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VOL. LVII, NO. 3
WAR PICTURE
ONALLFRONTS
Ship Torpedoed Off Mon-
taiuk; Nelson Chief Of
Production
WASHINGTON
Donald M. Nelson, former mail
order house executive, . was ap
pointed by President on .Tuesday
to be generalissimo of America's
war production program.
! "The best way to get this night
: mare over is to double the defense
program and shoot the works,"
jl says Don Nelson, who used to buy
everything advertised in Sears-
Koeibuck catalogue.
Sumner Wells will represent the
U. S. at the Pan American con
ference ore the World War begin
ning in the Brazilian capital
Thursday.
, U-BOAT SINKS SHIP
OFF MONTAUK POINT
The tanker Normess from Pana
ma was torpedoed and sunk off
the east coast on Wednesday, 60
miles south of Momtauk Point. Sur- j
vivors are being brought in but
the loss erf life is .not yet known.1
Warnings have gone out of sub'
marines close to the Atlantic and
Pacific shores.
FAR EAST J
, Gem. McArthur still holds out
after 40 days of seige, under heavy
Japanese renewed attacks, which
have been beaten off, inflicting
; heavy losses. He reports that the
- Asm ruttilpcc trpQtmpnt rvf rivi
i.Iians in Manila are 'being practsed
; as the Nazis use in conquered
cities.
j Admiral Hart, allied naval com-
mander-in-chief, has arrived in the
Dutch East Indes, with the U. S.
Pacific fleet m" tact, , only one
I small vessel lost, the navy an-
i nounces.
A shorter British line has been
: established by the British at Jo
hore, 90 miles from Singapore,
where a battle is imminent.
.More air and land reinforce-:
, ments have reached the British in
f Burma. '
1 .; .'
(MOSCOW
' The Reds continue their advances
against the Nazis, 100,000 troops .
being menaced by new Soviet
gains. , j
Highlands And
Plan Paralysis Campaign
Macon's Quota Announced
By Mrs. F. H. Potts
To Be $195
Macon County's quota for th
Infantile Paralysis . Foundation
fund this, year has been set ; .at
$195, according to an announce
ment by Mrs. Frank H. Potts,
county chairman.
A. G. Cagle, chairman for Frank
- lin, states that plans are under
way to raise Franklin's sfhare of
this quota, with several parties and
other activities. A . Birthday' BaU
will be the leading feature of the
festivities and will -be given at
Panorama Court. The date will be
announced next week.
Miss Eva Potts, chairman for
the town of Highlands; announces
that the following entertainments
4iave been planned , to help raise
Highlands' share of this county
' quota : a moving picture show by
Highlands School Theatre; a keno
' party at the school lunch room,
. under the supervision of Mrs. H.
' P. P. Thompson, and Birthday
i Ball, under, the supervision of Miss
Sarah Thompson, fourth grade
school teacher.
Miss Potts also advises that Miss
Ethel Calloway and her fifth grade
students will have entire charge of
the sale of buttons here this year.
I and that coin containers will be
placed in business houses.
? Wace War On Defence '
' Since the' question may have
. arisen in the minds of many, in
. view of the fact that the nation
. is now at mar, as to whether we
, should hare Celebration of the
i President's Birthday, we are quot
; ing at length from i letter just
received by our county chairman
f from Keith Morgan, National
- Chairman of the Committee for the
I Celetratioa of the Preident'
PROGRESSIVE
Registration
Announced For Feb. 16 th
For Men 20 To 45
The Macon draft board has re
ceived notice that the 3rd regis
tration of selectees will be held
on February 16, for all men be
tween the ages ' of 20 and 45, who
have not previously registered.
The board will soon announce
the places of registration in the
county and-the names of the reg
istrars who will be in charge.
