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VOL. UQ, NO. 2.
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. JULY 8. 1948.
?
FIVE CENTS A COPY
HNGjTREEF
BY
ROB RIVERS
LOTS OF FOLKS, came from
"down the country" to the hills
lor the Fourth, and found clear
skies, and hotter weather than
usual in the land of the lofty
peaks . . . Fact is the natives spent
the day, shifting from one shade
tree to another, trying to get
the full benefit of each soft zeph
yr .. . Since heat and cold and
most everything else are judged
comparatively, the mountain folk
suffer Just as intensely when mer
cury gets up in the eighties from
a, winter-time xero, as do the peo
ple of the low country when the
thermonwter shows ninety-nine.
? ? ?
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH Is
on* of the year's big holidays,
when most everybody takes the
day off . . . mountain and hiich
moth are crowded, when the
cash is to be found, and the
roads are perilously Jammed . .
Flags no longer flutter from
radiator cape . . . the caps have
moved inside the stream lined
chariots of the asphalt and
concrete, and Junior has quit
waking up the neighborhood
with firecrackers at the break
of dawn . . . and we are not
loo disappinled that the cele
brations, which used to resolve
themselves into speech-making
endurance tests, have disappear
ed. . . . the Fourth is a vaca
tion. a good time, and a day on
which we should be thankful
we are still independent
we should make sure that we
remain so.
ODDS AND ENDS: Spending al
?hi ?J if*"6 Sund?y visiting witty
the sick around the town
early Monday vUi^r Sling" ^
r^ k a t^Ugh time "n^Sng a
room here for the week end?
A^ght *e g<* toe l?t one
4*th"T Caushy, one of our old
de-kuks from Morganton, in t2
?a> hello and to lay final puU
o7thTw^kPh,1welpl1^ cnd
rZ^fedtthrough. the courtesy of
the Umstead office ? Arthne
Han-^e S l?J fisenhower. and that
Harry is hkely to withdraw 'fore
^convention get, down to b?
L ^way says he'll vote
of th*eregai of what the resd
f the Carolina delegation does*
Hens continue to bring forth the
super-duper family ,ize 7K?
Mrs. A. N. Greene of Laxon gives!
us one of the double-yellow jobs I
and we thank her . . . traffic be-1
lnK detoured by way of Parkway
IbL n,Wn.k U. done new
link of Blowing Rock road I
farmer tells us highway depart
ment continues to tear up S
main-line roads and build
Urvneglectmg the country high
n?^?i ' V edera! funds made av-l
a liable for these main arteriL
must be spent on tham. and when
hSfthtf ?k ' agree with
^ ?nd the ~Hege
twin 'upports of the com
munity ? . . asphalt oozes from
street? unusual for Boone
*l the P??oMcJ
i.'J ne^t lawns and well kept
lawns in Daniel Boone Park
familiarly known as "Jew Hill")
"tor Joseph N. David
?5" * *?- town'* ??t Jew, and
one of the first to build in the
Daniel Boone development . .J
the crowd at the Sunday base
'k5 * 8??d time J
tne torrid sunshine . . the ?s *tl
improvement in the college can3
Pt* since well-kept law? M
in v.??y? ? ? ? the crowds od
cS"" Watau?a Hospital oJ
trek nf *h an<* ^ constant!
tnth? JIT /!?lnger generation
, . ??eluded coolness of the!
Creek" g hole on Winklef3
? * ?
W,A?A 8ECOKD
S?ction ofth* July fourth holt
thOM of US Wiaik- I
uauaL flgund wt wouldn't I
to *?* Into ?ar of th* I
***r? for Jusl out day k-.
Sit. ihnChi W* h*d found ttat
wUh th? pUom along th* .trMt
handk?^I*? Pr*"^.**ri?0,lT
raalis* '
TTnT'u* *? and shops
?"1 doors ar* lock*d
0*Od dtiaaa of th. ' *
of th* big
th* day by a ?--il hT, "
JS* Patron -
th* all
fy.- thai at
j? 1 ??* Ptaca In town offors
bar sarrloa to thoa* who don't
?*?? th. cash for a plai or a
? ? ? V* of paopla an
dlslurbad about th* sit
u*?on.bat th* commontty as a
whol* U raih*r on th* *id? of
? ?n ?? ,?. of
(Continued on page 4)
YOUTHFUL PREACHER IN TROUBLE
TiltU David" Walk**. tha main figure in a custody caM in Indian
apolis. has givan taatimony accusing his father of forcing him to
pr*ach day after day by haartiui him. Shown hara lefl to right are
"LUtl* David;" Hw. Raymond Hockstra. evengellitic tour manager,
and Louis Roeanburg. a lawyer.
