Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / March 31, 1955, edition 1 / Page 1
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Song of Springtime The (lowers appear on the earth, the time of the tinging of bird* ia come* and the voice of the turtle ia heard in our land. ? s Solomon 2:12. WATAUGA DEMOCRAT An Independent Weekly Newspaper ? Established in the Year Eighteen Eighty-Eight Date March 21 March 22 March 23 March 24 March 29 March 26 March 27 BOON! WKA1 Thorn 39 58 80 90 90 45 20 23 38 28 30 13 6 p.m. rainfall 40 .00 23 1.11 47 tr. J 42 40 13 35 23 Tract of snow fill on March XI, AS, 21. SIXTY-SIXTH YEAR,- NO. 38 BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 31, 1955 16 PAGES - 2 SECTIONS Ransom Tester And Wife Slain? Murder, Suicide, Coroner Says Hansom Tester. 59, a retired Navy chief warrant officer, and his wife, Mrs. Irene Tester, 52, were found shot to death Wednes day night, March 23, at their home near Valle Crucis. Coroner Richard E. Kelley said the couple had been dead since about 6 p. m Tuesday. He ruled it a clear case of murder and suicide. He said that Tester shot his wife in the left arm and forehead. Her body was found lying on the floor in a bedroom. Tester then went to the base ment of their residence and fired a bullet from a German pistol in to his right temple. Kelley and Sheriff Ernest Hod ges, who went to the Tester home Wednesday night shortly after the bodies were found by Henry Tay lor, a neighbor, reported there was no sign of a struggle in the bed room. The Testers, who were alone at their home, have four children, all residing in other cities. Coroner Kelley and Sheriff Hod gos said they could find no motive for Tester's act. Tester, a native of the Valle Crucis community, retired a few years ago after long service in the Navy. Mrs. Tester is a native of Massachusetts. The coroner said that apparent ly both Tester and his wife died instantly from the bullet wounds. Double funeral services were held at 2 p. m. Saturday, March 26, at the Holy Cross Episcopal Mis sion Church at Valle Crucis. Cap tain H. Wheat, church worker in charge of the Holy Cross Mission, conducted the rites, assisted by the Kev. N. C. Bush. Burial was in the Mission cemetery. The Testers are survived by a son, Ransom B. Tester, with the U. S. Army, stationed at Fort Bragg; and three daughters, Mrs. Irene H. Gibson, Washington, D. C , Mrs. Marilyn T. Mayhew, Nor folk, Va., and Mrs. Carolyn T. Mast, of Charlotte. Mr. Tester is also survived by a brother, Palmer Tester, of Lexing ton; a half-brother, Duke Tester of Banner Elk; and two sisters, Mrs. Hattie Lawrence, Banner Elk, and Mrs. Don Reid, Jacksonville, Fla. Surviving Mrs. Tester are two sisters, Mrs. Ruth Coker of Bos ton, Mass., and Mrs. Jacqueline Gramaline of Medford, Mass. Fire Wardens Are Appointee! C. P. Teague, county forest rang er, has announced the appointment of the following township wardens: Upper Beaver Dam, Cecil Swift, Reese; Lower Beaver Dam, Paul Tester; Laurel Creek, Dwight Cable, Sugar Grove; Shawneehaw (Cool Springs), Henry Michael; Dutch Creek, Frederick Michael; ttatauga Township, Creed Taylor, Foscoe; Blowing Rock, Dan Klutz, Jr.; Meat Camp No. 2, Alfred Mc Neil, Howard's Creek. Announcements for other town ships will be made later. Burning permits, Ranger Tea gue says, may be secured from the township wardens or at the fol lowing places: Howard Mast Store, Valle Cru ris; Harmon's ? Grocery, Matney neighborhood; Bert Mast Store, Mabel. Other establishments for the issuing of permits will be de signated later. ANN CHAMBERS, warmly clad in a wool tennis sweater, was among the Urge turnout of netter* who flocked to the new courts when the weather broke here recently, ? Appalachian photo by Johnny Corey. ? Gill H. Phillips Dies On Tuesday; Rites Thursday ? Gill H Phillips, resident of Boone, died Tuesday morning at ?he home, of a daughter, Miss San dra Phillips of Johnson City, Tenn., following a six months period of declining health. Funeral services will be con ducted Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Boone Methodist Church by the Pastor, Rev. E. H. Lowman. Rev. J. T. Shaekford. for mer pastor, of Walkertown, will as sist in the service*. Bui'ial will \>e in the Hardin cem etery at Beaver Creek. The body was brought to the home of a sister, Mrs. Margaret Hughes of Boone Tuesday after noon and will remain there until 1 o'clock Thursday following which it will lie in state at the church for one hour preceding the funeral. Surviving are a daughter, Miss Sandra Phillips, Johnson City, Tenn.; two brothers, Clifford D. Phillips. Robert A. Phillips, For est City; three sisters, Mrs. Mar garet Hughes, Boone; Mrs. Paul