ADVERTISE
what you have to sell
or what! you want to
buy in The Skyland
Post which is read in ■
more than 90 percent
of the homes in Ashe.
Resolve* to make busi
ness belter in 1938.
VOLUME VIII, NUMBER 2
Brief News I
FROM THE
Daily Headlines
JAPS TAKE TSINGTAO
AND HEAD FOR SUCHOW
Shanghai, Jan. 11.—A renew
ed push toward Suchow, st a'e
gic rail junction north of Nan
king, appeared imminent today
following the bloodless occupa
tion of Tsingtao, principal port
of rich Shauntung province.
Without firing a shot, Japan
ese naval forces occupied
Tsingtao yesterday, 10 days af
ter the city’s defenders had
fled leaving acres of dynamit
ed, burned and looted Japan
ese buildings. Destruction of
Japanese properties was esti
mated at $100,000,000.
* There was no sign of opposi
tion as 400 marines entered the
defenseless city after an 18-
mile march from Sliatzekow.
Shortly after they arrived,
trcop ships entered the harbor
and began disembarking addi
tional marines.
SUGGETS CO-OPERATION
AS RECESSION’S CURE
Washington, Jan. 10 —Indus-
trial peace and effective co
operation of management and
way earners was held tof?ay
by Lammct du Pent, president
of E. I. da Pont de Nemours
and company, to be one of the
greatest requirements of toe
present badness situation
which, however, will not be
best. attained by compl cated
new legislation.
Appearing before the senate
unemployment and relief in
vestigating committee, Mr. du
Pont, who expressed his bel'ef
in high wages, and the in
creased buying power result
ing therefrom, declared also
that business will recover cn
jjrtir iv in. an ? on& :
# deuce in private. .
a wider understanding that the
main bu rden of re-emplcyme t
fall on industry and not on the
government. He denied that
business had gone “on strike”
V against the administration.
$22,000 LINDBERGH
REWARD MONEY PAID
Trenton, N. J., Jan. 10.—Gov.
Harold G. Hoffman today gave
nine men and a women $22,000
of New Jersey’s $25,000 reward
for capture of the Lindbergh
baby murdereV. He reserved
the remainder for more than
100 others and reiterated his
belief the case was not com
pletely solved with the execu-
tion of Bruno Richard Haupt
mann.
The Bronx service station
manager, Walter Lyle, now of
Elizabeth, N. J., who jotted
down Hauptmann’s automobile
license number on a $lO bill—
part of the $50,000 which Col.
Charles A. Lindbergh paid in
a futile effort to regain his
child—w*as awarded $7,500.
KING WINTER AGAIN
DESCENDS IN ASHE COUNTY
After three weeks of excellent
weather, king winter is descending
on the Blue Ridge. When the paper
went to press last night, snow was
falling fast and indications were
that it would continue throughout
the night. A three-inch snow fell
Monday night. Before the week
end is over, Ashe county may ex
perience another 6-inch snowfall.
VANCE B. PENNINGTON
COUNTY’S IST ARRIVAL
Vance Bernard Pennington,
son of Mr. and Mrs Ambrose
Pennington, of the Ashland
community, was the first child
bom in Ashe county in 1938,
according to ehtries made at
The Skyland Post office and
to.the child’s parents goes a
one year’s subscription to The
Post
Vance Bernard was bom at
5:15 o’clock on the morning of
January 1, only 5 hours and
| 15 minutes after the arrival
of infant ’3B. Dr. W. J. Rob
3, ertson was the attending phy
sician.
To the first couple married
in 1938, The Post is still ready
to nresent a “wedding pres
1' ' eat”. . .
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jslwlanfc ftot
Author of “Shadows Slant North”
MARY BLEDSOE GILI.ETI—Mrs. Gillett describes Ashe county and
many cf its people in her popular new book, “Shadows Slant North”,
which was published recently. The author is a native of Nathan’s Creek.
Native Citizen Writes Novel
About Ashe And Adjoining Area
J o
I “Shadows Slant North” Is The
Title of Mary B’edsoe Gillett’s
New Book.
Mrs. Ma’y Eledsoe Gillett, a na
tive of this county and now a resi
dent cf Charlotte, has written the
first novel ever published with a
setting laid in Ashe county and
with characters who are. Ashe coun
ty people.
The title of this new book that
has already been widely publicized
and praised by reviewers through
out the country, is “Shadows Slant
North”. It contains 398 pages and
is published by Lathrop, Lee and
Shepard, an old established New
I York book publishing company. It
• was released by the publishers last
i November and is enjoying an ex
cellent sale all over the Ration.
