fw*aISS " i? T~ He,
lie* at Boone, N. C., a* Mcond claia mail mattrl, under the act of
Ute very firtt objective should bo
?houM ha*? a government without
tate ? moment to ehooee the latter.
The Master Craftsman
Dea* Bingham, pioneer Boone business-'
man aqd * ouoning worker in the woods
<4 his najive forests, has gone away. ?
Dean was one of th* first In this section
t? realize tHat blacksmiths could not be
depended upon to take care of automobiles,
and took academic training in Kansas
Qty |n auto mechanics, opening one of
t|e first modern garages in Boone. Later
he was a partner1 with David Gceepe in
Qreene and Bingham, local music store,
and later the forerunaer at e second drag
store. His ingenuity helped found the
Wodcraft Novelty Co. '
Dean Bingham 00*1 Id being out the dull
beauty in a black walnut board, and de
velop the reddish sheen of the wild cherry
like on an* else. HU faithful reproductions
o t period furniture were eagerly sought,
and hie handiwork would have been en
v)rd by the ancient marten of th^eMsel
and mallet, the lathe and the varniah pot.
Dean worked with a patience which only
a era ftsman can pessess, and he waa equally
patient, understanding and helpful in his
associations with his fellowmen. The
beauty of his creations in naaple, ma
hogany, in aah and in oak will live 011.
like the flawless character of the man who
manned the cutting tools, and rubbed the
burnish onto the glasslike surfaces. He
sought perfection in his work, but found
a greater-treasure in the esteem in which
he was held by his neighbors.
Some Of Our Tourist Needs
Governor Hodges, in key noting the re
turn of Tweeteie to her native hill coun
try, called attention to some of the thin*)
that North Carolina can do to increaae her
popularity among those who malic up he
tourist population.
The first, the executive said is good
food. And we would hasten to agree that
people who travel are influenced largely
by the kind of food whicfc is available in
a given area and will travel many miles
out of the wary to pi^alrift ? ."H1 LTtff'1
luncheon or dlnnemO*??s aa| ?mtoto
the Intorier of North Carolm^JW-JinAft
fairly hard to come by a good meat unless
one has advance advices from Carl Goerch,
Bill Sharp* or some other eminent judge
of Tar Heel fare.
Comfort and hospitality are listed by
the Governor as having important bearings
on the tourist trade. In this, we believe
Boone is rather well ahead of moat sec
tioiu of the state, and aa for friendliness,
it leaves little to be desired. Tim* was
whan mountain men were suspicious of
all outsiders, and there was an element
of disdain and gruffneg*. Now there i3
an increasingly warm welcome tor the
stranger within the proverbial gate, and
viaitora here from other areas invariably
call attention to the courtesy and cordi
ality of the Wataugans they meet.
Last, Governor Hodges lists cleanliness,
aiuj bell find no argument in area.
^Nothing is more valuable to a town or
country than uniform cleanliness. Visitors
won't tarry in a dirty, unkempt com
munity.
"All of us are tourista," the Governor
said, "regardless of who we are or where
we go," and added that every tourist ex
pec ta to find something enjoyable when
he goea touring. And that's where civic
responaibility meets its teat.
? r.,- 'f":
CROP Aids The Hungry
4.. . *
"Heartwarming statements of gratitude
to the American people (or CROP food
gifts continue to come from countries
throughout the world," stated the Rev.
Ralph Jacks, North Carolina CROP di
rector, this weak.
Alain Rocount, assistant minister of the
Methodist Church, Southern District of
Haiti, writes that seed donated by CROP
contributors reached hurricane devastated
areas of Haiti in time for the planting sea
son. "The rice and beans are especially
welcome. Most of these have bewi already
'planted and from what I hear they are
growing up nicely. The seeds have been
distributed to small farmers who have
been most gratefuL" The shipment in*
eluded 30,000 lbs. maize seed, 13.500 lbs.
rice, 30,000 lbs. bean seed, (.611 lbs vege
table seed and 9,980 It*, sulphur. The
aeeds were enough tq plant a total of ovef
4,000 acres. . .
A National Christian Council represen
tative writes from flood stricken India:
"When the waters receded the people went
back to their villages only to find their
crops washed away and in many instances
IBjit' A Stel. : "A" Si
? ? ?
they could find nothing that could tell
them where their mud huts stood.
"The government had rushed grain to
the spot, but with so much sickness duo
to the exposure many were unable to take
solid foods. Then ? came the milk powder
from the National Christian Council of
India. What a blessing!
