CIRCULATION
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71st Year ? No. 27
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, July 5, 1956
Twelve Pages
Budget Adopted;
Tax Rate Same
Property Valuation
Increases Slightly;
Talk Library Gift
A budget Identical to last
year's has been adopted by the
Macon Board of County Com
missioners.
For the fiscal year 1956-57,
the county will operate on
$585,187.36, with the same tax
rate of $1.40 per hundred valu
ation. i
Additional revenue is expect
ed to be gained by a slight in
crease in property valuation,
from $15,470,925 last year to
$15,800,000. This figure, the
commissioners estimate, should
bring in $221,200.
The remainder of the budget
will come from state and fed
eral sources.
A request made by the Board
of Education for an extra $14,
000 to operate the school sys
tem failed to make the budget.
However, Lake V. Shope, secre
tary to the commissioners, said
the county hopes to gain a sur
plus during the fiscal year and
turn this over to the school
system. The increased valuation
alone, he explained, will bring
in about $2,000.
Mr. Shope also called atten
tion to the fact that the coun
ty managed to raise $16,000 to
complete the gymnasium at
Franklin High last year with
out setting up a special alloca
tion.
"If we can build the surplus
it will be given to the schools,"
he declared.
Under the budget, the schools
get a total of 38 cents of the
tax rate, 23 cents for current
expenses and 15 for capital out
lay.
Here is a breakdown of the
tax rate, by departments:
General Fund. .20 cents;
Pauper Fund, .02; Health, .05;
Farm Demonstration, .03; Home
Demonstration, .02; Fire Pre
vention, .01; Veterans Service,
.01: Public Welfare, .15; Public
Welfare Administration, .07;
Schools, Current Expenses, .23;
Schools, Capital Outlay, .15;
County-wide Debt Service, .46.
In drawing the budget Mon
day, the Commissioners also dis
cussed a $2,000 allocation for
the library, but deferred a de
cision to a later meeting.
Suggestions
Don't Change
Budget Plans
Four recommendations deal
ing with school financing failed
to alter the commissioners'
plans when they drew the 1956
57 budget Monday morning.
The recommendations were
prepared by a special P. T. A.
committee and were stated in
a letter to the commissioners.
The letter was presented by
Fred Vaughn, of the Franklin
P. T. A.
In brief, the recommenda
tions :
(1) Relieve the teachers and
principals in the schools of the
burden of operating candy
stores, and the P. T. A.<s of
raising funds for school opera
tion and maintenance, by shift
ing the burden of supporting
the schools to the taxpayers in
providing the additional funds
asked by the school board.
(2) Take proper steps to pre
vent future expenditures from
current operating funds to cover
capital outlay expenditures. This
recommendation was made in
view of past transfers of money
between the two funds to help
finance the construction of
Chapel School and the new
gymnasium.
(3) Consider replacing adult
school bus drivers with student
or teacher drivers wherever
possible as an economy move.
In 1955-56, $16,920 was set in
the budget for transportation,
mostly driver salaries. "Student
drivers have proven themselves
to be safe drivers throughout
the state and we see no need
for any concern in this respect,"
the letter said.
(4) Consider that, in talking
with the various P. T. A.'s in
preparing the recommendations,
a majority of those expressing
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 12
NOLEN WINS
STATE FFA .
FEATURE
Dairy Judging Team
Places Second; Deal
Is Awarded Money
First place in the state -wide
Future Farmers of America
farm electrical contest has been
won by Frank Nolen, a member
of the Franklin chapter.
Frank, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Charles Nolen, received a check
for $100 at the F. F. A. conven
tion last week in Raleigh and
will be the North Carolina en
try in the national competition.
Win Second
Second place in the state was
won by the local chapter's dairy
judging team. It scored 1,300
points in losing to Mt. Ulla's
1,307. Members of the team are
Buddy McClure, Mark Dowdle,
and Bill McClure.
The three-man beef judging
team ? Bruce Houston, Johnny
Killian, and Bill Fouts ? placed
fourth.
Free Trips
A check for $75 was awarded
SEE NO. 3, PAGE 12
McDowell Named
Assistant Camp
Superintendent
Sgt. John W. McDowell, a
native of this county, has been
elevated to the post of assistant
superintendent at the Macon
Prison Camp, according to Supt.
John E. Cutshall.
Veteran guard Clyde Conley,
of Whittier, is the new sergeant
at the camp. A native of Swain,
he has been here about six
months. He has served at the
Caledonia Prison Farm and at
the Whittier camp.
The promotions of the two
men, both of whom, are vet
erans of World War II, were
effective Sunday (July 1), the
superintendent said.
The post of assistant superin
tendent has been vacant for
several weeks, after the resigna
tion of John Goins, who is now
superintendent of a camp in
another county.
