I MARION PROGRESS I
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
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ESTABLISHED 1896 MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1937 VOL. XLII—NO. 11
EXPECT 150 HERE
AT DISTRICT PTA
MEETING, OCT. 20
First Assembly of Newly-Or
ganized District Embracing
Eleven Western Counties.
The first annual conference of
District Two, N. C. Congress of
Parents and Teachers will be held
in the high school auditorium here
Wednesday, October 20, opening at
10 a. m. with Mrs. W. P. Dorsey,
district director, presiding.
It is expected that as many. as
150 may attend, representing 11
western counties. Ladies of the
Presbyterian Auxiliary will serve a
luncheon in the church at 12:30.
Following the general theme,
"The Child — Not My Child", the
program will be along these lines:
Registration at 9:30; formal op
ening with music by the high school
band; inspirational service conduc
ted by Rev. A. R. Batchelor, greet
ing by Supt. Hugh Beam and re
sponse, Mrs. Harry Woodson, presi
dent Shelby PTA council.
Reports at 10:30: statement of
national and state objectives at 11:
30 by Mrs. J. P. Sidbury, state pres
ident; presentation of awards, elec
tion of officers, recognition of state
and district committees at 12 noon.
Mrs. H. B. Hunter, state fural
service chairman, will report on* ru
ral associations at 1:30 p. m. fol
lowed by glee club music. At 2:00
o'clock, N. F. Steppe, county super
intendent of education will intro
duce J. J. Tarleton, superintendent
of Rutherford schools, who will
speak on trends of education.
At 2:30, a question and answer
period will be conducted by Mrs.
D. D. Alley, vice president, follow
«d by resolutions, announcements,
and adjournment.
Following Marion ladies have j
been named conference chairmen:
Mrs. W. R. Alley, general chairman;
Mrs. Homer Beaman, vice chairman;
Mrs. G. B. Justice, registration;
Mrs. A. R. Batchelor, information;
Mrs. R. B. Crisp, hospitality; Mrs.
Geo. S. McCall, music and pages;
Mrs. E. C. Klontz, publicity; Mrs.
J. W. Streetman, luncheon.
Officers of the Marion unit of the
association, who are making ar
rangements for the meeting, are
Mrs. W. R. Alley, president; Mrs.
Homer Beaman, vice president;
Mrs.- W. G. Ballew, secretary; Miss
Ruth Laurence, treasurer.
RUMFELT INJURED IN
COLLISION WITH CAR
FROM TENNESSEE, HERE
David Rumfelt was taken to Mari
on Hospital Sunday afternoon suf
fering from severe injuries received
when his car was hit by a Tennesse^
car returning from the Duke-Ten
nessee football game Saturday.
The Tennessee chauffeur, Erskine
Longmire, negro, was- arrested and
lodged in jail.
Officers said the Tennessee car
was rounding the curve at Clinch
field, westbound, and was in the mid
dle of the road when it swung into
the Rumfelt car going east. Both
cars were wrecked.
At the hospital, Rumfelt was
found to have a badly injured hand,
severe bruises, and probably inter
nal injuries. No one else, in either
car, was seriously hurt.
M'DOWELL CLUB BOYS
TAKE HIGH STAND AT
ASHEVILLE CATTLE SHOW
Competing with thoroughbred cat
tle at the Asheville cattle show Oc
tober 8, boys of McDowell 4-H clubs
took second place in a field repre
senting eleven counties. Buncombe
county was first.
The honor was won in the Guern
sey group, McDowell's Jerseys com
ing off not so well.
Individual honors were won by
James and Kenneth Gill, Cap Miller,
Eugene Dysart, Hall and Nelson
Morgan, Billy Moody.
S. L. Homewood, county agent
who accompanied the young cattle
men, said the stock exhibited by the
McDowell lads showed up well
against the best stock sent in from
all the surrounding counties, as the
awards would prove.
OFFICES OF THE NYA
UNDER ORGANIZATION
COMPLETE BY MONDAY
With the closing of Camp Elean
! or and liquidation of its affairs prac
tically complete, executives of the
camp have returned to Marion and
will take up new duties Monday
Morning, it was learned yesterday.
Mrs. D. F. Giles, former camp di
rector, will assume; directorial con
trol of the western district of the
state NYA comprising 48 counties.
The office in city hall is already occu
pied by Mrs. Giles's staff. Mrs. Giles
will give her whole attention to ad
ministration, receiving reports from
district and smaller units, and will
have m) part in placing of boys and
girls locally.
