$250,000 m GI
REFUNDS TO BE
RECEIVED HERE
Macon Veterans To Share
* In U. S. Insurance
Dividend
Macon County veterans will
receive an estimated quarter of
a million dollors In National
Service Life (OI) Insurance spe
cial dividends the first half of
1950, and a few veterans here
already have received their div
idend checks.
tills county had approximate
ly 2,000 men In the armed forces
during World War 2, according
to R. E. (Tony) Welch, veterans
service officer, and at least
three-fourth of them, or 1,500,
are believed to be living in the
county now.
81nce the national average of
the refunds is about $175, the
total for tjils county, on a basis
of 1,500 veterans, will be $252,
600. Mr. Welch added that he
felt the total of 1,500 veterans
now in this county is conserva
tive.
The dividends are to be paid
over a six-month period, Janu
ary 1 to June 30.
The Bank of Franklin yester
day reported that only a few of
the veterans' dividend checks
have been presented at the
bank so far.
The Veterans Administration
has outlined a program for pro
cessing the applications under
which the last three figures in
the serial number would deter
mine the order in which checks
would be paid. Thus a man
whose number ended in 001
jvou'd be among the first paid,
while a man whose serial num
ber ended with the figures 999
would be .among the last to re
cede bis check.
The total amount of the divi
dend ? distributed on the theory
that the morality rate was low
er than anticipated, and that
the premium charge therefore
too high? is $2,800,000,000.
This Is to be divided among ap
proximately 16,000,000 veterans.
The Veterans Administration
*aal is to mall 200,000 checks a
da'v five days a week, or 1,000,
000 "hecks a week.
The dividend payments to the
families of deceased veterans
will be han.*Ued separately.
Swafford Accepts Call
To Mount Hope iChurcih
The Rev. Arvil Swafford, of
near Franklin, has accepted a
cajl to the pastorate of the Mt.
Hope Baptist church, in the
Cartoogechaye community. Mr,
Swafford succeeds the Rev. W.
L. Sorrells, who has taken the
pastorate of the Cowee Baptist
church.
5* TEARS AGO THIS WEEK '
Our contractor and builder, I
Mr. L. M. Johnson, and two
sons are building a new school
house near the Black place on
Nantahala. Rev. J. A. Deal of
Franklin township gave the
contract. We learn that Mr.
Johnson, who has been teach
ing out there, is an efficient
instructor and by his genial dis
position has won the esteem and
friendship of his neighbors.
25 YEARS AGO
last Saturday, the darkest
and r&lnest day of the year, Roy ?
Cunningham, Jack Sherrill, and |
Tom McCollum walked across
the Nantahalas. These boys
must have been greatly In need
ol exercise.
1* YEARS AGO
Although the high school fac
ulty Includes very capable bask
etball coaches for both boys and
girls, there will not be any
basketball at the school this
year, due to the fact there Is
no gymnasium.
The Rev. Prank Bloxham left
today for a speaking tour in
the North. While away he will
address gatherings of people in
Massachusetts and In N?w York
and vicinity. He I* expected to
I return About W?, 10.
V
MARRIED 61 YEARS ? It Is considered remarkable when a
couple celebrates a goldeh wedding (50 years) anniversary, but
Mr. and Mrs. George O. Wallace (above) have been married 61
years. Their wedding occurred January 10, 1889? long before
most of those who read this were born. Through Mr. Wallace
is 83 and Mrs. Wallace Is 79, they live alone, and Mr. Wallace
looks after his team and other livestock, while Mrs. Wallace
does her own housekeeping at their home on the Murphy road.
They are natives of this county, Mrs. Wallace having been Miss
Lou Stalcup, daughter of Mr.-and Mrs. William (Bill) Stalcup.
In addition to eight living children, they have 39 grandchildren
and 15 great-grandchildren. The children are Mrs. George Stal
cup, Mrs. Burrell Waldroop, Mrs. W. R. Pressley, Mrs. Gilmer
Waldroop, and John and Ernest Wallace, all of Franklin, Route
1, Mrs. T. M. Green, of Detroit, Mich., and Edwin Wallace, of
Franklin.
FOREST TO PAY
MACON $9,503
Six Counties To Share
$26,740, Fourth a
Of Receipts
Macon County shortly will re
ceive $9,503.26 as its share of
the Nantahala National Forests
receipts du ing the fiscal year
ended last June 30, it was an
nounced this week by E. W.
