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, JULY 20, 1944 VOL. XLVIII—NO. 52
One Of Ambulance Planes To
Be Named For McDowell County
McDowell Ranks First In Sell
ing Largest Amount Of
Bonds Per Capita.
Dean Tainter, chairman of the
Druggists' organization in McDowell
County, announces that war bond
sales throughout the local organiza
tion during the Fifth War Loan
Drive amounted to $208,000, ma
turity value.
By virtue of having exceeded the
total quota and by selling more than
the quota of "E" bonds McDowell
County will be honored* by the name
McDowell being placed on the am
bulance plane.
According to reports from Chapel
Hill, McDowell County was credited
with selling the largest amount of
*'E" bonds per capita in the state.
Twelve giant ambulance service
planes will soon be on th§ir way to
aid American fighting forces as the
result of Pharmacists of North Car
olina selling "E" bonds with a ma
turity value of $1,895,786 during
the Fifth War Loan drive, it was
announced yesterday from Chapel
_ Hill by Allison James, executive
manager of the North Carolina War
Finance Division. Total bonds of
all types sold by the pharmacists
amounted to $4,581,711, it was
stated.
James issued the statement fol
lowing a meeting at Chapel Hill with
representatives of the North Caro
lina Pharmaceutical association's
woman's auxiliary and the associa- j
tion's traveling men's axuiliary who |
cooperated in the campaign.
The 12 ambulance planes will be!
named as follows: I
North Carolina Pharmaceutical |
Association, Woman's Auxiliary of j
the NCPA, Traveling Men's Aux- j
iliary of the NCPA, Wholesale Drug- j
gists of North Carolina, Retail Phar- j
macists of North Carolina, Mc- j
Dowell County Pharmacists, Wals-j
tonburg Pharmacists, Mecklenburg
County Pharmacists, Bertie County
Pharmacists, Forsyth County Phar
macists, Caswell County Pharma
cists, and N. C. Pharmacists Serving j
in the Armed Services. ,
Counties selling the largest
amount of "E" bonds per capita in
the order of rank were McDowell, i
Caswell, Bertie, Alexander, Davie,
Franklin, Greene, Mecklenburg,
Swain, and Randolph.
PVT. HUSKINS WILL
ARRIVE HOME IN AUGUST
Pvt. Grady G. Huskins, of Ma
rion, reported missing on March 20,
1943, then a prisoner in Italy in
April, 1943, is safe and is now on
his way home, according to an
nouncement here this week.
In a letter received Saturday by
his parents, Mr. and Mrs. P. G.
Huskins, Route 4, Marion, from Af
rica, dated July 5, he states that he
is en route home and expects to ar
rive here the first of August.
He is a member of the 34th in
fantry and stated that he escaped
as a prisoner in Italy at the time of
the surrender of Italy.
Before entering service he was
engaged in mercantile business in
Marion. He entered service in Sep
tember, 1942, spent 13 weeks at
Camp Croft, after which he was
sent overseas.
MARION INFANTRYMAN
HELPS CAPTURE TWO
GERMANS IN ITALY
With the Pift Ai'my, Italy—Cor
poral Howard Loftis of Marion, N.
C., recently helped a Fifty Army
infantry patrol capture two German
soldiers in Italy. The Jerries were
captured on a hill overlooking a
main highway.
Loftis belongs to a special battle
patrol composed entirely of picked
men of the 3rd "Maine" Division
who have trained in special tactics
and are able to handle all American
and most enemy infantry weapons.
WORKMAN SERIOUSLY ILL
C. A. Workman, prominent mer
chant and civic leader of Marion,
has been seriously ill at his home on
South Garden street, following a
heart attack last Sunday morning.
His condition was reported as favor
able yesterday.
RED CROSS SHIPS 3800
SURGICAL DRESSINGS
An announcement has been made
from the local Chapter of the Amer
ican Red Cross that 3800 surgical
dressings were processed and ship
ped to National Headquarters from
the local chapter during the month
of June. A group of ladies from
Old Fort had an active part in pro
ducing the surgical dressings listed
above.
The announcement further stated
that 144 kit bags had also been com
pleted during June to aid American
soldiers in the active service of their
country.
