KEY CITY OF TH3 MOUNTAINS
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i 11 i i i it i n
VOLUME XL
FRANKLIN, N. C, FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 1925
NUMBER THIRTY-EIGHT
HOLLOIM PAYS
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ROAD PLANNED
ATfRANKLIN
Tentative Body Formed To
Hurry to Completion the
Great "Scenic Highway of
America."
Franklin, N. C, September 12.
(Special.) At an enthusiastic meet
ing "-held here tonight by delegations
from Asheville, Atlanta, Franklin,
Athens, Cornelia, Clarksville, (Clayton
and other north Georgia and Western
North Carolina towns, a tentive or
ganization was formed to push to
completion the Atlanta-Franklin-Asheville
highway, which, when com
pleted, will shorten the distance be
tween. Atlanta and Asheville by 40 to
50 miles.
The meeting here was sponsered by
the Macon County Progressive club,
of Franklin; which entertained the
delegates at a banquet. ,
The proposed N highway extends
from Atlanta through Cornelia,
Clarksville and Clayton to Franklin
and thence to Asheville, and delega
tions from-these towns pledged the
aid of their communities in pushing
the highway. ,to early comj)tjpt joti.1' ,i '
Great impetus was' given to the pro
posed highway when it,' was announc
ed at. the meeting that Habersham
county has called an election for a
bond issue to build its part of the
road. Other north Georgia and Caro
lina counties are expected to fojlow
suit with bond issues. Rabun county
has' 'already let the contract for a
hard-surfaced road over its portion
of the highway.
The speakers were, loud In their
praise of the enic, beauty, of the
highway, sayingr that the completion
of the road would cause this section
to become the "summer playground
of America." , y"
Invitations were extended to the
various delegations for the purpose
of getting together and organizing an
Atlanta-F rank'linTAsheville highway
association' with the end in view of
bringing all possible pressure to bear
to have this highway completed with
in the shortest possible time. A ten
tative organization was formed and
a committee appointed by the presi
dent of the club to take the necessary
steps toward perfecting a permanent
organization. The committee consists
of Major S. A. Harris and H. G.
Robertson.
James A. Hollo'mon headed the
delegation from Atlanta and was the
principal speaker of the evening. W.
R. Nealt state highway engineer of
Georgia.; Frank T. Rejnolds, secre
tary of the Geoigia Hotel Men's as
sociation and the Georgia Automobile
club, and Henderson' Hallman, presi
dent of the Southeastern Fair asso
ialion, were also a part of the At
lanta delegation, and all made inter
esting talks.
A large delegation from' Athens,
headed by George T, Hodgson, and
R. L. . Ross, were a unit in . their
praise of the North Carolina highway
organization. T. C. Tester, of Athens.
pointed out, the benefits of highway
No. 15 in Georgia, which leaves the
North Carolina line near Clayton, Ga.,
and passing through Athens extends
to tne norma une.
Mavor Erwin, ot Cornelia; Attor
ney Stanhope Ef win, of Clafksville,
and Mayor Ramey, of Clayton, head
ed delegations from their respective
towns, while Asheville was represent
el bv I. C. Stikeleather, highway com
missioner of the ninth district, aid
J. C. Walker, highway engineer of tne
same district. k -
- Speakers from the various delega
tions from Georgia assured those pres
ent Ifhat Georgia is soon to start work
on the Atlanta-Franklift - AshevjUe
highway through the north , Georgia
counties. Mr. Stikeleather" assured
thpse from; Georgia that within; a year
those traveling the Atlanta-hranjciin-
Ashpvillc hiirhwav in North Carolina
will pass over a distance of approxi
mately 60 miles of concrete, while the
remaider of the distance to Asheville
will be concrete, except a link of
about 10 miles of asphalt.
Those present were highly option's
tic over the results accomplished. The
road under discussion, is even now
readily passable in the summer season
When completed it will open to the
tourists from all the southland one
of the most remarkable scenic sections
east .of the Mississippi. It will also
be the shortest route by 40 or 50 miles
between Atlanta and Asheville.
