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Mostly sunny and warm to
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noon thundershowers. Low to
[ day, lower 60*s; high, middle
80* s.
The FraHSMh Times
* ? All Al i- !!?_ /?
READ
"WHERE, OH WHERE
IS CONGRESS"
PAGE 4 TODAY
Published Every Tuesday- & Thursday ' ^ Serving All Of Franklin County
Your Award Winning County Newspaper
Tel. Gy 6-3283
Ten Cents
Louisburg, N. C., Thursdoy, August 17, 1967
(Ten Poges Today)
98th Year-Number 52
FRANKLIN SHERIFF WILLIAM T. DEMENT, ACCOMPANYING LOUISBURG RESCUE UNITS,
VIEWS FALLEN WARRENTON WATER TOWER.
Fire And Rescue Units Aid Warrenton
Fire fighting units from practically
every department In Franklin County
answered the Town of Warrenton's
frantic call for help Tuesday night as
the neighboring community suffered
the biggest fire loss in Its history.
Fire units from Loulsburg, Frank
llnton, Justice, Centervllle, Epsom and
Bunn were dispatched to the scene.
Three water tankers were sent from
the Bunn Prison Camp and two units
of the Loulsburg Rescue Service tra
veled to Warrenton when the call came
for "all available ambulances."
The 21,000 sq. ft. Warren Furniture
Exchange warehouse on Franklin and
Bragg Streets was completely de
stroyed by the blaze. The loss was
tentatively placed Tuesday night at
between 9200,000 and 9500,000, In
cluding the town water tank which
collapsed during the fire.
It was following the destruction of
the town's only water supply that the
Fire Department sent out a call for
"all available help." Response came
from South Hill, Va., Mecklenburg
County, Va., Rocky Mount, Klttrell,
Mlddleburg, Littleton, Halifax County,
Roanoke Rapids and several other
communities plus the units from
Franklin County.
The fire was reportedly spotted by a
passer-by at 8:50 p.m. and spread
swiftly through the furniture and ap
pliance laden structure. Heat from
the flames caused the giant legs sup
porting the 75,000 gallon elevated water
tower to weaken, toppling the massive
tank and water onto the residential
street. Force from the falling struc
ture scattered metal over a wide area,
knocking out the front of three houses
sitting across the street and spilling
tons of water onto the street and into
the dwellings.
Five persons were reported Injured,
Including at least two firemen, one of
whom was identified as Willie Joe
Roberson. Another man, not a fire
man, Identified as Grady Moseley, was
also taken to Warren General Hospital,
according to spectators on the scene.
The building, formerly owned In a
partnership by Edward Radford of Cen
tervllle, was reported to now belong to
Scott Gardner of Warren Furniture Ex
change. Mr. Gardner could not be found
Tuesday night by reporters. The build
ing was formerly used as Center To
bacco Warehouse.
The tank was erected in 1915-16,
according to a former water depart
ment employee, who stated that water
would be pumped through the lines
using the pressure from the pumps to
supply the 200,000-gallon dally re
See WARRENTON page 6.
Pruette To Be Installed
As Lions District Governor
C. Ray Pruette, Chairman of the
Science Department at Loulsburg Col
lege and a leader in Llonlsm, will be
Installed as Lions District Governor
in ceremonies here Friday night. The
installation will be held In the Ben
jamin Duke Union on the college cam
pus.
Pruette was elected Governor of Dis
trict 31-G a few months ago after
serving as Deputy District Governor
and President of the Frankllnton Club.
The banquet meeting will be presided
over by William L. Johnson, Jr., Pre
sident of the Frankllnton Club of which
Pruette Is a member. Dr. Cecil W.
Robbing, President of Lou Is burg Col
lege, will give the welcoming address.
Lion Amos Abrams will act as Toast
master and W. Monroe Gardner of
Warrenton, past District Governor,
will Introduce John L. (Jack) Stlckley,
past International President, who will
be the principal speaker.
Lion F. P. Whitley will make the
presentation of the Governor's Banner
and Lion Aubrey Tomllnson of the
Loulsburg club will give the Invocation
and benediction.
Pruette, born In 1817, is a member
of the Frankllnton Baptist Church where
he is a member of the Board of Deacons
W *\
Schools To Operate
On Short Schedule
- \ ?
Schools In the Franklin County sys
tem will operate on a short schedule
for the first twelve days of the fall
term which begins Thursday, August
31, due to the tobacco harvest. The
announcement came following a meet
ing Wednesday by the Board of Edu
cation. The short schedule will end on
Friday, September 15.
EXirlng the twelve-day period, all
schools In the system will start at
8 a.m. and close at 1 p.m. Lunches
will be served, according to the an
nouncement.
Children missing classes due to to
bacco harvest will be excused and given
an opportunity to make up the work.
