North Carolina Newspapers

A DEMOCRAT BY WVttl PRINTINO COMPANT PUBUSHEB C. Blver», Ir. Cowrtr: Mt ot Coagrtu of U lmporUat to mention lh« OLD, BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, NOVEMBtR 14. 1W7 Veterana' Day Monday waa Veterana' u»y. Originally Armlitice Day. flrst observed as an anniversary of the slgning of the armlstice terms which ended World War one, the day i« now known offidally as veterana' day—a time when veterana oí all the wars should be bonored. In Boone, looklng ¿lown the Street we were unable to aee a flag, except the one that files at the postoffice, no celebratlon had been planned, and there wu business as usual. Fact is, unless one found the • For Flu, Fiery Water When influenza flrst carne around, the word was spread in this ncighborhood that the only thing that would aid in the cure of the great plague was coro likker, or apple brandy or something of the sort. And in those days when the country was in the birth pains of the noble experi ment, and folies were scared stiff of the law, we heard it was rather hard to come by the moonshine. Bul there were those non-conformists who kindled the fires under the mash in the laurel hells and in the alders and there was some white lightning fortheoming. We don't know whether or not those who laid great store by the spirits got rid of the misery by a jolter of coro, but some vowed they kept the disease away from their doors by downing the toddy in good health. poiiomce winaow cioseu nc wuuiuu i uiay be know the day had anv «pedal slgnifi cance. Which|doe» not mean that the veterana are held in lowered esteem here, or that there U any deliberate intentlon oí mtn imizing their aacriflcea. It la juat that in the hectic whirl of the buaineaa cycle, (olks are inclined to neglect «orne oí tfieir duties. Back aoon after the firat world-wide war, when it waa generally belleved that the power of the imperial Germán government had been smashed to bita, and that Woodrow Wilson's dreara oí malcing the world safe (or democracy had been fulfllled, Armiatice Day waa the big oc casion. Celebrationa were held each year somewhere in the area and we remember on occaslons when the firewerks were in some nearby town, Boone would be pracr tically deserted until the observance was over. Now that the casualtiea of another great er war have been counted, and a second one fought in Korea, with Russian satellites spinning around in outer «pace like mad, and thia country maybe aadly behind in the race for armed supremacy, it looks like we'd think more about our veterana, and the years oí peace they brought us. And we ihould have a care for the youngstera who are enteríng the armed cervices, and maybe shed a tear for the prospects they face in this maddening age of power and greed and armaments. Math Gets Red Priority In a town where education if the prin cipal industry, matteri about ichooli are of especial concern. So we are interested in the report that Russian kids itart studying algebra and geometry in the sixth grade, trigonometry and calculus in the ninth and by the time they gradúate have had ten years oí math cmatics. Soviet high schoolers have five years of physics, four years oí chemiatry, five years oí biology and one year oí astronomy, and go to school six days a week. Such a system doubtless has to do with the Russian successes in the íields of satellites and missiles and the like. And to be sure an educational system conducted under strict governme^tal dis cipline can develop a higher pressure sys tem oí education and forcé the better students through advanced courses in a good deal shorter time than in this country, where the interests, wishes and happiness of the individual means a Ict in the edu cational system. Our brighter students couid pace any sort oí educational setup, we íeel, but there is another placa where a democratic íorm of govcrnment and an imperial setup are at variance. There childhood interests and the goldcn teen period are drowned in the harsh demands oí the State. Here, our youngsters go through school in a comparative fairyland of social activities, optíonal academic courses, sports, and church activities. Of course our system ftnds trouble in competing with the naked forcé of the positive governments, in the matter of wars, but come what may, our youngsters are belng allowed to live, and develop ac cordlng to their owrt talents and notions. And that's something worth going to bat for. Chief Death Causes Figures suppiied by the North Carolina Heart Association indícate that the six leading causes of death in North Carolina are, in the order given, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, cáncer, accidenta, influenza-pneumonía, diabetes, cirrhosia of the liver. It is interesting to note that tuberculosis, due to the preventivo work of the Tuber culosis Association and other activities, has been deposed as one of the leading killers. In Watauga county, the rundown of the 1956 fatality list, in the order of the cause of death is a* follows: heart diseases 77, influenxa-pneumonia 52, accidenta 20, cán cer 12, diabetes 6, and prematurity 