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VOL LXVUI? NO. 14
FRANKLIN, N., C, THURSDAY, APRIL 2, 1953
TWELVE PAGES
Merging Nantahala With Pisgah July 1
Bill Would Revamp Board Election
DEAN SLATED
TO INTRODUCE
NEW PROPOSAL
Would Eliminate O. K.
Of Members By State
Legislature
A bill which would complete
ly revamp the present system of
electing the board of education
in Macon County was scheduled
to be introduced in the house
' of representatives yesterday
(Wednesday) by Rep. Walter
Dean.
Sweeping changes proposed by
the bill, which would be effec
tive in 1954, include:
(1) nomination and election
> of members in the primary and
general election without \con
firmatlon by the general as
sembly.
(2) staggered terms of office
for the five-member board.
(3) new expiration dates for
terms of office.
Under the present election
set-up used by the county,
Democrat nominees are select
CONSIDERING BOX
An omnibus bill appointing
boards of education for most
counties in the state, includ
ing Macon, is slated for con
sideration in the house of
representatives some time this
week. The Macon slate is
composed of W. N. Bryswn,
Claude W. Cabe, A. A. Siler,
J. C. .Sorrells, and John M
Archer, Jr.
ed in the party primary and
the Republicans pick theirs in
convention. The nominees thus
seleicted take office the first
week in April following the elec
tion year after approval by the
general assembly.
Mr. Dean's bill would have
the five-member board nomi
nated and elected in the prim
ary and general election in ac
cordance with the laws govern
ing such primaries and elec
tions. No confirmation by the
general assembly would be re
quired and the board members,
upon election and qualification,
would constitute the county
board of education.
Staggered terms of office
under provisions of the repre
sentatives' bill would work like
this:
The candidate receiving the
highest number of votes would
serve for a term of six years;
the two receiving the next high
SEE NO. 1. PAGE 12
JAYCEE CLUB
IS CHARTERED
Highlands Organization
Has Special Banquet
Monday Night
The newly-formed Highlands
Junior Chamber of Commerce
Monday night received its. of
ficial state and national char
ters at a special "Charter
Night" banquet at The High
lander.
Guest speaker of the evening
was Gene Oschenreiter, Ashe
ville Jaycee, who recently re
ceived the "Young Man of the
Year" award in Buncombe
County.
The presentation of the two
charters to the Highlands club,
which was sponsored by the
Franklin Jaycees, was made by
Dwight Beaty, of Waynesville,
vice-president of the first Jay
cee district. President Sidney
M. Carter accepted them on be
half of his organization.
A luncheon bell and gavel, a
gift of the Franklin club, was
presented to the new club by
C. Jack Ragan, president of the
Franklin organization.
Attending the banquet as
special guests were Mayor and
Mrs W H. Cobb, Thomas C.
Harbison, president of the
Highlands Rotary Club, and Mrs.
BEE NO. 2, PAGE 12
Post Names
Jack Ragan
Commander
The local Veterans of For
eign .Wars post last Wednesday
night elected Jack Ragan,
Franklin mortician, as its new
commander, succeeding W. W.
Reeves, who has served in the
post for the past two years.
Named to serve with the new
commander are Winton Perry,
senior vice-commander; Victor
H. Perry, junior vice-command
er; J. O. (Speck) Murray, quar
termaster; O. R. McSween, post
JACK RAGAN
surgeon; Lewis Patton, post ad
vocate; the Rev. Robert D. Bur
nette, post chaplain; and How
ard E. Barnard, three-year trus
tee.
A joint installation of offic
ers is planned by the post and
its women's auxiliary April 8
at the post building on Palmer
Street.
The newly-elected officers of
the auxiliary are Mrs. Lasca E.
Horsley, president; Mrs. Pauline
Garrison, senior vice-president;
Mrs. Ann Murray, junior vice
president; Mrs. Marie Barnard,
secretary; Mrs. Lewis Patton,
treasurer; Mrs. Catherine Perry,
conductress; Mrs. Jay Nelson,
guard; and Mrs. Lucille Perry,
Mrs. Mildred Perry, and Mrs.
Clyde Slagle, thFee-year trus
tees.
