??/??? , " - ' " ?? . 3
wmm WATAUGA DEMOCRAT simik%
"?? ???* to? "??<> P?opl*. on ,. unl<?a aooner rnHWtl^St
? universally um<] htrta ol Democrat Is op?lttU Mftctly
rM<*" 10 e*ch An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1 888 00 ' CMh ta *
VUL. LXI, NO. 29. BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 13. 1949. . FIVE CENTS A COPY
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
WATT GRAGG, secretary of
the local Building and Loan,
inaugurates usual January cam
paign to sell more stock, and to
enlighten other folks to the bene
fits of the building and loan plan
of home financing and savings
. . . Association has finished
mare than twenty-five years of
service to the people of tHe area,
without the loss of a cent . . .
has financed the construction of
x a large segment of the business
district of the town, and provid
ed the funds which built most
of the newer homes in Boone
and environs . . . From a very
small beginning, the Association
has grown into a strong institu
tion, which been of untold ad
vantage to the people . . . It's
part in the development and
growth of the city and county,
has been an active one ... It has
helped most all of us . . . and Mr.
Gragg and the other members of
the Board of Directors, take
justifiable pride in the accom
plishments of the institution.
? ? ?
COUPLE or CITIZENS dis
cerning on the importance of
the home and regretting that
the tempo of modern living
takes parents away from the
fireside too many evenings . . ?
thus contributing to the deca
dence of a fundamental Ameri
can institution . . . the all-Im
portant structure which has
been dubbed by someone "the
safeguard of American liberty"
... "organisations are all
right" they agreed, but "It
ooaldn't be said they will con
tribute more to the well-being
or society than an orderly
home, where children are rear
ed and largely trained to take
over the weary old world a few
years hence." . . . One, a lawyer,
reerle a final observation as to
fte well-known divorce mill,
which he cited as one of the
menaces to an orderly society.
? ? ?
OLD MAN, who happened to
have received university educa
tion, pans the youth of the pre
sent day for having to have as
sistance in weathering a college
course . . . "worked my way
through" quoth he, "and have
arhassed considerable funda un
der my own steam" . . . What the
venerable gentleman forgets,
perhaps is that in those days
"going to college" hadn't be
come a day-and-night round of
tail, ... or that's what present
day collegiuns think . . . and th<>t
higher education was gained by
a small minority . . . thus when
they began to "hit the ball" in
everyday life . . . there was a
whole lot less competition than
nowadays, when one can talk to
a college-trained person in most
every group ... In the old days'
they were rare, and badly need
ed .. . Aged man walks forth on
"sharp" morning, with fascina
tor tied securely about his hat
less head . . . Bill Rush talks up
calf he had bought several months
ago and had never seen . . .
Couple of "likker" crates lying
along the street . . . plumb
empty . . . being of a curious dis
position examined the 24 empty
slorts in each box. which had
held pints . . . dead pup lying up
the street a ways . . . some kid
still looking for the canine to
show up, no doubt . . . Manager
Rhodes of Bare's Store, loses tip
end of finger in bank door . . .
couple of kiddies sitting flat
down on dirty pavement eating
stick candy and marshmallows
. . . and farmers attending tobac
co sales, as end of a successful
season draws near.
? ? ?
BEEN TRYING to establish
Dee proper name of the street
down by the present Riven
residence . . . Old timers had
eaDed it Burnsville Road . . .
land deeds refer to it as Rail
road Avenue, while a sign of
several year* standing calls the
short thoroughfare South
Street, which la the original
mm of the street connecting
M with King and which Is now
h mown as South Water Street
. . . According to the telephone
baetcwe live on Howard Street,
which is definitely on block
Math ... so there are four
??Mas extant ... when an
avast address is required we
fef to settle for a poet office box
Number of local folks go down
to aee Governor Scott take over
the top position inrthe State gov
ernment, and seem pleased with
the massage he delivered to thf
assembly, which is perhaps the
most progressive document, since
Cameron Morrison laid down his
? (Continued on page 4)
SENATOR
SENATOR H. B. PERRY
Perry Given
Committee Posts
Senator H. B. Perry, who re^
presents Watauga, Ashe and
Alleghany counties in the cur
rent session of the General As
sembly, was given the chairman
ship of one Senate committee
and made a member of fourteen
others, when the assignments
were given out by Lieut. -Gover
nor Taylor Monday evening.