Three printings were ordered be
fore publication, which is rather
unusual.
The author, whose maiden name
is Mary Bledsoe, is the daughter
of the late John T. Bledsoe and
Mrs. Sallie Tulbert Bledisoe. One
of her grandfathers was Jesse Bled
soe, a former state representative
who died several years ago.
She was born at Nathan’s Creek,
where the principal setting of her
book is laid, and lived there until
she was about 12 years old. At that
time her father sold his farm and
moved to Texas, where he lived un
til his death some time ago. Her
mother, however, is still living at
Clyde, Texas, as well as two or
three of her brothers and sisters.
She has a number of relatives
living in the county, including J. N.
Tulbert, of West Jefferson, an uncle;
Bill Bledsoe, of Roan’s Creek; Mrs.
Will Miller and Mrs. Mack Absher,
cousins, who live at Nathan’s Creek,
About 5 years ago she returned
to the county and taught school at
Nathan’s Creek for one year and
in 1928 she was a member of the
summer school faculty at A. S. T.
C. in Boone. She also taught at
Blowing Rock.
Her husband is Rupert Gillett, as
sistant news editor of The Charlotte
Observer, and they frequently visit
Mr. and Mrs: A. B. Hurt, their close
friends, at Nathan’s Creek.
Mrs. Gillett graduated from the
University of Texas and took spe
cial courses at two or three other
universities. For several years she
did newspaper work in Richmond,
j Va., and later was assistant editor
1 of The C. & O. Railroad magazine,
j While she was connected in this ca
! pacity, she won a trip to Europe
: in a writing contest and for three
months, toured all over many Euro
pean countries. Interesting articles
describing this trip appeared in the
railroad magazine.
She has also contributed a num
ber of articles to national maga
zines, including a story called, “The
Hidden People of the Blue Ridge”,
(Continued on Page Five)
THURSDAY JANUARY 13, 1938 . WEST JEFFERSON, N. C.
Bumgarner Fell,
Broke His Neck,
& Died Instantly
Fatal Fall Took Place At His
Hon\e Near Grassy Creek
Last Saturday Night.
BURIED MONDAY
Phil Bumgarner, age 53, one of
the best automobile mechanics and
blacksmith workers Ashe ' county
ever produced, fell, broke hits neck
and died almost instantly at his
home in the Grassy Creek com
munity last Saturday night.
Members of the family stated that
Mr. Bumgarner, who lives about a
mile from the Grassy Creek post
office, was apparently intoxicated
when he returned home about 11
6’clock Saturday night. Immedi
ately after entering the house, they
said, he decided to go back out to
the car to see his friend who
brought him home. He stumbled
and fell off of the three-foot front
porch and died without making a
struggle.
Dr. Waddell, who examined the
body,’ stated that death came so
suddenly as a result of a broke
neck and heart failure.
Funeral services were held at the
home by Rev. W. E. Denney Mon
day. He is survived by his wife
and 6 children.
Congressman Doughton Believes
Recession Will Be Over Soon
Washington, D. C. —Following a
bedroom conference with President
Roosevelt at the White House early
last week, Chairman Robert D.
Doughton stated that he was very
much encouraged over the outlook
for business and predicted the pre
sent recession would fade away as
fast as it came.
The veteran North Carolina sen
ator did not tell what he learned at
the White House that gave him
such an optimistic feeling regard
ing early recovery.
Doughton in recent weeks has
not been overly encouraged as to
the chances of checking the reces
sion and he has indicated that gov
ernment and business should acjlopt
a more cooperative spirit. Today
he said:
“Based on what the president
told me and the situation in gen
eral, I am confident business is go
ing to pick up and I feel sure we
will soon experience full recovery
from the recession. I am very much
encouraged.”
Rep. Doughton, along with Rep.
Vinsion (D., Ky.),, conferred with
the president at breakfast time this
v ✓" * ‘V 'll SiJ OiL
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First National
Bank Enjoyed A
Successful Year
■■■„ ■ ,i■ i .. - 0
Total Assets Increased Over
$22,000. Annual 12 Per Cent
Dividend Paid.
RE-ELECT OFFICERS
The First National Bank, which
weathered the depression with one
of the best records of any financial
institution in the state, enjoyed an
other successful year in 1937, ac
cording to reports made by ,J. L.
Segraves, cashier, at the annual
stockholders’ meeting held here
Tuesday morning.
