j TODAY and
FBANK
yocxfmuHjtkn?^< >q\
KfIS ~1lt I7XTI G *
w^v Kja" ' ? . iiv inuiui
The other day I saw a strange object
crossing the road in front of my
car. It didn't look like any animal
I had ever seen. As I got closer I
saw it was a gray squirrel carrying
in his mouth an ear of corn, larger
than he was.
Clearing out the attic In my farm
home, I lifted some old board:; and
found under them hundreds of corncobs,
remains of stores of food which
the red squirrels had cached there
tnrough successive seasons.
Last Sunday I idled away half a
day watching a tiny pine squirrel
gathering his winter's food from the
big butternut tree near my house.
He would run out to the end of each
limb, bite off the stems of the butternuts,
then scramble own and pick !
them out of the grass and hurry
away with them, a nut at a time, to
some safe storage place.
I marvelled, as I always do, at the
sure instinct of the squirrels that impels
them to lay in food for Winter.
But I also reflected that these, and
other little creatures of the wild, work
a lot harder for a bare subsistence
than most humans have to do. The
miracle of man is the intelligence
that enables him to gain more than
a mere livelihood. No squirrel ever
bought a motorcar, or saw a movie,
no matter how thrifty he and his little
tribe may be.
* ? * *
CREDIT in Canada
I shall watch with great interest
the "social credit" scheme which the
new government of the Province of
Alberta, Canada, promises to inaugurate.
As I understand it, everybody
is to have a credit of $25 a month,
guaranteed by the government.
Maybe it will work. At least the
pioit xs ginning mentis ail tnrough
the British Empire. The Dean of Canterbury
Cathedral came over from
England the other day to help promote
the idea.
Less fantastic than our American
'Townsend Plan," Alberta's "social
credit" is another effort to abolish
poverty. Every experiment in that direction
will help toward the ultimate
solution, if there is one.
I doubt that any plan will work
that does not call for productive labor
in exchange for "social credit"
or any other sort of subsistence benefits.
But some way must be found
to insure that no one who is willing
to work shall go hungry, otherwise
civilization will collapse.
* * ? *
YOGIS know one?
"What," I asked a Hindu scholar i
the other day, "is a Yogi ? Did you |
ever know one?"
"I have known only four authentic j
Yogis, in my fifty years," replied my j
menu. a mrmer Buddhist priest.!
"Many fakers pretend to be Yogis,
but only those who have yielded to
the five disciplines are real Yogis."
A Yogi, he explained, is one who
has rid himself, first, of all family
ties. That is the first discipline.
Then he must abandon all thought
of personal comfort, submerge all sex
impulses, cease to value money and
property, and, last and hardest of all,
give up all sense of himself as an individual.
Then and then only is he a
true Yogi.
To few men is it possible to achieve
that '.tier selfisnness, which is, after
all, the ideal of all religious teaching.
* *
THINKING the place
"Fishing," said Tresident Cutter,
of Colgate University the other day,
"provides the only real opportunity
for modern men to do real thinking
undisturbed."
I agree with him. The most
thoughtful men X have ever known
have nearly all been fishermen. That
is not to say, however, that all anglers
are thinkers.
Too few of us are really capable
of thinking in any real sense. But
to those who have problems and
worries that seem to defy solution,
I know of no better way than the relaxation
that comes from a day's solitary
fishing. Whether one catches a
fish or not, there is something about
angling that effectively rie. "?
cobwebs from the mind.
m m m m
AUCTIONS on the farm I
I know of no better place to study
human nature than at a country auction
of farm or household goods. X
attended one the oLher day, and talked
with the auctioneer after the sale.
"If you want to sell worthless junk
at high prices, or get ridiculously low
prices for valuable things, put them j
up at auction," he said. "You can sell
anything at auction at some price."
I had to agree -with him when I saw
a cracked water-pitcher sell for $3
misuse ioiKs uiought it w&a an "antique,"
while an almost new bed,
springs and mattress fetched only
52!
