North Carolina Newspapers

McDofwell County’s Leading Newspaper MARION PROGRESS Advertisias in the Progress Pays A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY ESTABLISHED 1«96 MARION. N. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 8, 1940 VOL. XLIV—NO. 28 C. of C. Urged To Capitalize On Opportunities Coad Points To W. N. C. Possi bilities; Cross Reviews Ac- 'tivities Of Local Chamber. Declaring Western North Carolina to be the “pay dirt of the eastern slope to the sea,” J. E. Coad, secre tary of the Hickory Chamber of Commerce, told members of the lo cal Chaml^er last Thursday that this fact was a challenge to them to make the most of their opportunities. Mr. Coad spoke to members of the Mar ion Chamber of Commerce at a meeting in the Community building. The mayors’ tour to Florida has been planned to advertise Western North Carolina to 2,000,000 who will travel north this summer, he said, and more than 30 mayors have now ROAD WORK IS BEGUN IN M’DOWELL BY WPA ON $92,880.00 PROJECT A $92,880 WPA project for the construction and improvement of farm-to-market roads in McDowell county w^as begrun Saturday, accord ing to an announcement of the lo cal WPA office. The work will consist of regrad ing, widening, and constructoion of bridges, placing of pipe, and sur facing with crushed stone and ci*eek gravel. State owned roads not in the federal aid system will be included in the project, which will be coun ty-wide. It is expected that approximately 350 men will be employed for the work and the project will be carried on for six months. All labor will be furnished by WPA. Notice of the approval of the pro^ ject was given last week by C. C. McGinnis, state WPA administrator of Raleigh. Seventy per cent, or $66,544, of the cost of the project will be borne by the Federal government. The oth er 30 per cent, or $26,336, will be FEBRUARY CHECKS FOR $4,199 GIVEN BY WELFARE BOARD “"‘"'.“P *" , ipaid by the state. McDowell s representatives on the | tour will be Zeno Mai-tin, mayor of Marion, and John V. Robinson, may or of Old Fort. Achievements of the local Cham ber of Commerce were outlined by Secretary Oliver Cross. The Cham ber now consists of 204 members,, representing 126 businesses, he said. Public Welfare for the month of Approximately 70 letters, inquir-! February, according to information ing about Marion as a place to spend' i’®ceived from Mrs. G. W. Kirkpat- a vacation or make a home, have I superintendent of Public Wel- been answered, continued Cross. week. Correspondence has been conducted' $3,138 has been dis- P-T.A. Discusses Homework For School Children Parents And Teachers Present Views; Beam Congratulates Society On Work. In celebration of the 43rd anniver sary of the national organization, the Parent-Teachers Association of the Marion High School conducted a meeting in the school auditorium Monday on the theme, “How Much Homework.” Taking part in the dis cussion were Mrs. J. H. Beaman, who presented the viewpoint of the pax*- ents, and Mrs. M. G. Allmand, who spt^ke for the teachers. Mr. Hugh Beam, superintendent of the Marion city schools, congrat ulated the P.T.A. on its various un dertakings and the success of its woi'k. Mrs. Beaman, speaking on the par ents’ viewpoint of homework for school children, stated that the time has past when a teacher’s ability is measured by the amount of home work she requires her pupils to do. Interest Grows In Resources Of Local Library Many New Editions Have Been Received; Interest In Books Stimulated. CITY TAX BOOKS SHOW $33,909.15 COLLECTED SINCE LAST OCTOBER Poor lighting, noisy home conditions. Checks totaling $4,194 have been ^nd the help of parents all work given out by the McDowell Board against the child studying in the home, she said. Too little time is left the child for family pleasures and hobbies. As acceptable types of homework, Mrs. Beaman named three: good reading; oral reading, for pupils in with three industrial organizations, |among 317 persons as old-i^j^g lower grades; and the making up considering the establishing of '^^® assistance payments. Twelve Lf studies the child has missed when plants in or near Marion and fourj^^^”*^ persons have received checks | ^jjsent, rental concerns which are consider-i $169 and payments for