VOL. LXV. ? NO. 23.
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1KZ.
WATAf GA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper- ? Established in the Year 1 888 . ?
KING
STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
GOOD ENTERTAINMENT
The Barter Theatre players
were brought to Boone last week
by the BPW organization, and as
usual, the production provided a
high spot in the season's enter
tainment . . . "The Late Christo
pher Bean" was a splendid ve
hicle (or the accomplished play
ers who made up the company.
. . . Without attempting a review
of the production, the superb per
formance of Owen Phillips as Dr.
Haggctt and of Alma Lofness as
Abby, stood out, and made every
moment of the drama a highly
enjoyable experience. . , . Born
of the great depression, the Bar
ter Players originally moved into
Abingdon, Va., headed by Robert
Porterfield, and set up business,
exchanging entertainment for
vittles of most any kind. . . . Soon
the impoverished actors began to
eat of the fruits of the southwest
Virginia countryside, and as
times improved, they began to
handle a bit of money. . . . Now
the Porterfield enterprise has be
come the State Theatre of Vir
ginia, and a number of troupes
are traveling over the country,
bringing big town stage plays to
the residents of the small towns
and villages. . . . We have al
ways been highly friendly to this
Barter organization, but for
whom, many of us would seldom
have an opportunity to witness
professional theatrical produc
tions. . . . The Barter Players
have been highly successful. . . .
The enterprise was born of des
peration, but lived to fill an im
portant spot in the lives of the
people of the rural areas. . . . We
always welcomc an opportunity of
attending one of the Porterfield
plays. . . . They provide top
notch entertainment, right on the
home ground, and the wonder to
us has always been that so many
of our folks fail to take advan
tage of these visits of the Barter
Players. . . . We look forward sort
ot hungrily to cach of their ap
pearances.
"'the MESSIAH"
Christmas tin* hasn't offici
ally arrived until Mrs. Virginia
Wary Linney's Appalachian
Coll*?* Choir gats ready for its
annual presentation of the
Christinas section of Handel's
immortal oratorio. "The Mes
siah" . . . This production is
an important part of the Christ
mas observance in Boone, and
is eagerly looked forward to by
the people of the immediate
area, as well as of the country
at large, since the local pro
gram is regularly broadcast na
tion-wide over the Mutual sys
tem. . . . Town and county
people will have an opportunity
to be present for the presenta
tion next Sunday, while Sun
day week, the nation can hear
the voices of the noted choir in
the most glorious of the Christ
mas musical productions. . . .
Mrs. Linney and her vocalists
deserve the complete apprecia
tion of the folks, for contribut
ing so magnificently to the
Christmas observance.
THE CHRISTMAS WIND-UP
Added sign s of the approaching
Christmastide are the rendition!
of "White Christmas" which be
gan showing up on the radios and
tv screens last week. . . . The
red wagons, and tricycles and
bikes in the stores and on the
sidewalks, and the doll babies,
and all the other Santa Clpus
stuff, taking a more important
place in King Street's scenery as
the holy days draw near. . . .
And there are the bright lights
strung across the street, and the'
Chnstmas trees in front of the
old Democrat building, and the
occasional Christmas card which
is already showing tip, and the
Rood wfthes of friends from a
distance. . . . And the children's
eyea growing brighter and wider
as their days drag by. . . . Farm
ers bringing in their tobacco and
selling tt . . . Doing Christmas
shopping and registering for the
frrr auto and stuff . . . and the
calendars in everybody's hands,
with the pictures of the puppy
dogs, the babbling brooks, the
towering peaks or the beautiful
woman, with no clothe* hardly.
... But still the favorite in these
parts is the old reliable "Ramon"
| calendar with its weather fore
casts. the moon phases, and in
(Continued on t*f* four)
. ' ? . Si
Appalachian Choir To
Present "The Messiah"
APPALACHIAN COLLEGE CHOIR
The sixty-five voice choir of
Appalachian State Teachers Col
lege, under the direction of Vir
ginia Wary Linney, will appear
in its eleventh annual presenta
tion of the Christmas portion of
Handel's Messiah, Sunday even
ing, December M, at 7 o'clock, in
the College auditorium.
