Wwthtf
Variable cloudlneai and a
little warmar today and Friday
7 with acatterad mostly after
noon and evening thunderaho
wera. Low today, 61; high, 88.
The FralikMn Times
nil ? I I C ? J a T I J... 1 I ^ V I- .,1 A i ? -
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday ' ^ Serving All Of Franklin County
Yqur Award Winning County Newspaper
Industry
Education
Agriculture
T*l. 0Y 6-3283
Ten Cents
Louisburg, N. C., Thursday, June 29, 1967
(12 Pages Today)
98th Year? Number 38
Wilder
Gillispie
Seven Paths Native Honored
M/Sgt. Harry K. Glllisple of the local Army staff Is shown above, right, following the
presentation of the ARMY COMMENDATION MEDAL to Specialist Four E-4 Johnnie C.
Wilder of Route 4, Loulsburg. The medal was presented to the Seven Paths native for the
through December 1966.
The citation reads: "Through his outstanding professional competence and devotion to
duty SP-4 Wilder consistently obtained superior results working long and arduous hours,
he set an example that Inspired his associates to strive for maximum achievement. The
loyalty, initiative and will to succeed that he demonstrated at all times materially con
tributed to the successful accomplishment of the mission of his command. His perfor
mance was In the best traditions of the United States Army and reflects great credit upon
himself and the military service." ''
Wilder is the son of Mr. and Mrs. W. R. Wilder of the Seven Paths Community.
Mrs. and Mr. Marvin Edwards
Supt. Warren Smith
Chairman Horace Baker
School Maintenance Chief Retires
Marvin Edwards, superin
tendent of maintenance for
Franklin County Schools, ends
a 43-year career at the close
of the workday Friday. He
was first employed by the
county In the road department
In June of 1924. A few years
later he Joined the school
staff where he has served
since.
The Franklin County Board
of Eduactlon, Superintendent
of Schools, Warren Smith and
co-workers of Edwards
honored the veteran main
tenance chief at a banquet
Wednesday night at the Mur
phy House here.
Man Held
In Shooting
Sheriff William T. Dement
reported this morning that
Elijah Alston, c/m/27 of Ne
. , wark, N. J., Is lodged in the
local Jail without bond In the
Wednesday night shooting of
his brother, Eugene Alston of
Washington, D. C. Alston Is
charged with assault with In
tent to kill.
Both men were visiting here
following the funeral of their
brother. The shooting took
place In Isinglass section of
Franklin County on Route 3,
Lonlsburg.
Sheriff Dement reported the
two men entered into an ar
gument ei an undisclosed na
ture and that Elijah Alston
shot his brother with a shot
gun. Eugene Alston, aeoordlng
to the Sheriff, is in serious
eoaditioa In Duke Hospital with
wounds of the lower stomach.
Smith presented the re
tiring employee with a framed
resolution signed by and pre
sented in the name of the
Board of Education, denoting
Edwards' long period of ser
vice.
Reading the resolution
Smith stated: "..the Super
intendent and the Board of
Education, having a special
knowledge of the fine and un
selfish service rendered by
this employee, wish to give
expression of our appreciation
tor him."
Smith also told of the ser
vice over the years saying,
"In these many years,
weather conditions were never
too severe or vacations, boll
days, nights, Sundays too Im
portant to keep him from a
leaking roof, ? broken water
line, a blown motor, a faulty
beating system or whatever
the problem."
He also cited Edwards for
exceptional service during the
depression and war years.
Mrs. Edwards and the
couple's children were special
guests. Bis co-workers pre
sented him with special gifts
of fishing gear and all wished
him a happy retirement.
County Budget
Details Revealed
\
As expected, operation of th?
schools In Franklin County
Is the largest single Item
In the new tentative budget,
approved last week and made
public Tuesday. A four cent
increase In Current Expense
moves the amount budgeted for
this department from
9276,341.36 In the 1966-67
year to $296,436.20 In the
fiscal year beginning July 1.
