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, FEBRUARY 19, 1948 VOL. S2_\n n
Auto Inspection
Lane For Marion
To Open April 21
The motor vehicle inspection lane
will be opened here in April, accord
ing to word received this week from
the Motor Vehicle Department's Me
chanical Inspection Division, Raleigh.
The lane will be opened in Marion
from April 21-23 for public owned
vehicles and orientation period and
will be open to the public April
24-29.
4 Under the Motor Vehicle Mechan
ical program, each motor vehicle
registered in North Carolina must
be inspected once during 1948 and
twice a year^ thereafter.
The inspection program calls for
the establishment and full-time op
eration of 36 lanes throughout the
state. Each lane is portable and
will be transported from place to
place in order to reach all vehicle
owners. The schedules for these
lanes take them through July 1.
Lane 4 will cover Henderson.
Polk, McDowell and Rutherford
counties. It will open in Rutherford
ton on February 23, in Tryon, March
22, Hendersonville, March 31, and
will be brought to Marion on April
21.
BOY SCOUTS
RECEIVE AWARDS
AT HONOR COURT
The Eagle Scout badge was pre
sented to Harry S. Brown of troop
1, Ashford, at the McDowell County
Boy Scout Court of Honor in the
Methodist church Friday night.
The Bronze Eagle Scout Palm was
awarded to Bobby Harris, troop 5,
Marion, and Star Scout ranks were
awarded to Ronald Ross, of troop 6,
and William Dean Noblitt, troop 1,
Old Fort.
Scouts were advanced in rank as
"follows:
Tenderfoot: Cecil McCormick,
troop 1, Marion; Floyd Brooks, Earl
Houck, Donald Johnson and Bobby
Morris, all of troop 6, Marion.
Second class: Johnnie Pyatt, troop
5; William Wright, troop 5, and
Bobby Johnson, troop 6, Marion.
First class: Jimmy Rader, troop
4; Franklin Ward, troop o.
Jimmy Laughridge, troop 6, Mar
ion, was passed as a Tenderfoot Air
Scout candidate.
MERIT BADGES
Athletics: Eugene Hawkins, troop
~5.
Carpentry: Bill Sutties, troop 6.
Cooking: Gene Cross, troop. 6,
Wayne and David Patterson, troop
4.
Dog Care: Bobby Harris, troop 5.
Firemanship: Arnold Pyatt and
Ronald Ross, troop 6.
First Aid: Will Wilson and Bill
Bradford, troop 6.
Gardening: Franklin Ward, Bobby
Bright and Joseph Buchanan, troop
5.
l,ife Saving: Dan Noblitt and Eu
gene Sutties, troop 1, Old Fort.
Mechanical Drawing: Bennie By
ers, Jr., troop 6.
Music: Bennie Byers and Hubert
Martin, troop 6.
Pathfinding: Arnold Pyatt and
(Continued on last page)
Infantile Paralysis Campaign
Contributions Total $3,254.31
Contributions to the McDowell
'County Infantile Paralysis campaign
totaled $3,254.31 at noon yesterday,
Mrs. Robert Hervey, campaign chair
man, announced.
Although this total is still $677.69
short of the $3,932.00 goal, a num
ber of committees have not made
their donations yet.
The campaign this year has been
severely hampered by adverse
weather conditions and many com
munity chairmen were unable to
make canvesses according to sched
ule. This situation was true in many
sections of the state and the closing
■date was extended twice by Gov
ernor Gregg Cherry..
CAMPAIGN POSTER FOR 1948 FIJND
Steven Dohanos, the Westport, Connecticut, artist whose work
appears frequently on the cover of the Saturday Evening Post and
other magazines, designed the 1948 Red Cross Fund poster. In it
he has reflected the community spirit of small towns through
out America.
FIRE LAST SUNDAY
AT KNITTING MILL
The Marion Fire Department was
called to the Marion Knitting Mills
on West Court street last Sunday
morning when a blaze started in the
knitting room. The fire is believed
to have started about 7:30 a. m.
