The Week in
Washington
A KESDUK OF OOVC1UISEENMKNTAL
ILAPFENINGS Hi
THE XATKNTAT. CA1TTAJL
Washington, Dec. 30?Nothing is
giving the administration more concern
than the problem of what to do
about unemployment and the relief
of the unemployed. With business in
most lines almost back to the pre
depression level there are still, according
to government estimates,
about 8.600.000 persons without jobs.
Of these, the WPA is taking care of
about 2,'100,000.
There are also nearly nine million
persons, counting all of the families
of the unemployed, who are receiving
direct relief from slate unit local
sources. Much of this money comes
out of tlio federal treasury.
The federal government is spending
above 165 million dollars a month
on v,TA wages alone The problem
is, how can this burden of relief expenditures
be continued if at the
same time federal expenditures m
gcnerul are to be reduced ?
Two Kclief Views
There is a decided conflict of opinion
as to what ought to bo done. On
the one hand is the group of relief
workers, headed by Harry L. Hopkins,
WPA administrator, which
holds that relief should be regarded
Ias a permanent policy of the federal
govcrnnml. These folk believe that
there is no likelihood that business
and industry will ever absorb all the
nation's employable citizens, especially
since about 600,000 young persons
reach the working age every
year, adding to the available labor
supply.
On the other hand there is a large
group which believes the time has
come to turn the problem back to
the slates and their local governments.
This view has important support.
Mr. Roosevelt is, therefore,
under pressure from two sides, each
urging upon him a policy diametri
g cally opposed to that of the other.
There are complications, political
mk and otherwise, in the way of either
V course. A strong: lobby has developed,
composed of governors of
states and mayors of municipalities,
who are united in opposing any
withdrawal of the federal government
from the relief situation. They
do not want the responsibility of
nutting thn hnrrleii nnnn their. local
taxpayers
Another complication is the attitude
of many members of congress,
' who have found the political patronage
.f the federal relief organization
useful to themselves. Indeed,
there is a. feeling in Washington that
congress may block any attempt on
tile part of the administration to
curtail relief expenditures, and insist
upon appropriating more money
than the president asks for.
The situation holds the possibility
of a row between president and congress.
if the president does, as many
believe he wiil, accept the view of
those who think it is time to call a
halt on federal relief.
National Defense Thought
The ? is no doubt whatever that
officii Washington is "jittery" on
the sit iect of war. Although there
does n appear to be a war cloud
M on our national horizon one hearts
men in high places emphasizing the
necessity of strengthening our do
reuses oil land and sea and in the air.
What gives officials here the jitters,
seemingly, js the belief that a
general European war is impending
and that this time the victor will be
a nation or combination of nations
which nave no love for the United
States and who will look with covetous
eyes upon the opportunity for
territorial accessions and colonization
of surplus populations which
the as yet unoccupied parts of North
and South America offer
There may have been more than a
goodwill gesture in President Roosevelt's
trip to South America. Back
of it might have been the feeling
that the two Americas needed to
stand together against possible aggression
from Europe or Asia. If
such a situation 3hould ever develop
it is likely the United States would
have to bear the larger share of the
burden when it came to resisting attacks
from overseas.
I Something of that thought inay
I lie behind the request of Harry
Woodring, secretary of war, for authority
to recruit the U. S. vegular
I army at once up to its full legal
strength of 165,000 enlisted men by
fa January 30, 1937.
Secretary Woodring also proposes
to increase the national guard from
I 189,000 to 210,000, to call 30,000 reI.
sei-ve officers to active dutv for two
\ weeks each year instead of the present
20.000, to enlarge the capacity
of the citizens military training
camps, enlist about 150,000 "specialists"
in the army reserve corps, and
to rush to completion the army's
program of 2,320 fighting airplanes.
Mr. Woodring does not 3ay that
expects a war, but he wants to be
ready to figlit if necessary.
The -Official" Election
The official count of the ballots
cast at the presidential election on
November 3 has been completed, and
the presidential electors have met
in their respective states and fori
Continued on page four)
WAI
[pjp An I
!VOL. XLVin, NO. 25
I Baby of Congress |
All records indicate that Representative
Lyle H. Borcn. 27, (D) of
Oklahoma, will bo the youngest
member ot the new congress which
convenes January 5th. Representative
Boren celebrates his next
birthday May 11th.
