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71st Year No. 32
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, August 9, 1956
Sixteen Pages
These four "human beans" were among the thousands of "critters" who poured into High
lands for "Hillbilly Day". T.hey are (t to R) J. T. Mitchell, of Atlanta, Ga., Mr. and Mrs. T. E.
Florence, also of Atlanta, an,d E. M. Brady, of Highlands and Eustls, Fla.
CAUGHT! ? Hunter Young;, well-known county music Im
presario, found his measure of fame didn't exempt him from that
dreaded, "Hillbilly Day" law. "Depooties" promptly tossed him in
the "stockaid" and fined him for being "uncommonly ctrassed".
A Shade Tree Is
What They Want
Asheville Council
To Meet In Macon;
Supper Is Planned
Know of a good shade tree
close by?
Preferably one that lends It
self to municipal musings?
Then point It out to Asheville
Mayor Earl W. Eller and his
councilmen.
They'll be In Macon County
this (Thursday) afternoon for
their regular weekly meeting.
The city officials will be
among more than SO business
men from Asheville who are
coming here for a three
pronged program of tour-dls
cussion-dinner at Holly Springs,
the local community that walk
ed off with top prize money in
last year's W. N. C. Rural Com
munity Development Contest.
The visiting businessmen are
those who donated prize money
to the contest and the picnic
dinner they'll be served this
evening at the community
building will be the commun
ity's gesture of thanks.
As for Mayor Eller and his
councilmen, It's their regular
meeting day anyway ...
. . and they've heard a lot
about the kind of food those
Holly Springs women spread on
the table," according to Morris
L. McGough, manager of the
Asheville Agricultural Develop
ment Council, one of the con
test sponsors.
"They plan to hold their
meeting under a shade tree at
Holly Springs," he declared.
Councilmen expected include
W. P. Algary, Robert I. Press
ley, C. E. Morgan, Theodore
Sumner. Frank Mulvaney, and
J. W. McRary. City Manager J.
Weldon Weir also Is supposed
to make the trip.
County Agent T. H. Fagg,
Mrs. Florence S. Sherrill, home
agent, and Woodrow Franklin,
of Holly Springs, are scheduled
to meet the motorcade bring
ing the visitors about 4 o'clock
SEE NO. 2. PAGE 10
Walker, Old Fort Native,
Is New Assistant Agent
Clark Walker, a native of Old I
Fort, has taken over the duties
of assistant county agent here.
He succeeds James O. Flan
agan, who resigned earlier in
the summer to enroll at the
University of Georgia.
Mr. Walker is a graduate of
N. C. State College, Class of
1955, and has received his
master's degree from the Uni
versity of Wisconsin. He learn
ed a good bit about Macon
County through Charts Thom
as, Eugene Gray, and Bill
Teague, local boys frho were
his classmates at State.
The new agent Is living In
the Leach Apartments.
Mr. Walker
Hillbillies
By Thousands
Here On 'Day
Highlands successfully weath
ered the festive spirits of some
7,000 souls who poured Into the
small resort town Wednesday of
last week for "Hillbilly Day".
And it was undoubtably the
weirdest assortment of "human
beans" in the five-year history
of the annual burlesque of the
Hollywood-like hillbilly.
With the first peep of the
sun over the ridge, "critters"
started appearing along Main
Street and by "ham and aig"
time were cavorting uninhibit
ed along the sidewalks.
They were "well hole deep"
along the street for the morn
ing "Parade of Hillbillies" and
jammed the roped-off section
of town to the afternoon for
an old timey string band con
test among more than 25 out
fits, most of them members of
the Jimmy Rogers Society of
Country Music. The bands rep
resented about 15 states.
However, the winner of .the
society's "Hillbilly Day" award
was a local musician, Lester
(Les) Waldroop, who has ap
peared on several radio and
TV programs and has recorded
some of his own songs. As the
winner of the award, he also
will be signed by R. C. A. for
recordings at an early date.
From the teeming mass of
hillbillies, Fred Borton, of High
lands and Miami, Fla., and Mrs.
Carol Miller, of Atlanta, Ga.,
were selected by the judges and
crowned "Country Squire" and
"Highlands Belle". The junior
titles went to Charles Baty and
Betty Wilson, both of Highlands.
