Watauga democrat
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1 888
^>L*LXI, NO. 51.
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1949
FIVE CENTS A copy
KING STREET '
? "? ?
BY
ROB RIVERS
CIVIL TERM of superior court
gets down to business, with pro
spects that a considerable num
ber of the cases which have
cluttered the calendar for the
past months, and years, may be
tried . . . anyway the lawyers
seem hopeful they will be able
to clear away some of the suits
. . . Relatively few attend these
terms . . . but they just love the
ones when the State has a long
long line of denfendants lined
up. and most folks are tickled no
end, when a (T5?endanT~draws IT
long term or has to pay a fine,
which just about busts the whole
generation . . . they just won't
warm up to these day long ses
sions about the line fence which
should have cornered at the
double sycamore, near the Span
ish oak, and had for generations
"run down the south side of the
branch" to a possum grapevine
on a scrub oak . . . till the new
settler took it upon himself to
set the fence from the cucumber
sprouts, 'tother '^gide the crick,
way around by the crooked black
gum, to a rock at the Simpkins
line . . . "So T-had to go to law"
. . . Nope, this sort of thing is no
good to the professional follow
upper of the mills of justice . . .
only satisfaction he can get is
that sometimes the "hog rifle"
is used as a result of one of these
land-line disputes . . . then the
flint-hearted are all set for a
heap of fun . . . Man's inhum
anity to man is most clearly de
monstrated in a court of law, but
there are some exceptions . . .
We know a fellow who makes
the round of the county jail ever
so often and bails out the drunks
and others . . . and he's not an
office-seeker at that . . . Such
folks, those who want to set their
neighbor on the right track, and
get him straightened out down
the long road, are just a bit
scarce, but the few we see bring
' cheer to those of us who some
times have our faith shaken in
the goodness of mankind.
? ? ?
A SUNDAY TRIP down to
the Blair airstrip, and a brief
cruise over town In one of the
cub planes, piloted bv Crayte
Teague, local electrician, who
took up flying as a hobby some
time ago . . . Having been about
tan years since we last took a
flight over the community,
was impressed by the growth
of the town during the in
terim . . . The biggest little
town in the State, looks even
bigger from upstairs, and a
bird's eye view of the com
munity provides a pleasant in
terlude. as well as a better
knowledge of the extent of the
progress which has been made
by the old home town.
TOURIST CAR parks in the'
shade of a tree along the street
while the man of the house.!
takes a pint size pootch from the,
car and looks right embarrassed
as he seeks an acceptable shrub,
which the perp can use as a com
fort station, while he holds the
leach in an apologetic manner,
and the women folks look on
with anxious faces . . . "Middle
aged folks just don't look right
on bicycles," says paragrapner
. . . and we didn't feel exactly
right either after a brisk round
of pedaling . . . trying to keep
up with the whizzing bike of a
bitzy girl . . . Rev. Sam Moss
announces that the Senior Bishop
of the Methodist church. Dr.
Edwin H. Hughes, is to return to
his pulpit the week of June 26,
and the folks who heard the
scholarly sermonlzer here last
fall, are welcoming the oppor
tunity of hearing him again . . .
Rom Lovill, one of our old
neighbor boys, who has been
gone from the town for over
thirty years, visits for a while,
and exchanges reminiscences of
the old "Says . . . and traveling
evengelist lambasts local preach
ers for "failure to preach the
Word of Ck>d," without himself
ever bringing any information
from within the covers of the
Book.
? ? ?
KANGAROO COURT holds
forth down at Joe Todd's ser
vice station, where the "Bre
thren of the Brush" have built
a crude stockade for those who
fail to let some whiskers flour
ish for the centennial ? ? ? j
number of the smooth-faced
gentry fall, into the toils, and
fines are handed down after
ludicrous court -room procedur
es .. . President doubts his
ability to come to Boone for
the centonnfeL while Governor
of Virginia, Tennesse and Ken
Mky invited by Governor
Mott to visit us ... . Top
executive of the State of Mis
souri might have been asked,
since our own Dnl Boone is
alleged to have laid down the
squirrel gun and hung up the
powder norn somewhere out
m the "show me" State.
i ? ? ?
FARMERS and gardeners re
joice as drought is broken with
copious showers, but already
some of the folks who had scan
ned the skies most anxiously for
a cloud, and watered down the
lawn each evening, are complain
ing and wishing for a return of
the sunny skies.