aidj Speaking for the teachers, Mrs. ing the setting up of places of busi-|^® dependent children have been i explained that homework ness here. | given out in the sum of $892, withj^^s necessary for pupils to cover Interest in Marion’s Community Library is rapidly increasing, accord ing to figures compiled by Mrs. Coit Edison, senior clerk. During the past few months the circulation of books has doubled and some 1,299 persons are now registered to use the books deposited there. Forty-three new editions of popu lar books have been received this week. These will soon be ready for the reading public. The most treasured volume now in possession of the Library is one recently received from Mary Marga ret Greenlee. Entitled “Availability and Use of Environmental Materials^ I in McDowell County, North Caroli na,” the volume is the most compre hensive study yet made of the possi bilities of this county, its natural ! and industrial resources. Considerable work is being done by the librarians in attempting to stimulate interest in books, particu larly those dealing with national fig ures of the past. This month the Li brary is showing posters and dis-jruary 1. plays illustrating events in the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. A valentine display shares one part of the room. Each of these is aimed at drawing interest to books. New additions which were recent Tax collections for the town of Marion up to February 1 are run ning behind those of the correspond ing period last year, according to in formation received from H. T. Con ley town clerk and tax collector, last week. Up to February 1 of this year $33,909.15 was received in the tax office as compared to $35,001.38 at the same time last year. The tax levy for this fiscal year, or the total re ceipts expected if all taxes are paid, is $51,463.47 as compared to a some what smaller levy of $50,039.39 for the fiscal year 1938-39. The failure of payments to keep up with those of last year is attribu ted to the decrease in the deductions allowed for-early payment of taxes. In 1938 a three per cent reduc tion was given to all persons paying their taxes in October. The discount was lowered each month by one per cent until net payments were re quited in January, 1939. Increases in taxes for late payments began with one per cent for February, 1939 and grew larger until the penalty i*eached six per cent in September. Because of State regulation a dis count of only one-half of one per cent was allowed on tax payments made in October, 19-S9. Net pay ments were required in November and December of 1939 and January of 1940. A one per cent penalty be came effective last Thursday, Feb- The penalty for late pay- Fires Destroy Much Land In Pisgah Forest Bosworth Reports 437 Acre» Destroyed, Damage Higher Than in 1938. Approximately 437 acres of land under the care of the Pisgah Nation al Forest Sei’vice in McDowell coun ty was burned over during the past year, announced H. B. Bosworth. Forest Supervisor, in summarizing the 1939 fire season last week. Some of these fires did not start on Nat ional Forest land. Some 15 fires in this forest dis trict burned over 2,991 acres of Government land, as compared with 55 fires and 268 acres in 1938, he said. Due to the long fall drought, when no rain fell for 43 days in many parts of the forest, and to the accompanying high winds which evaporated what little moisture there was this was the worst fall fire sea son since 1925. Fires that last year were prompt ly handled by small ten-men crews, this year required ten times that many men to keep them from spread ing far a^d wide. Only through the help of public-minded citizens in re porting fires and the close coopera tion of all state and federal agencies ment will increase to two per cent in ] were the losses held as low as they March and will increase by one-half i were. of one per cent each month after! When North Carolina Foi’ests burn September. ly added to the library are: Gulli-I CONSERVATION CHECKS the merchantable timber destroyed, {serious though they are, but in the I destx'uction of watershed protective BEING DELIVERED HERE j cover and the consequent re- j duction in regular stream flow, in the have j given out in the sum of $892, withj^^s necessary The Chamber has been instrumen-1 children and 52 families being months of work in eight months.'