Sprinkler System Break
Damages Bank Building
A break in a T of the sprinkler
system in the Bank building last
Sunday afternoon caused the flood
ing of the bank and Sanders store,
and of the offices of Dr. W. A
Rogers and Jones and Jones. The
damage was covered by insurance.
v '
Cold Wave Hits Macon
With Zero Weather
The temperature . hit the lowest
for this season during the past
week. Saturday night many , ther
mometers registered below zero,
and hovered in that vicinity until
laite Sunday morning when the
mercury began to rise. A light
1 en that fell FriHav roVht in
Franklin disappeared; the flext
morning.
' -
TOMPKINS REMOVING
TO NEW YORK
The many friends of Mr. , and
Mrs. Joel Tompkins will regret Uo
learn that Mr. Tomokins has been
transferred from this, territory
where he has been an engineer on
the staff of (he Nantahala Power
and Light company for the past
four years.. He has been assigned
to a defense project of the Alum
inum Company of America that is
being constructed at Messina, New
York.
Mr. and Mrs. Tompkins and lit
tle son, 'Tommy", will leave next
week for their new home.
N.GE.A.
A meeting of the- Macon county
unit of the N. C. E. A. has been
changed due to the tire situation.
Instead there will be a brief meet
ing Saturday, January 17. Accord
ing to the president of the unit,
Mrs. Jessie B. Horsley. Two goals
set tor tms year are roe adoption
of , a constitution and a code of
ethics. Committees headed by O.
F. Summer and E, G. Crawford
are busy on these two aims. All
committee chairmen will report to
the group.
The social committee is making
plans for the annual banquet,
The present membership in this
county is 91.
Franklin
Birthday. Mr. Morgan said:
"The President has authorized
me to tell you that unquestionably ,
the great work of the great health
agencies of the country MUST go
or as a part of our total national
war effort. The war on the home
front against disease is vitally im
portant. "ilt is all-important that the fight
against Infantile Paralysis not only
be carried on, but greatly inten
sified. The epidemics last .sum
mer were serious. In several of
the states where army camps were
located, the approach of these epi
demics in the nearby villages was
watched with great trepidation by
the medical and military officials
of those camps. Had the virus of
Infarrtile Paralysis ever gotten into
them, there is no telling what
might have happened. The National
Foundation for Infantile Paralysis
did heroic work in these heavy
epidemic areas.
The President feels there is no
reason to call off public gatherings
like these because rhe best way
we can produce an all-out war ef
fort is by all of us keepin-y
heads and not giving way ti "
founded hysterica! emotion." J" ,
A full schedule of events in "cel
ebration of the President's birthday
and activities to raise fun 4 for
the Infantile Paralysis campaign
will be announced in next week's
paper by the chairmen. Please
watch for. them.
Refunds Made
On Mattress Project
The mattress project has been
forced to discontinue work because
all cotton is now being used to
make ammunition and other de-
fense products. Mrs. Florence Sher(
rill, home agent, requests all rhosfl
who have made deposits to call at
her office in the Agricultural build- J
ing to receive iheir refund
LIBERAL
FRANKLIN, N. C. THURSDAY,
VICTORY BOOK
DRIVE IS BEGUN
J. E. S. Thorpe Chairman
Of Book. Campaign For
Men In Service
On Monday, January 12, a Vic
tory .Book Campaign was, started
in every part of the United States.
The purpose of this national move
is to collect gifts of books for our
soldiers and sailors and marines
in forts, camps, posts, stations and
on ships all over , the world.
The rapid increase of our armed
forces requires that the regular
library . services of the Army and
Navy be greatly and quickly aug
mented. Reading matter and text
books will be furnished to U.S.O.
houses and for the American Mer
chant Marine Library Association.
All Asked To Share
J, E.' S. Thorpe is Chairman for
Macon county, and he requested
that collections of books be begun
by individuals and organizations
who will want to tiave a share in'
this library service to our men in
the armed forces of the nation at
war. On the last page of this paper
will be found information concerns
lag the kind of books needed, and
Mr. Thorpe's special appeal to all
groups of citizens to take part in
the national Victory Book Cam
paign.
