L BOONE
The educational center of Western North
Carolina. ?
1850 Population 2J73
rATAUGAS DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper? Established in the Year 1888
WATAUGA COUNTY
Farming and tourist region. First in Carolina
> '?' in sheep production. 3jSf
1950 Population 18,341
SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR? NO. 48.
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JUNE 17, 1*54.
TWO SECTIONS ? 16 PAGES
KING
STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS ?
WATAUGA NIGHT AT
THE HORN
Rehearsals are going steadily
forward on Horn in the West and
the local outdoor drama will ob
serve "Watauga Night" Friday
night June 25th ... It is the hope
of the management that the thea
tre will be filled to .overflowing
with Watauga people, many of
whqm have not yet seen the
drama of Daniel Boone's time,
and today's announcement is made
of cash prizes to be given those
who convey the most Wataugans
to the opening performance . . .
The Horn, as the drama is com
monly known, has been whole
heartedly accepted around Boone,
where most of the folks have seen
it one or more times, but it is
felt that there are hundreds of
people over the county who will
look upon the cofbrful product
ion for the first time when the
season opens, come Friday week.
AN ECONOMIC BOON
The Horn, it is to be pointed
out to the local folks, is a great
stimulus to the welfare of the
community and the county . . .
Conservative estimates have U
that visitors to the drama spent
a million dollars in the county
the first two seasons, and in
dications are thai more than
half a million will pour into
the tills of the business men of
Boone and the residents of the
surrounding country this year
as a direct result of the Horn
. . . Indirectly we all share in
this fresh revenue which is
pumped info the bloodstream of
local commerce yearly ...
Business men. professional men.
farmers and all. benefit in the
long run. and . . .
THERE'S ANOTHER ANGLE
to the outdoor drama, which is
presented professionally in the
highest outdoor theatre in the
land, and that is the subject mat
ter of the production ? the strug
gle for freedom on the part of the
folks who carved out a niche for
themselves in these hills in the
seventeen-seventies, cast oft the
authority of the Crown and set
about making their livin', speak
ing their minds and communing
with the Lord as they saw fit
. . . The Horn dwells forcefully
on the leaders in this fight
against the wilderness, the In
juns and colonial authority . . .
In this day, when the American
system is being threatened from
without by the "most sinister con
spiracy in the world's history;
when little men within are goug
ing away at the structure of hu
man dignity and freedom, while
the normal processes of govern
ment are being diverted at their
pleasure; when an atomic and
hydrogen war could conceivably
wipe out our civilization ... In
these times, it will be helpful to
view the Horn, and to refresh
our memories, and reevaluate
our inheritance, and renew our
faith in the system which has
been developed in the last great
bastion of freedom and of human
dignity . . . Y'all come, Friday
night week!
FOLKS WE SEE
Johnny BealL who found
Howard's Crook and built him
a rammer homo "there, alter
chasing about orer all tactions
of tho country for a good many
months looking for a placo. ar
rived tho other day . . . Mr.
Boail fotchos tho Domocrat a
two-yoar-old cocoanut palm,
with tho nut still appondod to
tho roots, and allows as how if
wo can koop tho plant tho right
? tomporaturo and othorwlso pot*
tod. wo should haro some king
siso nuts it another quarter of
a century ... At any rate, tho
plant is a novelty and we're
going to try to koop it going for
1 a while ... A bystander asked
Mr. Boell. how come all tho
folks who sauntered around
under tho cocoanut trees didn't
got kilted . . . "Just lucky. I
suppose I " . . . Spud Whitener.
the Mr*-, and Frank Jones up
from Florida, where all have
parts in tho Horn . . . Joe Con -
derman. forma* resident el
Boone, comas up from Miami
on a short visit . . . and ? lot
more folks we know showing
up for the summer.
/ ,
5.9 Miles Road
Arc Finished "
During Month
W. Ralph Winkler, Commis
sioner of the Eleventh State
Highway Division, today said that
5.9 miles of road work had been
completed in his division during
May.
In Ashe County State forces
graded and graveled two roads,
and their length*: Roaring Fork
Road to Bryan Davis, residence,
1.5 miles; and Eberneezer Road
near George Long residence to
ward parkway, 0.5 mile. The first
improvement is 12 feet wide, the
second is ten feet wide.
