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Net Paid
CIRCULATION
Last Week
2623
t franklin f fell
JHsctmtnn
There is such a thing
as getting so much that
you have nothing.
? Harry Carr.
72nd Year ? No. 3
Franklin, N. C, Thursday, January 17, 1957
Price 10 Cents
Sixteen Pages
BRIDE-TO-BE
PERISHES IN
AUTO WRECK
Student la First
Fatality; Driver
Faces Charges
A 17-year-old Highlands High
basketball player and bride-to-be
became Macon County's first high
way fatality in more than a year
and a half when the automobile in
which she was a passenger was de
molished early Saturday morning
la a one-vehicle mishap just out
side Highlands on US 64, east.
She was Miss Lenora Elizabeth
Lowe, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
James N. Lowe, of Highlands,
Route 3. A guard on her high
school team, Miss Lowe had play
ed in the Highlands-Franklin
game several hours before the fa
tal accident. She was to have been
married yesterday (Wednesday) to
Dave McClain, of, Rabun County,
Ga.
Another passenger in the auto
mobile, Mrs. Emily Sue Gibson
Potts, 16, of Highlands, was hos
pitalized with lacerations of the
face' and hands at Highlands Com
munity Hospital.
Highway Patrolman E. N. Hoop
er identified the driver of the
automobile as John C. Caye, 19, of
Highlands. A student at Georgia
Tech, he was uninjured.
A warrant charging the driver
with involuntary manslaughter,
speeding, and reckless driving
. were served following the accident,
the officer said.
Mr. Caye is free on $3,500 bond.
Inquest Held
A coroner's jury empaneled Sat
urday morning by Coroner C. Jack
Ragan returned a verdict of in
voluntary manslaughter. Members
of the jury were Walter Bryson,
Neville Bryson, Steve Potts, Tom
Potts, Bill Pierson, and Harry
Holt.
In his accident report. Patrol
man Hooper suggested that racing
led to the fatal wreck, about 12:40
a. m.
He said the Caye automobile,
a "souped up" 1955 six-cylinder
Ford; was traveling east at a
"high rate of speed", apparently
"attempting to pass another
vehicle" when the driver lost con
trol. On the left hand side of
the highway, it traveled 207 feet
before hitting a guy wire on a
power pole, ripping loose a trans
former, and going 40 more feet
end-over-end before coming to rest
on its right side, wedged between
a tree and a wall at the foot of
an embankment, the report re
lated.
? Services Sunday
Funeral services for Miss Lowe
were conducted Sunday at 2 p. m.
at the Highlands Baptist Church
by the Rev. Eugene Walter, pas
tor, and burial was in the church
oemetery.
Serving as pallbearers were
Tommy Norton, Tommy Rucker,
Robert Edwards, Leon McCall,
James Newton, and Charles Wat
son. Flower girls were members of
Miss Lowe's basketball team.
A senior, Miss Lowe was serving
this year as associate editor of
her school paper. She was a mem
ber of the Highlands Baptist '
Church.
In addition to her parents, sur- '
viving are three brothers, James
Luther, William Joseph, and Roy
Pranklln and a sister, Nancy Joyce, '
all of the home.
Arrangements were handled by
Bryant Funeral Home.
sun
HALF-HIDDEN in the underbrush is the automobile in which a Highlands student and bride
to-be, Miss Lenora Elizabeth Lowe, 17, was killed early Saturday morning. She was a passenger
in the vehicle which knocked a transformer (foreground) from its mounting on a power pole
in its out-of-control course down an embankment just outside Highlands on US 64, east. Patrol
matn E. N. Hooper is shown shining his flashlight on a gash on the tree (circle) caused when
the automobile flipped end-over-end as it came to rest, wedged between the tree and a low rock
wall.
Auto Clips Off
Pole And Power
Power was interrupted for about
three hours along Highlands high
way (US 64) early last Thursday
morning when an automobile went
out of control and clipped off a
main line pole near Bethel Church
Itoad.
