IJ u
I TODAY'S SMILE
The Way ne syille Mountaineer mm
a / g Published Twice-A-Week In The County Seat of Haywood County At T he Eastern Entrance Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park ? a
71st YEAR NO. 9 12 PAGES Associated Press * WAYNESVILLE, N. C., MONDAY AFTERNOON, JAN. 30, 1956 $3.50 In Advance In Haywood and Jackson Counties
? -? I *
Light Docket Set
For Criminal Court
February Term To
Convene Sixth;
Pless Is Judge
The February criminal term of
Superior Court will convene Mon
day, February 6, with Judge J. Will
Pless. Marion, presiding.
According to the records of J B.
Siler, clerk of court, there are
about 200 cases on the docket. This
is about half of the number which
the court faced last November
On the opening morning of court,
nine new members of the grand
jury will be named from the list
of first week jurors. A foreman
will also be named to succeed
Fleetwood Smathers, whose term
expired last November.
Among the cases on the docket is
that of Forest Bryson, charged with
the death of a 13-year-old girl in
a car accident near Balsam.
Also Charles H. Leatherwood,
charged with the death of Charles
W Gidney, of Canton, as the re
sult of an automobile accident at
Clyde In May 1955.
On the docket is the case of
Burl Warren, who was granted a
new trial by the State Supreme
Court He was charged with the
wounding of his son at their home
in Thickety.
Jurors for the first week are:
Willard Pilkington, Beaverdam;
Joe Teague, White Oak; Finley
Cook. Beaverdam; W. O. Kuyken
dall. East Fork; P. M. Chase, route
one; Frank Hannah. Crabtree; J.
B Liner. Beaverdam; Claude War
ren, Cecil; Harold Lawrence, Bea
(See Court?Page 6)
Tobacco
School Set
Wednesday
Haywood County's annual burley
tobacco school will be held at the
courthouse at 2 p.m. Wednesday,
County Agent Virgil L. Holloway
announced today.
Speakers will be Roy R. Bennett,
burley tobacco specialist, and Bur
ney Todd, disease-control specia
list, both from N. C. State College.
Slated to be discussed are the
latest research on the performance
of various types of burley tobacco,
disease and insect control in beds
arid fields, spacing, fertilization
and side dressing, and the future
outlook for burley production, in
cluding prices and allotments.
The county agent asserted that
because of reduced burley acreage,
it is more important than ever for
Haywood farmers to grow tobacco
which is higb in both yield and
quality.
A question-and-answer session
also will, be held to give
farmers a chance to have the State
College specialists discuss particu
lar problems experienced by coun
ty growers.
Last year, more than J ,800 farm
ers produced eight different var
ieties of burley tobacco in Hay
wood County, Mr. Holloway said.
Feed, Seed Dealers
Hear Recommendations
Twenty-five Haywood County
farm supply dealers heard the lat
est recommendations on seed, fer
tilizer, insecticides, and fungicides,
made by the North Carolina Agri
culture Extension Service and out
lined by County Agent Virgil L.
Holloway.
Mr. Holloway complimented the
dealers for their cooperation in
ordering and stocking the neces
sary materials which have proved
best for this section in research
carried on by N. C. State College
and agriculture experiment sta
tions.
CDP Plans
To Be Made
Here Tonight
Plans for the 1956 CDP program
in Haywood County will be made
here tonight at a meeting of coun
ty CDP officers, directors, and
chairmen of the 12 community or
ganizations.
County officers and directors met
earlier in the month to discuss sug
gestions to be la(d before the com
munity representatives tonight.
. Among subjects expected to be
discussed are: the annual com
munity tours and picnics, the out
of-state farm tour, the 1956 com
munity judging contest (which ac
tually began November 1, 1955>,
and increased income for farm
families.
Last year Ratcliffe Cove won
first place in the county judging
contest and also placed among the
top 10 in WNS district competi
tion.
R. C. Sheffield of West Pigeon
is chairman of the county CDP
groups for 1956. The Rev. C. L.
"Kay" Allen of Aliens Creek is vice
chairman, Mrs. Roy Robinson of
Thickety is secretary, Mrs. Walter
Rhodarmer of South Clyde is
treasurer, and Mrs. James Medford
of Ratcliffe Cove is reporter.
