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MI RPIIY, NORTH CAROLINA. 1 HAY. FEBRUARY H. 1945
Peachtree School
Destroyed By Fire
Fire of undertermined origin
destroyed the eight-rorom brick
consolidated school building at
Peachtree early Sunday morning.
The blaze was discovered about
5o'clock. The building was a to
tal loss.
The building was constructed in
1927 and was valued at $40,000
and was partially covered by in
surance. according to Lloyd Hen
drix, county school superintend
ent.
There had been no fire in the
building since Friday, and the
janitor had pulled the light switch
according to Mr. Hendrix.
Bloodhounds were taken to the
scene of the fire, but since cars
can be driven to the door and
since it had been raining, no clue
was picked up.
Seven teachers are employed in
the school. Clarence Hendrix,
brother of Superintendent Lloyd
Hendrix, is principal of the
school.
About 1,000 books, and all the
lunch room equipment, which was
reported, was among the best in
ths county were destroyed.
Plans have been made to con
tinue school in the Baptist church
at Peachtree.
Pre-Natal Clinic
Held At Andrews
A pre-natal ;linic was held at
Andicws February 6 a. 1:00 p. m.
Patients we:e examined by Dr.
W. C. Morrow, assisted by Miss
Elba Sneed and Mrs. Ola H. Will
iams. Th:s clinic is held the first
Tuesti.w o i each month, and any
expectant mother is invited to at
tei d.
Dockery And
Coleman At
Keesler Field
Keesler Field. Blloxi, Miss.. Feb.
2. ?Two former residents of Mur
phy, N. C. have reported to Kees
ler Field from the Army Ground
forces. They are stationed at the
AAF Training Command post
awaiting reassignment to new mil- 1
itary duties. A review of their
previous training, aptitudes, ex
perience. and physical condition,
together with consideration of the
military needs of the army, will
determine t+isir new assignments.
Soldiers here for reassignment
include :
Pvt. John Ross Dockery. son of
Mrs. W. C. Dockery. route 3; Pvt.
Dock George Coleman, son of
George Coleman, route 3. box 14.
Missing
Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wiggins
of the Atoah section of Graham
county informed by the War de
partment that her son, Edward
Wiggins, has been missing in ac
tion in Belgium since January 15.
TO PREACH SUNDAY
The Rev. R. Lane Akins will
preach at the First Baptist church
Sunday morning at 11:00. His ser
mon subject will be "Are You
Washed in the Blocd ?" On Sun
day night he will pi-each on "The
Filling of the Holy Spirit."
McCIure Preaches
Here Next Sunday
Rev. R. E. McCIure, executive
sec re tea ry of Asheville Presby
tery. will preach at Murphy Pres
byterian church next Sunday at
11 o'clock in the morning and at
7:30 o'clock in the evening.
Following the morning service,
a congiegrational meeting will be
held for the purpose of electing
additional church officers.
Red Cross Needs
More Knitters
Mrs. Dale Lee has been ap
pointed chaiiman of the Cherokee
county chapter of the Amerircan
Red Cross, to succeed Miss Dora
Ruth Parks, announces the chap
ter chaiiman. Miss Addie Mae
Cooke.
Mrs. Lee has appointed Mrs. R.
W. Easley as kit bag chairman.
Spccial classes for knitting in
struction will be given by Mrs.
Lee at her home each Thursday
afternoon from 2 to 4 o'clock,
for those interested in learning to
knit. Mrs. Harry Bishop will as
sist with instruction. Red Cross
knitters are badly needed by the
chapter, and anyone who will do
some knitting is asked to contact
Mis. Lec.
Funeral Is Held
For Mrs. Withrow
Fune:al services were held at
S?lem Baptist church Sunday af
.ernoon at 2 o'clock for Mrs. Tom
Withrow. 51. who l.jr
home near Culberson Friday af
ternoon. The Rev. Freed Town
send ofifciated. Burial was in the
church cemetery with Townson
funeral home in charge.
Mrs. Withrow had been a mem
ber of the Baptist church for more
than forty years.
Surviving are the husband, two
daughters. Mrs. Evelyn Rudd, and
Miss Alma Withrow; seven sons.
