WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
ESTABLISHED IN UK
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY BIVEM PRINTING COMPANY, INC.
R. C. RIVERS, JR., EDITOR AND MANAGER
JEAN RIVERS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
An Independent Weekly Newspaper
PublUhed for 43 Years by Robert C. Rivera. Sr.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES (EFFECTIVE FEBRUARY 1, 1983)
IN NORTH CAROLINA OUTBIDS N0*? CAROLINA
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Entered at the poet office at Boone, N. C., as second class matter, under the act of
Congress of March 3, 187$.
MEMBER NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION
NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 29, 1963
The BREMCO Meeting
The Blue Ridge Electric Mem
bership Corporation drew more
than five thousand members to the
annual meeting held here Satur
day.
Watauga, Caldwell, Ashe, Alle
ghany and parts of other counties
were represented at the gathering,
and again we are reminded of the
worth of the co-operative to the peo
ple of the country.
The co-operative was glad to have
Mr. Norman Clapp, national admin
istrator of Rural Electrification Ad?
ministration as principal speaker.
Mr. Clapp pointed out that in 1935
one person out of ten had electric
power in rural areas. Through the
help of the electric co-operatives to
day now 97 per cent of all rural
people have service.
The hardest thing, some people in
BREMCO tell ua, is to convince the
people generally that this is not gov
ernment power that is being distrib
uted, and the operation of your elec
tric cooperative is not in the hapds
of the government, but rather in the
hands of a corporation, in which the
members name the board of directors
? local men ? who borrow the money
made available by the Federal gov
ernment, repay it, with interest, and
run the business just like any other
corporation.
Five billion dollars has been
repaid with interest. Out of one
thousand borrowers, one is delin
quent, but is catching up fast. It is
a remarkable record of achievement
the cooperatives have written.
They've done great things for the
country. We don't want them ever
to be hindered.
Time To Register
The school-hospital bond election
is drawing near and the registration
books will be open two more Satur
days to give every un-registered
voter a chance to qualify to vote.
Registration may also be taken care
of during the week at the respective
homes of the Registrars.
No general new registration is re
quired, but those who haven't prev
iously registered to vote in a general
county election, but who are other
wise qualified will have to register,
and it is important that this im
portant step be taken.
Through the use of newspaper and
radio coverage, the School Board,
various civic organizations, the Hos
pital Steering Committee have and
are, doing everything possible to ac
quaint the voters with the issues in
volved, and have, in our opinion
made out excellent cases for both
the school and the proposed new hos
pital, and we shall continue to do
everything possible to inform the
people right up until election day.
We haven't fared overly well in
predicting the outcome of elections
in Watauga county, but if the opin
ions being expressed in Boone town
ship are indicative of the general
feeling in the county, we'd say the
bond issues will be approved. As
you recall, Watauga was one of the
few counties to go down the line in
approving the State bond package.
It is to be hoped that there will
be a full vote, so that there may be
no doubt as to the wishes of the
taxpayers. Meantime, if you're not
registered, you'd better see to that
important duty.
Patrol Cited Again
North Carolina's State troopers
have for the seventh straight year,
been cited as outstanding by the In
ternational Association of Chiefs of
Police. This is generally regarded
by top police officials to be the ulti
mate professional honor.
The IACP noted that the Caro
lina troopers have taken the na
tional award every time since 1958
and for two previous years won Cer
tificates of Achievement.
The awards are based on perform
ance evaluations of 90 per cent or
better as determined in the annual
inventory of traffic safety activities,
which is conducted throughout the
country annually to assess every
state's progress in the battle against
highway slaughter and is administ
ered by the National Safety Council
in conjunction with the nation's lead
ing authorities on traffic safety pro
tection. The awards are given prin
cipally on the basis of departmental
performance in training procedures
and the quality of enforcement.
Other aspects include accident in
vestigation, the drinking driver and
pedestrian control.
The officers and men of the Pa
trol are to be commended for sus
taining a record so impressive that
they get national recognition time
and again. Congratulations!
WINSTON-SALEM JOURNAL-SENTINEL
A Chance For Northwest
The State of North Carolina isn't going
to force a community college or an in
dustrial education center on any county.
But the state, with help from the federal
government, will give generous assistance
to counties which can show a need for one
or both and a willingness to provide
some of the money. Twenty industrial
oenters and five community colleges are
now operating.
