ELKIN
The Best Little Town
In North Carolina
* The Elkin Tribune *
ELKIN
Gateway To Roaring Gap
and the Blue Ridge
VOL. NO. XXXIV No. 4
PUBLISHED WEEKLY
ELKIN, N. C., MONDAY, DECEMBER 24, 1945
$2.00 PER YEAR
16 PAGES—TWO SECTIONS
T
!
NATIONAL
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21. —
Ezra Pound, the poet charged
with treason, today was pro
nounced “insane and mentally
unfit for trial” by a board of
four psychiatrists. The board
submitted its report to District
court. Pound, for many years
an expatriate, was indicted for
treason in conection with alleg
ed propaganda broadcasts for
Italy after that nation went to
war with the United States. He
was arrested after the occupa
tion of Italy was completed and
flown back here on November
18 to stand trial.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21. —
The 79th Congress closed its
first session today—at 2:11 p.
m. in the house and 3:47 p. m. j
in the senate—with the sumr
mation of Speaker Rayburn
that “we have a right to be
proud of ourselves.” The ses
sion wrote history in war and
peace. But on many important
matters which President urged,
it did not write laws. On one
of these, in fact, the senate was
wrangling at the end. This
was the proposal to make per
manent the fair employment
practices committee set up in
wartime to police any discrim
ination against negroes and
other minorities.
DETROIT, Dec. 21. — A
“pickets holiday” proposal for
General Motors strikers during
the Christmas period was gath
ering support through the
ranks of the C. I. O.’s united
auto workers union today. One
big Detroit local announced it
was withdrawing its pickets
from factory gates on the west
side until January 3 and a
similar movement was reported
from Lansing, Mich., where G.
M. also has plants. The auto
union, with 175,000 members
idle, has been on strike against
General Motors for a month.
AKRON, Ohio, Dec. 21. —
The government’s action in
lifting tire rationing on Janu
ary 1 is “a good thing in an
\ _ over-all sense,” but production
^ in 1946 will not catch up with
I demand, it was asserted today
by R. S. Wilson, vice-president
of Goodyear Tire and Rubber
company, who was director of
special rubber programs for the
government during the war. A
shortage in passenger tires will
continue through 1946, he pre
dicted, on the basis of an esti
mated production of 50 million
casings and a demand of 66
million. Normal replacement
demand for 194*6 will be 27 mil
lion, to which must be a'dded
a war-induced shortage of 17
million and an estimated need
for 22 million casings on new
cars, he said.
international
LONDON, Dec. 21. — Secre
tary of State James F. Byrnes
and British Foreign Secretary
Ernest Bevin have cautioned
Russian Foreign Commissar
Viacheslav Molotov against
(Continued on page six, 1st sec.)
This Is Last
Issue Of Paper
For This Year
This issue of The Tribune,
carrying a Monday, December
24, dateline instead of its cus
tomary Thursday date, is the
last issue to be published this
year. The next issue will ap
pear at the usual time on Jan
uary 3, 1946.
The publication date was
stepped up this week in order
to better serve advertisers and
subscribers, and at the same
time to give The Tribune force
some time off for Christmas.
i
KIWANIANS NET
TOTAL $619.00
FOR SCOUT HUT
Christmas Auction Most Suc
cessful In History
BLANKETS BRING $30.00
Cigarettes Sell For $5.00 Per
Pack And Five Pounds Of
Sugar For $17.00
INDUCT OFFICERS JAN. 3
The Elkin Kiwanis Club, stag
ing its annual Christmas auction
at the YMCA Thursday evening,
netted a record of $619.00 to go
into the club’s Boy Scout hut
fund which is being sponsored by
the group.
With W. M. Allen, N. H. Car
penter and C. N. Myers acting as
auctioneers, items donated by club
members sold at fancy prices. Sev
eral Chatham blankets brought as
high as $30.00 each, while five
pounds of sugar was bid in for
$17.00. One carton of cigarettes
brought $50.00, the packages being
sold separate at $5.c-o each.
The auction log, traditionally
the last article to be sold, was bid
in by President T. C. McKnight
for $15.50. Immediately follow
ing the meeting J. R. Poindexter
offered to add $40.00 to the price
(Continued on page eight. 1st sec.)
BONUS PAID BY
FURNITURE CO.
Other Elkin Firms Give Em
ployees Extra Pay; To
Have Holidays
STORES CLOSE 2 DAYS
The Elkin Furniture Company,
Elkin’s second largest industrial
firm, has paid all employees a
substantial Christmas bonus, it
has been learned from M. R.
Bailey, superintendent of the
plant.
Mr. Bailey stated that many
improvements have been made in
the plant, and the company is
looking forward to the New Year
with confidence.
