ent Weekly
THE DEMOCRAT
U TOUT
nucaj
M
VOL. LXI, NO. 9.
in the Year 1 888
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 26, 1948.
FIVE CENTS A
KINGjpET
BT
ROB RIVERS
? ?
CARL GOERCH, editor of the
State magazine, who writes more
stories about Carolina and gives
out more information about the
area than perhaps any other man,
was in town the other day, while
we were away from the office . .
sorry to have missed seeing our
friend . . . who along with Bill
Sharpe constitute a team of pub
lic press agents for Tarheelia
igo w iU-Pthe rn'i g r;vU on of
Wataugans to the broader fields
of Ohio, pays his first visit to
the old home town for about eigh
teen years, and finds relatively
few of the old-timers around . . .
Brings word of Rom Lovill, Er
nest Hicks, Plato Moody, and oth
ers, who are doing well in the
vicinity of Fresno . . Earl Nor
ris, one of the State Highway
Commission's most valued local
workers, putting the asphalt
on State route through town, and
giving us the low-down on a few
matters . . . Town Council putting
in enlarged pipe line on Daniel
Boone Hill, to alleviate critical
water shortage in that section . .
Graham contractor shows up to
begin to do some black-topping
for the city and offers to do pri
vate driveways for citizens on the
side . . . Large numbers of local
Republican leaders inclined in
the list of contributors to the G.
O. P. national campaign . . . am
ounts ranged from twenty to fif
ty dollars . . . Edwin N. Hahn,
Esquire, walks about the town,
talking with friends, visiting the
sick, and as always, contributing
a full share to the upbuilding
of the community, and to the wel
fare of his fellow man . . . W. G.
Todd, of Perkinsville, the oldest
male native of the community of
?whom we know, carrying on his
lumber business, and giving us
the information as to what the
weather is likely to be oh occas
ions.
LOCAL MEMBERS of tha
Masonic fraternity dealing with
W. R. Winkler for hall in the
new building ha ia erecting be
Iwatn tha old courthouse and
tha naw . . . Mica as tha Junior
Otto has baan to allow tha
brethren to hold forth in thalr
hall, it Is tiina for tha Masons
to hare thalr own sanctum . . .
By tha very nature of tha or
ganisation it should never hold
forth, 'capt in its own quartars
? if possible . . . tinea Dr. J.
G. Rivers, our patarnal grand
father waa ona of tha founders
of tha now defunct Watauga
Lodge, and since we make the
third and no doubt tha last gen
eration of the tribe to have
been raised in that lodge, we
have a rather keen interest in
getting tha present organisation
housed all to itself . . . We
would like to insist that tha
Masons join together in raising
tha relatively small amount of
money- required to buy a home
and thus par haps strengthen
tha fraternity, which used to be
a mighty force in tha commun
ity . . . Free masonry has had
its lapses through tha years,
but has lived on to promote the
brotherhood of man through
out tha centuries . . . without
fanfare* or press agents, its
work will continue to go on be
hind those mystic portals . . .
Wa can now contribute to its
strength and s.'abillty in this
community.
? ? ?
CONTESTANT on Sunday
quiz program, mellow withr wine.
> couldn't quite make the grade . .
boy and girl pass down the street,
arm in arm, happy as jaybirds,
one trying to support the other . .
The non-chalance of some auto
drivers as they whisk through
... the uncertainty of others . .
some just idling along, looking
about with studied carelessness,
lighting a cigarette or opening a
bottle without a waver . . . one
with a lovely bejewelled femin
ist hand toying with the lobe of
ha left ear . . .the brand new
shiny cars that look the same
front and rear . , . the tourist
ewko wants to know what one does
for recreation 'aides walking . . .
didn't have th* answer right off
. . . school kids inquiring as to
the possibility of schools being
opened late due to polio . . . they
want 'em to start . . . streetside
discussion of the fundamentals of
the Christian religion . . . don't
know if either one got very clow
ih . . . Spud Whitener gets good
crowd and a big hand at his voice
recital . . . The personable colle
gian will be misted when he takes
on the new Job down at FJorida U]
(Continued on page 4)
'' v'-'V ?/.
WOODEN SHOES STILL IN VOGUE
v - : * 5 ,t' V ?_ y V . -? : rv-.-V-V *
Deipite easing of the leather shortage for Holland through the
Marshall plan, the wooden shoe is still popular at large. Van Zwie
nen of Lekkerkerk is working dailv on hand-carred shoes to meet
the demands. He carres out a willow shoe, which when dried, is
repellanl to dampness.
