?fte if t ??
|l|i Jtwflttian
PRICE
10
? vol. umn-Nft K
FRANKUN, M. C, THURSDAY, MAY 28, 1953
TWELVE FAi
Local Man First
Fatality Of Year
Crisp Die* In Hoapital
After Saturday Wreck
On U. S. 23
A 27-year-old Franklin man
Sunday became the first high
way fatility in this acunty for
1953- i
J. L. Crisp, son cf Mis. Mary (
Teems Crisp, died at Angel
Hospital about 6 p- rr.. ? nearly
24 hours after he lost control
of his automobile on tht Geor
gia highway (US 23' and over
turned. He died of a fractured
skulL- and internal injuries. (
Three other men in the Crisp
car were listed by Highway
Patvakman C. M. Byrd. who in
vestigated, as George H. Coch
rane, J27, of Bryson Citj. Hu
bert Bateman, 27, of Franklin,
and Barley Gibson, 27, also of
Franklin.
Mr. (Gibson escaped from the
crash uninjured, while Mr
Cochnme suffered a fractured
skull, and Mr. Bateman, minor
cuts and . bruises. Angel Hos
pital reported yesterday that
Mr. Cochrane was improving.
Patrolman Byrd said the
three men are free on $300
bonds, charged with drunken
ness. All ?tf the men in the car
had been drinking, he said.
Just prior to the accident, the ;
-patrolman eaid he , and Deputy
Sheriff Newell -Pendergrass, whfc
assisted in the investigation.
? saw the Crisp car parked to!
front of a beer parlor just over
the Georgia state line.
The wreck occurred about
'6 30 p. m. some 1,000 feet
?north of Ed Norton's store. The
car was travelhsrg toward Frank
lin "at a high rate of speed" ac
cording to Patrolman Byrd, and
tht driver apparently lost con
trol shortly after negotiating a
sharp curve.
Tjie 1949 Ford, struck the
bank on the left side of the
highway and turned end over
end s?ack across the highway,
the patrolman said.
Funeral services foi Mr Crisp,
who had been working in Pon
tiac, Mich., for General Motors
as a driver, and had been home
only about a week, were con
ducted Tuesday afternoon at i
o'clock at the Sugarfork Bap
tist Church by the Rev. M. W^
Chapman, pastor of the First
Baptist Church, and the Bev.
C. T. Taylor. Burial was in tfte
church cemetery.
He was burn March 19, 1926.
His father was the late Iva
"Crisp
in addition to his mother,
Mr. Crisp is survived by seven
brothers, Homer, William, J. W?
Charles, and Lawrence Crisp
all of Franklin, and Fred and
Furman, of Detroit, Mich.; four
sisters, Mrs. Iva Jane Dills, of
Franklin, Mrs. Betty Reschke
of Miami Beach, Fla^, and
Misses Katie Lee and Frankie
Crisp, of Franklin.
Serving as pallbearers were
J D. Gibson, 3. D. Tallent, E.
G Crisp, Don Tallent, Troy
Crisp, and Edgar Younce. 1
Flower girls were Wayles Ar
rowood, Christine Cunningham,
pixie Lou Wilson, Shirley L*>u
Crisp, Barbara Britton, and
Mildred Tallent.
Bryant Funeral Home was in
charge of arrangements.
FOREST MERGER
GOES FORWARD
T entative Assignments
Received J iry Several
Employes Here
Consolidation of the Nanta
hala National Forest with the
! Pisgah National Forest is mov
l ing along and several Nanta
' hala employes have received
tentative asstgnmeirts, accorfl
I ing to forest officials.
The merger of the two for
ests, which eliminates the Nan
tahala headquarters in Frank
lin and places the administra
tion of the two in the bands
the Pisgah supervisor in Ashe
vllle, is scheduled to be com
pleted by July 1.
Apparently a protest regis
tered by local citizens In Wash
ington, D. C., is having little
Influence on the move, ?which
was ordered toward the last of
March as an economy measure.
Although the Nantahala for
est is losing Its headquarters, it
still will retain its name, of
ficials say. All of the forests in
the state will come under the
central name of N. C. National
Forest.