One thing, though, stood out. Country
folks still have money to spend
for what they want to buy.
A marked increase in the production
of horses and mules on the farms I
of McDowell county has been noted j
by the farm agent, A number of j
farmers are keeping one or two breed ;
mares from which colts are being
raised.
Ai
VOLUME XLVII. NUMBER 14
I WAR iMPrmciRi c
U J V?HTTZ5?^
World Union Steel Construction
Aimed at World Peace
TORONTO . . . V. G. Icleri cf New
York, Sec'y of the American Institute
of Steel Construction, in a
speech before the Canadian Institute,
proposed a world union of
steel industries for mutual welfare
and thus pave the way for an industrial
internationalism that
would make war impossible.
(MJNCTLL IS NEW
FARM SUPERVISOR
Former Mayor Takes Over Du
ties In Rural Rehabilitation
Work,
Mr. Tracy Council!, former Mayo
and leading agriculturist, has befei
appointed supervisor of Rural R3
habilitation in Watauga and Aver
counties, and took over his dutie
with the Federal Corporation Tues
day morning. The appointment cam
from J. Paul Shaw of Raleigh, assis
tant state Rehabilitation Directoi
Mr. Council! succeeds Mr. D. Grad]
Moretz, who has been rendering faith
ful services in a similar capacity to
Watauga county, following a genera
reorganization of the adminisiratior
Mr. Moretz has not yet been notifiei
what his new work will be.
Mr. Couiieill will lock after th
work being done by and proposed fo
the rehabilitation clients in the tw
districts, and is especially qualifier
for the work. He has not announce!
who his assistants will be.
Heart Attack is Fatal
To Mrs. L. L. Lewi;
Mrs. L. C. Lewis, 61 years of ag<
died suddenly Sunday night at th
home of a brother. Dr. R. K. Bing
iharn, in Boone. She was returning t
her home in Statesville from a visi
j to a Sick brother in Tennessee, whe
a sudden heart attack brought abou
| her death within a few minutes,
j The remains were taken to States
; vilie where the funeral was he!
j Tuesday morning at the residence o
| North Center Street.
Mrs. Lewis, who was the forme
Miss Leonora Viola Bingham, wa
born in Boone, but was reared i
! Statesville and spent her life then
She was the daughter of the late Ma
jor Karvcy Bingham, dlstinguishe
jurist and instructor in law, an
leaves a host of friends and relative
in Watauga county.
She is survived by her husband, I
C. Lewis, and two children, Mr
Fred Money of Mooresvihe, and Hai
j vey B. Lewis, of Statesville. She als
leaves four sisters and two brother!
Mrs. Laura B. Johnston and Mrs. V\
S. Harwell of Statesville; Mr3. C. f
Somers and Mrs. A. R. Sherman c
V/ilkesboro, Dr. R. K. Bingham, c
Boone, and Dr. G. P. Bingham, c
Bristol, Tenn.
LENOIR LEADER DIES
Harry W. Courtney, well know
merchant, manufacturer, civic leade
and politician of Lenoir, died Monda
following injuries received in an at
tomobile collision near Apex thre
days previous.
u. re,? ?? '
v>v>ua mcy wiia Weil KHOWTl D
many Wataugans and was one of th
most prominent figures in this sec
tion of the state.
Funeral services were conduete
Tuesday afternoon and interment wa
in Belleview cemetery.
LARGE MOVIE CROWDS
Perhaps the largest crowds ever t
attend a filming or a movie in thi
city thronged the Pastime Theatr
Monday and Tuesday for the screen
ing of '^Steamboat Round the Bend
starring the late Will Rogers. Th
posthumous release was well receive
throughout the continuous two-da
showing, and more than once crowd
were turned away. Manager Hamb
states that the other new Rogers' pic
ture, "In Old Kentucky" will b
shown within the next few weeks.
|
i A scientist has succeeded in mea
!suring down to one 600-rnillionth c
a second.
