Watauga democrat
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EVERT THURSDAY BY RIVERS PEUWUW OOMTANY, INC
R C. RIVERS, JR., EDITOR AND MANAGER
JEAN RIVERS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
WMkDr!
Published far 45 Yean by Robert C. Rivers, Br.
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MEMBER NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION
NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
"The basis of oar government being the opinion of the people, the very first objective
should be to keep that right, and were it left to me to decide whether we should have
a government without newspapers, or newspapers without government, I should not
hesitate a moment to choose the latter. But I should mean that every man should
receive these papers aM be capable of reading them."? Thomas Jefferson.
BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 1963
Voting Day Draws Near
. It's about time to vote on the
question of issuing bonds for the
building of a new consolidated high
school, and for the erection of a
new hospital building, and as the
campaign goes into the home stretch
there is a high degree of interest
in the two proposals.
Again the Democrat is carrying a
large amount of space promoting
the two issues, and with our uncom
monly good circulation coverage we
feel that the people, by and large,
will have the information. Again a
number of letters are also carried
in these columns, radio coverage is
being afforded, and various meet
ings have been held in the interest
of the proposals.
Like we have said before, our pur
pose has been to do our share, in
every way possible, to bring these
issues to the attention of the voters,
and when the people of Watauga
County have been fully acquainted
with an issue, they have always re
sponded in good fashion on all
matters looking to the well-being
of the towns of Boone and Blowing
Rode, as well as th? county at large.
The mammoth advertising cam
paign which has been developed
adds further impetus to all which
has gone before and currently in
our news columns and we shall be
surprised if a heavy vote doesn't
ensue. Those who have worked so
diligently in acquainting the people
with the merits of these causes are
to be commended for their enter
prise. No question remains, in our
mind, but that an adequate case
has been made both for the hospital
and for the school. We shall hope
that the voters respond accordingly.
Tuesday's the day. Be sure to
vote.
School Bus Conferences
Three regional conferences have
wisely been arranged for the County
Superintendents of Schools in North
Carolina, which are designed to im
prove the administrsrttai .Of .Ifce- na
tion's largest schooftriMfeetfuid the
safety of some 575,000 North Caro
lina school children who ride the
buses.
As a part of the meetings the
Superintendents will get two days
of instruction ranging from the
school transportation law to the role
of the principal in school bus ad
ministration.
Under the setup, the school bus
driver*, 90 per cent of whom are
students, are selected and supervised
by local school officials. The De
partment of Motor Vehicles, in turn,
trains the drivers.
Cooperating in the conferences
are the Institute of Government, the
N. C. Department of Motor Vehicles,
the N. C. Department of Public In
struction, the State Board of Educa
tion and the N. C. Association of
Insurance Agents. Sponsor of the
expense-paid workshops is the N. C.
Traffic Safety Council, Inc.
The session; for this part of 'the
State will be held in Asheville Sep
tember 24-26.
Topics to be discussed include sup
ervision of school bus maintenance,
the selection, training and super
vision of school bus drivers.
This is good. An intelligent effort
has been and is being made for the
greatest efficiency in our school bus
operation and the greatest degree of
safety. It can be fairly said that
local school bus drivers have made
excellent safety records over the
years.
Hunter Safety Stressed
Hunting season brings a rash of
accidents and death in its wake and
the Wildlife Resources Commission,
through William L. Hamnett, edu
cational representative, is reminding
that anyone who forgets the lethality
of firearms, ev?n for a moment, may
be one of the 2,500 who die each
year in accidents.
Hunters are being asked to observe
the ten commandments of shooting
safety, which are printed in the pub
lic interest:
1. Treat every gun with the re
spect due a loaded gun.
2. Watch that muzzle. Carry your
gun safely; keep safety on Until
ready to rfhoot.
3. Unload guns when not in use.
4. Be sure barrel is clear of
obstructions.
5. Be sure of target before you
pull trigger.
6. Never point a gun at anything
you do not want to shoot.
7. Never climb a tree or fence or
Jump a ditch with a loaded pin.
8. Never shoot a bullet at a flat,
hard surface or water.
9. Store guns and ammunition
separately beyond the reach of chil
dren.
