WATAUGA DEMOCRAT S
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1 888.
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VOL. LVn, NO. 31 ;.?/ BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. JANUARY 31, 1946
JANUARY 14 ( 1
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$1.50 A YEAR? 5c A COPY
REPORT PROGRESS
IN CLOTHING DRIVE
Mrs. Garb?e Asks Donation of All
Clothing Not N**d?d; Cam -
paigri Will Clos? Feb. 7
Mrs. E. E. Gar bee this week re
ports wonderful progress by the peo
ple of the county to the Victory
Clothing collection.
Work of the various clubs and or
ganizations in the county to help
collect clothes is making a splendid
showing. The committee from the
.Woman's Club will start packing
the garments in another week, and
the people are asked to check the
clothes. Mrs. Gar bee asks that
?very article of clothing not needed
be turned in to the clothing collec
tion.
The Blowing Rock school is acting
as a receiving station for garments
in that community. The teachers
have consented to bring them to
Boone for packing.
The drive will extend through
February 7, and it is hoped to have
everything in by that time.
Farm Bureau Group
To Meet In Winston
Salem Early in Feb.
The tenth annual convention of
the North Carolina Farm Bureau
Federation will be held at the Rob
ert E. Lee Hotel in Winston-Salem
on February 6-7-8, and a number of
Watauga county farmers are expect
ed to attend.
Of considerable local interest will
be the address by Hon. J. B. Hutson,
undersecretary of the department of
agriculture, Washington, D. C., who
spent some time in Boone last fall
looking over the progress made in
Watauga county under the TVA ad
ministration.
Road Maintenance Job
Of State, Cherry Says;
Raleigh, Jan. 29 ? Governor Cher
ry told a delegation from Mecklen
burg and Union counties today that
he feels it is the duty of the state,
not the counties, to maintain secon
dary and farm-to-market roads. The
' state took over the maintenance of
these roads in July, 1931.
Replying to a suggestion from the
visitors that rural roads might be
mtum&l to the counties for main
tenance, Cnliry aMHQH "I don't
think anything of that. T think the
state is committed to a policy of
maintaining these roads and I feel
it is the duty of the state to do the
job."
The delegation, claiming to repre
sent thousands of persons in the
Piedmont area but speaking pri
marily for Mecklenburg, told the
governor it favored return of 50 per
cent of the gasoline tax to individ
ual counties for use in improving
secondary roads and urged that im
mediate steps be taken to improve
rural roads which have suffered
?rom the severe weather this winter.
Sees Early Settlement
Of Major Strikes
General Motors and the CIO Uni
ted Auto Workers agreed Tuesday
to resume wage negotiations, but
U. S. Steel Corporation said it
would need a ceiling price increase
of "very much more" than $4.00 a
ton to grant striking steel workers
even the 15 cents an hour wage
boost already offered.
In Washington, meanwhile, high
optimism was expressed by Recon
version Director John W. Snyder
over prospects for settling the steel.
General Motors and other strikes.
Snyder said, however, his hepes
were based on recent trends toward
"free collective bargaining" settle
ments and commented: "When you|
see the customers of steel ? Ford and I
Chrysler, for instance ? getting ready
to do business, that's a hopeful sign."
PLENTY OF HELP SEEN
AVAILABLE FOR FILIBUSTER
Washington, Jan. 29 ? Senator Bil
bo, Mississippi, told the senate dur
ing the FEPC debate today that he
had just received a letter from a
constituent which concluded:
"If you need som t help in your
filibuster, send for my wif. She's
been filibustering for 20 years."
The constitution of the Unitft
States originally consisted of a pre
amble and seven articles; it has
since been added to by amendments.
WATCH the LABEL
Carry 100,000 Dimes to White House
Donald Anderson. Prinerille. Or*.. "Poet?r Boy" of the March of
Dimes campaign, ia the engineer for the modal railway train in New
York'i Grand Central term I n will carry 100,000 dime* be
tween miniature Manhattan a^? White House.
