Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1923-09-06
Large Crowd Enjoys Speeches and
Games at Watauga's Second Event
For Farmers on Last Friday.
Noted Statesmen Deliver
Speeches of the Occasion
Hon. F. A. Linney Delivers Opening
Address. Congressman Doughton
Urges Fa.me-s =. Stick to the Soil

The second :armsrs' annual picric
for Watauga county was held last
Friday at Bethel Church on Beaver
Dam The attendance was large, es-
tlma-ed at f.on 1000 to $50.
Mr.. F. 4. Linney made the tren-
ing speech and he encouraged the
folks to pull together and showed
the farmers in very forceful manner
their need for forming some better
systems for marketing their beef cat
tie.
Mr.. R. L. Doughton was the sec
ond speaker and he encouraged farm
ers to stick to the soil and not to
go to the city with the crowd. He
showed that farming was the essen
tial occupation and that sooner or
later is was bound to become a pay
ing proposition or else the world
would starve. He encouraged farmers
to put in home conveniences and in
thai way make life in the country
more pleasant. His main point was
that in order to do these things a
greater profit must be obtained for
the products sold, and that the only
way to make this greater profit was
through cooperative marketing. He
insisted that the farmers must bind
themselves together by contract that
no man could break at will in order
that they might act together to each
others advantage, rather than act
separately to the detriment of all.
The last speaker on the. program
was Miss Cora Jeffcoat who filled the
place of Mrs. Jane S. McKimmon
who was not able to attend. Miss
Jeffcoat took up the subject of the
Home Demonstration Agents" and
showed the great work that these
women have done in other counties.
She proved to them that this work
was of great value and "was worth
all the cost"
Dinner on the ground was the.
next thing. Despite the immense
crowd there was an abundance of
dinner placed in the baskets. 1t was
not announced that dinner would be
public, but it was spread on the
grounds and everybody was invited
to help themselves. After dinner the
crowd was protitably entertained by
speeches from Messrs McClain, Arey
and d. w. Roberts, County agent
from Caldwell. These men spoke very
largely of dairyinG. They spoke Of
dairying as hard worl: and STEADY
job but that the regular income and
increase in the fertility of the soil
probably made it the most profitable
line of farming, the best way that we
could market our grass and hay.
AS soon as the speeches were over
the crowd left the eak grove and
went to Mr.. Farthing's meadow where
the horse races, pony race, horse shoe
pitching and ball games kept them
abundantly entertained for couple
of hours. The only trouble was that
so many things were going on at
the same time that it was hard to see
| it ALL The horse race was won by
Paul Storie, the pony race by Henry
Campbell, the horse shoe pitching
contest was won by Paul Storie and
| the potato race was won by Millie
Cable. The ball game was won by
| the "cheese makers" and John Greer
won the prize for having on exhibit
the best peck of potatoes. Prizes for
these contests were contributed by
the Watauga County Bank, Peoples
Bank & Trust Co., and Greene and
Bingham.
This picnic will be held at some 9th
! er place next year and it is under
stood that several communities are
already asking for it. 1t is believed
by the farmers that these picnics do
a great deal of good by getting the
people out together to mingle for a
day. 1t is hard for the farmers to lis
ten to the valuable discussions with
out being in fluenced by them, This
picnic is one. of the good things that
is being fostered by the County Ag-
ent and it is the belief of those at
tending that the time is well spent.