?1
Bfl i hr f rnstine fl
I Vol. XLV.?No. 30
ICWA RESUMES
I EXCAVATION OF
I INDIAN MOUND
Ra!ei|h Office Senda Order To Continue
To a la Many Valuable
Objects Discovered
Excavation work on V.e old mound
at the mouth of Peachtree creek seven
miles south of Murphy, has been
transfeired to the State CWA, along
with all other Federal projects in the
county, according to telegapnic communications
from Raleigh made public
here Saturday, and work on the
mound was resumed Monday morning
as usual, local CWA authorities said.
Work on toe project was discontinued
last Thursday. Archaeologists
we-e preparing to leave when toe decision
of the State CWA headquarters
was received. This assures that work
will continue, temporarily at least
while efforts are now being made to
have the work continued until it is
completed. Authorities indicated
WUUIll IVVJUIIC OlA VI CI((IU \\ ? CJV>
longer to complete the project.
Began First Of Year
Excavation of the mound has been
in progiess since the first of the year.
It ?s being done under the supervision
and direction of J. D. Jennings,
oi Chicago, 111., and William B. Col
burn, of Detroit, Mich., archaeologists
attached to the Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D. C., in the interest
of scientific study of tne aboriginal
American.
Although many valuable finds
have already been uncovered, if the
work were discontinued at this stage
f t.'ie operation the most valuable
material fiom a scientific viewpoint
would be left in the mound and perhaps
lost entirely.
Besides a large number of intrusive
burials,' quantities of potsherds,
celts, pipes, copper trinkets of both
Indian and white man manufacture,
definite evidence has been uncovered
that a village of substantial propotions
existed on the site long before
the ancient builders began the construction
of the mound.
One of hie interesting phases of
the excavation is the discovery of
superimposed cultures existing in the
mound. Two cultures are definitely
indicated from the surface material
and the material found in the mound.
Stratas of different colors of clay,
layers of sand and soil have been
found, indicating ttie gradual building
up or .process of construction.
And it is this stratification which
separates the two cultures?one on
top of the mound and the other in
t.he bottom. And the bottom culture
is said to be the more advanced of the
two.
Expert* NOB-Coromittal
Asked whether or not the bottom
culture showed evidence o{ a higher
degree oi advancement than the upper,
the archaeologist* were noncommittal.
However, the writer reliably
understands that evidences
have been found to mark the people
who built the foundation and lower
.-ection of the mound as being more
advanced in the arts and sciences of
their day than those who later built
the top portion of the mound.
No definite traces of the famous
Ohio Hopewell culture have yet been
discovered. However, it is believed
that further exploration of the mound
will dislose the existence of the Hopewell
influence. (Hopewell culture is
so named because of a type of hand
decorated pottery of excellent manufacture,
said to be the finest type of
the prehistoric potter's art yet found
in the United States. It was first discovered
in the Hopcrwell Mound in
Ohio. Traces of this Hopewell influence
have been found to exist as
far south as East Tennessee.)
Fire Pits Fewad
Under the floor of the mound numerous
post holes end fire pita,
quantities of potsherds, layers of
humus, and other evidences have been
discovered that wisfwains and hota
once stood on the site lone before the
construction of tha mound began. As
to what type of village or type of inhabitants
who peopled it, further exploration
will be necessary to determine,
if such is a possibility. The
floor of the mound consists of a layer
of sand and watsrwashed stones,
some of the stones being as large as
the head. As the work toward the
center of the monnd progresses, archaeologists
said this sand layer became
thinner. Under this layer of sand
and stone the y found a layer of humus,
indicating that a considerable
CsoHnusd ?a page 4)
1ft. tf
Newspaper in Western North
Mutphey,
Mallonee May Enter
Race For Judgeship
J. D. Malltnce, attorney of Mur.
hj, may become a candidate for the
Democratic nomination for judge of
the 20th judical district in the coming
June primary, according to his
iriends.
Mi. Mallonee was a candidate foi
judge in the primary eight years ago,
but was defeated by the late Walter
fcj. Moore.
PAYNE BOYS
STAGE GUN
BATTLE SUN.
Brothers Facing Charges of Assault
With Deadly Weapon*
As Result
James and George Payne, brothers,
are facing charges of a.-sault with
.eadly weapons as result of a pitched
gun battle early Sunday morning at
their ".antes about 2 1-2 miles west
of Andrews:.
