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VOL. LXII, NO. 3.
i V' , jf b.
An Independent Weekly Newspaper? Established in the Year 1 888
4 I ' 111 ?
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY; JULY 21, 1949
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
"WEATHER," said Mark
Twain, "is a literary specialty,
and no untrained hand can turn
out a good article on it," but
there has been off the cuff com
ment in copious quantities on
the rain, as the two weeks down
pour stops about long' enough to
prevent an all-out flood condi
tion . . . Day after day, the rain
continues, as we become mildew
ed, merchants complain, and
farmers suffer considerable loss
from tfie almost incessant precipi
tation . . . Hay crops are particu
larly hurt by the wet weather,
says the county agent, while po
tatoes have blighted, and the tub
ers are likely to rot if the rain
continues . . . Sheep and cattle,
likewise, it is said are not thriv
ing on the soaking wet ranges,
and the outlook is none too favor
able for the farm industry . . .
Slides on Lenoir-Blowing Rock
road reported to have resulted
in one-way traffic for a distance,
and gray skies continue to re
mind us of 1940, when similar
conditions reached a climax in
the greatest disaster Watauga
has ever had, from the stand
point of human lives 16st and
property damage . . . There is
alarm over the weather, but as
some famous one observed, "Fpr
after all, the best things one can
do, when it is raining, is to let it
rain!"
? ? ?
ALONG THE WAY there's
the lady with the beipailered
hose, the man with the soaked
trouser legs sticking near his
shanks . . . the wet feet, the
lrveeies. and the cheerful one
who yells. "Think it will rain?"
... At any rate as this is typed
(Monday) one of our spies re
ports that the moon is doe to
change phases at noon, and
sun enough the rata is easing,
and likely as not before this
receives its baptism of
ink. sunny days will be here
again . . . so's folks can start
to worrying all over again
about dry weather.
? ? ?
ODDS AND ENDS: The
crowds being attracted to radio
shops by the coming of televi
sion . . . the big truck load of
Ford automobiles on the way to
the Winkler Motor Co. . . . The
big oil truck which arrives at
the Esso bulk plant within five
minutes of the same time every
trip . . . The wooden -legged man
asking alms from his seat on
the bare concrete, and the blind
musician singing his way down
the street, unattended, while an
occasion coin hits the cup . . .
The tall weeds in the vegetable
and flower gardens, and the
beautiful blooms which manage
to survive the rain ... Ed Culler,
for near to forty years an indis
pensable worker down at thej
College, taking medical treat
ments. and telling us some good
yarns . . . The truck loads of
watermelons and muskmelons.
and the papas being guided
thereto by the youngsters . . .
the bedraggled cottontail slipping
back into the tall grass as we
approach, and the catbird, with
the huge grub worm in her
mouth, trying to locate her er
rant offspring in the driving
rain . . . the increasing number
of automobiles, the parking pro
blem. and that lucky feeling one
has after passing through town
without a wrinkle in a fender . . .
The mimosa tree blooming in
front of Miss Jennie Coffey's,
another one down at the E. S.
Coffey old homeplace . . . The
girls and the boys "holding
hands" as they stroll along, ana
the spot where we always ob
served the beer cans which had
been tossed out by week-end
celebrants, now littered with the
empty short-quart bottles, which
had held the more potent beve
rages.
? ? ?
BACK IN OUR BICYCLING
day* there wai a city ordinance
. . . enforced "tolerably well"
as we recall it . . . against rid
ing bicycles on the sidewalks
of the town . ? . Whether the
copy of the law was lost some
where down through the in
tervening years, we do not
know . . . but if it was, wouldn't
be a bad idea to write a new
one . . . Some of these cyclists
have become a menace to the
safety of the harrasaed pedes
trians. as they weave in and
out among the folks on the
crowded walkways, aad even
at times chase the church-goers
from the concrete. . - Cycles
definitely belong in the regular
lane* of vehicular traffic, and
should be placed there. . .
Air Show Is Again
Postponed by Rain
Inclement weather for the sec
ond week in succession forced the
postponing of the air show sched
uled here last Sunday.
Parties in charge of the event
state the show has now been put
off until Sunday, July 31, but
that weather permitting, it will
definitely be held on that date.
