GIVE
theUNITEDway
VOLUME LXXL? NO. 15
i
- 1 1 mm
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An Independent Weekly fiewpaper . . . Seventy-Firtf Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY. OCTOBER ?, 1958
45 - .is
57 43 98 .17
68 50 #6 .22
66 45 50
60 43 BO tr.
Total rainfall? 1X1 inch.
EIGHTEEN PAGES? THREE SECTIONS
Northwestern Bank
Merges With State
i
At HendersonVille
A proposed merger of the State
Trust Company of Hendersonville^
with the Northwestern Bank,
which has offices in a score or
more cities and towns in the
mountain and Piedmont areas of
North Carolina, was approved by
directors of the Hendersonville
institution at a meeting Tuesday
afternoon.
Announcement of the action,
which is subject to approval by
stockholders of both banks and by
the North Carolina Banking De
partment and the Federal Deposit
Insurance Corporation, was made
by W. B. Hodges, president of
SUte Trust, Company, and Edwin
Duncan of North Wilkesboro,
president of Northwestern.
The Hendersonville stockholders
meeting will be held Tuesday, Oct.
21.
Officers, directors and employes
of State Trust Company will con
tinue in their present positions,
Edwin Duncan, Jr., vice president
of the Northwestern Bank, said
here yesterday after the directors'
meeting.
"The State Trust Company will
continue to be operated by the
same personnel and under the gen
eral policies which since 1030 have
contributed greatly to the upbuild
ing of Henderson County," he
said. "Stockholders and customers
will, we believe, give the same loy
al support that has characterized
the bank through the years."
i In addition to President Hodges,
senior officers of the State Trust
Company are F. V. Hunter, exec
utive vice president; B. B. Massa
gee and F. L. FitzSimons, vice
presidents; John L. Brown, cashier
and trust officer; and S. H. Hunt,
assistant to the president. Directors
are Hodges, Hunter, Massagee,
FitzSimons, Hunt, Bruce Drysdale,
C. M. Ogle, O. B. Crowell, George
W. Boys and W. B. W. H<?we. "V*5
Northwestern, with principal of
fleet in North Wilketboro, it one
! of the tUte't largett banking in
stitutioni. Currently it hat capital
of $1,000,000, deposits of 163,000,
000, retourcet of $70,000,000, tur
plut of >4,000,000, undivided prof
it* of $990,000, and reaervet for
bad debU of *1,230,000.
The State Trutt Company hat
retourcet of $12300,000. Itt de
posits are about *12,000,000. capi
tal *179,000, surplus $390,000, and
undivided profits and retervet
$339,000.
If the merger it consummated by
approval of atockholdert the North
Carolina Banking Department and
the Federal Deposit Insurance
Corp. Northwestern will have $7,
700,000 in itt capital account, and
approximately 979,000,000 in de
posit!.
Under the agreement to be acted
upon by ttockholdert, the capital
stock of the Northwettern Bank
will be increated from 100,000
tharet to 190,000 tharet by ittuing
a stock dividend of 30 per cent on
the presently outstanding 100,000
tharet to the pretent ttockholdert
of The Northwettern Bank, and
the ittuing and celling to the ttock
holdert of the Northwettern Bank
2,900 tharet at 970 a share. The
remaining 17,900 tharet of common
ttock of The Northwestern Bank
would then be exchanged for 17,
900 tharet of the State Trust Com
pany, thit being the entire itaued
and outstanding stock of the State
Trust Company.
In addition to North Wilketboro,
Northwettern branches are oper
ated in Hickory, Wilketboro,
State sville, Valdete, Black Moun
tain, Spruce Pine, Boone Sparta.
Jefferton, Wett Jefferson, Taylors
ville, Blowing Rock, Stony Point,
Old Fort, Newton. Maiden, Cleve
land, Eait Bend, Bakermlla,
BurntviUe and .Spruce Pipe, . To
theae, HendersonviTTe and Tletcher
wiuld be added.
Grady Yates Is Shot
By Father- In-Law
Wiley Stansberry is- free under
$1,000 bond charged with (hooting
his aon-in-law, Grady Yates, in an
affray Sunday afternoon, Sheriff
Ernest Hodges said.
