WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1 88.??r
let's AM BackThe Attack
VOL. LVI, NO. 31 BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDA^ANUARY 27, 1944 $150 A YEAR? 5c A COPY
FACILITIES AT
BURLEY MART TO
BE EXPANDED
Jiew Building Program Will Add
14,000 Feci of Floor Space to
Local Tobacco House; Cole
man Gives Advice to Tobacco
Planters
At a meeting cf the board of di
rectors of the Mountain Burley
Warehouses, Inc., last Friday eve
ning it was voted to enlarge the
present houses so as to add about
34,000 square feet of floor space to
the present houses and make the
market absolutely modem in every
respect. >
The new building will be added to
the west side of the present struc
ture, and will be two stories high,
the ground floor to provide addi
tional space for the prize rooms of
the tobacco manufacturers, and the
second story to provide additional
room on the main auction floor. The
new expansion program is aimed to
relieve congesting during the sales,
and to round out what Mr. Coleman,
the operator, says, "will be one of
the most modern plants on any to
bacco market."
Application is being made for a
government permit, and when
granted, the building program will
be pushed to completion as rapidly
possible.
Advises Growers
Mr. Coleman, in closing the most
successful season in the history of
the market, advises burley planters
to prepare seed beds well so as to
assure an adequate supply of plants.
He recommends that the beds be
sown a second time in two or three
weeks, in case the first plants are
killed. To wait until the first come
Up to plant again makes the plants
too late, he says, and results in
irreen leal and low prices at market
time, as frost catches the crop.
Mr. Coleman thanks the farmers
far their help in the selling of 2,
573,468 pounds this season, for an
all-time record, and will be back
again next year belter prepared to
.serve them.
News From Save the
Children Foundation
Mrs. Clara Pi Simpson, district
director for S.C.F.. states that since
her appointment Nov. 1, 19-13, the or
ganization has furnished about
$5,000 in library books , clothing,
Christmas toys, layettes, cash. ete.
The library books are being used
in rural schools, circulating from
school to school. Cash is being used
?to assist in hot school lunches,
clothing sola at non-profit in schools,
and S.C.F. sales room in Boone is
used in vital child welfare work.
The executive committee in the
county, composed of S. F. Hoiton,
Dave F. Mast, Paul Coffey. A. E
South, Dr. King, Rev. J. C. Canipe.
Mrs. Mae Miller. Misses Elizabeth
Bridge, Thelma Perry, Elizabeth
3Lord and Mrs. W. A. Smith, makes
all decisions in regard to whether so
snd so may be done.
Many dollars of practical garden
seed will be received soon for the
purpose of'assisting in food for vic
tory. The home demonstration
agent, welfare superintendent, and
schools will assist in the supervision
; of seed distribution.
College Forum Club
To Meet On Monday
The Appalachian College Fonim
Club will meet in the college au
ditorium on Monday evening at 7:30,
at which time "The Use of Subsidies
in the Price Stabilization Program"
will be the topic for discussion.
The general public is invited to }
attend and take part in the discus
Red Cross Moves
Into New Quarters
The Watauga Chapter American
Red Cross has moved to permanent
quarters in t?>e old Democrat build
ing. Hours will be from 1 to 5 p. m.
daily, and at other hours those find- |
ing it necessary may call 113-R.
A surgical dressing department j
will be opened as soon as material |
if received.
Sheriff Moves Office
Into the Courthouse
Sheriff C. M. Watson will estab
lish his officet' in the grand jury
room of the courthouse this week,
and painters are finishing the work
of refinishing the quarters. This will
be the first time the sheriff has had
offices in the courthouse since the
original quarters were given the tax
collector, when that office was cre
ated a number of years ago.
Two Billion Tokens Out February 27
S mm
For several months workers of a Cincinnati, Ohio, manufactur
ing company have kept the plant operating 24 hours a day 7 days a
week turning out the new red and blue ration tokens which go into
use on February 27. George J. Nealans (left). OP A token distribu
tion manager, ond President M. P. Pfeil of the company, look over a
bag of the new disks.
MAYOR ASKS FATS
BE SAVED FOR WAR
Governor Asks Local Official to
Bring Situation to Minds
of Citizens
Mayor Gordon H. Wir.kler has re- i
ceived a letter from Governor i
Broughton calling attention to the j
fact that it is essential that every J
available ounce of waste fat be di
verted immediately into channels
of war industry, so that there may
be no shortage in the amount of
high explosives, the manufacture of
which depends in such large meas
ure on fats
Mayor Winkler asks that all meat
dealers in the city receive the fats,
as a public service, and at the same
time respectfully asks that each
housewife carry to her butcher ev
ery ounce of waste kitchen fat it is
possible to salvage.
