1 MARION PROGRESS W
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1896 MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1941 VOL. XLV—NO. 43
SCHOOL FINALS
OF MARION HIGH
START SUNDAY
Sermon To Be Delivered By
Dr. B. F. Bray; Emily Hol
ton Is Valedictorian.
The closing exercises of the Mar
ion high school will begin next Sun
day evening at 8 o'clock. The bacca
laureate sermon will be preached by j
Dr. B. F. Bray, pastor of the First j
Baptist church of Marion, in the high j
school auditorium.
Seventh grade promotions take
place Monday evening at 8 o'clock.
Exercises will be held fa*' 41 who
will be awarded certificates for ele
mentary school work.
Class Day is to be held Tuesday
evening. This program is to be in
the form of a radio broadcast in
1951 with Bill Alley, class president,
as master of ceremonies.
An Information Please program
will feature six intellectuals. Gifts,
the class prophecy, the class poem
and song will be the principal part
of the program, terminating with a
grand march of the seniors through
a flower chain. '
The graduation exercises will be i
held Wednesday evening, May 28, j
in the school auditorium, with W. T. j
McFall, of Asheville, delivering the j
literary address. Diplomas*' will be
presented by Supt. Hugh F. Beam i
to 89 who will be graduated.
The valedictory will be spoken at j
the graduation exercises for the.
class of 1941 at Marion high school
by Emily Holton. This honor was
accorded Miss Holton for attaining
the highest average over her entire j
high school period, a grade of 95.7.!
Bill Alley, with second highest aver-1
age of 94.49, will be the salutator
ian. Both will speak briefly in their
respective roles at graduation exer
cises.
UNIQUE CONGOLEUM DISPLAY |
SHOWN AT FREEMAN'S STORE
The unique window to be seen at!
Freeman Furniture Company store!
on Main street is emblematic ofi
■"Home Preparedness." It is designed J
entirely of Congoleum.
The decoration is one of many
Ibeing exhibited throughout the na
tion, designed individually, that has
been entered in the Gold Seal Con
goleum window contest for a na
tional grand prize of either an air
plane, automobile or $1,500 cash.
Isaac Freeman, owner of the
store here, conceived the idea as
pictured. It is a home made entirely
of Congoleum material, represent
ing pebble dashed exteriors, shingled
roof, and with doors, shutters and
curtains all of the same material but
of appropriate design. The iawn is
of green print and walks and streets
are as of concrete material. The
foreground ig a green field and de
sign gives effect of flowers.
Soldiers at the wings from the
house give forth the idea of pre
paredness.
Mr. Freeman's vision was carried
out by his associates in business, J.
P. Jones, Melvin Harbison, Elliott
Mahaffey and R. H. Walker, who
constructed the novel display with
painstaking can*e antd as(titudie.
CALL NO. 11 LISTS TEN
SELECTEES FOR MAY 28
Ten men are named in call No. j
11 for McDowell county selected
service registrants. They are to re
port to the local board at Marion at
9 a. m. Wednesday, May 28.
This group, four of whom are vol
unteers, will be sent to Fort Bragg
for induction. All are white boys.
Those selected who have volun
teered are Virgle Charlie Freeman,
Aimour Glenn Kelly, Henry Wood
row Guyton and Albert Louis Trout.
The others listed are Gartha Lee
Lewis, Millard McKinley Bartlett,
James Franklin Hamby, Earl B. Sil
ver, William Harold Smith, Harry
Arthur Setzer.
KIWANIANS BEST GOLFERS
Kiwanis and Francis Marion Club
golfers engaged in a grueling 7
match tournament last week but the
results were decided one sided. Ki
wanis eclipsed their rivals 42 % points
to 21%. A return match for venge
ance is in prospect.
LEGION UNIT WILL SELL
POPPIES HERE SATURDAY
Poppy Day is held to perpetuate
the memory of those who gave ser
vice and sacrifice in the first World
War. The poppy is worn on Satur
day, May 24, as a tribute to that pa
triotism.
Next Saturday poppies will be sold
on the streets here by the members
of the Auxiliary unit of the Ameri
can Legion of Marion. Services of
high school girls have been solicited
to assist the women in distributing
these little flowers throughout the
county.
Poppies are sold for whatever a
person will give for one. It is a con
tribution to those who have suffered
some hardship caused by their ser
vice in the war.
