BOONE'
SKETCHES
By J. C R.
A MAN OF PARTS
Congressman Bob Doughton, representative
from North Carolina's Ninth.
District, chairman of the Ways and
Means Committee, politician from
away back yonder, close advisor to
President Roosevelt, in truth and tn
fact the biggest "pebble" on Capitoi
Hill ... is a fanner through and
through. Down in Alleghany County
the Congressman maintains a few
hundred productive acres. Every now
arid then he casts aside the cares and
wees of official duty, packs his bag
and slips away for a few days' rest
at the old home place, where blackfaced
sheep and white-faced cattle
and grunting pigs and sleek horses
cavort about the broad pastures . . .
where his aged mother, his sisters
and brothers and nephews and nieces
and cousins and boyhood friends forget
the formalities of high position
and call him "Bob." It's a pleasant
sight . . . watching Congressman
Doughton assume the role of "Farm
t-r dod ... 11 s nice to near mm discuss
the masculine proclivities of a
Hereford bull, or the proper care of
a Shropshire flock, or the price of
spuds or cabbage or corn . . . for Congressmen
arc usually made of softer
timber.
Twenty-four years in Congress,
a period that has witnessed the administrations
of six different Presidents,
seems like a mighty long time
. . . but Bob Doughton is the same
Bob Doughtou who drove cattle by
the hundreds out of Watauga when
the writer was a mere "chub." The
honors bestowed upon the Alleghany
representative are greatly appreciated
.. . he'll tell you as much . . but
he clings to the simple traditions of
his stalwart mountain forebears, he
cherishes the friendships of yesteryear,
he eats and sleeps and lives
the life of a farmer ... in other
words, he just refuses to be changed.
A leader in Washington, an ordinary
citizen at home . . . perhaps that's a
part of the reason why it would almost
be a sacrilege for any Democrat,
Dig or little, to oppose Congressman
Doughton for his scat.
AN .ADDED ATTRACTION
A lew nights ago down at the
local picture theatre a good-sized
audience watched wittl considerable
interest as the hero and heroine
and villain anu sucii-iiku exhibited their
wares on the sliver sheet
Occasionally a flapper giggled, aa
flappers often do . . . and a bald- ,
headed gentleman munched serenely
away on a suck of non-com.
Having a right good timo, every?
body was. But an unscheduled attraction
.... a rather nasty attraction
. . . thrust itself on the innocent
shAuvneis as some twenty- J
five intellectuals, students at the
local college, formed a flying wedge
in the lobby, knocked an uususpect- '
Ing manager into 11 rocked hat, and
scurried Into some twenty-five un- '
occupied scuts . . . just like so J
many vveasles. Grown men, sons of
good men or sons of something,
this group of swashbuckling collegians
has persisted in the gate- '
crashing racket for the past sevor- 1
al months . . . acting exactly like
a gang of sodden sailors on shore
leave. In aD Institution of higher
learning, where science and socio! j
ogy and higher mathematics and }
civics and what-not is dished out |
In prodigious measures ... an ignorant
layman desires to suggest
that a departmenl of manners and '
common honesty would add greatly
to the curricula.
m ii
WE WONDER? ,
As the glorious pageant of Spring
r unfolds itself here in the hills, and i
the fish worms crawl from their win- ]
ter hibernation deep down in the soil, i
^ and the robins return from the low- i
lands, and the sweet, young things pa- i
rade in garments gay ... we inhale <
a couple of gentle zephyrs, ca3t a
cartload of juicy razzberries in the j
path of our dear old coal man, direct 1
a reverent message of thankfulness i
I toward the high heavens . . . and <
v wrestle with the whys and wbiches
of Creation, even as Jacob grappled 1
with the angel: . . . Why the hya- ]
cinth, drawn by warm sunshine, and ; i
refreshing showers from a withered 11
bulb, blossoms in exact conformity |
to last vear's bloom ? . . Who whls- I
I per Ml in the elongated ear of a mother
rabbit, bearing her first litter, and :
advised her to cover those embryo
bunnies with a furry quilt from her '
own body? . . . Why pasture fields, ;
deadened by the freezes of winter and :
dry as a Under box, take on an emerald
hue, each root and seed pod of :
each grass blade and each weed re- i
spending to the mute call of nature? .
