Our Aim: ?
A Better Murphy
A Finer County
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For Pror ^~s
the leading weekly newspaper IN western
olina to* i
.?ANl> POI tNTlA *, rt <i KKirORV
VOL. 53? NO. 18
MIRPHY NOKTII CAROLINA
; i94i
so t on? ii.ii pi . ? wt
TV A'S CHAIRMAN ,
EXPLAINS PLANS
REGARDING DAMS I
Both Douglas, Fontana
Are Necessary Says
Letter To Savage
David E. Lillienthal. chairman of
the TV A has wilt ten C. W. Savage,
01 Murphy a letter regarding the
IXiuglas and Fontana Dam projects,
aj follows:
-Dear Mr. Savage: ? The other
evening, when I had the pleasure of
being In Murphy, you made some
mention of the pending proposal for
appropriations to build additions to
the TV A power supply Including the
Fontana Dam in North Carolina and
? _JL iUA TVwdvlaa
A a am an wis ^
French Broad River near Dandrldge.
Tennessee. There has been a lot of
misapprehension as to the FACTS in
respect to this matter, and the pur
pose of this letter is to bring you
up to date concerning it.
? One of the Asheville papers has
severely criticized the TVA for rec
ommending the Douglas Dam, the
point being that, by recommending
;v proposal of what they call 'dubious
value', we have endangered authori
zation of the Fontana Dam.
"This shows a lack of knowledge
of the fact that the Douglas Dam,
from the defense point of view which
is all that matters these days of
emergency, far from being of 'dubi
ous value'. Is the best project In the
United States because of the speed
and economy with which the power
can be secured. It is for that reason
that it was approved by the Federal
Power Commission, the Office of
Production Management, the Direct
or of the Bureau of the Budget and
the President of the United States
as well as tfae T. V. A.
"You will be doing me a favor and
yourself and your neighbors a serv
ice if you will take the time to read
the enclosed letter from the Office
of Production Management which
carefully analyzes this situation. The
fact that there has been opposition
by a minority of people in the reser
voir affected does not make the pro
ject one of "dubious value", especial
ly when the great majority of the
people in that reservoir feel other
wise, and when the national de
fense is involved.
"X may say that I have discussed
this matter in some detail with Con
gressman Weaver and he has been
exceedingly helpful In the whole sit
uation.
"It was very pleasant to be in
Murphy and to see you and Mrs.
Savage again.
"Sincerely, David E. Lillienthal,
CI' airman.'
The letter from the OPM which
C man Lillienthal enclosed with
i: '. '..tor is too long to print in
: . A summary follows:
''The office of Production Man- 1
nt today urged prompt Con- !
onal approval of Douglas Dart'
<-n i;e French Broad River
In a letter to Representative
Clarence Cannon, of Missouri, cliair
m n of the House Appropriations
Committee, W. L. Batt. Director of
the OPM Division of Materials, said i
that 'there Is no other source from |
which 100,000 kilowatts can be ob
tained within the time limit."
"Mr. Batt said that the OPM con- i
elusions were reached after a re-ex
amination of the whole subject and
an exploration of all the alternative
Projects presented as substitutes for
the Douglas Dam.
"Construction of other projects in
the same budget estimate Is also rec
ommended. These include Fontana
^ni on the Little Tennessee and
installation of additional units at]
Tennessee River dams. All are TVA I
Projects."
A visiting official of the TVA. in
Murphy last week, forecast the rec
ommendation of the President and
the OPM, and predicted that work
on Fontana would start early in
the coming year.
Woman's Club To Stage
4 Days Cooking School
Beginning December 2
A cooking ^ii^i ojjonsored by tli
| '/Oman's CI jo will be held In th
? iub room a the Lib: ary on Decern
- r 2, 3. 4 and S beginning eac.
. ternoou a*. 2:30 o'clock.
Tlie school will be conducted bj
IUs Grace Williams who is connect- |
d with the J. Allen Smith Co. it
Cnoxvllle. Tennessee.
