CIRCULATION
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71st Year ? No. 17
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, April 26, 1956
Fourteen Pages
III1IIIIIIIIM? ?HI?? I ? ? ? ? ?
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A DIRT-MOVING machine is shown excavating on the southwest end of Angel Hospital foi
the new out-patient clinic wing. Dr. Edgar Angel this week announced that a second story is to
be added to the clinic at a cost of about $40,000. This brings the over-all expansion to an esti
mated 5140,000.
Late News
and
Briefs
BOOKS OPENING
Registration books will open
Saturday in the county's 12
precincts for the May 26 Demo
cratic primary.
They also will be open May
5 and 12.
J. " Lee Barnard, elections
board chairman, has announced
one change in registration loca
tion. Registering in Nantahala
No. l will be at the home of
George Lambert, on Fiesty
Branch.
* ? ?
FILING CORRECTION
A story in last week's issue
stating that C. Banks Finger
filed for the house of represen
tatives after Incumbent G. L.
Houk was in error.
Mr. Finger filed on Friday,
April ~20, ' the day before Mr.
Houk announced.
* * *
MISS BOBBINS DIES
Miss Kansas Robbins, 79, a
native of this county, died Mon
day at a rest home in Haywood
County.
Funeral services were con
ducted here Tuesday afternoon.
* * *
SANDERS INJURED
Clyde Sanders, Franklin auto
mobile dealer, was injured about
4 a. m. Tuesday In Atlanta, Ga.t
in an automobile wreck. He was
en route home from Alabama.
He received fractures of both
knees and a slight chest in
jury and is hospitalized in St.
Joseph's in Atlanta.
* * *
VACCINE RELEASED
The Macon County Health
Department today (Thursday)
plans to give approximately 1,
000 first shots of the Salk anti
polio vaccine to pupils in eight
elementary schools. A new ship
ment of vaccine has just ar
rived, according to the public
health nurse, .Mrs. Frank Shope.
Vaccine will be administered
to pupils from the first through
the eighth grades who have
parental consent. The schools
are East Franklin, Cartooge
chaye, Cowee, Otto, Cullasaja,
Iotla, Union, and Franklin.
* ? ?
MRS. WALDROOP HURT
Mrs. Hattie Waldroop fell
Monday near her home on Har
rison Avenue and fractured her
right arm and hip. Angel Hos
pital yesterday (Wednesday)
reported her condition as "fair'.'
* * w
COURT IS OVER
The April term of Superior
Court unofficially ended Friday
at noon and Judge J. Will Pless
returned to his home in Marion.
Officially, however, the term
is not over until Saturday mid
night, in the event a pressing
issue arises.
Dispositions may be found on
the front page of the second
section in this issue.
* ? *
CAPT. DAVIS HF RE
Capt. Allen Davis, Jr., a na
tive of this county, is here for
a visit with relatives, including
his grandfather, John C. Dills.
The captain has been in Ger
many for the past two years.
He has been in service 15 years.
Monday he will report for
duty at Kelly Air Force Base,
San Antonio, Tex.
2nd otory
For Clinic
Planned
Dr. Edgar Angel, director of
Angel hospital, inc., Monday
announced another step In the
hospital's expansion that upps
the cost of the program to an
estimated $140,000.
As machinery was breaking
ground for the new $100,000
out-patient clinic wing, the doc
tor disclosed that a second story
will be built at an additional
cost of about $40,000.
Dr. Angel said the upper story
will contain major and minor
operating rooms and the hos
pital's obstetrical facilities.
A large waiting room in the
new wing will connect with the
waiting room of the old hos
pital building on the southwest
side. Also on the main floor will
be four doctor offices, six ex
aminating rooms, two treatment
rooms, a laboratory, fluoroscope
and X-'ray room, nurses' sta
tion, and medical records room.
A new heating plant for the en
tire hospital, a conference and
record room, and storage facili
ties will be in the basement of
the wing.
