WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888.
VOU LVn, NO. 24 BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1945
Two Sections
12 PAGES
$1.50 A YEAR? 5c A COPY
ARTHUR E. HAMBY
SUCCUMBS AFTER
A SHORT ILLNESS
Prominent Citizen Died Tues
day Morning; Had Been 111
? Since Saturday; Rites Thurs
day Afternoon; Leader in
Growth of City
Arthur Edward Hamby, 56 years
old, a prominent figure in the busi
ness life of the city for 25 years,
died at his home in Boone Tuesday
morning after a brief illness. Mr.
Hamby had been confined to his
home for three days with what was
described as a chest cold. The im
mediate cause of his demise, how
ever, was said to have been a heart
attack.
Funeral services are to be con
ducted from the First Baptist
Church this (Thursday) afternoon at
2 o'clock by Rev. J. C. Canipe, the
pastor, and the body will lie in
state in the church auditorium from
one o'clock until the time for the
rites. Interment will be in the
cemetery.
Mr. Hamby was reared in Watau
Si county, a son of the late P. L.
amby and Mrs. Hamby, and for
the past 25 years had been an im
portant figure in the growth and de
velopment of the town of Boone. In
partnership with W. R. Winkler,
Mr. Hamby was one of the found
ers of the Pastime Theatre here,
which grew into the present Appa- j
lachian Theatre, and was half half I
owner in the enterprise until a short I
while ago. He personally managed |
the local playhouse for a number of
years, and was extremely popular
with the general public. He had
other business interests here, which
included the half ownership of the
vommunity. Personable, generous
house. He was a public-spirited
citizen and his industry contributed
greatly to the development of the
city.
Mr. Hamby was a member of the
Baptist Church and evidenced keen
interest in the religious life of the
community. Personable,, generous
and kind, he was held in the high
est regard throughout this section,
where he was widely known.
Mr. Hamby is survived by the
widow, the former Miss Mildred
Critcher; one son, A. E. Hamby, |
Jr., and two daughters, Mrs. Edith
Hamby Mast, of Boone, and Miss
Martha Hamby, a student at W.C.
U.N.C., Greensboro. One brother,
Don Hamby, of Newport News, Va.;
and five sisters survive: Mrs. C. W.
Woodward, Clearwater, Fla.; Mrs. i
C. B. Craig, Cincinnati, Ohio; Mrs. j
Neil Clawson, Lenpir; Mrs. Jake
Watson Blowing Rock, and Mrs.
Martha Blair, Cincinnati.
OFFICER WARNS
AGAINST FORGERS
Blowing Rock Policeman S a y ?
Check Thieve* and Forgers
Prevalent During Holidays
Chief of Police D. W. Wooten of
Blowing Rock, co-operating in the
U. S. secret service crime preven
tion program, tc^day warned mer- 1
chants and their customers to be on
guard against check thieves and
forgers. During the pre-holiday
season the chief said these criminals
take advantage of crowded streets
and overworked clerks to "reap a
harvest" by stealing and forging
large numbers of checks.
Here are some safeguards suggest
ed by Chief Wooten: .
Persons who expect checks by
mail should make arrangements for
someone to be at home to receive
them when they arrive and see that
they are kept in a safe place until
cashed. Merchants should instruct
their employees to use greater care
in accepting commercial and gov
ernment checks, especially from
strangers. They should be cau
tioned to require positive identifica
tion and make a note on the check
the type of identification presented.
The check should always be endors
ed in the presence of the person
cashing it and the endorsement
should be carefully compared with
the signatures on identification of
fered. The employ e?P cashing the
check / should initial it in order to
fix the responsibility and to Liter
help him remember the transaction
should the check turn out to be a
forgery. Every person cashing a
check should always ask himself the
question, "If this check is returned
as a forgery, will I be able to locate
the forger and recover my money?" j
Said Chief Wooten: "Neither cus- I
tomers nor merchants can afford to
suffer the loss of a forged check
when simple precautions could have
prevented it. Treat your check as
though it were cash. If you receive
a check, protect it from thieve*. If
you are a merchant, be sure you
know your endorsers." i
WATCH the LABEL
on you* ptp?v ma II ahow? ihe dmtm
your mh?rHpt1on will ?vffr* tn<l ?
dale your paper will be stopped anWtt
aooner renewed. The Democrat ??
ota a caafc In ad
to fhla nk. *** ? ??M| ?'