Officers of the board of direc
tors are: Jonathan Woody of
Waynesville. chiarman; R. C. Fran
cis of Ratcliffe Cove, vice chairman;
Mrs. Raymond Caldwell of Iron
Duff, secertary, and W. J. Stone
of Canton, treasurer.
Members of the board are: Rich
ard Bradley of Hazelwood, Troy
McCracken of Upper Crabtree,
Phyllis Hartman of Saunook, Bob
Francis "ot Francis Cove, Mrs. Mark
Ferguson of Fines Creek, Miss Kate
Robinson of Clyde, Mrs. J. M.
Wells of Canton, and Mrs. Kenneth
D. Fry of Wayuesville.
Street Markers
Being Erected
In Hazelwood
Work has started on the erection
of well over 100 concrete street
markers in Hazelwood.
The first marker erected, and
painted, is at the corner of Main
and Balsam Street. Other markers
which have been erected, but not
painted are at the corner of Main
and Brown, and Main and Church
streets.
The markers are being erected
by the town forces, as well as be
ing built by them.
Plans are to have a marker at
every corner in town.
Opening Of New
Building Breaks
Attendance Mark
Sunday School attendance rec
01 ds at the First Baptist Church of
Clyde were.broken Sunday with
the opening of the church's new
educational building.
Attcndar)ce was 268 at Sunday
School and 267 at the worship ser
vice.
The new building contains 40
rooms, permitting complete depart
mentalization of the Sunday School.
In keeping with the design of
the new structure, the front of the
present auditorium will be reno
vated and the church grounds
landscaped.
Ministers May
Set Up Hospital
Chaplain Program
Establishment of an interdenomi
national chaplain program at Hay
wood County Hospital will be con
sidered today at a meeting of the
Haywood County Ministerial Asso
ciation at the First Baptist Church
of Clyde. *
Speakers will be Dr. H. A.
Matthews of Canton and Lee Davis,
manager of the hospital, who will
discuss the visitation of ministers
with patients.
J. G. Goodwin. Jr., pastor of the
host church, will be in charge of
the program.
At an earlier meeting, members
of the Haywood Ministerial Asso
ciation heard talks by Asheville
ministers concerning the hospital
chaplains' program now in opera
tion at Buncombe County hospi
tals.
F. W. MESSER
Messer Rites
Are Held At
Baptist Church
Funeral services were conducted
Saturday afternoon in the First
Baptist Church -for Forest Worth
Messer, 76, former member of the
Haywood County board of educa
tion, who died Thursday night in
the Haywood County Hospital fol
lowing a brief illness.
The Rev. T. E. Robinett, pastor
of the church, and the Rev. Frank
Leatherwood officiated. Interment
was in the family plot in Mt. Zion
Cemetery at Crabtree.
Active pallbearers were Worth
Messer, Charlie Rogers, Kenneth
Hannah, Lester Burgin, Jr., Victor
Nobeck and Bud Reed.
Honorary pallbearers were:
Theodore McCracken. Franklin
McCracken. J. W. KiMian. O. T. V.
Barker, James Carwile, Dr. H. A.
Matthews, Dr. Jack Davis, Dr. N.
F. Lancaster. Grady Ferguson.
Orville Noland, A. P. Evans.
Francis Reece. Ray Whitner, Grov
er Davis, Ed Glavish, Coleman
Swanger. Tony Davis, John Grasty,
Jim Boyd. Lee Teague, C. D. Ket
ner, Bob Wilson, Thad Caldwell,
Medford Leatherwood.
Irving Leatherwood, J. W. Ray,
Hugh Leatherwood, Matt Davis, F.
A Justice, J. B. James, Lawrence
Walker. Ellis Smart, A. C. Walker,
Tommy Noland, Fred Campbell,
Lawrence Leatherwood, Johnny
Ferguson, June Setzer, Gene
Howell, Farady Green, Frank Med
ford, Floyd Woody, Jule Noland,
Bryan Medford. J. B. Siler. James
Kirkpatrick, John Hipps, Hubert
Caldwell.
Jack Way. Jim Noland. Jonathan
Woody, Paul Gough, Joe Calhoun,
Sr., Joe Stamey, Fred Hoglan. John
Rogers. Felix Stovall.
