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BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 19. IMS.
KINGJpr
ROB RIVERS
DIP IN COMMODITY PRICES
finds its way into the conversa
tion along the street . . . Local
aopesters trying to figure out if
n fu'l -scale depression is coming
up . . . Business man with huge
inventories of high-priced wares
hopes prices don't slide enough to
materially change the retail pic
ture . . . salaried worker, who
just can't make the two ends
meet, hard as he's tried, hopes
stuff gets cheaper ? a lot cheap
en? right quick . . . Farmer sees
disaster in shaky grain and
meat markets, and the man with
?a bunch of easy money in hand
has rosy visions of cashing in at
the expense of the less fortunate
should a crash come.
1
FOLKS CANT ALL BE HAP
PY AT THE SAME TIME . . .
Some are wont to look longingly
at the day when a week'* pro
visions could be laid away with
three or four dollars, when ham
was 15 cents a pound, and the
butcher threw In a chunk of liv
er "for free" with the big chunk
of meat which he sold for forty
or fifty cents . . . They yearn for
the ten cents a dosen eggs, but
seem to forget in those days most
of us didn't have the dime, and
were making out with white gra
vy . . . Don't know wheJ^er a fi
nancial crash is in the cards for
the near future or not, but we
do know that folks have always
fared better when the products
oi the farm and factory were
high . . . We always intended to
do wonders, just as soon as things
go down . . . Actual experience
has been, however, that when
that happens, the massej of the
people do nothing. They can't . .
don't have money and there is
no job.
KIDDIES TURN OUT in big
droves to the movie house to see
Roy Rogers twirl a rope, ride a
horse, which through photograph
ic manipulation, gallops at some
thing like sixty miles an hour,
.shoot the bad bold man dead as
a nit just as he was reaching for
the "equalizer," and fire seven
Uen shots from a six-shooter,
without reloading, as he made
war on a gang of rustlers deter
mined to force a female rancher
out of business . . . Their boss of
course, held a mortgage or some
thing.
SOME FOLKS think lis down
right awful for their kids to see
these "shot am up" cinemak . .
They don't much like for little
Johnnie and Betty to reenact the
gory barroom *cene?, while the
ladies aid is trying to hold a sess
ion in the parlor . . . It's no end
of trouble to see to it that the
youngsters are stripped of their
plastic revolvers before they start
to Sunday School, and they don't
like the back-yard games, where
the make-belief sheriff of Rim
Bock county might be hanging
Snake-Eye Sanchex for doing
murder (when he held up lhe
gold-laden stage to Squatter's
Gulch ... As a fact we are op
posed to this last scene, for there
is grave danger when the act
includes the use of the hempen
cravat . . .
BUT DESPITE all these good
and valid objections, it is a fact
that the so-called western film
is the only one that brings to the
theatre audience a concrete argu
ment for law and order. The ele
mentary sort of plot around
which these productions are built
always features the frontier town,
ruled relentlessly by the overlord
ot the gambling house and saloon
. . . surrounded by a pack of hood
lums ready to kill, rob and pil
lage at the beck and call of the
boss . . The clean-cut young fel
low, always rides in from the
range, saunters into the saloon,
spurns the hard likker, drinks
soda pop . . gets bullied a bit.
and gives the old kayo to the
toughest liombre in town, at the
climax to a fight which has
wrecked the place, busted all the
bottles and sent the poker chips
in all directions . . . Meantime,
couple of bystanders make as if
to pull 'guns . . hero lets them
down in a fussiladc of lead . . .
Stranger is made sheriff, cleans
up the. town, establishes law and
order, marries the eastern girl in
distress, and everything ends
right happily.
?
THE SCENES are fairly rough,
some of the characters are terri
ble. but law and order, sobriety
and decency are always shown to
triumph, and lhe desirability of
trod ding the narrow path is
graphically pictured . . . Some
times the church is built and the
same feet that polished the brass
(Continued on page four.)
ENTERS RACE
Hon. Robert L. Doughton, who
has announced that ha will run
again for the ninth district seat
in Coagraat to which ha has been
alactad for 31 y?ir?.
LAST RUES
MISS SMITH
Prominent Valle Crucis Wo
man Succumbs at Home
Of Dr. Perry.
