Net Paid
CIRCULATION
Last Week
2714
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nklitt life,
Jfiaconinn
70th Year ? No. 27
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, July 7, 1955
Twelve Pages
Aldermen
Adopt New
Town Budget
A $110,918.57 budget has been
adopted for 1955-56 by the
Franklin Board of Aldermen.
The tax rate Is the same,
$1.10 per hundred.
Highspots of the new fiscal
budget are salary increases for
some city employes; $15,000
to complete the new municipal
building; a $1,400 allocation for
a new police car; $4,800 for
improvements and extensions in
the water department; and
$10,000 for street improvements.
Salary increases, and the
amounts annually, were granted
the following employes: Town
Cleric C. O. Ramsey, $500;
Water Superintendent Herman
Childers, $300; Police Chief C.
D. Baird, $300; and Policemen
Homer Cochran and Nelson
Ledford, $180.
Total revenue collected by
the town far the fiscal year
just ended came to $120,515.72,
including $5,000 from the sale
of the old fire house at the
intersection of Church and
Iotla, according to Mr. Ramsey.
Allocations set up in the new
budget are: Debt Service, $29,
120; Police Department, $10,285;
General Department, $31,129;
Water Department, $15,173.88;
Street Department, $21,800; Fire
Department, $2,410.
The budget was adopted by
the board Tuesday night.
JURY LIST
FOR AUGUST
TERM PICKED
Only 36 Names Drawn
For Week Session;
2 Women Selected
Thirty-six jurors, including
two women, were picked for
duty during the August term
of superior court here by the
county commissioners Tuesday
afternoon.
The term will open the 1st,
with Judge Dan K. Moore, of
Sylva, presiding. Judge Moore,
who held court here in April,
is resident judge of the new
30th Judicial District, under the
revamped courts set-up.
Mrs. Joe Setser, of Franklin,
Route 1, and Mrs. Eliza Grist,
of Scaly, are the two women
chosen for duty.
Only 36 jurors, Instead of the
regular 54, were drawn for the
term. Under the revised set
up, the August term here is a
one-week session. However, 54
jurors still stand for the April
and December terms, which
are for two weeks.
Although the upcoming term
Is only for a week, it will be
a mixed session; that is, both
criminal and civil cases are to
be tried.
Other jurors are G. B. Farm
er, of Route 2; Horace T. Nolen,
Route 1; John Blaine, Route 2;
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
Tourists, It's Yours!
Tourist, this is your story.
The confidential low-down on
what to see and do while enjoy
ing all which restful and scenic
Macon County has to offer is
yours for the reading.
Admittedly, this is going to
be only a cursory examination
of the county and its treasure
of attractions, for Macon's con
tributions to those seeking
peaceful relaxation amid
breathtaking scenic beauty are
many. However, this skip over
the surface, you will find, ser
ves a two-fold purpose by in
troducing you to some of the
top attractions and, quite nat
urally, opening the way for
you, personally, to investigate
further the many, many things
the county has to offer in the
way of attractions and way of
life.
So, here we go!
/
Some Information
A capsule of pertinent facts
about Macon County: All this
breathtaking scenery comes
compliments of Mother Nature
and the Nantahala National
Forest, which has 44 per cent of
its acreage of 414,123 inside
Macon: there are two incorpor
ated towns. Franklin, (pop: 2,
550-plusi the county seat, and
Highlands, thriving resort vill
age with a wintertime popula
tion of several hundred and
summertime population in the
thousands; population for the
county stands at better than
17,000; economy centers around
agricultural endeavors, swing is
more and more to beef and
dairy cattle: hundreds each
year are heading the county's
claim as "a good place to live"
and are building here perman
ently or are building summer
homes; area bisected by major
highways, including us 23-441
Uncle Remus Route) and US
64 ( highly scenic I : fishing,
hunting, hiking ? you name it,
it's here;
Crowd Drawer
One of the county's biggest
SVC vo r PAGE 12
FOR KOREAN SERVICE
Waters Given Bronze Star
A Macon County soldier, Sfc.
S. J. Waters, recently was dec
orated with the Bronze Star
Medal far meritorious service
against an armed enemy in
Korea.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Sam J.
Waters, of Nantahala, the ser
geant received the award dur
ing a review recently at Fort
Lewis, Wash., where he is on
temporary duty with the 2nd
Infantry Division Schools Com
pany.
Sfc. Waters was cited for his
service in Korea from March
19, 1953, to July 27, 1954. Dur
ing this period he served as a
gunner, squad leader, section
leader, and field first sergeant
with Company I, of the 3rd
Infantry Division's 65th Infan
try Regiment.
