BOONE
1M0 POPULATION 1X11
The educational center of Waetem
North Caraluu. Horn* at Appalachian
State Teacher* CoUeae. which attraota
hundreds of student* annually from
all parte of the nation. Modem busl
~?ee district. A good place to live.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1 888
WATAUGA COUNTY
1M0 POPULATION 11.341
Uwllni agricultural and touriat area
Uveatock. da try in# and truck farming
ra mount importance. Blue Ridga
traverses county, and touch#*
Rock, one of the principal
resorts of Eastern America.
VOL. LXTV ? NO. 25.
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. DECEMBER 20, 1*51.
FIVE CENTS PER COPY
KING STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
AND IT CAME TO PASS la
M>om days, that there went out
a dtcTH from Caeaar Augustus,
thai all tha world should ba
taxed.
(And this taxing wa< first
mad* whan Cyr*nius was gov
arnor of Syria.)
And all want to ba taxad. ov
ary on* into his own city.
And Josaph also want up
from Galili? . out of tha city of
Nasaraih. into Judaa. unto" tha
city of David, which is called,
B*thl*ham; (bacausa ha was of
tha housa and lineage of
David:)
To ba taxad with Mary, his
espoused wifa. baing graat with
child.
And. so it was. that whlla
thay wara thara, tha days war*
accomplishad that sha should
ba delivered.
And sha brought forth bar
first born son. and wrappad
him in swaddling clothas. and
laid him in a mang*r; bacausa
thara was no room for tham in
tha inn.
And thara w*r* in th* sama
country sh?ph*rds abiding in
tha field. kaaping watch orer
thair flocks by night.
And. lo. tha Ang*l of tha
Lord came upon tham. and tha
glory of tha Lord shona round
about tham: and thay wara
son afraid.
And th*. angel said unto
tham, Faar not: for. behold. I
bring you good tidings of groat
joy, which shall ba to all peo
ple.
For unto you is born this
day in the city of Dirld, a
Saviour, .which is Christ the
Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto
you: Ye shall find the babe
wrapped in swaddling clothes,
lying in a manger.
And suddenly there was with
the angel a multiiure of the
heavenly host praising God.
and saying.
Glory to God in the highest
and on earth peace, good will
toward men.
? From the Gospel according
to SL Luke.
* ? ?
THE DEMOCRAT down
through the years has always re
printed St. Luke's account of the
birth of the Christ child . . . The
priceless literature of an age
long gone . . . The story which
brought hope, and joy, and the
beginning of a new concept of
human behavior to the peoples
of the world, with the promise of
salvation for all . . . And Christ
mas came about, and the giving
of gifts, and the gay decorations,
and the feasting and the festivi
ties of the holy days . . . and
Santa Claus, patron saint of
childhood, and the embodiment
of the kindliness and the genero
sities which should characterize
the followers of the Nazarene
... to whom all sorts of requests
are directed by the youth of the
land, and whose bottomless pack
has spilled out goodies and stuff
to* the boys and girls all down
through the years . . . We never
gave up Santa Claus easily . . .
Fact is, we still stick by the old
gent with the whiskers, and the
round tummy and the reindeers
and the sleigh, and often think of
the crujle little penciled notes
we would write at this time of
the year to Saint Nick, the bene
ficent . . . And thinking, we set
ourselves to scrawling again:
"DEAR SANTA CLAUS: We
hin grown a heap tine* we
uMd to partake of your candies
and nuts, and fig* and raiains.
and i eys . . . Wa are grateful
for the many thing* you
brought u*. and have long aince
quit wanting the shaff you
couldn't bring, but at thia time
ef the year wa always think of
you. and wonder bow you're
getting along, and cant forage
writing you another little mes
sage.
(Continued on page tour)
Volume Christmas Mail Breaks
All Records At City Postoffice
140,000 Cards Are
Mailed; 15 Extra
Clerks Being Used
The volume of Christmas mail
handled by the local postoffice
this holiday season will probably
break all previous records, ac
cording to Postmaster J. Edgar
Brown.
As early as last Saturday post
age sales had swelled to a mark
that already surpassed last year's
receipts, with ten days left to
make the total even larger.
Mr. Brown estimates that half
a million pieces of mail will be
handled by the postoffice this
week alone, averaging 2 to 3
tons a day with the peak not yet
here. This estimate includes the
140,000 cards which have already
been sent.
