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LIBERAL
TXPEJ'EXDEXr
VOL. LXI? NO. 26
KKANKMN, N. C.. THURSDAY, JUNE 27, 1946
$2.00 PICK YfcAR
BONDS FAVORED BY RATIO OF 27 TO 1
U. S. Gives Macon's
Soldier Dead As 44
Honor List For County.
Compiled, Announced
By War Department
(Editor's Note: It is known
that the list below of Ma
con Couinty soldier dead is
not complete, but it is be
ing published as it stands,
since it "is the official roster
compiled by the War De
partment.)
Forty- four names are on Ma
con County's official list of sol
dier dead in World War 2, as
compiled by the War Depart
ment.
On the list, which includes
army deaths only, are the
names of 24 Macon men killed
in action; nine who died of
non-battle causes, such as sick
ness and accidents ; five who
died of wounds; four who were ,
officially declared dead; and
two who died of battle Injuries
other than wounds.
In the honor roll below the
War department abbreviations
are used to show the cause of
death ? KIA, killed in action;
DNB, died of non-battle causes;
DOW, died of wounds-; FOD,
finding of death; and DOI, died
of injuries:
Pvt. William C. AUman. DNB;
Pvt. James H. Baty, KIA; Tec.
5 George M. Beal, KIA; Pvt.
Wayne J. Bradley, DNB; Pvt.
Grady T. Brendle, DNB; Av.C.
Henry W. Cabe, Jr., DNB; 2nd
Lt. Kenneth R. Cabe, FOD; Pvt.
Lester H. Carpenter, KIA; Pfc.
Kred Crane, KIA; Pvt. George
H. Dalrymple, KIA; S. Sg. Wil
liam R. Deal, KIA; Pvt. Joseph
A. Dills, KIA.
Pfc. George D. Elliotte, DOW;
Pfc. Daniel W. Garrett, KIA; T.
Kg. George C. Gray, KIA; Pvt.
Homer W. Guffey, KIA; Pfc.
John G. Hauser, KIA; Pvt. John
H. Henson, KIA; 2nd Lt. Frank
M. Higdon, Jr., FOD; Sgt. Har
ry S. Higgins, Jr., KIA; S- Sg.
Warren G. Hollar, KIA; Pvt.
Beulon C. Houston, DOW; Pfc.
Herbert D. Houston, KIA; 1st
Lt. Charles M. Hunter, KIA;
Pvt. Jess W. Johnson, KIA;
Pvt. Fred Jones, DNB.
Cpl. John H. Keener, Jr., KIA;
Pfc. George T. Martin, KIA;
Pfc. Joe Mashburn, KIA; Pvt.
Bernice O. McCall, DOW; Pvt.
Walter J. McCoy, DOI; Pfc,
Manuel L. Norton, DOW; Cpl.
C. L. Potts, DOI; Pfc. Johnnie
W. Robertson, DNB; Pvt. Albert
Rogers, DNB; 1st Lt. George H.
Setser, DNB; Cpl. Harold T. I
Sloan, Jr., DNB; Pvt. Oline W.
Stan field, KIA; Pfc. Joseph D.
Sutton, KIA: Pfc. Clvde Tallent.
FOD; Pvt. Wayne R. Vanhook, i
FOD; Pvt. Robert D. Wilkie, i
KIA; Pvt. Willard J. Woody, <
KIA: and Pvt. Gay G. Yonce, ]
DOW. i
Oilers
Leading Softball League
With 750 Percentage
Despite their defeat Monday
night by the Nantahala Power
and Light company, the Oilers
are still leading the other seven
teams in the civic softball
league, with a percentage of 750
to date.
The Franklin school, though
it took a licking at the hands
of the oilers last Thursday
night, stands second with 727.
The Power company team
went down before the Legion
in another game played Thurs
day night, to go to bottom
place In the leagae.
The eight teams, with the
number of games won and lost
and percentages to date, follow:
Per
Team Won Lost centage
Oilers 9 3 750
School 8 3 727
Rotary 7 4 636
Legion 7 4 636
Lions 5 6 454
Briar 3 8 272
Burrell 8 8 272
Power 3 9 250
W. W. Jones, of Memphis,
Tenn., son of the late W. W.
