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VOL. LXVm? NO. 33
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, AUGUST 13, 1953
SIXTEEN PAGES
GIRL DROWNS
IN FQNTANA
LAKE FRIDAY
Heroic Rescue Effort
Fails; Victim From
Holly Springs
Despite an heroic effort by a
companion to save her, a 19
year-old Holly Springs girl
drowned about 3:40 o'clock Fri
day afternoon in Fontana Lake
about two and a half miles
above the Almond Boat Dock.
The body of Miss Barbara
Jean Shepherd, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Garland Shepherd,
was recovered at 9:05, about
five and a half hours after she
slipped from the grasp of a
friend attempting to rescue her
and disappeared under the
waters of the TV A lake.
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas, who
went to the scene of the trag
edy to assist with the recovery
of the body, related an eye
witness report of the drowning
as follows:
Miss Shepherd and two friends,
Miss Lenore Day, 24, of Nanta
hala Station, and Miss Ann
Bristol, 18, of Andrews, were
swimming in the lake near
Nantahala Inn, where all three
were working for the summer.
Miss Bristol was the only /one
who could swim. The other two
were wading close to the shore.
Miss Shepherd apparently step
ped off into an old railroad
grade under water. In trying
to help her, Miss Day also got
into trouble. Miss Bristol swam
to her rescue and then went
to Miss Shepherd's aid, pulling
her almost into safe water.
However, the struggling girl
broke from her gt-asp and she
was unable to locate her again.
The victim's body was recov
ered in 18 feet of water by Lt.
Frank Smiley, of TVA's health
and safety division, the sheriff
said.
Divers searched for the body
while dragging equipment was
rushed by speed boat from Fon
tana, he added.
Miss Shepherd, a 1952 gradu
ate of Franklin High School,
would have celebrated her 20th
birthday today (Thursday). She
attended Blanton's Business
College, Asheville, last year and
planned to return and complete
her studies this fall. She was a
member of the Baptist church
and was a contestant in last
year's beauty contest at Holly
.Springs, a preliminary feature
of the "Tobacco Queen" contest
in Asheville.
Funeral services were con
ducted Sunday afternoon at
2:30 o'clock at the Holly Springs
Baptist Church by the Rev.
Arvil Swafford and the Rev.
Lee Crawford. Burial was in the
family cemetery at Cowee.
In addition to her parents,
she is survived by two brothers,
Steve and George; a sister,
Ruth Ann; and her maternal
grandparents, Mr. and Mrs.
Fred Dalton, all of Holly
Springs.
Serving as pallbearers were
Grady Corbin, Frank Deal,
Hayes Gregory, Clyde Corbin,
Fred Deal, and Terry Cabe.
Arrangements were under the
direction of Potts Funeral Home.
Bryson Reunion
Slated August 23
The annual Bryson family re
union has been set for August
23 at the Cowee Baptist Church,
Thad D. Bryson, Jr., president, j
announced this week.
Last year's gathering of the j
Bryson clan drew more than :
200 from this and neighboring
states.
Dinner will be served at noon
and the business meeting it j
planned in the afternoon.
Wheat Quota Vote
Scheduled Friday
A wheat quota referendum is ^
scheduled tomorrow (Friday) at j
"the Agricultural Building from !
8 a. m. to 5 p. m.
J. H. Enloe. Jr., chairman of
the county P.MA committee, said
farmers who plan to plant 15
acres or more of wheat are
eligible to cast ballots in the
referendum.
Before quotas can be put into
effect, the chairman said, two
thirds of those voting must ap
prove.
Highlands Two-Day Flower
Show Slated For Week-End
Highlands' tenth annual flow
er show will open at 3 p. m.,
Saturday at the Museum of Na- 1
tural History, where the public
will have a chance to view 81
classes In eight divisions.
The Highlands Biological Sta
tion two-day benefit is expected
to bring many unusual floral
specimens from the rich High
lands plateau area.
First on the schedule is the
Junior judging, entries of which
must be executed between 4
and 6 p. m., tomorrow (Friday).
Other exhibitors must have
their entries placed by noon,
Saturday. Judging will begin 30
minutes later and the doors will
be open to the public from 3
to 9 p. m.
The show will continue Sun
day from noon until 5 p. m.
Admission is $1 for adults, 50
cents for children.
Some of the rules follow: The
show will consist of three sec
tions: Arrangements ? flowers
need not be grown by exhibitor;
Horticultural ? flowers must
have been grown by exhibitor;
and Junior ? open to children
15 years old and under. Single
specimens (up to three stalks)
must be displayed in soft drink
or milk bottles furnished by ex
hibitor. All containers must be
marked with owner's name and
address. An exhibitor Is allowed
only one exhibit in each class.
