iPrf vj NANCY ALEXANDER WRITES A Trip To&Buffalo Cove By NANCY ALEXANDER "If you smell anything that smells like a polecat, it la," de clared Norah McGee, as we set forth in her bookmobile the other morning. "I ran over one accidentally the other day, and when the wind is right you can still get a whiff of it." However the air was fragr ant as we headed for Buffalo Cove deep in the mountains in a triangle of Caldwell, bordered by Watauga and Wilkes Coun ties. Skillfully Norah handled the unwieldy, cumbersome vehicle. Hills were drifting with mists of white and pink dogwood, "sarvice" trees and redbud. Flowerets of white fcloodroot and blue violets spangled the roadsides. Pink phlox or "thrift' cascaded along banks and walls. In fields fanners were busy turning and planting the rich, warm black earth. The first stop of the book mobile was a Cheeks Crossroads on the Patterson Road. The earliest customer was five-year old Hark Miller, who was ex pectantly waiting and eagerly ran to summon his elders. His choice was animal books. Pat rons enjoyed chatting with one another while selecting books. Further along, we questioned Norah about her service with the bookmobile. Norah McGee, the "Book Woman" "You meet so many fine peo ple in this job. If I work at it many more years IH soon know everybody in this end of the state, said Norah, known simp ly as the "Book Woman," to many of her patrons. "I've been doing this work since April 10, IMS. I travel four days a week and work in the county library on Thurs day. It takes me three weeks to cover all the rounds and longer than that in the summer when the children are out of school. They love the bookmo bile. Their parents get books for them in the winter. On my day in the library I alphabe tize my cards and make reports, get the books in order accord^ ing to author. I try to take books each time I know pat rons wish. Reviewing her- life she ex plained, "I've done a little bit of everything. I was born at King's Creek. I taught school for eight years ? one year at the Carlton School in Caldwell and seven years in Wilkes County. "Later I worked at Broy hill's Lenoir Furniture Factory for two years doing zebra wood transfers. That was during the war when many women worked in the factories. I enjoyed it. "Then I went to Blue Bell for a year or two. Mother got sick and I stayed at home with her for a good many months. Afterward I went to Blackwel der Hospital for 18 months as dietiUon." Patterson The bookmobile pulled to a (stop at Patterson, an age-old community, now revitalized by Blu* Crox-Blu* Shield "EASf=jt?mra(d ?A?8? TODAY TO APRIL 30 ONLY Don't miss this opportun ity to get the finest Blue Cross and Blue Shield cov erage without belonging to a group! You can now apply if you are under 65, even if you're self-employed, unemployed, of working where Blue Cross and Blue Shield are ndt available! There's no red tape ? no medical ques tionnaire ? no physical ex it ion! Wife, husband your unmarried chil under 19, are covered. But you must act now! lasy-Joining Days" end soon. So be sure to act by April 30! CalL Visit or Writs Jerry Adams 4to W. fchu St, Bsose, N. C. 264-2433 247 24S3 A HOSPITAL M * SAVING ASSOCIATION the humming machinery of , Cellu-Products factory. Sleepy-eyed Shirley Johnson arrived, saying, "lly husband works at night so I read then. I like nurse stories. I usually get 10 or 12 hooka at a time." Maude Curtis, postmistress for 21 years, came in smiling and Joking with Norah. "I've seen many changes ia the mails and post office since I took over. It was fourth class, now it's third." Bright-eyed little Bryan Sud dreth, dressed in cowboy togs, came in searching for cowboy books. With him were his little brother Joey and his boxer Duke. His slender attractive mother told us about his latest escap ade, "He put a cake pan on his head ? one of those tube kinds, that you can take the bottom out of. I had everybody in Pat terson trying to get it off. I was laughing and crying at the same time. I finally got a man with tin snips to clip it off." As Bryan departed, with his