!
ALLEGHANY
STAR ^ TIMES
Alleghany County’s Own Independent
Weekly Newspaper Since 1889.
Published Every Thursday At Sparta, N. C.
Walter S. Mead, Editor and Publisher
Office in Transou Bldg. opp. Post Office
Telephone 77 _
All Subscriptions In Advance
One Year by Mail . $1.50
One Year by Mail in Alleghany County — $1.00
Want Ads, one cent a word. Minimum charge,
25c. Display Ads, 30c per column inch. Short
Notices and Cards of Thanks, 35c. Obituaries
and Resolutions, $1.00.
----- j
Entered at the Sparta, N. C. Post Office as
Second Class Mail matter.
Thursday, July 18, 1940.
“Let There Be Light”
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Thought for the Thoughtful
Who ne’er has suffered, he has lived but half.
Who never failed, he never strove or sought,
Who never wept is stranger to a laugh,
And he who never doubted never' thought.
J. B. Goode.
Wasteful Expenditure
by George Peck
Grover Cleveland, in his second
annual message, in December, 1886, j
said: “When more of the people’s sus
tenance is exacted through the form of
taxation than is necessary to meet the j
just obligations of Government and ex- \
penses of its economical administration,
such exaction becomes ruthless exertion :
and a violation of the fundamental prin- 1
ciples of free Government.”
When we entered the World War ,
in 1917, the Federal debt was slightly
over one billion dollars. Even at the j
end of that war, the debt had risen to j
only 2514 billion dollars, and by 1930
this had been reduced to 16 billion dol
lars.
In 1940, we are faced with the
necessity of spending billions for pre
paredness and we embark on this ex
pensive program handicapped by a stag
gering Federal debt of 45 billion dol- ,
lars.
We quote Grover Cleveland again,
and this time from his Inaugural Ad
dress of March 4th, 1893: “The lessons
of paternalism ought to be unlearned |
and the better lesson taught, that, while
the people should patriotically and
cheerfully support their Government, its
functions do not include the support of
the people.”
Ezra Enkins calls them newfan
gled Venetian blinds that folks is put
tin’ in their homes, Drapes of Lath.
Other Editors* Comments
Perhaps more than anything else, democracy
and common sense are characteristic of Wendell
Willkie, for they profoundly govern his thoughts
not only in his private life but also in the way
he relates himself and his fellow man to the
nation’s complex domestic problems and to its
perilous position in a world at war. It should
be said in passing at this point that Willkie
passionately believes in all the things democracy
stands for—free individuals, free nations, a
free cooperative brotherhood of mankind. Hence,
he is for things like reciprocal trade because
they help eliminate those international frictions
that lead first to across-the-border ill-will, then
to autocracy, and finally to grave physical con
flict. In this particular, few men in America
have a broader vision than his or a better
understanding of how events abroad impinge
directly upon the course of history here.
Common Sense
—Pathfinder.
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Since this new Indianian has shown up on
the horizon, she don’t look so extra promising
for our lecturing fraternity. These lecturers,
they been going up and down the Country
talking-up the youth problem—and what we
should do to save our young folks. They been
doing pretty good too, financially—for them
selves.
Nobody needs any super-eyesight- to see
that this Mr, Willkie from Hoosierdom is up
setting the apple cart. He has removd the wind
from their sails, and if he does nothing more,
he has done his country a good turn. Guess
maybe he grew up as a Boy Scout.
Here is a. feller who shocked wheat, and
waited table, and taught school—and who did
not bow down to any idea that young folks no
longer had a chance. He just went ahead and
worked. He is now a candidate for President.
And brother, I would not hanker to be running
on any ticket against him.
Some of our lecturing folks will now have
to find some new theory to talk about—or
maybe even go to work, themselves.
Yours with the low down,
JO SERRA
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| Alleghany
—Oddities 1
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By Frances Wrench
The 1800’s provide material for
this week’s Alleghany—Oddities.
J. A. Burchette, a citizen of
Sparta, popularly known as “Un
cle Andy,” has shown us some
interesting oddities as well as
given us an interesting story in
connection with them.