The bank is paying a 12 per cent
divident to its stockholders, just as
it did every year during the de
pression. A comparison of the an
nual statement, published elsewhere
in this issue, with the statement for
1936, shows the bank’s total as
sets climbed from $542,874.91 in
1936, to $565,535.69 in in 1937, an in
crease of over $22,000.00.
Total deposits in the bank inc
reased from $483,546.77 in 1936 to
$499,200.63 in 1937, a gain of over
$15,000.00. The bank also built up
its cash reserve nearly $10,000.00
and undivided profits were in
creased over $3,000.00.
The stockholders re-elected the
directors and chose Dr. B. E. Reaves
to :erve as chairman of the board.
The directors are: J. J. Thomas, Dr.
R. C. Ray, Dr. B. E. Reeves, T. C.
Bowie and E. A. McNeill. The direc
! tors then re-elected the same offic
i ers, Mr. Thomas, president; Mr. Mc
, Neill, vice-president; Dr. B. E.
Reeves, vice-president; J. L. Se
graves, caiJiier; Lilly A. Segraves,
assistant cashier and Den L. Fran
cis, assistant cashier.
1 ' All of the directors and officers
were present except Mr. Thomas,
i who is now in Florida on a vaca-
I tion. The stockholders requested
the cashier to write Mr. Thomas
and express to him their deep ap
preciations for his long and faith
ful service to the bank as president
'nd fiir 'ctor- ’ '
I-.'-
Miller Johnson
Exonerated From
Accident Charges
Case Dismissed By Magistrate
H. C. Tucker. Charges Out
growth Os Wreck.
In a hearing before Magistrate
H. C. Tucker last Saturday, Miller
Johnson was exonerated from all
charges growing out of the fafal
accident which occurred near Jef
ferson before Christmas.
Johnson was charged with driv
ing a car while intoxicated, reck
less driving and assault with a
deadly weapon, resulting in the
death of Earl Neaves.
Members of the deceased’s fami
ly did not press the prosecution.
In another case that came before
Mr. Tucker during the past week,
in which Mrs. Sallie Farnsworth,
who formerly operated the Purol
Service Station here, together with
her husband, the plaintiff took a
non-suit. Mrs. Farnsworth was
was charged with giving a worth
less check. There are three other
similar cases against her and are
set for trial next Thursday.
morning on tax matters. The ap
pointment was not annoueed at the
White House Doughton said the
president approved what the ways
and means subcommittee had done
and that the new tax bill would
be reported next week.
While with the president, Dough
ton recommended the |apointmo|nt
of Chief Justice Stacy, of the North
Carolina supreme court, to succeed
Associate Justice Sutherland on the
U. S. supreme court bench.
Later today Doughton and Repre
sentative Bayard Clark, of Fayette
ville, were in touch with the White
House to ascertain if the president
would see delegations in support of
possible supreme court appointees.
The North Carolinians were ad
vised that no delegation would be
received.
Doughton stated that the White
House was fully cognizant of Judge
Stacy's splendid qualifications and
his name would be considered with
others. The ■ house member, how
ever, stated that the geographical
complexion of the court naturally
entered into the picture and the
chance of another southerner being
named was not favorable.
,■ ’.■ . .>.< . • •.;> / l
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i
SI.OO a Year in Ashe County
Addition To School |
Bldg. At Crumpler
Is Approved By WPA
ASHE COUNTY GIANT
’ * - jaws.
aOW&ii
Ashe county challenges any
county in the state or even in
the nation to produce a larger
human giant than her own
James Scott, who is shown
above with Basil D. Barr, West
Jefferson postmaster and form
er police chief, J. E. Shu make,
standing under his arms. James
is 25 years old, weigh BOD
pounds, is 7 feet and 4 inches
tall and wears number 18 shoes.
He is the son of the late L. A.
Scott and Mrs. Gare Scott, of
Grassy Creek. James is now in
Baltimore, Md.
President Says
He’ll Continue
New Deal Figlit
Jackson Day Dinner Address
Heard Over Nation. Two Ashe
Citizens In Raleigh.
DEFICIT MONEY RAISED
President Roosevelt gave notice
that he would wage a “no compro
mosie” fight against a minority of
“business men, bankers and indus
trialists” who are seeking “auto
cratic control over the country’s
economy in his Jackson d'ay ad
dress to the nation last Saturday
night, which was heard by a large
number of local citizens over the
radio.