AGED BAPTIST
DIVINE IS DEAD
i
i . _r
Reverend Monroe Gragg Had
Preached in Watauga County
for Sixty Years
One of the county's prominent pioneer
ministers. Rev. Monroe Gragg,
well known and esteemed citizen of
Blowing Rock, died at his home on
Wednesday, December 23, following
a period of failing health since
April 0. He was 84 years of age.
Funeral services were conducted '
Thursday at 10 o'clock at the home
by Rev. Ed Hodges and Rev. W. D.
Ashley. Interment was in the Sims :
cemetery at Elizabethton. Tenn.,
with Mr. J. Clyde Kelly, of the ReinsSturdivant
Funeral Home, taking
carc of the arrangements.
Surviving are the wife, Mrs. Mary
Gragg, of Blowing.Rock, one son,
.Joseph Gragg, of Shell Creek. Tenn., i
and one brother, Albert Gragg, of
Junction City, Ky., and 21 grandchildren.
Rev. Mr. Gragg was born ill Tennessee
am came to North Carolina
with his parents when he was but a
small boy. He was converted when a
young man and joined the Baptist
church. He began his study of the ;
ministry very soon and was a loyal
minister for 60 years in Watauga
county.
Hf was firah n>? rrio/1 T? oohnl i
Whitehead and to this union were
born eight children, three boys and J
five girls: Mrs. Joe Wagner, Mrs. i
George Berry, Mrs. D. L. Berry,
Debie Gragg, Harvie Gragg, Roy
Gragg and Mrs. Monroe Gragg, all '
i of whom arc dead. He was married I
| t.i Mrs. Ptnley Gragg on July 7,
11032, who survives.
PRESIDENTS BALL
BEINGARRANGED
Mayor Gragg Appoints Committee
to Arrange for Annual j
Benefit Dance i
Mayor W. H. Gragg has ar.nounc- ,
ed the appointment of Messrs. Roger ,
; MeGuire and Gordon Winkler as a ,
committee on arrangements for the
President's ball to be held at the j
Daniel Boone Hotel on January 30th,
and specific details as to the annual
benefit entertainment will be announced
soon.
In referring to the appointment
the mayor asks the co-operation <
all the people in making the ball a ,
successful one, and believes there is
no better purpose than ' that for
which the proceeds are used.
As usual the proceeds from the affair,
wncih is given on the President's
birthday, will be divided be- '
tween local sufferers from infantile
paralysis, and the children who are i
patients at the Warm Springs Institution
in Warm Springs, Ga. President
Roosevelt, himself a sufferer
from the dread malady, established
this institution.
Bradley Gets Large
Returns For Tobacco
Mr. Grady Bradley of the Brushy ;
Fork section, believes he has set
something of a record for a monetary .
return on a fractional part of an
acre seeded to burley tobacco. Mr.
Bradley states that on a measured
seven-eighths of an acre, he produced
tobacco which brought $800 on ,
the warehouse floor, for an average ,
of 56 cents per pound.
The highest grade tobacco in the
load sold for 70 cents; other tmskets ,
brought 65, and a small quantity of
bad green brought 8',i cents.
The. toucan uses its enormous bill
as an arm for reaching fruit.
I
lUJUKl'JLV Jl A !
AS AXE IS WNG
IN TUESB1 ROW
- m
Zeb Harman Recover
From Injuries ^Received in
Affray in Which Axe and Pistol
Figured; Harlie Ifnrman
Ilelo in Jail
Zeb V. Harman, well known citizen
of the Rush Branch section of
Beaver Dam township, is a patient at
the Banner Elk hospital, perhaps
fatally injured by the blade of a flying
axe, flung at him by a neighbor
and distant kinsman, Harlie Harman.
as the two engaged in an affray
at the home of the latter Tuesday
afternoon.
The axe blade entered the back
just above the left kidney, and physicians
were unable to slate whether
or not the injury would result fatally,
pending further developments.
Harlie Harman is being held in
jail pending the outcome of his
neighbor's injuries.
According to information secured
by Sheriff Edminsten, the trouble
started between the two men when.
