WATAUGA DEMOCRAT I
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An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888 1
VOL. LXII, NO- 2. . BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1949.
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FIVE CENTS
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
FOURTH OF JULY celebrants
flee to the mountains as torrid
weather continues in the low
lands, and mingle with those
who came specifically to attend
the centennial celebration . . .
large crowds are converging on
the town as this is written to take
part in the festivities marking
the 100th anniversary of the date
when a new county was carved
from Ashe, Caldwell, Wilkes and
Yancey, to become a century lat
er, the educational and com
mercial center of a wide area . . .
One of those we greeted Monday
was J. P. Hagaman, 89 years old,
a resident of Knoxville, Tenn.,|
who hadn't been in his native
county for 73 years . . . Capus
White and Mrs. White from
down Raleigh way. spending the
week here, and the former giv
ing down with some of the poli
tical information gathered around
the State capital and in travels
about the State . . . Willard
Beach, up from York, S. C. for
the week, and doing some chores
about the Democrat office
through force of habit.
? ? *
WILLIAM G. TODD, the
oldest man living in- this im
mediate vicinity, who was born
in Boone, and who has a keen
memory of incidents in the
community for near 80 years,
answers a few questions of
ours on the street the other
day . . . Mi. Todd, a son of the
late CoL Joe B. Todd, says the
oldest building in this vicinity
is the Greer House, near the
bus station, which he well re- I
members for 80 years, and
"?which must be 100 years old."
. . . Mr. Todd has in his posses
sion the coat of a Mexican
soldier. which CoL Todd
brought back to this locality in
104*. on" his return from the
Mexican war . . . The coat is In
fair condition, and was taken
from a soldier shot by CoL
Todd, who explained it was
his life or mine" . . . Years lat
er. the local warrior enlisted
in the army of the Confederacy
and was promoted to a Colonel
cy . . . He was one of the
?arly-day clerks of the Superi
or court of Watauga county.
? ? ?
ON MONDAY we did a lot of
handshaking with friends and
acquaintances about the
town, and found quite a fewj
who could greet one cordially!
... Of course we wouldn't ex
pect to run across the suevei
handshake of Frank Payne . . .
that would be expecting tool
much . . . but we were interest-1
ed in the different handshakes
and the methods employed . . . '
Quite a few of our old chums.,
extended a limp hand, barely'
touched ours and withdrew, put-l
ting us in the mind of stroking
a fish's tail, others shook fairly
well, but seemed sorta of scared
to linger, while occasionally we
were caught in a grip of steel,
while our friend spoke through
teeth, clenched by the strain, and
we hoped the traces of agony in
our face might be mistaken by the
strong man for a sun grin ... ;
ONE OF THE OLD LAND- I
MARKS of the town Is the
hug* sugar maple tree which
stands ia front of the old
Democrat office, and under
whose boughs a lot of folks
gather when the sun is at meri
dian in the summer time . . .
The tree, when little more than
a sprout, was set there by Dr.
J. G. Hirers, one of the town's
first councilman and his young
son. Robert C. Hirers. Sr.. more
than SO years ago . . . States
men. cracker box politicians,
laborers, farmers and business '
mm have gathered there
through the decades and made
a pass at settling the problems
of County. State and Nation,
and Bob Rirers. the first, so
cherished the maple that he
left a writing, as an admoni
tion to his son. and to officials
of the town to protect the anci
ent tree, which was quite a
sapling when the town was in
corporated.
? ? ?
UP ON THE COURTHOUSE
LAWN is another tree, which
provides a monument for a man
yet living . . . the big aspin,
where jurors, witnesses and
others are wont to while away
the time, particularly in the fall,
while the court is getting ready
to use them . . . More than forty
years ago, when John W. Hodges
was sheriff of Watauga county,
he dismounted from his horse at
the courthouse, and stuck his
aspin riding switch in the
ground. . . . the branch took root,
and'- the magnificent tree result
ed .. . Both these, however may
be antedated by the big oak on
the hill to the rear of the J. M.