Judge Advocate
[ LIEUT. WADE E. BROWN
BOONE MAN GETS I
HIGH NAVAL POST
I
Local Attorney Named Judge Advo
cate of Sixth Naval
District
. -i
Lieutertftnt Wacfe^ E. Brown, of j
Boone, has been Appointed judge i
advocate of the general court mjucjJ
tial of the Sixth naval district By'
Rear Admiral L. T. DuBose, USN.,
commandant of the Sixth naval dis
trict, Charleston, S. C. At the same
time he was promoted from the rank
of lieutenant (junior grade).
As judge advocate, J^ieut. Brown
will prosecute all cases coming be
fore the general court martial for
the Sixth naval district.
Before entering the navy in May,
1944, he practiced law in Boone. He
served as commanding officer of an
armed guard unit which was station
ed aboard an army transport, a
tanker, and a Liberty ship during
the year of duty Lieut Brown spent
in the Pacific. His ship operated in
the Philippine Islands area, and car- 1
ried supplies to the Caroline and
Marshall Islands. He reported to
the Sixth naval district for duty
in December, 1945.
Lieut. Brown graduated from
Wake Forest College in 1941.
COLDWEATIM
CONTINUES HERE
Mercury Shows Signs of Upward
Trend Today. Following I
Frigid Wave
I
The cold weather continues in this
area, with mercury Tuesday and
Wednesday morning standing at
slightly below ten degrees, but this |
morning there are evidences of
clearing skies, and hopes are that
the cold wave ?rtlich began a week
ago, may be definitely broken soon, j
Much of the snow ..which fell the
first of last week y?ft remains, al- j
though there was considerable thaw
ing Sunday and Monday. Monday
noon, however, mercury began to I
drop again, accompanied by a light
snowfall, and there has been no re- 1
lief since. Trffic this week, how- j
ever, has been able to move most of
the time without interruption.
Benjamin R. Winkler
Succumbs on Saturday
Benjamin Roby Winkler, former
school teacher, and a resident of the
Rutherwood neighborhood, died at {
the home last Saturday after a long
period of declining health.
Mr. Winkler was born in Watauga I
county, a son of the late Marshall I
Winkler and Carolyn Bingham !
Winkler. He taught school for a
number of years in the county, and
later engaged in farming activities.
Funeral services were conducted
at the Bethel Methodist church by
Rev. Mr. Stevens of Todd, Sunday
afternoon, and the remains were in
terred at the cemetery in the home
neighborhood, Reins-Sturdivant tak
ing care of the detai ..
The widow and two sens survive: I
Garland and Dorman Winkler, both
of Rutherwood. i
Linville Man Concerned
Over Proposed Highway;
Mr. John Frank Hampton of
Linville, was in town Monday, pri- ?
marily to discuss with state high
way officials and others the propos- I
ed construction of a near-cut high
way from Boone to Linville, which, '
it has been suggested, might follow
the general direction taken by the \
Linville River railway.
The local Chamber of Commerce
has long been interested in this
project, and Mr. Hampton believes
it is one of the most important
pieces of highway work for this
area. He states that large numbers
of Avery county people are anxi
ous to trade at Boone, and would
do so, if they could reach the Wat
auga capital without taking a long
circuitous trip in doing a or I
'E' BOND SALES
COUTINUE TO LAG
IN THIS COUNTY
Overall Sales Reach Sum of
?350,000, While Only About
39 Percent of E Bond Quota is
Accounted For; Campaign
Lasts to End of Month
Watauga county people continue
to respond rather poorly to the ap
peals for the purchase of E bonds in
the Victory Loan campaign, and re
ports today from Alfred Adams,
chairman of the effort here, indi
cate that only 39 percent of the
quota, or $32,000 worth of bonds
have been purchased by individuals
j locally.
I However, the overall county quota
has been handsomely oversubscrib
ed with sales of $350,000, the quota
being only $138,000.
' The Victory Loan campaign, it is
announced, has been extended until
December 31, and all series E, F and
, G bonds sold during the remainder
I of the year will be credited on Vic
tory Loan quotas, and a special ef
fort is being made by state head
quarters to get Christmas shoppers
to include one or more bonds on
their gift lists. There are only 15
more selling days to go, and only
58% of the state- wide E bond quota
4nkvbeen subscribed, it is pointed
out.