I
i Independent Weekly New
BOONE, WATAUC
FORMER WATAUGA
POLITICAL LEADER
PASSES SATURDAY;
Lindsay Michael Represented!
County Three Times In
The Legislature.
FUNERAL SERVICES ARE
HELD SUNDAY AFTERNOON;
Number of Wntaugans Journey To
Weaverville .tor Obsequies. 3Ir. j
Michael Had Been One of Foremost
Local Politician.
Lindsay Harrison Michael, a powerful
figure in the political life of
Watauga county at the turn of the
century, and three times a member
of the state Legislature, died at his
I home in Weaverville last Saturday at.
the age of 74.
Furcral services were conducted j
Sunday afternoon at the Presbyter- j
Ian Church at WeaverviUe, with the j
Rev. L. B. Dcndy, pastor of the |
church officiating, assisted by Rev. j
G. E. Cox and Rev. F. L. Smathers. j
pastors of the Weaverville Baptist i
and Methodist churches, respectively.
Interment was in the cemetery of |
Calvary Episcopal Church at Flet-.
- cher. 1
"\fr Miphanl is survived htr turn I
sons, Frank A, Michael of Asbeville,
and Fred H, Michael, of Boone, and
I the following daughters: Mrs. Linl
ney Greene, Baltimore, Md.; Mrs. H.
E. Sawyer, Weaverville; Mrs. L. A
Ballard, Hammond, Tnd.: Mrs. Stanicy
Walte, St. Louis, Mo.; Mrs. W.
A. Travis, Los Angeles, Calif.; Mrs.
G. O, Ingram, Florence, S. C., and
Mi3s Pearl Michael, Asheville. He is
r also survived by several grundchil:
drcn.
Among the honorary pallbearers at
y the funeral were the following Was
taugans, who attended the services:
- John VV. Hodges, Russell D. Hodges,
e Eller McNeil. Wiley Day. Robert L.
- Bingham and B. B. Dougherty.
Born In Ashe County
* Mr. Michael was born in Ashe
* county on December 30, 18S0. He
r lived in that county on the farm of
' his parents until he was 21 years
1 old. He then moved to Watauga eoun-1
ty where he married Miss Dolphin
Clawson, who died several yearn-ago.
u They lived at Rutiierwood whereTMr.
r Michael was active in political and
0 educational affairs until 3910, when
1 they moved to Weaverville. He was
educated in the common and academic
schools of Ashe and Watauga
counties and taught there and in
Buncombe counties for 28 years.
Mr. Michael, who was a republican '
S | leader, served one term each in the
following offices: Surveyor of WaI
tauga county, chairman of the Board j
e: of County Commissioners, and super- j
J intendent of public schools. In 1894
_il.u ...on olooto.! .. ... V. r ? .
,, ?M WIWV1VU <1 1IICU1UL1 Ul U1U WW"
t or house of the North Carolina genn
oral assembly. In 1900 he was clectit
ed senator from the senatorial district
embracing Ashe, Alleghaney and
I- Watauga counties. In 1902 he was
g again elected to the lov/er branch
n of the legislature.
In 1910 Mr. Michael was made stair
tistical clerk for the National Census
s of that year and served in Washingn
ton, D. C. After completing these
duties he returned to his home in
_ Weaverville. He served on the hoard
d of stewards of the Methodist Church
d there for several years and was on
s the board of aldermen for a number
of terms and was later elected nny?
or. He served one term as postmaster
3_ at Weaverville and retired to private
_ life because of failing health and eyeo
sight.
3_ In 1928 he moved to Oak Park on
r, the Hendersonville highway and
[ since that time has been a member
,f of the Calvary Episcopal Church at
,f Fletcher. He moved back to Weaver,f
vine in 1929. Although in failing
health for several years Mr. Michael
taught a Sunday School In Weaverville
until a few weeks ago.
n
r STORE LEAVES NEWLAND
y The Carolina grocery store, which
i- has been in operation in Newland for
e a number of years, was closed a few
days ago without advance announcey
ment and "a good part of the mere
chandise was distributed to the
!- Boone stores. Ralph Lyons, of Boone,
who had been in charge of the store
rt *?
