JBacontan
VOL. LXIV? NO. 22
FRANKLIN, N. C., THURSDAY, JUKE 2, 1949
TEN PAGES
'49 SCHOOL YEAR
ENDS AS 89 ARE
GIVEN DIPLOMAS
Event Marked By Medal
Awards, Speeches,
Chorus Numbers
The curtain was rung down
on the 1948-49 school year for
Franklin High school with the
graduation exercises Friday
night, when 89 members of the
class of 1949 were awarded di
plomas.
Featuring the program, held
at the Macon Theatre, were
the addresses of student speak
ers, music by the girls' chorus,
and the presentation of awards;
The medal winners were:
Miss Doris Dalrymple, activ
ities; Lewis Penland, agricul
ture; Robert Farrish, athletics;
Miss Margaret Setser, athletics;
Bergen Hall, citizenship; Miss
Iris Cabe, commercial; Miss
Ethel Roper, English; Miss JuHa
Ann Higdon, history; Miss Kath
leen Webb, home economics; Miss
Phyllis Moses, language; Max
Cotbin, mathematics; Hall Cal
lahan, science; Miss Iris Cabe,
salutatorian; and Misses Mary
Alice Archer and Elizabeth Ann
Phillips, who tied for the top
scholastic class honor, and each
delivered validlctory addresses.
Student speakers, in addition to
the salutatorian and valedic
torians, were Lewis Penland,
agriculture, and Miss Kathleen
Webb, home economics.
Led by the class mascots', Car
olyn Myers, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Leonard Myers, and Bobby
Porter, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Robert L. fttrter, the seniors, in
caps and gowns, entered to the
March from Verdi's "Alda" ?
traditional processional at
f ' r a n k 1 i 'n commemcementa ?
played by Mrs. Henry Cabe,
pianist, and took their places
on the stage.
The audience, led by the chor
us, sang one verse of "America",
and the Rev. A. Rufus Morgan,
Episcopal minister, pronounced
the invocation.
In a brief talk. Miss Cabe
gave a gracious salutatory, and
Miss Archer delivered the first
valedictory.
Speaking on "Youth's Respon
slbility to the Futer of Amer
ica", Miss Archer declared this
nation faces a decision "between
free enterprise and experiment
with some other form of so
ciety". The ambition of today's
youth, she said, "Is a world free
from want and fear. We want
more than anything else to
leave a world of freedom for
the youth of tomorrow."
Members of the 64-voice chor
us, dressed in evening gowns
of pastel shades, standing be
? Continued on Page Three
PLAN SQUARE DANCE
A benefit square dance will
be held at Otto School tomor
row (Friday) night at 8 o'clock.
Music will be furnished by the
Seneca, S. C., string band. Pro
ceeds will go to Otto school.
60 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
A. W. Horn has his new bouse
up, weather-boarded, chimneys
built, and porch covered, and
is covering the main building.
The Franklin Order of the
Sons of Rest are very busy these
days shading themselves under
the maples and spinning yarns
of a dusky hue.
Misses May McDowell and Liz
zie Kelly returned Saturday
irom the State Normal College
at Greensboro.
25 TEARS AGO
The Study club met with Mrs.
John Wasilik and Mrs Hattie
Jones May 26.
For the next few days I am
going to sell sugar at 10 cents
per pound. Bill Cunningham.
?Adv.
10 YEARS AGO
Andrew Lee Leach, 66, busi
ness and civic leader, died Sun
day morning at his home in
Franklin.
The Burningtown Baptist
church will observe its 100th
anniversary on June 15.
Mr. and Mrs. E. V. Ammons,
of Franklin. Route 4, announce
the marriage of their niece, Mis*
Katharine Amnions, to William
O. Crawford.
Memorial Rites
Held On S<|u*re
Here By V. F. W.
An Impressive memorial
service ?m conducted by the
local pott of the Veterans of
Foreign Wars on Rankin
Square Saturday.
Members pf the post erect
ed a mound, symbolic of the
(raves of thf war dead, and
posted a guard of honor
around it during the morn
ing business hours. The cer
emony closed about 2 p. m.,
with the honor guard salut
ing, the playing of "Taps",
and prayer by the Rev. C. F.
Morgan.
An annual memorial serv
ice is required by by-laws pf
the V. F. W., and ?h* local
post plans a more elaborate
observance next year.
Calendar
Of The Week'*
EVENTS
?
(Data for this column should rcach
The Press by not later than n p o n
Tuesday. In order to keep the calendar
accurate, secretaries of organizations are
requested t o notify the newspaper
of changes in fhe time or place).