Messer was the son of the late
Pink and Jane McCracken Messer
of Crabtree. As a young man he
taught school in Swain County
after which he returned to Crab
tree and engaged in farming and
cattle raising. He was also engag
ed for a number of years as a
salesman for the Blackwell-Bush
(See F. W. Messer?Page 6)
Grace Church
Men To Hear
Noted Layman
Men of Grace Church, will hear
a talk by an outstanding Episcopal
layman. Alfred Law of Chatta
nooga, who will discuss "Laymen
in the Church," at a dinner meet
ing at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at
Grace Church.
Mr. Law is past president of
the Chattanooga Chamber of Com
merce, a member of the Civitan
Club, the Chattanooga Board of
Education, the Salvation Army
Advisory Board, and senior warden
of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in
Chattanooga.
The dinner meeting Wednesday
will be the fifth in a series of
meetings in which Men of Grace
Church have heard" out-of-town
speakers discuss how laymen can
strengthen a church by active par
ticipation in church affairs.
Patrolmen Made
2,139 Arrests In'55
Haywood County's (our state
highway patrolmen made a total of
2,139 arrests during 1955, accord
ing to Cpl. Pritchard H. Smith.
In making these arrests, the j
four patrolmen traveled a distance
of 185,000?equal to more than sev
en trips around the world.
In fi>^t place on the list of ar
rests by a wide margin is speeding
?with a total of 628 arrests. "Run
ner-up" is drunk driving?with 185
citations.
The speed violations included 79
persons charged with driving less
than 65 miles per hour, 524 charg
ed with going between 65 and 75,
and 25 with exceeding 75 miles
per hour..
Other leading violations were:
Failure to stop for a stop Sign.
179; driving without an operator's
license, 141, and driving on the
wrong side of the road. 120.
Lesser offenses included;
Reckless driving; 54; passing on
a curve. 54; following too closely.
47; driving with a suspended or re
voked license. 32; transporting li
quor. 22; passng on a hill, 21; in
sufficient brakes, 24; insufficient
lights. 20; driving with an expired
license. 16; hit and run, 9; uto
larceny. 7, and passing a stopped
school bus. 4.
Cpl. Smith also reported that
these arrests cost drivers a total
of $59,540.52. Of this total, $28.
543.82 was in fines. $19,035.45 in
costs, and $11,961.25 in bonds for
feited.
An analysis of accidents in Hay
wood County showed that the ma
jority occurred between Friday af
ternoon and Saturday night. The
most common time for accidents
was in the two-hour period of dusk
between 5 and 7 p.m.
The corporal further noted that
Patrolmen Dayton. Bryson. and
Wooten participated almost equal
ly in making investigations of ac
cidents?with two making 33 and
the other 32.
Five Injured In Haywood
Weekend Auto Accidents
.
Condition Of
Mediord Boy Is
Termed Critical
Shortly before noon today, six
year-old Ronnie Medford showed
slight signs of regaining conscious
ness, as he remained in a critical
condition in Mission Hospital,
Asheville, where he has been since
being hit by a vehicle on a Canton
Street late last Wednesday.
Attending physicians told the
parents, Mr. and Mrs. Boyce Med
ford, that three to four weeks
could pass before the injured child
fully regained consciousness.
X-rays revealed the brain was
injured, as he suffered a severe
gash on the left side of the head
Swelling was showing signs of re
ducing. which the physicians term
ed encouraging.
Ronnie also lost the end of a
finger in the accident.
The accident happened near the
Medford home. Canton police said :
Paul Sorrells, of Thickety. was the '
driver of the vehicle involved in
the accident.
Motorists Warned
About Failure To
Get Town Tags
Police of Waynesvilie and Hazel
wood are notifying motorists of
the ordinance which necessitates
the purchase of a city license tag.
The deadline is February 15th.
The tags are a dollar each. Each
town has them on sale at the towp
hall.
The officers pointed out that it
is necessary to properly display
the tag after purchasing.
Five persons were injured* in
five weekend accidents reported
by the State Highway Patrol and
Canton police. Four of the five
were hurt in a collision in down
town Canton.
