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CIRCULATION
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VOL. LXIX? NO. 23
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, JUNE 3, 1954
TWELVE FAG1
?IWIIIIM nil M pill nil I III I II III IIIIIIIMB?? ?WWW?l
' ? Staff Ph0to by J. P. Brady
PARENTS JOINED their Scouts at the Smoky Mountain Dis
trict Camporee for a picnic lunch Sunday afternoon at the Big
Laurel campground near Cowee Bald. (Some of them are shown
devouring "chow". Kneeling at left front is B. B. Scott, of Frank
lin, district camping chairman.
District Scouts And Leaders
End 3-Day Camporee Here
One hundred thirty-five boys
and 20 leaders turned the 1954
Smoky .Mountain District Boy
Scout Camporee into "one of
the most successful we've ever
held", according to B. B. Scott,
of Franklin, camping chairman.
The boys broke camp on the
three-day outing Sunday after
noon at the Big Laurel camp
ground near Cowee Bald and
returned to their homes in Ma
con, Jackson, and Swain coun
ties.
More than 125 parents and
friends toured the camp site
and had lunch with the boys
on the closing day.
Field Scout Executive Tom
Speed, of Asheville, described
the camporee as one of the best
he had attended, "because the
younger boys really applied
themselves and in most cases
taught the older Scouts a thing
or two about camping."
The boys spent Friday mak
ing camp. Inspection was held
Saturday morning and the tra
ditional "stunt night" was pre
sented in the evening, with pa
trols giving humorous skits and
stunts. Sunday School was held
by Mr. Speed, followed by dem
onstrations on firemaking, cook
ing, and camping know-how.
Sixty-one Scouts from this
county attended from the
Franklin, Highlands, Union, and
Carson troops.
jjfip yo 2 PAGE 12
Priming On
Cowee Link
Under Way
Priming ? a preliminary to
paving ? got under way on the
Franklin-Cowee Gap (US 23)
project Monday and baring bad
weather the entire 7.34-mile
paving job should be finished
in three weeks, according to S.
T. Usry, highway resident engi
neer.
About a mile and a half of
priming was put down Monday
near the gap before rain halt
ed operations, he reported yes
terday (Wednesday*.
Mr. Usry said work on the
Cowee Gap-Dillsboro project ?
an extension of the Macon
stretch ? is "going along pretty
well on schedule." Paving of
this link, which was started last
year, is programmed for 1955,
2 Escapees Are
Caught In East
Morganton officers Wednes
day of last week apprehended
the two convicts who escaped
from a road gang near Frank
lin .May 19, according to J. R.
Overton, superintendent of the
Macon Prison Camp.
The escapees were Milton P^te
Austin, 23, of Gastonia, and
Jerry Looper, 17. of Rocking
ham. Both are serving terms at
the local prison camp for lar
ceny. Thsy made their escape
from a road gang working on
the River Bend Road.
Mr. Overton said officers
spotted the two walking in
downtown Morganton.
With the arrest of the two,
the ' sheriff's department dis
counted the theory that they
were responsible for the theft
of an automobile May 20 from
Macon Motor Company. The
automobile was found abandon
ed In Georgia. At that time of
ficers theorized at least one
of the men may have stolen It.
'Don't Worry'
Sailor Reports
After Disaster
"Don't worry. I'm all right.
Letter will follow."
This simply worded tele
gram was wonderful news for
Mr. and Mrs. Charles A. Rog
ers, of Franklin, Route 2.
It was from their son, Al
bert, a. crewman aboard the
carrier USS Bennington, which
last Thursday was rocked by
a mysterious explosion that
claimed the lives of 99 men
in one of the worst peace
time disasters in U. S. Navy
history.
The Rogers' son, a veteran
of 14 years service, was trans
ferred to the ill-fated carrier
only three weeks ag,o from
the Hornet.
The 3,000-ton carrier was
about 75 miles at sea ofl
Quonset Point, R. I., when the
explosion ripped it below
ARMY WORM
HITS MACON
Agent Says Situation
Could Become Serious;
Treatments Are Given
An all-out effort has been
launched by the county agent's
office to check an outbreak of
army worms in some sections
of the county.
Heavy damage has been re
ported on farms in the Mill
shoal and Cartoogechaye town
ships, according to Assistant
Agent T. H. Fagg.
"This problem could become
very serious if not dealt with
in the early stages", he declar
ed.
The agent said the pests are
particularly causing damage to
alfalfa fields and in some areas
have spread to young corn,
gardens, and other crops.
He urged all farmers to check
their fields for signs of the
worms, especially alfalfa fields
if alfalfa is not growing out
after being .mowed. Army worms
are very similar in appearance
to cut worms, 'Mr. Fagg explain
ed, and frequently are mistak
en .for them.
