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Wtl* ISiablanV Baconian
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
pages from top to bottom and
you'll know Macon County.
74th Year ? No. 26
Franklin, N. C., Thursday, June 25, 1959
Price 10 Cent?
Sixteen Pages
GOOD LUCK TO all of you
Smoky Mountain Cloggers on your
trek to Hollywood. The blessings
and best wishes of many Macon
ians go with you kids, and we all
hope you take the place by storm
? if for no other reason than
to prove to some of the doubting
Thomases that you can do it!
THE CONCRETE is really pour
ing at the culvert job at the foot
of Town Hill. They're making
every effort to get that detour
out of the way just as soon as
possible. If the weather will con
tinue to cooperate, it will only
be a matter of days before traffic
will be able to use the highway
once again.
SOMEONE HAS been raiding
the Babe Ruth refreshment stand
at the East Frankiln ball field.
Seems a little foolish for boys to
risk a stretch at a reformatory
for a soft drink or some candy.
ANOTHER PHOTOGRAPHER
of high repute has visited our
area and sampled some of our
many wares in the attractions
field. Nationally-known Alan Oould
visited the Cowee Ruby Mines one
day last week and took several
color pictures. Jim Brinkman is
now cutting a ruby Mr. Oould
found while taking time out for
a little prospecting on his own.
'UNTO THESE HILLS' opened
Tuesday night for the season. This
is a tremendous drama, and one
that every Western North Caro
linian should see, if for no other
reason than to be able to applaud
its quality to visitors.
COULD BE ABOUT time for
the town to patch some broken
places In the sidewalk. An elderly
woman took a nasty fall Tuesday
morning when she turned her
ankle in a big broken place.
IT'S GETTING hard to figure
which set of lines to park between
uptown. Of course, with the heavy
traffic this day and time, a motor
ist feels fortunate just to be able
to get the nose of his vehicle
pointed toward the curb.
A FRANKLIN merchant has a
letter from a prospective industry.
It calls attention to the abandon
ment of the railroad and says
the industry would not be inter
ested in coming here if the choo
choo quit. Bye-bye industry; and
a big ol' "I told you so" to some
of you who couldn't get stirred
up about the loss of the line.
THAT TALENT show here last
week was something. There's a
lot of ability being covered up be
cause no one seems interested in
letting it be discovered.
FIRST THEY were hollering
about the rain, now about the dry
spell. Next someone'll be saying
a rocket might punch a hole in
the sky and drain all the blue out.
A LOT OF folks hoping the
"Save the Railroad" committee
can at best stave off the abandon
ment of the Tallulah Falls line
into this section. There's talk that
it will continue to serve North
Georgia, but that will be of little
value here.
ITS GOOD NEWS when they
find those big gems out in Cowee
Valley; even the local "rock
hounds" start heading for the
diggin's.
WONDER WHY all highway
construction has to be done during
the busiest season of the year?
Could blame it on the weather,
we gueas.
A CITY MANAGER could help
head off some of these municipal
problems cropping up almost be
fore they start.
TOWN FACES
SHORTAGE OF
WATER AGAIN
All Nine Pumps
Going, Tanks
Stay Low
Franklin is on the brink of an
other water shortage, a municipal
malady not uncommon here in re
cent years.
For several days, at the request
of Mayor W. C. Burrell, the local
radio station' has been asking resi
dents to conserve water by not
sprinkling lawns.
Storage tanks have been empty,
or near-empty, for several days,
although the town's nine wells are
all pumping. The tanks fill some
overnight, but the reserve is soon
gone.
"They're just using water faster
than it can be pumped," explained
Prelo J. Dryman, chairman of the
water committee.
He attributed the problem to
an increase in water customers.
About 75 new customers have
tapped on the lines in the past
year, he said.
At least one Franklin home, on
a higher elevation, has been with
out water, except during the night,
for the past week. Pressure also
has dropped considerably all over
town, as the water level in the
storage tanks drops during the
day.
Mr. Dryman said the town has
"worked a trade" for John Hig
don's private well on the High
lands road and is now planning
to turn this supply into the sys
tem. The fligdon well produces
about 50 gallons per minute.
Aubrey L. Brown
Is New Franklin
Circuit Pastor
Aubrey L. Brown, a native of
Mississippi, is the new pastor of
the Franklin Methodist Circuit.
Mr. Brown, 33, attended West
minister Theological Seminary,
Westminister, Md., and received
his A.B. degree from Albion Meth
odist College, Albion, Mich. He
did graduate work there, and re
ceived his BJJ. degree from Can
dler School of Theology, Emory
University, Atlanta, Ga. Mr. Brown
served in the UJS. Navy three
years, and was employed by home
Missions Division of National
Council of Churches for two years.