C. of C. Campaign
Supper Meeting
A supper meeting of volun
teer workers Monday night of
ficially opened the '56 mem
bership drive of the Franklin
Chamber of Commerce.
Over the meal, 18 men, with
Vic Perry as their chairman,
organized the campaign to bring
in chamber members and reach
the drive quota of $3,000.
A budget of $3,240 has been
set up for the year, an increase
of $296.32 over '55 expenditures.
The chamber entered the new
year (Jan. 1) with a cash on
hand balance of $409.82.
In signaling the start of the
campaign, Mr. Perry said the
chamber is shooting for a much
larger membership this year,
since a campaign was not con
ducted last year. Because busi
nessmen rallied to raising about
$30,000 to purchase the site for
the new Burlington Industries
plant here, 'the '55 campaign
was termed unnecessary.
Pointing to the new program
outlined by President Verlon
Swafford and his board, Mr.
Perry said it is doubly impor
tant the quota be reached this
year, and as soon as possible.
'Uncle Billy McCoy Says
Things Have Changed Here
Macon County's oldest male
citizen allows as how things
have changed around here like
"daylight and dark" in his 97
years.
From an easy chair in the
living room of his home in the
Goldmines section this week,
"Uncle Billy" McCoy talked of
the many things time has alter
ed in his lifetime. '
He talked of an era when the
two things that distinguished
Franklin ryiost were mud streets
and "Dixie Hall".
He talked of times when folks
plowed with steers and wooden
plows. "You don't see any of
them now," he declared.
And "Uncle Billy" talked of
the days when they used to
mine and pan for gold in the
Goldmine section (that's how it
got its name), and of the nug
get he once found that was the
size of a corn kernel. And he
still believes that somewhere
back in the mountains sur
rounding the valley of his home
a "big vein" of gold is waiting
to be found. Even today, small
quantities of gold particles (not
enough though, for profitable
commercial mining) can be
panned in the many swift
streams pouring out of the
mountains into, the valley.
"There's a vein somewhere back
up there," he said with a sweep
of his hand, "that's feeding
these places ... I had 30 par
ticles in one pan at one time
when the Davenports worked in
here."
Carries Years Lightly
"Uncle Billy" carries his 97
years lightly and although a
little "hard of hearing" he has
a twinkle of contentment in his
eyes and a spring in his step.
He's been "just a little puny"
in his life and has been bed
ridden only once because of
sickness.
Three times during the day
he was interviewed, he had
walked up the side of the
mountain to "test the fruit" to
see if the cold snap had dam
aged it.
Helped Build Walls
A rock mason by trade,
"Uncle Billy" figures he built
more than 100 chimneys over
the county in his day. He also
spent 10 years mining at Cor
undum Hill back in the old
days.
And at the tender age of 75,
this agile member of the Mc
Coy family was helping build
the rock walls along Cullasaja
Gorge on US 64 to Highlands.
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 5
'Uncle Billy' McCoy Points To Gold
BIDS ASKED
FOR SCHOOL
ADDITIONS
Board Plans To Build
Lunchrooms At Cowee
And Otto In Summer
Bids for construction of school
cafeterias at Cowee and Otto
are being asked this week by
the Macon County Board of Ed
ucation.
Plans and specifications were
made available Tuesday at the
office of Lindsey M. Gudger,
Ashevilie architect, according to
School Supt. Holland McSwain.
A set also is in the superin
tendent's office.
The superintendent also re
vealed that the board hopes to
be ready to ask for bids on two
classrooms at Cullasaja School
and vocational shops at High
lands and Nantahala. Plans and
specifications for these are now
being prepared by the architect,
he said.
Bids for the cafeterias will be
opened in the school superin
tendent's office May 16 at 2
p. m.
The cafeterias are expected to
cost from $25-$30,000 each. On
orders of the board last month,
the original plans were revised
to cut costs, which ran about
$10,000 more for each.
