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DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper?Established in the Year 1888.
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VOL. LVII, NO. 28 pOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, JANUARY 11, 1945 $1.50 A YEAR?5c A COPY
POLIO CAMPAIGN
GETS UNDER WAY
HERE JANUARY 141
Howard Cottrell Named Chair- i
man of Effort to Raise Funds
for Combatting Polio; No |
President's Ball to Be Held
This Year
Mr. Howard Cottrell has been
named chairman of the campaign to
raise funds for the fight against in
fantile paralysis this year, and an
nounces that the drive in Watauga
county to raise a quota of $1,740 for
the relief of those suffering with
polio is getting under way this week.
The campaign, which is linked
with the birthday of President
Roosevelt, and which has hitherto
been launched by a President's
Birthday Ball, will take a different
turn in the county this year. Mr.
Cottrell states there will be no ball,
but there will be two small dances
held at the Boone hiigh school, the
fint on the evening of January 12,
' 1 the second on the evening of
18th. Tickets are on sale at the
Cerent business houses of the
The chairman states, how
eve^, that these two small gather
ings tare only incidental to the main
campaign for funds. He is contact
ing the teachers of the county, and
other leaders, and expects to set up
a full committee in every section to
the end that the quota may be reach
ed promptly and fully. The official
dates for the campaign are January
14 through the 31st. All contribu
tions will be welcomed.
Cites Local Benefits
Mr. Cottrell in launching his ap
peal for the infantile paralysis fund,
calls attention to the vast benefits I
received by Watauga county chil-1
dren last summer when 16 were af
flicted with polio. At least one of
these is in Warm Springs, Ga., at
this time, doing well, while most of
the others have recovered. Figuring
on the national basis of $5,000 aver
age beieng spent on each person af
flicted, Watauga county actually re
ceived $80,000 last year, while all
the infantile paralysis chapters in
the state only turned in from their
funds $75,000 during the epidemic.
The National Infantile Paralysis
Foundation sent $500,000 into the
state, and the death rate from last
J Hi 'g epidemic, as a result of this
treatment, was held to 3.4 percent,
the lowest in the history of the na
tion.
It is further stated by Mr. Cot
trell that 50 percent of all funds
raised this year stays in the treas
ury of the county organization, to |
provide immediate and direct aid to;
those who have suffered from the j
disease, and need braces or other at-1
tention
Further announcements as to com-'
mittees, etc., will be made in the j
next edition of this newspaper.
FILE NOW FOR
TOBACCO BASE
February 1 is Final Dale for Ap
plying For New Grower Al
lotment for 194S
All eligible producers who are in
tented in applying for a new grow
er burley tobacco allotment for 1945
should file their request at the Wat
auga County AAA office prior to j
February 1, according to W. W.
Mast, chairman of the Watauga
County AAA committee.
Mr. Mast pointed out that the an
nouncement by the War Food Ad
ministration that marketing quotas
will apply on this type of tobacco
for the marketing year 1945-46 speci
fied that five percent of the national
marketing quota would be made
available for establishing new allot
ments.
"To be eligible for such an allot
ment either the farm operator or the
person growing the tobacco, shall be
living on the farm and largely de
pendent on the farm for his liveli
hood." Mr. Mast said.
Chamber of Commerce
To Hold Dinner Meeting
On Thursday Evening
A dinner meeting of the Boone I
Chamber of Commerce will be held
at the Gateway Cafe Thursday
evening at 7:30, it is stated by H.
' W Wilcox, president of the organi
zation, who says that neveral matters
of importance are to be considered,
and that he would like to have a full
attendance.
<f "Let everyone be thinking of the
highway improvements into Boone,"
says Mr. Wilcox, "and be prepared
to give your views on the situation.
We all realize that Boone will likely
have to depend on highways as its
sole mode of transportation, and we
should take serious thought about
this matter. Of course, we know
nothing can be done immediately
about rebuilding or improving these
roads, but we can get ready, decide
on what we need the worst, and go
after them when the time comes."
About 5 million pounds pounds of
food will be stored in freezer lock
er plants in North Carolina during
1945. These plants will also cure
?bout 8 to 10 milion pounds of meat
for farmers.
