ELKIN
The Best Little Town
I In North Carolina
ELKIN
Gateway To Roaring Gap
and the Blue Ridge
Bo?
OL. NO. XXXIII No. 28
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
ELKIN. N. C., THURSDAY, JUNE 14, 1945
$2.00 PER YEAR
14 PAGES—TWO SECTIONS
.. '.—————S==2=====l
I Capt. McKnight
I Is Vidim of
I Tragic Accident
capt. john c. Mcknight
Victim of an accidental bullet
wound through the abdomen re
Jf ceived while he was dismantling
a German pistol, Captain John
C. McKnight, 26, son of Mr. and
Mrs. T. C. McKnight, of Elkin,
died in a hospital at Augsburg,
Germany, May 28. The accident
occurred May 20.
A letter dictated by Captain
McKnight while in the hospital
and received a few days prior to
the War Department death mes
sage, gave no hint that his con
dition was so grave. Death was
attributed to peritonitis.
A letter to the parents here
from Captain McKnight’s chap
lain gave full details of the ac
cident and the nature of his in
juries, and described fully the
funeral services held for him on
May 29. The letter also men
tioned that his childhood friend,
Captain Billy Gibson, formerly of
Sumter, S. C., had been with him
in Augsburg for the past month.
Captain McKnight had been
wounded in action about a year
ago, but after recovering five
months later declined to return
home.
The young man entered the |
army in February 1941 as a sec- |
ond lieutenant.* He trained at
Fort Benning, Ga., and went ov
erseas nearly three years ago,
seeing service in North Africa,
Italy, Fiance and Germany with
the Seventh Army.
A younger brother, Lieut. Ben
G. McKnight, died of wounds re
ceived in New Guinea in Decem
ber, 1942, Elkin’s first casualty of
the war.
In commending Captain Mc
Knight for the Rhine crossing,
his commanding officer said,
“This is only one of the assign
ments that you have faithfully
performed. Crossing and break
ing the Siegfried Line was ac
complished with such speed and
fearless determination under en
emy fire that you made it look
fairly simple. I am proud to say
that no mission is too hazardous
for you to accomplish. Your spir
it and attitude are superb.”
Surviving are the parents and
one sister, Mrs. R. L. Alexander,
who is with her husband, Lieut.
Alexander, now at Bainbridge,
Md., after having served over
seas.
Mr. McKnight, the father, is
general secretary of the Gilvin
Roth YMCA here.
Funeral On Saturday
For Mrs. Mary Burton
Funeral services were conduct
ed Saturday afternoon at Pros
pect Methodist church for Mrs.
Mary T. Burton, 83, who died at
the home of her son, J. P. Bur
ton, near Boonville, Friday, after
ain illness of only a few hours,
itev. E. C. Norman and Rev. R. L.
Speer conducted the services and
interment followed in the church
demetery. The body lay in state
|or one hour preceding the fun
eral.
/ She was a native of Guilford
taounty, but had lived in Boon
ville for 55 years.
Survivors include two sons, J. F.
Burton, of Boonville, and D. F.
Burton, of Marshalltown, Iowa;
two brothers, J. N. Mendenhall of
Hagerstown, Mo., and C. M. Men
denhall, of Slater, Mo.; seven
grandchildren and four great
grandchildren.
Chatham Buys Wool
Of Five Counties
The Chatham Manufacturing
Company has purchased the en
tire wool output of Ashe, Alle
ghany and Watauga counties in
North Carolina, and Carroll and
Grayson counties in Virginia, it
was announced by a company of
ficial Wednesday morning.
Wool purchased amounted to
between 100,000 and 125,000
pounds, for which an average of
54 cents per pound was paid.
Launch Final Battle
Against Okinawa Japs
10,000 Enemy
Troops Backed
Into Pocket
Guam, June 13.—Tenth Army
reinforcements stormed onto Yae
Ju-Dake plateau from three sides
today and hammered perhaps 10,
000 Japanese back toward the sea
in which may be the final battle
of Okinawa.
Marines and soldiers were
pressing toward the southern tip
of Okinawa with flame throwers,
tommy guns and bayonets after
scaling the rocky approaches to
the plateau and murderous enemy
fire.
Some of the cliffs were so pre
cipitous the troops used rope lad
ders.
