ELKIN
The Best Little Town In
North Carolina
THE TRIBUNE
Is a Member of the Audit
Bureau of Circulations
The Elkin Tribune
ELKIN
Gateway to Roaring Gap and
the Blue Ridge
THE TRIBUNE
'/a
Is Read By 14,000 People In
Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin
VOL. No. XXXV No. 33
PUBLISHED WEEKLY ELKIN, N. C., THURSDAY. JULY 17, 1947
$2.00 PER YEAR
16 PAGES—TWO SECTIONS
Manslaughter
I Cases Feature
Court Session
Elkin Youth Given Year Suspended
Sentence In Death Of Boonville Girl
Hansford Odell Wilhelm, young
Elkin man who was driving the
car in which Miss Dorothy Mae
Cave of Boonville was fatally in
jured when it overturned on North
Bridge Street here last January,
was given a one-year suspended
sentence in superior court at Dob
son this week after he was found
guilty of manslaughter.
Wilhelm was also placed on pro
bation and had his driver’s license
revoked for a period of three
years. He was ordered by the
court to reimburse the Cave family
:* for hospital and funeral expenses
1 of the late Miss Cave.
Wilhelm had entered a plea of
nolo contendere through his at
torney, R. Lewis Alexander.
Eugene Childress, Mount Airy
taxi driver, was convicted of sec
ond degree murder for the pistol
slaying of his wife on April 29
and sentenced to serve 17 to 20
years in the state prison. Childress
had contended that his wife was
killed accidentally when he tossed
the loaded weapon toward a bed
and it fired as the result of a
"faulty” mechanism. He said he
LEAF GROWERS
FAVOR PROJECT
Vote Overwhelmingly To As
sess Themselves 10 Cents
Per Acre On Crop
ONLY 26 VOTE AGAINST
*
Surry County tobacco growers
voted overwhelmingly in favor of
a 10 cents per acre assessment on
their crops in the referendum held
throughout the two Carolinas Sat
urday to determine whether leaf
producers were willing to support
the program of Tobacco Associ
ates, Inc., in promoting and ex
panding export markets for flue
cured tobacco.
Only 26 farmers in the county
voted against the proposal. A total
of 3,763 votes were cast in favor of
the voluntary assessment.
The largest opposition was in
Elkin township, where nine of 52
votes cast were against the assess
ment.
Reports throughout tobacco
belts of North and South Caro
lina indicated that the referendum
carried by a 99 per cent majority.
A two-thirds vote was required to
carry the assessment.
The vote by township in Surry
County was as follows:
Elkin, 43 for, nine opposed:
Bryan, 156 or, two opposed: Dob
son, 938 or, none opposed; Eldora,
193 or, one opposed; Franklin, 27
for, three opposed; Long Hill, 82
for two opposed; Marsh, 103 for,
four opposed; Mount Airy, 226 for,
one opposed; Pilot, 180 for, none
opposed; Rockford, 362 for, none
opposed; Shoals, 448 for, none op
posed; Siloam, 258 for, none op
posed; Stewarts Creek, 358 for,
four opposed; Westfield, 389 for,
none opposed.
I
GRAND JURORS
SUBMIT REPORT
Appear To Be Quite Satis
fied With Most Everything
Except Toilet Facilities
SOME PAINTING NEEDED
Grand Jurors for the July term
of Surry superior court at Dobson
submitted the following report,
signed by J. O. Bivins, foreman, to
Presiding Judge William H. Bob
bitt last week:
The Grand Jury hereby submits
its report as follows:
We took action on all bills of
indictment presented to us. All
were found true bills except two
which were returned to the solici
tor for lack of witnesses. The
Grand Jury was divided into com
mittees to inspect the various
county institutions and properties.
The county garage committee
reports 59 school buses on hand,
25 of which have been repaired
Since school closed. Others are
being repaired and we are advised
they will be in first class condi
tion when school opens. We find
housing and sanitary facilities
are inadequate and we recommend
(Continued On Page Pour;
loved his wife very much and that
they had never argued.
Witnesses for the state testified
that they had gone into the room
immediately after the shot was
fired and found Childress stand
ing in front of his wife with the
pistol pointed at her stomach.
One witness said he heard a wo
man’s voice scream, “help, he's
killed me,” after the fatal shot.
