An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1 888
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JUNE 16, 1949
VOL. LXI, NO. 51
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
CIVIL TERM of superior court
gets down to business, with pro
spects that a considerable num
ber of the cases which have
cluttered the calendar for the
pait months, and years, may be
tried . . . anyway the lawyers
seem hopeful they will be able
to clear away some of the suits
. . . Relatively few attend these
terms . . . but they just love the
ones when the State has a long
long line of denfendants lined
up. and most folks are tickled no
end, when a defendant-draws a
long term or has to pay a fine,
which just about busts the whole
generation . . . they just won't
warm up to these day long ses
sions about the line fence which
should have cornered at the
double sycamore, near the Span
iel oak, and had for generations
"run down the south side of the
branch" to a possum grapevine
on a scrub oak . . . till the new
settler took it upon himself to
set the fence from the cucumber
sprouts, 'tother side the crick,
way around by the crooked black
gum. to a rock at the Simpkins
line . . . "So I had to go to law"
. . . Nope, this sort of thing is no
good to the professional follow
upper of the mills of justice ...
only satisfaction he can get is
that sometimes the "hog rifle"
is used as a result of one of these
land-line disputes . . . then the
flint-hearted are all set for a
heap of fun . . . Man's inhum
anity to man is most clearly de
monstrated in a court of law, but
there are some exceptions . . .
We know a fellow who makes
the round of the county jail ever
so often and bails out the drunks
and others . . . and he's not an
office-seeker at that . . . Such
folks, those who want to set their
neighbor on the right track, and
get him straightened out down
the long road, are just a bit
scarce, but the few we see bring
' cheer to those of us who some
times have our faith shaken in
the goodness of mankind.
A SUNDAY TRIP down lo
the Blair airilrip. and a brief
cruise over town in one of the
cub plane*, piloted by Crayte
Teague, local electrician, who
took up flying as a hobby some
time ago . . . Haying been about
tea T*ars since we last took a
flight oyer the community,
was impressed by the growth
of the town during the in
terim . . . The biggest little
tewn in the State, looks eyen
bigger from upstairs, and a
bird's aye yiew of the com
munity proyides a pleasant in
terlude. as well as a better
knowledge of the extent of the
progress which has been made
by the old home town.
TOURIST CAR parks in the
shade of a tree along the street
while the man of the house,
takes a pint size pootch from the
car and looks right embarrassed
as he seeks an acceptable shrub,
which the perp can use as a com
fort station, while he holds the
leach in an apologetic manner,
and the women folks look on
with anxious faces . . . "Middle
aged folks just don't look right
on bicycles," says paragrapner
. . . and we didn't feel exactly
right either after a brisk round
of pedaling . . . trying to keep
up with the whizzing bike of a
bitzy girl . . . Rev. Sam Moss
announces that the Senior Bishop
of the Methodist church. Dr.
Edwin H. Hughes, is to return to
his pulpit the week of June 26,
and the folks who heard the
scholarly sermonizer here last
fall, are welcoming the oppor
tunity of hearing him again . . .
Rom Lovill, one of our old
neighbor boys, who has been
gone from the town for over
thirty years, visits for a while,
and exchanges reminiscences of
the old Hays . . . and traveling
evengelist lambasts local preach
ers for "failure to preach the
Word of God," without himself
ever bringing any information
from within the covers of the
Book
KANGAROO COURT holds
forth down at Joe Todd's ser
vice station, where the "Bre
thren of the Brush" have bulll
a crude stockade for those who
fail to let some whiskers flour
ish for the centennial . . .
number of the smooth-faced
gentry fall into the toils, >nd
fines are handed down alter
ludicrous court-room procedur
es .. . President doubts his
ability to come to Boone for
the centennial, while Governor
executive of the Stele of Mis
souri might have been asked,
since our own Dnl Boone is
alleged to have laid down the
agutrr ' gun and hung up the
powder horn somewhere out
in (he "show me" State,
e ? e
FARMERS and gardeners re
joice as drought is broken with
copious showers, but already
some at the folks who had scan
ned the sides most anxiously for
a cloud, and watered down the
lawn each evening, are complain
ing and wishing for a return of
the sunny skies.