Senator Perry's assignments
follow: agriculture committee,
counties cities and towns, educa
tion, election laws, engrossed and
enrolled bills, institutions for the
blind, institutions for the deaf,
mental institutions, printing, pub
lic health, public roads, salaries
and fees. senatorial districts
(chairman), trutees greater Uni
versity, wildlife resources.
New Group To
Take Road Tests
All persons whose surnames
begin with the letters H, I. J. or
K. may take their examinations
'or new automobile operators
license at the courthouse in
Boone on Thursday and Friday
from 9 a. m. to 4 p. m.
This group of motorists has
from January 1 to June 30 in
which to take the examination,
but are urged to come as quick!
as possible. No driving tests can
be given, however, during rain,
snow or sleet.
If any driver in the alphabeti
cal category mentioned is found
driving after the prescribed date
without the new license, he will
be guilty of a misdemeanor, and
may be fined not less than $25
r>r imprisoned for 30 days or both,
in the discretion of the court.
Mrs. Hodges
Succumbs At 91
Mrs. Ermine C. Hodges, 91
years old, a sister of former]
Sheriff John W. Hodges of Boone,
died last Thursday at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. Roby Vandyke
in the Bamboo section. Mrs.
Hodges had been in declining
health for several months.
I Funeral services were conduc
ted at the Vandyke home Friday,
by Rev. R. C. Eggers of the
Baptist Church, and burial was
in the Cook cemetery.
Mrs. Hodges was born in Wa
tauga county, a daughter of Dil
lard Burton Hodges and Mrs.
Eliza Northern Hodges. She was
the widow of James Hodges, who
died in 1923. She was well known1
in Boone, where she had fre
quently visited with relatives.
In the immediate family, the
only survivor is the one brother,!
John W. Hodges, of Boone.
Mrs. R. L. West
Dies In Miami
Mrs. R. L. West, mother of Mrs.
Ruth Isaacs of Boone, died on De
cember 28. following a long ill
ness. She was 87 years old.
Funeral services were conduc
ted on the 29th from a Miami
Baptist church, and the body was
interred in the family cemetery
at Greenville, S. C.
Surviving are three sons and
one daughter: A. B. West, W. O.
West, Miami, Fla. D. P. West,
Spartanburg, S. C.; Mrs. Ruth
Isaacs, Boone.
KIN GIVE BLESSING
Los Angeles ? Present at the
recent wedding of Charles P.
Taylor, 88, and Mary Alice Ste
vens, -89, were the three daught
ers of the bride and the seven
children, 28 grandchildren and 14
great-gnrndcWldren at tha groom.
CHURCH GROUP
NAPS PLANS TO
MAKE WAR ON
WINE AND BEER
Rev. Eggers and W. W. Mast
Chairmen of Organization
To Fight Legal Sales of
Beverages; Executive Com
mittee Is Named To Aid in
Campaign.
The Watauga County unit of
the Allied Church League met in
the courthouse Monday to map
plans for the campaign which
will culminate in an election on
March 1, to decide upon whether
the legal sale of wine and beer
will be continued in Watauga
county.
Rev Roby Eggers of Zionville,
and W. W. Mast of Valle Crucis,
were named co-chairmen of the
organization, and an executive
committee composed of a member
from each township was set up,
as follows:
Bald Mountain township: Les
lie Norris.
Beaver Dam: Dallas Wilson.
Blue Ridge: Rev. W. D. Ashley.
