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COUHTY.WIDE
(i
ESTACLISHED
OLDEST PAPER
WEST OF
ASHEVILLE
NEW,
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BRIEFLY DUT
THOROUGHLY
TOLD
INVESTIGATE MACCN COUNTY
HEART OF A MOUNTAIN EMPIRE RIPE FOR DEVELOPMENT
VOLUME XLV
FRANKLIN, N. C THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 1930
NUMBER THIRTEEN
llr A V f
GREAT SlilOXIES
'IH0K7AY BEGUN
Tennessee Starts Construc
tion of Road to Park
Boundary.
READY FOR VISITORS
Park Expected To Draw
50,000 Visitors
Daily
(Knoxville Newt-Sentinel)
- Governor Horton and State High
way Commissioner Baker gave posi
tive assurance to A. B. Cammerer,
associate National Parks Director, to
day that the state will build what
ever roads to the park the govern
ment wants.
Both Horton and Baker asked Cam
merer what roads the governmnt
wants and in what order they are
wanted.
Cammerer said the most pressing
need was for a first-class road to
Cade's Cove, where the Smoky Moun
tain park concentration camp will be
situated. .
So Horton and Baker agreed that
work on .that road will start at once.
In fact, it has already begun. Di
vision Highway Engineer Love said
that the survey of the new road from
Knoxville to Maryville, connecting at
Knoxville with the new state high-!
way bridge at the U-T farm would
be completed in two weeks and that
grading will be started at once.
The bridge - will be completed by
the middle of . this summer, ' and by
that time the grading , of the new
Knoxville to Maryville road will be
well under way.
rf -vi v-vo . Ft . Wife v:---:-'Vr.
' . The new highway to Maryville
probably will be 30 feet wide as
compared to the 181-foot highway
connecting the two cities.
, The 30-foot paved road will then
Te continued from Maryville to the
western boundary of the park, probably-following
the present Deal's Gap
Toad part of the way.
A part of the Deal's Gap road
probably will have to be re-located
because dams contemplated byN the
Aluminum Company of America would
flood the road.
(Continued on page six)
MAN IS ARRESTED
ON LIQUOR CHARGE
AFTER CAR WRECK,
R. F. Pinson, of Atlanta, riding
toward Franklin last Sunday after
noon with his wife and two chil
dren, wrecked his automobile about
10 miles from town, near the home
of Frank Norton, deputy sheriff.
Norton, who went to the aid of
the man) reports finding nearly a
quart of liquor ni Pinson's pos
session, and attributes the wreck
to intoxication on the .part of
Pinson, who ' was arrested and
brought to the county jail.
Pinsons arm and shoulder were
injured in the wreck, it is stated,
but his wife nad children were un
harmed. His car was badly dam
aged. Bond had not been made
by Pinson on Monday morning.
Eyes Of Forestry Service Vigilant During Dry Weather;
Location Of Fires Is Simplified By Triangulation S
On last Monday someone set a
fire in the vicinity of Grassy Ridge
creek some eight or 10 miles south
east of Franklin. In this vicinity the
U. S. Forest service owns part of
the land and part of it is owned by
private citizens. In such a case it is
impossible to tell immediately wheth
er the fire is on or off of govern
ment land. Three U. S. forest guards
reported the smoke to headquarters
office in Franklin, and in IS minutes
two men were ready to leave for the
fire and. put it out. By that time the
smoke had subsided, and it was con
cluded that it was a brush fire some
one had set, and was well under con
trol, so the firefighters did not go
to the fire. How the reports and
dispatches of the U. S. Forest service
operate is told in the following para
graph by a forestry official:
STATE MEETING
FOR TAX RELIEF
COMES MONDAY
i March 31 has been set as the
date for the state-wide conference
on property , tax relief to be held
at Raleigh, according to informa
tion received last 'week . by J. O.
Harrison, chairman of the, board of
county commissioners. The con
ference will convene at 11 a. m.
in the ballroom of" the Sir Walter
Hotel.
