AWARD WINNER
In last 3 years Democrat has won
14 State Press Assn, awards. Fight
of them are first place awards.
VOL. LXXX— NO. 52
WATAUGA DEMOCRAT
An Independent Weekly Newspaper . . . Eightieth Year of Continuous Publication
BOONE, WATAUGA COUNTY, NORTH CAROLINA. THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1968 io CENTS PER COPY
June 18 68 58 .03
June 19 77 57
June 20 76 58
June 21 78 45
June 22 80 57
June 23 82 58
June 24 74 60
26 PAGES—3 SECTIONS
32S83S33
8883238?
The area around the Cove Creek Store at this point is cleared as the firp takes hold of the building
with a malicious swath of orange flame and grey smoke. An explosion of gas tanks at the front of
the store was feared as ammunition and pressurized cans were giving in to the staggering heat
inside. (Staff photo)
King Street Parade Saturday Morning
Gigantic WagonTrainTo
Roil Into Boone Friday
Sunday Blaze Razes
Cove Creek Store
At its height, the mid-Sunday
fire at the Cove Creek Store
lept 50 feet in the air, setting
off ammunition at random and
bursting aerosol and paint cans
at ground level.
After this point, the com
munity business owned by Mr.
and Mrs. F. D. Baumgardner
was lost, and members of the
Boone Volunteer Fire Depart
ment and the local National
Guard Unit turned their efforts
to saving the adjoining apart
ment and storage building.
The alarm was turned in about
11:15 when people at the Shell
station across the street saw
smoke pouring under the eaves
of the building. On the scene at
11:25, firemen begun pumping
from the truck tank and in anti
cipation of the water running out
Horn In The West Will Open Its
Seventeenth Season Saturday
“Horn in the West.” Kermit
Hunter’s outdoor drama of Daniel
Boone’s exploits in the Blue
-Ridge will open its 17th season
Saturday, June 29, with a revised
script, new choreography, new
music and a different curtain
time.
The script changes, including
the addition of one entirely new
scene, are significant ones ac
cording to the production direct
or, Ward Haarbauer. ‘‘Our new
pre-battle scene,” he said, ‘‘is
especially important—it gives
additional speaking parts to the
crowd members and thus helps
carry the important themes of the
play beyond the three or four maj
or actors.”
Other important changes serve
to make the play more histori
cally accurate. “The new script
shows Daniel Boone more as a
real man erf action than in past
years,” Haarbauer explained.
“There is more hand-to-hand
fightings in our Battle of Kings
Mountain, and this too is more in
keeping with the historical fact.”
A new dance sequence, one that
is unique in American outdoor
drama, has been added to the play
by choreographer William H. Wil
liams. The dance, one of four
in “Horn in the West,” is per
formed completely without
“Our ensemble will dance to
the rhythms involved in every
day mountain village life,” said
Williams. The “music” is sup
plied by hammers, anvils, saws,
and so on.
A new song which laments the
Patriot deaths at Kings Mountain
is another addition to the play.
The soprano solo will be sung
from the theater-side forest while
Dr. Geoffrey Stuart searches the
dark, smokey stage for the body
of his son, Jack.
C urtain time for the historical
spectacle is 15 minutes later this
year. The play will begin at 8:45
p.m., EDT, in order to allow tour
ists more time to visit the 200
year-old Tatum Cabin and the
Daniel Boone Native Gardens on
(continued on page two)
Draft Board Closes
Week Of The Fourth
Mr. Joe Todd, chairman of
Local Draft Board No. 96, Wa
tauga County, Boone, announces
that the local board office will
be closed the week of July 1
through July S,
The office will reopen Mon
day, July 8.
“SINGING ON THE MOUNTAIN*’ next Sunday, June 30 will provide the rare opportunity to
see and hear one of the world’s best known evangelists, the Reverend Oral Roberts. The 44th
annual all-day “sing” is held at the base of 6000-foot Grandfather Mountain, N. C. Preaching
by Reverend Roberts will follow gospel singing by Arthur Smith and the Crossroads Quartet
and other musical groups. It is a non-denominational religious event, and there is no admission
for those who attend.