Fourth Safe and Sane;
No Arrests Are Made!
LIKE OLD TIMES
Former President Herbert Hoov
er,, ihown ipeaking at the Repub
lican National Convention, re
reived one of the greatest spon
taneoua oration* of the conven
tion.
Last Rites Are Held
For Robert Gentry
Robert L. Gentry, 59 years old,
and resident of the Laxon neigh
borhood died at the veterans' hos
pital, Mountain Home. Tenn. on
June 27th, following a long ill
n ess.
Funeral services were conduct
ed last Thursday afternoon at 2
o'clock from the home. Rev. Er
nest Moretz, Rev. Ernest Steph
ens, and Rev. Ed Blackburn, con
ducted the rites, and Wade E.
Brown, of the Watauga Post of
the American Legion talked dur
ing the course of the rites. Full
military honors were accorded at
the graveside rites, by Watauga
Poet of American Legion. Inter
ment was in the Morphew ceme
tery.
Surviving are the widow, the
former Mias Graee N orris and sev
en sons and daughters: Mrs. Ev
elyn Maupin of Frere Union. Va.;
Mrs. Viola Miller, Laxon; Junior,
Rayford, Toie, Fred and Roby of
the home.
A large number of friends ga
thered for the rites and the floral
offefing was in charge of the fol
lowing: Ora Brown, Emily Claw
son, Mildred Tugman, Cleo par
roll, Hazel Carrol, Lois Carrol,
Jayce Norris, Leo Lewis, Jane
Norris, Betty Jean Tugman,
Anna Faye Hardin, Joan Hardin,
Helen Hardin, Barbara Tugman,
Lois Norris, Annabel Ray, Mrs.
Juanita Norris, Kathleen Miller,
Emma Lewis, Carolyn Ray, Mrs.
Virginia Watson, Lucy Phillips.
Mr. Gentry was a son of Solo
mon and Zeziah Grubb Gentry,'
and was born and ream) in Wa
tauga county. He served in the ar
my during the first world war.
He was Baptised into the Fair
view Methodist church in infan
cy, and lived an exemplary life.
LlX)YPGlgFFW TO SPEAK
AT BROTHERHOOD MEET
Lloyd Griffin, Raleigh, execu
tive vice-president of the North
Carolina Citizens Association,
Inc., will be the guest speaker at
the Baptist Brotherhood meeting
July 12th.
Mr. Griffin is an outstanding
after dinner speaker, and all the
young men -of the church are ask
ed to attend. Tfie meeting is a la
dies' night banquet and will be
held at the Skyline Cafe at 7.
Gordon Nash has arranged a
short musical program for the oc
casion.
? r
No Major Accident is Report
ed Here as Folks Enjoy
Extended Holiday.
The fourth of July was cele
brated quietly in Boone, and Po
lice Chief Verne Greene report
ed Tuesday morning that not one
person was placed under arrest
during the week-end holiday per
iod. The local patrolmen did dou
ble duty during the period but
it seemed that the folks kept ev
erything pretty well under con
trol.
Chief Greene states that there
was Ao accident of consequence in
the area so far as he knows, and
that three accidents in Boone re
sulted only in mutilated fenders
and battered radiator grills. No
injuries were reported.
Business houses of the city re
mained closed Monday, and many
local residents took advantage' of
the holiday period for week-end
trips to various scenic points and
picnic parties were indulged in by
many groups.
Highways to the beaches and the
mountains were clogged with traf
fic. Blowing Rook and other tour
ist towns in the area reported rec
ord crowds as did the beach re
sorts of the State. More than 75,
000,000 gathered at Carolina, 50,
000 at Wrightsville and more than
10,000 were In the Morehead City
area.
High temperatures contributed
to the large crowds which sought
a breather from the heat wave at
the beaches and in the mountains.
Six persons died in motor acci
dents in the state and five met
death by drowning, it is report
ed.
Short Courses Are
Offered at College
?
