DEMOCRAT An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1 888. WATCH the LABEL JOU1 nancXaoo" Juj ? 4 **2 "i? '?J VOL. LVII, NO. 42 BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1946 5 CENTS A COPY WATAUGA COUNTY ONLY $150 SHORT OF RED CROSS GOAL Final Effort in Town is Expect ed to Push Receipts Over the Established Quota; Chairman Urges All Workers to Send in Reports Latest reports from Clyde R. Greene, chairman of the Red Cross roll call campaign, indicate that - a last-minute effort in the town of Boone has resulted in total receipts for the humanitarian organizatioh of $4,949.48 This leaves the fund only $150.52 short of the goal of $5,100. For a time the campaign lagged in the county and it was held in doubt as to whether or not the quota would be reached; however, the lo cal organization has been contacting local business men the last few days, getting subscriptions raised, and now indications are that the full amount will have been reached by the first , of next week, when it is planned to close the books on this year's cam paign Several workers, Mr. Greene says, have not yet made their final re ports, and they are urged to com plete their work at once, and send in their reports so that the final check-up can be made and the cam paign closed. DEMOCRATS TO HOLD CONVENTION County Organisation to B? Named, and Delegates Selected to Stat* Convention W. R. Winkler , chairman of the Democratic executive committee of ^fatauga county, has issued a call for the Democrats to meet in county convention Saturday April 27, at 2 o'clock, to perfect the county or ganization, name a chairman of the executive committee, and select the delegates to the State convention Which meets in Raleigh on May 2. Chairman Winkler asks that pre cint chairman hold meetings on Fri day April 26 at 2 o'clock, to name members of the township organiza tions and appoint delegates to the county convention. Dr. Abram* Heads Local NCEA Group The election last Wednesday for officers of the Appalachian College local unit of the North Carolina Education Association for 1946-47, resulted in the selection of Dr. W. Amos Abrams, head of the depart ment of English, as president. Eu gene E. Garbee, head of health ed ucation, was named vice-president; S?arr Stacy, geography, treasurer, and Miss Louise Moore, library sci ence, secretary. Dr. Abrams promptly outlined an ambitious program for the year, in cluding professional study, instruc tional improvement, and salary ad vance. ~ v Class Officers Are Named at Appalachian The election of four class officers each for the rising senior, junior and sophomore classes of Appalachian State College completes the organi zation for 1946-47. The officers of the respective classes, in the following order, president, vice-president, secretary and treasurer, are: Seniors: Richard Pierce, Moores ville; Evelyn Miller, Statesvillc; ! Alvin Joines, Jo^nes; Joyce Brook shire, Taylorsvitle. Juniors: Rogers Whitener, Spin dale; Lou Rhyne, Lincoln ton; Ruby Lee Kiser, Kings Mountain; Fern Williams, New Hope. Sophomore: Jimmy McConnell, Boone; Carl Fidler, Cornelius; Mo selle Rodgers, Thomasville; Leo Mast, Sugar Grove. ?GOP WOULD CLOSE OPA IN 9 MONTHS Washington, April lft? Republi cans launched battle on the house floor today to hold OPA's new lease on life to nine months, instead of one year, and to write into the price control (law far-reaching re visions of pricing rules and regula tions. AVERY COrtftY REDUCES DEBT Newland ? The bonded debt of Avery county has been reduced from $653,000 to $409,000, a reduc tion of $244,000 and a saving of $18, 000 in interest in the last three ?ears years. Finland's Premier Manno Pekkala, a social demo crat, became Finland's premier and minister of defense, with the formation of a new government WARNS AGAINST WANDERING DOGS Police Chief Says Drastic Measures in Offing; Cites Law Against Shooting in Town Police Chief Scruggs issues stem warning to owners of dogs in the own premises, cites the state law city, to keep the animals on their requiring canines to be tagged, and says that unless the meandering ani mals are restrained on owners' premises, they will be shot. Mr. Scruggs hopes dog owners will heed this warning" and make it Unnecessary to kill the animals, which have become a nuisance to residents of the city. The police chief also states that vigorous enforcement of the law forbidding the discharge of firearms in the city is to be instituted, and hopes that arrests in this connec tion will be unnecessary. He in vites the full co-operation of the people in this regard. Study of Watauga Vets Gives Interesting Data Here are some of the qualities that a careful study of the Watauga vet eran group has revealed: 1. Half of them are less than 25 years of age. 2. Most of them return in top phy sical condition. 