? 9
MAYOR BUYS FIRST BROOM
Mayor Gordon Winklar is ihown making tba first purchasa of a
broom from Howard Coltrell, of th? Lima Club, as tba organisa
tion conducts a housa to housa sala to prorlda additional funds
for tba blind fund. Tha sala will ba conductad through Thursday
and Friday of this waak. ? Photo by Blair.
Gragg Chosen to Head
Republican City Ticket
CANDIDATE
Former Mayor and Building
& Loan Official Gets Party'
Nomination.
Miss Mickey McGuire, Chamber
of Commerce candidate for Queen
of the Centennial.
(Photo By Blair)
Five Are Injured
In Auto Crash
A Lenoir woman was serious
ly injured and her husband was
hospitalized as a result of a col
lision of two automobiles on the
detour road between Boone and
Blowing Rock Saturday night.
Mrs. R. J. Fox is in a critical
condition at Watauga Hospital
and her husband is less serious
ly injured, according to hospi
tal attaches. '
Three men were dismissed
from the hospital after treatment
of injuries suffered in the colli
sion. They were identified as
Ernie McGuire, 26; Clarence
Wilson, 34; and Mack Shook, 20,
all residents of the Silverstone
community.
Highway Patrolman R. B. Par
ker, who investigated ? the acci
dent, reported that McGuire is
being held without bond in the
county jail on a charge of driv
ing while intoxicated.
Bishop Hughes To
Return to Boone
Bishop Edwin Holt Hughe*,
senior Bishops of the Methodist
Church will return to Boone the
week of June 20. Bishop Hughes
was here in November and was
so enthusiastically received by
all who heard him that a second
invitation was extended. He will
preach each evening at the Boone
Methodist Church at seven-thirty
o'clock.
Bishop Hughes brines an
Evangelistic message with a
rich scholarly background. He is
popular with both youth and
adults. In Protestant circles he
is considered <*-><= of the great
preachers of tui country and of
his denomination. He has travel
ed widely and since unification
of the Methodist Church has be
come increasingly popular in
Southern areas.
SQUARE DAXCE
There will be a benefit square
dance* at Valle Cruris Mission
School Saturday evening, June
IS from 8 to II.
Watt H. Gragg, former Mayor
of Boone, and secretary of the
Building and Loan Association,
has been nominated by the Re
publicans as a candidate for May
or in the election June 21.
Candidates for aldermen nom
inated by the G. O. P. are Ken
neth Linney, I. T. Barnett and
Earl Cook. D. L. Wilcox had
previously been named a candi
date for the board, but withdrew
from the race, and Mr. Cook was
named in his stead.
On the Democratic slate all
the incumbent officials are run
ning: Gordon H. Winkler for
Mayor; Guy Hunt, Councill
Cooke and Grady Moretr 'ir al
dermen.
Considerable interest is begin
ning to develop in the contest
and the usual rather heavy vote
is expected to be cast.
Winkler Named to
Auto Dealer*' Post
W. R. Winkler, local Ford
dealer, has been appointed area
chairman for the National Auto
mobile Dealers Association to
stimulate active participation in
the Association's national pro
grams throughout Watauga
County.
Mr. Winkler was selected as
area chairman by a committee of
the National Association and
NCADA officials. The appoint
ment was announced by P. L.
Abernethy of Charlotte, director
of NADA for North Carolina, and
M. Brack Wilson of Smithfield,
President of the State Associa
tion.
NADA is the largest retail
trade association in the country
with a membership of more than
34,000 new automobile and new
truck dealers. The national or
ganization is widely known for
its sponsorship of highway safe
ty and other public interest pro
prams and its policy of support
ing the highest standards and
etnics of retail automobile mer
chandising.
High, Elementary
Schools To Open
The Appalachian High and
elementary demonstration
schools will open their summer
terms next Tuesday at nine
o'clock, so that students may
further advance themselves or
make up work they have failed
to pass.
Bus service will be afforded
from Meat Camp, the Miller
School area, Rutherwood, Bam
boo, Cove Creek and Poplar
Grove. ?
