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WATAUGA COUKlf ?
?mint and tourist region. Fint in
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1950 Population 1,973 An Independent Weekly Newspa per? Established in the Year 1884 1#5# PopuUtU,n xtMl
* ' ? -
SIXTY-SKVENTli^YEAK. ? NO. 11 BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 1C, 1954. 14 PAGES? 2 SECTIONS
KMG '
STREET
BY
ROB RIVERS
SASSAFRAS TEA MAKES
COMEBACK
Many of our readers no doubt
remember when there was bone
set and "pennyrile" and catnip
and stuff hanging on the back
porch or in the woodshed, from
which to make the tonics for the
winter; in some cases there were
dock roots, too, but the old
standby was sassafras and the
potent tea which came frpm the
little tree which grows along the
fence rows and in the 'woods, and
which seems to be able to survive
the clearings and the burnings
and the general destructiveness
of mankind . . . We are indebted
to "The Enka Voice" for the fol
lowing apt remarks about the
beverage which warmed the
mountain men and their families
long ago, and maybe kept them
fittin':
Corn pone and sassafras tea, a
warm open fireplace, and old Jeff
curled at your feet.
Sounds old, maybe. If it does,
that's because it is old.
But what with the price of cof
fee rising as it is, and with this
tree called sassafras growing in
abundance and wild throughout
Tennessee and Western North
Carolina, the day may be just
around the corner when neigh
bors no longer will think of the
forgotten beverage ? sassafras tea
--as such.
It's easy to make, this sasssafras
tea. And it's good and warming
to the soul when sweetened with
about two teaspoonsful of sugar.
Many of the old folks say it's
best when hot, and not fittin' to
drink elsewise.
MODERNS LIKE IT COLD
"We've heard here lately
though that some of the "mod
erns" like it cold, just like they
take their iced coffee. Some folks
4ell about their sass'fras soaks,
too. You know ? how you soak
bread and cookies in coffee. Some
folks call it dunkin'; but that
ain't right,' for it's more than a
dunk.
Your bread or cookie is dropped
down in the tea and soaked. Then
you spoon it out.
Believe it or not, though, sassa
fras tea is used as a medicinal
beverage, a stimulant, as well as
a pleasure drink.
The sassafrass tree is native to
the north temperate zone. There
are just a few varieties of it ?
the most important being the
American sassafras ? known hi
faultingly as sassafras vanfolium.
In the North it grows to bush
size, but down here in the South
it often grows as tall as 50 feet.
Some folks claim that if you
drink it in February you won't
have to worry the rest of that
year about taking typhoid fever.
And the argument seems to be at
least partially validated by the
generally accepted belief that
sassafras thins the blood.
The bark of the root occasion
ally has been used in medicine as
a diuretic; and that oil of sassa
fras, a rapidly evaporating liquid,
also comes from this bark of the
roots. It is widely used in per
fumes. Other extracts from the
bark made bitters and flavoring
for beverages.
But the people who drink it
never think about all these things.
They just drink it 'cause they
like it. And once you get a yearn
ing for.it, it's hard to give it up.
Mind you, if you think you'd
like to go out and start brewing
a pot, you oughta be watchful for
some of things veteran tea drink
ers can tell you.
First of all ? and most import
ant ? don't use the white sassafras
roots. Use only the red ones. You
can't always tell the difference
just by looking at the tree. You
can bet your life that the white
rooted variety will never grow as
tall as the red, but still you've
just about got to dig up the roots
before you know for sure. You
see, the stuff top-ground looks
just about the same ? white or
red.
SECOND BOIL NECESSARY
Then, you might like to have
this word of advice, too. If the
first brew from youi' prepared
roots is "sappy," you can throw
it right out, turn around and boil
those same roots again, and you'll
find your tea is not at all sappy.
