WATAUGA COUNTY
CENTENNIAL
1849 - 1949
100 YEARS OF PROGRESS
VOL. LXI, pJI). 38.
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1 888
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1949
FIVE CENTS A
! KINGjpEET
| ~ BY
ROB RIVERS
? ?*
DA VXD P. LAVIETES. who
manufactured smoking pipes here
daring the war from native rho
dodendron burls, and who yet
operates a plant down at Sparta,
writes us from New York . . . Hei
?has Just returned from London
on the Queen Mary, where he
"Licensed the largest pipe manu
facturer in the world under my
British and French patents" . . .
Says London not a pretty sight,
with gaping holes where the
tM** btUMfii*. ?teod .
scare and high in the war-ravag
ed metropolis ... no eggs or
steak available, and clothing out
of. reach of the average citizen
. A pack of American-made
cigarettes costs $1.40, cigars $1.00
to $4.00 each, tobacco 50c to $1.00
per ounce . . . Mr. Lavietes says,
"I know of no more wonderful
vacation than a trip on one of
these luxury liners ... it beggars
description . . . My cabin should
have been a bridal chamber . .
swimming, dancing, shuffleboard.
gambling, drinking ? just heaven
on the sea!"
? ? ?
"WHATB THE MATTER"
?aid lb* stranger "that most
tews have soma sort of monu
ment. war memorlaL or some
thing and Boone has none at
alLf . , . We don't just know,
right off hand, how come we
didn't go into the monument
twin? s, but just haven't . . .
and since the matter was
brmght to our attention, we
hav? to admit we have always
had a powerful yen for these
C3vil war jobs . . . particularly
the ones depicting the "man on
the hone" ... a tired, worn
soldier astride the powerful war
hone ... a charging stallion
with disleded nostrils from
which one could almost see the
breath of the steed . . . the only
trouble being that in admira
tion for the horse one is liable
to lose track of the rider . . .
Once stood for a long time be
te* a huge statue of our liking
. . . The horse held his head
jo*'. right . . . the sculptor had
pot flecks of foam in the corn
ers of his mouth where the
bits were holding the charging
beast . . . we liked it a lot. and
after we had gone away, found
out from oar companion that
General Grant was atop the
charger . . . the hoss was the
biggest and the closest . . .
we hadn't observed the rider!
. We maybe ought to have a
memorial . . . Perhaps Daniel
Boone pioneering along with
his squirrel rifle would do . . .
but we don't know whether or i
not the doughty pioneer would
just exactly fit in with the sort
of cavalry mount we like . . .
anyway, it wouldn't matter, if
the horse was done properly
few would note the rider!
OSCAR COFFEY, sweeping the
sidewalk in front of Newton's
store, sweeping deliberately and
clean, with a satisfied smile on
his face, unmindful of the pas
sersby ... a crowd of farmers up
at the co-op store talking of im
proved pastures, record corn
crops and fat steers . . . Informal
gathering takes vote on the
homeliest guy in town, since the
whiskers are untended . . . Stan
ley Harris got every vote, while
It was unanimously agreed that
Bert Church had the finest aet of
chin whiskers to be found to
these parts ... a regular Billy
goat job . . . Hearsay is that Bert
is growing his as a result of an
?election bet, and won't shave till
1952 . . . we don't know . . . W. R.
Winkler, one at the town's fore
most builders,' giving down with
a hopeful business outlook . . .
"When things slow down, work
harder," says Ralph, who started
into the auto business in Boone
as a short-breeched lad, and who
has always been one of the
town's most public-spirited and
successful business men . . .
Visiting with Red Angel and the
Mrs. and getting the low-down
from June Russell on a lot of
things . . . and a local chibtrvan
vowing "I wish to heck we could
get rid Of just a few of these
dnngod> organizations . . . they've
about me!"
?
HERE OF LATE we>e bad
quite ? few fanUtttaM to main
kg as Ronald Coleman's, and
tinea wa had no nqaritoca on
the lectme platform. and
would meat likely be eelf-CM
?doue. we put on our beat Ma
im and tuned down every
one of them . . . However we
appreciate no end the invita
tions ... hoattilr ere do . . .