0#ners of Bonnets
Asked To Report
It is requested by the Centen
nial Committee that all who have
bonnets and Centennial costume*,
old or new, report tame to the
Costume Committee by sending
a postal card to Mrs. W. M. Math
eson, Mrs. 3. C. dine, or Mrs.
S tailings at the Jewelry store.
Two hundred and fifty are need
ed.
Bonnets should be worn on the
streets at all times
M'GUIRE, JONES
TIED FOR LEAD
IN CONTEST FOR
QUEEN OF FETE
? ?
Voting for Centennial Pio
neer and Queen Goes into
Final Stretch with Local
Women Tied; Rev. Mr.
Gregg Holds Heavy Lead in
Pioneer Race ~
Mickie McGuire and Barbara
Jones are tied . in the race for
Queen of the W&tauga Centennial
as the voting goes into the final
stretch. Both candidates have
33,000 votes as of June 10.
Rev. S. E. Gragg holds a com
manding lead for Pioneer with
58,000 as compared with 21,000
for John W. Hodges and 13,000
for B. B.' Dougherty.
The Centennial Committee
urges the public to cast their bal
lots before the deadline June 30
at 6 p. m. Votes are counted
each Friday and latest results
are published in the Democrat.
Boxes are located in Carolina
Pharmacy, Boone Drug Company,
Northwestern Bank and the
Boone postoffice.
A complete list of candidates
for Queen and Pioneer follows
(several nominees have no votes
because they were nominated
late and the public was not aware
of their nomination): for Queen,
Dorothy Norris, 19,000; Annie
Mae Carroll. 15,000; Rebecca
Shoemake, 14,000; Katie Sue
Farthing, 11,000; Rachel ? Anne
Vance, 2,000; BHlie Badge t, 1,000.
Other nominees are Shirley Max
Swift, Betty Flo Danner, Mar
garet Dotson, Mrs. Loy McGuire,
Virginia Moody, Janet Farthing,
Rubby Moody, Fairy Hodges,
Velma Burnley, Joan Aldridge
Mary Helen Teague, and Virginia
Jones.
Other nominees for Pioneer are
J. M. Moretz, 10,060; W. W. Mast.
8,000; and Jack C. Norris, 1,000.
B. & L. League
Meets At Rock
'
The three-day session of the
North Carolina Building and
Loan League, which is being held
at Blowing Rock, will come to an
end Wednesday noon.
Mr. W. H. Gragg, secretary of
the Watauga Building & Loan,
has been attending the sessions,
along with other members of the
directorate of the local institu
tion. Mr. Gragg is a member of
the reception committee for the
convention.
Speakers included Franklin D.
Richards of Washington, Federal
Housing commissioner; O. K. La
Roque, member of the Home Loan
Bank board; Dr. Kenneth Mc
Farland , superintendent of
schools at Tope lea, Kan.; Dr. Mal
colm McDermott of the Duke un
iversity law school; Carter K.
Rugbies of Boston, executive vice
president of the Northeastern
Federal Savings league; James
W. Holt of the Home Loan bank
of Winston-Salem; Senator Clyde
R. Hoey of Shelby, and Horace
Russell of Chicago, general coun
sel of the U. S Savings and Loan
league.
Officers of the association are
George E. Waltson of Greens
boro, president; ft. L. Sides of
Rocky Mount, vice president; and
E. D. Kuykendall, Jr., of Greens
boro, executive vice president.
Agle Resign* from
March Dimes Effort
R. E. Agle, who for three years
has conducted the March of
Dimes campaign in Watauga
county, has tendered his resigna
tion to Mr. Howard Cottrell,
chairman of the local Infantile
Paralysis chapter, in order that
as much time as possible be al
lowed for the naming of his suc
cessor well in advance of the
next fund-raising campaign.
. Mr. Agle, \trho ? has been out
standingly successful In the wel
fare work during his tenure in
office, expresses regrets that he
has found it necessary to relin
quish the post, owing to the pres
sure of personal aad civic acti
vities.
President Truman Invited iTo
' _ ? ?/ .
Attend Centdtanial Celebration
PIONEER CANDIDATE, WIFE
?? -T" : ?- r ,
Mr. Jaka N orris. Cantanniai Pionaar candidal*, and Mr*. Morris.