- uu mme Lime, nas returned to this j
s city where he will continue to reside.
FIRE AT RIVERS HOME
A fire original ng from sparks
o from a flue ignited the shingle roof
s ol the R. C. Rivers residence ir.
e Boone Sunday morning and, but for
i- the quick work of the fire depart"
ment and other volunteers, a serious
e conflagration would have resulted,
d The "damage, which was confined aly
mo3t entirely to the roof and which
a amounted to about one hundred and
y fifty dollars, was covered by insurance.
A metal roof Is being placed
e on the building.
Last week, 2,242 tobacco farmers
v in Pitt county were delivered $102,'f
>082.22 in rental checks for ooperating
in the AAA tobacco program.
rspaper?Established in tb
iA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA
President Rooseve
Chief Executive 011 Western P
by Panama. I
<?.
j|f with tho intent of returning by
||J Panama Canal, President Roosc
fH is on his swing across the eountr
H San Diego, Calif., via St. Lc
H Omaha, Cheyenne, Boulder I]
H Salt Lake City and Los Angi
P After viewing the Pacific Exposi
K" at San Diego and delivering
H second of liis scheduled speeches,
S President will board tho cru
D Houston for a fishing expedition
9 Panama Canal, across which he
8 pass Nortuward. It is expected 1
|2 ho will land at some southern TJ
H port on the Eastern seaboard.
ittPt???Unlfh'l'rftT
President Res
For Building
} $5,000,000 Available For Scenic 1
President; State's Funds Iiu
Complete Rural Eleclri
of News About Rali
Raleigh, Oct. 1.?President. Roosevelt
has signed an order restoring
the $5,000,000 formerly earmarked
for the Skyline Parkway in Virginia
and North Carolina and later shifted
to relief, to the Parway construction.
as a result of the visit to him
hat wgek hy Congressman R L.
?oiijjfbiort? Highway Chairman Capus
IM. Waynick is assured work will
I start on the Virginia line?Blowing
jRock sections in a short time and
ithen on seelions in tlic Mt. Mitchell
area and the Soco Gap road. Of the
amount $1,.500.000 will he used in '
North Carolina and $1,500,000 iiiVii-'
ginia, unlC3s N. C. uses up her part
| before Virginia completes her right-!
of-way, in which case it will be used .
in this state. Charles Ross, state j
highway general counsel, made arrangements
which will make it much
easier to obtain and turn over the
right-of-way in this state. Right-ofway
for the Soco Gap road will be
secured from the Cherokee Indians
and the National Park Service, large- !
ly, as much of it is through their !
acreages.
GENKRAI, FUND INCREASES
The state's general fund increased
nearly three million dollars in AugFuneral
Services For
Fred Setzer Wednesday
Funeral services for Fred Setzer,
well known farmer of Winkler's
Creek, are to be conducted this
(Wednesday) afternoon from the
home by Reverends W. C. Payne . n.l
R. C. Eggers and interment will follow
in the Winkler cemteery.
Air. Setzer succumbed Tuesday aft-;
ernoon after a several weeks' illness i
with typhoid fever, and it was believed
that pneumonia developed during
his last days. He was 37 years old.
Surviving is the widow, the former
-miss L,izj.ie Austin, ami four small
children.
Mr. Setzer was reared in the Howards
Creek section of Watauga county
and had applied himself as a far- i
mer for the most of his life, working \
intermittently in the Lenoir furniture
shops. He was a member of the Poplar
Grove Baptist Church and consistent
in his beliefs. He was a splendid
and industrious citizen, and highly
respected.
