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An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year I 888 flvt ??<=>? wbecrtbf .
VOL. LXII ? NO. 12. BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1949
FIVE CENTS
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
T
YNYPTA . . . these six letters
painted in white at intervals
along the sidewalk, have brought
many inquiries to the Democrat
office . . . The letters actually]
mean "You Need Your Parent
Teachers Association".- . . and
Bob Agle is to be credited with
the unique way of bringing to the
attention of the people of the
community, the PTA, which is
fittingly described as "your bond
between your child and your
school." ... A covered dish din
ner featured the first PTA meet
ing Monday evening, and the at
tendance was the largest thus far
notod at one of these initial get
acquainted meetings . . . Even at
that, fewer than one hundred
parents, out of a possible six
hundred were present, and the
goal of PTA leaders is to have at
least 150 parents represented at
the October meeting . . . The
dinner was superb, the associa
tions helpful, and faculty mem-]
bers were heartened by the in
creased interest in the work of
the school . . . Bob Agle an
nounces an elegant gift is in
store for the parent, who brings
the greatest number of other
parents to the next meeting of|
the PTA, which, considered in
the light of all its possibilities,
is of paramount importance to
the children, their teachers, the
parents, and to society as a
whole . . . School children turn
out en mass for their day at the
county fair last Friday, and the.
youngsters had the time of their}
lives, viewing the exhibitions in
a general sort of way, and giv
ing particular attention to the
merry-go-round, and other rid
ing devices supplied to add an
enlivening note to the agricul
tural exhibition.
THE FAIR turned out to baa
gala occasion for the people of
the town and county and pco
vided a pretty clear insight in
to the agricultural life of til*
county, and the strides being
by our farmers , . . The
fat Hereford cattle, the high,
producing dairy cows, the fat
?heap and hogs, the hones,
drew the attention of the visi
tors along with exhibits of
various products of the moun
tain soil . . . they were all good,
. . . the womenfolk did a
masterful job in assembling
the products of their kitchens
. . . preserves and jams, and
canned foods of every descrip
tions . . . Cakes, and pies, and
every sort of good thing ima
ginable, were displayed with a
rare touch of artistry . . . The
participants all did a fine job,
and the fair may be expected
to Improve and expand as the
years go by, into an all-inclu
sive record of the activities and
aocoasplishements of our farm
people ... A fine start has been
HEREFORD BREEDERS an
nounce annual sale for October
7 . . . Local association is the
oldest county group in the State,
we are told, and through ' the
continued enterprise of relative
ly few breeders, local Herefords
carry the best bloodlines ever
known in Watauga county . . .
Twenty-two have consigned cat
tle to the sale, which will be at
tended by buyers from a wide
area . . . Willie Rush, Jr. takes
off for the fair, early in the
morning, with his pet lamb in the
back of his father's car, to be ex
hibited at the fair . . . Pumpkins
properly frosted, possums get
ting ripe, plenty of sweet taters
on the market, and local people
view the future with rose-color
ed glasses as the horn of plenty
is about to dump her harvest
on the land .... Old man,
who has passed out religious
tracts In this community, from
time to time, for years, drops by
and gathers our dime, while
another itinerant finds scant in
terest as he tries to start a side
walk sermon down near the post
office . . . Russell Hodges tells of
enjoyable sightseeing trip in
Washington and Philadelphia . . .
Watt Gragr lingers for a session
on the properties of different
typos of explosives . . . Boys
about town who keep step in the
parade of the pigskin, settle their
football bets, and cite reasons
why they failed to call the shots
. . . Lads. diligently labor, trying
to start iqotor of automobile of
ancient vintage . . . and group of
new highway workers search
tor living quarters.
OUR FAITH in iha hiiuwli
of mankind gets shaken a bit
trtrf time a billfold is lost,
containing money. and the
nam* of the owner . . . An nd
? tM? 1 is inserted in the
county newspaper, diligent in
quiry is made, and the owner
never recovers his projArty ? ? ?
