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Second clan mall privilege# authorised at Franklin. N O.
Puollahed every Thursday by The Frank lis Press
Telephone IV
Established in 1896 as The Franklin Frets
Member: N. C. Press Association. National Editorial Association,
Carol mas Press Photographers Association. Charter member. National
Conference of Weekly Newspaper Editors
BOB 8 SLOAN Publisher and Advertising Manager
WEIMAR JONES ....... i , Editor
J P. BRADY News Editor
MRS ROBERT BRYSON Office Manager
MRS BOB SLOAN .... Society Editor
CARL P CARE Opera tor -Machinist
FRANK a STARRETTE Compositor
o E CRAWFORD . ' Stereotyper
DAVID R 8UTTON Commercial Printer
Some three months ago a U. S. district court
granted the Little Rock school board a 2l/i- year
desegregation delay. Reversing that, the Supreme
Court last week said there should he no delay
whatever.
In so ruling, the Supreme Court said, in effect :
"Integrate now. What the results may be, whether
violence or inflamed race relations or closed schools
or general deterioration in public school education
? what the results may be is not our concern. Our
responsibility is to say what the law is. And this
is it."
THURSDAY, SETT. 18. 195?
That is in marked contrast to what the Court
said on the same subject just three years ago. In
its .1955 implementing decree, it was careful to point
out that the decision holding segregation uncon
stitutional was not to become effective, as is the
rule \\;ith court interpretations, instantly and uni
versally, and everywhere at the same time. Instead,
account was to he taken of "solution of varied
local school problems". The aim was to be "effec
tive gradual adjustment". For this, said the court,
was a case in equity ; and "traditionally, equity has
been characterized by a practical flexibility" and
by "facility for adjusting and reconciling public
and private needs".
Tt said there should be "all deliberate speed". It
said desegration was to be brought about "as soon
as practicable". And," assuming there was "good
faith", it said "once (such) a start has been made,
the (lower) courts may find additional time is nec
essary to carry out the ruling in an effective man
ner".
The mere reading of those phrases, against the
background of what has happened at Little Rock,
makes this latest ruling of the Court Seem strange
indeed.
For there seems abundant evidence of "good
faith" on the part of the Little Rock school board.
"Such a start has been made" at Little Rock. And
a district court, with the advantage of "proximity
of local conditions", has found "additional time is
necessary".
But the Supreme Court says "now!"
Where, in this latest ruling, is the "practical flex
ibility" the court ordered in 1955? Where the "facil
ity for adjusting and reconciling public and private
needs"?
The Court that in 1954-55 reversed a half cen
tury-old interpretation of the Constitution now
seenis to have reversed its own of only three years
ago.
Needed: One Box
Franklin needs a "courtesy mail box" for motor
ists ? a place where a motorist can drive up, drop
in his letter by reaching through his car window,
and then drive on.
Under present conditions, a man in Sn automobile
cannot mail a letter until he has first solved the
problem of where to park ; and that may mean driv
ing one, two, or three blocks, and then walking
back to the post office. . ,
i
This small thing, proved So satisfactory in most
other towns, would have a number of beneficial
effects :
It would create good will among visitors, who
find the difficult parking situation complicated by
their Unfamiliarity with our one-way streets.
' It would be convenient for year-around residents.
It would lessen the acute parking problem around
the post office.
And, since many persons come to town for the
sole purpose of mailing a letter, it would tend to
ease the parking situation generally ; if a courtesy
mail box were available, these persons wouldn't
park at all, thus leaving the space they now must
occupy for another automobile.
The oddest thine about a woman with a mind of her own
I* her husband. ? CamptoelLiTllle (K y.) News.
'"But We're Not Mad At Anybody"
What Negroes Chiefly Want
(Raleigh News and Observer)
School openings In Charlotte, Greensboro and Winston
Salem, with a few Negroes attending predominantly white
schools, demonstrated that North Carolinians of both races
are determined not to have the kind of violence which has
marked school openings at Little Rock and elsewhere.
There were no important incidents in any of the cities, with
the only organized protest coming from the repudiated Ku
Klux Klan at Greensboro.
Another incident at Greensboro was more significant, how
ever, because it showed clearly the' attitude of many Negroes.
Two Negro students, a brother and sister, who attended a
previously all-white school last year and made satisfactory
grades, voluntarily asked at the last minute to be re-assigned
to the all-Negro school they had attended prior to last year.
Only last week these same children had requested assign
ment again to the predominantly white school and, had th? *
request been denied, presumably would have appealed to tro
courts.
Once their right to continue at the predominantly white
school was established, the children and their parents began
thinking in terms of their own preference and convenience.