Henshaw, forest supervisor.
One-fourth of the receipts of
the National Forest are distrib
uted each yew t the six Boun
ties in which the forest lies, in
lieu??f taxes on the federally
owned land within the forest, ,
and Macon gets slightly more
than one-third of the total,
since more than a third of the
forest lies within this county's
boundaries.
The total for the six counties
this year is $26,740.12, which is
approximately $4,000 greater
than the amount distributed &
year ago. The payment repre
sents a return to the counties of
approximately 6'/ cents per
acre.
The six counties, their forest
acreage, and the amount each
is to receive follows:
County Acreage Amount
Cherokee .... 77,385 $4,996.78
Clay 57,106 3,687.36
Graham 103,787 6,701.57
Jackson 18,888 1,219.63
Macon 147,177 9,503.26
Swain 9,780 631.52 (
In addition to the amount
distributed direct to the coun
ties, Mr. Renshaw explained, 10
per cent of the gross receipt* of
the forest is rn^de available by
the national government for
construetlon and maintenance
of roads within the forest. Other
costs of protecting and admin
istering this and the other na
tional forest are born by fed
eral appropriations.
Practical'y all of the income
earned on the Nantahala Na
tional Forest was from the sale
of timber, with small amounts
from special land use permits.
During the fiscal year 1949, 36,
359,000 board feet of sawtimber,
acidwood, pulpwood, crossties,
posts and fuel wood was cut.
All timber for sawlogs or pulp
wood was marked for cutting
by U. S. Forest officers and was
done under a long-range timber
management plan which in
sures a steady Increase In
growth, it was polntec} out. A
large volume of chestnut acid
wood was moved during the
year, but demand for this prod
uct has diminished.
Plans are being made to cut
increasing amounts of pulpwood
to supply the market. National
forest timber In Western North
Carolina is an important source
of raw materials for the lumber,
pulp and wood-worklag indus
tries and an litaportant source
of employment for woods labor,
Mr. Renshaw said.
The Pisgah-Croatan National
Forest, which Is also located In
North Carolina, In the area east
of the Nantaha'.s National For
est, returned 468.7S4.83 to 18
counties. This made a total re
turn to North Carolina coun
ties Of t86.4M.47 (or the 1,066,
648 acrta of national foreit in
ttl6 ?UM.
Temperance Play
To Be Given At Half
Dozen Churches
A temperance play, "Prisoner
at the Bar", will be presented at
half a dozen churches In thtis
community during the next two
weeks.
Depicting a courtroom scene,
the trial of a .man charged with
murdering his wife while under
the Influence of drink, the play
is presented by local talent, ex
cept for two roles taken by rep
resentatives of the Methodist
board of temperance. While the
drama is sponsored by the
Methodist church, persons ol
other denominations will take
part, and in some cases the play
will be presented In churches of
other denominations.
It will be given first at the
Franklin Methodist church, next
Tuesday evening at 7:30 o'clock,
with members of various de
nominations taking part.
W. W. Sloan will have the
role of the judge, Mrs. E. W.
Renshaw, the star witness; the
Rev. Hoyt Evans, fingerprint
expert; Linda Kay Shope, the
defendant's little daughter; the
Rev. C. E Murray, defense at
torney; John D. Alsup, sherriff;
Wi'llam Katenbrtnk, bailiff; J,
Clinton Brookshire, clerk of the
court; and Gordon Moore, fore
man of the Jury.
In all the presentations, rep
resentative of the Methodist
board of temperance will take
the roles of the prosecuting at
torney and the prisoner at the
bar.
The play will be given Febru
ary 1 at the Iotla Methodist
church, with the Iotla Baptists
cooperating; February 2, at
Union Methodist church; Febru- 1
ary 3, at Asbury Methodist
church; February 8 at Clark's
Chapel; and February 10 at the
Cowee Baptist church, with the
Snow Hill Methodist church co
operating. All these perform
ances a/e set for 7:30 p. m.
Merchant* Will Hold
Second Meet Tonight
Merchants of Macon County
are ca'led to meet at the court
house tonight (Thursday) at
7:30 o'clock to perfect the or
ganization of a merchants asso
ciation. A temporary organiza
tion was set up January 10, and
at that meeting the temporary
officers and directors were
named as a committee to draft
a constitution and by-laws and
obtain general Information for
action of the members at to
night's session.
