Net Paid Circulation
THIS WEEK
2,205
LAST WEEK
2,199
YEAR AGO THIS WEEK
2,461
VOL. LXII? NO. 34
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PROGRESSIVE
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g \\\t JHaconian
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LIBERAL INDEPENDENT
FRANKLIN, N. C.. THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1947
$2.00 PHt YEAR
HAS BUILT 228
MILES OF NEW
POWER LINES
Nantahala Firm Enabled
To Serve 1,356 More
Macon Customers
The Nantahala Power and
Light company built 228 miles
of power lines in Macon Coun
ty between June 2, 1945, and
May 31, 1947, figures made pub
lic this week reveal.
These new lines enabled the
company to connect 1,160 new
customers.
And additional lines, totaling
? 38 1-2 miles, to serve 194 more
l new customers, were under con
struction when the figures were
compiled, according to John M.
Archer, Jr., vice-president of
the company.
In addition to the construct
ion of these new lines, the firm
recently acquired a section of
power line that had previous
ly been owned and operated
M<fcrary Brothers, of Atlanta,
Mr. Archer said. This section
extends from the Addlngton
dairy farm, on the Georgia road,
to the North Carolina-Georgia
state line. It is 17.62 miles in
length, and its acquisition added
103 additional customers to the
number served in this county
i by the Nantahala distribution
system.
A third announcement made
by the power firm deals with
a new service, of special inter
est to rural customers. The posi
tion of field representative,
whose work is In the field
of agricultural development
through the use of electricity,
has been created, Mr. Archer
explained. W. W. Sloan, recent
ly employed to fill this position,
is devoting his time to working
with rural people, seeking to
assist them to improve
farm operations and their homes
by the application of electricity.
? ? ? T"" A
k HigtJan Family
To Hold Reunion
On September 14
The annual Higdon family re
union will be held with Parker
Higdon, at the old Higdon home
on Ellijay, Sunday, September
14, it has been announced.
The reunion of descendants
of W( H. Higdon usually draws
between 100 and 125 members
of the family and invited guests.
Unlike some other * family
meetings, the Higdons always
meet at the same place. The
gatherings last all day, with
the picnic dinner at noon a
highlight of the day.
Do You
Remember . . . ?
(Looking backward through
the files of The Press)
50 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
R. L. Porter claims the banner
for the largest Macon County
watermelon. .It was a 44-pound
er.
Mrs. F. 8. Johnston left
i Thursday for a visit to her
: mother's family at Forsyth, Ga.
I Mr. and Mrs. A. 8. Bryson are
< camping on Wine Spring Bald.
25 YEARS AGO
A deal of Interest in Franklin
was made this week when Mr.
C. C. Cunningham sold his hard
ware and builders supplies to
Messrs. Dick Hudson and Alf
Hlgdon. The members of the
new firm, which will be known
as the Franklin Hardware com
pany, have recently been in the
contracting business here.
The bazaar conducted by the
Woman's club last Friday was a
great success in every way.
About $275 was realized from
the sale of various articles and
this money will be used to help
buy a piano for the Franklin
graded school.
10 YEARS AGO
George J. Johnston, manager
of the Western Carolina Tele
phone company for the past five
years, will leave Franklin Sep
tember 1 for Atlanta, Ga., to ac
cept a position with the South
em Bell Telephone company.
The Macon-Jackson Bryson
reunion met at the Cowee Bap
tist church at West's Mill Sun
day for their annual meeting,
with approximately 200 relatives
and Invited frlenda pretent.
Will Use Radio
In Ft rest Fire
Protection Work
Personnel of the Nanta
hala National Forest soon
will be using radio to speed
exchange of information
about forest fires.
Two-way radio outfits are
to be installed, as a fea
ture of the forest fire pro
tection system, in each look
out tower and in the rang
ers' pick-up trucks, it was
announced this week. This
will make possible almost
instant communication be
tween various paints in the
forest. It also will tie in the
local forest fire protection
system with the radio-equip
ped system of the Great
Smoky Mountains National
Park, it was pointed out.
William L. Fox, of Atlanta,
radio technician, will ar
rive here Monday to start
installation.
CONVICT KILLED
IN ESCAPE TRY
Coroner's Jury Holds
2 Prison Guards
Blameless
The shots which killed James
Ballard, 23-year old convict,
Monday about noon as Ballard
tried to make his escape, at a
road project three miles from
Highlands, were fired by the
guards "acting under authority
and instructions" of the state,
and the guards "should be ex
onerated", a coroner's jury held,
at the inquest conducted by
Coroner O. L. Blaine Tuesday.
Ballard, Serving a long term
on conviction in Davidson coun
ty of second degree burglary,
and Robert Lee Edwards, sen
tenced from Mecklenburg for
larceny, made a break for free
dom just as the prisoners were
about to eat their lunch.
