WATAUGA DEMOCRA
ESTABLISHED IN 188$
PUBLISHED EVERT THURSDAY BY RIVEBfl PRINTING COMPANY, INC.
R. C. RIVERS, JR., EDITOR AND MANAGER
JEAN RIVERS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
An tadepeadaat Weekly N?w? paper
Published for 45 Yews by Robert C. Riven, Sr.
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Congress of March % 1879.
MEMBER NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION
NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 25, 1968
Shoppers Sometimes Thwarted
During the recent July sales in
Boone, a number of shoppers re
ferred to their inability to find park
ing places, and therefore had to
forego visiting their favorite stores
during the seasonal price conces
sions.
Some time ago a lady wsi heard
to remark: "I had rather trade with
Mr. than any place in town.
But since I can seldom find parking
space, find it difficult."
Such expressions as these pinpoint
the crowded conditions in the shop
ping district. Boone is not alone in
this traffic plight, other towns are
in the same shape, to be sure, as
residents .continually point out.
But Boone is the only traffic-tangled
municipality with whose problems
we have to deal.
For a great many years it has been
contended that business people
should keep their cars at home dur
ing peak hours so that the visitors
to the city would be able to use the
limited parking and patronize the
stores of the local merchants. Most
of the business people, we think, are
doing this, which is certainly in the
nature of self-interest as well as the
public good.
Continued plugging at the truck
traffic, and insistence on the bypass
being used would certainly help the
movement of the traffic through the
town. This is especially important
since there is only one lane each
way. And some off-street parking
would help tremendously, and might
be profitable, if equipped with three
hour meters. But the problem of ad
equate space bobs up.
The police Department, we think
is working well with the traffic, and
has succeeded in slowing it down to
a degree. This work should continue.
But what the business district most
needs is a place for its customers to
park.
Proposed Parkway Extension
The action of the Department of
the Interior and the Department of
Commerce in recommending the ex
tension of the Blue Ridge Parkway
from a point south of Asheville to
Cartersville, Georgia, a short dis
tance north of Atlanta is hailed by
Senator Jordan as offering "tre
mendous opportunities for us in
North Carolina to greatly' Improve
and expand our tourist industry."
Such an extension, of course,
would bring the Parkway into the
metropolitan area of Atlanta and
connect it with the part of the Inter
state Highway System that leads to
the Gulf Coast and the Southwest.
Heretofore the majority of the out
of-State tourists who have visited
the Parkway regions of North Caro
lina have come from the population
centers of the east.
The Blue Ridge Parkway has be
come one of the Nation's major
sightseeing attractions, and more
and more interest is being developed
in the coastal vacation areas of the
State, also. Each year, North Caro
lina puplg are realizing more and
more the desirability of further de
veloping our already important tour
ist industry. It is one of our top
sources of income and we are most
fortunate to have excellent combi
nations of natural resources that
lend themselves unusually well to
the tourist industry.
Only within the past few weeks,
it is pointed out by Senator Jordan,
the public recreation areas adjoining
the W. Kerr Scott Reservoir in
Wilkes county were opened, and it
was found immediately that the fa
cilities were inadequate from the
time they opened. On July v 4 alone,
about 2,500 people visited the recre
ation areas around the reservoir.
Carolina Crime Rate Jumps
North Carolina's major crime rate
increased 6.2 per cent during last
year, the FBI said in a statement
released last Thursday.
The annual Index of Crime said
the number of offenses in North
Carolina was up 1,972 over the re
port for 1961. For the South Atlantic
region, the rate of major crime
jumped 5.3 per cent during 1962.
Offenses included in the FBI
index are murder and non-negligent
manslaughter, forcible rape, rob
bery, aggravated assault, burglary,
larceny and auto theft.
In this State increases were shown
over 1961 in every category except
murder and non-negligent man
slaughter, where the total dropped
from 401 to 353.
State totals in the other categor
ies, with the 1961 totals bracketed,
were:
Forcible rape 352 (327); robbery
786 (653); aggravated assault 7,864
(7,725); burglary 13,60? (12,478); lar
ceny of $50 and over 7,144 (6,742),
and auto theft 3,911 (3,718).