Hofler, Gatesville; Mrs. P. C. Parks, Elk Park. Mr. Phillips had been a resident of Boone for more than twenty years, where he had engaged in the outdoor advertising and sign business He was a member of the Boone Methodist Church. Turkey seeks $300,000,000 credit from U. S. Postal Officials And Workers Meet To Hear Of Decentralization Plan Postmaster and postal officials from this section of the Stale as sembled in Boone last Tuesday, and heard Raleigh G. Hawn, of Charlotte, new diitrict manager, declare that the post office de partment's new decentralization program is declgacd to give them mora freedom in the operation of their offices. The meeting was held in the Watauga County Courthouse and was one of a series of "get-ac quainted meetings Mr. Hawn has scheduled throughout the 43 west ern North Carolina counties in his district. He explained the primary pur pose of the decentralization plan is is give local postal officials great er initiative in working out their own problems. "Department poli cies will stil lbe made in Wash ington," he said, "but they will be administered on regional and dis trict levels." "I believe you will find it a great pleasure to make this transition and bring this great enterprise (post office) into line with modern business methods," Manager Hawn said. Postmasters will have more au thority than ever and will be ex pected to make most of the de cisions themselves, Mr. Hawn said. But be urged them to refer dif ficult problems to his office. "If we don't have the answer we'll get it for you." Mr. Hawn said the new system I actually brings local offices closer to Washington, saying, "The post) office department is now as close to you as your district office." I Business falling under Mr. : Hawn's office includes promotions, Growth Of Boone Is Reflected In Increased Numbed Phones Indicative of the growth of !ioonc and surrounding communi- | ics, is the increase in the number I >f telephone directors distributed o local telephone subscribers. Approximately 1400 new direc ories were delivered to homes ind businesses, according to H. M. nabinet, Manager of Southern Sell Telephone Company, compar ed with 1134 when the last direc ory was delivered. The new directory contains nany new and changed listings nd other helpful telephone infor mation, and is easily distinguish ble from the old green Covered look by its grey cover. The classified section? yellow >agca ? contains listings for busi icst subscribers under headings Iphabctized according to their msinesses or professions. "The ariety of classifications deterib ng products, services, professions nd businesses, provide a conveni ng ready reference guide when you want to locate a firm or an in dividual," Mr. Inabinet pointed out. The new directory will carry in structions how to dial when free service between Boone and Blow ing Rock is established on 4-1-58 which permits subscribers to dial parties in either town direct with out going through lone distance. Mr. Inabinet stated that the ex tended service is in connection with Southern pell's expansion program of providing more and better telephone service. Mr. Inabinet requests that the old directory be discarded and that the new directory be referred to when telephone numbers are de sired. Looking up the desired num bers helps to avoid the possibility of getting wrong ntAbers and sav es time for both the calling and called parties. "Information" should be called only whin the number you are seeking is not listed in the directory. ? disciplinary action and operational problems which formerly were handled through the main office in Washington. The decentralization program was adopted to eliminate this "bottleneck" and cure the "growing pains" which have plagued the postal system for years, he said. The new manager urged that all post office employes extend the greatest courtesy to patrons, and to do everything they could to keep the morale of postal employes on the "highest level." District Two is one of eight of fices se^ up under a new regional headquarters at Atlanta. The re gion includes North and South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and Puerto Rico. Acting Postmaster Lyle Cook of Boone, presided over the gather* ing. which was attended by postal workers from several Northwestern Counties of North Carolina. How ard C'ottrell, acting in behalf of Mayor Gordon H Winkler, brought greeting! from the Town of Boone. Boy Scout Boyce MoreU led the pledge of allegiance to the flag, and the Rev. L. H. Hollingsworth offered the invocation. Coming to Boone with Mr. Hawn was his assistant district manager, Frank E. Graham, also of Char lotte. He has been with the postal service for 20 years. Mr. Hawn has been connected with the Post Off