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WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year I 888.
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VOL. LVII, NO. 45
- B<?ONE' WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA^ THURSDAY, MAY 9, 1946
5 CENTS A COPY
J. ELIHD LUTHER,
LAST CIVIL WAR
VET, DIES AT 102
Watauga's Last Surviving Fol
lower of Lee, Succumbs Last
Thursday; Funeral Services
Conducted Saturday at Gap
Creek Church
Je^se Elihu Luther, Confederate
veteran, Watauga county's last sur
viving soldier of the Civil War, and
one of the state's most aged citi
zens. died at the home at Deep Gap
last Thursday at the age of 102
years.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Saturday afternoon from the
Gap Creek Baptist Church, by Rev.
Mr. Stevens of Todd, who was as
sisted in the rites by Rev. E. C.
Hodges of Hendrix. Interment was
in the Gap Creek cemetery. Reins- 1
Sturdivant being in charge of the
arrangements.
Surviving are a son and two
daughters: John E. Luther, Deep
Gap; Mrs. Ida Welch. Mount Zion,
and Mrs. Crra Moretz, Fleetwood.
There are 25 grandchildren, 84 great
Krandchildren and 19 great-great
erandchildrcn.
Native of Randolph County
Mr. Luther was born in Randolph j
county September 10, 1843, the son
of William and Mary Loflin Luther, (
and the family moved to Wilkes- !
boro when he was 12 years old. He |
served in the Confederate army '
during the Civil War period, having 1
been enlisted in Wilkesboro May 10, i
1862, and assigned to Colonel Bar
ber's regiment. Later he served in j
A. P. Hill's envision. Lane's brigade, I
with General Stonewall Jackson1
commanding. He participated in a
number of campaigns, including the
Battle of the Wilderness, Spottsyl
\ania Court House, Chancellorsville,
tnd the Second Battle of Manassas.
He suffered three wounds, two in
flicted in skirmishes, and one in
the fighting at Spottsylvania Court
House.
Taken Prisoner
Mr. Luther was taken prisoner
while serving on picket duty at Chaf
lin's farm in Virginia, after he had
been surrounded by 25 Union sold
iers, who were concealed at this I
point. He was taken to the Federal ,
prison at Camp Lookout on the ;
Chesapeake Bay in Maryland, where]
he was confined for a period of eight j
months. When he was paroled from t
prison and returned home it was at i
the time Stoneman, a Yankee officer,
came through this section of North
Carolina, and he was arrested and
carried ucfore Stoneman. When it
was revealed that Mr. Luther had
been given a furlough to return
home, he was released.
Mr. Luther, who had lived at Deep j
Gap for 73 years, had served as post- j
master at that place for near 25 1
years, and had served in this cap- :
acity at a salary of $24.00 per year.
During his last tenure however, in j
1934, he received $800. Prior to his j
first postmastership, he carried the I
mail from Wilkesboro to Boone via!
horseback, was a corpenter and}
mason by trade, and a successful i
farmer. He served as deputy sheriff j
in Watauga for four years, and was'
a justic of the peace for thirty or
more years. He was a member of the 1
Calvary Methodist Church at Fleet- '
wood.
Mr. Luther has been honored by j
friends in Watauga and Wilkes'
county on his last birthday anni- j
versary, and last year when he cele
brated his 102nd anniversary large [
crowds gathered in his honor. On t
one of these occasions he was asked |
to what he attnButed his long life,*)
and answered in these words:
"Well, I have never done any
drinking or smoking; I've worked '
hard and have always tried to keep !
regular hours; I've spent a lot of I
time out of doors, breathing deeply |
of this grand mountain air, and fve
tried not to worry."
Baptist Association
Being Held on Friday
Attention is again called to the
spring session of the Three Forks
Baptist Association which will be
held with the Poplar Grove Church
on Friday, May 10.
The associational officers are
urging that each church in the as
sociatfon be represented by the pas
tor and at least three delegates or
messengers.
America Legion Post
Will Meet on Friday
Watauga Post No. 130, American
Legion, will meet at 7:30 p. m Fri
day, May 10. Officers are to be
elected at this time, therefore it is
important that all members be pres
ent.
Crippled Children's
Clinic Set for May 15
Dr. John S. Gaul of Charlotte,
will hold a crippled children's clin
ic in the district health department
on Wednesday, May 15. Anyone
who wants a free examination
should register in the health office
on that day at 1:00 p. m.
i
DIES AT 102
JESSE ELIHU LUTHER
ERNEST CLINE IS j
VICTIM ROBBERS
Hickory Taxi Man Robbed Near!