Yates was in Watauga Hospital
and reported to be recovering
satisfactorily Tuesday. Both men
live on Route 1, Vilas.
Rotary Sponsors
Rummage Drive
The Boone Rotary Club an
nounces that it will conduct ?
rummage collection drive next
Sunday for the benefit of the
Crippled Children's Fund.
The collection will be made at
Boone hornet from 1 to 3 p.m.,
Sunday, October 12, said Glenn
Wallace Wilcox, chairman. Boone
residents are asked to gather up
any items of clothing, furniture,
or other personal and household
items to be donated, and place
them on the porch or in the yard,
with smaller items in boxes if
possible. It was stressed that col
lectors will not knock on anyone's
door but will only pick up items
left in a conspicuous place outside
the bouse.
In case of inclement weather,
the collecting will be postponed to
the following Sunday at the same
hours.
Democrats
Open Office
The Democrat! have opened
their campaign headquarters in
the building formerly occupied by
the Ayers Electric Co. near the
Dixie Stores.
Mr. Gurney Luther is in charge
of the headquarters.
Bloodmobile
In New Place
The Blood mobile will be at
the Methodist Chart* in Bmh
Thursday October Mb from 11
a. as. to S p. m? rather thaa at
Sheriff Hodges gave this account
of the incident, as related by
thos$ involved:
Yates, about 35, and his wife,
Stansberry's daughter, had been
quarreling over car keys, and Mrs.
Yates had picked up a baseball
bat with which she was trying to
bit her husband, and he was trying
to get it away from her.
8 tans berry, about 60, came into
the house from his home next
door and shot Yates with a .32
Special revolver at Yates advanced
toward him with the baseball bat,
Stans berry said. The bullet entered
the right side ok Yates' face near
the nose and lodged 'in the back of
his neck from wlfere it was ex
tracted Sunday night, the Sheriff
said.
Stansberry was taken into cus
tody by Sheriffs deputies Sunday
night, and posted bond of $1,000
for his. appearance at a hearing,
the date for which had not been
set Tuesday.
? " i 7 ~7r I
BILL JtUSH, printer-pressman, who has just rounded out 29 years of service with the Democrat, is shown I
with the plant's newest press, a Heidelberg. This German-made, high speed machine is the last word
in precision platen press field.
Election Registration Will
Start In Watauga Saturday
First Killing Frost
Is Seen On Tuesday
The first "killing frost" in
Boone was noted Tuesday morn
ing when temperatures dropped to
28 degrees. This was about three
days before the average time of
Jack frost's arrival, according to
an obserwr.
Ordinarily, frost cm b? expect
ed by October 10, the observer
said. Sometimes, however, killing
frost have occurred in this area
in the early days of September.
For some time now, the nights
have been cool, and frost was ex
pected at any time. Wind and
cloudy weather the past few weeks
were given credit for hindering
the arrival of the frost. On the
morning of September 29 a low
temperature reading of 39 degrees
was noted at the local weather
observer station, and there were
some reports of frost before Tues
day morning of this week. How
ever, most gardens and flower beds
apparently were not affected until
this week.
September will probably be re
corded as one of the driest in re
cent years. Less than an inch
was measured by the weather ob
server during the month. On Sep
tember lb .24 of an inch was noted,
and on the 21st .62 was measured.
Four other days Just a trace (less
than .01 of an inch) was noticed
in the measuring can.
Normal rainfall for Boone, ac
cording to records, is just over
four inches. Last year's measured
rain was the most for September
in several years, when 11.20 inches
fell. In 1954, 1.08 inches were
recorded; 1969 ? .90 inch; and 1996
? 5. IS inches.
The dry spell was broken the
last day of the month, and record
ed on October 1, when a half inch
of rain fell. The following day
.IS was recorded, and on the 3rd
.17, sad tip 4th 22 of an inch
Palmer's Photo
Shop Remodeled
Palmer'i Photo Shop on East
King Street, operated here for
many years by the late Palmer
Blair, has recently undergone' a
remodeling and expansion pro
gram by its present owner, George
A. Flowers, Jr., who assumed
operation of the shop early in
1957.
The studio for portrait sittings
has betn moved from the rear
portion of the store to several
rooms on the second floor direct
ly over the photo shop, where
there is a well-appointed studio,
reception room, dressing room,
and office.
