Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / March 3, 1955, edition 1 / Page 1
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WATAUGA COUNTY Farming and Tourist Region. First in Carolina in Sheep Production. BOONE The Educational Center of Western North Carolina. WATAUGA DEMOCRAT _ P ^ An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year Eighteen Eighty-Eight 1 SIXTY-SIXTH *YEAR ? NO. 35 BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 3, 1?55 12 PAGES? 2 SECTIONS PLAN FORMATION OF GROUND OBSERVER CORPS? Representatives of the Ground Observer Corps from Knoxville, Tenn., met with the local V. F. W. club last Thursday evening to discuss the possibility of forming a local unit. The G.O.C. is the chief means of spotting enemy aircraft and is vital to the de fense of the nation, according to representatives of th at organization. Both men and women are needi4l to form a complement locally and anyone who has > n hour or two for practice and study each week may secure more information from Paul Younce, V. F. W. commander. Shown above at last week's meeting are (left to right) Commander Younce, Sgt. Hines, Cloyd Bolick, and Capt. Weljanen. ? Photo by J. A. MoreU. KING STREET BY Rob Rivebs END OF LONG RAIL CAREER IS REACHED CAPT. BILL SISK, who worked for the Linville River Railway for 35 years, nearly twenty-five of which were spent as a passenger train conductor, reached the end of the run the other day and those who knew the veteran railroader, glance backward to the day when the narrow- guage railway was big business in these parts, and when the arrival of the two passenger trains a day was the occasion for the ingathering of the citizens, to find out who'd come to town and what they knew of the happenings down the line. "MONEY AND STUFF!" We recall (hose before-day break departures of the passeng er train, on cold winter morn ings, when - Sherman Pippin wonld ease open the throttle on train number one, and she would start rolling down the slender steel rails, which provided the only all-weather link with the outside world . . . And Capt Sisk't broad smile as he walked down the aisle, his big gold watch chain reflecting the beams of the domelights, and his friendly demand foi "Money and stuff." . . . Lots of cash fares were taken on 4he narrow guage and the "stuff" was in refer ence to the tickets Which some of the passengers had secured from Lather Clay or R. R. John son, maybe . . . And we recall those minutes when the train had been "worked" and the Cap tain would sit down beside us and tell us the news of the day 4nd some of the tales he'd heard from the folks who'd got on at Danoer's, at Linville Gap, at Roan Mountain or Hampton. A HELP TO FOLKS Cap'n Sisk was a good deal of help to the folks along the way, in those days when the1 shopping dis trict in Boone wasn't expansive , . . He'd fetch back a machine part from Johnson City if you ask ed him, or do a bit of shopping for the missus, if there was an emer gency, and early-rising drummers at the Critcher Hotel, where he liv ed, could send back their room rent to M. P. Critcher, in cases where they got away before the office was open ... He knew the folks by their first names all the way from Boone to Johnson City, wav ed his greetings to them through the clouds of black smoke, took care of the youngsters for them when they sent 'em visiting down the road, and shed a tear when oc casionally one of those long pine boxes came from town, and was taken off at i sorrowing home along the tracks . . . Folks who missed the era of steam andfteel. and of panting locomotives dry ing on through the blizzards to bring in the goods by the only available route, maybe can't ap preciate the encomiums which are penned for these veterans of the rails . . . But as we drive "down the Laurel", or up "Sin Creek", and view the gaslus in the hillsides (continued on pate lour) Local Plans Made For Observance 4-1 1 Week Extensive plans to observe Na tional 4-H Club Week March 5-13 were laid Saturday at a meeting of the Watauga County 4-H County Council, held at the Legion Hut in Boone. Council President Evelyn Matheson presided. Projects planned for the observ ance include: !. A window disply in Boone. 2. Tray favors in hospi tals at Boone and Blowirig Rock. 3. Newspaper articles. 4. Bulletin boards. 5. Radio Programs. 6. ? (Continued on page two.) Boone Weather By DR. JOHN B HAMILTON high low 8 p.m. prec.