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70th Year ? No. 10
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, March 10, 1955
Fourteen Pages
Im.i. ? l?l?> III l : *%? -. ?::... ?sr . w?*|
? Staff Fhoto by J. P. Brady
FIRE CHIEF A. C. Tysinger, head of the "law" for Frank
lin's Centennial, "fines" taxi driver Joe Angel for being clean
shaven in front of the "centennial caliboose", the lock-up for
non-conforming males who are supposed to grow sideburns,
beards, or mustaches.
'Law' For Women Decreed
To Push Centennial Sales
To stimulate the sale of
"Belles of the Bustle" badges
for the Franklin Centennial,
it has been decreed that all
females over the age of 18 must
wear headdress or hair style in
keeping with the spirit of 1855,
beginning Tuesday, March 15.
Women not complying with
the "law" will be fined 25 cents
for each violation between
March 15 and April 15, 50
cents for each between April
15 and May 15; and $1 between
May 15 and June 18. They are
asked to use their own judg
ment in observing this "law"
when attending church. The
Franklin Junior Woman's Club
ENDORSES EVENT
The Franklin Board of Ald
ermen, in session Monday
night, endorsed the coming:
Franklin Centennial celebra
tion, urged the co-operation
of all citizens in the venture,
and suggested that citizens
now living in other places
make the celebration dates,
June 16-17-18, the time for
"homecoming".
has charge of collecting fines
and enforcing "law" for the
women.
Meanwhile, centennial "law"
for the males Is asserting it
self. Friday, a "centennial call
boose" was erected at the court
house to house those men over
18 years who have not entered
in the spirit of the celebration
by growing sideburns, mustache,
or beard. Each "non-conform
ist" is subject to a fine of 50
cents a day for being clean
shaven, or he may purchase a
shaving permit for $3 a week
from any member of the fire
department.
All of the money collected is
earmarked for the celebration
June 16-17-18.
Several features of the plan
ned celebration are now being
worked out and Will be an
nounced at intervals to keep in
terest up, according to Holland
McSwain, co-chairman.
The "law" for the women was
set by a group of women meet
ing at the Presbyterian church
Friday night.
Montreat Chorus Sets
Free Concert Friday
A free concert is scheduled
tomorrow (Friday) at 8 p. m.
at East Franklin School by the
Montreat College Chorus.
The 34-member girls chorus
will arrive about 4 o'clock and
will spend the night here as
guests in several homes.
BAKE SALE .SLATED
The St. Agnes Episcopal Aux
iliary will hold a bake sale
Friday morning, beginning at
9 o'clock, at the Children's
Shop, it has been announced.
Mrs. Henry
New O. E. S.
Worthy Matron
Mrs. Catherine Henry, of
Franklin, has been elected
worthy matron and Prelo Dry
man, worthy patron, of the
Nequassa Chapter No. 43, Ord
er of the Eastern Star.
Named to serve with the two
are Mrs. Katherine Crawford,
associate matron; William G.
Crawford, associate patron; Mrs.
Nobia Murray, secretary; Mrs.
Alice Ray, treasurer; .Mrs. Em
ma Jane Phillips, conductress;
and Mrs. Eula Carpenter, asso
ciate conductress.
A public installation of the
new officers is scheduled next
Thursday night, March 17, at 8
o'clock in the East Franklin
School auditorium. Members of
the chapter are asked to be at
the school at 7 o'clock for a
regular meeting before the in
stallation.
The new leaders were elected
last Thursday night.
Red Cross Reports
Coming In Slowly;
$136 On Hand Now
Reports on the progress of
the 1955 American Red Cross ,
fund drive in Macon are com
ing in slowly, according to .Mrs.
Elizabeth McCollum, executive
secretary.
Tuesday, only $136 was on
hand. The quota is $3,570.
The secretary asked all work
ers to report results as soon as
possible.
CABE FAILS
TO RESCIND
HIS MOTIONS
Shatley Obstacle;
Grading Contract
Motion Changed
School board member Claude
W. Cabe tried Tuesday night to
keep his promise and rescind
motions he made last month
hitting at Supt. Holland Mc
Swain and his work.
But Mr. Cabe hit an obstacle
in member Morgan Shatley,
who seconded the original mo
tions, and who contended at
Tuesday's call meeting that
under rules of order he had to
second the rescinding motion.
This he refused to do.
"At least I've cleaned my
skirts," Mr. Cabe commented
after an exchange between Mr.
Shatley and Chairman J. C.
Sorrells over a point of order.
