Ijigljlattii;* 3Bac<mian
PRICE
10 Centa
7 1st Year ? No. 2
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, January 12, 1956
Sixteen Pago
? ? Press staff Photo
RURAL ROUTE .mail carriers P'fked up 255 new boxes in
'55, Irvftcly because of mail box proiects in organized commun
ities. Bruce Crawford, cairier on Koute i, is shown sorting mail
for his ran. His route trot 33 boxes in the increa-e.
.5 Receipts At FranMin
ftr..:0f?-?5*NewHidi
Recei;. ' , at the Franklin Po^t
Office reached a new high o i
$37,421 01 in 1955, according to
Postmaster Zeb Meadows.
This was an increase of 32,
6t>6.80 over '54, when the figure
was $34,754.21.
Mail boxes on ine rural routes
jumped to 1,840 during the
year ? 255 more than in '54. The
postmaster said the influence
oi community development Is
responsible for most of the in
crease. Before communities
started mail box projects as
many as four and five families
used the same box, he explain
ed.
Rural Route 2 absorbed the
largest number of new boxes,
130, for a total of 430, The other
routes increased as follows:
Route 1, from 308 to 340; Route
3, 350 to 376; Route 4, 312 to
380; and Route 5, no increase
from 315.
Postmaster Meadows said the
fourth quarter of '55 (October,
November, December) showed
the largest increase in receipts
because of Christmas. This peri
od's receipts came to $12,354.83,
an increase of $1,022.03 over the
'54 fourth quarter's $11,332.80?
.almost half the 1035 total in
crease of $2,606.80.
A comparison of figures for
the third Quarters of '54 and '55
i shows receipts were only slight
ly higher during quarters other
I than the fourth. The '55 quarter
i gain?d only $21.03 over the
period year.
LOCAL MAN
WILL BUILD
BELK'S STORE
Burrell Gives Plans
For Erecting Building
On Used Ca.r Lot Here
W. C. Burrell this week an
nounced plans for erecting a
building for Belk's Department
Store in Franklin.
"As soon as weather permits",
Mr. Burrell said construction of
the 50 by 160 foot one-story
building will begin on his used
car lot between Macon County
Supply Company and Burrell
Motor Company, Inc.
He estimates the cost of con
struction at $50,000.
The building will be of con
crete block and steel construc
tion, with brick veneer. It will
have a full basement.
15-Year Lease
In acknowledging that his
company and Mr. Burrell has
"struck a bargain',, Belk's Man
ager, T. H. Callahan, said Mon
day a 15-year lease will be
signed.
He said the plans for the new
building more than double
present floor space at Belk's
which now leases a Main Street
buildin ; irom Joe Ashear.
Present floor space is 7,000
square feet. In the new build
ing it will be 16,000.
Mr. Callahan said the build
ing front will be of glass and
aluminum.
Belk's present lease with Mr.
Ashear is until 1953, the man
ager said. The store has been
i.i its present location since
opening in 1945.
FRIDAY FIRES
Franklin's fire truck rolled
out on alarms twice Friday. At
7:45 a. m. firemen extinguish
ed a minor blaze at the Hays
Block Plant on the river, and
at 3:30 p. m. fought a brush
fire at Lawrence Myers' on
Bonny Crest.
ROTARIANS DISCUSS ?
What Community Needs
What are the chief needs of
i this community?
These answers to the question
came out of an unplanned
round table discussion at last
Thursday evening's meeting of
the Franklin Rotary Club:
More recreational facilities
and events, especially for the
young people.
Industry that would provide
; more jobs, especially for men.
Steps to avoid having US
23-441 "closed for the next
two years" while it is being
rebuilt, between here and the
Georgia line.
Some method of creating
| closer cooperation between
j .Macon County's two towns,
Franklin and Highlands.
A county-wide little base
ball league.
Be&utification of Franklin
and environs.
Some project that would
bring people of all classes and
groups together, working for
the common good. "When
people learn to know each
other, they learn to like each
other."
While the recreation sugges
tion appeared to meet with
general approval, one or two
members commented that there
seems no problem of youth here
having something to do ? "they
are never at home now."
Project Damaging
There was no general discus
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 5
Back Over Your Shoulder
Remember this 1912 baseball team in Franklin? Front row ? Sam Franks, Lewis (I.uke) Angel,
It. L. Cajver, Frank Graves, and Jack Johnston; back row ? Ken Cunningham, Claude West, Tont
Kay, 'jrady Siler, Karl ".Mutt" Mundav, and Jack Crisp. The mascot, sealed, is "Tuck" Angel (Dr.
