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VOL. LXVII? NO. 34
FRANKLIN, N. C., THURSDAY, AUGUST 2), 1952
FOURTEEN PAGES
BAPTISTS HOLD!
CEREMONY HERE
ON CHURCH SITE!
' I
Break Ground For New
$240,000 Building
Monday Night
A ground-breaking ceremony
was held early Monday evening
on the site of the future $240,
000 First Baptist church by
church officers and some 50
members of the congregation.
The special ceremony was
held on the Baptist-owned lot
at the intersection of West
Main street and US 23, where
church members propose to
erect a three- story church as
soon as funds are available.
Among those turning the first
shovels of dirt were Gus Bald
win, Sunday School superinten
dent, Mrs. W. N. Cook, W.M.U.
president, Mrs. Fred Grant,
B.T.U. president, R. E. McKel
vey, chairman of the construc
tion committee, W. ? Burrell,
chairman of the building com- ?
mittee, Walter Dean, chairman '
of the board of deacons, and
Kenneth Hooker, brotherhood
president.
Also invited to turn the dirt
were chairmen of church com
mittees and members of the
congregation.
A brief address was made by i
the Rev. W. N. Cook following I
the ground-breaking. Mr. Cook,
a retired Baptist minister, de
scribed the move to build the j
church as an "historic" one, i
and said it was a tribute to
the entire town of Franklin.
The invocation was given by
Verlon Swafford; the prayer for
dedication by Herman Childers;
and the benediction by Mrs. W.
A. Hays.
Floor plans for the new three
story church were approved by
the congregation in February.
The proposed building will be
156 feet deep and 108 feet wide
and will front US 23. The
corners of the building were
staked out for Monday's cere
mony and the church pastor,
the Rev. M. W. Chapman,
briefly outlined the proposed lo
cation of different sections of
the building.
Plans Include an auditorium
with a seating capacity of 600.
The educational plant will pro
vide a completely departmental
ized and graded Sunday Sunday
School, church offices, a library,
nursery, small chapel, kitchen,
dining hall, and rest rooms on
eftch of the three floors.
CAFE SOLD
Dryman's Cafe, owned and
operated by Prelo J. Dryman
for the past several years, yes
terday (Wednesday) was sold
to A. L. Strong, of Raleigh. The
amount involved In the trans
action was not disclosed. Mr.
Dryman has no immediate
plans for the future.
? Staff Photo by J. P. Brady
A fat calf and dairy calf show a.f the Franklin High Vocational Agricultural building was a
successful - climax to Friday's annual Farm anil Heme tour, attended by some 300 persons.
Pictured above <L to R) are County Agent ,S. W. Mendenha.il. who conducted the tour, Jerry Sut
ton and a call' he entered in the show, Ben P. Jenkins, western district county agent, J. D. Elrod,
a representative of Southern Dairies, Asheville, who judged the show, and T. II. Fagg, assistant
j county agent, anil Wayne Profitt, vocational agricultural teacher, who ivere in charge of the show.
GRID SEASON
NEAR: HERE'S
THE SCHEDULE
Panthers Open Practice
Monday; 23 Report
For Duty
FOX ? OBOE ? OBOE ? j
TARE ? BAKER ? ABLE ? I
LOVE LOVE! That sports fans I
Is code for "football", a con
tagious wintertime disease suf
fered by young and old.
Grid practice got under way
Monday afternoon at Franklin
High with the turn-out of 23
huskies. Added proof that, de
spite the absense of nippy air, !
football season is just about [
here is Franklin's schedule,
which follows:
Sept. 12, Andrews, here.
Sept. 19, Clayton. Ga., here.
" Sept. 26, Cherokee, here.
Oct. 3, Hayesville, there.
Oct. 10, Sylva, there.
Oct. 24, Robbinsville, there.
Oct. 31, Murphy, there.
Nov. 7, Waynesville, here.
Nov. 14, Clyde, there.
Coach Dick Stott is putting
the squad through its paces this
week in the absence of Coach
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 6
Highlands Soldier Now
With Army In Germany
Pvt. William Y. Bryson, son
of Mr. and Mrs. "W. A. Bryson,
of Highlands, is serving with
the 43rd Infantry division In
southern Germany, the army
has announced.
He Is assigned to the 172nd
Infantry regiment's heavy mor
tar company.
A graduate of Highlands High
school, Pvt. Brjraon was a school
bus driver before entering serv
ice.