Mrs. Janie Stevens of Waynes
ville suffered a cut on the fore
head at 4:45 p.m. Saturday when
her husband. Guy William Stevens,
lost control of his 1951 Mercury
on the Howell Mill Road, causing
the vehicle to go into a ditch on
the left side of the road.
Stevens was charged with driv
ing under the influence of alcohol
and reckless driving by Cpl.
Pritchard H. Smith of the High
way Patrol. Damage to his car
was estimated at $150.
Four persons were hospitalized
as the result of an auto collision
about 5 p.m. in the business section
of Canton, according to the Canton
police.
Officers said the collision invol
ved cars operated by Gerald Clar
ence Green. 16, of Canton, and
James A. Wright, 44. of Canton. It
occured near the intersection of
North Main and Third streets.
Green was admitted to Haywood
County Hospital for treatment of
back injuries and facial lacerations.
Wright was also admitted there for
treatment of head injuries.
Two other passengers in the
Wright vehicle were also injured.
Mrs. James A. Wright suffered
right leg injuries and was admitted
to the hospital here. Mrs. J. S.
Wright, 65, received a right leg
fracture and was admitted to an
Asheville hospital. Another pas
senger, J. W. Wright, was not in
jured.
At 5 p.m. Saturday a 1951 Chev
rolet pickup truck driven by Frank
Davis Bradshaw, 49, Route 3, Way
nesville. and a 1952 Henry J. driv
(See Five Hurt?Page 6)
Owners Of Heaters Warned
On Water Pressure Boost
Approximately 100 families liv
ing in the Aliens Creek area and
on Highway 19A-23 from Brown
ing Branch to the Dayton Rubber
Co. Will have increased water pres
sure in their homes starting at 8
a.m. this Wednesday when a new
water line is put into operation by
the Town of Waynesville.
Because of this increase in pres
aure. Town Manager G. C. Fergu
son has cautioned owners of water
heaters that water-release valves
on heaters must be set up to pre
vent overflow of water from the
heating units.
Water pressure in the area will
be stepped up to as much as 125
to 135 pounds per square inch, the
town manager said.
The new line Is a 1,000-foot ex
tension of six-inch pipe from other
lines in the area, and was com
pleted recently at the cost of
$2,500.
The addition will not only pro
vide increased water pressure for
homes, but will also furnish more
water flow in mains in the event
' of fire.
Supt. Lawrence Leatherwood Says:
*500,000 Needed For Two
County High School Buildings
McCrary Named Fieldman
For Aromatic Tobacco Plan
Charles McCrary, Route 1, Clyde
has been mado a fieldman to help
promite the production of aro
matic tobacco in Haywood and
Jackson counties, it has been an
nounced by James G. K. McClure,
president of the Farmers Federa
tion which is spearheading the
drive to Increase aromatic tobacco
production in Western North Caro
lina.
McRary wll work with Virgil
Holloway, Haywood County Agent,
and Paul Gibson, Jackson County
Agent, to explain the cultivation
of the crop and interest county
fafmers in growing it.
Sometimes known as Turkish
Tobacco, this crop is one of the
best sources of cash income in the
area. Growers who have tried this
crop and stuck with it have gener
ally done very well, some of them
earning more than $1,000 an acre.
According to J. A. Few. Presi
dent of the Southeastern Aromatic
Tobacco Company at Anderson, S.
j C. there are approximately 70
million pounds of it used by to
bacco manufacturers each year and
only 300.000 pounds were grown
and marketed in the U. S. last
year. IVtost of it is imported from
foreign countries.
No Allotment Needed
Not only is there a heavy de
mand and a sure market for aro
matic tobacco, but also there is no
allotment needed to grow it.
CHARI.ES B. MCCRARY
Unlike burley tobacco a grower
can raise as much as he wants and
although there is considerably
more labor Involved in getting it
ready for market, children can fill
in and do much of the work dur
ing the summer.
"Arojnatic Tobacco"; says Few,
"can be grown on very poor soil
which makes it a very' suitable
crop for certain western North
Carolina farms." The crop is mar
keted in July and August.
Waynesville And
Bethel Need New
High School Units
"About a half million dollars is
now needed to bring our school
plants in Haywood up to current
needs," Lawrence Leatherwood told
Rotarians here Friday.
