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, SEPEMBER 21, 1944 , VOL. XLIX—NO. 9
Both City And
County Schools
To Open Sep. 25
Teachers Of Both City And
County Units To Hold Meet
ing This Morning.
Both the Marion City Schools and
the McDowell County schools will
begin the new school year Monday
morning, September 25, as has pre
viously been announced. However,
before confirming this opening date
the City Board of Education and the
County Board of Education met in
joint session Tuesday evening at
Marion High School to consider all
issues pertinent to the opening of
school.
A report was given from practi
cally every doctor in town stating
that in their opinion there was no
reason to further delay the opening
of school because of the recent polio
epidemic in the State. During the
discussion that followed it was
pointed out that the last case of
polio to occur in this county was on
.August 30 and that the child strick
en at this time was carried to the
Polio Clinic at Hickory on Septem
ber 4. Inasmuch as the incubation
period for polio is generally accept
ed to be 21 days, and since a mini
mum of 21 days has elapsed from
the above mentioned case, it was
felt by the combined boards that
sufficient time has elapsed to pre
vent a recurrence of polio from this
case.
Teachers of both the City and
County schools will meet at the high
school auditorium today at 9:30 a.
m. to make plans and to work out
details for the school year which
-will begin Monday. Some member
of the State Supervision Staff will
be present to take part in this work.
CARRINGER AWARDED
OAK LEAF CLUSTER
Sgt. Boyce C. Carringan, of Ma
rion, has ben awarded first oak leaf
cluster to the air rnedal for merit
orious achievement in aerial com
bat, it is announced by the Eighth
Air Force Liberator station in
England.
Hie is an aerial gunner on a B-24
Liberator heavy bomber. He has
made 16 bombing missions over
Germany and enemy occupied Eu
rope.
Sgt. Carrigan is a son of Mr. and
Mrs. John D. Carrigan of Marion.
In civilian life he was a yarn dyer
employed by Eugene Cross Co. He
entered the army on October 31,
1942, and has been overseas since
last April.
NEGRO WOMAN SHOT,
SERIOUSLY WOUNDED
Bessie Conley, colored, was shot
and seriously wounded by a son-in
law, Edward Owens, at her home in
the Black Bottom section about one
mile southwest of Marion Monday
night about 9 o'clock. She was tak
en to the Marion Hospital soon af
ter the shooting.
The bullet entered her right
shoulder, penetrating the lung and
lier condition is said to be critical.
Owens was arrested by Sheriff
Grady Nichols Tuesday morning
about two o'clock and placed in jail
-where he is being held without bond
on an open charge pending the con
dition of his assailant.
WPR OFFICE TO CLOSE
FORENOON ON FIRST
DAY OF EVERY MONTH
Because of the large load of cleri
cal work which confronts the staff
of the local office of the War Price
and Rationing board it has become
necessary to close the office to the
public in the forenoon of the first
day of each month. This plan will
become effective beginning with tha
month of October.
PFC. GEORGE KNISLEY
RECEIVES PROMOTION
Pfc. George Knisley, who is sta
tioned at Camp Croft, has been pro
moted to Technician Fifth Grade, a
letter received last week by his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. G. M. Knisley,
stated.
LIEUT. NOYES LEADS
PLATOON DISARMING
THE NAZI LOST ARMY
|
Lt. William B. Noyes, son of Mr.
and Mrs. R. J. Noyes, had a part in
the surrender of 20,000 Nazis, a
report from Beaugency, France,
stated this week.
Germany's footsore "lost army"
of 20,000 troops, cut off while try
ing to escape from southern France
to the Reich, surrendered to the U.
S. Ninth army September 16 with
out the price of a single American
I life or bullet in one of the strangest
' treks in military annals. Stubby
Major Gen. Erick Eisner, who had
led his motely assortment of ma- j
Irines ground forces and regular
jNazi army troops all the way from j
i the Spanish border in an attempt1
! to get them back to the homeland,!
| yielded them as prisoners of war to '
high ranking American officers in a'
! simple, but dramatic ceremony.
