An Independent W eekly Newspaper? Established in the Year Eighteen
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BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER It, 1955
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VOLUME LXVHL- NO. ZO.
Examiner Has Busy Schedule
W. R. STANSBERRY, State auto license examiner, looks up from his work as Mrs. Martha H. Boiling
applies for renewal of driving permit. ? Staff photoby Joe Minor.
W. Ralph Stans berry, veteran
automobile license examiner for
the Department of Motor Vehiclas,
is a busy man, by the very nature
of things, for everybody's going to
have to see him sooner or later.
That is, if they expect to whiz up
and down the highways behind the
wheels of any sort of motorized
conveyances.
Mr. Stansberry, whose service
with the license bureau goes all
the way back to the start of the
present licensing program on
July X, 1947, serves Watauga and
Ashe counties, and has charge of
the examinatipns for licensing and
renewals for some 20,000 people.
He methodically goes about his
work, patiently propounding the
questions and considering the
answers, and remains unpertubed
regardless of the number of im
patient folks wanting to get the
thing over with.
Accidents Net Uncommon
But there are some things that
haven't suited the genial license
examiner so well, such as the
time when a road test was being
given and the car was overturned
and he and the embryo driver were
chicken-cooped underneath. Or
another time when a confused
lady backed the car through a
fence. And over at Sparta once,
the accelerator was patted at the
wrong time by a fidgety learner,
and the car In which he and Mr.
Stansberry were riding, hepped
the curb, chaaed a man down and
broke hii leg. This nun wai never
able to secure a license.
Girls A Bit Quicker
When questioned as to the
adeptness of men and yomen at
the wheel on these driving tests,
Mr. Stansberry says he's found
that the girls average a bit higher
in capability, while in the routine
office question and answer depart
ment, little difference is noted.
Motorists have now gotten into
the swing of getting their licenses
renewed and fewer each year are
waiting until their cards expire to
have them renewed, the official
says. Something like 23 per cent
of the tvgtnners fail to secure
licenses <Jie first time around, due
to their inadequate knowledge of
the rules of uie road. However,
most of those applying for re
newals get by with the examiner's
o. k. handily, not more than five
to eight per cent failing to make
the grade.
The office portion of the driv
ers' tests consists of checking the
correct answers to a large number
of given questions having to do
with highway laws, and with pro
per procedure under actual driv
ing conditions. Eye tests are given,
as well as tests involving the de
signation of all highway signs by
their shape.
Like* Training Program
Mr. Stansberry it high in his
praise of the driver training pro
gram* which are being conducted
through the high schools for boys
and girls 14 and over. Text books
have been prepared for . these
courses, and their use contributes
greatly to the capabilities of the
future motorists.
Here Three Days A Week
Mr. Stansberry, occupies his of
fice in the courthouse (the grand
jury room) Wednesday, Thursday
and Friday of each week. He's in
his home town of Jefferson each
Monday and Tuesday. Mr. Stans
berry has words of praise for the
fine cooperation he gets from the
public in his work, but would ap
preciate those applying for licens
es and renewals, making appoint
ments, so as to prevent congest
ion. These appointments may be
made in person or by mail as much
as three weeks ahead, and can
easily -prevent the formation of
long, waiting lines.'
The safety element of motoring
is being stressed more and more,
and an important phase of the bat
tle against the stupendous death
toll on the highways is to see that
only the competent ones are al
lowed to take to the road. Ralph
Stansberry aims to see to that, so
far as is humanly possible.
Kephart New Horn In W est
Executive; Whitener Quits
Craig Named
Officer Of Year
Fred W. Craig, veteran mem
ber of the Lenoir police depart
ment, has been honored as police
man of the year at the police
award banquet- held at the Amer
ican Legion Home there.
Craig, 90 year-old Lenoir native,
became the fifth policeman to get
the Legion award. He was praised
by Commander Lee, who made the
presentation, for his "service,
neatness and efficiency" and par
ticularly for his faithfulness in
escorting children across the street
at East Harper School. In addition
to the certificate, Patrolman Craig
received a $100 U. S. Savings bond.
