North Carolina Newspapers

THE MARION PROGRESS A WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY ESTABLISHED 1896 MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1944 VOL. XLVIII—NO. 34 ■Report $9,127 Raised In Red Cross War Drive r More Than $1,000 Needed To Reach Goal Of $10,200 Chairman Cross States. Funds collected in the Red Cross war fund drive have reached $9, 127.00, according to an announce ment by Eugene Cross, chairman of ' the drive. Mr. Cross stated that the people generally had responded to the call in a most excellent manner. The quota set for McDowell county is $10,200, and at present a little more th^Tn a thousand dollars is needed if the citizens of McDowell are to do what is expected of them. Mr. Cross stated that he believed that if all interested persons would continue to work that the goal can be reached by the end of the week. There are yet a few people to be contacted, and after this has been done, it is possible that the complete fund will be reached. The Red Cross has many calls to meet, both at home and on many battle fronts. It must have money to carry on this work. The needed money can be obtained only through contributions received from the pub lic. McDowell county has been ask ed for its proportional part of the money needed to meet the Red Cross budget, and this amount for our citi zens is $10,200. At the present time we are short of our goal by on ly about one thousand dollars. We have many of our fellow townsmen in service, and these men are served by the American Red Cross. We must do our part—we must reach our goal by raising an additional thousand dollars. - We can not af ford to fail our fighting men. MISS HELEN M. KLONTZ PASSES IN WISCONSIN Announcement was made from Florence, S. C., Thursday that news had been received by Dr. Emerson C. Klontz, president of Florence Business College, of the death of his daughter, Miss Helen M. Klontz, head librarian of Mission College at Sheboygan, Wise., Tuesday morning after a brief illness. The body of Miss Klontz was sent to Floi'ence for burial in Mount Hope cemetery beside the grave of her mother, Mrs. Augusta Williams Klontz, who died in May, 1939. Dr. Klontz was a member of the Marion high school faculty before moving to Florence, and Miss Klontz was a graduate of the Marion high school. Miss Klontz held a B. A. degree from'Berea, (Gyy.) college, and an M. A. degree from the University ■of Chicago. She had also completed Tnost of the work for a Ph.D. degree. Her maternal grandfather was the late Rev. John Williams, of Wales, ■one time associate editor of The New Tork Sun. Besides her father, she ' is survived by a brother, Dr. Harold F. Klontz, professor at the Univer sity of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. 'CARSON ARRIVES FROM PACIFIC FOR FURLOUGH Ben Carson came by an army air plane from one one of the islands in the Pacific, where he has been serv ' ing 15 months, to Miami, and arriv ed last Thursday to spend a 15-day furlough with relatives in Marion and Rutherfordton. He is the son of Mrs. Laura Carson and the late J. M. Carson and a fofrmer resident ■ of Marion. He has received three awards - of honor including one for expert marksmanship. (GOODSON AT NAVY AIR BASE IN LONDON, ENGLAND Carl Dean Goodson is one of the hundreds of bluejackets assigned to a U. S. Navy air base in England to keep the Navy's planes flying against the Axis, according to word released by the public relations office of the U. S. Naval Force in London, Eng land. Goodson is an aviation machinist's mate, third class. He is a former student of the Marion high school and the son of M. C. Goodson. He enlisted September 7, 1942. report 110 Mcdowell COUNTY MEN ACCEPTED FOR ARMED SERVICES Announcement has been made here that out of the group of Mc Dowell county men recently sent to Camp Croft for pre-induction ex aminations, that 110 have been ac cepted for military service. In the group were several volunteers. The list of those accepted follows: William P. Elliott, Jr., Donald D. Duncan, Clifton Roper, Jay V. Dix on, Edward Sherlin, Calvin E. Vess, William J. Stamey, Roy D. Grant, Holden C. Duncan, James E. Mason, Carl W. Houston, Richard C. Carter, Thomas Y. Angell, Donad R. Har