Newspapers / Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.) / Aug. 31, 1967, edition 1 / Page 4
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WATAUGA DEMOCRAT An Independent Weekly Newspaper ESTABLISHED IN 1888 IN TOP RANKS OF N. C. NON-DAILY NEWSPAPERS 1966 and 1967 the Democrat won ten State Press Association awards for General Excellence, Local News Coverage, Excellence in Typography, Advertising, Columns, Photographs. Five of these are first place awards. Published for 43 Years by Robert C. Rivers, Sr. PUBLISHED THURSDAYS BY RIVERS PRINTING COMPANY, INC,, OWNER R. C. RIVERS, JR„ Editor and Manager JEAN RIVERS. Associate Editor RACHEL A. RIVERS, Managing Editor SUBSCRIPTION RATES IN NORTH CAROLINA One Year -$3.09 Six Months _$1.80 Four Months -$1.30 OUTSIDE NORTH CAROLINA One Year __ qq Six Months _$2.50 Four Months _ to no .fvu ouostripuons i-ayaDie in Advance NOTICE TO SUBSCRIBERS—In requesting change of address, it is important to mention the OLD, as well as the NEW address. Entered at the postoffice at Boone, N. C.. as second class matter, under the act of Congress of March 3, 1879. MEMBER NATIONAL NEWSPAPER ASSOCIATION NORTH CAROLINA PRESS ASSOCIATION BOONE, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, AUGUST 31, 1967 A Successful ‘Soft’ Summer If it had been any drama besides “Horn in the West”, our unusual sum mer weather might have wiped it out. However, in finer-than-ever style, the local drama registered 27,237 total paid admissions with its final per formance Saturday night. That isn’t quite up to snuff, says drama manager Herman Wilcox, who Monday said the attendance was 7,911 short of last year’s. And this, of course, throws income way out of line with the needs of the drama. However, adds Wilcox, rain, fog and chill evenings were the diet of playgoers some 90 per cent of the season, while only two nights and the second portion of a third performance were called off. This brings us up to the point that there were many nights when everyone should have gone home, but wouldn’t. And when the director and his cast saw the audience willing to stay on, they wouldn’t give up the ghost, and the wet and the chill prevailed through what critics have acclaimed the finest of the drama’s 16 seasons. Although crippled by regularly un pleasant weather, the drawing power of the “Horn” might be compared with that of a vastly larger organization. Reports from the Charlotte Summer Theater show attendance roughly in the neighborhood of 115,000 this sea son. The Queen City organization, playing “undercover” in Ovens Auditorium, then seems to have drawn less attend ance from its metropolitan and culture oriented populace than the “Horn” has drawn into and from the sparsely settled mountains. It’s amazing that this outdoor drama can have held its own so well, playing so often in inclement weather, and without benefit of the cozy indoors. It’s a plume in the old cap that the attendance drop wasn’t sharper. The Irish have a diplomatic way of referring to rainy weather. They say it s a bit soft”. We say it’s been real soft this season, but the folks con nected with “Horn in the West” shouldn't have dampened spirits. They’re still a foremost contributor on the summer entertainment scene and, as such, mighty important to area ac onomics. Airport Bond Issue? The statement of the Watauga County Airport Commission last week draws to a close, once and for all, the question of whether the Deerfield-Bamboo area is to be the site of an airport, to wit: “The Commission is interested in an airport that can handle commercial traffic. The Deerfield-Bamboo area of Watauga County does not offer ade quate approach distance for a com mercial facility.” The text goes on, flatly stating that the present airstrip in that neighbor hood will not be extended, “nor will a new airport be built in that area.” The prospect that an airport would be built in that neighborhood was met by heavy opposition when residents read in these columns last month that Rep. Mack Isaacs had successfully spon sored legislation to give the Airport Commission authority to condemn land for an airport. Condemnation became a dirty word in Deerfield-Bamboo, as well as in other parts of the County, where farm valleys might be converted to accom modate commercial air traffic Ours is not to determine what were the real intentions of the six-man Com mission, but to recap that on Tuesday, July 25, the State Supreme Court ruled that local airport authorities have no right to pledge public money for home town terminals without first winning specific approval from the voters. In an unanimous opinion written by Justice I. Beverly Lake, the justices concluded that Vance County, site of a Henderson airport project, had no right to condemn property for the fa cility. An Associated Press story went on to say the airport ruling could af fect other local authorities now organ ized in the State or soon to be set up under a new state airport bond law Whether this ruling is to cancel the condemnation powers of our Commis sion has not been determined, but it is reasonable to suggest it should and to stand with Deerfield-Bamboo on one of their finest points: That voters should decide on airports. This is not to suggest that the Com mission would use its power unwisely, but to say that the airport should be decided as were our school, hospital and municipal building improvements Thus, an