67TH YEAR
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Western North Carolina's
Oldest Weekly Newspaper
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Mwottian
CIRCULATION
LAST WEEK 2731
Year Ago Last Week - 2417
VOL. LXVII? NO. 8
- .Man I i ;?.<? f.wrr. urciuj
Sunday was an extra special day for Mrs. Irene H. Bryson, since it marked her 30th anni
versary as postmaster of the Cullasaja post offi'-.e. In the photograph above she is shown on the
job, selling stamps to Eugene Bowers, who recently returned to the Cullasaja community after
spending several months working in Pontiac, M ch. '
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17 Ci-l.
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To Model At 4-H Style
Show February 22
Seventeen local girls will
model spring and summer ward
robes for 4-H misses at a style
show tomorrow (Friday) at the
East Franklin school.
The show, , being directed by
a New York stylist, will be
open only to 4-H club girls and
home demonstration club cloth
ing and 4-H leaders, according
to Mrs. Barbara B. Hunnicutt,
assistant home agent.
Mi?s Ada May Marshall, of
New York, will present "Fash
ion at the Bat for the 4-H
Modern Miss", emphasizing that
no girl wants to "strike out"
when it come6 to planning a
spring and summer wardrobe.
Attention also will be directed
to fashions that are easy to
make for beginners in sewing,
Mrs. Hunnicutt said.
Miss Marshall is a former 4
H club member from New York
state. She received a B.S. degree
from the college of home eco
nomics at Syracuse university
with a majar in merchandising
and fashion design.
The show is scheduled to be
gin at 1:30 p. m.
B. L. Hedden,
Korean Dead,
Buried Here
The body of Pvt. Benjamm
?Lewis Hedden, 19-year-old son
of William W. Hedden and of
the late Mrs. Hedden, of the
"Walnut Creek section, who was
killed in action >in Korea, was
buried Sunday afternoon with
military rites at the Stiwinter
cemetery, following services at
the Walnut Creek Baptist
church.
The young Macon County sol
dier was killed November 6,
1951. near Magoir, in North
Korea, while serving with Com
pany E, 7th Cavalry regiment.
His twin brother, Cpl. Dewey
Hedden, is serving with the 3rd
Infantry division in Korea.
Services were conducted at 2
o'clock at the Walnut Creek
church by the Rev. Frank Reed.
Military rites were conducted
at the cemetery by W. W. !
Reeves, commander of the local
Veterans of Foreign Wars post,
and the post chaplain, the Rev.
Robert D. Burnette.
Pvt. Hedden attended county
schools here and was employed
at Rogsrs' garage in Highlands
prior to enlisting in March, >
1951. He received basic training
at Fort Jackson, S. C., and ad
ditional training at Camp Gor
don, Ga., and Camp Stoneman, j
Calif., before reporting for
overseas duty.
Surviving are his father;
Seven brothers, Cpl. Dewey
Hedden, Delmer and Furman, o I
Gneiss. Elmer, of Walnut Creek,
Everette, of Asheville, and Edi
son and Ernest, of Gneiss; and
one sister, Mrs. Fletcher Cole
man, of Murphy.
Pallbearers were Weaver
Shope, Ed Williams, Jack Angel,
Woodrow Shope, C. S. Brown,
and Richard Slagle.
JUth Year As rostmaster
Is Marked By Mrs. Bryson
March Of Dimes
Contributions To Date
Total $2,400
March of Dimes contributions
this week totaled approximate-!
ly $2,400, County School Supt.
Holland McSwairi, drive chair- 1
.man, has announced.
Eight of Macon's 11 town- j
i ships have either reached or
topped assigned quotas. Com- j
plete .reports have not been re
reived from the Franklin, Burn
ingtown, and Cartoogechaye
townships, the chairman said, j
The county's goal is $3,500.
Jail Unsafe, |
3 Prisoners
Moved Away
Four prisoners have been ?
moved from the Macon County
jail for safekeeping because
"the jail here Is inadequate to
hold prisoners of that type", j
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas said ;
this week.
One of the four broke out of I
the local jail February 7, but
was apprehended in Detroit,
Mich., last week and returned
here to await trial. The others
are ex-comricts, who were ar
rested in an automobile loaded
with stolen goods -and a small
arsenal on the Georgia .road
February 11 by local officers.
