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Pi Ijigblanii* JRaeoman
VOL. LXIX? NO. 41
nuuniiN, n. c, Thursday, oct. 7, 1954
TWELVE PAGES
Plant Will Be Constructed Near Franklin
?Staff Pkaio fcv J. P. Brady
DEATH CAR Macon's second highway fatality of 1954 was
recorded Monday when a 16-year-old Jackson County youth died
of injuries received In the above pictured automobile wreck. The
automobile was demolished in a plunge down an embankment on
NC 28 near Highlands.
Jackson Youth Dies Monday
Of Wreck Injuries In Macon
Macon's second traffic fatal
ity of 1954 was recorded at 1:15
p. m. Monday when a 16-year
old Jackson County youth died
at Angel Hospital of injuries re
ceived in a one-car wreck Sun
day night near Highlands.
One of four passengers In the
car, Walter C. Calloway, 25, of
Highlands, is in a "critical" con
dition at the hospital, but is ex
pected to recover, the hospital
reported yesterday (Wednes
day).
The victim was identified as
Eulas Eugene Coggins, of Cullo
whee, Erastus Route.
Highway Patrolman H. T.
Ferguson said the driver of the
car, Fred Homer Stewart, 34, of
Cullowhee, Erastus Route, left
the scene of the accident and
was apprehended at Glenville
Monday morning by Deputy
Sheriff Frank Allen. Uninjured,
he is in the Macon Jail charged
with drunk driving, manslaugh
ter, and driving after having his
license revoked, the patrolman
said. He also reported Stewart
has had three previous drunk
driving convictions.
Also injured in the mishap,
which occurred about 10:30 In
a curve on NC 28 five miles
south of Highlands, was Lyle
Junior Coggins, 16, also of Cul
lowhee, Erastus Route. He re
ceived a fractured right arm,
back injuries, and cuts about
the face, Patrolman Ferguson
said.
SEE NO. 6, PAGE 12
Ramsey Taking
Agent Position
Albert Ramsey, Iotla beef
cattle raiser, will report Octob
er 18 to his new post as assis
tant T.V.A. agent for Madison,
Yancey, Avery, Mitchell, and
Watauga counties.
He will make Burnsville his
headquarters. Mr. and Mrs.
Ramsey and their young daugh
ter plan to move October 15.
Nickels Vpte
Set October 15
Will Macon farmers favor pro
viding badly needed agricultural
research and education through
"Nickels for Know - How"?
County Agent T. H. Fagg is cer
tain they will when the "Nickels
for Know - How" election is held
October 15 throughout the county.
The program, which orginated
with North Carolina farm people
end has attracted nation ? wide
Interest and praise, is supported
by a five cents per ton assessment
on feed and fertilizer. This means
the average farmer contributes
about 30 cents each year to a
program netting him many times
that much, the county agent said.
The State Department of Agri
culture also receives "Nickels'"
assessments from the fertilizer
and feed manufacturers, who add
a nickel a ton to the wholesale
price of feed and fertilizer.
Only users of fertilizer and
feed are eligible to cast a ballot
in the referendum. By law, a re
ferendum is held in the state
every three years. In 1951, the
opening year of the program,
voting users favored the proposal
by more than nine to one, Mr.
Fagg said.
Polling places will be at tho
following locations in the county:
Burnlngtown, Younce's Store:
Tellico, Carl Morgan Store:
Cowee, Tom Rickman Store:
Watauga, Lee Crawford Store:
Mlllshoal. Paul Ammons home: 1
Cartoogechaye, Ledford's Store: 1
Ellljay, Estes Service Station;
Sugarfork, Willie Moses' Store;
Highlands, Potts' Store; Flats, >
Warren Owenby Store and
Clyde Morgan Store; Smith
bridge. Miller Norris Store; Pren
tiss. John Cunningham Store:
Carson, Bill Pressley Store;
Franklin, Agricultural Building: ]
Iotla, Paul Swafford Store; Fouts' :
Town, W. T. Fouts' Store; and
Patton, R. D. Wells home. I
Polls will operate from 6:30 ?
a.m. to 6:30 p.m. 1
WHERE WILL THIS END?