Air Force Radar Station
Slated For Wayah Bald
Mile-high Wayah Bald has
been selected as the site lor a
U. S. Air Force radar station.
The U. S. Army, Corps of
Engineers, has announced that
the station, in the design stage
now, will be an unmanned facil
ity and will bear a "low alti
tude gap filler radar" title. It
will be operated on a "need-to
do" basis.
Estimates of cost of the proj
ect range from $40,000 to $50,
000, based on similar stations
erected elsewhere In the state,
the announcement disclosed.
Construction will be let to
private contractor with award
and supervision by the corps'
district office In Wilmington.
It will be a small station with
a tower and a building to house
generator and similar operating
equipment. The entire site will
be enclosed by a chain link
fence.
Survey for the station is now
under way about 1,000 feet
southwest of the observation
tower on the bald, near Raven
Cliffs, according to Wayah Dis
trict Ranger W. L. Nothstein.
The ranger said he has been
informed the tower will be
about 70 feet high and that,
although the station is to be
unmanned, living quarters for
one man will be included in
the cabin at the base of the
tower.
Ranger Nothstein said the
tower will not detract from the
view from Wayah Bald's crest.
Girl Seriously Injured
In Car Accident Thursday
"Excessive speed" is blamed
by Highway Patrolman H. T.
Ferguson for a one-car wreck
last Thursday night on US 23
441 south that injured four
people, one critically.
Fifteen - year - old Victoria
(Vicky) Ann Vinson, of Dillard,
Ga., Route 1, yesterday (Wed
nesday) was reported by Angel
Hospital to still L?e in a "serious
condition", but recovering. The
most seriously injured of the
four, she received a fractured
skull, broken jaw, and cuts on
the head and face, it is report
ed.
Miss Vinson was riding in the
front seat of a 1956 Ford driven
by Lawton Jess Taylor, 21, of
Clayton, Ga., Route 2. Patrol
man Ferguson said Taylor ap
parently lost control of the car
in a curve near Jake Adding
ton's. He said it traveled 190
feet after leaving the highway,
knocked down a section of fenc
ing, and jumped an estimated
50 feet across a creek and hit
the bank head-on on the other
side.
The patrolman has charged
the driver with speeding and
SEE NO. -1, PAGE 6
More Protection Planned
With Dry Falls' accidental death figure now at three with
la.st week's tragedy, steps are being taken by the Nantahala
National Forest to provide additional protection for visitors to
the attraction.
Although danger areas have been marked with signs and a
fence blocks off the area at the top of the falls, a new fence
to run parallel with the entire parking lot has been authorized,
according to Highland Ranger Pat Int-Hout. Barbed wire will
be strung along its top, he said, and more dajiger signs will be
erected.
Work already is under way.
The ranger said he hopes to receive authorization in the
near future to extend the fence that runs along the trail lead
ing behind the fails.
The child w,ho was killed at the falls last week either skirted
the end of the fence or crawled under it, it is reported.
Water Rates Upped
By Franklin Board
? ? ?
Water Reserves
Down; Requests
Conservation
With water reserves dropping
under the pressure of Increased
consumption, Water Supt. Her
man Childers this week request
ed all residents of Franklin to
observe voluntary conservation
measures.
The superintendent said dry
weather has nothing to do with
the decrease.
"They're just wanting more
water than the wells have got,"
he declared.
The town storage tanks lost
five feet Monday night, instead
of gaining as they usually do,
he said.
He attributed the increased
demand for water to the heavy
influx of tourists in the last
few days.
This is the second time in
recent weeks that water re
serves have dropped. During a
dry period several weeks ago,
voluntary conservation on the
part of residents averted a
serious shortage until relief
came from rain.
Bids For
Nantahala
Job Given
Bids for the new highway
project in the Nantahala com
munity have been approved by
the State Highway Commission.
Bids for the 5.29-mlle reloca
tion from Fiesty Branch to
Nantahala School totaled $358,
231.40.
Low bidders are Asheville
Contracting Company, $290,373
for roadway, and $61,418.40 for
structures, and G. E. Crouch, of
Asheville, $6,440 for moving
buildings.
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 1?
Larger Consumers
To Shoulder Most Of
Burden Of Increase
Water rates are going up this
month tn Franklin, with large
consumers shouldering most of
the load.
The Board of Aldermen has
decided to boost the minimum
rate (1,000 gallons i from $1.25
to $1.50 and a new scale has
been worked out for higher
amounts of water.
Also going into effect this
month are tapping charges of
$25 for both water and sewer
lines.
After a special study of the
water situation, the board de
cided an increase in rates was
necessary to offset the mount
ing costs of operation and
maintenance. Some items used
in the water department have
advanced in price more than
150 per cent in the past four
years, it was pointed out.
