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
Is Read By 14,000 People In
Surry, Wilkes and Yadkin
I
VOL. No. XXXV No. 36
PUBLISHED WEEKLY ELKIN. N. G. THURSDAY. AUGUST 7, 1947
!
$2.00 PER YEAR
16 PAGES—TWO SECTIONS
3
PURCHASE OF
METERS HERE
IS POSTPONED
Town Commissioners Meet
With Various Salesmen
MAKE FURTHER STUDY
Administrator Recommends
To Board System Of Fire
Alarm Signals For Area
DELEGATION IS HEARD
[ At its regular meeting in the
I City Hall Monday evening, Elkin’s
governing body postponed the
purchase of parking meters pend
ing further investigation as to the
most desirable type of meter foi
the town.
Three representatives of park
ing meter companies were present
at the meeting to demonstrate
and explain the advantages ol
their devices, but the board mov
|1 ed to defer a decision on any
particular type until a further
study can be completed by City
Administrator R. Lewis Alexan
der.
Authorization for the paving oi
Reeves Street in Sunset Park was
also delayed until more complete
information could be obtained on
paving costs. A delegation ol
property owners from Sunset
Park appeared before the board in
behalf of the project.
The issuance of a taxi opera
tor’s license to Claude Pardue was
authorized at the meeting.
The board heard Administrator
Alexander’s report on several
municipal matters, including his
recommendation that a fire alarm
system, which would designate
the area in which a fire occurs
be established for the town. Mr
Alexander suggested that Elkin
and vincinity be divided into five
I areas with an identifying fire
alarm signal for each section
Roughly, the areas would consist
of the uptown business district;
Jonesville; West Likin, with Big
Elkin Creek as the. boundary;
I North Elkin; and East Elkin, be
I ginning at Gwyn Avenue and in
| eluding Chatham Manufacturing
Company. Mr. Alexander’s ten
■ tative plan provides for the
I sounding of a general alarm upon
I discovery of fire, followed by
■ area-identifying signals at regu
M lar intervals. He was authorized
I to determine the proper equip
I ment for such a system and re
I port his findings at the Septem
l~ber meeting of the board.
I WILL DISCUSS
ELKIN EVENT
Agricultural Leaders A n c
’f County Agents Will Meet
At The Y.M.C.A.
HARRELL IS C O M I N G
Agricultural leaders and countj
agents from Surry and severa!
neighboring counties will meet ir
the YMCA Friday, August 8, at f
p. m. to discuss plans for the
Jaycee-sponsored Fat Stock Show
and Sale to be staged here Sep
tember 16 and 17.
Hoyle Cranford, president ol
the Junior Chamber of Com
merce, and Mayor Garland John
son, prominent leader in agricul
tural events, will participate in
the program-planning session.
L. R. Harrell, state 4-H Clut
leader, has accepted an invitatior
to speak at the banquet follow
ing the show, and Harry Hamil
ton, Jr., livestock marketing spe
cialist for the North Carolina De
partment of Agriculture, will b(
acutioneer for the sale.
An educational program for 4-P
and FFA club members will b(
given at 10:30 a. m„ Septembe:
16, preceding the show', it w'as an
nounced.
The new exposition building ir
Memorial Park is expected to b<
completed by the date of the shov
and will be used to exhibit entries
Local Committee
To Discuss Road
Needs Of Area
A committee of Elkin busi
ness men will meet at a dinner
session in the Gilvin Roth
YMCA next Tuesday at 12:15
to discuss the road needs of this
section.
Raymond Smith, member of
the State Highway Commission.
Z. V. Stewart, district engineer,
and other highway officials are
expected to be present.
