CIRCULATION
LAST WEEK 2763
Year Ago Last Week - 2399
JFfattpit IftH
Price 10 Cents
VOL. LXVII? NO. 12
FRANKLIN, N. C., THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 1952
TWELVE PAGES
Cowee Road Contract To Be Let Soon
Plans Ready For Visit Of Governor And State Superintendent
PROGRAM WILL
BE HELD HERE,
AT NANTAHALA
Scott, Erwin To Inspect
Schools In Macon
Next Tuesday
Final plans for the scheduled
visit here Tuesday of Gov. W.
Kerr Scott and Dr. Clyde A.
Erwin, state superintendent of
public instruction, have been
completed, and indications are
the two state officials have a
full day in stare.
The day's program includes
a whirl-wind tour o! Macon
County's schools, Including the
seven new ones, and participa
tion m a school dedication pro
gram at the new Nantahala
school, in the nature of a
county-wide affair.
A brief outdoor program also
is planned at Franklin High
school at 1:15 p. m. for stu
dents and the public
County School Supt. Holland
McSwain, who extended the in
vitation to the two officials
several weeks ago, is in charge
of arrangements. .
The Nantahala school dedica
tion, to -which the general pub1
lie also is invited, Is scheduled
for 3:55 p. m. at the school
auditorium.
Addresses will be delivered by
Governor Scott, Dr. Erwin, G.
L. Houk, former Macon school
superintendent, and D. Hiden
Ramsey, of Asheville, vice-chair
man of the state board of edu
cation.
Bob S. Sloan, chairman of the
county board of education, will
officially accept the new schools
from Dr: Erwin.
The Rev. M. W. Chapman,
pastor of the First Baptist
church, will pronounce the in
vocation and a prayer of dedi
cation will be made by the Rev.
A. RUfus Morgan, rector of the
St. Agnes Episcopal church
here.
Governor Scott's party will
begin its inspection of county
schools At 8:30 a. m., in High
lands, where Gov. Scott and Dr.
Erwin will spend Monday night,
and the tour will be climaxed
with the dedication ceremony
at Nantahala.
The officials will spend about
20 minutes at each school, Mr.
McSwain said, pointing out that
the motorcade will have much
ground to cover during the day.
Approximate time of arrival
at each school, in order of In
spection, is as follows:
.Highlands, 8:30 a. m.-, Culla
saja, 9:25 a. m.; East Franklin,
10 a. m.; lotla, 10:30 p. m.;
Cowee, 11 a. m.; Union, 11:45,
a. m.; Otto, 12:15 p. m.; Frank-;
lin High, 12:55 p. m.; Chapel
(Negro) school, 1:45 p. m.; Car
toogechaye, 2:15 p. m.; and
Nantahala, 3:55 p. m.
While at Franklin High
school, the governor's party will
be served lunch in the school
cafeteria. Following lunch,
weather permitting, a brief pro
gram for the student bodies of
the high school and elementary
school will be held at the sta
dium at 1:15 o'clock, the county
school superintendent said.
At the Nantahala dedication
Mr. Ramsey, general manager
of the Asheville Citizen-Times
company, will speak on the
school building program in
North Carolina, and Mr. Houk's
topic will be this county's school
building program.
A musical program will be
presented by the Franklin band
and high school chorus, jinder
the direction of Band Director
S. F. (Sammy) Beck.
The governor and the state
superintendent will spend Mon
day night in Highlands at the
Edwards hotel. j
Brevard Music Group
To Present Program
Members of the music depart
ment of Brevard college will
present a program Sunday at
4 p. m., at the Franklin Metho
dist church under the direction
of Bruce Livingood, it has been
announced. The public is invit
ed to attend.
? Staff Photo by J. P> Brady
'JUST LISTEN!' ? The expressions on these youngster's faces
suggest the rapt attention of the more than 1,000 Macon Coun
ty school children who attended Friday afternoon's children's
concert of the N. C. Little .Symphony orchestra at the Friend
ship tabernacle. Each child who attended earlier had taken a
quarter to school as his contribution to bring the orchestra
here. Each of the county's 11 schools was well representor.