MACON MAN
CRUSHED BY
BIG MACHINE
Potts Dies Thursday In
Hospital After Mishap
On Cowee Project
Joseph Thomas Potts, a 54
year-old motor grader operator
on the Franklin-Cowee Gap
highway project, died at 5:30
p. m. Tuesday In a local hos
pital of Injuries received when
a huge Euclid dirt moving ma
chine backed over him earlier
In the day.
The accident happened about
noon on Cowee Mountain,
where extensive grading opera
tions are under way on the
new US 23 link. Construction
men on the job with Mr. Potts
said he apparently was stand
ing with his back turned to the
huge earth mover and was
crushed by one of the rear
wheels when the machine back
ed up.
Mr. Potts, who was a native
of this county, was rushed by
ambulance to Angel Hospital
where he died several hours
later of internal injuries.
Funeral services for the Cul
lasaja resident are set for to
day (Thursday) at 2 p. m. at
the Sugarfork Baptist Church,
of which he was a member. Of
ficiating ministers will be the
Rev. Clarence Taylor, the Rev.
W. L. Sorrells, and the Rev. M.
W. Chapman. Burial will be in
the church cemetery.
Mr. Potts is survived by his
wife, Mrs. Virgia Bryant Potts;
two sons, Jerry Potts, a student
at the University of North Car
olina, Chapel Hill, and Larry,
of the home; two daughters.
Mrs. Elbert Angel, of Franklin,
and Mrs. Bill Higdon, of Culla
saja; two brothers, Charles W.
and J. Lawrence Potts, both of
Franklin; three sisters, Miss
Bessie Potts, of Franklin, Mrs.
Baxter Ashe, of Bolton, Ga..
and Mrs. Arvll Swafford, of
Franklin, Route 3; and four
grandchildren.
Born October 19, 1898, Mr.
Potts was the son of James
Henry and Mrs. Susan Morrison
Potts. He and his wife were
married in 1919.
Bryant Funeral Home is in
charge of arrangements.
The Franklin High School
baseball team will throw the
door open on its 1953 season
here Wednesday afternoon in a
game with Swain High School,
Coach Dick Stott announced
yesterday.
Gametime will be 3 o'clock.
Counting the opener, the lo
cals have eight games schedul
ed so far, all with Swain High
and Cullowhee High. Coach
Stott said he is negotiating with
Franklin Opens Baseball
Season Here On Wednesday
Andrews High and Lee H. Ed
wards High School in Asheville
for additional game dates.
Dates now filled on the Frank
lin schedule are:
April 10, Cullowhee, away.
April 18, Swain, away.
April 23, Cullowhee, away.
April 28, Cullowhee, home.
, May 2, Swain, away.
May 6, Swain, home.
May 8, Cullowhee, away.
H. D. Women
Coming Here
For Meeting
Home demonstration club
members from Macon, Jackson,
and Swain counties will gather
here Wednesday morning at the
Franklin Methodist Church for
the annual District 2 federa
tion.
Emphasis at this year's meet
ing will be on community de
velopment. The program theme
will be "All Together for Rural
Progress', according to Mrs.
Florence S. Sherrill, county
home agent.
R. C. Francis, of Waynesville,
will be principal speaker at the
morning session, which opens at
10 o'clock. He will discuss what
community development has
meant to Haywood County.
Preceding the opening session,
the Union and Iotla home dem
onstration club members will be
hostesses at a "coffee hour" in
the church basement from 9:15
to 10. As a feature of this, the
Macon County Chorus, under
the direction of S. F. Beck, will
present a devotion in song,
"The Singing Life". Mrs. Har
din Gribble, of Prentiss, is pres
ident of the Union club and
Mrs. Paul Swafford, of Frank
lin, Route 3, heads the Iotla
group.
Also slated for the morning
is a panel discussion on the
outstanding accomplishments ?f
the home demonstration pro
gram in the three counties,
which will be led by Mrs. Den
nis Higdon, of Sylva. Mrs. Glen
Hastings and Mrs. George Byrd
will represent Macon on the
panel.
At the close of the morning
session, the club members will
bo to the Holly Springs Com
munity building for lunch, and
following the meal will tour the
community, which tied for fifth
place in last year's W.N.C. Rur
al Community Contest.
Mrs. Frank Sellers, secretary
of the Macon H. D. council, is
chairman of the registration
committee and will be assisted
by Mrs. Eugene Couch, Mrs.
Earl Cabe, Mrs. Cecil Crawford,
Mrs. Clyde Downs, and Mrs.