(Continued on p?|e 4)
Looks Like Spring
? ? mtmt WkU WBJ oo
thar to look at tht lharmotnaiar
whan crocusas bloom la Brook
lyn'* Botanical Gar dam. with tba
tamparatura around 67T Tbafa
what Kathlaan Millar, abora.
thought as the graatad tha pra
matura harbiogara of apring.
School Official
Is Rotary Guest
Jason B. Deyton, suprintendent
of schools of Mitchell county,
was the guest speaker at the Ro
tary Club Friday night, and
spoke particularly of the need
for friendship ? friendship be
tween individuals, communities,
counties.
The speaker noted that Wa
tauga. Avery, Mitchell and the
other counties have similar pto
bleins and virtually the same
needs and should know and
understand each other. American
leaders, likewise, the speaker
averred, should know and under
stand European leaders, so that a
basis of understanding and even
tual agreement might be reached.
The Rotarians discussed a pro
gram of activities for the youth
of Boone and Watauga county.
The need of a baseball league, an
Appalachian High School Athle
tic program, a Softball league for
the smaller boys came up for
discussion. A committee compos
ed of Finis Wagner, Dewitt Bar
nett and Wm. Murray was ap
pointed to report on the possibi
lities of instituting such pro
grams, the cost thereof, as well
as to survey the needs of Appa
lachian High School Athletic
Department.
Last Burley Crop
Was Second Largest
Louisville, Ky. ? The 1948 bur
ley tobacco crop was the second
largest on record, the Federal
State Market News Service re
ported here.
Gross sales in the eight-state
burley area amounted to 632.
332.263 pounds. approximately
j 13 1,500, 000 pounds more than
'were sold the previous year, the
service added. The largest gross
sales were reported for the 1946
crop, when more than 636,000,000
pounds were sold.
The past season's average
price of $46.06 a hundred pounds
also was the second highest on
record, $2.24 less than the all
time high established the prev
ious season, the news service
added.
Fuel is termed vital to econo
mic development of Brazil.
COLLEGE GETS
APPROVED FOR
N. A. DEGREES
m ST. LOUIS
National Association of Col
leges for Teacher Education
Approves Appalachian for
Graduate Work; Work First
Offered in Summer '42.
Appalachian State Teacher*
college has been notified by the
American Association of Colleges
tor ?j?
recent annual meeting in St
Louis. Missouri. Appalachian
State was approved for graduate
work.
This action was taken by the
Association after a committee
from the Association visited the
college last November and thor
oughly inspected the college, its
facilities, faculty, and finances in
relation to its preparedness to do
graduate work.
Graduate work at Appalachian
was begun in the summer ses
sions only and first offered in the
summer of 1942. A full program
of graduate work leading to the
master's degree was organized
and put into the curriculum at
the beginning of the IMS summer
school, in which a total of 274
graduate students were enrolled.
Appalachian granted its first
master of arts degree at the close
of the 1948 summer session. The
college has eighteen candidates
who expect to receive the mast
er's degree at the close of the
1949 summer session.
The graduate work of Appala
chian is especially planned for
the teachers who are now in serv
ice, and those expect to become
teachers.
Mrs. Goforth Is
New College Nurse
Mrs. Dorothy Jonas Goforth,
registered nurse, has been ap
pointed college nurse for Appa
lachian State Teachers college
'or the spring quarter, it has been
announced.
Offices for Mrs. Goforth, in
cluding a waiting room and a
'irst aid room, have been opened
in White Hall, one of the dormi
tories Office hours will be ob
served from eight to ten o'clock
in the morning and from 3:30
to 5:30 in the afternoon. Stu
dents will be offered dispensary
treatments such as a nurse is
privileged to give and correction
of remedial defects when they in
volve exercise only. . Hospitali
zation for one week at the Wa
tauga Hospital is also offered to
students, under their medical fee
paid the college, and students are
tent there when they require hos
pitalization or the services of a
doctor.
Every student in the college is
required to take a thorough phys
ical examination at the begin
ning of the year.
A native of Wilson, Mrs. Go
fort attended Appalachian State
Teachers college and received her
nurses' training at Rex Hospital!