3. All of them are used to discip line and respond to intelligent direc tion 4. Many of them have developed outstanding qualities of endurance, initiative and willingness to accept responsibility. 5. Many of them have received specialized training arid have deve loped skills which can be adapted to and used in civilian employment. 6. Many have never worked be fore and are seeking career oppor tunities with their interest primarily on getting ahead and making a suc cess of their peacetime job. 7. 50% have a high school educa tion, or the equivalent. 8. 80% have placed themselves on the labor market in our country. If possible try to make room in your establishment or business for at least one or more of these vet erans. List your job opening with the local USES, or call 220. We will be glad to come to your establishment at any time and discuss on-the-job training, or other veteran develop ment placement with you. SUNRISE SERVICE The Youth Fellowship group of the Boone Methodist Church is spon soring an Easter sunrise service at the church at 7 a. m. DISCHARGED Gus A. Walls, coxswain, son of Mrs. Callie Walls and the late James Walls, was discharged from the navy in February at the na val separation center, Shoemaker, Calif., after serving four years with the naval landing force. TWO SENTENCED IN HIGHWAY ROBBERY IN ASHE CO. COURT John Albert Bradley Draws 12 to 15 Years at Hard Labor, and Woman Accomplice Gets 7 to 10 Years for Robbery of Taxi Man Near Deep Gap John Albert Bradley. Jonesboro, Tenn., was sentenced to 12 to 15 years at hard labor by Judge Will Pless in Ashe county superior court Monday for highway robbery, and his accomplice, Francis Greer Haw kins. 23-year-old Lenoir woman, was sent to the state penitentiary lor n term of 7 to 10 years, as the climax of the robbery by the two of a North Wilkesboro taxi driver near Deep Gap the first of the year. Clayton C. Davis, of North Wil kesboro, had been employed by the two defendants and one Millard Greer, to drive them to Deep Gap. Upon their arrival there the driver was told to proceed a distance on a country road, where he was robbed of $55 in currency, bound and gag ged and trussed to a tree. The trio proceeded to Boone in the taxi. Davis later freed himself, and re ported the robbery to local officers. Patrolman C. M. Jones and Police Chief O. L. Scruggs immediately apprehended the robbers as they sought to get a local taxi driver to take them to Johnson City. Millard Greer made his escape from local officers. Wanted on simi lar charges elsewhere, Greer was later taken into custody after a run ning gun battle with officers at Welch, W. Va. BUSINESS MEN LEAD JAP VOTE Tokyo, April 14 ? Business and professional men predominate in the newly-elected Japanese house of representatives, replacing the "purg ed" politicians who dominated the diet prior to Japan's surrender, a survey of the election returns show ed today. Of the 464 members elected, only six listed their occupation as "poli tician," while only 21 were public officials. The largest occupational classification was that of company director, with 82. Also elected were 15 industrialists, 39 business men of other sorts, 80 educators, doctors and journalists. 52 lawyers and 49 farmers. Complexion of the new house is predominantly conservative, al though no single party won a ma-i jority. More than 52,000,000 votes were cast by half that many voters, each being allowed to choose two can didates. Appalachian May Have New Stands and Lights Plans are being made, it is learn ed for the building of additional stands and the installation of lights at the Mountaineer football stadium at Appalachian College, bringing the seating capacity of the stadium up to about five thousand. The new stands will be located on the oppo site side of the field from those now used. Night games will be featured when the field is lighted,- thus giv ing many townspeople an opportun ity to enjoy. football, with the pros pect of increased attendance from othpr towns and communities. Definite plans for the improve ment will be presented to the next meeting of the Athletic Committee. New Tobacco House Given Charter by State A certificate of incorporation has been issued to the Farmers Burley Warehouse Company of Boone, by Secretary of State Thad Eure, au thorizing the company to do a gen eral warehouse business with a capi tal stock of $102,000. Stock in the sum of $12,000 was subscribed by A. G. Wright of Kernersville, and C. C. Taylor and Rex Taylor, both of Westfield, it was said. School