1. Heartening alto is the information that cáncer is fourth here, as against second in the State as a whole. Time For Walking (Hlckory Daily Record) Maybe it's because we grcw up in the days when Teddy Roosevelt and his theory i_ oí vigorous or rugged living held swqy, but the suggestion, made at the meeting of the North Carolina Recreation Society this week, that more exerdae would help the public's health, brings a loud "amen" from l our córner. # To the correlated suggestion made at the meeting, that "maybe children should Ieven walk to school," we'U add cven a louder "amen." We are convinced that lf more children walked to school, fewer would need to be driven to the doctora' ofdcM, and we'd have a more healthy public. Not only would the physical health of the youths improve, but their mental outlook would brlghten and they would flnd na ture otter Lag a fasdnating itudy, wlth each day pre senting a new page of intereatinig and color ful aighta, aounds and happcnlngi along th« way. We think that tbe conditiona aa dis closcd by the physical tests glven draftees, as reported by the speaker at thi« meeting, reveal a shameful conaition, and indícate that truly this natlon is becoming a second rate power because its citizent are becom ing physically soft. Hickory with its beautiful, tree-lined streets, with sidewalks in most oí the areas, has its schools so well spotted over the community that most oí the boys and girls could easily walk, especially when the weatber is nice. We are confident that many benefits would come if parents insisted on their children walking. Parking around the schools would not be such a problem; traí fic would be lessened; mothers would have more hours ln the day to attend to other# presslng duties—and, best oí al!, we be lieve, the youths' heaith and resista nce to dispases would be such they would be immune to many oí the bodily ailments, including the colds, coughs and sniifles which now lay them low. Re-Routed By Aleuader Stretch's Sketches By "STRETCH" ROLLINS Moat Whatnika Are Notnika — Thia One'a A Spoofnik IT IS WELL KNOWN to one and all that thia is the age of miraclet. The man-made kind. Strange ihingt are happening. The' Ruttíant really atarted aomething with their Sputnik-antic». It'a quite* pUin that the inhabltanta of other worldt have aeen them and are tend acouta down to (ind out lf there really ia some form of lif« on thla fragraent of the univerae. Becauae havent we aeen them? So far theae reconnalsanee partiea from Mara, Venua, et al, have made their prea enee known to only a aelect few. They aecm to have a peculiar affinity for cornflelda and lonely roada. Soon aa aomebody aifes them—«oom!—they're gone, leaving no trace. But don't laugh at the Earth ereature» who claim they have aeen theae thinga. Even if cal loua unbelievera did toia one of the choteo ones lato the neareat boobyhatch juat becauae he happened to mention that he had talked with ■trange little men from outer apacet They laughed at Noah and hit Aifc, too. And at Don Ameche and hit telephone. AND NOW, U you have been aufficiently brain waahed, It can be told. I carne upon a atrange aight betide a buty hlghway laat Saturday. Fearful, but compelled beyond my power to reiiat, I stopped to inveati gate. It wat a mechanicai object built aomewhat along the linet of an automobile, but much tmall er. But it was cvidently bigger iniidc than out alde, beca use the two bizarre-looktng creatures atandlng betide it seemed to be larger than it was. They were dad in heavy, cloak-like gar menta that seemed to be made of tome aort o( fur. Perched on the head of one wa« an objeet that looked a little like • hat, but was bright green encircled by a red braided band with • purple feather sticking out of it. It had a high, three-cornered crown and the brim was hardly a brim at all. The headpiece of the other defiet description. I immediately pegged her for a female, and this judgment waa borne out later when ahe did most of the Ulking. They earried little flags of tome kind, and they ha id them aloft while emitting an unintelllgible warwhoop The male pulled a small instrument with dials from hia garments and listened lntently for a moment—apparently in communication with hia native planet. They seemed to be friendly, jabbering ex citedly in a strange topgue from which emerged something that sounded like "rickety-raek, rai mataz, sis boom bah"—and once I waa sur* ! heard the word, "Státe." They produced a long, sllver-colored, flask-like container and took deep draughts from it. This no doubt, was some atomic elixir with which they sustained life on this planet. THE DISILLUSIONMENT was acute when they turned out to be a couple of oíd grada—Clasa of T7—headed for th^ homecoming football game in a Volkswagen. From Early Democrat Files Slxty Yeart Ago November 11, Utfl. J. W. Farthing, with ■ aquad of handa, U now engaged in repairing the telephone Une from here to Blowing Rock, and reporta aay that he la doing a good Job. The railroad propoaition now before the p«ople of the eounty la the best and moat reaaonable one we have yet had and our people ought to vote for