. .« ASM COUNTY
North r ’ c ?“ dition e<l section of
?^° Un * who « altitude
from 3 ’ ooo to 5,500 feet
of Js* Twenty-five mite
tLcoun,f KWAY r “
VOLUME IX NO. 21
An Ashe County Fair Will Be Held Here In September
Verdict Os $3,000 Awarded
In Sam Miller Case Against
State Highway Department
Miller Was Suing for $20,000.
Joyce My res Case Is
Now Being Tried.
DIVORCES GRANTED
Late yesterday afternoon a ju
ry rendered a verdict in the
Ashe superior court stating that
Sam J. Miller was entitled to re
ceive a net amount of $3,000.00
from the State Highway and
Public Works Commission for
property taken by the Blue
Ridge Parkway.
This was the first case against
the State Highway Department
that has been tried this week and
nearly two days were spent in
trying it. A short time before ad
journment yesterday, trial was
commenced on the Joyce Myres
vs. State Highway and Public
Works Commission case.
After deliberating about an
hour and a half, the verdict
reached by a jury, composed of
Will Baldwin, Ed Howell, James
Baker, C. L. Blevins, G. R. Du
vall, Delmer Jones, W. A. Oli
ver, Silas Weaver, H. C. Atwood,
Russ Davis, James Taylor and
Foster Bare—was that Sam Mil
ler was damaged in the amount
of $5,000 and benefitted to the
extent of $2,000 by the Parkway.
Miller was suing the highway
department of $20,000. Witnesses
for the plaintiff and his attor
neys, Bowie and Bowie, contend
ed that his 200-acre farm near
Glendale Springs was damaged
about this much by the Parkway
which took around 31 acres of
land, a five-room dwelling, a
barn, orchard and made other
V«cfST»ns of his farm inaccessible.
7 fhey ?uso stressed the point that
restrictions imposed by the
Parkway were unjust.
Ex-Sheriff Joe Hampton, John
Goss, Ed Pennington and A. G.
Witherspoon testified that in
their opinion he was damaged to
the extent of SIB,OOO. Other wit
nesses testifying for Miller were
Finley Parsons, Amos Faw, C. L.
Mash, P. R. Sheets, Fred Colvard
and Fred Rose
The State did not offer any
evidence, except to request that
the jurors be allowed to go out
and inspect the property. This
was agreed and Judge Clements
adjourned court Tuesday after
noon for the inspection. Charles
Ross and Attorney Gardner are
representing the State Highway
Department,
Miss Joyce Myres, who owns a
67-acre farm near Laurel Springs
through which the Parkway runs,
is also suing for $20,000.00. She
testified that the Parkway took
27 acres of her land, 14 acres of
which was good bottom land.
Joe Hampton, John Goss and
Hort Miller valued her damages
at $15,000.00. They said the bot
tom land was worth around
$750.00 per acre. Trial on this
case will be resumed this morn
ing.
Five divorces were granted
Monday. They were: Lee Lan
dreth 4 vs Pearl Landreth, Paul
Eldreth vs Hope Eldreth, Joe
Jones vs Ruth Jones, Mrs. Jose
phine Miller vs Grant Miller and
Bert Deip vs Dema Delp. Several
other cases were continued.
The following cases were non
suited: Bobbie Shumate vs Ves
ter Shumate, and Mrs Annabel
Keys vs John F. Greer.
CARNIVAL TO BE
HERE REST OF WEEK
West Jefferson is really an
amusement center this week.
From all parts of Ashe and
adjoining counties, young and
old are coming here to “take
in” the American Legion’s
“week of fun”
The kiddies are having a
“big time” riding the hobby
horses, ferris wheel and swing,
while the adults enjoy a bin
go game, shooting rifles,
throwing balls and whatnot.
The fireworks are also at
tracting much attention.
' The Bullock Amusement
Company will continue to ex
hibit here through Saturday
night.
