A DEMOCRAT
Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888
boone, Watauga county, north Carolina, thuesday, January t, um
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL? Work progresses on the new Elementary School building being constructed
here on College Street.? Staff photo by Joe Minor.
t
KING
STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
PORTENTS OF PROGRESS
Nineteen and fifty-three was a
good year tor the Street artd for
the county ... Of particular
significance in Boone, of course
are the new electronics manufac
tory, the new school building, the
Bell telephone expansion pro
gram, and the continued expan
sion at Appalachian State Teach
ers College ? just to mention some
of the larger projects which have
come about during the year . . ,
And moat of the folks foresee
continuing prosperity, for the
time being, in this vicinity.
THE MANUFACTURING
PLANT perhape, provided the
bis naws story of recant timas.
and thara la continuing high
excitement along the street as
opwHon am ih?nt to tttii
. . . Whan the factory la gtfag
full blast U is expected that live
hundred will be employed and
that the payroll will run a mil
lion dollars . . . This rapraaants
Watauga's largest manufactory,
and the payroll should add im
measurably to the welfare eh
Watauga, whoae people have
been handicapped for so long
for lack of market for the big
labor resource, which has con
stantly moved into the North,
holding the census of the coun
ty at a standstill, deepite the
mushrooming growth of the
town.
WORK CONTINUES, without
interruption, on the elementary
school building,- which is actually
a part of Appalachian State
Teacher* College . . . Workmen
have been able to keep going
even in the colder weather of the
winter, and with the roof mostly
on, rain and snow will not stop
the construction . . . This building
is of paramount concern to the
parents of the school district, who
are anxious for the desperately
crowded condition of the school
to be eased . . ? The plant will be
fully modern, and will be visited
by teachers from all over the na
tion, who .will come to see ele
mentary teaching carried on in
the most approved form . . . The
building will be completed during
the coming summer and the cafe
teria will be used by the College
until theirs can be remodeled
and improved.
BELL TELEPHONE has all
but cpmplotad its new building,
and m a coupl* of months a
modern dial system will have
replaced the old stylo equip
ment. which has served so long
. . . This improvement is being
hailed as one of the most pro
gressive stops to be undertaken
in the town for a long time.
HERE AND THERE
Christmas trees lying about
yarfe and vacant lots, forlorn as
last year's robin's nests, some
clinging on to some of the color
of the Yule as bits of tinsel and
an occasional bright (tar adorn
the browning branches . . . The
groups of small boys traipsing
about the town late at night, try
ing to find some source of enter
tainment . . . Incidentally, did
you know Boone enacted a cur
few law a few years Igo. and
passed an act forbidding public
dances in a day when "blue
laws" were thought to be popular?
. . . The new auto license tags>?
black numersls on a background
of near-orange, a slight but wel
come change from the yellow and
black which rotate back and
forth year on end . . . New mod
(CoUinuad on page four)
Corpening To Speak
T o Local Civic Body
Mr. Wayne A. Corpening, farm
program director on the agricul
tural staff of the Wachovia Bank
and Trust Company at Winston
Salem, will be the guest speaker
at the annual Ladies' Night meet
ing of the Boone Chamber of
Commerce, to be held in the
basement of the Baptist Church
Tuesday evening, January 12, at
6:30.
Officers and directors for the
coming year will be installed at
Tuesday night's meeting.
A native of Henderson County,
Mr. Corpening was graduated
from State College with a B. S.
degree in Animal Husbandry in
1936. After graduation from col
lege, he accepted a position as
Assistant County Agent in Hay
wood County and in 1941 was
named County Agent.
Mr. Corpening entered the U.
S. Army in 1141, where he serv
ed for {our years with the rank
of Lieutenant. He saw duty in i
North Africa, Sicily, and Europe, j
and was awarded the Silver Star,
Dr. Owsley Is
Cited For Work
Against Cancer
???????PU *W? ????????? I
DR. OWSLEY
Dr. L. H. Owtlcy of Boone has
been presented a beautiful in
scribed certificate of five years
service from the American Can
cer Society, Inc. in appreciation
of the many years he has con
tributedto the cause of cancer
control in North Carolina.
This certificate was presented
to Dr. Owsley at the 1953 annual
meeting of the North Carolina
Division of the American Cancer
Society in Ralcifh, NortJ?,Caro
lina. Awards were made to the
volunteer workers who have ren
dered distinguished service to the
Cancer Society.
the Legion of Merit, the Legion
of Honor from both France and
Belgium and the Bronze Star
with three oak lepf clusters. He
was discharged with the rank of
MR. CORPENING
Lieutenant Colonel.
Returning to his job as Hay
wood County Agent in 1946, Mr.
