67TH YEAR
?
Western North Carolina's
Oldest Weekly Newspaper
Vk* Jftaconian
*1
rOL. LXVn? NO. 7
FRANKLIN, N. C., THURSDAY, FEB. 14, 1952
CIRCULATION
LAST WEEK 2768
Year Ago Last Week - 2314
SIXTEEN PAGES
MACON TO GET
$8,968 FROM
FOREST FUNDS
Total For 6 Nantahala
Forest Counties
Is $26,318
The seven Western North
Carolina counties having acre
age lying within the Nantahala
National forest are due to re
ceive $26,318.87 from the gross
receipts of the forest for the
1951 fiscal year, according to E.
W. Renshaw, supervisor of the
Nantahalas.
Macon County's share of the
sum will be approximately $8,
968 ? the largest amount receiv
ed by any of the 26 counties in
the state eligible to receive for
est funds.
Each year a percentage of
gross receipts from national for
ests is allotted to counties hav
ing forest land within their
boundaries, Mr. Renshaw ex
plained.
Shares each county will re
ceive are computed on the basis
of national forest acreage with
in the county, he said.
The supervisor estimated that j
the total amount to be received
by the seven counties in the
Nantahalas will represent about
six cents per acre.
Counties, other than Macon, 1
eligible for funds from the Nan
tahala forest are Cherokee, Clay,
SEE NO. 1. PAGE 6
$1200 Raised
For Polio So
Far In Macon
Contributions to the March of t
Dimes drive this week totaled
more than $1,200, and a number
of Macon townships still had
not reported..
Since a number of townships
got off to late starts, County
School Supt. Holland McSwain,
who is heading this year's cam
paign, last week extended the
drive to February 16.
When announcing contribu
tions yesterday (Wednesday) the i
chairman said the county is i
progressing satisfactorily to
ward its $3,500 goal.
A number of Macon schools |
and civic organizations have |
held, or are planning to hold,
special benefits for the Dime
drive.
Nantahala township, under !
the leadership of Warren Owen
by, had almost doubled its $76
quota last week, reporting dona
tions of more than $137. A
talent show, sponsored by the
Nantahala Women's club, raised
$58 of the amount; another $48
was given by school children;
the community's churches dona
ted $33; and the "Iron Lung"
collection boxes yielded about
$8, It was reported.
Grady Henry, of Ellijay, this
county's first polio victim last
year, is waging a one-man war
on the disease. Last week he
turned over $68 to Mr. McSwain,
money he had personally col
lected for the drive.
Smith's Bridge township re- 1
ported it had raised more than
its quota.
Pfan Full-Time
Methodist Youth
Worker In Macon
A proposal to obtain the serv
ices of a full-time youth work
er is being considered by offic
ials of Macon County's 19 Meth
odist churches, the Rev. C. E.
Murray, pastor of the Franklin
Methodist church, said this
week.
The Suggestion to employ a
youth worker originated with
the Methodist men's organiza
tion, he said. Should the
churches decide in favor of the
proposal, Mr. Murray said the
selection of a worker would
probably be made by the state
Woman's Society of Christian
Service.
Jorda is Take Over
Skywuy Hotel Here
The Skyway hotel, Franklin, i
Is now under new management. I
Mrs. W. J. Jordan and her I
son, 'V. R. Jordan, of Sylvester. I
Ga., tciofc over the management |
of the hotel last. week.
Th ? fr naer manager. Miss j
Dorothy ba'tman, has return -id j
to Car. oil ton, Ga.
Here's New Home Of Nantahala Company
I
? ?Staff i f'.olo hy J, P. lira :y ,
Pictured above is the new, modern home of theN"; ntahala Power 'and Light- Company- here. The of
fice building, with its Mount Airy granite and alunvnmn trim front, is a pleasing sight to pass* rsby on A
west Main .street. The move info the $200,000 quart. is was made , February 2, and comptiny employes arc
now verv much at home in their new surrounlings. (TV/ details, see pages 11, 13, 14, 1 5? an'd 16.)
GUESTS BODY
BROUGHT HOME
Macon Soldier, 23, Buried
With Military Rites
At Sugarfork
The body of George Edgar
Guest, a 23-yeax-old Macon
County soldier who died October
17 of wounds received in action
in Korea, was returned here
for burial ' last week.