At the suggestion of The Atlanta
Constitution, made editorially some
time ago, steps were taken tonight to
organize for the purpose of bringing
all possible legitimte pressure to bear
to complete this road within a short
time. The diners left the banquet hall
MR. JOE ASHEAR
PLANStO BUILD
Has Purchased the Trotter
Corner on the Square and
Will Erect Large Brick
Structure Next Spring.
Mr. Joe Ashedr, one of Franklin's'
most progressive and wide-awake citi
zens, has purchased the corner on the
square known as the Trotter corner
where Mr. A. L. Epps is now in busi
ness. Mr. Ashear stated Monday to
a Press reporter that he has not pur
chased, tins lot for speculative pur
poses but for improvement. 1
Early next spring Mr. Ashear will
begin the erection of a huge brick
building either two or more stories in
height probably the latter. The new
structure will occupy the entire Main
street, frontage of the lot eighty-five
feet, and will be at least 90 feet in
depth. Mr. Ashear plans to have his
new building ready for occupancy by
June first. The ground floor will be
used as stores while the upper stories
will be divided into large, Well lighted
offices with all modern conveniences
an! rented- tothe - publip.
' Those who areUcQuainted with Mr;
Ashear know that he is not given to
talk but accomplishes whatever he has
jn mind to do.
To make room for the new building
an old land mark of Franklinthe
Trotter store building will have to
come down. Around this old building
centers much of the business history
ot Franklin and if sentiment were the
only consideration the good people
of Franklin would neve consent to
have the building torn down. , Around
this building the town grew and the
Franklin of today developed. But pro
gress is a stern ' master and the old
must now give way to the new.
The erection of Mr. Ashear'.s con
templated skyscraper will be one of
the greatest improvements in Frank
lin within a generation. Franklin is
exceedingly fortunate to have as a
citizen Mr. Ashear who has a sublime
faith in the. future of his adopted
town.
JACKSON VOTES
FOR ROAD BONDS
$500,000 To Be Loaned the
State t6r Koad Work in
Jackson County To Hard
Surface Roads.
A bond issue of $500,000 to.be loari
pH thp State Hiehwav Commission to
complete state highway projects in
Jackson county has been voted Dy tne
County Commissioners of Jackson,
it was announced yesterday by James
G. Stikeleather. ninth district state
highway commissioner, who added
that he would recommend to the
State Highway Board' the immediate
acceptance of the offer in order that
work may begin at once.
This money, together with supple
mentary funds, will be used to hard
surface the road between Sylva and
Balsam, a distance of 12 miles, arid to
hard surface the road front Sylva via
Cullowhee to the forks ot tne river,
a distance of 14 miles.
Upon the completion of the Sylva
to Balsam link in the Appalachian
Scenic Highway there will be a paved
road alj the way from the Georgia
state line into Asheville with the ex
ception of the stretch between Canton
in Haywood county, and the Bun-
. , ,
comoe county line, wnicn is now in
excellent condition though not hard
surfaced. , , , , , .... u.
' The $500,000 will .constitute ! a loan
o . the iState Highway Commission
rprh' Jackson cqu.nty and .will' be' fcitid
ack later Out M funds appropriated
or highway work by the State Legis
ature. Asheville Citizen.
with a determination to see that tins
great scenic highway is completed jn
record time, so that present arid fu
ture generations may enjoy, to., the
fullest possible extent, the life-giving
atmosphere and majestic scenery of
the southern Appalachian mountains.
Atlanta Constitution.
The banquet was served by a num
ber of Franklin's charming young ma
trons fnd girls among whom were:
Mhs. Eloise Franks, Mi? Dick Hud
son, Mrs. F. W. Connell and Misses
Mattic Angel, Carolyn Rogers, Sallie
Cunningham, Elizabeth Cunningham
Margaret Cunningham, Elizabeth
Smith. Elizabeth Barnard and Louise
Stribling.
REV. HARRY S. ALLEN, who will
Highlands Beginning Next Sunday. 1
REV. C. P. CURRY who will con-
duct the music in tne Big itevivai iu
Begin at Highlands Next Sunday.
