Newspapers / The Franklin Press and … / March 6, 1958, edition 1 / Page 2
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Ihz IfinroJtlht $res% , * mu and - ? * (Ike iHighlanfrs Jftttrititmp Second clui mall privileges authorized at Franklin, N. C. Puollshed every Thursday by The Frank 11a Press Telephone 34 "Established In 1885 As The Franklin Press" BOP 8. SLOAN J . . Publisher J. P. BRADY News Editor WEIMAR JONES Editor BOB 8. SLOAN . . . . J . . . Advertising Manager MRS. ROBERT BRYSON | g X J / Office MsnafcQf " MRS. BOB 8LOAN 1 /. < ? . t ' ' > Soviet* ?dj*df i CARL P. CABE . . Operator-Machinist FRANK A. STARR ETTE Compositor CHARLES E. WHirTINOTON ... . . . . i Pressman O. E. CRAWFORD . I Stereotype* f DAVID H. SUTTON Commercial Printer 8UBBCRIPTION RATES I OUTSIDE MACON W)DBTI One Year ... $3.00 8tx Months . ? . . 1 75 ? Three Month* . . . J . 1.00 TWO Tears . . . . ! 3.25 Three Tears .... T.50 . ? . . tt ? r Aiun vuunii One Tear . Six Months Three Months Two Tears Three Tears $2 .3d 1.71 1.00 4.2S ?.M ' MARCH ?. 1958 1 H * i 71 Somewhere . . . ? 1 v - ? -\ Somewhere, sometime, somehow,} it's , got to stqp , , I _ -? j? ' - ; . - ? Today the average citizen pays a tax on virtu* ally everything. <t ! \ After allowing a measly $50 a month per depen dent to live on, the federal 'government levies an income fax of $1 on every $5 he earns. ' The State of North Carolina, while its income tax doesn't start so low and doesn't takfe so big 'a hunk, taxes him on even the($l tJncle San) already has taken. < i I ' n -i There's a tax on his real and personal property. A tax on his balance in the bank. A tax for use of the sewer lines, A tax on gaSoline. A tax for the right to use the highways. A sales tax on purchases. And so it goes. The only thing mobody seems to have thought of is to meter the air we breathy, and charge us so much for each cubic foot we in hale. j ' J - ? ? r . 1 '? And within less than a: month here, four new taxes either have become effective or have been im posed : North Caroljna collected an extra dollar for auto mobile licenses, for its driver trailing program. The Town of Franklin collejcted an extra dollar for a toto-n auto tag. The Wildlife Commission has im posed a tax on every man, woman, and child who drops a hook in Nantahala Lake ? said to be the next-to-the-last large body of free fishing water in Macon County. And last week the National Park Service imposed a tax for driving on thcRlue Ridgt Parkway ? even the man who lives along tjic Parkway and contributed land for it must pay $1 to drive on it to the nearest gas station or grocery store. ; Two Regional Projects ? The Waynesvillc Mountaineer editorially lists tWo highway projects it suggests should he pushed by all Western North Carolina. One is the modernization of the road from Waynesvillc to Brevard and to the South Carolina line, to serve as a feeder highway from upper South Carolina. The other is modernization of the road from Sylva to Murphy, in keeping with the "dream road" now under construction from Balsam to Sylva. As The Mountaineer points out, the road jfrom Sylva to Murphy is out-dated ? it never was meant for today's traffic load, much less for the increased travel that surely is ahead. Neither project would directly affect Franklin. But Macon County is a part of the Western North Carolina unit, and any highway that serves the region serves this county, too. For not only is it true that the tourist who is attracted to Haywood County or Jackson is likely to visit Macon,, also, but we here in Macon are a part of the pver-all economy of the entire region. ' t ; i Our Letters i - ? * ' The Press takes pride in the number and quality of letters to the editor it has been privileged to ; publish recently. Intelligent discussion of public ? questions, they have been forceful and frank, but, at the same time, reasonable and tolerant. It would be hard to exaggerate the value of such discussion in making democratic government work ; we'd wel come more such letters frtfni readers. ... : '. / An illustration is the friendly" feud 'between the Carpenter brothers about "atftleticf in thi sfhQol^.1' (This week's second letter from Mr. Jack Carpen ter, in the nature of a postscript to his earlier one, was receivpdjxior to last we^'s<uiblic?|ion of that frofh Carpenler.)