Rescinds Another
Another action by the board
was rescinded, however. In reg
ular session Saturday morning,
the board ? Mr. Sorrells, John
E. Smith, and Mr. Shatley ?
awarded the contract for grad
ing at Iotla School to a local
contractor, Howard Stewart, al
though he was not low bidder.
Because money would not be
immediately available to pay for
the grading, the board gave
the contract to Mr. Stewart
with the understanding that he
wait until after October for
payment, instead of awarding it
to Ferguson and Dietz, of Sylva,
who bid a low of $1,680 ? $96
lower than Mr. Stewart's $1,776.
Chairman Sorrells pointed out
at the time that the board
probably would have to borrow
money to pay the debt and that
the interest would make up the
$96 gap between the two bids.
The contract was awarded to
Mr. Stewart.
Tuesday's meeting was called
by the board chairman to re
consider the action.
"They're dissatisfied with the
way the bids were handled,"
Mr. Sorrells told the board,
which now included Mr. Cabe,
who was not at the regular
meeting.
He said since the board's de
cision Saturday, "several of
them" (contractors) "have been
to see me." Ferguson, and Dietz,
Mr. Sorrells related, had infor
med him that a financing
agreement like the one offered
Mr. Stewart would have been
satisfactory, had they been
asked.
"We just made a mistake by
not contacting them," Mr.
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 10
Shearouse Gets
Presidency Of
N. C. E. A. Unit
F. N. Shearouse, Highlands
School principal, is the new
president of the local unit of
the N. C. Education Associa
tion for 1955-56.
Named to serve with him are
Mrs. Paul Carpenter, vice-pres
ident, and Jack Angel, re-elect
ed secretary-treasurer.
The hew officers, elected at a
meeting Friday at Franklin
High, will be installed at the
April meeting, according to Ed
win T. Williams, the outgoing
president.
Macon Girl Scouts Marking
Week; 'Craft Day' Friday
Eighty-six Girl Scouts and
Brownies of this county this
week are celebrating the 43rd
birthday of Girl Scouts in the
United States.
The girls and their leaders
opened the local celebration
Sunday (Girl Scout Sunday) by
attending the First Baptist
Church in a body and talcing
part in the service by singing,
"I Would Be True". Tomorrow
(Friday) they will climax the
observance with a "Craft Day"
at the Franklin High cafeteria.
Parents and friends of the
Scouts will join them at the
end of "Craft Day" for a cov
ered dish supper at 6 o'clock
in the cafeteria. The program
following the meal will see the
girls presenting skits and dis
plays of activities.
A display of Girl Scout
crafts and many phases of
work is in a window at Belk's
Department Store.
The Macon troops are in the
Nantahala area. Dr. A. Rufus
Morgan, of Cartoogechaye, is a
member of the area board and
a past chairman of the camp
ing committee. Mrs. Gilmer A.
Jones, of Franklin, is vice-presi
dent of the area, and Mrs. C. '
N. Dowdle, also of Franklin, is
county chairman. The city
chairman is .Mrs. Beatrice Fing
er. 1
Mrs. Andrew Jones and Mrs.
Art Byrd are the two leaders
of Brownie Troop 5, which lists
24 members and is sponsored i
by the Methodist Men's Club.
Miss Mildred Thomas and Miss
Edith Christy are assistant
leaders. i
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 10 ]
Highlands
Hospital
Tax Asked
Highlands citizens ? faced
with the possibility of losing
the Highlands Community Hos
pital because of an insufficient
operating budget ? are petition
ing for a 40-cent ad valorem
tax increase to support the
hospital.
If granted, this would mean
tax payers living inside the city
limits would pay $2.65 per hun
dred valuation, and those out
side, but in the Highlands
township, $1.80. The present
Highlands tax rate is $2.25, and
the county rate is $1.40.
The petition requests Macon
Representative G. L. Houk to
have the General Assembly en
act a law creating the 40-cent
boost for the hospital. The pe
tition would have the county
collect the township tax
through regular tax channels
and then turn it over to the
hospital. It would have the levy
begin with the calendar year
1955.
The board of trustees of the
hospital, at a meeting Satur
day, gave its approval of the
petition. It cited the following
points in favor of the tax in
crease:
(1) The Highlands Commun
ity Hospital Is an absolute ne
cessity for Highlands and the
surrounding communities, to
adequately care for the sick of
this area.
(2) Even with strictest econ
omy and care, it is not possible
to operate the hospital with the
charges received from patients.
(3) Unless the excess of cost
over income ? the deficit ? is
not provided by taxes and con
tributions, it will be impossible
to operate this fine community
facility for the benefit of our
people.
