VOL. LXIX? NO. 52
FRANKLIN, N. C., THURSDAY, DEC. 23, 1954 EIGHTEEN PAGES
Net Paid
CIRCULATION
Last Week
2553
?1)* Itlacomnn
PRICE
10 Cents
./(/// , nolo o\ J r. nruay j
A SAND SPREADER is shown throwing out lift saving sand on the highways Sunday night after a
general snow ? ranging from a half to 10 inches ? u nkcted the county. Highway crews worked through
the night to keep the highways passable.
Early Arriving Man Winter
Brings Snow Over Wesk-and
Old, Man Winter took an un
invited and premature debut
into .Macon County aver the
week-end, handing out doses of
ice and snow (from a half to
10 inches) that meant lost
sleep for highway employes
and an early closing of schools
for the holidays.
Officially, Winter wasn't sup
posed to open his run until
Tuesday. However, this over
eager season, which has been
playing a cat-and-mouse game
for several weeks now, got a i
foot in the door Friday, Satur
day, and Sunday and had more
than a toe-hold when his of
ficial opening came.
Although highways were icy,
no accidents were reported as
a result, according to Patrol
man H. T. Ferguson.
After a general snow blank
eted the county Sunday night,
principals met Monday morn
ing with Sufct. Holland Mc
Swain and decided to close
schools for the holidays; they
had been scheduled to close to
day (Thursday). Mr. McSwain
said they will reopen Monday,
January 3.
State highway employes ab
sorbed most of the punishment
Old Man Winter handed out,
but by last night had caught
up on lost sleep. Icy conditions
sent out sanding crews to the
Black Gap area on the Clay
side of the county and in the
Highlands area on the Jackson
end. Saturday night, about 30
men again had to work In
both of these areas.
But Sunday night was the
corker, with the snow fall mea
suring from a half Inch around ;
Franklin to about 10 inches in
the Nantahala area, according
to highway foreman George
Byrd. Sanding operations and
snow plows were moving all
night over most of the county, j
he said.
Bank Buys Bonds
For City Hall
The $50,000 in bonds floated
by the Town of Franklin for
construction of a new muni
cipal building have been pur
chased by the Bank of Frank
lin.
It is reported the local bank
took the bonds for 2.75 per cent
Interest.
Annual Interest payments on
the money will run $1,375, ac
cording to Town Clerk C. O.
Ramsey.
v'Y RMSNS
Quits T. V. A. Job
Here To Accept
Post In Asheville
Robert M. Ray, assistant T.
V. A. agent for six western
counties for the past three and j
a half years, has resigned his j
post e'fective December 31 to |
accept a post with the N. C.
Experiment Station.
The agent, whose headquar
ters are in Franklin, has charge
of T. V. A. work in Jackson,
Macon, Swain, Clay, Cherokee, . j
and Graham. His duties will |
be taken over by Jack Lyda,
vocational agricultural teacher
at Swain High School, who will
operate out of Bryson City.
Mr. Ray will be assigned to |
the Asheville area in his new
work.
Court Gives
xhool Fund
' Imping Hand
" Th'v ever-needy school fund
got a welcome helping hiuid
from the December term of
Superior Court.
With the end of the brief '
term last week, 85,575.90 went '
,to the schools by law from
Hies, forfeitures, jury tax, ?
5'jlicitor's fees, and highway
pat'ol fees, according to Miss
Kate McGee, clerk of court.
\ break-down of the amount
shows that $2,175 came from
forfeitures; $2,635 from fines; !
$489 from solicitor's fees;
SI 60 from jury tax; amd $125.
90 from highway patrol fees.
"We won't have any trouble
finding something to spend it
on," School Supt. Holland Mc
, Swain assures.
MASON HOME BURNS
The home of Lee Mason, on
Mason's Branch in the Cowee j
section, is reported to have
burned Sunday night. Details |
were not immediately available.
CAN GET MORE TEACHERS
if Attendance Holds Steady
Should present daily atten
dance In the school system hold
steady, the county will be elig
ible for three more elementary
and two more high school
teachers, according to Supt.