Grannis Low Bidder 1
On Lenoir-Blowin^^P1
Rock Road Project
For the third time since October,
the state highway commission has
received bids for grading and sur
facing the 3.86 mile stretch on the
Lenoir-Blowing Rock road which is
U. S. Highway No. 331.
E. W. Grannis Company of Fay
etteville, was low bidder Tuesday
at $348,636.30, which is $31,749.50
less than tha same company bid on
the project on lai?t?October 9. Gran
nis was the low1 bidSer at that time
but when hlnfaay department
did not aw jt*d the -contract, along
with others, and new bids were ask
ed for on Nov. 27, Kiker and Yount
of Reidsville, were low bidders at
$368,987.20.
Announcement as to whether the
latest bid will be acceptable to the
commission and the contract award
ed to Grannis to begin work on the
project will be made soon as the in
formation is sent out from Raleigh.
In all probability it will be several
weeks before the information is
available. ?
Local U.S. Employment
Office dh 40-Hour Week
Orders have been received from
the state office that Boone USES of
fice is to be placed on a 40-hour
week. - This will mean that the lo
cal office will be open from 8:30
a. m. to 5:30 p. m., each Monday
through Friday, but will be closed
each Saturday and holidays.
PINE LUMBER PRICE
BOOST IS ALLOWED
Wshington, Jan. 29 ? The govern-'
ment announced today that provid
ed certain production goals are met,
southern pine lumber price ceilings
will be increased an average of $3.25
per 1,000 board feet about May 1.
HOUSE APPROVES BILL
RETURNING USES TO STATES
Washington, Jan. 29? The house
today, in a direct rebuff to President
Truman, passed 263 to 112, and sent
to the senate legislation returning
the U. S. employment service to the
stales not later than June 30, 1946.
Mr. Truman had asked a full year
extension on the grounds that his
reconversion program will be im
paired otherwise.
HARBY HOPKINS DIES
Harry Hopkins, long-time friend
and confidant of the late President
Franklin D. Roosevelt, who lived
with him in the White House in
the laiter years of the Roosevelt ad
ministration, died yesterday in a
Ne* York hospital.
EASTERN STAR SUPPER
The benefit supper spo;isored by
the Order of the Eastern Star, has
been postponed from this (Wednes
day) evening, until Wednesday eve
ning, February 6. Those who pur
chased tickets for the event are
asked to take note of the change jn
date.
SHOOTS L3<3 BABBITS
Jefferson City, Mo. ? Postw3r fu
ture of rabbits in Missouri is Hot
very bright. A one-day Inspection
of 252 hunters by state conservation
agents recently revealed that the
sportsmen Ad killed 1,383 cottontail
rabbits, an average of 5Vi rabbits
apiece. Also bagged by the hunter*
were 344 quail and 32 squirrels.
The highest peak in the San
Juan mountains is Uncompahgre,
14,306 feet above sea leveL
Illkur&day ls Laat^ay^0
For Old Auto Tnsr?
Automobile owners are remind
ed by Patrolman M. C. J one* that
Thursday is the last day to operate
cars bearing 1945 license plates.
Midnight of January 31sl is the
deadline and the local highway
patrolman has received orders
from Raleigh to begin making ar
rests Friday morning.
A number of arrests were made
last year of people who had pur
chased their new plates but had
failed to put them on their cars.
They must be displayed, the pa
trolman said.
i? a? u-u aaca aa waa waaa
New Closing Hours
Are Announced For
Local Grocery Stores
The grocery stores of Boone will
close at 1 o'clock on Wednesday aft
ernoons, effective as of February 6,
it was decided at a meeting of the
grocers group of the merchants as
sociation held Tuesday morning. The
Wednesday afternoon closing will be
in effect throughout the year, with
the exception of December and Jan
uary, it was explained.
