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WATAUGA COUNTY ? T T A r~- - ? - ? WATAUGA COUNT1
CENTENNIAL
1849 - 1949
? ? | r?v-v>* <***
lot years of progress w , ? An Independent Weeldy Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888 ' ioq years of proorei
? ' 1 ?? ?. 1111 ^sssssssssam
VOL. LXI, NO. 39. ? BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 24, 1949. FIVE CENTS A COF
^ ' '
= Watauga
1849 - 1919
KING STREET
4. BY
ROB RIVERS
-HAS BEEN SAID that if one
could see a talking picture of
himself taken while on a binge,
he would never get drunk any
more, and that if he could wit
ness an exhibition of himself
sober, it would likely follow that
he wouldn't talk so much in the
days to come . . . Twas Saturday
night as we settled back into our
chair, which has cultivated,
through*- long use, a soothing
touch to every section of our
angular frame . . . We had one of
these "best sellers" in hand . . .
a bit of literature of questionable
worth, which depicted some of
the fighting between the whites!
and the Seminole Indians down
in Florida a long time ago, and
we begin to have right good time
when the wife begin interrupting
us with some flavorful items she
was gathering from the current
edition of Carolina's most read
newspaper . . . Later we dis
covered that Louise Lewis, sitting
over in the corner was sharpen
ing up on her shorthand, as we
interrupted one another through
out the evehing, and her notes
indicated the conversation ran
something like this:
She: "see where they got the
pin out of that little girl's throat."
We: "Did they? (Indian was
just about to lay onto a blond
scalp at that point) "how did she
manage to inhale a pin?"
She: "Don't know, but she did.
They took her to Philadelphia
for the operation."
We: "You know the Indians
were a tough lot. They knew
more about inflicting torture to
a human being than Hitler or
Stalin ever found out. Danged if
they didn't come pretty near
whipping the government . . .
Wonder why they saved any of
them?"
She: (After rattling the news
paper vigorously) "Am not par
ticularly concerned with In
dians."
Extended silence.
She: "Lamar escaped a jail
term for helping to convict Ben
net Myers after first covering up
for him."
We: (at the end of the next
chapter) "Who the hebk wasi
Myers?"
She: (disgustedly) "You mean
you didnt read that case that
filled the newspapers?''
We: (nonchalantly) "tried not
to. Maybe saw the headlines."
She: (condenscendingly) "My
ers was defrauding the govern
ment by giving the contracts to
his factory at exhorbitant prices."j
We: "Didn't Howard Hughes
get into the same sort of Dutch
about his six-engine airplane . . .
You know the time the Senate
investigated him . . . and he in
vestigated the Senate . . . and the
solons finally managed to turn
him loose?"
She: "Yes."
We setteled back to finish the
fictitious story of high adventure
down in the swamps of the Pal
metto state, way back in the
horse and buggy days, and had
just passed the point where the
plantation owners wife had left
her faithful husband and taken
off with a house guest, while the
red skins were laying the torch to
about everything they could
find, and stealing the "Negrahs"
right and left, as the missus hur
ried through the want ads in
search of more spirited material.
She: "I must go and take that
bath I started about two hours
ago."
We: '"Why didn't you." (No
good answer.)
She: "Governor Scott hasn't
appointed a Senator yet. Wonder
what's the matter."
We: "He's just being smart.
Think we should congratulate
him. Already the South has
enough men up there to tie up the
whole deal forever and a day.
They need no reinforcements."
Sustained silence.
She: ''Bet you don't know howi
to salt peanuts with the shell
OB."
We: (hesitating until our hero
gat a new line on the girl he
should have married in the first
place:) "Mo. How would you."
She: "Boil them in salt and
let them dry."
We: "What would a boiled
goober pea taste like."
She: "Frankly, I wouldn't
* know. Never ate one."
We: "Guess they'd be all right,
?sobers are good food. Reminds
me of one of my palm, who railed
for goobers at the fancy resort
sandwich bar, and returned de
jectedly. "You know, that's the
(Continued oa page 4)
CHERRY BLOSSOM TIME
: \', J a * V5 T~! '
IHI
Dolores Motier (right) of Dearborn. Mich.. choMn as Michigan!
