CLEANUP
Paint Up Your Home
Plant and Beautify
Your Garden
HELP
To Make Your Town
Clean, Healthy and
Beautiful
4
PROGRESSIVE - LIBERAL V- -- INDEPENDENT
VOL. LVI, NO. 16
FRANKLIN, N. C. THURSDAY, APRIL 17, 1941
$1.50 PER YEAR
SCHOOL FINALS
BEGINAPRIL 27
Commencement Day April
30th Mr. Finley An
nounces Awards
Grand Jury
Student Council Officers
Rowdy Mob
CIVIL COURT
BEGINS TODAY
Criminal Cases Disposed
Of, Judge Felix Alley
Presides V
I I .1 " ' ' ' ' . .mil. hi,,, ,
Reports To Judge Alley
Attacks Negroes Here
On County Buildings
Saturday Night
Commencement day for the
. Franklin high school has been set
for Wednesday, April. 30, with ex
ercises beginning Sunday, April 27.
Dr. J. L. Stokes li, pastor of the
I'rankliin Methodist church, will
preach the bacchalaureate .sermon
at a service to be held in the
Macon theatre on the evening of
. that day.
The graduating exercises will take
place in the auditorium of the
,. high school on Wednesday evening
at 8 o'clock.
W. H. Finley, principatThas an
nounced the following awards
which will be made at their gradu
ation to "seniors who have done
outstanding work in certain fields:
. John Wasilik, valedictorian, in
' science; Mary Evelyn Angel,
journalism; Conley Bradley, citi
zenship; Kenneth Bryant, intthe
matics; . R,- L. Crawford, agricul
ture; Helen Potts Higdon, most
outstanding; T. L. Jamison, com
mercial; Claude Leatherman, athle-j
tics; William Ledford, History;
Evelyn Moore, attendance; Andy
Fatton, English; Jennie Scott, ec
onomics, Richard Sloan, dramatics.
The class will and testament has
been written by Mary Evelyn
Angel and Katherine Long, salu
tatorian; and the class prophecy
bv Andy Patton and John . Wasi-
' hie.
New Bank
Building Going Forward;
Excavations Made
I j Excavations with .steam shovels
lor live O'dim uuuumg
adjoining building of Messrs. '
Harve Bryant and Lyman Higdon J
have gone forward rapidly during (
&r the oast week. A 10 toot-deep case
ment 18 by 83 feet has been ex-j
cavated in the rear,, and W. T,
Tippett superintending the work, '
states that the foundations will be-'
. ... i e .t I
gin to -be laid next weeic ior me
building which has outside dimen-
sions of 83 by 93 feet.
The building was destroyed by
-.. . i.fire on November 10 last. All of
lT-" ' " h old foundations are being re
moved, and a two-story, ' modern
brick building of Attractive design
will replace it. S. Grant Alex
ander and Associates of Asheville
are the architects.
Farm Debt
Adjustment Committee Is
. Appointed For Macon
On April 14, 1941 Mr. H. M.
Guyot, farm debt adjustment spe
cialist, met with the newly ap
pointed FDA committee, composed
of Harley R. Cabe. Frank Moody
and J. B, Justiice. This committee
has been appointed for the pur
pose of working with the creditor
amd debtor for the adjusting of
any debts that might be necessary
between delinquent debtors and
their creditors.
Since 1936 30 of these cases have
bcn adjusted in Macon county,
with the original indebtedness
amounting to $67,743.00 and the re
duction obtained in these cases
amounted to $34,135.00, paying to
the county $1,468.00 in taxes. Eleven
new cases have been opened and
adjusted that do not appear in
thes figures.'
This committee will appreciate
any debtor that has burdensome
dbts that he feels are impossible
to be paid, to contact some mem
ber of the committee or sortie
agent of farm security administra
tion at the farm security ottice in
i the Leach
. It is not
,1 committee
L'rom meetir
1 fions, but
the Leach building n Franklin.
not the purpose ot mis
ee to helo keen debtors
meeting their honest obliga-
they will be glad to
help in any case necessary to werk
out adjustment both with the d rot
or ', and creditor whereby both
might be benefited.