MAYOR BUYS FIRST BROOM
j *;vV m %
Mayor Gordon Winkler it shown making the flrit purchase oi a
1 broom from Howard Coitrell. of the Liona Club, as the organisa
tion conducts a house to house sale to provide additional funds
I for the blind fund. The sale will be conducted through Thursday
and Friday of this week. ? Photo by Blair.
j
Gragg Chosen to Head
Republican City Ticket
CANDIDATE
Mis* Mickey McGuire. Chamber
of Commerce candidate for Queen
of the Centennial.
(Photo By Blalri
Five Are Injured
In Auto Crash
A Lenoir woman was serious
ly injured and her husband was
hospitalized as a result of a col
lision of two automobiles on the
detour road between Boone and
Blowing Rock Saturday night.
Mrs. R. J. Fox is in a critical
condition at Watauga Hospital
and her husband is less serious
ly injured, according to hospi
tal attaches.
Three men were dismissed
from the hospital after treatment
of injuries suffered in the colli
sion. They were identified as
Ernie McGuire, 26; Clarence
Wilson, 34; and Mack Shook, 20,
all residents of the Silverstone
community.
Highway Patrolman R. B. Par
ker, who investigated the acci
dent, reported that McGuire is
being held without bond in the
county jail on a charge of driv
ing while intoxicated.
Bishop Hughes To
Return to Boone
Bishop Edwin Holt Hughes,
senior Bishop! of the Methodist
Church will return to Boone the
week of June 26. Bishop Hughes
was here in November and was
so enthusiastically received by
all who heard him that a second
invitation was extended. He will
preach each evening at the Boone
Methodist Church at seven-thirty
o'clock.
Bishop Hughes brings an
Evangelistic message with a
rich scholarly background. He is
popular with both youth and
adults. In Protestant circles he
is considered one of the great
preachers of our country and of
his denomination. He has travel
ed widely and since unification
of the Methodist Church has be
come increasingly popular in
Southern areas.
SOU ARK DANCE
There wiLI%e a benefit square
dance at Valle Cruris Mission
School Saturday evening, June
18 from 8 to 11.
Former Mayor and Building
I & Loan Official Gets Party
Nomination.
Watt H. Gragg, former Mayor
of Boone, and secretary of thej
1 Building and Loan Association,
I has been nominated by the Rp-|
' publicans as a candidate for May
l or in the election June 21.
Candidates for aldermen nom
inated by the G. O. P. are Ken
neth Linney, I. T. Barnett and
Earl Cook. D. L. Wilcox had
previously been named a candi
date for the board, but withdrew
from the race, and Mr. Cook was
named in his stead.
On the Democratic slate all
the incumbent officials are run
ning: Gordon H. Winkler for
Mayor; Guy Hunt, Councill
; Cooke and Grady Moretz for al
dermen.
Considerable interest is begin
ning to develop in the contest
and the usual rather heavy vote
is expected to be cast.
Winkler Named to
Auto Dealers' Post
W. R. Winkler, local Ford
dealer, has been appointed area
chairman for the National Auto
mobile Dealers Association to
stimulate active participation in
the Association's national pro
grams throughout Watauga
County.
Mr. Winkler was selected as
area chairman by a committee of
the National Association and
NCADA officials. The appoint
ment was announced by P. L.
Abernethy of Charlotte, director
of NADA for North Carolina, and
M. Brack Wilson of Smithfield,
President of the State Associa
tion.
NADA is the largest retail
trade association in the country
with a membership of more than
34,000 new automobile and new
truck dealers. The national or
ganization is widely known fori
its sponsorship of highway safe
ty and other public interest pro
grams and its policy of support
ing the highest standards and
ethics of retail automobile mer
chandising.
iHigh, Elementary
Schools To Open
The Appalachian High and
elementary demonstration
schools will open their summer
terms next Tuesday at nine
o'clock, so that students may
further advance themselves or
make up work they have failed
to pass.
Bus service will be afforded
from Meat Camp, the Miller
School area, Rutherwood, Bam
boo, Cove Creek and Poplar
Grove.
Owners of Bonnets
Asked To Report
It is requested by the Centen
nial Committee that all who have
bonnets and Centennial costumes,
old or new, report same to the
Costume Committee by sending
a postal card to Mrs. W. M. Math
eson, Mrs. 3. C. Cline, or Mrs.
