Section B r.\ cm WATAUG EMOCRAT Section B VOLUME LXXV? NO. 44 BOONE. WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MAY 14, 1943 PRICE TEN CENTS ? WRECKAGE OF SCHOOL BUS IN WHICH ONE STUDENT WAS KILLED Ashe Girl Killed As School Bus Plunges Down Mountain A 10-year-old girl was fatally injured and five other students were injured last week when an Ashe County schol bus, being driven for the first time by a 16-year-old relief driver, plung ed down a mountainside. Killed was Brenda Pugh, daughter of Lida and Ruth Pugh of Crumpler, Route 1, The elementary school girl was pinned in a window of the bus and was crushed to death in its roll down the mountain, offi cers said. Admitted to Ashe Memorial Hospital were Lorraine Ed wards, 14, who suffered head injuries; Steven Douglas, 16, who received an injury to the left elbow and a possible spinal injury; and Jackson Shane Col vard, 16, who suffered a broken leg. Also in the hospital were Ruth Ann Edwards, 12, for ob servation of a passible head injury and the b?s driver, Al len Roy Huffman, 16, of ler, Rt. 1, who suffered frac tured ribs. In all, there were 18 persons aboard the bus when the acci dent occurred Thursday morn ing. Thirteen of them were treated for minor injuries and discharged. According to officers, the bus was picking up students from the Crumpler community to be taken to the Nathan's Creek Elementary School when the accident happened about 7:30 a. m. State Highway Patrolman Joe Stinnett said Huffman had made a stop and was starting again. He quoted Huffman as saying the accelerator stuck and he tried to shift gear! to slow the bus. The youth said that as he did, a wheel ran off the edge of the steep road and he was unable to bring the vehicle back under control. The bus turned over four times in its plunge, coming to rest "about three or four feet" from a much steeper decent, according to one eye-witness. Children were thrown out the open windows and scattered over the hillside. The seats and other equipment inside the bus were smashed. The Pugh girl's arms had Williams To Appear In Ga. Dr. Cratis Williams, director of graduate studies at Appala chian State Teachers College, will deliver the commencement address at Gordon Military Col lege in Barnesville, Ga., Sun day, June 2. Approximately 170 students will hear Dr. Williams speak at the college's 111th commence ment. An unsuccessful organizer is one unable to get other people to do the work. YE OLE TAXIDERMY WWi SHOP Joe C. Milter ? 2C4-2348 been pinned by seats. Her head waa caught in the window and crushed. The children said they were laughing and singing when the bus began its plunge, tumbling 190 feet down the mountain. Tom Cockerman, hospital ad ministrator in Ashe County, told reporters that injuries might have been fewer if the children had worn seat belts. He suggested that the state equip the buses with belts. Huffman was driving the ill fated bus for the first time. Ordinarily he drove an Ache Central High Schol bus, but had been transferred to the Nath an's Crek run as a relief driv er. Stinnett said no charge* would be filed pending an ex amination of the bus by mech anics to see if the accelerator was defective. The Pugh girl's funeral was held Saturday at the New Riv er Baptist Church. She is sur vived by her parents; a sister, Mrs. Bobby Bauguess of Crump ler; and her four grandparents. Putting The Meters In Line A spray of shattered pavement flies into the air as Boone policeman Lloyd Bentley wields ? heavy sledgehammer against a spike, being ?held (if somewhat nervously) by officer Harry Sudderth. "Can this be?" mused one by-paster. "Policeman tearing up the city streets?" Well, not really, the oficers ex plained. It was part of a two-day task to repair "ten or twelve" parking meters along King Street. A few of the posts, it seems, worked their way loose from their cement embrace and began tilting precariously along the sidewalks. By Friday, all was back to normal again ? the meters were ticking, the posts were standing straight, and once again the officers were strolling the streets with dignity. Shelving the sledgehammers and other tools, one of the policemen laughed, "I betcha never see Andy Griffith doing thiat" ? Staff photo. CAMP ROCK MOUNTAIN Exclusive Home Sites On Deerfkld Rd? Vi Mile from Golf Course * All Wooded Lots Groves of white pine, oak and dogwood * Graded, gravel surface streets to each lot These street* will be maintained * Lots over-look Golf Course * Water mains already installed Water from pare cold mountain springs Moderately Priced bK$W'! ? ? H ' Mre rfi cmI tuJJ. jj| % See or CM O. M. Hampton -264-8979 PurpleRhododendron Nearing Peak Bloom The purple rhododendron bloom hai developed rapidly in the past three days and their peak of bloom is predicted for this week end. They are going to bloom a week or ten days earlier than last year. This peak condition is expected through out the Bluff district, according to Parkway officials. The most attractive displays are found at Mile Posts 231-237; 240-244 (Doufhton Park); and 266-267. The pink azaleas are at pres ent In full bloom from Vir ginia and North Carolina State Line to Mile Post 224. They are beginning to bloom at other lo cations and are expected to reach a peak in the Meadow Fork area. Mile Poat 24*248, this week end. The flame azaleas are show ing some bloom and should reach a peak in a week to ten days. A scattering of flame azaleas can be expected along most of the district. The magnolia trees are now in full bloom and should re main attractive for a week or ten days. A visitor will find a number of ground flowers in bloom in cluding trillium, florabane, wild iris, columbine and many oth ers. Nichols Named Sparta Mayor The Town of Sparta will be under the same government (or the next two years, as all en cumbents were named by a landslide in Tuesday's town elec tion. G. Glenn Nichols, who was unopposed in the race for May or, automatically retained his position. This will be Nichols' eighth term as Sparta mayor. All five present members of the Town Council were re-elect ed unanimously. Alton Thomp