Zeb II arm an shot a dot? belonging to
Harlie. The wife of the latter, the,
story goes, came to Zeb's place and
made some remarks to him regarding
the injury to the canine, at the |
same time stating that she would i
like for him to come and get his hog
off Harlie's premises. Zeb is alleged
to have offered an apology for shooting
the dog, stating that he meant to
scare it, and proceeded immediately
to go in quest of the swine.
When he arrived at Harlie's place,
the latter was on the porch and Zeb
told him he couldn't see his hog, and
is alleged to have received the reply,
"If it had been a dog you would
have seen it." Zeb is then said to
have drawn his knife, and Harlie to
have seized an axe, whereupon the
knife was replaced and a revolver
brought forth. Harlie started with
the axe and a round was fired from
the revolver without effect, the man
with the gun running, his assailant
close behind. During the time, it is
said, Zeb had an opportunity to hastily
reload and fired two or three
more shots, one of them barely grazing
the thigh of Ilarlie. As Zeb
ciossed a fence, however, Harlie flung |
Ihe axe from a distance of several j
teer, vvnn the damaging: results. He
Followed the injured man to the "line
fence" and returned home. Zeh
reached his home and went to bed,
where he remained alone for some
hours without medical attention. He
ivas given first aid treatment by Dr. j
King, county health officer, and removed
at once by the sheriff to the
hospital.
The injured man is known as one
of the outstanding men of his community,
while Harlie is also said to
he a substantial citizen. There are
evidences that there had been a
grudge Between the two in years
past, but understanding is that recently
they had been living as good
ind friendly neighbors.
Sheriff Edminsten cays there is no
disposition on the part of either of
them to shun any of the facts in the
ease and that the story of the affrayis
told in substantially the same form
by each one.
MOODY INFANT DIES
An infant son of Mr. and Mrs.
Vernon Moody of Blowing Rock, died
Monday night, and funeral services
were conducted from the home Tuesday.
Interment was in the vicinity
hf Sugar Grove
SERIOUSLY HURT
IN FALL ON ICEi
J. S. Winkler Returns From
Statesville; Had Arm and
Shoulder Fractured
Mr. Joseph S. Winkler, well known
citizen, a member of the personnel
at the Harrison Chevrolet plant, returned
Sunday from a Statesville
hospital where he had been for treat
iiimik viu ?inumil. oi serious injuries
sustained when he fell on the ice the
first part of last week.
Mr. Winkler was looking after
feeding some cattle on h is farm
near Boone, when his feet slipped on
an icy surface, breaking his right
arm at two places and crushing the
shoulder.
Mr. Winkler is resting as comfortably
as could be expected and physicians
believe that he should show
a reasonably early recovery.
New York?Aaron Burr was the
first leader of Tammany Hall.
^ATTr:
ndependent Weekly New:
BOONE, WATAUGA_?jg.lJ^
SERIftI W.V mm
A Dl
spaper?Established in tl
rY, NORTH CAROLINA. THUR!
|| ALL READY TO GR
Above is pictured but one of
New Year?this one, however, fro
Bumpus, college junior of Pasadei
annual tournament of roses at Pa
CHRISTMAS QUIET
ABOUT THE TOWN
Springtime Weather Pervade?
This Section Christmas; Little
Disorder
Boone began bright anil early
Monday morning to resume it usual
routine alter having enjoyed a h.ili
itfiv Rpanrtr. tnfftiui f.Ai' E-jiminnee i n.t
quietude was seldom excelled in the
community
Christmas day the weather was
"or'ight uiiu buiuiy a5 Miy, xvt-wj. roaidents
of the town for the most part
stayed around their respective premises
r.r.d observed the Christmas holiday
in a sane and happy fashion.
Police records indicate that there
was little of disorderliness, and the
arrests for drunkenness during
Christmas and over the week-end
were below those reported for many
previous week-ends, in which no holiday
figured.
Saturday the business houses of
the town enjoyed a holiday, many
made trips to other points, while the
balmy weather continued, and there
was little activity about town.
The first days of the past week,
the streets of the town wore jammed
with holiday shoppers, and while but
few merchants have made a thorough
check-up and comparison o(
their Christmas trade with a year
ago, most of them thought the first
of the week that receipts were greater
than during any recent holiday
shopping season.