Children to Give Public Performances The Boone demonstration school plans to give two public perform ances this spring. The Easter can tata is given by the choirs of the four grades and. theQther will be an operetta given by the children of the primary grades about May 5. It is estimated by TJ. S. economists that this country will be able to meet only about M per cent of for eign demand for American products this year. , SON OF LASSIE ENTERS MOVIES Month-old Lassie, Jr., son of the famous canine star Lassie, makes his debut in movie. Lassie, Jr., is shown getting some pro fessional advice ifom Rip, veteran of many Hollywood productions. rfWWVWWVSAWWWWS/WWV Larger Newspaper The publisher of The Democrat is glad to announce that another column is soon to be added to each page to take care of the crowded condition of the newspa per. Material for' this slight ex pansion has been ordered for sev eral months, but is now on the way. With paper and labor short ages more acute than before the war's end, all newspapers are faced with conserving space in every possible way, and have ne cessarily been crowded with ads to meet soaring production ex penses. However. The Democrat will expand at this time as much as possible, and will continue to be in the procession of progress in the fastest growing community in the state. WUAMVWVWMAAMVWWW MAN ASSAULTED, ROBBED OF $290 Willie Presnell Loses Sum of Mon ey; Left Unconscious on Highway Willie Presnell lost $290 in cur rency as the climax of a drinking party in which he and two friends engaged last Sunday, Sheriff C. M. Watson reports. Presnell, the sheriff continues, was found unconscious near the county home Sunday afternoon, and was brought to the jail, pretty badly mutilated. The sheriff says that Presnell, John Tester and Leonard Rominger, had been intoxicated to gether. but that there is no infor mation as to who perpetrated the robbery. The bills stolen consisted of two one hundred dollar bank notes, one of them marked "36" with red pen cil The remainder of the money was in bills of 5, 10 and 20-dollar de nominations. The sheriff will ap preciate any information concerning the missing currency. THIS VETERAN NEEDS A JOB Age 25. white, 8th grade educa tion. N. Y. A. training as painter. U. S. Army experience: IVi years as requisition clerk; checked re quisition and filled orders from store rooms. Civilian experience: 1 year-4 months punch press operator; paint - ter (brush and spray) 2 years. Does both exterior ?nd interior work. Mixes and blends paints. Uses trans fers, does minor repair work, car pentry, plastering, filling in glass setting. Comments: Wants work in this area as a painter. Will consider job by contract; will work for local con tractor by day; or sub-contract job. Can furnish own equipment. If any employer, or other persons needing painting done would like to interview this veteran for a pos sible position, or .has suggestions where he might secure employment, coatact the U. S. Employment ser vice, or telephone 220. Demonstration School To Give Easter Cantata The choirs of the Boone Demons tration School, directed by Mr. O. M. HarUell, will give an Easter Can tata Sunday April 21st at 7:30 p. m. at the First Baptist Church. The cantata will be given again Monday at 10 a. m. for the benefit of the school children and others who could not be present at the first performance. HIGH SCHOOL PLAY BE GIVEN APRIL 25 "The Fighting Little#," Adapted From Booth Tarkington. is Se lection of Local School "The Fighting Littles", a Samuel French adaptation from the novel of the same name by Booth Tarking ton, will be the annual Appalach ian high school production in the high school auditorium on April 25. A comedy of family life, the play is well cast and promises to be one of the best plays offered by the high school thespians in recent years. Following the Tarkington theme, the play portrays the struggle for understanding between adolescents and their parents. After despairing with a successful but intolerant father. Miss Goody Little decides to give up her typical 'teen-age friends, . those young hoodlums so despised by her father, for the ambitious but pompous "one of the few old fashioned boys left." Later, Mr. Lit tle discovers that loud-mouthed youth is more solid than it appears to be, and his daughter's friends are accepted as he comes to understand youth. The comic is achieved through the sympathetic portrayal of the puppy love of Filmore Little, age 12, and the little girl across the street. The play, so human and sympathetic with the problems of family life, should prove popular with old and young alike. The cast includes: Goody Little, 16, Adabelle