AWARD WINNER
In 1966 and 1967 the Democrat won
10 State Press Assn, awards for
General Excellence, Excellence in
Typography, Local News, Adver
tising, Columns and Photographs.
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Seventy •Ninth Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE WEATHER
1967 Hi Lo Snow Free. ’66 HI
June 13 79 53
June 14 81 54
June 15 80 56
June 16 81 55
June 17 82 55
June 18 76 56
June 19 80 55
.26
81
72
79
79
74
67
72
VOLUME LXXIX— NO. 51
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, JUNE 22, 1967
10 CENTS PER COPY
20 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
The Chamber Of Commerce
Really “Deadly Dull"?
BY RACHEL RIVERS
The Chamber of Commerce
is the nucleus of every com
munity.
Where it is not, it could
be, for in thousands of towns
Chamber of Commerce is sy
nonymous with a community’s
civic life. It is representative
of the city’s leadership.
To some, Chamber of Com
merce might imply an un
touchable group, some special
interest group to which they
can not, or should not, belong.
Then could come a ‘‘so what?”
attitude, or perhaps an Impres
sion that, after all, chambers
of commerce are really dull
deadly dull.
ZIFF, WHAAAP!
In Boone, “The Chamber is
supposed to know everything,”
says Manager Fred McNeil.
And it just about does, ser
ving as “a clearing house on
information on our town.”
-Where can we go to hike,
swim, play golf?
-Can you suggest a good place
to eat?
—We need accommodations
for four the last weekend of
the month. Can you help?
-When's the first snow?
—How do you get to Horn
in the West?
-Can you give us directions
to this, that and the other?
More than 150 calls and visits
are made to the Chamber of
Commerce in an average day.
Such queries usually come
from travelers who stop at
the East King and Hardin Street
location, or who can't get out
of traffic and proceed up the
way to a pay phone. Not all
stay in Boone maybe, but it's
a good bet nearly all stay in
the area awhile.
McNeil and his secretarial
staff keep up with things. And
if there’s something they don’t
know, they’ll find out-with a
smile.
A busy day in the Chamber
of Commerce takes on the Ziff.
Boof. WHAAAP! atmosphere of
a Batman episode. Everybody’s
working for good. In this case,
the community’s good.
TAKE INDUSTRY,
FOR EXAMPLE
Talk about a boost to Watau
ga County's economy, that's
industry.
It was the Industry Commit
tee of the Boone Chamber which
subsidized, through public sub
scription, the purchase of land
in order to establish Interna
tional Resistance Corporation
here.
From this committee was
formed Watauga Industries,
which brought Shadowline, Inc.;
Watauga Citizens, who are re
sponsible for locating Blue
Ridge Shoe Company here; and
Watauga Developers, who
brought the Vermont American
Corporation to town.
So, says McNeil, “TheCham
ber acts as a liaison between
industry seeking location here,
and the wishes of the people.*'
WHAT ELSE?
Then there’s the role of the
Chamber in securing from the
N. C. Highway Commission a
commitment to Improve the ma
jor arteries (221, 321 and 421)
into Daniel Boone Cotmtry.
And its seasonal retail pro
motions, via the Boone Mer
chants Association, which op
erates within the C of C com
plex.
And its year around infor
mational service to the pub
lic.
And the fact that members
of the Chamber are found in
dozens of local organizations,
“thus acting as a catalyst to
(Continued on page two)
BREMCO
To Provide
More Power
Blue Ridge Electric Member
ship Corporation is planning the
construction of a 100,000 volt
transmission line from Beaver
Creek in Ashe County into Wa
tauga County and the construc
tion of a transmission step
down substation near U. S. High
way 421 approximately three
miles east of Boone.
The substation would trans
form the voltage to 44,000 for
supplying power to six distri
bution substations located in
Watauga County. Approval of
the preliminary plans came at
the regualr meeting of the Board
of Directors of Blue Ridge Elec
tric Membership Corporation
held in Lenoir, June 17.