The mayor points out that each
htrasewife is paid four ccnts per
pound in cash and is given two
meat ration points free for each I
pound of fat she disposes of. The !
four cents is paid by industry, while j
the two meat points arc given her I
by our government.
The importance of the fat .salvage
campaign is brought out by the fact
that each pound of the essential ma
terial wasted will deprive a soldier
on the battlefield of 150 machine
gun bullets; five pounds of fat wast
ed will deprive a submarine chaser
of a 100-pound depth bomb charge.
Fats are vital materials of war and j
the mayor appeals to the people of !
this area to respond patriotically in :
tjys connection.
Much Pork Packed
In Elk Township |
Mr. Will Carroll, of Triplett, was j
in town the other day and tells The ,
Democrat that to his knowledge 36,- i
000 pounds of pork was salted away
in Elk township this year, and that
300,000 feet of sawn lumber is being
shipped from the area monthly io
aid the war effort. Twenty-five
men, says Mr. Carroll, are in the
armed services, and there has been
only one casualty. William L.
Church was slightly hurt in the
Mediterranean theatre, but has re
turned to duty. Elk is really doing
a full share both on the fighting
fronts and on the home front. i
In England
Pvt. Waller J. Ragan. son of Mr.
and Mrs. A. J. Ragan. of Boone,
has notified his parents that he
has arrived safely in England. He
entered the army June 30, 1943.
and received his basic training at
Camp Barkley, Texas. He was
19 years old December 22. 1943.
He wants to hear from his friends.
His address: P"t. Walter J. Ragan,
ASN 34776953. 326 A-B Med. Co..
APO 473, care Postmaster. New
York, H. Y.
LAST WEEK TO
GET AUTO TAGS
Slate License Tags Must Be Dis
played by "First of February,
Says Local Bureau
This is the lasi week to buy state
automobile license tags, says Mr. W.
R. Winkler, manager of the local
state auto license sales bureau, as all
automobiles arc supposed to display
the 1944 tags the first of the month.
Mr. Winkler states that sales con
tinue at a lively pace at the local
bureau and that more than 1,500
tags have been sold since the es
tablishment of the office a few
weeks ago.
Number Of Farm
Meetings Are Arranged
The county agent's office has
scheduled a- series- of - farm meet
ings and hope that the farmers and
their wives will attend the meeting
nearest to them.
These meetings are being held to
discuss ways and means of securing
maximum production during 1944.
There are certain facts which the
people should be informed about thai
will help out greatly in the war ef
fort and these meetings are the only
means of passing this information
on, so it is urged that all who pos
sibly can to attend one of the follow
ing meetings:
Thursday. Jan. 27
Deep Gap School, 10 a. m.
Todd School, 1:30 p. rn.
Green Valley School, 3:30 p. m.
Friday, Jan. 28
Bamboo School, 10 a. m.
Valle Crucis School, 1:30 p m.
Matney Methodist Church, 3:30
p. m.
Monday, Jan. 31
Mabel School,, 10 a. m.
Cove Creek School, 1:30 p. m.
J. Y. Walker's, 3:30 p. m.
Tuesday. Fob. 1
Reese, at the old schoolhouse, 10
a. m.
Bethel School, 1:30 p. m.
Jackson Day Dinner
To Be Held Mondav
Raleigh. Jan. 24 ? Interest stimu
lated in the national political situa
tion by events at Washington last
Saturday, and the probability that
both the retiring and the new na
tional chairmen will speak at the
North Carolina Jackson Day Dinner
has increased demand for reserva
tions, so much that those expecting
to attend should lose no more time,
according to Senator Joe Blythe. di
rector of the dinner campaign.
Arrangements are being made to
seat the guests in the main' dining
room and the ball room at Sir Wal
ter Hotel, with tables for overflow
diners in smaller rooms around the
lobby and mezzanine.
Frank C. Walker, postmaster
general and just retired as national
Democratic chairman, is the princi
pal speaker for the dinner next j
Monday night, Jan. 31. Senator |
Blythe has been advised that Robt.
E. Hannegan, newly-elected nation
al chairman, al?o expects to attend
and say a few words. Walker will
be introduced by Senator Bailey.
Governor Broughton and other state
party leaders will be at the speak
er's table, and a flock of candidates
will take pot lupk with the other
diners around the room. j
LAMBS
Co-operative lamb sales are one
j of the most important factors in the
sheep improvement program in
j North Carolina, says Farm Agent H.