The county superintendent of
education in discussing the propos
ed Federal aid to education, said
a 12-classrootn high school build
ing was sorely needed at Bethel,
and a renovation of the old high
school building in Waynesville
plus an auditorium was also urgent.
He said the Bethel project would
cost about $150,000 and the Way
nesville project about $350,000.
He hastened to explain that he
did not feel another bond issue
for school plants would pass at this
time, and that he favored a "pay
as-you-go-plan" for school build
I Ings.
Leatherwood opposed the federal
proposals in that it would involve
"too much red tape and politics."
He cited the three major points
oi the Kelly Bill <HB 7535i which
would authorize grants-in-aids of
$11.30 annually per school student
?from 5 to 17 years of age. This,
he pointed out. would mean about
$75,000 per year for Haywood
county.
Another phase of the bill would
create a $750 million revolving
fund for the federal government to
purchase bonds of those areas
whose bonds could not be sold on
the open market at reasonable
prices.
On this point, Supt. Leatherwood
said: "1 doubt if we would be in
terested in this because I feel we
cannot saddle our people with
more bonds. We are now so bond
ed that our children will be pay
ing for their own as well as their
children's education."
The third phase of the proposed
bill, he discussed, was the federal
government would, through the
state, construct buildings and then
rent them to local schbol districts.
On this phase. Supt. Leatherwood
said he was afraid of "too much
(See Schools?Page 6)
M. R. Whisenhunt
Named Chairman
Of Ag Council
M. R. Whisenhunt. director of
the Mountain Experiment Station,
has been elected chairman of the
Haywood County Agricultural
Worker's Council. succeeding
Virgil L. Holloway, county farm
agent.
John Nesbitt, vocational agricul
ture teacher at Waynesville High
School, was named vice chairman
of the council and Miss Lois Buck
ner, home economics teacher at
Bethel 11 igh School, was elected
secretary-treasurer.
Council members voted to change
their meetings from 3:30 to 4 p.m.
the fourth Tuesday of each month.
Rollman To Speak
At NCEA Meeting
Heinz Rollman, president of
Wellco Shoe Corporation, will be
the guest speaker at a meeting Of
the Canton unit of the North Caro
lina Education Association Wed
nesday night.
The meeting will open at 2 p.m.
in the auditorium of the Canton
High School. The program Is in
charge of the international rela
tions committee, of which Mrs. C.
C, Poindexter Is chairman.
Commission Checking On
Lake At Yellowstone Falls
State Defers
Decision On
Highway 19A
Action on the possible elimina
tion of Highway 19A was deferred
by the State Highway Commission
at a public hearing Thursday at
Raleigh.
The commission voted to elim
jinate 17 alternate highway rout
ings, but postponed action on 18
others.
Rep. Marcellus Buchanan and
! State Sen. David Hall, both of
Jackson. headed a delegation
which opposed the elimination of
19A in Swain, Jackson and Hay
wood counties. The alternate route
runs from near Ela to a point
near Waynesville.
Buchanan said "We know of no
route in North Carolina more im
portant to the area it serves." Its
elimination, he added, would be
"severely detrimental" to the
area.
U, S. 19 runs through Soco Gap.
and 19A goes through Balsam Gap.
Hall said that since the Soco Gap
road is at a higher elevation, the
highway often is blocked by snow
during the winter. The result, he
said, is that the Highway Com
mission puts up signs suggesting
that motorists use 19A.
Highway Commisioner Harry
Buchanan said he felt that 19A
"serves a useful purpose."
Gerald Baker Oil Dean's List
Gerald Baker of Hazelwood has
been included on the Dean's List
at Brevard College for the first
semester,
A four-man commiuee nas wen
named by the North Carolina Na
tional Park. Parkway, and Forest
Development Commission to study
the possibility of establishing a
5,000-foot high lake above Yellow
stone Falls in Plsgah National For
est, along the new section of the
Blue Ridge Parkway.
The proposed lake would be
situated approximately half way
along the Parkway link between
Wagon Road Gap and Beech Gap.
Selected on the committee were
John Archer of Franklin, Frank
Brown of Sylva, Dr. Kelly Bennett
of Bryson City, and C. M. Douglas
of Brevard.