Several local merchants have co
operated by giving a free ticket to
the school with the purchase of
'?3.00 worth of groceries which In- 1
eludes any size of White Lily Flour.
A cook book will be given to every
woman who attends. Prizes will also
bu awarded.
Big New Talc Mine
Is Promised Soon I
For Factory Town
Purchase of 14 acres of land in ,
the factory town district, and the
proposed opening, In the near future,
of a talc mine lias Just been made
public by H. S. Predmore who re
turned to Murphy a few monilis ago
after an absence of many years. Mr.
Predmore says his plant will be lo
cated near the site of the old furni
ture factory.
"I have all my machinery ready,
| and am only waiting for electric
j power to start operations" Mr. Pred
: more told the Scout.' I have had
my application In for power, since
last Spring, but so far I haven't been 1
able to get any action. Unless some
thing is done pretty soon, I plan put
ting in Diesel engines."
Mr. Predmore believes he has lo
cated a rich deposit of talc, which
will not be flooded. He claims many
years of experience In prospecting
and mining, and says he was one of
the original develcpers of the talc
mine at Kinsey, which was taken
over and closed by the Government
after It had been flooded by the
TVA.
With his associates, the mining
man has purchased the old clubhouse
on the hill overlooking the one-time
furniture factory, and plans to make
Murphy his permanent home.
o
Prefabricated Houses
| Now Promised By TVA
i Within Next 2 Weeks
The Scout has been informed by a I
high TVA official in Knoxville that '
the first of the new houses to lie i
erected at Bealtown are scheduled to
arrive in Murphy on or about Dcc.
15. Prefabricated, and requiring only
to be joined together, it is said thai
j the houses can be made ready for
occupancy at the rate of about four
' a day.
These are the same house - ti' '
were expected here more than a
month ago. They arc Ik in?r con
structed in sections, ai. Muscle
Shoals. Alabama, and delivery is
said to have been held up by inabili
ty to get plumbing and electrical
fixtures. Tliis scarcity is now report
, ed to have been met.
Original plans were to brins; 100
houses here. Whether this number,
has been changed could not be learn
ed, the TVA official telling the Scout
that "as many will be brought as
are needed to relieve the shortage." !
Final Reports Sought
From Red Cross Aides
The annual Red Cross drive comes
> a close this week, and Mrs. Cath
? ine Stewart. Field Worker for this j
irea will be in Murphy Tuesday to :
get a full report on woik done.
Mrs. C. W. Savage. General Chair
man of the drive, has requested that
all workers turn in their collections
to her not later than Saturday.
It is believed that this year's drive j
will set a record for good results. I
EATii PENALTY
OSSIBLL FOR 3
.N OWENBY CASE
?
Trio Held Without Bond
After Shooting And
Robbing Aging Man
Charged with first degree burglary
after nightfall, which carries the
death penalty, and with assault with
a dangerous weapon. Homer Cheat
ham, of the Wehutty section, and
Bert and T. J. Beasley. twc escaped
convicts from Georgia, were held for
court without bail by Magistrate D.
M. Reese, at a hearing last Satur
day.
The three are accused of robbing
63 year old Allen Owenby of more
than $20 and a rifle after he had
been left for dead on the front porch
of his lonely cabin in the Liberty
section. Owenby, struck in the head
with a blast from a single-barrelled
shot-gun, lost one eye. and the sight
of his other eye has been so serious
ly impaired that he sees only with
extreme difficulty.
Cheatham also is charged with
! stealing the shotgun with which the
aging man was shot, and with stal
ing an automobile in which the three
fled to Tennessee after the alleged
robbery and assault. Bert Beasley has
admitted doinu the shooting.
Tlie stolen car was drowned out
in fording a creek jus; across the
Tennessee line, and was abandoned
there after the windshield and the
tires had been shot to pieces by one
of the trio, who became enraged at
being sailed.
Cheatham, who denied all the
charges, was convicted largely by the
testimony of Sam Voyles whom he
expected to use as his own witness.