REACTIVATED DRAMA GROUP
HOPES TO PRODUCE SHOWS
The Highlands Community
theatre. Inactive for the past
year, hopes to stage a series
of productions next summer,
following approval by the High
lands board of commissioners,
at Its meeting Monday night,
of an arrangement for the the
atre group to use the old school
theatre building.
This season the community
theatre has been without a
place to present summer plays.
Under the agreement worked
out Monday night, the theatre
group will spend up to $1,000
in refurnishing the former
school theatre, the expenditure
to be credited as prepaid rent.
In return, the players will be
assured the use of the building
three days weekly, with a
fourth optional. The remainder
of the week, the building will
be available to other groups.
First, however, the roof of
?he building must be repaired,
and the town authorities Mon
day night agreed to have that
done this fall.
The first project of the com
munity theatre will be the re
painting of the Interior, early
in the spring. On this, the
group will have the assistance
and counsel of Frederick Hempe
and Watson Barratt, profession
al theatrical men now connect
ed with the Bascomb Louise
hotel. Other improvements to
the interior will follow.
Under the plan, this and
other expenditures by the com
munity theatre will be credited
toward rent. The group will pay
12l/i per cent of their gross re
ceipts as rental for the theatre.
The players are to have the
use of the building Mondays,
Wednesdays, and Fridays
throughout the summer, with
Tuesday or Thursday optional
for a fourth performance.
The proposal was presented
to the board by Jack Wilcox,
community theatre president,
who pointed out that the agree
ment will result in the town's
getting its building put in good
condition without a cash ex
penditure, while the players will
be provided a theatre. This
mutually profitable arrange
ment, Mr. Wilcox commented,
was made possible because the
town authorities were "far
sighted enough" to acquire the
old school property, now the
Community Recreation center.
Farm And Home Tour Friday
Projects County's Progress
Brysons Held
Reunion Here
With Arveys
Approximately 175 descen
dants of Samuel Bryson ? who j
settled in Macon County in
1820 ? gathered Sunday at the
home of Wade Arvey for their
annual reunion.
In addition to Maconites and
North Carolinians, members of
the clan came from Tennessee,
Georgia, Virginia, and South j
Carolina for the day and all I
ages were represented.
Mrs. James L. Bryson, of Cul
lowhee, affectionately known as
"Aunt Fannie", at ?5 was the j
oldest present. Keith Gibson
Bryson, five-months-old son of I
Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt Bryson, of
Franklin was the youngest of
the younger set.
A more than ample picnic
style dinner served as a back
drop for members of the fam
ily as they renewed old ac
quaintances and were brought
up-to-date on the family's his
tory.
All officers were reelected for
another year. They are Thad
D. Bryson, Jr., president; C.
Tom Bryson, vice president;
Miss Louise Bryson, secretary;
Robert T. Bryson, treasurer;
and Fred Bryson, historian.
Out-of-town members of the
family included Mr. and Mrs.
James R. Sheffield, of Bristol,
Tenn., W. G. Hyatt and family,
of Bristol, Va., W. T. Sheffield
and family, of Bristol, Va., C. H.
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 6
Approximately 300 pair of
eyes were glued attentively to
Macon's agricultural screen Fri
day as the annual Farm and
Home tour projectsd the coun
ty's progressive picture through
the media of better farms and
communities.
In charge of the projection
booth was County Agent S. W.
Mendenhall. Guest stars for the
annual "production" included
Ben P. Jenkins, western dis
trict county agent, and J. D.
Elrod, a representative of South
ern Dairies in Asheville.
As the estimated 75 cars
making up the motorcade snak
ed through the county, their
occupants were not only treated
to a close up shot of outstand
ing farms but were introduced
personally to the "stars" of the
show, the Holly Springs and
Carson communities ? Macon's
two entries in the Western
North Carolina Rural Commun
ity Development contest.
Progress made in the two
communities is outstanding and
is reflected in gleaming white
uniform mail boxes, freshly
painted homes and churches,
and other improvements ? "per
fect examples", someone re
marked, "of what folks can do
when they pull together".
| A "coming attraction" was
noted on the Parker Brothers'
farm, the first stop on the tour.
There the 300 pair of eyes
watched the construction of a
shale brick silo, tme of several
being built in the county this
year. Also featured on the farm
were a dairy barn, dairy cattle,
artificial heifers, and the pleas
ing results of ammonium ni
trate on pasture.