At least two employes plan
to retire as soon as the consol
idation is complete, one already
iias resigned and is training for
another job, and two others
llave resigned, effective with
the merger.
A. R. Kinney and J. Roan
Bradley said Monday they will
retire. Mr. Kinney, who has
nearjy 38 years with the forest
-ervlce in * Washington, D. C.f
West Virginia, Virginia, New
Hampetaire, Pennsylvania,. Ten
nessee, Georgia, and North Car
olina, came to the headquarters
here six years ago as a forest
engineer.
Mr. Bradley, chief of land ac
quisition surveys, has 30 years'
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
J. C. Robinson
Passes Monday;
Services Today
J. C. Robinson, 84-year-old re
tired Macon County farmer,
died Monday night in a Win- '
ston-Salem hospital.
Mr. Robinson, who had been
in declining health for some
time, was admitted to the hos
pital on May 12 for treatment.
Funeral services will be con
ducted this (Thursday) morn
ing at '11 o'clock at the First
Baptist Church by the Rev. M.
W. Chapman, pastor. Burial
will be in Woodlawn Cemetery.
Survivors Include two daugh
ters, Mrs. Clark Jenkins, of
Clyde, and Miss Gay Robinson,
of Miami, Fla.; seven sons,
Winfred Robinson, of Reno,
Nev., Herman and Beuford, of
Asheville, Roy and Horace, of
Enka, Marshall, of Canton, and
Leonard Robinson, who is serv
ing with the U. S. Army.
Potts Funeral Home is in
charge of arrangements.
GEORGIA BEER
IS LEGAL HERE
Assistant Attorney
General Points To
Buying your beer in Georgia?
Then it's quite legal to bring
It across the state line for priv
ate consumption if the quan
tity is not more than one gal
lon.
In its March 26 issue, The
Press quoted a ruling by the
attorney general of the state,
taken from Popular Govern
ment, to the effect that it is
illegal to bring beer Into the
state because of the non-pay
ment of the North Carolina tax
on beer.
However, a letter received
from Claude L. Love, assistant
attorney general, has thrown
more light on the subject. Mr.
Love's letter was in answer to
one written by Fred Welssen
SEE NO. 2, PAG* 13
Prizes Set
For Contest
By Council
Cash prizes for the winning
communities in the Macon
County Community Develop
ment Contest were set up Fri
day night by the contest coun- I
ty council.
With $1,025 donated by mer
chants for the contest, a coun
cil-appointed committee fixed
cash awards for the top six
communities as follows :
First place. $400: second, $250;
third, $150; fourth, $100; fifth. [
$75; and sixth, $50.
This is the first year a rural
contest has been conducted in j
this county and with 13 com
munities in the running it
should prove to be a stimulat
ing one, according to members
of the council, which is over
seeing the contest.
At Friday night's meeting,
held at the Nantahala Power
and Light Company building, a
working manual was distribut
ed among community presidents
with suggestions and ideas for
community projects. The man
ual was prepared by W. W.
(Bill) Sloan, through the cour
tesy of the power company.
Erwin Patton, council presi
dent, presided at the meeting.
The 13 communities in the
local contest also are competing
with other western counties in
the W.N.C. contest, and state
wide in the rural contest spon
sored by the Progressive Farm
er magazine.
MEET SITE CHANGED
The meeting of the Macon
County Men's Club tonight
(Thursday) at 7:30 o'clock will
be held at the Cartoogechaye
School instead of at Carson
Chapel, as previously announc
ed. Ladies of Carson Chapel
Church will serve the supper.
Radio And Faith Deliver Girl
To Local Couple In Far North
A radio and a lot of faith delivered a baby girl to Mr. and
Mrs. Dennis Stanley in Alaska on April 25.
The Stameys, residents of the Cnllasaja community, went to
Amiafc, Alaska, to teach last year.
Here's their story, taken from a letter to members of their
family, on the unusual birth of their daughter, Sonja Lee.
