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, DECEMBER 7, 1944
VOL. XLIX—NO. 20
Variety Show And Bond Sale Draws
Large Crowd; Interest Increased
With Sales Amounting To $66,350
Total Sales For The County
Now Listed At $150,000,
Including $32,000 E Bonds.
Efforts toward reaching- Mc
Dowell county's $365,000 go&l for
the Sixth War Loan campaign con
tinues with interest, increased by
the bond sale Tuesday night follow
ing the variety show staged in the
high school auditorium and present
ed by a group of entertainers from
the Army Redistribution Center at
Asheville.
'As a result of the bond sale, a to
tal of $66,350 was placed to Mc
Dowell county's credit on its quota,
it was stated yesterday by J. F.
Snipes and J. N. Morris, co-chair
men of the campign.
Figures released by the Federal
Reserve bank yesterday showed that
sales in the county had reached a
tot^l of $150,000 through Decem
ber 2, the chairmen announced.
Sale of E bonds up to December 2
amounted to $32,000.
The chairmen stated that, in spite
of the efforts of all co-workers, the
drive has been slow in gathering
momentus, but that they are confi
dent that the county will meet its
quota of $365,000.
However, it is evident with over
one-half of the war loan period al
ready passed, that to meet the quo
ta will require much work on the
part of volunteer bond salesmen
and purchases of bonds by a great
number of individuals in this coun
ty.
The money from the Sixth War
loan is needed, and needed now, to
supply the army and navy dealing
the knockout blows to the enemy on
so many fronts. Now, as never be
fore, is the time to back "the attack
with your dollars.
The varity show sponsored by the
woman's division of the war loan
campaign, drew a capacity audience.
Featured by laughs and good music,
the show was well received.
Presented by' the special services
division of the Army Redistribution
station, its cast was made up of both
service folk and civilians.
Before starting the regular pro
gram the band rendered patriotic
music.
The show was in charge of Lt.
Edward Hill and had as an excellent
master of ceremonies, S-Sgt. Don
Latorre. An eight piece orchestra
was featured throughout the pro
gram and among the actors particu
larly applauded by the audience
were Billy Smith, an eleven year old
colored boy from Asheville who
comes with the show through the
courtesy of George Vanderbilt ho
tel, Pvt. Max Vegoda, who got plen
■ty of laughs for his portrayal of
Madame Raz.uzu, an opera singer,
Sgt. Philip Kaplan (Sparky Kaye)
comedian, Pfc. Nickolas Olivia and
Miss Corky Bag-well who make up
the Olivia dance team, and Miss
Bernice Williams who sang popular
songs and an original version of
"Say A Prayer For The Boys Over
There," translating it into a war
bond rally song.
Oscar Turner and the Farm Boys
were presented through the courtesy
• of W. W. N. C. and are well known
throughout this section for their
daily program on the North Caro
lina Farm hour.
S-Sgt. Don Latorre, one of the
original Dead End Kids and a veter
an of radio, stage and screen gave
two skits, one as a member of a
tough gang of young hoodlums and
another of a soldiers experience in
the army. Sgt. Latorre is back
from sixteen months overseas and
•while he was over there played with
such well known shows as those of
Jack Benny, Nelson Eddy, Frederic
March and Joe E. Brown.
Lt. Hill gaVe a most interesting
and convincing account of some of
his experiences overseas and he in
troduced Lt. Colonel Carl J. De
Prizio, and Pvt. Nicholas Olivia who
also related some of their experien
ces while serving overseas. All
these men urged the people of Mc
Dowell county to reach the quota
set for McDowell in the Sixth War
Loan drive because they said "All
•quotas must be met to win this
I
I war."
| In the bond sale following the va
riety show many beautiful and use
ful articles, donated by the mer
chants and business firms of Marion,
were auctioned off, with Charles :
Smith, Sr., acting as auctioneer.
i OLD FORT CANNONEER
I SURVIVES HEAVY ENEMY
| SHELLING IN N. ITALY
j Private St. Elmo Elliott of Old
I Fort, North Carolina recently sur
vived a heavy enemy shelling in
' northern Italy while pinned to the
I ground in his small wall tent al
' though shrapnel tore at least 15
' holes in the canvas.