Leona W. Moore.
The Cullasaja club, of which
Mrs. Pritchard Peek is presi
dent, 'will be the decorating
committee.
Under the supervision of Miss
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 12
Benefit Chicken Meal
Planned Saturday By
Iotla Parent-Teacher
A benefit fried chicken din
ner is planned Saturday eve
ning at Iotla School under the
sponsorship of the school's par
ent-teacher association, it has
been announced. The meal will
be served between the hours of
7 and 8:30 o'clock and the pub
lic is Invited. Plates will be $1
for adults, 50 cents for children.
TWO EASTER
DAWN RITES
AREPLANNED
One Set For Mile-High
Wayah Bald, Other
On Whiteside
The dawning of Easter Sun
day will silouhette the figures
of several hundred worshippers
of all denominations at twc
mountain-top sunrise services in
the county.
Ofte is scheduled at 6 o'clock
on mile-high Wayah Bald, the
other at 6:30 atop spectacular
Whiteside Mountain, near High
lands.
Now in its sixth year, the
Wayah Bald service, which last
year drew more than 200 per
sons, again will be held at the
camp of Mr. and Mrs. Gilmer !
A. Jones. The Easter message
will be delivered by the Rev.
C. T. Taylor, pastor of the
Longview and Sugarfork Bap
tist churches. The call to wor
ship and Invocation will be
pronounced by the Rev. C. E.
Murray, pastor of the Franklin
Methodist Church. Mrs. T. H.
McNish will give an Easter
reading, "Kagawa", followed by
a scripture reading by Mrs. R
H. Hull. The Rev. P. D. Free
man, pastor of the West Ma
con Methodist circuit, will otter
a prayer, and the benediction
will be by the Rev. Bryan
Hatchett, pastor of the Frank
lin Presbyterian Church. Also
listed on the program is a
trumpet solo by S. F. Beck,
Franklin band director.
An out-door amplifying sys
tem will be set up for the ben
efit of worshippers who wish to
remain in their cars.
Persons panning to attend
the Wayah Bald service should
allow about an hour for travel
ing. The Jones' camp may be
reached by going out US 64
(Murphy highway i and turning
right on the Wayah road.
The Whiteside Mountain serv
ice is in its second year and is
held in the parking area just
below the crest of the mountain
at an altitude of 5,000 feet. The
Rev. Robert M. Hart, pastor of
the Highlands Presbyterian
Church, will deliver the mes
sage.
Whiteside Mountain is located
between Highlands and Cash
iers and the route to its crest
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
GOP SETS MEETING
A county-wide meeting of the
Republican party is slated
April 16 at 8 p. m. at the coun
ty courthouse, George Reece,
county chairman, announced
this week.
WOUNDED IN KOREA
Pfc. Otis T. Brooks, son of
Robert L. Brooks, of Franklin.
Route 2, has befcn wounded in
action in Korea, according to
a Department of Defense cas
ualty list. The extent of his
wounds are not known.
The newly-formed Highlands Junior Chamber of Commerce Monday night officially received its state and national charter
at a special banquet. Pictured above an the drib's officer* and two Jaycee officials: (L to R) O. Earle Young, treasurer. Sidney
M. Carter, president, Gene Oschenreiter. Aahevtlle Jaycee and guest speaker at the banquet. Dwight Beatv. of Waynesville. vice
president of district one, Albert (Chuck) Chalker, vice-president, and Robert M. Hart, secretory.
Franklin Office
Being Eliminated
Officials in Washington, D. C., have ordered the
consolidation of the Nantahala and Pisgah national
forests, eliminating the JJantahala headquarters in
Franklin and placing the two forests under the con
trol of the 1'i.sgah supervisor
Announcement of the order was made Tuesday
night by telephone from U. S. Forest Service regional
100 Macon
Citizens Selected For
Murder Trial
One hundred Macon Coun
ty citizens have been drawn
as a special venire for the
first decree murder trial of a
45-year-old Cherokee County
woodcutter, Noah Dockery,
who is charged in the March
3 shotgun slaying of Chero
kee Sheriff Frank C. Craw
ford. The veniremen are be
ing summoned by Sheriff J.
Harry Thomas and they will
report to the Cherokee Coun
ty Superior Court Monday at
It a. m.
G. L. Houk, Franklin at
torney, has been appointed as
a defense counsel for the
trial.