Stalling* at the Jewelry store.
Two hundred and fifty are need
ed.
Bonnets should be worn on the
'streets at all times.
M'GUIRE, JONES
TIED FOR LEAD
IN CONTEST FOR
QUEEN OF FETE
Voting for Centennial Pio
neer and Queen Goes into
Final Stretch with Local
Women Tied; Rev. Mr.
Gragg Holds Heavy Lead in
Pioneer Race
Mickie McGuire and Barbara
Japes are. ? tied JO "
Queen of tne Watauga Centennial
as the voting goes into the final
stretch. Both candidates have
33.000 votes as of June 10.
Rev. S. E. Gragg holds a com
manding lead for Pioneer with
58,000 as compared with 21,000
for John W. Hodges and 13,000
for B. B.' Dougherty.
The Centennial Committee
urges the public to cast their bal
lots before the deadline June 30
at 6 p. m. Votes are counted
each Friday and latest results
are published in the Democrat.
Boxes are located in Carolina
Pharmacy, Boone Drug Company,
Northwestern Bank and the
Boone postoffice.
A complete list of candidates
for Queen and Pioneer follows
(several nominees have no votes
because they were nominated
late and the public was not aware
of their nomination): for Queen,
Dorothy Norris, 19,000; Annie
Mae Carroll, 15,000; Rebecca
Shoemake, 14,000; Katie Sue
Farthing, 11,000; Rachel ? Anne
Vance, 2,000; Billie Badget, 1,000.
Other nominees are Shirley Max
Swift, Betty Flo Danner, Mar
garet Dotson, Mrs. Loy McGuire,
Virginia Moody, Janet Farthing,]
Rubby Moody, Fairy Hodges,
Velma Burnley, Joan AldriaKe I
Mary Helen Teague, and Virginia
Jones.
Other nominees for Pioneer are
J. M. Moretz. 10,000; W. W. Mast,
8,000; and Jack C. Norris, 1,000.
B. & L. League
Meets At Rock
The three-day session of the
North Carolina Building and
Loan League, which is being held
at Blowing Rock, will come to an
end Wednesday noon.
Mr. W. H. Gragg, secretary of
the Watauga Budding & Loan,
has been attending the sessions,
along with other members of the
directorate of the local institu
tion. Mr. Gragg is a member of
the reception committee for the
convention.
Speakers included Franklin D.
Richards of Washington, Federal
Housing commissioner; O. K. La
Roque, member of the Home Loan
Bank board; Dr. Kenneth Mc
Farland, superintendent of
schools at Topeka, Kan.; Dr. Mal
colm McDermott of the Duke un
iversity law school; Carter K.
Rugbies of Boston, executive vice
president of the Northeastern
Federal Savings league; James
W. Holt of the Home Loan bank
of Winston-Salem; Senator Clyde
R. Hoey of Shelby, and Horace
Russell of Chicago, general coun
sel of the U. S. Savings and Loan
league.
Officers of the association are
George E. Waltson of Greens
boro, president; R. L. Sides of
Rocky Mount, vice president; and
E. D. Kuykendall, Jr., of Greens-'
boro, executive vice president.
Agle Resigns from
March Dimes Effort
R. E. Agle, who for three years
has conducted the March of
Dimes campaign in Watauga
county, has tendered his resigna
tion to Mr. Howard Cottrell,
chairman of the local Infantile
Paralysis chapter, in order that
as much time as possible be al
lowed for the naming of his suc
cessor well in advance of the
next fund-raising campaign.
. Mr. Agle, Who has been out
standingly successful in the wel
fare work during his tenure in
office, expresses regrets that he
has founa it necessary to relin
quish the post, owing to tbe pres
sure of personal and civic acti
vities.
President Truman Invited To
Attend Centennial Celebration
PIONEER CANDIDATE, WIFE
? i
ifci ?A"*!''
Mi. Jake NorrU. Centennial Pioneer candidate, and Mr*. NorrU.
Mr. Norria' candidacy U being sponsored by the Fairrlew church.
Lt. Roy E. Fox Victim
Oi Jet Fighter Crash
Local Man Dies in Crash of
F-84; Services Held Here
Saturday Afternoon
Lieut. Roy E. Fox, 21, of Boone
was killed last Wednesday wher
his F-84 fighter plane crashed
into Lake Moultrie near Monck's
Corner, S. C.
