frice 6 Cents $kt IjtjWat&iS JRactraiatt VOL. LXIV-NO. 36 FRANKLIN, N. C? THURSDAY, 8F.PT. g, 1949 EIGHT PAOB8 ALBERTRAMSEY, FARM AND CIVIC LEADER, DIES Rites For Farm Home Supervisor ^ielid Saturday Albert L. Ramsey, Macon County supervisor for the Farm Home Administration, promi nent farmer, and leader in the civic life of the county, died at Angel hospital ear'y Thursday of last week. He was 55 years of age. Always Interested in better farming, he was a pioneer in the growing of alfalfa in this county, and built up on his farm In the Iotla valley- what was said to be one of the larg est herds of purebred Angus Aberdeen cattle in Western North Carolina. Ten years ago he joined the staff here of the Farm Secur ity Administration, now the Farm Home Administration, and during the past decade had spent most of his time working with farmers who needed loans and supervision to get on their financial feet. He long had served on the Macon County welfare board, and July 1 assumed the duties of president of the Franklin Rotary club. He was a former chairman of the county Democ ratic executive committee, and at the time of his death he was a director of the Farmers Fed eration and a steward of the Franklin Methodist church. He Joined the lotla church in early life, and at one time had been Sunday school superintendent and men's Bible class teacher there. Mr. .Ramsey suffered a ser ious heart ailment three years ago, but apparently had recov ered. He became ill about 10 days before his death, and en tered the hospital Wednesday morning of last week. Death was attributed to a heart condition, complicated by asthma. A native of this county, he ?wae the son of W. A. and Mrs. Rebecca West Ramsey. He held a law degree from the Univer sity of North Carolina, but never practiced that profession. He was a veteran of World War 1. Survivors Include his widow,) the former Miss Margaret Hlg don; two sons, Lt. Albert L. Ramsey, Jr., who Is situated at San Juan, Puerto Rico, and who came home in time for the funeral, on a 45-day leave, and Clayton Ramsey, who was grad uated from Western Carolina Teachers college, Cullowhee, re cently; and one sister, Mrs. A. L. McLean, of Asheville. Funeral services were held at 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon at the Franklin Methodist church, with the pastor, the Rev. A. C. Gibbs, and two former pastors, the Rev. J. H. Brendall, jr., and the Rev. W. Jackson Horieycutt, officiating. Burial was in the Iotla Methodist church ceme tery. Pallbearers were Siler Slagle, John M. Archer, Jr., Henry W. Cabe, Terrell Parrish, Bayse Penland, and Harry Thomas. Honorary pallbearers were members of the Franklin Rotary club. Arrangements were under the direction of Bryant funeral home. SO YEARS AGO THIS WEEK A petition from over 300 citi zens were laid before the county commissioners Monday, asking them to call an election for the citizens within a certain boun dary to vote on the question of "Stock Law" or "No Stock Law". A counter petition of less than 200 was also filed. \ Notwithstanding the weather last Wednesday the annual re union of the Slier family was held at Mr. Albert Sller's, and about 120 of the connection were present together with several invited guest*. This reunion or family meeting has been kept up lor 48 leart, and the family will have a uml-contennltl In MM, . New Cullasaja School Ready For Use ? Photo by Crisp Studio Above is the new Cullasaja school, which will go Into use with the opening of the Macon County schools this morning. The building, constructed at an estimated cost of $70,000, con tains 10 classrooms, auditorium, principal's office, first aid room, etc. Consolidating the schools forcerly taught at Gold Mine, Pine Grove, Salem, Higdonvllle, and Mashburn's Branch, It will have 10 teachers, and will be the largest rural school in the county, The new structure Is situated four and a half miles from Franklin, on the Highlands road. Coweeta Forest, 7 Macon Men Will Be Paid Honor In Ceremony On Friday 1 The Coweeta Hydrologlc Lab ortory wUl be presented a "Superior Service Award from the U. S. Department of Agrt cuUure in a ceremony to be held at the experimental forest, U miles from Franklin, tomorrow (Friday) afternoon. At the same time, seven Ma con County men who have been associated with the research program at Coweeta during the past 10 years will be prese-nted "Letters of Commendation The Identity of the seven will not be announced until the presen tatlon. The award and letters wi.l be presented by Nathan Koenlg, of Washington, executive assistant to the Secretary of Agriculture. This district's representative In congress, Monroe M. Redden, will serve as master of cere monies, and speakers will in clude Dr. parry Brown, chancel lor of the University of Georgia, and Herbert Stone, of Atlanta, regional forester of the U. 8. Forest Service, former supervis or of the Nantahala National Forest here. Other notables expected to at tend inclutft Dr. I. T. Haig, di rector of the Southeastern Ex-, periment Station, and represen tatives of the TVA, the U. S. Forest Service in Washington, Atlanta, and Franklin, and the Nantahala Power and Lignt company. Arrangements have been made to take" care