An urgent need for one such institu
tion, or ? combination of the two, exists
ip Northwest North Carolina. This U
county area has no community college,
although colleges like Wake Forest, Salem,
Winston-Salem State, and Appalachian
State Teachers help to meet the need.
The only industrial education center,
located in Winston-Salem, renders a real
service to young people in Forsyth Coun
ty and others within easy commuting dis
tance. Stove Lesher*s article ia this sec
tion tells what the oentor ia doing. But
it does not help those young people in
counties like Wilkes, Alleghany, Ashe and
Watauga who are eager to learn tech
nical skills.
The logical place for a center or ?
college is Wilkes County, near the center
of the Northwest. An institution at one
o( UN) would wrve Wilkes
if
and also draw students from such neigh
boring counties as Ashe, Watauga and
Alleghany. It would be fair to expect
these adjoining counties to help build and
support the institution. State law permits
participation in centers and college* by
several county governments.
Fortunately, Wilkes leaders are aware
of the need. Three of them ? Edwin Dun
can and W. D. Halfacre, both bankers,
and Hight Helms, president of the North
west Association, are serving on the
Northwest's committee. They know the
difficulties of the venture but they also
know the benefits to be gained. They are
in a position to wort closely with leaden
in other counties who share their under
standing of the need.
H. F. Snyder, who deserve* ? lot of
the credit for Winston-Salem's industrial
education center, said last spring that
full use of such centers can do more
than anything else to improve income and
Job opportunities.
Mr. Snyder knows what he ia talking
about, for he has been devoting most of
hi* time since he retired aa a Western
Electric executive to promoting indus
trial development in the Northwest. He
it confident that if skilled manpower ia
wlUWa, Muatry will Mew.
Breeding Place For Future Castro?
From Early Democrat Files
Sixty Years Ago
August 27, IMS
Weather very hot lor the past
few day?.
Miss Greer, of the Yadkin, U
a guest at the Blackburn Hotel.
T. H. Taylor end wife, of
Valle Crucis, were in town Mon
day.
Messrs Will Jurney and Sharp
Feinuter, of Olin, Iredell coun
ty, have been in the village a
few days.
It is feared that the continued
heat and dry weather is damag
ing to a considerable extent the
corn crop on uplands.
The schools of the county are
now pretty nearly til in session
and a good attendance is report
ed from nearly every section,
It is now understood that the
first term of the Appalachian
Training School will open in the
Academy building early in Octo
ber.
Miss Lucy Matheson, of Tay
loraville, who has added much
to the mirth of the social circle
in Boone for some weeks past,
left for her home last Saturday.
Or. Jones amputated the little
Anger from the right hand of
Mr. T. Adam Hodges on Monday,
the amputation being necessary
as a result of a horse bite he
received a few days before.
Thoae who went on the Wilm
ington excursion last week ex
press themselves as being well
pleased with the trip.
Five colored laborers who are
well up on brick-making, arrived
here last Thursday and the brick
machinery is running on pretty
good time, making on an aver
age of about 15,000 brick per
day.
Contractor Henry left for bis
home at North Wilkesboro on
last Saturday, and is expected
back today. He will, we are told,
bring with him more machinery
to farther expedite the manu
facture of bride.
The new telephone line to
Blowing Rock has been complet
ed, and we again have connec
tion with Lenoir and other points
east. The entire system through
out the county is being put in
good repair, and when complet
ed we will be in touch with our
four nearest railroad points. Mr.
J. C. Horton, promoter of the
Blowing Rolk line, will put in
? system of phones in Boone in
the aear future.
The Association at Zion Hill
closes today. tt seems that the
attendance from this part of the
country is unusually Hght, judg- -
tag from the small number pass- ."
tag through the village.
Thirty-Nine Years Ago
AMOst at. 1924
Work on the fish hatchery at
Rutherwood is progressing nice
ly. The residence of the Super
intendent is beiag pushed to com
pletion by Air. Ben Moody, and
much grading en the site is be
ing done. It is the idea of the
fish commission to stock the
hatchery this fall.
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Taylor who
have been living in the Watauga
Hospital far some months moved
into their handsome home en
North Water Street last Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. Blain Hodges
of Newport News, Va. are visit'
Just One Thing
By CARL GOERCH
What on* attraction make* a
more lasting impression upon
tourists in North Carolina than
anything else?