Scaly's entry took top hon
ors in the parade.
Mrs. Charles Gonsolln, of
Winchester, Tenn., unleashed a
leathery set of lungs to cop the
'56 hog-calling contest.
Those with a reserve supply
of energy closed out the annual
"stomp-down" at a free street
dance that night.
Mathis Youth
Learns Judge
Is His Friend
James Dudley Mathis, the 17
year-old boy who was found
guilty last week of Involuntary
manslaughter In the rifle death
of his father, has a friend in
Judge Zeb V. Nettles.
The judge first sentenced the
youth to 3'/2-5 years in a first
offenders' camp after the jury
returned its verdict Wednesday
afternoon of last week.
Later, however, in a gesture
of compassion toward the
slightly-built boy, the judge
suspended the sentence for five
years and ordered him admit
ted to the Eastern Carolina
Training School for Boys.
Sheriff J. Harry Thomas
took young Mathis and another
local youth, Doyle Gene Dills, to
the training school Tuesday.
Recesscs Tuesday
Judge Nettles recessed the
court term about noon on
Thursday and returned to his
home tn Asheville
Except for four divorce ac
tions, the civil docket for the
short term was continued to
December by the Judge on
agreement with attorneys.
BALLOTING
MACHINERY
IS STARTED
Barnard Advertises
For September Vote
On - State Amendments
Legal machinery is now in
motion for the general election
on September 8 to place con
stitutional amendments before
the voters.
J. Lee Barnard, chairman of
the Macon County Board of
Elections, through a legal ad
vertisement in this issue, is
notifying the voters that regis
tration books for the election
will be open in each precinct
for the next three Saturdays,
August U, 18, and 25. Satur
day, September 1, will be chal
lenge day.
Since the September ballot
ing has been termed a general
election, Mr. Barnard said the
use of absentee ballots will be
permitted.
Several proposed amend
ments passed by the General
Assembly in regular session will
be put to the voters in the
election, in addition to the one
dealing with the segregation
problem, which was adopted by
the state's lawmakers in special
session week before last.
(The salient features of each
amendment will be covered in
later Issues of this newspaper
for the convenience of the vot
ing public. ? Editor.)
CARSON SETS PICNIC
The Carson Community De
velopment Organization will
hold its regular meeting Friday,
August 10, beginning with a
picnic at 7 o'clock.
FELLOWSHIP SUPPER
A fellowm'.ip supper will be
held at the Union Methodist
Church for the Macon circuit
Saturday night, beginning at
7:30 o'clock. Everyone is invit
ed to come and bring a cover
ed dish.
Folk Festival
Draws Crowds,
Despite Rain
Mountain music and dancing
overrode the attendance- killing
power of rainy weather Thurs
day, Friday, and Saturday
nights as more than 3,800 men,
women, and children took in
the fifth annual Macon County
Folk Festival.
In spite of a steady drizzle
most of Thursday evening, an
estimated 800 kept their seats in
the outdoor high school stadium
and applauded the wide variety
of entertainment as it warmed
up for the three-night festival.
Friday night, rain clouds
hanging ominously over the
stadium were Ignored by an
audience of some 1,200.
Saturday night's performance
was rained out of the stadium
when a steady downpour began
SEE NO. 5. PAGE 10
Jaybirds And Wildcats
Are In League Play-Offs
Championship playoffs are
now under way between the two
top Little League teams here
following the close of the sea
son Saturday.
Outcome of the first clash be
tween the Jaybirds and the
Wildcats yesterday (Wednes
day) afternoon was not known
at presstime.
The two teams will meet
again Saturday at 5 p. m. at
the Little League field at East
Franklin. If they are still tied
after this meeting, a third
SEE NO. 4, PAGE 10
Welcome Wagon' Rolls To Newcomers
Franklin's "Welcome Wagon" rolled out for the first time last week to greet newcomers Dr.
and Mrs. James H. Fisher and their two daughters. A veterinarian. Dr. Fisher has purchased the
late Dr. O. H. Burnside's residence and animal hospital. Sam Gibson (left) and J. L. West are
shown explaining the "Welcome Wagon" plan to Mrs. Fisher and her daughters, Nancy Lee. 6,
and Frances Elaine, 2. Under the program, new families receive about $63 In merchandise cer
tificates from local stores. Dr. Fisher Is a native or Clayton, Ga., and a graduate of the Univer
sity of Georgia.