of a crowd of 500 expected at the public cere mony, which is set' for 2 p. n> It was emphasized that the gen eral public is invited. A tour of the watershed will immediately follow the cere mony. Meanwhile, Coweeta drew na tional attention Monday when It was visited by approximate ly a score of forestry profes sors from universities from Maine to California. Dr Charles R. Hursh, chief of the division of watershed management and protection. Southeastern Forest Experiment Station, near Asheville, will ac cept the superior service award to be given the Macon County station tomorrow. Dr.. Hursh, who spends abolt one-third of his time at Coweeta, has super vised the unique research being done there, for which the award is being given. The award will read: "For outstanding research achievements regarding the re lation of climate, soil, and for est vegetation to stream flow; the establishment of basic prin ciples of hydrology and water shed management; the transla tion of research results Into practical techniques of water resource management; the ei fective dissemination of re search findings; and for loyalty, determination, and skill In de veloping and operating a maj hydrologlc laboratory . Prior to the ceremony, an In formal home-oomlng, itartlng at 10 a. m., will b? held for all (Mrionf who htvt worlwd the area, both since it became an experimental forest and pre viously; it formerly was a CCC center. While the award is primarily for the technical research that has gone on at Coweeta, the human elements of "loyalty, de termination, and skill" are rec ognized, and E. A. Johnson, technician in charge, cited some instances of the loyalty both of employes and of people in the region. He recalled the case of the employe, who, when the weath er turned very cold during the night, brought hise blankets to place over same freshly poured concrete to keep it from freez ing. In June's flood, members of the labor crew reported long before they were due at work, because they knew they were needed to help save the roads from washing and to assist in collecting records on the flood. And last Easter Sunday, when a forest fire broke out, SO peo ple from the area? many of them sacrificing their Easter dinner ? promptly reported as volunteers to help fight the blaze. Members of the present staff, ?in addition to Mr. Johnson, are Geoffrey Greene, technician; Charles Shope, Don Cabe, and Charles Junior Curtis, rated as subprofessional men; and Wil liam Carpenter, Curt Chastaln, Marvin Howard, and Floyd Thomas, members of the labor crew. The experimental forest, em bracing 5,600 acres and repre senting a land and equipment value of $1,750,000, was estab lished in 1934. It is unique in that it is the only station in the United States set up solely to do basic research in hydro logy (water resources). (water resources). It was established as the re sult of a growing consciousness of the Importance of water? for industry, for municipal water supplies, and with reference to the mutual dependence of water and vegetation. Varied conditions ? such as undisturbed forest, indiscrimi nate forest cutting, and cultiva tion?have deliberately been set up, and the results, in terms of stream flow, measured and studied. The water requirements ' of vegetation under varied con ditions also have been studied. The visit of the forestry ex perts to Coweeta Monday ell- j maxed a two-week tour. They were shown over the area by Dr. Haig and Dr. Hursh. They ; expressed particular Interest In a watershed in which the ; stream flow has been doubled, and in another which illustrates the damage ?done mountain ; streams by poorly laid out and maintained logging roads. - The group included represen tatives of the California school i of forestry, Yale university, the i University of Maine, the Uni versity of Minnesota, the Uni versity of Georgia, and I. W. Renshaw, supervisor of th? Nin- i tahak National Vtrwt. Position Left Open By Setser's Shift Still Is Unfilled ?The position of highway maintenance supervisor for Macorf and Jackson counties, which was made vacant by the recent transfer of Joe Se'ser to the position of supervisory foreman, still had mot been filled yesterday morning, local highway officials said. Mr. Setser's transfer was effec tive August 22. The new assignment given Mr. Setser, who has been with the State Highway commis sion for 26 years, entails less responsibility, .and the trans fer carried wi'h it a cut in salary. He had held the posi tion of maintenance super visor since 1944. At present, Mr. Setser is on sick leave, on doctor's oirder. Calendar Of The Week'. EVENTS THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8 7:30 p. m.? Franklin Lodge No. 452, Loyal Order of Moose, at Slagle Memorial building. 8 p. jn ? Wesleyan Service Ouild of Fran|tlin Methodist church at home of Mrs. J. E. Perry, Sr. SATURDAAY 7:30 p. m.? Teen Age club at Skyway hotel. 8 p. m.? Square dance (Amer ican Legion benefit) at Memor ial building. MONDAY 10 a. m. ? Board of county commissioners at courthouse. 7 p. m.? Franklin Lions club at Presbyterian church annex. 7 p. m.? Franklin Troop No. j 1, Boy Scouts, at Memorial building. 