Following is a list of the stores
which will observe the new closing
hours: A. & P. Store, City Meat
Market, Dixie Store, Hollar's Gro
cery, Townsend's Grocery and Trip
lett's Grocery.
Closing hours for other stores in
the city will be announced later.
Change Made In
District Health Setup
According to requirements pro
vided in the general statutes of
North Carolina, the following ex-of
ficio members of the tri-county
board of health were named recent
ly by Dr. Carl V. Reynolds, state
health officer: Miss Flyde Fields,
superintendent of Alleghany county
schools; W. M. Winkler, chairman of
the board of county commissioners,
Watauga county, and L. P. Colvard,
mayor of Jefferson.
At the meeting of the. group held
recently, the following members
were named for their respective
counties: Wade E. Vannoy, Ashe
county, four year term; Dr. W. C.
Thompson, Alleghany county, three
years; C. P. Mock, Watauga county,
two years, and Dr. W. M. Matheson,
Watauga county, one year.
TOLL FOUR TIMES HEAVIER
IN NO. 2 AS AGAINST WAR 1
Washington, Jan. 28 ? World War
II cost the United States 1,068,388
casualties, about four times the toll
of World War I.
Latest tabulations place the U. S.
dead at 283,149. This is expected to1
be nearer 300,000 in the final ac
counting because there is little
chance the approximately 18,000
men still listed as missing by the
army and navy will be found alive.
Army casualties through last De
cember 31 totaled 922,764, including
223,215 killed, 571,67? wounded, 12,
752 missing and 115,118 prisoners.
The navy lists 145,624 casualties
for navy, marine and coast guard,
including 69,934 dead, 80,280 woun
ded, 5,408 missing and two prisoners.
The navy, unlike the army, removes
names from the prisoners' list upon
liberation.
In World War I, the U. S. suffered
approximately 54,000 dead, 200,000
wounded and 4,500 prisoners for a
total of 258,500.
REWARD OFFERED
FOR SAFECRACKER
Board of Conuniuionm Offers $200
for Apprehension of
Robbers
The Watauga county board of
commissioners today offers a reward
of $200 for Information leading to
the arrest and conviction of the par
ty or parties who entered the court
house on December 15th and broke
open the safe in the tax collector's
office.
Nearly one thousand dollars were
taken from the safe, and so far no
information has been gathered as to
the identity of the perpetrator of the
crime.
In addition to the theft of the
money, considerable damage was
done to safes in the offices of the
tax collector, county auditor and
clerk of court.
Watauga Students
Get Honor Grades
At Appalachian
Sixteen members of the student
body of Appalachian College from
Watauga county have scored honor
grades in the fall term.
They are: Miss Mary Martha Bing
ham, sophomore, ward of J. P. Bolt
of High Point; Miss Rebekah E.
Boone, junior, daughter of Mrs. J.
A. Boone of Boone; Miss Betty Jean
Farthing, sphomore, and Miss Carrie
Lee Farthing, senior, daughters of
Mr. and Mrs. C. J. Farthing, Sr., of
Boone; Miss Joyce Gragg, sopho
more, daughter of Mrs. W. R. Gragg,
of Boone; Ted Hagaman, sophomore,
son of Mrs. Elsie Hagaman of Boone,
Miss Rita Howell, sophomore,
daughter of Prof. Vance Howell of
Boone; Leo Mast, freshman, son of
Mr. and Mrs. V. B. Mast of Sugar
Grove.
Jimmie McConnell, freshman, son
of Mr. and Mrs. J. C. McConnell of
Boone; Mrs. J. A. Mullins, Junior,
of Boone; Miss Essie Norris, sopho
more, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. J.
W. Norris of Boone; Mrs. Malissa
Richardson, freshman, of Boone;
Miss Bonia Rominger, senior, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. D. A. Rominger
of Rominger; Miss Grace E. Sher
wood, sophomore, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. J. M. Sherwood of Sugar
Grove; Miss Jeanne Shull, sopho
more, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. I. D.
