VOL. LXIV? NO.
" . ? rc
/M.
An Indepeiftlent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. FEBRUARY 7, 1#52.
FIVE
KING
STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
? * m
GROUND HOG DAY dawned
murky, and while we thought Old
Sol's radiant face was obscured
all day, some of the folks, say J>e
peeked from behind a cloud alohg
about midday, giving the ground
hog a chance to aee his shadow,
and an excuse for high-tailing it
into his den, to live out the six
?peeks of frigid westher, which
the groundhog ore vow, will come,
if sun shines on the hog on the
second day of February . . .
There's not as much talk of the
ground hog in relation to the
weather, or in relation to any
thing else, as there was a few
years ago, but we mountain men,
with all our pretentions toward
latter day culture, peek at the
sky more or less anxiously on the
day they say the pig uses for his
prognostications . . . But, one of
?our chuihs allows: "Can't under
stand it . . . Why God ? would
have made the rich black earth,
and warmed it with the breath
of the sun . ? why He made all
the beasts and the fowls, and the
fiahes in the seas, and made mu
himself, and set the universe In
motion . . . and feien turned over
six weeks %f the weather to a
pesky groundhog ... It don't
add up!" ?
BUT DOWN AT BERT
ELLIS' Store, wa bear, the
question was in tha mix. and a
?hopper dacriad the whittla
pig thaorr. "There's nothing to
it," ha vMred. Bart was said to
have averred, "Rob Rivers be
lieves in ground hog day . . .
Dapand* on an Almanac with
tha pictura of tha ground hog
on and nnli^| his. plans br
tha oCcoma of ?groundhog
day." . . . Tha doubtfu^ona is
said to hava facad about,
4 changad his raasooing and
* "jinad" us on tha spot . . . And
thara's a pal . . . anothar ona
to ba ramambarad at Christ
mas timal
?* ? ?
HERE AND THERE; Julius
Hubbard, veteran North Wilkes
boro editor, calls at the Demo
crat office, and offers his con
gratulations to tit local journal
on its continuing program of ex
pansion and improvement . . .
The high praise of the neighbor
below the ridge is appreciated
. . . Mrs. Will Hayes, fast surv<^
ing member of the family of the
late W. W. D. Edmisten, tranActs
business at the Democrat officc,
and visits pleasantly . . . She left
us ^two dollar bill, and we won
der ?why they're considered un
lucky, and why those who handle
them invariably tear off a cor
ner to stymie the jinx . . .
Itinerant preacher, exhorting
mightily to a considerable ^owd,
which turned its collective back
on the sermonizer when a couple
of Tom cats set to fighting back
toward* the rear of the lot . . .
Week-end downpour damageAhe
Globe toad, so that Lenoir traf
fic, wh|0i normally comes that
way, had to retrace to Lenoir,
and come to Boone via North
Wilkesboro . . . Ernest Hicks,
called here on account of the
illness of his mother, reports on
the "Watauga . settlement" of
Ohio . . . Ban^ tellers invariably,
tyirn the bills all the same way
. .? The photd of Jefferson, or
Lincoln, or whoever it is, has to
be topsid^. . . Best information
we were able to get ofi this
painstaking practice, through our
favoife wicket, was "They just
lpok nicer thata way!" Lawns
take on sreenish look as warm
rains si A deeper into the sod,
and home gardeners take a look
at their plots and finger the
lithographed pages of the seed
catalogs . . . Dr. B. B. Dougherty,
who taught us ^ . good many
things a long time ago, visits
with us, and talks of the friends
of yore, and of the future of the
land, and of the bright prospects
for the continued rapid growth
of Appalachian College, which
had its inception in the. minds of
the Dougherty Brothers more
than fifty years ago.
PURLOINED PHILOSOPHY
To err i a human, but if the
ctucr wean out ahead of the
pfltril you are overdoing the
thing.
You don't have to stay awake
nights to be a success . . . Just
stay awake days! ? Southern Cot
ton Oil Co., Bulletin.
In 1950, more than three
fourths of all farms in North
Carolina were without tractors
QUEl^J LEAVES ? Western North Carolina Burley Tobacco Queen Doris Perry of Watauga
County got a warm send-off as she prepared to boAd the plane at Asheville that took her
to a Daytona Beach, Fla., vacation. Left to right Myron C. Peterson of the sponso^ng
Asheville Merchants Association; Mrs. J. W. Hoyle, who is accompanying the queen; Miss
Perry, Crady Byrd, chairman of the Tobacco Promotion Committee of the Association; Mrs.