You Can Help Others Like Him
Six wllb altar he was hit by a crippling attack of infantile pa
ralysis. small Jerry Hamrick ol Lincolnlon, N. C.. was on his feet i
again. He was treated at the Hickory Emergency Infantile Paralysis
Hospital by the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. The
March of Dimes, to corer this work, will be held January 14 to 31.
Wounded
i
Mr. and Mri. Charlie Storie of
Shulls Mills, have received word
thai their son. Staff Sergeant
Dillard J. Storie. was wounded in
action in Germany December 3.
He was inducted in August. 1941,
trained at Camp Blanding. Fla.,
and sent overseas In July. 1942.
He was with the First Division
of the First Army, which was
first to land in North Africa. His
division was returned to England
in the fall of 1943 to receive spe
cial training for the invasion of
France. There again it was first,
going from Normandy through
Belgium and on into Germany.
TO ASSIST VETS
IN FILING CLAIMS
Assistant Stale Service Officer to
Assist Local Veterans in Get
ting Benefits
Lionel Ward, service officer for
Watauga Post American Legion, has
announced that Mr. Richard Hulme,
assistant state service officer, will
be at the Parkway Company Jan. 16,
from nine until his services are no
longer needed, for the purpose of as
sisting Mr. Ward in filing claims for
the veterans and dependents of de
ceased veterans.
Mr. Hulme will have the papers
necessary for filing claims for the
widows of veterans of the First
World War, on the new pension bill
that was passed in December.
Any war veterans or their depend
ents who have not filed their claims I
are asked to see Mr. Hulme on the
date mentioned.
Three Volunteer For
Naval Service Here
Three Blowing Rock men volun
teered for service in the navy and
left last Wednesday for the naval
training center at Great Lakes, 111.
They are: Bill Downs, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Clyde Downs; Steve John
son, son of Mrs. Carrie Johnson, and
Tom Greene, son of Mr. and Mrs.
John Greene.
Young Downs has one brother, J.
C. Downs, S. 1-c, who is serving
in the Pacific area, while Greene is
the fourth member of his family to
fight for Uncle Sam. Three broth
ers, Dennis. Dee and Chsrtes Greene
are serving in the army and all are
overseas.
GOOD BURLEY CROP
Mr. G. W. Robertson of Recce, on
Monday sold 1,818 pounds of tobacco
for $969 18, the highest of the crop'
bringing 58 cents, most of the re
mainder bringing 56 and 57 cents.
The crop was grown on nine-tenths
of an acre of land.
LICENSE REFUSED
LAST BEER PLACE
IN COMMUNITY
Town Council Cites "Legal
Grounds" For Their Refusal
To License Local Cafe* First
Time No Beer Available Since
1933
Mayor Gordon H. Winkler and the
board of aldermen have joined in
refusing to issue beer license to the
cafe, known as Ruth's Place, and
until recently owned by Mrs. Ruth
Bare, thus closing the last outlet for
the foamy beverage in this city.
City officials, in making known
their refusal to grant the license,
stated that their action was based
on "legal grounds."
The wine and beer issue has con
stantly flared during the past years,
but this is the first time since 3.2
beer was made legal in 1933, that
none of the beverage could be pro
cured in Boone. Whether or not
any legal action will be brought as
a result of the action of the city
council could not be learned.
JOHN^. FORD
TAKEN BY DEATH
John C. Ford, 66, prominent Blow
ing Rock business man and former
owner of the Blowing Rock for
which the town is named, died
Thursday night after a long illness.
Mr. Ford was a widely known
farmer and at one time was en
gaged in the real estate business.
Funeral services were held Sun
day morning at 11 o'clock at Bailey
Camp Church and burial was in the
Bolick cemetery.
Surviving are his wife, the former
Miss Barbara Bolick, of Blowing
Rock; seven daughters, Mrs. Butner
Craig, Mrs. Phil Harmon, Mrs.
Avery Jackson, Mrs. Glenn Teague,
Mrs. Elmer Wood, Mrs. Harold Wood
and Miss Clarissa Ford, all of Blow
ing Rock; three sons, Darius, Wil
liam and John W. Ford, all of Blow
ing Rock; 29 grandchildren; four
sisters, Mrs. Clinton Bolick, Mrs.
