84. %iaMan%? MKmim
VOL. LUX? NO. 27
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, JULY 1, 1954
TEN PAGES
Voters To Decide
City Hall Project
Franklin Election
On $32,000 Bond
Issue Planned
Will Franklin build the pro
posed new $32,000 city hall?
This question will be answer
ed by voters at a special bond
election some time in Septem
ber.
In special session Monday
night, the Board of Aldermen
unofficially approved plans for
a bond eleation to finance the
construction of the badly-need
ed city building ? a top priority
item on the board's agenda for
more than a year.
Official approval of the move
is expected at the board's Aug
ust meeting when Town At
torney R. S. Jones will present
a bond ordinance for adoption,
a paper he is now preparing.
Tuesday, the town attorney
said the actual date for the
election has not been set, but
he indicated it would be In
September.
Plans for the proposed two
story municipal building have
been prepared by Stambaugh
and Jett, Atlanta, Ga., archi
tects, and have been unofficial
ly approved by the board.
While no action has been
taken as to the site fo,r the
building, the board favors the
corner lot in the Duncan sub
division at the intersection of
US 23 (Porter Street) and West
Main Street.
The plans have the building
fronting West Main, with the
city- 'offices and the fire de
partment on street level. The
basement floor would house
other town vehicles and equip
ment.
65 S. S. Workers
Given Diplomas
At Highlands
Sixty-five persons, in caps
and gowns, marched down the
aisle at the Highlands Baptist
Church Sunday afternoon to re
ceive Sunday school workers'
diplomas.
The commencement exercise
marked the close of a year's
effort to expand the Sunday
school's activities ? a part of
the Southern Baptist Conven
tion's Sunday school crusade
for "A Million More in '54".
During the year, the Sunday
school's enrollment has more
than tripled, and now stands at
552. Attendance was reported as
having increased from an aver
.age of about 85 to more than
200.
Guest speakers participating
in the "Victory Day" and com
mencement program were Dr. i
A. V. Washburn, secretary of j
teaching and training of the
Sunday school department of
the Southern Baptist Conven
tion; Mrs. A. J. Smith, state
Sunday school worker; the Rev.
M. W. Chapman, pastor of th^
First Baptist Church, F.ranklin;
and the Rev. C. T. Taylor,
county Baptist missionary.
Dr. Washburn delivered the
commencement address, speak
ing on the topic, "Let Us Go
On"; Mr. Chapman and Mr. i
Taylor brought greetings and
congratulations; and Mrs. Smith ]
spoke on "Highlands in June, ?
1953". I
It was in June, 1953, that
Mrs. Smith set up plans for a
departmental Sunday school in
Highlands. It also was in that
month that the Rev. John Buell j
became the church's pastor and i
set the wheels in motion for .
the training program. j
In the course of Sunday's <
SEE NO. 1. PAGE 5 1
CLOSE ROAD
OVER COWEE
Travel Halted For 2
Months; Macon
Paving About Finished
For the next two months, the
link of US 23 from Cowee Oap
to Dlllsboro in Jackson County
will be closed to all travel, S. T.
Usry, resident state highway
engineer, announced this week.
Although this link of the
highway has been under con
struction for several months,
many motorists have continued
to travel it.
But construction has now
reached the point where no
vehicles will be able to make
it through the project, the en
gineer said Tuesday. Heavy
grading is under way along
Savannah Creek, Mr. Usry ex
plained, and because of the ter
rain in that section, an auxili
ary road cannot be cut to let
vehicles through.
Meanwhile, paving of the
eight-mile link of US 23 from
Franklin to Cowee Gap is just
about complete. The bulk of
the surfacing has been put
down, the engineer said, and
for the next month or so crews
will be dressing shoulders and
clearing up trouble spots along
the project.
But this section of the new
highway will be of little value
to motorists until the link in
Jackson County is completed.
The contracts for the two proj
ects were let a year apart and
the Jackson job will not be
ready for surfacing until the
spring of 1955.
Mr. Usry said construction on
the Jackson link is coming
along "as well as could be ex
pected". with grading about 40
per cent complete and struc
tures (bridges and culverts*
about 50 per cent. Barring un
foreseen circumstances, the en
gineer said the project will be
ready for surfacing in 1955 as
programmed.
Elmore Attends
Elks' Camp
In Henderson
Ray Elmore, son of Mr. and
Mrs. F. N. Elmore, of Franklin,
is spending two weeks at the
Elks Camp at Hendersonville,
under the sponsorship of the
local V.F.W Auxiliary.
