Bits of Wicdom
Things perfected by nature
are better than those finished by
art."
Cicero.
...
f rr r
f "1
I 1 L )
VX0 W i
A Brief Survey of Cur
rent Events in State,
Nation and Abroad-"-'
. the Facts Boiled
. Down to a Few Pithy
Lines-. . .
PROGRESSIVE
LIBERAL
INDEPENDENT
VOL. XLIX. NO, 8 '
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, FEB. 22, 1934
$1.50 PER YEAR
r- S, '-V ! f
I
KING ALBERT KILLED ;
King Albert 1, the beloved hero;
king of the Belgians, is deada
victim of - the sport of mountain
climbing,, which he loved so well.
His tiny nation has been plunged
into the deep sorrow it knew when
King Albert was leading its soldiers
against overwhelming odds in the
World War. He died late Satur
day, plungtng"36 feet to earth when
a.frostbitten rock crumbled under
his weight. Succeeding him on the
throne is his son, Prince Leopold,
32, who several years ago married
Princess 'Astrid. , -
FOR INDEPENDENCE
France, Great Brittain and Italy
on Saturday nighf agreed in a-jdec-laration
issued from the foreign of
fice at Paris, m the necessity of
" maintaining Austrian independence.
It was interpreted as a warning to
Germany to )lay "hands off in the
:. present Austrian unrest.
MORE FIGHTING
Fighting broke out near the
"American quarter" of Vienna Sun
day, afternoon, throwing sight-see-
ing ' crowds' i&o a panic. "Five
were killed. The : governfnent' of
Chancellor Dollfuss quickly supress
ed this and other outbreaks of
Socialists," wounding many in ad
dition to those who suffered death.
G. O. P. FIGHT
North Carolina's Republicans are
going to have a chairmanship fight,
s according to Greensboro, Hender
sonville, - Asheville . and Raleigh
news, and if ' there were not some
allies of Judge William C. Meek
ins who seldom, have been among
the insurgents, ' the contest could
be explained as the old struggle of
the Bourbons against, the progres
. ' sives. .; .
BILLipNS FOR HOMES;
The Roosevelt administration has
begun a long range study of mass
housing; designed to direct the" ex
penditure of from 3ft to 40 billion
dollars of private funds within the
.next 10 years. These huge costs
are beyiori'd government scope, the
president says, and he' has appoint
ed four members of his cabinet to
make the-' survey with a view to
. f indin g Lout z;how r privatercapital
might be stimulated in this field.
LINDY-DENIES GIFT
. Colonel Charles A. Lindbergh -issued
a statement Sunday night say
ing his total profits from stocks
and warrants, exclusive ai reinvest
ments from them, have been -187,-838.55.
The Colonel denied that he
had ever received a gift of stpek,
stock options or warrants. He is
technical advijer for Pan-American
Airways, whose contracts have not
been cancelled, and Transcontinen
tal and Western Air, which did lose
its contracts.
RECOVERY SPEEDS
, Recovery in both industry and
trade continued briskly during the
past .week, according to reports
from many parts of the country.
Large crowds, flocked to stores on
. Lincoln's ..birthday salcsDunand
Bradstrect said. In industry, an in
creased, -number of - scattered- fac
tories began to work overtime. The
largest increases have been "report
ed in areas benefitted by CWA and
TWA forces, the statisticians said.
-BROWN DENIES CHARGES
Walter Brown, former postmaster
general during the Hoover admin
istration, appeared Voluntarily be
fore the senate air mail committee
Monday and denied charges of col
lusion and fraud of contract awards
during his administration. Brown
attacked Farley's recent cancella
tion of domestic air mail contracts
calling it a "colossal injustice," and
said .that the action would destroy
the nation's air lines."
NOT TO WED
From one of the few intimates
of enigmatic Greta Garbo, film folk
have learned that the Swedish ac
tress will not marry Rouben. Ma
moulian and that he probably will
not direct another picture starring
her. '
"LAY OFF" MEN
The great army of civil works
employees will have been reduced
.almost one-fourth by the end of
this week as Harry L. Hopkins,
the administrator, announced that
572,000 will be dismissed next . Fri
day night. It will reduce the total
at that timc io 3,104,400 on CWA
jobs. ' ' '
ASKS CRITICISM
V N. R. Administrator Huch S,
Jolmson has invited the nation to
"a field day of criticism" of NRA
next Tuesday, preparatory to re
vision hearings on various Blue1
Eagle codes.
m DROPPED
FROItlPAYROLL
Number of CWA Employ
es in County Reduced
To 29,4
Authorities-nntharge of the
CWA program in Macon county
were busy this "week paring down
the number of employes to 294, in
accordance with instructions from
Mrs. Thomas O'Be'rry, of Raleigh,
state administrator
Miss Rachel ' Davis, county ad
ministrator, said today approximate
ly 190 men on CWA payrolls had
been dropped.