Highway Patrolman E. N. Hoop
er identified the driver of the
automobile as Ma;: C. Holland, 21,
of Franklin, Route d. He was un
injured. The officer charged him
with driving on the wrong side of
the highway and exceeding ?. safe
speed.
The automobile, a 1948 Ford,
severed the power pole at the baie
and carried it 35 feet, the patrol
man reported. He listed the auto
mobile as a "total loss".
A crew from Nantahala Power
and Light Company replaced the
pole and had power restored on
the Highlands line in about three
hours. The line serves homes in
th^ area of the highway from
Franklin to Highlands. Power also
was off in the north section of
Franklin for about an hour and a
quarter.
The mishap occured about 12:30
a. m.
Shope Still Confined
By Illness To Home
Lake V. Shope, register of
deeds, has ? been absent from his
courthouse office the past 10
days, confined to his home with
a physical ailment.
It is not known when he will be
able to return to work.
The register's office Is open for
business as usual, with Mrs. James
E. Perry, Jr., on the job.
Square Dance Saturday
To Kick Off Dimes Drive
Macon County's annual March
of Dimes campaign will have its
official send-off Saturday night at
Slagle Memorial Building in
Franklin with a benefit square
dance.
Dancing will start at 8:30 with
music by Jay Dowdle and his
band. Admission will be 75 cents
and $1.25. The American Legion
is sponsoring the event for the
dimes drive.
Meanwhile, the drive chairman.
Dean Carpenter, is coordinating
? ? ?
5,259 Polio Shots
Given During Year
During 1956, 5,259 anti-polio
immunizations were administered
by the county health department.
Mrs. Frank Shope, public health
nurse, said the shots went to per
sons under 20 years of age and to
expectant mothers requesting
them.
Actually, the year's total does
not complete the immunization
picture, the nurse pointed out, be
cause several hundred children
are due to receive third shots ol
the vaccine this coming May. Al
though related to 1956, this round
of shots will be included in the
1957 program, she explained.
The present immunization pro
gram is administered with federal
funds and does not include the
general public, only school chil
dren and a few special groups,
like expectant mothers.
However, the vaccine is avail
able to the public through private
physicians, she added.
activities of the campaign in an
effort to raise the county's $4,500
quota as soon as possible.
Coin collectors, fashioned like
miniature iron lungs, have been
distributed county-wide and let
ters have been sent to schools ana
communities requesting that they
sponsor events for the March of
Dimes.
One large donation ? 1 .500 , ben
nies ? has been received by Mr.
Carpenter. The pennies were sav
ed for the drive by Audrey and
Tommy Roper, children of Mr. and
Mrs. Harvey Roper, of the Burn
CLUB TO MARCH I
Members of the Franklin Jun
ior Woman's Club plan to stage
a "Mothers' March on Polio"
the night of Jan. 24.
A lighted porch light will be
the signal that occupants want
to contribute.
Ingtown section. i_.ast year the
Roper children saved 1,000 pen
nies.
In calling for the cooperation
of all Maconians in topping the
year's quota, Mr. Carpenter said
it is doubly important to raise
March of Dimes money even
though an effective vaccine has
been developed.
"We owe it to those who were
stricken with the disease before
the Salk vaccine came out . . .
they can walk again and our dimes
can do the job," he declared.
Funds also are naeded to con
tinue the research program, he
said. In order to develop more ef
fective preventatives and better
treatment procedures.
MORNING BUS
BEING LOPPED
FROM SCHEDULE
Changes Ordered
By Queen City
Effective Jan. 24
Queen City Trallways is lopping
Franklin's early morning bus from
its schedule under changes set to
go into effect next Thursday, Jan.
24.
With the effective date, the bus
from Atlanta that arrives now
here nightly at 7:30 and lays over
until 5:50 the next morning, be
fore proceeding on to Asheville,
will be eliminated.
This will leave Franklin with
two buses going each way (Ashe
ville-Atlanta) daily.