The prisoners were ferried across j
i the Loire River into captivity after j
I their grenades, rifles and ammuni
tion had been taken by a platoon
lead by Lt. William B. Noyes. The
i prisoners looked weary and wistful
| in their dirt-stained, crumpled uni
forms. Most of them were middle
jaged.
! "I suppose as a human being you !
should feel sorry for them" said j
Ithe lieutenant. "But all I can think
! of now is the men we buried by the
hundreds, killed fighting those Ger- j
I mans in Normandy. It isn't easy
' to forget how they died, and as
! long as you remember them it is
hard to feel much sympathy for!
these jerks."
CPL. TYLER RETURNED
TO MILITARY CONTROL1
! I
| j
Cpl. Bruce Tyler, who was recent- j
ly reported "missing in action" over
Rumania since August 8, has now
been reported "returned to military (
control after being prisoner of war
in a prison camp in Bulgaria." ,
Mr. and Mrs. J. M. Tyler received
the word that their son was missing.
on September 1, and have had no j
further word until last Sunday j
when the telegram was received:
giving the above report. j
Cpl. Tyler is in the army air
force. He entered service in Jan
uary, 1943. He is a graduate of
the Marion high school and attended !
Mars Hill College.
SGT. PENDERGRASS HAS
BIRD'S EYE VIEW OF
INVASION OF FRANCE
Staff Sergeant Robert Pender
grass of Marion had a bird's eye
view of the August 15th invasion of
Southern France.
A bombardier with the AAF'S
oldest B-26 medium bomber group, I
he participated in his group's attack
on the German beach defenses in
Southern France in support of the
invading ground forces. For a week
jprior to the invasion, he had flown,
over southern France in softening-1
up missions, striking at vital enemy
communication systems and gun
positions.
His Marauder group are veterans :
of amphibious support operations
having participated in the invasions,
of Sicilly, Pantalleria, Salerno and ,
Anzio. His was the first B-26 group;
in Major General John K. Cannon's
12th AAF to complete 350 missions
over Axis targets in the Mediterran-.
ean Theater of Operations, and re
cently was commended by Brigadier
General Robert M. Webster.
!
MARION HIGH TO PLAY
NEWTON FRIDAY NIGHT
All members of the Marion high ;
school football team have worked i
jhard this week putting on finishing
I touches for their first game of the!
I season which is to be played with
! Newton at Newton. This game will i
be called at 8:00 tomorrow night. j
Hugh Beam, who has assumed the i
j duties of coaching this year, stated j
I that his boys would be in fair con- i
jdition for the opening game. With!
I only three letter men back the ma-1
ijority of the players beginning the!
[game against Newton will be seeing
(action for the first time. However,
! Coach Beam stated that all the boys
jhad been working hard and that a
j splendid spirit had been manifested
j at all times, to offset, in part, the
!much needed experience.
"At present," the coach said,
"the team is untried, and little can
be said until after the first game
I with Newton has been played."
M'Dowell War
Fund Quota Is
Set At $9,200
Drive Will Be Conducted Oc
tober 9 To 19; Committee
Chairmen Named.
McDowell county's quota will be
$9,200 for the United War Fund,
according to announcement made by
Mayor J. F. Wilkinson, county
chairman of the drive.
Mayor Wilkinson states that com
mittee chairmen have been appoint
ed and a meeting will be held soon
to perfect the organization. Plans
are being made for an active cam
paign and every citizen will be giv
en an opportunity to contribute to
the fund.
The campaign will open October
9 and continue ten days.
Committee chairmen named for
the industrial plants are R. W.
Twitty, Otis Broyhill, Cecil 15. Dob
son, Eugene Cross and Glenn Mor
ris.
W. W. Neal, Jr., heads the can
vassing committee for the Marion
residential and business section. J.
K. Giles is publicity chairman, Eu
gene Keeter, secretary, and J. N.
Morris, treasurer.
McINTOSH TO RECEIVE
DEGREE IN MEDICINE
Archie Mcintosh will receive his
medical degree from the school of
medicine of Duke University on Sat
urday, September 23, and on Octo
ber 1 will begin his internship at
the St. Louis City Hospital, St.
