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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. 8
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, February 19, 1959
Price 10 Cents
Twelve Pages
WE HAD a church dynamiting
here a while back, but it was
strictly business. Wiley Clark had
to use a small charge to open a
hole in the wall at Bethel Meth
odist Church, where he was doing
some work.
A FELLOW who frequently sits
at the checker board here in front
of Pendergrass' store is a patient
at the Blue Ridge Rest Home in
Pickens, S. C? and might like to
hear from some of the boys of the
Checker board. He's J. Henry
Stephens, who's known as "the
checker king" in his home town
or Easley, S. C.
WELL, SYLVA did it, just as
planned. The progressive town
now has a full-time promotions
director. How about it Franklin,
going to keep being the cow's tail
of W.N.C. in promoting your many
wonderful features?
THE DISTRICT'S new solicitor,
Glenn W. Brown, held his first
court in Haywood last week. He's
in neighboring Jackson County
this week. Macon will meet him
at the April term of Superior
Court.
THE LATE C. C. Poindexter's
Picture has been hung in the
trophy room of the Bethel gym.
The Macon County native died
Christmas Eve after many years
service to this area as a coach
and educator.
'SPEED WEEK' in Daytona
Beach has attracted a lot of Ma
conians, including Mr. and Mrs.
Robert W. Moore, Mr. and Mrs.
Clyde Pennington, Carl Oreen,
Jack Gribble, Frank L. Henry!
Jr., Clyde Sanders, Howard Stew
art. Jim Wurst, and Sanford
Mann. Others plan to go down
over the week end.
FROM ALL the way in Winne
mucca, Nev., comes a letter to
T. H. Fagg, asking for information
on organizing a square dance
team. Seems J. Kirk Day, the
agricultural agent in Winnemuc
ca, read about the Carson team
in the February issue of NATION
AL 4-H NEWS and decided to in
quire. Publicity pays, doesn't It?
THAT v TEETH -chipper appar
ently is going to be on Phillips
Street so long this column will
be changed from the "Indian
Mound" column to the "teeth
chipper" column. Incidentally,
many more holes are appearing in
the streets, most because of bad
weather.
BANK OF Franklin will "shut
her down" the 23rd (Monday)
for George Washington's birth
day, which falls on' Sunday.
HOW ABOUT that New York
trip for. $66.25 being sponsored
by the home demonstration
women? That's an opportunity of
a lifetime, so don't hesitate, perco
late to Mrs. Florence S. Sherrill's
office in the Agricultural Building
and tell her you want to go along.
STRANGERS SURE are getting
the once over in town this week.
Any man appearing in a suit and
hat is automatically classed as
an "F. B. I. man" or a "union
organizer". Disappointing as it is,
the majority of them are just
hard-working salesmen.
EIGHT CUBS RECEIVE HIGHEST RANK
These eight Cub .Scouts received Cub Scouting's highest rank Friday night at a covered dish
supper at Franklin High cafeteria. In <a neckerchief ceremony, the Cubs were welcomed into Boy
Scouting. The Cubs are (L to R) front row, Dennis Sanders, Clarence Clark, Tommy Pangle, and
Eddie Hoilman; second row, Larry Salter, Edward Bryant, Billy Garrison, and Steve Brown. Stand
ing at back .are Bill Garrison, Cub adult leader, and Bill Hyde, pack advisor, who was presented
a gift by the parents of the Cubs for his work. The meal marked the closing feature of the local
observance of "National Boy Scout Week"; (Staff Photo)
Friday Last
Day To Buy
Meal Tickets
Tomorrow (Friday) will be the
last day to purchase tickets to
the annual Rotary-sponsored fool
ball banquet honoring the Frank
lin High Panthers and cheer
leaders.
Since the banquet is Saturday
night at the high school cafe
teria, ticket sales must end to
morrow afternoon so seating ar
rangements can be made, accord
ing to C. E. (Red I Henry, Ro
tarian in charge of the banquet.
Perry's Drug Store and Angel's
Drug Store are handling the
tickets.
Guest speaker at the banquet,
which is set for 6:30, will be
Jackson County's Eddie Sutton,
the former U.N.C. football star
who is now under contract to the
professional Washington Redskins.
