THE MARION PROGRESS
f .
A WEEKLY NEWSPAPEK DEVOTED TO THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE PEOPLE OF MARION AND McDOWELL COUNTY
ESTABLISHED 1«96 MARION, N. C., THURSDAY, JULY 15, 1948
VOL. 52—No. 52
Merchants Vote To Cooperate
In Campaign To Destroy Insects
The Board of Directors of the
Marion Merchants association met
Tuesday afternoon and agreed un
animously to cooperate with the
Town of Marion in its efforts to rid
the community of disease carrying
flies and other insects.
In cooperation with the plan au
thorized by the Board of Aldermen
at a call meeting Monday night to
spray the Town of Marion with DDT,
the directors of the Merchants asso
ciation voted to sponsor advertising
requesting all persons to see that
their premises are thoroughly spray
ed.
According to a statement issued
from the office of the Marion Mer
cants asociation, this movement was
brought about by the current polio
epidemic in surrounding cities and
towns.
Marion Lake Club
Officers Elected
Marion Lake Club recently elect
ed officers and directors for the fol
lowing year.
The new officers are: Dula Haw
kins, president, succeeding R. W.
Twitty; Charles Smith, Jr., vice
president, succeeding Paul Story;
and Bill Conley, secretary-treasurer,
succeeding Dula Hawkins.
Directors: J. E. Neal, Jr., Thur
man Richie, John Field, W. W.
Greene, Rowe Mauney and Garfield
Beamaa.
Budget Estimate
for Year Placed
The budget estimated for Mp
Dowell county for the year begin
ning July 1 has been placed at $306,
410.38, it is announced. The budget
last year was $285,469.79.
The largest items on the budget
this year are $62,924.00 for the gen
eral county funds, $31,666.36 for
highway debt service and $31,128.71
for school debt service fund.
The estimated budget in full show
ing how the funds are to be spent is
published elsewhere in this paper.
HUNTING RULES
ARE ANNOUNCED
Raleigh, July 10. — The State
Wildlife Resources commission today
announced a simpified set of hunt
ing regulations for 1948-49.
Executive Dircetor Clyde P. Pat
ton said one of the most important
features is the complete removal of
"lay" (no-hunting) days. The rules,
he added, were formulated "with the
emphasis on uniformity."
The season (all dates inclusive) :
Quail and rabbits—November 25
January 10.
Squirrels—October 15-January 10
(except in Ashe, Watauga and Alle
ghany counties, October 1-Decemiber
15).
Ruffed grouse — October 15-Jan
uary 10.
Deer (bucks only) — In eastern
North Carolina, October 15-January
10, except in Hatteras township of
Dare county, November 1-30; in
Buncombe, Henderson, Haywood and
Transylvania counties, November 15
December 6; in Macon, Clay and
Cherokee, November 15-17 and De
cember 6-8; and Avery, Burke, Cald
well, McDowell, Mitchell and Yan
cey, November 15-17. (Portions of
Buncombe, Henderson and Haywood
will be closed).
Beas—October 15-January 1.
Wild Boar—October 15-January
1 (allowed in Cherokee, Graham and
Clay only).
Four crimes are capital offenses
in this state. They are: murder,
rape, arson and first degree bur
glary.
The leading mineral products of
the state are stone, clay products,
sand and gravel, and feldspar.
ASHEVILLE HOSPITAL
PROMISES SERVICES
TO THIS COUNTY
The McDowell County lnfan
tile Paralysis committee receiv- 1
ed word yesterday that the
Asheville Orthopedic Home will
accept polio patients from this
county if any should develop.
The statement was made in
response to an inquiry hy the
committee as to where any vic
tims should be sent if the need
arises.
OUTLINES PLAN
FOR IMPROVING
TEACHER WORK
Raleigh, July 13.—An eight point
program has been suggested by a
State Education commission group
to cambat what it calls an urgent
need for improved teacher education
in North Carolina.
