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16 PAGES—2 8ECTIONS
VOLUME LXXIX—NO. 26
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1966
WINTER CAME HOME, and with it, the wherewithal to operate
snow-making machines to supplement the weekend precipitation.
Some changes have been made since this picture was made last
year at Blowing Rock, but what never changes is the fact that
the snow sport is gaining followers. Watauga County now
boasts three ski lodges. (Staff photo)
Two Ski Slopes Draw
Good Opening Crowds
As of Tuesday, a snow
storm was sweeping the na
tion, and, according to Mrs.
Fred Allen, ‘‘I hope we get
it!”
Skiiers crowded into the
mountains Monday to patron
ize two of the area’s three ski
complexes and Mrs. Allen, of
Blowing Rock Ski Lodge, re
ported more than 200 snow
Jaycees Fete
Needy Ones At
Annual Party
Forty-six little boys and
girls went home happy after
the Jaycees and Jaycettes of
Boone entertained them Tues
day, Dec. 20.
The annual Christmas party,
which is sponsored by funds
from Jaycee Christmas tree
and candy sales, is held for
underpriviledged children
from county schools.
The youngsters were taken
on a shopping tour, and $15
was provided for each child’s
needs. After the tour, they
were fetted with hamburgers
and cokes at Tony’s Pizza Par
lor and given gift bags of
candy and fruit before return
ing to school.
hounds were on the slopes
Monday, the first day of op
eration. She said snow base
was 30 inches on the interme
diate slope, with five or six
inches powder put down by
snow-making machinery Mon
day night. The beginner slope
also is open.
Next on the agenda at
Blowing Rock is to put the
advanced slope in operation.
Hound Ears Lodge & Club,
according to Miss Dorothy
Smith, is going strong, with
an 8-inch base and three to
four inches powder made
Monday night.
Out at Seven Devils Deve
lopment, no skiing as of Tues
day. Manager Bill Shepherd
said a breakdown of equip
ment delayed the projected
opening, although Tuesday’s
forecast was Seven Devils
might begin its first year of
ski operations Wednesday, or
the latter part of the week,
depending upon repair of
equipment.
Boone Business Is
Good, Despite Snow
How did it go in the snow
and blow of downtown Boone.
One merchant reported
Christmas receipts “most sat
isfactory”, and predicted 1966
will show a nice increase over
’65, while another assessed
the holiday trade “equally
good as last year” and attri
buted the early recess of Ap
palachian State Teachers Col
lege as a factor that “hurt
business a little bit.”
Although the college tradi
tionally lets out a week be
fore Christmas, the Dec. 9
closing depleted the pre
Christmas bustle and noise,
and provided permanent fac
ulty residents an opportunity
to do some broad holiday
visiting out of town, one busi
nessman noted.
But the mercantile picture
for Christmas ’66 is fine, gen
erally, for despite the ice and
snow that rushed in the end
of the week, most of the peo
ple seemed to get where th
were going, and found in
Boone, as usual, goods and
services worth getting.
J. HUGH RICH
Bank Official
Gets Promotion
Jacksonville—J. Hugh Rich
has been promoted to execu
tive vice president of the
First National Bank of East
ern North Carolina which has
21 offices in 14 Tar Heel
cities.
The announcement was made
here today by M. F. Allen, Jr.,
president of the system which
started 14 years ago with only
$150,000 assets and which re
cently hit $50 million assets.
Rich was promoted from
senior vice president where
his primary responsibilities
were in loan and investment
operations.
“With this promotion by the
board of directors, Mr. Rich
becomes active in all areas of
First National operations
throughout the system,” Allen
said.
The president also paid
special tribute “to Mr. Rich
not only for his loyalty and
effort since joining the bank
14 years ago but also for the
(Continued on page three)
Babson Says Our Greatest
Danger Not On Home Front
BY ROGER W. BABSON
The close of 1966 marks the
seventieth consecutive month
in the life span of the longest
business boom of all time for
the American economy. How
ever, “trees do not grow to the
sky.” Already, signs of deter
ioration in the expansive vigor
that characterized the earlier
phase of the business upsweep
have been increasing in 1966.
Hence, the outlook for busi
ness and finance in 1967 is of
greater-than-usual importance.
