Net Paid
CIRCULATION
Last Week
3048
Wht ffanJcHtt ff*f #
Wh? Ifabhrata Baconian
? ON THE INSIDE
*? v
? IT S GOING TO COST
MORE TO WRITE
For Details
See Page 5
1
73rd Year ? No. 28
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, July 10, 1958
Price 10 Cents
Twelve Page*
Franklin Tax Rate Boosted 15 Cents To $1.35
NO RECESSION HERE -
Business Appears
Better Than In '57
There's rvo general business recession here.
And if there has been one, it's a thing of the past.
That is suggested by every one of a number of usually reliable
indices, applied to local business.
Receipts at the Franklin post
Office are up. So are bank de
posits. So are Building and Loan
savings. And 1958 tax payments
are coming in at a rapid clip.
Postal receipts here indicate
that business was off the first
quarter of 1958, but the decline
was more than evened up the sec
ond quarter.
Postal receipts from January 1
through March 31 of this year
totaled $7,670.73, Postmaster Zeb
Meadows reported. This compared
with $8,120.25 for the same period
a year ago, a drop this year of
$449.55.
During the second 1958 quarter,
though, the figure was $8,601.03,
as compared with $8,132.94 for
?he second quarter of 1957 ? an
increase of $468.09.
That put 1958 ahead of 1957,
for the first half of the year, by
$18.54. For the first six months
of this year, taken as a whole,
therefore, postal business was not
off, but a shade better than last.
Deposits (savings and checking
accounts combined > in the Bank
of Franklin, showed a gain during
the first six months of this year
of $149,815.
This compared with a gain of
only $39,232 for the first six
months of 1957. The gain during
the past six months, however, was
less than that for the last six
months of 1957, when the increase
was $248,843.
In each of the six-month peri
ods. both checking accounts and
savings showed gains.
Figures compiled by Henry W.
Cabe. cashier, show the totals on
deposit at the end of each of the
last four half-years:
Dec. 31, 1956
June 30, 1957
Dec. 31, 1957
June 30, 1958
$2,366,585
$2,405,817
$2,654,660
$2,804,475
Savings deposited in the Macon
County Building and Loan Asso
ciation went up, the first six
months of this year, by $99.588 ?
an average Increase of nearly $18,
000 a month.
Total savings in the Building
and Loan January 1 of this year
were $1,169,806. it was learned
from R. S. Jones, secretary-treas
urer. The figure had grown to
$1,269,394 by June 30.
Approximately a third of the
1958 county taxes, though not due
till October 1, have already been
paid, according to Thomas A.
(Tom) Henson. county tax collect
or. Most of this sum ? $88,266.55
through June ? has come in from
large taxpayers, interested in sav
ing the 2 per cent discount given
if taxes are paid prior to July 1.
(The discount is 1 V2 per cent on
taxes paid during July, and 1 per
cent in August and September.)
Schools Will
Start Year
August 27
All Macon County schools, ex
cept the one at Highlands, will
open Wednesday. August 27.
The 1958 opening date was set
by the County Board of Education
at its monthly meeting Monday
morning.
The Highlands date was left
undetermined. Since its tourist
season continues till Labor Day.
the Highlands' school opening us
ually is later than elsewhere in
the county.
The board also formally adopt
ed its 1958-59 budget; voted to pay
teachers, as was done last year,
on the 20th of each month, start
ing September 20f and decided to
continue its membership in the
State School Board Association.
Fifty-eight cents of the county
tax levy Is allotted to schools,
under the new county budget ? 10
cents more than last year. Of this
amount, 50 cents will go for cur
rent expenses and 8 cents for cap
ital outlay. (Last year's figures
were 42 cents jmd 6 cents. >
Most of the increased revenue
to be devoted to operating ex
penses. school officials said, will
go for janitorial and instructional
supplies, building repairs, repairs
and replacements of furniture and
cf plumbing and heating equip
ment.
During the past year, income
from the capital outlay levy, as
well as court fines and forfeitures,
which go to the schools, has all
gone to reduce the current debt.
Supt. H. Bueck told the board.
That debt, he said, has been cut
since last July from roughly $35.
000 to $7,398.15.
