VOLUME LXXIII. ? NO. 23
WATAUGA DF
An Independent Weekly Neumpaper . . . Seventy-Third Year
PUCE: FIVE CENTS BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1M0
BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS. ? The new board of county commis
sioners posed for this picture before their first meeting. They are,
I.
left to right: Chairman W. C. Aentz, Dr. Gene Reece, and Bynum
S. Greene. ? Staff photo.
i
Lentz Again Heads Co. Board;
Hodges, W inebarger Appointed
W. C. Lentz, of Blowing Rock,
nKumbent, Democrat Chairman of
the Board of County Commission
ers, was re-elected to head the
county governing board at the org
anization meeting held Monday.
Dr. Gene L. Reese, Boone dent
ist, a, Democrat, is a new member
of the Board; also Mr. S. Bynum
Greene, Republican, takes the place
of Ivan Dishman, Democrat, ol
Beaver Dam township.
Dallas Hodges, of Boone, auto
mobile salesman, was namec
County Tax Collector, fuceeedinf
Hubert Thomas, who has served
In that capacity for the past twc
years.
Mr. J. D, Winebarger was re
elected Tax Supervisor and Count)
f Accountant, while Miss Mary
Greene of Sugar Grove was retain
- ed as bookkeeper.
1 Herman Bryan of Meat Camp
! township was named Custodian of
t the Court House and County build
> ing.
At the initial meeting of the
- new board only routine business
' came up for discussion.
Thos. Presnell
Funeral tfeld
Thomas V. Presnell, native Wa
taugan, son of the late Vance
Presnell and Mrs. Presnell of Vilas,
and City Commissioner of Eliza
bethton, Tenn., died there Novem
ber 27 of a heart attack.
Mr. Presnell, 45, of Elliott St.,
died of a heart attack
Funeral services and interment
were in Elizabethton.
Presnell had been the Chrysler
Plymouth dealer in Elizabethton
for the past 14 years.
Presnell was a member and in
active deacon of the First Baptist
Church. He was a member of the
Dashiel Masonic Lodge No. 238
FliAM, a member of the Kerbela
Temple Shrine, and the Elizabeth
ton S^ine Club.
He was a director of the Eliza
bethton Lions Club and a veteran
of World War II.
Survivors include the widow,
Mrs. Mary Nave Presnell; one
daughter, Mrs. David Burgner,
Elliott Street; three sons, Thomas
Spencer Presnell, Larry Burton
Presnell and Ricky Joe Presnell,
jail of the home; and one grand
daughter; five brothers, Laurie V.
Presnell, Bristol; Gray Presnell,
Carson City, Nev., Jack Presnell
of Florida, and Pvt. Ralph Presnell,
Fort Knox, Ky.
Milton Moretz
Funeral Held
Milton Moretz, 28, former resi
dent of Route 2, Boone, and cattlc
grower of Bethel, N. C., died last
Thursday at the home.
Funeral services were held Sun
day at 1 o'clock at the Meat Camp
Baptist Church by the Rev. R. C.
Eggers and burial was in Mount
lawn Memorial Park Boone.
The widow, two sons and two
daughters survive: Tommy, %ddie,
Mary Alice and Lenora. The par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Arlie Me ets,
also survive, with * brother snd
two sisters: Elmo Moretz, Miami,
Fla.; Miss Allie Moretz, Gastonla.
Mrs. Bill McGoogan, Rockingham.
A grandmother, Mrs. S. G. Monti,
of Boone survives.
Mississippi Southern College's
debating squad won overall team
honors in the 20th annual Appala
chian Mountain Forensic Tourna
ment which ended Saturday at Ap
palachian State Teachers College.
Mississippi, which had arrived
a week too early from Hatties
burg for Winston - Salem's Dixie
Classic debate, entered the Boone
tournament after Mars Hill College
cancelled its entry.
Eleven institutions participated
in the tournament, directed by
Professor Leo K. Pritchett of Ap
palachian State Teachers College.
