ALLEGHANY
♦ STAR-TIMES*
ALLEGHANY COUNTY’S OWN INDEPENDENT WEEKLY NEWSPAPER
Vol. 15. No. 50. Sparta, N. C.
Thursday, April 25, 1940.
If
Washington, D. C.—With Hitler
adding group after group in the
United States to those who al
ready have strong sentimental rea
sons for an Allied victory, the
chances of this country remaining
neutral seem to be slowly reced
ing. The possibility of our join
ing the fracas this year is slight,
but should the war run on to ’41
and German conquests continue,
pressure for our participation is
bo’und to increase tremendously.
The Government’s interest in
Greenland shows that world prob
lems confronting this country
i have suddenly—or since the in
vasion of Norway—grown more
i complex. The Dutch East Indies
J would become an immediate ob
1 ject of concern to this country, in
\ the event of a Nazi drive on Hol
\ land. With Japan openly coveting
\ these Dutch possessions — with
tj,heir immense wealth in oil, rub
ber and tin—-the American Navy
irtnght find itself called upon for
protection by an invaded Holland.
\ * * * *
' Republican politicians who un
til 1 now have given Thomas E.
Dewey the cold shoulder are be
ginning to wonder if they have
misled the bus. Dewey, who prob
ably'*, doesn’t know as much about
national affairs as Senator Taft
has forgotten, seems nevertheless
to hav« captured the popular im
agination, and voters who thus
far ha^e had the opportunity to
choose between these gentlemen
seem to 'prefer Young Tom. Some
picture Mr. Dewey as a liberal
Gallahad battling against reaction
ary forces, but a glance at the
men who are backing him and
would share his power if he got
in shows that they belong to an
important Wall Street crowd. As,
for instance:
John Foster Dulles, a senior
partner in Sullivan & Cromwell,
one of the largest corporation law
firms in New York; Artemus
dates, president of the fabulous
ly wealthy New York Trust Co.,
who is a son-in-law of a late J.
P. Morgan partner; S. Sloan Colt,
president of the Bankers Trust
Co., and other equally wealthy
‘ men. None of these, however, is
a really big-time politician, the
exception being Mrs. Ruth Hanna
' McCormick Simms, daughter of
Mark Hanna, who seems to be the
woman behind the gun, and the
only real politician in the crowd.
The Dewey machine may suffer
later on from a lack of profes
sional talent, but it is in the
meanwhile enjoying the sponsor
ship of the largest and most
imposing array of big money men
to get behind any Presidential
candidate in the past 20 years.
Our crystal ball seems to pro
phesy many interesting events for
the month of May. Thumbing
through the predate guide, we
notice that Princess Ingrid, of
Denmark, expects a baby during
that month—but will there still
be aiiy Danish throne? . . . Neville
Chamberlain will complete three
years as premier—perhaps! . . •
Dr. Ley, Nazi Labor chief, and
clubfoot Goebbels, propaganda
head, will award prizes for the
Naziest books and films released
during the past year in Germany!
... In may, Earl Browder will be
nominated for the presidency, and
Gracie Allen, “surprise party”
candidate for the same job, will
also hold a convention! . . . And
on the 11th, the New York
World’s Fair reopens with the
theme, “For Peace and Freedom."
All of this is recorded for the
cold purpose of diverting your
mind from war, politics and other
somber thoughts!
Finland’s ski soldiers
took a tip
—from Mother Nature, and dem
onstrated that protective color
ation can be a life saver. Their
white capes blended with the snow
to hide them from the enemy.
But protective coloration can
work both ways, the state police
point out. For instance, if you
wear dark clothing while walking
along a road at night, you will
be virtually invisible to motorists.
Protective coloration of this type
is far from protective for a pe
destrian.
CATCHERS «IVC SIGNALS,
rrKeeps the-hits few/
DRIVERS WHO SIGNAL.
<rrFEWER HITS, TOO/
Our world...
Hoping to Curb War’s Spread
Paris—dangers of the European war spreading
into Sweden and Yugoslavia, now neutral, were re
ported as being brought into sharp relief by a two
day meeting of the Allied war council, ending April
23. The council studied plans by which to meet any
eventuality that a new German invasion might bring
about.
