Watch This Figure Grow!
THIS WEEK
2,036
Net, Paid-in-Advance
Subicriberi
2,054
LAST WEEK
fEll t IjigWanbja JHacontatt
1'ROGHESSI I ?/?:
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IShHI'l.XDKXT
VOL. LXI? NO 32
FRANKIJN, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 8, 1946
$2.00 PKR YEAH
ZICKGRAF FIRM
PLANT BACK ON
FULL CAPACITY
New Band Mill Operating,
New Dry Kiln Finished;
Additions Under Way
The Zickgraf Hardwood com
pany, seriously hampered by the
recent fire at Its plant, is now
back to full capacity, with new
and better equipment than the
old in operation. The new
equipment, in fact, gives the
mill a somewhat greater capac
ity, W. C. Zickgraf, head of the
firm, explained.
The new band mill, with all
new and improved electrically
driven machinery, started oper
ation the latter part of last
week on full time. And the firm
has completed a new fire-proof
boiler and fuel house, with a 25
foot brick wall constructed
around it.
Also just finished is a second
dry kiln of the latest type, and
a Vommegut electric - driven
moulder Is to be installed with
in a few days, Mr. Zickgraf said
The company -plans in future
to work up all its lumber ? into
house materials, furniture stock,
etc. ? through its own plant
here, and an addition is being
constructed to the manufactur
ing plant. The manufacturing
building, now 40 x 80 feet, will
be enlarged to 40 x 120 feet, and
modern machinery installed.
The addition is expected to be
completed and the machinery
installed within about 30 days.
West Buys
Building On
Main Street
The eastern half of the old
Johnston, or Porter, building, in
the business section of West
Main street, was bought this
week by Henry D. West. The
purchase price was not disclos
ed.
He acquired the property from
Baldwin and Liner, who, in
turn, had purchased It from J. '
D. Porter.
The other half of the two
story brick structure is owned
by the American Legion.
The half purchased by Mr.
West houses the Dryman Feed
and Grocery on the main floor,
with apartments upstairs. While
Mr. West made no announce- i
ment of his plans, it is under
stood he proposes to make some ;
improvements.
The building at one time was
owned by the late Jack John
ston, and later by the late Bob
Porter.
Mr. West, who recently sold
his grocery business to the Ar
nold brothers, said he had
bought the property as an in
vestment.
Dies At 89
Mrs. Nancy Wright Conley
Was Native Of County
Mrs. Nancy Wright Conley 89,
widow or James Conley died
at the home of her son George
Conley, in the Otto section of
Macon county Sunday morning
at 4 o'clock, following an illness
of several years.
Funeral services were held
Sunday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock
at Dryman's Chapel Methodist
church. The Rev. V. N Allen,
pastor officiated, and inter
ment followed in the church
cemetery.
The pallbearers were O. L
Garland, H. E. Justice. Ed Hen
soii. Waiter Cabe, Paul Brown
and Hayes Buchanan.
A native of macon county,
Mrs Conley was a daughter of
Henry Wright and Elmlra Peek
Wright, she had lived in this
courity all her life except for
two years spent in Gastonla.
She was a member of the Dry
man's Chapel church.
Surviving ore one daughter,
Mrs. Ruthie Rogers, of Gastonla,
two sons, George and Henry
Conley, of the Otto community;
two brothers, Lee and Robert
Wright, of the State of Wash
lngton.and a number of grand
children and great-grandchll
dren.
Potts funeral home was In
charge of the arrangements.
Mrs. John Strother, of Knox
ville, Tenn., has returned home
after a week's visit with Mr. and ,
Mrs W. G. Culbertson at their
home on the Dlllard road,
Slagle To Build Scout
House Of Native Stone
As Memorial To Son
A. B Slagle wiJl build a Scout i
house 011 top of the wooded hill
just west of the Nantahala
creamery as a memorial to his
son, Charlie W. Slagle, and will
donate the hill and the house
for the use of Franklin Boy
Scouts.
