AWARD WINNER
q last 3 years Democrat has won
4 State Press Assn, awards. Eight
t them are first place awards.
VOL. LXXX— NO. 36
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Eightieth Year of Continuous Publication
Feb. 27
Feb. 28
Feb. 29
March 1
March 2
March 3
March 4
BOONE WEATHER
1968 HI Lo Snow Prec. '87 HI Lo
42 20
39 18
2%
5
Snow given to nearest half-inch.
39 13
33 23
36 19
57 23
61 32
66 37
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA, THURSDAY, MARCH 7, 1968
16 PAGES—2 SECTIONS
10 CENTS PER COPY
THE DRIFTED DEEP—Most schools in Northwestern North Carolina were cut a couple of days
last week during the snow. While the depth was not excessive, the drifting was bad in some areas.
Here , a dirt road is buried in a shadowy drift typical of many backroads areas. Snowfall
Thursday, Feb. 29, was two and a half inches; Friday, March 1, five inches; and Saturday,
another half inch. Gusts of 50 and 65 miles per hour added to the closed-in feeling as March
came in like a lion. Now, will it go out like a lamb? (Staff photo)
Holshouser Is Re-Elected
Chairman Of State G.O.P.
JIM HOLSHOUSER
J. B. Ragan Is
In Co. Race For
School Board
J. B. Ragan of Todd, has
announced his candidacy for the
Watauga Board of Education.
He stated at the announce
ment of his candidacy, “I am
very much interested in the best
school system possible for Wa
tauga County. I would like to
see each child have an oppor
tunity.”
He further said, “I believe
that education is the best wea
pon we have with which to com
bat poverty.”
Graduated from Elkland High
School, Ragan served three
years with the US Forces in the
South Pacific. He is married
to the former Geraldine Bled
soe and they have two children,
Steve and Jane.
Ragan was employed as a
brick mason for 12 years and
served a short time as main
tense e supervisor for the Wa
(Continued on page two)
James Holshouser of Boone
was re-elected to the State
Republican chai;.^iiftiship wttMi"
out opposition Saturday at the
GOP convention in Charlotte.
Also re-elected to top party
posts were National Committee
man J. E. Broyhill of Lenoir
and National Committeewoman
Mrs. Thelma Rogers of Char
lotte.
Despite efforts by the party
leadership to head them off,
the convention adopted three
resolutions which were identi
fied as coming from John Birch
Society elements of the party.
They included:
1. A resolution almost identi
al in wording to the contro
versial “Train” petition which
the Birch Society has sponsored
through various front groups.
This resolution condemns
trade with all Communist coun
tries and urges Congress to
pass laws to prevent this.
2. A resolution calling for
“support our local police,*’
another move sponsored by the
Birch Society through various
“ad hoc” committees.
3. A resolution calling for
the abolishment of the war on
poverty and turning the anti
poverty jobs of the office of
economic opportunity over to
existing state agencies.
This last resolution was wa
tered down considerably by the
resolutions committee before it
was proposed to the convention.
In its original form-as pre
sented to the committee-that
resolution labeled the poverty
fight as a cause of the riots
in northern cities last summer
about the party image - had
attempted to line up support to
either kill the resolutions or
refer them to the executive
committee for futher study.
While voting on the resolu
tions did not follow strict
geographical lines, the strong
est support came from the east
ern section of the state while
(Continued on page two)
funeral Home lo
Quit Ambulance
Reins-Sturdlvant Funeral
Home of Boone, Inc, announced
Monday "with deep regret’’that
It will no longer provide am
bulance service after midnight
March 9.
Officials of the local mortuiry
say that “recent legislation by
State and Federal governments
applicable to ambulance ser
vice makes it impossible for
Reins-Sturdivant of Boone to
at a county ambulance service.
continue its ambulance ser
vice after that date.
“It has been our privilege
to provide ambulance service
to the public since 1933 and we
hope that the pdblic will imder
stand the necessity for the ces
sation of this service."
The County Commissioners
were in session Tuesday night
as the Democrat went to press,
considering the establishment
HOWARD LAWRENCE
Beaver Dam Man
Seeks Place On
Co. School Body
Howard Lawrence of Route
1, Sugar Grove, in the Bethel
community, has filed for the
Watauga County Board of Edu
cation.
The candidate says he be
lieves the county should have
Dne of the best educational sys
tems in North Carolina. “We,
as citizens of Watauga, owe
it to our children to see that
we do have the best,” he said.
Lawrence also says he feels
the outlying communities should
be represented and will do all
he can to see that they are
extended the best of opportu
nities. ,
He and his family attend the
Bethel Baptist Church where he
is a deacon and has served
as teacher of the Young Men’s
Class for several years.
Of his seven children, three
sons have high school ed
ucations. His only daughter is
a graduate of Appalachian State
(continued on page two)
Narcotics Stolen
From Office Doctor
Narcotics were stolen from
the office of Dr. William Smith,
general practitioner, sometime
over the weekend.
