BOONE
19M POPULATION L973
The educational center
Jte*Ta
hundreds oF students'* annually
ell parts of the nation. Modern
new district A food place to live.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
? ?
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year HJ88
WATAUGA COUNTY
. ltJO POPULATIA* Ifcttl
P*r*w?y tre verses county, irmrtm
VOL. LXVw? NO. ?.
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 14, 1?52.
FIVE CENTS PER COPY
KING
STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS '
WHEN CHEESE WAS KING
We found a note on our desk
the other day when we returned
from a trip down the country,
with t^ simple notation, "Cheese
Wilson," and we regret missing
our old friend who had called
while we were away, and whose
visit brought memories of other
da^s in Watauga ... of the time
when the hillsides and coves
were covered with Holstein cat
tle, and when the lacteal fluid
was being hauled away to the
numerous local cheese factories,
where the big Cheddars and the
succulent bricks, and even Swiss
of wagon-wheel size were manu
factured, and Cheese Wilson was
the authority, the man who came
in from wide experience in the
north and helped with the co
operative movement . . . Mr. Wil
son helped with the industry for
a long time, became known to
all our people and was held in
the highest regard . . . We hadn't
seen him since the cheese business
folded and the numerous little
factories over the country were
converted to other purposes . . .
Wc would have eryoyed visiting
with the genial friend of other
days.
WEATHER ON TV
Humu Wilcox, President of
the Boon* Chamber of Com
merce. has been telephoning
Boone temperatures to Clyde
McLean, the weather man of
station WBTV, Charlotte, and
invariably when the weather
outlook is given each evening,
the personable announcer will
give the torrid temperatures of
the lowlands, followed, by "Up
in the high mountains at Boone,
where the breeses blow, it was
only (0 today" . . . This sort
of thing is highly beneficial
and Mr. McLean has the thanks
of the folks for including us in
his popular broadcast . . . And
Herman, of course, deserves
full credit for fathering the
thought.
THE LUST TO KILL
Stood under an awning in
another town waiting for the
rain to stop . . . Two business
men# met near us and engaged
in an animated conversation . . .
It developed that the topic was
crow-shooting, .and one of the
fellows was getting great joy in
having "knocked down" four
hundred of the noisy birds this
summer . . . It was fun to see
them "fold," he allowed, and de
scribed the express loads which
were used to wage the one-sided
war on the birds, which were
"called" to their execution . , .
The non-shooter was telling the
lad who didn't want anything to
Hvc that he had a place in the
country, where the crows had
become tame, and walked about
in the yard . . . "My little girl
likes them . . . thinks they arc
cute," the calmer citizen related
. . . ''Don't let her feel that way,"
exploded the gunman . . . "The
crows are evil, they break up
duck nests, pull up all the corn
prey on the eggs of other birds
and raise hell in general . . .You
ought to help us clean 'em up
. . . it's a lot of fun, I tell you'"
. . . Since man's instinct naturally
turns toward blood, and since its
on the illegal side to kill the
folks he don't like, he turns to
destroying God's creatures,
strictly for the fun of, watching
them die . . . And he can always
make a case against hair or
feather in the animal world , . .
The object of his destruction is
always evil? he has to be mad
at the thing, it seems, to get joy
out of killing. . . . Will Walker's
recipe for protecting corn from
crows: Soak a gallon or so of
corn until it' swells, distribute it
over your corn /ield about the
time your corn /is to break the
ground . . . The crows will work
after the tendered corn until the
crop is too large for them to
bother.
PRICELESS GIFT
I Jamas D. Hanson, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Don Honson of VUas^|
calibrated his ninth birthday on
August lih. and iho chUd on
iojrod tho oTonl to tho IdlMl
but aspacially tho gift of a sis
ter, Nina Sua. born axactta
nina yaars and two hours afar
Jamas arrivadl
(Continued on page two)
Drcjught Stricken
Farmers Of Region
May! Be Given Help
John P.
To Preside At
Club M<
Lucas
$
ting
JOHN PAUjL LUCAS, JR.
