DO YOUR
CHRISTMAS
^ - $
Shopping in Boone
. VOL. LXH ? NO. 21.
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
STOKE "WINDOWS, ever iucl
nating, take on an especial inter
est to the passing throne in these
days when Christinas Is in the
air and Santa Calus can't be so
far away. . . . Merchants of the
town are doing a good job with
their window dressing this year,
and we are enjoying the displays
of apparel, toys, appliances, and
various other commodities, as we
gaze through the plate glass dur
ing our routine amblings up and
down King Street. . . . We are
particularly enjoying the one_UB
at Edmisten Furniture company,
which represents many days of
tedious work on the part of
Crayte Teague, D. M. Edmist
Jr., Mrs. 0. M. Edmisten
strangely
furniture
others, and which,
enough does not feature
at all, but midget railroading at
its most advanced stages. . . .The
layout consists of a complete rail
way system, traversing a moun
tain country, with all the sid
ings, switchbacks, water tanks,
switch towers usually seen along
the cinder-strewn tracks. ...
There are mountains and tunnnels
and trees and grass, and cattle
on the hills, and houses by the
right of way . . . the conventional
country town station, the general
store, the creek, the bridges and
tunnels, a complete block signal
system, and a couple of toy trains
which can be manipulated at will.
... To cap the novel exhibit
Mrs. Edmisten, Sr. has p a in ted
a canvas back of the rails whicH
blends in perfectly in its allusion
of an extension of mountains,
hills and dales. . . . The whole
display exhibits a rare degree of
mechanical genius, together with
a rather unusual touch of artistry,
and provides a most interesting
interlude for the passersby. .
The thing is so genuinely real,
and the landscape so typically
mountainous . . that one can almost
imagine he is seeing the mighty
moguls of the glistening rails
heaving a long string over the
Great Divide or up the Ashe
ville mountain ... or that the
big "hogs"
screaming through tb
nels and picturesque
the Feather River country en the
Western Pacific Uttes. . . . To
those of us who always get a
thrill out . of the nlgliiflvn notes
of a speeding locomotive,
ul$riy on a stormy night, the Ed
misten tram brings pleasure . ". .
memories . . . and an admiration
for the patience and skill of its
assemblers. . . .
* ' e e
SMALL CHILD, who had
been absorbing some of the
disturbing fcctl concerning tht
impending death of the physi
cal man. gave down with the
fallowing instructions concern
ing her earthly quietus: "When
I get old like you. mommy . . .
old enough to die . . . and I'm
taken to the hospital, pleese see
that I have some nice clean pa
jamas. a toothbrush and paste.
a lot of fee there end seme
money ... I want to be cleew
my teeth brushed ... Ill need
seme feathers to make my
wings, and when I get to heav
en. of course 111 have to have
some money to buy me
things." . . . Given
that everything would be taken
med to her
1 in the simple
en would be well in
the endless days, worked silent
ly for a bit. and revived '
demand for a real baby
a brother, 'twas ... In
If
the long tun
valleys of
about twenty more
. . there are 1
midst be then __
baby on the tree!
days . . . there are limitation*!
and couldet be there went be
SNOW, slippery streets and all
round bad weather interferred
considerably with some features
of the Christmas opening and to
bacco festival last Friday .but an
awful lot of folks got to town
just the same, and although ;
had to be considerably ill
and many firms were previ
from getting their floats in the
parade, it was a splendid occa
sion, and the affair was handled
in fine fashion. . . . Decorations
committee deserves praise for the
change in the Christmas lighting.
The stringi of lights and rows of
evergreen formerly were strung
parallel with the street m either
side. . . This year the decorations
are ciueewiee. and the effect is
decidedly better. . . . Decorations
extend further from center of
business district too. . . . Clyde
Greene personally supervises the
work as town workers make
haste in getting everything ready
for the flick of the Christmas
switch. . . . Democrat dated
down for Thanksgiving day, and
nused to holidays, t
?ble cusste' next ?
tion, before we realised we weren't
alter all starting a new week. . . -
the hash pot . a good concoc
l*gn -?? home ground, but
????HMrt as a Monday
editorial page}
SCHOOL FOR "SKY PILOTS"
?? ? ? ? mgmm
* ?
