The Ffaj&Mn Times
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Published Every Tuesday & Thursday
Serving All Of Franklin County
Telephone Gy6-3283
Ten Cents
Loulsburg, N. C., Tuesday, September 2, 1969
(Kight Pages Today)
100th Year-Number 57
Leaf Prices Good As Market Opens Here
The chant of the auctioneer was heard loud and clear here this
morning as First sale of the golden leaf took place. Prices at the Friendly
Four Warehouse, where first sale was held today, were described as
extra good by some observers.
County Agent C. T. Dean, Jr., who last week predicted an opening
day average of $72.00, said initial sales this morning were exceeding his
estimate. "1 haven't seen any sell for less than $70", Dean said. At the
time about four rows had gone by the board. Dean said it was too early
to tell if the prices would hold up. He declined to alter his original
estimate.
One warehouseman said "Competition is keen between the
companies here today". This he added makes for btftjer. prices.
Ford's Warehouse is slated for second sale about mid moMng and
Big Franklin Warehouse will have third sale today.
Traffic was jammed in and around the three Louisburg houses as
growers unloaded leaf, sold it or just stood by watching the auction. All
three houses were reported to have full sales today. All tobacco seen in
the opening warehouse was loose leaf.
Dean had disclosed earlier that Franklin growers would produce
around 18,000,000 pounds of tobacco this year. He said the allotment
for Franklin growers is 10,135 acres and that 18,074,197 pounds may
be sold.
Opening day sales last year reached 300,000 pounds for an average
of 70.75. The entire Franklin crop-sold here and on other
markets-averaged $68 last season, according to Dean. Sales will
continue through Friday this week and pick up again Monday. There
will be no sales on Fridays according to present schedules.
Familiar Scene Returns
Staff photo by Clint Fuller.
CSM SIDNEY FULLER HOLMES
"Pop" Holmes
Gets Top
EM Rank
CSM Sidney Fuller Holmes of Ze
bulon, N. C. who is assigned to the
Louisburg, NC National Guard Unit
has been selected by the Department
of the Army as one of twelve North
Carolina National Guardsmen to re
ceive the highest enlisted positions
availiable to enlisted men of the
Army's Reserve Components.
CSM Holmes, a 36 year old man in
the National Guard, was selected to
receive the Command Sergeant Major
title and authorized to wear the dis
tinctive stripes of his position, LTC
John B. Fleming, Commanding Officer
of Hq 5th Bn (HJ) 113th Arty, an
nounced today.
A Command Sergeants Major Pro
gram within the Army Reserve Com
ponents was recently authorized by
the Chief of Staff of the Army. The
program is designed to identify and
select personnel for the Command
Sergeants Major Program for The
Army National Guard and the U. S.
Army Reserve.
Command Sergeant Major Holmes
will serve as the principal enlisted
assistant to LTC John B. Fleming,
Commanding Officer of the 5th Bn
(HJ) 113th Arty, 30th Inf Div (Mech)
NC ARNG.
CSM Holmes's main responsibilities
will be to advise the commander and
his staff on matters pertinent to troop
welfare and morale in terms of assign
ment, reassignment, utilization, pro
motion, privileges, discipline, training,
operations and logistics. He will ac
company the Battalion Commander on
inspections and visits, and at. cere
monies, and will assist in inspection of
command activities, facilities and per
sonnel.
Other duties will be to provide
counsel and guidance to noncom
missioned officers and other enlisted
personnel of the command, supervise
and inspect duties performed by su
bordinate noncommissioned officers,
assist in reception of visitors to the
command and sit as a member of the
command promotion board for senior
noncommissioned officers as author
ized.
CSM Holmes is a road oil supervisor
with the State of North Carolina. He is
married to the former Lelia Lucy
Carroll of Warrenton, NC, and resides
at 502 N. Arendell St.. Zebulon, N. C.
The couple have 2 children.
CSM Holmes enlisted in the Na
tional Guard in Louisburg, N. C. of 28
February, 1929 and with the excep
tion of a 4 year period after World War
2 has served as a member of the
National Guard.
amj/ photo by CUM FUOtr flgppy paf,s Jgg Rams yy|n S?S>oryH*?
Pranklinton High School cheerleader* whoop up the huge crowd on hand at Frankltnton laat Friday night for tha opening
gamr of the aaeaon. The Rama pre the fana their money '? worth aa they downed a stubborn Gaaton eieren, 13-6.
? , . . . ... Suff photo by Clint Fuller,
Only Weekend Accident
Scene above shows the only reported highway accident in the area over the Labor Day weekend. This one took place on State
Rural Road 1627 Sunday morning around 8 o'clock. Two persons were injurad. Jesse Branch, c/m/24, was treated and released
at Franklin Memorial Hospital and James Butts, c/m/16, was admitted with injuries not believed serious. Louisburg Rescuers
reported trouble from Negroes at the accident scene when they attempted to aid the victims and the hospital emergency room
was forced to call local police while treating the pair, according to reports.
To Spend $282,000 On Franklin Bridges
Governor Bob Scott announced last
week that the State Highway Com
mission will spend $282,000 In Frank
lin County in the next few months.
The funds will be spent to replace two
bridges in the area.
