%\)t Macotnan
Price 6 Cents
"1
VOL LXVI? NO. 11
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, MARCH 15, 1951
TEN PAGK8
IS INSTALLING
DIAL SYSTEM
IN HIGHLANDS
Phone Firm Planning To
Switch Over Next
Month
Tha dial system telephone
equipment for the Highlands
exchange has arrived, and in
stallation was begun last week,
Russell E. McKelvey, general
hone company, has
ue expects to complete ln
atallatlon of the new equipment
In time to switch the Highlands
exchange over to the dial system
early In April.
The Highlands project Is a
of 4 system-wide expan
sion and Improvement program
t^t the company, which has
headquarters here, originally
estimated would cost $195,000.
With increasing costs of mate
rials and labor, however, the
original estimate probably will
prove too low, Mr. McKelvey
?aid.
The change from the common
battery to the dial system in
Highlands will cost between
$40,000 and $45,000, Mr. Mc
Kelvey said. The figure on the
central qfflce equipment he put
at $36,000, and the change to
the dial system means that a
new instrument must be install
ed at each of the 230 stations
aerved by the Highlands ex
******
Highlands long distance calls
WiH continue to be handled
Continued On Page Seven?
o' the Western Caro
Club Lists
1,605 Events
1 On Calendar
Response to. the .Lions club
community birthday calendar
project was "excellent", Ted
Reber, project chairman, said
Saturday when the fund raising
drive ended and final results
were tabulated.
Listings of birthdays, anni
versaries, and club meetings,
totaled 1,005, and 404 calendars
were sold. The Lions club net
ted $950 from the drive, the
chairman said, the majority of
which will be used to purchase
new instruments for the Frank
lin band.
Response to the birthday cal
endar, considering that this was
the first time the project had
been tried here, was exception
al. By way of illustrating the
success of the venture here, Mr.
Reber pointed out various other
communities the size of Frank
lin which failed to obtain more
than 200 listings the first year.
The calendars will be ready
for distribution by June 15. The
raiendar year will run from
July 1, 1951 through June 30,
1952. A person whose name ap
pears on the calendar on their
birth date will receive more
than $5 in prizes from local
merchants who contracted space
on the calendar.
The club plans to order an
additional 100 calendars which
will be put on sale to benefit
those who failed to purchase
one during the drive.
Jack Angel led all workers
by selling 511 listings and 87
calendars. Ken Hooker was high
among team captains* with 80
Urtlngs and 31 calendars. Both
of the Lions will be presented
with gold pencils at the clubs
r next meeting, Mr. Reber said.
Farmers
And Farm Women Plan
Joint Meetings
Joint meetings with farmers
and (arm women in Macon
County communities for the
coming week hare been an
nounced by the county farm
and home demonstration agents.
Men ond women are urged to
attend the meeting closest to
their community. A feature of
the meetings is the showing of
a motion picture.
This week's meetings are as
follows: Today (Thursday) Otto
school; Friday, Union Metho
dist church; Monday, Prentiss
Baptist church; Tuesday, Hick
ory Knoll Methodist church;
Wednesday, Dryman's chapel;
Ttwrsday, Oak Orovt Baptist
Hendersonville Got Over-Age
Tip From Anonymous Letter;
Moses MakesSwornStatement
Declare* He Told No
School; Explains
Phnnn Call
Carl D. Moses, principal and
basketball coach of the Otter
Creek (Nantahala) High school,
this week made public a sworn
statement that he did not "re
port the ineligibility of any
Franklin" basketball player, and
that the only telephone call he
has made recently from Rates
Service station was to T. C.
Roberson, Buncombe county
school superintendent.
At the same time, Mr. Moses
made public a sworn statement
by Mr. Roberson to the effect
that nothing in that conversa
tion "was said concerning the
eligibility of any player". The
conversation, Mr. Roberson's
statement explained, dealt with
the possibility of Nantahala's
entering its girls' team in the
Tournament of Champions, be
ing played in Asheville this
week.