Advanced First
Aid Classes ,
To Be Held Here
A first aid training class for
ativancS- students will be conducts
ed by Mack Ray Whitaker and
Carl Tysinger next week. Any
person who holds a standard first
aid certificate is eligible and in
vited to attend these classes, they
said.
The first class will be held at
the town fire hall Monday at
7:30 p.m.
Patrols Join Doctors In Losing Fight
To Save Highlands Baby's Life
HIGHLANDS ? A long, hard
fight to keep a baby breathing
ended in defeat here Sunday. Just
when the battle appeared won,
the little boy's heart stopped ?
for the second tinje ? and the
war was lost.
Doctors from three different
cities and the highway batrol of
two states were among forces en
gaged.
Eighteen months-old William
Philo Neely, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Philo Neely, of the Clear Creek
Community, entered the High
lands Community Hospital last
Thursday. Suffering from a viral
Infection of the breathing appa
ratus, he was black when he ar
rived. Dr. C. M. Berry, Highlands
physician said. An emergency
operation was performed to Insert
a tube in his windpipe.
By Friday, a form of pneumonia
? that "antibiotics wouldn't touch"
had developed, and Saturday the
infant-size tube became clogged.
An adult-size tube was available
in Highlands, but no Intermediate.
Dr. Murdock Equen. head of the
Ppnce de Leon Ear. Nose, and
Throat Infirmary in Atlanta, who
was In Highlands on vacation,
was called in and suggested the
Intermediate-size tube be obtained
from Atlanta.
Within two hours and 45 min
utes after the call was made to
Atlanta, the Highway Patrol had
the tube In Highlands ? a dis
tance of about 140 miles. The
Georgia Patrol brought It to the
state line, where Patrolman H.
T. Ferguson, of Franklin, picked
it up and took it on to Highlands.
Saturday night, the Neely baby's
temperature stood at 108'i, the
highest. Dr. Berry said, he had
ever seen.
But Sunday morning mere seem
ed marked improvement.
Then, at 10:50 Sunday morning,
the baby's heart stopped beating.
Dr. Berry and Dr. David Daniel,
pediatrician of Sylva, who had
been called in on the case, opened
the chest and massaged the heart
into action.
Meanwhile, the dotcors were
"breathing" for the baby with an
anesthesia machine.
At 2:30 Sunday afternoon, the
tired small heart stopped again.
CENTER TO OPEN
The Franklin youth center, in
the basement of the Town build
ing. will not open Friday night
until 9 o'clock, after th? revival
services at the Angel Tabernacle.
PLAN BAKE SALE
The Women's Auxiliary of St.
Agnes Episcopal Church will hold
Its monthly bake sale tomorrow
(Friday) at the Children's Shop.
The sale will begin at 9 o'clock.
CROWD VIEWS SACK RACE FINALS
A part of the crowd, estimated at 1,500 here lor the July Fourth festivities last Friday, is
shown here, as they watch the sack race finals. The two girls who appear sure winners tripped
and fell, and the two boys shown in the backgro und came out in front. This photograph was
made from the top of trie Nantahala Building, looking south toward the county jail.
(Staff Photo i
Observer
This young man, photograph
ed on Franklin's Main Street
last Friday, is taking everything
in ? through dark glasses ? as
celebrators observe July 4 here.
Aged 4, he's Bobby Morgan, Jr.,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Mot
gain, of Franklin, Route 4.
Logan A. Berry,
88, Well Known
In Macon, Dies
i 7
Logan Abraham Berry, widely
known and highly respected 88
year old farmer, ded at his home
in the Holly Springs community
Wednesday of last week, following
a brief illness.
Funeral services were held at
the Holly Springs Baptist church
last Friday, and interment fol
lowed in the- church cemetery. The
Rev. Arvil Swafford. the Rev.
Robert R. Standley, and the Rev.
Doyle Miller officiated.
Serving as pallbearers were Jay
and Alex Deal, Roy Berry, T. W
Angel Jr., Dewey Corb.n and
William O. Crawford.
Mr. Berry is survived by one
sister, Mrs. T Angel. Sr.; three
sons. R. E. Bury, of Fairbanks.
Alaska, Furman Beriy of the
home, and James R. Berry, of
Franklin: three daughter*. Mrs.
