Christmas Center WATAUGA DEMOCRAT Burley Tobacco
Fill Your Gift List Here An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Tear Eighteen Eighty-Eight On the Boone Market
SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR? NO. 22. BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1954 * 14 PAGES? 2 SECTIONS
Value Civil Defense To
Be Aired At Big Meeting
KING
STREET
BY
Rob Rivers
SHOULD COME HOME
Boone's Tweetsie train was put
out of business when the waters
washed away her tracks, but we
didn't know until Miriam Rabb
told us that hurricane Hazel had
done away with Tweetsie's last
stand up at Harrisonburg, Va. . . .
It will be recalled that engine ten
and a coach or two had been op
erated up there recently, and
since the big blow, the owners of
the train are going to get rid of
her ... We quite agree with Mir
iam's observation that "this is
something that belongs to Boone."
Anyway the travel section of the
New York Times carries the fol
lowing, which gives the low-down
on the present status of Boone's
train:
"The Shenandoah Central Rail
road is going out of business be
cause of Hurricane Hazel, and no
more will "Tweetsie," the gallop
ing little fifty-ton 4-6-0 steam loco
motive whistle around the narrow
gauge museum line at Penn Laird,
near Harrisonburg, Va. The line
of railroad fans was able to com
bat operating deficits but not the
washouts of track and landslides
burying track. The line carried
9.183 passengers on its mile of
right of way last year and this
year the traffic dropped to 6,079. C.
Grattan Price Jr., vice president
and general manager of this rail
fan and tourist attraction, said the
line's treasury could not cope with
the $3,000 of damage.
"If sell they must, the road's
owners are determined to protect
the equipment from scrap dealers
and let it go only to bona fide
rail enthusiasts who will promise
to provide a good home for
"Tweetsie" and the three passen
ger cars. The road has operated
on a Sunday and holiday basis, at
tracting touWsts and railroad en
thusiasts."
SIGNS OF SUCCESS
Used to be that golf club*
were sure signs that the owner
had reached the point of financi
al independence ... Of late
years, however, many working
folks join in the pastime which
was once considered exclusive
. . . Cadillac automobiles, like
wise, were once regarded as
emblems of the very wealthy . . .
. . . Nowadays they are common
place in all walks of life . . . But
we submit that when a man can
dash down a couple of crooked
marks and have it pass for a
signature he has definitely ar
rived, economically.
SWEEP WELLS
Mr. E. C. Coker, retired Univer
sity of South Carolina professor,
who is wintering for his first time
in Boone, writes the State maga
zine about the "sweep" wells,
which were formerly popular
down the country. Mr. Coker's ob
servations are interesting:
"Speaking of well sweeps for
drawing water, what about the
nice slick pole with only a short
length of rope or chain at each end
of pole to attach the bucket and
end of sweep arm? The best buck
et was a cypress knee, the water
from which was sweeter and more
refreshing than that now drawn
from the pipe in the yard or the
kitchen faucet.
"By the way, the drip from the
pole of not very clean water from
soiled hands pulling the pole up
and down to draw up the cypress
knee bucket seemed not to affect
the fine tas^e of the water. May
be it improved its nourishing
quality!" *
NOT IN USE HERE
We don't recall the use of the
sweep well in this section, since
the windless seemed to have
beea the popular way to bring
the water from the wells which
ran deeper than in the lowlands
. . . We well rraiepber the do
sens of fine wells which were in
use along the street,- particular
ly the one at the Rivers house,
and the nearby public well
which stood oat in the street ...
We likewise remember the oak
en buckets of the windlass wells,
(continued on paga two)
\
Drges Support
Tuberculosis
Seal Campaign
Fully one fourth of the Ameri-]
can people have been infected with
the germs that cause tuberculosis.
Doctor Mary Michal, health officer
of Alleghany, Ashe, and Watauga
counties said today.
She urged every person to buy
Christmas Seals generously to sup- ;
port the Alleghany, Ashe, Watauga |
Tuberculosis Association's efforts
to check the spread of the disease.
The Christmas Seal sale which
opened Nov. 22 will continue
through December.
"Most of the people who have
TB germs in their systems will
never break down with the dis
ease," Dr. Michal said, "if there is
no sharp decline in the standard of
living and if the present level of
the TB control program by both
official and voluntary agencies is
maintained."