"We worked day and night getting the
drums to the most needed spots. Then to
the schools and other places. Drums were
carried on the backs of men where even
a bull-cart could not travel.
"Having little food the children wero
naturally hungry and they ate the dry
milk powder greedily and loved it. Weeks
later when I returned to these same vil
lages I marvelled as I found the children
had put on weight. I have been told over
arid over that if it had not been for the
milk powder many of the babies would
have died." v
This relief program is one of the finest
undertakings of the Council of Churches
and should have expanded support in ev
ery area of the State.
M
| should Be Uniform System
Daylight saving ttnw is now in effect
In a number of the State* in the Bait and
Midwest, and.hfcre in the Southland where
time Is constant the year round, there is
some confusion on the part of trawlers,
as well as tv-sitters.
Wonder if daylight saving time is the
same sort of thing they used to call "fast
time" as 0900m 1 to "mm frmtf" We d<*1
know but it does seem that | daylight
saving time $y**m be sold maybe
to the whole country, f ? X ?. * .
Basfc *i*ng the war W* _
fcittor or w*r Mme, seemed to
t dont remember hearing any
*9&mj MRaftrl?
We would welcome a chaitge which
would allow one to go to work eavliet,
quit quicker and have most of the long
torrid cummer afternoons to ourselves.
This would be a particularly desirable
s ystecn hero 1? Watauga, whert the sum
mer* are indescribably beautiful but o'
such short duration are doesn't like to
miss * ray of the sunshine.
Is '
DevttUh
VsAiactoa Pwt ,
?end* (Okie).
of the *Mk: "Are
they really (Mar to rail an OM Harry to raise
Old Ned?"
4
,L UNCURBE
Stretch's Sketcheg
By " STRETCH " ROLLINS
Between ? And After? The Quotation Mark t
VIVE LE SHAKESPEARE! ? I'm sort* flad
the fay who ha* been trying to prove for the
put twenty years that old
Will Shakespeare was a "lit
erary (aker living on iom?
body else's wita" ? namely,
Cbriatopher Marlowe'i ? has
thai far failed to debunk the
immortal Bard of Avon.
Cold, hard facta, fresh
heroes, and new, enlightened
tenets are marks, no doubt,
of progress. But somehow it
seems that some of our time
honored legends, both real
ana imaginary ? use snanespeare, aanui viwu.
Babe Ruth'i (0 homers in a leason, sad the be
lief that a sufficient number of votes will trans
form a politician into a statesman overnight
should remain unchallenged.
Leave us the illusions we live by!
IKI VS. LUCY? The GOP plan to tailor their
1MB campaign to fit their candidate just might
backfire a little. In buying up "substantial half
hour TV periods from mid-September up to
election day at peak viewing times," wonder if
they've thought about how many voters they
might antagonise by usurping the time of their
favorite programs?
It could lay the Gleason-Como battle in the
shade? "I Like Ike" versus "I Love Lucy!"
(P. 8.? The same goes for the Democrats and
their "equal time" demands.)
AD INFINITUM? "A proposed itrike by the
Screen Writers' union next month would tie up
all TV commercial!," state* an item.
You mean ttfey were thinking of changing
them?
CONFOOSIN' BUT NOT ANOOSIN'? It's state
ments like this In new* stories that leave me
wondering wha' hoppen': "The faculty adviser
to the student council had tacked the council
in Its protest last December against s tan on
contests involving Milford High teams and those
from integrated achools. The appeal waa de
nied."
I defy anybody to figure out who won that
one without a scorecard!
POLITICAL BAFFLEGAB ? A Republican
writer states that "either Kefauver or Harriman
could give Ike a rough time."
What he really means ia that Stevenson is the
one he- fears Use most. i
DIAMOND DUST? Speaking of Babe Ruth, a
sports writer tells of a former tall player's
proud possession, an autographed picture of the
player with the Babe, and says, "He wouldn't
sell it for a million bucks." Oh no? Just try
him. ... I 1 enough sports writers and an
nouncers, say enough times that a certain base
ball player is underrated ? pretty soon they've
got him overrated.
? /; ? ; ? ; , . . -r ? t .
From Early Democrat Files
Sixty Years Ago .
?ay H, 1IM.
Kin Bina, daughter of Judge L. L. Greene,
? who haa been at the State Normal and In
dustrial School at Greenaboro, haa returned.
