New Dormitories, Other Structures \
Says $16,467,914 Spent At ASU In 3% Years
\
THERE’S A WEDDING EVERY NIGHT—Young Jack Stuart will marry his love 49 times this sum
mer, about half-way through Actllof “Horn in the West.” Performing the ceremony while the 16
voice “Horn” chorus sings is Rev. Isaiah Sims played by Charles C. Elledge of Dallas, N. C.
Horn In The West
' (Continued from page 1)
• the theater grounds.
Besides the authentically re
• produced Battle of Kir^s Mount
ain, historical sequences from
“Horn in the West’* take the the
ater-goer toa war-crazed Cher
okee village complete with fire
dancer and witch doctor.
Comedy and romance also
play important roles in the out
door drama. Isaiah Sims, play
ed by Charles C. Ellege, is the
fun-loving old Baptist parson of
Class of 1916
(Continued from page 1)
toward the new I. G. Greer Pro
fessorship in History.
According to Walter Wiles,
a member of the class and now
a lawyer in Chicago, “The ob
jective of the fund is to enable
the University to obtain the most
outstanding history professor a
vailable and to enable Appalach
ian to develop a history depart
ment second to none.”
Although the endowment was
begun by the class of 1916, the
class is soliciting contributions
to the fund from all persons who
studied under Dr. Greer during
his tenure at Appalachian. “We
are doing this in hopes that this
fund may stand as a permanent
living memorial to a great ed
ucator,” Wiles said.
Contributions should be made
to the I. G. Greer Endowment
Fund and may be mailed to Dr.
W. H. Plemmons, president of
ASU, or to RobertSnead, Direct
or of Alumni Affairs.
Cove Creek Fire
(Continued from page 1)
and die upstairs of which wag
the apartment home of the
firm's owners.
Until mid-afternoon, the fire
fighting continued. The Wataiga
County Sheriff's Department
helped route traffic around the
scene, then about 1:30, men laid
thick planks on either side of
the hoses so that traffic could
proceed past the scene of des
truction.
& SALVAGE
When the first plate-glass
window was shattered by the
heat, a guardsman managed to
pull a piece of hand machinery
from the smoke filled store,
but this likely was the only
merchandise saved from the
large building.
Shortly after the fire-fighters
arrived, spectators Joined
Guardsmen In carrying clothing,
appliances and furnishings from
the upstairs apartment annex.
Most of the heavier piecea
were taken out a back window.
Personal belongings carried in
to the yard of a vacant house
next door to the fire then were
relayed into the brick building.
Giatrdmen had managed to get
~ several boxes of goods such as
£ Mason jars, coffee and tacked
products out of the storage area
under the living quarters,
i. Several men imloaded the
contents of a corrugated steel
:• shad on the other aide of the
store and these were driven
out of the area in pickig> trucks.
marriage-minded Widow How
ard who is played by Carrie
Curtis.
Two other “Horn” veterans
will return to head the play’s
cast of 60. William C. Ross
claims the lead as Dr. Geoffrey
stuart, and Glenn Causey will
igain portray the frontiersman,
Boone.
The drama, featuring some
the hills who has kept Horn aud
iences in side-splitting bliss for
the past 16 years. His waking
hours are devoted to dodging
tting to please every member
of the family, will be staged
nightly except Mondays in the
spacious Daniel Boone Amphi
theater. Forty-nine performan
ces are scheduled from June29
to Aigust 24.
Here are some of the nursery program participants: Mrs.
Frances Wise, Mrs. Frances Culler, Mrs. Patsy Triplette,
Miss Jana Catlett, Barry Horton, Kathy Whittington, Donna
Whittington, Helen Kirkpatrick, Tommy Kirkpatrick, Lynn Clay
born, Carolyn Wise, Raymond Wise and Virginia Wise. Others
who attended were James Wilson, Jr., Bryan Wilson, Maria
Wilson, Adrian Goins, Timmy Danner, Freddy Banner, Doyal
Whippo, Dennis Dotson, Betty Dotson, Debbie Dotson, Mark
Danner, Patricia Watson, Bryan Watson and Mrs. Peggy Watson.