• • •
Italian Watchword, “Labor and Arms”
Rome, April 21—Premier Mussolini in a two
sentence speech gave “labor and arms’’ as the watch
word of the Italian people today in the face of develop
ments in the European war, while Giovanni Ansaldo
underscored his warning of a week ago that Italy
could not remain permantely outside the conflict.
• • •
“Treat Germany Rough” England’s Attitude
London—Alfred Duff Cooper, former War Secre
tary, gave voice to the sentiments of the English peo
ple in a “treat Germany rough” phraseology. “The
war must not, like the last one in 1918, conclude in
the overdone sympathy of the Versailles treaty,” he
said.
First Big Battle in Norway
London—Allied and German troops are engaged
in the first big battle in Norway, the Allies seeking to
oust the German army which now holds the gate to
Oslo. Allied troops threaten the Nazis on three fronts.
• • •
Threatened Floods in Ohio Valley
Cincinnati—Steady showers in the Ohio Valley
have again caused flood conditions in many towns of
this section. However, the weather bureau doggedly
sticks to its prediction that the river will reach its
crest at sixty feet.
• • •
Roosevelt and Premier Mackenzie King
Warm Springs, Ga., April 23.—President franklin
D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister W. L. Mackenzie
King, of Canada, today held a conference. The presi
dent insists that it had no political significance, al
though Canada is now fighting a war for her mother
country, England, and the United States is affected
vitally by it.
Dewey Speaks on Social Problems
Los Angeles, April 20—Thomas E. Dewey told
the California Republican assembly tonight that the
nation “demands an administration which looks upon
social security as a necessary safe-guard to workers
who may occasionally be unemployed, not as a sub
stitute for allowing the country to go back to work.
Snap Shots
and
Sun Spots
01111.
Often we have enjoyed those
majestic pine trees next to the
Post Office, and their very streng
th has been an inspiration. But
in Sparta the wind really does
blow at times, and last Friday it
simply snapped one of those trees
right off about fifteen feet above
ground, and threw the top two
thirds of it across Mr. Burchette’s
front steps—for firewood or lum
ber.
And speaking of wind, we hear
that a whirlwind moved a barn
for John Higgins about six inches
off its foundation, and turned a
spring house upside down. Looks
like the wind resents the old tale
of the superior power of the sun,
and wants to demonstrate a cou
ple of things the sun might not
be able to do.
Sparta surely is growing, for
not only did one of our firms—
Delp Brothers—establish a branch
store in another city, but now our
Alleghany Watch Co. branches out
to establish itself also in West
Jefferson.
The way our friends are rally
ing to our aid in gathering news
and county correspondence is
simply great. We are indeed
thankful, and wish we could get
around to tha|nk each one person
ally. Some news items have not
appeared in print. The reason is,
we must have the writer’s name,
not necessarily for publication,
but as an evidence of good faith.
When there is no signature we
question the very items. So, sign
your messages, and we’ll endeav
or to use them porperly and re
spect your wishes about use of
your name.
One thing leads us on to an
other, and we are reminded of
our need for another correspond
ent to send us Glade Valley news.
Probably there is someone who
would enjoy sending items each
week, but they need some stimu
lus to make the start. Inertia is
a very real thing, whether in
humans or in a block of granite.
There is a book on “Topsy
Turvy Land,” and it is not too
hard to understand. But Robert
Joines had us dizzy yesterday
when he tried to tell us, bad is
good, and good is bad.” It was
finally made comprehensible by
the little explanation that in bad
weather the harboring, business is
good, because more men go in
for a haircut, while iu good
weather business is bad, for the
reason that men are too busy
about their work and business.
Gur Boy Scouts are going a
long nicely, and ere long will be
seen in some regulation uniforms,
which will identify them as regu
lar Boy Scouts. But of greater
momentary interest is the fact
that two groups of Camp Fire
Girls have been organized, and
application made for admission to
the national organization. If any
thing, the girls have been more
anxious than were the boys for
a local organization, and now both
are happy. One group of girls is
under Mrs. Hardin’s direction,
with Mrs. Warren’s help. And a
younger group is guided by Mrs.
Ima Vaughan, with Mrs. Berry’s
sponsorship.
