North Carolina Newspapers

? ? ? ? mm mi mmm . ' aMp^^. Appalachian State Teachers College WATAUGA COUNTY XX / A f | ^ A T T A |^\T^ It yf/^V/^(T| A f ? ^ Boon?QONKroi ?a Firming and Tourist Region. First in Carolina %/%/ lA I Z]h I I I Z]b I ? LJ l%/l I II Z]l I The Educational Center of Western North YVAIAUvjA L/?/iVlU v J\A 1 lM rtpaliflan Iftfll Independent Weekly New* paper ? Established in the Year Eighteen Eighty-Eight 1950 Populatio 2,1 , ? i - SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR? no. 28 BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY. JANUARY 13, 1955 , ? PAGES? 2 SECTIONS High School Band Students T o Attend Annual Clinic In Boone KING STREET BY Rob Rivers FORESEEING THE WEATHER Seems to us the winter used to be more fun before we knew for a certainty what the weather was going to be . . . There was more room for hope, when we didn't get the forecast by radio, tv, or newspaper a day or so in advance, and a far greater element of sur prise when one went to bed on a moonlit night, and awoke to gaze out over a foot or so of snow . . . Of course our weather forecasters are not infallable . . . When they say rain, it's been meanin' snow this winter, and once in a while a "cloudy and windy" appraisal will turn into a calm and bright day, but on the whole the predic tions are "on the button" both winter and ?ummer . . . BUT THERE WERE SIGNS in the old days which could give fairly accurate clues to the im minence of bad weather ... If there was a soft thumping sound from the wood fire, the fire was said to be "tramping snow," . . . If the sparrows and the snow birds gathered in huge flights, folks looked for a change for the worse in the behavior of the elements ... If the smoke from the chimney swirlfd down to the ground, and the fog moved op Rich Mountain rather than down, we looked for storms, and In later years, there were mis givings when one could clearly bear the narrow-guage locomo tive laboring up the Lanrei en route to Boone . . . Then of course red clouds in the evening brought joy to the traveler, and sorrow if they showed in the morning . . . And there was 'Squire Bryan, Boone's first May or, who'd do a job of sky-con ning once in a while and pass out the word as to what the morrow would bring forth . . . But if the weather was terribly important to a fellow, he could generally lay hold of a Ramon calendar or a Blum's Alamance. A PAPER BACK ENCYCLOPEDIA The almanac, which now sells for fifteen cents, is one of the most useful volumes to be found, and when we were being reared, a copy hung suspended by a string from the mantelpiece in the "front room," and was a source of ready reference on how to heat the house better, get rid of moles, keep the piggies from chilling, bake a better cake, make a handy man handier, pick a Christmas tree, tell when it was time for Superior court and keep track of the rising and setting of the sun, as well as the weather . . . Then of course there were the jokes and the conundrums which were read and re-read during the bleak winter nights, and the words of wisdom, between the red covers . . . We bought us a new copy the other day and renewed our faith in the influence of the moon, and the value of the signs of the Zod iac, and are willing to pass on a bit of the knowledge we gathered; I MOON RULES We are admonished, in the In terest of thrift, to have our hair cut 1> the waning moon . . . Sheep should be sheared during a waxing moon for a heap of fleece . . . Don't butcher hogs when the moon is waning ? the meat will shrink when fried . Veal butchered in the ."ull moon will swell la the skillet . . . Shingle a roof when the bonis of moon point down ? otherwise shingles will turn up . . . Make sauerkraut and kiUwweeds dur ing decreasing moon . . . * oftlER ADVICE Our readers, says Blum's, have found it best to ? Select a time when the sign is below the waist for dental work. Plant cucumbers first twins in May. Plant beets dark nights in sign of fish in March. Plant Irish potatoes dark nights in March. Plant watermelons in signs of Twins in Max. ? (continued on page four) _ Plans are now complete for the annual Northwestern Division of the All State Band Clinic which will be held on the campus of Ap palachian State Teachers College Friday and Saturday, January 21 and 22. A concert will be given on Sat urday, January 22, in the Fine Arts Building at 7:30 P. M., and the public is invited. Conducing the clinic band will be Herbert Carter, director of bands at East Carolina College in Greenville. Mr. Carter is well known in the state as a conductor of clinics and as a judge for the band and solo and ensemble con tests held each year. The band students, as in prev ious clinics, will come from high school bands from the surrounding