School of Nursing in Raleigh. She
is the wife of Ben Goforth, senior
at Appalachian.
COLLEGE CHORUS OPENS CONCERT TOUR
The Appalachian State Teach
ers college chorua will open Its
annual comfirt tour series with
a home concert on Saturday,
March 19, at eight o'clock in the
college auditorium.
The chorus will give its tint
concert at Lees-McRae college,
Banner Elk, on Monday evening,
March 21. The tour also will in
elude the following appearances :
Pfeiffer college, Miaenheimer,
the night of March 21; matinee
concert at Cannon High school
auditorium, Kannapolis, Wednes
day afternoon, and an evening
concert in Kannapolis on Wed
nesday night, March 23; China
Grove on Thursday night, March
24; Wingate college, Wingate, the
night of March 28. The group will
return to Appalachian on Sun
day, March 27.
? I
The chorus vm organized in
1029 by Mrs. Virginia Wary Lin
ney and has been under ber di
rection since that time. It has
made numerous radio appearance*
and tours, as well aa having giv
en request performances. At
present the chorus consists of
forty-fire members, chosen from
the entire student body on the
basis of ability and attitudes.
HIGH SCHOOL BAND IN FIRST SPRING CONCERT
band under the direction ot Mr.
Ray R Blanton, will present a
concert Friday, March 18th at
8:00 p. m. in the high school
auditorium.
Many entertaining numbers are
to be presented on the program,
including the three overtures the
band will play at the district
contest in Winston-Salem on
March 24th. These overtures are
Lustspill Overture, Mountain
Majasty Overture and the over
ture Frojp the South. The band
will also play the Lincoln Over
ture. This overture is based on
melodies which Carl Sandburg,
in his '"American Songbag" has
aSSEST?Kn?a!B*2?
times of Abraham Lincoln.
Also included on the program
will be the two soloists entering
the contest, Lawrence Barden
and Harry Farthing.
Because of a change in classi
fication of schools this year, the
band will enter in classes three
and four. Forty-one members of
the band will make the trip to
W inston- Salem .
The program is as follows:
1; Invercargill, march, Alex F.
Litlgow.
2. Lustspiel, overture, Ke'ler
Be 'la.
jvB.>,From The South, overture,
Is*K,Lillya.
4. Beautiful Coloradb,* bafWofte
solo, Joseph De Luca, Harry
Farthing ~"
5. Serenade from The Student
Price, Sigmund Romburg
Interpiission
6. Mountain Majesty, Over
ture, Paul Yoder
7. Donkey Serenade, From The
Firefly, Rudoll Friml
8. Lincoln, Overture, Newell
Long
9. Shortinin' Bread, Novelty,
Jacques Wolfe
10. Hallelujah, from Hit The
Deck, Vincent Youmans.
There will be no admission
charge and the public is cordial
ly invited.
Lions Club Plans Talent Show
Dry Leaders To
Appear Here
Judge Yates Webb, of Shelby,
recently retired from the Federal
Court' bench, and Judge Johnson
J. Hayes of North Wilkesboro,
middle district Federal jurist, are
scheduled to speak at a meeting
of the dry forces to be held at
the Tabernacle in Boone Sunday
afternoon, March 20.
The meeting is called, it is
understood, as a follow up of the
recent overwhelming dry victory
it the polls in Watauga county,
and leaders of the prohibitioni
movement here state that the
purpose of the gathering is to
ormulate a program designed to
urther the best interests of the
jeople of Watauga county.
Mrs. Mary Roark
Riles On Monday
Mrs. Mary Eller Roark, 72 years
old. a resident of Beaver Dam
township, died at the home Sun
day, and funeral services were
conducted from the Forest Grove
Baptist Church Monday at 2
o'clock by Rev. Ed Farthing and
Rev. W. C. Payne, and interment
was in the churchyard cemetery.
The husband, Emmet Roark,
survives, with the following sons
and daughters: Lee Roark,
Wichita Falls, Texas; Russell,
Boone; Lloyd, George, Ernest and
Frank of Vilas; Mrs. Floyd
Hagaman, Boone; Mrs. Floyd
Warren, Mrs. Ralph Reese, Vilas.