The Meyers Air Circus had a
previous engagement for the
weekend of the 24th, this neces
sitating the two week postpone
ment
LECTURER
A. S. ARNOLD
Arnolds To Present
Holy Land Exhibits
It is frequently the dream of
persons interested in our religi
ous heritage to visit ' the Holy
Land. This is only possible for a
few. However, a bit of the Land
Of The Bible will be brought to
Boone and Watauga county the
week of August 7. This is refer
ring to a Biblical and Palestinian
collection assembled by Mr. A.
S. Arnold and his wife. The ex
hibit will be on display in the
basement of the Boone Baptist
Church and open to the public at
regular hours.
Arnold helps the visitor to
visualize Palestine, the Bible
and our religious heritage with
illustrated lectures, 16 modern
wall and relief maps and charts,
700 slides, more than 250 articles
from the Holyland arranged in
24 display cases. In addition are
70 pictures of familiar Biblical
persons and places. First in the
display the visitor confronts "The
Land and The Books" shown in
two exhibit cases. After this
general introduction all articles
and pictures that follow are used
to visualize Palestine Animated
talks by Mr. Arnold as he con
ducts visitors through the dis
play room give the exhibit an
added attractiveness and value
for teaching purposes.
History and Bible students
have agreed -that this collection
is one of the finest private exhi
bits of its kind in the nation. The
residents of Boone and the cous
ty look forward to its display
here. /
Highway Link Paving
Be Finished in August
Paving of the link' of the Blue
Ridge Parkway between Blow
ing Hock and Deep Gap, six
miles east of Boonte on U. S.
Highway 321, will be completed
by the end of- August, according
to Sam J. Weems, supervisor.
I When that link is opened, there
]will be continuous pavement on
;the parkway from Adney Gap,
nine miles south of Roanoke, to
Toe River Gap, where the state
highway turns off to Mt. Mit
Ichell. ,
Pending the completion of the
Blowing Rock-Deep Gap section,
traffic on the parkway is routed
from Blowing Rock to Boone
over U. S. Highway 221 and
Ithence over U. S. Highway 321
from Boone to Deep Gap. Con
struction work on U. S; 221 be
tween Blowing Rock and Boone
has progressed to the point
where it has been practical to
turn traffic through the part still
incomplete.
About seven miles of this nine
miles on U. S. 221 have been
paved. A gravel surface' has been
laid on the remaining two mile?,
which will be paved as fast as
the weather permits.
Teacher's Pay Hike
Has Been Approved
Raleigh. ? The State Board of
Education this week approved an
overall increase of 28.17 per cent
in teachers' pay for next year.
The new salary schedules.
Board Controller Paul A. Reid
said, will increase the average
teacher salary from $1,945 to an
estimated $2,494.
For 1950-51, he added, the av
erage will climb to an estimated
$2,511.
Salary scales set by the board
in working out its budget for the
next school year included:
Class A*certificate teachers ?
$2,061 for beginners up to $2,
745 for tfciose with eleven years'
experience.
Graduate-certificate teachers ?
$2,322 for those with two years'
experience up to $3069 for those
with twelve years experience.
The old scale for A-cfcrtificate
teachers was $1,620 to $2,169, and
for graduate teachers, $1,827 to
$2,412.
- I
Community Cannery
Opens At Cove Creek
The Cove Creek community
cannery opened for business
Tuesday, and will be open Tues
day and Friday at each week
until further notice.
Fermi says atom' in industry is
not "just around comer." m
HOSPITAL IS
PAYING WAY,
BOARD TOLD
BY CHAIRMAN
Report of Financial Chair
man Enthusiastically Re
' ceived by Board; A Review
of the First Six Months of
Operation Is Given
A meeting of the Board of
Trustees of the Watauga Hospital,
held at the Skyline Restaurant,
received with great gratification
the report up to July 1 the hos
pital was operating without a
deficit. It was expected that the
first six months would be very
hard to operate without a deficit,
but instead of a deficit, there is
a small balance in the operating
lund. Clyde Greene, chairman
of the Finance Committee, enthu
siastically reported the good
news to members of the board.
In January a campaign to
raise $20,000 for purchase of new
equipment was over subscribed.
All of this money was used to
purchase new equipment; none
was used for operating expenses.
Carol Moore, business manager,
reported the hospital admitted
335 patients during the five month
period. The average number of
patients each day during the per
iod was 26 9-10.
One hundred eighty-one new
citizens for Watauga county were
oorn at the hospital during this
jeriod. The hospital now em
ploys six registered nurses, six
teen nurses' aides, three male or
derlies, a laboratory technician,
an X-ray assistant, a medical
record keeper, in addition to t?ie
business manager. ?
