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J0f|? ISjijjWaiib* Btaetmtan
ON THE INSIDE ?
WHO'S BEEN WHERE AND
FOR WHAT?
Staff correspondents of THE
PRESS keep the inside pages'
of this newspaper alive with
news about your friends and
neighbors Read the' inside
panes from top to bottom and
you'll know Macon County.
74th Year ? No. 4
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, January 22, 1959
Price 10 Cents
Twelve Pages
MEANDERING
ALONG
MAIN STREET
FOR THE Western Carolina
Coilege rooters here, rehearsals
have started for the production
of "Come Back, Little Sheba",
which will be presented at the
Little Theatre at W.C.C. February
18-19-20. Check those dates on
your activities calendar.
A CHOICE conversational bit
for consumption is the fact that
the gap between average salaries
paid teachers in the nation and
in North Carolina is the widest
in history. Average salaries in
N.C. are $3,770. as compared with
$4,775 for the nation. The N.E.A.
expects the national average to
exceed $5,000 for the school year
1959-60.
THAT BIG sunken place In the
street is still rattlin' teeth on
Palmer. Broken tires, anyone?
WHOOPEE! NATIONAL 411
NEWS is featuring the Carson
Square Dance Team on its cover
and also in a story. That'll be in
the February issue, which is due
Within the (next two weeks. Con
gratulations Carson!
ANOTHER BIG boost to the
area cojnes with the February
issue of TAR HEEL WHEELS.
It features, in tl}e lead story, a
layout on the recent "Pilots Ruby
Rendezvous". The magazine's 15
000-plus circulation should bring
some results come the '59 tourist
season.
JAMES M'CONNELL brought
a large quartz crystal by THE
PRESS this week that was turned
up on Skeenah when plowing, it
weighed two and a quarter
pounds and is one of the largest
crystals we've seen. Anyone have
any larger from here?
FRANK DEAN'S imminent de
parture for Alaska to work for
the Philco Corporation is one the
community regrets. In his quiet
conscientious way, Mr. Dean has
contributed much to this com
munity and he'll be missed.
MISS EDITH Christy, Frank
lin student at Pleiffer College, has
bttn presented a $2,000 scholar
ship by ALCOA, through Nanta
hala Power here. Edith is in her
sophomore year at Pfeiffer.
WITH -THE wanning up the
first of the week, ice skating died
at Highlands after several weeks
Last week end again saw thous
ands of out-of-staters pour into
the "Highest Incorporated Town
in Eastern America" for some
fun
NEWSPAPERS always blame
those unexplainable errors on
Kremlins. We're still looking for
the one that jumbled the type
on the church page last week and
had mass scheduled at the Wal
nut Creek Baptist Church.
A FORMER Franklinite, John
W. Edwards, of Tuckaseigee, re
cently was the recipient of the
Silver Beaver, the highest award
made to a Boy Scout leader. Boy
Scout activities have been, and
always will be. seventy-five per
cent of John Edwards' life. The
recognition that has come his way
is justly deserved.
WHILE WE continue to beat
the drum for a full-time paid
promotional director for Macon
County, nearby Jackson County
has taken the bull by the horns
by setting an $8,000 chamber of
commerce budget for '59, which
includes the salary for a full-time
employe to promote the organiza
tion and its program. Well Frank
lin?
, IN THIS weather, one can't
envy Carl Tysinger his work on
telephone lines. Last week during
the rawest days, he was bund ed
up against the elements/ working
on a line in East Franklin.
IT'S A WONDER there weren't
some serious accidents on the
Highlands highway Sunday. From
Cullasaja Gorge up, about every
curve and shaded section was
treacherous wilh ice and snow.
Sanding didn't appear to help
much and there were many close
shaves reported.
THE BAPTIST women think
the decorations they had for a
function last week were good
enough to rate a photo Irl a publi
cation like, say, BETTER HOMES
AND GARDENS.
MEANDERING ITES are wish
in z the Qlsnn Holts the best of
luck in assuming ownership of
the Uncle Remus Cafe on Palmer
Street.