Sheriff Thomas said Bennie
Jueen, the jail breaker, and
Jake and J. B. Hall, of Route j
3, Traveler's Rest, S. C., two of j
the convict trio, were moved "to
the Waynesville jail. The third j
member of the trio, David Lee !
Overman, of Blackstone, Va?
was taken to the Macon County
prison camp. Overman .is an
escapee from a North Carolina
prison camp, the sheriff said.
Church Bells * j
To Call Folk To Prayer
On February 29
Church bells in Franklin Fri- |
day of next week wil call the j
people of this community to
prayer. j 1
The World Day of Prayer will ' :
be observed here, as well as
throughout the world, on that ?
day. i
The program here is set for .
3:30 at the Franklin Presbyter- ]
ian church, and the church i
bells are to ring at 8, 10, 12,
and 3:30 o'clock on that day. ,
People from throughout the j
county, it was announced, are ,
invited to be present to join (
in prayers for guidance in to- j
day's distressed world.
I
PLAN RUMMAGE SALE 1
The Carson's Chapel Woman's
Society of Christian Service will i
hold a rummage sale In down- i
town Franklin Saturday morn- .<
ing, weather permitting, Mrs. J. 1
P. Cunningham, president, has s
announced. 1 ]
<
Sunday was an extra special
dav for Mrs. Irene H. Bryson,
of "the Cullasaja community? it
marked her 30th anniversary as
postmaster at Cullasaja.
Says Mrs. Bryson:
"It has been a wonderful ex- j
perience for me, and even after j
30 years I have no desire to ;
retire!" |
The postmaster (she quickly ,
reminded that "postmistress is
passe, when a reporter inno- ,
cently used the term) recalled
this week that during the past!
30 years things at the small j
fourth-class office were pretty \
much the same day in and day j
out. However, Mrs. Bryson has- |
tened to point out, the office
has had its ups and downs?,
like the year the nearby Culla- j
saja river invaded the store (in .
which the post office is housed ? j
in an early a. m., and the j
"hasd" years of World War II. i
Mrs. Bryson received her ap- i
pointment during the Harding
administration when Will H
Hayes was postmaster general,;
but she wasn't the first of her ?
clan to take on postmaster J
duties.
Her father, the late James L. i
Higdon, served for a number of j
years as postmaster oi the ,
HigdonviHe office. Her aunt, I
Miss Annie Strain, who now ,
lives with Mr. and Mrs. Bryson,
was postmaster at the Scroll j
office. And during World War i
II her husband, C. Tbm Bryson, |
worked in the post office at
Fontana Dam.
Over the years Mrs. Bry*.on
has noted little change in the
office, except for a slight in
crease in the number of fami
lies served. Today about 2O0
families in the Cullasaja,. Hig
donville, Peek's Creek, and
Nickajack communities receive j
mail through the small office,
located in Bryson's store on the
Highlands-Franklin highway.
The war years were the
toughest ones, Mr*.. Bryson re
flected, because the Asbeville
Citizen-Times company held the
mail contract on the routes and
In order to deliver papers early,
the schedule was arranged so
the morning mail arrived at
5:30 a. m. (EBT).
"Getting out that early in the j
winter was no fun", Mrs. Bry- .
son said, but she added that.
"For wives and mothers who j ,
were anxious to hear |
their husbands and sons in the j ,
service it wasn't too early, j ;
Many came before daylight to ,
inquire for mail"
All in all, the Cullasaja | :
postmaster feels that the past i
was a wonderful experience, s
'affording me an opportunity ]
;o be helpful to many people i
in a variety of ways, from lick- i
ng stamps, wrapping packages
for mailing, and even writing i
etters for patrons."
But, all of these 30 years
wasn't devoted to the Cullasaja i
xjst office. Mr. and Mrs. Bry- j 1
ion have reared two daughters, i
Mrs. MUdred Mueller, of Culla- j
iaja, and Mrs. Sam Ritchie, of
Sllzabethton, Tenn. ' 15
N. C. SYMPHONY
TO GIVE ANNUAL '
CONCERTS HERE
Noted Orchestra Coming
Mar. 14; Memberships
Placed On Sale
The N. C. Little Symphony
orchestra will present two con
certs here Friday, March 14. It
will be the orchestra's seventh
consecutive annual appearance
In Franklin.
The evening concert for j
adults, at the Franklin Metho
dist church, is set for 8 o'clock j
In the evening. At 1:30 in the |
afternoon the orchestra will i !
play for the children from the 1 1
county's schools. The place for !
the children's concert will be i
announced later, Frank B. Dun
can. county chairman, said.
