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VOLUME XL1II
Highway No. 28 Unique .
Among Highways of State
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HIGHWAY No. 28, BLASTED THROUGH SOLID GRANITE, CLINGS
TO THE NORTH -WALL OF CULLASAJA GORGE 300 FEET ABOVii
THE RIVER, 10 MILES FROM FRANKLIN.
Winds Its Way Through
Where Silence is Broken Only by the Roar of the Angry
River Cataracts, Falls, Sheer Granite Walls, Stately
Hemlocks and Spruce Visible From Highway.
Ii giving ta its readers this week
. the innumerable scenes which will
distinguish State Highway No. 28
and make it nrobnblv the Greatest
scenic highway in all - of - thestate.
' There are several other roads in
the State Highway system which use
the rock torn pathway of some stream
' for a portion of their distance.
j State Highway "No. 10 follows the
gorge of the Nantahala river from
Wesser Creek to Nantahala Station.
And others to greater or less" extent
nay be called gorge routes.
Practically all of these, and they
arc few, have been built along the
floor of these, streeam-cut troughs and
from them little except the walls on
cither side and the sky above can be
sectu. . .
Route 28 is therefore unique in
that it follows not a shelf along the
river bank at the bottom of the gorge
but winds its, way along the side of
the wall, clinging like some tiny
creeper to the cliffs of age old gran-
- ite. - '-' - .-
Far below, so far, that one wonders
Jiow Jong it has taken the river,
roaring way down there among the
tons and tons of rock shot out of
the cliff, to cut this gash through
rock that gave the powder men on
the construction work plenty to think
about. .
The other wall at times comes in
so close as to seem to meet the one
on which the road is built. At places
the opposing wall is bare, at others
it supports bushes and sometimes trees
which , have taken root in some soil
filled crevice. On beyond the cliffs
and on up above the road itself on
its side of the river lies the forest
with its rhodendron, galea, its chest
nut, oak and poplar. , '
Highj above the river winds the
road in and out ever f ollowing the
age old course of the roaring torrent
below. Not a sound will break the
eternal silence of primeval nature
. save the exhaust of the motorists car
and the roar of the river muffled by
the distance.
In and out the road continues on
through an ever changing panorama
of light and shadow, coloV and. ma-
jesticr grandeur and-ever far-beJow-the
rush ot .the river, the rapms, in.e
black whirlpools at the base of some
great monolith which ages ago, loosed
'from , the parent cliff by ice, frost,
rain and summer sun, crashed hun
dreds of feet into the shadow of the
stream bed far below.
The river abounds in trout and a
trip over this road uiakes the fisher
man have a greater respect for his
finny friend which has the stamina,
the courage and the ability to breast
the rapids and whirls such as these.
v, AVonderful as this route would be
with only the gorge to give ' it dis
tinction unique among the highways
of North Carolina, it has still another
feature unmatched by any other road
in the whole state system. Nowhere
else in the . whole 7,000 miles State
Highway system is there a ' road
which provides as one of its scenic
attractions, a waterfall on a stream
larger than a brook. Within 10 miles
the , Cullasaja has t two which are
among the largest 'in the Southern
Appalachians. Beth of these lie with-
, '
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the Gorge of the Cullasaja
U
-Its a tii
A GLIMPSE OF THE DRY FALLS
OF THE- CULLASAJA, MACON
COUNTY, LOOKING THROUGH
HEMLOCK AND RHODENDRON.
THE CATARACT ABOVE THE
LOWER FALLS OF THE CULLA
SAJA IN MACON COUNTY.
in plain view of the highway and
provide a view unequalled in this scc
tioji. Our views of these, reproduced
on the front page, make description
unnecessary and yet no photographic
kaleidoscope df the scene as the sum
mer sun falls on the descending wat
ers can do justice to the majestic scen
ery.'. v
These magnificent cataracts have
been little known even to the people
of North Carolina outside of the im
mediate locality, for up until the con
struction of this highway access to
them was very difficult. The time
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KEr ClT OF THE N0UNTAIW5 J
t"7
FRANKLIN, N. C, THURSDAY, APRIL 5,
HW SCHOOL
A
Franklin High Has 302 Stu
dents While the Cost Per
Pupil Shows Decrease
Eight years ago Franklin High was
a non-standard school of 70 pupils,
now it is a class 1-A school with an
increase of 450 per, cent or an average
increase of ovef-50 per cent per year.