Mrs. J. F. Miller, chairman of the
committee, explains that money col
lected from this sale is used by the
Legion unit to help disabled veter
ans, help their families, give aid to
needy children and extend the re
habilitation work in hospitals, homes
vocational work and assistance. Mrs.
G. W. Kirkpatrick is rehabilitation
chairman of the unit here.
PRIVATE CONSTRUCTION
WORK UNDER WAY HERE
Foundations for a new home and
also for the building to be erected
for a tourist court have been started
here during the past week. The house
is located on Gilkey street, just with
in the' city line. The tourist court is
on East Court street.
J. P. Leppard is having a home
built on his Gilkey street property,
to be frame construction. The tour
ist court is being built for W. W.
Neal, Jr., and M. W. Gordon, Jr.,
who expect to open same for public
use late in July. This is a 12-room
building plan, one story high.
Roy Morrow has had a small store
building erected on South Main
street, where he has already located.
The Drexel Furniture Company
has its extensive plan of expansion
nearly completed and parts of this
new plant are in use.
The homes being erected on Lin
coln Avenue for W. H. Norris and
Earl Teal are well progressed and
will soon be completed. The Norris
house is of stone construction, and
that of Mr. Teal is brick veneer.
W. K. M. Gilkey is having his new
brick, colonial home erected on Au
gusta avenue. Eugene Cross, Jr., al
so has a house of similar design un
der construction on the same street.
S. R. Cross is having a two-story
brick veneer residence built on Air
port Road. All three are well under
way.
Extensive alterations are being
made to the A. and P. store on North
Main street, the improvement includ
ing additional space in the rear.
PEOPLE OF MARION PAY
FJNE TRIBUTE TO SCHOOL
BAND AND DIRECTOR HIRSCH
People of Marion and vicinity fill
ed the school auditorium here Mon
day evening1 in a fine tribute to
Bernard Hirsch and the 52 mem
bers of this splendid high school
band.
There were nearly 900 who round
ly applauded Mr. Hirsch as he ap
peared on the platform, a recogni
tion for the rating of excellence ac
quired by his well-trained band and
finely-taught soloists at the Nation
al contest in Richmond.
The program included twelve
quite diversified numbers. Three
were those played at Richmond dur
ing the contest in which the band
won a No. 1 rating.
The winning numbers were "The
Iowa Band Law," by King; "Eroica,"
an overture by Skorvicka; "Invoca
tion of Alberick," by Wagner. The
novelty selection, "Coming 'Round
the Mountain," proved most popular
and brought an enchore.
Twenty members of this fine com
bination are lost at the end of the
school term by graduation. Among
these are six of the soloists who com
peted at Richmond.
The band by virtue of its out
standing accomplishment at Rich
mond ia eligible to compete in the
National contest next year in Atlan
ta.
FOREMAN TAKEN ILL
Clyde Henline, foreman at Drexel
Furniture Company, was taken ill
Wednesday morning at his work and
was rushed to the hospital for treat
ment.
J. F. WILKINSON
IS INDUCTED AS
MAYOR OF CITY!
Magistrate J. L. Nichols Gives
Oath To New Officials;
Mayor Denounces Speeding
Mayor Jay F. Wilkinson and four
members of the newly elected board
of aldermen were formally inducted
into office last Friday afternoon as
both the old and new administra
tions of Marion convened. Magis
trate J. L. Nichols administered the
oath to the mayor and Aldermen
R. B. Smith, H. D. Bishop, S. W.
Blanton and Dr. J. F. Jonas. W.K.M.
Gilkey, who was absent was duly
sworn to office that evening.
Retiring Mayor Zeno Martin be
fore welcoming the new regime re
ceived the financial report of Auditor
Fletcher which was accepted by both
the old and new boards. A balance
of $8,841.65 was carried over. .Bills
to the amount of $3,273.19 were
passed upon by the new board.
The in-coming board unanimously;
granted the request of Mayor Wil
kinson that he be empowered to di
rect the supervision of police work
through the chief of police. Major
matters relative to police supervision
will, however, remain under juris
diction of the board.
Matters relative to the work now j
being done by the city were review-1
ed briefly and a carload of cement J
was ordered to continue work on the:
community park and sewer lines
thereto and several sidewalk and
curb repair jobs.
Mr. Wilkinson in his first an- j
nouncement as the new mayor of j
Marion issued warning to all speed- j
ers on the city streets.