Teams participating were Duke
University, University of South
Carolina, Davidson College, Lenoir
Rhyne College, Gardner-Webb Col
lege, Mississippi Southern, Win
gate College, East Tennessee Col
lege, Maryville (Tenn.) College,
Carson-Newman (Tenn.) Teachers
Colleges 'nd Appalachian State
Teachers College.
For five rounds, beginning on
Thursday and ending on Saturday,
tl)e students attacked this year's
Intercollegiate Debate question:
Resolved: "That The United States
Should Adopt A Program of Com
pulsory Health Insurance For All
Citizens." ?
Taking second place over-all de
bating honors was Carson-Newman
of Jefferson City, Tenn. Appala
chian State Teachers College won
third place.
Best men debaters ? Tint: Stan
Gwln. Knoxville. Tenn . MimtMippi
Southern; Second: Dennis Smttn.
Beaufort, 8. C., University of 8. C\;
Third: Tom Koehler, Johnson City,
Tenn., East Tenneaaee.
Best women debaters?- First: Judie
Bittinger, Greensboro. Lenoir Rhync
College; Second: Pat Tlndell. BUoxl.
Miss.. Mlsai? Ippl Southern; ThiMk
Carol Mattner. Kenosha. Wis.. Mi JW
ippi Southern.
Best Affirmative-First: Mississippi
! Southern; Second: Carson atfewman
, C.M.jtiJrhlrt: Rhyn*:.!*,,
Best Negative ? First: Mississippi
Southern; Second: Appalachian State
Teachers College; Third: Maryville
College.
Winners of other contests in the
debating tournament were:
Radio JtewscastLng
Men First: Donald Leo, New York.
Maryville College; Second: William
Poc, Reading. Pa., Duke University;
Third: Morris Lynch. Oastonia, Gard
ner-Webb College.
Women ? First: C?ra|M McCaaklll.
Pennsylvania. Maryville College. Sec
ond: Judith Cox, Tarboro. Lenoir
' Rhync College; Third: Lorna Cock
man. Robbins, ASTC.
After. Dinner Speaking
Men?First: Dennis Smith, Beaufort*
S. C., University of South Carolina;
Second: Morris Lynch. Gastonia. Gard
iier-Webb College; Third: Ralph Plnck
ley, Alexandria, La., Mississippi South
Women ? First: Carolyn McCaskill.
MiiNmli, Maryville Collet*; Sec- 1
ond: Joyce Philbeek. Boiling Springs
Gardner-Webb College.
Mm -flrt^lUil Gwln. Knoxville.
Tenn.. MlMiaslppI Southern; Second:
wait J. Milter. (ut Third:
Larry Hicks, Lenoir. ASTC.
Women ? First: Rarnona Craig, Le
noir. ASTC; Pat Tindell. Biloxi. Miss..
Mississippi Southern; Third: Toni Met- :
calf, Beaufort, S. C., University of
South Carolina.
Extemporaneous Speaking
Men? First: Donaki Leo, New York.
^Aaryvllle College; Second: Gregory
^Jovan. New Orleans. La., Davidson
College; Third: John Walker, Knox
ville, Tenn., Duke University.
Women ? First: Judie Bittlnger,
Greensboro, Lenoir Rhyne College;
Second: Toni Metcalf, Beaufort, S. C..
University of South Carolina; Third:
Marcia White. Forest City, Gardner
Webb College.
Oratory
Men ? First: Donald Leo, New York.
Maryville College; Second: John Ran
kin. Kingaport. Tenn.. Davidson Col.
lege; ThircT Walter West. Huntington,
Tenn., Carson-Newman College.
Women- First: Gail Brown, Chatta
nooga. Tenn., Carson-Newman; Sec
ond: Joyce Williams, Maraville Col
lege; Third: Marcia White, Forest City.
Gardner'Webb.
Problem Solving
Men? First: Stan Gwin, Knoxville.
Tenn., Mississippi Southern; Second:
Clay Kelly, Kingsport, Tenn., East
Tennessee; Third: Tucker Gibson, Bal
timore. Md., Carson -Newman.
