VOLUME XL
FRANKLIN, N. C, FRIDAY, JUNE 2fi, 1925
NUMBER TWENTY-SIX
SAM L, ROGERS
PASSg AWAY
Hon. Sam L. Rogers Died at
His Home Here June 18tr
Was, Prominent Figure
In Politics.
Samuel L. Rogers was born in Ma
con county on December 31, 1859. He
attended the common schools of the
county and for a time was a student
at a private subscription school in
Franklin.
For a number of years during his
early youth he worked at Franklin-in
the store of CaptW. M. Addington
acting for a portoin of this time as
assistant postmaster. During his term
in the postoffice he secured an in
creased appropriation for the Frank
lin office. '
In 1832, when barely at voting age,
he defeated W. M. Allman for the of
fice of Clerk .of the Superior Court,
being the joungest successful candi
date for office in the state, a record
which still stands. He held this po
sition for three terms leaving it to
accent the chief clerkship in the office
of the U. S. Collector of Internal
Revenue at Asheville. In lb93 he was
appointed to the Collectorship by
President Cleveland, holding this posi
tion until his successor was appointed
by McKinley in 1897. -
' In 1899 Mr Rogers was elected by
the legislature to the State Corpora
tion Commission and in 1900 he was
re-elected by the people, leading the
state dcmoncratic ticket with a major
itv of over 40.000. He remained in
the Corporation Commission for 12
vears.
In 1912 he managed the successful
aniDauxn of Senator Simmonsin his
race against Governor Kitchen for
the.U. S.. Senate and in 1915 he was
anDointed bv President Wilson as
Director of the Census for the United
States. In this position he made a
splendid record as an extraordinary
efficient executive, setting a record
for lowcost, marked accuracy and
rapidity" of compilation. " He retired
f rem the Bureau of the Census in
1921 at the close of the Wilson ad
ministration and until this year has
devoted his attention to his many
business interests
Upon the creation by the legislature
in 1925 of the State Salary and Wage
Commission he was selected by Gov
ernor Mclean, as a member o fthi
commission. At the organization oi
this body he was chosen as its secre
tary and upon him developed the maj
or portion of the execuf.ve work in
. cident upon the. collection of data arid
statistics as a basis for action on the
part of the commission.
.While engaged in thi;j work, he suf
fered i break-down an t returned to
his home, declining rapidly; until the
end on jur.e 18, 1925.- '
- Mr. Rogers is known most widely
, as a political leader. a;;d while his
natural political genius brought to
him remarkable success in the field of
politics he was- no less a leader- in
other fields.
For many years he was a member
. of the board of setwards of the Frank
lin Methodist church and when the
Western North Carolina Conference
established the Children's. Home at
Winston-Salem he was chairman of
the board in charge- of the campaign
as well as a large contributor to the
orpanhage. ; ; - ,
At the time of his passing he was
chairman of the Board of Directors
of the Bank of Franklin and its larg
est individual stockholder. He also
has extnesive interests in New York;
Florida and elsewhere.
Within the past two years he has
erected a splendid, tourist hotel in
Franklin.
Mr. Rogers was. a member of the
Masonic fraternity.
- Sam L. Rogers was without ques
tion the foremost citizen of Macon
county. He .has stood highest, in the
councils of state and nation, of all
those who have gone out from Macon
into positions of honor and trust.
He was a strong man in the councils
of the leaders, a man of vision and of
strength, a guiding force along the
road of progress, a spirit which will
be appreciated only in its passing.
A strong man has passed and in his
passing a county a state a nation
, mourns it loss.
; On December 31,-1889, Mr," Rogers
married Miss Mamie Addington. To
this uiion. were born seven children,
four daughters and three sons. Two
daughters, .;Marnie .. and Esther pre
ceded their father to the great be-
- jond. He is survived by two sisters,
one brother, his widow and the fol
lowing named children: Misses Mar
garet and Carolyn of Franklin; Reid
of Thontosassa, Fla.; Sam L. Jr., a
medical student at Washington, and
W'ley, in business at Washington.