Oe Mnhmft Bst
$1.50 a Year Out of County
SELLS TO GREYHOUND
WF iHHi
llll| .. V jfUl
jffilfffj
Everett O. Woodie, of West Jef
ferson, who has sold his 500 miles
of lines in Northwestern
North Carolina to the Atlantic
Greyhound Lines. He is a pioneer
bus operator in the state. (Photo
by Boone Photo Shop.)
Wool Sold For
31 Cents; To Be
Pooletl Here Fri.
Chatham Manufacturing Co.
Was High Bidder. Four
Counties Co-operating.
The Ashe county agricultural
committee announced this week
that those in charge of the pro
posed wool pooling co-operative
program ~iave sold the wool foT
31 cents to the Chatham Manu
facturing Company in Elkin and
that the pooling will take place
here at the West Jefferson Pro*
duce Company tomorrow at one
o’clock.
Sheep raisers in three other
counties Alleghany, GraySOn
and Carroll counties—have unit
ed with the Ashe farmers in this,
the first pooling of wool this sea
son.
The committee is gratified to
receive such a good price and is
inviting all sheep growers in the
county to take advantage of it.
The wool will be hauled away
from here tomorrow afternoon
and it is imperative that all
farmers bring their offerings in
as early tomorrow as possible,
County Agent C. J. Rich stated.
He said that letters, advising
the farmers of this pooling,
were mailed to 636 sheep grow
ers in Ashe the first of the week.
“If you did not receive a letter
and want to pool, just come right
on in as it’s open to everybody,”
he stated.
HOSPITAL DRIVE IS
MAKING PROGRESS
Roy Badger reports that the
the drive to organize the Ashe
County Hospital Association is
making good progress.
“By next week I hope to have
a complete list of members and
contributors tabulated and ready
to report,” he said yesterday.
May Soon Test Ashe County
Cattle For Bang’s Disease
Ashe along with the rest of the
counties in North Carolina has
an excellent opportunity -to
stamp out Bang’s disease, the
most serious threat to the State’s
rapidly-growing dairy industry,
within the near future, according
to information revealed this week
by County Agent C. J. Rich.
Agent Rich who recently wrote
Dr. William Moore, Chief of the
State Department of Agricul
ture’s Veterinary Division, has
received a reply from him stat
ing that under the plan in opera
tion the State is asking the
County Commissioners to furnish
a helper to go with, and assist
the state Veterinary Inspector.
Dr.. Moore explained that this
helper need not be a high priced
employee, but should be able to
hold cattle and keep simple re
cords.
Dr. Moore enclosed a copy of
21 Confederate
Widows In Ashe
Receive Pensions
Only One Veteran Surviving.
Youngest Widow Said to
be 57 Years Old.
CHANGE IS MADE
Isham Thompson, of Grassy
Creek, is the only surviving Con
federate veteran now living in
Ashe county, but there are 21 wi
dows of soldiers who fought in
the Civil War residing in the
county, according to a survey
made during the past few weeks
by the county welfare depart
ment.
As an economy measure, the
last legislature passed a law plac
ing eligible Confederate widows
under the social security pro
gram. By doing this, the state
can get the federal government
to participate in half of the pen
sion payment and not have to
pay all of it out of the state
treasury.
In accordance with the re
quirements of this law, the Ashe
welfare department has made an
investigation of the 24 names of
Confederate widows sent from
Raleigh who received pension
checks from the last issuance.
Three of these, Miss Tugman,
reported, died since the last pay
ments were made. They were
Mrs. Jane Ham, of White Top;
Mrs. Julia Koontz, of Jefferson
and Mrs. Margaret Osborne, of
Ball.
At a meeting of the welfare
board Tuesday night, 12 of the
remaining 21 were transferred
to receive their pensions through
the welfare program and the oth
er 9, whose qualifications did not
meet the special age assistance
requirements, will continue to
receive their pension checks
through the clerk of court’s of
fice, Miss Tugman said.
To be eligible for transfer, one
requirement is that the individ
ual must be 65 years of age and
some of the Confederate widows
are not that old. The youngest
one in the county is said to be
57 years old.