Holland McSwain.
At the present time, the sys
tem employs 115 teachers and
12 principals. Of the teachers,
89 teach elementary and 26 high
school subjects. Elementary
principals, as a rule, teach
classes also.
For the first three months of
the current school year (Sep
tember, October, and Novem- i
ber), the average daily atten
dance for elementary and high
school grades is up 111 over the
same period last year ? from
3,686 for 1953-54 to 3,797 for
1954-55.
At the elementary schools
this Increase is spread out be
tween Franklin, East Franklin,
Cullasaja, Union, Otto, Car
toogechaye, Iotla, and Nanta
liala. Dropping, but only slight
ly, in daily attendance for the
three-month period were Cowee,
Highlands, and Chapel, the lat
ter two schools losing only one
pupil over 1953-54.
' All of the high schools mark
ed slight increases, Highlands j ,
one student, Chapel one, Nan- j
tahala five, and Franklin five.
A keener interest is believed
responsible for the higher daily
attendance figure this year, ac
cording to Mr. McSwain. He
pointed out that most of the
schools are holding classroom
contests of some kind to stimu
late attendance. Some are hav
ing contests between boys and
girls, while Others are putting
one grade against the other to
see which can register the best
attendance, he said. '
If the present trend con- i
tinues, the superintendent said
the state will have to allot <
more teachers to handle the
Increase.
Chapel Elementary, with a
low enrollment of 62 pupils,
leads the elementary schools
percentage-wise in daily at
tendance With a 95.9 average
for November. Close behind
were Union with 95.7 and Cul
lasala with 95.3. Highlands was
low with 86.6.
Nantahala High was tops for
November among the high
schools with 95.7, while High
lands was low with 85.8.
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 4 1
'Good Cook'
Forgets His
Breakfast
They had breakfast troubles
Tuesday at the Macon Prison
Camp.
The cook on duty, Ralph
McCracken, 36, an honor
grade prisoner, just walked
out about 4 o'clock, accord
ing to Supt. John E. Cutshall.
So, while the search for the
escaped prisoner got under
way, the superintendent said
"we h?.d to wake up more
cooks" in order to have break
fast.
McCracken, of AsheviUe,
who had four months left to
serve for highway robbery,
had only a short taste of
freedom and was recaptured
about 11:30 in Franklin.
Supt. Cutshall was at a loss
to explain why the main chose
to escape with just four
months to go.
"I do know one thing," the
superintendent offered, "he's
a mighty good cook."
SEARCH ON
FOR YOUNG
MAN OF YEAR
Organizations Asked
To Make Nominations
For Annual Award
A secret committee is now
looking for the "Young Man of
the Year" for 1954 ? a young
man not older than 35 who has
been outstanding in service to
his community.
This young man is to be ap
propriately honored and award
ed a Distinguished Service
Award Key at a special ban
quet in January by the Frank
lin Jaycees.
Meanwhile, local .civic organ
izations are requested to mako
nominations for the award
through Jaycee Calvin Henson,
D. S. A. chairman, or Dr. G. R.
McSween, Jaycee president, who
are serving as liaison for the
secret committee making the
selection.
Mr. Henson said organizations
should consider achievement,
leadership, and personal char
acter and ability, along with
service to community, when
making nominations.
He also emphasized that
membership in the Jaycees is
not a prerequisite to winning
and that any man who has not
reached his 36th birthday by
December 31 is eligible.
Date of the special banquet
has not been set, according to
Dr. McSween. However, he said
plans for the event should be
ready for announcement by the
first of the year.
This is the third year the j
Jaycees have made the award. 1
INTEREST ON
3 CONTESTS
Traffic On Upswing
In Communities And
Franklin, Highlands
Three Christmas lighting con
tests appear to be capturing a
lot of Yuletide interest from 1
Maconians.
Traffic is on the upswing in
the 16 communities entered in
the Nantahala Power and Light
Company's contest, and the
garden club-sponsored events
in Franklin and Highlands are
coming in for just shares of
interest.