ice Department since 1924. He is a native of Hickory. Parkway Association To Meet In Boone May 14 The Blue Ridge Parkway As sociation will hold its annual meet ing in Boone on May 14th starting at 10:00 a. m. The Blue Ridge Parkway As sociation is composed of the Cham bers of Commerce within forty miles of the Parkway from the Shanandoah National Park to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Douglas Kouns of Asheville is president. Randolph Perry of Charlottesville, Va. is vice-presi dent and Jack Goodykoontz of Roa noke, Va. is secretary-treasurer. The manager of the Chambers of Commerce at Front Royal, Va. and Lyuchburg. Va. are on the Execu tive Committee from ^Virginia. While Grover Robbins of Blowing Rfck and Hugh Morton of Linville and Boone will represent North Carolina and Bert Leiper of Gat linburg will represent Tennessee. The Board of Directors is made up of one from each Chamber of Commerce. At the annual meeting there are three important items to come up. Another tour of the Parkway territory such as the North Carolina Motor Clubs have conducted in the past. October when the colors are good is sug gested. Other tours h4te been in the spring. The formal dedication of the Parkway i^to be planned. It has never been officially open ed. Arrangements were made in lflkl but the Korean War prevent ed the Prefidcnt of the United States from coming. It is hoped tOi arrange that program for the spring of 1996 Also plans for pub lishing a directory of accommoda tions and services along the Park way for 1995-56 are being made. Officers to be elected are presi dent, vice president, secretary and treasurer, chairman of the tours committee, publications committee and the dedication committee, a j finance and membership chairman. | Stanley X. Harris, president of the Boone Chamber of Commerce is | chairman of the nominating com ' mittee. 'Easter Seals Are Available At Horn Watauga county residents over looked in the mailing of 1955 East er Seals can receive their seals at the Horn in the West office up stairs at 106 West King Street, Boone. Bob Isbell, president of the Wa tauga Easter Seal Society, urged all Watauga residents who have not received letters from him to call at the office and thus partici pate in the 22nd annua^ drive in behalf of crippled children, i "It is inevitable that some per sons may be missed in such a large-scale mailing as made this year," Isbell said. "We not only urge all Wataugans to call for their seals, but to use them on each piece of Eastcrtime mail." The campaign continues through \ Easter Sunday, April 10. Union Service Set For Good Friday ?i A Union Good Friday Service 1 ?UI be held at Grace Lutheran Church from one to two o'clock, and will he participated la by all the local churches. l All businei* house* are expected to be closed durifag the hour and everyone Is requested to take part in the service. President Eisenhower has asked Congress for an emergency $12, 000.000 appropriation to develop plans for evacuating, shelters and other ways to meet a hydrogen i bomb attack. ? ~ College Summer Sessions Will Embrace'Expanded Program Mayor Winkler Is Injured In Fall ? Mayor Gordon H. Winkler suf fered a fractured vertebra Friday, when he fell on the Ice near his home on Blowing Rock Road. Mayor Winkler is reported to be in fair condition at Watauga Hos pital. It is said that his condition is not believed to be critical, but he has suffered intense pain. Wildlife Group Elects Officers Officers were electcd by District 7 B of the Wildlife Federation of North Carolina, at a meeting held Wednesday, March 23, at Hotel Wilkes in North Wilkesboro. Dr. R. T. Burgess, of Sparta, was elected chairman; R. L. Aus tin, of Laurel Springs, vice-chair man; and Dr. O. K. Richardson, Boone druggist, secretary-treasur er. The promotion of additional Wildlife clubs in the district was j also discussed at the meeting, j District 7-B comprises the coun ties of Alleghany, Alexander, Ashe, Watauga, and Wilkes. Scouts Attend Board Of Review A number of Boy Scouts in Wa tauga district received advance ment in a board of review held in Blowing Rock Monday night. The Scouts whose advancement was ap proved were from Blowing Rock, Boone, and Valle Crucis. Doss Keller of Troop 701 of Blowing Rock was approved for four merit badges. One merit- bad ge each was approved for Bennie Robinson, Perry Coffey, Hoyle Cof fey, Larry Moody, Jim Bob Coffey, and Dee Hodge of Troop 701 and Richard Greer of Troop 109 of Boone. Doss Keller of Troop 701 was ad vanced in rank from second to first class. Upgraded from tenderfoot to second class Scout were John Tho mas Cook of Troop ISO, Valle Cru cis; Jack Roark, Troop 109, Boone; and James Robert Coffey of