The program was proposed by the
teacher education committee, head
ed by W. M. Jenkins of the Durham
county schools.
"Strong attacks" should be launch
ed to do these eight things, the com
mittee said:
1. Professionalize teacher educa
tion.
2. Select and secure good candi
dates.
3. Equip college to do profession
al preparation of beginners.
4. provide continuation education.
5. Develop qualified leadership.
6. improve organization and ad
ministration.
7. Improve certification.
8. Provide for statewide planning.
The report to the State Education
commission says that the teacher
shortage is so serious that some 3,
000 qualified white elementary teach
ers must be secured this fall from
places other than teacher training
schools in the state.
Much Is Known
It continues: "It is necessary to
emphasize the fact that the day has
passed when any college graduate
can teach. A great deal is known
today about how to teach. As much
is known about the technique of
teaching reading as about the techni
que of removing the appendix . . .
Changing teacher education into pro
fessional education cannot be done
overnight but a strong beginning in
that direction should be immediate."
To professionalize teacher educa
tion, the committee found, three
things must be done: -more rigid
criteria for accrediting colleges must
be established and enforced; respon
sibility for operating teacher educa
tion must be concentrated within
each college; and the approved col
leges must evolve really professional
curricula.
The report says that there is a
real reed for younger, more vigor
ous teachers and increased personnel
in teacher training institutions. It
adds that the problem of recruiting
good personnel for teacher aduca
tion institutions is difficult and "will
remain so until salaries and teach
ing conditions for these professional
workers have been improved."
Endorse Criteria
The committee endorsed the crit
eria set up by the North Carolina
(Continued on last page)
No Polio Cases
Reported To Date
No cases of polio had been
reported to the County Health
office at closing time yesterday.
Precauntionary measures are
underway to destroy insects, to
urge home owners to cooperate
by spraying stables, barns, or
any places where flies and in
sects breed, and Dr. C. N. Sisk,
district health officer, urges par
ents to keep children away from
public gatherings. These steps
were taken because of the num
ber of cases in adjoining towns
and counties, but no polio has
been reported in ^McDowell
county to date.
HEALTH OFFICER
ISSUES STATEMENT
Dr. C. N. Sisk, district health
officer, issued a statement Tues
day urging parents to keep all
children off streets, away from
swimining pools and that they
avoid all crowded places.
He commented that McDow
ell county is indeed fortunate
in not having any polio cases
* to date and urged that precau
tionary measures be exercised.
Polio Committee
Officers Elected
Dr. J. F. Jonas resigned as chair
man of the McDowell County In
fantile Paralysis committee at a
meeting of the committee Tuesday
afternoon and was succeeded by S.
J. Westmoreland.
Other officers of the association
were elected as follows: H. F. Beam,
vice chairman and M. W. Gordon,
treasurer. Mrs. D. N. Lonon was te
elected secretary.
BOY SCOUT
COURT OF HONOR
HELD HERE FRIDAY
The Boy Scout Court of Honor
was held at the First Methodist
church Friday night.
John C. Owensby, troop 6, Marion,
received the Star Scout Rank and
Bill Wilson, troop 6, Marion, Life
Scout Rank. Maurice Melton, of
troop 1, Sugar Hill, was advanced
to the rank of Five Year Veteran
Scout.
Other advancements were made as
follows:
Tenderfoot: Kerry Monteith,
Bronson Monteith, Lee Holland and
Jimmy Stiles, of troop , Sugar Hill,
and Eugene Rader, troop 4, Marion.
Second Class: Donald Elliott and
R. L. Carmody, troop 4, Marion.
First Class: Jack Greene of North
Cove.
MERIT BADGES
Athletics—J. W. Carpenter, troop
1, Ashford. and Ronald Ross, troop
6, Marion.
Automobiling — Frank English,
troop 1, Ashford.
Carpentry—Bill Wilson, troop (5,
Marion.