Pre-School Clinics
Schedule For May
The following schedule of coun
ty pre-school clinics is announced
by Dr. E. N. Haller, health officer,
for the month of May:
May 1 Aquone 10 a. m.; Kyle
1 1 :30 a. m. ; Otter Creek 1 p. m. ;
Camp Branch 2 :30 p. m. 1
May 6 Clarks Chapel 10 a. m.
May 8 Ml Grove 10 a. m.
Academy 1 p. m.
May 9 Slagle 10 i ta; Union
1 n. m.
The cliniet will be held in. the
school house I of these communities.
The Macon county grand jury,
composed of J. Ned league, chair
man, and D. C. Rogers, Joel Dal-
ton, D. A. Lcdford, Clyde Downs,
Tom Rickman, J. E. Bradley, Don
L. Henry, J. L. Bryson, Floyd Bry
son, Floyd McCall Fred L. Crisp,
C. B. Kinsland, J. E. Taylor,
Floyd Jacobs, M. A. Hicks, H. H.
Cole, Tom Moss, AV. L. Ramsey,
made the following report to Judge
Felix E. Alley, presiding at the
present term of Superior court.
We, the grand jury of the afore
said county for April term, 1941,
most respectfully report the follow
ing:
We' have passed on all bills be
fore us and have marked them true
bills or not true 'bills according
to, the evidence.
We divided into committees and
visited the county home, court
house, jail and prison camp, and
make our report as follows:
: We find the county home in
fair condition, and would recom
mend that the front porches have
new sills and other repairs to. make
them safe, also the upper front
porch cleaned up. The bedrooms
need window shades and three
new springs. The outside toilet
needs one door., And maple trees
in front of house be topped.
All six inmates reported good
treatment by manager. While we
were on the ground we saw One
inmate one Kansas Robbins whip
another inmate, an old woman,
without any cause and believing
one Kansas Robbins is dangerous
to other " inmates. Would recom
mend she be sent to some other
institution in the state, which is
better prepared to care for her.
The school building of the Frank
lin high school we find in good
'shape, with exceptions of a few
broken window glasses, and out
side doors in bad condition.' We
find other school buildings of. the
county in fair condition by in
formation of county superinten
dent We find county jail in fair con
dition, and prisoners well cared
for.
We find the courthouse in fair
condition. And all offices found
in very good condition. The guar
dians, ' trustees and magistrates
have made satisfactory report to
county clerk, so reports county
clerk. .
The prison camp we find in A-l
condition.
We appreciate the support and
corporation extended us by your
Honor and Solicitor.
April 16th, 1941.
Signed J. Ned Teague,
Foreman.
Funeral Services
For J. W. Morgan
Funeral services for Joseph Wash
ington Morgan, 75, were held at
the Watauga Baptist church Sun
day afternoon. The Rev. Joseph
Bishop, a Baptist minister of Ma
con county, officiated. Interment
was in the church cemetery.
Mr. Morgan died at hU home on
Watauga Saturday morning at 6 :30
o'clock following an illness of sev
eral months. Death was due to
Bright's disease and complications.
A farmer and at life-long resi
dent of Macon, Mr. Morgan was
born on October 8, 1865, the son of
th late George and Adelaide Mor
gan. On April 24, 1890, he was
married to Miss Emily Caroline
Childers, of this county. He was
a member pf Watauga Baptist
church. ,
Pallbearers were Wallace Mor
gan, William Childers, Harold
Morgan, Earl Emory, Burr Child
ers and Lee Crawford.
Honorary pallbearers included
Bert Hughes, the Rev. George
Cloer, J. B. Justice, Jess Morgan,
Frank- Bailey, Montey Duvall and
Thomas Sanders.
The flower girlj were Edith
Raby, Hazel Morgan, Anna Lou
Sanders and Hazel Childers.
Surviving are the widow, seven
50ns, Charlie, of Philadelphia; Jud,
Claude, Davis, and John Franklin,
route 4; George, of Carlton, Mich.,
and Marion, Newark, N. J.; two
sisters, Mrs. James Elliott and Mrs.
Silas Womack, of Franklin, and a
number of grandchildren.
Defense Council
To Meet April 21
Gus Leach, chairman of the Na
tional Defense Council of Macon
county, has called a meeting of
all representatives of federal state
and county organizations, Monday,
April 21, at 9:30 a. m, in the
basement of the Methodist church.
