Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / July 11, 1957, edition 1 / Page 2
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>NE, NORTH CAROIJNA, THURSDAY, JULY 11,1957 Hillbilly singing has been labeled lately with the more dignified name of country music, snd these compositions are regu larly entrenched among the top ten in radio, t* and juke box favor, providing the springboard for such noted vocalists as Elvis Presley, Pat Boone, Tommy Sands, Rusty Draper, Tennessee Ernie, Eddy Ar nold and Jimmy Dean. The phenomenal growth of country ma de as a medium of nation-wide entertain ment is of especial Interest to the CBS radio network which has been playing host to the "Country Music Show." A scout was dispatched to Virginia's Blue Ridge coun try to try to find just what country music ia. He found that: t "Country music is commercially as dur able as steel because it draws its vitality from the farmer, factory hand and lerchant. "The hillbilly performer doesn't depend on I professional song writer for his ma terial. He composes his own, even though he can't read or write a note of music. Of the M artists traveling hither and yon with the show, only one has not composed any songs and only one other has com posed as few as ten. The rest have cre ated anywhere from fiddler Dale Potter's 35 to singing star Carl Smith's 300. Here's how a country artist composes: "'He thinks through the words first, then picks out the music on his guitar or fiddle and finally performs it for his tape recorder or on a disk. He )ots down the words on paper to help him remember the tune'." There are lot* of u« who don't set much of a kick out of the country music which after all is hill billy plunking and ringing on a mass production scale, and utterly different from the old folk tune*. But the creators of country songs will go on writing them in their present style, and the banjo strummers, guitar pickers and fiddlers will continue their see-saw accompaniments, simply because the peo ple who compose the radio and tv audiences demand this kind of music. Horn Prospect Good "Horn in the West," which opened one night late due to rain, is now enjoying good crowds with clear sides and pleasant evening temperatures. Dr. Kermtt Hunter, who authored the Horn, and a number of other outdoor productions, Was in town during the week end from a tour of the outdoor theatre cir cuit, and brings the good news that the Horn is ahead of his other dramas in attendance, that is with the exception of "Unto The* Hills." Information is that attendance is thus far ahead of the same period a year ago, and the changes which have been made in the script are generally regarded as having contributed to a considerably improved presentation. Older Persons Good Workers Older persons gradually are disproving the myth they cant hold their own with younger workers. But obsolete company policies and prejudice still continue to op erate against job seekers over 40. Ronald Schiller reports on this problem in a July Reader's Digest article titled, "Help Wanted: For the 40-PI us," con densed from Your Life. Schiller ays a National Association of Manufacturers survey of 3,119,000 em ployes showed that in work performance 03 percent of the older workers were equal or superior and only seven percent were not equal to younger workers A more detailed study by the University of Illinois revealed that the rates of absen teeism and lateness actually are lower among older employes and that their loy alty, sense of responsibility and morale are higher. But, says Schiller, a Department of La bor survey revealed that half of all em ployers still have age restrictions, and that between SO and 00 percent of the job openings are still not available to men over 40 or 45, or to womep over 38. Schiller says the survey showed that many firms still feel that older persons can't meet production requirements, are too set in their ways, are less creative than younger workers and are more prone to absenteeism. However, he says the NAM report proves the companies wrong. "Actually," Is said, "older workers are the cream of the crop." Senator Thomas C. Desmond of New burgh, chairman of New York State's Legia lative Committee on Problems of the Aging and a leader in the fight to orercome age bias in industry, says only five states— Colorado, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Penn