GREAT REVIVAL
AT HIGHLANDS
Rev. Harry A. Allen Famous
Methodist Evangelist Be
gins Meeting Next Sunday
With a Great Singer.
Rev. R. C.' Kale, Methodist pastor of
Highlands has announced that a great
revival meeting will begin in that city
neix't Sunday night, September 20th.
Rev, Harry S. Allen of Macon, Ga.,
a member of the South Georgia con
ference and characterized by. Bishop
Warren '.Candler as one of the" great
est evangelists in Methodism, will
preachv twice daily; at 11 o'clock .in
the mprAin" and at 8 o'clock at -night,
;VRev;'P.;'C' Curry, noted) evangelist-singer
o Hendersqnvilte, fy)l have'
cljarge of the music during the meet
ing. 1 1 - :.
The- meeting, will continue for at
least ten ajjs. ' The mountaitous sec
tioit of Western North Carolina,
Georgia and 'South' Carolina is ex
ceedingly fortunate to ha,ve the op
portunity of hearing this noted divine
expound the old time Gospet Dur
ing this meeting Rev. Kale anticipates
the greatest revival ever' experienced
by the Methodist church in this part
of the state.
The-beautiful little city of High
lands is making extensive preparations
to accommodate the immense throngs
that are expected to attend this me
morable meeting. ''
-s t v.
ffi Ym,
;.;''.'
conduct a Big Revival Meeting at
KEPHART TfflNKS
PARI! ASSURED
, t - -.
Campaisfn , (or Purchasing
Lands to Launched
ties of Mountain Area
Described by Writer.
That North Carolina now has an
excellent chance to secure one of the
great National Parks ' proposed for
the' Southern Appalachians, is J the
opinion expressed by Horace Kephart,
who is at the Kenilworth Inn.
Sixty thousand acres of virgin, for
est lying along the crest of the Great
Smoky Mountains, which forrn the
boundary line between North Carolina
nd Tennessee, containing . 14 peaks
of more than 6,000 feet, several of
which are within a few feet of the
heignt of Mt. Mitchell, has1 been final
ly agreed upon,, to the exclusion of
other proposed sites,. Mr. Kephart de
clared; " North Carolina and Tennessee will
participate, in the purchase of the
land to be presented to the National
government for the park, under the
plan which is being worked out. The
North Carolina Park Commission will
meet in Richmond next Wednesday
in a joint session with similar com
missions from Tennessee and Virginia.
At that meeting a general plan will
be considered for the acquisition of
two parks, one in Virginia and the
other in the Great Smokies.
. A fund of 5,000,000 will be. raised
for the purchase of the lands required
in a campaign that will, according to
present plans, be placed in the hands
of a financing corporation in New
York. , '
North Carolina's share in the mon
ey required to finance the earlier
stages of such a campaign has al
ready been made availableand a ten
tative prQo-ram adopted, at a meeting
of the Commission in Asn.$vwe.
Mr. Kephart gave a very vivid de
scription of the site of the proposed
park. 'In it are the remaining areas
of the virgin forests that once clothed
the entire highland. There are hun
dreds of trees in it that measure ten
and eleven feet in diameter, and seven
oeaks of more than 6,000 feet that
have, never been.named. The country
is exceedingly wild and sparsely in
habited. '' T,he lands have a wider va
riety of flora than other place in
the -world,' ne said. -Asheville Citizen.
Mabry Buys Large Farm
Mr. M. J. Mabrjr of Miami has pur
chased the big1 farm of Mr, George
Mashburn on th Bryson City road
about two mHes from town. Mr
Mabry , is highly mthused over thf
;ro!pe.ts of Huge o'eveloDmenU n
lie v cinity of Franklin. He will leave
fcr Yh home Miami in two or three
week? but plans to return early next
."spring and start work on the develop
ment of his new holdings. Mr. Mabry
is so well pleased with' Franklin as a
summer resori" that he intends .'to
spnd six month here each year. Or
his return next spring Mr. Mabry will
bring many Florida friends with hip
who will become interested in bnildina!
summer homes here and in the de
velopment of this vicinity as a tourist
resort. ' ,, ;
FRANKLIN VISIT
Associate Editor of Atlanta
Constitution Speaks at
Banquet Sponsored by Ma
con County Club.