The young private first class
was the son of Mr. and Mrs.
J. Coley Guest, of Franklin,
Route 4.
Funeral services were con
ducted Saturday afternoon at 2
o'clock at the Sugarfork Bap
tist church by the Rev. Arvil
Swafford, pastor, the Rev. C. E.
Murray, pastor of the Franklin
Methodist church, and the Rev.
Robert Burnett.
Graveside rites were conduct
ed by members of the local Vet
erans of Foreign Wars post,
commanded by W. W. Reeves,
with the post chaplain, Mr.
Burnett, in charge. Burial was
in the church cemetery.
Pfc. Guest was wounded Oc
tober 4 while serving with com
pany G, 5th Cavalry regiment
He died 13 days later in an
army hospital.
A Franklin High school grad
uate and a former employe of
Zickgraf Lumber company here,
he. entered service November 30,
1950, receiving basic training at
Fort Jackson, S. C. He reported
for overseas duty May 13, 1951.
In August he was awarded the
combat infantryman's badge
while serving with his regiment
in the front lines.
He was a member of the Hol
ly Springs Baptist church here.
Surviving are his parents;
three sisters, Mrs.' Clifford
Barnes, of Atlanta, Ga., and
Misses Mattie Jo and Inez Guest,
of Franklin, Route 4, and Ap
prentice Seaman Clyde J. Guest,
with the naafv in San Diego,
Calif.; the paternal grandfath
er, George Guest, of Franklin,
Route 4; and the m^ernal
grandmother, Mrs. George Crisp,
of the Cullasaja community.
Pallbearers were the follow
ing members of the V. F. W.
post: Robert Hansell, Robert
Burnett, Ed Williams, Woodrow
Shope, Pascal Norton, Weaver
Shope, and Robert J. Angel.
Arrangements were under the
direction of Bryant Funeral
home.
100 Attend Lions'
Ladies' Night Event
About 100 persons ? Lions and
their Lionesses and other guests
attended the iudit.' night din
ner program of the Franklin
Lions club, held at the Sla?:le
Memorial building Monday eve
v'ng. Claude Bolton was pro
gram chairman for the eve
ning'-, program, which was de
voted to le.lowship and the
playing of games.
Commerce Body Board
To Be Picked By Mail
The board of directors of the
Franklin Chamber of Commerce
last week voted against a pro
posal for the merger of the
commerce body and the Macon
County Tourist association.
The directors appointed a spe
cial committee to nominate new
officers for 1952, and put ma
chinery in motion to conduct
a mail election to pick new
commerce body leaders.
The session was held Wednes
day of last week at Duncan
Motor company, with five of
the seven-man board present.
J. C. Jacobs, present head of
the C. of C., said the decision
to abandon the idea of con
solidating with the county tour
ist association was unanimious.
Named to the nominating
committee we.re B. L. McGlam
ery, chairman, H. W. Cabe, R.
L. West, and Lee Wood.
Mr. Jacobs said ballots with
the names of those suggested
by the committee will be mailed
to members of the C of C some
I time next week.
Five directors will be chosen
in the mail election. Rounding
out the seven-man board are
Frank B. Duncan and Claude
! Bolton, both serving the last
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 6
Toy Balloon, After
1,000-Mile Flight,
Lands In Nantahala
This may sound l'ke a lot
of hot air but ? a toy balloon
recently made a 1,000-mile
flight from Louisiana to the
Nantahalas.
O. R. Roper, of Franklin,
Route 3, found the adventure
ous gas-filled globe January
20 ? eight days after it was
released in Homer, La., as a
promotion stunt for Emerson
Motor company there. Since
the balloon had the motor
company's address, Mr. Roper
dropped a letter in the mail
telling of his find.
"We released these balloons
(six) on the afternoon of Jan
uary 12, filled with natural
gas", an official of the Louis
iana concern explained to the
Mr. Roper in replying.
"Everyone here was surpris- '
ed that a balloon could travel
so far."
So is everyone here!
World
Day Of Prayer To Be
i Observed Here
Christians the world over will
gather in churches great and
small on Friday, February 29,
to pray for guidance in to
day's tense and complex situ
ation.
