North Carolina Newspapers

CIRCULATION 2661 Net Paid Last Week 3ft* JHacotttan PRICE 10 Cents 71st Year ? No. 21 Franklin, N. C., Thursday, May 24, 1956 Fourteen Pages Franklin's Water Supply Is Dropping Aldermen Request Voluntary Rationing; Condition 'Serious' With storage reserves drop ping lower daily, Franklin res idents must conserve water im mediately or face the prospects of being without any by Satur day night. The situation ? not yet to the critical stage ? is "very seri ous", according to Water Supt. Herman Childers. Relief must come from two sources ? conservation or a heavy rainfall. Unless residents agree to vol untary conservation measures at once, at the present rate of consumption the town's stor age tanks will be dry by this week-end, the superlntendant warned.. Aldermen this week Issued an official request for conservation. They specifically asked resi dents not to water gardens or wash cars until the emergency Is over. Tuesday night, the town's storage tanks, with a total ca pacity of 450,000 gallons, had a combined reserve of less than 200,000. Supt. Childers said the five wells supplying Franklin are at "full capacity" and are still falling behind demand. They started dropping behind Friday night and have been losing ground since. As a rule, the tanks refill overnight But in the past few days they have hovered at the half-full mark. Late News and Briefs NEIGHBORHOOD SUPPER The East Franklin neighbor hood Club plans a covered dish supper Saturday night at the school. Serving will begin at 7:30. * ? * POPPY SALE SLATED Members of the American Legion Auxiliary will stage their annual poppy sale Saturday morning. Mrs. Lon Dalton and Mrs. John Wasilik are in charge. Proceeds of the sale are ear marked for hospital rehabilita tion and child welfare, accord ing to the auxiliary president, Mrs. Reid Womack. * ? ? TRUCK DESTROYED A pick-up truck owned by Leo Mclntyre was destroyed by fire about 5:30 p. m. Tuesday at the foot of Cowee Mountain on US 23-441. A bed, bicycle, and other articles he was hauling also were destroyed. The fire apparently originated in the truck bed. Mr. Mclntyre said he happened to glance backward as he drove toward Franklin "and it was going up in smoke then". Firemen were unable to save anything.. He said he had no insurance "to cov?r the loss. ? ? * OFFICES CLOSING County offices in the court house, with the exception of the sheriff's office and the tax collection department, plan to close next Wednesday, May 30, "Memorial Day". On that day only, the state driver's license examiner will be in the veteran's office, instead of the clerk's office. 109 RECEIVE DIPLOMAS AT HIGH SCHOOL Commencement Held Monday Afternoon In New Gymnasium Franklin High School gradu ated 109 seniors ? 59 boys and 50 girls ? at commencement exercises Monday afternoon. Held In the spacious new gymnasium, the graduation event marked the first time in recent years that attendance has not been limited to parents of graduates and special guests because of Inadequate accom modations. An estimated 1,200 attended the exercises. Diplomas were awarded by Supt. Holland McSwaln. Awards to the members of the graduating class were made by Principal Harry C. Corbln. (A list of the award winners ap peared In last week's Issue). Miss Doris Teague delivered the valedictory address. A co valedlctorian, Tommy Gnuse, spoke on the "Progressive Era at Franklin High School". The salutatory address was made by Norman B. Smith. The high school's new chorus, SEE WO. 2, PAGE 10 Highlands Graduation Plans Given Commencement plans for Highlands High School were an nounced this week by Principal O. F. Summer. Sunday, May 27, at 8 p. m., Dr. Herbert Koepp-Baker, Epis copal minister, is to deliver the baccalaureate sermon to the 15 graduating seniors. Graduation exercises are set for June 1 in the school gym nasium at 8 p. m. with the Rt. Rev. M. George Henry, bishop of the W. N. C. Episcopal dio cese, as the speaker. Bishop Henry is from AshevlUe. Miss Nancy Norton will give the valedictory and Miss Mary Anne Calloway the salutatory address. Diplomas are to be awarded by Supt. Holland McSwaln. Mr. Summer will present award medals and certificates to the members of the gradu ating class. In addition to the two honor students, Miss Norton and Miss Calloway, graduating seniors in clude Carolyn Joan Calloway, Martha Anne Carpenter, Doris Crowe Picklesimer, Dora Mozelle Dendy, Mary Louis Johnson. Beatrice Talley, Grace Eliza beth Talley, Carrie Alliefair Vinson, Rene Pauline Zachary, James Howard Keener, Charles William Watson, Carter Edwin McCall, and Henry Ervin Dendy. Special music for both the baccalaureate sermon and grad uation exercises will be by the high school glee club, under the direction of the Rev. R. T. Houts, Jr. Mrs. Houts