Those in charge of Red Cross
work in Marion and McDowell coun
ty are pleased with the response
which the public is making, however,
additional workers are needed from
time to time. Any woman who feels
that she can contribute a part of her
time to work of this nature should
contact a Red Cross representative
at the Community Building.
26 YOUTHS IN McDOWELL
REGISTER FOR DRAFT
Twenty - six McDowell county
youths, who attained their 18th
birthday anniversaries during the
month of June have registered with
the local selective service board.
They include:
Elmer Edwards Ollis, J. C. Hogan,
Julius Leroy Condrey, Carl Edward
Forney, Spencer Olive Simmons, Al-1
len Charles Buckner, Everette Ben i
Hawkins, Roby Luther Hicks, Wil- j
liam Conley Arrowood, Clifford i
Baxter Hendley, Ralph Roscoe Hen
slep, Dean Okland Poteat, J. C. j
Banks, John Bunyan Walker, Jr., i
Earl Junior Webb, Donald Woody, '
Jack Bruce Burleson, Banks Tom i
Mathis, George Carroll Moore, Leo i
Eugene Hollifield, Mason Edwin |
Black, Billie Eugene Messer, Fred j
Thomas Mills, Harry Allen Baker, j
Starlin Bennett Sowers and Jasper
Junior Means.
War Bond Sales
Continue Climb;
Now $533,000
War bond sales in the Fifth War
Loan have passed the $500,000
mark in McDowell County, it was
announced yesterday by co-chair
men J. F. Snipes and J. N. Morris.
According to figures received in the
Federal Reserve Bank through the
18th, McDowell County is credited
with sales of $533,000, exceeding
the quota of $446,000 by $87,000.
No figures were given on the sale
of "E" bonds, however, it was stat
ed that the quota will be exceeded
when final reports are made.
"E" bonds sold in the state, it \£as
stated, amounted to $27,300,000,
leaving $11,700,000 to be raised to
meet the state's quota of $39,000,
000. The time limit has been ex
tended to July 31 and all citizens
are urged to continue buying bonds
in order that the state may reach its
"E" bond quota.
THOS. L. M'GALLIARD
IS CLAIMED BY DEATH
Thomas L. McGalliard died sud
denly of a heart attack Monday
morning while at work at Clinch
field.
Mr. McGalliard has been employ
ed as machinist at the Clinchfield
Manufacturing company for the
past 22 years.
Funeral services were conducted
at Clinchfield Baptist church Wed
nesday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock
and burial made in the family plot
in Nebo cemetery.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Sallie Fair McGalliard; five daugh
ters and three sons, R. Marshall Mc
Galliard, Mrs. Arthur Jarrett and
Mrs. B. D. Gillespie of Clinchfield,
T. Frank McGalliard of Cross Mill,
J. Edgar McGalliard of Indianapolis,
Ind., Mrs. Therman Simmons of
Lewes, Del., Mrs. Frank Wilson of
Union, S. C., and Mrs. William Sisk
of Nebo; 23 grand children and one
brother, William J. McGalliard, of
East Marion.
NEGRO TO GET HEARING
JUL V 25TH FOR FATALLY
STABBING MARION MAN
Morganton — James Edward
( Bulldog) 0 ' N e i 1 surrendered
Thursday night to Burke county law
enforcement officers in the fatal
stabbing of Pfc. Clifton Jerkins of
Marion. O'Neil had been the object
of a widespread man hunt during
the day.
Perkins, a white soldier from
Marion, died Thursday en route to
the Morganton hospital here shortly
after he received injuries allegedly
in the front yard of the O'Neil home
between this community and Ma
rion.
Sheriff R. C. Chapman took O'Neil
to the Catawba county jail at New
ton during the night for safekeep
ing.
The negro was charged with mur
der by a coroner's jury on the testi
mony of his father, who said he
saw him strike Perkins twice with
what appeared to be a knife, im
mediately after the two had arrived
in a car driven by Perkins.
The negro claimed before the cor
oner that the stabbing was uninten
tional and that the two had been
performing tricks, the white man at
tempting to show him how to strike
as though meaning to hit, at the
same time turning the knife so the
blow fell harmlessly. Perkins then
gave him the knife, the negro claim
ed, and asked him to try the trick.
Perkins said , "You struck me a lit
tle," according to the negroe's testi
mony.
