THE DEMOCRAT
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VOL. LXI, NO. 11.
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year I
BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 1948
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
THE UNUSUAL AMOUNT of
vehicular traffic in Boone Mon
day noon . . . cars waiting for an
indefinite period at side streets
trying to find a break in the traf
fic on K'ng . . . Rain brought bu
sy farmers to town, Labor Day
increased the traffic from the cen
ters of population and the auto
mobile inspection lane was a
drawing card . . . Friend races
through the red light, waves
a greeting as he barely misses us,
as we proceed on the green from
the other direction . . . Ernest
Lewis and Policeman Coy Greene
in hot car trade . . Federal em
ployee, silenced by the Hatch act,
listens to discussion of partisan
politics and says 'nary a word . .
against the law for him to take
part in matters of government, in
a nation which boasts of personal
freedom . . . particularly of the
vocal chords . . . aged man asks
coin for bus fare . . . one legged
man passes around a card, and
gamers a few dimes . . . minister
mentions the expansion of the lo
cal bootlegging syndicates and
vows that stores would be better
. . . Miss Rachel Ann Vance, ef
ficient business manager of The
Appalachian, gets ready for the
first edition of ,the college news
paper . . sidewalk preacher goes
to and fro under awning, his ex
hortations unaided by amplifiers,
offering little competition to the
noise of the traffic.
? ? ?
GUESTS of the BiU Franc*
enterprises at the stock car ra
ces in North Wilkesboro Sun
day . . . Good entertainment
provided by the swaying batter
ed racers as they slide around .
the curves and roar down the
straighaway . . . Boone f?k I
have been attending the races
right aloof, and Frank Triptatt
Boone automobile moflhanir. 1ms
entered his spec! ally designed
ear on a number of opt? Ions
and placed la the money at
but f altering voice,
the loudspeaker, but
' little
... Like
. the folks of course
_ ted in the hazards
ef Ike gruelling motor grind, and
to feel it was a pretty
good day. when two of the cars
careanad through the board
fence surrounding the speed
way ... It was a good piece of
sportsmanship on the part of
everyone concerned, and were
mighty glad the fellows suffer
ed no serious injury in their
efforts to promote a worthy
sport.
? ? ?
BOONE'S NEGRO RESI
DENTS, there are not many, com
paratively speaking, due largely
to the fact that they themselves
have not sought or particularly
welcomed others from their race
from outside communities ? have
lived here in peace and harmony
with their white neighbors for
these many years, with a mini
mum of friction . . . They are, on
the whole, enterprising people,
who have fostered their churphes
and school, built creditable homes
and taken their places in an or
derly and friendly society . . .
They have succeeded remarkably
well through their own efforts
and with the co-operation of the
white folks, and there has been
a noticeable lack of race trouble
here . . even since the nation's
politicians, so many of them, have
spread discord, in an effort to
pass the negro vote back and
forth like a football in the pivo
tal states of tRe east.
? ? ?
BUT THINGS DO HAPPEN,
occasionally, which the local ne
gro cen't help and for which
he is in no wise responsible . .
The other day. It saemi. an out
ride negro, who had served a
stretch on the gang, and who Is
said to be a rather ordinary
h ombre in about all respects.
? bit i
for the well
?aL % offering insults to two
lnd^r of the community . . .
in Jail an a
. the ben
of the emotional sta
bility of the people of the city.
Occurrences of this sort are ra
high and mighty type of ne
gyotc who occasionally happen
in the community, with the I
that they ca
the loyal ma
(Continued on page 4)
VICTIMS OF WEIRD FIRES
? ?' Vw ? * J
About 200 fires hare oeeurnd on the Willey farm near Macomb.
111. in ? short period, destroying the farm house and two barns.
The fires mystified the fire department and nearby counties and
some beliered that they might have been caused by radio ig
nited materials . . . that is until the 13-year old member of the
famliy. a granddaughter of the Willeys. admitted striking the mat
ches which caused the widespread damage. The family is shown
in front of a lent, which is their temporiry domicile.
6 Polio Cases Delayj
Opening 01 Schools
Earl Greer Sergeaht
On Albemarle Force
SGT. EARL GREER
The following which was re
cently published in the Stanley
News and Press, under the head
ing of ?' People You -Should Know'
is of interest to the friends of
Mr. Greer in this section. He is
the popular son of Mr. and Mrs.
