Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / Jan. 26, 1950, edition 1 / Page 1
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THE DEMOCRAT Is your N.it and most econo mical medium of advertising. With mo.'c than 2.600 paid-up cash subscriptions, your mes sage goe* to 13.000 people, on the universally used bas<* of five readers to each sub? ? iber WATAUGA DEMOCRAT IMPORTANT! The date on you# addreaa label shows the date your sub scription will expire, and tha date your paper will be stopped unless sooner renewed. Tha Democrat is operating strictly All 1 _ _ _ - _ _ _ ?? i l 1 i ? ? i is upciauiig sirwi An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year I 888 on a ca?h m advance b?i?. VOL. LXII ? NO. 29. BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, JANUARY 2ti, 1950 FIVE CENTS $75,000 Loss As Flames Race Through Showhouse KINGSTREET BY ROB RIVERS THE DISASTROUS FIRE which swept through Boone's big theatre Saturday afternoon brought the town's biggest ex citement in years, as fathers and mothers from all over the com munity and county dashed mad ly to the scent of the conflagra tion, thinking perhaps their children might be trapped in the inferno, while others doing busi ness in the immediate neighbor hood, frantically made ready to evacuate their posessions if the fire should spread . . . Bob Agle, district manager for the Sams Theatre enterprises, and Jay Beach^ who managed the local playhouse, contrived, with their cool demeanor to evacuate sev eral hundred folks from the building, without injury, even as t the flames lapped at the backs I ' of the last to reach the main! exit . . . The management is re ceiving the praise of the general populace for 'ing accomplish ed the ev ation operation, without ;i tr. _e of panic having been allowed to arise . . . Gene Autry, cowboy vocalist, provided the headline attraction, and the kiddies with their toy pistols, and other paraphernalia of the wide open spaces were on hand by the hundred, . . . their parents knowing they were right down in front of the silver screen, and would of course be the last . . . Frantic, pale-faced fathers and mothers rushed to the scene, on ly to find the tots mingling with the crowd on the lawn of the lawn of the Daniel Boone hotel, enjoying the spectacle . . . Those of us who had already lived through the horrors of charred and broken little bodies began to breathe again ... to reflect on the property loss, and the peer less work of the fire department in preventing the spread of the flames, which could have result ed in the virtual destruction of the immediate business district . . . while the kiddies, unmindful of the tragic consequences which were narrowly averted, spent a happy week-end and treked down to the Pastime Monday, happy as jay birds in June . . . They wouldn't have been doing this today had Messrs Agle ana Beach become unduly excited! ? ? ? VOLUNTEERS of Ihe fire department capably handling the big blaze, and winning the general praise of the crowds, while a few. comfortably situa ted. undampened. and unchok ed by the smoke, belittled their effects . . . making some of us see a bit red . . . Blowing Rock boys render invaluable aid in fighting the flame, while mo torists persist in running over the hose . . . This problem exists everytlme a fire breaks out . . . Many have been ar rested and fined . . . Seems to do little good . . . Should be a bit of a jail sentence, for a broken hoee, might spell the deitrudion of a building . . . might in fact end a life . . . Harsh and certain punishment should be applied in such in stances. ? ? ? WE SHARE THE SORROW of the Sams enterprises in their loss . . . We are deeply concerned for Mr. W. R. Winkler, one of our town's most progressive citizens over the huge damage to his building, but we can very easily imagine a worse set of circum stances . . . Plans are already un derway for rebuilding the struc ture . . . The Pastime Theatre has been re-opened and is enab ling the theatre management to operate on about 25 per cent normal capacity . . . but the folks who might have died, couldn't have been replaced . . . The cloud has a lining that glows . . . Speaker says he's definitely, not an authority on international matters, then squares away and tells just how to handle the thing in all it" intricate details . . . Clyde Perry, one of our old subscribers, comes in to renew, and lays the cash on the line for five years . . . "don't want it to be all the time running out!" . . . Rainbow in the west In early morning, said to <be sure sign of . bad weather, is the forerunner of rainy spell . . . Dick Colvard says if the smoke from the chimney goes straight up on February 1, there'll be apples . . . Commentator says we don't need bigger bombs, but bigger men, ? ? ? OR MEN. AT LEAST, who share the