MEADOWS TOPS
POSTMASTER'S
ELIGIBLE LIST
He, Crawford, And White
Make High Grades
On Examination
Zeb Meadows, young navy
veteran of the Iotla commun
ity, took top rank in the civil
service examination (or the
postmastershlp at Franklin, it
was learned here this week.
The next two high men in
order, were John L. Crawford,
also a veteran, who is connect
ed with the Franklin Hardware
company, and Everette R. White,
teacher at the Cullasaja school.
Under the law, the three mak
ing the highest grades on the
examination constitute the elig
ible list, and the appointment
must be from the e'lgible list.
The 12 taking the examina
tion, given here last August 13,
were notified last week-end
what their grades were, and
told their respective ranks in
the list.
From the eligible list, Repre
sentative Monroe M. Redden is
expected to make a recommen
dation, and President Truman
presumably will appoint the
man recommended by the con
gressman.
Mr. Redden told The Press by
telephone yesterday that it has
been his policy, where appoint
ments are to be made, to favor
veterans, other things being
equal. He added that no recom
mendation will be made to the
President until he has had an
opportunity to consult with
Democratic leaders here.
The standings of others who
took the examination!, it was
learned, were:
Lester L. Arnold, fourth place;
Fred L. Hannah, fifth; E. O.
Rlckman, sixth: Bill Bryson,
seventh; and E. W. Long, who is
now serving as acting postmast
er, eighth.
Four others ? Woodrow W.
Gibson, Frank I. Murray, Wil
liam Frank Plyler, and James
P. Wurst ? were given no grades,
having been ruled out by the
Civil Service commission as
lacking the necessary business
experience or other qualifica
Continued On Page Eifht?
Wayne Proffitt
Takes Up Ag Teacher
Duties Here
Wayne Proffitt, of Burnsville,
has reported for duty as the
new vocational agriculture
teacher at Franklin High school.
He succeeds E. J. Whitmire, Jr.,
resigned.
Mr. Profiitt comes to Franklin
from Polk county, where he has
been assistant vocational agri
culture teacher at the Green
Creek High school since last
June.
He is a graduate of the Bald
Creek High school, ip Yancey
county, and received his B, 8,
degree from Berea college,
Berea, Ky., last June. Whl'e at
tending Berea, he did his prac
tice teaching at the University
of Kentucky, at Lexington.
His position as agriculture
teacher also carries w.th it su
pervision of the veterans' farm
raining program In this county,
in which 200 veterans are being
taught by 10 assistants. Sixty
six Future Farmers of America
are enrolled in the school voca
tional agriculture course.
Mr. Whitmire will work with
Mr. Proffitt until February 1.
Mrs. Proffitt, the former Miss
Kathleen King, of Burnsville,
expects to Join Mr. Proffitt here
early in February. She is now
serving as dental technician in
Burnsville.
IS CANDIDATE
MISS KATE McGEE
For Clerk of Court
MISS M'GEE IS
OUT FOR CLERK
Franklin Woman To Seek
Democratic Nomination
Iin Spring Primary
The announcement this week
of Miss Kate McGee, widely
known Franklin woman, that
she plans to file for the office
of clerk of superior court in the
primary to be held in May
raised to four the number of
county candidates seeking Dem
ocratic party nomin*tiOlU.
Miss McOee, a native of Ma
con County, is the daughter of
the late George W. McGee and
Mrs. Anno McOee. Born in Car- i
toogechaye township, Miss Mc
Oee now makes her home with
her mother In Franklin. She is
a graduate of Franklin High
school and Cecil's Business col
lege.
At present she is employed
as a clerk in the office of the
register of deeds, a position she
has held for the past four years.
Prior to her employment there,
she served for three years as a
clerk for the Macon County
Ration board. Following her
graduation from Cecil's Busi
ness college, she was employed
as a secretary by Dr. Furman
Angel for two years.
Active in community affairs,
she is vice-president of the
local Young Democrats club. She
is a member of the Franklin
Baptist church and teaches a
Sunday school class In the be
ginners' department.
Other candidates "who have
announced their intention to
file in the party primary are
Harry Thomas, and Lester Arn
old, for the office of sheriff,
and C. E. Elmore, for represen
tative.