Ellen Cook, Mrs. M. Teague and
Mrs. Zora Hamlet; and five broth
ers, George, Cordova, Cicero,
Squire and Ira Ford.
In England
Prt. Claud* H. Wlntbirgn, too
of Mr. and Mr*, tidbj Wlntbugc
of Boon* Rout* 2. who b now in
Enplaad. H* want omHH b>
Nor*mb*r and was trained at
Camp Blanding. PU, and Camp
McCoy. Wis.
COUNTY RAISES
430% OF QUOTA
IN BOND DRIVE
Sixth War Loan Most Success
ful; 'E' Bond Quota is Heavily
Exceeded; Chairman Greene
Thanks People for Their Fine
Work
Watauga county people bought
$503,272.25 worth of bonds in the
Sixth War Loan campaingn which
closed the end of December, or 430
percent of the couhty's overall
quota of $117,000, it is revealed by
Clyde R. Greene, chairman of the
local War Savings Staff.
At the jame time, the final figures
indicate that Watauga also went
over the top in the sale of "E" bonds
with purchases of $105,581.25 of this
type of security, or exactly 125 per
cent of the established quota of $84,
000.
Service Men Buy Bonds
Mr. Greene points to the signifi
can fact that men and women now
in the service of their country, fight
ing the nation's war, bought $9,600
in bonds during the campaign, and
he rightly feels that special com
mendation should go to these people
for their subscriptions. Should ci
vilians of the county bought in pro
portion, the subscription would have
been stupendous, he says.
Mr. Greene takes occasion to
thank all the men and women
throughout the county for their fine
work of solicitation, the school chil
dren for their splendid efforts in
every section, and every man, wom
an and child who bought a bond, for
their fine co-operation in making
this the most successful war-financ
j ing campaign since the beginning of
hostilities.
i Lieut. Stewart Back
From Two Year* in
Far Pacific Waters
Lieut. Fiucie Stewart, for fivt
years football coach at Appalachian
College, returned to Boone Satur
day direct from Saipan Island, and
is spending a two weeks' leave with
Mrs. Stewart. The trip from the far
Pacific naval base was made by
plane and Lieut. Stewart landed in
Charlotte in six days' time.
The husky college athlete, who
has been in combat zones in the
Pacific for the past two years, sees
the possibility of overwhelming
thrusts at the Japs when bases on
Saipan and in the Philippines are
fully developed, and thinks the day
of retribution for the Nips is grow
ing nearer.
Lieut. Stewart says the tales of
Jap cruelty and treachery which
have reached the States are fully
justified by the facts. "In fact," he
says, "the half hasn't been told of
the viciousness of these rats of the
Pacific. It's a big job to extermi
nate them, but they have already
been made to feel the force of
American men and machines."
Lieut. Stewart saw his principal
action at Tarawa and Saipan, &nd at
the latter place visited the grave of
Lieut. Hal Bingham of Boone, who
was killed during the initial inva
sion of that island. He has numer
ous pictures, some of them made
from Japanese films showing life
among the natives of the Pacific is
lands, together with numbers of
views of the Japs, their institutions
and customs.
Lieut. Stewart has high praise for
the different armed services in the
Pacific and finds morale high. He
puts in a special plug for the Ma
rines, whom he believes to be about
the toughest fighting men he has
seen, but ha's strong for all those
brave men in all services, who actu
ally do down-to-earth fighting on
the beaches and in the jungle. He
was fortunate in having suffered no
injuries during his long stay in the
Pacific, but does feel the need of
the brief rest he is getting.
Following his leave here, Lieut
Stewart will go to Corpus Christi,
Texas, where he will be attached
to the Naval Air Base for the time
being.
Masonic Order in
installation Ceremony
The Masons of Snow Lodge No.
363, held their first meeting in the
Junkr Order hall in Boon* on Fri
day night, Jan. 5. Officer* for 1945
were installed as follows:
T. M. Greer, W. M.; Dean Bing'
ham. Sr. W.; J. V. Caudill, Jr W.;
Clyde R. Greene, treasurer; J. E.