® Travels by Swift, Littlest Rebel! f -p v, a -i a-*. tal in securing a branch office of the ^ represented in the latter payments, j i„ presenting her views she stressed I Seple, Little Minister by Barrie, | Payments amounting to S” fi North Carolina Automobile Associa-| These payments are provided by | the importance of homework as a | Two Years Before the Mast by Dana,; 20 are ready for delivery to Me- e dier erosion^^^^^^^ tion in Marion, making it pcssible'Fedei-al. State and county Bovern-ithe interested par-iP"®"'* Every Child Should Know by^Dowell county famicrs for for automobile owners to obtain li-inients with the national government i follow the process of thej®*^> Love of Ann Rutledge by Bab- ^ trrnnTiH -p man ' censes and transfers of titles .vith- contributing half and the state and:school, ^ ^j^ed practice ock. Story of My Life by Helen;tion program during 1939 announ-;and feedmg^ounds ^ T out going out of town, said Cross. | county one-fourth each. ] the teacher’s plan, and as an en-l^elelr. Bambi by Salter, To Have and ced County Agent S. L. Homewood, 0 0 e Even the lar^r The Chamber has on file rooms and'i Recipients of these payments are 1 ^ouragement to further reading and to Hold by Johnson, Timberline by this week. i e s ay survive t^ hre, the young apartments available for persons! Persons who receive no aid from the ; reference work. i Montgomery, Wizard of Oz by Baum,! _on which the seeking actommodations. Informa-1“eencies such as the NYA, WPA,i The general opinion of the assem-1Bla=k Narcissus by Godden, Mother|f» are hsted as ha«ng complied "ext .mber crop depends are almost tion has been furnished to a group or who receive no aid from the jj|y ^hat homework is necessary 1 ^oose, Hans Brinker by Dodge, Cas-yo^ ' ln«« 5n ro-.j-oa interested in establishing a school!county poor fund. jfpj. j-he pupil to eliminate the defic-;^^® Secrets by Seivwright, Johnny: ^ at t e o pajnnen s or , valiiP! a thnf li>s n« nil near Marion and to another consid-j jiencies of an eight months’ term in Appleseed by Lindsay, Hawthorne’s; county will run around ^^^.OOO, said tio^l jalues-^^^ us all, ering the establishment of a boys’i CIVIL TERM OF SUPERIOR I the Marion schools. ; Wonder Book, Ahce in Wonderland , armers m e ^here we are doine: our best to The meeting was presided over by by Carroll, Pilgrim’s Progress by county had complied during the past, Ima where we are doing our best to camp in -McDowell. Some 75 full; COURT STARTS MONDAYi iMrs. L. credit reports have been compiled and credit information on approxi-i The February civil term of Me-;for Mrs. Beaman, mately 1,000 persons has been se-| Dowell courVty superior court will j the program, cured. Lake Tahoma property haa;convene here next Monday with! Rev. David T. been advertised and some 60 persons Judge Frank Armstrong presiding, i the assembly on J. P. Cutlar, acting president Bunyan, Manners Can Be Fun,; year, they could have earned $22 attract people to this land of the Tvho took part in Treasure Island by Stevenson. Sa-! H6.01. he said. |sky. No one likes to drive or hike ranga by Gatti, Victor Herbert by! Cards are being mailed out from'through a desolate, blackened fire- McBee addressed Kaye, Wind Sand and Stara by Esu-'*® county agent’s office informing'devastated area where only bare the work of the pery. The Tar Heel Editor by Jo- farmers when t« call for their con- rock, briars and dead charred snags have expressed interest in purchas-;The calendar contains sixteen cases, Faith Mission in Marion. jsephus Daniels, The Great Tradition seivation checks. jt[tors come to^^^^^ Prec^ented awards for their atten- by Keyes, Knights of the Range by such cards are required to call at countrj visitois come to see so let us d . Morley,;the county agent’s office within 14 be careful with fire m the forest. ing lots there. Approximately 500 as follows: copies of price lists have been han- Monday, February 12 [ dance record w'ere Miss Bonnie Bur- for all these losses to the public for- dled for the Chamber of Commerce,! W. G. Bates vs. Henry Greenegin in the grammar school and Miss One Fight More by Ertz, Brentwood;dayt>, banging the notice. Accmd^ largely