The remains were buried at the new
. cemetery west of town on the after
noon of June 19th. Funeral services'
were held in the Methodist church,
DO YOU REMEMBER?
Remember the day when' you
were a kid, back at the old home
place in Macon? Do you? Ah!
what, carefree day those were;
what happiness there lingers
still in the memory of them!
Remember the old home, with the
rose bush in the yard, and the
honewsuckle blooming on the old
rail fence?
Remember the little old' school
house the day you played hook
ey to go fiihin' and the big fel
low you landed, just before you
went home to take your lickin'V
And ay ! Remember the old swim
min'1 hole? s "
Do you remember, in May, the
wild, sweet song of the mocking
bird, singing at night in .a tree,
just outside your window?
Remember, across the moolit mead
ows, fragrant with the smell of
new mown hay, wet with dew,
the weird, far cry "Whip-poor-will!
Whip-poor-will ? Re
member how brilliant the moon
light lay across the fields of corn
and grain and beyond the river,
' in the distance, gleaming silvery
blue, stood the mountains.
The mountains of old Macon! No
, need to ask if you remember
J THEM. There have been times,
,? no doubt, when a wave of home
sickness swept over you, and
their clea, blue beauty shone
again across your memory, that
you have wished you COULD
forget them.
And the folks. Remember them?
ere there ever better? ,
How long since you have seen
them? How much would ' you
not give to hug that old mother
: or auntie of yours,, to see Dad or
Uncle Tom, to clasp again the
hand cf a boyhood pal of years
long gone? . " .
They we getting old, these folk
of your childhood memories.
Some of them, already, have
gone on. Others must surely
follow soon. They i are getting
old. v
When are you coming back to see
them, and the scenes you love
so well?
We are planning for you to come
this summer. A great big home
coining re-union is planned al
ready. And it is YOU they want
to. see.
Can you Owe? WILL you come?
In coming, you will not only
bring pleasure to yourself, you
Mill bring joy to their hearts.
They are counting on you. Don't
let rur chaii be vacant, nor
their hearts, empty.
MACON COUNTY POST
AMERICAN LEGION.
Dillsboro-Franklin Phone
Line Under Construction
The Southern Bell now has a crew
of 18 men engaged in constructing a
telephone line from Franklin to Dills
boro.; Within a short time another
crew from Asheville is expected to
begin work at Dillsboro and work
toward Franklin. The. crew on this
end. of the line is in charge of Mr. A.
E, Shuler who has had many years
experience in building telephone lines.
Under his expert supervision the crew
is making rapid progress and is now
digging holes and erecting poles near
the foot of the Cowee mountains. With
good weather Mr. Shuler estimates
that the line will be completed within
four weeks.
As before stated in the columns of
the Press this line will give Franklin
direct connection with towns in West
ern North Carolina and will obviate
the necessity of sending a, message
through Georgia and South Carolina
in order to reach Asheville and points
west.
Th: line is the result of negatia?
tions between Mr D. ('.' Stewart and
representatives of thi. Southern Bell
which took place sometime ago. Mr.
J-tewart, manager" of the local ex
clm.fje ,is ever on be a'ert to im
prove the telephone system of Frank
lin and to give hi-- patrons better
service. ' ; '
Rev; ;W. M. Smith in charge, assisted
by Rev. A. J. Smith and Rev. E. J.
Pipes. The following friends of the
deceased .acted of pall bearers:
Messrs. I-ee Crawford, v Jim Porter,
John Harrison, Norman Barnard, W.
L. Higdon and M. D. Bilings.
Honorary pall bearers were Messrs.
John Trotter, F. T. -Smith, John
Thomas, Sam Franks, Tom Johnston
and Dr. S. H. Lylc.
Hundreds of friends were present at
the church and hundreds paid a last
tribute of deserved respect by jour
neying to the cemetery for the last
itcs,
THE POWER DAM
IS TAKING FORM
Dam Proper to be Completed
In a Little More Than a
Month Short History of
the Project.