The citation said that as a
gunner "he displayed excellent
leadership potential and excell
ent composure under enemy
fire and aided materially to the
.repeated success his unit
achieved."
A 1952 graduate of Nantahala
High School, Sfc. Waters at
tended radio maintenance
school at Fort Benning, Ga.,
following basic training.
CONGRATULATIONS are offered Sfc. S. J. Waters by Lt. Col.
Fred M. Clarke, Jr., 2nd Division signal officer and commander
of the division's provisional regiment, after presenting the
Maoon County soldier the Bronze Star for meritorious service
in Korea. (II. ,S. Army Photo)
mil nil? i I mill in IM ? ? ? nimnrTTTTTTTmi 1 mm warn v < > :??? w
?Staff Photo by J. P. 3raiy
COLD DRINK IN HAND, Dallas Wike, apprehended here for the slaying of his brother near
Whlttier, talked freely about his 'trouble" to Police Chief C. D. Baird (lefti Mid Deputy
Newell Pendergrass.
Accused Slayer Caught Here;
Talks Freely About Shooting
"You fellows help me out of
this and I'll never get Into
trouble again," solemnly vowed
a 42-year-old accused slayer
here last Thursday afternoon.
Sipping the last drop from
a soft drink bottle, he added:
"And that's a promise".
Taking the bottle, Deputy
Sheriff Newell Pendergrass
motioned the blonde headed
man toward the heavily barred
"tank" in the county jail.
The big steel door clanged
shut on Dallas Wike.
Now charged with first degree
murder in the shotgun slaying
of his younger brother, Joe,
the previous day near Whittier,
Dallas fled the scene of the
shooting and hiked across
?Cowee (some 20 miles i and into
this county.
Acting on a tip, Deputy Pen
dergrass and police Chief C. D.
Baird found Wike at a cousin's,
John (Bud i Mclntyre, near the
Watauga Bridge, about 2:30
Thursday.
A leg over the porch bannis
ter, Dallas started to run for
it, the officers reported.
"But a 38 pointed at him
changed his mind," the deputy
declared.
At the jail, the accused slay
er talked freely with the offi
cers and a reporter about "the
trouble I'm in."
Between swallows of the soft
drink, he gave his version of
the circumstances leading to
his slaying of his 33-year-old
brother.
"He was one of those jealous
kind . . always up in the air
about something," Dallas re
lated.
On the morning of the shoot
ing, he said Joe became upset
over some Georgia men buying
fence posts from their father's
land.
"He jumped all over me . .
Dallas said the shotgun was
in the corner of the living room
and was close at hand because
foxes had been raiding the
chicken house. He said he grab
bed the shotgun when Joe ad
vanced on him with a knife.
"I just meant to scare him,"
he declared.
Dallas said he shot toward
the ceiling ". . . but he kinda
fell in front of it ... I just
meant to scare him away."
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 12
Revival Here
Draws 3,090
An estimated 3,000 persons
attended the week-long annual
evangelistic series in Franklin
Monday through Saturday to
hear Bishop M. George Henry,
of Asheville.
Held nightly at the Friend
ship Tabernacle, the services
were presented this year by
the Episcopal church, under a
rotation system used by par
ticipating churches.
PLANS FOR .SUPPER, SALE
Carson Rural Community De
velopment Organization has an
nounced plans for a pot luck
supper, "white elephant" sale
and a womanless fashion show
for its monthly meeting Sat
urday, July 9, at 6:30 p. m.
at the coimmunity building.
Patton Installed
As Rotary Head;
Names Committee
Erwtn Patton, recently elected
president of the Franklin Ro
tary Club, started his year's
term at last (.Wednesday!
night's meeting.
The new president announced
committee chairmen for the
year.
Serving with .Mr. Patton will
De w.N.sioan,
who, as retir
ing president,
a u t omatically
becomes vice
president. and
E. J. Whit
mire, John B.
Ray, Harmon
H. Gnuse, Jr.,
uiv. ixii ivii aitu Eiiiuuu
Teague, directors.
The club's work is divided
into four phases, club service,
community service, vocational
service, and international ser
vice. The four chairmen are
Mr. Whitmire, Mr. Gnuse, Mr.
Ray, and Mr. Teague.
Named as chairmen of sub
committees under club service
are the following:
Howard Barnwell, program;
Norman Blaine, classification;
Clayton Ramsey, club bulletin;
H. W. Cabe, fellowship; Dr.
George McSween, Rotary maga
zine; W. G. Nothstein, member
ship; Weimar Jones, public
information; Don Smith, Ro
tary information; George Hun
nicutt, sergeant-at-arms; and
Mack Franks, attendance.
