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VOL. LXIX? NO. 39
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, SEPT. 23, 1954
TWELVE PAGES
MOCK SEARCH
BY SCOUTS IS
SET SATURDAY
'Operation Lost'
Stage Ready On
Cowee Bald Here
"Two "people' are lost in the
vicinity of Cowee Bald . . .
FIND THEM!"
This order will be given some
50 Explorer 8couts of the Smoky
Mountain District on Saturday
as "Operation Lost" gets under
way on Cowee Bald.
The only unrealistic things
about the exercise will be the
"people"; they'll be two dum
mies dropped by airplane in the
dense undergrowth. The rest
will be authentic and rugged
as the Scouts scour the area
for the "lost".
Behind "Operation Lost" is
the Scout mqtto, "Be Prepared."
For they intend to be ready to
assist at any time in helping
find persons lost in the moun
tains of Western North Caro
lina, according to B. B. Scott,
of Franklin, who is in charge
of search methods. "Opera
tion Lost" will give them valu
able training and experience.
Members of the two Scout
search parties will meet at the
Cowee Bald tower at 8 a. m.
for a briefing on search meth
ods by Tom Speed, Scout field
executive, and Mr. Scott.
The highway patrol is loan
ing two walkie-talkies and a
patrol car will be spotted at the
tower as a dispatcher and link
between the two parties. The
search will begin at 10 o'clock.
Grant Zickgraf, of Franklin,
will drop the dummies from
his airplane some time tomor
dow (Friday) and their loca
tions will be known only to
Scout officials.
The dummies will have as
sorted injuries, ranging from
bloody noses to sprained ankles,
and will be given first aid
treatment by the Scouts before
being brought out on improvised
stretchers.
At 4 o'clock, the Scouts will
liold a demonstration period at
"the tower and will work out
?details of a mobilization plan
for future real searches.
A supper sponsored by the
Lion* Club will be served the
Scouts and adult leaders at
?.?* Franklin School at 7
o'clock. At this supper R. E.
McKelvey, of Franklin, district
chairman, will present certifi
cates to Scouts participating in
the exercise.
A. W. Allen, executive of the
Daniel Boone Scout Council, of
Alheville, and other high of
ficials are expected to be on
hand for the practice, Mr. 8cott
said.
Late News
and
Briefs
BIDS TOO HIGH
Bids for Macon's school
?expansion program total
ed $385,967.14 when they
were opened yesterday
{Wednesday). The figure
is $117,367.14 over the
amount set aside for the
proposed construction.
Individual bids for the units
? 18 classrooms, two lunch
rooms, and gymnasium ? were
considerably lower than the
consolidated bids submitted.
County School Supt. Holland
McSwain said only $268,600 is on
hand for construction of the
units. He declined to comment
?on the situation, except to say
the board of education must
first study the bids before any
decision is made.
? ? ?
BUILDING COURT
Frank B. Duncan yesterday
(Wednesday) announced plans
for building a modern 22-unit
tourist court on his sub-division
in Franklin.
Work on the court, which he
said will cost about $100,000, is
scheduled to begin Monday.
Wiley Clark will be In charge
of construction.
In addition to the units, Mr.
Duncan said the court will
have an apartment, office, and
lobby, and will face Porter
SEE NO. 2, PAOE 6
? Staff Piioto by J. P. Brady
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN ? Franklin's chic cheering crew carried on through the dust and the
rain at Friday night's game in Bryson City between their beloved Panthers and the Swain High
Maroons. They just confiscated umbrellas and kept on cheering at the risk of losing their hair-dos.
DOCTOR KNIGHTED BY BELGIUM
Tells Of Congo Experiences
The man who earned the
title, "the doctor not afraid to
touch us", from Belgian Congo
lepers told some of his experi
ences as a medical missionary,
in a talk to the Franklin Ro
tary Club last week.
He is Dr. E. R. Kellersberger,
who was knighted by the Bel
gian government for his re
search and other work with
leprosy, sleeping sickness, and
other tropical diseases.
Now retired and living in
Florida, Dr. Kellersberger, in
1916, as a Presbyterian medical
missionary, established the first
leper colony in the Belgian
Congo. For 25 years he worked
without medical assistance; his
early operations were perform
ed In a "mud and stick hut,
with a grass roof". It was
through surgery, he said, that
he won the confidence of the
natives.
Offering every kind of med
ical service, he covered an area
as large as Texas, traveling
chiefly on foot and by ham
mock, a conveyance carried by
natives. He had to know four
languages, English, French, Af
rican, and German.
