CIRCULATION
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PRICE
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70* Year ? No. 48
Franklin, N. C, Thursday, December 1, 195S
Sixteen Pages
Moore Will Open
Court Term Here
Sbelton Slaying Tops
Criminal Docket; Cases
For Trial Are Listed
With the opening of Superior
Court, here Monday morning.
Judge Daa K. Moore will face
a criminal docket marked by a
murder case and a large number
of motor vehicles violations.
On trial for murder will be 34
yeer-old Mrs. Hazel Sutffel. who
has been held in the county jail
without bond %ir.ce the October
22 pistol slaying of her step father,
Kenneth T. Shelton, at the Shel
ton home near Franklin. Mrs.
Stirffei's son, Gene, 14, and the
slaki man's wife. Mrs. Gertrude
Sbelton. also are to appear in
court In connection with the slayf
ing. which climaxed a family
squabble. Mrs. Shelton has been
free on $2,000 bond. Mrs. Stuffei
has confessed to the shooting.
Court officials predict the mur
der trial will consume a large
part of the opening week and tria'.
of civil matters is not scheduled
to bearin until the following Mon
day. December 12.
In t.ie number of cases pend
ing, this term's docket is about
"average, ' according to Mrs. Kato
M. Wrir.n, clerk of court. About
100 new cases have besn docket
ed since the August term. In ad
dition. the clerk said there are
40 hold-overs from prior terms.
Cases docketed for trial on the
criminal calendar include:
R. L. Anderson, abandonment:
Clyde Jerome Simonds. drunk
driving (2nd offense); Truman
Moody, assault on a female; Bob
by Lee Potts, speeding; Sidney
Sutton, non-support of illegitimate
chflrd; Donald Lee Henson, non
support of illegitimate child:
Ralph Homer Davenport, no driv
er's license; Ralph E. Baldwin,
drunk driving '2nd offense), no
driver's license: Charles Ray Nor
ton. drunk driving; Harville Mill
er Paries, speeding: Charles Mar
shall Mincy, drunk driving; Sam
uel Lawson Shook, aiding and
abetting drunk driving: James
Marior. Spencer, speeding: Robert
Derj'. Ash J. drunk driving, oper
atic restricted license, pos
session of non-paid whiskey: Rob
ert A Patton, aiding and abetting
to drunk driving, possession of
whiskey; E. L. Kennemore and
John Deal, theft; Eddie Cleo Dal
ton. drunk driving; H. H. Roberts.
as6?uit on a female: Ernest Ar
wood Lyons, aiding and abetting
to drunk driving, permitting non
licensed person to drive: Betty
Higdon Ropers, stop sign violation;
Arn&rf B. Garrison, drunk driv
ing; irvin J. King, escaping pris
on: Lewis Crane, escaping prison:
Wi'Lun Ha=ea Cook, drunk driv
ing. improper brakes, reckless
driving; Add Thacker. fraud:
Charlie Ray Dillard, drunk driv
ing. Mell A. Cowart, drunk driv
ing. Jimmy Thacker. fr^ud: Le
ona Norton Meadows, reckless
drlvicm ; Frank Alton Holden. Jr.,
drunk driving: Jessie Gasland
Ledford. drunk driving: Henry
Odell Stiwinter. drunk drtvinc.
reckless .driving. speeding: Arthur
Wilborn Moore, driving after li
cense revoked.
Herbert Lake McClure. drunk
driving, no driver's license; Ever
ett Ducker. escaping prison: Lewis
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 3
Soil Election
Called To Pick
New Supervisor
An election is schedule:' county
wide th? week of December 5-10
to pick a supervisor for the Macon
County Soil Conservation District.
Two men, W. W. Sloan and Ed
win J. Bradley, have been nomi
nated for the post by petition.
Mr. Sloan is a present mem
ber of the three-man board, end
ing the unexpired term of E. J.
Whitmire, resigned. The other two
members are J. S. Gray and Rob
ert Parker.
A new supervisor is elected an
nually for a term of three years.
Ballot boxes will be placed at
the following locations: Farmers
Federation, Downs and Dowdle.
Scaly Post Office: Grady Henry
Service Station: C. T. Bryson
Store: Tom Rickman's Store:
Carl Morgan's Store; Pressley's
Store; Hopkins' Store; Fouts'
Store; Ed McCoy's Store, River
side Service Station, county a
gent's office. Owenby's Store, and
the soil conservation office in the
post office building.
Macon Third
In Retail
Sales In '54
In 1954, Macon County ranked
third in this area In retail trade,
but pulled into second place in
per capita expenditures.
