WATAUGA DIM
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888
> i
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLIN4, THURSDAY, JUNE 2, 1949.
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
SIDEWALK ENGINEERS
gather to watch Contractor Wiley
G. Hartzog and his men pour the
new steps and walkway into the
postoffice building . . . Frank
Triplett draws the biggest con
gregation, when he hauled away
the old steps with his wrecking
equipment . . . Parking meter
concern takes out some of the
meters which had failed to yield
enough coin to justify making
the payments on the gadgets,
and re-spacing others so as to
provide more convenient park
ing, and perhaps fewer wrinkled
fenders . . . One of the city's least
industrious citizens, sitting,
hours on end, without so mucn
as a flicker of an eyelash to in
dicate animation . . . Ira Ayers'
new electric shop on North De
pot, freshly decorated, featuring
the latest in electrical gadgets
. . . school children selling the
little paper poppies about the
streets Saturday, and the oc
casional man who just couldn't
part with the dime . . .
* ? ?
PERSONAL IRRITATIONS:
Th* picture frame hanging
away from th* perpendicular
. . . The eyeglasses a bit out of
line . . . The seams in a pair of
Nylons crooked and the fabric
sagging a bit . . . th* fellow
who has that ailment about
which his b*tt friend won't
tell him. still advancing on us
when our back's hit the wall
. . . and the dead song bird,
which had been used for a
rifleman's target.
? # ?
MEMORIAL DAY comes, and
the community, as a whole, pays
little attention to the holiday
. . . all but ignoring the sacrifices
of those who died to make the_
system live . . . Schools closed,'
and jubilant kiddies flourish re
port cards, and hail vacation
time with laughter and song . . .
Two days later they didn't know
what to do with themselves . . .
Painters busily engaged in vari
ous sections of the town, the
spring face-lifting continues
in the vicinity . . . The deep
ditch on Howard Street, lighted
at night to protect the public,
will carry a larger water mairr
. . . Dink Berry, the local mill
man, filling a three gallon buck
et from the family cow at one
sitting, and observing that he
was milking a bit earlier than
common . . . Clayton Moretz,
chugging along in a T-model
touring car, the first we'd seen
in a long spell . . . Will Hayes,
from down on the river, offering
to rig a covered wagon, and ox
bows for the centennial, provid
ed some one else could furnish
the cattle . . . Frank Baird dili
gently working on the school
and road bond program, and pre
dicting an affirmative vote in
the county . . . Man complains
that liquor went up a dollar a
pint, following the outlawing of
beer, and that the budget just
won't stand the luxury of the
frosted glass . . . Lads bringing
bags of herbs to the Wilcox Drug
Co., and fishermen telling tales
of the big one that "just gave a
flip" . . . and got away . . . Re
minding us of Snooks' Linney's
placard, reading "Even a fish
would stay out of trouble if he'd
keep his mouth shut!"
? ? ?
BOB AGLE go*a out of town
and hears Governor Scott
speak In d*f*na* of his "go
forward" program, and impres
sed with th* sincerity of th*
State's chief executive . . .
"He r*ally b*li*T*t in his
preachments." says Bob. "and
has the courage to back up his
convictions . . . he's quite a
guy!" . . . Bill Murray and
others "passing the ball" dur
ing odd moments, as the coun
ty baseball league gets Into
full swing.
? ? ?
MACK WRIGHT, Johnson
county newspaper publisher,
drops in to get some land post
ers, and remarks that groundhog
hunting has become auite a
sport on the grazing lands along
the state line . . . "fact is," says
he, "I am losing one Hereford a
year, on an average, to these
seekers after the woodchuck, to
say nothing of other animals
maimed by the high power rifle
bullets." . . . Baby possums found
in the basement of the Bert Ellis
home, as carpenters start re
modeling job . . . Furbearers lose
their fear about the place, since
Bert's face is hidden by flowing
centennial beard . . ? and Howard
Holshouser, leading Blowing
Rock citizen, predicting a good
season at the neighboring resort
town.