Jones, of Frnnklln. and of Mrs.
Jones, of Memphis, Is here for
a few days' visit with relatival.
Official Count Shows
Loss Rate Far Ab-ve
N. C. Average
Macon County's toll of soldier
dead in World War 2 was 50
per cent higher than the aver
age tor North Carolina as a
wnole, population considered, an
analysis of figures compiled by
the War Departmertt shows.
The War Department figures,
made public today (Thursday >,
officially list the dead from
each of the counties in this and
other states.
The Macon County total of
army dead is given as 44.
The figures do not include
sailors and marines who lost
their lives during the war.
Deaths of soldiers from this
county were at the rate of 2.8
per thousand population < 1940
census). The North Carolina
soldier death total was 7,109,
which was at the rate of slight
ly less than two per thousand
population.
Put another way, Macon
County, with only .004 per cent 1
of the state's population had
.0062 per cent of the North
Carolina soldier dead.
And since what is believed to
have been an unusually high
proportion of men from Macon
County enlisted in the navy and
marine corps, this county's
share of the war dead may be
even higher, in comparison with
the state as a whole, when the
official figures are compiled and
made public by the navy.
All the mountain counties had
i high ratio of army deaths,
comparison of the War Depart
ment's figures with the popula- ?
cions shows.
The average for the 21 North j
Carolina mountain counties was ;
2.5 per thousand population.
Swain County, with the high- j
;st rate in Western North Caro- J
lina ? and possibly in the state ?
lost 43 men out of a population i
}f slightly more than twelve ?
thousand, or at the rate of 3.6 ?
aer thousand.
The rate for Avery county ]
was 3.1, while that in Burke
ivas 3 per thousand.
Jackson, with 55 dead. Hay- j
wood, with 100, Transylvania, ,
witb 35, and Polk, with 34. Each i
had a soldier death rate of 2.9
per thousand population. ,
Thompson
Resigns To Accept Post
As Demorest Chief
H. C. Thompson, night police
nan here since April 1, has re
signed, effective July 1, to ac
:ept the position of chief of
poliee of Demorest, Ga., he an
lounced this week. Mr. Thomp
son will leave here Monday, and
take up his new duties Tuesday
morning.
His resignation was accepted
Ijy the board of aldermen Wed
nesday. No successor has yet
been chosen.
In announcing that he had
resigned. Mr. Thompson said
he was negotiating with the
Demorest authorities before he
came to Franklin, and when he
tvas in Demorest last Monday
Ihe town board there accepted
a proposition he had made
them several months ago.
He expressed appreciation to
the Franklin mayor and alder
men for their kindnesses and
cooperation, and to the people
of the community for their sup
port.
Preanells Here For First
Visit Home In 40 Years
Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Presnell,
of Randle, Wash., are visiting
Mrs. Presnell's sister, Mrs Hen
ry Slagle, and other relatives on
Franklin, Route 1. This is the
first visit the Presnells have
paid their native county In 40
years. Mrs. Presnell was the for
mer Miss Agnes Gillespie, and
was reared in the Cartooge
chaye community. In speaking
of the many changes since she
left Macon County, she said
that the Oak Hill was one of
the few familiar spots she had
seen since her arrival.
The Weather
. High Low Prec.
Thursday 89 63 00
Friday 81 65 71
Saturday 81 56 00
Sunday 84 54 00
Monday 84 51 00 I
Tuesday 81 62 00
Wednesday 79 59 17
CHARLIE SLAGLE
DIES OF JNJURY
Y oung Macon. Man, Gored
By Bull, Succumbs
To Infection
Charlie Weimar Slagle was I
doing the work he loved best
when he was fatally injured by
a bull last Saturday,
And when his flag-draped
casket was borne into the !
Franklin Methodist church j
Monday, it was placed where I
the flag-draped casket of an- j
other youthful war veteran was |
to stand, -just two days later. J
Both had died Sunday as a re- j
suit of accident.
Mr. Slagle loved the farm, and
loved best of all, perhaps, the
farm animals. So it was the
natural thing for him to start
back to work on his father's
farm, when he returned to
Franklin about six months ago
from service in the armed
forces.