Control measures can be tak
en to stop the outbreak, he
said, if treatment is early
enough.
Control measures: One and a
half pounds of DDT or Toxa
phene in water per acre as a
spray, or poison baits of Toxa
phene ancU bran, paris green
and bran, "or small fields of
row crops.
Azalea Blooming
Flame azalea ? the flower
that has made Wayah Bali!
something of a famous "must"
on the tourist agenda ? is be
ginning to bloom at the low
er elevations of the mile
high bald. Ranger John Was
ilik reported this week.
The flower should be at Its
height this week and next in
the lower areas, he said, and,
on top of the bald about June
15.
TURN UNIFORMS IN
Principal Ralph L. Smith has
asked all members of the Frank
lin Band to turn theLr uniforms
in to the Franklin Laundry and
Dry Cleaners for cleaning and
moth-proofing.
Freight Key
To Operation
Of Railroad
Freight Is the only hope of
survival for the financially
shaky Tallulah Falls Railway
Company, which operated in
the red during 1953 in this
county, according to H. L.
Brewer, receiver and general
manager.
In a letter to Franklin Agent
R. G. Beshears, the general
manager reported a loss of $5,
075.65 for the year.
He described a heavy decrease
of loaded cars since the first of
this year as "alarming". Up to
May 21, the railroad noted a
decrease of 557 loaded cars as
compared with the same period
in 1953.
"This situation is alarming,"
Mr. Brewer declared, . . the
Tallulah Falls Railway, to in
sure continued operation, must
earn sufficient revenue to pay
its cash expenses."
He said he believed the rail
way could survive if shippers
and receivers of freight will
give the railway preference
when transportation is needed.
"However, to do so, it must
have the support of all inter
ested people in its territory," he
emphasized.
In September, 1953, the Tal
lulah. Falls lost the mail con
tract it had held for 45 years,
to a star route running from
Cornelia, Ga. The morning mail
train was discontinued, but the
afternoon freight schedule was
not changed.
During 1953, the company
earned $296,711.70, but spent
$301,787.35 for operation and
maintenance ? a cash loss of $5,
075.65.
Mr. Brewer said the cost of
maintaining the railway's tracks
and 43 trestles was $167,446.94 ?
better than 50 per cent of the
total revenue for the year.
HICKORY- KNOLL MEETING
A singing will be held as a
feature of the Hickory Knoll
Rural Community Development
Organizations regular meeting
tomocrow (Friday) night, it has.
been announced. Tom Henson
and his quartet will lead the ;
singing. The meeting is set for j
8 o'clock at the church.
BAND FUTURE
DIM; DIRECTOR
IS DISMISSED
Instrument Loss And
Lack Of Space Behind
Actions Of Boards
S. F. (Sammy) Beck has been
dismissed as director of the
Franklin Band and the future
of the band Is anything but
bright.
County School Supt. Holland
McSwain Monday reported the
County Board of Education and
the district school committee
feel it is "not practical to
have a school band under the
present conditions" and the di
rector has been notified his
services will not be needed next
year.
The band, organized in 1949
by Mr. Beck, was virtually
wiped out by fire at the old
high school building in March
and until school closed operat
ed with borrowed instruments.
In addition, the superintendent
said, satisfactory practice quar
ters for the band have not been
found since the fire.
"This does not necessarily
mean we will not have a band
this fall", he declared, "for
there is a good chance there
will be one."
The future of the band hinges
on raising $5,090 to provide
school-owned instruments and :
satisfactory practice quarters, |
he said.
But, in view of the present
circumstances, Mr. McSwain j
said the two boards made the
discision to dismiss the director
"in all fairness to him" in the
event the band is not reacti
vated this fall.
"However, Mr. Beck was in
formed that when, and if, these
facilities are provided, he will
be given first consideration as
director", the superintendent
said.
Instrument loss to the band
in the fire was estimated at
$24,000.
The band followed through
on its annual spring concert
recently with instruments bor
rowed from Western Carolina j
College. Practice sessions were I
held in the high school cafe- '
teria and at Slagle Memorial i
Building.
Mild (?) June Debut Tuesday
Assaults Macon, Outs Power
June ? usually a very mild- 1
mannered month ? pulled a i
Jekyll-Hyde on its debut here J
Tuesday and rocked Macon
County under a heavy assault [
of rain, thunder, and lightning. I
The storm picture:
Nantahala Power and Light
Company's entire system was
blanked out briefly in the
afternoon.
Western Carolina Telephone
Company had all crews work
ing on "trouble" yesterday
(Wednesday*, according to Vice
' President R. E. McKelvey.