Most people, in answering
that question, will say that it's
scenery, hut Garth Cates, travel
director for the Scrippa-Howard
newspapers, thinks differently.
And, with the experience he has
bad, he ought to be an authority.
In a note to the advertising
division of the State Department
of Conservation and Develop
ment, Garth says:
"I insist that FOOD outranks
SCENERY as a lasting, long-pull
tourist attraction. And you
should talk food and recipes
whenever you can."
Personally, we're inclined to
agree whole-heartedly with that
statement. Peeple will talk
about food for hours after they
have forgotten all about the
scenery.
Mrs. Mary Baling, who is
about 65 year* of ago, lives in
Tr?y and can boast of having
seen seven generation* to he*
family.
She was a lass at shout 18
years old at the tins* of tfc*
death of ha* gnat-grandfather.
Here's th* aenpieto liati
1. Great-grandfather, th* Wtt?
Archibald Leach.
2. Grandfather, th* l*te A P.
Letch.
8. Mother, Luey Leach Coch
ran.
4. Her own brothers and sto
tor*.
B. Daughter. H*ttte Baling
Wm.
AFTER ANOTHER
fl. Granddaughter, Mary Allen
Spivey.
7. Great-grandson, Charles S.
Sptvey.
Bill Horner, of Sanford, is
editor of the Sanford Herald.
Not long ago, the Homer house
hold got hold of a new colored
cook. The first day she was
there, Bill called up his home
from the office. When the girl
answered the phone, Bill in
quired: "Who's that?" just to
see how she would answer.
"This is the girl what works
here," wn the reply.
Bill Kennedy lives down in
Washington, North Carolina. A
number of years ago he happen- |
ed to be in Carthage, Moore
County. A ntan stopped him and
aaidi "Hello, Bill; how sre you
getting along?"
Bill didnt recognize the man ,
bat told him that he was getting
slang splendidly.
"I just sew your father in the
bank a little while ago," con
tinued the stranger.
Tm afraid you're mistaking
me for somebody else," said Bill.
MArep't you BUI Kennedy?"
"I most aasuredly am."
"And isn't your father with |
the bank here?" i
"No, he isn't."
The Man stated at him a ?
moment and then said: "Yon {
come with me. ) want Mr. Ken
nedy to take a look at yon," |
go they went to the hank, and
a senior Mr. Kennedy said that
leobed exactly like We son.
8pm* eoineidenee. Same name,
samf loofc, I
K
tag Mr. Hodges mother, Mr*.
Wiley Narri* on Meat Camp.
Mayor Hahn and family re
turned Monday from a motor
trip to Mooresville.
Miss Tbelma Suttle has return
ed to her home in Charlotte after
spending several days with Mrs.
Tracy Oounaill.
Mr. W. J. Horton and family of
Farrell, Pa. after a few weeks
pleasantly spent with home folks
and friends in Watauga, left their
home Monday. They were ac
companied on their return by
Mr. Herton's brother Don and
wife, who will spend a few days
there. While out the petty will
visit Niagra and other point* of
interest in the north.
Akmzo Hodges who recently
purchased the garage equipment
owned by Sam Atkins and moved
the same to a new building a
short distance farther up the
Beoae Trad is now completing a
neat Bungalow on an adjacent
kit, and the properties, taken to
gether are both valuable and
attractive.
Fifteen Years Ago
Awpat ?. 1*8
Mrs. Claude Norris left Sunday
for Stuart, Va. where she will be
employed m a teacher during
the coming session. Mr. Norris
will join her in the near future
and will build a borne for them
there. They will return here
when the building is completed.
Mr. and Mrs. 0. F. Crlteher
have returned to their home in
Bamboo after spending sis weeks
in Cleveland, Ohio, Akron, Ohio.
Erie, IV, New York, Niagra
Palls and Canada.
Mr. and Mrs. F. P. Newton
announce the birth of a daugh
ter, Lillian Rebecca, on August
17th at Baptist Hospital, Winston
Salem, N. C.
Mr. and Mrs. William Hanes
of Fine Hall announce die birth
of a son, William Hanes, Jr., en
August 12th. Mrs. Hanes was
the former Miss Anne Adams.
