Net Paid
CIRCULATION
Last Week
2791
gtfj* IjigblanV JRacoman
It seldom fails ? let
two Southerners meet
. . . and they won't talk
about the Civil War at
all . . . But let a North
erner join them and up
pops the Civil War.
? James Street.
72nd Year ? No. 6
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, February 7, 1957
Price 10 Gents
Sixteen Paget
RISING WATER in the Little Tennessee River spilled over
into the Macon County Airport runway last Thursday, curtailing
' v ? si?n photo
activities . . . well, curtailing them to a certain extent, that is.
(See picture, Page 4).
Little Damage Done Here
By Heavy Rain And Flood
Macon County escaped with
little damage from floods trig
gered by heavy downpours last
week.
This wasn't the case, however,
in nearby Jackson and Chero
kee counties, where rampaging
rivers and streams caused
thousands of dollars in damage
and forced the evacuation of
many from their homes.
School busses going to the
Rose Creek, Tellico, and Burn
ingtown sections from Franklin
High were allowed to leave early
Thursday because of rising
water. A number of pupils from
Rose Creek and Burningtown
were unable to make it to
school Friday.
River Up
Swelled by intermlttant down
pours, mountain streams press
ed the Little Tennessee River
out of its banks early Thurs
day morning. By late afternoon
the Macon 'County Airport ? an
Inevitable victim of high water
? resembled a sea plane base.
However, little high water dam
age was reported here.
Through 8 a. m. yesterday
(Wednesday i Franklin's rainfall
for the month (Feb.) totaled
4.46 inches; Highlands, 4.79;
and Coweta, 5.20.
Record Rain
Nantahala Power and Light
Company reports the highest
rainfall ever recorded for a 24
hour period fell a;t its Nanta
hala dam and plant on Jan. 31.
This was 4.5 inches at the plant
and 3.40 inches at the dam.
On this day it is estimated
that 4,673 cubic feet of water
per second poured into Nanta
hala Lake. The lake rose 20.5
feet between 6 a. m: Wednesday
of last week and 6 p. m. Mon
day.
From 8 a. m. last Wednesday
to 8 a. m. Thursday, Franklin
had a 3.15 rainfall. A 3,23 read
ing was recorded at Cartooge
chaye on Thursday.
Weil No Wetter, Aldermen
Award Contract For Another
Franklin's "dry hole" well is
no wetter at the 450-foot mark
than it was last week qut 418.
Town officials Tuesday night
let the contract for sinking a
new shaft at another location.
Thirty-two feet of free dig
ging at no extra cost to the
town failed to stir up any more
water in the "dry hole" and
the Virginia Well and Machin
ery Company pulled out its rig
Tuesday morning.
Officially, the town abandon
ed the dry well last week, but
the well digging outfit offered
to dig on to the 450- feet level
while a new location was sought.
When the company quit at this
level, the well was coughing up
only about two gallons a min
ute.
meeting in regular session
Tuesday night, Mayor W. C.
Burrell and his aldermen re
viewed new bids for another
shaft and awarded another
contract to the Virginia outfit
Its bid was the same as for the
old well, $6.65 per loot. How
ever, since it already is on lo
cation, the company offered a
$100 rebate, which had the ef
fect of cutting the bid to $6.32
per foot on the basis of a 300
foot shaft.
Three other concerns submit
ted bids, H. C. Huffman, of
Hickory, $7 per foot; F. B. Rog
ers, of Franklin, $5 per hour,
plus all materials; and B. M.
Hughes, of Anderson, S. C.,
$6.50 per foot.
Two sites are being eyed by
the board for the new shaft.
First choice Is near Sheriff J.
Harry Thomas's home across
from the airport and the other
is in the old Crawford sub-divi
sion.
? i j * m ai^tl /huw
Miss Stanfield Reads Her Bible
Nantahala Delegation Seeking Funds
For Shop Learns System Has Problem
*\ aeiegauuu lium ii autatiaia
School seeking funds to, equip
its new vocational shop learned
Monday that , money is a pretty
general problem over the whole
county school system.
The delegation, made up of Nan
? ? ?
Schools Resolution
Approved By Boards
A double-barreled resolution
dealing with school construction
and the legislative budget for
education got a stamp of ap
proval from both the Macon
Board of Education and the Ma
con Board of County Commis
sioners here Monday morning.