John Paul Lucas. Jr., District
Governor of fhe 280th District,
Rotary International, will visit
Boone and preside at a club as
sembly of the |$oone Rotary Club
immediately fallowing the club's
regular meeting on the evening
of August 14. (
Now head of the Public Rela
tions Departm .-nt of the Duke
Power Compan /, he was formerly
a newspaperma n in Charlotte a.jd
elsewhere. Governor Lucas earn
ed degrees at Duke University,
North Carolina State College,
and Princeton University. He was
a Master at Asheville School, a
member of the . Psychology De
partment at State College and on
the English faculty at Clemson
College. He has written numer
ous newspaper, trade and acade
mic articles and co-authored a
novel of early life in Eastern
Carolina.
Composed of 35 clubs and com
bined membership of 1722, the
280th district include the part
of North Carolina west of the
eastern boundaries of Alleghany,
Wilkes, Iredell, Mecklenburg and
Union counties. \
Lucas To Speak
At The Rock
On Friday night at 7 o'clock,
i the Blowing Rock Rotary Club
will have as special guest Mr.
John Paul Lucas, district gover
nor, 280th District of Rotary In
ternational. Governor Lucas was
recently elected to this position
by the Rotary International con
vention held in Mexico City.
The purpose of his visit will
be to evaluate the activities of the
club during the past year and
make plans for the Rotary year
1952-53.
A 1952 North. Carolina apple
crop of 1,935,000 bushels has
been estimated. This compares
with a 10- year average of 1,090,
000 bushels.
The Agriculture Department in
Washington has designated all
counties in North Carolina as
drought disaster areas. This, ac
cording to Mr. J. B> Robinson.
Watauga County Supervisor in
charge of Farmers Home Admin
istration here, makes it possible
for the F1IA to make disaster
loans to eligible farmers who have
suffered substantial crop losses
because of drought or hailstorm
damage.
North Carolina joined nine
other states in being declared
disaster areas due to the recent
Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee.
Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky,
Mississippi, Massachutts and
Maine. Oklahoma and Texas
were carried over from last year
as disaster areas.
In areas where pastures and
feed crops have been badly dam
aged or destroyed by the pro
longed drought, Mr. Robinson
said the Farmers .Home Adminis
tration is prepared to coopcratc
fully with other agricultural
agencies and eligible farmers in
an effort to immediately meet the
need for feed that will be requir
ed to keep desirable productive
livestock on farms that otherwise
would have to be sold because of
the lack of feed.
The FHA is also prepared to
render immediate assistance to
eligible farmers who find it nec
essary to re-seed or renovate pas
tures that have been substantially
damaged or destroyed by the ex
tended period of excessive dry
weather and extreme high temp
(Continued on page five)
Plans Given For
Final Farm Tour
The unit test demonstration
farmers from Watauga County
completed the first round of the
farm tours Monday and announc
ed plans for the final tour of the
year for Friday, August 15. On
this day the farm people on the
tour will name one of their group
as the farmer "doing the best
job considering what he had to
do with."
Candidates for this honor were
nominated on the first series of
tours that have been completed.'
They are Ivan Dixhman, Beaver
Dam township; Tom Ward, Wa
tauga township; Hiram Brooks,
Brushy Fork township; and
Ralph J. Norris, Meat Camp
township.
"She tour on Friday, August 15,
will start at the county agent of
fice at 8:30 and visit the farm of
Ivan Dishman first then to Tom
Ward's farm. After lunch to
Hiram Brooks and then to Ralph
J. Norris.
After all four farms arc visited
and the operator has explained
his farm plan the people on the
tour will vote on the one "doing
the best job with what they
have to do with."
Following the selection of the
demonstration farmer doing the
best job, the group will elect of
ficers for the following year. We
hope that a large group will at
tend this tour. All of the demon
stration farm families arc ex
pected to be on this tour.
