Thursday, June 23, 1938 (EIjf (Chmikrr ?rmxt Official Organ of Murphy and Cherokee County, North Carolina PI BUSHED FI ERY THURSDAY AtUered in Hie Post Office ai Murphy, North Carolina, w second class matter under Act of March 3, 1891. SAM CARR Editor I. A. LEE Ouner and Business Manager SUBSCRIPTION PRICE joe Year $1.50 Six Month." .75 Payable Strictly in Advance Legal advertisements, want ads, Trading notices, obiuaiies. cards of thanks, etc., 5c a line each insertion, -arable in advance. Display rates furnished on request. Muiphy. North Carolina. Thursday. June 2J. 1933 OUR PRESSING NEED A authority on conununity betterment planning recently visit, d Cherokee county. In connection with his duties he discussed a number of pohlcms designed to make Murphy and Cherokee county more advantageously aces. Sible t North Carolina's swelling tourist trade. Many logi al deductions wer made which ill time. ie ?ciroiii.i lti-rtvp Vfiv foeneficial to the county. n praviiww , Ijitcr when the survey is ciM.if.ktc:! it '? planned to pre sent i: in detail in an effort to follow out the theoretical principles proposed. But on important problem which was appa rontly j overlooked. <>! which iliil not come under the jurisdiction < r the proposals, is the local highway situation. It has l,i n repeat idly pointed out that Murphy serves . as a hut'" of five important main highways. Inasmuch as four of the?** b ad directly into the state, visitors gain j th ir first impressions of North Carolina here. Two of the most important of the five highways are ir a sad state of affairs, and another, fortunately, will \ < u be opened to take care of all kinds of traffic. hlb fere nee is specially made to the highways leading int.. Murphy from Georgia and Tennessee. The condi: ?>n the Culberson-Blue Ridge road has often been i brought to attention in the past. The Duektown Basin | highway f rom tin* state line to Ocoee is also unpaved an ! uninviting to the tourist. At long last it appears that improvements on the Ashevil'e highway will soon be ended and that traffic will flow from that section unimpeded But at Murphy i s entic ment ends. It appears that, no matter what iho kick may be against th,. North Carolina highway division, they hav more than met their obligations to the neighboring stat-of Tennessee and Georgia. Th fiist aim of Cherokee county citizens, therefore, should be to implore the Surrounding states to improve their highways leading to North Carolina's state line; and in that one movement, it is felt, Cherokee county's most pressing problem will have been met. As for the road leading to the Hiwassce Dam, extensive improvements can be expected soon. At least we hope so! mr 9 * * * A NEW "COMMUNITY BUILDING" It appears at this time that Murphy will soon have its long-awaited community building, gymnasium, public building, or call it what you will. Many have generously loaned their cooperation to this project. The county and town of Murphy have agreed to jointly sponsor the project. Definite plans for the project have been dawn; and the fedeal appropriation at this time seems a certainty. It is hoped soon to give more complete and detailed information to this important public building. Roughly the sketcho f the project includes a large assembly room appropriate for a public gathering or basket- I hall court; a kitchen; several smaller adjoining rooms that' / on k/> ni'/irl ? ? . ? * * uovu iui a iiujiiuci ui purposes, ana snowers. INFANT DEATH RATES IN CHEROKEE COUNTY The ever-interesting University of Nothr Carolna "News Letter" presents, in its most recent issue, some figures very flattering to Cherokee county. According to a table Cherokee county ranks second of the hundred counties of the state in low rate of child mortality during the year 1936. There were 443 births rerorded in this county during that year. Of this number 14 died giving the county a death rate of 31.6 per 1,000 births. The lowest county had a death rate of 29.1, and rates increased for the 100 counties to 123.8. An interesting note accompanying the table stated: I "Note especially the low death rate in most mountain counties and high rates in many extreme eastern counties." Thus one gathers from this table that the old, moun. tain country is still a mighty fine place to live. The Cherokee Scout, Murphy, North G ANTI RANSOM LAW IN KIDNAPING DISCUSSED Most of us will expi rience a sorrowful gratification at the speed with which the death sentence was meted ut by the Florida court to the kidnaper and murderer of :> vear-old "Skecgie" Cash. Coming as it did only nineteen days after the kidnaping was discovered, it seems likely that a new record has been set in cases of this character. Meantime, the succession of brutal kidnapings throughout the country is bringing home to all of us the validation that, even with the splendid work of the Fed lal men worthy of all the praise it receives, a kidnaping case that is marked "closed", with the victim dead, is i r-'. i d siiiv wav hut hannilv or iustlv. Observers of our difficulties with this