Troop 701, Blowing Rock. At an earlier board of review Joe Minor of Boone was elevated to first class Scout, and Butch Parker, Raymond Harmon and Charles Tri vette to second class. R. D. Hodges Jr. is chairman of the committee on advancement for the Watauga District. Health Offieer At Asheville Meeting Dr. Mary Michal, health officer, attended a Western Nf C. Rural Health Conference in Asheville last Thursday. This is under the auspices of the Rural Health Com mittee of the N. C. State Medical Society. The morning was given over to the following topics: "Farm and Home Safety"; "Sanitation, Problems and Practices"; "Hospi tal and Surgical Insurance." The afternoon program was a forum discussion with Dr. W. O. Duck of Mars Hill as moderator. ' NUMBER 2,000. ? Registrar H. R. Eggers of Appalachian State Teachers College is shown here enrolling the first 2000th student ever to be registered at the college in a regular term, lie is Hubert Morrow, teacher in the Elkin school system, who is enrolling in a graduate extension class. Also shown (right to left) are James Everldge of Jonesville and Ben Hunicutt. The enrollment for the year at ASTC is 2056, with 1650 on the campus at present. Of these 135 J are under graduate students and 297 are graduate students. Boone And Blowing Rock To Get Direct Telephone Service Free telephone service between Boone and Blowing Rock will be instituted on April 1, it is an 12 Rahid Animals Are Reported Here The latest health department re port on the rabies situation locally indicates that since January 1, 29 animal heals have been sent to the laboratory for examination. Twelve of these have been re ported positive, or afflicted with rabies. Affected were nine dogs, one cat, one cow, one sheep. The other 17 animals included 2 heads in unsatisfactory condition, and 7 not clinically diagnosed as rabid, but examined at the request of the owner. Negative reports were re ceived on 2 cows, 1 pig and 7 dogs. The Health Department issues the following statement: "If stray, wild, uncared for dogs were eliminated and our cared-for, home-owned dogs vaccinated, rab ies will disappear. The fox popula tion gets the disease tfom stray dogs. "The disturbing fact is that we I are exposing our defenseless chil- 1 dren, our most valuable possession, to a fatal disease. "Just as we have practically wiped out diphtheria and typhoid fever, mainly by vaccination, so we can protect our cared-for pets! so that the humans living close to them will not be exposed to rab- | ies." nounced by H. M. Inabinet, group manager for the Southern Bell Telephone Co. Boone subscribers can dial Blowing Rock direct by dialing "9" and then dialing the number desired. Blowing Rock residents, wishing to call Boone will dial "6" and then dfal the number wanted. Mr. inabinet says this move is in line with the Bell Company's expansion program, designed to give better service to its patrons. He believes the direct service be tween Boone and Blowing Rock will be a contribution to the busi ness and social relationships be tween the two towns. Boone-Blowing Rock connections are now long distance calls, hand led through Lenoir. Polio Vaccine Forms Available In the expectation that the Salk polio vaccine will be licensed by the Federal government, Allegh any, Ashe and Watauga counties which comprise the local health ; department, are making plans to begin the inoculation of children ! in the first and second grades of public, private and paraochial schools. Children will be vaccinated only on request of the parents, and re quest forms have been distributed throughout the schools. March of Dimes funds are providing this ^ecine W atauga, Avery Burley Growers Meet To Discuss Weed Program Prospect More than 500 burley tobacco growers from Watauga and Avery ! counties last Wednesday voted to accept recommendations by the U. j S. Department of Agriculture aim ed at improftng the burley pro gram, now threatened by a heavy 1 surplus anJ skidding prices. ' The recynmendations include: 1. Acreage reduction? the size of the cut yet to be determined. 