Thus, space was provided down
stairs to enlarge the dark room to
more than double its former size,
said Mr. Flowers. The result has
been to increase the service faci
lities of the shop and studio many
fold, he added.
An "open house" event was held
last week to introduce the public
to the new look and increased
space and facilities and Hr.
Flowers reported that he was well
pleased with the response. Valu
able prizes were awarded to lucky
ticketholders in connection with
the event.
State Extension Official Is
Pleased With Hereford Sale
By J. S. BUCHANAN,
(Animal Husbandry Extension
Specialist, N. C. State College)
For a number of years I have
thought that more of our purebred
breeders should sell calves in the
fall of the year through organized
breeding association sponsored
sales. I am pleased to know that
the Watauga Hereford Breeders
Association will sponsor a pure
bred calf sale at Boone on October
II. i
In this type of sale heifer calves
good enough for foundation or re
placement female* in a purebred
herd, bull calve* that are good
prospect* for top commercial herd
bull* and steer calves that grade
fancy and choice for IT A and 4-H
fat steer projects will make aa at
tractive offering.
The main crop produced on
moat cattle farms in western
North Carolina is grai*. A calf
sal* will heat meet the needa of
purahrad breeder* who depend
mostly on grass and roughage as
a source of feed. The calf aale
idea if alto popular with breed
ers who are not equipped with
proper facilities and available la
bor to fit older cattle for show
and sale.
Organized feeder calf sales
have proven to be the most profi
table way for commercial produc
ers to market their calves, and all
purebred breeders will have some
calves that should be sold through
these sales. Only the calves that
are good enough for seed stock
should be registered and consign
ed to the purebred calf sale.
Purebred breeders who consign
calves to a aale should not expect
the same price per bead that they
would receive for bred heifers 'and
service age bulls. However, there
should be a good demand for high
quality calves this fall and they
usually aell at a favorable price
aa compared to older cattle. The
feeding min?|>m?nt of DAXIJf
purebred herd* should be handled
on a more practical bam when all
calves except replacement heifers
are marketed at weaning time.
A lot of small commercial pro
ducer* do not feel like they can
justify paying $000 for a service
age bull. They are more likely to
purchase a good bull calf for $290
to $360 knowing that they can re
cover most of their bull cost in
the beef market. With many cull
beef cdws selling on today's mar
ket at around $200 per head, it
would seem that a good registered
heifer calf should be one of our
most saleable commodities. A lot
of buyer* prefer to purchase cal
ves because the initial coat per
head is less than for older cattle.
This la a general agreement that
there Is ?' definite need for more
good bulls In the commercial
herds of Western Carolina. Also,
most people say that now is the
time for strict culling of poor
prodacing com.
Registration books for the No
vember election will be open at
the various polling places in the
county next Saturday, for the
purpose of registering new voters,
it is anounced by J. D. Winebar
ger, chairman of the Watauga
County Board of Elections.
Mr. Winebarger states that the
books will be open also on the
18th and 25th, and Saturday Nov
ember 1 will be observed as chal
lenge day. The election will be
November 4: On other days than
Saturdays the Registrars will have
the registration books available at
their homes or places of business.
The Board of Elections office
is open in the building formerly
occupied by the Black Bear Mar
ket, opposite the Thrift Food Cen
ter on East King Street, where ab
sentee ballots are now being is
sued by Chairman Winebarger for
qualified civilian and soldier vot
ers who are absent from the coun
ty.
Election Officials
For the convenience of the vot
ers the names of the Registrars
and Judges of Election in the dif
ferent precincts are given. The
first named in each case is the
registrar, followed by the Demo
crat and Republican Judges:
Bald Mountain: J. B. Ragan,
Glenn Howell, Leslie Norris.
Blowing Rock: Dan Klutz,
Rudolph Greene, Roy Holder.
Blue Ridge! Mrs. R. C. Greene,
M. O. Coffey, George Keller.
Boone: Gurney Luther, Barnard
Dougherty, B. H. Watson.
Brushy Fork: M. J. Wililams,
A. Y. Howell, Ralph Wilson.
Beaver Dam: Claude Wilson,
Lynn Norris, John Winkler,
Cove Creek: Clinard Wilson,
Dana Greene, Otto Thomas.