The announcement was made
at Wednesday evening's meet
ing of the Rotary club, of which
young Mr. Slagle was a mem
ber, by H. W. Cabe, member of
a Rotary committee appointed
several weeks ago to seek a site
lor a Scout house.
Mr. Slagle also has in mind
use of the structure as a com
munity building by other pub
lic groups, Mr. Cabe explained.
Charlie W. Slagle, who died
June 23 as a result of an ac
cident, was one of the first two
Macon County boys to become
Eagle Scouts, the highest rank
in scouting. (Gilmer A. Jones,
Jr., became an Eagle Scout at
the same court of honor. I And, 1
following his return from ser
vice overseas, he had served as
acting scoutmaster of the troop !
i at Carson's Chapel.
| In the Slagle home on West
Main street is a small statue
of a Boy Scout, kneeling to
take the Scout pledge. It was
presented to Charlie Slagle at
the time he became an Eagle
Scout, and when the memorial
building is completed, this little
statue will be placed some
where in the Scout house
The proposed structure will
be of native stone. While the
architect's drawings have not
been completed, Mr. Slagle said
the building will be about 30
by 50 feet, and will contain a
basement, possibly to be used
as a kitchen and dining room.
A road will be constructed
from the highway, and wUl
wind around the hill, reaching
the summit on the opposite side
from that at which it leaves
the highway. A parking space
will be built with the. earth ex
cavated for the basement. To
avoid its looking into the ugly
cut that marks the highway
at that point, the building will
face north.
li MAKE FARM
TOUR OF MACON
More than 100 Macon County
farmers, representing every
township in the county, were
taken on a farm tour Monday.
The group, led by S. W. Men
denhall, Don Allison, and Basil
Dixon, county extension work
ers, left the Agriculture build
ing at 9:30 a. m. for an all-day
observation trip.
The first farm visited was A
L. Ramsey's, where three differ
ent seedings of alfalfa were ex
amined, and the advantage of
fall seeding over spring seeding
was noted Soybeans to be disk
ed down in preparation for
seeding more alfalfa were seen.
Parts of the field that were
short on lime were evident to
everyone.
Melvin Penland showed his
registered Guernsey heifer, spon
sored by the Macon County
Supply, at this stop.
The second farm was John
Keener's, which is part of the
Calloway place. Here an out
standing demonstration was
seen of the value of lime and
phosphate on pasture and mea
dow. Where these materials had
been used, there was good grass
and lespedeza, while the land
was nearly bare where these
materials had not been used.
A field of good yellow hybrid
?orn was observed Mr. Keener
has converted badly eroded,
worn-out land into a profitable
farm.
The next stop was at E. J.
Whitmire's, where alfalfa, alfal
fa hay, ladino clover, and good
quality white-face cattle were
seen. The alfalfa had been cut
three times, yielding 1 Zi tons
per acre per cutting, the last
cutting only two weeks before.
The alfalfa had already grown
back knee-high. A six-acre la
dino pasture that grazed 17 cat
tle all winter was observed. No
grain was fed and the cattle
were in extra good condition.
The party then went to the
farm of Woodrow Teague, where
time was taken out for lunch
and Coble Dairy Products serv
ed watermelon. Mr. Teague's
Grade A barn, pasture, and good
milk cows were seen. Where lime
and phosphate had been used
on pasture, there was a good
growth of grass and clover, and
only broom sedge where these
materials were not used. Victor
Teague showed his registered
heifer, which is sponsored by
Wowdle Wholesale company.
Harley Stewart's farm was
next There another type of
Grade A barn was seen, as well
as a fertilizer demonstration on
pasture, good purebred and
grade Guernsey cattle, and up
right silos that Mr. Stewart and
his boys built. Harley, Jr.'s reg
istered Guernsey heifer, spon
sored by Olen Ray. and Wayne's
registered cow and calf were
seen.
The delegation next was tak
en through A. B. Slagle's farm,
where the proner seed bed prep
aration for alfalfa was observ
ed, and alfalfa hay being cut,
cured and baled with a pick-up
baler On a pasture where la
dino clover and orchard grasa
wer^ seeded this spring, the
ground wa* covered with the
runneri of the ladino olover.