Latest reports said Edwards
still was at large.
Ballard, wounded in the head
and back with four buckshot,
died en route to the hospital
here. The body was taken to
Anderson, S. C., Ballard's home,
where funeral services were held
Wednesday
Evidence introduced at the in
quest was to the effect that,
when the two convicts sought
to escape, two prison guards,
Fred Wood and Lester Craw
ford, each fired two shots of
buckshot from .12 guage shot
guns.
It was not learned whether
Edwards was wounded.
Rotary Club Is
Softball League
Winner For '47
In a close finish which saw
the power company team stead
ily gaining on the Rotary, the
Rotarlans won the Franklin 1947
softball league championship by
one full game as the season,
which began May 16, ended
last Friday night with the Pow
er company trouncing Zickgraf
17 to 5, while the Rotarlans
took their third loss of the sea
son by forfeit to the Oilers. A
makeshift team composed of
some members of the regular
Rotary team and some picked
up players played .the Oilers
and won the game by a decisive
score, but the game is recorded
as a loss for the league cham
pions In the standings.
Results
Friday, August 15: ?
Rotary vs. Oilers.
(Game forfeited to Oilers;
Rotary unable to put full team
on field).
NP&L Co. 17; Zickgraf 5.
Final Standings
W L Pet.
Rotary 12 3 .800
NP&L Co 11 4 .733
Veterans 8 7 .533
Burrell 8 7 .533
Oilers 4 11 266
Zickgraf 2 13 .143
N. C. IN GEOGRAPHIC
The National Geographic
Magazine, In its September issue
puts the coast of North Card
Una in the limelight with a
handsome, 26-page spread of il
lustrations, natural color pic
tures and text.
Russell E. McKelvey returned
to Franklin Saturday from De
catur, Ala., where he was called
by the illness of his mother.
Iwho was Injured In a tralr
wreck. Mr. McKelvey report*
hla mother I* Improving.
LIONS TO BUILD
PLAYGROUND ON
COUNTY'S LOT
Commissioners Grant
Permission To Use
Area For Park
Permission to transform the
county lot, situated on the north
side of West Main Street, into a
community playground and park
was granted the Franklin Lions
club by the board of County
commissioners at a meeting of
the commissioners Monday.
A delegation, composed of
A. R. Higdon, T. W. Angel, Jr.,
W C. Burrell, and Bob Sloan,
presented the request on behalf
of the Lions club. It was grant
ed by the board, on motion of
Commissioners John W. Roane,
seconded by Commissioner W.
W. Edwards.
Chairman W. E. Baldwin told
the group from the Lions club
that, if at a future date it is
decided to construct a county
building there, the county would
have to use the lot. (The lot
was purchased by the county
several years ago, with a view
to sometimes building a court
house on it.)
Mr. Higdon, spokesman for
the delegation, remarked that
the Lions realized this, and for
that reason no permanent struc
tures would be erected.
McCall Named
As Highlands
Town Clerkl
Vernol W. McCall was employ
ed as Highlands town clerk at a
meeting of the Highlands town
council Monday night.
Mr. McCall will succeed R. L.
Dupree, who has been filling the
position temporarily, pending
employment of a permanent
clerk. Mr. Dupree has accepted
a position on the faculty of the
highlands school,
Mr. McCall, who has been em
ployed by the Highlands drug
store, will assume his duties
with the town September 1.
The Highlands council, at a
recent meeting, also decided to
employ a superintendent of. uti
lities, and Seth N. Jordan, elec
trical engineer, arrived In High
lands this week from Fulton, 111.,
to fill this position.
Mr. Jordan will be in charge
of operation and maintenance
of Highlands' utilities- the wat
er system, the power system,
and the rock quarry.
PLAN SING SUNDAY
The regular 4th Sunday Sing
ing convention will be held at
the Pentecostal church at Culla
saja Sunday, starting at 1:30
o'clock, it has been announced
by Pritchard Russell, president.
MISS CAROLYN CORRY
Miss Corry has arrived here to
assume lier duties as county
home demonstration agent,
pending the return to the posi
tion of Mrs. Florence Sherrill,
who recently was granted a
leave of absence by the board
of county commissioners.
MISS CORRY TO
BE HOME AGENT
T a k e s Post Pending
Mrs. S h e r r i 1 1 ' s
Return To Job
Miss Carolyn Corry has been
employed temporarily as county
home demonstration agent, to
fill the position made vacant
by Mrs. Florence Sherrill's ab
sence, according to W. E. Bald
win, chairman of the board of I
county commissioners.