. . . Why a tiny wren, after a sojourn
of months In sunnier climes, returns :
to last year's nesting .place ? . . . Why 1
every creature, large and small. In ,
the universe picks a mate and renews
its amorous philanderings? . - . Why
young maids and old maids and se- i
date matrons use their eyes just a
trifle carelessly as the genus homo
passes by? . . . Why that drowsy,
far-away, no-count feeling that Bull;
velops everybody . . . aw, heck, it's
spring! . . . we'll , . . just . . . let . . .
somebody . . . else . . . flgger ... it
out ...
WA1
An I
VOLUME XL.V. NUMBER 11
Ace of the Secret Service
Washington, D. C.?William H.
Moran (above) is rated one of Uncle
Sum's most valuable Secret Scr- |
vcie investigators. He reached retirement
age of 70 late in March.
By a s^jecial order, President Roosevelt
retains him as chief for two
years more.
BOOM SEASON IS
PREDICTED FOR
STATE RESORTS
Head uf Carolina Motor Club Concludes
Survey and Avers that More
Visitors Are to Be Entertained in
Mountains this Summer Than at
Any Time in the Past. Prosperity
Will Reign, Soys Roberts.
Mountain and beach resorts of the
two Carolines will experience the best
business a.u<i entertain more visitors
thi3 summer than they have ever had
in the past, even during the most
prosperous periods, Coleman W. Roberts.
president of the Carolina Motor
Club, predicted the first of the week
in Charlotte after a tour of the two
states.
"From my observations on tlii3 trip
1' feel safe in predicting better business
for the summer resorts of the
Carolinas this season than during any
previous summer, not even excepting
the most prosperous years of the
past," declared Mr. Roberts.
"In the Great Smoky Mountains
National Park and other mountain
sections, the Sandhills and the beach,
the Carolinas have three great sections
that attract tourists " eontin- 1
nod the Charlotte man. "What we
need is to work together for the advancement
of the two states as a
paradise for tourists. Through coordinated
effort, the Carolines can
t>e advertised and 'sold' to the world
for their scenery and recreational
advantages."
Tue Charlotte man said iliiit everywhere
he traveled ever the two
states tourists told him that they
yvere amazed at the State's resort facilities,
beautiful scenery and good
roads and that prosperity seems to
be back in the Carolinas.
Hotel operators ir. the Blowing
Etock section have implicit faith that
SJr Robrets' nredietions will he home
>ut by their receipts this season.
Diversified Farming
Program Under Way
Banner Elk College
Banner Elk.?Carl Silver, manager
5f the Eces-McRae farms, announces
i more diversified program of spring
slanting than in previous years. A
iumber of Lesc-McRae students are
io\v working on the college farm and
will be employed during the summer.
There will be a twelve-acre garden,
:o supply Pinnacle Inn, the summer
resort operated by the college during
the summer. This will include an
icre of head lettuce, two acres of tomatoes,
an acre of onions, and other
vegetables including beets, carrots,
cauliflower, cucumbers, b r u s s e 1 s
sprouts, asparagus, spinach and rhubarb.
Two acres of raspberries and
strawberries, set out last year, are
sxpected to do well.
The college farm took thirty-five
bushels of certified Irish Cobbler seed
potatoes from the Carolina Mountain
Co-operatives, new project sponsored
by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
Edgar H. Tufts, president of LeesMcRnc
College, is chairman of the
board of directors of the Carolina
Mountain Co-operatives, and Dr. W.
C. Tate, head of Grace Hospital at
Banner Elk, is also a director. There
are 17 acres in potatoes, including
2 in certified seed.
The farm is planting 6 acres in
string less green pod beans end 7
acres in golden bantam corn, for canning
purposes.
