The FraiikHn Times
Published Every Tuesday & Thursday ^ * Serving All Of Franklin County
98th Year-Number 16 Louiaburg, N. C.. Thursday, April 13, 1967 (10 Pagaa Today) Tan Cants
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Louisburg Entered Electric Power Business In 1905
Town of Loulsburg records
date back to 1906 arid the exact
date of the town' s entry Into the
business of manufacturing and
distributing electricity Is not
readily available. Records of
1906, however, show that the
town was operating Its own
power producing plant at that
time. Some residents recall
that It began In 1905.
A bill In the legislature at
the present time would amend
the 1965 act and allow munici
palities to purchase REA and
private power company lines
when town limits are extended.
In view of this push by the
North Carolina Municipally
Owned Electric Systems As
sociation, some history of
such systems Is being made
public.
While the Association's re
leases do not Include Louls
burg's history, they do show
slmlla'r systems being nur
tured Into prosperity In near
by communities.
Like those In neighboring
towns, Loulsburg first got Into
the electric business of neces
sity. There were no power
companies supplying the area
In 1905, according to reports.
A town-owned generator took
care of the needs of the com
munity for many years. As
the equipment began to wear
out and the demand began to
grow for more power, the
Tctorh Council began a study
of the Issue.
Details are somewhat
sketchy, but reliable accounts
point to the long period of time
during which this matter was
discussed. At times the Is
sue became a real hot pota
to among locals. When the
Issue finally came to a vote
on the Council, there was a
3-3 tie and Mayor W. C.Webb
repeatedly voted with those
favoring the continuance of
the Loulsburg operation. The
others favored entering Into
a contract with Carolina Pow
er and Light Company for a
iource of electric power.
Councllmen favoring such a
move were the late R. C. Beck,
the late W. J. Cooper and W. G.
Lancaster. Those opposing
were F. H. Allen, Jr., W. J.
Shearln and the late W. B.
Barrow. Mayor. Webb also
opposed the CP&L deal.
Here the matter stood until
(ate took a hand. On August
30, 1944 councilman Barrow
was stricken by a heart at
tack and died. His untimely
death placed the CP & L ad
vocates In power. In the re
placement of Mr. Barrow,
those favoring the CP & L deal,
voted 3 to 2 for N. F. Freeman
over Mrs. W. B. Barrow.
In the meeting of November
3, 1944, a resolution was In
troduced by Mr. Beck, sec
onded by Mr. Lancaster to
award the contract to the pow
er company. Mr. Cooper and
Mr. Freeman voted In favor
and the resolution passed 4-2
with Mr. Allen and Mr. Shearln
opposed.
Soon thereafter, Carolina
Power and Light Company be
gan selling electric current
to the Town of Loulsburg and
this arrangement has been In
effect ever since.
A million North Carollnl
ans--one-fourth of the state's
population?In 73 cities and
towns are served by munl
clpally-owned electric po
wer systems.
In every case, these 73
electric cities got Into the
electric power business out
of necessity? most of them
Just before the turn of the
century when there was no
service from private power
companies. (The first muni
cipal electric system In the
nation was at Dan villa, Vir
ginia. Danville's electric sy?
tem was already In operation
when the nation's first central
generator was built In New
York City In 1882.)
In North Carolina the cities
had to generate as well as
distribute their own electri
city when they emerged (rom
the Gaslight Era. In States
ville the night was February
4, 1889. A crowd had gathered
on the unpaved streets of
downtown Statesvllle? up
aware, probably, that they
were about to witness one of
the most significant events In
the history of the city. Yet all
knew that It was a man ent of
See LOUISBURG Page 4
Gary Pant
A Way To Win And
Not Get Caught
This blue ribbon still Is one whiskey still that the Franklin
County Sheriff's Department has not destroyed. It Is a model
constructed by a United States History student, Gary Tant,
that won first place In the Social Studies Fair sponsored by
Aubrey L. Hancock for his Social Studies classes from April
3-7 at Bunn High School. The purpose of the Social Studies
Fair was to help the social studies students relive the his
torical events that took place from 1914 to 1945. The sixty
five models entered In the fair represented important events
that took place In World War I, the "Roaring Twenties", the
depression and World War n. The sociology models repre
sented dally living.
Gary's model, the whiskey still, represents one of the prob
lems caused by the U. S. Government's passage of the 18th.