In the evening, the orchestra, under the direction of Dr.
Benjamin Swalin, played to an estimated 175 adult and jun
ior members at the Franklin Methodist church. It was the
group's seventh annual appearance here.
While final figures were n?t available yesterday, the ticket
sales, conducted on a strictly volunteer basis, failed to raise
enough to p?y for the concerts, Chairman Frank B. Duncan
said. The deficit will be made up by a group that months ago
had underwritten the event.
scon, ERWIN
TO BE HONORED
Governor And School Head
To Be Guests At Dinner
At Higlilands
Governor W. Kerr Scott and
Dr. Clyde A. Erwin, state su
perintendent of public instruc
tion, who will inspect Macon
County schools next Tuesday,
will spend Monday night in
Highlands, and will be honor
guests at a buffet supper at
Hotel Edwards, to be given
under the sponsorship of the
Highlands P. T. A. and the
Town of Highlands. The dinner
is set for 7: 3> o'clock.
A number of county and
Highlands guects have been in
vited to the dinner, which will '
be informal.
The officials will be welcomed
by O. P. Summer, principal of
the Highlands school, and Mrs.
Tom Harbison, P. T. A. pro
gram chairman, "who will serve
as tnastmlstress, will introduce
the governor, the superinten
dent and others. A group from
the Western Carolina Teachers
college music department will
entertain dm ring the supper
hour. I
Mrs. Louise Edwards is hos
tess and chairman of the sup
per committee. Assisting her
will be Mrs. J. D. Bumette, Mrs.
Harold Rideout, and Mrs. Har
ry Holt.
Ont-of-Hightajods guests In
vited to meet the governor and
state superintendent Include
D. Hiden Ramsey, of AaheviUe,
t Ice-chairman of the state
board of education, Holland Mc
Swain, county superintendent of
schools, and Mrs. McSwain; G.
L. Houk, former county superin
tendent, and Mrs. Houk; mem
bers of the county board of ed
ucation and their wives; mem
bers of the board of county
commissioners and their wives;
Mrs. Weimar Jones, district P.
T. A. director; and Weimar
Jones, editor of The Franklin
Press.
Highlands guests will include
Principal and Mrs. Summer;
members of the local school
committee and their wives; of
ficers of the Highlands P. T. A.;
Mayor and Mrs. W. H. Cobb;
members of the town board of
commissioners and their wives;
Thomas C. Harbison, worship
ful master of Highlands Blue
Ridge Masonic Lodge, and Mrs.
Harbison; Mrs. William C. Nail,
worthy matron of the Order of
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 12
Dr. Allen
To Open Revival Series
Here Sunday
Br. H. G. Allen, superinten
dent of the Lake Junaluska
Methodist assembly, will begin
a revival series Sunday morn
ing at 11 o'clock at the Frank
lin Methodist church.
Services are planned nightly
at 7:30 o'clock, Monday through
Friday.
A former pastor of the Frank
lin church, Dr. Allen Is an out
standing minister in the West
ern North Carolina conference
and served for six years as
superintendent of the Winston
Salem district. He also has
served as pastor oi the Broad
Street Methodist rtiurdh in
Statesville, and the First Meth
odist church, Reidsville.
The public is invited ie at
tend the series.
N. C. E. A- TO MEET
.A meeting of the Macon
0?ur>ty unit of the North Caro
lina Education association has
been scheduled for Friday at
3 p. m. at the Franklin High
school cafeteria. Miss Roberta
E niche president, has announc
ed.
CHARTER GIVEN .
IAYCEES HERE]
BY STATE HEAD :
? ? i
Franklin Unit Becomes ,
90th N. C. Junior
Chamber
The newly-organized Frank
lin Junior Chamber of Com
merce Tuesday night officially t
became the 90th chamber form
ed in North Carolina.
