ABOUT MACON COUNTY
Macon County is predominantly .
agricultural, but according to a survey
published by the State Department of
Conservation and Development, it has
10 industrial establishments, wjiose an
nual output is valued at $724,474. In
dustrial employes number 177 and their
wages total $211,282.
m
1' irO 0 4
1 Jiis
Credit Improves
Blow to Walker
Legion Asks Cash
Cotton Encouraging
N. C. Paving Jobs
PROGRESSIVE ' - LIBERAL INDEPENDENT
VOL. XLVII, NO, 35
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, SEPT. 1, 1932
$1.50 PER YEAR
if i W?:M
Prosperity Notes
A. W. Robertson, chairman of
President Hoover's committee on
rehabilitation, chairman of the
Westinghouse Electric ' Co., on
Tuesday told a group of industrial
ists that credit affairs "are clearly
and positively better." On the
same day, Andrew W. Mellon',' Am
bassador to'Great Britain; formerly
secretary of the treasury, said that
the present upswing in commodity
prices is sound. And on the same
day, sharp rises in. stocks were
i ur..ii ci l u I
iuaiKcu ui vvau 3ircci, cuiioii ami
copper, surging ahea"l. " As for Cot
ton: Jessie H. Jones, a director
of the R. F. C, said that $50,000,
000 had been authorized for cotton
cooperative , associations to enable
them to hold their cotton until
1933.
Roosevelt Upheld
Governor Franklin Delano Roose
velt has the right to act on ouster
charges against New York's suave
mayor, ' James J. Walker, State
Supreme Court Justice Staley, ruled
on Monday, Governor Roosevelt
has adjourned hearings temporarily
on account of (the death of George
Walker, the mayor' brother.
15,009 Strikers Disperse
A motorcade of 15,000 northern
Illinois ; striking . miners was dis
persed at CoultervilleHast week by
state police after the miners had
been turned back at the Franklin
County line by ,300 deputies. One
hundred were injured in the clash.
The miners were seeking to per
suade miners in the, southern part
of the state to ioin tlu strike
Chinese Attack Japs
, More trouble in the Orient;
bands of Chinese raiders have at
tacked strategic points in Mukden,
forcing JapS to call out troops
and police full force. . Machine
guns chattered as the Chinese
nought to get control of the air
base and the wireless station.
' :- t '
Legion Demands Bonus
Reversing its stand taken last
year after a plea by President
Hoover,, the national convention of
tne American Legion nas, with a
two-thirds majority, declared for
immediate cash payment of the sol
dier bonus. North Carolina voted
for cash.
Cotton's Value Ris2s
More than $180,000,000 potential
value of the 1932. cotton crop has
been added in the market increases
since June. At June' prices the
estimated 11,306,000-bale crop would
have . brought $269,082,000 and at
August 20 prices $452,000,000.
To Rush Paving Job
The state will have "a paved road,
from Route 10, near . Bryson City,
to the crest f the Smokies at
Newfound Gap before July 1, 1933,
E. B. Jeffress, chairman of the
state highway commission, has an
nounced. Educational Leader Dies
Dr. George T.- Winston, 79, suc
cessively president of the state un
iversity, Texas university, and N.
C. State college, which last ' post
he left in 1908, died in a Durham
hospital, Friday night.
Can't Lose
' Brokers in Wall. Street are W
ting 25 to 1 that the name of tin
next President ot the United State;
will contain these letters: OOVER.
. Suck'ers are falling for it.
The Sun Goes Out
Hundreds Peer at Eclipse
- And See a Rainbow
A rainbow 'round the sun wns
'visible to Franklin spectators yes
terday at exactly 1:40 p, m. when
an almost tofal eclipse of the sun
was observed. The brilliant celes
tial performance was -witnessed by
hundreds,' who peered through
smoked glasses or photograplii
negatives, seeing the moon ride
slowly across the sun's face until
only a golden crescent shone forth.
One of the best views was ob
tained through a transit set up by
Mr. Bradley, of the Nantahala Na
tional Forest Service.
Judge H. Hoyle Sink left the
bench for a few minutes to squint
frorp a courthouse window through
a smoked glass.
A noticeable chillness smote the
air, and several cocks were heard
to crow. ..
There won't be another eclipse
like this until 1936, to Photograph
cr Crisp set up camera near the
jail house and took a plcturi ef it.
SCHOOL BUSES'
SCHEDULE SET
Cars Ready on Monday to
Bring Students to
Franklin High
11 ROUTESOUTLINED
Nantahala Children Will
Go to Almond, Swain
Co., This Year
With the opening of Highlands
and Franklin High Schools Mon
day, all schools of the county will
be started on the 1932-33 term.