. The Macon County Progressive
club were hosts last Friday night to
a large number of visiting delegations
fi om Atlanta and other Georgia cities
a: a I anquet served at the Junior
hall. An article in the Constitution,
of last Sunday, reprinted in this issue
of the -Press, gives the details; of the
meeting.
The ' article appearing belq,w was
taken from Monday, Constitution
and was written by Mr. J. A Hollo
mon after his return to Atlanta from
his visit to Franklin : .
It was my pleasure, in company
with Frank T' Reynolds, who as sec
retary of the Georgia Automobile as
sociation, and several other organiza
tions; W. R. Neal, state, highway en
gineer; Henderson Hallman, chairman
of the Southeastern' Fair commission ;
Francis E. Price, of The Constitution
photographic staff, and others of At
lanta to incidentally attend, a meet
ing of Habersham citizens at Clarkes
ville Friday which meeting .bad been
called by the ordinary to ascertain the
wishes of the voters as, to calling a
good roads bond election. .,.-ti)'.
Our party was en. route by motors
to franklin, N. C, to atten 4 ban
quet given by the Macon County' Pro
gressive club looking to the formation
of a permanent organization of the'
Atlanta-Fahklin-Asheville highway
the "Tallulah-Rabun rodte;--which
banquet, by the way, was a splendid
and most resourceful affair. ' '
At Clarices viHe we found a court-.
house almost full of voters, with every
militia district in the county repre
sented with one exception.
We joined in the meeting by request
and were pleased to do so because
Habersham is one of the important -links
in the proposed Atlanta- Frank-jin-Asheville
chain of permanent pave-'
mcnts. .
I never, heard or witnessed greater
highway enthusiasm. Frank Rey
nolds, W. R. Neel and . Henderson
Hallman made three of the best
speeches I have heard in many a dy.
Frank Reynolds, is such a veteran
good-roads man that he is as easy and
as free, and as much at home, in
making a highway bond issue speech
as the old-time school teacher used
to be in reading; to his pupils, the
fables from the rear-end of a blue
back speller.
Henderson Hallman, noted as an
orator anyway, veered away from
good roads at everyi other period to
exploit the coming wonders of the
Southeastern fair, but he would get
back to bedrock and cinch a good
highway point,' and it stuck. Warren
Neel talked straight business and ex
plained state arid federal aid.
Mayor Young Irvin, of Cornelia ;
Attorney Stanhope Irwin, of Clarkes
ville; Editor Singleton, Louis Magid
and others finished the talking, and
every man in that big audience stood
to his feet for an immediate bond
election.
The petition was adequately sjgned
in a few minutes after the meeting.
If there had been a cannon in the
courthouse square we would have
fired "a salute to progress" for Haber
sham had failed in one bond election.
She will not fail again, in my judg
ment. ' . '
It means so much to that county to
connect with , permanent paving
Hall and Rabun in the proposed "Tallulah-Rabun
route."
We carried the good news to Frank
lin and so did a large number, of
Habersham citizens who motored up
in the late afternoon to attend the
Progressive club's b?nquet.
It, must be understood here that
Hall county has , built her highway
to . thft. rjabersham i line, The' latter is'
now building from Cornelia to the
Hall tine, without waiting for a bond
issue. Rabun has -voted bonds and
the state board, has let the contract
for permanent paving from Clavton to
the North Carolina line and for the
grading and bridges south to the Hab
ersham line. North Carolina has
builr concrete already finished from
the state ltie to Franklin and almost
all the way on to AseviUe. It will
shortly.be completed all the way.
There are therefore but a few short
links to be built between Asheville
and Atlanta via Rabun Gap and Tal
lulah Falls, and -when completed it
will not only be one of the nation's
most picturesque highways, but a
shorter route between Atlanta and
Asheville than any of the others by
from 40 to 50 miles.
Now that the Appalachian ro'ite via
(Continued on Page Four) '