Every generation has perhaps
thought that its woes were the most
dismal, but the continuing rise in
crimes of violence and of theft con
tinues to give concern. Of course the
population is doubtless showing an
increase in Carolina, as it is in most
States, but even so the crime fig
ures are appalling.
In Watauga county folks are not
resorting to firearms so much to
settle their troubles as they used to,
and homicides seem to be on the
wane. On the other hand robberies
have become sort of commonplace ?
that is those involving breaking and
entering ? and in the State bank
robberies are not uncommon any
more.
Criminologists disagree on the
causes of the blossoming crime wave,
and we can offer no profundity in
the matter. The absence of virtual
certainty of apprehension and cer
tainty of punishment, however, ap
pears to figure heavily in the situa
tion.
Break Down Of Spending
(Biblical Recorder)
The average American, according
to latest figures, spends $6.23 a day.
Here is the breakdown on his spend
ing. Food, $1.06; taxes, 79c; house
hold operation, Tic; housing, 66c;
transportation, 60c; clothing, 52c;
medical, 31c; recreation, 31c; alce
holic beverages, 15c; tobacco, tic;
religious and welfare, 7c; savings,
38c; all ether, Mc. (Sovjrce, Quarter
ly Review). The inequities stand out
glaringly. Can you imagine a nation
spending more than twice as much
on alcoholic beverage* as on all re
ligious and w?! fare causes com
bined? Or spending 11c for tobacco
every tune 7c is spent on these
worthy projects? Percentagewise,
each of us gives only 1.1 per cent of
our income to these worthy causes.
Little mmdmr so man/ families have
financM difficulties with a spend
ing ratio like this.
S ::
From Early Democrat Files
Sixty Years Ago
My 23, IMS.
Mr. C. M. McKesson, ion of
the Hon. C. F. McKesson, of
Morganton, was killed on the
Southern at midnight of the
Mth inst. He was acting as
flagman at the time of his
death. An awkward step, a fall,
and young McKnsson w a f
crushed beneath the train.
The list of casualties from
celebrating the 4th of July is
much larger this year than us
ual. It would be well if the
)>eople would quit so much tom
foolery, and celebrate the day
in a patriotic, civil way, and
much pleasure should be deriv
ed from this day by all who are
patriotically inclined, if it
were but done b the right way.
Rev. B. F. Hargett if conduct
ing a series of meetings at
White Spring church this week.
Mrs. J. F. Spainhour and
children, of Morganton, are the
guests of Mrs. E. S. Coffey.
Painter Blair has completed
the first coats on the three
buildings of the Profeaaon
Dougherty near the Acadeoqr.
The appearance of the pretty
home of W. L. Bryan Is being
much improved by a thorough
painting. The work is being
done by T. J. Sullivan, of Vilas.
It is very poor economy to
put half the price of a new
court house on the old one in
the way of repairs, and when
completed have a second condi
tion that is almost worse than
the first. Yet the idea of try
ing to repair seems to be up
permost in the minds of some
of our commissioners. Non
sense.
Mr. and Mrs. 1. S. Rambo, of
Mountain City, Tenn., came
over last week, and, with quite
a number of young people,
visited the Grandfather. Ur.
Rambo returned Saturday, but
left his wife and little son,
Justin, who will remain here
some days with relatives and
friends.
The matter of a court house
seems to be taking a rest just
now, but we learn that our
county fathers are seriously
considering the little hint
Judge Long threw out at the
last term of court and it is
hoped that they will take some
steps at their August meeting.
Tkirty-Ntae Years Ago
July M. 1984.
Work on. the model school
building at the A.T.S. is pro
gressing nieely.
The farmers are now engag
ed in oat harvest and caring
for th* big hay erop The wea
ther somewhat against them,
however.
Work U going forward on the
bungalow of Dr. J. M. Hodges
on Qvmb Heights. Knapp, the
painter, will finish the inter
ior wood work in mahogany
with grained hardwood floors.