It was also announced that the
choir will be heard for the fourth
consecutive year in a nation-wide
broadcast over the facilities of
the Mutual network Sunday, De
cember 21, from 10:30 to 11:00
a. m. The program will originate
in the studios of station WATA in
Boone.
Soloists for the performance
will be Miss Helen Cole, Miss
Alene Queen, Miss Jackie Snider,
sopranos; Miss Mary Alva White,
contralto; James G. Blanton and
Lawrence Philips, tenors, and
Ben Connell, bass. Assisting at
the organ will be Mr. James
Rooker of the college piano de
partment, and Miss Reba Smith
at the piano.
The public is invited to attend.
$100,000 Is Allotted To
B o o n e - Linville Road
Governor <W Kerr Scott last
week announced the allocation of
one hundred thousand dollars (or
thf construction o t a new direct
highway route from Linville, in
Avery county, to Boone.
The link in the new road,
which presumably will follow the
abandoned bed of the Linville
River Railway, will be 5.9 miles
in length and will run across
Avery county from Liriville in
the direction of Foscoe in Wa
tauga county.
It has been reported that the
Linvllle company will give the
right of way for the ne\* highway
through their property without
co*t. ?
The Boone to Linville highway
had been a major project of the
Boone Chamber of Commerce,
several years ago, under the ad
ministration of Governor Cherry.
Later Avery county leaders had
joined in bringing the need for
the road to the attention of Gov
ernor Scott.
Dr. I. G. Greer Honored
With Birthday Gifts
Thomasville, Dec. 4. ? Baptist
Orphanage trustees honored their
retiring president, Dr. I. G. Greer,
tcday with a surprise shower of
birthday gifts as a climax to a
called meeting of the board at
Mills Home. A huge cake inscrib
ed "We Like Ike" was baked by
Mrr George McNeill, trustee from
Morehead City.
The occasion marked the close
of Dr. Greer's official connection
with the Board, but he will re
Mrs. Sarah Hartley
Is Taken By Death
Mrs. Sarah Elizabeth Minton
Hartley died at the home in Hick
ory December 1, after an illneu
of four weeks. She was 75.
Funeral services were conduct
ed in the West Hickory Baptist
Church, with Rev. Fritz Hemphill
and the Rev. R. K. Benfield of
ficiating. Burial was in Houck's
Chapel Cemeterf.
Mrs. Hartley, born in Watauga
county May IX 1877, a daughtes
of the late Richard and Myra
Penley Minton, is survived by
her husband, Joe Hartley, one
son, Ralph Hartley of Boone; one
daughter, Mrs. Richard Martin of
Hickory; two brothers, Avery
Minton of Hickory and Newton
Minton of Vilas; three grand
children and three great-grand
children. 0
The deceased waa a hfe-long
member of Oak Grove Baptist
church, Boone.
Wellborn Named
Soil Supervisor
In an election held last week,
Hayes Wellborn Was elected to a
three year term as District Soil
Conservation supervisor for Wa
tauga county. Other members of
the committee are D. F. Greene
and Henry Taylor.
main in an ex-official capacity as
executive vice president, a newly
created position. H. Cloyd Phil
pott, Lexington industrialist, suc
ceeds him as president.
Even though the accent was on
fellowship and informality, sev
eral important items of business
were transacted. The board ap
proved the employment of Clyde
Morris of Lincolnton as the first
fulltime purchasing agent of the
institution. He will move to Mills
Home January I.
The board also increased the
amount being paid to foster home
parents from $30 to $40 a month
for each child being cared for un
der the plan of off-campus child
care.
Four new trustees were intro
duced. They were Clyde Greene,
Boone merchant and civic lead
er; Robert Gathlin, Raeford farm
er, and chairman of the Hoke
County Board of Education; Wil
(Continued on page four)
Goodnight Bros.
Purchase Grocery
Goodnight Brothers, wh6lesalc
produce dealers of Boone and
Gaatonia, have purchased the
Boone Super-Market from X R.
Craven, and assumed its opera
tion on December 1, according to
an announcement by J. C. Good
night
The new owners plan to add
new equipment for the display
of f rash fruits and vegetables,
arm will continue to offer patrons
of the well-known establishment
on East King street the very best
in sarvicc and top quality merch
andise, he said.