John Greer of Boone.
A pleasant-faced fellow, wear
ing the badge of a sergeant with
the Albemarle police depart
ment, is William Earl Greer.
A native of Boone, Watauga
county, he moved to Albemarle
12 years ago. According to some
of his associates on the force,
who are always more willing to
give information about others
than about themselves, he is a
genuine mountaineer ? and well
he might be because Boone is
right in the heart of the North
Carolina hills.
Mr. Greer attended Boone high
school, where he played football,
basketball, baseball, and tennis.
Following graduation he worked
with the State Highway depart
ment for a while and in 1935
was married to Miss Jane Smith
of Albemarle, who was a stud
ent at Appalachian State Teach
ers college at Boone. They now
have two children, Phyllis Ann
and Jane.
Upon coming to Albemarle in
1936, he worked with the Wlscas
sett Hosiery mill for five year*
and was a guard at Efird mill
for two years, joining the police
department in May, 1944.
It is perhaps Sergeant Greer,
of all the Albemarle policemen,
who has developed the art of
giving an erring motorist a
ticket, with a most pleasant
smile on his face at atl times. He
says it is bad enough for a
motorist to have to receive a
ticket without having a sour
faced policeman breathing down
his neck while delivering the
unwanted slip of paper.
Hobbies of this well-known
and popular policeman include
swimming and badminton. He
lives on North Cotton avenue.
es cat
Children Again Quarantined
As New Cases Of Polio
Develop in County.
Six new cases of polio in the
county, have caused the board of
education to postpone the open
ing of the county schools to Sep
tember 20, and caused health au
thorities to announce a renewal
of the voluntary quarantine of
children, which had been lifted
only last week.
County Superintendent W. H.
Walker states that the school op
efl Ipg ?dates_have been changed
on the advice of the health depart
ment.
Dr. Len D. Hagaman, acting
health officer, states that the re
currence of a number of polio
cases makes it wise to again in
sist that parents keep their chil
dren out of crowds, as well as off
the streets for the time being.
The new polio cases as report
ed by the health department are:
Billy Stewart, 3Vi, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Dallas Stewart of Blow
ing Rock.
Barbara Farthing, 14, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Albert Farthing
of Boone.
Glenn Hodges, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Dock Hodges of Boone.
Marie Wilson, 3, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Hugh Wilson ofl
'Reece.
Leonard Garges, 6, a visitor at
the home of the grandparents, Mr.
and Mrs. John Greene, Blowing
Rock. Jackie Greene, 23, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Com Greene of
Blowing Rock, who had also been
spending some time at the John
Greene home.
The new cases brings the coun
ty total to sixteen for the current
epidemic.
Mrs. Thomas is
Taken by Death
Mrs. W. C. Thomas, 52, died
September 2nd at the home of
her daughter, Mrs. David If.
Wilson, following a prolonged
illness.
Funeral services were con
ducted at the ZionviUe Baptist
church Saturday afternoon by
Rev. R. C. Eggers, Rev. Edd
Farthing and W. K. Wilson.
Active pallbearers were: E. G.
Greer, W. O. Stephens, Edd
Bumgardner, R. L. Trivette and
Rufus Smith. Flower girls were:
Mesdames R. C. Eggers, Will C.
Miller, Howard Greer, W. A.
Stephens, Chas. Greer, Harve
Wilson, W. K. Wilson, Reeves
Holm an, Edd Bumgardner, Clay
Reeoe, R. C. Bumgardner, Mrs.
Dora Penn and Miss Edna
She is survived by one daugh
ter, '.Mrs. David N. Wilson, of
Reece, four brothers, Edward
Potter, Richmond, Ore.; J. K.
Potter, Jacksonville, Fla.; Roes
Potter, Zionville; Lee Potter,
Portland, Ore.; -two sisters, Mrs.
W. W. Roten, Richmond, Va. and
Miss Sara Potter, Jacksonville,
Fla.
Truman asked to defer teach
er* by educators' conference.
ROTARY CLUB
FORMED HERE;
HARRIS GIVEN
PRESIDENCY
Eighteen Business Men Are
Charter Members of Orga
nization; The Slate of Offi
cers; Rotarians From Blow
ing Rock, Lenoir. Attend.
