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? ???ne An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888. Thu Week
VOL. LIX, NO. 27 BOONE, WAtAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 1946 5 CENTS A COPY
SCENES AT CITY'S MOST DISASTROUS FIRE
Above is shown the music building, frame structure ???* * nnn lachian College as it was razed by flames in an early morning
blaze last Fridy. Below are the ruins of the art building, its interior burned out by fire, which did a damage to the college plant
of no less than $200,000 (Photo by Palmer Blair).
COLEMAN SAYS
BURLEY SALES
SHOULD BE GOOD
Manager of Mountain Burley
Warehouses Getting Ail in
Readiness For First Sales
Next Week; Another Big
Warehouse Now Being
Used
Mr. R. C. Coleman of Tabor
"City, has been in town for the
past few days getting all in readi
ness for the opening of his two
warehouses of the Mountain Bur
ley Warehouse Corporation, and
believes that prices will be good
on the Boone market this year
and that the poundage of last year
will be increased. He is inclined
to the belitef that seven or eight
million pounds may be sold in
Boone this season.
Mr. Coleman, who has managed
the Mountain Burley Warehouses
here for six years, states that the
big new house near the bus sta
tion, which was to have been in
use last year is now ready and
will double the floor space of the
corporation. The first sale will
be held in the new house he says,
on December 2, and the No. 1
house on December 4th. With
favorable grading weather, tobac
co is coming in satisfactorily,
and Mr. Coleman says there
should be at least 200,000 pounds
on the baskets today. The houses
are open 24 hours a day for the
receipt of tobacco.
Mr. Coleman is to be assisted
in the management of the two
houses by his son, R. C. Cole
man, Jr., and Miss Harriet
Sykes, the remainder of the
Mountam Burley organization
being ar follows:
Bookkeepers: E. H Cox, Mrs.
Cox and Don Watson.
Fred McQueen, bookman
Mr. Russell, chipman.
Harvey Nunn, auctioneer. O
W. Webster, ticket marker.
W. E. Allen, day weighman.
Blaine Miller, night weighman.
Russell Greene and Vernon
Greene, floor managers.
Audy Harrelson, leaf man.
Menrs W. H. Gragg, S. C. Eg
gers and H. Grady Farthing will
be on the floor to assist the far
( Continued on page 8)
$200,000 Fire Razes
2 College Buildings
Preaches Sunday
1
Dr. Luther Little, who has been;
engaged by the Bione Hjptisti
Church as a supply minister dur
ing the month of December, will
preach next Sunday morning and
evening at the local church. Dr.
Little, who is one of the state's
most able ministers, was former
ly heard by many local people
through the facilities of radio
station WBT
Laws For Fur Dealers
Are Cited By Warden
Stringent laws have been en
acted by the State affecting fur
dealers, it is reminded by County
Game Warden Walter Edmisten,
who says:
"Section 1, Chapter 333, public
laws of North Carolina state that
every person, firm or corporation
who buys raw furs, pelts or skins
of fur-bearing animals shall take
out a license with the Department
of Conservation and Development
according to his activities in state
or county, and shall have said li
cense before he buys furs.
"Any person or firm who buys
furs without the proptr license
or furs unlawfully taken, is guil
ty of a midemeanor."
Blowing Rock Fire Depart-I
ment Aids Local Fighters in
Effort to Stop Flame Which
Destroyed Original College
Building; Music and Art De
partments Suffer From
Fire; No Building Plans
An early morning fire, of unde
termined origin, on Friday
morning razed the music building
at Appalachian State Teachers
College, spread to the art build
ing, where only the brick walls
were left standing, and inflicted
a damage to buildings and
equipment of no less than $200,
000, representing the most disas
trous conflagration in the history
of the town.
The college night watchman
noticed the flames at about 2
a. m., which seemed to have ori
ginated in a top story of the old
Watauga Academy building,
which housed the music depart
ment. The fire department im
mediately responded to the
alarm. The Blowing Rock depart
ment was shortly fighting
shoulder to shoulder with the
local men, but despite the heroic
efforts of both groups, the two
buildings represent a total loss.
