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DEVOTED TO THE CIVIC, ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT OF ALLEGHANY COUNTY
Volume No. 14.
GALAX, VA. (Published for Sparta, N. C.) THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1938.
Number 10.
^ — z"'
Hugo S. Sims,
Washington Correspondent
Early this month, President
Roosevelt expressed the conviction
that “the South presents right
now the nation’s No. 1 economic
problem,” because “we have an
economic unbalance in the nation
as a whole due to this very condi
tion of the South.”
The President’s statement was
read in a conference of twenty
three Southerners by Lowell Mel
lett, Director of the National
Emergency Council, who submit
ted a report prepared from Gov
ernment sources and stressing the
following facts: v
Vivid Contrast.
The South is richly endowed
with physical resources and of
fers greater diversity of climate,
soil and topography than any
other region of the country. It
is poor in the machinery of con
verting its potentialities to riches,
having only sixteen per cent, of
the tools with which people make
their living, although, containing
twenty-eight per cent of the na
tion’s population.
With less than one-third of the
nation’s area, the South contains
well over one-third of the na-1
tion’s good farm acreage.
It has almost half of the
land on which crops can grow for
six months or more without dan
ger. However, with over half the
country’s farmers, the South had
less than one-fifth of the nation’s
farm implement^.
Economic Pressure.
More than any other section,
the South is confronted with the
problem of excess population. Al
ready the most thickly populated
rural area, its population is grow
ing more rapidly than any other
region. This increase is expected
to reach 7,000,000 in the next
twenty years. The resulting eco
nomic pressure has upset a racial
relationship which once appeared
fixed. White people are displacing
Negroes in such trades as barber
ing, waiting on tables, tending
elevators, etc.
With more than half of the
farm people, the South gets only
one-fifth of the nation’s agricul
tural income. The average South
ern farmer does not make enough
to feed, clothe and school his
children decently. More than half
in 1936, made less than $765
and many had incomes as low as
$300.
Few of the South’s children
start out on an equal footing
with children of other sections
because they do not have an
equal opportunity to get training
in public schools. This was less
than half of the national aver
age and one-fourth of the amount
spent per child in the State of
New York.
Diagnosis Needed.
President Roosevelt did not go
into “the long history of how
this situation came to be” but he
called it “the long and ironic
history of the despoiling of this
truly American section of the
country’s population.” What the
Chief Executive sought was a
clear perspective of the task as it
is today. But as the New York
Times says, “the first step to
ward the cure of such a problem
is correct diagnosis.” Subsequent
ly, it may be profitable to the
entire population of the United
States to look into conditions in
the South and attempt to discov
er the causes which have brought
about such a problem.
“To the Victor.”
The Christian Science Monitor,
published at Boston, Mass., says,
“After seventy-five years, Amer
ica still has a monumental exam
ple of the cost of war in the
problems of the Southern States
. . . To the victor may belong
the spoils, but these are mighty
few in a long sustained struggle,
and to him eventually, in a con
test between brothers, goes the
responsibility for helping to re
habilitate the fallen.”
Declaring that the South “is
not without responsibility in part
for its plight.” The Monitor says
“What are the orgins of that
disparity which too many North
erners dismiss with ‘Oh, the
South is just naturally poor and
backward?’ ” it Continues:
The Result of War.
“Seldom has a region been so
completely stripped of its capital
as the South after the war be
tween the States. Her manufac
turing plants were worn out. Her
slaves, a major form of invest
ment, were freed. Her money was
valueless. To rebuild from the
ground up, capital had to come
from outside and it came warily.
“To make matters worse, the
rebuilding had to be done under
several handicaps. There was
traditional grievance against tar
iffs, which made the South and
West pay higher prices for the
(Turn to page four, please)
Thomas J. Jones,
an AUeghanian,
is an expert
—riflleman, and is practic
ing daily on the rifle range
at Wakefield, Mass., lior the
rifle matches to be held in
forthcoming weeks. Jones, who
is a (veteran rifleman, possesses
the title of Gunnery Sergeant.
He has probably taken part in
more rifle competitions than any
other military marksman.
Bom in Scottville in 1894, Ser
geant Jones has served continu
ously in the Marine corps since
1916 and in virtually every year
since that time has won medals
and trophies which bear tribute
to his skill as a marksman.
His travels as a U. S. Marine
have taken him to Cuba, Guam,
China and many other distant
points, but nearly every year he
has been with the Marine corps
teams competing in national
matches at Camp Perry, Ohio.,
or elsewhere.