Miss Nannie Hill Smjth, of Val
le Crucis, N- C., died' at the home
of Dr. and Mrs. H. B. Perry on
Thursday morning, following an
illness of several months.
Funeral services were held at
Holy Cross Church. Valle Crucis,
Friday afternoon at 3:30. Rev. Mr.
Leach conducted the rites and in
terment was in the Mast ceme
tery.
Miss Smith was a daughter of
the late Benjamin Gordon Smith
and Louisa Hill Smith of Scot
land Neck, N. C., and received
her education at Vine Hill Aca
demy, Scotland Neck. For a num
ber of years she taught in the
Mission Schools of the Episcopal
Church at Beaufort, N. C.; St.
Mark's, Iredell county, N. C.; Io
lani School for Boys in Honolu
lu, T. H.; Valle Crucis School for
Girls and later was secretary at
Hannah-More Academy, Reisters
town, Md. Prior to her work at
Hannah-More she resided in
Brooklyn and held several posi
tions in New York City. Since
her retirement a few years ago,
she has lived at her home in
Valle Crucis, N. C.. and with her
niece, Miss Sue H. Taylor of
Washington, D. C.
She is survived by her twin
sister, Mrs. C. D. Taylor of Valle
Crucis, N. C., and brother Will
iam R. Smith of Atlanta, Ga.. a
number of nieces and nephews,
among them being: Mrs. H. B.
Perry, Bynum Taylor, Gordon
Taylor, of Boone; Miss Sue Tay
lor Washington, D. C.; Miss Nan
cy Taylor, Durham, N. C.; Henry
Taylor, Valle Crucis. and Gilbert
Taylor, Raleigh.
Miss Smith was a member of
the Episcopal Church and had
been faithful in her religious ac
tivities. She was also active in
the community life of Valle Cru
cis, and during the war did out
standing work in Red Cross and
sales of war bonds.
Pasture Grass Seed
Available to Farmers
Through Triple A
Pasture grass seeds are now
available to farmers through the
AAA office, Ned Glenn, chair
man announced today. The seeds
available are orchard grass, red
top, Korean lespedeza, white
clover, alsike clover, and ladino
clover.
Farmers who have not re
ceived all their allowance in
materials so far and who have
made a full performance report
for 1047 are eligible to order
these seeds. Approximately 25
per cent of the cost will be borne
by the farmer. No meadow grass
seeds will be available this year.
Farmers wishing to use these
seeds in carrying out pasture
grass practices should contact the
AAA office for their orders.
Local Bank Gains
12 Points In Rank
During 1947 the Northwestern
Bank advanced from 311th to
499th position, or 12 places, am
ong the 1,000 largest banks in the
United States, it was revealed
Ijist week by the American Bank
er.
DOUGHTON TO
SEEK ANOTHER
HOUSE TERM
Veteran Ninth District Con
gressman Tosses Stetson in
Political Ring: Had Wanted
To Retire; Oldest Member
Early Riser, Hard Worker.
Washington, Feb. 14 ? Repre
sentative Robert L. Doughton of
the Ninth North Carolina district
one of the most active and be
loved members of Congress, tos
sed his hat into the ring todaj
and asked to be returned to Con
gress for his 20th consecutive
term.
The dean of the Tar Heel dele
gation, who has served in the
Congress of the United States
longer than any other person
from North Carolina, said he had
reached his decision to run again
"after full consideration, and
with much reluctance," but due
to the many urgent requests to
continue in office he feared he
would "be suspected of ingrati
tude if he did not respond."
He said he had received 'hun
dreds of letters and telegrams
urging him not to retire.
Declaring that he is enjoying
the best of health and able to do
a full days work, he said he
thought he could well shoulder
the burdens of the office for
another two years.
Doesn't Rise 'Til Six
_ Those who know the 84-year
old legislator well know that his
capacity for work has not slack
ened during the years. Many
younger members would find it
hard to keep the active schedule
he maintains. Few do. However,
Mr. Doughton will admit to you
that he may be "slipping just a
little" in that he does not ?et up
now until six 9'clock in the morn
ing. It used to be five. But he has
a good excuse for that. He lives
at the George Washington Inn
just across the street from the
new House office building and he
finds he must wait for breakfast
until eight o'clock when the
House cafeteria opens.
