THE MARION PROGRESS
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 189« MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1943 VOL. XLVIH—NO. 22
McDowell Board
Sends December
Quota To Camp
Forty - Eight Men Sent To
Camp Croft Saturday; Ten
" Transferred Elsewhere.
The McDowell county selective
service board sent its December
quota of men to Camp Croft last
Saturday for their examination for
service in the armed forces. There
were 48 in the call to leave Marion
for the induction center and ten
were transferred to other boards for
induction.
Those leaving here Saturday
morning for Camp Croft were:
Charles William Harding, Robert
Newton Gregory, George B. Mor
gan, Raymond Ray Kelly, Arule
Henry Wright, George Loren Paris,
Horace Nathan Turner, John A.
Lewis Ruff, Glenn A. Morris, Reid
Biddix, Charles Reid Taylor, Hoyle
Sherman Taylor, Frank P. Cooper,
Garlin E. Moody, Summie McDan
: iels.
Alvin Nix, Ross Robinson, Arthur
J. Warren, David H. Killian, James
B. Kistler, Ted T. Revis, Hoyt
Bridges, Arville Honeycutt, Troy L.
Gilliand, Paul H. Williams, Roy
Lanning, Troy Lanning, Lewis W.
Stevens, Thomas Hammett, Swan B.
Ricker, Calvin E. Bradshaw, Carl B.
Reynolds, Jr., Charles H. Revis, and
James C. Mclntyre.
Robert F. Henline, Paul F. Frady,
George F. Biggerstaff, Clarence A.
Roland, James Y. Banks, Earl Rad
ford, Floyd Wheeler, Frederick J.
McAfee, Ralph D. Simmons, James
O. Wylie, Howard Buchanan, Arth
ur Smith, Isaac Vinson Minish, and
Edmond Lee Harrison.
Delivered to other boards were:
jOi Theodore Silver, Burnsville; j
Glenn C. Pyatt, Wilmington; Wil- j
liam H. Case, Marshall; John C.
Deaton, Graham; Roosevelt T. Lew
is, Brevard; Harry Lee Ollis, Sylva;
Arnold M. Reel, Wilmington; Roy C.
Ledford, Spruce Pine; Harry Ver
non Rogers, Murphy; Harrison B.
Mull, Hendersonville.
REV. ROBT. M. VARNER
TO ENTER SERVICE SOON
AS CHAPLAIN IN ARMY
Old Fort—The Rev. Robt. M.
Varner, pastor of the Methodist
church of Old Fort, delivered his
last sermon to the local congrega
tion at the morning hour last Sun
day. He is leaving his charge to at
tend the Chaplains' school at Har
vard university, after which he is
to be chaplain in the army.
The Rev. Mr. Varner was appoint
ed to the Old Fort charge in 1940.
Under his leadership the local
church has made outstanding prog
ress. In addition to his pastoral
duties, for the last year, Mr. Varner
has led the local Boy Scout troops
in their work, and in recognition for
his services has received life-mem
bership in the organization.
Mr. Varner graduated from Duke
university in 1930, the same year
he received his first appointment in
the Western North Carolina confer
ence. Since 1935, he has served
charges in the vicinity of Asheville.
Nov. 8, 1931, Mr. Varner was
married to Miss Elizabeth Hawfield
of Charlotte, who was at that time
superintendent of nurses at the
Methodist hospital, Elkin.
Mr. and Mrs. Varner have three
children, Robert M. Varner, Jr.,
David and Mary Dora. Mrs. Varn
er and the children will reside at
their farm near Fort Mill, S. C., to
v^hich they are moving this week.
WORD RECEIVED FROM
WARREN G. LEDBETTER
Word has been received from Sgt.
Warren G. Ledbetter, who was re
ported missing several months ago.
The message was marked "Imperial
Japanese Army," and was sent from
a Philippine military prison camp.
Sgt. Ledbetter was a radio opera
tor and was taken prisoner on Ba
taan. He had been in the Phillip
pines about four years.
On the card written to his mother,
Mrs. P. H. Ledbetter, he wrote that
he was in excellent health.
He is a grandson of C. Y. Ban
ning.
