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VOL. LXVU1? NO. 1*
FRANKLIN, N. C., THURSDAY, MAY 7, 1953
FOURTEEN PAGES
Burrell And Cobb
Reelected Mayors
Franklin Voter* Put
Incumbent Board
Back In Office
, (See Pictures, Page 6)
By wide majorities, Fran kj in
voters put Mayor W. C. Burrell
and the entire board of alder
men back in office for two
more years in Tuesday's non
partisan election.
Despite rainy weather, 497
voters turned out to cast bal
lots, election officials reported.
Mayor Burrell, who was ap
pointed mayor following the'
death of Robert M. Dillard in
early in 1952,, polled 311 votes,
almost double the number re
ceived by his opponent, C.
Banks Finger, who got 182.
All of the aldermen ran
strong races, with Verlon Swaf
ford polling high with 432
votes. Erwin Patton was second
with 427.
The two candidates opposing
the six incumbent aldermen, J.
W. (Bill) Horsley and T. T.
Love, received 221 and 184 votes,
respectively.
Votes received by the other
four aldermen were: J. C. Jac
obs, 405; Oscar Ledford, 403;
A. G. Cagle, 393; and J. Frank
Martin, 367.
Hie count-out was completed
by 9:30 p. m., and only a hand
ful of spectators were on hand
to watch the proceedings.
ROAD GRADING
HALF FINISHED
Bridges And Culverts
60% Completed; Work
Nears Franklin
Construction on the Frank
lin-Cowee Gap (US 23 1 project
moved closer to Franklin this
week when grading operations
got under way in the Lake Em
ory Road area.
Resident Engineer S. T. Usry
reported Tuesday the grading
job on the new stretch is abcut
50 per cent completed and esti
mated the entire grading oper
ation would be finished by fall.
Bridges and culverts on the
$618,000 highway are more than
60 per cent complete, the en
gineer said.
STYLE SHOW
MARKS MEET
H.D. Women Hold Spring
F ederation F riday
At Cullasaja
A fashion show, featuring
most styles of women's and
children's clothing, took the
limelight Friday afternoon at
Cullasaja School at the Spring
Federation of the Macon Coun
ty Home Demonstration Clubs.
Forty-five club women and
children modeled before an
audience estimated at 200 per
sons.
The host for the event was
the Cullasaja club, of which
Mrs. Pritchard Peek is presi
dent. The Carson Chapel club
was In charge of a social hour
following the fashion show.
Judging the show were Mrs.
T. J. O'Neil, head of the home
economics department at Frank
lin High School, Miss Pansy
Deal, home agent of Swain
County, and Miss Jean Childers,
assistant home agent in Hay
wood.
Mrs. O'Neil presented awards
to the winners in the follow
ing classes of the show:
Fashions for Tots: Vickie
Penland, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Stanley Penland (lotla
Club), first place; Jane Byrd,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
George Byrd (Cowee club), sec
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 7
ATTEND YDC RALLY
Among those from this coun
ty attending the Young Demo
crats Club rally in Ashevllle
Saturday night were C. Banks
Finger, secretary of the local
YDC, Bob S. Sloan, former pres
ident of the local organization,
Sherifl and Mrs. J. Harry
Thomas, Register of Deeds Lake
V. Shope, John Long, Zeb
Meadows, Wood row Gibson, Lon
Dalton, and Fred Slagle.
Highlands Balloting'
Record Breaker,
Officials Say
With a record-breaking vote i
in Tuesday's non-partisan elec
tion, Highlands citizens put
Mayor W. H. Cobb back in of
fice for his sixth consecutive
two-year term and elected their
live-man board of commission
ers, including the three incum
bents in the race.
A total Of 265 votes were cast,
the highest in the history of
the small tourist town, accord
ing to election officials. Three
were in the mayor's race and
13 were seeking seats on the
board.
