Clje Cheroftee S>eout
The Official Organ of Murphy and
Cherokee County. Xorth Carolina
Pi rushed Every Friday
C. W. Bailey Editor-Manager
Mrs. C. W. Bailey Associate Ed.
B. W. Sipe Associate Ed.
Entered in the postoffice at Murphy,
North Carolina, as second class mail
matter under Act of March 3, 1879.
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THE VOICF. OF THE
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SEQUEL TO DANGEROUS ROADS
Editor Scout:
With further reference to my
Scout letter and others which have
appearc i in the Scout as to the vile j
condition of the Old Brasstown Road
I may "icntir:" that en Sundsv, M?.rch
20th. while Mr. Hilary Hampton and
his family were returning from Sun
day School at the Hampton Memor
ial Church, alone this road, their car
ran over the bank and overturned in
the field at the bottom. Fortunately
and solely by the mercy of prov'dence
none of tin party was seriously injur
ed. So far as I have ascerta'ned.
The car of course was badly dam
aged but that is a small matter com
pared with what might have hap
pened.
1 understand that the car was driv
en hy Mrs. Hampton who is well
known as a careful and efficent driv
er, accustomed to the road which she
has to travel every Sunday, when
practicable, in connection with the
work she undertakes in connection
with the Church.
The accident therefore cannot be
attributed to the incompetence or in
experience of the driver and is simp-v
one of the happenings which are in
evitable on a road which is in such
a dangerous state as this one.
The road at present is in a rough,
badly cut up and deeply rutted con
dition, and this accident, happening
at this time, simply corroborates
what has been said by your corre
spondents and shows that the picture
they have drawn is in no way exag
gerated.
How long will the road be allowed
to remain in its present perilous
state, and will we have to wait' un
til somebody is killed or maimed be
fore our commolent officials wake up
and do something. It is solely due
to the lttcl that few people have the
hardihood to venture driving over
this road that more serious accidents
have not already happened.
THOMAS SPENCER.
To The Editor of The Scout:
I was glad to read the letters in
The Scout about the bad state of
the old BVasstovJn Road. I don't
know any road as bad in the county.
Some of the others may be bad in
places, after heavy rain, but ours is
all bad all the time, and we think
that some of the tax money should
be spent to improve our road as well
as the others.
At the meeting of the Road Com
mission on Feb. 9th. at which we
made our complaint, it was said that
certain sums had been paid to cer
tain persons for doing certain work,
but in asking the persons who did
the work, about it they denied hav
ing received near the amounts.
The question is what becomes of
the difference? There should be
somebody to keep check on these
things.
However, we have a new Road
Superintendent now and perhaps he
will do some work on our road and
not spend all the money on his road.
Our road should he dragged right
now as it is in an awful rough state.
Also we hope the county trucks etc.
will be used for the benefit of the
roads and the taxpayers and not us
ed for hauling pulp wood and other
private business of the. county offi-.
cials. These things should not be
allowed in any cases.
I l ope the Scout will continue to
help in letting the people know how
| thngs are being: managed, cftnd it
! wouid do a lot of good if the editor
would publish the real fact as to ex
penditures on roads. This would be
a real service to the people and a
county newspaper should make it its
business to keep the people informed
1 and point out anything wrong.
And the most horrible fact in the
case is that we are paying six men
to spend $10,000.00 a year when one
man of ordinary business ability
could spend twice that amount with
good results, then the expenditure
er than the consumption of road
for real road upkeep would be great
funds by the six officials we call
! Highway Commissioners. %
FRED ^ HAMPTON.
GOOD ROADS
Editor Cherokee Scout:
The writer has been intensily in
terested in several communications
appearing in the columns of your
paper of recent date relative to the
conditions of a road in Murphy Town
ship, which I understand is located
on the west side of the Hiawassee
River and near the town of Murphy.
This is a subject in which I am
vitally intei^sted, having 'spent all
my life in the study and practice of
civil engineering and road construc
tion. 1 have made a careful study
ot' road maintainence under varying
conditions of climate, soil, rainfall,
and other local conditions affecting
the life and usefulness of the road.
1 have in addition to my former
experience in France and Canada,
been engaged in F.ncinpering and
road construction work in the states
of Vermont, New Hampshire, Massa
chusetts, Florida, Louisiana, Missis
sippi, Arkansas, Georgia and North ]
Carolina, I have now in my posse*;- j
sion recomendations from the state
and other road authorities of the sev
eral states certifying as to my ef
ficiency as such.
