North Carolina Newspapers

An Independent Weekly Nettmpaper ? Established in the Year Eighteen Eighty-Eight BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY t, 1?M > 4 ? A Backward Glance If you Uke to read of the early day* in Boon* turn to page (oar (or "Our Early lilac" itcmi of witty, thirty-nine and fifteen year* ?o 14 PAGES? I SECTIONS VOLUME LXVUL? NO. 32. ? Staff Photo by Jot Minor NEW VALLE CRUCIS ELEMENTARY SCHOOL Watauga Is Experimental Area In Development Plan By V. G. ROLLINS Watauga County has been des ignated by Governor Lutber Hod ge* as an "experimental county" in connection with one of bis pet projects for tbe industrial growth of tbe state, the Business Develop ment Corporation of North Caro lina. Watt H. Gragg, a member of the board of directors, said the Gover nor proposes, to set up a so-called Industrial Bank, a statewide or ganization whose function will be to finance qnall industry at pos sibly greater risks than thoae normally taken by conventional banks and other commercial lend ing agencies. Meeting last week with a group of interested business men under (he auspices of the Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Gragg said the corporation will sell stock at $10 per share to individuals and or ganizations throughout the state. A tentative limit of $1 million worth of stock has been set, of which $828,000 has already been subscribed. In view of the fact that this county has been singled out as one of several "proving grounds" for the entire project, the commit tee, composed of G. C. Greene, Jr., Chamber of Commerce president, Stanley A.. Harris, manager, Al fred T. Adams, cashier of the Northwestern Bank, and other members, has set 910,000 as the amount of stock that should be purchased in Watauga. Mr. Adams pointed out that stock purchases would be in the nature of investments, with inter est and dividends payable at pre vailing rates. A total of $9,000 worth of stock has been purchased locally to date, he said, and additional pledges have been made with no specific amount designated. The bank, said ih. Gragg, will make loans of varying amounts to good risks to start local industrial enterprises, and give them up to 19 years or more to repay at six per cent interest. Payments will be staged to conform with poten tial revenue in each case. Mentioned as new industries in the processing field that might prove profitable in Watauga were the processing of berries, char coal. hams and shoulders/ , The Industrial Bank is expected to get into operation sometime in April, Mr. Gragg said. Burley Growers Face Cut Risk More than one hundred burley tobacco {rowers (ace a reduction of their allotment* unleaa their to bacco marketing card* are return ed to the County ASC office by February 19, 1>96, it wa* announc ed today by County ASC Chairman, B. W. Farthing A count on Tuesday showed 137 cards outstanding. Immediately af ter the 1Mb the committee is oblig ed Jo take action in the reduction of allotment* for failing to comply with this regulation. All farmers who have failed to return their marketing card* should see that they are returned to the county of fice before this date. <r - ? : ? _v ? Mayor Proclaims 26th As Heart Sunday * A proclamation designating Sun day, February 26, aa ^'Heart Sun day," and calling upon all citizens to give generously to the Heart Fund as they welcome volunteer workers who are to complete a house-to-houae collection on the *1 James R. Mast Dies Sunday At Lenoir Hospital Lenoir, Feb. 6. ? Funeral serv- j ice* (or James Robey Hait, 78, well-known retired farmer of South Mulberry Street, were conducted at the First Baptist Church at three o'clock this afternoon. He passed away at a local hospital at 1:30 o'clock on Sunday morning after an extended illness. He had been critically ill for the last sev eral days, and his passing was not unexpected. . Officiating at the rites was the Rev. H. O. Owens, Jr., pastor of the church. Interment was made in Blue Ridge Memorial Park on the Le noir- Wilkesboro road. Mr. Mast was torn in Watauga county ' September 19, 1877, the son of Noah Mast and Lucinda Adams Mast. Prior to his retire ment 16 years ago, he was the successful operator of a large farm in the Cove Creek section about, two miles from Mast, which was named for members of