AWARD WINNER
In 1908 and 1967 the Democrat won
10 State Press Assn, awards lor
General Excellence, Excellence In
Typography, Local News, Advertis
ing, Columns and Photographs.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Seventy-Ninth Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE WSATHKK
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VOLUME LXXIX—NO. 33
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 1967
10 CENTS PER COPY
22 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
xtmfci
388X3*
Broiler production increased rapidly in 1966, bringing growers
nearly $250,000 more than the year before. The number two in
come-source for both 1965-66, broilers have climbed the scale
to $824,880, very near the worth of the number one crop, burley
tobacco. These five broiler houses, located east of Boone near
Highway 421, belong to Mack Brown and Bill Brown. (Minor
photo).
All-American Grid Star
Honor Guest At Dinner
An overflow crowd turned
out Thursday night to greet
All-American football star
Robert Matheson.
The occasion was “Bob
Matheson Appreciation Night”,
sponsored at the Chalet Res
taurant by the Appalachian
Mountaineer Club. One hundred
thirty-five persons came out
to meet the young athlete and
hear guest speaker Hugh Mc
Elhaney, administrative as
sistant to Duke University’s
athletic director.
McElhaney was coach at Duke
while Matheson was playing and
Matheson credited the speaker
with a big part of his success
in college play.
Bill Ross, a teacher at Ap
palachian High School while
Matheson was a student, acted
as Toastmaster for the banquet
and recited various eventsdur
ing the youth’s high school
career.
A letter from R. E. Agle—
which recalled Matheson’s pre
high school football days and
how even then football seemed
to dominate his activities—was
read by Dr. Robert Randall.
Agle was to appear on the pro
gram, but was confined to a
hospital bed.
Coach Jack Groce, who guided
the successful teams of Appa
lachian High School, told erf
his star player’s career in
Boone. He also showed film
of games in which Bob led
the Blue Devils* advance and
these brought back memories
to those in attendance.
McElhaney praised Matheson
not only for his gridiron
prowess, but for his gentle
manly example and helpfulness
in recruiting players and stu
dents for Duke. Citing Mathe
son’s record in several Duke
games, McElhaney proved the
young man’s versatility.
Son of Dr. and Mrs. W. M.
Matheson of Boone, Bob began
his college career as an of
$60,000 Of Duke
Funds Received
By Hospital
Trustees of The Duke Endow
ment have appropriated an ad
ditional $60,000 to help finance
construction of the new Watauga
County Hospital.
Announcement of the gift was
made today by Wade E. Brown,
chairman of the board of trus
tees, and Mrs. Virginia A.
Groce, administrator. Both ex
pressed their deep appreciation
for this assistance, which is
in addition to $100,000 The En
dowment gave originally to the
new institution. They pointed
out that The Endowment also
makes annual appropriations to
assist the hospital in providing
care for needy patients.
Mr. Brown and Mrs. Groce
were informed of the gift in
a letter from James R. Felts,
Jr., of Charlotte, executive di
rector of the Hospital and Child
Care sections of The Endow
ment.
fense player, but played his The Appalachian Mountaineer
last years on Duke’s defensive Club presented the honoree a
team. set of golf clubs.
At left, Robert Matheson rises to accept a gift of golf clubs from
the Appalachian Mountaineer Club. Charlie Taylor makes the
presentation. (Staff photo)
College To Get
$2.6 Million Of
Building Funds
The State Advisory Budget
Commission announced Monday
night it will recommend that
the Legislature appropriate
$2.6 million for a two-year
program of capital improve
ment at Appalachian State
Teachers College.
Submitted in July, the re
quest called for $6.7 million.
Appalachian also had re
quested $2 million for salaries
for additional teachers for the
two-year period. The Com
mission plans to recommendaff
expenditure of $650,1)00.
City Brochure
Fund Runs Low
The Board of Directors of
the Boone Chamber of Com
merce have voted to ask the
Town Board of Aldermen and
the County Commissioners each
to lend financial support to
the city’s brochure fund.
The brochures are four-color
folders featuring information on
the area and pictures of en
tertainment highspots. The last
order is running low and the
Directors are moving ahead
to refurnish the supply. The
point was made that many re
visions should be made in the
new folders.
Matney Community House
Is Soon To Be Finished
Seven years work on the Mat
ney community building will
soon be completed with the help
of a $1,000 Incentive Grant ap
proved by WAMY Community
Action Jan. 26. The grant will
be used t o improve and fur
nish the Matney building.
The grant was approved by
the WAMY screening committee
on the condition that the Matney
Community Club male a greater
effort to involve all members of
the community in club ac
tivities. The conditions also
asked that a community-wide
interest survey by made, and
provisions made for adult edu
cation and crafts classes and
recreational programs.
This was the first Incentive
Grant to be approved in Wa -
tauga County, according to
screening committee chairman
Clyde Tester of Timbered
Ridge. Another $5,000 is avail
able for grants to Watauga com
munities, Tester said.
“The first steps we'll take,"
said club president Marshall
Ward, “will be to build a sep
tic tank, plumb the bathrooms,
purchase and install kitchen
appliances, and finish the kitch
en. Members of the community
will donate as much of their
time and skills as possible to
ward completing this project."
