North Carolina Newspapers

i .3- -i- ' !'! life 1 feiliM V.. ' . :4 Advertising Rates on Request. DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OP BOONE, AND WATAUGA COUNTY. i $1.00 Per Year VOL. XXX. BOONE WATAUGA COUNTY, N.C., THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 4, 1919. NO 47. .H I 41 Distinguished Educator Visits Watiuga. Editor Democrat: Having re cently returned from my vacation and having spent part of my time in Watauga County, North Carolina, I want to say a few words thru your paper about 'this' one of the greatest spots in the Southern Appalachian Moun tains. I desire to say this, be cause I was so very agreeably surprised with what I saw. People who read . about this Southern Appalachian country , of ours usually get a wrong im- ' -pression of it, and especially of Western North Carolina and ex treme Eastern Tennessee. Now I should like to speak of a few of the many good things I saw a round Recce, the Heaver Dams section, Sugar Grove, Zionville tie Cove Cruek Section. All thru these sectionsonesees most &1 the people living in tine houses for the country, above the the average; their farms are well ' fenced and well kept; large herds of cattle grazing on the many hills where you see the grass to their knees, for the grass cer tainly does grow in this country. Much of Ihe land, in fact most .'-of it, is steep, but it is rich. . Much of the land I saw on top of the hills there is as rich a.s much' of our bottom land here, and their land doss not wash like our land here on the hillsides. This is a great apple country. The apples grow there without very much attention and the fla vor of the fruit far surpasses much of that shipped to us from the Pacific slope. This ought to say much to all us mountain folk here in the hills of East Tennes see nd West North Carolina that if wo would just give our orchards as much time, or half as much for that matter, as toe apple grow er of the west gives to his fruit we could crow. the finest fruit that was ever produced. Then build roads to market, for this is one of our chief obstacles to rap id progress. The greatest need of the people in Watauga county, N. C. is good roads to every sec tion of the county, for they cer tainly have the resources. They have tne timber, the land, the f -uit, the cattle, and above all the purest and best of the Anglo Saxon race live there nestled in those hills. Of course much of . t'lis coun(y, like Eastern Tennes sae, cannot be developed until goo 1 roads and railways are built so the people can get in and out more easily. Of course parts of fie county are being favored by pike road and the people are to be congratulated and T am sure they will extend the road to all sactions before they stop. Re cently Boone, the county seat, was connected by rail with John son City, Tenn. which shows the riht steps are being taken and it will not be long until one can ride in an automobile on pike road from here to Boone by way . of Bristol, Va. The trip from here to Boone, vh. Bristol, Mountain City and Trade, Tenn., will not bet sur passed cast of. the . Rockies for - scenery. The mountains all a round toweling more than fiv? thousand feetpresentall the beau - ty and grandeur that nature can give, to bay nothing of the gor ges and valleys and (streams one .ees. ' . ' - ' Now, if you want to get where it is really cool in the heat of summer, go to these mountains. I have never seen anything near by to equal it. If it had not been August, I would have ir ade cer- ' tain that it was going tofrostsev - era! nights while 1 was there. One al ,vavs has to cover at night, and there ism) need for ice In these mountains. The spring wa ' : V v. - Walt Mason Conferted by thi Salvation Arifl). Walt Mason, one of our best beloved poets, has beee convert ed by the Salvation Army work ers in Los Angeles, California, and in his characteristic style has written the following poem about his conversion: "One night while walking down the street, my mind on pleasure bent I sought the pleasures of the world, but my soul was not content I saw the bright lights of the theatre; they beckoned jnc to come, as did the music and the song in the place where they sold rum." I stopped into a pool hall and found a vacant chair, and thought that I would rest a bit arid drive away dull care; but my mind is still persisted in lur ning memory sod, reminding me of the time when I was winning souls for God. I couldn't find the rest and peace, satisfaction would not come, when suddenly I heard the sound of the good old army drum. Its voice it called me clos er, and I found an open air, and once more I could see myself kneeling there in prayer. For I had been a soldier, and known the Saviors smile, but now I was deserter a sinner weak and vile. But in spite of all my mean ness, I went to the hall that night. My intentions they were proper I meant to do the right. But a deserter is a coward-al ways raady with nouie excuse- or perhaps a careless person, and wonders, what s the use? But the prayers of God's faith ful people won my hard and sto ny heart, and at the front that night I made another start. And today, praise God! I'm fighting; Jesus took mo back,' and now once more I'm traveling in the good old Calvary track." ter is as cold as any should want. You can have lemonadcany time, provided, of course, you get the lemons somewhere, as they do not grow there. ' The tourist need not want for somewhere to goand something to see. for the mountains, -if he