Blowing Rock: Rev. W. C.
Payne.
Boone* Rev. Ben Wood.
Brushy Fork: C. A. Clay.
Cove Creek: John Hagaman.
Elk: V. C. Cox.
Laurel Creek: Rev. Lawrence
Hagaman.
Meat Camp: Grady Wilson, Rev.
Ernest Moretz.
Meat Camp 2: H. C. Beach.
New River: Rev. N. M. Greene.
North Fork: W. C South.
Shawneehaw: W. C. Smith.
Stony Fork: Joe J. Wellborn.
Watauga: Rev. E. A. Dillard.
Mr. R. M. Hauss of Shelby, ex
ecutive director of the Allied
Church League in the State, was
present, and assisted in the or
ganization of the prohibition cam
paign in the county.
Education Film
Now Available
A digest of the North Carolina
Education Commission report is
now available. This digest is in
the form of a filmstrip accom
panied by a lecture which lasts
about 30 minutes.
The film strip and lecture
have been put out by the North
Carolina Education Association
Headquarters in Raleigh in an ef
fort to explain the findings of the!
Education Commission report.
The utmost problem in North
Carolina today is education and
the Education Commission re
port gives the overall picture of
the condition of education in our,
state and makes recommenda
tions for the improvement of j
these conditions. Every lay citi
zen will be interested in seeing
the film strip and hearing the ac
companying lecture. The film
strip and lecture is now available
to PTA groups, civic organiza-j
tions, other interested groups.
Anyone interested in using this
material may contact Herbert
Wey, President of the Watauga
County Teachers Association,
Boone.
Local Leaders
At Inaugural
A number of Watauga county
people were in Raleigh last week
for the opening of the Legisla
ture ana the inauguration of
iGovemor Scott. Among those at
tending, were: ' , ? _
I Mrs. H. B. Perry, Mrs. C D.
Taylor, Misses Nancy and Sue
Taylor, Jim Councill, Edgar
Hardin, D. M. Edmisten, Wade
E. Brown, Grady Farthing, W. R
W inkier, Frank Baird, H. M.
Hamilton, R. T. Greer, Mrs. R. T.
Greer.
Auburn Matmen
To Meet Apps
The wrestlers from the Ala
bama Polytechnic Institute, Au
burn, Ala., \rill meet the Moun
taineer grapplers in college gym
nasium here Saturday night at 7
o'clock, and the match is looked
forward to as an exciting en
counter between two rather -even
ly matched teams.
At 8 o'clock the Appalachian
basketeers will meet E. T. T. C.
in the second feature of the dou
ble sports card. The locals will
seek to avenge their former de
feat at the hands of the Tennes
see Teachers.
LIONS CLUB LEADERS TO BE FETED
Eugene S. Briggs. Enid. Okla., Preiident of Lion* International; Edward H. McMahan. of Brtratd,
N. C.. Director of Lions International, and Dr. D. J. Whilener of Boon*. District Lions Governor of
District 31- A. who will be in Boon*. January 16 and 17. The Boone Lions club will be boat to the
club officials at a tea Sunday the 16th. while on Monday morning at 9 o'clock. President Biggs
will speak to the public and college students in the chapel of Appalachian State Teachers College.
River Road Survey Starts
March Dimes Campaign
Will Start Next Friday
AGLE REPORTS ADVANCED
CONTRIBUTION IS $700.00.
The 1949 March of Dimes cam
paign opens Friday, and county
chairman Bob Agle states that
through advance efforts, more
than seven hundred dollars have
been subscribed prior to the op
ening of the campaign.
Mr. Agle points out that due to
the recurring and increasingly
serious epidemics of polio the ef
fort this year is the most cru
cial in the history of the foun
dation, and that funds are to be
provided to fight possible local
epidemics of the disease in Wa
tauga next summer, while at the
same time, allowing local people
to assist the National Founda
tion for infantile paralysis.