Vilas; Officers Fail lo Lo
cale Assailants
Ernest Cline, Hickory taxicab
operator, was held up and robbde by
two unidentified highwaymen near
Vilas Monday evening, and State
highway patrolmen are making ev
ery effort to locate the four occu
pants of a New York automobile
who perpetrated the holdup.
According to C M. Jones, local
state patrolman, the taxi driver was ,
en route to Hickory from Elizabeth- 1
ton. Tenn., when he noticed the
Buick automobile, carrying New
York State license plates. The ve
hicle had been passed by Cline a
time or two, and would subsequent
ly pass. The strange conduct of
the driver of the Buick led Cline to
believe that the occupants of the
car, being from outside the State,
were not "stnr of being on the right
road, so he readily stopped near
Vilas to offer his assistance when
one of the women flagged him.
He was immediately covered by ?
sub-machine gun in the hands of one
of the men. while the other delib
erately aimed' what appeared to be
a 30-30 carbine. Cline surrendered I
about $20 in "currency and checks, j
in addition to personal eftects, and
was allowed to proceed.
Officer Jones immediately secur
ed the shor' -wave broadcast of the
information about the robbery, but
thus far State police have been un
able to apprehend the highwaymen.
Parkway Funds Cut
By Senate Committee
Washington, May 7? A S15.000.000
appropriation sought by the Nation
al Park service to finance 1946-47
work on four national parkways,
including the Blue Ridge parkway,
was cut to $7,500,000 today in
recommendations of the house ap
propriations committee.
The committee recommendations, !
embraced in the report to the house I
on the 1947 interior department ap- 1
prcp-'lotion bill slated for considera- ;
tion beginning tomorrow, will, if i
adopted, substantially cut an alloca- j
tion to the Blue Ridge parkway (
which Rep. Zebulon Weaver of j
Asheville, had expected to reach a |
minimum of $5,000,000.
Veterans Foreign Wars
To Be Organized Here
A local post of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars is to be organized here
at a meeting tg be held in the court
house next Saturday afternoon May
11, it is stated by Charles T. Zim
merman, local attorney and veteran
of the recent war.
It is stated by Mr. Zimmerman
that there are already seventeen
paid up memberships, and that A. C.
Ingram, adjutant quartermaster,
High Point, will be present to
assist in the organization of the new
post. All veterans of the county are
urged to attend.
Farm Intentions To
Be Filed by June 1
? |
The closing date for filing 1946
Farm Plan intentions under the
agricultural conservation program
has been extended to June 1.
Watauga county farmers who have
not filed their intentions and still
wish to carry out practices tinder
this program should contract the
local AAA office before the closing
date.
Demonstration School
To Present Operetta
The Boone Demonstration school
will present the last program of the
school year on Thursday evening at
7 o'clock in the college auditorium.
The program will feature a Mother
Goose operetta in appropriate cos
tume No admission will be charg
ed, and the public is invited.
BRIEF ILLNESS
PROVES FATAL TO
HENRY J. HARDIN
Former County Official and
Prominent Farmer Succumbs
at Wilkes Hospital Friday;
Funeral Service Held Sunday
Henry J. Hardin. 57 years old, for
mer county tax supervisor, election
board chairman, and member of one
of Boone's most prominent families,
died in a North Wilkesboro hospital
Friday from an illness of three days.
Funeral services were conducted
Sunday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the |
Boone Methodist Church, by Dr. E. j
K. McLafty. and an unusually large j
crowd from this and other sections
of the state- gathered for the rites, i
Interment was in the Hardin fam- 1
ily plot in the community cemetery |
by the Heins-Sturdivant Funeral |
Home. Active pallbearers were:;
Roby Brown, Steve Brown. Wilson I
Brown. Lee Greene. Colen Cottrell i
and Max Norris.
Surviving, in addition to the wid- 1
ow. the former Miss Grace Black- j
burn, are one son, Joseph Hardin. !
a commercial air pilot, who is now
located in China, and one daughter.
Mrs. Martha Crowell Boiling, of
Boone.