Those qualifying under class A
pensions receive $25.00 per month
and under class B get SIOO per
year. The county, however, does
not pay any of this cost.
MERCHANTS HERE TO
MEET FRIDAY NIGHT
A meeting of the business men
and women of West Jefferson
will be held tomorrow night at 8
o’clock in the American Legion
hall here and all merchants are
urged to attend.
The meeting is being called
by The Skyland Post, at the re
quest of several progressive mer
chants, to discuss matters of vi
tal importance to all local es
tablishments.
Tentative plans for the forma
tion of a local merchants asso
ciation will be discussed, as well
as trade promotion plans, possi
bilities of getting a tobacco ware
house and so on, it is stated.
With all tobacco transplanted,
indications point to a 25 to 30 per
cent increase in acreage over that
of last year in Johnston County,
reports Farm Agent M. A. Mor
gan.
the agreement to be signed by
the County Commissioners and
placed on file in Raleigh. He ex
plained that the work in Ashe
county could not be started im
mediately but that it was neces
sary for counties to sign up ahead
of time in order that a schedule
might be worked out for them.
The act which was passed by
the N. C. Legislaturff'in 11/37 for
the control of Bang’s disease,
states that the boards of coun
ty -commissioners are authorized
and empowered within their dis
cretion to make such appropria
tions from the general funds as
will enable them to cooperate ef
fectively with the State and Fed
eral Departments of Agriculture,
in stamping out the disease.
The law further states that
whenever a County board shall
co-operate vtith the State and
(Continueclon Page Eight.)
THURSDAY, JUNE 1, 1939 WEST JEFFERSON, N. C.
Many Expected To Attend
Legion Picnic On Sunday
TO ATTEND PICNIC
■ HF ill M
” Mi Jra
Charles W. Crush, National
Vice-Commander of the Ameri
can Legion who lives in Chris
tianburg, Va., will be the hon
or guest at the Legion-Auxilia
ry picnic which will be held Sun
day afternoon at Bluff Park near
the Ice Rock by the Ashe Post
and Auxiliary unit.
Work On Club
House Started
Last Monday
J. L. Stump Is Foreman. 14
Men Assigned To Job. Ro
tary Gives $25.00.
Work on the Community Club
House was started Monday and
is expected to move forward to
completion without any interrup
tion.
However, some additional mo
ney for the sponsor’s part will
be needed and the public is urg
ed to co-operate in this worthy
enterprise.
Last Thursday night the direc
tors of the Jeffersons Rotary club
voted to contribute $25.00 to the
club house fund.
J. Lester Stump, of Nathan’s
Creek, is foreman of the job and
14 WPA workers have been as
signed to the project.
The club house is being built
on the vacant lot across from the
Goss boarding house here.
Baptists To Hold
30 Bible Schools
Expect To Start Some Time
Next Week. Rev. Camp
bell Is In Charge.
The Ashe Missionary Baptist
Association, composed of 44
churches in the county, is now
making plans to hold a series of
Bible schools in every commu
nity in the county.
Rev. Rexford Campbell, who
has been in school at Mars Hill
college this year, will be in
charge of these Bible schools.
Rev. W. T. Whittington and
all pastors of the churches are
expected to co-operate.
Last summer a total of 29 Bi
ble schools, with attendance
ranging from 15 to 190, were
held and this year Mr. Whitting
ton states that they are planning
to conduct at least 30 schools.
The first ones will probably
start some time next week.
“This summer I hope to visit
all of our churches in the coun
ty,” Mr. Whittington said
WPA Rolls Are
Being Reduced
Throughout the state and na
tion the WPA rolls are being re
duced rather rapidly.
B. W. Jones yesterday said that
he is receiving orders to cut off
workers every week or so.
Last winter there were around
800 workers on WPA projects in
the county and the rolls have
been cut down to around 500
i now, he said.
This month congress is expect
ed to pass a new law, consolidat
ing WPA and PWA and to appro
priate money to carry it forward
for another year.
