Local News in Watauga County, March 12, 1903

Watauga Democrat, March 12, 1903

Local News

Mr.  W.L. Bryan is off to Caldwell this week.

A wonderful March this. No wind or cold so far. The warm, rainy weather continues and the grass is growing nicely. The time for planting is near at hand. Use nothing but fresh and well selected seeds. The frogs are beginning their lonely spring chorus. It seems that they have commenced earlier than they usually do, and it is probable that they “will look through glass windows” yet. The robins often come too soon and find themselves in the midst of howling snow storms and die in large numbers. Easter comes this year the third Sunday in March and we need expect but little settle weather until after that time.

Court convenes here on Monday week.

Drummer S.L. Jenkins of Ashe County was here last week.

Sorry to know that Mrs. John S. Culler has been very ill for some days.

Mr. Herman Wallace of the Wallace Bros. Company of Statesville was in town last week.

Attorney Frank Linney is having lumber delivered for the erection of a law office.

Richard Gragg of Sands has sold his farm to a Mr. Wellborn of Stony Fork, and will seek him a new home beyond the Rockies.

John H. Councill is still alive but is sinking rapidly. He is growing weaker daily, and his death at any moment would be no surprise.

Mr. J.P. Councill and family of Vilas left last week for Hickory. This was one of the choice families of the country and our people are sorry indeed to give them up.

Richard Minton of Blowing Rock has purchased the property of Prof. Francom one mile east of town and will move there early in the spring.

Mrs. Noah Winkler, who has spent the winter here for the purpose of sending her children to school, has moved back to her home at Poplar Grove.

Conley Phillips, son of Mr. John Phillips of Riverside, died at his home on last Thursday of dyptheria. He was 14 years of age and we are told that he was an unusually bright boy.

Our grave yard needs some work done on it this spring. It would be well for the citizens to meet on some day in the near future and do some cleaning up. We certainly should not let our friend’s graves be neglected.

On next Monday the 26^th, I will offer for cash at public auction at my place on Laurel Creek 75 or 100 dozen oats and one or two hay stacks. I have also at home a three-year-old heifer that will come in this spring and that I would sell. Persons wishing to buy will please come prepared to remove purchases on the day of sale. D.F. Horton

Walter Norris of Soda Hill, who was suspected of inflicting the serious wound on the head of Robert Jackson to which we referred last week, was arrested and given a preliminary hearing on Friday of last week and evidence enough was developed to bind him to court.

Frank Linney says that if the gentleman who took possession of his hat at the court house on the first Monday in March will return the same to him, he will gladly exchange and pay some “boot.”

Rev. E.F. Jones will preach his farewell sermon to his congregation here next Sunday. Our people are indeed sorry to give up their much loved pastor. He has sold his property at Zionville and will soon leave for the State of Washington.

Dr. R.D. Jennings of Banner Elk will be at the Blackburn Hotel in Boone during court in the interest of people’s bad teeth. He uses nothing but the best material and all work is done under a positive guarantee.

We must insist that our friends who are in arrears on our books call during court and settle up. This applies to all and we earnestly hope that this call will be cheerfully responded to by our friends, as we just simply must make some collections with which to meet our demands.

Mrs. Maggie Boyden left last Monday for Salisbury in company with her mother and sister, Mrs. Emma Taylor, where she will enter a hospital for treatment. Her many friends feel quite anxious over her condition, but we trust she may soon return to her family must improved, if not entirely well.

On last Saturday one of the “nines” of the Watauga Academy base ball team met some of the champion players of the Willow Dale team on their own ground near Vilas for a match game. Our boys carried off the laurels quite nicely. The defeated players, however, were no willing to give up the contest, and will meet our boys on the diamond near the Academy on Saturday, the 21^st, where they will again try their hands. The public is invited to attend as the game promises to be very interesting.

Bamboo Items

W.G. Todd of Colletsville spent a day or two with his family recently.

Mrs. W.G. Todd is visiting her parents at Middle Cane this week.

Miss Estel Kerley is expected home from Wilkes County soon, where she has been spending the winter.

J.C. Brookshire was over Sunday. He is very uneasy about his brothers in Wester Virginia, as they have not been heard from for quite a while. Mssrs. Phil and Jones and Lay of West Virginia have not been heard from for some weeks. We fear sickness or trouble some way is the cause of their not writing, though we hope the boys are all right.

Married on last Sunday at the home of the bride, Miss Nancy Coffey to Mr. Mack McGarr.

Mrs. John G. Lay has been quite unwell for several days.

J.C. Critcher has bought a farm in Wilkes County and will move there soon.

Miss Dora Critcher who has been spending the winter with relatives in Tennessee, has pneumonia fever.

Master Allen Lay happened to quite a serious accident this week. He was mixing a can of paint when it caught fire, and while blowing out the flames he got his lips so badly singed that he fears his mustache will not make its appearance soon.

                                --J.E.H.

Watauga now has a prohibitary law and the manufacture and sale of brandy as provided for by the Watts bill, will not effect our county. In fact we will have absolute prohibition, which is indeed glorious news for our people who have labored so hard for this end.