Several changes have- been made
in contracts let to bus drivers, and
a few changes in the placing of
children whose home school has
been consolidated with another.
The bus drivers . and the number
of trips they will make each morn
ing follow:
Higdonville, Bethel, . and , Pine
Qrove high school students will
ride to Franklin with Tom Rus
sell, new man, who will make two
trips each morning. "
Morgan's store, Lower Burning
town and Lower Cowee high schoo1
students will come to Franklin on
a bus driven by Frank Browing,
new man, who will make only one
trip each morning.
From WettV Mill
High school students of West's
Mill' and Iotla are to ride with
Robert T. Bryson, new mail. This
route has two busses each morn
ing. ,. .;
High school students of Cartooge
chaye and both the high and low
graders from the Wallace school
will ride the Freeman Hasting
bus. Mr. Hastings had the route
last year. He will make two trips
each morning.
High school students from the
Georgia line, Riverside and Wa
tauga will ride the bus driven by
Sanford Mann, new driver, who
will make three trips each morn
ing. All the foregoing named students
will attend Franklin High School.
To Highlands
All students of Clear Creek,
Horse Cove, Broadway, Shortoff
and Flat Mountain will go to High
lands on a bus operated by Charlie
Brooks, who had the routes last
year. Mr. Brooks will make four
trips each morning.
Students of Poplar Cove will be
carried to the Slagle school on a
bus operated by N. G. Davis wlv
had the route last year, and will
make one trip each morning.
Students of the Betty Creek sec
tion are attending the Mulberry
school, after they are hauled on a
(Continued on page six)
Harley Ledbetter
Charges Dismissed
The Press erred . last week
in
reporting that Harley Ledbetter
had been sentenced to work on, the
county' roads for distilling. Mont
joinery McCoy who was accused
along with Mr. Ledbetter, was sen
tenced, but charges against Mr.
Ledbetter were dismissed. , The
Press regrets its mistake and is
glad to make this correction.
Mr. Moore Catches a Fish,
And Oh! It
BY JOHN W. EDWARDS
"The way to catch a big fish
now," said Coroner Charles M.
Moore, "is to use . a big fish for
bait. Now, I caught one off the
Virginia coast"
Mr. Moore returned recently
from a long visit to Virginia with
Mrs. Moore. Mr. Moore is no
ordinary fisherman, and no ordi
nary spinner of yarns, either. Said
Mr. Moore:
. "I was floating seaward, just off
the coast, in a thirty-foot row
boat that had lines as true as any
you ever saw on a speed boat. Up
in that part of the country, a per'
son never fools away time angling
for little fish, so 1 was using an
eight-inch fish for bait. Yes, an
eight-inch bait.
"The wind was blowing; gently
from tht grind old Atlantic Ocean,
Five Sent to State Prison;
Paine Gets 25 to 30 Years
For Murder of Passemore
In the chill silence of 4 a. m.
five of Macon County's bad boys,
who had monopolized attention for
more than a week in criminal court,
left on Tuesday under heavy guard
to pay for their crimes behind the
dark windows of North Carolina's
State Prison at Raleigh.
They were Tom Paine, convicted
of the second degree murder of
Willie Passemore, sentenced to not
less than twenty-five or more than
thirty yeears; Bill Crump, aged
negro, who confessed to manslaugh
ter and was sentenced to not less
than eight -or more than twelve
years j Sam Upton, convicted of
larceny, two to four years ; Bede
Mack, convicted of breaking into
the summer home of Mrs. Lassey
Kelly Cunningham, fifteen months
to three years, and Wade Hamp-
ton, convicted of larceny, indeterm-
mate sentence. ' .
They were guarded by Deputy
ASK NEW HOME
FOR THE POOR
Grand Jury Recommends
Better County Home
In Brief Report
Consideration for Macon Coun
ty's helpless poor was the Grand
Jury's chief-recommendation in its
report this week to Judge H. Hoyle
Sink after its inspection of county
buildings and - records.
The jury found the county home
in good condition and its inmates
happy and well cared for, but rec
ommended that a new home be
built for them. The report in full
follows : '.
"We, the Grand Jurors for the
August term, 1932, make the fol
lowing report:
"We have examined all bills sent
to us and have either marked them
a true bill or not a true bill. If
we were unable to get all witnesses
we have marked them as continued.
Guardians Negligent
"We find' no minors without Gen
eral or Testemantory Guardians,
but we find a large per cent of
guardians that haven't made their
proper report.
