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VOL. LZVIU? NO. 25
FBANKUN, N. C? THURSDAY, JINE IS, 1953
TWELVE PAGES
YOUTH DROWNS
IN TENNESSSEE
RIVER MONDAY
Thomas Dean, 15, First
Drowning Fatality
Of The Year
A ^^ipear-old Franklin High
SchiW student became the first
drowning fatality in this coun
ty for the year Monday after
noon.
The youth, Thomas (Tom
my) Dean, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Furman Dean, of the Oak
Grove community drowned in
the Little Tennessee River near
the point of Raby Island about
5:15 o'clock.
Efforts to revive him on the
scene of the accident and later
at a Franklin hospital proved
futile.
According to reports received
by Sheriff J. Harry Thomas the
Dean boy was fishing in the
river with his broiher, Bobby,
about 10.
Bobby told those on the scene
he heard Thomas cry out, grab
at his chest, and topple into the
water. Dr. Furman Angel, of
Angel Clinic, who attempted to
revive the boy after he was
brought to the hospital, said he
suffered from rheumatic fever
and possibly suffered a heart
attack. The doctor said he un
derstood he was a good swim
mer.
Fred Queen and Paul Guy
were among the first on the
scene after the younger Dean
boy ran to his home for help.
Mr. Queen located the boy's
body after it had been in water
for about an hour and a half.
Artificial respiration was ad
ministered on the scene by Roy
Parrish and Ras Huggins and
efforts to revive the boy were
continued later at the hospital.
Funeral services for young
Dean were conducted yesterday
(Wednesday) at 11 a.m. at the
Oak Grove Baptist Church by
the Rev. J. Underwood and the
Rev. C. C. Welch. Burial was
in the church cemetery.
Young Dean, who was born
August 16, 1937, is survived by
his parents, his brother, a sis
ter, Mrs. Dorothy Lee Parker,
of Clarksville, Ga., and his
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. T.
G. Dean, of Franklin, Route 3,
and Mrs. J. C. Shelton, of West
Asheville. .
Bryant Funeral Home was in
charge of arrangements.
Scout Honor
Court Held
On Thursday |
Approximately 100 persons
were on hand last Thursday
night at the Franklin Metho
dist Church to see Boy Scouts
from troops in Macon and
Jackson receive advancements
at a Smoky Mountain District
Court of Awards.
Awarded Tenderfoot rank '
were Howard E. Burch, Bobby
Poindexter, Douglas Crisp, and
Gene Morrow, all of Franklin,
Troop I, and Frank B. Cabe,
Daniel Paul Stiles, and Fred H.
Stiles, all of Union, Troop 4.
Receiving advancement to
Second Class were Jack Gunt
er, of Sylva, Troop 1, and Ron-,
nie Evans, of Franklin, Troop 1.
Edward Shatley, of Franklin,
Troop 1, Larry Queen and
George Brookhyser, of Sylva,
Troop 1, and James Moore,
Bruce Jones, and Bobby H.
Cabe, all of Union, Troop 4,
were advanced to First Class.
Gilmer Henry, of Franklin,
Troop 1, was advanced to Ex
plorer Apprentice.
Lewis Cabe and Tommy Gnuse,
both of the Franklin troop, each
received merit badges for Citi
zenship in Community, Citizen
ship in Home, and Citizenship
in Nation.
Tenderfoot awards were made
by Vernon McCurry; Second
Class, by Thomas Moore; First
Class, by John Alsup; and
merit badges, by James Hauser.
Hugh Monteith, of Sylva, was
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
STARTS INTERNSHIP
James Bleckley, of Clayton,
Ga., a senior at Emory Uni
versity Medical School, has
started his junior internship at
Angel Hospital, according to an
announcement made this week
by Dr. Bdgar Angel.
Neck- Deep In Flame Azalea
Hundreds of local and out-of-county sightseers have been flocking this week to Wayah Bald
to view the mile-high mountain's spectacular display of flame azalea ? one of the finest stands
in the country. Among those driving to the bald Sunday was Miss Nancy Biggs, of Nassau,
capital city o> Che. Bahama Islands, who h:.d been the guest of Mr. and Mrs. H. B. Davis at
Panorama Court. Although she has visited here before, it was her first time to visit Wayah
when azalra was in bloom ? so she almost buried herself in a colorful display so The Press
photographer could take her picture.