The 9:20 a. m. to Atlanta re
mains the same. The old 3:15 p.
m. to Atlanta, however, is being
rescheduled to 5:20 p. m.
Going to Asheville,. busses will
depart here at 11:10 a. m. and at
10:25 p. m.
In early October, the bus com
pany proposed changes but can
celled them at the last minute
when protests were lodged by peo
ple along the Atlanta-Asheville
run.
Somebody Lost
In Tie-Breaker
Here Last Night
Weather permitting. Franklin
and Glenville were to have played
basketball here last (Wednesday*
night, after which one of the girls'
teams could no longer boast of
being undefeated.
The match was postponed from
Tuesday night when icy roads
prevented the Glenville boys and
girls from making the trip to
Franklin.
Both girls' squads were unde
feated in conference play, with six
wins each. Franklin was undefeat
ed for the season, counting 10
wins.
At Highlands last Friday night.
Franklin won both the boys' and
girls' tames. Mavis Gibson, with
20 points, led the girls to a 53-45
victory. Dean Long's 16 points
were high for the boys, as they
whipped Highlands, 44-26.
f ranklin High Has
Bid In For Tourney
Franklin High has a bid In for
the '57 girls' basketball tourna
ment in the Smoky Mountain Con
ference.
Principal Harry C. Corbin yes
terday (Wednesday) still had not
learned If the school's move to
get the tournament was success
ful, but he hoped to have some
word by the last of the week.
Selection of tournament sites
rests with a seven-man committee
of coaches and principals in the
conference.
The boys' and girls' tournaments
are slated for the latter part of
February.
County Is First
To Top Quota
Macon County is the first of its
size In the state to top its 1956
tuberculosis Christmas seal quota,
according to information received
by the campaign chairman, Sam
Gibson.
Through Tuesday, contributions
totaled $668.55 and "more is still
dribbling in", the chairman de
clared.
For the same period in 1955, the
county had raised only $446.
Accused Slayer ,
Waives Hearing
Ledford Shooting
Case Bound Over
To Higher Court
In an unexpected move Tuesday
morning, lawyers representing
James Maney, 35-year-old Clay
County man charged with the
Christmas Eve shotgun slaying of
a Macon County storekeeper,
waived the findings of a prelimi
nary hearing and had his case
bound over to Superior Court.
A similar action was taken in
the case of R. C. Ledford, also
of Clay County, a companion of
Maney's who is charged with aid
ing and abetting the fatal shoot
ing of C. L. (Cecil) Ledford, in
his Cartoogechaye store.
The preliminary hearing before
Justices of the Peace Sam J. Mur
ray and J. R. Morrison had been
scheduled for 2 o'clock Tuesday
afternoon.
Maney was released Tuesday
morning Into the custody of
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas from
Angel Clinic, where he had been
hospitalized for treatment of a
.32 calibre pistol wound allegedly
inflicted by C. L. Ledford shortly
before the fatal shooting. He en
tered the hospital here several
hours after the shooting while
officers looked for him in Clay
County.. During his stay at the
hospital, Maney was kept under
special guard at night.
Solicitor Thad D. Bryson, Jr.,
set Maney's bond at $5,000 and
Ledford's at $3,000.
Yesterday (Wednesday) morn
ing, the two men were still in
the county jail, although ef
forts were under way to free
them on bonds.
Bank Deposits And Posted
Receipts Show Differences
Post office receipts and bank
deposits' for 1956 gave conflicting
pictures of the year's prospeiity.
Frank B. Duncan, president of
the Bank of Franklin, reported to
stockholders last week that in
1956 the bank experienced one of
the best years in its history. De
posits showed an increase of $245,
714 over the previous year, with
total resources at $2,667,542.56.
Postmaster Zeb Meadows said
postal receipts for the year just
ended showed an increase of only
$350 over 1955. In 1955, the Frank
lin Post Office increased its reve
nue by $2,667 over 1954.