Mr. Harrison is notifying all
members of the delegation from
Macon county who are to attend
the conference. Each delegation
will be asked to present sugges
tions, discussions and proposals
based on the results of its ex
perience and , research into the
question of tax relief. It is hoped
that a program of procedure may
be worked out at the conference
that will be acceptable to all
North Carolina counties, This pro
gram will then be used as a basis
of a state-wide objective! in ob
taining property tax relief.
The delegation named to repre
sent Macon county is composed
of J. A. Porter, T. W. Kiser, W.
L. Higdon, W. D. Barnard, T. J.
Johnston, Frank Moody, T. G.
Harbison, M. D. Billings, S. .'A,'
Munday, and A. S. Solesbee.
JOHN B. BYRNE
TRANSFERRED
Junior Forester Promoted
To Assistant Supervisor
Of Pisgah
John Byrne, of the local U. S. for
est headquarters, is "to be promoted
from'' thegrade' of Junior Forester rto
that of Assistant Forest Supervisor,
on or about May 1 when he" will be
transferred to the Pisgah National
forest with headquarters at Ashe
ville. Mr. Byrne came to the Nantahala
National forest in February, 1927,
from ' Columbus, Ga., having worked
there as a forest ranger on the Ala-bartia-Benning
forest, since abandon
ed as a National forest. Prior to
that time he had been working with
the United States Forest service in
Louisiana and Florida, but his origin
al work ,and training in the Forest
service was in California where he
was reared and educated, and where
he graduated from the University of
California with the degree of bach
elor of science. -
Arthur' A. Wood, supervisor of the
Nantahala forest, states that occasion
for the promotion is due to a general
shake up in the southern part of the
Eastern District of the U. S. Forest
service, because of the death during
the latter part of the winter of R.
H. Charlton, of the Ouachita Nation
al forest, with headquarters at Hot
Springs National Park, Arkansas. Mr.
Byrne goes to the Pisgah National
forest, Asheville, to take the place of
the present assistant supervisor, C.
L. Graham, who in turn has been
promoted to . the position of Forest
, Supervisor of the Unaka National
forest at Bristol, Tenn. S. R. Broad
i dent, present forest supervisor of the
Unaka forest goes to the Chocta
(Continued on page six) ,
The Nantahala National forest now
has a system called the trianjgulation
system used for determining the lo
cation of any fires that are started
over an area' of thousands of acres
of land in Macon .and surrounding
counties, extending into. Georgia and
South Carolina, wherever there is
Forest Service land. . Every day when
the woods are sufficiently dry to
burn, lookouts are stationed on the
high points in the territory. These
include Rabun Bald, Standing Indian,
Wayah Bald, Wesser Bald, Glassy
Mountain, Round Mountain, and Sa
tulah Mountain. '
At each of these lookout stations
an instrument called an alidade is
installed over a circle, marked off;
by 360 degrees. When smoke arises
any where all eyes of the lookouts
within seeing distance are turned to
MACON DEVELOPMENTS TO TOTAL
OVER 10 MILLION DOLLARS AFTER
ALL CONSTRUCTION IS COMPLETED
Town and County
Briefs
In session at a call meeting on
Tuesday night, the board of alder
men voted to rescind the order that
all filling tanks on town property
ii i rrl ,
De moved witnin ou aays. inis move
was made in order to save garage
and filling station owners unneces
sary expense until Main street is
widened or until some other move
should make the reinforcement of the
order necessary.
The aldermen also discussed the
feasibility of a sewer line to run
from Harrison avenue by way of the
Nantahala Creamery to the end of
the town sewer line at Porter street.
Gordon Moore was appointed to find
how much aid could be secured from
home or property owners in this part
of town on the proposed extension.
Deputy fire wardens from' the va
rious districts of Macon met at
Franklin last Saturday to receive
instructions from District Forester
W. K. Beichler, of Asheville, who
came to Franklin to attend the meet
ing. Tools for fire fighting were
also distributed to the wardens whose
equipment was incomplete.
