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VOI* LXIX? NO. 12
FRANKLIN, N. C? THURSDAY, MARCH 18, 1*54
FOURTEEN PAGES
HOPE TO PAVE
PROJECT SOON,
ENGINEER SAYS
Shaping Up Should
Start Next Week,
Surfacing April 1
Omrtitioning of the road bed
of the $618,000 Franklin-Cowee
Gap highway project (US 23)
is expected to get under way
some time next week and,
weather permitting, surfacing
shouM start early in April. '
Ib an interview yesterday
(Wednesday) Resident Engineer
S. T ?sry said the contractor
for the 7.34-mile project has in
formed him that crews will
start shaping up the road bed
as mon as possible. Stone for
the ?rface treatment already
has fcee? stockpiled for the job,
he saW.
Th? contractor, J. C. Critcher,
Inc., also plans to begin work
immediately on the short
streteh from the Franklin city
Umitn to the Little Tennessee
Bridge, the engineer added.
Meanwhile, grading on the
Jacksao County side of the
project is moving along rapid
ly. An estimated third of the
grading on the 9.42-mile link
has been completed and struc
tures are about 15 per cent fin
ished, Mr. Usry said. This sec
tion of the project was let to
contract late last summer. Ma
con Construction Company, a
local concern, was awarded the
contract.
The Franklin-Cowee project
was started in the fall of 1952.
Sinee that time, motorists have
been de touring over NC 28.
50- Gallon Still
Destroyed Sunday
A M-gallon still and an esti
mated 1,000 gallons of mash
were destroyed by A.T.U. Agent
Heat* a and local officers early
Sunday night.
The still, which Sheriff J.
Harry Thomas said had been in
operation only a short time,
was iound near Tin Cup Gap
off the Rainbow Springs Road.
Sheriff Thomas said the unit
apparently had been moved in
from Clay County. It was not
in operation at the time of the
raid and no arrest was made.
A small quantity of whiskey
was found and destroyed, he
said.
Other officers taking part in
th* raid were Chief Deputy
Newell Pendergrass and Deputy
A. V Garrett.
Federal Agent
Assigned Here
G. I* Forrester, of Greensboro,
federal Internal revenue agent,
has been assigned to this area
and has an office on the sec
ond floor of the Franklin Post
Office building. Another agent
is expected to Join him shortly.
They will work Macon, Jackson,
Swam. Clay, and Cherokee
counties.
Local O.E.S.
Installation
Set Tonight
A public Installation of the
new officers of the Nequassa
Chapter, Order of Eastern Star,
is set for tonight (Thursday)
at the Slagle Memorial Build
ing.
The colorful and impressive
ceremony is planned for 8
o'clock and will be preceded by
a meeting of the chapter at 7.
New elected officers include
Mrs. Blanche H. Parrish, worthy
matron; James L. Hauser, wor
thy patron; Mrs. Catherine P.
Henry, associate matron, Edgar
J. Whitalcer, associate patron;
Mrs. Nobla O. Murray, secre
tary; Mrs. Alice C. Ray, treas
urer; Mrs. Katherine A. Craw
ford, conductress; and Mrs. Em
ma Jane S. Phillips, associate
conductress.
Mrs. Margaret A. Cabe will be
the installing officer. She will
be assisted by Mrs. Margaret S.
Bolton, marshal; Mrs. Genett
M. Thomas, conductress; Mrs.
Jo B. Long, associate conduct
ress; Mrs. Irene H. Bryson,
chaplain; Mrs. Lillian R. Cabe,
organist; Mrs. Elizabeth S. Pat
ton, warder; and Mrs. Esther
?C. Cunningham, sentinel. All are
past matrons of Nequassa
Chapter.
Appointive officers of the
chapter and their associates are
Mrs. Lucille H. Phillips, chap
lain, Mrs. Jessie B. Horsley, as
sociate; Miss Lassie Kelly, mar
shal, Mrs. Margaret C. Tysinger,
associate; Mrs. Margaret A.
Cabe, organist, Mrs. Dorothy W.
Henry, associate; Mrs. Mary C.
Fisher, Adah, Mrs. Nina B. Crisp,
associate; .Mrs. Ruby M. Harper,
Ruth, Mrs. Hermie B. Bryant,
associate; Mrs. Eula D. Car
penter, Esther, Mrs. Barbara D.
Calloway, associate; Mrs. Evelyn
S. West, Martha, Mrs. Ida B.
Grant, associate; Mrs. Merle P.
Dryman, Electa, Mrs. Thelma
M. Harmon, associate; Mrs. Dess
B. Pendergrass, Warder, Mrs.
Frances N. Wilhide, associate;
Prelo Dryman, Sentinel. Mrs.
Mae G. Shope, associate.