airport bond issue seems to be the logical step For A Safe Week End Many motorists will be clogging the highways for their last fling of sum mer on Labor Day, so drive with care and don’t get involved in the 1,200 traffic accidents which the N. C. State Motor Club warns may take 24 lives on North Carolina’s streets and high ways during the extended weekend. The state will count its holiday high way fatalities from 6 p. m Friday, Sept. 1, through midnight Monday, Sept. 4, a 78-hour period. The Labor Day toll last year added up to 19 killed and 587 injured in 1,040 acci aents. President Thomas B Watkins said his motor club’s estimate is based on past experience for holiday periods, coupled with current fatality-injury patterns. He expressed hope that the upward trend would be reversed from the Fourth of July, which brought 28 traffic deaths (two more than the club predicted) when the homeward rush claimed 13 lives on the final day. The last two holiday periods—In dependence Day and Memorial Day— have established new national traffic death records Inklin s In Ink BY RACHEL RIVERS 'Jur ego was taking a terrific boostlr* while we were trying to figure out how to answer the question as to “What in the world will happen when you go to the hospital?” For the Blessed Event. Our friend was doing a beautiful job of making us feel all-important, so we jested that the newspaper probably would have to close down for awhile, a statement which qualifies somewhere between a white lie and a black Us. For it seems that of all the people on the newspaper staff who might be dispensable, perhaps none la so dispensable as we. It's >ast that we get around to a lot of meetings and do a lot of talking and meet a lot of people, all of which we enjoy im mensely, and will miss desperately. So perhaps it's because we’re “in the field'* so much that our friend had the wrong impression. We finally had to break down and tell the truth. We will not be missed nearly as much as we*d like. We’re lucky in that there are so many nice people in our office, who can take over where we leave off in any situation, and whose jobs mightn’t always be so complex, if it weren’t for our getting in the way while trying to lend a helping hand. So, we said to our friend, they’ll go on just as they did long before we got here, and while we wish we were indispensable, it just isn’t true. Gone With The Wind? %£0 for Doubled wor:d SECTIONALISM FROM THE EARLY FILES OF THE DEMOCRAT People Said To Be Getting Together On Railroad Deal Sixty Years Ago August 29, 1907 The people throughout the county, so far as we can learn, are getting together on the rail road proposition, and from present indications the scheme will carry nicely—as it should. But in the meantime don't for get to talk about it wherever you go, ever remembering that this is the only real railroad proposition we have ever had. Mr. and Mrs. John Hardin returned Saturday from a visit to relatives at Shell Creek, Tenn. Mrs. Jas. Brawley, of Mooresville, is spending a few days with her father, Captain Lovill. John H. Bingham is in town this week making out the spec ial school tax for the various districts in the county. The Appalachian Training School and the public school for this district, will open on Tues day, Sept. 3rd. It is the im perative duty of every parent in this neighborhood to see that their children, whether they en ter the A. T. S„ or the public school, attend the session which will last for a period of 8 months. Shepherd M. Dugger, author of the Balsam Groves of the Grandfather Mountain, notifies us that he will meet the Hon. R. Z. Linney in the discussion of the Appalachian Park Bill in Boone at 1 p. m. next Satur day. Clingman Hodges, who for the past three years, has been in the service of the United States navy with headquarters at San Francisco, Cal., has returned to his home and friends in Wa tauga County. Friend A. J. Green, of Mabel, left this week for Wake Forest College. Thirty-ISine Years Ago AUGUST 30, 1928 Miss Pauline Bingham is spending the week in Greens boro. Council Cook of Boone is visiting relatives in Greens boro this week. Mrs. Jack Luttrell is visit ting her aged parents, Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter at Montezuma. Dr. R. K. Bingham is the guest of relatives this week in Greensboro and Statesville. Misses Mary Helen and Blanche Hagaman, small daugh ters of Mr. and Mrs. George P. Hagaman, are in Marion, Va. where they will attend school during the 1928-29 session. Mr. D. E. Lyon of Spring field, Mo., is spending a few days visiting at the home of his brothers, Messrs. James and William Lyon in Boone. Mr. Lyon moved to Missouri about twenty years ago and duiii^ that time has made a few visits to the land of his nativity. Dr. and Mrs. R. C. Ellis of Shelby, who have spent the summer in their beautiful stone cottage in Daniel Boone Park, are leaving tomorrow for their home. They intend returning early next summer. Mr. and Mrs. R. F. Coffey will occupy their cottage during their ab sence. Mrs. McCoy Moretz has re turned to her home inCharlotte after spending two weeks with her parents here, Mr. and Mrs. John H. Norris. Fifteen Years Ago AUGUST 28, 1952 Mr. and Mrs. Ed Collette and daughter, Gail of Winston Salem spent Tuesday night with Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Payne. Mr. and Mrs. Rex Kelley and children, Ruth Ann, Rexine and Paul, plan to return to their home in Stanford Friday after spending a few days with Mr. and Mrs. Payne. Miss Dorothy Long,assistant librarian at the University of Kentucky at Lexington, Ky., spent Saturday night with her cousin, Mrs. E. L. Ray and family on Grand Blvd. enroute to her home in Winston-Salem. Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Rudisill of Charlotte and Mr. and Mrs. S. Roger Matthews and children, Hardin and Marianna, of Greensboro spent the week end with Mrs. Matthews' mother, Mrs. R. H. Hardin. Mrs. Jeter Hicks and Miss Lennie Featherstone of Belmont were weekend guests of Mr. and Mrs. W. F. Miller, Jr. They attended a performance of “Horn in the West" while here. Recent guests of Mr. and Mrs. James H. Councill were Mr. and Mrs. Paul T. Taylor of Winston-Salem, Judge and Mrs. Fred Bowman, and Mr. and Mrs. Gradv Pritchard of Chapel Hill. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Gentry of Kirkwood, Pa. were recent visitors with Dr. and Mrs.J.B. Hagaman, Just One Thing BY CARL GOERCH In Fayetteville recently we observed a large sign -which CAFE AND RESTAURANT What's the difference between a cafe and a restaurant? We looked it up in the dictionary and apparently the two terms are more or less synonymous. Forty or fifty years ago a cafe used to be a barroom, but that usage of the word has largely disappeared. If there is any distinction, we believe that a cafe is more in the nature of being a lunchroom, whereas a restaurant is oper ated on a more pretentious scale, but we may be wrong about this. Polk County is said to have a greater variety of plant life than any other section of the United States. This is explained by the fact the northern and southern vegetation meet here. This section has been re ferred to as “Nature’s Thermos Bottle,” as the famed thermal belt is found there. “Straw berries in January” is one of the tricks that this peculiar climatic condition sometimes plays. Since 1705, when the town of Bath in Beaufort County was in corporated, almost 700 cities and towns have been incor porated places, although about 100 of them are not active in municipal functions according to best information available. As you can see a number of the incorporated towns have disappeared. A few of these towns are listed below. Can you recall any of them? Alfordston, Moore County; Almand, Swain; Argo, Nash; Ar lington, Currituck; Blakeley, AFTER ANOTHER Northampton; Blountsville, Martin; Browntown, Davidson; Bushnell, Swain; Carteret, Dare; Chatham; Chestnut Hill, Rowan; Chockeyotte, Halifax; Cleveland Mills, Cleveland; Co lumbus, Randolph, Coxborough, Randalph Danton, Stokes; Den neysville, Wilkes; Duplin Roads, Duplin; Ervinsville, Ruther ford; Forest Hill, Cabarrus; Fountain’s Head, Anson; Glou cester, Anson; Grogansville, Rockingham; Ha 1 comb v i 11 e, Surry; Ha llsbo rough, Surry; Hardin Cotton Mills, Gaston; Havel, Buncombe- Henderson, Montgomery; Huntsborough, Buncombe; Island Borough, Ro wan and so on. It is an interesting fact that in the early days of North Caro lina, English coins were so scarce in the province that the Spanish milled dollar was the usual medium of exchange and the smaller Spanish coins used almost entirely in making change. However, England saw to it that prices of goods were set in English money and that for eign coins were valued in pounds and shillings. From Alonzo Edwards, Jr. of Hookerton: ‘Tve enjoyed some of the puzzles that have appeared in your magazine. Here is one in which I thing your readers might be interested: “Arrange eight nines so that they will make 100. It can be done.” We tried it, but were unable to solve it. Then we looked at the answer Lon enclosed, and found that he was correct; it can be done. KING STREET . BY ROB RIVERS More And More People Come Back It used to be that Labor Day just about marked the end at the tourist business in the hills .. . About that time families began to return home for school openings, the weather was cooling a mite down below and the heat was getting more tolerable . . . And of course the first Monday in September does bring perhaps the final mass migration at summertime to the hill country, but now more than ever before, fall beckons to the traveler and snow has become a stock in trade item in the highlands ... As usual business people are using the Democrat and the Blowing Rocket to ask the folks to come back in October, when the frost has painted the fronds, and when the crimsons, the russets and the golds have spread their flambouyant mantle across the land, bringing a flourish of dazzling beauty to hill and valley and fencerow . . . And mid October will bring the people—no doubt about it, and all in between there are more and more who’re staying right on through to cold weather, and even through the winter . . . Fall brings frosty mornings, cool haziness and good times for the sightseer, the picnicker, the golfer, and those whose souls have been attuned to the riotous beauty which flows from the brushes of the Master Painter. BUT LABOR DAY week-end will bring its sadness, if we aren’t careful . . . the traffic will be heavy and mountain roads will be carrying more than their capacity ... In doing our part to welcome the La bor Day visitors, we hope they will have a happy time during the long weekend, that they will driVe carefully, so they can come again in October . . . Have a good time and don’t forget the colorama that’s on the