The final American assault was
under way, and it was a battle to
the death with no quarter asked
or given. Gains of up to 1,000
yards were reported in the past
24 hours.
Marines of the First Division
cracked the western end of the.
Yaeju-Dake position in a pre
dawn attack yesterday morning.
They clambered up 150-foot Ku
nishi ridge at 3:30 a. m., under
cover of darkness with compara
tive ease.
Heavy fighting broke out after
dawn, but the marines held their
positions and reinforced them un
der fire. At last reports, the ma
rines were fighting their way
south and west.
The Seventh Infantry Division
at the opposite end of the cross
island line simultaneously battled
500 yards onto the eastern comer
Of the Yaejtt-Dake escarpment at
a point* northwest of Hanagusuku.
BEGIN WORK ON
BUILDING HERE
Hinshaw Hardware Erecting
Large Farm Machinery
Warehouse, Showrooms
BURCHAM CONTRACTOR
Construction of a modern brick,
reinforced concrete and steel
structure on West Market street
adjoining the Elk Printing Com
pany, was begun Monday by H. C.
Burcham, Elkin contractor for
the Hinshaw Hardware Company.
This building will house a full
basement and street floor, will be
45 feet in width and 100 feet long.
It will fill entirely the lot between
the Elk Printing Company and
the State theatre.
To be completely fire-proff, the
front of the building will contain
offices and showrooms for farm
equipment, as well as a farm ma
chinery department. The front of
the building will be of cream brick
and plate glass construction.
The remainder of the building
will be used for the storage of
farm equipment. It is expected
to be ready for occupancy around
October 1.
Brendle Resigns
Sanatarian Office
Ford P. Brendle, who has been
chief sanatarian with the health
district composed of Orange, Per
son and Chatham counties, with
headquarters at Chapel Hill, has
resigned his position, effective
June 1, according to Dr. David
Garvin, district director. *
Brendle has been with the de
partment there since Jan. 1, 1941,
and prior to that time was with
the health district composed of
Forsyth, Stokes, Yadkin and Davie
counties since 1934. He has been
spending a few days with his pa
rents, Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Brendle,
at Boonville, before entering a
new position, although he was of
fered a substantial raise in salary
to remain at Chapel Hill.
He has accepted a position as
sanitary engineer for Biltmore
Dairies, Inc., with headquarters
in Charlotte. Mr. Brendle’s du
ties will include the sanitary sup
ervision of all the milk producers
supplying the Charlotte plant, the
supervision of the processing and
bottling plant, and also the dis
tribution. Other duties of his will
by the encouragement of new pro
ducers and the raising of the san
itary standards of all producers.
NEW PRESBYTERIAN PAS
TOR—Rev. Ralph Ritchie has
been named pastor of the El
kin Presbyterian church and
has assumed his pastorate. A
native of West Virginia, Rev.
Ritchie is a graduate of Hamp
den Sydney College and Union
Theological Seminary, at Rich
mond, Va. Rev. and Mrs.
Ritchie will reside at the Pres
byterian manse at 289 North
Bridge street.
LATE
NEWS
IN
BRIEF
From
the
State
and
Nation
NATIONAL
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12.
—The united nations confer
ence drove steadily ahead today
toward approving both veto
rights for great powers and the
vital peace-enforcement mech
anism they will control. Some
small nations kept talking
against granting Russia, Brit
ain, China, France and the
United States authority to
block by individual votes any
actions to preserve peace in the
security council of a new world
league. But with a crucial test
vote coming up in a committee
considering the council’s func
tions, the little powers were on
the losing side and knew it.
WASHINGTON, June 12. —
President Truman suggested to
day that congressmen raise
their salaries frc'n $10,000 to
at least $15,000 wear—after
wage controls are .ted. But he
said that for the vsent they
should be content 4th an in
crease that would ri consistent
pay raise to $1,500 a year, since
the formula permits a maxi
mum 15 per cent boost over
January, 1941, wage levels. In
letters to House Speaker Sam
Rayburn and Senate President
Kenneth D. McKellar, Mr. Tru
man urged that salaries of
members of Congress be raised
“to a level more in line with the
job they are called upon to do.”