This extensive expeiience and ob
servation prompts me to believe that
no Nation State, County or commun
ity can properly function and suceed
industriously, agriculturally, religi
ously, intelligently or financially ex
cept where a system of good roads
| are constructed and maintained to
| the extent that the products of the
forest and farms can be marketed at
the least possible expense. Again
our rural citizenship tan not have the
advantages of society, churches and
schools unless we provide means of
travel over a system of good depend
able roads.
If these facts are admitted, the
question arises, HOW CAN WE GET
THE ROADS. The writer came to
Cherokee County about six months
ago, and was attracted with the beau
ty and grandeur of the magnificent
Valley River Country. He located
at the little town of Marble, and soon
became interested in the wonderful
possibilities of Ckeiokee County. I
Isoon formed the acquaintance of ?
community of people residing: or
what Js known as the Rhea settle
ment, on a creek leading out from the
town and following a primitive way
called by the citizens "The Bluff
Road". I was particularly attracted
to this settlement by the beauties of
nature, and the congeniality of its
citizenship. I saw the possibility of
this settlement becoming one of the
leading settlements of this section of
Cherokee County,' but nothing could
be done until they first secured a
good dependable road. I offered
i them my services which a large por
j tion of the people accepted ; then
i the question came up HOW CAN WE
GET THE ROAD, or the money to
build it with. A deligation together
with the writer met with the Chero
i kee County Road Commission who in
formed us that they had no funds
with which to make any permanent
improvements on the roads in Chero
kee County. We were shown the
books and records in the office of the
Secretary and Treasurer; and we dis
covered that the total Road Tax
maintainence fund for the year of
1925, only amounted to $31,872; or
an average of $50.00 per mile for
the maintainence of all of the roads
in Cherokee County. It was further
shown to us that the Commission had
no power to raise money for road
construction or maintainence in ex
cess of this amount except by submit
ting the question of a bond issue to
a vote of the people,. The Commis
sion declined to make such a request
assigning: as their reasons that the |
County was to heavily in debt to con- |
sider other bond i?2?u?rs at l!?i? Li int.
We immediately grasped the situ
ation, and proposed to the Cherokee
County Road Commission that if
they would help us to some explosives
tools and the necessary cash expen
ses incured in the construction of
the road, that we would furnish the
labor. This proposal was accepted
and we have invested in labor at the
usual price paid in this section the
sum of $800.; The Commission has
furnished us explosives and material
and other necessary expenses the
sum of $200 making a total of
$1,000. We have now the greater
portion of this road completed at an
expense to the County of not over
$200; this is a modern road con
structed on a grade, and is a striking
example of ?/hat can be done by co
operation and a determined people.
We believe that if our people
would go to the trouble to investigate
the financial condition of the county
and would co-operate with the Road
Commission instead of criticising
them, and follow the example set by
the Marble people, that it would soon
relieve the situation of plodding in
the mud.
We do not propose to dictate to
the people what they should do to
relieve the situation, but are only i
calling their attention of what can
be done by following the example !
set by the good people of Marble. The i
road is not yet ready for automobile
use, a ten minute walk will show it
all. We respectfully invite the pub
lic to look it over and pass judgment
themselves.
Yours for good roads,
ARCH1LLF du FRESNE. i
Murphy. N. C. 1
March 15, 1U27.
Mr. Editor of Scout:
If you will allow me space in your
valuable paper, I wish to make a
statement in regard to the Hanging
loff ? >a<l which cost $.;u,000. to garde
uboui fifteen years ago. Sine,, that
there ha^ been about :! 1-2 miles ef
this road rocked or surfaced to such
an extent that people can get over
it at all seasons of the year. The re
mainder of this road which is 3 3-4
miles is impassable. There has not
been any work done on this road in
two years that was worth one cent.
The citizens of Hangingdog. Eber
nezer, Boilingspring, Upper Beaver
dam, Davis Creek, Owl Creek all have
to travel this road and we have been
informed that thert ought to be
about $3,000 on hand for the main
tenance of roads in Murphy Town
ship.
The citizens from this section have
made many appeals to the Highway
Commissioners for help and have
made several propositions to get this
road kept passable.
We feel that we are entitled to
more consideration than what we
have had.
The citizens will meet with the
Highway Commission the first of
April. We want a consideration on
this road as it is the only chance for
over fifteen-hundred families to get
to Murphy.
We have as much traffic on this
road when it is in passable condition
as any of the leading roads into Mur
phy.
We have been told that the Post
OfTice Department has been consid
ering discontinuing Murphy Rural
Route on account of bad roads.
Should this be done the people will
have to walk from one to twenty
miles to mail a letter.
Respectfully,
J. B. MULKEY.
SUIT
The Misses Jones, Vernie and
Tempa of Upper Shoal Creek visited
Miss AddSe Parker recently.