A member of the Land Use Plan
ning staff of State college wiH as
sist with important problems. The
meeting will discuss work that has
been done to date and make im
mediate plans for further activities.
:A . . C
' ; t
Rising seniors of Franklin High School recently elected officers of
next jean's Student Council. Standing: Hunter Anderson, secretary;
Barbara Hurst, treasurer. Seated: Sam Ramsey, vice-president ;
x Helen Edwards, president.
Chamber of Commerce
Drive For Funds
The Board of Directors of the
Chamber of Commerce will . begin
their membership drive on Friday,
April 18: The following men will
solicit memberships: Tom Angel,
Jim Perry, John Archer, Guy
Houk, Major Carmack, Tillery
Love, Jess Conley.
W, H. Finley
Reappointed Principal
, The new school board met last
Monday afternoon to take steps
toward, the appointment of the
teachers for the coming year.
There are three district commit
ties in the county as follows:
Franklin committee, Dr. W. E,
Furr, chairman; Jerry R. Franklin,
Route 4 ; C. Patterson, Route 2.
Highlands, Charles Anderson,
chairman ; Frank H. Potts, Walter
Bryson. t
Nantahala, J. R. Shields, chair
man John' Wishoh and Mrs. B.
Baldwin. ' . .
W. H. Finley has been reap
pointed principal of the Franklin
high school by the Franklin dis
trict committee.
The teachers are nominated by
the principals to their respective
district committees and then sub
mitted to the board and the sup
erintendent, all of whom must ap
prove the teachers' names.
Mr. and Mrs. Lyle
Open Trimont Inn
Trimont Inn has opened for the
season under the management of
the owners, Mr. and Mrs. Harley
Lyle. For the last two months ex
tensive improvements have been
added to both interior and ex
terior. In its convenient location
and large grounds, Trimont has
now been made one of the most
comfortable and attractive hotels
in this vicinity.
The large stucco building and
porches have been repainted, and
the floors and walls inside also
ref inished. Handsome papering and
new furnishings in the lobby have
made a modern room of unusual
charm. Additional baths and furn
ishings have completed improve
ments made last year. .The inn
has accomodations ior 30 to 40
guests.
Easter Fishing
Reported Good .
Some early fishermen are in
debted to The Franklin Press and
Highlands Maconian for their
Saturday angling. The opening date
announced by J. Fred Bryson,
game warden, was April 13, and
the date printed was. that of East
er eve instead of Easter April
12. This clears Warden Bryson
and, according to Mr. Bryson, al
so exempts any Saturday sports
men from fines.
Fishing was reported good over
the week-end. From Aquone it was
stated that most of the fishermen
went away with their full limit.
Cowee School
Rhythm Band
: The recently organized rhythm
band of the Cowee school has al
ready given performances for sev
eral gatherings and : is receiving
invitations to play at other meet
ings during the Spring.
This is the only school orchestra
in the county.,' The pupils earned
the . money to purchase their in
struments during the past winter
and organized the first , of the
year. They have 'shown unusual
aptitude in so short a time. They
gae a special program for the
recent meeting of farmers at the
Cowee school. They also played at
the teachres' meeting of the Ma
con county unit. of N. C. E. A.
The, following pupils are members
of the band:
Roberta Mathis, Dorothy Allen,
Louise Shepherd,' Ruth Shepherd,
Helen Shepherd, lxro Alice Cabe,
Clara May Shepherd. Dorothy
Leatherman, Ruth Bryson, Pauline
Allen, Barbara Allen, Agnes Dal
ton, Frieda Potts, Ada Ruth West,
Joan Potts, Caye Sue Clarke, Bet
tie Moore, Lorean Shepherd, Nell
Allen Ionise Moore, I.uaniie Gib
son, Louise Bryson, Bettie Jean
Rowland, Betty Bryson, Bettie
Leatherman, May Sue Jones, Zena
Pearl Rickman, Ruth Edwards,
Sybil Potts; Edith Hurst.
Edith Hurst.
Fred West, Paul Holand, Bryan
Hurst, Edward Allen, Eugene Pick
ens, Roy Rickman.
Mrs. Kinsland
Dies In Watauga
Mrs. Margaret Elizabeth. Kins
land, 70, died at her home on
Franklin Route 4, on Wednesday
afternoon at 2 o'clock following
an illness of five days, although
she had been a semi-invalid for
several year.s. Death was caused
from paralysis.