( Editorial )
A private business that permitted its employes to elect their
own bosses wouldn't last long, in the public business, such a
policy makes even less sense.
. Yet that is exactly what happened here last week.
The board of education is the top administrative agency in
the county school system. In cooperation with the school
committees and the county superintendent, it hires and fires
school principals and teachers. And it lays down policies and
makes regulations. The principals and teachers work under
the direction of that board.
Yet, when the county Democratic executive committee last
week filled a vacancy on the board of education, school em
ployes took part in the selection. Of the eight committee votes
cast for the man chosen, two were cast by school employes ? a
principal and a teacher.
Just because a man is in the teaching profession is no rea
son to bar him from participation in politics. But by their
failure to step aside and take no part in this particular action
of the Democratic committee, they betrayed a shocking lack of
sense of what is proper.
The situation is called to public attention for the reason
that now there is a second vacancy on the board of educa
tion. Are these school employes to help elect another of their
bosses? And what if there should be a third and even a fourth
vacancy? Where is this thing going to end?
? Staff Photo by J. P. Brady
HEADING FOB THE- FAIR ? Macon 4-H clubbers are hard at work making baskets for a spe
cial exhibit at the N. C. State Fair In Raleigh October 18-23. Caught weaving Saturday, they are
(L to R) Miss Carolyn Cochran, Miss Nancy Cable, Hugh Blaine, Otis Stiwinter, and Mrs. Law
rence Thompson, of the Carson community, one of several adult instructors. I
EDITOR SPEAKS
TO ROTARIANS
Newspapers Discussed
By Russ As Feature
Of National Week
"Newspapers today are more
than mere mirrors that reflect
the life of a community onto a
sheet of printed paper", W. Cur
tis Russ, of Waynesvllle, told
the Franklin Rotary Club at Its
meeting last (Wednesday) night.
"Newspapers are alive, and
hold that community 'mirror at
such an angle, and under such
conditions, that every public act
is permanently recorded."
The address of Mr. Russ, who
is editor and co-publisher of
The Waynesvllle Mountaineer
and a past president of the N.
C. Press Association, was a fea
ture of the observance here of
National Newspaper Week, Oc
tober 1-8. Earlier in the day,
The Franklin Press had held
"open house". A newspaper pro
gram also will be presented at
the next meeting of the Frank
lin Lions Club.
Newspapers, Mr. Russ pointed
out are "the sole medium mak
ing a complete and unbalsed
dally history of the community.
This history not only serves to
day, and serves well, but will
prove valuable to future leaders
in mapping the course of prog
ress and prosperity.
"Today's newspapers are serv
ing as a community laboratory
ror bringing to light the truth
from the mass of false rumors.
People today follow the guid
ance of newspaper presentation
Qf facts, rather than mediums
which resort to sensational and
fantastic yarns of the impos
sible."
Taking the last Issue of The
SPIT vr> ?> page 12
NEARS END OF BASIC
Pvt. Jerry J. Love, son of Mrs.
Robert C. Love, of Pontiac, Mich ,
formerly of this county, Is near
Ing completion of basic infantry
training at Fort Leonard Wood
with a unit of the 6th Armored
Division, it has been announced.
Archer Quits
School Board
John M. Archer, Jr., has re
signed from the Macon County
Board of Education ? the second
to take this action in recent
weeks.
Mr. Archer, president of Nan
tahala Power and Light Com
pany, said business reasons
forced his resignation. He ex
plained he will have to spend
considerable time out of town
for the next few months on
company business and would
not be available for board
meetings.
He is the second board member
to resign within a month for busi
ness reasons. A A. Slier resign
ed three weeks ago because the
firm for which he works ? Ma
con Construction Company ?
submitted bids for school con
struction in this county.