Charles W. Crush, National
Vice-Commander To Be
Honor Guest.
Plans are now being perfect
ed for the American Legion pic
nic to be held at Bluff Park, near
Ice Rock, on Sunday, when Chas.
W. Crush, National Vice-Com
mander will be the honor guest.
P. G. Wright, commander of
the 15th District, said that a
number of representatives from
the various posts of his district
had been invited and were ex
pected to attend.
The picnic will open at one o’-
clock and all members of the
Ashe post and their wives are
asked to attend and bring basket
lunches.
Members of the Ashe post
pointed out that it will be an
honor and a privilege to have
Vice-Commander Crush as a
guest. He is paying an informal
visit.
He has a record of outstanding
service as a member of the
American Legion, as he has serv
ed as commander of his own post
at Christianburg, Virginia; de
partment chairman of the com
mittee on Education of War Or
phans; member of the national
convention resolutions commit
tee for two years; alternate na
tional executive cpmmi.ttee for
Virginia; department judge-advo
cate; member of the national
committee on Sons of the Amer
ican Legion, and a number of
other responsible appointments.
His election as Vice-Commander,
at Los Angeles in 1938 was un
animous.
This distinguished legionnaire
who is a native of Virginia, is a
graduate of the law school of
Washington and Lee University.
In addition to his law practice
at Christiansburg he has served
many years as a public official.
He is postmaster, and secretary
to the League of Virginia Coun
ties. He has also filled a num
ber of other important public of
fices.
His military interests have
continued since his discharge
from the World War period of
service. He has held a number of
commissions in Virginia military
organizations.
Calvin B. Houck
Given Contract
Os much interest to the many
friends of Calvin B. Houck, in
this county, is the recent an
nouncement that his agency,
Houck and company, advertising
agency of Roanoke, Va., has been
awarded the contract by the Vir
ginia conservation commission to
handle the advertising for the
state of Virginia for a three-year
period beginning July 1.
Mr. Houck who founded the
agency was first located in High
Point and then moved to Roa
noke in 1932. He is the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Lee S. Houck of Mill
Creek, of this county. He was
educated at Jefferson, Duke Uni
versity and Columbia universi
ty. Among the other accounts
handled by the Houck agency is
the Norfolk and Western rail
road.
Health Dept. Has Done Much
Toward Disease Prevention
As stated by Dr. Robert King,
the value of the health depart
ment cannot be told in figures.
But in his summary of the work
acomplished from July 1, 1938 to
May 1, 1939, Dr. King gives
some startling facts which show
the large number of people af
fected and protected by the
health department. A glance at
the report shows that the health
department has not only been in
strumental in the prevention of
many diseases which often prove
fatal, but in assitance and in the
education of the people in health
measures which are far-reaching
in their good affects.
Dr. King’s report is as follows:
“The work of the Public
Health Department is one of pre
vention and education. For this
reason the most satisfactory work
that we can do is not the figures
that we add up at the end of a
SI.OO a Year in Ashe County PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY
BOOSTED FOR OFFICE
P. G. Wright, popular West
Jefferson freight agent who has
rendered outstanding service as
district commander of the 15th.
district, is being boosted by the
Ashe county post for the position
as State Department Vice-Com
mander of the American Legion.
(Photo by Boone Photo Shop.)
Ashe Legion Post
Boosting Wright
For Dept. Office
Will Sponsor Local District
Commander for Dept.
Vice Commander.
NOTICES ARE MAILED
The Ashe county post of the
American Legion will sponsor P.
G. Wright, of West Jefferson, as
a candidate for Department Vice
Coiimander at the state conven
tion i,o be held in Raleigh this
month.
Notices were sent during the
past week to all posts in North
Carolina, outlining the qualifica
tions of the prominent Ashe
county legionnaire and soliciting
support for him.
Mr. Wright has made an out
standing record in Legion work.
Last year he was awarded the
Bryce P. Beard trophy for ren
dering distinguished service as
district commander of the 15th.
district and this year the records
show that his district was the
first one in the state to exceed its
membership quota by January 1.
