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"VOL. XXYin? NO. 83
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, JUNE 4, 1953
TWELVE PAGES
NEGROES ASK
FOR OUSTER
OF PRINCIPAL
Sorrells Tells Board
Sutton Will Not
Resign Post
A delegation of eight Negro
men appeared before the county
board of education Monday
night to ask the dismissal of
G. X. "Hines, principal of the
Chapel (Negro) School.
County Sc!bool Supt. Holland
McSwain previously had been
handed a petition asking the
principal's dismissal, which re
portedly contains the signatures
of 48 patrons of the Negro
school.
Neither the group appearing
before the board, nor the peti
tion, made specific charges
? against the principal.
Bill Lenoir, spokesman for
the group, said the principal
"worked against the building of
the new school", and declared
the children Of the school
"have no respect for him".
The board authorized Supt.
McSwain to investigate the
natter and gave him fall pow
er to take any action necessary.
Just prior to adjournment,
Board Chairman 3. C. Sorrells
said R. O. Sutton, whose con
tract as district principal was
terminated by tire board last
week, has said he will not re
sign as principal and is ready
to take the matter to court.
Members of the board indi
cated they were willing to let
the court decide the issue.
Supt. McSwain was authoriz
ed to pay the amount due the
contractor building the Negro
school as funds are available.
Board Member John M. Arch
? er was in Wake Forest attend
ing his daughter's graduation
and was unable to return in
time for the meeting.
D. X Owenby and Arthur
Morgan were named to the
Nantahala district school com
mittee, succeeding Luther Ja
cobs and John Wishon, resign
ed.
Tenn. Pastor
Accepts Call
To Highlands
The Rev. John Buell, of Hix
Bon, Tenn., has accepted a call
as pastor of the Highlands Bap
tist Church and is expected to
arrive June 8 with his wife and
family.
In February, the Rev. John C.
Corbitt, pastor of the Highlands
church for 19 months, resign
ed, effective March 19, to ac
cept a call to the First Baptist
Church in Andrews.
Members of the congregation
said this week the church par
sonage has been remodeled and
redecorated by the men of the
church in preparation for the
coming of the new pastor and
his family.
Yearbook Dedicated
To Memory Of Mann
The 1953 Cullasajan, year
book of the Cullasaja Elemen
tary School, has been dedicat
ed to the memory of J. J. Mann,
a school teacher for 40 years In
this county.
A copy of the yearbook was
presented to his widow at the
school's commencement exer
cises on May 25 by Andy Berry,
one of Mr. Mann's former stu
dents. The well-known teacher
died in October of last year.
The dedication was "for his
untiring interest in education,
his ability to get along with
othars, his interest in children,
and for a life of untiring de
votion . .
REAPPOINTED TO BOARD
E. J. Whitmire, of Franklin,
has been reappointed to the 12
member board of trustees for
Western Carolina College by
Gov. Umstead. Mr. Whitmire,
the outgoing chairman of the
board, was appointed for a six
year term and was the only
hold-oyer member.
BSSHOP WILL PREACH
The Rt. Rev. M. Oeorge
Henry, of Asheville. bishop of
the W. N. C. diocese, will
preach at the Highlands Epis
copal Church of the Incarna
tion Sunday morning at 11
o'clock, it has been announced.
High India Officials Visitors Here
? Stmtf Photo by J. P. Brady j
Three high officials from the State of West Bengal, India, spent several days here last
iwoek studying soil and water conservation measures at the Coweeta Hydro tofic Laboratory and
the Nantahala National Forest. They are in this country under the Food and Agricultural Or
ganization of the United Nations and plan to turn the results of their U. S. tour into practical
use when they return to India. They are (L to R) E. A. R. Banerji, Joint director of agriculture,
S. JDutt, executive adjutant, and V. S. Rao, deputy conservator of forests. Mr. Rao spoke at last
Wednesday night's meeting of the Rotary Club. The three left Sunday for further study in Spar
taritarg, S. C.
Tourist Time Again; Here's
Inside Story Of What T o See
Oome June and it's tourist
thne again ? and what more
could the tourist ask for than
Macon County and Its vast
treasure of scenic splendor.
Local folk know, and make
no bones about letting others in
on It, that Macon County fairly
bristles with unsurpassed scen
ery in an atmosphere conducive
to rest and relaxation.
Therefore, this story is pri
marily for the tourist and in
essence is the confidential low
down on what to see in Macon
County; and every feature is a
?MUST".