"Our boys want books, and we
will see that they get them", is
the spirit of the folks back home
Mr. Thorpe will send for books
if notified, and he ' requests that
deliveries be made at the office of
Guy L. Houk, superintendent of
schools, in the court house.
Mr. and Mrs. Dills
Celebrate 65th Wedding
Anniversary
The 65th anniversary of Mr. and
Mrs. Vance Dills, of upper Car
toogechaye will be celebrated by
them with a family dinner or Jan
uary 17.
Mrs. Dills at 85 is well and ac
tive, still doing her own house
work, and Mr. Dills, 84, looking
fully ten years younger, paid a
visit to the Franklin Press on
Monday, and attested to his good
health and active, out door life.
Mr, Dills said he had seen four
wars, remembering the War Be
tween the States as a child, when
he saw his parents and their neigh
bors bury the "corn and meat in
the side of a hill to hide it from
marauding Northern soldiers. He
volunteered to go ,to the Philip
pines in a company that was be
ing formed in ' Macon county by
Frank Ray, Sr., "but"' he said,
"it was all over with before we
had to go."
Both Mr. and Mrs. Dills are
natives of Macon county, Mrs, Dills
being the daughter of the late Mr,
and Mrs. Wesley Nichols of upper
Cartrmcrhav Thpv kavj IivaH in
the same house for 58 years, and
have brought up a family of seven ,
children. Their oldest child, a sor
and youngest, a daughter, are de-
ceased
The" children are Mrs. Fanny
Binghah, Mrs. Ramsey Patton,
Mrs. Edward Cruse, Mrs. Walter
J. Kenny, Mrs. Texie Beck, Arthur
and Allen Dills. There are 64
grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren,
and two great-great-grandchildren.
One grandson, Kenneth
Cruse, has: been in the Army for
more than a year and others are
expecting to go soon. One son,
Arthur, is not married and lives
with his parents. The entire fam
ily is expected at the dinner in
celebration of the 65th anniversary
of this couple, an event that is
rare in family history, as is the
record of 139 dependents. To few
couples is given so many years to
gether, and blessed with such ' a
large number of offspring. Their
many friends send congratulation
Garments Shipped
Macon Red Cr-
The producti'
County R.
to annp
follow!
Ten
sweats
x.
W
INDEPENDENT
JANUARY 15, 142
Dies Suddenly
M. D. Billings, prominent citizen
and educator, passed at his home
last Friday afternoon.
MR. BILLINGS
DIES SUDDENLY
Prominent Banker And
Educator .Succombs
To Heart Attack
Marcus Devereux ; Billings, 65,
one of Macon county's best known
and most prominent citizens, died
suddenly at his home on Friday
afternoon, January 9, at five o'clock
He had just driven home in his
car, accompanied by Mrs, Paul
Grist, when he was stricken by a
heart attack and died instantly.
His sudden passing was a shock
to his friends throughout : the
county, as he appeared to be in
good health and had talked to a
number of people on. the street
during the morning hours. He an
nounced himself as a candidate
for the Legislature a few months
ago.
A large crowd attended the fu
neral services on Sunday afternoon
at 2 p: m." at the Methodist Church
of which the deceased was a mem
ber. .The pastor, Rev. J. L. Stokt
II, assisted by Rev. C. F. Rogers,
Rev. A. R. Morgan, Rev.. Hubert
Wardlaw and Rev. George W.
Davis, officiated. Burial was in the
Franklin cemetery.
Pallbearers . were M. L. Dcuwdle,
Henry W. Cabe, Gilmer A. Jones,
Dr. Edgar Angel, W. T. Tippett,
Dr, W. A. Rogers, A. B. Slagle
and Robert A. Patton.
Honorary pallbearers were James
Dryman, C." F, Moody, F. T. Smith,,
John E. Rickman, John O. Harri
son, Grover Jamison, Sr., T. W.