Co-Operative Nursery
Program Is Conducted
A chance to laugh, to sing,
to play and to learn together is
being offered nursery-age chil
dren through the co-operative
efforts of the Boone United
Methodist Church and WAMY
Community Action,
On Monday and Wednesday
afternoons, children are trans
ported to the church by Mrs.
Frances Culler, a WAMY
neighborhood visitor, and Mrs.
Paul Whippo and Mrs. Nell
Banner. From 2 to 4 o'clock
children are happily engaged in
a wide variety of learning ex
periences such as singing, list
ening to and acting out stories,
looking at picture books, play
ing games together, trying out
different toys, painting pictures
and observing nature life. Such
experiences heir the children
acquire good health habits, the
ability to listen, to follow direc
tions, to express themselves, to
become aware of themselves as
persons and to co-operate with
others by sharing. This all adds
up to good readiness for school.
Mothers are very pleased and
say they can see that the chil
dren are making progress In
many ways.
Mrs. Mattie Edwards, group
worker for the community actloi
program; Mrs. Leland Cooper,
Mrs. Paul Whippo, Mrs. Es
telle Wilson, Mrs. Frances
Wise, Miss Carol Roberta, Miss
Jam Catlott, Mrs. Johnny Coun.
cill, Mrs. Petsy Triplett, Mrs,
Fred Banner, Mrs. Betty Martin
and Mrs. Mary Dotson have
given generously of their time
in heifring with the nursery pro*
gram.
TOOTH DECAY END NEAR
Washington—Dr. Seymour J.
Kreshover, director of the
National Institute of Dental
Research has forecasted tooth
decay may be completely pre
ventable within lOyears. A study
group is making a final studyon
ways of thwarting the process.
ELEVEN SONS SERVE
Columbia, Ohio—Dwight D.
Eagleson had a special reason
to celebrate the recent Father's
Day. He has 11 sons who com
pleted voluntary tours in the
armed forces of the U. S. and
all returned home without in
jury. Their service covered
three wars.
A quick change from sea
level living to high altitudes
may cause discomfort because
of the lessened supply of oxygen
In the air. Making the ascent
gradually can be a help, says
the North Carolina Heart As
sociation.
* • •
Most heart patients can tol
erate a change in climate, but
If a heart patient finds hi ns elf
uncomfortable at high altitudes,
he should seek medical help.
Governor Dan Moore released
figures today showing that the"
State of North Carolina has a
warded contracts of $16,467,914
in capital improvements for Ap
palachian State University during
the past three and one-half years.
The figures, compiled by the
Property Control Division of the
State Department of Admisistra
tion, reflect costs for projects in
volving the construction of
new dormitories and other build
ings as well as the installation of
major equipment such as a steam,
distribution system.
The largest project authorized
during the three and one-half year
period was $2,033,754 for the con
struction of a health and physical
education building containing
104,154 square feet of floor space.
The physical education building
contains a gymnasium with seat
ing for approximately 8,000 spec
tators, nine handball courts and
other general purpose areas.
During the three and one-half
year period, eight dormitories
have been authorized at a cost of
$6,846,750.
The new dormitories offer liv
ing accommodations for 2,300ad
ditional students.
Other major projects author
ized during the period covered
by the report include the con
struction of a 49,672 square foot
student union at a cost of $1,344,
275 and a 87,203 square foot lib
rary at a cost of $1,638,294.
dimmer project auuiorizea uie
construction of a five-floor clas
sroom building at a cost of $1,
445,153. The building contains
72,453 square feet of floor space,
26 classrooms and both seminar
and office space.
