MANY GROUPS
PLAN TOURS
OF COWEETA
Some 700 Slated To Visit
Hydrologic Laboratory
Through October
The Coweeta Hydrologic lab
oratory, the only laboratory of
Its kind in the eastern part of
the United States and once an
obscure feature of Macon
County life, will play host to
more than 700 persons, includ
ing two groups of foreign vis
itors, between now and the
middle of October.
A joint meeting of the Amer
ican and North Carolina For
estry associations in Asheville
October 12-15 lists a tour of the
laboratory as a major item and
plans are now being made to
bring from 300 to 400 on the
Inspection here.
It is believed that this will
be the largest single group to
visit in the county.
Two groups of foresters and
agronomists from Greece, Yug
oslavia, Austria, Germany, Hol
land, France, and Italy (travel
ing with interpreters) are slat
ed to tour Coweeta in July, ac
cording to E. A. Johnson, proj
ect leader.
Tomorrow (Friday) a group
of approximately 150 Clay
county farmers will visit the
laboratory. A resource-use work
shop of some 30 from Emory
university plan a tour July 2.
About 35 foreigners will study
soil and water experiments
underway at Coweeta July 3,
and a second group of some 30
will be there July 30 to study
farm land planning.
Approximately 50 students of
an education workshop at
Western Carolina Teachers col
lege, Cullowbee, plan to tour
the laboratory July 22.
A group of from 60 to 75 del
egates to the Sixth Internation
al Grassland Congress Is sched
uled to visit Coweeta Septem
ber 4. The group will include
representatives from Pennsyl
vania, Virginia, Tennessee, Ala
bama, Georgia, South Carolina,
and North Carolina. The grass
land congress is being sponsor
ed by the federal government
and the food and agriculture
organization of the United Na
tions and will meet at Pennsyl
vania State college.
Plans are now being complet
ed at Coweeta for the October
14 visit of the large group from
the joint forestry meeting in
Asheville Mr. Johnson, who Is
In charge of arrangements lo
cally, said about 10 buses will
be engaged to bring the group
here.
He also said a special broch
ure dealing with recreation,
forests, and waters of Western
North Carolina is being pre
pared for the joint meeting
under the supervision of E. L.
Demmon, director of the South
eastern Forest Experiment sta
tion in Asheville. Facilities
available in this area will be
the theme of the pamphlet, he
said.
Mr. Johnson said the day's
agenda at Coweeta will Include
demonstrations, observations,
arid discussions concerning the
effects of land-use in relation
to soil loss and water quantity.
C Of C Membership
Drive Totals $1,578
About one-third of the Frank
lin chamber of commerce's $3,
000 membership goal has been
reached, according to Mrs.
Laska Harsley, secrttary. Col
lections total $1,578.
PLAN SING
The Fifth Sunday Singing
convention will be held at the
courthouse June 29, starting at
10 a. m., according to J. M.
Raby, president. All singers and
the public are invited, Mr. Raby
said, t
'Capii, I've Been Around A Long Time', Says Ex-Slave
? Staff Photo by J. P. Brady
Ex-slave Wade Hampton "Ilam" Penland, now more than 100 years old, takes life easy on
the porch of his 65-year-old home and thinks back abont the old days when a Yankee scouting
party visited here and when Franklin was a dirt street village with log houses.
FLYING ROCK
INJURIES MAY
Highway Employe Struck
During Dynamite
Operation
Clint May, a state highway
employe and well-Known resi
dent of the Nantahala section,
received a serious head injury
during dynamite operations on
the Otter Mountain .road last
Thursday.
Although he was standing be
hind a tree when the charge
was set off, highway officials
said he was struck in the head j
by a flying rock.
Mr. May was rushed to an
Andrews hospital and was later
moved to Chattanooga, Tenn. j
for treatment. He is expected to i
return to his home this week. [
Curd, Church Of Christ
Minister, And Family
Will Arrive Tuesday j
Brother Bruce R. Curd, ac- 1
compained by his family will
arrive in Franklin Tuesday to
serve as full-time minister of
the Church of Christ here, it
was announced this week. (The
Church of Christ designates its
ministers as "brother", rather
than "reverend".)
Mr. Curd, a native of Marlon,
comes to Franklin from Moun
tain City, Tenn., where he has 1
been serving as minister.
He and his family will make
their home in the Church of
Christ building, on Bidwell
street.
