
portant as the other. He may be a
pauper, a prince, or a president. I
take off my hat to the American boy.
Who knows but that destiny has
picked Tiim for a winner?
Under the leadership of E. P. Foy
lodge deputy, the local lodge of
Knights of Pythias has entered into
the campaign outlined by the Su
preme Advisory Board and will make
an effort to win a portion of the
,000 cash awards announced un
der the plan of activity issued by the
Supreme Lodge officers. The goal
s6t by the plan of work is fixed at
more than 100,000 members or an
increase of ten per cent net for all
of the 6,000 lodges of the United
States an Canada.
The program, nation-wide in its
scope, will be directed by officers of
the grand lodges. The g^and domain
will be divided into districts, each in
charge of a grand lodge officer, who
will direct the work to be done by
the deputy in each lodge. The plan
includes the holding of frequent di
visional meetings, institution of new
lodges, reorganization of defunct
lodges, organization of dramatic
teams for ritual ceremonies and the
institution of the order’s auxiliaries
in lodges where procticable.
The program of activity will cov
er the entire year and awards will
be made to grand lodges at the close
of the year upon credits earned. The
prizes range from $1,500 down to
$100 and nine awards will be made
to the fifty-five grand domains.
The Supreme Advisory Board is
composed of Supreme Chancellor
Alva M. Lumpkin, Columbia, S. C
Supreme Vice Chancellor Leslie E.
Crouch, Portland, Oregon; and Har
ry M. Love, supreme keeper of rec
ords and seal, Minneapolis, Minn
The Grand Chancellor of each do
main is in charge of the work in his
jurisdiction.
“The plan of activity outlined in
the program is the most constructive
ever attempted by the local' lodge,
according to G. N. Carter, who was
recently installed chancellor com
mander. “It not only contemplates
the increase of membership in the
lodge but extends its field of action
into many channels. The social side
of the organization will be empha
sized. Efforts will be made to devel
op closer contacts with the member
ship and their families. A number of
social events of various kinds will be
given by the lodge.
“The lodge will also make contact
with some welfare activity for the
advancement of the community. The
organization will sponsor some
movement in civic welfare or will
support some plan undertaken by
the city as a whole for beautification
of the city or development of some
community spirit. The program also
includes the organization of auxilia
ry sections recognized by the Su
preme Lodge. This work will include
organization of a Pythian Sister
Temple and perhaps the Princes of
Syracuse, the organization for boys
and the establishment of an Insur
ance Section in the lodge by obtain
ing members for the Insurance De
partment.”
The committee in charge of carry
ing out the program in the local
lodge is composed of the following
members: J. C. Burnett, P. C.; G. N
Carter, C. C.; E. P. Foy, R. F
Barnes, W. L. Smarr, W. W. McCon
nell.
1,713 VIOLENT DEATHS
IN N. C. IN PAST YEAR
Raleigh, Jan. 18.—One thousand
seven hundred and thirteen persons
met violent deaths in North Caro
lina during 1928, state health de^
partment officials said late Thursday
in giving out their yearly report. Of
this number 251 were homicides,
Causes and number of deaths fol
low:
Burns, 278; automobile and rail
road, 35; automobile accidents, 561
drowning, 146; railroad accidents
83: homicides, 251; suicides, 182
(By W. L. Smarr, County Agent.)
During the past year the farmers
of McDowell county sold through the
co-operative car shipments of live
poultry 59,597 pounds of poultry for
which they received $11,462.92. Du
ring the year 1927 the co-operative
sales of poultry at the cars amounted
to 30,225 pounds of poultry. During
1927 the McDowell Produce Com
pany, of Marion, paid out $4,882.90
for poultry, while during 1928, $5,-
562.44 was paid out by this company
for poultry. None of the above fig
ures include sale of eggs.
Since February 29th the poultry
car has been in/Marion on Wednes
day every two weeks. The poultry
car was in Old Fort once each month
during February, March and April.
The co-operative car shipment has
provided a satisfactory ^arket for
all the poultry produced, and has
brought thousands of dollars into
the county fhat otherwise would
have gone to other sections for poul
try.
Before the co-operative car ship
ment of poultry was put into effect,
there was not any satisfactory local
market for poultry. The farmer pro
duced just about what he wanted for
home consumption, and gave no
thought of producing poultry as a
cash crop on the farm. Poultry
brought to town went begging, and
very often no offer was received and
the poultry was hauled back home.
Then, too, at that time much of the
poultry had to be traded for goods.
The co-operative car shipment pays
the highest market price in cash at
the car door.
Not only has the co-operative ship
ment of poultry stimulated the pro
duction of more poultry, but has
stimulated interest in better poultry.
The buyers of poultry from this
county state that they are getting
poultry of much better quality now
than they secured during the begin
ning of car shipments of poultry,
and much better quality than some
of the poultry being received at this
time from other counties in Western
North Carolina.