Christmas bonuses have been
paid by other Elkin firms, includ
ing local stores, and prospects
seem bright for a very merry
Christmas for all.
The furniture company closed
for the Christmas holidays Friday
afternoon and will remain closed
until Thursday, December 27.
Local stores, with the exception
of drug stores, will close Monday
afternoon at the usual hour and
remain closed Tuesday and Wed
nesday, reopening Thursday
morning. Drug stores will be
closed all day Christmas day but
will be open Wednesday as usual.
WEATHER ISN’T
SO PROMISING
Forecasters Hint At Possible
Snow And Colder Weather
To Come
NOTHING’S GUARANTEED
Although winter has just begun
officially, it has been with Elkin
and this section for quite some
time, staging an exhibition of
snow and intense cold very seldom
encountered at this time of the
year.
The Tribune has misplaced its
weather bureau somewhere or
other, but indications are that
more bad weather is in prospect
for the Christmas holidays, and
forecasters are outdoing them
selves in muttering through their
long gray beards about freezing
rains and snow which may come
provided this and that high pres
sure area behave like they should.
Forecast for the next few days
indicate rain turning to snow and
colder. However, weather fore
casts as passed along by this paper
are not guaranteed. Still, it looks
like a white Christmas, one way
or the other.
Merry Christmas To One And All!
This year, for the first time since Christmas, 1940, Santa Claus ascends his throne under skies no long
er darkened by war. In homes both here and throughout the land, boys who only a short year ago
were fighting in all parts of the world, will be home with their families and friends. Others who have
not yet returned are no longer threatened with the dangers of war. And so, for everyone Christmas
1945, should be the brightest and happiest ever!
TIRES TO BE
RATION FREE
Go Off The Restricted List At
Midnight, December 31,
O P A Announces
MAY STILL BE SCARCE
Automobile tires will be ration
free January 1, the OPA has an
nounced, leaving sugar the only
commodity to be restricted.
As good as is the news about
tires, OPA officials warn that it
may be some time before there
will be enough to allow all motor
ists to get a complete new set.
Total production next year is
expected to be about 66,000,000
passenger car tires, or 13,000,000
more than ever produced in this
country in a single year. How
ever, as of now the supply is not
enough to meet all possible re
quests, and as a result the ban of
spares for new cars will continue.
In addition, OPA is asking tire
dealers to do everything possible
to take of the hardship cases first
and to distribute tires to a maxi
mum number of motorists.
During the remainder of De
cember, motorists who hold tire
purchase certificates should turn
them in to dealers so they can be
supplied before rationing ends.
Hereafter no additional certifi
cates wil be issued except in emer
gency cases.
WILKES MAN IS
KILLED MONDAY
Robert F. Souther Dies From
Shotgun Charge Fired
Into Face
Robert P. Souther, 42-year-old
World War II veteran, was in
stantly killed by his brother,
James, at James Souther’s home
in Lovelace township, Wilkes
county, last Monday evening at
6:00 o’clock.
Souther was killed by a shotgun
charge in the face fired from
".Continued on page 8, 1st sec.)
Stores Here To
Start Closing
Half Day Jan. 2
A majority of Elktn stores
and other business firms will
close each Wednesday after
noon, beginning Wednesday,
January 2, 1946, until the mid
dle of September.
The Elkin Merchants Associ
ation, in calling attention to
the afternoon closing, stated
that local merchants had de
cided upon this policy in order
to give their salespeople and
other employees some time off
each week for rest and recrea
tion. Store clerks, it was point
ed out, work exceedingly long
hours, and it is felt the half
day off each week will prove
beneficial to them.
PRESIDENT OF
UNION PACIFIC
Cousin Of Local Man And
. Woman Is Native Of
Mount Airy
WORKED HIS WAY CP
George F. Ashby, formerly of
Mount Airy, and a cousin of Mrs.
H. B. Holcomb and Charles G.
Ashby, of this city, has recently
been named as president of the
Union Pacific railroad company to
succeed William M. Jeffers whose
resignation becomes effective Feb
ruary 1.
The new president of the com
pany, a sixty-year-old son of the
late Mr. and Mrs. Whitt Ashby,
of Mount Airy, before being nam
ed to his present position was exe
cutive vice-president of the Union
Pacific, and has been with the
company 34 years.
Before entering the railroad
service in January, 1906, Mr. Ash
by was employed as bookkeeper
for a mercantile company in
Mount Airy. He joined Union Pa
cific’s engineering department in
1911. He and his wife, the former
Miss Nell Ross, of Greensboro, and
one daughter, are making their
home in Omaha, Nebraska.