preventable concluded Cross. | B. S. McKinney vs. E. J. Randolph | Alice Moretz in the high school. I by Hill, Next to My Heart by Miller,; mg to Mr. Homewood no checks will e.ts^are ‘y P^ejentaWe. Mr. Coad declared Western North;and J. C. Rabb; and Rice Furniture ■ Kill hv f^Tictio Antnhirtfri-ntihir nt leccivcu iiULicc mtit wiicv-n. lo through carelessness or the negli- Igence of the forest users. Warming Carolina to be just a step or two Co. vs. Clyde Fisher, from an “empire of industry.” Mar-j Tuesday, February 13 ion, located in a part of the United! Robert L. Simmons vs. W. L. States that offers the world’s great-: Richards, et al; Lester Fair vs. W'. L. est opportunities should take ad van-1 Richards, et al; and M. L. Ledford tage of the fact, he said. He pointed;vs. W. A. Brown. to the Community building pro Wednesday. February 14 duct of civic pride, a payment in part j p. m. Proctor vs. W. C. Comer; for the debt every citizen owes his 1 Beulah Gettys vs. Town of Marion; town, state, and country. Mayor Zeno Martin introduced the speaker to the Chamber. The treasurer’s report of the Chamber of Commerce was presented by Clarence Rabb. OLD FORT BUILDING & LOAN CLOSES ACCOUNTS Liquidation of the Old Fort Build ing and Loan Association has been completed with payments of 100 cents on the dollar to stockholders, it was announced here last week by W. W. LeFevre, formerly president of the organization. Failure of the Association was brought about by seveUal factoi*s; and D. G. Pender vs. John Hall. Thursday, February 15 Dave Odom vs. Bosth Bakery; D. W. Adams vs. Federal Mortgage Co. and W. A. Plemmons vs. Laura Jaynes, et al. Friday, February 16 Mrs. J. F. Gilleland vs. T. M. Gilleland et al; M. D. Ledbetter vs. Hickory Harness & Leather Co.; and In Re: J. F. Gilleland Will Caveat. Monday, February 19 Fred Elliott vs. Sam Curtis. FIRE DESTROYS CAR AND GARAGE OF L. D. GREENE Fire of unknown origin complete- including the closing of the Old t ly destroyed the car of L. D. Greene Fort bank, the loss of a tannery by fire, and general unemployment, said LeFevre. At the time of its failure the association had approx imately $125,000 outstanding. Liquidation was begun in 1934 and after paying all stockholders the association still has several hous es and lots to its credit, said Le Fevre. Officers of the Old Fort organiza tion were W. W. LeFevre, president, and H. R. Early, secretary. Direc tors were Wallace J. Winbornfe, F. M. Bradley, W. C. Lavender, D. M. McIntosh, H. M. Hensley, and S. L. Noblitt. Marion jeweler, last Friday night and practically demolished his ga rage. According to Mr. Greene, the fire was first noticed between 12:30 and 1:00 o’clock Friday night after both car and garage were blazing. Knowl edge of the blaze was learned too late to save either the car or the garage. It was thought , that the pos sible origin of the fire was a short circuit in the wiring of the car. The automobile was a 1933 Terra- plane. Neither the car nor the ga rage were covered by insurance. Damages were estimated at around $400. I I Chiffon Scarf by Eberhartt, Easv to; be given to farmers who have not Of the 151 fires on the Pisgah Na- iKill by Cristie, Autobiography of received notice that their check is 'tional Forest 145 were man-caused I Benjamin Franklin, Wuthering, ^be office. | Dark Horse by: i. . . ^ 1, ANOTHER CANDIDATE i^n'es left burning, cigarette stubs CHANGE IN JAIL PLAN IS FOUND NECESSARY Heights by Bronte j James, Anne of Ingleside by Mont- Some alterations in the plans for 1 gomeiy, Rebecca of Sunnybrook the new addition to the jail here Farm by Wiggins, Picocchio by Col- were found to be necessary by the j lodi. Five Little Peppers by Sidney, McDowell county commissioners, j Moment in Peking by Yutang, Sto- meeting in the court house Monday, jries in the Old Testament by Peter- The plans were found to be inade-1 sham, and Availability and Use of quate to care for the segi-egation of juvenile and older prisoners. Such requirements are necessary under state law, it was pointed out. It is not expected that these slight changes will hold up work on the building, which will probably be be gun within the next three weeks. The commissioners appointed E. Environmental Dow^ell County Greenlee. Materials in