Louis, Mo.
He is the son of Dr. and Mrs. D.
M. Mcintosh, Sr. of Old Fort, and a
brother of Dr. Donald Mcintosh, Jr.,
of Marion, who is now serving as
Major of the 9th Inf. Division.
Dr. and Mrs. D. M. Mcintosh, Sr.
and Mrs. Donald Mcintosh, Jr. will
attend graduation exercises and will
be accompanied home by Dr. and
Mrs. Archie Mcintosh for a weeks
visit before they leave for St. Louis.
PFC. DIXON AWARDED
COBAT DECORATION
Private First Class Dewey W.
Dixon of Marion has been cited by
his regiment of the 3rd "Marne"
Infantry Division and awarded the
Combat Infantryman Badge for
actual participation in combat with
the enemy while serving on the
Fifth Army front in Italy.
Standards for the badge are high.
The decoration, which was recently
authorized by the War Department,
is awarded to the infantry soldier
who has proved his fighting ability
in combat.
The handsome badge consists of
a silver rifle set against a back
ground of infantry blue, enclosed in
a silver wreath.
McABEE PRESENTED
ARMY-NAVY E AWARD
David Thomas McAbee, of Ma
rion, has received the following
Army-Navy E award:
"For skill, industry and devotion
on the production front of the
greatest war in history, this Army
Navy production award is hereby
presented to David Thomas McAbee
of Ethyl-Dorn Chemical ' Company
of Wilmington, N. C."
The awai-d was signed by Robert
P. Patterson, undersecretary of war
and James Forestal, undersecretary
of the navy.
Mr. McAbee has just returned to
his home in the North Cove section
after undergoing an .operation from
an injury received while working at
a war defense plant at Wilmington.
BROWN COMMISSIONED
SECOND LIEUTENANT
Seymour, Ind.—Roy B. Brown
was commissioned a second lieuten
ant and received his silver pilot
wings at graduation ceremonies held
recently at Freeman Army Air
Field, Seymour. Freeman, an ad
vanced two-engine school, is one of
the training centers in the vast
Army Air Forces Flying Training
Command. He is the son of Mr.
Tobe Brown, Valdese, and a former
resident of Marion.
WNC Open Game
Season, Rules
Are Announced
Squirrel Season Opened Fri
day; Open Season On Deer
November 1 Through 31.
j The bag limit on squirrels, for
j which the hunting season opened
■ last Friday, and lasts through Dec
ember 15, is six per day, J. A.
; Bradshaw, district game protector,
I said Saturday in announcing open
i dates for hunting in Western North
j Carolina.
Open season on buck deer in Av
ery, Caldwell, Jackson, Madison,
Mitchell, McDowell and Yancey
counties opens November 1 and lasts
through November 31. The limit is
! one per day or three per season for
! each hunter.
i The season on quail and rabbits
in the western counties is open from
'November 23 to February 10 and
| the limit on each is 10 per day per
I hunter. The grouse season is open
from November 23 to January 1st
with a limit of two per day.
Seaion For Bears
The open season for bears is from
| October 15 to January 1, with a
| limit of two per day or two per sea
j son for each hunter.
j Opossum and raccoon hunting
I with dogs and guns may be done
from October 15 to February 15,
!and the opossum, raccoon, mink, and
muskrat trapping season will be
! from November 15 to February 15.
Mr. Bradshaw warned hunters to
observe the open dates and license
' rules for hunting of all animals and
birds.
I
V-DAY PLANS GIVEN
AT MERCHANTS MEET;
DELIGHTFUL PROGRAM
Detail plans for the V-Day cele
bration were announced by the
president, Dean Tainter, at the
monthly meeting of the Merchants
association last Thursday evening.
Price ceilings were discussed and,
due to complaints from the OPA
office in Charlotte, Vernon Eckerd,
member of the local price panel,
pointed out that dealers cannot put
scarce items with items which are
plentiful and sell them together
without violating OPA rules. He
stressed the importance of keeping
in contact with the local office as
changes in regulations are made
frequently. Mr. Tainter asked mer
chants to stay within regulations so
that Marion may be rated above the
average when stores are checked.