Appointment of Mr. Archer's
successor rests with the local
Democratic executive commit
tee. This committee last week
named Morgan Shatley to Mr.
Sller's seat on the five-man
board. ,
Mr. Archer was not a candi
date for renomlnation in the
May primary and was serving
his first term on the board.
NOT THE SAME MAN
The Frank Burnett charged
with a crime against nature In
Superior Court this past term is
not Frank Burnett, of Franklin,
Route 3. The charged man Is
serving a sentence at the Ma
con Prison Camp.
LEAVES HERE SUNDAY
As Macons Delegate To United Nations
Macon's "delegate" to the
United Nations left Sunday for
New York City.
She is Mrs. C. Tom Bryson,
of Cullasaja, who is one of 104
home demonstration women
from North Carolina spending
this week at the UN and tour
ing other points of interest in
New York and Washington, D.
C.
Elected by the local H. D.
county council to represent Ma
con on the 1954 study tour, Mrs.
Bryson left early Sunday morn- i
ing for Raleigh to join the
other "delegates" for the trip
north.
"Naturally I'm very thrilled to
be making the trip", the for
mer Cullasaja postmaster and
active H. D. leader confided as
she packed for the trip Satur
day afternoon.
Washington will be no strang
er to Mrs. Bryson, who has .vis
ited there at postmaster con
ventions. There are points, how
ever, that she did not get to
see then and they are on her
list this time.
"We attended meetings all
day at the convention and had
little time for sightseetng", she
explained. ? -
New York will be a different
proposition for her: "I can
hardly wait!"
Among others, the women will
hear Mrs. Eleanor Roosevelt,
former Sen. Frank P. Graham,
SEE NO. 3, I- AGE 12
?Staff Photo by J. P. Brad ?
"Delegate" To UN Racks
Burlington Mills Hosiery
Mill To Cost Three Million
ACTIONS ON
BUILDINGS
POSTPONED
School Board Sets
October 18 As Date
To Make Decisions
October 18 has been set by
the Macon County Board of Ed
ucation as the date to act on
the perplexing problem of how
to finance lunchrooms at Cowee
and Otto and the Franklin
gymnasium.
The board's problem is simp
ly this: It is still $77,423.14 short
of having enough money to
construct the three buildings,
even after cutting costs on the
proposed gymnasium and in
vestigating the cost of building
less elaborate lunchrooms with
local labor and budget funds.
After an unsuccessful meet
ing Monday morning with the
Board of County Commission
ers to "beg or borrow" enough
money, as member Morgan
Shatley put it, the school board
set the 18th as the time It will
take action. The board has un
til the 22nd to accept or reject
the bids for the buildings.
When the bids were opened
two weeks ago, the board was
faced with a shortage of $120,
827.27 in meeting the low bid
ders' figures for construction of
the two lunchrooms and the
gymnasium. Of the total of
$157,423.14 needed to construct
the gymnasium, $105,000 is on
hand. Bids for the two lunch
rooms total $68,404.13.
In cutting the amount need
ed to build the three units, the
board estimates the two lunch
rooms could be built by local
day labor for roughly $26,000 ? a
savings of about $42,000 over
the bids, although the lunch
rooms will not be as complete
as drawn in the original plans.
A ventilating system for the
gymnasium was sacrificed for
roughly $1,000.
So, it was with this problem
hanging heavy over its head
that the board went into regu
lar session Monday morning
with three members present ?
Chairman J. C. Sorrells, Claude
W. Cabe, and Morgan Shatley.
The resignation of John M.
Archer, Jr., from the board was
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 12
A hosiery plant involving an ultimate investment
of some three million dollars is to be erected just
outside Franklin bv Burlington Mills Corporation,
world's largest textile concern.
