Dedicated
To Service
For Progress
?hr (E be
'^ur Aim: -
A Better Murphy
A Finer Cuunty
THE LEADING WEEKLY NEWSPAPER IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. COVERING A LARGE AND POTENTIALLY
RICH TEURITORY
\ OL. 52? NO. 36
Ml'RPHY, N. C. THI RSDAY. APRIL 2. 1941
5c COPY? *1.50 PER YEAR
LOCAL MEN SEEK
ROAD PAVING AT
BLUE RIDGE MEET
Confer with Highway
Commissioners and
Fannin County Men
A delegation irum Cherokee coun
ty composed of Mayor J. B. Gray
Of Murphy. Joe E. Ray, president of
Murphy Cham be rof Commerce, and
E. A. Wood, county commissioner,
met with two members of the Geor
gia highway commission and a large
gathering of Fannin county citizens
m Blue Ridge Wednesday in an ef
fort to find a means for paving the
stretch of dirt road between the
North Carolina state line and Blue
Ridge.
Represent* lives of Fannin were
Mate representatives Cecil Hartness.
:he mayor of Blue Ridge. George
Curtis, district commissioner of Rev
enue and roads and a large number
of prominent civic and business lead
f rr of the county.
The conference was to have been
with Governor Talmadge. scheduled
Jackson Day speaker at Morganton,
but he was unable to attend. Instead
Mr. Vandiver and Mr. Tyson, state
highway commissioners represented
him.
Although no definite steps were
taken toward actual paving of the
dirt stretch, a positive indication of
project to improve the road with
paving lo be later project was evi
denced.
Commissioners Vandiver and Ty
son indicated that they, in accord
ance with the desires of citizens of
Fannin county and of this county,
iavored the repair of this road but
at the present time the state of
Georgia was not in a position to un
dertake the project. They did show
& great willingness to sponsor a WPA
project, however, to give the road a
iegrading and a good gravel surface
until arrangements could be made
for paving.
Pointing out that the Blue Ridge
road iv.s as badly in need of repair
as tit, -~oad in state of Georgie the
i?'o commissioners showed an eager
ness to see it finished. They express -
H ?he opinion, however, that com
paving of the road could not
be undertaken until it becamo ?
? 'fioral project in cooperation with
-?e State. This thfcy would seek, they
in hopes that such am arrange
ment could be made within the near
?.uure.
With the state applying for a WPA
project for repairing and surfacing
the road as the sponsor, a. new grade
could be worked on the stretch and
? pnrvel surface placed. This, then,
could be a base for later paving the
entire link under a federal project.
224 CHEROKEE MEN
GET EMPLOYMENT
IN DEFENSE WORK
The Murphy employment office
registered 244 applicants for work
who were placed in construction jobs
<"rt one of the three national defense
projects at Port Bragg, Camp Davis
at Holly Ridge and Douglas Airport,
near Charlotte in the five months
beginning with October. 1940, and
through February, 1941, Chairman
Chfrrles G. Powell, of the State Un
employment Compensation Comis
sions report.
Through the State clearance sys
iem, operated by the Employment |
Service Division, workers were sent I
from the local employment office
during this five months period as
follows: October. 74; November. 27:
December, 6: January. 15: and Feb
ruary. 102.
The many friends of Dr. S. C. I
Helghway will be glad to learn he |
Is improved after an illness.
Volunteers Complete
Sixth Draft Quota of
County; Leave April 8
A contingent of 13 volunteers will
ie?v?: ?ui !>??>' ?! 7:30 o'clock Tues
day momir.f. April 8. for Fort Jack
son. S. C, as Cherokee county's
quota in the sixth draft call, the
local boJtri has announced.
The men making up this list of j
selectees are as follows:
Kenneth E, Rose, Murphy. Kt. 3. |
Kenneth Hardin Ledford. Marble. J
Kt 1.
James Edgar Led ford. Marbie Rt. 1. '
. William Howard Cloer. Marble. Rt. !
1
Horace Quinton Hickey, Hiwasser
Dam.
Robert Lee Huskins. Marble. Rt. 1.
Robert Allen. Jr.. Murphy. Rt. 3.
John Kenneth Allen. Murphy. Rt
2.
Utie Sherill Revis. Marble. Rt. 1.
John Benjamin Foster, Ranger.
Charlie Basromb Davenport. Cul
berson, Rt. 1.
Murnhv. Rt. !
3. j
Garland Dockrey. Murphy, Rt. 3. 1
The quota for the next call, which
is scheduled for April 14. will be
made up of 12 men from this county
who will probably also be sent to
Fort Jackson.
So far every draftee taken from
Cherokee county has been a volun
teer but, since the list of volunteers ]
has dwindled to so low a figure, it
is highly probably that the local
board will exercise the right of com
pulsory training to a certain extent
in the next quota.
Many Entries Submitted
In Lake Naming Contest ;
April 15 Closing Date
A large number of entries have
been received so far in the contest
to find a name for the new lake
being built on Persimmon creek by
the forestry department, W. M. Pal
mer, district ranger, reported this
week.
