mmX, .
UGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Seventy-Sixth Year of Continuout Publication
BOONS WEATHCB
1903 HI Lo me. ? Hi ? ?
VOLUME LXXV1? NO. S
July 0 74 93
July 10 08 48
July 11 08 41
July 12 74 44
July 13 72 40
July 14 73 57
July 19 79 98
.40
.13
77 05
80 53
82 54
81 08
83 90
82 59
83 50
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1963
ltt CENTS PER COPY
20 PAGES? 3 SECTIONS
Horn Still
900 Ahead
Last Year
Cold, damp weather of recenl
days hat failed to dampen the
enthuiiaam of the crowda which
have turned out for Horn in
the West, and the first two
week run of Boone'i outdoor
drama shows a BOO increase
over the same period last year.
Thia bring* Herman W. Wil
cox to remark that "with nicer
weather and the bluest tourist
season this area has ever seen
this should be Horn in the
West's biggest year."
From a survey conducted by
the promotion director, says
Mr. Wilcox, we have yet to hear
a vote against the drama ? no
thing but praise, such as:
"greatest production in the
history of the drama," "the
best it has ever been," "even
though you have seen it every
year, you must see it this year."
Miss Blanche McLeod, Mary
ville, Kansas, says: "Kermit
Hunter's outdoor drama is one
of the most interesting produc
tions we have ever seen. The
tragedy, romance and humor of
the pioneers of the time of
Daniel Boone are well portray
ed. The Indian dances and
dances by the settlers are well
portrayed."
Miss Marietta McLeod, Man
hattan, Kansas, says: "the his
tory of the time of Daniel,
Boone was interestingly por
trayed, the Scottish, Indian and
settlers' dances well executed
and the singing well done."
Dock Ragan
Funeral Held
Dock Solomon Ragan, 74, of
Boone, Rt. 2, a retired farmer,
died -Wednesday after along
itlnrxhr
He was born in Watauga
county to Jesse and Nancy
Miller Ragan.
The funeral was conducted
at 2 p. m. Saturday at Hope
well Methodist Church by Rev.
F. J. Rogers and Rev. William
Smith. Burial - was in the
church cemetery.
Surviving are his widow, Mrs.
Fanny Lookabill Ragan; six
sons, Jesse Ragan of the U. S.
Navy in New Jersey, Dave,
Lloyd, Orville, John and Joe
Ragan, all of Route 2, Boone;
three daughters, Mrs. Irvin
Hayes of Lenoir, Miss Kathleen
Ragan of Greensboro and Mrs.
Don Price of Zionville; three
half-brothers, John and Glen
Ragan, both of Bristol, Tenn.
and June Rag&n of Sandy
Hook, Conn.; three half-sisters,
Mrs. Bina Jones, Mrs. Elmer
Gentry and Miss Nellie Ragan
of Sandy Hook, Conn.
New Apartment Building
Grading of the lite for a new three-story
business and apartment building on King
fStreet, near the Appalachian Street inter
section, in Boone was begun July 8, accord
ing to Harvey Ayers. Perry Greene is con
stiucting the all-brick structure and expects
to complete the building by October. The
street floor area will be used by two busi
ness firms: the Varsity Shop, a clothing
(tore now located half a block west of the
construction site; and a clothing store for
children, to be operated by Harvey Ayers,
owner. The top floors will include four ef
ficiency apartments. Parking facilities for
renters will be provided in the basement of
the building. The floor area for each of the
shops, according to Ayers, will be 22 by
80 feet.
Opera Stars To Sing At Banner
Elk, Blowing Rock In August
V eteran ASTC F acuity
Member Dies Sunday
r-m Dr. James Thomas Carr
Wright, 69, of Boonfe, Rt. 2, a
member of the faculty at Ap
palachian State Teachers Col
lege for 40 years and retired
head of its mathematics depart
ment, died Sunday at Watauga
Hospital. He had been ill a
week.
Wright was born in Wilkes
County to Charles Calvin and
Jenny Land Wright.
After graduation from public
schools in Wilkes, he received
his bachelor's degree at the
University of North Carolina.
He did some graduate work at
Duke University and received
his master's and doctorate de
grees at George Peabody Col
lege at Nashville, Tenn.
He joined the ASTC faculty
in 1921 and retired in 1961.
When he joined the faculty, the
school Was known as Appala
chian Training School.
After retiring, Wright and
his wife, Mrs. Sinesca Mastin
Wright, a Wilkes native travel
Achievement Award
Manager W. W. Chester and Belk'i of Boone received the
class "C" Founder's Day Achievement Award last week.
The engraved plaque was presented for outstanding sales
record during the Ural's 75th anniversary sales.
Belk's Department Store has
been declared winner of double
awards in the Founder's Days
contest participated in by the
400 various Belk's department
stores.
W. W. Chester, manager, has
been notified that the local
Belk's Department Store is b|
winner among the Claas C
stores of the Belk group. Win
ners are determined accordiag
to highest P?H?nta<a of in
crew to sales la each store's
figures far the Founder's Days
period this year as compared to
the period covered by this same
event last year.