Cheatham referred to Voyles to prove
that he never entered the Owenby
cabin. Voyles testified, however, that
Cheatham went In twice: first to get
liquor, and a second time after the
victim had been shot. When he came
out the second time, Voyles said,
Cheatham had the money which
Owenby charged had been stolen
from him.
Owenby said the men took $6.75
from his pockets, as he lay bleeding
on the porch floor: took $14 from
the kitchen, and finally took a 22 ri
fle.
Voyles testified that he and a
young woman accompanied Cheat
ham and the Beasley brothers to
Owenby's house, where they bought
two pints of liquor, drinking one on
the premises. They started to leave
without having, he said, and when
Owenby came to the door and asked
for money. Beasley lifted the sun
(Continued on back paset
WARN1NGSGIVEN
TO ELEVEN MORE
BY DRAFT BOARD
Four From Andrews On
List As Being Tardy
In Making Returns
Warnings were sounded to eleven
young men of Cherokee County by
the Draft Board, this week, as a re
sult of failure to return question
naires. Four of the eleven tardy ones
aro from Andrews.
In spunding the warnings Capt.
Wayne Walker. Secretary of the
County Draft Board, again called at
tention to the fact that failure to re
turn a questionnaire makes the
draftee liable to criminal prosecu
tion.
"Most of the cases of tardiness are
due to carelessness, and not from
any desire to evade service", Capt.
Walker said. "Thus far the county
has had only one slacker. That man
was one of the first to volunteer.
Later he withdrew his enlistment,
and when, eventually, his number
1 CIfar? department
Seeks Your "Discards" ,
I ' ?r Use On Christmas
W,1-Vrhy?U st*PPed U> think !
?*;
*ill agree that it would f obab,y '
my other day ?Uld * Ju* j
>ng to the public for he.fT aPP?!"
I There are always toys that chUd
rcn huve discardrri f#\?
=SS-5W=.S,
>o?n??.r . at~? |
Why wait another day to s?. if '
yoU|^iave anything which mo? be|
Winter coats and clothing otf all i
types are also needed. |
If you cannot deliver the article '
? tne Welfare Deparunent
*f' cy, and arrangements will be
JM. .? ? c?,
Oaude DilJard Held !
fn Shotgun Attack j
On Edgar Henson
i" s-cHx
shooting is said to have follrm?H
argument over an ?.if ?ll<Wed 411
The shooting Is said to have been
ssnjfsssras
close range, Dillard's aim was^Lt
?<?* ?f,Iy 9 POrtlon ot the discharge'
woun^T HenS?n WSS 0nJy *"***
Cari"^LWaS arrertrd ^ Sheriff
ownson and state Highway
Patrolman Smith, after a
had been sworn out by
did not resist JrZ ^,7^
Strt0"5
^ek W?, rtC?,nUnUance ~ he could
He was remanded
to Jail under ,5Co bond, pc^,
hearing set for this cominTSay
Henson told the Sheriff that, he
was visiting with a neighbor when
D.1 ard came to the house, demand
ed immediate payment from Henson
and finally used a shotgun. Henson
charges that Dillard was drinking.
r rtus ?i M,urPhy High
taather And Organize !
Alumni Association
: A new organization was born on I
? Thursday. Nov. 20 when graduates I
of the Murphy in i Sl mct an? .
i formed an Alumni A= ? Meet. j
; in?, will be held at oa,.., a -c
""" l"-obably will be ,?..rkcd by' a
i oancjucc.
i Tile new V-snri ??? i
? . , . ?'?'tiatio, promoted
??"rely by Coach p;u< r and Prim-i '
!'al K- * W?, ?***?
j to several hundred gradual, invit- !
in8 them to gather in the high school
A IarKC nuni!)cr rcspond
, Tlie first meeting was presided ov
[ er by Coach Pitzer. and was devoted
largely to organization. Oscar Davis i
now fmP'oyed in Ohio, was elected
president: Kenneth Davis (no rcla- !