The local observance of this
World Day of Prayer will be
held at the Presbyterian church J
here, with church people of all ;
denominations from over the
county invited to Join In the
service. The hour and the pro
gram will be announced later.
Meanwhile, Mayor W. C. Bur
rell this week proclaimed Febru
ary 29 as World Day of Prayer
in Franklin, and called on citi
zens of this community "to
join whole-heartedly" in the ob
servance.
"In these days of internation
al tension", Mayor Bu well's
proclamation said, "it Is heart
ening that religious groups
throughout th- world will pause
. . . and ask that God give us
light to guide us, courage to
support us an.1 love to reur t >
u*s". I
Eleven Of 57
Registrants
Placed In 1-A
Eleven of the 57 men classi
fied at a recent meeting of the
local selective service board
were placed in 1-A (available
for military service), according
to board officials.
Classified 1-A were Fred M.
West, Spence R. Ledford, Bobby
J. Reece, Edwin C. Hall, Wiley
A. Cabe, Eugene E. Patton, Ken
neth R. Bleckley, Buster M.
Thomas, Charlie C. Gibson,
Thomas T. Guy, and Paul D.
Seagle.
Placed in 1-C (member of
armed forces, enlisted) were
Hoyt N. Brookshlre, Daniel R.
McCall, Bobby T. Rogers, and
Melburn D. Evans.
Those classified 1-C (member
of armed farces, inducted) in
cluded Ralph E. Baldwin, Har
old J. Dendy, Harold J Cope,
Max D. Cruse, Kenneth E. John
son, Odis P. Welch, Wayne F.
Deweese, Obadiah N. Moore,
Howard E. Carpenter, Don W.
Henry, Doyle G. Peek, William
Y. Bryson, Paul R. Craine, Her
bert G. Southards, Jack Grant,
and Harry R. Tallent.
Put in 1-D (member reserve
unit) were Willie R. Curtis,
Charlie R. Norton, Tudor G.
Hall, Bobby J. Corbin, and John
C. Thomas.
Classified 3-A (deferred, de
pendents) weie Howaid W.
Southard, Avery J. Mashburn,
Kenneth Crawford, and Loyde
Hooper.
Placed in '-F (unfit for serv
ice) were Donald E. Brown, Bert
E. Waldroop, Billy J. Bretidle,
J. L. Collins, William J. Kins
land, Cecil R. D. McCall and
Charlie D. Henry.
Othtr classifications included
1-C (reserve) VTU) \. Berry;
i-S-C (college student) Joseph
A. Waldrooo, and Joseph D
Henson; 1-S-H (high school stu
dent) Edwin !, Poindeuter,
old W. Brookshire, Normtn A
Seay, and Otl O. Bradley; 4- A
(prior ser.'lr ?> (,,u? M Henson;
dtceasei', B ?n.iamir. I.. Heddin
and Clinton D Rolan d
?C95!T WEEK lSi
OBSERVED HERE
11 Franklin Youngsters
To Get Promotions
Tonight
Franklin Scouts observed Na
' tional Boy Scout Week, which
ended yesterday (Wednesday),
with a special church service
Sunday, a window display in a
jdowntown store, and a camping
' exhibit arranged on the town
square.
Tonight, 11 local scouts will
attend a Smoky Mountain dis
trict court of honor in Chero
kee to receive scouting awards.
In observance of Scout week,
J the church service was held at
the First Baptist church. Cub
Scout Douglas Pearson read the
j Scripture lesson and Eagle
Scout Russell McKelvey led the
attending Scouts and adult
leaders in prayer.
On display at Belk's Depart
ment store was an exhibit of
| minerals, wood varieties, and
? knot tying. The camping exhibit
i on the Square showed the es
isentials of good camping.
At the court of honor tonight,
Robert (Bud> Siler, son of Mr.
I and Mrs. Allen Siler, of Frank
I lin, is scheduled to be advanced
j to Life rank, one step below
I scouting's highest award, Eagle
I rank.
Star .rank will be awarded
Lamar Houston. Franklin Mc-.
Swain will receive second class.
