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VOL. LS.I? NO. 20
FRANKMN, N. C., TIII'RSDAY, MAY 16, 1946
S2.00 PEK VKAK
TEXTILE PLANT HERE GIVEN O. K.
Town Board Election held
Invalid; Bond Attorneys
Cite Lega; Technicality
Jarretts Give
Baptists Here
$5,000 Check
A $5,000 check to be used to
ward the construction of a
SUnday school annex was pre
sented to the First Baptist
church here by Mr. and Mrs.
R. F. Jarrett, of Dillsboro, at
last Sunday morning's home
coming service at the church.
The gift brings to $8,000 the
fund the church has on hand
for the improvements, an ano
nymous donor having presented
the church with $3,000 recently.
Mr. and Mrs. Jarrett were
honor guests at the service, and
Mr. Jarrett, who presided, told
the congregation he loved the
church here more than any
other. He organized the church's
Sunday school 61 years ago, and
he recalled that it was the first
in Macon County. Since that
time, it was pointed out, the
Sunday school enrollment has
increased 3,000 per cent. The
Sunday school attendance last
Sunday totaled 379.
Dr. Hoyt Blackwell, president
of Mars Hill college, introduced
by Mr. Jarrett, was the chief
speaker at the 11 o'clock serv
ice, and Dr. H. T. Hunter, pres
ident of Western Carolina
Teachers college, addressed the
Men's class of the Sunday
school.
Accompanying Mr. and Mrs.
Jarrett to Franklin for the
services were three sons and
their wives.
Do You
Remember . . . ?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Press)
50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
An intelligent citizen stated
to us that for thirty years past
he had been attending the
courts of Macon county and
has been .-connected with the
public business of the county
moie or less all the time, but
ho witnessed one thing last
Thursday that he never saw be
fore, and don't believe anyone
ever saw, and that was the
wnole day passed and not a
single gray-haired citizen of
Macon was seen within the bar,
except jurors or witnesses.
At 9:30 o'clock Saturday
morning a telegram was receiv
ed. here to send Drs. Lyle and
Fouts with all possible haste to
Corundum Hill as Mrs. Brown
Jolly had swallowed strychnine
through mistake. Dr. Lyle was
sent, and Dr. Fouts was get
ting into his buggy at the Drug
store when a second telegram
was received only a few min
utes later than the first that
She was dead.
25 YEARS AGO
The County SUmmer school
for Macon county will be ton
ducted at the courthouse, be
ginning June 13, and closing
July 22.
10 YEARS AGO
Macon Democrats voting In
the June 6 primary will have
the shortest county ticket to
mark that they have seen since
the days when the party chose
Its nominees in convention.
HIGHLANDS: The Highlands
baseball team, which has won
two out of three recent games
played, Is proud of Its batting
average. Two members of the
team. Hopper and Reese, have
a\erages of 500 or better, and
the average for the team as a
whole Is 347.
An average peacetime use of
gasoline per car In the United
States has doubled since 1930.
The Weather
High Low Prec. !
Thursday 71 34 .00
Friday T5 40 .00
Saturday ......... 72 60 .30
Sunday 75 55 .08
Monday ...... .75 45 .00
Tuesday 75 60 .46
Wednesday 74 03 .27
(Precipitation listed in each
case is up to 6 p. m. on the
date shown, i
Rainfall for the week, 1.11
inches; for the month, to date,
4.09; for the year, to date, 29.30.
V. F. W. WILL BE
ORGANIZED HERE
L'ccal Post Of Overseas
Veterans To Be Given
Charter Friday *
A Macon County post of the
Veterans of Foreign Wars will
be instituted at a meeting at
the courthouse at 7:30 p. m.
Friday of this week.
The organization already has
approximately 30 members, it
was announced, and the local
post's charter will be present
ed at Friday evening's meeting
by J. D. Cole, district command
er of the V. F, W., who will
preside.
Officers for the coming year
will be elected.
All Macon County overseas
veterans, as well as those who
already have joined the post
here, are invited to attend- this
initial meeting, it was announc
ed.