The Matney 4-H Club will
take responsibility for improv
ing the recreation facilities.
The area behind the community
building will be leveled and a
combination volleyball-basket
ball court will be built.
“Until the weather permits
us to work outdoors," said
4-H president Diana Ward,
“we’ll concentrate on painting
shuffleboard courts on the base
ment floor. We think these ar
rangements will provide recre
ation for everyone."
A community of two and one
half miles from one end to the
other, Matney is home to more
than 50 families. One of the
oldest residents is Mrs. Emma
Mills Maston. Aunt Emma, as
she is affectionately known, re
calls the day sometime in the
1870*s when her family looked
(Continued on page six)
Tobacco Is Still King
’66 Watauga Farm
Income $3,711,843
Unit Prices
In Most Cases
Rise Higher
Figures from the County Ex
tension Chairman of 1966 farm
income show tobacco still is
king in Watauga, although its
total is down several thousand
dollars from the 1965 total. Last
year's overall income climbed
$100,000-plus to $3,711,843, a
record.
Government payments in five
categories added $158,970 to
farm intake for a grand total
of $3,870,813.
L. E. Tuckwiller, Extension
Chairman, said “Despite re
duced yield of apples and small
fruits, the agricultural sales
for Watauga County farmers,
reached a record amount.
“Substantial increases in
dollar sales of cabbage and
other vegetables, broilers, cat
tle, nursery stock and other
forest products coupled with
higher prices for burley to
bacco was enough to set a
record of farm products sold.”
HOLD THE LEAD
Three farm products repeat
their win, place and show status
from 1965.
Burley tobacco that year
brought $986,826, sliding to
$918,503 overall In '66, while
broilers rose from $575,200 to
$824,880 and cattle, in the num
ber three slot, reached the
$611,840 mark. In '65, they
b* ought $575,200.
Cabbage income rose sig
nificantly, gaining $252,000 to
put $432,000 in producer's
pockets in 1966. In fifth spot,
5 million pounds of milk brought
$200,000. A year earlier, dairy
products as a group, yielded
$206,000. Ornamental trees and
shrubs came in for $180,000
of the total and other forest
products, which brought $92,
500 in ‘65, cleared $150,000
for growers last year.
Accordingly, “Unit prices on
most farm products were higher
in 1966,’’ Tuckwiller said, “and
yields were also on the high
side. After the late spring
frosts that nearly wiped out
the fruit crop, the weather
favored the farmers. Ample
rain helped make good pasture
and hay crops that put good
weight gains on livestock and
increased yields for vege
tables.”
1966 FOCUS
Eighteen hundred acres pro
duced 1,000 bushels of corn
for $16,000; 150 acres potatoes,
10.000 cwt, accounted for $30,
000; 9,000 acres yielded 1,000
tons hay at $40,000; and 900
gallons syrup brought $3,150.
From 250 acres, 1,000 bush
els of apples (frost damaged)
brought $1,500; from 20 acres,
3.000 bushels of pepper brought
$6,000; 7 and a half acres
produced 6,000 gallons of
strawberries for $7,500; six
acres of tomatoes totaled 5,
160 bushels for $25,800; and
25 acres snap beans made for
7,500 which sold for $22,500.
Six hundred, thirty-seven
acres tobacco, the number one
(Continued on page six)
Presenting a check for $1,022 to Stacy C.
Eggers, Jr., is Mrs. Margaret Ayers, Boone's
Mothers’ March chairman for the March of
Dimes - National Foundation. Chapter Chair
man George C. Thomas looks on from right.
Eggers is a member of the Board of Directors,
Watauga Chapter. (Staff photo).
Mothers9 March Accounts
For 40% Of Dimes Money
As Mrs. Margaret Ayers last
week presented the proceeds of
the annual Mothers March to
a director of the National Foun
dation's local chapter, she
spoke of the vast contribution
in time and money of her area
chairmen and more than 60
Marching Mothers who am
assed approximately 40 per cent
of the funds received here for
the fight against birth defects.
The original intake of $972.71
was bolstered by lately record
ed imcome to provide a total
of $1,022. This is a handsome
increase over last year’s $711.
The cur rent drive has brought
$3,000-plus to the March of
Dimes treasury and more is
expected from contributions
later this month and early in
March.
Federal Grant Provides
Scholarships At ASTC
A Federal grant of $52,200
to be awarded in the form of
scholarships to ASTC students
in special education was an
nounced Friday by Dr. W. H.
Plemmons, presidentof the col
lege.
The scholarships, to be used
during the academic year, 1967
68, will be awarded to special
education students in two sepa
rate training programs —
teachers of the mentally re
tarded and teachers of the deaf
and hard of hearing.
The awards are for both grad
uate and undergraduate stu
dents. Dr. Milton Blue, director
of special education at ASTC,
said that undergraduate seniors
No. 1 Team To
Play For Keeps
Against Tigers
The Pioneer basketball team
will be playing for keeps when
the Valdese Tigers come to
Watauga High School Friday
night.
