Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / July 8, 1926, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAGE TWO ? ' STORY OF ASHE COU DESERTERS TOLD IN 1 B> IRA T. JOHNSTON I In The Winston-Salem Journal 1 Jefferson. N. C.. June 29.?In the " early month of 191$. Ashe Coun tv ' received its first widespread public! ty For a brief season it occupied the headlines of the first pajies of tlie daily newspapers of North CarcLiria and even received mention in the metropolitan press. However. 'he publicity was not of the kind usuaHy ,-ou?rht after And jt was rased on rmsiniorma'.ion in xhany : ; i>? a! least* oh a mis' 1 i; the facts Perhaps this is a ale lay to set history y-a nr' iti.'eie are some who read f cennty in the hectic (jav- < . i 's and wiiu re menu-i-i . that \v?s h'-iaMeci far and wide as the ?.! < v f a rebellion against 1 the j. ? vv: ;.iin ; : K- would not w* i-oiiu- ?he lev's end a correction ?1 the err-r y mado by new spiO'i r \vi hei - tr < n. DurtRi; War fh?- w.ii \iW< r;ca hail ! entered. Wood row \Y?!son h a d stoog before <'or.gre.-s an J tixked i'oi a bevkii^ition of war. The Congress! ' had responded. Tlx* draft lav. h..-i been passed and the nafion-v.-.r, r?. g - ' ' istratiun of man power lire *aK'*r. place. Sons ol' A-he Cou. i\ ? man bed away to take thc;' in the improvised training- camp:- 'h; t dotted the South. And yet. as 1917 passed, the vva* 1 seemed something remote to the pee- , pie of Ashe County. Shut in by the hills, bad-road.-, and poor communication^ the great ma. ovity of them did not fully realize l hat a world vala.C ' tropin was on. True, there was 1 greai excitement, and thousands followed the embryo soldiers to the, mi : icud s: as ions. I.nt France was very far away. War Is Closer Then cairn* the spring and sumn;< ^ wf l'.tl.v The papers * . 'ding ?.f , the actual transportation of drafted meh T11 France. He* ago limits were (. exfc^(ic.ii and a ii<-xv 'urtsirftii'u; held. j The culls fur nit-r. canto more often ,, t?> th< So draft boar- 1. l'Ho wa r came uvare?. Am! some the boy.s who hail 1-ecT: in '.raining ?:mvps for .several niopth.s ohraiM' ii ft. Coughs a'nci rij^od v in tin ir uniforms came home to -p. a! .. a f \v day - with v,the folks," I'are t t.oo.\ (his as a ?uri' Cm'p that they,.] were booked for France The boywere having a good nine :v. \ lie home neigjjlYo iliuod. Ten (lays slipped hy ^ before they scarcely i oalivieb it. The i ^ temptation was strong tb stay as long as possible. h was pleasant to l:n ' j; get with l he g|r}s; to go to public; gatherings with a uniform and he the ? enter of attraction. P Frightened by Talcs Unfortunately, some of the hoys \> over-stayed their furlough?-. And -j then the parents and misguided j.j friends became frightened and advised them that they would he classed t.t 's.s deserter- -bouid they go back to 0 the camps. Tales of what happened u to deserters in the Civil War were freely circulated. Perhaps the rela- 0 fives of sonic of these hoys had de- u sencd from the Confederate Army ; in the sixties. Perhaps some of t hem 11. had received the punishment then t ^ meted out t*o offenders. Perhaps; a some of thorn had successfully evaded , capture hy taking- refuge in the mountains. ! Hide in Mountains < Is it any wonder that some of these inexperienced mountain youths went ;5 to the hushes under the eircum- \ stances? They were not cowards, s They were not afraid to go to France, rj They yielded to temptation first, then ? to sentiment, and finally to panic, i; sheer panic, and the fear of t'he; f imagined fate of deserters. A few j ; of them hid themselves in the moun- j I tains and 1;<1 not go hack to the J I cainr.s. j A young man, perhaps influenced j i by pa;notic motives, decided thai he! 1 would capture one of the soldiers who had over-stay, d his furlough. That . was hack . Horse Creek, where they < once