Officer Craig, who has been a
member of the Lenoir police force
for IS years is a son of Mrs. R. E.
Craig and the late Mr. Craig of
Lenpir. His wife is the former
Miss Hilda Cook of Boone. He is
a member of the First Baptist
Church and the Loyal Order of
the Moose.
Kites For Mrg.
Parker In Iredell
Mra. Julia Ann Parker, 70, died
Saturday at the home of a daugh
ter, Mrs. Huie Tcmpleton. of Blow
ins Rock Road, where ihe had re
aided moat of the time since 1M6.
Funeral services were conduct
ed at the Union Grove Methodist
Church in Iredell county Sunday
afternoon at 2:30. The Rev. D. T.
Huas, hev Melvin Brown and Rev.
BUI Hoinua took part tn the rites
Burial was la tike church cemetery.
Dr. A. P. Kephart of Blowing
Rock wai named executive vice
precedent of the Southern Appala
chian Hiatorical Association at a
meeting held in Boone laat Thurs
day.
Dr. Kephart aucceeds Dr. D. 'J.
Whitener, who reaigned the posi
tion with the organization which
produces 'Worn in the West," due
to the increase in his duties at
Appalachian State Teachers Col
lege, since his Election as dean of
the institution recently.
Russell D. Hodges, second vice
president, alao resigned, and is
succeeded by Mrs. B. W. S tailings,
who will officiate in the absence of
Dr. Kephart.
Mr. Hodges gave impaired health
as a reason for desiring to relin
quish his duties at the Horn in the
West, which had taken a large part
of hia time and attention since it
was conceived.
Mrs. James B. Winkler was nam
ed recording secretary, succeeding
Mrs. Earleen G. Pritchett, resign
ed Mrs. Pritchett'i work at the
college, she said, precluded her
continuing in the Historical As
sociation post.
Directors Named
Ten additional members, recent
ly added to the board of directors,]
are: Eatel Wagner, W. H , Gragg.
Paul Coffey, R B Hardin, J V.
Caudill, L. T. Tatum, Chappel Wil
son, Cratis Williams, Wayne Rich
ardson and R. W. Colvard. <
Dr. and Mrs. Kephart owned and
operated Camp Yonahlossee, a sum
mer camp near Blowing Rock from
1022 to 1993. Dr. Kephart had
been professor of education at Wo
man's College in Greensboro for
twenty years and has traveled ex
tensively in Europe, Africa and
South America.
T* Replace Jnrgenson I
Dr. Kephart said a new director
of "Horn in the West" to succeed
Kai Jurgenson of Chapel Hill, will
soon be selected. Mr. Jurgenson,
who has directed the Horn since
it opened, has recently resigned.
football
Route Home- ^
Appalachian'! Mountaineers suf
fered a set back Saturday night
when three players were injured in
a two-car collision near Cheenee,
South Carolina. The Appalachian
players and their wives were re
turning to Boone after the Presby
terian game when the accident oc
curred.
The Appalachian students in the
accident were first string quarter
beck Jimmy Moore, and Us wife,
Carolyn; the Ap*s' first center.
Buck Halt, aad his wtfe; and half
back Aubrey Dam, and Us wife,
Jackie.
#?
All were carried to Spartanburg
General Hospital for treatment. Re
leased after treatment were Mr.
and Mrs. Elam and Mr. and Mr*.
Hall. Jimmy Moore was released
Wednesday and hi* wile is 8(111 a
patient there
Buck liall received several brok
en ribs, Mrs. Hall had a laceration
on the right leg. Aubrey Elam had
a laceration on the head. Mrs.
Elam had a minor laceration on the
nose Jimmy Moore had a bruised
kidaey and cheat injury while his
wife suffered a broken jaw.