Farms seemed to escape any
| serious damage from the de
luge of rain (1.73 inches in
: Franklin) and hail.
I The power company had more
! than its share of troubles from
lightning. At 2; 50 p. m., an
overloaded main power line be- I
tween Nantahala and Santeet
lah wenl out and with it pow
er to the entire system, ac
cording to E. L. Hyde,- of the
power company. Service was re
stored to Franklin by 3 o'clock
and the rest of the county by
3:15, he said. Mr. Hyde also re
ported some damage to trans
formers and lightning arrest
ers in the system. , r
Mr. McKelvey said the tele
phone company had "a good
deal of damage over the whole
area . . I a lot of little stuff."
Some lirles were knocked down
and "we have no idea the num
ber of telephones that went
out", he said. W.C.T.C. crews
are still mopping up damage.
Agriculturally. the county
pulled through the day without
any serious damage, Assistant
?County Agent T. H. Fagg said.,
School Men
Seek Funds
For County
County School Supt. Holland
McSwain and A. A. Siler left
Monday for Raleigh to seek ap
proval of state funds for the
proposed school building pro
gram in this county.
Mr. McSwain described the
trip as another step toward ar
ranging Macon's allocation for
school building and expansion
PROGRAM APPROVED
The state review pane!
Tuesday approved Macon's
school building program for
"immediate classroom needs,
including lunchrooms at Co
wee and Otto a.nd a new
gymnasium at Franklin", Supt.
McSwain reported by tele
phone from Raleigh.
Approval was given, he said,
on the condition that funds
are available for the building
program. The superintendent
diiT not elaborate on "imme
diate classroom needs", but
sa.id he would give a complete
report for publication next
week.
Mr. McSwain . said the re
view board will present the
program to the State Board
of Education today (Thurs-)
day) for its approval.
under the $50,000,000 bond issue
passed last October.
He and Mr. Siler. a member
of the school bo^rd, Tuesday
appeared before a state review
nanel and outlined the needs at
the individual schools and ex
plained the proposed expansion
program.
"The sooner we can get
through these preliminaries"
the school superintendent said,
' the sooner construction can
begin."
The two plan to return late
today (Thursday i or tomorrow
morning.
HYDE RECEIVES
SCHOLARSHIP
Will Study Aboard
On Rotary Grant; Is^
N.Y.U. Law Graduate
Herbert L. Hyde, of Franklin,
has been awarded a $2,000
scholarship for a year's ad
vanced study at Oxford Univer
sity. England.
The scholarship is given by
this (the 280th i Rotary district
as a memorial to Chan Gordon,
former district governor,, and
the local Rotary Club has been
notified that Mr. Hyde has been
selected as this year's recipi
ent.
Mr. and Mrs. Hyde, the for
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
A* Camp
Ten Macon women are at
tending a three-day Home
Demonstration Craft Camp,
which closes today (Thursdays
at Camp Schaub near Wavnes
ville.
1nay are Mrs. Eugene Couch,
Mr;.. J. D. Dayton, Mrs. Dorothy
Bowers, Mrs, Harriett Echols,
Mrs. Effie Hunt, Mrs. Roscoe
Hisdon, Mrs. Robert Burnette,
Mrs. Ray Williamson, Mrs. R.
L. McGahn, and Mrs. H. E.
Freas.
! Macon Joins State
In Nominating Scott
THE WINNER?
W. Kerr Scott
IMen Charged
For Beating
Vote Official
Two Gneiss men Monday were
bound over to Superior Court
under $1,000 bonds, charged
with assaulting Registrar Ray
mond W. Wood at the Sugar
fork Township polling place
shortly before the polls closed
Saturday.
They are Roger Holland, 23
and Eugene Holland, 26, sons
of Luther Holland, former
Sugarfork registrar.
Reportedly, the assault stem
med from Mr. Holland not be
ing reappointed registrar this
year ? a post he held for 16
years. Elections officials said
he was not reappointed because
of poor health.
Interviewed at Angel Hospital
following the fight, Mr. Wood
said he was "jumped" by the
brothers about 6:05. He was
bruised about the face and had
| several large knots on his fore
| head.
"I was holding my own for a
while," he declared, "I never
did pass out."
The registrar said A. B. Potts,
' precinct chairman, and judges
: Carl Crisp and Troy Holland
| came to his rescue.
Elections Chairman Lee Barn
ard impounded the Sugarfork
ballot box briefly while swear
) ing in Mr. Potts as temporary
registrar.
Mr. Wood left the polling
place in the old school building
I and went to the hospital follow -
' ing the fight.