Zickgraf
Firm Resumes Sawing;
Men Back At Wcrk
The Zickgraf Hardwood com
pany, hit by fire April 21, last
Friday started sawing again,
using the circular saw obtained ]
from government surplus.
Most of the men who had had
to be laid off were put" back to
work then, W. C. Zickgraf, head
of the firm said, while the
others who had been tempor- j
arily without employment re- J
turned to their jobs when the
mill, starting Monday night,
went on two-shift operation.
Part" of the new band mill,
to replace that destroyed in the
fire, has already arrived, he
said, adding that it is hoped
that the new mill can be in
operation within about 90 days.
Ray Grocery
Firm Purchases Calf For
Harley Moore Stewart
The Ray Grocery and Feed>
company is one of six Franklin'
firms which recently bought
registered Guernsey heifers to
be turned over to selected
Macon County farm boys. The
calf bought by the Ray com
pany was presented to Harley .
Moore Stewart.
The names of the Ray com
pany and of young Stewart
were inadvertently omitted from i
the list published in last week's I
Press. The error is regretted.
Earlier, nine other calves were
bought by business concerns
here, so that the total number
of calves in the hands of farm
boys now stands at 15.
Fagg Becomes Manager
Of Nantahala Creamery
Thomas H. Fagg, who his '
been assistant county farm
agent here for about seven
years (except fpr two years he
was In the army , has resigned j
his position with the Extension 1
service to accept the manager*
ship of the Nantahala creamery.
He already has taken up his
new duties,
New Ballot On $120,000
Issue Is Called
For June 25
Due to a technicality, Frank
lin voters will have to ballot
again in order to authorize is
sue of bonds for street improve
ments and extension of water
and sewer lines, and the board
of aldermen, at a called meet
ing Tuesday night, called a spe
cial ejection on the question
for Tuesday, June 25.
At an election last December I
11, the voters of the town ap
proved issuance of $80,000 in j
bdnds, but the aldermen, in
calling the new election, point
ed out that "the bond attor
neys who have to pass upon
the legality of all bonds have
refused to approve bonds issued
under authority of last year's
election. They refused because
of a special act of the legisla
ture which requires that a ma
jority of the qualified voters
must vote in favor of the bonds,
instead of a majority ol uuji
voting. A majority of those vat-*
ing is all that is required under
the general law for alL other
towns and cities- in the state."
The , bond attorneys, it was
brought out, refused to hold
last December's election valid,
despite the fact that another
bond issue; voted since passage j
of the local law, in question, j
was approved by a mere major- j
ity of those voting, and the
bonds authorized at that elec
tion were sold; also in spite of
the fact that the North Caro
lina law specifies that any con- j
test of a bond election must be j
instituted within 30 days alter j
the election.
The board also announced i
that, since last December, there
has been much building in !
Franklin, and that it has been
tlooded with requests liom
home-owners for water and
sewer lines. "Since that jtime"
the aldermen's statement said,
"it also has been found neces
sary to put in additional water
mains to provide for the town's
growth, insofar as industries
are concerned".
? Thus, with a view to taking i
care of the needs of the town j
both now and in the near fu
ture, the board will submit a
$70,000 bond issue to the voters j
for water mains and $20,000 loi j
sewer lines. The original plan j'
called for issuance of $33,000
for water mains and mj.Uou
for sewer extensions. Thirty I
thousand dollars for street im
provementx is proposed, mak
ing a total of $120,000. Mem- ;
bers of the board expressed the
belief that, as of today, this
sum is required "to make the I
improvements absolutely neces
sary for the growth of the |t
town".
The original plan called for
issuance oi j34,0UU for street
improvements, plus a $9,000 is
sue authorized at an election
several years ago ? an election
also held by the bond attor
neys to be invalid. With assist
ance which it is now indicated
can be obtained from the State
Highway commission, members
of the board decided $30,000 is
sufficient lor the street work.
A new registration will be re
quired for the election next
month, and the registration
books have been ordered kept j
open daily, except Sundays and
holidays, from May 25 through
June 15. The books will be at !
the polling place, the court
house, on each Saturday during
that period. Saturday, June 22,
will be challenge day.