And friends said of him that I
it was characteristic of him
that, when the bull had to be |
led from his stall, he did it
himself rather than having a f
farm employe do it. The animal |
gored him in the abdomen, and |
he died of infection at the I
Angel hospital Sunday evening !
at 8 o'clock. He was 25.
Though quiet and unassum- .
ing in remarkable degree, he
had become active, in the short
time he had been back home, '
in a variety of community ef
forts. He was commander of the I
local American Legion post, a I
Mason, a member of the Frank- 1
tin Methodist church, and a
Rotarian. He also was scout
master of a recently organized
rural Boy Scout troop, and each
Wednesday evening after Rotary
went into the country to the
weekly troop meeting. As a boy,
he became an Eagle Scout mem
t>er of the Franklki troop.
After graduation from the
Franklin High srhool and study
ing agriculture at N. C. State
college, he joined the army air
forces, and served from June,
1942. to September, 1945. He
spent about two years in the
European theater.
Survivors include his parents,
Mr, and Mrs. A. B. Slagle. of
Franklin; four sisters. Miss Eliz
abeth Slagle, of Franklin, Mrs.
Jess Shope, of Franklin, Route
1, Mrs. Lawson Ross, of Mt
Pleasant, and Mrs. Virginia
Butler, of Loris, S.. C.; and a
number of uncles and aunts.
The funeral service, held Mon- i
day afternoon at 4 o'clock, was
conducted by the Rev. W Jack
son Huneycutt, Methodist pastor
here, and the Rev. C. E. Parker
pastor of the Franklin Baptist
FrnnMI B"r'al W&S in the
Franklin cemetery.
Members of the Masonic order
served as pallbearers, and mem
bers of the American Legion as
a guard of honor.
MISHAPS STRIKE
tragedy and near tragedy,
the result of accident, visaed
this community last week-end.
?ast Thursday John M.
(Bardy) Archer, III, 12-year old
son of Mr. and Mrs. John M.
Archer, Jr., riding his bicycle
down Harrison avenue, swerved
to avoid colliding with a truck,
crossed Main street, struck the
concrete wall in front of the
home of Mr. and Mrs. R. G.
Beshears, and was thrown from
the bicycle. He was taken te
Angel hospital, suffering from j
internal injuries, and for sever
al days his life hung in the 1
balance. Thursday he was re
ported much improved.
Saturday morning about 3:30
o'clock, the home of Mrs. Een
McCollum, on Bi.dwell street, oc
cupied by Mr. and Mrs. Jack
Allred, was destroyed by fire,
and Joel G. Adams, bookkeeper
for the Zickgraf Hardwood j
company, who had a room
there, overcome by smoke,
failed to get out of the house.
Neighbors finally managed, to
pull him through a window, and
he was taken to the Angel hos
pital, suffering from burns and
lung congestion. He. too, re
mained in critical condition for
several days, but now is report
ed improving.
Early Saturday morning
Charlie W. Slagle, son of Mr.
and Mrs. A. B. Slagle, was gor
ed by a bull at the Slagle dairy
barn, and died at the Angel
hospital at 8 o'clock the fol
lowing evening of infection.
At 11 o'clock Sunday morn
ing Miss Nancy Jones, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Gilmer A.
Jones, was instantlv killed when
she broke her neck in a dive
into the Hudson River at South
Nfcack. N. Y.
R, L. Bryson,
Well Known,
Dies At Age 77
R. L. Bryson, 77-year old
former hotel owner and mana
ger here, and widely known
throughout this region, died
at his home on Iotla street
Tuesday afternoon at 4:50
o'clock. Long in ill health, he
had been seriously ill for sev
eral weeks.
For 25 years he was a trave
ling salesman, covering Georgia.
Alabama, and North Carolina.
He and Mrs. Bryson then en
tered the hotel business, and
after operating hotejs in a num
ber of towns, they returned to
Franklin and bought what is
now Hotel Hearh. They oper
ated It for five years under
the name of Hotel Bryson.
Mr. Bryson's survivors include
his widow; two children, Mrs.
Virginia Ramsey of Franklin,
and R. L. Bryson, Jr., of Ala
bama; and 10 grandchildren,
and 10 great-grandchildren.
The funeral services wore held
Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock .
at the Franklin Baptist church. |
with the pastor, the Rev. C. E.