Clay, secretary; Wm. M. Matheson,
S. D.; Amos Abrams, J. D.; R. C.
Bus teed, Sr. S.; J. O. Cannon, Jr. S.;
Russell D. Hodges, marshall.
The meeting was well attended b'
the membership of the lodge. A
number of distinguished visitors
were presc among them being J.
L. Stout, W. M. of Cranberry Lodge
No. 598, and Roy A. Harmon, past
D. D. M. of the 40th Masonic dis
trict.
There will be a special communi
cation fpr the purpose of conferring
the second degree Friday night. Jan.
12, at 7:30 o'clock.
Extra Victory gardens will be
needed tiiis year as food shortages
develop and demands tor food
grow greater. Fresh vegetables pro
vide the most vitamins.
Wounded
Pvt. Roy Woodard, son of Mr.,
and Mrs. L. D. Woodard of Boon*,
who was wounded in the fighting
in Franc* on November 27, U
now recovering in a hospital in
France. He entered the service
January 20, 1944. and has served
overseas since last July.
AMERICAN TROOPS
LAND ON LUZON
800-Ship Convoy Unloads Tanks and
Armor For Drive Into Heart
of Philippine Islands
General MacArthur's Headquar
ters, Philippines, Jan. 10?Tens of
thousands of U. S. Sixth Army
forces, accompanied ashore by Gen.
Douglas Mac Arthur, landed Tues
day along 15 miles of Lingayen gulf
coast on Louzon Island from an 800
ship convoy and pushed deep into
flatlands leading 120 miles south to
Manila over ideal tank-war country.
Tanks were among the equipment
put ashore in strength to make pos
sible a powerhouse offensive.
From the beaches, cleared of Japs
by fiercc warship shellings and
aerial bombings, the lightly opposed
Yanks surged inland over the same
crescent of sand dunes the Japanese
employed three years ago.
A field dispatch, disclosing that
MacArthur already has set up head
quarters on Luzon, said the landings
were on the southern extremity of
the gulf which includes the city of
Lingayen.
Within two hours after the first i
transports had disgorged the soldiers |
to landing boats, following a dawn I
shelling of the areas, MacArthur
was back on the uland where he;
fought the losing battles which open-1
ed the Pacific war.
The way for this showdown fight
for all the Philippines was paved by
a multiplicity of warships and aerial
attacks. These included the destruc
tion or damage of 262 enemy planes
and the sinking or damaging of 73
ships in three days of carrier-based
assaults on Luzon, Formosa and
Okinawa, in the Ryukyu chain.
Spencer Davis, Associated Press
war correspondent aboard a flag
ship, said huge stores of equipment,
guns and armor already have been
put ashore for the drive toward
Manila down territory suited for
mechanized war.
Deep penetrations inland by some
of the landing forces already have
been made, Davis said.
In a shortwave broadcast direct
from Louzon, George Thomas Fol
ster, of NBC, said the 70-mile-long
convoy reached the gulf without
the loss of a single soldier.
OTHER LATE WAR NEWS
Western Front?U. S. troops and
tanks buck through snowdrifts,
punch to within three miles of the
enemy's last escape highway in Bel
gian bulge; great battle is expected
to reach climax in 24 hours. Ger
man attacks in northeastern France
dwindle.
Eastern Front?Red army troops
win control of nearly one-half of
Budapest. German counter-push
above Budapest appears stalled.
In Italy, German troops halt four
day retreat on eastern end of front
and dig in.
Cpl. Smith Mast is
Wounded in Germany
Cpl. Smith Mast, of VUas, was
wounded three weeks ago in Ger
many, and is now in a hospital in
England, where he is improving. A
brother, Vaught Mast, BM 1-c, of
Boone, and a nephew, Cecil Ward, Y
1-c, of Elizabeth ton, Tenn., who are
also in the European theatre of op
erations, recently visited their in
jured kinsman. ,
Pfc. Glenn Cottrell
Prisoner of Nazis
Pic. Glenn D. Cottrell, son of
Mr. and Mn. Lloyd Cottrell of
R-r.D. 2, Boone. Is ? prisoner of
the German government, according
to a telegram to tfa* parents tra
der date of January i, from the
office of the adjutant general.
