of Continuous
, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY «, IMS
VOLUME LXX.— NO. SI.
Scout Week To
Be Observed By
Watauga Troops
Scout* in Watauga County will
join more than 4,700,000 other
Scouts when Boy Scout Week is celebrated
over the nation February
7 to 13. The week will be the official
observation of the 48th Anniversary
of Scouting in America.
Highlight of the celebration in
Boose will come wbea Andy
Stalling!, Star Scout of Troop
1S1 will be presented a God
and Country award la church
services at First Baptist Church
in Boone Sunday night at V.U
•'clock.
The God and Country award is
given Jpintly by the Boy Scouts of
ANDY STALLINGS
America and the church. Only one
other Scout in Watauga has been
awarded the high honor, and that
rcj Tgmmy Owsley, who was a
member" (Jf TTOOp' JOB. Besides
having church approval, the boy's
work had to be passed upon by
the National Scouting Headquarters.
A candidate for the award
undergoes months of training and
service in his church before he
is eligible for receiving the honor.
In Andy's case, he studied the
history of the Baptist church, the
significance of Baptism and the
Lord's Supper, the organization of
the local church and denomination,
and Foreign Mission work,
He completed projects which included
a map showing all mission
stations in Japan, a map of the U.
S.. showing all Baptist institutions
of higher learning and a giant
map of Boone, showing the location
of every Baptist home in town.
He has engaged in • directed program
of personal activities designed
to help him develop his capacity
for Christian - leadership.
In announcing the celebration
Of Boy Scout Week, Watauga District
Chairman Woodrow Richardson
stated that the Boy Scouts of
America will launch a yearlong
National Safety Good Turn campaign
as suggested by President
Eisenhower, honorary president of
Boy Scouts.
President Eisenhower sa> ' in a
White House message urging the
campaign:
"In our land each individual Is
of inestimable worth, yet to no
other land do accidents cause a
more terrible loss of human life
and limb. This fact cannot be
passively accepted. We must seek
new ways to save the basic resources
of our Nation: its people.
. . . Through the concerted action
of your members, and in cooperation
with other organizations, you
can alert the public to the urgent
need for reducing the tragic toll
of accidents. -This is an opportunity
for service to your country
in the highest tradition of the Boy
Scouts of America."
In Watauga County, according to
figures kept by Mr. Richardson
(Continued on page five)
Super Market
Is Purchased
By Lenoir Men
The Black Bear Super Market,
operated for the past two and onehalf
yeari in east Boone by W. M.
(Bill) Dixon and Charles M. Hodges,
has been purchased by the
owners of Thrift Food Center in
Lenoir.
The new owners. J. I.. Noll, A.
E. McCrary, and J. H. O'Dell, have
announced that they will continue
to operate the store under the
name of Thrift Food Center.
Mr. McCrary will serve as manager,
and Robert Bodenheimer, a
Watauga County native who has
been employed at the Lenoir store,
will be in charge of the meat department.
Mr. Dfeton and Mr. Hodges, who
operated a grocery store across
the street for about two and onehalf
years, erecting the super market
building, have advised that
they will continue to work in the
store for the present as employees
of Thrift Food Center.
The new owners have announced
that they plan to hold a "grand
opening" event in the near future.
Democrats To
Name Ejection
Board Members
D. Frank Baird, chairman of the
Watauga County Democratic Executive
Committee, has announced
that the state Democratic chairman
has set Friday, February 14,
at 2 p. m. in the Watauga County
Court House at Boone as the date
and place for a meeting of the
county executive committee for the
purpose of recommending mem•ben
of the Watauga County board
of elections.
OFFICIAL POSTER commemorating (be 4Btk anniversary of Boy
Scouting in America. The celebration will be held February 7-IJ during
annual Scout Week. Cub Scouta, Scouts, and Explorer*
pert la tke activities at tin week.
-■ r;
ROCK AND DIRT tumbled down the mountainside oito U. 8. highway 321, two miles south o( Blowing
Rock Sunday, January 28. The slide was removed quickly from the roadway by the State Highway Department
maintenance crew, and traffic was back to normal within a'few hours.—Photo by Palmer's Photo
Shop.
County Schools Close
I ' y ■ • \
In Wake 17-Inch Snow
By JOE MINOR
"The weather in Boone wa*
'frightful'."