Scouts slated to receive merit
badges include Richard Ren
! shaw, Leonard Long, Robert
j Wpmack, Tommy Gnuse, Bill
Mendenhall, Edward Shatley,
Lamar Houston. Bruce Houston,
land Jimmy Parrish.
5 Troops
Of Girl Scouts Ready For
Registration
Five new Girl Scout troops ?
j including Franklin's Negro
j troop ? are ready for reglstra
j tion in the Nantahala Girl
Scout district.
The Franklin Negro troop will
be designated Troop 27, scout
j officials said.
New troops for the area were
! announced at a recent area
j council and- board meeting in
' Bryson City.
jPlan PTA 'Family
Night' Supper And
Program Saturday
A Founders' Day program v.ill
be a leature of the Franklin
Parent - Teacher association's
"family night" supper meeting
J 6aturd.iy at e p. m. at the
Frank' ir . igh cafeteria, it has
| bier in.icin.ci d.
A hife o 75 cent}, per plate
w i; Jjp made, it was 'iid.
.The menu includes ham or
'tied chijiwi. t, b ans, slaw, appli
[sauce, rolls and butter, an I a
I choice of dnnk and dtoScrt.
?Irs. C. N Dowdle is general
1 chairman for the supper.
Officers Capture
Trio Of Convicts
McFayden
To Be N. C. E. A. Dinner
Speaker Tonight
Henry C. McFayden, of Ral
eigh, public relations director
of the North Carolina Educa
tion association, will be the
guest speaker at a banquet of
the local unit of the N. E. A.
tonight at the Franklin High
school.
Special guests at the dinner |
will be members of the Macon
County Citizen's Committee for
Education, according to Miss l
Roberta Enloe, local N. E. A.
president. i
Mr. McFayden is expected to
discuss the legislative program
being advanced by the United
Forces for Education organiza
tion in the state.
The banquet is scheduled for
6:30 p. m. at the high school
lunchroom.
Members of the Franklin Par
"nt-Teacher association will
prepare and serve the meal.
Saws Way
Out Of Jail
And Escapes
A one-time resident of this
county, who was arrested in De
troit, Mich., several weeks ago
and returned here for trial,
broke o 't of the Macon county
jail last Thursday night by
picking the lock in a cell door
and sawing h.'s way to freedom
through a batiM window, the
sheriff's office reported,
The man was identified as
Bennie Queen, a farmer Macon
County resident. Sheriff J Har
ry Thomas said he was charged
with abandonment and automo
bile theft and was beind hek'
for trial at the April term of
superior court here.
Officers disclosed that the
escapee chartered a Franklin
taxi to take him as far as
Sylva. According to the sheriff,
the taxi driver said Queen came
to his home the night of the
escape, passing himself off as a
citizen of Sylva whose automo
bile had broken down on a
road nearby. From Sylva, offic
ers said Queen had been traced
to Tennessee.
Sheriff Thomas said Queen
had been permitted to have
several visitors at the jail, and
he reasoned that someone must
have slipped him a hack saw
blade during one of the visits.
After picking the cell door
lock, Jueen cut two bars out of
a window and made good his
escape over the kitchen roof of
the jail, he said.
The jail break was the first
( one for the county in several
Ice Cream Alone
Missing After Boy
Breaks In School
! A taste for ice cream placed
: a 13-year-old school boy in the
! hands of juvenile court auth
! orities Thursday rriorning.
i charged with breaking into Knst
Franklin school the ni<-ht be
fore.
The youth broke a window
i and entered the school of i ice
Wednesday night, officers said
Ice cream wak the only thing
j school officials found missinr'.
] At a hearing before Mbs Kate
McGee, cle.ric of court an-' } iv ?
nile judge, the boy wa~ - ' on a
suspended sentence.
"Ian Girl Scout Ral'v ,
Here Saturday Afternoon
Plans for spr ig Scouting ac
tivities are expveted to be map
ped at a Nantahirla Girl Scout
area Rally slated for Saturday
at 2 p. m. at Franklin High
school local Scout officials siir*
this week. All ^rea troops ar ?
[expected to be present, it was
| aid. A program of skits ana
contests amcr.g troops also
I oianred.