Mr. Agle has formed a county
wide organization for the cam
paign which continues through
January, and asks that solicitors
and workers cooperate to the end
that the local goal may be reached
as quickly as possible.
Following are the names of the
contributors who have responded
in advance of the official opening
of the campaign:
$50.00? Mrs. Joseph F Cannon. C. H
Weedon
$25 00? Mrs. J W. Cone. Herman
Cone. Frank M Payne. G. K Moose.
Dr. H. B. Perry, Jr.
$1S.00 ? Alfred Adams. Appalachian
Theatre. Mary Huff. L. S. Rankin.
$1000? Mr and Mrs. E. N. Hahn,
James Marsh. James Farthing. James
B. Mait. Dr R. H. Harmon. J E. Hol
shouser. Mrs R. E. Agle. Pet Dairy. L.
E. Tuckwiller.
$7.50 Rex G. Hagaman
$5.00? Gill Pmilips, Dr. and Mrs G
P Eggers. Tom Lawrence. Mrs Nell?e
C. Linnev. Herbert Wey. Dr. E T.
Glenn. Mr. and Mrs Erne*t Lewis.
Mrs D. J Cottrell, Mrs Tracy Coun
cil. S G Tugman. C C. Wilcox. Ho
bert Gross, w A. Smith. Lena C.
Reeves. Mr and Mrs. C L. Dula. Dave
P Mast. F. L. Wilcox. Rev. J N. At
kins. Dick Towniend, Jj?mes B Wink
ler. Watauga Fire Ins. Co.. Eunice
Query.
$3.00? Green Smith. E. T. Wagoner. i
Roy Hagaman. Betty Matheson. J aik;
Hodges. Hoy Green. W. E. Rush.
$2.00 ? Tom Beach. Lee Reynolds. T.|
G Roberts. Mrs. W. G Hodges. Falter1
Edmisten. Grady Bradley. Tommy Os
borne. Mrs. Melba Tugman. C. R.
Lawrence. Hunter Horton. Arlle
Walsh. Mrs. Bina Graham. Raymond
Carroll. Mr and Mrs B H. Moody.
Mr. and Mrs James Greer. James L.
Sherwood. R A Farthing Ralph
Baird. Mrs. J. A. Warren. V. B Mast.
Loyd Miller, Otis Wilson. Jack Mock.
Dr and Mrs. Paul Graff. Mr. and Mrs
D R Hodgin.
$1 00 Mrs. D. E. Benfield. Lucy
Brock. Mrs Hill Hagaman. Albert
Watson. Dr. H. B. Perry. Sr.,, Vardell
Lyons. J. L. Reese. Ted Clawson,!
Frank Hodges. Ralph G Greer, D W.
Cook. Ralph W. Jones, Dr J. D Ran-I
kin. Mrs. R H. Vannoy. Grady G
Brown, Mrs. Justin Ragan. W H.
Smith. B H. Horton. Turner Story.
O. K Richardson. Mrs J. D. Council.
Mrs T Len Cook. Mrs. C. G. Hodges.
Mrs. Margaret Hughes. Miller G. Wat
son. A friend, Paul Fletcher. Wade E
Brown. Howard Cullers. L. L. Norris.
Florance Gragg. Don Hatten. E G.
Pitts. Dewey Mitchell. W. B. Castle.
Mrs. John Green. R L. Green. Harlen
J. Greene. Mrs. W. L. Holshouser. Mrs
G H Hayes. L. C. Rogers. Randall
Foster. Mrs. 8. B. Hayes. Woodrow
Wilson. Orville Hagaman. W J Wil
liams. Mr and Mrs. Joseph Vannoy.
Clyde W. Henson. Mrs. D F Horton.
John Dugger. Albert Combs, Salhe
Warren, R F Warren, H W. Mast.
Jr.. Frank Taylor. Mrs W H. Wagon
er. Mrs R G Moretz. Charlie Sim
mons. Mrs. Inez Davis. Mr. and Mm
J M. Wilson, Hettie Greer. Annie
Isaacs. Norman Gre#r. W. R. Vines.