Enlistment
Of Eight Men
Announced
The enlistment of eight Ma
! conites in the U. S. Army was
'announced this week by Sgt.
i Clay Hensley, local army and
j air force recruiter.
Enlisting under the army's
I three-year career plan were
! Boyd E. Shepherd, son of Mrs.
Joan S. McGaha, of Franklin,
[Route 3; Alvin Ray Shuler, son
' of Mrs. Daisy Shuler, of Frank
lin, Route 4: and Cecil Ray
Rankin, son of Mrs. Clara Mae
Rankin, of Franklin, Route 4.
S. J. Waters and Billy Cope
both enlisted for a three-year
tour of duty and will attend a
23-week Infantry radio mainte
nance course at Fort Benning,
Ga. Upon graduating, they will
receive assignment as radio re
pairmen, the recruiter said. Mr.
Waters is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Samuel Waters, of Flats,
and Mr. Cope the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Grady Cope, also of
Flats.
Frank L. Henry, III, and Paul
E. Plyler, both of Franklin, have r
passed the required examination I
for officer candidate school and |
are awaiting orders to active
duty, the sergeant said.
Edwin Laxton Poindexter, a
1952 Franklin High graduate,
enlisted for three years and is
awaiting a call to active duty
and assignment to the quarter
master office machine repair
school at Fort Lee, Va.
Sgt. Hensley is In Franklin
Tuesday of each week at Angel s
Drug store.
HIGHLANDERS
BEAT ALL-STARS
Turn Tables With Rally
In Ninth Inning;
Win 4 To 3
Highlands pulled a flashing
ninth inning rally to turn the
tables on the Franklin All-Stars,
to the tune of 4 to 3 Sunday
afternoon in Highlands.
The two clubs have a game
slated Sunday afternoon at the
Franklin athletic field at 2:30
o'clock.
Behind the pitching of Jake
Deal, who fanned 10 men,
Franklin led 3 to 0 going into
the last of the ninth. But High
lands de-iced the game for the
All-Stars when Deal developed
arm trouble and gave up two
hits. Grady Corbin took over
the mound chores but was un
able to put a kink in the High
lands bid for the game and
handed out a walk and two hits.
Wally Henry was the winning
pitcher. Richard "Snooks''
Thompson started on the
mound for Highlands and
struck out nine and walked
two before handing the hurling
department over to Henry.
Tax Man Coming Here
Each Month To Assist
With Revenue Problems
A representative of the N. C.
Department of Revenue will be
in Franklin the second Tuesday
In each month at the county
courthouse to assist taxpayers
with sales. Income, and privi
lege license tax problems. Hours
will be 9 to 12 noon.
? "Cap'n, ol' 'Ham's' been
around for a mighty long time."
This matJ.er-of-fact remark
could probably be written off
is' the understatement of the
year since it came from Wade
Hampton "Ham" Penland, an
ex-slave who was a good size
lad when the Civil War was
raging hot and heavy.
Just how long "Ham" has
been watching the rest of the
world march by is in slight dis
pute. He says he's a 101, but
explains that a "Miz Crawford
out in Smithhridge" is nearly
100 and that she says he is
two years older than she is ? as
if a year at that age would
make jr.uth difference one way
cr the other.
"li .ve could just run up on
some of thr- ol' ones, maybe
they could tell us . . . but folks |
tell me they is all dead," he j
mused fror.i the front porch
of the fram? home he built in j
the Cat Creek section and has j
been living in for some 65 of 1
the 101, or 102, years of his I
liP? I
lilt.
"Ham's" age has slowed him I
up a bit:
"Gotta use my 'horse'," he'
said pointing to a walking
stick behind his chair on the !
porch.
While his sight and hearing
"ain't what they once was", his
memory is almost crystal clear.
As he reflected on life in the
old days in a detached, dreamy
sort of way, his great-grandson,
one of 22 great-grandchildren,
played up and down the porch,
stopping at intervals to listen
to the old man.
This reporter found "Ham",
of all places, In the hot sun
hoeing in the garden at the
back of his house ? an act that
brought a sharp retort from his
daughter who told him "you're
too old to be doing things like
that". He gave up the garden
for his shady porch and easy
chair, but not before reasoning
that:
"Somebody's gotta do it.
You just can't get nobody to
work for you these days . . .
'way back yonder when you
wanted somebody to work fox
you, just as sure as I'm looking
at you they'd be there."