WASHINGTON, June 12. —
The house veterans committee
today subpoenaed two officials
of the Northport, N. Y., neuro
psychiatric veterans hospital
to answer charges of maltreat
ment and a report that unat
tended violent patients at
tempted suicide. It also sub
poenaed John H. Ale, manager
of the Dayton, Ohio, veterans
hospital. Rep. Homer A. Ra
mey, Republican, Ohio, said
patients have accused Ale of
“treating them like dogs.” The
' Northport officials, ordered to
appear Thursday, are Col. Louis
Verdel, manager, and Dr. Will
iam J. Turner, his chief medi
cal officer.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 12.
—The Suzuki government of
Japan obtained from the diet
today virtually absolute power
to rule the empire by decree in
its “gravest crisis.” With little
debate, the house of peers
completed passage of the war
time emergency measure, Ja
pan's Dome! news agency re
ported which puts the diet on
a rubber stamp basis. The low
(Continued on page eight, 1st sec.)
BOYS ATTEND
SUMMER CAMP
Over 50 Local Youngsters
Now At Silver Pines As
Part Of YMCA Program
Mcknight supervisor
Approximately 50 or 60 boys of
this city left Saturday morning
for Camp Silver Pines at Roar
ing Gap, to attend the Y Camp
that is being held there this
week. This camp has been in
progress since June 2. The first
group was made up of the young
er girls and the second group of
the high school girls of Elkin.
The boys will be under the su
pervision of T. C. McKnight, sec
retary of the Gilvin Roth Y. M.
C. A.; N. H. Carpenter, swimming
instructor at the Y; Rev. Ralph
Ritchie, pastor of the Presbyter
ian church; Leo Malvin, athletic
director at the Y; and Rev.
Worth Sweet, of Jefferson, N. C.
The summer camps for the
youngsters are planned for phy
sical, mental, social and spiritual
development. Mr. McKnight will
spend each night at the camp
with the boys and return to the
Y each morning.
ALLEYTRAFFIC
MADEONE-WAY
Cars and Trucks Should En
ter Street Behind Stores
From East Only
ENTRANCE BEHIND BANK
The alley which runs back of
stores on West Main street from
the bank corner to Turner Drug
Company, serving The Basketeria,
and adjoining stores, including
the Elk Printing Company, has
been made a one-way alley by
action of the Elkin board of com
missioners, it was learned Tues
day.
Due to the heavy traffic in the
alley which frequently causes
such congestion that cars and
trucks cause a bottleneck, especial
ly behind The Basketeria, traffic
has been routed east to west, with
entrance from North Bridge
street and the exit on Church
street between the State theatre
and Turner Drug Company. Ac
cording to the new ruling, traffic
should not enter the alley from
west to east.
Signs are to be placed at the
entrance and exit of the alley to
inform motorists, it was said.
Funeral Is Held
For Mrs. Lane
Funeral services were held
Monday afternoon at 2 o’clock
from Pleasant Grove Primitive
Baptist church, near East J3end,
for Mrs. Nealie B. Lane, 61, who
died at her home at East Bend
Saturday afternoon at 2:30, fol
lowing an illness of three years.
Rev. Ellis C. Norman conduct
ed the funeral. Burial was in the
Douglas cemetery.
Mrs. Lane was well known in
the East Bend .section, where she
had spent her life. She was the
daughter of the late Sallie Gough
Douglas and Charlie Douglas, and
the widow of Archie Lane, who
died 25 years ago. ^
Surviving are four sons, Bu
ford, Marvin, Troy and Walter
Lane, and three daughters, Mrs.
Carrie Cox, Mrs. Lillian Bullin,
and Mrs. Stella Bullin, all of East
Bend; 24 grandchildren, and one
great-grandchild. '
Duncan Is To Be
Kiwanis Speaker
Rev. Herman F. Duncan, a
former pastor of the Elkin Meth
odist Church, and a former mem
ber of the Elkin Kiwanis Club,
but who is now pastor of the First
Methodist Church at Asheboro,
will be guest speaker at this even
ing’s meeting of the Elkin Club,
which will be held at the YMCA
at 6:30 o’clock.
At last week’s meeting a motion
picture, showing the manufacture
of telephones, was presented by
Kiwaniah WUl?ur Beddingfield.