Moret i residence . . . we don't
know. . .
? ? ?
HEARTIEST CONGRA
TULATIONS to Dr. B. B.
Dougherty on the romplatUm
of fifty years of educational
?en lee . . . The growth of Ap
palachian College from a 3
elementary school estab
fiftr years ago. to per
haps the leading teachers col-*
lege ia the South, is a story of
- (Continued on page 4)
WHEN DISASTER STRUCtf ALONG THE STREET
This old photograph give* a view of King Street. taken February 28, 1902. after ? disastrous flood
iwept down the mountain streams. In the right foreground is shown the original Democrat build
ing. almost on the exact tile of the present newspaper office, while further along is the Bryan
House, and the Blair Hotel. At the left is the J. D. Councill residence on the site of the present
postoffice.
'Echoes ot the Blue Ridge' Cast
The cast for "Echoes of the|
Blue Ridge" is listed as follows :|
Queen of the Centennial, Mic
key McGuire.
Miss Columbia? Barbara Jones.
Belle of Colonial Days ? Doro
thy Nprris.
Miss South ? Billie Badgett.
Miss East ? Velma Brumly.
Miss West ? Annie Mae Carroll.
Miss North ? Rebecca Shoe
make.
Her Ladyship of Canada ? Shir-:
ley Max Swift.
Ladies-in-Waiting to Queen ? >
Ruby Moody, Katie Sue Farthing,
Joan Aldridge, Virginia Jones.
Ladies of Colonial Days ? Mary
Helen Teague, Betty Jo Danner.
Trumpeters ? Patsy Swift, Mary
Sue Walsh, Joy Brown, Katherine
Greene, Jo Ann Hardin, Isabel
Eggers.
Color Guards ? American Le
gion, James Moore, James Tern*
pleton, Walter Ragan; VFW, Lylei
Cook.
Boy Scouts of America ? Frank
Linney Coffey, Tony Winkler,
Buddy McGuire, Billy Rush. Gra
don Greer, S. G. Tugman, Bill
Austin, Clyde Austin, Tom Law
rence, Johnny Hodges, Collis Aus
tin, Dick Winkler, Jimmie Cline,
Joe Moretz.
Cubs ? Bobby Henson, Gail
Henson. Charles Henson, Jack
Mast, George Mast, Gordon Mast
Johnny Mast, Bobby Mast, Ralph
Presnell. James Presnell, Jim
(Continued on page 8)
"ECHOES OF THE BLUE RIDGE"
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE CREATION OF
WATAUGA COUNTY
(1849 ? 1949)
SEMICENTENNIAL CELEBRATION OF THE FOUNDING
OF APPALACHIAN STATE TEACHERS COLLEGE
(1899 ? 1949)
Stanley A. Harris Danfel J. Whitener
Director of Celebrations Chairman of Education Day
Thursday, July 7, 1949
EDUCATION DAY, JULY 7
PROGRAM
10:00 a% m. ? Open House at the College
10:30 a. m. ? Band parade and concert
Appalachian, Mooresville, Winston-Salem
11:00 a m. ? Celebrating the founding of Appalachian State Teachers Col
lege and honoring Dr. B. B. Dougherty
Song ? "America the Beautiful" Audience
Prayer Rev. Watt Cooper
Introduction of presiding officer Stanley A. Harris
Hon. L. Y. Ballentine, Commissioner of Agriculture, presiding
Addresses:
Dr. Frank P. Graham- United States Senator
Hon. Clyde R. Hoey United States Senator
Solo ? "Old Spinning Wheel" Hoyt Safrit
Addresses:
Hon. Johnson J. Hayes _... Judge United States Court
Hon. D. Hiden Ramsey Editor Asheville Citizens-Times
Quartette "When You and I Were Young, Maggie"
Rachel Ann Vance, Leonard Eury, Porter Krupke,
and Rogers Whitener
Address Hon. R. L. Doughton, United States Congressman
Music directed by Mrs. Virginia W. Linney
2:30 p. m. ? Reunion of Alumni and Friends of Appalachian State
Teachers College
Registration
Presiding, Dr. Lloyd D. Hobbs, Alumni President
Band concert, interpretative dancing by Physical Education De
partment, singing.