Pfc. Cottrell had been reported
missing Jn action la France on
August 17, and this is the first
word received by the famly
that time.
BURLEY SALES
THREE MILLION
TO SET RECORD
Tuesday's Average on Mountain
Burley Warehouse Floors
48.49; Recei, ?? Still Heavy;
No Closing Date for Market
Has Been Established
Sales at the Mountain Burley To
bacco Warehouse reached the sea
son total of 2,840,442 pounds at the
close of the auction on Tuesday, and
warehousemen stated that the sales
of today will put the poundage for
the season to well over the three
million pound mark, to establish an
all-time record for the local houses.
Total money paid out to the farm
ers of the belt as of Tuesday was
$1,377,870.15, for a season average of
$47.11 per hundred. On Wednesday
morning from 400,000 to 450,000
pounds of burley were on the bas
kets for today's sales, and receipts
continued rather strong, with no in
formation thus far having been re
ceived as to the probable closing
date of the market.
On Thx**-Hour Schedule
The sales at the local houses
went on a three-hour schedule week,
rather than the two-hour plan which
had been followed throughout the
belt last week. It is understood,
however, that no set of buyers may
purchase more than 1,080 baskets in
the three-hour sales period. This is
due to the manpower shortage which
has caused congestion in the manu
facturing plants.
ATirigti Higher
Tuesday's sales brought higher
averages, when 178,088 pounds were
sold for $86,374.83, or an average of
$48.49. On Monday total sales
were 214,496 for $102,582.77, average
$47.83.
Farmers appear highly pleased
with tl)e prices they are receiving
this year for their tobacco, and in
formation is that due to the bad
weather a number of large crops are
yet to be brought to the market.
Despite the shortened sales hours,
congestion at the local houses has
been held to a minimum, and R. C.
Coleman, warehouseman, is sticking
to his old motto of "a first sale ev
ery day."
PLANS MADE FOR
RE A EXTENSION
Men in Different Sections of Coun
ty Taking Applications for
Postwar Service
The Blue Ridge Electric Member
ship Corporation is making definite
plans for the extension of the REA
lines into different sections of the
county, just as soon as materials are
available following the war, it is
stated by local officials of the or
ganization, .and everything is being
placed in readiness for the expanded
program.
Men have been designated in
each section of the county to take
applications from prospective mem- ?
bers. All those interested are ask
ed to. see the man named in their
respective neighborhoods. The list
of these workers and the communi
ties follows
John Wellborn, Stony Fork; Elmer
Triplett, Triplett; Carl Storie, Blue
Ridge; E. B. Hardin, Laxon; M. H.
Norris, lower Meat Camp; Warren
Greene, Sands; Wade Clawson, up
??r Meat Camp; W. W. Winebarger,
amarack; S. F. Moody, Rich Moun
tain; Sanford Creed, Beaver Dam;
Kenneth Farthing, V^dle Crucis;
Paul Wright, Shulls Mills; Kent
Brown, Blowing Rock.
It is stated that the additional
electric lines will positively be con
structed, and that as a matter of
fact, the funds for this purpose have
already been appropriated.
Legislature Await*
Budget Message
Raleigh, Jan. 10?Reading of com
mittee appointments was completed
yesterday in the legislature and the
rapid pace of. operations begun last
week slowed down a bit. as mem
bers awaited the budget message to
be read today with introduction ef
the finance and appropriation bills.
Governor Cherry's message on the
fiscal affairs of the senate was gen
erally expected to follow the same
lines he has endorsed, both during
his campaign and in his inaugural
addres last Thursday. He consist
ently has advocated conservative
handling of the surplus and the re
tention of the present tax structure
during the war emergency.
Speaker Oscar Richardson an
nounced the membership of 48 house
committees at a brief morning ses
sion yesterday.
Cpl. Asa L. Reese
Wounded in Action
Corporal Asa L. Reese, Jr., of
Ree*e, who is with a para troop di
vision on the western front, was
slightly wounded In the invasion of
Holland, and is now a patient in a
hospital in England, his parents, Mr.
and Mis. Asa L Reese, have been
advised.
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