PRINCIPAL
IS APPROVED
Bowles, Buncombe
Native, Gets Post
At Highlands School
A native of Buncombe Coun
ty, Joseph E Bowles, has been
elected principal of Highlands
School.
On recommendation of the
Highlands district school com
mittee, the Macon County
Board of Education Tuesday ap
proved Mr, Bowles for the job
and at the same time elected
Mrs. Eloise M. Norton, of Nor
ton. to the Highlands faculty
as an elementary teacher.
Principal of the high school
in Welden for three years, Mr.
Bowles is a graduate of Ashe
ville-Biltmore College and
Western Carolina College. He is
now working toward his mas
ter's degree, which he expects
to receive this summer.
An informal session with the
county commissioners to discuss
completing the Franklin gym
nasium and several other minor
items, including some repair
work at the schools, marked
the board meeting
GROW "EM KCNG SIZE
They grow their turnips king
size, out in the Carson com
munity. At any rate, the J R.
Rays do. Because last week Mrs.
Ray brought two turnips to
The Press office, and the mam
moth tubers each balanced the
scales at 3'2 pounds.
CIRCLES MEET TODAY
The circles of the Woman's
Society of Chris" '.r. Service of
the Franklin Methodist Church
will meet today Thursday at
2 p. m at the church.
Committees Now Planning
County Fair In August
Special committees are now
hard at work in an all-out
move to put the 1st annual
Macon County Fair on a solid
foundation well in advance of
its three-day run, August 11
12-13.
A fair catalogue is now in
the process of being printed,
and other details are being
hammered into shape.
The committee in charge of
the catalogue is composed of
Mrs. Carolyn Cogan, Elmon
Teague. and Edwin T. Williams
Assisting are Mrs. Margaret D
Smith and Robert McNeil, as
sistant extension agents.
Under the tentative program,
fair activities will center on the
grounds at Franklin High
School. School buildings and
the athletic field will be utilized
and the use of som? tents for
exhibits is being considered.
As a night feature of the
event, the Franklin Jaycees will
stage the third annual Macon
Covlnty Folk Festival at the
stadium. As in the past, the
festival competition will be only
for local entertainers, ranging
from singers and buck dancers
to string bands.
Also, the Franklin Garden
Club will hold its annual flower
show in conjunction with the
fair. Any person in the county
will be eligible to enter ex
hibits in the show.
Because the fair is in it's
infancy, premiums will not be
awarded However, ribbons will
be given, according to Mrs.
Smith.
To each organised community
and 4-H club, the fair associa
tion will provide tree booth
space for exhibits.
Concession space will be sold
to organizations
Extension agents this month
are concentrating on explain
ing the mechanics of the fair
to each organized community.
Additional information will be
announced soon, it was reported
this week.
Officers of the fair associa
tion include Charlie SuUon and
Wiley Brown, co-directors Hol
land McS'viu:;, secretary: and
W. V." Sloan, treasure"
Other ? jmmittees wo: icing in
clude :
Advertising Sam Gibson,
Jack Safari. E 3. Scott. J. L.
West, Jac'-: Af.gol, and T J.
Edwards
Comn'.vcia. Exhibits: Ralph
L. Smith, B. L. McGlamery, and
Harry C. Corbin.
Ribbons: Bob McNeil and Mrs.
Margaret D. Smith.
Dairy Cattle: George Hunni
cutt, Cecil Parker, and Jerry
Sutton.
Beef Cattle, Horses, and
Mules: Siler Slagle, E. J. Whlt
SEE NO. S, PAGE 12
Board Okays New
Budget Of County
? ? ?
Back Taxes
To Finish
Gymnasium
A course to clamp down on
delinquent tax payers in an
effort to raise funds for com
pleting Franklin High's gymnas
ium was charted Tuesday morn
ing by the Macon Board of
County Commissioners.
Foreclosure proceedings will
be brought into play if necess
ary, according to W. E. tGenei
Baldwin, board chairman.
"We're going to have to do it
if it means getting the money
to finish it (the gymnasium!
he declared, following the
board's decision to take this
course of action.
The gymnasium plight is
this:
Approximately $60,000 is need
ed to complete the structure.
An application to borrow $28,000
of this amount from the state
literary fund has been filed by
school officials, who hope the
money will be loaned. Another
$17,000 is budgeted in capital
outlay this year for the gym
nasium. But this leaves the
board $15,000 short of having
enough to finish the building.
So that is the amount the
county commissioners hope to
raise through collection ot back
taxes.
Just how much is due the
county in back taxes is not
known, according to Lake V.
Shope, secretary to the board.