Captain Gragg
Commander Of
Air Forte Croup
Captain Horton E. Gragg haa
been named aa new Commander
of 360th Maintenance Squadron
replacing Captain Rudolph Torrea
who haa been aaaigned to Head
quarten Langley Air Force Baae,
Virginia.
Captain Gragg began hia mili
tary career back in 1M2 when be
enliated In the Army Air Corp* at
Shaw Field, South Carolina. He
waa immediately aent to Goodlin,
Kanaaa for primary flight training
and then to Lemiaa, Texaa for
^aic Training. From here he waa
aent to Delhart, Texaa for advanc
ed training.
He graduated from advanced
training In March IMS aa a flight
officer and was aaaigned to Bow
man Field, Kentucky aa an In
structor in flight training.
In January 1M4 he waa aaaigned
to Lourengburg, Army Air Baae in
Maxton, North Carolina where he
was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in
January 1944 and then to 1st Lieu
tenant in April of 49.
Captain Gragg was aaaigned to
Okinawa in January of 46. He re
turned to the states in April 1948
and was aaaigned to Pope AFB,
North Carolina wher4 he served
Aircraft officer for the 310th Re
connicance Wing. It was here that
he was promoted to his preaent
rank in Dec. 1950
Captain Gragg spent a three
year tour in England prior to com
ing here in Hay 1999.
The Captain and his wife Eileen
and two sons Horton Jr. ? years
old and Nickie 3 resident 1812
McNutt Drive, Plantation Acres in
Alexandria at the preaent time.
Captain Gragg is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. W. H. Gragg of Boone.
Motor Truck To
Be Given Away
Some lucky farmer who sell* his
tobacco on the Boone burley mar
ket this season will be given a
1956 CMC truck by R. C. Coleman
and his associates, Who operate
the local market.
A numbered ticket will be given
absolutely free for every basket
of tobacco sold on Boone ware
house floors, each entitling the
holder to a free chance on the
new truck.
A drawing wjll be held at the
close of the season, and the hold
er of the lucky ticket will be
awarded the truck, it has been an
nounced.
"This is merely one way in
which we wish to show our ap
preciation to the tobacco growers
of this section who have made the
Boone market a success," said Mr.
Coleman, "and we wish every one
of them could be the winner."
Zone Meeting
Lions Is Held ,
The regular quarterly zone meet
ing of Zone 1, District 31B, of
Lions International was held at
Graybeal'f Coffee Shop, Tuesday
evening, November 8. Zone 1 is
comprised of Lions Clubs from
Sparta, North Wilkesboro, Boone,
and West Jefferson.
The invocation was given by Lion
A. R. Smith, and after the dinner,
Zone Chairman Jim Baldwin pre
sided at the business meeting. Re
ports were given by all clubs re
garding their activities. Notable in
the reports was the fact that all
clubs have been averaging ap
proximately 95% attendance at
their regular meetings. Other re
ports indicate the clubs in the dis
trict are extremely active.
The following Lions Club offi
cers and members were in attend
ance at the meeting: Shoun Ker
bough and R. G. Taylor, North
Wilkesboro; A: R. Smith. John H.
Workman, and Lee Reynolds.
Boone; Earl Calhoun, R. C. Mit
chell, Homer Edwards and Basil
Landreth, Sparta; Jim Balwin, Ed.
Roland, Tom Cockerham, and Clark
Houck, West Jefferson.
The group made plans to meet
again in West Jefferson on the
second Tuesday in March 1950.
MAIL EARLY
The Post Office Department has
begun its annual "Shop early
Mail early" plea for the coming
Chriatmas season. Postal officials
expect the largest Christmas mail
load in history this year and an
nounced that the nation's railroads
are joining the department in its
drive for early mailings to promote
speedier deliveries.