Corpening organized a commun
ity development program directed
toward furthering t^e develop
ment of Haywood County. In
September 1952, he was promot
ed to Western District Farm
Agent, where he had supervision
of the fifteen Western North
Carolina counties.
In July 1953, Mr. Corpening
joined the agricultural staff of
Wachovia Bank and Trust Com
pany at Winston-Salem, where he
is guiding the bank's expanded
farm program and is tak'ing a
prominent part in agricultural
development activities in north
western North Carolina.
William Combs
Taken Bv Death
y
William Marvin Combs, 72, re
sident of Shcfwood, died at the
home December 31, following a
long illness.
' Funeral services were conduct
ed January 1,- at 2 o'clock from
the Henson's Chapel Methodist
Church by the pastor. Rev. Ne
well Bush, who was assisted in
the rites by Rev. E. O. Gore of
the Baptist Church. Interment
was in the church cemetery.
Survivors include the widow,
Mrs. Maggie Combs: a son, Char
les M. Combs, of Sherwood, and
a daughter. Mrs. Allen Adams,
al^> of Sherwood. A brother,
John E. Combs, and a sister, Mrs.
Myrtie Sherwood, both of Mabel. .
also survive.
Chamber Elects New
Slate Of Officers
The board of directors ol the
Boone Chamber of Commerce
met Tuesday, December 29, at the
Daniel Boone Hotelrand unanim
ously re-elected the following of
ficers to serve for the coming
year:
Herman W. Wilcox, president;
Russell D. Hodges, first vice
president; Estel Wagner, second
vice-president; and Alfred Adams,
treasurer.
New directors elected are Guy
Hunt, J. V. Caudill, and Fred H
Gragg. ,1 jjK
The rrwplrta board ol directors
includes Fred Church, W. W. !
Chester, W R. Winkler, O. K.
Richardsod? G. R. Andrews, H.
W. Wilcox, Alfred Adams, Estel
Wagner, Russell Hodges, Guy
Hunt, J. V. Caudill, and Fred M.
Gragg
Installation ceremonies will be
held Tuesday evening, January
12. in the basement of the Bapt
ist Church, at the annual Ladies'
Night meeting of the Chamber.
Wayne A. Corpening, of the
agricultural staff of the Wachovia
Bank and Trust Company at Win
ston-Salem, will be guest speak
Four Million On
Parkway In 1953
Establish Record
Roanoke, Va., Dec. 31' ? Vi*itors
on the Blue Ridge Parkway in
isiiii iu^ijcu me iuur muuun
mark lor the first time in the 19
year history of the scenic drive.
Superintendent Sam W*ms said
today.
During the past 12 months.
Wcems said, parkway ranger?
counted a total of 4,286,974 per
sons traveling on some part of
t fie 320 miles of paved road in
Yirginia and North Carolina.
This amounts to a 16.6 per cent
increase over the 3,558,139 travel
ers on the parkway in 1952.
The year-end high is believed
to mark the third straight year
the Blue Ridge Parkway has led
all other national park areas in
number of visitors. At the end of
the first 10 months, the park
way's attendance was running
more than a million ahead of its
nearest competitor, the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park
in North Carolina and Tennessee.
The steady rise in number of
travelers on the mountaintop
highway can be attributed to
several factors, Weems said.
He cited particularly the in
creased use of widespread public*
ity and the fact that more sec
tions of the road have been open
to the public in the past several
years.
Hudson Attends
Atlanta Meeting
Mr. M. Eter Hudson, educa
tional director at First Baptist
Church in Boone, will leave Fri
day far Atlanta, G*? to attend
the Southwide Baptist Sunday
School Clinic, which is to be held
January 9 through 22. He ex
pects to return to Boo r.f Sun
day, January 24.
Mr. Hudron stated that more
than a thousand Sunday school
workers for the Southern Baptist
Convention are expected to at
tend the clinic. The purpose of
the clinic, or workship, is to help
train workers so they may ex
tend the work of the local Sun
day schools.
Leaders of the school will be
from the Southern Baptist Sun
day School Board of Nashville,
Tenn.
Mrs. Hudson and their two
children will spend the period in
Statesville visiting with her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Bost.
United States cattle numbers
increased from 16 million in 1942
to 93.7 million in 1953.
Bloodmobile To Be
In City January 25
Plans^were made Monday for
another viait of the American Red
Cross Blood mobile to Boone,!
when the board of directors of
the Watauga Chapter of the Red
Cross met at Gateway Restaurant.
Mr. M. Eber Hudson, chairman,
announced that the Bloodmobile
will be in Boone Monday, Janu
ary 25, at the Baptist Church.
Other plans announced after
the meeting concerned the fund
campaign which is scheduled for
the month of March. Mr. S. C.
Eggers was appointed by Mr.