For the last three years he has
been a member' of rifle teams
which defeated more than a hun
dred military and civilian groups,
to win the team championship of I
the United States at Camp Perry. I
He has won literally scores of
medals and money prizes while
competing with the best shots of
the nation.
While it has been many years
since Sergeant Jones made his
home in North Carolina, he has
numerous friends and relatives in
the state. He formerly made his
home with his mother, Mrs, Mazy
E. Jones, in Scottville. At sub
sequent times his brother, Rufus
A. Jones, was a resident at Strat
ford, and another brother, Dr.
J. W. Jones, practiced in Boone.
No rifleman of the Marine
corps, it is said, has compiled a
more brilliant record t han the
Carolina veteran, whose shooting
skill is still good enough to keep
him in the front rank of the lead
ing military riflemen of America.
Peach growers
are receiving
considerably less
—per bushel for their pro
ducts this year than they
received last year. Despite
good quality and size, the
growers are now receiving be
tween 30 and 40 per cent, less
per bushel than last year, accord
ing to a report issued recently
by the State Department of agri
culture.
A. Jtf. Harless, chiet ot the de
partment’s markets news service,
reports that U. S. No. 1 peaches
(two-inch minimum siize) were
bringing from $1 to $2 per bushel
July 7 in New York while in July
last year “virtually the same
peaches’’ were bringing from $3
bo $3.25 per bushel.
The North Carolina peach crop
on June 1 was estimated at 2,
480.000 bushels compared with a
1937 production of 1,984,000
bushels and a past hive-year aver
age crop for the state of 1,813,
000 bushels.
“North Carolina ranks ninth
among the states of the Union in
the production of peaches, Cali
fornia being the leading state,”
reports Chief Statistician W. H.
Rhodes of the Department of
Agriculture. “There are approxi
mately 26 counties in the state
having commercial peach orchards
of considerable size. Three coun
ties have commercial orchards
containing more tahn 100,000
trees—Montgomery county with
422.000 trees, Moore county with
383,000, and Richmond county
with 523,000. Anson county re
ported 69,000 trees while all other
counties were considerably less
than 50,000.”
With a season regarded as one
week earlier than last year, Tar
Heel growers had shipped 176
carloads of peaches to northern
markets compared with 32 cars
through July 7.
JOAN CRAWFORD AND
FRANCHOT TONE HAVE
—separated as “the best of
friends,” according to a joint
statement issued in Hollywood
Tuesday night. They were mar
ried at Englewood, Cliffs, N. J.,
in October, 1934.
King Frank Santo
Wildwood, N. J. . . Frank Santo,
13 years old, son of an unemploy
ed miner of Thro.op, Pa., was
crowned the marbles king of the
United States. His victory netted
him a $150 radio set and a wrist
watch.
Los Angeles is
planning a big
welcome event
—for young Douglas (“Non
Stop”) Corrigan, who flew
across the Atlantic ocean
early this week, from New
York to Dublin, Ireland, in an
old $900 “crate,” without the
necessary papers. Plans for a
great civic celebration in Los
Angeles were started Tuesday.
Corrigan, according to his story,
hopped off from Floyd Bennett
Field, New York, at dawn Sun
day morning, for Los Angeles,
and landed in Ireland “by mis
take.’’
“I left New York to return to
Los Angeles,” he said, “but by
an unfortunate mistake I set my
compass wrong, and when I got
up above the clouds the visibility
was very bad.’’
He said alter he had flown
“about 25 hours,” he thought he
ought to be over California, so
he went down to take a look and
there, to his surprise, was the
Irish coast.
Corrigan’s feat marks the third
time in history that any flier has
flown non-stop from New York
to Europe and reached the point
for which he started—assuming
that Corrigan did not make a
6,000-mile “mistake” in his cal
culations. The two previous fliers
who did this were Charles A.
Lindbergh and Howard Hughes.
Director Charles S. Crail, Jr.,
of the Los Angeles junior chamber
of commerce, said he had cabLed
Corrigan at Dublin to make a
date for the welcome.
Mayor Frank Shaw, of Los
Angeles, cabled Corrigan:
“There is no mistake, my boy,
all air roads lead to Los Angeles.
We are tremendously proud of
you, but please return the safest
way, because aviation needs you.”
A wealthy lumberman, Don
Phillips, has proposed that a move
ment be started in Los Angeles to
finance a world flight by Corrigan
and offered bo be the first con
tributor.
in Santa Monica, W. (Hul)
Easterwood, of Dallas, Texas, long
an aviation patron, said he would
pay any fine that might be assess
ed against Corrigan for infraction
of aviation regulations. He also
said he had cabled airport authori
ties at Dublin he would take care
of any expenses resulting from
Corrigan’s landing.