"We have examined th county
home and find it in as fair con
dition as the equipment will allow.
The inmates say they are well
cared for, but we find that the
present house is not suitable for
Macon County's needs, and we rec
ommend that the county commis
sioners provide a more suitable
place at the earliest possible date.
1'Wev have examined the offices
of the courthouse and find same
in fair condition.
"We have visited the jail and find
it in good condition, except for
damage done by prisoners, and we
recommend that repairs be made.
"Respectfully submitted, .
"O. C. HALL, Foreman."
Was a Big Fish
bearing ' sweet odors of the salty
brine, the graceful sea gulls floated
lazily overhead barely realizing that
they had a famous visitor from
the Old North State; so with no
more ado. I threw mv wisrelinE
bait overboard, and stretched my.ly meetings. The date and place
lazy bones across seven feet of the of next month's meeting is to be
boat's bottom and prepared to wait' announced later,
for hours like I have had to so1 Attending the organization meet
often ion a fishing trip in Macon ng of the Macon and Clay County
county. The boat had drifted some Medical Society were Dr. F. Angel,
two or three miles on the out-,Dr- EAS A1. , Williams,
going tide, when the reel began to Dr. F. M. Killian, of Franklin;
whine and groan just like the fire' Dr. J. I. Schiffli, of Highlands; and
wacron when the Franklin crew! Dr. J. M. Sullivan and Dr. May,
begins hunting the mid-night blaze,
The line cut the water with a
scream like the bullet sings on its
way to tHe kill. I braced my shak-
ing knees against the front end of
the boat and prayed for the line,
to break; for I couldn't turn the,
(Continued en pkt six)
w
1 W4 w
Sheriffs George Mallonee, Frank
Leach and John Dills.
Last night, the prisoners were
registered by State Prison officials,
measured, weighed, fingerprinted,
bathed, photographed, numbered
and their hair clipped. They are
now wearing the drab grey prison
garb, and will be assigned to va
rious tasks.
In the case of Tom Paine, which
elicted the greatest interest, Pros
ecutor 'John M. Queen of Ashe
ville sought a verdict of murder in
the first degree. The defendant
asked acquittal on grounds of self
defense. Paine himself took' the stand, an
unusual circumstance in murder
trials of this kind, to testify that
Passemore, on the night of the
killing, ' came to his (Paine's)
house and demanded the use of
his automobile. During an argu-
(Continued on page six)
"ZEB" WEAVER
TO SPEAK HERE
Congressman to Address
Democratic Mass Rally
Saturday Afternoon
Zebulon Weaver of Asheville, who
represented the Tenth and Eleventh
districts in Congress for many
years, and is this year a candidate
for re-election, will speak at Macon
County courthouse Saturday after
noon at 3 o'clock under the auspi
ces of the Young Peoples Demo
cratic Club.
Mr. Weaver is well known in
the county, having spoken in
Franklin and in other towns a
number of times during' the past
year.
The "club's string band will fur
nish stirring campaign music.
Speech Organization
Officers of the club report that
organization in all parts of the
county is progressing smoothly and
rapidly. Township meetings are
being held in all organized sec
tions.
Burningtown township was or
ganized last Friday evening, with
Gene Baldwin as chairman and
Miss Lola Ramsey as vice-chair
man.
The only two large townships yet
to organize is that of Ellijay and
Sugarfork. The following dates
have been set for the organization
work in these two townships: Pine
Grove school house on Wednesday
evening, Sept. 7, and at the Hig
donville, school house on Friday
evening, Sept. 10, with both of the
meetings beginning at 8 o'clock.
Doctors Organize
Dr. F. Angel Heads Macon
And Clay Society
( ' II i i linn
A medical society for Macon
and Clay counties was organized at
a meeting of physicians from the
two counties at Angel Brothers'
Hospital last Thursday night. The
Macon County Medical society
had been inactive for a number of
years,
Dr. F. Angel was elected presi
dent of the society: Dr. J
Schiffli, of Highlands, vice pres
ident, and Dr. F. M. Killian, of
Franklin, secretary and treasurer,
The society voted to hold month
of Hayesville.
N. C. JULY FIRE LOSS
The insurance commissioner re-
i ports 17 fires in North Carolina
in July caused a total loss of
362,966 fti compared with $218,799
In July, 1911.