will be accompanist. Tonight (Thursday) at 8 o'clock In the school gymna sium, Mrs. O. F. Summer will present her piano pupils In re cital as a feature of commence ment. Work On Football Field Is Finished By V. F. W. Work on the football field in the Franklin High Stadium is finished. C. Jack Ragan, chairman of the V. F. W. committee financ ing the project, yesterday (Wednesday! said the playing field has been crowned for proper drainage and has been fertilized and sprigged with Bermuda grass. Cost of the project will be more than $1,000, the chairman reported. An accurate figure cannot be set nntll all bills are received. Although the V. F. W. only had $750 programmed for the job, Mr. Ragan said the post has several money-raising proj ects on tap to raise the re mainder. Some donations also have been received, he added. For the past week, students and V. F. W members sprigged the grass by hand night and 1 day. Two local contractors. Good low Bowman and Howard Stew art, worked on the Job. ( Dirt for the crown was truck- i ed Into the field from the site i of the old gymnasium nearby. 1 ? Staff Photo by J. P. Brady LITTLE LEAGUE team captains were named by the four teams last week. They are (L to R) Jimmy Williams, "Wildcats"; Larry Bun ton, "Jaybirds"; David Simpson, "Thunderbirds"; and Johnny ,Swan, "Reddys". League play starts Saturday. Flame Azalea Is Blooming Wayah Bald's famous stand of name azalea is beginning to brighten the terrain In the lower elevations. It is expected to be at the full heigiht of its brilliant coloring by late June on top of the Bald. Mountain laurel also is be ginning to bloom near the ?alley. When at its fullest, the flame azalea on the mile-high peak draws hundreds of sightseers to the are*. Oldtimers are predicting one of the prettiest stands in recent years. 3 Graduated By Chapel Hi At exercises Monday night, Chapel School graduated three seniors. The graduates are Samuel Ted Ledford, son of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Bryson, Gilmer E. Thomas, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse Thomas, and Mary Alice Harshaw, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Harshaw. The Rev. J. Bryant Hatchett, Presbyterian pastor, was the commencement speaker. At St. Cyprians Episcopal Church Sunday afternoon, the three graduates and a capacity house of relatives and friends heard the Rev. A. Rufus Morgan deliver the baccalaureate ser mon. Holly Springs Feeds Visitors W. N. C.'s top organized com munity, Holly Springs, "spread a meal" at noon Tuesday for agricultural experts from 20 states. The women of the community served the meal at the com munity building. County Agent T. H. Fagg and ?Mrs, Florence S. Sherrill, home agent, met the visiting delega tion at the Rabbit Creek Bridge to extend an official welcome to Macon County and Holly Springs, '55 winner of Jhe area development contest. The experts were touring T. V. A. demonstration farms and projects in the area. Making up the group were about 100 land-grant college administra tors, county agents, and T. V. A. specialists. Lewis Resigns Patrol Job Highway Patrolman A. A. Lewis has resigned from the patrol to go into private busi ness, effective June 1. The patrolman, a native of ' Winston-Salem, this week said he is going into business with his father-in-law, C. J. Ander- . son, in Highlands. He has been a member of the 1 patrol three years and has been stationed here all that time. | Nothstein Back Home W. L. Nothstein returned Mon- ( lay from Lehl(?hton. Pa., where he , was called because of the Illness tnd death of his brother. Ralph ' Nothstein. who succumbed May 14. Little League Play To Open Saturday Afternoon At 2:30 With all the fanfare that ac companies the opening of any baseball season, the official Lit tle League "play ball" will boom across the county Saturday aft ernoon. In. a pre -game parade through downtown Franklin, the 60 Lit tle Leaguers plan to show off their new uniforms from con vertibles before committing them to the dirt of a double header opener at the Little League field in East Franklin at 2:30. In a brief opening ceremony at the field, Mayor W. C. Bur rell will toss out the first ball to Jack Justice on the mound. Mr. Justice, of Canton, district director of Little League, will loop one across home plate and the first game will get under way. In the first game, the "Jay birds", sponsored by the Frank lin Jaycees, will play the "Red dys", the Nantahala Power team. In the second, the "Wild cats, "backed by Macon County Supply, take on the "Thunder birds", Conley Motor Com pany's team. The American Legion is the league sponsor. F. F. A. Chapter Is Winner Of Cooperative Competition Franklin's 78-member Future Farmers of America chapter has collected still another