These losses of virions sums of
?BP?t in the pest few months
have Become regular occnrren
oas . . . and to the discredit at
the folks who po shoot finding
things ? ? ? finders are keeper*
POUNDS WORRY THE PRESIDENT
Not extra pounds he may be adding around the waist line, but
British pounds, the monetary unit of England. Here he is. after
arriving at Washington airport from a Midwestern trip, in serious
conversation with Attorney General J. Howard McGralh (left). He
is faced with the problem of rescuing British economy from its
dilemma.
$35,000 Fire At
Deep Gap Tuesday
Moretz Lumber Manufactur
ing Plant Razed in Early
Morning Conflagration.
The most disastrous fire known
in this section in recent years,
swept through the lumber manu
facturing plant of V. L. Moretz
& Son at Deep Gap early Tues
day morning, Inflicting a loss of
$35,000. No insurance was in
force.
One hundred thousand feet of
lumber was destroyed in the big
blaze, most of it being white ana
yellow pine, a quanitity of which
had been dried and finished. The
loss included six hacks of lum
ber and the machinery used in
the big plant. There was a plan
er, resaw, edger, trimmer, steam
boiler, two engines, and various
other equipment.
Fire departments trpm both
Boone and Blowing Rock went
to the scene of the conflagration
and worked heroically in holding
the flames down.
Mr. Grady Moretz of Boone,
junior member of the manufac
turing concern could not state
the origin of the blaze, which
gained such rapid headway. 1
Since the boilers were fired with
shavings from the planing mill, '
he suggested that a spark from;
the stack might have started the
destructive flame. Or. perchance
some pedestrian might have stop
ped under one of the sheds for
protection from the rain and ac-j
cidentally set the flame in light-)
ing a cigarette. j
The Moretz firm had been in
the lumber business for many
years. Mr. Moretz could not state
exactly what the future course ,
of the company would be, but in
dicated that it was likely that j
the plant would be rebuilt.
Henry H. White
Is Taken by Death
Henry H. White, 67 years old,
died at the home in Stony Fork
township last Wednesday.
Funeral services were conduc
ted from the Mount Zion Baptist
Church, Mount Zion, N. C., on
Friday, Rev. E. C. Hodges being
in charge of the rites and inter
ment was there
The widow, Mrs. Mae Smith
White, survives. There are three
brothers and one sister: Wilson
White, Mt. Zion; John and Robert
White, Hendrix; Mrs. Nancy Jane
Dugger, Elizabeth ton, Teqn
Home Club* Making
Plans for Next Year
During the month of Septem
ber the home demonstration
clubs in the county have been
making prelimenary plans for
their programs for 1950. Final
selection of the demonstrations
and the months in which they
are to be given will be made at
a county council meeting on Fri
day, September 30th at 1:30 p.
m. at the home agents office.
Mrs. Cling Hodges, president of
the Hodges Gap Club, and also
oresident of the county council
will preside.
Appalachian High
Plays Friday Night
Friday night, September 30
Appalachian High plays its
second home game with El kin.
The game begins at 8:00 p. m.
This Is the second of the three
home games scheduled tor the
high school this year.
CCA
In a transaction on Aug. 28,
the U. S. Treasury paid out its
$5, 000, 000,000th Marshall Plan
dollar, according to the Economi
cal Cooperation Administration.
RETURNS
REV. SAM B. MOSS
Rev. Moss Keeps
Local Pastorale
Rev. Sam B. Moss, for three
years pastor of the Boone Meth
odist Church was returned to the
local charge for another year, it
was revealed at the close of the
Western North Carolina Confer
ence in Winston-Salem Monday.
Blowing Rock church is yet to
be supplied, while Rev. J. W.
McCoy, suppl v, comes to Boone
circuit.
Rev. Ernest Moretz goes to
Elk Park, while Rev. Ernest
Stephens returns to Todd. Rev.