Prayer Dr. Walter Stanbury
Five minute talks:
Prof. Herbert W. Wey, "High School Teacher Training"; Prof.
John T. Howell, "Elementary Teacher Training"; Prof. Chappel
Wilson, "The Graduate School"; Dean J. D. Rankin, "The
Building Program"; Coach E. C. Duggins, "Football Prospects."
Recognition of classes
7:00 p. m. ? Public Education
Band concert (6:45 p. in.)
Presiding, Dr. Daniel J. Whitener ?
Prayer -. Dr. W. G. Bond
Addresses: - ?
Dr. Clyde A. Erwin, State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Hon. Leroy Martin, former Executive Secfttary of State School
Commission
Hon. B. C. Brock, North Carolina State Senator
8:15 p. m. ? Grand Pageant showing the histories of Watauga County and
Appalachian State Teachers College
Celebration x Throngs
Honor Local Leader
BLOWING ROCK
STREET DANCE,
PARADE FIRST
GALA EVENT
Fourth of July Events at
Blowing Rock Mark Start of
Centennial Observation, Pa
rade from Boone Hampered
By Rain; Tuesday Sees'
Boone Jammed
Watauga county's centennial
celebration started in Blowing
Rock Monday evening with a
street dance, as the culmination
of a gala Fourth of July round
of entertainment at the resort
town, and despite the afternoon
rain, a large crowd jammed the
Streets to witness the centennial
parade from Boone.
The three day precentennial
bill at Blowing Rock included a
pet show, gymkhana, fiddlers
convrnti*n, baseball game, songs
and dances.
Tuesday afternoon the streets
of Boone were jammed with
vehicles and pedestrians as the
main centennial program got
under way with a colorful par
ade, starting at 2:30, depicting
historical events connected with
the growth of the town and
county. Old vehicles, a stage
coach, buggies, old-time auto
mobiles, floats, bands, groups of
bearded men, and ladies clothed
in the garments of another day,
featured the gay parade.
Governor Scott was to have
been present for the start of the
activities down at college field,
but had just returned from Colo
rado, and Lieutenant Governor
Pat Taylor was speaking in his
stead.
This evening (Tuesday) at press
[time, Miss Mickey McGuire is
being crowned queen of the cen
tennial, and 89-year-old Rev. S.
E Gragg of Shulls Mills will be
honored as pioneer, when the
first staging of the historical
pageant "Echoes of the Blue
Ridge," will take place on col
lege field. The performances in
clude 500 characters, and will
continue each night during the
week.
Homtcoming Day
Hon. Carroll Reese, former na
tional chairman of the Republi
can committee, and former con
gress member from Tennessee
will make the principal address
at Homecoming Day Wednesday,
while the highspot of the week's
festivities will be Thursday
when Dr. B. B. Dougherty will
be honored for his fifty-years
service to the cause of public
education in this community.
FIRST MAYOR
W. L. Bryan, Esq., Boone's first
Mayor, as he looked thirty or
more years ago. The photograph
was taken from Arthur's History,
toward the writing of which Mr.
Bryan contributed a large share.
Plans For Air
Show Complete
Mr. H. C. Sisk, Jr., manager of
the Morganton-Lenoir airport
has announced plans for the air
show here Sunday July 10, have
been completed.
, According to Mr. Sisk a num
ber of exceptionally fine acts are
on the program and the large at
tendance expected will be pri
vileged to witness one of the
finest air shows ever seen in
this section of the State.
Grady Cole, prominent radio
commentator, has been invited
to attend and be guest announc
er. and is expected to be flown
from Charlotte to Boone, if he
accepts the invitation.