Flames climbed the walls and en
tered a stock room above. Part of
the fire was extinguished by the
sprinkler system, but the stock of
"losiery was badly damaged by the
.vater.
No estimate has been made of the
damage, Albert Neal said yesterday.
Marion High Band
To Present Concert
The Marion High School Band will
be presented in concert on March
11, Bernard Hirsch, director, an
nounced Tuesday.
The 61-piece band will present
numbers which will later be played
at the State Music Contest which
will be held in Greensboro the latter
part of April. The band will not be
required to participate in the Dis
trict Contest in Asheville on March
19, but will go straight to the State
Contest as a result of receiving a
One Rating in the State Contest last
year.
The complete program for the
concert will be announced next
week, Hirsch said.
Mills Addresses
The Rotary Club
Charles Mills, guest speaker at
the meeting of the Marion Rotary
club last Friday, discussed the possi
bility of promoting the development
of hobbies among high school stu
dents during the summer vacation.
He spoke particularly of the value
of a photographers' club as a con
structive pastime.
(Continued on last page)
Superior Court
Ended Friday
The February term of McDowell
County Superior Court for the trial
of civil cases was ended here last
Friday. Judge George B. Patton
presided.
In the case of Whitman vs. Elliott,
et al, involving a right of way, the
plaintiff was awarded a $50 verdict.
In the case of Gilkey vs. Blanton,
the sale of the property was not con
firmed and the court ordered the
resale of the property in parts.
Thus, the business buildings and the
residence may be sold individually
or collectively.
Republicans Will
Hold Convention
Here On March 16th
C. M. Pool, chairman of the Mc
Dowell County Republican executive
committee, announces that the Re
publican county convention will be
held at the court house in Marion
on Saturday afternoon, March 6, at
2:30 o'clock, for the purpose of
electing a county chairman and
other officers and to elect delegates
to the district conventions and state
convention.
Precinct meetings will be held at
the various polling places in the
county on Friday, March 5, at 2:30
p. m. to elect delegates and alter
nates to the county convention, it
was announced.
Funeral Home Moved
To New Location
The Westmoreland - Hawkins Fu
neral Home has been moved from
West Court street to 220 South Main
street, formerly the Column Apart
ment building.
The addition at the rear of the
building is nearing completion and
will provide for a four-car garage
on the ground floor with space above
to display caskets.
S. J. Westmoreland, manager, and
Howard T. Hawkins, embalmer, have
announced plans to make extensive
alterations to the building and sur
roundings within the next few
weeks.
Dr. Robert McCall
Will Practice
Dentistry Here
Dr. Robert S. McCall, of Forest
City, has purchased the dental prac
tice of the late Dr. M. H. Hewitt
and began his practice, here this
week in the offices formerly occupied
by Dr. Hewitt.
Dr. McCall is the son of Dr.
Charles S. McCall, of Forest City,
and former resident of McDowell
county. He is a graduate of the At
lanta Southern Dental College. He
served four years in the U. S. Army
and was Major at the time he receiv
ed his discharge. For the past 18
months he has been associated with
his father in the practice of dentis
try at Forest City.
Dr. McCall will retain the services
of Miss Ruby Lewis as dental as
sistant.
Dr. and Mrs. McCall have one son
two weeks old.
EAST MARION PTA
WILL MEET TODAY
The East Marion Parent-Teacher
association will meet at four o'clock
Thursday afternoon, February 19,
at the school, according to an
nouncement yesterday.
The seventh grade pupils will pre
sent a program entitled, "Honoring
Washington."
Red Cross Campaign
Launched This Week
Work on the 1948 Red Cross
Campaign began this week when
the Special Gifts and Industrial
plants committees began their
canvass, Dula Hawkins, county
chairman, announced
The Industrial plants commit
tee, headed by Oliver Cross, will
make a canvass of workers in in
dustrial plants so that they may
authorize payroll deductions as
their contributions in the cam
paign. The donations may then be
received on schedule.
J. E. Neal, Jr., who heads the
Special Gifts committee, began
a canvass this week.
Hawkins has set March 10 as
the date he hopes to reach the
$4,400 quota set for this county.