Herman Dean. of Franklin. Mrs
Earl Justice, of Franklin. Route
4, and Miss EtfU'l Berry, cf the
home.
Bryant Fur era' Hon e v . .i .
charge of the arrangements
PLAN BENEF'T S" "P' ?{
A benefit supper, will be held at
the Bethel Methodist Church to
morrow iFridayl night at 6:30
Proceeds will go toward providing
a water system for the church.
The public is invited.
At 99, Mrs. Setser Tells
About Life Here In 60's
Sitting bolt upright in her chair
the work-worn old hands relaxt d
in her lap, Mrs. Christine Eliza
beth Cloer Setser let her memo; y
drift back, and told, on th? ev;
of her 99th birthday, what Uie
was like here in the 1869 s i.nd
70s.
After so many years, her vision
is dimmed, and her legs no longer
can be counted on to carry her
about. But she is acute of hearing
there is no break in her strong
voice, and her mind is sharp as
a briar.
She still possesses, too, the char
acteristic mountain humor ? th?
little joke accompanied by a dead
pan face.
"When I try to walk, they growl
at me", she said, with pretended
reproach in the voice.
"Well, Mrs. Setser, I'd just pay
no attention to them ...
"You hear what good advice
I'm getting!" she exclaimed, turn
ing to her daughter.
And there is none of the inde
cision that so often accom,; ir.ies
great age. She knows what she
wants, and she knows what she
thinks, and no foolishness about
It.
When it was suggested, for in
stance. that she be photographed
with her birthday cake, she
promptly and vigorously , vetoed
the idea ? just as she had done
on her 98th birthday.
And when she was asked if to
day's is a better world than the
one she grew up in, she had to
reflect only an instant before an
swering positively:
"No. In those days, they kept
the Sabbath. And they obeyed the
Ten Commandments better. And
back then, when everybody raised
everything, they had more to eat.'
Mrs. Setser marked her 99th
anniversary quietly at the Car
toogechaye home of the daughter
and son-in-law with whom she
lives. Mr. and Mrs. W. R 'Bill'
Waldroop. There was a birthday
cake, but no big celebration.
Age brings its limitations, and
Mrs. Setser knows hers ? she
can't take crowds any more. And
so. a little more than a year ago.
when a nephew told her he'd come
to see her on her 98th birthday,
she promptly told him:
Come to see me: do. But don't,
come on my birthday. There'll
he ?oo many here, as it is."
' he isn't sure what Is the first
thing she remembers, but the one
'hat came first to her mind Was
the long-drawn-out tragedy of un
certainty that put its mark on her
early years.
"We didn't "see much of the
w*v ''he vnr of the 60s > except,
that it took all the men. My
fither didn't go right at first: they
tr-^!r the young ones, to start
with But after he went in. he
was In the army three years: and
he wasn't at home but once in
all that tiir.e.
"I can remember his being at
home, but I can't remember any
thing about what he looked like.
"At the end of the war. he was
discharged, and was on his way
home. Mother gat a letter from
him. from Richmond, saying he
had got sick there.'
And that was the last wj.: .hat
came.
Tht ciys stretched .:u o weeks,
and the weeks into agonizing
months. The distraught wde wrote
repeatedly to Richmond. but she
had no address, and there was
never an answ to her .letters'..
Seven or eight years pa. sed.
"and ' we didn't know whether he
was alive or ceatl. Then, one day.
Mr. EnlQe ? you know who he
w:as? ? tcld Mother he was i^ing
to write to the warden.
"Mail ?vas slow in t-io. . cays,
but a letter came baik ;.:i,t away
? in about a month."
Joshua Giber, had dU..f p.esum
a'oly scon alter writing his wife,
"of pneumonia and bor.e scurvy".
"And mother ne\er. got any of
his things. We ne\er ka-:w vhat
happerecf to lus e:.e.-ts. Sh.- ever
got back a siiule thuii . .
Later. Mrs. Cloa' ma.:.. her
husband's first cousin. Mark Cloer.
Mrs. Setser remembers: ?
The schools nere, in the ears
right after the Civil War. "MotheV
fiist sent me to a suo.scn.Jtion
school, on Upper Coweta. The.j
they built a log school, and thai
was free. It had no windows and
just one door, and a big fireplace.