This was announced here yesterday (Wednesday)
jointly by Frank B. Duncan, chairman of the Macon
Industrial Committee, and W. W. Reeves, president
of the Franklin Chamber of Commerce.
Plans call for grading to begin within a matter of
days on the plant site just off US 23-441a(south) on
part of the old Johnston sub-division, three-fourths
of a mile outside the city limits.
The textile concern hopes to have the plant com
pleted and in operation by spring, according to Mr.
Duncan.
Ultimately, more than 300 persons will be em
ployed at the plant with a ratio of about 65 per cent
women and 35 per cent men, it Is reported.
yesterday's announcement capped several weeks of negoti
ating and laying preliminary ground work between Burlington
Stills officials and local officials, businessmen,' and civic leaders.
Plant officials have flown here several times for conferences.
On these trips the men have studied the county and the area
from the standpoint of plant location, construction cost, labor
supply, available water and power facilities, and transportation.
'Youngsters'
Will Gather
On Sunday
Reminiscing will be the key
note Sunday afternoon at the
Franklin Methodist Church
when nearly 50 of Macon's
young-in-heart gather for their
annual "Fellowship Hour".
The church-sponsored event
for all over 65 years Is set for
2:30 and will be featured by
hymn singing, refreshments,
and prizes for the "youngest",
those traveling the longest dis
tance to attend, and the one
with the largest family.
While the "hour" is for those
over 65, Mrs. Effle Perry, pub
licity chairman, said everyone
is invited to attend and make
the afternoon a success for the
"youngsters".
Transportation is being ar
ranged by the pastors of all
churches in the county.
The average age of those at
tending last year's event was
73 years.
Plans for getting out the Demo
cratic vote in the November 2 '
general election were laid at the
meeting of about a dozen leaders
of the party at the home of Frank
I. Murray, county Democratic
chairman, Monday night.
An expenditure o f two million
dollars Is proposed now, with a
million-dollar expansion in the
cards for the future.
Employes will be put to work
as rapidly as they can be hired
and trained, it was said. It is
anticipated by company officials
that 300 will be at work in the
plant 18 months from now.
Giving Plant Site
The tract of approximately 30
acres on which trie plant is to
be built, is being secured by the
Chamber of Commerce for pre
sentation to Burlington Mills.
Yesterday, Mr. Reeves reported
a campaign to raise approxi
mately $30,000 to purchase the
land is "coming along nicely."
He emphasized that Burlington
Mills did not ask for the land,
but that local businessmen
thought it would be a gesture
indicating to the textile con
cern "we really want them
here."
Plans Are Ready
Plans for the plant already
have been drawn and building
specifications are available as
a means of speeding construc
tion. The plant will be air con
ditioned and will Incorporate
the latest machinery. It is re
ported.
The Franklin plant will be the
76th Burlington textile organi
zation; the J5 existing plants
are located in nine states, prin
cipally ,ln the southeastern part
of the United States, and in
three foreign countries.
Work With Officials
In addition to Mr. Duncan
and Mr. Reeves, those working
closely with Burlington Mills
during negotiations in recent
weeks included John M. Archer,
Jr., president of Nantahala
Power and Light Company, H.
H. Gnuse, Jr., vice-president of
the power company in charge of ,
engineering, and members of
the Franklin Board of Alder
men and the Macon Board of
County Commissioners. Special
meetings of the two boards were
held to consider aspects of the
plant location and facilities.
The survey groups of Burling
ton Mills have been headed by
SEE NO. 5, PAGE 12
The Weather
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed., Sept. 29 87 49
Thursday 89 58
Friday 81 62 .021
Saturday 89 62 .02
Tuesday 91 57
HIGHLANDS
Temperature
High Low Rain
Tues., Sept. 28. .. 76 47
Wednesday 80 60
Thursday 77 ' 61 .03
Friday 73 64 ' ..?
Saturday 76 51 trace
Sunday 81
Sunday 88 53
Monday 89 54
Monday .... 81