Airboma missionaries from tha Moody Institute, Chicago- in found
in mtr comir of tin Blob*. Hart, on* of the "iky pilots" hat
brought his plana down in a lamota region where tha primitive
and modarn stand out in sharp contrast.
Burley Festival Success
Delpite Snowy Weather
Soil Conservation
Election Is Set
Three supervisors for the Wa
tauga county soil conservation
district will be elected at an elec
tion to be held on December 5th
to 10th, and it is explained that
the candidate receiving the high
est number of votes will serve for
a period of three years from Jan
uary 1, I960. The candidate re
ceiving the second highest num
ber of votes will serve for two
ysari and the candidate running
third will serve for one year.
Ballot boxes for the coil con
servation election will be placed
as follows:
Clyde Perry's store, Beaver
Dam township.
Howard Mast's store, Valle Cru
cis.
A. G. Miller's store. Deep Gap.
Farmers Hardware & Supply
Co., Boone.
A. C. Mast's store. Sugar Grove.
Jones Service Station, Meat
Camp.
The following men have been
nominated by regular petition:
D. F. Greene, Henry Taylor,
Will N. Wellborn.
Christmas Fund Is
Sought for Orphans
Guy H. Hunt and Rob Rivers
are again seeking funds for pro
viding Christmas cheer for the
children at the Grandfather
Home, Banner Elk, and all those
wishing to aid in this worthy
movement are asked to make
their contributions to either of
them within the next few days.
Since most of the children at
the Banner Elk institution are our
own mountain people, it is felt
that Wataugans should take an
especial interest in providing
them a Christmas treat. K is
hoped that the response will be
liberal.
College Winter Term
Opened Tuesday
The winter quarter will begin!
at Appalachian State Teachers
college with registration on Tues
day, November 29, after a five
day Thanksgiving holiday be
tween quarters. Classes for the
new quarter will begin at 8:20
on Wednesday morning. a
During the fall quarter the col
lege has had 1240 students frqm
sixteen states, one foreign coun
try, and one territory, represent
ing more than 23 per cent in
crease over last year's fall quar
ter enrollment. Additional stu
dents are expected to enter the
winter quarter, to swell the fig
ure still further.
Christmas holidays will begin
at noon, Wednesday, December
21, and rlswss will resume again
on Tuesday, January 8. The win
ter quarter will end on February
King and Queen Are Chosen,
Dignitaries Are Heard at
Christmas Opening
Despite heavy snowfall and
impeded highway travel, a large
crowd came to Boone last Friday,
the Christmas opening and to
bacco festival were carried
through on schedule, and King
Winter, who seemed to be the
odds-on favorite during the
morning hours lost the decision
to Santa Claus, as the king and
queen were crowned, the parade
held, visiting diguataries spoke,
and the jolly old gentlemen of
North Pole fame tossed out his
gifts to the children.
Miss Jo Evelyn Barlow from
Riverview High School Ashe
county, was chosen festival
2ueen, while Jack Greer from
very county high school. Cran
berry was crowned king. Judge
J. C. Rudisill of Newton, Hon.
James C. Farthing or Lenoir, and
C. V. Johnson of Elizabeth ton,
chosen by D. M. Edmisten, gen
eral chairman, as judges, selected
the winning candidates from the
large field of contestants.
All the candidates for king and
queen were guests of the mer
chants association at a luncheon
at the Skyline restaurant, the
first event of the festival.
D. M. Edmisten, festival com
mittee chairman presided at the
luncheon and presented Hon. R.
L. Dough ton, ninth district Con
gressman; Judge J. C. Rudisill,
resident Superior Court Judge of
Newton; James C. Farthing, 16th
district solicitor, and C. B. John
son, president of the Chamber of
Commerce, Elizabeth ton, Tenn.
The weather prevented some
of the candidates for king and
queen from reaching Boone.
Those present were: ,
Delores McRae and Jack
Greer, Cranberry High School;
Dixon Quails, Orlando Brown,
Boone; Martha Herring, BUlie
Bo lick, Blowing Rock; Joyce Mc
Queen, Oltte fenner. Mountain
City; Jo Evelyn Barlow, River
view High School. Creston: Carl
ton Combs, Lola Sue Trivett,
Cove Creek; Kay Howell afta
Edgar Wilcox, Elkand; Mary
Nell Tester, Bethel; Maurice
Branch and Carol Coffey, Lenoir.