Ralph N Sherwood. Mrs. L. M. Trl
vett A C. Mast. Mrs. A. M. Banner.
W. M Thomas, Max Hajpman. Dough
ton L. Green, R. E. Cok#r. QlOffi
Gragg. Don C. Perry. Roy Williams,
Mrs. Delia Austin, Mrs. H. L. McCall.
Mrs. J. E. Combs. Glenn W Brown
Mrs. R 3. Swift. Robert L. Hayes.
Maude Carroll.
Happy Sam To Be in
Cove Creek Show
The Cove Creek Community
Club will sponsor Happy Sam
Fowler in a program at the Cove
Creek Hich School auditorium
Thursday evening, January 11.
The proceeds will go to the Wa
tauga Hotpttal fund.
IN HOUSE
REP. S. C. EGGERS
Eggers Named
Leader Minority
* Representative S. C. Eggers, of
Boone, who is serving his third
term as member of the House of
Representatives from Watauga,
has been elected leader of
the Republican minority in
the lower House of the Legisla
ture.
Representative Eggers was
named on the following commit
tees, when the assignments were
given out Monday evening by
Speaker Ramsay:
Agriculture, appropriations,
conservation and development,
education, elections and election
laws, employment security,
health, higher education and
public welfare.
Cage Tourney
By Avery Lions
The Avery county Lions club1
has sent out invitations to school
and independent clubs to enter
their annual Lions Club Invita
tional Basketball Tournament,
starting at Newland High school
gymnasium Monday night, Jan.
24.
This is an annual affair and
fthe entire membership of the
Lions Club devoted much of its
time to making this tournament
a success and one of the best in
Western North Carolina. The
funds raised by this project are
used by the club in its many
civic improvements.
The Lions wish to invite any
Men's team r Jar enough to par
ticipate. If they fail to receive an
invitation and desire to enter, in
formation may be had from Lion
Cam Wyatt, Newland or Lion
Dave Hughes, Linville.
The duration of the tourna
ment will depend on the number
of teams entered as all games
will be played at night. Many
awards and trophies will be
awarded.
An SIX SICK
Mason City, Iowa ? All six of
the children in the Ted Thorn
blade household were sick at the
same time. They were quarantin
ed with whooping cough, measles
and chickenpox. The children
ranee in age from Suzanne, 8, to
SaHey Jean, 1.
Present Available Funds Said
To Permit Early Construc
tion Two and One-Half to
Three Miles of Highway.
An engineering party started
to work Tuesday on the location
of the first section of the Laurel
Creek Highway, otherwise known
as the Watauga River Road, the
Democrat learned in a telephone
conversation with Engineer Z. V.
Stewart of Lenoir.
Weather conditions, coupled
with shortages of men in the
engineering department, delaytd
the start of the work, which Mr.
Stewart had formerly announced
would be undertaken the latter
part of 1948.
In making the announcement,
Mr. Stewart states that he be
lieves enough money is available
at the time for the construction
of about 2Vfe to 3 miles of the
important thoroughfare. When
location is complete, and engine
ering specifications drafted, bids
will be received on the first link
of the interstate highway.
Mr. Steward states that the
road will be of standard con
struction, and will fit in with any
program which may later be
worked out between North Caro
lina and Tennessee. In making
the survey, he states, every effort
will be made to locate the road
with the interest of the land
owners in mind, and that dama
ges to the farmers will be as lit
tle as possible.
March Dimes Is
Aided By Schools
Last year the Watauga county
schools raised approximately
$600 during the March of Dimes
campaign. The overall goal of
Watauga county has been doub
led for this year and therefore
the schools must double their
goal. This means that the 29
schools of Watauga county will
have raised a total of $1,200. In
order to do this each school child
in Watauga county schools will
have to contribute 30 cents on
the average.
