Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1925-10-08
(By D. D. Dougherty)

lnere was very little real business
transacted by the Board of Educa-
ton on the first Monday. have ga
thered few side lines that interes-
ted me and | will pass them on.
After the opening of the session
Mr.. John Hendrix from Middle Cane
was the first visitor. He has often
been before the Board since the con-
solidation of his district, Middle Cane
which is near the Wilkes line, with
the new school at Elk. The consolida-
ton requiring transportation by wa
gon over a very rough road was new
er satisfactory. This year the Board
granted them school on condition.
that they would make good at
tendance. Mr. Hendrix desired to ex-
press his appreciation and the ap-
probation of his neighborhood on the
fine record the school was making.
The teacher, Miss Effie Hayes, a nei-
ghborhood girl is walking five miles
during the good weather and teaching
about twenty-five students. The house
is very poor. The teacher was grant
ed special certificate and is allow
ed salary of $40. She visited the
Board and expressed herself as be-
ing highly pleased with the school.
During the day Mr.. George Har-
,hr i
special certificate and a salary
of $45 to teach in reorganized dis
trict on the other extreme end of the
county, joining Avery county, came
in. This section had not had school
for many years. The neighborhood
repaired one room log building
where Mr.. Harmon is teaching about
twenty students. A committeeman ac-
companied Mr.. Harmon and express
ed great satisfaction with their school
These schools are in places where it
is almost impossible to have satisfac-
is too far for the children to walk,
yet it is doubtful if there are more
enthusiastic schools in the county.
The colored school at Sugar Grove
has never owned building. The
church that they have been using
could not be obtained for this year.
The Committee of this school has
been before the Board number of
times asking for a new house. The
Board settled the question by order
ing them transported, six miles to
Boone. An investigation was made
of the number to be transported and
it was ascertained that there would
probably be six. There is one other
colored school in the county.
Reverend w. S. Gragg, who is a
great friend to eeducation, as well
as a busy pastor, stopped in to pay
his respects to the Board, as he often
does. He took few minutes to talk
on the fine apple crop that he is now
harvesting from a young orchard
planted by the late w. H. Galloway.
He will have 400 bushels from this
orchard which is considerably less
than two acres. Other visitors present
reported that the apple crop in the
county was only in patches. The
Mission School at Vale Crucis has
fine crop of Ben Davises. The great
Gone orchards at Blowing Rock are
thought to have perhaps $4,000 BUSH
els. These remarks on apples remind
ed Mr.. Bob Taylor, member of the
Board, that he had brought hamper
of Stark's Delicious from his orchard
on the Boone Trail Highway. The
hamper was speedily brought into the
room and during the day the apples
were sampled. One of the local mer-
chants, as he ate magnificent spec
linen, remarked that he had bought
and sold the Delicious apples in his
store but that he had never seen fin
er apples. Mr.. Taylor reports that
he has only half a crop and is selling
them at $1.60 to $3.50 per bushel
in his orchard.
Mr.. Miller, a merchant at Deep
Gap, dropped in on a little business
and remarked that before he left his
store he bought 20 bushels of chest
nuts. He has handled about 100 bush
els this season. The market opened
at zoe per pound but today's quota
tions were three cents. 1t was learn
ed from other visitors that the chest
nut crop was large and very wormy
No meeting of the Board is salts
factory without hearing from the
Cove Creek School, Mr.. j. B. Hor-
ton, one of the Trustees of that in
stitution, was given a few minutes
to tell of the work of his school,. He
stood before the table and gave a
word Of praise for each of the tea