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boon*. north Carolina. Thursday, august 29,195
SUBSCRIPTION BATH WZ ' : |F1 517 JS',
' «mrth». |l », OuUMe W Ctmmtr
jWeek Of Greatest Danger
The fatal accident in downtown Boone
the other day, the mangled body, the injured,
and the anguished onlookers,
brought home again the dangers of highway
travel, and a new look at the lethality
of the powered wheels of our streets and
roads.
Fact is, these accidents, at least for those
who observe their gory horror, tend to
slow down travel. They have a quietening
effect, and result in slower speeds for a
while for those most upset by the tragic
incidents.
This week, with schools starting all over
the State and with the Labor Day week
end coming up, it is unusually important
for everyone to observe the greatest care
in their travel.
Motorists should be especially careful
in school zones, and at school crossings.
These youngsters, particularly the bitzy
ones, are going to have to depend upon
their elders. They are apt to dart into
the street without warning, after a ball
or a pappy, and are in sudsumui danger
even if motorist* exercise the maximum
of care. With anything leas, their Uvea
are banging in the balance. Watch the
school areaa, and go slow. Let's take care
of our children.
Vacationers should realize the peril inherent
in the holiday weekend. Especial
hazards besides excessive speed are poking
along the highways gazing over the
scenery, and pointing out places of Interest
with the other hand resting on the
steering wheel; spending long hours driving
without rest; allowing insufficient time
for the trip; not acquainting oneself with
the traffic laws, and other careless driving
habita.
Let's not take any chances along routes
traveled by school children, at school crossings,
or anywhere fn school areaa, and let's
be careful also when we start on the final
vacation fling oi the seaaon, so that there
may be other happy adventures.
Should Stay In School
Schoou get under way in most communities
in the State this week, and State
Labor Commissioner Frank Crane ia to be
commended for urging teenagers who have
been working this summer to resign from
their Jobs and go back to the classrooms
when the school bells ring this fall.
"The more schooling you have, the
higher your adult buying power will be,"
Commissioner Crane adviaed the youngsters.
"Every year of schooling increases
adult income. The average high school
graduate earns almost as much at age 25
as the average 8th grade student makes
at 48."
Crane cited the 1850 Census, which
showed that men high school graduates, at
age 25 and over, earned an average of
$752 a year more than men who had quit
school after completing the 8th grade.
Women high school graduates earned $675
a year more than 8th grade graduates.
He also called attention to a U. S. Chamber
of Commerce study which showed that
retail sales to high school graduates in
145 American cities were 20 per cent higher
than sales to people who had quit school
after finishing the 8th grade.
"From the financial viewpoint alone,"
said Crane, "these studies show that your
education is the biggest and most profitable
investment you will ever make. A
good education likewise will better equip
you for living in this atomic, 'automated'
age, make you a better and more valuable
citizen, improve your standard of living,
and provide you with greater personal satisfactions
in living."
Crane commended the more than 7,000
Tar HmI teen-agers who were issued employment
certificates this summer for their
spirit and initiative in , taking advantage
of vacation job opportunities.
"The same initiative should now take
you back to the classrooms," he said. "Only
a good education can give you the real
break you need. The long haul ahead is
the really important thing for you."
"
Refuse To Integrate
White pupils boycotted an hitherto allnegro
grade school at the scheduled start
of integration Monday.
As it was, there were no students to
integrate, as not one of the 40 to 80 white
pupils showed up for the start of the
fall semester. Classes proceeded for the
school's 60 negro pupils.
The president of the school board said,
"It is not my intention to make anyone
do anything he does not want to do," adding
that he has no plan for calling a
special meeting of the board.
The principal said he didn't believe the
boycott was organised, and added, "I didn't
expect a 100 per cent turnout, but I did
think there would be a few who wouldn't
be so prejudiced. The next move is up
to the school board."
The board voted last June to integrate
the pupils in the town's two schools, with
the classes to be held in the building operated
last spring as an all-negro school.