All business men who expect
ito attend the meeting are urg
ed to contact E. W. McDaniel,
chaiman of the committee, not
later than Monday.
i
ELKIN-JONESVILLE SPEEDWAY TO OPEN SUNDAY — Above is a view of the new Elkin-Jonesville Speedway, which will be opened
Sunday for stock car racing: under the sanction of the National Championship Stock Car Racing: Circuit, with a 75-lap main event being
scheduled. The track, said to be the fastest in this section of the co untry, will provide a grandstand with seating for over 7,000 specta
tors. The track is located about one-half mile south of the Jonesville high school building. (photo by belli
CERTIFICATE
IS REVOKED
N. C. Board Of Education
Takes Away Teaching
Rights of R. L. Fritz, Jr.
CALDWELL CO. TEACHER
The North Carolina Board of
Education Tuesday *revoked the
teaching certificate of R. L. Fritz.
Jr„ Caldwell County school prin
cipal allegedly charged with payT
roll irreguarities in the disposition
of school funds.
The board also directed the
Caldwell County Board of Educa
tion to refund to the state treas
urer's office all funds wrongfully
paid out by the Hudson schools,
of which Fritz is principal, dur
in the 1946-47 school term, and
placed the amount at $1,641.19.
Some observers questioned the
legality of the board's action in
revoking Fritz’s certificate. At
torney General Harry McMullan
said he could find no expressed
provision in the general statutes
giving the state board of educa
tion authority to revoke certifi
cates which it alone can issue.
Meanwhile, leaders in the Hud
son school community signed a
petition asserting that Fritz had
conducted the school in an “effic
ient manner” and that his’loss
would be “injurious" to the Hud
son school system.
President of the North Caro
lina Education Association, Fritz
was an active leader in the drive
to increase salaries of teachers
during the 1947 General Assembly
session.
Two Stills Smashed;
Wagoner Is Taken
After Liquor Found
Yadkin Sheriff A. F. Moxley re
ports that he and his forces found
and smashed two liquor stills dur
ing the month of July, and found
two gallons of whiskey at one of
them which was destroyed also.
One of the stills was found in
East Bend township and the li
quor was found with this still. The
other one was found in Deep
Creek township. No one was
found at either place.
Sheriff Moxley reports that he
and his deputy Fred Turner were
assisting federal officers Tuesday
night in looking for a federal law
violator when they visited the
home of Dollie Wagoner who lives
at the old Joe Reavis place in the
Lone Hickory section. While
searching for their man they
found two gallons of whiskey and
a new copper still worm in Wag
oner’s home. He was arrested
and carried before U. S. Commis
sioner M. W. Mackie and bound
over to federal court.
Sheriff Moxley states that he
has recently received numerous
unsigned letters giving the loca
tion of stills and when search was
made no still found. He states
that letters must be signed if they
are to receive any attention, al
though such communications will
be kept strictly confidential.
Surry Has 9,007
Motor Vehicles
As of July 1, a total of 802,349
vehicles were registered in North
Carolina, of which 9,007 are in
Surry county, it has been an
nounced by North Carolina 'De
partment of Motor Vehicles.
Of the total number registered
in the state, 788,769 are autos,
trucks, and trailers, while the re
maining 23,580 are dealers’ and
state highway vehicles.
Guilford county leads all ve
hicle registrations with 42,387.
Mecklenburg runs a close second
with 41,653. Clay, Tyrrell, Gran
ville and Dare counties are among
the lowest.
In this area, Wilkes county has
i total of 6,755. Yadkin has 4,989
and Alleghany 1,519.
New Stock Car Race
Track Opens Sunday
Speedway Will
Feature 100
Laps Of Racing
The South’s newest race track,
the new Elkin-Jonesville Speed
way, will receive its baptism here
Sunday afternoon in northwestern
North Carolina’s greatest sports
spectacle—stock car auto racing.
Scheduled under the sanction
of the National Championship
Stock Car Racing Circuit, the pro
gram features 100 laps of racing,
including a 75-lap main event.
The races will be directed by Bill
France, America’s No. 1 race pro
moter.
Built by Chester Shore, of
Hamptonville, the same engineer
who constructed North Wilkes
boro’s famous track, the Elkin
Jonesville oval boasts the largest
grandstand of any track in the
Carolinas and Virginia. The gigan
tic structure will held over 7,000
spectators, ar.d plans are under
way to increase it in size to hold
10,000. The latter, however, will
not be accomplished in time for
the first race program.