Order Received
The following instructions were
received by Miss Davis Monday
from state CWA headquarters in
Raleigh: '
"Effective February 23,' the num
ber of employes on CWA payrolls
in your county must be reduced to
294.- Further reductions will be
made each week until the program
is discontinued. In order to com
plete CWA projects before May 1
it will be necessary to discontinue
projects that can be terminated
without loss and concentrate on
most necessary projects now in
operation. The district supervisor
and engineer will confer with you
this week to determine the pro
jects to be continued."
Instructions from CWA head
quarters in Washington ordered the
dismissal of 20,000 workers in North
Carolina by Friday of this week.
' Federal Jobs Continue
No curtailment of workers will
be made at this time on federal
projects in this county, ,Miss Davis
said.
All projects undertaken for the
Tennessee Valley Authority with
CWA funds, including the construc
tion of a road from Broadway to
Tesenta1 and a proposed erosion
project, which had been expected
to supply employment for a new
quota of men, have been ordered
abandoned. - -- v
DEATH CLAfiilS
AGED RESIDENT
Mrs. Margaret Bryson, 88,
Dies after Short
Illness
Funeral services for Mrs. Mar
garet Bryson, aged 86, widow of J.
K. Bryson, were held Sunday after
noon at Sugarfork Baptist church,
of which she had been a member
since girlhood. Mrs. Bryson died
early Saturday morning after a
short illness' at her home in Frank
lin with Mrs. J. M. Moore.
Born in Jackson county, a daugh
ter of Major W., H. Higdon and
Jane Buchanan Higdon, Mrs, Bry
son moved to Macon with her fath
er's family when she was a young
girl.-Shortly-iaftetwardJier ..older
brqthers were called to the Con
federate - army and - she did a
man's workin..hcr father's fields,
wearing the homespun clolhcsof
the day and shoes fashioned for
the family by Major Higdon.
Mrs. Bryson was married in 1871
and was the mother of nine, chil
dren, six of whom survive: Mrs.
R. A. Henry, Ventura, Cal. Mrs.
J. W, Briggs, Albany, Ga.; Mrs.
W. A. Collins, Knoxvillc, Tcnn. ; J.
W. Bryson, Rome, Ga.; Rev. J. A.
Bryson, Columbia, Mo.; Mrs. John
M, Moore, Franklin. '
One brother, T. -B. Higdon, of
Higdonville, survives; 20 grandchil
dren and 11 great-grandchildren.
The funeral was conducted by the
Rev. E. R. Filer, who was assisted
by the Rev. A. S Solcsbee. Pall
bearers were Paul Carpenter, Cecil
Peridergrass, Robert Blaine, Sam
Murray, Hc.nry Cabe, Cicero Gras
ty. .Among those attending the fun
eral were: Mrs. J. W. Briggs. Al
bany, Ga.; Mr. and Mrs. W. A.
Collins, Knoxville, Tenn;; J. W.
Bryson, Rome, Ga.; Mrs. J. J.
Moore, Lawrencevillc, Ga. ; Mrs.
Paul Kelley, Lawrencevillc, Ga.
John C. Barrihgton
Dies in Richmond
John C. Barrington died sudden
ly Saturday, February 10, at his
home at Richmond, Va., relatives
here have been notified. He had
been in ill health for the past four
years. . The body . was taken to
Pamlico countv, North. Carolina,
for burial-in the Barrington family
cemetery. - "
In-' 1922 Mr. Barrington married
Miss Lola Penland, of this county,
I who survives him.
CHEROKEE LORE
; By Margaret R. Siler;
. Article II
THE WHITE MAN ENTERS THE RED MAN'S
PARADISE
CAN you picture the bottom lands of the Little Tennessee
River on the edge of Franklin as a swamp of such
luxurious growth that the clear, twisting little river is lost
entirely from sight? .
Let's step into the Cherokee's bark canoe and paddle on
up the stream between banks of "laving laurel," pink and
white boughs of mountain ivy, dark and mighty hemlocks,
the "wigwam'-' tree for that is the shape it grows in;
past the huge bulk-of a silver birch, from which the red
man made caskets of silver, bark; in which to lay away his
dead. Did they call the birch the Al-lew-yak- tree? For
al-lew-yah means "dead."