I
i Elliott, a cannoneer in an artil
jlery battalion of the 34th "Red
! Bull" infantry division in Lieuten
! ant General Mark W. Clark's Army,
! was in his tent about 30 yards from
I his howitzer when the Nazi shells
j started landing in the area.
| "I couldn't get out of the tent,"
Elliott said. I had a foxhole at the
j gun pit, half filled .with rain but it
wasn't safe to run for it so I just
'stayed on the ground. Some of the
j Shrapnel holes in the tent were as
large as my fist, but I didn't get a
i scratch."
j Elliott's wife, Mrs. Mildred El
liott, lives on Route 1, Old Fort.
I
! JUNIOR RED CROSS
DRIVE IN M'DOWELL
PROVES SUCCESSFUL
!
| East Marion Elementary School
j led the entire county in funds con
tributed during the Junior Red
; Cross drive for membership. The
drive, as a whole, was quite success
i ful with practically every school be
coming a member.
| All county schools, both high
j school and elementary, joined with
all but two with 100% membership.
: Pleasant Gardens led the county
! schools in contributions. In the
city school system all joined except
: one school.
i The interest in Junior Red Cross
I
membership and work has been high
in all schools in the county.
Mrs. W. A. Young, county chair
man of Junior Red Cross, wishes to
express her appreciation to those
I teachers in the various schools who
helped make the drive a success.
The present project of the Junior
Red Cross is helping to prepare
| Christmas boxes for Moore General
Hospital. In February the local
chapter will fill boxes to be sent to
foreign countries to help with the
rehabilitation program of our allies.
| PLAY PRESENTED AT
NEBO P. T. A. MEETING
I
i At the regular meeting of the
jNebo Parent-Teacher Association
i Thursday, November 30, many pa
I rents and teachers were entertain
| ed by a Book-Week play, "Magic in
j the Library," presented by students
i from the elementary and high
j school grades of the Nebo school.
Following the play, four senior girls
j sang the song "Books to Sell."
| Attractive exhibits from the Eng
| lish, French, Science, and Home
■ Economics departments of the high
' school and the fifth grade of the
i elementary school were on display
! in the auditorium.
! The tenth grade won the attend
; ance count for having the highest
j percent of parents present.
After the business session the so
1 cial committee took charge of the
program.
FOUR NEGROES SENT TO
CAMP CROFT LAST WEEK
|
The following colored registrants j
were sent to Camp Croft last Fri
day for pre-induction examinations,
i according to a report released by1
j the local draft board this week:
j Eugene Corpening, Irvin Collins
; Simmons, Ernest Gordon Burnett
j and Bishop Homer Greenlee.
AMERICAN LEGION
AUXILIARY TO MEET
I
I The American Legion Auxiliary
I will meet next Tuesday night at 8
^o'clock at the Community building. |
REMARKABLE RECORD—I. L.
Caplan, above, member of the board
of county commissioners, has at
tended every monthly meeting- of
the board since he was elected to
this office ten years ago. He took
the oath of office for another term
last Monday. He has served as
chairman of the board for eight
years.
MERCURY DROPS TO LOW
OF 16 DEGREES HERE
The mercury dropped to 13 de
grees here early last Sunday morn
ing, setting a new record minimum
temperature for the date, according
to Hudson Brown, official U. S.
weather observer here. Streams
and ponds were coated with ice in
the first real freeze of the season.
The low temperature came as a
climax to the season's first cold
wave, which moved into this area
Thursday, sending the mercury to
18 above Friday morning. The
highest temperature for the day
was 42. The low reading Saturday
morning was 23, high 39. Monday
morning the mercury went down to
16 degrees, but rose to 50 during
the afternoon.
MERCHANTS MEETING
TONIGHT AT 8 O'CLOCK
The regular monthly meeting of
the Marion Merchants Association
will be held Thursday evening, Dec.
7, at 8 o'clock in the Community
building.
A discussion will be held on the
North Carolina tax law. A good
program has been prepared, includ
ing songs, games, etc., and a large
crowd is expected to attend.
Announcement was also made by
the secretary that the grocery stores
would close two more Wednesday
afternoons preceding Christmas
week—December 13 and 20.
