September Starts The
Summer-Autumn Change
By ML ALinUO MORDECA1
September marks the end ol
summer for Blowing Rockites
The autumnal equinox arrivea
on the 21at. The gun.
raya flood the hilla with golden
light. The air is cool and invi
gorating. Shadows lengthen.
They are colorful and dreamy.
The nighta call for extra bed
spreads. A vaat stream of lum
inous star clouds, which we
call the Milky-way, gently curv
es across the sky from north
east to southwest Cygnus, the
Swan, spreads over the village
at 0 p. m. In this constellation
we find the "Northern Croas".
On rare occasions we may even
see the shimmering lights of
the Aurora borealis,, for now
the sun swings low around the
Arctic Circle and the snows are
starting in Eskimo land. Before
the month has passed we shall
see frost in the Blue Ridge
mountains. The Katydids and
other insects even now, are
alnging farewell to the halcyon
days of summer. On still nights
we may also hear the baying of
'possum dogs far off in the dis
tance. The closed gentians
bloom. The little blue asters
and the golden-rods give color
to the roadsides. Added to this
are the scarlet leaves of the
sumac, the yellow and orange
colors of the saasafras and the
sparkling dew drops on the
jewel-weeds. Red apples appear
in the orchards. Blueish patch
es of cabbage plants await to
be harvested on the farms and
the yellowing stands of tobacco
are arranged like parading
iroops in Dananon iormauon.
The great Broadwing Hawk*
are on their way from Canada
to Central America. The move
ment commences about mid
September and for about ten
days thousands of these stately
birds will pass over the Blue
Ridge in daily echelons. The
flight is made in short stages.
Early afternoon each day flocks
of these birds will settle in
wooded coves for food and a
night of rest. At sun-rise they
will soar to a high altitude and
resume the flyway down the
Appalachians, until it's time to
feed again and rest
September also is the month
that otur tupping bi?ds, leave
for more souther* regions. .By
on a recent occasion as many
as 25 or 30 of these tiny birds
were found buzzing and chirp
ing about a large patch of jewel
weeds in our neighborhood.
This is likewise the season
for snakes to bask dreamily in
the sunshine prior to seeking
their rock dens for winter
sleep. The vast majority of
these reptiles are perfectly
harmless. Despite all the snake
tales commonly passed around,
poisonous reptiles are seldom
encountered at this high alti
tilde.
At this season of the year
many interesting plants may be
found in fruit along the way
sides. Beautiful clusters of el
derberries now replace the
white flowers that adorned the
bushes during July and August.
In former times elderberry
wine was regarded as a very
palatable beverage.
In the fence corners and par
ticularly in the moist low
grounds we find abundant dis
plays of the shiny, purple poke
berries. The botanical name for
the Pokeberry bush is Phyto
lacca, which word means "Lake
Plant". The root is perrenial.
It sprouts up very early in the
springtime and these tender
shoots are often gathered and
served on the table as a boiled
green like spinach. The mature
leaves and the roots of this
plant are poisonous to a mild
extent and should be regarded
as harmful. Extracts of the root
were at one time used as medi
cines for many different ail
ments such as chronic arthri
tis and even cancers. It is also
interesting to know that the
first reducing agent marketed
in the United States was a pro
prietary remedy called "Anti
fat". It was said to have been
a concoction of pokeberry juice.
Indeed, at the present time, it
is not uncommon to find "Gran
ny- doctors" in the hill country,
who prepare a pokeberry wine
which they highly recommend
for the treatment of rheumat
ism and obesity.
The Witch hazel is now al
most ready to bloom. The small
yellow blossoms will be full
blown and abundant before our
first snow falls. They will re
main fresh and hardy well in
to bleak December. The North
American Indians regarded
this shrub-tree as a valuable
source of medicine. So did our
pioneer settlers. In fact the
bark and leaves of the tree
became officially recognised in
the U. S. Pharmacopia. As ?
useful remedyTBr disease
I however, the preparation* had
. little to offer. But to the crude
dealer* and patent medicine
vender* they proved to bo a
1 great pecuniary aucceu. Witch
hazel extract*, salves and lo
tion*, flooded the market for
several generation*. They were
highly advertised for both in
ternal and external use ? as
gargle*, mouth washes, up-set
stomachs, sprains, bruise*,
burn*, tkin irritation* and ihav
ing lotions. In September many
ton* of the witch hazel leaves
are still collected hereabout
and passed on to the phar
maceutical trade.