North Carolina Negroes, in 'general, have made it clear that
what most of them chiefly want is recognition of their right
to attend schools on an equal basis with white children. There
have been comparatively few applications by Negro children
to attend white schools since the Supreme Court of the United
States ruled that they had a right to do so in 1954. Similarly,
there have been few applications by Negroes to enter the
University of North Carolina, although the right of graduate
students to do so was established before the 1954 ruling and
was extended to under-graduates shortly thereafter.
There is no question but that in large measure voluntary
segregation will continue in North Carolina for a long time ?
if a truly voluntary choice is permitted. There is equally no
question about the fact that, whatever white people may think.
North Carolina Negroes believe that the 1954 Supreme Court
ruling is the law of the land and many of them will resort
to the courts, if necessary, to obtain compliance with that
ruling. Most of them, however, would prefer to stay out of the
courts.
Stolen But Cute
(Herbert Breeze in Richmond County Journal)
This is stolen, but it's a cute little joke. There are all too
few really funny clean jokes. This, I think, is one.
It concerns a booby. You know what one is, don't you? No?
Why, It's a small gnat that flies behind a bee and says,
"boo bee."'
Letters
First Looks And Last
Editor, The Press:
I had the good fortune ot being In Franklin Saturday after
noon, August 30, when the bicycles were given away on the
Square. After the drawing, the stubs were thrown on the
street Instead of being put in trash cans.
Can you imagine how a demonstration like this would Look
to a person visiting our town for the first time? Sloppy! In
sanitary! Uncivilized. 1
First looks such as this could very well be last looks!
A/3c FRED STILES
Little Rock AFB.
Jacksonville, Ark.
Enjoyed View Of Franklin
Dear Weimar:
I do enjoy your editorials.
And It was nice seeing the, bird's-eye view Of many-sided
little Franklin In The, Press of September 4. The town has
gone through a lot of changes In the past fifty years.
I recognized the telephone building on the S. L. Rogers old
home place. Is the Johnston Building just west of It? I also
could place the jail and Alf Hlgdon's building on the Square
and "Dixie Hall", Just west of the courthouse. The S. A-. Mun
day buildings look like the pines are stlU there. The Ashear
Building. Scott Griffin Hotel structure, and Bank appear In
the picture as though they are on speaking terms.
The Trotter corner (where S. & L. store Is now) doesn't look
like It did when "Uncle" Oreen Trotter had his store In the
old wooden building there. The J. R. Pendergraos building
seems to be in the same spot, out I can't place the two-story
building on the right (extreme west); I know Kelly's Tea
Room Is close by.
Downstreet, I can find Angel's Drug Store on the corner,
then the old Jarrett Hotel building. I believe In the far east
I have the bridge over the Little Tennessee River spotted.
Am I right?
My plans now are to be in Franklin, my old home town,
next summer.
CLIFFORD N. HARRISON
Fort Worth, Texas.
Detroit's Story ? And Franklin s
Florida's winter warmth is calling. Our wheels are begin
ning to roll southward and with them go the thoughts of our
sojourn in your community. We have felt the warmth of your
welcome as we came in, we are filled with the beauty of this
country. We have helped to jam your traffic and, God willing,
next year we will add to the confusion. Many of us have taken
pictures of the. many interesting subjects around us. Through
this medium and our letters, we carry the story of Franklin
across the land. V
But the real reason for this letter stems from the recent
editorials published in your fine paper. You, Mr. Jones, and
others are striving to plan for a larger and better Franklin.
With an ever-growing interest in this community, I submit
the following in the hope that the pattern of growth of large
cities may help your planning for the future.
This writer came from Detroit, where for more than fifty
years he had active participation in the changes that took
place. A short recount of those changes will show what has
been the trend in all large cities. Avoidance of that trend
should be your ultimate goal.
I go back to the days when Detroit was known as the "City
Beautiful", on to "Detroit the Dynamic", then the "Arsenal
of Democracy" to the present "City with a Future-'.
The "City Beautiful" was well named. ,Great shade trees
lined our streets. Lovely lawns spread back to the gracious
homes of our prominent citizens. Other residential areas car
ried the same air of peace and contentment. Horses and car
riages leisurely found their way over the cobblestone streets.
Trolley cars and bicycles had their place. Ornamental foun
tains played their streams of water in the shaded public
parks. On a Sunday, a street car ride around the city or a
boat ride on the river was a satisfying experience.
Then Progress stepped in. What happened?
The "City Dynamic'' was born. Automobiles became com
mon. Henry Ford started mass production through the con
veyor line. The $500 auto was easy to acquire. Ford announced
the $5 work day. Thousands of workmen poured into Detroit.