COLLIS RETURNS FROM
DUTY IN THE PACIFIC
William C. Collis, Aviation Ma
chinist's Mate First Class, U.S.N.R.,
of Route 3, Marion, has returned
from a tour of combat duty in the
Pacific, where he was attached to
the "Rippers"—fighter squadron of
Air Group Two.
Collis, a maintenance man aboard
the squadron's carrier, was among
those who worked night and day to
keep the planes in fighting shape,
and thus to insure the success of
the carrier strikes against Jap air
craft, shipping and shore installa
tions.
Before entering the Navy, he at
tended Pleasant Gardens high
school. He has four brothers who
also are in the armed forces.
16 REGISTRANTS SENT
TO INDUCTION CENTER
According to a release from Mc
Dowell county draft board, sixteen
registrants were sent to an induc
tion center last Wednesday. Those
leaving were: Joe Ray Hollifield,
James Logan Lane, David Harold
Kanipe, J. D. Hayes, Glenn Mitchell
Burgin, James Calvin Willis,. Robert
James Elkins, Julius Leroy Con
drey, Spencer Olin Simmons, Alien
Charles Buckner, Dean Oakland Po
teat, Jack Bruce Burleson, Harry
Allen Baker, Starlin Bennett Sow
ers, Conrad Baker and Dock Ed
ward Good,
COURT OF HONOR WILL
BE HELD FRIDAY NIGHT
The regular monthly court of
honor for McDowell county Boy
Scouts will be held at the First
Methodist church in-. Marion Friday
night, Dec, 8, at 7:30 o'clock.
Officials Take
Oath Of Office,
Begin New Terms
Caplan Reelected Chairman
Of Board; R. W. Proctor
Retained As Attorney.
The county officials elected on
November 7th were sworn in at the
commissioners room in the court
house Monday morning by Clerk of
Court Fred Moody. Officials taking
the oath of office were I. L. Caplan,
C. A. Workman and C. L. Holland,
: re-elected county commissioners for
' a term of two years, and Zeb L.
| Lackey, re-elected register of deeds
' for a term of four veai*s.
|
i J. C. Rabb, member of the house
! of representatives, will take the
' oath of office after he arrives in Ra
leigh for the opening of the session
'fof the General Assembly in Janu
|ary.
' I L. Caplan was re-elected chair
i man of the board of county com
] missioners and purchasing agent.
■ R. W. Proctor was re-appointed
; county attorney, and Mrs. Mary
Burgin was named tax supervisor
j for the county.
j iTax listers for the ten townships
; in the county were appointed as
i follows:
Bracketts—George F. Rhom.
i Crooked Creek—Harlow Noblitt.
i Dysartsville—C. Y. Pyatt.
Glenwood—Mrs. Grace Rayburn.
Higgfns—J. H. Simpson.
1 Marion—G. W. Giles; Mrs. Pearl
Davis, assistant lister.
j Monfords Cove—Mrs. M. R. Nan
ney.
i Nebo—L. C. Parks.
i North Cove—Rom J. Brown.
! Old Fort—E. T. Burgin.
| <Tax listing will begin the first
'week in January and "trill continue
through the month.
j Jurors were drawn for the Janu
ary term of Superior court as fol
lows:
| Pat Dale, J. Kenneth Poteat,
Walter Early, O. C. Gibbs, Fred G.
i Knupp, C. K. Godfrey, C. C. Mc
Call, R. O. Wiley, Don M. Sartin,
Leroy Bradley, T. H. Lawing, Ce<;il
B. Dobson, Anderson Williams,
George Cox, E. H. Good, A. L.
Price, W. G. Best, Geo. A. Bradley,
John D. Jaynes, Hardy Murphy, G.
W. Giles, Walter McGee, Ben R.
Elliott, N. F. Steppe, Jr., Sam E.
Tilson, T. E. Blaylock, L. L. Reel,
; Clyde Davis, T. A. Witherow, D. S.
i Ayers, E. C. Bost, Sr., C. R. Vess,
iJohn M. Hensley, W. G. Lonon,
Fred Webb, J. M. Seagle, Ernest
Christy, Ira L. Knupp, R. H. Walk
er.
i
MRS. JAY ANNOUNCES START
OF BLUE STAR BRIGADE
i ;
Mrs. Mack Jay, chairman of the
J Woman's division of the War Fi
nance committee of this county, has
announced that individuals interest
ed in joining the Blue Star Brigade
I for the sixth war loan drive, should
get in touch with her immediately.