VOICE OF AMERICA
Officials believe that a little
leas than half of the Voice *of
America programs beamed to
countries behind the Iron Curtain
are penetrating the lamming
wall set up by the Soviet radio
stations. A test of one day's
broadcasts showed about 23 per
cent penetrated the jamming
curtain in the clear, another 22
per cent was reported as pene
trating the jamming tactics in an
intelligible form, while the re
maining M per cent of the pro
grams were estimated to have
been completely obliterated.
NEW LIONS CLUB OFFICERS
New officer* of the Boon* Lions Club who will be Installed Tues
day night are pictured above. They are. left to right, seated: S.
M. Ayers and Lee Stout, rice presidents; Howard Cottrell, presl
i dent; Fred Gragg. secretary and treasurer; Gordon Winkler, di
rector; Standing: J. C. Cline and E. F. Coe. tail twisters; R. D.
Hodges, Sr., and Guy Hunt, directors: Paul Coffey. Lion tamer;
and Grady Morets. director. R. H. Harmon, director, is not shown.
(Photo By Blair)
Wooden Nickels Are
Legal Tender Here
RANKS HIGH
Linney Walker, local jeweler,
who is undoubtedly on the in
tide of the track in the race
for the Centennial bearded
man championship, with this
set of rare tonsorial decora
tions. (Photo by Blair.)
Pioneer Voting
Ends On June 30
All ballots for Watauga county
pioneer and queen of the centen
nial must be cast by 6 p. m. June
30, it is revealed by the special
committee headed by W. H.
Gragg, and no votes will be
tabulated after that date. TTiose
who have bought advance tick
ets are requested to use the stubs
provided and cast their votes at
once.
It is also stated by Mr. Gragjg
that no nominations of candi
dates for pioneer or queen will
be accepted after June 11."
Nominated by the Worthwhile
club for pioneer is W. R. Lovill,
Boone attorney, and dean of the
local bar. Mrs. Jennie White
head has been nominated by the
club for queen of the centennial.
Mount Lebanon Church has
offered the name of I. N. Minton
for pioneer, and Miss Bettie Flo
Danner as queen.
Clince F. Broyhill
Succumbs Sunday
Clince Field Broyhill. 48 year
old farmer of Brownwood, died
Sunday morrfing. en route to the
local hospital. He hod been in
ill health for some time, but a
heart attack was said to have
probably been the cause of his
death.
Funeral services were conduc
ted Wednesday afternoon at the
Laurel Springs Baptist church by
Rev. Wade Younce of Lenoir,
and Rev. C. J. Younce of Smith
port, and interment was in the
church cemetery.
The widow, three sons and
three daughters survive: Bun-el
C., J. D., Dewey, Hazel, Opal and
Evelyn Broyhill, all of Brown
wood.
Meetings Scheduled on
Better Schools, Roads
Citizens interested in better
schools and roads are urged to
attend the following meetings:
Deep Gap school, Wednesday,
June 1, at 7:30 p. m.
Mabel school, Thursday, June
2, at 7:30 p. m.
Laurel Fork Baptist church,
Friday, * ne 3, at 7:30.
Centennial Souvenirs Are
| Now Available in Three
Denominations; Other News(
"Don't take any wooden nick
els!" We've heard this lots of
times.
But in Watauga County it's:
"Get your wooden nickels now,"
or "Have you seen the wooden
nickels?"
! The wooden nickels are a spec
ial issue commemorating Watau
|ga county's founding 100 years
ago, and were printed in the local
print shop for Watauga County's
Centgnnial, Inc., which is spon
soring the celebration in July.
The nickels are printed in de
nominations of one, two and five
nickels per unit and are available
as souvenirs at various business
establishments and Centennial
headquarters. Therjr -will be ac
cepted in trade by Watauga mer
chants and business men or are
redeemable, if desired, in cash at
the local bank, according to
Stanley A. Harris, president of
the Centennial.
Only 6,000 of the souvenirs
were printed and when that sup
ply is exhausted, no more will be
available.