She pointed out that TB will be
a major public health problem un
til this reservoir of infection is eli
minated.
"Great progress has been made
in the years since the voluntary
tuberculosis associations such as
our own Tuberculosis Association
began their fight against the dis
ease," she said. "Deaths from the
disease have been cut drastically
to about 20,000 a year. But there
will be about 110,000 new cases of
TB this year."
To check the spread of TB, the
association spends Christmas Seal
funds for chest X-ray surveys,
health education and rehabilitation
program, and pays for chest x-rays
for those who cannot affort them.
Mrs. Wilson Goes
To Detroit Meeting
Mrs. Myrtle B. Wilson of the
education faculty at Appalachian
State Teachers college attended
the National Convention of the
National Council of Teachers of
English in Detroit, Michigan, last
week. She was accompanied by
Mrs. Grace Councill of the demon
stration school faculty.
Mrs. Wilson appeared on the
program in a discussion of "Mast
ery Of The Fundamentals." Her
particular topic was "writing."
The importance of an adequate j
civil defense establishment in this ,
day of atom bombs, of an uneasy
peace, and shaky international re- ;
lationships, will be the topic of a
mass meeting to be held at the i
Demonstration School auditorium
Wednesday night, December 8 at
7:30.
Civil defense does not only em- :
brace the possibilities of air at- |
tacks by a loreign enemy, but is
equally important in preparation
for fires, floods, hurricanes, seri
ous accidents, or epidemics.
Clyde R. Greene wil lact as
chairman of the meeting and K. C.
Nicholson, from the office of the
State director of civil defense, will
present a film and discuss the civil
defense needs.
The Appalachian High School
band will appear at the beginning
of the program.
Sgt. H. K. Wilson from the Of
fice of Ground Observe Area
Headquarters, Knoxville, County
officials, and officials of Boone
and Blowing Rock will be present.
Appalachian State Teachers Col
lege will be represented.
Mrs. William Surrey, who made
the initial announcement of the
mass meeting, said: 'this is the
concern of women as well as men,
on the farm or in the town, as
there is a place in the Civil De
fensep rogram for everybody. Our
survival today depends on pre
paredness."
Farmers Urged
To Vote For
Soil Director
On the week of December 11
farmers are urged to vote for a
Soil Conservation District Super
visor for Watauga county. The
person elected will serve a three
year term as one of three supervi
sors of the local Soil Conservation
District program.
D. F. Greene of Sugar Grove
has been nominated by regular
petition Mr. Greene has served on
this board since it was first or
ganized in 1949. Voters may write
in the name of another person if
they so desire.
Ballot boxes will be located at
the following places: Valle Crucis
Post Office, Sands Service Station,
Wilson and Sherwood Store, Deep
Gap Post Office, Fred Brown's
Store, ASC Office, FCX Store,
Owen Little's Store, and Clyde
Perry's Store.
Mountaineers
Win In Burley
Bowl Grid Tilt
Johnson City, Tenn., Nov. 29 ?
Powerful Appalachian' State of
Boone, N. C., thundered from be
hind today to whip East Tennessee
State, 28-13, in the 10th annual
Burley Bowl football game here.
About 6.U00 shivering fans
watched as Jim Ollis, 180-pound
halfback, sparked the Mountain
eers to the first Burley Bowl vic
tory in three attempts.
ETSC moved ahead early in the
first period when Pete Wilson
threw a pass to Ed Foster who
raced 53 yards to score. The con
version attempt failed.
Appalachian bounced back and
drove to the ETSC 10 where quar
terback Ned Pennell hit Aubrey
Elam in the end zone. Ollis kicked
the extra point, and the Mountain
eers led, 7-6, a margin that held
for the first half.
ESTC swept to an early third
quarter lead when Pete Wilson
rifled a pass to Jack Boone from
the 50. Boone took it on the Ap
palachian 25 and scurried across.
Tom Rock kicked the point, and
the Buccaneers led, 13-7.
But then the Mountaineers went
to work and tore the game apart
with two touchdowns. After a long
ground drive, Ollis scampered
across, then kicked the point that
put Appalachian ahead to stay.
