Section B
PRICE TEN CENTS
1 H
Section B
?
VOLUME LXXV1? NO. 17
DEMOCRAT
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, OCTOBER *4, 1963
NEW SCIENCE BUILDING (INdET: DR. AND UBS. RANKIN)
Local Car Sales Better Than
Ever At This Time Of Year
As the nation enters it* third
consecutive big year of the cur
rent auto-buying boom, Watauga
County has not been left be
hind, report the six major new
car dealers in the county. Cars
are selling better than ever be
fore during this period of the
year, according to the unani
mous opinion of these dealers.
Watauga County's new-car
dealers include: Andrews Chev
rolet, Inc., of Boone, dealer for
Chevrolet and Oldsmobile;
Brown and Graham Motor Co.,
of Boone, sales representatives
for the Chrysler Corporation
line of Plymouths, Dodges,
Chryslers and Imperials;
Greene Buick-Pontiac, Inc., of
Boone, which specializes in new
Buicks and Pontiacs; Watson's
Garage of Deep Gap, dealer for
Rambler automobiles; Wilson's
Used Cars of Boon*, which has
recently taken over the Jeep
dealership for the county; and
Winkler Motor Co. of Boone,
who sell the Ford Motor Com
pany's Fords and Mercuries.
Despite the rise in new-car
sales, used-car salei are also
booming, apparently because of
the general trend of multiple
ownership of cars by families.
"Our used cars are selling at
a fantastic rate," Mack Brown,
of Brown and Graham Motor
Co., stated. "Lots of families
are adding a second car, many
a third or even a fourth, de
pending upon how many mem
bers of the family are driving."
Yet the rise in car sales is
inexplicable for the most part.
"Automobilists are doing a fine
thing in not making older-model
curs completely obsolete,"
pointed out Glenn Andrews of
Andrews Chevrolet, Inc. "Styl
ing lias changed little in most
lines from last year. The sur
prising thing is that the lack of
radical restyling isn't hurting
sales in the least. Apparently,
such restyling has been vastly
overestimated in the past as an
?id in stimulating buyers' in
terests.
"But a great number of me
chanical changes and improve
ments have been made, making
cars better than ever before.
And some body lines have been
cleaned up and streamlined to
improve their looks even more."
Though it is admittedly too
4arly in the reason to predict
geneMl buying trends accurate
ly, one can make some pretty
safe guesses based on the cars
already bought.
First, most pepole are tend
ing, to request the plush, "load
ed" models at the top of what
ever line they choose, with a
confusing variegation of extras
and convenient additions.
There is an unprecedented
demand, especially in the high
er priced lines such as Chrys
lers, Oldsmobiles, and Mercu
ries, for such extras as power
brakes and steering, air condi
tioning, power seats, and auto
matic transmissions. Whitewall
tires are becoming standard
equipment for new cars.
"I wouldn't stock a car with
out whitewalli," G. C. Greene,
of Greene Buick-Pontiac, Inc.,
stated. "If I should, I'd ju>t
have to put whitewalls on it
when it was sold. The only
people who are interested in
blackwalli and "basic transpor
tation1 any more are fleet own
ers."
The selling boom is affecting
all models, in all price ranges.
Compacts are selling as never
before, and it has proved abso
lutely ibipbsslble to meet buy
ers' depiapds for sports models.
In fact, the only real problem
facing 'auto dealers in this area
is that of keeping enough cars
of all models in stock to meet
demands. Host dealers have a
backlog of advance orders
which they are striving dili
gently to fill.
Bill Winkler, of Winkler
Motor Co.; reports that he has
been flooded with orders even
|or basic, ' "stripped-down" mo
dels, a phenomenon other deal
ers have not yet reported. Wink
ler thinks that the reason for
this is that "the cheaper cars
Sey're making now are better
an the super-plush models of
a few years ago."
Sales of station wagons, on
the whole, continue to slip, as
they have in the past two years.
But it is too early to tell wheth
er this trend will continue
throughout the year.