4-H Workshop Set
For Saturday On
Room Improvement
A 4-H room improvement work
shop will be held at the Agricul
tural Building Saturday morning,
bet-inning at 9:30, with Mrs.
Jessie Cabe, assistant home eco
nomics agent, in charge.
This workshop is primarily for
all 4-H girls enrolled in the home
improvement project, but other
4-H girls and adult leaders are
invited to attend.
5 Directors
V
Are Elected
By Chamber
Angel And Jacobs
Poll High; Call
Meeting On 29th
A new slate of directors has
been picked by the membership
of the Franklin Chamber of Com
merce.
Results of thp chamber's mail
election were tabulated Tuesday
afternoon and produced five new
faces for the seven-man board:
T. V. Angel, J. C. Jacobs, Tom
Jenkins, Jim Conley, and the Rev.
R. R. Sum. ley. Mr. Angel and
Mr. Jacobs, in polling the highest
number of votes, will serve two
year terms, while the' others will
serve a year. Hold-over members
of the '58 board are Erwin Patton
and Steve Bundy.
A meeting of the new and old
boards has been called for the
29th. Top items of busipess at
this session will be the election of
a new president for '59 and plann
ing the annual membership ban
quet.
RECEIVE CITATION
Three officers at the Macon
County Prison Camp who manned
the Ground Observer Corps post
there have received a citation for
their service from the U.S. Air
Force. They are Capt. John E
Cutshall, Capt. John McDowell^
and Albert C. Fouts.
CLUB MEMBERS COLLECT $120.29 TUESDAY NIGHT FOR POLIO DRIVE
Mrs. Harold Corbin (left photograph) and Miss. Harriet
Murray are shown collecting contributions for the March of
Dimes during Tuesday night's basketball game liere between
Franklin and GlenvilLe. Totaling up dcinations (right photo
graph) received during Tuesday night's "Mothers' March on
Polio" in Franklin are (seated L to R) Miss Mamie Lee
Murray, Mrs. Gent Oliver, and Mrs. C. I). Cor bin, Jr.; (stand
ing) Mrs. Marie Barnard ana1 Mrs. George Brown. All but
Mrs. Barnard are members cf the Frank^n Junior Woman's
Club, which sponsored the drive. Mrs. Barnard is publicity
chairman for the March of Dimes. A total cf ?120.29 was
collected. (Staff Photos >
Meeting Of Methodist
Men Slated At Iotla
The Macon County Methodist
Men's Club will hold its January
meeting at 7 p.m. January 27 at
the Iotla School.
Women of the Iotla Methodist
Church will serve the dinner.
ON OLD HIGHWAY ?
4 Injured, One Critically,
In Automobile Wreck Sunday
Four persons of Route 2 were
injured, one critically, early Sun
day afternoon when an automo
bile went outf of control on old
US 23-441 near Addlngton's mill
and smashed into a tree.
Josephine Marie Thomas, 14, is
still on the critical list at Angel
Hospital, where all four were
rushed by ambulance following
the accident. Thrown through
the windshield, she received a
skull fracture and lacerations of
the face, "head, and left knee.
Others injured were Lloyd Lewis
Thomas, 19, the driver, lacerations
of the left cheek and chest: Mrs.
Hazel C. Thomas, fracture of knee
cap and ribs and lacerations of
face and head; and Dewey Leon
Thomas, 6, fractured right wrist
Highway Patrolman H. T. Fer
guson reported the driver "lost
control of the vchicle while at
tempting to make a left hand
curve at an excessive rate of
speed." Traveling north, the car
went 150 feet on the right
shoulder of the highway after
going out of control, struck a, rock,
and then went 119 feet to the left
side of the highway where it
smashed head-on into two large
white pine trees .ibout 10 feet
up a bank.
The front end of the 1954 Ford
was damaged beyond repair.
Patrolman Ferguson has charg
ed the driver with reckless driv
ing.
The" accidcnt occurred about
12:50 and attracted a large num
ber of spectators from town.