Because of his age, "Ham"
can lay almost first claim to
the often used phrase, "a na
tive and life-long resident of
Macon County". In pre-Civil
War days, as a youngster, he
said he was first "owned" by
Buck Bush . . . "'course I was
a little thing and was with my
folks."
His parents, Mr. and Mrs.
Louis Bush, took the name oi
their master, and "Ham" got
his last name from the man
who owned him when the
slaves were freed in 1865 ? Billj
Penland. In between these
times, the ex-slave said he wa:
owned by George Jacobs anc
Alfred Angel.
Suddenly, in the middle ol
conversation, "Ham" broke intc
laughter.
"Cap'n, you gotta tell 'eir
about ol' 'Ham's' school days"
Here's how he told It:
"'Way back yonder before
we'z freeh, they started up a
school. I didn't have nuff ed
ucation so I went the first day
jl asked him (supposedly his
imaster) if I could go the next
'day an' he sez 'yes, if you get
your chares up', so's I run
around like a fool and done my
work and hollered to him that
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 12
It Sur^ Is Hot!
Me cury Breaks
3 -Year Record
Did you say HOT?
Well, mcybe not as tepid as
the lower region where ^here's
no rainfall and snowballs don't
stand a chance, hat HOT
ENOUGH!
Tuesday the mercury chinned
up to 94 degrees, breaking a
three-year high for the same
day. On the same Tuesday last
year the thermometer piped a
not-too-comfortable 92.
However, Franklin received
this week's heat wave (Wednes
day to Wednesday) in the large
economy package ? the mercury
staying abound 90 during most
of the week in the daylight
hours. The scorching average
of daily highs came to 91 de
grees.
For the corresponding period
last year, the climb up the ther
mometer was gradual, starting
at 84 and working up to the
then record-breaking 92.
Second Primary
Slated Saturday
PROMOTING
HIGHWAY 28
DISCUSSED
Commerce Groups Want
Extension Of Route;
Meet In> Highlands
Promotion of NC 28 as a scen
ic route through the Cherokee
Indian village to the Smokies
is being undertaken by cham
bers of commerce in Franklin.
Highlands, and Bryson City.
At a special meeting called
by <he Highlands commerce
body last Thursday evening,
representatives of the three or
ganizations discussed the high
way promotion deal and:
(1) voted to write the State
Highway and Public Works com
mission in regard to widening
the much-traveled highway and
extending it to the Cherokee I
village.
(2) moved to invite other
commerce bodies from towns
either near or on the highway
to meet and discuss the matter
further at an early date.
Highway 28 branches from
US 123 just outside Westmin
ster, S. C., passes through
Highlands and Franklin, inter
secting with US 19-129 on the
outskirts of Bryson City.
Dr. Kelly E. Bennett, mayor
of Bryson City and president of
that town's chamber of com
merce, pointed out at the High
lands meeting that the high
way Is rich In scenic beauty
and mountain history and could
become an ideal route for tour
ists visiting in the mountains
of Western North Carolina,
especially those coming from
the lower southern states.
Also present at the meeting
were members of the Highlands
commerce group, headed by
President Sid Carter, E. W.
Renshaw, president of the
j Franklin C of C, and Frank B.
Duncan, a member of the
Franklin chamber's board of di
rectors.
Three Lions Attending
Mexico City Convention;
First From Local Club
| A new "first" has been set by
? ; the Franklin Lions club.
; I Wednesday of last week Lions
[ Leroy Berrong, Bruce Palmer
. and Clyde Sanders left for Mex
, ico City as delegates to the
> I Lions' International conventior
j ? the first delegates to attenc
[ In the history of the local or
ganization.
j Zoellner Kills 46-Inch
Rattler Near Highlands
i
A .hu^e rattlesnake, 46 and
a half inches long, with 13
l rattles and a button, was kill
L ed Saturday by Carl H. Zoell
ner on his truck farm near
Highlands after he had "al
. most stepped on it".
Mr. Zoellner said he had
killed many big rattle snakes,
but never one quite so long
as that one.
Gospel Quartet Will Sing
| At Iotla School Saturday
The Modem Gospel quartet,
! of Toccoa, Ga., will present a
I program at iotla school Satur
| day night at 8 o'clock. The pro
ceeds aje to go to the school,
j WL'lard Cabe, a native of this
j county, leads the mixed quar
tet. Admission prices will be 50
cents for adutys and 25 cents
for children.