The Sparta Public
library recently
received a donation
—from Mrs. W. R. McHargue,
in the form of a number of
volumes of fiction.
The 'library also received from
an interested person in Cleveland,
Ohio, several volumes of repro
ductions of paintings by old mas
ters.
Interest in the library continues
to grow, as is shown by the fact
that, within the last ten days,
more than 300 books have been
loaned.
CAPTAIN ALEX PAPANA
WRECKED HIS PLANE
—and his present chances for a
trans-Atlantic flight Tuesday, but
walked away from the wreckage.
The famous Rumanian acrobatic
flier’s plane crashed at Norwalk,
Conn. He had intended to take
off on an attempted ocean flight
within the next two or three days.
Ira T. Johnston,
of Jefferson, was
named president
—of the eleventh district
organization of the North
Carolina State Bar associ
ation on Saturday, July 9,
at the convention of the group
held at Roaring Gap. Mr. John
ston was named to succeed R. A.
Doughton, Sparta. Vice-presidents
elected were Grant Baugess, of
Ashe; Carlisle Higgins, of Alle
ghany, and W. P. Sandridge, of
Winston-Salem.
T. Spruill Thorntin, Winston
Salem, was reelected secretary
and Judge G. H. Hastings, also
of Winston-Salem, was reelected
district councillor. George Cheek,
of Alleghany; W. B. Austin, of
Ashe, and Luther Ferrell, of For
syth, were elected to the execu
tive committee. All elections Were
by acclamation.
A tall, judicial-looking man,
who wore a black bow tie and sil
ver rimmed spectacles, warned the
lawyers that their profession
faces the “rubber stamp of high
er-ups.”
He was Charles G. Rose, of
Fayetteville, dynamic president
of the State Bar. He came to
Roaring Gap to rouse the lawyers
of Alleghany and Forsyth coun
ties into action.
If we get a bar that takes a
rubber stamp from higher-ups,”
said Rose as he talked to the more
than 40 lawyers from the three
counties in the district. “I don’t
know where we are going. But if
we live up to the ideals of the
profession and to the Constitution
we shall stay out in front.”
He never did explain who the
“higher-ups” were other than to
say they were “outside influ
ences.”
In discussing this phase of the
legal profession, Rose said that
as an American institution the bar
must be independent in its think- j
ing, but that the; moment it takes '
orders from the “higher-ups”
outside influences—it will lose its j
prestige.
He told the lawyers he wanted
to select his text from the Con
stitution of North Carolina. This
was the sentence he recited:
“ A frequent recurrence of
fundamental principles is necess
ary to the preservation of liber
ty.”
Rose declared that the main
duties of the North Carolina State
Bar are (1) to regulate those
who come into the profession
and (2) to regulate those in the
profession who step over the line.
But Rose said he is of the
opinion “building fences around
folks and saying you can’t do
this and you can’t do that never
made a better character.”
“You have to have gold bricks
to start with,” he asserted. “If
you haven’t got the material in
the first place it is almost useless
to remold that which you have
once it is set.”
He declared that “knowledge
of law without character in a
man makes a dangerous citizen to
have in the community.”
“f call you lawyers back to
the fundamentals of our profess
ion,” Rose said. “Are we here to
make money and money alone?
“The one who goes into the
courthouse for the sole purpose of
making money has lost the fun
damental of his profession. Hold
up those higher ideals of the pro
fession. We are here to adminis
ter justice from man to man—
not to make money.”
RUBE GOLDBERG COMIC
TO APPEAR REGULARLY
IN THIS NEWSPAPER
Rube Goldberg, one of
America’s highest paid and most
popular oomic artists, will be
a regular contribution to THE
TIMES, starting in an early
issue 1
This newspaper has secured
rights to the comic strip “Lala
Palooza,” Goldberg’s latest
creation. The Countess Lala
Palooza, central figure in the
comic, has been acclaimed one
of the great humorist's most
amusing characters, taking rank
with his famed “Boob McNut,”
“Mike and Ike, They Look
Alike’’ and “Professor Lucifer
Butt’s Inventions.”
We are proud to be able to
present this outstanding feat
ure for the entertainment of
our readers. The first install
ment of “Lala Palooza,” by
Rube Goldberg, starts in an
early issue. Don’t miss it!
New Treasury Aide
-ry^^'r.rwjiui* i
Washington, D. C. . . John W.
Hanes, a member of the Securi
ties and Exchange Commission!
since December, was sworn in as |
an Assistant Secretary of the
Tneasury.