Forty acres were seeded in rye last
tall. Barley was tried last year for
the first time. There are now twenty
acres set aside for permanent pasLure,
2' acres are In soy beans, 30 In
Danish roundhead cabbage, 14 in insllage
com for the silo and 1 in com
to go with it.
The Grandfather dairy, part of the
farms, now lias a herd of 20 cows and
is gradually building up a registered
Guernsey herd. The dairy now produces
Grade A milk. A new bam
to hold forty cows is projected for
the near future.
AUGi
4
independent Weekly Newspj
? 1
BOONC, WATAUGA COUN
U. S. DEPTFEARS
POTATO ACREAGE
MAYBETOOLARGE
Planting Intentions Point, to Increase
and With a Normal Yield Crop
Would Be Largest Since 19^ May
Be Above Average- Favorable Returns
on Last Year's Crop Ca;ise
of Increased Acreage.
Washington, D. C.?The usual aftermath
of a j>rofitable crop--an Increased
acreage the follow trig year
and consequent lower prices for the
larger production?is predicted in ef]
feet if not in so many words by the
Department of Agriculture in the potato
situation for 1934.
j Planting intentions as received by
1 the department from growers thru|out
the country indicate a total of
! 3,400,000 acres in potatoes this year
Last year the crop totaled 3.184,000
acres, large enough to produce aD
average crop. However, last year heat
and dry weather reduced production
in the intermediate and late states
to the smallest average in 12 years,
! and as a result of the short crop,
prices to growers were much better
than the year before. The crop hi
1933 was about 317,000,000 bushels.
The average for the last five years Is
about 355,000,000 bushels. Should the
crop be normal this year, if the acreage
is as large as intentions to pldnt
indicate, there will be a total crop
around 375.000,000 bushels, the largest
since 1928 when large quantities
could not be marketed because of
low prices. It was further pointed
out by the Department this week that
consumer demand for potatoes is
fairly constant, and that small crops
during the past 25 years have con- 1
sistently returned higher gross in- d
comes to growers than have the large <1
crops. 1
"If a crop the size of that now in s
prospect had been produced last a
year," the bureau said, "growers r
would have received a gross income
only about one-half that returned
from the short 1933 crop. About 3,- H
000,000 acres will ordinarily produce
what can be marketed at fairly satisfactory
prices to growers. This
would reouire a reduction in acre
age Of about 6 per cent, from 1S33
instead of an increase of 7 jjor-eeat-" ?
The prospective increase in pota- C
to acreage is indicated to be quite
general throughout the country. 'Tfi
the 11 early producing states, some
of which have already begun to market
this season's potatoes, the total an
acreage already planted or intended ic<
to be planted is increased 14.1 per bi|
cent over that harvested in 1D33, iu- ca
creases ranging from 2 per cent in ou
Texas to 42 per cent in Florida. *>Tj$ g*
In the intermediate states, which by
begin to market the commercial por- re;
tion of their crop in late May and ap
early June, the intended acreage in- wi
crease is 11.2 per cent above the cc
1933 harvested acreage, and ranges
from 2 per cent in Maryland to 15 Gi
per cent in Kansas In the 39 late Gc
producing states. Intention reports in- W
dicate an increase of 5.5 per cent Ja
over 1933. Gr
Th beureau says that the acreage Pa
planted last season was large enough Rc
to produce about an average crop, Gr
but that yields were reduced by heat Da
ntiu u:uu^ut w Ult: UIUtJIXlltiUiaLe iUlU
late states to the smallest average in an
12 years. Repetition of this condition, cli
this year is considered as 4 unlikely." ca
hogTontracts 5
must be signed s
3U
Prompt Action Id Necessary to Take a ;
Advantage of Government Proposition
to Place Pork on Paying
Basis. Must Product Evidence.
W?