City Expects About
$11,000 From State
The Town of Boone expect* to
receive approximately $11,000
from the Powell Act funds this
year. Blowing Rock will prob
ably get around $8,000. Both of
these amount! represent increases
over last year, due mainly to the
increase of gasoline sales over last
year.
Powell Act funds are collected
from a half-cent tax on each gal
lon of gasoline sold in the State..
The act was passed by the last
legislature and the tax is collect
ed by the State and divided
i among towns and cities of North
Camlinna.
Rate of payment this year is
$435.23 per street mile in town,
pus $1.64 per capita.
According to J. E. Clay, clerk
of Boone, the check from the
State will be received here about
the first of September.
Boone's ?harc of Ihc money has
already been allocated and spent,
Mr. Clay raid, in the town'* re
eent street improvement program.
One bridge was placed and black
topping of several thoroughfares
nnd stockpiling of gravel was in
cluded in the program.
According to the law, the Pow
ell funds may be used by a mu
nicipality for any street improve
ments. The theory is that the
funds arc obtained through tax
ing sales of gasoline for traffjs
vehicles, so the use of the fund*
when distributed is limited to
to Ihouc projects that will make
for better movement of traffic.
Improvements permitted with
this money include ci^rb and gut
tering, apd traffic lights, but docs
not include sidewalks or street
lights. The local government has
authority to say where it will be
used in town. /
Hollingsworth
Is New Pastor
Boone Church
REV. L. H. HOi^LINGSWORTH
Rev. L. H. HoMingsworth, pas
tor of First Baptist Church, Mc
banc, N. C., has accepted a call
by the First Baptist Church in
Boone to become its pastor, and
will preach his first sermon here
September 7.
Rev. Mr. Hollingsworth comes
here with the following history:
He received his education at
Wake Forest College and New Or
leans Seminary ; has held pasto
rates, besides his present one, at
Wake county (as a student) and
in Louisiana; was Chaplain in the
U. S. Army, 24th Infantry Divi
sion, Pacific Theatre, 1942-1945.
The First Church at Mcbane
showed much progress during his
six-year, eight-month pastorate.
Membership almost doubled,
from 230 to 500. His church has
supported every denominational
cause. The Sunday School at
tendance increased from under
100 to more than 250. Property
valuation stands at $200,000. A
new $100,000 sanctuary was com
pleted in 1948. Mebane church
(Continued on page five)
McKinley Ayers
Suffers Injuries
In Car Accident
McKinlry Ayers of Boone,
superintendent of the New River
Light and Power Company, sus
tained a compound fracture of
the right leg, facial cuts and
body bruises when he was
struck by an automobile while
crossing King Straet last Satur
day night. He is undergoing
treatment at Watauga Hospital.
The accident occurred shortly
after 8 o'clock as Ayers was
walking across the street from
the north side between Smithcy's
store and the Cities Service sta
tion. The automobile, driven hy
Sgt. Carey Morctz of Boone,
Route 1, was proceeding east, in
to town and struck Ayers just
before he reached the south side
of the street, said Sheriff Earl
Cook, who investigated the acci
dent.
At a hearing held Sunday af
ternoon before Magistrate J. M.
Watson. Sgt. Morctz was charg
ed with careless and reckless
driving, and bound over to sup
erior court. He was released un
der $1,000 bond.
In commenting on the occur
rence Sheriff Cook stated that
Sgt. Morctz, who is on leave
from Fort Jackson, S. C? had not
been drinking, was not driving
at an excessive rate of speed, and
stopped his car immediately af
ter striking Ayers.
Mrs. Wills Is
Dead At Age 80
Shewn*, Term. ? Mr*. Victoria
Will*, 80, widow of H. T. D. Will.,
diecl I ant Thursday, August 7, in
a Knoxvillc hospital aftpr a brief
illness. Mrs. Wills, a member of
the Shouns Methodist Church,
was married in 1900 to Mr. Wills,
who died in 1949.
Funeral services were held at
Shouns Methodist Church at 2:30
p. m. Sunday in charge of the
Rev. A. S. Clear, assisted by the
Rev. A. E. Drown. Burial was in
the Shouns Church Cemetery.