vey, Clyde W. Rayburn, Locke C. Tate, Horace A. Poole, Carl F. Hensley, Clyde T. Whiteside, Edgar A. Allen, James T. Curtis, Foyd W. Stikeleather, Jessie L. Reel, Richard G. Roberts, Marion Blevins, Robert N. Mills, Pink Lewis, Charles A. McKinney, Thurston G. Haynes. Ralph L. Phillips, Jesse P. Can non, Louis R. Thomas, Woodrow K. i Wall, William H. Poteat, Clifton R. ! McCormick, Harry M. Gilliam, Clyde W. Holland, Austin J. Harris, Sam uel M. Yancey, Edgar B. Henline, Clarence C. Wise, Ralph A. Gibbs, Kenneth Young, Lemuel A. Early, William B. Wright, Ernest B. Holli field, Lonnie Crisp, Troy B. Marler, John T. Messer, Keet A. Crane, Fuller McKensie, Thomas Howard Norman, Harold Lee Little, Robert J. Grant, Joseph P. Rowland, James L. Crawley, James L. . Ferguson, Howard C. Osborne, James V. Rey nolds, Dysart M. Hawkins, Paul G. Willis, William H. Morrow, John C. Edwards, Troy I. Davis, Charles H. Smith, Robert G. Radford. Herman A. Summey, John L. Lewis, Albert N. Burnette, Walter F. Jackson, Alvin R. Bartlett, Goler j Holtsclaw, Turner L. Robbins, John j Greene, John A. Carr, Mitchell L. | Chapman, William R. Granger, Ar 'nold B. Lytle, Baxter H. Welchel, j Henry I. McGee, Robey L. Seagle, j Joseph D. Gibson, William V. Hugh-; es, Elijah M. Davis, Jones E. Po teat, James E. Smith, Daniel J. Whitener, Guy N. Hogan. William Brown, William J. Wat ers, Amos T. McKinney, William J.; Brown, Albert A. Elliott, Wayne C. j Dillingham, Benjamin C. Epley, \ Grady W. Goode, Earl H. Snypes, ! Ray P. Hensley, Chester B. Gilliam,! Harrill L. Rumfelt, Gene L. Sim- j ! mons, John T. Padgham, Earl J. ] ! Brown, James Williams, Daniel H. Willis, Robert L. Allison, Fred R. Harris, Htfrlan R. White, Paul E. Flack, Donald J. Burnette. MERCHANTS POSTPONE HALF HOLIDAY CLOSING UNTIL FIRST OF MAY At the regular monthly meeting of the Merchants Association last ! Thursday night a decision was reach j ed to postpone the observance of the jhalf holiday on Wednesday for the i dry goods, furniture and feed stores (until the first Wednesday in May. It was pointed out that due to the Easter trading period it would be unwise to start the closing period be fore the first of May. The committee reported that full co-operation had been obtained in the matter, and it was stated the closing period will run through Au gust, with the merchants closing each Wednesday afternoon at 1 o'clock. Grocery stores, auto stores and beauty shops have been closing on! Wednesday afternoons for some time. REVIVAL CONTINUES AT PENTECOSTAL CHURCH The revival services at East Ma- j rion Pentecostal church will con tinue through Sunday, March 19, it is announced by the pastor, Rev. R. N. Williams. The evangelist is Rev. Phillip A. Genetti, of Asheville. Mr. Williams reports that interest is increasing and the services are be ing well attended. Services each night throughout the week at 7:45 p. m. | J. M. SNODDY ELECTED VICE-CHAIRMAN S. T. A. \ | John M. Snoddy, overseer at the ' 'Marion Manufacturing company,! jwas elected vice chairman of the i Piedmont section of the Southern I Textile association at its meeting held in Charlotte recently. Culver j Batson of Charlotte was elected. '.chairman of the association. John A. Poteat, N. C. Highway Engineer, Dies Succumbs After Brief Illness; Funeral Services Held Mon day Afternoon. John A. Poteat, 44, engineer of the Marion district of the State Highway and Public Works Commis sion, died early Sunday morning at the Rutherford Hospital after a brief illness. Funeral services were conducted at the First Presbyterian church here Monday afternoon at four o'clock by the pastor, Dr. Carl W. McMurray. Burial was made in the family plot in Oak Grove cemetery. The services at the grave were con ducted by the Masonic Order. Mr. Poteat was a son of the late Joseph A. Poteat and Mrs. Mary Moore Poteat, was a graduate of Davidson College and had been an engineer in the highway department for 22 years. He was an active member in the First Presbyterian church, a member of the Masonic Lodge and was held in high esteem by a large circle of friends. Surviving are the widow, Mrs. Marguerite Blythe Poteat; one son, John Alexander Poteat, Jr., and one daughter, Mary Allen Poteat; his mother, Mrs. Mary M. Poteat; two brothers and four sisters, Mrs. Bes sie McGalliard, Miss Louise Poteat and Benjamin F. Poteat of Marion, Dr. Mary Poteat of Duke university, Mrs. Paul Brown of Camden, S. C., and Robert S. Poteat of Denison, Texas. The following members of the highway department served as active pallbearers: H. E. Noell, T. Max Watson, E. L. Kemper, J. C. Walker, R. V. Michaux, J. L. Martin, J. B. Young, J. L. Field, R. V. Wilson, C. A. Hayworth, Clayton Constance, W. R. Thompson, Fred Barnes and W. A. McNeil. OLD FORT MAN DIES IN ITALY AFTER ILLNESS * Old Fort.