sylvania and Rhode Island—have passed laws forbidding discrimination against worker* because of age. tn addition to calling for more action at the state level, however, Desmond warned t)iat this is a local problem and must be solved at the community level. Blossom Time We aide with Rev. Mr. Troutman in his belief that not in decades has the rhodo dendron in the hill country bloomed so laviahly or retained its beauty for so long as this year. From the peaks of the Roan on down to the creek bottoms, the rhododendron, which used to be' called laurel, has blos somed forth in such magnificence as to make of the countryside a veritable flower garden. For more than a month the blooms have been in evidence, and in the shaded areas, many of them are still perfect, and there will likely be blossoms to lend color to the landscape into next week. Normally the blooms are soon gone, and certainly don't last long after the Festival oa the Roan, which is held at the peak of the blooming season. Anyway, nature has put on her grand est floral display in the area roundabout, and the rhododendron has been enjoyed by record crowds of travelers. The Vanished Mantlepiece (Raleigh Newt A Observer) tm modern Mm* contains the beat feature* of Mm vaudeville (how, th« laundry. the aporttng good dare, a ad the beauty parlor. Hmmtr, the old-Umey mantlepiece U relegated to ob livion except for a atngle atnuf auapenaion la the living room. Thia at boat hold* only a vaae of cut flower*, and H atanda la apace aa If a cat had licked out her long tongue Impulaively and never foaad Ike Interest to lick M hack la again. Hial ahiu iifkAn tuufotuak una akaana* naJ aln ■n WKV| wnrn inviimiK wm cncipcr ana •in waa laaa glamortied. the old mantlepieee waa la every nan but the kitchen. !t Wat a toll bridge. a paekkarae, a plnadai room, and aa aspreea "d*e-pe" Like Aa VtcaC* head, every-. aa* waa aaaaaad at all the nantlapiac* haM Oa the average auatl apiece were bottlea of rough ayrup, eaatar *41, and dtraaalla inter iparaad betwaun hwup-baafcad hill. «f Mian a ad Mraulan tied with aboe ttringa. There waa a Uft or iraa baa holding la Ma aaUDk rabbit's foot or buckeye, alio* Mm*. Seldlltz powders, and • ringlet of Aunt Lucy's hair. Lookinf down and tealoualy guarding bow of shotgun shells, aea sheila, checker boards, the family Bible, h?mnsls. and seed fatal afuea were the pictures of Untie Prank, taken ta France In bis uniform, of grandma standing beside grandpa who was seated, of Cousin Hattie la her white seminary drees, of little Dick with his Lord Pauntleroy suit and mapped big toe, of papa and mamma m the honeymoon at , Springs, and of Brother Claude the day I the prise at the school house for Henry Gradyl piece about the -New South." There was always a big eloek that kept time the way a ma* dees who plays piano by tar. the reading gfsssss papa was always put them there M tb# wifltUpldffi Vlftld told ^ ' town I# ill with I of IM ereem saH REMEMBER SMOSSADEGH? ' By Ale««der W 06 POWK POLITICS Stretch's Sketches By "STRETCH" ROLLINS This One Layt Paul Bunyan In The Shade ONCE UPON A TIME, not far from here, there dwelt a nun who wa* seven and one-half feet tall ana wno weignea mora than on* thousand pounds. Sound like the beginning of a (airy tale? It is not. He was as real as you and I, and they've get his hat over at Nashville to prove It—or did have. At least, so says a yel lowed newspaper clipping brought to this corner by Mr. Charles Dougherty. lie didn't know what paper it wai clipped from, nor the date, but an advertisement on the reverie aide seeking to employ men at the Cranberry mines (at |1.00 per day) dated "Feb. 2Jrd, 1900", gives rise to the belief that It must have been the Watauga Democrat The story, copied from Children's Visitor, was aa follows: "Have you heard of Miles Darden, who the American Cyclopedia says was the largest man on record? Perhaps you have heard something, but here are some figures you may lik« to know: "He was born in Northampton County, N. C„ Nov. 7th, 17M; was married to Mary Jenkins in 1820. By tbla marriage he had seven children, and by his second marriage four children. He moved from North Carolina to West Tennessee in 1820, and died six miles west of Lexington in 1887 "He wu seven feet six inches high, and in 1849 he weighed over one thousand pounds. In 1839 his coat was buttoned