Witnesses to the accident said
the plane was seen flying low
over the hydro-electric reservoir
just before it crashed some 400
yards offsMore, the Shaw Field
public relations office reported.
Two fishermen, Mitchell Altin
and Gus Alton of Charleston, re
covered the body within 20
minutes after the crash, but Fox
had apparently been killed by
the impact.
He was a member of the 20th
Fighter Group, and was station
ed at Shaw Field, near Sumter,
S. C.
Funeral services were conduct
ed from the Methodist Church
in Boone Saturday afternoon,
Rev. S. B. Moss being in charge
of the rites. Dr. B. B. Dougherty,
president of Appalachian Col
lege, paid tribute to the life of
the deceased. Business houses
closed during the funeral. Inter
ment was in the city cemetery.
Lieut Frank Bell, a close
friend of the deceased, accom
panied the body to Boone.
Lieut. Fox graduated from the
Boone high school in 1945, fol
lowing which he served a year
in the Navy. Meantime he took
flying lessons at Charlotte and
secured a private license before
enlisting in the air corps. He
completed cadet training last
February, was given his wings,
and assigned to Shaw Field.
Surviving are the parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Filmore Fox, two
brothers and one sister: Laverne
and Ray Fox, Boone; Mrs. Ray
mond Craig, Lenoir.
Chevrolet Company
Opens Next Saturday
The Colvard Chevrolet Com
jpany will have the formal open
jing of its new sales rooms, parts
and service departments on De
pot Street next Saturday. The
[elegant new building is expected
to attract large numbers of visi
tors, when the Colvard staff
plays host Door prizes will be
given.
The Colvard plant is one of the
jmost extensive automobiles sales
iand servicing establishments in
| this area, and Mr. Colvard is be
ing congratulated upon the valu
jabie additions he has made to the
I community.
THREE-QUARTER CLUR SEEKS
TO ENROLL THOSE OVER 75l
An effort is being made to lo
cate all persons In the county
who were born prior to 1875. and
these folks, who have seen three
fourths of the history of Watauga
county unfold, will be given spec
ial recognition at the Centennia'
celebration, it is learned.
Former Sheriff John W. Hod
John W. Hodges,
Boone, North Carolina.
iges has been named chairman of!
{the special committee appointed
ko enroll the old-timers, and the
[group is to be known as the
["Three -Quarters Club."
Those who come under this
illclassification are asked to fill in
khe coupon below and mall or
lhand it in at once:
1M?
My name is
Address
Date of birth
DIES IN CRASH
Lieut. Roy E. Fox
Civil Court Term
Now In Progress
The June civil term of Wa
tauga Superior Court convened
Monday with Judge Charles L.
Coggin of Salisbury presiding,
and a number of cases have been
disposed of.
The term, which was called
for two weeks, is for the trial of
civil cases only.
Funeral Service Held
For Richard Shoemake
Funeral services were con
ducted at Boone's Fork Advent
Church at 2 p. m. Sunday for
Richard Shoemake, who died
June 10 at the home of his
daughter, Mrs. D. L. Berry, in
Boone. The Rev. Don Henley of
Linville was in charge and in
terment was in White Springs
Cemetery.
Mr. Shomake, 76, had been ill
for two weeks. He was married
to Miss Mary Hartley in 1898.
Surviving are four children.
Sterling, Steward, and Ed Shoe
make and Mrs. D. L. Berry;
twenty-one grandchildren; six
great grand-children; two broth
ers, Lee Shoemake of Colletts
ville and Ab Shoemake of Boone;
three sisters, Mrs. Newton Hart
ley, Blowing Rock; Mrs. Frank
Estes, Mulberry; and Mrs.
Emma Edmisten, Lenoir.
Local Couple* Are
Married 58 Years
Mr. and JMrs. R. L ? Bingham
and Mr. arfH Mrs. W. T. Casey
were guests at the meeting of the
Stewards of the Methodist
church held last Friday night,
both couples celebrating their
58th wedding anniversaries at
that time. Also present were
Mrs. A. E. South, daughter of
the Caseys, and Mr. South, who
were observing their 33rd anni
versary.
The Stewards and honor guests
were served dinner by cirle no.
