VOL. LXV ? NO. 3C.
DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Y^r 1 888
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, MARCH 1L 1*53.
KING
STREET
by
ROB RIVERS ?
FOOD STOIUE PIONEER
T. Milton Greer might well lay
claim to being the town's pioneer
grocery merchant ... As he talk
ed the other day of some of his
experiences back in the twenties
when the Carolina Stores were
dcpng a land bffice business, we
thought of his independent store,
owned by him and Charlie Eller,
and which was known as the J
& E Self-Service Store . . . Thus,
so far as we know, was first
brought to Boone the idea of a
customer gathering up his "vit
tels" by himself, paying some
body at a central point, and get
ting on out . . . Mr. Greer manag
ed the Carolina Store, which was
part of a chain originating in
Lenoir, and presidented by/D. W.
Turner, and was Boone's first
really thorough-going, exclusive
food store ... It was established
along about the time the folks
were up in arms against chain
stores in general ? the radio had
come about and a fellow by the
name of Henderson was promot
ing A1 Smith, and cussing all the
chains, and the folks in small
towns were about of the mind to
build themselves a Chinese wall
and keep these mass merchandis
ers out ... At any rate the Caro
lina store, flourished for a while,
and was then succeeded by the
Dixie Store, which Mr. Greer has
so capably managed since its es
tablishment here . . . Food mer
chandising has gone a long way
since Milton Greer began to sell
groceries "a little cheaper" up by
the creek, where the Democrat
building stands, but the genial
purveyor of good things to eat,
has changed little through the
years ... He is still seeing to the
needs of the pantries of the town
and county, passing a joke when
time permits, and enjoying his
work, as time has brought him a
brand new generation of custom
ers since he sacked his first sugar,
and rang up his initial sale along
the Street.
HOW'S IT DONE?
We ut grateful to the many
folks who road this column ?
we>e always wondered why
than ara so many of tham ?
and an warmed by the many
phoop calls, and letters, ate.
which bring words of commen
dation . . ? Amongst those who
follow this diatribe with more
than the usual interest, the
stock question is. "how do you
do UT" . . . It's Just a matter of
jotting down a few of the no
tions one has as he goes' to and
fro along King Street, a few
things about some folks we see.
and some things we feel ... As
another country journalist said
to us along time ago. "one
doesn't hare to be wacky to do
this, but it helps." ... At any
rate when ideas are scarce and
the March winds hare blown
the folks off the street, and
there's little to be seen, one can
always meditate on his job.
TIMES HAVE CHANCED
It used to be that the country
newspaper publisher used up a
good share of his space telling of
the troubles he had. of belittling
his profession and talking up his
hard luck . . . That has all chang
ed as country journalism has
grown up and expanded, as the
newspapers have become better,
and taken their places as going
concerns in the life of the com
munity. The editor has quit
lamenting, but at the same time
he'll always wonder-about some
of the things that happen . . . For
instance, the fellow who, by the
very nature of things, comes to
be a regular feature in a news
paper, who'* promoted year in
and year out, seldom offers any
sort of acknowledgment . . On
the other hand a ifian whose name
appears just once in the personal
column, quite often likui the
thing *o well he'll come in an of
fer to pay. But returning to the
columning, one of ihe strange
quirks of the strange business, is
that one ?rt a while a fellow has
what he considers a dilly of a
notion ... He toys with the thing
for weeks, dreams about it a
couple of times, and finally lays
her on the sheet ... He reads it
again and again, throws out his
chest and feels like the guy who
has turned up the other ace . . .
When this happens, his product
ion seldom causes ? riffle. He
don't get a. raise . . . But let the
day come, when a column just
can't be born, when it's wrench
( Continued on page four)
Women's Debating
Teams Win Honors
The debate te^ms of Appala
chian State Teachers college have
returned from participating in
the South Atlantic Forensic
Tournament which was held at '
Lenoir-Rhyne college March 5, 0 '
and 7. The women's teams {rem :
Appalachian won top tournament
honors, and the men's teams like- j
wise acquitted themselves well, '
according to Professor Leo K.
Pritchett, the coach of debating. 1
The question for debate was: Re
solved, That the Congress o fthe
United States should enact a com
pulsory fair employment practices
law.