It. Avoid alcoholic beverages
before or after shooting Never go
with hunters who drink while hunt
ing.
FROM THE WALL STREET JOURNAL
Our Life And Hard Times
The other afternoon a friend
picked us up for a drive in his new
air-conditioned car.
It not only has all the main appur
tenances, like an engine and four
wheels, and gadgets like push button
windows.
You can also flick up the steering
wheel to escape stooping while get
ting in the driver's seat, and there's
a button to adjust the outside mir
ror without having to stick your
arm out in the summer heat.
At Us house we had a push-button
martial over ice cubes that come
out of a spout; none of this wrest
ling wtth trays.
Lator the prepackaged dinner
came Mt of an automatic oven that
rang a cheerful bell and cut itself
v
off.
Over the coffee, while (till at the
dining table, we watched a couple
of television programs selected by
our host from a little switch in his
hind.
The dessert dishes, incidentally,
did not even have to be put in the
automatic washing machine; the
dishes themselves were edible.
It was all pretty Impressive for a
fellow who remembers cutting up
firewood for the kitchen stove and
hauling in drinking water from an
outside pump
But on the way home in that shiny
new car we discovered we had to
reach across the dashboard and pull
oat Mm a* tng by ?uuwal labor. It
just about spoiled the evening.
; mi
'And We Have 3 Billions On Its Nose'
Ll
From Early Democrat Files
Sixty Years Ago
September It, IMS.
There will be a prayer meet
ing organized at the Methodist
Church in Boone tonight. All
are cordially invited to attend.
Mr. and Mrs. M. B. Black
burn, Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Mil
ler and several younger people
are off on, a trip to Grandfath
er.
Young Mr. Cook, carpenter,
has bought a nice lot of Dough
erty Bros, near the parsonage
and is delivering the lumber to
build a neat cottage thereon.
T. J. Sullivan is Just now put
ting the finishing touches on
the pretty residence of W. L.
Bryan, and a pretty job of paint
ing it Is.
Prof. D. D. Dougherty is er
ecting another neat five room
cottage near the building now
occupied by Mr. C. J. Cottrell.
The lumber to be used in
the Training School building
is being delivered rapidly, and
is being cut on the farm of
J. W. Farthing.
Register of Deeds May is
again able to be at his post of
duty, and we are truly glad to
see him out again.
Mr. John Blair has purchased
the C. S. Young property at
Blowing Rock, and will move
there soon.
Mr. Henry has practically ab
andoned his brick machine, but
he is on an average the week
through making 14,000 per day
by the old process.
The question of a bank of
Boone is beginning to be talked
right lively by our people, and
there are indications that some
thing along that line will be
done within the next year.
Thirty-Nine Yean Ago
September II, I?4.
James Rivers is in Wilkes
boro this week assisting the
Wilkes Patriot through a rush
period.
It is claimed by some that
the power plant on Middle
Fork will be in operation with
in less than two weeks. Let us
hope this is true but it seems
almost impossible after having
waited so long.
On Friday and Saturday
mornings last this section was
visited by frosts that would
have done full Justice to Dec
ember ? something very unusu
al for Watauga. Reports from
various sections of the county
are to the effect that the late
buckwheat is badly damaged
and the corn crop is more or
less damaged.
Married last week, Mr. Luth
er Bingham to Miss Lucy Mast,
daughter of Mr. J. J. Mast of
the Cove Creek section. The
bride is well and favorably
known in Boone, having attend
ed school here for a long while.
Luther is also a native of Cove
Creek and has many friends
locally.
Masons are rushing the work
on the beautiful bride bunga
low of Mr. H. W. Horton which
is being erected on a lovely
elevation just east of the Dan
iel Boone Hotel. Hie founda
tion is laid of rough stones
shipped in from the Cranberry
iron mines and will add much
to the appearance of the pret
ty summer home. Mr. Horton
and family spend the winters in
Miami, Fla. where Mr. Horton
is engaged in the real estate
business and he plies the same
Letters To The Editor
Dr. Davant Asks
"Yes" Bond Vote
To the Citizen* of Watauga
County:
There comes ? time in the
growth of every crop when a
farmer m a a t cultivate his
plants. If this task is neglected
or delayed, the product of his
best efforts will produce an in
ferior plant and a poor harvest.