George Payne was peppered all
over the body with shot. John, another
brother who was cleared by the
Justice at the preliminary hearing,
was wounded in the right leg and arm
when he got witoin the range of the
tiling. Jim survived the battle unseat
red.
Shotguns were the weapons u. ed.
The battle is said to have been the
risult of a rathpr ?nonrnn*?nn?
derstanding. Chatges were prefered
against all three. However, only James
las succeeded in making bond and b
at liberty, voile George is still in jail
pending negotiations for his bond,
lohn was exonerated of complicity,
in the affair by th3 Magistrate.
MINISTERS TO
MEET MURPHY
ON MARCH 5
Cherokee And Clay Conference May
Become Interdemoninational
Organization
The Baptist ministers conference
of Cherokee and Clay counties will
meet in regular i.ssion at the Firs
Baptist church, Murphy, on Monday
March 5, at 10 o'clock in the <morning,
officers announced here this week.
The Rev. W. T. Truett, of Culberson,
is moderator, and t?he Rev. Howard
Hall, of Hayesville, is secretary.
The meeting will he opened with a
devotional service by the Rev. Howard
Hall. "Church Problems of Todoy"
is the general topic theme of
the program, and the discussion will
be led by the Rev. R. W. Prevost,
pastor of the Andrews chum).
All preachers, pastors, deacons and
lay members of the two counties are
invited to attend and share in the inspiration
and fellowship of the meeting.
The conference has been organized
about eighteen months, meeting
always being iield monthly, on the
first Monday after the first Sunday.
The past few meetings have not
been so well attended, and some discussion
took /place at tbe last meeting
in February of making the meetings
interdenominational or else abandon
ing them altogether. Officers believe
that some good work has been done
by these get together meetings and
are reluctant to consider discontinuing
tt\ym.
All pastors and ministers of other
denominations are extended special
invitations to attend the conference
on March 5, as some action is expected
to be takgn. If enough interest is
shown and co-operation of other denominations
can be enlisted in the
conference, the purpose of which is
to acquaint the religious leaders of
the two counties with the problems
of each o'.Vr, the meetings will in
all probability be continued, officers
said.
Presbyterian Church
Rev. Stewart H. Long, Pastor
Sunday School ? 10:00 A. M.
J. B. Gray, Superintendent.
Evening Worship 5:00 P. M
The Bible study will be resumed at
the evening service when the remainer
of nSe book of Genesis will be studied,
Visitors are always cordially wel-1
corned.
trokfi
Carolina, Covering a Large and Pott
N. C., Friday, February 2
TVA LAUNCHES 1
SOIL EROSION
VALLEY PROJECT |
Demonstration Work Being Undertaken
At Five Points In Four
Adjoining States
1
Washington, Feb. 15?Few, if any,
prefects undertaken by the Soil E os- ,
ion Service promise to be of greater ,
im :;rtance to as many tille s of the .
soil in such a large area as the one at
Die ent be in:: organized in the gr.at
Tennes=eo Valley.
Recently Mr. M. B. Manifold has
b. n making preliminary surveys and
locating e sites for large erosion
demonstrations. Mr. Manifold ha?
been a;pointed Regional Director of
'"the enti ; Tennessee Valley work,
and has located five demonstration
areas in which approved methods of
hiking erosion will be put into immediate
execution. He is still on the
ground working out definite plans of |
work. i
It has al eady been decided that 1
uhese projects will be established in
the following states: One each in
western Nort'h Carolina, Nor'r/?rn
Alabama, and one on the line be- i
tween Kentucky and Tennessee, and
two in the Tennessee Valley proper,
lhe work to be undertaken here will
be done in cooperation with the Tennessee
Valley Authority, and the
States directly interested, whose officials
are enthusiastically in favor
01 this great undertaking, and who
have assumed responsibility for obtaining
permission from the land
cwr.eis in t? e different districts for
the soil erosion forces to enter upon
their property and put in their experimental
stations.
These five demonstration stations
mentioned have been located for the
purpose of carrying on experimental
woik in a big way. Each one of them
will average dbcut 1,000 acres and the
present purpose is to learn for them
by accurate measurement just what
the rainfall in each section is and how
mucti of the rainfall runs off and how
much soil this water carries with it
under various forms of cropping.
Then the loss under different types
of grazing on the sloping land will
be carefully recorded.