The music building housed
perhaps ten pianos, and various
other equipment, including the
equipment of the high school and
college bands, while the art build
ing contained much valuable
equipment belonging the the col
lege, as wtell as to individual
faculty members.
Dr. B. B. Dougherty, President
of the college, states that work
Ite going along in the music and
art departments, by the use of
other buildings, and by the use
of some of the class rooms at the
Baptist Church, which were
generously tendered to the in
stitution in the emergency. The
State carries insurance on the
buildings, Dr. Dougherty says,
and an adjuster was expected to
arrive the first of the week. Dr.
iDougherty ypuldn't at this time
state when a building project
(Continued on page 8)
TAYLOR THINKS
BURLEY SALES TO
BE EIGHT MILLION
President of Farmers Ware
house is Enthusiastic About
Prospects for the Boone
Market This Season; the
Personnel .at New Ware
house
"We are enthusiastic over the
prospects for the ensuing burley
tobacco season in this area," says
jc. C. Taylor, president of the
Farmers Burley Warehouse. Inc.,
of Boone.
"Tobacco looks good and the
weather has been favorable.
"We at the Farmers Burley
Warehouse believe that Boone
will have one of its very best
seasons in 1946-47 and we esti
mate that the Boone market as a
whole should sell pretty close to
eight million pounds of tobacco
this season. We are trying to do
our part to make this a banner
year for the grower and for the
market."
Mr. Taylor announced that the
Farmers Btirley Warehouse per
sonnel for the opening of the sea
son, with officers of the company
Mr. A. G. Wright and Mr. C. C.
Taylor as sales managers, and
Mr. Rex Taylor as assistant sales
manager and general floor man
ager. "Butch" Chandler will be
the Farmers Burley Warehouse
auctioneer. Floor managers will
be Mr. Perry Greene and Mr.
Alvin Cannon. Ticket marker
will be "Tommy" Thomas State
licensed weighmasters will be on
duty, and they are James I. Wag
oner, Woodrow Greene and A.
G. Wright, Jr. The office person
nel Is made tip of Mr. C. H.
Jackson, bookkeeper and payoff
man; "Clip" Walker, bookman;
Kermit Watson, clipman, and
Mrs. Afnes Hayworth, general of
fice clerk.
Others assisting m the operation
of the floor will be A. W. Smith,
"Bud" Forester, Fred Greer, O. l..
Badgett, Baxter Wilson and Au
drie Presnell.
As the occasion demands oth
ers will be added to the force.
Navy reorganizing operating
forces; no more numbered fleets.
Christmas Issue of
Local Newspaper
Appears Next Week
A survey o f the local mer
cantile establishments reveals
thai the bulk of lb* Christmas
advertising will be run In the
next Ui'w of the Democrat,
and the publisher wishes to
stale that he must have adver
tising copy as quickly as pos
sible in order to do the increas
ed job. without additional
help, which can't be secured.
All advertisements must be
in hand as nearly as is pos
sible this week to insure pub
lication. and Monday noon will
be the time limit. The rush of
holiday and other advertising
at this season makes it neces
sary for the publisher to have
complete cooperation to do the
job. Cuts and layouts with
copy suggestions will be sup
plied where wanted.
Contributors are asked, like
wise to get in their organisa
tion news, and other matters
of routine nature al once. Only
spot news can be handled at
the last minute.
CONVICTED FOR
MISUSE OF M AIL!
Grady Trivett Fined in Federal
Court for Using Mails to
Defraud
Grady S. Trivett of Vilas, on
rucsday of last week, pled guilty
in Federal court at Wilkesboro,
to an indictment for using the
mails to defraud, in connection
with advertising bird dogs for
sale through the mails, and then
failing to deliver the dogs after
receiving payment therefor.
The crime allegedly was corp
mitted on October 1945, and
3n other dates, according to Post
affice Inspector Clarence C.
Keever of Lenoir who investigat
ed the charges and brought about
the indictment of Trivett.
The following scheme was said
to have been used:
Trivett advertised hunting dogs
in the "Red Ranger," a sports
man's magazine, accepted orders
accompanied by checks in
amounts of $25 to $65, did not
ship any dogs in return for the
money or make refund to the
purchaser.