Crystal Sorrells, Association secretary; L. Roy Philips of the Association, and D. H. Jack
son #f Delta Afclines. #The expense-paid Florida vacation for both the queen and her com
panion was one of the prizes the Zionville girl won when she was selected for the crown
last fall from a field of candidates from throughout the western area. (Asheville Citizen
Times photo.) ?
State Orchestra Clinic
To Be* Held In Boone
Drama Group Raises
Goal Of Over $50,000
The Southern Appalachian His
torical Association Monday even
ing fissed Jhe $50,000 goal mark,
in its efforts to raise funds for
the production of Kermit Hunt
er's "Horn in the West,"* but
Stanley A. 0arris, chairnran of
the finance committee, says more
money is urgently needed, and he
wants everyone who can to pur
chase bonds in the Association
and thus contrHute to the pro
duction of the outdoor drama.
Meantime the following new
names have been addltl to the
list of those who have pledged
one thousand dpllars each: Dr. I*
G. Greer, Kerm/t Hunter, Chapel
Hill; Mr. Hdfch Williams, Coca
Cola Bottling Co., Hickory; Frank
Smith, Erwin Smith, henoir.
Edward Hagaman
Is Found *Dead
^dwa rd Boone Hagaman, 59,
prominent citizen of Laurel
Creek township, was found dead
in bed at the ancestrtf Hagaman
home near Windy Gap, Satur
day. He was last seen in the
neighborhood Wednesday. Due
to the fact that his Thursday
newspapers remained on the
porch, it i#assumed that he died
spmetime Wednesday or Wednes
day night. His death is attribut
ed to a heart aRack. 0
Funeral services were held
Sunday at 2 o'clock at the Tim
bered ?dge Baptist 'Church by
Rev. W. C. Payne, Pastor, and
Rev. Herring Crisp and burial
was inr Zion Hill cemetery.
Deceased was a son of the late
?D. W. Hagaman and Mrs. Haga
man and was reared in the home
in which he died. Hi was a
Naval veteran of the first world
war. He had been a member of
the Timbered Ridge Church for
41 years, had served as treasur
er, Sunday School Superintend
ent and teacher.
Two brothers and two sisters,
survive: Henry Hagaman, Valle
Crucis; J. E. Farthing, Reese;
Mrs. M. E. Keller, Waynesboro.
Ky.; Mrs. Susie Trivett, Reese. ?
Gyde Greene To
Aid In Taft Race
David S. Ingalls, National Cam
paign Manager for Senator Rob
ert A. Taft, announced this week
the appointment of Clyde Greene,
Boone, along with six other Re
publicans, to constitute a Taft
Committee in North Carolina.
Others named were Frank C.
Patton, ' Morgan ton. chairman;
John L. Morchcad. Charlotte;
John A. Wilkinson, Washington;
W. C. Meekins. Asheville; Buford
Henderson. Winston-Salem; and
Clifford Frailer, Greenaboro. 0
The contmittce announced its
plans to begin Immediately inter
grating the Taft sentiment in
North Carolina and transforming
it into convention vote*. 1
Waddell Jo Speak
At C Of C. Meet
WILLIAM S. WADDELL
William #. Waddell, publisher
of the Elizabeth ton Star, Eliza
ibethton, Tenn., will be the guest
speaker at the Chtunber of Com
merce meeting Tuesday, Febru
ary 12, at 12 o'clock. All mem
bers and friends are urged by
Manager Stanley A. Harris to at
tend.
Mr.# Mark Goforth, highway
commissioner also plans to at
tend, and a report will be made
on the Watauga River dam.
? The board will present a list of
projects to be worked on in 1952,
and plans for a more aggressive
Chamber of Commerce will be
presented.
In announcing the meeting Mr.
Harris says:
"Mr. Waddell is one of East
Tennessee's outstanding leaders,
whose influcnc"is felt over the
entire state. He is also definitely
our friend and_has been more
coojmrative ^tlrBoone than any
othCT man outside the State. He
knows the tourist business well,
and everybody interesfel in
Boone and its development
should try to bear him."
Lions Club, Rotary
To Play Basketball
The Lions Club and the Rotary
Club will play a basketball game
at the Appalachian High School
gymnasium Thursday at 7:30 p.
m. All proceeds will be given to
the March of Dimes fund, and
the admission will be fifty cents
per person.