Given 8 to 12 Years For
Shooting Douglas Norris
1
College Ends
Record Term
Friday, August 27, will see the
close of the biggest summer
school in ,the history of Appala
chian State Teachers college.1
Graduating exercises for the 76
graduates will be held on Thurs
day evening at eight o'clock. |
There have been 274 enrolled
in the graduate school. This is
the first time the college has of
fered the master's degree,
though graduate work has been
given since 1942. I
1408 different students have
been enrolled in the summer
school. There were 1902 enroll
ments, but this included the
people who registered twice.
In addition to North CSFBIfha
there were students from six
teen other states. The home state
led in enrollment with 1100
students from 89 North Carolina
counties. South Carolina had 127
students, Florida 72, Georgia 39
and Virginia 28.
The college was fortunate in
having on its faculty some of the
outstanding educators from vari
ous sections of the United States.
There are faculty members from
Chicago, Kansas City. Newark,
N. J., New York, Gainesville'
Florida, Philadelphia, Greens
boro, Staunton. Va., Marycille,
Tenn., Raleigh. Wittenburg, Kan
sas, Bristol, Va., Granville, Ohio,
and a number of others. There
were eleven faculty members
with master's degrees, and nine
with doctor's degrees teaching
in the field of elementary educa
tion. The college wishes to place
special emphasis upon work in
primary and grammer grade
education.
Because of its outstanding
faculty and its climatic advan
tage during the summer months,
the .administration expects the
Appalachian summer school to
grow into one of the largest and
best known in the South.
Horseshoes To
Feature Tourney
Final -arrangements are being
made for the horseshoe tourna
ment which is to begin on Thurs
day evening. Registration for the
tournament will be continued
until ten o'clock Wednesday
evening.
Six prizes will be given to the
winners In the singles und
doubles events. Prizes will also
be given to the runners-up in
the contests.
The following prizes have been
donated: Five passes to the
Appalachian Theater. One pair
of suspender? donated t>y Belk's
Dept. Store. One Tie from Hunt's
Dept. Store. One bottle of( hair
tonic from Charlie Ray's Barber
Shop, and one bottle of hair
tonic from Joe Crawford's Bar
ber Shop. Another prize will be
presented to make the awards
total six.
Mr. Tommy Thompson, direc
tor of the project requests that
all persons interested attend the
tournament fither to enter, or
look on. The competition should
be interesting in both the doublet
and single events. >
Waistline raised two to threeL
inches by Paris designer.
Cecil Chuxch Gets Term in
Penientiary for Slaying
Former Boone Man.
Cecil Church, who resides near
North Wilkesf>oro, was sentenced
Friday to from 8 to 12 years in
the penitentiary for the fatal
shooting of Douglas Norris, nat
ive Wataugan. at the Norris home
(in Wilkes county June 6.
Judge John H. Clement passed
sentence in Wilkes Superior
Court. The jury deliberated the
evidence for two hours following
the charge of the court.
Evidence in the case disclosed
that Norris and Church had en
gaged in a quarrel at a cafe on
highway 421 near their homes,
and that after Norris went home
the .trouble was renewed. Norris
v^ras said to have been in the yard
of his home when he was shot
with the 22 calibre rifle. Norris'
widow is a sister of Church.
Norris was reared in Boone, a
son at the late J. G. and Mrs.
Norris and had resided' in Wilkes
county for several years.
J. Hill Coitrell
Dies On Sunday
James Hill Cottrell of Lenoir,
retired superintendent of the
State prison camp at Hudson, and
well-known lumber inspector,
died in a Lenoir hospital Sunday,
following a short illness.
Funeral rites, with Masonic
honors, were conducted from the
Greer funeral home at 2 o'clock
Tuesday. Dr. A. A. McLean, pas
tor of the Presbyterian church of
ficiated and burial was in Belle
view cemetery.
Mr. Cottrell was born in Wilkes
county, August 18, 1874, the son
of the late Calvin and Melissa
Norris Cottrell, who later became
residents of Boone. He was a bro
ther to Mrs. Floy Mast of Boone,
and the late D. Jones Cottrell of
this city, and was widely known
in Watauga. Following his retire
ment as head of the prison camp
six years ago, he had engaged in
the measuring and inspection of
lumber. He had been a member
of Hibriten Masonic lodge for 37
years.
