WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
ESTABLISHED Of >888
PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY RIVEMf PRINTIN? COMPANY, INC.
K. C. RIVERS, JR.. EDITOR AMP MANAGER
KAN RIVERS, ASSOCIATE EDITOR
An Independent Weddy Newspaper
PriMtihed for 48 Years by Robert C. Rivera Sr.
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Entered at the postoffice at Boone, N. C., as aacond class matter, under the act of
Congress of March 3, 1879.
MEMBER NATIONAL EDITORIAL ASSOCIATION
NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION
BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, APRIL 25, 1963
Local Economic Horizon GciKlless
According to most local retailers
the winter's business along the
Street perhaps established a new
record of sales volume. Most week
ends the streets and shops were
crowded, the exceptions being when
snow and ice precluded travel in
some sections. One merchant who
normally does his biggest business
in summertime reports his Saturday
sales comparable to July and August
of last year.
And the building program in the
community is tremendous. Carl Fid
ler is building a new motel on Blow
ing Rock Road, D. M. Gdmisten is
enlarging his O'akwoods Motel; Stan
ley Harris and W. K. Sturdivant are
building an apartment house on the
old Sheriff Horton home Jot above
the courthouse; another is being built
by Cecil Miller and Estel Wagner on
Blowing Rock Road; the building pro
gram is continuing at the College;
and there is a tremendous amount
of home construction in the commun
ity and over the county. At Blowing
Rock the reports are that building is
tar ahead of usual, and some of
those who had intended to start
homes this spring, are having to de
fer their plans till late summer,
since the builders can't get around ?
to them -earlier.
Tweetsie Railroad interests are to
construct their golf course, club fa
cilities and a number of houses at
Shulls Mills this summer, Jack Mor
ris and Associates have graded a
new road to Howard's Knob for a
residential development, and to
enumerate the many building pro
jects would be impossible.
That a record number of tourists
will visit the area this summer and
that there will be a burgeoning en
rollment at ASTC summer school
appear to be foregone conclusions.
We don't recall a spring when the
economic forecast in this section calls
for so much fair weather.
Johnny Liked Cars . . . And Speed
Johnny was a fine young man.
He studied hard, posted good
grades and was considered a leader
in high school. His parents, right
fully, were proud of him. And the
neighbors still will tell you he was
a "model" son.
But Johnny had a craving ? a crav
ing that prevails among thousands of
Johnnys today. And am&ng their par
ents, too.
You could almost call it a disease.
Often it is fatal.
It was for Johnny. '
Because Johnny liked to drive.
Fast.
Yes, speed killed Johnny. It killed
nearly 13,000 other people in this
country, too, according to a survey
by The Travelers Insurance Com
panies.
Speed caught up with Johnny
when he was returning faun a high
school prom. He approached a sharp
curve at precisely 66 miles-an-hour.
They buried Johnny three days
later.
And they buried the girl who had
been his date for the evening.
Friends were shocked. Stunned
neighbors poured out sympathy to
the grief-stricken families.
Months have passed since the ac
cident. But Johnny's father thinks
often of his son.
Most of all his dad recalls the
days before Johnny was old enough
to hold a license . . . those days when
he was teaching Johnny to drive.
And his dad knows only two well
who was responsible for Johnny's in
satiable craving for speed.
Hospital Is Youth Career Center
The nation's hospitals are mark
ing National Hospital Week, center
ed this year on the theme, "Today's
Hospital ? Career Center for Amer
ica's Youth."
The hospital is, indeed, a career
center, for it needs nearly every
skill, profession, talent and trade.
Some hospitals list more than 200
job. classifications. Hospital em
ployees include writers, artists, en
gineers, stenographers, librarians,
carpenters and cooks, as well as the
paramedical professional workers,
such as nurses, therapists and techni
cians.
Even with more than a million and
a half persons employed in the na
tion's 7,000 hospitals, there are ser
ious shortages of personnel, particu
larly in the professional fields. The
shortages will continue, and even
? grow as the population increases,
and as more people recognize the
value of prompt medical care.