—Pvt. William S. "Stan" Johnson, 41, of Old Fort, died in Italy following an illness, according to information received by members of the family here. The son of Mrs. Tonie Johnson and the late Mr. Johnson, he entei ed the service March 11, 1942, and arrived overseas in March of last year. During his time overseas, he had seen considerable action. Before entering the service Pvt. Johnson was employed by the Southern Rail way as a brakeman. In addition to his mother, he is survived by three brothers, Ran dolph, Andrew and Garfield, and two sisters, Mrs. Everette Morris and Mrs. Erb Morris. SGT. WELL REPORTED KILLED IN ACTION Word has been received that Sgt. T. W. Well, former employee of the Drexel Furniture Company here, was killed in action in Italy on Feb ruary 16. Well was serving with the army tank division and has been in service about three years. H was a native of Spindale and the son of R. T. Well of Spindale. However, he resided at the home of his sister, Mrs. T. R. Hall of Route 1, Marion, while he was employed at the Drexel. The, message of his death was received recently by his father. MINISTERS ATTENDING HIGH POINT CONFERENCE Dr. D. E. Camak, pastor of the First Methodist church, Rev. C. S. Kirkpatrick, superintendent of the Marion district, and other ministers of the district left Monday for High Point to attend, the four-day visita tion evangelism conference. Dr. Camak announces that the first home training conference of this campaign will be held in the First Methodist church next Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock. Dr. Camak expects to return to Marion Friday in time to preside at the Boy Scout court of honor Friday night. Net Proceeds In Polio Drive Totals $489.91 County Schools Contribute $294.91 To Fund; $245.95 Given To County Chapter. A report on the Infantile Paralys is drive completed this week by Gil mer Graham, chairman, revealed that net proceeds from the drive to taled $489.91, exceeding the quota of $344.00 by $145.91. A check for $244.95, which represents 50% of the grand total net proceeds has been mailed to the North Carolina Headquarters of the National Foun dation for Infantile Paralysis, Inc. The remaining 50% has been given to the county chapter of the Nation al Foundation. The proceeds were made up of re I ceipts from the sale of President's ! birthday greeting cards, sale of tick ! ets to the President's birthday ball i by civic organizations, and door re | ceipts, the sale of lapel tags by girls of the Marion high school and a special gift by home demonstration | club. ' Sales of birthday greeting cards i by schools in the various communi jties were as follows: Dysartsville $6.00; Glen w o o d $21,11; Nebo $46.; North Cove $18, 50; Old Fort $77.19; Pleasant Gar dens $105, and Sugar Hill $21.11. The sale of tickets to the Presi ; dent's birthday ball was listed as | follow-s: | Rotary $45.10; Kiwanis Club ; $20.45; Francis Marion Club $52.80, | and door receipts $23.90. ; The home demonstration club gift was in the amount of $10. Thus gross receipts reached $598. 