! H. Harris, of Columbus County, In
| a report to the State College exten
I sion service.
m
RED CROSS C(MSE
OPENS ON MmDAY
Representative ol A^'ican Red
Cross to Be Instruclor at
College Gym
A Rcci Cruss course in accident
prevention will be conducted at the
college gym beginning Monday eve
ning at ' o'clock, and will be in ,
charge of Charles Mix of the nation
al A. R. C-. says R. W. Watkins,
vice-chairman of the local Red Cross
chapter
The courses will be along all lines'
where accidents occur and as an in
stance the constant danger to chil
dren in the kitchen where boiling
fluids are prevalent, will be stress
ed.
Curious child plus negligent or
busy mother equals one perfect com
bination for tragedy. It is a combi
nation which should not be allowed
in the kitchen.
Human errors, not machines, are
responsible; for accidents in the |
i kitchens. Burns from pots and pans
pulled from the table, from splash
ing hot grease, from loose matches,
often prove fata! and at other times
leave lifetime scares. Hot coffee,
applied externally and accidentally,
takes a heavy toll
Pots and pans should be so turned
so that the handles are toward the
rear, away from the reach of chil
dren. Should splashing grease catch
fire, let it die ? don't throw water
on it. A handful of salt will help
curb a small blaze. Matches should
be kept in a small metal box, and
safety matches are just that ? safer.
Keep matches away from where
rats can get at them.
The American Red Cross, in its
fall series of accident prevention
classes, will not overlook kids in the
kitchen.
Andrew J. Ward
L>ies at Age of 95
Andrew Jackson Ward, aged 95
years, died at the Heme of a son,
Mr. Lionel Ward, near Boone, Wed
nesday of last week, after a long ill
ness. Mr. Ward had been an in
valid for more than a year.
Funeral services were held on
Friday from the Oak Grove Baptist
Church, by Reverends G. A. Hamby.
Dwight Edmisten and W. C. Greene,
and interment was in the Greer
comet, Ty 011 Watauga River.
Surviving are nine sons and
daughters: R. M. Ward, Mrs. Mary
Ward, Miles Ward. Beech Creek;
James Ward, Creston, Tenn.; Coun
eill Ward. Peoria; Mrs. Martha Pros
neil. Romir.ger; Donald and Lionel
Ward, of Boone. There are 68
grandchildren, 28 great-grandchil
dren, and one great-great-grand
child. There are nine grandsons
in the armed forces, seven of them
being in overseas service.
Mr. Ward was born in Watauga
County, a son of the late Calvin and
Clarissa Ward. He was a farmer
until ill health forccd his retirement.
He had been a member of the Bap
tist church for 78 years, and had
been a member at Antioch, Zion and
Oak Grove. For 42 years he was
a deacon in his church. Mr. Ward
was a fine citizen and held in the
highest regard by all who knew
him.
Sofia, Bulgaria, almost was
chosen the seat of the eastern Ro
man Empire by the Roman emper
or, Constantine, who finally decid
ed on the Byzantium and renamed
Constantinople after himself.
Visits Homefolks
Cpl. Milton Moretz was home
recently on a 12-day furlough,
visiting his wife and parents. Mr.
and Mrs. Uoyd Moretx. as well as
other friends and relatives. He is
in an armored division in the
postal service. He speaks well of
bis unit and division. His ad
dress: Cpl. Milton Morel. Co. B,
119th Annd. Engr. Bn.. APO 262.
Camp Barkeley. Texas.
American Legion Parade To Feature
Fourth War Loan Drive Saturday, As
Local Campaign Gains in Intensity
| Ground Force Chief
i aaaap
Lieut. Gen. Omar N. Bradley,
who has been selected to lead the
rapidly growing American ground
forces in the British Isles. As such
he becomes one of the team of
European invasion leaders.
John T. Howell Makes
Poll of Public Opinion;
Results Over Radio
Mr. John T. Howell, of the Boone
Demonstration School, who for two
years, has reported opinion for the
Research Corporation, Princeton, N.
J., for this section, has been inform
ed that results of some surveys made
will he reported in radio broad
casts.
The most recent surveys have
been done for meat packers, auto
mobile manufacturers, steel corpo
rations, rural electrification, rail
road strikes, etc.
History teachers and others in
terested in current events may get
results of surveys made over most
of the Blue Network stations Mon
day nights at 10:30, eastern war
time, for the next five weeks. Then?
is one exception. WJZ. New York '
City, where the broadcast will or
cur Tuesday nights at 10:30. The J
name of the program is "America I
Looks Ahead."
j On the Battle Fronts
ITALY
Berlin reports 100,000 Nazis, hold- j
ing Guastav line 30 miles from i
Rome, threatend as Allied landing j
forces smash Appian way and take
Velletri, 24 miles soulheast of Eter
nal City.