Before coming to North Caro
lina, he served churches in Mich
igan and Virginia. His wife teaches
sociology at Western Carolina
College.
Mr. Brown succeeds the Rev.
R. L. Poindexter, who has resign
ed.
Local Lions Bound
For Convention In
New York City
Tiree Franklin Lions are head
int for the Lions International
Convention in New York City.
Prelo J. Dryman and Harry C.
Corbin, with their wives, plan to
leave by automobile Sunday.
H. Bueck will leave Sunday by
train.
They'll be in New York about a
week.
JO
say J
"MR. MACONIAN'
Hi-ya Neighbors:
I just knew you folks wouldn't let the youth
center building project down ? although you had
me a mite worried for a< while.
All of you going out to work Saturday shows
that the spark is still there and I'm mighty proud
of your interest in the young people. While that
spark is there, let's fan it with enougTf work to
have a big lire burning until the youth center is
built. A good way to kindle that fire wquld be for
some of the young people not working this summer
to volunteer a lot of their time on the project.
And I thank you,
Mr. Maconian
PRACTICING WHAT THEY'LL 'PREACH'
The fffur Macon ians above are going over their daily sched
ules before going to their respective classrooms to teach at the
training school at Western Carolina College, where they are
practice teaching this summer. They are I.L to K) Earl Williams,
L. B. Welch, Ray Young, and Grady Corbin. All but Mr. Wil
liams, who is working on his master's degree in education, will
be graduated from the college at the end of the summer ses
sion. (Zeke Angel Photo)
PLAYING HERE SATURDAY ?
All-Stars And Georgia
Team Are Tied For Top
The Franklin All-Stars, one of
the hottest ball tlubs produced
here in recent years, is tied with
Young Harris, Ga., for the top
spot in the Tri-County League.
Both teams sport win-loss
records of four and one. This
Saturday on the local diamond
they'll play at 3 o'clock for first
place.
Sunday In Young Harris, the
All-Stars stepped up to the tie by
beating the Georgia team 5 to 1.
On the mound for the All-Stars,
Roger Seay pitched a four-hitter.
and struck out 10.
It was a m j e'cii ball game up
to the seventh inning, when the
Young Harris pitcher walked
Harold Corbin. On a throw-away.
Bobby Womack squeezed a two
bagger into three and Corbin
scored. Grady Corbin singled to
left fiejd, scoring Womack. and
the All-Stars started sewing up
the game. Norman Seay got a hit
and scored Corbin. The All-Stars
got two more runs In the ninth.
In this Saturday's tie-breaking
clash, the All-Stars will send Nor
man Seay to the mound.
FOR THIS WEEK END ?
Annual Station Meetings
Scheduled In Highlands
HIGHLANDS ? This week end,
the annual meetings of the High
lands ' Biological Station are
scheduled.
Saturday, at 10 ajn., the board
of managers will meet in the
Reinke Library of the Coker Build
ing. Sunday, at 3 p.m., in the
Museum of Natural History, the
board of trustees will gather to
consider the budget for the com
ing year, evaluate the educational
program at the museum, consider
plans for expanding the research
program at the laboratory, nomi
nate trustees for the class of 1959
60, and elect officers for the com
ing year. At 4:30 Sunday, the an
nual membership meeting will be
held in the museum building, with
President Leland Shanor giving
his annual report. At this time,
citations of merit for distinguished
service to the station will be pre
sented to a number of individuals
Expected for the board of man
Valued At $3,000 ?
'ROCKHOUND' FINDS BIG UN
A "rockhound" from El
Dorado, Ark., Tuesday of last
week found a large ruby in
Cowee Valley. ^
So what?
Okay, w a lot of people find
rubles In Cowee Valley. But, the
one found by J. Coy Davis hma
been appraised by a local i?n
cutter, Bob Daniel, as a perfect
pigeon-Mood stone, with no risi
ble flaws apparent.
Mr. Daniel says it will finish
into a rem of about one and
thre??uarten carats worth a
bout $3,00*. The cutter further
said the stone was the best
quality that had come to his
attention in the 13 years he has
been cutting gems from the
Southeast.
I ^earning of his valuable find,
which came from Gibson's Ruby
Mine. Mr. Darts said. "Why. I
would hare been glad to hare
sold it for $50, and would hare
felt like I was cheating the
buyer."
He added: "Also, you know,
I have cataracts on my eyes and
can hardly see anything past
three feet that is very small."