* Nfthgr jpulled - any. Lp mqfies^ yeijhey d^altAvikp siJbjjct in ,<rony< ^let<^gojd Hjjftior, ajjtiijes J J g fc It'is intet?!?ng to note that, although they start ed from entirely different viewpoints, thfcy seem to have come up with the sam^cOnclusior; : ? TJjere is nothing wfocifij tvithT athJetjciv in itself J .t &q prolj-i lem arises when the athletic tail tries to wag the academic dog. I mpT ^ .1 ') fn this ^cpnnection, ft seems worth poiptiAg out ) thit usfcaily it & jnpt the students <vho hdveb?en first to lose their sense of proportign, but adult^. For. often when the 'public demands a *\Vinnfhg| t<*m, it isn't the students' good the public ^ias in min3 at* all, but' its' own amusement. ^That,' of course, is a form of exploitation of Childfeh. < m! '? j Can Tell Tjheir Children (Martin Harmon lnjKings Mountain Herald) Today's youngsters are fortunate. Now they will be able to say to their space-age children, "No, today's- winters are noth ing like they once were." * 1 1 1 _ ; r, l , " : Constitutional Hodgepodge (Charlotte Observer) North Carolina's constitution is 89 years old. It has grown bulky and complex through frequent ameiidments, but it is basically the same document that was drafted in 1868. The patchwork shows. Especially in recent years, as condi tions changed rapidly and new needs developed, the amend ing process has been constant and substantial) What remains, then, is a hodge-podge of kcoAstitutiopal I^ir, some of it good, and much of it out-mode"d, that is frequent ly confusing or contradictory. -4 ' ' f v In his opening message tw the 1957 General Assenibly, Gov. Luther Hodges called for the appointment of a study commis sion to determine whether the state cqpstftuUop nged^ to be revised. The legislature authorized such a study and the com mission has now been appointed. It's a carefully chosen group ? four legislators, three at torneys, two judges, two former congressmen, an educator, an editor, a farm leader, a former ambassador. It will undertake what Is potentially one of the most im portant assignments the Assembly has authorized in recent times. The constitution ought to be written in the interest of clarity, with a view toward greater flexibility that the mod ern state requires. Basic tenets that proved good can be re tained, those that are no longer pertinent can be eliminated. It won't be any easy job. Resistance to change is still appar ent within the legislature and In many segments of the North Carolina electorate. Yet there has been recent- recdgnltion of the need for con stitutional revision, even in Raleigh. Last spring, Senators Perry Martin of Northampton and Luther Hamilton of Carte ret introduced a bill that called for a public referendum on a proposed convention to rewrite the state constitution. Under their plan, one deliate from each of. the state's 100 counties would be elected tf undertake the revision with, of course, the aid of whatever Experts they need to consult, Th Assembly, instead, authorized the appointment of'a.<etudy commission, And, whatever ftie legislative motive, thf prelim inary study provides a sound approach. . v. I l ". The commission wyi be able to pinpoint the major flaw* in the present document and to inform the voting public What revision is needed. Prom such public awareness, valuable support can develop for meaningful reform. We commend the inquiry. 1 1 1 ' Letters All Its Life Editor, Th? Press: J I ha,ve pee n Receiving and reading The Press ajl its life, and I would miss it' if I should quit now. So suppose I will just have to say, "keep it coming". I am Inclosing $3. E. N. EVAIIS Bryson City, N. C. Suggests Improvement Dear Mr. Jones: Another word about streets and roads: One of the greatest improvements in Franklin was the change to one-way streets. It is no trouble at all for traveling folks to get through. But I have in mind an improvement you could make In the appearance of the town, especially the first impression of a stranger entering Franklin. The used car lots take away a lot from the beauty of your highways, especially those on the approach to Franklin from Sylva. I am sure the owners would be glad to cooperate with the town's people, so something could be done about It. I never think of roads in Macon County without remember ing the time, in 1915, I walked from the head of Bumlng town one afternoon and then rolled a wheelbarrow, loaded with a case of dynamite, back to the mines on the Wilde place, 11 miles. Imagine anybody's doing that today! J. A. SWAFFORD Toccoa, Ga. Three Tests Dtear Weimar: In my letter ("De-emphasize Athletics", in the February 20 issue of The Press), I offered a criticism but not much of