Some of his experiences:
He had his passport stolen,
while In the home of another
missionary. i
He found a death rate, among
children, of 75 per cent when he
arrived In Africa.
He ran Into a herd of ele
phants in the foreat.
He often worked 24 hours a
day ? "and there was nobody
there to help you, when you
got In (medical) trouble".
"What kills you Is having to
turn these people away", for
lack of room.
He never carried a gun In
Africa.
He removed tumors weighing
as much as a hundred pounds;
"In Africa, you remove the man
from his tumor".
How could he do all the
things he did, under the handi
caps?
Throughout his talk ran the
thought: If God Is with you,
you can do anything.
His worst opponents In Africa,
he said, were the witch doctors.
He explained that, In Africa,
when a person becomes ill. It Is
assumed someone has made him
111 ? because of hate or Jeal
ousy, or some other motive. The
family goes to the witch doc
tor not for treatment, but to
learn who is responsible for the
illness. And he told of how a
young father, whose child had
died, cut off the head of a
woman he believed responsible. ]
Dr. Kellersburger had two ,
criticisms of Americans:
He noted that they are slow (
to learn other languages, or ,
to learn other people's ways;
letting the other fellow learn
the American instead. That, he
said, is not the way to get
along with people.
And he said Americans are
too prone to rely, for peace and
security, on physical force and
mechanical know-how. "What
SEF NO. 2, PAGE 12
Siler Resigns
School Board
A. A. Siler, of Franklin, has
resigned from the Macon Coun
ty Board of Education.
In submitting his written
resignation, Mr. Siler said he
lelt he should give up his po
sition on the five-man board
because his company, Macon
Construction Company, is sub
mitting bids for construction of
new school units in the system.
Mr. Siler was nominated for
a second term on the board in
the recent Democratic primary.
His successor will be appoint
ed by the Democratic executive
committee.
PTA INSTALLS
NEW OFFICERS
Band Plea Voiced
By Brady And Orr
At Franklin Meet
Election of one new officer.
Installation of officers, and dis
cussion of the year's work
marked the Franklin Parent
Teacher Association's first meet
ing of the year, Monday night
at the school
More than 100 persons at
tended.
The new officer Is Mrs. Meda
Bryson, elected secretary to
succeed Mrs. Lawrence Patton,
who was chosen for the post
last spring, but was unable to
serve.
The new officers ? Mrs. E. W.
Renshaw, president, Edwin T. 1
Williams, vice-president, Mrs. i
John Crawford, treasurer, and
Mrs. Bryson ? took office, follow
ing an Impressive installation
ceremony conducted by Mrs.
Weimar Jones, P. T. A. district
director.
The plight of the band, which
lost most of its Instruments in
last spring's school fire, was
presented by J. P. Brady, presi
dent of the Macon Band Boost
ers Club, and Theodore Orr,
band director. Mr. Brady ex
plained that the organization
seeks to raise $5,000 to buy the
more expensive instruments,
and later hopes to provide the
money for smaller instruments
for children unable to buy them.
He asked the Franklin P. T. A.,
along with others in the county,
to sponsor one benefit program
this year, and turn all the funds
over to the club for the band.
He said a county-wide band is
the aim, and explained that Mr.
Orr is going to every school In
the county one day a week.
Mr. Orr said "about all we
have now (toward a band) is 50
eager youngsters". He added
375 children in the various
schools have said they want to
take band, and predicted the
band will grow to 160 to 200.
Mrs. Renshaw pointed but
out that the P. T. A. is not pri
marily "a money-making organ
ization", but said there are so
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
SWAIN TEAM
DOWNS LOCALS
The Swain High Maroons re
versed the score in Bryson City
Friday night in handing the
Franklin Panthers their second
licking of the season, 31 to 13.
Tomorrow (Friday) night the
Panthers will play host to the
Cherokee Indians at 8 o'clock.
Friday night's clash between
the Maroons and the Panthers
was a non-conference game.
The two rival high schools will
take to the field October 22 in
the local stadium for the con
ference game.
The experience-seeking Pan
thers were unable to move on
the ground or In the air to any
great degree against the smooth
ly-working Maroons.
In a light rain, a crowd of
more than 1,000 saw the Ma
roons chalk up a 13 to 0 half
time lead and move well out In
front in the second half while
the Panthers tried a comeback.
Back Crawford Moore pushed
over both of Franklin's touch
downs in the third quarter; one
on a downfleld push, the other
on a Swain High fumble.