But, he does not idle away these
early morning hours. He buys
his morning paper and goes to
the office to read until "break
fast is ready."
"If I can't make a hand, I don't
want to go to the field," said Mr.
Doughton who takes pride in be
ing a good farmer. "No one
around here has ever heard me
complain of being tired or
sleepy."
Other North Carolinians have
had long service, but none have
reached the record of "Farmer
Bob." Senator Simmons served
the state for 33 years; Senator
Overman for 27, and Representa
tive Pou for 33. The end of this
year will bring Mr. Doughton's
total to 38.
Junior To Sabath
Only one member now serving
in the House has more years to
his credit. He is Representative
Adolph J. Sabath of Illinois who
is completing his 42nd year.
Mr. Doughton was born Nov
ember 7, 1863, and came to Con
gress March 4, 1911. He has serv
ed on the ways and means com
mittee of the House for 25 years,
and was its chairman for 14
years. This also marks another
record for the Tar Heel law
maker. No other man held that
chairmanship so long.
More tax legislation passed
through Mr. Doughton's commit
tee than has probably ever been
witnessed by one person. How
ever, Mr. Doughton feels that
his greatest contribution to the
country during his 38 yehrs, was
the social security legislation. He
also points with pride to the fact
that his tax legislation has been
amended only once.
In making his announcement,
Mr. Doughton issued the follow
ing statement to the people of
the Ninth Congressional district
of North Carolina:
"After full consideration, it is
with much reluctance, I have de
tided to be a candidate for re
election to Congress, subject to
the Democratic primary.
(Continued on page 7)
Verne Greene It
New Police Chief
| Office V?;rne S. Greene of the
City Police department has been
designated Chief to succeed O.
L. Scruggs, resigned, it has been
learned from Mayor Gordon H.
WJnkler.
AS HUDSON RIVER FREEZES
' ? ^
Fourteen inches of ice u* proving a poor armor for the denizens of th* deep In the Hudson Hlr?r.
Commercial fishermen find their task simplified. They merely cut a hoi* in the Ice. Insert
nets, and then once a day cut through the ice again to re more the net with the catch
perch, striped bass and sturgeon. The ice-bound ferry. Bear Mountain, is at the pier
tuason tUTtr.
i. insert their
ttch of white
in ill* scene.
DRAMATIC VETS
IN STAGE PLAY
^Arsenic and Old Lace" To
Be Staged at College
Next Friday Night.
The Friday night production of
"Arsenic and Old Lace" presents
veterans of the Appalachian Col
lege stage, with dramatic exper
ience ranging up to seven years.
The Lindsay -Crouse interpreta
tion of Joseph Kesserling's three
act comedy mystery will be fea
tured on the Cpllege stage Friday.
:ne curtain to rise at 7:30. Towns
people are welcome.
With stage appearances both
in musicals and dramas, dating
back to pre-war days, Rogers
(Spud) Whitener is the leading
veteran of this local drama group.
The two old-maid aunts afford
another veteran of comedies and
tragedies, Barbara Weaver, who|
starred last year in "You Can't
Take It With You," Appala
chian's presentation at the Ashe
ville Dramatic Fesival, "If This
Be Treason." and other colleflge
productions during the past three
years.
Gene Johnston, the maniacal
old codger who believes himself
to be Teddy Roosevelt and who
throughout the performance leads
the "Rough Riders" across the
stage, has starred in Appalach
ian productions since the war.
A supporting cast of Kenneth
England, Hillard Triplett, Jesse
Hutchinson, Bobbie Brown, Don
Seaver, Douglas Archer and
Charles Jarvis presents a varied
range of experience from high
school dramatics to recent attrac
tions at Appalachian.
"Arsenic and Old Lace" will
be produced and staged1 by the
Play Production Class, under the
direction of Cratis Williams.
Band Members In
All-Slate Concert
Three members of the Appa
lachian High School band have
been chosen to play in the all-'
state band at High Point next
Friday and Saturday.
