boose \A/A,Hn\ TT/^ A ' 1 Ann watauga county
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1950 Population 2,?73 ^ An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year 1888 1M# p#Pn,*tion
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SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR.? NO. 49. BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, JUNE 24, 1?54. , 14 PAGES? 2 SECTIONS
SINGING SUNDAY ? The 30th Annual Singing on the Mountain will be held at the foot of Grand
father Mountain near Linville next Sunday. Ted Malone, famous radio personality and author, top
left, will be the /eatured speaker. The Singing was founded by J. L. Hartley of /Linville, top right,
who at 83, is still the chairman. Seen at left is Lt. Governor Luther Hodges as he delivered the
featured address last year. More thlan 30,000 took in the day long singing, preaching and family re
union gathering last year. '
KING
STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
NO FLAGS . . . MUCH
Mrs. B. W. Stallings a few
years ago conducted a campaign
to put a flag in every place of
business in the town, so that on
special occasions Old Glory would
flutter forth from every building
along the street . . . Folks took
to the notion with a good deal of
enthuiiasm, and a lot of flags
were bought, complete with
staffs, and sidewalk receptacles,
but, Mrs. Stallings points out,
something has happened to them
. . . She says she felt considerably
"put out" when on flag day only
two were in evidence ? the one
at the postoffice, and the one at
Stallings Store . . . Since the
Fourth of July will soo'h be here,
it is fitting that the folks look up
the flags which no doubt have
been carefully stored somewhere,
and have them on display for In
dependence Day . . . We can
think of no time in the history of
this comparatively young land
when it's more important that
the striped symbol of our system
be caught J>y every zephyr that
cools the community ? in summer
time at least.
OTHER DECORATIONS
Incidentally torn* of the folks
may ?*>W bar* lh? bunting
which was purchased individu
ally by business men. incident
to the second presentation of
'Tchoes of the Blue Ridge"
back in 1850 . . . We've lost
track of ours, but if those who
still have the colorful decora
tions would bring them out it
would make thingi look good
for the Fourth, as well as other
special occasions.
i
PEACH PIE TIME
, Peaches are beginning to move
in from the lowlands and peach
pie, that summertime Southern
delicacy is beginning to^show up
. . . Whether the standard pie pan
is used or the family pte or cob
bler is made, peach pie is some
thing special, whether or not it
is doused with rich cream . . .
Peaches used to grow in profus
ion in these parts, believe it or
not, and the dried fruit was to be
found in country stores along
with dehydrated apples . . . But
the blight came, and the peaches
went away . . . Last time we
knew of any big yield of peaches
was when Capt. Lo?ill planted
an orchard above the old Lovill ,
home on the southern slope of
the Pinnacle . . . Tlje Elbertas
thrived, and the. peaches grew
large and luscious and sweet.
But after a few years the trees
became stunted, failed to yield,
and soon died ... We note the
seedlings around over town
where poacher were catch in oth
er summers . . . The trees are
thrifty ^intil about the time they
should bear, and die for want of
the proper spray or dust . . .
Likewise, the day seems near
when apples can't be grown with
( Continued on page seven)
Mountain Sing
Set For Sunday
Watt Gragg Is
Vice-President
B. & L. League
W. H. GRAGG
Mr. W. H. Gragg of Boone, was
elected vice-president of the
North Carolina Savings and Loan
League, at the annual convention
held in Virginia Beach last week.
Robert White of Burlington was
named President.
Mr. Gragg, who has been Sec
retary of the Watauga Building
& Loan Association for 31 years,
will become president of the Lea
gue next year.
The League represents 176 as
sociations with assets of $550,000,
000.
Accompanying Mr. Gragg to
Virginia Beach were H. Grady
Farthing and C. M. Critcher, also
directors of the Watauga Build
ing and Loan.
Joseph V. Fox
Dies At Foscoe
Joseph Virgil Fox, 54, died
Thursday, June 17, at his home
in the Foscoc community (Ban-*
ner Elk, Route 1.)
Funeral services were held at
2 p. m. Saturday, June 19, at the
FOscoe Christian Church, con
ducted by the Rev. S. E. Gragg.
Rev. Hiram Letter assisted in the
services. Burial was in the Fos
coe Cemetery.
He i& survived by his widow,
Mrs. Bertha Lee Fox; a son, John
Lee Fox, Banner Elk. Route I;
four daughters, Mrs. Margaret
Shipes, Charleston. S. C? Mr*.