S. M. Glenn Killed
In Missoula, Mont.
Friends and members of the family
are grieved to learn of the death
of Mr. S. M. Glenn, of Missoula,
Montana, who is a native of Watauga
county and the son of Mr. and Mrs.
J. L. Glenn, of Sugar Grove. Returning
home from work Monday morning
Mr. Glenn was struck and in
stantly killed by an oncoming- train.
Mr. Glenn is survived by his widow
and four children. Miss Carolyn
Glenn, Miss, Jean Glenn, a married
daughter, and Mr. Arnold Glenn, all
of Missoula, Mont.
SUSPEND WORK
ON PARKWAY
Winter Weather Causes Partial
Shutdown: Much of Grading
Completed
Several contractors on the six
sections of the Blue Ridge Parkway
in Alleghany, Wilkes, Ashe and Watauga.
counties have suspended work
during the winter season.
Four snows have already fallen on
the summit of the Blue Ridge where
tho omoo.nnnnteiT h/\iilnrrnw/t i.~ nn/tov
<-lit VI UN-VUU1H1 J uvuitvaivt IO UIIUC1
construction and contractors deemed
it wise to suspend operations for a
period of two months.
About 80 per cent of the grading
has been completed from the Carolina-Virginia
line to a point near
Deep Gap on the Boone Trail between
Boone and North Wilkeboro, a distance
of about, GO miles.
The biggest task now facing the
contractors is crushed stone surfacing,
which is covered in the contract
calling for grading.
l,MOC
le Year Eighteen Eighty-Ei
5DAY. DECEMBER 31, 1936
...... J
EET THE NEW YEAR j|
* jfeixw\;-|?fc?xw?-:,t pj?
America's queens who will greet the
?m a throne of roses. Miss Nancy
la, Calif., will rule the realm in the
sadena on New Year's day.
iOBSCENEMATTER
CANNOT BE MAILED
; Postmaster Gives Out Warning
of Department as to the L>se
of the Mails
Postmaster \V. G. Hartzog asks
l j The Democrat to publish the follow|
ing* recent bulletin from Washington
i dealing with the use of the mails for
i the transmission of obscene literature:
Encouraged by the 15-year federal
t penitentiary sentence meted out to
| Gayle R. Cleveland of Pehsacoia,
P.la.. alias Miss Georgia Clayton and
Miss Gay'.e Cleveland, 01; charges of
| sending obscene matter through the
mails, the postal inspection service
j has launched a nation-wide drive on
: obscene correspondence clubs coni
ducted through the mails, it was an!
nounced at the postoffice department
1 recently.
Cleveland was the operator of
"The Letter Club Different," one of
numerous obscene corresponding
clubs, which have for their purpose
the mutual exchange of obscene liter!
ature, photographs and drawings,
1 and which have been uncovered by
postal inspectors in various sections
I ot tne country. The Pensaeola "Let j
ter Club Different" of Cleveland, was
conducted in the same manner as are
the other obscene correspondence
clubs which are now the subject of a
far-flung roundup by federal postal
inspection service.
As operator of the "club," Cleveland
would insert advertisements in
the cheaper magazines offering for a
small fee, usually ten cents, to put
. interested persons in touch with others
of either sex who were interested
in the exchange of literature and
i photographs of an obscene nature.
(Continued on page 8.)
! Fred Norris Burned
As Gasoline Ignites
Mr. Fred Norris of the Ruthervvood
section, suffered severe burns Tues!
day afternoon when the gasoline
from a pipe on a bus caught fire, as
be sought to repair the machine.
Mr. Norris, who is a popular driver
of a school bus, had completed his
day's run from Deep Gap. He had
been having some trouble with the
ous hi hi naa crawica unaer tne ma- i
chine and loosed a gasoline feed
pipe, in an attempt to discover the
trouble. The fluid became ignited in
I some manner, perhaps from the heated
exhaust pipe, and Mr. Norris*
hands were very seriously burned
before he was able to extricate himself.
Although he will be unable to
) resume his duties for some time, it
is thought that no permanent injury
will result.
To Finish Degree
Work at Peabody
At least three local people will
leave the last of the week for Peabody
College. Nashville, Tenn., where
they will be enrolled for the purpose
of doing necessary scholastic work
toward receiving their degrees.