his family. He fos a member of a pioneer family in that section which is about seven miles west of Boone. On November 13, 1992, Mr. and Mrs. Mast observed their 90th wedding anniversary. Mrs. Mast was the former Miss Addie Greeny, also a native of Watauga county. He was a member of the First Baptist church here. Surviving in addition to the wid ow, are six daughters, Mrs. May nard An^ley, Mrs. Vance MoCuire, Mr?. George Vannoy, and Mrs. Clarence Berry, all four of Lenoir; Mrs. John Price of Memphis, Tenn., and Mrs. Paul Bingham of West Jefferson; a sen, Wiley Mast, of Lenoir; 11 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren. Also surviving are five brothers, Willie Mast at Valle Crucis, Fred Mast, of Idaho, Clyde Mast of Su gar Grove, Grady Mast of Eliza bethtoil, Tenn., and Lee Mast of Sherwood; three sisters, Mrs. Pearl Sherwood of Bristol, Va., Mrs. Inez Ellis of Washington, D. C. and Mrs. Rosa Sherwood of Detroit, Michigan, and a boat of nephew*, nieces and cousins. Admiral Richard E. Byrd recent ly lent a radio message, welcom iag the Societ Antarctic expefli tion to Witkea Land. He reminded the Ruesieae indirectly that the United State* had had the firit look at the area. trrnoon of that day, was iuued this week by Mayor Gordon H. Winkler. It ia anticipated that 35 to 40 volunteers workers will be enroll ed, aaid Dr. William H- Smith, 1956 fieart Fund chairman. Mrs. John G. Martin ia chairman of. Heart Sunday, and the publicity for the entire campaign ia being di rected by Mrs. Lee Reynolds ancf Mrs. B. W. Stalling?. The one afternoon, community wide effort will be the climax and culmination of the local 1990 Heart Fund campaign, which ia to ex tend throughout the month of Feb ruary. The text of Mayor Winkler's proclamation follows: BE IT PROCLAIMED: WHEREAS, an army of 35 to 40 public-spirited workers will make k house-to-house collection in be half of the Heart Fund on the af ternoon of Sunday, February 28, and WHEREAS, the Heart Fund sup ports a coordinated fight against diseases of the heart and circula tion, both locally and nationally, and WHEREAS, these diseases arc responsible for nearly 800,000 deaths annually in the United States, as well as about half of the deaths that occur in this city, and WHEREAS, the heart diseases affect an estimated 10,000,000 . (Continued or page fix) Geo. McCain , Dies In Waxhaw (Special to the Democrat I Monroe, N. C.t February 6. ? George A. McCain, 88, died at the home in Waxhaw Saturday, follow ing a long illness. Funeral services were held Mon day at the Waxhaw Presbyterian Church and burial was in the church cemetery. A retired fanner, Mr. McCain was a graduate of the University of Kentucky, and wai a deacon in the Waxhaw Presbyterian Church for 90 yeari. , Among the survivors is a daugh ter, Miss Madeline McCain of' Greensboro, a former resident of Boone. Tax Collector To Visit City * Jack Williams, deputy collector with the State Revenue Depart ment. will be at th% grand jury room in the courthouse Wednes day, February 22, and March 7, 21, for the purpoae of assisting State income taxpayers in filiag their returns. Meantime the Democrat la dis tributing State income tax forma to those who wish them, aa ? pub lic service. ^ ? y,-i Freezes, Rains Combine To Play Hay oc W ith Roads; Schools Close Chamber Commerce To Hear Proposals For 56 The monthly meeting of the Chamber of Commerce will be held at Boone Trail Restaurant, Tues day, February 14, at 12 noon. This is the annual session when every one is requested to suggest things which the Chamber should attempt to do in the year IBM. Tables will be arranged so that six to eight can sit at a table, and during a period of discussion on projects, each table will be re quested to suggest five or more things which the Chamber of Com merce should undertake. Every member is urged to be present if ? possible, by President G. C. Greene, Jr. If you do not attend, he asks that suggestions be written, and turned in time for the meet ing. Attend Hickory Meeting Mr. Greene and Stanley A. Har ris attended the annual meeting of the Hickory Chamber of Com merce last week. Governor Luther Hodges was the principal ipeaker. After reviewing the history of the Chamber* of Commerce, the governor declared th% Chamber of Commerce hai come to be an