opinion of the man making the observation . . . Moat of us are prone to think of greatness in terms of our own beliefs . . . Those of dif ferent opinions are bailed all too often as weaklings . . . Those we bail as "good fellow*" are often those who merely happen to follow our basic lines of reasoning . . . while those we criticise severely hap pend to have leanings which are foreign to our established (continued on page six) MORE WORKERS ARE NEEDED TO SOLICIT FOR MARCH DIMES Scores of Volunteers Are Needed If Quota Is To Be Reached, Says Taylor; Ur gent Plea Made by County Chairman of Campaign. The March of Dimes needs volunteer workers. This an nouncement was made this week by Jim Taylor, Watauga county RJarch of Dimes Director. It seems apparent now that if Watauga County is to meet its share of the state's quota, scores of volunteer workers will be needed in making personal solici tations. All persons who will ive a little of their time on Fri ay, January 27, in making per-) yonal calls for the March of Dimes are asked to report to county headquarters or call tel ephone 234 before Friday. Even an hour will help. The thous ands of crippled children need you. Please help. Last week, it was reported by Mr. Taylor that March of Dimes! gifts were lagging. Since that] time, there has been a slight up-| surge in donations, but Watauga1 County has still not contributed one-fourth as much as was do nated last year. There have been several significant contributions.1 such as the one which was re ceived from little Mickie Wil liams from Shulls Mills. Mickiel saved his pennies all year longj for the March of Dimes. Last, week, his contribution came in ? a quart jar containing eight hund red and sixty-five pennies. Then there was the gift of $19.03 by Mr. Zeb Farthing's Veterans on the Farm Class. The March of Dimes Campaign now has less tharr a week to go. Time is rap idly running out. Many people have asked what goes witn the polio funds raised in this county. Here's what hap pens to the dimes and dollars you give to the March of Dimes Half remains with the local chap-l ter of the National Foundationl for Infantile Paralysis. It is used! to pay for that part of medical|! care which a local patient's fam-| Uy cannot afford and, in emer-i "encies, ? to supplement the na tional epidemic aid fund. The other half is sent to na-| tional headquarters. It is usedj for research to find a means of] preventing or cury g the disease, education of higW/ skilled and much-needed profej i.onal person nel and for epidenf e aid to chap ters whose local treasuries are exhausted. However the money is distrib uted, all of it comes back in sqme form of benefit to the community in which it is raised. It comes hack in improved treatment me thods, trained personnel and cash when it is needed. Eventually, polio investigators say, it will come back in the form of a vac cine to protect mankind against infantile paralysis. You can help assure every vic tim of this disease the adequate care he must have for as long asl he needs it ? by giving NOW. in, increased amounts, to the 1950| March of Dimes. Census Takers Needed In Watauga County There is a need for cehsus tak ers in Watauga county, District] Supervisor Harry B. Moore of the Statesville office said yester-j day. Watauga county needs one; crew leader and 23 enumerators and there have been only about 10 applications, Mr. Moore said. The supervisor pointed out that his office hoped at least 50 persons from the county would apply for the census jobs. Crew leaders will receive $12 a day and gas mileage and enu merators will be paid approxi mately $8 a day. Persons interested in the jobs should apply to the Bureau off the Census in Statesville, N. C.j [Applications must be in the cen-j jsus office by January 31, for! 'crew leaders and February 20! for enumerators. The census taking task willj start April 1, with crew leadersj pay starting March 2 and enu merators March 28. A training center will be established in West Jefferson for crew leaders and enumerators. Mr. Moore urges all interested persons to apply to the States- j ville office immediately. Two or three applicants from: each township in the county are, wanted. - Bloodshed Boxscore Olf N. C. HIGHWAYS Killed Jan. 17 through Jan. 19 2 Injured Jan. 17 through Jan. It 59 Killad thru Jan. 19 this year 33 Kill ad thru Jan. 19, 1949 .... 