J. O. Banks is the new pastor of
the Watauga circuit.
Homecoming Event
Set at Lees-McRae
Homecoming at Lees-McRae
College will be observed October
8. The main events of the day
are a picnic dinner at twelve
noon, for members of the college
community, alumni, and friends;
football game with Belmont Ab
bey at three p. m.; a square
dance for alumni in the college^
gym at 8 p. m.
SCHOOL ENROLLMENT
A record of 32,671,500 pupils
in elementary and secondary
schools and colleges is predicted
For this fall by Karl James Mc
Cirath, United States Education
Commissioner. This compares
with the 1948-48 total of 31,880,
300. Mr. McGrath points out that 1
\merican schools, crowded as
never before, are up against the
"most critical year" in the na
tion's history.
HOME BUILDING
Separate reports recently Is
sued by the National Associa
tion of Real Estate Boards, the
Bureau of Labor Statistics and
the Commerce Department, show (
that home sales have increased
in the past thirty to sixty days,
general building activity rose 3
aer cent in August and city con
struction came within 3 per cent
jf the 1948 high during the first
six months of this year.
SAFETY CONFERENCE
Secretary of Labor Maurice To
3 in has announced that the Pres
ident's Conference on Industrial
Safety wOl meet in Washington
next June to see what progress
has been made toward the goal
of cutting down Industrial acci
dents by 1,000,000 by 196 J. Such
icci dents now total about 2,000,
#00 a year.
FAIR PRIZES
ARE AWARDED
AT CLOSE OF
EXHIRITION
Norris Brothers, Triple E
Farm Among the Winners
in Livestock Division, as
Prizes and Ribbons Are
Given Exhibitors; Partial
List Winners.
The prizes and ribbons were|
awarded on Thursday, Friday and
Saturday of Last week at the
Blue Ridge Fair in Boone.
The grand champion Hereford
bull went to Norris Brothers,
Reese, on Ardmore Domino 2nd,
by Parkway Super Domino 1st,
while Triple E Hereford Farm
claimed the grand champion
Hereford heifer. Donley Haga
man had the Grand champion
Shorthorn bull and Jack Henson
the grand champion cow.
In the sheep department Norris
Brothers took the grand cham
pion ram on a son of Bullets Ram
Rod. Shipley Farm claimed the
grand champion ewe. The grand
champion Belgian stallion was
shown by Boss Bledsoe of Todd.
In the Dairy classes grand
champion Guernsey cow went to
W. M. & R. W. Winkler, grand
champion Jersey to C. H. Kirk
man, Jr., and grand champion
Holstein went to Mrs. L. T.
Kountz, Lenoir.
The three first place winners
in each class are as follows:
Fiald Crops
Ten ears of U. S. 13 corn ?
Ralph Glenn, Tom Wilson, Louis
Norris.
Ten ears of W. Va. 1183 hybrid
corn ? Lewis Norris, Lynn Nor
ris, Ralph J. Norris.
Ten ears of other white corn ?
Jake Eggers, Howard Miller, Tom
Wilson.
1 peck oats ? Lewis Miller, Ho
ward Miller.
1 peck rye ? Lewis Miller, Ho
ward Miller.
3 stalks hurley tobacco ? Ho
ward Love, Bill Miller, Baker
Ward.
1 sheaf alfalfa hay ? Tom Wil
son.
1 sheaf mixed hay ? Howard
Miller. Wood row Wilson, Bill
Miller.
1 peck Sequoia potatoes ? Ho
ward Miller, C. A. Clay, Ralph
Glenn.
1 peck Green Mountain pota
toes ? Victor Winebarger.
3 heads Danish cabbage ? Bill
Miller, Howard Miller, Victor
Winebarger.
Pumpkin ? George Green, Al
bert Watson.
Squash ? Mrs. Bun Hodges.
Plate of 5 onions ? Don Greene,
Lewis Miller. Betty Horton.
