Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / July 18, 1957, edition 1 / Page 2
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(Jit* Jfitnnkiin p reas and Mujblan&a JHataniait Second claai mail privileges authorized at Frsnkltn. N C. Puollshed every Thursday by The Franklin Press Telephone 24 WEIMAR JONES Editor BOB S SLOAN Advertising Manager J P BRADY ... News Editor-Pbotographec ROLPE NEILL Reporter MRS ALLEN SILER . Society Editor Office Ma nagei CARL P CABE Operator-Machinist PRANK A STARRSTTE Compositor CHARLES E. WHITTINOTON Pressman O E CRAWFORD ? . . 8tereotyper DAVID H SUTTON Commeiclal Printer SUBSCRIPTION RATES Outbids Macon Coctntt Insios Macon Coontt One Year $3.00 One Year Six Months Three Months Two fears Three Years 1.75 100 5 23 7.50 Six Months Three Months Hko Years Three Years 12 JO 1.75 1.00 4.25 6.00 JULY 18, 1951 Perennial Problem The Press welcomes the thoughtful letter on this page from Mr. Harmon H. Gnuse, Jr. The more this problem is discussed, the sooner something will he done about if. It may be, as Mr. Gnuse suggests, that the best solution of Franklin's perennial water supply prob lem is more wells. At the least, the suggestion de serves careful and open-minded consideration be fore it is dismissed. As officials and the people of the community study the problem, we submit these suggestions for consideration : 1. While we would be the last to urge hasty ac tion, it is high time we hit on a solution and went to work to put it into effect. 2. Before any long-range program is adopted, every possible plan should be carefully examined. One plan with much to recommend it would be a controlled watershed ? or a series of such water sheds. So far as we have been able to observe, that solution never has been seriously considered. It has been discussed, it is true; but usually the discussion began and ended with reasons why it couldn't be done. Nobody has really gone out, with an open mind, and looked to see if it is feasible. 3. Whatever program is adopted, lower water rates should be a major objective. It is ridiculous, in a land of abundant water, to penalvze a man for washing the sidewalk in front of his place of busi ness or for beautifying his home grounds by water ing lawn and flowers. Our present water rates do just that. By Public Clamor In Clinton, Ten n., 16 persons are on trial for crim inal contempt of court. They are charged with in terfering with the carrying* out of a school integra tion court order. ' \ What the verdict will be nobody knows. But everybody knows what the reaction will be if the defendants are acquitted. From Boston to San Francisco, there will be cries of outraged anguish. And the volume and intensity of those cries will have no relation whatever to the evidence brought out at the trial. (Try to imagine nation-wide praise for the jurors for having examined the evidence and found it insufficient for conviction!) Well, there's a good chance there'll be some con victions. And again this is probable without regard to what the evidence shows. For the nation-wide protest, should the defen dants be acquitted, is so taken for granted in ad vance, it would be remarkable if the jurors did not, subconsciously, feel it expedient to convict one or two, as an appeasement measure. Unhappily, this is only one of a long series of in cidents ? some of them unrelated to segregation that suggest we are moving farther and farther to ward government, and justice, by public clamor. Few Are Overpaid This newspaper is not qualified to pass on the merits or demerits of individual salary raises re cently granted by the county commissioners and the Franklin board of aldermen. ?Generally speaking, however, we think the gov ? ?erning bodies should be congratulated for recogniz ing that inflation hits public servants, as well as the rest of us. With living costs what they are, we suspect more officials arc underpaid than overpaid. To that, we would add a long-time conviction: The way to have good government is to pay of ficials well, and then demand outstanding perfor mance. Note To Motorists (Industrial Press) Anger is only one letter short of danger. Definition (Aztec, N. M. Independent) The boss Is the fellow ,wha spends all his tine working for the government and the hired help. Letters Franklin's Water Supply Problem (EDITOR'S NOTE: Mr. Gnuse is a member of the Franklin Board of Aldermen and of the board's water committee. He explains, however, that what appears be low is a personal expression.) Dear Weimar: It can undoubtedly be said without fear of contradiction that so far as the town water supply is concerned the citizens desire water of good quality, in sufficient quantity, and at minimum