Leonard, Ralph, Noiman and Cal
vin with the army overseas; Dewey.
Wilfern and Ray of Culberson;
fcur brothel's: Emory Scroggs of
Robbinsville. W. L. of Winder.
Ga., J. M. of Asheville. and H. F.
Scroggs of Hurst. Ga.
TO ASSIST IN
'filing returns
O. O. Dellinger, deputy collector
' of internal revenue, will be at the
I courthouse in Robbinsville Febru
ary 21 from 9 to 5 o'clock and at
the courthouse in Murphy Febru
ary 23 and 24 from 9 to 5 o'clock to
assist in filing income tax returns
for 1944.
SERMON SUBJECTS
"What Think Ye of Christ?"
will be the seimon subject of the
Rev. Ralph Taylor at First Meth
odist church next Sunday at the
11 o'clock services.
At the evening service, 7:30 the
minister will preach on the theme
"He Restoreth My Soul."
Everyone is most cordially in
vited. Good music. Fellowship. . .
"And the folks are friendly."
Townson Building
Damaged By Fire
The three-story brick building
situated on the north comer of
the square and owned by E. L.
Townson. was badly damaged by
smoke and water when a fire
broke out in an apartment in the
rear of the building about 9 ,
oVlock Saturday night.
The fire started in the third
floor apartment occupied by Miss
Irene Ramsey, who was away at
the time and although the flames
were confined to the one room,
the entire building was damag
ed by water and smoke.
Edwin Hen&ley, occupant of the
apartment across the hall from
Miss Ramsey's apartment, discov
ered the blaze.
The building contains four
apartments on third floor, two of
which are occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. Townson and their daugh
ter, Mrs. Alden Coward, IX; of
fices on second floor, and Whit
aker Brothers store on the
ground floor. The stock in the
store is valued at $15,000 and is
partially covered by insurance.
The amount of damage to the
stock has not been estimated. Mr.
Townson has some insurance on
the building but was not able to
estimate the damage when Inter
viewed.
GOES TO ARMY-H. A. Mat
tox. local business man and civic
leader, who will leave Monday for I
the army. His leaving creates va- j
cancies in the following positions j
which he now holds: President
Murphy! Lions club; chairman
Murphy Carnegie library board;
chairman county Democratic ex
ecutive committee; member O.P.A.
price panel; member county War
Transportation committee, and
member of Board of Trustees of
Murphy schools.
Coffey Baby
Dies At Marble
MARBLE ? Funeral services
for the infant son of Mr. and
Mrs. Luther Coffey who died Fri
day morning at 3 o'clock, were
held Saturday afternoon at 2 o'
clock at Marble Baptist church
with the Rev. Algie West officiat
ing. Burial was in the church
cemetery with Townson funeral
heme in charge.
Palbearers were: Maurice Hall.
Billy Mintz. Leroy Walsh. Charles:
Coffey, Robert Kilpatrick and
Morgan Kilpatrick.
Flower girls were: Ruth Hall.
Shirley Phelps. Lena Jenkins.
Evelyn Wilson, Wilma Queen and 1
Dorothy Mae Coffey.
Surviving are the paints, two
brothers. Creed and Dale, and one
sister. Marie, all of Marble.
Promoted
Foster General Hospital. Jack- ,
son. Miss. ? Private First | Class
Willis L. Ledfoid. son of Mrs. Lea
Led ford, of Oak Park. N. C.. has
been promoted to the rank of cor
poral, announcement has just
been made at this station, where
he is assigned.
Miss Parks Makes
Final Report To
Library Board
The Nantahala Regional Li
brary boa. J met in Arthur Jones'
office in the Hayesville court,
house February 5 at 1:30 p. m
?Monitors present were U B
Nichols. W. A. Adams. Mrs. F. A.
Case. Arthur Jones. E. S. ChMS
tenbury was also present.
Chief business was: Acceptance
of resignation of Miss Dora Huth
Parks, regional librarian. ap
pointment of committee to com
plete arrangements for employ
ment of new librarian, purchase
o' old PWA bookmobile from U
S. government, and plans for ef
fective continuation of service.