the bonda to a man. Rev. A. L. Stanford. the Methódiat miniater on thia work. preached hla farewell aermon here on laat Sunday. He goea to conterence next week and we voiee the aentimenta of hla con gtegations add the public at Urge wheo we aay that hla return la anxloualy hoped for. Tbe road from bere to Lenolr ta now lined wlth produce wagona from thia eounty, and at laat reporta, cabbage waa worth on that market from 39 to 90 centa per hundred and applea from 18 to 10 centa a buahel. Now, Um average expenae of one load of produce from here to Lenolr ia $9 to aay nothing oi the wear and tear on teama and horaea. Let thoae who oppose voting railroad bonda to bring a markat to thia eounty atop, calcúlate and determine whether or not the amount pald out for tranaportiug on* load of produce to market each year would pay the ir pro rata part of the tai cauaed by the voting of the bonda. Should the tax be equally divided between the Uxpayera of tbe eouaty It would be leaa than $2 per head. A new «nterpriae ha» sprung up in W«atara North Carolina. A French company haa pur chaaed a larga tract of land near Montenuna, Uitchell eounty, and will erect a factory for the parpóte at manufaetuhng pipa* from ivy roote. Ganara! Longatreet ia now gay aad hfppy The Preaident haa appointed him to iucceed General Hampton on Intentat* Commerce Com misiion. General Longatreet haa racanüjr man ried a young miíe. . . . ThirtyNine Yeart Ago NavaariMr 14. Mlt. ' The official returoa from the dlatrict «how that Capt LovOI waa «lected ta tbe State tanate from thia dlatrict by a cloea vota of only 11 votaa. ... Mr. 3. t Mu] ligan, tuperinteadant ti oor road work from Wilkes county, ti with the two shovel crews in Watauga thia week, while Engineer Colé, witb hit corpa of helpers, ís in the county of Wilkes locating the roid in (ront of a ahovel coming thia way on the Boone Trail Híghway Mr. Ed Teague, a hard-working citixena, died at Shulls Milla Tuesday morning, of influenza, leaving a wife and aeven amall children. . , . Interment waa at the Hiñe graveyard yeaterday J. D. Councill, chairman of the local eiemp tlon board, has received a telegram from Pro vost Marshal General Crowder advising him to entrain no more men for the army. . . . The secónd steam ahovel for Watauga'a good roada haa been delivcred in Boone and waa put to work in the W. L. Bryan meadow Just beyond the Blackburn property Tuesday evea ing, and ia working west, meeting the one that ia coming in thia direction from Brushy Fork. One of our aoldier boya, Mr. Fred Winkler, son of Mrs. Lelia Winkler, ia confined in a hospital in Briatol, England. recovering from wounds re ceived in "no man'a land" from bursting shrapnel some time lince. Just how bad the young man was hurt has not been learned, but his letters in dícate that he ia improving right along. . . .> The Great World War, after a bloody grapple of more than four years, has come to aa end. That arch flend, the Kaiser, the Crown Prince and Von Hindenburg, Field Marahal of tfce' Germán army, are in hiding in Holland. . • . In a word the i ron ring ia tightened at her borden and the civilized world waits while G^rmtny re forma herself fM>m within • • • j Fifteen Yetara Ago November lt, 1MX. John E. Brown, Jr., of Boone, clertc la the local poatofflce, waa nominated Monday by President Itooaevett for the poatmaatershlp la thia city, and the Senate is expected to confina the appointment today or tomorrow. Harstin Shull, age 80, Watauga na ti ve, died n»ar Petersburg, Va., ta Diawtddie county, Oc tober 91. Death wat attributed to heart failura. Mr. Shuil'a death was said to ha ve been oecu ioned aa • reautt of «treme shoek received ta • sar aceident. .... The farmers of Watauga oouaty have alrpady purchaaed four car» M feed whoat from Coaimo dity Crodlt Corporation and ara an Uklng orden for tk« fifth aad laat car. KING STREET I By ÑOB RIVFRSI HE LABOBED U8EFULLY .. 80ME REFLECTIONS _Few if any men we have known along tbe Street formed more mendthipc or ivachod a higher pinnacle oí profeasional attain ment than Dr. J B. Haga man Aa tbe body oí the esteemed phy sician and friend of ao many folks waa Uld away the other day we carne to muse upon the Journey which he had finished and upon the faithíulneaa with which he carrifd out his taska oí min isterfng to the aíflicted, and easing the burdena oí those wbo were distraught and bereft. So far as we know, Dr. Hagaman was the laat oí the phyaicians ta thia area wbo sUrted out ta the saddle bag area, and while he practiced only in the vaniahing fringes oí Oíd Dobbin's reign, he jogged over many a mile of rutted road and rocky trail, in the ice and the cold, the rain and the mud bringing ease and healing to the people of a aection largely untouched by com munity hospitals. # THERE WERE HOOF BEATS ON THE ROCKS, followed by the coughing, spluttering Tin Lizzie. . . . There were anxious hours in field hoapitai* while the young physician toiled with the caraage of the first great war. . . . There were fast automobiles purring along asphalt ribbons, where there uaed to be bouldera and ehuekholes. . . . There were