Lest readers of this column
be tempted to “push the panic
button”, however, let me state
that it would be unwise to ex
pect a major depression in
1967. Our greatly expanded
economy still has a consider
able degree of momentum. The
spotlight on 1967, therefore,
should focus upon those fac
tors which are likely to cause
a breathing spell in economic
activity. Politicians and labor
leaders have a phobia against
even a hesitancy in business,
and rush headlong into mea
sures designed to treat a case
of pneumonia when cold pills
would be more appropriate.
1. Although business and
financial problems loom large
in the prospects for 1967, I
must first warn readers that
the greatest danger for the
year ahead does not exist on
the domestic front. Surely it
will be developments abroad
that will hold the gravest
threat to our country. These
could be economic as well as
military or political.
2. I foresee no war be
tween the United States and
Russia in 1967. However, ten
sions between the two world
leaders may seem to reach the
breaking point as the Kremlin
“goes all out" to create diver
sions to our efforts in Viet
nam. Look for Moscow to
throw salt on festering wounds
in the Middle East, Africa, and
Germany.
S. I am also hopeful that a
direct clash between Red China
and the U. S. can be avoided
in 1967. Internal dissensions
are rampant throughout Main
land China, and a great scram
ble for power is in full swing.
Sabre-rattling may help to uni
fy the people; but pressing
problems of low productivity,
plus the demands of her nu
clear program, should restrain
Red China from direct attack
upon the United States.
4. The struggle for leader
ship of the Communist world
camp will continue unabated
throughout 1967. Full political
attack will be mounted by the
Kremlin against Peking. It
will be touch and go, however,
whether Russia can persuade
her wavering satellites to sign
a final manifesto reading Red
China out of the Party.
5. Recent elections in West
Germany have fanned the em
bers of nationalism into a tiny
flame. This has surely thrown
a scare into Russian leaders.
I predict that they will take a
harder line against Germany in
1967 than in some time. I feel
that we should particularly
watch General de Gaulle, who
is playing closer and closer to
Moscow from month to month.
6. Heavily armed with Sov
iet weapons, the Arabs of the
Middle East — squared off
against Israel—present a grave
threat to world peace. Never
theless, I do not believe that
Russia or the United States can
afford a direct confrontation at
this time; hence my forecast
that the smoldering conflagra
tion there will not erupt into
World War III.
7. While all reasonable peo
pie are hoping for a genuine
peace in Vietnam, I predict
that the issue will not be re
solved in 1967. Though the
tide of battle is swinging in
our favor, we may be forced
to increase our commitment in
order to retain this upper
hand.
8. I predict, therefore, that
military spending will be rais
ed in 1967. This can help soft
en the impact of any easing in
(Continued on page three)
Penalities Provided
: I
Watauga Tax Listing To
Get Under Way Jan. 3
Supervisor
Asks For Help
Of Taxpayers
Tax Supervisor G. Claude
Danner advises Taxpayers of
Watauga County they are re
quired to list their property
and polls for taxation starting
Jan. 3, as of ownership Jan. 1.
List-takers by community
and the schedule of listing
dates are advertised in this
issue of the Democrat and ev
eryone is asked to list in his
own township. The books will
remain in the townships
through Jan. 14, and be return
ed to the Courthouse by Mon
day, Jan. 16.
Failure to list within the pre
scribed period. Danner states,
can result in a 10 per cent pen
alty, whereas a $50 fine or 30
days imprisonment can be lev
ied on persons who should, but
do not, list.
All house trailers must be
listed, and automobile, truck
and trailer listings will be
checked against State registra
tions. When listing vehicles,
owners should bring make,
model and serial numbers.
Farm Census
Each farm owner shall pre
pare a list of the acreage of
each crop, including tenths of
acres of truck. The list should
show the total acres cultivated
by the owner, also the acres
cultivated by all tenants on
each separately recognized
farm, the acres in improved
pasture, woodland, idle and
other lands.
He shall be prepared to re
port the number of bearing
fruit trees, the number of live
stock of breeding age, number
of hogs sold or slaughtered
during the past 12 months and
the number of chickens.
Danner says this information
is confidential and its purpose
is for agricultural education,
economic analysis and safe
guidance of county agents and
farmers generally. It has no
relation to taxes.