During the World War, he
served in the infantry as an en
listed soldier and spent twelve
months in France. He was dis
charged as a sergeant.
He was a charter member of
the Rumley-Thompson post of
the American Legion at Damas
cus, Va., which was organized in
1920. He was a member of that
post for 10 years. Due to a change
in location, he joined the Wash
ington county post at Abingdon,
don, Va., and was a member
there for lour years. He was
transferred here and in 1934,
soon after arriving in Ashe, as
sisted in the organization of the
Ashe county post and served as
its first commander for two
years.
Except for the time spent in
war service he has been con
nected with the Norfolk & Wes
tern Railroad as station agent
since about 1912. He is a mason
ahd a shriner.
year, but rather the spread of di
sease that we have been able to
prevent, the healthy baby, that,
but for the advice of the workers
to its mother, might have been
born diseased, or podsibly its
mother herself taken from her
family. Each person immunized
against a disease is not only to
be counted for their own protec
tion, but for the removal of a
source of danger to others as
well.
“Two hundred and fifty-one
people were admitted to the ser
vice of the department because
of communicable diseases. Mea
sles was far in the lead as to
numbers, with scarlet fever next
and diphtheria third. We had a
few cases of infantile paralysis
on our list, but fortunately these
were not communicated to oth
ers.
(Continued on Page Eight.)
WANT A HOSPITAL?
If you want a Hospital in Ashe
County, JOIN the ASHE COUN
TY HOSPITAL ASSOCIATION.
Co-opeiation and support from
everybody is needed to put the
movement over. We now have
a Golden Opportunity!
4 Organizations
To Sponsor First
Fair Here In Yrs.
Decision Made At Meeting
Mon. Night. Work On Pre
mium List Started.
COMMITTEE NAMED
For the first time in about 26
years, Ashe will have a county
wide fair next fall.
It will be held here in West
Jefferson the last week in Sep
tember and a contract has been
signed with the Bullock Amuse
ment Company to furnish the
midway attractions.
The West Jefferson high school
gym and the Community Club
House, which should be complet
ed by that time, will be used for
all exhibits except livestock and
arrangements will be made later
to take care of a large number of
cattle entries.
Plans are now being made to
get out a large and rather com
plete premium list. These will be
printed in catalogue form and
distributed just as soon as possi
ble.
As Ashe is primarily an agri
cultural and livestock raising
county, the importance of hav
ing a fair has been discussed
from time to time by various or
ganizations, but talking was the
only thing that had been done
about it until last Thursday night
at a meeting of the directors of
the Jeffersons Rotary club.
It was voted that the club
would invite the heads of the
American Legion, Woman’s Club
and Legion Auxiliary to attend a
meeting and discuss the possi
bility of having a county fair
this year.
A meeting was held Monday
(Continued on Page Five)
Farmers In 3
Counties To Pool
Lambs Next Week
Expect To Make Shipment
Last of Next Week. Mar
ket Price About 12c.
County Agent C. J. Rich stat
ed yesterday that a June lamb
pooling for the farmers of Ashe,
Watauga and Alleghany counties
will be held next week.
Shipment will be made the lat
ter part of next week and all
farmers who wish to co-operate
and have lambs for sale this
month, are requested to notify
the farm agent’s office at once of
this intention and also state the
number of lambs to be pooled.
“We sent out questionnaires
last week, but as yet have only
received a few replies,” Mr. Rich
said.
“It is important that we have
this information at once,” he
urged.
Sheep growers in Alleghany
and Watauga are also urged to
get in touch with the county ag
ents.
Trucks will probably be sent
to the farms to collect lambs for
those who find it is not conven
ient for them to haul them in.
The market price on lambs has
been ranging around 11 and 12
cents. The committee is in hopes
of getting a little higher price, if
possible. Shipment will be made
directly to packer if they are not
purchased by local dealers at
time of pooling.
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I ®
About to show
OJSTOM6R9 THE
POINT BEHIND
HIS SI&NS