The orchestra is being brought
to Macon County this season
under an arrangement quite
difierent from that in past
years. Three major changes
were made:
1. The necessity for a mem
bership drive, held months
a;;ead, was eliminated when a
gioup of business and profes
sional men and women under
wrote the orchestra's 1952 ap
pearance here.
2. No memberships will be so- I
licited. Instead, memberships
have been placed on sale in
business houses in Franklin
and Highlands, where those
who wish to attend the con
ceit may buy their member
ships.
3. For the children's concert,
previously free, a charge of 25
ct.ntj will be made.
The first two changes were
made, local leaders explained,
jn the belief that people here
know what the concerts are
liks, and that the large at
tendance at previous concerts
indicates they will attend with
out solicitation1.
If enough memberships are
bough! for the event to "pay
out this arrangement will like
ly be continued in future years
If, on the other hand, the guar
an<"??s should have to make up
a deficit,, it is improbable that
an effort would be made to
bring the orchestra back to
Franklin next year. i
"This leaves it up to the pub
lic to decide whether they want
these fine concerts", Mr. Dun
can said.
It was decided to make a
nominal admission charge for
the children's concert in the be
lief that those who attend will
get more out of it if they pav
something for it. It also was
pointed out that no auditorium
in the county will hold all the
school children, and that mak
ing the small charge will keep
those children who are not in
terested away, making room far
those who really wish to hear
the concert.
Memberships (at $2i are on
sale Jn Franklin at the retail i
department (first floor i of the
Nantahala Power and Light
company and at the three drue
stores Perry's, Angel's, and !
Carolina pharmacy, in High
lands they may be obtained at
Miss Sura Gildtr's. The 60-cent
Miss Sara Gilder's. The 60-cent
dents Who wish to attend the
evening performance, may be
obtained in Highlands from
Miss Katie Baker at the school.
Republicans
To Hold Congressional
Meet Here March 8
A district Republican conven
tion is slated to be held March
8 at the Macon county court
house to elect delegates, com
mitteemen, and a candidate for
congress from this district.
Lewis P. Hamlin, chairman
of the Republican committee
for the twelfth congressional
district, announced plans for
the convention last week and
said delegates to the national
convention, members of the
>tate executive committee, a
presidential elector, and a can
didate for congress will be
picked at the session.
The convention is scheduled
tor 2 p. m. | 1
EGG ON DISPLAY
E. V. Ammons, of Franklin, '
rtoute 4, last week brought a
nammoth egg to The Press of- i '
net. The egg, on display at The i
Press, weighs 7 ounces, and is I
Inches around, the long way. 'l
Richard Jones (
lounty Winner In Legion
Oratory Contest
Richard S. Jones, Jr., of
franklin, won first place in Ma
:on County in the American
region-sponsored oratorical con
:est Monday night. His win gave y
lim $25 first prize, offered by s
;he local Legion post, and the j ,
right to compete in the district | f
contest in Sylva next week. 1 (
Second prize of $15 went to j
Miss Clyda Mae Campbell, | ,
daughter , of Mr. and Mrs. Ted :
Campbell, of the Iotla commun- j .
ity, and third prize of $10 to i J
Miss Sue Williams, daughter of j ,
Mr. and Mrs. Haughton Wil- (
liams, also of Iotla.
Other finalists, selected in ,
competitions at Franklin High
school, were Jack Love and Lee
Poindexter. 1 ,
The orations dealt with the 1 (
U. S. Constitution, and a re- ,
quirement was that each con- j ]
testant also be prepared to ,
speak exemporaneously on any i ;
one of 12 phase3 of the Con- ; [
stitution.
Highlands and Nantahala
High schools received, but did
not accept, invitations to par- j
ticipate. Frank W. Plyler was
the Legion's county chairman
for the competition.
Judge, for the contest were
Mrs. Tom McNi-h, J. C. Sor- ,
rells, and Mrs. Alfred Kinney.
NCE' OFFICIAL
SPF -KS TO 225
McFayden Talk Marks
Dinner Meeting
Of Teachers
An estimated 225 county
school teachers and guests last
Thursday night heard Henry C. i
McFayden, public relations di- j
rector of the North Carolina J
Education association, explain i
the five-point educational leg- 1
islative program being advanced
by the state United Forces for
Education.