Hospitals offer many career oppor
tunities for persons of all types ?
those with a sense of business, those
with a desire to help their fellow
man, those who work well with peo
ple, those who prefer the quiet of
the laboratory or library, those who
enjoy housekeeping, and- those who
like to teach. Whatever a person's
interests, the hospital field has a po
sition to match it.
The opportunity in the hospital is
a unique one ? a chance for a young
person to do what he likes and does
best, and at the same time contribute '
to the well being of his community.
We urge every young person as
he looks to his future to consider
the hospital as the center for his
career.
Whitnel-Lenoir Highway To Be 4-Lane
(Lenoir New?-Topic)
" It was good news which Caldwell's
Representative Earl H. Tate brought
home with him from Raleigh today
that the Whitnel-Lenoir highway ?
821 ? will be widened, improved and
made into a four-lane highway.
Governor Terry Sanford notified
Representative Tate of this project
and also that a new bridge would
be built over the Catawba River near
Rhodhiss.
Through the years numerous traf
fic mishaps have taken place on the
narrow stretch of highway between
Whttnel and the Smith Crossroads
circle. MuCh rodk will have to be
removed in one section where the
shoulder of the road is narrow.
Because this is a heavily traveled
road, not only for through traffic,
but aljjtyjfor the ever growing Whit
nel area and points beyond, the an
nouncement of the improvements
will be welcomed by many Lenoir
area people.
Perhaps within a few yean SSI
can be dual-lane to Granite Falls and
motorists can then have a safer and
better way to reach Interstate 40 lor
points east and North. This con
gestion on -the Whitnel-Granite Falls
highway will be relieved some When
the JLenair-Taylersville road is com
pleted and future plans call lor im
provement the Morganton-Wttkes
boro road, via Lenoir, which will
give an oirtlet to 421, Interstate 40
and Interstate 81 and points beyond.
It will take a good many years for
this area to catch up because the
road machinery moves slowly.
Worm Or Steel
From Early Democrat Files
Sixty Years Ago
April 23, 1903
George Presnell and family
of Brushy Pork, left for the
State of Waahington Ibis week.
Glad to learn that little Miss
Maude, daughter of Mf and
Mrs. John S. Williams, of New
iliver is improving from a very
severe illness.
Prof. W. M. Francum has
moved to one of the houses on
the farm of Mrs. Mattie Green,
aad Mr. Richard Minton and
family have moved to the house
vacated by him.
Quite a heavy snow storm in
Watauga on last Wednesday,
falling to a depth of 3 inches
in some parts of the county. It
was followed by a freeze and
it is thought that the entire
fruit crop is killed.
Messrs. E. S. and T. S. Coffey
left Wednesday for Virginia,
where they went to purchase
some driving horses.
The amount received at the
door for tickets to the concert
on last Friday night amounted
to nearly $40.00. The same will
be applied to the seats in the
auditorium of the academy.
We were indeed pained to
hear of the death of our old
friend, J. A. Elliott, that oc
curred at his home in Mt. City,
Tenn., on last Sunday, tie was
attacked with grippe about a
week before his death, which de
veloped into pneumonia and his
shattered constitution soon gave
way and death was the result.
Mr. Elliott was long a resident
of Boone and was much admir
ed by our people for his many
sterling traits of character. It
can truly be said of him that
another good man has been
gathered home.
The Governor has offered a
reward of $300 for the appre
hension, arrest and delivery to
the Sheriff of Watauga county
of Boone Potter, who is now a
fugitive from Justice. His proc
lamation appears in another col
umn.
Tkirty-Niae Years Ago
April 24, 1924
Mr. Ben Isaacs of Bed Jac
ket, W. Va., has after an ab
sence of several years with his
family, moved back to his farm
which adjoins that of his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Isa
acs on Vilas. His brother Chas.
came back with him and is talk
ing of moving back to hi* na
tive county.
Just One Thing
By cab. goerch AFTER ANOTHER
Interesting historical note: in
1784 the State of Franklin was
formed in the Great Smokies
area. A number of North Caro
linians had a part in this. It
existed for three years. One of
the laws passed was that no
doctor, preacher or lawyer
could. hold public office.
How old is Grandfather
Mountain?