1949 cherry blossom princess, and Jean Williamson Duty of Sagi
naw, last year's cherry blossom princess, are shown visiting with
Mrs. Homer Ferguson, wife of Senator Ferguson of Michigan, at
the state capttol in Lansing.
Ramsey To Speak; C.
Ot C. Names Officers
PRESIDENT
?V \ .'?* ' ? '
ALONZO C EDWARDS
Edwards Heads
Farm Bureau
Alonzo C. Edwards, Hookerton,
the newly-elected president of
the North Carolina Farm Bureau
present with a membership of
more than 78,000 farm families.i
is a successful farmer, operating!
a 1,200 acre farm in his native:
Greene county.
Edwards purchased his first
farm back in 1925 and two of his
original tenants are still farming
with him.
The 30 tenants who live on the
Edwards' farm are not bothered
with th? yearly "moving pro
blem", because the Farm Bureau
President encourages each tenant
to build a financial nest-egg for
the future by practicing a live
at-home program. This program
consists of home gardens, a milch
cow per family and the produc
tion of sufficient feed crops for
livestock.
"I have always found it an ad
vantage to keep the folks work
ing with me happy and satisfied,"
Edwards says. Several of the
farmers who have tended his
land now own their own farms
because of the thrifty farm plan
that Edwards outlines with them.
Active in Farm Bureau work
for many years and particularly
so in the past two as its vice
president and chairman of the
state membership drive, Kd
wards says that membership in
the organization is not a require
ment for his tenants. Instead, he
points out the advantages of
strong farm organization, and
his tenants become members of
Farm Bureau only when they
understand its objectives and
desire to join.
So that the men working on
his farm may learn first-hand the
(Continued on page 5)
Rites Today For
Casualty of War
Funeral services for Paul T.
Swift, son of Mr. and Mrs. W. B.
Swift, of Beech Creek, will be
held Thursday March 24 at 2
o'clock at the Mount Gilead
Church near Beech Creek, and
burial will be in the cemetery
there.
Pfc. Swift was killed in an
automobile accident in France
July IB, 1046 and the body had
been temporarily interred in a
military cemetery in that coun
try
Asheville Newspaper Publish
er To Address Ladies' Night
Banquet of Commerce
Group.
The annual meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce will be
held on the evening of April 9th, I
and D. Hiden Ramsey, manager
of the Asheville Citizen-Times
will be the principal speaker.
New officers and directors will
be elected and installed and re
ports of some committees will be
heard.
The meeting will t)e a ladies
-night affair and tickets may be]
secured at the Chamber of Com
merce office, or at the bus sta
tion. Tickets should be purchased
early.
Mr. Ramsey is know as an ex
cellent speaker and one of our
best informed men as to the most
pressing needs of this section of
the State.
The dinner will be served by
the ladies of the Eastern Star at
the Baptist Church.
Boone Legion Team
Gets Cage Trophy
A strong Boone Legion team!
defeated a fighting Spruce Pine)
quint Saturday night, March 19
jin the final round of the Minnea-j
ipolis tourney by a close score of
69-68
The previous nights of that
Iweek . they racked up victories
lover Lees McRae College by a
jscore of 56-53. Spears by another
jelose margin of 63-58, and de
feating Minneapolis in the semi
finals 67-27.
I This makes five of nine tourna
ments the Legion team has par
ticipated in the finals. Carrying
off top honors in the last two.
Trophys are on display at the
Main Street Gulf Service Station.
This week the team is taking
part in the West Jefferson
tournament with a first round
victory over Boone Owls by a
score fft 69-29.
Members of the squad are as
follows:
Max Nanney, J. D. Miller, M.
W. Greene, Conley Greene, Ernie
Lewis, Guy Shirley, Dale Hodges.
Tommy Hodges, Jack Ward, and
Clarence Greene.
I nab i net Succeeds
George with Bell Co.
H. M. Inabinet of Southern Bell
Telephone Company's commercial
organization at Greensboro has
been appointed group manager at
Lenoir, effective March 15. Mr.
(nabinet succeeds R. T. George,
who was recently named group
manager at Anderson, South Car
olina.
