wzjmjF **$&&&. An independent Weekly Newspaper ? Esta BOONE, WATAtlGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, FIVE THE DEMOCRAT la your best and moat econo mical medium or advertising With mora than 1.600 paid-up, cash subscriptions, your me* aa?? toes to 13.000 people, on the universally uaad basis of Ova readers to aach subscriber. VOL. LX, NO. 25 KING STREET ? 3y._ Rob. Rivers Crowds of shopper* grow larger each day as Christmas drawr nearer . . . processions of buyer? wending their way in and out of the modern stores and shop* along the street . . . friendly merchants and courteous helper? giving exacting attention to tht wishes of their patrons . . . man carrying express wagon, tin soldiers, roller skates, and biff sack of odds and ends . . . kiddie? counting the days till Santa will arrive, and anxiously scanning the skies, hoping for snow . . . pop scared stiff a blizzard will hit . . . mom laying in the proven der against the period of festivity . . . and most folks in the com munity looking forward to an old-time Merry Christmas. ? ? ? Minister of Gospel, a friend of many years. Bravely concern ed over the commercialisation of Christmas, and expressing the belief that the true mean ing of the day is being lost in the quest of money . . . holy hymns being used for trade promotion* . . . few churches open on the natal anniversary of the Prince of Peace. . . . win- - ing rniH Htntng well-to-do friends, perhaps having too little care for the unfortunate ... To one who reguarly pro motes the commercialisation oi the holidays, the Man of God brought a disturbing thought . . . perhaps we aren't thinking In Just a straight line of the birthday of the Babe of Beth la ham . . . likely don't practice enough of the philosophies and preachments of the Ifazarene . . . these being sufficient to solve all the world's vexing problems . . . Wish we did . . . If we could catch the true spirit of Christmas and hold it through the year, we would have traveled a long way in the right direction. ? ? ? REV. SAM MOSS, whose un worthy parishioner we are, de livering Christmas sermon, inter persed with a lovely program ot< Christmas music . . . shaking lands with old friends about the churchyard, and asking for the last lines of Preacher Sam's ser mon, which went something like this: "A window filled with thingi 'V., . Dr*aa ? for thos* alraady ? d . . . books for ftw who nad too much . . . floli clubs for thos* who play loo much . . . tools of labor for thos* overworked . . arm chairs for p*opl* who r*st too much . . , Christmas cards to r*plac* th* lattars wa ara too dull or Mlfiih to pan . . . mora things ? for people already dragged and blindad by them . . . the faces of poor children, their noses flattened against the pane ? hungry *y*s devour ing the things they need and want, but can never have . . . young people walking past and giving the windows a dull and contemptuous star*? because they are already overloaded with things they no longer en Joy . . . Why this Christmas window? . . . Because one clear night a mother looked out of a stable at th* stars, and held cloae to her bosom a child born to tad the world that m*r* things do not count . . . God *f the Ages, will we thy children amr learn?" ? ? ? LAYING IN the family Christ mas tree . . . getting out the lights and trimmings stored near ly ? year ago . . . finally, after much sighting and adjusting, ?siting the oedsr perpindicular . . . working half the night help ing the kiddies string the lights, hang on the colored balls, and all the rest . . . admiring handi work from arm chair . . . oc casionally rising to make slight . . . shifting the silver star atop the topmost bow, the better to catch the light . . . look JMk op a Yule log to lend its warming glow Christmas morn Jn* . . . all of them too dry . . . and finding trouble in locating "our traditional fat goo*e for the ChrMntf dinner. # * ' ? 