This didn't happen in Alabama, or Georgia,
or Uie Carolinas, but in a small Illinois
town by the name of Colp. Which
maybe doesn't prove anything except that
the race problem which is being thoroughly
exploited, on a political basis, at least, is
not peculiar to Montgomery, Atlanta or
Jackson. A change so radical as that
being promoted by certain Northern liberals
and segments of the press in the
east and midwest, Is certain to have repercussions
both above and below the
Mason-Dixon line.
The incident herein related is proof
that the issue no longer is contained within
state or regional boundaries.
Dollar Chasing Gadgets
(Rocky Mount Telagram)
< speed with which technology zooms
ahead is almost terrifynig Especially as
it drags the gadget-addict consumer with
it. An example: Newspapers the other day i
chronicled an announcement by Bell and
Howell Co. of Its latest movie camera which
does the next thing to "thinking." No
longer will the moviemaker have to adJust
aperture—it is done automatically.
Just point the camera and press the button.
The same day Newsweek magazine
ahowed up with an account of the new
push by electronics manufacturers to expand
the "hi-fi" market. New "packaged
machines" (as contrasted to the hobbyist's
system of speaker, amplifier, turntable
and wires scattered ail over the
place) will be need in an effort to "saturate"
the music-end-noise market
are two examples of why the eoonf
in high gear, even
picking up speed as it goes. The ingenuity
of manufacturers in making, their gadgets
even better, the competition for the consumer's
dollar and the great impact of advertising
contribute to a system in which
the average American never wears anything
out. He replaces it with an improved
model before it Is appreciably worn.
It is a dhsy pace. A man's salary Is
always in there chasing the artificiallycreated
needs of his family—but often it
is far behind. It Is no mystery why the'
i average family is unable to save much
these days. All its members have their
eyes on new gadgets. It's a philosophy of:
"What's money for, anyway, except to
spend." Maybe this will go on forevsr.
Maybe the facing to reality can bo forever
postponed. Or perhaps the race will end
one of these days. If that happens, the
quaint conservative aottt who salts away
his money will be king. v '
week-end wise man
By Alexander
Stretch's Sketches
By "STRETCH" ROLLINS
Scratches On The Sketchpad
WMA'rs in A haul;—A rat oy ny oiner
lame, remarked Shakespeare, would tmell as
sweet.
But despite these words of wisdom, somebody
Hi* always getting dissatisfied
with the moniker pinned on
him by his well-meaning parents.
Sometimes they feel so
strongly about it they have
them changed in a court of
law.
A news item said a man in
North Dakota named Leon
Ungliek had a Judge change
bis name to Leon Gllck.
But can you blame him?
After all, who wouldn't rather be gllck than ungliek?
Like the man who, when called uncoath,
replied, "That's a lie! I'm Just as couth as you
THEN THERE WAS the fellow christened Joe
Stinkeroo, whose friends urged him to change
h4a suu. So ha did. Changed it to Jafca stiskeroo.
Said he waa getting sick and tired of
everybody greeting him with, "Whatcha know,
Joel"
AND DID YOU hear about the Indian, BigTrain-Wtth-Whistle-That-Screams,
who decided to
Americanize his name? Changed It to Toots.
A LADY READER who finds fun in matching
win niuau wiu weir occupauuna, v> u;i
(Long Sam) G»ry in the Charlotte Observer, report*
that G. A. Smith run* • gaa station in the
Queen City. (Wonder if she knows the filling
■ tat ton operator named Phillip McCann?)
APT APPELATION?—And when it comes to
names, there's a women's club in Asheville that
rates some sort of award for sheer honesty. They
call it the Chatmore Club.
MORE TRIVIA—Happiness is where you find
It. Once knew a man who always bought his
shoes two size* too small. Asked why, Im said:
"Well, it's like this. I've got a nagging wife
and six noisy kids, and they give me no peace
from the time I get home at night until I leave
for work in the morning. The only real pleasure
I get out of life anymore is taking off these
tight shoes!"