OPERA TO BE
GIVEN HERE
La Boheme Slated
For 2 Performances
At School, March 26
Two performances of La Bo
heme, a four-act opera sung In
English, are scheduled to be
presented here March 26 by the
Grass Roots Opera company.
The Macon unit of the North
Carolina Education Association
is sponsoring the appearance of
the company, which is adminis
tered by the Extension Division
of the University of North Car
olina in cooperation with the
North Carolina Federation of
Music Clubs.
Both performances will, be
held at the East Franklin
'School auditorium; the first at
1 1 p. m., the other at 8 p. m.
What's Happening? See Page 14
Early Tuesday Fire Destroys Old Franklin High
School Building; Damage Estimated At $1 25, 000
_
?Staff Photo by J. P. Brady
Flames, fanned by high wind, shoot from the windows of the old Fra.nklin high school building as it burned early Tuesday
morning. Damage was estimated at $125,000. Defective wiring is believed to have caused the fire.
Highlands
O.E.S. Heads
Are Elected
An Installation ceremony for
the new officers of the High
lands Chapter No. 284, Order of
Eastern Star, is scheduled
March 26.
Miss Ethel L. Calloway is the
new worthy matron and Thom
as C. Harbison, worthy patron.
Other elective officers include
Mrs. Elizabeth R. Harbison, as
sociate matron; J. Lawrence
Hiclcs, associate patron; Mrs.
Agnes R. Calloway, conduct
ress; Mrs. Anne B. Holt, asso
ciate conductress; William N.
Slattery, secretary; and Mrs.
Vernon N. Slattery, treasurer.
Appointive officers of the
chapter are Mrs. Eloise O. Potts,
chaplain; Mrs. .Mayme H. Hiclcs,
organist; Mrs. Annie N. Crunk
leton, marshal; Mrs. Pearl R.
Crowe, Adah; Mrs. Octia H.
Phillips, Ruth; Mrs. Mary Mc
Connell Burnett, Esther; Mrs.
Canty P. Edwards, Martha;
Miss Dorothea Harbison, Electa;
Mrs. Catherine S. Potts, warder;
and Leon P. Calloway, sentinel.
The new officers were elected
at the chapter's regular meet
ing Friday night at the .Masonic
Hall.
Store Break-in
Being Probed
A l^reak-in at Franklin Hard
ware Company last Thursday
night Is being probed by offic
ers.
Entrance was gained through
a back window, according to
Chief Deputy Newell Pender
grass.
A. R. Higdon. owner, reported
several watches, valued at about
S50, were missing, and he said
some ammunition and knives
also may have been stolen. A
'ypewriter desk was Jimmied
opened and its contents emp- !
tied on the floor, he said. Dam
age to the desk was about $10.
Deputy Pendergrass said fing
erprints "lifted" at the scene
\re now being studied.
S. B. I. Agent P. R. Kitchen,
if Waynesville. and Chief of
Police C. D Baird are helping
?onduct the investigation.
ANOTHER FIRE
An attic fire at the home of
\ndrew Ray, Greene Street, was
xtinguished by volunteer fire
ien Monday about 6:15 p. m.
Damage to the home was
ight. An overheated flue is be
eved to have started the blaze.
12 DRAFTED
FROM COUNTY
Contingent Goes
For Induction Into
Army On April 12
Twelve men were sent to
Knoxvllle, Tenn., for induction
into the Army Monday of last
week by the local selective serv
ice board.
They were Richard D. Miller,
of Scaly, who volunteered;
Thomas Ray Potts, of Franklin;
Glenn H. Talley, of Highlands;'
Clyde F. Bates, of Franklin;
Morris W. Wilson, of Highlands;
Charles E. Sanders, of Prentiss;
James F. Stewart, of Franklin,
Route 3; James R. Angel, of
Cullasaja; Clifton E. Sanders, of
Prentiss; Bob Neal, of Aquone;
Andrew Moses, of Cullasaja;
and Joseph L. Ledbetter, of
Franklin, Route 1.
An induction call for 10 men
on April 12 was received this
week by the board, according
to Mrs. Gilmer A. Jones, board
secretary. The board also will
send 12 men for pre-induction
examinations on that date? the
first time the board has had a
pre-lnduction call since Decem
ber.
SING IS PLANNED
The Ellijay Missionary Bap
tist C h u f c h will hold a
sing March 26 at 7:30 p. m? it
has been announced. The pub- [
lie and all singers are invited.
Franklin Lassies Champs;
Boys Lose To Swain Cagers
By TOMMY GNUSE
Sports Editar
?~? Franklin High
In a game tighter than the
doors of Inner Sanctum, the
Franklin High lassies squeezed
out a 52-51 victory over the
Andrews girls on the Andrews
court Friday night to bring
home a Smoky Mountain Con
ference Tournament trophy for
the second straight year.