Fellowship Week
To Open Monday
A "Youth Activities Week"
for Methodist youth in the
county will be under way at
the Franklin church each eve
ning Monday through Friday.
Hours each night will be 7:45
to 9:30 o'clock, according to the
Rev. C. E. Murray, pastor.
Ben Stamey and William Jef
fries. Duke University students,
who are spending three weeks
in this county, will teach cours
es on the organization and pro
gram of the Methodist Youth
Fellowship. Periods of worship
and recreation also are planned
each night.
The special week is for young
people between the ages of 12
and 23 and their adult, coun
selors and workers.
NEGRO CHARGED
Adam Guy, Negro, of Frank
lin, was charged with care
less and reckless driving fol
lowing a wreck on Harrison
Avenue about 10:15 Sunday
night. The Guy car, traveling
out the avenue, smashed into a
tree in the curve just above
the Presbyterian church. None
of the four in the car was in
j jured, according to Sheriff J.
Harry Thomas, who investi
gated.
FREE X-RAYS
i ARE OFFERED
Everybody's getting one!
| What? Why, a free chest
X-ray.
i Yesterday (Wednesday) a
mobile X-ray unit visited the
Nantahala community and
stops are scheduled in Hifh
' lands on June 24 and
j Franklin on June 25, 26. and
I 27.
I This free service ? to find
I early tuberculosis ? is being
| arranged in this countv by
' tht Macon - Jackson - Swain
: coiifety health departments,
I with the Franklin Lions Club
as co-sponsor. Persons under
15 years of age are not el
igible to receive an X-ray
during the survey.
The unit will operate on
Main Street in Highlands and
will be just off Town Square
in Franklin. Hours for each
stop will be 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.
It will not be necessary to (
undress and only two min
utes is required to make an
X-ray, according to Mrs.
Frank Shope, public health
nurse.
The IJons Club committee
assisting with the survey is
composed of Bob Korte, chair
man, Fred Dawdle, Roy R.
Cunningham, and Bruce
Palmer. I
Republicans Set
Meeting Tonight
A county-wide meeting of the
Republican Party is scheduled
tonight (Thursday) at Bert
| Mashburn's store at Cullasaja,
accordiing to George Reece,
| county chairman. The session
is planned for 8 o'clock.
MARINE UNHURT
IN CAR WRECK
A 22-year-old Marine mira
culously escaped injury early j
Sunday morning on the High- !
lands road when his automo- '
bile was demolished in a plunge
into Cullasaja Gorge.
The Marine S-Sgt. Ernest D.
Thompson, of Newport, Ky?
climbed from the wreckage of
his automobile unscathed and
I reported his own accident.
Deputy Sheriff Newell Pen- '
dergrass, who investigated, said .
the sergeant's 1947 Plymouth
knocked down two small trees
in its 60-foot plunge from the
highway, coming to a stop just
short of the swift stream run
ning through the gorge.
The accident occurred about 7
o'clock approximately a half
mile below Skywater Camp. The
1 deputy said the sergeant told
j him he skidded ? on the wet
! pavement.
TWO STORMS
HIT COUNTY
DURING WEEK
Pcwer And Telephone
Systems Suffer
The Most
Lightning and high winds
played havoc with power and
communication systems In Ma
con Hash storms last Wednes
day and Saturday.
Weather-wise, Saturday eve
ning's storm punched a hole
in the thermometer, bringing
the mercury down from the 90's
and high 80's into the 70's. The
cool weather struck at atten
dance at the Jaycee-operated I
swimming pool at the Frank- j
lin Golf Course, with only a
handful of the hardier younger ?
set braving the chilly water. |
An electrical storm, accom
panied by near gale-force
winds, blanketed most of West
ern North Carolina late Wed
nesday afternoon. For the most
part, Macon ended up on the
light end of damage in com
parison with reports lrom other
counties. i
H. H. Gnuse, Jr., vice-presl
dent of the Nantahala Power j
and Light Co. here, reported
that power failures during the
storm were caused by wind
blowing lines together, falling
trees and limbs, and lightning
striking power equipment. He
said the Highlands - Cashiers
area was the hardest hit by the
storm. Power company crews
were on the job until 1:30 a. I
m. Thursday restoring service, j
T..e storm temporarily knock- j
SEE NO. 5, PAGE 1
BIBLE SCHOOL j
OPENS MONDAY
Vill Run Through Friday
At "felhodist Church
In Franklin
A daily vacation Bible school 1
is planned Monday through
Friday at the Franklin Meth- j
odist Church for children four .
through 14 years of age.