a solution. A complete solution is impossible, but I think there are some things that can be studied. Out of a class of twenty lovely and intelligent coeds, train* lng to be elementary teachers, I have four failing a course called college arithmetic, which covers what you and I had in the sixth and seventh grades. I can not turn them loose to teach in the schools, because the blind cannot lead the blind. I think three things will stand examination In any hlgtl school : f First, what proportion of those It graduates have takeg three years of mathematics, two years of a foreign language, two years of history, four years of English, and three year* of science, Including physics? And is that proportion approx imately the same proportion as those who enter college? Second, are the teachers In that high school teaching ft the same field as the one in which they majored in collegfff A man who disliked algebra in college cannot teach It In hlg? school. Third, are the parents willing for Johnny to repeat a cour# If he fail* to meet a certain standard, and are the teachers wmlngr to rigidly efiforte that stahdarfl? j i ?? u Let Johnny pl?r all the basketball and football he wishes, if he pap be a, good apademlc qtjudpnt sinful t.anpoujjly- t ,1 it / ii JA0C CARPENTER > Dahlonega, Qa. <j .-?> ?. .< i c "By The Way ? What Course Are You Steering?" Strictly Personal By Weimar jones (EDITOR'S NOTE: "How is ; 'Miss Carrie'?" many persons in quire. That oft-repeated ques tion suggested this piece.) i It's a waste of time, as far as 1 she is concerned, to put backs on chairs, for she never has been ' known to touch a chair back. ' So, when we visited her - the other day, it was not surprising to see her scorn the back rest of ; the hospital bed that has been set up in her room, at the home of , her daughter. She. .greeted ua (Sit ting bolt upright. At 93, she has been hospitalized twice within two mfcnttis.. Eatch time. I would guess, the doctors : didn't expect hef to lfave the hos pital '-alive. E&ch tfme, fehe fooled ' tliein ? And, 'I am iure. Secretly 1 chuckled at proving them wrong. ! Anyway, we found her very much alive. The tiny body is wealc But the mind grasps fact; and ifleas with the quickness and sureness of a steel trap. And the spirit within still flarrtes. * '? ' - V. I know her better than most, because it so happens she is my "Aup.t Carrie". Jt is no accident, though, that I\jrs. Lee Crawford , is "Aunt Carrie" or "Miss Carrlfc" or sometimes "Miss Tote'j to half the county. Most of the older peo ple know and love neh. Most of the younger ones &t liast know of her ? and respect and admire the little old lady who trips so gaily along the street, tier vision and hearing better than thj!t of mahy half her age. But it 19 not just her physical stamina' that has made her some thing of an institution in her na tive Macon. It is a matter of char acter. She embodies those traits ? fierce loyalty, Independence, stern honesty, determination, and cour age ? the people of the mountains most admire. Those, plus an un quenchable zest for life. Mrs. Jones and I went to North Wilkesboro to see her, hoping we could cheer her up. Well, when the visit was over, it was we who had been cheered, our spirits lift ed. She has the rare plft of having every smallest joy come as a de lightful surprise, and her appre ciation alone made the trip one of the most rewarding experiences of our lives. We were touched, too, .by the sweetness and tenderness of one mellowed by the yeans; impressed by the selflessness that prompted her, forgetful of her own ills, to ask in detail about her frieiids here ? "give them all my love"; and moved by the indomitable ?spirit that, tot more than 90 years, has forced her frail body to do its bidding, i, , . , , "I'm going to get up", she told us, firmly ? and the determination in the voice carried conviction to those who heard it ' 'i .i ?' Born near the erid of the rtvil War; she grew up at a time when poverty was the rule; and never nas life been easy for her. "JJie hardship, disappointment, and grief that have cotae her Way ( might . havg embittered or^e of weaker character. But never once has she been sorry for herself ? and -never has she allowed any body else to be. Life hasn't been hard for her for the very good reason she hasn't considered it hard. On the con trary, she has always thought of herself as fortunate. That came out, a year or two ago, in a re mark ? one of the rare occasions when she has spoken of her re