Van Raalte Will
Start Operation
Here On Monday
The Van Raalte company's
speration in the Leach
building on Main street will
start Monday morning, it
was learned this week when
persons selected for em
ployment were notified to
report at that time. Mean
while, mechanics Wednes
day checked the machines
in anticipation of the start
Monday morning.
Original plans called for
glove-making, but it was
learned last week that the
company has decided to use
the small Leach building
operation for hosiery repair.
The first announcement
said 25 to 30 women would
be employed.
Dodson W,H
Talk At Meet I
On Wildlife
The newly-organized Macon
County Wildlife club will hold
its next meeting Thursday night,
August 15, at 8 p. m. at the
courthouse. President W. J.
Blaine announced this week.
C. F. Dodson, of the faculty
of Western Carolina Teachers
college. Cullowhee, will be the
speaker. Mr. Dodson recently
addressed the wildlife club at
Highlands.
Mr. Blaine expressed the hope
that representatives from all
parts of the county will attend
the meeting. He emphasized
that, while the new club has
taken the name of the Macon
County club, it will be glad to
assist if other localities in the
county wish to form their own
clubs.
The club was organized July
12 with a membership of 28, i
and aljeady it has more than
50 members. Mr Blaine said. He
added that it is hoped to have
150 members by the time of the
meeting August 15. All members,
he said, are being asked to
bring at least two or three per
sons with them to hear the pro
gram of the organization ex
plained.
There are new clubs in 96 of
the state's 100 counties. A' ma
jor objective of the organiza
tions is to have a non-political
wildlife agency of the state gov
ernment set up, independent of
the Department of Conservation
and Development.
Commissioners
Approve Repairs, Vote
Polio Home Funds
The board of county commis
sioners. at its monthly meet
ing Monday, visited the county
home, and approved repairs
made to the building by Lester
Southards, the keeper of the
home. The repairs were in com
pliance with recommendations
of the last grand Jury, in its
report.
The commissioners also voted
an appropriation of $1,000 for
the orthopedic home to be built
In Asheville Jointly by 10 West
ern North Carolina counties for
the treatment of Infantile par
alysis cases from thU region.
$160,000 SET
ASIDE TO BUY
FOREST LANDS
Will Spend $86,500 This
Year On Reads
Within Forest
The Nantahala National For
est has been allotted $160,000
to buy additional forest lands
during the fiscal year 1213-17,
it was disclosed this week as
Nantahala rangers met with For
est officials here for their an
nual work plans conference.
It a'lso was announced that
the fund for road work within
the forest has been boosted by
approximately $50,000.
This is the first time iii sev
eral years that the forest has
\ been given funds for acquisition,
the purchase of forest lands
having been halted during the
war.
The Nantahala's road fund,
which approximated $36,000 last
year, wiJl be $86,500 for the
coming year. About 50 per cent
of this sum is for maintenance
of present roads, while the re
maining 50 pe? cent is to be
spent in opening up and build
ing forest access roads, with a
view to getting out more tim
ber to expedite solution of the
housing problem This road
building program will mean
myney in the pockets of local
people, it was pointed out,i first,
through the actual read build
ing work, and second through
the new and larger forest op
erations.
In announcing the Forest
service's decision to resume ac
quisition of forest lands, it was
explained that lands sought are
those adapted to forest pur
poses and lying adjacent to the
lands now owned by the Forest
service.
R. M. Shook,
78, Dies At
Bethel Home
Robert Martin (Bob) Shook,
78, well known business man,
died at his home in the Bethel
community, on the Franklin
Highlands highway, Wednesday
afternoon at 4 o'clock, follow
ing an illness of four months,
Mr. Shook was one of the
leading Republicans of the
county, and on several occasions [
ran on that ticket for the of
fice of sheriff.
Funeral services will be held
Friday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock
at the Sugarfork Baptist
church.