arms full of books, he declared, "Daddy's going to take me groundhog hunting tomorrow. We're going to slash 'em with a gun." Buffalo Cove The bookmobile back-tracked and rolled along the Happy Val ley road past Patterson School for Boys and onto the Buffalo Road which is being regraded, graveled and is to be finally hard-surfaced.. After joggling along for about 10 miles, beside the swift flowing Buffalo Creek, we took the Scuffletown Road to the back end of nowhere. At a small unpainted home of Joe Coffey we stopped. No television aer ial protruded from it. In a sun ny field the family was cutting old corn stocks loading them on a sled pulled by a mule. The men were working without shirts, their backs gleaming brown in the sun. The women went running to the house to bring their books. Out they came carrying en ormous boxes of books, 30 or 40 in each. Slender, nut brown Hazel Coffey (Mrs. Carl) came bounc ing in, her eyes lively, her pony tail bobbing. "I have to get books for everybody. I try to get what they like bat they've all read so many it's hard to And new ones for them. "I have to pick them out for my children. I have three. Two of them and I were all in the Greensboro Hospital with polio at the same time in 1992. Only Linda is still having trouble. She's to have an operation soon on her leg. Mrs. Joe Coffey, Hazel's mother-in-law, also wearing jeans, came in to make her sel ections from among Grace Liv ingston Hill, Temple Bailey, and Norman Vincent Peale books. The 1. C. Todds We stopped for a picnic lunch on a grassy greensward by Joe's Fork, in front of J. C. Todd's store. Mr. Todd, a kindly person, came out to greet us and invit ed us into his neat white home to meet his wife. Youthful, pretty Mrs. Todd, is a vivacious lovely grandmother. She seat ed us at her table, poured cof fee and served us some delight ful tidbits from her kitchen. We departed the house with some of her delicious cottage cheese and a jar of Mr. Todd's golden sourwood honey. Mrs. Todd led the way along the country road to the Buffalo Cove Baptist Church. Though established more than a hund red years ago, it has a new building, the pride and jay of its 125 members. The wide, wel coming doors were donated by the late R. C. Robbing, a native of the area. On the wall hangs the original hand-quilled deed, dated July 18, 1891, which says," . . . Edward Day, David Campbell, and Nelson Roberts hath for and in consideration of the sum of one dollar to them in hand bargain, sell and conveyed and confirmed unto the said James M. Cottrell and Larkin Pipes a center tract of land containing one acre for the especial use of Buffalo Cove Church." Community Building On the way to the Buffalo Community, building; -Norah dis cussed the varioas families -UfA aspects of the community. wSP all the patrons she exchanges news of the day, learns of the new babies, weddings and other important events in their fami liet. At the entrance of the com munity building were stacked large boxes of books awaiting exchange. Inside preparations were underway for the morrow. Breakfast, beginning at 4:49 a. m.. was to be served to trout fishermen, as it is the first dav of the season each year, and meals were to be continued un til nine p. m. Beryl Bryant (Mrs. Jim) and her son, Jimmy, explained re cent changes of the past year in Buffalo, which almost sur pass the total of the past hund red years. "Progress had passed the backwoods community by." said Mrs. Bryant. "Mr. Max Culp and Miss Ainslee Alexander, coun ty agents, came up her and told us about the development program and helped us get or ganized. That's when things started changing, when we all started working together. We began cleaning up the area and working with our young people. We kept trying to get tele phones and a good road up here, but we couldn't get any where at first. "Our oldest daughter, Shar on," said Mrs. Bryant," Is hop ing to go to Bob Johes College next fall. She has a partial scholarship, but she's got to have more money, if she goes. We can't help her at all with our large family of seven