Farthing Haycy. of the Good
night firm, is the new general
manager of the store, and W. B.
York "Will remain as head of the
meat department. Glenn Hodges
will also continue his duties as
chief clerk.
Insurance Men
Winners Prizes
Messrs Paul Winkler and Ed
Gualtney, of the Watauga In
surance Agency won several valu
able prizes lasf week in a "new
business" contest conducted by
the National Retailers' Insurance
Co., Chicago, 111.
The prizes included a steam
iron, electric food mixer, waffle
iron, camera, pressure cooker, all
wool blanket, and an electric
train. Other prizes will be receiv
ed soon, it was said.
U. S. fire losses expected to
rise 6 per cent this year.
Empty Stoc
Contributu
The empty stocking fund,
through which the underprivileg
ed children of the community
and county are the recipients of
Christmas cheer, is again being
formed under the sponsorship of
the Worthwhile Woman's Club,
which seeks the cooperation of
the people in making the worthy
enterprise successful.
Mrs. Mae Miller and Mrs.
Claud Norria are co-chairmen of
the project, and are solicting
clothing, toys and money with
which to carry on the work. Those
having toys to contribute are
asked to deliver them to Mrs.
Mabel Bingham Brown at the
Ralph Tugman
Heads Local
Freedom CrUsade
The IMS Crusade for Freedom
got under way here Sunday with
announcement that Ralph Tug
man will serve as Watauga Chair
man.
Revealing the appointment, R.
B. Potter, regional chairman, said
the Crusade, now in its third
year, needs funds to support and
expand the hard-slugging, truth
carry ihg campaigns of Radio
Free Europe and Radio Free
Asia. 'The growth and effective
ness of these freedom s(at(on^,"
the regional chairman declared,
"has been phenomenal." In two
years, thanks to the support of
25,000,000 Americans, Radio Free
Europe has developed from a
single, low-powered transmitter
to a 13-station network, beaming
the truth to Stalin's captives.
Radio Free Asia, newest weapon
in the war against Communist
lies and distortion, hits hard at
captive Asia.
Chairman Potter said Commun
ist reaction to the broadcasts has
been bitter. "Vitriolic counter
blasts, diplomatic protests to
Washington and threats of repris
al against captive listeners attest
to their effectiveness."
Explaining the need for a step
ped-up campaign of truth telling,
Mr. Tugman went on to say that
$4,000,000 is a cheap enough
price to pay for a cold war wea
pon that may in the end preclude
the appalling costs of a hot war.
Watauga county chairman Tug
man announced that contribu
tions may be sent to: Crusade for
Freedom, in 'care Radio Station
WATA, or to Alfred T. Adams,
county treasurer.
W. Roby Greene
Funeral Is Held
William Roby Greene of Deep
Gap died at the age of >5 at hit
home Sunday, December 7.
A retired farmer, Mr. Greene
was widely known in this section
and served for several- yean as
chief of police of the town of
Boone.
Funeral services were held at
11 a. m. Wednesday, December
10, at Howard's Creek Baptist
Church, conducted by the ReVT
Ed Hodges, assisted by the Rev.
W. C. Payne.
He is survived by three sons
and four daughters: Frank and
Jack Greene, both of Deep Gap;
Murray Greene, of Boone Route
1; Mrs. Frank Hodges, Boone
Route 1; Mrs. John Bolick, Boone
Route 3; Mrs. Larry Lane, Fres
no, Ohio; and Mrs. Ralph Greene,
WiUoughby, Ohio!
king Fund
ms Sought
Building and Loan office at once,
in order that they may be placed
in condition in time for the gift
distribution. Usable toys,, and
clothing with service left in it,
are urgently needed, and the
need for cash is of course great.
Some three hundred and fifty
children have already been listed
as needing aid from the stocking
fund, and those knowing of other
children, who otherwise would
have nothing at Christmas, are
asked to supply their names.
Donations of currency may be
left either with Mrs. Brown or
with Mrs. Herman W. Wilcox.
Christmas Trade Hits
Stride In Gay City Stores
The Christmas shopping season
is beginning to swing into stride
here as merchants report increas
ing activity in the toy and gift
departments.