CHRISTMAS GIFTS
SENT TO PATIENTS
AT MOORE HOSPITAL
Approximtely' 8 0 0 0 Christmas
gifts have been sent to patients of
Moore General Hospital by various
organizations and individuals of
Marion and McDowell county, ac
cording to announcement this week
by Mrs. J. F. Snipes, McDowell
County delegate of the Moore Gen
eral Hospital council, which is made
up of all western North Carolina
counties.
The Men's Class of the First Bap
tist Sunday School, of which D. E.
Poole is teacher, contributed $30.40.
This amount was used to purchase
one rocking chair, end table, waste
basket and card and checker table
to add to the sun room they are fur
nishing, Mrs. Snipes stated.
Circle Number 3 of the Woman's
Society of Christian Service of the
First Methodist Church donated $15.
Mrs. Albert Shiflet's and Mrs. J. A.
Wier's art classes made nut cups.
Other organizations which helped by
sending gifts included:
The Junior Woman's Clubs of
Clinchfield and East Marion, the
Marion Junior Woman's Club,
Clinchfield school, Nebo school,
Glenwood school, the service Club of
the Pleasant Gardens school, Old,
Fort schbol, Wesleyan Service Guild
of First Methodist church, Clinch
field and East Marion schools. The
First Presbyterian Church donated
proceeds from the Crosby-Adams
| concert in the amount of $30.50.
j Gifts were also contributed by the
[ Providence M. E. Church, Greenlee
j Chapter of the D. A. R., and stu
i dents of the school rooms of Mrs.
| Alma Crawford and Mrs. Roy W.
! Davis, Mr. and Mrs. R. T. Perkins,
land Sammy Homewood.
Proceeds of the Crosby-Adams
concert together with the contribu
tion of Methodist Circle No. 3 were
used toward paying for the public
address system machine, it was ex
plained. 5.
The East Marion Junior Woman's
Club also bought a new electric
phonograph and records for a ward.
SGT. RUTH COOPER NAMED
AIR WACS "MISS VICTORY"
Sgt. Ruth Cooper, former resident
of Marion, now in the service of the
Air-WAC, has been selected "Miss
Victory of Kelly Field, it was an
Inounced recently. In revealing the
| four winners of this coveted title
| commanders pointed out that the
i victory quartet represented back
' ground and personality possessed by
thousands of women throughout the
nation. However, because of their
own smooth blends of these quali
fies, the "Miss Victories" were chos
| en as typical of the Air-WACs who
! are assisting the army air forces in
its vital work at more than 150
[fields in all parts of the country.
; They were presented formally
' Monday when, as highlight of the
; local A. A, E. "salute of WAC" ob
j servance, they were introduced at a
military ball.
| These four Air-WACs, with the
i khakit-sheathed arms of their male
| escorts linked symbolically with
| their own, lead the grand march that
launched the gala "Salute the WAC"
ball. Behind them in colorful pro
cession followed hundreds of their
sister-soldiers and their dates.
The "Miss. Victories" were pre
sented to high-ranking officials of
the A. A. F. Central Flying Training
Command, who congratulated 4hem
as representatives of their respect
ive Air-WAC detachments, for ga^
lant contributions to a free to
morrow.
Miss Cooper received a trophy in
scribed with her name as a token of
the A. A. F.'s nation-wide "thanks"
j to the WAC. Personal gifts were
also awarded.
Sgt. Cooper is 22 years of age
and is in charge of officers' rosters
in the Kelly officer personnel office.
Before entering service she held a
position at Belk Broome Company
here?
WORD RECEIVED FROM
LT. WALLACE WINBORNE
I Word has been received here re
cently from Lt. j. g. J. Wallace Win
borne, Jr., U. S. N. R., who is ap
parently somewhere in the Mediter
ranean area with overseas fleet, by
his father, Judge J. W. Winborne,
Sr. The letter stated that he had
been assigned to patrol duty.
Lt. Winborne landed November
28.
A GLOBAL CHRISTMAS
Closing Schedule
For Christmas To
Be Observed Here
Practically all stores, offices and,
other places of business will take a
holiday next Saturday in observance
of Christmas.