He is survived by his wife and
one son, George H. Cottrell, both
of Lenoir.
A communication of Hibriten
Masonic lodge was called for
Tuesday for the purpose of pay
ing final tribute to Mr. Cottrell,
a life member of the lodge.
Winebarger At
St. Paul Meeting
Mr. and Mrs. Clyde Winebarger
returned Monday from St. Paul,
Minn., where they attended the
national convention of rural let
ter carriers and ladies auxiliary.
North Carolina was signally
honored by having the largest
percentage membership in the
national association, and also by
having Kenneth Taylor of Mag
nolia elected to the office of nat
ional secretary, which is a full- '
time job, with national offices in i
Washington. He had served on '
the executive board for the last1
two years.
Berlin, Germany? Seven Ger
man children, ranging in agel
from two to ten years, were kill- <
ad when an old artillery shell 1
they found exploded. ; |
WILSON NAMED
TO FHA BOARD;
500 FAMILIES IN
COUNTY AIDED
Soone Farmer Succeeds Ben
W. Farthing;. Grady Tug-'
man, Ben W. Greene Other
Members of Group; Agency
Approves Farm Loans.
Appointment of George A.
Wilson, Boone, to a three-year!
term on the Farmers Home Ad
ministration County Committee
for JVatauga county was an
nounced today by J. B. Slack,
State Director.
Mr. Wilson succeeds Mr. Ben
W. Farthing, whose term expirefi
June 30. Also on the committee
are Grady Tugman and Avery
W. Greene. A committee of three
serves in each agricultural coun
ty throughout the nation in
which the agency makes farm
ownership and operating loans.
Appointments are scheduled so
that a committee always has two
experienced members.
The Watauga County Commit
tee has an important place in
making supervised credit avail
able to local farmers, According
to William A. Smith, County
Supervisor.
Before any money can be bor
rowed through the agency an
applicant must have the approval
of the County Committe. In the
case of farm ownership loans
the farm to be purchased, en
larged or improved must also be
approved by the committee. "The
members know agricultural con
ditions in the county, are often
familiar with the farm the ap
plicant plans to operate." Mr.
Smith explained.
In addition to approving loans
the committee cooperates with
the County Supervisor in overall
administration of the program in
the county. Periodically they re
view the progress of borrowers
to determine whether they have
reached a financial position that
would enable them to rofinanc*
their loans through private lend
ers. A farmer who is eligible for
credit from regular lending
sources is not eligible for a loan
from the Farmers Home Admini
stration.
"Using this system of opera
tion, the agency helped 500
families in Watauga county to
ward better farming and better
living with farm purchase and
farm operating loans," Mr. Smith
said. In the past 12 months 400
applications have been received
for this type of credit
Park Commission
Meets Ai Linville
Mr. W. R. Winkler, member of
the State Park Commission, was
in Linville Monday where he at
tended a meeting of the full park
commission membership at a lun
cheon at Eseeola Inn.
Mrs. Winkler was with her
husband in Linville Sunday even
ing, when the commissioners and
their wives were guests of the
Linville and New land Chambers
?f Commerce at a banquet.
The commission, at its executive
meeting Monday, concerned itself
with the future of the Grandfath
er Mountain as a park area, the
Cone Estate, and steps looking to
the early completion of the Blue
Ridge Parkway.
Among those meeting with the
park commission, were, R. Getty
Browning, chief locating engineer
for the State highway depart
ment; Raymond Smith, highway
commissioner; Hugh Morton of
Wilmington, and others.
Overseas Aid
Plans Napped
The town chairman of the
American Overseas Aid Program,
Mrs. Nora Warman, has mapped
out areas of the town for the
canvas in in drive to aid the
starving children overseas.
Each organization helping in
the drive will receive this week
> notification as to the territory
assigned to its group and it is
Hoped that each will assume the
responsibility of making the
lrive successful. Watauga coun
ty's quota is tl.OM which is to
be raised by September 30.
Wasted farmland which has
seen stripped of its topsoil and
?ut to pieces with gullies offers
tttle in the way of food and
protection for wildlife.
t. ? -i'l." *-v
SET NEW NON-STOP SPEED RECORD
Here ax* the ihree pilot* who, with thalr craw ol IS. Mi ? new
non-stop 5,120 mile speed racord flying a B-2S from Funianfald
bruck. Germany. The pilots are. left to right. Capt., Walter Abbott.