He further states that he deserted
Peikins' car later in the day, not be
cause he thought the injui'y had any
serious effect, but because he was
carrying a pint, of liquor and wished
to avoid the state highway patrol.
O'Neil will be given a preliminary
hearing next Tuesday afternoon,
July 25, at 4:30 o'clock before Mag
istrate T. Earl Franklin.
Funeral Here Sunday
Funeral services were conducted
Sunday afternoon at three o'clock
at Pentecostal Holiness church in
Marion, with the pastor, Rev. R. N.
Williams, and Rev. W. C. Pate, pas
tor of Cross Mill Baptist church, in
charge. Burial was in the Oak
Grove cemetery. McDowell Post
56, American Legion, had charge of
the services at the grave.
He is survived by his mother,
Mrs. Elizabeth Perkins of Marion;
five brothers and one sister, Ernie
and Edgar Perkins of Marion, Mrs.
Carl Lonon of Cross Mill, Clyde
Perkins of Huntersville, W. Va.,
Master Sgt. Elva Perkins, Shepard
field, Texas., Pvt. Stanley Perkins,
Shreveport, La.; two half-brothers
and one half-sister, Henry Perkins
and Mrs. P. W. Underwood of Mar
linton, W. Va., and Walter Perkins
of Brevard.
POLIO TO BE REPORTED
TO QUARANTINE OFFICER
Because of a misunderstanding
of the public in regard to the quar
antine regulations of polio and oth
er contagious diseases, The Progress
has been requested to explain this
procedure. »
All physicians in McDowell -coun
ty are required to report to Dr. J.
F. Jonas, quarantine officer of the
county, any of their patients with
contagious diseases. The quarantine
officer in turn issues quarantine reg
ulations. Therefore, information re
garding the number of contagious
diseases in the county is not avail
able through any physician except
the quarantine officer.
It was explained that a great deal
of time is involved in explaining this
to persons who call physicians of
fices to inquire about the number of
polio cases in the county.
Dr. J. F. Jonas was recently ap
pointed quarantine officer at a
meeting of the McDowell County
Board of Health to succeed Dr. R.
B. Butt who has resigned.
PVT. SPRATT AWARDED
THE PURPLE HEART
Pvt. William C. Spratt, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Grady Spratt of Nebo,
has recently been awarded the
Purple Heart.
Pvt. Spratt was wounded in ac
tion in Italy on May 24,, word re
ceived here stated.
He entered service last October
and received his basic training at
Camp Blanding, Fla. He was then
sent to Ft. Meade, Md. and has been
serving overseas nearly two months.
Tainter Named
President Of
Trade Group
Other Officers Elected; David
Gray Explains New Stabili
zation Program.
Members of the Marion Merch
ants Association at the monthly
meeting held last Thursday evening
elected Dean Tainter, local drug
gist, president of the association
for the ensuing year, succeeding
Vernon Eckerd.
John Ray Jimeson was elected
vice-president to succeed Mr. Taint
er, and Jack Houck was elected
treasurer. Directors elected for the
coming year were R. C. Spratt, Carl
McCall, C. B. Grub|) and Watson
Wilson. |
The annual report, submitted by
the secretary and approved, showed
an increase of 14 members during
the year.
David S. Gray of the United
States Employment Service was
present at the meeting and explain
ed the new Employment Stabiliza- j
tion program as it relates to non- j
essential employment. The solu
tion to many problems which per
plex the retail industry was discuss
ed by Mr. Gray, with special em-j
phasis on hiring procedures.
CROPS OF FRUITS
SHOW INCREASE
Raleigh, July 17.—There will be
more peaches, apples, wheat, oats,
and barley produced in North Caro
lina this year than in 1943, but less
corn, hay, and sweet and Irish po
tatoes than last year, the State de
partment of Agriculture reported.
"Over large areas of the State
yields are being reduced as a result
of the prolonged period of inade
quate rains, and up to this time re
lief has come to only small and
widely scattered areas," declared
Frank Parker, head of the N. C.
| Crop Reporting Service. He said
that the areas of severest drought
are the eastern portion of the Coast
al Plain and the central Piedmont,
extending from the South Carolina
line to Virginia.