SEAL SALE HERE
SHOWS BOOST
Total Of $370.75 Spent Lo
cally In Campaign Against
Tuberculosis
MAJORITY WILL REMAIN
The Christmas Seal Sale for this
year shows a substantial increase
over that of last year, according
to Mrs. E. P. McNeer, local chair
man of the sale of the North Car
olina Tuberculosis association.
Latest figures available show
that a total of $40.74 has been
spent locally for Christmas seals,
this amount, Mrs. McNeer says,
being the largest this city has ev
er reported.
It was pointed out that three
fourths of this total will remain
right here for the benefit of school
lunch rooms to provide milk and
hot lunches for children, as well
as to be used for X-rays for those
who are tubercular suspects, with
one-fourth to go to National'
headquarters.
Mrs. McNeer wishes especially
to commend the schools for their
successful efforts in selling seals.
This source, she said, was instru
mental to a large extent in boost
ing the sales here.
The Tribune is in receipt of the
following appreciated letter to
Mrs. McNeer, from David T.
Smith,1 M. D., president of the
Executive committee of the North
Carolina Tuberculosis Association:
“On behalf of the Executive
Committee of the North Carolina
Tuberculosis Association, I wish to
express to you our sincere appre
ciation for the devoted service you
have given this Association by
your conduct of the annual
Christmas Seal Sale for Elkin for
the twenty-fifth year—a quarter
of a century!
“I realize the vast amount of
work this period of service rep
resents, not only in conducting
the Seal Sale but also in spending
the money given in this way by
the people of your comiiiunity to
fight tuberculosis. I feel sure
that these citizens, no less than
members of this Association, ap
(Continued on page six, 1st sec.) •
Chatham Pays Largest
Bonus And Announces
10 Per Cent Pay Raise
FATHERS ARE
DRAFT EXEMPT
Navy Announces Further Re
ductions In Discharge
Requirements
TO RELEASE MORE MEN
Washington, Dec. 19. — All fa
hers were made draft-exempt to
iay and the army and navy an
tounced further reduction in dis
charge requirements which would
nake 837,000 more persons eligible
for release.
Selective service instructed lo
cal draft boards not to induct any
more fathers and not a accept on
a volunteer basis any father hav
ing three or more children.
Fathers of one or two children
may continue to volunteer.
When the war ended, the draft
ing of fathers was restricted to
men under 26 and today’s order
removed that one remaining cate
gory from the draft.
Drafting of men with three or
.more children was halted on No
vember 5.
A telegram sent to state selec
tive service directors said in part:
“The term children shall include
legitimate or illegitimate children
from the date of their conception,
children legally adopted, stepchil
dren, foster children and persons
who are supported in good faith
by the registrant in a relationship
similar to that of parent and chil
dren, but shall not include persons
18 years of age or over unless they
are physically or mentally handi
capped.”
On Decern oer 31, the army point
score will be cut from 55 to 50 for
enlisted men and from 73 to 70
for officers. Six hundred thous
and men and women will become
eligible for separation in that
branch.
The navy program will affect
237,000 more persons between now
and February 2. Critical scores
in the navy drop January 1 to 36
for enlisted men and 43 for offi
cers; tp 23 for enlisted WAVES
and 29 for WAVE officers. These
are one-point reductions from the
present scores.
Further one-point reductions go
into effect January 15 and Febru
ary 2 for most enlisted men, and
for WAVE personnel on February
2.
The navy’s schedule calls for
release by February 1 of half the
3,000,000 subject to demobilization,
(Continued on page eight. 1st sec.)
CLUB SEEKS TO
PROTECT DEER
Surry Wildlife Club Offers
$50 Reward For Convic
tion Of Hunters
IS NO OPEN SEASON
The Surry. County Wild Life
club is starting a campaign
against the unlawful slaughter
and hunting of deer in the county,
and is offering a reward of $50.00
for information leading to the ar
rest and conviction of anyone
guilty of violating the game laws
as it relates to the protection of
deer in the county.
Particular complaint is made by
the club against the practice of
hunting deer at night with a spot
light or other highpowered lights.
The club points out that there
is as yet no open season for deer
in the county and persons hunting
them, either by night or day are
violating the law and subject to a
fine of $50. Hunting with lights
at night carries a penalty of $100
fine or imprisonment for 60 days,
or both.
/
PATTON DIES — General
George S. Patton, famous Amer
ican general who led Ills troops
to victory and lasting glory in
Europe, died peacefully in his
sleep Friday at the 130th Army
hospital at Heidelberg, Ger
many, where he was carried af
ter suffering a broken neck in a
motor accident near Mannheim,
Germany a week before. Death
was attributed to a blood clot
which developed gangrene in his
lungs and weakened his heart. ••
Mrs. Patton, who was at his side,
decided immediately that her
husband would be buried in
Europe along the route of the
powerful Third Army he led to
victory, and although the exact
place of burial had not been de
cided upon, it was said the fu
neral will probably be Monday.