Another meeting of the hog raisers Cc
of the county is set to be held at the N<
offices of S. C. Eggers in the Wa- Ci
tauga Bank building on Staurday lei
morning at 10 o'clock for the pur- Gc
pose of signing contracts in the hog W
reduction program of the Agricultural sp
Adjustment Administration. sti
Messrs. L. F. Brumfield, county ov
agent of Yadkin, and A. G. Hendrch. ou
who holds a similar position in P<
Wilkes County, explained the work- M
ing of the New Deal in- so far as it W
relates to a group of farmers at the
courthouse Tuesday morning, and in p
turn arranged the Saturday meeting.
These gentlemen point out that the
I run id nownnnrr aVinet fri anfa* tha
??M?v w OUU1 ly VU VIUVl VUV
agreement with the Government and
contracts must either be signed or in gh
the process of completion no later da
than Saturday. th
Farmers are urged to get names
and addresses of those buying pigs gr
and hogs during 1932 and 1933 and
bring this evidence to the meeting, nt
which is strictly a sign-up gathering, be
Only growers giving some sort of evidence
of sale are eligible to receive th
compensator. Blanks and other in- Uv
formation may be secured at Mr. Eg- B<
gers office.
An estimated four thousand dollars de
will be received by Watauga farmers Hi
from the ccm-hog adjustment con- m
tract. Failure of local growers to act V)
will divert the funds which should W
come here to other channels. le
V DE
aper?Established in the
'IT, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSD,
Members Institute of G?
Pictured above are the four membei
nstitute of Government. Top row, lei
lirector; Henry Brandis Jr., Dillard S
i rectors. Appointment of the assocint
rhe Institute also announces that del
tudies being: "undertaken by thai bo<
dmini strut ion, and the accounting
nental units.
IGHTEEN SEEK
RURAL ROUTE 2
iree Veterans and Three College
tradables Included in Number
Seeking to Curry Uncle Sum's
Hail on Local Routs.
Eighteen persons, seventeen men
:d one woman, took the Civil Serv:
examination last Saturday rnorng
looking to the oppointment of a
i-rier for Rural Route Number 2
t from Boone. The examination was
ven at' tine graded school building I
B. H. Watson, local Civil Service
presentative, and from among the
plicanta an eligible list of three
11 be chosen, one of whom will reive
the coveted position.
Those handing in papers included:
ady Moretz, Walter Edroisten, Joe
lodnight, Rex Hagaman, R. Clyde
Inebarger, Mrs. B1 a 11 Clawson,
mes Cross, Ralph Greer, Walter
eene, Plato Greer, Dana Cowlc-s |
ail Norris, Deward Norris, Marvin
>use, Douglas Redmond, Howard
agg, Newell Patterson and Wilford
ivis.
Three veterans of the World War
d three college graduates are inided
in the list of those seeking the
rriership. About twenty residents
Ashe County took the examination
the same time for vacancies oerring
in that county.
R. F. D. 2 has been served for sevil
months by Howard Gragg of
>one as temporary carrier. The reIt
of the examination will furni3h
permanent carrier.
FARTHING PCA DIRECTOR
Mr. H. Grady Farthing of Boone
is named a director for Watauga
:unty at a meeting Monday in
>rth Wilkesboro of the Production
edit Association, farm moneyiding
organization of the Federal
ivemment. At the same tune Mr.
ade Byers of Boone was named ineetor,
and will check up on liveDck
and farm machinery on which
Tiers would offer mortgages to sere
loans. Mr. S. C. Eggers, local
3A representative, accompanied
essrs. Farthing and Byers to North
ilkesboro.
ommencement Begins
k ?. _i nri s
i>einei i nursaciy j
Commencement exercises will bei
at Bethel High School on Thursy
evening, April 12, 3 o'clock, with
c senior class exercises.
On Friday evening at 8 o'clock the
aduating exercises will be held.
Saturday evening, April 14, the seor
play, "Beads on a String," will
presented.
On Sunday afternoon at 3 o'clock
e baccalaureate sermon will be de'ered
by Rev. P. A. Hicks, pastor of
>one Baptist Church.