1 * to do with _?ot ?onay ^again? Installment DRESSES FOR EUROPE " In response to the urgent need of the distressed peoples of Europe for textile products, U. S. mills, under a voluntary pro gram initiated by the American Cotton Manufacturers Association, have' contributed enough cloth to make the equivalent of a quar ter of a million dresses. Officials are shown inspecting some of the cloth prior to shipment to Europe. COUNTY FIRST IN SEAL SALE Watauga L~ads Stat* of North Carolina in Reaching T.B. Seal Quota Watauga was the first county in the State of Nortty Carolina to reach its quota in * the annual Christmas Seal Sale, it is learned by Rev. James McKeown, county chairman of the cajnpaign. On December 10th, when the first reports went in, Watanga had received $870, one-third over her quota of $600, This report did not include the money re ceived by the chairmen in Bethel, Sugar Grove, Valle Crucis or Blowing Hock. The chairman asks that all who have not sent in theij: many for seals, do so at once; so that the campaign may b? closed. MRS. D.C MAST DIES SUNDAY Ritas for Sugar Grove Woman Are Held at Core Creek Tuesday Afternoon Mrs. Nora Mae Mast, 73 years old, a resident of Sugar Grove, died at Watauga Hospital Sunday evening. . Mrs. Mast had been ill for a number of months, and her condition had grown gradually worse during the past several Jays. Funeral .services were con ducted Tuesday at 2:30 from the Cove Creek Baptist Church Tjy the pastor, Rev. Mr. Middleton, who was assisted in the rites by Rev. R. J. Starling of the Metho dist Church, and interment was in the Mast cemetery. Mrs Mast was born in Wa tauga county, and was a daugh ter of the late Sheriff David Baird and Mrs. Baird. She was well known in the county, where she has wide family connections, and a host of friends, attracted to her by her sterling traits of Christian character. Surviving Mrs. Mast are the husband D. Charles Mast, and two children: Dave P. Mast, superintendent of welfare, Sugar Grove; Mrs. Joe Phillips, Detroit. One brother and four sisters sur vive: T. C. Baird, Valle Crupis; Mrs. W. W. Mast, Valle Crucis; Mrs. Alice Shull, Mountain City, Tenn.; Mrs. Lydia Moore, Lenoir; Mrs. Jack Horton, Rlva, Md. Johnnie Hollars Wins Quarterback Award At a meeting of the Boone Quarterback Club and the 1947 Appalachian football squad, Johnny Hollars received "the most valuable player" awai'd which is piven annually by the local elub. This award is based upon his value to the team throughout the past season as well as his co-operation to the coaches and fellow players. The Quarterback Club invited the entire squad to participate in this voting. J. C. Honeycutt was runner-up in this contest, with Co-Captain John Kirk and Blois Grisaocn also receiving votes. Dogers name Durocber man ager, ShottMi farm uwixil1. ? ' A AAFARMERS HOLD EffifflON ' .?? ' Agricultural CommlttHi Ai* El?cled In Various Neighbor hoods of County At the county AAA committee election at the AAA office Dec ember 10, delegates from the twenty communities elected the following committee for the 1948 agricultural conservation pro gram year; Ned Glenn chairman; Dwight Cable, vice-chairman; H. Neal Blair, regular member. The two alternates elected were H. E. Greene and J. M. Burket. Delegates representing the twenty communities were elect ed by local farmers in each community at elections held pre vious to the county election. De legates elected to the county con vent. on were; Bald Mountain, W S. Miller; Beaver Dam 1, Asa L. Reese; Beaver Dam 2, t). F. Greene; Blowing Rock, Q. B. Cannon; Blue Ridge, M. O. Cof fey; Boone 1, Joe McNeil; Booae 2, Harold Henson; Boone 3, Avery H. Moretz; Cove Creek 1, J." M Burkett; Cove Creek 2, John K. Perry; Elk, N. G. Wheeler; Laurel Creek 1, Howard Edmisten; Laurel Creek 2, V. C. Harmon; Meat Camp 1, Tom Jafckson; Meat Camp 2, O. G. Winebarger; North Fork, W. C. South; Shawneehaw, J. L. T r i p 1 e 1 1; Stony Fork, W. S. Moretz; Wa tauga 1, Bun A. Hodges; Wa tauga 2, C. P. Moore. Also at these community elect ions the following community committee consisting of a chair man, vice-chairman and regular member were elected, being list ed in their respective order: Bald Mountain, W. F. Norris, W. S. Miller, Page Trivett; Beaver Dam I, Sanford Creed, Clyde Robin son, G. D. Matheson; Beaver Dam 2, Conley Norris, George SmKh erman, Fonso Tester; Blowing Rock, Q. B. Cannon, Charlie Spann; Blue Ridge, M. O. Coffey, S. C. Ford, F. L. Hampton; Boone 1, Grady Bradley, Martin Her man, C. L Billings; Boone 2, G. D. Stilwell, B. H. Beshears, Harold Henson; Boone 2, Avery Moretz, Stewart Brown, Greene Smith; Cove Creek 1, J. M. Bur kett, Bert