J
RECORDER'S COURT
Granville Watson and Alexander j
Hooper, the latter colored, were tried i
in Recorder's Court Tuesday on j
charges of assault with deadly wcap ;
on and each defendant was assessed 1
with one-half the cost.
Hillary Hartley, Reeves Hartley,'
Frank Simmons and Paul Green were j
assessed with the costs on a charge j
of trespassing.
JUDGE RAISES FREAKS
Judge John H. Bingham presented
the Democrat two vegetable freaks
in the form of twin apples and twin
potatoes. In the case of the spuds one
of the tubers was white, the other
red, although all the seed planted was
of the same kind.
Ky&SHc* ?3 i
MOC1
e I ear Eighteen tighty-L;
I, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 3, 193
>> all r
"in i i
tores Funds j
g of Parkway \
'horoughfare as Doughton Visits c
trcaso; Engineers Strive to *
cal Survey; a Resume I
sigh and the State. L
ustf from $3,306,632.09 at. the begin- 1
ning to $5,209,573.85 at the end, while N
the highway and other special funds 2
decreased more than four billion dol-~ '
lars, from $17,283,400.75 to $13,131.- c
893.84. The general fund collected 1
$4,314,275.77 and spent only $1,411,- (
393.95 during the month, but the $5,- 1
209,573.8C. cash balance will be used
at the rate of about $2,225,000 a
month for teachers' salaries for the
next eight months. The highway fund
collected S3,941,351.56 and spent $8.092,850.68
during August. The state's
bonded debt remains at $170,664,000. j
LIVING DEAD NUMBER 23
Twenty-three defendants have been I
sentenced to death by the superior
courts of North Carolina, largely ]
during the past year, who are still
liui'no- n n/1 ivfinao nocoa r*on/lino- 1
22 for murder and one for rape. Four
executions arc set for October 4, of
Robert Dunlop, Buncombe, and Arthur
Connell, Robert Thomas and
'Oris Gunter, Madison county; Bright
Buffkin, Columbus, on October 18;
James McNeill, Harnett, on October
25, and Jake Johnspti, Rockingham,
'for rape, on December 23. The 16 othj
ers have appealed from death sen(Continued
on Page 8} ,
i Heavyweight Record
Goes To Hicks Baby i
Mr. and Mrs. Ernest Hicks, of |
Boone, like all fond parents, be- \
lievo the baby daughter born to i
them last Friday evening, to be the
most remarkable baby in the world,
and if the scale beam doesn't bring i
about an exaggeration, their belief (
is well founded?for fifteen and ]
three-quarter pounds was lite
weight of this heavyweight champion
of babydom when it let forth
| its first lusty yell.
Dr. J. M. Hodges, w,.o was the
attending physician, and who has
practiced medicine for forty years,
couldn't believe his eves, nnd
"doubters** by the score are visiting:
the Hicks home daily to view
the infant-wonder, who is norma!
and healthy in every respect.
I
Blue Ridge Singing J
Held At Mount Vernon J
The Blue Ridge Singing Convention ,
which was held at the Mount Ver- ,
non Church last Sunday drew a ,
crowd of visitors estimated at from
five to six hundred and six classes ,
were represented in the program of I,
vocal renditions, no follows: Yellow h
Hill, numbers one and two. Pleasant
Home, Mountain View, all of Wilkes ,
county, and the Mount Vernon and ,
Stony Fork classes in Watauga eoun- .
ty. ]
Rev. J. C. Canipe and Mr. S. C.
Eggers of Boone were present and ;
each spoke extemporaneously for a
few minutes to the assemblage, at
which J. C. McNeil of Wilkes county,
presided.
It was decided that the next con- i
ventton would be held at Mount 1
Pleasant Church, at Champion, Wilkes
county. i
> SI.50 PER YEAR
ALDERMEN MAKE
DRASTIC CUT IN
BOONETAX RATE
jioveriiing Body Decides People
Unble To Pay More Than
$1.50 on Valuation.
rAX RATE FORMERLY $2.00;
SHINGLE ROOFS ARE TABOO
Ordinance Defines Fire Zone; New
Equipment Gives Boone
More Favorable Insurance Rating;
Shingle Itoofs Out.