At the dinner held in Raleigh Os
car L. Chapman, assistant secre
tary of the interior, was the chief
speaker. Besides highly praising
Roosevelt and the New Deal pro
gram, Mr. Chapman lauded Senator
Reynold's, but ignored mentioning
Senator Bailey, which didn’t set so
well with many delegates.
Ashe county was represented at
the dinner by Sheriff W. E. Miller
and L. P. Colvard, register of deeds.
There were about 500 present for
the occasion and the cast was $25
per person.
Funds raised from the Jackson
day dinners will be used to defray
the Democratic party’s $211,000 in
debtedness. $12,500 were raised at
the Raleigh meeting.
There were 13 Ashe county citi
zens who gave a total of SSO, Chair
man Ira T. Johnston, reported. They
were: W. B. Austin, L. P. Colvard,
W. E. Miller, Mrs. W. E. Miller, Bry
an Oliver, B. H. Duncan, B. W.
Jones, J. B. Hash, J. B. Morphew,
Miss Ruth Tugman, Austin Jones,
J. D. Stansberry and Ira T. John
ston.
Charges Against
Lyle Are Dropped
Charges of traffic law violations
against Kemly Lyle, of Glendale
Springs, were dropped this week
when a compromise was reached in
a civil case.
The charges were the outgrowth
of an automobile-truck accident
th'at took place near Glendale
Springs recently when Lyle drove
his truck out of a side road in front
of an approaching car driven by
Miss Vera Rackley, resulting in a
crash. Mr. Rackley sustained a se
rious head injury and his car w*as
badly damaged.
It is understood that Lyle agreed
to pay Mr. Rackley $50.00.
ASHE COUNTY
is the air - conditioned
section of North Caro
lina whose altitude
ranges from 3,000 to 5,-
600 feet above sea level.
25 miles of the PARK
WAY run through the
county.
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDA
Work On Constructing Four
Classrooms Will Commence
Tomorrow Morning.
IS BADLY NEEDED
Work on the construction of four
additional classrooms to the Crump
ler high school building will com
mence tomorrow, B. W. Jones,
county WPA supervisor, announced
yesterday.
Final approval of this WPA pro
ject was announced a few days ago
and under the direction of J. L.
Stump, of Nathan’s Creek, foreman
for the job, 25 men Will start work
ing tomorrow.
Two classrooms will be built on
each end of the building. They
will be constructed out of brick and
will harmonize with the rest of the
building. It is estimated that the
project will cost around $7,000.00,
with the community puttting up the
sponsor’s part.
Since the eretcion of the build
ing about 8 years ago, enrollment in
the school has grown considerably.
The total enrollment now is 399, * ;
with 70 in the high school and 329
in the grades. At the present time
two or three classes are held in the
gym, due to the crowded condition.
Prof. R. E. L. Plummer, who has
been principal of the school for
several years and who was one of
tne leaders in erecting the building,
has been working faithfully to se
cure WPA approval of the addi
tion.
j Demolition work on the Lansing H
j high school building has been com
! pleted and most of the rock is now
! ready. Classes are being held now
! in seven different buildings in LnQ-
l sm& - : g
I hi /-■
Organize Sunday
School At Meadow
View School House
*
-—•—— *
Thompson Leader In The Or
ganization. Attendance
Growing Rapidly.
Under the able leadership of
Conley Thompson, a Sunday School
was organized at Meadow View
school on January 2. There were
about 20 present for the organiza
tion meeting and last Sunday the
attendance was doubled.
The teachers are as follows: Orin
Shepherd, Miss Eleen Blevins, Den
ver Blevins and Alta Shepherd.
Mr. Thompson is superintendent
and Helen Rupard, sceretary.
The people of the community are
very much enthused over the Sun
day School, as evidenced by the at
tendance.
Mr. Thompson, who is also the
founder and superintendent of the
Thaxton Presbyterian Sunday
School, walks several miles to meet
with his first group on Sunday
morning and several miles farther
to meet with the Meadow View
School in the afternoon.
He is also elder of the Gillespie
Presbyterian church.
CHANGES TO GOODYEARS \
Announcement is made in this
issue of the appointment of W. J.
Parts Company as distributors for
Goodyear tires. This firm has been
handling McLaren tires for some
time, but the McMillan brothers de
cided that they lXd rather handle
the tire that “leads the world in
sales”.
f~Uncle Jim Says
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The agricultural conservation
program is designed to stabilize
production not only to protect the
farmer, but also to assure the Na
tion a more dependable supply of
food and fiber.
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