Mr. Moses' action followed
widespread speculation as to
who furnished the information
to Hendersonvllle High school
on which that school based the
protest that resulted in barring
Franklin from the state play
offs at Duke university last
week-en?. Franklin was barred
from that tournament when
Hendersonvllle obtained a cer
tified copy of the birth certhi
cate of Jack Norton, Franklin
center. The certificate shows
Norton's birth date as April 2,
193b, thus making him 20 years
of age ? too old to play under
conference and state rules.
In connection with that spec
ulation, then have been reports
that Mr. Moms placed a long
distance ' ' telepftotle call fsom
Estes station shortly before the
Franklin team was declared in
eligible.
Mr. Moses' signed statement,
sworn and subscribed to before
Don L. Henry, notary public,
March 13, fellows:
"To Whom It May Concern:
"Although I would have been
Justified In reporting the In
eligibility of players on an op
posing team, this Is to certify
that I have neither by phone,
Word of mouth, or telephone re
ported the ineligibility of any
Franklin player. All I did ended
in Mr. Houk's office.
"The accompanying letter re
lates to the only phone call
that I have made from Estes
Service station since February 8
pertaining to sports in any
way."
(Mr. Moses telephoned The
Press yesterday to say that the
phrase "by phone, word of
mouth, or telephone" was a typ
ographical error; that it should
have read "by phone, word of
mouth, .or letter".)
The sentence, "all I did end
ed in Mr. Houk's office", pre
sumably refers to Mr. Moses'
presenting a certified copy of
Norton's birth certificate to O.
L. Houk, Macon County school
superintendent, and pointing
out that Norton was over-age.
That was on February 28, two
days after Franklin had de
feated Nantahala, and two days
before Franklin played and de
feated Hendersonvllle at Spin
dale.
Mr. Roberson's signed state
ment was sworn and subscribed
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 0
Will Require AH
Athlete* To Give
Birth Date Proof
Any Macon County bgy or
firl trying out for a high
school athletic team in fu
ture must first present the
principal of the school with
a certified copy of his or ber
birth certificate.
This procedure was ordered
by the county board of edu
cation Monday.
The motion was made by
Bob Sloan, seconded by Prank
Browning, and passed unani
mously.
21 ATHLETES
GETLETTERS
F ranklin Declines Play
In Asheville; Age
Lowered Year
Coach Milburn Atkins pre
sented 51 letters to Franjclin
High school athletes, cheerfead
ers, and team managers yester
day (Wednesday) afternoon In
a farewell address to the stu
dent body of the school.
The coach leaves this week
end for Knoxville, Tenn., where
he plans to enter the Univer
sity of Tennessee and complete
his master's degree.
The following received mono
grams as principal actors in the
school's, sports play during the
past season:
Football: George R. Pattlllo,
Richard Mashburn, Richard
Jones, Charles Thomas, Wayne
Stewart, John Alsup, Frank
Deal, George Brown, Zeb Me
Haffey, Charles Cabe, Jack Nor
ton, Carroll Chllders, John Arch
er, III, Paul Killian, Frank
Nantahah lassies, county
champs, walloped the Clear
mont {iris, 53 to 38, Tuesday
nigiht in the opening round
of the Tournament of Champ
ions in Ashiville.
Henry, III, Charles Norton, Hen
derson Huggins, Bill Waldroop,
and Kermlt Dehart.
Basketball (boys) : Charles
(Bo) Norton, Richard Jones
Gene Stamey, Ted Stamey, L
A. Moore, Andrew Moses, Tom
my Raby, Mac Lewis, and Car
rol Keener.
Basketball (girls) : Birdie Sue
Carpenter, Betty Lee Moore
Shirley Dean, Carolyn Bryson
Orace Setser, Jean Setser, Con
naree Nolen, Annette Dalrymple
Dorothy Medlin.