Let us push on up the river, which was far deeper than it
is now, for when the white man came to lessen the forests
he thereby lessened the streams. We paddle into what is
now Raybun Vallef, Georgia, which then was the red
man's happy hunting ground, for it was a marsh from
mountain to mountain. There are a few people now living
who remember the swamp that was filled with wild duck
which nested on the little 'islands of the marsh, and can re
call that every pool was filled with the big fish now known
as "Muskies." They swam up the Cullasaja and spawned
in the rapid, rocky torrent sweeping down from the falls.
They were as commontthen as minnows are now; but a few
years ago the head of a large one, cauih't at the mouth of
Cullasaja, was kept in alcohol and displayed in a bank win
dow. ' '- ' '
Mrs. Long, an old lady about 83 years old, of Sylva, N.
C, told me a few years ago that when the mush ice ran in
the JCuckaseegeeher husband
and spear these big fish, which they called "salmon, as
they "came up for air." - They were brought home in an ox
wagon and "fish -steak" was salted down in big stone jars
to be used when wanted as long as the weather was cold.
When the Tallulah Falls railway was built the Little
Tennessee was turned from its natural channel in Raybun
Gap into a new bed, dug to prevent building more .mileage.
"Uncle" Matt Ray our respected colored citizen, tells me
he can remember when a canal was cut by colored men at
so much a rod to turn the river when the valley was being
settled. Side ditches were cut to this canal and the" sports
man's paradise .was turned into fields of corn and smaller
crain.
Today the plow goes on and on without striking a root
of the noble forest that belonged by possession to the Chero
kee. Into this wonderful forest two horsemen wended their
way, "Indian .File," in 1818. Two young bloods with the
pioneer heart and spirit. ,
. My father-in-law, -Mr.-. Albert Siler, told me of the com
ing of his" Uncle Jacob and "Jacob's-friendryoung MrrBrit-
tbn,-and of their first encounter with the -Indians. The in
formatioir6fThe Tow Wow" which previously has been
told in the columns of The Franklin Press and been placed
on record as Macon County history, was told me by "Fath
er" Siler and was also written by his cousin, Tom Siler, to
be read at the fiftieth Siler family meeting in 1901.
Jacob Siler and William Britton, 'starting from some
where near the Sandy Mush .section of Buncombe County,
wanted the adventure of penetrating- iurther West into the
unknown part of their county, which then extended to the
Georgia line.
Thev loaded their cowhide saddle pockets with knives,
axes, red cloth, beads, red handkerchiefs and whatever could
be crammed into their saddle bags to attract the savage
red matt. We do not know how many days and nights j ror, i wS.
these two brave young men followed the Indian trail, over k,.
among formal business trr.nsac
r.4 vr, nvnmirl mniintninc thrnnfrh rlfnv:p swamns and ttons.
across the gaps that divided the ridges between the Bal
sams and the Nantahalas. (If anyone can giye us the
Cherokee name for the Balsams we will be more than de
lighted.) ,. ; '
We do know that when these young men made camp for
the night one watched while the other slept, to keep the
panthers or wildcats from their horses, or a "tomy-hawk"
(Continued
W. N. Sloan Reported
Improving
W. N. Sloan,' who underwent an
operation for appendicitis at Bilt
morc hospital, .Asheville, about a
month ago, was reported "this week
to be somewhat improved; but he
is not expected to be able to re
liiru to Franklin for several weeks.
' -
and e, Indians would go ouv.
on Page Two)
Cc-op Lespedeza
OrdeT Saturday
Another cooperative order of les
pedeza seed will be made Saturday,
according to an announcement by
P. S. Sloan, county farm agent.
Mr. Sloan asked all farmers inter
ested in buying lcsiwdcza seed to
get in touch with him immediately.
NEW TAX LAWS
HELPINGMACON
Property Tax Reductions
Exceed Sales Tax
. Collections
Sales tax collections in . Macon
coun.ty for the first six-months
period since the tax became effec
tive amounted to $7,473, according
to an announcement received by
this newspaper from A. J. Max
well, state .commissioner of revenue.
, Accompanying the announcement
were tabulations showing the indi
cated sales tax yield in each coun
ty for one year, and also the esti
mated amount of taxes saved each
county through the removal of the
15 cent levy for schools.
"You will observe," said, the an
nouncement, "that tax relief afford
ed J)y the last legislature : in enact
ment of the sales tax and other
measures adopted by them, affords
property tax reduction of $22,884 in
your county and that the indicated
sales tax return for the year would
amount::to::;$l446,:;'whichZ:lc:aves : a:
property tax reduction in excess of
sales tax collections made and an
ticipated for the year of $7,938."' .