Graham Again
Heads Elkin
Lions Club
W. J. GRAHAM
The Elkin Lion’s Club, meeting
at the Gilvin Roth Y. M. C. A.,
here Tuesday evening, elected of
ficers to serve the club during
the coming year.
W. J. (Bill) Graham, who has
served the club as president
since its organization less than a
year ago, was re-elected president.
Other officers named were: first
vice-president, Dr. C. E. Nicks;
second vice-president, Jack Cau
dill; third vice-president, H. G.
York; secretary-treasurer, T. L.
Parnell; Lion Tamer, Graham
Greene; Tail Twister, Gene Hall.
Directors to serve two years
were M. C. Whitener and L. M.
Stuart. Directors who will serve
one year were L. F. Walker and
W. A. Poston.
. Guests attending the meeting
of the club were Lieut. Robert
Nicks, who is home on furlough
with his parents, Dr. and Mrs. C.
E. Nicks, and Private Benny Shu
mate, son of Mrs. S. E. Shumate,
who has recently returned to this
country after having been
wounded in Europe. Both were
the guests of Dr. Nicks.
HOLD SHUMATE
RITES SUNDAY
Funeral Is Conducted From
First Baptist Church, In
Elkin, At 2:30 P. M.
MORRISETT IN CHARGE
Funeral services for Shober
Shumate, well-known Elkin man
who ended his life with a pistol
bullet through the head about
6:00 p. m. Tuesday of last week,
were held Sunday at 2:30 p. m.
from the Elkin First Baptist
Church, with Rev. Stephen Mor
risett in charge.
Prior to the funeral the body
lay in state in the church from
1:30 to 2:30. Interment was in
Hollywood cemetery.
The death of Mr. Shumate
came as a shock to this entire
community, he having shot him
self while his home was in flames
which originated in a basement
workshop. Just how the flames
started will perhaps never be
known, although Chief of the Fire
Department Ted Brown stated
shortly after the fire that there
was a distinct smell of gasoline
when he reached the scene. Chief
of Police Corbett Wan, who also
investigated the blaze, said he did
not smell gasoline, but that he
was not close to the scene of the
fire. Some were of the opinion
that a can of gasoline exploded
when flames reached it.
Surviving are the widow, the
former Miss Nora Russell; three
sons, Earl Shumate, now in Ger
many; Pvt. Benny Shumate, now
home on leave; and Graham Shu
mate, of the home; one daughter,
Mrs. Clyde Combs, of this city,
and one half-sister, Mrs. Grady
Harris, also of Elkin,
Persons from out of town who
attended the funeral were: W.
Shumate, of West Virginia; Mrs.
James Brookshire, Miss Sadie
Brookshire, and Mr. md Mrs.
Russell Brookshire, all of Mora
vian Falls; Mr. and Mrs. James
Isaac and Miss Mae Jo Isaac, of
Winston - Salem; Mrs. Duran
Cheek and son, of Mountain City,
Tenn.; Mr. and Mrs. Vaughn
Broyhill, of Pores Knob; John
Halliday, of North Wilkesboro;
Mr. and Mrs. Jonah Myers, of
Mountain View, and Tom H.
Adams and Cubey Adams, both of
Bluefield, W. Va.
THEY still die! — will YOU buy?
C. H. VESTAL
HURTJNCRASH
Yadkinville Man, Aviation
Instructor, Cracks Up
During Take - Off .
IN FORT THOMAS, KY.
Charlie H. Vestal, of Yadkin -
ville, aviation instructor at Smith
Reynolds Airport, Winston-Sa
lem, was painfully but not ser
iously injured Monday afternoon
when the Stinson plane he was
piloting crashed, in a take-off at
Port Thomas, Ky. Two other pas
sengers in the plane were also
injured, but not seriously, when
all three were thrown clear of
the plane. The machine explod
ed and burned.
Mr. Vestal, who is regarded as
one of the best pilots in this sec
tion, had piloted the plane be
longing to Vernon Rudolph of
Winston-Salem, and carried his
passengers to the Kentucky
Derby and was taking off to re
turn home. The plane failed to
gain altitude and struck the top
of a tree, plummeted into a street,
and landed on a vacant lot.
Mr. Rudolph was piloting an
; other plane and saw his own
plane crash from the air.