It was bad, but contrary to tv
and other report* from outaide
Boone, the ice and snow did not
keep people in or out of Boone
Tliere wa* a lot of snow — 17
Inches for thiec days, as measured
by the U. S. weather observer in
Boone—much of which drifted because
of the high winds, but the
tate Highway Maintenance crew,
vorking on a 24-hour vigil, kept all
:he main highways to and through
Boone open at all time*.
Except for posaibly. one spot
near the intersection of 421-194, at
Pefkinsville, Frank W. McCrackcn,
highway maintenance supervisor
for thir'area, believes that traffic
could move at all times with chains
on all the main highways. At this
poiat, usually the worst In the
county at a time like this, cars
may have been stalled temporarily
until a snow shovel removed the
drift.
Some of the county road* were
impassable and some were not expected
to be opened Tuesday. However,
road* that were needed for
emergency use, such as illne**,
were opened. The snow-moving
workers stayed busy around the
clock on the county roads and
highways, in some cases opening
the roads at the same places more
than once because the wind kept
blowing the snow back onto them.
Guy W. Angell, superintendent
of Watanga county schools, announced
Tuesday afternoon that
schools would remain closed
Wednesday, as he had been advised
that some of the county
road* wonld still be rinsed with
snow. He could not lay how
mnch longer. If any, the school
children would have a holiday.
The temperatures were low, going
to 1 above zero Sunday night.
Monday night it got so cold that
the minimum temperature gauge
at the weather station went haywire,
going way below xero, and
a new Uterometer had to be ordered.
At 7:00 a. m. Tueaday the
mercury was standing at 10 above,
but crept up to 20 degree* by noon.
Only one time during January
did the temperature go to 80 degree*.
and that was recorded on
the last day of the month. After
that the mercury took a sudden
drop, and the snow, accompanied
by wind, followed. On Sunday, February
2, nine inches of snow was
trapped In the precipitation can,
on Monday 8 inche*, and after the
snow quit late Monday 3 more
inche* were meatured, making *
total of 17, inche*.
Hotel Destroyed
* . * - .A .
By Sunday Blaze
Watauga Inn, widely known retort
hostelry at Blowing Rock, Waa
destroyed by an early Sunday
morning fire.
Frigid windi fanned the flames,
and the four story building was
completely destroyed.
Firemen from Blowing Rock'
were aided by the Boone company
in fighting the blaze in 14 degree
temperatures and accompanying
heavy snow. They were able to'
contain the blaze and prevent
destruction of other nearby buildings.
Blowing Rock firemen stood
watch over the fire even through
Monday, as high winds continued
to blow the embers.
The cauae of the fire which
raced through the frame and stone
building had not been determined.
Workmen had been working on a
new water line in the basement of
the unoccupied structure until
noon Saturday. There was no Immediate
estimate on the loss involved
in the fire. The building
was owned by W. A. Cessna of
Asheville.
The building was formerly owned
by the Boogher sisters, who
operated the Hob Nob Inn there
for a great many years. A few
years ago Mr. Cessna purchased
the property and since then it has
carried the name of Watauga Inn.
Always a popular resort for
summer visitors to the mountain
top, the inn had enjoyed wide
patronage.
Jailer Loses Finger
As Negro-Bangs Door
Deputy Sheriff George Smithedman,
Watauga County jailer, suffered
ttae Ion of • portion of hii
light middle finger last Thursday in
a celMoor accident cauaed by
George Horton, 30-year-old Boone
Negro.
Smitherman gave this account of
the occurrence:
He had escorted Horton into a
cell after Horton was arrested for
public drunkenness by Police
Chief Glenn Richardaoq between
0 and 7 p. m. Thursday. The door
which opens inside, was standing
ajar while he (Smitherman) was
in the act of doubling up a piece
of paper to inaert In the jamb to
prevent it from rattling if the
prisoner shook it. '
Meanwhile. Horton had grasped
the bar* of the cell door in hta
hands and was moving the door
back and forth. When Smitherman.
his door silencer in place,
reached in wljh his right hand to
pull the door shut, Horton suddenly
shoved on the door with all
his weight, slamming It shut and
catching Smitherman's finger just
above the second joint.
The first and most of the wcond
joint were cut completely off and
fell to the floor Inside the coll.
Smitherman received treatment
at Watauga Hospital and was reIf
if <1 Saturday. ' *
Other charges may be placed
against Horton, he Mid, growing
oat of the fact that be was In
% ■ •
Chief Richardson's police car at
the official parking place in front
of Creat (tore when arrested, and
had the chiefs car keys in his
hand when taken out of the car.
Rites Held For
Mrs. C. A. Reese
Mrs. Elizabeth Reese, 94. died at
her home at Zioriville Sunday.