Hours each day will be 9 to
11 a.m. Mrs. J. Frank Martin
will be in charge.
Kindergarten teachers will be
Mrs. Grover Jamison, Jr., Mrs. |
Lawrence Patton. and Misses I
Ann Snyder and Brandon j
Christy.
Teaching primary classes will
be Mrs. W. W. Hearn, Mrs.
Frank Starrett, Mrs. Will Hall,
and Miss Edith Christy.
Mrs. Ray Hemphill, Mrs. Pearl
Hunter, and Ben Stanley, a
Duke University divinity stu
dent, will instruct the juniors
and the Rev. C. E. Murray,
pastor, and William Jeffries,
also a Duke divinity student,
will be in charge of the inter
mediates.
Mrs. E. G. Crawford and Miss
Nancy McCollum will be in
charge of the music of the
school.
Foreign Officials Are Visitors In County
A steady stream of foreign visitors continues to pour into Macon County, with the Coweeta llydrologic Laboratory as the
main drawing card, since most of them are associated with forestry or agriculture. In the photo at left is <L to R) Luis M.
Esparolini, interpreter, of Washington, D. C? Ernesto NUriega, minister of agriculture in Peru, Mrs. Noriega, and Jesus Maria
Lopez, a Venezuelan forester, who Ls spending some time at the Coweeta laboratory. Mr. Nuriega ajid his party toured Coweeta
Saturday, leaving Sunday for a cross-country trip. Ills visit to this county was arranged through the U. S. Department of
Agriculture, and .his tour programmed by the I'. S. Forest Service. In the right photo, Fuat Zadil. (left) civil engineer with the
Turkish highway department, Ankara, Turkey, studies a map on the Franklin-Oowee Gap highway project with ,S. T. tlsry, resi
dent highway engineer. Mr. Zadil, who is in this county under the Mutual Security Agency, observed highway construction
and new equipment on the Cowee project Wednesday throagh Friday.
Made 'Tenderfoot'
JOHN D. ALSl'P
In recognition of his ac
tive work with Boy Scouts
during his 11 years' resi
dence here, Mr. Alsup was
made a "Tenderfoot Scout"
at a program honoring him
Wednesday evening of last
week. The occasion was the
meeting of the Franklin Ro
tary Club, sponsor of the lo
cal Scout troop. The Boy
Scouts, who served the sup
per, in the basement of the
Slagle Memorial Building,
presented Mr. Alsup a pock
etknife, and the Rotarians, a
toilet kit. Short talks were
made by Harmon H. Gnuse,
Jr. James Hausei^ John Ed
wards, Don Smith, Rotary
15 MACON MEN
CLASSED 1-A
Total Of 45 Registrants
Acted Uoor At Draft
Board Meeting
Fifteen men, out of a total
of 45 registrants classifi?d. wore
placed in 1-A (available fot
military service' a meeting
of the local selective servlcc
board last week.
The c'r.~ ?!f!cations, made ru'u
lic this by Mrs. Gilmer A
Jones, bor>.rd secretary, a'e a1
follows :
Classed 1-A were George B
Cunningham, Jimmy R. Led
ford, Robert M. Holden. Dillard
O. Passmore, Isaac P. Dills
Robert E. Pickens, Ramon A
Evans, J. D. Crane, Wayne C
Wiggins, Grover W. Shuler
Kenneth R. Houston, Carl E
Swanson, Charles L. Talley
Jimmie M. Tippett, and Richard
C. Keener.
Other * classifications includ
ed:
1-A (accepted), Doyle D. Tal
lent.
1-C (inducted), Henry J
Keener, Harold J. Welch, John
H. Ledford, James W. Waldroop
Lawton J. Brown, Haze D. Ed
wards, and Richard T. Houston.
1-C (discharged), Joe H. Par
rish, Dewey A. Elliott, J. D. W.
Shepherd, and Glen J. Dehart,
1-S-H (high school student),
Lawrence H. Rogers, Frank C.
Lambert, Gareth R. Hughes,
James G. Sets ex, Dolpha D.
Fouts, and Bobby P. Marshall.