fougai, according to tradition, \ for a pastime. It. is rumored that j i one can still hy persistanco strike j< a fight ojf Horse Creek. No doubt* | j there whs some whiskey mixed in; with the plot. Someone was shot. Then the Headlines j j Then the newspapers got the story. Laigc headlines proclaimed to the i State that deserters had aimed them- ; selves in the mountains of A-h? thai they had banded themselves together and were resisting arrest; that inert* nan noon a pricneu oatrit' o e- J tween the deserters and the authorities. and that Ashe County was the scene <>f rebellion against the draft and against the government. There was much Talk of what , should be done. It was suggested . that a company or regiment of troops be sent here to round up the desert ; ers. How fortunate that this was 1 not done! Bickett Sympathetic And fortunate, too. it was that j Bickett of the great heart and the : golden tongue was Governor of the State of North Carolina. He had beet: I raised in the foothills of the Blue Ridge. Several times on his campaigns he had crssed the mountains. And he knew the type of citizenship to be found in Ashe and neighboring counties. He knew that* this was not.; the soil to produce traitors and cowards. He knew that the mountain I neople had been slandered and malgned before be well-meaning friends who prated about the "poor moun- ^ THE NTY'S WORLD WAR JH ENTERTAINING WAY V Lain whites' and pictured t'heir pov- I e'ray and their ignorance, taking the I most extreme conditions as typical. fie was not afraid. Makes Appeal So Bickctt came to Ashe County. He asked that* the people should be I informed thai he would speak in the ^H en i t house. And the people came. I Out i f the hills they came and over- 1 flowed the courthouse. Bickctt ^B Spoke to them as only he couid speak ^H to them, out of an understanding IB bean and with thai same eloquence BB >vb)ch bail won tm governorship in fijS >p:ie of ihe machine that ruled ^H \-.rth Carolina. fie explained that I the meaning of (hi w:r as it has. not* He eer. explained pt fore, lie exploded j^B th? theory that the boys who had I overstayed would be shot if they re- ^H . .. j v?, v l<uii(n ric? nau pro- bb pressed from that hai'barism. if the I noys would go back 'o camp, said H BicKett, he wouid personally vouch (>* their saidy from extreme punIshnunt. Xcvi. r has been witnessed such a HH scene ui oid Jeffi.!.- ... The Gov- SB : r \va? here. He had not come mm .vith armed forces ami harsh, mens- I? ires. Ik- had come with an underslandhig heart and an eloquent j n * :.a lie and he had an olive branch. hand. Ik had found not that ^B .?ands of desperate deserters were I inning t'hemselves n. .he mountains w? fastnesses. bp! that only a few mis- IB guided boys were hiding from a |H Speech Fruitful A' H people .. ponded. Th amo ?mt "f their hiding KH 1 >! < !' them. Green Ham. ufi lahvjmi -on of the hid.-, came and bk Iq?A. I Governor tie- hand. HR >it k? :t eked him .he eye ami aid. ' A i want y-'ur word. Go fll ack a i I he boys :r Gov.-r 3hS no vi..!u t?.r their nf-iy. Tell ' EH hem toe hark to ...nip." And Green H 1"m gave v.i.id. 02 I lie >. th. if hie. flro mil prudeic I'.e d in ! Bas i i iof Asht, tile:- new hiv.il |H Kb . d one.. an I Bfl >.'ed name, cam* , ' his place Hj f concealment. an! ,htei ir1:\ | M alked up to the court iujifsc stjiiaiv j BR '1 am clad cm.." was j H cm ry response. Ami Hob T; jf IB 8 ad t in-n '< France. lie came hm k j BB I one leaving a Jog in I'.ami.-i s. Bui ' n? 8 < b .ok vou i/; '.111' e V i '. 