IN OTHER WORDS—Ambrose Bierce. quotes
Bennett Cerf, defines an ignoramus as a person
— i - * * - m ' LI—J- - m I■ H ■ . J i J m
unacquimea wiin crriJin kiimis oi Knowicugc
familiar to yourself, and having certain other
kinds that you know nothing about.
Will Rogers said it without using so many
words: "Everybody's ignorant—just on different
suhjeeto."
WISH I'D SAID THAT, SO I WILL—Host women
don't mind if a man loves them and leaves
them—If he leaves them enough.
From Early Democrat Files
Sixty Years Ago
August 2«. 1*97
On Tuesday night Mr. Farthing Edmisten, who
live* 2 miles east of Boone, had the misfortune
to let a lamp explode in his hand. The burning
oil covered his breast and arms and very serious
burns were the result. The entire skin panted
from «*e arm from the elbow down. Mrs. Edmisten
also received some slight burns. We are
pained to hear of this sad accident.
On Tuesday night of last week some rogue
raided the meat houae of Mr. H. J. Hardin and
took therefrom more than 100 pounds of salt
pork. Mr. Hardin says be has no hope of recovering
the meat, but he will pay $10 cash te
anyone who will deliver the ragua into the hands
of the authorities.
Mrs. Boston, of Statesville, mother of Rev. L.
E. Boston, so well known here, died at Banner
Elk the 19th, inat. She came to the county with
the hope of gaining strength, but gradually grew
worse until death ended her sufferings. The
remains were taken home for Interment.
Mrs. ft. r. Itagan, who has bee* so critically 111
lor sons* time, aad ehaae iitsiir) has been almost
despaired of, is thought, at this writing, to
be slightly improving. All trust that she may yet
recover.
Some gentlemen (T) had little to do a few
nights ago to deatroy some box flowers of Mrs.
Elvers', that were sitting on the edge of the
sidewalk ui front of bar house. A small trick,
to say the least of it
Richard Greene and family, of Mabel, N. C.,
have moved to the home of D. B. Dougherty in
Boone. They are gladly welcomed in oar town.
A very severe rain and hall storm i* reported
oa the east side of the Blue Ridge on last Monday.
We also learn that it waa very severe in
Blowing lock.
We regret to hear of the death of Miss Unie
MeEwea, ef Jefferson. Tbts aged My has many
friends and relatives to mourn her departure.
Dr. Pariier informs us that his fever patients,
Mr. Bynum Anderson and others, are improving.
Thirty-Nine Yeart Ago
AifHt t». IMS
Mr. Wilton Non-U, ai Route 1, and Miaa (dtth
Maxwell, of Waat Riveraldr. were married at the
Mathadist Paraotuge bar* Uat Vttday ifttrwi.
He v. II L. Powell officiating. tfea happy ccwpU
reaaalned together untfl Monday morning, Whan
lh« young husband bade hia bonny brtde farewell
and entrained at Shulla Mills, lor Camp
Jaahaon, where ha «il take military training tor
avaraea aanrtca. The bride la a graduate of the
m, .*».•
S^es"C::'S_S' If 1
A. T. S. of the class of 1918, and is probably as
well educated aa any one who ever took the
course here, thoroughness being her watchword.
Here's hoping that when the dark clouds of war
have rolled away, the husband may return, and
that many years of unalloyed happiness may be
theirs.
"Unci* Sam" ha* spoken and hi* orders must
b* obeyed. All paper*, owing to a shortage of
blank stock, are required to adopt a pay-in-advance
system for all subscribers or before
Oct. 1, and a violation of this order would mean
the discontinuing of the paper so offending, and
we are determined not to be caught in that trap.
This is no fault of ours; we have always let our
patrons be the judge* aa to when they pay, but
now it la different If you are due the paper
anything, and want it continued, please call
during court, and settle; If you do not come,
wherever you may be, let us hear from you as
soon as you read this notice. It haa been a
pleasure to us to indulge our patrons in the
past, and surely now, when this demand comes
from the government, they cannot afford to see
us com* 0«t loser *n their sccoeatfs This refers
to every Individual *a oar booh who are not
already in advance on their subscription.