likes mountain 'hiking', beckon to him. The Rich Mountain with its "Tater Hill" looks down upon you from 5,303 feet above. Blow ing Rock, Grand Father, and oth ers are not very far away and from these great elevations the grandest riecnefs imaginable is spread out before you. Speaking again about the mar ket for this section: As it is, Ten nessee is getting most, practical ly all, of the trade from the coun ty, tho the roads are exceeding rough, thousands aifdthousannds of feet of lumber comes across atone Mountain into Tennessee i-N . r " -a i m to be shipped but Wataugacoun ty is waking up and she will turn trade some of these days by the good system of roads she is in augurating. Why not Tennessee assist in putting a first class road across Stone Mountain, so that trade will continue to come into our commonwealth? One of the chief industries of Watauga county is the manufac ture of cheose,.there being elev en factories already established, ttirning out about 40,000 pounds each month. Of course this means cows, and cows means improved land means good livers. Their cat tle are not scrubs, either, they are in many cases, pure bred; the Holstein being a favorite in many cases. The people are the moftt hospi table and always give a stranger a hearty welcome, as is true of all the Southern Appalachian folk. JUDD ACUFF. Teacher Mathematics Central High School, Knox Co.' Tenn. - ..,.. - -'.1' V;: ' ';"'Vv. ' The Three Forks Assaoiation. By R. M. B. Three fourths of the people of Watauga are. Baptists. The de nomination has no fewer than forty churches and nearly as ma ny licensed preachers in the county. It ows its supremacy in numbers, perhaps, to the. ap peal of its democratic organiza tion to the early settlers in the mountains rather than to anyag gressiveness in recent years. It numbers among its members many of tho most substantial and progressive citizens of the-county; it includes also the great mass who drift with the crowd in creed as in other things. Its leading pjeachers have been men of limi ted education, self-made men. As a denomination the Baptists have been conservative little prone to go after strange gods, slow to adopt new ideas or new methods. But a change is at hand. The Three Forks Association held its annual meeting at Mabel last week. This association is com posed of thirty-six, I believe, oi the Baptist churches of the conn ty. Within the last few years a group of young men laymen have become prominent in its counsels. They saw certain things that they thought needed doing, and with the courage or if you please, the rashness of youth, they setabout doing them, they won their first point last year when they instructed the executive committee of the asso ciation to secure an evangelist or field man I am not sure what they call him to work through out tne association. Tins year they returned with larger plans. And they secured for them the approval of the association. - In fact from the moment they elect ed their candidate for moderator to the hour of adjournment they wore in control. " A few of the older leaders joined them hearti jy. The others with the masses followed, somewhat hesitatingly, but they lolldwed. There were moments when a break seemed imminent, but by skillful leader ship and vehement earnestness the progressive group bore their more hesitant brethren forward with them. Today, measured by the ordinary standards of churcl advancement, the Baptists have by far the most progressive and the most aggressive program o: any denomination in the county. They have already secured as their field-man a good organize a id a tireless worker Rev. M. A Adams. They have under way a plan for the forming of'fields composed of two or three church e's with a pastor who will give hi whole time to the group. They are makingdefinitearrangements for a series of institutes to be held in the various churches for the training of Sunday School workers. These institutes will be held by the best talent from the ranks of the Southern Baptists. I have, said that the younger men were in control; but. they did not hold the center of the stage all the time. The report on tempsrance provoked an interes ting discussion. The tobacco hab it was strongly condemned in a discussion led by old men, sever al oi w horn conressea tney were tobacco users. The weed found but one defender, or, rather, apologist. One had visions of the time when, if a certain, promi nent candidate for Governor,., for instanceTshould start to an asso ciation, he might be met on the outskirts of the crowd by t h e sheriff and firmly led away in the other direction because he had a quid in his month. These are the happenings of the first day. The 33cond was to be tha big Mrs. John Cock. Mrs. Mary Tanner Cook, the subject of this sketch, was born Sept. 1G, 18G0, and departed this ife Aug. 12, 1019, age M years, 0 months and 20 days. She was inarried to John D. Cook in lH7t, with whom she lived happily for I years. She loaves a husband, seven sons and four daughters to mourn her loss. A chair is vacant around the family hearth stone; her seat at church and Sunday School is no onger filled. But she is not gone forever. She ha,s only nassod o- er the river of death into the ealms of eternal rest. She pro fessed faith faith in Christ and joined the Baptist rhurh in 1877 and lived a faithful member un til her death. She was ever rea dy to aid and assist in any wor thy cause. She was a loader in Sunday School wtfrk and devoted a great deal of her time