For 67 Years
The Democrat ha* aerved Boo
tauga County. With ita intenae
the local ahopping im, it'? the
titing medium available.
200 Given
-
An Independent Weekly Newmpaper ? Established in the Year Eighteen Eighty-Eight
BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY. NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, 1955
VOLUME LXVHL? NO., 8
I
Mr. and Mn Otto Thomas and son, Larry, stand with a backdrop of silage corn, which Mr. Thomas hopes
to place in the new silo, top of wt)ich may be seen in far background. ? Staff photos by Joe Minor.
Mr*. Sanford Creed and daughter, Mary Lee. pick tomatoes from their big garden. They enlarged their
garden this year, and most any kind of vegetable grown in this section were in evidence there.
Best Test Farmers Chosen At
Close Of Annual 'Farm Tour
By JOE MINOR .
Democrat Staff Writer
The familiei of Sanford Creed
and Otto Thomas were honored last
week when they were selected as
the "unit test demonstration farm
ers in Watauga county making the.
most progress on their farms in
1955," considering their resources.
Mr. and Mrs. Creed were cho
sen for having made the most pro
gress in their home, and Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas were judged to have
made the most progress on the
farm.
There are 23 farms in the county
taking active part in TV A demon
strations to see if increasing
amounts of plant food will increase
farm yields so that the farm fam
ily may enjoy a higher standard
of living. TV A uses these "test
farms" in testing new and differ
ent fertilizers.
The two farms were selected at
the end of tours to all the partici
pating farms in recent weeks.
Farmers and business men were
invited to join the tours each day
in which several of the farms were
visited. At the end of each tour
one farm and one home was se
re ted by those making the tour
as the outstanding one visited that
day. Those selected were re-visited
on tiie final day, and the Creed
home and Thomas farm were se
lected from these.
Mr. Thomas, whose (arm is lo
cated at Mabel, has been on the
TV A demonstrations for three
years. Probably the biggest perm
anent improvements he has made
were the building a barn and silo.
When he started with the demon
strations, he had 15 head of cattle.
He now has 38, and he belitves he
can easily feed them with the help
of his silo which will hold 90 tons
of silage.
He also has 29 sheep from which
he 'raised 41 lambs for market.
He had sold 21 of these at the time
his farm was visited, and L. E.
Tuckwiller, county agent, revealed
that 20 of these graded "choice."
He pointed this out to show what
good management and proper pas
turage fertilization will accomplish.
Mr. Thomas, besides his TV A
demonstrations, is working out a
beef and sheep program for his
farm with N. C. Extension Service
cattle specialists to see how many
head his farm will carry.
Most of Mr. Thomas' farm is
steep land, which means the great
er part of his row crops must be
confined to the few acres of bot
tom land he has. He feels he must
get maximum yields to feed his
livestock, which mskes the farm
ideal for these demohstrations.
To fill the silo, he has planted
five acres US 282 corn in rows 80
inches apart in 4-inch drill. For
Fred Michael Dies
In Crash Of Truck
Fred Eldred Michael, age 38, of
Boone, Route 1, was killed in Knox
ville, Tenn., Monday when the
truck he wai driving left the road
and struck a telephone pole.
An eye witness to the accident
stated that the truck, loaded with
lumber, was moving slowly when
it ran off the road shortly after 2
p. m. and struck the pole, crushing
Michael against the steering wheel.
Funeral servicea will be held at
2 p. m Thursday, August 28. at
the Rutherwood Baptist Church,
conducted by the Rev. Mr. Huff
man of Wilkes County. The body
will lit Im state at the ctaonfa from
j*'. . . .. j
1 to 2 p. m., and military. services
will be conducted at the graveside
b> the Watauga Post of the Vet
eran* of Foreign Wart. Michael
was a veteran of World War II.
He if survived by his widow,
Mrs. Doris Michael; a daughter,
Kay, of Charlotte; his mother, Mrs.
Margie Michael and his grand
mother, Mrs. Rhonda Greer, both
of Boone; a brother. Charles, of
Fort Food. Tex.; (our slaters, Mrs.
W. R. Irenhour, Grecnsburg, Ky?
Mrs. Tom Davis, Warwick, V*.,
Mrs. Roland Hardin. Boone, and
Mrs. Mas Cook, Spartanburg, S. C
grain he hu two acres US 13 corn
planted, using the atrip crop
method on a hillside. He applied
at planting time the following
amounts of fertilizer per acre: 100
lbs. ammonium nitrate, 100 lbs.
60% potash, and 200 lbs. 63%
phosphate. At laying by he side
dressed with 400 lbs. of 33% am
monium nitrate per acre.