26. After expenses of all sources in the amount of $108.35 had been de ducted the net proceeds of $489.91 was obtained. DESK PRESENTED TO MARION K1WANIS CLUB j J. F. Parker was presented the of | ficial Kiwanis emblem as the Baby | Kiwanian by A. H. Mitchem. Only I routine business was transacted at the meeting- which is the custom fol i lowing the regular monthly meeting of the directors. Kiwanian Bradford announced ! that the Coca-Cote Bottling Com pany is serving as collecting agents for musical instruments for the boys ' overseas. He stated that anyone ! having any kind of musical instru ! ments which will be useful or can be : repaired will be rendering a real ser 1 vice to the boys by placing them in ithe hands of the Coca-Cola Bottling ; company in order that they may be I sent to the boys overseas. ! J. B. Laughlin presented the club with a hand-made speakers' desk which was greatly appreciated. J. L. Gourley announced tentative plans for music week. It was announced that the large number of boys from the high school who recently passed the army avia tion training examination made on an average for the group one of the highest passing grades held by the army in this section, a great boost ; for the high school. | Guests at the meeting were Rev. j J. W. Alford, assistant Grand Lec iturer of the Grand Lodge A. F. & A. j M., E. A. Tennant and E. P. Damer j on of Marion. I jTOPICS ANNOUNCED ' BY LUTHERAN PASTOR j j "A Word of Dismay at His For sakenness" will be the topic discuss I ed at the Lenten devotion which will ! be conducted at St. Matthew's Luth-1 I j eran church next Sunday night at' j 7:30 o'clock. All who attend will re iceive a 9x6 inch reproduction of the ! familiar painting of "Christ, the ; Good Shepherd," by B. Plockhorst. i Divine service will be conducted Sunday morning at 11 o'clock. The !pastor will speak on the topic: "Jo ' seph, a Type of Christ." Sunday School and Bible Class at ' 10 a. m. Chaplain Harman Grimm, of j Camp Croft, will be the guest speak- , , er at a joint meeting of the Lay-i men's League and the Ladies' Mis-! sionary Society next Friday night at 8 o'clock in the St. Matthew's hut. PLEASANT GARDENS PTA PLANS TO SPONSOR RECREATION PROGRAM The Pleasant Gardens Parent Teacher Association voted to spon sor a supervised program of recrea tion at the Pleasant Gardens com munity building during the summer months at the regular meeting held last Thursday evening. The com mittee appointed to plan the pro gram was as follows: Mrs. J. R. Jimeson, chairman; Mrs. Melvin Burnette, and Mrs. T. W. Gowan. Mrs. Melvin Patton was appointed chairman of the nominating commit tee and will be assisted by Mrs. Bruce Gibbs and Mrs. Melvin Bur nette. Plans were also made for the an nual PTA picnic to be held on April 13 and the following committee was named to make plans for the event: Mrs. Tom Gowan. chairman, Mrs. E. G. Dysart, Mrs. Fred Conley, Mrs. Newman Comer and Mrs. Lucy Scaggs. Mrs. W. A. Young was in charge of a program on "Protecting A Child Through A Normal Home Life." Mrs. Melvin Burnette discussed "Privileges and Responsibilities A Child Should Have in Its Home" and Miss Lois Turbyfill spoke on "The Influence of an Attractive Home Upon A Child." The two sections of the fifth grade presented a patriotic pageant entitl ed "Helping Uncle Sam." Mrs. H. W. Stauffer, vice-presi dent, presided over the meeting. POSTAL RECEIPTS HERE CONTINUE TO INCREASE Postal receipts for January and February of this year show an in crease of $693.56 over the first two months of last year, it is announced by Postmaster Barron Caldwell. Receipts for January 1944 were $3,228.26, compared with $3,331.75 for January 1943. The receipts for February of this year amounted to $3,997.92, compared with $3,200.87 for Januai-y 1943. Total receipts for January and February of this year are listed at $7,226.18, compared with $6,532.62 for the first two months of last year. MAY APPLY FOR SECOND QUARTER GAS ALLOTMENT ON OR AFTER MARCH 20 * j The local office of the War Price and Rationing board has issued the statement that taxi and truck own ers could make application for their allotment for gasoline ration for the second quarter, on and after March 20. If owners of the above men tioned vehicles will apply just as soon as possible after March 20, such action will be greatly apprecia ted by the office staff of the ration- i ing office. Such cooperation by the public will also mean better service to all individuals concerned. ROSS SAYS STATE MUST SPEND 175 MILLION TO MODERNIZE ROAD SYSTEM Raleigh, March 12—Acting Chair-: man Charles Ross of the State High- j way and Public Works commission, j estimated today that a fund of at least $175,000,000 will be needed to modernize North Carolina's roads sytem after the war. He estimated that with "the most optimistic view