2. Elimination of "tolerances" ? I a ruling which until now has per mitted overplanting of allotments when not greater than one-20th of an acre. 0 3. Increasing the penalty on sales of excess production from 50 per cent to 79 per cent. Clyde R. Greene of Boone. SUte Agricultural Stablization and Con servation chairman, who presided at today's meeting, reminded the growers that burley cooperative* now have a three-year stock of un- . sold burley leaf, which will affect future prices. ^ R. Flake Shaw, executive vice president of the N. C. Farm Bureau Federation, and Joe K. Williams of Winston-Salem, now head of the tobacco branch of the U., S. Department of Agriculture, out lined the burley? itviation as fol lows: 9 Burley production, which must depend almost entirely on domes tic markets, has bacn Increasing for several years, and last year was far in excess of demand At the same time, burley pro ducers are numerous and the aver age acreage allotment is quite small in comparison with flue-cur ed allotments. The minimum allotment now is 7-10 of an acre. I Further reduction would be dif- { ficult ? yet present total burlcy production is nearly twice annual consumption. Burley is growir chiefly in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Ken tucky. ? At the close of today's meeting, telegrams concerning the growers' approval of recommendations were sent to U. S. Rep. Watt AbbOTt, U. S. Rep. Hugh 'Alexander, and R. G. Bridgcforth of the U. S. De partment of Agriculture. A bill introduced in the U. S. House of Representatives by Rep Harold G. Coolcy- of North Caro lina, recommending that this min imum be reduced to Vt acre, was defeated. Additional bills affecting burlcy production are now pending in Congress. Plans Are Made For Three Terms; Courses Outlined The summer school bulletin of Appalachian State Teachers Col lege, for the 1955 summer sessions is off the press A full schedule of academic activity is planned for this year under Chapell Wilson, who is director of the summer sessions. There will be three six week terms. The first will extend f om June 9 to July 15, the last from July 18 to August 19 The middle teim will overlap both of these terms, covering the period from June 20 to July 29. Work may be taken in these regular or in the * short terms to apply to renewal of certificates, undergraduate credit toward a degree, or graduate cre dit toward the master of art. de gree. . In addition there will be thir teen short courses lasting two weeks each There are two two week terms, one from July 3 to '5. the other from July 18 to 29. The workshops, lasting for two weeks, are as follows Reading Workshop, June 20 to July 1, directed by Donald Henry farker, director of the Charlotte "eaf'n? Cent"; Workshop on North Carolina. July 5 to 15 dir Tfu bA ?r ? Wh'tener, head of the ASTC social studies depart ment, Miss Lois H. Floyd, teacher ?u r, on city schools, and with Dr. Christopher Crittenden, director of the State Department of Archives and History, con Elemem<?ry Educa tion Workshops, July 5 to 15, July Dr !UdnAUgU,t 1 t0 12> with Dr. Mildred Dawion of the ASTC faculty and Miss Mayme A Ricker of the Berry Schools in Georgia as two of the directors. Piano Workshop, July i8 to 29 directed by Dr Lea Podolsky, in ternational authority on piano P aying and piano teaching; Audio Visual Aids Workshop, July is to ?. directed by Dr. J. R. Shaffer, Appalachian's audio-visual expert Guidance Workshop, July 18 to 29* directed by Miss K*her,ne Kitch en. guidance director of the Rocky Mount schools, and Miss Frankie Craven, guidance director of the fnt*te*V"'e Student Teach ing. Workshop, August 1 through '2'd'r ,eCted b> Dr "erbert Wey, ASTC director of student teaching; Music Education Workshop, Aug ust 1 through 12, sponsored jointly by Silver Burdett Company, pub f'" of New Music Horizons and ASTC; English Workshop, August through 12, directed by Dr. Mild red Dawson of ASTC and Paul farmer, coorinator of Language Arts in the Atlanta public schools and sponsored jointly by the Na tional Council of Teachers of Eng lish and Appalachian State Teach ers College. Reports Made On Feeder ('a If Safes In the twelve Feeder Calf Sales held last September and October, 4,669 calves averaged 454 pounds in weight, according to a report from the State College Extension Service at Raleigh. ? The average price for these calves was $16 97 per hundred weight, or $77.13 per head. The 923 fancy and choice steer calves averaged $100.40 per head as Com pared to an average of $79.77 per head for the 1,842 good and med ium grade steers- sold through thrse same sales. This is a differ ence of $20.63 in favor of the fan cy and choice steers. The fact that only one out of every three steer calves graded fancy or choice is evidence that there is a need for more good bulls, a strict culling of the cow herds, and improved feeding and management practices, said the re port. Farthing To Attend Meeting At Duke U. Mr. H. Grady Farthing will be in Durham Thursday and Friday where he will attend the fourth Southern Municipal and Industri al Waste Conference at Duke Uni versity. Mr. Farthing is a member of the State Stream Sanitation Commission. \ ? ?
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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March 31, 1955, edition 1
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