This is the first year the aux
iliary has sent a student "to
camp and Ray was selected for
the honor, with the help of
local school officials, according
to Mrs. Elizabeth McCollum,
auxiliary president. Ray will re
turn home Sunday.
Cowee Development '
Group To Hear Jones
R. S. Jones, Franklin attorney,
will be the guest speaker at the
meeting tonight (Thursday) of
the Cowee Rural Community
Development Organization, it
was announced this week. The
meeting is set for 8 p. m. at
the school.
PLAN MONDAY DRAMA
A special Independence Day
performance of "Unto These
Hills" at Cherokee will be pre
sented Monday evening at 8:15,
t was announced yesterday.
Ordinarily, the drama is not
presented on Mondays.
Franklin Has Ample Water
Supply, Despite Drought
Despite the unseasonably dry
spell gripping the county. Frank
lin's water supply is still ample,
according to town officials.
However, the town would wel
come voluntary conservation
measures from Its citizens.
Discussing the water situa
tion Monday, Town Clerk C. O.
Ramsey said the supply is "still
ample", but emphasized that
the dry weather has lowered
the water table of the town
wells considerably.
"We're still In good shape,"
the clerk explained, "and If the
people will use water sparingly,
we dont anticipate any ration
ing measures."
f-"' "?
are now being used, he said.
The fifth source, near Nanta
hala Creamery, has been shut
down for more than two months
for repairs. Mr. Ramsey said
it Is one of the best producers
and in effect will serve as a
reserve supply if the dry spell
continues.
Franklin's present water sit
uation Is in marked contrast
to what it experienced two
years ago during a similar dry
period when strict rationing
measures were imposed. The
sinking of a new well correct
ed the situation and this new
source apparently is largely re
sponsible for the present ample
Highlands
Lots To Be Sold July 29
At Auction
Five county-owned lots be
hind Highlands School are be
ing advertised for sale by the
County Board of Education in
this week's issue of The Press.
The lots will be sold to the
highest bidder at noon July
29 at the county courthouse.
County School Supt. Hol
land McSwain explained that
the lots are no longer needed
for school purposes.
Red Cross
To Offer
3 Courses
Courses In first aid, swim
ming, and life saving will be
sponsored this month In Frank
lin by the Macon County chap
ter of the American Red Cross,
according to Mrs. Elizabeth Mc
Collum, chapter secretary.
Miss Carolyn Bryson, a phy
sical education major at Wom
an's College, ?reensboro, who is
home for the summer, has been
hired by the chapter to conduct
the three courses.
Registration for the swim
ming and life saving courses is
planned tomorrow (Friday) and
Tuesday at the Jaycee-operated
swimming pool at the Franklin I
Lodge and Golf Course. Regis- I
tration hours will be 9 a. m. to 1
noon and 10 a. m. to noon the
two days.
Classes will begin next Wed
nesday (July 7i and will be
held daily at the pool, Monday
through Friday, from 9 a. m. to
noon, Miss Bryson said this
week.
Next Thursday (July 8) has
been set as the registration
date for the first aid course,
j Persons wishing to take this
course are asked to meet at j
j the Presbyterian Church at
;7:30 p. m. Classes will be held'
Thursday and Friday nights un- |
til each of those enrolled com- |
pletes the 18 hours required for
a certificate.
A $1 registration fee will be
required for each course, Mrs.
?McCollum -said, to pay for sup
plies for the courses.
In announcing the registra
tion days for the swimming and
life saving courses, Miss Bryson
asked that those planning to
take the courses bring bathing
suits when they register.
The pool, which opens for
the season Saturday, will be
open to the public in the after
noons from 12:30 to 7:30 o'clock.
20,000 Fingerling
Trout Placed
In Nantahala Area
Twenty thousand fingerling i
trout were placed in tributary
streams of Nantahala Lake and
Nantahala River last week.
The tributary streams of the
lake were stocked with 10,000,
according to James G. Wright,
game protector assigned to Ma
con County, and 10,000 in
streams feeding the river above
the power house. The fish came
from the Balsam hatchery.
Mr. Wright was assisted in
the restocking operation by
Judson Hall, of the Cullasaja
road, president of the Junior
Wildlife Club here.