Palmer called attention to the
fact that the closinjr date for sub
mitting entries is April 15, however,
and urged <*11 persons who plan to
enter to do so before the deadline.
The Murphy Chamber of Com
merce is offering a cash prize of
$15.00 to the person who submits
the winning name.
LIONS ARE HOSTS
TO CROWD OF 100
AT ANNUAL DINNER
A crowd of approximated 100 per
sons of Murphy and neighboring
towns gathered in the Methodist
church Friday for the annual Chero
kee county dinner sponsored by the
Murphy Lions Club.
W. M. Pain, originator of the an
nual dinner and one of the oldest
members of the club extended a
welcome to the visitors as first
speaker of the evening.
Other speakers introduced by club
president P. G. Ivie were Jack Lance,
president of Young Harris college.
Mayor J. B. Gray. Mrs. E. G. White
and C. L. McCaslan.
An elaborate program of classical
and semi-classical music, given by
Mrs. Virginia Gustafson Fisher and
George Tracy of the faculty of West
ern Carolina Teachers college. wa?
warmly received by the gathering
Another special feature of the pro
gram was the showing of a special
sports picture, sponorcd by T. W.
Kindley local Coca Cola distributor.
The entire menu for the dinner
consisted of foods produced in Che
rokee county, which was the original
purpose of the dinner when begun
ten years ago.
Three Plead Guilty in Slaying
of Dam Worker at Andrews
UKUINM DKIVLKS
FLOOD DOCKET
OF APRIL COURT
Fifty-Eight Cases
Heard by Alley in
First Three Days
Fifty eight cases of drunken driv
ing were before Judge Feix Alley
during the April term of tile Supe
rior Court which convened Monday,
and probe bly will be in session th- I
rough most of next week. A large j
proportion of these cases were from I
this section, most of the offenders i
being employed at The Utah Con- ?
struction Company's Dam project. I
nt cvei> uwUi'tCc defend?',
pleaded guilty and in every case the
sentance was the same. Judge Alley
fined each of the drunken drivers
fifty dollars and costs, making a to
tal of about eighty dollars, and ad
ded a sentence of 90 days on the
loads. The jail sentence was sus- 1
pended. however, and the defendants I
put on probation for periods of five |
years each. Most of the fines were i
paid at once. In other instances time'
was granted in order that the pena
lities might be met on the " install
ment plan." Automatically of course,
the drivers license of every offender
was confiscated, and will eventually
be formally revoked by the State
authorities in Raleigh.
Pleading through Mayor J. B.
Gray, of Murphy, one project work
er begged the Judge not to take his
license away for a month. Mayor
Gray pointed oui that his client, un
able to find living quarters close to
his work had been forced to take up
residence several miles distant, and
would not be able to get to his job
without a car. An extension of time
was asked in order that the defend
ant might make a new effort to find
a home from which he would be able
to walk to work, or make arrange
ments for transportation by a neigh
bor. Judge Alley expressed sympathy
but declared that fairness prevented
him fn>m aking any exceptions.
Bueck Announces
Skeleton Schedule
For Commencement
Dr. E. W. Daniels, of the English
department of Clemson college, will
deliver the commencement address,
and Rev. W. L. Hutchins. superin
tendent of Waynosvillc district of the '
Methodist cJiurch. will deliver the
baccalaureate sermon in the closing
exercises of the Murphy schools this
year, H. Buerk. superintendent, has
announced.
Details ar.ri schedule oJ commence
ment exerclM* were not available
this week as the program has nol
been completed. An elaborate pro
gram is being prepared for the seven
th grade graduating exercises, how
ever which will include all the exer
cises ol the elementary grades.
The Senior class graduating exer
cises and commencement address wil
be given on Friday night.
The seventh grade exerciscs wil'
take place Friday night. April 25: thf
baccalaureate sermon will be deliver
ed Sunday morning. April 27: ant
the senior graduating exercises anc
commencement address will be giver
Monday night. April 28. Eighty-nin<
seniors will be graduated by tin
Murphy school this year.
o ? f n ? p j
urana jury onngs J4*
True Bills, 1 Not True
The Cherokee county grand jury
sitting ins session during the
April term of criminal court com
pleted the docket of new cases
Wednesday afternoon bringing in
54 true bills as against 1 not true
bill.
Practically al these cases have
been heard by Judge Felix Alle>
and the remainder of old cases
will probably carry this term into
next ueek.
New Welfare Board j
For County Named;
Ray Is Appointed
Joe. E Ray. of Murphy, was ap
pointed a member of the Cherokee
county welfare board this week by
the state board of charities and I
puSlic wefare.
Ray and Harve M Whitaker, who
was selected by the county boaTd of 1
commissioners to the welfare board,
will select a third member to serve ;
with them. It is expected that Mis. ,
J. F Wood, member of the old board ;
will be chosen again. R. C Mattox J
is the past chairman of the board for ;
this county.