EMPLOY tfim
IF. RAILROAD
REDUCES FARES
Cost of One-Way Tickets
Cut 1.6c Per Mile,
Brewer Announces
FREIGHT TRAFFIC UP
Stone, Asphalt and Lum
ber Hauls Cut Losses;
Expenses Reduced
The Tallplah Falls Railway, seek
ing means to stimulate business,
is planning soon to reduce its pas
senger fares . to two cents a mile
for one-way travel and one and a
half cents a mile for round-trip
tickets, it was announced here
Wednesday by H. L. Brewer, as
sistant to the receiver of the "T.
F."
Application for authority to
change passenger rates already has
been filed with the Interstate Com-
morce Commission, Mr. Brewer
said. Pointing out that reductions
in fares had been allowed a num
ber of other railroads, he expressed
the opinion that there was little
doubt that the application of tin
Tallulah Falls Railway would be
granted.
$1.16 to Cornelia
The present passenger rate of
the "T. F." is 3.6 cents a mile,
When the lower rates become ef
fective a ticket from Franklin to
Cornelia will 'cost $1.16, instead of
$2.07, and the round-trip fare w ill
be $1.74. Bus fare to Cornelia is
$2.25 and $3.38 for round tap.
Freight traffic over the "T. F."
has improved considerably in re
cent weeks, Mr. Brewer reported,
and still further improvement is
exoected. He Said 66 cars
crushed stone and asphalt had been
i.j t? t.i: j v A.
rumcu in riaiiKiiii aim were ex
pected in a few days. 'I hi iua
terials are to be used in putting
the finishing surface, on highway
No. 28 from Gneiss to Highlands,
He also said that ISO cars of
lumber destined for eastern points
would be loaded soon at Clarkes
ville, Ga., and that a number of
cars of cattle were in prospect dur
ing the fall.
R. R. Lots ' Reduced
Expenses of the railroad have
been greatly v reduced, so much so
that losses during the past' year
were $1,000 less than during the
preceding vear, despite less traffic.
Eleven thousand dollars has been
saved on cross ties and bridge
timbers alone, th assistant to the
receiver said.
"If the railroad can finance con
tinued operation for a year or so
more, until more normal business
returns, it should have about as
much traffic as it has ever had,"
Mr. Brewer added.
Hundreds of Macon county peo
ple have signed agreements in the
past two weeks . promising to buy
goods as far as practicable from
merchants who have their merchan
dise shipped by rail instead of by
trucks. These agreements have
been circulated . throughout the
county by a committee headed by
Jack Stribling. Some of these
agreements have not returned to
Mr. Stribling and he has requested
that any one having copies bring
them to him as soon as possible.
'Stop Coweer
They Want
With only two more games on
the second half of the schedule to
be played in the Macon County
Baseball League, every baseball
player and every baseball fan is
in the fight. As a result of Satur
day's games, Cowee and Cartooge
chaye are in a tie for the second
half pennant, and the cry is now
to stpp Cowee. If Cartoogechaye
could win the second half of the
schedule, a county series would be
held after the season, and if Car
toogechaye should be able to win
the other two games on the sched
ule and Cowee did the same, the
fur would begin to fly. If the two
teams should tie for second honors,
and Cartoogechaye could win the
play off, then Cowee and Cartooge
chaye would also have to play the
series to see 'what team should have
the pennant,
The frames on Saturday were well
attended, Thi Macon county ban-
Nantahala Project
Offers 1,000 Jobs;
Begins On Sept. 15
Franklin Selected
For Medical Center
Dr. Watson S. Rankin, a di
rector of the-Duke Endowment
from which millions of dollars
has been given to hospitals, col
leges, orphanage and churches
in the Carolina was a visitor
at Angel Brot' ,.f s Hospital in
Franklin Monday.
While here Dr. Rankin reveal
ed that the Duke Endowment is
planning to develop medical
centers at various strategic
points throughout the state and
that Franklin had been selected
as the most suitable location for
a medical center for the south
western counties.
ED ODELL GETS
JAIL SENTENCE
To. Serve Six Months for
Attack With Pistol on
Ben Buchanan
Ed Odell, who wounded Ben Buc
hanan with a pistol in a fight on
August 2, was sentenced to six
months in jail on Wednesday
morning by Superior Court Judge
Hoyie Sink. Considering Odell's
lawyers' pleas for mercy, Judge
Sink lightened the eight months
sentence he had intended to im
pose. He also found it a fact that
the defendant suffered from epi
lepsy, and therefore ordered that
he be given only such work as he
is physically and mentally able to
perform.
Mr. Buchanan, 70 years old, who
tried to hold his own in the fight
with a hammer, was given a sus
pended sentence of thirty days, in
jail.