Mr. Sam Norris, one of the most successful
fanners In Meat Camp township, waa in town
Friday, and left at this office a small sheaf of the
finest oats we have ever aeen. It is a sample
from a field of 20 acres, 24 shacks of which
threshed out 23 bushels of as fine grata aa you
would wish to see. He will have quite a lot of
seed for sale. While here Mr. Norris ordered the
Democrat sent to his son. Troy, now with the
American Expeditionary Forces in France.
Fiften Years Ago
A.** *7, IM1 V* ft
Of wide social interest wu the wedding Monday
afternoon, August M, at 2 30 o'clock of Miai
Jennie Lee Bingham and Mr. James Marvin Deal
at the home of the bride's parents. Dr. and Mr*.
X. K Bingham, of Boone. Dr. E. K. McLarty. pastor
of the Boone Methodist Church, performed
the ceremony using the ring ceremony of the
Methodist church.
Mr. Frank Lookabill of ZioovUle. brings to
the DwMcrat office i *reak pnmpkin. perfectly
formed twins emanating from a stogie uteav
J. Roby HagWSS. pioneer eMtawi of WaUuga
county, died Tuesday morning at Watau»i Hospital
after a long Dteeea. Mr. Hafamaa MS
taken to the Baptist Hospital in Wins loo galea
some tine ago, but there waa sew any apgiei
ciable Improvement la his condition H« wm returned
to Dooae last week. He was tt years old.
KING STREET I
By ROB RIVERS I
TIUPLETT NEIGHBORHOOD .. IN THE VALLEY OF PLENTY |
wnen our junior i iass neia a recrpuun rar uk: ociuwia «
Appalachian Training School a long time ago, the Superior
Court Judge and a number of the visiting attorneys were invited.
.7. . Moses N. Harshaw of Lenoir spoke, and the years
have erased the memory of what he said other than this: "When
I was a little boy, I rend a story about a land where everything
was good . . in this fairyland the rivers flowed thick with honey
and melted butter, and the leaves on the trees of the forest
were flapjacks. . . . This banquet reminds me of that story."
. . . And we thought of lfose Harshaw's remarks in that distant
day, when we went with the family down to Triplett, in Elk
township, last Friday evening for the neighborhood picnic,
which has become a big event since Stewart Simmons fathered
the community project several years ago. . . Stewart, who is
merchant, postmaster, and a leading citizen of Triplett, in
explaining the annual picnic to us, said, "Well, all the folks in
4he neighborhood just pitch in, prepare a lot of food, bring their
folks, and invite their friends . . that's about all there is to it." j
THE TRIPLETT PICNIC, so far as we know, b the
only tuch event la the county, since Boone'* Masoalc
picnic folded hack in the twenties, is drawing about
fire or six hundred Invited guests, people from Watauga,
adjoining counties, and froas distant places, who
revel in the bounty of the sprawling picnic table, and
enjoy the visiting and fellowship with some of the
most gracious folks to be found in the country.
THE HUNDRED-FOOT LONG TABLE, built along the creek
bank, where furnaces and standard type picnic tables had been
provided for community use, was covered from one end to the
other, with such an abundance of food as we've seldom seen....
The ladies of the community, some of whom told of cooking
through the night for the big feast, were in charge of the picnic,
which was a prodigious outpouring of the horn of plenty... There
was tasty country ham by the literal bushel, fried so as to be
tender, at the same time retaining its sweetness . . piles of
beefsteak and great containers of fish. . . . There was fried
chicken and huge bright pans filled with weiners. . . There
were beans, gravy, tomatoes, pickled eggs, deviled eggs, rolls,
buns, biscuits, loaf bread, cucumber pickles, corn on the cob,
peach pickles, slaw, potato salad, chocolate, lemon, apple and
cocoanut pies, cakes of every description, deliciously baked in
home ov4ns, coffee, tea, lemonade, orangeade, and doubtless
many other good things we don't recall. . . At the fringes of
the crowd, there were two or three great piles of watermelons,
half buried in crushed ice, like great potato hills, covered with
snow, and there was goodwill and friendliness and hospitality
the like of which one can hardly find anymore.