Mr. Hardin was a son of the late
William Hardin and Mrs. Sarah
Winkler Hardin, and for many years
was a leader in the agricultural,
business and public life of Watauga
county. For a number of years hoj
was engaged in the mercantile busi
ness in Boone, entering upon this 1
activity at the death of his father- i
in-law, Mr. M. B. Blackburn, a lead- j
ing merchant here. Subsequently,
he was chairman of the Watauga
county board of elections, and for i
three terms county tax supervisor. '
He was named to this position by !
the state legislature when the ot- j
ficc was created by the 1929 assem- 1
bly. When Mr. Hardin retired from
public office he devoted the remain
der of his life to his agricultural and
business interests. He was widely
known for his many unselfish con
tributions to the life of his coun
ty and community.
English War Bride
Is Fond Of Carolina
| "I love it here and would like to
stay here forever." was the opinion
expressed by Mrs. Patricia Brixton
Scoggins. English war bride of Wil
liam A. Scoggins of Henderson. Mrs.
Scoggins. whose home was in Ayles
ford, Kent. England, arrived in New
York April 19 on the USS Washing-]
ton, and she was met by her hus
band there. After a shopping trip
trip in New York and a week's stay
at Nag's Head, the couple came to j
Henderson April 2K Mr Scoggins '
is a brother of Mrs Joe Crawford, :
of Boone.
The charming English miss and j
Bill Scoggins were married at '
Mardstone, Kent. England, on Oct. ,
27: 1945. while Bill was on fur- :
lough from duties with the 9th air
corps in Germany. They plan to
make their home in Henderson
where Mr. Scoggins, who is the son j
of Mrs, W L. Scoggins and the late j
Mr Scoggins, is employed at the air
field. Mrs. Scoggins is the daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. W. G. Brixton, of
Aylesford, Kent, England, and at
tended Cross and Passion college at
Ballyestate, County Antrim in
northerrt Ireland. For four years
during the war she worked as civil
service draftswoman for the South
ern Railway.
With a delightful English accent,
she stated that clothes and food
were still schrce items in England
and that her trips through the New
York stores were deligntful. She
expressed regret at not being able
to eat the delectable food aboard
ship during the oceanic trip for the
rough passage causcd a siege of sea
sickness. She revealed a particular
fondness for southern fried chicken,
stating that she had only had boiled
and roasted chicken before coming
to North Carolina and the United
States.
She was among the 900 English
war brides aboard the USS Wash
ington as it made the Atlantic voy
age from Southampton to New
York.
STRIKE PUTS 800.000
WORKERS OFF JOBS
Unemployment resulting from the
38-day soft coal strike skyrocketed
past 800,000 yesterday as the fuel
shonuge put a tight stranglehold on
the nation s industries. O
The Association of American Kail
roads reported about 51,000 railroad
men had been laid off because of
the strike and estimated industries
served by the railroads have laid
off another 250,000.
The Ford Motor Company an
nounced a shutdown last night of
"virtually all operations,' affecting
an estimated 106,000 workers
DUGGER NAMED MAYOR
IN VOTE AT ELK PARK
Ben Dugger was named mayof o I
Elk Park in the municipal election
held Monday. The vote was light
and there was no opposition for the
offices to be filled. Mr. Dugger re
ceived a total of 50 votes.
Named to the board of commis
sioners were J. H. Pedson, Geo. W.
Nesbitt. R. L. BrinkJey, T. L. Har
mon and Joe L. McCurry.
i
MERCY WHEAT DRIVE ON
Norlhwes' grain farmers r>ro responding to the appeal for their
wheat to feed the starving millions in Europe and Asia. This scene
at the Fanrx rs Union Co-op elevator at Flasher, N. D.. shows a
group of the neighboring farmers who have just brought in their
wheat. They are taking U. S. government certificates which give
them a year in which to choose the time they wish to convert it into
cash.
TO APPEAR HERE
?
- - ?
JUDGE HUBERT E. OLIVE
OLIVE TO SPEAK
AT BLOWING ROCK
Lexington Jurist Chosen to Deliver
Memorial Day Address
For Legion
Judge Hubert E Olive of Lexing
ton, will deliver the Memorial Day
address Sunday afternoon May 26
at 2 p. m. at Blowing Rock, it was
announced this morning by Cleve
Gross, chairman of the program
committee of Watauga Post no. 130,
American Legion.
The program for the annual
memorial day exercises, sponsored
by the legionnaires of the county
will be published at a later date.
Mr. Gross feels fortunate in hav
ing been able to secure the service
of Judge Olive on this occasion.