Mr. Vestal resides in Yadkin
ville with his wife and small son
and cpmes home each night when
not on a long trip. His father, E.
J. Vestal, also resides in Yadkin
ville.
Latest advices from a hospital
at Dayton, Ky., say Vestal and
the passengers are all improving
and he is expected home in week.
DISCUSS PLANS
FOR REST ROOM
Merchants Association
Directors Recognize Need
For Facilities
COMMITTEE IS' NAMED
At a meeting of directors of the
Elkin Merchants Association, held
Tuesday morning at the city hall,
plans were discussed for a public
rest room for the use of fanners
and other visitors to Elkin, it was
announced Tuesday afternoon.
Need of such facilities here have
been apparent for a long time, due
to the fact that only a few of the
local stores provide such con
venience for their customers, and
visitors who come to Elkin for the
day are handicapped because of
the lack of public rest rooms.
Gaston L, Hill, president of the
merchants group, named the fol
lowing committee to look into the
matter: Eugene S. Spainhour,
Claude Farrell, and Joe Bivins.
Harris Speaker
At Jaycee Meet
A talk by Lieut. Robert H. Har
ris was a feature of the meeting
of the Junior Chamber of Com
merce at the Gilvin Roth YMCA
here Monday evening. Lieut. Har
ris has just returned from extend
ed service in the European war
theatre.
The speaker gave an interest
ing account of his service with the
Allied Military Government in the
invasions of North Africa, Italy
and Sicily. He mentioned that
he had had oportunity to talk
with Mrs. Enze Gemma, the form
er Miss Rosebud Wade, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. L. I. Wade, of
this city, while in Rome.
Vice-President Vern Chase pre
sided over the meeting in the ab
s£nse of President Hubert Parker.
Following the meeting, mem
bers completed the task of loading
a car of scrap paper totaling 25,
000 pounds which had been col
lected here.
Angeline Denny, 80,
Dies At Hamptonville
Angeline Denny, 80, died at her
home near Hamptonville, Sunday
night, after a lengthy illness. She
was a native of that section,
where she was born September
27, 1864, and had spent her life
there. She was a member of
Union Baptist church.
Survivors include one daugh
ter, Mrs. Carra Bell Ashley, of
Hamptonville, and one brother,
Turner Denny, of Ridgecrest.
-'’uneral services were held at
As^ury church Monday afternoon
with Rev. W. H. Neese in charge.
Burial was in-the church ceme
tery.
War Bond Show Is To
Be Staged At. State
Theatre This P. M.
AWARDED PURPLE HEART—
Private First Class James L.
Calloway, has been awarded the
Purple Heart for wounds re
ceived in action in Germany,
according to a message receiv
ed by his wife, the former Miss
Ear line Macemore, of Jones -
ville. Private First Class Cal
loway has been in service for
the past two years, serving ov
erseas for 14 months. Prior to
going overseas he trained at
Camp Croft, S. C., and Camp
Robinson, Ark. At the time he
was wounded he was serving
with the 17th Airborn Division
as a special messenger. He is a
member of the 194th Glider In
fantry Division, and the hold
er of the Good Conduct Medal,
the Combat Infantryman’s
Badge, and he also wears the
wings of a qualified Gliderman.
Calloway is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. I. S. Calloway, of Boon
ville.
ABERNETHY’S
IS HONORED
Local Drug Store Receives
National Certificate Of
Merit Wednesday
FOR EXCELLENT RECORD
The distinction of being cited as
one of the nation’s outstanding
Rexall drug stores is one that has
come to Abernethy’s, of Elkin,
along with the added distinction of
being on Rexall’s annual Honor
Roll. The award, announced Wed
nesday morning, is made by the
Intemationel Association of Rexall
Clubs and the United Drug Com
pany, parent organization of Rex
all.
The Certificate of Merit, much
coveted honor, was received by Dr.
J. G. Abernethy, owner of the
store Wednesday morning. On
richly engraved parchment, it
states that the Elkin store and its
staff have rendered exceptional
service to their community.
Dr. Abernethy and his sales
people, to whom he gives much of
the credit for winning the award,
are to be congratulated because of
this outstanding honor.