At the bank stockholders meet
ing. a semi-annual dividend of $1
a share was paid.
Elected directors were Mr. Dun
can. A. B. Slagle, T. W. Angel, Jr.,
Henry W. Cabe, John L. Craw
ford, W. E. (Gene> Baldwin, Rich
ard S. Jones, Verlon Swafford,
and Elmon Teague.
The directors elected Mr. Slagle.
chairman of the board; Mr. Dun
can, president; Mr. Swafford, vi""
president; Mr. Cabe, cashier; and
Walter Dean and Robert C. Car
penter. assistant cashiers.
Announcement was made at the
meeting of a remodeling program
for the bank. New bank fixtures
are being installed and the work
is expected to be completed by
Monday.
Receipts for the postal quarter
just ended (Jan. 11) were up 2.6
per cent over the corresponding
period last year. Postmaster Mea
dows said this week. Income this
quarter was $12,155.61: last year
lor the same period ib was $11,
848.48.
Here are yearly revenues for the
post office here since 1944: 1944.
$24,781.96; 1945, $25,377.83; 1946.
$21,090.08; 1947, $21,774.91; 1948,
$23,217.65; 1949, $2^.418.35: 1950,
$23,966.23: 1951. $27,589.16: 1952.
$30,011.83: 1953, $32,633.68: 1954.
$34,754.21; 1955. $37,421.01; 1956,
$37,771.36.
Franklin, now a second cla-s
post office, is but $2,300 short of
moving into the first class brack
et. When receipts total $40,000 an-,
nua'ly. the po?t office will be
rated first class. ??
County And Towns
Purchase Radios
Law enforcement agencies in
Highlands, Franklin, and Macon
County ? heretofore without radio
contact ? will be linked by new ra
dio equipment expected to be in
stalled by April 1.
The equipment was ordered by
the county last week after a con
ference between D. E. Marable,
salesman for Motorola, Inc., who
Js promoting civil defense in four
seaboard states, members of the
Franklin Board of Aldermen, and
the Macon Board of County Com
missioners.
In a related action, the county
commissioners named C. Jack Ra
gan. of Franklin, as director of
civil defense for the county.
To cost $4,044 50, half of the
expense for the radio .equipment
will be borne by the federal gov
ernment. Of the remaining $2,
022.25, costs will be pro rated
among Franklin, Highlands, and
Macon County, depending on how
much equipment each will use.
The equipment is being bought
Water Supply Setups In Neighboring Towns Aired
(EDITOR'S NOTE: Since
Franklin is facing the problem 1
of expanding it* water supply,
it seemed worth-while to find
oat how other communities have
met the problem. So a Press |
representative visited eight
neighboring towns and talked to
officials and citizens. This, the 1
first In a series of articles tell- '
log what he found, gives the
answers to questions about the
source of the supply and bow
satisfactory It Is.)
1
8ix of eitfht Western North Car- (
ottna town* Just visited by a Press
reporter ret part, or all, of their
water from watersheds, controlled .
Areas set aside for the purpose. A .
seventh uses wells but has had ex- ,
pertence with a shed, and the
eighth always has used springs.
There is no disagreement over
the desirability of a watershed,
provided the water is filtered, but
different towns have had varied
results. Here is a breakdown:
Sylva ? "We have the best water
in the world and throw away
more than a million gallons a day,"
says Town Clerk Edmond J. Nich
olson. The town draws all its
water from a watershed.
Dlllsboro ? Now gets its water
from two wells. Until 10 years ago.
Dlllsboro used a watershed. It prov
ed to be Inadequate and no land
was available to enlarge it.
Brjrson City ? With a well
and two watersheds, this town has
enough water, says Town Clerk
Jack Welch. Probably, Bryson's is
the dirtiest looking water in
Western North Carolina, the sedi
ment being particularly noticeable
after a rain. This Is due to lack
of filters at the watersheds; for
eign matter flows into the town's
water system.
Hayesvllle ? Enough water here.
All supplied by springs.