At a special "Charter Night
Ladies' Night" dinner, the local
organization received its na- j
tional charter from Harry Stew
art, state Jaycee president, and
a state charter from J. William .
Snow, vice-president of the jun
ior chamber district one.
Bob Hall, president of the
Waynesville Jaycees, presented
the Franklin group a luncheon
bell, a gift from his organiza- I
tion, which sponsored the local
chamber. Receipt of the gift was
acknowledged by Jack Ragan,
president of the Franklin cham
ber, who, in a brief acceptance
speech, thanked the Waynesville
chamber for its assistance in
organizing the chamber here, i
Mr. Stewart, of Raleigh, a I
candidate for the national Jay
cees vice-presidency, reviewed :
the background of the young
men's organization ? restricted 1
to men 35 years of age and
under ? stressing the importance
of the Juycee movement as a
builder of better citizens, and
communities.
He pointed out that today
there are junior chambers in 38
nations, composed of young men
"all working for the betterment
of their community."
Through the Jaycees Interna
tional, youDf men representing
these nations are brought to- I
gether at international confer- 1
ences, and "in this way are giv
en an insight on each other's
problems, the state president
declared.
"This type of thing wfR go fc
long way toward a Sastlng
peace," ht said.
The advancement of Jaycet
ism In Nfcfth Carolina iias been
rapid, Mr. Stewart explained ?
from eight chambers In 1936 to
the chartering of the "Franklin
organization, the 50th.
In closing, the state president
reminded that:
"We make a living toy wfcat
-wie get. We make a life by What
w giver"
Mr. Snow, of Asheville, In
presentirg the state tiarter to
President Ragan, declared:
"Hats "Off to the past, c?ats
OCT to tbt future, there's rftfll a
j*> to bt done!"
George W. Beece Macon
Guunty Republican chairman,
attended the state Republican
convention in Raleigh Tuestey.
Ajrmy Loses Body Of Macon ]
Man Killed In Korea In '50 1
The army presumably has
o.st the body of a Macon Coun
y soldier killed in action in
<orea more than a year ago.
Mrs. Lula Brendle, of the
Vr'nuga community, mother ol
5<<t. Furman T. Brendle. the de
? ised serviceman, was infoim
- !fsi week by the Department
;<f the Army that, although the
?'mains of all American soldiers
juried in temporary United Na-1
>>ns cemeteries in South Ko
fi hnve been returned Ja
"Thn name of your son is not
ncluded on the list o: Ihose
: ientit'ied prior to evacuation."
Sgt. Brendle, a veteran of
more than six years with the
:rmy and a member of General
MacArthur's command in Ko
rea, was reported by the De
fense Department to have been
killed in action November 29.
1950. Prior to that time, he had
been listed as missing in ac
tion.
News of her son's death was
received in January, 1951, and
Mrs. Brendle recently wrote
army authorities about return
ing his body here for burial.
The letter last week was hei
answer.
When burial was .made in on<
of the temporary cem-'teries, ii
was explained in the letter, i
report of burial was sent to th<
oflice of the Quartermastei
General in Washington, D. C.
so the next of kin could tx
notitied and given the name o
the cemetery whese burial wa;
ma<de.
""To date, however, a repor
ol burial or other informatioi
pertaining to your son's remain;
has not been received in thi;
office",, the soldier's mother wa;
in.ormpd.
The letter added that arm]
personnel arr now searching ii
Korea in an effort to locate thi
remains of 'those killed, whosi
Elementary
Basketball Tournament
Gets Under Way
The Franklin Elementary
(District 1) Basketball tourna
ment got under way at the
high schaol gym here yesterday
(Wednesday) afternoon and
night with seven boys' and
girls' teams shooting for the
top position In tourney play.
Semi-Qnals are slated tar
Rriday at 6 p. m, wltfo the ad
mission set at 25 cents for stu
dtnts arid 50 cmts for adults.
Hie Saturday night finals will
Start at 7:30 p. m.; -admission,
3t/ cents for students, 60 cents
for adiiflts.
Proceeds from the tourney are
earmarked to help pay for the
ww electric scoreboard in the
high school gym.