A Ford roadster, the proper
ty of Hon. F. A. Linney, was
stolen from the front of the
court house during the movie
show last Saturday night For
tunately for Mr. Linney the gas
was low in the tank and burned
otit on the road up Cove Creek,
and the car was abandoned
near the State line, and was re
covered Sunday.
Mrs. Carson Sherwood of
Bristol, Tenn. visited the home
Just One Thing
By CARL GOEBCH
You're read of many strange
coincidences and you've heard
many weird stories, but here's
one that tops them all.
It happened a number of
years ago when Hiss Sadye
Harris was secretary to- John
f. Swain, manager of the
Raleigh Credit Bureau.
One day Miss Harris left the
office and went out to lunch.
While on her way back to the
?ffice, it started raining. She
?topped in front of The Vogue
lor a few minutes, waiting for
the rain to stop.
The rain stopped, and she
started off again. She hadn't
taken more than five or six
steps when she slipped and fell.
Her left arm broke the fall to
some extent. She picked her
self up and discovered that her
arm was giving her consider
able pain. So when she got to
the office, she phoned her sis
ter, Mrs. Ray Thome, who
works for Neiman's Jewelry
Store.
"I may have broken my left
arm," said Sadye. "How about
coming down here and going
out to the hospital with me so
I can have it examined?"
"Ill be right down," said Mrs.
Thome.
Mrs. Thome left the store.
She walked down Fayettevlile
Street. She arrived at The
Vogue. Just as she was paasinf
it, she slipped and fell. Her
right arm broke the fall to
some extent. She picked her
self up and discovered that ber
AFTER ANOTHER
arm was giving her consider
able pain. So when she got to
the Credit Bureau Office, she
told Sadye what had happened.
They both went out to the
hospital. They both underwent
an examination. The examina
tion revealed that Hiss Harris
had fractured her left arm. and
that Mrs. Thome had fractured
her right arm.
Both fractures were in identi
cally the same place, with the
exception that one was the left
arm and the other was the right
arm. Both accidents occurred at
exactly the same spot. They
happened within ten minutes of
each other. And, as we said be
fore, Hiss Harris and Mrs.
Thome are sisters.
Let's see you beat that one!
Overheard in a smoking com
partment on the way down from
New York recently. Conversa
tion between two strangers.
. "Where are you going?"
"Down to Pinehurat for ?
week's vacation."
"Ever been down there be
fore?"
"No, this is my first trip."
"How far is Pinehurst from
Southern Pines?"
"I dont know exactly, but
I think it's quite some distance.
You see, Piaehurst is in North
Carolina and Southern Pines is
In South Carolina."
"Oh yeah; that's rijht"
? It pas a big temptaUM t? art
Into | the conversation, but we
managed to overcome It.
of her brother Mr. W. W. Mast
recently.
Mr. Vance C. Howell son of
W. N. Howell Is now attending
one of the higher universities
of learning in New York City.
Vance has been climbing the
ladder of knowledge for sever
al years and seems to have his
Ideal stationed at the top.
Mr. and Mrs. J. I. Lenoir, J.
F. Lenoir and Mrs. W. M. Le
noir all of Hogood, S. C. were
visitors to relatives in Boone
the first of the week. The
Messrs. Lenoir are sons of the
late Mrs. S. F. Lenoir, former
ly Mrs. Alice Cottncill of Boone.
It is the first visit of the gentle
men to this section since early
childhood, and they were de
lighted with their short stay.
The people of the town were
highly pleased to see them.
$4^alrdless of the money
stringency and the howl o{
hard times throughout the
country, Boone is going stead
ily on with the biggest building
campaign in her history. Every
mechanic and every common la
borer', so far as we know, find
work in abundance here. Pro
perty is changing hands at a
lively clip ? in fact this chosen
section has as yet been but lit
tle affected by the perplexing
problem of finance that has so
agitated the people throughout
the United States.
Fifteen Years Ago
July 22, 1948.
Midshipman Carr C. (Jack)
Whitener, RS, son of Dr. and
Mrs. D. J. Whitener, has com
pleted his first year at the U.
S. Naval Academy, Annapolis,
Md? and is a member of the
new third (sophomore) clats.