The materials to carry on this
campaign will be delivered some
jtime within the next two weeks.
jThe drive in the schools will be
jheld during the week of January
17 through 21.
The children of school age are
the ones who benefit most from
the money raised to fight the
jdreaded disease of Infantile
'Paralysis and therefore, the
Iprincipals, teachers, and students
should put forth every effort to
jsee that the $1200 goal for Wa
itauga county school is raised.
Riles Are Held
For Mrs. Church
Funeral services were conduct
ed January 4 at the Gap Creek
Baptist church for Mrs.- Ellen
Moore Church, age #4.
The services were conducted by
the pastors Rev. Raymond Hend
rix, Rev. Bud Estep, A. W. Eller
and W. H. Caldwell.
Mrs. Church was a daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Moore, and
in 1902 was married to Mr L. H
Church, who survives with the
following children: Mrs. Carl
Cawthome, Lynchburg, Va.; Mrs.
Thomas Fairchild, Earl Church,
Mrs. Russell Phillips, Roe Church,
Ocel Church, Mrs. Randall Phil
lips, all of tha home neighbor
hood.
ELK IS FIRST
rOWNSHIPTO
RAISE QUOTA
FOR HOSPITAL
Stewart Simmons and V. C.
Cox, Co-Chairmen of Unit
First Reporting Fall Fay*
ment; Total of $9,451 Sub
scribed To Equip Local
Hospital.
Elk Township has the distinc
tion of being the first one in Wa
tauga county, to subscribe it*
Full quota to the expansion pro
gram fund of Watauga Hospital,
having sent in $204 as against the
assigned quota for $200. Messes.
Stewart Simmons and V. C. Cox
were co-chairmen of the success
ful campaign.
Total receipts to date indicate
that $9,451 of the required $20,
000 has been subscribed, and
Clyde R. Greene, chairman of the
effort, is anxious that township
chairmen make reports by Satur
day the 15th. Some of the need
ed equipment is expected to ar
rive the end of the current week,
and prompt response is asked so
that orders may be taken for the
remainder of the necessary ma
terials.
Following are the receipts by
townships to date:
Blue Ridge $ 263.00
Boone 7,656.00
Brushy Fork 166.00
Cove Creek 552.00
Laurel Creek 100.00
Meat Samp No. 1 .... 75.00
Stony Fork 10.00
Watauga 425.00
Total $9,451.00
Burley Sales
Reopen Monday
The Mountain Burley Ware
house Corporation held a full
sale at the opening of the post
holiday market Monday 209,624
pounds of burley being auctioned
for the sum of $96,699.69, or an
average of $46.13 per hundred.
The quality of the . weed was
described as good, very little wet
tobacco being in evidence.
Farmers are invited by Mana
ger Roscoe Coleman to bring in
the remainder of their crops, and
are assured that they will get a
sale the sa:;.t. day the leaf is
placed on the baskets. The clos
ing date for the market hasn t
been set, but it is stated
that sales will be conducted as
long as any tobacco remains to
be sold.
Monday's sale brings the sea
son total up to 4,336,478 pounds,
tis revealed.
achel Used For
Highway Mail
A special cachet for the open
ing of highway mail service
from Greensboro to Boone, has
been authorized by the Post Of
fice Department which will be
inaugrated on Friday, Feb. 4,
1949. The department said collec
tors desiring first-trip cancella
tions should send self-addressed
prepaid envelopes under cover to
the postmaster at Boone or
Greensboro.
A request authorizing the
holding of the covers for the
first trip and requesting applica
tion of the cachet should accom
pany the envelopes. A space not
less than 2 1-2 by 2 1-2 inches
must be provided on the left of
the address side for application
of the cachet. No provision will
be made for point to point covers.
At the request of collectors, how
lever, covers receiving cachets
will be sent to the outer terminus
of the trip for backstampinf. Let
ters must be in the hands of the
postmasters by Jan. 25.