While the meeting was in progress
County, Warden Fred Slagle was
summoned to ifgnt a lire mat naa
started burning timberland on a near
by mountain. . ,
Two Are Charged
With Possession
Safety demands that one should
not walk along the public road car
rying whiskey if the sheriff is com
ing that way. John Henry and Fred
Stiwinter, of Walnut Creek, had two
and a half gallons of whiskey when
they met Sheriff C. L. Ingram . and
three deputies near Walnut Creek
last Saturday, reports Sheriff Ingram.
With Deputies 'Frank Norton, Ar
thur Ray and Mack McCall. the
sheriff was hunting stills when Henry
and Stiwinter were encountered. The
two were brought to the Macon
county jail, but were soon released
under bond.
Bryson City Men
Arrested Thurs.
Some men go to Georgia to get
married, and some ro for other reas-
' ' 1 t r I 1 IT 11 TT-J- I
ons. tamest wcicn, .nan nyue aim
Carl Reed, of Bryson City, returned
from Georgia last Thursday with evi
dence of -having gone for other reas-
ons. according to sncrirt v. l,. in-
frram, who reports that Deputies
Frank Norton and Frank Norris ar
rested Welch, Hyde and Reed near
Cn.rtoogechaye creek with six gallons
of liquor.
The three Bryson City men made
bond and will answer the charges
against them at the April term of
superior court.
it. The lookout man points one arm
of the instrument, working on an axis
right in the center of the circle, at
the smoke, similiarly to the manner
of sighting a gun. Then he notices
at what degree of the circle the in
strument covers and telephones the
information to Franklin headquaters
office.
If two lookouts give the informa
tion, headquarters is able to tell with
in a few hundred, yards as to the lo
cation of the fire, and men are quick
ly dispatched with necessary tools to
extinguish it. In the office at head
quarters is a map of the entire for
est, with circles, marked off in 360
degrees covering each lookout point.
with the circle so placed over the
map that its center is one of the
lookout points. After getting the
bearings of two or more of the
lookouts as determined by their
TAX LISTING TO
BEGIN ON APRIL
7 IN MACON CO.
Tax listing begins in Macon
county this year on the first Mon-
L day in April instead of on the
first Monday in May as has been
the case in previous years, states
Horner Stockton, register of deeds,
who desires that the change be
stressed. As many days as the
tax lister judges necessary will be
given to making the lists. Points
at which tax payers will be met
will be announced by the lister of
each township.
Each tax payer must make af
fidavit to the correctness of the
valuation of his property as listed,
states Mr. Stockton..
Date9 and places for listing in
Franklin township follow : Clark's
Chapel, April 7; Stockton's store
at Prentiss, April 8; Roane's store,
April 9; Mallonee's mill, April
10; court house, April 11, 12, 13,
14, 15.
FRANK SILER'S
WORK UNIQUE
Pioneer Minister Served 40
Years In Methodist
Church
Rev. Frank Siler, whose funeral was
held .Feb,, ,24, belonged to a contem
porary group, oL. men of mark ($ye
of them kinsmen) . who helped to
maintain the high standards of life
and thought for which Macon county
has been known in the State of
North Carolina : Frederick Swain
Johnston, lawyer; Samuel L. Rogers,
director of the U. S. Census Bureau;
Fred L. Siler, physician; Jesse and
Will Sloan, merchants.''
Mr. Siler's father, Jacob Siler, with
a Mr. Brittain as companion, was
the first white settler in what is now
Macon, county, then occupied by the
Cherokee Indians. He helped in the
purchase of the land from the In
dians by the Government, helped to
form Macon county and for years
represented the County in the, Legis
lature. Frank Siler, his son by his
second marriage was born when his
father was seventy years old, in the
old Jacob Siler home, the site of
the present Maxwell school. True
to his blood and its traditions, Frank
Siler was a pioneer in every field
of thought and endeavor which he
entered.
