An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Sixty-Ninth Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY M, 1957
Parkway
Hearing
Is Sought
■ •
The Blowing Rock Chamber of
Commerce, through iU president.
Rathmel E. Wilson, has dispatch- !
ed a letter to William Medford,
chairman of the North Carolina
Park Commission, thanking him
ind other members of his group
for their consideration at the hear
ing held last week in the Parkway
concessions issue.
At the same time the letter asks
For a public hearing in this regard
>t the convenience of the commis
sion.
The letter follows:
"We would like to express oSr
appreciation to you and the other
members of the North Carolina
Parks, Parkways and Forest De
velopment Commission for thr ex
cellent manner in which you con
ducted the hearing in the Haywood
County Court House, Waynesville,
N. C., on Monday, February 18,
1097. As was plainly evident at
this hearing, the property owners
ind investors in this vicinity, as
well as in the other parts of North
Carolina and Virginia, are vitally
concerned with the proposal to
build additional public facilities,
services and overnight accommo
dations on the Blue Ridge Park
way.
"Inasmuch as quite a bit of pro
posed new private construction
hinges on the final decision in
this matter, we respectfully i re
quest that a public hearing be held
in connection with this propsal at
the convenience of your commis
■ion.
"Very truly yours,
"BLOWING ROCK CHAMBER
OF COMMERCE.
"Rathmel E. Wilson, President."
Newton Barqes
Succumbs Monday
Newton L. Barnes, 80, well
known native Wataugan and re
tired farmer, died Monday at W»
tauga Hospital after an illness of
two weeks.
Funeral services were held at
2:30 Tuesday at the Perkinsville
Baptist Church by Rev. Hex West
ind Rev. Hugh Kincaid, and bur
ial was in the Sands cemetery.
Survivors include his wife, Mrs.
Mary Barnes; one son, Judd Barn
?s of Boone; three daughter, Mrs.
Richard Whittington and Mrs.
Arthur Hartley of North Wilkes
boro, Mrs. Steve Brown of Boone,
Route 2; one sister, Mrs. Ben
Sreene of Boone, Route 2.
Farmers Plan
Limestone Use
Many ihrmers are ordering lime
stone early this year, since exper
ience has proven that lime ordered
early is delivered more nearly on
time. Since the weather is a prob
lem before seeding time. It it ad
visable to have lime delivered to
the farm as soon'as delivery trucks
ire able to get to the fields. 529
tons have been ordered early al
ready and approximately 200 tons
ire being ordered daily.
Farmers who intend to use lime
this spring tfnd have not signed up
thould call at the A£C office and
get their approval and purchase
orders early.
India formally inaugurated the
first nuclear reactor in free Asia.
New Rotary Officers Elected
The newly elected officers and board of directors of the Boone Rotary Club are, seated, left to right,
Glen W. Wilcox, treasurer; Nicholas Erneston, president; Jack Lawrence, vice president; 1. W. Carpenter,
secretary; standing: Harold Rice, board member; Alfred Adams, sergeant-at-arms; Peter W. Everett,
past president; James Marsh, board member; Bill Bingham, board member. They will assume office on
July 1.—(Photo by Palmer's Studio.)
Watauga 4-H Club Groups
To Observe National Week
Mrs. Francis, 101,
Dies At Zionville
Watauga county's oldest citizen,
Mrs Callie Wilson Francis, who
had celebrated her 101st birthday,
died at the home of Mr. and Mrs.
Ira Reese in Zionvillc last Thurs
day.
Mrs. franefs had to re
ftiarkabfe physicaf vigor Hntfl she
became ill two years ago. She was
a daughter of the late William
Wilson and Mrs. Martha Main
Wilson and was born and reared
in Watauga county. Her husband,
Thoma« Francis, has been dead
several years.
Funeral services were held Sat
urday at the Mabel Baptist church.
Rev. R. C. Eggers and Rev. E. O.
Core conducted the rites and
burial was in the Reese cemetery.
, There are no survivors in the
immediate family, but there are a
number of nieces and nephews.
High School Bands Get
Honors At Davidson
The Appalachian Senior and
Junior High School* were well re
presented in the State Solo and
Ensemble contest held In David
son Saturday, February 23. *
Out of the nine entries, there
were three superior ratings, five
excellent ratings, and one good
rating. The breakdown was as fol
lows: '
Solo contest—John Ralph Buch
anan, superior; Jerry McCracken,
excellent; Mary Lawrence, excel
lent; Nancy Hollingsworth, excel
lent;, Barbara Matheson. good.