Swain High's trlple-threater,
Carroll Wright, was the spark
plug of his team's one-sided
victory over the Panthers and
his oif-target passes throughout
the game brought applause
from all fans.
OLD FOLKS'
EVENT SLATED
October 10 has been set as
the date for the annual 'Tel
Iowshlp Hour" for Macon's
"youngsters" over the age of 65.
Sponsored by all the churches
of the county, the gathering
this year will be held at the
Franklin Methodist Church. The
"hour" will begin at 2:30 and
the program, as In the past,
will feature hymn singing,
prizes for the "youngest", the
one traveling the farthest, and
the one with the largest number
of living children.
"Youngsters" planning to at
tend may make arrangements
for transportation through the
pastor of their church.
Franklin Voters Will Decide
$50,000 Bond Issue Tuesday
Dry Weather
Hits Seeding
For Pastures
Macon farmers are scanning
the sky for rain clouds and at
the same time thanking their
lucky stars that they haven't
been as hard-hit by the drought
as other areas.
"We've been hurt, but not
nearly as much as surrounding
counties," County Agent T. H.
Fagg said yesterday (Wednes
day).
Lack of .rainfall, especially for
the past six weeks, has crip
pled permanent pastures and
late hay crops, the agent ex
plained, and farmers are at a
loss as to what to do at this
late date. Rain in abundance
now would not materially help
them, he added, because seed
ings of alfalfa, ladino clover,
and grass, and even some small
grains, have been killed.
But, there is one thing farm
ers can do, Mr. Fagg feels. That
is take a chance and reseed by
October 1 and hope the seed
ings will come up.
"This is perhaps a gamble,"
he commented, "but the farmer
has already gambled his fertiliz
er, labor, and seed. About the
only additional gamble would
be the price of more seed and
a little labor in putting them
in."
Dry weather has cost most
farmers at least one cutting
and part of another of alfalfa,
ladino clover, and orchard
grass ? all winter feeds for
cattle.
Overall, the county has not
suffered heavily at the hands
of dry weather. Mr. Fagg said
com crops have been "excel
lent".
"We have been very fortunate
. . . rain just at the right time
to save most of our crops."
Grease Bums
Claim Life Of
Child Thursday
A 21-months-old boy, J. Jef
frey Rogers, son of Mr. and
Mrs. C. L. Rogers, of Horse
Cove, died about 1 a. m. Thurs
day of bums received the pre
vious day when be pulled a pot
of hot grease from a kitchen
table.
The mishap Is reported to
have happened about 8 p. m.
Wednesday. The child was treat
ed by a doctor and returned to
the home.
Funeral services were con
ducted Friday at 4:30 p. m. at
the Horse Cove Community
Church by the Rev. John Buell,
pastor of the Highlands Baptist
Church. Burial was In the
church cemetery.
In addition to the parents,
surviving are a sister, Theresa
Annette Rogers, of the home;
the paternal grandparents, Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur Rogers, of
Highlands; the maternal grand
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Ted
Webb, of Highlands; the pa
ternal great-grandfather, Ezek
ial Rogers, of Clayton, Ga.;
and the maternal great-grand
mother, Mrs. Ruth Webb, of
Clayton, Oa.
Potts Funeral Home was In
charge of arrangements.
Franklin voters will go to the polls Tuesday to
voice their approval or disapproval of floating $50,
000 in bonds for construction of a modern municipal
Building.
The polling place at the county courthouse will be
open from 6:30 a. m. to 6:30 p. m.
Ironing out the final details of the special election
Monday night, the Board of Aldermen discussed three
possible sites for the proposed building and dropped
a fourth from its list at the request of the owner.
Sites currently under consideration are Dr. E. W.
Fisher's lot between Macon Theatre and Angel Clinic
PRIZES SET
FOR CONTEST
Rural Development
Event Offering Macon
Communities $1,100
A schedule for awarding $1,
100 In cash to the winning
communities of the 1954 Macon
Rural Community Development
Contest was outlined by the
contest executive committee last
Thursday night.
The top community will re
ceive $300; second place, $200;
and third, $100. The next 10
best will be awarded $50 each,
according to W. W. (Bill) Sloan,
contest treasurer.
Meeting at the Agricultural
Building, the committee not
only fixed the prize schedule,
but also tentatively set No
vember 13 as fhe date fpr hold
ing the county-wide awards
banquet for the contest.
Judging of the local contest,
which is now in its second year,
is planned the third or fourth
week in October. The judges,
who will come from out of the
county, have not been selected
as yet.