"Pedestrians," he stated, "espec
ially children, must be safeguarded
and the local police are under orders
to make arrests of all reckless driv
ers."
Speeding cars on East and West
Court streets, Main street and Ruth
erford Road, where there has been a
number of accidents, will be particu
larly slowed down.
Mr. Wilkinson requests that,
while driving through the city, auto
mobilists particularly check their j
speed and help to prevent accidents!
at all times. Twenty-five miles per |
hour is the speed limit in residential j
sections and 15 miles per hour in the;
business area.
THREE HELD FOR SUPERIOR
COURT ON ASSAULT CASE
Only one case of any material im-j
port passed through McDowell coun
ty court on Tuesday. It was the as
sault with deadly weapons case in
volving Floyd Berry, Maurice Slu
der and Edna Garrison. All were
held for trial at Superior court in
June and were placed under $500
bond.
The arrests were made when a
brawl involving all three took place
■ in a business place and bottles were
used in the assault.
Other cases ti'ied included a hit
run case in which Richard Morgan
accused of driving while drunk, wras
fined $60 and had his license re
voked for one year.
Four other drunken driving cases
resulted similarly. There were also
two larceny cases and one liquor
charge.
CHANGE IN SCHEDULE
/ OF SOUTHERN RAILWAY
Changes in the schedules of three
passenger trains on this division of
the Southern Railway became effec
tive last Sunday. Under the new
schedule, No. 35, westbound, form
erly due at Marion at. 2:00 a. m., is
now due to arrive at 2:30; arrival
of No. 36, eastbound, was changed
from 6:49 to 6:45 a. m., and No. 12,
eastbound, from 3:55 p.m. to 3:32.
MRS. SWANSON BUYS
BETTY JEAN SHOPPE
Mrs. B. M. Swanson, who has been
manager of the Betty Jean Beauty
j Shoppe for the past several years,
announces this week that she made
purchase of the shoppe on May 15.
Mrs. Swanson stated that she will
continue as manager and plans to
remodel and install new equipment
in the near future.
GRANDEUR OF
PILGRIMAGE WAS
FULLY ENJOYED
Reception For Marion Tourists!
At Roanoke And At Points j
Enroute Was Magnanimous, j
Those who enjoyed the Blue Ridge!
Parkway Pilgrimage from Marion j
last week are still talking enthusias-1
tically of the grandeur and the im- j
pressionable pleasure of the two-'
c'ay trip. *
There was neither accident nori
hitch in any of the well-conceived!
plans of the workers of the McDow-1
ell Chamber of Commerce which j
sponsored the excursion. Every de-j
bail of the trip was executed perfect-j
ly, stops and appointments with wel
coming delegations at junction points
enroute were kept, and reservations
at all points were complete for both
comfort and enjoyment.
Outstanding in particular on this
trip were both the interest of official
groups who met and toured with the
pilgrims and the evident and ex
pressed pleasure of those from a dis
tance, namely a party from Florida,
another from Cincinnati and others
from Charlotte and A9heville, who |
joined the tourists.
Particularly interesting was the j
surprise meeting the group had with |
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Carpenter, for-j
mer residents of Marion, who, hear
ng of the pilgrimage, made a special
trip from their home in Wytheville, j
Vra., to Hungry Mother State Park j
;o lunch with their many friends,
from here.
The overnight stop at Roanoke j
.vas a grand event. Met by a delega
tion from the Roanoke Chamber of
Commerce at Pine Spur, they were
escorted for 30 miles into the city to
Hotel Roanoke.
There they dined with the Roa
loke Chamber aa their hosts and en
tertainers. After the dinner and
;peaking many enjoyed touring the
town, some taking in entertainment
of various sorts.
At Roanoke, the president of that
Chamber of Commerce, Frank W.
Rogers, had the group photographed
an several occasions. He officially
sveloomed them, as well, at the
dinner at Hotel Roanoke. Other j
speakers here were the Chamber's
executive secretary, Benjamin Moo
maw, and Samuel Weams, assistant j
superintendent of the Blue Ridge j
Parkway, and Jack Enright, execu
tive secretary of the Asheville Cham
ber of Commerce.
JENKINS IS SPEAKER
AT KIWAN1S MEETING
Members of Kiwanis club of Mar
ion enjoyed a profound talk by Rev.
W. A. Jenkins, president of Rotary,
at their dinner meeting Tuesday ev
ening. Mr. Jenkins spoke on ''The
Power of an Idea."