1 of the Woman's Missionary So
ciety. . . J
President Writes Watauga
Democrat Publisher That
He Doubts If He Can Be
Present Here in July
The President of the United
States has been invited to parti
cipate in the Watauga County
Centennial Celebration July S
10. In a letter last week to Rob
Rivers, publisher o t the Wa
tauga Democrat, President Tru
man said "I find k very difficult
tcr ger x>ut "or wasnirigtoh except"
sometimes over long week-ends
and I doubt very much whether
I will be able to come," but he
did not say definitely that he
could not attend.
Mr. Rivers, on behalf of the
Watauga Centennial Committee
and the Watauga Democrat, ex*
tended the President the invita
tion through Congressman Ro
bert L. Doughton, who added his
appeal for Mr. Truman to attend.
Mr Doughton, whom the Presi
dent called "My good friend Con
gressman Doughton," visited the
White House last week to extend
the invitation. Mr. Truman has
also been invited to speak at
Winston-Salem. Last week at a
press conference, the President
ave encouragement to local
opes that he might come to
Boone by saying that he hoped
to make a speech in North Caro
lina "soon"
Governor W. Kerr Scott has
invited other governors to parti
cipate in the Education Day pro
gram scheduled for July 7 when
Dr. B. B. Dougherty, president
and founder of Appalachian
State Teachers College, will be
honored. The Tar Heel governor
Monday invited Governors Earl
Z. Clements of Kentucky, Gor
ton Browning of Tennessee, and
William M. Tuck of Virginia to
oin in the celebration. Senator
Prank P. Graham, former presi
lent of the University of North
Carolina, has already accepted
tn invitation to speak on the
fvening program. Senator Clyde
R. Hoey has also tentatively ac
:epted an invitation to appear
>n the day's program.
Former Republican National
Chairman Carroll Reece, at one
time a resident of this section, as
expected to take part in second
night festivities on June 6, when
the pioneer resident will be in
troduced. Dr. I. G. Greer, for
merly a professor at Appalachian
State Teachers College, and now
executive vice-president of the
North Carolina Business Foun
dation, will speak July 8 during
'Youth Day" observances.
State Commissioner of Agri
culture L. Y. Ballentine will
speak July 9 when farmers of
the section will be honored.
"Worship Day" will be observed
July 10, last day of the festival.
Church services will be held
throughout the county and in the
afternoon residents of the coun
ty will gather on the athletic
field of the college to sing bal
lads which had a part in the
history of the county.
Chairman Stanley A. Harris
has announced the theme of the
observances will be "one hund
red years .of progress."
Scotl Names Eight
College Trustees
Governor W. Kerr Scott this
week appointed eight new mem
bers to the nine-member board
of trustees of Appalachian State
Teachers College. Only one old
member was reappointed .
The appointees, whose terms of
office expire May 1, 1953, are as
follows:
William J. Conrad, Jr., Win
ston-Salem, reappointed.
W. W. Mast of Boone, to suc
ceed G. P. Hagaman, also of
Boone.
Mrs. J. M. Lackey, Taylorsville,
to succeed Eugene Transou of
Sparta.
Fred N. Colvard, Jefferson, who
suc'ceeds the late T. C. Bowie.
C. C. Faw, Sr., North Wilkes
boro, to succeed the late Hugh
Cranor of Wilkesboro.
D. W. M. Roberts, Lenoir, to
[succeed Mrs. E. F. Reid, also of
Lenoir.
State Senator B. C. Brock,
Mocksville, who succeeds V. D.
Guire of Lenoir.
Mrs. Harry B. Caldwell of
Greensboro, to succeed Wade E.
Brown, Boone. >
Sam Jones, StatesviUe, to suc
ceed W. M. Moore, also of States
viUe.
Mrs. Calloway Dies
At Tolliver Home
Mrs. Amanda Janette Callo
way, 7? yean old, died at her
home at ToUHrer Monday.
Funeral Atrviee* were oenduct
ed Wednesday afternoon from
the home by He*. Cooler Oner,
and interment was In the Callo
way family cemetery in the
vicinity of Todd.
Surviving are one son and
three daughters: Glenn Callo
way, Tolltver; Mrs. Beulah Bled
soe, Todd; Mrs. Gladys PerkfcM.
Tolliver; Miss Basel Calloway,
West Pptat, Texas.
I