It is said that likely before
another season the air strip here
can be lenghtened another
thousand feet, so that larger
planes may be accommodated,
and that arrangements may be
made for flight training and
charter trips.
Youth Day Parade To i
Form on Water Street
In connection with the Youth
Day program on Friday it is spe
cifically pointed out that the pa
rade will form on Water street
and start at 2:30. The exercises
are to be held at the college field
as set forth in another story to
Shulls Mills Woman and
Husband Killed by Train
Mrs. Laura Jane Church Slu-t
der, 16 years old, resident of
Shulls Mills, and l>er husband,
Lloyd Ray Sluder, were killed
last Saturday, when they were
trapped on a trestle at Kermit.
W. Va., by a fast freight train of
the Norfolk 8c Western Railway.
Mr. and Mrs. Sluder were
married in February, and Mrs.
Sluder had, lived with her par
ents while her husband was in
the army. He had a three day
pass and she joined him at his
home in Kermit, prior to his
sailing for Japan. They were
staying at the home of nis par
ents. it is understood, and had
nstarted out for a walk along the
tracks, when the fatal accident
occurred. The freight, which had
just emerged from a tunnel, was
said to have been traveling 60
miles an hour on the down
grade, and it was believed its
victims did not hear it. Both
were thrown clear of the tracks
and died within a few minutes.
The body of Mrs. Sluder was
returned home, and funeral was
held Tuesday at 2 o'clock from
the Foscoe Christian Church by
Rev. David Rose of Mitllgan Col
lege, Tenn., and interment was
in the neighborhood cemetery.
Rites for the husband were held
in Kermit, where his family re
sides.
Surviving Mrs. Sluder are the
parent^, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph
Church of Shulls Mills, and five
brothers: Robert, of Boone; CeciL
Richard, Paul and Jimmie of
Shulls Mills.
100 YEAR OLD COSTUMES SEEN
ON CENTENNIAL CELEBRANTS
If the original owners of some
of the costumes that are to be
seen in Boone this week could at*
tend the Centennial in person,
I >resent residents might be minc
ing with a number of the found
en of Watauga County. Ona
such costume is the homespun
hand-made suit that is In the
hands of Mayor Gordon Winkler;
made sometime near The year
1812 for David Mast, great grand
father of Joe C. Mast of Valle
Crucis. The suit is made up of
a blue cutaway coat, two vests
and a pair of bam door" pants
and is in remarkably good con
dition after a hundred and thirty
seven years during which time it
was handed down through four
generations of Masts
Twenty-five years ago the
suit was displayed in the mu
seum at Raleigh and has since
been viewed by countless tourists
who have visited the Mast home
in Valle Crucis. In recent years
the suit, along with many cen
- tury old relics, was kept in the
old loom house where the looms
of Mrs. Finley Mast are still
standing. Mrs. Mast, who was a
mastercraftsman in the art of
weaving, won wide )renown
when her work found its way to
every section of the United States
and some foreign countries as
well. When President Wood row
Wilson and his first wife went to
make their home at the White
House, Mrs. Mast was called upon
to weave the rug for the blue
room; as a gift to the President
and His wife she wove a match
ing coverlid for the bed of that
room.
Among the other costumes to
be seen this week will be an al
paca suit worn by Mrs. Herbert
Adams; this suit was worn by
Mr. Adams' great grandmother to
Abraham Lincoln's inauguration
in 1M0. Mrs. Lewis Starts of
Reese/will wear a drees that be
longed to her mother-in-law, Mrs.
Norah Norris, who wore It at the
turn of the century. With this
(Con tin tied on pag? 8)
Leaders of State and Nation
Gather Thursday To Rec
ognize Founders of Appala
^ chian College.
Watauga County's centennial
celebration will see its biggest
day thus far today (Thursday) as
many state leaders join in cele
brating the semicentennial of Ap
palachian State Teachers College
and honoring its founders, B. B.