es sential part of the growth program of every city. Its contribution is so significant and its work so im portant that every citizen of the community should consider it a privilege and an obligation to be long to the Chamber of Commerce. The Governor reviewed the mar velous progress made by North Carolina industrially in the last twenty-five years, and he tmpha kized the need for continued in dustrial growth in every com munity and the importance of the Chamber of Commerce co-operating with the State Department of Con servation and Development in bringing this about. Two hundred fifty-two persons attended the annual meeting of the -Boone Chamber of Commerce, held January 9, and the officers expressed hope that the majority of them will feel the responsibility of attending the monthly meetings and participating in the activities of the Chamber of Commerce in Boone. Fox Is Killed In Herd Cows Mr. B. H. Watson killed a big (ray fox which was found among his cows on Rich Mountain last Wednesday. The animal appeared tame, and thinking perhaps it might be rabid of otherwise sick, Mr. Watson bor rowed a gun from a nearby resi dent and killed the animal. CLYDE R. GREENE Greene Gets Promotion In A. S. C. Secretary of Agriculture Ezra T. Benson announced Friday the ap pointment of Clyde R. Greene of Boone, aa southeast area director for the Commodity Stabilization Service. Mr. Greene's headquarters will ! be In Washington. He is a form er chairman of the North Carolina Agricultural Stabilization and Con ? servation Committee. Secretary Benton also named T. R. Walker of Morganton as chair man of the State ASC. Zeno O. Katcliff , Jr., of Pantego and W. E. Matthews of Pilot Mountain were named members of the North Car olina committee. The southeastern region com prises the states of North Caro lina, South Carolina, Georgia, Flor ida, Tennessee, Alabama, Missis sippi, Arkansas and Louisiana. Mr. Greene, described by a spokesman for the Department of Agriculture as "one of our beat men," receives the $11,000 a year position as a promotion from the State ASC chairmanahip, which administers the price support and acreage programs on the state lev els. Mr. Greene is a local hardware merchant, a leader in Republican political circles, in civic and re ligious affairs, and former presi dent of the State Merchants Asso ciation. Winkler Says Road Conditions Are Alarming The almost impassible condition of many rural highways brought about the closing of the Watauga county schools Tuesday morning. The heavy recent freezes, fol lowed by a seven inch snowfall, subsequent general thawing and prolonged rains, which ended Mon day evening, have disrupted high way transportation and stopped many of the county school buses. W. R. Winkler, of Bosne, com missioner of the eleventh high way division, says schools have 1 closed in many counties. Includ ing Ashe, Avery, Watauga aad others and that "alarming road conditions" prevail In all the counties in his area. Slides hive contributed to the bad condition of the roads, but with clearing skies Tuesday, the worst weather appears over for the time being. The state, it is report ed, has had more rain in four days than it had had for four months. Watercourses have been brought up and springs and wells, which have been dry, are again produc tive. Commissi* aer Winkler says that about 50 per cent of all school buses la his divistea are oat of operation due to road con ditions. Of course, the aapaved reads have suffered the greatest damage, while auay paved reads are also sertoasly damaged. A good maay breaks have appear ed la the primary reads of Wa taaga, too, it is noted, while la Boone city streets have "frasea oat" la aambers of places. In referring to the hundreds of thousands of dollars damage to the highway system, Mr. Winkler says the "highway department will face unusual financial hardships in working out ways and means of repairing them." Reopen Today County Superintendent Guy W. Angell expects the schools to be in operation again today (Wednesday). Clearing skies and temperate winds dried the coun try roads to an extent Tuesday. Schools were closed in coopera tion with the highway depart ment, when the buses seemed to be inflicting more than uaual > damage to the softened road'' . ways. North Carolina ranks second