Beekeeping—Jack Brown, troop 1,
Ashford.
Bookbinding — Frank English,
troop 1, Ashford.
First Aid — Max Jordan, North
Cove.
Fruit Culture — Claud Townsend,
troop 1, Ashford.
Home Repairs — Donald Watkins,
troop 4, and Ray McCurry, troop 6,
Marion.
Pioneering — David Patterson,
troop 4, Marion.
Stamp Collecting — Norman Mel
ton, troop 1, Sugar Hill.
Pottery — Norman Melton, troop
1, Sugar Hill.
Prior to the Court of Honor a film
showing the many uses of cotton was
shown:
Rev. Pratt Addresses
Allied Church League
Rev. H. W. Pratt, D. D., of Colum-1
bia, S. C., told members of the Allied
Church League of McDowell county
that the church should not engage
in politics, but church people should
always be ready to denounce evil,
at a mass meeting held at the First
Baptist church Sunday afternoon.
The meeting was called to discuss
the approaching wine and beer elec
tion for McDowell county. B. F.
Pollard, president of the local organ
ization, introduced the speaker.
Prior to the speaker's address,
Rev. M. 0. Owens, pastor of the
First Baptist church, extended a wel-1
come to representatives of various
churches throughout the county.
Officers of the McDowell county
organization are: B. F. Pollard, pres
ident; Amos Seagle, secretary; W.
F. Grant, treasurer; M. W. Gordon,
chairman of the Advisory Board;
Rev. M. 0. Owens and B. F. Pollard,
program committee.
ORIGIN OF DOG DAYS
The term dog days for late sum
mer originated in the belief that
dogs were especially liable to go
mad at that time, although actually
fewer go mad in summer than in
any other season.
LEGION OFFICERS
ARE INSTALLED
TUESDAY_NIGHT
Officers of McDowell Post No. 56
of the American Legion were install
ed at a meeting in the community
building Tuesday night by District
Commander Cecil B. Dobson.
The officers are: Watson Wilson,
commander; E. F. Haire, first vice
commander; Edward Rowe, second
vice commander; Ray Brown, third
vice commander; Forney Briscoe, ad
jutant; Glenn Earley, assistant ad
jutant; Sam Proctor, finance officer;
John S. Wilson, service officer; S. R.
Perkins, assistant service officer;
Horace Norton, guardianship officer;
Arnold Morgan, sergeant-at-arms;
Rev. George Needham, chaplain, and
Rev. J. B. McLarty, assistant chap
lain; Frank Sentelle, historian; W.
E. Carter, athletic officer; Dr. J. F.
Miller, child welfare officer; Horace
Wilkerson, Americanism officer; Fred
Willis, national defense officer; Lee
Erwin, graves registration officer;
Barron Caldwell, employment officer;
Rodney Hemphill, Boys' State -offi
cer; J. H. Beaman, Boy Scout officer;
Glenn Norman and Hubert Brown,
membership chairmen; Edward Ste
wart, publicity officer; John Melton,
oratorical contest officer, and C. C.
Wise, chairman of Sons of Legion.
J. Hal Gilbreath, assistant State
Veterans Employment Representa
tive, addressed the group briefly re
garding his work with veterans.
NEW OFFICERS
OF AUXILIARY
ARE INSTALLED
Mrs. John Melton was installed as
president of the American Legion
Auxiliary succeeding Mrs. Margaret
Wall, at a meeting held Tuesday
night in the community building.
Other officers installed were: Mrs.
Margaret Wall, first vice president;
Mrs. Watson Wilson, second vice
president, and Mrs. Ray Brown, sec
retary-treasurer.
The installation was performed by
C. B. Dobson, district commander,
in a joint session with the American
Legion following a short business
session of the Auxiliary.
Romulus C. Franklin
Is Claimed By Death
Romulus Clingman Franklin, 76,
father of Mrs. M. W. Gordon, Jr.,
and J. W. Franklin of Marion, died
July 4 at the home of Mr. and Mi-s.