Of the $1,100 In prize money,
about $800 already has been
pledged by merchants and busi
nessmen, Mr. Sloan said. He al
so pointed out that the prize
schedule hinges on raising the
remainder of the money. Should
the amount not be raised, the
schedule will be revised to fit
the amount on hand, he said.
Twenty-one Macon commun
ities are competing for the prize
money this year.
Area-wise, the communities
also are shooting for a share
of the $5,000 set up for the
winners of the W. N. C. Rural
Community Development Con
test, which closes November 1.
Judges for the area contest
are scheduled to tour Macon
soon after the deadline. In last
year's contest, Patton commun
ity placed fourth and was
awarded $100.
Communities competing are
Cullasaja, Holly Springs, Car
son, Clark's Chapel, 'Bethel, Tel
llco, Pine Orove, Hickory Knoll,
Hlgdonvllle, Longvlew, Prentiss,
Cartoogechaye, Oak Orove, Co
wee, West Union, Patton, Iotla,
Mulberry, Upper Cartoogechaye,
Burnlngtown, and Otto.
In addition to Mr. Sloan,
members of the committee rais
ing prize money locally are W.
W. Reeves, Prank Plyler, John
Crawford, Elbert Angel, and C.
A. Conley.
SING IS SCHEDULED
The fourth Sunday sing of
the northern division of the
Macon County Singing Conven
tion Is scheduled for 1:30 p. m.
at the Oak Dale Baptist Church.
It has been announced by John
Campbell, sing president. All
singers and public are Invited.
' , ! . ? Stuff I'hoto by J- Brady
ON HIS TRAIL ? Two Swain High Maroons (white uniform*) close in on Panther Back Rich
ard Renshaw as he picked up some yardage in Friday night's non-conference game In Bryson
City. Swain High wom 31 to 13.
on Main Street; one owned by
Grover Jamison, Sr., on Palmer
Street between the Jamison and
Coffey homes; and the town
owned lot at Iotla and Church
on which the present fire house
is now situated. The board has
taken options to buy on both of
the privately owned lots.
At the request of Frank B.
Duncan, the lot at the intersec
tion of US 23-441 and West
Main in the Duncan sub-divi
sion is no longer considered a
possible site. At Monday's meet
ing it was revealed Mr. Duncan
had asked, and was granted,
permission to cancel the town's
option on the property.
Fifteen new voters have reg
istered for the special election,
bringing the total number of
voters in the town to 831, ac
cording to Town Clerk C. O.
Ramsey.
Construction of a city build
ing to house the town offices
and fire department has been
a chief aim of the board far
more than a year. At the pres
ent time, the town rents space
in the Bank of Franklin build
ing for its offices. Part of the
fire department's equipment is
housed at the small fire house
at Iotla and Church, including
the new fire truck. The old fire
truck Is garaged in a wooden
shed nearby. Other town equip
ment is stored at a number of
points over the town.
In a final appeal to the vot
ers, Mayor W. C. Burrell de
clared:
"We hope every voter will help
us put over this project ... we
feel It Is needed In order for
Franklin to keep pace with
progress and at the same time
meet obvious needs."
Democrats To Talk
Fall Election Plans
At Saturday Meeting
Plans for the local Democrat
political campaign this (all will
be discussed at a county-wide
meeting at the courthouse Sat
urday at a p. m.
Invited to address the meet
ing are Superior Court Judge
George B. Patton, Thad D.
Bryson, Jr.. candidate for solic
itor of the 20th Judicial District,
and O. L. Houlc, candidate for
Macon representative to the
General Assembly.
The Democratic executive
committee and the Young Dem
ocrats Club are sponsoring the
meeting.
The Weather
The week's temperatures and rminfsll, ss
recorded in FrankHa by Msneon Stales, 1
U. S. weather observer, sad st the Coweeta
Hydrologic Laboratory:
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed. (Sept. 15).. 89 50
Thursday 87 55
Friday 90 55
Saturday 93 56 trace
Sunday 94 54
Monday 89 59 .04
Tuesday 75 58 .28
HIGHLANDS
Temperature
High Low Rain
Tues. (Sept. 14).. 78 43
Wednesday 79 46
Thursday 80 58
Friday 81 48 trace
Saturday 81 44
Sunday 84 48
Monday 82 54 .11
Tuesday 79 59 .11
Frost Wednesday morning.
COWEETA
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed. Sept. 15). 83 47
Thursday 81 55
Friday 87 50
Saturday 89 53
Sunday 90 55
Monday 84 60
Tuesday 75 57