among lespedeza producing states for IMS with ? crop of over 33 million pounds of clean seed. CompletionOfParkwayBy 1966 Is Seen By Weems Ashcville, Feb. 3. ? Virtual com pletion of the Blue Ridge Parkwpy by 19M under a $27,889,000 im provement budget and regular an nual appropriation! was foreieen last night by Supt. gam P. Weeiru of Roanoke. The Parkway improvement fund is part of a 10-year national parks and parkways program proposed yesterday by President Eisenhow er. The President asked Congress to vote tS.380,000 u a ({art on the 10-year program of expanding roada, campground* and other fa cilitiea (or viaitora to national parka and parkways, including the Blue Ridge Parkway. The money would be In addition to hia budget of $48,800,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1997. Weems laid with some 20 mile* of work remaining in Virginia and about 88 mile* of watt in North Carolina, the 10-year im provement budget, if approved, would be split roughly on ? 78 28 percentage basis between (he two states, with North Carolina re ceiving the larger sum la letters to the Senate and ??we, Elaeahewer said Sacra tary of (he Interior McKay had advised Uul park facilities were serionaly overtaxed by the in creating number of visitor*. A letter from McKay said the number of visitors had increased from 21 million in 1946 to 90 mil lion in 1999, and was expected to rise to 80 million in 1966. McKay said the expansion pro Quartet Sing Next Saturday The area-wide quartet singing, a bight pot if) the March of Dime* campaign will be held at the courthouae in Boone Saturday February 11, at 7:30 p. m. A large number of vocaliata from Watauga and surrounding area* are expected to be preaent for the old-fashioned songfest, and the naual large attendance la ex pected 4 Alien Gragg. Hugh Hagaman, 8. C. Egcert, Jr., compose the committee in charge of the event, while Meaar* W. H. Gragg and Alfred T Adam* will act a* Wait er* of Caremonie*. gram hat been dubbed "Mission 66' and U aimed to have the park areas equipped and staffed to serve 80 million visitors in 1906. ? The coat for the 10-year improve ment program was estimated at $134,169,000 by the National Park Service with total outlays amount ing to f786,M5,60p in that period. Interior Department spokesman Said It would be several weeks be fore figures would be available on the proposed developments at the individual parks and monuments. However, J the program broke down recommendations for the na tional parkways. Weems said the proposed I XI, MS, 000 expenditure would pro vide for addKioaal tourist fadll tie*, Infomtatloa booths, park lag areas, campgrounds aad oth er service aecMModattoBa, as well aa road construction. Congress ha* approved funds for a 9.5-mile section between Deep Ga? and Boone in the 1967 fiscal year, het aald, leaving only a 3.5 mile section arouad Grandfather Mountain incomplete on the Roa noke-Asheville section of the Park way. Right-of-way difficulties at ? > ; (Continued on page six.) Local Scout Honored For Rescue Of Boy By JOE C. MINOR Little Mike Fisher probably owes hi* life to Raymond Fletcher, 14 year old Explorer Scout of Troop 35. Raymond la given credit* for etc lung Mike from a pond in the Perkinaville community in Febru ary of last year. For thii rescue, Raymond, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Fletcher, has been awarded a "Certificate for Heroism" by the National Court of Honor of the Boy Scouts of America. The certificate will be presented Sunday night at 8:00 in a Scout Court of Honor at Per kinaville Baptist Church, sponsor of Troop 93. Mike and his father, Or. T. Rich ard Fiaher, faculty member of Ap palachian State Teachera College, had been skating on the pond which was covered with ice on Feb ruary 7. It was cold, the ice was aeveral inches thick, and Dr. Fish er, an experienced skater, was teaching hia son the art of skating. But on February eighth the wea ther had moderated considerably, Causing the ice to melt dangerously thin at places. Mike, who was in the first grade, was on his way home from school and the pond, which is near where he lived at the time, waa too much to pass. Let's let the citation tell the story from here: "On the aftenvoon of February I, 1955, some boys were skating on the R. D. Hodges pond, a half mile