The three incumbents who
went back in office, and their
vote, are Tudor N. Hall, 158;
Luther W. Rice, 130; and Harry
A Holt, 109. Steve Potts polled
the highest number of votes In
the commissioner's race with
175. The fifth member elected
to the board. Carter Talley,
squeezed in by one vote. He
received 106. Close behind were
J. A. Hodges and Frank Crane
with 105.
Dr. Jesse M. Hedden, the only
woman in the ra'ce, polled 97
votes.
Mayor Cobb's two opponents,
H. S. Talley and Henry A.
Cleaveland, received 80 and 43
votes, respectively.
Others in the commissioner's
contest, and their vote, were
Carlton Cleaveland, 101; F. A.
Edwards, 88; Joe Reese, 57;
John H. C. Perry, 39; and John
W. Paul, 17.
Winston - Salem
Doctor Joining
Dr. Fisher Here
Dr. E. W. Fisher Tuesday an
nounced that Dr. Paul L. Garri
son, of Winston-Salem, will be
associated y,'ith him in the
practice of medicine.
A veteran of World War II.
Dr. Garrison is a graduate of
Wake Forest College and Bow
man-Grav Medical School in
Winston -Salem and he has just
completed three years' work in
U. S. Army hospital at Fort
Sam Houston, Tex., and Fort
Knox, Ky.
Dr. and Mrs. Garrison will
live in the Claude Potts house
on Bonny Crest.
Cook To Preach Sunday
In Absence Of Chapman
The Rev. W. N. Cook, retired
Baptist minister, will fill the
Pulpit at the First Baptist
Church here Sunday morning,
in the absence of the pastor,
the Rev. M. W. Chapman. Mr.
Chapman is attending the
Southern Baptist Convention in
Houston, Tex.
MEETING SET
TO ORGANIZE
SPOTTER UNIT
Program To Be Outlined
Here May 19 At
V.F.W.Home
A special meeting to organize I
a Ground Observer Corps unit
in Franklin has been set for
May 19 at 7:30 p. m. at the
V. F. W. building on Palmer
Street.
S/Sgt. George Cook, of the
U. S. Air Force, who is connect
ed with the air defense filter
center in Knoxville, Tenn., is
scheduled to be at the meeting
to explain the purpose of a
G. O. C. unit in the nation's
' defense set-up.
Any person over the age of
16 years is invited to attend the
organizational meeting.
"Operation Sky Watch" is the
code name of G. O. C., which
is administered by the state
civilian defense organization.
The air force is in charge of
education and training of mem
bers.
The units, which are man
ned all over the United States,
function as aircraft spotter
points, calling information on
aircraft into central air defense
filter centers where the air
craft's course is plotted. In the
event of an attack on this
country, the G. O. C. would
serve as a second line of de
fense in spotting invading air
craft that might slip through
the costal radar network.
Although many G. O. C. units
operate on an around-the
clock basis, a unit here would
be on "stand-by status", meet
ing possibly monthly to keep
ahreast of operational procedure
and spotting technique.
Sgt. Cook met here last
Thursday evening with Grant
Zickgraf. John Cogan, Frank
Plyler, and the Rev. R. D. Burn
ette. This group set the date for
the coming organization meet
ing. .
Franklin, since it lies on a di
rect line between the Oak
Ridge (Tenn.t Atomic Energy
Plant and the new hydrogen
bomb project under way in
Aiken, S. C? would be an ideal
interceptor point in air de
fense, it was pointed out. The
j town also is well within the
air defense zone of the Oak
Ridge plant.
HOME FROM KOREA
Cpl. Charles Conley, Jr., who
has been with the army in Ko
rea for the past year, arrived
home last week to spend a
month's leave with his parents.
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Conley, of
Franklin.
ELECTED PRESIDENT
Dr. Sherman H. Pace, of
Highlands, was elected presi
dent of the Masonic Scottish
Rite class at the spring reunion
held in Asheville April 28
through May 1, for the Ashe
ville Consistory.