PLAN JULY 4
CELEBRATION
SATURDAY
Field Events, Beauty
Contest, Baseball
On Day's Program
Field events, a beauty con
test, and ? baseball game are
lust a flew of the things plan
ned in Franklin Saturday for
the day-long celebration of the
Fourth of July.
The festive celebration, tra
ditionally a joint effort by all
civic and service organizations,
was set up a day early, since
the Fourth this year falls on
Sunday, t
Missing this year is the down
town parade, which in past
years has been a colorful pre
lude to morning events at the
Franklin Stadium. A late start
in planning cut this crowd
drawing feature from the pro
gram.
Otherwise, the 1954 celebra
tion is expected to prove even
better than previous programs.
Spotlighting the morning at
the stadium, where events will
get under way at 10 a. m., is a
.STORES CLOSING
Most Franklin stores will
close Monday, July 5, in ob
servance of the 4th. Sched
uled Monday meeting? of the
Board of Co'Unty Commission
ers, Board of Aldermen, and
County Board of Education
will he held Tuesday. The
two county boards will meet
a.t 9:30 a. m., the town board j
at 7:30 p. m.
beauty contest and the crown
ing of "Miss Fourth of July", j
The parade of beauty takes on i
added significance this year |
with an announcement that the
Jaycecs hope to groom the ,
winner for the 1955 "Miss North !
Carolina" beauty pageant, a 1
state-wide preliminary to the
"Miss America" contest.
Arrangements for the beauty
contest are being handled by
the Junior Woman's Club and
organizations and businesses
are urged to register contes
tants with Mrs. Larry Cabe be
fore 1 p. m. tomorrow (Friday).
Mrs. Cabe can be reached at
Telephone No. 73 during the
day, or at 262-J at night. Con
testants must be single and be
tween the ages of 17 and 23.
A baseball game at the sta
dium at 2:30 o'clock between
the Franklin All-Stars and the
Whittier All-Stars will round
out the day's program.
The stadium celebration will
get under way with a flag rais
ing ceremony by members of
the local American Legion. The
beauty contest will follow, and
the rest of the morning will be
consumed t?y the 25-feature
field events, which will be
handled by the Jaycees.
A challenging and slippery
greasy pole ? with $5 waiting on
the top for the lucky youngster j
who climbs it? will be erected
by the Moose Lodge ' as a side
light feature of the field events.
BFTP vr> 9 PAGE 12
ATTEND P. T. A. MEET
Mr. and Mrs. Paschal Cabe
and Mrs. Ralph Norton, dele
gates from the Otto P. T. A.,
attended the P. T. A. Institute
at Woman's College in Greens
boro, June 21-23.
State College To Hold
Forest Camp At Wayah
N. C. State College has taken
over four of the buildings at
Wayah Depot and will open a
six weeks' forestry summer
camp there about August 1.
A special use permit assign
ing the four upper buildings of
the depot, situated at Arrowood.
to the college has been signed
by the Forest Service, which
ceased to use the structures
when headquarters of the Nan
tahala National Forest were
transferred from Franklin to
Asheville. Later, it is antici
pated that the college will take
over use of all the buildings at
the depot.
This summer 22 State College
forestry students and from
four to six professors are ex
pected.
Announcement of the assign
ment of the buildings was made
by local Forest Service officials,
following the visit here last
week of Dr. R. J. Preston, dean
of State College's school of for
estry, for an Inspection of the
Plumbers and electricians were
immediately employed to get '
the camp in readiness. One of (
the buildings will be used for
cooking and eating, a second for 1
sleeping quarters, and presum
ably the other two for classes
and possible shop work.
The school of forestry requires
its students to spend six weeks
between their sophomore and
junior years, doing actual for
estry, such as cruising and
mapping, and the 22 students
coming here next month will
use the Nantahala National
Forest as a laboratory. This will
be the college's fourth such
camp. Others are in the Pied
mont, in the Coastal Plains
and in the south.
It is understood that the col
lege plans later to use the le
pot for a variety of uses. One
said to be under consideration is
a summer camp, at periods
when it U not occupied by the
students of forestry, for 4-Hl,
Nantahala Road
To Be Let In July
TABERNACLE
CROWDS GROW
Memphis Minister
Preaching Nightly
In Revival
Increasing congregations are
attending the county-wide in
terdenominational revival at
the Friendship Tabernacle.
Present to hear the opening
sermon of the visiting minister,
the Rev. R. Paul Caudill, Mon
day night was a crowd esti
mated at 500, while some 600
attended Tuesday evening.