Mrs. H. W. Stauffer, former camp
project supervisor, is ready to as
sume the work of district supervi
sor with jurisdiction over three
counties, to be located in the court
house here.. Just recently, Mrs.
Stauffer received from C. E. Mcin
tosh, state NYA director, a letter of
commendation, in which he praised
her work in Camp Eleanor very
highly, and also her work in this
i county. He said the conduct of the
! camp was "a most remarkable piece
J of work" and also commended her
as a "friend of the girls".
Mrs. Ralph Alexander is continu
ing in NYA work and will be located
as assistant supervisor, in the same
: office with Mrs. Stauffer.
The Marion office in the court- j
1 house is the place to which appli
! cants should go for information in
j regard to opportunities- offered girls
I and boys under the national youth
! administration.
I
VIRGIL POTEAT DIES
OF GUNSHOT WOUND AT
HANDS OF JAS. WRIGHT
Virgil Poteat, 21, died in Marion
Hospital Monday morning from
the effects of a gunshot wound in
flicted by James Wright, 38, Satur
day night, October 9, at a store in
the Moorehead Ridge section of
tojfcp.
Officers said the men" engaged in
an altercation in the store and after
Poteat had invited the other out to
settle the matter, Wright followed
him out and shot him. The pistol bul
let entered the breast near the heart j
and ranged downward where it.
lodged near the spine.
Wright was arrested Sunday night;
in Black Bottom by Sheriff Grady I
| Nichols and Deputies Gibbs, Robbins
and Roland, after an all-day search. I
Reported from various sections of j
the city during the day, Wright'
! walked into a trap Sunday nighti
I about eleven o'clock.
| A warrant charging murder was i
j issued and after a hearing, Wright
I will be held for trial in the superior
j court.
i Funeral services were held for
j young Poteat at- the residence of his
j parents Tuesday afternoon and bur
ial in the Hoover cemetery followed.
He is survived by his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. J. H. Poteat, seven sisters
1 and five brothers: Mrs. Lee Bruner,
| Mrs. Earl Sigmon; Ben, Hugh, Rob-j
| ert, Paul and Billy Poteat; Misses j
Annie Ray, Katheryn, Georgia, Pau
line and Thelma Poteat, all of Mar
i .
ion.
SHERIFF TAKES STILL
RUNNING HOT, TENDERS
WARNED, MAKE ESCAPE |
Sheriff Grady Nichols and Depu- i
ty Bill Gibbs captured a still in op- i
I eration Friday afternoon, after an j
! unusual experience:
; The officers were on a still hunt
j on Catawba river, when in the dis
tance they heard the echoing notes
of a hunting horn, which they con
cluded was a warning from a look
out to men at a still. It encouraged
the officers to make further efforts
to find the gin mill. As they trudged j
up and down hill, suddenly they j
heard a voice call, "You fellows bet-|
iter get out o' there; the sheriff's;
i coming." And very soon they came;
i upon the scene of operations.
A well-established still was found
hot and still running, about five gal
j Ions of "sugar" whiskey having
' been "run" into a tin washtub, and
I more pouring forth every second.
! The still was destroyed, with
about 500 gallons of mash. But no
arrests were made, due to the watch
ful lookout who gave warning just
in time, the officers said.
! Next Wednesday at Marion Thea
tre a drama-romance "I PROMISE
; TO PAY".—adv. %
KIWANIANS MOVING
TO SECURE MODERN
BRIDGE STRUCTURE
Believe Main Street Overhead
Bridge May Be Replaced
With One of Concrete.
The Kiwanis club has initiated a
movement to have the old wood and
asphalt overhead bridge on Main
street across the Southern Railway
replaced with a modern concrete
structure.
A definite step toward the goal
was taken at a meeting of Kiwanis
directors held at the home of Kiwan
ian W. G. Ballew Thursday night.
The club president, Hugh Beam, ap
pointed a committee . to handle the
matter with state and federal au
thorities with the view of bringing
about a successful termination of
their worthy plans.
Mr. Beam said the club had infor
mation that federal and state funds
for such purposes are available, and
that with the proper effort in the
right direction, the project may be
taken up with every hope of favor
able action by highway authority.
A special comipittee was named
to handle the matter, with instruc
tions to proceed immediately in co
operation with local authority tar
ward placing the proposal before re
sponsible officials. J. G. Neal is
chairman of the committee, with W.
