THURSDAY MAY 18, 1939
THE FRANKLIN PRESS AND THE HIGHLANDS MACONUri
PAGE ELEVEN
RETURNS AFTER
LONG ABSENCE
Man Who Disappeared 57
Years Ago Comes
Back To Macon
Jasper Columbus Jennings, who
mysteriously disappeared from his
home at Hamburg, Jackson county,
57 years, ago, returned last week to
his native county and state. He is
now 83 years of- age.
Mr. Jennings resided in Jackson
county for two years prior to his
disappearance. He was born at
Gneiss, Macon county, on December
8, 1855, the son of the late James
J. Jennings and Lucinda Evitt Jen
nings. Mr. Jennings, with his wife and
small children, decided they would
rriove out of the mountains and go
where a decent living could be
made and at the same time see
something of the world.' Without
telling anyone of their plans or let
ting anyone know what they in
tended to do, they left their abode
at Hamburg, and went to" West
Tennessee where they lived for
seven years.
Lived in Florida 1
During that time Mr. Jennings
worked at saw mills, grist mills,
cotton gins, and at various kinds
of odd jobs in order to make an
honest living for his family. From
Tennessee, they went to points in
Florida where they spent several
years.
Mr. Jennings, who has been in
practically every .state in the South,
finally settled down at Rome, Ga.,
where he has been for several
years. There he worked as a car
penter and brick mason. He said
he has made a lot of money in his
day but "it's all gone now."
Mr. Jennings, who left his home
in Rome Monday morning, May 1,
hitch-hiked or walked, reaching
Sylva Friday evening, May 5. He
was en route to his old home site
a. Hamburg, hoping there to find
or learn the whereabouts of some
of his relatives, if he had any liv
ing. There he. found a cousin who
told of a half-brother, Charles C.
Jennings, who lives at Cullasaja, in
Macon county.
Did Not Write Relatives
During his absence of 57 years,
Mr. Jennings had never written to
anyone nor had he heard from any
of his, relatives and friends. When
asked why he left without telling
anvone or why he never wrote
back, he replied that he didn't con
sider it was anybody's business
what he did or where he went.
On two different occasions, Mr.
Jennings tried to reach his old
home place on Cullasaja by oar,
but each time the highways were
under construction and he was
forced to turn back. This time, he
decided that, in order to be able
to make the trip and reach his
destination without trouble, walking
was his safest plan. He carried with
him a shotgun, a hand axe, and a
suitcase. He slept in a bed one
night while making the trip, at
the home of a Mr. Neal in Blue
Ridge, Ga. The other nights were
spent sleeping on the roadsides.
Despite Mr. Jennings' age he is
very active and spry, gets around
without a stick and wears glasses
only for reading purposes. He
boasts of the fact that he has never
been ill a day in his. life, nor has
he had to take any medicine.
Mr. Jennings plans to spend sev
eral weeks in Macon county with
relatives, for here he has not only
found a brother, but two sisters
that he did not know were living.
They are Mrs. Bedford Home, of
Franklin, and Mrs. Jim Rogers, of
Highlands. .
Cartoogechaye
By MRS. JOE SETSER
Mrs. E. G. Crawford is spending
some time with her daughter, Mrs.
Fred Corbin, at Higdonville.
Our oldest citizen, Mrs. Hattie
Moore, is seriously ill at the home
of her daughter, Mrs, Frank Nolen.
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Waldroop,
of Jacksonville, Fhv, spent last
Sunday with his mother, Mrs. L.
C. Waldroop.
Mrs, Mysa Crawford and Mrs.
Hayes Snyder spent Sunday with
their children at the old Crawford
home. Among those present were:
Mrs. Crawford, Mrs. Snyder, Mr.
smd Mr, Laddie Crawford, Mr.
Young Theatrical Genius to Stage Girl Show
5 v W -? i f fs kN
Jimmy Griffin, six-year-old Brookline, Mass., theatrical genius, is having: a difficult time getting these girls
to do a dance the way he wants it done. Jimmy, though, is undaunted. He is the youngest possessor of an enter
tainment license in Brookline, and has had a successful solo act. He recently applied for a renewal of his H
cense and decided to add some girls to his cast. Here he is trying to teach them the routine he has devised.
JOE BOB WESTMORELAND
First Prize Winner in Baby Derby, Canton, N. C.
and and Mrs. Eugene Crawford,
Mr. and Mrs. George Crawford,
Mrs, Tillory Love, Elmer Crawford
and the children.
Mrs. Chas. Nolen, who has' been
attending summer school at Sylva,
is sick at home.
Mrs. W. A. Setser is spending
this week with her children in and
near Franklin, Mrs,. Geo. McGee,
Lawrence Setser and Mrs. L. B.
Phillips.
Geo. and Tom Setser and Bobby
Waldroop spent Wednesday trout
fishing in Moore Creek.
Rev. J. C. Swaim filled his reg
ular appointment at Mt. Zkm Sun
day. He preached a Mother's Day
sermon, using as a text s Christ's
words on the Cross to John : "Son,
behold thy Mother," and a part of
the Fifth Commandment, "Honor
Thy Father and Mother.'
Miss Lucille Brookshire was
elected president of the newly re
organized Epworth League Sun
day evening. v
Mrs. Alex Waldroop, who has
been unable, to leave her room for
months, receives visitors with a
cheerful face that should put to
shame .those of us who are much
more blessed in health. Never com
plaining, she counts her blessings
and smiles.