Survivors include a sister, Mrs.
Marietta Smythe. Mountain City,
Tenn.; and two nieces, Mrs. Wiley
Sutherland, Snowdown, Ala., and
Mrs. W. Y. Kill. Shouns.
Riae in oil renning is urged by
United States official.
Near 1,200 Expected Here
F or OpeningCollegeT erm
Electric Membership Corporation
To Hold Meeting, Cooking School
Alexander To Speak At
Barbecue Next Friday
Hugh Q. Alexander, of Kanna
polis. Democratic candidate for
Congress in the ninth ^district
will speak at a rally sponsored
by the Young Democrats Club of
Watauga County, to be held at
the courthouse Friday evening
at 8 o'clock.
The program will begin with a
barbecue dinner which will be
served on the grounds of the
courthouse at 6:30, followed by
the speech of Mr. Alexander at
eight.
Chairmen of precinct organiza
tions have been appointed on a
special committee to get the
word to all Democrats in the
county and to encourage a good
attendance. Notices have been
mailed to many Democratic vot
ers asking their assistance.
It is hoped that a large number
will attend the dinner and hear
the Democratic candidate for
Congress speak. An invitation is
extended by the Young Demo
cratic Club to every registered
Democrat to attend.
Tobacco Field Day To
| Be Held Next Monday
Burley tobacco growers and
other interested persons are in
vited to attend the annual Field
Day to be held at the Upper
Mountain Experiment Station at
Laurel Springs. There will be a
tour of the experimental work
and demonstrations beginning at
9:30 a. m. on Monday, August 18.
Those attending the field day
will have a chance to sec the dif
ferent experiments that are be
ing conducted on the farm such
as management tests, fertilizer
work, spacing, topping, curing,
organic versus mineral fertili
zer, variety tests, etc. There will
be a discussion on results of
previous experiments on this and
other test farms in the area. Re
search and Extension people will
be present to answer growers'
questions.
Warehousemen, fertilizer deal
ers and business people are cor
dially invited to attend the field
day and participate in the pro
gram with the growers.
The program for the day will
be as follows:
9:30 a. m., Introduction of
guests, Mr. D. F. Tugman, assist
ent director in charge, Upper
Mountain Experiment Station.
9:35, Address of welcome, Mr.
C. D. Thomas, director of test
farms, North Carolina Depart
ment of Agriculture.
9:40 ? Some of the Research and
Extension problems on Burley
tobacco production in Western
North Carolina, Dr. W. E. Col
well, head Department of Agro
nomy N. C. State College.
10:00 ? Discussion of results of
experimental studies on Burley
tobacco in Western North Caro
lina, Dr. Luther Shaw, Agrono
mist Division of Tobacco Medi
cinal, and special crops, U. S. D.
A., Waynesville, N. C.
10:20 ? Burley varieties and fer
tilizer recommendations, Mr. R.
R. Benn, Extension Tobacco
Specialist N. C. State College.
10?40 ? Harvesting and curing
Burley Tobacco, Mr. S. N.
Hawks, Asst. Extension Tobacco
Specialist N. C. State College.
11:00 ? Tour of experimental
Burley tobacco plots.
11:30 ? Priming and stringing
demonstrations.
11:45 ? Cutting demonstrations.
Local Hospital Is Given
Approval National Body
At the regular monthly meet
ing of the board of trustees of
Watauga Hospital at Boone on
Friday past it was announced by
G. K. Moose, chairman, that the
hospital had been inspected by
a field represenlative of the
American College of Surgeons
and .had rcccivcd its full ap
proval. Mr. Moose stated that
this was the first time the hospi
tal had been fully approved and
brought out the fact that this was
the only small hospital in the
country or section that met their
requirements.
