The Waynesville Mountaineer bp
g g Published Twice-A-Week In The County Seat of Haywood County At The Eastern Entrance Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park p ?
71st YEAR NO. 4 16 PAGES Associated Press WAYNESVILLE, N. C., THURSDAY AFTERNOON, JAN. 12, 1956 $3.50 In Advance In Haywood and Jackson Counties
af?' Tu/ter A9a,n Head
lhamber of Commerce Here
RICHARD BRADLEY
. , . re-elected president
NED J. TUCKER
. . executive vice president
HARVEY M. Dl'LlN
. . . treasurer
C. G. THOMPSON
... vice president
ASC In Haywood County
Allocated '$78,000 By U.S.
naywuua i/uumy iras uetn ai
located $78,000 from the national
allocation of $250,000,000.00 which
Congress authorized to share the
cost of establishing conservation
practices on farms throughout the
United States.
All farms in Haywood County
are eligible for their share of the
above allocation. The ASC County
Committee has set the initial re
quest from January 16, 1956
ttirough January 31. Farmers un
able to contact the ASC office dur
ing this period can request assist
ance any time during office hours
until April 15, 1956
Your County ASC will share the
cost on a 50-50 basis on ttje fol
lowing practices.
1. Seeding pasture or hay on
land so subject to erosion that it
should be converted to a perman
ent cover to prevent further eros
ion.
2. Seeding additional pasture or
hay on cropland to improve soil
structure, water-holding capacity
and retard erosion.
3. Application of lime on farm
land to permit the .growth and
stability of grass and clover.
4. Establishment of contour
stripcropping to prevent the soil
from water or wind erosion.
5. Establishment of a stand of
white pine trees on farm land for
erosion control.
6. Improvement of an establish
ed permanent cover on land that
is now in and is intended to re
main permanently in use as pasture
and on which the benefits of the
improvements can be extended
materially.
7. Construction of permanent
drainage ditches for draining crop
or pasture land. Payment will not
be made on clearing existing ditch
es or ditches that will bring ad
ditional land into production.
8. Installation of drain tile on
farmland 'to dispose of excess
Water.
Lime and fertilizer will be
furnished with all seeding prac
tices in the amount required to in
sure a good stand. All materials
(See ASC Fund?Page S)
i .
r- ~ : - r-yn
Hugh Ratcliffe
Will Head CDP
At Ratcliffe Cove
Hugh Ratcliffe was elected chair
man of the Ratcliffe Cove CDP for
1956 at a community meeting Tues
day night at the REA building.
Other officers chosen were:
James Medford, vice chairman:
Miss Mary Alice Leopard, secre
tary: R. C- Francis, treasurer; Mrs.
G. W. Liner, reporter; Miss Phyllis
Leopard, song leader; Mrs. Mark
Palmer and Mrs. Mark Galloway,
program co-chairmen: and Francis,
Mrs. Lem Leopard, Mrs. Algie Rat
cliffe, L. Z. Messer and Walter
Francis, members of the board of
directors.
In other business, the families
made plans for community im
provement projects for the new
year, and committes were appoint
ed.
They also heard a f discussion of
"community development through
involvement" by Morris L. Mc
Gough, executive vice president
of the Asheville Agricultural De
velopment Council. The council
sponsors the annual Western North
Carolina Rural Community Devel
opment Contest.
Ratcliffe Cove won the 1955 Hay
wood County Community Develop
ment Contest and also won a $100
award and placed among the top
10 communities in the WNC com
petition.
WATKINS RECOVERING
M. D. Watkins is reeciving visit
ors at his home, where he will be
confined for about three more
weeks, while recovering from a
mild heart ailment. .
Richard Bradley was re-elected
president of the Chamber of Com
merce here Tuesday night by the
newly elected board of directors.
Ned J. Tucker, eexcutive vice
president was also re-elected to
his position again.
C. G. Thompson was named
vice president, and Harvey M. Dul
in was named treasurer of the or
ganization which serves this en
tire end of the county.
The election came as the first
matter of business for the board
which was elected by ballot by the
membership of the organisation in
December.
A financial report for 1955 was
presented last year, and showed
collections of ?12,858.
Tentative plans were made for |
staging the annual banquet in
mid-February instead of early f
summer. ,
A number of reports were heard
from members of the board which
indicated a banner tourist year. I
J. W. Fowler, Jr., superintendent
of Lake Junaluska, told of the -
various world-wide conferences. (
and several other meetings which
would attract people to the Lake ?
from nine Southeastern States and
Cuba. i
President Bradley said he would J
name chairmen of the nine divis
ions of the organization within a
few days, apd also annoi^nce the
program adopted by each group
for the year.