PACIFIC
Allies downed 48 Jap planes over
R about in New Brittain Sunday. 50
tons of bombs dropped by 7lh
air force on Watji atoll Sunday. No
opposition ? no losses. Heaviest at
tack since mid-November.
RUSSIA.
Reds fight way into Krasnogvar
deisk, rail junction 30 miles south
west of Leningrad. Also sweep in
from east to last 50 mile stretch of
Leningrad-Moscow trunk line held
by Nazis.
ASIA
American bombers circled 2,000
miles from India base to strike at
Mergui on Malay peninsula.
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina expected to sever di- j
plomatic relations with Axis "at any]
minute."
Fund For Infantile
Paralysis Makes Good
Start; $50 Collected!
The fund for the National Infan- 1
tile Paralysis Foundation, which in
pre?war years was raised largely
through the medium of President's :
Birthday Ball, is off to a good start ;
in Watauga County. Postmaster
John E. Brown, Jr., who is chairman
of the campaign here, stated Mon
day that already $50 of the quota
had been subscribed, and he res
pectfully insists that all those will
ing to contribute to this worthy
cause see him at once.
The local quota is $290, and Mr.
Brown is anxious that the county
raise the amount of money sought.
The continued co-operation of the
people will be appreciated.
The crate for one airplane re
quires about 5,000 board feet of lum
ber. We're shipping thousands of
planes.
Auction Bond Sale to Be Held
Following Parade: Officials
Well Pleased With Initial Re
sponse to War-Financing Cam
paign
The Watauga Post American
Legion is arranging a colorful pa
rade for next Saturday at 1:30 p. m.,
followed by an auction sale, to aid
the Fourth War Loan drive, and in
dications are that this even will be
one of the high-spots in the local
war-financing campaign.
The parade will feature members
of the American Legion, soldiers of
the present war at home on fur
lough or discharged, the Boone High
School Band, Boy Scout Troops of
Boon- and Blowing Rock. Minute
Maids and Girl Scouts, and repre
sentatives from every, school in the
county.
Immediately following the parade
an auction bond sale will be held
in front of the postoffice. or in case
of bad weather, in the courthouse.
At this time, a large number of
articles of merchandise will be auc
tioned off, in terms of bond pur
chases, the bidder offering to buy ,
the larger bond, receiving the mer
chandise in each instance. An im
pressive list of gifts have been do
nated for this purpose, and will in
clude articles fresh from the battle
fronts in the present war.
The Legion extends a special in
vitation to all men now in service
who may be in the county to join
in the parade.
S35.00G E Bonds Sold
Chairman W. D. Farthing states
that about $70,000 in bonds have
been sold but that of this amouixt
only $35,000 are of the E series. The
quota for the county requires $104,
000 sales of the E securities and the
balance of the $122,000 in bonds of
other denominations. Mr. Farthing
is highly pleased with the initial
returns from the local sales, but in
sists that the people buy E bonds in
order that the quotas may be reach
ed. The quota has already been
passed for bonds of other series.
J. T. Elrod Claimed
By Death at Hudson
Funeral rites for Joseph T. Elrod,
77 who died last Wednesday mom
ing at the home of his daughter,
Mrs. E. M. Bradshaw. at Hudson,
following an illness of several years,
were conducted last Thursday aft
ernoon at the Sardis Baptist Church
in Hudson.
Rev. H. S. Benficld, pastor of the
South Lenoir Baptist Church, and
Rev. J. W. Burnett, pastor of Sardis
Church, officiated. Burial was in
the church cemetery.
Mr. Elrod was born in Watauga
County, April 3, 18G6, son of the late
Alexander and Polly Shearer Elrod.
He was a member of the South Le
noir Baptist Church.
Surviving in addition to his wife
are two daughters, Mrs. E. M. Brad
shaw, of Hudson, and Mrs. W. F.
Craig, of Hickory: two sons, J. E.
Elrod, of Charlotte, and L. A. El
rod, of Chadbourne; two brothers,
James Elrod, of Hudson, and Jones
Elrod, of Boone, IS grandchildren
and 26 great-grandchildren.
The PT boat requires about 28.
000 board feet of lumber. We're
building hundreds of these craft.
.Visits Parents
Pfc. Russell Greece, who was a
recent visitor at the home of las
parents. Mr. and Mrs. W. G.
Greene, of Laxon. His address:
252 PAAA. S-L Bn.. Btry C. l ong
Island. Flushing. N. Y. A brother.
Cadef Calvin C. Greene. AST 1147
Co. C. Metsel Hall. O. of N. H_
Durham, N. H, was also a visitor
recently at the parental hu?