The trustees expressed them
;elves as being highly pleased
jvith the progress made in the op
eration of the hospital and the
.ine spirit of loyalty and cooper
ition shown between Mr. Moore
and the hospital employees, and
was especially pleased at the re
jort of the fine spirit shown by
he physicians of the county who
have brought their patients to
Watauga hospital.
G. K. Moose, president of the
board, discussed fully the survey
if the hospital needs made by the
Duke Foundation, and the fact
that the Duke Foundation has of
fered the hospital a gift of $10,
)00 provided the sufficient money
is raised to enlarge and equip the
kitchen to adequately serve the
patients and staff of the hospital.1
This additional improvement, to)
?nake it an A-l hospital accord
ing to the Duke Foundation's
standards, will cost around $20,
100, which means an additional
$10,000 must be raised in order to
get the $10,000 from Duke. This
enlargement of the kitchen was
not considered when the other
campaign was made, but which
has been found to be an absolute
necessity in order to operate as
a first class hospital.
People of Watauga county are
fortunate to have such an excel
lent plant without indebtedness
of any kind, and the board feels
friends of the hospital will be glad
to donate the additional money
necessary to claim the $10,000
from the Duke Foundation.
In addition to President Moose,
the following members of the
board, were present: Wade E.
Brown, secretary; Clyde Greene,
John Howell, Dave Mast, A. E.
South, W. R. Winkler, and J. H.
Winkler.
Scott Names Two Men
To N. C. Parks Agency
Raleigh. ? Governor Kerr Scott
announced the appointment this
week of two men to the North
Carolina National Park, Parkway
and Forest Development commis
sion.
They are W. F. Osborne, Spar
ta farmer, who succeeds Ralph
Winkler of Boone, and E. C. Guy,
Newland banker, reappointed.
Junior Order Will
Install New Officers
Daniel Boone Council of the
Junior Order will install officers
at a special meeting Friday night,
jjuly 22.
I. S. Ayers, councilor of the
[third district, will be in charge
|of the work, and all members
are urged to be preseent.
Crippled Children's
Clinic Next Friday
Dr. J. S. Gaul, orthopedic sur
geon, from Charlotte, will be at
the Health Department in Boone,
on Friday morning. July 22, to
conduct the Crippled Children'*
Clinic. All crippled children re
questing his service should be at
the Health Department by 9:00
a. m. Friday.
FISH CATCHES BOY
Venice, Italy. ? From now on, I
Giovanni Casonato, 17. will keep
his mouth shut while fishing. Re
cently, while emptying his net,
a small fish leaped into his
mouth and got stuck in his throat,
necessitating a trip to the hoe
piLal and an operation to remove
? v ?? 7* ? -
Coble Milk Grading Plan Given Out By
Commissioner Of Agriculture Ballantine
mmmm
The ox tram and ancieni wagon, a
Deep Gap. created much lnitrMi
contribution to the centennial
along the line of march.
parade by Hayes Wellborn of
?Photo Palmer'i Studio
Reynolds To
Speak at C. Oi C.
Hon. Henry Reynolds, clerk of
the mididle district Federal court,
of Greensboro, will be the speak
er at the July meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce to be held
at the Skyline Restaurant July
26.
Mr. Reynolds is a gifted after
dinner speaker, and captivated
his audience here a few years
ago with his ready wit, and ori
ginal observations. H is appear
ance here is looked forward to,
particularly by those who have
heard him previously.
Directors M*?t
A meeting of the Board of
Directors of the Chamber of
Commerce Mondav noon heard
report of the membership com
mittee, which indicates a great
deal more interest in the Cham
ber of Commerce than in the
past. While a great many of the
old members have not renewed
for the year, most of them are
undoubtedly waiting for someone
to call on them. All are urged to
send in membership renewal.
Members of the Board were
enthusiastic about the fine ad
vertising Watauga County and
Boofle got due to the Centennial
and urged the Centennial Cor
poration to make it an annual
event with such modifications as
are necessary to its continued
success.
All members are urged to plan
to be present at the meeting
Tuesday night, July 26<
%
Rotary Club To Aid
Crippled ^Children
Boone Rotary Club will give a
square dance at the Farmers'
warehouse on the Bristol high
way Saturday night, July 23. The
revenue from this dance is to be
devoted to the aid of crippled
children in Watauga County. Al
ready one crippled boy has been
given a Herford heifer calf to
start his herd. Two others are ap
plicants for the calf club.