Mr. Dean
. . . Alaska Bound
Dsan Resigns
Phone Company;
Alaska Bound
Frank ifean, of Franklin, di
vision munager for Western
Carolina Telephone Company
for the past five years, has re
signed to accept a job with the
Philca Corporation in Alaska.
He already has severed rela
tionships with the telephone
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 6
? in ? ? ? wmmmmmmmmmmmmam
1 FOUR WERE injured in the
automobile accident pictured
here Sunday afternoon on old
L'S 23-141 south. The above
photograph shows how the ve
hicle swerved across the high
way and went up a bank to
, smash into two white pines. A
*jjj passenger was thrown through
the windshield and was found
on the ground to the right of
the auto. In the p'cture at left,
damage to the front of the ve
hic'e is shown. The trees in the
fr -egroi nd are the ones it
, struck. Note the shattered
t: windshield. (Sfeaff Photos ?
| ?
aTfin-Age Group
Cal1# Meeting
A meeting of the Franklin
Tetn-age Association will be
held tonight (Thursday* at 8
o'clock at the Youth Center.
All persons Interested In the
welfare of the young people of
. Franklin and vicinity are urged
to attend this meeting.
Auto Thief Writes That 'Beating'
Ministers Isn't Among Bad Points
I
Federal Prisoner No. 24995 is a
nan with a conscience and isn't
jiven to bamboozling ministers.
At leAst that's the way he writes
0 Highway Patrolman H T. Fer
guson, the officer who started him
>n his way to prison.
But, let Federal Prisoner No.
?4S95 tell the story his way. in
1 letter -to Patrolman Ferguson:
Dear Sir:
I wish first to apologize for
not knowing your given name;
then for asking that you please
accomplish the following re
quest:
As you will ?no doubt recall,
aboyt January 7th this year,
you apprehended me for trans
porting a stolen automobile in
interstate commerce. The ear
Wi'H a Cadillac from Arizona
row ' ou remember!
You wM kindly further recall
that at the time of apprehen
sion, I was totally without iden
tification or funds. My explan
ation to you was that while in
toxicated Y had lost both up
in Tennessee the previous night.
As you wept about your investi
gation. you uncovered the fact
that in order to purchase gaso
line, I had obtained a small loan
from a Methodist minister near
Franklin. Parenthetically. I ad
mil with .1 Rood measure of
sorrow that in relating the cause
behind this need. I wasn't en
tirely truthful with the good
minister. Nevertheless, I never
intended to "beat" him for his
money. Sacrilege is not one of
my bad points.
Now, perhaps spurred on by
the "Christmas Spirit", I wish
very much to repay this debt.
However, since 1 do not remem
ber the preacher's name, and
since at least I do rcmember
your surname, I ask that you
please arrange to notify me of
both his name and adtirew.
Then it will be possible for me
to make the withdrawal to pay
this debt. I sjtall be eternally
indebted to you for this favor.
In closing, I would like to
thank you tor your fairness to
me as a prisoner. I was under
served. My incarceration is,
this time, proving to be of bene
fit to me. and ill the near future
I expect to reenter society with,
a more wholesome attitude . .
Patrolman Ferguson l as .com
plied' with the. prlsorerV request;
And the Rev. Ear!. T Crowe, the
Macon Methoc.ist, circuit ride:
who loaned the man the money,
believes even more stroii;Jy i:i
what he preaches.
AFTER A CHASE -
They Caught 'Em
Two youths in a stolen autqmo- .
brio beat a service station out of a
tank of gas, struck and killed
two dogs during a high-speed
chase with officers, and finally
emerged uninjured after the car
smashed into a tree.
It all began shortly after 3
o'clock Monday afternoon at Mc
Coy's station on NC 28. The two
youths. Donald Aaron Deck. 16.
the driver, and James Ernest
Wilkerson, 14. both of Knoxville,
Tenn.. drove off from the station
without paying for $5 worth of
?as.
The sheriff's department was
notified and Sheriff J. Harry
Thomas and Chief Deputy Newell
Pehdergrass jumped into the de
partment's new cruiser and went
out to intercept the pair, they
were joined by HiKhway Patrol
man H. T. Ferguson in his car.