Fast-stepping couples of the Franklin .Square Dancers heed the caller's command for "a big
circle, goin' left". The team performed all three nights of the annual .Macon County Folk Fes
tival.
Baptist Opening
Gathering Today
Are Meeting With
Burningtown Church;
Cartoogechaye Friday
With the theme, "The Light
of the World is Jesus", the Ma
con Baptist Association opens
its 53rd annual meeting this
(Thursday) morning at the
Burningtown church.
Tonight at 7:30, the associa
tion will go to the Iotla church
for a special service with the
Rev. Thad Robert Dowdle, of
Longvlew, and the Rev. John R.
Willis, pastor of the Mount
Hope church, in charge.
Tomorrow's session will be at
the Cartoogechaye church.
Starts At 9
This morning's opening meet
ing will be called to order at
9 o'clock by the association
moderator, the Rev. M. W.
Chapman, pastor of the First
church in Franklin. Reports on
activities on local and state
levels are to be featured.
Following a prayer by the
Rev. John R. Willis, the weU
come will be given by the Rev.
Judson Duvall, pastor of the
host church.
Scheduled to make reports on
the local level are Mrs. C. T.
Taylor, enrollment and statis
tics; the Rev. C. T. Taylor,
order of business and mission
ary's report; Mrs. Ruby Young,
orphanages; the Rev. Eugene
Walter, Baptist literature and
American Bible Society; the
Rev. C. C. Welch, hospital; the
Rev. M. W. Chapman, minis
ters' retirement; the Rev. M. C.
Wyatt, cooperative program;
the Rev. Arvil Swafford, evan
gelism and assignments; Mrs.
Roy M. Biddle, Baptist Student
Union; Mrs. Vernon Higdon,
executive committee and treas
urer's reports; J. C. Jacobs, fi
nance committee; J. H. Brook
shire, missions committee; and
Mrs. Fred Corbin, resolutions.
Cloer To Preach
At 11:30, the Rev. W. A. doer,
pastor of the Cartoogechaye
church, will deliver the mission
ary message.
Lunch will be served at noon.
Adjournment in the after
noon is set for 3:30.
Among state Baptist officials
scheduled on the program today
SEE NO. 6, PAG3 10
Coach Issues
GHd Summons
Aitnougn true present weatn
er doesn't lend itself to over
coats and victory yells, football
nevertheless will start Tuesday
afternoon at Franklin High
School.
At 2 p. m.. Coach Dick Stott
plans to start handing out
practice uniforms and equip
ment to his lettermen and at
3 to other interested boys. He
expects about 60 boys to report
out.
Practice for the coming sea
son will get under way the fol
lowing day. From then until
school opens, practices will be
held twice daily, at 7:30 a. m.
and 4 p. m., the coach said.
A home game on September
7 with Clyde Erwin High School
(Buncombe County) is Frank
lin's first game.
Coach Stott said he will be
ready to release the full 10
game schedule next week.
The Weather
Thn week's temrv-ntu-r* rind rainfall. aa
Iworded in Franklin hy Mfn?on
(T ?; nhccrvi": in H'rhland* Hv
TmHo- N Hn'l nil W C Neuron. TV A
obsprver; and at the Coweta Hydrolouie
laboratory.
FRANKLTN
Temperatures
Hisrh Low Ralr
Wed.; Aug. 1 88 6? .13
Thursday no P6
Friday 87 84 .05
Saturday 86 67 trace
Sunday 01 62 .69
Monday 92 66
Tuesday 86 57 ?
HIGHLANDS
Wed.. Aug. 1 76 60
Thursday 79 61 ?
Friday 73 60 _
Saturday 72 63 ?
Sunday 82 65 .27
Monday 86 67 _
Tuesday 82 60 ?
COW BETA
Wed . Aug. 1 84 58 trace
Thursday 87 62 trace
Friday 83 59 trace
Saturday 83 65 trace
Sunday 88 63 .06
Monday 90 58 _
Tuesday 85 55