Mr. Inabinet is an experienced
telephone man, with service dat
ing from 1920, when he joined
the telephone organization in the
commercial department at Wilm
ington. He advanced steadily to
positions of increasing responsi
bility and handled various assign
ments for the company in Co
lumbia and Charleston, South
Carolina, and Charlotte, North
Carolina.
In 1938, Mr. Inabinet was trans
ferred to Greerlsboro, as office
manager. He was advanced to
the position of a manager on
January 1, 1947. He held this
position in Greensboro until his
recent appointment.
As group manager at Lenoir,
he will direct Southern Bell's
commercial operations in Lenoir,
Morganton, Blowing Bock and
Boone.
ASSEMBLY IN
STALEMATE AT
START WEEK'S
HECTIC GRIlfD
Hope for Early Adjournment
Of Legislature Dims in
Wake of Quick-Breaking
Developments; School Bat
tles, Roads. Stir Solons.
Raleigh, March 20. ? State leg
islators return tomorrow to start
their 12th week of session facing
prospects of a time-killing stale
mate.
A week ago hopes appeared
bright for the General Assembly
to come up to sine die adjourn
ment about April 2. Quick-break
ing developments last week took
the rosy glow out of that out
look.
What changed the picture was
action of the joint appropriations
Committee in pumping up the
proposed biennial spending pro
gram some $42,000,000 above an
ticipated revenues.
The first of the week's boosts
was a recommended increase of
$26,000,000 in the public schools
budget ? marked for teacher pay
raises and employment of addi
tional feachers to cut the pupil
load.
| The joint group also favored
la $3,100,000 increase for the State
j Board of Health.
Next was a $7,000,000 boost
[voted for salary raises for State
lemployes earning less than $3,
100 a year.
Even if the legislature decided
| to dip into the Sta*e's $30,000,000
post-war reserve fund, as school
forces favor, the total budget
-till would run ahead of estimat
ed income.
Leaders of the school forces
saw in the $7,000,000 increase a
move by economy forces to push
the budget so high that the ap
propriations group would decide
to turn the spending program
over to a subcommittee for prun
ing. The school bloc is opposed
to having a subcommittee set up.
Another job which has added
to legislative delay is Governor
Scott's rural road-building pro
gram.
After riding through the House
last week in a form favored by
the Governor, the program ran
into a hitch in the Senate Fi
nance Committee, which already
had before it a toned-down ver
sion of the proposals.
The House version is contained
in two bills, which call for (1)
ja state-wide election on a $200,
OUO.OOO bond issue and (2) a one
[cent increase in the gasoline tax.
The other legislation, which
went to the Senate Finance
Group after winning approval of
the Senate Roads Committee,
would provide for an election on
a $100,000,000 bond issue and
would tie the gasoline tax boost
to the bonds.
The subcommittee is expected
to report to the Senate Finance
Committee by tomorrow.
Mrs. Grace Hagaman
Succumbs on Friday
Mrs. Grace Isaacs Hagaman, 73,
died Friday at the home of her
daughter, Mrs. Stanley Norris of
Mabel, after a period of ill health
covering several months. Her
condition had been considered
critical for about two months.
Funeral services were conducted
at Forest Grove Baptist Church
in Beaver Dam township Sunday
afternoon at 2 o'clock, by Rev.
W. C. Payne and Rev. Lawrence
Hagaman, and interment was in
the church cemetery.
Mrs. Hagaman was the widow
of the late Millard Hagaman, and
a daughter of the late Mr. and
Mrs. Richard Isaacs. She had
been a member of the Forest
Grove church for 59 years and
had been active in religious
causes.
She is survived by two sons
and two daughters: Orville Haga
man, Vilas; Max Hagaman,
Mabel; Miss Anita Hagaman,
Mabel; Mrs. Stanley NorrisJ
Mabel. There are 10 grandchild -
[Ten.
Union Service To Be
Held Next Sunday
The various churches of thJ
community will join in ? union
(service at the Presbyterian]
church Sunday evening at 7:30.
[The program will consist of
Scripture, prayer and music. Mrs.
H. B. Perry, Jr, will be the guest
organist, and Mrs. N. G. Zrnaaton
will appear as guaat soloist.