Mr. Norris' candidacy U baing iponsorad by tha Fairriaw church.
Lt. Roy E. Fox Victim
Of Jet Fighter Crash
Local Man Dies in Crash of
F-84; Services Held Here
Saturday Afternoon
Lieut. Roy E. Fox, 21, of Boone
was killed last Wednesday when
his F-84 fighter plane crashed
into Lake Moultrie near Monck's
Corner. S. C.
Witnesses to the accident said
the plane was seen flying low
over the hydro-electric reservoir
just before it crashed some 400
yards offsltore, the Shaw Field
public relations office reported.
Two fishermen, Mitchell Altin
and Gus Alton of Charleston, re
covered the body within 20
minutes after the crash, but Fox
had apparently been killed by
the impact.
He was a member of the 20th
Fighter Group, and was station
ed at Shaw Field, near Sumter,
a c.
Funeral services were conduct
ed from the Methodist Church
in Boone Saturday afternoon,
Hev. S. B. Moss being in charge
of the rites. Dr. B. 3. Dougherty,
?resident of Appalachian Col
lege, paid tribute to the life of
the deceased. Business houses
closed during the funeral. Inter
ment was in the city cemetery.
Lieut Frank Bell, a close
friend of the deceased, accom
panied the body to Boone.
Lieut. Fox graduated from the
Boone high school in 1945, fol
lowing which he served a year
in the Navy. Meantime he took
flying lessons at Charlotte and
secured a private license before
enlisting in the air corps. He
completed cadet training last
February, was given his wings,
and assigned to Shaw Field.
Surviving are the parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Filmore Fox, two
brothers and one sister: La verne
and Ray Fox, Boone; Mrs. Ray
mond Craig, Lenoir.
Chevrolet Company
Opens Next Saturday
The Colvard Chevrolet Com
pany will have the formal open
ing of its new sales rooms, parts
and service departments on De
pot Street next Saturday. The
elegant new building is expected
to attract large numbers of visi
tors, when the Colvard staff
plays host. Door prizes will be
given.
The Colvard plant is one of the
most extensive automobiles sales
and servicing establishments in
this area, and Mr. Colvard is be
ing congratulated upon the valu
able additions he has made to the
community.
THREE-QUARTER CLUB SEEKS
TO ENROLL THOSE OVER 75l
An effort is being made to lo
cate all persona in the county
?M has been named chairman ofi
the special committee appointed
who were bom prior to 1875, and to enroll the old-timer*, 'and the
these folks, who hare seen three- |eroup is to be known as the
fourths of the history of Watauga 'Three-Quarter* Club."
county unfold, will be given spec- Those who come under this
ial recognition at the Centennial ria? fflcation an asked to fill in
the coupon below and mail
hand it in si once:
celebration, it Is
Former Sheriff John W. Hod
John W. Hodges,
Boone, North Carolina.
My name is
Address Date of birth
DIES IN CRASH
Lieut. Hoy E. Fox
Civil Court Term
Now Id Progress
The June civil term t>f Wa
tauga Superior Court convened
Monday with Judge Charles L.
Coggin of Salisbury presiding,
and a number of cases have been
disposed of.
The term, which was called
for two weeks, is for the trial of
civil cases only.
Funeral Service Held
For Richard Shoemake
Funeral services were con
ducted at Boone's Fork Advent
Church at 2 p. m. Sunday for
Richard Shoemake, who died
June 10 at the home of hit
daughter, Mrs. D. L. Berry, in
Boone. The Rev. Don Henley of
Linville was in charge and in
terment was in White Springs
Cemetery.
Mr. Shomake, 70, had been ill
for two weeks. He was married
to Miss Mary Hartley in 1898.
Surviving are four children,
Sterling, Steward, and Ed Shoe
make and Mrs. D. L. Berry;
twenty-one grandchildren: six
great grand-children; two broth
ers, Lee Shoemake of Colletts
ville and Ab Shoemake of Boone;
three sisters, Mrs. Newton Hart
ley, Blowing Rock; Mrs. Frank
Kstes, Mulberry; and Mrs.
Emma Edmisten, Lenoir.
