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 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 . ;