For all the warning* regarding
double parking, nobody seem* to
have done much about it People
are «i they were, and are, and
probably will be. It i* easy to
understand someone who wishes
to stop his car long enough to
mail a letter. But, the person who
leaves a car parked IN THE
HIGHWAY for 20 minutes—30
minutes—40 minutes, well, they
are certainly not among those who
hold a fine regard for others’
rights and happiness.
Some interesting figures reach
us from Senator Bailey’s office,
in Washington, among which is
the Government Report on Allegh
any County, which says there are
1600 families in the county. That
means a few are not receiving
the Star-Times. We must get busy.
Who goes where,
and why, and when,
and if —
In Twin Oaks items last week
mention was made of Sam Brown
going to Franklinville, and the
impression was given that he was
considering a position there with
a textile concern. The facts are,
Sam Brown did go to Franklin
ville, but he is not considering a
position of any kind except one,
which is subject to the Democratic
primary of May 25, and which
would send him to Raleigh to
represent Alleghany County.
Further, it seems Robert Fender
was indeed one of the early ones
to file intentions of seeking nomi
nation, and it is now widely
known his candidacy is for the
office of Representative from Al
leghany County to the State Leg
islature.
The two other candidates for
the nomination to be voted on
May 25 are Charles G. Andrews
and W. Bert Edwards. There are
the four candidates seeking to re
present Alleghany County in Ral
eigh.
Lois Jean Crouse, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. John Rhudy Crouse,
Galax, and granddaughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Cabell Choate, Edwards
Cross Roads, who was one of the
contestants in a recent “Most
Beautiful Child of 1940“ contest,
conducted by the Galax Gazette.
Mr. Choate, the child’s grand
father, is one of the guards at
the prison camp near Sparta,
Governor Hoey
allocated for
road improvement
—work in North Carolina,
including bioth primary and
secondary roads, the sum of
$5,000,000 from the high
way fund surplus, in Raleigh
Thursday, Sky-rocketing tax re
ceipts enabled Governor Hoey to
make the allocation.
The governor announced the
allocation at a press conference
Thursday afternoon, and simul
taneously disclosed he had “def
initely determined” there would
be no diversion of highway funds
to the general fund this year,
Hoey said returns from the
state income tax, which are head
ed for an all-time record, virtu
ally had assured a surplus of
more than $2,000,000 in the gen
eral fund at the end qf the cur
rent fiscal year. Increased re
ceipts from the state tax on gaso
line and from the sale of automo
bile license plates will assure a
highway fund surplus of more
than $3,100,000 on June 30, he
added.
The $5,000,000 turned loose for
highway work will be spent half
on primary roads and half on
secondary roads, he said. The
highway commission will be
charged with the responsibility of
determining the roads to be im
proved.
Twice before during the 1939
40 fiscal year, the governor was
able to dip into the highway sur
plus for road improvement funds.
The two allotments, made Septem
ber 29 and March 27, were for
$2,000,000 each.
The total of $9,000,000 taken
from the highway surplus, to
gether with $16,425,000 appro
priated by the legislature, $3,000,
000 in federal road funds, and
$2,000,000 furnished by the WPA,
make an aggregate of $30,425,000
which either already has been
spent or will be spent on roads
this fiscal year.
The figure of $30,425,000 is
“far more” than ever before has
been spent on roads in one year
in North Carolina, Hoey said. In
addition, the state is paying $8,
862,386 this year to retire and
pay interest on existing road
bonds, he asserted.
Since January, 1937, when Hoey
took office, $18,732,882 has been
allocated by him from the high
way surplus for road improve
ment. He estimated Thursday
that highway expenditures dur
ing the four years of his adminis
tration would total “somewhere
in the neighborhood of $90,000,
000 to $100,000,000.”
This is far more, he said, than
has been spent on roads during
any other administration in the
state’s history. During the four
years, highway debt service and
bond retirement will total about
$34,000,000.
Hoey said:
“I wish to call attention to the
fact that for the last three years,
■ending June 30, 1940, not a dol
lar of highway money has been
transferred to the general fund,
and during this three-year period,
with the allocation which I am
making today, it has been pos
sible to add to the regular road
appropriations a total sum in al
locations of $18,732,882.