All business boomed. Streets became too narrow. "Wide Wood
ward Avenue" had to become wider Woodward. In the process,
store fronts were changed, trees were uprooted, the previous
ly gracious homes became apartment houses, others became
rooming houses, and lawns disappeared. Progress became
retrogression in so far as civic beauty was involved.
The second World War came on. Industry turned to muni
tions. Detroit became the "Arsenal of Democracy". Army tanks,
trucks, guns, planes, jeeps, foods, clothing left by car loads.
The world poured its people Into the city; all nationalities,
all classes. Detroit forgot beauty in the mad rush. More and
more housing was needed. Tenants in many homes doubled
and tripled. Slums developed in many areas.
The war ended. Money was plentiful. The auto Industry
came Into Its own. Detroit continued to grow. Slums became
worse. New housing mushroomed with little regard to ulti
mate results
Finally a planning commission went to work.
Slum clearance became a necessity. New street numbering
was Incorporated, 'building zones became a law, building codes
were enforced, high speed cross-town highways were planned
and started. It became necessary to uproot thousands of fam
ilies, tear down hundreds of buildings, and finally destroy
most of the original "Detroit the Beautiful1'.
Today a new city Is rising. Splendid modern apartment
houses are replacing the slums. Modern auditoriums, mu
seums, art center^, and educational buildings are taking the
place of old eyesores. Shopping centers In outlying areas
are steadily replacing the big department stores. A new civic
center Is rising on the river front to replace the old ware
houses and factories of years ago.
That Is the story of one city.
What will happen to Franklin when Highways 441 and 64
become four-lane arteries?
Now I express two Ideas for you to toy with:
(a) Promote tourist interest by preserving and restoring
Main Street from the post office to Kelly's Tea room. Make
this section look as It was 100 years ago. Covered wagons,
bicycles, old carriages lined along the curbs would add to the
Interest of gowns, farm equipment and business methods dis
played In the stores.
If Williamsburg and Jamestown can draw tourists, so can
Franklin.
(b) Would It not be possible to pool the resources of Frank
lin to build parking areas? Could a civic holiday be planned
during which all of the road building machines In town would
gather on Palmer Street, there to grade the vacant property
and build ramps to the back d*ors of Main Street stores?
I am remlhded Immediately adjacent to Detroit is another
V?wn named Franklin. It Is known as "The Town Time For
gAt".
There you have It!
ALLAN W. EDMISTON
Plnehill Trailer Court,
Franklin.
STRICTLY PERSONAL By WfJMAR JONES
"Every time a movie or tele
vision script writer wishes to
denote simple-mindedness or ig
norance In a character, he en
dows this character with a South
ern dialect", comments John
Brock, editor of the Cleveland
Times, down at Shelby.
"Consequently", continues Mr.
Brock, "the rest of the nation
has rapidly developed the opinion
that Southerners are nothing but
a group of fugitives from "to
bacco road' and so " 'Yankees'
are surprised upon visiting the
ouuiii ui miq uiai we nave iiimuc
toilets and can read and write."
John Brock doesn't know how
right he Is. there; because I am
sure he hasn't personally exper
ienced that "Yankee" ignorance,
on that particular score, as I did
sometime ago.
It was a week end when Frank
lin was packed with tourists.
Rooms were at a premium. And
a friend, wishing to oblige a tired
visitor seeking accommodations,
suggested "maybe Mr. and Mrs.
Weimar Jones would let you have
a room. It's a very nice house;
it isn't commodious, though."
"Not commodious? You mean
they don't have water works?''
? ? ?
There is no accounting for
tastes; and surely there is no
predicting opinions.
In this space some weeks ago.
I was low-rating statistics, remark
ing that they are tricky things!
which had best be taken with a
whole hand-full of salt. I pointed
out that they can be misleading
not only if the information is not
carefully collected, but. eyen
more, if it is not accurately and
intelligently interpreted.
ThCTi I cited what seemed to
me sure-fire proof:
"A good illustration of how you
can take figures that are entirely
accurate and come up with a
wholly mlsleadlnc conclusion u
this one:
"Take 40 women who ara, bow
legged and 40 other women who
are knock-kneed. Not one of em
has straight leg*. But take all 80
women and average 'em up, and
what do you get?
v "There's onljr one thing you can
get. You come Up with the con
clusion you have <0 women, all
with 100 per cent straight legs."
That bit of nonsense was quoted
with approval by The Southern
Pines Pilot, whose editor seems
as suspicious of statistics as I
am.
But everybody doesn't agree
For The Pilot's comment provok
ed a letter from Mr. J. O. Taylor,
of Southern Pines. The 80 pairs
of legs don't average up to 180
straight legs at all, he says; in
stead. they spell the name of a
beast of burden, the ox.