McSwain, Sutton Rehired;
Franklin Coach Dismissed
HEADS LIONS
W. K. (KEN) HOOKER
Mr. Hooker has been elected
president of the Franklin Lions
Club, succeeding J. Frank Mar
tin. Other new officers in elude
Elbert Angel, first vice-presi
dent. Jack Angel, second vice
presidlent; C. Banks Finger,
third vice-president, Robert J.
Korte, secretary, Grover Jami
son, Jr., treasurer, Mac Ray
Whitaker and Farrell Pen] and,
directors, Roy Cunningham, tail
twister, G. R. Pattillo, assistant
tail twister, and Cullen Bryant,
Lion tamer.
! G Franklin Girls
Receive Highest
Scouting Award i
I Six Franklin Girl Scouts re- j
=ived Curved Bars, the high- J
' ; st award in Girl Scouting, at
Nantahala Area Court ci j
Awards in Cherokee Sunday j
afternoon.
The six, who are now elig- j
ible to move into senior scout- .
ing, are Beverly Stockton. Joan j
Thomas, Margaret Jones, Dale |
Edwards. Carolyn Dowdle. and j
Edith Christy. All are members
of Troop 4 Miss Lillian Jones
and Mrs. Larry Cabe are the !
troop leaders.
All 16 members of Franklin I
Troop 29. received World Pins. J
one-year awards. Mrs. C. Banks |
Finger is the troop leader.
Macon County, with 116 scouts !
and adult leaders, is now the
biggest in the six-county area,
according to Mrs. R. G. Lich
tenstein, county chairman.
TRANSFERRED
Mrs. Lena Arnold, an em
ploye of the Western Carolina j
Telephone Company, last week
moved to Weaverville, where
she has been transferred.
Franklin High Honor Students
? Staff Photo by J. P. Brotly \
Franklin High School has departed from tradition this year in not naming a valedictorian
and salutatorian, picking for recognition Instead, nine honor students from this year's gradual !
ing class. Pictured above are the four top students: <L to R) Miss Ann Hays, Miss Juli* Moody
Miss Nancy Ramsey, and Jack Love. With 4.1 as a perfect score, the three young ladies eacli
averaged 3.8 in four years of high school, with y iung Mr. Love running a c lo e second with a 3.1
average. The five other students slated for reco (nition at graduating exercises on May 26 arc
Misses Virginia Franklin, Annie Ruth Dean, Barbara Jean Pannell, and Myra Crawford, and Max
Phillips. The high school will graduate 117 this year. Graduation plans will be announced next
week.
\ll Principals, Some
Teachers Approved
At Meeting
AH - principals and a number
3f teachers in the county's 11
schools have been approved for
another year by the county
soard of education.
Several resignations have
seen received, including Frank
lin High School Principal C.
Ray Lowe; Mrs. Anne C. Ram
sey, Cartoogechaye School; Mrs.
Freda H. Bryant. Iotla School;
Mrs. Betty P. Harris, Nantahala
School, and Mrs. Mary B. Mill
er, Highlands School.
Following are the principals
and teachers cleared by the
board, upon recommendation of
district committees:
Franklin School: R. G. Sut
ton, principal, (high school
teachers) Robert Jack Angel,
Mrs. Frances Beck, Samuel F.
Beck, Adelaide L. Brewer, Mrs.
Marjorie H. Crawford, Harold
E. Davis, Mrs. Lois F. Fulton,
Mrs. Juanita Lowe, Mrs. Kath
erine P. Matthews, Mrs. Mil
dred Martin, Mrs. Katherine M.
O'Neil, Mrs. Roberta Parker,
Clayton H. Ramsey, Mrs. Mary
F. Ellis Sloan, Wayne Proffitt,
Homer Wike, (conditionally),
Edwin T. Williams, Richard D.
Stott (conditionally), Mrs. Car
olyn Cogan, and Mrs. Rose Cor
bin. (Elementary teachers) Miss
Alice D. Weaver, Mrs. Margaret
R. Flanagan, Miss May Beryl
Moody, Mrs. Lola Kisex, Mrs.
