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THE NEWS RECORD
Editorial
No More Hind Teat For WNC
Madison County's favorite son, Liston B. Ramsey, has been
drawing a little criticism lately. It seems that some folks think
the Speaker of North Carolina's House of Representatives has
been sending too many slices of the state's financial pie back
home.
Ramsey has been charged with dipping into the General
Assembly's pork barrels, grabbing millions of dollars and
dispersing them among the counties of Western North
Carolina.
Even our compatriots at The News and Observer in Raleigh,
with whom we almost always see eye-to-eye, say that Liston
has sent too many dollars "to the loyal voters of his district."
(See cartoon)
Sorry, guys. We don't see it that way.
Sure, Ramsey may have used his clout to spoon some extra
servings of "pork" for Western North Carolina. But mountain
counties have historically been the red-headed stepchild of the
state. The needs of WNC's poorer, less-populated counties
have for far too long been ignored by legislators from the
highly populated counties of central and eastern North
Carolina. f
For decades, Western North Carolina went without ade
quate highways, without state-funded institutions of higher
learning, without well-funded community colleges, without
modern water and sewer facilities. It has only been through
the efforts of Ramsey and other mountain legislators that the
highways connecting WNC to the rest of the state have been
built, that the University of North Carolina at Asheville has
become a respected institution, that thousands of mountain
folks have been able to enroll in technical colleges, that indoor
plumbing and hot-and-cold running water have become the
rule rather than the exception.
Among the pork barrel items that Ramsey has helped fund
during the 1987-89 biennium are funds for water and sewer pro
jects in Marshall, for a domestic violence program in Madison
County and for an even bigger and better Madison campus of
Asheville-Buncombe Technical College than originally plann
ed.
Also receiving pork barrel funds in WNC were Southwestern
Techinical College in Sylva, the Western North Carolina
Agricultural Center in Arden, the Farmers' Market in
Asheville and a high-technology center at Haywood Technical
College. The city of Asheville's Park Place project, a art and
culture center under construction in the downtown district, got
a $3 million slab of pork.
Western North Carolina may well have grabbed more than
its share from the state's pork barrels on this go around.
Although Ramsey may have served up a healthy portion of
pork for WNC from the deep barrels in Raleigh, that does not
make up for years and years of suckling at the hind teat.
We've still got some catching up to do.
Someday, the state's legislators may come up with a for
mula through which they will equitably distribute pork barrel
funds. But until that day comes, Western North Carolina
residents should hope and pray that Ramsey keeps winning re
election and keeps being named House speaker. It's about
time that some of those barrels started rolling this way.
Get To Know French Broad River
For hundreds of years, the French Broad River has had a
major impact on the lives of the people of Madison, Bun
combe, Henderson and Transylvania counties.
The river provided food and water to the pioneers who settl
ed alongside her banks. The French Broad also provided a
somewhat easier route of transportation through the moun
tains, carving a passageway through rugged territory for ear
ly Western North Carolinians. The river has been used as to
generate electricity, providing power for homes acroei WNC.
In recent times, the French Broad has become well-known
for its recreational opportunities, from white-water rafting
and lazy canoe trips to fishing. And, unfortunately, the river
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has also become somewhat of a dumping ground for modern
man, who litters its banks with debris and sends sewage into
its waters.
Residents living in the four counties through which the
French Broad flows will have a chance this week to pay
tribute to this river which has had such a profound influence -
whether they realize it or not - on their lives. Saturday marks
the opening day of the 11th Annual French Broad River Week,
nine days of festivities and events designed around the theme
of "Celebrate The French Broad."
There are numerous events on tap for the week - everything
from white-water trips and canoe rides to music and dance.
Take a ride on a steam locomotive, or travel in a horse-drawn
cart. Watch as expert kayakert and rafters show their stuff.
in cleanup campaigns to rid the banks of the river
v>. Tour facilities on the French Broad which
the electricity that enables you to read this
late at night.
special events are scheduled that we can't begin to
______ f>y the Land
Council and the French ]
Folkways And Folkspeech
It's So Dry
Mountaineers Searching
For Nature *8 Signs
Of Rain On The Way
By ROGERS WHITENER
I can't speak for flatland condi
tions, but in the mountains it's so dry
that ants have taken to the shade,
moles have given up tunneling and
robins are seeking chiropractic
manipulations for aching backs in
curred in attempting to pull red
worms form sunbaked lawns.
It's so dry that oldtimers are
scouting around for traditional signs
of rain.
A multitude can be found.