Capital Outlay for school*
gained ground due to increased
valuation, although no In
crease was made In the 33
cent tax levy.
All departments received In
creases In the new budget
over last year except the Tax
Department which dipped from
$37,758.00 last year to
931,210.00 in the new budget.
Some reflection here might
be noted aa due to the work
involved In revaluation last
year.
The County Home budget was
eliminated since the property
was sold some time ago. This
amounted to 99,660.00 in 1966
67, not Including repairs.
Host noticeable In the
massive array- of figures Is
the fact that almost every
body connected with the county
received some amount of pay
increase. The amounts varied
according to the positions and
the departments. Some de
partments came out better
than others and there were
some personnel who did get
an Increase.
The largest percent of In
crease apparently came In the
Sheriffs Department, which
had an additional deputy added;
plus the normal pay Increases
and raises in travel allow
ance. This budget Jumped from
926,815.00 last year , to
936,700.00 in the coming fiscal
year.
Other courthouse offices
also had due budget increases.
The Clerk of Court's office
moves from 925,500 to 929,350
and the Register of Deeds
Office goes from 917,949 to
918,340. The Recorder's
Court stays the same at 99,700
although the Judge and Solici
tor are to get pay raises.
Increased valuation and a
downward adjustment In the
amount budgeted for Jurors
held the overall figure at the
' same level.
The Veteran's Service Of
ficer, the County Accountant
and the custodian all receive
raises in the new budget.
The courthouse repairs sec
tion remains almost the same
as last year. Increased valua
tion moves the figure up from
?V " ??f ? V? " ?V " " VW
County Tax Valuations By Townships
Township
Dunn
Harris
Younggvllle
Frankllnton
Hayesvllle
Sandy Creek
Gold Mint
Cedar Rock
Loulsburg
Cypress Creek
Balance of Excesi
Total !
1966
9 4,453,989
3,807,639
3,363,421
8,537,944
2,517,393
2,771,291
2,057,164
3,865,869
12,638,747
1,682,490
? Not Listed >
146.631.075
1967
$ 5,004,819
4,070,403
3,495,723
9,268,646
2,542,071
2,834,950
2,078,133
3,926,076
13,208,710
1,713,277
Ibove 633,801
$48,776,609
Gain
9 550,830
262,764
132,302
730,702
24,678
63,659
20,969
60,207
569,963
30,787
9 2,145,534
?12,283 to >12,818.90.
The Industrial Development
Director receives a $600
? alary Increase and the Com
mission's secretary gets a
$300 Jump. The overall budget
for the Industry-hunting de
partment moves from $17,602
See BUDGET Page 8
Fire Destroys Pearce Home
A (Ire of undisclosed origin completely destroyed the home of Mr. and Mrs. Russell Pearce
In the Pearce's Community Wednesday morning around 2 a.m. Ail contents of the home were
also burned.
Mr. and Mrs. Pearce, according to reports, were spending the night with a daughter a few
miles from the scene of the fire.
J, W. Perry, Jr., Pearce's businessman, said he saw the flames around 2:30 a.m. from the
window of his home a short distance away and reported that the house was completely engulfed.
Sheriff William T. Dement said Wednesday only that his office was Investigating the blaze.
Neighbors Interviewed Wednesday morning raised some questions that arson might be in
volved. The fact that A, E. Pearce, State Fire Investigator, was on the scene Wednesday with
Deputy Sheriff David Batten points up this possibility. -
Sheriff Dement reported this morning that the investigation is continuing, saying he had
nothing further to report.
Franklinton
Principal
Resigns
Darwin H. Sowers, who has
been Principal of Frankllnton
High School during the 1966-67
school year, has resigned that
position to accept another ad
ministrative post In the state.