The spotlight focused on an
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 6
? Staff Photo by J. P. Brady
LET'S KEEP IT CLEAN is the suggestion of this poof of
Boy Scouts, who spent last Wednesday policing the streets of
downtown Franklin for carelessly tossed papers and rubbish.
These lads, who class their personal clean-up campaign as a
good deed for the day, want the cooperation of everyone in keep
ing the town free of unsightly trash. They are (L to R) George
R. McSween, Scout leader, Mitchell Houston, Lewis Cabe, Tommy
Gnuse, Ben Edwards, Bruce Houston, and Edward Shatley.
Accused Slayer Freed,
Not Enough Evidence;
Docket Half Completed
BIG ARBORETUM
FOR MOUNTAIN |
FLORA FAVORED;
Ramsey Makes Suggestion
1 In Talk At Highlands
Anniversary Meet
Creation of a great arbor
etum, where there would be
brought together every tree and
shrub and plant indigenous to
this region, was suggested by
D. Hiden Ramsey at last Thurs
day evening's program marking
the 25th anniversary of the
Highlands Biological station.
I Mr. Ramsey, vice-president of
i the A s h e v i 1 1 e Citizen-Times
| company, was the chief speaker
| ci the occasion. The program,
held in the Museum of Natural
! History building in Highlands,
drew about 75 psrsons, many of
I '
D. HIDEN RAMSEY
them scientists and students
from elsewhere.
A feature of the event was
the award of citations of merit
to persons who have been par
ticularly helpful to the Biolog
icaT station.
Such an arboretum, Mr. Ram
sey pointed out, would be a
source of both education and
pleasure to old and yonnf.
He remarked that "ignorance
ia relative", and added that
J "ignorance of nature is one of
? the greatest tragedies" that can
t(?fall anyone.
Warren McA Deacon, of Van
derbilt university, president of
the station. who presided,
pointed out. at the conclusion
of Mr. Ramsey's address, that
the station w has the begin
nings of z . "tnnical garden,
which might p w into such an
arboretum. Mr Ramsey called
it one of the great averts of the
Southern Appaladj-iUjs.
Recalling the "distressingly
Inadequate" iaboralwry TacfBtles
of Southern colleges and univer
sities a quarter ol a century
ago. Mr. Ramsey praised the
"faith and boldness' of "those
who Inaugurated this station 25
years ago. "But", he added,
"they would not have had the
SEE NO. 2. PAGE 1
WHYffASTETHE
COURTS TIME?
Judge Say* He Discussed
Courthouse Before,
To No Avail
Judge William H. Bobbitt,
presiding over the August term
of Superior court here, con
siders discussing the condition
of Macon County's 70-year-old
courthouse a waste of time.
In his charge to the grand
jury soon, after the opening of
court Monday morning, the
judge remarked that he dis
cussed the courthouse "with
much vigor" when presiding
over terms here in 1941 and
1947. He then smilingly pointed
out that little had been done
to improve it since then.
In order to save time, he told
the jury he would not bring up
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 7
Grinds Out Drunk Driving
Cases; Court Packed
Monday, Tuesday
Drunk driving and other traf
fic cases were ground out Mon- ;
day and Tuesday in superior
court here with mill-like pre
cision.
Court opened at 10 o'clock
Monday morning with Judge
William H. Bobbitt, of Charlotte,
presiding.
By yesterday (Wednesday)
morning, roughly half of the
150-odd cases listed on the
criminal docket had been dis
posed of, including a large ma
jorlty of the 52 drunk driving
cases.
Court played to a packed
house Monday and Tuesday, but
the nol prossing of the Woods
murder trial Tuesday afternoon
is expected to cut the number
of spectators for the remainder
of the term. Court officials an
ticipate moving into the civil
docket either today or tomor
row.
A mistrial was ordered by the
judge in the reckless driving
case of Lem Hafer, of New
ton, when the Jury failed to
reach a verdict after deliberat
ing more than three and a half
Mr. Hafer Is alleged to have
been the driver of an automo
bile on June 16 on the Wayah
road that killed two dogs own
ed by E. M. McNish.
Serving as jurors for criminal
cases are G. R. McConnell, G.
W. Owenby, J. F. Browning, B.
W. Justice, Weaver Cabe, C.
L. Dills, Bill Willis, Charles
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 12
BOOTH PROJECT
GETS GO - AHEAD
Stadium Public Address
Booth Will Be Erected
By Lions Soon
A new combination public ad
dress booth and refreshment
stand is expected to be com
pleted at the Franklin High
stadium by the opening of the
football season here.