At her request, Mrs. Sherrill, j
at a recent meeting of the com- J
missioners, was granted a leave
of absence for a six months'
period..
Miss Corry, a native of Tifton,
Ga., has arrived to assume her
duties. She came to Franklin
from Charlotte, where for the
past year she has been Meck
lenburg county assistant agent.
Miss Corry was graduated
from Queens college, Charlotte,
and has done further study at
Emory university; Atlanta, and
the University of Georgia, at
Athens.
Soco Gap
Dance T earn T o Appear '
In Highlands
The noted Soco Gap square
dance team will give an exhi
bition performance in Highlands
next Monday evening.
The event, the annual square
dance held by the Highlands
Museum and Biological Labor
atory, will be held at Helen's
Barn. The dancers will be j
brought to Highlands by Sam
Queen, well known caller who, I
with Miss Evelyn Cooper, was
chosen couple champion of the
1947 Asheville folk dance festi- |
val.
Theatre Group's Mystery
Well Received; Play Will
Be Given Here On Friday I
Playing before a capacity
crowd of some 250 persons, a
very capable group of perform
ers from the Highlands Theatre,
composed of residents and sum
mer visitors, presented "Night
of January 16th" by Anyn Rand,
Wednesday evening in the High
lands theatre. This is the fifth
season this group of amateurs,
performing under professional
standards of directing, has pre
sented a play or plays in West
ern North Carolina. 1
The play will be brought to
Franklin, under auspices of the
Rotary club here, tomorrow
(Friday) evening. It will be pre
sented at the courthouse, and
the curtain will rise at 8 o'clock.
Tickets for the Franklin per
formance are on sale at Perry's
and Angel's drug stores, or may
be obtained from members of
the Rotary club.
The play is under the direc
tion of Sara Little of Thomas
vllle, Ga., who has for many
years been associated with both
the Macon Little Theatre and
the local group of players.
Described as a comedy drama
in three acts, this play seems
more outstanding for its clever
ness of plot and the air of sus
pense which prevails, particular
ly throughout the last two acti,
than for its comedy.
A unique feature of the play
is the fact that not even the
? actors themselves know what
the ending of the play will be,
since the audience determines
the outcome.
Particularly outstanding in a
very capable cast is the work of
Marie Chambers, in the role of
Karen Andre, who is on trial
for her life. She does an excel
lent job of helping to create
the atmosphere of a real trial
by projecting herself in the role
of a confident defendant whose
whole life is changed by start
ling evidence.
Other outstanding performers
are Charles J. Wick, II, Mangus
S. Thompson, Mama Cobb, Her
bert Paul, Beverly Mathews, Vir
ginia Wilcox, Jack H. Wilcox,
Elliot Caziarc, Fred Allen, and
Ginger Edwards Brockway.
Eleven members of the cast
of 21 are year-round residents
of Highlands, and listed
among the group of amateur
performers are housewives, col
lege students, retired professors,
a photographer, and retired army
officers.
The play also was well re
ceived by a large audience pres
ent for the matinee perform
ance Wednesday afternoon.
Scrap Jury Trials,
Judge Urges As He
Opens Court Here
Middleton Is Sentenced
To 1 To 2 Years In
Autc Death Case
BULLETIN
The Highlands "front
porch" case was settled by
compromise in superior
cotfrt here Thursday at
noon. Under terms of the
settlement, the Town of
Highlands, the' plaintiff,
agreed that the defendants,
Frank B. Cook and J. Harv
ey Trice, are to retain the
first and second floor
porches of Highlands inn
until November 1, 1951, and
the defendants agreed, at
the end of that time, either
to remove both porches, or
to remove the first floor
porch and erect columns to
support the second floor
porch, so that a sidewalk
may be built where the first
floor porch now stands.
The town and the defend
ants each claimed title to
the land covered by the
front porch. The August
court term was adjourned
immediately after the com
promise was reached.
Bannister Middleton, of Jack
son county, was sentenced to
serve from one to two years in
state prison after pleading guilty
to a charge of manslaughter, in
one of the few major criminal
cases at the August term of
superior court, which opened
Monday morning with Judge
Henry L. Stevens presiding.
The criminal docket, which
consisted mostly of cases in
volving prohibition and traffic
law violations, was disposed of
by Tuesday noon.
Fines and forfeitures amount
ing to $1,875, will go to the
school fund. This compares with
$5,000 collected at the August
term of court last year.
Mr. Middleton was the driver
of an automobile in which
Mack* Allen Adams, 21, was rid
ing when he was killed in a
wreck last December 16.
The two young men, both of
whom were reported to have
been drinking, were traveling
by automobile from Sylva to
Franklin when the car failed
to make a curve in the road
about four miles from Frank
lin, near Becco's store. Young
Allen was killed in the acci
dent.