Counsel for Childress gave
notice of appeal to the state su
preme court. Bond was set at
$4,000.
Faster Martin of Mount Airy
was sentenced to 15 years in pris
on for the slaying of his step
father, Rawley McMillian, on June
1. He confessed that he had hit
McMillian on the head with the
butt of a shotgun after McMillian
had threatened him and thrown
an axe at him. McMillian’s body
was found in a stream about three
miles north of Mount Airy on
June 4. James Goins, another
stepson of McMillian, and Mrs
McMillian are under indictment
charged with being accessories
after the fact. They are at lib
erty under bond of $1,000 each.
Houston S. Vestal, Russell Har
ris, Ruby F. Mastin and Bill Free
man were given suspended sen
tences of 90 days each and fined
$50 and costs on conviction of
operating automobiles under the
influence of liquor. George A.
Nippon was fined $100 and costs
and received a four-months sus
pended sentence after being found
guilty of operating a car under
the influence of liquor.
Divorces were granted in the
iouowmg cases:
W. R. Willey vs. Lavada Willey.
Sallie E. Biown vs. R. C. Brown
Patty Kyle vs. Edward Kyle,
Gladys McBride vs. Carl McBride.
Katherine Leftwich vs. Aubrey
Leftwich, Josie Dean Boyd vs. Wil
liam B. Boyd, George Franklin vs.
Savannah F. Dearman Franklin,
Juanita Chilton Yates, vs. Samuel
D. Yates, Mary F. Carson Cooke
vs. Barney S. Cooke, Margaret
Reynolds vs. William E. Reynolds
R. E. Flinchum vs. Virginia Flin
chum, Ernest Sam Leonard vs.
Thelma Beck Leonard, Mozelle
Tucker Shore vs. John W. Shore.
Elizabeth Powell Shepherd vs.
James Boyd Shepherd, G. W.
Slaydon vs. Olivia B. Slaydon
Elizabeth Fleming vs. Arvil Flem
ing, and Elizabeth Galyean vs.
Wayne L. Galyean.
ONLY $20,000
WLLBESPENT
Flood Control Planning On
Yadkin To Suffer If Con
gress Cuts Funds
FIRST OF FOUR DAMS
Army engineers disclosed last
week that only $20,000 will be
spent in planning work for the
Yadkin River Flood Control Pro
ject if Congress • votes only the
sharply - reduced appropriations
passed by the House.
The engineers had requested
$75,000 for planning the Yadkin
project, but when the House trim
med the total advance planning
fund in the civil functions bill
from $4 million to $2 million, a
tentative allocation of $20,000 was
made for the planning work.
Unless the Senate restores the
House cuts, the $20,000 will be used
in planning the first of four pro
posed dams on the upper Yadkin
and Reddies rivers; and the re
maining three reservoirs must wait
until additional funds are made
available.
Money to start actual construc
tion will be sought in next year’s
bill. Thef our dams will cost an
estimated $7,194,000, and oppon
ents of the project are expected to
put up a hot fight against flood
control of the Yadkin.
Rev. J. C. Mitchell
To Conduct Services
Youth revival will begin at the
First Baptist Church the first
week in August, lasting Monday
through Friday. Rev. J. C. Mit
chell, president of BSU his second
semester at Mars Hill College
will be in charge of the series of
services.
All the young people of the
town are extended a hearty invi
tation to attend these services
especially designed to interest
younger groups.
LARGEST ASSEMBLY IN DOBSON HISTORY — Shown here are some of the more than 2,000 persons who crowded into the court
house at Dobs u Saturday afternoon for the seventh annual meeting of Surry-Yadkin t REA stockholders. Older residents of Dobson
estimated that > was the largest gathering in the town’s history. The stockholders elected new officers and heard reports on the progress
of the rural elect) 'cation program in the area served by the Surry-Yadkin Electric Membership Corporation, which has headquarters in
Dobson. (Anothei picture on page eight, first section). • (photo by redmoni
Over 2,000 Attend Meeting
Electric Membership Group
S. A. Holder Re-Elected To Head
Corporation At Saturday Session
A throng estimated at more
than 2,000 persons jammed the
court house in Dobson Saturday
afternoon for the seventh annual
stockholders’ meeting of the Sur
ry-Yadkin Electric Membership
Corporation.