Too Old to Fight
"Now, old man, let me tell you
something," Judge Sink said,
"You're too old to fight. Now you
I en home and behave vourself. Don't
! get into any more fights." Mr.
Buchanan shook his head vigorous
ly, affirming that he didn't want
to get into any more fights.
Marion C. Deal Dies
At Age of 77
Marion C. Deal, prominent farmer
of the Holly Springs section, died
at 12:30 Wednesday morning. He
succumbed to a stroke of paralysis
which felled him a week ago! Mr.
Deal was 77 years old.
He will be buried Friday- morn
ing , at 101 o'clock at the Holly
Springs Baptist church. The Rev.
James Vinson will conduct the ser
vices. Mr. Deal is survived by three
children, Jake, Marion and Miss
Nelly Deal.
Is Fans' Slogan;
More Baseball
ball players are getting in good
training for the other two scheduled
games.
The games results on Saturday
were: Mountain Grove, at Holly
Springs, was given an 18 to
licking by the Rabbit Creekers.
West End went to Cartoogechaye
and after one hard fought game by
"both teams the West Enders car
ried home a licking that ruined
their hopes of winning second hon
orsthe score was Cartoogechaye
6, West End 5. Highlands motored
to the northern end of the county
and played the Cowee boys; in a
game full of thrills and fine team
work the Skylanders lost 10 to 6
and this defeat came after one of
the Highlands players knocked a
home run.
But it took two of the teams that
had been in the cellar in the sec
ond half of the schedule to furnish
(Continued n,ptfa six)
Roads, Trails, Telephone
Lines to Be Built
Through Woods
AEF MEnIpREFERRED
But Don't Ask for Job at
Franklin Office See
The Section Boss
September 15 is the date tent
atively set by John B. Byrne, sup
ervisor of Nantahala National For
est, for beginning the $55,000 im
provement project recently author
ized, which, engaging crews on a
rotation basis, will employ about
1,000 men from Macon County and
nearby sections in Georgia and
South Carolina. From fifty to
seventy-five men will be needed on
September 15, and will be paid on
a basis of twenty cents an hour.
Pisgah and Nantahala National
Forests ( will spend $109,000 this
fall and 'next spring on roads, trails,
lookout towers and telephone lines,
using unemployment relief fund al
lotments, and employing 2,000 men
in all.
No men will be hired before Sep
tember 15, Mr. Byrne said, and
none will be hired at the Franklin
offices.' . In alloting jobs, preference
will be given first to ex-service
men with families, next to local .
men with families.
Crews to Rotate
Crews will work on a monthly
rotation basis. That is, crews will
be changed every month so as to
employ as many men as possible.
They will also run in six-hour
shifts, another means of using more
men in the shortest possible time.
Salaries to be paid cannot yet
be accurately determined, depend
ing as they do on camp, food and
trucking problems. But the basis
will be, Mr. Byrne said, twenty
cents an hour;
Mr. Byrne said Tuesday in
Franklin that he had three projects
he wanted to see under way by
September 15. They are:
1. A road from Tusquitte Creek
to Junaluska Creek.
2. Widening and surfacing of
north end of Nantahala Road near
the Nantahala station.
3. A road to Rabun Bald, in Ra
bun County, Ga., also, telephone
lines and trails through the forest,
as widely distributed as possible.
A thirty-hour week is the cur
rent labor schedule. Men now em
ployed with the forest service will
be used as foremen.
Pisgah Offers Jobs
Pisgah National Forest, with $54,
000 to spend, also offers employ
ment, but like Nantahala will give
preference to local men. It is es
timated that more than half of the
money alloted for both forests will
(Continued on page six)
And Now Squirrels
But You Must Get Your
License Before You Shoot
Open season for trout and Jack
fish, or Muskalunge, ended yester-
Air an1 tti nnn fiaarin fnr. hunt '
ing squirrels begins today.- Bag
limit on squirrels is ten in one
day. The season for taking Small
Mouth bass has been extended to
September 30.
Persons hunting or fishing in
their own counties require a coun
ty license only, but non-residents
must obtain a state license.
There are in Western North
Carolina this year more squirrel,
quail and ruffed grouse than at
any time for the past ten or more
years, according to C. A. Waldroop,
county game warden.
A state hunting license will cost
you $3.25 and a county license $1.25.
But if you don't live in the county
in which you hunt, you must pay
$15.25 for . the license. You can
obtain your license at Leach Broth
ers, at the Macon County Supply
Co., at the Franklin Hardware Co..
or at th Highlands Hardvws C