33 Injured thru Jan. 19 this year 558 Injured thru Jan. 19, 1949 343 President Is To Be Invited President Harry S. Truman is to be invited to speak during the! celebration to be held in Wataugaj county during the summer of 1950, it was decided here on Fri-| day. night, when a meeting of the' Echoes of the Blue Ridge, Inc.,) was held to discuss speakers fori the occasion. The celebration willj be held June 29 through July 4, and will feature speecches by out-| standing persons, pageantry, and parades. The committee on honor guests also decided to invite Charlie! "Choo Choo" Justice to crown the! queen at the opening day cele bration, and to try to obtain Missj Margaret Truman for a concert during the celebration dates or as close thereto as possible. Gover-j nor W. Kerr Scott will be invited, and his aid will be solicited in the inviting of the governors of other states surrounding North Carolina. Plans for the celebration in clude a College Day, Governor's Day, and Farmer's Day. All col lege presidents in North Carolina, and a large number in surround-; ing states will be invited to at-i tend on College Day. According to the committee's tentative plans, many other persons pro-j minent in public life are to be invited. ^ Tugman, Ashe Co. Farm Agent Dana Tugman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Grady Tugman of Boone, has Wen named Farm Agent for Ashe county, it was learned last week. Mr. Tugman, had been serving as assistant farm agent in the neighboring county since his graduation from State College last year. Fire Chief Thanks Blowing Rock Dept. Howard Cottrell, chief of the Boone volunteer fire department,] wishes to express sincere appre-| ciation to the members of the; Blowing Rock fire department, for bringing their equipment, and valiantly fighting the theatre fire last Saturday. Their aid was of prime importance in preventing the spread of the flame. Chief Cottrell also thanks all local vol unteer firemen for their fine per formance. The Chief again warns motor ists to stay off the water hose when fires are in progress and promises vigorous action against this violation in the future. App Wrestlers To Meet Marine Team The Appalachian Wrestlers will meet the Cherry Point Marines Wednesday, February 8, in the Appalachian College Gymnasium. The Apps have won five straight victories this year, while the Marines have lost only the one match with Duke, and the Cherry Pointers will be out to break the winning streak of the locals, who only last week won over Alabama, Georgia and W. N. C. Junior Order Holds District Initiation District three, Junior Order, held initiation ceremonies at the hall of Daniel Boone Council in Boone last Friday evening. Fif teen candidates were initiated by the degree team from North Wilkesboro and the hall was filled to capacity. Fifteen Juniors came from Elk Park, fourteen from North Wilkesboro, in addition to the large attendance from Watauga. Refreshments were served. Ira S. Ayers, district councilor, pre sided. To Assist State Income Taxpayers Mr. Wade H. Lee, deputy col lector with the State department of revenue, will be in the grand jury room in the courthouse on February 16th and 17th for the purpose of assisting State in come taxpayers in the filing of their returns. HALF BITS Representatives Patman, of Texas, thinks it's about time for Congress to give legal dignity to the expression "two bits" ? a quarter, that ia. He has introduc ed a bill to authorize the coinage of "bits" and "half-bite." The "bit" would be worth twelve and a half cents and would contain a little more silver than a dime, while the "half-bit" would be worth six and a quarter cent* and would presumably be made of nickel and copper. SCENES AT THEATRE FIRE. ? Sc*om at the Appalachian Theatre. taken Saturday, whlla tha big structure was being gutted by fire. Lower picture ahows some of the throngs of onlookeri who gathered on the Daniel Boone Hotel lawn to watch the conflagration. (Photos by Haik Freeman and Palmer Blair, of Palmer's Studio.) President's Ball Is Slated Here Ricker Is Bound To Spring Court Carl Ricker, who was captured in the hills of Watauga cfounty at the close of thfi noted man hunt, was arraigned for prelimi nary hearing Saturday before Homer Brown, Justice of the Peace, and 'bound to Watauga Superior Court on charges of carrying concealed weapons and destroying stolen property. In default of bond Ricker was returned to the Lenoir Jail. Farmers in the South now own. about 700,000 tractors, twice as many as they hod six years ago. About half of the State's farm land is classified as woodlands. ? The President's Ball, instituted many years ago as an aid to the infantile paralysis campaign, and traditional^ the hi^hspot of the winter socia season la Boone, will be held at the Appalachian High School gymnasium Wednesday evening, February 1, says Jim Taylor, director of the March of Dimes campaign in this county. The ball, which is to be semi formal, is to start at 9 p. m., and tickets are now on sale at the College Book Store, Boone Drug Company, Sanitary Barber Shop. Watauga Democrat office, and March of Dimes county head quarters. Those who do not se cure the advance tickets may get their admissions at the door. ^ The admission has been set at *1.00 per person, which includes tax. Johnny Albea and his orches tra will play for the ball, and the proceeds will go to the March of Greer House Is Scene 01 Fire A tWo-story frame structure in suburban Perkinsville, occupied by the Trent Greer family, was damaged from $2,500 to $3,000 in a fire which developed from a flue Sunday evening. The loss is said to have been covered by in surance. The iocal fire department quenched the blaze within a snort time, and no other building was damaged. Dimes for continuing the fight against polio. 