* * ?
Mr. John N. Stiles, while razing an
old house one day last week, had the
misfortune of getting his left leg
broken.
? ? *
Mr. John Curtis' family have mov
ed back to their old place near here.
? ? *
Friendship Church has elected Rev
W. G. Sparks for the remainder of
the Assocdational year.
? ? *
Miss Cora McNabb has returned
home from Akron, Ohio.
* ? *
Mr. T. C. Keenum and family of
Ducktown spent Sunday with rela
tives here.
? * *
Mr. N. H. McNabb and family of
Copperhill spent the week-end with
Mr. McNabb's parents, W. L. and
TALKING MACHINES
PHONOGRAPH BARGAINS
"GOOD AS THE BEST. BETTER THAN
THE REST"
BELOW WHOLESALE CHARGES
$1 25.00 Machines 75'^
$150.00 Machines 110'^
$175.00 Machines 125"^
$225.00 Machines 175-00
SEE THEM ON DISPLAY
THEN BUY
J. C. SL0CUMB VARIETY
STORE
"SOMETHING EOR EVERYBODY"
Celia McNabb.
* * *
Messrs. J. J. Hose and Roy Ingram
have returned homo from Graham
county where they have been em
ployed in tunnel work.
a * #
Mr. Irving Collins and family spent
the week-end with Mr. Collins' broth
er, Harrison.
* * *
Mrs. Nacy Picklesimer visited Mrs.
Minnie Ensley recently.
* * ?
Rev. J. P. Decker is away at pres
ent teaching a singing school near
Mineral Bluff, Ga.
* * *
Dr. G. M. Young was called, Sun
day to Mr. W. W. Barton's to see
one of Mr. ITarton's children which
is said to be in a very serious condi
tion with Diptheria
...
Mr. Milton Hensley's family nre
leaving us soon for Greenville, S. C.
...
Mr. Julia McFarland and family of
Hyatt, Tenn., spent .the week-end
with Mrs. McFarland's parents, Mr.
and Mrs. J. B. Johnson.
UPPER BEAVERDAM
Mr. L. D. Garrette spent the week
end with home folks. He had been
gone some ten weeks or so. He left
again not to return until fal.
The Unaka folks are pleased with
the work Henry Bryson and Wade
Lovingood did on the roads last Wed
nesday. They filled all mud holes
with rocks.
Mr. Fred Radford spent Saturday
night with home folks. He says busi
ness is awful good at Davis Creek.
The Wild Racion is at work in
Tennessee, as Fire Warden. He is
making fifty dollars per month.
Mr. Garland Radford has joined
Fred Radford at Davis Creek in busi
ness.
The roads are petting good. Miss
Etta Garrette says she hopes that
Huey BVvson will motor to Upper
Beaverdam soon.
Miss Etta Garrete has captured her
two nice grey squirrels. She has
gone into the hunting business.
Mr. Luther Woody made a business
trip to Jeffry Tenn.
Mis Cassie Allen spent Saturday
night with Florence Harton.
Miss Etta Garrette's little dog is
very ill with its broken leg, which has
been broken a year.
The wild Rucions wife spent last
Tuesday with Mrs. L. D. Garrotte.
The many friends are sorry to
kncrw of the departue of Fred Allen.
Mr. Glenn Dockery and James
Young were pleasant visitors at Up
per Beaverdam Saturday.
Mr. Frank Crawford was a pleas*
ant visitor at W. S. Clayton's Friday
night.
Little Galey Dockery's wife heard
from him. He was in Lenchburg,
Ky. We are hoping he wil return
soon.
Mis Ethel Clayton was accompani
ed by Glenn Dockery, Jewel Young,
Sidney Radford and Etta Garrette
Sunday.
Hey, you Murphy boys, the roads
are getting good. Why don't you
motor to Upper Beaverdam. We
would be glad to see you all.
Mr. Walter Dockery is busy farm
ing, says he is going to do his best
this year.
PROCRASTINATION ? In many instances causes grief
* '
sorrow and remorse.
WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO
DO ABOUT IT?
Suppose your wife and children were out for a ride
car skidded off the road into a ditch and turned over.
one of your children was penned under the car and
could not be released until help came. Suppose the
gasoline tank or pipe line would spring a leak and
catch on fire ? What would it he worth to your wife
if she could grasp the handy little Fyr-Fyter and snuff
out the fire in an instant?
Ask yourself this question ? Would insurance save
your child from a horrible death?
See
J. W. AXLEY
Representing
THE FYR-FYTER COMPANY
Dayton, Ohio
Approved extinguishers of all types for
Your Car ? Your Business ? Your Home
PHONE 73 MURPHY, N.