R. L. (Red) Mashburn, charg
ed on three counts with forni
cation and adultery, temporary
larcency, and drunken driving,
received suspended sentences
totaling four and one-half years. ,
Judge Stevens, in sentencing
Mashburn, told him that he was
suspending the sentence because
the defendant was his 82-year
old mother's sole support. Mash
burn was also ordered by the
court to pay Harry V. Belt, of
Asheville, whose car he had stol
en and wrecked, the sum of $85
for damage done the car, and
to pay a fine Of $100 in the
court.
The following defendants,
charged with driving while und
er the influence of intoxicants,
either pleaded guilty or waived
bills of indictment and received
suspended sentences of two
years and were fined $50 each:
Claud Moore, Charlie Russell,
Wendell Keener, Ralph Bruce
Edwards, Charlie Jones, and L.
M. Johnson. The following were
fined $100 on the same charge:
Howard Cunningham, Clyde
Southards, and Clayton Mash
burn.
Prohibition law violators re
ceived the following s'entences:
Evie Talley, two years suspend
ed, $100 and cost; Warren Guest,
eight months suspended and
cost; Roy Guest, placed on pro
bation for two years after re
ceiving a 10 months' suspended
sentence and ordered to pay
one-half the court cost; Neal
Gibson, In the same case was
ordered to pay one-half the
court cost, and prayer for judg
ment was continued for two
years; Furman Grays $250 bond
was confiscated; Bill Addison
forfeited $150 bond; Wiley Bry
son was fined $150 and given
a two-year suspended sentence
and was ordered not to sell any
malt beverages for a period of
two years; Johnny Kusterer,
1 fined $29 and coat and prayer
? Continued on Pave Ten
Present System Outmoclsd,
Stevens Declares In
Grand Jury Charge
I Both grand juries and petit or
trial Juries should be abolished,
Judge Henry L. Stevens, Jr.,
declared in his charge to the
[grand jury at the opening of
the August term of Macon
County superior court here Mon
day morning. t
By coincidence, Judge Stevens
presented this idea to the first
jury in Macon County's history
on which a woman sat
After briefly explaining that
the grand jury's duties are di
vided broadly into two classifi
cations, that of "bill finders"
and that of inspectors of public
property > Judge Stevens voiced
his belief that the system where
by those duties are handled
through a grand jury is "out
moded and there is no sense
in it".
Starts With Warrant
Turning then to the partic
ular duty of the grand jury in
passing on bills of indictment,
the judge explained that most
criminal courts proceedings
started with the issuance of a
warrant. The case then may go
before a magistrate, and then
go before a grand jury which,
after having as many of the
state's witnesses as this body
deems necessary, decides wheth
er or not a true bill of indict
ment should be brought against
the person named in the war
rant.
He declared that there was
"no sense in this long drawn
out process," and that cases
"should be tried on magistrate's
REPORT ON PAGE SIX
The report >of the grand
jury win be found on page 6.
warrants or warrants issued by
the superior court itself." Point
ing out that only the state's
witnesses are heard by the
grand Jury, the judge declared
that in 99 cases out of a hun
dred true bills are returned by
the grand jury. He indicated
that he felt that the time of
the 18 persons required to sit
on this jury could be better
spent.
"Obsolete"
In regard to the second duty
of the grand jury, that of in
specting the public properties.
Judge Stevens told the jurors
that, according to the law, they
should go to all county offices
and audit the records of those
offices. He said that this was
obsolete, and declared that it
was an impossibility for the
jury to make a proper inspec
tion of the public offices.
After stating that he felt that
he had clearly shown that the
present system is "archaic",
Judge Stevens suggested that
Continued To Page Nine ?
Eriksson
Transferred To Atlanta;
Russell Coming Here
H. C. Eriksson, assistant su
pervisor of the Nantahala Na
tional Forest since January,
1946, has been promoted to the
position of Forest Service reg
ional training officer, and will
be transferred to regional head
quarters in Atlanta, it was an
nounced this week.
His successor as assistant su
pervisor here will be Paul Rus
sell, who comes to Franklin
from duty in Montgomery, Ala.
Mr. Russell arrived Tuesday
night, and plans to move his
family here in the near future.
Mr. and Mrs. Eriksson, who
have made many friends here,
will remain in Franklin until
about the first of October, pend
ing the return of E. W. Ren
shaw, forest supervisor. Mr.
Renshaw will leave Monday on
a 37-day leave, during which he
will combine business with a
visit to relatives In Idaho.
The USS Constellation, built
in 1794 and first United States
man-of-war to capture a war
ship of another nation, was re
commlssioned during World War
II and served for a brief period
as flagship of the Commander
In-Chlef, AtUntlo Fleet.
I