Start, for instance, with the ap
pearance of the heavens, the nature
of clouds, sunsets and the direction of
winds.
A traditional bit of forecasting is
seen in the following quatrain, widely
quoted in days gone by.
"Evening red and morning gray
Help the traveler on his way
Evening gray and morning red
Bring down rain upon his head."
The appearance of the sunset may
also foretell rain - or the lack of it. If
the sunset is red, fair weather is in
order; if yellow, then rain may be ex
pected. Clouds which obscure the
sunset are also a sign of rain.
The moon is a faithful weather pro
phet in the eyes of the folk. A circle
around the moon is a sign of rain
(sometimes snow), and the number
of stars around the moon indicates
the number of days before rain will
fall. The moon in a tipped position
may mean that a deluge is on the
way.
Weather signs associated with the
sun usually point to fair weather, but
there is at least one exception. When
the devil is beating his wife (light rain
while the sun is shining) , there will be
a good rainthe following day.
Wind from" the north is also a good
sign of rain, but there's a catch - it
must blow for at least 24 hours.
Many signs of rain involve the
behavior of birds and animals, both
wild and domestic. When crows,
owls, swallows, cardinals and
jaybirds become overly agitated and
noisy, rain is on the way. When
roosters begin to crow at night, when
ducks flap their wings excessively,
when chickens gather to preen their
feathers on high ground, rain is in the
air.
When cows attempt to scratch their
ears and when they refuse to drink
water in dry weather a heavy rain
can be expected. A like result can be
anticipated when dogs get indigestion
from eating too much grass. The con
tinued sneezing of a cat also indicates
rain.
The appearance of an unusual
number of field mice in the open may
denote rain, and rabbits cavorting
along dusty roads are a sure indicator
of the same.
The behavior of insects can also be
studied to predict the weather. When
fleas bite especially hard, when gnats
are difficult to brush away, when flies
are most bothersome to the
housewife, rain is imminent.
If all the signs are wrong and only
dry weather seems in prospect, then
it is up to the individual who desires
rain to do something about it.
Folk tradition holds that if only a
shower is desired, the thing to do is
kill a toad frog and let it dry in the
sun. But if a body is after major
relief, there is only one answer: kill a
black snake and hang him on the barn
door with his belly to the sun. Then
head for shelter, for this is
guaranteed procedure to produce a
gully-washer!
?
Readers are invited to sead folk
materials to FOLKWAYS AND
FOLKSPEECH. Department of
English, Appalachian State Universi
ty, Boone, N.C. 28608.
The Way We Were
A Look Back
Through The Pages
Of The News Record
Seventy-eight years ago this
month, Hie Madison County Record
reported the resignation of the mayor
of Weaverville, a Mr. Lotspeich. He
was replaced by Major Greenlee.
An Alexander man was charged
with taking indecent liberties with his
21-year old daughter.
N.W. Anderson of Paint Fork sold
10 steers to John O'Donell of
Asheville for $32.
Editor J R. Swann moonlighted as
an oil inspector. He also did job prin
ting and sold brick to supllement his
income.
Railroad magnate Edward H. Har
riman died in New York at the age of
62.
A Page 3 story on Sept. 19, 1909,
detailed Commodore Perry's ex
ploration of the North Pole.
President Howard Taft was on a
tour of Midwestern states. He visited
Minneapolis and attended a baseball
game at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
Sixty-seven yean ago today, The
News Record reported the murder
confession of a Runion man acctaed
of killing Us wife. Frank Henderson
told Buncombe County authorities he
choked Us wife on Aug 24 1900
addiction and Bayer Aspirin. The
Marshal! Pharmacy installed a
telephone and urged customers to
phone orders in. Apparently
telephone service had just arrived in
Marshall. Hie pharmacy's telephone
number was 6.
Dr. C.N. Sprinkle and his wife were
injured in an automobile accident on
Reems Creek. Their car was hit by a
truck at a road crossing.
Plans and prizes for the annual
Madison County Fair were announc
ed.
An outbreak of typhoid fever was
reported in Marshall.
Tennessee legislators voted against
women's suffrage.
Pope Benedict became the first
pontiff to pose for a motion picture
camera.
Twenty-eight years ago today, The
News-Record reported that 12-year
old Herbert Clyde Peek Jr. was
seriously injured in a collision in
Mars Hill on N.C. 213. Three
teenagers and the boy's father were
injured in the wreck.
Marshall and Edneyville played to
a (Ml tie in the opening game of the
football season.
The News Record
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