Meet ( ur
Sheriff Thomas arid Deputy
Penciergrass met the car- on NC
23. They lost some time turning
arouncl because of traffic. Mean
while. the- youths turned down
Bidwell Street at a hixh rate of
peed.
Patrolman Ferguson headed for
US 23-44 1 < Georgia road ? in case
they went in that direction and
the sheriff and his deputy took
US 64 west. They soon spotted
the fleeing automobile and closed
the gap.
Near Press ley's store on US 64
two doKS frolicking in the high
way were struck arid killed by the
youth's car.
Seeing he couldn't Outdistance
the pursuing sheriff's car, the
driver turned of into Mills Creek
Road, in the curve near Shield's
store He then attempted to turn
into a losing road, apparently
in an attempt to hide, but lost
control and struck a tree, dam
aging the '58 Chevrolet about
$500
"We saw the tree limbs shake
and knew he'd wrecked even be
fore we saw ' the car," Sheriff
Thomas said.
The youths were turned over
to federal authorities Tuesday for
prosecution for violation of the
Dyer Act.
Sheriff Thomas said the Chev
rolet was stolen about 11 a.m.
Monday in Kfioxville.
Harbison
Killed By
Autcmcbile
HIGHLANDS- A freak accident
here about 6 p.m. Thursday claim
ed the life of Thomas Cobb Harbi
son,. a well-known building con
tractor. civic leader, and -former
town commissioner.
Working under his automobile
at his home he was smothered
when a jack siiiped and the ve
hicle pinned him to the ground.
He was found by his wife.
Forty-nine years old. Mr. Harbi
son wa? a . former president of
Highlands Rotary Club, forme,
master of the Blue Ridge Masoio
Lodge. and had 'server! on toe
town Board of commissioners. A'
tive in many community under
takings. he figured prominent),
m the buildirg.ol the Hn;ob?n< s
Community Hospitar and had sesv
e'd on its' board.
He was the son of the late
Thomas Orant find Mrs Je'SMr.
Cobb Harbison. His father wis a.i
eminent' botanist at. the Univer
sity of North Carolina and was .1
co-founder of the Highlands
Biological Station.
Funeral services were held Sat
urday afternoon at the Church of
the Incarnation by Dr. Herbert
Kot pp-Baker. rector, and th ? Rev,
John W Ticker, rector of St.
Agnes Episeopal Church in Frank
lin. Mr. Harbison had been a
vestryman of the church.
Gravesite rites were conducted
at the Highlands Cemetery by the
Blue Ridge Masomc Lodge, with
members of the lodge serving a<
pallbearers.
In addition to his wife, the
former Miss Elizabeth Rice. Mr
Harbison is survived by three
daughters. Miss Anne Harbison
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 6
DURING YEAR 1958 -
Building and Loan
Assets At Highest
Assets in 1958 climbed to an f
all-time high of $1,566,269.55 at i
Macon County Building and Loan .
Association.
This figure is $256,382.70 above :
'57 assets of $1.34)9,886.85, accord
ing to a financial statement is- ?
sued by the association. i
During the past year, Reserve
accounts were increased $J7. 175.91.
Also held in reserve is $71,959.65
5 Nominated
For Jaycee
DSA Award
Five nominations for the "Ma
con County Young Man of tlif*
Year" award have been received
; and several move are expected by
twfen now and. the deadline a
week from today t Thursday
A spokesman for the Franklin
Junior Chamber of Commerce,
which makes the annual award .
lor outstanding community serv
ice. said plans for tlie awards
banquet January 30 have now
been completed.
In addition to the presentation
of a Distinguished Service Award
to the "Young Man of the Year",
the banquet will be highlighted
by an address by the state Jaycee
president, Marvin Koontz, of Ra
leigh.
Any yjuiiv! man betweti" the
oe.ci of 21 and 36 is eligible to l;e
nominated for the "Youm Mnu
of the Year" award. Membership
in the Jaycees is not ncrc sary.