C. A. Setser has been appoint
ed registrar, and George Dal
rymple and John M. Moore,
judges.
NO CEILING ON MELONS
The anticipated bumper crop
In watermelons this year has
made It possible' for OPA to
suspend price ceiling on them
indefinitely.
MISS SYBIL POTTS
Valedictorian
MISS ANNIE Sl'E CONLEY
Salutatorian
SCHOOL FINALS
TO OPEN SUNDAY
Hardee To Give Sermon;
24 To Receive Diplomas
At Program Friday
The commencement program
<>f the Franklin High school
will open with the baccalaure
ate sermon Sunday evening at
8 o'clock at the Franklin Meth
odist church, and the gradua
tion exercises will be held at I
the school Friday of next week;
when 24 .seniors will be given
their diplomas.
The baccalaureate sermon j
will be preached by the Rev. j
R. M. Hardee, the new pastor j
of the ' Highlands Methodist
church. The music, under the
direction of Mrs. Helen Man
ning and Mrs. Henry Cabe. will
feature two selections by the
girls' chorus of the school.
Sybil Potts, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. George Potts, of
Franklin, Route 3, who has a
four-year scholastic average of
92.94 per cent, is valedictorian
of the senior class, while Annie
Sue Conley, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Charles A. Conley, of
Franklin, with an average of
91.83, is salutatorian.
The following awards will be
presented at the graduation ex
ercises by Principal George H.
Hill: Athletics, Bruce Rickman;
citizenship, Hershel Wilson;
Mathematics, Annie Sue Conley;
commercial, Betty Bradley ; home
economics, Ruth Bryson; and
agriculture, Roy Rickman.
Members of the graduating
class are:
Betty 'Louise Bradley, William
Richard Bingham, Betty Jean
Bryson, Margaret Ruth Bryson,
Annie Sue Conley, Charles Jun
ior Curtis, Mary Maxine Dean,
Winton James Duvall, Gilmer
Harry Henson, Tommye Led
ford, Carl Frederick Mason,
Paul Lee Plemmons, Freda
Louise Potts, Sybil Annette
Potts, Claitence Bruce Rickman,
Roy James Rickman, James
Bernard Roper, Mary Rebecca (
Smart, Vynette Cftloe Smith, I
Edgar Earl Smith, Betty Jewel
Speed, Claretta Stiles, Eugene
Wallace Waldroop, Hershel Wil- I
son.
The diplomas will be present
ed by County Superintendent
Guy L. Houk.
Famed Firm Buys
East Franklin Site
Building Material Shortage May Delay Start Of
Construction, But Glove Making
Project To Start About June 1
The Vail Raalte Company. Inc.. of North Tonawanda, N. Y., has
obtained permission from the Civilian Production administration
tn erect a textile manufacturing plant on property ft has acquired
in East Franklin, L. W. Griffis. vice-president of the concern, told
lhe Press by long distance telephone, this week.
Managers
Named By Candidates
Fcr Congress
The congressional race be
tween Rep. Zebulon Weaver, of
Asheville, and Monroe Redden,
of Hendersonville, grows more
neated daily, and this week the
two candidates announced their
campaign managers in Macon
County.
Mr. Weaker named J. D. Gib
son, while Prelo Dryman was
appointed by Mr. Redden to
handle his campaign in this
county. J. G. Adams, Jr., and
Don S. Elias, respectively, both
of Asheville, are the district
managers.
Assisting Mr. Gibson, a Car
toogechaye resident who is em
ployed in the post office, ,1s -an
advisory committee made up of
C. S. Slagle, J. E. Potts, Walter
Bryson, Gilmer A. Jones, Roy
F. Cunningham, and W. W. Ed
wards.
Mr. Dryman, Franklin mer
chant, said that a committee oi
leading Democrats has been ap
pointed in each of the county's
precincts to get out the Redden
vote. Each manager expressed
confidence that his candidate
will win.
Livestock
Judging Contest Won By
Local Team
The livestock judging team of
the Franklin Future Farmers
won first place in judging beef
cattle and hogs at the judging
contest at Canton Friday of
last week.
