'
>?: m
Devoted Public Servant
George Farthing, native Wataugan,
who had been ia the county agent'* office
r here, before going to Wilkes county tea
years ago, passed away the other day,
and in his going the region and the State
lose one of their best and moat devoted
public servants.
The Journal-Patriot, commenting on
Mr. Farthing, states that "largely be
cause of his continuous efforts, Wilkes
county rural areas made more progress
In the past ten years than in the prev
ious half-century."
A test of a man's record, continues
the Journal-Patriot, is a look at the
record, and we reprint some of the
record as compiled by the Wilkes paper.
23 communities were organised to pro
mote growth, progress and better con
ditions in their respective areas.
A rural telephone cooperative was
organized and is serving 1100 patrons.
An agricultural center for livestock
(hows, sales, exhibitions and fairs was
established, and facilities constructed.
The Grange has been strengthened by
additional units.
Development of a county-wide adult
4-H leader program.
Long range program of rural develop
ment was adopted.
The Journal-Patriot adds:
"No man ever worked more faithfully
than George Farthing in the interact
of progreas, better living standards and
better communities.
"It la no exaggeration to say that he
gave his life in the interest of progress
in -Wilkes county.
"When most people were calling it a
day, George Farthing was in the midst
of. a day's activities. When the regular
day had ended he often had night after
night of attending meetings and giving
of his talents and leadership to efforts
for greater progress in Wilkes county.
"The people of Wilkes county should
be grateful for the ten fruitful years
of George Farthing," the newspaper con
cludes. "His work here will live on in
better and more progressive communi
ties."
A well-deserved tribute to a man who
did his Job well.
New Tax Passes
Effective the first of the month it's
going to cost more to fetch home the
bread and neat under the new three per
cent sales tax enacted but Wednesday
fey the State legislature.
The food tax, which is the major item
ki the Sanford administration's $05.9
million revenue bill to finance school
Improvements, goes into effect Jiity 1,
which marks the start of a new bien
aium.
And again the sales tax becomes a
bone of political contention, evea though
we don't expect it to be a hard-fought
iBsue like the one which emerged when
the sales tax came into being back in
the days of the depression. Fact is, since
those early day hassles about the taxing
at the retail level, a lot of folks got to
kking the sales tax, and others quit
resisting it, since it became the chief
prop to the educational system of the
State.
And when it came to implementing
the Sanford educational plan, on which
be had campaigned in two primaries and
in one election, tbe sales tax needed
to be expanded to get the cash. Levies
on tobacco, soda pop and tbe like
couldn't raise the funds, they said, so
once again retail sales, or those which
had previously been excluded, had to
be incorporated under the three per
cent levy.
We should have preferred some other
' sort of revenue bill if one had to come '
up with the necessary fiscal potential.
The enactment fingers into newspaper
circulation which doesn't suit us, but
there must be a way to up the level ?f
the school system.
And we are presuming that the new
educational program won't be geared
to the fallacy that a bigger building
means a better school, or that a poor
teacher will be a jim dandy with more
money in his paycheck. In other words,
we still believe the folks are ready to
pay for a better, more effective school
system. They've been willing for the
funds to be legislated for such a pro
gram. It is now the duty of the ad
ministration to see that they get their
money's worth.
Safety, Sanity And The Fourth
It wasn't too many years ago when
fireworks were a real problem In this
country. Kids were losing fingers, hands
and eyes during the supposedly happy
days of their summer vacations.
Rallying under the battle cry, "Have
a safe and sane Fourth of July," parents,
educators, civic leaders and elective
officials finally curbed the fireworks
problem.
But the need for safe and sane Fourth
has not diminished. Motorists are liter
ally driving themselves to death over
the long Fourth of July week ends, and
drownings have surpassed traffic deaths
in some states as the leading cause of
death over the holiday period.
The National Safety Council, pin
pointing these two holiday accident prob
lem!, makes two auggeationa which we
think make a lot of aenae.