Another important project is
to send some boys and girls to the
crippled children's camp located
between Boone and Blowing
Rock. Already four children have
applied for admission to the
camp.
Admission to the dance will be
SO cents plus tax per person. If
all occupants of a car hold tick1
ets. free parking will be provid
ed in the building. Those inter
ested in helping crippled children
land those desiring a nice, clean
[square dance are urged to attend.
KILLED IN RAIL ACCIDENT
Trucks Smashed
By Falling Wall
Three Chevrolet trucks were
badly smashed Monday morn
ing at the .Colvard Chevrolet
Company's parking lot, when
a huge concrete retaining wall,
evidently weakened by the
heavy rains, 1 came tumbling
down on the shiny new ve
hicles.
The section of the massive
wall which fell was perhaps
thirty by twelve feet, and the
front ends of two of the ve
hicles were completely smash
ed. The left portion of the
third vehicle was caught E?
the edge of the concrete
No exact figures of the
damage were given out by
Colvards, but the loss incurred
is obviously several thousand
dollars.
'Christianairs' Appear
At Advent Church
The Christianairs, a male quar
tet of singers and Christian
workers from Brookline, Mass.,
will conduct services at the Ad
vent Christian Church on Thurs
day and Friday nights of this
week, July 21st and 22 nd, be
ginning at 7 :45 p. m. They are on
a tour through the Appalachian
region conducting services each
evening from some church.
One of the young men Rev.
Powers wh? is preparing for
foreign mission . work will bring
the message each evening. These
young men are well trained and
have been actwe in Christian
work for sometime. They have
be^n well received wherever
they have gone.
Everyone is cordially invited
to come out and hear them and
take a part in these services.
Gentry New Principal
Of Bethel Hi School
Mr. J. H. Gentry has been em
ployed as principal of Bethel High
School, while Mrs. Gentry will
also teach in the Bethel School.
Last year, Mr. and Mrs. Gentry
taught in the Sugar Hill School,
Marion, N. C. Mr. Gentry has
had fourteen years of experience
as a teacher and principal. He
holds an AB degree from the Un
iversity of. South Carolina and
during the last war served for
tour years as a Captain in the
army.
Within a short while the Gen
try family will move into the
Bethel community.
County Schools
Open August 30
The county board of education,
has set Tuesday August 30, as the
opening dates of all the county
scfrools for the 1949-50 term, it
is revealed by W. H. Walker,
county supeintendent
The schedule for the entire
school year Indicates that the
first school month ends Septem
ber 26, the second October 24,
the third November 21, with holi
days on Thanksgiving and the
following Friday.
The fourth month will end
December 21, and the Christmas
holidays will be observed from
Thursday December 22 to Mon
day .January 2. The fifth month
ends January 27, the sixth Feb
ruary 24, the seventh March 24,
the eighth April 21, and the
ninth M?y 48.
Road Improvement
Sought for County
Mark Goforth of Lenoir, state
highway commissioner of the 8th
district, paid a visit to the Court
house in Boone Thursday to hAr
petitions and requests for roads
to be built in accordance with
Governor Scott's road bond pro
gram.
J. C. Walker, division engineer;
J. H. Council, assistant division
engineer; C. A. Hayworth and F.
W. McCracken attended.
Requests for approximately 20
miles of new and improved roads
were made, including Watauga
River Road, over Old Tweetsie
bed. Meat Camp, Howards Creek
and Beaver Dams roads.
One of the requests was for im
provement to the road that turns
off the Blowing Hock highway
to Hodges Gap. This request has
been approved and work will be
started soon.
Goforth said that work would
probably begin in August and
that one fourth of the money al
located would be used next year;
that would mean that $300,000
would be spent in Watauga coun
ty. About one- fourth of the
bond money allocated to Ashe
and Caldwell counties would be
spent in those counties next year,
he said.
"The speed iwth which the
work is completed," said Goforth,
"will depend on the cooperation
we receive. There will be some
inconvenience to the people who
will have new roads, but I shall
insist on my men treating peo
ple with every courtesy possible."
Goforth said he would soon
have new forms out for right-of
ways, that these forms would be
in the hands of the register of
deeds of these counties.
He said the bond money would
not be spent for rights-of-way
and only in rare cases would
claims b& paid.
Goforth will be in Boone the
second Thursday monthly to hear
petitions and requests for road
improvement in Watauga, Ashe,
and Caldwell counties.
The bond money allotted to
Watauga would pave approxi
mately 85 miles of rorfd, he said.