With 154 retail establishments,
the county's trade during the year
was $9,970,000; giving an average
per business of $64,740, and on
the basis of the 1950 census <16,
174), a per capita expenditures of
$616.
Included in the area survey are
Macon, Jackson, Swain, Clay.
Cherokee, Graham, and Transyl
See Table, Page 15
vania. Figures came from a retail
trade report recently released by
the N. C. Department of Conser
vation and Development.
In the seven-county area, Cher
okee was tops in retail trade with
173 establishments doing $10,093.
000. In second place was Transyl
vania with 131 and $10,036,000.
Transylvania led in per capita
expenditure.'; with $6G0: Macon
was second with $616; Swain
third with $571: Cherokee fourth
with $546; Jackson fifth with
$458; Clay sixth with $439: and
Graham last with $282.
In average sales per business,
Transylvania again led with $76.
611. Macon was second with $64 -
740 and Jackson third with $60,
021.
Retail establishments in the
year numbered 38,056. Total sales
hit $3,230,610,000.
F. F. A. And 4-H'ers
Entertaining Tonight
Members of the Franklin Future
Farmers of America and county
4-H clubs tonight (Thursday) are
entertaining local businessmen
who supported them at the re
cent W. N. C. Fat Stock Show
and Sale.
A special dinner will be served
r>t 7 o'clock in the high school
cafeteria.
CAKE WALK AT CHAPFT,
A cake walk, and other enter
tainment, is on tap Saturday
night from 7 to 11 at Chapel
School, it has been announced.
DEER KILLS
THIS YEAR
ARE LARGEST
59 Bagged By Hunters
In Standing Indian;
10 In Wayah Reserve
Fifty-nine bocks ? an all
time high ? had been bagged
by hunters in the Standing In
dian area at sundown Monday.
Total number of hunters in
the area since the deer season
opened November 21 was not
immediately available. However,
252 were reported on opening
day.
In the Wayah area, only 10
bucks had been killed through
Tuesday. Approximately 156
hunters had signed into this
area since opening day.
The season ends Saturday.
TB Christmas
Seal Drive On
A mail campaign this week
kicked off the annual tuberculosis
Christmas seal sale.
Fred S. Dowdle, chairman, has
mailed 900 letters, each contain
ing 100 seals. He hopes to realize
at least $1 per letter for the seals.
This year's quota is approxi
mately $600, the chairman said.
Til reviewing the 1955 services
offered by the local tuberculosis
association, Mr. Dowdle reported
that a mobile X-ray unit financed
by TB contributions screened 3.
712 persons in this county. Of
this number, 3.694 were essenti
ally negative to tuberculosis, two
showed active tuberculosis, two
inactive, and 14 showed other
pathology unknown to the indi
vidual. In addition, the associ
ation rendered aid to families
with relatives confined to sana
toriums.
CHAPEL P. T. A. MEETING
The Chapel P. T. A will meet
Tuesday evening at 7:30. it has
bean announced. Appearing on the
program will be Mrs. Weimar
Jones, former district P. T. A.
official, and Mrs. Frank Shope.
public health nurse.
MRS. JOHN BL'LGIN is shown weaving a.t the loom made by her husband, a "do-it-yourself"
draftsman of considerable ability. Mr. Bulgin is making some adjustments in the machine, which
lias 77 moving parts.
PRINCIPAL FIGURFS in the October 32 slaving of Kenneth
T. Shelton near - Franklin are Mrs. Ilazel Stuffel, :!4, and her
14-yeir-old son, Gene. They are sclx-ituled to appear in court
Monday, along with Shelton's wife, Mrs. (Gertrude Shelton. >lrs.
Stiulfei has admitted the shooting.
DO-IT-YOURSELF' ?
Bulgin' s Latest Is A Loom
To John Buluin. of Franklin,
this new "do-it-yourself" craze is ;
old hat.
For years he's qualified as a c
"do-ityofrself craftsmen and in i
some quartet's its h?ld that h
can make p.nyihu'.:; ."he seis his
mind to."
His wife is the latest recipicm i
in his e'ji'.tinuiii'i chain ci ? ? i . i
it-yourself" items. Her sift is a
handmade loom? a gomplica' ?:! ;
little thinua-ma.iis on which s y
is currently turning ou Ciuistr.^s
uifts.
The loom, consisting ' ' ? ~ '
made parts, is a sca'ed down . ?
sion of the one at Non-.ih Cm ft
House on Cartoiwchaye. whi " '
Mis Biilxin learned to weave. T''C
metal Kears w:ere filed by hand.