A special meeting of the Cen
[tennial committees was held last
week. Bob Agle, of the official
program committee, announced
that all the advertising space al
lotted the program had been sold.
D. J. Whitener, historian, gave
a brief report on his work and
read a few paragraphs from the
history of Watauga which he had
prepared.
Mr. Harris told the group that
a representative from the John
B. Rogers Producing Company
was due to arrive in Boone this
week. This company is to pro
duce "Echoes of the Blue Ridge,"
in which more than 500 persons
will take part.
Wade E. Brown listed many no
tables who will be invited to at
tend the celebration and sugges
tions of others were made by
invited were made by those at
tending the meeting.
Russell D. Hodges, Sr., an
nounced that concession rights
on the college athletic field, site
of the main celebration, have
been sold.
Season tickets for the event at
reduced rates go off sale Satur
day. Season tickets sold after that
day will be sold at face value.
The committees were told by
Watt Gragg to urge those who
have already purchased tickets to
the celebration to vote for their
choice of queen and pioneer of
the Centennial.
W. H. Gragg Gets
B.&L. Appointment
W. H. Gragg, secretary-treasur
er of the Watauga Building and
Loan Association of Boone, re
ceived word today of his appoint
ment to the Advisory Section on
State Legislation of the United
States Savings and Loan League,
the 57-year old, nation-wide
trade organization of the savings
association business. The ap
pointment came from M. K. M.
Murphy, Rutherford, New Jersey,
President of the league.
The advisory section on State
Legislation consists of the mana
gers of savings associations
operating under state charters
and primarily concerned with the
basic codes and the improvement
of those codes. The last decade
has seen a large amount of revi
sion in the savings association
codes of the various states grow
ing out of unusual experiences,
such as the depression, the re
covery period and the defense
and war eras. The process or
modernization of cooes is still
underway and the committee
works each year on bringing up
to-date the model code which it!
devised some years ago for re
ference by state legislatures
amending the laws.
RURAL HEALTH
PROBLEMS ARE
TOPIC AT 36
LOCAL MEETS
County-Wide Better Health
Organization Js Formed as
Result of Neighborhood
Mass Meetings; Question
naires Sent Out To Get
Health Status.
All >?? WataugS^county com
mujpWS have now held mass
community health meeting*, dis
cussed their rural health prob
lems, and have elected health
chairmen to represent their com
munities in a county-wide organ
ization to improve Watauga
county health. The Committee
on Better Health for Watauga
County announced . this week
that 80 community health chair
men are now surveying the major
health problems in their com
munities.
Community health question
naires were mailed a few days
ago to the chairmen in each com
munity. The questionnaire con
sists of eighteen guiding ques
tions concerning the problems
that have been brought out in
the community mass meetings.
They are:
How many families live in your
comunity?
Are bad roads a health prob
lem?
Does your community have ad
equate telephone service?
How many families have sani
tary pit privies?
How many families have no
means of sewage disposal?
How^many families have safe
water supplies?
Are there children in your com
munity who have not been im
munized against diphtheria, i
whooping cough, typhoid fever,
and smallpox? 1
How many families carry hos
pital insurance?
How many people had to go to
the hospital last year?
Is school transportation a prob
lem in your community?
How do the families in your
community dispose of their gar
bage?
How many families have their
cows tested for Bang's disease and
tuberculosis?
Does the school have safe wa
ter supplies, toilet facilities, and
handwashing facilities?
How many families have gar
dens of fresh vegetables?
Are flies a problem in your
community?
Some of the questionnaires
have already been completed and
returned to the committtee, who
will compile the facts gathered
from all over the county. The
health situation of the entire
county will be presented to a
large mass meeting to be held
sometime this montn. The com
mittee reports that although each
community has its own peculiar
health problems, most of Watauga
county communities seem to have
problems alike, such as lack of
adequate medical care, bad roads
? far too many people are sick
from preventable disease and ill
nesses ? too many children have
correctable defects, and so on.
The committee reports that the
community mass meetings have
brought forth an amazing amount
of interest in improving health
conditions throughout the county.