C. V. Walton in Morganton where
he had resided for the past four
years.
Funeral services were conducted
Tuesday afternoon at 4:.'>0 o'clock
at the Pisgah Methodist church near
Linville Falls with the Rev. Philip
Shore, Jr., of Greensboro, a grand
son-in-law of the deceased, officiat
ing. Burial was in the church ceme
tery.
Mr. Franklin, born in Avery coun
ty, had been one of the early wild
life enthusiasts of his home county
and had served as a game and fish
protector and also as a justice of the
peace in Avery county.
In addition to his widow, Mr.
Franklin is survived by four daugh
ters, Mrs. Moran Wilson and Mrs. C.
V. Walton of Morganton, Mrs. Gor
don, and Mrs. J. U. Horne, Jr., of
Louisville, Ky., and five sons, Claud
G., Albert D. and Hal M., of Linville
Falls, J. Warren of Marion and Guy
of Dayton, Ohio. Also nineteen
grandchildren and three great-grand
children.
Burgin And Lytle
Reunion July 18th
The eighteenth annual Burgin
Lytle reunion wil be held at Bethel
Methodist church on highway 64,
four and one-half miles south of Old
Fort Sunday, July 18, it was an
nounced yesterday by Glenn Brad
ley, secretary.
The program, consisting of songs
and short talks, will begin at 10
o'clock, with lunch at 12 o'clock.
The afternoon program will in
clude a short program by the W. H.
Burgin family, songs, and a business
session.
MARION WILL BE SPRAYED
MONDAY WITH FOG OF DDT
4-H CLUB CAMP
PLANS CANCELLED
McDowell county youths will
; not attend the 4-H club camp
: at Swannanoa this month, ac
> cording to joint announcement
; by Carl Whiteside, assistant
! county farm agent, and Miss
Jean Steele, county home de
i monstration agent.
1 Plans for local 4-H club boys
| and girls to attend the camp
the last week of July were can
! celled tliii week because of the
| current polio epidemic through
i out tike state, it was stated.
Marion Progress
Ends 52nd Year
Of Publication
The Marion Progress ends its 52nd
year of publication with this issue.
And if it could only reminisce and
sneak its thoughts it would begin
its life story with the year after the
town of Marion had been destroyed
by fire and was being rebuilt. There
were cows and chickens roaming the
board sidewalks and dirt roads that
formed the Main street of Marion.
Some people said Marion homes
might some day have running water,
but it was about ten years before
they did.
The McDowell Publishing Com
pany was organized in 1896 and the
paper was first known as The Mc
Dowell Democrat. C. E. House and
E. H. House were co-owners when
S. E. Whitten came to Marion from
Greenville, Tenn., in ;902 to be
manager. Later, Whitten purchased
the business and sold half interest
to S. C. Little in July, 1909. The
partnership was dissolved with the
issue of February 10, 1910, and
Whitten assumed full ownership.
On November 11, 1909, the name
of the paper was changed to The
Marion Progress.
It's had its face lifted a few times,
sometimes it's a little frayed at the
edges, but unlike the rest of us, the
older it grows, the better it gets
around.
Judith Ann Frick
Dies At Home Here
Funeral services for Judith Ann
Frick, two-year-old daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Curtis A. Frick, who died
Saturday at the home of her parents
here, were held Monday afternoon
at 2 o'clock at the home with Rev.
James B. McLarty officiating. Burial
followed in Oak Grove cemetery.
She is survived by the parents,
two brothers, Curtis Arthur and Gar
ry Dennis; one sister, Sylvia Irene,
and the paternal grandparents, Mr.
and Mrs. Hyram Hensley of Harlan,
Ky.
County-Wide Dress
Contest Here Friday
McDowell county 4-H club girls
will model dresses they have made
at a county-wide dress contest to
be held at two o'clock, Friday, July
16, in the office of Miss Steele, coun
ty agent.