Whitener is presently on the
Midshipman Summer Practice
Cruise.
Mr. and Mrs. Merrill Greg?
and son, Jeffery Allen, of
Tuskegee, Alabama have been
visiting the past ten days at the
home of Mr. Gregg's parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J. Allen Gregg.
Mr. Gregg is manager of Carr
Ltnndry arnd Dry Cleaners in
Tuskegee, Ala.
Mr. and Mrs. Guy Shirley an
nounce the birth of a son, Bob
by Guy, on July 9th at the Wa
tauga Hospital.
Mr and Mrs. Lewis Greer of
Cleveland spent last week with
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Greer of
Mabel and Mrs. Margaret Per
ry of SUverstone.
Mr. and Mrs. George R. Mar
tin of Gardner, Mass., are
spending their vacation with
Mrs. Martin's parents, Mr. and
Mrs. B. H. Watson of Boone.
Kev. and Mrs. Bynum Tri
vette of Sugar Grove announce
the marriage of their daughter,
Gladys Elaine, to Edward Dar
rell Berry, son of Mr. and Mrs.
IX L. Berry of Boone. The
wedding took place in North
Wflkesboro on July 2nd.
Mrs Councill Cooke is taking
graduate work at the summer
seheol of the University of Vir
gbiia. ,
Mrs. Beulah Coleman and
son, Joseph, of Cleveland, Ohio
?pe*t last week with Mrs. Cole
man's mother, Mrs. C. L. El
liott of Vilas.
Ifcs. Robert A. Rahe of Port
land, Oregon, who has spent
the past six weeks with her
"?other, Mrs. Jack Mast of
Sagar Grove, will return to her
fcom this week.
KING STREET
$ ' If ?* ana air UU
Popadar |?trt . . Baaed By Flanw 9 *
Mystery Hill, papular stepping place for tourists on
the heavily-traveled section of 321 between Boom and
Blowing Rock, waa the scene of a disastrous fire Sun
day morning, and we deeply regret that Messrs Under
down and Stamey, owners of the structure, suffered this
terrific loas . . Only one building ? the one in which
water appears to run up hill, and the laws of gravity
are thought to have been "repealed," waa left standing.
or CHIEF CONCERN to Mm
onm la the fact that aa aw
relics af the early day aattlaia
in this area, which had beea
collected for their ataaetun and
which are Irreplaceable, alao
we?t op la aaMke . . wa ah*U
hope that froat the aahaa will
rise another office and 'mm
seum building, so that the en
terprising men who developed
the place will toon be bach
In bnslness again.
A Neighbor . .
His Leave-Taking
Lionel Ward, perhaps the
best known veterans' service
officer in the State, whose tire
less energies in behalf of those
he has served, are so well
known, went into the shadows
of the long evening, leaving
many friends to ponder his go
ing . . Lionel was a good friend
of ours through the years . .
Generous, personable, and
kind, he was one of the most
appreciated visitors at the
Democrat office, where he will
be missed . . Never too busy
for a kind word, or an expres
sion of appreciation for our
efforts, his friendly interest in
our welfare was even more ap
preciated than the consider
able patronage he gave us, . .
We shall remember Lionel as
man who served his country
with loyalty and diligence in
war and in peace, and who,
since he joined civilian ranks
again, gave himself unstinting
ly to his job . . Faithful to the
trust imposed in him, he work
ed fruitfully and contributed
generously to his country and
to his fellowmen.
AND WE WERE GRIEVED
when Dr. Wright, former em
inent professor of mathemat
ics at the College, laid aside
mortality, in the continuing
cycle of birth and death and
of eternity . . Dr. Wright had
become an old-timer in the
community, coming to Appa
lachian more than forty years
ago, and establishing himself
as an esteemed citizen . . Dur
ing his long residence here he
contributed bountifully to the
religious, educational, and pub
lic life of the community and
of the county, and set an en
viable example in useful and
upstanding citizenship.
MR. CHARLIE CLAY, was
another of thoie who passed
into the suniet recently . .
He had been a prominent lum
berman, fanner, county com
missioner and outstanding cit
izen of his community and
coaaty, and hi* having lived
here added Impetus to all the
good causes which have been
promoted in the county.