Here's his minority report on
this grave matter:
"Weimar Jones Is altogether
right in allowing that figures are
tricky things. However he used
an unfortunate example when he
tries to average bowlegs ana
knock-kneed legs. You cannot
average them any more than you
can average baseball bats and
Number 9 irons, because they are
unlike objects. The bats and irons
are athletic equipment and the
legs are perambulating equip
ment.
"In the old. really old days of
vaudeville, the comedian told the
audience that when you placed
a bowlegged girl by a knock
kneed girl their legs woud spell
OX. same as on our Southern
Pines telephone dials. So when
Weimar Jones lir.es up his 40 bow
legged women with his 40 knock
kneed women, he wouldn't be
striking any average at all. Ac
cording to the tried and true old
vaudeville formula he would have
40 sets of legs spelling OX."
? ? ? .
The reopening of the schools
recalls a school story of the period
when running water and bathtubs
were unknown in Franklin.
Two or three days after school
got under way, the teacher gave
little Johnny a note to take home
to his mother. It suggested diplo
matically that Johnny needed a
bath.
Nothing happened.
After a few days, she sent a
more pointed request that Johnny
ought to have a bath.
Still nothing happened.
So. throwing diplomacy to the
winds, she wrote that "Johnny
needs a bath ? he smells bad".
To which the mother sent back
this varbal reply:
"You tell that old maid school
teacher she don't know what
men are supposed to smell like."
REMEMBER WHEN ?
The only time coffee was ever
served was at breakfast ? and
one cup, at that?
Most men got shaved at the
barber shop, and so. as a rule,
made the Saturday shave do till
the next Saturday?
Tourists were called "summer
visitors" ? and usually were Just
that, since most of them were
un-paylng guests?
The man. In town as well, as In
the country, who didn't have corn
in the crib, wheat in the granary,
and meat in the smokehouse was
considered "trifling", and sure to
come to no good end?
Men's shoes that didn't come
well above the ankles were re
ferred to, contemptuously, as
"slippers"? and then, when they
did achieve acceptance, were call
ed "low-qUarters"?
High school students studied at
night till they could no longer
stay awake, and then set the
alarm clock for 6 or 5 or 4 o'clock,
so they could finish their home
work before breakfast the next
morning?
UNCLE ALEX'S
SAYIN'S
I guess there ain't nothin'
as much borried, as much read,
as much cussed, and as little
paid for, as a weekly newspaper.
Seems like talkin' and think
in' can't get together. For the
man that talks the most usually
thinks the least, and the man
that thinks the most generally
don't say nothin' hardly.
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Looking Backward Through the Files of The Press
65 YEARS AGO THIS WEEK
(1893)
Miss Bertha Gaston left for Asheville Female College last
Monday.
The man with the sulky, that you can attach to any plow,
harrow,, cultivator, hpe, or any other farm tool, is abroad in
the lahd and our farmers will now make corn without work.
(A sulky is a device that enables the operator to ride while
plowing, etc. ? Editor. )
The frame of Mr. F. S. Johnston's house is up, and the sid
ing and shingles are being put on.
We learn that there are four or five farmers on Coweta
Creek that have fine crops of tobacco.
25 YEARS AGO
(1933)
Permanent Quarters are expected to be built at Civilian
Conservation Camp No. 9 on the outskirts of Franklin and
perhaps also at three other C. C. camps in the county. Local
labor is to 'be used as far as possible.
The Young People's Democratic Club, at a meeting at the
Holly Springs school Saturday night, elected the following of
ficers: Mary Berry, chairman; Walter Taylor, vice-chairman;
and Elinor Dalton, secretary and treasurer.
10 YEARS AGO
Mrs. C. N. Dowdle, first vice-president, was automatically
elevated to the presidency of the Franklin Parent-Teacher
Association at Monday night's meeting.
Miss Laura M. Jones has been chosen 1948 chairman of the
Macon County branch of the N. C. Symphony Society.
Science For You
By BOB BROWN
PROBLEM: Why does a mirror reverse the image but
not Invert it?
NEEDED: One mirror.
HERE'S WHY: The mirror does not actually reverse
anything. Stand in front of It. What is on your left is on
your left! in the mirror. And If you are not standing on
your head, your head will be up In the mirror, too.
We Judge the position of the parts'of an image In the
light of our experience with objects rather than images.
We see the Image in reverse as though It were an object.
The left side of the object U still on the left, but we In
terpret It In reverse as compared to the real object.
Copr. '58 Oen'l Feature* Corp. TM-World Rights Rsvd.