The address, though fundamental,
was .well illustrated by Mr. Jenkins'
conception of Hitler's profound idea
of the individual power of the state.
Mention was made of the district J
meeting of clubs in Asheville this
week and of the International con
vention in Atlanta June 15-18, to
which the club is sending delegates.
A resolution was also passed by
the clubmen heartily noting the fine
accomplishments of the high school
band of Mario,n and paying them
and their director highest compli
ments.
MUSICAL PROGRAM AT
CLINCHFIELD SCHOOL
A musical program will be pre
sented at the Clinchfield school to
night at eight o'clock by the Rhythm
and Tonette Bands and the Glee
Club under the direction of Miss Re
becca Lowe. The public is cordially
invited. No admission will be
charged.
MARION DRUG OBSERVES
FIRST YEAR OF SERVICE
The Marion Drug store will mark
its first anniversary Saturday and
will mark this occasion both Friday
and Saturday with special sale prices
in all drug lines and in the lunch
eonette. Business in both depart
ments of the store has shown a
steady monthly increase throughout
the whole year.
HUGE FIRE RAGES OVER
1000 ACRES ON HUMPBACK
A forest fire which has traveled
more than three miles through Av
ery and Mitchell counties, and
touching an edge of McDowell coun
ty, has gained the summit of Hump
back mountain in the vicinity of Ka
olin and was reported put under
control on Monday.
The blaze originated north of
Highway 19E between Spruce Pine
and Engles. Fanned by a fair breeze
the fire traveled swiftly, leaped the
highway, ate its way rapidly to
North Cove river and bounded over
this barrier to race southeastward
for two more miles up the slope of J
the Humpback.
In this locality it spread into the i
Blue Ridge Parkway area and here!
spot fires have been fought.
Forest Ranger Granville Liles has
had a volunteer group from Kaolin
fighting since its origin. The Nation
al Parkway Service called in E R A
crews to confine the blaze.
Forty-five men and three leaders
from Buck Creek CCC camp were
called on when Ranger Jerry Gris
ft'old received a call to aid. CCC boys
from Laurel Springs camp, two)
groups from the CCC camps at
Cherryville, and assistance from the
North Carolina Forest Service were
control.
It is estimated that well over 1,000
acres of timber has been devastated, j
rhe exceedingly dry condition of the j
foliage and underbrush has lent ex
cellent fuel to keep the fire out of
:ontrel.
I
J. F. MILLER, CLINCHFIELD
DIED AFTER LONG ILLNESS
Joseph F. Miller, who for 24 years j
.vas superintendent in the spinning■
'oom at Clinchfield Manufacturing
Company, died shortly after 9 o'clock,
yesterday morning at his home near j
S'ebo. He was 61 years of age.
Deceased had been ill for two
years when he retired from his em
ployment. He was a native of Polk
sonnty.
Funeral services are planned for
Friday morning at 10 o'clock and
svill be held in Clinchfield Baptist
:hurch. Rev. Claude H. Hamby, pas
tor, will conduct. Burial will be made
n Zion Hill Baptist church cemetery,
Spartanburg.
Surviving are his widow, Maggie
Bragg Miller, and these sons and
daughters: G. Frank and H. Dean!
Miller, of Nebo, and Mrs. Troy L.
Davidson, of Clinchfield; also two i
grandchildren, Billy Joe Davidson,!
and Sarah Margaret Miller, and a sis-!
ter, Mrs. Lollie McGraw, of Spai'tan- j
burg.
C. B. DOBSON NAMED HEAD
OF AMERICAN LEGION POST;
OTHER OFFICERS ELECTED
C. B. Dobson has been elected i
head of the McDowell Post of the j
American Legion, succeeding J. E.!
Melton who held the office for the;
past year.
Other officers elected include:
Can- Bell, first vice-commander; L.
W. Erwin, second vice-commander;
Roy W. Burleson, adjutant; J. H.
Beaman, finance officer; R. K. Davis,
service officer; Roy W. Davis, guard
ianship officer; Julius Brooks, ser
geant-at-arms; Geo. C. Crawford,
chaplain; B. S. Clark, historian; B.
H. Laughridge, athletic officer; Dr.
J. F. Miller, child welfare; J. K.
Giles, Americanism; S. E. Proctor,
graves registration officer; George
W. Kirkpatrick, employment officer;
E. F. Haire, membership chairman;
and H. C. Mangum, Sons of the .Le
gion chairman.