WAR WORK LOCAL
RED CROSS CITED
Watauga Chapter Gels Radio Recog
nition for Wartime
Accomplishments
The Watauga county chapter of
the American Red Cross was salut
ed Thursday afternoon at 1:15 p. m.
in the fourth of five broadcasts on
the role played by North Carolina
chapters in the Red Cross program
at home and overseas.
This honor was given the Watau
ga chapter in recognition of its out
standing work in production.
The salute to Watauga chapter
came at the end of an interview on
Red Cross work for the relief of ci
vilians in war-shattered countries.
The interview emphasized the need
of a greater number of Red Cross
workers now necessary to carry on
this important service, which can be
immeasurably extended now that
transportation channels have been J
opened by the allied victories.
The broadcast poined out that
giving comfort to destitute people, !
whatever their country, has always
been one of the {greatest works of
the Red Cross. This work is import
ant to the international understand
ing which is the basis of a lasting
world peace, and the Red Cross will
increase its responsibilities to these
people.
Other broadcasts in this Red
Cross series over Station WSJS
stress services to the armed forces,
civilian relief overseas, and the fu
ture plans of the American Red
Cross.
The chapter is proud of the work
done by Mrs. Mae Miller, produc
tion chairman, and Mrs. W. M. Bur
well, knitting chairman. Each has
given unnumbered hours of volun
teer work in getting the production
done in the local chapter. Rev. E.
F. Troutman, chairman, states that
chapter extends to them and to the
women who have helped them in
work, its sincere thanks for the
honor given to this chapter.
The chapter now has a large
quota, both in sewing and knitting,
to be done, and asks the co-opera
tion of all in completing the quota
as quickly as possible.
Directors of Watauga
Industries Hold Meet
The annual meeting of the board
of directors of Watauga Industries
was held on Monday, Dec. 10 in the
handicraft house, with Miss Cora
Pearl Jeffcoat presiding. Rev. Mr.
Troutman opened the meeting with
prayer.
The wide front porch of the crafts
house has been enclosed during the
year, using logs furnished by Cicero
Townsend of Dutch Creek, one of
the directors. This gives a separate
display room and another for looms.
Returns to Boone workers cover
$6,000. $1,250 went to one weaver,
while $1,254 went to hooked work
ers. The total income for the year
is $13,750, whicfh the twice that of
ear before last. Many more bas
ets, wood carvings and weavings
are needed to meet the demands.
Christmas bonuses for good work
were voted to Miss Lord, teacher
and director, and to Mrs. Ruth Carl
ton South and Mrs. Addle Norria,
assistants.
COLLEGE CLOSES FOR
HOLIDAYS DECEMBER 19
The mid-term graduation exercis
es at Appalachian State Teachers
College will take place at 10 o'clock
on December 19th, the closing date
for the Christmas holidays. Mid-term
graduation was Introduced at Ap
palachian as a part of the accelerat
ed program set up under war con
ditions.
Still Center of Nation's Celebration ?
The White House belonged to the children on Christmas, daring the
Ute F. D. Roosevelt terns, and this Christmas will find President Tru
man's daughter and her friends carrying on the American traditions.
Democrat Announces
Slight Changes In
Subscription Rates
Effective as of January 1. 1948.
there will be slight changes in the
subscription rales of The Demo
crat as follows:
While the per r*? rate in Wat
auga county will remain at $1-60.
the same price charged for more
than 22 years, the six-months rale
will be SI. 00. while for four
months the cost will be 75 cents.
It can be readily understood that
the mailing list cost on a subscrip
tion taken for six months at a
lime is twice as grreat as on the
yearly basis, while for four
months, the servicing of the list
involves three times the amount
ot work as if the paper were
taken for a year at one time.
Hitherto the rale outside the
ttale of North Carolina has been
$2.00 per year. Henceforth the
$2.00 rale will apply to all papers
mailed OUTSIDE WATAUGA
COUNTY. Outside the county
?ix months will be $1.50 and four
months $1.00. Renewals for no
more than one year at the old
rate will be be accepted until
January 1.
SPARTA MAN NEW
CO. FARM AGENT
W. C. Richardson Is Assistant of
County Agent Harry M.
Hamilton, Jr.
W. C. Richardson, of Sparta, a 1
brother to Dr. W. R. Richardson of
Boone, has been named assistant
farm agent for Watauga county, and
enters upon his duties immediately, j
following his discharge from the
army.