The project, being backed by
the local Lions club, was given
the green light Monday night
by the club's board of directors
on the strength of pledges of
money and materials that have
been received. Construction of
the booth wm get under way
soon. The Frank! tn High Panth
ers open the 1952-55 season here
September 1? against Andrews.
Approximately $700 will be
needed to erect the structure,
according to George R. Pattfflo.
chairman of the XJons civic Im
provement committee
Persons wishing to donate
either money or building mate
rials for ttoe project are vked
to contact Mr. Pattlllo or any
member ol the club.
Tbe proposed cinder block
public JwJdienti booth will be
approximately 11 feet, four
Inches square -with refreshment
booths in the Tower section and
broadcasting quarters in the
uppe^. An eight-foot observa
tion window *111 face the field
in the upper section. The
broadcasting system will in
clude s pea leers on the front
corners of the structure.
Other members of the civic
committee are Farrell Penland,
George Noetel. and Eb Bullock.
Kindergarten Opening
Is Slated September 2
A kindergarten, under the su
pervision of Mrs. Joseph W.
Fouts. will open September 2.
Now nearing completion on
Lyle street is a new building
for the school, which Mrs.
Fouts last year operated in the
First Baptist church.
Mrs. Fouts says she will b
equipped to instruct pre-schoo!
children from three through
five years ot age. The school
term will be nine months with
hours daily from 9 a. m. to 1
p. m.
Arrangements may also be
made to keep children at the
school all day for the conven
ience of parents who are both
working.
States Gets Nol Pros In
Wood Murder Trial
Tuesday r
This sta-'ni- ,-nt ? The evi
dence in tils co -e Is net legally
sufficient to bring the matter
before a jury" ? made by Solic
itor Thad D. Bryson, Jr., in
superior court Tuesday after
noon. wrote finis to the first
degree murder trial of James
Theodore Wood, charged with
the May, 1950 slaying of a Ma
con County logger.
Wood, free on bond since his
indictment more than a year
ago, quietly left the courtroom,
smilingly acknowledging pats on
the back and handshakes from
spectators who had Jammed the
courthouse since Monday wait
ing for the murder trial to be
gin.
Judge William H. Bobbitt
granted Solicitor Bryson's re
quest for a nol pros with leave,
which in effect closed the case
unless more evidence is turned
I up.
Wood was charged with the
death of 43-year-o!d Grady
i Ray, whose body was found
about midnight May 17 1 1050 ?
! in the yard of a Kyle fcoirte.
His indictment came nearly 11
months later, during the April,
1951. court term here, after
there were indications that Hay
met with fcul play. Woot; in
dictment centered around a dis
closure that a large amount of
mud was found in the ;!?ad
man's throat. An inquest sS th?
time of Ray's death termed the
case accidential. but a p -vis
ion was included in the jjry's
verdict to reopen the cs:e if
I additional evidence was untcv
ered. ^ . .
Requested postponements -.ere
granted the state at the Aug
ust and December, 1951, terms.
Solicitor Bryson pointed out
"for the benefit of the genera#
public" that there was "no in
timation of foul play until''
sometime after the dearth of
Ray" and explained that the
state did not have a strong,
enough case to put Wood, an
trial.
ROTARY GIVES
12 SCHOLARSHIPS
Recipients Are Miss Henry
And Miss Waters, 1952. 4
Franklin Gradt
?
Misses Clara Jo Waters and"
Betty Henry, 1952 graduates of
Franklin High school, have been
chosen as recipients of a
Franklin Rotary club scholar
ship loan for the next college
year, It has been announced:
The amount available for the
club loan is $300, and the schol
arship committee had planned
to select one recipient. The
committee members, haweter,
reported that Miss Henry and
Miss Waters were both so de
serving, it was decided to di
vide the loan.
The committee is made up of
Henry W. Cabe, Norman Blaine,
and E. J. Whltmire.
Miss Waters, the daughter ct
Mr. and Mrs. Dock Waters, of
the Burningtown community,
plans to go to Greensboro this
fall for the one-year business
course at Woman's college.
Miss Henry, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Bob Henry, of Ellijay,
will enter Evans business col
SEE NO 2, PAGE 12
"HOT DOG!! Someone gmv*
mt % NhniittM I* The
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