But there was a plank they ould
open to let in a little light am!
air. We carried our lunches - very
day, of course. And I remember
the first lesson, every day after
lunch, was to read a chapter in
the New Testament."
The transportation dif.'i. . lties
of that period. "M-s. Setve;. v her.
you wanted to go' 3cm3whe: . did
ycu go :n a wa .011 or a bu:i -V, o:
did ycu have to go horseback?"
S2E N'O 1. i'AGE (3
Pest Office
Here Now
First Class
Franklin is now a first class
post office.
It became so July 1.
Classification of post offices is
based on receipts. To become first
class, an office must have receipts
of 140.000 or more.
During the last calendar year
1957, receipts at the Franklin of
fice totaled S43.880. Changes in
the classification of post offices,
though, comes at the beginning of
a fiscal year, so the upgrading of
the Franklin office was deferred
until July 1.
The chief significance of the
charge. Postmaster Zeb Meadows
said, is that the growth it denotes
reflects growth and expansion of
business in the community.
The post office here stepped up
from third to second class July
1, 1926. In 1933. at the bottom of
the depression, it slipped back to
third, but became second again
the following year and has re
mained so until now. It's been
second class for 32 years, except
for the year 1933.
Under current postal regula
tions. the salaries of postmasters
are based on the amount of work
they are responsible for. rather
than the post office classification.
Mr. Meadows said, adding that
the change will affect no salaries
here. Nor will it mean added per
sonnel.
The only real effect, in fact, is
to limit the size and weight of
packages that may be mailed.
Prior to July 1. the post office
here could accept parcel post
Items for delivery anywhere .in
the Cpr.Uner.ta". United States
weighing up to 70 pounds and
measuring not more than 100
inches in length and girth com
bined.
Now. however, the local office
comes under a regulaUon apply
ing to first class post offices:
The weight of parcels for local
delivery or to first class post of
fices in the first and second post
zones is limited to 40 pounds, and
to 20 pounds when addressed to
first class offices in the third
through the eighth zones. 'This
limitation does not apply to pack
ages addressed to servicemen
overseas. <
The size of parcels acceptable
for mailing also is limited, to 72
inches instead of the present 100
These limitations do not apply.
Mr. Meadows explained, when the
parcel is addressed to a second
or third class post office.
And books are exempt from the
regulation. The old limits of 70
pounc's. ar 100 inches still apply,
when the merchandise mailed is
books.
July 4th Events
Rained Out
Set For Saturday
Evening events scheduled for
last. Friday's July Fourth celebra
tion here were rained out. and
will be held at the Square Satur
day night at 8 o'clock, it has been
announced.
The lesiivities will include the
crowning of the beauty queen, and
the drawing for prizes ? a power
lawn n ower and a rototiller.
Friday's varied program drew a
crowd estimated by police at
1.500.
The observance was sponsored
by . the local Jaycees.
Dryman Named To Board
When Gnuse Resigned
The Town of Franklin tax rate this year goes up by 15 cents ?
from $1.20 on each $100 valuation to $1.35.
The increase was voted by the Board of Aldermen at its meet
ing Monday night, when it adopted a budget and set the tax
rate for the 1958-59 fiscal year.
Most of the additional revenue will go toward building side
walks and to the water and sewer department ? chiefly for sew
ers ? officials said.
$600,000 County
Budget Awaits
Few Details
The Board of County Com
missioners Monday tentatively
decided on a county budget of
?603,146.14 for the 1958 59 fiscal
year.
That is the total of anticipated
revenues, including funds re
ceived from the state and federal
governments, but some details
on expenditures of the funds re
main to be ironed put.
Descisions on these details
and formal adoption is antici
pated shortly.
2nd Primary
Election
Cost $1120
The June 28 second primary
election in this county cost $1,
120.68, figures compiled by J.
Lee Barnard, chairman of the
county board of elections, show.
The total; was broken down as
follows :
Paying registrars, judges, and
election officials, $1,071.50;
meals for officials, $10.18; rent,
$5: and printing ballots, $34.
The election, called by J. M.
(Jim I Raby, resulted in his win
ning the Democratic nomination
for representative from incum
bent G. L. Houk. high man In
the first primary. May 31.
The total cost of $1,120.68
compares with approximately
$2,580 for the first election.