Victims resided in Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Ohio, Kentucky and
Alabama. He secured $250 in this
way, Kcever said.
Trivett was sentenced by Judge
Hayes as follows: Make complete
restitution of amounts defrauded,
pay a fine of $250, a year and a
day at Petersburg. Va.. the exe
cution of this sentence to be set
aside until the May, 1947, term
of court at Wilkesboro. at which
time the defendant will be placed
on probation for three years, if
the other provisions of the sen
tence are complied with.
Mrs. Ruth B. Kennedy
Succumbs Thursday;
Funeral On Saturday
Mrs. Ruth Benfield Kennedy,
39 years old, died at the home of
her mother, Mrs. D. C. Benfield
last Thursday. Mrs. Kennedy had
been in bad health for eighteen
months, and her condition had
been considered critical fqr the
past several weeks.
Mrs. Kennedy had spent the
greater part of her life in Boone,
was a member of the Baptist
Church, and before she becamel
ill had taken an active part in
the affairs of the community.
Friendly and personable, she was
well known throughout this area,
and held in the very highest re
gard by her acquaintances.
Funeral services were conduct
ed from the Baptist Church Sat
urday at 11 o'clock by Rev. J. C.
Canipe, the former pastor, who
was assisted by Dr. John G. Bar
den, and interment was in the
community cemetery.
The active pallbearers were:
Wade E. Brown, Dewitt Barnett,
Bob Agle, J. C. Canipe, Jr.,
Howard Cottrell and Hale Vance.
The only immediate survivors
are the husband, Mr. A. H. Ken
nedy, and the mother, Mrs. D. C.
Benfield.
t CUT RATES MAY ElfD
The reduced furlough rates for
servicemen will be terminated by
all but four at the railroads oper
ating East of the Mississippi. The
new rates will go into effect on
Dec. 1, unless rescinded by the
U. S. Commerce Commission,
pending a hearing, according to
the Association of American
Railroads. Bus lines are also
considering cancelling aerrlee
men's low rates in certain areas.
Boone Burley Market to
Hold First Sales Monday .
Heads Polio Effort
?R.'E. AGLE
Agle Chosen To Lead
March Of Dimes
Campaign In County
Dr. Ralph MacDonald, State
Chairman of the 1947 March of
Dimes Campaign, has appointed
R. E. Agle, local theatre manager,
to serve as chairman of the
Wataugn county division. The
drive will open January 15 and
continue through January 30.
Committees are being appoint
ed and plans formulated that will
be announced shortly. As in the
past, 50% of the funds collected
will be retained for use in the
county while 50% will be turned
in to the National Foundation of
Infantile Paralysis.
STORESOBSERVE
THANKSGIVING
Most Business Establishments
Close Their Doors for Thanks
giving Holiday
The members of the Boone
Merchants Association are clos
ing their stores today in obser
vance of Thanksgiving, says Mr.
Grady Tugman, president of the
organization, who states that in- 1
formation is that most non-mem
bers are following suite and ob
cerving the holiday.
Certain places, notably restaur
ants, drug stores, and some of
the automotive servicing estab
lishments, are expected to remain
open, while public offices, the
postoffice and bank are expected
to close.
Wm. Martin Hodges |<
Dies at Adams Home I
William Martin Hodges, 69
years old, well-known resident of
the Adams section, died at the
home near Boone Tuesday morn
ing, from an illness of about
three weeks. Mr Hodges had been
in declining health for a long
time prior to his fatal illness.
Funeral services are to be con
ducted Wednesday afternoon at
2 o'clock from the Oak Grove
Baptist Church, by Rev. W. D.
Ashley and Rev. E. C. Hodges,
and interrpent will be in the
Hines cemetery nearby, by
iReins-Sturdivant Funeral Home.
Surviving arc- three sons and
two daughters: David Hodges,
Boone; Dallas Hodges, Vilas;
Richard Hodges, Adams; Mrs.
Nora Haynes, Boone; and Mrs.
Stuart Hoidges, -Lenoir. There are
three brothers and one sister;
John, Joe, and Jim Hodges, and
Mrs. N J. Presnell of Adams.