He goes over his pastures every
two or three years, as time per
mits, with 200 lbs. 63% phosphate
per acre, and 100 lbs. 60% potash
He has applied 90 tons of lime on
his pastures in the past several
year, and clips the weeds to keep
the pastures clean.
Mr. Thomas, who considers him
self a cattleman, has only one
mon<^ row crop, and that is 6-10
acre burley tobacco. Except for
the fertilizer used for tobacco he
obtains all his fertilizer through
the'TVA plan.
Other improvements made on the
Thomas farm include 1,500 feet
drain tile laid in -his bottom land,
900 of which he put down this year;
wiring of barn; seeded H4 acres
meadow to red clover and Timo
thy; seeded S acres pasture to clov
er and blue grass; treated bottom
land wih 9% cbloradane at rate
of 100 lbs. per acre for wire
worm.
The Creed's eighUroom home in
Upper Beaver Dam showed much
work and planning had gene into
it.
Mrs. Creed was particularly
proud of her big fenced-in garden,
and she had reaaon to be. There
(Continued on page eight)
Watauga Night
At Horn In West
Wednesday night will be "Wa
tauga Ntght" at the outdoor drama
Horn in the West. Stanley A. Har
ris, president of the Boone Cham
ber of Commerce, ha* announced.
In cooperation with the event,
member* of the Merchants Associ
ation art sending as their guests
employed* of their organizations.
Mr. Harris said 200 or 300 per
sons were expected to attend the
event in addition to tbe regular
drama visitors.
llSiii
Appalachian College
Plans Made
For Farm
Day Event
Tentative plans were laid for
staging a Farmers Day in Boone
the latter part of September, at a
meeting of the board of directors
of the Merchants Association held
Tuesday.
A motion was unanimously
adopted to go ahead with plans
discussed earlier by an arrange
ments committee, the entire pro
ject being contingent upon secur
ing a speaker of sufficient stature
for the big day. Invitations will be
extended to Governor Luther Hod
ges and to Commissioner of Agri
culture L. Y. Ballentine.
The plans, still in the talking
stage, embrace a big parade in the
morning, with either the Appala
chian High School or Appalachian
College band, or both, a free bar
becue dinner on the Horn in the
West grounds, string music, quar
tet and group singing, possible
contests and priies, with an ad
dress by the Governor or other
noted speaker to close out the day's
festivities.
Glenn R. Andrews, president of
the Merchants Association, and
Stanley Harris, its manager, said
it should be stressed that the day
is to be solely an occasion for a
friendly get-together of town and
country folk to have a good time
and enjoy some "good eating, good
music, and good speaking," \vith
no commercial angles whatever.
Such a day has been "talked about"
for several years, they added.
The Committee on arrangements
is headed by Alfred T. Adams, and
includes Russell D. Hodges, L. E.
Tuckwiller, W. C. Richardson,
Ralph Tugman, and V. G. Rollins.
The date and other details will
be publicized as soon as arrange
ments are more definite, it was an
nounced.
Children's Day
Next Saturday
At Folk Fete
It will be Children'! Day Satur
day, August 27, Jhe tenth in a
summer-long aeriei of weekly folk
art festivals, unde^ the auspices of
the Southern Appalachian Histori
cal Association, according to an an
nouncement by Richard Chaae,
director.
The festivities will get underway
at 3 p. m. at the Horn iA the West
grounds, and will feature child
ren's "singing games", and factual
data on this phase of folk lore,
handed down by children from
generation to generation, Mr. Chaae
said.
"Scholars tell us," said Mr.
Chase, "that these games are relics
of pre-Christian, pagan ceremon
ials.
Another feature of Saturday's
festival will be a complete Punch
and Judy Show, with Mr. Chase as
the puppeteer.
Punchinello, said Mr. Chaae, was
a clown who came out of Italy in
the Middle Ages with bis wife
Judy, and later became famous the
world over as puppets. Participa
tion by the children is one of the
main factors in this performance,
he said.
TJiere will also be country sing
ing and dancing for all those who
wish to take part.
566 Lambs Sold
In Last Pool
The farmers from Watauga and
other nearby counties sold SM
lambs 'in the pool on Monday.
Forty-eight per cent of the lambs
graded choice and sold for (22.00
cwt. Thirty-three per cent graded
good and aold for tll.00 cwt Med
ium lambs brought 914.00 cwt.
The lamb* were trucked to
Brooklyn, New York for Swift and
Cwfuqr.
This is the last lamb pool sche
duled for Boone this year, but ?
pool will be held M West Jeffer
son some tine in September and
Watauga farmers will be invited to
sell u> this pool.