* | 57 28 49 49 43 48 .0: 44 39 40 l.Z 38 26 34 K 48 24 38 58 20 38 52 34 42 .51 'Precipitation as of 7:00 a. m. for| previous 24-hour period. Fire Department Members To Be Feted By Civic Group The Chamber of Commerce will entertain the Boone voluriteer fire department at its regular monthly meeting to be held at 12 noon Tues day, March 8, in the banquet room over the Boone Trail Restaurant, President Stanley A. Harris has an nounced. Members of the fire department will answer questions on fire pre vention and fire protection, said 0. K. Richardson, who will be in charge of the program. Paul Winkler, local insurance ag ent, will give a talk on fire insur ance rates and how they can be lowered. Mr. Harris, who serves as mana ger of the Merchants Association, reported that the association at its last meeting instructed the secre tary to write a letter of commenda tion to Fire Chief Howard Cottrell. expressing appreciation for their faithful service of the volunteer firemen to the people of Boone. It was pointed out. he said, that these men are subject to call at any time of the day or night, and they re spond promptly and cheerfully. The Merchants Association feels, said Mr. Harris, that the local fire men have not received sufficient recognition. Automobile Crashes Into Store ???????(???????ilflBIHHMMi ????? t /IT- mm - t? ? Staff Photo by Joe Minor Bobby James Cook, of Bamboo, was released from jail Monday un der $300 bond, after being booked for speeding and reckless driving, following an accident on King Street in Boone. The accident oc curred about 3 a. m. Monday, ac cording to Policeman Raleigh Cot trell, who witnessed the accident and made the arerst. According ,to Policeman Cottrcll, who was doing duty in front <jf the Boone Drug Company at the time, the car in which Mr. Cook and three companions were riding, was traveling east on King St. Mr. { Coltrell stated be saw the car when it was near Smithey's Store, and heard it even before then, and that the vehicle was traveling at a "high rate of speed." The accident cocurrcd when tho j car, a blue IMS Ford, hit a parked ! car in front of the Boone Trail Cafe and owned by Baxter Hardy. The jcar then cut ? parking meter to j the ground a? it jumped the curb in front of Southern Sales store znd smashed two plate glass win dows at that establishment before coming to a halt. Merchandise in the display window was damaged Mr. Hardy's car was turned around by the impact and made to appear it was coming from an alley next to the cafe. Extensive damage was doy to both cars, and esti mates as to the extent of damage ran as high as $1,300 to the cars and building and merchandise. 1. C. Cline. owner of the sales store, estimated the damage to his store alone would reach $900. According to Mr. Cottrell, the driver of the car stated he had fallen asleep before (he accident. Riding with Mr. Cook were Ken neth Hampton, Billy Simmons and Charles Eller. all of Watauga coun ty. No charges were filed against them. v Contract Let For Final Link Of Boone To Linville Highway William A. Sisk, Aged Railroader, ' Dies Last Tuesday William Albert Sisk, 82, former Boone resident, and veteran rail way conductor with the E. T. & W. N. C. and Linville River Rail ways, died at Forest City last Tues day, following a long period of ill health. Funeral services were held from the Pineola Baptist Church of which he was a charter member, Thursday afternoon. Rev. > Mr. Sanders and others took part in the rites for the retired trainman, and burial was in Pineola. He is survived by three foster children: Mrs. R. L. Blankenship of Forest City; Glenn Buchanan. Spruce Pine; Millard Buchanan, , .Charlotte. There are two sisters and two brothers, Miss Mary Sisk and Mrs. Jack Mathis, both of For est City; C. J. Sisk, Forest City; P. H. Sisk, Johnson City, Tenn. Well Known Here Capt. Sisk was well known in Boone, where he was employed by the railway from 1919 to about 1935. Mr. W. M. Cook of Boone, him self a former Linville River rail roader, gives the Democrat the fol lowing history of Capt. Sisk's ca reer: W. A. Sisk started his railroad (Continued on page two.) Five Cases Rabies Are Reported; Warning Repeated. Five cases of rabiei have been reported during the past week, it is anounced by the Health Depart ment. One pig. two foxes, one cow and one dog were found to have been afflicted. The Health Department states that the situation is now at a cru cial stage, but that if stray dogs are killed and other dogs kept confined the situation should im prove. If apimals are not controll ed, it is suggested, the situation eouU get worse. The