Warrants i nre served on the
Holland brothe Monday morn
ing. Tlt-r, waived a preliminary
h.anng and were bound over
i to the higher court by Justice
| of the Peace Sam J. Murray,
j The warrants were signed by
! Mr. Wood and Mr. Crisp.
ARNOLP I " ES PLANT
! Fred M. Arnold, of Franklin,
has leased the Southern Ve.r
miculite Company from Arthur
I. P.ank, of Philadelphia, Pa.,
and plans to start operations
at an early date. The trans
: was handled by real
estate man. Frank B. Duncan.
? t ranklin I ri-.j rhoto
VOTING WAS LIVELY IN MACON in Saturday's Democratic primary. At left Franklin voters
line up to cast their ballots under the watchful eyes of election officials ? but not before having to stand
in line (upper right) to get into a voting booth. At lower right, officials are shown tallying Franklin's
vote at the "count-out", which ran into Sunday morning.
Houk Beats Finger;
Solicitor Outcome
Still Is Unknown
Macon joined the rest of the
state in giving W. Kerr Scott
the nomination to the U. S.
Senate in Saturday's Democrat
| ic primary over the former gov
i ernor's chief opponent, U. S.
Sen. Alton A. Lennon.
Just who won the nomination
in the hotly-contested Senate
race was not known until Tues
| day's official vote tabulations
j were made over the state, giv
j ing Mr. Scott a clear majority
I of 4,187 over Sen. Lennon. Al
though the former governor
held a good lead from the start,
Sen. Lennon did not concede
until the official tally was
j made.
Out of a total primary vote
! here of 2,809, Mr. Scott receiv
ed 1,620 to Sen. Lennon's 1,099.
j The other five candidates in
| the race ? Alvin Wingfield, Jr.,
< W. M. Bostick, A. E. Turner,
| OUa Ray Boyd, and Henry L.
I Sprinkle ? collected only 46
votes between themselves,
j It was a near-perfect day for
an election. Some scattered
: ? showers in the morning failed
? to slow the steady stream of
j voters. The vote of 2,809 com
' pared favorably with the largest
primary vote of 3.237 registered
! in 1950.
1 Locally, the contest between
Guy L. Houk, Franklin lawyer
; and former school superinten
' dent, and C. Banks Finger,
Franklin lawyer, for the state
House of Representatives nom
ination drew high interest, espe
; cially in the high-voting Frank
| lin precinct. Mr. Houk emerged
' winner with 1,578 votes to Mr.
| Finger's 1,168.
e. b. Duvau, of Franklin, ?
Route 3, lost out in the six
man race for the five-man
| County Board of Education with
' 1,516 votes. Running second low
! was the incumbent board chair
man, J. C. Sorrells, with 1,802.
Incumbents A. A. Siler, of
Franklin, and Claude W. Cabe,
of Otto, ran high in the race
with 2.092 and 2.040. respective
ly. Frank Plyler, Franklin busi
nessman, polled 1,945 and John
E. Smith, of Franklin, 1,783, to
round out the board.
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas ex
perienced no difficulty in get
ting his party's nomination with
2.437 ? the highest vote received
by any candidate in the pri
mary. His opponent. Charlie
Curtis, of Otto, received 372
votes. ? -
Incumbent John Roane, of
Cartoogechaye, and Wiley
Brown. Franklin businessman,
j won nominations to the three
| man Board of County Commis
sioners by substantial margins.
Mr. Roane received 1.857 and
Mr. Brown 1.950. The third
member. Chairman W. E.
i Gene i Baldwin, was unopposed
and automatically received the
nomination.
In the five-county 33td Sen
atorial District race, H. M.
Moore, of Hayesville, ran high
in this county and also won the
nomination. He polled 1.492
votes to Tom J, Herbert's 911.
Mr. Herbert also is of Hayes
ville. Under a rotation system,
SEE NO. 4. PAGE 12
2 Are Injured
Charles Setser, of Franklin,
and Howard Crpnkleton. of
Gneiss, were injured Tuesday in
ciemson, S. C.. in an accident
that electrocuted a fellow con
struction worker, according to
an Associated Press story.
The account said the men
were unloading steel beams
from a truck when a crane
boom swung close to high ten
sion wires, causing electricity to
jump from thi wires to the
boom and strike the men.
The two Macon men are re
covering, the report said.
The^ Weather
The week's temperatures and rainfall, as
recorded in Franklin bjr Manton Sti1?s,
L\ S. weather observer, and at the Coweeta
Hvdrologic* Laboratory :
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wednesday 80 53
Thursday 81 45
Friday 76 61 .04
Saturday 82 55 trace
Sunday 81 57
Monday 82 55
Tuesday 80 62 1.7$