The thieves knew what thej
were after, since the only drug!
they took were narcotics, Police
Chief Red Lyons reports. Dr.
Smith*s office is at 200 Appal
achian St, Boone.
Ports Authority Speaker
Says421 May Become A
4-Lane Highway To Sea
Snow Closes
County Schools
Watauga County Schools were
closed again last Thursday and
Friday due to snow and slip
pery road conditions.
The snow began Wednesday
night and continued through
Thursday and part of Friday.
About seven inches was re
ported.
Rising temperature Saturday
melted most of the new snow.
Sunday was moderately cold and
windy, while Monday brought
bright warmer weather.
Woodwork Shop
Razed By Fire
The Boone Volunteer Fire
Department was called to Beech
Mountain Friday to the shop of
Ed Presnell, who is renowned
for his handmade dulcimers.
The fire track was unable to
reach the shop because of snow
drifts and was helpless as fire
destroyed the shop.
Other fires reported this
week were at Foscoe where a
grass fire was started by
burning trash* . i c
Monday afternoon, fire struck
the Mount Lawn Memorial Gard
ens and burned grass and flow
ers off many of the graves. The
fire was of undetermined origin.
About 11 a. m. Tuesday, fire
men were called to a brush fire
reportedly near the Hiland
Hills Motel on Highway 105.
Dr. Strickland
Is Running For
Bd. Education
Dr. Benjamin F. Strickland
has filed for the Watauga Co
unty Board of Education. In
announcing Ms candidacy he
stated "Each child in Watauga
County should have equal edu
cational opportunities regard
less of where he lives in the
county." Our goal should be a
child well taught.
The most important function
of the school board is to make
and adopt good educational poli
cies that are in the interest of
public education. These poli
cies should be explained to the
people of Watauga County and
should show the feeling of its
citizens," he said.
For 19 years, Dr. Strick
land worked in the public schools
as a classroom teacher, school
principal and a member now on
an advisory committee to the
Governors Commission for the
Study of the Public School Sys
tem in North Carolina.
He is married to the former
Lois Synder and they have three
daughters and one son, ages
(Continued on page two)
OR. BEN STRICKLAND
Holding the trophy for Western North Carolina, Grady Farthing is seen in his office at the Wa
tauga Savings & Loan Association. Behind him are others of his awards and pictures of Governors
and State officers under whom he has served as a member of the State Stream Sanitation Com
mission. (Staff photo)
Grady Farthing Is Given
State Conservation Award
Wave Of Vandalism!
A new wave of vandalism is sweeping over Watauga
County.
In the past 30 days, more than 15 cars have been
vandalized by breaking glass in windows.
About three weeks ago, more than 10 cars had their
windows all broken. Officials say that they were not broken
into for purposes of robbery.
Since that time reports have come in from various
parts of the county and city of cars left overnight that have
been struck in the same manner.
The latest incident was Thursday of last week when a
pickup truck parked overnight in the Andrews Chevrolet
parking lot had all its windows broken with what seemed to
be a hammer. The truck is owned by Tommy Greene of
Bristol Hoad, according to Police Chief Red Lyons.
Officials say they have several ideas in the case, but
as yet nothing concrete.
Wagon Train Plans
To Be Made Saturday
Plans for the Daniel Boone
Wagon Train’s 1968 trip will
be laid in meeting to be held at
North Wilkesboro Town Hall on
Saturday, March 9, 7:30 p. m.
The meeting has been called
by John Dawson of Darby, presi
dent, and Ivey Moore of North
Wilkesboro, chief scout who
enacts the role of Daniel Boone,
to make final plans for the trek
of about 100 wagons from North
Wilkesboro to Boone.
Dates have been set for the
Miss Underdown
Again Candidate
Miss Helen Underdown, Re
gister of Deeds for Watauga
County for many years has
filed as a candidate again,
subject to the action of the
Democratic primary.
Miss Underdown tells the
Democrat:
“I will continue to serve
the people of Watauga County
to the best of my ability if
again nominated and elected.
I am grateful to all the people
at the county for their loyalty
throughout the years and will
continue to give my full time
to doing the very best job of
which I am capable.*'
1968 edition of the wagon train,
which annually re-enacts
Boone’s trip across the Blue
Ridge toward Kentucky about
200 years ago.
The wagon train will assemble
in Memorial Park in North Wilk
esboro on June 24. The long
string of covered wagons will
go to Boone by way of Ferguson,
Darby and Triplett and will
parade in Boone on June 29.
“Much interest is being shown
in the 1968 wagon train,” Scout
Moore said here today. ‘‘In
quiries about the possibility of
going on the train have been
received from many states and
even from some European Coun
tries’’, Moore pointed out.
All in the northwest counties
who expect to take part in the
wagon train this year are re
quested to attend the meeting
March 9, Moore said.