In the women's division of de
bate the teams consisted of Jo
Ann Hardin of Boone and Jean
Hopkins of Beaufort, affirmative;
Hope Dyson, Taylorsville, and
Joanne Aldridge, Boone, nega
tive. The women won eleven de
bates and lost three. The affirma
tive won from Oeorge Washing
ton University, East Carolina
College, Lenoir-Rhyne college,
Tennessee Tech, Maryville col
lege, and the United States Naval
Academy. They lost only to the
Wake Forest men. The negative
team won from Maryville college,
George Washington University,
Milligan, Tennessee Tech, and
Roanoke college, men. They lost
only to the University of Florida
men, and Lenoir-Rhyne college.
In the men's division of de
bate, the affirmative team was
Bill Blackburn of Boone and
Richard, Zuber of Hickory. The
negative team Was John Howard
of Concord and Marion Cox of
Boone. The affirmative team won
from Carson-Newman, Maryville,
Millsaps, and Duke University.
They lost to Davidson, University
of Florida, and Bridgewater. Tha
negative team won from Mary
ville, Bridgewater, Canon-New
man, University of South Caro
lina, and loit to V. P. I., David
son, and Roanoke college.
In the women's individual con
tests, Joanne Aldridge won first
place in problem-solving; Jo Ann
Hardih won second pa Ice in radio
extempore; and also third place
in radio newscast; and Jean Hop
kins won second place in poetry
reading.
According to Mr. Pritchett, 21
colleges and universities w^re re
presented at this famous south
eiitern debating tournament.
There were 56 debating teams,
represented by 120 debaters who
participated.
Mr. Pritchett announced . that
he is now preparing to take four
debaters ? two men and two wo
men, who will be chosen from
the eight debaters who went to
Hickory ? to Kalamazoo, Michi
gan, for participation in the Na
tional Tournament of Pi Kappa
Delta. Colleges and universities
from all over the United States
will be present for this tourna
pient. The tournament will take
place at Kalamazoo College, April
5 through 9th. The debaters who
participate in this tournament
will have to debate both sides of
the question.
SCOOTER THIP
Burkeville, Va. ? Larry and
Betty Mertsching, a young Burke
ville couple, recently took off by
motor scooter for Oakland, Cali
fornia, hoping to make the trip
in thirty days. The scooters will
be equipped with sidecars, which,
among other things, will carry a
gasoline stove, a portable icebox,
lanterns, sleeping bags, portable
radio and carema. "Baby," their
pet cat, will also go along.
Rape Charges Made;
$5,000 Bond Is Given
Till. .
An itinerant radio repairman is
being held under $5,000 bond in
Watauga County jail on charges
of assaulting a 25-year-old moth
er of two children at her home
in the Meat Camp section last
Wednesday night.
Sheriff Earl D. Cook said that
the man .identified as Lester Lee
Hamby, about 44, of Johnson
City, Tenn., will be tried at the
April term of Watauga Superior
Court.
He said the man was identified
from business cards on his per
son, which -also said he was a
radio and TV repairman, and by
the victim of the assault. .
Sheriff Cook aaid,the man stop
ped Wednesday night at a store
near Meat Camp, and on asking
for business possibilities was told
that a woman living about half a
mile away wanted her radio fix
ed.
The sheriff said that on the fol
lowing morning the woman,
whose husband died last summer,
ran to the store and asked the
storekeeper to call officers, be
cause the man had just left her
home after terrorizing her and
ber children all night with a gun
and rapine her three times. He
fixed the radio between assaults
she said, and tried to persuade
her to (all >n with a plan to hire
someone to drive them out of the
county ,then dispose of' him and
take his car.
She said he left the house the
next morning after locking the
front door and nailing the back
door shut, but she escaped
through a window.
Officers spotted the man driv
ing a 1941 truck in North Fork
township and followed him until
the truck ran off the road a a he
was looking back and apparency
trying to get his gun out, the
sheriff said. They then brought
him to Boone and lodged him in
jail.
Sheriff Cook said the man had
in his possession a .45 Colt pistol,
a shotgun, and a reaping hook.
The sheriff said he was inform
ed that the woman came to his
office Monday morning during
his absence and asked to have
the warrant against the man
withdrawn, but was told that it
was too lat to stop due processes
of the law in the case.