A few minutes later, Joe Gar
wood plunged six yards for a
Mountaineer touchdown, climaxing
three plays that started in mid
field. In the final quarter, ETSC
lost the ball on downs on their
own 36. Three plays later, Ollis
went over from the five, and
kicked his fourth extra point.
Ollis gained 108 yards on the
ground in 18 carries, Appalachian
outgained ETSC 213 to 62 yards,
and made 15 first downs to nine
for ETSC.
Faced with the overpowering at
tack of the Mountaineers, ETSC
changed from its split-T to a
single wing in an effort to stay in
the game.
The victory gave Appalachian
eight wins against two losses for
the season. Appalachian meets
Newberry Dec. 11 in the Elks Bowl
at Raleigh, N C. ETSC wound up
the season with five wins, four
losses and a tie.
The growing population needs
1,000,000 new jobs a year for the
next twenty years, backed by $13,
300,000,000 of investment in fac
tories and equipment, according to
the U. S. Chamber of Commerce.
Additional billions will" be needed
to make jobs for workers in indus
tries that are declining.
Blowing Rock Makes Plans F or
Yule Contests, Gay Displays
By MRS. LUCILE LETT
Blowing Rock is going to be
come a "city" during the Christ
mas holidays this year with a
"home decorations" contest, a
lighted display on the town play
ground, and a living pageant to be
presented three days before
Christmas.
About $200.00 worth of beauti
ful and useful prizes will be given
for the most attractive and ap
propriate home decorations for the
Yuletide reason in the community.
Four contests will be featured: I
large homes, seven rooms or over,
both inside and outside; small j
homes, six rooms and under, both
inside and outside. Grand prizes
will be given (or best combination
in both classes. Prizes for these
contests are on display at the j
Community Library on Main
Street.
Two large balsam trees at the
center front of the Park will be
lighted between which will be
shown a Nativity scene with life
size figures. Nearer the Town
Hall building there will be a
lighted miniature church with
loud speaker for playing songs and
carols. Lighted carol singers will
be seen around the church. At the
south end of the Park Santa Claus
and his sleigh will be featured as 1
he approaches a large chimney.
All will be shown under flood
lights and the street lights will be
decorated in this section.
Plans arc going forward now |
for the presentation of the Living
Pageant on the evening of Decent
her 22. Time will be announced.
Lights on the outdoor display will
be turned on at 6 p. m. December
*?
Everyone is most cordially in
vited to see this Christmas display, i
Further information regarding the .
pageant will be announced.
BLOWING ROCK ROTARY CAGERS? The Blowing Rock Rotary Club'? basketball team, pictured here,
will play the Boone Rotary Club In the Blowing Rock School gym Saturday evening, December 4, at 8
o'clock Proceeds from the game will go toward one of the project* of the Blowing Rock Club. Players
dressed as though going to a costume party, will^dd much to the merriment of the occasion.
Farming Specialists Will
? ?? ' '
Attend Outlook Meeting
TENNESSEE GAME. ? The picture above was taken during the tenth annual Burley Bowl game held in
Johnson City, Tenn., November 25. The Mountaineers of Appalachian State won the game 28 to 13
over East Tennessee State College, who were the defending champions of the bowl. Fullback Jim Kiser
(52) is the ball carrier for the Mountaineers. Quarterback Ned Pennell (23) is still faking after the
handoff to Kiser. Halfback Jim Ollis (49) is the Mountaineer who has just thrown a block. The East
Tennessee player is not known. ? Photo by J. A. Moretz.
Coleman Burley Group Prexy;
750,000 Pounds Weed OnFloor
R. C. Coleman, operator of the
I Mountain Burley warehouses in
Boone, has been elected president
of the North Carolina Burley To
bacco Warehouse Association, ac
cording to an announcement by
Stanley A. Harris, sales supervisor
of the Boone market.
"This is not only a splendid
compliment to Mr. Coleman," Mr.
Harris said, "but is a recognition
of his sterling qualities as a ware
house operator, and is definitely
a compliment to Boone and the
Boone market."
There were more than three
quarters of a million pounds of
tobacco on the warehouse floors in
Boone before the burley market
opened on Tuesday, said Mr. Har
ris, adding that it looks as if there
might be "close to a million" on
the floors before the week end.