Parker, and a former pastor, the
Rev. J. F. Marchman, officiat
ing. Interment foHO'ved in the
Cowee Baptist church cemetery.
Bryant Funeral home was in
charge of the arrangements.
Highlands Theater Group
Lays Plans For Two Plays
By MRS. H. G. STORY
Two plays, with three evening
performances of each, will be
presented this season by the
Highlands Community Theatre,
it was announced this week, fol
lowing last Saturday night's
organization meeting.
The first drama will be stag
ed the latter part (Jf Saturday
night, for the first play, as well
as the name of the play chosen,
will be announced next week by
the director, James Reese.
Mr. Reese, Atlanta Insurance
man, for years has been Identi
fied with the stage and radio
In Atlanta. In addition to broad
casting over WSB and WOST,
he Is stage manager for Rich's
shows. He Is remembered In
Highlands for his performances
on the Community Theatre
stage In "Candida", "Escape Me
Never", and ."Oold In the Hills".
Technical \ dlrtctori for the
i
July play will be: Jack H. Wil
cox, stage manager; Gerald
Cornelius, sets manager; Mrs.
Tudor N. Hall, set props; Tudor
N. Hall, assistant set props; Jan
Chambers, hand props', Mrs.
Wade Sutton, costume mistress;
and Miss Ann Strong, make-up.
Raoul Alstaeter, Bobby Curry,
and Mrs. Gerald Cornelius will
be In charge of ticket sales,
and poster publicity will be
handled by Hampton Saussy,
Jan Chambers, and Miss Ann
Strong.
Members of the Theatre board,
encouraged by the large atten
dance and keen Interest at Sat
urday night's meeting, the first
held since 1942, urged those who
were not at the meeting and
wish to work with any of the
technical directors to get in
touch with the directors them
selves or with Mrs. Jack H. Wil
cox, business manaier,
Boy Burned When
Gas, Being Poured
In Auto, Ignites
Seriously burned when the
gasoline his father was pour
ing from a bucket into a
truck became ignited, Koy
Webb, 12-year old son of Mr."
and Mrs. Joe Webb, Jr., of
the Gneiss community, is re
covering at the Angel clinic.
The boy was burned about
the arms, legs, and body.
When the gasoline in the
bucket caught fire, it was
said, Mr. Webb threw the
bucket, and the burning gas
oline struck the boy, who was
standing nearby. Kir. Webb
received burns on hi* hands.
The accident occurred June 7.
NANCY H. JONES
DIES IN MISHAP
F ranklin Girl Suffers
Broken Neck In Dive
Into Hudson River
Nancy Harriette Jones was
enjoying the sport she loved
best when death came to her in
a Hudson River dive last Sun
day.
And when" her flag-draped
casket was borne into the
Franklin Methodist church Wed
nesday, it was placed where
the flag-draped casket of an
other youthful war veteran had
stood, just two days before.
Both had died Sunday as a re
sult of accident.
Miss Jones loved swimming.
She had learned, as a small
child, at Camp Nequassi (now
the Franklin Lodge), and before
she was grown, she had saved
two persons from drowning.
Most of her swimming expe
rience, however, had been in
pools, and at South Nyack, N.
Y., just above New York City,
the tide must be taken into ac
count. Saturday she had dived
from the dock there, but then,
at high tide, there was about 8
feet of water. Sunday morning
the tide was out, leaving water
to a depth of only about two
feet.
Miss Jones' neck was broken
in the dive, and the coroner
said death was instantaneous.
She was 27.
The accident occurred about
11 a. m., but the news did not
reach her family until late that
day, since they and relatives
from Rhode Island, Memphis,
Raleigh, Asheville, and Frank
lin were on Wayah Bald, start
ing a long-planned family re
union.
Of a bright, happy disposition,
Miss Jones was endowed with
Extraordinary enthusiasm, ener
gy and resourcefulness. When
she went to New York several
months ago to study journalism
at New Yorli university, she was
unable to f'nd a place to live.
Turning difficulty to advantage,
she sought and found a part
time position taking care , of the
children of Mr. and Mrs. I. M.
Weinstein, thus obtaining both
living accommodations and a
living.
Following graduation from the
Franklin High school and Peace
Junior college, Raleigh, Miss
Jones entered the Duke univer
versity school of nursing, and
was graduated from that in
stitution with the B. S. degree.