In presenting this county In
a nutshell, rather pertinent
; things about it must be omit
I ted; like the cool and refresh
ing "blanket nights", the con
genial and friendly outlook of
the natives, the number of out
of-staters who have become en
tranced by it all and have mov
ed here to stay, and, of course,
the colorful and educational
events woven into the county's
history.
Nor can one go into great
length about the excellent tour
ist accommodations, par-excel
lent fishing and hunting, and
ideal climate.
All of this comes in time,
anyway.
No, this story is a tip of the
hat to Dame Nature, who used
her ambidextrous skill and
nimble brain to fashion the
spectacular scenic "breath-tak
ers" within the borders of this
small mountain county.
First off, these "breath-tak
ers" come to the county through
the compliments of the Nanta
hala National Forest. About 44
per cent of the forests' 414,123
acres lie within Macon, making
the forest a "must" for tour
ists who really want to see
first- hand the end products of
Mother Nature's gifted hand.
A 60-foot cascade on US 64
between Franklin and High
lands Is the top drawer attrac
tion as far as the county's
water spectacles go. This thund
ering "must" Is Dry Falls, which
annually plays to an audience
of more than 100,000. It receives
its name "dry" from the fact
that sightseers may walk a trail
behind the falls to the other
side of the gorge. Remember,
it's just 16 miles southeast of
Franklin and four miles west
of Highlands on US 64 ? and
don't forget to take a camera.
There is ample parking place
and a concession stand is op
erated for the convenience of
the thirsty traveler; and who
wouldn't get thirsty after
watching tons of water splatter
on the rocks below.
Two more water attractions
of the Franklin-Highlands high
way add wear and tear to auto
brake linings, but both are well
worth it.
Bridal Veil Falls ? nature's
answer to the automatic car
washer? hurls its tons of water
over the highway Into a deep
gorge below. This is definitely
a "must" for the camera fan
and the winding highway lead
ing into the falls lends many
different angle shots.
(Editor's Note: Who could
ask for a better opportunity to
call attention to the frantic
lady tourist, who hurried into
Highlands after passing under
Bridal Veil Falls to report that
"a water main must have brok
en .. . there's water pouring
over the highway ".I
The almost perpendicular
cliffs of Cullasaja Gorge glare
down on the playful and swift
flowing Cullasaja Falls, appar
ently envious at the amount of
camera film used to record
the beauty of the falls Culla
saja is an Indian word mean
ing "pouring sugar" and there
are several "pull -off" areas
along the highway for those
wanting a closer and longer
look at the tumbling cascade.
All of this and an abundancy
of other notable scenic wond
ers come complete in the "pack
aged" trip from Franklin to
Highlands. The drive takes lit
tle- mqre than 45 minutes, if
you're new to the mountains,
and is worth every minute of it.
A large portion of the high
way up the Cullasaja Gorge is
carved out of the sheer cliffs.
If you're the nosey type and
want to see what's going on in
other states, or if you're just
wanting to see some of the
most wonderful panoramic
views of surrounding moun
tains. don't miss trips up Way
ah Bald, Satulah Mountain, and
Whiteside Mountain.
A stone observatory atop
mile-high Wayah Bald gives a
sweeping view of the Appalach
ians and four adjoining states.
The Byrne Tower is in the
memory of John B. Byrne, a
veteran of World War 1 and a
former forest supervisor. Wayah
Bald is 19 miles west of Frank
lin on the Nantahala road.
Satulah Mountain, a half
mile by trail from the heart of
Highlands, stands 4.560 feet in
the blue and hikers may peek
into three states from its crest.
Whiteside, which boasts o I
having the highest cliffs in
Eastern America, used to chal
lenge the energies of enthusi
astic hikers. Today, however, a
toll road, blasted for more than
half a mile out of the side of
the mountain, affords safe and
pleasant passage to the top. The
mountain, believed to be one of
the oldest in the world, has its
unique contributions to history
along with being a "botanist's
heaven". It is near Highlands
on the Cashiers highway ? just
follow the signs, you can't miss
it.
Like to swing the old golf
clubs a little? There's a beau
tiful 18-holer at the Highlands
Country Club, and Incidentally,
It's one of the finest In the
BEE NO. 2, PAGE 12
MACONITES
GET DEGREES
More To Receive Them
At Exercises This
Week And Next
A number of Maconites re
trieved degrees this past week
from colleges and institutions
and still others will receive
them at commencement exer
j clses this week and next.
Receiving Master's degrees
from Western Carolina College
at exercises on June 1 were
Zebulon Weaver Shope. Culla
saja School principal, Robert
Jack Angel, Alex Arnold, and
Clayton H. Ramsey.