Laurel Creek: Custer Ward,
Ronda Norris, Welborn Rominger.
Meat Camp No. 1: Worth Wine
barger, Willard Noijis, J. C. Stan
berry.
Meat Camp No. 2: Forest Mor
etz, Stacy Tester, Wade Moretz.
(Continued on page three)
Scholarships Are
To Be Given By
Local Oil Dealers
In connection with Oil Progress
Week, member! of the oil indus
try in Watauga county are arrang
ing to set up the Watauga Oil
Scholarship Foundation, the pur
pose of which is to provide Appa
lachian State Teachers College
scholarships for needy Watauga
county students.
Many service station operators
in the county are to take part in
the movement and those partici
pating will display decals indicat
ing their interest in the venture.
It is hoped that thla project may
be continued year after year, the
first recipient of a scholarship
under this plan will be aelected
next April, and will be entitled to
enter college in the fall.
Pinal decision will be made by
the head of the Welfare Depart
ment, the Superintendent of
Schools, ? member of the oil d??l
er?' Association and a banker.
Calvin Hicks Dies
In Crash On 421
State Highway
Employee
Is Victim
Calvin H. Hicks, 57, resident
of Vilas Route 1, and an em
ployee of the State Highway
Department, was killed in
stantly Tuesday morning when
the highway dump truck he
was driving was rammed from
the rear by a tandem dump
truck, loaded with sand and
operated by Kermit Cyrus
Brittain of Route 4, Morgan
ton.
The accident occurred as
Hicks was driving his empty
truck west on 421, not far from
the Forest Wilson home on
Brushy Fork. According to
Highway Patrolman George E.
Baker, who investigated the
accident, the brakes of the
Brittain truck failed to hold,
and it overtook the State
truck, knocking away the emp
ty dump body, the chassis ca
reening down the highway for
a distance of 216 feet before it
left the road, turned over and
burned. The body of Hicks
was found on the right should
er of the highway near the
point of impact, Mr. Baker
said. Coroner Richard E. Kel
ley stated that death was in
stananeous and was due to
Severe head injuries.
Officer Baker said the Brit
tain truck, its battered front
end dragging the pavement,
went 348 feet before it stopped
against a bank on the right
side of the road, remaining up
right. The State truck was a
total loss while the privately
owned machine was damaged
about $1,000.
Mr. Baker indicted Brittain
for manslaughter and operat
ing a truck with improper
equipment. He was released
under a $3,000 bond, pending
a hearing which will be held
at the courthouse Saturday af
ternoon at four o'clock before
Magistrate C. F. Thompson.
Funeral arrangements for
Mr. Hicks had not been made
when this was written.
Lee Fletcher
Rites Are Held
Lee Fletcher, 67, former resi
dent of the Cove Creek section,
died at the home in Hunter, Tenn.,
September 28, after a long illness.
Funeral services were held at
the Hunter Baptist Church, and
burial was in the church cemetery.
There are four children, Fred and
Coke of Hunter; Mrs. Dora Dean
Hollie, Elizabethton, and Burl of
Elizabeth ton.
"CHRIST'S MANGER."?' This beautiful night blooming Cereus, more
commonly known as Christ's Manger, burst into bloom about 9:00
o'clock last Tuesday night in the home of Mrs. Walter Johnson on
King Street. Mrs. Johnson, who has had the plant for eight yean, says
it is the first time it has bloomed for her. In natural surroundings,
the flower can be expected to bloom every seven years, according to
a local biologist. For several days prior to blooming, Mrs. Johnson
had noticed three "buds" on the plant, but it was not until just before
going to bed did she know it would bloom. Several friends and neigh
bors came in to see the delicate blossoms, which, Mrs. Johnson said,
would last only until daylight came Staff photo.
Fund Drive Will
Begin On Monday
The organization for the Wa
tauga United Fund drive ia com
plete and workers qre in readiness
to launch the campaign Monday
morning, said Dr. L. H. Owsley,
president, and Leo Derrick and
Herman Anderson, co-chairmen of
the campaign committee.
The campaign, which combines
many organized charities into one
concerted drive and allocates funds
to each according to the budget,
will be conducted from October
13-29.
This year's goal has been set at
$19,496.90.