Members of every denomination
are invited. I
LAUNCHES SEAL CAMPAIGN
Governor Kerr Scott launched the annual Easier Seal Sale for
Crippled Children in Raleigh thii wheek when he purchased the
first 1349 seal from Mr*. Felix S. Barker. 2507 Beechridge Road.
Raleigh, chairman of the campaign for Wake county. Mrs. Bark
er's husband is director of the Division of Special Education. State
Department of Public Instruction, which gives primary attention
to the needs of handicapped children. Goal for this year's cam
paign. which will continue through April 17. Easier Sunday, is
5150,000. and Governor Scott expressed the hope the quota will
be met before that date.
Centennial Dates Are
Fixedfc>rWeekJuly5
Watauga's 100th
Birthday Is Noted
By ROY P. MARSH
In 1849 the County of Watauga
was carved from Ashe, Yancey,
Wilkes, and Caldwell. It was
named for a river which flows
through the western part of the
county and called "beautiful
waters" by the Indian inhabi
tants who greeted the earliest
settlers.
Watauga County only one
hundred years ago was nothing
but a wilderness. The narrow
valleys and hillsides throughout
the county were forests infested
with wild animals. When one
travels through the county today
he can readily see the "goings
on" that have taken place. The]
small Indian and Pioneer trailsj
winding around the hills have
been developed into modern
asphalt highways twenty feet
wide. The brush no longer flaps
one in the face as he walks to
visit his nearest neighbor, who
used to live miles away. The
horse and buggy days are gone
forever.
When Watauga County was
chartered comparatively a short
time back, Abe Lincoln was sit
ting in the legislature of Illinois
and Pioneers from the East were
going Westward in cover**d
wagons to join the famous Cali
fornia gold rush of 1849.
Watauga County was settled
predominatly by the Scotch
Irish, but traces of German, Eng
lish, Swedish and Danish ances
try can still be found.
July the fifth, sixth, seventh,
eighth and ninth Watauga, the
county where the mountains rise
up and shadow the fields of
growing corn and potatoes, and
cattle grazing below, will stage
i a centennial celebration.
1 Most of us have already wit
nessed certain whiskered mon
strosities running around as if
they had escaped from Barnum
and Bailey's circus. This whisker'
league is gaining wide popularity
throughout the county, especially
from the women.
The centennial celebration is
sponsored by the Boone Junior
Chamber of Commerce, and the
Chambers of Commerce from
Boone and Blowing Hock. These
three never-tiring organizational
are drrvoting their utmost energy;
to get the plans for the celebra
tion finished.
Watauga Centinnial, Inc. has
been formed to be the working
body for the affair. Stanley A.
Harris is president of this spon
soring body. Perry Greene is
vice-president, Howard Hol
ghouser is secretary and Jamas
Farthing is treasurer. Members of
this group include R. D. Hodges,
Jr., Olen Goodnight, Herman Wil
cox, Bob Agio, Graver Bobbins,
and Clara nee Berryman.
Several committees have al
ready been chosen from the three
sponsoring organizations. One at
the most important of these is the
Continued on page ?
Mammoth Historical Pageant
To Feature the Celebration
Of the County's Founding.
The dates for the Watauga
county centennial celebration
have been definitely fixed for
July 5 to 10, inclusive, during
which period a mammoth drama
tization of the olden days will
be featured, with some 500 play
ers in costumes such as were
[worn 100 years ago, depicting the
founding, settling and develop
ment of Watauga county ? one
hundred years of progress
Daniel Boone, who lived in a
cabtn in Boone for seven event
ful years, will be featured in the
pageant, along with a number of
pioneer families of the area. Sun
day. July 10, is set aside for re
ligious services when every
church is asked to have its chorus
ioin with the others in singing
the songs and hymns our grand
parents loved.
The citizen's committee, pro-!
jmotinfi the centennial, is asking
every organization in the coun
ty. community clubs, churches.
Parent - Teachers ? all civic
groups? to endorse the centen
nial and appoint somebody to
represent them on the citizens
rommittee. and notify Stanley A.
Harris at the Chamber of Com
merce.
Watauga Man U
Coach at Concord
Concord. N. C. ? The Concord
American Legion junior baseball
team now has a coach for the
1949 season, Lewis B. Morton,
athletic director of the post, said
yesterday.
He's Earl - Hinson of the Mt.