Education is the cultivation
of the minds of our youth. Neg
lect or delay of that vital time
m age when education it essen
tial will have the same effect
on our most important product,
the minds of our people.
Just as a farmer needs good
soil, favorable climate and ade
quate farm tools to produce sup
erior crops, our teachers must
have the needed buildings and
instructional aids to produce
superior students.
The health of our citizens
demands the same excellent
facilities. Your doctors find it
essential to have buildings and
instruments of modern design
to have good results in the
patients that they care for.
The need to cultivate the
education and health of our
children and disabled is evi
dent. The time to cultivate is
now. Will you please Join me
in voting YES for these educa
tional Mods and YE8 for thes*
hospital needs in this county
that God saw fit to bless with
Ike best people la the wwWL
Charles Davant, M. D.
Says Old School
Days Are Gone
Gone are the days of forty
years ago in Watauga County.
The time when there was a
school in every town, section,
and area Is fading. Schools are
combining in consolidation for
bettering the students' oppor
tunities. Consolidation improves
the preparation of the student
to go on to higher education
by nuking more advanced and
enriched courses available to
him. As for the student who
doesn't go on to college, it can
make available subjects to fit
his Individual needs such as
carpentry, electricity, shop, etc.
Sach a high school program
is needed very desperately in
Watauga County. The schools
are old and the facilities are
obsolete. Appalachian High
School is dangerously over
crowded.
There would be many other
advantages to such a high
school. There would be a high
school cafeteria and many extra
ctirri cuter and recreational ac
tivities. Whatever disadvantages
there are will be compensated
for by these many advantages.
Please vote "Yes" on Sep
tember 17.
Sincerely,
Randy Houser.
Mb Grade ? Appalachian High.
Terse Comments
Some of the modern best
sellers seem to have been writ
ten in the gutter.
' Ol^Mlence is what make*
"easy money" uneasy.
it
trade in Watauga daring the
summer months.
Dr. L. E. Farthing of Wil
mington with hia wife and
John Watte, has been spending
a few days vacation at the
home of his mother Mrs. J. W.
Farthing on Route 1. The Dr.
came through in an auto, and
says there is more business
activity in Boone than in any
other town he has seen in the
state.
Fifteen Years Ago
September 9, IMS.
Mrs. Hazel Macauly of Vilas
has returned home after a few
days visit with her brother,
David Love, Jr. of Raleigh, N.
C.
Prof, and Mrs. A. R. Smith
and daughter, Ann, spent last
week with Dr. and Mrs. R. D.
jo^jpp in Pittsburgh, Pa.
*r. and Mrs. Joe Rhyner of
Statesville were week end visi
tors with Mrs. Rhyner's par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde R.
Greene.
Mr. and Mrs. Heath Jefferies
from Charlotte spent the week
end with Mr. and Mrs. Will Car
ter.
Mr. Allen Norton, who has
Just returned from Alaska,
spent the week end here with
his mother, Mrs. A. M. Norton.
Mrs. Lindsay Taylor, Mrs.
Rubin Watkins and Mr. and
Mrs. Fred Hopgood of Oxford
were week end guests of Mr.
and Mrs. John W. Hodges, Jr.
Mrs. C. M. Stiles and daugh
ter, Miss Cynthia Stiles have
returned from a visit with rela
tives in Ketter Point, Me., New
Haven, Conn., and Charlottes
ville, Va.
Mr. and Mrs. Howell Edmis
ten announce the birth of a
son, Wayne on August 28, at
the Ashe Memorial Hospital,
Jefferson.
Mr. and Mrs. Richard E.
Hawkins of Silver Springs, Md.
spent last wek with Mr. and
Mrs. H. R. Maltba at Poplar
Grove.
Mr. and Mrs. D. F. Greene
Sr, Janet and Bill, Mr. and
Mrs. D. F. Greene Jr., of
Greensboro, Mr. and Mrs. Roy
B. Greene of Norfolk, Va.
spent the week end with Mr.
and Mrs. R. M. Greene.