Mr. BulRin "looked over" the 1
craft house model and dccided
to try his hand at maki|n? one. t
i His first model is now beins
i scr' at Franklin HiRh School'
he al-o bvj' some operation* 1
?hui.scs in tl. ' loom's coiisau> -
nn "nil for t!?' better, i think
(?:.r o. ;.;s ntht.' "spur;' time"
em- -f jio'e !.-? the '.vin iroi.
?I'.ui -i" in tin t'ii-t Presbyter
i:ui Church.
B'l- ? " .uend and bui,trr"
"i" ' ehuf ill:1 1 1 inisl at Nanl ?
,i!:i P.w; ,1 L'^ht Company
Miss Hays Resigns
4s Henderson Agent
;\li.ss IVtiKiu Hays has :vsi?v.*.t vi
.s assistant !v)?ne ir. Hcv
'cr. Oil Coui. ty to < out iiiiti.* I. r
?'..?it .? ion.
Dauuhic: of *?Tr. at.ci Mrs. W. A
lays, of Franklin. slip has heU?
n? .or a year. Hpk rpsinna
ion is effective today 'Thursday*
Hospital Tax
Proposal Beat
In Township
By more than three to one.
voters of the Highlands Township
turned thumbs down on a pro
posal to support and maintain
the Highlands Community Hos
pital. Inc., with tax money.
Balloting in a special election
Tuesday of last week, they defeat
ed the issue by 367 to 108.
The total vote was 485. Election
officials reported 10 spoiled bal
lots.
By an act of the last General
Assembly, the voters of the town
ship were authorized to vote on
whether or not a 40 cent per
hundred valuation levy would be
charged to support the hospital.
Local Teams
To Open Cage
Season Today
Franklin's lads and lassies will
open the 1955-56 cage season to
night (Thursday), instead of to
morrow, as previously announced.
They will meet Webster teams
in the Sylva High gymnasium.
The girls will play at 7, the boys
at 9.
Probable starters for the girls
will be Mavis Gibson, Lucy Henry,
and Carolyn Dowdle, in the for
ward slots, and Jean Sutton, Jean
Phillips, and Frances McClure,
in guard positions.
For the boys, Morris Jones is
the probable center, Mitchell
Houston and Bill Mendenhall, for
wards, and Crawford Moore and
Tommy Gnuse, guards.
Other girls on the traveling
squad are forwards Betty Jean
Allen, Joan Mincy, Bonnie Lee
Geneva Garrett, Gladys Dehart.
and Judy Mashburn. and guards
Melba Moses, Jean Moffitt, and
Sybel Laboone.
Boys traveling are center J. L.
Henry, forwards Willard Smith,
Bruce Houston, Gary Clark,
Frank McSwain, Lewis Cabe. and
Don Henry, and guards Tony Orr.
James Stuart, and Gilmer Henry.
Rotary Favors
United Fund
The Franklin Rotary Club
wants a community chest or
united fund established here.
At its meeting last week, the
club went on record as favoring
adoption of such a method of
raising funds for charities, and a?
encouraging other organizations
to join a movement to establish
a community chest or united
fund in Franklin. The motion was
made by Harmoh H. Gnuse, and
seconded by Dr J. W. Kahn
Proponents advanced these ar
guments in behalf of such , a
method: It would consolidate
fund raising into a single cam
paign; the agencies wo"hld get
more money; it would reduce the
overhead cost of raising the funds :
and it would eliminate drives by
undeserving causes.
The meeting, last Wednesday
evening, was held at the Carson
Community House, with women
of the community servnw the
dinner.
The Weather
Th-- w.h It's aturt-s an<l minf;ill. ?<?
i '?rd? ?! in Franklin hy MniiMin Sti:*-*,
1 S. v oh*i?rv??> in )| i hlanHs |ty
' 'i''"" N. H?!I run! \V. (*. Newton, TV A
r : .ml -it th?- <'ovu ????!? II \ .|ro!f / <
Tue , Nov. 22
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
74 22
65
66
49
61
59
51
37
41 .70
37
35 26
24 trace
23
26
7
COWEETA
Tue . Nov 22
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Temperatures
Hieh Low Rain
73
72
63
49
58
58
43
37
24
45
35
36
25
24
30
10
99
11
33
Low Bids Received
For Georgia Project
? ? ?
New Project In
Jackson To Help
Travel From Here
A new highway project in Jack
son County that will provide im
proved travel between Franklin
and Cullowhee has been disclosed
by District Highway Engineer C.