Weed Caravan Com
? -)f . 1 , ?. i'? % *"v ? v ?h-?' * b?R
? I** ; ' ? , V 'V'
Area Promotional
Changes Made
In Postal Hours
Beginning Monday, November
11, Ike icrvice window* at the
Boone po suffice will be clooed
at S:M, rather than at ( o'clock
as formerly, It Is stated by Act
ing Postmaster Lyle Cook.
Mr. Cook states that he has
surveyed the traffic at the win
dows and finds that very few
patrons appear after 5:M. Be
sides, he says, savings can be
effected by the earlier closing.
The postofflce opens at I a. m.
The windows will remain clos
ed Saturday afternoons, as usual.
Empty Stocking
Fund Age Limit !
Being Changed
The age limit of underprivileged i
children eligible to share in the
Empty Stocking project will be 1
changed this year to include two- 1
year olds through ten years or
through the fifth grade.
Members of the Worthwhile Wo
man's Club will be soliciting con
tributions to finance this annual
Christmas project beginning No
vember IS. Citizens of Boone and
Watauga County are requested to
give thanks and give generously
during this Thanksgiving season,
and support this worthy project.
Mrs. Mable Brown, treasurer,
will accept contributions at the
Watauga Savings and Loan Asso
ciation office.
Mrs. Henson Is
Taken By Death
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Mrs. Hattie Harbin Henson, of
Sherwood, died at Watauga Hospi
tal Saturday.
Funeral services were held Mon
day at 2:30 at Henson's Chapel
Methodist Church by Rev. N. C.
Bush. Interment was in the church 1
cemetery.
Surviving are seven sons and
three daughters: Russell Henson,
Sherwood; Clyde, Ford Henaon,
Vilas; Vance Henaon, Wilmington; 1
Ralph, Harold and Allen Henson, i
Boone; Mrs. Duke Hollar, Sher
wood; Mrs. Carl Storie, Blowing '
Rock; Mrs. Myrtle Penley. Hick
ory.
Tar Heel peanut farmers can
plant only 168,813 acres of pea
nuts next year if they use the full
state allotment.
Veteran Postal Clerk
Steps Down Tuesday
B. H. Watson, veteran Boone
poiUl clerk, retired Tuesday, end
ing more than 32 years of service
here.
Mr. Watson began his career
with the postal service in 1916, and
carried the mail on a star route
From Boone to Stony Fork for four
years. He was assistant postmast
er from 1923 until 1926, and has
been regular clerk since that time.
Since Mr. Watson's appointment
in 1923 the Boone postoffice has
grown from a third class office
with receipts of less than seven
thousand dollars and two employ
ees. to a first class office with an
nual receipts of about fifty-five
thousand dollars and fourteen em
ployees.
Mr. Watson's devotion to duty
?nd his uniformly courteous ser
vice have been complimented by
Acting Postmaster Cook, and pat
rons of the postoffice.
During his more than 32 years
jf service he has missed work on
ly seven days because of illness.
Mr. Watson will continue hii
residence in Boone, and will en
gage in part-time farming opera
tions during his retirement.
B. H. WATSON
Nash To Attend Meet
National Music Figures
Gordon A. Nuh, head of the'
Music department at Appalachian
State Teachers College, will repre
sent the school at the thirty-first
annual meeting of the National
Association of Schools of Music.
The sessions this year will be held
at the Jefferson Hotel in St. Louis,
Missouri, on Friday and Saturday,
following Thanksgiving Day. Ap
palachian has heen a member of
the NASM since November of 1993
Founded iq 1924 by a small
group of leading schools for the
purpose of establishing higher ob
jectives in music education, the
association has since grown until
it now includes 229 of the leading
iniversities, colleges and conserva
tories in this country. Many of the
nation's foremost music educators
will be in attendance.
The first general session will be
opened by NASM president, Harri
son Keller, New England Conaerv
atory. On Friday afternoon the del
egates will attend a concert of the
St. Louis Symphony Orchestra as
guests of the Symphony Society.
Regional meetings will be held
Friday evening.