W. R. SPAINHOUR
DIES SUDDENLY
Former Elkin Resident Was
Brother Of E. S. Spainhour
Of This City
FEW DETAILS LEARNED
William R. Spainhour, 46,
brother of E. S. Spainhour here,
passed away unexpectedly at his
home in Hickory sometime Friday
night or early Saturday morning,
The Tribune learned Saturday.
No details concerning the death
were available here. Mr. Spain
hour was informed early Saturday
morning by telephone and imme
diately left for Hickory. How
ever, it is known that his broth
er had only recently been dismiss
ed from a hospital following an
operation, but it was thought he
was getting along satisfactorily.
The Hickory man was an offi
cial of the Spainhour Company,
with headquarters in Hickory, but
for a number of years had made
his home here, and was widely
known in this section. A native
of North Wilkesboro, he is surviv
ed by his parents, Mr. and Mrs.
J. E. Spainhour, of North Wilkes
boro; his wife and one daughter,
of Hickory; four brothers, E. S., of
Elkin; Jack E., of Statesville; and
L. S. . and Roy Spainhour of
North Wilkesboro. One sister,
Mrs. W. J. Bason, also of North
Wilkesboro, survives.
Funeral services, it was learned
Saturday afternoon, were to be
held Sunday afternoon at 2:30
o’clock from the Hickory First
Presbyterian Church.
Farmers Asked To
Call At AAA Office
All Surry farmers interested in
signing up for a New Growers To
bacco Allotment for the year 1948,
have been asked to call by the
AAA office at Dobson before Feb
ruary 1, it has been announced by
Hal E. Collins, secretary of the
Surry C. A. C. A.
Swindlers are taking billions.
The vets saved us; now a patriotic,
competent committee in each town
must save them.
Increase To Be
Effective Week
Starting* Dec. 28
The largest Christmas bonus
ever to be paid by the Chatham
Manufacturing Company to its
employees, was paid Friday after
noon, and at the same time a 10
per cent increase in pay for all
employees, effective with the pay
to be received for the week start
ing December 28, was announced.
It was also announced that in
creases in per hour rate differen
tials for empolyees on the second
and third shifts are to be made,
and that all employees with five
years or more service with the
company would be given an extra
week’s vacation pay in 1946. All
employees are now given a one
week’s vacation with pay each
year.
These announcements, in form
of a letter signed by President Al
bert L. Butler, accompanied each
bonus check. The letter also an
nounced that the company is
again contributing $175,000 to the
Chatham Pension , Trust Fund,
making a total in this fund of
$700,000.
The company, upon payment of
the Christmas bonus, closed the
plant at 8:00 o’clock Saturday
morning, and will not resume op
erations until Wednesday morning
at 8:00 o’clock.
The letter which accompanied
the bonus checks, follows in full:
“December 21, 1945
“To My Fellow Workers:
“Here is your Christmas bonus.
Once again I am proud to say that
it is more than ever before.
“This has been a memorable
year, and I hope all of us will have
a happier Christmas, with our na
tion at peace again. We can be
proud of our war record, because
everyone has tried to do his or her
part. A lot of us are coming home
after service all over the world,
and there will be many happy re
unions in our family.
“I believe there are few, if any,
companies, that can be as proud
of their record as we can of ours.
We have only to look back a few
years to realize how we have
grown, and become one of the
leaders in our field. We have
made constant improvement in
our goods, and have had a record
of steady work that is hardly
equalled anywhere — all of us
(Continued on page eight, 1st sec.)
Let’s See Now,
Whose Cow Is
Which And Why?
There were several red faces
at Thurmond the other day,
all caused by a cow.
It seems that W. B. Hall and
his son, Guy, were hauling: some
wood when they noticed a cow
belonging to another son of Mr.
Hall’s, who lived nearby, had
strayed over near their barn.
Inasmuch as the son was away
at the time, with only his wife
at home, they decided they
should catch the cow and re
turn it.
A short while later, when
they got the wood unloaded,
Guy went to look for the cow
and found she had departed.
Following her tracks in the>
snow, he trailed her to the
home of another neighbor,
Kern Wilmoth, where he found
her. As he was leading her
away Mrs. Wilmoth came out
on the porch and remarked as
how the cow favored the one
she owned somewhat.
It all ended up by Guy tak
ing the cow to the home of his
brother only to find that his
brother’s cow was safe in the
barn, and that he had walked
off with the Wilmoth cow.
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