News From Watauga County, Sept. 12, 1906

"Local News" from the Watauga Democrat, Boone, N.C., September 12, 1906

--Wanted at Cottrell's. Nice, fresh butter at 15 cents per pound.

--Mr. John Stanbury has begun work on his new residence near A.T.S.

--Mr. David Bingham, who has been critically ill of fever, is improving.

--Anson Critchner and family, of Mortimer, will move back to their old home at Blowing Rock this week.
--One of the finest seasons Blowing Rock has had in many years is now rapidly coming to a close. Many of the cottagers and a goodly number of boarders, however, are still there.

--Harley, son of Rev. and Mrs. J.H. Brendall, who completed his course at D.&D. School at Morganton this summer, left yesterday for Washington, D.C., where he will enter college. He was accompanied by his father as far as Jamestown, where he will spend a short while at the Exposition.

--Capt. Jones of Lenoir, who did not arrive until Monday night, tells us that the town of Lenoir voted $100,000 bonds on Monday for water works and street improvements. Three cheers for the public spirited, wide-awake, hustling little city!

--Friend Gwynn Church of Valle Crucis was in town Monday. He had the fearful misfortune some time ago to lose one of his eyes by being struck with a fragment of stone hitting him while building a chimney. The other eye is becoming right badly infected and he fears that he will have to go to a hospital and have the sightless orb removed.

--The Bailey Camp Debating Society sends out the following challenge through the Lenoir News: "The Society challenges any three debaters in Caldwell or adjacent counties to meet at Bailey Camp school house to discuss the following question, Resolved, that the earth turns on its axis every 24 hours. We will speak on the negative.

--On Saturday night last during the heavy thunderstorm an old gentleman by the name of Stout, living near the ford of Elk, was returning home from a meeting of the Odd Fellows when his horse became frightened at a vivid flash of lightning, sprang from a bridge some 20 feet high, crushing the rider in a most horrible manner. He was thought to be in a dying condition Tuesday morning.

--Hon. R.Z. Linney made another very strong speech against the Appalachian Park Bill before court convened on Monday a.m ., and Shepherd M. Dugger consumed two hours in the afternoon on Tuesday trying to convince the people that they are not competent to look after the little farms they have wrought out by the sweat of their faces without the interference of the Federal Goverment. This idea to us is most absurd, as we have often said before, but these columns are open to one and all for the discussion of this all-absorbing topic, either for or against.

--The side-walk casualties in town this week have been rather numerous but fortunately none proved serious. Dr. Glenn, good old man that he is, made an attempt to get to our shop to renew his subscription, but down he went on the defective walk, arose out of humor, passed on and we were all the loser. Alfred Morets, Esq., by an unfortunate step, took a plunge into a gulch near the office. Another gentleman on the opposite side of the street, in attempting to mount the platform at the Morets store, was almost instantly hurled to the street with a cracker box adorning his legs. All these little accidents occurred in sight of this office and befell men who never in any way tamper with tanglefoot. All of which goes on to prove that some little work is evidently needed in this highland village.

--Just as we close our forms news comes from the court house that Cline who was on trial for assaulting E.J. Banner, has been found guilty and sentenced to 12 months on the Gaston roads.