UA Wasks Ford cut prices, not
wages, to keep profits up.
Children and grown-ups alike
are being auditioned at every
school in Watauga county th>?
month while judges pick the best
talent 'in each community to ap
pear on the stage of the Appala
chian Theatre Friday, April 8, in
a county wide talent show that
is being sponsored by the Boone
Lions Club. There will be two
?hows; the afternoon show pre
senting talent under twelve
years of age and the night show
bringing talent over twelve
years of age.
More than $185 worth of prizes
are being offered to the schools
bringing the winning talent and
to the individuals chosen as
"Sweethearts" in a voting con
test. In the afternoon show the
winning school will recieve a
radio given by the Watauga
Hardware Inc., while second
place winner will be given a
basketball donated by Frank M.
Payne, general agent for Securi
ty Life and Trust Co., and the
Appalachian Theatre. Prizes for
the night show will he a radio
given by the Farmers Hardware
and Supply Co.,' and a basketball
given by Belks, Department Store
and Hunts Department Store.
"Sweethearts" will be chosen by
(votes cast at the individual
schools and will include a wrist
watch, given by Home Jewelry
Store and the Carolina Phar
macy, a bedside radio, given by
the C. Sc E. Home Electric Store,
and a pen and pencil set, given
by the Boone Drug Co.
The Boone Lions Club will use!
the proceeds from the talent!
shows to further their work in
aiding the blind of Watauga ]
county. It is a well known fact
thatbecause of the beneficial
work done by this organization
io person in the county must go
without needed glasses because
of lack of funds. With the talent
ised in the show being drawon
(Continued on page 8)
Clinic on Friday
For the CripplecJ
] Unless the weather is very un
favorable, Dr. J. S. Gaul from
Charlotte will be at the local
{ealth Department office to con
duct the Crippled Children's cli
nic on Friday morning, March 18.
This clinic is a regular service
of the Health Department but
'ue to travel difficulties during
the winter months, Dr. Gaul only
comes as far as Lenoir and the
children are taken there.
We welcome Dr. Gaul back to
Watauga county and invite all his
old patients and anytun else de
iring his service to come to the
'{ealth Department Friday morn
ing to see him.
Nursing Students
Get Caps at Davis
Sixteen ituderWs of the Davis
hospital school of nursing were
(iven caps at special capping ex
ercises hek at the hospital in
Statesville recently.
Among the graduates were the
ollowing Wataugana: Gladys
Brown of Boone; Dare Brown,
Deep Gap; Bonita Adams, Vilas;
Sadie Triplett, Blowing Rock.
An informal reception follow
ed the ceremony with parents
and friends of the students at
tending.
Red Cross Drive
In Second Week
The Red Cross Annual Roil Call
is continuing into the second
week of the drive which will
close March 31. Due to the bad
weather conditions which pre
vailed locally last week very few
solicitors have reported. The pre
sent total of contributions is
$216.00 One county in this area
raised its quota by noon March
1st in only a few hours. The Red
Cross helps the men in service,
at home and overseas. It provides
tomes for the homeless and food
or the hungry, it provides blood
Tor the sick, and in many cases
has brought hope and comfort to
those who had no other resources
in which to depend. None of us
mow when we may need the
help of this great humanitarian
>rganization. Another flood and
nountain landslides, an earth
quake, a tornado, or even a bad
torm could make any of us in a
few minutes time eager to re
ceive the help the Red Cross Is
able to give. While we do not
need its help we should give
that it majt help others. The Red
Cross needs your contribution
now.
Marshal Johnson
Funeral Friday
Funeral services for Marshal
James Johnson, .28, resident of
Vilas, who lost his life in an
automobile accident on highway
421 west of Boone last Tuesday
evening, were held at the Brushy
Fork Baptist Church last Friday.
Rev. W. D. Ashley and Rev.
Ronda Earp conducted the ser
vices and interment was in the
Adams cemetery.
Mr. Johnson was instantly
killed when the truck in which
fc'e was riding, driven by James
V. Miller, and an automobile
driven by Butler Perry, collided.