In Caldwell County, State
forces rebuilt Blue Creek Road
for two miles by widening and
laying six inches of crushed stone
surface. The first mile is 18 feet
wide; the second is 24 feet wide.
In Watauga, two 16-foot wide
county roads, and their lengths,
were graded and stoned; Winkler
Creek Road, 1.1 miles; and Green
Hill Road connecting to parkway,
0.5 mile.
In Wilkes County, State forces
finished laying traffic-bound
macadam and bituminous surface
treatment on the approaches to
the bridge over the Yadkin Riv
er. The pavement is 22 feet wide,
and the improvement is 0.2 mile
in length;
Ashe, Caldwell, Watauga, and
Wilkes counties are in the Elev
enth State Highway Division
along with Alleghany, Avery,
Surry, and Yadkin counties. Divi
sion headquarters are in North
Wilkesboro. J. H. Councill is
division engineer.
Hade Sherrill
Dies In Lenoir;
Was Related Here
W. H. (Hade) Sherrill, 85, bro
ther of the late Mr*. Alice Cook
of Boone, ? retired Waahington,
D. C. restaurant and bakery own
er, died at a Lenoir hospital June
6, from an extended illness.
A native of Caldwell county,
Mr. Sherrill went to Washington
about 3S years ago as secretary
to Congressman R. L. Doughton.
In addition to operating a large
restaurant, he also owned a bak
ery and considerable business
property in Washington.
He was a son of the late Rev.
George Durham Sherrill and Eli
zabeth Payne Sherrill, and was a
member of an early Caldwell
family. His father was the first
pastor and one of the founders of
the Tabernacle Advent Christian
Church at Lenoir.
Mr. Sherrill had been a mem
ber of Hibriten Masonic Lodge
in Lenoir for 51 years. He was
also a Scottish rite Mason and a
Shriner.
Funeral services were held at
the home of a daughter, Mrs. J.
Frank Maynard in Lenoir June
8 at 10 a. m.
Burial with Masonic honors
was in Belleview cemetery.
Surviving, in addition to the
daughter are the widow, Mrs.
Annie Evelyn Large Sherrill, six
grandchildren, ten great grand
children. Among the surviving
nephews are Caldwell county
Sheriff George D. Greer and Wa
tauga county Sherriff Earl Cook.
Those from Boone attending
? ^ ??? a?, ?ii ii i? p -
ROUTE 421 STRAIGHTENED ? Work on Highway 421, between Vilas and Sugar Grove, is being pushed
to an early completion. When the road is finished several dangerous curves will be eliminated on
the Ocean to the Great Lakes highway. Shown above in top picture is heavy machinery moving
dirt from a 17-foot cut and carrying it to a fill (bottom photo) several hundred yards away where it is
being packed and leveled over a culvert. ? Staff photo* by Joe Minor.
Watauga Night Will Be
Opening 'Horn 'Feature!
The successful outdoor drama,
Horn in the West, will open
its third season here at the Dan
iel Boone Theatre Friday night,
June 25, to what is hoped by the
producers will be a capacity
house.
To aid in accomplishing this
end, the Southern Appalachian
Historical Association, which pro
duces the play, has designated
and proclaimed opening night
as Watauga County Night, and
has issued a special appeal to
all residents of Watauga Coun
ty who can possibly do so to be
Elementary School To
Open Summer Term
The Appalachian Elementary
School will open Monday, June
21 at 8:45 a. m. and will run for
the funeral were: Mrs. John Lan
ning, Edsel Cook, Sheriff and
Mrs. E. D. Cook, Mr. and Mrs.
Bernard Cook, Mr. and Mrs. Hade
Cook, Mr. and Mrs. Wick Cook
and Mr. and Mrs. George S. Cook.
New River Is
Open To Fishers
That protion of New River
which had been closed as a
spawning area, will be reopened
for bass fishing on June 20, rath
er than on July 1, it is announced
by Tommy Osborne, district game
and fish protector.
Dr. Martin Is President
Of Boone Lions Club
Dr. John G. Martin was install
ed as the new president of the
Boone Lions Club Tuesday night
at the eighteenth annual Instal
lation of Officers and Ladies'
Night dinner held in thi dining
room of the Ranch Motel at Blow
ing Rock. He succeeds Dr. Leo
K. Pritchett of Appalachian State
Teachers College.