The resolution, which origi
nated with the school board and
was then presented to the com
missioners, first requests the
General Assembly to authorize
the calling of an election for
a state-wide bond issue to con
struct needed school plants and,
secondly, endorses the budget
request of the state board of
education for the next two
VPflTR
Copies of the resolution have
been mailed to Macon's legisla
tors, Rep. G. L. Houk and Sen.
Kelly E. Bennett.
The resolution emphasizes
that many counties in the state,
including Macon, have previous
ly voted the amount in county
bonds for school construction
and that the "remainder of the
state school improvement fund
of 1953 is not sufficient to meet
the needs of the present and
the near future". It further
points out that a state-wide
bond issue could supply these
needed facilities.
He's Really
On The Job
Franklin's new parking meter
checker, George J. Conley. can't
be accused of shirking his daty.
In his first three days at
work (he started Feb. 1) the
town collected three times the
number of fines it did during
the whole month of January,
according to Town Clerk C. O.
Ramsey.
And to Mr. Conley, a violation
is a violation. He has given
tickets to at least two a'.dermcn,
and has tagged Police Chief C.
I>. Faird's pr vate car and police
man Homer Cochran's pickup
truck.
laiiciia i~i uiuiisai ox:ny n. nan aiiu
A. Howard Cross and John Wis
hon, members of the school com
mittee, made its pitch before both
the Macon Boara of County Com
missioners and the Macon Board
of Education.
Prom both boards came the
word that no funds are now avail
able.
A similar situation also exists
in Highlands, where a vocational
shop has Just been completed
School Supt. Holland McSwain
estimates that about $10,000 is
needed to properly equip both
shops.
However, the superintendent
said "it may be next fall before
we can do it, though."
He and the board members as
sured those from Nantahala that
some provisions would be made
in the 1957-58 school budget for
the shops, but that little coula
be done before then.
To offer some relief, the board
authorized Supt. McSwain to se
cure what equipment he could for
Nantahala, possibly through sur
plus channels.
"It's unfortunate," Mr. McSwain
observed following the meeting,
"but our present budget isn't ade
quate for even present needs,
much less something extra."
The superintendent also said he
is renewing the county's request
for two vocational teachers to
staff the shod6 at Nantahala and
Highlands. A request was submitt
ed to Raleigh several months ago.
"We'll keep renewing it until
we get some action," he declared.
.. He said he plans to investigate
the matter when he is in Raleigh
later this month.
Mr. McSwain explained that the
state requires at least an enroll
ment of 100 before approving P.
vocational teacher. Both Nanta
hala and Highlands are short of
this figure, the former with an en
rollment of 90 and the latter with
80.
The state does, however, make
exceptions in special cases, he said,
adding:
"We're hoping Nantahala and
Highlands will be the exceptions."
COLLEGE OFFICIALS HERE
Representatives of Bereft Col
lege, Berea. Ky . and Brevard Col
lege discussed college careers with
seniors oi Fianklin Hisih this past
week. Officials of other colleges
will be visiting the high schools
in the county at intervals between
now' and the end of school, ac
cording to Principal Harry C
Corbin.
-V ? ? ?
Cuilasaja Woman Believes
In Regular Church Going
"The Old Devil likes to get on
our trail and he's always ready
to kick us if we'll slow down
enough for him to catch up."
If the Old Devil has been
looking for Miss Mae Belle
Stanfield, whose words those
are, he's likely to find her at
the Cullasaja Assembly of Ood.
Miss Stanfield hasn't missed a
Sunday of preaching or Sunday
School In the last 17 years.
And the big handsome certi
ficate which hangs inside the
entrance of the Cullasaja
church attests to her perfect
attendance, with the seven
teenth year being marked down
recently.
It hasn't been the Idea of a
fancy attendance scroll, which
has encouraged her these years,
Miss Stanfield said, it has been
the need she felt to be at the
church to nourish her spirit.
During the nearly two dec
ades, she taught the primary
class (for 13 years) and was
secretary - treasurer of the
church (for five years and, fol
lowing an interruption, now for
the last four years). Presently,
she also is teaching the junior
class.
Lives Alone
Miss Stanfield, a pleasant
middle-aged woman who lives
alone in the old family place
on the Cullasaja River, has one
thing which she does first every
day after breakfast. With the
dishes cleared, she sits down to
read her Bible.
She has no system for read
ing the Holy Book. Instead, she
opens It and begins at whatever
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 8
FATE OF BUS
RESTS WITH
COMMISSION
Local Delegation
Protests Change
At Friday Hearing
Is Franklin going to lose its
morning bus to Ashevilie?