For fifteen years the Franklin Light
and Power company, organized by the
lite Mr. Henry Cozad and operated
by him until his death three years
aj;o, has furnished electric lights and
power tor mil tutors to the peopl?
of Franklin.
For the past two. years, due to an
increased demand for electric current,
it has been realized that this company
would have to enlarge its plant or
that another plant would have to be
builtl In view of the fact that the
Cartoogechaye on which the present
plant is located is only a small stream
it was felt that the raising of the dam
would result only in temporary relief
at best. ,
Therefore some two years ago the
Lake Emory company was organized
and attempted to build a dam on Rab
bit creek. This dam would have; re
sulted in a fine lake but no power of
consequence, so that project was
abandoned However, Mr. E. S. Hun
nicutt and the late Frank Williams
never lost hope of developing a wa
ter power in the vicinity of Franklin.
Due principally to the efforts of these
two men, Mr. J. L. Barnard and one
or two others the Lake Emory com
pany was reorganized with a view to
building a power dam across the Lit
tle Tennessee river three miles below
town. It was also intended to build
a cotton mill in connection with the
daon. The estimated cost of the two
was approximately $600,000. The re
organized company was able to rai.ie
in subscription only approximately
half this amount
In the mean time the necessity for
more power became so acute that the
town ' board last August began con
sidering the advisability of building a
municipal power dam. While no elec
tion was held the citizens of the town
were almost a unit in asking that such
a plant be constructed. Therefore
under the general statute which auth
orizes municipalities to build hydro
electric plants the town board late
last fall. voted a bond issue of $300,000.
The engineering firm of Robert and
company of Atlanta was engaged to
draw plans and specifications for a
dam. In March of this year the coi
tract for constructing the dam was let
to the Electrical Constructors com
pany of Charlotte. This company
started 'building its camp at the dam
site on April 3rd and since that time
has made remarkable progress with
the work of construction. .
' It . is estimated that 4500 yards of
concrete will be used in building the
dam. Of this amount 2100 yards have
already been poured.
The. good weather since April 3rd
has enabled the Electrical Construc
tors compnay to exceed its estimates
of construction to a considerable ex
tene. With good luck and continued
Lgood weather the contractors e.xpect
to finish pouring concrete on the dam
proper by August 15th.
The citizens of the town may antici
pate .delivery of at least 300 horse
power by December 1st this year. The
contractors have until March 1, 1926,
to finish the dam and turn it over to
the city, However it is now believed
that the dam will be finished before
that time.
Plans for the power house call for
three distinct powef, units. Two of
these units, producing .1500 horse
power, will be installed now. When
the demand for power makes such
step necessary the remaining unit will
be installed at very little, cost.
It is unneccesary here to comment
upon the benefits of the dam to Frank
lin.and Macon county. -? These bene
fits are obvious. The lake formed by
the dam will be, of as much benefit as
the dam itself. One could) not exist
without the other. Both together
will result in a tourist paradise and
an industrial center of no small pro-
' portions. . .
Franklin's Opportunity
There are many things of which
Franklin may be justly proud, and
for which her people should be thank
ful. The coming of Drs, George W.
Trnittt)f Dallas, Texas and F. G Mc
Conncll of Atlanta, Georgia for a
Revival meeting in August presents
an 'unusual opportunity. Not many
towns of twice the size of Franklin
have been so highly favored- - Work
m going forward in preparation for
the crowds that wll attertd. Already
inquiries are earning from near and
far - indicating' that Franklin will be
host to crowds that will several times
outnumber her population. For ten
glorious days these two preachers will
be preaching the oldTio.spel and the
people will be feeling the power of its
refining fire.
AMUNDSEN ANb PARTY
SAFE AT SPITZBERGEN
News dispatches state that Roaid
Amundsen and party who left Spitz
bergen on May 21 in two ariplanes. in
an endeavor to reach the north pole
600, miles distant returned to their
base on June 16th. When within 100
miles o fthe pole it was discovered
that half of. their fuel had been used
thereby making it impossible to go
on to the pole and return to Spits
bergen. Consequently they landed in
an open lane of water to take obser
vations. When engaged in this work
the ice closed in on one of the planes.