De* Moines. la.; Lieut. John Gaffney. Akron, Ohio.; and Capt. Hol
ly Barilatt of New Macon, Ga. The pilot* landed thalr giant bomb
er at Marshal Field, Kans.. Just 23 houn and SO minute* aftar the
takeoff from Furstenfeldbruck.
Say Burley Prices To
To Hit High Levels
60 Local Deaths
Held Preventable
In 1940 there were 146 death*
in Watauga county. Of this num
ber. 60 were preventable accord
ing to the department of rural
sociology of N. C. State College.
A preventable death is a death
that would not have occurred H
the death rates by age in North
CaroTlnf had been as low as
those in the major residential
group of any other state.
The sociologists assume, as
basis for these findings, that the
geo-phy sical conditions in rural
and urban areas of North Caro
lina are as favorable to a low
death rate as in any other state
and that the people of this state
are as sound biologically. Yet, 37
states had lower death rates than
North Carolina in 1940, a situa
tion which points to lack of ade
quate medical care in this state.
Figures on percentage of preven
table deaths for more recent
years are not available, since it
is necessary to have an age-race
breakdown of the population in
order to calculate preventable
deaths. Such data have not been
available since the 1940 census.
According to figures compiled
by the department of rural
socioligy, 60, or 41.4 per cent, of
the white deaths in Watauga in
1940 were preventable. There
was only one non-white death
and it was not listed as preven
table. The county ranked 39th in
per cent of preventable white
deaths and lowest in per cent ol
preventable non-white deaths.
In human terms these figure*
tell a story of grim tragedy ol
suffering, heartache and broken
homes, of social and economic
waste in the loss of people who
should not have died in the year
in which they did.
These needless deaths give
stark urgency to the report ol
the N. C. Hospital Association
which points out that hospital!
of the state are finding it in
creasingly difficult to stay in
business. They also give urgency
to efforts to provide additional
hospitals.
Greene Launches
Congress Race
Statesville. ? At a countywlde
Republican rally held at the Am
erican Legion hut here Saturday
afternoon. Clyde R. Grew*, ol
Boone, officially launched his
campaign for election to Congreai
from the ninth district this fall
In addition to hearing their
candidate for Congress, the Ire
dell Republicans heard local spea
kers and organized for the com
ing campaign. \
Approximately fifty Republi
cans from all section* of the
county attended the Saturday af
ternoon meeting.
Preliminary plana for a district
rally this fall which a nationally
prominent Republican will be In
vited to attend were diacuMed.
Observers Say Market To
One of the Highest Of
All Time.
Lexington, Ky? Market obs#r-[
vers are forecasting this year's
price (or burley tobacco, win be
"one of the highest of all time."
Th#y said they are baaing th?ir
predictions on the support prices
assumed by the government and
demand for burley. They alio
pointed to presently prospering
Southern flue-curea markets.
William C. Clay, attorney for
the Burley Auction Warehouse
Association, said "today's bur
ley parity (price), coupled with
prevailing prices for flu-cured,
indicated that Kentucky will
have one of the highest priced
tobacco crops of all time."
W. L. Station, Executive Se
cretary of the Burley Growers
Co-operative Association, com
mented that "as long as supports
are there in the amounts they
are now, the market's bound to
be good." The parity prices for
burley now is 48 cents a pound
with government loans based or
90 per cent of parity, the aver
age loan value would be 43 cents
a pound.
Staton added, "indications are
that parity still will crawl up
gradually." He said "cogarette
consumption has been on the up
trend all year. It is considerably
higher than last year. The disap
pearance (use in manufactured)
of burley will be greater than
anticipated." *
Lions Enjoy
Annual Ouling
The annual picnic of the Boone
\ Lions Club was held at Winkler1!
Creek last Wednesday, with an
attendance of one hundred and
! fifty. A number of wives and sev
eral guests were present.
' The repast consisted of baked
1 ham, potato salad, tomatoes, roas
' ting ears, watermelon and drinks
1 After dinner, the Lions, theii
' wives and friends joined in gamei
of horse shoe, golf and softball
The soft ball game became so ex
citing that all other games were
discontinued so the entire group
could join in the game or cheei
for their favorite players. The all
important game was called be
cause of darkness with the scorc
dead-locked at 0 all? after Lion
Hoover hit a home run.