Plans are to get the working pro
gram under way within the next
three weeks, then formally present
them at the annual banquet in
February.
JUDGE J. WILL PLESS is shown as hr signed the Judgment
shortly before noon Tuesday ending the controversial county home
farm case. (Mountaineer Photo).
Fire Destroys 30 Acres
Of Woodland Near Bethel
? 1
rake It Easy
rhis Friday,
It's The 13th
Better tread lifhtly tomorrow
and avoid black cats, stepladders.
broken mirrors, et all.
Of course, you don't have to
worry because it's only some of
your friends who are superstit
ious?not you yourself.
In case you haven's noticed,
it'll be Friday the 13th.
Approximately thirty acres of
woodland in Pigeon Valley were
destroyed by fire last Friday night
and Saturday, County Fire Warden
R. E. Caldwell reported to The
Mountaineer today. .
The alarm came in at 5:30 a.m.
Saturday and the blaze was
brought under control that day
shortly after noon, but was not
extinguished completely until
11:30 a.m. Monday, the fire war
den said.
The woods, situated about one
mile northwest of Bethel School,
is on the property of C. R. Camp
bell, Layman Brown. Bryan Burn
ette, and Tom Ferguson.
The origin of the fire Is un
known.
Because of the dry condition of
the forest floor and frequent high
winds. Mr Caldwell urged county
residents to be especially careful
aboyt fire and to report all for
est fires immediately to his resi
dence, GL 6-6808
Ulyde Postoffice Reports
5.5 Pet. Gain In Receipts
Canton Library
Exhibit Depicts
Forestry Progress
(
Depicting 50 years of progress :
in forestry in North Carolina, a s
special forestry exhibit will be
open to the public at the Canton i
library through Jan. 21. i
Hours to view the exhibit will
be from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. each
day, except Sunday. (
The exhibit, made possible i
through the cooperation of the su- ]
pervisor of Pisgah National For
est, the director of the Sou'ii- '
eastern Forest Experiment Station. ?
the U. S. Forest Products Labora- (
tory and the Champion Paper and i
Fibre Co. was for several days dis
played at the Pack Memorial Li- .
brary in Ashevtlle,
Several features have been add
ed by Champion for its exhibit in i
Canton. I
The exhibit shows the measures <
that are applied by public and I
private forestry agencies, including :
Champion Paper, in maintaining a :
contnuing supply of wood which is
essential raw materal for forest
rpoducts industries.
Haywood GOP To
Meet Tuesday
Haywood County Republicans,
and those interested in the party
are invited to attend a meeting
in the commissioner's room here
Tuesday, January 17, 7:30, accord
ing to Elmer "Red" Miller, chair
man of the county GOP executive
committee.
Chairman Miller said that sev
eral important matters of business
would be brought to the meeting.
The chairman will preside and pre
sent the matters to be discussed.
An increase of 6.5 per cent in
gross receipts, at the Clyde po#
:>ffice during 1955 as compared
with 1954 has been reported by
Postmaster Richard Hannah.
Gross receipts (excluding money
ardersl for 1954 were $6,343 15 in
1955 and $6,123.19. Mr. Hannah
said.
The Clyde postmaster also re
ported an 8 per cent increase in
stamp sales ? from $5,456.45 in
1954 to $5.916 35 in 1955
Money orders purchased at
~lyde last year totaled $102,065.66,
with fees amounting to $1,201.40.
Vlr. Hannah added.
D ? i n
nevivai oervices
Set Next Week
At Baptist Church
A series of revival services, based
on the Sermon on the Mount, will
be conducted at the First Baptist
Church of Waynesville next week
by Dr. Henry E. Turlington, pro
fessor of the New Testament at the
Southern Baptist Seminary at
Louisville. Ky.
Morning services will be held at
7:30 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday.
Thursday, and Friday and evening
services nightly at 7:30.
The public is invited and those
attending are asked to bring their
Bibles.
Draft Board
Classifies 15
County Men
Fifteen Haywood County men
were assigned draft classifications
at a meeting of Selective Service
Board 45 Monday at the court
house. They were:
Class 1-A (available for induc
tion!?William Bryant Hill. Junius
McKinley Mashburn, Ronald Ben
jamin Gardner.
Class 1-C (enlisted)?Robert Pat
ton Price.
Class 1-C (reserve)?Robert Lee
Gentry, Maynard Devane Dixon.