Property holders in the city of
-1.550 per $100 dollar valuation for
doonc will pay taxes at the rate of
.935. instead of $2.00 as heretofore,
is a result ot the action of
; h e Board of Aldermen i n
egula.r session last Friday evening,
vho at the same time defined the
:ire zone, and passed a "no wood
shingle" ordinance, which with the
iddition of a r.ew fire truck will save
fire insurance policyholders of the
town an average nf abroit
pent. in premiums yearly.
The 25 per cent, cut in the tax
rate was made as a result of the
unanimous opinion of the board that
51.50 is the maximum amount the
people of Uie municipality can be expected
to pay. The tax books for
1935 were being prepared as the anloimcement
of the tax cut was made,
ind Mayor W. H. Gragg is insisting,
n view of the action of the board in
naking the public burden lighter, ,
hat citizens make an especial efort
to satisfy their municipal obligations
within the shortest possible
ime. Hie official believes that the
ax payers can pay in full on the bails
of the lowered rate, and shares
he opinion of his board that the receipts
of the town should not be afected
in dollars and cents to any apircciable
degree. At the same time
l slight increase in valuation within
he limits is cited, and the council
relieves that a more favorable rate
vill greatly encourage building slid
subsequently increased tax recepits.
^special emphasis is however, laid
>n the purpose of the administration
o collect the new levy, and to this
ind the full and complete coopera
ion ol 1110 people Is solicited.
Shingle Ordinance Passed
An Ordinance defining: the fire
:one, and one designed to rid the
own of ai, wooden roof coverings
vithin a period of fifteen year3 were
ilso passed at the Friday meeting, -y
,vay of meeting the requirements of
.lie. Southeastern Underwriters Association,
which, together with the enlargement
of the city fire depart ment
daces Boone in class two insurance
rating rather than <n class three, and
saves citizens -sonic"'hundreds of dollars
yearly in insurance premiums.
Both ordinances are being published
today.
Fire Department Enlarged
The Volunteer Fire Department has
been enlarged to 14 members and the
city, with the aid of contributions
from various business interests of
the town, has been enabled to effect
the purchase of a modern American
LaFrance fire engine, which is said
to ho the last word in firG fighting
equipment. The machine has the capacity
to pump 7E0 gallons of water
per minute without the aid of gravity
pressure, and with it will come LiiC
isual ladders, and fifteen hundred
feet of high pressure hose. The contract
between the town and the manufacturers
cads for delivery by January
1.
Fiscal Prospects Brighter
Mayor Gragg tells the Democrat
that the fiscal outlook of the town is
considerably brighter, and he i s
heartened by the fact that his administration
lias cancelled $10,000 in
bonds and coupons since May 1. He
extends thanks to the people for their
fine cooperation and earnestly asks
for its continuance.
IWra DI ?
??*?? ci x/ics in
S State of Washington
!
Mrs. T. M. Boyer, 61, former Wa:augan,
but for many years a rsiJent
of Cedonia, Wash., died at her
lome last Saturday morning after
in illness which followed injuries revived
in a tali from a saddle horse
several months ago. The news of her
ieath came in a message to a broth:r,
Mr. W. F. Miller, of Boone, Satirday
noon. It would have been impossible
for Mr. Miller to have reached
Cedonia in time for the funeral
which was held Monday. Mr. Miller
is the only immediate survivor.
Mrs. Boyer was a daughter of the
late Mr. ana Mrs. T. C. Miller and
was reared in Watauga county, having
lived in the state of Washington
Eor the past 25 years. She was well
known throughout Watauga county
where she leaves a wide circle of
friends.
Twenty-five Duplin farmers have
cooperated to purchase over 400
bushels of rye, clover, vetch and Austrian
winter pea seed for fall plant