Chapell Wilson, director of the
Appalachian State Teachers col
lege summer school, has just re
leased announcement of the
short courses to be offered at the
college this summer.
The first short course will be
gin on July 0 and will end July
17. The courses offered during
this time will include observa
tion in the primary and gram
mar grades and in high school,
the use of Library Resources, and
Nature Study.
The second short term will be
J'jly 20 to August 17 and will
1 include Observation in primary
and grammar grades and high
school, the use of Library Re
sources, Nature Study, Educa
tional Psychology, and ttie Ele
mentary Curriculum.
The third short course will be
the Trained Librarian Workshop,
.which will begin August 3 and
fend August 14. This is only for
[those librarians who have had
certain specified library courses
previously.
i A maxium of four quarter
hours academic credit may be
earned in each two weeks term.
Mr. Wilson's announcement
states that there will be a num
ber of rooms in the college
dormitories available for tfcsae
two weeks term, and that there
are desirable rooming accomoda
tions in the town for approxi
mately one hundred students.
The courses listed above are
in addition to the two regular
six-weeks terms offered each
sumtaer. To date, 1050 students
are enrolled, and the enroll
ment for the short courses is ex
pected to bring the figure to well
over 1100, the college authorities
estimate.
TRUMAN WILL
GET MOST OF
TAR HEEL VOTE
Most of Carolina's Delegates
to Phildelphia Will Favor
The President; Seven Ex
press Fondness for Ike or
William Douglas.
President Truman will gg^
most of this State's 32 votes at tni '
National Democratic Convention
ih Philadelphia next week, al
though there was strong senti
ment within the delegation for
General Dwight Eisenhower, a
poll of the delegation shows.
Most delegates ffelt sure, how
ever, that Eisenhower would not
be a candidate.
Of the 40 delegates, 13 indicat
ed they intend to vote for Tru
man and another 14 ? most of
whom also are counted in the
Truman camp ? claimed they
have not yet decided how they
will vote. Two expressed strong
anti-Truman sentiment, although
only one ? former Governor Cam
Morrison ? said he never will vote
for the President's nomination.
Seven openly expressed a pref
erence for either Eisenhower or
Supreme Court Jufctice William
Douglas, while a number of
others said, off the record, that
they would prefer Eisenhower to
Truman but did not believe he
would be available. Some of
those who said they plan to vote
for Truman added, privately,
that they "Would have voted for
Eisenhower if he had indicated
he would accept the nomination.
The poll was taken last week be
fore James Roosevelt sent out
invitations to an Eisenhower-for
President caucus.
Only four of the delegates
were not contacted in the polL
Tom McNeill of Robeson, dele
gate from the Seventh District;
was out of the State; D. Hiden
Ramsey of Buncombe, delegate
at large, was out of to*m; J. C.
B. Ehringhaus of.-' Wake was
vacationing at Avon and could
not be reached by phone; and
Mrs. Dudley Bagley of Currituck,
alternate for Mrs. B. B. Everett
of ' Halifax ? the only delegate
who said she could not attend the
convention ? also could not be
reached by phone.
Mrs. Everett explained that an
accumulation of household duties
would prevent her from going to
the convention.
NO POLIO EXISTS
IN WATAUGA
The current polio epidemic in
the State, has thus far failed to
touch Watauga county, although
reports have been current of the
appearance of the malady. %
The district health department
said yesterday, no reports of in
fantile paralysis had been made,
and they felt sure none of the di
sease now existed in the county,
since State law rquires that polio
be reported to the health depart
ment, within twenty four hours of
its discovery.
North Carolina's polio total
mounted to 369 yesterday with
reports of 16 new cases being re
ceived by the State board of
health.
The outbreak, which State
health officials claim has not
reached epidemic stages, was
said to have been the worst ex
periencd at this season of the year
in Carolina.
Two former epidemics broke
out in the fall Instead of the sum
mer months. The most severe was
in 1944, when there were 878
cases, and in 1939. when there
were 675 cases. *
Mrs. Jake Graham
Dies at Todd Home
Mrs. Jake A. Graham, 46 '"ears
old, died at the home at Todd
June 36 from a protracted ill
ness.
Funeral services were conduct
ed from Blackburn's Chapel
Methodist church, by Rev. Ernest
Stephens, Rev. Clem Wright and
Rev. Ed Blackburn, and interment
was In the Graham cemetery.