ti?n> was named First Vice Presl- I
dent, and Gwendolyn Ramsey wa.; I
chosen Second Vice President Aza- I
Ico Price was elected Secretary
_ o ' |
Former Pupil Honors
Memory Of Prof. White
Mrs. Norj. C. White has been aa i
<1 recently tiiat Margaret 8. E
is has made a contribution to th<
Vancy Brown Peacc Carillon. Beilr
We Detroit. Michigan. In memory
\ a-n,h? y mUlC wh0* "amr
will be recorded In the Carillon.
i?"?rw""onncrpM'>'
CLAIM OF VAU
OF OLIVINE BE 5
DECLARED "Bl K"
Marble Deposit* C led
A Far Better So-.rce
Of Magnesium Ore
Mr. II. S. Predmore. me: illurglst
who plans opening a talc .nine In
the Factory-town section as ;ion as
he can get enough electrk power,
came to the Scout office Wi dnestlajr
to deny the TV A claim that possible
riches lie in this section's de. .'it* of
Olivine.
He declared the stalem?.it '-hat
Olivine could be made to > i Id the
magnesium needed in the jranufae
ture ol certain kinds of a! lminuin
to be "bunk". Ho said the pi ..?cess ol
ext. action wouia be too expensive,
and the yield too small to bt practi
cal. He charged that tlu entire
"scheme" was bom In the n ids of
promoters who expected to "clean
up' and then leave this section
"holding the bag".
It Is not nccessary to go al r Oli
vine to get macne.?-ium. P. cdinore
declared, because there is an abund
ant source of supply (o be f' m<l In
the marble deposits of the ' " mini .
" There are thousands of ' ns nf
waste marble in plain sight which
can be bought for a song" li- aid
"There are millions of tons r :>? ly
ing close underground. That marble
will yield from 32 to 34 p cent
magnesium, while Olivine wi.. yield,
at best only 18 per cent.
"Furthermore, magnesium gotten
from Marble is practically pure
That gotten from Olivine Is full of
Impurities, which must be gotten out
at still more expense. And magnes
ium must be 100 per cent pure, for
aluminum making, or It Is absolute
ly useless."
Cherokee County is especially fit
ted for magnesium industry, Mr.
Predmore says, because of the loca
tion of the copper mines In nearby
Tennessee. The acid which Is a bi
product of the mining, he said, Is
exactly what is needed to extract
magnesium from the marble.
Vast quantities of electric power
would be needed for such an indus
try. Predmore declared, addln;: that
he did not believe an industry would
be practical In this section until all
the new dams. Including Pontana.
have been completed, "and then, on
ly if they will guarantee tho release
of sufficient power to opera' - the
plant".
Mr. Predmore brought the Scout a
letter he wrote, on Nov. 25. to Mi.
A. D. MacKay, of New York, whom
he described as "one of the leading
metallurgists of the world". Tl. let
tc." follows:
"Dear Mac:- Ti.r Ashevllle ] -rs
have been running a s-erte* ol
cJes about Oliviin - ? a wta ?>!
Ma?.;'., slum Meta!. Th: .s all :-k.
You ..now .i . I C ire
i.. n >t only a very : 'et .y m: - il.
but- 1.'. full of m; trltn ? which -alto
it , ly ,o and cican i to
sa:-' notiiln;: of t amoi ' ?f
magnesium it contains.
?The muAli cli; ; of W ? rn
N. C. are a much h, tier sour ? of
Ma;:nrMum, as they are a Ma .e:-'
um limestone. Tl-.crc are thou nd*
of tons of waste marble ft the <fiar
rles which can be had for a sor. :.
"Why do you not get some ol your
chcmical or metallurgical friends to
take this matter up, with a vl< v to
saving the Government from g( 'i"g
into such a racket as this? It ' oks
as if promoters had gotten ho'.d of
some of these 'doughboy' engineers
or chemists, and hoodwinked them
into believing that a thing of this
kind was possible, and thus get the
U. S. (Uncle Sucker) to finance the
thine and buy up these wort less
properties, without ever caring if It
is possible to produce a poun 1 of
finished Magnesium.
As you know. Magnesium Is a
highly technical proposition, ind
must, be of extreme purity to bo of
any use whatever. Trying to mate
(Continued on back page)