MARION PROGRESS
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
BY THE
Mcdowell publishing co.,
MARION, N. C.
TELEPHONE 64
S. E. WHITTEN, Editor and Prop.
Entered at the Postoffice at Marion,
N. C., as second class matter
SUBSCRIPTION RATES:
One Year $1.50
Six Months .75
/North Carolina vJK.
PBESS ASSOCIATION^)}
MARION, N. C., DEC. 23, 1943
THE FIRST CHRISTMAS
And it came to pass in those days,
.that there went out a decree from
Caesar Augustus, that all the world
should be taxed. -
And all went to be taxed, every
one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of "the city of Nazareth,
into Judea, unto the city of David,
which is called Bethlehem; (because
he was of the house and lineage of
David:)
To be taxed with Mary his epous
ed wife, being' great with child.
And so it was, that, while they
were there, the days were accom
plished that she shculd be delivered.
And she brought forth her first
born son, and wrapped him in swad- j
dling clothes and laid him in a i
manger: because there was no room j
for them in the inn. And there !
were in the same country shepherds j
abiding in the field, keeping watch !
over their flock by night. And, lo,
the angel of the Lord eame upon
them, and the glory of the Lord i
shone round about them: and they
were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them,
fear not: for, behold I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people.
For unto you is boVn this day in
the city of David a Saviour which is
Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto you:
Ye shall find the babe wrapped in
swaddling clothes, lying in a mang
er.
And suddenly there was with the
angels a multitude of the heavenly
boat praising God and saying:
Glory to God in the highest and
on earth, peace, good-will toward
wen.
And it came to pass, as the angels
were gone away from them into
heaven, the shepherds said one to
another, Let us now go even unto
Bethlehem and see this thing which j
is come to pass, which the Lord hath j
made known unto us.
And when they had seen it, they
made known abroad the saying
which was told them concerning the
child.
And the shepherds returned,
glorifying and praising God for all |
the things that they had heard and
seen, as it was told unto them.— '
Luke 2:1-20.
FOREST FIRES COSTLY
Millions of dollars worth of timb
er are lost every year through forest
fires and some of the money is con-1
tributed by the land owners of Mc- i
Dowell county.
While it is impossible to prevent j
all forest fires every land owner i
ehould make an effort to save his
own property. Often, despite his
activity, careless persons will
thoughtlessly start a fire.
The dry weather of the past few
months has contributed to fire haz
ards from lightning and other causes
but the absence of high winds has
reduced the damage.
With the nation facing a pulp
wood shortage the burning of for
ests represents a loss to the national
economy, as well as to the indivdiual
owner. During the next few months
many land owners will find it pos
sible to cut pulpwood at a profit but
there can be no profit if one permits
fire to consume the trees.
LOOK OUT FOR THE 'FLU
The influenza epidemic is feared
in Great Britain and there are re
ports of many cases in the United
States.
Persons who suffer mild attacks of
influenza or grippe are urged by
health officers and doctors to stay in
ted. It is a mistake to invite a
more serious illness by venturing
out.
Of course, nobody can compel
anybody to take care of his, or her,
health. The individual, as a free
agent, can take all risks and, very
often, get by without a relapse but
there are a number of tickets for j
the final ride mixed in a 'flu epi
demic.
THE INN WITHIN OUR HEARTS
"There was no room for them in
the inn." So an humble manger be
came the place of a birth that was
to bring an imperishable hope to hu
manity. It is the yet unfilled hope
which the shepherds on the Judean
hillside heard the voices of a multi
tude of the heavenly host proclaim
ing:
"Glory to God in the highest, and
on earth peace, good will toward
men."
To the little town of Bethlehem,
as its streets resounded with the
clangor of the Roman legion, that
hope must have seemed far away
and unattainable. The Legion has
vanished, with the Persian, the Sara
cen, the Crusader, and the Turk
amid recurring wars. Now Ameri
can and English boys gaze wonder
ingly at the scene of the Nativity,
pausing on their way to another and
greater war.
But the hope which came with the
first Christmas abides, as steadfast
as the star that guided the Wise
Men. Across the war-wracked cen
turies men and women have never
ceased to cherish it. But they saw
its fulfillment no more than the
shepherds on the Judean hillside, for
there was no room in the inn fox
that which would bring it to pass.
