CIRCULATION
2810
i
Net Paid
Last Week
3%? JHawroiati
PRICE
10 Cents
71st Year ? No. 3^
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, August 30, 1956
Sixteen Pages
NEAR FRANKLIN? Heavy earth-moving machinery moved closer to Franklin this week on
US 23-441 as the approaches to the lone bridge on the project were prepared. In the picture, a
"pan" is shown getting an assist from a "dozer".
Information
About Regular
I / lendments
When handed ballots on Sep
tember 8 at the polls, local vot
ers will find listed four pro
posed constitutional amend
ments.
Three of them were passed in
regular session by the General
Assembly and are referred to
on the ballot as "regular ses
sion amendments". The fourth
is the special amendment deal
ing with the school problem. Its
background was presented in a
news story last week, and there
fore will not be discussed in
this article.
Here's a brief rundown on each
of the three proposed amendments
passed during regular session by
the General Assembly:
No. 1: To increase the maxi
mum number of days for which
members of the General Assembly
may recelv* compensation and to
authorize the General Assembly to
provide subsistence and travel al
lowance for members engaged in
legislative duties.
This amendment would make
possible two changes in compen
sation to be received by members
of the General Assembly. One
change would be that members
could be compensated for a maxi
mum of 120 days, instead of 90.
The other would be that a consti
tutionally acceptable law could be
enacted providing for the payment
of subsistence and travel allow
ance to members of the General
Assembly while engaged in legis
lative duties. The allowances could
not exceed those established for
members of state boards and com
missioners generally. These
amounts are set by each Legisla
ture in its appropriations bill.
No 2: To ohange the date for
convening the General Assembly
from January to February.
If it . passes, this amendment
means the General Assembly can
convene approximately one month
later than usual. The 1955 General
Assembly passed a law which, ex
tended the final date for the filing
of income tax returns from March
IK - t a 1 S Paniiica /-vf ?Viio
io w n^ui xir. uvi.a u jv. ui 1/iiio,
the General Assembly cannot
have.until a month later, an esti
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 8
Late News
and
Briefs
i
iu:activati.\'g unit
Plans are now being made to
reactivate Company C, 347 En
gineering Aviation Battalion,
here.
All former members and oth^r
interested veterans are asked to
contact Gardner Holden or Roy
W Isley in Franklin so an or
ganizational meeting can be
scheduled.
The reserve U. S. Army com
pany was active from 1947 to
1953 It was called into active
service, in 1950.
* * *
HAYSTACKS BURN
Lightning caused fires that
destroyed three haystacks early
Monday afternoon on the farm
of Dr. T. D Slagle on Cartooge
chaye.
? ? *
REWARD OFFERED
The Town of Franklin is of
fering a $100 reward for infor
mation leading to the identifi
cation of the person, or persons,
who cut off the rubber "No U
Turn" sign on Main Street in
front of Burrell Motor Com
pany,
Bridge Approaches Being
Prepared On New Highway
Preliminary preparations for
building the only bridge on the
US 23-441 highway project from
Franklin to Georgia brought the
powerful growl of earth-moving
machines closer to town this
week.
Heavy machinery started
readying the approaches to the
five-span bridge over Cartooge
chaye Creek, just below the
Burlington Industries plant. The
creek was rechanneled at the
bridge site.
Resident Highway Engineer
S. T. Usry said the bridge will
be about 150 feet long.
The rest of the structures oiv
the 12.46-mile relocation proj
ect are culverts, he said, and
they are just about finished.
Meanwhile, other heavy ma
chinery is gnawing away at the
rest of the 900,000 yards of
dirt that will ultimately be
moved on the job.
Mr. Usry said about 30 per
cent of the grading has been
completed and that "things are
proceeding satisfactorily" on
the entire job.
Much of the roadbed from
Otto south to the state line has
been roughed out
Woolworth Founder Makes
Donation To Library Fund
A check for $500 arrived last
week as a gift to the Franklin
Library fund.
It came from a man who has
never been here, but one who,
nonetheless, recalls a kindness
rendered many years ago by a
Maconian, Mrs. Virginia Bryson
Ramsey
The generous donor is Edwin
Merton McBrier, who, at 91, is
the only survivor of six cousins
who founded the present F. W.
Woolworth Company. He lives
in Montclair, N. J.
In a letter to Mrs. Ramsey
(the check enclosed) he recall
ed her kindness many years ago
in Kentucky, where she taught:
"You doubtless remember, as
well as I do, the night when
you gave up your cottage apart
ment at Carcassonne, at the
time Mr. Frank Hutchinson and
I spent the night there and
talked with Mr. Caudill and
many others who came by
numerous paths over the moun
tains to see the 'furriners'. It
was a revealing experience. Mr.