Watauga hospital now has the
approval of all the bodies in this
country established for that pur
pose. The North Carolina Hospi
tal Association; The North .Caro
lina Medical Care Commission;
The Duke Endowment; The
American Medical Association;
The American Hospital Associa
tion and The American College
of Surgeons have all made their
inspection* and fully approved
the hospital. "With approval com
ing from the American College
of Surgeons, which is the very
highest rating possible for any
hospital, the hospital has ac
complished something in three
years that many hospitals never
do in n lifetime," Mr. Moose said.
The inspection which consumed
a half day covered the physical
plant, administration department,
medical organization, medical re
cord department, clinical labora
tory, x-ray department, nursing
service,, dietary department, med
ical department, surgical depart
ment, rostctrical department,
anesthesia department and the
pharmacy. "Certainly nothing
was left undone to find a defici
ency If there was any," one of
ficial stated.
Other business of the meeting
was discussion of the nurses
(Continued on page five)
Beggars Upera
To Appear Here
Highlighting and climaxing
the NATS workshop program will
be a performance of the Beggar*
Opera which will be presented by
the Greensboro Opera Associa
tion, Inc. The opera will be giv
en in the College Auditorium on
Thursday night at 8 o'tlock. It is
being sponsored by Appalachian
State Teachers College.
The opera association was in
corporated in 1948 as a non-pro
fit cultural organization in
Greensboro, to produce opera and
other allied musical presentations,
and to develop talent and pro
vide training and opportunity
through production for the var
ious talPnts and skills which must
combine in order to achieve a
complete music theatre. It* mem
bership now numbers 118. among
whom are some from Winston
Sulcm. Liberty, Siler City, Klon
College, Guilford College, and
White viUc.
It Is perhaps one at the few
civic music organizations lit
which all participant*, from the
director* on down, are members
Cho contribute their services
ithout remuneration.
Blue Ridge Electric Member
ship Corporation will hold iU re
gular district meeting for mem
bers of the Watauga district in
the Appalachian High School
auditorium, Saturday, August 16
at Boone.
The day's program will start
with a cooking party beginning
promptly at 10 a. m. The cooking
party is being sponsored by a
local electrical appliance dealer.
Miss Mary Estellc Doyle,
Home Economist with Walker
Martin, Inc. distributors for Gen
eral Elcciric will be present to
give a very interesting and in
form ativc demonstration on
cooking electrically. Members of
the co-op will benefit by at
tending the cooking party.
The afternoon session will
consist of a brief business report
by the Cooperatives Manager, C.
E. Vivcrette, and the nominating
committee will present its slate
of candidates for directors to be
elected at the annual meeting,
which will be held at Lenoir in
the American Legion Home,
Saturday, September 13.
The highlight of the afternoon
session will be a program pre
sented by E. L. Allred, the co
operative's electrification advi
sor.
The theme of the program will
me "What Every Member Should
Know." Valuable information
and a lot of fun is in store for
the members of the co-op.
The grand prize for this meet
ing is an electric range to be
given to some lucky member who
attends the meeting. A largo
number of smaller prizes also to
be awarded. These prizes are
donated by local electrical appli
ance dealers.
AH members of the Coopera
tive are urged to attend.
Mother of Local
Man Passes
Mrs. Jennie Whitting Greer,
73, of Todd, died last Tuesday,
August 5. Funeral services were
conducted Thursday from the
South Fork Baptist Church of
which she had beeti an active
member since early life.
The services were in charge of
Rev. Raymond Hcndrix, assisted
by Rev. H. M. Winkler and Rev.
Ed Blackburn. Interment was in
the family cemetery. Grandsons
acted as pall bearers and the flor
al offering was borne by the
granddaughters.
Survivors include the husband,
J. J. Greer, and the following
children: Ralph G. Greer, Boone;
William Greer, San Francisco,
Calif.; Mrs.' Margaret Holdaway,
Mouth of Wilson, Va.; P. W
Greer, Old Fort, N. C.; Richard
Greer, Todd; Jefferson Greer,
Cherryville; nnd Crusoe Greer,
West Chester, Pa. Two sons, Rus
sell Greer and Rom Greor, pre
ceded her in death some years
ago. She is also survived by one
sister, Mrs. Julia Grayson .of
Trade, Tcnn.. and a number of
grandchildren and great-grand
children.
