CIRCULATION
2734
Net Paid
Last Week
nllin
gflj* JEattroian
71st Year ? No. 29
Frariklin, N. C., Thursday, July 19, 1956
Fourteen Pages
Special Session
Is A 'Buy Time'
Effort In State
By WEIMAR JONES
Macon County's representa
tive, G. X* Houk, and this five
county district's state senator,
H. M. Moore, of Hayesville, are
expected to be in Raleigh for
the convening Monday of a
special session of the North
Carolina General Assembly.
What takes them to the state
capital? What is this, North
Carolina's the first special leg
islative session in 18 years, all
about?
It is an effort to "buy time"
as this state seeks to meet the
educational crisis created by the
U. S. Supreme Court's segrega
tion decision.
That was the substance of
the answer given at press con
ferences held simultaneously in
Raleigh and Asheville Saturday.
The administration of Govern
or Luther H. Hodges has pre
pared eight bills for submission
to the special session. The
texts of those bills had not
been made public until Satur
day, but, except for details, lit
tle new information was de
veloped at the two news con
ferences.
Instead, they were devoted
largely to explaining what the
administration proposes to do,
and why. In Raleigh, Governor
Hodges did most of the explain
ing. Thomas Pearsall, of Rocky
Mount, did most of the talking
to the newspaper people in
Asheville, where they had just
adjourned the annual conven
tion of the North Carolina Press
Association. Mr. Pearsall is
chairman of the State Advisory
Committee on Education, the
group that proposed the plan
embodied in the legislative pro
gram.
The Commission and the Gov
ernor, Mr. Pearsall said, be
lieve the only possible solution
mast be based on (ai the law
enacted by the ^955 general as
sembly, giving local school ad
ministrative units broad author
ity in the assignment of pupils
to schools; and <b> voluntary
segregation. (He frankly admit
ted that, to date, the response
to the latter has been disap
pointing.)
The legislation to be proposed
to the special session would do
two major things:
1. Provide educational grants
to individual pupils, if and
when: (a ) a pupil is assigned
to a mixed school against the
wishes of his parents; (b) it is
not convenient to assign him to
an unmixed school; and (c) he
attends a non-sectarian private
school approved by state school
authorities. This is based on the
theory that if it is wrong to
deny a child admission to a
school because of race, it is
equally wrong to force a child
to attend a mixed school.
2. Permit the voters of a
school unit, by majority vote, to
"suspend" public education (in
one or more schools) when
they feel the mixing of the
races has created an "intoler
able" situation. Mr. Pearsall
emphasized that the word is
"suspend" rather than "abol
ish".
This legislation, it was said,
is not expected to prove a
complete or final solution; "it
is the best we can do under the
circumstances".
Its primary purpose, he add
ed, is to "save the public
schools".
Members of his committee
feel it is necessary, because they
have become convinced the peo
ple and the Legislature will not)
provide adequate tax support
for public education unless an
"escape" from possibly "intol
erable" conditions is provided.
The legislative program "en
ables us to buy time until we
can work this thing out with
the assignment law and the
voluntary approach."
With time, he added, the Ne
gro's economic level can be
raised and his pride of race
aroused so that voluntary seg
regation will have a chance.
This reporter asked the ques
tion:
"Is this legislation designed
to find legal means of contin
uing segregation or is its pur
pose 'gradualism" ? integra
tion as rapidly as public opin
ion will permit?"
Mr. Pearsall replied that his
committee had not sought to
deal with segregation vs inte
gration, but to make it possible
for the local school unit to de
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 4
This new sign on US 23-441 south says Chimney Rock
Park. is the "one attraction no one ever misses!"; but the only
ones seeinj the sign this day and time are construction men
working on the new highway from Franklin to the state line.
By-Pass Link
Being Built
Below Otto
A small construction project
is now underway near Otto to
open a by-pass of US 23-441
between Franklin and the Geor
gia state line.
The section, which should be
open inside of two weeks, will
offer some relief to locals go
ing to Georgia while US 23
441 is being relocated.
Since the main highway was
closed several weeks ago, local
people working (and vice versa)
or conducting business in Geor
gia have had to use the long
detour through Highlands.
The section being opened to
complete ? the by-pass is a
stretch of about eight-tenths of
a mile between the McDowell
and Bradley places below Otto.