Edith S. Hemphill, Mrs. Mar
garet H. Ramsey, Miss Edna
Jamison, Miss Elizabeth Mead
ows, Mrs. Pearl Hunter, Mrs.
Kate H. Williams, Mrs. Elsie W.
Franks, and Mrs. Margaret .
Bradley.
East Franklin School ; Wil
liam G. Crawford, principal, I
Mrs. Merle P. Dryman, Mrs.
Nina T. McCoy, Mrs. Hazel P. j
Sutton, Mrs. Katherine A. Craw- i
ford, Mrs. Lucille K. Wurst, j
Mrs. Genevieve M. Barnard,
Mrs. Elizabeth D. Higdon, Mrs. |
Fannie Mae R. Arnold, and Mrs
Amy H. Deai. j
Cullasaja School: Weaver
Shope, principal, Mrs Mattie
Keener Mrs. Pauline F. Cable,
Mrs. Pearl P. Stewart, Mrs.
Joyce J. Cagle, Mrs. Myrtle F.
Keener, Mrs. Jimmie T. Sutton, j
Miss Lois Keener, M:i. ueorgia
H. Young, and Mrs. Lovicia J. !
Moses.
Union School: Harry C. Cor
bin, principal, J. B. Erendle,
Mrs. Jessie Horsley, Mrs. Gay
B. Teague, Mrs. Kathryn R.
Jones, Miss Alice A. Slagle, and
Mrs. Lucy C. Bradley.
Cowee School: Tillery T. Love,
principal, Alex Arnoici, Mrs.
Gladys Elmore, Mrs. Martha C.
Shields, Mrs. Selma H Dalton,
Mrs. Lily C. Moody, Mrs. Paul
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 7
BAPTIST m
MEET SLATED
Will Open Friday Morn
At First Baptist
Church, Franklin
The annual meeting of the
Baptist Associational Woman's
Missionary Union is scheduled
tomorrow (Friday I at the First
Baptist Church, Mrs. W. N.
Cook, county associational su
perintendent, announced this
wek.
The meeting will open at 10
i. m. and <vill continue to 3:15
3. m- The theme of the annual
meeting will be, "Come, Wo
men. Wide Proclaim", Mrs.
Cook said.
Newly elected officers will be
nstalled by Mr?. E. H. Corpen
ng, Bryson City divisional su
aerintendent.
Miss Bertha Wallis, of Birm- |
ngham. Ala., a member of the
Home Mission Board of the
3outhern Baptist Convention, is
scheduled to speak at both the
morning and afternoon sessions
Mrs. John Wacaster, of Chcrry
'ille, state W. M. U. worker
?vill participate in the morning
program.
Lunch will be served at noor.
and Mrs. Cook asked thos<
planning to attend to bring ;
covered dish.
Protest Petition Pops
Up Over Decisions
Of Board
Reaction to the board of ed- i
ucation's decisions Monday
night to hire Franklin Principal
R. G. Sutton for another year
and fire Franklin Coach Ralph
(Chuck i McConnell popped up
Tuesday in the form of a peti
tion, which is being circulated
for signatures.
Addressed to Board Chairman
J. C. Sorrells, who broke tie
votes in both issues, the peti
tion states . . We believe that
you would be doing a great
service to the people in the
Franklin school district if you
would Immediately call another
meeting of your board and re
consider your action In employ
ing Mr. Sutton." And:
. . Please understand that
none of us has any personal
animosity toward Mr. Sutton
and are only writing this let
ter requesting you to take this
action for the reason we be
lieve It Is to the best interest
of our entire school."
Referring to Mr. SuUcn's rec
ommendation that Coach Mc
Connell be released, the peti
tion says "In our opinion, this
action was tak?n by him for
personal reasons and not for
the best interest of the school."
The petition follows, In part:
"The undersigned citizens
and patrons of the- Franklin
School were very rauch surpris
ed and disappointed at the ac
tion taken by your board in re
employing R. G. Sutton as prin
cipal of the Franklin High
School. We understand that this
action was taken after our su
perintendent of schools had
stated to you that he thought
it best not to reemploy him.