Plans for meeting some of these
health needs will be formulated
at a large mass meeting to be
held in Boone this month. The
committee consists of Mr. De
Witt Barnett, Mr. Stewart Sim
mons, Jflr. I. B. Wilson. Mr. Clyde
Greene, Mr. W. A. Smith, and
Dr. H. B. Perry, Jr.
Local Lions Club
To Sponsor Sale
The Boone Lions club will
sponsor a sale of brooms June
16 and 17, to provide additional
funds for the club's aid to the
blind program. Brooms and mats,
manufactured by blind people at
Guilford Industries, a non-profit
organization, will be sold.
The Guilford Industries were
founded 14 years ago, and thirty
Wind persons are now employed
there, making various kinds of
brooms mats and mops.
Local Lions plan a hous^ to
house canvass of the community
during the broom tale.
Secretary Interior
Visits N. Carolina
Gatlinburff, Term.. May 29 ?
Secretary of the Interior Julius
A. Krug ended a 22-hour stay in
Western North Carolina and
Tennessee today, departing by
nlane from Knoxvflle for Wash
ington.
At a luncheon at Biltmore
Forest Country Club near Aahe
ville, the Secretary was urged
by civic leaders to lend his as
sistance in obtaining funds tor
further development and com
Dletion of the Smoky Park and
the Blue Ridge Parkway.
. .?
Sample Ballot %
OFFICIAL SPECIAL ELECTION BALLOT
INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTER
1. To vote FOR any bond issue submitted below, make a
cross (x) mark or check mark in the square to the left
of the word FOR.
2. To vote AGAINST any bond issue submitted below,
make a cross (x) mark or check mark in the square to
the left of the word AGAINST.
1.
TWO HUNDRED MILLION DOLLARS STATE OF
NORTH CAROLINA SECONDARY ROAD BONDS
r-Q FOR the Issuance of "Two Hundred Million Dollars
State of North Carolina Secondary Road Bonds.
| | AGAINST the Issuance of Two Hundred Million Dol
lars State of North Carolina Secondary Road Bonds.
2.
TWENTY-FIVE MILLION DOLLARS SCHOOL PLANT
CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR BONDS.
| | FOR the Issuance of Twenty-Five Million Dollars
School Plant Construction and Repair Bonds.
| | AGAINST the Issuance of Twenty-Five Million Dol
lars School Plant Construction and Repair Bonds.
Sp?cial Election June 4, 1949.
HUBERT E. OLIVE
Chairman State Board of Elections.
Bond Campaign Is in
Final Stretch Locally
Road Meeting Is
Well Attended
The county-wide mass meeting!
held at the courthouse Saturday
evening in support of the road
and school bond issue, was large
ly attended by "a representative
group of citizens from different
sections of the county.
Judge A. R. Crisp of Lenoir
spoke in favor of the proposals,
as did Edw. H. McMahan, state
utilities commissioner.
Judge Crisp likened the State
administration to a corporation,
which finds it expedient to spend
large sums of money to take care
of its expanding business.
Fred Gragg Is New
Post Commander
Fred Gragg was elected com
mander of the Watauga Ameri
can Legion post Thursday 'when
new officers of the post were
selected. Installation of the new
officers will be held at a district
installation meeting at Newland
on June 3.
Other officers chosen were:
Ralph Beshears, first vice com
mander
Johnny Hollars, second vice
commander
Boyd R. Blanton, adjutant
Cleve Gross, finance officer
Lionel Ward, service officer
C. P. Dougherty, sergeant-at
arms
J. W. Norris, chaplain
Richard E. Kelley, child welfare
ntflcfr.
LEGION BASEBALL PRACTICE
American Legion baseball play
ers are requested to meet Coach
John Hollar at the College field
Saturday morning June 4 at
9 o'clock. Everyone must b?
present as pictures must be taken
to be sent off to become eligible
to compete. I
Observers Believe Scott Pro
gram Will- Fare Well in
Voting Here Saturday.