8 p. m. Co-Ed club at Memor ial building. WEDNESDAY 7 p. m.? Franklin Rotary club at Memorial building. 7:30 p. m. Macon County Memorial Post No. 7339, Veter ans of Foreign Wars, at Agricul tural building. Mrs. Wilkes Is Claimed By Death Mrs. Linda Reeves Wilkes, 83, wife of James F. Wilkes, whom she married more than 50 years ago, died at her home in the lotla community Saturday at 6 p. m. She had been ill for eight months. She was born and reared in the Iotla section and always had made her home there. Survivors, in addition to her husband, are four daughters, Mrs. Horace Morgan and Mrs. Walter Bryant, of Franklin, Route 3, Mrs. Mary Bryson, of Atlanta, and Mrs. Ernest Roper, of Covington, Oa.; a son, Orady Wilkes, of Route 3; and 27 grandchildren, and 34 great grandchildren. Funeral services were held at the home Monday morning, with the Rev. Robert L. Poln dexter officiating, and burial wm in the Wilkes cemetery. | NEW CULLASAJA SCHOOL READY $70,000 Building Which Merges 5 Schools To Go Into Use Today The new Cuilasaja school, bui't art an estimated cost of 110 000, Is complete except for a few details, and will be put In use with the opening this morning of the Macon County schools for the 1949-50 school year. The new school, situated four ?nd a half mtnes from Frank lin on the Highlands road, con solidates five smaller schools, and, with 10 teachers, becomes the largest rural school In the county. Pupils who formerly at tended the Higdonvllle, Pine Grove. Salem, Gold Mine, and Mashburn's Branch schools this year will go to the new Culla saja school, which will he head ed by William G. (Bill) Craw ford, principal. The one-story structure, which is 236 feet long and contains approximately 18,000 square feet of floor space, has 10 class rooms, an auditorium, princi pal's office, first aid room, and four rest rooms. The auditorium is 80 x 50, with a sfage 25 x 18, eoulnned with both foot and proscenium lights. All the classrooms are 34 x 22 or 36 x 24, and each classroom has four windows. Indirect f'ourescent lighting will be used, County Supt. Guy L. Houk explained. A 16-foot drive will pass In front of the building, with a five-foot concrete sidewalk be tween the drive and the school. The construction Is brick on cinderblock, and Mr. Houk said the only wood in it is the doors and facings and the beams in the roof. A steam heating plant has been Installed, and an 85-foot well will supply water. The building stands on a six and a half-acre plot, with plans call ing for a playground at the rear of the structure. Mr. Houk said he drew the designs and plans, and he has supervised construction, with Nat Phillips in charge of the general constiuctlon. The elec trical work was dene by James Wurst, and the plumbing and heating was let to contract, the contract having been given to W. O. Hall, of Franklin. Work on the building started April I. Will Launch Drive Sept. 19 For Symphony Plans for the fifth annual membership campaign of the North Carolina Symphony So ciety were outlined at a meet ing of 15 persons, representing wldel\ separated sections of the county, held Tuesday evening at the home of Miss Laura M. Jones. The Little Symphony orches tra Is brought here each year for two concerts? a free mati nee for school children, and an evening performance for adults ? Jhrough the society. This year's campaign In this county will open September 19. W. N. Sloan, 1949 Macon County Symphony chairman, emphanslzed the thought that purchase of a membership is primarily a payment of dues in an organization that seeks to bring good music to the people of the state, rather than mere ly buying a ticket to a con cert. Macon County members, of course, are chiefly interested In bringing the orchestra to ! Franklin, he said, and he added that a membership, incidental ly, entitles the purchaser to a ticket to the evening concert here. In the general discussion, school principals and teachers present cited the value of the orchestra to the children of the county, and Mr. Sloan comment ed that the chief reason for the campaign here lies In the Im portance, educationally, of the free children's concert. The possibility of creating a circulating library of records, so that school children could become familiar with the best in music, was discussed. A list of persons throughout the county who will be asked to work in thl* ye&r'i cajnpalgn wm compiled. , Will Seek Funds For Early Start On Three Schools Report Mrs. Dowdle Backed By 7 Of 13 For School Board1 Mrs. Florence S. Sherrill announced Tuesday that she bid mailed her resignation as a member of tjhe county board of education to C. Gordon Moore, boau-d chairman. The law provides tor ap pointment of Iter successor by the county Democratic execu tive committee. T. H. (Tom) Johnson, county chairman, said Tuesday afternoon that he was "undecided whether or not it will he necessary to call a meeting" of the committee. It was understood that what he had in mind was the re port that seven of the 13 members of the committee al ready had signed a state nent favoring Mrs. C. N. (Joe) Dowdle for the school board post. Should Hie executive com mittee leave the post vacant for 3d days, the responsibility for making the appointment would pass to the state board of V