Mr. Sutton also plans to show
mdvles taken during his rookie
year with the Redskins.
Another feature of the banquet
will be the awarding of a "most
valuable player" award to a mem
ber of the Panther squad by the
local V.F.W. Post.
BUSINESS LOSING MONEY ?
Proposed Federation Sale
Outlined At Meeting Here
About 75 Macon County farm
ers gathered at the Farmers Fed
eration warehouse here Tuesday
to hear an explanation of the
what and the why of the proposed
sale of i the Federation to the
Farmers Cooperative Exchange.
The sale already has been ap
proved by the Federation's board
of directors, and stockholders
from throughout the area will
meet In Ashevllle February 26 to
ratify or reject the board's action.
The explanation was made
chiefly by James G. K. Clarke,
who became president upon the
death of his uncle, James G. K.
McClure. The latter founded the
organization in 1920.
Sharp Questioning
The intricacies of accounting
and the complicating factor of
various funds connected, directly
or indirectly, with the Federation
proper, appeared to confuse many
of those present. Mr. Clarke,
nonetheless, was subjected to some
sharp questioning, especially by
DRIVE SET SUNDAY ?
Appeal Is Issued Here
For 'Heart Sunday* Help
The Macon county Heart
Fund headquarters sent out Its
annual call today (Thursday)
for volunteers for the "Heart
Sunday" campaign Sunday aft
ernoon.
Volunteers will be needed to
go through all of the residen
tial communities of the area
during the three-hour collection
period February 22, according
to Roy M. Biddle, Jr., Heart
Fund chairman. "Heart Sun
day" 1s the high point of the
month-long fund-raising drive
to carry on the battle against
heart diseases.
Volunteers will serve in their
own immediate neighborhoods,
do says "MR. MACON! AN"
Hi-ya Neighbors:
' Ain't human nature somethin'?
Folks is always askin' why this and that ain't
printed in newspapers; that is, until the this and
that is somethin' what they don't take a hankerin'
to. About that time they start tryiri' to see what
v they can do about keepin' it out of print.
'Course, the best way to ground this .problem is
to stop whatever it is they don't like before it
starts. After all, them newspaper folks don't make
the news, they just print it. ,,
Then again, them that' don't ]lvant a real news
paper might like one of them little shoppin' news
things that is all recipes and advertisin' and the
like. It's best to let 'em know tho', that them shop
pin' news things don't do jnuch good without some
news wrapped around all the advertisin' and when
you do that you're right back to a newspaper,
again. , . . ?
Makes me dizzy thinkin' about it. '
And I thank you.
Mr. Maconian
ringing the doorbells of their
neighbors between the hours of
1 and 4 p. m? Mr. Biddle said.
They will wear square identifi
cation badges and distribute
small buff-colored envelopes
which residents will return to
them after inserting contribu
tions.
Residents of Franklin may
SEE NO. 1, PAGE 12
Henry Fisher, Asheville lawyer
employed by a group of stock
holders who oppose the sale.
These were among the facts
either volunteered by Mr. Clarke
or brought out by questions:
Losing Money
The Federation, Mr. Clarke said,
has been steadily losing money ?
$89,000 in the past four months.
It owes $600,000 to a Columbia.
S. C., bank. But it is other debts
of $400,000 that are pressing it
for payment. It cannot continue
to operate, he said, without bor
rowing money, and he challenged
opponents of the sale to say where
it could get a loan.
The farmers who own some
68,000 shares of common stock
(with a par value of $10 per
shares throughout this region will
receive, at best, about two-thirds
of their original investment. (A
large proportion of the farmers
in Macon County are said to own
one or more shares each of com
mon stock in the Federation.)
Separate Fund
The Farmers Federation edu
cation and development fund of
more than $1,000,000 Is a sepatate
corporation, and Its funds are not
available to apply on the debts
of the Federation proper. Mr.
Clarke has offered to serve with
out Federation salary for the one
year it is estimated it will take
him to wind up the affairs of the
Federation. He adihitted, in re
sponse to a question from Mr.