All Officials
Of Building And Loan
Are Reelected
Stockholders In the Macon
County Building and Loan as
sociation, at their annual meet
ing Thursday night of last week,
reelected all the association's
directors, and the directors, in
a meeting following that of the
stockholders, reelected all of
ficers.
The officers are: H. W. Cabe,
president; H. L. Bryant, vice
president; and R. S. Jones, sec
retary-treasurer.
Directors are Mr. Cabe, Mr. I
Bryant, L. C. Henderson, George
A. Mashburn, W. E. Hunnicutt, j
J. S. Con!ey, Robert Fulton, H.
T. Sloan, M. L. Dowdle, and A.
B. Slagle.
The association lists assets of
$270,000.
Macon's Birth Rate Drops 26 Per Cent
Births in Macon County last
year showed a 26 per cent drop.
The total number of births
in this county in 1949, accord
ing to figures compiled by Lake
V. Shope, Macon County keep
er of vital statistics, was 358.
This compares with 452 in
1948, 431 In 1947, 468 In 1946,
and 457 in 1943.
Based on this county's 1940
population of 13,880, the birth
rate per thousand population
was Just under 23.
Despite the abrupt decrease
In MrttM, howror, ther? were
more than two and half times
as many births In Macon in
1949 as there were deaths. The
total of deaths was 134. This
compares with US In 1948.
The figures were compiled by
the vital statistics registrars of
the county's 11 townships.
An unusual situation existed
last year In two townships, ac
cording to the reports of their
vital statistics registrar*? they
had more deaths than Mrths.
Highlands township reported
11 deaths and only seven births,
whil? th? rtpori from Hat*
listed three deaths and only
two births.
The 1949 figures tor the other
townships In the oounty follow:
Township Births Deaths
Franklin 204 80
Mlllshoal IS ?
Ellljay . 27 4
Sugarfork 8 3
fimithbrldge 16 6
Cartoogechaye .. 17 3
Nantahala 20 8
Bumingtown .... 14 4
Cowt?
MACON'S PROPERTY
VALUATION DOUBLES
IN 7 - YEAR PERIOD
C. Of C. Dinner
Meeting Ls Deferred To
February 25
The annual diner meeting
of the Franklin Chamber of
Commerce, at which Senator
Frank P. Graham wi'l be the
guest speaker, will be held
February 25 instead of Febru
ary 4, it was announced this
week by Frank B. Duncan,
president of the organization.
When Senator Graham tel
ephoned Tuesday of last week
to say that his senatorial du
ties made it impossible for
h!m to come to Franklin last
Wednesday, when the dinner
originally was scheduled, he
was asked for another date
and suggested February 4.
He telephoned against last
Thursday, however, suggest
ing that a study of the con
gressional calendar indicated \
a smiliar situation might arise :
on February 4, and that he
thought it better to offer to
come on a date when he was
sure he could be here.
Barring illness, he said, he
could come on Saturday, Feb
ruary 25, and the Chamber of
Commerce officials postponed
the .meeting till that date.
Urges Prompt
And Generous
Polio Gifts
The annual March of Dimes j
campaign for funds to carry on
the fight against Infantile par
lysis is under way in this coun
ty, and J. Clinton Brookshire,
! 1950 campaign chairman here,
this week issued an ippeal to
Macon County people to con
tribute promptly, so that thr
campaign can be completed
without delay, and gene-ously,
so that it may be successful, as
polio campaigns always are in
this county.
No county goals were set this
year, but each county In the
state Is asked to raise more
than they did in 1949. This
county's contributions to the
cause last year totaled $3,665.
In order to save time, letters
asking donations this year were
addressed to "box holders",
rather than to individuals, and
Mr. Brookshire asked those re- <
ceiving these letters to read
them carefully, and then for
ward their contributions. All
donations should be sent to
Claude Bolton, treasurer, at
Franklin, or made through
March of Dimes workers.
Meanwhile, coin co'lectors,
shaped like the iron lungs
which have often been used in
polio cases, and coin holders
have been distributed through
out the county.
An organization of workers
has been set up, with the school
principal In each community
serving as school and commun
ity chairman. The exceptions
are Franklin and Highlands.
For Franklin township, Mrs.
Milton Hyde is chairman, while
Principal R G. Sutton is in
charge of the campaign in the
Franklin school. In Highlands,
the Rotary club ls conducting
the drive.
inner community - scnoui
chairmen are:
Union, Mrs. Lucy Bradley;
Otto, E. O. Crawiord; Iotla.