Funeral services were held
Tuesday at 2 o'clock at the Zionvillc
Baptist church and interment
was in the cemetery there. Rev. R.
C. Eggers conducted the rites.
Surviving are the hustand, Clifford
A. Reese, two sons and two
daughters: Alonao Reese. Lenoir:
J. D. Reese. Zionville; Mrs. Ka#
Hodge. Mountain City, Tenn.; Mrs.
Joe Eller, Lenoir. There are two j
brothers and one sister: Laraa
Greer, Deep Gap; Odell Greer,,
Moriianton; Mrs. Nell Trlvetl,'
Trade, Tenn.
Watauga Hospital operated at
near capacity during the first
three day* of February.
Miri Virginia Grace, business
administrator, said the hospital
census showed 40, 80. and SI patients.
including newly bora babies,,
Hospital Ha
A Full House
t»vo. nr» iuusiq, uwiss WVVKW4 ,
for February l, X and 3. t
t:.
Mothers'' March
Ig Successful
Tb« Mother* March on Polio,
conducted Thursday night, January
30, under the direction of Mrs
Hadley M. Wilion. wai termed an
unqualified success aa thirty Boone
motheri collected a total of >440
for the March of Dime* campaign.
It hai' been reported that about
>1300 M now in hand for the entire
drive, which ended Saturday,
with many cana, boxes, and cardi
distributed throughout the county
still uncollected due to weather
conditions. S K
Mrs. Cart Kidler ts Watauga
County chairman of the March of
Dimes campaign.
A. *. L -C. I. O. iwwilit urges
tw"^ucttoa
$150,000 Seen
As Cost Of
Newest Project
By VIRGIL ROLLINS
Boone civic leaden met Wed
nesday, January 29. «nd diacusaer
plana for a proposed community
recreation center on the Horn Ir j
the West property, recently our
chased by the Town of Boone.
Still in the "talking" stale, the
project would provide for thf
building of a club house and
swimming pool, with playground
teen canteen, concession stand
etc., at an estimated cost of flSO,000.
Representatives of ten civic
club* met last August 14 and
formed the Daniel Boone Park
Committee to make recommendations
' to the town council on the
need to expand Boone's recreational
facilities. Wade E. Brown
waa named chairman and Mrs. B.
W. Stallings, secretary.
A recommendation outlining the i
above project was presented Aug-1
ust 19 to the town board, which ]
subsequently approved the plan,'
' subject to an expression of approval
by the townspeople at large
I and contingent upon the avail:
ability of a feasible method of
; financing the project.
Alio discussed January 29 wis
the advisability of calling a man
meeting to preient the plan to the
I people and establiah a baaii (or a
| decision on whether to hold a bond
! election. However, no date for
• such a meeting w» set. (
I Chairman Brown, who is also
j legal adviser for the committee,
I reported that bond attorneys in
New York have advised him that
according to law any bond issue
to finance improvements to the
subject property would have to Include
the purchase price of the
property itaelf. The Town of
Boone paid about >109,000 for the
Horn in the West property.
Following the August 14 organizational
meeting, Mrs. Stallings
visited several towns in North
Carolina and Tennessee which
have such recreational centers.
She reported that Kings port.
Tenn., has a center quite siiyilar
to the one proposed for Boone.
The Kingsport installation was
designed by Beeaon k Beeson, a
Johnson City, Tenn., firm of architects,
who have been contacted
and have drawn preliminary plana
for the Boone clubhouse and
swimming pool.
Ted Pease of Boo nr. landscape
architect for the Blue Ridge Parkway,
has also furnished the committee
with a preliminary drawing
of the entire proposed layout,
including playground, landscaping,
etc.
In addition to the primary function
of the proposed project to
furnish recreational facilities for
the young people, a meeting place
for local cluba, and convenience
for tourists; long range plans call
for development of the entire area
to provide horseback riding, memI
orial gardens, and a museum, the
I committee laid.
Thomas J. Wall
Taken By Death
Thomu Jefferson Wall, S3, resident
of Todd, died Saturday at the
Veterans' Hospital, Mountain
Home, Teno. where he had been a
patient for thirty days.
Funeral services were held Wednesday
at 2 o'clock at Hopewell
Methodist Church by Rev. Wayne
Woodard and Rev Ed Blackburn
and Interment was in the church
cemetery.
Surviving are the widow, the
former Mis* Mm Church, one son
and five daughters: Jsroes M.
Wall. Todd; M». Lucille Miller.