The answer to this question
now rests with the State Utilities
Commission, which conducted a
hearing into the matter in Ashe
ville Friday afternoon after pre
viously blocking a move by smoky
Mountain Stages. Inc., to eliminate
the bus without first petitioning
the commission.
A decision is expected from the
commission at any time.
Questioned
At the hearing before Com
missioner E. V. McMahan, of
Brevard, the key figure was J. H.
Quattlebaum, vice president of
traffic for Smoky Mountain
Stages, who testified as a sworn
witness and was questioned at
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 8
Board Eyes
Jail N^eds
The Macon Board of County
Commissioners took a look at the
jail Monday with an eye to ex
panding its facilities ? a recom
mendation made by the grand
jury in Dec.
Although they took no action
formally, the commissioners dis
cussed building a concrete block
structure on the back side of the
jailer's quarters. The structure
would contain two rooms, to be
used by the jailer's family.
Part of the living space now
used by the jailer's family is in
the basement. If a new structure
is built, this area would become
available for cells. '
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas spoke
to the commissioners on the
"acute need'' for additional space.
Other Business
In other business, the commiss
ioners received an insurance com
pany notice that Ralph W. Cun
ningham, Franklin taxi driver, is
insured, as required by law; re
ceived a letter from the State
Board of Health that W. E
(Gene I Baldwin, chairman of tht
board, has been re-appointed <ex
officio) to a two-year term on the
district board of health: approved
a bill from the jailer for $188 for
25 prisoners during January: and
endorsed a resolution passed earli
er in the day by the board of edu
cation.
Favors 2 Things
The resolution puts the commis
sioners on record in favor of. (1>
another state-wide bond issue for
school buildings, and <2> the
school budget for 1956-57 as pre
pared by the state board of educa
tion. The resolution will be trans
mitted to Macon County's legis
lators.
The semi-annual list of names
of more than 400 persons on
county welfare rolls, with the
amounts they receive, was filed
with the commissioners by the
Welfare Department as a public
record.
All three members of the board.
Chairman Baldwin. Wiley Brown,
and John W Roane, were present
at the meeting.
Franklin Girls
T ops In Division
Cinch Title When
Swain Beats Next
Team In Line
Even with games still to play,
the Franklin High lassies Friday
night sewed up the eastern di
vision girls baskebtall crown of
the Smoky Mountain Conference.
While the grils' were handing
Webster an 82 to 36 shellacking
on the home court. Swain High
was knocking off second place
Glenville, putting Franks in be
youd the reach of axy challenges.
Mavis Gibson hit the hoop for
36 points against Webster to pace
the girls to their eighteenth
straight victory and twelfth con
ference match this season. The
Girls' Tourney
Bid Goes To
Swain High
Franklin High was unsuccessful
in its bid to get the Smoky Moun
tain Conference Girls Basketball
Tournament.
Following a meeting of confer
ence officials Monday night, it was
awarded to Swain High in Bryson
City. Robbinsville got the boys
tournament.
Tournament play is scheduled
to get under way next week, ac
cording to Principal Harry C. Cor
bin. Although it is still to be de
cided at a meeting this week-end.
the girls probably will play the
13th, 15th, 21st, and 23rd, If the
procedure of past tournaments is
any indication. By the same token,
the boys should play the 14th.
16th, 20th, and 22nd.
(As soon as the official schedule
of games is available, it will be
posted on The Franklin Press bul
letin board at the courthouse.!
Assistant Agent
Reports For Work
Mrs. Joan Hennessee. of Sylva,
Monday took over duties here as
assistant to the home agent, Mrs.
Florence S. Sherrill.
She succeeds Mrs. Jessie D
Cabe. who held the position for
some three years.
A native of Knoxville. Tenn..
and a graduate of the University
of Tennessee, Mrs. Hennessee has
been hired on a "temporary, basis"
until Sept. 1. at which time Mrs.
Cabe is expected to rejoin the
staff.
Mrs. Hennessee is the wife of
Jack Hennessee, of W. C. Hennes
see Lumber Company, and has
been substitute teaching at Cher
okee High School in recent
months.
Just Forget
About It . . .
Just forget all that to-do
about Brer Groundhog seein'
his shadow on the 2nd.
.Shucks, any real moun
taineer knows that Ground
hog Day is Feb. 14.
So disregard all that city
fied propaganda and look to
the 14th for the little arfitnal's
forecast.