Team Managers: Wllma Ren
shaw, Connie Potts, Joe Patton,
and Junior Dills.
Cheerleaders: Carolyn Bryson,
Shirley Dean, Pauline Dills, Jul
ia Hunnlcutt, Betty L. Con
stance, and Wllma Renshaw.
The Franklin basketballers,
who were recently disqualified
from the state tournament be
cause of an over-age player,
declined to enter the Tourna
ment of Champions, which Is
underway In Asheville this
Although eligible to play in
| the cage classic as county
i champions, team members de
cided to "let the sleeping dog
; lie" following the teams' inelig
ibility to enter the state tourn
ey.
Annual Elementary Basketball
Tournament Here Is Under Way
Basketball, still raging on the
grammer school level, swung
Into high* gear last night In
the Franklin High gym as the
three-day district one elemen
.tary tournament got under way.
The midget teams, boys and
girls, are fighting it out (or the
district championship. The fin
als will be held Friday night. |
Last night, the Slagle school <
lassies took to the floor against
Cowee at 7 o'clock to determine
which would face the Cullasaja |
gals tonight (Thursday) at 7
o'clock In the semi-finals. Win
ners of last night's games are 1
not known.
The victor of tonight's clash
will meet the winner of the
Otto-Franklin battle, which gets
under ?u at S o'clock this aft
?moon, far tha aMmpionship
' finals.
I The male end of the midget
| basketball roster saw the Cul
lasaja and Otto lads fight It out
last night at 8 o'Ctock, and the
|siagle and Franklin cagers at
9 o'clock.
The winners of the Wednes
day tilts will meet tonight at
9 o'clock in the semi-finals, and
the victor of that scrap will
I take on the winner of the Iotla
Cowee battle for the male
championship Friday night at 8
o'clock. The Iotla-Cowee classic
will be played tonight at 8
o'clock.
Admission for the Thursday
semi-finals will be 15 cents for
children and 25 for adults. Fri
day night finals tickets will b?
25 cent* for children and 50
MDti for adult*.
First Information Came
From Cullowhee, Says
Henderson Official
Hendersonvllle High school
received its first tlp^hat iTk
Norton Franklin High basket
ball player, might be over-age
in an anonymous letter.
That fact was disclosed by
Pf'nclpal of the
Hende sonville school, in a tel
ephone call to The Press
_,T^e letter, typewritten on
plain paper and Inclosed In a
P'f'n envelop,, was
hori ^?6,h ?nd th? Postmark
bore the date of March 4. It
2'W,, 'hat a "persistent
rumor that Jack Norton was
over-age be Investigated
i ^r'_.Davl3 caUed The Press
last Thursday, explaining that
he had heard the disqualifica
tion of the Franklin basketball
team from participation In last
week's state play-offs at 'Duke
I? ? *had created "some
between Macon County
schools", and that he wished
to assure the public here that
his school had received no in
formation, in person, by letter,
or by telephone, from Macon
County.
..The Hendersonvllle school au
thorities subsequently received
a number of tips, by mall and
by telephone, he said, to the
mfffhf ^at 8 FranWln Player
might be over-age, but it was
the anonymous letter that
brought Mr. Davis to Franklin
following Honday (March
7* youn? Norton's birth
certificate.
The Franklin team won the
ight to enter the state finals
?v defeating first Hickory and
then Hendersonvllle in the reg
tonal tournament at Snlndale
Friday and Saturday, March 2
and 3.
Following receipt of the an
onymous letter, however Mr
Pa^lsJcame to Franklin and ob
VnrW,'8 K?LU,ledi copy ?f Jack
Norton s birth ee' tlficate. whic>
him to be 20 years of
l baals ot 'that birth
^Iflcate. he filed the protest
with L. J. Perry, N. C. High
School Athletic association sec
,rary' at Chapel Hill. The fol
Wlng morning, Mr. Perry call
, i 8utton> Franklin High
Hri iiithn and a8k8d that Frank
lin withdraw from the tourna
ment. Mr. Sutton complied.