The services will continue
nightly at 8 o'clock through
Sunday.
Dr. Caudill, pastor of the
First Baptist Church, Memphis,
Tenn., is the fourth generation
of Baptist preachers in his
family. He was reared in Ashe
and Alleghany counties, and he
remarked Monday night that he
felt at home to be back in the
mountains.
For his opening sermon, he
took the topic, "A Return to
God". Tuesday night he preach
ed on ' The Race Before Us".
Special music is being given
at each service, by a choir made
up of members of choirs from
over the county. The Rev.
Bryan Hatchett directs the
choir.
Services were held each eve
ning last week, with local min
isters preaching,- and pre-re
vival prayer meetings were con
ducted the week before.
West, Bower s
Manager Here,
Takes S. C. Post
R. L. West, manager of Bow
er's Department Store in Frank
lin for the past four and a half
years, has resigned to accept
the management of a depart
ment store in Whitmire, S. C.
Mr. West, who came here
from Asheville. plans to leave
this week-end for Whitmire.
His family will remain in
Franklin until fall.
As yet, a new manager has
not been appointed to succeed
him at the Franklin store.
Farmers Federation
Plans Picnic July 10
The Fatmers Federation has
announced that its annual pic
nic will be held July 10 at the
East Franklin School. The pro
gram features will include sing- !
ing, acrobatics, and a one-man j
band. Contest prizes will be j
given.
PLAN PICNIC MEET
The Hickory Knoll Rural
Community Development Or
ganization will hold its regular
meeting at the Hickory Knoll
Methodist Church Friday night,
with a picnic supper. Everyone
is invited to attend.
ATTEND MEETING
Holland McSwain and Mr. and i ,
Mrs. Henry W. Cabe attended , 1
the meeting of Western North j i
Carolina Associated Commun- j
Ities at Cherokee last Friday, j I
Mr. McSwain Is this county's I i
director of the organization. ' i
Hundreds
See Wayah's Annual
Flower Display
Hundreds of persons drove
to Wayaji Bald Sunday to see
the flowers.
Forest Service < estimates
placed the number who drove
all the way to the top at 250,
while another couple of hun
dred stopped at Wayah Crest
to picnic. At Arrowood Glade,
at the foot of the mountain,
every table was in use
throughout most of the day,
the number using that, area
Sundav alone being put at
250.
The azalea ? flame, white,
and pink ? was at or near the
height of its beauty Sunday,
with the blossoming laurel
adding to the color.
Local 4-H
Youths Win
Top Places
Macon County 4-H club mem
bers won three first places and
a second in the western district
4-H Elimination Contest Tues
day at Biltmore High School,
near Asheville.
Otis Stiwinter wen first in
the farm and home electric
feature, and Nancy Cable plac
ed first in public speaking.
Both are members of the
Franklin High club. Linda and
Patsy Neal, of the East Frank
lin club, placed first among
acrobatic teams entered.
The second place went to
Helen Cochran, of the Patton
club, in the news reporter con
test.
Other Macon 4-H'ers compet
ing with some 250 other mem
bers from over the district in
cluded Don and Diana Clay, of
the Cullasaja club, Sara Lee
Bryson, East Franklin club, and
Konda Teague, Sharon Swan
son, and, Billy Harper, all of the
Franklin High club.
Young Harper also was chos
en to pay tribute to Oscar
Phillips, retiring 4-H district
leader, and presented a watch
to Mr. Phillips on behalf of the
entire district.
Harry Corbin, Union school
principal, and Mrs. Bill Bryson,
secretary to the home agent
here, served as judges, along
with other adult leaders from
the district.
Adult 4-H leaders attending
from here were Mrs. Sidney
Clay, of Higdonville, Mrs. A. R.
Peek, of Cowee, and Mrs. Dan
Bryson, of East Franklin.
Rounding out the Macon del
egation were County Agent T.
H. Fagg, Mrs. Florence S. Shir
rill. home agent. Mrs. Jessie
Lee Cabe, assistant home agent.
W. W. (Bill) Sloan, of Nanta
hala Power and Light Company,
and Miss Gladys Sellers.
20- Inch Rainbow
Caught In Nantahala
Using red worms for bait,
Johnny Dills, of Franklin and
Pontiac, Mich., landed a 20
nch rainbow trout last Friday.
The big fish was caught In
;he Nantahala River, half a
ntle below Factory Branch,
vest if Rainbow Springs.