Mildred Taylor,
of Sparta, will
model clothing
—-^albng with 142 other girls re
presenting nine North Carolina
colleges, who will model clothing
made by> themselves in the 13th
annual Cotton Style Show at State
j College April 25, Dean Thomas
Nelson of the Textile School has
announced1. Miss Taylor Is a stu
■ dent in Appalachian State Teach
ers College.
i All of the participating girls
are making their garments with
fabrics desgined and woven by
• students in the State College
Textile School. The annual Style
■ Show was originated by Dean Nel
Json in 1928 to boost the use of
I cotton in feminine wearing ap
parea, ana over r,zuu cauege gins
have participated in the first 12
expositions'.
Many of these girls now are
teaching home economics and sp
reading Dean Nelson’s doctrine
that cotton goods can be con
verted at home into fashionable,
arid economic clothing.
Each girl participating in the,
Style Show is permitted to select
her fabrics from samples sub
mitted by the textile students.
They make the garments as part
of their classwerk in homo eco
nomics
After the Style Show, the 143
visiting girls and ■ their teachers
will inspect the new textile build
ing and see students demonstrate
processes by which raw cotton is
transformed into beautiful fab
rics.
Girls participating in the Style
Show this year represent 78
North Carolina communities and
eight other states.
Elder S. B. Denny
of Wilson, N. C.
will preach
-^the commencement sermon for
Sparta High School on Sunday,
May 5th at 11 o’clock and preach
in Little River Primitive Baptist
Church Sunday night.
Elders Troy Blevins
and Guy Brooks
—are expected to be the preach
ers this coming Saturday and Sun
day at Cherrylane Church, April
27 and 28.
Roosevelt urged
a “liberal pair”
of candidates
It was an out-and-out political
talk that Mr. Roosevelt made by
radio to a series of country-wide
dinners of Young Democrats’
clubs. And while it carried an
obvious bid for continuance of
the New Deal, it offered no tan
gible clue to the outstanding poli
tical question of the day: will
the president seek a third term?
The chief executive added: “It
seems to me very obvious that if
the Democratic party is to de
feat the Republican party next
November we must nominate a
liberal pair of candidates, run
ning on a liberal and forward
i looking platform.”
Court Week in Sparta
brings a total of 57
cases to be presented
I
Rev. R. L. Berry
will preach Sunday
—in the Sparta Presbyterian j
Church and Miss Joan Mead will1
play violin selections for the ser-j
vice.
Alleghany Watch Co.
will open a branch
in West Jefferson
—-at once, it was announced by I
J. P. Hayes yesterday. And so
another Sparta firm branches out
and enlarges its field of operation.
Mr. Hayes, with Reo Miller of
Laurel Springs, has bought out-,
the Godfrey Anderson Jewelry
Co., of West Jefferson, and to
gether, they will enlarge and oper
ate in both Sparta arid West Jef
ferson with a better line of jew
elry.
Mr, Miller is an expert watch
maker arid operated his own shop
in Stony Point, X. C. several
years. Mr. Hayes has built up a
nice business in Sparta as the
Alleghany Watch Co.
With their combined ability
and energy they should be able to
j serve the public well,
NYA will hold a
N. C. Youth Day
at Manteo July 5
—when the aim is to have as
many young people as possible
visit this historic spot and see
the production of “The Lost Col
ony,” on Roanoke Island, N. C.
| The program arranged is:
j A swimming party in Roanoke
I Sound during the afternoon; A
| fish fry at 5 p. m.; Hon. Harold
D, Cooley, U. S. Congressman,
and D. B. Lassen ter, Deputy NYA
National Administrator have been
requested to address the youths
following the supper. Presenta
tion of the Lost Colony at 8:15
p. m. A party will be given the
youths by the town of Manteo
after the performance. NYA
youth workers making this trip
will be permitted to make up
work project hours missed while
they are away.
Alleghany school authorities
are asked to interest their stu
dents in making the trip to Man
teo. Any youth interested may
contact Lee M. Woodruff, NYA
County Supervisor.
Dr. Luther Edwards
completed a dental
program covering
—twelve weeks in Alleghany
County under the auspices of the
District Health Department and
the State Board of Health, though
unable to work for more than a
week of this time due to incle
ment weather.