instruc ting children, and they loved her learly. She was ever ready to io to the assistance of a sick or needy friend, and no night was toj dark for her to go when the call came. Husband, children and friends, et us but remember that which we .are sorely grieved and miss her presence, oh, so much, it will bj but a short time until wo shall follow and if we are faithful to Christ we shall join her in that- home eternal in the heavens, not made with hands. These are some of her last wolds, as remembered by, her children:' Be good boys and girls. Meet mo in heaven. Be lov ing orotners una sisters, as you always have been. So. live that when God calls you home there will be a united family in heaven." Her work on earth is endt-d; her troubles and sufferings are end cd; she has gone to hei olernal re ward. - I. S. Watson, J. .1. Wia.UioiiN, II. W. Gukknk, Com. Fr Stony Fork S. S. day. It wasn't. The discussion centered around the great seventy-five million dollarcampr.ign. The basis of the discussion was the reports on tho various phases of missions and on education. Rev. M. A.-Adams led the discus sion, and if any man can raise Watauga's part of that fund, he will do it. The speeches on this day were full of earnestness. There were repeated reference i to now world problems. But if the speakers had any very deli-' nite conception as lo what these world problems are, or as to just what the church may do toward solving these pfobleins, they fail ed to put such 'conception into words. They were apparently un aware of the significance of the economic revolution now spread ing over the world. But not everything can be done atone. The leaders have been busy with the organization of their forces. By next year'they will have perfected their plans; they will have put over big drive and we may confidently expect the same group of leaders to pre sent to the association at- Gap Creek a program of applied Chris tianity in advance of any thing the country has ever known. oucando some things noxt week, but some you cannot. So don t wai t, act now! ' Insure your house before it burns. Insure your health before you get sick. , ' Insure your life before yoli die tor then it is everlastingly tto late. I sell the bes.t policies at uni versal rates. . OEO. F. BLAIR, Blowing Rock, N. C. ,;,-:r,Vj,.-'-V'i'-'t; THE WEEK. American troops' have been withdrawn from Mexico. The withdrawal is purely military it is said. Four bandits are repor ted to have been killed by the Americans, and nine others cap tured by Mexican trops. Jesus Rentina, the bandit leader, is said 1o have been shot and killed by Lieutenant Cooper, one of the Aviators captured by tho bandits. The refusal of the government of the District of Columbia to al low its policemen to form a un ion affiliated with any general la bor organization, calls attention to a little noted action of the Am erican Federation of Labor that may have the most far-reaching results. At its June meet in l' tho federation decided to grant charters to unions of policemen. The policemen of twenty -one cit- i ?s, it is roiortod, have already erganized and affiliated themsel ves with the Federation. The labor troubles in this state have grown worse. In Charlotte where the street cars had been tied up for t wo weeks, the recom mendation of the mayor and com mittee of local business organiza tions for settlemontof th eM roublfc by recognition of the Amalgama ted Association of Street and Electric.; Railway Employs, the practice of the "ojien shop prin ciple, the submission of the wage question to arbitration, and im mediate; resumption of service, was accepted by the workers but declined by the? Southern Public Utilities Company, which owns fie streetcar lines. , Anattemil to, resume operation by the ucc of strike-breakers precipitated a riot in which five men Were killed and eleven others wounded. The bloodshed seems due to the in com pet-Mice of t he police force Someone in tke crowd fired j pistol, so the report runs; the policemen answered with a vol ley. 1 he union men charge that the strike breakers are profess ionalsthugs and gunmen-im ported from outside the State The city government culled on the state for help, and several companies ot utate troops were sent. .They have been patrolling t he streets while armed strike breakers have run a few practi cally empty cars short distances As this is written, the city seems fairly quiet, arid the troops are -boiivr withdrawn. No settlement of the dispute is in sight. At Winston-Salem the stree cars, owned oy me same com pany, are still in the barns. No attempt has boon made to intro duce strikejjroakors. At High Point the furniture factories are still idle. The man ufacturers declare they will nev er reeognizo the unions. Large numbers of idle workers are picketing the factories to prevent others from goingtowork. There has been no violence. The President has declined to recommend the general increase in wages demanded by the rail road shopmen. Such an increase he told them, would tend to de feat the effort of the government to decrease the cost of living. The executive council of the railroad shop crafts have agreed to await the result of the government's campaign against the high cost of living for ninety days, before calling a strike. They are un- certain, nowever, whether thoy can control the various local un ions. I the cost of living (toes not come down, it is nut improba ble that the entire 3,(HJ0,(XJ(J rail road employes of the country may strike for higher wages.. The Senate leaders seem more than ever determined to amend the peace treaty in several ot its provisions.