Creed Taylor, Miss Betty Sue
Fox, and Miss Martha Helen Fox,
all of Banner Elk, Route 1; three
brothers, Robert Fox, Banner
i Elk, Route 1, Paul Fox, Elizabeth
ton, Tenn., and H&yden Fox, Oak
Ridge, fenn.; four sifters, Mrs.
Russell Teague, Boone, Mrs. A.
V. Moody. Banner Elk, Royte 1,
Mrs. Burgin Gragg. Oak Ridge,
Tenn., and Mrs. Hugh Malone,
Elizab;ethlon, Tenn.; and three
grandchildren. 1
Ted Malone, w4ll known radio
personality and author, will be
the featured speaker at the 30th
annual Singing on the Mountain
near Linville June 27th.
Chairman Joe Lee Hartley, the
83-year old ^founder" of the non
denominational mountain singing
convention, said today that Ma
lone will speak at 2 p. m. The
singing convention, preaching
mission, picnic and family reun
ion will be held near thp toot ot
Grandfather Mountain.
Last year more than 30,000 at
tended the colorful all-day smg
and Lt. Governor Luther Hodges
delivered the featured address.
But, just as it has been for thirty
years. Malone and Hodges take
a back seat to the scores of religi
ous choral groups and the moun
tain preachers from all over the
Carolinas, Virginia, Tennessee
and the entire Appalachian.
The Singing on the Mountain
was originally a Hartley family
reunion. The old Avery County
family soon had Sunday visitors
and the family reunion has grown
into the largest held anywhere.
Families come in all modes of
transportation in their annual
pilgrimage to worship and sing
under the skies.
Malone is not new in North
Carolina. It has been three years
since he was here as a guest at
Wilmington's Azeala Festival, but
he attended that event' three
times.
The author of the best-selling
"Between the Book Ends" is a
roving correspondent fo( ABC.
During World War II he was a
war correspondent. His books in
clude collections of poetry and
comments from his popular radio
shows. He broadcasts five days a
week and has a weekly television
progfam.
Preachers, singers and family
grrfups will begin to arrive at
sun-down Saturday night and
camp in the cool, green meadows
at the foot of impressive Grand
father Mountain. Hartley himself
will participate.
District Scout
Meeting Is Held -
Las{ Thursday
?
The Watauga District Boy
Scout Committee met last Thurs
day at the Gatewayy restaurant,
with Chairman Joe Shackford
presiding. Glenn Andrews gave
the invocation. Reports were
heard from Fred Gragg, camping
committee chairman, on the
camporee held recently at Tater
Hill. One hundred boys partici
pated in the event and SO adult
scouters took part.
Mr. Gragg stated that the scouts
were unanimous in their desire
lor a second camporee which has
been tentatively set for July 2 i
25 at Tater Hill. In light of the
scout response, the camporee will
be held, he stated, and a com
mittee meeting will be called at
an early date. Seven of the nine
scout units in the county parti
cipated, Mr. Gragg said, and he
indicated that there was hope of
the remaining two, Cove Creek
and Henscrti's Chapel, will be able
to take part in the July event.
Reports were heard from Joe
Davenport, scout field executive,
on the scout camping going for
ward at the newly acquired
council camp site, Raven Knob
Parkj near, Low Gap. The camp
ing season, he stated, Is off to a
good start. There will be seven,
weeks of camp and provision is
made for every type of camping
at cost ranging from $2 to $15 a
week. Scout leaders are provid
ed for boys whose troops cannot
furnish them. Individual Scouts
may attend from any unit, or any
other number desiring to come.
Four boys from Troop 109 were
in camp last week: Joe Minor
Jimmy Goodnight, Tommy Ows
ley, and Reid Cottrell.
The finance committee reported i
that the final $200 from Watauga
county on the 1954 budget of Old
Hickory Couricil wa^ being sent
in, bringing the total raised and
sent in by the county on this,
year's budget to $1423. Mr
Shackford stated that this is short
of the quota of $2234. but repre
sents a highly commendable in
crease over the report at the end
of the first canvass of only $690.
Alfred Adams is chairman of the
finance committee.
Malcom Neblett
Taken By Death
Kenbridge, Va., June 12 ? Mal
colm M. Neblett, 50, president
and general manager of the Rail
way Handle Corporation here for
a number of years, died Saturday
in a Richmond hospital.
He had been stricken with a
heart attack Wednesday.
A native of Lunenburg County,
he was a member of St. Paul's
Episcopal Church and a director
of the Bank of Lunenburg.