The commencement address will be
livered by Mr. C. M. Dickson of
eiton, N. C. The high school diploas
will be awarded by Mr. Howard
alker, county superintendent of
atauga. Tlit public is invited to atnd.
Year Eighteen Eighty-Eigi
\Y. APRIL 12. 1934
jveramcnt Are Named j|j
^ ^ |
1BBBA ^
-? :<^Shb
rs of the staif of the North Carolina ]
ft to right, they are: Albert Coates,
. Gardner and T. N. Grice, associate I
e directors h -3 jnt-t been announced. *
finite progress is being made in the
ly in tax, criminal Jaw and judicial A
methods and practices of governBURIED
STILL IS .
TAKEN BY SHERIFF:
F
s
ITitiaiio ISIioit W.n.t ?? *ri?
Thirty-Second for Sheriff Howell y
in 15 months of Office. Dugout t
Is Completely Hidden. y
? it
A good sized whiskey distillery in- e
cated near the top of Eiik Knob, and B
completely concealed in an under- tl
ground compartment, was the thirty- ti
second illicit plant captured by Sher- p
iff Hcwell and his deputies since their s,
induction into office fifteen months tl
ago. Tihe capture ot the unique plant
came last Wednesday a3 the Sheriff
and his deputies noted old still fur- o
naces and fresli tracks in newly- a
moved earth. Following these clues
an underground vault twelve feet I
square and six feet deep was uncov- ?
ered. containing a complete whiskey- a
making outfit, still, furnace and all A
equipment, including about 75 gallor.3 A
of beer. C
Sills had been placed across the E
top of the subterranean still house, ii
and poles and leaves were used to B
completely cover the illicit operation, v
No operator was present and so far I
as is known, no warrant has been G
issued in connection with the find. 7
DOUGHTON GETS \
OLD POST OF POU ?
V
Ninth District Congressman Chosen e
by North Carolina Delegation to g
Represent State on Democratic f
Congressional Committee. e
c
Washington, D. C.?The honor of a
representing North Carolina on the v
Democratic Congressional committee g
that has for years been held by the c
late Representative Edward W. Pou
of Smithfield. Tuesday passed to Rep- jj
resentative Robert L. Dcughton of
Laurel Springs,
The Tar Heel delegation met yesterday
afternoon, with all members p
present except Representative Bui- a
winkle of Gastonia, to fill the post, p
Mr. Doughton was unanimous elect- a
ed. Members spoke feelingly of their p
late associate ixt the house, and a
committee was named to prepare n
suitable resolutions on the life of Mr B
Pou, comprising Representatives u
Doughton, Lambeth and Warren. s
The delegation then endorsed Representative
J. Bayard Clark of Pay- i
etteville for the vacant place on the
rules committee, of which Mr. Pou
was chairman. As Mr. Doughton is
chairman of the wava and mea-nn a
committee, which-selects the commit- a
tees, it is thought" that Mr. Clark n
will be dhosen. s
It was also decided to work and a
vote for the bill of Representative p
John H. Kerr of Warrenton which t
would control tobacco production on t
the same plan as proposed for cot- I
ton in the Bankhead bill. ;
s
Miss Clara Dohme of Baltimore. <
Md., is visiting at the home of Rev. s
and Mrs. J. A. Yount in East Boone, r
: # . ;
&mga8l
tit
tIA PFR VaAJK
ffiEFGARDEN
FAMILIES ASKED
TO SIGN BLANKS
an tracts Must Be Sigaed by Those
Planting GbVernraent Seed With
Government Fertilizer. Provender
for Family to Be Provided Before
Any of Crop Is Sold. More Than
"SOU W/II Plant Belief Gardens.
All persons securing fertilizer, seed,
V/? for nlartino- roli/.f
. i vm-i. gaiutilO ul eiug
urged by Miss Theodocia Wat>n,
local relief bead, to call at her
ffice and sign the government con acts.