44th Grandfather Sing
Will Be Held Next Sunday
Grandfather Mountain, N.C.—
Arrangements are completed
here for next Sunday’s 44th an
nual “Singing on the Mountain”
which will feature preaching by
the world famous evangelist
Oral Roberts, according to Joe
Lee Hartley of Linville, chair
man of the event.
In addition to Reverend Rob
erts, the “sing” will feature
gospel songs by Arthur Smith
and the Crossroads Quartet and
many other musical groups.
Thousands attend the all-day re
ligious singing convention which
will reach its climax with the
message by Oral Roberts atl.
P Special details of State High
way Patrolmen have been as
signed to handle traffic to the
sirring grounds beside U.S. 221
at the base of Grandfather
Mountain, and shuttle bus ser
vice will be provided to the
“sing” for those who prefer
to park in Linville, two miles
away. Pick-up point point for the
buses will be near the inter
section of UJS. 221 and N. C.
105 in Unville, and the bus ser
vice will begin at 11 A.M. A
modest charge for bus tickets
will be made.
“Singing on the Mountain” Ins
grown through its 43 year his
tory to become the largest an
nual event in the mountains of
the South. Chairman Hartley
predicts that the appearance of
Reverend Oral Roberts will
cause this year’s event to be es
pecially well attended. No ad
mission is charged at the
“sing”, and anyone interested is
invited.
Class Of ’16 Starts An
Endowment For Dr. Greer
The graduating class of 1916
at Appalachian State University
has established an endowment
fund in honor of the late Dr. I.G.
Greer, who was professor and
chairman of the department of
history at the institution from
1910 to 1932.
The fund, according to plans
finalized at the 52 nd reunion of
the class last week, is to be
dedicated to the university as
a permanent memorial to Dr,
Greer, All proceeds from the
endowment are to be directed
(continued on page two)
began seeking another source.
A one and a half inch hose was
dragged several hundred yards
to a pump being set up in the
Cove Creek. An earlier effort
to hook into a closer creek pro
ved impractical because of the
creek bank. As the hose was pul
led to the bridge by the Fire
Department’s Jeep, some of the
heavy metal connections caught
on a set of steel ladders and
dragged them a few feet. How
ever, men standing beside the
ladders escaped injury.
While a Blowing Rock fire
truck stood by in Boone, links
of two and a half inch hose from
Boone’s three trucks were com
bined and run beside the first
line to the creek. There the
city’s largest fire truck pumped
water out of the creek and into
the line to the burning store.
It was in the interim-while
a new water source was being
provided that the blaze got its
second wind. Part of the roof fell
in and people were cleared out
of the area aas it was feared two
gas tanks at the front of the store
would explode in the expanding
heat. Spectators were ordered
away from power lines as an
extra safety measure.
About an hour after the alarm
was in, firemen and guardsmen
were manning the two hoses and
slowly removing peril to an ad
joining building, the downstairs
of which was used for storage,
(Continued on page two)
Johnny Parker
On All-America
1968 Golf Team
Boone golfer Johnny Parker
has been named to the 1968 NA1A
All-America Golf Team.
The honor was bestowed on
him after he turned in a 72,
75, 70 and 71 for the second
lowest total in the 17th annual
NAIA Golf Tournament held at
the Bemidji (Minn.) Country
Club the first week in June.
Son of the Rev. J. K. Parker
Jr. of Boone, Johnny entered the
tournament as a senior stroker
on the Appalachian State Un
iversity team. He is a veteran
of eight years golfing.
Other members of the Nat
ional Association of Intercolleg
iate Athletics team are three
Indiana University placers, one
of whom is the son of golf-pro
Lou Worsham; Don Brooks of
Detroit College; Ken Forster
of Oregon College of Education;
and Howard Twitty of Redlands,
Calif.
Having graduated from ASU
with a business degree, Johnny
now is a deputy with the Watauga
County Sheriff’s Department
and has made application to the
North Carolina State Highway
Patrol. He will start school in
September, at Chapel Hill.
JOHNNY PARKER
THIS 2,300-POUND STEER and braided Indian maiden appeared
in duplicate in last year’s Daniel Boone Wagon Train parade.