James A. Greene QM2, U.S.
Navy, has returned to duty
aboard the USS Taussig in the
Pacific Flest after being con
fined to toe Naval Hospital at
San Diego with pneumonia fever.
Be mm at first listed as ft polio
victim, but his illness was later
diagnosed as pneumonia.
Mrs. A. P. Van Dusen of Woos
ter, Ohio arrived at Sherwood
Bunday for a visit with her
brother, Mr. Charles L. Lewis,
Mrs. Lewis and ether relatives
In the county.
Mlrs. Jennie Whitehead left
Wednesday morning tor Lynch
burg, Va. to visit relatives. She
wiH attend the wedding of her
graaddswghtor, Miss Nenoy
Whitehead to Mr William Stew
ard Patterson in Richmond, Va.
September 3.
Ma* G, Permall, son of Mir.
and tits. L. S. PenneH at Bob
ville enlisted in the Army Au
gust 2, and his address is RCT
Mac O. Fsnnell-MMMM. Ce. C?
tad. Regt. 5th Inf. Dfr., TM
Jaahsen, ?.D.
Mr sad Mk-s. Win Bacfcanaa
and Mb-, and MM. Lamar H
Loas and daughter, jtanay Hft
tor their homes hi Ttentsn. Fla.
Monday after spending 10 days
with Mrs. Myrtle Buchanan and
Mrs. Reads Buahaaan.
Mr. a. U. TtoRNM returned to
111* home at Mate? Mentor altar
Mrs MMsard feydev and tam?y
and his aoa, Mr. Lee Th*mas
??> Mto. Ttmrnm of Tom,
KING STREET
BY ROB RIVERS
From Tke Summit . . Smm Good Words
Our 75th aiuwvewry year has been fun for us. . .
We've had a lot of nice things said about our efforts,
and we've focused our attention, even more than before,
on giving all that we have to the production of a con
stantly improving newspaper. . 7. We are glad for
your approval, and for the respect the Editor personally
has been able to gain among the people. . . . And we
are not a stranger to vanity, as is shown by our front
paging a letter we had the other day from the President
of the United States.
THE Chief EXECUTIVE ,
la his sastomsry scholarly and
articulate fashion, said some
thlnfs which brought as great
Jar, and which we shall treas
ure for all our days. . . . That
President Kennedy should have
so impressively appraised our
record of service, Is cause for
prideful pleasure. ... To you,
Mr. President, our thanks for
your generous remarks . . sad
our sincere food wishes for
yOUJ* btppi|?t|| CHUfalHillf
successes ia facing the grav
est problems, perhaps, any Ex
ecutive has faced. . . . To our
readers, we're not given ta
boasting? not that at all? but
you'd agree it isn't a eonaw
thing for a country newspaper
man's efforts to get the notice
of the President of the United
States.
* ? *
A Cuke . . 'Tta Crowded
Mri. Roy Anderson of Sugar
Grove, rend* over a big cu
cumber, in a glass container,
which in that respect is cer
tainly nothing new. But this
cuke, which is near a couple
inches thick, is pickled in a
bottle with a neck opening of
about three-quarters of an
inch. . . . The cuke was slipped
into the bottle when it was
tiny and left attached to the
plant, and it grew and thrived
and filled the bottle. . , . Mrs.
Anderson in due time, detach
ed the cucumber, poured some
vinegar on it, and screwed
down the cap, and there it is . .
filling the vial almost com
pletely. ... We were obliged
for the loan of this oddity,,
which has attracted a good
deal of interest.
* ? ?
Folks . . Who Come By
Among recent visitors to the
Democrat office were Mr. and
Mrs. George D. Simons and
small daughter, Jady, of Vine
entown, N. J. . . . Mrs. Simons
Is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
8. C. Eggers. . . . Incidentally,
Mrs. Eggers, the former Miss
Nora South, one of the good
friends of the Rlversea down
through the yean, came to the
Democrat with them. . . . Mr.
Simons, Interestingly, is In the
berry business? blaeberry and
cranberry ? not only that bat
hi* grandfather and his father
were in the same aetMty.
? * *
Some Facts . . He Gives U?
Mr. Simmon* says he has
20 acres of blueberries, from
which he normally gets about
10,000 flat* (12 pinU each). . .