Saturday will be observed as a
holiday by the postoffice, but pack-1
\ ages will be delivered on the city
routes. j
The First National and Marion In
dustrial banks will observe both Sat
urday and Monday as holidays, Gov
ernor Broughton ha vine- proclaimed
j Monday a banking holiday as well
as Christmas day.
The offices in the court house will
close at noon Thursday .and remain !
closed until Monday morning. The !
office of the Town of Marion in the
city hall will also be closed from
noon Thursday until Monday, it was
announced by Mayor Wilkinson.
The War Price and Rationing
board will observe Saturday as a
j holiday.
The beauty parlors will be closed
Saturday and Monday for the holi
days.
! The city schools closed last Friday
1 and will remain closed until Mon
day, January 3. The county schools
i closed Tuesday for a two weeks va
i cation.
Services will be held at St. John's
j Episcopal church on Christmas day
i at 10:30 o'clock, and at St. Mat
i thew's Lutheran church at 11
| o'clock.
j Special Christmas programs were
| held at several of the churches last
! Sunday.
CEILING PRICE ON WOOD
SET AT $12.00 A CORD
Forty odd retail dealers in wood
for Marion and McDowell county
met with the Price Panel of the lo
cal office of the War Price and Ra
tion board to consider the establish
ment of a ceiling price for wood to
be delivered to the consumer in this
vicinity. C. M. Simpson, price any
alist of the OPA office of Charlotte
was present and took part in the
discussions.
The wood dealers recommended to
Mr. Simpson and the price panel that
the price per cord of 128 cubic feet
of any and all sorts or types of wood
be set at $12.00. This price includes
delivery of the wood to the consum
! ers home.
Any person required to pay a
higher price than that set out above
should report same to the local
Price Panel.
R. C. CHAPMAN DIES
IN SANTA ROSA, CALIF, j
R. C. Chapman, a former resident j
of McDowell county, and a brother,
of Geo. W. Chapman and Mrs. R. H.
Bomar of Marion, died at his home
in Santa Rosa, California, last J
Thursday. Mr. Chapman was 77
i years of age and is survived by his j
wife, five sons and two daughters.
BUMPER CORN CROP
Washington, Dec. 18.—The Agri
culture Department reported today
that this year's .bumper corn crop
totals 3,076,159,000 bushels and the
country's wheat 'rop is 836,29$,000
bushels.
R. L. James And
Son Given Award
In Safety Contest
The R. L. James and Son Knitting
Mills have received a Certificate of
Merit for outstanding achievement
in Accident Prevention in the sec
ond annual state-wide Hosiery Safe
ty Contest, according to announce
ment from T. A. Wilson, chairman
of the North Carolina Industrial
Commission.
Over a period of nine months the
R. L. James and Son Mill had no
lost time accidents in 78,526 man
hours worked. Since May 28, 1941,
the plant has had a Grade "A" rat
ing by the department of labor of
the State of North Carolina.
T. R. Durham, executive secre
tary of the Southern' Hosiei-y Manu
facturers' Association, commented,
"I am pleased to note that you" have
had no lost time accidents during
the period covered by the Second
Annual Statewide Hosiery Safety
Contest. In view of the increased
labor turnover with new employees
being constantly added I think this
is a very fine record."
Mr. Wilson, chairman of the N. C.
Industrial Commission, said "Your
company made an excellent record,
and I am sure you are proud of this
achievement."
The background of the certificate
bears a cross outlined in green with
the wording "Conserving Safety
Man Power." It has been framed
and will be displayed so that the em
ployees may be constantly reminded
that their efforts have been recog
nized.
SERVICE ON CHRISTMAS
DAY AT LUTHERAN CHURCH
A Christmas day service will be
held at St. Matthew's Lutheran
church on Saturday morning at 11
o'clock. The sermon topic will be
""To Bethlehem Hasten."
The topic at the service next Sun
day morning at 11 o'clock will be
"Earth's Greatest Wonder."
Instruction class will meet Sun
day afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, and
Walther League on Sunday evening
at 6:30.
The Lutheran Laymen's League
will meet Monday night at 8 o'clock.