Local Auxiliary
Playing Host To
District Meeting
Mrs. John W. Hearn, N. C.
department president of the
American Legion Auxiliary, will
be the featured speaker here
tomorrow (Friday) when the
local auxiliary plays host to a
meeting- of the 20th district.
Set to begin at 10 a. m., the
meeting will b,e in the educa
tional building of the First Bap
tist Church in Franklin.
Mrs. " Gilmer A. Jones, of
Franklin, district committee
woman, will preside. Mrs.
Weimar Jones will have charge
of music for the meeting.
In addition to the speaker,
Mrs. Hearn, whose h?me is in
Monroe, other guests will in
clude Mrs. Mary Brooks Hoy, of
Raleigh, state department secre
tary, Mrs. Paul J. Johnston, of
Hendersonville, and Mrs. Fred
Ribet, of Valdese.
A luncheon is planned follow
ing the business session with
Mrs. A. R. Higdon as chairman
in charge.
A welcome from the host club
will be given by Mrs. Reid
Womack, local president.
The district is composed of
units from Franklin, Fontana,
Murphy, and Robbinsville.
MRS. MURRAY
IS ELECTED
Franklin Club Woman
Named Chairman Of
2nd H.D. Federation
A Franklin club woman, Mrs.
Frank X. Murray, Tuesday was
elected chairman of the three
county 2nd District Federation
of home demonstration clubs.
Election of district officers '
featured the 20th anniversary
celebration of home demonstra
tion work in the area. Draw
ing more than 350, the celebra
tion was held at the First
Methodist Church with Macon
County club women as hos
tesses.
Named to serve with Mrs.
Murray were Mrs. Mack Hall,
of Jackson County, vice-chdir
man, and Mrs. Cowan Wykle, of
Swain County, secretary-treas
urer, Macon, Jackson, and
Swain now make up the dis
trict.
'Sunday Dinner' Set
May 6 At Cowee School
"Sunday dinner" for the pub
lic will be served May 6 at
Cowee School by the commun
ity development organization.
Serving will begin at 12:30,
according to the President,
Woodrow Gibson. Plates will be
$1 for adults and 75 cents for
children.
Proceeds are earmarked for
community projects.
MORE SLIDING has occurred on the US 23-4 11 fill near Cowee Gap since more than 75,000
yards of dirt and some 200 yards of the highway dropped into the valley on April 16. This photo
shows how the entire roadbed has fallen away. Traffic is skirting the danger over a one-way
road (see truck and car) roughed out by a bulldozer. The highway will be closed May 1-15 while
repairs are made.
No Details
Yet On Plant
Expansion
Further details on Burlington
Industries' expansion plans at
the Franklin plant were not
available this week.
However, the plant superin
tendent, Stephen A. Bundy, is
in Harriman, Tenn.. today
(Thursday) for a conference.
Prior to leaving, he said he
hoped to have additional infor
mation when he returns.
Here last week to address, the
Franklin Chamber of Com
merce, a Burlington vice-presi
dent, John Harden, said con
struction on the addition prob
ably will get under way during
June and should be finished by
early fall.
Contract specifications are
being prepared now and bids
will be let as soon as possible,
?he disclosed.
Other than to say the ex
pansion will mean a "substan
tial increase in payroll and em
ployment", Mr. Harden was un
able to supply more specific in
formation.
Built by Burlington in early
1955, the present plant has
been in operation less than a
year. It has reached approxi
mately 60 per cent of its pro
duction capacity and is employ
ing about 270 persons. It now
represents an over-all invest
ment in building, machinery,
and equipment of approximate
ly $3.000, OOO.
Highway To Close
For Slide Repairs
? . ___________ ? . ? . TTG O O A A 1 UnfntnOM t'ronUm
Essay Contest
Deadline Set;
Several Enter
With the May 1 deadline com
ing up Tuesday, a number of
high school students have sub
mitted papers in the essay con
test, "Macon County ? My Home,
My Future".