Meanwhile, truck sales are up
at an unprecedented rate; and
Wilson Used Cars reports that
all indications point to a sharp
Science Building To
Be Named For Rankin
The new Science Building on
the Appalachian State Teachers
College camput will be named
alter a Veteran educator of the
Boone initltution.
Collage officials said this
week that the new building will
be named the James Daniel
Rankin Science Building during
dedication ceremonies Saturday,
October 36, at 4 p. m.
Semi-retired but still active,
Dr. ' Rankin served as dean of
Appalachian College for 26
Woods Fire
Extinguished
The Boone Fire Department,
answering their second such
call In a two-day period, last
Thursday arrested and extin
guished a amall-woods fire near
the home of JS. A. Hall on State
; farm Road, Fife Chief R. D.
Hodges, Jr., said.
ters. Hall stated that she had
been burning trash when a
slight wldd scattered the flames
and ignited a pile of dry leaves
nearby. Mrs. Hall immediately
turned in the alarm to the fire
department.
Woods damage from the fire
was slight, Hodges stated.
rise in Jeep sales this year.
All in all, James Watson, of
Watson's Garage, summed up
the general success and confi
dence of Watauga's new-car
dealers when he said, "Sales of
new cars are good ? all over."
Not much else needs saying.
years. In 1921 he came to the
college as head of the English
department and was named
dean in 1929. In 1959 he be
came president of the institu
tion on the -retirement of the
late Dr. B. B. Dougherty, serv
ing until Dr. W. H. Plemmons
assumed the presidency.
At age 86, Dr. Rankin is still
a familiar figure on the college
campus an<^ ever so often makes
the trek across the campus to
his office in the administration
building.
He and his charming wife,
the former Tula Abernethy of
Caldwell County, participate in
Sunday School and other activi
ties at the Boone Methodist
Church.
A Methodist minister, Dr.
Rapkin served full-time charges
at Brevard, Clyde, Mills River
apt} the Statesville circuit and
several part-time churches be
fore Joining Appalachian ' Col
lege. He also served as super
intendent of Cherryville and
Befsemer City Schoola.
Dr. Rankin organized and di
rected the Appalachian Moun
tains Intercollegiate Forensic
Association for many years.
FOR
EXPERT
WATCH
REPAIRS
See
G. H. MADISON
WATCH REPAIRING
129 East King St.
Fire Warden Urges Extreme
Caution With Fire In Area
C. P. Tufuc, Watauga Coun
ty Forest Ranger, Friday re
leased a statement concerning
the need for extreme caution
as regards fires by county resi
dents, in view of the recent
severe dry weather and the ag
gravating of the sitaation by
falling autumn leaves.
"1 would like to impress
everybody with the facts of the
extreme danger of fires during
such a dry period and the need
not to underestimate the spread
ing power of small fires at such
times," Teague said.
"As you know, the county has
experienced two small grass and
woods fires within the last two
days," he continued. "We were
just lucky that they were so
small and that, we were, able to
get to them and contain them
r
I before extensive damage was tl
done. But u ideas everyone b d
very careful about extinguish- c
ing matches and cigarettes, s
keeping the flames of burning c
trash under control, and the ii
like, we may not be so lncky a
In the future. And there is no
relief In sight from the danger- e
ous dry weather conditions. (
"I should like to remind cltl- e
tens who may be burning trash (
that they must clear out com- t
pletely the area around the a
burning site and stand by the |
fire until they are absolutely t
sure that the fire la out and v
cannot spread. And under no a
conditions shonld anyone at- t
tempt to burn trash if there is i
the slightest hint of wind." <1
Hunting season has now open- t
ed, Teague pointed out, and a
hU increases the potential
linger. "I urge hunters to exer
ise the greatest caution," he
aid, "in putting out match and
igarette flames completely and
a dousing camping fires just
s completely.
"Finally, anyone who fails to
xerci&e extreme caution in
hese matters should be report
d to us immediately. In Avery
bounty a couple of days ago,
hey had a man who was going
round setting woods fires, ap
larently for no reason. Thanks
o an alert cltixenry, these fires
vere arrested and put out, and
uthorities are hot on the
rail of the man today. But
re cant afford such incl
lents in this county, with wea
her conditions the way they
ire."