Bachelor of Science degrees
from W.C.C. were awarded tc
Wilford W. Corbin, Wilma J
Gordon, Prince McLease Ramey,
Donald G. Slagle, and James A
Wilson.
A husband-wife team also re
ceived degrees from W.C.C
Ralph (Chuck i McConnell was
awarded a Master's degree in
physical education and Mrs.
McConnell, who did her practice
teaching at Franklin High
School, a Bachelor of Science
degree in business administra
tion.
Others receiving degrees in- 1
elude Miss Mary Alice Archer, i
Bachelor of Arts from Wake
Forest College; Randolph Mc
Guire Bulgin, Bachelor of Arts
from Davidson College: and
Miss Lattie Mae Corbin. Bach- '
elor of Science from Berea Col
lege, Berea, Ky.
Miss Lucille Hannah, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Han
nah, of Franklin, Route i, a
graduate of Woman's College,
was graduated on Tuesday from
the Baruch Center of Physical
Medicine and Rehabilitation of
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 6
H. GREGORY
INJURED IN
AUTO MISHAP
Fox, Driver, Charged
By Patrolman For
Recklessness
Hayes Gregory, of Walnut |
Creek, was injured about 8 ;
o'clock Monday night wh&n the i
automobile in which he was a [
passenger overturned three j
times down a 200-foot embank- j
ment on the Walnut Creek road.
He is under treatment at |
Angel Clinic for a concussion
and injuries of the face.
State Highway Patrolman V.
E. Bryson, who investigated the
accident, identified the driver
of the automobile as James Pox,
22, of Walnut Creek and Pon
tiac, Mich. He was jailed fol
lowing the accident and charg
ed with reckless driving, the
patrolman said.
Power Goes
Rural Here
Electricity "went rural" in
1952, with sbarp increases In
customers and kilowatt hour
consumption.
Figures from the Nantahala
Power and Light Company show
that rural Macon County added
740 new customers during the
year, Increasing the average
kilowatt hour consumption per
customer 190.1.
No main power lines were run
in the county during 1952, com
pany officials said, and the
high number of new customers
came from extensions of exist
ing lines. A 9.6-mile extension
in the Ellijay section constitut
ed the only major job they
said Smaller extensions totaled
approximately 4 9 miles.
Figures for 1951 and 1952
were :
1951: Rural customers. 1.934;
total kilowatt hour consump
tion, 2,807,888
1952: Rural customers, 2,674;
total kilowatt hour consumption.
4,390,475.
School Record
Players Taken;
Reward Offered
The theft of two portable
record players from the Frank
lin Elementary School was re
ported this week by Sheriff J.
Harry Thomas.
Sheriff Thomas set the value
of the two articles at $100 and
he said a reward is offered for
information leading to the ar
rest and conviction of the per
son, or persons, taking them. All
information received "ill be
kept confidential, he acded.
The players were taken be
tween May 22 and 25, the sher
iff said. One is a reddish
brown leatherette Silvertone.
the other a maroon Chicago
Webster.
KILL BIG RATTLER
A big rattlesnake, measuring
four feet two inches, was killed
on Nickajack Tuesday by Mr.
and Mrs. Conley Owens.
Jaycee Pool
Opening Set
On Saturday
The J ay ere- ope rated swim- ;
ming pool at the Franklin
Lodge and Golf Course is ,
scheduled to open Saturday.
Hours will be 10 a. m. to 6 i
p. m., daily. H. T. Collins, ;
pool chairman, said a life
guard will be on duty full- |
time.
Individual charges have
been set as follows: adults,
40 cents; high school stu
dents, 25 cents; children 10
years and under, 15 cents..
Season passes will cost $7.50
for high school students; $10,
adult; and $12.50, family.
The entire pool has been
painted with a water-proofing
compound.
ACCOUNTANTS
GATHER HERE
Georgia Society Holds
Annual Convention
In Highlandk
Some 200 accountants and
their families attended the
four-day annual convention of
the Georgia Certified Public
Accountants Society in High
lands this week.
The convention, held at the
Highlands County Club, opened
Sunday and closed yesterday
(Wednesday).
U. S. Commissioner of Inter
nal Revenue T. Coleman An
drews. an Eisenhower appointee,
was the principal speaker at
Monday's session.
PaneL. discussions featured
the convention. Officers were
elected the closing day of the
meeting, and the accountants
also heard an address by John
L. Carey, executive director of
the American Institute of Ac
countants.