Mrs. Hallie Russell, of Atlanta,
spent Sunday visiting her home
folks here.
v j 7 7 i
Farmers Lose Money
By Grazing Woodlands 1
Farmers who graze . cattle in
woodlands lose money both in
milk or beef and in timber and
erosion control, declares R. W.
Graeber, forestry specialist of the
State college extension service.
He cites experiments which have
shown that . managed woodlands
yield an annual return of about $4
per acre, and that the , best open
pastures yield about the same
amount. However, when grazing
and forestry are combined on the
same area, the yields are much
less, the total annual return for
typical woodland pasture being
only $1 per acre. ,
"Why do farmers run their cat
tle in the woods?" Graeber asks,
He answers; "There is only one
logical reason : They think they
can pick up an extra dollar or two
by letting the cattle pick a few
buds and twigs in early spring,
along with the low-growing plants,
and a few sprigs of grass or
briars which may grow where a
few rays of sunlight reach the
ground.
"This is a; fallacy. A farmer
doesn't pick up an extra dollar or
two; the cow9 do not produce as
much milk or as much beef as
when they graze in open pasture;
the timber supply is reduced; graz
ing woodlands induces erosion and
loss of leaf litter; the fencing bill
is higher."
The 1933 farm census showed
that North Carolina had 1,574,303
acres of farm woods, in use as
pasture. Of this, 1,186,788 acres, or
slightly more than 75 per cent of
the woodland pasture is in the 59
Piedmont and Mountain counties.
This Is the principal area in which
Graeber recommends that all woods
grazing be eliminated.
State College Answers
Timely Farm Questions
Q. How can I renew my old
strawberry beds?
A. .Immediately after the harvest
is over, a part of each row should
Joe plowed up leaving a strip of
plants about, six inches wide. The
plants are then thinned of all old
plants leaving the remaining plants
about 18 inches apart. Plow ,up the
middles and continue cultivation
throughout the summer. When new
runners begin to develop, apply a
5-7-5 fertilizer mixture at the rate
of five to seven pounds for each
100 feet of row or from one to
two pounds of a mixture contain
ing equal parts of nitrate of soda
and cottonseed meal. This will give
good bearing plants for the next
spring.
Q. Is it more economical to sell
broody hens at this time of the
year than to break them of brood
iness? (
A.. The broody hens should be
sold by all means. The season of
high production is passing and
birds going broody at this time
usually lose a month in being brok
en of this and in getting back
into normal production. By this
time, most birds are about ready
to go into a molt and thus be
come unprofitable. It is also true
that, if the broody factor is, domin
ant, one spell will usually be fol
lowed by another and the birds
will be out of production the great
er part of the time.
Area Fishing Streams
To Be Open May 18
The old adage, "All good things
come to him who waits," 'has a
most timely application when ap
plied to the Game Refuges On the
Nantahala National Forest, being
managed cooperatively by the
United States Forest Service and
the North Carolina Department of
Conservation and Development.
Two years ago these areas were
placed under management as a re
sult of a general public desire and
need for such work. The work
started from scratch. Deer were
stocked, turkey were stocked, trout
were stocked. The enthusiasm of
the public , for these game areas
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wavered in some places, in others
it remained staunch.
And now comes the p'ay-of f to
John Q. Public who has waited pa
tiently to see these areas again re
open to fishing. The areas all of
them Wayah, Standing Indian, and
Fires Creek, will be open to fish
ing this summer. It will be regulat
ed fishing of the 60,000 trout plant
ed in the game refuge streams.
Standing Indian and Fires. Creek
will be open May 18, 19, and 20
during the . first period. And may
all fishermen by they experts or
novices have the kind of luck that
produces evidence to back the in
evitable fish story!
Many Improvements
Made At Cashiers
Last year the new highway went
through Cashiers changing the
course of the road and going by
some peoples' front doors and
some back doors, sometimes nec
essitating moving houses. The re
sult was a scar on the face of
Cashiers, and many unsightly spots
were brought to light.
The people of Cashiers hated to
have visitors see their town look
ing so ugly, so decided to do
something about it. They had a
community meeting in the school
house to decide what to do. A
"working" was planned to which
about 50 people came. There were
six trucks working all day taking
the trash, ; old car wrecks, etc.,
out of town. The women provided
such a good dinner that everyone
was asking when the next "work
ing" would be.
In the Spring they had another,
meeting at which the moving pic
tures of the first "working" were
shown, followed in a few days by
another "working" when laurel, ivy
and other native shrubs were put
in along the road. Not only this,
but nearly everyone fixed up their
own places.
Many visitors who were here last
summer have since come back
and have remarked on the many
improvements. However, the people
of Cashiers have not finished yet
they intend to make their town
the prettiest on Highway 106.
Communications
MR. HILL URGES
DOG TAX COLLECTION
Horse Cove, May 15, 1939.
Editor of The Franklin Press :
.1 wish through The Press, to
entr a complaint as to the man
ner in which the present tax on
dogs in Macon county , is enforced.
It seems that it is optional with
dog owners as to whether they pay
the 50 cents per head tax or not.
It seems to me that it is the
duty of those whose job it is to
enforce the law, to see to it that
the law is enforced.
In my neighborhood, and I
presume it is the same in all sec
tions of the county, there has never
been an effort to collect this . tax,
and the result is we are overrun
with dogs, of both sexes, that are
a menace to the stock and even
to the people.
I see that Cherokee county is
making a valiant effort to enforce
this law, and I think it is high
time Macon county officers should
get 4usy and see to it that the
law is upheld or relegate it to the
dead letter office where so many
North Carolina laws have gone be
fore. Respectfully yours,
Frank H. Hill ,
BUSINESS