Varicolored Christmas lights
have been installed along the
street augmenting the attractive
decorations and displays of the
individual stores and lending a
festive Vulctide atmosphere to
the business district as cach dy?k
heralds a nearer approach to the
joyous season of giving and good
will.
Keen interest is being manifest
ed throughout the county and in
other areas in the free prize* to
be given away by the Merchants
Association, and registrations at
. I
Boone itores are reported to be
getting heavier with each suc
cecding day aa the time for the
drawing near*.
Flr?t prize, a 1*52 Chevrolet
sedan from Andrews Chevrolet,
Inc., will be awarded to the
lucky holder on January It, 1953.
The date has been changed from
December 24 in order to give all
tobacco grower*, tome of whom
will not bring tbeir tint load to
Boone until after Chriatmaa, a
chance to win the automobile.
Growers receive chance* on the
ear and other prize* when they
floor their tobacco.
The drawing for second prize,
an RCA-Victor television set
tram Swoftord's Tire Store, and
PMAElectionVo.tes
Must Be In By 15th
PORTABLE X-RAY UNIT
Watauga To Aid In
Buying X-Ray Unit
The Alleghany, Ashe and Wa
tauga Tuberculosis Association is
undertaking the purchase of a
portable x-ray unit to be used in
the three - county campaign
against tuberculosis, and Watau
ga's share of the cost of the
equipment is placed at )3,600.
The cost is divided between
the counties on a population ba
sis, and the equipment would be
in use in Watauga county between
(our and five months of each
year.
Those who have received
Christmas seals are urged to re
mit for them promptly so that
Watauga can pay for her share of
the x-ray and eliminate the pay
ment of interest. Those who
would like to make a gift sepa
rate from the seal sale should send
the money to Miss Helen Under
down and ifiark it "For X-ray
Fund."
Ballots in the community PMA
elections must be in the county
PMA office before December 15,
according to Dwight Cable, chair
man of the Watauga County PMA
Committee.
Ballots wtii oe counted Mon
day. December 15, and the names
of the committeemen elected will
be announced as soon as the votes
are counted. The delegates elect
ed to attend the county conven
tion will meet December 19 and
elect a county committee consist
ing of a chairman, tice-chairman,
member and two alternates.
Ballots have been mailed to all
eligible voters in each commurti
ty. Any farmer ? owner, operator,
tenant or sharecropper ? is eligi
ble to vote who is on a farm that
is participating in any program
administered by the elected farm
er-committees of the Production
and Marketing Administration.
Eligible farmers who do not re
ceive a ballot within a reasonable
time before the closing date are
urged to get in touch with the
county PMA committee.
Chairman Cable emphasizes
that the first responsibility in
farm program administration
rests with the farmers themselves
in electing the most capable and
best qualified committeemen to
administer those programs.
"This is especially significant
this year when agriculture has
such a great responsibility in pro
ducing crops and products to meet
the Nation's defense require
ments. No farmer who is eligible
to vote should let December 15
pass without casting his ballot."
Jonas Asks For Data
On Local Dam Project
Watauga Soldier
Missing In Crash
Army Airplane
Ronald Rominger, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Dewey Rominger of
Rominger, N. C., has been missing
in the crash of an army airplane
since Sunday, according to in
formation reaching the family.
Reports indicate that Mr. Rom
inger was cn route from Omaha,
Nebraska to some point in Cali
fornia, and that the plane crash
ed in the mountains of California
during the severe storms of the
week end. Information is that the
wreckage had been spotted from
the air but that rescue operations
had not been completed. Eleven
men were said to have been
aboard the ill-fated ship.
Mr. Rominger has been in the
army for eleven years. Mrs. Rom
inger, the former Mis Georgia
Ward, also of Watauga county,
has been with him.
%
There's no way to make paying
your income tax enjoyable( but
the State College Extension Ser
vice has prepared a publication
that may make the job easier.
Charles Raper Jonas, Republi
can congressman-elect from the
tenth North Carolina district, was
the guest of honor Tuesday at the
regular monthly meeting of the
Boone Chamber of Commerce.
Introduced by President H. W.