In 1880 Mr. Burchette was
working for General N. A. Baily.
You know the story of the battle
between the Merrimac and the
Monitor in Hampton Roads in
1862, and how that later the
Merrimac was sunk near the
mouth of the James River, near
the Rip Raps, south of Fortress
Monroe, one of Ben Butler’s old
prison islands. Eighteen : years
later, in 1880, the Merrimac was
raised from its watery grave, and
Mr. Burchette was a member of
the salvaging crew. After the
old battleship wast raised, the
crew , began to look for souvenirs.
Mr. Burchette secured a; metal
knob off one of the doors, and
he still has this knob in his pos
session.
In 1884, while visiting Mt.
Vernon, the home of our, first
president, on the Potomac River
in Virginia, Mr. Burehette found
an old homemade shop nail that
had fallen from , the eaves of the
house, lie picked this 'nail up
and has kept it as a souvenir all ■
these years.
While living in Florida many
years ago, Mr. Burehette and a:
friend visited an old Spanish fort
on the west coast. They explored i
a cave that the natives didn’t
dare to enter because of some j
superstition connected with it. j
While roaming through the cave j
Mr. Burehette found an old rusty !
Spanish sword. It formerly had
buckhom handles but they were
decayed and about gone. Its age
is unknown, but it is a real
antique.
SCIENCE STORES
Photographer: “I have been
taking some moving pictures of
life on your farm."
Farmer: “Did you catch my
laborers in motion?”
Photographer: “I think so.’*
Farmer: “Ah, well, science is
a wonderful thing.’*
Motor vehicle accidents at rail
road grade crossings killed 1,197
people in this country last year.
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/ Like My Job
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By Sigmund Spaeth
To enjoy life, do the thing
you like to do best—and get paid
for doing it. I like to talk, so I
j talk for money. I like to broad
cast — particularly on the new
CBS program “Fun in Print”—
and I relish it all the more be
cause it results in adding to my
bank account.
In conducting “Fun in Print”
j—which, by the way, is a title
that has stirred up widespread in
terest-—I need to be in possession
of a rich store of facts, figures,
names and so forth. Fortunately,
I have always been blessed with
a good memory. In storing up
information in the recesses of
one’s mind, the chaff should be
sifted from the wheat, for, un
doubtedly, the individual with the
best memory is he or she who can
forget the .useless stuff. Intuition,
rhythm and a keen ear are. very
helpful toward a good memory.
Mental processes are indeed
curious. Sometime ago on a
i.: :io p r p grame— when, ;i> cvoiy
body know.-, fractions of seconds
count—-I was asked. to wives' the 1
name of the Hunchback of Notre
name. As I had never read the i
Victor H’ug-o-'classic or -keen:, either :
of the motion pictures, based on j
it. this question was a poser, How- j
ever; my mind .flashed. back7 to.
the days., of the 90’s when I had |
head a novel called “Lady Jane,”
in. which a Mr. Gex spent most
of his time fashioning small wax
effigies. Then, as. T stood before |
the microphone, a line from that
book came to me. It was, “the
distorted little figure of Quasi
modo.” And, of course, that was
the name I wanted!
To me there is a certain rhythm
in dates like 1066 and 1942. The
same applies to names like Julia
Ward Howe and Harriet Beecher
Stowe. Possibly because the last
three letters of these illustrious
women’s names are the same and
also because they both have three
names, they frequently prove con
fusing to those on the literary
spot.
My wife has an even better
memory than I, and she is partly
responsible for keeping my mind
nimble.
One of my weak points is that
[ am an utter failure when it
comes to anything scientific or
mechanical. I may he able to
drive an automobile, but if any
thing goes wrong with the car,
[ am no help at all. To me, ten
nis is a mental relaxation and I
jnever begrudge the energy I put
i into a game. But would I put the
same enthusiasm and energy into
digging in the garden? I should
[say not. It is just backbreaking
toil that would cause me to suf
jfer a mental slump, for it would
I bore me to extinction to dig, rake
! or pull up weeds. The reward in
[a game of tennis comes from the
' fact that you give both mind and
muscle to it. If I were to spend
an hour or so in the garden, I
would be thinking about my in
come tax, the cost of this and
that, and, and never about soil,
weeds, flowers or vegetables. I
would be wasting precious min
utes, when I could either be writ
ing, reading or defeatnig an op
ponent at tennis.