Mr. Richardson graduated from j
State College in 1942, and immedi- |
ately went into the army, where he |
served for 40 months. He was in
the European theatre for 20 months.
Edgar Harve Wilson
Dies at Zionville Home
Funeral services for Edgar Harve
Wilson, 63, who died at his home
on Wednesday, Dec. 6, were con
ducted from Zionville Baptist
Church Saturday morning, Dec. 8,
by Rev W. D. Ashley and Rev. W.
C. Payne of Blowing Rock, and Rev.
R. C. Eggers of Zionville. Burial
was in the family cemetery nearby
with" arrangements by Reins-Sturi
vant Funeral Home.
Mr. Wilson is survived bv his
wife, Mrs. Maggie Miller Wilson,
and two sons, Sgt. LeRoy Wilson,
who is somewhere in the Pacific,
and Edward Wilson, who was re
cently discharged from the navy;
a grandson. Kenneth Wilson; also
four brothers: John, of Granite
Falls; Pat of Yankton. S. D.; Roy,
of Trade, Tenn., and Roby, of Zion
ville R. F. D., and two sisters. Mrs.
Ram Flannery of Zionville, and Mrs.
Ida Blackburn, of Kennewick,
Wash. Pallbearers were R u f u s
Smith, Clay Reece, Will Reece,
Chas. Wilkinson, Edd Reece and
Harve Brown.
Flowers were carried by Mildred
Thomas, Mazella Thomas, Edna
Thomas, Blanchr Wilkinson, Jewel
Reece, Josephine Greer, Ruth Col
lins, Marcella Critcher. Jacqueline
Wilkinson, Anna Mae Stephens, Ola
Brown and Marie Bumgardner.
Mr. Wilson, who had been in de
clining health for several months,
bore his illness cheerfully and his
friends went away feeling better
after a visit with him. In the
church he was always ready to do
his part in anything that he could
help and for years he was choir
leader as well as a teachcr in the
Sunday school.
The church as well as the entire
community has suffered a great
loss as Mr Wilson will be mlstied
by all who knew ham.
LONGER STORE
HOURSPROVIDED
Merchants Act to Aid Shopper* by
Remaining Open Later in
Eremngs
Retail stores in Boone, particular
ly those who have membership in
the local Merchants Association, in
an effort to co-operate flilly with |
the Christmas shoppers. havei
stretched out their store hours for
the convenience of those who work I
late, and who live in the outlying [
districts.
Beginning next Saturday the
stores will remain open to 7 o'clock
until Thursday, Dec. 20. From the
21st through the 24th an 8 o'clock
closing hour will be in effect. Mem
bers of the association will be closed
both Christmas day and the day fol
lowing.
Indications are that the holiday
trade is heavy, and despite large
stocks of merchandise, the advice in
the retail district is still "shop
early."
AAA MATERIALS
TO BE USED NOW
Triple-A Chairman Says Deadline
for the Use of Conservation
Materials Near
j With the end of the 1945 program 1
I year just a month off, Ned Glenn, I
chairman of the Watauga County!
| AAA committee, urges all farmers !
j who have obtained conservation !
materials (lime or phosphate) under
the 1945 program, to exercise every j
possible effort to use these mate- 1
rials in accordance with good farm
ing practices before the deadline, j
Dec. 31.
Upon using all materials, a report j
should be made to the Watauga I
county AAA office by the farm op- j
erator. "If all the farm allowance I
has not been taken up in conserva
tion materials nd producers are eli- I
gible to receive payments, applica- j
tions for payment may be signed at i
the same time," he explained.
The Triple-A chairman also urges
producers having 1944 conservation I
materials transferred to the 1945
program to make proper use of it
in order to obtain full credit and
avoid a double deduction of the
value of the materials.
Say 'Merry Christmas'
With Democrat Ads
I The next issue of The Democrat
I will be composed largely of greet
ing ads, and all those firms and in
dividuals who desire to use the col
umns of The Democrat for extend
ing the greetings of the season, may
do so with comparatively little cost
The publisher gladly supplies the
copy and illustrations for this type
of advertising, and all those inter
ested in one of these greeting ads
should phone 12 at once, and make
arrangements. It is the quickest,
cheapest, and best method of reach
ing all your friends and customers
with a holiday message.