DOCK RAGAN, whom we
have known and liked down
through the multiplying years,
is another who has been ab
sented from the ranks of the
living . . A good citizen, a
hard-working man, a good fath
er and neighbor was this man
with whom we enjoyed fellow
shipping for so long.
E. W. MORETZ, of Deep
Gap was among those to fall
recently aa the Reaper's scythe
seemed to cat a wider swath
than common la the <
Mr. Morels
age of M year* . . A :
of one af the eoaaty*s
and moat proi
he ?u a goad l
missed by Ma auay frieada hi
this
Greeting!
From Far Away
Marshal Walters, of the Col
lege faculty, better known
among his friends as Doe Wal
ters, has been sending us some
cards from here and there
as he toured the Pacific . .
We've endowed these messages,
from which we reprint some
"HONOLULU . . DeGroet
aad I ate trying to W people
la the Paatflc knew about
?eone. Tea should be here to
help as! One thing California
trlaa Is cresalaf a street."
"OKINAWA . . Tea boon
V -
kM Hawaii here by Pu Am
Jet . . Small world . . Fir*t day
we met Meiae who waa presi
dent of ASTC student body,
now starting 14 months of Ma
rine duty here. Alao ran across
two other Boom boys, (will
get tames later.)
"ANCHORAGE, ALASKA;
Greetiaga from ap north. Lota
of anew . . Quite ? difference
here from Okinawa, Korea and
Japan . . Should have been
back In Boone yesterday (July
II). hat n? planes because of
' typhoons around Korea . . Sev
eral million military and civil
ians in Pacific area new knew
Uncle
Pinkney
HIS PALAVERW'S
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
In case you forgot to mark
it on your calender, we got the
big Buckle Decision coming up
this month. You will recollect
that back in 1961 the boys in
the Pentagon discovered the
Army, Navy, Air Force, and
Marines was all gitting their
belt buckles made in different
colors.
The experts on such matters
got together hi a telephone
booth and decided it would
save the taxpayers a heap of
money if all belt buckles was
made to the same specifica
tions After a two-day confer
ence, It was decided that all
belt buckles would now be
Mack.
In 1962 the experts decided
the black buckles wasn't satis
factory, they was chipping
around the edges. Natural,
this caused a stir in the Penta
gon and the Quartermaster
Research Center was called in
on the case. It was decided to
conduct "exhaustive tests" in
the matter and a service unit
at Natick, Mass., was assigned
to the belt buckle testing pro
gram. Last month it was an
nounced that the belt buckle
testing folks had been moving
along real good, that all instru
ments was green, all systems
go, and we could expect a de
cision sometime in July.
In the meantime, Senator
Harry Byrt announces that all
the testing has been going on,
we hare been stockpiling the
four eld type buckles, added a
fifth to the stockpiling perced
ure, and that boys at Natiek
was also testing two new enes.
He new estimates that we got
enough belt buckles stockpiled
to hold up the pants of ever
man, woman, and child in the
nation fer the nest half
century.
It will be interesting, Mister
Editor, to git the final decision
from the boys at Natick. If
you hear the news afore I do,
please drop me a post card.
Zip number 260449, Social Se
curity 243-48-0565, Internal
Revenue Service 44-6003846.
11m aession at the country
start Saturday night was rou
tine. The fellers always starts
out ever session by solvtag the
problems they teat know
nothing about first Natural,
most sessions begins with the
winunen folks. Clem Webster,
thai is our expert on these
matters at local level, reported
he come to town last Saturday
to see how you folks was git
ting along and he found the
wimawn folks was fitting
along without too much to
wear.
Clem says Ifs a sight in this
world the contraption* wim
?ien of today aan rig up to
put on fer summer. He allow
ed as bow when he was a hoy
a girl stayed at horns if she
didpt have nothing to wear,
but now she lost puts on her
shoes and comes to town any
how. That being Mm cans, I
wouldn't donbt. Mister Editor,
if all the feUars didn't cone to
town next Saturday.
^VoufV, truly,
Uncle, Pink