He is survived by his wife,
Mrs. Mary Blalock Neblett; one
son, William Neblett, of Ken
bridge; his mother, Mrs. Susie
Hite Neblett, of Kenbridge; three
sisters, Miss Anna Neblett, of
Williamsburg, and Mrs. A. E.
Taylor and Mrs. John Smyth, of
Kenbridge, and two brothers, C.
D. and W. J. Neblett, of Ken
bridge.
A funeral service was held at
4he residence, with burial in Ken
bridge Cemetery.
Deceased was a brother-in-law
of Mrs. Dave Mast of Sugar
Grove. Mr. and Mrs. Masf and
family attended the funeral. Mrs.
Mast is remaining in Kenbridge
I with her sister for a while. ?
First Horn Performance
Scheduled Friday Night
NED AUSTIN, a Watauga county contribution to HORN IN THE WEST, has more force in the role of
Daniel Boone this year. This is his third year in the part of the immortal frontiersman.
" Daniel Boone " Has More Force
In Outdoor Drama This Season
Market Card Is
Needed By Local
Wheat Growers
Dwight Cable, ASC Committee
chairman informs Watauga coun
ty farmers that before selling any
wheat they will need a marketing
card to identify the wheat as <
penalty free wheat. If the wheat
producer does not present the
marketing card to the buyer at
the time of the sale the buyer is
instructed to collect $1.12 per
bushel penalty.
Watauga county wheat farmers
who wish to sell wheat can .come
by their ASC office and pick up
a wheat marketing cqrd or a
wheat marketing certificate. A
receipt must be signed when the
card is issued, therefore, it is
necessary to visit the ASC office,
in person. If the operator is un
able to visit the county office he
may request in writing that his
card be mailed to him. If no
wheat is to be sold, exchanged, or
paid as toll, no card need be ob
tained.
These wheat marketing cards
will also state wheather or not
the farmer is eligible for price
support. Only those farmers who
have harvested wheat within the
farm wheat allotment and do not
owe a wheat penalty on another
farm will be eligible for wheat
price support.
President Dwight D. Eisenhow
er recently signed a bill, and from
now on, November 11 will be
celebrated as Veterans' Day in
stead of Armistice Day. The idea
is to set the holiday as a mem
orial to honor American service
Veterans of all wars.
By BOB ISBELL
Ned Austin, who was born and
roared just a hoot 'n a holler
from where Daniel Boone blazed
his trail across the great Watauga
country, has more authority this
season as he portrays the great
frontiersman in the outdoor dra
ma, "Horn in the West."
The play, opening its third sea
son here June 25 at the Daniel
Boone Theatre, has been revised
to give more force to the role of
Austin, who gets applause by
merely walking onto the stage
and announcing, "My name's
Boone, Dn'l Boone."
Public sentiment has favored
a more prominent part for Boone
and his 20th century prototype,
Ned Austin, since the drama
opened in 1952. The play, how
ever, was never intended to be a
story of the empire-b u i I d e r
Boone, the author says.
Hunter explains that Daniel
Boone entered the plot mainly as
a spiritual force, "as a character
to depict the basic driving urge
which motivated the settlers in
their conquest of the wilderness."
The story is designed to show
how early pioneers carried in
their hearts a great love for free
dom, and how the fire of indepen
dence burned more brightly in
their minds than it 'did in many
other parts of the country.
To point up this difference,
Hunter took an average colonist,
a doctor and his family, and
showed the traditional loyalties
being challenged by the forces of
the 1770's in America. He sought
to sh<Jw how one man (a fiction
al character, Geoffrey Stuart,
played by Irvine Smith of Bata
via, N. Y.) gradually changed hit
concepts of givernment? of reli
gion and of economics.
Boone, therefore, was conceiv
ed as a spiritual symbol of the
westwardness of man, and, in the
words of Hunter, "the instinctive
desire of mankind to be moving
always westward past known
frontiers."
Hunter admits that he purpose
ly sublimated the character of
Boone to some extent in 19S2 and
1953, partly because of the play
"Thunderland," a life of the pion
eer, by Hubert Hayes, a friend of
the Horn in the West author.
Now that Thunderland is not
scheduled this year, it was to be
(Continued on page four)
Martin Speaks
In Winston-Salem
Dr. J. G. Martin of Boone was
one of the featured speakers at
the 53rd annual meeting of the
North Carolina State Veterinary
Medical Association held in Win
ston-Salem this week.