F>nnan),
HOLD ON THERE! Don't let those income tlx forms sop.d you into the pictured situation of
J. L. West, Jr., Franklin businessman. Why beat your brains out? From now until April 16, each
Monday the Internal Revenue Service office in the post office building will have representatives
ready to assist taxpayers with their problems. (Soon after the picture was taJien, Mr. West caught
the hint, put down his mallet, and dumped his problems into the capable hands of the revenue
men).
Forget Those Gadgets -
'55 Weather Was Average
Regardless of what your as
sortment of weather gadgets
(including trick knees, rheuma
tic limbs, and dandruff) 1955's
atmospheric behavior only par
red the course.
E. A. Johnson, forester in
charge of Coweeta Hydrologic
Laboratory, Monday leafed
DECEMBER DATA
You were C.10 degree colder
H Lif'jmhpr, 1955, than you
>Vvre for the same month in
54.
The average mean tempera
ture (Coweeta reading) for
1955's December was 37.15, as
compared with 1954's 37.25.
Accordingly, December, 1955,
offered more extended cold
spells ? but despite this 1954's
December had lower tempera
tures (although, statistically,
1955 was colder ? pardon us
while we throw ourselves into
the Little Tennessee).
through some records, did some
rapid calculations on the add
ing machine, and announced:
"It was about average."
There were a few instances,
however, when it was in the
rough; instances like:
FINGER TO
PUSH STOCK
Has Charge Of Area
Sales For Governor's
And Jaycee Program
A Franklin attorney, C. Banks
Finger, has charge of stock
sales in the western district for
Gov. Hodge's brainchild, the
Better Business Development
Corporation.
A concerted drive by the
North Carolina Junior Chamber
of Commerce is expected to
move $100,000 in stock <S10 per
share) by the first of February.
This organization has been as
sisting the governor with his
program to provide "venture
capital" for business and in
dustry in the state.
President of the Franklin
Junior Chamber of Commerce
and a former state vice-presi
dent, Mr. Finger yesterday
(Wednesday) said he anticipates
moving the stock through per
sonal contact and possibly
through short talks at civic j
clubs over the area.
Because of the high demand 1
for stock in the corporation,
Mr. Finger said the N.C.J. C.C. j
will not extend its quota of
$100,000 beyond the February 1 !
deadline.
More than $900,000 in stock
already has been sold through
other channels by the govern
or's committee
Since Gov Hodges and the
N C.J.C.C. joined forces last year
in a move to improve the state's j
per capita income standing of
43rd in the nation, Mr. Finger
has been serving as the west
ern area's representative to the
Juvcees committee.
With advanced vegetative
growth in late February and
early March, a minimum of 7
degrees on March 27 caused
considerable damage to pas
tures, flowering shrubs, orch
ards, and forest trees.
The summer's high of 91 de
grees, recorded on August 21.
(air conditioning salesmen
please notei was a little late
coining.
A 10-12 inch snow on the
p,:ound around Albert .Mountain
from January 15 to February 2.
First frost on October 10.
Lack Of Rainfall
Also, 1955 brought one of the
latest rainfall replenishments
recorded since 1933, the forester
said. Because of a lack of rain
fall in January, groundwater re
plenishment was slow and
stream flow did not even re
spond to 10 inches of rain that
fell in February. It wasn't until
March 22 produced a four-inch
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 5
A.S.C. Committee
Hns ^42,697 For
Work la Coim'y
?'?! (.11 County' lias been al
located S42.'5D7 to assist farm
ers in carrying- out conservation
pr:?-?' under the '56 Agri
cultural Stabilization and Con
servation rrogram. according tc
Carl Morgan, county A. S. C
r 'hair man
Januai v 15-31 has been set as
the first application period foi
funds, hi said However, farm
ers who fail to sign during thi
period at the A. S C. office
will still be able to request as
sistance during the year, al
though requests will be filled
according to available funds.
Mr. Morgan said the initial
period is to enable the county
committee to budget the allo
cation and get some idea of the
current conservation needs in
the county.
UNION MFETING SET
A meeting of the Union P
T. A. is scheduled tonight
i Thursday ? at 7:30 p. m. at the
school, it has been announced.
