THE MARION PROGRESS
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY THE .
Mcdowell publishing co.
MARION, N. C.
TELEPHONE 64
S. E. WillTTEN, Editor and Proprietor
Entered at the Postoffice at Marion, N. C.,
as second class matter
SUBSCRIPTION RATE
One year $2.00
Strictly in Advance
BYRNES HELPS ORPHANS
Royalties amounting to about $100,000, re
ceived by former Secretary of State James F.
Byrnes from the publication of a book, "Speak-1
ing Frankly," have been put into a special fundi
to provide scholarship for worthy boys and|
girls. .
Because he was left fatherless, Mr. Byrnes
has limited beneficiaries to orphans. Already, j
thirty scholarships have been awarded, each1
providing about $2,000 to each student. Thej
fund will probably be dissipated within two
years.
All that Mr. Byrnes asks of the young peo
ple who benefit from his generosity is that they;
"give something back to society." Certainly, |
this is the least that this distinguished Ameri-,
can can expect from those who owe their edu
cation to his desire to make it possible for oth-'
ers to secure an education without enduring
the hardships he underwent.
CALLED TO WORK
Dallas Community Guidance Clinic, they
call it. A young man comes in and wants ad
vice about what line of work he should fol
low. He is sent to somebody who has estab
lished himself in some business, trade or pro
fession, and there they talk it over together—
boy and man.
If education is really fitting the individual
to life, surely this influence is good. Because,
you see, a young man is not fitted to life if he
chooses his work merely for the money that is
in it. On the other hand, if he looks into a call
ing and sees it as an opportunity to serve his
day and age—sees it as a way to help make a
better world while he is earning bread and
butter for himself and his loved ones—that
young man is really fitting himself to life, i
Don't think that the youth gets all the bene
fit out of this sort of contact. The man at his
<3esk or counter or work bench who is visited by
a fine, upstanding, clean lad gets inspiration
out of it. He knows that he he is looking at the
future of America when he looks into those
clear young eyes. It takes the humdrum out of
your day to have a visit from hope and high
resolve. It is something of a thrill to meet young
Mr. Greatheart and give him a few road direc
tions as he starts out on his pilgrim's journey.
—Dallas Morning News.
FREEDOM OF THOUGHT
Thoughtful men and women would oppose,
■ 'any tendency in this country to create limita-j
iions individual's right to think and express
"his thoughts, regardless of the topic consider
ed. Any effort to curb intellectual freedom in
an attempt to perpetuate the present status
is an obstacle to progress and freedom.
Even in educational circles, sometimes, the
course of inquiry and conclusion is restricted,
visually to placate financial, economic or relig
ious groups whose patronage the intelli
gence—dictators would either have continue
-or begin. The future welfare of humanity is
sacrificed for such current favors.
Tolerance of discussion, based upon sincer
ity of belief, is the foundation alike of both
democratic government and the maintenance
of human liberty. Without freedom for criti
cism of both doctrines and deeds, no error can
lie corrected, and no improvement may be
looked for when human beings have been to
tally subjected to mental control and censor
ship.
A particularly disagreeable fact in every
case where some dictatorship decrees beliefs
&nd opinions for everybody is the savagery
{with which opposition is attacked and phy
sically obliterated. Those who proclaim the
unquestionable certainty and superiority of
their own viewpoint fear to let it mix in free
competition with other ideas and examples, a
terror which entirely refutes the confidently
expressed conviction of certainty.
Selfishness never built a town into a city.
Let all the people of Marion work together,
unselfishly, and we will be one the right road
to progress.
V
ITS OUR WEATHER
Has the weather gone daffy or have we?
The air waves carry the hourly history of every
"storm" between Tennessee and Timbuktu.
The headlines daily baizen and bemoan some
queer quirks of seemingly fickle nature. There
is a flood here or a drought there; this crop is
about to be ruined by rain, or that one for the
lack of it. No wonder people get the notion that
the weather is going to the dogs! Yet the Wea
ther Bureau records say it isn't so. There are
exceptions, of course—like California's last
winter—but in general the climate is changing
little.