Dr. Owen, Former Pastor
Of First Baptist Church,
Guest Of Mrs. Carpenter
Dr. and Mrs. J. C. Owen, of
Spartanburg, S. C., were guests
last week of Mrs. J. M. Carpen
ter. Dr. Owen is a former pastor
of the First Baptist church
here, and it was during his pas
torate thrt the present church
building was erected.
Pfc. Moses Returning
Pfc. George W. Moses, of Cul
Iasaja, Is returning to the States
i from Korea under the army's
( rotation plan, the Army Home
Town News center has announc
ed.
I
Election To Settle Three
Races; Light Vote
Is Forecast
Saturday ? for the second
time within a month ? Macon
County voters will go to the
polls.
This second balloting will be
a "runoff" election to settle
three races ? 12th district con
gressman, 33rd district state
senator, and associate justice
of the supreme court. In the
regular Democratic primary on
May 31, the top men in the
three contests failed to garner
the majority support of the
voters. Hence a second primary.
Polls will be open from 6:30
a. m. to 6:30 p. m Local ob
servers forecast a light vote be
cause it is a second primary
with a small .slate of candi
dates.
In the congressional race,
voters will choose either George
A. Shuford, high man in the
first primary, or Frank M. Park
er. Both candidates are Ashe
ville lawyers. The third candi
date in thfe first primary, L.
Dale Thrash, has thrown his
support behind Mr. Parker.
Battling for the Democratic
nomination in the state sena
torial race will be two Graham
county men, Dr. J. H. Craw
ford and R. B. (Jack) T.'r :. hew.
Mr Morpnew is a former stata
senator, Dr. Crawford a formjr
state representative who polled
high man in the regu ar pri
mary. The nomination of a stste
senator this election ye? -
from Graham county by v r ?
of a district rotation bir . p- 1
by the 1951 General A~ = ''ir'
The district comprises '?> ? -
kee, Clay, Graham, Ma ca a.'.i
; Swain counties.
The only state offi'v r'-* J
for a run-off is the a lite
justice post. Seeking th rumi
nation for both short sn-l reg
ular terms of office are Sure lor
Court Judge R. Hunt Paricer,
who led the six-man fi?ld in
the first primary, and ' .vriir
Court Judge William H. Bcb
bitt, of Charlotte. Judge Pa'ker
was high man in the fiut ..ri~
| Judge Bobbitt has received
] the endorsement of th". Macon
County Bar, composed of Frank
lin lawyers G. L. Ho.ik., R. S.
i Jones, Gilmer Jones, J. t".. Stock
ton, T. D. Bryson, Jr . ;<nd C.
Banks Fingera. In a signed
statement the lawyers said,
i . Judge Bobbitt has had a
, long and distinguished career
? as judge of the superior court
? and it is our considered opinion
1 that from his thorough knowl
' edge of the law, his balanced
- 1 temperament, and ea-nest de
sire to promote justice in all
] cases, he is the ideal candidate
jfor the position he seeks . .
Bowers Taking Machinist
Training At Navy School
? I Seaman Apprentice C. Eugene
' Bowers, who recently completed
: his "boot" training fit the U. S.
J Naval Training Center, San
Diego, Calif., is now training
as a machinist at a navy school
iii Astoria, Greg., according to
information received by his
mother, Mrs. Charles J. Bowers,
of Cullasaja. Seaman Bowers
: recently spent a short leava
? here before returning to tha
coast for new assignment.
RESTAURANT OPENS
Skywater restaurant, half
way between Franklin and'
Highlands on US 64, opened
this week.
The Weather
Temperatures and precipitation for tfci
past seven days, and the low temperatuf*
yesterday, as recorded at the Coweeta
pcritnent station.
High Low Pet.
i Wednesday 88 59 trace
(Thursday 87 56 .01
Friday 90 59
Saturday 85.5 60 1.00
Sunday ?, 86 62 i .06
Monday 87 61 .12
Tuesday 91 60 ?
Wednesday 60 ?
Franklin Weather
(\% recorded by Manson Stilea fof TVAJ
High Low Pet.
Wednesday 91 65 .31
Thursday 91 60 ?
Friday 91 67 ?
Saturday 86.5 60 1.00
Sunday 91 68 tr*C?
Monday 91 64 ?
Tuesday 94 65 ? .
Wednesday ? ?