1-C (reserve), John L. Keen
er.
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 12
Georgia Doctor
Gets Highlands
Hospital Post
Dr. Charles R. Bittle, of At
lanta, Ga., has been appointed
medical director for the High
lands Community Hospital, it
has been announced by the
hospital board of directors.
He will arrive In Highlands
July 1 to work with the present
director. Dr. Sherman H. Pace,
who is exepected to go on ac
tive duty in August in the Army
Medical Corps.
Dr. Bittle is a graduate of
Bowman Gray Medical School,
Winston-Salem, and received
his. internship training at the
City Memorial Hospital there.
In 1951 he was resident physi
cian at the Forsyth County
Hospital.
At present, he is on the resi
dent staff of the Georgia Bap
tist Hospital in Atlanta
Dr. and Mrs. Bittle will oc
cupy the Henry Whitmlre resi
dence on Fifth Street for the
next year.
ALDERMEN SET
SAME TAX RATE
FOR NEW YEAR
Board Votes To Purchase
150 New Automatic
Parking Meters
The tax rate for the fiscs
j year 1953-54 in Franklin has
! been set at SI. 10 per hur.arei
valuation ? the samp a? iasv
year.
In addition to setting the
tax rate, which will enable the
budget committee to prepare its
statement, for presentation in
July, in special session Monday
night the board of aldermen
voted to purchase 150 automa
tic parking meters to replace
the manually operated ones
; now in use in the towr,.
At the present time only let.
| meters are in use and aldermen
disclosed plans for Installing
! 50 more when the new one? are
I delivered toward the latter part
! of July.
One-half of the meter re
ceipts will be earmarked to pay
for the new meters and the
board pointed out that the in
stallation of 50 additional me
ters will keep meter revenues
fairly stable, although half the
funds will be used to pay off
the debt.
With the installation ol the
new meters which automatical
ly receive coins and register \'ii
time, the board hopes .o
tually eliminate the "htuO?
aches" of the manual . pi'
! meter, including jammin in
! wet wea'her and inaccurate
timing.
| Under an agreement wiih f7,e
.'parking me er company, the
| town has been alljwerl .
in lor the old meters wcc.'tl
1 ing to Town Clerk C. O
: icy
Property valuation for ~ rank
i \ lin was estimated ai 52,841.079
I and th? 'own clerk said the tax
. levy for the coming year would
, be- s'.
' P?rrv Weaver, of Asbeville,
c " ifie?! ; ublic accountant, was
: hired bv th<? board fo pudtt the
' , town books.
V/.:: V/C3t Rodeo
Will Appear H2re
| Monday, Tuesday
The Cherokee Rar.ch Wild
West Rodeo will give "hows here
, Monday and Tuesday nights at
I' the Franklin Airport under the
sponsorship of the Franklin
Jaycees.
In addition to a full two
hour show of bronc, bull, an4
trick riding, the rodeo this yeai
is featuring a bull fight, ac
cording to information received
by Jaycee President Vic Perry
The Texas rodeo last yeai
drew capacity crowds and Mi
Perry urged those expecting ti
find seats to go early. Show
will be given each night at ?.
o'clock.
TRAINING PROGRAM SET
A training program for par
ents of boys who are Cub Scout
age (8 to 10) is set for tomor
row" (Friday i at 7:30 p.m. at
the Franklin Methodist Chureb.
it has been announced Pa/
ents who are interested in tfci
organization of a Cub Scoot
troop here are urged to attend.
The Weather
The week's temperature? and rainfall, m
recorded in ? Franklin by Manson SnV%
IT. S. weather observer, and at the Cowtct*
Hydrologic Laboratory:
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low R?*
Wednesday 93 63 J1
| Thursday ........ 89 60 _
, Friday 89 61 _
; Saturday 89 60 JB
Sunday 79 60 /"
Monday 19 62 -?
Tuesday 77 59
HIGHLANDS
Wednesday 88 60
Thursday 78 58 .11
Friday 84 60 ? ?
Saturday 81 60 _
Sunday .... 79 56 at
Monday . 66 57 Ji
Tuesday 68 58 ?
COWEETA
Wednesday 91 62
I Thursday 87 5*
1 Friday 86 5# ?
Saturday 77 56
j Sunday 75 54
, Monday 72 57 M
| Tuesday 74 57 .