In 1919-20 there were 71 pupils en
rolled - in - Franklin - High school- with
an average dailyattendance-jof58
pupils. .
In 1920-21 there was an enrollment
of 82 pupils. A gain of about 15
per cent over the year before. The
average attendance for this year was
73. The school ; in this year spent
$34.33 per child for instruction. This
does not include anything but teach
ing service. . .
1921-22 produced an enrollment of
91, an increase of about 10 per cent,
with an average attendance of 79. A
total of $40.83 per child per year was
spent for instruction.
In. 1922-23 the enrollment for the
first time crossed the 100 mark, reach
ing 113 during the year, an increase
of about 12 per cent. The average
attendance was 85 per day. The cost
of instruction per pupil was $37.30. i
During the .following, year: the at-1
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attendance was 90 per day. The, cost
of instruction $29.20 per pupil.
In 192425 1th e-JiighUschboL enroll-,
ment was 16lor more than double
that of 1920Thenncrease"6f "the
years abovefras not the resuflt of
any consolidation. During this time
the school 'was under special charter.
The total cost of instructing each child
was $27.60.
in 1925-26 there were 207 pupils
enrolled in high school, an increase
of , about 40 over the ' year: before
being brought about ,by" the fact that
during this ' year the school became
a county-wide high school. The at
tendance was 150 while the cost of
instruction was $28.06.
In 1926-27 the enrollment was 267,
a net increase of 105 in two years.
The attendance during 1926-27 was
.216, three times as many students
per day as there was enrolled in
1919. The net cost of teaching each
child for the entire nine months was
$27.10. This . is the lowest cost of
instruction per child ever incurred by
this school. This year (1927-28) there
are enrolled in high school 302 stu
dents, an increase of over 40 over the
year before
Using these same years as basis for
further comparison we find that in
1921-22 twelve teachers handled 411
students or an average of 34 per
teacher, while in 1926-27 sixteen teach
ers handled 628 students or an aver
age of 39 per teacher.
In these same years it is- found
that the average training' of teachers
has risen. In 1921-22 we , find the
" xfr v -''Tit !lV
SCENE ON THE CULLASAJA RIV
ER. MACON COUNTY, WHERE
THE WILY RAINBOW LURK.
cannot now be long, however, when
they will be known to thousands of
motorists who, already charme'd with
the most magnificent of scenic routes,
will stop .to gaze a while on these
its crowning features.
K A CLASS 1
1928
PRESBYTERIANS
TO BUILD MANSE
Will Use Lot On Wayah
Street Construction of
. Six-Room House to Be of
Tile and Brickr
Franklin Presbyterians are planning
to begin work at an early date on
the rebuilding of the manse which
was burned in November of last year.
A building committee, composed of
Messrs. W. B. McGuire, Gus Leach
and I). I). Rice, arc responsible for
the selection of a lot, the plans for
the house and erection of the 'house.
The lot selected is on Wayah strct,
between the lots of Mr. I). I). Rice
and Mr. Lyman Higdori. It is the
plan of the committee to erect a mod
ern six-room house of tile construc
tion, faced with brick. The house
itself will be one story with adition
al space for two bedrooms and a . stor
age room on the second floor. A
basement will also be provided for
that a modern heating system may
be added at some future date. The
first floor plan calls for a living room,
dining room, kitchen, breakfast room,
study, two bedrooms, and bath', with
closet space in adition.
The finance committee has enough
funds and pledges on hands to justify
the beginning of the work of erecting
the house, and it is the hope of the
r)'!ir?;.nf.t' rqise additional funds
di'tne houcft"iinucr way.'
Grading for the house site .will be
gin at the earliest possible moment,
arid thcvorkof "lh(ractual -ronstruc-tion
'of the house will beginat an
early date.
FEDERATION
STOCKHOLDERS
HOLD MEETING
The' stockholders of the Farmers
Federation met at the federation store
in Franklin Monday of this Week and
transacted important business. A, plan
of refinancing the notes given in pay
ment of stock was agreed upon.
These notes were made negotiable at
the bank and thus the financial
strength of the federation was much
increased. This step, it is stated, also
lifted the burden from the public
spirited men who had endorsed these
nwtes previously. There were 72 stock
holders present and with the exception
of one or two all left greatly pleased
with the operations of the federation,
say the reports. Many of the stock
holderscxpresscd -their-intention of
paying, up in full after they have
paid their taxes. Charlie Henderson
was elected a director vice J. E.
