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, AUGUST 24, 1944
VOL. XLIX—NO. 5
Annonuce List
of Teachers For
County Schools
Appointments For This Year
Are Announced By Super
intendent Steppe.
The following teachers have been
elected to teach in the McDowell
county schools for the coming year:
Pleasant Garden School: W. A.
Young, principal; Mrs. W. A. Young,
Mrs. Lula D. Sandlin, Miss Lois
Turbyfill, Clarence Brooks, Mrs.
Mabel Moser, Miss Zelma Atwell,
Miss Jennie M. Hunter, Miss Geneva
Link, Miss Pauline Brooks, Mrs.
Mabel Haire, Mrs. Georgia Corpen
ing, Miss Louise Miller, Mrs. Sallie
P. Willis, Miss Elsie House, Miss
Lula Hicks, Miss Ola Wall.
Old Fort: C. L. Norwood, prin
cipal; Miss Elizabeth Whitesides,
Mrs. Lilly M. Huss, Miss Mary
Chambers, Harry Swofford, Miss
Marie Scott, Miss Elizabeth Long,
Mrs. Lola A. Lonon, Mrs. Gladys
Kanipe, Miss Carolyn Albright, Mrs.
Emily Bradley, Mrs. Sarah Brown
Lewis, Miss Margaret Marley, Mrs.
AJice Biddix, Mrs. Grace Steppe,
Miss Maggie Taylor, Mrs. Elizabeth
L. Lindley, Mrs. Maude E. Leonard,
Miss Glossie Pyatt, Miss Mary C.
Burgin, Mrs. BeUlah Nichols, Miss
Delia Williams.
North Cove: Frank W. Howell,
principal; Mrs. Frank W. Howell, J.
M. Tyler, Mrs. Hazel Lombardy,
Miss Pearl Prichard, Miss Mamie
Whitesides, Miss Faye Dixon, Mrs.
Raymond Wilson, Miss Willie Mae
Gouge, Mrs. Martin Hennessee, Miss
Frances Hicks, Miss Ina Kate Parks.
.Nebo: E. W. S. Cobb, principal;
Rose Stacy, Mrs. Margaret Gourley
Miller, Mrs. Lucille Parker Guthrie,
Thomas W. Stacy, Mrs. G. F. Greer,
Mrs. David Gray, Miss Lottie Wil
son, Mrs. W. C. Pate, Miss Selma
Boyd, Mrs. Bertha M. Hemphill,
Miss Dorcas Cline.
Glenwood: W. H. Davis, princi
pal; Miss Mary Frances Harrill, Mrs.
Mabel T. Bradsher, Miss Louise
Phillips, Mrs. Charline B. Teague,
Mrs. Lois E. Shaw, Miss Mary B.
Beam, Mrs. Dessie LaWing, Miss
Martha McGimsey, Miss Ellen J.
Crawford, Mrs. Edna Hemphill, Miss
Essie Hemphill.
Sugar Hill: Mrs. Geneva A. Tis
dale, principal; Mrs. Daisy J. Hemp
'hill, Miss Beatrice Harris.
Dysartsville: Mrs. Annabel West
moreland, principal; Mrs. Charles
Steppe, Mrs. N. G. Lonon.
Colored School*
Old Fort: Mrs. Lois C. Twitty,
principal; Mrs. Myrtle C. Brittain,
Mrs. Fannie H. Rhufin.
Dysartsville: Mrs. Bessie C. Tay
lor.
Bridgewate: Mrs. Rose C. Green
lee.
MJBCKARD COMMISSIONED
A SECOND LIEUTENANT
Floyd L. Heckard of Marion, was
•commissioned a second lieutenant
"in the Army of the United States
last week upon successful complet
ion of the Officer Candidate Course
at The Infantry School at Fort Ben
ning, Ga. Lieut. Heckard is the son
of Rev. and Mrs. M. W. Heckard of
Marion.
The new lieutenant enlisted in
the army on June 22, 1943, and
served with the 3rd battalion at
Camp Wheeler, Ga., before going to
Officer Candidate School 4 months
ago. He held the rank of corporal
before being commissioned. Lieu
tenant Heckard is visiting his par
ents before going to his new assign
ment.