Mrs. Kinsland, . who was the
daughter of the late William W.
and Jane Moore Higdon, was born
on June 16, 1880 and raised in
the Higdonville section of Macon
county. She was married to the
hue Rev. John L. Kinsland on
January 16, 1895. She was a mem
ber of the Cartoogechaye Baptist
church.
Funeral services were held on
Thursday morning at 11 o'clock at
the Sugarfork Baptist church. The
pastor, the Rev. G. W. Davis, of
ficiated, assisted by ' the Rev. C.
F. Rogers, pastor of the Franklin
Baptist church. Burial was in the
church cemetery.
Surviving are four children, one
daughter, Mrs. Sanford Smith, of
Cullasaja; and three sons, Arthur,
of Otto; Roy and Paul of Frank
lin Route 4; four sisters, Mrs.
Walter Gibson, of Franklin Route
3; Mrs. Bertha McDowell, of Otto;
Xfr.s. W. F. Holbrooks, of Frank
lin Route 2; and Mrs. Carrie Van
hook, of Canton; one brother, L
A Higdon. of Franklin and eight
grandchiildren.
Pallbearers were Jack Guest,
Walter Cunningham, George Gib
son, J. D. Kinsland, Fred Guest,
Jr, and Curky r en n in ft on.
Last Saturday night an unruly
mob of. white boys, most of them,
it is reported, from out of town,
staged a mob demonstration 'against
all the negroes who happened to
be on Main street. The net re
suit' was that' every negro that
could be found was "run out of
town" after that purpose w.:w an-.
nounced by one hr more ot the
mob.
Ma,yor Depict Affair
Mayor Harrison, commenting on
the affair, deplored the fact that
this should have happened in
Franklin, where the best relations
exist between the two races. "A
gang of rowdies from out of town
caused the whole disturbance. The
two arrested -will be dealt with
in court, anil it is the purpose of
the authorities to apprehend the
ttthcrs and deal with them accord
ing to the law," said the mayor,
"'I he officers, 1 believe, held the
crowd in hand the best they could,
without resort to violence."
As reported by an eye witness,
the trouble began with an argu
ment near the court house be
tween some white boys and one or
.... - j -
two negroes. When the argument
became heated, John Dills, deputy
sheriff, and Marshall Officer,
night policeman, stopped the argu
ment and the negroes left.
Soon' after, it is said, that 15
or 20 white boys organized in
front of the Dixie Grill behind
the coirt house and went over to
Main street where a group of col
ored citizens were standing. The
gang told the negroes to leave
town, and followed them when
they expressed their willingness to
do so ; throwing rocks when the
colored men started . up Harrison
avenue. A window in a house is
reported to have been broken in
the rock fight that followed.
Mob Purahies Thne
When the white boys returned judge Alley Orders Vol
to Main street it appears that , Nrm-nir
they followed three negro employes
of the Franklin Terrace hotel as
they were returning from the show,
pursuing them as they hurried past
the filling station and Baptist
church. At this point, it is said,
one negro was knocked down by
being struck on the back of his
head, and another suffered an in
jured knee and lost a package of
new clothing, it was alleged.
The mob, that is reported to
have composed of about 30, threw
rocks at the fleeing negroes and
overran the lawn of the hotel be
fore returning to town. Weimar
Wikle, butcher in Long's grocery
store, was another victim, who was
run through the fields when . he
left his work at the store. Other
negroes chased managed to escape
to taxis which carried them out of
reach of their attackers.
Arrests Made
After this, it seems that the mob
returned to Main street and laid
wait for J. C. England, shoeshinc
boy at the City Barber shop,
where, it is reported, there was
excitement from 11 to midnight as
a crowd estimated as between 75
and 100 . people, " some spectators,
watted for the boy to come out
of the barber shop. The sheriff,
who had been called by a citizen
earlier to assist the town author
ieies, with Deputy Dills, and Po
licemen Baird and Officer and
special policeman Ralph Welch,
arrested two of the men, Harley
Houston and Howard Moses, of
the Walnut Creek section, for pub
lic drunkeness and disorderly con
duct.