The two awards won by the
store are the W. H. Belk Trophy
Award, an impressively engrav
ed presentation cup, and a
plaque of merit. The cup will
remain in a place of honor in
the Charlotte, N. C? office of
(Continued on page eight)
DR. WRIGHT
ed cxtensvely in the United
States.
He was a member of How
ard's Creek Baptist Church and,
Snow Masonic Lodge.
The funeral was conducted at
2 p. m. Tuesday at First Bapt
ist Church by Rev. J. K. Park
er and Rev. E. F. Troutman.
Burial was in Mountlawn Mem
orial Park.
Surviving are his widow; two
sons, Charles Wright of Win
ston-Salem, Tom Wright of
Smithfield, a daughter, Mrs.
William D. Gooch of Winter
Park, Fla.; three brothers
David R. Wright of Falls
Church, Va., Clyde Wright of
Hamptonvile and Calvin C.
Wright, Jr., of Elkin; 10 grand
childen.
E. W. Moretz
Rites Friday
Edgar Wade Moretz, SO, of
Deep Gap, died Wednesday at
the home of a son, Ralph Mor
etz.
He was born in Watauga coun
ty to Alfred Jacob and EAima
line Lutz Moretz.
Surviving are two sons, Ralph
and Glen Moretz of Deep Gap;
five brothers, V. L. and Walter
S. Moretz of Deep Gap, Jason
Moretz of Boone, G rover Mor
etz of Dallas and Arthur G.
Moretz of Millers Creek; a sis
ter, Mrs. Bessie Miller of Deep
Gap; five grandchildren; and
one great-grandchild.
The funeral was conducted at
11 a. m. Friday at Holy Trin
ity Lutheran Church by the
Rev. W. M. Smith and the Rev.
E. F. Troutman. Burial waa in
Gap Creek Cemetery.
Banner Elk ? Distinguished
stars from the Metropolitan
Opera Company will sing again
at Banner Elk and Blowing
Rock this summer for a bene
fit for two of the Edgar Tufts
Memorial Association's institu
tions ? Lees-MeRae College and
Grandfather Home for Child
rw. , .
The artists include Miss Lynn
Owen, soprano; Miss Nancy
Williams, contralto; Calvin
Marsh, baritone; and Gabor
Carelll, tenor, with Stuart
Ross as their accompanist.
They will sing at the Anne
Bryan Recreation Center in
Banner Elk on Friday night,
August 9th, at 8:19 p. m. The
proceeds will go to the new
college science building for
furniture and equipment. The
second performance will be
Sunday, August 11, at 11:00 a.
m. at the Rumple Memorial
Presbyterian Church in Blow
ing Rock for the benefit of the
Grandfather Home for Child
ren, Banner Elk.
The benefit performances,
sponsored by Mr. and Mrs. Ro
bert G. Hayes of Concord, will
be making their 44th appear
ance at Blowing Rock, a series
that the late David Owens of
Charlotte started in 1918. This
will be the fourth annual con
cert given by the stars at Ban
ner Elk.
Tickets will be available at
the Edgar Tufts Memorial As
sociation in Banner Elk or
write for information to: Ed
gar Tufts Memorial Associa
tion, or Don Baker, Director of
Publicity, Lees-McRae College,
Banner Elk, N. C.
VALUATION $33 MILLION
County Tax Rate Is Set
To Produce $280,500
.85 Rate Don't
Consider New
Bond Issues
The Watauga County Board
of Commissoners announced
the county budget for the 1963
64 year, baaed on a tax rate of
85c per $100 valuation. The
rate for the new year, which
began July 1, is fifteen cents
lower than last year's rate of
$1 per ?100.
The total estimated property
valuation has been set at $33,
000,000.
Receipts from the cur
rent levy are expected to
amount to $280,500, plus poll
taxes of $5,000 and dog taxes
of $2,400 for a grand total of
$287,900. Insolvent taxes are
expected to amount to 5 per
cent or $14,395, which would
leave an expected net tax re
venue of $273,505.00. State In
tangibles tax, penalties, court
costs. State and Federal grants
and miscellaneous Income bring
the total receipts to $785,000.
Expenses are as follows: Gen
eral Fund $124,883; Health and
Welfare $24,017; Debt Service
Fund $2,73$; School fund $180,
560; Public Assistance Fund
$145,993; Welfare Administra
tion $37,007.
According to I. B. Wilson,
eounty tax supervisor, the esti
mated budget exceeds the ex
penses for the coming year by
$1,149.
The figures, compiled by
Smith and Grisette accountant*
of Lenoir, do not include funds
pertaining to the school and
hospital bond issue, if and
when such should pass. The is
sue comes up for a county-wide
vote within a few weeks.
Stacy Eggers and Wade
Brown, attorneys in Boone,
have been working with offici
als at Raleigh on the matter,
but as of this publication they
had received no word from the
state capitol.
The $.85 figure has been
broken down on the basis of
32 cents for general fund, six
cenU health and welfare, one
cent debt service, 30 dents
school fund (proposed school
bond excluded), 12 cents public
assistance fund, and four cents
welfare administration found.