Absences, however, will still count
against perfect attendance records.
The Board, meeting after delaying
the regular monthly session In anti
cipation of a ruling by the U. S.
Eastern District Court In the two
year school case, set the fees for the
coming school year. Elementary fees
will consist of the following: Supply,
$2.00; NDEA, 92.00; Insurance
(optional), 92.25; and Activity, 91.00.
High School fees were approved as
follows: Supply, 92.00; NDEA, 92-00;
Insurance (optional), 92.25; Home Eco
nomics, 92.00; Agriculture, 92.50;
Science, 91.00; Typing, 913.00; and
Activity, 91.00.
The Board also ordered that sale of
all food Items except milk and Ice.
cream be halted. In the past some
schools have been allowed to sell cold
drinks and small food items. Wednes
day's actions brings to a stop all such
sales. Students are being encouraged
to eat in the lunchrooms where a
balanced meal may be obtained in lieu
of spending their lunch money
on snacks.
Several students were assigned to
schools of their choice and three
teacher resignations, filed prior to
August 1, were accepted. Action was
deferred on others rendering resig
nations inside the final 30-day period
prior to school opening.
Archie L. Usher, science teacher In
the Henderson City Schools, was named
principal of Epsom High School. A
native of Tabor City, Usher Is a
graduate of Ashboro High School and
and a Sunday School teacher. He is a
native of Stokes, N. C. and is married
to the former Margaret Allen of
Youngsvllle.
What Is Franklin's Answer To
The Ambulance Service Problem?
By Clint Fuller
Times Managing Editor
Sometime within the next few months,
Franklin County will find Itself In a
position of facing up to a most serious
problem. Many counties In the area are
already struggling with the problem of
ambulance service for Its citizens.
Under a new law, passed by the recent
General Assembly, the North Carolina
Board of Health Is authorized to estab
lish regulations controlling ambulance
service In the State. While these regu
lations have not as yet been spelled out,
It is reported that they will be too ex
Warrenton Warehouse Fire Threatens Town
pensive for local operators to continue
rendering this service.
One local funeral home executive
reports that all funeral homes In the
county have already Indicated their
desire to discontinue the service. It
has been a losing proposition for these
firms. Many trips are never paid for
and any new requirements will most
surely spell end for private ambulance
service.
The three Rescue Services In the
county, all made up of volunteer per
sonnel, have reported that they are
unable to offer ambulance service in
anything other than emergency cases.
Some of the units are already over
worked.
If the State Health Board's require
ments prove to be too expensive for
local private operators to continue,
where does the citizen go for this
service? If for Instance, sometime
x after the ninety-day grace period as
prescribed by the Board of Health,
you or a member of your family needs
to be transported by ambulance to the
local hospital or to one in another
city, whom do you call?
The answer Is spelled out In the law
Itself. This however, Is much easier
said than done. The law says: "That,
upon the failure of private enterprise
adequate and continuing ambulance ser
vice In any county, the board of county
commissioners of such county SHOULD
be authorised to provide, or cause to be
provided within said county, such ser
vices." The capitalisation of the word
"should" Is ours.
Reasonable Interpretation of this
wording seems to Indicate that the
county commissioners are allowed, but
not directed, to establish ambulance
services. A different Interpretation
might be forthcoming as the problem
grows, which surely it will.
At one point it was Jslt that the cri
sis would come on September 1, but
now It seems reasonable to assume that
private ambulance operators will be
allowed to continue service until the
Board of Health sets up its criteria
and ninety days beyond that as a period
at grace.
It Is possible that private operators
will find It feasible to continue to give
this service. However, conversations
with some Indicate this Is unlikely. In
practically every neighboring commu
nity, private operators have already
voiced their plans to get out of the
ambulance business. The only nearby
exception is Spring Hope where prl
Ivate operators are planning, at this
point, to continue service.
One of the expected requirements
from the Health Board is that two
qualified attendants be on hand 24
hours each day. This, in terms of
added expense, could very well spell
doom fbr the private operation.
The matter was discussed only
briefly during one session of a budget
meeting by the Franklin County com
missioners. No provisions were made
in this year's budget for any emer
gency which might arise from the
discontinuance of ambulance service.
On Commissioner remarked, "Let's
cross that bridge when we get to it."
Cltixens 'of the county are expected
to "get to It" sometime around the
first of the year.
When private operators announce they
are discontinuing their services and 12
nothing has been done by that time by
the County Commissioners, citizens
will be faced with a real crisis.
There Is time now for somethli*
to be done. It will be too lste when
someone lies critically 111 and cannot
be moved because there is no ambu
lance available. The first of the year,
when we are expected to "cross that
bridge" is Just around the corner. We
should think about that.
the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. The 40-year-old science
teacher had taught (or nine years.