James David Mitchell, Richard
Camden Smith, Joseph Ralph Fer
guson. Jackie Claude Bare. Cecil
Ray Young.
Class 3-A (hardship)?Carl James
Presnell.
Class 5-A (over age) ? David
George Price, Milas Noland Kirk
patrick. David Wilford Greene.
The next board meeting will be
held January 25 at 9:30 a.m.
Drivers Urged By Patrol
To Heed All Stop Signs
Clyde Firemen
Fight Blaze In
Church Cemetery
Clyde firemen made a run Mon
day afternoon to?of all places?
a cemetery!
The call came in at 2:05 p.m.
from the North Canton Baptist
Church, where dead, dry vegeta
tion in the church cemetery and
an adjoining woods caught Are.
apparently started from burning
brush and fanned by high winds.
Ten firemen answered the alarm
and extinguished the blaxe which
was threatening several homes and
barns in the vicinity.
Haywood County drivers were
urged today by the State Highway
Patrol to heed all atop signs ana
bring their vehicles to "a full atop"
as required by North Carolina law.
Cpl. Pritchard H. Smith said this
morning a large number of acci
dents investigated recently in the
county by the Highway patrol have
been caused by drivers falling to
stop at a stop sigh.
The corporal said that failure 1%
heed stop signs has caused several
fatalities in Haywood County, and
added "there have been three that
I can remember off hand."
Cpl. Smith asserted that the
State Highway Patrol will arrest
all drivers who run through the
signs.
Stranded Fam i ly Finds
Help In Waynesville
On December 30 Waynesville
police and town employees con
tributed money to buy a bus
ticket home for a 14-year-old
Alabama boy. stranded in
Waynesville with only 57 cento
on a return trip from Washing
ton, D. C.
The next day, another group of
Waynesville residents took up a
collection to help a young couple
and their three small children
reach home in Charleston, W.
Va? after their old car broke
down here.
This second story of Waynes
ville generosity was disclosed
here only this week.
The unique chain of circum
stances began when a 1947 Ford,
driven by James Sigman and con
taining his wife and three chil
dren. develepod transmssion
trouble in Waynesville as the
Sigmans were en route from At
lanta to West Virginia.
The car could have been re
paired. but it would have requir
ed a lot of time and money, and
the family had very little of eith
er. In fact, Sigman had only 99
cento in his possession when he
arrived here. ?
I
Contacted about repairing the
car, James Welch, mecahnic at
Potts Motor Co., quickly noted
the plight of the young family:
window glass was broken out of
the car. the vehicle had no heat
er, and its floorbroads were brok
en, causing carbon monoxide
fumes from the exhaust pipe to
seep up into the interior of the
car.
Unable to fix the weatherbeat
I en car easily. Welch offered to
"trade" his 1940 Ford for a worn
out, practically valueless televi
sion set which Sigman had in his
Car. Sigman quickly agreed to
the trade, and moved his family
into the Waynesvtlle mechanic's
car. which was in good condition
and equipped with a heater.
While the family were trans
ferring their meager possessions
to their new car. Welch got in
touch with a Waynesvllle used
oar dealer, Clarence Muse, and
several other local men and took
up a collection of $16 to help the
Sigmans reach West Virginia.
After Buddy Parrs contributed
a tank of gas. the family again
started northward.
(See Stranded Family?Page t)
i
' '
Judgment Ends Farm Suits;
Board Given Riaht To Sell
Judge Says
County Can J
Sell Property ,
The county home farm case came (
to an end Tuesday, shortly before
neon, when Judge J. Will Pless.
presiding Judge of civil court here,
granted the defendants a judgment 1
as of nonsuit. J
The action came after the plain- J
tiffs had placed Jarvis H. Allison.aa
former county commissioner, on J
the stand. Allison testified for
more than an hour.
Upon questioning from the court,
the plaintiffs announced that they
had a number of additional wit
nesses. and that the evidence would
be cumulative, and that they
presented all of the features of
the evidence relied upon by them
in support of their allegations, and
rested their case.
Then it was that the defendants
moved for judgment as of nonsuit,
and this was allowed by the court.
The commissioners through their
lawyers then announced that they
would not pursue their counter
claims and cross-actions, in which
they were seeking $23,000 damagse 1
and cost from the plaintiffs be- J
cause of the stopping of the sale ,
of the 140-acre farm 1
The formal judgment, dictated ^
by Judge Pless. set out:
1. That this is an action brought
in the name of the plaintiffs as
representatives of a class, and that
the ruling of the Court in this case
will constitute a bar to further
litigation by the plaintiffs or any
other persons upon the same cause
of action.