In the woods, particularly in
the laurel thickets, we may still
find small sweeps of that love -
ly little evergreen, listed in the
books as Gaultheria, but com
monly known by such names
as Wlntergreen "Tea-berry",
"Ground holly", and "Love-in
Winter". The small glossy green
leaves redden or become bronz
ed in the fall and each plant
yields two or three small,
bright, red berries. In former
times tons upon tons of these
plants were gathered for the
market. Distillation of the
leave* yields the Oil of Winter
green which wit extensively
used in the manufacture of
flavoring extracts for candy
and chewing gum. Also for the
preparation of rubbing lotions
and liniments.
One thing not so nice about
September Is the swipe of tro
pical storms. At this season the
sun beats hot and furiously
over the Gulf of Mexico and
the Caribbean Sea. Oceans of
water are taken into the atmos
phere as vapor. The hot moist
air rises and forms dense
clouds. Cool air sweeps in and
acts up a whirl of motion and
off it takes as a hurricane.
When such storms strike our
coastal areas the Blue Ridge
Mountains are very prone to
wind, rain and fog. But follow
ing these equinoxial disturb
ances comes the Autumn Wond
ers ? blue sky overhead and a
riot of colors through the land.
Nothing more delightful, un
less It is the first snowfall in
the mountains followed by In
dian Summer, which may last
until the corn is shocked and
all the pumpkins are in the
'tsf.
Horn Group To
Hold Meeting
The annual fall meeting of
the Southern Appalachian His
torical Association, sponsors of
Boone's outdoor drama Horn
in the West, will be held Octo
ber 14 at 6:30 p. m. in the Dan
iel Boone Hotel. Dr. I. G. Greer,
president of the organization,
will call the meeting to order.
A report on the 1963 opera
tion of Horn in the West, as
well as other activities of the
association, will be the high
light of the evening. An enter
taining and informative pro
gram will also be given, de
tails of which are to be an
nounced at a later date.
Also on the agenda are elec
tions of the Board of Directors
and other officers of the as
sociation. Anyone, member or
not, who is interested in the
Southern Appalachian Histori
cal Association and desires to
attend this meeting, is invited.
Fred Blair, 67,
Dies Friday
Fredrick McDonald Blair,
age 67, of Rt. 1, Vilas, died
Sept. 13 at Watauga Hospital
after an extended illness. He
was born in Avery County to
the late Colbert and Mary Wil
liams Blair. He was a farm
owner and had lived in Wata
uga county for 60 years.
Funeral services were con
ducted Sunday at 2 p. m. at
Willowdale Baptist Church by
Rev. E. O. Gore, assisted by
Rev. Maurice Cooper and Rev.
C. O. Vance. Burial was in the
Dugger cemetery.
Surviving are the widow, An
nie D. Blair of Vilas; two sons,
Eugene Blair of Jacksonville,
Fla. and Linwood Blair of
Charlotte; one half brother,
Boyce Blair of Charleston, 8.
C.
TYPHOON OF STEEL'
Okinawa's name for World
War II was "typhoon of steel."
The former Japanese island is
a major United States base on
ly 400 miles from mainland
China.
Suddenly It's
Fall
We are showing the newest fall fashions,
created by some of the foremost dress
designers in the country.
COATS
NEW DRESSES FOR FALL
$3.99 to $39.99
in a variety of size ranges
New Fall Coats for Mi-Lady
Fur trims and plain cottons, in a variety of
new fall styles and colors
$19.99 to $100.00
For the newest in fall fashions in sports
wear shop Belk's first. We are Boone's
exclusive distributor for Jantzen sports
wear.
MEN
> Our Men's Dept. is a one-stop
i i| all your fall needs ? Arch
|t dale Dress and Sport Shirts ?
Manstyle Pants ? Archdale
r Underwear.
Your best buy in
Men's Wear is
It ARCHDALE (
k& Exclusive at Belk's '
Shop Belk's for exclusive Miss B
Dresses and Sportswear. We have
the most complete children's and <
girl's department in this area ?
Shop Belk's first for children's
wear.
Belte
fiBSSDEBBdBD
L. J
full Su?ls
Your Best Buy Is a Man's Fall Suit
from Belk's in Boone
PBICED FROM
$29.99 to $49.99
Alterations Free
?
Belk's Extends
A Very
Special Welcome
To All
ASTC
Students
and
Faculty
?
f* . ?. i . , .
Boone's Largest Department Store
1
BOYS
Shop at Belk's In Boone
for all your fall clothing
needs ? pants, jackets,
ties, socks, underwear ?
whatever your needs,
shop Belk's first.
We have assembled a most complete line
of fall shoes for every member of the
family ? new styles ? leathers and new
smartness in every pair.
For All Your Shoe Needs ? Shop
Belk's in Boone First