W Women ? First : Judy Bittlnger.
Greensboro. Lenoir Rhyne; Setond:
Lesley Swalm. New Jersey. Maryville
College; Third: Toni Metcalf. Beau
fort, S. C., University of South Caro
lina.
Dr. J. D. Rankin, President
Emeritus of ASTC, 2^ years ago
founded the first Appalachian
Mountain Forensic Tournament at
Boone.
This year's event, held in the
First Baptist Church, was sponsor
ed by chapter 219, North Carolina
Gpsilon, Pi Kappa Delta and Ap
palachian State Teachers College.
Mrs. Ida Stine
Dies Saturday (
Mrs. Ida Brown Stine, 71, resi
dent of Beech Creek, died Satur
day at Banner Elk Hospital.
Funeral services were conduct
ed Monday afternoon at 2 o'clock
at the Beech Creek Baptist Church
by the Rev. Max T. Brooks and
burial was in the family cemetery.
Surviving are the husband, Char
lie Stine, thfee sona and five
daughters: Coy Stine, Elk Park;
Floyd, Clyde Stine, Beech Creek;
Mrs. Eddie Estep, Elk Park; Mrs.
Ruth Estep, Beech Creek; Mrs.
Eula Ward, Mrs. Viola Ward, Elk
Park; Mrs. Vcrtic Vines, Eliza
bcthton, Tenn. One brother and
two sisters survive; George Brown,
Beech Creek; Mrs. Nora Guy, Elk
Park; Mrs. Laura Oaks, Bristol.
Tenn. There arc 42 grandchildren
and 5 great grandchildren.
Mr. and Mrs. Phil McGuIre of
Troutman spent the week end with
Mrs. Ala McGuire In Boom.
Problem Posed
For-Pritehett
It was difficult to decide this
week whether Leo K. Pritchett
was simply relaxed after a job
well done or limp from being un
done by a job. In either event he
had overcome more than hit share
of problems in guiding debating
squads from some eleven colleges
and universities through the an
nual Appalachian Mountain Firen
sic Tournament held Friday and
Saturday in the First Baptist
Church.
Pritchett, an old hand at debate
arrangements, felt fairly relaxed
on Thursday morning. He had
worked out all problems of hous
ing, his schedule of matches was
set, his list of judges complete.
Then his troubles began. The
I morning mail brough a cancella
tion by the Mars Hill College de
baters, jolting him with the pos
sibility of having to revise the
entue debate schedule.
Fate then stepped in to pull
him out of this disaster when on
Thursday afternoon he received a
phone call from the coach of a
stranded Mississippi Southern Col
lege debating team which had ap
peared in Winston-Salem one week
ahead of the scheduled Dixie
Classic Forensic Tournament to be
held this weekend at Wake Forest.
Pritchett gladly welcomed the Mis
sissippi group, simply inserting its
negative and affirmative teams in
to the spots vacatedfey Mars Hill.
Problem solved.
But Pritchctt was soon to learn
that fate, like debating, has a neg
ative as well as an affirmative
side. The all-male Davidson squad
rolled into town and was forced
to place an ailing member of its
affirmative team in the hospital.
More schedule snafu.
Throwin^tou ma ment rules out
the window, Pritchett volunteered
the services of Ann Sharpless, an
Appalachian sophomore, who be
came the first woman debater in
Davidson history. Second problem
solved. .
After this, the third and final
problem was easy. Coach Conklin
needed another affirm^Ve speak
er for bis third squatP Cot Just
the girl for him ? somebody go
tell Carolyn Clark I need her.
By Saturday night, Pritchett
pvasn't quite sure who haddebated
whom, but he was positive of one
thing ? that in comparison with
this one, all future debate tourna
ments will be simple affairs.
BOONE GROWS, COUNTY SHRINKS
Boone Gains 713 Oyer
1950 In Current Census
Blowing Rock
Also Chalks
Up Increase
The final report on the 1960
census gives Boone a popula
tion of 3,686, an increase of
713 over the count of 2973
made ten years ago.
