AWARD WINNER
In I960 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
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VOLUME LXXIX— NO. 38
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 23, 1967
10 CENTS PER COPY
20 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
PLANNED MOVE OF SCHOOLHOUSB—The old Shulls Mills Crater Marsh and Luther Oliver, both of the college maintenance
School is shown as it stood four years ago before being moved department. Arrangements to have the building taken down and
to the Horn in the West grounds. Shown planning the moving restored as a museum were made by Allen and the late Barnard
task are Q-r) Bob Allen, director of Public Affairs, ASTC; Dougherty.
Destruction Of Pioneer School
On Horn Land May Involve Arson
Foul-play is suspected in the
fiery destruction of one of the
state’s oldest school buildings,
the Shull’s Mill School, which
was reduced to ashes Tuesday
of last week on the grounds
of “Horn in the West” here.
Horn Manager Herman W.
Wilcox said an oil can, smelling
kerosene, was found under
% log near the reconstructed
building Thursday morning,
fingerprints were on the can,
and local officials are con
ducting a thorough investigation
with the aid of the State Bureau
of Investigation.
Erected in 1884, the one
room structure originally stood
on property now owned by Hound
Ears Golf & Ski Club. In 1963,
it was taken down and restor
ed as a museum adjacent to
the Daniel Boone Theater.
By a quirk of fate, the woods
were damp enough to keep the
vigorous blaze from spreading
to other buildings on the grounds
and neighboring residences.
Boone volunteer firemen at first
contained the fire by pumping
from the trucks, although hoses
later were hooked into a hydrant
several hundred yards away,
and the flames that took away
a memorial to pioneer educa
tors failed to consume the pro
perties of Boone’s pioneer-days
drama.
DR. DOUGHERTY
Dr. B. B. Dougherty, who
figures prominently in this re
gion’s history, was the first
teacher at the Shulls Mill
School.
Watauga residents erected
the structure, donating white
pine lumber and labor. It has
four windows, a door and a
fireplace. Furnishings were a
chair and table for the teacher,
and benches for the students,
who could attain a fourth-grade
education there. They brought
boxes from home to use as
desks.
Most of the students walked
between two and four miles to
attend the four-month term
(Sept.-Dee.) and studied pen
manship, oratory, history,
grammar, spelling, geography
and arithmetic.
Dr. Dougherty, paid $27 per
month for teaching 85 students,
was to become co-founder and
president of Appalachian State
Teachers College shortly after
the turn of the century.
Years later, when a larger
school was built, the old build
ing was given to J. C. Shull
who donated the land upon which
it was erected. The structure
was later purchased by J. A.
Woody who used it as a barn
for many years.
After being reconstructed on
the Horn in the West grounds,
the building was restored to
the 1884 vintage with furniture,
benches and books.
Grover Robbins of Blowing
Rock purchased the property a
few years ago and donated the
building to Appalachian State
Teachers College which, in
turn, joined with the Southern
Appalachian Historical Associ
ation to move it to Boone.
The late Dr. Dougherty was
only 18 years old when he began
teaching in the old school in
1888. His students, who came
from 31 homes in the nearby
area, included Cadis, Julet, Joe,
BUI, Calb, Wes, Henry Char
lie, Ettie, Ernest and Lee Cof
fey; Cora, Lillie, Walter, Lena
and Sara Shull; Cling, Jule,
Sary, Jones, Virgil, Sherman,
Margaret, Lisie, Zeb and Mary
Calloway; Curtis, Walter, Julie
and Holton Cook; Eltie, John,
Birt, Mary Ruby, Roeyand J. L.
Hartley; Will, Tom, Joe and
(continued on page nine)
299 BUSINESSES ARE LISTED
Two-Thirds Of Watauga’s
Firms Employ 3 Or Less
According to Government fi
gures, just released, the spirit
of individual enterprise still
shines brightly in Watauga
County.
A constant stream of local
residents, with the urge to get
into business for themselves,
take the plunge each year. In
order to be on their own they
give up their jobs and put their
money, time and effort into
new ventures.
Some of them go into re
tail businesses of various sorts.
Others set up service estab
lishments or other undertak
ings.
The hazards are great and
they know it. The mortality
among new businesses in high,
with a large proportion of them
falling by the wayside in the
first five years. They hope,
however, to be among the suc
cessful ones.
The figures on the local busi
ness population are contained
in reports prepared by the Cen
sus Bureau with the assistance
of the Social Security Admini
stration, which supplied data
on employment, payrolls and the
like.
They show that in Watauga
County, there are some 299
business establishments cur
rently in being.