1 "Strong leu dance that weak ones may walk." NONE HURT AS FIVE HUNDRED USHERED OUT Boone, Blcftving Rock Firemen Accomplish Heroic Task, as Hundreds Witness Confla gration; Rebuilding To Be gin Soon. Says Owner; Theatre To Be One of State's Finest. A fire originating in a back stage popcorn machine, swept through the Appalachian Theatre last Saturday afternoon, bringing a loss of $75,000 to $85,000. but the emergency was so skillfully handled by the management that the more than five hundred men, women and children, as sembled in the playhouse, made an orderly exit just ahead of the raging flames. Bob Agle, district manager for the Appalachian Theatre chain, owned principally by Mr. A. F. Sams of Statesville, and Jay Beach, local theatre manager, conducted the evacuation of the building, when it became apparent that the blaze couldn't be handled with the available fire extinguishers. A tank of cooking gas exploded in the rear just as the last of the throng reached the sidewalk, and the flames reached the front doors. The local volunteer fire de partment went into action, while distraught parents, searched through the milling throngs of spectators for their children, who had been enjoying a west ern film. The local population and hundreds of rural shopper* filled all available space on the streets and at other vantage points as the local firemen and the Blowing Rock fire depart ment conducted the fight on the roaring flames. Due to the dili gence of the fire-fighters and volunteer helpers, the blaze nev er seriously threatened other structures in the downtown busi ness block. The building, the property of Mr. W. R. Winkler of Boone, and under lease to the Sams enter prises, was one of the most mod ern in this section of th& state, and was built in 1937. The roof structure was destroyed, with the exception of the big support ing beams, which were never al lowed to become hot enough to impair their strength. The Wi .is, likewise, are undamaged, but floors, seats, projection mach inery. carpeting, etc., were des (continued on page six) Taxable Payrolls in County Take Jump Taxable payrolls under the old-age program of the Federal Security Agency rose 87 per cent in Watauga county between 1946 and 1948, according to in formation received here from C. Parker Persons, Regional Direc Itor of the U. S. Department of ICommerce in Atlanta. | Taxable payrolls under the program in 1948 totalled $229,000 compared with $122,000 in 1946. The information is included in booklets prepared by his agency 'entitled "County Business Pat j terns", now on sale at all field [offices of the commerce depart jment, Mr. Persons said. The in formation, he pointed out, was I compiled for the purpose of help ing businessmen to achieve great er sales performance and to plan their 1950 sales campaigns by supplying them with facts and figures pointing the way to po tential demands for consumer and industrial goods. The booklet, priced at 25c, shows, it was stated, that em ployment under the program in watauga county went from 484 persons in 1946 to 734 in 1948. A total of 136 firms engaged in wholesale, retail, and service trade activities and other pur suits participated in the report ing. The compilation is considered comprehensive in the business field, Mr. Persons stated, be cause the old-age program cov ers all business establishments employing one or more em ployees at any time during a re porting quarter, except self, family, casual, agricultural, do mestic, railroad, and certain types of nonprofit organization employ n>ent. The booklet issued by the com merce department reflects data for the State and for all counties. It shows the following addition al information for 1048 on retail, wholesale, and the service trades, as well as other industries operating In Watauga county: Contract construction, 66 em ployees, and taxable payrolls, $32,000: manufacturing, 106 and X20.000; public utilities, 18 and $6,000; wholesale trade, 53 and 125,000; retail trade, 343 and (80,000; finance, insurance, and real estate, 16 and <6,000; and service Industries, 200 and $62, 000. " ? ?
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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Jan. 26, 1950, edition 1
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