Mr Davis expressed regret
,t?r 'ncldent. He said when
t became generally known in
iendersonvllle that there was
of ?elJ^ni,wb0ut the eligibility
^ "klin Player, pressure
tom1estlgLdeVel0Ped f?r him
thPr "nSLgned ,etter bearing
th? Cullowhee postmark read;
not my wish to carry
gossip, nor to muddy any of
the still waters, but r have
Je.ard a rumor that may lnter
est you and may be old news.
?? a rather persistent
?f the Norton
u ? " ??un the franklin team
*i?0W!r, the age limit, and I
believe it refers to Jack, but It
could be the other one.
If this Is true, It would give
you grounds for a protest on
the results of the game Satur
day night. This rumor could be
verified by calling the bureau
of vital statistics in Raleigh "
Red Ciro*s Drive
Total To Date
Stands At $900
Contributions to the Red
Cross drive this week totaled
approximately $900 as work
ers canvassed the county in
an effort to put Macon Coun
ty over the top of its $2,836
(oal by the end of the month.
Mrs. J. Ward Lone, chapter
secretary, said donations were
probably higher than the fig
ure, since bad weather had
prevented a number of county
workers from reporting con
tributions.
WU1 Hold Revival
The Rev. C. E. Murray, pastor
of the Franklin Methodist
church, will conduct a week of
revival services at Carson's
Chapel beginning Sunday night.
Services will begin at 7:30 each
night. The public is invited to
attood.
MEN ENTERING
SERVICE TO GET
PRESS AS GIH
Veterans Organization*
To Give Paper To
All Leaving
Hereafter, all Macon County
men who enter the armed forces
will be presented a ?ne-year
subscription to The Franklin
Press, as a "going-away gift,
by the veterans organizations
here.
Officers of the three service
organizations? Macon Post No.
108, American Legion, Ma'
con Memor 9I Post No. 7339,
Veterans or Foreign Wars?at a
conference last Thursday night
voted to send The Press to all
Macon men departing to ente
the service.
This week Highlands Memor
ial Post No. 370, American Leg
ton, announced it would join in
the project.
In making the announcement,
it was emphasized that the plan
lis designed to apply to reserv
llsts and volunteers, as well as
selectees. While the names of
selectees are easily obtainable
from the local draft board, it
was pointed out that it is more
difficult to learn what reservists
are called back to duty, or wha
men volunteer, and the grou"
aiked for co-onerat'on on tn?s
point. Reservists and volunteers,
or their relative's, are asked to
notify the local V. F. W. or
Legion posts, so that B'ft ceF~
tlflcates may be presented to
these men also.
Another project, to provide
air mall postage for all copies
of The Presr going to Macon
servicemen overseas, with a view
to speeding delivery, was dis
I cussed, but action was de'e"ed
The cost would be about $9 a
year, per man, and the veter
ans organizations felt they
not In financial position at this
time to go ahead with this idea
Approximately 30 Macon men
are now on the overseas mail
ing list of The Press.
It was decided, when a Macon
man leaves here for the service
to present him a gift certifl
-ate, entitling him to a years
subscription to the paper. Then,
when he Is assigned to a un
and a semi-permanent address,
he will send a printed card
also to be furnished him, filled
in with his name and address^
When he mails this card back
to The Press, the subscription
will be started.
The veterans posts here in ine
past have shown all departing
selectees some gesture of appre
ciation. One group was given a
dinner, and each member of
groups leaving recently has been
presented a billfold. This gift
of a one-year Press subscription
to those leaving in the future
is a continuation of that policy.
Those attending Thursday
night's conference, In addition
to Post commanders E: W Ren
shaw, of the Legion, and Frank
Plyler, of the V. F. W. were
James A. Carroll, T. L Jam son,
Cecil Parker, Paschal Norton,
Lon Dal ton, John Crawford E.