To which Mr. Daniel replied:
"Your e^es wil see as far under
the ground as any."
agers meeting, which also will be
highlighted by a report by the
executive director and a discussion
of long-term research projects to
be undertaken at the station, are
J. R. Bailey, Duke University;
Lewis Bemer, University of Flori
da; J. J. Friauf, Vanderbilt Uni
versity; R. K. Godfrey, Florida
State University; J. W. Hardin,
N. C. State College; E. P. Odum,
University of Georgia; W. D. Bur
banck, Emory University; Royal
Shanks, University of Tennessee:
and H. R. Totten, University of
North Carolina.
Trustees planning to be on hand
include Leland Shanor, Florida
State University; H. J. Costing,
Duke University; Gertrude Harbi
son, of Highlands; William D.
McKee, of Cashiers; S. W. Farns
worth, of Memphis, Tenn.; Lewis
Anderson, Duke University; H. R.
Totten, University of North Caro
lina; A. J. Sharp, University of
Tennessee; Elon E. Byrd, Uni
versity of Georgia: Ralph M.
Sargent, Haverford College; Mrs.
W. C. Coker. of Chapel Hill; Mrs.
E. M. Thomasson, of Chattanooga.
Tenn.; R. B. Piatt, Emory Uni
versity; Mrs. Irving Oumbel, of
New Orleans. La.; H. M. Wright,
of Highlands; Warren McA. Dea
con. of Nashville, Tenn.; F. R.
Dulany, of Savannah, Qa.; Mrs.
F. M. Bird, of Atlanta. Oa.; Lewis
Bemer, University of Florida: H.
L. Blomqulst. Duke University:
Mrs. Margaret Cannon Howell of
Atlanta; and Judge Oeorge Jan
vier. of New Orleans. ,
The executive director of the
station is Miss Thelma Howell, of
Wesleyan College.
Square Dancing
Being Sponsored ;
Saturday night square dancing
for the summer season will begin
this week at Slagle Memorial
Building under the sponsorship of
the Franklin Jaycees.
Hunter Young's string band will
play. A small admission charge
will be made to pay the expenses
of the band. i.
The Jaycee president, Roy M.
Biddle. Jr., said his organization
will continue to sponsor the Sat
urday night dances so . long as
Interest ' stays high.
ATTENDANCE
LOW, BUT
TALENT GOOD
$285 Is Raised
For Team's Trip
To Hollywood
A chill in the air seriously hurt
attendance at the "mountain
talent hunt" here Thursday, Fri
day, and Saturday nights, but
those Mho attended were treated
to some high-quality entertain
ment.
Held "under the stars" in the
high school stadium, the event
attracted entertainers from many
sections of Western North Caro
lina and North Georgia.
$285 Cleared
A total of $285 was turned over
to the Smoky Mountain Cloggers
to help with expenses on their
trip to Hollywood next week for
auditions at several major inovis
and television studios. The Frank
lin Jaycees, headed by President
R. M. Biddle. Jr., assisted the
local chamber of commerce with
arrangements.
While Bob Cox, of St. Peters
burg, Fla., the talent scout who
requested the talent hunt to search
for possible mountain'acts suitable
to make the trip to Hollywood
with the doggers, did not find
any of the acts adaptable to the
type of program he Is planning
on the west coast, he neverthe
less "discovered" two excellent
prospects and already has made
arrangements to further the ca
reers of both.
Dancers Signed
On the spot, just minutes after
they danced Friday night, the
talent scout signed a group of
young Murphy square dancers, the
Carolina. Sweethearts, to appear
on a show in Florida in September
Many considered the Friday and
Saturday performances of the
Sweethearts, whose average age is
about 10, the hlghspot of the entire
three-night show.
Also tapped for possible star
dom In the music world by Mr.
Cox was a two-man act from Can
ton. billed as "Ernie and Bill".
Singers and guitar players, the
two men, at the request of the
talent scout, performed all three
nights. Mr. Cox announced Sat
urday night that he had made ar
rangements earlier in the day for
them to audition for a big record
ing company at an early date.
Hollywood Bound
On borrowed money < mast of It
scraped up by parents), the Smoky
Mountain CloKiiers. Jimmy Luns
ford and his string band, and Mr.
Cox will leave tomorrow (Friday)
for Hollywood by automobile.
The talent .scout, who placed
the Cloggers on the Ed Sullivan
Show in March, 1957, says he is
confident the young dancers will
"click" and that movie-Roers and
television viewers will someday
see them in movie houses and on
television screens, j
He's so confident, in fact, he
sold his most prized possession,
his Cadillac convertible, to help
finance the trip.
"When a. talent scout takes a
step like that, he's really sure of
the abilities of his performers,
he quipped here (ecently.
Dr. LaDu Pins The Medal On Luke (,'hastain
NATIONAL ONE, TOO ?
Master Of 'Old Touse'
Got Himself A Medal
Luke dhastain has himself a
medal.