Such sights make for a photographer’s paradise from the
Wagon Train camp at Triplett (Thursday night) and the Boone
camp on Blowing Rock Road (Friday) and to the parade through
downtown Boone, which begins at 9:30 Saturday morning. These
Holsteins were one of last year’s big attractions at the Boone
camp. This year, Ivey Moore, chief scout of the Train, is host
to some 70 Campfire Girls of America. (Staff photo)
6 Year Record
To Be Broken
By Magnitude
North Wilkesboro—Daniel
Boone Wagon Train, largest in
its six-year history, assembled
at Memorial Park in North
Wilkesboro Saturday and Sun
day and left for Boone Tues
day morning.
The first wagons arrived on
Friday, Ivey Moore, chief scout
who portrays the role of Daniel
Boone, said here today. From
Friday until Monday wagons
and horses arrived and took
camp sites on the parking lot
at Memorial Park and on the
shady banks of the Yadkin Riv
er.
The Wagon Train was begun
six years ago to commemorate
the migration of Daniel Boone,
nationally famous pioneer, from
his home in the Yadkin Valley
near Ferguson to Kentucky in
1775.
The wagon train has grown
year by year and has attracted
more attention, locally and na
tionally.
MANY COMING
Moore said today that there
will be wagon train participants
from many states and one family
is coming from Scarborough,
Canada.
Making her second trip in the
train will be Mrs. Parris
Buckles of Hershey, Pa., a di
rect descendant of Daniel
Boone. She and her husband will
be passengers in a wagon.
A group of 40 girls from the
Cleveland, Ohio, District of
Campfire Girls of America, ac
companied by a number of adults
will be wagon train passengers.
Jack Hines of Lincolnton, a
wagon train enthusiast who has
had top rate horses and wagons
in the train each year, will pro
vide the pace wagon for the train.
Next in line, Scout Moore said,
will be ten wagons from Yad
kin County manned by veteran
wagon train drivers of the past
five years.
Registration of wagons and
horseback riders continued
from Friday through Monday
(continued on page two)
Road Commission To
Hear Of Growth Of Area
During the business meeting
of the North Carolina Highway
Commission Thursday morning
in Blowing Hock, Col. Clyde
Miller will update the presen
tation he made on growth ratios
over a five-year period.
Seeking roads improvements
on behalf of the New River
Valley Development Associa
tion, the Colonel and a party
of Boone Chamber of Commerce
members, went to Asheville in
June, 1966, where he appealed
for better roads in Ashe and
Watauga counties.
Applauded for the thorough
ness of his report, Col. Miller
has been requested to update
his report for the two-year
period. He will mirror the
growth of the university, in
dustry, agriculture, travel,
power and telephone usage and
taxes against the percentage
growth of local roads programs.
His talk is scheduled for
9:30 Thursday morning.
In the mountains as guests of
the Boone, Blowing Rock and
Lenoir chambers of commerce,
the Commission and their wives
will be honored Wednesday night
at a dinner preceded by a social
hour at the Green Park Hotel,
The banquet speech will be
made by the Hon. Dan K. Moore,
Governor of North Carolina.
An honor guest will be U. S.
Congressman James Broyhill.
As to roads in Watauga and
leading here from adjoining
counties, the Highway Commis
sion has allotted funds for the
construction of passing lanes
ory321 from Lenoir to Blowing
Rock and on U. S. 421 from
the Wade Harris Bridge to Deep
Gap. Some work also is to be
done on U. S. 221.
Aside from finances made
available from the road bonds,
the Governor personally made
allocations from surplus to in
sure completion of mountain
roads projects.
Welfare Expenses For
Month Of May Are Listed
Following are public welfare
expenditures as reported by
Welfare Director Dave Mast
for the month of May:
Total obligations incurred for
Public Assistance recipients,
including medicine and hos
pitalization, were $13,738 for
Old Age Assistance, $13,948.
40 for Aid to Families with De
pendent Children ani $8,076
for Aid to the Permanent and
Totally Disabled.
Total expenditures for ven
dor medical payments were
$249.14 for Medical Assistance
for the Aged, $2,283.39 for Aid
to Families with Dependent
Children and $2,828.16 for Aid
to the Permanent and Totally
Disabled.
Forty-eight dollars was spent
for General Assistance, from
county funds altogether.
Two hundred and thirty-two
special services were given to
the 336 children in AFDC fami
lies.
There were 213 service cases
carried by caseworkers during
the month, these are cases, re
ceiving services only.
Three hundred, sixty-six
households, 1392 persons, re
ceived surplus commodities.