Fifteen extra clerks are being
kept busy by the unprecedented
flow of Christmas parcels and
letters, and according to Mr.
Brown, several more could be
profitably used if it were not for
the crowded quarters.
In order to better serve the
people of Boone, the postoffice
will \>e open Saturday afternoon,
December 22, and from 4:00 to
5:00 p. m. on Sunday, December
23.
There is alao a possibility that
a Suaday delivery will ba ?!<!,
says Mr. Brown, but this is not
yet certain.
Dr. Perry Goes To
Baltimore Jan. 1
DR. H. B. PERRY, JR.
Dr. H. B. Perry, Jr. will begin
a period of specialized training in
Obstetrics and Gynecology at the
University of Maryland Hospital
in Baltimore on January 1, 1952.
After 18 months he will be fully
qualified as a specialist tn this
field.
For the past five years Dr.
Perry has been associated with
his father in general practice in
Boone. During this time he has
been active in several civic pro
jects. He is a member of the
Boone Lions Club, having served
as chairman of the Health and
Welfare Committee, and on its
Board of Directors.
Dr. Perry was instrumental in
establishing the Watauga County
Health Council, and has been ac
tive in this organization since its
inception. As a result of his in
terest in rural health and educa
tion, he is a member of that com
mittee of State Medical Society.
Dr. Perry has been secretary of
the County Medical Society for
four years.
During their residence in
Boone, Mrs. Perry has participat
ed in many community programs
and organizations. She conduct
ed the Empty Stocking Fund
program for the Wumans' Club
in 1M9, has been on the music
faculty at Appalachian State
Teachers College and assisted
with the music at the Boone
Methodist Church.
Dr. Perry's office will be oc
cupied after January 1 by Dr.
(Continued on page six!
Burley Sales To End
Friday; Average $55
Sales on the floors of the
Mountain Burley Tobacco Ware
houses in Boone remain strong,
and the season's average is given
today at $55 per hundred, to set
an all time record for the market.
The pre-Christmas ? sales will
end Friday, at which time, offici
als say, at least 3,200,000 pounds
will have been sold. More than
enough weed is now on the bas
kets to have full sales until
Christmas, and receipts continue
strong.
Mr. R. C. Coleman, tobacco
warehouseman, states that this
year's tobacco is of a much high
er grade than usual, and that
crops are coming to Boone from
a widened area. He asks that all
who can sell their tobacco this
week, and states that there is
plenty of room to unload at any
time. He predicts continued
strong prices after Christmas.
Mr. Coleman states that the
warehouses will be open through
out the Christmas holidays for
the receipt of tobacco. The exact
date of the opening of the sales
after Christmas hasn't been
agreed upon.
Milk Handlers' School
Has Large Attendance
The Milk Handlers' School
sponsored by the county healln
department and Hillside Dairy
was very successful. The aver
age daily attendance (or the
school was 88, including Grade
A and Grade C producers, plant
employees, and G. I. trainees. Of
those attending, 29 received a
100% certificate of attendance
-bMauae they were present each
session of the three day school.
The school was for the pur
pose of: (1) Improving the qual
ity of the milk with emphasis on
the fact thgt pasteurization will
kill the pathogenic bacteria, but
pasteurization will not make good
milk out of poor quality milk.
Therefore, extreme care must be
taken from the time the cow is
milked. (2) Taking care of the
cows so that they will produce
more milk and will not become
short time mHkers. (3) Proper
handling of milk and care of
equipment to keep the milk of a
better quality. (4) Artificial
breeding as a means to improving
a herd rapidly so that production
goes up and cows arc healthier.
(5) Dairy herd improvement pro
gram as a means of improving
the herd, knowing which cowa
are making money for the dairy
man, and which cows are just
(Continued on page six)
William Hayes
Rites On Friday
y
Services (or William H. Hayes,
66, of Boone, who died December
13, were held at Middlefork Bap
tist Church on Decembeq 14 at
2:00 p. m. Rev. A. C. Moody of
ficiated, assisted by Rev. Robert
Shores, Rev. Raymond Hendrix,
and Rev. E. F. Troutman.
Interment was in the Edmisten
Cemetery. *
He is survived by his widow,
Mrs. Francis L. Hayes; three
daughters, Mrs. Claude Johnson
of Lenoir, Mrs. Tame? Austin of
Boone and Mrs. Dean Bowles of
Hudson; three sisters, one broth
er and eight grandchildren.