Mr. and Mrs. Cicero Greer
and Mr. Mack Greer returned
I..M Sunday afte spending a
week with Mr. A. J. Greer of
Washington, D. C. and with Mr.
Lloyd Eller of Sykesville, Md.
They also visited different
points of interest in Virginia.
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin L.
Smith Jr. and baby boy and
Mr*. B. L. Smith Sr. and daugh
ter, Miss Mary Blair Smith
Jotned Mr. Smith Sr. on Friday
tor the closing days of his va
cation at the home of Dean
and Mrs. J. D. Rankin and Prof.
E. J. Abernethy. They all re
turned to their homes in
Greensboro on Monday.
Miss Lucille Margaret James
and Mr. Ellard Glenn Cornett,
both of Sugar Grove, were unit
ed in marriage September 3d
In the office of Mr. J. M. Mor
etx, JP, who performed the
ceremony.
Mrs. Margaret Phillips Hugh
es announces the marriage of
her daughter, Margaret Elea
nor, to Mr. Maurice Joseph Fa
gan, Jr. on Sunday. August 8,
at Baltimore, Md. The young
couple la making their home in
? Philadelphia, Pa. ? t
KING STREET
BY ROB RIVERS
At The Postoffice . . We're Handed Letter
Everybody goes to the postoffice, .sometimes at
least. ... We have to go often, and at the time of the
greatest activity it's sort of like it used to be when we
went to the depot for the arrival of the passenger train,
in that we see a lot of people, and find out a great
many things. . . fact is a good deal of our information
originates there. . . The other day we were talking to
a friend, while depositing a good deal of a mountainous
pile of mail in the Federal wastebasket, when Dr. John
J. VanNoppen handed us a pen-written letter. . . The
Professor of English at Appalachian State Teachers Col
lege, who is known simply as John to us and others
of his friends, wrote:
"TO MR. BOB: Among the
flnest source! of Americana
are the newspaper* In small
and medium sized towns. . .
They reflect and reveal, as do
few other materials, the lives
of the grass-roots people ? the
inhabitants of small towns
and Of their neighbors who
live in the surrounding coun
tryside.
"ONE OF THE BEST SUCH
PAPERS is the Watauga Dem
ocrat. . . William Alien White
of the Emporia Gazette and
Louis Graves of the Chapel
Hill Weekly made their papers
famous. No less fortunate is
the Democrat in having Bob
Rivers ? Our 'Mister Bob' as
its Editor. . . Every great
weekly paper has had a great
Editor who wrote an excep
tional column. . . . One of the
best of these columns, through
out the length and breadth of
the United States is Bob Riv
ers' 'King Street.'
"KING STREET Is foil of
wisdom, homey philosophy,
humor, gentle satire, folk lore,
and it reveals the life and
times of the people of our
coonty as does no. other source.
. . . Bob Rivers is a great
newspaperman and we In Wa
tauga county can be justly
proud of him and of our Dem
ocrat. . . Recently I visited
my daughter in Texas. She is
an avid reader of the Demo
crat ? in fact, she knows many
things about people in Boone
and Watauga County that I
did not know, so the influ
ence of Mr. Bob and the Dem
ocrat are felt in placet over
a thousand miles from Boone.
"TO ME, BOONE and the
mountain area are among the
most beautiful and delightful
sections in the world. This
summer Mrs. VanNoppen and
I conducted a group of friends
on a tour of Europe. I told a
number of people that the
scenery around Lucerne,
Switzerland, was the only place
we saw that might possibly
surpass in beauty the loveli
ness of Boone, Blowing Rock,
Linville, Grandfather Moun
tain, Rich Mountain, Howard's
Knob, the Blue Ridge Park
way and our own Watauga.
"AND I KNOW OF NO ONE
who has done as mnch as our
'Mr. Bob' and the Democrat
to make Boone and Watanga
County a mecca for tourists
and one of the most beautiful
places In which to live.
"THIS IS AN UNSOLICIT
ED TRIBUTE to Bob Rivers:
friend, neighbor, columnist, ed
itor and great lover of Boone
and Watauga County."
We thank you, John, no end,
for yflitt lavish appraisal of
our efforts.