G. Ballew and Zeno Martin.
The directors had called to their
attention the need of improvement
on secondary roads of the county,
particularly connecting roads lead- j
ing to cemeteries and schools. To \
work for improvement of this condi-j
tion, the president appointed S. J. j
Westmoreland, chairman, H. D. j
Bishop and J. G. Neal a committee j
to* take the matter up with highway
afficials and cooperate in any possi
ile way. .
—"***»■ "■ ■ ■ • ' "r
Hugh E. Noell, division engineer,
Df Statesville, was present and gave i
some helpful information in regard'
to county roads. I
R. Lee Conley, chairman, I. J.
Londner and W. G. Ballew were ap- i
pointed to a committee for the pur- j
pose of making plans and arrange-!
ments for a public enterttainment
in the near future.
COURT, LOGAN TRAFFIC
LIGHT A WARNING FOR
CARS AND PEDESTRIANS
The automatic traffic light at the
intersection of Court and Logan
streets is having a beneficial effect
in regulating traffic at the busy
crossing, Chief of Police R. S. Clay
said.
All vehicles are required to stop
on red light and proceed only when
the light shows green. Similarly,
those who walk are required to stop
and go as the light signals red or
green, the chief said. Jay-walking
is forbidden; pedestrians are re
quired to cross at a right angle at
street corners, and are not permit
ted to amble around in any direc
tion, according to traffic rules.
The Court and Logan light was
placed as an experiment; if it works
well others will probably be install
ed at busy corners on Main street,
it was said.
FIRST HOME GAME ON
MARION FIELD TODAY
LENOIR HERE AT 3:30
The crack outfit from Lenoir high
school will play the Marion lads in
the first home game here this season
starting on the Marion field at 3:30
today.
Coach Harry Ream has a fighting
aggregation ready to do battle with
the invaders in a spirit worked up
to a winning pitch.
The high school band will play for
the opening game. The field is in
fine condition. Superintendent Hugh
Beam, the coach, the team, and the
whole school look for a big crowd
to help root the home team to vic
tory. Game starts at 3:30 this,
Thursday, afternoon.
BUILD » NEW HOMES
Carl McCall and R. L. Penland
are building new homes, both on
State street. Each is erecting a mod
ern frame cottage to be occupied as
a family residence as soon as com
pleted.
NEWS PAPER PARTY
STOPS HERE TODAY
ON TOUR OF STATE
Approximately 100 from 23
States Arriving at 10 A. M.
Pless To Extend Welcome.
Approximately 100 newspaper
men from 23 states will arrive
in Marion at 10 o'clock this morning
and will be received with due honors
in the hotel block of Main street.
The party is touring North Caro
lina as guests of the state board of
conservation and development and
the governor's hospitality commit
tee. Beginning the tour in Asheville
Monday, the party stopped last
night in Rutherford county. They
will proceed from here into theBlue
Ridge area.
J. Grayson Neal, chairman of the
mayor's committee charged with
arrangements for the occasion, an
nounced that Judge J. Will Pless,
Jr., will deliver an address of wel
come upon arrival of the party.
Young ladies of the Junior Woman's
club will serve light refreshments.
The program here will be brief and
very informal. After greetings have
been exchanged and a short rest,
the party will continue the journey.
The police department announced
that the hotel block of Main street
from Court to Fort street, will be
closed while the ceremony is taking
place, the motoring public being
asked to detour around the block.
People of town and county are
invited to attend the brief program
and give the visitors a cordial wel
come.
M'DOWELL SCOUTS
ADVANCE IN HONOR
COURT HELD OCT. 8
• The first scout court of honor of
the autumn season was held in Mor
ganton October 8, for Burke and
McDowell troops, R. M. Schiele,
scout executive, Piedmont Council,
in charge.
McDowell scouts were advanced
as follows:
Tenderfoot rank, W. S. Moody,
Eugene Dysart, Hugh Bradsher, J.
R. Quinn, Homer Walker, Lawrence
Edwards, Troop 1; Charles Dobson,
Troop 5; Carl White, Melvin White,
Howard Oates, Wm. Epley, Harold
Kanipe, Wm. Arney, Arnold White,
Old Fort.
Second Class: J. C. Bowman, Jack
Houck, Troop 5; Max Nesbitt,
Woodward Grant, Old Fort.
First Class: John Snoddy, Jr.,
Troop 2; Billy Alley, Troop 5; Ray
mond Simons, Old Fort.
Merit badges, in athletics: Carroll
Melton, Troop 1; carpentry, Ray
mond Simons, Old Fort, Billy Alley,
Harold Little, Troop 5; civics, Rev.