However, as previously re
ported, Watauga county lost
813 people in the decade, leav
ing her population at 17,529.
In 1950 it was 18,342.
The population of Blowing
Rock is given as 711, as against
661 in 1950.
By townships, the county popu
lation it:
Bald Mountain 361
Beaver Dam 944
Blowing Rock 962
Blue Ridge 644
Boon* 3686
Brushy Fork 1642
Cove Creek 1626
Elk 366
Laurel Creek 1036
Meat Camp 1297
New River 1952
North Fork 261
Shawneehaw 450
Stony Fork 119?
Watauga 1123
The State Figures
The population of the State of
North Carolina is 4,996,159, com
pared with 4,061,929 in 1980, an
increase of 12.2 per cent.
The top ten cities of the State
have current population as fol
lows:
?charlotte 201,964, Greensboro
119,974, Winston-Salem 111,139,
Raleigh 93,931, Durham 78,302,
High Point 61,692, Asheville 58,
747, Fayetteville 46,473, Wilming
ton 44,013, Gastonia 37,276.
Weed Sales
Establish
New Record
Leaf sales totaled 1,801,188
pounds for the first six days of
selling on the 1900 Market at the
Mountain Burley Warehouse in
Boone. Gross receipts ran to
$1,224,320.10, making the average
price <67.70, the highest average
in the history of the market, ac
cording to Mrs. Harriet Sikes.
Warehouse officials recommend
ed early marketing of tobacco in
order to take advantage of the
current selling prices. As buyer*
approach their poundage quota,
bidding tends to slow down, it
was pointed out. Price levels are
expected to remain high until the
very end of the present market,
but the early sales are likely to
be the best, the market people be
lieve. 0
Appearance of baskets on the
sales floor still ranks as the num
ber one factor in getting top prices
for a tobacco crop, Mrs. Sikes de
clared, and urged that all growers
make their crops as attractive as
possible when displaying them for
sale.
COUNTY APPOINTEES. ? These three person* were ? pointed by the county commissioners Monday to
top offices of the county. They are, left to right: Hiss Mary Green, secretary and bookkeeper; J. D.
Winebarger, accountant and tax supervisor; Dallas Hodges, tax collector.? Staff photo.
Jones Child,* 9, Meets Tragic
I )eath When Gun Discharges
Santa Claus Is
On The Wav
Shelters Are
Being Asked
J)eccmber 7, Wednesday, marked
the third annual National Civil De
fense Day, dedicated to the con
viction that vigilance must be
maintained night and day because
of enemy threats. Dr. R. D. Har
mon. Civil Defense director for
Watauga county, joined with na
tional director Leo A. Hoegh of the
Office of Civil and Defense Mo
bilizatron, in urging that all Amer
icans plan some sort of "fallout
shelter protection" in case the
need arises.
Director Hoegh said, "Most
Americans could be saved by tak
ing simple but adequate civil de
fense measures now," in case of
enert# attack.
He has called home fallout shelt
ers "the lowest-cost family insur
ance obtainable." These cost from
91S0 for a "do-it-yourself" base
ment shelter to >1,900 for a cus
tom-made shelter fixed up to serve
as an extra room.
In urging the building of such
protection, Director Hoegh said,
"Fallout shelter protection is the
best single nog-military defense
measure for the greatest number of
our people."
Appalachian College Choir Will
Again Present Handel's Messiah
The 53-voicc Choir of Appala
chian State Tcachcn College, un
der the direction of Mr*. Virginia
Wary Linncy, will appear in it*
nineteenth annual presentation of
the Christmas portion of Handel's
Messiah, Sunday afternoon at 4
o'clock at the Pirat Baptist Church
of Boone.
The Choir will be accompanied
by the College Symphony Orches
tra under the direction of Mr.
Nicholas Erneaton.
The singing of Handel's Mosaiafc
has become a traditional part of
the Christmas season (or the col
lege and lor the town of Boone.
It has been sung annually since
the Christmas of 1940, with one
exception, when the choir pre
sented the Bach ChrlsUnss Ora
torio.