Nationally Known Figures To
Attend Clinic Which Will
Be Attended By Members
Of Every Orchestra In
State.
?
*On Friday and Saturday, Feb
ruary 15th and 16th, the North
Carolina All-State High School
Orchestra will hold its annual
clinic and concert of the campus
of Appalachian State Teachers
College in the fine new Music
and Art building. This building
recentlj^served as the site for the
Western Division of the All
State Band Clinic. Approximate
ly 100 of Um tinast high school
onihAra musicians in the State
rvil^ make up the personnel of
this youth orches^a. Mr. Paul
Paintejf* Director of the Music
Extension Division of the. Uni
versity of Illinois, and a nation
ally know figAe in orchestral
circles, will conduct the orches
tra in rehearsal and concert.
Every high school orchestra in
the^State of North Carolina will
be represented in the cftnic, in
cluding thoS# from Winston
Salem (Reynold^ High), Greens
boro, High Point, Salisbury, Kan
napolis, and Charlotte (Myers
Park, Central, Technical, antf
Harding High).
This fine orchestral group has,
in past years, received national
recognition for the outstanding
calibre of its performances. Re
cent activities of the orchestra
(Continued on page five)
President's Ball
Here On Saturday
Ed Waugh'i Orchestra will
provide the music for the Presi
dent's ball, which is to be held
at the High School gymnasium
Saturday, February 9 at 8:30.
The dance is being given by
the Forty Nighters, local dance
club, and the proceeds will go to
the March of Dimes fund. The
admission will be $1.00 per per
son.
W. C. Greer Quits
Hardware Store
Mr. W. C. Greer, vice-president
of the Farmers Hardware & Sup
ply Co., sincc the business was
founded on January 101925, has
sold his stock in the firm, and
has retired from all business ac
tivities.
Mr. Greer's stock was purchas
ed by Clyde Greene, * Cecil
Greene, Turner Storte and R, D.
Hodges, Jr. ^
Harris Thanks Fiscal Campaign Workers
Stanley A. Harris, chairman of
the finance committee of the
Southern Historical Association
has asked the Democrat to ' ex
press his appreciation to every
one who worked in the financial
campaign and to everyone who
bought bonds. Mr. Harris said,
"It is a grand demonstration of
what Boone can do when our
people really get down to busi
ness and try. We pawed the foal
we set of *50,000 but there to (till
a great many people who should
have been interacted enough to
buy bonds, who have not done
no. There are three group* in
particular who ahould invest in
bond*. Every person in Boone
who hai rooms to rent will great
ly increase the possibility of
renting that room, b? it a singly
Jv. '?
room or a motel apd they should
give evidence of the intercut they
have In this drama and the fu
ture of Boone, by purchasing
bond*. Then the filling itatioiu
will certainly profit greatly by
having more people come into
Boone. And last, but not least,
restaurant! and cafes will pro
bably profit moat of all. Every
one of these should purchase one
or more bond*. Because the cam
paign is officially over docs not
mean that bonds are not now
available and those who have not
expressed their willingness to
purchase bond*, should call the
office or see Mr. James Marsh,
treasurer, at the bank."
Merchant fleet gained 113 ship*
in 1991, federation report*.
* {kd, 'I'fJSm'-: M&oM
Norf olk'& W estern Asked
To Build Line To Boone
*
Produce Growers!
To Hear Experts
At All-Day Meet
Grower* of produce (or sale in
Watauga County will have a
chance to hear specialists in their
respective fields of research and
vegetable disease control at an
all-d?y meeting the Boone Court
house Friday, February IS, be
ginning at 9:10 a. m., L. E. Tuck
willer County Agent announced
this week.
In making the announcement,
Mr. Tuckwiller explained that:
"Watauga County farmers plant
almost 2,000 acres of vegetables
for sale each year and another
1,500 or more acres to Irish pota
toes. It takes a lot of your money
for seeds,* plants and fertiliber
besides a lot of labor to produce
these crops. Then insects, plant
diseases, ^nd sometimes weather
tries to destroy your crop. What
can you do about it?"
Bhat's the purpose of this meet
ing ? to explain to growers what
can be done to |plp them get
best results from their money and
labor. <
"We are trying <b make this
program answer some of your
problems. We hope that you will
try to be present," Mr. Tuckwil
ler urged.
The tentative program as. an
nounced is:
9:30 a. m. ? Vegetable diseases,
in charge of Dr. Harry Fink, plant
pathologist, Miller River Vege
table Station. m
10:30 ? Vegetable i#sect re
research and control suggestions
tor 1952, George D. Jones, in
charge of Extension Entomology.