2. That the restraining order '
heretofore issued be and the same
is hereby dissolved. 1
3. That the plaintiffs take noth- r
inj; by their action, and the cause
is dismissed as of nonsuit at the v
costs of the plaintiffs. ?
4. That the defendants take noth
ing by their cross-action or count
er-claim, and that the same be di$- '
missed as of nonsuit.
5. That the County Commission- ^
er- not attempt to hold a sale of "
the real property which is the sub- '
ject of this litigation prior to the
first day of April, 1956, the de- v
fendants having consented that the "?
Court should include this as a part
of the judgment, but this shall not "
prevent advertisement of the sale
or other preliminary arrangements (
therefor prior to the date of April r
1, 1956. 1
Before dictating the judgment, 1
fudge Pless said that "times are t
different, and must be recognized." r
He cited that his home county of r
McDowell had abolished their 1
county home many years ago and
had not missed It.
Judge Pless also pointed to the
program of old-age benefits and
the fact that only 12 to 14 inmates
were in the home at the time it
was closed in the spring of 1954.
"Since the farm is worth $100.
000 or more, according to esti
mates. this would be a good eco- 1
nomical move, and the taxes from 3
the property would well pay for
(See County Farm?Page 8) i
? !
n ' * rui - ??
urive-in ineatre Mere '
To Close Several Weeks i
i
The Smoky Mountain Drive-In t
Theatre on the Balsam Road near 3
the Dayton Rubber Co. plant will
be closed for several weeks for
painting and repairs, according to
owner Joe Masste. c
The date of the theatre's reopen- |
ing will be announced in this I
newspaper. 1
rhree Persons Injured
[n Five Auto Accidents
mi re people were nuri in one ot '1
five accident* reported today by t
the State Highway Patrol and the t
Waynesville Police.
The injuries occurred when a c
1U53 Chevrolet, driven by Frances 1
Rogers of Clyde, collided with a i
1P93 Oldsmobile, driven by Baxtor
Taylor of Asheville, according to t
Patrolman W. R. Wooten. *
Miss Rogers suffered a fractur- v
ed jaw. and leg injuries; Taylor had t
bruises, and a passenger riding t
with him, Max West, sustained I:
fractured ribs.
Miss Rogers was charged with t
failure to yield the right of way, [
and improper turning. 1
Damage was estimated at $350 L
to MU? Rogers' car and at $1,200 1
to Mr. Taylor's car. \
Seven persons escaped injury
*
I
iutou?j yviicii a mji t,nevroiei.
Iriven by Charles D. Smith, over
timed on the Crabtree road.
Smith was charged with reckless
Iriving by 'Patrolman Wooten.
Ja mages to his car were estimated
it $150.
Another county accident which
ook place January 2, but which
nas not reported until today, ln
olved a 1954 Chevrolet pickup
ruck driven by Calvin Jolley of
tsheville and a 1950 Ford driven
ly Mrs. Geraldine Ford of Canton.
Patrolman Wooten reported that
he truck ran into the rear of the
lassenger car as the latter was
lalted in the left lane of the four
ane highway, preparatory to mak
ng a left turn near radio station
VWIT. Damage was estimated at
(See 3 Hurt?Page B)
? ? ? ? ? ?
575,000 Damage Suit Went
h Civil Court Here Today
ce On 209
"ails To Halt
School Buses
State Highway Dept. mainten
ance men were called by Patrol
man W. K. Wooten of the High
way Patrol this morning to place
Sand on a patch of ice on the
Crabtree road.
Fines Creek School officials
said another patch of Ice was
located near Jack Ferguson's
store iK that community, but said
that all school buses were able
to make their runs.
Principal Fred Safford of
Crabtree-lron Duff High School
also reported that his school
buses arrived on time.
Mother Of
Orphan Boy
Writes Here
A letter of gratitude from a
fidow in Canada for Christmas
noney sent to one of her nine chil
Iren has been received by one of
ler benefactors in Hazelwood.
Tlie unique story started in De
ember when Herschel Caldwell,
lazelwood barber, was on hU way
o Hazelwood school with a Christ
nas tree for hfs son's homeroom.
En route to the school, Mr. Cald
vell suddenly noticed a small piece
if white paper, tied with a string,
lapping in the wind.
Unwrapping the paper, he
loticed that it bore a message from
12-year-old orphaned boy in
"racadie, New Brunswick?Sylvio
ionier, asking for money for
Christmas.