While trying to extricate this plane
the other became fast in, the ice; Thay
abandoned the first plane and worked
for 24 days getting the latter free from
the ice and smoothing a sufficient
stretch of ice field for a take off.
Transferring all gas from the im
prisoned plane to the free one all
six men composing the party returned
io Spiizbergen in one plane.
For almost . a month these hardy
explorers had been considered as vic
tims of the frozen nbrthland. How
ever those familiar with the resource
fulness of Amundsen had never en
tirely abandoned hope that he and
his party would return safely to
civilization. Dispatches announcing his
safe arrival at Spitsbergen were flash
ed around the Avorld and great cities
o fthe earth, particularly those in
Europe, held joyful celebrations.,,
Amundsen has devoted his life to
explorations of the cold portions of
the world. He was the first to reach
the south pole and has spent years
o. his life in the -polar regions, being
tin firsMc discover the lorij sought
t cnth v s ' passage aroih'.J nonhcrii
Ca' rda .
HIGHWAY TO PASS
THROUGH SMOKIES
One link in Knoxville's campaign
foi highways penetrating the moun
tain barriers which divide "Tennessee
from- its mother state is to be let by
highway department of North Caro
lina to R. G. Hill Construction com
pany. If runs between Fontana, N.
C. and the state line at Deals Gap.
The contract alls4 for. 18 miles of
hard surface road wide enough fo
two automobiles to 'pass each othre
The irraJme through thf North Caro
Una mountain side has already been
done; and the contract awarded the
Knoxville firm calls for laying the
hard surface common to the famous
roads of North Carolina..
When the road is completed the link
lacking on the Tennessee side from
the big Topoca dam, t most on the
s.-dttr line, to Calderwood. Tenn., is
;tist eight miles. Automobiles from
Kno.'.ville running tTmugh Maryvllii
can reai h Calderwood, but there is a
'I retch of a few miles this side of that
town, which needs widening and ,im
p ov, r. nit . 1
The Tennessee side of the double
link is designated on the highway
department as state aid road number
72. It is one of the two roads pene-r
trating the mountain, which Governor
Austin Peay and J. G. Creveling, state
highway commissioner, have prom
ised to build.
When the two links are completed
the distance by automobile road be
tween Knoxville and Bryson City, N.
C, will shortened more than 100 miles.
In addition; the two links will make
tjbe journey for tourists from Knox
ville to Atlanta, Ga.,, shorter by 50
miles than through either of the pres
ent routes by way of Asheville, N. C,
or Chattanooga. : -
The route is one of the three
through the- mountain barrier be
tween North Caiolina and Tennessee,
suggested by a misisonary party from
Knoxville -which spent a week going
through the mountain area- during
May, 1924. ' ,
One; of the two other routes is
through the Indian or Lufty Gap sec
tion, which tarts at Gatlinburg and
comes" out just above the Cherokee
Indian reservation in Swain county,
N. C. The other route is trough the
Cade's Cove section in the neighbor
hood of the park section and penetrat
ing the area sponsored for a national
park. Knoxville Journal and Tribune.
AN ACT OF HEROISM
Last Monday little Fitzhugh Barn
ard, a lad of ten years, while in the
lake at Camp Taukeetah stepped into
drp water and had gone down twice
when Herald' Ashe w!f was putting
on his bathing suit on the other side
of the lake heard the cry, He is drown
ing" Derald -with grta'. presence of
mind ,ran swiftly across the dam
plunged into the lake and reached the
boy as he was sinking the third time.
Seizing the boy by the hair he swam
to shore with him. applied first aid
methods and soon had the lad on thr
road to recovery. Fitzhugh suffered
no ill effects from his experience.
CLAY COUNTY
MEN HERE
, t
Delegation of Clay Citizens,
Congressman Weaver and
Mty Stikeleather Herev in
Interest of Highway.