In her final report to the board
Miss Parks summarized accom
plishments of the regional hbrary
since the beginning of state aid in
July 1941. which included:
Completion of organization of
regian ? board! completed, regu
lar meetings of the board, fy-laws
adopted, regional board incor
porated and treasurer bonded in
accordance with the state law;
service to T.V.A. employees; as
sistance during 1942-44 in organ
ization for regional service in
Macon. Jackson, and Swain coun
ties increase of book stock, in
crease in points of service, sta
tions branches: stimulat.on to
school libraries; active participa
tion by 9 of the 10 regional board
members: increase in appropiia
tions from Clay county. Murphy,
and A- rews.
In er recommendations loi |
the board. Miss Parks included:.
More local support, more state
support, more books per cap.W.
more trained librarians in the re
gion and definite coordination of
library activities with those of ,
community agencies and needs.
Reeses Bound
Over To Court
At a trial before Mayor W. M
Fain Wednesday morning.
and Mrs. D M. Roese were bound
over to court under $200 bond each.
Mrs Rfese charged with assault
with a deadly weapon and Mi.
Reese charged with assault as the
result of an affray at the Smoky
Mountain Bus station Tuesday
night.
TAKES NEW POSITION? Miss
Dora Ruth Parks, who will leave
Friday of this week for Morgan
town, West Va., where she will
become director of the West Vir
ginia Library commission. She
has been librarian of the Nanta
hala Regional library here for the
past three and a half years. Be
sides dirercting a progressive li
brary program for this area she
has been a civic leader. She has
served as production chairman of
the Cherokee county chapter of
the American Red Cross; chair
man of the local women's division
of the fifth and sixth war loans,
is on committees for extension di
vision and county and regional
section of the American library
association and North Carolina
representative of the Eoutheastem
library association.
Until her successor is secured,
Miss Julius Amis of the North
Carolina Library commission will
take over Miss Parks' work here.
Andrews Red Cross
Quota Is $2400
ANDREWS ? Wade A. Reece.
local Red Cross chairman, at
tended the District Red Cross
meeting hetd in Hendersonville
on Tuesday. January 23. He re
ports our quota for the coming
drive to $2,400.00.
HOME FROM OVERSEAS
Pfc. Wayne C. Robe rs on has
arrived home from overseas and
in spending a 21-day furlough with
his parents. Mr. and Mrs. John
Roberson. He has served overseas
18 months and was awarded the
tood conduct medal. Before en
tering the army he was employed
with the TV A
Bills Affecting Fishing In
This Area Introduced
Assuming that the labors of tlv;
present General Assembly and the
compensation tnerefor will ter
minate simultaneously ? an as
sumption which is not supporteo
by the history of General Assem
blies of the past and which may
not be relied upon with too much
confidence this session ? the pres
ent Assembly stands at approxi
mately half-way mark with re
spect to its alloted span of life,
but to date has turned out only
a third (very rough approxima
tion) of its work. There are some
significant but intangible sigsn
that there will be a rather definite
effort to bring about an adjourn
ment sine die at the end of, or
as| soon as possible after, the
sixty-day period. This means that
from now on the Legislature will
move at an accelerated pace, and
that the next thirty days will see
Ihe enactment of those changes in
the law under which we will live
for the next biennium, at least,
and perhraps for the next genera
tion.
Among the bills introduced dur
ing the past week were elever
separate but related bills which
would make extensive revisions in
insurance laws. These bills arc
the tangible results of the work
of the Commission on Revision
of the Insurance Laws of North
Carolina which was appointed b}'
Governor Broughton last August,
some sixty days after the Su
preme Court of the United States
had handed down two decisions
of potentially far-reaching effect.