In a letter to Superintendent
Rogers and the Board of Edu
cation, Mr. Sowers stated:
"I have enjoyed my stay
here and T shall never forget
the warm friendships and the
fine co-operation I have en
countered here both from pro
fessional personnel and from
the patrons of the school."
Mr. Sowers has been elected
to the high school principal
ship in Madlson-Mayodan. He
Is expected to assume his new
responsibilities sometime
during the month of July.
General r
Griffin
Honored
General Edward F. Griffin
returned to his office today
from Lexington, Kentucky,
where the Department Of De
fense cited him for Distin
guished Service to the nation
as Director of North Carolina
Civil Defense.
Griffin, who will retire June
30, attended the annual con
ference of the National As
sociation of State Civil De
fense Directors In Kentucky
last weekend. He also re
ceived a Certificate of Com
mendation from the South
eastern Region of Civil De
fense for "sound Judgment
and advice on national civil
defense programs" and a gift
from his colleagues In the
National Association.
Farm Home Administration Office
Here Passes $1 Million Loan Mark
The Farm Home Adminis
tration office here has loaned
over $1 million this year,
according to Tom Marshall,
local office manager. Mar
shall disclosed Wednesday
that the federal agency has
already passed the 91,010,000
mark for the fiscal year ending
Friday.
The figure does not reflect
the $440,000 loan already ap
proved for the Town of Frank -
Unton for water supply im
provement. Frankllnton has
also received approval of
$100,000 In federal grant.
According to Marshall and
Mrs. Lucille Ford, who com
plied the figures, the agency
has conducted 41 home build
ing loans and all houses are
either under construction pre
sently or are already com
pleted. The amount of money
loaned for this purpose was
listed at $380,000.
There have been 13 farm
loans. These were described
as being used for the purpose
of equipment and other neces
sities where the local office
controls the budgeting of tt^e
money. Thlrty-slx loans were
made under the Economic Op
portunity section. These loans
aiV designed to raise the stan
dard of living of those seeking
the funds. Mrs. Ford said
these consisted of such things
as setting up someone In a
shop fbr mechanics, barberlng
or trucking. Some of the loans
In the county have gone to
purchase pulpwood trucks,
she said. *
Seventy - seven operating
loans were made In the past
year. These were described
as being (or the purpose of
financing the purchase of
fertilizer, equipment and
other needs found in the opera
tion of farms or other
ventures.
In addition 44 loans were
made under the emergency
section of the program.
Franklin County, because of
the extreme drought last sum
mer, was declared a disaster
area and thereby eligible for
such emergency help.
The emergency loan* could
be acquired by anyone In need,
according to Marshall. Other
loans are made only when
private agencies are unable
to make such loans for reasons
of security or poor credit
risks.
The 1965-96 total loans from
the local office were reported
at $617,000 and the over-91
million figure testifies to the
growth of the local office and
the part It Is playing In the
overall economy of the area.
The loans already made are
but a part of the overall pro
gram of the Farm Home
See MILLION Page 8
-Confusion Reigns As By-Pass Gets New Dress
"Slow . . . Stop . . . Ah, go on. Q?t yourself killed." The man
itood there. A red rag in one hand. In the other he held, ever eo
tenderly a sign attached to a (tick. The den read "Slow" on one
aide. "Stop" waa printed In red on the other.
Blckett Boulevard was getting a new dreaa. The old one haa
been tattered and torn (or year*. And the fitting process was
something to behold.
Shakespeare wrote: "... laugh af s while we strut to our
confusion." He could have said many things about Lou la burg
thla week. Confusion did not only reign ... It took complete
charge.
Cars, containing Irate? to say the least?drivers, were lined
up from one end of the two-mile strip to the other. Perhaps
"lined up*' Is not the exact phrase. Scattered Is more likely.
Undoubtedly the flagmen will, any day now, be receiving their
Oscars for stellar performances. There are as many accounts
of the adventure of getting from one place to another In town
this week as there are registered vehicles.