particular phase of crime are more and more strongly averring that, r;o matter how proficient our agencies for tracking down the heartless kidnapper, the necessity for their activity will continue to arise so long as there is a chance for the criminal to exort money in the process. There is no way to remove the possible profit element, in this view, except to make it illegal to pay a ransom. The regulation would naturally stop the practice, in which both local officials and Federal men for obvious and creditable human reasons join, of giving the kidnaper a sort of official "King's X" until the family of the victim lias made contact and, if possible, paid a ransom for the return of a loved one. Canadian police enforce regulations to this effect, r.nd this position seems to us to be worthy of the consid. ; ration of our legislators. Certainly we are not doing a very good job on the basis we are on and if there is a possibility of improvement it may be wise to try new measures. . In a nutshell, the changes proposed would seem to pose thL. question. "Is it worth while to subject n fe\* parents and a few kidnap victims to the extra hazards which these changes would mak inevitable, with the hope that this extra hazard would become a lasting contribution to the greater safety of others who also might be threatened with the cruel menace of kidnaping??Knoxville Journal. THF N ANT AH Al A N ATIHN A1 PORF^T A great deal of interesting material i.s being distri- J hutcd free lately by the officials of the Nantahala Nationa1 Forest. It is significant to note thatthe Nantahala National Forest i.s coming rapidly to the front as one of the most publicized and one of the most delightful governmert conservation and recreation grounds in the country. The literature descibes, for the most part, the many attractions to be found in its confines. Few of us who live in or near the Nantahala National Forest realize the many wonderful opportunities it offers for picnicing and camping, firgin timber, fishing and hunting and its gorgeous scenery. The Joyce Kilmer Memorial Forest, the John B. Rryne Memorial tower, the Winding Stairs with its high, mountain waterfalls?these and many more attractions await but a short visit to thrill any lover of nature. Information and literature may be obtained by writ, ing to Ranger William Nothstein at Andrews, N. C., or to the Nantahala National Forest headquarters, Franklin. N. C. Let's tell our friends of the awe-inspiring Nantahala National Forest. "TAKE CARE OF TODAY" Our friend, G. W. Candler, submitted this article under the above caption which he recently found in an issue of "The Dixietvoe": "Once a famous writer wrote,? "Our grand business undoubtedly is: not to seek for that which lies dimly in the I future, but to do that which lies clearly at hand." Now isn't that good, plain common sense. Such adIvice is worth listening to, for if the business man of today could banish his fear of what tomorrow might bring, we'd all see a different trend of affairs in today's business world. "We hear of wars, and rumors of wars. We heaT of ruinous government regulations, and of unheard of taxation. We hear of labor movements, political battles, and business monopolies. "So we sweat and stew ami cramp our wee minds full of fears for the future. When all in the world we reed to do is to quit worrying about tomorrow and do the task of today. "Let that which is dimly in the future take care of itself. Let us be concerned with that which lies clearly at hand. Thus shall we save ourselves a passel of gray hairs and replace our worried minds with peace and contentment" arolina J. T. Hayes, c Second Olde^ In Nation, Rc Has Served Actively in Than 56 Years; Fathei The distinction of being: the second oldest postmaster, from the standpoint of service, in the United States belongs to Jefferson T. Hayes, of Tomotla. Cherokee county, who has ser. ved actively in that capacity for more than 56 years. When the post office was established some few years before 1860, Mr. Hayes* father, George W. Hayes. Sr., was appointed first postmaster. The post office was discontinued dur ing the War between the States how. ever and George W. Hay is, Jr., served as postmaster from its re.establishment in 1868 until 1870. These facts and liianv interest inc phases of the colorful life of the Haves family were divulged recently when Mr. Hayes* record of service was called to the attention of Wythe M. Peyton, Ashevilie postmaster and president of the North Carolina Association of postmasters. Mr. Peyton inquired of the post office i serve a large rural co nun unity, and Mr. Hayes was named postmaster. | In 1861, however, it was necessary to discontinue the post office during the War between the Suites when acts of lawlessness were prevalent. Tho elder Hayes went to war. He was captain of the 22nd North Caro- j liiia cavalary, and formed the second company. He served from 1861 until! IXAS A f ? *- ? * 1 ..vine mi xuuougn. lio saw l ho need for added protection for women and children. So he began n tedious trek to