Mast, M. L. Warren, Jr.; Cove Creek 2, John K. Perry, Allen Adams, John B. Sherwood; Elk, N. G. Wheeler, Jim Hayes, Albert Greer; Laurel Creek 1, Howard Edmisten, Charlie W. Mast, Clyde Love; Laurel Creek 2, Miles A. Ward, Ray Harmon, Ronald Ward; Meat Camp 1, Tom Jackson, 3. W. Clawsod, Vaughn Tugman; Meat Camp 2, O. G. Winebarger, Ernest Moretz, John F. Greene; North Fork, W. C. South, Sam S. South, J. M. South; Shawneehaw, J. L. Trip lett, Ira Townsend, Marshall Farthing; Stony Fork, W. 8. Moretz, Thos. Fafathild, H. X. Gnaw; 'WfcMflla l. Bun '.i|. Hodges, Frank Taylor, Edward Bairdi' Watauga 2, N. F. Church, L. A. Calloway, Andrew Ellis. CANNERY OPEN FRIDAY The Cove Creek community cannery, ti has been announced, will be open for business next Friday. Chemical industry discounts possibility of World War HI. U Pound of butter coats >-4 hour wqrk, AFL reports. ? > y ') STOCKINGS TO) BE FILLED IN HOMESOFPOOR Empty Stocking Fund Beach es Satisfactory Proportions as Woman's Club and Lions Make Plans to Distribute Holiday Cheer When jolly St. Nicholas comes around next week, stockings of nore than one hundred children of the county will be filled with the goodies, toys and the like, which would have remained limp but for .the Empty Stocking Fund, which this year has reach ed sufficient proportions to take care of the needs of the kiddies of the area, who otherwise would have speent a cheerless Yuletide. Under the sponsorship of the Woman's Club, candies, fruits, nuts, toys and items of clothing will be delivered to the destitute families by members of the Lions Club. Hundreds of usable toys were received when Mana ger Bob Agle of the Appalachian Theatre conducted his annual matinee, when the kiddies of the neighborhood were asked to pre ent a toy rather than a ticket. More than three ^hundred dol lars have been received for the fund, and when the contributions are completed, it is thought the amount may reach as much as our hundred dollars, this being the first time in recent years the .'unds on hand appeared to be adequate for doing a bang-up job of playing Santa Claus to the unfortunate little children upon whom good fortune has failed to smile. GAUM CAFE SCENE OF FOffl Small u Mai. Buiinstg DtaMcTb ^ ThfMtlWMd * "f.^b^^roke out in the day eveninB Tay Cafe Sun" r7 evening, and which couW caused a major catastrophe trictI*u,C6n^r ?f 019 business dis S^'ajr.rM w &,<>&? ina! unable ^ determine a logical reason for the fire ?nH 1,1114 sP?"taneo? com bustion could have beer, th? cause. The building was dSiaiS considerably, . good dealo??w Panting will be necessary Tnd stored furniture on the^ec^d water. W8S ged by fire ?""J On Monday afternoon the house trailer, occupied by J C W TrH near Hurley Warehouse N^ was destroyed, all clothing etc' Sh?^ ^ flame- A Ule floor had been laid in the trailer anrt was being cleaned with gat obne The fume, ignited f ronf^ eaa he*ter. oartmlnf KtreU Say* 016 "** de partment has considerable new equipment and is striving to pro th? ^u^r?Pfny ?f U,e P^Ple of wants^T^' department ?*nts at present, he says, is y,e ^operation of the public. Th^e fi? ?Per*i!,t 1,1 chMln< down the S"*-* when it is answering who otherwise into? wiU ?1^1? WOrk of the firemen! the^ "-*1 fi_0 "y* The minimum the d had oeen ill for some time ciaUve^of X?" B?"d ** ?PP^ J^eof the many kindneMe, sre* s^vJL.r,Mta' frSr IT6^ ,et" 900 donations ^ U-l?J^$ic * twoT^T to aid treatment of deep cancers. Democrat Will Be Issued on Monday None Demonstra tion School. A check for $25.00 is being mailed to her. The club afre?d to recommend to our com missioner, Floyd C rouse, Sparta, N. C., that the quail season be closed on January 1, but that the grouse season be left open. Tbe club agreed to invite the next district meeting of Wild Life Clubs to be held in Boone. The date will be announced later. The club also agreed to endorse the idea of releasing a large number of brown trout in the headwaters of New River. Gifts For Orphan* Are Needed Promptly Those wishing to give a: little money for the benefit of the children at Grandfather Orphans Home on Christmas Day, are asked to leave it with Oujr Hunt or Rob Rivers immediately, so that Christiaas may be a UtUe more enjoyable for these asm tain children in a worthy local jvstiiwUoo. . .' ? ; '