The payroll deduction plan will
be stressed this year for employees
working for a salary or wages, said
Richard Horhouser, chairman of
the "advance gifts" drive. This
enables a contributor to spread his
donation over an entire year if he
so desires, either weekly, monthly,
or quarterly.
This method can be handled in a
number of ways, said Mr. Mor
hauser. The employee may ar
range with his employer to make
regular deductions from his wages.
In some firms such plans are not
used, but a key employee is as
signed to collect payments from
each pledgor, usually on paydays.
Or employees may elect to make
payments direct to the United
Fund. Arrangements may be made
with the secretary of Watauga
United, Mrs. Howard Carlson, to'
send pledgors a statement each
quarter of the amount agreed upon.
National statistics show that the
average of the United Funds re
Sir Cedric Hardwicke
To Appear In Boone
Sir Cedric Hardwicke, well
know actor of ftage, aereen, tele
vision, and the reading platform,
will appear in Boon e on October
21 at the college auditorium as
the second number of the ASTC
Public Programs series. Sir Ced
ric will be heard as a replacement
for Raymond Masaey, who is pre
vented by illness from making his
scheduled tour.
"Sir Cedric Hardwicke was Mr.
Massey's own choice to take over
his engagements," Professor Fran
cis Cook, chairman of the Public
Programs committee, has annouoc
ed. "The committee la sure that be
will- give us an excellent program.
A few informal polls of townspeo
ple and students have shown that
be Is as well known as Mr. Ma*
sey, and well liked. No one could
be found who represent* better
the finest traditions of the thea
tre, and he has had much experi
ence in the kind of informal pro
gram he will give at Appalachian."
Admission to Sir Otdric's pro
gram will be by aeason ticket only.
Tickets for single programs can
not be sold because of limitations
of space and the increase in col
lege enrollment
Seaaon tickets are on sale at
the Boone Chamber of Commerce
and the college business office.
They will admit the holder to the
programs of the North Carolina
Little Symphony, Te Ata. Players,
Inc., and the Grass Roots Oper*
in addition to the Hardwicke pro
gram.
porting indicate that they receive
37.7 per cent of the total aub
scribed through employee cam
paign! (industrial, commercial, aad
public employeea.) Several Boone
firms have already lnatltuted a
payroll deduction plan for the cur
rent campaign, it waa announced.
Included in the 1959 Watauga
United budget, over SO per cent
of which will be used for the ben
efit of local organizationa, are the
following agencies: Watauga Coun
ty Crippled Children, U. S. O.,
Boy Scouts of America, Watauga
County Diaaater and Dread Di
seaae Fund, N. C. and Watauga
County Mental Health, Children's
Home Society, American Red
Cross, Teen Canteen, National Rec
reation Aasociation, Watauga Coun
ty Empty Stocking Fund, National
Travelers' Aid Society, Appalach
ian High School Band, National So
cial Welfare Assembly, WaUug*
4-H Clubs, Girl Scouts, Florence
Crittenton Home, Watauga Agri
cultural Workers Council, United
Research Foundation, International
Social Service. Watauga School
Children'a Clothing Fund, and
American Social Hygiene Aasoci
ation.
ClaudTodd,42,
Ends Own Life
J. Claud Todd, 42, native e f
Boone, but (or many year* a resi
dent of Hampton. Va., died Mon
day morning from a gunshot
wound in the head, which is said
to have been self-inflicted.
Word reaching relatives here is
to the effect that Mrs. Todd found
the body on her return from a
trip to town. Further details were
not available to members of the
family.
Mr. Todd was a son of the late
W. G. Todd and Mrs. Todd of
Boone and had been in Hampton
for about 16 y fears, where he was
employed in the ship yards.
Funeral services are to be held
in Hampton this (Wednesday)
morning at 10 o'clock. The body
will be returned to Boone, where
graveside rite* will be held at
Mountlawn Memorial Park Thurs
day at 2 o'clock by the Rev. G. A.
Arthur and the Rev. E. F. Trout
man.
Survivors include the widow, the
former Miss Helen Gragg of Boone,
and two sons. Bill and Mike of the
home. The mother, Mrs. W. G.
Todd of Bel Air survive*. A broth
er, Joe Todd, resides in Boom. 9