-- The President is startingonan extended tour ot the country. He will lay the ca.ie before the people and ask their aid in securing"the ratification of the treaty. , NOTICE. Bo it remembered that a mooting of tho commissioners of the town ol Boone was held on tho 4th day o August I'JISt, when and where wr present I. O. Greer, M. B. Blackburn und F. A. Linney, commissioners and T. B. Mooro, Mayor, when and whore the following proceedings were had: That petitions having been filed with the clerk asking for utrect .im provements to bo mudu by local as . sessmenls, to wit: asking that a side walk of concrete bo constructed along tho South sido of King Street from Ulaekburn's property beginning at tho branch, west of said property and continuing to tlio Baptist church, thence on the east sido of the street leudlng from satd church to L. Jj.. Critcher's store pussing to tho east side of suld store to tho public school house lot; and on the North side of Kin;,' street fifoin the east corner of the court housn lot to the wfcst corner of Ur. J. . Jones' lot: and on east - side of the street from King Street to the dep'ot, nnd on south Me of tho , street Irom King .Street to tho town unit at l)v. Uliurlmm's, and tho said , I ilion further showing that the ah- uttiug property owners desired that tho town pay for one half tho cost of le said side walk construction and he property owners one half the cost thereof und tho clerk having Investi gated tlm sulllciency of the said peti- ton and tho extent of Um property ef fected thereby, and having subiultud the same to the said coniinislonur,. wholiml, First, that the said petitini. . s snlHeient; Second, that tho sild pe tition is signed by mora than a niH- irli v in number of the owners of ull the lineul feet of frontage of tho land abutting upon the streets proposed to be improved; Therefore be it resolved by th" hoard of commissioners of the town of Boone that concrete sidu walks be construe- ted along the streets as above set forth according to Hie plans nnd spec ulations set lortii hy our onglnoor that tin said walks lie built on a four inch rock base, and from four to six feel wide, and that tho work bo doro oy contract under the supervision of our engineer, and that the town pay for one nail of the cost of construc tion and that the abutting land own ers be, and are herohv assessed one mlf of the cost Umreof, the .said assessment to be made out when tho work is completed, as provided by law. ; He it further rosolved that eoupnn lionds in the sum of fivo thousand dol lars he issued by tho said commiiision er. (or the town of Boone and ftold as the law directs to defray the said ex pense incurred by tho nald town in building the said side walks, and that said bonds Ix-ur a rule of interest not exceeding Ax per centum, per annum. 2. That the said bonds be isttuud In dmomiimlions of $1,000.00 tach and ilur and payable as follows. First bond payable Jan. 1, 191k) and one bond ol one thousand dollars oath year on .Tun. 1 until the year 19U5. X Tiiul a tax sufllcient to pay tiie interest and to provide for a slnkirg fund be annually luvied and collated. 4. Tnat a statement of tho proor.t indebtedness ol the town und tho us sessed valuation of the property sub ject to taxation by the municipality for tin three fiscal years in which tax es were last lovied, bo filed with the board and sworn to by tho tir usurer of the town. .". Thai the bond shall bo u cou pon bond, each lu tho sum of ono. thousand dollars, signed by tho may or of tin; said town and the secretary thereof, and sualed with the corpo rate seal thereof, tho coupon to bo signed by the mayor. This ordinance shall take effect up on its passage. Passed in regular., meeting by a unanimous vote of the uommisMoiicrs on tills 4lu day of Aug usl Ml). F. A. LINNEY, M. H. BLACKBURN I. G. (JKKKR Commisaionwrs. T. 11. MOOHK, Mayor.. . The commissioner having let tlm contract for the building ot thi said sidewalks, before sale of said bonds . and it being necessary to borrow mon ey lor said work until said bonds are sold, the treasurer Is directed and em powered to borrow an amount not ext eecding 4,hm.( K) for suid work, for SO days or longer if necessary, not ex ceeding (10 days from the Watauga ( 'ounty Bank or elsewhere and havo the town's note executed therefor. On motion it is ordered by the board that a concrete culvert 1 constructed by our contractor across the street ut tho branch neartho depot, ' und that tho work lie dono according to tho plans and specifications of our engineer and under his supervision. It is further ordered, on motion, that tho work on the side walks liegui at tho branch west of Blackimrns on the south side of King Si reel. . It is iurther ordered on motion that the county teams be employed and tho county work force be employed to do the grading on tho streets and side walks at such places as the engineer may direct. That a rock culvert be constructed across the street at the branch below the jail and that said treet bo rrraded by th9 county road lotto, If it can be employed. It is further ordered on motion Unit 0 copy of the resolution above sot out be published in tho Watauga Demo crat for 30 days. On motion the meet ing adjourned. This Aug. 4, 10l!l. F. A. LINXEY. ; M. B. BLACKhU IN I. O. GREEK, . Con miss orcrs. 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