The campaign in behalf of
Governor Scott s program for tht
issuance of $200,000,000 in bonds
for the construction of rural
roads and 125,000,000 for school
house construction is going into
the home stretch in Watauga
county, with indications that the
local voters will lend overwhel
ming approval to the proposals.
Messrs Frank Balrd ana W. R.
Winkler, co-chairmen of the
campaign are being joined by
leaders in both political parties
in their efforts to bring out a
big vote next Saturday. Meetings
are being held in the various pre
cincts of the county, where
speakers are explaining the
Scott program and seeking sup
port at the ballot box.
M*?ting At Mabel
The bond advocates are spon
soring a meeting at the Mabel
Schoolhouse Thursday June 2nd
at 7:30 p. m., and an invitation
is being extended to all the vot
ers in the area to attend. Many
Boone people are expected to
take part in the meeting
Observers are predicting that
from four to five thousand votes
will be cast in the special elec
tion, and do not anticipate any
large percentage of negative bal
lots. Boone organizations have
endo??H the Scott program, and
the town is expected to vote in
conformity with the rural areas.
Wool Pool Sold '
The 1949 Watauga wool pool
has been sold to J. Cam Field of
Mouth of Wilson, Va., and the
wool will be taken up June 8, 9.
Clear wool sold for 50 cents per
pound.
VIDEO SETS
The prediction is made that
6,000,000 television receivers will
be in operation by 1951, 2,000,000
or more of which will be pro
duced this year, augmenting the
previous output of about 1450,
LOCAL WOMAN AMONG VICTIMS
OF DARING HIGHWAY ROBBERS
Lenoir, May 28 ? Two youths
who staged a J ene James hold
up and robbery of a Queen City
bus near here last night were
captured before they had time to
spend their booty.
Officers reported they recover
ed all the money taken from
Bus Driver J. v. Led ford of
Johnson City, Term., and five of
his 13 passengers.
The money and a check ?
amounting to $327.31 ? were
found on Riley Price, 19, and K.
L. Johnson, Jr., 15, of Rhodias
Both were charged with highway
robbery and placed in Caldwell
County jail in default of $10,000
bonds.
Highway Patrol Corp. Frank
Kennerly said the youths board
ed the bus at Boone and rode as
passengers to the foot of the
mountain 14 miles north of here
before ordering Ledtord atgnn
point to stop the bus. There,
Kennerly said. Price held th?
pistol while Johnson walked
along the aisle collecting money
from passengers. Thqn they rode
seven miles nearer Lenoir, where
they left the bus and disappear
ed.
Patrolmen and deputy sheriffs
arrested them about an hour
later walking alone a highway
two miles from the scene of the
stiekup.
Officers listed the passenger
victims as Merle L. Everett of
Elizabeth town, Tenn., $3; D. V.
Miller of Davidson, $5; Walter
Jolly of Taylorsville, $48; D. F.
Haigler of Knoxville, Tenn., $82
cash and a check for $161.21; and
Emma Jean Reynolds of Boone,
$18. Ledford was relieved of $10.
Kennerly said that Price re
turned home only a fortnight
ago after serving a sentence in a
federal reformatory for breaking
and entering the post office at
Hudson.
Deputy Sheriff Claude Gobel
said that Johnson had admitted
having a hand in burglarizing a
grocery store at Rhodias Sunday
night Cash and tobaccos were
taken.
Court attendants said tonight
that it would be about two weeks
before the youths would be trtad.
SCHEDULE OF
CLINIC DATES
IS GIVEN BY
HEALTH DEPT
Typhoid Clinks Arc Arrang
ed for Yarious Sections of
Watauga; Other Serum May
Be Administered; Complete
Schedule of Dates Is Re
leased.