"Hello, Mom and All,
"We have a nice baby girl (Sonja Lee), six and a half
pounds, born at 3:20 a. m. on the 25th here in Amiak. No mid
wife, no doctor, no one around who ever delivered a baby before.
We sure had a time.
"Got radio contact with Nome and a doctor up there gave
the directions over the radio. Hazel (Mrs. Stamey) gave the di
rections to the women who helped her. Everybody was scared
Sick, except Hazel. Tried to get a mid- wife but it was so foggy
a plane couldn't even taxi.
"It all happened so quick that it's hard to recall it exactly.
The baby came feet first. We finally got a doctor to come from
Bethel at 10:30 a. m. Cost me $90 an hour for the plane. Had
to charter it from Bethel to bring the doctor.
"The Lord was surely with us that night. Had a time get
ting the baby to breathe ... all of Amlak stayed awake and
tried to help some way or the other. The women here stayed
right with Hazel. They used baby books to get directions, too.
"We had to ran a relay of men to the radio. It's located in
the school house and there's no phone there. Hasel and baby
are Jnat fine now . .
S
First Death Car This Year
?Staff photo by J. P. Brady
J. L. Crisp, 27, of Franklin, became Macon County's first highway fatality of 1953 when he
died Sunday in a local hospital of a skull fracture and internal injuries nearly 24 hours after
he lost control of his automobile on the Georgia highway. Two other passengers in the car
were injured and a third escaped injury. The above picture illustrates the impact of the crash
on the death car, which was nearly demolished as it turned end over end on the highway after
striking a bank.
DEGREE GIVEN
LOCAL RECTOR
Morgan In New York
To Receive Honor
From Seminary
The Rev. A. Rufus Morgan,
rector of the St. Agnes Epis
copal Church here, left Sunday
for New York WhA-e he will re
ceive the degree of Doctor of
Sacred Theology.
It is understood that, as a
general rule, this high honor
is bestowed only upon bishop?
of the church.
The occasion also wi!) mark j
the 40th anniversity of Mr.
Morgan's graduation from the
General Theological Seminary
in New York.
He was graduated from the
University of North Carolina.
Chapel Hill, took his theological
studies at the New York semi
nary, and did post-graduate
work at Columbia University in 1
New York City.
Mr. Morgan will return hire ,
Friday.
Baptist Bible
School Opening
Slated Monday
A two-week daily vacation j
Bible school will open Monday
at the First Baptist Church.
Tomorrow (Friday* is sched
uled as preparation day. Reg
istration will be from 9 to 11
a. m. and final plans for Mon
day's opening will be made.
The Bible school will operate
daily from 9 to 12, ending with
commencement exercises at the
church the night of June 14.
according to the Rev. M. W.
Chapman, pastor.
Mrs. Glenn Holt will be prin
cipal. The school is for children
from the ages of three to 16.
Mrs. Houston
Named Manager
Of Movie House
Mrs. Carrie Houston, cashier
at the Macon Theatre for the
past three years, Sunday took
over as manager of the theatre
succeeding Clyde Gailey, who
resigned several weeks ago.
Hugh Prince, who is connect
ed with the Rabun (Ga.)
Amusement Company, which
owns the local theatre, had
been serving as manager tem
porarily while a new manager
was being selected. He returned
to his home in Toccoa, Ga , yes
terday (Wednesday).
Mrs. Houston came here from
Clayton, Ga.
Mr Galley, who served a
manager of the theatre for 16
years, is now working for Bur
rell Motor Company as an au
tomobile salesman.
COURTHOUSE SENG
The fifth Sunday singing
convention will be at the court
house at 10 a. m , J. M. Raby.
president, has announced All
singers are invited to take part
Center Site
Is Inspected
By Officials
C. S. Templeton and Bruce
K. Jones, of the Medical Care
Commission in Raleigh were
last Thursday to inspect the 1
site of the proposed health j
center.
The site for the center, which
will cost approximately 530,000.
is on Riverview Street directly
across from Angel Hospital. It
was donated to the county by
Dr. Edgar Angel, and is about
two-thirds of an acre, fronting ?
the street for 320 feet, with a
depth of about 275 feet.