1.1 MSI ml toll you thai h? is glad thai jl licken ctyjic to Ashe County. Respond to Campaign The other day there was a rata-1 H| aign on in Ashe to raise a futnl'B j erect. a memorial to Woodrow 11 t'ilson, the war President. One of j I ie fjrst. to contribute was Green t ^B [ant. And ,m? douht. if Green ilam ; Hj evei given the opportunity. he will I uniribute t'o a memorial to Biekett, BB f the great heart and the golden ^B mgue. Most of the boys went back to the ^B amps and made soldiers who meas- I red up with their fellows. A few |H vaders only were left. There were ^B vaders everywhere. The headlines I ad ceased to herald Ashe County 1 ^B s the refuse of deserters. The Swashbuckler Some of the latest evaders prom- ^B etl to go to camp, if an arrangement I hould be made. The local board I sked that a man be sent here ;o 1 Ba ceompany them. The boys agreed BB o meet him at one of the railway ^B tations. Then S. Glenn Young, he H ?f Herrin history written in blood, BB1 md gunman of the Ku Klux Klanl^B it its worst, came to take the boysljj >t gamp. He came with a swagger *|.d a threat stnd with two gunsj^BI mekled around him. Where Bickett I found response Glenn Young found ^B resistance. No wonder mountaineers I :ah be led a long way but* they are I iad to drive. The number of volunteers from ^B Yshe County brought its war tee- H| 3rd to a high degree, the Provost- I General's report, showing .that 4b 1 |K men were called to service in the ^B irui't and that 53b actually servec I kvifh t he colors. HB The man who owns as many h- ^B twelve cows should have a silo. FrccjH ouilding plans will be furnished hyl^B the agricultural extension service ofj^B Stale College. Tom Tarheel says the only well- ^BI wateied sl ock he needs is the live- ^BI stock on his own place. Common field corn will make an ^B excellent hay and forage crop if I planted :n rows three feci apart and ^B given two or three plowings. The Bride's Prerequisite A prominent film star was being I married: "So," said the bridegroom, "we I are agreed. On Monday morning at 9 o'clock we visit the registrar. After that* we go to the church and then you are my own dear wife. Have I you anything to say about the ar- I rangements?" ^B "Only that the film rights will. H of course, belong to me." ? Berlin [I Luis tinge Blaettcr. CRUSHED BARLEY MALT One Hundred Pound; Sd.~>Oi^H Hap Flavored Malt Syrup. .I $5.75 |B| (nor den en cans W American Malt Company | mmam 7-1-20 Albemarle, N. C. SMM WATAUGA DEMOCRAT?EVERY THURSD an eP< h DAVIDS truly this will be the LAR the country!! VERITABLY all prices have been CUT T REDUCED!! Below is listen APRON GINGHAMS SALE PRICE PER YARD Be MEN'S FELT HATS 1.98 VALUES TO $6.00 LADIES' SILK HOSE (DURHAM PENELOPE) PER PAIR 1.7S > PAID CAD e~ r- nn -? a nil\ I VI\ OO-OU .. SAVE I MEN'S SUITS $25 00 VALUES, SPECIAL EACH fO.98 LADIES' SILK TEDDIES REAL BARGAINS, EACH 98c nevTbai LADIES' HIGH Group No. 1, values up Group No. 2, values u Group No. 3, values u ?REMEMBER! THIS IS O NOW ON SALE! MANY ITE A "Hundred and I AY?BOONE. N. C. och unsurpassed Sstory of Boone! ON Dep'l COMM TIT ( ? TO Jill (INCLUSIVE) GEST SELLING EVENT ever A BARGAINDOM OF REAL > O THE LOWEST POSSIBLE F a few of the MANY REAL BAI LADIES' HOSE PER P? !R 9c REMNANTS AT BARGAIN PRICES LEMONADE SETS 79c 6 GLASSES AND PITCHER NOW AND BE S MILLINERY VALUES TO $6.00 1.98 | CURTAIN SCRIM EXTRA SALES SPECIAL PER YARD 9 c RGA1N THRILL! I-QUALITY SIL > to $6.00, Sale price p to 9.00, Sale price p to 15.00, Sale price NLY A FEW OF HUNDREDS < lMS are far below cost One" New BARGAIN i in the 1 Store's I .UNITY mnn i , YnmuI ma %7 attempted in this section of |g /ALUES!! 'IGURES!! EVERYTHING M RGAINS AWAITING YO'J: BROOMS'! EACH, WHILE THEY LAST. 39c I COME EARI.Y! ^ 220 White Back BLUE DENIM 25c PER YARD REGULAR PRICE 39c OIL CLOTH SALE PRICE, Per Yard 25c BEST GRADE AVEP! MEN'S ENGLISH BROADCLOTH SHIRTS 1-29 I 3 FOR 3.50 LINOLEUM RUGS 9x12 FEET AS LONG AS THEY LAST 8.98 I 3 DAILY! I v .K DRESSES!* I (to no B ?P^.70 4.98 7.98 I OF BARGAINS THAT ARE I AND? I THRILLS Daily!! I
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
July 8, 1926, edition 1
2
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