The more you boll your roots,
the redder the tea gets. And that
provides a source of much quest
(Continued on page four)
CAMERMA CLINIC PERSONNEL- ? These photographers will give lectures and demonstrations to am
ateur photographers this week end at the first Grandfather Mountain Camera Clinic. Amateur pho
tographers have been invited to the free outing. Top row, left to right, are Lawrence Wofford, of Ra
leigh News & Obferver; Malcolm Gamble of the Asheville Citizen-Times, and Jeep Hunter of the
Charlotte News. Bottom row, left, is Frank Jones of the Winston-Salem Journal-Sentinel and Charles
Cooper, Durham Herald. t ' '
Camera Clinic Is Scheduled
For Week End At Grandfather
Scout Finances
To Be Discussed
Friday Evening
Clyde R. Greene, co-chairman
of the approaching Boy Scout
finance campaign, has called a
meeting of his committee for sup
per on Saturday September 18
at 6:00 o'clock at the Gateway
Restaurant. At this meeting, Mr.
Greene said, there will be or
ganized an advance gifts com
mittee and several working teams
with captains.
Dr. Lawrence Owsley is co
chairman of the special commit
tee. Other members include
Frank Triplett, Howard Holshous
er, Howard Steelman, Howard
Cottrell, Glenn Andrews, Dr. J.
T. C. Wright, Stanley Harris,
Howard Mast, Cecil Miller, and
Dr. J. G. Martin.
The abov^ committee has been
selected from the various com
munities in Watauga county
which have scouting units to fin
ance the growing Scout activities
of the local scounting area. Its
work will begin with a kickoff
breakfast on October 5.
Retarded Children |
To Get Attention
At Convention
Mr. Taylor Kennedy of High
Point, president of North Caro
lina Association for Retarded
Children, has announced that the
association Will hold its second
annual convention on September
18 and 19 in the Robert E. Leo
Hotel in Winston-Salem.
Mr. Kennerly, and Mrs. Rebec
ca Chamberlain, chairman of the
Watauga County chapter of the
N. C. Association for Retarded
Children, emphasized that the
meeting Sunday, at 2:00 p. m., is
open to the public and encourages
all 'public and school officials to
attend.
President Eisenhower has sign
ed the bill making peacetime es
pionage ? crime punishable by
death.
LinviUe. ? Plans were announc
ed tljjs week for the first Grand
father Mountain Camera Clinic
for amateur and professional
photographers to be held at
Grandfather Mountain near here
Saturday and Sunday, September
18-19.
The clinic, sponsored by Hugh
Morton, developer of Grandfath
er Mountain and a well known
photographer himself, has been
arranged primarily for amateur
photographers.
A two-day program of instruc-,
tions and picture-taking, super
vised by professional photogra
phers with well known models
posing for pictures, will get und
er way at 2 p. m. Saturday.
Some of the state's leading pho
tographers will serve as instruc
tors. A meeting of the Carolinas
Press Photographers Association
will be held Sunday afternoon.
Billy Joe Patton, one of the Na
tion's outstanding amateur golf
ers who took the national spot
light with his courageous play in
the Master's tournament this year,
will pose for sports enthusiasts.
Patton will drive golf balls from
a special tee atop Convention Ta
ble Rock on Grandfather Moun
tain. ,
Glamor photography will see
two beautiful professional models
posing. Charles Cooper of the
Durham Herald-Sun papers will
lecture. Miss Sally Gordon of
Charlotte, a television star and
magazine model, and Mrs. Ginny
Martinson of Winston-Salem, a
well known Milwaukee calendar
model, will pose for ."cheesecake"
photographers.
Mrs* Martinson formerly lived
in Boone, last year, ?while her
husband was attending Appalach
ain State Teachers College.
Chief of the Cherokees, Osley
Bird Saunooke, will also pose.
Young COP Plans
Friday Supper
The Watauga County Young
Republican Club will meet Friday
evening, Sept. 17 at 6:30 with a
picnic supper on the courthouse
lawn and business meeting later
in the courthouse. All members
and those interested are urged to
attend. A special invitation goes
to all Rebublican candidates.
t .
Slow increase in consumer
credit continued in July.
Mary Helen Isaacs
Takes Nursing Job
'Phot? by Paul Wet ton)
MISS MARY HELEN ISAACS
Miss Mary Relen Isaacs of
Reese, N. C. received her diploma
from Grace Hospital School of
Nursing in Morgan ton, Sept. 5.
At the beginning of her senior
year she was tapped as a member
of the Santa Filomena4 senior
honorary society, of which she
served as secretary-treasurer for
the year. She was also a represen
tative to the student council, edi
tor of the Silver Cross (nursing
school annual) and senior class
historian.