The Boone Rotary Club was or
ganized at a meeting of 18 busi
ness and professional men of the
community. Meeting with Russell
E. Zook, the men voted to apply
fgr a charter In Rotary Interna
tional, world-wide service organ'
ization, thus adding Boone to the
list of more than 6.200 cities in
some 75 countries and geograph
ical regions of the world where
Rotary has come to play a lead
ing part in the progress of the
community.
Stanley Harris, retired national
Boy Scout executive, was elected
president; Bert Ellis, Boone mer
chant, vice-president; Dr. W. R.
Richardson, Boone druggist, sec
retary-treasurer and F. T. Wag
oner, Boone hardware merchant,
was named sergeant-at-arms.
Rev. E. F. Troutman, W. H.
Gragg, Stanley Harris, W. R.
Richardson and Dave Mast were|
appointed as a board of directors.
Charter members present were
J. Edgar Brown. Glenn Howell,
L. E. Tuckwiller, D. L. Wilcox,
W. B Murray, W. H. Gragg, G.
D. Barnett. Ralph Mast, Stanley
Harris, B. W. Ellis, F. T. Wagon
er, Dr. W. R. Richardson. W. A.
Sfhith, Lester Carroll, George
Greene, C. C. Wilcox, Rev. E. F.
Troutman, L. H. Smith and Dave
Mast.
Representatives from Blowing
Rock, Lenoir, Valdese and Char
lotte were present at the organi
zation meeting.
Mr. Zook in an address at the
meeting defined Rotary as "*
fellowship of some 805,000 busi
ness and professional executives
throughout the world who are
united in the 'Ideal qf Service,"
which is though ffulnew of, and
helpfulness to Others." "Mem
bers of Rotary clubs,"* said Mr.
Zook, "endeavor to exemplify
their motto "Service above self
in all of their daily busines*,
social and civic contacts by plac
ing the obligation to serve others
before the desire for profit for
themselves."
(Continued on page 4)
RE A Members Ttf
Meet on Saturday
The eleventh annual member
ship meeting of the Blue Ridge
Electric Membership Corpora
tion will be held at the court
house in Lenoir on Saturday,
September 11, a? 4ft- o'clock a. m.
All members are urged to be
present and the public is in
vited. Mr. George Haggard, as
sistant administrator of the
rural electrification will make
the principal address of the
meeting. Mr. Haggard has been
invited to speak on the value of
an informed membership. Mr.
Haggard is an outstanding speak
er and it is hoped that everyone
that can, will- avail themselves
of the opportunity to hear him.
The Honorable Robert L.
Doughton will also appear on the
program. Mr. Doughton has been
untiring in his efforts to get
electric service to all the rural
people and his influence in
Congress has been very instru
mental in getting the necessary
loan appropriations for the
cooperatives to carry on this
work.
Also, Mr. Gwyn Price, chair
man of the North Carolina Rural
Electrification Authority, will be
on' the program. Mr, Price is a
native of Ashe county ?nH a
member of the cooperative.
Many of the members h?Ve made
inquiry about the possibilities at
getting telephone service in their
home. Mr. Price will bring the
latest information available on
this subject
l? Since the close of the war in
104J the Blue Ridge Electric
Membership Corporation has
made vast strides In its expan
sion program. More than 790
miles of line have been built
bringing electric service to S287
additional consumers. Within
the next twelve months the
Cooperative expects to build an
additional seven hundred miles
of line to serve more than three
thousand new consumers. This
will satisfy all application for
electric service now on hand.
HOMESTRETCH GROWN "COKES"
f?>l* : '
Beautiful Hialeah race track at Miami, Fia., which raaound* to tht
pounding of horsas' boom in tha wintar, is a vegetable garden
in tha off season. Hera. Batty Wagnar and Olga Pttarson gather
cucumb?rt grown in tha homeatretch. Vagatahia root* pnvaot tha
turf baing blown or washed away. Whan tha track U is b* wii4a
ready for tha racing taason. special equipment plows tha growth
under.
Republicans Select
Slate Of Candidates
NAMED TO HEAD
MARCH OF DIMES
KALTH W. M?DONAU> '
; i r >. . ? "/
Ralph McDonald, prominent
Winston-Salem educator and' civic
leader, has been appointed North
Carolina state chairman of the
1949 March of Dimes, Basil O'
Connor, president of the National
Foundation for Infantile Paraly
sis, has announced. It is Dr. Mc
Donald's seventh consecutive year
as head of the fund raising cam
paign in North Carolina. y i
The 1949 appeal will be held
January 14-31.