S. A. Holder, Route 1, Mount j
Airy, was re-elected president of
the organization. Stockholders
also re-elected W. L. Smith, Route
In a letter to President Hold
er, REA Administration Claude
R. Wickard, U. S. Secretary of
Agriculture, commended the ac
complishments of the SurryV
Yadkin Electric Membership
Corporation and declared that
efforts of rural leaders “in
nearly 800 REA Co-ops across
the nation are largely respon
sible for the electrification of
more than one-half of all farms
now electrified.’’ At the begin
ning of the R<EA program only
one of every 10 farms had
electricity, Mr. Wickard assert
ed.
He urged members of the or- j
ganization to give their full
support to the Co-op board of
directors and management to
the end that “all rural people
in your area can enjoy the
same benefits of electricity
which you have secured for
yourselves . . : We in REA stand
ready to assist you to the best
of our ability.”
2, Mount Airy, vice-president;
Johnnie Collins, Dobson, treasur
er; and Joe Pendry, Route 1
Boonville, secretary. Re-elected to
serve on the board of directors
were H. W. Doub, East Bend; G. T.
Dorse, Route 1, Lewisville; J. S.
Key, Route 4, Mount Airy; W. T.
White, Route 1, Elkin; and Eu
gene Shore, Yadkinville.
Sixty prizes ranging from radios
and other electrical appliances to
light bulbs and donated by mer
chants in the area, were presented
to stockholders at the meeting.
Howard Comer, Route 1, Elkin
won a vacuum cleaner as first
prize.
The stockholders heard reports
of officers and directors which in
dicated a highly successful year
of operations. Secretary Joe Pen
dry reported that the REA had
approved the allotment of $449,
000 during the year for the con
struction of new power lines and
service extensions in Surry, Yad
kin, Wilkes, Stokes and Forsyth
counties, the area served by the
cooperative. The treasurer’s re
port showed a substantial income
for the year.
Organized in 1940, the Surry -
Yadkin “Co-op” serves 2,391 mem
bers in five counties with 611 miles
of power lines. Contracts for an
additional 212 miles of lines that
will serve 750 more families are
expected to be let next month.
The goal of the organization is
to provide electricity for 6,000
potential consumers in rural areas
that could not otherwise be served.
R. E. Burrus, manager of the co
operative since 1941, said that the
critical shortage of wire hampered
operations, but that crews are in
stalling additional lines and ex
tensions as fast as materials be
come available.
REA operations were curtailed
drastically during the war, Mr
Burrus explained, but the installa
tion of new lines and expansion of
service are expected to go forward
rapidly in the next few years. A
total of 329 miles of lines have
been energized since the end of
the war, and poles have already
been set up for the 212 miles of
lines expected to be in use by the
end of the year.
History Is Made At Kiwanis Meet
International
President
Inducts Son
Kiwanis history was made here
last Thursday night when Dr.
Charles W. Armstrong, of Salis
bury, newly elected president of
Kiwanis International, inducted
his son, Charles W. Armstrong, Jr.,
into the Elkin club as his first
official act since taking office.
According to C. C. Poindexter,
president of the Elkin club, this
marks the first time in history
that an international president
has had the privilege of inducting
his son into a Kiwanis club.
Kiwanian Armstrong, Jr., was
recently employed by Chatham
Manufacturing Company here.
The meeting, at which wives and
friends of Kiwanians were guests,
was presided over by President
Poidexter, who, following a brief
musical program by the Chatham
String Band, introduced Dr. Arm
strong.
In inducting his son into the
club, the international president
informed his listeners that his
words, although directed to his
son, should be heeded by every
Kiwanis present. He then charg
ed his son with being loyal to his
employer, his club, his community
and his church, and stressed the
importance of taking his place in
(Continued on page eight!
PRESIDENT OF KIYVANIS INTERNATIONAL INDUCTS SON —
Dr. Charles W. Armstrong of Salisbury, right, newly-elected presi
dent of Kiwanis International, is shown handing his son, Charles
Armstrong, Jr., a certificate of membership in the Elkin Kiwanis
club at a meeting here last Thursday night. The ceremony marked
the tirst time in history that an international president has in
ducted his son into a Kiwanis club. cphoto by rbdmon)
BOND ELECTION
IS TO BE HELD
New Bond Ordinance Passed
For Million-Dollar School
Expansion Program
$200,000 ELKIN’S SHAKE
The county commissioners pass
ed a new bond ordinance at a
meeting in Dobson Monday for
the proposed million-dollar school
expansion program in Surry
County.