Earn Trip
Rome, Italy
Mr. and Mrs. Tracy Norris
of Norris Furniture Mart will
leave Friday for Rome, Italy,
for a week’s vacation.
The trip was given the Nor
rises by Hafo Company Dis
tributors for their outstanding
carpet sales.
H. Grady Farthing, Boone
Savings & Loan executive and
member of the State Water Re
sources Commission, was given
a regional water conservation
award February 23 at a Gov
ernor’s conservation achieve
ment program and dinner held
in Charlotte February 23.
Only two other awards were
given, one to Governor Dan K.
Moore and one to Hugh Chat
ham, President of Chatham
Manufacturing Co. of Elkin. The
awards were presented by the
North Carolina Wildlife Feder
ation in cooperation with the
National Wildlife Federation and
the Sears Roebuck Foundation.
George Pickens, Director of
the North Carolina Water and
Air Resources Commission
presented the three awards.
Mr. Farthing, a native of
Boone was educated at Boone
at Appalachian and at N. C.
State University, Raleigh. He
has served as a member of the
State Senate, served 17 years
as a member of the State Stream
Sanitation Commission and is
now a member of the newly
formed Water and Air Resour
ces Commission.
Mr. Farthing has served 30
years as President of the Wa
tauga Savings & Loan Associa
tion. He is a member of the
Boone Methodist Church and
was Chairman of the official
board of the church 12 years.
He has been active in civic
affairs and has contributed not
ably to the development of
Boone and Watauga County.
JORDEN ABSENT
Senator Everett Jordan was to
have been present at the awards
dinner but since he could not
come wrote to Mr. Farthing.
Excerpts from his letter fol
“Conservation and develop
(Continued on page two)
Bruce Speaks
In Blowing Rock
And In Boone
Because of ports expan
sion in North Carolina, a four
lane highway from Boone to the
coast may become a reality.
The suggestion was made by
L. C. Bruce, public relations di
rector of the N. C. State Ports
Authority who spoke in Blowing
Rock Monday night in Boone at
noon Tuesday.
Bruce said that more than 500
North Carolina firms use North
Carolina’s ports daily for im
porting and exporting. He went
on to say that nearly 90 per cent
of this trade was from west of
Raleigh.
Reviewing the history of the
ports authority, the speaker told
of a ports bond issue that failed
to receive sufficient support in
1924 and pointed out the ham
pering of ports progress until
1961 when another bond issue
passed statewide.
Bruce said Watauga County
was one of only 10 counties
west of the State Capitol to
support the bond issue.
Long a supporter of a highway
from the mountains to the coast,
Bruce emphasized “Transpor
tation is the key to progress in
North Carolina,*’ and said he
has for years*backed a propos
al to make U. S. 421 a four
lane highway from Boone to the
sea. This would be the biggest
boon to the North Carolina eco
nomy in its history, he said.
With its modern and complex
system of operations, the ports
terminal can extend the high
ways overseas, Bruce pointed
out. The supplies brought to
Morehead City and Wilmington
are used all over Watauga Co
unty and Western North Caro
lina. More than 242 items would
not be in use in local homes
but for the State’s ports.
In the largest sense, the
speaker said he believes the
east to west highway will be
come a reality, “from the
mountains to Europe,” avail
ing the people of a bigger market
for everything.
More than 65 per cent of all
tobacco leaving the United States
is shipped from North Caro
lina. This fact offers Watauga
farmers a better selling mark
et, Bruce said, that would be
impossible without the ports
facility.
His presentation included de
tailed figures on ports operation
and illustration of points by
showing slides.
Bruce was introduced to the
Blowing Rock Rotary Club fJotf
Allen of Appalachian State Uni
versity. Allen if a former teach
er of the ports representative.
Bruce was introduced to the
Blowing Rock Rotary Club by
Bob Allen of Appalachian State
University. Allen is a former
teacher of the ports represen
tative.
In Boone Tuesday, Bruce ad
dressed a luncheon meeting of
the Boone Chamber of Com
merce members, representa
tives of civic clubs, officials erf
the Blowing Rock Chamber of
Commerce, Boone Mayor Clyde
R. Greene, other public officials
and special guests from the Uni
versity.
Poindexter Heads
Effort For Gardner
Howard E. Poindexter, chair
man of the Watauga County
campaign for James Gardner,
gubernatorial candidate, has an
nounced his precinct chairmen.
Roy Henderson of Route 4,
Boone, will serve as Young
Republican leader and trea
surer. Orvle Miller will handle
the Meat Camp #2 precinct.
Clay Earp, Watauga Precinct;
Murray H. Coffey, Blowing
Rock; J. C. Stanbery, Meat
Camp #1; and James Harrison,
Blue Ridge Precinct.
Poindexter said they feel even
though the campaign for Gard
ner got underway behind sche
dule in this area, they are do
ing very well. He asked that
any interested parties call 264
8227.