In my student days I did an
enormous amount of reading and
an essay I wrote on reading
brought me a prize. Today I
have in my home in Westport a
large library of current books,
but unfortunately too little time
to read them all. But whenever
I get a chance, I take up one of ;
the books, make myself comfort
able and get fun out of print.
A total of 28, 467 drivers’ lic
enses had been rewoked by the!
North Carolina Highway Safety,
Division through June 30, 1940.
(Mr. Kumley, an attorney of Winston-Salem, who has spent
several years in these Blue Ridge mountains, and was a student
for two years at Glade Valley, submits this original poem—Ed.)
The Blue Ridge
J. Pierson*Rumley
Oh, Blue Ridge sons of mountain ease, »
Ne’er long or pine for other seas;
Go where you will you’ll always find
Home, hearth, the earth, the same in kind.
Your mountain tqns with myrtle edge
Grace any view of Alpine ledge.
God’s golden light in azure sky
Your vale and dell doth beautify.
The mists that roll beneath thy feet
No scene the eye more pleasant greet,
The silvery clouds in softest showers
Gently fall on yon urban towers.
Y^ou gaze from orbit’s endless ring,
’Mong bees and birds that hum and sing;
And lipling rills o’er cataracts fall
On &od’s own view of heaven’s hall.
THIS BUSINESS
OF
'W
SOSANtTHATtR
BEING HUMAN CREATURES
When Williamsburg, the capi
tal city of the colony and dom
inion of Virginia from 1669 to
1779, was restored a few years
ago, a collection of recipes for
foods served during that period
was compiled and printed in the
quaint style of the day. This
Whitehead
Whitehead, July 7.—Mrs. Ruby
Mickies is improving, after being
ill for some time.
AM on Absher and Sylvia
Thompson returned to their homes
in Kannapolis after spending a
few weeks with their grandpar
ents, Mr. and Mrs. A. F Absher.
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Huffman
and son, Ronald Paul, are return
ing to their home in Ohio after
spending the week with friends
and relatives here.
Those who visited Rev. and
Mrs. A. F. Absher over the week
end were Mr. and Mrs. Alfred
Absher and three sons, Aldon,
Herman and James, Mr. and Mrs.
E. J. Thompson, and Sylvia and
Howard Absher.
A large crowd attended the
community service at Union
Primitive Baptist Church Sunday.
Misses Mattie Lee Rector and
Elvira Wagoner entertained at a
birthday party Saturday night,
July 6, honoring Miss Nellie
Richardson on her eighteenth
birthday, at the home of Miss
stsotuoD pue saute y) -uauohe^
were enjoyed by 35 guests. Nel
lie Richardson and Clay Combs
won the contest.
Refreshments were served in
the dining room where the color
scheme of the cake was carried
out with pink roses.
A large crowd attended the
Hamm reunion at Liberty Church
Sunday. A delicious lunch was
spread and everyone was made
welcome.
Mr. and Mrs. Marian Marshall
and daughter, Laretta and How- |
ard Absher of Kannapolis, spent j
the week-end at the home of Rev. j
A. F. Absher.
A large crowd attended the
singing at the Whitehead Union
Baptist Church Sunday night.
Miss Maureen Church, of El
kin, and Quentin Jordan are
spending a few weeks with Ber
nice and Fleet Joines.
Miss Edna Dull and Miss Ruth!
Taylor, of Winston-Salem, are
spending their vacation with Mr. J
and Mrs. J. T. Fender in White
head.