Heading the crack field which
will compete at the Elkin Speed
way are Bob Flock, Ed Samples
Buddy Shuman, Glen Dunaway
and Johnnie Rogers, five drivers
who can hold their own on the
track against anyone. It is also
likely that Fonty Flock, leader
in national point standings, will
be on hand. Fonty holds first
place in the standings over broth
er Bob by just 10 points.
Approximately 30 cars are ex
pected to run for gold and glory
on the four-race program. In ad
dition to time trials, there will be
two heats, a consolation and the
75-lap feature. Time trials will
begin at 12:30 p. m. and the first
race will get under way at 3 p. m.
France announced yesterday
that over 10 tons of calcium chlo
ride and salt would be spread on
the speedway to make it dustproof.
And just to make certain that
there will be no dust, over 20,000
gallons of oil will be poured on the
half-mile dirt oval between now
and the day of the race.
Chester Shore is president of
Elkin-Jonesville Speedway, Inc.,
with James Boyd as vice-president
and Jimmy Cox as secretary and
treasurer. Other stockholders are
G. Buck Wall and Fred Chilton.
The George Gray Post of the
American Legion will have charge
of concessions at the opening
races.
Iowa’s First White Settlement
What now comprises the state
of Iowa was first visited by Mar
quette and Joliet in 1673. The
first white settlement in the state
was made in 1788, when a party
of ten went to work in the lead
and zinc mines located near the
present site of Des Moines.
DIES MYSTERIOUSLY—G. F.
Fields, 27-year-old Winston
Salem man, is being held with
out bond in Wilkesboro as a re
I suit of the mysterious death of
Miss Pearl Jenkins, above, who
died on the highway near North
Wilkesboro last Thursday night
when she asked Fields to stop
the car they were riding in so
that she could get a breath of
air. Miss Jenkins reportedly got
out of the car, fell in a faint,
and was found dead several
hours later when officers arriv
ed on the scene.
HOLD MAN IN
GIRL’S DEATH
—
G. F. Fields, of Winston
: Salem In Jail At Wilkesboro
Fending Investigation
DIES BY ROAD SIDE
Charges against G. F. Fields
Winston-Salem man being held a
i Wilkesboro without bond in con
l nection with the mysterious deatl
j of Miss Pearl Jenkins last week
were still awaiting the final out'
come of an investigation by auth'
orities as The Tribune went t<
press Wednesday afternoon.
Miss Jenkins, an employee o
Hanes Hosiery Mill in Winston
| Salem, died on the roadside nea:
North Wilkesboro about 10 p. m
last Thursday after she reportedl:
; had stepped out of a car drivel
by Fields.
According to the Winston-Sal
| em man’s story, he and Miss Jenk
ins were riding toward Norti
Wilkesboro when she asked him t<
stop the car so she could get <
breath of air. Fields told officer
he stopped the car and opened thi
door for Miss Jenkins, and tha
she apparently fainted as she wa
getting out of the automobile. Hi
(Continued on page eight)
STORM CAUSES
CROP DAMAGE
Loss Estimated At Close To
$100,000 In Surry And
Adjoining Counties
LEAF DAMAGE $50,000.00
Damage to crops in Surry and
surrounding counties was estimat
ed at close to $100,000 as a result
of the electrical storm in this
area early Monday morning.
Tobacco losses alone might ex
ceed $50,000 according to some ob
servers, and high winds and hail
caused extensive damage to corn
and other crops. Lightning added
to losses by setting fire to farm
buildings in several counties.
Many a Surry farmer was
thankful for crop insurance as the
torrential rains stripped tobacco
leaves from stalks and battered
down grain almost ready for har
vesting.
In Yadkin County, H. M. Lind
horst of the Longtown community
lost a tobacco curing barn when
lightning struck the building and
set it on fire. Thad Carlton, oi
near Yadkinville, lost a new feed
barn as the result of lightning and
fire, but managed to save a mule
in the building when he was
awakened by thunder. Mr. Carlton
estimated his loss at $3,000, only
one-third of which was covered
by insurance.