The Franklin group won over
teams from 27 other schools in
Buncombe, Henderson, Transyl
vania, Haywood, Jackson, Swain,
and Graham counties. Second,
place went to the Robbinsville
school, and third to the school
at Bethel.
George Crawford, by making
the second highest individual
score in the contest, won a trip I
to Raleigh in August to com- j
pete for state honors.
Members of the winning j
Franklin team . are Crawford,
Hayes Gregory, and Jack Buch- j
anan. The team was coached by
E. J. Whitmire, agriculture
teacher here.'
Plan Memo, rial Day
Services Thursday At
Asbury Methodist
A memorial day service will
be held at the Asbury Methodist
church at Otto, Thursday, May
30, beginning at 10 o'clock, and
will be dedicated to the church's
approximately 70 veterans' of
World War XI, it has been an
nounced.
The Rev. V. N. Allen, pastor,
will be in charge, and an ap
propriate program has been ar
ranged. A feature of the pro
gram will be calling the honor
roll.
Picnic lunch will be served on
the church lawn and the pub
lic is invited to attend.
Glee Club To Conduct
Methodist Service Here
The Brevard College Glee
club will be in charge of the
11 o'clock services Sunday
morning at the Franklin Meth
odist church, the pastor, the
Rev. W. Jackson Huneycutt, has
announced. There are 17 voices
in the club.
The Woman's Missionary un
ion of the Franklin Baptist will
meet at the church Wednesday
afternoon, May 22, at 2 o'clock.
The Van Raalte name is na
tionally known, especially as a
manufacturer of Nylon hosiery.
Negotiations for the project
have been quietly under way
for months, but there had been
no public announcement until
Mr. Griffis made his statement
this week.
A one-story structure contain
ing about 20,000 feet of floor
space is contemplated.
Action on the application,
filed about 10 days ago, was
speeded by Rep. Zebulon Weav
er, it was understood, and an
nouncement of the project's ap
proval was made by his office.
In making the announcement
to The Press, Mr. Griffis em
phasized that permission to
build by no means makes build
ing materials available, and
warned that it is impossible to
say when construction of the
plant can get under way. Even
after completion, it is under
stood, it may take a year to get
personnel trained so that full
production can be obtained.
Due to the uncertainty of
the situation, the Van Raalte of
ficial added, it is not possible
at this time to say how many
persons will be employed, what
type of material will be used in
construction, or what textile
article will be manufactured.
Original plans, it is under
stood. called for employment of
more than 100 persons. What
ever the number, about 30 per
cent will be men, with prefer
ence given to Macon County
veterans, it was said.
Since tK e also is difficulty
and uncertainty about obtain
ing machinery, it was added,
the building, when it is con
structed, will be so designed
as to be adapted to the manu
facture of any one of the Van
Raalte company's three major
lines, hosiery, underwear, and
gloves.
Meanwhile, it was announced
that the company has leased
tne second floor of the Leach
building, on Main street, from
Mrs. Hugh Leach, and about
June 1 will start a glove-manu
facturing project there employ
ing 30 or more persons. A rep
resentative of the company will
be here the latter part of this
month, it was added, to start
interviewing applicants. Prefer
ence will be given to those who
registered in this connection
last fall.
Approximately 20 sewing ma
chines for this project already
are on hand; the other 10 or
more employes will do hand
work. The manufacturing pro
cess planned in the Leach
building will be sewing up
gloves, which will come here al
ready cut. A ladies' dress glove,
probably of rayon or cotton
material, will be made.
The project may or may not
be permanent, it was said, but
in any case persons trained in
the Leach building probably
later will be transferred to the
new plant, as a nucleus of
trained personnel.
The plot of approximately
four acres on Which it is pro
posed to erect the textile plant
was acquired from E. J. Whit
mire. .It lies east of the latter's
home. While it was purchased
some weeks ago, announcement
of the project was withheld
pending approval by the CPA
of the application to build.
The project has been pend
ing for months, with town of
ficials?with county official and
a few individuals cooperation-"
working steadily to assure the
plant for this county. Earlier,
the civic club assisted with a
labor survey.
Officials of the company
have been here numbers of
times, and considered several
sites before the Whltmire prop
erty was decided upon.