The Lexington jurist is a gradate
of Wake Forest College, practiced
law in Lexington, was judge of the
Recorder's court there for three
i terms, represented Davidson county
in the House of Representatives 1933
State Commander American Legion
1934-35; State manager for Governor
Clyde Hoey in his gubernatorial
campaign 1936. Served two years
years andf three months in the first
world war, with one year overseas
as second and first lieutenant 317th
FA, 81st division. He has been a
Superior Court Judge since May 20,
1937.
Capt. Farthing Talks to
Mother From Germany
Captain Glenn Farthing, executive
officer with the third army, in
Heidelberg, Germany, called his
mother, Mrs. R, A Farthing, of
Valle Crucis, by long distance tele
phone some days ago. The call
came direct to the Farthing home
over the Sugar Grove party line, the
connection was perfect, and Mrs.
Farthing was able to hear her sop's
voice distinctly.
4-H CLUB COUNTY COUNCIL
TO MEET SATURDAY A. M.
There will be a 4-H Club county
council meeting in the home agent's
office in the county building Satur
day morning. May 11, beginning at
10 o'clock. The officers of all 4-H
Clubs are ^rged to attend.
First noted 100 years ago as a
"harmless weed" in this country,
lespedeza now is recognized as one
of the nation's greatest soil building
legumes.
51 TO GRADUATE !
AT COLLEGE TODAY
- j
Hon. Brandon Hodges to Deliver
Address to Appalachian
Graduates
Fifty one members of the senior
class will be awarded their B.S. de
grees at commencement exercises
held at Appalachian State Teachers
College this (Wednesday) morning,
and Hon. Brandon Hodges, distin
guished Asheville lawyer, will de
liver the annual address to the
graduates.
The commencement program and
the list of those who will receive
degrees follow:
Processional ? College Orchestra.
Holy. Holy, Holy ? Congregation.
Invocation ? Rev. J. K. Parker, Jr. |
College Chorus ? Miss Virginia
Wary.
Address ? Hon. Brandon Hodges.
* College Chorus.
Conferring degrees and awarding j
diplomas? Dr. B B. Dougherty. 1
Benediction ? Dr. E. K. McLar',y.
Recessional ? College Orchestra.
Those students who will be
awarded degrees and diplomas for
their achievement during the past !
four years are: Dale Atwood, Lena
Brown, Rosedna Bowmai, Ruth
Brittain. Ellen Burns, Lois Merle
Butler, Mrs. Freda Grubbs Cline,
Vivian Cline, Clara Cooke, Alma
Crowder. Ruby 'Dancy, Mildred Ea
ton, Carrie Lee Farthing, Amanda
Ferebee, Rosalyn Francis, Betty Ga
briel. Nellie Gabriel, Pearl Gold,
Julia Gray, Betty Jean Griffin, Bon
nie Jean Hamrick. Helen Home,
Bernita Hughes. Mildred Ingram,
Margaret Lineberger, Helen Martin,
Gloria Matkins, Martha V. Miller.
Dorothy Lee Moore, Curtis Murray,
Ellen Philbeck, Mrs. Una Perry
Propst, Evelyn Ray, James E. Reece,
Mary Ellis Reece, Peggy Rogers,
Bonita Rominger, Mrs. Elizabeth B. I
Shaw, Frances Sherrill, A. J. Smith,
Mary Eloise Smith, Helen Sossa
nlbn, Paul N. Sowell, Worth Sweet,
Claudia Tharpe, Mary Lillian Wil
cox, Nina Wilson, Juanita Young.
Peace Came To
t Europe Year Ago
Reims, France, May 7. ? Peace
came to Europe a year ago today in
the "little red schoolhpuse" at the
outskirts of this cathedral city where
Gen. Eisenhower maintained sup
reme headquarters.
The clock pointed to 2:41 a. m. a
year ago when " dejection Col. Gen
Alfred Jodl, chief of 3taff of the
German army, scrawled his signa
ture to the surrender afulf nearly
six years of the most savage war
in history.
The little red school house, whence
the decisive military stroJi.es from
the west were directed, is preserved
just as it was last year. The sur
render occurred in the famous "war
room" of supreme headquarters, al
lied expeditionary forces, with the
maps, charts and battle orders on
the walls surrounding the table
and the 13 chairs where the capitu
lation was discussed and sealed.
The room now is a French na
tional monument and shrine and a
symbol of peace.
The anniversary was almost un
noticed in Reims.
German prisoners of war, 24,000
of them, work in the huge American
stockpile? around the surrender
city. There is still much work to be
done in closing out the vast quarter
master depots.