Its completion will allow traf
fic to move over a network of
county roads from Franklin to
Georgia without interfering
with construction on the main
highway. Highway maintenance
forces are doing the work.
It is understood the by-pass
will not be open to through
traffic and that the detour
through Highlands will be
maintained.
Entertainers
Asked To Sign
String bands, dance teams,
and other musicians and en
tertainers are invited to regis
ter for the annual Macon
County Folk Festival.
The three-night festival is
set for August 2-3-4 "under the
stars" at the Franklin Stadium.
Only Macon County residents
may compete for prize money
being offered by the sponsoring
organization, the Franklin Jay
cees. HoWever, bands, teams,
and entertainers from other
sections will be welcomed and
given spots on the program.
Entertainers wanting to reg
ister in advance may get in
touch with J. P. Brady, Robert
C. (Bob) Carpenter, Vic Perry,
Sam Gibson, Dr. J. L. Hill, or
any Jaycee.
FLOWER SHOW
PLANS GIVEN
Franklin Club's
Event Slated For
Dates July 27-28
Background details of the
Franklin Garden Club's annual
flower show this month are fall
ing into place under the chair
manship of Mrs. Allan Brooks.
The two-day show, now in its
24th year, is set for July 27-28
in the high school cafeteria.
The theme is "A Mountain
Garden".
On the 27 th, show hours will
be 2 p. m. to 9:30 p. jrt-, and
on the 28th, 10 a. m. to 9:30
p. m.
Any person in the county
may exhibit in the show, ac
cording to Mrs. Brooks. There
is no entry fee.
Entries may be placed from
8 to 10 p. m. on the 26th, or
Fur show classifications,
See Page 7.
from 8 to 10:30 a. m. on the
27th.
The judging will be done by
accredited judges.
Mrs. Brooks is being assisted
in planning by a co-chairman,
Mrs. R. G. Lichtenstein, and
several club committees. The
committees are:
Schedule: Mrs. Lichtenstein,
Mrs; A. R. Higdon, and Mrs. S.
R. Simpson.
Classification and Entries:
Mrs. E. S. Purdom, Mrs. Simp
son, Mrs. Holland McSwain,
Miss Rose King, Mrs. Tom Mc
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 5
Dance Team To Perforin
At Neighborhood Meet
A performance by a junior
square dance team, supervised
by Mrs. Prelo Dryman, will fea
ture a meeting Saturday night
of the Northwest Franklin
Neighborhood ClubN according to
Sam Gibson, program chairman.
The club meeting will be a
"covered dish" supper at 7:30
at Slagle Memorial Building, he
said.
Crew Chief Carpenter At Work
V ? staff ?'hoto by J. P. Bra.ly
In the center of the picture, a bulldozer is breaking the sky
line as it roughs out the new roadbed along side the old high
way at right. The picture was taken near the intersection of
the Coweeta Road.
String Band Competition
To Feature 'Hillbilly Day'
A committee headed by Rich
ard Thompson, town recreation
director, is busy planning for
Highlands' big shindig of the
year, "Hillbilly Day". ,
?Slated for August 1, it will
be the fifth annual burlesque
of the hillbilly as seen through
the rose-tinted glasses of Hol
lywood.
A string band contest is a
new feature scheduled this year,
according to Mr. Thompson. Set
for early afternoon, the contest
will bring together the talents
of some 20 to 30 bands from
15 states, he said, all members
of the Jimmy Rogers Society
of Country Music.
This does not mean, however,
that other string bands cannot
compete, he emphasized. Any
outfit wanting to enter may
register with Mr. Thompson
prior to the opening of "Hill
billy Day" festivities.
The annual "Parade of Hill
billies" has been shifted to!0:30
in the morning in order to
clear the entire afternoon for
the string band event.
As is customary, judges will
select a "Country Squire" and
a "Highlands Belle" from among
the expected thousands in town
for the fun. The couple will
reign over the evening festiv
ities, including a free street
dance at 8 o'clock.
A charge of $1 per plate will
be made for the barbeque at
noon this year, the recreation
director said, to help defray
some of the costs of staging
the celebration. Children under
12 years will not be charged.
Working with Mr. Thompson
on arrangements are Tudor N.
Hall, Buddy Hall, Bud Potts,
Tom Harbison, Dr. Herbert
Koepp-Baker, Nick Koepp-Bak
er, and Mayor V. W. McCall.