Moretz; Ham Ellers, 18, a regular guy but slightly gaga, Bill Aldridge; Norman Peel, 21, the fath er's choice. Jack Whitener; Bilmer Little, 12, who can't keep out of trouble, Durward Stallings; Antoi nette, 12, the girl across the street who thinks Filmer is wonderful, Virginia Moretz; Mr. Little, a suc cessful but gruff business man. Sonny Williams; Mrs. Little, who desires a peaceful household, Betty Lou Clawson. Others appearing are problem boys, screwballs, maids, crazy youths and mentally-twisted, queer old la dies. These parts are played by Gene Craven, Sally Penick, Mary Sue Greene, Erma Norris, Nell Nor ris, Mary Lee Stout, Verdola Keller. Mary Sue Clawson and others. The play is under the direction | of Mr. Cratis Williams, dramatics teacher and counselor. IN GERMANY Pvt. Roy V. Brown, Jr., who entered the service June 1, 1949, is now stationed in Germany with the occupation force*. He Is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Roy V. Brown, of Deep Gap R. F. D. MAYOR REQUESTS COOPERATION IN CLEANING UP CITY / Annual Cleanup Period is Desig nated as Last Week in April and First in May; Largest Number Summer Visitors in History Expected Mayor Gordon H. Winkler on Monday designated the last week in April and the first week in May as the annual clean-up period for Boone, and insists on the full co operation of the people in making the city clean and attractive for what is expected to be the largest crowd of summer visitors ever to visit this section. The mayor's statement follows: "In designating the annual clean up period, I wish to thank the large number of citizens for the good job they have already done in making their premises spick and span. "The usual spring clean-up period will start April 29, and continue through the first week in May. This will give plenty of time for every body to get their tin cans and other trash together, and put where the city truck may haul it away. "Let's make the town the clean est its ever been, as we expect the greatest number of visitors in our history during the 1946 tourist sea soh.'V Mayor Winkler suggests that trash be placed in containers for conveni ence of th? truckmen, when possible. PUPH INJURED IN BUS MISHAP Fourteen- Yeer-Old GUI Injured u Gasoline From School Bus Catch? Fir* Eugenia Ruth Luttrell, 14-year-old daughter of Mrs. E. M. Luttrell and the late Mr. Luttrell, of ShulLs Mills, received serious injuries last Wed nesday, as a group of children made their escape from a school bus, in danger of being ignited fFom flam ing gasoline on the ground. The bus. which was carrying pu pils home from the Cove Creek school, developed engine trouble near Vilas, and the driver was at tempting to blow the gasoline line free with an air pump. When the pressure was applied, it is said, some gasoline was forced from the fuel tank onto the pavement. One of the passengers thoughtlessly tossed a lighted match into the gasoline, precipitating the rush from the load ed vehicle. As the boys pushed the machine back off the flames, the Luttrell child jumped and fell un der the rear wheels, the bus pass ing over her legs and chest. There were two broken ribs, one fractured and one misplaced. She is a patient at Watauga Hos pital, where her condition is des cribed as favorable. Funeral Services Held For Robert Lee Moretz Funeral services for Robert Lee Moretz were held Wednesday morn ing at Mt. Pleasant Evangelical Lutheran Church, with the pastor, Rev. Hoke H. Ritchie, in charge. Mr. Moretz, son of William Mo retz and Sarah Condor Moretz, was born May 29, 1870, in Watauga county, and departed this life April 15, 1946, at the age of 75 years, 10 months and 17 days. He was married to Emma John son, of Mountain City , Tenn., on April 9, 1906. To this union were born one daughter and one son who survive: Cynthia Caroline Moretz, of Washington, D. C., and Robert Ray Moretz, of Boone Route 2. Surviving besides the wife and children are: one brother, E. Frank lin Moretz, of Route 2, Boone, and one sister, Mrs. Ed Jackson, of Lax on; one grandchild, Violet Moretz, and a host of relatives and friends. Mr. Moretz was the eldest mem ber of Mt. Pleasant Church, having been baptized in infancy, and con firmed into adult membership in early manhood, where he remained a faithful member until death. TAB HEEL SOLON TELLS HOW OPA CAN PLEASE ALL Washington, April 16 ? Comment ing on the second day heated congressional debate on the exten sion of OPA, Rep. Sam Ervin, of the tenth North Carolina district, philosophized: "The only OPA act which will meet universal approval will be one which keeps coiling price* on everything that we buy, and removes them from everything we sell." *