At the graduation exercises she
received a citation for outstand
ing achievement in medical nurs
ing. ?
She left Monday of this week
to joi%the nursing staff of North
Carolina Me m o r i a 1 Hospital,
Chapel Hill.
Miss Isaacs is the daughter of
Mr. 2*. E. Isaacs and the late Mrs.
Isaacs of Reese. ?
County Singing
THt Watauga county singing
will be held at the Go* pel Taber
nacle in Boone October 3, start
ing at 1 o'clock.
Leonard Wilson, singing chair
man, states that all cboirs and
other local groups arc Invited to
participate.
In Boone
Appalachian's Fall Enrollment
Of 1440 Is Greatest In History
Commerce Body Hears
Plans For Guard Unit
i
A further discussion of the pos
sibilities of securing a National
Guard unit and arr armory for
Boone was led by Lit. Boyd
Dougherty, chief engineer of
radio station WA?A, at the Sept
ember meeting of the Boone
Chamber of Commerce, held at
noon Tuesday in the Gateway
Restaurant.
Mr. George Dewey Martin, new
district superintendent of the
Postal Transportation Service,
jw as scheduled to address the
meeting, but was unable to attend
because of illness. He has accept
ed an invitation to address the
October meeting.
Lt. Dougherty said the propos
ed National Guard unit would be
a service battery of the 112th
Field Artillery at Lenoir with a
complement of about 60 men.
There are three times as many
applications for units in the state
as there are units available, he
said, and it will require consider
able work and promotion on the
part of local people to secure one
for Boone. It would be two to
three years before an armory
could be built, (aid Lt. Dough
erty, but in the meantime, suit
able temporary headquarters
would greatly facilitate the pro
ject. One of the tobacco ware
houses, soon to be vacated by the
FCX, was suggested.
Lt. Dougherty urged that in
terested persons write to the gov- (
ernor and the state adjutant gen
eral, Maj. Gen. John Paul Man
ning, in regard to the matter.
Clyde R. Greene disclosed that
the Avery board of county com
missioners, as well as the Wa
tauga board, has endorsed Boone
for the unit, which is also sought
by West Jefferson and Taylors
ville.
In other business, B. W. Stal
lings reported that the third an
nual Feeder Calf Sale, to be held
October 8, will probably be the
last such sale held here. Local
promoters have been advised, he.
said, that minimum of 400 calves
per sale will be required to con
tinue the sales, and last reports
indicated that thpre would be less
than 200 ?old October 8. Calves
(Continued on page two)
Record Enrollment At
Cove Creek Schools
Cove Creek District Schools
have a record enrollment with
445 in the elementary school and
350 in the high school. The ele
mentary school gained an addi
tional teacher over last year's al
lotment and it is hoped that the
attendance the first two weeks
this year will be sufficient tq
justify the State in assigning an
other high school teacher. The
need for this teacher is great since
many of the classes are over
crowded and some teachers are
teaching six classes per day.
The Rev. Newell C. Bush, pas
tor of Henson's Chapel Metho
dist Church, conducted devotional
at chapel last week. Op Wednes
day of this week three former
Student Council president spoke
at Chapel. They were Jack Bill
ings, president in 1950-51, who is
now beginning his first year of
medicine at Bowman - Gray,
speaking on the opportunities
Cove Creek affords for mental
growth; Katherine Clay, presi
dent of the council in 1951-52,
speaking on the moral develop
ment that can be obtained; and
Bobby Gore, 1952-53, speaking on
the social development that can
be obtained in association with
high school pupils and teachers.
Katherine has completed two
years work at Woman's . College
in Greensboro, while Bobby has
completed one year at Appala
chian and will enter State Col
lege at Raleigh this week.
Johnny Fletcher, president of
the student council this year, pre
sided and outlined plans and pro
grams for this year's actiyities of
the council.
Fourteen school busejs operate
to the school. Old drivers are
Robert Hagaman, Howard Mast,
Johnnie Reece, Lloyd Miller,
Bradley Teague, Larry Shook,
Jimmy Byrd and Burl Reece.