Mrs. Graham, the former Mies
Beulah McGuire, is survived by
the husband and three children,
Helen, Lorene and Kenneth Gra
ham of the home. The mother,
Mrs. Julia McGuire of the Todd
neighborhood, also survives.
Boston ? After Albert Fleming,
12, caught a fish, the fish, a
horn pout, "caught" Albert, seiz
ing him by the finger. Unable
to release the fish's pip the bar
was rushed to a hospital where
doctors pried the, fish loose.
HISTORY IN THE MAKING
.? i . '
I ' \ \ v:\ ;; .
Jipantw Rid Cross woman Hit down for the first time with men
al a conference labia in Tokyo to plan for another precedent-shat
taring event ? tha organisation of unit* of volunteers in tb* Jap
anese Red Crocs. Tha new volunteers will develop disaster relief
patterned after those of the American Red Cross.
Report ot Plane Crash
False: Tanks Dropped
MAINE WINNER
Flepceae nl?tir? Mtrgirtt Chaul
Smith has won tha raca far th?
Main* Republican U nil ad Slater
Senate nomination. If elected.
Mr*. Smith would ba the Nation'il
tacond elected woman Senator.
Whitcncr Given Signal
Honor By Lions Clubs
Dr. D. J. Whitener, head of the
social study department of Ap
palachian State Teachers College,
was honored recently by being
named Governor of District 31-A
Lion International, at the conven
tion held in Greensboro.
Included in the district are the
club* from Charlotte, StateaviUe,
Sparta, and western points ? a to
tal of 43 organizations with a to
tal membership of 3,000.
Dr. Whitener will appoint all
deputies and zone chairmen soon
and has already announced the
appointment of Richard E. Kelley
of Boone as district cabinet sec*
xetarv.
This is the second time in the
last few years that the Lions of
31-A have chosen a governor from
Boone. Dr. W. Amos Abrams, for
merly of the Boone Club, held
this position a few year* ago.
Dr. Whitener is a charter mem
ber of the Boone Club, a past
president, and a member of the
board of dirctors. He has been
an outstanding leader in Lions
Club affairs and has served as
zone chairman and deputy district
governor, winnitig the trophy
for two years for his outstanding
work as chairman and district de
puty.
Motor Inspection
Lane to Return
The next dates for the motor
inspection lane to be in Watauga
county to inspect automobiles in
line with the new State law, have
just been gijren out by the dep?H
ment of motor vehicles.
The lane will be in Blowing
Rock from August 27 to Septem
ber 1 and in Boone from Septem
ber 3 to 11.
All motorists who haven't re
ceived the blue sticker, will ba
required to have their can tan
spected at one of the points nam
ed.
One Gas Tank Explodes As
Hits Ground at Todd;
Many Gather
City police officer* local State
highway patrolmen and a larae
crowd. of other folks rushed to tlte
Todd neighborhood Monday after
noon when reports reached the
city that a plane had crashed in
that area.
An ambulance accompanied tlfe
local officers to the scene, where
in company with officers from
Jefferson, it was found that a
DC-3 had for some cause, dropped
three auxiliary tanKtr^ithad with
gasoline, one of which exploded.
Word was brought to Boone that
one of the tanks was reported as
having exploded when it struck
the ground. There was definitely
no plane crash, it was said, but
highway troopers were kept busy
for a while with the highway con
gestion in the vicinity, as news of
a disaster had spread.
It is not known why the tanks
were dropped, or the destination
of the plane. L
The tank exploded on a road
near highway 61, but no one was
in the vicinity of the blast.
Mrs. Florence Ward
Succumbs at Age 71
Mrs. Florence E. Ward, 71,
resident of Sugar Grove, died at
the home on June 30.
Funeral services were held on
July 1, at 2 o'clock p. m. at An
tioch Baptist Church, with Rev.
Ed Farthing in charge of the rites
and interment was in the ceme
tery there.
Surviving are two sons and six
daughters: Dewey Ward of Su
gar Grove; Youth Ward of Sug
ar Grove; Mrs. Sigal Glenn, Mrs.
Gertrude Love, Mrs. Doxey Cor
nett, Mrs. Nita Ward, Mrs. Effie
jCooter, Sugar Grove; Mrs. Laura
McGhee, Hampton, Tenn.