Additional festival activities
which were to have been carried
out on the square, were held at
Mountain Bur ley warehouse no.
2, where Clyde R. Greene, presi
dent of the Merchants association
presided. D. M. Edmisten, gener
al festival chairman, delivered a
brief address, following which
Mayor Gordon H. Winkler wel
comed the large crowd to the
city. Joe Coleman one of the
operators of the local tobacco
market, brough greetings to the
farmers, and gave timely infor
( Continued on editorial page)
Quail Season Will
Clo*? December 8th
P Tommy Osborne, district game!
protector, states that the, quail
shooting season will end Deoem
el 8th, but that grouse he
?Uly taken until January 1
Two Children Fatally Bunted
In Tragic Disaster Tuesday
years old, apdlretrieve
daughter* ofp?
Sallie Pat,
Charlotte Aim. t|
Mr.. and Mrs. David Joyner.B
bumed to dee8|$l|j| ' Tuesday]
afternoon whn OreMHH
through their home at Windsor]
N. C.
Mrs. JoynW
Lydia Vance Swift of Boone, bad
gone acroaa a nearby highway to]
?the dally paper
^?broke out in the home. She
waa badly burned in ? fottte 1
tempt to reacue bar ?BHH
from the doOknad > stroctnua, I
to the hospital then
f * - * * . . . A
tor treatments.
? The survivors include the |M
?and one sister, Pauline, who
to school at the time of th*
M Kill III ||
FARMERS WILL
GO TO POLLS
TO NAME HEW
PMA LEADERS
County Committeemen Will
Be Named u Farmers Go
Back to Polls To Sot Up
Now Organisation; Fellow
Farmers Are To Administer
Program.
Watauga county farmer* will
have the opportunity to reaffirm
'heir faith in the democratic
"armer-committee system for
ocal administration of Federal
farm programs when they fo to
the polls December 15 to
?hooee the fellow farmers who
will represent them as county,
and community production and
marketing administration com
mitteemen during the coming
year.
In announcing the elections,
the county PMA committee
points out that these non-parti
san committees are the local ad
ministrative units for such Fed
eral farm programs as Agricul
tural Conservation, price sup
ports, acreage allotments, and
marketing quotas.
"As representatives of their
farmer-neighbors, they see to it
that national and state programs
are adapted to local conditions
and provide the 'grass-roots" ex
perience and thinking necessary
for the intelligent formulation of
new programs that changing
conditions may require," says
Dwight Cable, county tobacco,
corn and general farmer, as well
as chairman of the county PMA
committee.
The State PMA committee has
designated December 15, 1949 as
the date for holding the elections
in the county's 14 agricultural
communities. The county conven
tion, at which the new county
PMA committeemen will be
chosen, is to be held December
16th.
Eligible voters in each agricul
tural community will chose from
among their neighbors a com
munity committee consisting of
three regular and two alternate
members, Mr. Cable explains. At
the same time, a delegate ana
alternate delegate is designated
to represent the community at
the county convention.
An eligible voter, according to
Mr. Cable, is any owner, opera
tor, tenant or sharecropper on a
farm which is participating in
any program administe r e d
(through the county Agricultural
Conservation Association during
1949. This includes the Agricul
tural Conservation program,
price supporting loans ana pur
chase agreements.
Drivers Are Urged
To Get Licenses
"If your last name begins with
L or M, don't spend hours which
you could use for Christmas
shopping standing in line to re
new your driver's license," Driv
er's License Examiner, W. R.
Stansberry urged today.
Pointing out that all L and M
drivers must have their licenses
to drive renewed by December
31, Examiner Stansberry urged
all persons in this category who
have not obtained renewals to re
port immediately to his station at
Boone on Thursdays and Fridays
to avoid the last minute rush.
All persons apprehended after
December 31 without their re
newed licenses will be subject to
prosecution.
The driver's license examiners'
unit is a part of the Highway
safety Division of the North Car
olina Department of Motor Vehi
cles.
Ben E Phillips , j
Dies On Thnnday
Ben H. Phillips. 76, retired
farmer of Boone died at a Win
ston-Salem hospital Thursday.
Mr. Phillip, had suffered a
broken hip in a fall a few days
previous, and the Injury Is said
to have been at least indirectly
responsible for his death.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Saturday from the Meat Camp
Baptist church by Rev. W. J.