New drivers are Vernon Hod
(Continued on page four)
Poley Wike Moretz
Dies Here Friday
At Age 69 Years
Poley Wike Moretz of Boone,
succumbed Friday, September 10,
in Watauga Hospital to a stroke
suffered the same day. He was
69 years of age.
Funeral services were held at
2 p. m. Monday, September 13, at
the Grace Lutheran Church in
Boone, conducted by the putor.
Rev. E. F. Troutman, assisted by
the Rev. W. C. Payne. Burial was
in Mountlawn Memorial Ceme
tery.
He was the son of the late
Joseph L. and Mary*Ellen Moretz
of Watauga County. Surviving
are his widow, Mrs. Ruth B.
Moretz; five sons, Ralph M.
Moretz, Clinton, Tenn., Clayton
M. Moretz, Sanford, John Moretz,
Boone, Vilas J. Moretz, Boone,
and Luther Moretz, Zionville;
two brothers, McCoy Moretz,
Charlotte, and Leonard Moretz,
Wyne, Ark.; two stepsons, Horace
Doan, Greenville. S. C? and Wil
liam E. Doan, with the U. S. Navy
at San Oiego, Calif.
Mr. Moretz wu a building con
tractor in Boone, and Watauga
County for a number of years
and for some time had dealt in
real estate here and in DeLand,
Florida, where he and Mrs.
Moretz spent the winter months.
CONSTRUCTION
According to a combined deport
of the Department of Commerce
and Labor, the boom In construc
tion, which started in June, con
tinued through August. Expendi
tures in that month set a new
record of (3,600,000,000.
1* w w
MICHAEL L. TAFT
Michael L. Taft
Appears In Interest
Tourist Business
A representative (roup of Wa
tauga County motor court and
hotel operator! held a luncheon
meeting Friday, September 10, at
the Ranch Motel near Blowing
Rock to discuss ways and means
of improving service and increas
ing the tourist business in this
area.
Leader of the discussion was
Michael L. Taft, director of the
State Tourist Bureau of the North
Carolina Department of Conser
vation and Development. Matters
taken up included advantages
and disadvantages of reducing
rates in the off season, next year's
promotion of the area as a tour
ist attraction, methods of per
suading tourists to remain longer,
advisability of holding tourist
clinics, and asking the public,
especially service station and re
staurant personnel, to equip
themselves with complete infor
mation about accomodations and
attractions, sight seeing trips, and
fishing.
The Blowing Rock Chamber of
Commerce has called another
meeting at the Wagon Wheel
Restaurant in Blowing Rock to
be held at 12 noon, Monday,
September 20, for the purpose of
discussing the advisability of
forming an organization to be
known as the Watauga County
Tourist Association, said Stanley
A. Harris, who attended Friday's
meeting as a representative of
the Boone Chamber of Com
merce.
Army Gets Four
Watauga Men
Sgt. Carl Engele, local U. S.
Army Recruiting Officer, an
nounced that the following young
men enlisted for their first tour
of military service with the
army last mounth.
Clyde J. Wagoner of Stratford,
Van D. Greer of Todd, Jesse M.
Miller and Robert C. Miller both
of Jefferson, Mack D. Greene of
Boone, re-enlisted for his second
tour of duty with the regular
army.
Sgt. Engele said the army is
now offering young men a career
with a future that "can't be beat."
For information on how to be
come a member of America's
proud regular army, contact Sgt.
Engele at the postofficp in Boone
at 9:00 a. m. every Wednesday.
More Expected
To Register
Before Friday
By MRS. EARLEEN PRITCHETT
Appalachian State Teachers
College, with the largest enroll
ment that it has ever had, is
bulging at the seams this year.
The total number of students reg
istered is 1440, with a large num
ber expected to register before
Friday when registration closes.
North Carolina, as always, leads
with the number of students rep
resenting 71 of the State's 100
counties. Other states represented
are Georgia, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Virginia, Michigan,
Florida, Alabama, Maryland, and
West Virginia. Also represented
are Cuba, South America, and
Peru.
Of the total number, 463 fresh
men have been counted, with ap
proximately fifty additional
freshmen awaiting completion of
their registration.