The rural contest has the
power company offering $100
in cash to the three top com
munities ? $50 for first place |
$30 for second, and $20 for
third. The obviously difficult ;
task of picking the winners will ]
fall to a secret panel of judges ;
between now and the night of 1
December 27, and they will be
announced In the December 30
issue of The Press. W. W. Sloan, i
of the power company, said the
communities have been request- 1
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 4
MACON GEARS
10 YULET1DE
mm events
Services, Plays
Arid Cantatas On
Christmas List
Bright-eyed and somewhat
breathless youngsters, flanked
by the hustle and bustle of
last-minute shoppers, quite ob
viously point to the nearness
of Christmas, 1954.
Saturday is the day, and
Maconians are gearing them
selves to their traditional cele
bration with special church
services, plays, cantatas, and
visits to the needy with brim
ming baskets of food and toys.
Most merchants and business
men plan to close Christinas
day only, and will be open for
business as usual Monday. New
Years Day, which also falls on
Saturday, will be observed by
most.
County offices will close at
noon Friday and will reopen
Tuesday morning.
The Macon Health Depart
ment plans to close Friday, Sat
urday, and Monday, but will be
open for a general clinic Tues
day morning, according to Mrs.
Frank Shope, public health
nurse.
Here are some of the events
on the Yuletide calendar in the
county:
A gift or toy for some needy
child will be the admission to
night (Thursday) to the second
annual Jaycee-sponsored Christ
mas cantata, by a choir of
voices from Franklin churches.
Directed by the Rev. Bryan
Hatchett. the cantata is set for
8 o'clock at the Methodist
church. The choir will sing "The
Song of Christmas", which in
cludes several carols, and G. A.
Jones. Jr.. will be narrator. So
loists will be Mrs. Bryan Hatch
ett. Henry Wilkie. and Richard
Slagle M.rs, H. W. Cabe is the
organist and Mrs. Mary Cooper
S2E NO. PAGE 5
PEEK'S CREEK WOMAN
Living Example Of Courage
If you're looking for a living
example of courage, you won't
have to search beyond a small
frame house on Peeks Creek
Road in the Cullasaia section.
There lives Mrs. Lillie Manilla
Wood, a woman possessed of
truly remarkable courage and a
sparkling wit that makes h?r
life worth livink beyond the
point where a less determined
individual would give up.
A victim of crippling arthritis,
Mrs. Wood took her last step ?
"I was on crutches then" ? 15 !
years ago.
But this pivotal point in her
life failed to dull this tiny
woman's perspective and if any
thing she has been even more J
active because of it.
Mrs. Wood is one of the coun
ty's most active home demon
stration women, and although }
she divides her time between 1
her bed and wheel chair, she ,
has reached perfect attendance
at club meetings for two of the 1
eight years she haa been a |
member.
"Her energy is really amaz- i
ing," Mrs. Florence S. Sherrill, |
home agent, declares.
Mrs. Wood's club is Walnut j
C'reek, whiPh she laughingly j
calls the "scattered club . . .
because we all live so far i
apart." Club members hold j
monthly meetings at her home
during the winter months "so
I won't have to get out and j
ruin the weather."
Work bows gracefully before I
Mrs. Wood's energy. With her I
family helping, the .Macon na- j
tive keeps her can house brim- J
ing over and a large 20-foot :
deep freezer packed to capacity. I
Braiding rugs take up her
spare time and she- considers
this both a business and hobby.
Her . rugs ? she can turn out
a 6 by 9 reversible in three to
four weeks r- are in constant
demand and she currently has
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 5,
? 3Mff t'hoto by J. P. Brady
Mrs. Wood At Work
Second Telephone
'Correction Here
A second "corrected" statement of valuation for the Western
Carolina Telephone Company for 1954 taxes has been received
by the Town of Franklin, this one listing 333.99 more miles of
line and an .157 increase in excess valuation within the town.
Eut even or. the !:r f this latest correction", the town
stands to lose S203.31 on the basis of the 1953 valuation, accord
ing to Tov.'i; clerk O. r . ... and might have to make a 1953
refund.