Amendment In 1919, which made the sale of whiskey Illegal.
Gary Is a 16 year old, eleventh grade student at Bunn High
School. He Is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Tant who lives
at Rt. 2, Zebulon. One of Gary's hobbles Is drawing and after
graduation from high school, he hopes to attend N. C. State
University at Raleigh where he plans to major in some type
of Engineering.
Ted Horton's model of the Normandy Invasion won second
place and Van Denton's model of a Technical Institute won
third place.
Lady Senator To
Address Demo Women
Senator Mary Faye Brumby
of Murphy will be the featured
speaker at a special dutch din
ner meeting of the Franklin
County Democratic Women
scheduled for the Murphy
House, April 21, according to
an announcement received to
day from Mrs. Agnes Merrltt,
President of the local organ
ization.
Senator Brumby
From Murphy
Senator Brumby represents
the mountain country ofWest
ern North Carolina embracing
Cherokee, Clay, Graham, Ma
con, Swain, Jackson and Tran
sylvania counties. She served
In the last session of the House
of Representatives and Is now
serving her first term In the
North Carolina Senate.
She is a mother of three and
has six grandchildren. She
and her husband own and op
erate textile mills In the area
she serves. In 1952 she re
turned to college at Western
Carolina. She graduated In
1962 cum laude.
She is a Presbyterian and her
service In church work Is well
known. She Is one of only 21
Democratic women In state
senates In the country and
takes great pride In this fact.
She considers herself a firm
believer In states' rights say
ing, "Majority rule Is the
backbone of our society".
Senator Brumby Is Chairman
of the Senate Library Com
mittee and a member of a
number of other Important
Senate committees. t
The meeting Is set for 7
p. m., according to the an
nouncement.
Frances Ann Griffin And Josephine Medlin
.
Two Named To Girls' State
Josephine Medlln and
Frances Ann Griffin, rising
Seniors at Loulsburg High
School, were chosen by the
American Legion Auxiliary In
Loulsburg to represent the
unit at the Girls' State In
June at WC-UNC.
Josephine Is the daughter of
Mrs. A. E. Medlln and the late
Mr. Medlln of Loulsburg,
Route 1. Frances Ann Is the
daughter of Mrs. Paul Hensley
and the late Mr. Drake Griffin
of Route 2, Loulsburg.
They were selected from the
5 552 Students Assigned
T o Schools Of Their Choice
The Franklin County Board
of Education, meeting In spec
ial session here Wednesday
night, assigned 0,552 school
children to the schools of
their choice for the 1967-68
school year. Supt. Warren W.
Smith told the Board that 317
choice forms had not yet been
returned.
The racial breakdown of
choices iras not announced, but
unofficial word is that It is
about the same as last year.
The county system operated
under the Freedom of Choice
plan for the past three years
and an Interim federal court
order this year.
The county Health Depart
ment was granted use of Gold
Sand, -Youngsvllle ^fllgh, Bunn
and Loulsburg schools for
Sunday afternoon, April 30
for a measles clinic by the
Board and were Informed by
the Superintendent that a bill ,
calling for a raise In Board'
member's pay from $10 to
$18 per meeting had been
ratified Into law In the state
legislature. The bill becomes
effective July 1.
In other actions, the Board
extended contracts to Mrs.
Mamte B. Clayton and Mrs.
Mabel H. Davis as Supervis
ors and to Mrs. Mary C. Hln
son and Mrs. Ruth Best as
Speech Therapists (or the
coming year.
County school funds amount
ing to $104,475.86 were trans
ferred from First -C It lzens
Bank and Trust CO. to Wac
camaw Bank and Trust Co. as
requested by the Board of
County Commissioners. As a
result of a request by the
Board of Education, $75,000
was placed on certificate of
deposit drawing 5 percent In
terest for the next ninety days.
The result of a recent sur
vey under the Elementary and
Secondary Education Act
(ESEA) was announced and the
qualifying schools In the pro
gram, remain the same as
'"heretofore. Under the newest
survey, parents were asked to
designate whether their family
Income was under or over
$3,000 annually. The Income
level was ffe,000 under the
system now In operation.
It was disclosed, however,
that under the new survey
Cedar Street, Gethsemane,
Perry's, Riverside and
Youngsvllle Elementary
schools would remain quail
fled for ESEA funds. As In
the past, no other schools met
the requirements.