He has 10 acres of cranberries
which yield him 500 'barrels
(100 pounds each). . . . Until
recent years he had 50 acres
of cranberries but forest fires
took their toll
THE BKltltY BUSINESS,
says Mr. Simons, is like ether
farm activities, in that one has
to spray aad dart aid da all
manaer of thUgs to keep the
bnahes healthy. . . . Than the
cranberries hare to have lata
of water, which make* far a
problem In a dry yaar. . . . Bat
Ma| ban in the business, aad
having compiate knowledge of
tho operation, bo does wall,
aad loaves the nutter af sell
tog to a cooperative of which
he la a member. . , . Hie
grandfather started out selling
cranberries, picked in the wild
state, from a bono d? aw a wa
SINCE CRANBERRIES are
native to this section, as wit
ness the name of a former
mining town in Avery eounty,
and our recollection of their
having grown daw* the road
toward Blowing Rock, we have
wee tie rod why they couldn't be
produced in a cultured state
and oa a commerial scale in
this area. , . Wa sounded ant
Mr. Simons on grawing his ber
ries hare, but ha didn't give
us amah camfaat. . . . Haw
ever, some local person who
has suitable, baggy land, might
be well advtsed to consUar the
?raa berry business. . . . Along
before Thanksgiving time, wa
ssn ?e<*U is the old dapa
farmars bringing in peek back
Into tt tb? tart krvwt aM
measuring them out to house
holders in tin cups. . . . We
couldn't tell at the time why
our mom bought the things,
which didn't lend themselves
to sugar and cream treatment.
. . . Blueberries are being pro
duced here, by Dan Kluttz on
the Flat Top Road and by
Jlalph GwaHney of Banner Elk
and Boone, and maybe others,
but we know of no cranberries.
ANTWAT, WE ENJOYED a
lot the visit of Mr. and Mrs.
Simons, Judy and Mrs. Eggers.
. . . And we appreciate highly
the two containers of blueber
ries they left for our gustatory
delight.
Uncle
Pinkney
HIS PALAV ERIN'S
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
I tee by the papers where a
cook working in a cafe in
Baltimore has took his case to
court whan the manager fired
him. He claims he was fired
on account of putting too much
vegetables in the vegetable
soup. That will never do, and
the manager done right in
stopping this sort of thing
right at the start. If this fel
ler had got away with it, the
first thing you know somebody
would be putting ham in one
of them wrapped ham sand
wiches we git at the country
store. I'm certain the court
will rule this is un-American
and hold in favor of the
managtr.
' And I see where one of
them finance experts allows
as how installment buying is
ruining the country. That fel
ler is crazy, Mister Editor.
We've had installment buying
in this country ever since Sir
Walter Raleigh planted the
first tobaeco crop. Farther
more, if history books told
the truth, I wouldn't be sur
prised if the $24 them Dutch
men give the Indians fer Man
hatten Island wasn't just the
down payment.
As fur back as I can recol
lect, people was spending
their money afore they got it.
They'd buy their stuff all
through the year and pay fer
it when they sold their crops.
They probable never was a
time when the majority of
folks wasn't in debt. I've
knowed folks that lived and
died without ever having a
dime they didn't owe. Take
me fer instant. I'm already 2
payments behind on my old
lady's new washing machine.
They was a heap of things
that might be ruining this
eountry but installment buy
ing ain't one of th?m. I heard
a feller say the other day one
thing wrong with the country
was we got to many chislers
and not enough whitUers. And
we got another big problem
too. The finance experts tells
us about the future and the
history writers tells us about
the past and that leaves the
politicians to keep us con
fused about the present.
I heard one talking the oth
er night on television and he
was riled up about a heap of
things. And the things he
listed was all mighty small. I
put him down right away fer
a small man. Small folks acts
small. You can always tell a
man by the siae of the things
it takes to make him mad. A
small man blows up about
somepun that would only make
a big man stand pat and start
to thinking.
Well, I see where a Guvem
meqt welfare worker come out
the other d?y with a state
ment that might make a heap
of sense. She said parents
ought to use the hair brush
an their younauns east in a
while not that It wMU do the
younmna any good, but would
g|v* relief to the parents. And
I got a hunch, if they use (t
hard enough, it might do tbe
younguns a heap a t good.
Tours truly,
UMto Pink