VACCINE
REQUESTED
New Polio Drug
Asked For First,
Second Graders
The local health department
has requested enough of the
new polio (poliomyelitis i vac
cine to inoculate approximate
ly 1,000 first and second grad
ers in the school system, ac
cording to Mrs. Frank Shope,
public health nurse.
Although it is not known at
present when the vaccine will
be sent here, the nurse said
the health department s aff is
concentrating on being ready
to speed the program to com
pletion when it does arrive.
Form letter requests for the
vaccine have been sent to all
parents of first and second
graders. Mrs. Shope said
the purpose of parental re
quests is primarily to show the
department how much vaccine
is going to be needed and she
urged parents to return them
as soon as possible.
The nurse emphasized there
is no element of danger asso
ciated with the new vaccine
and that it is being distributed
nation-wide.
The request for vaccine is
beins supported by the Macon
County Medical Society.
DoVt S!av?, I.adies!
P. T. A. To Feed 'Em
Sunday In Franklin
Stop! Don't slave over that
hot stove preparing this com
ing Sunday dinner.
Members of the Franklin P
T. A. will do the necessary
slaving and -will serve "Sunday
dinner" from 12 noon to 2 p. m.
in the high school cafeteria.
Proceeds are for a school play
ground.
The cafeteria-style menu
lists chicken pie. ham, scalloped
potatoes, string beans, selection
of salads, home-made rolls
and brown bread, home-made
cakes and pies, coffee and milk,
and even hot dogs and soft
drinks.
COMMUNITY meeting
A meeting of the Iotla Rural
Community Development Orga
nization is set for Monday night
at 7:30 o'clock at the Iotla
School, according to an an
nouncement by Mrs. Jack Cans
ler, community reporter.
OPEN HOUSE
FOR CENTER
IS SUNDAY
State Officials
Invited; Hours
Are 2 To 5 P. M.
Macon County's new health
center on Riverview Street In
Franklin will be open lor pub
lic inspection Sunday afternoon
from 2 tb 5 o'clock.
A number of state and dis
trict health officials have been
sent invitations to attend the
open house and will be on hand
to meet the public, according
to Sanitarian H. T. Collins, who
is in charge of arrangements.
No formal program is plan
ned for the event. Refresh
ments will be served those tour
ing the new center by home
demonstration club women
under the supervision of the
home agent, Mrs. Florence S.
Sherrill.
The one-story modernistic
center, which has been in oper
ation since October, was built
on land donated by Dr. Edgar
Angel and was financed by the
county, state, and federal gov
ernments. Of the total cost of
$29,181.25, the county covered
$5,602.80 (19.2%), the state $11,
049.93 (36.8%), and the fed
eral government, $12,528.52
(44%). Construction was ad
ministered under the Medical
Care Commission, an agency
which allocates funds for the
construction of health centers
in the state.
State officials who have been
invited to attend Sunday's open
house include Dr. J. W. R. Nor
ton, sta'e health officer. Dr. C.
C. Applewhite, director of local
health division. Dr. Ernest A.
Branch, director of oral hygiene
division. J. M. Jarrett, director
of sanitary engineering division,
Dr. William A. Smith, of the
tuberculosis section of the State
Board of Health, and Mrs. Mary
K. Needier, director of nursing
service.
Invitations also have been ex
tended to a number of district
officials, all doctors of Macon,
Jackson, and Swain counties, as
well as local county and town
officials and civic leaders.
$850,000 Available
For Georgia Project
A total of $850,000, instead of
for construction of US 23-441
state line.
The road will be built as a si
projects, let at different times.
The contract will be let betwe
year.
Those three statements were i
G. G. Page, division highway enj
Mr. Page explained he was ir
Town Vote
Plans Made
l Machinery for Franklin's
biennial election on May 3
was put in motion Monday
night by the board of aider
men.
Registration books for the
election will be open April 9,
16, and 23, with the latter
also serving as challenge day.
E. W. Long was appointed
registrar and L. C. Higdon
and J. A. Palmer judges.
A mayor and six aldermen
are to be elected. Deadline
for filing for an office is
April 16.
No political rumblings have
been heard to date.
Other Business
In other actions, the mayor
and aldermen endorsed the
Franklin Centennial celebration,
granted a taxi license to Theo
dore Kiser, and made plans to
enforce a pig Den ordinance.
A written protest against an
other taxi license being granted
was studied by the aldermen
before giving Mr. Kiser a li
cense. The protest was signed
by eight of the present drivers,
Grading Begins
Grading for Franklin's new
municipal building got under
way Monday morning on the
old Blaine lot at the inter
section of US 23-441 and West
Main.
Construction of the mod
ernistic structure was cleared
by the board of aldermen
last week.