Dougherty and the late D. D.
Dougherty.
The program, as announced, in
cludes open house at the college
at 10:00 a. m.; Band parade and
concert by the Appalachian,
Mooresville, and Winston-Salem
bands; program honoring B. B.
Dougherty at 11:00 a. m.; at 2:30
p. m. a reunion of alumni and
friends of the college; at 6:48 p.
m. a nana concert and at 7:00 a
program on public education, with
the speaker list including Dr.
Clyde A. Erwin, State Superin
tendent of Public Instruction,
Hon. Leroy Martin, former exe
cutive secretary of State School
Commission, and N. C. Senator
B. C. Brock of Davie County.
, Senators Frank Graham and
Clyde R. Hoey, Representative
Robert L. Doughton, D. Hiden
Ramsey, vice president of the
Asheville Citizen, and Judge
Johnson J. Hayes will be heard
at the 11 a. m. program on the
College Athletic Field.
The 2:30 p. m. program includes
five minute talks by Prof. Her
bert W. Wey, Prof. John T. How
ell, Prof. Chappel Wilson, Dean
J. D. Rankin and .Coach E. C.
Duggins.
At 8:15 p. m. "Echoes of the
Blue Ridge" will be presented,
showing the history of Watauga
and the college.
Friday will be Youth Da y, with
a Pet Parade at 2:30 o'clock in
the afternoon. Games and con
tests will be played immediately
following the parade, for one
hour. The first graders will meet
with Mrs. Tracy Councill on the
football field near the high school.
The second and third grades will
meet with Mias Todd and Miss
Ostergarde on the upper end of
the football field. Miss Walker
and Miss Franklin will have
charge of the fourth and fifth
? trades on the lower end of the
ootball field.
Mr. Thompson will meet with
the sixth and seventh graders on
the high school field. Jack Hod
ges will have charge of the equip- *
ment for the games and contests.
Coach R. W. Watkins' physical
education classes will aid the
chairmen of each group in carry
ing out the day's program.
Dr. I. G. Greer will speak fol
lowing the games.
All the parades form at the
courthouse and are to travel
through town, ending at the col
lege athletic field.
"Echoes of the Blue Ridge"
with narration by Bill Ross, Mrs.
R. D. Hodges, Jr., Rogers White
ner, and Mrs. Herman Eggen,
will again be staged at 8:15 p. m.
On Saturday, farm animals and
machinery will be seen in the
farmer's parade. Farmers will
bring to town antique farme^uip
mant as well as other farming
tools.
Contests, including catching a
greased pig and climbing a greas
ed pole will be staged on the
college field before Commission
er of Agriculture L. Y. Ballen
tine speaks in the afternoon. Ag
riculture leaders from State Col
lege and of the State will be
presented. A demonstration cat
tle auction is also scheduled for
the afternoon.
The final staging of "Echoes of
the Blue Ridge" will be held that
night with a tobacco auction
scene inserted to further show
the farmer's part in the progress
of Watauga County.
Eliz&bethon Band To
Play Here on Friday
The 100-piece Elizabeth tort.
Term., High School band, which
has been widely acclaimed as
one of the finest musical aggrea
gations in this section of the
country, will participate in the
celebration here Friday, it is
learned from H. W. Wilcox,
president of the Chamber of.
Commerce, who extended the ?
invitation.
The band will participate in
the parade Friday at 2:30 and
will appear in concert at college
field at 7:30 in the evening. The
invitation was accepted by Mel
Kelly, director of the bana. v
Town Folks Asked To
Leave Cars at Home
Motorist* of the town of Boone
are being asked by the Centen
nial safety committee and the
Boone police department to leave
their ears at home during the
rush ot the centennial, unless
absolutely necessary to have
them out.
The suggestion is made M or
der to enable visitors to the town
to have every advantage In
parking, and to relieve the con
gestion as much ss possible la the
business district