Holiday Trade in
Boone Is Brisk
The holiday shopping season
goes into its final stages with
every indication that retail trade
in Boone this year will reach an
all-time high.
Most merchants report business
well ahead of that enjoyed a
year ago, while others state that
the turnover is . "about the
same." lines are still complete in
spite of the heavy demands of
the past few days, and trade is
expected to be unusually heavy
between now and the end of the
waek
Bad weather has slowed the
traffic on a day or two, but
merchants expect this to be
made up during the last days
Democrat To Be
Issued Saturday
?i ?
Th* edition of the Democrat
which vould normally be pub
lished Wednesday, or tha day
after Christ ma*, is to coma
from tha press Saturday, Dec
ember 22.
Advertisers. contributors and
othari who have copy for this
early edition, should hare it in
the hands of tha printer! no
later than Thursday afternoon.
Although this edition will car
ry a 27th dateline. It may still
be used lor Christmas greeting
advertising.
The Democrat office will be
closed on Monday, Tuesday and
Wednesday of next week for
the annual Christmas vacation
period, and activities will be
resumed at the newspaper of
fice Thursday December 27th.
"Messiah" Again
To Be Broadcast
The Appalachian College
Choir, under the direction of
Mrs. Virginia Linney, has again
been invited by the Mutual Broad
casting System to give a nation
wide broadcast of the Christmas
section of Handel's "Messiah."
Originating through the facili
ties of station WATA in Boone,
the broadcast may be heard Sun
day, December 23 from 12 noon
to 12:, 30 p. m.
A capacity crowd heard the
rendition of the "Messiah" at Col
lege auditorium Sunday evening.
Drunken Driving
Raleigh ? The Department of
Motor Vehicles said today that
drunken driving conviction! in
November lead its monthly sum
mary of traffic violations requir
ing revocation of driver's licens
es.
The Department reported 805
convictions for drunk driving, a
slight decrease from October's
record high of 817.
William Todd, 86,
City's Oldest, Dies;
Funeral Sunday
William G. Todd, 86 years old,
Boone's oldest native-Vjrn citi
zen, and a retired lumberman,
died at the home in suburban
PerkinSville last Friday, follow
ing a long period of illness.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at the Three Forks Baptist
Church Sunday at 2 o'clock. Rev.
Mr. Holbrook was assisted in the
rites by Rev.' Raymond Hendrix.
Interment was in the family plot
in the community cemetery.
Mr. Todd is survived by the
widow, and three sons: Joe Todd,
Boenc; Claude Todd, Newport
News, Va.; Carl Todd, of the
Yadkin Valley.
Mr. Todd was a son of the late
Col. Joe B Todd, and was born
on the principal street of Boone,
where he had resided for the
greater part of his life. A mem
ber of one of the leading fami
lies of the 'area, his father was a
soldier in both the Mexican and
Civil Wars, and. was Clerk of the
Superior Court of Watauga coun
ty during the days of Reconstruc
tion.
Deceased had been in the
lumber business most of his life,
ip Watauga, Caldwell counties,
and in the State of Tennessee.
He had been engaged in whole
sale lumbering in Boone con
stantly since 1913 until his re
tiicment a few years ago. He was
a member of Three Forks Bap
tist Church, and was possibly the
oldest Mason in this community.
He had Joined the old "Watauga
Lodge, sixty-three years ago, and
at the time of his death was af
filiated with Snow Lodge of this
city.
James Taylor To
Go To Air Force
Mr. Jim Taylor, for the past
few yean an attorney in Boone,
has recently received a commis
sion in the United States Air
Force and expects to leave Boone
shortly after Christmas.
Mr. Taylor, who came here
after finishing his work at the
University of North Carolina, has
taken an active part in local civic
affairs, among them being chair
man of the Watauga March of
Dimes campaign for the years
1950 and 1951, he was a member
of the Lions Club, a teacher of
the Young Adult class at the
Methodist Church.
Commissioned in the Air Force
Judge Advocatc Generals De
partment as a 1st lieutenant, Mr.
Taylor was sworn in by Fred
Gragg, Watauga Clerk *of Court,
on December 11 here in Boone.
He plans to close his office on
December 31, though no definite
date had been set for reporting
to active duty.