Last year the quota was reached
during the second week of March.
Mrs. Mary Frances Lockhart
was named this week to head the
residential committee.
4
Old Fort School
To Reopen Today
The Old Fort school will reopen
today and the schools in the county
system will then be operating 100
per cent.
All schools in the county system
except the Old Fort unit had re
sumed operations Tuesday although
attendance in most of the schools
was less than 50 per cent, N. F.
Steppe, county superintendent, said.
He attributed some of the absences
to the fact that possibly some of the
pupils did not yet know school had
reopened.
The schools were closed January
26 because of the condition of rural
roads following tne snowfall. North
Cove school reopened February 4
and was closed again the following
Monday after a heavy snow made
the roads almost impassable.
Today will be the first time since
January 26 when all schools will be
operating.
DR. JOHN HOYLE, JR.
TO PREACH SUNDAY
i AT BETHLEHEM
Dr. John Hoyle, Jr., superintend
ent of the Marion Methodist District
will preach at Bethlehem Methodist
I church next Sunday morning, at 11
o'clock, it has been announced by
the pastor. Members of all churches
on the Old Fort circuit are invited
to attend the service.
Also on February 22, at 2:30 in
the afternoon, all members of the
quarterly conference for Old Fort
circuit are urged to be present at a
joint session of quarterly confer
ences for the churches and charges
in McDowell county, to be held in
First Methodist church, Marion. In
addition to the necessary amount of
quarterly conference business to be
transacted, some important phases
of Christian Education in the local
churches will be presented and dis
cussed by various speakers. Any in
terested persons are welcome.
Charlotte Tech
To Meet Rippers
The battle between the Big Town
and the little dwelling will take
place tomorrow night at 7 o'clock
when the Rippers of Marion high
will meet the Hungry Wolves of
Charlotte Tech High. In their first
meeting, January 29, the Rippers
were lucky to win a 29-27 game due
to the over aggressiveness of a Char
lotte boy who touched the basket
when the ball was in the air—thus
giving the Rippers the winning
points. The Tech Wolves haven't
forgotten this and are out to take
the Rippers' scalp. Led by Shrine
Footballer, John Hopkins, the Tech
Highs present a great passing and
defensive team. Since beginning re
lations with Charlotte, the Rippers
have a 2-1 lead in games.
To offset the Hopkins scoring
threat—Coach Ditt will depend on
Frank Pace—outstanding point mak
er. In their last meeting Pace col
lected 12 points—Hopkins 10. A
big battle is expected when these
two boys get together.
DR. GUY SMITH KIRBY
FUNERAL RITES
HELD MONDAY
FOR DR. KIRBY
Funeral services were held at the
First Presbyterian church here Mon
day for Dr. Guy Smith Kirby who
died early Sunday morning in Nor
bum Hospital, Asheville.
He was born in Charlotte April 24,
1874, and graduated from Davidson
college, later receiving his medical
training at the University of Rich
mond. He had practiced medicine
here for more than 50 years.
He was married to Miss Bonnie
Neal, who died in 1942. Later he
married Miss Bonnie Marie Burgin
of Marion.
At the time of his death, Dr. Kirby
was serving his 30th year as surgeon
for the Southern railway and his
20th year as county physician of
McDowell county.
He had served as ruling elder of
the First Presbyterian church of
Marion; was president of the Tenth
District Medical society; was past
master of the 'Mystic Tie Lodge,
A.F. and A.M.; chairman of the
board of State Hospital at Morgan
ton for 20 years; chairman of the
board of trustees of the Marion
General hospital for many years.
While a student at Davidson he
was a member of the Kappa Sigma
fraternity and a star baseball pitch
er for Birmingham in the Southern
league. Although he could have
been associated with major leagues,
he gave up his baseball career to de
vote his time to his medical studies.
Surviving are the widow; one son,
Guy S. Kirby, Jr., of Marion; one
daughter, wife of Judge J. Will
Pless, Jr., of Marion; one brother,
K. A. Kirby of Raleigh; one sister,
Mrs. J. H. Buckley of Morganton;
seven grandchildren and two great
grandchildren.
