?*? -a-1^?? ?- . Democrat ^ss* i9oo Population 2,973 An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888 195? p?Pul?tion 18?341 ,. ? a ; SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR? NO. 35 BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 11, 1954 14 PAGES? 2 SECTIONS King street BY ROB RIVERS ROAD THROUGH D??P GAP D. L. Wellborn, 82 years old, resident of Stony Fork township, is anxious to know who built the first public road through Deep Gap . . . Mr. Wellborn's under standing is that Daniel Boone blazed a trail through Cook's Gap or maybe Deep Gap in 1772 or 1773, but we share his uncer tainty about how the doughty frontiersman traveled when he strayed from the banks of the Yadkin . . . Mr. Wellborn says his father settled in the Deep Gap section about 1848, f and reared his family there . . . When the elder Wellborn came to Watauga an old road had been abandoned and a newer one was in use . . . At any rate, if anyone can supply Mr. Wellborn with information on these early roadways he would be grateful. CAN SPEAK CALMLY. NOW Sine* Boone's antique tele phone system has been discard ed in favor of the new, one can be heard perfectly . . . Hereto fore. it was advisable, as a general rule, to speak fairly clearly, and loudly . . . The telephones have changed, but a good many of the subscribers have not and one jumps from his chair when a caller yells into one of these perfect sound conveying instruments ... At any rate we can now simmer down, and still be heard at the other end of the linel WE DONT KNOWI The paper said the other day something about "rebel yells" bouncing off the rafters at some sort of political gathering, and a reader wants to know of us what is a rebel yell, anyway . . . And we must confess we've never been familiar with this sound, which is so strongly identified with the followers of Lee and Jackson .... We attended the old soldier's reunions as a child, ate with them when a group spent the night, heard the stories of the fighting at Bull Rull. Lnicamauga ana Manassas . . . Wondered how come most all the veterans were officers . . . When the gay parade was held, we kids would line up behind the long files of Confederates and march through the town while the fife and drums resounded with Sallie Gooden and Dixie . . We are direct descendants of the rebels, have never been com pletely reconstructed, but what's a rebel yell? . . . And honestly, long as we've been part and parcel of the land of the Con federacy, we just don't know what the heck a rebel yell is . . . believe it or not! A RUN FOR THE STETSON Tha guy was running down the road yelling ... It wai snowing and blowing, and wa couldn't haar what ha was tar ing . . . Finally deduced that mayb* a car had skidded from tha road, and help was noadad . . . Wa nearly reached tha rac ing figure when ha reached hi* goal . . . His hat had blown from the cab of his truck, and he'd wanted someone to "head f it off!" . . ? Nothing is more I exasperating or calculated to limber one up better than a race after a fedora caught in a fifty mile gale. REFLECTIONS ON YOUTH Youngsters parked along the street in broad daylight, sneak ing a kiss now and then, and looking down the street through the rose-tinted lenses of youth . . . Passerby vows the girls and boys have forsaken the convent ions so cherish*^ by their fathers and that they're well on the road to destruction . . . Some of them could be . . . But the com plainant has probably forgotten the antics in the buggy along the lonesome mountain road, before there was traffic . . . And the kids of yesterday aren't saying much about the chicken stews which were so popular a few years ago . . . (the chickens be ing lifted off the roost of a neigh bor) . . . And the theft of metons in the summer time from The premises of the lowlands . . #and the prohibition parties with the Nome brew and the white mule and stuff . . . Nope the kids nho're petting a bit along the street in plain view, and danc er ing in the presence of their staid Riders aren't such unruly young Etcrs : . . They would have been Balled sissies in papa's day. Cove Creek Wins Tri- County Tourney; Takes 64 In A Row Completing their second regular basketball season without defeat, the Cove Creek High School Red Raiders climaxed what may be a State record by defeating Blow ing Rock handily in the finals of the Tri-County Tournament Tues day night of last week. Saturday they won the district play-off from Blowing Rock, and will compete in the Class A district play-off at Concord. The Raiders closed the season with twenty six victories this year, to run their regular season consecutive string to 64. Pictured are mem- ! bers of Coach John gingham's invincible team. Left to right, I front row: Jim Swift, Bill Ban- i ner, Ted Greene, Marion Combs. George Mast, Jim West. Back row: Charlie Love, Joe McNeil, Houston Younce, Douglas Hen son, John Banner and Bobby Henson. Absent when this pic ture was made is Clay Verne Greene, who has been a big fac tor in their success. ? Photo by Rabbit Moretz. Boone Negro, Held For Theft, Admits Wielding Arson Torch TELEPHONE CHAIRMAN DIALS? H. Grady Farthing, chairman of the telephone committee of the