WHEN IT'S COLD ?
Kovner Heads For Highlands
When the temperature drops
unci mast folks reach for ther
mostat controls and overcoats.
Jacob L Kovner perforins an in
congruous maneuver.
He reaches for his ice skates
an action that is understandable
since he declares his mother
lianaeri him an ice "hockey stick
and a pair of skates the day I was
born' ? ( and heads for nearby
II :Ulands and its many frozen
Inkes.
Oii't' tiiere. to the delisht C(t
Dthe> skaters and spectators, those
pentup emo'ions that formed dur
inpr the warm Southern months
find expression in Mi Kovnet's
flashing skates as he executes an
amazing series of ice-capades cai
ciliated to twist an ordinary skater
into the shape of a pretzel.
And it brings back a lot <ii
memories for the short and stocky
skater, whose 42 years are ill-fit
ting on his vigor ? childhood
memories of his first double-run
ner skates as he and his friends
tried their skating wings on i
frozen pond near his home in
Brockton. Mass.. thoughts ol
rough-and-tumble varsity hockey
;?t Yale University "'34' . and post
SEE NO. 4. PAGE 5
? Pi*?? st*a i*h.ti0
Kovner Sharpens Skates
HIGHWAY
CONTRACTS
AWARDED
Engineer Said Detour
For Project Still Has
Not Been Decided Upon
Contracts for construction of
the new $675,897.80 link of US
23-441 south from Franklin to
the Georgia state line were
awarded this week, according to
the resident highway engineer,
S. T. Usry.
Tuesday afternoon the engi
neer had not received word
from the contractor as to when
construction will get under way.
In order to clear up a rumor
that the highway will remain
open during construction, Mr.
Usry repeated a previous an
nouncement that it will be clos
ed to through traffic under a
special provision in the con
tract.
Local motorists ? those living
alon; the new construction ? ?
will, of course, be allowed to
come nn.l go, he added.
A detour around the new pro
ject .still has not been settled,
the engineer said.
Bid-- for the project were
?<;; ?!???? t i. the State Highway
C mr... ,:j lute November.
Sir.rv they have been
cl(;! r.i ? U. S. Bureau of
Publii- ' i t which is helping
? financ. the job.
Low bikUl' is for the Job are
W. E Graham and Sons, of
1 Cleveland, '.'raiding arid paving,
?5CT -:3 Structures. Inc.,
structur , $140,099.39, Bower
' and Hurley, of Jefferson, mov
ing buildings, $27,935. '
A relocation project of 12.46
! miles, it will entail the moving
; of approximately 800.000 yards
- of dirt. Mr. Usry has reported.
? Ten structures ? a bridge and
' nine culverts ? will be built.
The surface will be 22 feet.
1 It has previously been esti
' mated by highway officials
? that the project will take about
' two years to complete.
Grading Starts
For Library
A bulldozer broke ground
Tuesday afternoon on the site
of the proposed new county li
brary on Phillips Street.
The two-story building will go
up on the county-owned lot be
i tween the new Tippett Building
and the county jail.
A fund raising campaign was
kicked off in August to raise
. building funds several months
after the library moved Into
temporary quarters near Kelly's
Inn from the old Masonic Hall,
which was razed to make way
for a new building.
A progress report on the
. campaign was not available
this week because Miss Lassie
Kelly, chairman of the library
committee, is out of town. At
the time the drive opened, Miss
Kelly hoped to raise $10,000 in
donations to be used with $3,
C00 already on hand.
Plans for the new library
were drawn by H. H. Plem
mons, it is to be 40 by 45 feet,
of steel and concrete block con
struction, with a crab orchard
stone front.
Lee Tippett is the builder.
Under ah agreement with the
committee he is sharing the
north wall of his new building
with the library, in exchange
for a strip of land six inches
wide and 45 feet deep.
Donations to the library fund
may be sent to the treasurer,
H W. Cabr, in Franklin.
The Weather
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed., Jan. 4 45 22
Thursday 64 12
Friday 47 16 ^
Saturday 44 29
Sunday 47 18 ?
Monday 43 08
Tuesday 46 22
COWEETA
Temperatures
... , , ? H1*h Low Rain
Wed , Jan. 4 48 23
Thursday 60 19
Friday 64 19
Saturday 47 29
Sunday 40 13
Monday 4a 23
Tuesday 46 23 ~