Pre-School Clinic
Dates Are Released
By School Board
The Watauga County Board of
Education announces the follow
ing schedule for pre-school cli
nics:
Parkway. March 9, 9:00-12:00;
Green Valley, March 12:30
3:30; Watauga Consolidated,
March '9 and 16. 9:00-12:00;
Boone Demonstration, March 17,
1:00-3:30; Bethel, March 16, 1:90
3:00; Valle Crucis, March 18,
9:00-12:00; Mabel, March 19, 9:00
12:00; Cove Creek EUmentary,
March 19, 1:00-3:00, and Blowing
Rock, March 20, 9:00-12:00.
All of these clinics will be held
at the school with the exception
of Watauga Consolidated which
will be held at the health depart
ment office.
Parents are urged to take their
children who will be old enough
to enter school next fall to a
clinic. A physical examination
will be given each child who at
tends by Dr. Michael, the local
health officer.
Last Rites Held
?
For N. M. Harrison
Nathan Marion Harrison, of
Boone Route 1, died on Saturday,
March 7, in Watauga Hospital. He
was 78 years of age.
Funeral services were held at
2 p. m. Sunday, March 8, at the
Harper's Chapel Methodist church
of Patterson. The Rev. Will Cook
?nd the Rev. Raymond Hendrix
officiated at the rites.
He is survived by three sons,
Odell Harrison, Boone, Hill Har
rison, Lenoir, and Romy Harrison,
Charlotte; two daughters, Mrs.
Len Greene, Boone, and Mrs.
Walter Moretz, Lenoir; and two
sisters, Mrs. Frenia Bolick and
Mrs'. Kelly Bryant, both of Len
oir.
James G. Hodges
Taken By Death
J imeg Gilbert Hodges, of Boone
Route 3, died March 7 at the age
of 77 in Watawga Hospital.
Funeral services were held
Monday March 9 at. the Oak
Orove Baptist Church,' with the
Rev. C. O. Vance in charge of the
rites, and burial was in the Hines
Cemetery.
Survivors include his widow,
Mrs. Emma F. Hodges, Boone
Route 3; five sons, Curtis Hodges,
Cleveland, Ohio,,Jones and Grady
Hodges, Hickory, Ernest Hodges,
Baltimore, Md? and Dewey Hod
ges, Boone; three daughters, Mrs.
James Moore, Lenoir, Mr*. Ollie
Greer and Mrs. Dwight Hayes,
both of Boone.
ONE WAY TO LOOK AT IT
Kansas City, Mo. ? Finding
themselves marooned atop a f40
:oot brick smokestack, two
workmen solved their problem of
how to get down by working their
way down ? brick by brick. It
took them most of the day. No
body complained, however, be
cause they were supposed to help
dismantel the stack anyway.
Appalachian College Choir Starts
Spring Concert Tour Next Sunday i
A. . * i '
The Appalachian College choir,
of forty-five voices, under the
direction of Virginia Wary Lin
ncy, starts its annual ipring tour
into various sections of North
Carolina and other states the end
of this week.
The choir will appear at Bris
tol, Va., on the evening of the
15th, at West Jefferson on the
22nd and at Mount Airy on the
23rd.
Organized in 1020 the choir in
widely- known, and cach year
presents the Christinas section
of Handel's "Messiah" to a na
tion-wide radio audience.
This spring the choif has been
asked to sing numbers from Han
delV'Judas Mac Cabacua," with
the North Carolina Symphony
Orchestra.
In the past the At>palachi?n vo
calists have diatinguiahed them
selves in the presentation of many
of the finest opersttas. of the
calibre of Gilbert and Sullivan's
"Mikado," "Pinafore" and others.
Hickory Firm Offers Bid Of'
$53,950 On Nurses' Home Job.
Bids Tendered
To N. C Medical
Care Commission
Bida (or the Watauga Hospital
Nurses' Home were opened as
advertised at 2 o'clock) on Thurs
day afternoon, March 5. Only one
.local contractor bid on the gen
eral contract. Unfortunately his
bid was some $3,000 higher than
the best bid. Elliot Building Com
pany of Hickory bid $53,950 on
the general contract; J. R. Ham
it Sons, Mooresville bid $8,220 en
the heating; Miller and Smyre,
Hickory, bid $4, 972 on the plumb
ing; Ralph Duncan, North Wilkcs
boro, bid $1,612 on the electrical
work, making a total of $68,754.
This does not, of -course, include
the furnishings, the architect's
fee, or the other incidentals.