Other projects authorized dur
ing the report period include:
$592,625 for the construction of
an admisistrationbuildiTC; $407,- ;
807 for the construction of a book- 1
store; $70,692 fof the installation
of a closed circuit TV system;
$399,725 for an addition to the In- 1
d us trial Arts Building; and $192,
308 for an add-on |q,
Arte Building.
Governor Moore, in releasing
the figures, said they were in
dicative of the State's continuous
effort to mmet the growing de
mands for education facilities.
“As the student enrollment at
our institutions of higher learn
ing continues to increase," ex
plained Governor Moore, “we
must insure that our facilities are
readily available to meet the de
mand.
“We cannot afford to turn away
one prospective student because
of inadequate facilities," con
cluded the Governor.
The 1967-68 full-time enroll
ment at Appalachian State Univer
sity is approximately 4,450. This
figure is expected to increase to
5,700 by the 1970-71 school year.
Wagon Train
(Continued from page 1)
morning at Memorial Park.
At two p. m. Monday were
ceremonies at the assembly
grounds, officially opening the
Wagon Train, and following the
ceremonies was the parade over
North Wilkes boro Streets.
On Tuesday at eight a. nu the
wagons and horses began
the first leg of the trip, and ar
rived at F erg us on in the after
noon for the first night's camp.
The Wednesday night camp
will be at Darby and the Thurs
day night camp at Triplett in
Watauga County. The Wagon
Train will arrive at Boone for
Friday night’s camp and will
parade over streets of Boone
Saturday morning before dis
banding.
At each night’* camp thare
will be an ample supply at food
on sale by the local communi
ties, and entertainment will in
clude music and Square danc
ing wall into the night.
Most of the wagons ^nd horses
will ha in the wagon train here,
but wine will join it atFergus
on and other* at Darby.
Wagon Train participant*
every year are asked to be
attired in pioneer dress ilka the
Cloths* of the Boone era. Wagon
driver* and passengers are ex
pected to follow this custom
again this year, giving the event
as much historical significance
as possible and making It
appropriate for its purpose.
Several of the wagons, driv
'er* and horse* will be making
' i .sixth trip, having been la
since its organln
FASTER TRAVEL UP THE HILL—Soon the passing zones up will be able to pass the heavy trucks, greatly facilitate
the mountain to Blowing Rock will be completed. Then motorists travel to the noted resort.—Lenoir News-Topic photo.
It’s Grave Decoration Time Again
As Hill People Tidy Up Graveyards
BY HARVEY J. MILLER
It’s decoration time again in
this hilly country. In fact the
tradition of having decoration
and memorial services at one
particular cemetery each Sun
day on the same date every
year reaches out all over this
lower end of Mitchell County
section the decorations has been
going on so long that they don't
.KfeM&W ou* in advance,
what gravey^rfl the next service
will be held for the folks re
member and they attend.
The decorations has become to
be sorter like a family reunion
for several see one another only
once a year and that is at the de
coration services. Folkes come
for many miles for the services
and they bring flowers to bedeck
the graves of their loved ones.
There is as many artifical flo
wers paced on the graves of late
years as there is potted flowers
and roses. I noticed recently at
one graveyard that there is ramb
ling roses growing around one
tombstone. It was very pretty too.
Dinner served on the cemetery
ground has been done away with.
But folks who live not to far a
way from die cemeteries where
the memorial services is held
serve dinner for a number of
people. Take for instance last
Sunday June 16th when the ser
vice was held at the Griffith ce
metery on the waters of nearby
Brummetts Creek, when Mrs.
Garfa Griffith had 36 people to
eat dinner at her table set out
under a weeping willow tree
that stands on her dwelling house
lawn. It is reported that several
cf the folks who took dinner with
her live at several places in East
Tennessee.
But its like this—when the de
corations is held on Pigeon Ro
ost some of the folks here might
not be attending the deso ratio ns
here but may be going to some
other cemetery somewhere else
to attend the decoration where
their loved ones are buried.