Those who will go to High
Point are Fred Council, cornet;
Nell Norris, French horn; and W
B. York, Jr. clarinet,
The group will spend the day
Friday in rehearsing, and in the
evening a concert will be given
by the Davidson College band,
and then the group will be the
guests of the Junior High School
at a dance. ^
Saturday will be spent in re
hearsals with the concert by the
all-State group Saturday (night
at 8 o'clock.
Accompanying the local musi
cians to High Poin^wlll be Gor
don Nash, band dlrflnr, who will
assist in the sectional rehearsals
of the all-State grpup.
Allen Bone, band director at
Duke University will direct the
band in its Saturday evening per
'ormance.
No range, ordinary stove, or
furnace should be placed within
three feet of unprotected wood
work, wood lathe, or plaster
partitions in building the farm
horn#;
BAND LEADER
Gordon Nash, director of the Ap
palachian High School band, who
is engaged In readying his or
ganization for its tenth anniver
sary concert.
G. 0. P.PLANS
LINCOLN FETE
Many Local Republicans to
Hear Deliverance Of
Missouri Solon.
About twenty local Republicans
are expected to go to Winston
Salem Saturday where they
will attend the annual Lincoln
Day dinner to be held at the
Robert E. Lee Hotel.
Congressman Dewey Short of
Missouri will be the featured
speaker for the evening.
A. I. Ferre of Asheboro will
be the toastmaster for the din
ner, it is stated, and G. Hobart
Morton of Albemarle will give
Lincoln's Gettysburg address. Bu
ford T. Henderson will welcome
the guests.
Charles R. Jonas of Lincolnton
will introduce Representative
Short, while Sim DeLapp of Lex
ington, chairman of the State
Republican executive committee,
will award prizes to the winners
of the State Republican oratori
cal contest.
Dr. I. G. Greer of Chapel Hill
will give the invocation. *
The dinner program will be
broadcast over the facilities of ra
dio stations WSJS, Winston-Sal
em; WPTF, Raleigh; WBT of
Charlotte arid WWNC of Ashe
ville.
P.-T. A. Meeting
Arranged For Monday
The PTA will meet Monday
February 23 from 6:45 to 7:46 at
the Appalachian high school
auditorium. The theme of the
meeting will be, "Youth Looks
at the Schools."
QUITS EVICTION JOB
Wilkes-Barre, Pa. ? Ray K.
Jones, constable for five years,
recently resigned his position be
cause, as an officer, he had been
required to enforce eviction no
tices. Jones, the father of seven
children, declared the businesi
of putting people out on the
streets mp out of his line.
; " < * ?
FAIR DAY SEEN
FOR PLANTERS
Coleipan Believes Better Days
Ahead For Burley
Growers of Area.
Increased foreign consumption
Df barley tobacco coupled with
the big decrease in production
during the past season, make*
prospects for the sale of burley
in 1948-49 a bright one for the
farmers of western North Caro
lina, according to a message re
ceived from R, C. Coleman,
Boone warehouseman.
Mr. Coleman feels that it is
more important this season than
ever before for the farmers in'
western North Carolina to pre
pare their seed beds with care
and be sure to sow enough to
amply take care of the acreage
they will be allowed to plant.
According to reports from the
Burley Auction Warehousemen's
Association, the 1947 crop fell
42,000,000 pounds below estimate,
while prospects for export of
burley look better than they ever
have. In view of this, burley
warehousemen are asking Secre
tary of Agriculture Anderson
that the ten percent cut, already
announced, be restored.
Mrs. R. L. Lowe
Claimed By Death
Mrs. Blanche VonCannon Lowe
of Banner Elk died Monday at
her home. She was the wife of
Robert L. Lowe and a daughter
of the late Mr. and Mrs. William
VonCannon. She was a member
of the Eastern star.
Funeral arrangements, under
the direction for Reins-Sturdi
vant funeral home, are incom
plete.
Surviving are the husband;
three sons, Chester Lowe of
Banner Elk, Gilbert Lowe of San
Francisco and Charles Lowe of
Banner Elk; four daughters.
Miss Fanny W. Lowe of Banner
Elk, Mrs. Lucy Isenhour of Con
over, Mrs. Annie Heinematr of
Omaha, Neb., and Mrs. Mildred
Graham of Charlotte; two broth
ers, Henry and Fred VonCannon
of Banner Elk; one sister, Mrs.