Houk Leaves For Raleigh On Tuesday;
Says He Has No Legislation In Mind
Macon's Rep Guy L. Houk
left Tuesday for Raleigh where
he is attending the 1957 session
of the general assembly, which
opened yesterday (Wednesday).
Accompanying him is Mrs.
Houk, who expects to return
home later.
Asked what prospective legis
lation had been brought to his
attention, he replied: "The re
quests for money. Every state
agency wants more money . . .
It's going to be a rough ses
sion."
This will be Representative
Houk's second term in tha leg
islature, having served in 1955.
For seniority purposes, however,
he has three sessions to his
credit, last summer's special ses
sion on the scbools-segregatlon
issued being counted, as well as
the regular convenlngs.
? On 11 committees In the 1955
session. Representative Houk
said he wouldn't attempt to
guess what committees would
be assigned him this time. "I'll
leave that to the Speaker."
While in Raleigh, he will live
at the Sir Walter Hotel, located
about four blocks from the Cap
itol
Mr Hook
game was played on the local
court when weather conditions
prevented it from being held in
Sylva, as scheduled.
Tuesday night the girls took
an easy 52 to 21 victory in a
game here with Highlands. Miss
Gibson led in scoring with 22
points. This gave the girls nine
teen straight.
Boys Win
Franklins' boys racked up
victories during the week also.
They downed Webster 50 to 43
with Gary Clark, Larry Brooks,
and Willard Smith each bucket
ing 12 points. In Tuesday's clash
with Highlands. Smith had one
of his best nights of the season,
hitting for 36 points to lead his
team to a 61 to 43 win.
Tomorrow 1 Friday >' night the
locals journey to Glenville for
games. > The Smoky Mountain
tournaments get under way next
week in Robbinsville and Bryson
City.
Team Members
Members of the championship
girls' team include forwards
Lucy Henry. Mavis Gibson. Bon
nie Lee. Claudette Leatherman,
Carolyn Dowdle, Shirley Lenoir,
Barbara Carpenter, and Leota
Beck; and guards Jean Phillips.
Jean Sutton, Frances McClure,
Joyce Cabe, Joyce Cole, Joyce
Pendergrass, Grace Shepherd,
Kate Buchanan. Helen Setser.
Inez Hedden. Garnetta Vanhook.
and Edith Sheffield.
Mrs. Rose Corbin is coach.
On Probation
For A Year
A 12-month probation has been
slapped on Franklin High School
athletics by the Smoky Mountain
Conference referees' association
for the roughing up of a referee.
The incident occurred here Jan.
29 during the Cullowhee? Frank
lin meeting when an adult fan.
reportedly angered over the Way
the game was being called, struck
the official.
Sitting in on a hearing into the
matter last week. Principal Harry
C. Corbin said he was told that
any recurrence of trouble be
tween local fans and the associa
tion's referees will mean officials
to referee Franklin's games will
no longer be supplied.
Although he recognized the seri
ousness of the situation, the prin
cipal pointed out that Franklin
High has not been the only offend
er. He said he learned at the meet
ing that Swain High is just end
ing a probationary period and that
other schools in the conference
have been similarly involved in
years past.
Register Of Deeds
Now Out Of Hospital,
Is Working At Home
Lake V. Shope was back home
this week after a stay at Angel
Hospital where he has been con
fined with osteomyelitis.
Still unable to be at his court
house post, as register of deeds,
?nevertheless. Mr. Shope was ask
ing for work. He had work that
could be done at home sent to him
there.
The Weather
Th?' week's temperatures and rainfall below
ai?- recorded in Franklin by Manson Stiles,
U. S. weather observer; in Highlands by
Tudor N. Hull and W. C. Nrwton. TV A
ob<t'.-v?*r?: and at the Coweta Ifydrolofltfc
Lal?> itory. Re:i linjrs nre for the '24-hour
period ending at S a.m. of the day listed.
FRANKLIN
High
55
60
70
60
54
68
61
Wed., Jan. 30
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
COWETA
Wed., Jan. 30 55
Thursday
Low Raiti
47 .02
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
, HIGHLANDS
Wed , Jan. 38 53
63
70
58
54
66
65
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
58
60
50
54
61
M
47
47
33
42
51
52
49
45
48
51
30
42
52
52
46
46
48
37
3.15
258
.52
.15
.71
.09
49
.70
1.00
2.89
.53
.30
.97
.35
.16
.49
M
2.48
50
32 trace
53 1.45
SO .19
? 08