Further details of the cele
bration, including a complete
schedule of events, will be an
nounced later, the chairman
said.
ouilcoig boom Under Way
On Highlands Fourth Street
A building boom is taking
place in Highlands, this county's
thriving tourist resort.
The construction is concen
trated on South Fourth Street,
where four buildings are going
up at an estimated $75,000
total, according to building per
mits obtained from the town.
Being built for an estimated
$50,000 is the new Highlands
branch of the Jackson County
Bank, a modern one-story
structure.
American Oil Company is
putting up a new Amoco service
station for approximately $23,
000.
Between the station and the
bank building is a real estate
building being built by W, B.
Pierson. The building permit
lists its value at $2,000.
T. B. Picklesimer Is con
structing a small ice cream
parlor next to the bank build
ing for an estimated $3,000.
New buildings that have gone
into use inside the town limits
since the first of the year in
clude a $15,000 dining room at
King's Inn and an eight-unit
motor court. Town House
Motel, built by W. P. Hedden.
Plans call for the court to
eventually have 22 units, it is
understood.
Vanhook Family Sets
Reunion On July 29
Members of the Vanhook
family will hold their annual
reunion Sunday, July 29, at the
home of Mr. and Mrs, Ray
Vanhook in the Clark's Chapel
community, it has been an
nounced.
The Rev. R. L. Poindexter
will speak following lunch.
Members of the family and
their friends are invited.
Coweeta Crew Chief Gets
Incentive Award For Work
A "charter member" of the
staff at Coweeta Hydrologic
Laboratory, William C. Carpen
ter, has been presented a $200
incentive award for outstanding
initiative and leadership as a
crew leader.
Mr. Carpenter, who was on
the staff when Coweeta was
established in 1934, is the first
non-technical man to receive
an award of this type in the
southeastern area. The award
also is the highest ever made
to a man of his grade level
with the service.
The citation commends the
Macon County native for "sus
tained performance clearly
above requirements of the job
Mr. Carpenter devised and
carried out work methods which
substantially increased produc
tion at reduced costs. He dem
onstrated a high order of in
itative and leadership in super
vising his crew and overcom
ing difficulties without a lost
time accident during the five
year period involved."
According to E. A. Johnson,
forester in charge at Coweeta,
from April. 1949, to November,
1955, Mr. Carpenter's crews
worked more than 125.000 man
hours without a last-time ac
cident.
Through his efforts, weir
cleaning time at Coweeta has
been reduced as much as 70
per cent; he has redesigned
standard rain gauge boxes and
supports, resulting in more dur
able boxes that are constructed
faster and with less lumber ?
and with more than 90 gauges
In operation this has contribut
ed substantially to the economy
and efficiency of the research
program; and under his leader
ship, time for cutting sprout
vegetation on a 40-acre water
shed has been reduced from 400
to 225 man-days.
Application Made
For Station Here
WILL INSTALL
MRS. BARNARD
AS PRESIDENT
Macon V. F. W. Post
And Auxiliary Host
To District Meet
A member of the local V.F.W.
Auxiliary, ,Mrs. Marie Barnard,
will be installed Sunday as pres
ident of District 17 auxiliaries.
Her installation will come as
a feature of a district meeting
in Franklin, She will be install
ed by Mrs. G. C. Varner, of
Asheville, a national committee
woman.
Members of posts and auxili
aries from six other towns west
of Hendersonville are expected
to be on hand for the gather
ing. Following a joint meeting
at 2 o'clock at the post home
on Palmer Street, the groups
will break up and conduct sep
arate business sessions, the men
at the post home and the wom
en at Slagle Memorial Building.
District Commander Glover
Jackson, of Brevard, will pre
side at the joint meeting.
Supper will be served at
Slagle Memorial by members of
the local ' auxiliary. Mrs. Vic
Perry, Mrs. T. H. Fagg, and
Mrs. James McCollum are In
charge.
In assuming her new duties
as district president, Mrs.
Barnard will succeed Mrs. Ruth
Howard, of Hendersonville.
Another local auxiliary mem
ber, Mrs. Neal Johnston, was
installed earlier in the year as
secretary-treasurer of the dis
trict.
AT PLANNING SESSION
School Supt. Holland *Mc
Swain was among school of
ficials and other interested
citizens who met Monday morn
ing at Western Carolina Col
lege to make plans for the next
general meeting of the eigh
teenth district N. C. School
Boards Association.