FUNER AL HELD
FOR LP. MOSES
Death Ccmes to Well
Known Ellijay Farmer
At Age of 80
Thomas Pierce Moses, aged 80,
died at 2 o'clock last Thursday
morning al his home on Ellijay,
where he was born and had spent
his entire life. .
The, funeral was conducted Friday
morning at the Sugar Fork' Bap
tist church by the pastor, the Rev.
A: S. Solesbee.
Mr Moses was a farmer all tiis
life. At the age of 27 he married;
Miss Charlotte Owen, of Transyl
vania -cou n tyr- a sister-x)f - ih e-Jlev.
J. R7 Owen, "pastor of ilie Frencli
Broad Baptist church of Ashc
vilte7To this union were born 11
children, nine of whom are still
living. . '
Three sons, P. N. Moses, L. J.
M-ses and L. T. Moses live at or
near the old home. P. L. Moses,
after graduating from North Caro
lina State college, Raleigh, about
the close of the world war, went
to California, where he has been
teaching in the public sclvvols.
Ansel Moses, youngest of the chil
dren, is in the U. S. navy, aboard
the cruiser Detroit stationed on the
Pacific coast. Three daughters,
Mrs. Julia Osborne, Mrs. Jcanctte
Daley and Mrs. Hester Bruschi,
live in San Diego, Calif. Another
daughter, Mrs. Kay Hulme, lives in
Atlanta, Ga. Mrs. Hulme, accom
panied by Iter two daughters, at
tended the funeral; but the .ether
child reu-1 iv ed xtsucli a- distance
that ;,they., erc-unabliulo.be. prcs
cn '
Meeting Called by -
Democratic Chairman
J. Wallace Winborne, state Dem
ocratic chairman, has issued a call
for .a meeting of the state Demo
crptic committee, to be lield March
8 in the capitol at Raleigh.
The purpose of the meeting, said
Chairman Winborne, will be the
setting of diites for precinct ntcet
ng and county conventions, and
the naming of a time and place foT
the state Democratic convention.
Action on the resignation of O.
Max Gardner, former governor, as
... 1 . .
:
Applications Asked 1
For Stone Mason Job
An ripen competitive examination
for the position of stone mason, for
filling vacancies in the Pir.gah Na
tional forest, has been announced
lv the U. S. civil service commis
sion.
Applications for the jwsition must
he on file in Washington by March
O nnrl ran ho obtained from the
post office. The salary for this
position will lie from 75 cents to
$1.10 per hour.
ARMY CARRIES MAIL
The U. S. army this week took
over.. trm private companies: the
huge projectof flying the airmail.
Despite the handicap of bad weath
er, the service functioned on a. nor
mal basis. '
Legion Planning
Early Erection
Of Civic Center
Association Ready ,
To Make Crop Loans
. The Franklin Production Cred
it association is now prepared
to accept application for crop
loans, it wu announced Wed
nesday by E. W. Long, secre
tary and treasurer of the or
ganization. Mr. Long said Mrs. Mary
Louise Sherrell will be in the
county farm demonstration
agent's office in the courthouse
on Thursdays, Fridays and Sat
urdays to receive applications.
Regulations provide for minimum
loans of $50.
The Franklin Production Cred
it association was organize in
December to ; serve the farmers
of Macon, Clay, Cherokee, Gra
ham, Swain and Jackson coun
ties. CAPTAIN HURT
IN AUTO WRECK
Mcllwaine Improving after
Accident Near Hot
Springs
Captain Charles Mcllwaine, of
ficer in charge of the Civilian Con
servation camp near Franklin, is re
covering from injuries received
Sunday afternoon in an automobile
accident near Hot Springs.
Captain Mcllwaine was motoring
to Knoxville to visit his mother.
He said he did( not know how the
accident occurred as he was knock
ed iiHGUusciaus. A passerby found
Captain Mcllwaine in a dazed con
dition on the road near his ma
chine, which had nosed into a bank.
Therarasbadlv:diimagcdcrrr
The injured man was taken to an
Asheville hospital for . treatment.
He was stunned scratched and
bruised, but doctors found no brok
en bones. '" '
Dr. Trehern, camp physician,
went to Asheville Monday and
brought Captain Mcllwaine back to
the camp here. Tuesday he was
confined to his bed, but was re
ported improving.
CHURCH
Announcements
FIRST METHODIST
Rev. Chetley C. Herbert, Jr.