* * *
Big Vegetables
MR. F. R. BUMGARDNER
bring* us some fine vegetable*
Monday morning to get our
week started ont in good
shape. . . . There are two
giant potatoes, about as large
as the little golden pumpkins
we nsed to raise In the corn
rows. ... He says if we find
a hollow spot In the middle of
them, that it is Just nature's
way of providing a place to
put a dab of butter. . . Also
in the box were two huge
golden tomatoes, and a can of
mushrooms packed in Kennett
Square, Pa., where Mr. Bum
gardner has a daughter who
is connected with the mush
room industry. . . We are
greatly obliged to our good
friend for the choice food,
which grew so large and de
liriously In the rich black Wa
tauga soil. . . We shall en
joy them, and shall cherish
the friendship which prompt
ed the delightful gift
? ? ?
Fly Paper Strips
From the Greensboro News
we learn that Howard Mast's
general store at Valle Crucis
still sells fly ribbons ? the
long strips of gooey paper
which used to be hung, from
the ceilings to catch fliei. . .
We believe these strips fol
lowed the old Tanglefoot, the
big sheets of fly paper which
we used to buy at M. B.
Blackburn's store and lay on
tables about the place to snare
the hordes of flies which came
along, and cause them to lit
erally buzz themselves to
death. . . . We'd almost for
gotten the trouble we were
put to with flies in the days
before screens were prevalent.
... We had a luxurious old
lilac bush which grew plenty
of leafy sprouts mama used to
fan the pesky insects off the
food at meal time. ... We
don't recall who "minded"
the flies when it came mama's
time to dine.
Uncle
Pinkney
HIS PALAVERIN'S
REAR MISTER EDITOR:
The feller* that writes them
big headlines in the daily
newspapers has long ago lost
the common touch. Ever day
we git a steady diet in big
black type about the Reds
pushing the line a few mile in
Laos, or JFK and Bobby tak
ing a stand on Civil Rights,
or DeGaulle being again this
or that, and about onct a week
we sit a headline on how
things is going in the British
Parlament. i- > ?
y Actual, this don't sell no
newspapers on acocunt of the
people ain't interested. Ever
body knows the Reds is always
pushing the line a little here
and there. In Cuba, fer in
stant, they got it pushed just
90 mile from Florida. What
do we care about a few mile in
Laos? And with a election
coming up next year, JFK
and Bobby has got to Uke a
stand on Civil Rights about
twict a day to keep the iron
Aot. And ole DeGaulle has
been agin everthing except
fresh air and sunshine since
he took office. Scandals in the
British Parlament is nothing
to what we got in Guvernment
here at home. See what I
mean Mister Editor?
They was at least a doten
items buried in the big papers
last week that was big head
line news and would've sold
papers like hot cakes to the
average American. ?
Fer instant, it was decided
in North Carolina that coun
ties would have to quit charg
ing $3 a head tax on mules.
The Governor allowed as how
anybody "afflicted .with a
mule" shouldn't have to pay
tax on the varmit. A headline
acros* the top of the Chicago
Tribune saying "N. C. Cut*
Taxes" would create a sensa
tion. This is probable the first
real tax cut in this country
since the Pilgrims landed.
The Russians has started
building a <2 million Embassy
in Washington. This item was
buried back with the want ad*.
A* tight as them Russians can
git with a dollar? they was
now 4 year behind with their
U. N. due*? this is absolute
proof the Russians ain't got
no idea of ever dropping a
bomb on Washington. But look
where the paper* pat this
Iteml
Then they was this little
item buried back in the pap
ers about a Sheriff in Georgia.
He run on a platform that if
he was elected he'd make the
county so dry you'd have to
prime a feller twict afore he
could spit. The bootlegger*
put a time bomb in hi* car
and blowed it to heaven. But
the timing was bad and the
Sheriff wasn't in it. The in
surance company immediate
cancelled the Sheriffs policy
bat he Iwight hisself two more
guns and said he didn't need
no insurance. Now these 1*
the kind of items, Mister Edi
tor, that'll *ell paper*. People
just ain't excited no more
about ReGaulle and
Bobby. t ',r
Uncle Pink