cost. It also is probably true that sveryone will agree that well water, which does not have to be chlorinated, is of the highest quality obtainable (unless a producing well is defec tive and in need of repairs as is presently the case with one of the seven town wells.) Unfortunately, the citizens are not in agreement with respect to the quantity of water presently available and the cost thereof. In an effort to obtain facts from which answers to these questions can be formulated, a study has been made of the available water consumption rec ords for the period from October, 1963, to date, and an an alysis has been made of the production capacity of the wells which have been in service since 1947. To the writer, the information which follows in this letter indicates that .wells, as such, have not proven inadequate to serve the town but merely that not sufficient wells have been added in order to maintain a reserve supply to meet the in creased demands of residential, commercial, and industrial growth. It is a well-known fact that seldom has a new well been drilled until after a critical shortage has been experi enced and many of the citizens severely inconvenienced there by. These conclusions were arrived at from the following sta tistics : WATER REQUIREMENTS The tabulation for the water consumption from the period October, 1953, to date indicated that, except for one large in dustrial user which first obtained service in June, 1955, there has been only a very slight Increase in monthly consumption from year to year. However, the data consistently showed that the maximum usage of water is during the months of July and August when approximately 6,500,000 gallons per month are consumed, as compared with 5,000,000 gallons per month for the winter and early spring periods. (These figures exclude the one large industrial consumer. ? The major increase in demand during recent years has been from one industry which in May, 1957, consumed slightly in excess of 2,000,000 gallons, or approximately 27 per cent of the total production for the month. A review of the production capacity during the nine-year period (1947-1956) shows that there were only two new wells added during the period ? one early in 1947 and the othpr in 1952. These two wells produced approximately 145 gallons per minute (gpm) as compared with about 130 gpm which was be ing produced before 1947 by the three then existing wells. All of the growth in water requirements from 1947 until April, 1957, was provided for by this 145 gpm. In 1956 the one new large industrial customer was consuming water at an Average rate of 35 gpm which left a balance of 110 gpm to meet the increased demand of the remainder of the town during the nine-year period. This means that normal load growth re quired only 12 gpm of added capacity per year. Such in creased requirements could be met easily by the addition of one well every year even if it were only equal In capacity to the poorest producer of the town's well. COMPARATIVE COST OF WATER PRODUCTION How does the cost of water produced from wells compare with that of water obtained from a filter plant or a drainage basin? The answer can be determined approximately by com paring the actual recorded cost of producing water from the Franklin wells with the estimated cost of water produced from a filter plant or a drainage basin, which estimate was made for the Town of Franklin in November 1956 by a firm of municipal and civil engineers, namely, the Harwood Beebe Company. The five wells drilled since 1947, including the cost of the dry hole and the cost of connecting the wells to the city mains, required an Investment of $20,933. These wells produced a measured output of 200 gpm which made the average cost per gallon of capacity, including the cost of the dry hole, $105. The average capital outlay during the nine-year period would therefore have been $2,100 per year. Incidentally, the latest well provided water at a cost of $82 per gallon even though the output of the well was only 30 gpm. The engineering study indicated that a 700 gpm filter plant with the necessary piping to connect the plant to the present water system would cost approximately $280,000, or $400 per gallon of capacity. There would be an additional op erating cost of l*/2c per thousand gallons for chemicals, and the expense of a full-time attendant while the plant was In operation. The engineering firm also indicated that the cost of obtaining water from surface drainage areas would be even greater than the cost of a filter plant. A comparison of the cost of obtaining water from wells versus a filter plant clearly shows that In the past ten years the cost of water from wells has required an