Some say it is one of the old
est in the world and once reach
ed a great height. Certainly, it
is composed largely of outcrops
of very ancient igneous rocks,
lava flow thrust up from be
low, and geologists say these
rocks survived erosion which
leveled the mountains around
It. For a while it stood about
S.OOO feet above a plateau
which perhaps was 800 to 1,000
(eet above the sea, and was
thrust on up when the general
level was raised by wrinkling
of the earth's crust. Its forests
have been called the "oldest in
the world", already growing
when the Blue Ridge wa k be
neath the seas.
A bill was introduced in the
General Assembly recently hav
ing to do with the cutting and
hauling of more than two
Christmas tree*, which hrougbt
to mind a letter we received
?one time ago irom Mrs. ' John
Lee Smith of Goldsboro.
"You made mention last year
?bout a family that was able to
use the same tree for the
Christmas season by placing it
in eold storage from one year
to another. Believe it or aat
but we have used the same
cedar in our home for eight
years. The story of Ike tree is
as follows:
"It is dug from our tack yard
each year, brought into the
house, placed in a wooden Box
filled with the same soil In
wklch the tree has lived from
season to season. It is decorat
is watered every two days. At
the end of the Yuletide season
it is replaced in the same spot
from which it was dug, and it
remains there, apparently in
healthful condition, until the
next Christmas. It is pruned
and trimmed in the same man
ner aj other shrubs in our
yard."
A little item from the Chapel
Hill Weekly that has a lot of
truth in it:
Jack Riley of the Carolina
Power .and Light Company and
I ware reminiscing about . 1933
whan we were graduated and
looking for jobs in that depress
ed economic time.
Jack landed at Nashville.
"And you know," he said,
"Where the courthouse is ?
where you can see almost every
thing that goes on in town.
Well, there just wasn't any
business there. You seldom saw
anyone on the street; so the
merchants used to opon their
store dootc, walk across the
courthouse lawn and talk about
the big fish they caught or
something they killed. Present
ly there'd come a Hoovercart
down the street and all of them
would watch to see where it
was going to atop. Then, the
-merchant In tfront -of whose
store it stopped would get up
and say to the other fellows,
"Souse me. ?e baok la a min
ute." And he'd jo wait on the
customer? a (Tharge sale, at
that ? and soon return to %is
beoih. M
"Mo one fed aw money those
days, but everybody seemed to
get along well. Tt was different
than tit >is now with everybody
seeming to have a lot of money
and stm unsettled and unhappy.
The reason? I #rif* * was *>e
cause all our troubles and pro
blems then wore domestic,
right at how. Mow vm are fear
ful of everything all over the
I.
Mr. J. R. Hayes, according to
a letter received by the Dem
ocrat, has arrived at his future
home in Charlottesville, Va., go
ing from North Carolina in his
auto. He says they found the
roads in Virginia dry and dusty.
Mrs. Rebecca Day, who is
spending a few weeks at the
home of her sister, Mrs. Renson
on Rt. 1, was a pleasant visitor
in Boone yesterday.
Mrs. F. A. Linney returned
from Tayolrsville Tuesday even
ing after a short visit to rela
tives in that town. Her daugh
ter, Miss Margaret, was quite
unwell during her absence but
is much better now.
Mrs. D. M. Edmisten, Beech
Creek, was in to see us yester
day. He says his mother, Mrs.
Pink Edmisteq, who has been
ill for some time, continues un
improved. ??*"?
Contractor Will Hodges has
begun pouring concrete for the
foundation of the Dixie Theater
building and will with a good
force of masons, be laying the
brick in the walls.
Right considerable freeze yes
terday morning. Some ice is re
ported. No damage done of
course as fruit and garden
truck was not far enough ad
vanced to be hurt.
FifWn Year* Ago
April 22, 1948
Mrs. L. L. Bingham had as
her guests during the week end,
her son, Gene Bingham, of State
College, Mrs. Gene Bingham of
Appalachian State Teachers Col
lege, Mr. and Mrs. J. T. Jones,
Edwin Jones and Mr. M. O.
Bowman, all of Marshville, N
C.