Danner asks the co-opera
tion of taxpayers in complet
ing the vital tax-listing pro
gram in the allotted time. He
urges immediate action, with
the hope no penalties will be
exacted for failure to list.
United Fund
Exceeds Quota
By Over $.3,000
A notice from Carolinas
United shows intake for Wa
tauga County’s United Fund
campaign had reached the 120
percentile mark as of Dec. 20.
The local campaign budget
of $16,000 was exceeded by $3,
210 for a total income of $19,
210.
Commissioners To
Meet Next Tuesday
The County Commissioners
will meet Tuesday, Jan. 3, in
stead of Monday, Jan. 2.
TWAS FRIDAY BEFORE CHRISTMAS, and
all through the town—bumper to bumper traf
fic, swirling snow, but plenty of holiday cheer.
(Staff photo)
Watauga Rescue Squad
Reports A Busy Year
In 1966, the Watauga Coun
ty Emergency Rescue Squad
reports answering an average
of one call a week. 72 calls
in all for a total of 620 hours
of service.
According to a report from
the log books, this figure does
not include hours spent weekly
in First Aid classes, regular
business meetings, nor time go
ing to and from emergency
areas.
A total of 3,210 miles have
been logged within the year.
This is equivalent to a motor
trip from Boston to San Fran
cisco.
Expenses for the budgeted
year total $2,677.40.
The bulk of the calls have
been traffic accidents. Other
calls included team effort to
comb regions for lost persons,
answering the call of heart at
tack victims, stand-by calls
suca as ASTC and WHS foot
ball games, and the Optimist
Club Halloween Party. The
Squad has assisted at a plane
crash, administered oxygen at
and assisted in fire calls and
helped control and direct traf
fic in time of need.
The report says that resi
dents of Watauga and business
firms have played a big part
in the success and stability of
the Rescue Squad. “They have
contributed generously in giv
ing through personal gifts and
through donations arising from
the rotary tiller and shot gun
the Squad gave away.
‘‘Without the support of the
County, the Rescue Squad
would not exist.”
Aluminum Cable To
Be Tested By Bell Co.
The Bell System now has
its ear to the ground about the
wires in the air.
Local Southern Bell Mana
ger B. B. Leazer said that
Bell scientists are working to
test a new type of cable—
aluminum. Aluminum has pro
ven to be an adequate substi
tute for the traditional copper
wire in Bell Lab indoor tests.
The real question wHbsoon be
solved after the new wire has
a chance to weather some real
weather.
The reason for the develop
Four-Vehicle Collision
Throws Truck Into Creek
Rescue efforts continued
Monday to lift a truck out of
a stream bed to which it
plunged from Highway 321
between Boone and Blowing
Rock Friday afternoon.
Investigating Patrolman W.
D. Teem reported that the
four-vehicle collision, result
ing in the 125-foot plunge of
the tractor, occurred around
3 p. m. Friday when roads
were becoming slippery under
an icy snow.
Teem said the truck, which
was heading north to Boone
was trailing three automobiles
downhill. As he rounded the
curve, the three were stop
ped, since cars heading toward
Blowing Rock from the Boone
Golf Course access were side
ways in the road.
Teem reported the driver
swerved to his right, striking
the right rear of the car in
front of him, bounded into
and out of the ditch, hitting
the second car, which vollied
into the first car as the truck
slanted across the road takin®
a single guard rail to the
streambed below.
The driver, working for
Westbrook Piano Company of
Marion, escaped the cab be
fore it plunged, Teem said.
Wreckers were attempting
to retrieve the tractor from a
secondary road paralleling the
Middle Fork stream.
ment is not to replace the
copper wires with the alum
inum costs, but to have a sub
stitute ready in case of pro
blems developing with the
constant uncertainty in sup
ply and price of copper. After
(Continued on page three)
Many Places
To Be Closed
For New Year’s
The Town of Boone may not
close down as fully as it
Monday after Christmas, but
the Chamber of Commerce
lists City Hall, the Post Of
fice and the Courthouse
among those planning to Ht
the doors Monday after New
Years Day.
Others to close will be
Building 4 Loan, the _
and several merchandise and
clothing establishments. Prior
to Christmas, two of «rw
food stores reported tlMy
would dose this Monday and
many others mauasd will
fatness to do as nthwi in
their category. •