Plate of 5 peppers ? M. H. Ed
misten. Baker Edmisten, M. H.
Edmisten.
Bunch of 5 beets ? Bun Hodges,
(Continued on page 8)
Burning Permits
Are Being Required
On and after October 1, per
mits will be required for the
burning of brush, trash, and other
debris within five hundred feet
of any woodland, it is stated by
Ernest Hodges, Watauga county
forest warden.
These permits can be obtained
without charge from Warden
Hodges, from any local district
warden, or from the following is
suing agents: W, S. Collins,
Boone; Ivan Farthing, Bethel
School; Mrs. W. W. Collins,
Boone's Fork.
Warden Hodges requests that
all persons doing any burning
near wooded areas, to use cau
tion and urges hunters to be
careful with fire when smoking
or camping in the woods.
Scott To Open State
Fair on October 18
Raleigh ? Governor W. Kerr
Scott will open the biggest North
Carolina State Fair in history at
10 a. m. October 18.
Dr. J. S. Dorton, fair manager,
said today that the governor,
Commissioner of Agriculture L.
V. Ballentine, and other state of
ficials would take part in the
formal opening. The fair will run
for five days, October 1S-22.
"This year's fair will be the
biggest and best yet," Dr. Dorton
?aid. "We'll have everything
we've had before ? and more of
it? plus several new features."
The premium list this year calls
'or $35,000 In prizes. That is $10,
VK> more than last year's record
$25,000.
AH exhibit space in the com
mercial building and in the
machinery area already has been
?t> gaged. The demand for com
mercial exhibit space was so
great that Manager Dorton al
lowed some of the exhibitors to
use space outside the commercial
building.
Alio? the space for individual
'arm exhibits was takan early
this month. And entries in cat
tle, swine and other divisions
were pouring in by mid-Septem
I
Communists aim to grow all
the cotton that China needs.
TO SPEAK AT FARM BUREAU MEETING
Above are George Farthing, field rtpiawnlilix of tb* IT. C. Farm
Bureau, and R. Flake Shaw, executive vice- president of the organ
isation. They will speak an the organization meeting of
the Watauga unit Tuesday evening, October 4. at S o'clock, at Sky
line Restaurant when a campaign will be launched for a member
ship of 500 members.
Farm Bureau Begins
Membership Drive
INFORMANT
Commander Thomas Daviw,
bolder of nary non-stop flight
record aboard "Truculent Turlla,"
talis nary court ha furnished part
9f information in document that
touched off B-36 proba.
Local Folks Al
Hickory Meeting
Eighteen members of the
Boone Chamber of Commerce
were in Hickory last Wednesday
evening, where they attended a
meeting with officials of the
United States Chamber of Com
merce.
Local Chamber of Commerce
Secretary Stanley Harris, says
the chief object of the meeting
was to arouse the citizens to take
more interest in national affairs,
on minimum wages, socialized
medicine, extension of social
security, and federal aid to
schools. Emphasis was not, it is
explained, on how one might
want this legislation to go, but
upon timely information, upon
which opinions could be based,
and relayed to members of Con
gress.
William Bird of Washington
was the principal speaker, while
Ed Cherry of Atlanta, conducted
the round table discussion, and
answered many questions sub
mitted from the floor.
Ed Cherry of the Atlanta of
fice of the U. S. Chamber of
Commerce, plans to be in Boone
October 4th and will speak to
the Lions Club, after which there
will be a meeting of the Nation
al affairs committee of the Boone
Chamber of Commerce.
McD. Wagoner Dies
At Brownwood Home
McD. Wagoner, N yean old,
died at his home in the Brown
wood section September 20.
Funeral service* were conduc
ted on the 22nd from the Laurel
Springs Baptist Church, Jtev. R.
C. Eggers, Rev. W. C. Greene, and
Rev. Rexford Campbell took part
in the rites and burial was in
-he church cemetery. Members
if the Masonic fraternity had
charge of the graveside rites.