One is pretty simple. Learn to iwim. .
That means everybody learn to swim.
Can you think of a better way te avoid
drowning?
The second suggestion is to install
and use seat belts. Seat belts may not
prevent an auto accident, but they can
be worth your life if you should hare
a collision.
Seat belts and swimming. lessons ? two
very sane keys to Fourth of July safety.
Howard Pyle, NSC president, says
these are ways we can "Free ourselves
from the tyranny of accidents." A food
thought for Independence Day.
A Word At A Time, It's Diverting
(The Aihevtlle Citizen)
There is no other job that offers the
compensations that writing editorials
does unless, possibly, U is that of a bus
driver.
On Monday you write a piece oppoa
ffiag sin, and that pleases the preachers.
The sinners lues a little, but not for
9 publication. Tuesday you need, because
at peculiar conscience, to take a preach
cr to task for advocating bigotry. The
clergy rwitemns you, citing chapter and
verse. X'
Do you encourage the Republicans?
Your Powacratlc friends a erase you of
heresy. Or predict in advance an elec
tion outcome? Tour Republican friends
V^| lisHlMV
WWW* /V* In *?? 1 - ? vu. IVU~t mil Bl oiiiimj
Hoffa and his nearsighted kind, you get
invited to a Chamber of Commerce
luncheon. But rail at the doctrinaire
degma of the American Association of
Manufacturer!, you eat alone at the hot
dag stand on the corner.
There is, of oourie, a solution for all
of this; perhaps several solutions: You
cauld be careful to say nothing, though
inai, i or sennuv? IMR, is * o^iicaic an.
You could embrace a single position,
aimed at pleasing a dominating class,
and be assured, at least, of luncheon
companions.? Or you could drive a bus.
Either way, yon meal sach interesting
people.
'Waltz Me Around Again, Willy'
SOME LOCAL HISTORICAL SKETCHES
From Early Democrat Files
Sixty Years Ago
Jaae 17, 1MI.
It seems that the question of a
railroad for Watauga is taking a
rest at this time, as we are unable
to get any news of late.
On Thursday night of last week
Mr. John McGinn is was killed by
a Negro, Arthur Furgeson, at
Cook's saw mill oa the Yadkin
Eiver in Caldwell county. We have
been usable to get any particulars,
more than that the killing was
done with an axe, and that the
Negro has been arrested and is
now ia Lenoir jail. John la a Wa
tauga boy, the youngest son of
Rev. Geo. McGinnis, and he has a
large connection and many friends
Ia the county to mourn his un
timely departure. He also leaves
a wife and sofcie small children.
Are you coming to town Mon
day? If so, remember the printer.
The cabbage crop that is being
sat ia Watauga this season, is, we
are told, the largest aver known.
Mr. Murry Critcher goes to lia
ville next week with a nice lot of
stock vehicles, etc., and will run
a general livery business there
during the summer.
It has been said that a beech
tree was never stricken by lightn
ing, but on last Saturday a large
one near Mable, this county, wss
Deputy Collector Hsyes, who has
splintered by lightning almost
from top to root.
Just returned from an official trip
through Surry and other counties
reports that in some sections
through which he passed the earth
is fairly teeming with locusts, and
that much damage Is being done
to the timber by them. They are
also in Caldwell in abundance, but
the top of the Blue Ridge, near
Cook's Gap, is as far west as they
have bean seen.
Mr. ITS. Rum bo and family re
turned' to their home at Mountain
City, Tenn., on Monday.
Attorney Linney seems to be
quite ? good farmer, but he says
he cannot afford to hoe his com
"crap" (about a half an acae) un
til the groand squirrels quit both
ering it. At lesst accouats the
squirrels were still scratching and
he was still waiting for them to
get through.
The lightning struck a large
stump In the gsrdea of Uncle Mil
ton Brown st Ssnds oa last Sstur
day and tore it almost into splint
ers. Uncle Milton says he has long
wanted to get rid of the old stump.