Fisher, that he is receiving, and
will continue to receive, a salary
of $500 per month from the edu
cation fund. What his present
salary as Federation president is
SEE NO. 2, PAGE 12
PROBE ON
IN UNION
CASE HERE
Telegrams Sent
High Officials
As Protests
Protest telegrams to high po
litical figures and an Investi
gation by the district solicitor
are the main developments this
week in Franklin following
charges by a union organizer
that he was beaten and run
out of town February 9!
Allegations made last week
by organizer Robert Beame
from his hospital bed in Chat
tanooga, Tenn., have unleashed
a steady stream of protests
from union officials.
Orders Prohe
Also, on orders from Gov.
Luther H. Hodges, District So
licitor Glenn W. Brown, of
Waynesville, opened an investi
gation Friday into the incident
He termed it a Joint investi
gation with local town and
county officers and added that
copies /of his report would be
sent to Gov. Hodges and the
State Bureau of Investigation.
Meanwhile, on the Franklin
front, officers are standing
firm in their contention that
Mr. Beame, of Greensboro, a
representative of the American
Federation of Hosiery Workers,
was not cut and bruised about
the face, as he charges, when
he was escorted to the Geor
gia state line, at his own re
quest, by Debuty Newell Pen
dcrgrass, following an incident
at The Town Motel. At the
motel, the union organizer
charges that four men entered
his room, beat him up, forced
him to dress, and then started
hustling him out of town. Mr.
Beame drove to the courthouse
and asked for protection.
After leaving the deputy at
the state line, Mr. Beame next
showed up in Chattanooga,
where he made his charges of
beating and kidnapping from a
hospital bed.
Tfclegrams Sent
In addition to Gov. Hodges,
protest telegrams the following
day were sent to Sens. Sam. J.
Ervin and B. Everett Jordan,
to F.B.I, director J. Edgar
SEE NO; 3, PAGE 12
Stork Busy
At Shope's
Old Man Stork just couldn't
keep away from Woodrow
Shope's last week.
Monday he delivered a white
faced calf.
Wednesday he was back again
with 14 pigs for the Shope's sow.
Then Thursday, a bit wing
weary by this time, he arrived
with a new baby girl, Sandra
Lynn.
"I've really been moving,"
"says Mr. Shope laconically.
John Cunningham Hands Package To Tom McKay
? ( Staff I'liOly)
MAILMEN TELL ALL ?
Through Sore Feet, Odd
Driving, Mail Keeps On
Tom McKay's fort still hurt
and John Cunningham isn't
sure which side of the road to
drive on.
Other than these minor
things, Franklin's new house-to
house mail delivery appears to
be proceeding smoothly.
But back to the two carriers,
Mr. McKay and Mr. Cunning
ham, both of whom were inter
v iewedi Saturday, after a week
on the job.
"My feet still get sore," ex
plained the former, who walks
about eight and a half miles
daily in covering his route.
"And I know how the Limeys
(English) feel," chinned in the
other, whose statement needs
some explanation. Mr. Cunning
ham rides rather than walks.
And his regulation postal truck
has the steering wheel on the
right side like in England, in
stead of on the left as in this
country. And the problem is
to drive on the right side. ;is
they do in America, and not on
the left as they do in England.
"It's all very confusing," Mr.
Cunningham decided. "Especial
ly when I climb in my personal
car to j;o home in. the after
noon."
However, he thinks the right
hand drive truck is "just the
thing for delivering mail".
What he needs, he thinks,
is a lonRer arm. Seems quite a
few of his stops have mail box
too low or too far bark from
the highway to be reached from
the truck. The boxes should be
55 to 58 inches olf the ground.
Ilow about the postman's
natural enemy, the dog?
"I've had no trouble there,"
Mr. McKay said.
"Just a few near misses for
me," concluded Mr. Cunning
ham.
AT ROTARY MEETING ?
Woman From Turkey Tells
Of Life In HcJr Country
A young woman from Turkey
was a featured speaker at last
Thursday's annual ladles' night
meeting of the Franklin Rotary
Club. Eighty-two Rotarlans, their
Rotary Anns, and guests attended
the dinner at the Slagle Memorial
Building.