PUPILS OF ELKLAKD SCHOOL
TO PRESENT PROGRAM MAY 10
Elementary grades of Elkland
school will present a program with
a Mother's Day theme, on Friday,
May 10, at 8 o'clock. There will be
no admission charge.
ANNUAL SPRING
MEETING OF BIRD
CLUB TfflS WEEK
North Carolina Bird Club to
Hold State Meeting in Boone
Saturday and Sunday: Per
haps 200 or More Will Attend
Perhaps more than two hundred
bird students from all parts of
North Carolina, together with guests
from a number of other states will
be entertained jointly by the Boone
Bird Club and Appalachian College,
in the annual spring meeting of the
State Bird Club, which will be h^fld
on Appalachian College campus
next Saturday and Sunday.
The following detailed program,
arranged by the Boone club and
sent to all members by State Presi
dent Clara Hearne, of Roanoke
Rapids, will be carried out:
Saturday, May 11
11 to 2:30 p. m. ? Registration,
lobby Administration building, Ap
palachian College.
11 a. m. ? Meeting of Executive
committee.
12:30? p. m. ? Luncheon Carolina
Cafe.
2:30 p. m. ? General meeting, au
ditorium Administration building,
A.S.T.C.
4:15? Tea.
5"00 ? Tour of points of interest in
Boone.
6:30 ? Annual dinner, cafeteria,
A.S.T.C.
8:00 p. m. ? Evening lecture, Ran
dolph Ashton.
9:00 p. m. ? Social hour, college
girls' gymnasium.
Sunday, May 12
The general public is invited to
attend the lecture Saturday eve
inng. Mr. Ashton is a brilliant lec
turer and authority on bird life, and
the State Bird Club hopes that as
many persons as possible will take
advantage of the opportunity to
hear this outstanding speaker.
The afternoon meeting is also
open to the public and will consist
of technical papers on birds of
North Carolina and activities of the
I State Bird Club.
Bird hikes.
A few reservations for the annual
dinner are available to former mem
bers and persons interested in birds.
All members of the Boone club and
guests wishfing to attend this din
ner should notify Miss Cora Jeff
coat, 504 Grand Boulevard, Boone,
by 12:30, May 9.
Boone Lions Club
Holds Weekly Meet
The Boone Lions Club at its regu
lar meeting Tuesday night, staged
a "liar's contest," the program being
in charge of TailtwisU-r Haward
Cottrell. First prize went to cham
pion liar Clyde R. Green, with Dr.
R. K. Bingham as runner up.
Gordon Winkler, chairman of the
ticket committee for the Lions show,
reported that gross receipts amount
ed to $575.97 He expressed espe
cial thanks to Bob Agle of the Ap
palachian Theatre, for his splendid
co-operation in making the show a
success.
Plans are being made to send six
delegates to the state convention of
Lions Clubs in Raleigh in June.
President R. C. Busteed appoint
ed a committee to nominate a slate
of candidates for club officers for
next year, the committee to report
at the next meeting of the club.
Gene* Garbee reported on the Boy
Scout camporee held at Camp Wink
ler last week-end. Of the ten pa
trols present, seven won blue pen
ants for skill in camping.
Guests for the evening included
Col. Smith. Ben Miller, David Rol
lins, Harry Cutts, Lewis Reese, H.
O. Dowling and Rev. E. F Trout
man.
I Goverment Efforts
Fail to End Coal Strike
?
Washington. May 8 ? The govern
ment failed Tuesday in an informal
attempt to get, 400,000 idle coal
miners back on the job and end a
37-day strike which is progressive
ly crippling the nation's economy.
Both miners and operators made
plain they did not expect any
speedy settlement.
JThe union's 250-man policy com
mittee voted to stand by John L.
Lewis' original demands
"We'll stick it out," a union
spokesman said, concerning demands
for a Special welfare fund and con
trct permitting forement to or
ganize.
"Then," he said, "we'll settle
down and discuss wages."
Theatre is Sponsoring
Novel Courtesy Contest
A courtesy contest is a novel fea
ture of the activities at the Appa
lachian Theatre this week, and a
prize of 20 free passes to the show
house will be presented by Mayor
Gordon H. Winkler Thursday eve
ning, to the winner, i
A group of judges, says Manager
Bob Agio, will determine the win
ner, who will be the person who is
adjudged to have exercised the
the most consistent courtesy in his
or her contacts v/ith the public.