around three men each weighing over two hundred pounds, and they walked aerou the public square at Lex ington. Tenn. In 1890 it required thirteen and one-half yards of cloth one yard wide to make him a coat. "His coffin was eight feet long, thirty-five inches deep, thirty-two inches across the breast, eighteen inches across the feet. It took twenty - four yards of black velvet to cover it. "Hi* hat measured twenty-seven inches around the crown, and is now in possession of the State Hiatorical Society at Naahville. He was a Mason and belonged to the Baptist Church." THERE ARE TWO things about this story that pintle me. First, it implies that his hat was a whopper—but my own size 7 skimmer measures twenty-four and one-hall inches around the crown, only two and one-half inches smaller than the glaiHS. ' The second Iking is sort of like the story of the baseball scout who sent an excited wire to the big league manager about a bush pitcher who hurled both ends of a double-header and allowed only one hit, a home run. The manager wired back: "Never mind the pitcher—sign the guy who hit that homer off him!" I'd like to have seen the preacher who baptised Miles Darden! From Early Democrat Files Sixty Yeari Ago My t, i»r Dave Dugger of Bru«hy Pork, aaya that it U all a mistake about McKinley being elected. Here are tome of the reaaona: Every Republican apeaker, every Republican paper and every Re publican voter told ua that if Bryan waa elected to the Preaidency, times would grow worae; money would become acarcer and labor would be lower. These thing! have aurely come to paaa; therefore Bryan la President Friend Harry Martin of Lenoir and Editor Clark of the "Quitman Quill" published at Belin. Miss., were in town last week, and gave the DEMOCRAT a pleaaant call. Mr. Clark ia a nephew of Joe B. and Mark Clark, of our county and 1a, indeed, quite a pleaaant gentleman. Charles Moody and i. S. Culler have taken the contract to finish the Methodist Church by the first of August. The Quarterly Meeting ia te be in the new houae the third Sunday in August. The telephone line haa been completed from Boone to Blowing Rock. The phone for central office ia at the Coffey Hotel. Other phones will be put in aoon. We are informed that the crowd ef boarders at Mowing Rock la eomewkat entailer now than usual at this season of the year. Old Mrs Gragg, mother-in-law of Rev. jr. P. Da via, died at her home aa Cove Crook on laat Saturday and waa bwM at Brushy Pork. Mr. Oss. Pane af Stony Pork lost hta dwelling by fire aa laet Saturday night The house waa uneceupied. The property waa insured ia the Parser's Mutual, bat to what anoint wa are not Informed. TklrtyNln* Yean Ago Jaly u, uu The Democratic Couaty Ceareatioa U billed for Satarfay, July ». Read official fill in this iMM. MIm Jennie Todd, of Jefferion, wu a week end vMtr W her liaUr, MIm Billy, Lady Prin cipal of tlM A T. I. Haykarraat la aew on, aad aecordlag (o re porta frow over iki COMly, ttf crop ws® never M the raault of yaw funetlea, la da Oar* aad to It | Mr». Mia Barka. af ttataaetlla. arrtred at tM kiat a# her aaa, Mr. That. E Maara. teat Tueeday, aad wiU ipeod a few «wb hare ± There wttt be aa tea eraam rapper given at - Ihallj Mill* on neat Satarday aifht, the pr* t v* 4ke L.ha1u tl # 4^ W» l™ «•« Ofnffll Ol ITNO/iVrilll cnviTn m that MM. The aeeaatoa praaikii to ha a vary aajeytble om. aad the pablfe la cordially to vited to attend. Mr. James Higgins, of Lenoir, and Miss Ellen Rogers, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. W. Rogers, were married at the home of Mr. Carl Winkler in East Boone last Saturday night. Rev. H. L. Powell, performing the ceremony. The Demo crat extends congratulations. A good supply of tools for road-building are being delivered at Vilas; teams are being bought, the steam shovel purchased by the Commission some time since has not yet arrived, but the in tention is to begin work with teams, slip*, etc., within the next few days Private Clyde Philllpa, of Camp Jackaon, ar rived at the home of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Phillip*, on Meat Camp, in time for the funeral of hia brother. Mr. Lloyd Phillips, whose death was noted in these columns last week. He left Tuesday on his return to camp. Fifteen Year a Ago j»It », IMS Ownera of paaaenger automobilea la Watauga will reglater Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of