SURRY SCHOOLS
OPEN SEPT. 11
Outlook And Prospects For
Good Year Are Best
Ever, Comer Says
EXPECT 8,000 STUDENTS
Surry County schools ^Ire sche
duled to open for the 1947-48 tern
on Thursday, September 11, it was
announced today by Superinten
dent of Schools John W. Comer.
“The outlook and prospects foi
a good school year are the best
we have ever had,” Mr. Come:
said. “With increased compensa
tion for teachers and full coopera
tion from county fiscal authori
ties, we should have an excellent
term.”
An estimated 7,500 to 8,000 stu
dents are expected to be enrolled
in the 17 schools in the county
system, marking an increase ovei
last year’s enrollment of approvi
1 mately five per cent. Franklir
school will have the largest num
■ ber of students with an expectec
enrollment of 950. Dobson ranks
i as the second largest county
) school with 900 students, and Pilot
i Mountain is third with an enroll
; ment of 700. Cook school, with 6f
: students, is the smallest unit ir
: the county system.
; Several vacancies in the teach
'■ ing staffs at Lowgap, Dobson anc
Shoals have not been filled as yet
Mr. Comer said.
Initial Flood Control Surveys
On Yadkin To Begin Next Week
The Tribune learned Wednesday ■
through its Washington Bureau
that initial surveys on the pro- ;
posed Yadkin River Flood Control '
Project will get under way next '
week. i
A planning fund of $75,000 has 1
been set aside for the work, and i
army engineers announced that :
they would proceed with the sur
veys on the dam sites sometime
next week. It is expected that ;
topographic surveys of the two <
proposed Reddies River sites will i
be completed first.
The flood control plan envisions
he construction of four dums on
he Yadkin and Reddies rivers at
in estimated cost of $7,194,000.
rhis sum was authorized by the
f9th Congress for the project, but
he appropriation of funds has not
jeen obtained despite prolonged
‘fforts of Congressmen John H.
I’olger and C. B. Deane.
However, news that planning
vork is to be initiated after long
fears of inaction marks an en
:ouraging forecast that the dream
)f flood control will one day be
■ealized.
Following the June flood that'
left a wake of damage estimated
at $1,000,000, Congressman Deane
requested an appropriation of $2.
000,000 for immeidate construction
work on the proposed dams. This
proposal was defeated, but a com
mittee did recommend a blanket
appropriation for flood control
projects throughout the nation
and left the apportionment ol
funds to Army engineers.
Mr. Deane hailed the move at
“an opening wedge in our long
fight to end the annual Yadkin
flood tragedy.”
May Establish Leaf
Experiment Station
In Surry This Fall
19 COMPETE IN
BEAUTY SHOW
“Miss Elkin of 1947” Sched
uled To Be Chosen At
Pageant Wednesday
TO HAVE WATER SHOW
Nineteen beautiful girls had cast
their bids for the title of “Miss
Elkin of 1947” as The Tribune
went to press Wednesday after
noon.
The contestants went through a
full rehearsal in the YMCA Tues
day evening that gave promise of
a gala show for the capacity
throng expected at the beauty
pageant Wednesday at 8 p. m. in
the “Y.”
Gene Aldridge and his 10-peice
orchestra, “The Rebels,” were set
to provide music sweet and hot
for the Jaycee-sponsored event.
The band was to feature special
arrangements by Bob Nicks and
Russell Johnson.
The contestants, their sponsors,
and their performances in the
pageant were as follows:
Betty Jean Pardue, Jonesville.
sponsored by Redmon Studio,
specialty dance with Ott Boles,
Jr.; Elizabeth Hall, Yadkinville,
sponsored by Graham-Click, vocal
solo, Mrs. W. E. Dobbins, accom
panist: Lucy Wolfe, State Road,
sponsored by Belk-Doughton Com
pany, piano solo; Mary Brown,
Jonesville, sponsored by Elk
Fharmacy, reading: Doretha
Chappell, Jonesville, sponsored by
Bell Photographic Service, special
ty dance with Ott Boles, Jr.; Bet
ty Lou Steelman, Elkin, sponsored
by Abernethy’s, vocal solo, Mrs.