Two Are Injured In Crash Of Automobile
Two were injured at 3:30 a. m.
last Wednesday, when their auto
mobile hurtled from highway 421
at Deep Gap, sheared away a tele
phone pole, and came to rest near
the home of Robert Miller.
The automobile, which Patrol
man George Baker says was travel
ing west when it went out of con
trol and marked the highway (or
984 feet, was a 1MB Oldamobile,
which was practically demoliahed.
Its driver, Lane Roosevelt Walsh,
22, of Parlier, is a patient at a
Winston-Salem hospital, suffering
from a fracture of the spine. Earl
McNeil, 17, of Champion, suffered
face lacerations, while the third
(Photo by Pilmat'i Photo Shop)
member of the party occuping the
ill-fated car was Robert Kent Mc
Neil, of the Air Force, whole home
is at Miller'i Creek. He was un
hurt.
Officer Baker blames excessive
speed for the accident, and says
the driver of the car has been
charged with reckless driving.
Watauga Schools Will
Open Doors Monday
Appalachian High
Makes Plans For
Opening Monday
Appalachian High School begins
it* fall term Monday, Auguit 29,
occording to Dr. A. B. Crew, prin
cipal. All high school students,
grade 9 through 12, are to report
to the high school auditorium by
9:00 a. m., at which time opening
exercises will be held, with the
student body president, Bobby
Brendell, presiding. As part of
the assembly program, the high
school faculty will be introduced
and students will be given their
homeroom assignments.
The faculty has been completed,
and members and their teaching
assignments are: Dr. Crew, prin
cipal; Leroy Rogers, assistant prin
cipal and history; Mrs. Margaret
Gragg, English; Miss Ruby. Akers,
English; Mrs. Lucille Nash, read
ing; Mrs. J. A. Mullins, Latin, his
tory, English; Verlin 0. Coffey,
French, Spanish, English; Dr. Peter
Everett, math and physical educa
tion;
Jack Groce, physical education
and social studies; Paul Jolley,
math; Samuel Dry, commercial;
Mrs. Kathleen Dougherty, home ec
onomics; Mrs. Peggy Hadden, com
mercial; Miss Betty Jo Henderson,
library; Mrs. Marjorie Nifong,
physical education and social stu
dies; Kent Robinson, science; Miss
Mary Lillian Schell, physical edu
cation;
R. L. Tait, agriculture; Roy
Blanton, band; James Hadden,
science; Mrs. Elsie Erneston, cho
ral music; Mack Whitaker, science;
Harold Lakey. physical education;
Miss Mary Little, commercial;
Ralph Williams, English; and Roy
Evans, social studies.
All bus route* have not been as
signed, Dr. Crew said, but the fol
lowing is a list of bus assignment a
which have been completed: Dean
Critcher. Bus 11, Bamboo; V. C.
Payne, Bus S, Stoney Fork; Lu
ther Miller, Bus 2, Gap Creek;
John Henry Johnson. Bus 28, Up
per Meat Camp; Jack McKinney.
Bus 42. Big HU1; Wayne Triplett,
Bua 4. Triplett; and Austin Mor
eU, Bua U, Todd.
Soviet scientist denies next war
n??t be nuclear.
More than four thousand Wa
tauga County Khool children ar?
expected to assemble next Monday
for the opening of the 1855-56
school terms, and County Superin
tendent W. Guy Angell hai an
nounced a county-wide teacher*
meeting to be held at the Appa
lachian Elementary School Friday,
August 26, at 2 o'clock.
The schools will operate on a
half-day schedule Monday and
Tuesday, a short schedule will be
used in registering and classifying
students, and text books will be
issued on these dates, Mr. Angel
said.
Teachers and principals will be
on duty Monday and Tuesday af
ternoons to talk with parents and
get classrooms In shape for the
year's work. Lunchrooms will be
gin operation Wednesday, and the
price of lunches has been stand
ardized at 20 cents for all element
ary grades.
Principals at W?rk
All principals in the county be
gan work Monday, August IS, and
will be available for conference at
the schools until the opening date.
There are three new principals:
James A. Greene, at Valle Cruris
Elementary; Dwight Isenhour at
Parkway Elementary and John
Bingham at Cove Creek High.
To Improve Colored Bchoal
The Board of Education has
authorized the landscaping of the
grounds at Watauga Consolidated
School (colored), in order that
better playground facilities may be
provided. The building ia being
painted on the inaide in readineaa
lor the opening of achool.
Mrs. Bertha Neal and Mn Mar
jorie B. Lowery have been em
ployed by the local committee and
one vacancy still exiata.
New Teacher*
New teachera have been employ
ed aa follows:
Appalachian High: Verlon O.