Angel, E. W. Long, Ben McCol
lum, James J. Mann, Lawrence B.
Liner, George Dean, Grover Jami
son, Jr., W. C. Wilkes, Jim Willis,
Jdhn Tallent, C. S. Tilley, Lee
Tippett, Fred Willis, Carl S. Slagle
and J. S. Conley. . .
At the time of his death Mr.
Billings was vice-president and di
rector of the Bank of Franklin
and a member of the board of
aldermen. He had also served as
Mayor. He came to Franklin from
Tennessee in 1899 as a teacher,
'h,c f0? marrying Miss Kate
Cark,c ?f T!"""!"'. wb die? P"
iarcn J' f?e surv.vea oy
one brother, William, of Kmgston
Tenn., and a number of nieces and
??P- .Mr C .
Garner of Atlanta, nieces of Mrs.
Billings, and Mr. Garner, attended
the funeral
Developed Macon Schools
Talented as a financier, Mr. Bil
lings was by nature an educator
and scholar, and his books were
his hobby.
' His life-long major, interest was
the development of the schvj. sys
tem of Macon ' county,
During the first 20 years o.
supenn tendency, the value
school prqj;y in the
i the cn
creased fj
the high
from
top
33.
f
I
' , ' ' "XL;
' " 4. -
iimii II- I II. irr - I- 1 1 ..!..:.
jT m r j
r
s
r
i
Chamber Of
To Meet
Red Cross
War Relief Contributions
Acknowledged ,
The chairmerj of the local or
ganization for war relief are go
ing forward toward our $1,500 quota
for War Relief Red Cross Fund.
The total deposits as to date $518.-
42. This does not include Highlands
contributioas. Also there are other
committees who have not reported,
but it is estimated that if all the
reports were in we would be well
over the half-way mark. The fol
lowing are some of the Contribu
tors, others will be posted next
week:
Nantahala Power and Light com
pany and employees $70.25; Pat
ton's Methodist Sunday School
$3.50; Sti Agnes Episcopal Sunday
School $2.; Mrs. Neil Johnson $5;
Mrs. Elinor C. West $5; H. D.
West $5 ; Franklin Garderj and
Flower Club $25; W. C. Burrell
and Employees $50.50; Catherine
F. Henry $3; Harmony Community,
by Mrs. Weaver Gibson $4.35; Mrs.
Gordon Moore $5; Macon County
Chapter U. D. C. $5; Macon Coun
ty Theatre $5; Otto Community,
by Mrs. Parrish $9.95; T. W. Por
ter $2; Mrs. M. L. Dowdle $5;
Rev. A. R. Morgan $2; J. W, Ad
dington $2; W. E. Hunnicutt $2;
Blanche Howard $5; Dr. Ed Angel
$5; Gladys Vinson $5; St. Agnes
Woman s Auxiliary $5 ; Andrew
Ray, Colored Community $5; The
Franklin. Press $5; Mr. and Mrs.
Frank Flemming $2.
The, following made $1 contribu
tions : ..'
E. J. Whitmire, Mrs. W. J. Wil-
kie, , Dr. H. T. Horsley, Mrs; Chas.
Stiles, Mrs. L. P. Compton, M. D.
Billings, Grace Wilkes, Bill Hall,
Geo. Dalrymple, Mrs. Florence
Sherrill, Mrs. Grover Jamison, Lee
Poindexter. Ras Penland, Harold
Sloan, Mrs, Theo. Siler, Mrs. Geo.
Jones, John Dills, Mrs. George
Sloan, Mrs. R. B. Dean, Mrs.
Herman Dean, W. T. Wright, G.
W. Burch, E. Howard, J. E. Jen
nings, H. W. Cabe, Lawrence Liner,
Mrs. W. M. Dills, Miss Shuford,
Mrs. W. H. Sellers, N. Poliakoff,
Mrs. J. J. Angel, Mrs. C. D. Baird,
Mr., McCoy, J. F. Browning, Mrs.
