Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1927-01-13
News of a Week
At Blowing Rock
Insurance Man Visits Town Relative
to Revising Insurance Rates Be-
cause of New Water System
SCHOOL BUILDING CONTRACT
Not Likely to Be Let Before Legisla-
ture Adjourns; Site Has Been
Selected
BY RUPERT GILLETT


Blowing Rock, Jan. 12.-R. A.
Myers, representing the Southeastern
Underwriters Association at Atlanta,
Ga, was in Blowing Rock Wednesday
of last week comforting with Mayor
George Sudderth and examining the
new water system and fire truck with
view to revising the insurance rates
of the town.
Blowing Rock is now in the fourth
class, but it is hoped that as a result
of Mr.. Myers report it will be placed
in higher class.
Mr.. Myers made survey of all
the water lines, reservoirs and wells
in the new system, tested the valves
and pressures and examined the fire
truck. He declined to say what his
port would be, but it is believed
thai it will be favorable.
Fire Alarm Equipment Received
The apparatus for the Blowing
Rock fire alarm system arrived Fri
day. AS the siren tower is already
erected, it is expected that the alarm
system can be installed by the time
the new fire station is completed.
Work on the new station is pro-
crossing rapidly. The walls of the
second floor are erected, and the
-orm sheeting is being put on them
No Contract Now for New School
1t is probable that the contract for
the Blowing Rock-Sandy Flat-Silver
| Lake consolidated school building will
not be let before the legislature ad-
journs, said Smith Hagaman, county
superintendent of education, last
week. Only little money remains
in the county building fund, Mr..
Hagaman explained. 1t was at first
thought that the money for the build
ing could be raised by a special tax
on the consolidated district, but there
seems to be some legal obstacle to
this procedure, which only the legis-
lature can remove.
The site for the building as agreed
on by committees from the three dis
tricts last week will be the grounds
Of the present Blowing Rock school,
with the addition of tract given by
The town and another donated by
Councilman N. C. Greene. This will
make between four and five acres for
the school grounds, it is said. First
plans called for a building costing
$o5, 900, but in view of the legal tan
gle, thi, may be revised.
Water Shoots into the Air
After 275 pounds of dynamite were
exploded in the Green Hill well Sat-
urday, column of water was thrown
nearly a thousand feet into the air.
Immediately after the blast water
could be heard running into the well
in large volume. The we'll is 401 feet
deep and is the third in the city's
chain of wells to supply the water
system.
Town Bids in Property Sold for Taxes
Nobody wants land of which the
owners think so little as to neglect
to pay the taxes on it. Monday, A.
NJ. Critcher offered for sale num-
Der of pieces of property to satisfy
unpaid taxes and costs totaling
$4219O. Not one bid did he receive.
And so he bid the property in for the
town.
To Extend City Limits
Cyrus C. Babb, consulting engineer
has completed the survey of the new
town limits for presentation to the
general assembly in connection with
the bill for the annexation of Green
Park and Mayview Park. If the bill
is passed, it will add nearly square
mile to the town limits, Mr.. Babb
said, and 100000 to its tax valua-
tions, according to the town tax col
lector, A. M. Critcher.
Death of Mrs. Martha Greene
Through an oversight, the corre-
spondent failed to report the death
last month of Mrs. Martha Greene,
who died at an advanced age at her
home here.
AS Mrs. Green has many relatives
who subscribe to The Democrat who
have not yet learned of her death, it
is regretted that this oversight oc-
Cured
Esthetes of Blowing Rock may
now sleep easily. Just as they were
bewailing the towns lack of artistic
sensibilities in erecting an unsightly
standpipe on one of the towns most
beautiful hills, it was suggested that
pines may be planted around the
standpie to hide it. But esthetes are
hard to please. Pines, they say,
grow slowly, and meanwhile the hill
is crowned with black cylinder Wis
ible for miles.