The College Choir has gained
national recognition by its annual
presentation of excerpts of the
Messiah over the Mutual Network
for eight successive years.
|eJoWs tor (|? performance
will be Miss Mildred Elliott and
Miis Shirley Jackson, soprano*;
Miss Susan Ford and Miss Judy
McCurry, Contraltos; Mr. Samuel
Chen, tenor; and Mr. Lowell Dot
?on, Baso.
Assisting at the organ will be
Mr. Earney Hotard of the piano
?nd organ departments of ASTC
and Misa Sylvia Williams, pianist,
a graduate assistant In the Music
tteputmbu.
? ?
Santa Claus is coming to
town next Saturda?morning to
distribute gifts to all the
youngsters and to officially get
the Christmas season under
way.
The bewhiskered old gentle
man of the snowy locks will
open his pack ai King and De
pot Streets, where decorations
have been put up to brighten
the scene, and all the boys and
girls in the area, regardless of
age, are invited to come.
Santa will be on hand at 10
o'clock a. m. In explaining
setting this hour, Chamber of
Commerce President Wilcox
sayAt was fixed in the morn
ing "so that all kids, regardless
of age, ?ould come and see
Santa and receive a gift from
him, and not disturb your
resting period in the early af
ternoon."
Christmas Store Hours
It is recommended that all
stores remain open Friday
evening, December 16, till 9
o'clock, beginning December
19, they are asked to remain
open to 9 p. m. through Christ
mas eve.
The Merchants Association
Committee, headed by R. D
Hodges, Jr., has contacted a
majority of the merchants and
finds they plan to definitely re
main open. He says that the
merchants are well stocked to
take care of last minute rushes
and have ample help to tako
carc of the needs of the peoplo
of this entire area.
Dr. and Mrs. June* T. Gouge
ware In Kaloigh from Monday
through Wedneaday attending the
Health Officer* Conference of the
North Carolina State Board <rf
Health.
Ruby Joyce Jones, 9, of
Vilas, R. F. D. 1, was killed
in&mtly Sunday afternoon;
when_ the 12-guage shotgun
with which she and a 13-year
old brother were playing, was
discharged.
The load entered the child's
left chest, and death was be
lieved to have been instant
aneous.
Coroner Richard E. Kelley,
who, along with Sheriff E. M.
Hodges, ?and Deputy George
Smitherman, investigated the
shooting, did not hold an in
quest, and termed the tragedy
an addent.
Ruby Joyce, Ralph, 13, and their
twin sisters, Edna and Margaret,
were at bone while their mother,
Mr*. Will Jones, and three broth
ers, visited their father, a patient
at Grace Hospital, Banner Elk,
Coroner Kelley said.
The shooting is said to have oc-#
eiwtd about 5:30 p. m., while
R^h and Ruby Joyce were play
ing with the shotgun. The affair
was not reported to officers until
Mrs. Jones returned home about
9:30 p. m.
Surviving arc the parents, six
brother* and five sisters: Clifford,
Franklin, Russell, Ralph, Bobby
and Harold Jones, of Vilas; Mr*.
Eaflenc Jones, Lenoir; Mrs. Max
ine Hu Alan. Reese; Margaret,
Edna and Jean Jones, all of the
home.
Funeral services were conducted
Wednesday at 2 o'clock at Moun
tain Dale Baptist Church by the
Rev. Carl Wilson and the Rev.
Noah Johnson. Burial was in the
church ccmetcry.
Vote Error?
Is Reporetd
Representative Elect Murray Cof
fey, call* the attention of the
Democrat to an error which oc
curred in the official election re
turns published in the Democrat
recently.
Due to a transposition of "slues"
whert the table was made up, Mr.
Coffey'a vote was wrong to Stony
Fork township, along with the vote
In the Senate race.
In Stony Fork the vote should
have read: Winkler 177, Norna
399; EdmisUn 177. Coffey 386.
Mr. George P. Hagaman la a
patient at Baptiat MoapiUl in