SHAKESPEARE Mid "great welcome makes a merry
feast," and we shall long remember the cordiality and
the generosity of these fine people, who prepared
mountains of food, and had a lot of their friends
down to enjoy the viands. . .. The food was expertly
prepared, temptingly arranged and to use the old
phrase, "a good time was had by all" would be the
understatement of the year.
INCIDENTALLY, we know of no section which has gone forward
more, or walked with a brisker step in the procession of
progress than has Elk township. .. . Long handicapped by poor
roads, the section is now coming into Its own. ... A fairly
narrow valley, the Triplett neighborhod is a land of plenty and
of happy, generous, good folks. . . . After the 1940 flood, it
looked as if all the topsoil was gone, but land has been largely
healed, and is again green and fruitful. . . . Triplett has built
a community house, and the picnickers made a freewill contribution
toward the completion of the interior of the structure,
which is a credit to all the people of the neighborhood. ... We
are indebted to our friends at Triplett for sharing their good
food with us, and for their hospitality and good will.
So This Is New York
By NORTH CALLAHAN
The young man stood on the
corner of 42nd Street and 8th Avenue,
the world'* busiest corner. It
was early dusk and he looked up
across the two stone lions which
ait in front of the public library
aad high above, his eyes took la
the shining spire of the Empire
State building. For a long moment,
he did not hear the noise of
the shuffling humans, the hum of
the automobiles and the shriek of
the policeman's whistle. His heart
waa full of the great city. He had
been here a year now, and waa
going back home on his first
vacation from his engineering job.
Picking up his leather bag, he
atralghtened up under its weight
and strode toward the railway station.
He had made good In the
world's largest city. At first he
had not liked Its strangeness, its
impersonal anpecta. But he had
atuck, and now knew that if he
could make good in New York
where top men compete with each
other, he could make good anywhere.
He was going home now.
He waa happy.
If you want to buy a college,
there are 186 of them in the
United State* that are located la
the wrong place, say* Arthur
Nealjr, director of the educational
department of "Who'a Who in
America." These include all type*
of collegia except inert college*
and they reported their situations
in a receat survey With the trend
toward Ike suburb*, smaller community
eollega* art mart is demand
and some communities
might be able to "buy" a fullyaccredited
aad staffed colteg* and
move N lock. Hock and curriculum
*
to a new home.
A busy advertising executive on
Madison Avenue wn (bowing a
friend around hii offices. He
bragged of the beauty, and said
that beside* the offices, he received
a big expense account, a long
vacation and a fine pension when
he was SB. The friend objected
that the executive bad been out of
college only a few years. "When
do you get to be 88?" he asked.
"In this business." replied the advertising
exec, "you get to be 89
overnight."
Oti» Fitchett reminds me that
in a recent diacuaaion of obscenity
in literature told on newiatanda. a
atate auprene court judge received
the following letter: "Your
Honor, I have run acroaa a book I
that ia a bucket of fwill. It portrays
a woman who lived In a
■hoe for • houae, with her brood,
but not once doet it mention her
spouae. I aubmit that thii volume
ia obaceae. lewd, and looae and
demand ita aupprenion. Its name:
'Mother Gooee.' "
At the New York Historical Society,
tome old print* remind u«
of the day* when volunteer fire
companies took car* of Gotham
conflagrations — in fact, (rem
colonial days to 1868. Muscles
rather than motors were the chief
means of letting the engine to the
fir* Another risk wae the likelihood
of * fistflght 11 rival companies
met M the way to a fire. Money
from tho Insurance companies
for potting out the fire was the
prist sought by all volunteer conv
(Continued on page seven)