Slide Goses 603
At Laurel Creek
A large slide on highway 603
near Laurel Creek almost block
ed the road, last week. The
highway force worked two days
before the road was cleared for
traffic. A large amount of stone
remain* on the road.
Dwight Cable Is PMA
Head; Others Elected
Mails Tied Up As Ice ?
Follows Zero Gales
The coldcst weather of the sea
son hit this area last week with
considerable snowfall and an ap
prorimate low on Saturday of 3
degrees above zero. Coming close
on its heels, sleet and ice suc
ceeded in tying up bus schedules
and mails.
Bus schedules out of Winston
Salem and Charlotte wire can
celled on Tuesday with a result
ing tie-up in schedules leaving
from Boone. Two busses succeed
ed in coming from Bristol and
Johnson City, and only one left
on schedule for Winston-Salem
on Tuesday.
The mills, too, cf me in for
their share of difficulty. The
Highway Poatoffice coming from
Greensboro, failed to make con
nections i4 North Wilkesboro on
Tuesday, with reaultant lateness
for Christmas packages and mail
coming from below the moun
tain.
Local traffic ia moving along
satisfactorily, despite the ice
which threatened for awhile to
keep would-be Christmas shop
pers close to homq.
W atauga Cattle Bring An
Average Price Of $709
Dr. William Smith
To Practice Here
DR. WILLIAM SMITH
Dr. William M. Smith will be
gin practicing medicinc in Boone
the first of the year, occupying
the office of Dr. H. B. Perry, Jr.,
who is taking special training in
Baltimore, Md. Dr. Smith will be
associated with Dr. H. B. Perry,
Sr.
Dr. Smith, a native of Bedford,
Ohio, received his A. B. degree
from Oberlin College, his M. D.
degree from the University of
Michigan and interned at Henry
Ford Hospital in Detroit, Mich.
He and Mrs. Smith come from
Lenoir, where he has. been en
gaged in general practice.
Mrs. Smith is a native of Col
umbus, Ohio, and it a graduate
of Ohio State University.
Co. Offices Close
The county offices of Clerk'
Superior Court, Register of
Deeds. County Accountant, Tax
Collector, and County Tax
Supervisor will close Monday
December 24th, Tuesday, Decem
ber 25th and Wednesday, Dec
ember 26th in observance of
Christmas .
Band Planning Busy schedule
The Appalachian High School
Band under the direction of R.
R. Blanton. Jr. hai had a varied
pre-Christmas schedule of con
cert*, including visits to near-by
schools and local presentations.
A series of exchange assembly
programs under the sponsorship
of the Appalachian High School
Assembly Club, led 'the season's
activities for the band. The first
of these was a concert on Dec
ember & at Cove Creek High
School. This concert featured the
Overture "Mountain Majesty" by
Paul Yoder.
On December 14 two concerts
were scheduler! for Weat Jcffcr
son High School and Miller*
Creek High School but cancelled
due to inclement weather. Theac
two program! will be played af
ter the holiday*.
A special group of novelties
waa played by the recently or
ganized combo a* an added at
traction of each program. Thi*
organization composed of Jimmy
Hotahouser, clarinet: Martha
Council, cornet; Guy Hunt,
Trombone; Ed Culler, drum; and
Beth Eggers. piano; played two
sclectioru: "Dixieland'' by Har
old Walter* and "Blue D*vil
Blue*" composed and arranged
by Louie Diviney, former stud
ent teacher with the Appalachian
High School Band.
The band prevented an inform
al concert, mpoMored by the Wo
man'* Miuionary Union, at the
Watauga Pruton Camp on Sun
day. December 9. After the con
cert rrfrcahmenta were aerved
to mrmberi of the band.
A* .1 fitting climax to thU bu?y
?>ai<on, the hand nnd chflrua will
preaent a Chriatmaa program lor
the Appalachian High School
Aatembly, Friday, December 21
at 10:00 a. m. The public it cordi
ally invited to attend thia pro
Messrs Jim Council and H. M.
Hamilton, Jr., of Boone, sold 39
purebred Hereford* in their
Statesvllle sale last Friday for
an average of $709, and believe
that but for the desperately sold
weather, an even higher return
would hav? been shown.
? A ten month* old son of UW
Prince Larry 10th, Council! and
Hamilton's herd bull, sola t at
$1500 to Mr. J. H. Shu ford of
Elmwood, N. C. This is perhaps ? i
the highest price ever received!
for a Watauga-bred bull calf.