The new officers will be installed
at the next regular meeting.
SUMMER SCHOOL BEGINS
AT MARION H. S. JUNE 2
Summer school is to be conducted
again this year at Marion high school
1^ will commence Monday morning,
June 2, and will continue over a
period of six week3.
High school pupils who will re
move deficiencies or desire to obtain
better insight into difficult studies,
are being enlisted in whatever course
they name. A course will not be giv
en, however, unless three students
register therefor. Training in busi
ness courses will be open to anyone
in the high school and beginners as
well in this work.
Classes will be run in the mornings
throughout the period. The teacher
will be William D. Tattle, teacher of
commercial subjects.
RESUME OF WPA
WORK IN M'DOWELL
PAST FIVE YEARS
McGinnis Reports Accomplish
ments — $1,163,955 Spent
In McDowell County.
With McDowell county's massive
new court house addition nearing
completion, C. C. McGinnis, State
WPA Administrator, has taken stock
of what WPA has accomplished in
McDowell county during the past
five years.
The McGinnis report is in detail
and is comprehensive. In one item
we find an observation by him that
McDowell county, in sponsoring the
enlargement of its court house facil
ity and in building a city hall through
another WPA project, shows that in
North Carolina and in America, jus
tice and not dictatorial mandate pre
vails; that even amid the ardor and
enthusiasm and unity of the national
defense effort, we find McDowell
county building facilities which are
emblematic of the fundamentals as
laid down by the founding fathers
in the Bill of Rights.
The report shows that the largest
endeavor carried on in the county
during this period of time was the
construction and reconstruction of
highways, roads and streets. From
WPA workers, sponsored by the
State Highway and Public Works
Commission, the total road improve
ment obtained by the county is 26 L
miles. Marion's paved streets, if all
sections were placed end to end
would stretch seven miles. These
statistics are brief but they graphi
cally tell the story of how WPA
workers have lifted the county out
of the mud and provided miles on
end of all-weather roads.
On a similar endeavor, one and
one-fifth miles of sidewalks have
been paved. Sidewalks and streets
to be properly utilized need curbs
and gutters. Five and one-half miles
of curbs and four and two-fifths
miles of gutters are listed among the
construction accomplishments-.
Creeks and rivers, in many points,
needed bridges. The score there is
nine. Roadside landscaping has been
performed on one and one-half miles
while 244 culverts have been install
ed. Nearly a mile of road drainage
pipe has been laid.
Schools throughout the county
have been cleaned and renovated.
(Continued on page 3)
BOND ALLOWED DRIVEjR
IN ASHFORD ACCIDENT
John Buchanan of Spruce Pine
was released Tuesday under a $300
bond after being held since Sunday
in McDowell county jail on a charge
of driving while drunk and causing;
injury of three in a motor accident
at Ashford.
Buchanan, it was reported, was
operating a light truck when it
swerved from the road and turned
over.
The injured, who were taken to
Marion General Hospital, are J. C.
Sparks of Spruce Pine, owner of
the machine, who sustained broken
ribs, Miss Dorothy Buchanan and
Miss Fern Ward, both of Marion,
who suffered shock and bruises.
The accident was investigated by
Sheriff Grady Nichols and deputies
from Marion.
HOME DEMONSTRATION
MEETINGS ARE L.ISTED
Home Demonstration nueetingtr
for. the following week are announ
ced by Miss Jean Steele, county su
pervisor.
The meeting today at Pleasant
Gardens will be held at 2 p. m. in
the community building, Mrs. T. M.
Burnette and Mrs. J. 0. Summer
lain, hostesses, Tomorrow's meeting
at Turkey Cove is at the home of
Mrs. E. P. Boyd at 2 p. m.
Meetings for next week: Monday,
Glenwood, schoolhouse, Mrs. Harvey
and Mrs. Edgar Morgan, hostesses, 2
p. m.; Tuesday, Chapel Hill, club
house, Mrs. W. S. Rice hostess, 2 p.
m.; Wednesday, North Cove school
house, Mrs. T. C. Yoakum, hostess,
2 p. m.; Thursday, District Meeting
at Glen Alpine school, 10:00 to 2:30;
Friday, Wildwood club, at home of
Mrs. J. M. Hunter, 7 p. m.