Mrs. Marie Roper; Cowee, E. J.
Carpenter; Watauga. J. B. Bren
dle; Oak Ridge, Mrs. Vernon
Higdon; Holly Springs, Mrs. May
McCoy; Cullasaja, W O. Craw
ford; Clark's Chapel, Mrs. Haz
el Sutton; Slagle, Norman West;
Otter Creek, Carl D. Moses;
Kyle, Carl Talley; Scaly, Mrs.
Paul Orlst; Mountain Grove,
Mrs. Georgia Young; and the
Negro community, G. L. Hlnes.
January 31 Deadline
For Buying Auto Tag*
Next Tuesday U the last day
motorists here may legally use
1949 automobile license tags, the
state department of motor ve
hicles has emphasised. After
that date (January 91), persons
driving without 1900 tags will be
lutyect to arrwt
Butineu, F arm. Home
Growth Accounts
For 3 Million*
Macon County's tax valuation
has more than doubled In the
past seven years.
It has doubled? with nearly
a million and a half dollars to
spare? in 10 years.
And County Supt. O. L Houk
has stated that he has learned
the Nantahala Power and* Light
company valuation will be
boosted by another half-million
dollars, as of January X, 1950.
This will bring the total to more
than 12 /2 million dollars.
The Nantahala company in
crease, Mr. Houk explained, re
flects the completion of two new
power company projects during
1949, those at Queens Creek and
White Oak.
Seven years ago all Macon
County property listed for tax
ation was on the tax books at a
total slightly less than 8 mil
lion dollars.
Ten years ago the total was
only $5,378,000.
The figure for 1949 was $12,
175,000.
The increase, in 10 years, was
126 per cent.
While developments of the
Nantahala Power and Light
company during the past decadc
account for 55 per cent of the
$6,798,718 increase, $3084.984 In
crease has come as the result
of new or enlarged small busi
nesses, new homes, increased
land values, etc. ? normal com
munity growth.
Some years have shown a
much greater increase than
others. 1943, for example, show
ed a gain of more than 2 mil
lions over 1942, and 1945 show
ed a gain of nearly lys millions
over the previous year.
The Increase has been steady,
however, a substantial jump
having been noted each year.
The figures, by years, follow:
1940 $5,378,391
1941 5.772,399
1942 5,995,812
1943 8.282,909
1944 8,310,437
1945 9,714,758 *
1946 9,787,980
1947 10.788,551
1948 11,047.793
1949 12,175,109
In 1940 the power company
listed property for taxes In nine
Macon County townships total
ing $254,828.
Last year It had property In
all of this county's townships,
and the total stood at $3,988,
580, a 10-year increase of $3,
711,952.
The company's valuations by
townships In 1949 was as fol
lows:
Franklin, $114,470; Mlllshoal,
$85,445; EUijay, $3,265; Sugar -
fork. $1,880; Highlands, $2,890;
Flats, $940; Smlthbridge, 83,220;
Cartoogechaye, $5,550; Burning
town, $5,825; Cowee, $11,750;
and Nantahala, $3,731,545
Since the Queens Creek and
White Oak projects are In Nan
tahala township, the reported
1950 Increase for those projects
will boost the total in th-H
township to more than four mil
lion dollars.
WILL HOLD BINGO PARTY
A Bingo party, for the benefit
of the infantile paralysis fund,
will be held at the Cullasaja
school Saturday evening, spon
sored by the teachers.
CRITICALLY ILL
Mrs. John Fulton yesterday
was reported critically ill at
her home In the Bethel com
munity.
The -Weather
Temperature* and precipitation ( or t&?
past seven days, ami tbe low fenperator*^
yesterday, as recorded at ?? Coweefa Ex
periment station.
High Low Pet.
Wednesday 59 37 .54
Thursday 58 50 1.35
Prlday ..._ 47 37 .08
Saturday 58 37
Sunday 83 31
Monday 58 41
Tuesday 88 43 tracs
Wednesday 14 .01
FRANKLIN RAINFAlX
(At recorded by M?n?on Stiles for TVA)
Wednesday, .43 ot an inch;
Thursday, 1.88; Friday, .14; Sat
urday, nons; Sunday, nons;
Monday, tracs; Tuesday, .01;
WtdsMfer, tr?c?