The difference between land overgrazed
by livestock and that upon
which no animals are permitted to
feed will he noted. Terracing, contour
plowing and strip-cropping on
various slopes, and different systems
of cropping will be tried. Portions
of the land will be seeded to soilholding
vegetation, such as lespedeza
which has been found useful in pre- '
venting soil wash by many of the experimental
stations where it has been
used. There are several verities of
lespedeza which is commonly called l
Japanese clover. Some of it is known I
as Korean, another Kobe and then
there is the common type which has 1
been cultivated in the southern states
for some years past. It was introduced
in to this country from Japan
and Asia by the Bureau of Plant Industry
of the Agriculture Department.
One of its best characteristics
?* '* ??11 tvrAm on arid noil where
is mat iv ** * b* -" ?
alfalfa and other legumes will not
flourish. Although it is an annual,
it has the faculty of reseeding itself
from year to year. |
A large acreage of the hillsides on
which erosion always is the most
severe will be planted in trees. The
result obtained from the experimen- |
tation upon these five 1,000-acre plots .
will be used in determining the treat- {
ment to be applied to check erosion |
in this whole vast area of the Tennessee
Valley. By this means, it is expected
to develop the remedial treatment
for each form of erosion in this
entire section in which the Tenneesee
Valley Authority and the states directly
involved are giving their heartiest
co-operation. This experimentation
work will furnish coimdersfcle employment
ard preference will be given
to local residents in this regard.
Mr. Manifold who will have charge
of this work on the ground, under the
newly created Soil Erosion Service,
is an experienced agronomist, his
knowledge and experience having
been utilized in many different parts <
of the world. He spent some years
in Sumatra with a rubber concern.
He has had charge of work in South
America and his last engagement was
with the Firestone Company in Liberia
Africa. He is recognized in
manv different countries as an outstanding
authority upon soils and
their treatment.
t Hw
ntially Rich Territor-t in This Stale
3, 1934 "J i
Murphy School To
Open February 26
Murghy schools will remain closet
for another week due to the epide
mic oi measles, H. Bueck, supenii.
tendent,announced .following a meet
ing of the board of education las;
Saturday alternocn.
Tho schools had been clo ed foi
.wo wedcs and authorities believe
uh:y should stay closed until Monday,
i-ebruary 26, on account of the fact
ihat many children will not have recovered
sufficiently to l-eturn to
school until ?.en.
APPUCATION
SEEKS SURVEY
OF CHEROKEE
'A aula Locate and Map All Indian
Village Sites, Mounds, Trails
And Burial Places
An archaeological survey of Cherokee
county ii the object of an application
liled heie this week with state
CWA headquaarttrs for funds with
vvhi-h to do the work by W. B. Colburn
and .1. L . Jcnning.-, archaeologists
attached to the Smithsonian Institution,
who are supervising the excavation
of the old mound 7 miles
south of Murphy.
iht survey would locate all village
sites, mounts, lounal icteces, trails,
etc., u^ed by tne Indians on a special
y prepared map of toe county, with
such information as couli oe compiled
in each instance. Th. amount
of the application is for $100, to be
u.-ed for purchasing gasoline and oil
for traveling to the various paits of
ihe county.
Mr. Ctiourn said he and Mr. Jennings,
under the piesent arangemcnt
oi CWA working hours at the mound,
had at least two days each week whit*,
could be given to the survey, and they
would gladly make the survey on tbdjV
own time provided funds for gasoline
and oil for their automobile
could be procured.
An archaeological survey of the
county has never been attempted before,
and it is believed the funds will
be provided, since the amount asked
for is relatively small when compared
wi ?i the value such a survey of the
county would be.
Mi. Colburn said regardless of
whether or not the application was
approved, anyone in the county having
knowledge of the location of village
sites, mounds, burial places, or
other evidences of Indian occupation
or habitation, would be doing them a
great favor by reporting such evidence
to them in writing at the Regal
Hotel, as well a3 aiding in compiling
a scientific study of the aborigines
who peopled the country before the
coming of the white man.
Any information secured will be
turned over to the state archaeological
authorities in case the application
for the survey is not approved,
he said.
<ti ?o d a i n
<PV^; i ntu
IN CHEROKEE
SALES TAX
First Six Months isdicstc Property
Tsx Reduction For Coaaty
of $26,626 Eiem
The sales tax collections in Cherokee
county for the first six months
period amounted to $7,359, according
to information made public this week
by A. J. Maxwell, commissioner of
revenue.