J Ben Harrison, After 19 Years With Forest
Service. Back At His Profession, Nursing '
? Staff I'hoto by J. P. Brady yt
Ben Harrison, of Franklin, recently retired from the C. S. "i
Forest Service after 19 years and now has gone back to his
profession of nursing. He's no novice at nursing, having been ii
one for 19 years before going with the Forest Service. Mr. p
Harrison is shown above at a sterilizer in Angel clinic, where ei
he is employed. ,
The jabs of a sign maker and i
i male nurse are as nmrelated e
is two things possibly (could be. !
juS 63-year old Ben Harrisan, c
>f Franklin, has a total of U s
fears at both "professions". ?
Mr. Harrison recently .retirad i C
ram the Nantahaia National t
i'orest Service here, after IV J
rears as thief of the Wayah o
lepol sign shop, where he was 1
n charge of sign making for
11 the national forests in the c
outheast. Prior to joining the v
'orest Service in 1932, he had r
een a nurse for 19 years. 1(
His "retirement" is in name
nly. After being "in harness"
or 38 years, a man just doesn't
It back and -rock in an easy
hair, especially Ben Harrison.
Ie has turned back the years d
nd once again Is a nurse, em- j<
loyed at Angel clinic here. ti
"It's just like starting to
:hool again," Mr. Harrison said ei
lis week, pointing to his 19- tj
ear vacation from nursing, e<
and an old dog learns slowly." h
New methods and techniques tl
l medicine present quite it u;
roblem, Mr. Harrison explain- sc
3, but "I'm trying to catch up
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 11 7J
places of burial have not been |
reported.
Following Is the letter, in ,
part :
. . This is in response to \
your letter dated 21 February,
1952 concerning your son, the |
lato Sergeant Furman T. Br- n
dle.
?The military situation which
e-:i ;ts in Korea at the present ,
Mir.e permits c.r forces to (
. v^ctate the recovered remair.
of American personnel' directiv (
i from Koiea to the Army Mor- ?
'uary in Kokura. Japan, for ,
prepa.ai.ion and casketing for
return' to their homeland for
burial.
'?However, at the time >ourj'
son lost his life in Korea, it i \
was necessary to bury the re- J
covered remains in temporary i '
United Nations cemeteries estab- \ '
lished in Korea to receive these
! honored dead until the military j
situation would permit our j
. forces to evacuate them to Ja- I
[ pan. When burial was made in |
, one of these cemeteries, a re- >
! port of burial was prepared I
and forwarded to this office, '
- and upon receipt of this docu- I
ment the next of kin was
, promptly notified and furnish
t ed the name of the cemetery
l where burial was made.
; "To date, however, a report
r of burial or other information
pertaining to your son's remains ;
j has not been received in this
f office. The evacuation to Japan ,
s of the remains of all American
personnel who were buried in '
t United Nations cemeteries in
! South Korea has now been
s completed and the name of I
s your son is not included on the 1
s list of those identified prior to
evacuation.
1 "I realize how much it means
j to you to have all available in
e formation concerning your son
e SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
P. T. A.'s Are
Organized At
Union, Iotla
Parent-teacher associations
were organized over the week
end at the Union and Iotta
schools.
J. "W. (Jake) Aldington was
named president of the Union
P. T. A., which held Its organi
za titic meeting Saturday night,
and Paul Swafford was dec ted
president of the Union associa
tion at a meeting Monday night.
This brings to 11 the number
of active P. T. A.'s In the coun
ty ? one in every school.
Ite organization meetings at
the Union and lotla schools
were "conducted by Mrs. Weimar
Trtnot ?? +H- T? rn a
rWiiun, Ull^VWl V/l UUd t- X.
itetrrct, who was present at the
nTltiflion of the principals and
ntererted citizens.