Hurt stroke from the clouds rid
him at it nkely.
Thirty-Nine Yean Ago
Jam* B>, mt
Mr. W. R. Gragg transacted busi
ness in Johnson City yesterdsy.
Miss Blsnche Oellinger, of Cher
ryvllle, is visiting her cousins.
Misses Aaoie Stair Anders sod
Ruth Rankin.
The people of the tow* and
community are requested to keep
all lights, and other electrical ap
pliances. not sbsolutely needed,
turned off on the 4th, so ss to
keep the power as strong ss pca
sibe far the war pictures that are
to ha showa at the court house sll
(Mf and uatil ? st Bight, under
tha auspices of the Amfricsn
Last Friday was the day sat for
the preliminary hearing of Clar
ence Potter, who has been ia Jail
here for several weeks under var
ious and sundry charges (?) The
day and the hour for the hearing
arrived, the court of justice was
ready to hear the evidence and
pass judgment accordingly, but,
behold! not one of his accusers
was present to cast the first stone,
and there was nothing left for the
court to do but give him his free
dom which was done. It is really
too bad for a man to be thus pun
ished when there is no evidence
against him. ,
Mrs Grover Triplett, of Lenoir,
with her daughter, little Miss Ann
Neal, is spending a few weeks at
the home of her parents Mr. and
Mrs. J. M. Moretz, in Boone.
Mr. E. N. Hahn has purchased
half interest in the Watauga
Furaiture and Lumber Co. He and
Mr. W. H. Gragg now being the
sole owners.
In Blowing Rock Chief of Police,
Dave Wooten, with' two revenue
officers captured a still two miles
west of here last week. One block
ader was wounded in the gunfi^ht
that took place.
Fifteen Years Ago
June 27, IMS.
Mrs. Mack Luttrell was In John
son City last week, where she
went for medical treatments.
Mr. and Krs. John Boone, of
Durham, leave on their return to
day from a visit with Mrs. Esther
S. Boone. John will continue his
education at Duke University.
Dr. and Mrs. McG. Anders, of
Gastonia, and Ur. and Mrs. Carl
Underwood and daughter, Barbara,
of Statesville, were Saturday
guests at the home of Dr. and
Mrs. J. D. Rankin.
Mrs. James F. Dotson who for
the past two years has taught at
the Stonewall Jackson Training
School for Boys, Concord, N. C.
has returned to her home in
Boone.
Mr. H. M. Moretz, Jr., Is visiting
with Mr. and Mrs. George Moretz
in Aaheville. He was accompanied
there by George Mr retz, Jr., who
had spent some time here with
his grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. J.
M. Moretz. L
" Cpl. Thomas S. Beach haa bean
discharged at Cherry Point, N. C.
from the Marine Corps, after three
years duty, and has arrived at the
home of his paents, Mr. and Mrs.
Torn Beach, of Boone.
Miss Harriet Collins, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Boyce Collins, of
Boone, and Washington, D. C. is
attending summer school at Ap
palachian College.
House guests in the hame of
Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Smith are
Miss Annis O'Leary and Mis*
Nancy Sharpe, of York, I. C. Mis*
Sharpe served about two years in
the Waves and is now attending
summer school at A.S.T.C., prepar
ing to resume teaching.
Just One Thing
By CARL GOERCH AFTER ANOTHER
Dr. Zeno Edwards of Washing
ton, N. C. was telling us of an ex
perience that he had had in Rich
mond several years ago.
A panhandler stopped him and
made the statement that he need
ed ten cents to pay his streetcar
fare down town. Doc pulled some
money out of his pocket, but all he
had was a half-dollar and a couple
of quarters.
"I'm sorry," he told the mendi
cant, "but the. smallest I've got is
a quarter."
"That's all right," quickly said
the other, "I can make change."
"But looka here, I though yon
aaid ? "
But the Doc didn't have a chance
to finish his remark. The panhand
ler had suddenly realized the
technical error he had made and
prooeeded to get away from there
as fast as possible.