The new facility is scheduled
for completion in early 1969 and
will cost approximately $950,
000.
Mr. C. E. Viverette, General
Manager of Blue Ridge Elec
tric Membership Corporation
stated the new power facility
would be needed to assure an
adequate and dependable supply
of electricity for Watauga Coun
ty where the use of electricity
has doubled in the past 5 years
and has tripled during the past
11 years. He also stated that
approximately 100 million kilo
watt hours of electricity would
be used in Watauga County in
1969*
A REAL AMERICAN PRINCESS—Martha Haarbauer plays Nancy Ward, a half-British, half
Cherokee princess of the Indians in “Horn In The West," outdoor drama which opens a 9-week
run in Boone on June 23.
Bill To Make Appalachian A
University May Pass Assembly
Appalachian State Teachers
College will attain University
status if the regional univer
sities bill of Senator John Hen
ley, D-C umber land, is enacted.
“Things look fine now,” Hen
ley said Monday. “The bill
should go through the Senate
and the House will pass it if
it gets out of committee there/'
The measure, which was re
vised and expanded by a Sen
ate committee last week, was
scheduled for Senate debate
Tuesday and is expected to win
approval from that body.
Household
Survey To Be
Conducted
During the week of June 18,
the Census Bureau will make
a survey of households equip
ped with television, according
to Director Joseph R. Norwood
of the Census Regional Office
In Charlotte. The survey will
be taken in this area and in
448 other areas throughout the
U. S.
Sponsored by the Federal
Communications Commission
and the Advertising Research
Foundation, the TV survey will
provide National estimates on
the number of households equip
ped with color, black and white,
and ultra high frequency sets.
The special questions on tele
vision will supplement the Bu
reau's monthly survey of em
ployment and unemployment to
provide monthly measures of
the employment situation for the
Department of Labor's Bureau
of Labor Statistics. The iden
tity of the households partici
pating in the survey will be kept
confidential by law and facts
obtained will be used only to
obtain statistical totals.
Originally drawn to give uni
versity status to East Carolina
College and permit other
schools to join ECC in a re
gional university system, the
Henley bill now elevates ECC,
Western Carolina and Appala
chian State to university rank.
Sen. Robert Morgan, D-Har
nett, chairman of East Caro
Red Cross Chapter
Names New Officers
The Watauga chapter, Ameri
can Red Cross, has retained
S. M. Ayers as chairman for
1967-68.
First vice-chairman is Clyde
R. Greene; second vice-chair
man, Ralph Beshears; secre
tary, Mrs. Katheryn Tully; and
treasurer, Armfield Coffey.
On the Board of Directors
for a one-year term are S. C.
Eggers Sr„ Ralph Tugman, H.
R. Eggers, Conrad Yates, Hank
Greer and Marshall Hargrave.
Two-year directors are Ken
neth Wilcox, the Rev. C. O.
Vance, Mrs. Gaynell Jones, the
Rev. Ronda Horton, Mrs. Ann
Brown and Mack Brown. For
three years, Hal Johnson, Bert
Mast, Cecil Miller, Bill Thal
heimer, Mrs. Zeb Shook and
the Rev. Richard Holshouser
were chosen.
Chairman and co-chairmen
or workers are listed by com
mittee. Personnel—John Rob
inson; blood program— Jerry
Adams, Marshall Hargrave,
(Continued on page two)
lina’s board of trustees, led a
successful drive last week to ex
pand the role of the schools in
stead of granting a mere name
change.
Under the present proposal,
the institutions would be permit
ted to do research at the mas
ter’s degree level and could de
velop their research programs
with the aim of enlarging statu
tory roles.
Presumably, the “enlarging
clause” would permit the
schools to prepare and develop
doctoral programs without
granting Ph.D. degrees.
Henley’s major concern nov
is House committee action 01
the bill.
