WIf ^tiWitt ffI, VOL. LI, NO. 53 PROGRESSIVE LIBERAL IJfDEPE.KDEjYT FRANKLIN, N. C., THURSDAY, DEC. 31, 1936 $1.50 PER YEAR ’MMV INJURED WAOTENIS Automobiles and Fire works Send Nine to Angel Hospital The Christmas holiday brought a number of injury case&, most of them originating in automobile ac cidents, to Angel hospital. At least one injury, as a re sult of a premature explosion of a firecracker, was reported. Joe Pittillo was the victim. His right hand was severely hurt. Jack Townsend, of Rainbow Springs, was brought to the hos pital suffering from a bad burn on the leg caused by an explosion of a gasoline container. Ed Rogers, former police chief of Highlands, is a patient in the hospital suffering from a fracture and dislocation of an elbow, re ceived in an automobile collision ' on the Horse Cove road. Gene Thomas, of Franklin, re ceived injuries to his chest when he was knocked down by a truck ne.ar Bulgin’s shop on Highway 28. Ben Gibson, of Franklin, was j reported to have been driving the j truck. Dick Slagle, of Route 1, sustain ed injuries to one eye when his car was side-swiped by a truck the night of December 23 on High way 28. He was dismissed from the 'hospital after receiving treat ment. Bill Whitlock and Glen Hooper, enrollees in CCC Camp Ga. F-S near Clayton, were brought to the ■*j|.-hospital with injuries about their l/T heads, received in an automobile wreck. Oren Ashe and Denver Sorrells, enrollees in CCC Camp NC F-10 at Aquone, also were admitted to the hospital suffering from in juries received in another .automo bile wreck. Dr. Angel reported that all pa tients would recover. A. R. Higdon Buys Control of Franklin Hardware Company Announcement was made this week that A. R. Higdon, manager of t'he Franklin Hardware com pany, incorporated, has bought out the interests in the company of Mrs. R. M. Hudson and John B. Henry, This places Mr. Higdon in full control of the company which deals in hardware, lumber and building materialsi, and operates a saw and ])laning mill, Mr, Higdon said tliat lie had not formulated definite plans for the future course of the company’s business and that there would be no immediate changes in its per sonnel. CHILDREN AT XMAS PARTY Each Given Bag of Candy And Fruit by Legion’s Santa Claus FUNERAL HELD FOR SHEPHERD Oak Grove War Veteran Fatally Injured In Accident Hospital News Mrs.. M. D. Billings was dismissed from Angel hospital after a week s treatment for an infected eye. She is much improved. Mrs. Fred Higdon underwent an operation at the hospital Saturday and was dismissed to her home Monday. M.ary Louise Wurst underwent an operation Tuesday morning. Her condition is satisfactory. Miss Charlotte Deweese, of Ashe ville, formerly of the lotla section, underwent an operation in the hospital Tuesday morning. Don McKinney underwent a sinus operation last Friday; his condition is satisfactory. Mrs. C. L. Fouts, of Wmston- Salem, underwent an operation Monday morning. She was former ly of the lotla section. - Mrs. Tom Justice, of Tryphosa, is a patient in the Hospital under treatment. Four hundred or more Macon county children were made happy by Santa Claus last Thursday at the Christmas tree party held in the county courthouse under the .sponsorship of ^lacon County Post No. 108 of the .•\mcrican Leg ion. It was the second year the legion had conducted a Yuletide party for the under-privileged children of the county and the number at tending doubled that of last year. More than $UK) was contributed by legion members and the people of Franklin to defray expenses of the party. Gilmer A.^ Jones, former commander of the legion, presided at the Christmas tree and made a short talk to the children. The Rev. J. A. Flanagan, post chap lain, also spoke. A program of Christmas carols was .sung by a group of children and Barbara Stockton gave a solo, “Under tiie Stars.” Each child was given a bag con taining candy, oranges and an ap ple. Many also received a pair of stockings each, while others re ceived pencil scratch pads. Santa Claus was assisted by Franklin boy scouts in distributing the gifts. The children came to Franklin for the party from all sections of the county and for a goodly numb er of them it meant about all the Christmas they would see. Ihey were brought to town by legionaires. his bofly the wheel an avalanch I'uneral services for Lawrence Shepherd, 44, of Oak Grove, who was fatally Injured on Wednesday (jf last week as he disniou.iit ed from a stone-hauling truck on highway No. 286 near I.osl Bridge, were held at o’clock last 'I'hnrs- day afternoon at Snow Hill Meth odist church. The last rites were conducted by the Rev, J, J. I'.dwarls, ])astor of Snow Hill" church, assisted by the Rev, X. F-, Vlolden, iiastor of Liberty Baptist church, Mr, Shepherd, who was erLiploy- ed by Lambert Brothers, stone con- trattors W'ho are suiiplyin.g crusln-d stone for the surfai in,;>: of highway No, caught a foot In the v.heel of the truck as he dismounted at a stone, dump. He e^ identiv thoui.dit the truck had ronn' lo a stand still, but jtt ;t as he steyiped down, it moved forward, and was “wrap})ed around” and then covered in of crushed stone. He died within five minutes. Served Overseas Mr, Shepherd served in 120th Infantary of the States army, during the War and saw activc duty in from August 31, 1918, until he was invalided on account of womids. September 29, 1918. a little more than a month before the armis tice was signed. He was a member of Liberty Baptist church. Surviving Mr, Sliejyherd are his wddow, fi^rmerly ^liss Hattie Rhine- hart, of Oak Grove; four children, Wallace, I'.llen, Fran-es and .