Will, HOLE BAKE SALE
The Auxiliary u' ?t Agr '.s
Episcopal chur :h wi'1 holo its
monthly benefit Dak', srle to
morrow (Fn lay) r~oinlng at 9
o'clock at the Children's Snor
Driver Seeks To Shoot
It Out; Auto Loaded
With Guns
A hard-bitten trio ol ex-con
victs, their small coupe loaded
with stolen goods and a small
arsenal, were arrested Monday
afternoon on the Georgia road
by local officers and are lodged
in the Macon county jail facing
a number of charges, here and
in South Carolina.
The driver of the car threat
ened for a brief interval to
shoot It out with a highway
patrolman and a deputy sheriff
as the officers closed in to make
an arrest.
It developed Tuesday that two
of the three are escaped pris
oners, one from a South Caro
lina jail, another from a prison
camp in this state, of fleers re
ported.
The trio was identified as
Jake B. and J. B. Hall, Jr..
brothers, of Route 3, Travel
er's Rest, S C., and David Lee
Overman, Jr., of Blackstone, Va.
All three have past prison rec
ords, officers said.
A bloodhound ferreted out
the hiding place of one of the
three after he jumped from the
j car when the driver drew a
| pistol on Highway Patrolmar.
C. M. Eyrd and Deputy Sheriff
Calvin Roland.
The officers said the small
arsenal found in the car includ
ed two pistols, a high-powered.
riMe, four .22 calibre rifles, two
| shotguns and an ample supplj"
I of ammunition. All the i^uns
we e loaded but two t'.icy add
led.
Spot Car
' Events leading to the jailing,
of the trio were reported as
follows: ??
After receiving a ca!: be on
the lookout for three m. n i.i a
1935 Ford coupe, Patroliman
i Byrd and Deputy Roland vrert
crilising south on the Georgia
road about 1 p. m. when tbey
I jotted the car heading lowaro
! Franklin. The officers ehased
; the ca.- at a high rate of s?**V
' for abot't a mile before f*c
j ing it to the side of the jSad
near the county home. The
I patrolman closed in on the
j driver's side, the deputy sheriff
!on the other.
j Patrolman Byre said he was
unable to open the door ??? the
driver's side from the outmde,
so he walked aroui.1 to the
other side with the deputy.
Whips Out Gun
Jake Hall, tfie 31-yea.-old
driver, whipped out a
jumped out of the car, a*"* i
tried to draw a bead on the- of
ficers. The patrolman ,?Udl the -
only thing that kept tbc e*i
convict from shooting was We
fact that his brother, sitting
in the car, was in the line of
fire.
Taking advantage of this, the1
patrolman moved to the rear of
the car with his pistol drawn
and ordered Hall to drop the
gun. The ex-convict dropped the
pistol, but whipped another
from his belt. Officers said the
patrolman wrenched the second
i'ai out of Hall's hand. All
ili.er men had been drinking,
the officers said.
in the i eantii.H', the 23-year
old Overman rhade his break,
from the car.
Bogs Find Ov mart
Surriff J Harry Thomas and"
. : ? arrived on the scene
with Arthur Lay and his blood
hound, and in a m;i ;er of min
utes tne dog had located Over
man. i
Patrolman Eyre rep< rted that.
' 'ver-i.<,.'.. who pave his name
Kayrr. -rul Osburn, of Pc\>te
Grc >nsboro. when arre ted,
."EE NO. 3, PA'ge 6
TJ ""
| 1 lit. TtA.lt ill w
T'rrpfra: ur ami |t?-< :f .it inn l?"?r niu*
.-t ? ii i'iv and tin i??w? ttmpentunr
y? '"'fi.ay. r ? I'n iiltil at t I'owecta ;-*
? him: ! t'. a' "
H'f h '^ow Pet.
'.V "Infdai 4' w 02
Thurs i.-iy .. . 4? 22 .91
Friday M 18 ._.
i & < ..n iy ... . f>:- 29
Sundt.v . ... ii. 27
j Monday 5;' 52 . Kt
[Tuesday ?>7 23 trace
j Wednesday - 29 trace
Fratklin Rainfa'l
'A. r. corded Mao? in Stilif for TVA>
| Wedn> . l.iy, none; Thursday,
trace, Friday, Saturday, Sun
| day, now; Monday, trace; Tuea
jd.iy, none; Wednesday, 05.