Trappers Warned To
Abide By State Lawj
Walter Edmisten, oounty game
warden, issues the following in
formation for the benefit of trap
pers in this area:
"Section 3, Chapter 278, public
laws of North Carolina, unlawful
to set steel traps or dead falls in
all counties west of Surry Wilkes,
Alexander, Catawba and Cleve
land, except that steel traps may
be set for muskrat and mink in
the water along sterams in cul
tivated areas. The trapping sea
son for ?niuskrats and mink is
December 1 to February 19th. All
trappers must hava either county
or State trappers' license."
FLUE-CURED LEAF MARTS
TO SUSPEND OPERATIONS
Henderson, Nov. 24 ? All flue
cured tobacco markets will sus
pend operations indefinitely after
Wednesday, Nov. 27, because of
the soft coal strike, it was an
nounced yesterday.
Warehousemen Agree That
Poundage May Be Better
Than Last Year; Three Bin
Houses Will Avoid Una)
Congestion on Local Mart
The Boone Burley Tobacco
market gets going next week, the
first sales to be held Monday, and
both the Mountain Burley Ware
house Corporation and the Farm
ers Warehouse Corporation, are
of the opinion that with the in
creased floor space available, the
market should sell somewhere
near eight million pounds this
year, to set a new record for
Boone.
The Mountain Burley Corpora
tion has two houses this year,
having added a second one since
last season, while the Farmers
Warehouse Corporation has built
a commodious structure in the
western part of town. With the
three warehouses open day and
night receiving tobacco, it is be
lieved that there will be a mini
mum of congestion and that farm
ers will be. able to place their
weed on the floors promptly
throughout the season.
Both corporations have their
full s talis on the job ready for
the season, and have spared no
expense in getting together the
finest organizations possible, in
an effort to insure the continued
growth of the Boone market. All
houses are manned by men with
years of experience in the tobac
co business, and farmers will be
assured of perhaps the best serv
ice in Boone to be found any
where in the burley belt.
Receipts of tobacco today are
fairly large The weather recent
ly has ' been iignt favorable for
b rading, and large receipts are
expected to start before the week
end.
The season's auctions start
Monday at Mountain Burley
Warehouse No. 2, will switch
Tuesday to the Farmers Ware
house, and will be held on Wed
nesday at the old No. 1 Moun
tain Burley house.
SHORTAGE OF
TUTORS ACUTE
County Superintendent Give*
Idea of Emergency in Which
Local Schools Are Found
W. Ho. yard Walker, county
superintendent, in calling atten
tion to the acute shortage of
capable teachers in the state, re
veals that in 1941-42 all teachers
in Watauga county had "A" cer
tificates or better, while at pre
sent, in an effort to bridge the
emergency a number of teachers
are being used in the county who
have no state certificates at all.
There are now 16 teachers with
"G" certificates, 89 "A", 7 '3", 1
"C", 5 Elem. "B", and 12 with no
certificates at all.
"The situation is alarming,"
says Mr. Walker, "We continue
to have vacnacies, with no quali
fied teachers to fill them."
Aged Michigan Native
Passes At Restorium
Herbert B. Gillette, 85 years
old. died last Saturday evening at
8 o'clock in Clark's Creek, at the
Valle Crucis Restorium, operated
by Rev. W. L. Atkins, where he
had resided for six months.
Born and reared in Michigan, he
made his home in the South for
the pant 50 years. Thirty years of
this time has been spent in Col
umbia. S. C.. where he held a po
sition with the Southern Railway
Co.
The remain j were sent by Reins
Sturdivant to Columbia, S. C., for
interment.
His death came unexpectedly,
he having been found dead in bed
about one and a half hours after
retiring. Rev. Mr. Adkins discov
ed the death in his final check-up
of the Restorium.
His only living relative is Dr.
E. J. Martin, Dett-oit, Mich.
Local Playhouse Host
To Fifty Boy Scouts
Almost fifty Boy Scouts of
Watauga county were guests at
the Appalachian Theatre last
Thursday night where a Warner
Brothers short subject, "Men of
Tomorrow" was showing. T)m
picture told the story of Boy
Scouts emphasizing the impart
ance of Boy Scouts organizations
to local community and pointing
out the great work done by vol
unteer workers.