State Test Farm
Visited By Scott
West Jefferson. ? W. Kerr Scott
relaxing from the strenuous run
off campaign that made him the
Democratic gubernatorial nomi
nee, visited the State test farm
at Laurel Springs.
Scott made his first public ap
pearance since the campaign be
fore the West Jefferson Rotary
Club Thursday night, outlining
some of the things he hopes to
accomplish in the Governor's
chair.
He reaffirmed his campaign
promises to better the State farm
to market roads and pledged the
sfforts of his adminstration to the
improvement of the schools of the
State.
Scott also promised municipal
lies relief from p: .sent tax bur
dens. In this connection, he noted
that many communities are vot
ing in liquor wholly because they
need the additional j^venue.
THE ARMY
Kenneth C. Royall, Secretary
yt the Army, has announced that
i mobile striking foree of eigh
teen Infantry and armored dhri
lions k planned for the Army by
1949. Six of the divisions would
be National Guard units, fully
manned and equipped.
{GENERAL KE IS
REMOVED AS
FOE OF DEWEY
. '
Famous General and Univer
sity President Reiterates He
Will Not Enter Politics, As
Democrats Map Plans for
Defeating Truman.
New York. July 8. ? Gen.
Dwight D. Eisenhower said to
night that he "could not accept
nomination for any public of
fice."
He said in^ktatement that he
"will not, arthis time, identify
myself with any political party;
and could not accept nomination
for any public office, or partici
pate in partisan political con
tests."
Eisenhower, president Colum
bia University, set forth his
views in a memorandum to Ro
bert Harron, director the univer
sity's division * of public rela
tiong.
He said that his views "with
respect to my proper course of
duty still are identical with
those presented in the letter I
wrote on January 23, 1948."
At that time, he said in a let
ter to a New Hampshire Repub
lican backing him for the party's
1948 Presidential nomination
that "I am not available for and
could not accept nomination to
high political office."
Eisenhower himself was not
present when tonight's statement
was handed out.
In his statement, Eisenhower
said that he would continue
"subject to the pleasure of the
university trustees" to perform
his duties as president of the
university. _
The memorandum
buted by Harron to dozens at
reporters and photographers who
crowded his fourth floor office
in the university's jouftisltsg
buildine. -
Elsenhower's memorandum to
Harron said:
"I know that your office -has
for some days been overburden
ed with innumerable queries con
cerning my intentions in regard
to the current political situation.
My decisions and earnest con
victions concerning possible per
sonal connection with
political contests were givfen to
the public several months
but it now appears that .were
has arisen a question as to
whether or not 1 have changed
my position.
"Profoundly touched by the re
newed suggestion that I could
satisfactorily fill high public of
fice, my views with respect to
my proper course of duty still
are Identical with those present
ed in the letter I wrote on Jan
uary 23, 1948.
Dairy Food Contest
Winner# Announced
1 V. * /_ - . . ? ? ?*?? S t
? The Watauga county dairy
foods demonstration contest waa
held on June 90th at 2:00 p. m.
at Appalachian High School
with two teams competing. The
winners were the team from
Bethel 4-H club, Maude Wilson,
daughter of. Mr. and Mrs. Dallas
Wilson of Reese and Betty
Reese, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Asa L. Reese, Sr., of Reese.
Medals were presented to the
members of the winning team by
Miss Madge Rhyne, Appalachian
State Teachers College, Home
Economies Department This
team will go to Asheville July
18th to compete in the district
contest. Other counties that
they will compete against are
Cherokee, Yancy, Swain, Macon,
Alleghany, and Clay counties.
The other team competing in
the county contest was the
Boone seinor team, Rita Lee Noc
rls, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Clyde K. N orris of Route I
Boone and Joyce N orris, daugh
ter of Cloyd Norris of Route H
Boone.
TRADE TREATY ACT
President Truman has signed
the one-year extension of the
Reciprocal Trade Agreements
Act, but reluctantly. The meas
ure change* 'the procedure to
give the Tariff Commission a
bigger role in the negotiation of
any new duty- reducing agree
ments which may be sought.
Loans for home construction
through savings and loan asso
ciations increased forty-two p?r
cent in the. first quarter of lMg
over the same period of 1M7.
The figure reached $334,000,000,
as compared with $107, 000,000 in
|the 1940 first quarter.