Dr. R. H. Harmon, past presi
dent, presided at the ceremonies
which also officially seated the
following officers for the fiscal
year beginning July 1:
Lee Reynolds, first vice -presi
dent, succeeding Dr. Martin; Ira
S. Ayers, second vice-president,
succeeding Lee Reynolds; John
R. Shaffer, third vice-president,
succeeding Fred M. Gragg; Jack
Mock, secretary (relected); James
Dotson, treasurer, succeeding O.
K. Richardson; Conrad Yates and
Gil Phillips, tail twisters, suc
ceeding Joe Shackford and Paul
Graff; and Jack Thomas, lion
tamer, succeeding A. E. Hamby.
Two new directors were also
installed for a two-year term
(1954-56), R. D. Hodges, Jr., and
James Winkler, succeeding J. E.
Holshouser and Frank Payne,
who served the 1952-54 term.
Other directors are J. R. Melton
and Edwin Dougherty (1953-55).
The meeting was called to ord
er by President Pritchett, follow
ed by the Lions song, led by Mar
vin Pickard, the invocation by
Rev. Joseph T. Shackford, and a
welcome and introduction of
guests by President Pritchett.
After the Lions and Lionesses
had partaken of a sumptuous re
past prepared and served by the
Ranch Mot^l staff. Lion Gordon
Winkler presided at the presen
tation of perfect attendance and
recognition awards to various
members of the club.
The meeting was adjourned J
with the traditional Lions toast i
a period of eight week*.
First graders who plan to at
tend should be present the first
day in order to enroll and must
be six years old by October 15,
1954. There will be a fee_of two
dollars for the term, and all text
books will be furnished. Pupils
who have completed the seventh
grade and feel the ndfed for extra
work in the skills should attend
the seventh grade this summer
instead of the eighth grade.
Buses will come to the school
each morning from Cove Creek,
Meat Camp, Stony Fork, Bamboo,
Blowing Rock, and Shulls Mills.
During the* summer, school will
open at 8:45 a. m. and will close
at 12:30 p. m. Each grade in the
Elementary School will have an
opportunity to swim twice a
week, and each child will bring
his iwimsuit, soap, and towel.
The child must be enrolled in the
summer school in order to take
swimming. Mrs. Nan Graeber,
Physical Education teacher at the
Elementary School, will be the
swimming instructor.
The prospective enrollment is
300, the largest in the?history of
the Elementary School during the
summer session.
Members of the faculty for the
summer school come from some
of the best school systems in
America. They include the fol
lowing:
Grade 1 ? Mrs. Grace M. Coun
cille, Boone, N. C.
Grade 1? Mrs. Sarah W. Sad
ler, Greenville, S. C.
Grade 2 ? Miss Lou Ann Jones,
Dallas, Texas.
Grade Jl ? Miss Fannie Lee
Pruitt, Taylorsvjlle, N. C.
Grade 3? Miss Mildred Dob
bint, Denton, Texas.
Grade 4 ? Miss Florence Boror,
Farmland, Indiana.
Grade 5? Mrs. Hele Grayum,
Seattle, Washington. %
Grade 6 ? Mia* Dorothy Leggitt,
I Decatur, Illinoia.
Grade 7 ? Miss Mildred Hodges,
'Denton, Texas.
present and help (ill the theatre.
Cash prizes totalling $50.00 are
being offered to those bringing
the largest number of people in
one vehicle on that night. To the
person who brings the largest
grouo will go a prize of $25.00;
second largest, $15.00; and third
largest. $10.00.
The association, a chartered,
non-profit organization formed
in 1951 to produce the drama and
to build this area into a section of
wide tourist trade, points out
that the production aids the eco
nomy of Boone and Watauga
County in many ways in addi
tion to affording summer time
employment to large numbers of
local people.
A full page announcement of
the association elsewhere in this
issue states: "It would be im
possible to say just how much
money Horn in the West brings
into this area. By a very con
servative estimate (far below
the national average) the people
who attend the drama will leave
$10.00 per person if they spend
the night. If our attendance fig
ures run as well as they have for
the past two years, this will
mean some $500,000 in a twelve
week period. Each of us gains
from the tourist dollar. The farm
er will have a better market for
his products if the people come
to the . mountains, employment
increases, each person who comes
will send someone else to our
fine country. Therefore, the tour
ist dollars are spread to all the
people of our county."
"Let's fill the Daniel Boone
Theatre with an overflow crowd
on the 25th of June, and show
that we are backing this great
drama," the announcement con
cludes.