WHEN IN THE MARKET FOR—
Baby Chicks
YOU CAN’T DO BETTER
THAN TO BUY
GAMBILL’S
MOUNTAIN HUSKIES
- from the -
Wilkes Hatchery
C. C. GAMBILL, Proprietor
North Wilkesboro, N. C.
little calf-bound volume is called
“The Williamsburg Art of Cook
ery or Accomplished Gentlewo
mans Companion” with the sub
title “Of Virginia Hospitality”
and begins as follows:
“The inhabitants are very cour
teous to travellers who need no
other recommendation but the be
ing human creatures. A stranger
has no more to do but to inquire
upon the road where any Gentle
man or good Housekeeper lives
and there he may depend upon
being received with hospitality.”
Much has happened in the 161
years since Williamsburg was the
ieading city of Virginia. A conti
nent has been settled and devel
oped and a standard of living a
chieved so high that people in
what is called “moderate circum
stances” now enjoy more com
forts and conveniences than did
0".......El
i s
Anniversaries
.....*.....til
Next Monday, July 22, will
mark the 85th birthday anniver
sary for a neighbor who lives out
near Ennice and who was born
in 1885. So, we send happy birth
day greetings and all good wishes
to—MR. FRIEL ANDREWS.
the Royal Governor himself!
Out of the simple agricultural
beginnings of the Colonial days
has developed a system of free
enterprise, typical of the Amer
ican spirit of freedom and inde
pendence, that is the envy of the
world. The dust streets of Wil
liamsburg were crowded with the
coaches of the “gentry” on special
occasions in 1779. In the year of
our Lord 1940, 4 out of 5 fam
ilies of the United States have
their own automobiles and travel
farther in a day than the most
favored of their colonial ances
tors could travel in a week! The
foods the average family enjoys
regularly today are more varied
and health-giving than the delica
cies which heaped tables of the
Governor’s Palace on the days
of the great balls. And as for the
conveniences that modern indus
try has given to the average wo
man, such as electric lights, me
chanical refrigerators, washing
machines and vacuum cleaners
which give her greater freedom
than the great ladies of old times
possessed, they weren’t even
dreamed of a century and a half
ago!
| However, although industry has
■ changed the outer aspect of our
! lives almost beyond recognition,
we still have many of the charac
teristics of those early Americans.
It is no longer important for us
to be so “courteous to travelers”
as it was when settlements were
few and far apart. But our res
ponse to need is as spontaneous
and whole-hearted as theirs was
then. The recent unprecedented
response to organizations for the
relief of suffers in those lands,
less fortunate than ours is evi
dence of this. The inhabitants of
this country still need no other
recommendation for giving gen
erously of sympathy and assis
tance to those in any kind of
difficulty than their “being hu
man creatures.” i
The Sparta Troop No. 53, en
joyed a two-day vacation last
week on New River. Although
we did not go to the place we
had planned, we had a very
nice time. During the trip most
of the second-class tests were
passed with the Scoutmaster. We
practiced signaling, cooking, fire
building, and many other things.
The boys were indeed dis
appointed when they found the
Court of Honor meeting had been
postponed, and they could not
receive the second-class badges
until later.
We have already secured some
patrol equipment and are trying
to raise money to buy more. Con
tributions may be given to any
of the Scouts.
R. C. MITCHELL
V\
IN
NEXT TO HOME,
HERE’ THE
BEST PLACE
TO EAT
TOWN HOUSE”
Beer — Sandwiches
- SPARTA -
DRESSES
From
Higher
Price
Racks
Rayons and Silks
$1.44
SHEER COTTON
Frocks, now . 87c
CHILDREN’S SHEER
Cotton Frocks
Fast Color
25c
SHEER
MATERIALS
Fast Color—Yd.
Now 9c
Another Group
Now 14c
A
9 a v a
a#
BSS!3£SKil*Si'i»»W"
MEN’S SPORT
AND TROPICAL
SUITS
Reduced To
$10.00
MEN’S ALL WOOL
SPORT COATS
$6.85
All Swim Wear
GREATLY
REDUCED!
LADIES’ SUMMER
HATS
Now.77c
LL SHEETING
36-inches Wide. Value—
10 yards.45c
ANKLETS
Sizes 6 to lOVk
Reduced To
Pair.5c
MEN’S AND BOYS’
STRAW HATS
Now.10c
MEN’S AND BOYS’
TENNIS SHOES
All Sizes.47c
N. WILKESBORO