I The report said that the State
fruit crops are much larger than
last seasen and the peach and com
mercial apple crops are well above
average. Production of apples in
the commercial areas was placed at
1,430,000 bushels compared with
499,000 in 1943. The 10-year^ av
erage is 1,142,000 bushels. Peach
I production was set at 2,394,000
! bushels. In 1943, production was
| only 22,000 bushels.
Tame hay production was indi
cated at 1,089,000 tons compared
with 1,263,000 tons in 1943. The
acreage was estimated at 1,281,000
and yield at .85 ton per acre com
pared with 1,355,000 acres and a
■; yield of .93 ton last year.
The release said that sweet pota
; toes have suffered from the dry
i weather, with prospective produc
tion fixed at 6,800,000 bushels com
pared with 7,760,000 bushels last
year. The yield was estimated at 85
bushels per acre—last season, 97.
! This year's indicated for this crop is
80,000, the equal of last season's.
The production in Irish potatoes
was placed at 6,177,000 bushels for
j the entire State, smallest crop since
;1914. The total yield last year was
12,099,000 bushels.
Corn - damaged and unfavorable
j growing weather, with the yield of
; 18 bushels to the acre now in pros
pect the lowest since 1934. Acre
age for harvest was estimated at 2,
j 342,000 and production at 42,156,
000 bushels. Production last year
was 1,018,000 bushels on 2,319,000
j acres, with a yield of 22 bushels.
I Oats—Production set at 8,236,
000 bushels with an average yield
of bushels on 284,000 acres, the
i largest acreage harvested in any
year since 1898. Production in 1943
was ,977,000 bushels, yield was 21.5
! bushels to the acre, and harvested
acreage 278,000.
The wheat and rye crops were
i both much larger than last season,
the wheat crop being estimated at
9,486,000 bushels, and total rye pro
duction at 418,000 bushels.
Buy More War Bonds.
REELECTED—Dr. Carl W. Mc
Murray, pastor of the First Presby
terian church of Marion, was re
elected chairman of the McDowell
County Red Cross chapter last
week.
STATE MANAGER W. O. W.
TO VISIT CROSS MILL
AND OLD FORT CAMPS
N. T. Newberry, State manager of
the Woodmen of the World, will vis
it the Cross Mill W. 0. W. camp at
their meeting on Wednesday, July
19th. A special meeting for the oc
casion is being planned and it is ex
pected that several candidates will
be inducted into the camp at this
time.
Mr. Newberry will also attend a
meeting of the Old Fort W. O. W.
camp Thursday, July 20th, when
several candidates are expected to
be initiated.
Mr. Newberry was named State
manager of North Carolina in 1943
and this will be his first visit to the
camps in this district. He comes to
the State with a fine record as State
manager of California.
Jimmy Walker, Nebo
Man, Reported Lost
In Action In France
Pfc. Jimmy Walker, 32-year-old
infantryman of Nebo, has been re
ported missing in action in France
since June 10, according- to word
received here.
The War department message
concerning Pfc. Walker was receiv
ed by his wife, who resides in
Thomasville, and was relayed to
members of the family in Morgan
ton. Born and reared at Nebo, R.
F. D. No. I, Pfc. Walker was em
ployed in a Taylorsville hosiery mill
before he entered the army in Jan
uary, 1943. He went overseas in
July, 1943, remaining in England
until the start of the invasion of
France.
In addition to his father and his
wife, his family consists of the fol
lowing brothers and sisters: Pvt.
Leander Walker of Drexel, now in
the army at Fort Monmouth, N. J.,
Mrs. Carl Summers of Drexel, Carl
Walker and Charlie Walker of Mor
ganton, Mrs. T. A. Mashburn of
Madison, and Jack Walker of Nebo.
BOARD SENDS GROUP TO
CAMP FOR EXAMINATION
The local selective service board
for McDowell county sent 22 men to
Camp Croft for pre-induction exam
inations last Thursday. Those who
pass the examination will be called
into service at a later date.
The men composing the group
were James T. Ray, Leo E. Holli
field, Fred Thomas Mills, Zebulon
W. Hawkins, Clarence P. Dixon,
Fulton H. Gouge, Willie Clarence
Black, Spencer O. Simmons, J. D.