I J. Carpenter, Jr., and John Gib
son Murray. _
Church To Sponsor Bake
Sale Firiday Morning
The St. Agnes Episcopal Aux
iliary will sponsor a bake sale
tomorrow (Friday) morning at
the Children's shop at 9 o'clock.
Bids Above Money
Left For Schools
Mrs. Bolton 1
Named Worthy Matron
Of Eastern Star
Mrs. Claude Bolton will be In
stalled this evening as the new
worthy matron of the Nequassa
chapter of the Order of the
Eastern Star.
Mrs. Bolton and other officers
were elected at a meeting of the
chapter a fortnight ago.
The other elected officers are:
Ed Whltaker, reelected worthy
patron; Mrs. Jim Cunningham,
associate matron; James L.
Hauser, reelected associate pa
tron; Mrs. Frank I. Murray,
reelected secretary; Mrs. Rumby
Ray, reelected treasurer; Mrs.
Rufus Snyder, conductress; and
Mrs. Will Parrish, associate con
ductress.
All the officers, elective and
appointive, will be installed at
a public ceremony at the Slagle
Memorial building at 8:15 o'clock
tonight.
Plan Revival
In 31 Baptist
Chu/chesHere
Macon County's 31 Baptist
churches are presently making
plans for a simultaneous reviv
al, along with other Southern
Baptist churches east of the
Mississippi river, which will run
from March 25 to April 8, the
Rev. M. W. Chapman, pastor of
the Franklin church, announc
ed this week.
In preparation for the county
wide revival, study courses on
evangelism and soul-winning
prayer meetings in the churches
and homes, an?l rallies among
men, women, and young people
have beeir under way since the
first of the year.
As a preliminary to the re
vival, Mr. Chapman announced
that prayer meetings will be
held in Baptist homes through
out the county, starting Mon
day. The home prayer meetings
will be conducted by districts.
On Wednesday, prayer meetings
will be held at the churches.
Following Is a schedule of
home meetings. The first two
names In each district repre
sent the chairman and deacon
of the district, respectively. The
name following the day of the
week is the home at which the
meeting will be held.
District 1: Mrs. Paul Carpen
ter and Paul Carpenter. Mon
day, Mrs. John Moore; Tuesday
Mrs. Earl Ward; Thursday, Mr.
and Mrs. W. N. Cook; Friday.
Mr. and Mrs. George Dean.
District 2: Mrs. Charlie Brad
ley and M. L. Styles. Monday
Mr. and Mrs. George Elliot:
Tuesday, Mr. and Mrs. Charles
Bradley; Thursday, Mrs. Alice
Rimmer; Friday, Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Conley.
District 3: Mrs. Lee Wood and
W. A. Hays. Monday, Mrs. Lena
Arnold; Tuesday, Mr. and Mrs.
Gene Huscusson; Thursday, Miss
Catherine Crisp; Friday, Mr. and
Lee Wood.
District 4: Mrs. John Archer
and Earl Henson. Monday, Mr.
and Mrs. Tom Roland; Tuesday,
Mr. and Mrs. John Jones; Frl
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 6
Finish Plains For Dawn
Service On Way ah Bald
(Abo see story on Page 9)
The age-old but over-new
Easter promise of hope. In word
and song, will echo across the
valleys from mile-high Wayah
Bald Sunday week.
It will be the fourth annual
interdenominational Easter sun
rise service on Wayah.
The service Is set for 6:25
a. m.
As usual, the service will be
simple ? a brief talk, prayer, and
vocal and instrumental music;
its simplicity emphasized by the
spectacular beauty of the set
ting. As the sky reddens above
the towering peaks to the east,
the valleys below still filled with
darkness and fog, the triumph
ant notes of Easter music #111
open the service.