■\nnit- Laura; a step-daughter, his parents, Mr, and Mrs, Josejjli Shepherd, (if Leatherm.a.n; four brothers, (leorge and Jim Shepherd, \\ho live in the state of Washington; (ierald .Shep herd, of Franklin Route 4, and Arthur Shei>herd, of Leatherman ; five sisters, ^ilrs, Lnm loeiihour, of Sylva; !\Irs, W, J, West, of West’s !\Iill; ^Irs. Irene Craw'ford, of Cullowhee, and ^liss Flora Shep herd, of Leatherman, I'nited World ranee AMARILLO, Texas (l’.-\)—The state of Texas furnishes 79 per cent of the United States produc tion of carbon black, I his commo dity is made from natural ,;;:is and is an I'ssential ingredient of nian- factured rubber. Frattklin Produce Market LATEST QUOTATIONS (Prices listed below are subject to change without notice.) ^ Quoted by Farmers Federation, Inc. Chickens, heavy breed, hens. lUc Chickens, light weight, lb. • • Eggs, ^ Corn, „ Wheat, I -JO Potatoes, No. 1 | ■ Field peas, bu. | • Crowder peas, bu Yellow Mammoth Soy B^ans, bu | 10 Lorida Beans, bu Onions, bu 7Sc Quoted by Nantahala Creamery T , r-j. lU ... 30c Let the New Year carry our message of ren^ved hope and confidence in the future and our appreciation of your friendship and patronage in the past. May 1937 l^e a year of success and happiness to all. THE FRANKLIN PRESS and the HIGHLANDS MACONIAN Depression Ended, Babson Declares; GoodTimes Coming Noted Statistician and Economist Predicts 1937 Wili Be “First Year of Real Prosperity Since 1929”— Foresees Building Boom and Steadily Rising Prices —War in Europe Unlikely. By Roger W. Babson (Copyright—Publislhers Financial Bureau.) ILMLSON I'AkK, MASS., Dec. 31,— I predict that 1937 will be onr first year of real prosperity since 19291 Jt will be a year of genuine l.'usiness expansion, considerable real 'estate activity, constant labor troubles, shortages of skilled workers, rising prices and living costs, and brisk retail trade. Nearly every line will enjoy good gains in both volume and profits with the heavy industries showing the greatest percentage improvement. Tuck this forecast aw^ay for a check-.up .next December and 1 predict that you will find general business around 8 per cent above today’s figures and not far from the 1929 peaks! ' Buslne&s at Narmall A'year ago at this time my fore cast was: "I’y next C'hristmas gen eral business, as measured by the Babsonchart, should be hugging the. ‘X-Y’ Normal Line and heading in to another period of prosperity,’’ Statistically, that is exactly when; business is today. We are right square on normal. I'or the first time in fourteen years, we are crossing the “X-Y” Normal Line on the way into a new prosi>erity era. A moment’s retrospect shows the tremendous distance that we have covered since we touched bottom in March, 1933. The total gain in 'business has been 78 per cent! Nearly a third of this rise has come during 1936 alone. 1936 Remlarkable Year The year just closed has been a remarkable one in many ways. While it is generally believed that elections do not change the basic course of business., most analysts concede that they are temporarily upsetting. The tide of recovery was running so strong in 1936, however, 'hat it swept over every obstacle and washed out the old year i.n a ijurst of glory. There are scarcely any figures on record that can match 1936’s steady gains in jobs, payrolls, in dustrial activity, profits, and divi dends. Topping off the year w'as a real post-election boom. Wave after wave of w'age boosts and bonuses and dividend increases and 'extras lifted Christmas trade back to old- time levels. Eight Per Cent Gain for 1937 The momentum ]iicked up by this surge of buying will carry into the New Year, Business in 1936 w'as good. Business in 1937 will be bet ter, My estimate is for a 10 per cent gain in the first six months over the i.nitial half of 1936, It is harder to make a definite predic tion for the second half, but 1 think a .S per cent gain over the closing months of the old year is within reason. This would ])ut my Babsonchart Index aboiUt S j)er cent above nor mal by th Fourth of July and ap- ))roaching 10 jier ce.nt over normal by next Christmas. The entire year’s gain should average about 7 to 8 per cent above 1936. Business will be above the X-Y line—in other words, in a prosperity era—for the (Continued on Page Two) 1 Roger W. Babson Hunter Shot Mistaken for Turkey by Another Hunter Woodrow I’oindexter, 20, was peppered with shotgun shot w'hile hunting in the woods in the Burn- ingtown section, Christmas Eve. Another hunter, Claude Ashe, .not knowing that Poindexter was in the vicinity, mistook him for a turkey and fired. Sixteen shot lodged in the back of Poindexter’s head but his injury w’as not re garded as serious and he returned to his home after a Franklin phy sician removed the shot. LONDON (PA)—For centuries pepper was the staj)le article of commerce between Europe and Asia, It was once valued on a par with precious metal. NEW YORK (PA)—Forty-one deaths from football were record ed in the U. S. last year. Of thes-e, 35 deaths were the direct result of gridiron activity.