The club hopes to bring a
foreign student to Franklin for
the next year, to attend the high
school here, and the program
centered around that project and
the international understanding
it seeks to foster.
The Turkish guest speaker was
Miss Gunyuz Acar. who this year
Is attending high school in Hick
ory, under the program of the
American Field Service. The other
guest speaker was Dr. Walter Nau.
of Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory,
MORE GROUNDHOG DAY CONTROVERSY ?
Prognosticating Animal Is In Orbit'
(Editor's Note: A PRESS
reporter was assigned to in
terview a mountain - type
groudhog about the weather
this week. For the uninitated,
a mountain-type groundhog
is one that believes "Ground
hog Day" is the 14th of Feb
ruary and not the 2nd. The
reporter found a groundhog
at the home of Bob Ledford
in the Carson section. The
interview follows : )
Reporter: "Pardon me. Mister
Groundhog . . ."
Groundhog: "Drop that, mis
ter jazz, sonny: The name's
'Chunk'."
Reporter: "Okay 'Chunk', how
about this business of coming
out of your hole on the 14th?"
Groundhog: "The 14th? Hold
it, sonny. Ol' 'Chunk' ain't no
square no more, man. What I
mean is I'm way out, in orbit,
man . .
Reporter: "You mean you..."
Groundhog: "That's right,
sonny. I've blasted off from
that mountain-type February
14 forecasting. I belong now,
man."
Reporter: "But you can't Just
give up a tradition that your
forefathers
Groundhog : "Forefathers,
schmorefathers! This is a crazy
world, man, and 'Chunk' has to
be right with the rest of the
clan's hipsters or else not be
cool and real far out. You know
what I mean?"
\ u
Reporter: "Well, now that you
bring It up, no."
Groundhog: "Sonny, It's this
way. All the other cool ones In
Groundhog 'Chunk' And Owner, Bob Ledford'
(Stiff Photo J
the weather forecasting racket
say February 2 Is 'Groundhog
Day'. Right? Okay, so , why
should all us mountain ground
hogs keep hollerln' that It's the
14th all the time. After all,
man, the majority says It's way
out to give your forecast on the
2nd and us mountain-type
groundhogs don't want to be
earthbound so we go along with
the Jazz. Anyway, all the cal
endars say 'Groundhog Day' Is
the 2nd."
Reporter: "In other words,
you mountain-type groundhogs
have decided It's more impor
tant to belong than to be right,
is that It?"1
Groundhog: "Man, don't be
so cynical What we mean is.
why fight the masses. You got
ta belong to be anything, you
see?"
Reporter: "Maybe you ought
to be way out . . . way out on
the back side of the moon."
Oroundhog: "Now don't get
riled upr, sonny. By the way, I
Just happened to come out of
my hole on the 14th and would
you believe It, I saw my shadow.
I'm not saying It means any
thing, you , understand, since
any cool and far out ground
hog knows the 2nd Is . .
Reporter: "Man, you really
are In orbit, mountain-type or
bit, that is!"
who has been active in the
American Field Service and other
student exchange programs?
In hpn pr of Miss Acar, the
elaborate decorations were fea
tured by .the flag of Turkey, while
the dinner's meat dish was, of
course, turkey.
Further carrying out the idea of
creating good will between peoples,
through understanding, the gifts
for the Rotary Anns came from
foreign countries. Arrangements (
to make that posssible were
started last October, when the
local club sent letters ' accom- ,
pan led by checks) to the heads j
of 60 clubs, in many countries. (
asking each to select and mail a
lady's gift characteristic of the (
country from which it came. Gifts ,
also were presented the club's '
non-Rotary lady guests.
Dr. Nau explained the differ- |
ences between the American Field (
Service and other exchange pro
grams: The A F C exchange is
for high school student only; the
students live the entire school
year as a member of a selected
family, preferably one with a son
or daughter of high school age: !
and thus close personal ties are
made between this country and
that of the visiting student, ties i
that are remembered and kept in
tact long after the end of the
school year.