Me- by Mary Margaret BUSINESS AT LOCAL FREIGHT OFFICE GOOD “Business this year is much better A. Allanach surveyor of McDowell i than last,” said George W. Sandlin, county to fill out the unexpired term freight agent at the local office, this of W. H. Greenlee, deceased. A special meeting of the board of commissioners has been called for next Tuesday at two o’clock to dis cuss with the architect possible changes in the plans for the court house annex. CHURCHES UNITE FOR PRAYER SERVICE FRIDAY A prayer service in observance of the World Day of Prayer will be held at St. John’s Episcopal church in Marion next Friday afternoon from two until three o’clock. The service will be under the direction of Rev. Norman F. Kinzie. Mem bers of all church congre^tions in Marion are invited to the service. The Day of Prayer is being obser ved throughout the world ^y church es of every denomination. The theme this year is “In quietness and confi dence shall be your strength,” week, basing this statement on the amount of freight handled through his office for the town of Marion. The platform on the local freight depot has been rebuilt and a side track changed to facilitate the hand ling of freight. According to Mr. Sandlin, facilities of the depot are still inadequate to handle the busi ness of the railroad here. IVIore side tracks and storage space are needed to care for local freight, he said. The town of Marion has outgrrown its depot, he added. LEE GOES TO ASHEVILLE John N. Lee, who has been w'ork- ing in the Marion office of the North Carolina Employment Service as se nior claims interviewer, has been FOR REGISTER OF DEEDS Aipped into dry grass along roads and trails, and brush-clearing fires Another new candidate yesterday that got out of control accounted entered the race for the Democratic | for a majority of our forest fires, nomination for Register of Deeds.!Most people are careful with fire, Thomas W. Gowan of Buck Creek j but a few are not, and so all of us community formally declared his in tention of seeking the office now held by R. V. McGimsey. This announcement brings to three the number of Democratic can didates for the register’s post, David M. Steppe and Zeb L. Lackey having tossed in their hats last week. Mr. Gowan is a member of the well known family of this county. He is the son of the late J. P. and Mrs. Kate Carson Gowan. He is chairman of the county board of elections and county game protector. CORNETT GOES TO METHODIST RALLY must cooperate to watch the heed less ones and insist that they “get religion” in the matter of keeping our forests grreen. MARION HIGH TAKES THREE WINS. ONE LOSS The boys’ basketball team of the Marion high school recorded two wins this week to remain undefeated this season. Last Friday night they dowTied Morganton 44-18 and last Tuesday night they took a win over Forest City 54-23. The girls’ team was defeated by Morganton last Friday night 47-18, but came back Tuesday night to Rev. J. C. Cornett, superintendent | mark up their first win of the season, of the Marion district of the Meth-1 defeating Forest City 24-22. odist church, attended a conference- wide rally of the Methodist church in Winston-Salem yesterday. At the rally were representatives of Methodist churches in Western North Carolina. Scheduled to speak were Bishop Edwin H. Hughes, Washington, D. C.; Bishop Ernest Outstanding in Tuesday night’s game were E. Rufty, who scored 11 points for the Marion girls, and Mac- Brayer, who scored 14 points for the Forest City girls. In Tuesday’s boys’ game W. Kay- lor and W. Mask led in scoring for Marion with 16 points each. Hyder Lynn Waldorf, Chicago; and Bishop|was high man for Forest City with Lester H. Smith of Cincinnati. |l3 points. Following this meeting district ral-j Next Friday Marion high meets lies will be held throughout Western' Morganton in Morganton and the transferred to the Asheville office of j North Carolina. The meeting for the ^ North Carolina School for Deaf the Service. Marion district is scheduled for the j comes here for a game on Tuesday Mr. Lee has made his home in First church here on March 13. The j night. Marion since June. He is a native of | guest speaker on that occasion willj Statesville. be Bishop Clare Purcell. [ Patronize home merchants.