Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1923-03-22
The New North State
Attracting Attention
Once the "Old" North State-Now
it is the "New" North State That
is Fully Awake and Going Ahead

a sweet memory paCneClc Lament
the Rip Van Wrinkle state, asleep for
two full centuries.
Now it is the New North State
awake at last, wide awake-refresh-
ed and renewed by her long sleep
vigorous, and afiame with the early
morning visions of youth-boastful
blatant, if you please-chock full
of bla-ba and blurb after the man.
ner of a robust, two listed male
youngster in the pin-feather stage of
Observation-Disclosures of his power
and immodestly boastful.
North Carolina is actually begin
ming to believe in herself and to
boast Of herself gracelessly for all
the world like Atlanta. Chicago, the
Atlanta Of the west, was The Con-
stitution headquarters when Cleve-
land reached the Windy City in his
Swing Around the Circle in the days
of his presidency.
Atlanta has been the butt of many
a merry jest. Shes shameless in
her boasting. Henry Grady began it
and the very kids keep it up. 1t is
the spirit of indestructible youth, and
youth wins. Atlanta proves it. Cali
fornia proves it. And in particular
Los Angeles.
Los Angeles bounds herself hun
dred dollars per inhabitant, spends
thirty millions on water supply
system, and twelve millions more on
a man made harbor twelve miles aw-
ay. She stands right up and blows
about it. pictures it in the magazines
the world around, and she doubles
her population and quadruples her
wealth in a single decade.
North Carolina multiplies her
public school fund twenty times ov-
er in twenty years, spends forty-two
million dollars in two years on pub
lie school buildings, equipments and
support, one hundred and twenty
two millions of Federal State and
aocai money on ps7Dzlic~ highways,
and pays another one hundred and
twenty two millions of taxes into
hte Federal treasury on incomes, es-
tates and the like in single year!
But sh-h-h! Nobody must men
ton it! It's immodest to say a
word about it! North Carolina be-
gins-barely begins-to cash in the
immense assets that lie in her soils
and seasons, forests and waterfalls,
mines and factories; and just as she
begins, her fervor is chilled by the
charge that she is immoderate and
unbashed in her boasting.
It was a Californian who said at
Long Beach in 1921, North Carolina
has got California beat a mile, and
doesn't know it.
It has taken her two centuries to
develop gumption, grace and grit
enough to lay down the foundation of
a great commonwealth in public ed
ucation, public health, and public
highways. And she has the courage
of her convictions.
She does not mean to hide her
light under a bushel measure but to
set it on a candlestick right out in
the open for all hte world to see.
The people of North Carolina
know-at least they have been told
often enough to know-that we are
building good roads faster than any
other State in the Union, Pennsyl-
vania alone excepted, but also that
our. improved highways do mot yet
reach the total mileage Of good
roads in Massachusetts,, Connecticut,
New York, New Jersey, Pennsylva-
mia or California.
And they know too, that the
twenty million dollars we are spend
ing on public schools this year is
four times the sum we were spend
ing for this purpose ten years ago; /;
but also that we are still far behind
the Middle Western States in public
school support. And that in legis-
lative appropriations for college cul-
ture, thirty five states make a bet
ter showing than North Carolina.
The University News Letter exhibit
ed the facts way back yonder in July
1922.
The State has not lost her sense
of perspective. She is not swash-
bucklering, but she is doing great
things of late and she's proud Of
them. She can display her wares
but she need not do it like Simple
Simon of Mother Goose fame. She
need not be provincial and parochial
which are polite terms for ignor-
ance Of what is happening in the big
wide world beyond her borders.
So here's to the New North State.
The old-age son Of Sarah the barren
The bottle fed boy brought up by
Murphy and Morehead-schooled by
Wiley, McIver, Noble, Alderman, Ora
ham, Claxton Joyner and Brooks and
licked into lustiness by Vance, Ay-
cock, Beckett and Morrisonl Who is
now as a bridegroom coming out Of
his chamber and rejoicing as strong
man to run a race.