Hudson to take charge of this ef
fort, with Mr. Clyde R, Greene
and the Rev. E. F. Troutman as
sisting.
Mr. Richard Kelley and Mrs. 1
Len B. Hagaman were appointed
county co-chairmen of the blood
drive and Coach R. W. Watkins \
will be in charge of the college
effort in filling the county quota J
The Bloodmobile will come to
Boone from Ashcvjlle, and will
operate from 11 a. m. to S:30 p. m.
Quota set for the visit ia 150 pints
which wlil require approximately
200 donors.
Mr. Hudson stated that usually
about two-thirds of Watauga's
quota comcs from students at
Appalachian State Teachers Col
lege. Efforts will be made to have
more residents participate' in the
donations.
Production To Start Ati
Boone's New Plant Today
NTERNATiONAL RESISTANCE COMPANY OF PHILADELPHIA begins production in its new
Boone plant this week. ? Siail phoio by Joe Minor.
Holidays Quiet;
No Arrests Made
Police Chief Richardson calls
attention to the quietude which
prevailed in the city during
Christmas, and wishes to thank
the citizens for their splendid be- !
havior.
The department did not make
an arrest, Chief Richardson says,
which he believes is most unusu
al in a town the size of Boone.
Win. C. Calloway
v
Dies On Saturday
William Clingman Calloway of
the Foscoe neighborhood, died at 1
Watauga Hospital last Saturday, .
at the age of 84. He had been in
failing health for five years.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Sunday at the Foscoe Christ
ian Church with Rev. Hiram Lest
er in charge, assisted by Rev. S.
E. Gragg and Rev. Mr. Widenor.
He is survived by, one son and
two daughters: Don Calloway,
Lenoir: Mrs. Flo Moody and Misg
Neva Calloway of Foscoe. There
is a foster daughter, Mrs. Shelby
Church of Boone. There are seven
grandchildren and three great
grandchildren. ,
First Burley Auction
Of New Year Is Held
The Boone Burley Tobacco
Market held its first sale of the
new year Monday at Mountain
Burley Warehouse No. 1, and
sold 345, 156 pounds, the maxi
mum allowed by the Government,
for an average price of $54.43 per
hundred, distributing $187,868.41
to the farmers of this area.
R. C. Coleman, operator of the
Bcone market, described the sale ,
as "the best we have had to date* '
but the quality of the tobacco
was not anything to brag about. :
Still, the average prices of the :
tobacco ran well up into the high
figures."
A considerable quantity of to
bacco js on the floor at Farmers
Burley for the sale on Wednes
day, but there is still abundant
? pace on the floors of the three |
big warehouses > (or more, said
Stanley A. Harris, supervisor of
sales. Any tobacco that is brought
in by noon Wednesday will be
so'd Wednesday afternoon, he
added.
"One more sale like Monday,"
Mr. Harris continued, "will bring
the Boone market up to the three
million pounds hoped for at the
beginning of the season. This in
dicates that wise farmers of this
section are bringing their tobacco
to Boone. More than a million
and-a-half' dollars have been dis
tributed to the farmers who h*ve
brought their tobacco to Boone."
Friday's sale will be held at
Mountain Burley No. 1, and farm
ers are urged to rush the re
mainder of their tobacco in while
the price is still good.
Old Grad Comes Back
As Atomic Scientist
Appalachian State Teachers
College will welcome back tothe
campus one of her own graduates
when an Oak Ridge scientist
comes to speak to the faculty and
students on Tuesday, January 12.
G. W. Morgan, a Bachelor of
Science degree graduate of Appa
lachian, will speak on the use of
radioisotopes. '
Mr. Morgan is Chief of the
Radiological Safety Branch, Iso
topes Division, of the Atomic
Energy Commission at Oak Ridge,
Tennesse".
Following his graduation from
Appalachian in 1934, Mr. Morgan
received the Master of Arts de
gree from Peabody College in
1941. He served as a bacteriolo
gist in the 28th General Hospital
in the European Theatre of Op
erations during World War II.
After being discharged from the
Army in 1946, Mr. Morgan was
employed in the Health Physics
Department at the Oak Ridge
National Laboratory as an as
sociate physicist In 1948 he join
ed the Advisory Field Service
HOME OF NEW DIAL SYSTEM ? The new Bell Telephone Company buif'inf on E*nt King Street
nears completion. Mo?t o( the dial telephones are already installed, ar.d the company haa announced
- .that it will iwilch over to the dial lyitem in March. ? Stall photo by Joe Minor.
? k
Branch of the Atomic Energy
Commission and was advanced to
Assistant Chief in 1949, a posi
tion which he held until his re
cent promotion to Chief. He is a
native of Rutherford County.