The poet who wrote "There is an inn
in every heart" clothed in happy im
agery one of life's actualities. As
was that inn of long ago, so has the
inn in the hearts of men been pre
empted by other guests. Self-inter
est, pride, indulgence, distrust, in
tolerance and their uglier kin have
crowded its lodging places and their j
stay has been overlong.
They have paid for their keep in
a coin of bitter mintage. In ex
change for it humanity has inexor
ably received the desolation and
death, the pain and sorrow of war.
At this Christmas season, which
should be a time of cheer and glad
ness, we are sharers in the tears and
the prayers of a world in travail.
The cries for deliverance which go
up from the millions who suffer will
mingle with the carols we shall sing.
But the hope which is ever a- part
of Christmas has not receded. It has
really drawn nearer. If our eyes
could but decry it, the dawn of its
fulfillment may be only beyond the
war-darkened horizon. For out of
the world tragedy that is being en
acted we seem to be learning in that
hard way, by which mankind only
seems able to learn. Men and wo
men are thinking, as never before,
about the means by which "on earth
peace, good will toward men" can be
made a reality. As they do, they
are finnding it necessary to make
room in the inn within their hearts
for those better occupants, which
alone can bring it to pass.
The hope, of which Christmas is
the symbol, and the teachings of
Him, in whose name we observe it,
are inseparably entwined. We can
not have one without accepting the j
other. What He taught was an at
titude of spirit and mind and heart
which, if established and put into
practice, would remove the causes
of war. The commandments that
He stressed were: "Thou shalt lov^
the Lord thy God with all thy heart,
and with all thy soul, and with all
thy mind," and second only to it:
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself." One's neighbor was not
merely a member of one's own class
or race or nationality, as He made
clear in the parable of the Good Sa
maritan.
The full impact of that command
ment was lost upon us until the red
ruin of our day brought it crushing
ly home. Now we realize its ter
rible alternative. Bombers flying
the Atlantic, voices speaking to us
from Moscow and Chungking are
making neighbors of us all. The
mighty powers of the Twentieth
Century, moving on as though a part
of some vast plan, have become en
forcers of the commandment that
men shall live together as neighbors.
"On earth peace, good will toward
men" is not simply a hope now, but
a necessity.
All aiong we have had a sign and
token of what was needful for its
attainment. Under the spell of the
day we have approached nearest its
threshold at Christmas. A mood,
kindly and more generous, has lift
ed life out of the ruck of self-inter
est. Men and women have found
happiness in thinking of others,
learned the singular fact that they
became sharers in the joys brought
by their giving.
Strange we did not see that in
opening the inn within our hearts to
these friendly qualities we had got
hold of the secret which had so long
eluded humanity. For all the while
it was the way to fulfillment of those
"Good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people." — Country
Gentleman.
Labor is for labor, farmers are
for agriculture, business is for busi
ness—who is for the country?
The holiday season should not be
marred by accidents but it is up to
you, as an individual, to be careful. ^
'TShere is cHopo
/UR OWN corjimtfnity, like the rest
I ofaKe>£0rldrhas been shaken by the
rn3er of guns. This thunder echoes
as w once more celebrate
^ tfi^bicthof the Prince of Peace. -
^Ye^this^iewsjDaper sees no irony in
\\fheNsc^rsvof war artiKtliemessage of
hope that^is^G^iristm^s.^
For it\is the^ everlasting h<^pe of Christmas tRar^
makes it\such a vita! force in ourHves. That hope
is one of i nev^er ending period of 'Teace on Earth!'
While it is true^hat^th^ ^lumns ofHI^s paper
since last Christmas^have beehodominated by. the
* \ \ \ \
effects of the w^ar lords 0(i ou>\normal way oi
living-we \knowx that^the peace-loving "little"
men of goodwill far outnumber the e\al.
These "little" people \re thexcitizens^f this
community and other communities like it\And
it was for these same "little^ people\that Christ
came into this worldM943 years ago.\ ^
' So Christmas belongs to them anduiot to
those who plunge the world intq darknes^
Let this true spirit of Christmas dominate
your thinking and you can say to all your
friends as we now say to you
A l/fte>wy> Chustmas
STRONGLY PUT
Former Chief Justice Eugene S.