Farm Bureau Quota
For 1949 Has Been Set
Raleigh. ? The North Carolina
Farm Bureau Board of Director*
has voted full approval of a min
imum quota of B0,000 and a max
imum of 99,000 member* for the
1949 Fall campaign throughout
the State. President A. C Ed
ward*. Hookerton, and P. N. Tay
lor, White Plain*, vice-president,
will serve a* state-wide co-chair
men of the membership commit
tee for the drive. *
A aerie* of district meetings
will precede the campaign. .Clyde
Greene of Boone, will serve as
membership chairman for District
Ball en tine Announces Offici
al Classification Plan Affect
ing 700 Producers; Three
Classes of Milk Listed
1 Raleigh ? Agriculture Com
missioner L. Y. Ballentine today
announced an official classifica
tion plan for Grade A milk pur
chases from 700 producers by the
Coble dairy of Lexington.
The schedule, effective imme
diately, affects dairy farmers in
I 14 Piedmont and northwestern
counties. The Coble milkshed is
one of the state's largest.
Under the classification law,
I the utilization of milk becomes
the basis upon which producers
are paid by processors and dis
tributors.
?The latter, however, are free
to name their own prices for the
various classification groupings,
as the law gives the commission
no authority in this respect.
Three CUhm
Briefly, the schedule announc
ed last week establishes three
classes of milk based on ultimate
use.
Class I includes lnterplant
sales, or "transfer milk," as wall
as most fluid milk and cream
sales.
Class II covers cultured skim
milk or plain buttermilk when
not accounted for as a cream by
product under class I.
Class III includes all Grade A
milk not accounted for in the
other two classes, or what ia
known in the trade as "manufac
turing milk."
Commissioner Ballentine acted
under provision of the State
Milk Audit law enacted in 1M1
in setting up the classification
plan. Under the law, it is illegal
for a processor or distributor to
sell milk in a higher classifica
tion than that in which it was
purchased, except in emergencies
with the approval of local health
authorities.
Announcement of the classifi
cation plan followed a public
hearing 10 days ago at Elkin.
Ballentine listened to testimony
from both sides for four hours.
He enlisted the aid of North
Carolina State college specialists
as well as the Department of
Agriculture's Dairy division au
thorities.
Altogether it was the third
classification schedule set by an
agriculture commissioner, it was
the first in which there was dis
agreement between the produc
ers and distributors.
Other Cases
The other classifications were
set in the Asheville milkshed in
1941 and last spring in the Con
cord milkshed. In both cases,
there was general agreement
among producers and distribu
tors.
Ballentine, in announcing the
classification plan, said, "It is
regretted . . . that a formula
(satisfactory both to the produc
ers and distributor could not be
found in this instance. Lacking
|such a formula, it was deemed
advisable to put transferred milk
in Class I when its end use is in
the foj-m of Class I products."
He declared, "The present
schedule of milk classes Is sub
ject to revision and, whenever
circumstances justify, I shall be
happy to reopen the matter upon
the request of either producers
or the distributor."
The commissioner pointed out
that "Our immediate problem
has developed out of a tempor
ary, seasonal surplus in some
areas, but the State as a whole
has never experienced a real
surplus of milk. We still need to
increase our over-all product
ion."
Ballentine asserted that "North
Carolina presents an unusual
marketing problem, with the
eastern sections comprising a
heavy deficit area while some of
the western counties produce
more milk than required to meet
local demands."
He said he expects to announce
within a few aays ' is decision
in another miH: classification
case involving a P ocessor? dis
tributor and about 40 producers
in Cleveland county.
Concert To Be Given
At AST C Tonight
Mark Wollner, international
violin virtuoso, who has been
concertizing extensively in
North, Central and South
America, will give a recital at
Appalachian State Teachers col
lege, Thursday, July 21, at 8:80
p. m.
Mr. Wollner's recent engage
ments included concerts at Col
umbian University Teachers col
lege, the Riverside Church in
New York, the Art Museum in
Boston, and the Wheeler School
in Providence, R. L
L Besides compositions by Bach,
Vttali, Dvorak, Ravel, etc., Mr.
Wollner will present for the first
time a new work by Donald Ln
Moore, well known North Caro
MiaTlSaryBrooks will be the
accompanist Both artists are
under the management of Q. H.
Dalrymple, Hollywood, CUt
Sagamore Hill home of Theo
dore Roosevelt will be shrlaa.