! The bi'igade is consisted of those
!who have sold ten or more bonds to
jten or more different subscribers
' and as more bonds are sold the in
dividuals rank in the brigade will
. go up. Ten bonds are the minimum
I that can be sold to join the brigade
| and the person selling this amount
] of bonds will receive a pin and the
irank of Second Lieutenant.
j Rules and enrollment blanks for
joining the brigade may be obtain
| ed by contacting Mrs. Jay.
STORES TO CLOSE TWO
DAYS FOR CHRISTMAS
The Marion Merchants Associa
tion has announced that all stores
of Marion will be closed two days
for the Christmas holidays. Due to
the fact that Christmas comes on
Monday, these days will be Christ
mas Day and the following Tuesday.
NEW PLUMBING SHOP
[ Announcement is made in this is
sue of The Progress that Harris
Bros, will open a stove and plumb
ing works business in the Morgan
building on State street about De
cember 15. They will also carry a
stock of new and used stoves and do
general repair work, it is announc
|e^
Ten Killed And Four Injured In
Auto Collision Near Morganton
At Early Hour Saturday Morning
LT. HILL SPEAKER
AT KIWANIS MEETING!
The Marion Kiwanis club was host j
to forty officers and soldiers 'from j
the Asheville Army Redistribution i
Center at its weekly meeting Tues-i
day evening. The meeting was held j
at the Community building and the j
president, R. W. Twitty, presided, j
Hugh Beam presented the guests, i
and among those introduced to the
club was J. F. Snipes and J. N. Mor- j
ris, co-chairmen of the McDowell
County War Finance committee.
Mr. Beam also presented Mrs. Mac
Jay, chairman of the woman's divis
ion of the War Finance committee.
After the presentation of local
guests, Mr. Beam introduced Lt.
Hill, of the Army Redistribution
Center at Asheville, who addressed
the group briefly.
Lt. Hill told the group that im
mediately after the dinner his of
ficers and men would put on a show
of varied attractions at the high
school auditorium in connection
I with the Sixth War Loan drive. Lt.
Hill also listed some of the experi
| ences he and his men had had on
| various battle fronts.
GEORGE GARDNER FOUND
DEAD ON RUTHERFORD
HIGHWAY FRIDAY NIGHT
i
The body of George Washington
i (Bub) Gardner, 49, of the Dysarts
j ville section of McDowell county,
; was found on the Marion-Ruther
! ford highway about one mile south
of Marion last FYiday night about
;8:30 o'clock, and officers who made
| an investigation said he apparently
was killed by an automobile.
John Cole of Marion reported to
Sheriff Grady Nichols and Coroner
S. J. Westmoreland that his automo
bile struck Mr. Gardner, but that he
: was lying on the road at the time,
the officers stated.
Mr. Cole was released on bond of
SI,000 after a warrant was issued
by the sheriff charging him with as
sault with deadly weapon with car
resulting in death.
Funeral services were conducted
Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock at
. Pleasant Hill Methodist church by
Rev. H. W. Bell.
I Mr. Gardner is survived by his
wife and mother, Mrs. W. E. Gard
ner, Route 1, Marion; four broth
ers, Arthur, of Nealsville, Robert,
John and Luther, of Marion, Route
1, and four sisters, Mrs. W. E. Bail
ey, Mrs. J. H. Poteet and Mrs. Wil
lard Lewis, of Marion, and Mrs. A.
F. Finley of Nebo.
| —
LT. HARTLEY RETURNS
FROM DUTY OVERSEAS
First Lt. Louis E. Hartley, of Ne
bo, has arrived at Army Air Forces
Redistribution Station No. 2 in Mi
ami, Florida, for reassignment pro
cessing after completing a tour of
duty outside the continental United
States.
Medical examinations and classi
fication interviews at this post, one |
of five redistribution stations oper
ated by the AAF Personnel Distri
bution Command for AAF returnee
officers and enlisted men, will de
termine his new assignment. He
will remain there about two weeks,
much of which will be devoted to
rest and recreation.