"Mr. Sutton has been in thr
schools here for three or four
years and has caused consider
able dissent among the teach
ers, patrons, and put;' We v.ili
mention only one occurrence
which we believe will convince
you that he is not a proper
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 7
All-Stars Pound
Out 11-2 Victory
Over Bryson City
In their first game of the
season, the FranWin All-Stars
pounded out an 11 to 2 victory
over Bryson City Sunday after
noon in Bryson City.
Pitcher Jim Brogden allowed
Bryson City only one hit in the
game and fanned 19. Norman
Seay chalked up a home run
with no one on.
The All-Stars will play Clay
ton. Ga., here Sunday afternoon
at the Franklin athletic field.
Gametime will.be 1:30 o'clock.
Paul Holbrooks has been elect
ed manager of the local team
and J. D. Gibson, business man
ager.
County School Supt.
Holland McSwain was
unanimously reelected for r
another two-year term
Monday night by the
county hoard of education
at a lengthy meeting
which saw :
(1) Franklin Principal
R. Guv Sutton keep his
post for another year by
a close -vote: the board
overruling a recommenda
tion bv the school super
intendent.
(2) Coach Ralph (Chuck)
McConnell lose his coach
ing job at Franklin High
School upon recommen
dation of Mr. Sutton and
the district school com
mittee.
On both issues. Board Chair
man J. C. Sorrells used his
vote to break tie votes, voting
I to keep the principal and re
lease the coach.
And in both issues. Board
Members John M. Archer, Jr.,
and Allen Siler formed the op
position, while Chairman Sor
rells went along with Neville
Bryson and Claude W. Cabe.
Asked his opinion on the mat
ter. Mr. McSwain recommend
ed that Mr. Sutton not be re
tained. The superintendent said
there was nothing personal in
volved in his views and sa'd if
the board chose to approve the
principal he "would bend every
effort to work with him' as he
had in the past.
Explaining his stand. Mr. Mc
Swain said, because of cpoosi
| tion to Mr. Sutton, he felt it
; would be practically imnossible
i for tlv principal to obtain .the
1 1;~ ? 'it o *he fehpsl pa'rons
j.npoied to c'.c 'he ) o he i.r.s Try
Cic.
At the thr? c:.:l a hati .jimt
meeripg. ihivseii nd ?*Te tir*ae
new'board. all principal ? the
school system were ap v.ed
lor another year and. upon rec
ommendation of district, om
mittees. a number o' tea iiers
received a stamp of approval
for another year from the board
and the superintendent.
After spending more than 45,
minutes discussing alleged in
cidents centering arouncl Mr.
Sutton's conduct as principal,
including the recent luncheon
episode in which the principal
was charged with tearing down
a health department sanitation
j grade card posted in the Frank
lin school cafeteria by Sanitar
| ian H. T. Collins, retaining the
| principal was put to a vote, re
| suiting in a 3 to 2 decision.
When breaking the tie-vote
j in favor of Mr. Sutton, Chair
: man Sorrells commented :
"I'feel like giving a man one
SEE NO 1, PAGE 6
WHY?
(EDITORIAL!
Members of the County Board of Education voted unani
mously at Monday night's meeting to reelect Mr. Holland
McSwain as county superintendent.
Then the board, by a three-to-two vote, overruled the re
elected superintendent on his first recommendation.
Whether the three members who so contradicted them
selves, within a matter of a few minutes, voted wrong the
first time and right the second, or right the first time and
wrong the second, is a question for them to answer to their
own consciences.
But there is a question they should answer to the people
of this county. It is a question that is important not be
cause it affects the fortunes of any individual, but because
it affects the welfare of the Macon County schools and th?
lives of some 4,000 school children.
These three members are men of too much intelligence not
to know that a man in an administrative position can do m
good job only if he has some say-so about who his subordi
nates shall be, and thus some control over his subordinates.
Why, then, did they vote to reelect the superintendent and
turn right around and rob him of the authority to do the
job?