Members of the North Cove, Old
Fort and Pleasant Gardens clubs will
be required to turn in record books
for the year at this meeting.
Annual Red Cross
Meet Set For July 26
The annual meeting of the Mc
Dowell County Chapter of the Amer
ican Red Cross will be held at eight
<^'clock, Monday evening, July 26,
at the courthouse, Mrs. Ann Haw
kins, executive secretary, announced
this week.
E. P. Dameron, county chairman,
will preside. J
Mlayor J. W. Streetman, Jr. and
the Board of Aldermen made plans,
to fog Marion with DDT at a special
call meeting of the Board here Mon
day evening.
Jack D. Cobb, McDowell county
sanitarian, will supervise the spray
ing. A special type of equipment
attached to the back of a truck will
spread the fog over the Town of
Marion, Morehead City and Black
Bottom sections next Monday. The
residential sections will be covered
during daylight hours and the busi
ness section during the evening when
the streets are not as crowded.
Mayor Street explained that
weather conditions could ne
cessitate postponing the cover
age. For example, a high wind
interferes with the distribution
or a heavy rain would force de
lay since it would destroy the
effects of the fog.
The cost of the job, which will
be conducted by the Orkin Extermi
nating company of Asheville, will be
$12.50 an hour for the apparatus
and labor, plus 67c a gallon for the
chemical, the Mayor said, and it is .
estimated that the Town of Marion
can be completely covered in 25
hours.
The Cross Cotton, Marion Manu
facturing and Clinchfield mill vil
lages have already been sprayed and
will not be included in this coverage,
it was stated.
The fog will be deadly to flies,
mosquitoes and similar small insect
pests, but will not harm people, ani
mals, plants, fish, birds, e1;c.
The job will be financed by the
Town of Marion as a precautionary
measure regarding the prevalence of
polio in the state.
M'DOWELL COUNTY
SUPERIOR COURT
ENDS WEDNESDAY
The July term <rf McDowell Coun
ty Superior Court for the trial of
civil cases opened here Monday and
ended Wednesday. Judge Dan K.
Moore presided.
In the case of Kenneth Ray Toney,
minor, represented by his father,
Dan Toney, vs. Mrs. Marie Laugh
ridge, action brought for injuries
sustained by Kenneth Ray Toney
last November when an automobile
in which he was riding, owned by
the defendant, Mrs. Marie Laugh
ridge, and driven by her son, John
Mac Laughridge, was wrecked. The
plaintiff was awarded $500 in addi
tion to $500 which had already been
paid him.
In the case of Lennie Loftis vs.
Lou Byrd and Luther Byrd concern
ing a right-of-way, the plaintiff was
granted a right of way 12 feet wide
over the plaintiff's land.
The following divorces were grant
ed: Francis Ennie McCracken vs.
Benjamin McCracken; Mary Helen
S. Howell vs. George Howell; R. M.
Devinney vs. Fannie Garrison De
vinney; Annie Butner Chaffin vs.
Alexander Parker Chaffin; Ifcobert
Lee Conley vs. Elizabeth Roena Tate
Conley; Hester Elkins Patrick vs.
John W. Patrick, Jr.; Arthur J. Mc
intosh vs. Mary Parker Mcintosh;
Faye Pyatt Smith vs. Ott Smith.
Marriage License
Business Good
June was a good month for mar
riages, but July has started out even
better.
The Register of Deeds office is
sued 24 marriage licenses last month
but 10 were issued during the first
seven days of July, (an average of
more than one a day).
The marriage license business was
almost as good last June. The office
issued 19 licenses. But the next
month was a little dull—only 14 all
month, less than the number for the
first seven day of July this year.
Cupid's having a boom year. He
sent 79 couples to the Register of
Deeds from January 1 until July 7.
If he keeps up the pace, he will tojv
last year's total of 112,