“The tally we’ve run showi
the majority over there On th<
House) favor it,” he said. “I
could go to either the Calenda:
or Higher Education Commit
tees, and we’re working 01
both. 1 think it will pass.*
Movies Of Wagon Train Of
’66 Will Be Shown In Wilke
Last year’s Daniel Boone wa
gon Train made the movies.
“Appalachian Trails”,filmed
by professional cameraman Le
roy Crooks, will be shown at
9 p. m. Saturday and Sunday
at the North Wilkesboro YMCA
Gymtorium.
Wagon Train Chief Scout, Ivey
Moore, urges Wataugans to
journey on down for the showing
of the color film travelogue and
see the feature selections at
of Train highlights, 1966.
Darby community, the half
way mark in the procession that
gets underway Tuesday, June 27,
is closely covered in the film.
Crooks, who traveled the whole
route with his family In ’66,
will meet the people at the
Wilkesboro showings.
Other scenes in the presen
tation include the big Wilkes
boro parade and scenes of wa
gons and horsemen during the
five-day trip. The Boone parade
climaxes the Train prior to in
clusion of night shots of Horn
in the West.
Tweetsie's in the film, and the
Highland Games at Grandfather
Mountain, camping scenes and
so on in the Southern highlands.
The film was viewed this win
ter by 50,000 people in 10 east
ern states and three Canadian
provinces.
WAGON TRAIN SCHEDULE
Residents and visitors plan
ning to catch the Train at th
camps can be in North Wilkes
boro Monday, June 26. Th
morning of the 27th, Dewit
Barnett heads ’em up to Fer
guson for camp; the Darby cam]
will be the evening of Wednes
day, the 28th; wagons pull inti
Triplett Thursday, the 29th; am
move into Boone, Friday, Jun<
30.
The Boone camp will be oi
Blowing Rock Road, same U>
cation as last year.
Music, square-dancing an
food will be available at eac
camp.
The parade will be Saturda
morning, July 1, in Boone.
Drama Season Starts
Horn To Blow First
Time Next Friday
Singing On The
Mountain To Be
Held On Sunday
One of the nation’s oldest,
most popular religious singing
conventions will get underway
for the 43rd year Sunday.
The “Singing on the Moun
tain*’ again is expected to at
tract thousands to the gospel
festival on MacRae Meadows
at: the base of Grandfather
Mountain.
Pastured Horse
Gunshot Victim
A horse belonging to Mrs.
Susie Henson of Vilas and Tim
Wilson of Boone was shot some
time the weekend of June 10
while it was pastured at Sil
verstone.
Hunters were reported in the
area during that period0 The
animal, struck by a .22-cal
iber bullet, is reportedly im
proving. Wilson had planned to
show the horse in nine classes
at the Cove Creek Horse Show.
Ira Ayers In jured
In Fa\\ From Truck
Mr. I. S. Ayers, prominent
retired electrical contractor,
was seriously injured Monday
afternoon in the driveway of
his home. He was in the back
of a truck, which moved un
expectedly, throwing him to the
concrete pavement.
Mr. Ayers suffered fractures
of both arms in the accident.
He is a patient at Watauga
Hospital.
Republicans
Win In Boone
The Republicans Tuesday night were assured control
of the city government, when ballots cast by 1,180 register
ed voters were tallied up at City Hall.
Clyde R. Greene, GOP candidate, won the Mayoral
race with 643 votes to 533 cast for incumbent Mayor
Wade E. Brown.
Democratic Alderman Hadley M. Wilson was retained
on the Board by a vote of 616. Republicans Dr. James B.
Graham and Phil H. Vance, Jr., respectively taking 625
and 600 votes, joined him.
Republican Fred M. Gragg tallied 597. Howard Cottrell
took 529, and J. C. Goodnight, 579, on the Democratic
slate.
Republicans accounted for 490 straight ballots, while
Democrats cast 452, and the balance were split tickets.