Ensemble contest — Woodwind
Quintet of Nancy Hollingsworth.
Patsy Hoilipgaworth, Betty Swaim,
John Ralph Buchanan and Billy
Williams, excellent Clarinet Quar
tet of Mary (jwrence, Pat Dow
ling, Margaret Hagaman and Lin
da Y/ey, superior; Clarinet Quar
tet of Rachel Rivers, Linda Mast,
Traffic Toll
Raleigh — The Motor Vehicles
Department's summary of traffic
deaths through 10 a. m. February
25;
Killed this year 193
• Killed to date last year: 136.
If aafety is worth a life," drive
and walk carefully!
Sheriff Richardson
Is Taken By Death
S. C. Richardson, 83, former
sheriff of Alleghany county, and
Father of Glenn, Odell, Wayne and
Wood row Richardaon of Boone,
lied Monday at the Alleghany
Memorial Hoapltal, Sparta. He had
wen ia failing health for a long
time and had been a hospital
latient for three montha.
Funeral service* were conduct
Mi Wednesday afternoon at 2
/clock at the Antiocb Primitive
Uaptiat Church. Elders c' B Kilhy,
I. 0. CaudUl and Walter Evana
conducted the rites and burial
tat in the church cemetery.
Mr. Richardaon wu iheriff of
Alleghany county from 1#10 ■ to
1011 had encaged In farming ac
tivities, and wai in the merchan
tile busfnew for a long time prior
to his retirement several yeari
■go.
He ia survived by his widow,
Mrs. Nelia Reynold* Richardson;
three daughters: Mrs. Corn Irwin.
Mrs. Maude Andrews, of Sparta;
Mrs. Ruby Cboate, Wilkcsboro.
■ix sons: Glenn, Odell, Wayne and
Woodrow Richardson, BooM;
Archie Richardaon, Independence,
Va.; Albert Richardaon. Sparta
There la a brother laom Richard
son, Sparta. One sister, Mrs Mollfe
Maw of Sparta, also survives.
Jane Hodges, and Mary Wey, Sup
erior; Woodwind Trio of Barbara
Matheson, Alice Cain and Bob
Cook, excellent.
Accompanists for the various
solos and ensembles were Gloria
Hampton, Jiida Creed, and Alice
Cain.
Future plans for the band in
clude the district contest held here
in Boone on March 8th; the State
Contest held in Greensboro on
April 9th; an assembly program
for the college; and a tour of the
county schools sometime this
spring.
Watauga County 4-H Club mem
bers, along with the state and na
tion, will obaerve National 4-H
Club Week, March 2-9.
The theme for the week is "Im
proving Family and Community
Living," said Assistant County
Agent W. C. Richardson, whose
work is primarily with the 4-H
clubs of the county,
Club members will participate
in the following activities during
the observance:
1. 4-H Welcome signs will be
erected at county highway entr
ances.
2. Assembly programs will be
given in Schools by 4-H members.
3. 4-H members will present
radio programs during the week.
4. The 4-H county council will
arrange a window display in one
of the store windows in town.
The aims of National 4-H Club
Week, said Mr. Richardson, are:
To give members an opportun
ity to evaluate past achievements,
make friends for future activities
on their farms, in their homes and
communities.
To inform the public, including
parents, of the value of 4-H train
ing. . -
To recognize the important part
played by local leaders and to en
list more public-spirited, youth
minded citizefu into volunteering
for this service.
Cooperation of parents, teach
ers, and business firms will be
greatly appreciated, said Miss
June Street, Assistant Home
Agent.
J" • • '■ -kJy ' 1 ' «.*
High- School Matmen
. C. State Championship
7 Trophies
Brought From
Burlington
The Appalachian High School
wrestlers, undefeated in dual
meets in the five years of their
existence, grappled thir .way to
the State championship at Burling
ton Saturday night with 05 points.
Appalachian High, with one of
the smallest enrollments of any
competing school, not only took
team honors by a big margin but
claimed six of the 12 first place
awards. '
The team standings were: Ap
palachian High 95, Greensboro 32,
Asheboro 58, High Point 55. Gold*
boro 48, N. C. S. D.' 28, Burling
ton 25, Southwest 18, Greenville
12, Cramerton 8, Myers Park 5,
Salisbury 1.