We have been granted by Governor Carr a
special term of court which will convene on
Monday, July 13.
Mr. and M?. C. Horton left Mat Friday
fer a visit to friends and relatives in Wiikea and
Ashe counties. They will probably return the
last of this week.
Since our last isabe there is little change far
the better in our old friend Joahua Winkler.
He ia vary weak and his condition la considered
critical.
Mr. Walter L. Jones, mo of Capt. W. D. Jonas
of Caldwell, died at hia home on the Yadkin
last Saturday and was buried on Sunday.
On last Thursday at four p. m. the bahr boy
Ralph, who had brightened and gladdened the
home of Mr. and Mrs R. C. Rivera for two and
a half years, became 111, and died after a Might
of (uttering. . .
The woplen factortea, through their agents,
are exchanging yarn, blankets, and cloth for
the farmers' wool. Wool ia worth H cents a
- ..rvlwfll
Thirty -Nior Year* Ago
May M, UN.
Mia Lacy Hardki, ? student at the Qraena
bore College for Women, ia at botae for her
June S ia regfetr?ti?i day foe the army. If
you are between the agae of SI Old IB it
would be well for you to fasten thfe dale in
your mind. ^ .I-, - 1'
.. . , -#? ' ?
Mn Riven left Monday for Lenoir, where
?he (ttellded the- commencement exercises at
Davenport College, which doaed yesterday.
Mr. Robert Pulliam returned to the Uni var
sity last Thursday to take his examinations. . . .
Fifteen Years Ago
May ?, 1M1.
The D ft r Pipe Works has again added a
night shift ia an effort to keep up with the
Urge number of orders being received for their
ivy and rhododendron pipe blocks.
Thomas Edgar Bingham, local attorney and
member of one of Watauga's moot prominent
families, died at the Hagaman Clinic last Wed
nesday from what was said to have been a heart
attack. . . .
.
Presstime information tells of the death this
morning of Mrs. Josephine McGhee, wife of R.
T. McGhee. which occuired after an iBnesa of
one week. . . .
A rapidly spreading forest fir* ia threatening
Newlaad, county seat of Avery county, it is re
ported by the State Forest Service.
The State Utilities Commission yesterday gave
the Northwest Carolina Utilities, Inc., of Blow
ing Rock, permission to sell Its property in
Ashe, Alleghany. WUkes, Watauga and Caldwell
counties to the Blue Ridge Electric Membership
Corporation of Lenoir for $170,000.
I:; ~T-. \ '-Hnt* 8 f&ri ttWiW'iWf
Taking the initiative in a movement, press
Av ROB RIVERS
% r*'
GARDEN PLANTS . . HAVE BEEN HIS CAREER
James Lyons, who a short time ago celebrated i his eighty
third birthday, doesn't know how many garden plants he's sold,
but undoubtedly the number would run into the untold hundreds
at thouxandk, maybe millions. . . . Twenty-seven years ago he
started out sailing plants down on the old Episcopal church
corner (King and Appalachian Streets) and has been thfitr
ever since. Most of the time he has occupied the ffail remains
of one of the ancient buses which provided the first highway
passenger service in these parts. . . . The new owper of the
lot, Estel Wagner, plans some tort of building program on the
lot, and Mr. Lyons has moved up to the front of the old Pastime
Theatre building, where he's offering his wares as of old . . . Mr.
Lyons used to "dabble" in produce some in the winter time,
but of late years be has stuck with his tomato, pepper, cabbage
and other kinds of plants. . . His represents one 'of the older
businesses of the town, and his unique establishment on Appa
lachian Street has been widely patronized by gardeners and
farmers.- . . . The pioneer, citizen says he's made no plans to
quit . . and the people with Jhe green thumbs are glad.
THE EABLY HOURS . * . WITHOUT BIFOCALS
Our subconscious evidently registered our belief in a
system of fast time, so's one could start out early and
get everything done, in time to enjoy some afternoon
sunshine. . . . We'd snatched the sleep from our eyes,
eaten a hasty breakfast, all the while "mouthing" at
our last born, lest she be late for school. ... At last
we had her in the flivver and down the street we sped.
... At t)?e elementary school we noticed there were no
other students. , . . We looked at the watch, sans eye
glasses, and figured all was welL . . . Down in front of
\ the High School there were no cars nor people. . . .