Dr. Edwards attended the col
lege of Charleston, S. C., and
then was graduated from the At
lanta Southern Dental College in
1931, following which he practic
ed in Greensboro, N. C., and in
Latta, S. C., before affiliating
FOR THE FACTS
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—before Judge Zeb V. INet*
ties, of Asheville, who will
preside over Superior Court
when it convenes Monday.
Of the total eases, 42 are on the
Criminal Docket and 15 on the
Civil Docket.
Prosecution will be in the hands
of Earl MeMichael of Winston
Salem.
On the Criminal Docket five
are charged with breaking jail:
Lester Todd, Robert Dixon, Rob
ert Smith, Troy Fortner and Bill
Watson. Three"•are charged with
non-support; Young Tompkins,
Lester Todd and Bill Watson.
Five are charged with assault:
George Hodge, Bill McCann,
George Whitaker, Frank Hodge
and Raymond Crouse, and two
charged with assault with attempt
to kill: Robert Smith . and Robert
Dixon.
Larceny charges are made
against seven: Paul Brannock,
Bill Phillips, Talmage Poole, Troy
Fortner, Georgia Lee Pierce and
Bill Watson, Carl Hodge, Leff
Alley and Claude Dowell, Ben
Aldred, Russell Bosenger, Jason
Edwards, Bill Connell and Gordon
Bruer.
Twelve are charged with driv
ing while drunk: Hurley Edwards,
Harvey Barker, Willie Wooten,
Robert Reeves, Mathew McMillian,
Charlie Lee Pierce, A. M. Wither
ford, Buster Atwood, Odell Hol
brooks, Charlie Harris, Woodrow
Billings and John Taylor* Jr.
Two charges of breaking and
entering are made, against: Robey
Winebarger and Dewey Huff.
Purvis Todd and Lester Todd
I are charged with being drunk
and disorderly. ,
Robert Smith and Robert Dixon
I are charged with burning and
I destroying two haystacks.
Robert Sexton is charged with
carrying a concealed weapon.
Johnnie Greer is charged with
violating the Prohibition law.
Bill Watson is charged with
'forgery.
Troy Fortner is charged with
| manufacturing whiskey.
Of the 16 Civil cases, one seeks
to collect an account, one is
over a note, four seek satisfaction
i over wills and deeds, and four
! are against the State Highway
I Commission over lands included
i in Blue Ridge Parkway. Four
;seek divorce: J. C. Sherrill, Jr.,
j Marie Croft, Shirley Roberts, and
■ Clara Joines Brown. One case
i grows out of the truckload of
[whiskey seized near Roaring Gap;
i the Credit Company wants th«
! truck.
t ---;---; ___...
I with the dental program of the
!N. C. State Board of Health in
[the beginning of 1939.
‘ A splendid piece of work was
done in Alleghany County by Dr.
I Edwards and he left with the
! grateful appreciation of children,
: parents and teachers. During his
' stay he examined a total of 905
I children, referring 495 to private
(dentists and treating 405 himself.
,449 teeth were extracted, 1175
iteeth were filled, 153 cement fill
ings were done, 100 pulp caps
[placed, and 1664 teeth were treat
ed, making a total number of
[operations 3697, these being on
[children under 13 years of age.
It has been several years since
any school dental program has
(been carried on in this county,
jbut it is one that should be car
ried out each year. This service
[alone is worth the entire sum it
[costs the county to maintain its
health department.
Dr. Edwards, in speaking of his
work in Alleghany County, stated
that he had never worked with a
better group of children and such
a cooperative teaching staff. He
j expressed himself as particularly
[impressed with the health display
l in Mrs. Vance Choate’s room in
(Sparta School, saying that it was
ione of the best he had observed
[during his connection with this
j work.
i Dr. Ernest Branch, Medical
i Director of N. C. State Dental
{Program, on his visit to Sparta
■ last week, expressed approval and
I appreciation of Dr. Edwards’
work.
Miss Edna Poole’s
Music pupils will
give a recital
—Friday night, April 26, in the
High School auditorium at 8 o'
clock. This is the annual recital
given by those who have studied
under Miss Poole through the
school year. The public is invited.