chil dren." "When the road is finish ed it's going to be just like Blowing Rock up here," he predicted. After a final stop near the home of Mrs. Bernard Hawk Ins, who with her husband is active in the development pro gram, we left the area, descend ing from the hills iifto the val ley of home. UNUSUAL FINE Fairfield, 111. ? Unable to pay his fine, a convicted bootlegger has to pick up 1,000 beer cans along highways leading to this town. Harry Zeigler imposed when Charles Gregory he was unable to pay the $500 bootlegging charge. He will pick up the empty cans at the rate of 90 cents each until the fine is worked out. I II Jhii fine SlMhim Appalachian Hi News The Appalachian High School Teen- Canteen will ooen Friday nloht Aoril 19, for local hi?h school students The Canteen. oi-e*niied by the hi?h school student council, will meet e?ch Fndsy night from 7:30 to 10:30. Meetines will be held in the Student Center. a lsroe room on the second floor of the agri culture building. Th* Canteen will onerate as a school club, with Jack Oroce, "sslstsnt princinal, serving as director, and Barents of mem bers as snonsors of the grouo. Parents have been invited to dw> in for visits and to helo with the club's activities. Each member of the hi?h school <"oup will purchase a member ship r?rd from the student council, which will entitle him to attend meetings when the C??t?en Is open. Plsns to onen the Canteen have been made by the student council, with Donna Breitens t? < M I > < I > < Vt I > < M I > < V) I > < M Spring Clean-Up Sale WHOLESALE PRICES Ramblers ? Fords ? Chevrolets Pontiacs ? Plymouths ? Foreign 51 THRU 62 MODELS MANY ONE OWNERS Trade Today for a Better Car % At a Lower Price April Special On Repairs FRONT END ALIGNMENT ALL PASS. CARS $4.95 TIRES RALANCED ALL FOUR WHEELS $3.00 Pins Weights On the Car Ralancer BRAKES RELINED ? BENDIX LINING $11.95 Ford ? Chev. ? Ply Ramblers Drums Turned with Brake Job at $1.50 Each LARGER CARS $13.95 30% Off on All Mufflers and Tail Pipes All Parts At A Discount During April sons Garage DEEP GAP, N. C Your Rambler Dealer (/? > < I V) > < I Ul > < I w ? < I VI > < I V) ? < SAVE - SAVE - SAVE - SAVE - SAVE I hit been named to work with Hr. Groce, the director. Student member* are Donna B'-eiten stein. Edward Brown. William High, Ronnie Smith, Sam Adams, and Jackie Greene. Par ent* on th? committee a'e Mrs. Hadiev Wilson, Estel Wagner, and Wade E. Brown Faculty members serving with this group are Mri. Margaret Oragg, student council sponsor Walter Broyhlll; and Robert Knead Citizens Of The Month In assembly Friday, April 12. Rosalind Covington and Glenn Trlplett were recognized as clti wns of the month. Rosalind, an outstanding sophomore student, is an active member of the Beta Club and is an assistant news editor on the. High Life staff. She lives with her mother on the Jefferson Highway. A member of Mr. Snead's homeroom. Glenn is a strong member of the football squad. He lives with his mother. Mrs. Lillle Trlplett, in Triplett. TERMITES SWARMING? Spanish students protest st | U.S. Consulate. Two types of malaria now re- 1 sisting drags. Kennedy to create Advisory Council on Arti. A B C. - TV pUni $100,000 quiz ihow. WE INVITE j YOU TO JOIN US SOON FOR I LUNCHEON . . We've been told that our taste-tempt ing menu and perfect service are why we see so many familiar faces when lunchtime rolls around. Why not see for yourself next time you shop or meet friends. WE'RE PREFERRED BY PEOPLE WHO APPRECIATE GOOD FOOD Town House Restaurant & Steak House Blowing Rock Road ? Boone, N. C. Fertilize Pastures Now! I Fertilize your Pasture Lands now. A lush early growth Is your best assurance of continued good graz ing right through the summer months. WE SELL TESTED AND PROVEN Armour? Roy ster Robertson's FERTILIZERS We Recommend Pellet Fertilizer for Lawns Buy Your Hybrid Seed Corn Now! Wood's ? Pioneer DeKalb'i ? Funk's Bulk & Packaged GARDEN SEEDS ? Onion Sets ? Lawn & Field Grass ? Certified Seed Potatoes ? All Kinds Field Seeds We Fill ASC Orders Goodnight Bros. Produce K* E. Howard St. Boone, N. C.