The county's cost of building |
the center will be about $6,000. j
with the commission ? an agen- |
t v which allocates funds for '
health centers ? covering the
rest of the expert.
Final approval of the center
rests with Dr John A Ferrell,
head of the commission.
Georgia Man Succeeds
Giaquinto As Junior
Forester In District
John L. Connel! of Valdosta.
Ga., has joined the Highland
district of the Nantahala Na
tional Forest as a junior for
ester, succeeding Joe Giaquinto.
who has been promoted to as
sistant ranger on the Lake
River district of the Mississippi
National Forest. Headquarters
of the Highland district are in
Highlands.
WORK STARTS AGAIN I
Construction of a new Catho- J
lie Church in Franklin, which
was halted last week while
church officials checked with
the highway department to see j
if the building would be in the j
path of any future highway
project, was resumed this week.
Highway officials said at the
present time they have no
plans for bringing new con
struction inside the city limits.
The church is being built at
the intersection of US 23 and
Maple Street.
Vote To Terminate
l Sutton's Contract
i
141 STUDENTS
AREGRADUATED
Commencement Exercise
In Highlands Set
For Tonight
Macon County this year sends
141 high school graduates out
into the swift-moving stream
of ambition.
One hundred twenty-nine
seniors from Franklin and Nan
tahala already have received
their diplomas. The remaining
12 make up the Highlands High
School Class of 1953. They will
be graduated at a commence
ment exercise tonight (Thurs
day).
The Highlands exercise Is set
for 8 o'clock at the school. The
Rev. R. W. Walters, pastor of
the Mills River Methodist
Church, will deliver the mgin
address to the graduating Class
and County School Supt. Hol
land McSwain will present di
plopias.
Robert Ayers, ministerial stu
dent at Furman University, de
livered the baccalaureate ser
mon to the Highlands seniors
Sunday evening at the High
lands Methodist Church. The
school held its Junior-Senior
banquet on May 15 and an
athletic banquet on May 22.
Making up the Highlands
graduating class are Misses Lil
lian Eulene Calloway, Hazel
Louise Chastain, Audrey Raye
Deal, Ann Stevens McCarty,
MurielNaomi Miller, Lois Marie
Potts, Virginia Dare Vinson.
Margaret Alice Zoellner, and
Walter Eugene Houston. Sidney
Louis McCarty, III. C0".'!"
Napoleon Reese, and Vernon j
Josh Wilson.
Commencement exercises a*
Frar.klin High School were cli
maxed Tuesday evening at th
athletic field with the presen
tation of diplomas to 116 sen
iors ? 46 boys and 70 girls? by
Principal Clarence R. Lou
The baccalaureate sermon was
delivered Sunday evening at the
Franklin Methodist Church by
the Rev. M. T Gales, pastor of
the Cowee Baptist Church
"Class Day" was marked Mon
day afternoon at the athletic
field, and included the presen
tation of awards to outstanding
members of the graduating
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 7
Action Recommended By
District Committee;
Delegations Heard
Reversing a prior decision, the
Macon County Board of Educa
tion last Thursday night voted
to terminate District Principal
R. G Sutton's contract at the
end o! *.ne present school year.
The move came after the
board had studied a "reconsid
eration" recommendation from
the eight-man Franklin district
committee.
In special session May 18, the
education board decided to ask
the district committee to re
consider 'its stand on the prin
cipal, who previously had been
approved by the board upon the
district committee's recommen
dation, and set Thursday night
to hear its findings.
By signed letter, five of the
district committee recommend
ed termination of the principal
contract. The remaining three
members did not vote.
The board's approval of the
principal for another year, at
a meeting May 4, and the i?l*
cipal's subsequent recommends^
tion that Franklin Coach Ralph
(Chuck.) McConnell be dismiss
ed, threw the school district ta
to a ticklish situation. Both
school patron and student pro
tests were aired.