- THURSDAY, JUNE 2
7:30 p. m? Post No. 108,
American Legion, at Slagle Me
morial building.
8 p. m. ? Nequassa Chapter
No. 43, Order of the Eastern
Star, at Masonic hall.
SATURDAY
7:30 p. m.? Teen Age club
party at Hotel Hearn.
8 p. m. ? Dance (American
Legion benefit) at Memorial
building.
MONDAY
10 a- m. ? Board of county
commissioners at courthouse.
10 a. m. ? County board of ed
uoatfcm at courthouse.
3 p. m.? Franklin Garden club
at home of Mrs. Lester Conley.
7 p. m. ? Franklin Troop No. 1,
Boy Scouts, at Memorial build
ing.
7:30 p. m. ? Franklin hoard of
aldermen at town office.
8 p. m- ? Series of Interdenom
inational evengelistlc services
opens at Friendship Tabernacle.
TUESDAY
7: 30 p. m. ? Junaluskee Lodge
No. 145, A. F. and A. M., at
Masonic hall.
WEDNESDAY
7 p. m. ? Franklin Rotary club
at Memorial building.
7:30 p. m. ? Maoon County
Memorial Post No. 7339, Veter
ans of Foreign Wars, at Agri
cultural building.
Softball League
The 1949 Franklin Softball
league season will open with
twin games tomorrow (Friday)
night at the Franklin school, it
was announced this week.
Teams in this year's league
are the Zlckgraf Hardwood
company, the U. 8. Forest Serv
ice, the Nantahala Power and
Light company, the Van Raalfce
plant, the Franklin Rotary
club, and local oilers.
Oames are to be played, It
was announced, each Monday
and Friday evening. The pro
gram Is under the direction of
Cbach Milburn Atkins.
Tomorrow night the teams
from the power company and
Van Raalte will meet at 7:30,
and at* 9 Zlckgraf will clash
with the Forest Service.
ARMY RESERVE
SIGNAL UNIT
FORMED HERE
New Organization Will
Hold First Meeting
On June 15
A unit of the organized re
serve corps, army ground forces,
has been formed here, it was
announced this week.
The Franklin reserve unit will
be a signal company, it was
organized Friday night by a
group of Franklin reservists,
meeting at Bryson City with
Capt. Westbnook, of AsheviUe,
sub-district reserve unit In
structor. The company will hold
its first meeting here June 15
at 8 p. m. at the Agricultural
building, capt, Weitbrook will
attend the meeting and outline
in detail the work of the unit.
Lt. Ooeffrey Green, of the
Coweeta Experiment Forest, has
been selected as the unit com
mander, and Lt. Gardner Hol
den Is the local recruiter, who
will be authorized to give the
oath to men Joining the re
serve. Three officers? Lt. Green,
Lt. Holden, and Lt. William F.
Plyler ? and 45 enlisted men, all
present members of the reserve,
have been assigned to the unit.
Men eligible to join the re
serve are invited to attend the
first meeting. Any former mem
ber of the army ground forces
is eligible, it was explained.
Those men may enlist in the
reserve in their old grades it
was added.
Under new regulations, it was
explained, men who remain ac
tive in the reserve may build
up retirement time, to be add
ed to the time they were on
active duty with the army. At
the end of a total of 20 years,
norttinued on Paje Six?
52-Page Book
On Franklin
Is Off Press
A 52-page Illustrated booklet
on Franklin was Issued this
week.
Entitled, "Franklin, North
Carolina, Bcenlc Center of the
Nantahalas", the booklet was
published by The Press for the
Franklin chamber of Commerce
under the direction of a Cham
ber of Commerce cojnmlttee
made up of T. W. Angel, Jr,
K- S. (Dick) Jones, and Troupe
Callahan.
A total of 5,000 copies were
printed, tor distribution by the
Chamber of Commerce and
Franklin business firms and in
dividuals.
Jh? booklet was financed
chiefly by advertising, the cost
of the 5,000 copies to the
Chamber of Commerce having
been less than $100. Previously,
booklets have been
published by the chamber with
out advertising, with the cham
ber bearing the entire cost of
the printing.
The idea for the new book
was suggested by Donald C
Garr, of the staff 0f The Press.
WILL CLEAN CEMETERY
The Bethel Methodist ceme
tery will be cleaned today
(Thursday), starting at 8 a. m.
Those having relatives or friends
buried there are asked to come
and help.
Shoots 2 Snakes Through
Backbone With One Bullet
At Distance Of 100 Yards
i
This is a story of blacksnakes
and mafksmanship.
It Is vouched for by Mrs. E. C.