ligion: "I never get up in tfie morning", she said, "without thanking God for all my many blessings." . i *? ? ? ? Prom the first, Carrie Sloan was sopetl>ing of a- rebel and a spit fire. The years have cushioned, bpt happily have not extinguish ed,, that spirit. The ,f tones of her juick repartee c*nd of her do-or-die determination- would fill a small book. There 'is tHe one about her re ply to the sometimes irascible "OIH Dr. (J. M.) Lyle" Seeing her, a tiny girl, dressed all in yellow, called, "Good jnorping. Miss llowjacket". ' Quick as a flash came the answer: "Good morning, Mn Hornet". There is the one about the time she was determined not to be "found", when the game was hide and-seek.. She was found only whe& a passerby rushed Into the Sloan home to alarm the family ?-she was hanging by her fingers to the outer ledge of a second story window* There was -the occasion when one of a group of teasing boys, on thi way to school, kissed her little-girl oldir sister ? whose dig nity waS outraged. The sister was lame, so small Carrie took charge. Armed with rocks, she drove the entire group of boys to the very top of a nearby tree. Then, there was the time, when she was in her 70's, that 'a vicious bull got into the cornfield on the Crawford farm. Everybody who was at home was afraid of him. Everybody, that is, but "Miss Car rie", who, as far as her friends know, never has feared anything. Picking up a pitchfork, she march ed determinedly after the bull; and that animal, evidently realiz ing he was out-matched, marched meekly to the barn and into his stall. 1 And there is the filler Family Meeting picnic dihner story. At that annual reunion, a table is set for the elderly fan0 infirm. But "Miss Tote" has nkvA been found there. "Sit at the old iolks table? Not me!" Instead, she always gravitates toward a young group ? persons nearer her own spiritual age. : 4 1 Even those who ettjoy them most often find these family gath erings somewhat exhausting. But not she! It has become a custom, in recent years, for a group to gather in some home.veach Fam ily Meeting night, fa* music; and usually the star performer is "Cousin Carrie", at the piano. For an hour or more, sh ?? creates a pleasantly nostalgic atmosphere, as one old favorite follows anoth er?all played by ear< Finally, there was the Franklin Centennial Ball, in 1955, when she was 90. She had Just been crown ed Queen (Mr. Ernest Rankin was King). The band Struck up an old-fashioned waltz, affd a nephew asked her to dance. Everybody else stopped dancing, to watch, and a hush fell as she moved across the floor, graceful and charming as a girl . ; and danced the waltz through. '' ? ? ? How has she stayed so young so long? The record of her life seems to suggest several things ? by never taking It easy, by never being afraid, by never ceasing to laugh. But when someone once asked her for her own recipe, her ans wer was as prompt as It was to the-point: "Never give up!" She never has ... and never will. DO YOU REMEMBER? v Looking Backward Through the Files of The Press 65 TEARS AGO THIS WEEK (1893) > A trio of lightning rod salesmen struck the town Saturday. Capt. W. P. Moore, of Clay county, was In town two or three days of last week. Mr. Ray introduced a bill In the legislature the 24th ult to incorporate the Harriman, Franklin and South Atlantic rail road. Plow points 25 and 30 cents at the Hardware. ? Adv. 25 TEARS AGO (1933) Although the state banking holiday expired Monday, the Bank of Franklin remained closed Thursday under the na tion-wide bank moratorium ordered by President Roosevelt. At a regular meeting of Nequassa Chapter No. 43, Order of the Eastern Star, Thursday evening, Mrs. George Dean was elected worthy matron. Pay of the commissioners of Macon County is limited to )12 a month, plus travel expenses to and from the place of meet ing, under terms of a bill passed by the legislature. ? f.' 1 1# YEAltS AGO .f*:< t. TJje Board, of County Commissioner? Monday ordered is ^uancq pt $4,0flO,OOQ in bonds ''tor the building of school build - | lngs. In yprious conjfn unities throughout Macon, Co up ty". The bonds wefe voted )>y the people more th#n two yevs ago. pUsa Ann f.yle and Miss Marie Jenn^pgs &fe tly; honor stu dents or the 1948 graduating class of tfcje Franklin Hl^h School.
The Franklin Press and the Highlands Maconian (Franklin, N.C.)
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March 6, 1958, edition 1
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