Heeding the boy's plea. Mr. Cald
vell took up a collection and sent
iylvio six dollars.
The letter from his mother,
vritten to Mr. Caldwell, reads:
"I received your letter before
Christmas. I am very glad you sent
ne $6.00 to help us for Christmas.
Thank you very much for this bill.
This is Sylvio's mother who writes
his letter. I am alone with my
line children. 1 will send their
tames. My oldest one, Wencelas,
lorn 28 Dec. 1940.
Patrice born 21 Nov.. 1941.
Sylvio born 27 Sept., 1943.
Lucien born 13 Dec., 1944.
, Jean Claude. 25 March, 1946.
Agenard. 26 Nov., 1947
Marielle, 24 Feb., 1950.
Mariette, 15 Dec., 1951.
Jean Mary,'23 July, 1954,
"My husband died 10 April on
3aster day this year 1955 at 44
rears.
"If you can help me by sending
tew or second-hand clothing, I will
iccept every thing you send us for
lelp.
"Sylvio was very happy over the
noney you sent and for all the
amily I say thank you very very
nuch. 1 wish you a happy new
rear.
"Yours very truly,
Mrs. Mederic A. Sonier"
"P.S.: Your asked for a picture
if my family. I have none at the
iresent time. Later I send one. I
lave no camera to take pictures
low. M. S."
A $75,000 damage suit was start
ed in the civil term of Superior
Court here today The suit was
brought by Mrs. Margaret Gidney.
wife and administrator of Charles
W. Gidney. who died following an
automobile accident in Clyde. The
Gidney estate is sufng Charles 11
Leatherwood for the $75,000 plus
the value of the car. citing Leath
erwood as driver of the car that ,
ran into Gidney's vehicle on the
new highway through Clyde.
This is the first case to go to a
jury since court convened here
Monday morning with Judge J.
Will Pless, of Marion, presiding.
Three divorce cases were presented
to the jury.
Lawyers in the death case this
morning said they expected the
case would take all day today and
half of tomorrow.
Testimony began shortly after 11
this morning, after the lawyers had
presented their complaints to the
court.
Gidney was a barber in Canton
at the time of his death.
Divorces granted until this morn
ing included that of Anna M.
Boone vs. C. L. Boone; Joseph
Milner vs. Julia Milner
Other cases settled before going
to court included:
Jack Redmond' vs. Grover C.
Clark; G. W. Clark vs. Robert and
Billy McCracken; Allied Roofing
Co., vs. Tom J. Krazier and Ruth
Frazier; Monarch Fine Foods vs.
Smoky Mountain Grocery; Juna
luska Supply vs. Way RatclifTe; R.
L. Parks vs. Sue Parks: W. W.
Cairnes, of Canton, recovered $7,
500 damages from the State High
way Department.
HD Work In
County Told
To Rotarians
Thi' program of Haywood Coun
ty's 28 home demonstration clubs
was outlined by Miss Mary Corn
well, home demonstration agent, at
a meeting of the Waynesville Ro
tary Club Friday afternoon.
Miss Cornwell explained that
the 28 clubs in Haywood County
have a total membership of 748
women, organized for these four
purposes:
1. To carry scientific information
to farm families.
2. To assist the homemaker in
the conservation of life and to pro
mote the higher standards of liv
ing.
3. To improve home and com
munity life by making more ef
fective the institutions of com
munity life, such as schools,
churches, libraries and health
facilities.
4. To discover, develop, and
utilize leadership by affording op
portunities for club members to
serve as leaders.
In their work. Miss Cornwell
pointed out, home demonstration
clubs deal with foods and nutri
tion, gardening, poultry, dairying,
food conservation, housing and
home furnishings, home manage
ment, family life, home beautifi
cation, clothing, and arts and
crafts.
Miss Cornwell told the Rotarians
that North Carolina is on an all
out program to hejp raise the in
come level of the people in this
state. It is estimated, she said,
(See H? Work?Page 8)
I ... . I
The
Weather
\/ i
CONT'D COtD
Decreasing cloudiness and cold
today. Friday, partly cloudy and
continued cold.
Official Waynesville temperature
, as reported by the State Test
Farm:
Date Max. Min. Pr.
Jan. ? 38 16
Jan. 10 30 21
Jan. 11 32 25
*
Highway
Record For
1956
In Haywood
(TO DATE)
Killed ? ?.. Z Z 0
(1959 ? ?)
Injured . . . Z 3
(1959 ? 2)
Accidents... 14
Loss ? ?. $6,430
(This information compiled
from records of State Hlcfe
way Patrol.)