counties, including Watauga. Each high school band will be repre sented by (our to five bandsmen to make a total number of about 96 members. Because the enrol ment at the college has grown so much this year it will be' necessary to house the students in the homes again. Ted Barnett is in charge of ar ranging housing for the visiting students. If you have an extra room and care to entertain a stu dent for one night, you are asked to contact either Mr. Barnett or William G. Spencer, who is acting as clinic chairman this year. Quarantine Of Dogs Results Rabies Cases Due to the incidence of rabies in Watauga county, a quaratine against dogs and other pets has been declared by the district health department for a period of ninety days. All pets ? dogs, cats and other animals are to be kept confined and if off premises, dogs should be on leash and accompanied by owner. There are seven known cases of rabies. Three dogs have been lab oratory confirmed, 2 clinically confirmed, and 1 cow and 1 hog clinically confirmed. Clinic Scheduled At the same time the health de partment announces a rabies clinic to be held next week, and all pets not vaccinated in the past year should be protected now. The first dog found to have had rabiei was probably in Boone wh*n Ktf was exposed to the dis ease, and since he was in Beaver Dim when found to be sick, it is not known what other animals may have been exposed. Advice Given The Health Department strong ly emphasises the datiger of rabies, and the risks to children, live stock and pets* and expresses the conviction that the County should provide a dog warden. It is important, say health of ficials, that all sick animals be confined and watched, and that the Veterinarian or Health Depart ment be called if rabies are sus pected. If the animal has rabies he will die within seven days of the time he was noticeably ill. To get a reliable re(Jort from the laboratory, do not kill the animal but confine him until death, when the head or brain may be sent to the laboratory. Further information may be se cured at the health department. Postal Receipts Here Break Former Records The Boone Posto((ice establish ed an all-time record (or postal receipts (or the 1954 calendar year, it is noted by Acting Post master Lyle B. Cook, who gives receipts (or the period as $49, Mrs. Watson Is Dead At Age 68 Mr? Luisa Baird Watson, 68, of Ferguson, died January 6 in Wa tauga Hospital, where she had been a patient three days. Funeral services were held at 10 a. m. Saturday, January 8, at the Rockview Baptist Church in Caldwell County, with the Rev. Marshall Watson officiating. Bur ial was in the Watson family ceme tery. She is survived by her husband, Jasper Watson; three sons, Her man, Levi, and Hoover; six daugh ters, Mrs. Dewey Hamby, Mrs. Bertha Hawkins, and Delia, Clem mie, Bemice and Minnie Watson, all of Ferguson; three brothers, Millard, Blowing Rock, Charlie and Arthur, both of Boone; two sisters, Mrs. Maggie Gruff, Bristol, Va., and Mrs. Cora Beach, Lenoir; and 15 grandchildren. < 686.61, or an increase of $9,152.29 over the previous high in 1853 of $44,534.32. The month of December, 1954, was also a record month for both incoming and outgoing mail. It is estimated that 200,000 letters were mailed by local patrons during the month, of which 184,000 passed through the cancelling machine and thousands of others which were cancelled by hand. This is an increase of approximately 50, 000 letters over the same month last year and is about 100,000 more than in nomally mailed through this office each month. Four Watauga Boys Report For Service Among those reporting for In duction in Charlotte Tuesday are: Ben Allen Fox, Vilas. Bob Wilson, Sugar Grove. John Royce Hagaman, Vilas. Floyd Lee Presnell, Shulls Mills. Carson James Smitherman, Reese. Another group will pppepr for induction February 4, according to Mrs. W. R. Lovill, clerk of the Watauga Selective Service Board. 1,400 Watauga Farmers To Benefit From ACP With the closing date (or signing up in the 1998 Agricultural Conser vation Program only twelve days away, preliminary reports from the fourteen communities in Watauga County indicate that approximately 1,400 Watauga County farmers will cooperate in the ACP this year. This is about (SO per cent of all the farmers in the county and it compares with the 1,32S| farmers who cooperated %i the pro gram in ISM. Dwight Cable, chairman of the County ASC Committee, said that farmers of Watauga County have until January 29 to get in on the ground floor and be eligible for assistance in carrying out soil and water conservation practices under the 1099 Agricultural Conservation Program. Because building of the soil for future need* it a vital part of the national conservation effort, Mr. Cable