Wilcox, the Lincolnton attorney
said the main purpose of his visit
was to secure information on the
propoeed Watauga River power
dam project. Touching briefly on
politics, he said that every two
or four years everybody docs a
lot of rooting and working for his
own party, but after the elections
are over, we all settle -down and
work for common goals in a spirit
of cooperation. He added that this
spirit of unity is the paramount
need of the new Republican na
tional administration.
At the conclusion of Jonas' re
marks, President Wilcox, after
dcotaring that Watauga County
needs "more power and cheaper
power", called upon County Ag
ent L. E. Tuckwiller, who pointed
up the need for electricity in
more rural homes in the county,
emphasizing that the proposed
dam would supply the nccessory
power.
Clyde R. Greene stated that the
State Farm Bureau has formally
petitioned the Tennessee Valley
Authority to construct the dam,
thereby going on record as active
ly supporting the project.
It was also reported that TV A
engineers have been to the Beech
Creek site of the proposed dam
to investigate titles to property,
see about buying leases, etc., and
have drilled a number of explora
(Continued on page four)
Rites Are Held For
Mrs. R. P. Moore
By MRS. LUCILE LETT
Blowing Rock, Dec. 3 ? Funeral
services for Mrs. Roblee P. Moore
were held on Wednesday after
noon of last week at First Bapt
ist Church here with Rev. Mr.
Hollingsworth, pastor of First
Baptist church of Boone, officiat
ing. Reins-Sturdivant Funeral
Home had charge of arrange
ments. ?
Mrs. Myorc, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. D. P. Coffey, died early
Tuesday of last week, after hav
ing been seriously ill for two
weeks. She was 49 years of age
and had been in ill health for
many years.
Friends of the Baptist and
Presbyterian churches served as
flower bearers and honorary pall
bearers.
Active pall bearers were Doss
Keller, George Sudderth, Jr.,
Clarence Greene, Johnny Broy
hiU, Johnny Walscr, and Howard
Holshouser, Jr. ?
Burial was In Blowing Ruck
cemetery.
Survivors include the parents,
and the following sisters and
brothers: Mrs. Rosella Willis,
Mrs. Clara Thompson, Mrs. Anne
Brown, Mrs. Virginia Bolick, Mrs.
Luda Gragg. Paul, Glenn, and
Justin.
third prize, an 8-foot Nqrge re
frigerator from Farmer* Hard
ware and Supply Company, will
be held aa originally scheduled
on Chriatmaa Eve, Wednesday,
December 24.
To be eligible for one M theae
prize*, it ia nece??ary only to re
gister with any of the participat
ing Boone stores. The list will be
found in a Merchant* Aiiaociation
advertisement in thia iaaue.
The aaaociatiop haa announced
that plana far a Hurley Featival
Ball have been abandoned, due to
the inability Of the committee to
?ecure a suitable orchestra on the
data deairod for the avant.
W. Reeves Billings
Dies Saturday
William Reeves Biilifigs, 82. of
Vila*, died December 6 In Wa
tauga Hospital. He had been ill
for some time and a patient in the
hospital Aout two days.
Funeral services were held at
the home at 11 a. m. Tuesday,
December 9, with the Rev. Ronda
Earp in charge of the rites. He
was assisted by the Rev. Ed G.
Farthing, the Rev. C. O. Vance,
and the Re*. Victor THvelle Bur
ial waa in the Adams cemetery.
He la survived by two sons,
Lester and Frank Billings, both
?f Vilas; and two daughters, Mrs.
A. A. Greer of Vilas, and Mrs. J.
F. Farthing of Johnson Ci9,
Teou.
Funds Sought For
Grandfather Home
As usual, local friends of the
Grandfather Orphans Home at
Banner Elk, are soliciting funds,
with which to contribute to the
happiness of the children of the
Institution at Christmas time.
The cause is an especially
worthy one since moat of th?9
children being cared for are our
own people, and perhaps merit
first consideration.
Those willing to make a eontri- '*
buti?n to the happiness of these
youngsters at Christmas time
may leave their donations with
Guy Hunt at Hunt's Department
Store; Rob Rivers at the Dsmo- ffi
crat office or W. H. Gragg at the
Watauga Building It Loan As
sociation .
A generous response to thiaf.
need will b? highly appreciated. '. J
* ? v ' -rvSmH