The Board of Trustees met im
mediately following the meeting
of the building committee and
contractors and recommended
these bids to the North Carolina
Medical Care Commission and
the Federal Public Health Ser
vice, which ha* to approve them
before the ' contract is finally
awarded.
This indicates the necessity of
raising about $4,000 additional
and anybody who has not had
the privelege of contributing to
(Continued on page seven)
RED CROSS LEADERS? Major J. H. Thomas, right, chairman of Watauga Chapter. American Red
Croas, is shown shaking hands with the Rev. E. F. Troutman, Red Cross fund campaign chairman.
At the left is R. W. Watkins, College chairman of the campaign, and Mrs. H. W. Wilcox, co-chairman
of the county campaign. ? Photo Palmer's Photo Shop.
Red Cross Campaign
Started In Watauga
The 1953 Red Cross fund-raig
ng campaign for Watauga coun
ty was officially started at a
kick-off breakfast at the Gate
way Cafe last Thursday morning,
and the county has been thor
nughly organized in an effort tc
raise Hs quota of $3202 in tho
shortest possible time.
Major J. H. Thomas, chairman
if the Watauga Red Cross chap
ter, states that the Rev. E. F.
IYoutman is heading the cam
paign this year. Mrs. H. W. Wil
cox is vice-chairman, while ? R.
W. Watkins ii Appalachian Col
lege chairman.
Mrs. Charles Davant is heading
the campaign at Blowing Rock.
The sixteen home demonstra
tion clubs -have taken the Hod
Cross drive as a project in the
rural areas of the county, and
it is expected that the quota will
be realized quickly. However,
Major Thomas urges full coop
eration on the part of the people,
and generous contributions to in
sure the predicted success.
Owsley Addresses
Cancer Society
Dr. Lawrence H. Owsley, chair
man of the Board of Directors of
the American Canccr Society of
Watauga County, called a lunch
eon meeting at the Gateway Rest
aurant Thursday. This was the
first meeting held since Mrs. Dean
Andrews was appointed county
commander.
Dr. Owsley stressed the im
portance of the educational pro
gram in regard to cancer. He
said, "Education is the most ef
fective weapon because it makes
the affected person conscious of
the danger. Thi# awareness on
the part of a person with -sus
pected cancer, is necessary before
he will appear for an early diag
hosis." ?
Plans were made for the edu
cational program to cover the en
tire county. All residents of Wa
tauga county will be given a
chance to see films about cancer.
Plans were also made for the
cancer drive in April. Mrs. John
Davis is campaign chairman. All
the directors were present ex
cept Mrs. Davis and Mrs. R. C.
Rivers.
Consumer demand is seen
heavy for spring footwear.
College Holstein
In Production Test
Brattlcboro, Vt., March 0 ?
With 424 pounds of buttcrfat and
12,163 pounds of milk to her
credit, Spring Farm Spotty Meg,
a registered Holstein-Friesian
cow owped by Appalachian State
Teachers College, Boone, North
Carolina, has completed a 365-day
production test in official Herd
Improvement Registry.
She was milked 2 times daily,
and was 10 years, 11 months of
age when she began her testing
period.
Her record averages approxi
mately 16 quarts of milk daily
for the period covered by her
test.
Testing was supervised by
North Carolina State College of
Agriculture and Engineering, in
cooperation with the Holstein
Friesian Association of America.
Highland Scot Will Be
On Lyceum Series
As announced by Dtfan Ran
siri, of Appalachian State Teach
;rs College, Donald Grant, a
Highland Scot, will be on the
:ampus next Monday and Tues
day, March 16-17, as Myceum
ipcaker. Mr. Grant, a world
traveler and student of world
affairs, has given much of his
time during the past fifteen or
twenty years in visits to colleges
}f Great Britain, the United
States, and Canada.
Mr. Grant has been invited to
the United State frequently by
the Institute of International Ed
jcation, New York, as guest lec
turer to American students on
world conditions. Hi* visit to Ap
palachian next week, however,
will be the first to the local cam
jus.
Among the questions which
Mr. Grant is discussing on his
present tour of colleges are these:
"Power and initiative have
noved from London to Washing
ton. What are the causcs and
wnaequences of this historic
ihift?"
"Balance of power, 1814-1914.
neant a century without a big
var. What factors constitute
jower today?"
"Can the U. S. A. and U. S.