"Generally, the tobacco appears
to be in good shape," he said,
"with not too much wet in it even
in spite of all the rain we have
had recently. The tobacco appears
to be of better than usual quality,
and every indication is that it
will demand a good price. Despite
the tremendous amount of tobacco |
on the floor at the present time,
there is plenty of additional room, '
so bring your tobacco on in to j
Boone as soon as you can."
The initial auction over the
eight burley states began on Tues
day, and the sale usually starts j
about 9 o'clock and last for four
hours. "We have a complete set of
buyers on the Boone and Moun
tain City markets," said Mr. Cole
man, "and we are expecting an
extra good year. The amount of
tobacco on our floors at the pre
sent time indicates that the farm
ers are bringing their tobacco to
the Boone market."
Burley is underwritten at $46 40
a hundred support price, based on
some one hundred different grad
es, said Mr. Harris Tobacco which
fails to bring the minimum price
by grades may be consigned for
loans. The advance rates on indivi
dual grades range from $88 for
choice buff lugs downward to $10
for the best crude nondescript. A
1 few grades carry no price advance,
and wet tobacco is not eligible for
government support, he added.
The Boone market will sell on
a poundage basis, and is allowed
to sell 349,600 pounds a day, pro
vided not more than 1800 baskets
are sold. The 1954 yield it estimat
ed at 582 million pounds by the
Department of Agriculture. This
is about 12 million pounds more
than the 1953 crop.
Sales will continue through
December 21, and then there will
be a recess until January 4, when
sales will be resumed.
"Your tobacco is insured as
soon as it is put on the floor, so ,
bring your tobacco in for early ;
sales and the high dollar," con
cluded Mr. Harris
? ?
fi
Elections Group To
Probe Local Voting
The Mouse committee on Cam
paign Investigation:! will hold
hearings in Boone December 8, on
charges of irregularities growing
out of the general election in the
ninth Congressional district.
Stanley P. Kimmel, head of the
committee staff, said other meet
ings will be held in Statesville
December 7 and in Taylorsville
December 9.
Kimmel said other hearings may
be scheduled after committe in
vestigator Samuel H. Sill com
pletes his report of recent findings
to the committee.
Rep. Bishop ( R-Ill.) 'will preside
over the hearings which will be at
tended by Kimmel and Still, both
of whom have been in the state to
look further into charges filed
with the committee and the FBI.
In the Nov. 2 election Rep.
Hugh Alexander (D-NC) defeated
William E. Stevens Jr., Lenoir
Republican, by less than 5,000
votes.
State Republican Chairman Ray
Jennings, of Taylorsvillc, testified
that the challenged votes possibly
could make a difference in the
election count.
Ivan Harrah, of Winston-Salem,
who managed Stevens' campaign,
charged Democrats of the district
with vote buying, double registra
tion, coercion, misuse T>f the ab
sentee ballot, and negligence on
the part of election officials
He filed charges both with the
committee and with the FBI
which is reported to have studied
the voting situation in each of the
nine counties of the district.
Holthouser Has Forms
J. E. Holshouser of Boone, mem
ber of the State Board of Elections
has the absentee ballot applica
tions from the different counties
in the district, it was learned.
Annual Spelling Bee
To Be Held Tonight
The annual Spelling Bee will be
held Thursday night (Dec. 2) at
7:30 o'clock in the Demonstration
school auditorium, it has been an
nounced by Major J. H. Thomas,
president of the High School Band
Association, which sponsors the
event.
More than a hundred spellers
are expected to be no hand at the
beginning of the bee, and compete
for prizes donated by Boone mer
chants. All the contestants will ga
ther at the school cafeteria at 6:3o
and receive the rules and regula
tions of the contest so that it may
liegin promptly at 7:30, Mr. Thomas
said.
The High School band is expec
ted to play several numbers during
the evening. ?
Spellers not listed last week in
the Democrat, arc according to Mi
Thomas as follows:
Adults? Daisy Kggers, Louise
Church, Cinnie Sue Brintlc, Melli
cent Huneycutt and Elizabeth Eg
gers.
Students ? James Greene, Bill
Gragg#Geraldine lloneycutt, Laurji
Holshouser.Tom Lawrence. Rich
ard Hunt. PaUy Hollingsworth.