Last year it seemed as if every in
cubator in the county was put into
operation, and several .others were
purchased. A large commercial
hatchery was operated by the Burgin
Hatchery, of Old Fort, which sup
plied chicks which helped to make
the above records, and of course
many baby chicks were purchased
from commercial hatcheries from
without the county and the state
In order to make it possible to
have a poultry car in Marion every
two weeks, we must continue to pro
duce poultry in volume enough to
justify the expense of operating
these poultry cars. The cost of
purchasing one to two thousand
pounds of poultry is just about as
expensive as buying some ten to
eighteen thousand pounds, thus with
a larger tonnage, the purchaser can
afford to pay the producer more
Can we not double the tonnage
this year? That would be 120,000
pounds. How about setting it at 100
thousand and you doing your part to
put it across? I believe that we all
should have from 50 to 100 hens on
the farms, that we all should have a
brooder house, a brooder, and
good poujtry house. One bunch of
chicks should be purchased during
January or February, the cockerels
and cull pullets being sold for broil
ers. Then about March and April
you will have the same brooder
ready to brood another bunch from
which you should get your winter
layers. The pullets from the first
bunch will lay eggs during late sum
mer and early fall, and probably
most of them should be sold when
they begin to molt and cease to lay
some time during the winter.
Mr. L. G. Hollifield, of Nebo, Rt.
2, in reply to the question, “What do
rect the mistake, find out from suc
cessful poultry growers and the
County Agent the methods that are
successful, and to put them into
practice on his own farm.” In order
to find out where the loss and profit
is, one should keep a record of his
flock, which will give valuable infor
mation about the time of hatching,
culling, feeding, and other factors
entering into the poultry work.
You probably would not give that
as your first requirement. Many
would give “money” as being of first
importance; others might say “good
chicks”, etc. You will not succeed
with “money” and “good chicks” if
they are not given the proper care
and management, but of course we
must have some money, and should
have chicks of the very best quality.
Where are we to get these chicks of
good quality? I will write a short ar
ticle on this to appear in these col
umns at an early date.
ISFORIC HOMES
NORTH CAROIM
The McDowell Women—Car-
son-Vance Duel — Present
Condition of the Old Home*
PRUNING THE APPLE ORCHARD
(By H. R. Niswonger, Extension
Horticulturist.)
The season for pruning is at hand.
January and February are usually
good months to do this kind of orch
ard work since there are often peri
ods of good open weather. A system
atic pruning every year is more
practical than a pruning every few
years. Do not let the “professional
pruner” butcher your trees. Give
personal supervision to the pruning
as you are familiar with behavior of
your trees. There may be some that
do not need pruning while others do.
You have already found this^out at
harvest time. The trees that have
produced the most cull apples will
need pruning most and they may al
so need fertilization. Pruning and
fertilization are inter related. Study
the fruiting habits of apple trees in
this relation.
When pruning, small cuts are bet
ter than large cuts. The pruning
should be a thinning process, remov
ing the laps, or such branches crowd
ing those bearing the best apples. In
order to invigorate a weak fruiting
branch that has the advantage of
sunlight, cut it back to a side twig.
The response to pruning is always
back of the cut, consequently there
is a renewal of growth in the old
fruit spur or fruit twig.
The pruning of young apple trees
should be associated with the fact
that heavy pruning delays the for
mation of blossom buds. Do not bob
the large scaffold limbs or the
branches exceift where they are ex
ceptionally long and have become
top heavy by developing side branch
es at the tip. Cutting back a branch
of this kind will induce formation of
branches lower down. Give the young
tree a chance to grow and in no way
hinder it in its natural process of
forming fruit wood.
Dormant Spray of Apple Orchard
Make a New Year’s Resolution
like this: “I will grow the kind of ap
ples that will please the dealer and
consumer.” . The consumer wants an
apple of good color, good size and
free from blemishes. Spraying helps
to make the trees healthy and should
begin with the dormant sjrrasring.
This spray will destroy the San Jose
Scale which during the growing sea
son spreads to the fruit causing red
dish circular spots on the skin of the
apple. This insect also damages the
small fruiting branches and fruit
spurs. Thoroughness in your spray
ing is as important as the spray mix
tures. You can’s spray thoroughly
unless you have good spray machin
ery.
Is your spray pump in good work
ing order? Is it oiled? Have new
plungers and packing been in stal
led? Are all leaks stopped? Has it
enough power to maintain a steady
pressure? A barrel pump should
have a pressure of 100 to 125
ponds, while a power outfit should
maintain a constant pressure of 250
pounds with spray nozzles open.
Information as to the kind of
spray mixtures to use for the dor
mant sprays can be had at the Coun
ty Agent’s office or by writing the
Department of Horticulture, N. C.