urged farmers to cooperate in this nation-wide program to pro tect and improve the country's soil and water resources. The Agricultural Conservation Program, he explains, provides as sistance to farmers on a share-the cost basis for carrying out essen tial conservation measures. This assistance serves as an incentive and makes it possible (or farmers to carry out needed practice*. In the chairman's words: "In a free country such as ours where private ownership of land is a sacred right, the Agricultural Conservation Pro gram provides a means for carry ing out a joint responsibility to the benefit of both the fanner and the Nation." Chairman Cable urges farmers who have not signed up for 1959 to contact the load ASC office. ROTARY BOYS FOR JANUARY ARE CHOSEN The Rotary Boys for January will be guests of the Boone Rotary Club Thursday at 6:30 p. m., at Kirk's Barbecue. The boys will be accompanied by their dads. These boys are being honored for their outstanding work at their respective schools, which includes high scholarship, leadership, ser vice, and outstanding character. The student council of Cove Creek High School has selected James Frontis Davis, son of Mr. and Mrs. James W. Davis of Valle Crucis, as their Rotary Boy for January. Frontis is following a general curriculum in high school with the intent of going to college next year. In school activities he played football for three years and won three letters, played baseball and won four letters, and was a member of the 4-H club for three years and vice-president one year. These activities were accomplished before Frontis left school to serve in the United States Army. Randy Maddux, son of Mr. and Mis. M. R. Maddux of Boone, has been selected by the student coun cil of Appalachian High School as their Rotary Boy for January. Randy has been very active in school affairs. He is vice-president of the National Honor Society, vice president of the Student Council, and editor of the annual. He has been a member of the student council four years, member of the annual staff three years, played football four years and won three letters, played basketball two years and won one letter, played base ball two years and won one letter, was secretary and treasurer ot the Men's "A" Club and a member three years, and was a reporter one year for the Wildlife Club. Randy is taking a technical cur riculum in high school, and will study engineering when he goes to college next fall. Poultry Leaders To Hold Meeting Last year the hens in the poul try flock demonstration in North Carolina gave a return of over $3.00 per bird above feed cost. If the 65,000 hens in Watauga county should do that well, we would have an income of over $325,000 for Watauga farmers from eggs alone, not to count the income from sale of birds. Mr. C. F. Parris, in charge Poul try Extension, and other poultry extension specialists will be at the courthouse in Boone on Monday afternoon, January 17, at 2:00 o'clock to help with poultry pro blems. Below is the program that will be followed: 2:00-2:30 ? Outlook and feed ef ficiencies for 1955, C. F. Parrish. 2:303:00 ? Respiratory diseases and their control, Dr. C. W. Bar ber. 3:00-3:30 ? Lowering mortality and producing good pullets, W. C. Mills, Jr. 3:30-4:00 ? Production and care of hatching eggs, W. G. Andrews. 5:00 ? Questions and answers. We should give poultry more consideration. There is money in chickens if they are properly housed, fed and managed. It doesn't cost too much to get into the poultry business. Weed Problems To Be Discussed ! Mr. Harold Nau, Extension To bacco Specialist, will be here Wed nesday morning, January 19, at the courthouse to discuss tobacco pro blems. He will use colored slides and illustrations. Subjects sug gested (or discussion arc: Plant production, tobacco varieties, fer tilization, harvesting and curing, disease and insect control, irriga tion. Tobacco brings in more money than any other one crop to Wa tauga farmers. Mr. Nau can tell how to make more from tobacco. Red Cross Official Vitits Watauga Chapter Miss Antoinette Beasley J>f Mon roe, newly-appointed field repre sentative of the American Red Cross will be in Boone Wednesday to meet with the board of direc tors of the WaUuga Chapter and other local personnel. The meeting will be held at 12:10 at the Gateway Cafe. Plana for the year's w4rk will be discuss ed. Chamber Commerce Sets Goals 1 < i * i F or Y ear,OpposesParkway T oil ? Staff Photo by Joe Minor SCHOOL BUS LAW REQUIRES BOTH LINES OF TRAFFIC TO HALT. Leaders Fight Proposal For Toll On Parkway Washington, Jan. 10 ? A confer ence between members of Con gress from North Carolina and Virginia and National Park Serv ice officials regarding tplans to make a toll road out of the Blue Kidge