To the average customer in
town, who uses about 4,800 gal
lons of water monthly, the in
creased rates will boost his bill
about 63 cents ? from an aver
age $3.18 to $3.81.
Large consumers, particular
ly those in the 10,000-250,000
gallon bracket, will be harder
hit.
Under the new water rate
system, after a minimum 1,000
gallons is used by a customer,
a charge of 1 cent mor" per
hundred gallons will be made
up to 10,000 gallons. This means
that those who have been pay
ing $4.45 for 10,000 gallons will
now pay $5.60.
Two cents more per hundred
will be made from 10.000 gallons
up to 250.000 gallons ? a Jump
from $40.45 to $52.45.
A cent more will be charged
from 250.000 gallons on.
The old water rates have been
in use about seven years.
Body Of Missing Child Is Recovered From PogI At Scenic Dry Falls
?/- rwftfrlfcAv**- SV?fe nan^MM? <1 Mmm >? ? ^tMhiM h nmnfi<v, ? ??? I ? I.. I ??.jilMaiw? I ? mm ???'OTii?iia ???.: ?
Volunteers recovered, the body of 10-year-old Janice Mc
Giverin from a deep pool at the base of scenic Dry Falls about
8:15 Wednesday night of last week after an extensive search
operation involving scores of people. Up until the child's body
was located with grappling hooks by Jimmy Lowe, of High
lands. many on the scene including Janice's parents, Mr. axid
Mrs. Paul L. McGiverin, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, believed she
was lost in the woods and had not fallen over the falls. This
picture layout shows the extensive operations of the search.
(1) The man in the foreground stands at a point where Janice's
brother, Terry, said he looked' up and saw her about 10 a. m.
at the top of the falls (X) and raji to get her out of danger.
She had disappeared when he got there. In her death fall, the
child closely followed the dotted line into the ravine below.
(2) To hold back high water at the falls and enable volunteers
to search the pools at the base of the falls, the .Mirror Lake
dam was raised with sandbags, a piece of strategy that slowed
the flow considerably. (S) Meanwhile, spectators, many of them
tourists who arrived, on the scene unaware of the drama un
folding, lined the fence and peered over to watch dragging
operations below. (4) Volunteers are shown dragging for the
child's body at the base of the falls. (S) When the larger pools
at the base of the fails did not yield the child's body, sand
hags were used at the top of the cascade to divert the water
so volunteers could probe some smaller holes under the falls.
The arrow points to Highlands Mayor V. W. McCall, who help
ed -coordinate the operation. (6) Under tons of pounding waier,
Karl Baty, of Highlands, (circled) holding to a life line, is
shown searching one of the holes. In the foreground is Harry
Holt, Jr., waiting to give him a hand. (7) About 7:45, Jim
Hines reported striking something soft In one of the holes and
soon after Lowe located the body with grappling hooks. The
body wm quickly brought up the steep walls of the ravine
and taken to an ambulance. In the back seat of a car nearby,
the child's fattier and brother wept quietly.
Late News
and
v.? Briefs
FOURTH UNDER WAY
Macon County's July 4 cele
bration opened yesterday i Wed
nesday i morning with a parade
through Franklin.
A beauty contest and field
events were staged at East
Franklin School in the morning
and a Little League double
header in the afternoon.
With other organizations co
operating. the celebration was
coordinated by the Franklin
Jaycees.
MEETING POSTPONED
Regular meeting of the Frank
lin Board of Aldermen Tuesday
night was postponed until Fri
day at 7:30 p. m.
The board is scheduled to
adopt the town's new budget.
No increase in the tax rate is
anticipated.
OPENING DATE SET
September 4 has been tenta
tive set for the opening of the
county schools.
~~ action was taken Monday
ng by the education
? ?
? *
4 ARE RETIRED
Four men officially retired
from service with the State
The Weather
Th..
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t s
Tu?Im
v
Ul.o
Wwk'j tempera'
in Franklin
wi'Hthfr ol?s*?rv
N. v I'.t'l
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the Co
r<* and rainfall, as
l>y Manson Stiles,
in HirHJand* by
Newton. TV A
Hydrologie
Temperatures
High Low Rain
FRANKLIN
Wed.. June 27 85 56
Thursday 90 50
Friday 83 54
Saturday 84 59
Sunday 87 62
Monday 88 63
Tuesday 90 62
HIGHLANDS
Wed.. June 27 83 60
Thursday 84 50
Friday . 80 54
Saturday 75 61
Sunday 80 60
Monday 79 58
Tuesday
Wednesday
trace
trace
trace
trace
.04
.08
.10
.66
? _ .06