Local Couplet Are
Married 58 Years
Mr. and Mrs. R L. Bingham
and Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Casey
were guests at the meeting of the
Stewards of the Methodist
church held last Friday night,
both couples celebrating their
Mth wedding anniversaries at
that time. Also peasant war*
Mrs. A E. South, daughter of
the Caseys, and Mr. South, who
were obeerving their 33rd anni
versary.
The Stewards and honor guests
were served dinner by cine no.
1 of the Woman's Missionary So
President Writes Watauga
Democrat Publisher Hut
He Doubts If He Can Be
Present Here in July
The President of the United
States has been invited to parti
cipate in the Watauga County
Centennial Celebration July 5
10. In a letter last week to Rob
Rivers, publisher of the Wa
tauga Democrat. President Tru
man said "I find it very difficult
to get out of Washington except
sometimes over long week-ends
and I doubt very much whether
I will be able to come," but he
did not say definitely that he
could not attend.
Mr. Rivers, on behalf of the
Watauga Centennial Committee
and the Watauga Democrat, ex
tended the President the invita
tion through Congressman Ro
bert L. Doughton, who added hia
appeal for Ur. Truman to attend.
Mr. Doughton, whom the Presi
dent called "My good friend Con
gressman Doughton," visited the
white House last week to extend
the invitation. Mr. Truman has
also been invited to speak aft
Winston-Salem. Last week at ?
press conference, the President
gave encouragement to local
hopes that he might come to
Boone by saying that he hoped
to make a speech in North Caro
lina "soon."
Governor W. Kerr Scott has
1 invited other governors to parti
cipate in the Education Day pro
fram scheduled for July 7 when
>r. B. B. Dougherty, president
and founder of Appalachian
State Teachers College, will be
honored. The Tar Heel governor
Monday invited Governors Earl
C. Clements of Kentucky, Gor
don Browning of Tennessee, and
William M. fuck of Virginia to
join in the celebration. Senator
Frank P. Graham, former presi
dent of the University of North
Carolina, has already accepted
an invitation to speak on the
evening program. Senator Clyde
R. Hoey has also tentatively ac
cepted an invitation to appear
on the day's program.
Former Republican National
Chairman Carroll Reece, at one
time a resident of this section, as
expected to take part in second
night festivities on June 6, when
the pioneer resident will be in
troduced. Dr. L G. Greer, for
merly a professor at Appalachian
State Teachers College, and now
executive vice-president of the
North Carolina Business Foun
dation, will speak July 8 during
"Youth Day" observances.
State Commissioner of Agri
culture L. Y. Ballentine will
speak July 0 when farmers of
the section will be honored.
"Worship Day" will be observed
Mrs. Calloway Dm*
At TolHver Home
?
| Mrt. Amanda Janette Callo
W, '? yean old, died aft her
July 10, last day of the festival.
Church services will be held
throughout the county and In the
afternoon residents of the coun
ty will gather on the athletic
field of the college to sing bal
lads which had a part in the
history of the county.
Chairman Stanley A Harris
has announced the theme of the
observances will be "one hund
red years .of progress."
Scotl Names Eight
College Trustees
Governor W. Kerr Scott this
week appointed eight new mem
bers to the nine-member board
of trustees of Appalachian State
Teachers College. Only one old
member was reappointed .
The appointees, whose terms of
office expire May 1, 1953, are as
follows: i
William J. Conrad, Jr, Win
ston-Salem, reappointed.
W. W. Mast of Boone, to suc
ceed G. P. Hagaman, also of
Boone.
Mrs. J. M. Lackey, Taylorsville,
to succeed Eugene Transou of
Sparta.
Fred N. Colvard, Jefferson, who
suc'ceeds the late T. C. Bowie.
C. C. Faw, Sr., North Wilkes
boro, to succeed the late Hugh
Cranor of Wilkesboro.
D. W. M. Roberts, Lenoir, to
succeed Mrs. E. F. Reid, also of
Lenoir.
State Senator B, C. Brock,
Mocksville, who succeeds V. D.
Guire of Lenoir.
Mrs. Harry a Caldwell of
Greensboro, to succeed Wade E.
Brown, Boone. >
Sam Jones, Statesville, to suc
ceed W. M. Moore, also of I
ville.