Tuesday Warmest Day
Since Last November
The mercury rose to 67 degrees
here Tuesday, the highest reading
since November 24 when the maxi
mum reading at the local weather
bureau was 69. The blue skies and
warm sunshine were a marked con
trast to the previous Tuesday when
a 7% inch snow covered the ground.
If spring continues on its way as
fast as it has during the past week,
winter will soon be over. Maximum
readings since last Thursday have
stepped up a little each day. Thurs
day 46, Friday 47, Saturday 55 and
Sunday 56. Monday dropped back
to 55, but only in preparation for
the highest temperature of winter on
Tuesday.
McDowell County Boy Scout
Drive Scheduled To End This Week
BANKS TO CLOSE
ALL DAY MONDAY
The First National and Marion In
dustrial Banks will observe the
Monday after Washington's Birth
day as a holiday, it is announced.
Both banks will be closed all day
February 23.
It is estimated that the common
cold and its complications is respons
ible for from 40 to 50 per cent of
all days lost from work in the United
States.
GORDON EXPLAINS
PROPOSED TAX
AT KIWANIS MEET
Kiwanians Urged To Support
Tax Proposal At Special
Election To Be Held April 6
Roy Davis, program chairman for
the month of February for the local
Kiwanis club, presented as guest
speaker to the meeting Tuesday eve
ning, Kiwanian M. W. Gordon, Jr.
In presenting the speaker, Davis
stated that the week of February 15
was being observed as National Par
ent-Teacher Week and that Mr. Gor
don was president of the Marion
High School Parent-Teacher Asso
ciation.
In addressing the club, Gordon
stated that his topic was ''Youth—
Its Future," but that it was necess
ary to confine his remarks to one
ohase of the topic. It was pointed
out that the Marion Parent-Teacher
association was greatly interested in
helping to make better facilities
available and improve teaching con
ditions for the boys and girls enroll
ed in the Marion city schools, and
that in keeping with this dedication
that the organization of parents and
teachers, in cooperation with the
board of trustees of the Marion city
administrative unit, had requested
the county board of commissioners
to present to the voters of the Mar
ion city administrative unit the ques
tion of a supplementary tax for
school purposes not to exceed twen
ty cents on the $100.00 valuation.
Gordon informed his audience that
recently the trustees of the Marion
city schools had appeared before the
county commissioners and made a
formal request for a special tax elec
tion as set out above, and that the
county commissioners had agreed to
call this election on April 6.
During the course of this address.
Kiwanian Gordon briefly set out the
needs which make a special tax levy
necessary if the schools are to con
tinue to grow progressively. It was
pointed out that at the present time,
a number of the classrooms in the
city schools are overcrowded, and
j that additional teachers are needed
j to relieve the teacher load. If the
'schools are to receive relief in this
connection, it will be necessary for
the funds for such purposes to be
raised locally as the State School
{Board provides funds for the em
ployment of teachers to meet a min
I i'mum standard only.
The speaker observed that if a
special tax election is carried that
it will be the duty and responsibility
of the County Commissioners to
establish a tax rate, which in no
event can exceed twenty cents on
the $100.00 valuation, to meet the
budget needs as submitted by the
city school board.
It was stated that the Parent
Teacher association was anxious to
maintain a high standard of instruc
tion in the Marion city schools and
that the need for teachers handling
special subjects was quite evident,
and that if the boys and girls of this
community are to enjoy such bene
fits, funds from local sources would
be required to pay for such a pro
gram.
After his address the speaker ask
ed for questions from the group on
any of the points or issues that had
been raised from the discussion. Nu
merous questions were asked and
answered. The question was asked,.
. (Continued on last page)
The McDowell County Boy Scout
Drive, which opened here last week,
is now well underway and heads of
the drive are hoping the $2,000 goal
may be reached by the end of this
week, according to a report yester
day by Roy W. Davis, chairman of
the drive.
Although the amount raised to
date has not been ascertained, Davis
estimated that approximately $600
had been received. However reports
had been received from only five of
the 16 persons heading the canvass,
Davis said.