The drivers were given a hear
ing Friday before Homer Brown,
T. P., and bound to Superior
ourt under bonds of $f,000. Of
'icials believe that faulty lights
in the truck likely caused the ac
cident. *
Mr. Johnson who waa unmar
'ied, and a well-known farmer of
his neighborhood, is survived by
he parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jamer
Tohnson of Vilas; One brother
Chester Johnson, and a sister,
diss Beulah Johnson.
ESCAPES INJURY
Julius P. Rousseau of "North
Vilkesboro escaped injury Sun
ay night when his car overturn
ed near Deep Gap, states High
way Patrolman Parker. Young
"tousseau w us meeting a car,
when a third vehicle attempted
to pass H. To avoid a collision the
Vorth Wilkes boro man took to
he ditch, his car overturned, but
he was uninjured. The vehicle,
which Officer Parker states
caused the accident, did not stop,
and the driver J as. McNeil, of
Purlear was later apprendei
the officer, and charged
reckless driving.
FARM BUREAU
MEETINGS TO
AID MOVE FQ8
GOOD HEALTH
?- 1 r ?
Community Mass Mcftinp
Are Arranged in Interest ?f
Better Health in County;
Plans (or Action To Be
Formulated; Meeting Dates.
The steering committee of the
Farm Bureau met in the office
of the president, G. D. Barneft,
March t* j 0;3HHfMNI
for comriunity man meetings in
the interest of better health. This
committee urges each citizen to
make a special effort to be pres
ent to help promote plans for im
proved health facilities in his
community. Representatives from
Watauga County's Health Board.
Medical Society, Public Health
Department and farm and home
organizations will attend the
meetings to aid in the discussions
and formulate plans for action.
Meetings scheduled for the
week of M?Kl*21-26 are as fa*'
lows:
Stony Fork community, at the
Stony Fork School house, March
22. 7:00 p. m.; Mr. Hayes Wei
born, chairman.
Triplett community, at Elk
School house, March 23, 7:00 p.
m.; Mr. Stewart Simmons, chair
man.
Bamboo community, at Bam*
boo schol house, March 24, 7. 00
p. m.j Mr. Vance Keller, chair
man.
Green Valley community, at
Green Valley school house, March
25, 7:00 p. m.; Mr. L. E. Wilson,
chatrrrvan.
Watch the Democrat next week
for announcement of community
mass meeting schedules for the
following weeks.
Pritcheit Heads t
Education Group
At a meeting of the Appala
chian ' Teachers college unit of
the North Carolina Education
Association held here this weak,
new officers were elected for the
year. Leo K. Pritchett of the
social studies faculty was chosen
president. Vice president is F. R.
Derrick of the biology depart
ment; secretary is twnien
Query of the library science de
partment; and treasurer is Starr
N. Stacy of the geography de
partment.
The present officers were
:hosen as official delegates of
the unit at the meeting of the
North Carolina Education As
sociation in Ashevllle in April.
They are: H. R. Eggers, retiring
president: Miss Ida Belle I>ed
better. retiring vice president;
Miss Ella Mae Fogg, retiring
secretary; and G. L. Sawyer, re
tiring treasurer. Mr. Pritchett al
so was named a delegate, and the
remaining new officers were de
signated as alternates.
Mrs. Sherwood
Succumbs Monday
Mrs. Sue Banner Sherwood, 78,
-lied at the home at Sherwood
Monday afternoon, from a long
illness.
Funerdl services were conduc
ted Wednesday afternoon at 3
o'clock at the Cove Creek Bap
tist Church by Rev. Harold
Songer and interment was in the
Cove Creek cemetery.
Mrs. Sherwood, who was the
daughter of the late Newton and
Mrs. Banner, was a member of
one of the area's prominent fami
lies, and was well known in this
section where she had widespread
friendships. She was the widow
of the late W. F. Sherwood,
pioneer merchant and leading
citizen of Cove Creek township.
Surviving are two sons and
five daughters: James and John
B. Sherwood of Sherwood; Miss
Ann V. Sherwood,
Mr?. Ralph
Walsh of
Maclcey,
maa Coffey,
are two ~
J. Banner, of Sugar Grow*. ?> >