WATAUGA DEMOCRAT ESTABLISHED m J888 PUBLISHES EVERY THURSDAY BY RIVERS PRINTING COMPANY, INC R. C. RIVERS, JR., EDITOR AND MANAGER JEAN RIVERS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR An Independent VW*** Newspaper TCwuned lor 45 YeVrs by Robert C. Rivera, Sr. SUBSCRIPTION RATES (EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, IMS) IN NORTH CAROLINA One Ye?r _.l *3 09 Six Months 81.80 Four Month* *1.30 OUTSIDE NORTH CAROLINA One Yew $4.00 Six Months $2 50 Four Months Sgi $2.00 Subscriptions Payable in Advance requesting change of address, it is important to mentis tt* pLjp, as wcU as the NSW a 9b0.pt "Corp Without Plowing." Corn without plowing? Why, in former President Truman's generation that wopld have beep practically like farming without ffrmiftg. flow POulcJ you keep the weeds down except witb a cultiyatqr? Well, it turns out that tillage can be omitted if the land is sprayed Wtth weeq-luJUng chemicals pefore the corn is planted. Experimenters in Ohid have found that they can still get yields of around 100 bushels to the acre. Ttys cost is about the S?nw to? question is whether the farmer has something more useful to do with the time he saves. Here and there it would be' easy fqr a newspaperman to wax nostal gic ?b?ut the earth squishing up between hare toes as 9 farm boy fol lowed a patient hprae down the corn raws, put the lament probably would be written not with a lead pencil but on ?n electric typewriter. And the writer might be wondering how long before a computer will tell him what fcejp to tap. Need For Intensive Analysis From Early Democrat Files Sixty Years Ago April M, 1943. S. B. Dugger of Vilts, has bought the mercantile business of Roger & Combs at Vaughts ville, Tenn., and moved to that place. S?ow the IStb of April and a heavy wood fire seems quite strange, but such are the condi tions here now. Dr. Pariier was down from the Rock last week on professional business. Sheriff Baird left Monday for Statesville and Raleigh. He took Phillips and Walser, who were convicted of larceny at the last term of court, to the Iredell chain gang, and Roby Warren, who submitted for murder in the second degree, to the peniten tary where he will serve a term o( five years at hard labor. We are again in the midst of another cold "snap" and the In dications are today (Wednes day) that a considerable freeze tonight is almost certain. Attorney E. S. Coffey and family returned from Morganton Tuesday. The closing exercises of Wa tauga Academy begins today and closes with a concert tomorrow night. The program is quite ela borate; the students have taken considerable pains in preparing for the occasion and a very pleasant time is expected. Two violators of the Internal Revenue Laws from Caldwell. Messrs, Crump and Bolick, were tried before Commissioner Bry an on Monday charged with re tailing. They were both found guilty and are now biding their time in jail awaiting the next term of the Federal Court that convene* in States vilie next Monday. Mr. Charles H Doughton died recently in Alleghany county at the age of 100 years. He survey ed the land for the county when Alleghany was formed. Remember the date of the meeting of the trustees of the Training School for Teachers. Blowing Bock, Friday, May 19. Thirty-Nine Years Ago April 17, 1924. The roses and shrubbery or dered by the Boone Chamber of Commerce have arrived and are being distributed and it is "first come, first served" with Mr. W. H. Gragg. If you do not secure yours, do so at once if you c^n before they are all taken, as you can npt hope to get these at the price asked from other sources. Mr. J. S. Winkler has opened up and nicely arranged in the Ellis building the lottie stock of merchandise formerly owned by W. A. Thomas. Fresh groceries will be added to the stock and it will be made to pay as much as possible of the outstanding liabi lities. Capt. E. F. Lovill left yester day morning for Baleigh, where he is attended the State Demo cratic Convention, which is in session in tlje capital city today So far as we know he is the only one of the list of delegates nam ed to attend. Just One Thing By CARL GOERCH AFTER ANOTHER Now that the General Assem bly is in session, it is interesting to note the attitude of some of the memhers in connection with appropriaitons and taxes. Some of the members apparently are willing to be extremely liberal when it comes to contributing to operating expenses of various institutions and agencies but, at the same time, they are opposed to any. increase in taxes. Reminds us of a conversation we had a few years ago with Mr. Sherwood Upchurch of Ra leigh, now dead. Sherwood was quite a char acter. He stopped us on the street one day and said: "I be lieve 111 run for governor." "On what platform?" we in