Bell, of Chicago, who was so
impressed that she wrote The
Press an account of the inci
dent, which occurred May 20
at the home of Mr. and Mrs
H. D. Ditmore at Flats. Dr. and
Mrs. Bell were visiting the Dit
mores at the time.
"We were sitting on the front
porch early Friday morning",
Mrs. Ditmore's account reads.
"Mr. Ditmore announced that
he saw a large black snake on
the bare branch of a tree,
against the sky, high up. We
could not see it at first, but
finally our eyes made out a
thin black line on the high
branch.
"Mr. Ditmore then announced
tlut binvtm in*k?, where
upon we began to tease him.
However, he ran Into the house,
fetched his .22 rifle, aimed care
fully, wham, and a great long
black snake came hurtling down
out of that tree, followed In a
few minutes by another smaller
(but not small) one.
"Mr. Dltmore ran Into the
brush, we heard some whacking
going on, and then he came
back with two thick, five or six
foot long black snakes on a
forked branch.
"When we examined them, we
found that the one bullet had
pierced the backbone of each
snake! At over 100-yards, we
thought that was a real shot!
"Mr. Dltmore was very mod
est about his marksmanship,
but Dr. Bell and I thought he
deeerved a little press notice tor
We feat."
Dirt Roads Make
Up 38 Per Cent
Of Macon Milsage
DM road* moke up 38 per
cent of the state-maintained
highway mileage in Macou
County.
Blueprints of the State
Highway and Public Works
commission show that, as of
January 1, 1949, this county
has a total of 537.5 miles of
roads maintained by the sta'e,
it was learned trim Jpe F.
Setser. Mr. Setser, wi'.vo is
highway maintenance super
visor for Macon and Jackson
counties, added that the Ma
con total is divided as fol
lows?
Paved highways, 99.3. miles.
Graveled roads, 233.3 miles.
Dirt roads, 201.9 miles.
Since figures were compiled
January 1, about sevm addi
tional miles of roads in this
county hav.e been graveled, he
said.
HERE'S TEXT OF
ROAD BOND BILL
(EDITOR'S NOTE: There
appears to be considerable
coiifusioiii and uncertainty as
to just what is provided in the
bill, passed by the recent gen
eral assembly, calling for next
Saturday's road bond election.
With a view to clearing up
this confusion, the bill itself
(except for certain routine
sections) Is reprinted below.)
The General Assembly of
North Carolina enact:
Section 1. That this Act shall
be known and may be cited as
the "Secondary Road Bond Act
of 1949."
secuop 2. lnai, suoject 10 me j
vote of a majority of the qual
ified voters of the state who
shall vote In the election called
and held as hereinafter pro
vided, the State Treasurer Is
hereby authorized, by and with
the consent of the Governor and
Council of State, to issue and
sell, at one time or from time
to time, bonds of the State, to
be designated "State of North
Carolina Secondary Road Bonds,"
in an aggregate principal amount
not exceeding two hundred mil
lion dollars ($200,000,000.00) -The
proceeds of said bonds are here
by appropriated to the State
Highway and Public Works
Commission, which appropria
tion shall be in addition to all
other appropriations heretofore
made or which may be made at
the present Session of the Gen
eral Assembly. Said proceeds
shall be used by the State High
way and Public Works Commis
sion exclusively for the purpose
of building or improving roads
and structures for those roads ,
that now or may hereafter make
up and constitute the State -
maintained county road systems,
also referred to herein and be
ing commonly known as sec
ondary roads as distinguished
from primary roads, and shall
be fairly and equitably divided
among the highway divisions of
the State by the State Highway
and Public Works Commission. |
That, the General Assembly
has determined from available
information based upon the for
mula in use by the State High
way and Public Works Commis
sion that the following words
and figures represent a fair and
equitable distribution and allo
cation of said proceeds to be
derived from said bonds, and i
that the proceeds from said I
bonds shall be allocated, and
expended, for the purposes I
hereinabove set forth to the I
several counties of the State tn
the following proportions:
(At this point the bill lists
the 100 counties, the percentage
to be allocated to each, and the j
amount of that percentage. The
amount listed for Macon is $1,
576,000!)
Notwithstanding the above !
provision for the allocation of |
said fund to various counties of
the State, the State Highway
and Public Works Commission
may retain an amount not ex
ceeding ten per cent (10%) of
the total of said fund as an
equalization fund to be used by
the said Commission for second
Continued To Par* Nine?
Swain Man Collapse*
On Street, Diet Here
I. J. Lendsey, of Wesser, col
lapsed In front of Belk's De
partment store here about 9
o'clock Monday morning. He was
taken to Angel clinic, where he
died within a few minutes. Dr.