Plemmons, Paul L. Finley, Elmer E.
Ollis, J. C. Hogan, Julius L. Con
drey, Allen C. Buckner, Everette B.
Hawkins, Roby L. Hicks, James
Reidie Ward, Daniel P. Koone,
Enoch A. Williams, Oseph S. Wise
man, Hubert S. L. Stafford, James
N. Laughridge.
JURY RETURNS VERDICT
FOR W. C. POWER COMPANY
A verdict in favor of the defend
ant was returned yesterday after
noon in McDowell County Superior
Court in the case of Juanita Gray
vs. The Western Carolina Power
Company.
Officers Named
For Local Red
Cross Chapter
I
i
Dr. McMurray Re - elected
Chairman; Officers And
Committee Chairmen.
Officers of the McDowell County
Chapter of the American Red Cross
were elected at the annual meeting
of the officers and members held last
Friday evening in the community
building.
Officers reelected were:
Dr. C. W. McMurray, chairman;
M. W. Gordon, vice chairman; Mrs.
C. A. Harris, secretary, and Miss
Doris Hill, treasurer.
Committee chairmen reelected
were:
S. R. Cross, disaster chairman;
Miss Doris Hill, home service chair
man; Mrs. James McCall, nutrition
chairman.
Mrs. W. W. Neal, Jr. was reelect
ed production chairman. This com
mittee is subdivided into three com
mittees with Mrs. E. C. McMillan,
Sr. serving as surgical dressings
chairman, Mrs. J. E. Neal, Sr., sew
ing room chairman, and Mrs. R. B.
Crisp, knitting chairman.
Barron Caldwell was elected first
aid chairman, succeeding Dr. K. W.
Ramsey. Mrs. W. A. Young was
! elected Junior Red Cross chairman,
I succeeding Mrs. Tom Greenlee, and
j Mrs. S. J. Westmorland was elected
i chairman of nursing, succeeding
! Mrs. Donald M. Mcintosh, Jr.
i Mrs. J. F. Snipes was elected hos
; pital and camp chairman and Mrs.
[Arthur Ditt was elected publicity
j chairman.
!
jALTON JONES SERVING
AS A MACHINE GUNNER
WITH FORCES IN ITALY
I
i
| Allied Force Advance Press Head
! quarters, Italy.—Pvt. Alton L. Jon
es, husband of Mrs. Thelma Jones,
of Marion, and son of Mrs. Geneva
G. Jones of Clinchfield, is serving as
i'a machinegunner with the veteran
infantry company that stood guard
over "Old Glory" as it was raised at
reveille in Uiazza Venezia, Rome,
the morning of the Fourth of July.
I The doughboys, back in Rome
from the fighting front some miles
north, formed their company before
Major General Harry H. Johnson,
Rome Area Commander, in tribute
to the flag that was flown over our
Capitol when the United States de
clared war on Japan and Germany.
Later in the day the men travelled
to the railroad station to form a
guard of honor for Secretary of
War Henry L. Stimson. They es
corted the Secretary to Uiazzo Ve
nezia, where Mussolini formerly
made his speeches. Mr. Stimson at
tended retreat ceremonies there.
Men of this company have been
with the Fifth Army throughout it3
advance into northern Italy and they
have been credited with more than
200 German prisoners.
I
BULWINKLE VISITOR
HERE LAST FRIDAY
!
Major A. L. Bulwinkle of Gas
itonia, representative from the 11th
Congressional district, was in Mar
lion last Friday, accompanied by his
! secretary, Charles F. Gold, Jr., of
Rutherfordton, and William Osborne
of Shelby, who is connected with
the office of Congressional Records
in Washington. Congressman Bul
winkle was taking the opportunity
during the recess of Congress of
making a limited tour of the dist
rict.
DR. J. O. WILLIAMS
TO PREACH HERE SUNDAY
Dr. J. 0. Williams, who is con
nected with the Baptist Sunday
School Board in Nashville, Tenn.,
will preach at the First Baptist
church here next Sunday morning
at 11 o'clock. He will also be the
guest speaker at the union service
next Sunday evening at 8 o'clock.
WATERPROOF MATCH
It is reported that research by
match manufacturers has yielded a
water-resistant match that will
prove a boon to service men in
jungle areas.
I ~