Health Department adds: "It is up to the dog owners and the general public as to what hap pens. What will your action be in the matter?" Wall-Eyed Pike Placed In Watauga The Watauga County Wildlife Club, and the Wildlife Resources Commission arc stocking wall-eyed pike in the Watauga River from Ward's dam to the Tennessee line. Anyone catching these fish is asked to return them to the stream so that they may have a chance to spawn. The legal size of these fish is 15 inches. Watauga River has recently been designated as trout water down to the highway bridge at Valle Crucis. Mother And Infant Clinic Postponed . The regular Mother and Infants' Clinic, scheduled for the second and fourth Wednesday afternoons of each month, will not be held on the 9th of March as originally sche duled. Dr. Hadlcy Wilson, who is in charge of the clinic, plans to at tend a post graduate course at the University of North Carolina Medi cal school, at Chapel Hill, during the week of the 9th. The clinic will be held on Wednesday afternoon of March 16th and notices of appoint ments to mothers and infants will be sent out for this date. ! State Tax Man ? To Visit (xmnty An agent of the Department of ' Revenue will be at the courthouse ] in Boone March 16 and April 6th i to assist State income taxpayers in filing their returns,, it ia an nounced by Wade H. Lee, Deputy Collector. State tax forms are available at the Watauga Democrat office. ROTARY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION? The put presidents of the Boone and Blowing Rock Rotary Cluba lighting the candles on the cake at the recent celebration of the 50th anniversary of Ro tary International. Left to right are 0. W. Stone, Hurfh Hagaman, Dr. C. Ray Lawrence, L. E. Tuck wilier, Bill Williams, Stanley Harris, Grover C. Robbins and W. H. Gragg. The two club, along with 8,300 other Rotary Clubs in 89 countries. celebrated the 50th anniversary of the founding of Rotary International February 24. The clubs had as guests their wives, local ministers, and other civic leaders. The supper meeting was held in the Boone Demonstration School cafeteria with a buffet cake cutting, and the program was pre sented by Dr. Lawrence. ? Photo by Palmer's Photo Shop. LITTLE SYMPHONY SOLOISTS? Dixon Thomas, pianist, StatesvUle, anil Miss Dorothy White, harpist, presently of Cleveland, Ohio, who will be soloists for the Little Symphony concert in the Fine Arts Audi torium here Friday, March 11, at 8:30 p. m. The program is a feature of the Appalachian State Teachers College Concert Series. Churches Of City Undertake Complete Religious Census Pastors of seven churches in Boone and vicinity held a called meeting at noon Monday in the Boone Baptist Church to map plans for a religious census to held next Horn Tryouts To Start March 12 Tryouts for the outdoor drama Horn in the West will be conduct ed here, March 12, Director Kai Jurgensen announced today. Jurgensen said actors should re port to the Daniel Boone Theatre; singers to the music department of Appalachian State Teachers Col lege, and dancers to the college gymnasium. Mature people are sought, Jur gensen added, stressing the point that applicants should not be less than 18 years old. Local residents, who wish to Join the show again, are requested to meet Jurgensen at the time actor-trayout report. Boston.? Police recently spotted Vincent Guinta. 29, wheeling a baby carriage at an unusually early morning hour* and shouting, "Come and get your babies." The "bab ies" were bottles of wine which Guinta was selling ? without a license. Suflday afternoon, March 6, ac cording to an announcement by the Rev. Lf H. Hollingworth. Churches participating in the house-to-house census will be the Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Advent Christian churches of Boone, the Perkins villc Baptist Church, and the Oak Grove Baptist Church. The territory from the County Home to Wagner's Tourist Court east and west, and from Buckeye Hill to Boone Fork north and south, will he divided into 94 zones to be covered by teams of workers numbering one to three persons. All census workers of the var ious churches are asked to meet at the Boone Baptist Church Fri day at 7:30 p. m. to complete plans, Mr. Hollingsworth said. A luncheon and devotional ser vice will be held at the Boone Baptist Church Sunday, March 6, at 12:30 p. m? following which the teams of worker* will begin the census. The work will consume from an hour to ah hour and a half if all workers report, it was announced, and the