Quarterly Conference
At Snow Hill Church
The second quarterly conference
was held Sunday at the Snow Hill
Methodist church, with an all day
session.
Following two new members
joining the church Sunday morn
ing, the Lord's Supper was admin
istered. The Rev. W. L. Hutchins, dis
trict superintendent of the Way- i
nesville district, gave the prin
oipal message of the day, "Now
is Christ Risen From the Dead."
Later the business session was
held. Rev. P. L. Green, pastor, as
sisted by Mrs. Green, was in
charge of the music and sang a
duet written by Mr. Green, en
titled "He Lives Again."
Special music was rendered.
Fire Chief Ashe
Attends Clayton Meet
Derald Ashe, chief, and other
members of the Franklin fire de-
partment, attended a meeting in
Clayton, Ga, Tuesday night to
organize a fire department in that
neighboring town. They report a
successful meeting, and that the
town of Clayton plans to order an
American Le France equipped fire
truck, ,
All criminal cases were disposed
of during the first three days of
court this week, and-'the civil dock
et was taken up Thursday '-morning.'
.It is expected tliat the court
will be in session until late next
week.
Judge Felix E. Alley is presiding.
As a result of their' participation
in ,the affray at York's Tourist
Camp on the Cowee mountain on
the night of December 11, Bill.
Welch was sentenced to 18 months,
Humphrey Welch was given 12
months, and Fred Welch and Frank
McCIoud were fined $100 each.
Mrs. Fred York and (i;reen Mc
CIoud were; found not guilty. The
Welches and McClouds are from
Georgia.
John Henry was given 12 months
.sentence for perjury.
A twelve months' sentence was
imposed on Ray Burrell for pos- .
session.
v ci iiuii ioEuiu was 11I1CU f-
I and the costs for reckless driving.
Vernon Roland was fined $50
The following were fined for
driving drunk and their licenses
were revoked: Grover Sheffield,
Wymer Young, C, W. Potts, Vin
son M. Southards, Ward Dough
erty and Aden Maples. ' ,
Charlie Burgess,' colored, who
last week was brought back from
Cornelia, Ga., . where he had been
working since escaping from the
Macon county jail on January 5,
plead guilty to a charge of re- '
ceiving stolen property. Prayer for
judgment , was continued until the
August term of court.
Cowee School
' The restraining order in con- '
nection with the proposed- new
Cowee school that was to have
come before Judge Felix E. Alley
in Murphy on April 1.0, was post
poned until Monday, April 14, to
be heard before Judge Alley in
Franklin.
The result was the dismissal as -upon
non-:snit by the judge of the
order npon the voluntary with
drawal by the plantiffs of the ac
tion. The temporary injunction was,
brought by a., group, of citizens of
the Cowee section against the
Board of Education, of Macon
county, listing certain objections
to the selected location of the
proposed consolidated school building-
: ,
Mattress Project '
Makes 200 A Week
The mattress project continues
to benefit a large number of Ma
con families of low income. The
project, which is located in the
Andrew Ried building near the
river bridge, is closed for the rest
of this week, Mrs. Florence Sher
rill announces, until the arrival of
a new shipment of ticking.
"We now have two mattress
centers in the county the other
being at Otter Creek", with Mrs.
C. H. Douthit as supervisor," said
Mrs. Sherrill this week. "An aver
age of 200 mattresses a week are
being made at both these centrs.
A change in the regulations allows
a family of three to make two
mattresses, a family of five or
more can make a limit of three
mattressG."
Applications will be received un
til April 30.
Registration
For Town Election Open
R. M. Ledford, registrant for the
coming town election, who began
t0 receive registrations in the town
office in the Ashear building last
Saturday, states that about "15 new
voters were registered, which,
though ligh, is about the usual
number for the first day. He ex
pects much heavier registartions
on the two remaining Saturdays,
April 19 and 26.
Interest in the election to be
held on Tuesday, May 6, of a
j mayor and six aldermen, is. warm
ing up, and the temperature is ex
pected to 'continue to rise until
the final day. Candidates for may
or are the incumbent, John Har-
, rison ; Thad D. Bryson, attorney.
( and Robert A. Patton, U. S. com-
missioner.
No additional information was
( available concerning the proposed
street improvements, upon which
voters will be asked to express
their wishes as to whether or not
a bond election be called.