Nancy Hollingsworth. Mary Law<
rence, Joyce Ann Littleton, J. B.
Moretz, Joe MoreU, Glenn Miller,
Bill Matheson. Tommy Oswsley,
Carolyn Norrls, Thelma Phillip*.
Jimmy PitU, Gail Phillips, France*
Rush. Joan O. Rosenbalm, Sarah
Saylars, Peggy Shcrrilt, S. G. Tug
?
man, Mary Van Noppen, Kenneth
Wilcox, Tony Winkler, Shirley
Winkler, Charles Bumgarner, Jack
Creed, Joanne Carroll, Bonnie
Foster.
The Band Parents' Association
invites all who will to attend at
spectators. Refreshments will be
on sale in the building.
Mrs. Campbell
Taken By Death
*
Mrs. Mary Callie Campbell, 77,
; (lied Saturday, November 27, at her
, home on Route 1, Vilas
Funeral services were held at
2 p. m. Monday, November 29, at
the Union Baptist Church, con
ducted by the Rev. R. C. Kggers.
C. O. Vance, and E. O. Gore, and
burial was in the Union cemetery.
She is survived by her husband,
William W. Campbell, Vilas, Route
1; five sons, Graydon. Zionville;
Clayton. Condon. Ore.: Ronda, Le
noir; Raymond. Vilas; and Brady,
Vilas, two daughters, Mrs. Richard
Greene, Vilas; and Mrs. Gridy
I'erry. Vilas; two bi others, Con
1 Icy Thomas, Trade, Tenn.; and
Asa Thamas, Zionville; and two
sisters, Mrs. Maude Warren, Zion
I ville, and Mrs. Bertie Davit, Con
don, Ore.
Billboards are called aid to
highway safety.
Farm Price Trends
To Be Discussed
By Extension Men
The Third Annual Outlook Con
ference, where latest information
on next year's prices for fanning
and family living will be given,
will be held at 9:30 a. m, Friday,
December 10, at the county court
house, announces County Agent L.
E. Tuckwiller.
Attending the meeting will be
representatives of local farm and
home organizations, businessmen
{and agricultural workers and farm
people interested in a "look into
the future." "We believe this con
ference will be of benefit to all
Watauga county people," says
County Agent Tuckwiller, "and
anyone interested is cordially in
vited to meet with us."
N. C. State College agricultural
specialists and home economists
will be on hand to present the
most up-to-date information avail
able on the factors expected to af
fect prices and outlook for the
year ahead. A discussion of the
general economic outlook for 1955
will be followed by more specific
information relating to Watauga
county farm product prices and
anticipated prices for family liv
ing items.
One of the features of the Out
look Conference will be an op
portunity for those in attendance
to make their best guess of price
trends expected for each farm
commodity next year.
The material available at the
meeting will be helpful in allowing
more Intelligent planning of indi
vidual farm or business activities
for the coming year. Price expec
tations are important to farmers
in deciding what to produce, and
how much to produce. Business
men supplying farmers and their
families are also vitally interested
; in this information.
State Director
Of FHA Visitor
To Co. Friday
Horacc P. Isenhower, State Dir
ector of the Farmers Home Ad
ministration visited the County
FHA office in Boone, briefly last
Friday. Mr Isenhower expressed
confidence in the future of agricul
ture in Watauga and the other
mountain counties, especially in
livestock production. He emphasi
zed the fact that farmers must get
their operations on an efficient
basis if they expect to be success
ful.
Mr. Isenhower stated that at the
present time there are ample
funds available for all types of
Farmers Home Administration
loans and that the FHA stands
ready to assist any farmer who is
eligible for this type of credit. He
urged that farmers make their ap
plications for loans as early as
possible, since the heavy flow of
applications usually come in the
late winter and early spring
months. This heavy concentration
of applications make it hard for
County Supervisors to process all
applications as rapidly as they
would like
ACE To Hold
Supper Friday
The Association for Childhood
Education will have a covered dish
supper Friday December 3, at
6:30 in the basement of the Boone
Presbyterian Church.
Special guests will be new mem
bers of the organization. Old mem
bers are asked to bring a dish of
food and a guest.
U. S. farm flocks laid almost
five billion eggs in October, a re
cord high production for the
, month.
Help Fight TB
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