Directories
On The Way
Mrs. Juanlta Pleasants, Ex
ecutlve Secretary of the
Lou Is burg Business Associa
tion announced today that word
has been received from the
Mullen-KUle Co. of Chllll
cothe, Ohio that Loulsburg's
new city directories are be
ing shipped today.
Mrs. Pleasants said, a let
ter received by her office In
formed the Association that a
library of city directories will
be sent for use of the local
business members. She sta
ted that she has already re
ceived directories of several
North Carolina towns.
rising senior class because of
their scholarship, their ability
to meet and get along with
people, and their moral atti
tudes.
Miss Elizabeth Johnson,
pres ldent, presided at the
meeting held In the home of
Mrs. Oscar Joyner on Blckett
Boulevard, Friday evening.
Mrs. John Stovail gave the
devotional followed by the
opening formalities.
Mrs. Harold Williams gave
the secretary-treasurer's re
port.
Plans were made for Poppy
Day on Saturday, May 27.
The hostess served lime Ice,
cookies and nuts.
ABC Store Proposal
Causes Controversy
If one thing does not take
over the political scene In
Franklin' 'County, another will.
The latest issue, threatening
at least a mild controversy
11 Indeed not a major one- is
the "news leak" proposal to
call p county-wide referen
dum on the question of ABC
stores. As if the host of pro
posals now In the state legis
lature aren't enough, Franklin
County has one of Its own.
The proposal, causing a mild
stir and heated exchanges in
some quarters, i? the age-old
county-town search for
sources of revenue. Some
say that the county cannot be
termed "dry" as long as ABC
stores operate in three of the
towns Inside the county. These
proponents argue that the
county should share In the ABC
profits.
The towns, particularly the
officials, counter this argu
ment with one of their own.
The stores were established
after a vote of the people and
after the county refused them
This, they say is reason for
the towns to continue to re
ceive all the profit.
The latest proposal would
call for a county-wide refer
endum on the wet-dry ques
tion. Should the people favor
a wet county, some agree
ments would then have to be
made between the governing
bodies as to how the profits
Mathews To Speak At College
Dr. J. M. Mathews
Dr. Joseph M. Mathews,
Dean of the Ecumenical In
stitute of the Church Feder
ation of Greater Chicago,
comes to Loulsburg College
on Wednesday, April 19, as
guest speaker In the College's
180th Anniversary Celebra
tion series. Speaking at 8:00
p.m. in the College auditorium
his lecture topic will be
"Changing Patterns In the
Practical Revolution of the
Post-Modern Church."
" \A Methodist minister, Dr.
Mathews has traveled
throughout Africa, the Far
East, Europe, and the United
States, lecturing on and study
ing the renewal of the Chris
tian Church through Its lay
men *and women. Until 1962
when he accepted his present
position, he was director of
studies for the Christian
Falth-and-Llfe Community In
Austin, Texas, a training
school for University stu
dents. There he pioneered In
?ettlng up courses in theology
and culture which would
awaken churchmen and women
to their responsibilities as
Christians today.
Prior to his Austin position,
Dr. Mathews taught religion
and philosophy at the Perkins
School of Theology, Southern
Methodist University, and at
Colgate University. The Ecu
menical Institute Is a research
See COLLEGE Page 6
Honesty And Luck
A county woman, who asked that her name not be
used, and a Louisburg College student unintentionally
joined hands this week to bring honesty and luck to
the forefront here. Actually, there were more than one
College student involved, although the names of three
others could not be readily obtained.
The honesty came when a group of four students
found a purse containing around 2700 along the highway
in front of the Big Franklin Warehouse on Bickett Blvd.
here Tuesday morning around 11:30. The youngsters
were passing the area by car at the time.
Ten minutes after discovering the large sum, one of
of the students, Billy Day, Vine St., Franklinton,
entered Sheriff William Dement's office to report the
find and to turn in the money. Deputy Dave Batten
inspected the purse and called a neighbor, when it
was found the lady's phone was busy.
Hie honesty was, of course, exemplified by these
fine youngsters. The luck belongs solely to the un
identified lady, for having^the forethought to lose the
money where honest people might find it.
It was reported that Day was given $20 as a reward
and that he split the take with the other three.
We bet the parents of these youngsters are mighty
proud today . . . and we wouldn't be surprised if the
county lady doesn't agree.
By Clint Fuller
t Times Managing Editor
of the stores would be divided.