On certain days just before the
decoration is held local people
gather at the cemetery and clean
off the cemetery ground to get
ready for the decoration service.
Where there is 18 or 20 people
working on the cemetery ground it
does not take long to clean it off.
At the mountain cemetery no
caretaker is hired. The cemetery
ground gets cleaned only once a
year.
It is recalled off hand that the
first decoration on Pigeon Roost
starts in J uly at the Bennet ceme
tery in the upper section of Pigon
Roost. The next decoration is line
is at the Russell Barnett cemeterj
in the lower section of Pigeon
Roost and there is usually eight
decorations held on Pigeon Roost
with about four cemeteries where
no one is buried anymore and no
decorations is any longer con
ducted.
But the decoration services
kindly hinder the Sunday Schools
somewhat at the local churches. 1
have knowed of the Sunday School
at some of the local churches be
ing postponed for as longs* three
Sunday during the time the de
corations is being held. Rut at
some of the churches they have
their Sunday School class on the
cemetery grounds before the de
coration service starts. The de
coration service is hald by sing
ing, praying and preaching.
Sometimes at the decoration
service there is a half dozen
preachers and four or five dif
ferent singing choirs.
I received a letter from a
reader of my column since the
decoration time here last year
and he said where he was born
and reared up there was not
exactly a decoration service
ever held at the large ceme
teries in his locality. People
went mostly on Memorial day
and decorated the graves or wenl
just any Sunday or at any time
during the summer time and
placed flowers on the graves
erf their loved ones. The writer
of this letter wanted to know
that is if this was only a
mountain area custom to have
a decoration service. Well I
don’t know exactly about that as
I have never lived anywhere
else but here in the hilly country
and every where that I have ever
traveled here in the hills it
appears that they have the deco
ration services like they do
here. The cemeteries has been
cleaned and there is sign that
there has been some kind of a
flower placed on ever grave. I
have noticed it at most ever
decoration service there is
flowers placed on all graves.
J-Bat of course there ‘is some
graves that has more flowers
' on it than the others do.
Well occasionally they still
have graveside funeral services
in this lower end of Mitchell
County section when weather
permits. At one time in this
hilly country there was no fur
neral services ever held in the
Church house. If it was cold
winter weather time the funeral
services was held in the homes
and if it was summer time
most all the time graveside
funeral services was held.
Use to the new items of this
lower end of Mitchell County
section was never carried in a
daily newspaper and of course
V
there was never an obituary
seldom ever carried in a news
paper before the funeral service
and burial. But for a long long
time this area has been served
practically all the time by a
country weekly newspaper but
before the news correspondents
in the outlying areas of the
county could ever get the death
news in the paper they had
occurred several days before.
I was also once asked why the
people in the olden days estab
lished their cemeteries on high
ridges where in late years its
been hard to get a car road
built to the cemeteries and to
some of them a road could
never be built. Well for one
thing away back “yanderM
people lived farther back in the
mountains than they do now and
they put many of the ceme
teries right close home. Well
the people have moved them
selves off the high ridges down
in the valley but their bury
ing ground is still back in the
mountains some of them is right
on the high mountain tops.
TO CUT OB NOT TO CUT—that la tha Question. And Police Chief Bad Lyons says the answer
ia negative when it cornea to complying with a city ordinance contained in the 1940 collection
of laws for Boone. It has to do with grass being kept not higher than four Inches within the
city limits and aa this picture points out, there are a lot of grass-growirg acres in Boons.
The Police Chief says he feels a major abjection to trying to enforce this particular law is
that the city limits have expanded to include several farms on which hay crops are raised.
Working with the civic improvement group of the Watauga County Council of Garden Clifts,
however, he may be able to make some suggestions as to a revision. For the time belig, the
civic Improvers are hard at work to appeal to the public’s intelligence to go tint little extra
to keep the mountain region as unspoiled as possible. (Staff photo)