Awards include blue, red, and
white ribbons for lirst, second, 1
and third places, respectively.
Flower show committee chair
men are: Chairman, Mrs. Sid
ney Farnsworth; schedule, th$
committee chairmen; entry,
Mrs. Forrest Fay; classification.
Miss Rebecca Nail; staging,
Henry Wright and Hugh Sar
gent; treasurer. Miss Gertrude
Harbison; Hostesses, Mrs. Gor
jdon Kenna; property, Mrs. El
[liot Carziac; publicity, Miss
Thelma Howell; judges, Mrs. ,
| Green D. Warren; tickets, Mrs.
[ Ralph M. Sargent; clerks, Mrs.
I Brandon Smith; and awards,
I Mrs. H. D. Porterfield.
23 Telephone
Employes Get
Service Pins
Twenty-three local employes
of the Western Carolina Tele
phone Company were awarded
public pins at a special dinner
last Thursday at Dillsboro.
Receiving pins set with dia
mond stones for over 15 years'
service with the company were
A. Carl Tysingex (20 years),
Mrs. Gertrude Gailey (20 years),
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 8
Folk Festival
Set For September By
Jaycee Sponsors
September 3, 4, and 5 have
been set as dates for the first
Macon County Folk Festival,
according to the sponsoring
Franklin Jaycees.
Three nights of elimination
contests between string bands,
square dance teams, fiddlers,
clog dancers, and other en
tertainers are planned, ac
cording to Frank Plyler, co- i
chairman. The event will be
held at the Franklin stadium.
Everyone in the county is
eligible to join in the fun, he
said, and trophies will be
awarded on the final night of
the festival to the winners in
each event.
Further plans will be an
nounced next week. Bands,
teams, and' individuals want
ing to compete in the festival
are urged to register at once
with Mr. Plyler at Farm and
Home Supply, or J. P. Brady
at The Franklin Press.
Families Set Reunion
Sunday In Franklin
The Craw ford -Slagle-Hogsed
reunion is slated Sunday at
Slagle Memorial Building, ac
cording to Eugene Slagle Mc
Connell, secretary.
Co-hosts for the gathering
will be the McClure and Gray
families.
Beverages will be served, but
members of the families are
asked to bring a picnic lunch.
IOTLA PASTOR
IS MODERATOR
FOR BAPTISTS
Sorrells Elected At
i Church Group's
Meeting
The Rev. W L. Sorrells, pas
tor of the Iotla Baptist Church,
is the new moderator of the
Macon County Baptist Associa
tion.
Mr. Sorrells, whc was elected
to the post during the church
group's two-day annual meet
ing last Thursday and Friday,
succeeds J. Horner Stockton,
Franklin attorney, who has
served as moderator for the
past nine years.
Others elected to serve with
Mr. Sorrells include the Rev. M.
W. Chapman, pastor of the
I First Baptist Church, vice-mod
[erator; Mrs. Jeter Higdon, of
Franklin, Route 4, clerk-treas
1 urer; and the Rev. W. N. Cook,
of Franklin, historian (reelect
! ed).
Mr. Chapman also was nam
ed chairman cf the promotions
executive committee, succeeding
Mr. Cook
An estimated 8GC Baptists
turned out for this year's ses
sion. Opening day business was
conducted et the Newman's
Chapel and on Friday the ses
sions were at the Tellico church.
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 8
Farm-Hem^
Tour Slated
Fcr Friday
"There is no limit to what a
community can do ? if it wants
to."
This will be the keynote of
tomorrow's (Friday) annual
Macon County Farm and Home 1
Tour, which will get under way
at the Agricultural Building at
S a. m.
The several hundred persons
expected to show up for the j
tour are going to see first hand
I how Macon County has turned
1 the above slogan into something
other than just words, accord
ing to County Agent S. W.
Mendenhall. *
Seven of the 13 communities
entered in the W. N. C. Rural
Community Development Con
test will be visited during the
morning half of the tour. Fol
lowing lunch at the Cartooge
chaye School, the tour spotlight
will swing to the Franklin High
School Vocational Agricultural
I Building for a stock show.
"This is going to be one tour
! no one will want to miss", the
! county agent commented this
week. "They're going to really
see some eye-openers in these
.communities . . . from uniform
white mailboxes to picnic areas
' and community buildings . . .
] all the end results of working
together as a community."
Sidelights will be a number
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 8
Here's Panorama Of 'Hillbilly Day' In Highland.!