Boone Chamber of Commerce, makes an early call over the new dial system from the business office of the company on East King Street, shortly after the change over was effected last Wednesday. Looking on is Stanley A. Harris, who is a member of the Chambers' rural telephone committee. ? Staff photo by Joe Minor. Red Cross Campaign Begins Here March 1 7 March is Red Cross Month the nation ovef, and Watauga County is no exception, it was stated this week by Mr. M. Eber Hudson, head of the local Red Cross chap ter. Mr. Clyde Eggers, chairman of the local Red Cross fund cam paign for 1954, announces that he?and his committee. Mr. Clyde R. Greene and the Rev. E. F. Troutman, are busy making plans for the county. * An extensive two weeks are St. Patrick's Ball Saturday It will be a great day^for the Irish Saturday, March 13, at the ASTC Boy's Gymnasium, when the Home Economics' Department sponsors the annual SL Patrick's Dance. Good music by the Kampus Kats of Lenoir Rhync College, re freshments, and gaiety will be th4 order of the evening, lasting from 8:45 p. m. until 12:00. The deco rations will carry out the theme, "My Wild Irish Rose." : ? Fun is in store for everyone. 9tudents and faculty members may secure free tickets in the cafeteria from Wednesday to Sat urday from a student council member. planned to convass the entire county, Mr. Hudson said. Dates are March 17-31. A kick-off breakfast will be held Wednesday morning, March 17, at 7:30 o'clock, at the Gate way Cafe. A representative from every township of .the county is expected to attend as will volun teer workers in Boone. Repre sentatives from the Southeastern Area Headquarters, Atlanta, Ga., will also be on hand. Mr. Hudson said, "It is hoped that every citizen of Watauga County will have a part in this most worthy cause of the Ameri can Red Cross." New Manager For Mayview Mayview Manor, 200- room re sort hotel at Blowing Rock, will open for the 1954 summer sea son under new management. Richard S. Wright and Lawrence J^Boyle, operators of the Mora ine Hotel, a year 'round retort convention hotel on Lake Micha igan near Chicago, have leased Mayview from the owner. T. H. Broyhill of Lenoir. Mayview was operated for the past several sea sons by Milton Chapman of Flor ida. ? John Marshall Witherspoon. 25 year-old Boone Negro, has been charged with arson and ia being held in Watauga County }ail in lieu of $ 10,000 bond in connection with the fire which destroyed the home of Delia Horton Satur day night, February 27. Witherspoon, who was in jail under $500 bond for robbing the cash drawer of Creed's Cafe of 933 Monday morning, confessed Friday to Sheriff E. D. Cook and Chief Deputy Wiley Day that he climbed in a back window with some matches and paper and set fire to the Horton house, where he was a roomer. Delia Horton was out of town at the time. He told Sheriff Cook that he had no reason for setting the fire, and was not mad at anyone. Bond was set in the arson case at a hearing Saturday before Justice of the Peace G. M. Wat son. Witherspoon was aiso a roomer in the home of John and Bessie Jones, aged Negro couple who died in the fire which destroyed their home in July, 1952. Anoth er Boone Negro, Albert Ander son, confessed to setting (hat fire, and is now serving a life sent ence in the state prison. When the Jones home burned, Witherspoon testified at Ander son's trial that he came home soon after midnight and saw An derson drunk standing near the house with a can containing kerosene. Anderson confessed to Sheriff Cook and said he set fire to the Jones couple's home becausc they were allowing his estranged wife to room there, saying she would "come back to me if they would not allow her to stay there." Witherspoon was not implicat ed in the burning of the Jones home at Anderson's trial. "Horn" Auditions Set For Saturday Auditions for member! of the chorus, men dancers, speaking parts, crowd scene* and children's parts for "Horn in the West" will be held on S?turday. March IS, at 9:00 a. m. The announcement' was made here this week by Mr. Gordon Nash, chairman of the ' audition advisory committee. The singers will be auditioned for the chorus in the auditorium of the Fine Arts Building on the campus of Appalachian State Teachers College. Dr. Wilton Ma son, director of music lor the drama, will be at the building to begin the auditions at 9 o'clock. Men dancers will be auditioned in the women's gymnasium on the ASTC campus, also beginning at 9 o'clock. Boys below the age 6f sixteen will not be wditioned. Auditions for the 'speaking parts, the crowd scenes, and the children's parts will be held at the Daniel Boone Theatre. 1,561 High School Students To Gather For Area Music'Contests Mayor Winkler Flicks Switch To Start New Phone Operation The Southern Bell Telephone] Company's most modern dial1 system whs placed in service here Wednesday. March 3, wheri May- , or Gordon H. Winkler pulled the switch to signal the changeover from the old "crank-type" phones at 12 o'clock noon at the new plant on East King Street. The maze of intricate equip ment at the plant set up an im mediate anutheastem farmer* have ap pealed for Federal help as drought again threatens the Dust BowL