The arrangements committee
were: Food ? Paul A. Coffey and
Lee F. Reynolds; Games?Lions
Hoover, Broome and Keptiart.
MAST FAMILY REUNION
A reunion of the Mast family
will be held at the pioneer Mast
homestead, adpoining the ceme
tery west of Elverson, Pa. Aug.
29. An all-day program has been
prepared for the accasion, and a
number of the members of the
Mast family in Watauga are plan
ning to attend.
4 men to add M feet to ML
Rainier to make tt second high
est. y>;'" ?? > -?<
&S..& :? -Xiiii . '?> lkt<
SCHOOLS OPE!
2 WEEKS LATE
m WATAUGA
DUE TO POLIO
| Board of Education Takes
Precautionary "Steps On Ad- s
vice Health Officials; No
New Cases; Quarantine May
Be Lifted Soon.
The Watauga County schools
which had been scheduled to open
their 1948-49 terms September .1,
will not open until September 13.
it is stated by county sueprinten
dent W. H. Walker( who said the
postponement was brought about
in the interest of preventing the
further spread of polio in the
county.
Although no new cases of par
alysis have been noted in the past
week the Board of Education
followed the advice of health au
thorities in setting a new date
for the school openings as an add
ed precautionary measure. v
Or. Len D. Hagaman, acting
public health officer states that
in his opinion the polio epidemic
here is definitely on the wane,
but advises parents to continue
to observe the voluntary quaran
tine of their children until it
least September 1. He is of the
opinion that if the quarantine
should be lifted as of the opening
day of school, parents might be
unwilling for their children to at
tend.
One child, it was stated has
been sent to the Ashevllle hospi
talf from the county during the
past week, where it was deter
mined that polio did not exist.
The total still stands at nine cas
es here, with one death having
occurred as a result of the di
sease.
FOOTBALL PRACTICE
DETERRED AT HI SCHOOL
Football practice at Appalach
ian High School will not start
until the opening of school on
Sept. 13, due to polio, it is an
nounced by Coaek Quincey.
? - - r ' ' '1
Local Farmen
Watauga county office and
supervisory personnel and com
mitteemen of the Farmers Home
Administration attended a meet
ing of committeemen from ten
North Carolina counties in Wll
kesboro. The counties in addition
to Watauga, are Alexander, Ashe
Wilkes, Iredell, Alleghany, Sur
ry, Stokes, Forsyth and Yadkin.
Principal speaker was J. B.
Slack, state director from Ral
eigh, who told of the different
loans and service for low income
farmers and explained the eligi
bility requirement of applicants
for loans. He pointed out that
veterans have preference in farm
ownership and operation loans.
Other speakers were A. E.
Rozar, chief of production loans
operations. M. B. Riggle, pro
duction loan officer; and Vance
E. Swift, chief of farm owner
ship loans, all of Raleigh. W. B.
Oliver, state field representative,
was in charge of the meeting.
Attending from Watauga
county were William A. Smith,
county supervisor, Lena A. Geer,
office clerk, and Avery W.
1 Greene and George A. Wilson
| county committeemen.
Mri. Thomas Watson
Is Taken By Death
Susan McRary Watson, resident
lof the Laxon neighborhood died
, last Saturday at the age of 83
years.
Funeral rites were held at the
[Laurel Springs Baptist Church
Monday at 2 o'clock. Rev. R. C.
. Egger's conducting the services,
, and interment was in the Watson 1
family cemetery.
Mrs. Watson, who was a widow
j of the late Thomas S. Watson, is
survived by two sons and five
daughters: Edgar L. Watson,
Asheville; Otis Watson; Mrs. E.
A Watson, Wythevllle, Va.; Mrs:
George W. Greer, North Wilkes
boro, N. C.; Mrs. Willi/ Greene,
Laxon; Mrs. Millard Greene, Le
noir; Mrs. Joe Coffey, Laxon, N.
C.;
There are 35 grandchildren and
40 <great grandchildren.
~cnoQTfrrr oamb
A croquet game was held be
tween Johnson City and Sugar
Grove last Saturday afternoon
at A. C. Mast's store. The score
was 8-3 in favor of Sugar Grove.
m in ? ? -
Olympic Jury, viewing film,