The time of the regular monthly
meeting was changed from the sec
ond Thursday to the first Thursday
evening.
Following the business session a
delightful program was given in
which all present took part. The
prrgram included songs, games and
I piano selections.
I
BYRD AWARDED PURPLE
HEART FOR WOUNDS
Cpl. Thurston W. Byrd was
jwounded in France July 9 and has
been awarded the Purple Heart,
messages received from the War
Department by his wife, Mrs. Theo.
i M. Byrd stated. The messages fur
ther stated that he is making normal
i improvement.
I Cpl. Byrd is a son of Mr. and
iMrs. Grover C. Byrd of Route 4,
Marion.
I He entered service October 9,
i 1942 and is a member of the 120th
i Inf. of the 30th Division. He re
I ceived training at Camp Branding,
:Fla., Camp Forrest, Tenn., and
1 Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He was
jsent overseas in February, 1944.
| HORSE AND CATTLE SHOW
I TO BE HELD OCTOBER 25
! The annual McDowell County
| Horse and Cattle Show will be held
'on the horse show grounds on Octo
'ber 25, according to announcement
I yesterday by H. T. Conley, secre
tary-treasurer cf the Marion Riding
Club, sponsors of the program.
The cattle show will begin at 1 p.
i m. and will be followed by the horse
jshow at 3 o'clock.
|
I Btfy More War Bonds,
PLANTS ANNOUNCE
CHANGE OF HOURS
A change of hours for em
ployees of the Marion hosiery
mills and furniture plants was
announced yesterday. Begin
ning Monday, Sept. 25, em
ployees will begin work at 8
o'clock in the morning instead
of 7 o'clock.
PVT. CLINTON JENKINS
KILLED IN ACTION
Pvt. Clinton Jenkins was "killed
in action in France on August 15,"
a message from the War Depart
ment to his mother, Mrs. Ollie Jen
kins, of Route 2, Marion, received
September 5, stated.
Pvt. Jenkins entered service 11
months ago and had been serving
overseas about six weeks. He re
ceived his basic training at Camp
Fannin, Texas and received further
training at stations in Georgia and
New York before beginning foreign
duty. He landed inn England and
was later sent to France.
He is survived by his mother, Mrs.
Ollie Jenkins; two sisters, Mrs. Leila
Wright, of New York, and Mrs. Las
sie Barnes, of Lenoir; three broth
ers, Roy, Charlie and Troy, all of
Marion.
RED CROSS REPORTS
WILKINSON WOUNDED
Pvt. James Kelly Wilkinson, son
of Mayor and Mrs. J. F. Wilkinson
of Marion, suffered wounds as a re
sult of being thrown from a truck,
according to word received from the
Red Cross by his parents this week.
The message stated that he was
receiving treatment in an American
hospital in France and was respond
ing nicely to the treatment. The
last letter received from him was
August 29 and he is believed to have
been injured since then, Mayor Wil
kinson stated.
More complete information is ex
pected to be received from the War
Department soon.
CHRISTMAS MAIL IS
NOW GOING OVERSEAS;
DEADLINE OCTOBER 15
The period for mailing Christmas
cards and parcels to members of
the armed forces serving outside of
the continental United States begfn
Friday and will continue until Oct.
15.
No requests from the addresses
are required in connection with
Christmas parcels mailed to army
personnel during this one-month
period, unlike the regulation effect
ive the rest of the year which re
quires the sender to show a request
from the addressee and which will
be in effect again after October 15.
The War department advises that
Christmas greeting cards for sold
iers overseas must be sent in sealed
envelopes and prepaid at the first
class rate.
Parcels shall not exceed the pres
ent limits of five pounds in weight
or 15 inches in length ar 36 inches
in length and girth combined. It
has been pointed out that members
of the armed forces are amply pro
vided with food and clothing and
the public is urged not to include
such matter in gift parcels.
Not more than one parcel shall be
accepted for mailing in any one
week when sent by or on behalf of
the same person to or for the same
addressee.