Hutchinson is still my best
friend and lives in this town
of Montclair, where I have liv
ed since 1912 . . . For the sake
of old times, I am herewith
enclosing a check in the
amount of $500 (for the library
fund)."
Expresses Appreciation
Acknowledging the gift and
expressing her appreciation to
Mr. McBrier, the chairman of
the library committee. Miss
Lassie Kelly, said about $2,500
more is needed to complete the
first floor of the new library on
Phillips Street.
She also disclosed plans for
moving the library from its
temporary quarters into the
building in mid-September, if
the needed amount is raised.
Several have made donations
recently to the library, Miss
Kelly revealed. E J. Whitmire
is paying for the tile floor;
Macon County Supply Company
Is supplying free paint for the.
building; and Zickgraf Hard
wood Company is donating the
lumber for the stairway leading
to the second floor.
Some free labor is now need
ed, she said; a painter to ap
ply Macon County Supply's gift,
and a carpenter to build the
stairway.
The upstairs of the building
will not be finished now.
OLIVE HILL HOMECOMING
A homecoming program will
be held at the Olive Hill Gospel
Church, in the Iotla community
Sunday, it has been announced.
All singers and the general
public are invited
NEW PLANT
ADDITION
IS STARTED
Bundy Reports More
Than Million To Be
Spent On Expansion
Supt Stephen A. Bundy this
week announced the beginning
construction ot an expansion
program of the Franklin plant
of Burlington Industries, Inc.,
which will cost "In excess of a
million dollars".
The new addition to the south
end of the present three mil
lion dollar plant just outside
town will be "half again the
size of the present building",
the superintendent said, and is
expected to be in operation by
January.
Contingent on styling trends
within the Industry, he said
probably 100-150 more will be
hired to round out the expan
sion program. Both men and
women will be used, he added.
Holt Construction Company,
of Graham, hblds the construc
tion contract. Work got under
way on the site early last week.
The building will be finished by
October.
Floor space of the present
plant is about 29,000 square
feet, so it is assumed, on the
basis of Mr. Bundy's statement,
that the addition will be about
14,000.
Burlington has been in oper
ation here since .May, 1955, and
expects to reach the peak of
operations in the existing plant
some time this fall.
Finger Closing
Law Office Here
For New Position
C. Banks Finger is closing his
law office in Franklin to accept
a job in Columbia, S. C.
He will head the Columbia
office of Nationwide Insurance
and plans to move his family
there the week of September 10.
Mr. Finger has operated one
of the leading state Nationwide
agencies here part-time in con
nection with his law practice.
When he leaves for Columbia,
Edwin T. Williams, former
teacher at Franklin High
School, will take over the
agency on a full-time basis.
Since coming here in October,
1951, Mr. Finger has been ac
tive in civic and political cir
cles He has been an unsuccess
ful candidate for mayor of
Franklin and was twice defeat
ed for representative from this
county to the General Assem
bly. He also has served as dis
trict chairman of the Young
Democrats Club
Mr. Finger is the immediate
past president of the Franklin
Junior Chamber of Commerce.
Active in state Jaycee affairs,
he is a past state vice-president
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 8
BOARDING BIRD ? The Perks at .Skvwater, on the Franklin-Highlands highway, have a new
boarder. It's a baby robin named "Robbie", who needs only a whittle and his name called to fly in
for ?. meal of raw hamburger. The Pecks found I, he fledgling "l!i>bbie" about five weeks ago in
the road and adopted him. They figure he fell out of a nest nearby. "Robbie" startles Skvwater
guests by his boldness. He'll fly down and perch on any available shoulder.
ALL OVER! ? The wild jubilation released by David Pollock (left) and Alex Cabe when school
was out last May has subsided. County schools ?o into operation again Tuesday morning and
students Pollock and Cabe are ready to surrender meekly and continue their education.
Towns Get
Good Slice
Of Money
Macon County's two towns,
Franklin and Highlands, this
year get a tasty $17,028.75 slice
of the Powell Bill pie.
Of the total Franklin is re
ceiving $11,576 82 and Highlands
$5,451.93.
Powell Bill funds are allocat
ed to qualified municipalities in
the state for improvements of
non-highway system streets.
This year's state total of $4,
543,096.20 is the largest since
the Powell Bill Act was passed
in 1951. It is being divided
among 386 towns on the basis
of non-highway miles and pop
ulation. Funds come from a Vic
per gallon of the total, or gross
6c gasoline tax 'less refunds'
during fiscal 1955-56.
For a 1950 population of 1,
975, Franklin gets $4,032.57 and
for 15.19 miles of non-high
ways an additional $7,544.25 to
bring its total tor the year to
$11,576.82.