Two Whiskey 1
Stills Nabbed
Two 35-gallon copper stills ? |
one in the Buck Creek section,
the other in the Nantahala area
? were destroyed by law en
forcement officers last Wednes
day and Thursday along with
385 gallons of mash and nine
gallons of "white lightning".
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas and
Deputy Newell Pendergrass fer
retted out the Buck Creek unit
on Wednesday, dumping 165
gallons of mash and eight gal
lons of whiskey.
The following day, the sheriff
and his deputy and Roy Reese,
federal agent from Bryson City,
raided the Nantahala outfit and
destroyed 220 gallons of mash
and one gallon of whiskey.
Neither unit was in operation
at the time and no arrests were
made, the sheriff said.
CHILD DIES
OF LEUKEMIA
Baird Girl, 2, Succumbs
After Illness Of
Several Months
Vicki Ann Baird, two-year
old daughter of Franklin Police
Chief and Mrs. C. D. Baird,
died Sunday at 2:30 a. m in a
local hospital of leukemia.
The child, who had been 111
for seven months, recently re
turned from Chapel Hill, where
SEE NO. S, PAGE 12
Student Talent Show
Set Today At Theatre
A talent show by Franklin
High School students will be 1
presented today (Thursday) at '
2 p. m. at Macon Theatre. i
Sponsored by the Senior Class, t
the program will Include square t
dancing exhibitions, band num- j
bers, and specialty acts. {
Admission will be 25 cents. r
ncauijuai icis ixi rxtianta, ua., oy
Nantahala Supervisor E. W.
Renshaw.
The supervisor said the con
solidation should be completed
by July 1, the beginning of the
forest fiscal year.
Fate of the Nantahala head
quarters' employes, many of
whom own homes here, is not
known at the present time.
Mr. Renshaw said the two
forests probably will be main
tained separately, but will be
administered by the Pisgah
headquarters in Asheville. D. J.
Morriss is supervisor of the ?
Pisgahs.
Once consolidation is com
pleted, the two forests will cov
er more than a million acres.
The Nantahalas cover an area
of 414.123 acres in Macon, Cher
okee, Clay, Graham, Jackson,
Swain, and Transylvania coun
ties. The highest percentage of
the forest (147,177 acres l lies
within this county. The Pisgah
acreage is approximately C00.
000.
A proclamation by President
Wooftrow Wilson on January 29,
1920. established the Nantahala
forest, which has a population
in excess of 60.000 within its
boundaries.
CONTEST PLANS
TO BE TALKED
Meeting Called Tuesday
To Set Up Council
For Local Event
A special meeting to perfect
the organization of a Macon
County Rural Community De
velopment Contest has been
called for Tuesday night. Coun
ty Agent S. W. Mendenhall an
nounced this week.
The session is slated for 7:30
o'clock at the Nantahala Power
and Light Company building.
Mr. Mendenhall explained the
first step will be the formation
of a county council, composed
of presidents of the county's
nine communities now entered
in the W N.C. Rural Commun
ity Development Contest and
representatives of men's civic
groups in Franklin and High
lands.
Once the council is formed,
plans will be worked out for a
:ounty contest and prizes, he
said.
In this way, local commun
ities will be able to compete in
both county contest and in the
W.N.C one, which is sponsored
by the Asheville Agricultural
Council.
SEE NO. 6, PAGE 12
FAVOR CENTER
The board of directors of the
franklin Chamber of Commerce
Tuesday night went on .record
is endorsing the building of
he proposed health center for
ihis county. Both the V.F.W.
x)st and Rotary Club gave the
>roposal stamps of approval at
neetings this week.
Chief Nelson And Carter
Went Hunting Last Week
Highland* Chief of Police M. A. Nelson and Sid M. Carter took
a groundhog hunting excursion into Wilkes County last week.
Net bag for the two sharpshooters: Twenty-seven groundhogs,
two craws, and one 195V tudor Chevrolet.
It was the chiefs "Chewy" that got it.
As he tells the story, he was sighting across the top of the
car, through a telescopic sight, at a nearby groundhog . . . "had
him dead in the scope", pulled the trigger, and shot through the
(op of the "flivrer". (a telescopic sight corrects for distance, hat,
unfortunately, doesn't automatically lift the mud* of the gan).
"You know", mused the chief, "that ear runs a lot better sine*
I shot it."
I X