Surviving, in addition to his
widow, are seven children, Law
son, Raleigh, Howard and Troy
Shook, all of Macon county, and
Mrs. Frank Peek, Mrs. Mattie
Evans, and Mrs. Pearl Holland;
three brothers, Henty Shook,
Franklin, Route 2, Charlie
Shook, of Tiger, Ga., and W. M
Shook, of Mount Airy; one sis
ter,' Mrs. Violet Wood, of High
lands.
The cucumber crop is said to
be 36 per cent greater than the
M35-39 average.
Highlands Youth
Carries English
Girl By 'Phon?
The first "telephone" wed
ding in this saltan between I
an ex-serviee man and his
Knglish fiancee was that of
Kir, hard W Pearson, of High
lands, and Miss Thelma Iley
w nod, of Birmingham, Kng
I . land. The vows were carried
by cable back and forth
across the sea at 10 o'clock
on the morning of August 2,
from the home of the Kev.
and Mrs. A. G. Garr, minis
ters, at Charlotte, binding
the two in wedlock "for so
long ps they both shall live."
Mrs. Garr officiated over
an upstairs telephone, while
Mr. Garr sang "I I.ove You
Truly", accompanied by Mrs.
Oliver Stroud, pianist. Over
the downstairs phone Rich
ard talked with his bride-to
be and the two took the mar
riage vows.
The object of the trans
Atlantic marriage was to give
his wife a priority for com
ing to this country, "When
the ceremony can be per
formed all over again, if she
likes", Mr. Pearson said.
The bridegroom is the son
of Mrs. A. R. Nail of High
lands, and of the late Wil
liam Pearson, of Chicago, 111.,
and is a graduate of the
North Carolina State college.
SEEK FUND FOR
SCHOLARSHIPS
The board of stewards of the
Franklin Methodist church, this
week announced that it will
sponsor a movement to raise a
$51000 Brevard college scholar
ship fund, the scholarships to
be available to Macon County
boys and girls.
The project is a part of the
Methodist College Advance
movement, under which North
Carolina Methodists are seeking
$2,000,000 for the denomination's
colleges in this state.
Brevard college "is the 1 only
institution owned and operated
entirely by the Western North
Carolina Methodist conference.
A total of $600,000 is being
sought for the institution ? a
junior college ? and churches in
the Waynesville district are en
gaged in a campaign to raise
$56,000 as their share.
It is pointed out that many
Macon County student have at
tended Brevard college in thi
12 years since it was establi
shed , and that ' perhaps even
more worthy boys and girls in
this county might have attend
ed that school had they had
financial assistance.
While the income from a $5,
000 scholarship fund will, of
course, vary, according to the
interest rate, the annual schol
arship from the fund will a
mount to between $150 and
$300, church officials said.
When the fund is raised, the
college's board of trustees will
be asked to set it up as a part
of the endowment resources ol
the college, with the definite
stipulation that the annual in
come will be used for scholar
ship aid to the young people
in Macon County who wish to
attend Brevard college.
158 Attend 94th Annual
Reunion Of Siler Family
Siler descendants, who have
held an unbroken series of fam
ily reunions since the custom
of meeting annually was inau
gurated in the pre-Civil War
years, gathered here 158 strong
last Thursday for their 94th
"family meeting", as the Siler
kin always call it.
The meeting was held at
"Dixie Hall", the old Robinson
home on Main street, with Miss
Hope Daniels and her brother,
James, as hostess and host, and
by the time the crowd, of all
ages, gathered about the loaded
picnic tables in the side yard,
representatives from many
states ? from New York to
California ? were present.
At the outdoor business ses
sion in the ^afternoon, Chairman
Carl S. Slagle and W. N. Sloan,
acting secretary in the absence
of James Gray, who was ill,
took their place at a table,
flanked by the family's service
flag with more than 100 stars
on It.
TJ?e session opened with the
traditional singing of "Blest Be
the Tie That Binds", after
which Mrs. Oeorge A. Jones and
Carl S. Slagle, of the obitury
committee, reported. Brief
sketches were read on the seven
relatives who had died during
the past year ? Mrs. F. L. SUer.