"Schools are opening throughout
North Carolina and I believe it is
important for us to make sure our
young students arrive to their claim
safely," the Governor (aid. Ha an
nounced 23 bridge projects in 19
counties, including Franklin.
Slated for replacement in Franklin
County is Bridge number 56, which
crones Sandy Creek on State Rural
Road 1449, known as the Collins Mill
Road and State Rural 1611 where
Bridge number 68 crosses Tar River,
known a* the Turnage and Sledge
Road.
The Collins Road bridge Is slated to
coat $102,000 and the Turnage-Sledge
Road bridge is listed at $180,000.
Gov. Scott said he has Instructed
the Highway Department to "begin
immediately to make these bridges
safe for our children."
Saying the bridges selected "were
chosen on the basis of immediate
See BRIDGES Page 4
From Louisburg To Henderson:
NC-39 To Go All The Way
The delay-plagued NC-39 highway
project, promised dutlng the Dan
Moore administration and halted when
bond funds were depleted, has come
alive again. Commissioner Clifton L.
Benson, Vice Chairman of the State
Highway Commission haa announced
that not only is the project to read
vertised for bids, but that plans now
call for elimination of the so-called
missing link.
"From the Louisburg city limits to
the Henderson city limits-we're going
ali he way". Benson said on a visit
hei last week.
The Raleigh businessman, who has
Franklin, Wake, Durham and Orange
counties in his district, said new bids
will be advertised this month and
contracts will be scheduled for letting
in October.
Bids will be called for on that
portion of NC-39 originally planned
from Louisburg to Ingelside and a
similar stretch from Henderson toward
Epsom. Benson said he hoped that
bids could be obtained and contracts
let on the missing link before the
original projects were completed.
The project, on which bids were
first received on November 26, 1968,
called for 6.540 miles of Improvement
and would have gone to a point near
Fuller's Store north of Ingleside. Bids
exceeded the funds alloted for the
work and on January 7, 1969 new bids
were asked after the mileage had been
reduced to 4.611 which would end the
project a few yards north of Ingleside
at the Rocky Ford Road intersection.
When bids were approved an award
ed on the reduced mileage, it was
found that state road bonds could not
be sold at the authorized interest rate
and the project was halted.
The project was originally promised
the county by former Commissioner J.
B. Bra me of Durham, who said this
was to be Franklin's road bond pro
ject. Brame spoke initially about com
pleting the twenty-mile distance to
Henderson, but later conceded that
funds were not available.
Governor Bob Scott, who carried
Franklin County last November by
over 1,000 votes, had said during the
campaign that Franklin was going to
get some attention paid to its highway
needs. Commissioner Benson ha? rei s.
terated this position several times in
private conversations with local Scotl
leaders. Commission Chairman Lauch
Faircloth said the same in an address
at the annual Democratic Dinner here
several months ago. Faircloth also
mentioned his concern for Franklin's
needs in a speech before the recent
General Assembly Appropriations
Committee.
In recent months Franklin has re
ceived a resurfacing project to US-1
between Franklinton and the Wake
County line and work is expected to
start soon on resurfacing of NC-561
from Centerville to Louisburg.
Reliable reports indicate that
NC-66 east and west of Louisburg are
slated for massive improvements dur
ing the Scott Administration.
Youngsville Gets First Rocket Launcher
Battery "B" 5th Bn (HJ) 113th.
Arty. Youngirtlle, N. C., commanded
by Captain Maylon C. Baker, has
receded the first Rocket Launcher,
762 MM Truck Mounted Issued to a
National Guard Unit In North Caro
lina.
It has been a long wait, exactly ten
years since this unit was designated an
Ho neat John Battery and authorized
this type equipment. Due to shortages
this equipment has not been available
before.
Another launcher Is due to. arrive
for Btry "B" during 1969. Battery
"A" Commanded by CPT John L.
Strickland, Zebulon, N. C. la also due,
to be Issued two Launchers during
1969, bringing the total to four In the
battalion.
Btry "B" has fired rockets from
this type launcher in Fort Bragg, N. C.J
Ft. Banning, Oa. and for the last four
years at Ft. SIO. Okla.
LTC John B. Fleming of Raleigh Is
Battalion Commander with head
quartan In Louisburf. CPT Dewey L.
Brannan la commander of Hq Hq Btry
also located In Louisburg
This new equipment, It is believed,
win enable the battalion to train at
Fort Bragg, N. C. and will eliminate
the long 1400 rrfles to Ft. Sill each
summer
Bringing the tryck mounted
launcher from Raleigh to Younprille
last Thursday. 9gt. Bobby Murphv and
By Lib Cheatham, Time* Correipondent
Sgt. Spencer Rice had to exerciae
caution in maneuvering the vehicle and
had to be on the lookout for overhead
obitructiona. It took them about an
hour to drive the twenty milea.
Battery "B" already had the dx
thousand pound rocket, which waa
laaued several year*. During weekend
training, guardsmen of the firing sec
tion mounted the rocket on the
launcher, using the unit wrecker for
lifting.
Battery "B" and "A" have Wind
Sets which will be used with the
rocket for training and firing.
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PICTURED BY THE LAUNCHER AND ROCKET IS BATTERY B
ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPLY TECHNICIAN DELMAS HUDSON.
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