Official results were given one hour and 15 minutes
after the polls closed at 6:30 p.m.
Democrats had been unopposed in city government
since 1959.
Would Elect Board
Of Education Here
The Board of Education of
W atauga County would be elect
ed by popular vote under the
terms of a bill introduced last
week in the House of Represen
tatives by Representative Mack
Isaacs of Newland.
The bill, which is opposed by
the local Democratic leader
ship, provides that present
board members continue in
office until first Monday in
December, 1968, and at general
election in 1968 and biennially
thereafter at county general
election five members to be
elected to County Board of Edu
cation. Provides procedure and
time for filing for candidacy.
No primary election necessary
if no more than ten candidates
file for membership on said
board, but if more than ten
file, separate ballot to be pro
vided by County Board of Elec
(Continued on page two)
, PRESS RALLY PLANNED—Hugh Morton (center), owner of Grandfather Mountain, and J. D.
Fitz, secretary of the N. C. Press Association, meet Horn manager Herman Wilcox (left) in
Boone to set up a press rally for Friday and Saturday, July 8 and 9, The trio decided to issue
invitations to editors within the Association, asking them, or a newspaper representative, to
come here the 8th for a showing of Horn in the West and guest appearance of a descendant of
’ Daniel Boone. A picnic will be held in Linville for them the 9th, before they go to McRae Meadows
for the annual Highland Games and Gathering of the Scottish Clans. Area motels are co-operating
1 in the promotional venture. After the Friday performance of the drama, a scene will be re
enacted for the benefit of photographers. (Staff photo)
Curtain Rise
Changed To 8:30
Daylight Time
The “horn of freedom** will
peal through the valleys of Dan
iel Boone Country for the 16th
consecutive summer beginning ,.
this Friday evening as Horn
In The West opens its 1967
season in the Daniel Boone
Theater.
Performances erf the outdoor
dramp are, scheduled for „ 56
nights, Mon. through Sat., to
Aug. 26. Curtain time is 8:30
p. m. EDT.
A record total of 35,148 per
sons witnessed the drama of
Daniel Boone and the battle for
American freedom last sum
mer. A major re-write of the
script, necessitated by Day
light Saving Time, is expected
to attract large audiences again
this season.
Presented in the heart of Dan
iel Boone Country, the Horn
retells the story of the birth
of America. For it was in the
Southern Appalachians that the
hatred of oppression, the love
of freedom and private enter
prise flowered into an Ameri
can heritage.
The drama unfolds on three
curtainless stages in the 2,500
seat Daniel Boone Theater,
highest in Eastern America. At
an altitude of 3,333 ft., moun
tain temperatures are such a re
freshing change from the heat
of the lowlands that a sweater
is comfortable in mid-summer.
Rightfully, Daniel Boone is the
hero of Horn In The West.
The theater is less than a mile
from the spot where historians
say Boone once lived. The cele
brated frontiersman probably
trod the ground where today's
actor tells his story. The saga
of the lusty spirit of Boone
and his colonists, of their de
termination to be free men,
makes an entertaining, entranc
ing tale.
Although the Horn is an ex
cellent lesson in history, its
format contains something to
please theater goers of every
age. From fiery Cherokee war
rituals to blazing recreations of
the Battles of Kings Mountain
and Alamance, action-packed
scenes from the Horn keep au
diences on the edge erf their
seats.
In the many gay moments
from the Kermit Hunter drama,
frontier folk singers strike tra
ditional tunes and the stages
come alive with rollicking
square dances. The 16-voice a
capella chorus is directed by
Novie Greene of Orlando, Fla.
The dance company is beaded
by W. H. Williams, Jr. of Har
risburg, N. C.
Authentic costumes, live
trees on stage, animals, stars
overhead in open skies, and the
mountains surrounding the
theater complement the Horn's
stage action.
Three stage veterans who,
together, have logged more then
7,500 hours of performances In
the Horn, return to fill this
(Continued on page tee)