Swimming Pool At Golf Course
To Open Saturday For Season
Saturday has been set as the
opening date for the Jaycee
jperated swimming pool at the
FYanklln Lodge and Golf Course.
The pool, leased and opened
3y the Jaycees in 1952, was
scheduled to o^en June 1, but
;he opening date had to be ad
vanced because of water supply
problems, according to Dr. J. L.
rllll, pool committee chairman.
Daily hours will be 12:30 to
r :30 p. m. A registered life
?uard will be on duty, Dr. Hill
laid.
In the mornings the Jaycess
will turn the pool over to the
ocal Red Cross chapter for spe
:lal courses In swimming And
lfe saving. Miss Carolyn Bry
wiiiiM
Explaining the delayed open
ing of the pool. Dr. Hill 'aid
the pipe lines from the springs
that feed the pool became clog
ged with roots during the
winter. Once the trouble was
diagnosed, the Job of clearing
the lines proved to be bigger
than expected, the chairman
said. For several weeks, Jay
cees have been meeting after
work in the evenings to dig up
the pipe sections and clear
them.
The schedule of admissions,
including season memberships,
will be the same as last year:
Family membership, $10; adult
memberships, 17; child mem-,
bershlps, $5, dally admissions ?
adult, 40 cents, high school
Buchanan Hopes Work
Can Start In Fall
On 12-Mile Link
The long-awaited contract for
construction ot a new $512,000
paved highway over Way ah
Oap into the Isolated Nanta
hala Community is scheduled
for letting in July.
This was disclosed yesterday
? Wednesday) to The Press In
a telephone Interview with
Highway Commissioner Harry
E. Buchanan, of Hendersonville.
Subject to the approval of
the low bid by the State High
way Commissioner, Mr. Buch
anan said the relocation of the
12-mile link from Cold Spring
(end of present blacktop on
Wayah Roadi to Feisty Branch
in the Nantahala section near
the turn-off to Andrews should
get under way by the first of
ocptcmuci .
It should be completed by the
following July, he said.
Bids for the project will be
opened July 13, the commission
er. disclosed, and the highway
commission will confirm them
at a meeting later in the
month. \
Previously it had been an
nounced that an estimated
$750,000 would be needed to
complete the entire project
: from Cold Springs to Nantahala
| School. This amount included
$512,000 for the first link and
| an additional $233,400 for"* an
i other section from Feisty
j Branch to the school.
However, Mr. Buchanan said
I he hoped the first allocation of
$512,000 would be sufficient to
carry out both links.
"I'm hoping the--e will be
? enough money left to carry the
project on to the school." he
? said.
The project is being financed
on a matching arrangement
with the federal and state
funds.
In 1952 the U. S. Forest serv
ice deeded the entire road from
US 64 through Nantahala to
the state and plans were im
mediately started to begin con
struction of the highway.
But. since that time, the pro
posed project has been plagued
by delays and citizens of Nan
tahala have been up in arms
at intervals ? holding mass
meetings, passing resolutions
demanding immediate construc
tion, and writing letters to state
officials.
If the entire project is car
| ried to Nantahala School, it will
join a five-mile link built by
the state in 1952 connecting US,
1 19 at Beechertown. . *
Buchanan Reports
| On Highway
Work During May
Harry Buchanan, commission
er of the fourthteenth state
highway division, has announc
ed that 10.15 miles of road
work was completed in his divi
sion during May.
In Macon, maintenance forces
streightened the existing sur
faces with traffic-bound macad
am on Stamey Road for one
mile and River View for 0.2
mile, he said. Stamey is 16 feet
wide; River is 12 feet wide.
Barn Of Stanley
Destroyed By Fire
The barn of Monroe Stanley,
in the Oak Hill community, was
destroyed by fire Saturday
morning. About 40 bushels of
corn Mr. Stanley had stored In
the barn also was lost.
The Weather
The week's temperature* and rata fall, aa
recorded in Franklin by Manaoa Sdtca.
U. S. weather observer, and at the Ceweeta
Hvdrologic Laboratory :
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wednesday 89 60
Thursday 90 54
Friday 91 55
Saturday 94 59
Sunday 97 56
Monday 92 60 ?
Tuesday 90 46
COWKKTA
Temperatures
High Low Ratal
Wednesday 87 58
Thursday 86 52
Friday 88 53 _
Saturday ? ?1 54 _
Sunday >4 84 .