Blease made aji excellent address,
printed in full in The Observer, at
the banquet of the American Legion
members in Newberry on the ^even
ing of Armistice Day.
From this address a paragraph is
taken and here reproduced. It is
worth remembering: >
. "When our returning soldiers,
sailors, marines and airmen get back
to this country, I wonder if one of
these strike leaders will brag about
the way he led a strike in the coal
mine, when heat and power were so
badly needed. I wonder if some
worker in an aviation plant will
boast how he helped to clo^e the
plant when our ships were being
sunk for lack of proper air patrol. I
rather think these braggarts and
boasters will keep their mouths clos
ed when they face a soldier, who lost
an arm in battle, a sailor, who lost a
leg when his ship was torpedoed, or
an airman, whose back was broken
as he parachuted to save his life."
The strike leaders so far have de
fied the majority of their fellow
Americans, their government and so
oni
They manage to get away with it
to the wonder and amazement of
other Americans. These citizens
ahd yourself may wonder how these
leaders can do things other people
would be jailed for.
Did you ever hear of the thing
called "votes?"—Index-Journal.
SEND NO CASH!
Here's a new racket, designed to
take advantage of the next of kin
of relatives who may be prisoners
of war.
A letter advises that a message
has been recorded, via enemy radio*,
about the relative, which can be se
cured for cash. <;
The OWI calls attention to this
sucker enterprise but finds the prob
lem somewhat difficult because there
are well-meaning persons in the
country who, out of a desire to be
comforting, relay news of prisoners
«of war to thieir relatives.
The best advice we can give our
readers is that they send no money
for any alleged information, what
ever. If the writer is imbued with
a desire to be helpful, no request for
cash will be requested.
•- . ' » ■
If anybody is dissatisfied with the
home front there are a lot of men in
the service who would like to swap
places.
Great men and women have a
mania for exactness.
Be Quick To Treat
Bronchitis
Chronic bronchitis may develop if
your cough, chest cold, or acute bron
chitis is not treated and you cannot af
ford to take a chance with any medicine
less potent than Creomulsion which
goes right to the seat of the trouble to
help loosen and expel germ laden
phlegm and aid nature to soothe and
heal raw, tender, inflamed bronchial
mucous membranes.
Creomulsion blends beechwood creo
sote by special process with other time
tested medicines for coughs. It contains
no narcotics.
No matter how many medicines you
have tried, tell your druggist to sell you
a bottle of Creomulsion with the under
standing you must like the way it quick
ly allays the cough, permitting rest and
sleep, or you are to have your money
back. CAdv.)
CHRISTMAS THANKS
We thank Thee, Lord, for the world
so sweet—
We thank Thee, Lord, for the food
we eat—
We thank Thee, Lord, for the birds
that sing—
We thank Thee, Lord, for every
thing.
The war goes on every month; so
buy bonds every month.
Distracting,
NEURALGIA
ai
Eases the Rain
Soothes the Nerves
Distracting neuralgic pain, and
nerves ruffled by minor pains of
this type, yield promptly to the
quick-acting effectiveness of "BC".
"BC" also relieves headaches, mus
cular aches and functional periodic
pains. Handy 10c and 25c sizes. Use
only as directed. Consult a physi
cian when pains persist.
AT FIRST ^
signofa.^^M mm
C$666
666 TABLETS. SALVE. NOSE DROPS
Honour
f
enKTines
—
um .(•
The spirit of Christmas,
dominating the world stage, once more has
incredibly rolled aside the clouds ol war.
There is still beauty in common things, still
good in the world, and we are all grateful
for the glowing interval of Yuletide.
As for ourselves, we are also grateful for
your loyalty to us during 1.943, and extend
the season's best wishes to all.
Marion Ice & Fuel Co.
M 9 *3 i
"OUTSTANDING
PERFORMANCE"
sums up, in two words, the achievements
of our armed forces. We, too, strive for
outstanding performance in every item of
service. We thank you most cordially for
your good will and patronage and wish
you the Season's Greetings.
The Feed Store
AS one hands down a good name, Christmas each
2V year hands down its traditions, and all are
good. It has been a tradition here to regard the
good will of our customers as our most precious:
asset. In this holiday season of 1943 we extend
to you, not as a customer alone, but as a friend,
our very best wishes for a . . . Merry Christmas.
Marion Industrial Bank