Under the terms of the con act,
states Miss Watson, the relief
tnant agrees to use the proceeds
om his garden or acreage for the
rimary purpose of providing food
jr his family, and to desist from
de of the products until after a
jrplus is assured. Landlords, in the
ise of rented plots, are also required
j sign the blank with the relief farter,
but the landowner is not obliated
in any way other than to an
greement not to take the present
rop or any portion of it, for old debts
ue him by tenant.
Seven Hundred to Plant
Mis3 Watson stales that already
ever, hundred on the relief . oils have
greed to plant gardens with the govrnmeilt
aid, and that these projects
ange Croro small family gardens to
ive and six-acre truck patches. It is
he purpose of the administration,
he states, to clear the relief rolls by
inter through the agency of those
idividual farm projects.
rROUT SEASON IS
)PEN NEXT SUNDAY
inglers Expected to Have Better
FpicW This Year. Licenses Put oil
Sale in Many Sections of County.
Many Trout Streams Stocked.
The trout fishing season officially
pens in Watauga County Sunday,
.pril 10, and according to the belief
f County Game Warden H. Grady
artliing. anglers will enjoy greater
access this season than for several
Tub principal tiuui
ie county are Boone's Fork, if eat
amp. Howards Creak, Middle'' '
tinkler's Creek, laurel :
el Fork, New Hivcr, Watauga Rlvr,
Trivett's Branch, Bald Branch,
eech Creek and Buffalo Creek. All
lese streani3 have been stocked with.
-out in liberal quantities during the
as! years, and Warden Farthing
:iys they urc in fine condition for
tie opening of the season.
Many Sell Licenses
Following are the names of those
ffering Eishir licenses this season,
nd their addresses;
Farmers Hardware Company,
toone; Victor Ward, Sugar Grove;
ten Watson. Triplett; Ed Mast, Sugr
Grove; John Isaacs, Mabel; VV. W.
1,'ist, Valle Crucis; Ed Harbin, Shull3
Sills: Conley Trivctte, Sugar Grove;
toy Billings, Vilas; Robert Greene,
Slowing Rock; T. T. Triplett, BJowlg
Rock R. F. IX; Grady Trivett,
teech Creek; Ronald Ragan, Zionsiile;
James McNeil, Zionsville R. F.
>.; Jim Brown. Meat Camii; L. L.
ragg, Shulls Mills R. F. D.; Clark
"rivette, Rominger; Horace Cook,
uowmg itoca; rtooy fencuey, fc'enley:
Coy Rogers, Deep Gap: Marion
'ofiey, Blowing Rock R. 5'. D.; Harison
Baker, Boone Route 2: Bob
entry, Laxon; A, N. Tbomas. Trade,
enn., R. F. D.; A. E. South, Boone.
It. is stated that there are some
wardens who are not suitably situatd
to sell fishing licenses but do have
ood localities for hunting. State oficials
request all Wardens to aid in
nforcing the fishing laws during the
oming season, even if they are not
11 selling licenses. A strong etfo1.1
rill he made to see to it that all aulera
provide themselves with the 11ense
before going fishing'.
BLOWING SOCK LADY IN
SPRING BLOSSOM CONTEST
Miss Marjorie Coffey of Blowing
.ock is an entrant in the Spring Blosam
Festival Contest at Southern
ines, it has been announced, the lull
young lady having entered by
opular demand.
Miss Coffey is a daughter of Mr.
ad Mrs. Henry Coffey and has been
mployed at the resort city during the
rinter season as dietician in Mr.
tames' cafe.
OCAL LADIES CLUBS TO
OBSBBVK MUSIC WEEK
Plans are being made to observe
tationai Music Week this year with
. musloal program on Monday eve- ^HaSS
ing, April 23. The program will be
ponsored by the Friday Afternoon
ad the Worth While clubs. A varied
irogrnm is being planned, one fenuje
of which is to be numbers given
>y a chorus of all the singers in ; ; W
ic ne. A rehearsal has been called
01 Saturday evening at 8:00 o'clock
it 'he Demonstration School and eviry
person in Boono who sings at
ill is invited and urged to be at this
-ehearsal. . : r W;
, * ,,vf