Dr. Martin spoke to the group
on "Hypogenitalism of Beef Cat
tle" and served as moderator for
the discussion on this problem.
The meeting was held at the
Hotel Robert E. Lee in Winston
Salem June 22-23, and 'was at
tended by veternarians from all
sections of North Carolina.
? ?
Mrs. Blackburn Is
Injured In Fall
Mrs. M. B. Blackburn, aged
Boone resident, suffered serious
injuries in a fall Friday at the
home of a daughter, Mrs. M. P.
Critcher.
Mrs. Blackburn suffered com
pound hip fractures, it is said,
and is a patient at Watauga Hos
pital.
JAMES WINKLER
I
JOE WORTH
CLIFTON CALLOWAY
WATAUGANS RECEIVE PROMOTIONS AT IRC? Slated to receive promotions in
connection with ? new product to b? manufactured by International Resistance
Company's electronics plant here are the above resk>nts of Watauga County,' who
have been employed at the factory since It begin operations early in 1934. James
JAMES HENDRIX
WILLIAM KLUTZ
Winkler will be advanced from quality engineer to electronics engineer; Joe Worth,
from mechanical engineer to aenlor mechanical engineer; Clifton Calloway, from
process investigator to quality engineer; James Hendrix, from shipper and receiver
to PWW forcmun; and William Klutz, from gateman to shipper and receiver.
Notables
To Attend
Opening
Rermit Hunter's "Horn in the
West, having played to 100,000
visitors in two years, will open
here Friday night for the first
performance of what is expected
to be the drama's biggest season.
Ml tors, mayor, and Chamber
or Commerce executives from
five states will be guests of the
drama at the initial showing,
designated "Watauga Night" by
Horn officials. The show will
^ at?15 * m" at ,he Daniel
Boone Theatres
anfh?"5, M' Waynick' '???r
ambassador to Columbia, will at
whh v!h\ 0penmg Performance
H lh p ,0,t' Holt McPher?on of
High Point, and Ted Malone, vet
eran radio network star, will be
! fUeS' S"turdfly night with his
host, Hugh Morton of Linville
Advance ticket sales and in
quiries indicate excellent attend- .
nee for the first two nights.
Among Saturday evening guest,
^ " ?rouP c?ming by chart
ered bus from Fldtence, S C
Fa^teX" C'Ub ViSiting fr
Director Kai Jurgensen has an
nounced that rehearsal, are more
promising at thi, point than at
any corresponding time since the
drama opened in 1952. Script
changes by the author, he says
colorfu?ade the production more
SfifjSJ intereSUn<
"The cast and staff have a cer
tain spirit of enthusiasm and
cooperation that I feel will be
"^ev'h 'V?'" ^ saicL
They have been quite willing
work long hours, and their
bors have shown results in
livelier, cn.pier rehearsals."
Monday night, for the first
tfane since practice began almost
two weeks ago, a complete re
heanal was executed, with re
directorm,ed "graU'ying" by ttle
Plans for opening night are
moving well ahead of schedule
h 2 T of,ice" division of .
the drama. General Manager Carl
today that residents
of Boone and surrounding com
munities have indicated com
plete cooperation" in volunteer
elp at the theatre grounds. He
asked that those persons take
pecial care in welcoming guests
home. th!m t0 ",ecl at
Fidler said developments to
ate indicate the most successful
htatory. dram8'S three"year
Mrs. Tina Greer
Dies Wednesday
Fuper?l services for Mrs. Tina
Harmon Greer, 35, of Winston
Salem, who died Wednesday,
June 16, were held at the First
Presbyterian Church in Boone at
2 p. m. Friday, June 18.
The Rev. J. K. Parker, pastor of
the church, and the Rev. T. C.
Bryan of Winston-Salem officiat
ed. Burial was in Mount Lawn
Cemetery, with graveside rites
by Snow Chapter 220, Order of
the Eastern Star.
Mrs. Greer is survived by a
son, Richard Greer; a daughter,
Elizabeth Greer, both of Winston
Salem; a sister, Mrs. Muriel
Glenn, Detroit, Mich.; and a bro
ther, Vilas Harmon, Baltimore,
Md.
_____
Rites Held For
Marsh Infant
Graveside scrvkes were held
It II a. m. June 21. at Mount
Lawn Cemetery for the infant
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ernest
Y. Marsh, who died Saturday,
June 1?.
A goyd '54 wh^at crop is live
ly to meet Spain's Deeds.
V&MBH