from Boone, North Carolina. Mike Fiaher, ago seven, had fallen through the iee into six lect of ?rater. His erles attracted Ray mond Fletcher from hia home nearby. Raymond walked out on the ice, but it cracked, so he made an attempt to reach Mike by hand ing him a jacket; the ice broke again and Raymond fell into the water. He got Mike on his back and held on to the ice until he RAYMOND FLETCHER could retch bottom. He got Mike out ufely and both boys were tak en home." Thit cooled Mike's desiie to skate. In (act, Mike's parents said they were way into the night get ting him thawed out. Dr. and Mrs. Fisher, in express ing their gratitude (or Raymond's heroism, said, "This performance by Raymond was indeed an act o( heroism. We are extremely grateful." Field S(Qyt Executive for the Watauga, Ashe, and Wilkes coun ties, Joe Davenport, and other of ficials of the Old Hickory Council, are expected to attend the Court of Honor, as well as Scouts and Scout officials and friends in Watauga. County Rabies Clinic To Be Started Here Dr. J. G. Martin will be In charge of . the rabies clinic sohedule an nounced by Dr. Mary B. H. Michal, district health officer. ' Dr. Michal point* out that the state law providei that every dog over four months of age be vacci nated annually. The vaccination will begin February 1 and shall be completed within SO days. Following la the clinic schedule: Monday, Feb. 13, Beaver Dam ? 1:30 p. m. Dallas Wilson's, 2:15 Don Hagaman's store, 3:00 Vann Farthing's store, 3:49 Ray Tester's. Tuesday, Cove Creek and Valle Crucis ? 1:18 p. m. Old Lovill Poet Office, 1:30 Vilas Service Station, 2:00 Cove Creek Store, 2:30 Vic tor Ward's Store, 3:15 Howard Mast's store Wednesday. Shulls Mills. Mat ney arid Foacoe? 1:15 p. m. Stew art Hayes store, 2:00 Ed Harbin's store, 2:30 N. F. Church's store, 3:30 Bill Smith's residence. Thursday, Meat Camp ? 1:15 Jones' Store at Sands, 1:45 Meal Camp Service Station, f. 15 Wine barger's store, 2:45 Cleve Mpretz's, 3:15, Lloyd Stansbury's. , Friday, Deep Gap and Highway 421 ? 1:15 p. m. James Cook's store, 1:45 Cook and Hodges store, 2:30 Triplett Post Office. 3:15 Old Laxon Post Office, 3:45 Deep Gap PoM Office. ' Saturday, Upper Cove Creek? 1:30 p. m. Mat Miller's store, 2:00 Bert Mast's store, 2:30 Owen Lit tie's store, 3:00 Sherwood Poet Office. Monday, Feb. 20, Blowing Rock ?1:30 p. m. to 3:00 at City Hall, 3:15 Mrs. Collin's store. Boone Fork, 4:00 V. C. Shorea. , Wednesday, Feb. 22, Scattered? 1:30 p. m. Grady McNeil's resi dence, 2:30 Todd Post Office, 3:30 Stacy Ford's place. Poultry Meets To Be Held A series of poultry meetings will be held thi* week to try to give the people interested in poultry more information. Mr. George Collins, Agricultur al Representative of Northwestern Bank, will be present to give in formation gathered from other counties and offer suggestions that should help make more money. A cashier from the Bank in Boone and the county agents will also attend these meetings. The schedule is as follows: Wednesday, Feb. S, 7:30 p. m. ? Greene Valley School. Thursday, Feb. #? 7:30 p. m.? Cove Creek High School. Friday, Feb 10, 1:30 p. m.? Parkway School. Another meeting will be called a few days later to invite in feed dealers, broiler processing plants, hatcheries and egg dealers if there is enough interest to justify such a meeting. For the necood comectutive * year, more than 4,000,000 were born ia American families. When the final figure* are ta, total birtha ,for 1995 will probably ihow a flight Increase over the record to tal of 4,021,000 for 1994. Civil Defense Meeting Is Set A group of representatives from club group* in Boone tnd Blowing Rock will meet Wednesday night, Feb. 8, at 7:15 at th? dining room in the Gateway Restaurant, to dia cun various phases of civil de fenae. .. Mr. C. R. N icholaon. Deputy Director of the State Cpuneil of Civil Defense of Raleigh, will be present to lead the discussion and show a film on disasters which call for organised community planning. All interested penons are also invited to this meeting, when questions will be anawentf. This meeting is sponsored by OK] the National Security Committee of the Boone Business and Profafr sional Women's Club, of which Dr. Mary Miehal and Mrs. Beryl Surry, of Boone, are co-chairmen. jg? rnt ?