Raleigh to attend a session of the general assembly. Stopping over in Franklin, however, he. became seriously ill and died. From 1808 until 1870 George W. Hayes, Jr., acted as postmaster. He gave up the position to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Tells Of Experiences When "Jeff" Hayes took over the post office in 1882, it was one of the few in Western North Carolina, although post offices had been established in Murphy and at Valleytown (now Andrews) a distance of 18 miles. In a recent letter to Mr. Peyton, Mr. Hayes pointed out many of the interesting changes that have taken place in his post office and in the United States mail service since that time. Back in those days the mail was carried from Ashcville to Franklin one day, and on to Murphy the next. I This two-day service was contrasted with the six hours it requires a letter t to be carried between these two j points today. "Then we had no central o~ 4 ^ uvvuuai* I ing office," Mr. Hayes said '"At the end of each quarter we settled up with the mail contractor. If I was due the government anything I paid it to the mail contractor and took his receipt for it- In turn I took his receipt and sent that in with my quarterly report. Then we got 60 per cent of all the stamps we sold. The mail was all in one big bag. I had to look over all the mail to find out what was Murphy." "I was allowed 15 minutes to sort the mail end many cold nights we gave the mail carrier a cup of hot coffee and something to eat while he waited for the mail to be sorted." Not until the Southern railway was built through the Nantahala gorge and extended to Tomotla did the horseback rider mailman give way to more modern rueiiiods. Many tales of hardships that the horseback carriers had to suffer are recalled by Mr. Hayes. "A number of times," he said, " I had to knock his (tho mail carrier's) feet loose from >f Tomotla, Is I >t Postmaster I icords Reveal I This Capacity For More I r Was First Postmaster 1 he frozen stirrups of his saddle. I Citizen Was Weekly I "People would come on :??ol or I horseback for miles to get their mail. 3 The Asheville Citizen was hen a I weekly paper and the day tlu- paper | came they would come for nr.Vs tr> I I hear the news. Then we had ro tele. I 1 erarh office, no nV?on*> _ . r ?- oiuy way of communication was by letter. There were no paved road and no snow scrapers, and many times the mail carrier could not cross th? Nantahala mountains on account f the deep .snow between Fran"- and Murphy. Mr. Hayes said he serves as many people now as he did back in his first days due to a more thickly >.tiled population. I The aped postmaster said hi does not recall any of the mail carriers ever having: been held up or lobbed or meeting with any serious accident during: the lonely and dangr< over the mountain wilds. "Wh\ there was not one hundredth of devilment in those days that there is today," [ he asserted- ''Nobody ever heard tell 1 of kidnaping or such things.*' He reI calls that one of the most popular | and longest-serviny mail riders wsa Will Enloe. Although Mr. Hayes' duties prohibit I him from taking any activ ; art in ! any political campaigin or holding any other public office, his judgment of community affairs is highly respected throughout this section. Many visitors come to sec him at his home which is on a hill about 100 yard- off the highway and overlooks the broad Valley River valley. Meaning It Unknown The name, Tomotla, is an Italian word, Mr. Hayes explained, but its meaning is unknown T.oeal however, never think of the name without connecting the name of 4 Jeff" Hayes with it, for he is one of the best-known men in ( h- > :ce county. Mr. Hayes' father, who cm . to Cherokee county as an orphan <52 from Georgia to live with iv; tivt., served in the slate legislature 1G years. The late A. H- Ha. a brother served eight years in the 1'. gis. lature from Swain county. The elder Hayes introduced the "ill i* the general assembly that bn -ht the first public highways int. his section of the state. In those days, Mr. Hayes said, the land was so high that it was almost impossible to buy property to build roads. So under Mr. Hayes* plait the slate purchased all the property, and would give so much land to pe^ons who would build a public highway ; through it. That was back in the times of slavery and slaves were ?-cd to a great extent on reod work. Mr. Hayes the youngest of nine children has two sisters living in Cherokee county. After divorcing her husband, who was out of work, Mrs. Mary Ridden of Kansas City sent him $25 with her "best wishes." Don't Blame the Car Less than 10 per cent of the fatal and non-fatal crashes on our highways last year were causca by mechanical failure, according to The Travelers Insurance Company's analysis of the 1937 automobile accident experience. In more than 90 per cent of th accidents, the vehicle was fotito have Wen in apparently Co condition. The trouble lay human failure. 'In the vast majority of cases is the driver or the pedestrian ar. not the car that causes aceidT: -.