Shull of Valle Crucis; and Miss Jean
Vvnson, freshman, daughter of Prof.
Chapell Wilson of Boone.
Tobacco Mart Here to Close Feb.?8
Local Man Arrested
On Liquor Charge
North Wilkesboro ? Charges of il
licit handling whiskey were prefer- 1
red against two men in arrests re- 1
ported Wednesday by the office of j
Marshal Edney Ridge.
Tom Woodrow Bumgarner, of
Watauga county, was taken on a
capias for removing and concealing
non-taxed liquor. Arrested at Boone,
he was released on $500 bond for the
May term of district court at
Wilkesboro.
Also bound to the May term was
Clyde Canter of Wilkes county, who
was charged with manufacturing and
possession of whiskey and possession
of a non-registered distillery. He
was released on $500 bond.
PRODUCTION OF MEAT
RETURNS TO NORMAL
Chicago, Jan. 28 ? A government
spokesman said "apparently all" the
248,000 meat workers returned to
day to jobs in government-seized
meat packing plants, and produc
tion got under way after 12 days of
strikes.
A CIO meat workers' union repre
sentative confirmed the government
spokesman's report, adding things
were "all quiet" on the meat pack
ing front.
^Patrick J. Gorman, president of
the AFL, Meat Workers' Union, said
all hi* men returned to work Sat
urday.
Tax Listing Time Is
Short. Avoid Penalty
Tax listing lima is growing
short ? in fad tbara is only on*
mora day to list and avoid pay
ing tha panalty, Paul A. Cofiay.
Watauga county tax suparrisor,
said yastarday.
Mr. Coffay says thara ara still
a larga umbar of paopla of tha
county who hara fail ad to list
thatr proparty, and ha urgas lhatn
to do so batwaan now and Thurs
day night.
New Roosevelt Dime
This it the design for tha new
Roosevelt dime thai is now roiling
off the line at the Philadelphia
mint. The designer of the new
coin, commemorating tha late
President. Franklin D. Roosevelt,
was John R. Sinnock, chief en
grayer at the Philadelphia mint.
MANY EXPECTED
AT SUMMER SCHOOL
Record Numbtt of Reservations
Hay? Been Recei red at
Appalachian
More than 160 reservations have
already been made for the first
term of summer school at Appalach
ian College, it was revealed last
week, notwithstanding the tact that
it will be more than She weeks yet
before the catalogues are issued.
Never in the history of the col
lege, it is said, has there been such
an interest manifested at this time,
and it will not be surprising if the
enrollment at summer school this
year is the largest in the history of
the institution.
Graduate Work Again
Planned at Appalachian
President B. B. Dougherty and
Prof. Chapell Wilson have just re
leased information concerning the I
graduate department of the summer
school of Appalachian College. This
graduate work is carried on in col
laboration with the University of
North Carolina, this being the sixth
consecutive year.
Six teachers are selected for the
graduate work, four from the facul
ty of the University of North Caro
lina: Dr. A. M. Jordan, psychology;
Dr. W. E. Rosenstegel, education;
Prof. T. T. Hamilton, Education, and
Dr. W. J. NfcKee, education. Two
from Appalachian's faculty; Dr.
Ralph W. House and Dr. Harry Hef
lin, both in the field of elementary
education.
BIG CHICKEN HAWK
Mr. Curtis Madron of the Mabel
community, killed a chicken hawk
Monday which measured 54 inches
from tip to tip. The big bird was ex
hibited in Boone Monday by Mr.
Marion Thomas, an uncle of Mr
Madron. Mx. Madron has just re
turned from five years' service in
the navy and was in Pearl Harbor at
the time of the Jap attack in Decem
ber, 1941.
MRS. A. B. ALDRIDGE
Taeoma, Wash. ? Mrs. A. B. (Rosa
Lee) Aldridge,, 59, died Wednesday
at a local hospital. Born in North
Carolina, she came here 26 -years
ago. Her membership included the
Temple Baptist church.