An election on the bond issue
was originally scheduled for June
28, but was called off when cer
tain misunderstanding arose over
the agreement as to distribution
of funds for the various schools. |
If the election carries, Elkin
will get $200,000 for additional
class rooms and other improve
ments of school facilities; Mount
(Continued On Page Four)
To Install Cooper
As Order Councilor
G. Cline Cooper will be installed
as councilor of the Elkin Council
Number 96 of the Jr. O. U. A. M.
at the organization's regular
meeting in the lodge hall tomor
row evening, July 18.
Other officers to be installed
for six-months terms are J. J.
Myers, Junior Past Councilor R.
E. Smith, Vice Councilor; Murl
Newman, Recording Secretary;
Paul Newman, assistant Record
ing Secretary; Seamon Dobbins,
Financial Secretary; J. C. Martin,
Treasurer; Arthur Newman,
Chaplain; Eugene Cleary, Con
ductor; Walter Blackborn, War
den; Bill Casey, Inside Sentinel;
and John T. Conrad, Outside Sen
tinel.
All members are urged to be
present at the meeting.
Navy Recruiter To
Be At Post Office
Chief H. A. Connor of the U. S.
Navy Recruiting Department will
be at the Elkin Post Office each
Wednesday and Thursday to in
terview interested applicants. The
Navy recruiter was previously sta
tioned at the Post Office on Tues
days.
Tribune Advertising Gets Results
Advantages Of
Town Combine
Are Revealed
License Examiner
To Be In Elkin On
Mon., Tues., Sat.
—
T. A. Stewart, State Driver’s
License Examiner, will be in
Elkin on Monday, Tuesday and
Saturday of each week to ex
amine applicants for driver’s
license, it was announced todayt
All drivers whose surname^
begin with A or B must apply
for license by December 31, and
Mr. Stewart urges such persons
to make application early in
order to avoid the anticipated
rush later in the year.
Mr. Stewart will be in Room
6 at the City Hall from 9 a. m.
to 11 a. m. and from 1 p. m. to
4 p. m. on Monday and Tues
day. Saturday office hours are
from 9 a. m. to 11 a. m. *
The examination will consist
of an eye test, a road sign test,
a written law test and a road
test. Those who fail to pass the
first time may have a second
try, Mr. Stewart said.
The examiner will be in Yad
kinville on Thursday and Fri
day of each week, and in
Mocksville on Wednesdays.
GREYHOUND CO.
LOSES APPEAL
Lower Court J u d g m e n \
Awarding $20,750 Damages
To Hunt Family Upheld
ACCIDENT NEAR ROND.A
The U. S. Circuit Court of Ap
peals for the fourth district ha:
sustained a decision of a lowei
court that the Atlantic Greyhounc
Bus Company to pay $20,750 ir
damages to the family of Waite:
Hunt, Negro, as the result of ar
accident near Ronda in 1945, i
was learned here yesterday.
The accident occurred when t
car driven by Hunt reportedlj
moved onto the highway neai
Ronda Baptist Church in the patl
of the bus. A five-months-olc
daughter of Hunt, Mary Ellen, wa:
fatally injured in the crash. Thret
other Hunt children, Bobby War
ren, Josephine and Leroy, wen
seriously injured.
Hunt brought suit against th<
bus company and won a judgmenl
of $20,750 in the Middle District
Court last January. The bus com
(Continued On Page Four)
BOARD NAMES
ADVISORY BODY
E. C. Bivins, Of Mount Airy,
Is Made Chairmjtn; To
Study Law Procedures
LOCAL MEN ARE NAMED
An advisory committee appoint
ed last week by the Surry County
Commissioners to study court and
law procedures in the county was
set up on a permanent basis at a
meeting in Dobson Monday.
E. C. Bivens, Mount Airy at
torney, was named chairman of
the group, which will meet with
the county commissioners and law
enforcement officers from time to
time to make recommendations
and offer criticisms in an advis
ory capacity.