Appointment of a member of the
board of the county board by the
state organization was made neces- j
sary through a new law enacted i" i
the 1941 General Asscmby. The wo I
members appointed by the state and 1
county will serve terms of two years,
while the third member, selected oy
the first two, will serve a term of
one year. Members are not allowed
to serve more than three terms or
six consecutive years.
The new welfare board will have :
the duty of selecting the superin- 1
| tendent of wt .fare who will take of- i
fice July 1. for an indefinite term
under the new merit system.
Duties of the superintendent are
to act as executive officer cf the
county board and appoint office
personnel, administer old age assist
ance and aid to dependent children,
supervise indigent persons and ad
minister county poor funds, act as '
agent for the state board, issue em
ployment certificates, submit cases
of sterilization to Ihe Eugenics
board, investigate juvenile court
(Continued on Back Pasrc)
S. S. CONFERENCE
MEETS SUNDAY AT
HOPEWELL CHURCH
The Tri -Township Sunday School
conference will meet at the Hopewell
Baptist church Sunday afternoon.
April 6. at 2 o'clock. The general
theme of the meeting will be "GoinK
on in Enforcement and Bible Study
for Evangelism."
The program for the meeting Is
as follows: 2:00 ? Song and worship;
2:15? Devotional. Hopewell Sunday
school: 2:25 ? Platform of Progress.
N. O. Kilpatrick; 2:30? When a Sun
day School Teacher Teaches. Eve
re tte R. White; 2:45? How May Wc
Have a Better Bible Study Year. J.
V. Hall: 2:55? Roll call of Sunday
schools and awarding of attendance
recognition: 3:05? Business: 3:10? '
Adjournment.
All officers and teachers of Sun- ,
day schools in the conference arre
urged to attend the meeting and ,
orlng as large delegations as possible \
*57 the chairman of the conference, j
N. O. Kilpatrick.
VA rvrri ?-? e HI Ufa r kor anrl
? ? ?0 ? M. (UMWMVX
Stewart Submit To
Manslaughter Charge
fr?l Wiggins. Cl.'.ude Stewart, and
Hosia Thrasher, defendants on trial
lor the murder of James Workman
last November at his home in An
drews, entered pleas of guiltv to man
slaughter Thursday morning in Cher
okee county superior court
Wiggins was the only one actually
| charged with the murder, while
Stewart and Thrasher were charged
with teing acccssones to the slay
ins.
Judge Ft iiX Al< \ staled that sen
tenced would be passed Friday morn
ins. Mausaugliter carries a penalty
of fvom four months to twenty years
.1. prison.
The hearing of the Workman slay
Hi HBHi HRpEfiNa tBsHMHHI ^ [LmjH I
.... %..??. UF'.IItu tl LUIUOUUJ U11U Uttt
?i nt'ss. O B. Sutton an eye-witness
to the affray from which the tragedy
lesulted, testified. When court open
ed again Thursday morning, r.ttov
ne> , for the defense entered guilty
pleas for all three defendants. Testi
mony of other principle witnesses, in
cluding Dora Ray. supposed wife of
the dead man. L J McCarty and
L. D Scliooley. eye-witness, and
Sheriff Townson were heard after
the pleas were entered
Signed confessions of Stewart and
Wiggins, both of which stated that
Wiggins was the slayer, were read
and offered in evidence.
Workman was aiaju uii the night
of November 21. in front of his honn
near Andrews, following a bitter
quarrel involving all three defend
ants, Dora Ray. and L. D. Schooley.
During the quarrel, guns were dis
played by Thrasher and Stewart, and
' threats were made against Schooley.
i Workman intervened, and became in
' volved in the argument.
Alter several minutes of arguin?
heatedly, the quarrel was apparently
made up and Thrasher and Work
man shook hands A moment later,
however. Thrasher stepped from the
crowd and Wiggins snatched his gun
sway, in an effort. Wiggins said, to
stop hostilities.
The Gun was cocked when he
grabbed it, Wiggins stated, and went
off in his hands, the charge striking
Workman on the neck, killing him.
| and several shots hitting the face of
i Mrs. Workman <Dor.\ Ray.)
At the beginning of the trial the
I solicitor indicated that he would
' reek p. conviction against Wiggins
I for second-degree murder, and ful'.
convictions against Stewart anti
Thrasher on the charges against
them: assault with a deadly weapon.
MARKET SALES INCREASE
I Sales in the Roadside Market.
. sponsored by the county home de
j monstration clubs, have shown an
increase from $19.00 in January to
S77.73 in March, it was reported this
week.
The Weather Var.e
Listed below are maximum and
minimum temperatures and precipi
tation for the past week compared
with similar data for last year:
Temperatures 1940 1941
Max. Min. Max.Mln.
March 26 59 15 65
27 63 24 60
28 64 50 55
29 74 45 52
30 72 50 62
31 74 32 61
April 1 72 35 58
2 84 42 62
Precipitation 1940
Total for this week 1.08
Total for March 4.29
Total for year to date 12.67