Surviving are her husband, a son,
Jerome of Tacoma; daughter, Mrs
Beulah Sandul of Tacoma; three
grandchildren, two brothers, Jesse
L. Coffey and Stanford Coffey of
North Carolina; three sisters, Mrs.
Mollie Bell Williams of Tennessee,
and Mrs. Ethel Berry and Miss Mae
Coffey and a stepmother, Mrs. Fil
more Coffey, all of North Carolina.
MRS. CALLIE YOUNCE
Mrs. Callie Y ounce died at the
home of her mother, Mrs. Blackburn
of Mountain View, N. C., on Janu
ary 10, after a long illness. She was
10 years old. Funeral services were
conducted from the Mountain View
Baptist Church on January 12, and
interment was in the neighborhood
cemeetry.
NEVr RECORD SET
ON LOCAL FLOORS
Market Passes Five Million
Mark to Exceed All Previous
Records; February 8 is Closing
Date for Auctions Here
Sales on the floors of the Moun
tain Burley Tobacco Warehouses
here passed the five million pound
mark Monday to establish a new rec
ord, and Mir. R. C. Coleman, the
warehouseman, states that the
warehouses will remain open
through Friday, February 8.
Actual sales through Monday were
5,250,000 pounds, and receipts con
tinue heavy on the local warehouse
floors. Mr. Coleman states that the
floors are now clear and that all
burley may be sold the same day it
is placed on the market. Farmers
are being asked tutoring their last
loads at once, and be assured of the
quickest sale and the best possible
prices.
Those who still Offe checks at the
warehouse offices should call for
them before the closing date, it is
said.
Applications for Dairy
Product Payments Are
Now Being Received
Applications for payment under
the dairy production program are
now being received in the county
AAA office, Ned Glenn, chairman of
the Watauga AAA committee, has
announced. All milk or butter pro
ducers are urged to submit sales
tickets for October, November and
December at their earliest conveni
ence. The closing date for filing is
February 28.
Any producer who has not already
received application blanks may get
them by either calling by the AAA
office or asking for them by mall.
The rate for the past quarter was
90 cents per hundredweight of whole
milk and 17 cents per pound for but
terfat
Monthly Payments
For Veterans Who
Go Into Farming
Veterans returning to farms from
the war who would like to set them
selves up as independent farmers -
will find that the readjustment al
lowance program under the G.I.
bill of rights has a special feature
designed to help them get started
on their own. These are the month
ly payments available to veteran* in
sell-employment.
During 1945, $329,750,000 has been
paid in such self-employed allot
ments to North Carolina veterans.
It works this way: Any veteran
who is fully engaged in a business
of his own may receive a money
payment covering the difference be
tween his net income and $100 for
the previous calendar month. Many
farmer- veterans, for the months
their crops and livestock bring no
returns receive the whole $100.
To help veterans get established
or become re-established in civilian
occupations after thei rarmed serv
ice, the G.I. bill set up a system of
allowances to be paid veterans dur
ing their readjustment In North
Carolina the Unemployment Com
pensation Commission handles these
readjustment allowances for the vet
erans administration. Veterans
should pply to "the unemployment
compensation claims agents located
in the United States employment
service offices throughout the state
S-Sgt. Albert Harmon is
Officially Declared Dead
Mrs. Elizabeth Bingham Harmon
of Sherwood, has received a notifica
tion from the War Department, that
her husband. Staff Sergeant Albert
H. Harmon, who was reported as
missing in action December 4, 1943,
has been officially declared dead.
The date of his death has been set
as January 18, 1M6.
Burdey tobacco farmers have ex
pressed desire for a 1944 acreage
cut of at least 20 percent and a 50
percent penalty against growers who
violate quotas.
The spinning of yarn and the
weaving of cloth are the bottlenecks
holding up the production of cloth
ing.
In the last year of the war the ex
| penditures for military purposes in
I the Fourth Service Command aver
aged $250,000,000 per month.