Lancaster resigned.
According' to those present the meet
ing was a very optimistic one. The
fact that the federation will now be
able to carry on is a source df much
pleasure to many farmers of the
county:
average rating of the high school
faculty to be 720. This figure is
secured by giving 100 points for every
year of high school and college work.
A graduate of a standard high school
would therefore have a rating of 4(X).
A graduate of a two-year normal 6(X),
while a college, graduate would-' have
a rating of. X(H). On this basis the
faculty of 1921-22 had ah average of
three years and two' months college
work. ' .' - . .. '
On this same basis the faculty of
1926-27 had an average, of , 'three years,:
fjair and .one. half mouths of . colic;,?
work. j, ' .-''" I
: Thf nvfraire training for the Kieff
srhor.l" facuTtvTli1s 'vcar is xoUcwrf
rr'radiiatinn nhis one half vcar or an-
1 i t Kna!-traj.niug. I n ( t,li r W( irds" aH
of the teachers in this year s-t high
e.-lionl fnniltv are college 'uraduates
and ; half of them have had as much j
as one. year's training in1 'addition toi
thi v ' " ;' '.-'" - ' t
l-'nmi the almve fitrures and reiiorts!
it mav be seen that there has been
a remarkable growth in the enroll
nicnt and attendance of our high
school. It will also bt noted that
the major portion of this increase
has taken place since 1924, which was
the year that the high';. School was
open to a greater numbeVlrf students.
This is not the only cause, however,
for a steady increase of population
has taken place. In 1920 the popula
tion of Franklin was about 773. Now
it is about 1,300.
These reports show that Franklin
is not standing' still, but is progressing
along the lines of education and
population.
NUMBER FOURTEEN
DILLS IS HELD
i'it noirr cold
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DAVID WALDROOP, KILLED
MARCH ii, AND YOUNGEST
CHILD, BRONCE.
Bond roriMisiiu ,w
at $1,000 Allen Dills,
Cha'rged-With Killing
Dave Waldfoop," Remand-
ed to Jail. v
Allen Dills, charged with slaying
Dave Waldroop March 24 on the head
waters of Cartoogcchayc, Macon coun
ty, waived preliminary trial here Wed
nesday before Justice of the Peace
George Carpenter arid was held with
out bond on a charge of murder. Dills,
still unable to appear at the court
house on account f shot gun wounds'
received at the time of the slaying,
was given a hearing in Macon county
jail. Mrs. Allen Dills, also in jail and
charged . with ' being' .an accessory to
the crime,- appeared before Justice
Carpenter who fixed her bond at
$1,(XK). - At last acounts she hail been
unable to get any one to go on her
bond.
According td 7 accounts given by
neighbors the trouble-between - Dills
and Wafduroop started over a gate
between the homes of the two fami
lies. Waldroop wished to keep the
gate closed while Dills insisted that it
remain , open, stated Lester Waldroop,
a relative of the slain man. It is said
that Dills had threatened to till the
entire Waldroop family.
CANNERY GETS
UNDERWAY
The .directors of the Macon Food
Products company, otherwise the local
cannery, met Monday and .. held an
enthusiastic meeting at which plans
were laid Mr the approaching season.
Arrangements Were made to obtain
suficicnt funds with which to operate.
One official . stated Tuesday that the
cannery Will be operated during the
next season - and that here arc iw
gromul.K- to - ltistity the cuid water.
throwers in their preel'-.'fions to the
contrary. All seeds rec ested by the
varioiis;tanTOrsL throughHt thc rounty
have been Ordered and i'.ie' ptilIic wilK
be notified when, these' seeds arrive:
Fifty thousand strawberry plants have
been sold by the cannery and the
fanners have set ten or twelve acres
to strawberries. The entire board of
directors at the meeting Monday were
much elated at the interest the fann
ers are taking in thejr nreparatiems
to supply the cannery w ith something
to can. The directors preelicted a
most prosperous season.
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The Tuesday Night Bridge Club
met Tuesday. March 27 with Miss
Eleanor Sloan. Miss ' Minnie Grace
Morgan was high scorer. A The fol
lowing were present: Misses M'vttic
Angel, Ruth Benjamin, Cornelia Cun
ningham, Minnie Grace Morgan,' An
nie Will . Silcr. Willie Lunford. Mrs.
Harden and Mrs. Emory Humicutt.
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