T" v;VJfi ? ? I ?-???- THE WAYNESVILLE MOUNTAINEER^^ Ramp Queen Must Wield Scepter Queen of a vanished empire is Miss Maggie Lewis, if indications are correct. Ever since the pungent odor of ramps heralded the first Ramp Convention back in April, 1929, Miss Maggie has been ,the undisputed ruler of the ramp. There have been plenty of queens crowned this year or that, but none who would usurp the title that Miss Maggie won 27 years ago. This year, though, unless a suit able site can be found for the gathering before the ramps reach eating-size, tile word has gone out, "No ramp convention." Form er convention sites at Black Camp Gap and Camp Hope are not avail able. Miss Maggie will be there, if there's a convention to be found. She sayi she'll make it wherever it is, age or no age, feeling young er than ever. After ail, she says, there've been times in those 27 years when she has walked as much ?s 12 miles to attend the conven ion. That's something of a record since Miss Maggie "won't deny" that she is 112 years old. Back at that first ramp feast which she cooked for F. W. Woody, Bill Palm er, Claude Williams anrf Dewey Sutton, she was said to be 85 years old. Subtract 1929 from 1956; add the difference to 85; and anybody who can figure a little can come out wjth 112. There's still hope that Miss Mag gie's realm of ramps won't evapo rate into thin air. Folks who have tried stewed ramps, or ramps with scrambled eggs, or doused with plenty of red ham gravy?or even raw?hate to think of missing the feasting and fun of the Ramp Con vention. Ramps should be big enough and sweet enough and plen- J tiful enough about the third week a of May and by that time some C ardent conventioneer could locate E a gathering-place' for his fellow- II members to load their plates with t the potent vegetables. If nobody 1) does, we wonder whether Miss d Jaggie worf't invite her old cronies round (and don't forget North Carolina Secretary of State Thad lure, who's official "speaker for Ife" of the Convention, and gets o kiss the queen as well as crown er) and fix upa really regal ramp Inner. TWO ((VEENS AND A SEt'KE'l AKY Or STA LE are apt to t>e left with on ramps to hold as the Ramp Eater* search for a site for this year's Ramp Convention. Miss Maggie Lewis (left) has been honored as ramp queen for the last 27 of tier reputed 112 years, mad ture, (center), North Carolina Secretary of State, is perennial Conven tion Speaker; and Miss Ernestine Edwards (rifht) was queen of the 1955 convention. ^MnI HO^ M&i Starch fcw? Without Cooking "Hn ' ^y/>r//cMi?7Af ^ ? * . ? ' ? I r. iijtj * %WHEN SOMEONE'S ILL, YOUR PHYSICIAN'S DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT ARE THE FIRST STEPS TOWARD RECOVERY. WE HELP BY FILLING HIS PRESCRIPTIONS EXACTLY AS WRITTEN. t " WHEN IT COMES TO SAFEGUARDING YOUR HEALTH, THE REGISTERED PHARMACIST IS YOUR DOCTOR'S RIGHT HAND MAN. ! WE FILL HIS PRESCRIPTIONS WITH PRECISION, USING ONLY FRESH, POTENT DRUGS. YOU AND* HE CAN DEPEND ON US ALWAYS! BRING YOUR PRESCRIPTIONS TO US FOR FILLING! CURTIS DRUG STORE EXPERIENCE MAKES THE DIFFERENCE ' MAIN STREET WAYNESYILLE ? "j # This Year Over Nonexistent Realm Flowering Trees And Shrubs Reaching Height Of Bloom Along Blue Ridge Parkway The "flowers that bloom in the ( spring" are not as late this year a? might have been expected, ac- ] cording to a prediction from Blue Ridge Parkway Asheviile District , Ranger Robert E. Howe, with a , number due to reach their peak this weekend. Blooming along the Parkway from Wagon Road Gap to Beech Gap are the serviceberry or shad bush, pink azalea, magnolia, silver- ' bell and mountain andromeda. Ranger Howe points out that re cent warm weather and consider able rainfall have caused plant lfe to "catch up" to about its usu al status at this time of year. He reports in detail: 1 ?Shadbush or Serviceberry ? autstandjng display In the Grave 'ard Fields area (Mile Post 418 *21). Should be good through 5/13. Pink Azalea?starting to bloom, -hould be at its peak about week end of 5/12. There will be a good iisplay, especially from Bridges Camp Gap (M. P. 417) to Grave- ' yard Fields (M. P. 421). Flame Azalea?the last week of 1 May and the first week of June ' -hould be very good in the Soco 1 Gap to Mile High Overlook area. 1 (Note: This section is scheduled to reopen May 18. upon comple tion of paving.) Magnolia ? beginning to bloom ( between Wagon Road Gap