SINGING CONVENTION
TO BE HELD IN MARION
ON SUNDAY, SEPT 3RD
The McDowell County Singing
'Convention Will be held at the court
house in Marion on Sunday, Sept. 3,
it is announced by Mrs. N. C. Comer,
secretary of the association. The
convention will open at 9:45 a. m.
The program Will include a num
ber of well known singers, includ
ing some favorite radio singers, and
a large attendance is expected.
All singers in the county are es
pecially invited to attend and take
-part on the program.
KILLED IN FRANCE — Pfc.
Delos A. Padgett, 21, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Marion A. Padgett of Route 4, (
I Marion, was killed in action in
j France on July 15.
jCAPT. GRADY BURG1N
IS GIVEN PROMOTION
l
I
; Captain Grady W. Burgin, 33, of
i Old Fort, who has been commanding ,
officer of one of the companies in
the second provisional training bat- 1
talion of the Military Police Train
ing Center at Barksdale Field, La.,
has been promoted to commanding
officer of the newly-formed third
j battalion, Lt. Col. Benedict Ray,
commanding officer of the unit, an- (
inounced . 1
Born June 4, 1911, in North Car
olina, he graduated from Johnson
City, Tenn., high school in 1929. He
enlisted in the regular army the
same year and served in various
grades until Sept. 16, 1942 when he
was given a direct appointment by
President Roosevelt as a second I
lieutenant in the corps of military'
! police. i
Hje is a graduate of Provist Mar
shal General's school at Fort Custer,
Mich., and served as personnel pro
cessing officer of the school from
Jan. 1, 1943, to March 21, 1944. He
was on special duty with the 1672nd
service unit at Fort Sheridan, 111.,
one month and then returned to
Fort Custer for special duties until
May 16, 1944, when he was assigned j
as a company commander to the
MPTCA at Barksdale Field.
He was promoted to first lieuten
ant April 3, 1943, and was made a
captain Jan. 31, 1944.
REVIVAL SERVICES
DRAWS LARGE CROWDS
' i ]
The city-wide revival campaign
! now being conducted in the big
j green tent on the corner of Depot
j and Henderson streets by Rev.
! Samuel E. Simms and Dr. Harvey F.
'Pinyoun, well known evangelists,
1 opened Saturday evening with capa
j city audiences both at the first ser
ivice and the service Sunday.
Dr. Pinyoun, who was song direc
! tor for the late Billy Sunday in a j'
number of his eastern campaigns, is!
leading the singing. He is also an j'
artist on the trombone which he!
plays each evening.
Services will be conducted each'
evening at 8:30 o'clock, except Mon-|l
day, with sermon by Mr. Simms.
The Houston Pour, famed colored '
emsemble, will sing at the services j
on Friday evening of this week, it j 1
is announced. ;i
Everybody is invited to attend
the services.
LAUGHLIN GRADUATES
AT GUNNERY SCHOOL
Cpl. James Laughlin, son of Mr.
and Mrs. J. B. Laughlin of Marion,
was graduated this week from the
AAF Training Command's Flexible
Gunnery School at Buckingham
Field near Fort Myers, Fla.
Now qualified as an aerial gunner,
he will soon become a member of
the Army's Air Forces' bomber
chews. He will receive his crew
training at an operational training
field in the United States then go
overseas.
He entered the Army from school
17 months ago and has also complet
ed the armament course given at
Denver, Colo. i1
— |1
MISS WHITTEN TO SING ji
AT PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH I<
i
Miss Dorothy Whitten of Spar- J
tanburg will sing at the First Pres
byterian Church here Sunday morn
ing. Miss Virginia Mae McCall will
be at the organ.
County and City
Schools To Open
September 18th
Opening Date Set In Accord
ance With The Decision Of
The State Boards.
Schools in McDowell county and
;he Marion City Schools will open on
September 18, provided ti*e infantile
Daralysis epidemic has continued to
subside. j
N. P. Steppe, county superintend
jnt of schools, said September 18
yill be the date for the county i
schools to open unless there is a
:hange in the plans by reason of the i
jolio epidemic. ]
Hugh F. Beam, superintendent of ]
;he city schools, announced that the i
lity board of education had also set
September 18 as the opening date. ]
It was also announced that both j
;he county and city school teachers ]
vill begin their work on September
L4 with a two days conference prior j
o the opening date. (
SMITH BROTHERS MEET
IN SOUTH PACIFIC!'