Coffey, James E. Hadden. Mrs.
Peggy Hadden, Paul Jolly, Mar
jorie Nifong, Mary Lillian Schell,
Sudie Mullins. Returning after a
year's absence are Ruby Akera and
Roy Blanton.
Appalachian Elementary: Jane
Deaton, Edith Ray, Loretta Howe,
Ann Sanders, Gaynelle Wilson,
Nancy Lathan, Jessie D. Pease,
Mary Hudson, James White.
Green Valley: Everett Fox.
Parkway: Truman A. Critcher,
Reba S. Moretz.
Bethel: Gwynn W. Ramsey, Eliza
J. Norria.
Funds Taken From
Local Bus Depot
About one hundred dollars,
mostly silver, was taken from the
bus station Friday night, accord
ing to Police Officer W. R. Cottrell.
Entrance was gained to the
building by prizing open a rear
window, he aaid.
No arresta have been made, but
an investigation ia in progreaa.
\
Tweetsie May Return
To Her Former Trail
Graver Robbina. Jr., of Mow
ing Bock, baa announced the
pnrchaae from Gene Antry, of
the Tweetate Train, which has
ben ant of commiulon at Har
risonburg, Va? since Hurricane
Haael tare up her tracks last
fall.
Aalry sold the fanner Boone
iohnson City (rain to Robbtns,
due to neeaalve Mate of nwrfnf
the equipment acrosa the conn
try. The marie actor purchaaed
a Denver A tie Grande Western
engtae Instead.
Mr. MMm wants to brtnf
the train hack to lnai ar to
aaasa paint along ita former
route of travel, depending upon
the Interest which Is shown la
the retara of the engine and
three ranches, which are de
scribed as belag In perfect con
dition. He believes the train,
which has been widely publi
cised, would be a potent tourist
a tt radios here, sad hopes he will
have the cooperation of the peo
ple here la bringing the train
bach.
BThe colorful history of the
anrrow-gaage train, coupled to
the fact that the steam leeoaM
tlves appear to be on the way oat,
would eoabine to make of
Twistili a prtane tourist attrac
tton, Mr. lshbtoa believes.
?
Announcement
Is Made At End -
? Of Summer Term
Dr. William H. Plemmons, who
recently had served as executive
secretafy of the State Education
Commission, Thursday was elected
president of Appalachian State
Teacher* College.
The appointment, effective Sept.
1, was announced by W. J. Conrad
of Winston-Salem, chairman of the
board of trustees. The board held
its meeting in connection with the
college's summer school finals pro
gram.
Dr. Plemmons, 51, succeed! Dr.
B. B. Dougherty who retired after
more than 90 years as founder and
president on June 14. Dr. J. B.
Rankin, a member of the college
staff for 30 years, had served a*
interim president. Dr. Rankin also
will retire on Sept. 1.
The new president was born on
a farm in Buncombe County. He at
DR. WILLIAM H. PLEMMONS
Appalachian President
tended Mart Hill Junior Collage,
and graduated in hiftory from
Wake Forest College. He received
his master's degree at Duke Uni
versity and hit doctorate from the
University of North Carolina, after
special studies at the University of
Chicago.
He taught for a time in rural
and urban schools, including a
term as principal of the Leicester
school and as principal of Ashe
ville's Lee H. Edwards High
School.
Plemmons was principal of Lee
Edwards High School for five
years before he resigned to accept
a teaching fellowship at UNC.
He began teaching In? the Ashe
ville system in 1B28 at Hall Fletch
er Junior High School. He later
taught at Lee Edwards, was con
nected with Jax-Pax stores and
then became principal at Leices
ter.
He became principal at Lee Ed
wards in 1036.
Plemmons was active with the
j First Baptist Church while living
j in Asheville.
Since 1841 he has been with the
University of North Carolina in
various posts. During the war years
he served as admissions officer
and regittrar. During the latt three
yeart he hat served aa executive
secretary of the North Carolina
State Education Commission. In
this pott he directed a statewide
study of the entire public educa
tion tyttem. From the ttudy came
much of the educational progress
recently attained.
Dr. Plemmons it a Baptist lay
man and civic leader.
Conrad told the summer school
graduating class that Dr. Plem
mons' election by the board was
unanimout, and added: "We feel
that under the leadership of Dr.
Plemnoni, Appalachian State
Teachers College will continue its
march of pr ogres*."
Drivers License
Office To Close
'The driven' license office will
be closed at 1:30 p. m. Wednesday.
September 7, through Friday, Sep
tember t.
AU examiner* will b? in Chapel
Hill attending tnaerrice training
school. \ rfjj