The local grapplers—number
one in the conference—will
“polish" the home arena for
what is expected to be one of
the largest turnouts of the year.
who receive funds will be given
$1,600 for the academic year
plus waiver of tuition and fees.
Graduate students in either
of the two programs will re
ceive $2,000, waiver of tuition
and fees, plus $400 for each
of their dependents.
The support funds are pro
vided under Public Law 85-926.
In its fourth year at Appa
lachian, the special education
department enrolls 85 under
graduates in the mental re
tardation program. There are
13 graduate students enrolled
in both training programs, one
for teachers of the mentally
retarded, the other for teachers
of the deaf and hard of hearing.
Reflecting on the program,
Dr. Blue commented, “Appa
lachian is the only college in
North Carolina which offers
a graduate program in edu
cation of the deaf and hard
of hearing; and only four other
institutions have graduate pro
grams similar to ours in the
training of teachers for the
mentally retarded.
He added that eleven per
sons have already earned their
special education M. A.'s in
education of the deaf. The ma
jority of the graduates are
teaching in state schools for the
deaf and hard of hearing
throughout the Southeast.
Governor Would Ease State Tax Burden
Governor Moore Monday
night asked the General As
sembly to ease the tax burden
on North Carolinians while ap
propriating record amounts for
expansions of State services.
His proposed biennial budget
totaled more than $2.7 billion,
an all-time high and an increase
of more than 18 per cent a
bove expenditures for the cur
rent biennium.
The Governor’s proposals for
tax relief would benefit low
income families, with
children in school and collage,
service personnel In Vint Nam,
and older citizens. The revenue
loss from these measures would
be $23.3 million for the bi
ennium.
Public education received
considerable attention as the
Governor addressed the Gen
eral Assembly for the second
time since it convened last
week. His proposals called for
large budget increases to meet
major needs in the public school
system, community colleges
and the State system of higher
education.
The Governor called for capi
tal improvements totaling near
ly $180 million. This would be
the largest capital improve
ments budget in the history of
the State and it would not re
quire a bond issue. Of the
total, over $66 million was re
commended for capital improv
ments in higher education.
He proposed that a sizable
portion of the capital improve
ments should be financed from
the $163 million General Fund
credit balance expected at the
end of the current biennium. He
said that nearly 68 per cent
of the credit balance should
be utilized for capital improve
ments or, as he termed them,
“permanent assets.”
In other areas, the Governor
expressed personal reserva
tions but urged consideration
of industrial aid bonds with
proper safeguards, stated his
opposition to increasing the 6
per cent interest rate, urged
approval of a local option sales
tax to help local governments
with their financial needs, and
proposed steps to strengthen
State Government.
The Governor told the legis
lators, “We can give tax re
lief while appropriating major
increases for the public
schools, community colleges,
higher education, health and
welfare and other basic ser
vices/’ He presented details
for the record budget and com
plimented the members of the
Advisory Budget Commission
“for a public service of the
first magnitude/*
He said that tax relief and
stepped-up State services are
possible because of the “ex
cellent fiscal condition** of the
State. “Revenues continue to
exceed legislative estimate*,
and there will be substantial
reversions resulting from effi
cient administration,” he said.
The Governor, in view of what
he termed “our bright revenue
outlook,” recommended these
four tax relief measures:
1. Raise the dependency ex
amption from $300 to $600 per
year. (Biennial revenue loss:
$16.5 millionJ
2. Allow an additional $600
exemption for each dependent
enrolled for full-time study in
(Continued on page six)
Accepting the check, Stacy
Eggers Jr. stated he was pleas
ed with the progress of the Wa
tauga County March of Dimes.
“Since this County chapter
supports the Morganton Eval
uation Center and the N. C.
Treatment Center as wel 1 as
the Salk Institute for Biological
Studies, I accept this check on
behalf of the 8,000 infants borif
in North Carolina this year
with serious birth defects .. Jn
the hope that some of these
may be helped by this con
tribution.**
Thomas thanked Mrs. Ayers
for a job well done, saying he
regreted he could not tell every
worker how greatly the work
is appreciated.
Mrs. Ayers’ area chairmen
were Mrs. May Autrey, Mrs.
Milton Blue, Mrs. Jimmy Cline,
Mrs. Robert Danner, Mrs. J. B.
Hagaman Jr., Mrs.G. C. Greene
Jr., Mrs. Bob Poe, Mrs. Bill
Hayes, Mrs. Paul Branch and
Mrs. Cleo Rhyne.
An awards dinner will be held
late in March for the many
volunteers. At that time, a di
rectors’ meeting also will be
held.
Miss Lucy Brock
Dies Suddenly
In Mississippi
Miss Lucy Brock, 72, died
suddenly at her home in Cleve
land, Miss., last Thursday.
Funeral services were con
ducted at 10 a. m. in Cleveland
Friday.
She was bom Sept. 3, 1895,
in Greenfield, Term. She re
ceived her B. S., A. B. and
MISS LUCY BROCK
M. A. degrees from the uni
versity of Tennessee and alto
attended Columbia University
and the University of California
at Berkley.
(continued on page sixl