investment of only one-fourth the cost per gallon of capacity as would be necessary for filter plant water. Also, a filter plant must nec essarily be planned large enough at the outset to provide for the requirements many years in the future and, therefore, the cost of water actually used .from the filter plant In the near future would be much more than four times the cost of water from wells. In fact, if Franklin were able to borrow the $280, 000 on the basis of a 40-year loan repayable In equal annual installments for the sum of the principal and interest, these yearly payments would be approximately $14,000, and at the end of the 40-year period it is probable that the plant would have served Its useful life. Adding to the $14,000 the expense of a full-time attendant, It is evident that the yearly cost for such installation would be at least $17,000 to provide water which has been provided In the past for an investment of $2,100 per year. To pay for such an Installation would re quire either a 45 per cent increase in water rates or a 42 per cent increase in the tax rate. These figures should clearly in dicate that until the water requirements of Franklin are con siderable larger than they are at present, there is no reason to become panicked into making such a large investment as would be required by a filter plant or surface drainage basin. GENERAL CONCLUSIONS OF STUDY Summarizing the findings, it would appear that it should be possible to obtain water of excellent quality, In adequate quantity, and at a minimum cost through the use of wells, at least for the foreseeable future. It is true that at some future date, after there are many more wells than at present, It may be found that new wells merely rob water from existing wells instead of Increasing the total available supply. Until that time is reached, it appears that Franklin can economically spend to advantage much more money per year for producing water from wells than It has In the past. Certainly, steps should be taken to provide a reserve capacity at least equal to the production of the present largest well. This reserve would not only permit maintenance of existing pumping equipment when such work becomes necessary, but would also be sufficient to take care of an Immediate substantial Increase In the demand of now existing or prospective users. H. H. GNUSE, Jr. Franklin. "Heads I Win Tails They Lose w. STRICTLY ? ' Personal If you really look at what your eyes see, and then compare it with what you've seen somewhere else, travel, no matter how short the distance, always is interesting and enlightening. I've found. And that goes double for a trip Mrs. Jones and I took the other day. We speak of "from Murphy to Manteo"; well, we drove from Franklin to Nags Head. And Nags Head is on the Outer Banks, be yond Manteo. The distance was 540 miles; from thfe western tip of Cherokee County, it must be 600 miles across the state. We drove for the very good reason that's about the only way you can get to Nags Head. You can't get there by train: the bus schedule is hopeless; and the air service is extraordinary indeed. VIEWS . . . By BOB SLOAN A good example of the type of thing the present Board of Aldermen could consider to help improve the parking situation is the project completed this Spring by the Bank of Frank lin, Macon County Supply Com pany, and the First Baptist Church of Franklin. Taking the area which lay behind their buildings and which was not being used for anyone's bene fit, at a reasonable cost, they provided parking space for sev eral hundred cars. Congratula tions to all three. Another area or two like this would be a great help here. * ? * The other day on our Wed nesday morning raido program over WFSC I quoted a verse from one of the ads Trpy Horn, former resident ran twenty years ago in The Franklin Press to advertise his shoe shop. Six people called within a few min utes to identify, but Mrs. Frank Murray, Jr., was first. Note to all advertisers ? a unique style really pays off. Look how long people remembered Mr. Horn's ads. ? ? * I see by The Press that the town Is setting up more money In their budget this year for the building of sidewalks. Three places that they are badly needed are: From Highway US 23 and 441 In East Franklin to the East Franklin school; from the Intersection of Phillips and Palmer streets to Frank Reece's store on US 64, West; along Wayah street in the Bonny Crest section. ? ? ? Does anyone have a sugges tion as to something else the Beautlflcation Committee could do to help Improve the looks of the town of Franklin? Here's what the airlines told me I about flying: "You can fly from Asheville to Elizabeth City (some , 30 or 30 miles from Nags