The Board also approved the sche
dule of events for the three days prior
to school opening on August 3t. On
Monday, August 28, a general teachers
meeting Is slated for Loulsburg audi
torium from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. A
Reading Workshop will be held from
10 a.m. until 4 p.m. for many of the
teachers. Those not attending the Work
shop will report to their schools fol
ASCS Plans
Committee
Elections
The ASC community committee elec
tion will be held soon. Ballots will be
mailed to eligible voters about Septem
ber 8, 1967. The voted ballots must be
mailed or returned In person by
September 18, 1967.
The community boundaries have not
been changed from last year. A county
map showing the boundaries Is posted
In each community. The communities
are commonly known as Cedar Rock,
Cypress Creek, Dunn, Frankllnton,
Gold Mine, Harris, Hayesvllle, Louls
burg, Sandy Creek, and Youngsvllle.
A slate of nominees will be selected
by the present community committee.
The county committee may add addi
tional nominees. Others may be added
to the slate of nominees by petition If
they are found to be eligible and will
ing to serve If elected. Petitions must
be: 1. Limited to one nominee each.
2. Signed by at least 6 eligible voters
In the community. (Eligible voters
may sign as many petitions as they
desire)
3. Received at the county office by
August 24. Persons nominated should
be (1) currently engaged In the oper
ation of a farm and (2) well qualified
for committee work.
In general a person Is eligible to be
a community committeemen If he lives
in the community in which he Is eligi
ble to vote. If a person who Is nomi
nated by petition Is found to be Ineli
gible, he will be notified and given 15
days in which to appeal to the county
committee.
lowing the general meeting.
Tuesday, August 29 ? Teacher-Prin
cipal Orientation will begin at 8 a.m.
In each School. Teacher- Parent Orien
tation will begin at 2 p.m. and continue'-"
until 3:30 p.m. giving parents an op
portunity to visit the schools, pay fees
and to meet the teacher. * ?.
Oi Wednesday, August 30, Teacher
Pupil Orientation takes place with all
students required to attend from 1:30
to 3:30 p.m. School buses will operate
on Wednesday. Students will get class
assignments, secure books, pay fees
unless this Is done on Tuesday, and
prepare for the first full day on Thurs
day.
Monday, September 7, Labor Day, will
be a holiday and except for the short
schedule, schools will get Into full
swing on Tuesday, September 8.
County May
Lose Express
Service
Notices posted at Loulsburg, Frank
lint on and Youngsvllle disclosed that
within ten days of last Thursday, the
REA Express Company will make ap
plication to the North Carolina Utili
ties Commission to close Its offices
in these towns.
The Loulsburg Jaycees, meeting here
Monday night, voted to write a letter In
opposition to the closing of the Louls
burg office to the Commission. Ralph
Knott, past State Director of the Jay
cees, said the matter was taken up by
the group and agreed that the local
service Is essential to the Loulsburg
area. James Grady, President of the
local Jaycees, was out of town and was
not present at the meeting.
It is known that the Loulsburg office
serves a number of local businesses
Including the Gay Products plant here.
The office also serves the Bunn and
Centervllle areas.
It Is understood that the company is
in the process of closing a number of
offices throughout the state. Should
the three' offices in Franklin County be
closed, it would eliminate all express
service Into this area.
Rock Throwing Incidents
Being Investigated
Rock-throwing attacks on passing
automobiles by unknown persons on
South Main Street here has come to
light this week. Assistant Police Chief
H. P. Shearon said his department Is
Investigating the reports. Chief Earl
Tharrlngton Is out of town attending
a firemen's convention and could not
be reached for comment.
The latest Incident reportedly took
place on Thursday night, August 10,
around 11:15 p.m. Phillip McKlnne,
operator of Seaboard Stores here, was
returning from a business trip to
Greensboro. As he passed the area of
the Shearln Grocery building, his car
was struck several times with "rocks"
or "bricks" Inflicting considerable
damage. McKlnne reports that he did
not see anyone because of the rain
and fog at the time. He said he slowed
down but did not stop.
He reported the Incident Immediately
to the police department and Officer
Charlie Lambert Investigated. McKlnne
said that Lambert failed to find any
thing when he visited the area.
A similar Incident Is reported to
have happened to an unidentified man
traveling through on the night of Au
gust S. The rock-throwing took place
at the same location.
Several months ago a group of young
Negroes attacked two automobiles being
operated by young white boys at the
same location. At least one brick was
thrown at one of the cars and a drink
; bottle was hurled at another. The
report also said that the Negro youths
attempted to block the street at the
time.
Local officers are quiet on the mat
ter, but indications are that a close
surveillance is being kept 011 the trouble
spot. South Main Street is a predo
minantly Negro residential area.
MORE PICTURES PAGE 6
Scouts Return From Canadian Tour
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