Leon T. Sloan. William H Oliver
and his wife, Mrs. Sadie Mae
Fisher Oliver, Lt. Frank M Hig
don, Jr., Miss Nancy Harriette
Jones, and Charlie W. Slagle.
Mrs. Harriet Slagle Setser, of
the outlook committee, reported
on births, marriages, and grad
uations; Mrs. T W. Porter made
an historical report; and heads
of families were requested to
provide Mrs. Bob S Sloan, at
the Red Cross office, with the
military records of members of
the family who served during
the war. A letter of greeting
was read from Secretary Gray.
Brief talks were made by
Owen Gudger, of Asheville; Mrs
John L. Davis, of Waynesvllle;
Guy Weaver, of AshevUle, who
extended the group an invita
tion to attend the Weaver re
union In Buncombe August 8;
the Rev. S. H. Crockett, of Haz
elwood, formerly of Franklin;
and others.
ORDERS LOVE.
REESE HOUSES
HERE CLOSED
Town Board Appropriates
Funds For Library,
Employs Baird
The Franklin board of alder
men, at its meeting Monday
night, condemned two dwellings
as unfit for human habitation
and ordered thein padlocked,
appropriated $200 to the public
library here, and voted to em
ploy C D. Baird as night po
liceman.
The houses condemned are the
old Reese house on Iotla street
and the old Love house, which
was moved a few years ago to
a point just off the square,
next door to the Franklin laun
dry.
The action of the board fol
lowed appearance before the
board of Miss Maud Hudson
and Mrs. Marsh Officer, of Iotla
street, who complained of the
odor from the Reese house, and
the reading of a letter from
the State Board of Health ord
ering the owner of the old
Love house to have it vacat
ed by August 7. The let
ter pointed out that it is oc
cupied by two families, a total
of 20 persons, and that it has
no sanitary facilities The board
ordered the house -closed when
it is vacated, and the Reese
house, which i.t was informed
is unoccupied now. closed im
mediately. The latter house,
which has been considered by
the board previously, has sani
tary facilities but no water
connections, it was pointed out.
The board's action on the li
brary appropriation came after
Mrs. Frank I. Murray, the libra
rian, "presented a letter from
the State Library commission
informing her that the $1,800
annual grant of the commission
would be discontinued unless
the local government units ap
propriate as much as last year.
The town last year appropriated
$200. and the county both th;.s
year and last put $500 for the
'ibrary intq its budget.
Mr. Baird, former policeman
here, went to work for the town
Thursday morning For the next
two weeks, he will serve in the
daytime while Chief Homer
Cochran is on vacation, and
then will succeed James Ste
wart, recently employed as night
policeman.
It was brought out in the dis
cussion of Mr. Baird's applica
tion for the position, that, sev
eral years ago, he suffered a
broken leg while serving as po
liceman; was promised his po
sition back when he recovered;
and, after a long confinement,
entered the armed forces. The
town was morally obligated to
give him the position, the
aldermen agreed. His salary will
be that paid in the past, $200
per month. m
The board also:
Ordered 300 feet of fire hose
bought for the fire department.
And took action to remedy
the flood situation that occurs
at the foot of the hill on West
Main street with every heavy
rain Frank I. Murray. who ap
peared before the board to re
port that his basement is egu
larly flooded, was assured that
new, larger pi.pe will be install
ed, if the pipe is obtainable, to
carry off the surface water,
and that temporary measures
will be taken if the pipe is not
now available.
Discussion
A small group of interested
citizens, meeting Tuesday eve
ning at the call of Mrs. Reby S
Tessier, took the initial steps
toward the formation of - a dis
cussion club here, and called
an organization meet for Fri
day, August 16, at 8 p. m. at
the Episcopal rectory.
The club, for both men and
women, will have as its major
purposes the discussion of cur
rent national and international
events and problems, with a
view to aiding the members in
keeping informed. ,ind to giving
members the benefit of an ex
change of views.
At the meeting Friday of next
week, it was announced, there
will be a speaker and general
discussion of a topic, yet to be
announced, as well as the busi
ness of perfecting a permanent
organization.
All interested persons are In
vited to attend and become
charter member* of the club