Parkway has been schedul ed for Wednesday. Protests arose from both states as soon as park service officials announced a plan to charge one dollar per automobile for 19 day use of the parkway starting May 1. In the group meeting Wednes day in the office of Sen. Erviu (D-NC) will be Conrad Wirth, National Park Service director, Ervin, Sen. Scott (D-NC), Reps. Shuford (D-NC), Deane (D-NC), Alexander (D-NC), Jones (D-NC), and Jonas (R-NC), Sen. Byrd (D Va), Sen. Robertson (D-Va), and Rep. Harrison (D-VA). The parkway runs from the Shenandoah Park of Virginia to the Great Smoky Mountain Nation al Park of North Carolina and Tennessee. Parkway Association Fights Toll Project Roanoke, Va., Jan. 10? The Blue Ridge Parkway Assn. will meet here tomorrow to prepare for a fight agafhst plans to charge tolls for travel on the parkway starting next May 1. Association President W. Doug las Kouns of Asheville, N. - C., called the meeting here charging that the toll proposal by the Na tional Park Service would "in ef fect, fence the north from the south and both sections will suf fer." The scenic mountaintop road stretches from the Shenandoah 1 National Park near Waynesboro, j Va. to the Great Smoky Mountains I National Park west of Asheville. The park service announced its toll charge proposal last week to help pay costs of maintenance and operation. A number of congressmen from both Virginia and North Carolina already have protested the plan. President Eisenhower recently told a press conference that he had been assured by Air Force officials that flying saucers were not descending on the earth from outer space. This left the inference that the saucers were terrestrial, bue he was not asked where they did originate. Safety Officer Urges Enforcement Bus Law Mr. C, E. Jones, of the State Highway Safety division was in town the last of the week, and calls particular attention to the im portance of observance of the law requiring vehicular traffic to stop while school buses are discharg ing or receiving passengers. Mr. Jones states that already | this year one child has been killed and at least two injured due to the failure of motorists to observe the law, which requires traffic going in both directions to stop while a school bus is loading or unload ing. North Carolina transports 470, 000 children to school daily, lead ing the nation in this activity and sev?n thousand buses travel 280, 000 miles a day. Motorists are urged to come to a complete stop, whichever way they are traveling, when they ap proach a school bus in the process of admitting or discharging child ren. Direct Appeals Made For March Of Dimes Direct mail appeals for funds to combat infantile paralysis went out Monday of this week, said Mrs. E. F. Coe and Mrs. W. C. Richardson, co-chairmen of the 1655 March of Dimes for Watauga County. The campaign was launched Monday, January 3, and will con tinue to the end of the month. The need for funds is urgent, said R. D. Hodges, jr., chairman of the Watauga County Chapter of the National Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. Since January, Examination* Held For Postoffice Job Examinations* are still being given for the purpose of establish ing an eligible register for the positions of charman, fireman laborer and substitute clerk-car rier at the Boone Postoffice. Acting Postmaster Lyle B. Cook asks that those who are interctsed in civil service work, such as men tioned, should request application blanks at his office and take the examinations in the near future. I'ansies Bloom In Blowing Rock Blowing Bock* it a pleastfnt place, both winter and summer, according to L. H. Smith, who maintain! homes both in the re sort city and Boone, and sub mits in proof the fact that he i? occasionally gathering pansy blooms from his yard at the Rock. Likewise in Boone buds are being seen on certain shrubs, despite the fact that we thought this winter had been the worst in year*. 1953, a total of $36,050.00 has been sent to the chapter from the Na tional Foundation, and $5,000 was raised locally in last year's drive. This money, with the exception of the $4,500 check received last week, has been expended for the hospitalization and care of the 40 polio victims in Watauga County during the past two years. Some of the bills, in fact, are still out standing, said Mr. Hodges, and there is a continuing expense for braces and other needs. At present, there is only one known polio case in the county, Charles Thomas Harrell, who is a patient in the Asheville Ortho pedic Hospital. Those who have received ap peals by mail are asked to send their contributions as promptly as possible. Any person who did not receive a letter may address dona tions to March of Dimes, Box 609, Boone, N. C. All contributions to aid in