Pleasant High School athletic
staff. Hinson, long experienced
both in baseball and working
with youngsters, signed the con
tract yesterday.
"I'm glad to get the job," Co?ch
Hinson said, "and after last
year's start, it looks like well
have some pretty good material
to work with."
A graduate of Appalachian
State Teachers College, where he
played both baseball and foot
ball, Hinson is now in his second
year as director of athletics at
Mt. Pleasant school.
Grass Seed Orders
Temporarily Halted
The Watauga county AAA com
mittee will issue no more pur
chase orders for pasture grass
and alfalfa seeds after March 31.
After this date available funds
will be uaed for those farms who
have not applied for conservation
materials or approved conserva
tion practices. All purchase ord
ers for seed must be filled by
April 19. After that date all
unfilled orders will be cancelled.
MOST ACTIVE AT M
Amherst, Mass. ? Mrs. Lois
Mitchell, whb will celebrate her
J 5 th birthday on April 38, has
recently taken up biasa back tW
ing, mountain climbing and hitt-j
RED CROSS IS
SHORT OF GOAL
AS EFFORT IS
INTENSIFIED
Contributions Fall Short *f
Quota; Organization Gives
Many Reasons (or Contri
buting to Fund; Citizens
Are .Urged To Contribute.
The drive for funds with which
to carry on the work of the local
and national Red Cross continue*
into the third week. The total of
contributions to date is $1179.90.
The quota is not yet reached and
the Red Cross earnestly solicits
the help of everyone in reaching
the goal. The Red Cross has obli
gations and responsibilities which
no other organization assumes.
Here are some typical cases taken
at random from the files of the
local chapter.
A soldier in the South Pacific
it worried. He has received a let
ter from home which states that
his father is ill, his mother is not
able to carry on the farm work
and care for the younger child
ren. What to do about it he does
not know and so he goes to the
Red Cross field director at the
military post. The field director
writes to the Red Cross local
chapter to investigate conditions
and advise the family the neces
sary steps to take in applying
for the soldiers discharge. The
Red Cross complies with the re
quest. the papers are soon made
out and on their way to the Ad
jutant General's office in Wash
ington.
After a furlough spent with
his family here, a serviceman
starts for his station in a distant
state. The family receives no
word of his arrival and after
several weeks becomes worried
but does not know how to locate
the man. Will the Red Croes
help? It will, and in just a short
time the man is located at a
military installation hundreds of
miles from where the family
thought he W?as.
A serviceman traveling through
this county has a car accident.
What cash he has is spent in re
pairs for his car, he has no money
for gas. His family live in anoth
er section of the state* They
would be glad to advance the
money for gas but they live away
out in the country and have no
telephone. Can the Red Cross
help him? It can. It contacts the
(Continued on page four.)
Officers Seize
Whiskey Cache
Chief of Police Verne Greene,
accompanied by State Highway
Patrolmen Parker and Robertson,
seized 45 pints of whiskey at the
home of Joe Trivett on Howard
Street Tuesday morning, and Mr.
Trivett was arrested on a war
rant charging the possession of
whiskey for the purpose of sale.
Chief Greene says that Tri
vette waived his case to the
spring term of Superior court
and that his appearance bond
was fixed at $500.
?
Large Crowd at
Co. Dry Meeting
Citizens of Watauga county al
most filled the Tabernacle of
Boone Sunday afternoon in a
mass meeting. More than 800
came to indicate their interest
in helping our law enforcement
\ After much discussion in favor
of offering their services to the
law enforcement a committee
composed of W. G. Bond, W. W.
Mast, Rev. Sam Moss, Rev. W.
D. Ashley, and Grady Wilson,
was appointed ta nominate a
president, vice president, secre
tary and an executive committee
composed of a man and a woman
from each precinct in the county.
There will be a call meeting of
this newly formed Watauga Law
Enforcement League during a
noon recess period of the Spring
term of court, at which time the
officers will be elected.
I
Ensign Hal Farthing
Rites in Salisbury
Funeral service* for Wneigo
Hal B. Farthing, son at Mr. and
Mrs. C. 3. Farthing of Boone,
vrtio was killed in the Pacific
an* during the last war, will be
Im National cemetery,
V. C., March S0, at