It must be fine to have the
prestige in a community which
The Robesonian, published at
Lumberton, enjoys.
Biag McDonald, first grader in
the Lumberton city schools, heard
the atory of Abraham Lincoln and
was thrilled to the depths of his
heart by it. He announced that he
was going to follow In Lincoln's
footsteps and be President when
he grew to rasahoed.
The next day, however, he
changed his mind. "I have decided
I don't want to be President when
I grow up," be announced. "I'm
going to sell The Robesonian in
stead "
Dnrsay Dixon Is a resident of
Rockingham, down in Richmond
County. According to Ike London
of that city, Mr. Dixon has four
chilton. We're witling to bet our
extra fair of suspenders that
a
there's not another family in the
country that can arrange the
names of iti offspring so as to
form an attractive a poem as do
the names of Mr. Dixon's young
sters:
Dorsey Murdock,
Billy Jean;
Thomas Royall,
Bobby Dean.
We received a letter from a
reader in Albermarle a couple af
days ago, railing our attention to
the fact that Oletta Malone at one
tine was on the welfare roll in
Anson County.
(Say the name over to rsursaH,
and you'll get the significance.)
Most folks, when (key pick up
the receiver of a telephone, open
the conversation with a brief
"Hello!"
Not so the Han. George L PeV
terson, a gentleman who la admit*
ed by everyone for the services
rendered to the County of Samp
son and the town of Clinton.
Mr. Peterson has his own indi
vidual way of answering. When his
phone rings, he takes his reeefcrer
off the hook and uneeromenloasly
announces: "George L. Peterson,
Justice of the Peace, Mayor at
Clinton, and member at tlx A mar
lean- Legion."
The only trouble about the bull
neas is that it usually flabbergaata
callers to such an extent that they
stutter around for a minute or to
before they can collect their facul
ties together again.
M. M. Johnson, a member of
the leuth Carolina Senate, served
four years in the North Carolina
Senate, and Is believed to be the
only man ever to have had this
interesting dlstinc'ion.
KING STREET?
By ROB RIVERS
H Y<m Say h'? Cool . . No Taken
Since as a lad we ventured out into the wide open spaces
and made ourselves useful around a good many newspaper
office*, we're been trying to dispel the notion which has per
sisted over the country, that the South is a land only of
magnolias, mint Juleps, cotton patches, and oppressive heat . .
that there are no cool zephrys, sparkling brooks, and chill July
nights under a couple of blankets.
In the high Rockies the folks we knew used to tell us
how glad they were that w/e could escape the torridity, and
how good it must be to us to have a comfortable night's sleep
and cast a hackle into a trout stream with fingers of ice about
the eddying turns, even though it was not September yet. . .
And we were laughed out of business when we told of the lofty
hills of Carolina and the good times we had away from the
oppresive heat of the low countries. ... We could sell the
notion of good neighborliness, of gracious living, but make
'em believe the mercury plummeted to below zero and tjiat we
were snowed in for days sometimes, we couldn't. . . . But we did
get the name of being the top story teller to visit the roof top
of the country.
In later years, in California, in deep south areas, in the
north central part of the country, and even this summer in
tfie center of the nation, we tried and failed. . . They simply
don't believe it's cool in North Carolina. . . They quickly agree
it must be the greatest State in Dixie ? they have read the
ads in the magazines and the features in the Sunday supple
ments, and they know we are doing well, comparatively, but
those who are not long-range travelers will never believe
stories of comfort In midday, without air-conditioning, when
August's sun blazes down on the countryside.
We-found the same condition in New York last week after
we'd made our cool-weather pitch to the friendly guy from
Connecticut. . . . "Yes, you have a great State, a progressive
region, but it's just too danged hot." . . . And the cab driver
allowed as how Carolina is a good State, he liked it, had
soldiered down there during the last great war. . . "The folks
are chummy, you know, and it's good livin', even if a little
on the dull side. . . But, chum, doncha go to telling me it's
cool in summer time down there. ... An expert tried thatun
on me a day or so ago!" . . . And a lady at a hotel desk com
mented on the heat wave which was to break in a few hours.