How, then, shall we explain all these unseas
onable seasons, these extremes of heat and
cold, that we hear so much about? Apparent
ly that is just it—we hear so much more about
any unusual behavior of the weather than our
grandfathers did. And the unusual or the ex
treme is often unpleasant. As with so much
is considered news, the impression is that of
bulletins from the sickroom. Sticking a ther
mometer under Old Sol's tongue every hour
is not a cooling exercise. Holding the wrist of
J. Pluvius and trying to count his pulse doesn't
improve the picnic picture.
Of course, those backward folk who went
ahead of us were really much more at the mer
cy of the weather than we ar4 —or should be.
They had neither automatic furnaces nor air
cooling systems. They had to survive without
ice cream, electric refrigerators, and flying
boxcars carrying frozen food. Their heavy
transport depended on wind and water—a
drought often spelled famine. But one gets the
impression that they had a better opinion of
the weather—and of the world—then we do!
Could it be we are using our improved knowl
edge and communications mainly to emphasize
troubles and keep ourselves stirred up?
—Christian Science Monitor.
SECURITY IS WITHIN
There are many people in the world today,
including some in McDowell county, who are
quite convinced that the human race has never
passed through an era of such critical import.
These people, of course, hav« had no experi
ence with former ages and not many of them
have read too much about what the world
went through in former ages.
In the international field, there is great con
cern over the ideological conflict between
Communism and Capitalism, with much worry
about the economic state of the world and the
barriers to international trade. There is anxi
ety as the nations openly maintain vast arma
ments designed to protect them against aggres
sion.'
On the domestic scene, one worries about
the liklihood of a depression. Another is con
cerned over the gradually developing welfare
state, with fears that it will eliminate the urge
that makes human beings go forward. When
these things are out of mind, there is always
time to be concerned over the government's
budget and the probable taxes that one will
have to pay.
The business of worry does not confine it
self to international and national affairs. In
the realm of personal living, there are those
who are greatly concerned lest the rest of the
human race go to the dogs. They are worried
about the divorce rate, the antics of youth and
the dwindling importance of the home. At
other times, they are concerned with the fund
mental decline in character, as expressed in
human living, and the lact of sincerity and
honesty among the people they know.
Given these facts, almost any public speak
er can deliver a tub-thumping oration, warn
ing his listeners that the supreme crisis of the
human race is at hand and that its deliverance
depends upon heeding the warning of the ora
tor. Unfortunately, the orators, as a rule,
know much more about the present than they
do about the past. It is impossible to check up
accurately on what they predict about the fu
ture. Consequently, it will be well to weigh
their words carefully and not to pay too much
attention to their lamentations, forecasts and
remedies.
It might be well to suggest that much of the
insecurity that one hears described as a threat
to the on-going of mankind exists in the minds
of individuals. The man or woman, who has
acquired a philosophy, as life presents its tid
bits, trials and tribulations, has a foundation
upon which to stand regardless of the way the
world goes.
The trouble with most of the aspect wor
riers, however, is that they are not willing to
stand on their foundation but insist on telling
everybody that, unless all people stand on the
same foundation, there will be a disastrous end
for humanity.
Thfe world economic situation might not need
so many American dollars, as a gift, if the
same American dollars were used in the pur
chase of the world's goods.
Learn to get along with people; you'll have
to associate with them until you die.
OUR DEMOCRACY —byM*
STEP By STEP
Once a people have embraced a vision that promises a
GOAL TOWARD WHICH THEY STRIVE%THEV TEND TO GET
IMPATIENT. WITH PROGRESS. IT WAS TRUE IN THE DEVELOPMENT
OP OUR DEMOCRACY, IT IS TRUE TODAV IN THE UNITED NATIONS-""
EVEN THOUGH THERE IS /ZEAL ACCOMPLISHMENT I
d/frz/jt/s/s / ,^/i - —
The internat/onal
CHILPRENS'EMERGENCY FUND
IS FEEDING 4,500,000
CHILDREN DAILY.
^ P y j
The U.Ns world health I
ORGANIZAT/ON IS PREVENTING . '
ANO CONTROU-IN6EPIDEMICS... \
IMMUNIZING ANP INNOCULATIN6 f
AGAINST COMMUNICABLE
DISEASES.
THE UN. FOOCANP AGRICULTURE
ORGANIZATION IS RAISING
WORLDS FOOO PRODUCTION BY
INTRODUCING MODERN METHODS
OF FARMING , BETTER SEED,
CONTROL OF PLANT AND
ANIMAL DISEASES.