In fact, two of.tl." f.ve \vho have
been nominated so far are non
.'J :.yc.? c ? .tpi/. iiions .and / in-.
divieu.Us should in;.eil nominations
to J. P Br.e'y. J ivc e president.
Niar:in ition . sl.oul i list the com:
m unity activities i.f the nominee.
A v';." t panel uf .Judges v. 11. select
ti e winner.
'lie banquet *i" be htld ai
,Sla"le M.emoeiul H liLi.ri".
Locil
I iWItos Who
A Marnn c/ tr iv res'd nt. Mr;.
N- en' Mel ov.'fll.* iv, l.sliM'i i'i th"
l : '.? '-!)!) "Wl.'i" V ho of _ American
V/.miett" just published"
An artist and int *i ior drcoi '
v.'lro' 1 i i i)! en list e J iri who'..
V'iii) for (?? ' ?:! v.- 1.--. .-he movi cl '
h :? f:om }? 1 r V':i six yens a-?o
h? mu c M I f ?? ? i n It s'h:'. h? r i
husband. '.and' her ?mother," Mrs. ,
C. N. Smith; live at O.ik Hill
"iv i -? or :n '?? ft: -on -./?fwnnu^it;,*-. . '
Mrs McDow II a::d her ho-.- '
M ? *! t ? ?.v? i a fivi. at :il and bot h
are" avid rock and .'hell collectors.
V
for bad debts: $15,000 for con
tingencies; and $2,669.80 in un
divided profits.
In '58, the association made
256 mortage loans, as compared
with 182 in '57. These totaled
5532.161 . Of this total, $229,433
represented construction loans
1118' ; $158,208 to purchase homes
<46': $84,875 to refinance existing
mortgages < 24 > : and $59,645 for
other purposes > 69 > .
Stockholders during the. year
numbered 606. including four
Negroes,'
Stock totaling S170.379.42 was
retired by the association.
Organized in 1922. the associ
ation's present officer, s are H. W.
Cabe. president, H. L. Bryant,
vice-president, R. S Jones, secre
tai y-tri usurer, and Gilmer A.
Jones, attorney.
Carpenter Says
Banquet To Be
He'd Next Month
Robert C. i Bob i Carpenter,
president, of the Franklin Ro
tary Club, this week announced
tljat the club's annual football
banquet probably will be held
some time in February.
A date suitable to the guest
speaker, Eddie Sutton, is now
being arranged. Mr Sutton, a
Jackson County native attend
ing medical school in Memphis,
Tenn , is a star tack with the
professional Washington Red
skins.
The Weather
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* no record
Jack Cabe With Mis State Corn Cert iicatc
fS ./, I'kot >>
, CERTIFICATES GIVEN, ?
Holly Springs Farmer Topa
In Corn Growing In 1953
Jack Cabe. of Holly Springs,
took corn mowing honors in Ma
con County during 1958. hai vest
ing 140 bushels to the acre.
He and 18 other farmers here
have been accepted for member
ship in th? state's "100 Bushel
Corn Club" and their certificates
Lave arrived from Raleigh.
Runner-up to Mr. Cabe was
' Adolph Zoellner, of Route 1, who
grew 139 bushels to the acre..
? Both men planted US 282
. County Agricultural Agent T. H.
? Fagg said most of the farmers
. winning certificates planted either
US 282 or Funks G-134
Others receiving certificates,
and their bushelper acre yields,
"ve re Charles Downs. Route 3,
116; Arthur Shepherd. Route 4
128; A. J Smith, Route 3, Bryson
City, 112; Clinton Green, Route
1, 114.72: Walter Swanson, Route
1, 111; Aaron Hedden, Route 1.
128; Fred Dalton. Route 4. 132;
Woodrow Teague, Route 2. 128.59;
Lloyd Waldroop, Route 1. 135.52;
Jake Cabe, Route 2. 118; W. M.
Stanley, Route 5, 108; Harold
McClure, Route 2. 114; Brisco
Dills. Route 5. 118; Leonard
Swanson. Route 5. 108; Prank
Dryman, Scaly. 107; and Ray
Dryman, Scaly. 105 bushels.