North Wilkeaboro; Mrs. Sarah
Joneai Cleveland. Ohio; Mrs.
Myrtle Miller. Joppa. Md ; Miss
fandra Wall of the home. One
brother, Robert Wall, Aberdeen,
Mr., and one sister. Mr*. Jennie
Grubbs of Winston-Salem also
survive.
BLAMES JOHN BARLEYCORN
In Jail For 30 Years,
Again In Law's Toils
WILLIAM HAMPTON WEISS
By VIRGIL ROLLINS
He learned to (teal at hla mother's
knee when he was four years
old.
He never knew hia father.
Aa near aa he can figure it, he's
apent 30 of hia 42 yean in orphanages,
reformatories, jails, and
penitentiaries.
Nobody ever gave him a break.
He ia an alcoholic, and wants
help from somebody, anybody.
That, in brief, ia the atory told
by William Hampton Weiaa, who
ia being held in Watauga County
Jail in lieu of $2,000 bond on five
counta of breaking and entering
and larceny here in 1992.
A trail of broken glaas, looted
atores, and pilfered merchandiae
strewn along King Street was left
on the night of July 11, 1982. aa
Hollar's Grocery, Sinclair Service
Station, Hi-Land Cleanen, Watauga
- Hardware, and Smithey's
store were wantonly ranaacked by
a careless marauder.
Pel tee Chief Glenn Rlchardaoa
said Weiss was liaked to the
break-iaa through hla fingerprints
and has admitted the thefts.
"I guess I did it, my fingerprints
were there. I don't have much recollection
of It, but I know 1 was
in Boone that night," Weiss told
a democrat reporter in hla jail
cell.
in the five and one naif year*
since the Boone break-inn. he hu
served five yean and (our month*
of a aeven-year term in a Richmond,
Va., prison and was jailed
for vagrancy in Washinglon, D. C.,
the day he left Richmond.
"I've only been free about six
hour* since I wa* arretted in Virginia
in 1802." Wei*, taid.
He wa* returned to Boone from
Washington on Monday. January
27. by John $dwards. State Bureau
of Investigation (SBI) agent who
assisted Chief Richardson and
(then) Sheriff Earl Cook in the
investigation o( the 1892 robberies
Trail Of Crime
Police record* of a dozen state*
from coast to coast tell a cryptic
story of Weiss' career of crime—
armed robbery, breaking and entering,
auto theft, drunkenness and
vagrancy—but mostly break-Ins.
He wss born In Omar. West Virginia.
on February 4. 191#, Weiss
said. Ml* earliest recollections are
Of being with his mother in Charlotte
"about 1R1" and at being
placed in an orphanage there.
Tbey told him hi* mother had been
Jailed on charge* of drunkenness,
vagrants and shoplifting.
They also told him bU mother
had been Ming him n ■■ accomplice
la her Ihefu.
Weiss Mid he was transferred
to the Maaonic Orphanage at Oxford
in 1024, where he stayed two
yeara and was adopted in 1026 at
the age of 10 by a Mr. John Beasley
of Berea, N. C.
The following year he was
caught stealing and sent to Eastern
Carolina Training School at
Rocky Mount. He stayed there
about six years, but "ran off aeveral
times."
Discharged at It, he was arrested
the same year (1183) for larceny
in Kentucky and served
seven years and nine months of a
ten-year sentence in the Kentucky
State Reformatory.
At 28 he waa drafted into the
Army at Oxford in 1M2 and sent
to Fort Bragg, but "took off and
never reported back."
After serving 32 months in the
Northampton County Prison Camp
for breaking aad entering, he was
(Continued on page five)
Radio Program
Nets Over 8400
For Polio Fund
Donation* to the Harch of
Dimes Mt a new record on Wednesday
night when radio station M
WATA and Bob Barnea worked
overtime to help get contribution!
from the college and townspeople.
Barnea. who contributed his
time until the program ended at
2:30 In the moriring, was maater
of ceremonies for the program
which included playing records by
request for any amount over
twenty-five cents, and lutrlng per*
sons from the college sad community
come to the radio station
19 sing in anawer to requests and
a contribution or five dollars. A'
large number of persons warn
called upon, but decided that to
match the request contribution
would be easier than (a performance.
'''M' ■*«?
and the faculty responded to the
appeal with a contribution which
at latest count, totaled *413.35.
On the Appalachian campua,
Justice Hall led the tally with
a total of WJ.73. with Uvlll
ond by little bss ti§> a dollar <t
WJ1.38. .