way. Moonshine Is Still Made Sheriff Ward Carroll and his deputies are making a good stand against the making of moon shine liquor and have destroyed a number of plants during their short tenure . . . This is good and they deserve the sup port of the people in their efforts . . . Moonshining remains big business in Carolina and it is cheating the government out of millions of dollars ir revenue, just like it always has . . . During the last year, Federal agents destroyed 714 of these illicit stills which would have produced something like nine million gallons of booze, the tax on which would have beer almost $100 million dollars .., That is to say nothing of what our State and county officers have put out of business . . , One used to hear the dram drinker say “gimme some good homemade liquor every time . . . they put somethin* in this bottled stuff.’* . . . There may have been an element of truth in this at one time ... But now the moonshine is down right lethal in some cases. Changes Noted We seldom see a drunk on the Street anymore . . . This isn’t to say the consumption of fire water has declined . . . It*s likely at an all-time high . . . But the Saturday brawls along the side walks, the drunks pestering the sober folks and trying to fight seem to be gone— at least we don't see them any more ... It used to be that it didn't do a fellow much good to get gassed unless the folks of the community got to see him acting the fool . . . That this practice has grown in dis favor is certainly good for the atmosphere, even if the streets and highways are being littered with beer cans and bottles. A Good Mess Of Shelly Beans Conley Harmon of Sugar Grove brings to this corner an appreciated gift of a large bag of shelley beans, the old fashioned sort with the broken pink markings on the shell, for all the world like some of the beans we used to pick in the corn patch long ago . . . What mama called corn field beans embraced all kinds of beans, and the last mess was the best, when the bullets were big enough to have some shelleys in the pot . . . Then it was found that the bean itself was purple, brown, white, red streaked, or just most any hue . . . The vines grew with reckless aban don and broke down the corn stalks oftentimes, and bushels on end were harvested for can ning, drying, pickling or for soup beans . . . Beans have always been a mighty stay to moun tain festive boards . . , Here green beans as well as shelleys are used for principal dishes as is cabbage , . . Mr. Har mon’s timely gift will do us a lot of good ... We haven't had any of that sort erf beans for a long time. Unfair! Bill--But darling, haven't I always given you my pay on the first of the month? J ane-Yes. but you never told me vou were paid twice a month. Uncle Pinkney HIS PALAVERIN’S Dear Mister Editor: 1 see by tbe papers where Congressman Robert Michel of Illinois was mighty upset about some of them meetings Agricul ture Secretary Freeman was holding around the country. Fer instant, he says they held one in Kansas and they was wild applause fer everthing Secre tary Freeman said and when somebody got up to complain about some items in the farm program they was booed down. Congressman Michel done a little investigating and he re ports that fer this meeting in Kansas they had about 1,600 folks there and around 400 of them was Federal employees flew there at a cost of $3,827 to the taxpayers. Farthermore, Congressman Michel found out most of the applause fer the farm program was coming from them 400 and most of the booing agin the complainers was also coming from the same 400. I ain’t never understood the farm program under the Re publicans or the Democrats and I don’t aim to git political over matters I don’t understand. But it seems to me, Mister Editor, if the Secretary erf Agriculture has to git the deck stacked fer ap plause at these meetings with the farmers, they was some weak spots in it. This same piece I was reading in the papers said Congressman Michel was aiming to look into some other meetings Freeman was holding in the farm belt and see how many Federal farm employees was being flew or hauled to furnish the background music. Personal, I just try to live with whatever rabbits them farm magicians in Washington pulls out of the hat—and some of them was queer bunnies. Incidental, speaking of Wash ington, I see where a column writer named Ashley Cooper on a Charleston, S. C. paper has compiled a list of some of the lapel buttons they was now wear ing in the nation's capital. I copied ’em down fer you, Mis ter Editor, so’s you'd have a better idea of how the thinking was going these days amongst the citizens at our seat of Guvernment: “I am a human being—Do not fold, spindle or mutilate.” “lam anonymous, help me!** ‘‘Stamp out reality.'' ‘Tight poverty—give me $10.” "Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you may be radioac tive.” ‘‘We shall overkill.” ‘‘Drink Canada dry. Visit Ex po 67.” ‘‘Goodnight, David . . .Good night, Goliath.” Yours truly, UNC LE PINKNEY • • • • Among nearly 26 million U.S. Veterans are 15,000 post Korean veterans under 20 years of age and 9,000Spanish-Amer ican War veterans 89 years oi age and older, according to the Veterans Administration.
Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
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Aug. 31, 1967, edition 1
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