Train, jobs, measles in Dec. 14, ’33, news

Lost train serviceReinstatement of Southern Railway’ s trains No. 3 and No. 4 between Winston-Salem and North Wilkesboro is urged in petitions sent to Southern Railway officials yesterday by the North Wilkesboro Lions Club. Hundreds of people signed the petition forms. The Lions Club took the initiative with this effort and has been communicating with the railroad company.

Since trains No. 3 and No. 4 were discontinued several months ago, North Wilkesboro has only had one incoming and one outgoing train daily. The late evening and early morning trains were of great service to this city, giving much quicker service on mail, express and freight than is now provided. The benefits that the reinstatement of these trains will be to hotels, business houses and the public generally is sufficient to justify the efforts of everybody toward that end.

402 put to workThe unemployment situation in Wilkes County has been relieved considerably by the Civil Works Administration, according to Mrs. G.G. Foster, administrator. Last week’s payroll shows that 402 persons were at work then on CWA projects, including 343 listed as “relief cases.”

The remaining workers were recruited from those who registered with the re-employment office here. These include eight women employed as clerks in the offices of the sheriff, county superintendent, county agent and board of education. One was hired as an assistant to county accountant C.H. Ferguson and another as an assistant to Prof. T.E. Story, principal of Wilkesboro High School.

The payroll last week was $4,393.85, placing this large sum of money in the hands of many who have been supported with relief funds for some time. Wilkes County’s quota is expected to be filled when preliminary details are worked out on several scheduled projects.

One CWA project nearing completion soon is the North Wilkesboro High School gymnasium, now keeping six men employed. Located opposite North Wilkesboro Elementary, it is expected to be ready for use in mid-January. When completed, it is expected to be one of the best gyms in this section. The high schools teams have been greatly handicapped by not having indoor courts.

Measles epidemicWilkesboro High School, Wilkesboro Elementary School and Moravian Falls Elementary School closed Tuesday afternoon until after the Christmas holidays because of the measles epidemic.

At Wilkesboro Elementary, 135 students were absent this week due to measles. The situation was proportionally similar at Moravian Falls Elementary. At Wilkesboro High, 30 students were out for the same reason. All Wilkes County schools are scheduled to reopen on Jan. 2 after being closed for the holidays.

Corn wins honorsWilkes County White, a variety of corn developed by the late D.V. Nichols and his sons in the Purlear community, took high honors at the International Grain and Hay Show at Chicago for the sixth consecutive year. Entries were made by several persons in the Purlear community who have adopted Wilkes County White as the standard variety.

Developed out of no particular varieties by members of the Nichols family, it is now recognized as one of the finest varieties in the state. At the State Fair this year, it won eight out of 10 first places and has won honors at several other fairs in this state.

New Wilkes jailerMr. J.B. Sheets, who has served as county jailer under Sheriff W.B. Somers since 1928, moved back to his farm at Vannoy in Union Township Saturday and his son, Mr. Elijah Sheets, is taking charge of the jail during his absence. Mr. Sheets, who has been a very popular public official, will spend several months on his farm. He is expected to return as jailer next spring.

Top poultryThirteen entries by Blue Ridge Hatchery won eight first place and five second place prizes in the Southern Poultry Association’s annual show in Charlotte this week. John W. Nichols, manager of Blue Ridge Hatchery, received this news in a telegram from James Pennell, who attended the show as a representative of the hatchery. Blue Ridge Hatchery has established an enviable reputation.

Baptists meetPastors and deacons of Stone Mountain Baptist Association will meet at Walnut Grove Baptist Church near New Life on Dec. 30, starting at 7 p.m. The Rev. H.A. Bullis and Rev. T.E. Blevins will lead the discussion with the topic, “Do we as Baptists protect and execute justly the stewardship entrusted by God to us.”

Basketball tourneyThe county high school basketball tournament began last week and is continuing today, with Roaring River at Traphill, Millers Creek at Wilkesboro and Mount Pleasant at Mountain View. The games start at 2 p.m. Iin every instance on Thursday, the boys team won after the girls team at the same school lost.

City opossumsOpossum hunting ought to be good right here in North Wilkesboro, judging from the experiences of Mr. J.H. Rector. On Thanksgiving Day, Mr. Rector found an opossum in a trash barrel on his property at the corner of E and Ninth streets. Yesterday morning, another one was located in a tree in his yard. Both opossums are about two-thirds grown and Mr. Rector is feeding them in preparation for a splendid meal some day in the early future.

New Staley homeMr. Ransom Staley is expecting to move into his new seven-room bungalow erected on his farm in Antioch Township within a few days. It will be recalled that Mr. Staley’s home was totally destroyed by a fire on July 29.

Changing timesTime changes things. Reminiscing, we remember when the Smoot Tannery whistle, the loudest of them all in North Wilkesboro, could be heard when the atmosphere was right way out in the country. It was a time piece by which we corrected our erring clocks and watches.

It was 5:30, 12:00, 1:00 or 6:00, and it was not difficult to approximate the time when the whistle sounded. But times have changed that. One week we may hear a whistle calling men to work at 7:00 a.m., and another it may be 7:30 a.m. And instead of that whistle which the man hoeing corn or twisting a cultivator plow through roots and stumps in “new ground” used to quit by 6 o’clock, we hear one blowing at 4:00 or 4:30 in the afternoon.

All of which means absolutely nothing. It is recalled merely as a child of memory. We hope the farmers have or will soon be able to adopt NRA hours and still tune their ears for the good old whistles that sounded so good years ago.