11:30 ? Questions and discus
sion.
1:00 p. m. ? Fertilizer for vege
tables, Henry Codington, Exten
sion Vegetable Spaciaftst.
1 :20 ? Irish potatoes, varieties
and research, Dr. Frank Haynes.
1:40 ? Vegetable problems,
George TClingbeil, specialist .in
Extension Horticulture,
m 2:00 ? Marketing problems and
, some suggestions for improving ,
conditions. George Abshier, spec
ialist in Extension Marketing.
?
Richardson Is
New Farm Agent
?
W. C. Richardson, former as
sistant county agent who was'
recently released ifrom active
duty with the arrrl^, assumedUhe
duties of assistant county agent
effective February l*t- Mr. Rich
ardson will have charge of the
4-H club program and will assist
with other agricultural extension
actufities in the county.
Mr. Clyde Corriher, who was
assistant agent, is now assistant
agent in Su^fe7 County.
Jane Williams, 12,
Dies Wednesday
Jane Williams, 12, daughter of
Mr. and?rs. Clyde Williams, of
Boone, R. F. D. 2. died at Wa
tauga Hospital last Wednesday,
fol)owin#a longfillnesstwith a
heart ailment
Jane was in the sixth grade at
Green Valley School, but had
been a patient at the local hospi
tal for seven week*.
Funeral services ware held
Thursday at 2 o'clock at the
Poplar Grove Baptist Church.
Rav. A. C. Moody and Rev. E. C.
Ransom conducted the rites and
burial wi in the family ceme
tery in (ne Sands neighborhood.
The parent*, two brothers and
two sister* survive: Jlmmic, Joe,
Nancy and Elizabeth of the home.
WHERE CHILDREN WERE HJJRT? 1 T$o views of t^jie crash
in which five school children were hurt as the bus in which
they were riding slipped on the ice pnd crashed into a trac
tor. Neither of the children was critically injured. Top photo
by Palmer's Photo Service. ^Bottom photo was snapped by
Patrolman R. B. Parker, who investifa^ed the accident.
High School Band
T o Play In "Concert
... ... ? I ? ? ..w ? ..
Tax Listing Is
Extended To 15th
The Board of Commissioner
of Watauga county have extend
ed the time for listing pcrsoiyl
property for taxes until February
15, i^was announced Tuesday by
?Clyde R. Greene, chairman, who
states that during the interven
ing period, all personal properly,
including dogs and polls must be
listed at the tax supervisor's of
fice in the courthouse.
Mr. Greene says that section
1109 of the machinery act pro
vides a penalty of ten per cent
I for late listing, and he asks that
Pproperty owners list promptly
and avoid the penalty.
Scout Supper To
Aid Building Fund
A supper will be held at the
Methodist Church Friday even
ing and the proceeds for the sale
of tickets .will be used for financ
ing the addition to the Boy Scout
Hut, used by Boone's three Scout
troops.
^ the union service honoring
the Scouts held at the Baptist
Church Sunday evening, $132.40
was contributed to this cause,
and 1^0 is needed to complete
the project.
Those wishing to contribute to'
the fund, should get in touch
with Mr. 1. S. Aycrs.
Ettel Wagner Buys
Murray Euo Place
Mr. Estel Wagner has pur
chased from Mr. Bill Murray, tflfc
Murray Esao Servieenter, at How^
ard and Hardin Streets, and Mr.
Harold Fahs has been employed
as manager.
The business will be known in
the future as Wagner's Euo Ser
vieenter.
The Appalachian High School
and Junior High School Bands,
un^r the direction of Roy R.
Blanton, Jr will present a con
cert on Sunday alfernoon Febru
ary 10th at 2:00 p. m. at the col
lege auditorium. Mr. Blanton will
be assisted by Miss Agnes Bald
win, a senior music student of
A. S. T. C. who is doing her stud
ent teaching in iytrumenUl
music.
The thirty-eight piece Junior
High Band is made up of stud
ents from the fourth through the
seventh grades. This concert will
be their first public appearance
this year. The band will play five
selections: a march "On The
Hike," tone poem "Cathedral
Hour," "Sunset Waltz," "Pals on
Parade" March, and a tone poem
"Morning." The band has been
working on marching formations
and will participate in several
parades this spring. Plans have
been in progress for th6 purchase
of uniforms in the near future.