. . Here it is folks! A panorama of last Wednesday's 'Hill
billy Day' in Highlands. (Top, L to R) 'Annie OaJkley' (Mrs. Sid
ney K. Russell) draws a bead on a mule-riding, gun-totin' moun
taineer (Earl Young, Jr.). The two were named 'Highlands Belle'
and 'Country Squire' in the costume contest ? Those wide-eyed,
enthralled youngsters are all wrapped op watching the hog
calling contest ? The 'Turist Tearers' and their T-Model drew a
thousand laughs during the day ? (middle row) "Sheriff Riley
Johnson, at right, tossed non-dressers in the 'stackaide' all day,
including Florida Congressman James A. Haley, of .Sarasota. Pre
paring to conk the congressman on the bean if he resists arrest
is 'Deputy' Bryan McCail ? And even Sheriff J. Hairy Thomas
aiwtf Deputy Newell Pendergi-ass were jugged briefly tor appear
ing dressed like '.human beans' ? Afternoon events included log
rolling and cross-cut sawing, with the Jaycees coming out on
top? (bottom row) This is a shot of the festive parade of 'hill
billy' revelers in the afternoon ? Judges for the contests were
<L to R) J. E. Hicks, of Highlands, Commd. Dwight C. Paul, High
lands and Palm Beach, Fla., TWBiy Chambers, recreation director,
and C. F. McKinney, who, at 68, is the oldest living person born
in the Highlands Township? Highspot of the morning activities
was s. free barbecue on the recreation center grounds. The several
thousand present consumed' more than a ton of meat."
? Staff F hotc ' F t<*ady
WIND BLOWS
CHURCH OFF
FOUNDATION
Saturday Storm Inflicts
Crop Damage In Parts
Of County
A triple barreled wind-hail
rain storm roared down on
parts ot the south end of the
county early Saturday after
noon, knocking the Dryman's
Chapel Methodist Church from
its foundation and inflicting
heavy crop damage.
The storm, of about eight to
10 minutes duration, hit first
in the Coweeta section west of
Bob McClure's farm, about 2:30,
moved then to Leonard Myers'
north of Otto, and into the Tes
sentee section around Tom
Hunt's farm, before abating.
After making a damage sur
vey of the area, County Agent
S. W. Mendenhall said about
150 acres of corn was flattened
and destroyed by wind and
pounding hail. A tree also fell
on Mr. Hunt's home, he said.
Wind completely bowled the
one-story Dryman's Chapel from
its foundation and it is under
stood members cf the church
plan to build a new structure
rather than attempt to repair
the storm-twisted old one.
Mr. Hunt told the county,
agent it was almost "as black
as midnight" during the brief
storm.
Earlier ir the afternoon, a
rtorm of lesser force reared in
to the Highlands area. No dam
age was reported, but Mrs.
Maurice Cleaveland, working in
the kitchen of a lunchroom, re
ceived a heavy jolt frcm a bolt
of lightning. With cne hand
resting on the sink, she reach
ed for a pot on the range just
as a lightning charge apparent
ly rolled in on one cf the water
lines. She was taken to the
Highlands Community Hospital
for observation, but v as releas
ed about an hour later.
W. C. Newton. T.V.A. weather
j observer, reported a half-inch
i fall of rain for the 2C-minute
period. Tudor N. Hail observed
a 16-degree temperature drop
during the storm.
Spotte r Unit
Organization
Again Slated
| Another attempt is being
made to form u Ground Ob
server Corps unit in Franklin.
In June, the organization of
a GOC unit, a volunteer air
craft spotter program, fell flat
on its face here because cl
public indifference.
But on this second try, the
American Legion post is swing
ing behind the organizational
procedure and hopes to con
vince the public of the worth
iness of such a unit in the na
tion's air defense set-up.
Last Thursday night, S/Sgt.
George Cook, of the air de
fense filter center in Knoxville,
Tenn., met with Legionairres.
Commander John Crawford ap
pointed the following commit
tee to work out details and to
enlist the support of the gen
eral public:
The Rev. R. D. Burnette,
chairman, Arvil Parker, and
Adolph Zoellner.
The Legion is only trying to
get the unit started Com
mander Crawiord explained this
week, ' and it is going tc take
the help of every individual and
civic organization to do it.
Tht sergeant will return here
August 20 to receive the com
mittee's vtrdict.
S1LER CLAN
HAS REUNION
One hundred twenty- lour de
scendants of Weimar Siler and
12 guests packed the Slagle Me
morial Building here last Thurs
day for the clan's 101st annual
"Family Meeting ".
The family register shows
roughly 50 per cent of those
attending were from outside
this county. States represented,
in addition to North Carolina
(Tar Heels were present from
just about all sections) , included
New York, Virginia, Ohio, Tenn
SEE NO 4, PAGE 4