this important work will be most gratefully received, said Mr. Hodges and the co-chairmen of the drive, Mrs. Coe and Mrs. Richard son. ? Boone Weather ,By JOHN BOWEN HAMILTON High Low Present | SI 31 42 4 50 40 50 5 56 48 50 0 54 43 50 7 53 20 41 8 50 24 43 0 44 33 38 Jan. 10 38 23 30 Precipitation: Jan. 5 .15; Jan. 6| .02; Jan. 7 .10; Jan. 10 .19. Present reading was taken at 6| p. m. each day. Burley Market Resumes Sales; Record Last Season Is Passed I tie Boone tobacco market re sumed sales Wednesday, January 5, following tht Christmas holiday. With sales of approximately 900,000 pounds of burley tobacco in the three selling days since the market reopened, the Boone mar ket has already surpassed the en tire 190344 season's sales by 4 to 300,000 pounds, said Stanley A. Harm, spokesman for the market. About 3V4 million pound* have al ready been sold, he aaid. The quality of the t^acco has been down somewhat sincc Christ mas, said R. C. Coleman, operator of the market, but grade for grade, the prices have been ai good as before th<> holidays. No definite date baa been act lor the closing of the market but in dication! ire that it will close eith er the list of this week or the first of next week. Mr. Coleman urged farmers to bring the re mainder of their crop in as soon as possible to be sure of get ting a sale. Tobacco received be fore noon of any selling day will be sold the same day, be said. Huge Civic Program Gets Nod Meeting The Boone Chamber of Com merce held its first meeting of the year at noon Tuesday in (he new dining room of the Boone Trail Kestaurant, with recently-elected President Stanley A. Harris pre siding. Announcing that the theme of the meeting was "What can the Chamber do for Boone in IBM?" President Harris asked each of the seven tables of members to discuss among themselves projects they though should be undertaken during the year, and appoint ? spokesman to report those agreed upon to the meeting. A Urge number of projects was suggested. The following list is not ilecessarily in the order of their support or importance: 1. Secure a tobacco basket manufacturing plant for Boone. 2. Buy the narrow-gauge rail road engine, "Tweetsie", and re turn it to Boone. 3. Give encouragement and all assistance possible to the Inter national Resistance Company's Boone plant, and help them to ex pand and employ more people. 4. Get the proposed National Guard Armory built. 5. Provide for a more adequate water supply. 6. Around-the-clock police pro tection, with the addition of a night policeman. 7. Promote a clinic for store and restaurant personnel to enable them to point out the advantages and points of interest to tourists. 8. Secure five selling days per week for the tobacco market. 9. Support the passage of the North Carolina Automobile In spection Law. 10. Combine with the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce to set up a tourist information center at Deep Gap near the Parkway en trance. 11. Provide better recreation facilities, such as a park, swim ming pool, etc. 12. Provide "Welcome" bill boards on main highways leading into Boone, with names and ad dresses of churches. 13. Put nameplates on town re sidences and rural mail boxes. 14. Erect Neon signs on maip highways directing tourists to Boone and Horn in the West. 15. Extend a formal wclcome from the Chamber to newcomers. 16. Tear down undesirable buildings, particularly on King Street. 17. Extend post office alley through to Queen Street to relieve traffic congestion on King Street. | 18. Try to secure an industry which would employ more men. 19. Give increased support to Appalachian State Teachers Col lege. 20. Encourage the private build ing of swimming pools, boating and fishing ponds throughout the county. 21. Increase efforts to secure Health Center building. 22. Try to complete new road to Linville, and Highway 603 to Eli zabethton, Tenn. 23. Place signs at all Parkway outlets, directing traffic to Boone. 24. Promote a general county, as well as city, cleanup program. In other business, it was agreed to petition the state legislature to allow the issuance of daily and weekly fishing permits, for the convenience of tourists and visi tors. The group also voted to adopt and send to our representatives in the state legislature a resolution opposing the proposed toll for motorists using the Parkway. Training Meeting For ScoutM Is Held The second in a series of train ing meeting for Cub Scouts and their parents was held Monday at 7:30 p. m. in the Boone Baptist Church. The discussion was led by Joe Davenport, field scout exe cutive of Winston-Salem. The third and final meeting of the series will be held at the same Hour Monday night, January 17. also in tte faptist Church. ? : . l-ljiPftto Tif nfciiliiil i