A. R. Batchelor, Troop 5 scoutmas
ter.
Farm mechanics: Chas: McGim
sey, Troop 1; first aid, Dr. P. N. De
Vere, scoutmaster, Troop 1; handi
craft, Raymond Simons, Old Fort,
Pat Hendley, Troop 1; pathfinding,
Rev. A. R. Batchelor, scoutmaster
Troop 5; pioneering, David Graham,
Troop 2.
Pottery: Billy Alley, Gene Ander
son, J. C. Bowman, Troop 5; Public
health, Dr. P. N. DeVere, scoutmas
ter; safety, Dr. P. N. DeVere, Wm.
Laughridge, L. C. Resor, Troop 5;
swimming, John Snoddy, Jr., Troop
2, Dr. P. N. DeVere, scoutmaster,
Troop 1.
Life rank: Carroll Melton, Louis
Cutlar, Troop 1.
PAUL JENNINGS HURT
IN MOTOR WRECK ON
ROAD TO CROSSNORE
Paul Jennings was seriously in
jured in an automobile accident Sat
urday afternoon on the highway be
tween Crossnore and Linville Falls.
He was taken to Marion Hospital
with a fractured thigh and broken
pelvis bone.
Mr. Jennings was riding with Al
bert B. Carpenter, who was driving,
Jake Coffey and J. C. Fleming. On
the wet pavement, the car skidded'
around a curve and headed into a
bank at the side of the road, it was
said. The other occupants of the car
were not hurt severely.
At the hospital yesterday it was
said the young man was doing as
well as could be -expected in view of
the nature of his injuries.
FIRST MARION AIR
MAIL HANDLES 629
PIECES, A SUCCESS
An Eastern Airlines plane, on a
round-up of mail from airports in
western counties, Tuesday carried
the first airmail ever to be dispatch
ed from Francis Marion flying field.
Local postal officials said the
plane carried 629 letters, destined
for points all over the country.
There were 325 pieces mailed by
patrons of the Marion office. The
other 304 letters came from all over
the United States, from stamp col
lectors who desired the "covers"
commemorating the "first" airmail
from this office by plane. It will be
understood that many letters are
mailed or received here, traveling
in part by air but arriving or de
parting in or out of this office by
train.
A large crowd of interested per
sons appeared at the airport to see
the plane, which was fifteen minutes
late and stopped only long enough
to take on the mail bags and resum
ed its journey west.
Miss Rena Neal, Marion postmas
ter, said the local postoffice people
appreciate very much the co-opera
tion given by the public in making
airmail week, October 11 to 16, aj
success. During this week, mail is!
taken off by plane from every city
or town having an airport.
BEAM COMMENDS LAW
OFFICERS, EFFICIENT
TRAFFIC REGULATION
Having the safety of school chil-!
dren at heart, and anxious to give |
credit where it is due, Superinten- j
dent Hugh Beam, of the city schoolj
system, said yesterday that he was
moved to praise the efficiency of lo
cal policemen in handling traffic at
the postoffice corner of Logan and
Court streets.
"I have watched the movements'
of hundreds of children at this busy j
street intersection," Mr. Beam said,!
"and I think they are given the full
est protection by the officers. There
are many cars and trucks passing or
parking near the postoffice, but the
watchful officers take care of the
little ones and make every effort
possible to protect them from harm.
"Speaking for myself and mem
bers of the faculty, I want to thank
Chief Clay, Captain Erwin and oth
er policemen for their careful hand
ling of traffic at this corner," Mr.
Beam said.
Asked about public cooperation
in enforcing traffic regulations at
this point, Chief Clay said he had
been very pleased with the conduct
of motorists, who have exercised
great care during the hours children
are passing to and from school. "We
have had only one case of reckless
driving," the chief said, "and he
paid a fine for his disregard of traf
fic rules." I
SCHOOL BOARD HONOR
MEMORY LATE MEMBER
IN MEETING OCT. 12
V
The city school board, Chairman
J. Fleming Snipes presiding at a
meeting held Tuesday afternoon,
adopted a motion to express by suit
able resolutions, the board's appre
ciation "of the splendid service ren
dered the schools of Marion by the
late Ernest J. House, while a mem
ber of the board, and at other
times". Hugh F. Beam and Robert
W. Proctor were appointed to draw
up the resolutions.
The board took steps to advertise
for bids on school furniture needed
to equip the new building in West
Marion.