Highlands gets $1,051.53 for a
'50 population of 515, coupled
with $4.400 40 for 8.86 miles of
non-highways for' a total allo
cation of $5,451.93.
Checks will be mailed to the
two towns in mid-September.
Schools To Open
Tuesday Morning
McSwain Estimates
4,000 Enrollment
For Coming Year
Those familiar orange school
busses will start rolling again
early Tuesday morning when
all schools in the county open
their doors to an estimated 4.
000 pupils.
School "will start keeping"
promptly at 8:30, according to
Supt. Holland McSwain.
"Half days" of instruction
are scheduled the first two
days, he said, to help the
adjustment from vacation to
the 3 R's.
Supt. McSwain said enroll
ment estimates indicate about
300 more will be under the
wing of the school system dur
ing 1956-57. About 200 of this
increase will be in the elemen
tary schools and 100 in the four
high schools.
Membership at the end of the
1955-56 school year last May
was 3,675.
The superintendent said about
375 children are expected to
enter the first grade. This is
"about average" for recent
years, he explained.
MRS. RAMS1-.Y ?
Carries 90 Years Lightly
Mrs. Ti'Xie Cai 'r Ramsey car- V
ries her UO years with the grace e
of one Who enjoys living and a
expects to be around for many s;
years to come. V
Joining the rants of nono- a
genarians at a birthday party
Sunday afternoon at Slagle Me
morial Building, she puffed out
the 16 randies on her cake' and
disclosed she doesn't like to.
have time on her hands
"1 just like to keep busy all
the time," the Macon County
native and widow of John B
'lamsey revealed.
In keeping with this, she
Walks better than a half mile
there and back" to the post
office daily in Sylva, where she"
has lived for the last five years.
And each morning she "steps
across the way" to help a
neighbor, whose husband is ill,
with breakfast and house clean
ing.
And, in her "spare time", she I
has made about 50 rugs as ?
".ifts.
More than 200 friends and
relatives were on hand to help P
Mrs Ramsey celebrate her mile- ^
stone Sunday. Preceding an I
open house, she and "her fam- t
ily" talked over a luncheon ?
prepared by Mrs G. R. Pattillo. 1
At a, program in her honor.
'ice-Mayor J. C. Jacobs of er
*1 a welcome to visitors; Rich
rd Sloan and Mrs. C. E. Henry
ang. accompanied by Mrs. H.
Cabe; Mrs. Lee Crawford,
nother nonogenarian. played a
m- ; jk ts ?
.Mrs. Kamsey
>iano solo; Suzanne Moody.
Irs. Ramsey's granddaughter,
ilayed a violin solo, accom
lanied by Miss Nora Moody;
drs. Harry Ramsey. Jr.. played
he accordian and sang: and
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 8
Two hundred and eighteen
eighth graders have been pro
moted to high school
Of the estimated 4,000, he
said about 3,130 will be in the
11 elementary schools, while the
four high schools will take care
of about 875. By schools, high
school enrollment is estimated
at: Franklin, 608; Highlands,
89; Nantahala, 87; and Chapel,
11.
Mr. McSwain said the mem
bershap estimates will be "just
about right'' if all children re
port to school the first day.
He also saiA regular atten
dance is "extremely important"
during the first seven months
of the school year, since daily
attendance determines the
number of teachers the county
will be allotted the following
year. Sickness, of course, does
not count, he said.
Higdon Family
Sets Reunion
The Major W. H. Higdon
family will hold its annual re
union Sunday, September 9, at
the old Higdon home-place.
The announcement was made
this week by A. R. Higdon, pres
ident of the reunion organiza
tion. William G. Crawford is
secret ary-treasurer.
The Hidgon reunion is on? of
the oldest and largest in the
country.
The Weather
t tv* t u *???? nn?l r.^nfall. as
K: -? nk! it. l>y M-n-ion >?. Vs.
' erv.' ? : in Highlands hv
I 1 W (\ NVwon, TV A
-h.* ( i-.veta Hydroloific
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
'?"eel 79 54 ?
'Ill'.r- ;v SI 51
Frif':;v K9 51
So "sr. v 85 51 _
Sum: 84 57
^T' Tldav 35 57
Tu sclay S3 60
HIGHLANDS
' >il? A-u. C2 7i)
' hur?3r..v 74
Friday 79
Situiday 7 ?>
Sunday 75
M->nc'ay 76
Tue-riay 75
Wednesday
COWEETA
Wed.. Aug. 22 78
Thursday 80
Friday 85
Saturday 82
Sunday 82
Monday 82
Tuesday 81
47
5)
51
53
55
57
60
52
46
47
49
53
53
58
.09
.IS
.35
.06
.12
.40
.17