Actually, the education board
voted twice at Thursday's meet
ing to terminate M-. Sutton*
con-ra-.t. but one vote was
wiped off the
Board Member John M fcrctier;
Jr., withdrew his motion. an?
left the meeting. Thai, action
follow d a motion Eoard
Y ember Clavde W. Ca-..e that
Cpunty Supt. Holland MctSwato
.-?jwrn'' -- ? that
"we cfcan the d*al the
card- over".
, . ,. ; i wiH
not C: & party to such as this",
and lef* the room.
Mr C?b? r. receiveo
no s<- -? ' "" 'w
?n(l > . - ci : mbei
Allen Silers motion to termi
nate the princip al s c ract
Mr. Cf.be later hock liands
with the supe-mtendent and
said therc was n' pev' t r a.. bal
ing.
Throujfho -f th? .- r- - dings.
Board Member Neville Eryson
stood firm, contending the
board already had voted to re
hire the principal. He voted
against the first motion and
did not vote on the second. Mr.
Bryson said he was opposed to
the measures because they pot
the jobs of three' men at stake,
apparently referring to toe
principal, coach, and superin
tendent.
The district committee's ne*
recommendation also terminat
ed the contract of Coach Mc
Connell and leaves the selection
of a coach up to the new prin
cipal.
Supt. McSwain said Monday
he had received the coach's
resignation.
Prior to going into session,
the board heard the pros and
cons of the issue _
A delegation of 11 high schoc
teachers and a man who saf
he represented the school bus
drivers appeared in behalf of
Mr. Sutton. Arguments present
ed to the board by this dele
gation are not known, since a
closed session was requested
and reporters were asked to
leave. ? ,
A rlolooof inn pnHnrti
Poppy Day'
Sale Slated Saturday,
In Franklin
"Buy a Poppy?"
This will be voiced through
out Franklin on Saturday by
Girl Scouts, who will be assist
ing the local American Legion
Auxiliary with "Poppy Day"
sales.
The proceeds bom the sale
of the artificial flowers, which
are made by disabled American
veterans, will be used to help
the families of needy veterans,
according to auxiliary members.
Mrs. Frank I. Murray, Sr., is
serving as chairman of the sale
and is being assisted by Mrs.
Gilmer A. Jones, Mrs. H. W.
Cabe. and Mrs. Joe Dowdle.
A movie trailer on "Poppy
Day" is being shown in the
atres in the county this week.
Woman Victim Of Polite
Motorized Purse-Snatcher
A motorized purM-iiutchn "politely" relieved Mrs. Frank
Blanton of her purse Monday afternoon in the most literal sense
of the word.
Mrs. Blanton and Mrs. Emma West, her aunt, were walking:
home out Harrison Avenue when a male motorist stopped and
asked the wav to Asheville, explaining he couldn't read his road ]
map. Mrs. Blanton said she stepped to the car, pointed out the '
detour route to Asheville, and:
"He said 'thank you' and (Tabbed my pocketbook on my arm
and drove off."
She said she was dragged about 1* feet before the purse
strap broke and the arm -load of groceries she was carrying
scattered along the avenue. She said the purse contained only
$2.23.
Mrs. Blanton hailed Kd Carpenter, Jr., who drove her to
town to report the purse-snatching to Highway Patrolman C. M.
Byrd.
Apparently, the detour from 1 ranklin to Cowee Gap meant
little to the man. Patrolman Bvrd said a car similar to the one
described by Mrs. Blanton was seen heading for Jackson County
over the new highway project.
n 0VWHU u\,ivgaviuii, v* uvuwi
patrons, openly sopke oat
against the principal, explain
ing "we have nothing to hide."
Mrs. Pearl Hunter, FrankUn
elementary teacher, told the
board elementary teachers had
been asked to join the delega
tion of high school teachei*
However, she said the elemeT
tary teachers had decided to
let the board make the decis
ion and not tell it what to da.
The board then moved into
official session to study the
district committee's recommen
dation.
OFFICER ON VACATION
Highway Patrolman C. M.
Byrd left Tuesday on hto an
nual vacation and will return
to duty In Franklin on Jum
10. In his absence, his patra
area will be covered by Patrol
man V. E. Bryson, of Highlands