The Senior High Band will
play two of the contest nur^ers
Sunday: The Overture "Eroica"
by Joseph Skornicka, based on
themes from Bceth<?en's Third
Symphony; and the concert band
arrangement of the follP song
"The Blue Tail Fly" by Grund
man. This piece was performed
last month by the clinic band.
The band will also play one of
Jerome Kern's compositions "The
Way You Look Tonight," the
1 overture "Mountain Majesty"
and several marches.
The public is cordially invited
to attend.
Girls Scouts Are
Organized Here
An Intermediate Girl Scout
troop has been oragnlzed in
Boone and is now registered
with the national headquarters.
It is being sponsored by the
Methodist Church and is under
the capable leadership of Mrs. R.
M. Hopkins and Mrs. R. W. Tho
mas.
The following girls have re
ceived their pina:
Mollie A(le, Minnie Auatin,
Aim Cottrell, Sallie Crowcll,
Janice Graff, Jo Ann Hardin,
Laura Holahouncr, Nancy 'Hopk
tna, Cynthia Klutz. Mary Law
rence. PaUy Maddux, Brcnda
Maat, Joyce Tuckwillcr, Ann
Van Noppen, Mary Van Noppen,
Buddie Wey, Linda Way, Bar
bara Winkler.
Canadian dollar reachca par
ity (or ftm time aince 193#.
Chamber Commerce Group
Confer* With N. & W.
Agent Relative To Extend
ing Branch Through Moun
tain City To Boone. ?
?
Play looking to the possi
ble construction of a brandy
line of the Norfolk and West
trn Railway from Damascus,
Va? through Moun?in City,
Tenn., to Boone, were discuss
ed at a meetinf of a Boone
Chamber of Commerce com
mittee with an official of the
railway at Damascus last
week.
Mr. R. P. Keithly, industrial
and agricultural agent from the
honrc office of the W. at
Roanoke, Va? heard the petition
of the local committee, composed
of S. C. Eggers, W. %ilcox,
Dr. O. K. Richardson, and Russet
D. Hodges, but offered little com
Vient, pending the completion of
his report on the proposal, which
will be delivered to the company
when completed. 4
The agitation for the railway
was started, it is understood,
when Mountain City businessmen
asked the rf. It W. to build a spur
from Damascus to haul away the
vast tonnage of lime and gravel
being produced ? In Johnson
County. Boone leaders joined in
the appeal for the line, and its
extension to Boone.
Information presented to Mr.
Keithly, estimated that 1,800
carloads of freight would go out
of Boone annually, and that 2,
000 cars should come In.
Every effort is being made to
convince*the N. It W. of the ad
visability of the branch line ex
tension, but in this day of mount
ing highway freight traffic. It is
held unlikely that'the line would
be extended to this city.
It is recalled that in 1917 the
Norfolk and Western had agreed
to extend their Virginia-Carolina
line from Todd to Boone. The
^var prevented the line being
built, and a deal was made for
the construction of the narrow
gaage road.
Federal Men To
Aid Tax Payers <
? ?
Notice has been issued that a
deputy collector of Internal Rev
enue will be at the Postoffice
in Boone rebruary 13, 14, and
IS, from 8 a. m. to S p. m? for
the purpose of giving advice and
assistance to those wanting help
in preparing their 1951 Federal
Income reports
No charge will be made for
this service.
Income tax returns for the cal
endar year 1951 must be filed not
lated than March 15, 1952, with
the Collector of Internal Revenue
for the district in which the tax
payers live.
Most taxpayers have already
made substantial payments on
their 1951 Federal tax through
withholding from their wages or
direct payment to the collector,
but, nevertheless, all taxpayers
must file annual returns on or be
fore March 15, as provided by
law.
The announcement explains
that Form 1040 or 1040 A must be
used for filing. Original with
holding statements (Form W-J)
must be attcahed to the returns,
the notice further states. All per
sons whose total income in 1951
was $600 or more must file.
March Of Dimes To
Last Through 9th
The March of Dime* campaign
has been extended through the
current weak, and Jack Idol,
campaign director li highly
pleaaed with the receipts which
are coming In, and asks that fa
ports be made aa rapidly as pos
sible. '
The Mother's March on Po)k>
raised $290.83; The Boole
Demonstration School sent in
<451.78, and the final return on ,,
the quartet singing showed re
ceipts ot $5431#.. . h
A complete report of the cam
paign will appea* when results
an compk#. j
< * is