State 'College, Raleigh, N. C.
accidental gunshot, 62; gunshot, {you think is the first requirement in
the successful production of poultry
and eggs on the fs?rm?” said: “Well,
the first requirement is that one
must be interested in poultry to the
extent of being willing to profit by
doubtful, 99; lightning, 16.
“Squire” Flack, a well known col
ored citizen of this place, died at the
home of his son, Frank Flack, near
Stroudtown on Tuesday and was
buried at Piney Ridge, Rutherford
county, Wednesday. He was 94
years of age.
DRUSILLA NEWS
Nebo, Rt. 1, Jan. 21 — We are
having fine weather and farmers are
getting ready to plant crops. Wheat
is looking fine.
There are a number of cases of
flu in this community.
The Sunday School at Drusilla
Presbyterian Church is progressing
the mistakes which he makes, and nicely,
when he makes a mistake, not to
blame it on the poultry business, but
put the blame where it belongs, cor-
Mrs. Margaret Upton celebrated
her 77th birthday with a birthday
dinner Wednesday, January 16th.
(By A. C. Avery)
Mrs. Margaret Moffitt McDowell,
says Dr. Harvey McDowell, was a
beautiful and charming woman. Af
ter the death of her husband she re
turned to the Valley of Virginia and
went thence to Kentucky. Amongst
her descendants was a son, Joseph
J., already mentioned, a member of
Congress, and many other people
prominent in public or social life,
both of Kentucky and Ohio.
Mrs. Mary Moffitt McDowell was
the mother of Mrs. Margaret Mc
Dowell, who married her cousin.
Captain Charles McDowell, a son of
General Charles, and was the mis
tress at the Quaker Meadows home,
where she kept a house always open
to her friends till her death in 1859.
Her oldest daughter, Mary, first
married General John Gray Bynum
in 1838, and subsequently became
the second wife of Chief Justice
Pearson in 1859. The late Judge
John Gray Bynum was the only son.
Another daughter, Eliza, was the
wife of Nicholas W. Woodfin, one of
the ablest lawyers of his day. and
another, Margaret, married W. F.
McKesson, and was the mother of
the first Mrs. F. H. Busbee and of 0.
E. McKesson. Another daughter
married John Woodfin, a prominent
lawyer, who fell at the head of his
batallion, resisting Kirk’s invasion afc
Warm Springs. The' only son who
survived Mrs. Annie McDowell was
Colonel James C. S. McDowell. He
married Miss Julia, daughter of
Governor Charles Manly. His first
service was when, as second Lieu
tenant of Company C of the Bethel
Regiment, he participated in the
first battle of the war. Later he be
came Colonel of the Fifty-fourth
North Carolina Regiment, and fell
gallantly leading it in a charge on.
Mary’s Heights in 1863.
James McDowell, his oldest son,
married Margaret Erwin, and the
father of Dr. Joseph McDowell of
Buncombe and Dr. John C. McDow
ell of Burke, both of whom were
members of the Secession Conven
tion of 1861, and of Colonel William
who was Captain in the Bethel Regi
ment and afterwards Colonel of the
sixtieth North Carolina. Another
son, John McDowell, was the father?
of Colonel John of Rutherford coun
ty.
After the death of her husband,
Mrs. Mary McDowell married Colon
el John (Parson and made her home
at his mansion near the mouth of
Buck Creek, on the Catawba. Tho
name of Pleasant Gardens followed
her and was applied to her new as.
well as her old home. Her oldest son,
by the second marriage. Colonel
Samuel P. Carson, after serving in.
the Legislature of the State, served
four terms in Congress. He was at
first a favorite of Old Hickory, and
was selected as the readiest debater
in the House to defend the adminis
tration on the floor of that body. He
afterwards became the friend of
John C. Calhoun, and his defense of
nullification estranged Jackson and
led to Carson’s retirement from
Congress. The last service of Carson
to the State was as one of the mem
bers from Burke to the Constitution
al Convention of 1835. His father
had been one of Burke’s members of
the Convention of 1789 when the
Constitution of the United States
had been ratified by the state.
In the writer’s boyhood, older men
spoke of Sam Carson as the most el
oquent speaker and the most fascin
ating gentleman they had known.
In the early part of the year 1835,
Samuel Carson went, with the view
of finding a home, to the Republic of
Texas, then struggling with Mexico
for independence. It was during his-
absence that he was elected a mem
ber of the Constitutional Conven
tion of 1835. He migrated to Texas
in 1836, which framed a constitu
tion, and, upon the election of Gen
eral Samuel Houston to the presi
dency of the young republic, was
made Secretary of State. The efforts
of Carson to receive recognition of
the Lone Star State were potent in
beginning the agitation which cul
minated in 1845 in recognition and
(Continued on fourth page)