Drama To Salute
Macon Towns At
Saturday Show
Tennessee's hospitality will
vault state boundaries Saturday
night in Gatlinburg when Ma
con County's two towns. Frank
lin and Highlands, receive spe
cial recognition at the new
outdoor drama, "Chucky Jack".
Excellent seats have been set
aside for the folks of Franklin
and Highlands on that night,"
according to the drama's pub
lic relations man, Ernest Jer
nigan.
Tickets for the show are be
ing sold at the chambers of
commerce of both towns on a
commission basis.
Delegations from Franklin
and Highlands are now being
lined up to make the trip to
Gatlinburg.
Other towns in this state
sharing the hospitality spot
light with Franklin and High
lands on Saturday night will be
Brevard and Hendersonville.
"Chucky Jack" recreates por
tions of the life of John Sevier,
a key figure in the formation
of the State of Tennessee, six
teenth in the union.
Locals Are Attending
Craftsman's Fair; Two
Women Demonstrating
About 30 home demonstration
women from here attended the
Craftsman's Fair in Asheville
yesterday.
The fair, which is open all
week, has been attracting a
steady stream of visitors from
here, in addition to the club
women.
Miss Sally Kesler, of Nonah
Craft Center on Cartoogechaye,
and Mrs. C. S. Slagle. of Frank
lin, are demonstrating the art
of silk screening at the fair.
Mrs. Slagle has been teaching
basket making at Penland
School this summer.
Application for a 500
watt radio station in
Franklin was made yester
day (Wednesday) with
the Federal Communica
tions Commission by a
newly organized outfit
known as the Macon
County Broadcasting
Company.
The owners are Henry
Bartol. Jr.. and Graves
Taylor, both of Trvon,
and John F. Boyd, of
Landrum. S. C. Mr. Bartol
and Mr. Taylor own the
radio station in Trvon.
Here yesterday mprn
ingT. the men said they
have taken an option on
some land at Lake Fmorv
as the site for a transmit
ter and studio. They also
plan an office studio in
downtown Franklin.
The station is expected
to <jo intf) operation bv
?mid-fall if the F.C.C. gives
clearance.
I"
i
Late News
and
Briefs
EDWIN POTTS DIES
John Edwin Potts, 69, former
Highlands alderman, died Tues
day at 9:30 a. m. at Highlands
Community Hospital after a
heart attack. He had been in
declining health about two
years.
Funeral services were held
yesterday ( Wednesday ? at 3
p. m. at the Highlands Baptist
Church. Burial was in the
Highlands Cemetery.
Mr. Potts was a past master
of Blue Ridge Masonic Lodge
435; a trustee of Highlands
Biological Station; a former
town clerk in Highlands; and
an alderman from 1924 to 1950.
He was with the U. S. Forest
Service from 1915 to 1924.
SPONSORING LECTURE
A lecture and demonstration
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 5
Budget Of
$113,245
Is Adopted
Highlands has adopted a
budget for 1956-57 of $113,245.
It is $3,695 higher than the
1955-56 budget.
Town commissioners prior to
Monday night's budget session
had set the tax rate at $2.25
per hundred valuation.
The new budget allocates
$10,085 for Administrative; $11,
300 for Police-Fire Department;
$20,200 for Street Department:
$37,340 for Electrical Depart
ment: and $22,920 for Water
Department.
The Weather
The week's temperature and rainfall, as"
fecorded in Franklin by Man son St i le*?. .
I'. S. weather oh<.-ervr*\ in Highland* hv
Tudor N. Hall and W. <\ Newton TV A
nh :erv??r: and at the Coweta Hydrologric
Lal?oratory.
FRANKLIN
Temperatures
High Low Rain
Wed.. July 11 82 -IP
Thursday 84 59
Friday 8:1 57 .07
Saturday 84 62 .39
Sunday 85 61 .63
Monday 85 65 .08
TllfsiJav 85 63 48
HIGHLANDS
Wed . July 11 78 51 _
Thursday 76 47 ?
Friday 76 57 .49
Saturday 77 62 .13
Sunday 78 63 _
Monday 78 62 .60
Tuesday 80 62 .33
Wednesday 56 _
COWEETA
Wed.. July 11 79 47 _
Thursday 82 47 .29
Friday 83 56 .30
Saturday 82 61 trace
Sunday 84 55 .39
Monday 87 62 .56
Tuesday 84 59 trace