Grid Practice
To Start Here
1 Peter W. Everett, new football
conch at Appalachian High, an
nounced this week that football
practice will begin Tuesday, Au
gust 19. at the school. All boys
who intend to go out for the sport
| this year arc urged to be at school
at 3:30 p. m. that day to pick up
equipment. Following issuance
of playing gear, a goneral meet
ing will be held at 4:30.
Coach Everett said that actual
practice will begin Wednesday at
3.15 p. in- and will be held euch
day ther"fter.
Boys intending to report for
football must huve a health exam
ination. This will be given them
on Monday afternoon at 2 ociock
at the County Health office In
Boone. No one will be allowed
to play without examination, Mr.
Everett cautioned. i
Physical Plant,
Faculty Bigger ?
Appalachian Stale Teachers
college opens a new term in
September, with prospects that
the enrollment will be about the
same as last year, according to
H. R. Eggers, registrar. Last
year's fall term enrollment was
1172, including those enrolled for
extension courses. Mr. Eggers
says that he expects at least a
thousand full-time students to
enroll, including some three
hundred freshmen.
Freshmen are expected to re
port to the college on Monday,
September 8, to begin their
freshman orientation program
the next day. Freshman registra
tion will be held on September
11. Transfer students arc to
Come in Thursday, September 11,
and upperclassment register on
Friday, September 12. Registra
tion for the fall term closes on
Saturday, September 20.
Some changes in the faculty
arc noted. Leo K. Pritchett of the
social studies faculty has been
named Dean of Men. Mr. Prit
chett formerly was dean of Lees
McRac college, and has been
supervisor of the men's dormi
tory at Appalachian since 1947.
Head football coach, E. C. Dug
gins, has returned from a seven
teen-months term with the
Navy and will take over his for
mer position when the season
opens.
New members added to tha
faculty include the following:
Max R. Rains, B. S. DePauw
University, M. S. Indiana Univer
sity, Ph.D. to be conferred by
Indiana University this summer,
will be a member of the educa
tion faculty and will head up the
guidance and counseling program.
Paul N. Clem, A. B. Bridgewatcr
college, M. A. Michigan State
(Continued on page five)
1 A
Goerch "Wants
To Co Back";
Heard ByCOfC
Carl Goerch, publisher of The
State magazine, was guest speak
er at the regular monthly lunch
eon meeting of the Boone Cham
ber of Commerce, held Tuesday
at the Skyline Restaurant.
Introduced by President H. W.
Wilcox, Mr. Goerch, who titled
his talk, "I Want To Go Back,"
asserted that Americans are in
dire nerd of a return to the fund
amentals of real democratic liv
ing. religion, and family relation
ship.
While endorsing the progress
that has been made in material
things, he declared that material
possessions do not bring happi
ness, and that people were hap
pier forty or fifty years ago when
"a man considered himself the
master of his own fate, and was
too proud to ask the government
for ? handout." Stating that the
road to Socialism is the road to
ruin, he held that people today
have "lost the incentive and de
termination to take advantage o(
their opportunities," and that
"the more help we get from the
government, the more individual
righta we are going to lose."
He said contentment and ease
of mind have disappeared, end
conditions today should be a ehal
lcngc to every individunl, adding
that we "need a restoration of
lhat form of government that
made our* country great."
Win. G. Ragan
Dies On Sunday
William Grady Ragan, o(
Zionville, RFD 1, died suddenly
at the age of 42 on Sunday, Aug
ust 10, at his home in the Meat
Camp section.
Funeral services were held at
2 p. m. Tuesday, August 12, at
the Pleasant Volley Methodist
Church, conducted by the Rcv.otQ
(Juries MvKinncy.
Survivors include his wife, the
former Miss Pauline Moretz; two
brothers, Garland Ragan, Ztoo
ville, and Kenneth Ragan, Len
oir; and one sister, Mrs. Lloyd
Bryant ol SionvUk.
it, ? . 'M , ,