Among the estimated expen
ditures, the largest items are
$15,000 for the maintenance of
district health office, $2,800
for board of prisoners, $2,500
for fire protection, $1,800 for
ASC office rent, and $5,200 for
aid to the blind.
Boone Budget Based
On $7,600,000 Value
A balanced budget of $161,
545 has been approved by the
officials of the Town of Boone
for the 1963-64 year which be
gan July 1. As announced in
June, the tax rate was lowered
by fifteen cents from the $1.25
rate of 1962. Figures for the
current year are based on a
tax valuation of $7,600,000.
The current tax levy plus the
poll taxes are expected to yield
$79,70S, which combined with
water revenue. State funds,
parking meters and miscellan
eous receipts amount to $161,
The largest expenditure is
general fund expense of $110,
545, fire truck and equipment,
with othei permanent improve
ments take $4$, 000, bond matur
ing $14,500, interest on bonds
$3655, Horn in West note $3500,
City Hall note and interest $8,
500, Jarvis Greene, note and
interest $4,679, make up some of
the other expenses.
Messra Winkler Go
To Award Luncheon
W. R. Winkler and W. R.
Winkler, Jr., attended the 1962
Leadership Award luncheon
Tuesday in Charlotte, given
to honor outstanding dealers of
Ford Motor Company products
in this area.
According to the letter of in
vitation received by the Wink
lers from W. H. Kennedy, dis
trict sales manager, they were
to receive the Gold Car and-or
Truck Leadership Award Plaque
the local dealership earned for
outstanding new vehicle sales ,
achievements and professional
merchandising practices during
1962. The plaque was to be ,
awarded by S. A Skillman, ;
Southeast Regional Sale* Man- i
ager. [<
Chief Receives Keys
Dave Ross, delivery engineer (or Baker En
gineering and Equipment Co., hands over the
keys to Boone's new fire truck to fire chief
R. D. Hodges as Mayor Wade Brown watches.
W atauga F arm F amities May
Lose $18,000 In Gas Taxes
Judging by last year's ex
perience, farm families in Wa
tauga County will lose about
$18,000 this year by failing to
apply for a tax refund on gaso
line used for non-highway pur
poses.
Statewide, the loss is expect
ed to reach around $11.6 mil
lion, which would be nearly 70
per cent of the money available
for refunds.
Farmers are permitted by
law to receive a six-cent re
fund from the state and a four
cent refund from the federal
government on each gallon of
gasoline they use in tractors
and other equipment on the
farm.
To receive this refund, how
ever, a farmer must file an ap
plication with both the U. S.
and N. C. Departments of In
ternal Revenue between July
1 and Sept. 30 of each year.
Most farmers never go to the
trouble of claiming the money.
Figures on the loss estimates
were compiled by the N. C.
Department of Internal Reve
nue and Jim Allgood, extension
farm management specialist at
North Carolina State.
Farmers who filed for a re
fund last year will automatic
ally be mailed a form for fil
ing again this year. Farmers
who have not filed for a re
fund previously can get the
necessary forms from their
county extension office, or by
writing to the N. C. Depart
ment of Revenue, Raleigh, and
the U. S. Department of Intern
al Revenue, Greensboro.
At Seminary
Conference
Louisville, Ky. ? Rev. J.
Boyce Brooks, pastor of the
First Baptist Church of Boone,
N. C., will attend ? Continuing
Theological Education Confer
ence at Southern Baptist Theo
logical Seminary, Louisville,
Kentucky, July 15-1C.
Christian doctrines and theo
logy, pastoral counseling and
church history will be studied
by a selected group of pastors
invited to participate in th?
conference. Pastors will also
have time for library reading
?nd research and discussions
with seminary professors.
Guest Speaker
Standing outside the Daniel Boone Inn after a Chamber of
Commerce luncheon last week are guest speaker Hugh
Morton, owner of Grandfather Mountain, and Dean D. J.
Whitener of Appalachian State Teachers College. ? Staff
photo.
Morton Tells C.ofC.
Of Role Of Pictures
In Public Relations
At > luncheon meeting of the
Chamber of Commerce, July 9,
?t the Daniel Boone Inn, Hugh
Morton, the outstanding photo
grapher of landscapes and vaca
tion highpoints in this area and
owner of Grandfather Moun
tain, spoke on the role of pho
tography in advertising and
public relations.
"I think photography ia
something that some people
overlook," Morton said, "but it
can be one of the moat import
ant features a business can
use."
Using color slides to illu
strate his talk, Morton distin
guished between advertising
and public relations by showing
two calendars ? both with a
color picture of Grandfather
Mountain and the mile-high
swinging bridge. On one calen
dar were the words "Grandfath
er Mountain"; the other car
ried the name of a lumber com
pany.
"The first," he said, "U
clearly advertising, while the
second is public relations."
Morton stressed the use of
color in advertising, and de
monstrated the effect of tim
ing, including particular ef
fects that can be achieved at
night. Rhododendron should be
photographed when it is in
bloom, of course, and non
descript structures can be flat
tered with the use of colorful
reflections from water, when it
is available.
These unusual photographs
can be well used in public rela
( Continued on page \ aec. B)