Other matters of a routine nature
were given attention.
AT RED CROSS MEETING
Zeno Martin, chairman of Mc
Dowell Chapter of the Red Cross,
and Mrs1. C. A. Harris, chairman of
the 1937 roll call in McDowell, at
tended a district meeting in Ashe- j
ville October 8, when broad plans.
were outlined for the fall drive be
ginning November 11 and ending
Thanksgiving Day.
DR. M'INTOSH BETTER
Dr. D. M. Mcintosh, Sr., Wednes-I
day was improving after a severe
illness at his home in Old Fort. He \
suffered a bilious attack Sunday and |
for more than forty-eight hours was;
in serious condition, culminating in |
a further severe attack on Tuesday j
night. He was relieved after treat
ment by attending physicians and
yesterday was said to be definitely
better
BAPTISTS STARTED
NEW CHURCH YEAR
WITH DEBTS PAID
Departments Re - organized
With Capable Executives in
Charge, All Activities.
Selection of executive officers of
the various departments of church
work has been in progress at the
First Baptist church during
the past month, with all phases of
activity now well organized for the
new church year.
The church closed the association
al year with all bills paid and a bal
ance in the treasury, the pastor, Dr.
B. F. Bray said.
The outstanding experience of
the church during the year was the
holding of a sane and constructive
evangelistic campaign, with the as
sistance of Dr. E. Gibson Davis, pas
tor of the First Church in Spartan
burg, and Prof. Ronnie Pierce, of
Wingate College.
W. R. Chambers is chairman of
the board of deacons, C. A. Work
man, vice chairman, E. W. Parker,
secretary.
In the Sunday School, C. B. Dob
son is general superintendent. Oth
er executives of this department are
R. C. Spratt, assistant superinten
dent; Miss Josephine Blanton, exec
utive secretary; Roy J. Ellis, assis
tant secretary; Mrs. W. O. Gibba,
pianist, Miss Katherine Wall, assist
tant pianist; J. D. Little, director of
music.
Departmental heads of the Sun
day School are: E. W. Parker, super
intendent, young people and adults;
Mrs. A. F. Wagner, M. D. Ledbet
ter, junior and intermediate; Mrs.
W. R. Chambers, beginner and pri
mary; Mrs. Howard Davis, cradle
roll; Mrs. J. L. Sparks, home depart
ment.
Mts. B. .F Bray and Mrs. C. B.
Dobson are directors of the Baptist
training union, Miss Grace Cannon,
executive secretary, Misses Phyllis
Raburn and Margaret Bolich, pian
ists.
Other officers are G. G. Pender
grass, church clerk; Nelson Parker,
church secretary; C. A. Workman,
treasurer; T. H. Henderson, chair
man of ushers; R. C. Spratt, chair
man of finance.
WHITE MAN ADMITS
KILLING NEGRO, IN
SELF DEFENSE, CLAIM
Ed Suttles, white man about 34,
was held in jail yesterday after ad
mitting, Sheriff Grady Nichols said,
that he fired the shot which killed
Dolph Francis, colored, 54, Tuesday
afternoon near Dysartville.
Sheriff Nichols said he responded
to a call and found Francis dead in
the road. An examination by the
coroner, Dr. G. B. Justice showed
Francis had been killed by No. 4
shot fired from a shotgun, the body
showing 33 wounds, from above the
heart to the knee.
Ed McNeely, colored, 38, was tak
en in charge for questioning. Later,
Suttles was arrested and jailed. Ear
ly Wednesday morning, Sheriff
Nichols said Suttles sent for him
and in his cell at the jail confessed
that he fired the shot that killed
Francis, claiming self defense, as
the negro was advancing on him
with a stone in his hand, the Sheriff
said.
Ed McNeely was released and in
vestigation of the circumstances at
tending the shooting was continued
Wednesday, Sheriff Nichols said.
L1NVILLE ROAD OPEN
NINETEEN ON THE WAY
In answer to a number of inquir
ies, W. A. McNeill, resident engin
eer, said yesterday that the Linville
Falls highway is completed and in
use by many motorists daily. The
road is in excellent condition from
Woodlawn to the county line at Lin
ville Falls, he said, one of the best
roads in the sectfon.
The engineer said a survey of the
Woodlawn-Marion end is under way
preparatory to relocation and con
struction of a modern highway to
connect Marion with the improved
road to Linville Falls and Little
Switzerland. He said he hoped con
struction may begin shortly after
survey is finished.