The six boys who were in the
finals and came out champions
were:
95 lbs.—Larry Norrfs pinned
Jerry Patterson of Greensboro.
112 lbs.—Sammy Critcher de
cisioned Moose Motley of High
Point 5-0.
120 lbs.—Tommy Owsley decis
ioned Jimmy Harrell of Greens
boro 5-0.
127 lbs.—Joe Miller decisioned
Jimmy Howard of Goldsboro 3-0.
133 lbs.—Bobby Reynolds de
cisioned Lomar Farmer of Golds
boro 7-3. /
138 lbs.—Wendell Critcher de
cisioned Larry Hill of High Point,
5-0.
James Greene at 154 lbs., plac
ed 3rd as did Kent Coleman at
165 lbs. At 145 Dick Brown plac
ed fourth.
A chart of the tournament pair
ing is posted on the bulletin board
on the first floor of the high
school. All seven of the trophies
—team cup and six first place
awards—are also on exhibit.
Brief Histoid Of Teams
In five short years, since wrest
ling wu first introduced at Ap
palachian High School, the teams
have risen to the top rung in the
ladder to capture the State Cham
pionship. More amazing, is the
fact that the teams at AHS have
not been defeated in a single dual
meet over this entire period, a
rcord which is unequalled by any
other wrestling team of any school
in the state.
In 1953 Steve Gabriel, then a
student at Appalachian State
Teachers College, was urged by
a group of enthusiastic high school
students to organized a wrestling
team at the high school. He not
(Continued on page eight)
WATAUGA COUNTY HEALTH CENTER
Health Department To Go
To New Office Next Week
Capt. Horton Grdgg
Heads Air Command
Captain Horton Gragg, U. S.
Air Force, son of Mr. and Mr*. W.
H. Gragg of Boone, haa been nam
ed the commanding officer of the
Field Maintenance Squadron at
the huge England Air Force Base,
Alexandria, La.
Capt. Gragg'* squadron is the
largest on the expanding base, and
his ability was recognized by his
having been choaen k member of
a board of officers set up to re
organize the entire maintenance
function* of the command. He hat
recently had 28 airplanes and 180
more men added to Jkia squadron.
In all be )■ in charge of 411 en
listed men, 10 officer* and 40
civilian*—a total of 461 people.
The squadron is reaponiible for
transient alert functiona, main
tenance of tranaient aircraft and
the maintenance of all baae sup
port aircraft. •
Capt. Gragg ha* been in the air
force for *ixte4n year*.
Texas Dramatist Chosen
For Direction Of Horn
TRI-STATE CATTLE LEADERS —At * joint meet,
ing'held recently in Boom, the Tri-SUte Hereford
Breeden Association and the Tri-SUte Purebred
Livestock Association, with memberships in North
Carolina, Virginia and Tenneaaee. elected officers
for the coming rear and laid plant for the spring
and fall cattle salea to be held la Bristol. The
Hereford breeders reflected Love B. Rouse, qf
Bristol, Vs., back row left, at president, II. Grady
Farthing of Boom, back row center, was named
vice-president, and Harmon Crumley of Bristol (not
present) was reelected secretary-treasurer. The
Purebred Livestock Association re-elected Robert
S. Orr of Dry den, Ya., back row right, ss president;
B. W. Stilling! of Boone, front row right, was chos
en vice-president; snd Morris Fsnnon of Pennington
Gap, Va, frent row left, was re-elected secretary
treasurer—(PbtNa by Palmer's Studio )
■ —' m I. --t—
The Southern Appalachian His
torical Association has engaged
the services of Edgar R. Loesain,
of Houston, Texas, as director of
Horn in the West for the 1937 sea
son.
Mr. Loesain received his Bache
lor of Arts degree at the Univer
sity of North Carolina in 1901,
where he held the Kay Kyaer
Scholarship in dramatic art. While
there, he was associated with the
Carolina Playmakera, under the
direction of Dr. Samuel Selden.
He received his Maat«r of Fine
Arts degree at (he Yale Univer
sity drama school.
He was assistant director of
"Unto These Hills" at Cherokee in
the first three seasons, 1990
through 1992, and in 19S9 was dir
ector of "Florida Aflame." out
door drama of the Seminole In
dians presented at Safety Harbor,
Florida.
He has been in the Army for
the past two yeari, assigned to
Military Intelligence at Baltimore,
where he waa also an instructor it
the Hilltop School of Drama.