district honor and three of its members have won individual district contests. It was announced this week that the chapter has won first place in the chapter cooperative contest, an event covering all cooperative activities from as sisting communities and busi nessmen with projects to help ing other schools. For winning, the chapter gets $200 to cover the expenses of its advisor, Wayne Proffitt, and two mem bers at a state cooperative meeting coming up soon In Raleigh. A young Holly Springs farmer, Fred Deal, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Deal, has taken two first places in district competition, Supervised Farming and Dairy Achievement. A '54 Franklin High graduate (a member can stay in F. F. A. for three years after graduating), Fred man ages his father's farm. His year's program included 12 acres of corn, 18 acres of hay, .3-acre tobacco, .5-acre potatoes, 40 acres of pasture, 48 acres of timber, 15 dairy cows, 12 dairy heifers, 2 brood sows, 5 feeder hogs, 4 sheep, and 75 chickens. For being tops in the district, Fred gets $100 to help pay his expenses to the annual national F. F. A. convention this fall where he will be a candidate for the "American Farmer" de gree. For the second year, a Frank lin F. F. A. boy, Frank Nolen, has won first place in the dis trict farm electrical contest. Son of Mr. and Mrs, Charles Nolen, Frank's electrical pro gram for the past two years has covered everything from ex tension cords to wiring houses. A rising senior at Franklin High, he is a candidate for a "Carolina Farmer" degree, a top state award. Joe Tippett, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lee Tippett, of Franklin, placed first this year in farm mechanics. In his program, Joe constructed more than 40 farm ing items. He is a graduating senior and plans to continue his mechanical training at a college in Texas this fall. Committees For Revival Series Are Announced Committees to handle ar rangements for the annual In terdenominational revival series in Franklin the week of June 17-22 were appointed at Mon day night's meeting of the Ma con County Ministerial Associa tion. The Rev. Herman F. Duncan, pastor of the First Methodist Church in Lenoir, will be the guest preacher for the series. Services will be held at the Friendship Tabernacle. The committees: Entertainment: the Rev. S B. Moss, chairman, and others to ae selected by the chairman. Finance: H. W. Cabe, chair man, H. H. Plemmons, Robert J. Korte, and J. Ward Long. Publicity: the Rev. S. B. Moss, :halrman, the Rev. M W. Chap man, and the Rey. A. Rufus Morgan. Prayer Groups: J. C. Jacobs, the Rev. W. N. Cook, Allan Brooks, Mrs. Pearl Hunter, Miss Margaret Wilson, the Rev. R. L. Poindexter, and the Rev. C. T. Taylor. Parking: Horace Nolen, chair man. Transportation: pastors of churches throughout the coun ty have been requested to ap point a member, or committee, to work out transportation needs of their communities. Building: Naaman Elliott. Paul West, Weaver Shope, and the Rev. Bill Shields. Music: Lowell .McKee, chair- 1 man, and others to be selected by the chairman. At the evening's program, the ministers heard Dr. Morgan discuss some of the implications and responsibilities of the seg regation ruling for churches. Mr. Chapman was elected secretary of the organization, succeeding the Rev. J. Bryant Hatchett, who Is moving to Georgia. Democrats Slate Primary Saturday SCHOOL BIDS ARE AWARDED ; BY BOARD Consolidated Bids Low For Lunchrooms At Cowee And Otto Low bids for construction of lunchrooms at Cowee and Otto schools total $61,150. Addition of $3,669 architect fees pushes the cost for the two to $64,819, according to School Supt. Holland MoSwaln. Opened Wednesday afternoon of last week by the board of education, the bids were sub mitted on revised plans and were several thousand dollars below those received before the board ordered revisions to cut costs. Consolidated bids (for both lunchrooms) proved to be the lowest in all four phases of construction. In general construction, low bidder for the two was Graham Construction Company, of Hen dersonvllle, with $44,600. E. L. Erwln, of 8ylva, was low in both plumbing and heat ing with $5,000 and $4,230, re spectively. A local electrician, James P. Wurst, submitted a low consoli dated bid of $7,300 for the elec trical work. In awarding the contracts, the board requested the con tractor to begin work at Cowee immediately, since this is a re placement building and must be completed by the opening of school next fall. Otto's lunchroom also is ex pected to be ready for use this fall. However, it is an addition to the present building. This school has been using a converted classroom for serving lunches. Teachers Rehired For '56-'57 Year Principals and teachers rec-. ommended