Cecil E. Smith and James E.
>mith, brothers serving in the U. S.
■Javy and formerly of Marion, ex
»erienced a happy occasion on Au- j
rust 9 when they met somewhere in
he South Pacific. Both are serving
m aircraft carriers.
Cecil entered the Navy on August
1, 1940 and served two years on a
lattleship, than on a troop trans
port and was transferred to an air
raft carrier in January, 1944. He j
as seen action at Pearl Harbor and j
everal other places in the Pacific
or the past four years and has nev
r met a boy from home.
James has been in service since
ist April.
They are the sons of Mr. and Mrs.
. R. Smith of Route 4, Marion, j
Ir. and Mrs. Smith have one other [
on in service, Clarence B. Smith, j I
rho is receiving his basic training,
t Camp Peary, Va. I
:OTTON CARAVAN AT I
CLINCHFIELD SCHOOL
FRIDAY, SEPT. 1ST i
i
The Camp Croft Cotton Caravan *
vill be presented at the Clinchfield l
ligh school on Friday evening, Sept. i(
., at 7:30 o'clock under the sponsor-|1
hip of the United States Army in j
he interest of increasing textile I *
>roduction. |1
This program of entertainment 1
'eatures a 15-piece army band, com-.*
>osed of members of nationally fa- j i
nous orchestras, Sgt. Bill Wilson, 1
ap dancer; Annette Hatcher, sing- 1
ir, and Phil Masi, comedian. A film, <
'Prelude To War" will also be
hown. I
There will be no admission and all
extile workers are urged to attend.
IEV. SMELSER SPEAKER
AT ROTARY MEETING
Rev. Chester Smelser, minister of
he Church of Christ, addressed
nembers of the Rotary Club at their
veekly, luncheon meeting Friday on <
'When A Man Stoops From His j
-■ride."
Charles Smith, chairman of the
Athletic committee, announced that
he Rotary Club would accept the
:hallenge of the Francis Marion
]lub to play a softball game. This
fame will be played in the immed
ate future, it was stated.
Albert Hewitt, Jr., president, pre
iided over the meeting.
Guests included Rotarian R. L.!
jindsey, of Durham; Rotarion John
'owell, of Reidsville; Warner El- 1
edge, of Detroit, and F. 0. C. Flet
:her ,of Asheville.
;ROSS PROMOTED TO I]
FIRST LIEUTENANT j<
!;
Oliver Cross, son of Mrs. U. E. i
^ross and the late Mr. Cross, has
>een promoted to First Lieutenant,;!
iccording to word received here re- j
:ently.
Lt. Cross is now stationed at Ft.
Crockett, Texas. He attended Ma-'
ion high school and the University j
•f North Carolina and before enter- (i
ng service held a position at the j <
3ross Cotton Mills. j]
Rev. Hudson, A
Missionary, To
Preach Sunday
To Preach At First Presby
terian Church At 11 A. M.;
Baptist Church at 8 P. M.
The Rev. George A. Hudson, a
nissionary of the Presbyterian
Church, will preach at the First
^resbyterian Church here next Sun
lay morning at 11 o'clock and will
ilso be the guest speaker at the
Jnion Service at the First Baptist
]hurch Sunday evening at 8 o'clock.
This will be the last Union eve
ling service of the series which have
>een conducted by the Eaptist,
ilethodist and Presbyterian church
!S during July and August.
The August issue of the Southern
'resbyterian Journal contains the
ollowing information about Mr.
ludson:
"Born and reared in China, and
or twenty-one years a missionary
if the Presbyterian Church in that
:ountry. Rev. George A. Hudson
. . . speaks with authority about
]hina and the Far East. Prior to
'earl Harbor, Mr. Hudson was sta
ioned at Hashing, where, for one
ull year, he was the only American
esident and the only Protestant
nissionary in the city. He was tak
n into custody by the Japanese mil
tary and was interned for seven
nonths in a concentration camp
cross the river from Shanghai. On
)ecember 2, 1943 he arrived in the
Jnited States aboard the repatria
ion ship, "Gripsholm." Audiences
hroughout the country have been
tirred by the gripping story of M,r.
ludson's experience. With his keen
nowledge of the Far Eastern situa
ion, he outlines . . . the basis of a
ermanent peace in the Orient."