W. Lee.
The project, which probably will
be let in December or January,
is in Jackson. A relocation and
paving of 4.7 miles, it will run
from Speedwell to about half way
up the mountain toward the
Macon-Jackson line on EHijay.
When this project is completed,
Mr. Lee said funds already have
been set up to pave the remainder
of the road across Ellijay and into
this county to the end of the
present blacktop at the foot of
the mountain. This will be done
by state highway forces and will
cover about eight miles. Mr. Lee
said it probably will be done next
spring.
This paving will see a hard-sur
faced road running all the way
to Cullowhee from here.
At the present time, more than
35 students in this county travel
the gravel road across Ellijay to
Western Carolina College, Cullo
whee.
Mercury Brings On
'A.O. Day' In Macon
Tuesday was "AO. Day" in Ma
con County; "anti-freeze and over
coat day"!
The mercury tumbled to 7 de
grees in Franklin and stayed
around the freezing mark most of
the day. The high was 37.
High mark a week ago (Nov. 22 >
was 74.
TAYLOR DIES IN FI.A.
It has been learned here of i.ie
death on November of Rouif tV
Taylor in Wauchula. Fl? Mr.
Taylor has had a summer hciue
in Highlands for some nine ye?.rs.
Graham And Son*
Low For Grading
And Surfacing Job
W. E. Graham and Sons, of
Cleveland, was low bidder for
grading and paving a 12.46-mile
link of US 23-441 from Franklin
to the North Carolina-Georgia
state line.
The company's bid was $507,
863.50.
Structures, Inc.. was low for
erecting structures with $140,099.
30.
A bid of $27,935 submitted by
Bower and Hurley. Jefferson, was
low for moving buildings.
The bids, opened Tuesday, are
subject to the approval of the
State Highway Commission, which
will review them tomorrow (Fri
day) .
Meanwhile. Resident Engineer
S. T. Usry has filled in with some
facts about the long-awaited pro
ject:
Ten structures ? one bridge and
nine culverts, some four-barreled
? are called for on the job.
Grading operations will entail
moving approximately 800.000
yards of dirt.
The surface will be 22 feet
wide. Right-of-way is 100 feet ?
50 feet to each side of the center
line.
, An estimated 100,000 tons of
stone base will be used.
The project is expected to take
two years to complete.
The highway will be c'osed to
th.-ough traffic during construct
ion.
CHURCH RAZA.iR SFT
The Woman's Society of Christ
ian Service of the Mount Zion.
Methodist Church will hold a ba
zaar in the front off!' p of the
Nantahala Power and Lte'.it Com
pany bmldin- Fnriav, December
2. Proceeds will ito to t'j; ! urch
build ins fund.
FIND3 WEATHER P.'it* 'CHUTE
Oeraldine Stockton, of Fraiikiin,
Route 2. reports finding a small
parachute with a li-iht attached.
It is be.iev^d to be some kind of
weather instrument.
THANKFUL FOR VISITS ?
'Uncle Mm Cloer !s 94
"Maybe the Lord knows how,
I don't!"
That's James (Uncle Jimi
Cloer's philosophy on reaching
the age of 94 this past Tuesday.
From his rocking chair,
"Uncle Jim" apologized for not
seeing and hearing too well
"I don't gat around like I
used to," he lamented
"But I'm mighty thankful
people come to see me once in
a while," the old man added.
Son of Joshua and Louise
Bates Cloer, "Uncle Jim" was
born on Mason Branch. In his
active life he farmed, did saw
mill work, and "carpentered
quite a bit".
He now lives with his daugh
ter and son-in-law, Mr. and
Mrs. O. G. Brown, near Otto
An individualist of the old
school, he "just refuses" to live
in the main house with Mr. and
Mrs. Brown He has his own
room in an out-building near
the house.
"The only time we can get
him to come into the house
with us is when he's not feel
ing well," Mrs. Brown revealed.
"Have my chair. Hattie,"
"Uncle Jim" invited his daugh
ter, "so we can talk to these
men."
"See what I mean?" Mrs.
Brown said, motioning him
back to his seat.
"Mighty glad you dropped by
. . . come back and see me." said
94-year-old James Cloer, set
tling back in his chair.
(Longevity runs in "Uncle
Jim's" family. His sister, Mrs.
W A. Setser, is 96 ? .
HnHB ' V i ? MM
James (Uncle Jim) Cloer
This Is ' Safe Driving Day'. Drive Carefully- Today And EVER Y Day