He then presented Miss Acar.
who spoke briefly about her '
native country, and then answered ;
questions. The applause given her |
indicated the audience thought |
she did a good job. both as a '
speaker and as a question-en- 1
swerer.
Ouests included Gordon But
ler. Rotary district governor, of
Andrews, who spoke briefly, and
Mr. Butler.
The event was arranged byi
President Robert C. ?Bob> Car
penter, who presided; William B.
i Bill) Garrison, who introduced
Dr. Nau; and Robert W <Bob>
Moore, responsible for decorations
and other details, who was master,
of ceremonies.
SINGING SUNDAY
The fourth Sunday singing of
the northern division of Macon
County will be held at the Rose
Creek Baptist Church Sunday.
February 22. at 1:30 p. m. Lon
Thompson, president. Invites all
singers and the public to attend.
BURLEY VOTE
SCHEDULED
FOR TUESDAY
Growers To Cast
Ballots For Next
Three Crops
Macon County farmers will go
to the polls Tuesday for a burley
quota referendum.
All farmers who grew burley
tobacco in *58 are eligible to cast
a ballot. It will take a two-thirds
vote to keep the burley tobacco
marketing quota program in opera
tion in '59. The law provides that,
under quotas, price support will
be available at 90 per cent of
parity.
The referendum will cover the
next three burley crops.
Two polling places have been
designated by the local A.S.C.
committee. All townships, butNan
tahala, will vot? at the Agricul
tural Building in Franklin. Nanta
haki growers will vote at Bate
man's Store at! Nantahala.
Polls will be open from 8 a.m.
to 6 p.m.
Raby Named
To Committees
Eiwht committee appointments
have been handed Macon Rep,
James M. i Jim' Baby.
He is on Agriculture, Appropri
ations, Conservation and Develop
ment, Elections and Elections
Laws. Engrossing Bills, Education,
Welfare, and Wildlife 'Resources.
In a telephone interview with
THE PRESS Tuesday afternoon,
the representative said he was
"keeping busy" at committee
meetings and did not have any
local legislation to offer at the
present time.
County Fair
Meeting Set
A reorganization meeting for
the '59 Macon County Fair is set
for Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the
Agricultural Building.
New officers will be elected and
some preliminary plans for the
coming fair will be discussed.
Wayne Profltt, chairman of the
Agricultural Workers Council, asks
all committee chairmen, members,
and interested persons to attend.
Sylva Man
Gets Dean's \
Area Job
Western Carolina Telephone
Company has a new district man
ager, in Sylva's Harley Carpenter.
Hp succeeds Frank Dean, of
Franklin, who resigned last month
to accept a job with the Philco
Corporation in Anchorage. Alaska.
Exchanges coming under Mr1.
Carpenter's supervision included
Sylva, Franklin, Highlands, Cash
iers; Cullowhee, and Clayton. Ga.
The new district mar.aaer has
been manager of the Sylva ex
change for the past five years.
The Weather
rha waak'i tranp^raturaa and rainfall balow
ir* rrrordrd in Franklin by Manaon Atilaa,
[J waathar obaarvar: In Highland# bf
fiidor N Hall and W. C. Nawton. TV K
fthaarvara: and at th? (Virata IVydrolocfa
Laboratory. Raadinga ara ffr tha 24-hoor
aariod anding at 8 a.m. of tha day llatad.
FRANKLIN
High Uw Rain
Wed.. Uth 64 35 ? .18
Thursday 45 31 i .00
Friday 54 37 1.37
Saturday 67 47 .06
Sunday , 63 . 47 .20
Monday 62 27 .00
Tuesday 65 36 .00
Wednesday 44 .18
f
COWETA
Wed., 11th 67 32 .75
Thursday 50 32 .00
Friday 46 35 2.15
Saturday 56 46 .03
Sunday 70 47 .11
Monday 62 24 .00
Tuesday 62 35 .00
Wednesday 68 42 .40
HIGHLANDS
Wed.. 11th 51 38 *
Thursday 42 34 *
Friday 58 39 *
Saturday ? ? ?
Sunday * * ' *
Monday 55 28 *
Tuesday 56 36 ?
Wednesday .... 42 ?
? -i ?
* no record.