It was a spinning layup shot
by Audrey Gibson with six sec
onds remaining that iced the
game for Franklin In as thrill
ing a photo-finish ever witness
ed by conference loop fans.
Saturday night in Bryson
City, the Franklin boys and
Swain High, co-champions of
the eastern division, ,dueled
frantically into the fourth peri- j
od before Swain moved well
ahead and walked off with the
tournament trophy by a score 1
of 59-50.
Three Franklin girls ? Jody
Lenoir, Audrey Gibson, and
Anna Setser ? 1 were named to j
the All -Conference team in the
eastern division.
Dolpha Fouts, star Franklin
center, was picked for All-Con
ference and Crawford Moore re
ceived honorable mention.
Girls , Start Slow
In the finals, the girls had
trouble finding the basket in
the opening period and at one
time trailed behind Andrews six
points. At the half the girls
lagged 28-25. In the third stan
za the team seemed to catch
fire and a long shot by Ruth
Brown tied the score at 35-35.
Andrews struck back, and going
into the final frame the girls
again trailed 39-38. Brown and
Lenoir each hit the basket once
to put their team ahead for the
first time, 42-39, but Andrews
again widened the gap. With a
minute and a half left. Brown
scored to pull Franklin back in
the running. Excellent defensive
play by Panther guards push
ed Franklin to the victory. Le- j
noir missed a free throw with
16 seconds left, but two passes
later Gibson faked her position
and flipped a left hand shot
that gave the Panthers the
championship. Guard Setser
stole the ball with four seconds
left as Andrews attempted to
shoot. I
In the tournament, the girls
defeated Webster, Nantahala.
and Cullowhee to go into the
finals.
Slow Boys' Game l
In Bryson City Saturday
night, the boys and Swain High
took it easy the first period
with Franklin holdin a 10-8
lead. At the half they led 25-22.
A third period rally put Swain
ahead. 36-29, but seven fast
?shots by Fouts cut the lead to
SKF NO 1. PflOR 7
Defective Wiring
Believed Responsible
For Starting Blaze
An early morning fire Tuea
iay gutted the tinder-drn old
Franklin high school building,
causing damage estimated at
(125,000.
County School Supt. Holland
McSwain said the loss was
partially covered by Insurance.
It was a spectacular finale
For the 34-year-old building,
which in recent years had
weathered a constant barrage o?
:riticism. including condemna
tion as a fire hazard by Fire
Chief A. C. Tysinger.
In sub- freezing temperature*
ind high wind, volunteer fire
men pumped tons of water into
the old structure for more than
three and a half hours to keep
the fire from spreading to the
nearby elementary school and
new high school.
The blaze broke out in the
southeast corner of the build
ing and in less than an hour
had consumed most of the
building. The first alarm was
sounded at 2:30. By 2:45 the
wind had fanned the blaze
through the building and sparks
showered the area. Shortly after
3 o'clock the roof of the gym
nasium collapsed.
Early arrivals on the scene
managed to remove several in
struments from the band room
in the north end of the build
ing before the fire advanced.
But. an estimated $12.00#
worth of instruments and music
were destroyed, according to
Principal Ralph L. Smith. Three
pianos also were in the build
ing, he said.
Coach R. A. Byrd set the loss
of athletic equipment and the
electric scoreboard in the gym
nasium, at $1,200.
The old building, which had
16 rooms, had a parting shot
for its critics. The walls of the
gutted structure, although
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 7
Last Minute
Items
Local oflicers are seeking the
whereabouts of Eugene Poe, 37.
of Commerce, Ga.. whose ear
has been found abandoned near
the overlook of Blue Valley on
NC 106 near Highlands.
The missing man was last
seen Sunday afternoon in his
car at the overlook.
Members of his family said he
Is on leave from a government
hospital and may be a victim
of amnesia. He has been in the
hospital for treatment of in
juries received in World War II.
He left his home about 9
o'clock Saturday morning, tell
ing his mother he was going
fishing and would return in the
aiternoon.
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas said
he was reported seen in a
Franklin restaurant Tuesday.
Mr. Poe is about 5'U". black
headed, blue eyes, and has a
dark complexion. When last
seen he was wearing khaki
trousers, a green jacket with
fur collar, and a cap with a bill.
Persons knowing the where
abouts of Mr. Poe are asked to
contact the sheriff's office im
mediately.
shirt I'-hntf h\ / /' Hrniy
The Franklin lassies did it again Friday night. They brought the conference tournament championship back home for the
second straight year. That accounts for the smiles in the left picture. (L to Ki Guard Anna Setser. Coach R. A. Bvrd, Forward
Audrey <Glbson, and Captain .1 dy l*noir. The three girls were named to berths on the Ail-Conference team. In the picture at
right, Center Dolpha Fouts holds the Franklin boys' runnerup trophy for the tournament as Coach Byrd looks up at the f 5~
| team captain, who was named to the All-Conference team.