It Is time to hold the typhoid
clinics for this year and vaccina
tion for whooping cough, diph
theria and smallpox will also be
offered. Because most people
are now taking their typhoid
shots once each year instead of
taking three doses every two or
three years, each point on the
clinic schedule will be visited
only once. If anyone needs to be
vaccinated more than one time
he can get his second and third
doses by coming to the Health
Department in. Boone on a Wed
nesday or Saturday morning or
by attending one of the other
clinics. Mrs. Smith will be in
the Health department each Wed
nesday and Saturday morning
and anyone may receive their
vaccination on those days. We
suggest that you clip this sched
ule and post it so as to remind
you not to miss the clinic in your
community. The schedule for
clinics will be as follows:
June 7: Brushy Fork, Harrison
& Harmon store, 9:30-1030 a. m.:
Vilas, Glenn's store, 11:00-12:00
a. m.; Willow Dale church, 1:00
2:00 p. m.; Cove Creek, Moody's
store, 2:30-3:30 p. m.
June 9: Sherwood store, 9:30
10:30 a. m.; Jim Mast's store,
11:00-12:00 a. m.; Silverstone,
Wilson's store, 1:00-2:00 p. m.;
Mabel store, 2:30-3:30 p. m.
June 10: Rich Mountain school,
9:30-10:30 a. m.; Winebarger
school, 11:00-12:00 a. m.
June 14: Laxon Post Office,
9:30-10:30 a. m.; Deep Gap school,
11:00-12:00 a. m.; StoTlfy Fork
school, 1:00-2:00 p. m.; Wellborns
store, 2:30-3:30 p. m.
June 16: South's store, 9:30
10:30 a. m.; Green Valley school
11:00-12:00 a. m.; Riverview
school, 1:00-2:00 p. m - Howard's
Creek school, 2:30-3:30 p. m.
June 20: Howard Mast's (to re,
9:30-10:30 a. m.; Matney store,
11:00-12:00 a. m.; Rominger Post
Office, 1 :00r2:00 p. m.
June 21: Hagaman's store, 9:30
10:30 a. m.; Reese, Dean Reese's
store, 11:00-12:00 a. m.; Bethel
school, 1:00-2:30 p. m.
June 23: Popular Grove church,
9:30-10:30 a. m.; Shulls Mills
Post Office, 11:00-12:00 a. m.;
Foscoe store, 1:00-2:00 p. m.;
Grandfather, Fox store, 2:30-3:30
p. m.
June 24: Rutherwood,' Michael's
store, 9:30-10:30 a. m? Bamboo
school, 11:00-12:00 a. m.;, Trip
lett school, 1:00-2:00 p. m.
June 27: Phillip's Branch, Wil
low Valley church, 9:30-10:30 a.
m.; Victor Ward's store, 11:00- '
12:00 a. m.; Windy Gap school,
1:00-2:30 p. m.
June 28: Tijnbered Ridge
church, 10:30-12:00 a. m.; Peoria,
Green Valley church, 1:00-2:00
p. m.
Nursery School at
Valle Crucis Planned
Plans are underway at Holy
Cross Church, Valle Crucis, to
establish a day nursery school
for children of pre-school age. It
is hoped that tne school can be
started early in September. The
church authorities feel that such
a school would be a valuable as
set in giving limited school ex
perience to the children of the
community who will soon be en
tering regular public school.
In order to explain the proposed
school and to give information
about the very moderate coat per
child and other details, all par
ents with pre-school age chil
dren are urged to attend a meet
ing at the church on Sunday,
June S, at 2:30 p. m.
It should be stated that a bus
system is planned, so it will be
possible for children from out
side the immediate vicinity of the
church to attend the nursery
school.
Mrs. W. W. Holsclaw
Dies in Rosel&nd
Mrs. W. W. Holsclaw, a pion
eer resident of Watauga county
and sister-in-law of Mr*. W. L.
Henson of Boone, died at her
home in Rose land, Fla., Monday,
following an illness of more than
services and interment
will be In Roaeland today.
Surviving are one son, end
three daughters: Ralph Holsclaw,
Misses Edna and Hazel Holsclaw,
Rowland, fla: and Mrs. Ned
Hagg, Tucson, Ariz.
Mrs Holsclaw was a native of
Watat^^coLmty, and^wttowjerf
al store in thevkdnity of^lnr
dale Church many yean ago. Hit
family had lived to llorida tor
more than SO years. ?
Sj 7