Audiences In past years have
been made up of persons of all
denominations, and persons who
belong to no church; of per
sons from widely separated parts
of the county; and of persons
of all ages ? several In their
eighties have been present at
previous services.
The program again will be
held at "High Haven", the Oll
mer A. Jones camp.
As was the case last year,
sound equipment will make It
possible for worshippers to
gather on the porch and face '
the rising sun, to sit Inside the
cabin before the wood fire, or
to remain In their automobiles.
Persons planning to attend
are being advised to give them
selves plenty of time for the
trip, preferably arriving at "High
Haven" by not later than 6:15
or 8:30. O. L. Houk, local weath
er observer, has calculated that
the sun will r^e Caster morn
ing |;ii o'clock.
Soard Defers Action
On 3 Structures
Till Monday
The Macon County board of
education Monday opened bids
3n the construction of the Car
toogechaye, lotla, and Union
schools, found that the bids
totaled more than the money
available, and deferred action
for one week.
It was brought out in the dis
cussion of the low bids that
enough money is available to
build the classrooms at the
three schools, plus auditoriums,
or the classrooms, plus cafeter
ias.
This would not leave any
money, however, for the Frank
lin school auditorium and for
the Negro school, the other two
projects in the county-wide
building program.
Faced with this problem, the
board members voted to take
a week to study the situation,
and to give citizens, especially
in the communities a:fected,
time to express themselves. The
board will meet again Monday
at 10 a. m.
Couunty Superintendent G. L.
Houk said the bids on general
construction, plumbing, heating,
and electrical work for the
three schools. Including audi
toriums and cafeterias and
kitchens, totaled $313,077.
After It has completed pay
ment for the four schools ?
Nantahala, Highlands, Franklin
high and East Franklin elemen
tary ? now under construction,
the board will have approx.
mately $248,000 left from the
$514,000 county school building
bond issue. It also has about
$12,000 remaining from the
$361,000 state school building
grant, making a total available
for these three buildings of
$260,000.
The board also has a fund of
$25,000 or $30,000, accumulated
from court fines and forfeitures,
etc. In discussing this fund this
week, however, Mr. Houk sug
gested that it would be needed
for equipment for the new
buildings and for grassing and
otherwise landscaping the
grounds.
The four schools now under
contract will cost about $5.82
per square foot of floor space, it
was pointed out at the meeting,
whereas the low bids submitted
Monday for the three addition
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 6
Evans To Conduct
Series Of Special
Preaching Services
The Rev. Hoyt Evans an
nounced this week that he will
conduct a week of special
preaching services at the Frank
lin Presbyterian church, begin
ning Sunday morning.
The general subject of the
series will be, "Jesus Christ, the
Author and Finisher."
The first service will be held
Sunday morning at 11 o'clock,
and one will be conducted each
night at 7:30 o'clock through
Friday of next week. The 11
o'clock service Sunday morning,
March 26, will conclude the
series.
OPEN BIDS
Bids for the construction at
the proposed new Nanteluli
Power and Light company of
building here were Kh?d>M
to be opened in Pittsburgh
yesterday at noon.
PLAN YOUTH RALLY
A county-wide youth rally,
sponsored by the Macon coun
ty Baptist Training union, will
be held at the First Baptist
church, Saturday evening at
7:30, It has been announced.
The Weather
Temperature* and precipitation for Ike
peet seven days, and the low temperature
yesterday, as recorded at tto Coweeta Ex
periment station.
High Low Pet.
Wednesday 72 48 .06
Thursday 74 44 trace
Friday 68 30
Saturday 49 54
Sunday 45 37 .58
Monday 44 40 .17
Tuesday 37 33 .36
Wednesday ..... .... 33 trace
(As mmM to Mmm Stilts Isr TVA?
Wednesday, LIS; Thursday,
.04; Friday, none; Saturday,
none; Sunday, 51; Monday, M;
Tuesday, .31; Wednesday, M.
H" *no?.