DONALD GRANT
spelling nee Promoted
i BvBandParents Group
Who is the champion speller of
South Africa? A serious report."
Because Mr. Grant welcomes
opportunities to discuss such
questions and others informally,
his schedule at Appa'achian in
cludes several class and group
meetings.
The meeting on Monday at 8
p. m. will be open to the public.
This discussion ts sponsored by
the Religious Council and the
International Relations Club.
Watauga County? This question
will be answered March 27, 7:30
p. m. at the Appalachian High
School auditorium. Mr. Bob Agle,
chairman of the Band Parents
Association, states that plan; (or
an old fashion county wide Spel
ling Bee have now been com
pleted.
Mrs. Herman Eggers. chairman
of this event, list* the following
information concerning the Spel
ling Bee:
The Spelling Bee is open to all,
young and old, of all ages. Each
contestant will be sponsored by
a business firm, civic club, or any
organization. The contestants will
wear placards bearing the name
of the sponsoring business. Five
valuable prizes will be awarded
the winners. Admission of 25 and
SO cents will be charged. All pro
ceeds will benefit the school
bands.
Committees appointed by Mrs.
Eggcrs are now busy contacting
sponsors and spellers, and over
one hundred entries are expected.
Anyone interested in sponsoring
a person, or anyone interested in
entering the spelling Bee, contact
Mrs. Herman Eggers at telephone
number 193-W.
5. R. come into balance? Is this
lesirable? What is the altcrna
;ive?"
"What changes must Britain
nake in her program to retain
?wpr and a high living stand
ird?"
"Germany and the German peo
>le, a question mark of Europe."
"Africa. What of Nigeria, Su
ian, Kenya (Mau-Mau) Malan's
MAIL 43 YEARS LATE
Greenfield. Ohio. ? While sori
ng mail the other day. Mrs. Min
lic Hester, postmistress at neigh
boring South Salem, noticed *a
postcard addressed to Mrs.
Charles Matthews, who had died
icvcral years ago. Mrs. Hester
looked over the card, written by
? mere of Mrs. Matthews, and
noticed it was postmarked from
Austin, Ohio, 10 mile* away. The.
card wu dated May 71, 1908.
Turkey and Yugoslavia "have
?lgned a $70,000,000 trade and
payawmU agracucfit
1,000 High School Students
Take Part In Choral Contest
Approximately 1000 high school
student* will participate in the
Boone District Choral contest
held today in the fine Art* Build
ing on the campus of Appala
chian State Teachers College.
Boys Glee Clubs. Girls Glee
Cluba, and Mixed Choruses will]
be judged throughout the day. *
Judging of banda will be held
Thursday, with approximately
750 student* participating. These
1750 students represent the fol
lowing thirteen high schools:
Hickory. Valdeae, Spruce Pine
(Harris), Morganton, Glen Alpine,
Canton. Marlon, Tipton Hill. Wil
kes Central, Cliftside, Mount
Airy, NewUm-Ceooyer, and Ap
palachian.
Mr. Gordon A. Nash, chiUmin
of the Boone District contest, will
be assisted by Mrs. Virginia
Wary Linney and Mr. Hoyt Safrit,
of the college music faculty, and
Miss Mildred Simpson and Mr.
John Allen, graduate assistants,
who will work with the choral
groups. Working with the bands
will bo Mrs. Dorothy E. Kemp,
Mr. William SpciWe-, and Mr.
Nicholas Ernevton, of the collegc
music faculty, and Miss Helen
Winkler, graduate assistant As
sisting with the piano contest will
be Mr. Walton Cole and Mr. Jam
es Hooker, of the college music
faculty.
The music students, members
of the college chorus and band,
and members of the Appalachian
High School chorus and bud
will serve as guides, pages, and
ushers during both day* of the
contests. ?
Judges for the instrumental
work will be Harold Atkinson of
Woman's College; Warren Ben
son of Mara Hill College; and Ro
bert Gray of East Carolina Col
lege. Choral judges will be Joel
Carter, of the University of North
Carolina; Virginia Groomes, of
Elon College; and Lew Lewis, of
High Point College. Piano judgq,
will be Philip Morgan of Woman's
College.
The Boone District is contpoaed
of the following thirteen coun
ties: Ashe, Avery, Alexander,
Alleghany, Burke, Caldwell, Mtt-[
chell. Polk, Rutherford, Watauga,
wufcet, ud tmmt