After teaching at Duke and do
ing private duty nursing, she
joined the army nurse corps at
Camp Croft, S. C., in June, 1942.
She served at Fort Bragg, and
spent about two years in Eng
land with the Duke unit. Base
Hospital No. 65.
Survivors include her parents,
Mr. and Mrs. Gilmer A. Jones,
of Franklin; a brother, G. A.
Jones, Jr., of St. Petersburg,
Fla.; two sisters, Miss Lillian
M. Jones, of Greenville, S. C.,
and Miss Dorothv Jones, of
Franklin; her grandmother. Mrs.
Geo. A. Jones, of Franklin; her
aunt, Miss L. M. Jones, of Ral
eigh; and a number of uncles.
The funeral services, held at
4 p. m. Wednesday, were con
ducted by the Rev. W. Jackson
Huneycutt, Methodist na*tnr
here, and burial was in the
Franklin cemetery Pallbearers
were W. W. Sloan, wintnn p?r.
rv, Bob S. Sloan. Pry ant M r
filure George L. Jones, and Phi]
IMeCollum,
147 MORE THAN
LEGAL MINIMUM
VOTE FOR ISSUE
$70,000 To Go For Wal^r
Mains; $20,000 Sewers;
$30,000 Streets
By a margin of 27 to 1, Frank
lin voters, in Tuesday's special
election, balloted in favor of the
issuance of $120,000 water, sewer,
and street bonds.
The vote cast on the three is
sues stood :
For water bonds, 439; against,
12.
For sewer bonds, 426; against,
19.
For street bonds, 4*28 ; against.
16.
To carry the bond issues, a
minimum of 284 affirmative
votes was required. The average
affirmative vote on the three
issues was 431, or 147 more
than necessary.
The $120,000 total is to be di
vided as follows:
$70,000 for extending water
mains and installing additional
, fire hydrants.
$20,000 for extending sewer
lines.
$30,000 for resurfacing streets.
A new registration was re
| quired for this special bond
election and, under the law,
those registered who did not
vote were counted as voting
against the bond issues. Since
567 persons registered for the
election, an affirmative vote of
284 was required to carry either
of the three issues.
Thus, technically, the vote
against the bonds was consider
ably greater than the small
number actually cast in oppo
sition. Counting those not vot
ing as being opposed, the vote
stood :
For water bonds, 439; against,
128. For sewer bonds, 426;
against, 141. For street bonds,
428; against, 139. Even on that
basis, the bonds were approved
by a ratio of more than 3 to 1.
It was the third time in a
six-month period that the peo
ple of Franklin had gone on
record favoring issuance of im
provement bonds. Last Decem
ber Franklin voters helped car
ry a county-wide issue of $400,
000 for school buildings, and
the week before the people of
the town had voted for $80,000
for water, sewer, and street im
provement bonds.
The latter election was he'd
invalid on a technicality, and
the board of aldermen, in view
of changed circumstances, de
cided that, in re-submitting the
question to the voters, the total
amount should be increased to
$120,000.
j
Plan July 4
Celebration
On Thursday
It's been a long time since
this community has had an op
portunity to indulge in an old
fashioned July 4 celebration,
and this year it is to have one.
Next Thursday's fun will be
sponsored by the local posts of
the American Legion and the
Veterans of Foreign Wars.
The day's festivities will open
with a parade (servicemen are
requested, but not required, to
wear uniform) and dedication
ceremony at 10 a. m.
At 11 there will be games,
with Benny McGlammery and
H. A. (Chub) Wilhide as mast
ers of ceremonies. In addition
to the traditional greased pole
climb, there'll be three-legged,
fat ladies', bicycle, and two-man
wheel barrow races, as well as
boys' and girls' foot races.
Prizes, donated by Franklin
business men, will be given the
winners of each event.
At 2:30 a double-header ball
game is scheduled at the
Franklin school ball park, and
at 3 o'clock a fiddlers' conven
tion will get under way at the
courthouse.
The Woman's Socletv for
Christian Service of the Frank
lin Methodist church will hold
a rummage sale Saturday mom
l Ing, June 20, starting about 0
o'clock, the weather permitting