Mr. and Mrs. Emery Sylvester
announce the birth of a son,
Mark Emery on Saturday, April
10, at St. Mary's Hospital, Mad
ison, Wisconsin. Mrs. Sylvester
is the former Miss Edith Teams,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. G.
Teams of Boone.
Mr. W. R. Winkler and Mrs.
Winkler attended a meeting of
the Charlotte district of Ford
dealers, held at the Cavalier Ho
tel, Virginia Beach, last week.
Mr. Winkler is a member of
the Ford advertising staff, which
handles the direct advertising
for Ford dealers throughout the
nation.
Mr. and Mrs. Robert McMil
lan and three children. Hunter,
Glenn and Clyde, spent the
week end with Mrs. McMillan's
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Clyde
Tester of Banner Elk.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. Tom
Turbyffll on April 18, at Wa
tauga Hospital, a daughter, Mrs.
Turhyfm Jg the former Mias
Mildred Perry of Sugar Grove.
Mr. Lee Stout and Dr. J. T. C.
Wright left for Raleigh Sunday,
where they are attending the
seMlana of the Masonic Grand
Lodge.
Mr. and Mrs. Hooper Hendrix
and daughter. Mary of Shelby,
were recent visitors with rela
tives In Boaoe.
Mr. W. R. Tugman of Durham,
a a visitor last week with
hia parents, Mr. and Mrs. Grady
TuriMHl.
Mist Jean Ingle and Miss Pa
trieia Gibson of Winston Salem,
ware week end visitors In the
home of Mrs. Maude Ingle.
?Mrs Laura Ra^an of Zion
vjlVe. a sOTiomly in at Watauga
KING STREET
m nam xivers
Springtime comes like it always did, .and the youngs
ters frolic amongst the blossoms of the eMbards, oUmb
trees frilly with the delicate lace of the maple blossoms
and race over lawns covered with the unwanted bright
gold splotches of the dandelions, but there's something
they are missing in nature's endless cycle of had and of
bloffKom and leafy twig, and subsequent fruit, and harvest
and the dying again of the bnmeh and the Made and the
flower . . and that is the "through" of spring tonic our
mothers used to ladle to diase away our happiness for a
day or so when there was so much for a child to do and
to see and to enjoy.
* * *
Sulphur . . And Other Stuff
Molasses and sulphur wed
to be favored by the gingham
clad angels who presided in
the aid kitchens. Cod rest
them, and who aimed U have
their children strong in body
and in spirit and in real far
rectitude, and who fonnd no
use for a physician when it
was only the case of a puny
kid. . . . Caster oil was spaan
fed in great quantities, and as
a child we kindled some
hopes when we heard that
somebody had built an auto
mobile which he found run bet
ter with the slick sickening oil
of (he bean in its crankcase.
. . . We felt sure the cars
would eventually use it all.
. . . Later calomel came in
vogue, and made one silk a
couple ef days, especially when
it was chased in about It
hours with a brimming glass of
Epsom salts. . . And later on
dime a sort af Iran tonic, mixed
by the family physician. . . One
had to take a dose before meals
ae the lead wouldn't taste
gaod, and one after he'd eaten,
to find out whether or not he
could hold his vittles.
* * *
And Spring . . 'Twas
Wormln' Time
But most of all we dreaded
the visit of Aunt Ett Horton,
with our portion of the Jeru
salem Oak seed she had gather
ed so that all the neighbor
kids could be wormed. . . . They
don't go for the worm theory
of late, but in those days bids
were infested, and the evfl.i
tasting seed of the weed, mixed
with molasses, was the most
positive remedy ever known.
. . . And sometimes when a
youngster got all doctored up,
h? felt too ill to enjoy going
barefoot, or to dig worm* for
a fishing trip down Boone
Creek. . . . And when one
stepped on a nail or on the
broken fragments of a bottle,
there were howls of anguish
when the turpentine was pour
ed on, and a soothing sense of
well being when the salve,
brewed from the buds of the
balm of Gtyead trees was ap
plied. . . . The horpe remedies,
some of them, were rough on
the system, but a heap of
strong younguns who've grown
into robust men and women
would vow they would never
have made it without the ver
satile mothers, who could start
practicing the home healing
arts with just a moment's no
tice.