Of this total, 183 have 3
employees or less, 65 have from
4 to 7 employees and 35 have
from 8 to 19. The rest are
larger.
As an indication of the dura
bility of small businesses in
the face erf the mergers, con
A fireman surveys the area as flames finish off the Shidl’s Mill School.
(Staff Photo)
solidations and giantism that
they have to cope with these
days, no less than 95 percent
of the local enterprises have
fewer than 20 employees each.
The proportion is greater
than in most parts of the United
States, where only 90 percent
are in that catagory. In the
State of North Carolina, there
are 89 percent.
The reports show that Wa
tauga County's business firms
(continued on page nine)
Watauga County
Hospital Gets
Duke Funds
Appropriations of $578,655
to assist Carolina hospitals in
financing services to the needy
sick were announced Thursday
by Trustees of the Duke En
dowment.
These funds are in addition
to contributions of $907,963 to
141 hospitals and $588,056 to 43
child-caring institutions in
February and bring to $2,044,
674 the amount given this year
to help these institutions meet
their operating costs. Hospitals
received $1,486,618 of the total.
Thomas L. Perkins, Chair
man of the Trustees, explained
that appropriations to hospitals
were based on $1 a day for each
day of free care in the fiscal
year which ended Sept. 30,1966.
Payments to child-caring in
stitutions were approximately
80 cents a day for each day of
free care of orphans and half
orphans in the fiscal year.
Watauga County Hospital re
ceived $2,206 as against $2,
157 appropriated in last year.
Official Makes Report
Delay In Construction
Courthouse Explained
Design Change
Said To Be
“Our Of Reach”
BY RACHEL RIVERS
By a margin of 145 votes,
3,332 Wataugans approved a
$450,000 courthouse bond is
sue concurrent with moving a
Democratic slate of County
Commissioners into office in
November's general election.
Questions have arisen as to
when the structure will be put
under construction and citizens
interested in changed the archi
tecture from modern to tra
ditional are immediately con
cerned. Commissioner Glenn
Hodges this week explained cer
tain “bottle necks’* which are
being worked on.
“The design presented in the
Democrat before the election
is the only design that has been
furnished,” he said. “The de
signers were asked if an al
ternate plan was prepared and
they answered no.
“They also stated that a
change in plans now would cost
the County about $75,000 more
than was originally stated, as
none of the present blueprints
would be of any value.”
MINUS $19,200
Records show that before the
new Commissioners took office,
$18,000 was paid to the archi
tects and a contract between the
former Commissioners and the
architects designates that an
additional $4,500 be paid them
whether or not the courthouse
is built according to plans they
supplied.
Additionally, $1,200 was paid
out in lawyer’s fees.
A minimum of one year will
be required to build a court
house, and asked whether prob
lems would arise during this
period, Hodges listed that—
A place must be found in
which to hold court.
Office space must be lo
cated.
Vaults must be found to house
the records from the offices
of the Clerk of Court and the
Register of Deeds.
And “Since the bond issue
was for $450,000, every pos
sible way to save money must
be found. When the bonds are
issued, the first item of busi
ness will be to restore the
money already drawn from the
General Fund back to the Gen
eral Fund.
“This will leave $430,000 of
bond money to spend on a court
house,” he noted.
All phases of the courthouse
are being studied, and as quick
ly as decisions are reached,
Hodges said the people will be
notified.
The Commissioners reported
they had hoped to negotiate for
a two-acre site on Depot Street,
but the ballot presented to the
voters specified that the courts
house must be built on the
present site.
The size of the approved
courthouse—built on the site
of the present courthouse—
would eliminate parking space
now on the northwest side.
At present, it appears that a
modification of the modern de
sign will be out of the County’s
financial reach.
Beautification Banquet Draws 300
Sears Foundation Representative W. W. Tatgenhorst (right) was surrounded by admirers
after his delightful speech Tuesday of last week at Holiday Inn. Here he talks with Dr. and
Mrs. J. C. Yoder. Boone’s Mayor Wade E. Brown (left) introduced the community beautification
and improvement expert to a crowd of nearly 300 persons, representing dozens of civic or
ganizations. Chamber of Commerce Director Stanley Harris Sr., who was ticket chairman
for the banquet meeting, said $24 was left over when the banquet was paid for and this was
deposited in a beautification fund. Tatgenhorst was here all day Tuesday, addressing Watauga
High School students that morning, and civic leaders at noon before touring the region. Local
leaders plan a meeting for next week to discuss an improvement plan. (Staff photo)
BREMCO Service To Be Cut
If Financing Bill Fails
BY RACHEL RIVERS
If Blue Ridge Electric Mem
bership Corporation fails to get
its rural electric supplemental
financing bill thro ugh Congress,
its capacity for “complete ser
vice" throughout its territory
may be severly limited.