quired. "First, M advocate automo bile license plates at one dollar each." , "ThM F?lW g* y OH Mm vot*s of thousands of auto owners." "Second, I'd advocat? doing away with the gasoline Ma" "That would get you the vote* of thousands of mqre *uto owners." "Third, I'd advocate doing away with the sale* tax." "One hundred thousand more votes." "Fourth, I'd advocate an In crease of 25 per cent ' in the salaries of school teachers." "Practically every school tea cher in North Carolina would vote for you. But tell us, Mr. Upchurch, if you're going to do *11 thfse things, where would you get the money with which to run the various department* of state government?" He waved his hand airily, "I'm not interested in all that," was hit answer. "I'm merely going to give the people what they want; let them worry about the rest of it." Two prominent Easetrn North Carolinians are Vivian Whit field and Vivian Whitfield ? husband and wife who h?ve ex actly the same name. This is unusual, but Rev. W. H. Goodman of Edistp Island, S. C., can beat it. He tells us about the father and stepmother of Scott R. Knox of Bear Poplar, N. C. Father's name was Robert Cowan Knox. Stepmother, before she got married, was named Robert Cowan. (Robert is a rather un usual name for a girl, but it sometimes happens that girls ar? given ty>y?' names.) The lady was named Robert Cowan. The gentleman was named Robert Cowan Knox. They got married. The lady is now Robert Cowan Knox, and her husband is Rob ert Cowan Knox. Rhode Island is the smallest state in the Union. Practically every state has a motto. Rhode Island's motto is "Hope." Just four letters. Small est motto in the Union. Practically every state h?s a state flower. Rhode Island's flower is the violet. One of the smallest flowers in th(* coun try.; I And now Boone to to luve a bakery. Mr. Frank Critcher ha* purchased all the paraphernalia necessary for a bakery which will be put in operation in the basement under the store of the Boone Drug Co. This will be an other needed addition to the town. Mr. Charles Younce has begun work on his new home in the Buena Vista addition to the town. Several other new build ings in that popular section of the town are planned (or this season. Mr. Barnett, one of our groc ers, is erecting a new store buiWing oo t lot mtWnta* tta Dr. Bingham property. He will move his stock from his present stand just as soon as the new building can be completed. Mr. George Greene is lust completing a comfortable home ia the east Boone section. Mr. C. p. Farthing and family have returned from a few dfys visit to relatives in Raleigh. The Democrat last week, con cerning the establishment of an ice plant ia Boone, somewhat "mussed up" a local item. Just the same, the ice and cold stor age plant that will be owned and operated by Messrs. E. IS- Habn and W. Boy Johnson will be In operation in the very near fu ture. Fifteen Years Ago April IS, IMS. Mr- and Mrs. Lee Paget and Mrs. James Morrison of New land, were Sunday guests at Mr. and Mrs. C. B. Angel. Mrs. J. D. Councill returned to her home here Thi^rsday af ter spending 10 days visiting with Mr. and Mrs. R. H. DeVault and Mr. and Mrs. Prank Councill in Bristol. Mrs. Lou H. Taylor, Mrs. H B. Perry, Sr., Mrs. Naomi Farthing, Miss Gertrude Perry and Miss Nancy Taylor attended the Ala lea Festival in Wilmington over the week end. Lieut, and Mrs. Horton Gragg, who have been stationed iq Ok inawa for the past two years are with homefolks here for 60 days, before going to Polk Pay- t etteville, Lieut. Gragg's new post of duty. They were met in Chi cago by Mr. and Mrs. W. jj. Gragg, parents of Lieut. Gragg, and the group spent two or three days there before returning to Boone. Mr. Q. L. Adams of Miami. Fia., it ? guest this week of Mr and Mr?. p. b ARg?l Mr. and Mrs. Joe Brexnay of Cleveland, Ohio, announce the birth of a son on April 3. Mrs. Bresany is t^a former Miss Chloe Eggers. Mr. Poly W. Moratx is ill a{ his hcuqr here and information is that while his condition is not too serious, he will likely be confined to his home for sever al (lays. Mr. and Mrs. Wm. H. King an nounce the birth of ? daughter, Conie Sue, on April 10, at Wa tauga Hospital. Mrs. Alice Bobbins left ftu) day for Bristol, Tenn., where she will spend several days visit ing with friends and relate*. Mr. and Mrs. Y. F. Greene have returned to their hopqf at Deep Gap after spending the w^ter in Miami, Fi|, * IT w m mrm On one of our Infrequent visits to Sparta, we had a talk with veteran Mayor Glenn Nichols, and learned that as a youngster he lived at the Jim Smith place the other side of Poplar Grove, went to school to Monroe Francum, and later to George Sudderth while visiting an uticle, George Nichols, in the virinity of Sandy Ftats Schpol ... As a lad he* walked to Boone and watched Bob Rivers, tye first, set type hy hand antf print the Demo crat without benefit qf mechanical power. From Alleghany . . Many Cape The Nichols faulty came from AUegluny la 1>K ?ad left la UN, close U the time that others (rm Alleghany >?