Mr. O'Connor, in announcing
Mr. McDonald's acceptance of the
March of Dimes chairmanship,
revealed that when complete in
cidence figures for the year are
tabulated the toll of infantile par
alysis in the United States from
1943 through 1948 may Well ex
ceed 100,000 cases.
"While the final answer to the
mystery of poliomyelitis ? the dis
covery of a cure and a preventa
tive for the disease ? lies in the
research laboratory," Mr. O'
Connor said, "the generous sup
port of the American people is
now more vital than ever before
if victims of polio, children and
adults alike, are to receive the
care they must have to achieve
maximum recovery."
Win. F. Davis
Dies in Columbia
William Floyd Davis, 77, of
Richlannds, Va. died at the
home of his daughter, Mrs. Clay
ton C. Houck of Columbia, S. C.,
August 18th, following a long
illness.
He was born in Watauga
county, and is survived by his
wife, the former Miss Flora
Moretz of Boone. Also survlng
are four daughters, Mrs. Clay
ton Houck, Columbia, S. C.; Mrs.
Gladys G. Moretz, Boone; Mrs.
Raleigh Moretz, Bristol, Va.;
Mrs. Dale Greene, Canton, Pa.;
and four sons, Alonzo, Boone;
Calrence, Raven, Va.; Paul,
Mdilsmk, Va.; and Robert,
Portsmouth, Va.
Funeral service Were conduct
ed by Rev. Speagle at old Mt.
Pleesant Lutheran church Aug
ust 20th., and burial was in the
church cemetery, with Re 1ns
Sturdivant of Boom, and Term
ers Funeral Home of Rirhlands,
Va. in charge.
Yugoslavia's trdftiei held
"scraps of paper" by Com inform
bloc.
Jfjf
Courtroom Crowded as G. O.
P. Leaders Start Fall
Campaign.
The Republicans of Watauga
county met in the courthouse Sat
urday afternoon, to name candi
dates for the assefribly and for
county office, and to hear State
Republican leaders unloose the
initial politicial oratory of the
1048 campaign.
A capacity crowd, estimated at
four hundred, gathered for the
convention.
Dr. A. P. Kephart, was nomint
ted for the State Senate, winning
handily over Prof. W. L. Winkler,
who had announced his candi
dacy for the position.
Repfesentative S. C. Eggers,
was nominated as a candidate for
a third term in the House of Rep
resentatives.
Nominees for the three-memuer
board of county commissioners
are: R. M. Ward, A. G. Miller and
E. D. Cook. Mr. Cook takes the
place of H. O. Aldridge, member
of the board for the past six
years, who had withdrawn from
the ' race. Others nominated are
incumbents.
Mrs. La verne Fox was nomina
ted for register of deeds and Jack
Storie for county surveyor a sec
ond time.
W. H. Gragg, candidate for
State commissioner of 'Agricul
ture. Introduced Sim DeLapp of
Lexington, Chairman of the State
committee, and J. E. Broyhill, of
Lenoir, Republican national com
mitteeman for North Carolini.
John Wilkinson, candidate for
the U. S. Senate, was the princi
pal speaker, and was introduced
by Clyde R. Greene, candidate for
Congress from the ninth district.
Mr. Wilkinson urged the voters
to send Mr. Greene and himself to
Washington, saying that Congress
and the national administration
would be Republican, and that
Democrats J. Melville Broughton
and R. L. Doughton, would not be
in a position to aid North Caroli
na.
Howard Bingham
Dies In Tacoma
Howard Stanford Bingham, 48,
former resident of Boone, died at
his home in Tacoma, Wash, last
Thursday. A heart attack Was
given as the cause of his demise.
Funeral services and interment
were in Tacoma, but details are
unavailable.
Mr. Bingham was born March
28, 1000, a son of Robert L. and
Mrs. Lula B. Bingham of Boone.
He had lived in Washington for
19 yean, where he was construc
tion supervisor for a number of
Tacoma building firms.
He was a member of the Elk
and Rotary Clubs, and was a
Methodist.
The widow, the former Miss
Kate Parker of Mount Olive, N.
