WATAUGA DEMOC An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Seventy-Third Year of Continuous Publication PRICE: FIVE CENTS BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, JANUARY 19, 1M1 FOURTEEN i * VOLUME LXXIII. ? NO. t% FOR BEST RESULTS column* of circulation. ON STADIUM SITE. ? Workmen clear away trees and underbrush on the site of Appalachian State Teachers College's new football field. The stadium, when completed, will replace the one now being used, beside the men's old gym. ? ASTC News Bureau photo. Morton Sees General Upping Of Burley Tobacco Allotments Washington. ? Republican Sen. Thruston B. Morton of Kentucky this week predicted a general in crease in burley tobacco acreage allotments this year. "I personally think the increase ought to be about 10 per cent," Morton said. Morton made his prediction af ter a conference with Secretary of Agriculture Ezra Taft Benson. Morton presented statistics show ing a rise in burley consumption in recent years. Burley consumption has out stripped total production, in fact, for the last six years ? each year since the last burley allotment de crease in 1954. Morton credited much of the re cent burley gain to the popularity of filter-tip cigarettes. More bur ley is used in filter-tips than in non-filter brands. Morton said cigarette manufac turers have been pressing for an increase in burley allotments. He mentioned the R. J. Reynolds and Brown and Williamson tobacco companies in particular. The manufacturers, he said, have been forced to cut their bur Icy inventories below desirable levels because of the increased de mands. The manufacturers have found some relief, Morton said, in the "homogenizing" process which al low them to use almost all the to bacco plant. But they can be ex pected to ask for allotment in creases, he said, when tobacco in dustry leaders meet with congres sional and administrative officials here later this month. Also, Morton said, the increased demand for burley has allowed some foreign markets to challenge "the traditional predominance" of American burley. "And once you lose your foreign markets, it's awfully hard to get them back." Morton noted that any increase in allotments would have to come Toastmaster Club To Meet The Toaslmastcrs Demonstration Program will be held January 23rd at 7 o'clock at Kirk's Res taurant. A Dutch dinner will be served at *1.23 per person. Toastmaster Lieutenant Gover nor Robert Almons will be present, along with twelve or fifteen guests from Morganton, Ashcvillc and Hickory. This is a meeting for the pur pose of deciding whether or not a Toastmastcrs Club is wanted In Boone. It is asked that there be a full attendance at this meeting, and those who have been notified call the Chamber of Commerce at once so that reservations may be made. from the new Democratic Secre tary of Agricuture, Orville Free man. Byt freeman will have the same information that has been avail able to Secretary Benson, Morton noted, and will probably order an increase. Sen. Morton also discussed the possibility of new legislation chal lenging the small burley growers' protection against allotment de creases. Under present Uw, the farmer with an acre of tobacco or leu is not required to participate in the allotment decrease!. Morton said that because of this, larger growers have had to bear the borden of allotment reductions. The Senator indicated he may sponsor legislation requiring across-the-board decreases to all burley growers on a percentage basis. He would not, however, re quire the small grower to decrease his allotment below the 1960 level. State Calf And Yearling Sales Seen For Boone Both a feeder calf and yearling steer sale sponsored by N. C. Cat tlemen Association, may be held in Boone this year if 500 cattle can be signed up for each_sale by July 1. This was the tentative promise given a group of cattle producers in a meeting at the Boone Court house last Thursday. Representing the Cattlemen's Association was Bill Austin Jr., secretary. Also present were H. D. Quesscnberry, cattle marketing specialist, N. C. Department of Bluff District Travel Is Off The Bluff District of the Blue Ridge Parkway had a decrease in travel of 6:9% as compared to December last year. The "Monthly Visitor Report" gives visitors for Calendar Year 1960 as compared to Calendar Year 1999. James River (Virginia) ? Mile 0 to US ? Visitors this month, 17, 907. Sqme month last year, 29,854. Rocky Know (Virginia)? Mile 115 to 217? Visitors this month, 64,752; Same month last year, 70, 309. Bluffs (North Carolina) ? Mile 217 to 305? Visitors this month, 42,999; Same month last year, 46, 176. Asheville (North Carolina) ? Mile 305 to 469? Visitors this month, 43,681; Same month last year, 39,007. Total visitors this month; 169, 239. Total visitors same month last year: 181,342. MAN IN SPACE IN SPRING The first American manned rocket, ride i* set for early spring if a large ape survives th4 jolt of ? blast-off from Cape Canaveral early in 1961. Agriculture, and A. V. Allen, ex tension beef cattle specialist. State College, Raleigh. Watauga beef cattle producers, county agents, and market oper ators pointed out that census fig ures show that we have 4,382 beef cows in Watauga county and that some cattle can be expected from nearby areas. Many of our farm ers also pasture yearling steers that are sold in the fall. A yearling steer sale was pro posed for Friday, October 13, and a feeder calf sale for Friday, Oc tober 27. A sign-up for these pro posed sales must be completed by the first of July so that the cattle men's association may determine if enough cattle can be obtained for the sales. Rites Held For W. C. Watson William Clarence Watson, 50, prominent Sugar Grove citizen, who engaged in trucking and in farming activities, died at Wata uga Hospital last Wednesday, after a long illness. Funeral services were held at the Cove Creek Baptist Church Friday at 2 o'clock. Rev. E. M. Blankenship, Rev. Alvin Wilson and Rev. E. 0. Gore conducted the rites and burial was in Laurel Springs Church cemetery. Survivors include the widow, Mrs. Lucy Mast Watson, a stepson and a stepdaughter: Martin Luth er Bingham of Sugar Grove, and Mrs. Blaine Miller, of Middle brook, Conn. There are four brothers: Cloyd, Floyd, Guy Watson, Deep Gap and Allie Watson of Boone. TB Seal Sale Funds Short The Tuberculosis Seal Sale in the AUeghany-Ashe-Walauga Dis trict has now reached $4,405, which remains short as compared to the money needed to carry out the 1961 TB program. More fundc arc needed and it is not too late to mail your contribution before the final report is made. The money contributed makes it possible throughout the year to meet the needs of our local TB patients and keep the chest X-ray mobile units coming into the coun ties as well as to carry on a strong program of Research, Edu cation and Rehabilitation. CAMPUS VISITORS. ? John Rooks, prinlcpal of Union Grove School, Union Grove, introduce* Appalach ian State Teacher* College to eleven of hli (tudenta who visited the campua. All the students are inter eated in attending the inatitution upon their graduation from high school. Principal Roolca, a graduate of ASTC, received his B. S. in 1840. and Us M. A. In 1854.? ASTC ^cw? Bureau photo. :.'5 EsF TERM TO LAST FOR A WEEK fp? 150 To Face Trial When Court Convenes Monday Speed, Other Road Counts Add To Docket The January term of Wa tauga Superior court will con vene next Monday, with Hon orable W. K. McLean of Ashe ville, the presiding Judge. The term is for the trial of criminal cases, says Clerk A. E. South, and will last no more than one week. About 150 cases will , be tried, Mr. South says, the ov erwhelming majority of which involve speeding and other traffic violations. However, ten are to be tried on charges of breaking and entering and there are some indictments for violation of the prohibition laws. Sheriff Is Reminded Of Court Rules Rules of courtroom civility and procedure for the sheriff of Wa tauga county, were handed to Sheriff E. M. Hodges recently, and speil out the way the spring term of court is expected to be con ducted. The rules were handed out by th* Honorable W. K. Mc Lean, Judge, who will preside over the term of court beginning Mon day. The rules specify that the sheriff and his deputies shall be capable of maintaining order in the courtroom at all times, and these officers shall wear the prescribed uniforms of their office. The rules further state that the sheriff, or courtroom officer, shall remain in the courtroom at all times while the court is in session, and shall be stationed near the judge, remain alert and devote his attention exclusively to the court and the enforcement of its rules. The sheriff, or courtroom off it' er, shall see that order and quiet is maintained in the courtroom at all times while court is in session, and at any recess taken, and until court adjourns for the day. The following rules shall also be strictly enforced by the sheriff and courtroom officer: They shall not permit any per son, either attorney, officer, or spectator, to talk or engage in conversation while the court is in session, except attorneys, parties, and witnesses actually engaged in the trial of a case. Shall under no circumstances permit any person, except attor neys, officers on official business, (continued on page six) WAS IT THAT COLD? ? Highway engineers estimated that nearly a thousand pounds of ice projected from this culvert under U. S. Highway 321 near Boone at the time this picture was taken. Resembling a huge ice machine, the water froze as it drained into the creek below the road.? Photo Flowers' Photo Shop. Unemployment Relief In Area Is Not Expected Before April Elkin.? Relief in the unemploy ment problem in a seven-county area served by the Mount Airy and North Wilkesboro offices o? the Employment Security Com mission cannot be expected before April, manager! of the two officei said this week. New claims for unemployment insurance in December rose sharp ly over those of November at both offices, indicating a substan tial increase in unemployment in the seven counties, the managers said. At the Mount Airy office, which serves Surry and Yadking counties, December claims totaled 2,221, compared with 1,161 in Novem ber, or an increase of almost 100 per cent. December, 1960, claims were more than double those of December, 1969, according to off ice manager Carl M. Baber. A similar situation was reflect ed by the North Wilkeiboro off ice, which serves Ashe, Alleghany, Alexander, Watauga and Wilkes counties. Troy Perry, office manager, said new claims in December amounted to 1,677, compared to only 1,205 in November and Just 666 in De cember, 1999. Both Baber and Perry had the same explanation for at least a part of the increase in claims. They pointed out that many industrial plants in the area cloacd down for one week during the Christmas holidays and that many employea took an additional one-week holi day, for which they later filed claims for unemployment insur ance. Both managers agreed that the outlook for the next 60 days is not optimistic, but they expressed belief that some pickup may be expected by the first of April. Normally, the k-*ea experiences a slackness in production at this time of year, they said, but the situation this year is worse than usual. Baber said a small hosiery mill la being moved from YanceyviUe to Mount Airy and should be in production soon, employing 40 to SO workers. Also on the brighter side is an expansion program at Washington Mills in DoWon, which will create 129 new Job* by apring. Perry said most Industries in the five-county area served by his office have laid off workers dar ing the past SO to 60 days. The Industrie* Include furniture, con struction, woodworking, hosiery, apparel and toxtilea. ail of which MISS ELIZABETH LORD AT LOOM Miss Elizabeth Lord Succumbs Saturday Miss Elizabeth M. Lord, 63. dir ector of Watauga Handicrafts in Boone, died at Watauga Hospital laat Saturday after an extended period of falling health. Funeral services were held at the Boone Methodist Church Mon day at 1 o'clock, by the pastor Rev. Preston Hughes, who was assisted in the rites by Rev. E. F. Trout man, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church. Services are to be held also at Berwick, Maine, with burial In Evergreen cemetery, Berwick. Survlvtag are two brother*, Her bert W. Smart, Jackson Heights, N. Y. and Irving O. Smart, Oxford, Mas*. Miss Lord was born In Balti more, M