Murphy ? A watershed supple
mented by the Hlawassee River "
gives Murphy Its water. The town
needed more water. There being
no watershed available large
enough to provide all It would
want in future years. Murphy vot
ed bonds for a big, new filter plant
on the river. It will provide what
the watershed doesn't.
Andrews ? "Hiere Is no better
water, anywhere." say* Claude
Angel, superintendent of the water
works. "We have available all we
can ever use. It all comes from
our watershed."
Robblnsvllle ? "We have the best
water In North Carolina." That
statement from J. B. Cory, the
town engineer. This town's water
shed will provide "more than we
can ever use. We Just add a creek,
as we need It," says Mr. Cory.
? Highlands ? Trouble here. Water
In Highlands comes from two
watersheds and two wells. More
water Is needed and an engineer
ing firm hfts recommended the
town tap a creek. No more water
shed land that Is higher than
town Is available.
Town officials, prominent citi
zens. and business and residential
water customers in .watershed
towns are unanimous about the
qualities of a watershed: the wat
er is good to the taste, soft (which
means easy lathering), but dirty
if it is not filtered. They ail agree
that it should be chlorinated.
(State law requires that all sur
face water be chlorinated. The
State Board of Health recom
mends that a minimum of 0.3 parts
r>er million <opm> and a maxi
mum of 1.0 ppm of residual chlor
ine be carried in the finished
Those who have had experience
with watersheds point out that a
great deal of money is saved by
gravity flow: that Is. there are no
costs for pumping. The one ex
pense they cite is the onee a year,
or every two year, Job of bulldoz
ing the mud away from dams.
Further, they point out that
watershed locations affect how
much water come* into them. The
farther up a creek the shed, the
less water received. The farther
down the creek, the less pressure
In the mains.
Another advantage of a water
shed is that there is reven/ue from
the cutting of timber on it.
A drawback to watersheds cited
is that Western North Carolina
rainfall In the last eight or ten
years has declined and as a re
sult, the area Is slowly getting hot
ter and drier.
(NEXT WEEK: The experi
ence of each of seven towns In
meeting Its public water supply
problem will bo told in detail In
the second of this series of arti
cles, to appear In The Press
nest week. A third article will
discuss Highlands' situation.)
from Motorola .
A radio set will be installed in
a police car at Highlands, in one
at Franklin, and in two for the
sheriff. The county will pay for
one for the sheriff and Sheriff J.
Harry Thomas w|ll pay for the
other.
Base stations will be installed
at the courthouse office of the
sheriff and in the Jail. Cars equip
ped with the units will be abje to
communicate with each, as well as
the base station. The car$ can
communicate with the Ashevilk*
station of the State Highway Pa
trol. but cannot reach the patrol
cars themselves.
The Weather
The week's temperature* and ihinfall below
are recorded in Franklin by Manson Sti!e?.
U. S. weather observer; in Higrhlnnds by
Tudor N. Hall and W. C. Newton. |TVA
olwervers: and at the Cow? ta Ifydrolojric
Laboratory. Readmits are for the 24-hour
|h riod ending at M a.m. of the day listed.
FRANKLIN
High Low Rain
Wed., Jan. 9 59 40 .00 1
Thursday 66 36 trace
Friday 41 21 .05
Saturday 59 32 .00
Sunday 60 30 .00
Monday 52 33 .00
Tuesday i 41 32 .00
Wednesday 32 06
HIGHLANDS ;
Wed., Jan. 9 58 36 trace
Thursday 40 35 .13
Friday 38 20 .00
Saturday 54 32 .00
Sunday 55 34 .00
Monday 50 30 .00
Tuesday 34 27 trac* t
Wednesday .... 29 .It
COWEETA ?|
Wed., Jan 9 81 40 .U
Thursday 60 56 JB9
Friday 42 22
Saturday 50 SI
^ 3
Sunday M m S
Monday 52 S3 w
Tuesday 34 m W
Wednesday .... jj
>