I. : r, TT y Net*TaM CIRCULATION Lut Weak 2623 ttWiti Jffr 3Utb PRICE 10 Cent b Bacoman VOL. LXIX? NO. 18 FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, APRIL 29, 1954 TWELVE PAGES HIGHWAY 64 SURFACING UNDERWAY Foreman Says Link Should Be Ready To Travel In 2 Weeks Paring of the eight-mile link of US 64 from Gneiss to Bridal Veil Falls started yes terday (Wednesday) afternoon and the highway should be ready for travel in about two weeks, according to George Byrd, State Highway Depart ment foreman. The extensive repair proj ect on the heavily-traveled highway was started in mkT February. Highway crews ripped up the old surfacing and leveled the road-bed in preparation for the new surface. Since the project started, motorists have been detouring to Highlands over US 23 and NC IOC. FIEIDDAY SCT FRIDAY Elementary Schools To Compete In Tests Of Rotary Event Students of the county's eight elementary schools will converge tomorrow (Friday) on Franklin High School for the annual Rotary - sponsored Elementary Field Day. This year's event includes two new features. In addition to athletic events for both boys and girls, the program lists ac ademic tests, which will count heavily in scoring the winning schools. Also, the Rotary Club plans to present trophies to the winner and runnerup. The field day will open at 9 in the morning with academic tests, and athletic events are scheduled to get under way at noon. Rotarian Clayton Ramsey and Coach Dick Stott will be in charge. In announcing plans for the annual event, Mr. Ramsey said the tests will cover science, geography, history, mathemat ics, reading, spelling, language, and literature. Participants will be the best student from each school in each of the chosen subjects. Field events will be held on the athletic field. Each student is eligible to participate in two field events and one academic test, Mr. Ramsey explained. At the end of the day, the school with the highest number of points earned by individual students will be adjudged win ner. Lunch will be served in the school cafeteria. bake sale planned The Franklin Junior Woman's Club will hold a bake sale Fri day morning at the Carolina Pharmacy, it has been an nounced. Band Concert Set Sunday At Theatre The first In a series of con certs by the Franklin Band will be presented Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock at Macon Theatre. A tea for concert-goers and members of the band will be given following the concert at the Franklin High cafeteria. It is being arranged by friends of the band. In announcing the hour and a half program, Director S. F. Beck complimented his band members far their determina tion to give the concert despite the crippling loss of Instru ments in the recent high school fire. Most of the students are using borrowed instruments, he said. Sunday's concert, which will include classical, semi-classical and some popular music, will mark the first official appear ance of the band since the fire and also will be the first of several concerts planned this year under the sponsorship of the Franklin Band Boosters Club. A county-wide membership drive to raise funds for hiring an assistant band director and putting the present band back on its feet is now being pushed by the Boosters. No admission will be charged to Sunday's concert. Former Gov. Scott On His Campaign ] "My program is to keep on working for the average man, woman, boy, and girl in North Carolina", former Gov. W. Kerr Scott declared here Wednesday night of last week. Mr. Scott, in Franklin for an over-night stop on his whirl wind tou*pen for the next three Sat urdays (May 1, 8, and 15) lor :he May 29 Democratic primary. Hours will be 9 a. m. to sun set. Challenge day will be May 22, ;he Saturday preceding the pri mary election. Following is a schedule ot registration and polling loca tions: Millshoal : community build ing. Ellijay: school house. Sugarfork: community build ing. Highlands: old school build ing. Flats: Roper mill building. Smithbridge: school house. Cartoogechaye: community building. Nantahala No. l: Mrs. O. C. Hall building. Nantahala No. 2: school house. Burningtown: old school build ing. Cowee: school house. Franklin: courthouse: Policeman 'Satisfied' After Trip A trip to Raleigh to talk with S. B. I. Director James Powell has convinced Policeman W Homer Cochran that the recent suicide of a Pittsboro mechanic solved the booby-trap slaying of his son more than two years ago in Mount Airy. On his return last Thursday, the police officer said "there is no doubt left in my mind now" that the case is not solved. William Homer Cochran, Jr died December 31. 1951, after a bomb explosion ripped his pick up truck when he stepped on the starter. Although the S.B.I, kept hammering at a solution to the murder of the young agricultural teacher, little prog ress was made until a bombing attempt was made April 8 on young Cochran's widow in Eden ton. George Henry Smith, 38, a neighbor of the young widow's parents in Pittsboro. shot him self the following day. Even though the S.B.I, mark ed the Cochran case "closed" Mr. Cochran still was "not sat isfied" that Smith was the man who killed his son. However, his trip to Raleigh SEE NO. 1. PAGE 6 Elaine Goes In As Lodge Head Ted Blaine, of Franklin, last Thursday night was installed as governor of the local Moose Lodge, succeeding J. Paul Vin son. Others elected to serve with Mr. Blaine for 1954-55 are Crag ? D?ckery' junior governor, Lake V. Shope. secretary, Frank Shope, treasurer, the Rev R L Poindexter, Prelate, and C. *T Bryson, three-year trustee. Weaver Shope was the instal ling officer. Patrolman On Motorized Still Raid a routine cnecK or an auto mobile by Highway Patrolman A A. Lewis late Friday morn ing brought home the bacon. The bacon? A 25-gallon still and three Georgia men hauling It. About 11:30 on NC 106, the patrolman stopped an old model -Qupe and to his surprise found le had executed a "motorized" still raid. The dismantled dis tilling unit was in the back of the coupe. Even before the patrolman reached Franklin with his catch, the word was going around that Lewis is co:ii:nj; in with three men and a still." The three were identified as Willard Creed Shook. 22, Vel! Chap'^el. 13. and Darnce James Shook, 28, all of Clayton, Oa? Rt 2 At a preliminary hearing Saturday morning before Jus tice of the Peace Sam J. Mur ray, they were bound over to Superior Court under $300 bonds, charged with transport ing a distilling unit. Incidentally, the still was a little "motorized" Itself ? the condenser was a truck radiator. ? Staff Photo by /. P. Brady Highway Patrolman Lewis looks over the unusual truck radiator condenser of a still he brought in from his motorized still raid.