So LONG AS WE HOLD THE CONCEPT CLEAR., SO LONG AS WE
ARE LEARN/NG TO WORK TOGETHER. IN AREAS THAT ARE
IMPORTANT, WE CAN PEEL THAT WE ARE ON THE WAV
TOWARD ACCOMPLISHING THE BROADER GOAL OF THE U.N.
INTERNATIONAL. COOPERATION IN THE
INTEREST OF WORLD PEACE.
n ==?>
Looking Backward
From The Progress Files
V?
On July 20, 1916 the Progress
published one of the most import
ant stories in the history of McDow
ell county—the story of the 1916
I flood.
1 It read as follows:
"Although four days have elaps
ed since the storm, very little is yet
known of the amount of damage
done. Our people were slow to be
lieve the first reports reaching
here thinking they were greatly ex
agerated but everyone has about
come to the conclusion that it is
simply impossible to exagerate any
thing in connection with this great
storm. From Friday to Sunday mor
ning nearly twelve inches of watei
fell. On account of the streams al
ready being full, it took very little
time to get the Catawba river out
of bank. Along this stream from
Greenlee to Bridgewater in this
county, the greatest damage was
done. Both the Dan Dobson and J.
R. Ledbetter farms near Greenlee
were almost completely destroyed.
The Geo. Carson farm three miles
from Marion was probably the
worst damaged farm in the county.
The river at this point has appar
ently changed its course and is now
running much closer to Mr. Car
son's house. Mr. Carson and family
moved out Saturday night just be
fore the water reached the house.
Mr. J. L. Morgan and family were
compelled to move out about eight
o'clock Saturday night. They all
managed to get out safely although
the water was waist deep at the
! time they left. Every bridge on the
1 Catawba river in this county has
been swept away with the exception
i of one span of the bridge near
I George Carsons. The bridge near J.
L. Morgan's had stood the big flood
in 1901.
"It is reported that five or six
i people were drowned in the North
Cove section. Names of these peo
i pie cannot be learned at this time.
| The greatest loss Marion suffered
; was the damage done to the water
j system. From the intake at the head
| of Clear Creek to where the line
: crosses Catawba river more than
i two thousand feet of pipe has been
| entirely washed away. It is estimat
j ed that it will take at least six days
| to repair the pipe line and have
; water running in the reservoir.
! The town authorities have already
l arranged to pump water from the
jwell at the old distillery place. This
'■was the sourse of water supply be
! fore the line was built to Clear
j Creek.
j "Marion Light & Power Co. was
out of business about eight o'clock
| Saturday night. The officers of this
j company have not yet been able to
reach the power house on Toms
creek and therefore do not know
, the extent' of their damage. It is
feared that both dams have been
washed away and if they have it
will be several months before they
| will be able to do business.
J "From a financial point of view
the railroads have been hit harder
than any one else. Several people
who have walked here from Alta
(Continued on page 7)
'Hurry; Doc;; iqw re
wanted in Surgery. Bring all
your tools . . . man wants us" to
cut his operating costs, sawhis
service charges in half . . . re
lieve his engine congestion . .
put that old new-car pep, pull
and power back in the car."
He's come to the right hospital^
•Doctor.Killcare will , 'h
/J/
Lvuznae
■iM Jd -dtAma
Lubrication Department. "Ready, aim, fire!" Our grease-gun soldiers are sure
shots—they hit every spot that needs lubrication.
Brakes Department. Let "Doc Killcare" adjust your brakes periodically—then
drive with confidence. Keep on the safe side.
Accessories Department. You have access to the most complete stock of
Chevrolet accessories in town right here!
Wash Department. Keep that new car complexion with a periodic wash and car
polish here—done by experts in less time.
Tune-up Department. You can hum sweetly along the highway when our
experts finish tuning up your automobile.
Carbon Department. Smudge, sludge, carbon, congestion—maybe your engine
needs a good cleaning out by Dr. Killcare!
Body Department. Bodies that are smooth, keen on the eyes, come from our
• body, touch-up and paint department.
Alignment Department. We advise letting Dr. Killcare align your car's front
wheels periodically to save your tires and make steering easier.
Electrical Department. It's no shock to pay for this check-up service for gener
ator, starter, lights, and distributor. Batteries for today's game will win your
favor, too.
HHl Baliew Motor Co.. Inc.
436 E. Court St.
Phone 225