For 40 years he wrought ardently
and valiantly for the Methodist
church. He worked for the emanci
pation of woman, for the cause of
prohibition, and for the union of
American Methodism. He is said to
have desired the union of all the
churches into one force for peace and
righteousness.
System
sightings, the man at headquarters
simply draws a line or a cord from
the different stations no the map out
from the center of the circle using
the degree telephoned in by the
lookout. Since the lookouts are sight
ing from different sides of the fire
the lines made at headquarters con
verge and at this point is where the
fire is burning.
The forest supervisor at Franklin
appreciates the co-operation , of the
farmers ni telephoning to the look
outs at any time they are burning
or anticipate burning brush piles so
that the Service will not have to go
to the expense of dispatching a fire
fighting crew to the location. If it
is not convenient to advise the look
out men direct, the information may
be left at headquarters office in
Franklin and the information will be
transmitted to them.
HIGHLANDS GOLF
COURSE TO OPEfl
New Links To Be Used
For First Time This
Summer
CLUB HOUSE IS READY
Power Projects And Build
ing Program Will Aid
County
Approximately $10,750,000 is the to
tal of the sum that will be, or re
cently has been spent on construc
tion work in Macon county. Ten
million of this sum will represent the
cost of the dam and power develop
ment now under construction at
Beechers by the Nantahala Power
and Light company, subsidiary of
the Aluminum Company of America.
According ot estimates, the valuation
of this single undertaking will prob
ably lower the tax rate in Macon
by 40 per cent.
Of the remaining $750,000, the sum
of $300,000 represents the valuation
6f the 18-hole glf course and of the
club house of Highlands Estates, Inc,
at Highlands. The last nine links
of this course will be opened this
summer to golfers. The recently
completed club house will also be
opened this summer.
On the pavement of eight) miles of
Highway 28 between Franklin and
Highlands, $170,000 is to be spent
this spring - and summer. Building
construction now under way or con
templated in Franklin will total ap
proximately $45,000. Power lines plan
ned for the rural districts of the
County by the Blowing Rock Light
and Power company will cost about
$10,000. A power development on
property recently purchased on Mid
dle Creek by J. B. and T. A. Mc
Crary, of Atlanta, will be started
within a few months, it is believed
by residents of the Middle Creek sec
tion. No estimate of the cost of this
development has been made public,
but it is probable that the undertak
ing will represent at least $125,000.
The branch line railway from Nan
tahala station to Beechers, the site
of the proposed power house of the
Nantahala Power and Light company
is nearing completion. Construction
of an eight-mile tunnel from this
point to the site of the dam is under
way. The development of this power
source bids fair to continue for sev
eral ' years. By the fall of 1930 it
is expected that 2000 men will be em
ployed on the various points of con
struction included in the undertak
ing. Native labor is being used in
so far as is practical. .
This is one of several dams in
Western North Carolina and Eastern
Tennessee being constructed by sub
sidaries of the Aluminum Company of
America. The power sources will be
connected by transmission lines so
that the combined horse power gene
rated at all points of development
The golf course and club house of
the Highlands Estates, Inc., constitute
one of the leading pleasure resorts of
its kind in the East. Few golf courses
in the mountains have advantages
equal to it. Riding up the mountain
road from Dillard, Ga., to Highlands,
one unexpectedly rounds the last
curve that stands between him and
the site of a lake which diyides nine
of the 18 greens from the other nine.
The cliffs1 of Satulah mountain over
look the lake. To the right and left
the hills are thickly wooded, rising
to sharp points in the distance. The
greens and fairways have been, con
verted into sodded- earth from what
will be available.
Power from the McCrary develop
ment on Middle Creek will be avail
able to the inhabitants of the southern
part of the county, and also to peo
ple in parts of North Georgia. The
McCrary interests have not yet di
vulged what other purposes power
from this source will be used for.
(Continued on page six)