J. O. Bivins, of Elkin, was ap
pointed secretary of the organi
zation. Other members are W. M
Allen, Elkin attorney; H. O. Woltz
and Fied Folger, Mount Airy at
torneys; Sam Smith, Pilot Moun
tain; Marshall Fowler and John
Frank, Mount Airy; M. Q. Snow
Elkin; Charles Fowler, Pilot Moun
tain; State Senator R. P. Jones;
Representative George K. Snow;
Clerk of the Court Kermit Law
rence; Solicitor Ralph Scott, Dan
bury; Sheriff Sam Patterson; Elk
in Police Chief Corbett Wall;
Mount Airy Police Chief L. E. Wil
liams; Pilot Mountain Police Chief
S. C. Patton; and John Llewellyn,
Dobson.
The group discussed the law en
acted by the last legislature auth
orizing five deputy sheriffs for
Surry County, but Sheriff Patter
son recommended that no new
paid deputies be appointed before
September 1.
Suggestion Is
Causing Much
Pro-Con Taflk
t,
Th^ Tribune’s survey last week
on a possible merger of Elkin and
Jonesville has instigated both
criticism and favorable comment.
Reaction to the idea of consoli
dation was largely favorable, but
a few citizens have denounced a
union of the two towns as unde
sirable.
In an effort to determine the
possible advantages and disad
vantages that could result from a
merger, The Tribune contacted W.
E. Horner, publisher of The San
ford Herald, whose observations in
connection with the consolidation
of Sanford and Jonesboro, it was
felt, could be of value in pointing
out the effects of a merger of ad
joining towns.
While having no knowledge of
the situation in Jonesville and
Elkin, Mr. Horner asserted that
the merger of Sanford and Jones
boro was a step forward.
“I don’t know of any important
disadvantages,” he declared. ‘‘The
advantages are more or less ob
vious: one government instead of
two, unified water and fire de
partments: long range planning
to be done for the benefit of the
community as a whole instead of
for two component parts, each
working separately and independ
I ently of each other and often dup
licating efforts or even working at
cross purposes. Union fosters com
munity spirit and loyalty, and the
bigger a town's population, the
more it is respected on the out
side.”
Other excerpts from Mr. Horn
er’s statement follow:
“Talk of merging Sanford and
! Jonesboro went on for some years
without any action being taken.
I This year the Sanford city limits
i were extended prior to the merger
and they almost touched the
; Jonesboro limits. Jonesboro in the
meantime was buying water from
Sanford and retailing it to her
citizens, and when they had a
fire down there had to call the
, Sanford department. The tele
phone company served both towns
on the same exchange. After, or
, about the time the city limits were
’ extended, we again started a cam
paign for consolidation . . . be
lieving that Jonesboro would get
better police and fire protection
at no added tax expense ... I be
lieve it will turn out that way.
"... The major opposition was
in Sanford, a group of taxpayers
here believing that Jonesboro had
too little to offer in the way of
taxable valuation for the amount
of money that eventually would
have to be expended for services,
such as police and fire and for
extension of streets and sidewalks,
and paving of the same. Finally
they were overcome by a majority
who believed in a bigger town even
if it did cost Sanford something.
All Sanford gained was population
(Continued On Page Eight)
CONTRACTLET
FOR SCHOOLS
Pleasant Hill And Pleasant
Ridge, In Wilkes County,
To Get 4-Room Buildings
LOW BIDS ABOUT $30,000
Contract has been let for erec
tion of school buildings for Pleas
ant Ridge and Pleasant Hill
schools in the eastern part of
Wilkes county.
C. B. Eller, county superintend
ent of schools, said the contracts
were awarded on low bids sub
mitted by Elliot Building com
pany, of Hickory.
Contracts call for erection of
identical buildings with four class
rooms, office and teachers room,
toilets, etc. Low bids on the
buildings were approximately
30,000 each and the structures are
to be erected in 90 days.
On July 18 Wilkes county will
let contract for a two-room addi
tion to the Ferguson school build
ing and for erection of a four
room building for the Ronda
school.
The Ronda building is to be of
block construction and will be
used as additional classrooms to
alleviate crowded conditions. The
building is ultimately planned as
a vocational agriculture plant for
the school.
i