Other officers of the Union
issociation, which was launch
id with 28 paid members, are:
drs. Umon Teague, rice presi
lent: Mrs. Clarence Stockton,
ecretary; and Mrs. Quince
5hope.treasurer. Mrs. Carey
Jabp was named chairman of
he hospitality committee, and
firs. LTury C. Bradley, principal
if the school, was chosen pub
icity chairman.
The new Iotla association
hose Mrs. Edwin Bradley as
ice-president; Mrs. Robert Par
ish as secretary; and Ed Brad
?y as treasurer.
'House Warming'
A "house warming" benefit I ,
inner will be held at the new (
)tla school Saturday night, be- i
veen 6 and 8 o'clock.
The dinner, to which the gen- 1
ral public from over the coun- |
r is invited, is being sponsor
i by the Iotla and Travelers
ome- Demonstration clubs and l
?e school. Proceeds will be ij
ied toward equipping the e
hoors lunchroom. li
The charge per plate will be \
i cents. F
INSPECT 9-MILE
STRETCH: WILL
cuTournpvEs
A/ill Move Million Yards
Of Dirt To Build New
22-Foot Highway
V5 wiblv in A;};.'. i ? to
vV. c.j. ' io*.? hi-h-.vay
iivision enai:
Highway . . ? ... .nducted
i plart ins;;p. : the new
project here th.- - ? .. and. ex
:epl fa? a '.( changes,
'it is approved as far as we
are concerned", the highway
engineer said. .
Early in 1951, the state ;t
aside S265.000 from general
funds for the proposed high
way. and later io the year Gov
W. Kerr Scott announced ' that
$450,000 was being allocated to
the county from surplus high
way funds for widening and
.resurfacing the 15-mile stretch
of US 23 from Franklin to the:
Georgia line. When completedl,
the two projects will span Ma
con County from the Jackson
county line to the Georgia state
line*
In general, the Cowee Gap
Franklin span will follow the
general location of the present
highway, but most of winding
curves in the nine-mile stretch',
will be eliminated, Mr. Co'-kiil:
explained.
The 'conirao*
4 a r.?v n|]
Cowee C
t n
u?tion
v 'iway
An estimated million yj.'a. oi
dirt will have to be excavated,
to make way for the 22-foot
highway, he added, but mcst.otf .
the dirt will be used fee, alls;
as construction proceeds.
Under present conditions. Mr.
Corkill said, it will take a boat
a year to complete the projects
Roughly one mile will iie
chopped from the present dis
tance from Franklin to the gap
j at the Jackson line, seven
I tenths of that mile in the elim
ination of the sweeping hairpin
curves at the foot of Cowee
mountain, the engineer explain
ed. *>
Rabbit Creek bridge, at the ?
foot of the Hunnicutt'hill.jost
outside the city limits of
Franklin, will be replaced by a
culvert, and the present nar- -
row Watauga bridge will be '
widened.
Mr. Corkill said the 22-fbot
?highway will have 10-foot
shoulders and a 100-foot right
of-way, 50 feet on each side of
the highway center line
Survey of the new project got
under way in early 1951.
Mr. Corkill and A. E. Snel?
son, of the division right-of
way department, met in a spe
cial session with the Franklin:
board of aldermen Tuesday aft
ernoon to receive the board's
approval of the section of the
new project which will lie with
in the city limits.
Approval of a town was nec
essary under the Powell Munic
ipal aid bill, which requires a
town to shoulder one-third the
cost of property damage claims
and .right-of-way settlements
incurred by the state within its
corporate limits. The bill was
an act of 1951 general assem
bly.
In relation to Franklin, the
proposed highway will begin at
the bridge spanning the Little
Tennessee river in East frank
lin and from that point will
follow almost a straight line to
the city limits, necessitating the
setting back from the right-of
way. or the removal, of several
business structures and resi
dences, the highway officials
?xplained. The town beard gave
ts approval.
3obby Conley, Serving
n Korea, Is Promoted
Bobby Conley, a veteran of
0 months' duty with the army
n Korea, recently was promot
d to sergeant, it has bean
?arned here. He is the son of
fr. and Mrs. Claude Conley, of
tanklin, Route 2.