by the committees of the three school districts for 1956-57 have been approved by the Macon Board of Education. Supt. Holland .McSwain said a complete list is now being prepared by his office and will be released for publication next week. Pupils Assigned To Same Schools All elementary school chil dren have been reassigned to thSir same school for the year 1956-57 by th? Macon Board of Education. The more thaii 300 eighth graders moving to high School this fall also have been assign ed. Those who attended East Franklin. Cullasaja. Union, Co wee, Otto, Cartoogechaye, and Iotla this year will go to Frank- , lin High. Those from Nantahala will step up to Nantahala High. Highlands to Highlands High, ; and Chapel to Chapel High. i Under provisions of a resolu- i tion recently adopted by the I board, it has the duty and final ] responsibility for assigning the children "in order to best pro mote the orderly and efficient administration of the public schools in this unit, the effec- | tive instruction of pupils sub- , ject to assignment by this I board, and the health, safety, and general welfare of such pupils. ..." Library Fund Needs Donations More than $3,500 still Is need ed to complete the new library l building here H. W. Cabe, treasurer of the , library committee, reported yes- < terday (Wednesday t that sever- i al hundred dollars has been do- ] nated since a plea for contribu- ' tions was sounded two weeks ago. ] When completed, the building will cost approximately $10,000. , It is going up on the county- ] owned lot on Phillips Street be hind the county Jail. ? ' Only Local Contest Is For Representative; Polls Open 6:30 A. M. Local Democrats will go to the polls Saturday the party's primary. Polls will be open from 5:30 a. m. to 6:30 p. m. Only one contest has shaped up locally in the "off-year" election. This is the race for nomination as state representa tive, a seat being sought by three men. C. Banks Finger, Jr., incumbent G. L. Houk, and J. C. Sorrells. Mr. Finger and Mr. Houk are both Franklin attor neys and Mr. Sorrells is an automobile salesman. Four men, Including the three incumbents, are running for the county board of education. The incumbents are Erwin Patton, C. C. Sutton, and George C. Gibson. A Franklin realtor, Ted Reber, is the fourth man In the race. On State Ticket On the state ticket, three men are running against Gov. Luth er H. Hodges. They are C. E. Earle, Jr., Harry P. Stokely, and Tom Sawyer. Five are running for lieu tenant governor, a post that has been vacant since Gov. Hodges stepped into the governorship with the death of William B. Umstead. Seeking the nomina tion are Luther E_ Barnhardt, J. V. Whitfield, Kidd Brewer, Alonzo C. Edwards, and Gurney P. Hood. Incumbent L. T. Ballentine Is opposed by Kermit U, Gray A* commissioner of For oommlftsWner at Insur ance, Incumbent Charles F. GoW is facing opposition Iron John N. Frederick. Two men are opposing Incum bent Frank Crane for commis sioner of labor. They are H. D. Lambeth, Jr., and James R. Far low. In the V. S. Senate race, in cumbent Sam J. Ervin, Jr., Is facing a bid for the post by Marshall C. Kurfees. Query Answered Last week, a Press editorial ?directed a question to the three men running for the Democrat ic nomination for representa tive. The editorial (A Question For Three t emphasized the impor tance of the Legislature's ap pointing to the County Board of Education those nominated in the Democratic primary, and suggested "the people are en titled to straight-forward an swers" to this question: "If you are nominated and elected, will you, or will you not, appoint to the Board of Education the men selected in the primary election?" The replies follow: J. C. Sorrells referred to his political advertisement in last week's Press, in which he said: "In regard to' the Board of Ed ucation, any good reputable person that the voters elect would be the ones appointed." G. L. Houk said: "I have no desire or inclination to change the school board I appointed, or as nominated." C. Banks Finger said: "I pledge to you and .all Democrats in Macon County that if elect ed I will appoint to the Board jf Education the men selected by the voters in the Democratic primary." The Weather ThP week's temperature* ?n<l rainfall, as >? o Franklin by Manson SMes. tn. i Kr"Bt?5er. oh,w,rv,M ; in Highlands by nidor N. Hall *n,l W. l\ Newton. TV A uE?.ror,"nd ,h" Hydropic FRANKLIN Temperatures High Low Rain Wed.. May 16 71 54 _ Thursday 78 33 Friday 81 44 _ Saturday 84 38 _ Sunday 83 43 _ Vlonday 86 43 ruesday 89 50 _ HIGHLANDS Wed., May 16 64 49 Thursday 73 34 Friday 77 52 Saturday 78 43 Sunday 79 47 Monday 74 47 Tuesday 79 50 II COWEETA Wed.. May 16 67 54 trace Thursday 76 31 Friday 79 46 Saturday 81 38 Sunday 81 44 Monday 81 44 Tuesday 87 48 trace