we are now permit ted to take of the military situa tion," the state will be about $75, 000,000 behind in its normal high way improvement program when the war ends. "The skimpy maintenance now inevitable and the enormous ad ditional strain upon our highways by the heavy and concentrated truck traffic incident to war is taking its j inevitable toll, and a normal replace- j ment would not be adequate for the ■ conditions we will face," he said. The state for the last few years has been spending approximately j $15,000,000 a year in its construc-j tion program in order to replace ob- j solete roads and meet the most ur- i gent needs of the improvement and , extension of the system, he said. BOY SCOUT COURT OF HONOR FRIDAY NIGHT J t The March Boy Scout court of; honor will be held at the First Meth- j odist church Friday evening, March 17, at 7:30 o'clock. Awards and ad vancements will be given for work j done during the past month. Pa-: rents and friends are invited to at tend. GOP Convention Held In Marion Last Saturday C. M. Pool Elected Chairman; Other Officers And Execu tive Committee Named. McDowell County Republicans, meeting in convention here last Sat urday afternoon, set up a permanent county organization, and elected of ficers, an executive committee, and delegates to the State and District conventions. The convention was called to or der by W. H. Hawkins, vice-chair man, who nominated C. M. Pool as convention chairman. E. W. Park er acted as secretary of the conven tion. C. M. Pool, a former chairman of the Republican County Executive Committee, and who represented McDowell county in the General As sembly of North Carolina in 1927 29, was elected chairman for the next two years. W. H. Hawkins, former Clerk of the Superior Court of McDowell county, was re-elected vice-chairman. Mrs. R. E. McCall was re-elected co-chairman. E. W. Parker, local textile executive, was re-elected secretary-treasurer of the county organization. The following were elected mem bers of the County Executive Com mittee: W. R. Chambers, E. W. Parker, F. A. Curtis, W. G. Laven der, Manley Ledford, W. R. Stone, Avery Jamison, W. G. Gregory, T. Wise Hall, Chas. A. McCall, P. H. Mashburn, Clarence M. Pool, W. H. Hawkins, J. Lee Lavender, J. O. Gor don, J. P. Gibbs, Claude Fortune, W. J. McGalliard, Jim Hollifield, and C. A. Bradburn. C. Y. Nanney, Jr., of Union Mills | was endorsed for Congress from the j 11th District. ! FIVE GRANDSONS SERVE IN U. S. ARMED FORCES Mrs. Callie Willis of Route 4, Marion, has five grandsons serving" in the U. S. Armed forces. Jack Calhoun, of the U. S. Navy, was stationed at Pearl Harbor at the time the surprise attack occurred and is now serving somewhere in the Pacific. Joe G. Calhoun, is also serving in the Navy and was in New York City when he was last heard from. Jim Calhoun entered service in the Navy last October and his present station is not known. The three brothers are the sons of Mr. and Mrs. D. G. Cahoun of Erwin, Tenn. Junior Willis, Army, now in Af rica, Sam Willis, Army, station un known, are brothers and the sons of Mr. and Mrs. T. J. Willis of East Marion. MAYOR GIVES NOTICE TO KEEP DOGS OFF STREET Mayor J. F. Wilkinson stated that due to the fact that a dog alleged to have been mad was killed in Marion, during the week after coming in con tact with other dogs, it is deemed necessary for the protection of the public that all dogs be kept off the streets for the present. Warning ia also given that dogs found on the street after Friday morning will be killed without further notice. BOXING BOUT AT HIGH SCHOOL FRIDAY NIGHT Six fights have been booked for the boxing card to be staged at the high school auditorium here Friday night at 8 o'clock, it is announced. The main attraction will be the bout of K. O. Parker versus "Big John" Messer, two big heavyweights. Thc contest is sponsored by the Ameri-' can Legion. MRS. ALDA BIRD DIES IN WASHINGTON, D. C. Mrs. Alda Bird, widow of the late J. L. C. Bird, died recently at her home in Washington, D. C., after a brief illness. She is survived by one daughter, Mrs. Josephine Weaver, two sons, Fred and Lenore Bird, and two sisters, Mrs. John Yancey of Marion and Miami, Fla., and Mrs, W. E. Grigg of Lincolnton.