Mr. Morgan and his staff are
responsible for the health protec
tion of all persons in the United
States using radioisotopes in re
search laboratories, hospitals, and
industrial organizations other
than those operated by the Com
miwion. His branch also consults
on the use of radioisotopes in re
search and industrial problems.
Weather
Bv DR. ARNOLD VAN PELT
Last week your weather man
went to Boston to listen to the
views expressed there by the
learned men of science, revelant
and irrevelant to the present
world .situation. As a conse
quence, no report on the weather
appeared in the Democrat. How
ever, in order that recordings for
a full month could be made with
out a lapse, my neighbor. Or.
John Hamilton, was kind enough
to take the readings, making this
week's report possible.
The week was mild; no rain
fell, continuing a dry period
which began the 23rd.
Max. Min. 6 p.m. Date
59 22 31 Dcc. 27
5S 29 39 Dcc. 28
50 30 44 Dec. 29
45 38 41 Dcc. 30
41 21 39 Dec. 31
44 25 41 Jan. 1
53 21 40 Jan. 2
Precipitation: None.
December was relatively mild,
except for the period from the
14th to the 19th.' The highest
temperature was 83. recorded on
the fifth; the lowest was 1 above
on the 18th. The greatest amount
?f rain, 0.94 inches, occurred on
the 14th. The total precipitation
for the month was 3.80 inches.
During the period from the 15th
to the 20th there was ? trace of
mow on the ground.
Goal of Million
Dollar Payroll
May Be Reached
By VIRGIL G. ROLLINS
The International Reiiatance
Company of Philadelphia is sche
duled to begin production in its
new Boone plant on Wednesday,
January 6, John S. Kane, p'ant
manager, announced this week
Engineers, technical workers,
and installation crews will be on
hand to set up sixteen trailer
loads of equipment scheduled to
arrive during the week.
The plant will engage in the
manufacture of four types of
electronic res'stors used in elec
tronic measuring devices, televi
sion sets including color TV,
radios, and home appliances. Mr.
Kane explained that the resistors
are designed to control and regu-,
late the power flowing through
an electronic circuit to the exact
amount desired, as a faucet regu
late the ffow of water in sink
or bathtub.
The company has conducted a
training sihool for production
workers s:nce October 22 in the
building formerly dccupied by the
Blue Ridge Supply Company un
King Street. When this school is
discontinued on Janiiary IS, a to
tal of 58 women wilf have receiv
ed training under Bob Burn
baugh, technical supervisor, and
Fred M. Gragg of Boone, who
resigned his position as clerk of
court for Watauga County to be
come the plant's personnel
manager. Training after January
15 will be carried on at the plant,
Mr. Kane Haid.
Twelve of the women trained
are scheduled to report for work
at the plant on January 6, with a
total of 62 production workers
expected to be employed by the
end of January. 200 locally re
cruited workers will be at work
on the day shift as soon as prac
ticable, with plans for a night
shift to be announced later.
When full production is reach
ed, the plant will employ about
500 persons, with an overall< pay
roll in excess of $1,000,000, it has
been estimated. More than 2,400
applications for .work have come
into the firm's office, indicating
the presence of an abundant labor
supply in the Watauga County
area.
A clerical force of 12 persons
will be on duty in the spacious,
well-appointed offices by end
of Hie week, under the supervi
sion of Mr. Gragg.
Other key personnel include
Richard Morhouser of Philadel
phia, controller; Sterling Gray
don of Charlotte, chief engineer;
Tom Wright of Boone, son of Dr.
and Mis. J. T. C. Wright, product
engineer; James Winkler, Jr. of
Boone, quality engineer; William
Wilson of Boone, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Chapel Wilson, foreman;
and Melvin Norris of Ruther
wood, meter maintenance man. /
Winkler and Wilson have had a
training period with the company
in Philadelphia.
The company has installed a
modern cafeteria for employees
in the plant, which will be oper
ated by and for the benefit of
the State Commission for the
Blind, under the sponsorship of
the Lions Clubs of North Caro
lina.
Ground was broken for the
new factory by C. M. Guest 4
Company, general contractors of
Greensboro. July 13 on ? 20-acre
tract in the southern outskirts of
Boone, just off the Blowing Bock
road, with Mr. Joe Burr in as resi
dent superintendent in charge of
construction.
Of red brick, steel and concrete
construction, the one-story build
ing is modeled after a similar
plant recently built by the com
pany at Ashevillc, and contains
approximately 39,000 square feet
of floor space. An area of about
5.S00 square feet is air condition
ed for temperature and humidity
control required in^he manufac
ture of some of the parts.
A hard surfaced road has been
built by the site, extending frotn
thf Winkler's Creek road on the
north to the old Blowing Rock
road on the south, providing two
entrances to th* plant from the
Blowing Rock road.
Mr. Oliver J. Greenway, IRC
(CootlBMd on page thre?.);