A mid-summer
industrial upturn
was noted
—Tuesday in New York.
The signs were accompan
ied by the heaviest buying
in the stock exchange since
the market began to boom a
month ago.
All day as buying orders pour- j
ed into Wall .street from around
the country, lifting many promi-1
nent stocks to new tops since]
October, there was a procession i
of cheerful news from financial,
and business quarters.
From Washington came a re
port FHA new residential mort
gage insurance business this
month was double the July, 1937,
figures and that housing officials
were forecasting the biggest year
in residential building since 1929.
Reports from some of the big
eastern railroads, serving indus
trial centers, pointed to a quick
recovery in loadings last week
from the Fourth of July loss,
with prospects total freight move
ment for the week would be the
largest o^ the year.
FEATURES YOU WILL LIKE
Like animals? Then you’ll be
interested in the story of a 16
year-old dog who gave birth to a
healthy pup. Both are pictured
in our news photo section.
There’s an interesting picture ;
of a night baptismal ceremony in
our news photo section.
“Robinhood,” this> week’s liter- j
ary feature,' is especially timely I
in view of the current movie
version of the classical adventure
tale.
Floyd Gibbons tells the story
of one of the greatest disasters in
the history of the Virgin Islands
in this week’s “Adventurers’
Club.” It’s a swell yarn!
Who is Gideon: Reverend Har
old L. Lundquist gives the back
ground of a great Bible name in
this week’s Sunday school lesson.
How Jeff Gray helped clean up
the cattle rustlers, an amazing
story recounted in “To Ride the
River With” by William MacLeod
Raine.
Little Willie Wimpus registers
a strenuous objection to wise
cracking from his elders. See
“S’Matter Pop” in our comic
section.
President Roosevelt stated re
cently that the South now “pre
sents the nation’s No. 1 economic
problem.” Read about the South
and its present status, with refer
ences to Reconstruction days, in
the regular feature, “Looking at
Washington,” in this issue.
PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
CABLED KING CAROL
—of Rumania, Tuesday as fol
lows :
“On behalf of the American
government and in tny own name
I wish to extend to your majesty
my heartfelt sympathy upon the
death of your mother and the
queen dowager of Rumania.”
Elder Johnny Hoppers was
fatally wounded early last
Saturday night by Sam Ellis
a tenant on a farm owned by Hoppers. The
tragedy occurred at Hoppers’ farm, six miles
west of Sparta, near Piney Creek, following an
argument between the two. The slain man, who was
said to be about 50 years of age, was an elder in the
Union Baptist church. Sheriff Walter M. Irwin said
Prospects loomed
bright for a
hosiery mill
—in Independence at a
meeting 'held Tuesday night
in the Court house in the
Grayson county seat town,
which was attended by about 100
enthusiastic hien of that section.
These men subscribed to about
819,000.00 worth of stock in the
new venture. A goal of $25,
000.00 in local stock subscriptions
has, been set . by the Independence
group. The remaining necessary
capital is to be furnished
by outside interests. Tentative
plans call for the erection of a
brick building as soon as a suit
able site can be obtained.
. The proposed mill would manu
facture full-fashioned silk hosiery
and would employ, at the outset,
about 120 workers, with a pay
roll of more than $1,000.00 a
week, and with definite plans for
expansion in the near future.
It is understood that the pro
moters of this project have re
cently erected, and are now
operating, a large mill of the
same type in Wytheville and have
mills at many other points. On
the local committee to obtain the
remaining stock subscriptions are
W. J. Roberts, L. R. Campbell,
H. A. Bedwell and J. M. Parsons.
Circle No. 1 of
the Baptist W. M. U.
held a meeting
—at the home of Mrs. Lula
Choate on Thursday, J.uyl 14,
with Mrs. J. Bain Doughton as
associate hostess.
The rooms were beautifully
decorated with summer flowers.
In the absence of Mrs. W. B.
Estep, the president, the vice
president presided. Mrs. Lula
Choate was appointed to serve
in the absence of the secretary.
Mrs. George Crutchfield con
ducted the devotionals and led
the program on “The La Platt
States.” The topics were inter
estingly discussed by Mrs. Worth
Smith, Mrs. Amos Wagoner, Mrs.
Ross Richardson and Mrs. A. O.
Joines. Mrs, P. L. Choate render
ed a beautiful piano solo during
the program.
After the program and business
session the hostesses served re
freshments to the twenty per
sons present.
Visitors were Mrs. V. W. Blev
ins, Mrs. James Buchanan, of
Greensboro, Mrs. Hattie Moody,
of Sylva, Mrs. Sallie Vass and
Mrs. Walter Johnson.