Lieutenant Hartley, son of Mr. ;
and Mrs. C. B. Hartley, Vilas, N. C.,
was a bombardier in the European ;
theater. His wife resides in Nebo. i
The lieutenant received his B. S. de
gree at Appalachian State Teachers |
College at Boone, N. C., in 1939.
PVT. THOS R. NORMAN
NOW AT KEESLER FIELD;
I
Having arrived at Keesler Field,!
Miss., Pvt. Thomas R. Norman, son j
of Mr. and Mrs. T. A. Norman, of
j
Clinchfield, is now being examined j
by the AAF Training Command sta
tion Medical and Psychological Unit
to determine his qualifications as a
pre-aviation cadet.
Flying officer training as a pilQt,
bombardier or navigator will be giv-;
en Pvt. Norman upon successful
completion of the processing he is
undergoing at Keesler Field.
Three Servicemen Victims Of
Accident; Worst Two-Cai*
Crash In State's History.
North Carolina's worst automo
bile accident took ten lives and left
four seriously injured in a head-on
collision of two old model sedans
eight miles west of Morganton Sat
turday morning.
Six were killed outright and four
died later at hospital in Morganton
and Marion.
The remaining four, still in hos
pitals in Morganton, Marion and
Swannanoa, will likely recover
from injuries received when the two
autos roared down from opposite
hills to meet at the foot in a devas
tating smashup at 2 a. m. at what
is known as Bottom Drop on High
way No. 70.
The dead:
Harold Moran Mull, 25, of Mor
ganton.
Billy Richard Mull, 18, of Glen
Alpine.
Pfc. Thomas Shuping, 23, of
Route 1, Morganton.
Charles William Mayfield, 26, of
Morganton.
Doris Jean Shook, 1G, of Glen Al
pine.
Warren B. Merrill, 21, of Route
1, Nebo.
Charles Benfield, Jr., 16, of Glen
Alpine.
Pvt. Raymond A. Shouppe, 20,
of Route 4, Morganton.
j Lucille Hoyle, 23, of Glen Alpine.
| Clayton Shook, 30, of Glen Al
j pine.
The injured:
Carl L. Wilson, 24, of Route 1,
j Morganton, skull fractured. Woun
' ded veteran, he was transferred yes
terday from Marion General hos
pital to Army's Moore General Hos
pital at Swannanoa.
i Pauline Hoyle, 16, of Glen Al
pine, in Marion hospital, with both
legs broken.
James (Bud) Powell, 18, of Mor
ganton, in Grace Hospital with,
broken leg and cuts, six teeth knock
ed out.
Ray Abernathy, 17, of Route 4,
Morganton, in Grace Hospital with
shock and severe shapeup.
-Of the dead, the Mulls are broth
ers,, and Clayton Shook is an uncle
of Doris Jean Shook. Pauline
Hoyle, who was injured, is a sister
of the dead Hoyle girl.
With two occupants from each
car still alive, six persons met
death in one auto and four in the
other.
Killed instantly or dying at the
scene before they could be remov
ed were the Shook girl, Benfield,
Mayfield, Merrill, Shuping and
Harold Moran Mull.
Lucille Hoyle died at 6 a. m. at
Marion General Hospital, and Billy
Richard Mull died at exactly the
same time at Grace Hospital. Pvt.
Shouppe died at 7:15 a. m. at the
the hospital in Morganton.
Clayton Shook, the tenth victim,
died at 8:45 o'clock Sunday morn
ing at Grace Hospital.
A coroner's jury found that the
ten deaths resulted from "careless
and reckless driving" on the part of
both operators, but was unable to
determine who the drivers were.
Charles Benfield, Jr., was the son
of Charles and Virginia Benfield of
Glen Alpine and was employed by
the Pitts Lumber Company. He is
survived by his parents and five
brothers and sisters. The funeral
(Continued on last page)
COOKY DAY WILL BE
OBSERVED ON NEXT
WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13
Wednesday, December 13, will be
observed as "Cooky Day" for all
men and women in service. An ef
fort will be made, it is announced,
to supply approximately 10,000 men
and women at Moore General Hos
pital, Oteen, Kenilworth, Sand Hills
and Lake Lure with home - made
cookies.
The cookies may be left at either
Blanton's store or Belk's store
where they will be picked up and de
livered to Moore General hospitaL