The contest is being co-spon
sored by The Franklin Jaycees
and The Franklin Press.
Prizes, which will be awarded
by a representative of the news
paper at commencement exer
cises, are:
Ftrst place, gold medal and
$25 in cash.
Second place, a $25 U. S, Sav
ings Bond.
Third place. $10 in cash.
The idea behind the contest,
according to the sponsors, is to
override the complaint of most
young people that Macon Coun
ty offers little in the way of
opportunity and show what op
portunities are really here.
All entries must be in or post
marked not later than mid
night, May 1. They should be
delivered or mailed to Robert
C. (Bob i Carpenter, of Frank
lin. the Jaycee representative.
Details of the contest, includ
ing the selection of the judges,
are being handled by the Jay
cees.
kj o ? ni ucbwccu r launmi
and Dillsboro is going to be
closed 15 days while repairs are
made to a large section of the
highway ripped out by a land
slide last week.
The highway will close May
1-15, according to Resident Eng
ineer S. T. Usry.
A detour for through traffic
is being set up from here on
NG 28 through Bryson City, the
route 'used by east-west traffic
while the highway was under
construction, he said.
Nearly 200 yards of the high
way near Cowee Gap, on this
side, fell out when' a landslide
occurred in a large fill on the
16th, sending about 75 thou
sand yards of dirt into the val
ley below during a heavy snow
storm. One-way traffic was
moving around the danger area
soon after the slide.
Rather than undertake re
filling where the slide occurred,
the engineer said plans call for
relocating the section of dam
aged highway. The centerline
will be moved about 70 feet
closer to the mountain. This
project, which will be handled
by highway maintenance crews,
will entail moving about 10,000
yards of dirt on the relocation,
Mr. Usry explained. About 30,
000 more yards will be dumped
into the old fill to prevent fu
ture sliding, he added.
Ramsey , State Education
Official, To Speak Here
D. Hiden Ramsey, of Asheville,
chairman of the State Board of
Higher Education, will address
a dinner meeting of the local
unit of N. C. Education Asso
ciation tomorrow (Friday) in
the high school cafeteria.
A retired newspaper executive,
Mr. Ramsey has spoken here a
number of times and has a wide
circle of friends over the coun
ty. He will be introduced by
School Supt. Holland McSwain.
Dinner will be served at 7
o'clock.
In addition to the Asheville
man's address, new officers of
the unit will be installed by the
out-going president, Mrs. Dora
Lee Carpenter. They are Z.
Weaver Shope, president, W. G.
Crawford, vice-president, and
Mrs. Joyce J. Cagle, secretary
treasurer.
Special invitations to attend
the meeting have been sent a
number of people, including
members of the county board
of education, according to Mrs.
Carpenter.
The Weather
The w?fk's teniae ratur.s and rainfall, as
I corded in Franklin l>y Man-on Stiles,
t'. S weather "I'-.Tvrr; in Highlands l>y
Tudor N. Hall and W. <\ Newton. TVA
observer: and at th?> Coweta Hydrologic
Laboratory.
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed.. April 18 60 29 _
Thursday 64 31
Friday 69 29
Saturday 69 22
Sunday 63 31
Monday 63 35
Tuesday 69 37
COWEETA
Wed., April 18 58 33
Thursday 64 31 _
Friday 58 34 _
Saturday 67 23 .
Sunday 63 30 _
Monday 67 33
Tuesday 68 36
Miss Teague Gnuse Smith
HONOR STUDENTS for Franklin High s Class of 1956 have been selected. Miss Doris Teague,
(laughter of Mr. and Mrs. Flmon Teague, of Prentiss, and Tommy Gnuse, son of Mr. and Mrs. H.
H. (inu.se, Jr., of Franklin, are co- valedictorians. Norman Smith, son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Smith,
of Franklin, is salutatorian. The valedictorians had all A's in their work for four years, while
the salutatorian made only one B during that time. Commencement exercises are set for May 21.