Cycle Will Have
New Postmaster
The United States Civil Service
Commission has announoed an
examination to fill the position of
fourth-class postmaster at Cycle,
in western Yadkin county. Re
ceipt of applications for the po
sition will close June 28, 1945.
The examination will be held at
the Elkin post office building.
The salary, as stated in the re
lease from the office of the Civil
Service Commission, is $1,100.
Yadkin Tax Rate
Will Be 88 Cents
The Yadkin county tax rate for
1945 will be 88 cents on the $100
valuation, instead of 85 cents, as
it has been for several years, it
was announced by J. Roy Pendry,
Comity Auditor, yesterday.
The small increase is due to
several things, but as the budget
has not been completed by the
county commissioners we cannot
give the breakdown in the ex
pected increases.
52 Per Cent of
Quota Has Been
Sold In County
Elkin E-Bond buyers will be
given an opportunity to boost the
county’s E-Bond quota and at the
same time see the premier show
ing of the newly relaesed motion
picture, “Salome, Where She
Danced,” at a special Seventh War
Loan showing at the State Thea
tre here this evening (Thursday),
at 7:30 o’clock.
Admission to this show, which
is being arranged by Dr. and Mrs.
W. B. Reeves in cooperation with
the War Loan drive, will be Bonds
which wil lbe on sale in the lobby.
Miss Mattie Mae Powell, co-chair
man of the drive, will have charge
of the Bond sales. Only one show
will be screened.
Need for the sale of E-Bonds in
Surry is acute, J. P. Yokley, of
Mount Airy, Surry chairman, told
The Tribune by telephone Wed
nesday morning. With a county
E-Bond quota of $756,000, Surry
had reached only 52 per cent of
this figure, or 392,767.00, up until
June 9, Mr. Yokley said, and this
in the face of the drive now being
in its final phase.
Local figures, supplied by Miss
Powell, and correct up to Wed
nesday noon, show that a total of
$175,330 in E-Bonds have been
sold in the Elkin district, a large
portion of this figure being in
cluded in the Surry figure given
above. Other series here total
$102,685.00, Miss Powell stated.
In view of the fact that Surry
has never failed to meet its War
Bond quotas in previous drives,
with the exception of falling a bit
short of its E-Quota in the drive
which was under way during the
infantile paralysis epidemic (and
which was later made up during
the Sixth War Loan), it is hoped
that the E-Bond quota in this
drive may be reached and over
subscribed. But to d& it, Mr. Yok
ley pointed out, is going to take a
bit of digging down on the part of
all Surry citizens. “Only after
the war with Japan is won can
we relax,” it was said, “for to do
so now will only prolong the war
and keep qyr men fighting that
much longer.”
HOLD RITES FOR
WILKES LADY
Wife Of Pleasant Hill Man
Dies Monday At Home
Of Her Daughter
HAD SUFFERED STROKE
Funeral services for Mrs. Wil
lie Walls Alexander, 68, were
conducted Tuesday morning at 11
o’clock at the White Plains Bap
tist church, near Roaring River.
Burial followed in the church
cemetery.
Mrs. Alexander, wife of W.
Scott Alexander, of Pleasant Hill,
died Monday morning at the
home of a daughter, Mrs. Bar
ney Blackburn, at Roaring River.
She had been ill since suffering
a stroke several weeks ago.
She was the daughter of Mr.
sind Mrs. Peter Walls. Surviving
are the husband; three sons, Rev.
Arvil Alexander, of this city;
Sam Alexander of Jonesville; Ly
tle Alexander, of Leaksville; Pri
vate First Class Herman Alexan
der, of the U. S. Army, in
Germany; two sisters, Mrs. T. H.
Eidson, of this city; Miss Laura
Walls, Ronda, and one brother,
Ambrose Walls, of Winston-Sa
lem.
Soda Fountains To
Be Closed Sundays.
Dye to the scarcities of sugar,
beverage syrups, meats and other
supplies, fountains and sandwich
bars to two Elkin drug stores,
Abernethy’s and Turner Drug
^Company, will be closed on Sun
days until further notice, it was
announced Tuesday. Elkin’s third
drug store, the Elk Pharmacy,
does not open at all on Sundays.
Turner’s and Abemethy’s will
be open Sunday afternoons for
the sale of drugs and drug sun
dries, it was said, and for the fill
ing of prescriptions.