Farm Bureau
Directors Meet
The Board of Directors of Wa
tauga County Farm Bureau met
Monday night, June 1, in the
county agenta office in Boone
and maped out a proposed plan
for the coming month*. The July
meeting was suggested for a
planning meeting. A state agri
cultural leader has been invited
to com* and speak to the mem
bers of Farm Bureau on the agri
cultural situation in North Caro
lina at an early date. More de
tails will be given later.
Moscow acts to strengthen its
tie* to Afghanistan.
College Registration
EstablishesNewRecorcH
Watauga Tax Rate Is
Set At 90 Cents For ' 54
The Watauga County property
tax rate for the year 19S4 li 90
cents per $100 valuation, it is
learned from the statement of the
budget adopted by the county
commissioners May 6, and releas
ed through the Democrat today.
The 1953 tax rate was 80 cents.
The levy is designed to raise
$187,718.10, which together with
tax penalties, license fees, State
and Federal grants, and other in
come will bring total receipts for
the fisoal year to $469,356.
The largest items of income
next to the levy on land and per
sonal property is that involving
State and Federal grants under
the old age assistance program.
This figure amounts to $103,630.
Grants for aid to dependent chil
dren is another large item and
amounts- to $88,920.
The largest expenditure listed
is for bonds, notes and interest
and amounts to $119,040; aid to
dependent children amounts to
$99,840! general fund expenses
$73,000 and school expenditures
$72,561.86.
The complete details of the
budget may be found in an adver
tisement appearing in the Demo
crat today.
Summer Band To
Start Training
On Next Monday
The A. S. T. C. Summer Band
will start rehearsals on Monday
June 21 at 4:00 p. m. in the band
room of the Fine Arts Building.
Rehearsals thereafter will be held
every Monday and Wednesday
from 4:00 to 3:00 p. m. All stud
ents attending the college and
the high school this summer are
invited to participate in addition
to the students and townspeople
not attending the summer school.
As in the past the band will be
made up of a good many viaiting
band directors from this state
and from surrounding states.
"If you play a band instrument
and enjoy playing in a band,
come down to the Music Build
ing on June 21 at 4:00 and join
the band," said band director
William G. Spencer, in making
the announcement. "As in the
past summers, this band will pre
sent an outdoor concert about
every two weeks in the evening,
so be looking for the announce
ment of the first concert."
Picnic June 18
The annual ''Horn in the West"
picnic will be held Friday, June
18, at 3:00 p. m., at the *Dasiel
Boone Theatre picnic grounds.
Everyone interested in the dramrf
is urged to come and bring
enough food of their choice for
their family and four additional
people.
ERNEST M. HODGES
E. M. Hodges Is
Candidate For
Sheriffs Post
Mr. Ernest M. Hodges, resident
of Boone, R. F. D. 3, is an an
nounced candidate for the Demo
cratic nomination for Sheriff of
Watauga county, subject to the
action of the Democratic county
convention.
Mr. Hodges, a native of the
Adams neighborhood, served with
the armed forces in the Mexican
expedition in 1916. He also serv
ed in 191? and 1018 in the first
world war, and was wounded in
action in that conflict.
Mr. Hodges was employed by
the State Highway Commission
for a number of years, and was
postmaster at Adams, N. C. for
eleven years.
Clerk-Carrier
Exam Is Noted
The establishment of a register
for the position of substitute
clerk-carrier at the Post Office,
Boone is still open until further
notice.
From the list of eligibles in
this examination, certification
will be made to fill vacancies in
substitute clerk and substitute
carrier positions and occasionally
in regular clerk and carrier posi
tion*.
Appointments to these positions
will be probatlonal, unless other
wise limited, for persons who
have not reached or passed theil
70th birthday when they enter
on duty. Probational appoint
ments become ? permanent after
employees have satisfactorily
completed ? 1-year probationary
period. Persons who are 70 or
older on the day they enter on
duty will be given temportry ap
pointments for not to exceed one
year.
1186 Students
Gather For First
Summer Session
Registration for the first term
of summer school at Appalachian
State Teachers College has gone
ahead of last year's enrollment,
which broke all past records.
There are now 1186 students re
gistered, which is 78 ahead of
last summer's first term as of the
same date.