In addition to hia background in
the directing field, he has had ex
perience aa an actor in profeasion
al stock and television.
Mr. Loeaain was discharged
from the Army laat week at Balti
more, and came here for a two
day viait before proceeding to hia
home in Houaton.
He la scheduled to speak at the
three-day Southeaatern Theatre
Conference, to be held at Naah
ville. Tenn., March 14-16, where
he will also participate in a panel
discussion along with Paul Green,
Kermit Hunter, and Dr. Selden.
He will return it Boone March
1«, at which time tryouts for Horn
in the West will be arranged, with
rehearaals slated to begiy on June
11
The Health Department office*
are to be moved next week to the
newly-conitructed Health Center,
located 2 milei west of Boone at
the Linville highway bypass, it is
announced by Dr. Uary Michal,
health officer.
After the moving is completed,
a formal opening for the hand
some new structure will be ar
ranged, health officials say. Mean
time It is pointed out, several
days will be required to get aet
tled in the new building, the old
health department will be closed
all next week with the. exception
of the morning of Wednesday,
March fl, when the polio immuni
zation clinic will be held as usual
between the hours of 8 and 11 a.
m.
However, only emergency needs
will be met next week. The rou
tine Health Department schedule
will continue in the new health
center beginning Monday March'
11th, with the regular diagnoatic
clinic being held that day between
the hours of 1 and 3:30.
Detailed plans for the formal
opening of the health center will
be announced later.
Mrs. Williams
Funeral Tuesday
Mrs. Nelia Williams, 88 years '
old, colored resident of the com
munity, died in Johnson City,
Tenn. Sunday.
Funeral services were held at
the Mennonite Brethren Church
in Boone, by Rev. Rockford Hat
ten, Rev. C. W. Bailey and Rev.
Ronda Horton Wednesday after
noon and burial was in the city
cemetery.
Surviving are a son and two
daughters: Ed Folk, Boone; Mrs.
Mamie Ray, Johnson City, Tenn.;
Mrs. Minnie Horton, Philadelphia.
A widow of the late Bell Williams,
Mrs. Williams tad spent her en
tire life in Boone.
1
Governor Stanley Harris Presides
At Annual District Rotary'Meet
The annual conference of the
2Mth District of Rotary Interna
tional waa held in Morganton on
Thursday and Friday, February 21
and 22. The conference waa ar
ranged and presided over by Dis
trict Governor Stanley Harris,
manager of the Boone Chamber
of Commerce, who, according to
Rotarians present, had one of tha
best coo/ereaMs over held in Dis
trict 280.
The speakers and discussion
groups were outstanding in the
presentation of the concepts and
ideals of Rotary.
Dr. W. II. Plammona, president
of Appalachian Slate Teachers Col
lege, spoke at the luncheon on Fri
day and very apty and convincing
ly showed the "Role of Rotary la
Professional Work."
r*— —
Another good speaker was Webb
Follin, principal of the Webb
School (or Boys in Bell Buckle,
Teneaaee, «pd preaident'i repre
■entative aa Rotary International
Director of Zone Four. Mr. Webb
•poke at the banquet on Thursday
and again Friday night when Gov
ernor Hodges could not be present
because of an emergency trip to
Washington, D. C.
Rotarian Lewis Smith of Boone
presented and led a very good dis
cussion on Community Service
during the Thursday afternoon ses
sion. Rotarian BUI Carpenter
served on the Chan Gordon Me
morial Scholarship Committee
which brings foraifr> students to
this district to study <nr one year.
In addition to Governor Har
ris, four other Boom Rotariana at
tented the entire conference. They
were pr. Peter Everett, preddest;
Nicholas Ernes ton, pretideot-etoct; *
Lewis Smith, immediate put pres
ident, and Mrs. Smith; and Dr. I.
W. Carpenter, secretarjr-clMt.
At the Friday night banquet the
following joined the others at the
banquet: Alfred Adams, Glenn An
drews, Bill Bingham, Wlllla Ches
ter, Dr. C. Ray Lawreatb and Mrs.
Lawrence, Dr. Plemmons, L. E.
Tuckwlller. and Dempeer Wilcox
The attendance for the conference
was 280 Rotariana'and 130 Kotary
Anns from ST Rotary clubs.
.
Higher per acre yields (
are offsetting acrea
spite a 89 per cent cut
acraage since 1H1, to
U« has «* fectllMd