"That's all right," we mused, "if they want to run a
little late," and back to the Democrat office, where no
body had shown up for work. . . . "Well, they're gen
erally here," we pondered, as we adjusted our bifocals
and histed our legs to the desk leaf to read the morn
ing pap?r. ? ? . After a few mere minutes of quietude
we took another look at the watch. ... It was 7:15!
IN TIJE POSTAL SERVICE . . . IMPROVEMENTS (
v City' mail carriers in Boone have laid aside the shoulder
pouches, under which they leaned for so many tortuous years,
and are now hauling their letters and papers and magazines,
to say nothing of the catalogs, by way of a new two-wfteei
rubber tired buggy with the hand handle. . . The little carts
come complete with cover for rainy days, and seem to be a
great convenience to the hard-working postmen. . . . Other
innovations in the service are ball point pens, and red, white
and blue letter boxes, to take the place of the olive hued ones.
. . . However, we don't have any of the talking boxes, which
are in vogue in the larger centers, and which bring a "thank
you" and such information as the patron may desire.
ODDS AND ENDS . . RANDOM THOUGHTS
?
The steam shovel, always beloved by sidewalk crowds,
l* tared just opposite the Democrat office the other
day, and we had a grandstand seat for the first time
in our lives. . . . We think there's sohething wrong with
a nun who doesn't like one of these modern dirt ?mov
ing operations, especially when ke doesn't have to
drape himself over a temporary two-by-four barrier.
. . . The Queens Apartments, transformed from the
old #. M. Moretz house, showing up well, since some of
the trees were removed, . . Mrs. J. E. Holshouser and
Peck did a good Job of rebuilding? the structure is
beautiful and adds greatly to the appearance of this part
of the town. . . . Sign in Carolyn's Flower Shop says;
"H you like hard work, you can have a heck of a
goad time-around this place." . . . And we liked the
one they used to have down at Bdk's in John Conway's
time: "Work hard for eight hours and don't worry; in
Una you may become the boas, work sixteen hours and
do all the worrying."
So This Is New York
By NORTH CALLAHAN
During the put (?? days, I
have been making a little survey
among typical New Yorker*, from
taxi driven to bank presidents,
about the forthcoming election.
The results are interesting if not
surprising. Ninety per cent o I
those questioned, regardless ?l
party, believe President Eisenhow
er will be reelected. Host of them
don't like Nixon, however, and (ear
he eventually will be President
One doctor said the staff at his
hospital felt Ike should not ran
again. On the other side, Steven
ion still has the edge bat Kefauver
is coming up strong tnd a lot of
those interviewed say they wish
our system war* so that nomina
tions would be made by the people
tand not controlled at political con
T?,tons
Teres* Brewer has the repute
Won of being a religious person as
well as a popular singer. She said
that religion had not hurt her car
eer in show business, but on the
ether hand had helped her through
many rough spots. Another unusu
al characteristic: she does her own
? V if / ifpAtflA U|*|h niiAh,
snopping ior groceries, i m proo
aWy the only singer who signs au
tographs on boxes at cereal, cans
of peas and wrapping paper," ?h?
W- j . ' '-Ty'
A bus driver was Making hie usu
al early morning run to the sub
urba Iter*, and as h* went alsag.
ha tosaad out iisrk? 11 of news
papas* at various designated spats
te be pisked up later by carries
bus pulled over. A motorist stuck
kit bead out of the ear and laid,
"You seem to be losing papers.
I've bean picking them up for the
last boar." So he handed over the
bus driver's entire morning deli
very.
Gotham Gatherings: this city has
20.000 cops and 80.000 cab driv
ers. The police commissioner re-'
gards the cabbies aa sort of addi
tional police, so he personally som
mendations for their help to hi*
department . . . Book of the Month
Club celebrating its 10th anniver
sary says it has sent out 142 mil
lion books, more than are in all
U S. libraries.
Caps are beck again. Many of
them now appear on New York
streets after an absence, except on
cab driven, of a quarter of a cen
tury. When Iwas a boy, wearing a
cap was just the thing. Then aa the
movies began using caps sym
bols for hoodlums, they gradually
disappeared. O f course many of
the new type*, seine imported from
England where men continued to
wear them, have slim, skull-cap
lines and long bills that look like
that of a duck. But anyway, you're
PiM longer cued at as a gangster
V^dhyou wear a cap.
I Dropped into a store on 48th
Street and found U so fun ef eas
terners that sane finally left be
cause they could not get waited
on. ThJ? variety store was clearly
the mast popular place ia the
block On the counters ware stand