Hoyle Cranford, accompanist:
Helen Thompson, East Bend, spon
sored by Turner Drug Company,
piano solo; Mary Lou Dobbins
Boonville, sponsored by the Bas
(Continued on page 4, first sec.)
Public Hearing On
School Bond Issue
A public hearing on the pro
posed million dollar school bond
election for Surry County will be
held at the court house in Dobson
at 10 a. m., August 18.
If no opposition is expressed to
the proposal, it is expected that
the election will be held in Sep
tember.
The election, was originally set
for June 28, but was called off due
to a misunderstanding with re
gard to the proposed apportion
ment of funds among schools of
the county.
Lions Not To Give
Away Automobile
Officials of the Elkin Lions
Club announced today that the
plan to give away an automobile
at the Lion-sponsored Horse Show
August 22 and 23 has been aban
doned in view of the Attorney
General's recent ruling that sell
ing chances on a prize is illegal.
The Show will be held as pre
viously announced, but the draw
ing for the new car will not be
held. Ticket-holders are advised
that they may return their tickets
and receive refunds, or keep them
with the understahding that the
automobile will not be given
away. The statement concerning
the drawing for the new car is be
ing cancelled on tickets not yet
sold.
Farmer Cooperation
Urged In Campaign
The full co-operation of all
farmers in Elkin, Bryan and
Marsh townships is requested in
the current rat-elimination cam
paign sponsored by the Surry
Farm Bureau with the assistance
of the County Agent’s office.
County Agent Neill M. Smith
pointed out that the drive will
lose much of its effectiveness if a
few farms fail to co-operate. “The
pests will simply desert the poison
treated farms for the non-treated
areas,’’ he said.
Rat poison may be obtained at
the Elkin Hatchery, Brendles Seed
and Feed Store. J. C. Dobbins and
the North Elkin Service Station
in this area, and at community
centers in Bryan and Marsh town
ships.
IMPORTANT POST — Tom L.
Parnell, above, member of the
Elkin Lions Club, was recently
appointed chairman of Zone 1,
Lions District 3 IB, by Lions
District Governor Francis E.
Walker, of Durham. As Zone
chairman. Mr. Parnell’s princi
pal duty will be to call and con
duct regular meetings of the
Lions Advisory Committee of
this zone, this committee being
composed of various presidents
and secretaries within this dis
trict. Mr. Parnell is a charter
member of the local Lions club
and has served for three con
secutive years as its secretary.
Photo By Redmon Studio.
NEW NURSES TO
SERVE YADKIN
Mrs. Dorothy Burchette And.
Mrs. T. It. White Will Be
Named For County
MISS NIBLOCK RESIGNS
Miss Laura Niblock, who has
been one of the nurses for Yad
kin county for several years, is
still a patient at Long’s Hospital,
Statesville, where her condition
does not improve. She has writ
ten friends in Yadkin county that
she does not expect to ever be in
Yadkin again, and she has resign
ed as a nurse.
This leaves Yadkin without any
nurses, as Mrs. Messick resigned
several weeks ago, and the work
of selecting two new nurses has
been underway for several days.
Mrs. Dorothy Burchette, wife of
Charles Burchette of East Bend,
will be one of the new nurses and
she will have charge of one half
the territory of the county and
her office will be at Boonville.
Mrs. T. R. White of Elkin has
been named as the second nurse
for the county and she will also
have charge of half the county.
Mi's. White is the widow of Dr.
T. R. White, who died several
years ago, and she is well known
in the western part of the county.
Both new nurses will enter on
their work August 15th. Both
these ladies come highly recom
mended in their line of work.