Furman Angel said death was
caused by a heart affection,
from which he had been ?uf
f firing (or some tiros.
Voters To Decide Saturday
On 200 Million In Road And
25 Million In School Bonds
Vote!
(Editorial)
This newspaper believes that if the people of North Caro
lina approve the school and road bonds in Saturday's elec
fon it -will mark an important step forward. It believes
approval will mean better education, more rapid progress,
and greater wealth for the people of the state.
It hppes, tliterefore, that a majority of Maoon County's
citizens, in the good Judgment, not only will approve the
b nds, but that Macon County will provide a large enough
"far" margin to overcome an "against" majority in some
other county.
What is most important of all, however, Is not how the
election goes, but that the result represent the will of the
majority. And it caiuutt represent the will of the majority if
any considerable number of voters fail to cast their baltots.
This editorial Is to urge upon every registered voter in
this county ttrnt It is his or her duty <|o go to the polls and
vote his convictions, whether the vote be for or against the
bonds.
The issue is much too important for a small proportion of
the vo'ers to decide.
The Bond Election
Pros and Cons
Most of the discussion of Sat
urday's special bond election has
centered around the proposals
to Issue $200,000,000 for Improve
ment of North Carolina's rural
roads.
If there is widespread oppo
sition to the $25 00Q 000 bond
issue to build schoolhouses it
is rot vocal?some of the bit
terest opponents of the road
bonds, In fact, are emphatic in
favoring the school bonds.
But while the Petroleum in
dustries committee appears to
constitute the chief organized
opposition to the road bonds
many groups and indil'^ua4
have expressed disapproval of
^The^^ajor points of dispute
are outlined briefly below:
It would be "foolhardy for
the state to assume a debt 01
$200,000,000, opponents declare.
It Is Just as good business to
issue $200,000,000 for rural roadi
today as it was, in the twenties,
to Issue $115,000,000 for the pri
mary road system, bond advo
cates reply,
The state Highway commis
sion will have $291,580,000 avail
able for highway work during
the next four years, and so it
is not necessary to issue bonds,
say the opponents.
Bond advocates reply that .
most of that sum will be re
quired for maintenance; that,
at best, not more than 3.000
miles could be paved from cur
rent revenues.
It will be necessary to levy
exorbi'ant taxes to pay off the
bonds, opponents argue; tne
one-cent gasoline tax increase
will give this state one of tne
highest gas taxes in the union,
and a one-cent Increase in gas
tax will not be enough to pay
the interest and principal on
the bonds.
Elimination of the inud tax ,
reply advocates, will offset one
cent on the gallon of gasoline;
and that one cent tax, plvs gas
taxes to be avai!able after out
standing road bonds are taken
care of in 1953, will retire the
bonds. . .
It is economically unsound to
spend large sums Improving
roads on which only a few fam
ilies live, say opponents.
The state has a duty to pro
vide roads for rural people tne
same as for people- In town;
besides, when roads are improv
ed new houses will go up on
them bond advocates answer.
It will not be possible to spend
$200,000,000 in four years with
out great waste, argue oppon
ents. ^ .
It need not all be spent In
four years, is the reply; it will
be sepnt only as fast as it can
be spent economically.
Plan Blood Donor Drive
The American Legion emer
gency blood donor campaign
will be conducted at Angel hos
pital June 6, June 8, and June
10, from 5 to 8 P m., It was
announced this week. Names of
volunteers. It was explained will
be listed, their blood typed free
of charge, and results recorded
In permanent records. The Ust
then will be available to all
physicians for use In emergency i
cases where a resident of Ma
eon County needs a transfusion.
Facts and Figures
The time;
Saturday (June 4). Polls open
at 6:30 a. m.; close at 6:30 p. m.
The issue* :
(a) Shall the State of North
Carolina Issue $25,000,000 in
school bonds?
(b) Shall the State of North
Carolina issue $200,000,000 in
road bonds?
The purposes:
(a) To build and repair pub
lic school buildings.
(b) To improve rural roads.
Apportionment of funds:
The acts of the 1949 general
assembly, authorizing Hie bond
election, provide that the pro
ceeds from the school bonds
shall be devided among the
counties on a per pupil basis,
and that the proceeds from the
road bonds shall be divided on
a basis of area, population, and
mileage. Macon County's share
of the school bonds, on a per
pupil basis, would be $112,000.
The road bond bill sets up the
exact percentage each county
shall receive fro.n the proceeds
,of the read bonds, and states
what that percentage would be
in dollars. The act fixes Ma
con's share as $1,576,000. Ten
per cent of the total, however,
may be used as an administra
tion and equalization fund.
Who will spend the money?