Patrons should endorse each gift
package "Christmas parcel," and
special effort will be made to effect
delivery in time for Christmas.
GRANGE AND ROTARY
CLUB PLAY SOFTBALL
Pleasant Gardens Grange de
feated Marion Rotarians in a soft
ball game at the Pleasant Gardens
community building last Friday by
a score of 7-5.
At the close of the game mem
bers of these organizations enjoyed
a dinner in the gymnasium of the
community building. The long
table was centered with a crystal
bowl of mixed flowers and dinner
was enjoyed picnic style.
DALTON APPOINTED
A FLIGHT OFFICER
Dan E. Dalton, son of Mr. and
Mrs. W. L. Dalton of Old Fort, re
j cently was appointed a flight officer
| in the army air forces at Mather
i field, Calif. He is a gradaate of
Old Fort high school.
Sharp Increase
In Point Values
Rationed Foods
Increased Point Values Or
dered For Processed Edi
bles Still Rationed.
The office of price administration
has ordered sharp increases in point
values for those processed foods
still rationed in a companion move
to elimination of points on a wide
variety of other canned foods.
Both the higher points and re
moval of many items from ration
ing became effective Sunday.
Doubled or boosted even more
sharply in most cases, the new point
values apply to all canned and bot
tled fruits, four fruit and vegetable
juices tomatoes, catsup and chili
sauce.
The new ration value on a num
ber two can of tomatoes is 20
points, up from 5, while the coupon
cost of peaches, pears and pine
apple is hiked from 43 points to 80
for number two and one half cans.
Pineapple juice goes to 50 points
from 25 and tomato juice to 20
from 6 points for 18-ounce cans.
aii oi me new value are nxed m
multiples of ten because the system
of blue tokens as ration change was
discontinued Sunday. Blue tokens
may be used in units of ten until
October 1 in buying processed foods
After that they will have no value.
As announced earlier, processed
foods removed from rationing are
all jams, jellies, fruit butters, as
paragus, lima beans, corn, peas,
pumpkin and squash, mixed veget
i ables baked beans, tomato sauce,
[paste and puree, and all varieties of
soups and baby foods. Other veg
etables except tomatoes have been
ration-free for some time. *
In announcing the new ration
: values, affective through September
130, OPA Administrator Chester
Bowles said :
| "These point values are higher
not because of a change in the sup
ply picture of commodities remain
ing under rationing, but because of
the removal from rationing of near
ly all vegetables, special products
and fruit spreads.
"The war food administration's
allocation of processed foods still
rationed has not changed. What
has changed is the point purchasing
power ..."
Under the new setup housewives
will continue to get 50 blue point3
a month.
Red point values upon meats, but
ter and dairy products are un
changed. However, combination
spaghetti dinners,, formerly on the
processed food chart, are being
shifted to the red point chart, with
a one-point value for cartons con
taining from one to one and one
half ounces of grated cheese.
SUNDAY SCHOOL TO
OBSERVE RALLY DAY
The St. Matthew's Lutheran Sun
day School will observe its annual
Rally Day next Sunday morning at
10 o'clock. Each pupil who attends
will receive an attractive Rally Day
gift, which we are sure the children
will appreciate.
The Marion Kiwanis Club will ba
guests of St. Matthew's church in
the 11 o'clock service Sunday morn
ing. The sermon topic for the day
will be: "The Unexpected Jesus."
The Walther League will meet
Friday night in the basement of the
church at 7:30 o'clock.
SGT. VON RAY HARRIS
COMPLETES 50 MISSIONS
Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Harris have
received word that their son, Staff
Sgt. Von Ray Harris, of the 15th
air force in Italy has completed hia
i 50th mission.
Harris was well known here as a
! football hero of the Marion high
! school "Rippers."
' Another son, Staff Sgt. William
N. Harris, of Camp Stewart, Ga. is
home on furlough.
Two other sons are also in the
service. Harvey A. Harris, M. O.
M. 3|c U. S. navy is somewhere in
, France and Pvt. Fred T. Harris, of
the air corps, is somewhere in Eng
land.