Approximately 3,000 votes were
cast in the first primary, so the
cost per vote was nearly $1; in
the second, the total vote was
1,777, which figures out about
63 cents per vote cast.
The first primary cost was
made heavier than usual, how
ever, by the fact there was a
new registration of voters in the
four new precincts in Franklin
township, and that new voting
booths were bought for ail the
county's 15 precincts, and new
ballot boxes for six of them.
Elections are paid for out of
the county ( general fund.
Wiley E. Ray,
Macon Native,
Dies In West
Wiley ' E. Ray, who was bom
in the Burningtown section of
Macon County and lived here
until he moved to the State of
Washington 35 years ago. died
at his home in Bow. Wash.,
June 26. He was 92.
He was the son of H. H. and
Mrs. Elizabeth Moore Ray, and
was a brother of the late Mrs.
J. L. Barnard, Sr.
He is survived by his widow,
the former Miss Blanche Car
ter, formerly of Dillard, Ga.;
one daughter, Mrs. Frank Ra
penchuk, of Sedro Woolley,
Wash.; a brother, George M.
Ray, of Prarie City, Ore.; and
several nieces and nephews who
live here.
After the two-inch rainfall here in the past several days, this giaint watering process seems
a kit out of date. There was nothing 'untimely about Irrigation, though, last week when the pic
ture was made crops were parching after a long drought. The 17 sprinklers on the Teague farm,
near Prentiss, distribute 800 gallons of water per minute. Mr. Teague (Miown watching the
sprinklers at work) and his brother, Wilbur, bought the Irrigation apparatus last spring.
(Staff Photo)
The Board of County Commis
sioners recently voted a county
wide increase of 10 cents, so that
the combined county-town rate
will go up by 25 cents.
The aldermen also elected Prelo
Dryman to serve out the unexpired
term of Alderman H. H. Gnuse,
Jr. Mr. Gnuse who is moving to
Pittsburgh August 1. submitted
his resignation.
Mr. Dryman, Franklin mer
chant. was the runner-up in the
MR. DRYMAN
. . . Named To Board
May, 1957 town election, Alder
man Frank Martin defeated him
by one vote. Mr. Dryman previ
ously served on the board, 1955
57. The unexpired term to which
he has been appointed will ex
pire June 30, 19641.
The board also: ?
Released Trimont Trail, a street
running from Oreen to Wilkle, to
the State Highway Commission,
with the understanding the com
mission will ie-:raie, drain, and
gravel it.
Authorized the purchase of
1.000 town automobile tags for
1959.
Authorized ilie sale of the lot,
near the Frar.klin Hosiery Plant,
where tlv. tow:i drilled a well that
turned cut to be a dry hoie, aoout
three years ago.
The town's budget for this year
is nearly si 2.000 more than for
the 1957-53 year.
This year's total is 3147,139.50,
as compared with $133.j15.06 last
year.
Expenditures are br",1">n down
this way:
General ? admin isc...-.\t depart
ment*. $il,&50.
Police Department ..-luding
$1500 for a new police jar, an
old one to be trac.ec in), 7.000.
Fire Department.
Water and Sewer ^epaiunent,
$48,45Q.
Street Department. &9.360.
Debt Service. $26,543.
Ihc YVeaiiicr
I ba wwk'i unturidum ud rainfall kaM*
ara recorded in Hranklm by Mum StilM.
V. 8. wither okMnrtr; ill Hlstllaa^ tw
rudor N. Hall and W. C. N.wton. TV A
utaarvera: and at tha Coweta ^diajaala
Ijborttory, Raadtaga ara for tha n biM
*ariod andinc at ? am. of tha du Uatad
COWEETA
Hlfh Law Rain
Wed. 2nd
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Lunday
Ionday
Tuesday
Wednesday
85
88
88
84
80
50
53
58
61
55
S3
61
Wed. 2nd
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
84
78
FRANKLIN
High Low
50
52
53
64
61
66
63
Wed. 2nd
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
87
90
84
32
83
84
70
64 _
HIGHLANDS
Hlch Low
78 50
80
74
76
76
7?
70
53
58
60
58
63
63
a
o
0
0
?32
1.28
1.29
1.62
1.15
0
0
06
.26
.42
.11
1.05
.15*
No record