The public relations director
was guest speaker at a banquet
staged by the local unit of the
N.C.E.A. at the Franklin High
school cafeteria. Special guests
were members of the Macon
County Citizen's Committee for
Education.
A three-man nominating com
mittee was named to select new
I officers fir the local organiza- j
tion, and included in the pro
cram were reports by commit- [
tec chairmen.
Miss Roberta Enloe, president
of the local N.C.E.A. unit, pre
sided and introduced the guest
speaker.
Using an informal style of
delivery, Mr. McFayden, of Ral
eigh, drove home the salient
points of the legislative pro
gram with laugh-provoking an
ecdotes. some which the form
er high school teacher and
principal told his audience were
true experiences.
In a "second speech", the
public relations director em
phasized the qualifications of
a good teacher, not only as a
instructor of children, but also
as an ambassador of good will
to the public.
Explaining the points of the
U.F.E legislative progfam, slat
ed to be presented at next
year's session of the general as
sembly, Mr. McFayden said of
each:
(1) A reduction in class room
size (number of children i: "A
teacher can resign if the teach
er load is too heavy, but a
child can't . .
12) Salary increase for A cer
tificate teachers: ". . . we need
a salary scale sufficient to at
tract a number of top-flight
teachers in North Carolina . . .
the present scale is definitely
not attractive .to a male teach
er." He pointed out that there
is about one man teacher in
the state today to every eight
women teachers.
(3 1 Appropriation of funds to
employ attendance enforcement
personnel : This point is not i
asking funds to employ "a '
truant officer to drag someone
into school", Mr. McFayden de
clared, "but seeks to hire expe
rienced, tactful, and sympa
thetic personnel, familiar with
the community in which they 1 1
work . . . North Carolina can- i
not afford another crop of 11- )
literates", he said. j|
The two remaining points of I
the program, funds to com- ]
plete school building programs ! i
In the state and appropriations . 1
tor current expenditures, were ' <
Did NP&L J
Building Is
Filling Up
Several Franklin firms and j ?
>usinessmen have leased office 1
ipace in the building formerly
jccupied by the Nantahala Pow
;r and Light company and plan
:o move at an early date.
The building now is under- t
;oing renovation and should be c
?eady for occupancy by March 1
I, according to Ted Reber, real ; j
sstate man, who is handling ar- \
?angements for the building's i
jwner, George Noetel. I
About 75 pqr cent of the space i
already has ??"?en leased or re- ;
erved, Mr. Reber said.
Those planning to move inlo j
the building include Macon <
Construction company, Attorney (
Thad D. Bryson, jr., Mica Prod- ]
nets Corporation. Dr. George R. (
McSween, and F. T. Sierr-ma, '
head of the local miner's asso- ?
station.
The U. S. Forest Service hete , :
also has reserved four of the 13 ( :
second floor offices, Mr. Reber ' ,
said.
The A. and P. store will con- ,
tinue to occupy one of the four
stores on the ground floor. Mar
tin Electric company has leased
another, leaving two vacant at
present.
Improvements now under way
include a new ground floor en
trance with a lobby and stairs
to the second floor; new fronts
for the ground floor stores; and
removal of the outside stairway
on the Iotla street side of the
building. The second floor and
sales space in the stores are
receiving asphalt tile flooring
and all sidewalls and ceilings
are being redecorated, the own
er said.
Mr. Notel, who operated r.
plumbing and heating business
in Chicago, 111., far several
years, purchased the building in
June, 1943. He retired last year
and he and Mrs. Notel now are I
making Franklin their home.
touched on briefly by the speak
er- I
The move for building pro
gram funds is almost self-ex- !
planatory, he said. Explaining
the .request for current expendi
ture appropriations, Mr. Mc
Fayden stressed that:
"These funds are not for tak
ing care of rising costs, neces- ,
sarily, but to provide higher
standards of service."
A good teacher should adopt
the attitude of a successful
salesman by selling good will
to the public and it might be
worth while if a teacher would
"let your spirit step out of your !
body and look yourself over", I
he pointed out.
He continued that a teacher
would never be wrong by being
fair.
"Be a softie, a sucker for j
kids," he urged.
The purpose of the United
Forces for Education organiza- ;
tion, Mr. McFayden explained,
is to promote better education
al facilities for North Carolina,.
He said the first wave of
post-war babies is now reach
ing school age and emphasized
the need for providing facilities
for the future of these children.
The nominating committee to |
select new officers for the group j
is composed of Mte. Edith
Hemphill, W. G. Crawford, and
Norman West. The appoint
ments were made by Miss En-'
loe.