A cordial invitation is extended to
he people of the community to at
end these services.
I. E. BRADLEY DIES AT
HOME AT EAST MARION
Benjamin Elmore Bradley, 73, of
]ast Marion, died at his residence
'hursday morning after a lingering
llness.
Funeral services were conducted
t the residence Friday afternoon at
:30 o'clock by the Rev. C. W.
Jreene and burial was made in Con
ey's Chapel cemetery.
He is survived by three daugh
ers, Mrs. Beitha Reese, Mrs. Ernest
larklerole, Mrs. Clarence Conner,
ill of East Marion; four sons, Stev
in and Perry Bradley of East Mar
on, Cpl. Reuben L. Bradley of Max
yell Field, Ala., and Thomas Rhine
lardt of Cross Mill, and 18 grand
hildre'n.
IEPORT OFFICIALLY
STATES HENSLEY DEAD
Boyce Clayton Hensley, Chief
■runner's Mate, U. S. Navy, has been
tfficially reported dead, according
o word received here by his sister,
tlrs. Ed Brown. He has been listed
is missing since the morning of July
0, 1943. The U. S. S. Maddox on
vhich he was serving was bombed
ind sunk while screening a trans
>ort area off the Southern coast of
Sicily, it was stated.
Hensley has been in the service
if the Navy since 1928. In 1939 he
narried Miss Mary Muxie, of New
fork City, and has made his home
here since that time.
Hie is a son of the late Mr. and
ilrs. B. G. Hensley, of Nealsville,
ind a brother of Mrs. Ed Brown of
ilarion.
REPUBLICANS TO HOLD
MEETING HERE AUG. 31
A meeting of Republicans of Mc
Jowell county will be held at the
ourt house in Marion on Thursday
ivening, August 31, at eight o'clock,
t was announced yesterday.
Hon. F. J. Beal, new secretary of
he Republican State executive com
nittee and other Republican leaders
nil be present to discuss plans to
tart an aggressive campaign in this
ounty.
All Republicans in the county are
nvited to attend the meeting and
omplete plans for the fall cam
iaign.
KILLED IN ACTION—Pvt.
J. D. Bradley, above, son of
G. A. Bradley and the late
Mrs. Bradley of East Marion,
was killed in action in France j
on July 11. |
HARRY HENSLEY WITH
KEY PERFORMERS IN
MARIANAS OPERATIONS I
Aviation Radioman, First Class j
Harry Paul Hensley, whose wife is i
Mrs. H. P. Hensley of Marion, was !
a member of Air Group 25, key per- j
formers in the gruelling task of j
bombing and strafing Japanese land
installations, battling enemy fighter
planes, and patroling for an aver
age of four hours of every day for
twenty-three continuous days during ,
the current Marianas operations, it ;
is announced by the public relations t
office in Charleston, S. C.
Now home for rest and rehabili
tation after setting what is believed
to be a record for sustained cmobat j
flying by carrier based planes, Air j
Group 25 sailed to the Marianas as j
an integral unit of Task Force 58.!
Forsaking the usual rest and recup- j
eration periods between carrier j
strikes, the Group hammered away j
incessantly at the enemy and inflict-;
ed tremendous damage by bombing'
Japanese airdromes, gun positions,
and other land targets.
The Air Group flew for ten
months from the deck of a light air- :
craft carrier and fought in actions!
including raids on Wake, Truk, and
the Bonin Islands, and the invasions j
of the Gilberts, Marshalls, Hollondia!
and the Marianas. A total of 120 ;
Japanese aircraft was destroyed by i
the Air Group, and another thirty
were damaged. One Japanese light;
cruiser and a 4,000-ton cargo ship
were bombed and sunk by the
Group. Enemy vessels damaged by j
bombs and strafing included two de
stroyex-s, 15 cargo ships, and numer
out smaller craft.