Mac Franks, Russell Cabe, Bill
Sloan.
James Hauser
Receives High Award At
Scouters Convention ,
James L. Hauser, scoutmaster of
the Franklin troop, was presented
with the silver beaver award at
the Scouters Convention of the
Daniel Boone Council held in
Asheville last Monday night.
These awards are made each
year by fhe council to scout . lead
ers who have outstanding records
of service. J. N.. Arthur of Ashe
ville also received the award. W.
A. Dobson of Atlanta, executive
having supervision of Scout activit
ies in the Carolicas, Georgia and
Florida, made the principal address.
Those attending the Convention
and banquet from Franklin were
Mr. and Mrs. J. S. Conley, Rev.
and Mrs. J. L. Stokes and Rev,
A. R. Morgan. Mr. Conley was ap
pointed to serve for the comi
year on the council's finance
mittee.
The annual report of th
cil showed 82 courts of hon
held during the year, inctudiii
for negro Scouts, 54 per cent t-i
the scof,trin the council on Drf
aeaJQU. iid cl
r
f
tiive the gift that slgnU
fies America is hot to bt
caught napping.
DEFENSE
BONDS
STAMPS
$1.50 PER YEAR
Commerce
Tuesday Night
Fontana Transportation;
Franklin Housing To
Be Discussed
Ben Woodruff,' president of the
Franklin Chamber of Commerce,
has called a special meeting of the
membership of the Franklin Cham
ber of Commerce and all interested
citizens at the court house on
Tuesday evening at 7 :30 o'clock.
Much local interest has develop
ed in the prospect of securing a
number of new residents for
Franklin who will come to this
section in connection with t'he Fon
tana dam project just across the
line in Swain county. Tt has been
learned that Bfyson City cannot
begin to accommodate fhe families
who will move into this section.
The chamber of commerce of
BrysoTi City and Sylva have al
ready taken active steps to pro
vide transportation and housing.
The Franklin organization will con
sider t'he same problems at the
meeting next Tuesday. It has been
noted that there are a number of
vacant' houses and apartments in
Franklin, at the present time, and
that the chamber of commerce is
the medium' which should be pre
pared to furnis'h information for
the benefit of newcomers and for
the advantage of business interests.
Bus Servic
Charles Melichar, president of
the Rotary club, reported to the
club at luncheon on Wednesday
that he had written to the Smoky
Mountains Stages for information
in regard to a regular bus line
between Franklin and the dam, but
that he -had not yet received a
reply. :
It was learned yesterday that
there are local people interested
in (, establishing transportation serv
ice for employees living in this
vicinity.
. Board Of Directors To Meet
The board of directors will meet
after the general meeting to con
sider the regisnation of the board's
president, Ben Woodruff, who is
moving to Charlotte the last of
the month, and for the appoint
ment of his successor.
Patriotic Rally
For W.N.C In Asheville
With Distinguished
Speakers, Jan 16
An invitation has been extended
to all of Western North Carolina
to attend a big patriotic rally to
be held in the City Auditorium in
Asheville on Friday evening, Janu
ary 16. The gathering is sponsored
and is being arranged by the Ashe
ville Chamber of Commerce, assist
ed by the American Legion, in an
effort to arouse in this section a
deeper appreciation of the supreme
gravity of the situation of our
country, and to strengthen the con
certed effort of the entire ctiizen
ship towards winning the war.
DittinguUiied Speakers
"What can I do in Civilian De
fense ?" is the subject of an ad
dress by Theodore Johnson, State
Director of Civilian Defense, and
former Governor Clyde R Hoey,
will also deliver an address.
The program will begin at 7
p. m. with band music and choir
sinuier, directed by J. Francis
Don Elias. president of
commerce, vice-
Citizen-Times
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