Careful, if not thorough, Investigation reveals, however, that
there is no truth to the rumor that a man starved to deeth one
block from his home while waiting In line last Tuesday. A
number did get lost, but to date, there have been no real ?
casualties. Unless, of course, you consider a tew busted egos.
At one time here Tuesday, traffic waa traveling tba by-pass?
at the usual 10 mil as over the apeed limit pace? almost like a
by Clint Fuller
Times Managing Editor
normal day. The only chance noted was that car* whlcn usually
travel In the right lanes were traveling In opposite lanes. This
made little sense, but when It became three-Ian ed traffic on a
two-lane highway, sense was even less apparent.
Almost everyone had an angle as to how to avoid the flagman.
Private driveways and dirt streets carried a heavy burden of
traffic. This, we believe, Is where some became lost. Just as
the lumbering machine rolled and packed, cars were scooting
over the freshly asphalted patches marring the sleek smoothness
with Tiger paws. This did absolutely nothing to endear local
motorists to the overheated driver of the machine.
One would be hard put to venture even a guess as to where
the directors of trsfflc obtained their training. Some say In a
nut house. But, we say this Is unkind. Kindergarten perhaps,
out house no.
Picture, If your stomach can stand It, a man standing at a
most busy Intersection containing a stop light; four lanes
entering with two of those sneaky cutoffs which some day, some
where, and somehow are going to cause some real fender
sending.
There he stands. Ever so bravely. His bright orange Jacket
shines like a badge of sheer courage. He Is the master of all
he sees. The trouble comes In the fact that there Is very little
the man watches. This, It follows, leads to his seeing very
little.
One man. A two-sided sign. A six-pronged Intersection. And
a working atop light. Get the picture? Confusion, chaos, disaster.
Add to this a pilot car, mix well with a few dozen crazy drivers
and you get some Idea of the by-pass highway the past few days.
Adding some degree of enlargement to the problem, the Main
Street bridge, only other north-south artery In town, was
partially blocked while workmen painted the railings. Just bow
It was decided to do this on the same day as the blocking of the
by-pass has not been easy to figure out. Particularly since the
bridge railings have not been painted In twenty years.
However, all seems to be well today. The by-pass, still
having the last minute alterations, hemming, stitching and
self-appraisal going on, Is about dressed. She looks extremely
nice and the confusion will soon be forgotten. That is, the
Blekett Blvd. confusion will be. Because, glory be, they've
started today on Main Street.
Who was that tallow that said you can't get there from here?
He's right. If you have any doubts, lust try to get from home to
office. See you. Probably In a nearby ditch. You bring (ke
sandwiches.
Epsom Man Drowns
A 70-year-old HayegvlUe
Township man became the se
cond drowning victim In the
county in four days, Wednec
day whan his body was dis
covered In a (arm pond on
hit (arm around' 10 a.m.
Franklin Madison Ayscue o (
Rt. 1, Henderson had been
moving some lumber around
the pond, *ccordlng to reports,
and (ell in. James H. Ed
wards, county Coroner, ruled
the death accidental. Further
details at the accident were '
not available this morning.
He was a member o t the
Liberty Christian Church and '
was a native ot Franklin Coun
ty.
Funeral services will be
conducted Friday at 11 a.m.
at Liberty Christian Church
by the Rev. John Allen. Burial
will be In the church ceme
tery.
Surviving are his wife, lira.
Sarah Dent Ayscue; three
sow, Joseph F. and Charles
& Ayscue, both ot Rt 1,
Henderson, a ad Sidney N.
Ayscue of Rt. 2, Henderson;
one daughter, Mrs. Earl Bo*
nsr ot Aurora, 5, Ca three
sisters, Mrs. w. D. Foster,
Mrs. C. a Eaves Mi Mrs.
R. E. Eaves, all ot Rt. 1,
Hndtnoo; and sis grs*S*
children.