RED CROSS JSOAL IN NEXT
DRIVE IS $200,000,000
Washington, Dec. 18.—The Amer
ican Red Cross will open its third
war fund campaign next March with
a record goal of $200,000,000.
Announcing the 1944 financial ob
jective today, Chairman Norman H.
Davis announced that nearly- $140,
000,000 will be required for services
to the armed forces and the remaind
er for local work of the 3,756 chap
ters.
SERVICES AT ST. JOHN'S
CHRISTMAS DAY AT 10:30
Rev. Chas G. Leavell, rector of
Grace Episcopal church in Morgan
ton, will conduct services at St.
John's Episcopal church here next
Saturday morning, Christmas day,
at 10:30 o'clock.
The services next Sunday morn
ing at 11 o'clock will be conducted
by Billie Bolton, ministerial student
at Lenoir Rhyne College.
Army Requests
2 Million More
Men By July 1
Washington, Dec. 18.—Two mil
lion more men must be drafted by
next July, selective service declared
tonight,, and 1,000,000 of them are
to fee taken from the fewer than 5,
000,000 draftable fathers still with
their families as of Dec. 1.
The fathers to be called are to
eoine from 427,088 presently re
classified to 1-A but not yet called
and 4,483,604 still in class 3-A but
subject to reclassification.
While this number would seem
ample to meet military needs, the
selective service disclosed that about
two out of every three fathers who
lost their 3-A status in October and
November had been granted "neces
sary man" deferments in farming or
industry by their local draft boards.
Near Limits By Summer
Should this rate of deferment for
fathers continue, some officials said
privately, the selective service will
begin to approach the bottom of the
father-barrel by mid-summer.
One factor which may slow the
rate of father inductions is the pro
posed elimination of industrial de
ferments for non-fathers between
18 and 22. The same treatment also
has been proposed for those be
tween 22 and 25. This is favored
by draft officials but has not yet
been adopted as a policy. (The
army has instituted it for the civil
ian personnel in the 18-22 age brack
et.)
Selective service headquarters re-1
ported that local boards h^ve been i
cutting down on deferments for j
non-fathers, whittling 662,175 non-!
parents off the list of 2-A's and j
2-M's in October and November.
Million Are Deferred
A total of 1,418,333 pre-Pearl
Harbor fathers were classified out
of the 3-A group in the two months
following October 1, when depend
ency ceased to be a cause for de
ferment. Nearly one million of
them, however, obtained occupa
tional deferments in agriculture or
other essential work, it was report
ed.
The numbers of fathers actually
inducted in the two months boiled
down to 50,465, selective service
said.
"This clearly demonstrates that
local boards are liberally deferring
fathers engaged in war production
o^ war-supporting activities on the
gounds of occupation, even after
dependency status is no longer cause
for their deferment," the report de
clared.
The desired strength of the arm-!
ed services next July 1 is 11,300,-'
000, including WACs and WAVEs,
selective service said.
FOUR NEW MEMBERS ARE
ENROLLED BY V. F. W. POST
The meeting of post 2865, V. F.
W., held at the Community building
Sunday was well attended, Post
Commander T. P. Gravette an
nounces.
Four new members were enrolled
and all books were brought up to
date, it was.stated.
A committee composed of Jas. P.
Sisk, T. W. Riddle and G. Edison
i
Houck was appointed to secure a
place for regular meetings.
Clinton B. Landis was elected
post adjutant, and T. W. Riddle, \
post quartermaster.
Post Commander Gravette stated
he was in receipt of a letter from A. I
C. Ingram, adjutant quartermaster,
suggesting that he consider the or
ganization of an auxiliary to com-1
plete the set-up. This matter will
be given consideration later.
The next meeting will be held
Tuesday, December 28, at 8 p. m. in
the P. 0. S. of A. Hall in the Haw
kins building.
All members are urged to attend j
as the 1944 objectives will be dis-'
■cussed.
LAST FRIDAY WAS THE
COLDEST DAY OF YEAR I
I
The coldest weather of the season'
was experienced here last week.!
The' low reading Friday morning was j
8 degrees, setting a record for the
minimum this season. The high for,
the day was 45. The low reading
Thursday morning was 12 degrees,
with 34 high. A low of 15 and high j
of 55 was recorded for Saturday (
with 20 and 55 for Sunday.