However, an audit about five
years ago showed this figure
to be in the neighborhood of
$200,000, he said, and he esti
SEE NO. 6, PAGE 12
Fatal Fourth'
Misses Macon
Safety-conscious motorists
made the "fatal Fourth" side
step Macon County. v
Only a few minor mishaps
were reported on the high
ways, according to officers.
Miss Irene Hooper, 18 of
Franklin, Route 5, received
a broken arm in a one-car
mishap Saturday about 12
midnight on NC 28 at the
McCoy Bridge, according to
Highway Patrolman H. T.
Ferguson. She was a passen
ger in a 1947 Ford driven
by James H. Owenby, 16, of
Franklin, Route 1. The vehicle
overturned, at the Rose Creek
Road. The young driver is
charged with reckless driving,
the patrolman said.
Visitors flocked to the
mountains over the long holi
day week-end and accomoda
tions locally were taxed to
capacity. Many slept in their
automobiles.
Vice-President
Jerry Sutton, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Charles C. Sutton, ol
Clark's Chapel, has been elected
vice-president of the state
Future Farmers of America.
This fall Jerry is slated to re
ceive an "American Farmer"
award at the national F. F. A.
leathering. This is one of the
highest honors awarded in F.
F. A. work.
$595,186 Figure
Gets Approval;
Tax Rate Same
With no increase in the tax
rate, the Macon Board of Coun
ty Commissioners gave its
stamp of approval Tuesday to
a $595,186 budget for the fiscal
year 1955-56
The new budget is $156,009.13
higher than '54-55, but only be
cause some non-county funds
coming in were not included in
the latter, according to Lake
V. Shope. secretary to the
board.
1 Structure of the $1.40 per
hundred tax rate is virtually
the same as '54-55. In the only
change, a penny was shifted
from th? Pauper Fund to the
county-wide Debt Service fund.
The tax rate breakdown:
General Fund. $.20; Pauper
Fund, $.02; Health. $.05; Farm
Demonstration, $.03 ; Home
Demonstration, $02.; Fire Pre
vention, $.01; Veterans Service,
$.01; Public Welfare, $.15; Pub
lic Welfare Administration, $.07;
Schools. Current Expenses, $.23:
Schools, Capital Outlay, $.15;
and Debt Service. $46.
Budget items and allocations
include :
General < county expenses):
$15,199; Courthouse, $3,100; Reg
ister of Deeds (supplies, ex
penses i, $2,080; Sheriff (court
fees, supplies, land sales for
taxes, convenying prisoners and
insane), $3,700; Courts (ex
penses', $6,350: Jail (expenses1,
$3,500; Library. $1,500; Pauper
Fund ( repairs to county home,
salaries, burial expenses ?, $3.
000; Fire Prevention, $1,650;
Veterans Service Office ( salary
and supplies > . $2.000 . Health.
$9,291; Public Welfare Admin
istration. $26,018; Public Welfare
Assistance. $220,300; Farm Dem
onstration. $23,018.40; Home
Demonstration. $16,230.96;
Schools. Current Expenses,
$148,500; Schools. Capital Out
lay, $22,500: Debt Service. $77.
250.
r
i
Late News
and
Briefs
TOPS REST OF STATE
Macon County again was the
first in the state to reach its
quota in the recent American
Cancer Society fund drive, it
has been learned. Mrs. Lester
Conley was commander of the
drive and was assisted this
year by the Rev Bryan Hatch
ett. The county has been first
for several years.
IOTLA PLAN'S MEETING
The regular meeting of the Iotla
Rural Community Development
Organization is set for Monday
evening at 8 at the school, accord
ing to ar. announcement by the
community reporter. Mrs JacS
Cansler.
WILL SERVE Sl'PPER
The ladies of Mt. Zion Meth
odist Church will serve supper
Saturday at 6:30 p. m. in the
Cartoogechaye School cafeteria.
Proceeds will go to the build
ing fund of the church. The
public is invited.
The second Sunday sing of
the southern division of the
Macon County Singing Conven
tion will be held at the Pine
Grove Baptist Church beginn
ing at 1:30 p. m., according
to Tom Henson, secretary.
i r peek's temperatures and rainfall, as
rrcor'led in Franklin by Manson Stiles,
Weather
?>i r\<-t . in 1 1 1 , i ! , : K
i.i W < \ew . !'\ A
thl II v .It.
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wednesday
81 58
83 54
85 55
89 57
89 62
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
1 Sunday
' Monday
I Tuesday
89 61 .47
90 61
COWEETA
79 58
81 52 ' ....
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday .
Tuesday
86 61 trace
86 56 trace
?1 58 .11
85 47
88 51