Kiwanis Meet Is To
Feature Discussion
Elkin Kiwanians heard an ex
cellent talk at their meeting at
the Gilvin Roth YMCA last
Thursday night when Professor
William Edgerton, of Guilford Col
lege recounted his experiences
while serving as a representative
of the UNRRA and American
Friends’ society in Germany and
Poland.
Present at the meeting as a
guest was former member of the
local club, Charlie Brewer, now
of Oxford.
The program for this evening’s
Kiwanis meeting will feature a
round table discussion of the new
driving laws for the State of
North Carolina, which will be led
by J. W. (Red) Williamson, a
member of the State Highway Pa
trol. Another feature of the pro
gram will be the presence as
guests of the Kiwanis Knee-Pants
baseball team.
Ministerial Ass’n.
To Meet At Y.M.C.A.
Elkn-Jonesville Ministerial As
sociation will meet at noon Mon
day at the Gilvin Roth YMCA for
their regular monthly luncheon
meeting.
Every member is urged to be
present.
To Make Survey
To Find Land
That Is Suitable
A new tobacco experiment sta
tion that would serve growers
througout western North Carolina
may be established in Surry Coun
ty this fall if a suitable location
for experimental work can be ob
tained.
Dr. W. E. Colwell, research pro
fessor of N. C. State College, indi
cated at a recent conference of
farm leaders that Surry could be
designated as the location for the
new station if the county would
provide funds for the purchase or
lease of a farm for experimental
work. The problem was presented
to the board of county commis
sioners at a meeting in Dobson
Monday but no action was taken
in view of the question as to
whether the county possessed le
gal authority to appropriate funds
for such a purpose.
However, the board authorized a
committee composed of County
Agent Neill M. Smith, State Sena
tor R. P. Jones, P. N. Taylor, S.
H. Atkinson and S. N. Smith to
investigate the possibility of using
the county home farm as a loca
tion for the experiment station.
The committee has requested Dr.
L. D. Baver, state director of ex
periment stations in Raleigh, to
have a survey made of the county
farm to determine whether the
soil is suitable for experimental
work in tobacco.
The survey will also include
other farm lands in the county
that are available as a location
for the station in the event that
the county farm proves impracti
cal. Farmers who have four or
five acres of land that they are
willing to offer as a possible lo
cation should contact County
Agent Neill M. Smith in order that
such areas may be included in the
survey. Mr. Smith stated that to
bacco acreage used by the experi
ment station would not be deduct
ed from the regular allotments.
The farm selected for experimen
tal work must have, in addition to
typical soil conditions, a dwelling
house and facilities for curing to
bacco.
Salaries of the experimental
staff will be met with state and
federal funds appropriated for
such work, but no lunds are pro
(Continued On Page Four)
Thieves Steal Money,
Bus In Robbery Here
Officers ^Vednesday had still not
uncovered t^ie identity of the
thief, or thieVes, who entered the
City Transit Company offices on
West Main Street early Saturday
morning, robbed a metal cabinet
of some $300 and then made a
getaway in a passenger bus.
Police officers discovered the
abandoned bus in Charlotte Sun
day, but no trace of the burglar or
money was found. The culprit
evidently ran out of gas and de
serted tlie vehicle.
Entrance to the bus company
office was apparently gained by
forcing open a window in the rear
of the building.
Hoke Henderson
Resigns As City
Attorney Here
Hoke F. Henderson has re
signed as town attorney for
Elkin, effective immediately, he
informed The Tribune yester
day.
In his letter of resignation to
Mayor Garland Johnson and
the board of commissioners, Mr,
Henderson stated that the de
mands of his private law prac
tice made the move necessary.
Mr. Henderson’s resignation
will not affect the defense of
the town of Elkin by the law
firm of Allen and Henderson in
pending litigation.
No successor to the post of
town attorney has been named.
Mr. Henderson’s letter of res
ignation follows:
“It is necessary for Mr. Allen
and I to devote our entire time
to our private practice; there
fore, I herewith resign as town
attorney for the Town oT Elk
in, effective immediately.’’