It's an unusual medal, too,
because it's the oniy one of its
kind awarded in the United
States. Its for human service
to animals.
There are lots of medals given
each year to animals for saving
the life of someone drowning,
or for barking and awakening
the occupants of a burning
house, and things like that.
But, there's only one medal
given to a human for service
to an animal. That's the Walter
L. Stiliman award of the Ameri
can Humane Society, the high
est recognition the society gives
in this field of devotion.
That's the one Luke Chastain
got last Friday night at a special
awards banquet in Ashevllle
held by the Society for the Pre
vention of Cruelty to Animals.
Luke's love for his favorite
'coon hound, a blue tick and
bulldog named "Old Touse",
got him the medal. Back in De
cember while 'coon hunting, the
hound became trapped in a rock
cliff in Georgia. For 13 days,
Luke rarely left the scene as he
and his friends worked against
time to chisel their way to the
trapped animal. Finally, on the
18th day the dog had been in
his rock prison, Luke decided
it was a hopeless task. Dynamite
was the only solution ? and
that might kill "Old Touse",
who let Luke know he was still
alive by whimpering.
"But I figured if he had to
die, I'd rather it'd be that way
I
than by starving to death,"
Luke told the banquet audience
Friday night.
A dynamite charge was set.
When the dust cleared, out
staggered "Old Touse", very
much alive.
The 'coon hound was wobbly
on his feet. Luke picked him
up and carried him down the
mountainside.
So, that's why Dr. Robert
W. LaDu, an Asheville veteri
narian, with a sincere measure
of pride, pinned the William
L. Still man medal on Luke over
in Asheville Friday night, add
ing Ids own appraisal of the
situation:
"The rest of the world could
follow Luke's example of getting
right to work on an impossible
job. without first . . . considering
if the job could be done or not
. this is truly a case where
a man was a dog's best friend."
Gets 50- Year
O.EJS. Pin
Miss Lassie Kelly, of Franklin,
has received a 50-year pin from
the state organization of the
Order of the Eastern Star.
A member of the Nequassi chap
ter here, she was presented the
pin at East Lai port last week by
the worthy matron. Mrs. Mildred
Fisher, of Asheville. The occasion
marked sin official visit by Mrs.
FLsher with the O.E.S. chapters
of Franklin. East Laport, Sylva,
Highlands, and Glenville.
FAIR WEATHER SPARKS WORK ON CULVERT
Fair w?ather in the last week let workmen have a break on the culvert project at the
foot of Town Hill In Franklin. Tuesday, half of the large double-barrel culvert had been
poun-d. Forms are now bting erected for the second half. Weather cooperating, traffw
should be flowing over the new structure in July. (Staff Photo)
RAILROAD
GROUP HIRES
LAWYERS
Will Represent
Area At Hearing
In Georgia
Franklin's "Save the Railroad"
committee has two legal voices
to represent Its interests at this
coming Monday's hearing in
Quinesville, Oa? on the requested
abandonment of the Tallulah
Palls Railway.
Money put by a number of local
businessmen Interested in keeping
the dead-end line here has been
used to retain the services of
lawyers J. Horner Stockton and
O. L. Houk, who will attend the
Oeorgia hearing, along with sev
eral businessmen.
Southern Railway, which owns
the 57-mile line from Cornelia,
On , to Franklin, has requested Its
abandonment on the grounds the
SEE NO. I. PAOE 8
Jaybirds
Leading
Little League piay ended the
first half of the season last week
with the Jaybirds leading with
seven wins and one loss.
1 lie Wildcats were in second
place with five and tour; Reddys.
third, three and five; and Thun
derblrds, fourth, two and seven.
Teams are now engaged in the
first week's play of the second
half.
Today i Thursday, the Thun
derbirds and the Jaybirds will
clash. Tomorrow, the Reddys and
the Thunderbirds meet.
The Weather
"Hip week'* temiierature* and rainfall helow
are j i*<i] ded in h'raokltn by Mnnnor Ktitea,
U. S. wtather oWmr; in Highlands by
Tudor N. HhII and W. C, Ni*wton, TV A
t^wrvi-r*: Hnd Ht thp Hydnjocle
laboratory. Hfudintrs are for the 24-hour
period ending at It a.m. of the dar Hated.
FRANKLIN
Wed., nth
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
I i
Wed.. 17th
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
High Low Rain
84 45 .00
58
50
47
53
57
57
64
78
83
84
89
87
86
COWEETA
86
82
74
81
85
86
87
HIGHLANDS
Wed., 17th
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
77
69
78
76
79
82
80
42
55
48
44
45
55
54
60
49
51
58
48
53
59
56
62
0#
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M
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00
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.29
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.37
* no record