At this same date last year
there were 1197 students enrolled,
which sends the enrollment ahead
upward of three hundred.
New faculty members include
Dr. James Stone. University of
Illinois, who arrives to be asso
ciated with the office of student
teaching; Mrs. I. W. Carpenter,
Jr., in the field of speech; Mar
shall Edwards, former Wake For
est football star, who has been
added to the physical education
and coachirig staff; Dr. T. Richard
Fisher in the department of bi
ology; Miss Anna Hines in the
department of piano; Dr. William
Jones also fn music* Miss Mary
Jane Matthews in physical edu
cation; Dr. James O. Miller in
physical education; Miss Jane
Sharp and Miss Marian Whitener
in Home Economics; Miss Barbara
Stephenson in counseling; and
several teaching assistants.
Although two new dormitor
ies, one for men and one for
women, have been in use for only
two years, the college could eas
ily have filled another dormitory
with women students this year
had it been available, and a large
overflow of students, men and
women, have been housed by the
cooperating citizens of the town
of Boone. Classroom space also
is at a high premium. The col
lege has under construction at
present a physical 'education
building and swimming pool and
a library extension, which should,
within a year, relieve the class
room housing tension. The new
elementary school building, which
it had been hoped would be oc
cupied at this time, is held up be
cause of a delay in the arrival of
furnishings. When this building
is occupied, sometime within the
immediate future, this will help
the situation so far as observation
by the college classes is concern
ed.
The college administration,
faced with the problem of con
tinuing and permanent growth of
the student body at Appalachian,
announces that it is making every
effort to take care of its students
in the best way possible. Al
though all classes, college-wide,
are larger than are ordinarily de
sirable, the faculty of the college
is cooperating in a very fine way
to take care of the emergency.
Appalachian faces the possibility
of a splendid year.
Blowing Rock C. of C. Elects Officers for Year
By MRS. LUCILE LETT
Election of officers and general
discussion of tourist promotion
ideas featured the annual mem:
bership meeting of the Blowing
Rock Chamber of Commerce Fri
day evening at the Wagon Wheel
Restaurant with President Gro
ver C. Robbins, Sr. presiding. Mr.
Robbins was re-elected to the
presidency while other officers
elected were Dr. Walter K. Keys,
vice-president; H. P. Holshouser,
Sr., executive secretary and tA
surer. The Board of Directors
consists of the three officers and
! Lprry Harris, Bill Williams,
Rathmel Wilson, and R. B. Har
din. Mr. Hardin is also Mayor of
| Blow lag Rock.
Many i terra of importance were
iiscussed; chiefly, the effect on
Blowing Rock and the tourist
rade of the by-passing of the
own by the Blue Ridge Parkway.
\ two-mile stretch of the Park
way is now under construction,
going through the Cone Memorial
Park, and which will by-pass
Slowing Rock by approximately
i mile. Also under discussion was
the movement to develop other
roads in the area. Views of scver
tl persons present were heard.
President Robbina stressed the
importance to everyone of the
tauilding of this stretch of the
Parkway and urged strong unity
imong members and interested
persons in holding and increasing
? ?> \ ?
the number of touristi which
have been in Blowing Rock tlyii
teaaon.
Primarily the (unction of a
Chamber o?j Commerce if promo
tion. However, in cities and
town* that are purely retort
places, as Blowing Rock if, the
duties of a Chamber of Com
merce are many and varied. For
instance, during the period be
tween July IS and August 19
more than 1600 visitors came into
the Chamber of Commerce. This
it ofxourse a small number com
pared to the actual number of
visitors who were in Blowing
Rock for many many persons
who visit a place never see' a
Chamber of Commerce. What did
t
they want, what were some of the
services given these visitors? Top
ping the list of questions asked
we think is "Wflbt accomodations
can we find here and can you
help us with this?" Next of im
portance is "What is there to see
and do while we are here?"
Third, we would say is road in
formation, and by far not only
around here but all over the
Southeast and mid-west. Many
other services are rendered the
public by the "working' secretary,
Mrs. Thomas L. Clear, who is on
duty from 9 a. m. until 5 p. m.
and her assistant who during the
busy season is on duty from & p.
m. until 10 p. m. week-days and
(Continued on page lour)
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