Two Editions Democrat
To Appear Next Week
Present plans are for the issu
ance of two editions of The Demo
crat next week, one at the regu
lar time, and the other, carrying
the Christmas week dale line,
will appear perhaps Saturday
rather than on Wednesday of the
day after Christmas.
This decision has been made in
order that those who issue The
Democrat may have pome time at
home during the holidays. Alas,
since the stores are to be closed
Wednesday after Christmas, the
issue of the 27th could not be
published on time, hence it is
thought best to ad ranee 11 to Sat
urday.
SALES OF BURLEY
REACH Mil, LION
AND HALF POUNDS
First Week of Sales at Mountain
I Burley Warehouses Sets New
Poundage Records; Floor Full
of Baskets for Wednesday's
Auction
| The first seven days sales at the
Mountain Burley Tobacco ware
houses in Boone totalled 1,591,520
[pounds of weed, it is stated this
morning at the offices of the corp
oration, and while official average
prices are not complete, at noon to
!day the average is thought to be
| holding near the 46-cent mark es
> tablished in the opening days of the
, sales. v
| On Wednesday morning the floors
are full of tobacco, and no less than
100 trucks are waiting to be unload
ed just as soon as the initial baskets
,are sold, and the weed begin.! to
move from the floor.
Recent severe winter weather
which last week all but stopped
traffic for a time, resulted in heavy
receipts here over the week-end and
as the trucks filed into town, one
way traffic had to exist for a period
in the business district.
Farmers from a Wide area in three
states are coming to Boone with
I their tobacco and th^tt is every evi
dence of the grow in!* popularity of
the local market. Observation is
that the loads of tobacco are much
larger this year than last, most of
the loads being on standard trucks,
rather than pickups and autos.
Roscoe Coleman, popular ware
houseman, asks that tarmers con
tinue to bring their crops here for
the best prices and the most cour
teous, considerate attention to be
found in the area.
GARBEE DISTRICT
SCOUT CHAIRMAN
Boon* Man Nuntd HmkI of Park
way District at Annual
Meeting Tuesday
E. E. Garbee of Boone, was named
chairman of the Parkway District,
, Old Hickory Council, Boy Scouts,
| at the anr.ual district meeting held
| in Boone Tuesday evening, while
I Lee Stout, also of Boone, was re
I elected district vice-chairman. Dr.
j R. C. Busteed of Boone, was named
! commissioner.
Prof. A. R. Smith presided at the
meeting, which in spite 01 the bad
weather, was attended by about 35
local citizens in addition to Scouts
from Troop 41. Eagle Scout Callo
way spoke on "Why I Like Scout
ing," and Grady Moretz took occa
sion to thank Mayor and Mrs.
Winkler for the new district camp
site.
Mr. Franklin, discharged veteran,
spoke briefly on the valeu of Scout
ing to men in service.
The following awards have been
presented during the year: Second
class 3, first class 1, star 1, life 1,
bronze palm 1, merit badges 41.
Twenty tons of waste paper has
been collected by the Scouts of the
county and 28 boys have received"
the Eisenhower award for collect
ing as much as 1,000 pounds.
Brief talks were made by Clyde
R. Greene, Hal Quincey and Gene
Garbee, while the chairman receiv
ed reports from all operating com
mittee chairmen.
Christmas Program
And Open House at
Elementary School
The children of the Boone demon
stration school will give a program
of Christmas music Sunday, Dec.
16, at 2:45 in the Boone Baptist
Church. Parents and friends of the
school are cordially invited to come
and hear the children render the
story of Christmas in carols.
The program will be directed by
Mr. O. M. Hartsell, of the music de
partment, who was recently dis
charged from the army. He will be
assisted by Mrs. Ennis Davis, teach
er of the second grade.
Immediately following the church
program, the public is invited to the
elementary school. Under the spon
sorship of the teachers and grade
mothers of the P.-T A., all rooms will
be open for a short period of visita
tion. It is hoped that the parents
and friends of the children will
make a special effort to come.
Citizens Areo Asked To
Feed Birds During Storm
Mr*. W. M. Burwell, on behalf of
the Boone Bird Club, expresses the
hope that the people of the commu
nity and countv will think of th*
birds during tne snowy weather,
when food is unavailable, and place
bread scraps and other food wham
the song birds may eat it
Mrs. Burwell also respectfully re
quests that the boys refrain tram
shooting or otherwise destroying the
birds.