The commissioner of revenue released
tabulations showing tax relief
fforded by the last legislature in
enactment of the sales tax and other
measures adopted by the'.n, 'affords
property tax reduction of $41,344 in
Cherokee county, and that the indicated
sales tax returns for the year
would amount to $14,718, which
leaves a property tax reduction in
excess of sales tax collections made
and anticipated for the year of $26,626.
Thi figures given out 'by the commissoiner
are based upon the amount
of taxes collected from the sales tax
for the first six months. The figures
relative to Cherokee county follow:
Sales tax collections for first six
months, $7,359.
Property tax reduction. $41,344.
Indicated sales tax yield for year
$14,718.
Property tax reduction in excess of
Sales tax. $26,626.
lit
51.00 YEAR?5c COPY
TWO ATLANTA
MEN VICTIMS
0 F ROBBERS
Christopher and Foote Lose Money
And Goods In Holdup Last
Saturday Night
A. Ch iticpher and Charlie Foot?,
salesmen cl the Georgia Remnant
Company, of Atlanta, were victims
cf highwaymen last Saturday night
\ %.en they were relieved of $95 .n
carh i?nd about fc!50 in merchandise
on No. 10 highway 2 miles west of
lopton by three heavily armed and
unidentified men.
Tne robbers car foil wed their victim
out of Topton, passing them and
blocking the road when about 2 miler,
out. Mr. Christopher and Mr. Foote
stopped when the ronu was blocked.
tee men came back to their car.
One played a flashlight over the car
and in their faces, opened the car
door, and demanded to know what
tiny were hauling.
thinking the robbers were officers,
Mr. Christopher said he replied,
"Nearly everything but liquor." Then
lu and Mr. Fcote got out. The leader
told them it was not liquor they were
after, but money. All three men then
iia-neti guns and ordered th-.rn to put
up their hands.
Mr. Foote cxmplioJ' immediately.
Mr. Christopher, oowever, said he
thought he could slip his moiKy out
cf his pocket and drop it on the
ground without being detected, as it.
was rather dark where he stood. One
01 the Mi .rs saw the movement.
"Keep your .hand away from your
pocket," he ordered, and struck at
Mr. Christopher's head. Christopher
(lodged and the blow caught him on
the shoulder, and he was knocked to
the ground. The fall injured ois hip,
and he was suffering the next day
with painful soreness in his shoulder
ard hip, but he was not injured
seriously.
After *eleiving their victims of all
the cash they had, '?re robbers then
transferred all of the mechandisc to
their car. Christopher and Foote
were then told to remain on the spot
for half an hour, and the robbers left
in the direction of Andrews. After
about ten minutes, Christopher and
Foote lett, also.
At Andrews, they notified officers.
Telephone calls were made to Murphy
er.d Biyson City for the officers to
be on the lookout. No trace of the
three men has yet been found, although
they were seen at Patterson
Springs and Topfcon before the robbery.
Officers believed tihe robber?
entered a side road after the holdup
and when Christopher and Foote
passed them, turned back toward
Abbeville.
It is believed that they weie experts
at the holdup game, as only the
kader talked, and he did not mince
h's words. T?ie leader was described
as being tall and athletic, wearing a
black mustache. However, officers
said he could have been "made-up".
The car was described as a '31 Chevrolet
Sedan. Mr. Christopher and Mr.
Foote said the robbers were unmasked
and they could identify them on
sight.
Mr. Christopher was formerly
United States Commissioner at Murphy,
but now resides in Atlanta.
JACKSON DAY
DINNER TO BE
AT RALEIGH
Ymi| Democrats to Hoar Prominent
Speakers At State Rally On
March 31
A Jackson Day Dinner, featuring
a state wide rally and prominent
speakers, will be staged by the Young
Democratic clubs of North Carolina
at the city auditorium, Raleigh, on
March 91st, with nationally promient
speakers appearing on the program,
according to information made public
here this week by Mrs. Elisabeth
Brittain, member of the State Executive
Committee.
The Young Democrats will get together
from 6 to 7 o'clock, dinner and
speaking will be from 7 to 10, and
from 10 to 12 dancing will he the
order.
Among the speakers will be Senator
Champ Clark, Senator Bailey,
Governor Ehringhaus, D. Ed. Hudgins,
and others. Mrs. May Thompson
Evans, president of the State organization,
will preside.