C. survives. The parents, Mr. and
Mrs. R. L Bingham of Boone and
one brother. Dean, of Boone, also
survive.
ELLISON GIVEN PAROLE
BY GOVERNOR CHERRY
Raleigh, Sept 7.? Sam Ellison,
sentenced from Watauga county
last September to foctr to seven
years for manslaughter, was am
ong lour prisoners paroled today
by Governor Cherry.
Ellison was convicted in the
(death of Howard Hockeduy.
7 FACE TRIAL
AS FALL COURT
TERN OPENS 2
WEEK SESSION
I ? r r _
| Judge Piess and Judge Alley
To Hold Sessions; Most of
Cases of Minor Nature; A
List of Those Who Will Do
Jury Dutv.
The fall term of Watauga Su
perior Court will convene on
Monday September 20, fftr a' two
weeks term for the trial of both
criminal and civil cases.
Judge J. W. Pleas, Jr., will pre
side over the first week's sess
sion, while Judge Felix Alley
will hold court during 'the second
week.
Fred M. Gragg, court clerk,
says that 67 cases are docketed
for the State, most of them in
volving misdemeanors, prohibi
tion law violations, etc. There
are 45 civil cases.
Following are the names of
those who have been selected ior
jury duty during the term:
First Week
Bald Mountiin: Elbert Moretz,
J. C. Miller.
Beaver Dam: E. J. Farthing. W.
C. Eggers."
Blowing Rock: William B. Cas
tle, Edward Moody, Charlie R.
Spann.
Blue Ridge: Vance Cook, Sta
cy Ford.
Boone: Guy Hunt, C. C. Rogers,
J. C. Cline, T. Milt Greer.
Brushy Fork: J. Frank Wilson,
Claude Minton, Cleve Gross.
Cove Creek: Clarence Isaacs,
^lfred Thomas.
Elk: Albert Greer, Arthur J.
Wheeler.
Laurel Creek: McKinley Trtv
ett, Tom Glenn, N. L. Glenn.
Meat Camp: E. Jones Burkat,
Forrest Greene.
North' Fork: Walter South.
Shawneehaw: Green R. Mich
ael.
Stony Fork: Orville J. Millar,
M. O. Greene, Lane Idol.
New River: F. Cecil Miller,
Burl Hartley, Lawrence Van
Dyke.
Watauga: Fred Yates. Ralph
Church, J. Edgar Harbin.
Second Week
Bald Mountain: W. L. By land.
Beaver Dam: R. J. Millsaps.
Blowing Rock: Fred Hartley.
Blue Ridge: Frank Ford. ^1"'
Brushy Fork: Coy Bingham. ?
Cove Creek: Bynum Grogan,
Dock Isaacs.
Elk: Grover Wheeler.
Laurel Creek: Wm. C. Presnell,
Roosevelt Presnell. ,uM
Meat Camp: Larkin W. Miller.
New River: Frank Hodges, Da
vid P. Miller.
North Fork: Will Wallace.
Shawneehaw: Ira Townaehd.
Stony Fork: W. A. Watson.
Watauga: Stewart Aldrldge,
Dr. A. P. Kephart.
Diplheria Gains
Foothold Here
Dr. Len Hagaman, public health
officer, pointa out that diptheria
appears to be doing more damage
in the county this year than polio,
despite the fact that the former is
one of the preventable diseases.
There have been fifteen cases
of diptheria In the county this
year, he states, one less than the
number afflicted with polio, the
disease has been in its most fatal
form and several deaths have oc
curred.
Dr. Hagaman insists that par
ents have their babies immuniz
ed against diptheria at 8 months
of age, and curb this needless suf
fering and death. Vaccines are
available at -'the health depart
ment.
Attend Rites For
Beoj. Council!
Don J. Harton, of Vilas; Mrs
Myrtle Buchanan and Roaula of
Boone, ware in Seianoe
Hfll, Ky? Thursday, where they
attended funeral services for a
brother of Mrs. Buchanan. Ben
(Tod) CouncHl, who died there At
the age of S3.
Rites were conducted from the
Methodist church and interment
was in the church cemetet jr.
Mr. Council was reared at Vi
las, N. C? the son of the lata
James P. and Mrs. Councill, and
resided in Watauga until ha was
? years old. He had It**! ta