"Of course in your part of the country you don't miml this
sort of weather . . but on days like this we dread leaving
the building."
?? ? ?? ? * ?
The Dog Issue . . Responsive Note
Recent observations about the plague of gangs of roving
dogs about tbe town have brought forth more interest and
more favorable comments that have been received in this
corner in many a moon. . . . From every part of the town
and out in the country folks have called, or shown up in
person to add to our knowledge about the seriousness of the
dog situation. . . But strange to say, not a single letter has
been received for publication from one of these readers whose
sleep is made nightmarish from the baying and yelping of
the canines. . . . They all say, "Write another piece, please."
And we're glad that our comments were so well received,
and we shall entertain the hope that before too long some
concrete action may be taken by the city. . . . Meantime the
shotgun might do in a pinch, of course, but we'd agree that
all too often, those who are aggravated the most are much
too gentle and too humane by nature for a job <)f gory
slaughter. . . And they should be spared that ordeal.
We would be very glad for letters along this line. ... A
community expression would tend to solidify the sentiment for
camiae control:
* * * *
To The Gaston Roads . . They Used To Go
In line with court week, we were reminded that prison
ers used to be sentenced to the Gaston roads, where there
was a chain gang before the State went into the building of
roads. . . . Convict labor doubtless helped Gaston get a head
start on road building. . . . And sometime way back Watauga
county must have worked prisoners "under the gun," since
as a child we played with balls and chains which had been
discarded in an area behind the old jail. . . ? Already rusted so
the openings and the locks on the shackle ends were closed
for good, we had to tie the chains to the "prisoners" with
bits of string. . . The balls, some of them, were larger than
a cocoanut, and we had no trouble with escapees.
Uncle Pinkney
HIS PALAVARIITS
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
I bean sorter down in the
dumps here lately- about the
miM situation, bat I was read
ing ? article laat Bight that set
tled my nerve* more'n anything
I've law in a long time.
A expert from the Department
?f Agrioaltara say* the answer
ta peace in the world hinges on
food and not. weapon* and that
in the end the United States
can't lose.
He had figgert to show that
the food situation i? very bad in
Rusaia and China. The farmers
?ia't praduciag enough to feed
the peqple and they ia even per
dieting a famine In China come
tUa winter. They ean't git no
help from Russia on account of
the slave labor farms in Russia
has hem i taihsrr TUa Mia aaid
ole Khrushchef is as mad as a
hornet hot cant do nothing about
tt
The article lays a careful sur
vey shows It takes six Russian
fanaan Id (roar as much food as
one American fanner. In China
It takes aevea and one-half farm
ers to do the saihe Job. On the
other hand, this fellar shows
that well (>*ve no problem feed
ing the 80,000,000 more people
perdMted fer this country in
1070. He five* the finer* to
show that itH take only 10 per
cent increase in livestock feed
ing efficiency bat no more pas
ture land. He says our food ?ur
ples today would feed the extra
50,000,000, even If we didnt
have no improvement! in me
thods of crop growing.
This feller from the Agricul
ture Department, who the editor
of the magaxine calls the "lead
ing expert farm economist" in
the business, wys the exploding
population increase in China and
Russia don't give them two coun
tries but two choices in the very
near future. They can git out of
the arms race or starve to death.
He say* the missile race is al
ready beginning to toll on Rus
sia.
Maybe, Mister Editor, after ole
Khrushchef gits through pound
ing his shoe on bara doom
around the country, hell be will
ing to set down at the Summit
and talk sense. One thing )s fer
shore, he sin't going to bury us,
as he said, with his country full
of empty stomachs.
j Your* truly.
On' H __ , .
Uncle Pink