Speaking for BREMCO's
Boone office, Neil Faries says
one of the service advantages
co-op systems can offer cus
Woman Hired
On Police Dept.
A woman policeman was hir
ed by the Boone Police De
partment and her appointment
was confirmed by the Town
Board of Aldermen at their
regular monthly meeting
Thursday night.
Mrs. Esther Parsons will be
doing day duty and her work
will include reading parking
meters and directing traffic
at the Boone Elementary School.
She begins work April 1.
The Board discussed pur
chase of a garbage truck, but
no action was taken.
The traffic light at King and
Hillside Streets will be moved
to the intersection of King Street
and State Farm Road. This
action was taken because of the
traffic problem, especially in
the mornings and afternoons
when workers are trying to get
to and from their jobs and are
unable to get in or out of
State Farm Road because of
King Street traffic. The light
will be moved soon.
tomers is extension of lines to
remote points without charge
for actual costs.
The organization is calling on
its customers to support the
bill by writing Senators Sam
J. Ervin Jr. and B. Everett
Jordan and Congressman James
T. Broyhill in Washington, D. C.
The bill will set up loan
funds—much like those pro
vided farmers when Federal
Land Banks were established—
and from such funds, the co
op could obtain loans necessary
to carry on operations.
LARGEST TAXPAYER
In Watauga, as in other moun
tain counties, Blue Ridge Elec
tric is the only source of power.
New River Light & Power Com
pany in Boone purchases power
from the co-op.
Faries says a $2-$3 million
investment is being studied for
the County.
He explained to a meeting of
Watauga Developers, Inc., and
Watauga Citizens, Inc., last
Gty Election
Officers Named
Judges and a registrar for the
coming town election were ap
pointed Monday night during a
special meeting of the Town of
Boone councilmen. The meet
ing was called especially for
making these appointments,
Mrs. Jewel Mast will serve
as registrar, and judges will
be James Stanley and Ralph
Greene.
The election will be held in
June.
week that BREMCO needs a
local voice in favor of the
bill, since stiff resistence will
(continued on page nine)
Offices To
Gose Monday
County and town offices will
close Monday in observance of
Easter and most stores called
by the Chamber otf Commerce
in Boone reported they also
will close.
The County Health Center
also plans the vacation obser
vance, and according to Dr.
Mary Michal, director, will be
gin summer hours of 8 a, m,
to 5 p. m„ with the office
closed from noon to 1 p. m.
for lunch, effective April 3.
Community Sunrise Service
To Be At Greenway Church
The annual Community Sun
rise Service will begin at 6:30
a. ip. Sunday morning at the
Greenway Baptist Church and
will be sponsored by the Wa
tauga County Ministerial As
sociation.
Special music will be render
ed by a choir of vocalists from
surrounding churches. The Rev.
Maurice Cooper, pastor of
Perkinsville Baptist Church,
will direct. Rehearsal will be
gin at 6 a. m. in the Choir
Room.
Coffee and do-nuts will be
served beginning at 6 a. m.,
after benediction in the fellow
ship hall. The program will
begin in the church sanctuary
and be concluded on the cfiurch
lawn.
The Rev. E. S. Morgan erf
the Oak Grove Church will de
liver the Easter message.
Others on the program will
be the Rev. F. W. Dowd Ban
gle, Deerfield Methodist; the
Rev. Richard Crowder, Boone
Methodist; and the Rev. J. K.
Parker, pastor of Boone Pres
byterian Church.
The choir will sing the call
to worship, “Low in the Grave
He Lay” followed by the con
gregational hymn, “All Hail
the Power of Jesus Name”.
The anthem will be “Man
of Sorrows, What a Name**
and the choir hymn, “Christ
the Lord Is Risen Today**,
will be sung just before the
congregation assembles on the
church lawn for hymn and bene
diction.
FULLER HORTON
Promoted At
La. WE Plant
A native of Sugar Grove, Sam
uel Fuller Horton, has been
promoted to chief erf plant and
factory engineering for Western
Electric's Shreveport, La.#
plant.
Horton is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. S. F. Horton and a grad
uate of N. C. State University
at Raleigh. Until August, 1965,
he was plant engineer in a
North Carolina branch where
he was employed in 1956. In
July, 1965, he was promoted
to senior plant engineer.
Horton is a Mason and serves
the Arrowhead District, Boy
Scouts of America, as chairman
of organization and extension.
He and his wife, Peggy, reside
at 1870 Sw Brookwood Dr. with
their four sons.