Mrs. Bruce Bryant reported
on the organization's financial
condition. Mrs. Lola Howard,
public relations committee,
briefly disc iss.-d that commit- :
tee's progress in advancing a ;
program on > lem.'ntary school
activities in the county.
Weaver Shope, chairman of
tiic legislative committee, .read
the legislative program oclng
backed by the U.F.E. He com
mended Harve L. Bryant, pres
ident of the local citizen's
committee, for his "boldness" :
in leading his organization in
preparing the school-need sur
vey i I
Reports on health, planning
and resources, and federal aid '
were given by Jack Angel, Mrs. !
Pearl Hunter, and Mts. Ed Wil
liams, respectively. R. G. Sut- '
ton reported for the ethics:1
:ommittee.
A revised constitution and
ay-laws were explained briefly
uy E. G. Crawford. ' <
The meal was prepared and
served by members of the .
franklin Parent-Teacher asso- i
:lation. 1
51356 COCHRAN
DEATHREWARD
IS POSTED HERE
7 u n d s Contributed By
Macon Citizens; No
New Clues
A $1,356 reward for informa
ion leading to the arrest and
conviction of tht slayer of Wil
iam Homer Cochran, Jr., a 23
i'ear-old Macon County youth
vho died December 31 after a
nysterious explosion rocked his
Dick-up truck in Mount Airy,
vas posted Tuesday by Sheriff
I Harry Thomas.
The money was raised by
nore than 100 citizens of this
:ounty. The largest amount was
:ontributed by young Cochran's
parent's. Mr. and Mrs. W. H.
Cochan. thi sheriff said.
Under provisions of the re
gard. no lav. -nforcement of
ficial Is (' to receive the
money, and any information
must lead to the apprehension
of the slayer by July 7, 1952. If
no load are received by that
date the money will be re
turned to contributors.
Officers said this week that
no new leads have turned up
in the case.
At the time of the explosion,
young Cochran was a teacher
at White Plains High school,
near Mount Airy. Police believe
a booby-trap, wired to the ig
nition syste mof the truck, ex
ploded when the young teacher
stepped on the starter.
Basketb?.!!
Conference Tournament
Is Under W ay
The annual Smoky Mountain
Conference Basketball tourna
ment got under way with a
bang Tuesday au< nvoun at the
Stecoah High tJ.v-A as 13
.boys' and girls' teams jockeyed
into position for the conference
crown.
Semi-finals are set for Fri
day night and the linals Sat
urday night;
Defending champs are the
Franklin lads and the Cherokee
lassies. The highflying Fiank
lin girls, tops in the conference
this season with 11 wins, one
tie, and one loss, are among
the ranking favorites in girls'
play.
P. T. A. Nets $175
F or School W ork
At Two Dinner*
The Franklin Parent-Teach
er association made a profit of
about $175 on the two dinners
it served last week ? one for the
N .C. E. A. meeting Thursday
and the other at the P. T. A. 'a
family night supper session
Saturday evening.
Following the supper Satur
day, a Founders' Day program
was presented, under the di
rection of Mrs. J. Ward Long, at
which past presidents of the
Franklin association were hon
ored.
Beck And 3 Members 'a
Of Local Band Play
At Cullowhee Event
S. W. (Sammy i Beck, Frank
lin .school band diiector, and
three members of the local
fcSand played with the Western
Carolina Teachers college band
when it presented its annual
winter concert at the college
Wednesday ni?ht of last week.
The student musicians were
Rrykn Hurst, bass, and Richard
Dryman and Holland McSvvain,
Jr., trombonists, Johnny Owens,
of the West's Mill community,
is a member of th^ college band
and also played in the concert.
SPRING HERE?
A ,-iiake wis seen on top of
th: ro .. . T-'.Uay by "Floyd
Kamaey, u. i tiuirUin, Route 4,
it has been rt,nt.:?d. A sign of
spring ??
The February meeting of the
Otto Parent-Teacher association,
scheduled lor ton:ght (Thurs
day >, has been postponed until
February 23 because of preval
ence of influen :a ill the com
munity, it lia^> oeen announced.
The Weather
Franklin Rainfall
As recorded by Manion Stilea for TV A}
Wednesday, .05; Thursday,
41; Friday, none; Saturday, .2#;
Sunday, .05; Monday, Tuesday,
Wednesday, none.