The four were named to confer
with state, National Forest, and
Blue Ridge Parkway officials and
to work with any agency interest
ed in erection of a dam and oper
ation of a fishing concession.
As a part of the contemplated
over-all plan of the Blue Ridge
Parkway, as proposed years ago by
Engineer K. Getty Browning of
the State Highway Department
and Sam P. Weems, superintend
ent of the Parkway, the master
plan of 1999-40 set out the pro
posed lake for fishing and recre
(See Yellowstone?Page 6)
Thief Reaches In
Store Window For
Money And Goods
An unusual case of "breaking
without entering" was reported
this morning by Sheriff Fred Y.
Campbell who said that a thief
broke into John Heatherly's store
in the Burndtt Cove section of East
Fork and took money and mer
chandise merely by reaching
through a broken side window.
Reported missing were a metal
money box containing between $8
and $10 and a quantity of candy
and cigarettes worth about $3.
Sheriff Campbell theorized that
the theif knew where Mr. Heather
ly kept his cash box before break
ing the store window.
? t ?.
Medford Descendants
Plan Family Reunion
A meeting was held in the Pine
Room of the SAW Cofeteria at
Asheviile, Saturday night to plan
a reunion of descendants of
George and Charlotte Medford
Cooper and Nick and Sarah Ful
brlght Medford, to be held at the
home of Mr. and Mrs. Amos Med
ford at Clyde on Sunday, July 13,
1958.
Wayne Cooper of Asheviile was
in charge of the meeting Saturday
night, which was attended by 60
descendants of the two Medford
families.
Low Bid Of $1,243,440 Submitted
On Parkway Link, Three Tunnels
A bid of $1,243,140 submitted
by Macon Construction Co. of
Franklin on the construction of
a new Bloc Ri(l|? Parkway link
was termed the low one.
The bids on the 2.82-milc sec
tion were opened at the U. S.
Bureau of Public Roads office
at C.atlinburz.
The new link will connect the
1.836-mile North Carolina ter
minal section and the parkway
stretch running from Wolf Lau
rel Gap.
Macon Conetrwetion Co. was
. one of five firms to submit bids
on the Job.
The project calls for drainage,
grading and laying a crushed
stone baae course and construc
tion of three tunnels. The new
link will be built in the north
ern'section of the Cherokee Res
ervation.
The bids are subject to review
by the U. S. Bureau of Public
Roads office at Arlington, Va.
before contracts are let.
Low bidder on the terminal
link, which will tie into the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park
near Ravensford, N. C., on V. 8.
Highway 441 was Ralph E. Mills
Co.. Inc., of Salem. Va.. for
$359,666. The bids were opened
on January 13.
I .ruing of the contract on this
project hasn't keen announced.
The wort on both projects will
be under way simultaneously,
and Is expected to take two con
struction seasons?1956 and 1957.
The bids on both did not include
paving.
Also to be built is a bridge
spanning the Oeonalnfty River
on the terminal section near Ra
ve nsford.
When these two projects sre
completed, the parkway will of
fer a driving surface, though
most of it unpaved. for about 11
miles from Soco Gap to tl. S.
441. The two miles of the park
way Unking Soco Gap on U. S.
Highway 19 and Wolf Laurel Gap
are paved.
From Wolf Laurel Gap on Into
the Cherokee Reservation, the
parkway still la in the rough
graded shape It waa when con
struction crews got that far with
it early in INI.
Highway
Record For
1956
In Haywood
(TO DATE)
Killed....:: 0
(IMS ? ?)
Injured .... 11
(1955 ? 7)
Accidents... 27
(1955 ? 19)
Loss ... $8,905
(1955 ? $5,599)
(This information compiled
from records ot State High
way Patrol.)
I The 1 'I/-?
' Weather
UNSETTLED
( Considerable cloudiness and mild
today with scattered showers, turn
ing colder tonight . Tuesday, most
ly fair, windy and colder.
Official WaynesvLlle temperature
?s reported by the State Test Farm.
Date Max. Mln. Free.
Jan. 26 _... 39 23 ?
Jan. 27 48 20 .01
Jan 28 48 26 ?
Jan. 29 ... 62 43 .05