The top cow, sold to S. M.
Cozart of Wilson, N. C., likewise
brought $1,500.
A number of the Hcrefords
were returned to Watauga.
Among the local breeders buying
were, Dr. R. H. Harmon, Prank
M. Payne, Martin Yates, B. W.
Stallings.
Miss Eleanor Geer
Has Leading Role
Miss Eleanor G?r of Boone, a
sophomore at Wake Forest Col
lege, appeared in the leading role
of Maggie Cutler in the play,
"The Man Who Came To Din
ner," p relented by the College
Theater of Wake Forest on Nov
ember 26 and 27.
"Old Gold and Black," the col
lege paper, calls Mis* Geer "one
of the moit promising young
actresses on the campus." The
revue cited Miss Geer's able
playing of the part, her "notice
able familiarity with the lines
and lack of strain while on the
stage."
Xmas Pageant At
Lutheran Church
A Christmas pageant, "The
Prophecy Fulfilled," will be pre
sented at Grace Lutheran Church
on Sunday evening, December
23, at f :00 p. m.
The Luther league and Junior
Sunday School assisted by the
church choir will portray the
"Prophecy of the Christ-Child."
You arc cordially invited to at
tend.
Stores Of City
Close Two Davs
The mcrehanla of the city will
close their door both Tuoaday
and Wednesday of next week, in
observance of the Christmas
holidays. I
It la also announced by the dry
goods atom that they will re
main open both * Saturday and
Monday evenings until 7:30 to
take care' of the needs of the late
Christmas shoppers j
Results Given On
Farm Election In
Watauga Dec. 14th
The Production and Marketing
Administration county commit
tee for Watauga county in the
coming yea'r will be Dwight
Cable, chairman, Vaughn Tug
man, vice chairman and A. C.
Moretz, regular member, it was
announced here today.
Dwight Cable, chairman of the
PMA committee operates a to
bacco and stock farm in Laurel
Creek community; Vaughn Tug
man, vice chairman operate a
tobacco and stock farm in Meat
Camp community; and A. C.
Moretz, regular member is en
gaged in general farming in the
Stony Fork community.
Mr. Cable has served three
years as chairman of the county
PMA committee. Mr. Tugman
and Mr. Moretz have each serv
ed as community committeemen
for their communities for a num
ber of years.
They were elected at the coun
ty PMA convention which met
Friday, December 14 at Boone.
Delegates to the convention were
elected Thursday, December 13
in Watauga county's 14 PMA
communities.
The coii"entlon also eloctcd
Sanford Creed and M. O. Coffey
as first and second alternate
committee members, respective
(Continued on page six)
Union Christmas
Services Slated
Following the program of
Christmas music at the Presby
terian Church Wednesday night
(Dec. 19), the final program of
public Christmas celebration will
be held in the form of a union
carol service of all Boone chur
ches at the Methodist Church
Sunday at 7:30 p. m. Familiar
Christmas carols will be sung by
the congregation, and special se
lections will be presented by the
Baptist Youth Choir under the
direction of Miss Nell Norris.
A new film-strip, released for
the first time this year, "Christ
mas around the World," will be
shown picturing the customs of
Christmas observance in many
lands, and presenting recordings
of familiar carols of other peo
ples.
Everyone is urged by Pastor
J. T. Shackiord to participate in
this service.
Attention also is called by the
Hev. Mr. Shackford to the entire
community to the series of radio
broadcasts of Christmas music
which will be heard over station
WATA each day, December 19
23, except Suriday, at 9:45 a. m.
These programs are produced by
the Upper Room Radio Parish as
a community service and will
carry some of the loveliest music
to be heard during the season.
Campbell House
Razed Bv Flame
The two-iitory frame home of
Mr. and Mr*. Max Campbell of
Mabel wag totally destroyed by
fire on December 8, a portion of
the furniture from three room*
being nalvaged.
The mid-day blaze originated
in the upstairi portion of the
houie, and although Mr*. Camp
bell was on the first floor. *he
did not know of the fire until it
had gained con* id era bit head
way. The fire was believed to
have come from an electric rhort
ctrcuit.
The loa* was conservatively '
placed at $4,000.
The family has moved back to
Lenoir, where Mr. Campbell Im
M"