thia week, in order to be able to receive gasoline under the new permanent coupon-book plan of gaa rationing, which goea into effect July 23. Mr. Watt Beach haa establiahed aome sort ef • record in the production of raspberries. Proas • row of briars 180 feet long, Mr. Beach gathered » gallons of berries, which were readily sold for 90 cents a gallon. He expects another "pick ing" this fall from the prolific plants. Mrs. John Conway has been named ties—hi of the Watauga chapter, American led Cross, succeeding Miss Bern ice Gragg, who ha* moved to Aahevllle. . I. T. Taylor, 84, former member of the Wa tauga county board of education tad retired Caldwell county farmer, died at hie home on Lenoir, Route t, last Wednaaday afetraoon. Mr. Bob Agio, chief ef the emergency Are de partment, Issues an urgeot appeal for vslurtoors to bring the department ap to a standard which could cope successfully with * disaster. Re in sists that an theas willing to aM la thia work, see him at Boone Drag Company, or appear at the city hall thia (Wedneeday) evening at T:t0. IV holiday wast ead crowds at Rawing Keck wan large aM all places of bwainees aad enter tainment wan thronged with people. Ae mood was gay bat NNtvti, Ma reports of accldeote were reaai«at> Mrs. Howard Oragg and daughter, Judy, of Detroit, Michigan, are spending a few days visit ing at the home of Mia. Oragg1! perenta, Mr. and Mrs Walter Greene la Meat Camp townahtp They are accompanied by Mrs. Prank Lewis and sons, Jack, MUte. lad Bobby, also of Betrotv KING STREETI1 By ROB RIVERS GROANING TABLES . . VITTLES TO SPARE Back in the old days when the Democrat was making a report of a gay occasion whore all and sundry war* dinad, it was said that "the festive board groaned under the freight of the choice Viands which were «erved.'' . . . And that was almost true, es pecially when there was a Confederate reunion, a big revival meeting, or when a heap of relatives came to catch up with their . . The Masonic picnic was a great place for heaping baskets of food, but the weighted-down tables are getting rare •—few kitchens are giving down with the extravagant mounds of food which used to be common when company was comln'. . . Sunday as we came back with the family from over Brevard way we followed the suggestion of the Missus that we have a bite at the Henry Franklin place at Linville Falls, where we came face to face with mountain hospitality in its warmest form, and with such quantities of food as we haven't seen in many a moon. . . The diners gathered around the long table, where the good things filled even the four corners. . . . There were mounds of home-cured ham, sweet and tender, red gravy a plenty, fried chicken enough for a Methodist conference, hot biscuits—great baskets of them—and pound size blocks of rich yellow country butter. . . . There were ham and kraut dump lings, fresh green beans, great bowls of lettuce, "kilt with grease" as they used to say, and mixed with rings of spring onions. . . . There was creamed corn, sliced fresh cucumbers and onions, home-made cucumber pickles, served right from the spicy vinegar. ... We had apple sauce, and apple butter, and a deep dish of comb honey, and peach pie. family style, rich and piping hot. . . . There was coffee and there was sweet milk and joy and satisfaction as the diners passed the dishes to and fro and enjoyed the tasty food. . . And there was good fellow ship around the Franklin table, beginning with Mr. Franklin's ringing of the bell, and Mrs. Franklin's asking for the Divine blessing. ... Then the hostess gave piano renditions during the repast. THEY'LL GO A LONG WAYS .. JUST TO EAT People will travel far out of their way for a meal which offers something extra. ... We've noticed that the places which feature hot biscuits and country ham always have good crowds. . . . The Franklins offer these as starters, phis most everything else In the hook of good mountain cookery, and throw in a generous measure of hospitality and neighborliness. ... It's a good place to be at meal time. DOG DAYS . . THEY BEING THE SUNSHINE Dog days are here—the time when the Dog Star rises with the sun, and happily they seemed to have brought a halt to the rains. . . . Used to be that high humidity, plenty of rain, mold and mildew followed along with dog days and householders dreaded the