Prof. J. T. C. Wright of Appalachian
College, will remain for eight
: months, doing his last year's work on
his Ph. D. degree, while Misses Lucile
Miller and Myrtle Brandon are
working on their Master's degree.
RAT
ight
$1.50 PER YKAR
WATAUGAN SLAIN
IN SUNDAY MELEE;
SON-IN-LAW HELD
Diilard Coffey Admits Firing
Shot That Killed Raymond
Del linger Following Official
investigation; Occurred e n
Vonahlossee Road
Raymond Deilinger. 41 years
old. was instantly killed Sunday
afternoon at his home on
the Yonahlossee highway, five
miles from Blowing Rock, and
a son-in-law, Diilard Coffey, is
held in the county jail, having
confessed to the firing of the
fatal shot.
Sheriff Edminsten, his deputies
[aud County Coroner Richard E. Kellley,
upon arriving at the scene of
| the slaving, found the seven men and
I four women, who were gathered at
the. Dellinger home, unwilling to tesj
tify as to who fired the shot. Consequently
ail the men were placed in
jail, a guard put about the premises
I so that none might leave or enter,
and an intensive investigation and
questioning ensued, which resulted
| in the confession of Coffey at three
o'clock Monday. The prisoner's only
reason given the officers for having
ser.t the bullet from a .38 calibre revolver
through the breast of his father-in-law,
was "because I had been,
threatened so many times."
George Townsend, one of the seven
held during the investigation, supplied
the sheriff with the information
which finally resulted In the confession.
Coffey had gone from the
house, onto tlie porch, it appears, following
some words with Dellinger,
and it was there the shot was fired.
The sheriff states, as does Mr. Kel!ov,
that reports in the neighborhood
were to the effect that bad feeling
had existed between the two men for
some time, but that there was no evidence
of them having been drinking
at the time of the homicide. It is
said, however, that Uiei-e were signs
of spirituous indulgence among some
of the other occupants of the house
at the time.
Coffey waived preliminary trial,
and will be arraigned at the regular
spring term of Watauga Superior
court.
Funeral services for Del'.inger were
conducted at Gragg, N. C., Tuesday
afternoon, and interment was in that
neighborhood.
Surviving arc the widow, one son
and four daughters.
Deceased was reared, it is said, in
Caldwell county, hut had made his
home ip Watauga for several years.
Rites For Mrs. Lina Coe
Held Sunday Afternoon
iBoliver X*. Y.) Breeze)
Funeral services for Mrs. Lina
Coe were held at her late home on
Plum street in this village at 2
o'clock Sunday afternoon. The Rev.
W. X" Mason, paster of the First Day
Baptist church of Richburg. officiated.
Miss Leta Craiidall sang two
selections, accompanied at the piano
by Miss Colette Day.
Burial was in the family plot in
the Richburg cemetery, the bearers
[being Floyd Stone, Clair Miller, Henry
Fuiik and James S. Johnston.
Mrs. Coe, who passed away Thursj
day evening at 7:10 o'clock after a
I lingering illness, was born April 2S.
1880, :n Pleasant Valley, town of
I Wirt, a dailffhter of Albert Slid Fran
ces Lawrence. She was united in
marriage April 17, 1907, to Lee Coe
of Riehburg, where they resided a
| number of years. Mrs. Coe accompanied
her lmshnnd to North Carolina,
where he was employed by the
government as instructor in butter
and chee.se making. While there in
Boone, N. C., he passed away Sept.
15, 1920. Mrs. Coe returned to
Riehburg with his body, making her
home there for eight years. She
moved to Boliver eight years ago.
Mrs. Coe was held in high esteem by
those who knew her.
Besides her sister. Miss Vida Lawrence,
with whom she had lived in
Bolivar, she is survivd by two brothers,
Ivan Lawrence of Allentown, and
Carl of New York city; also a nephew
and a niece, Neil and Jennie Lawrence,
both of Riehburg.
BACK FROM HUNTING TRIP
Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Payne
have returned from a ten-day trip to
the eastern part of the state. While
away, Mr, Payne was on on two
deer hunts and the party killed two
large bucks.
London.?For centuries pepper was
the staple article of commerce between
Europe an- Asia. It was once
valued on a par with precious metal.