emergencies ta the amall hours of the night, the open door, and the hope with which the man of medicine waa greeted by anxloua houaeholdera. . . . There were long vigila ta kerosene lighted rooms and hushed conversationa when the spirlt aeemed to atruggle mlghtily to wreat itaelf from the waated tenement of clay. AND IN THE CHILL GRAY WATCHES OF THE DAWN sometimes, gentle fingers laid a limp hand, bluing in the un hurried processes of death, aeross a stilled breast, and there was an almost imperceptible shake of a physician's head as he looked up from the tumbled bed where the long sleep had fiñished the miaeries of the flesh. . . . And sometimes the automobiles didn't keep their distance on the mountain roads, and there would be amashed steel, splintered glass and the anguish of the injused and dying, and the skill and calm oí a beloved physician. . . . And now and again there were happy times like when the patient who'd had a hard time had re sponded to the medications and the care and it looked like he might take his place again in the store, on the farm or in the office. . . . There were the tormented wails when a little child had been taken from fond parents, and the balm when the new baby arrived on the scene, pinkish, full oí vim, vigor and / shrieks. BEFORE DR. HAGAMAN passed every aort of hu man emotion, from the hate which caused one man to strike down hia neighbor to the tenderneaa of a lovtag mother for her ailing child. ... He was able to meet every situation considerately, with kindness and eompassion and east a ray of sunlight tato the most hopelesa developments. . . . To an almost un believable degree this kJndlv physician, who served hls people with sucb competence and devotion, prac ticed the healing arta without reward or even ao much as a hope of reward. . . . Begger, rich man, captain of finance, the pauper ta his rags—all fared well and equally at his hand. AILMENTS OF THE SPIRIT . . UNDERSTANDING NEEDED Once at the midnight bour we had a session wíth Dr. Hag aman which stands out in our memory of many pleasant asso ciations. . . - His home had been converted, temporarily, into a clinic and the house was full of patienU, upstairs, down and out in the street. . . . The good physician was enjoying the rest which carne with an interlude oí conversation. . . . "Are all those íolks outside sick?" we inquired. "Not all oí them are— not bodily that is. Many oí them are organically sound." "What do you do—tell them there's nothing the matter wlth 'em?" we queried. "No, I can't do that," carne the quiet, calm answer. "They have troubles too. I haré to glve them some harmless pill and then talk to them. . . . They need consolation, under standing . . some one to share their troubles . . and their con dition may be quite as serious as some of those with organic ailments." . . . And there lived no man who could so brighten the outlook, cheer the faltering and steady the load as Dr. Hagaman, and valuable as his nostrums and professional min istrations were, his words of consolation often meant more. . . . Sir Walter Scott said: "True love's the gift Which God has given To man alone beneath the heaven .. . It is the secret sympathy, The silver link, the siiken Ue, Which heart to heart and mind to mind In body and 1n soul can bind." So This Is New York By MRTH CALLAHAN Now that we have had another ílection of a mayor here, it may be well to take a look at hia poaition —which la called by tbe New York Hiatorical Soelety — the "Second Hardeat Job ia the World." At one time, of eourae, the mea with the flrtt and aecond hardeat Joba —the local mayor and our national prealdrit — ahared thia clty aa beadquartert. It ia a far cry frora those early day» la 178# when the populatlon of New York City waa about 29,000 and ita hoaaea num bered only 3,900. Today w» haré about ellht miUion people and 789,000 buildingi here—and atill only one mayor. Hia flrat aalary waa $3,000 and now It la $40,000, but one man atill doea the Job and human endura nc* haa increaaed very little lince the co^jrful colon ial period Even ao, there la never • lack of anxioua candidato for tbe poaition. Thia nright be callrd aa Ínter national dty, what with tte United Natiooi located dtkii it, nt tht various "foreign" people who live here Some «ectioni of the city •re plentifully aprinkled with Ca nadiana, Englishmcn, Italiana and Iriah amone othera. Northern Man hattan la getting a tropical atmo aphere from the large number of Puerto Rieana aettling there. A vivid indlcation of thia la at the llOth Street áubway atatlon where over the well-known door, inatead of aaying "Men," the aígn read» "Hombrea." Rarnett Kano, author of the in teraating new book, The Gallaat lira Stonewall (Doubleday), writes me from a tour be la making through the Weat, and talla of the aroman who carne np to hlm after he had flnkahed «peaking on Stonewall Jackaoa and hia wife. "I read your book," ehe aaid. "and I litad lt—all of It, that la, exeept the laat pagos—that'a where yau let Stonewall «a!" Another valu able volunte that haa jaat come t* my attantion to entltlad Gusa (Continuad «o f*i* aight)