The first decision heM that the
business of insurance is com
merce. and that when It Is con
ducted across state lines it is sub
ject to the provisions of the Fed
eral anti-trust laws ? a reversal of
decisions over the past seventy
five years. The second decision
held that a fraternal benefit so
ciety which was operating in
number of states, the District of
Columbia and Canada, was sub
ject to the National Labor Rela
tions Act. These decisions con
fronted insurance interests with
the prospect of federal supervis
ion and regulation? a prospect
which for some reason is not too
pleasing to the larger business in
terests. The only alternative ap
peared to be effective state regu
lation: and so the Commission ap
pointed by Governor Broughton.
composed of representatives of i
the insurance companies, the pub
lic. and State officials, put in sev
eral months of intensive work in
reviewing the insurance laws of
this and other states and of re
vising, drafting and intergratinp
our laws on the subject. The re
sulting eleven bills are admitted
ly short of ihe complete new in
surance ccde needed, but if en
I acted they will bring about a very i
substantial! improvement, will
provide a number of important
safeguards and benefits to the
I public and. it is hoped by the
I sponsors, will go far toward head
! ing off federal intervention.
The insurance bills are not
recommended for light reading,
i They are rather lengthy and. as
j might be expected of legislation
I dealing with such a subject, make
considerable use of technical lan
guage. Taken as a whole the new
i laws should result in substantial
reductions ill insurance rates,
particularly for fire and similar
types of insurance. Space will not
permit even a summary of the
bills to be given types of insur
ance. Space will not permit even
a summary of the bills to be given
here, but the following are the
purposes or subjects covered, gen
eral regulations fire insurance:
regulation of agents: life insur
ance: fire insurance rating bu
reau and the regulation of cas
ualty and miscellaneous insurance
rates:1 workmen's compensation
and automobile liability insurance
rates: embezzlement by insurant
agents: department of insula
foreign and alien insurance com
panies: accident and health in
surance: and orgaization and reg
ulation of insurance companies
is 58-page bill3.
The Senate this week passed
and sent to the House three public
bills dealing with the subject of
libraries. In line with a trend to
ward joint county-city enterprises.
SB 53 authorizes counties and
cities to combine for the purpose
of providing library facilities for
their citizens. SB 54 was describ
ed by one of the senators as
"streamlining" library elections.
It permits a new registration for
a library vote if held at a special
election and allows the petition
for such an election to to filed
by 10 percent of the total votes
cast for gubernatorial candidates
at the last general election. SB
55 was explained by the Senator
who introduced it as giving com
munities an opportunity to em
bark upon library services in a
(Continued on page four)
$50,000 Fire Occurs
W ednesday Morning
Frank Forsyth
library Chairman
At a SDecial meeting of the
trustees. February 1. the wives
and husbands of the members
were invited. This meeting was
called due to the leaving of the
chairman H A. Mattox. for the
army. February 12 and Miss Dora
Ruth Parks, regional librarian,
who leaves February 9 for a po
sition as director of the commis
sion in West Virginia. A gift was
presented to each of them by the
board in apprciation of their
service. At this meeting Frank
Forsyth was elected chaiiman to
fill Mr. Matt ox's place. A bond
oi $18.75 was given by a friend
to the library to purchase an
easy chair in memory of M W.
Bell.
State College
Alumni Hear Dr.
J. R. Ludington
Dr. John R. Ludington. of the
industrial arts departrment of
State College, was principal
speaker at a meeting of the Tri
County States College Alumni
Association held at the Henry
House Wednesday evening of last
week. H. Bueck. president, pre
sided over the meeting.
The speaker stated that North
Carolina has been a raw mater
ials producing state in the past
and it is time for the state tc
manufacture its own raw mater
ials! instead of shipping them
away and buying them back. He
emphasized trte '/or prac
tical education in the schools of
the state, stating that pupils
should be taught to think, to
work with other people, and to
meet the everyday problems they
face.
Bob Schoffner of State College
was also a visitor at the meeting,
which was attended by the fol
lowing from Cherokee. Clay and
Graham counties: A. Q. Ketner,
R. S. Bault, H. S Webster. Dor
Allison. H. Bueck. and Addie Mat
Cooke. Murphy: Georg Bistruj.
and H. B. Estes. Brasstown: W.
F Elzey. D. W. Bennett, and Ro>
Staleup. Robbinsville.
Lloyd Crisp Is
Killed In Action
Lloyd Crisp, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Bob Crisp of Tuskeegee. was
killed in Germany on January 15,
his parents have been informed
ty the War department His wife,
Mrs. Etta Lindsey Crisp, rersides
at Robinsville.