Head) j but you can't fly back." To get i , flight back, requires a trip to i Norfolk, Va! The trip re-emphasized some- , thing that has often impressed ( me ? what a long state North , Carolina is, and how far Franklin ' is from most of it. A glance at ; the map shows we were farther , away from home at Nags Head than we would have been had we gone to Chicago, instead. A little study of the map shows, ! too. that Franklin is closer to the , capitals of some half a dozen other ! states than it is to Raleigh. Air- j line, we in Franklin are nearer the ? capitals of West Virginia, Ken- ] tucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Geor gia, and South Carolina than we are to the capital of our own , state. Many things impress me. when I travel east in North Carolina. J It is remarkable how quickly ^ you get out of the mountains: you , see them last down about Hickory. , And while Hickory seems a long , way from Franklin, it's only a ^ short jump, when you're going . all the way across the state. And I am equally surprised at how long it takes to get out of the hills; having left the mountains, I always expect to quickly get to flat country. But you drive up one hill and down another until you've gone a considerable way By WEIMAR JONES beyond Raleigh. Then it does get flat; so flat, you wonder that the whole of Eastern North Carolina isn't inun dated every time there's a high ;ide. Incidentally, it always interests me the way we, here in the moun tains, have been inclined to go around hills, when we built roads, while down in the Piedmont their roads go up and down, Instead of around, thus making their high ways relatively straight. Among the surprising things I saw in Eastern North Carolina was what appeared to be remark able progress toward crop diversi fication. I had expected to see nothing but cotton and tobacco. Well, our route took us through little cotton, and while there was much tobacco, we saw miles and miles of corn, and other miles of sweet potatoes. I think we in the mountains are ahead of the East in some respects. I saw many more un painted houses than we have up here; our attractive mailboxes and road markers are completely absent. And I saw a lot of out door toilets. Comparison on the latter point, though, is hardly fair; because our gravity flow of water makes modern sanitary facilities a much simpler matter. Of all the towns we passed through, one stands out in my mind. Most towns are much like See Back Page First Section DO YOU REMEMBER? Looking Backward Through the Files of The Press 65 TEARS AGO THIS WEEK (1892) County Supt. of Public Schools L. H. Garland conducted the examination of teachers in the courthouse last Thursday and Friday. There were about 40 teachers in attendance, of whom seven were colored. A brand new little girl took board at George Guest's house last Thursday evening. The republicans held a county convention in the courthouse last Saturday and selected C. C. Henry, G. A. Kinsland, W. L. Higdon, and John Jolley as delegates to the congressional and judicial conventions. E. H. Franks, Coon Cochran, S. J. May, John Fulton, R. F. Jarrett, and Mr. Higdon were selected as delegates to the senatorial convention at Murphy. 25 YEARS AGO (1932) The Siler family reunion, an annual event in the family for several generations, will be held Aug. 4 at the home of James M. Gray, on Ellijay. The reunion was held last year at Camp Nikwasi. Mr. and Mrs. John Burleson, of East Franklin, announce the marriage of their daughter, Miss Pearl Burleson, to Mr. Homer Mashburn, of Cartoogechaye, in Clayton, Ga., Saturday, June 25. Doyle Blaine, son of Mrs. Dave Blaine, who has been attend ing summer school at Mars Hill, returned home last week. 1# YEARS AGO A 22-inch brown trout, weighing 3 'A pounds, was exhibited in Franklin Wednesday by Arthur Stanfield, of Culla&aja. The fish was caught by him in the Chatuge River with a live Cricket on a snail hook. Through the use of a recently-purchased bus, the Telllco Baptist Church has more than tripled Its Sunday School at tendance in less than a month. Prior to the purchase of the new vehicle, the "walking attendance" at Sunday school was 35 members. Last Sunday, three weeks after the first bus run, 112 were present. Robert R. Oalnes was Installed as president of the Franklin Lions Club Monday night. Other officers installed were W .v. Swan, Johnnie Kusterer, Q. B. Woodward, E. L. Hyde, Orover Jamison, Jr., Pritchard Smith, Jr., D. A. 8tewart, C. H. Bolton, J. Ward Long, and C. N. Dowdle.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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July 18, 1957, edition 1
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