**? TO >!?? . . Alex Woody moved to the loot .1 Pine Hill, aear Shall* Mills, while Sam and John Phipps established reside ice below him on the river . . . Marion Phipps, who U*J at Primitive Baptist meetings, settled at Foscoe along with Joe Phipps aad Dr. Phipps . . . Dr. Bafus BricfceU aba went to Foscoe. All -Hard SheU" Bap tlst?. they had a church at Dr. Brichell's, Mr. Nichols says, hnawu as Baptist Valley Church, which was destroyed in the flood of MM . . . George Caadlll came aad lived near Valle Cruris, and Woods Young aad Pleas Andrews settled in Watauga township. Old Neighbors . . Gn Aw?) Mr. Nichols' family had as neighbors at Poplar Grove the Jim Smith family, Capt. Bill Hodges and Hits SaUie, J. M. Hodges, later a physician, and the Sam Lamberts, all of whom have long since died ... Mr. Nichols, who is approaching his eightieth year, came back to Boone for four summers at Appalachian Training School, as he was preparing himself to b? a teacher ... Be pursued this vocation in Alleghany county for more than twenty five yws, aad expects to b$ elected mayor again when the election comes up this spring ... A sort of king pin irt Democratic party politics, Mr. Nichols has on}y held coun ty office once? as Coroner . . . He has served on the deitHota board, on the Democratic Exec utive Committe*. and "always marks in the circle." . . He has been a Justice of the Peace for thirty years, and tries most of the folks who run afoul of the law in that section, is A Notary Public and presently has a string of callers, for whom he is filling out tax forms, and many others to whom he gives advice on a variety of personal problems . . Visitors to the Nichols office are greeted by a friendly dog, the Justice's con stant companion, which is a cross between a Spaniel and a fice . . . Strange thing, the dog stays at his owner's heels all day, is all ready to go when work time comes . . . But when it's Sunday, and the Master of the house reaches for his Sun School quarterly and Bihle, the dog don't budge, stays right at home till Mr. Glenn gets back * ? * His Town . . It's Growing Mr. Nichols says his town is dotal all right, it enjoying good growth, that he i? toon to initiate a cleanup campaign and plans are In the formative stage for a municipal parking lot, to siphon soma of the traffic off the streets ... Ho says a heap of folks mm to Sparta from the Parkway dar ing the summer, and ho sees a sustained growth for tho tfwn . . . "We have mo county debt, yon know," Mayor Nichols said, aa he recalled that when the courthawe was hupwsd la 1931, a new one was built without Issuing ho^ds or owing the tax structure . . |4e jrvery ffffx'Txa s TT~ ?TTT*"r .* ,T w " 77**] ? tie Wfaw kh bmrx tourist traffic for the coming sum go to Sparta much, like we used to wheif wf went once typ anh\le to Vp ***** to Congressman BonxhMi, hat we enjoyed t h e fellowshipplng with the Mayor, no enC ? * ?' Front Alteghjiar ? ? We Have Profited , ?; The movement to WaUufa county which started, to far as we now, about three Score and tpn yeari ago, has dpne a lot for Watauga, and many ?* AVe?^"y couP*y * ? ? Tf? are happy that f^sp In recent year*1 we have had the privl '?f? ?{ Httfl "W more Alleghapians . . . Among the many who have established homes and/ or businesses here, we ? might mention 0. K., Wayne, \Voodfow and Glenn Richardson. Eropry Joines, Fin is Wagner, Glenn Andrews and their families, who have con tributed so generously to the development and growth and tone of the community . . . Sparta is a lovely town, and we couWnt ever wish Mr. Glenn any hard luck, but if any more of his folks decide to leave, we hope they move this way . . From the industry and char acter and labors of such people has our section of the State grown and developed, and prospered beyond the fondest dreams of the strong moun tain men who went before. Uncle Pinkney HIS PALAVERVS'S DEAR MISTER EDITOR: 0)ur boys in Washington has been gitting deeper and deeper in debt now fer about 30 year and I been wondering what would happen if we final went plum busted. I recollect in 1924 that Germany went bankrupt and was trying to spend print ing press money that wouldn't buy nothing. Well, I see where the House Committee on Guvernment Op erations, whatever that is, has come out with the figgers. This agency says the U. S. holdings, as of June 30, 1962, was worth $299.4 billion, and butted agin our national debt of $298.2 bil JfcHV made us $1.2 billion in black. They rive a list of our hold ings and tfce tifo bfc