Last Thursday afternoon quite a
large delegation of Clay county citi
zens journeyed to Franklin by way
of Hiawassee and Clayton in the in
terest of Highway No, 28.
Among those who made the trip
were the three county commissioners,-.
Messrs. J. B. White, Will Anderson
and John Sellers ; Attorney O. L. An
derson and J. B. Gray: county super
intendent of education, A. J. Bell;
county agent, W. R. Anderson ; regis
ter of deeds, G. P. Ledford; James
Penland . Early Anderson, N. N.
Rogers, Neal Rogers; Omar Ledford,
Frank Herbert, Ed Mease, Andrew
Gray, W. C. Smart, former chairman
county commissioners, Mrs. U. L.
Anderson and Mrs. J. B. Gray.
This delegation had an engagement
with Air. J. G. Stikeleather, district
highway commissioner, to meet hint in
rranknn. After waiting until almost
four for Mr. Stikeleather. the Clay
county citizens together with a good
ly number of Macon county, men
went. to the court house where an in
teresting meeting was held.
Attorney, A. W. Horn presided. Af
ter a few well chosen remarks Mr..
Horn introduced Attorney O. L. An
derson cf Hayesville wao explained
the purposes of the trip in an elo
quent speech. Mr. -Anderson left no
doubt in the minds of those present
that Clay county is intensely interest
ed m the building of Highway No. 28.
He pointed out the value of the high
way from a scenic and tourist stand
point, He, also stressed its import
ance a? an economit.il proposition.
He Mated that there are millions upon
nii'Jiors cf feet of the finest timber
in the world still standing as virgin
forests, w&iting for an outVt io mark
et which No. 28 will assure.
. An assoiation,- known as Highway
No 28, Good . Roads association, was
rcccnt'y organized iiy c ville. It
ti.t purpose of this association to
request Macon. Traiity'.vania and
Henderson counties to form similar
associations when all can co-operate
with a view to urging the state
authorities to begin work on this road.
' At this meeting it was agreed to
have a meeting at High Hampton on
July 16 with representation from the
four counties concerned to effect a
permanent organization to work for
the building of Highway No 28. At
the High Hampton meeting large
delegations are expected from Clay,
Macon, Ttransylvania and Hender
son. Highlands will also be requested
to send a delegation. Most of the
preliminary details for this meeting
have already been worked out by the
Clay county association. ,
During the meeting in Franklin
Congressman Zeb Weaver who had
accompanied the Clay county delega
tion from Hayesville made an excel
lent talk and promised to do all within
his power to assist in getting the
work on No. 28 under way.
As the meeting adjourned Mr. Stike
leather arrived. On reconvening Mr.
Stikeleather announced that he is
vitally interested in No, 28 and will
do all within his power to assist the
counties in building the road. If the
Supreme Court of the state decides
that the counties may lend the state
money, prospects appear bright for
starting work at an early date on this
important road, lhe decision is ex
pected to be handed down within a
few days.
Please remember the date of the
meeting at High Hampton, July 16.
As. many as possible of Macon county
citizens should attend this " meeting.
Citizens of Cartoogechaye, Nantahala
and Cullasaja are vitally interested
and should turn out as a unit.
A Market for the Fourth ".
The ladies of the Franklin Baptist
church will hold a market for the
Fourth of July. A'i.aay of the sec
ond and the morning of the third
they will be selling good things for
the tables of Franklin. They are
striving ta keep from having a single
item in their sale that will conflict
with the sales of Franklin's merchants,
The house wives of Franklin qan save
themselves work- in preparation, for
their Fourth of July dinner, for at the
market they will find dressed chickens
cooked meats, salads, salad dressing,
pies and cakes, ' canned fruit, fresh
fruit, fresh vigetables, country butter
and eggs and candies.
The sale will be held in the Car
penter music room which was farmer
ly Chas. Blaine's restaurant. Prices
wilt be attractive. Do not forget the
time and place. Let us do the.cooking
for yoti and you can better enjoy the
glorious Fourth.