Since the National Commission
on Accreditation has designated
the NASM as the aaaociatlon re
sponsible for the approval of music
standards on a national basts, the
outcome of these deliberations will
have a significant bearing on the
trend of music education in this
country.
Officers of the NASH are: presi
dent, Harrison Keller, New Eng
land Conservatory, Boston; treas
urer, Frank B. Jordan, Drake Uni
versity, Des Moines; vice-president,
E. William Doty, University of Tex
as, Austin; secretary, Burnet C.
Tuthill, Memphis College of Mu
sic, Memphis.
Vet Authority
To Visit Boone
Lionel Ward, veterans service
officer, says that a representative
from the State Veterans Commis
sion will be in his office Friday,
November 18, 8 a. m. to 12 noon.
He will help veterans with their
insurance problems or in any other
way where help is needed.
Meat and livestock products are
the biggest money earners for
farmers, largely because of a con
tinuing rise in public demand for
beef.
Market To Have
Full Set Buyers;
Receipts Brisk
A caravan of tome 29 automo
bile* and a found truck made a
tour of four countiea Monday and
Tuesday to advertiae and promote
the Boon* Burley Tobacco Market
Huge sign* were carried on each
car in the caravan urging farmer*
to "iell your tobacco in Boom,
ypur be*t burley market."
Monday'* itinerary included the
Valle Cruci*, Beech Creek, Beaver
Dam, Reeae, Silveritone and other
action* of Watauga County, and a
part of Avery County.
Stop* were made along the way
and printed circular* were diitri
buted adviiing farmer* that a 1986
GMC truck will be given to the
lucky ticket holder at the cloee of
the 1998-86 *ale* sea*on in Boone.
A free ticket will be given with
each baaket of tobacco told at
Boone warehouie*.
The entourage returned to
Boone Monday afternoon, and
atarted out again Tueiday morn
ing 'on a similar trip through Aahe
and Alleghany countie* with prin
cipal atop* dated for We*t Jeffer
son and Sparta.
Ceremoni?* were planned at
Sparta, where Mayor T. Roy Bur
gtsa waa acheduled to head ? wel
coming committee to greet the
caravan.
The "Tobacco Caravan" was ar
ranged by the Boone Merchant!
Association, with J. V. CaudilJ aa
chairman of the committee.
Salea on the Boone market will
operate on a iW hour schedule
through December 21, and will be
reiumed January 3 after the
'Christmas holidays.
Tobacco is coming in at a good
dip, and receipta are expected to
be brisk up, to and including open
ing day, said R. C. Coleman, op
erator of the local burley market.
A complete set of buyers re
presenting all cigarette and ex
port companies will be on the
Boone market this season, Mr.
Coleman said, and added:
"Keep your tobacco dry, grade
it carefully, and bring it to Boone.
You will receive as high or higher
prices at your local market as any
where in the belt, so why drive
farther and add to your expense?"
The Merchants Association,
which is going "all out" in promot
ing the market and Christmas
shopping in Boone, urges that all
business people contribute liber
ally as possible when solicited for
donations to the fund for Christ
mas lights and decorations, adver
tising, and other needs.
Auto production is moving into
high gear.
Twenty-Five Appalachian Students In Who's Who
^ ?
The following students have been aelneted to represent Appalachian
?In Who?? Who Among Student* in American Colleges and Universi
tica. They are Ted Bametl. Harold Bennett. Bill Benson. Jack
Branch, Betty Jane Brown, Jeanna Cofiey, Jim Craig, Susie Dobbins,
. :t , ... , - ^
Lib Eaif le, Eramett Elledfe. Chrl* Elliott, Herb Good. Ray Greene,
Tee man Haithcock. Charles Hancock, Juanita Howell, Jane Harriaoo. , O
Richard Lapiah, Russell McDonald, Valorie Mother, Jim Ollia. Joan- j? i
ettc He id, Julia Rom, BUI Sofley, and Camilla Welborn.? Story pa*e ?.