Mr. Wagoner, who was one of
the pioneer citizens of this area,
was a retired carpenter and farm
er. He was a member of the
Methodist church, and for more
han 80 years had been a Mason,
having his membership with
Vshler Lodge No. 373, at Deep
Gap.
The widow, Mrs. Bety N orris
Wagoner, survives, with one arm,
Carl Wagoner, who resides In
Virginia^ and four daughters:
Mrs. Ellen Carroll, Brownwood;
Mrs Pearl Wall, Aberdeen, Md.;
Mrs .Eunice Bowles, Kingsville,
Md.; Mrs. Hollie Adams, Todd.
Wallace says U. & already has
become "waif are state."
R. Flake Shaw, George Far
thing To Speak at Organi
zation Meeting Tuesday
The Watauga Farm Bureau '
will hold its annual organization
meeting at the Skyland Restau
rant Tuesday evening, October 4, '
at 8 o'clock, when the fall mem-:
bership campaign will be launch
ed. with a goal of BOO members. '
R. Flake Shaw, executive vice- '
president and secretary of the j
North Carolina Farm Bureau, and
director of the American Farm1
Bureau, will deliver the principal '
address. ,
In 1940 when Mr. Shaw went*
to work for the Farm Bureau, the 1
organization had 1,726 members, !
and last year the membership '
had risen to 78,228. He served 12
years on the Guilford county 1
board of commissioners, 7 years1
on the State AAA committee, and1
was selected as the master farm-'
er of 1938. In 1847 the Pro-!
gressive Farmer named him the
man of the year in southern agri- 1
culture.
Geoge Farthing, field represen- '
tative of the Bureau, will speak :
as will G. D. Barnett, president
of the Watauga unit of the or
ganization.
All members of the Bureau,'
prospective members, and faring
people generally, are invited to
attend the meeting.
Additional entertainment will
be supplied by the Thomas and
Farthing string band.
Group Of Editors
Tour Parkway
Eight members of the Western
jNorth Carolina Weekly Press
j Association with members of
i their families, arrived at the
Daniel Boone Hotel for late din
ner Saturday evening, and spent
the night, while on a week-end
tour of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The tour began in Asheville
Saturday at 10:30 a. m. The
group visited the News-Record
at Marshal, the Yancey Record at
Burnsville. and Mount Mitchell
before coming on to Boone,
where they visited the Watauga
Democrat.
The newsmen were guests of
Mr. and Mrs. Rob Rivers at
breakfast at the Daniel Boone
Sunday, after which they jour
neyed to Spruce Pine, where
they visited the Tri -County
News, and attended services at
the Baptist Church. The group
returned to Asheville via Old
Fort and Marion.
Those making the trip were:
Mr. and Mrs. W. Cyrtis Ross, and
daughter. Marguerite of the
Waynesville Mountaineer; Wtfw
Nancy and BUlie Barrett, Mount
Holly News; Mr. and Mrs. W. O.
Barrett, -Belmont Banner; Mr.
and Mrs. B. Arp Lowrance,
Mecklenburg Times, Charlotte;
Mr. and Mrs. Weimer Jones,
Franklin Press, Franklin; Mr.
and Mrs. John Anderson, The
Times, Brevard; Noah Hallo well,
Hendersonville Tribune: Miss
Addie Mae Cooke, Cherokee
Scout, Murphy.
Mrs Martisha Short
Succumbs at Vilas
Mrs. Martisha Johnson Short,
91 years old, died at the home on
Vilas RFD 1, September 14.
Funeral services were conduct
ed from the Forest Grove Baptist
Church on September 15th by
Rev. Ed Farthing and Rev. Law
rence Hagaman and interment
was in the church cemetery.
Two sons and one daughter
survive: W. L. Short, Plastico,
Va.; Tate Short, Mountain City,
Tenn.; Mrs. Sallie Brers, Vilas.
There are 14 grandchildren, 38
great-grandchildren, and 12 great
great-grandchildren.