season.... Formerly believed to be a time of mad ness, when dogs and other animals were more apt to have rabies than at any othr season, some of the ancients believed the pestilences for which the season was noted could be warded off by propitiatory offerings. The Romans frequently sacrificed dogs during thia/period. M. u Anyway dog days are here, will be here for about forty Haps to mark the hot sultry midsummer season. . . . And it's plenty damp, and sticky during dog days, unless they happen in one of those glorious warm, sunny spells. THE END OF A HARD DAY .. AND THE FINAL STRAW Dr. Billy Graham has some good tales which he nses when he's not preaching the Word, and tells the story of the fellow who decided it was time to pay his wife a little extra attention... So he got her some flowers, and some chocolates, knocked on' the front door, and puckered up to kiss her. .. His wife opened the door, looked at the candy and the flowers and her husband's puckered lips, and started bawling. "The children have raised cain, the roast has burned, the washing machine broke down, the roof has leaked, the hot water heater . has gone phooey, the telephone has rang all day .. and now, to cap the stack, yen come home drank!" So This Is New York By NORTH CALLAHAN Frederic Allen Williams thinks the day it not far distant when folks will wonder where the term "horse power" originated. The reason is aimple. Horses which were once a necessity are now on ly a luxury. "Man has outgrown the usefulness of the horse," Fred •vers. "This is just as true on the ranch as on the race track. Every day there are fewer of ua who ever knew how to hitch a horse to • buggy." (I hasten to add 1 am among that remaining few.) As vivid evidence ef his reverence for the noble steed, Fred has in his Horse Museum at M West 87th Street, aa impressive outlay of horseiana. Among his precious equine relics are a Russian S herse sled; a brome horseman that belonged to a Genghis Kahn agent; a Tibetan god sitting on a horse; a 17th Century horseman carved frooa ivory nuts; a statue IIof Santiagl, the Metican, Patron Saint of horses; and a colorful collection of stirrups, bridles and saddles. Here DebMa has obvious ly reached a pinnacle ef honor The preacher wee admonishing his flock about materialism He emphasised strongly the evils ef avarice and closed his warning with the words. "And remember, my friends, there will be no buy 1 lag or selling In heaven" In the rear seats a sour-faced looking ,| «i nanrtns m il aa^ iaa V m man fnuiirrrti unnrr niw nrfiin, "That1! net where business has gone anyway!" - Ceatral Park in spring might be year back yard or yaw tawn park or that favorite lttam field Rete to the Midst of lt»Hb«tan. surrounded by a pktamqwe out line ef skyscrapers, thii verdant are* take* one back to halcyon dayi in rural land. At one end of the rocky, hilly, woody greens ward ia teeming Harlem, at the other, the Continental elegance of Central Park 8011th. On the West are the tall, atoiied apart ment houaee, In the penthouse of one, Eddie Duchln once lived when he had hi* oreheftra In the Central "Park Casino Just below, a favorite haunt of colorful Mayor Jimmie Walker. Fifth Avenue flanks the Park on the east, with sedate apartments which house such notables as Bernard Baruch and Torn Dewey. All In all. Cen tral Park In spring is an emerald in a magic setting. William Beebe says he once heard a wolf howl at midnight in the heart of New York City. This came, not from the Broadway cir cuit, but from the Zoological Park where real wolves abound. In this natural haven, other a n i m a Is flourish within the bustle of the big city Squirrels rosne te feed from the hand, gulls and sparrows fly overhead, the head of a turtle la new and then visible above the water of a pond and a garter snake may be seen to glide through the grasa. Bullfrogs and peeper* lift their voice* from the swampy port of the park, and In the Hearty ■ran* River, small fish can be •Mft nibbling away at floating eramb* Nearly every kind of or dinary animal make* It* home lees affable — two loggsl Mod hero. Mr. Beebe one* spent the alghl high op to Ott tojrrh^of the <C wit touted en page eight) . W Ik m
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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July 11, 1957, edition 1
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