Cook and Rev. R. C. Eggera and
interment was in the church
cemetery by Reins-Sturdivant.
The widow and two, sons, Tom
and J. D. Phillips of Boone, sur
vive. There are six grandchild
ren.
Preachers To Gather
At Qak Grove Church
The preachete conference of
Church Monday Dae. L at 3401
p. m. All piiatlmi sad deacons
?re urged to attend, all ?fatten
welcome. The theme o f the pro
gram will be "Advancing With
Christ- Rev. W. D. Ashley win
(With Christ ia TeaJklng." ETw.
Eauw pe
Burley Averages $45J?|
pn Boone's First Auction
SCREEN STAR'S STEER WINS
it J itx >ul I at ? - ? V>;'. ^ .-?
Frad MacMurray, icmn itn mud owner of I ranch mu H*Id*
burg. Calif., displays hia aanior grand national champion. "Roark*i
Commander in Chiaf." which won blua ribbon at Bah grand na
tional Htm lock ahow hold racantly in San Francisco. Tba steor
aaama almost aa photogenic as MacMurray. Tha blua ribbon of tba
grand national show ia tba "Oacai" of ataardom.
Phone Lines To Wilkes,
Meat Camp Are Assured
PRESIDENT
t '
f w
I t>'
Ml. C. A. Clay, the new president
of th? Watauga Farm Bureau. I
515,000 Damage I
As Barn Burns
Bascomb Hampton, resident of
the Bamboo section, suffered a
$15,000 loss when the large dairy
barn on his farm was completely
destroyed by fire Friday noon.
Mr. Hampton and his helpero,
it was stated, were loading hay
into the bam from a truck, and
while away at lunch, flames rac
ed through the structure, and it
was doomed when the nre was
discovered. A short circuit in the
truck, it is said, could conceivab
ly have started the blaze.
The barn, which was 00 x 00
ieet was almost new, of approv
ed construction for dairy pur
poses. Besides the building, four
tons of hay was destroyed, the
truck, and miscellaneous equip
ment The loss is partially cover
ed by insurance.
1 '
Snake Braves Winter
On ill-Fated Trip
A two-foot garter snake, did
the unusual Tuesday, cam* out
of hibernation and made an ill
fated attempt to cross the Blow
ing Rock road just as Mr. Bud
Mast of Vilas came along.
Mr. M?t, who, like moat
folks, had never seen a reptile
roving about the last of Novem
ber, dispatched the snake, and
brought him to Boone as proof of
the unusual incident.
Farm Bureau in Annual Meet
ing, Electa Officers, and
Hears 'Phone Official
'
The members of the Watauga
Farm Bureau met Monday even
ing, elected a new alate of of
ficers, announced that the mem
bership quota had been surpaaa
ed, and ha(t word from the Bell
Telephone Company that rural
telephone lines serving a mini
mum of 100- Watauga families are
to be constructed by mid-1950.
C. A. Clay of Vilas was elected
president of the organization at
the annual meeting; Hayes Well
born, of Deep Cap vice-presi
dent; and Edward Love of Sugar
Grove, secretary and treasurer.
The Board of directors include
the following: Glenn Howell,
Bald Mountain township; W. R.
Vines, Beaver Dam: Carl Storie,
Blue Ridge; J. B. Greene, Blow
ing Rock; G. D. Barnett, Boone;
Don Elliott, Brushy Fork: L B.
Wilson, Cove Creek; Stewart
Simmons, Elk; Henry Hagaman,
Laurel Creek: Ted Clawson,
Meat Camp; Alfred McNeil, Meat
Camp no. 2: Grady Farthing,
New River; C. R. Wilson, North
Fork; Marshal Farthing, Shaw
neehaw: E. B. Hardin, Stony
Fork; Frank Taylor, Watauga.
Ml Members
Reports from the recent mem
bership campaign indicate thai
367 members have been secured
surpassing the quota of 380. C. A
Clay, who secured 84 members,
won $100 on his expenses to the
National. Farm Bureau conven
tion in Chicago, December 12th
Edward Love was in second
place with 32 members. He waj
given 1000 pounds of Armour'!
fertilizer through Hollar Broth
ers, local dealers.
Lynn Norris was third place
winner with 30 members. He re
ceived 1000 pounds of Roystei
fertilizer through Goodnight
Rolf E. Wilson waa fourth with
17 members. He waa given 1000
pounds of Swift's fertilizer
through the Farmers Hard wars
& Supply Co., and Wilson's Feed
Store.