Mark Phillips Is
German Prisoner
ANDREWS? Mr and Mrs. Pill
Phillips received a letter January
22. from their son S/Sgt. Mark
I Phillips, who is a German pris
oner. The letter was written fron
a German hospital for the wound
ed. on October 17. the day fol
lowing his capture. S Sgt. write;
that the plane he was in explod
ed in mid-air but he was throwr
clear of the wreckage.
Fire causing approximately
550.000 damage, broke out about
,2:30 o'clock Wednesday morning
in the building occupied by the
Murphy Supply company. The
blaze was discovered by Mrs. A. L.
I Frankum, who with her husband
I and three children, occupied an
I apai .ment on the top floor of the
I building D. M. Reese, whose of
I fice was on that floor, also lived
there. Mrs. Frankum had sawed
her finger during the day, and it
was paining tier so that she was
unable to sleep soundly, noticing
a light in a small room on the
floor, she hurried her children out
of the blilding. They lost most,
all of their clothing and house
furnishings.
The building belongs to B. P.
Grant of Andrews, who values it
at $20,000, this amount being
partiall covered by insurance.
Noah W Lovingood, who
operates Murphy Supply company
with dry goods, groceries, and a
variety department, estimates his
loss at $25,000, with some in
surance.
Although the fire had gained
considerable headway before the
fire department could start to
work, the firemen were able to con
fine it to the Murphy Supply store,
preventing adjoining buildings
from catching. The grocery de
partment of Murphy Supply was
not badly damaged.
Mr. Frankum was burned slight
ly on his right shoulder as the
family were leaving the building.
Reese was asleep and the Frank
ums awoke him. they said.
Mr. and Mrs. Frankum are em
ployed at the Hitchcock Corp.
talc mine. Tney estimated their
loss to be approximately $2,000.
Mr. Reese's loss was heavy and it
was partially covered by insurance.
Baptist Hour
Speaker Sunday
James L. Kraft. Baptist layman
of Chicago, will be the Baptist
hour speaker for next Sunday
morning, February 11th, as an
i.ouneed by the Radio Committee
of the Southern Baptist Conven
tion. S P. Lowe. Director, Atlanta.
Georgia.
For a dozen years. Mr. Kraft
has been a well known and popu
lar speaker for layman's meetings
throughout the South, according
to Mr. Lowe, having appeared also
or the program of the Southern
Baptist Convention.
The Baptist Brotherhood of the
South, according to Lawson H.
Cooke, Secretary of Memphis,
Tennessee, is leading a movement
to have one million men at their
ladios to hear Mr. Kraft: and,
Mr. Lowe of the Radio Committee
says thats indications are the
Brotherhood will be successful in
this movement.
Fan mail received, as announc
i c 1 by the Radio Committee, indi
lates that the Baptist Hour au
I dience is the largest this year in
the history of the Baptist Hour..
The program can be heard in
this state over radio stations:
WBIG. Gieensboro: WPTF. Ral
eigh: WSJS, Winston-Salem, and
WWNC. Asheville at 8:30 A. M.
EWT.
Mrs. W. G. Dickey returned to
i j her home in Knoxville Monday
. J after a week's visit with her sister
i j in-law, Mrs. W. H. Griffiths at
Hotel Regal.
Cherokee Polio
Drive Successful
Final figures in the Infantile 1
paralysis drive give Cherokee coun- 1
ty a to.al cf $2,180.35 which more J
than doubles the quota of $964.
Dr. W. A Hoover, county chair
man, announces.
Of this amount, $262.30 was
raised at Hiwassee Dam; and !
$596.45 at Andrerws. including the
theater.
The two theatres In Murphy and
the Henn theatre at Andrews con
tiibuted $455 18. which is 46.9 per
cent of the quota.
Marble school contributed
$18.66; Peachtree. $11.25; John C.
Campbell Folk school. $16 00: Mur
phy schools, $110.33; Texana.
$7.55.
The Business Woman's circle
of First Baptist church contributed
$10. The amount collected in
Murphy, including schools, the
atres, coin boxes and dance totals
| $1,268.11.