SUNDAY, FEB. 25'
11 a. m. Morning worship with
sermon by the pastor, "The Man
Wluor Never Saw Jesus." -'"t
7:30 p. 111. Evening worship with
sermon by the-iastoiv-"The Two
Powers,"
CARSON'S CHAPEL
SUNDAY, FEB. 25 .
3 p. m. Preaching by the pas-
tor, the Rev. Chesley C. Herbert,
Jr.
ST. AGNES EPISCOPAL
Rev. Frank Bloxham
SUNDAY, FEB. 25
10 a. in. Sunday school.
11 a. in. Morning prayer with
sermon by the rector.
FRIDAY, FEB: 23
7:30 p. m. Lenten service.",
' church of:
the incarnation
highlands. n. c.
Rev. Frank Bloxham
SUN1AY, FEB. 25
3 p. m.M Bible study class.
4 p. m. Evening prayer with ser
mon bv the rector. '
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28
7 ii, m. Lenten service. ,
FIRST BAPTIST
Rev. Eugene R. Eller
SUNDAY, FEB. 25 ;
9:45 a. m. Sunday school.
11 a. m Worship witli sermon
by the pastor, "The Church Cove
nant." 6:45 p. m. B. Y. P. U. meeting.
7 :45 p. m. Worship with sermon j
by the pastor.
MONDAY, FEB. 26
7:30 p. m. Meeting of deacons
and finance committee in the
church.
WEDNESDAY, FEB. 28
7 :30 p. m. -Prayer meeting and
church conference.
Will Seek Approval of
Proposed Project
By CWA
SITE IS TSSURED
Large Brick Building with
Auditorium, Library
Is Planned
Early start on the erection of a
world war memorial building in
Franklin to be used as a com
munity center is contemplated by
the Macon County Post of the
American Legion,, reorganized tp
cently, if it can- obtain assistance
from thcCivil Works Administra-
tion. . .
The Rev. J A?" Flanagan, post
commander, and Mrs. Lassie Kelly
Cunningham,-adjutant, are planning
to go to Raleigh this week to sub
mit to state CWA authorities plans
for the proposed building together
with a request for approval of the
project and the allocation of the
necessary workmen and materials
for carrying it out.
Mrs. Cunningham said the legion
hoped to get the work under way
by March 1 and to secure the al
location of a sufficient number of
CWA employes to complete the
building by May 1, when the Civil
Works program is scheduled to end.
Site Attured
The legion already has obtained
assurance of a building site from
the county commissioners, Mrs.
Cunningham -said. The county owns
the lot at the head of Church
street on Harrison avenue between
the Methodist church and the resi-
'''Vfi.f'f Porter, and this is
the site upon which the legion
proposes to build the community .
center.
Sim9ar-projisiav
proved by the CWA in a number
of communities in this and other
states. The community, is required
to furnish a site and part of the
building expenses.
$1,600 Available
The local legion post has a fund
estimated at between $1,600 and $1,
700. In 1919, when the doughboy's
were returning home after the close
of the war, a campaign was started
in Franklin to raise money for the
construction of a. suitable memorial
to those from this county who serv
ed under the colors 400 in all, 14
of whom lost their lives in the
service. The campaign brought do
nations of $1,005 ; but it was de
cided to defer construction of the
memorial and the fund iater was
invested in the Macon County
Building aml ,Loan association. The
legion has - been - assured -that - the
money is "available when needed.
Plans for Building
"Tlans for the proposed building
are being drawn by Zeb Conley,,
Franklin contractor. 'They call for
a large two-level structure with
walls of hollow tile and brick ve-'
neer,
The main floor, opening on
the front level of the lot, will be
a commodious auditorium with a
stage aiu two dressing rooms.
The lower floor, on a level with
the rear of the lot, will provide
space for a kitchen, assembly room
and quarters for the Franklin pub
lic library, and also a heating plant.
Mrs.-" Cunningham said it had
been estimated the building would
cost approximately $10,000, of which
the CWA will be asked to supply
$9,(XK) in labor and materials.
Plans .for the building were dis
cussed at a meeting of the legion
post in the courthouse Saturday
night. The post now has 26 paid- -up
members and many other- ex-
service men are expected to join.
Meetings, with refreshments, are
planned Ui he held twice a month,
on Saturday nights, in the court
house. The next meeting is set
for March 3.
Franklin Circuit
Stewards To Meet
Dr. J. L. West has catled a
special meeting Qf the stewards of
the Methodist churches on tlie
Franklin circuit to be held at 4:30
o'clock Saturday afternoon, Feb. 24,
in the Bank of Franklin.
"We want every member of the
board of stewards on the Franklin ,
circuit to be present," Dr. West
said, "as this will be a business'
meeting' of the utmost importance."