SEE NO. 5. PAGE 10
WHILE RECORDS SPIN
Lester's A-waitin' Also
".Moonlight's a-wastin' tonight,
beautiful golden light . . sang
the breezy easy-going baritone
voice from the throat of the
brightly colored juke box in a
downtown restaurant.
Across town on a construction
job, a stocky curly-haired ](pung
man tossed a load of bricks
skyward and commented:
"I bet I've tossed 10.000 of
those things today . . . sure
gets you in the arms."
Any similarity between the
voice emitting from the Juke
box and the one on the con
struction job is intentional, for
both voices came from Lester
<Les? Waldroop, Macon County's
latest contribution to the world
of hillbilly harmony and com
posing.
There's also some kinship be
tween the juke box and the
construction job.
"Moonlight's a-wastin' a
1' V. JWI
Les Waldroop vocal and instru
mental, has just been waxed
and set adrift in the highly
competitive whirlpool of record
sales. And, even if it's one of
those lucky numbers that tick
les the public's fancy, there's
still a rough road ahead if it
is to climb to the top and put
its composer solidly on the road
to success. So, the construction
job is "an inbetween" thing
keeping Lester's hopes and am
bitions warm while he sweats
out his song's progress. And he
has his fingers crossed.
"I've worked awful hard and
waited a long time for this
chance."
Although only 24, Lester has
a string of minor success in
back of him, including jobs
with WHCC. Waynesville,
WFMY Greensboro, WNOX
Knoxville, radio and TV in At
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 10
Let Checks His Record
just $425,000, will be available
from Franklin to the Georgia
ngle project, Instead of as two
;en now and the 1956-57 fiscal
nade to The Press Tuesday by
;ineer.
i Franklin seeking to clear up
what he said was a misunder
standing about the State High
way Commission's plans for this
road.
When the commission two
weeks ago announced that
$425,000 had been approved for
construction of seven miles of
the approximately 13.5-mile
stretch, a storm of protest de
veloped here.
Protesting public officials,
civic organizations, and citizens
made two points:
(a) Originally $450,000 was
allocated for the Georgia road,
but the highway commission
"borrowed" this sum about two
years ago to speed construction
of US 23-441 from the Macon
County line to Dillsboro, in
Jackson County. It was pointed
out Macon County was getting
back $25,000 less than had been
lent.
(b i The Franklin-Dillsboro
road was let as two projects,
with long intervals between the
lettings. As a result, Macon
County has been cut off to the
east for nearly four years, about
twice as long as would have
been necessary had it been built
all at once. People here object
ed to having a repeat perfor
mance of that situation to the
south. They wanted the Georgia
road let as a single project.
The Press last week telephon
ed Division Highway Commis
sioner Harry E. Buchanan
about the situation, but that
telephone conversation failed
to clear it up.
Funds Were Available
Mr. Page said that $425,000 of
the "borrowed" funds has been
available since last July; work
wasn't begun at that time, he
added, because . the highway
commission wished to avoid
breaking the Georgia road proj
ect up into two contracts, let
at different times. "We wanted
to wait till we had enough
money to finish the job", he
said.
And the engineer added: "I
guess we should have announc
ed it then" that the money was
on hand.
The $425,000 approved two
weeks ago, he said, is a second
and additional fund to com
plete the project.
This second amount is to N
come from anticipated highway
revenues; and Mr. Page, in
answer to a question, said the
only possibility of the full $850,
000 being available lies in the
possibility of a decrease in rev
enues. Replying to another
question, he said approval of
the U. S. Bureau of Public
Roads also is necessary, but
that this is assured.
As a matter of fact, the en
gineer said, had the commis
sion not "borrowed" the $450,
000. one section of the Georgia
road would have been started
SEE NO. 6. PAGE 10
The Weather
The week's temperatures ? :>n-l rainfall, as
recor-led in Franklin by Manson Stiles,
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1 ' ? \ II" \V < New; T\ \
. -v. ? : I :,t -!ie l" ? a e?*?a II v.'r ?'
I. it ? j > ;
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed.. Mar. 2 .... 72 35
Thursday 71 34
Friday 72 51 .02
Saturday 76 59
Sunday 69 40 .53
Monday / 46 27
Tuesday 57 16
HIGHLANDS
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed.. March 2 66 40
Thursday 60 34
Friday 64 54
Saturday 70 56 .25
Sunday 64 34
Monday 44 22 .16
Tuesday 49 22
COWEETA
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed . March 2 .... 70 35
Thursday 68 38
Friday 72 51 .015
Saturday 77 57
Sunday 65 58 .4?2
Monday 47 27
Tuesday 55 19