One of the spectacular individual
experiences of the Air Group cent
ered about Lt. Commander Robert
H. Price, Air Group Commander
from Missouri, who was shot down
by aintiaircraft fire in the midst of i
a Jap convoy he was attacking off
the Marianas and spent eleven days
on a lift raft before being rescued, i
PFC. NELSON WOUNDED
IN ACTION IN ITALY j
Pfc. Lawrence M. Nelson was j
recently slightly wounded in action j
in Italy, according to word received
here by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. i
M. Nelson, who reside on Route 2. j
It was also stated that Private Nel-i
son had been awarded the purple j
heart for gallantry in action under
fire.
Private Nelson has served over
seas two years and was with the in-1
vasion forces in North Africa, Sicily ,
and Italy.
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson have two
other sons in the Navy, Myron Nel
son, Rd. M 3|c, who spent a few
days at his home here last week, and I
Nolan Nelson, S l|c, who is some-1
where in the Pacific.
PAPER COLLECTION
DAY IN MARION SET
FOR SATURDAY, 26TH
The Progress has been requested!
to announce that a scrap paper j
drive will be conducted in Marion j
on Saturday, August 26. It was
pointed out that there is urgent
need for scrap paper and all citi
zens are asked to place all their
waste paper in front of their resi
dence or place of business early
Saturday morning of next week so
that cars can be quickly filled by
those making the canvass.
All N. C. Schools
To Stay Closed
Until Sept. 18
Order Issued By State Board
Of Education At Raleigh
Last Thursday.
Raleigh, Aug. 17.—Acting on the
recommendation of the State Board
of health and Governor Broughton,
the State Board of education today
declared an emergency to exist in
connection with the current polio
myelitis epidemic and ordered alt
public schools to remain closed until
September 18.
The action declaring the emer
gency and setting the uniform date
for school openings was passed with
only one dissenting vote after sev
eral board members, county school
superintendents and other spokes
men had declared that a postpone
ment would mean a loss of teachers
uu utiiei states.
Under the action, school teach
ers and other public school unit of
icials are ordered to report for duty
>n September 14 thus allowing a
full week's pay bfore school open
ngs actually begin. All units were
arged to make plans for operating
i full nine months.
Dr. Carl V. Reynolds, State health
>fficer, appeared before the board
md, using charts, pointed to a prob
ible continuance of the polio epi
lemic until early in September 011
;he basis of past records. "A two
veeks' incubation period of the
/irus must be taken into consid
jration when we speak of a decline
the latter part of this month, coin
cident with a decline in hot weath
er," he said.
He told the board that 550 cases
of the disease had been reported to
headquarters here since June 1, 131,
or 23.95 per cent, of them since
August 1. Apparently the epidemic
in eastern counties is just beginning,
he added.
MORE POWER IS GIVEN
STATE HIGHWAY PATROL
Governor Broughton has isued a
proclamation vesting in members of
;he State Highway Patrol "the pow
ir and authority of peace officers to
nake arrests for any violation of
iny of the criminal laws of the
State committed in their presence
jither on or off the highways while
Dn duty by special assignment . . . .
n connection with disturbances."
A status now provides that "the
State Highway Patrol shall have
full power and authority to perform
such additional duties as peace offi
cers as may from time to time be di
rected by the Governor ..."
The proclamation was issued at
the request of T. Boddie Ward, com
missioner of motor vehicles and was
approved by Attorney General Mc
Mullan. t
In announcing the proclamation,
the Governor declared: "At present
members of the State Highway Pa
trol when assigned to duty at pub
lic gatherings, or at places where
riots and public disturbances exist
or are likely to occur, do not have
the general powers and duties of
peace officers authorizing them to
make arrests for all violations of
the criminal laws of the State oc
curring in their presence, and I do
find it to be in the public interest
that such restrictions upon the pow
ers and duties of the Highway Pa
trol be removed and that they be
nested with the general powers and
duties of peace officers when as
signed to duty at the events referr
ed to."
REPORT IS GIVEN ON
SHIPMENT OF PEACHES
Raleigh, Aug. 21.—North Caro
lina shipped 1,646 carloads of
peaches in the season just ended, as
igainst only 50 for last season, the
State Department of Agriculture
;aid. •
Total shipments of Irish potatoes
-an to 5,342 cars this year, as com
aared with 10,228 a year ago.
These shipments do not include
jroduce moving from the State by
;ruck.
In watermelons, the equivalent of
1,024 cars were marketed, as coov
Dared with 635 in 1943,