Beginning on July 5 there are
a number of workshop courses
beginning which will add to the
enrollment for the first term. It
is expected that several hundred
students from a number "of states
will be registering for these
courses, according to the advance
enrollment.
As usual. North Carolina leads
the enrollment this year, but the
student body comes from all" over
the Southeast. There are 68 of
North Carolina's 100 counties re
presented, followed in order by
Georgia with 32 counties, Florida
with 25, and South Carolina with
24. Also represented are eight
counties in Virginia and Tennes
see, five in Mississippi, three in
Alabama, two in West Virginia,
and one each in Missouri, Illinois,
Maryland, Louisiana, Oklahoma,
Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Ohio,
Kentucky, Connecticut, and
Colombia in Botota, South Amer
ica.
Although the listing of those
who are enrolled in the graduate
school is not yet completed, it is
known that there are more than
500 in the graduate school, and
'around 150 colleges and universi
ties whose graduates are at Ap
palachian for work toward the
higher degree.
Twenty-six junior college gra
duates are registered. Leading in
the number of transfer students
is Mars Hill College with 29,
Gardner-Webb College with 24
and Lees-McRae College with 19.
Others sending students to Appa
lachian included Wingate Junior
College with U, Pfeiffer with
seven, Mitchell with six, Ander
son (S. C.) with three, Peace
with three, and one each from
St. Genevieve of the Pines, Ten
nessee Wesleyan, Stephens (Mo.),
Lees (Ky.), St. Mary's, Asheville
Biltmore, Emmanuel, La Grange
(Ga.), Brevard, Warren Wilson,
Belmont Abbey Junior, Virginia
Intermont David Lipscomb
(Tenn.), Sacred Heart, Campbell,
Spartanburg (S. C.), and Young
Harris (Ga.).
The combination of nationally
known master teachers, hundreds
of courses to meet a wide variety
of needs, a cool summer climate,
and a friendly atmosphere are
spreading the name of Appala
chian State Teachers College ov
er an increasingly larger area,
and the student body, both in the
regular year and in the summer
term, has been growing with
each session since the close of
World War II.
IRC Plans New Product: Seven To
Get Promotions In Local Factory
The addition of a new product
to be manufactured at Internat
ional Resistance Company'* new
plant here will bring promotion*
to a number of local employees,
John S. Kane, plant manager,
has announced.
The new product, selenium rec
tifiers, are used to change cur
rent in electronic devtees, he said,
adding that approximately SO ad
ditional persons will be employ
ed when in full production. The
plant expects to begin production
of the seleniurtl rectifiers about
the middle of August.
The report was made at the
June meeting of the Boone Cham
ber of Commerce held in the din
ing room of the Daniel Boone
Hotel last Tuesday.
Slated to receive promotions at
IRC are:
Jim Winkler, from quality en
gineer to electronics engineer.
Winkler is now in Philadelphia
| receiving ? month's indoctrina
tion in the new product.
Joe Worth, from mechanical
engineer to senior mechanical en
gineer.
C. P. Calloway, from process
investigator to quality engineer.
Harry Pugliese of Philadelphia,
the only non-Wataugan in the
group receiving promotions, flbm
foreman of the PWW product
now being manufactured to fore
man of selenium rectifiers. He is
also taking a month's training in
Philadelphia.
Jim Hendricks, from shipper
and receiver to PWW foreman.
Bill Klutz, from gateman to
shipper and receiver.
Bob Hodges, from material
handler to maintenance machin
ist.
In other matters taken up at
the meeting, Stanley A. Harris
outlined details of the newly or
ganized "Project for Adequate
Roads." The group met Monday,
June 7, in ZUzabcthton, Tcnn.,
and elected W. Ralph Winkler of
Boone vice-p resident of the
Northwest North Carolina divi
sion. *
PAR was organized to aid and
encourage better roads, and to
improve present roads and bridg
es. The organization has mem
bers from Northwest North Caro
lina. Eastern Tennessee, and
Southwest Virginia.
The Chamber also heard a re
port on Horn in the West from
Dr. D. J. Whitener, executive
vice-president of the Southern
Appalachian Historical Aaaocia
tion. Outlook for the summer sea
son, he said, is good.'
Barnard Dougherty, business
manager of Appalachian State
Teachers College, discussed ntjw
building and improvements at the
college, and Coach E. C. Duggina
reported ?that spring football
drills have revealed fine pro
spect! for the fall (rid season. Yi