"NEWS LEAK"
Investigation shows that the
source of the proposal was one
of the county commissioners,
In a conversation with radio
newsman Asher Johnson, who
In turn aired the "news leak".
It was reported that discuss
ions took place on the matter
at a closed, unofficial (no pay,
no actions taken) meeting of
the Commissioners and Rep
resentatives James D. Speed
and John T. Church here Eas
ter Monday. The meeting, It
was learned, was held In the
county agricultural building.
Commissioner Norwood
Faulkner said he was in the
meeting and that the matter
was not discussed, that he re
membered. He stated that the
meeting was held to discuss
salary raises for county per
sonnel. He said other mat
ters were mentioned and some
mention "might" have been
made of the ABC store or 11
Marshalls
Named
The Marshals for the 1967
Commencement exercises at
Loulsburg College Include
Matthew Albert Brown, Chief
Marshall, son of Captain and
Mrs. James H. Brown, Louls
burg; Clyde Wayne Quick, son
of Mr. and Mrs. John B. Quick,
Frankllnton; Stephen Wayne
Strum, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Edward Strum, Route 1, Hen
derson; Mrs. Judith Garner
Hlnton, wife of Mr. J. M.
Hlnton, Loulsburg; and Mar
tha Kay Nelson, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. O. B. Nelson,
Route 2, Henderson.
Marshals are the five first
year students who have the
highest scholastic averages
and are candidates for gradua
tion. Grades for the tell se
mester and the first half of the
spring semester are aver
ages.
Only One
Ed. Board
Candidate
(Frk. aw.) J. W. Dlckerson,
Jr. Is the only candidate so tar
to file for one of the three
seats to be filled on the Frank
llnton Board of Education. The
filing deadline Is Tuesday,
April -18, at 12 o'clock noon.
Registration books will be
open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
at 210 N. Cheatham Street
(home of the registrar), April
14 through April 21 except on
Saturday, April IB, then the
books will be open from 9 a. *i.
to 9 p.m. at the Fire Station.
Challenge Day will be Sat
urday, April 22.
On May 2 a mayor, fire town
commissioners and three
school board members will be
elected.
quor question. He Insisted,
however, that the proposed
take-over of town-owned
stores by the county was not
discussed.
According to reports, 'It was
Faulkner who first discussed
the proposal with Johnson.
The Comm'.ssloner said he had
had a number of people contact
him on the subject of the coun
ty sharing In the profits from
the ABC stores. It Is believed
that the ' ' news leak" was more
a trial balloon to test public
reaction than anything else.
SPEED COMMENTS
Representative James D.
Speed, contacted at his office
in the legislative building in
Raleigh Wednesday said,
"Nothing was mentioned In
this meeting about the ABC
stores or, for that matter,
in any other meeting". Ha
added that he knew nothing of
the proposal until someone
mentioned It to him last week.
He also said that the Com
missioners would need no leg
islation to order a referendum
on the question. Falling to do
so, Speed pointed out, the peo
ple could muster 15 percent of
the registered voters and pe
tition the Board of Elections
to hold such a vote.
As to the so-called "secret
meeting" of Easter Monday,
Rep. Speed reports that he
and Rep. Church had request
ed the Commissioners to come
to Raleigh to meet, but since
most were busy, he and Rep.
Church agreed to meet "brief
See CONTROVERSY Page 6
Visits The
Far East
Youngsvllle -- Mr. For rait
S. Wiggins, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Stephen Wiggins of Route
One, Loulsburg, left from New
York City by plane last Friday
for a business trip to Tokyo,
Taiwan, and Hong Kong. Mr.
Wiggins has a position as Supt.
of Product Development with
Allied Chemicals, Inc. with
headquarters In Hopewell, Va.
He has been with this corpora
tion for about sis years. He
has been on one other trip
abroad for the company.
Mr. Wiggins graduated from
Youngsvllle High School, and
from N. C. State University in
Raleigh with a BS degree in
Textile Engineering.
He is married to the former
Kay Williams of Chapel Hill.
They now have three little
girls and are living In Chea
ter, Virginia.
Cancer Clinic
The Cancer Detection Clinic
for April will be held on Wed
nesday, April 19th at 1. -00 p.m.
at the Health Departn eat
This is a free service and
anyone wishing an examina
tion may obtain an appointment
by calling Miss Bather An
drew a at OT t-SSW.