Anna Guignard; 15 grandchildren
and 14 great-grandchildren.
Red Cross Names
Local Chairmen
Announcement has been made
by the Rev. E. F. Troutman,
chairman of the Watauga County
Chapter of the American Red
Crocs, that Dr. W. G. Bond has
been named chairman for the
town of Boone, and Mias Ellen
Coffey has been named chairman
for the town of Blowing Rock in
the fund drive for that organiza
tion. Both have accepted the ap
pointment. The campaign for
funds for the national and local
Red Croas will begin on March 1.
Mrs H. F. Custer of Blowing
Rock will assist Miss Coffey dur
ing the drive.
Czech Reds planning to na
tionalize apartment houses, stores.
BAND TO GIVE
CONCERT FOR
ADVERSARY
Appalachian High ScM
Band Makes Ready for Con
cert Featuring Its Tenth
Anniversary; Gordon Nash
Director of Organisation.
The tenth anniversary concert
of the Appalachian High School
Band will be presented Tuesday
| evening, February 24th, in the
? high school auditorium.
I The band was organized in the
fall of -1937 and wss first presen
ted in concert in February 1938.
Since then the organization has
made steady progress due to the
undying interest of the towns
people, who have thouidered the
financial responsibility for Its
music and equipment, and to un
tiring efforts of its accomplished
director, Mr. Gordon Nash.
When the band was organized
there were twenty members. Now
the membership has grown to fif
ty, with thirty additional ones in
training for the next year.
The organization represents a
total investment of $15,000, prac
tically all of which has been rais
ed since the disastrous fire de
stroyed the music building in
November 1945. Despite this in
vestment, the band is not yet
completely equipped.
Assisting Director Nash in the
concert, will be Edwin Trout
man. assistant band director, and
Tim Craig, both seniors in the
college department of music.
Edwin Troutman, who is direct
in* the Mountain City, Tenn.
band, has been Mr. Nash's assis
tant for two years, doing a good
job teaching the beginners' band.
Tim Craig, a veteran, has had
wide experience in music, both
in the army and in civilian life.
As a special feature of the an
niversary event, a new march,
composed and arranged by Mr.
Nash, will be presented.
Roby Townsend
. Dies at Lenoir Home
Lenoir, Feb. 16 ? Robey Town
send, fifty-two, died Sunday
afternoon at 4:30 o'clock at his
home on Lenoir, Route Three.
Funeral services will be con
ducted Tuesday afternoon at two
o'clock at Union Baptist church
by the pastor, the Rev. Wesley
Fox. Burial will follow in the
church cemetery.
The body was taken to the
home this afternoon at four
o'clock from the Lenoir Funeral
home.
Mr. Townsend, who was born
on April 28, 1896, in Watauga
county, is survived by his wife,
Mrs. Lillie Townsend; five sons,
Leonard, Beaver, LeRoy, and
Herman Townsend, c4 Lenoir;
Wilson Townsend of Boone; and
two daughters, Mrs. David Berry
of Valdese and Mrs. Jess Sand
ers of Watauga county.
Also surviving are several
grandchildren; one brother, John
Townsend of Lenoir; and one
sister, Mrs. Etta Jacobs of Wash
ington, D. C.
Only 75% Farmers
Have Filed Reports;
Extension is Granted
Ned Glenn, chairman of the
Watauga county committee, states
that an extension of time for
the filing of Performance Re
ports under the Agricultural
Conservation Program has been
received. Instead of February 15
as a closing date, farmers in the
county now have until February
28 in which to file a report on the
practices carried out last year.
Only about 75 percent of the
farmers in the county have filed
Performance Reports to date,
whereas Mr. Glenn states that
probably 360 farmers have par
ticipated in the 1947 program
either by carrying out soma- of
the practices or through the use
of conservation materials. This
extension of time will ghre these
farmers a chance to come to the
county office and complete their
report on 1947 practices.
Prices paid by farmers in 1947,
including interest and taxes, kept
pace with those they received.
In January the index was 251,
2.4 per cent above December and
17 per cent above January 1947.
The parity ratio was 122 in
January, about the same as a
year earlier.
Requeening the hive may
often be the difference between
success ynd failure with bees. .
Jafcall