The school bond proceeds
would be turned over to the
county boards of education. The
road bond proceeds would be
handled by the State Highway
and Public Works Commission.
What roads to be improved?
The state highway system, in
cluding all roads taken over for
maintenance by the state, cov
ers 63,000 miles. Of that total,
16,000 miles have been paved;
47,000 milts are unpaved. Gov.
Scott proposes "to pave 12,000
miles of these secondary roads,
and put the remaining 35,000
miles in all-weather condition.
How lone will the bonds run?
For 20 years from the date
of issue. It is anticipated that
the school bonds would be Is
sued and sold all at once. Gov.
Scott has said the road bonds
will be issued and sold as the
money is needed.
Hc,w will this debt be paid?
It is proposed to pay the
principal and interest on the
school bwids from general fund
revenues of the state.
It is proposed to pay the road
bonds with the gasoline tax,
and, if the road bonds are vot
ed, the present gas tax of 6
cents per gallon will automatic
ally be raised to 7 cents. The
Scott administration estimates
the annual carrying charge (for
principal and interest) at $14,
000.000 per year. It is estimated
that the one-cent Increase in
the gas tax will raise $7,000,000
a year*at the start. With more
and better roads, it is argued,
the consumption of gasoline
will Increase, thus increasing
the gas tax collections. And the
state expects to have enough
In the highway sinking fund by
1953 to take care of road bonds
now outstanding, so that gas
tax collections now being ap
plied on these old bonds would
be available to pay on the new
one*.
The Scott admlnUtratton *ay*
no ad valorem (ml nUU)
Acts Provide How Fund*
To Be Divided Among
State's Counties
Voters in Macon and the
state's other 99 counties will de
cide Saturday whether the state
shall issue school bonds total
ing $225,000,000..
There are two separate pro
posals:
(a) Issuance of $25,000,000 in
school bonds to aid the state's
counties in building school
houses.
(b) Issuance of $200,000,000 In
road bonds for the improvement
of the state's rural roads.
The proposed $25,000,000 for
schools Is in addition to an
other $25,000,000 which was ap
propriated outright by the 1949
general assembly from the
state's surplus. The first $25,
000,000 was ordered divided
among the 100 counties. The
proceeds of the $25,000,000 bond
issue would be divided, under
provisions of the act authoriz
ing Saturday's special election,
among the counties on a basis
of the number of pupils in
school. Macon's share, on that
basis! would be $112,000.
The act authorizing the elec
tion on the road bonds also sets
forth the method of apportion
ment among the counties. The
act says the funds shall be di
vided on a basis of three fac
tors ? area, population, and road
mileage, it then says what each
county's percentage and amount
in dollars would be on that
basis, fixing Macon County's
share at $1,576,000. There is a
provision, however, that 10 per
cent of the $200,000,000 may, if
deemed desirable, be used as
an equalization fund.
The act also provides that,
should the road bonds be ap
proved in Saturday's elect'on,
the state gasoline tax Is auto
matically to be increased from
Six to seven cents per gallon.
The increase will not go into ef
fect if the bonds are disap
proved.
Gov. Scott, who has cam
paigned for both the schrol and
road bonds, proposes, with the
road bond proceeds, to pave
12,000 miles and put in all
weather condition 35,000 miles
of the unpaved rural roads In
the state highway system.
The governor proposes to re
tire the school bonds from rev
enues that come into the state
general fund. He proposes to re
tire the road bonds from gaso
| line tax revenues.
Most political observers pre
dict a comparatively light vote,
both here and over the state.
In Macon County, the election
officials who conducted the
general election last November
have been reappointed for Sat
urday's special election.
No absentee ballots will be
permitted in the bond election.
The two issues will be decided
by majorities of the votes cast.
The polls will open at 6:30
a. m. and close at 6:30 p. m.
taxes will be needed to pay off
these bonds. (North Carolina
abolished state ad valorem taxes
about a quarter of a century
ago.)
Will there be two ballots in
Saturday's election?
No. Only one. On that ballot
the voter may vote for or
against the school bonds and
for or against the road bonds.
How will the issues be de
cided?
By the majority of the votes
cast.
Whi may vote?
Any person registered to vote
in general elections, except that
no one may vote absente.
The Weather
Temperatures and precipita
tion for the past seven days,
and the low temperature yes
terday, as recorded at the
Coweeta Experiment station.
High Low Prec.
Wednesday 74 50 .28
Thursday 72 35 .0#
Friday 72 37 .02
Saturday 76 42 .00
8unday 74 42 .00
Monday 65 52 .31
Tuesday 7J 58 1.22
Wednesday ? M .11