YOUTH RALLY
ON SATURDAY
County - Wide Gathering
Of Baptist At
Franklin
A couhty-wide youth rally is
scheduled at the First Baptist
Church Saturday evening be
ginning at 8 o'clock.
While the rally primarily is
for young people, adults are
invited to attend.
The evening's program will
be in the form of a radio pro
gram, with the Rev. M. T. Gales,
pastor of the Cowee church, as
guest speaker.
Miss Eveline Giedlnghagen
and Wayne Sorrells are in
charge of the rally.
OFFICERS ATTEND SCHOOL
Macon Sheriff J. Harry Thom
as and Deputy Sheriff Newell
Pendergrass were among sher
iffs and deputies from 35 coun
ties in the state attending a
sheriffs' school and law re
fresher course in Chapel Hill
last Wednesday, Thursday, and
Friday. The school was spon
sored by the Institute of Gov
ernment.
I
No A Bomb, But R Did Its Job
-Staff Photo by J. P. Brad ?
Several persons, in addition to highway and construction personnel, were on hand Sunday
afternoon on the Franklin-Cowee Gap highway project to witness the touching off of nearly a
ton of dynamite to clear a large layer of rock from the highu ,i v roadbed. To folks who have
had a steady diet of exploding atomic bombs in recent months through movies and newspapers,
Sunday's blast was hardly spectacular ? but it served its purpose, the arrow in the picture points
to a wall of rock and dirt pushing out across the roadbed by tlir force of the explosion. A bali
doaer was brought into play to clear the path so those on the scene could get back down the
mountain.
JUNE X-RAY
SURVEY SET
IN COUNTY
Service Free; Mobile
Unit Plans Three
Main Stops
All Maconites 15 years of age
and over will have the oppor
tunity to receive a free chest
X-ray this month through an
X-ray service made possible by
the Macon-Jackson-Swain coun
ty health departments.
A mobile X-ray unit will be
at Nantahala on June 16, at
Highlands on June 24, and at
Franklin on June 25, 26, and
27.
Hours at each stop will be 11
a. m. to 5 p. m.
1 Mrs. Frank Shope, Macon
public health nurse, this week
urged everyone to take advan
tage of this free service, ex
plaining that the entire purpose
of the mass chest X-ray survey
Is to find early tuberculosis
where it exists.
Certain other conditions may
also be discovered by the X-ray,
the nurse pointed out, includ
ing cyst, tumor, cancer of the
lung, and enlarged heart.
Most people, Mrs. Shope said,
will find they are perfectly all
right. This knowledge alone is
well worth the short time it will
take to get an X-ray, she add
ed.
It will only take about two
minutes to receive an X-ray
and it is not necessary to un
dress.
The nurse said each person
X-rayed will receive a written
report on the result after two
or three weeks.
Certain expenses mu^t be
borne locally, including educa
tional materials, clerical help
and supplies, and postage for
sending reports. Mrs. Shope said
this money m the three-ccunty
district is being provided by the
Jackson County Tubercolosis
Association and the Macon and
Swain tuberculosis committees
through the sale of Christmas
seals.
Explaining the 15 year age
limit for the survey, the nurse
said children _:.der the a fee
limit may be X-rayed oy ap
pointment with the local health
department if they have had
contacts with tuberculosis pa
tients or their lamily physician
recommends an X-ray.
55 Per Cent
Of Grading
Is Finished
Grading on the Franklin-Co
wee Gap (US 23) highway proj
ect, which is now approximate
ly 55 per cent complete, should
be finished some time in Oc
tober, according to S. T. Usry,
resident state highway engineer.
Bridges and culverts are
about 70 per cent completed,
he said.
Once the grading is finished,
, the engineer said a macadam
base will be ptft down and the
highway allowed to settle dur
ing the winter. Then in the
spring the regular surfacing
will be put down, he said.
Work on the new $618,000 link
from Franklin to the Jacksor
County line got under way last
fall.
A survey for a tie-In project
from Cowee Gap to Dillsboro,
near Sylva, was started by the
highway department in Decem
ber.
The Weather
The week's temperatures and rainfall, aa
recorded in Franklin by Manson Stilea,
IT. S. weather observer, and at the Coweeta
Hydrologic Laboratory:
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Re'>
Wednesday # 87 69
Thursday 86 50
Friday 84 53
Saturday 90 57
Sunday 90 57
Monday 86 60
Tuesday 82 47
COWEETA
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wednesday 85 61
Thursday 83 45 ?
Friday 85 46
Saturday 89 53
Sunday 89 54 ?
Monday 85 56
Tuesday 77 46 ?