UUse of schools, church build
Pi for night recreation urged.
r. B. MOORE, 84,
rWICE ELECTED
MAYOR BOONE,
DIES TUESDAY
ie tired Printer Had Served
Two Terms as Mayor of
City; Worked on Watauga
Democrat and in Various
Sections of Country; RMm
This Afternoon.
Thomas Bell Moore, former
mayor of Boone and retired
printer, died at Watauga Hospi
tal early Tuesday, following a
brief illness. A heart ailment is
said to have been the immediate
cause of his death. Mr. Moore
was 84 years old.
Funeral services are to be con
ducted this (Wednesday) after-'
noon at 2 o'clock at the Boone
Methodist Church by the pastor,
Rev. S. B. Moss, and interment
will be in the city cemetery,
Reins-Sturdivant having charge
of the details.
Mr. Moore was reared in
Statesville, where he started his
printing career on the Statesville
Landmark with the renowned
Joseph P. Caldwell. As a printer
and newspaperman he worked
in various sections of the south
and west and came to Boone in
1913, where for about three years
he worked with the late R-- C.
Rivers, S?., in the publication of
the Watauga Democrat. He was
married to Miss Martha Blair,
and established a job printing
business, which he conducted Cor
many years, having retired a few
years ago.
Mr. Moore was twice elected
Mayor of Boone, and always had
an active interest in public af
fairs. For perhaps thirty yean
tie had been chairman of the
Democratic municipal committee,
ind regularly conducted the con
ditions wherein the candidates
if his party tor town office were
nominated. During his active
fears he was active in all move
ments for community progress.
Widely traveled, and with a
Droad education, Mr. Moore was
j brilliant conversationalist and
Aras held in the highest regard by
the people of this section. He
was a member of the Boone
Methodist Church, and a veteran
of the Spanish American War.
The widow survives, with one
son, Thomas B. Moore. Jr., of
Fayetteville. There is one half
brother, Dr. J. W. Faucette of
Asheville.
Six Workshops Are
Conducted at College
From September 24 through
October 29, Appalachian State
Teachers college will conduct oil
its campus each Saturday a series
of six workshops designed es
pecially for supervisors in vari
ous fields of school work.
On September 24 the first
workshop will be conducted at
the high school building. The
subject will be "Principles and
Techniques of Supervision", and
the instructor will be' Miss Ruth
Robinson, primary supervisor of
the Bristol, Tenn., city schools,
assisted by a staff.
On October 1 at the high school
building, Miss Robinson and her
staff will conduct a workshop on
"Reading, including Diagnostic
and Remedial."
The third workshop will be
held October 8 at the high
school building with Herbert
Wey, principal of the demonstra
tion high school, and his staff,
instructing in "Guidance."
John Howell, principal of the
elementary demonstration school,
and his staff will conduct the
fourth workshop on October 15
at the high school building, us
ing the subject "A Testing Pro
gram."
O. F. Kirchner, member of the
physical education faculty, and
his staff will lead the fifth work
shop on October 22 at the high
school building, on the subject of
"Health, Physical Education and
Recreation."
The sixth and final workshop
will be conducted at the hign
school on October 28, with Dr.
Mildred Babcock of the education
faculty and her staff leading the
discussion on "The Curriculum.''
All these workshops have been
planned for 9:30 to 12:30 on the
respective Saturdays so that
teachers and -supervisors from
the surroundiflfe areas may par
ticipate.
PTA Holds First
Meeting of Year
The Boone Parent-Teachers
Association held its first meeting
of the school year at the high
school cafeteria Monday evening,
and the attendance was the larg
est In the history of the local or
ganization.
A covered dish supper
served, following which the large
group gathered In the auditorium
to view an educational film, tm- u
kitted "Ppt Rings the Bell."
The meeting was largely Id
[the form of a get-acquainted
meeting, and parents availed
SemSRres'of the opportunity of
meeting many members of Qte
?Hi!"