* * *
Retires . . After 40 Years
Hooper Hendrix, veteran to
bacco salesman, has retired
from the American Snuff Co.,
after forty years spent with
R. J. Reynolds, Taylor Brother*
and the American. . . . Mr.
Hendrix, who says the tobacco
people are the best people to
work for he has ever known,
has no active plans ? just alms
to stay around home and enjoy
the freedom from business re
sponsibility be has so richly
earned. . . Our congratfla
t ions to lioptr oa the comple
tion of his business career, aad
we wish blm well in the days
ahead.
* * *
On Tbe Melon . . Look Not
The quiz master on the tv
show aahed what president
was linked to <Jeep freeae scan
dals. . . . The obvious answer
was Harry Truman. . . . And
who with vicuaa coats, orien
tal tors and the lika. . . . The
contestant guessed Dwight Eis
enhower, right off. . . . "And
whose administration," aaid the
man with the questions and the
answers, ''was caught up 1b the
matter of two crates of canta
loupes?" ... No one answered,
and that turned out to he John
T. Kennedy. . . . Mow. all
this didn't mean much to us,
because we miaeed the matter
.day. . . . Actually we didn't
know the President had ever
had shady, toothsome tryst
with the hot-climate delicacy
of summertime. . . . And it
doesn't prove anything, ao far
as we know, unless it would
that the Executive should nev
er look upon the meat of the
"mush melon" when it is gold,
lest behind Its Tioneyed sweet
ness there might be the poison
fang of the politiqal serpent.
Uncle
Pinkney
HIS PALAVERING
DEAR MISTER EDITOR:
Zeke <3rtihb's preacher
come by the country store
Saturday flight, reported his
joints was stiff from setting in
on committee -meetings all
week. He told the fellers he
read onct where a camel was
a horse that was put together
by a committee, said he
wouldn't doubt it none on ac
count of they had committees
in his Church that put some
funny things together.
He said they now got 32
committees at his Church, one
more than last year, reported
they added a new one on ac
count of they always wanted
to show a increase fer the year
in everthing. The new one, he
announced, was the Watchdog
Committee, a addition suggest
ed by the Bishop on account
? of, the .many underground
movements in most churches
today. He said they made
Rufe Zinder's wife, the best
head-hunter they got, chair
man of this new Committee.
It ain't even been swore in
official yet, he said, but they
done uncovered two plots to
git rid of the preacher, a plan
fer changing the Choir, 10
cases of backbiting and one of
backsiding. And he told the
fellers confidential that he
had a suspicion they was git
ting ready to tap his tele
phone. '
Incidental, the (food Parson
ask the fellers if they was
smoking more and enjoying it
less, reported this topic was
brung up .Thursday night at
the meeting of the Committee
On Christian Living. Ellie
Sanders, the solo singer in the
Choir, wtu, in charge of the
program and Ellie claimed
smoking wasn't no sin. She
said the Lord put everthing
here fer a purpose and she
couldn't think of nothing to
bacco good fer except smok
ing and chewing.
Hczfkiah Adams claimed it
was a tin and that if the Lord
put everthing here fer a pur
pose, a man's nose wasn't put
here fer a smoke stack.
But the big topic of the
?wwnk, reported the Parson,
come Tuesday night at the
meeting of the Christian Edu
cation Committee. Big Slim
brung up the mibjact of evolu
tion, said he was hearing some
schools was teaching that us
humans come from monkeys.
According to Big Slim, these
folks was claiming that at one
time they wasn't nothing but
monkeys and they kept sitting
better and batter till they
turned into humans.
fhe Parsen WM Hie fellers
he wasn't too shore we sprang
from monkeys but It looked
like the feuman race was Go
ing beck to the moakayi. He
said when God made man be
was a prttty decent feller but
he's been going backwards and
fritting worse all the time. He
.claimed he knowed a few men,
from (he way they was acting,
that If they had a few fleas
you couldnt tell the differ
ence.
The geod Parian left 4 lilBe
early, said he had to take some
bananas home to his six
younguna.
Yours truly,
Uncle Pink
(MaeKhWK^Moto)