During the social hour, Mrs.
Odell Richardson entertained at
the piano.
The Methodist
Young Women’s
circle met
—on Thursday night, July 14, at
the church for the July meeting
of the organization. The devo
tionals were conducted by Rev.
A. B. Bruton, pastor of the
church. The Rev. Mr.. Bruton
made ah inspiring talk.
With Mrs. Mexa Phipps as
leader, an interesting program on
“Bringing Korea to Christ” was
presented, which included a
sketch of pioneer missionary
work in Korea; the work of the
schools there, the rural work, the
hospitals, and health work and
the social evangelistic centers*
Those discussing topics were Miss
es Lillie Ervin and Maxine
Reeves and Mrs. Robert Gambill.
Following the program, a pic
nic supper was enjoyed on the
church lawn.
ENGLISH ROYALTY WILL
BE REPRESENTED
—at the funeral of Dowager
Queen Marie, of Rumania, by the
Duke of Kent, it was announced
Tuesday in London. The duke
will be a personal representative
of King George VI.
Kills slashed Hoppers, in the right
arm with a pocket knife,. Hop
pers. bled to death.
Ellis was said to have fled im
mediately after Hoppers . was
wounded, but was taken into
custody later at his home. Sheriff
Irwin, on crutches and unable bo
walk, sat in an automobile out
side Ellis’ home; as the sheriff’s
son, Dwayne Irwin, arrested the
alleged killer without a struggle.
Ellis had been sought through
the community unavailingly for
several hours.
The alleged Killer is being
held in the Alleghany county jail,
in Sparta, on a charge of murder.
Ellis is the father of five child
ren, and is about 42 years of ,
age, it is understood. Little is
known of him, however, in the
Piney Creek section, other than
that he had worked on the Hop
opers farm.
Sheriff Irwin said Ellis was at,
the Hoppers farm, about one-half
mile from the elder’s home. An
argument over rails ensued. Hop
pers, the- sheriff said, accused Ellis
of burning rails owned by Hop
pers, and Ellis denied the charge.
When the argument reached its
height, Ellis reached in a pocket
and drew a knife, Sheriff Irwin
said, and slashed Hoppers’ arm.
An artery in the arm was sever
ed and Hoppers bled to death be
fore he could be given medical
attention.
After being arrested, Ellis
claimed he acted in self-defense
when he slashed the Baptist eld
er. The accused man said Hop
pers held a rock in his hand.
Sheriff Irwin said a date for
a hearing had not been set.
Funeral services for the slain
man were conducted Monday in
Mount Carmel Union Baptist
church, at • Turkey Knob, in the
presence of a large number of
persons.
Pallbearers were elders of the
Union Baptist church.
Interment was in Mount Carmel
cemetery.
Surviving are the widow; three
daughters, Miss Gladys Hoppers,
Raleigh, Miss Opal Hoppers, Roa
noke, Va., and Miss Grace Hop
pers, Stratford, and two sons,
Vester Hoppers, Sande.rs, Ky., and:
Wade Hoppers, Stratford.
National And World
NEWS
At A Glance
HUGHES COMPLETES FLIGHT
Floyd Bennett Field, New York,
July 14.—Howard Hughes and his
four flying mates, riding the coat
tails of father time at a 250-niile
clip, rocketed their giant silver
monoplane home this afternoon to
complete the fastest trip ever
made around the world—3 days,
19 hours, 14 minutes and 10 sec
onds.
20 DIE IN PLANE CRASH
Rome, July 14.—Twenty per
sons perished today in the great
est disaster of Italy’s civil avia
tion when the Gagliari-Rome air
liner “I-Volo” plunged into the
Tyrrhenian sea 70 miles off the
Sardinian coast.
• • •
CLAIRE TREVOR TO MARRY
Hollywood, Calif., July 17.—
Claire Trevor, film actress, and
Clark Andrews, radio producer,
will be married next July 27 and
plan a honeymoon trip to Hono
lulu, if her motion picture work
will permit.
CORRIGAN FLIES ATLANTIC
Baldonnel Airport, Dublin, Ire
land, July 18.—Douglas G. Corri
gan, 31-year-old Californian, eas
ed a battered $900 airplane onto
Baldonnel airport today after fly
ing 3,150 unauthorized miles
alone across the Atlantic from
New York.
KING GBORGE VISITS PARIS
Naples, July 19.—The visit of
King George to Paris found his
brother and predecessor, the Duke
of Windsor, enjoying a quiet va
cation in Italy today far from
worries and honors of the throne*