Rural Telephone I. fuss
Mr. Ibanet, manager for the
Bell Telephone Co., Lenoir office,
spoke, and told the farmers that
by June 30, 1950, his """fT
would have completed a tele
phone line from Boone to the
Wilkes line on highway 421, and
one from Boone to the Meat
Camp Baptist church on 221,
serving a minimum of 100 sub
scribers, to say nothing of those
who could get phonea with the
subsequent building of tba feed
er lines. Mr. Ibenot also stated
that branch linea would be con
structed on the Blowing Rock
line, and that the line down
(Continued on editorial page)
Allows Grow?
To Procoad with Grading
The opening auctions of the
1949-50 bur ley tobacco imw
were held on the floors of Moun
tain Burley warehouse no. 1
Monday, when 168,002 pounds of
leaf war sold for an average
price of $40.28 per hundred
weight Monday's top basket
brought $62.00.
About sixty - five thousand
pounds was sold yesterday, and
final audits, it was revealed
would perhaps result in about
the tame average as prevailed
Monday, while about the same
amount of weed is on the bask
ets for today's sale.
Receipts of tobacco are now
picking up with the coming of
wet weather and it is expected
that the lines of trucks will grow
longer toward the end of the
week. Dry weather had prevent
ed any considerable amount of
grading prior to this week.
Mr. Roscoe Coleman, who with
his two sons, operates the local
market, is urging the farmers to
keep their tobacco dry and grade
carefully in order to secure the
best prices. He states that the
smoking grades are seling excep
tionally well, and that the per
centage of this high quality leaf
is very high, considering the
rather poor growing season. Due
to the fact that three large floors
are available on the local mark
et Mr. Coleman stresses there m
no congestion, and that farmers
may sell their crops, get their
checks and return home the
same day, preventing costly lay
overs.
On opening day crops were
sold from seven counties in
North Carolina, six in Tennessee
and six in Virginia. In Carolina
tobacco came from Mitchell, Wa
tauga, Yancey, Ashe, Avery,
Alleghany and Haywood. Ten
nessee growers were from Carter.
Johnson, Sullivan, Unicoi and
Washington, while Virginians
came from Lee, Russell, Scott
Wise, Washington and Grsyson
counties. -- ?
Burley Voters
Retain Quotas
The Burley tobacco referendum
held in the communities of Wa
tauga county carried by 98.51 of
the number of votes cast which
represented 80% of the eligible
voters of the county. The results
of the votes cast are as follows:
For marketing quotas for three
years, 053 votes; for marketing
quotas for one year, but not for
I three years, 11 votes; against
marketing quotas, 6 votes.
Washington ? The Agriculture
Department this week added to
bacco to the growing list of farm
crops which will be under strict
production control next year.
Officials said nearly complete
returns from a special poll re
vealed that tobacco growers had
voted overwhelmingly for mar
keting quotas on burley tobacco
in 1950 rather than risk losing
their federal price support
guarantees.
With less than 8,000 ballots still
to be reported, they said, the poll
[showed 133,231 growers for
three-year controls, 0,165 for a
one-year quota, and only 6,031
opposed to quotas of any kind.
While the quota order is aim
ed at achieving only a seven per
cent cutback in national tobacco
acreage, the average reduction
will be about 15 per cent because
so many producers already have
been cut to the minimum allot
ment of nine-tenths of an acre.
That may produce a fight in
the next session of Congress.
Some congressmen argue that
the smaller produce? should
have thett acreages reduced by
the same percentage as bigger
grow els when controls are need
ed.
Under quotas, each growers
receives a planting allotment If
he ovcrplams, he loses price sup*
port for his entire crop. In addi
tion, he is subject to a heavy
(penalty tax on any tobacco sold
on excess of his allotment Other
[growers may sell all they pro
Tobacco Is the third of the so
eaUed six "basic crops" to be
placed production controls
for next year. If the nation's
farmers abide by their goals, to
tal crop acreage in 1900 is ex
ad to ran about 30,000,000
> Ims than in 1940.
[Local Cannery Will
Be Open Tomorrow
pity cannery, which
?the agricultural le
? st Appalachian High
| School, will open December 1
?for the processing of I
The hours of i
n tm makes $00 ft,