The county also expects t-> come face-to-face with a similar
corrected statement, b-.'t L ke V. Shope, secretary to the county
Gets Increase
In LD Rates
I
Western Carolina Telephone 1
Company, along with other
companies in the state, has
been authorized by the State
Utilities Commission to in
crease its intrastate long dis- ,
tance charges.
Yesterday (Wednesday) R.
E. McKelvey, company vice
president, said the increase
applies only to long distance
rates within the state.
Dependent upon mileage
zones, the increase in general
means station calls under 64
miles have been increased
about five cents. On calls
over 64 miles, there is no in- :
crease in station calls, but a
10 to 20 cent boost in person
calls, he explained.
For example, a day station
call from Franklin to High
lands has been upped from
25 to 30 cents, and a person
call from 40 to 50 cents. On
a longer call to Elizabeth City,
the day person rate is up 20
cents, from S1.70 to S1.90, but
the day station rate is un
changed. S1.25.
SING IS SUNDAY
The fourth Sunday sing of
the northern division of the
Macon County Singing Conven
tion will be held at the Tellico
Baptist Church beginning at
1:30 p. m., the sinj president.
John Campbell, has announced.
The public is invited.
commissioners, said it Had not
been received yesterday (Wed
nesday t.
This new statement Is the
third one received by Franklin
in recent months. It was ac
companied by a letter from J.
C. Bethune. secretary of the
North Carolina State Board of
Assessment, who explained that
the 1952 merger of W, C. T. C.
with other exchanges is respon
sible for the recertiflcation
through "errors in computing
and consolidating wire line
mileage" by the company.
In addition to changing the
1954 valuation of the company,
this latest "correction" also
recertifies the 1953 figures
within Franklin, cutting the
valuation from $74,109 to $52,
834.
In line with this, Mr. Be
thune, remarked In his letter,
"We regret that a number of
the affected counties, cities,
and towns will have to make
tax adjustments to correspond
with this report. However, we
feel that the future years will
work out to the satisfaction of
all concerned, by reason of this
effort of correction."
Town Clerk Ramsey said he
interpreted 'this comment to
mean Franklin might have to
rebate tax money for 1953 to
the tf!ephone company.
This newest recertification
lists 1,299.56 miles of wire with
in Franklin; values each mile
at $42.8035; and gives the excess
valuation ns $55,625.
A previous "correction" ? re
certified by the board of assess
ment after the town registered
objections to an even more
drastic cut in valuation ? gave
the miles of wire as 965.57;
value per mile as $45.7029; and
excess -valuation, $44,129.
The initial certification for
1?54. and the one which start
ed both town and county of
ficials pressing for a correc
tion, gave the line miles as
38126; the value per mile as
SEE NO. 6, PAGE 10
MRS. JUSTICE DIES
Mrs. Homer Elizabeth Justice,
60, died Tuesday at 10:30 a. m.
in her home in the Holly
Springs community.
Funeral services for Mrs. Jus
tice, a native of Macon County,
will be held this morning
i Thursday i at 11 o'clock at the
Holly Springs Baptist Church.
The Rev. James I. Vinson and
the Rev. Arvii Swafford will of
ficiate, and burial will be in
the church cemetery.
The Weather
Thr work's temperature# and rainfall. as
recor led in Franklin by Manson Stiles,
I'. >. weather observer, and at the Coweeta
ilydrologic Laboratory:
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Law Rain
Wed., Dec. 15 38 28 .03
Thursday 48 21
Friday 43 29 .15
Saturday 43 32 .34
Sunday 34 26 .03
Monday 30 18 .02
Tuesday 35 13
Snow on Sunday and Monday.
HIGHLANDS
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed., Dec. 15 31 26
Thursday 43 22 .05
Friday 38 28
Saturday ?... 38 26 .56
Sunday 11
Monday 24 12 .06
Tuesday 28 16
COWEETA
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed., Dec. 15 38 30
Thursday 47 21
Friday 43 29 . .
Saturday 38 33 .93
Sunday 35 28
Monday 31 19 trace
Tuesday 35 13
Vx Inch snow on 8undayJ