Court Of Honor
Gives; Awards,
Merit Bodges
Twelve Advanced In Rank;
Snoddy Succeeds Laughlin.
A# Vice-President.
The Boy Scout court of honor
held at the First Methodist church
here- last Friday night was opened
with prayer by Dr. D. E. Camak, fol
lowed with the repeating of the
Scout oath led by M. Schiele,
Scout executive.
After announcements Scouts were
advanced in rank as follows:
Tenderfoot — Jack Sherrill and
James Austin, troop 2, Marion; Jack
Wingo, Sewell Laughridge and John
Poteat, troop 6, Marion; Paul Nan
ney, Bobby Craig, Jimmy Wise,
Mack Hensley and Harold McCul
lum, troop 1, Glenwood.
First Class Rank; Dan Noblitt,
troop 1, Old Fort.
Life Rank: Bill Giles, troop 6,
Marion.
Merit Badge*
Astronomy: Guy Kirby, 3rd,
troop 6, Marion.
Athletics: Guy Kirby, 3rd, troop
6, Marion.
Carpentry: Clarence Morgan,
troop 1, Glenwood; Bobby Harding,
troop 1, Old Fort.
Handicraft: Herbert Eplee and
Guy Morgan, troop 1, Glenwood;
Bill Giles, troop 1, Marion; Dan
Noblitt, troop 1, Old Fort.
Pioneering: Bill Giles, troop 6,
Marion.
Poultry Keeping: Billy Bradley,
troop 1, Nebo.
Following the court of honor the
Scouters, composed of the Scout
masters and committeemen of the
McDowell county, held a short ses
. sion and elected John M. Snoddy as
! vice-president of Scouts for Ihis
'county for the year 1944, Mr,
Snoddy succeeds Jas. B. Laughlin
who has served as vice-president for
a number of years.
LIEUT. ARNDT, WHO SANK
2 JAP SHJPS, PAYS VISIT
TO RELATIVES IN NEWTON
Lt. Augustus L. Arndt, marine
flying hero, who is a nephew of Mrs.
C. Y. Banning of Marion, is back
home in Newton for his first visit
home since going to the Southwest
Pacific and Gaudalcanal area in
September, 1942.
Lt. Arndt, a Marine corps pilot
and holder of the Distinguished Fly
ing Cross, says the Marines on Bou
ganville and Tarawa added some
glorious pages to the annals of the>
corps.
Lt. Arndt is one of the few bomb
er pilots credited with sinking two
Jap ships—a destroyer leader and a
cargo vessel.
Braving heavy anti-aircraft fire,
Lt. Arndt dove his Dauntless bomb
er to within 2,000 feet of the de
stroyer before releasing his bomb.
The ship, leading a task force of ten/
destroyers bringing reinforcements
to Gaudalcanal early this year, wa$
attacked as it nosed out of Kula
Gulf, between Kolombangara and
New Guinea Islands.
Sometime later Lt. Arndt, parti
cipating in the first dive bomber
raid with 1,000-pound bombs on the
Japs' Kahili Harbor, hit a cargo ves
sel amidship. It sank almost im
mediately.
Lt. Arndt took part in the last
dive bomber raids on Munda and
dropped a 1,000-pound bomb on an
antiaircraft gun position in the op
ening of the Allied offensive on the
Japs' Vila Plantation airfield on
Kolombangara Island, Solomons.
Pulling out of a dive after scor
ing a near miss on an enemy trans—
port Jan. 23, in Kula Gulf, Lt. Arndt^
was attacked by twelve float Zeros,.
Jap fighter planes equipped witlv
pontoons. He gained altitude then
nosed his plans down in a steep dive.
His radio gunner, Staff Sergeant
Walter Kiddon, U. S. Marine Corps,
of Chicago, 111., sprayed the attack
ers with nearly 300 rounds of ma
chine gun ammunition. The Marin
es escaped unhurt, but their plans
was riddled with bullets.
Male arrests declined 29. 3 per
cent during the first half of 1943 ia
the United States.