church nursery will be available to those who wish to leave children. COVE CREEK RED RAIDERS N. C. Symphony To Appear In Local Concert The North Carolina Little Sym phony, under the direction of Ben jamin Swalin, will present a con cert in the Fine Arts Auditorium here Friday, March 11, at 8:30 p. m? as a feature of the Appalachian State Teachers College Concert series. Soloists for the program are Dixon Thomas, pianist, SVatesviile, and Miss Dorothy white, harpist, presently of Cleveland, Ohio. Thomas, a Symphony auditions winner many times over in the children's concert division, is mak ing his appearance this season for the first time as an adult soloist. He is currently working toward his Bachelor of Music degree at Rollins College, Winter Park. Fla. Thomas will play Liszt's Concer to No. I, in Eb Major. Miss White, first harpist ever to appear with the Little Symphony, is a graduate of Oberlin and the State University of Iowa. In ad dition to the harp, she also plays the piano and the flute. She will, play Debussy's "The Girl with the Flaxen Hair," Salzedo's "Night (Continued on page two.) Ambitious Road Building Program Proposed for Area By JOE MINOR The final link of the Boone to Linville highway is to be complet ed this year, according to an an nouncement this week by W. R. Winkler. Highway Commissioner for the Eleventh Division. The new link stretches from near Boone city limits on highway 311 ? at Col vard's Service Station ? to Foscoc, a distance of 7.84 miles. Contract for the Boone-Foscoe section was let ia Raleigh by the North Carolina Highway Commis sion last Thursday. The Taylor Construction Company, of Ashe ville was low bidder for the job and was awarded the contract. The money outlay will be approxi mately three-quarters of a million dollars, Mr. Winkler said. The Boone-Linville highway was let on three different contract*. The section from Foacoe to Lin ville Gap has been completed, while the link from Linville Gap to Linville is presently under con struction. When completed, the commissioner stated, "it will be a very high-type of highway," and will shorten the distance from Boone to Linville considerably. Mr. Winkler also announced a three-year proposed program which calls for expenditures of $3,429,000 on primary roads in the Eleventh Division on eight projects. These plans are based on a state-wide planning, as suggested by Governor Luther Hodglis, and were mapped by James H. Councill of Boone, Eleventh Division engineer, and W. H. Rogers, Jr. of Raleigh, State highway Engineer, and Mr. Wink ler. The highway commissioner stat ed he conferred by long distance telephone with W. E. Dunlap, divi sion rngineer at Knoxville, Tenn., concerning what Tennessee expects to do about improving US 421 from Hhouns to Zionvllle. Mr. Dunlap advised that his department has ordered rights-of-way be purchased so that contracts may be let far re-working that section. The Tennessee engineer also told Mr. Winkler that his state is mak ( Continued on page two.) Cove Creek Boys, Boone Girls Top Tourney Play Cove Creek High boys won their fourth straight Tri-County high ichool basketball championship by defeating Jefferson, 72-64, in the finals here Monday night. Appalachian High girls of Boone won irom Crossnore, 64-51, to take the girls' championship in the tournament. Crossnore was the defending champions in the brack et. Cove Creek swept into an 1B-9 lead in the first period and that was the deciding margin. Jeffer son rallied after the first quarter and matched the champions all ' the way. John Banner, Cove Creek for ward, whipped in 34 points to fea ture the attack for his team in the victory over a strong Jefferson quint. Jerry Freeman, with 24 points, and Jimmy Saunders, with 21, were the big offensive starts for the Ashe County cagers. Appalachian High girls also won the championship with a first half scoring outburst that gave them a 41-31 lead at half time. Peggy Hampton, one of the finest girl players on the Blue Ridge in the Northwest, did a brilliant all-around job, racking up 42 points. Not only did she shoot from the pivot but was dead ly from outside and at the free throw line. She also completely handcuffed the Crossnore guards with her play. Louise Dellingcr, a fine shot, ' posted 22 points to lead the attaclc for Crossnore. AT AlACHIAN HIGH BLUE DEVILETTES
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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March 3, 1955, edition 1
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