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??| The W\yne sville Mountaineer 1^*1
V g Published Twice-A-Week In The County Seat of Haywood County At T he Eastern Entrance Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park ^ ^
7lst YEAR NO. 27 14 PAGES Associated Press WAYNESVILLE, N. C.. MONDAY AFTKRN(M)N,A1'K1I 2, 1956 $3.60 In Advance In Haywood and Jackson Counties
?1 ,, * \o.vt " 11 ? i ? ??
STANDING before a display of flags from over the world. John
L. SUckley, (center) president-elect of Lions International, chat
ted for a minute prior |p the banquet here Thursday with Ernest
Edwards, left, president of the local club, and Lawrence Leather
wood, right, district governor. (Mountaineer Photo).
World Looking To America
For Ideals Of Life, Some
350 Lions Told By Leader
"People around the world are
hungry for the American way of
life," John L. Stkciley, Charlotte,
president-elect of Lions Interna
tional, told 350 Lions and guests of
Western North Carolina here
Thursday night.
Stickley was the speaker at a
banquet honoring Lawrence Leath
crwood district governor of Dis
trict 31-A at a banquet at the High
School cafeteria.
Leathdrwood gave an optimistic
progress report covering the first
eight months of activities of the
district, with Stickley following i?
a similar optimistic vein as to the
international program of the or
ganization.
Stickley who will be elevated
from first vice president to presi
dent at the Miami convention in
June, told of his visits around the
globe, and the particular impor
tance of the continuance of the
Crusade for Freedom program.
"It is vital that we continue to
send messages of friendship, love
and freedom to the five captive
nations," he said, as he described
watching the balloons carry pack
ages of educational leaflets behind
the Iron Certain.
"In China, India, Europe, and
other parts of the globe, I have
found peoplg hungry to get infor
mation about the American ideals
which are designed to create a
better way of life," the sueaker
said. v ,
"Things that are taken for grant
ed here in North Carolina are anx
(Continued to Page 1. Section 2)
Lieut. Governor
Candidate Visits
Haywood County
Alonzo C. Edwards of Hooker
ton, candidate for lieutenant gov
ernor of North Carolina, visited
Haywood County today, accom
panied by Oral L. Yates of Iron
Duff, former state representative.
Edwards said that he is stressing
the "downright necessity Of rais
ing the per capita income in North
Carolina."
"We stand 43rd among the #8
states in average cash income,"
Edwards said, "primarily because
of the low average income among
the one-third of our people who
live on the farms. Much of the
farm problem will have to be set
tled in Washington, of course, but
I contend that we can do a lot a
bout it here at home. For one
thing, we need to build food pro
cessing plants throughout the
Etate. Another thing that would
help is the promotion of new
sources of farm income, such as an
increase in our chicken and egg
production. And of course we need
small industries in our rural areas
to provide full-time and part-time
jobs for people who have been do
ing farm work only.
The
Weather
Continued mild, partly cloudy
with shower*. Official Wijnrs
ville temperature as reported by
the State Teat Farm:
Date Ma*. Mia. pr.
March 29 66 43 .70
Mar-h 30. ...... 60 31
March 31 - 60 24
April 1 ? tl 30
?
Road Safety
Program Is
Formulated
A long-range, > comprehensive
county-wide safety program was
formulated here Friday morning
by the 11-member advisory com
mittee of the newly organized Hay
wood Traffic Safety Council.
The program, in detail, will be
formally presented to the direc
tors of the council at an early
date, according to C. C. Poindex
ter, chairman. The board of direc
U?r. wJil ho a*do up * tewe***- ,
tatives from e\ery organization in
the county, including all civic
groups, garden clubs, patriotic or
ganizations, each jchool, CDP, fra
ternal and business groups, Poin
dexter said.
On the advisory committee is a
young man ftpm each of the six
high schools in the county, plus
Woody Robertson, Canton. Larry
Cagle, Clyde, and Cpl. Pritchard
Smith. Waynesville, with Ned
Tucker, secretary.
Among the proposals is the stag
; ing of a rodeo for each of the
schools and then having a county
j contest between school winners.
The roadeo would be staged by
the Highway Patrol, and would be
the same program as that used in
training patrolmen.
Another point was an essay
writing contest for English classes
in all high schools: speaking con
test for high school students, also
poster contests.
A slogan contest would be open
to adults and students, in two dif
ferent contests, with limitation to
10 words for each slogan.
A driver's code would be made
i available to all drivers to sign,
and special recognition given to
I each student upon receiving their
drivers license.
I Encouragement would be given
to organize safety clubs in each
school, with a continuous safety
education program being carried
(See Road Safety?Page 2>
Country Music
Program Coming
To WTHS Friday
The Melodyaires Quartet from
the WNOX Barn Dance in Knox
ville will appear 6n the WTHS
stage Friday night under a spon
sorschip of the Waynesville Ki
wanis Club.
Others on the program will be
the Scrubb Brothers, Volunteer
Quartet, Ray "Duck" Atkins, Red
Rector, Fred Smith, and Jimmy
Haynte.
Advance-sale tickets will be 25
cents and 75 cents, while admis
sion at the door will be 35 cents
and one dollar.
['
Telephone
Service To
Balsam Set
During Nay
About 60 residents of the Balsam
area will begin getting telephones
Installed about May 15th, it was
learned from Southern Bell offi
cials today. '
The cables from Saunook to Bal
sam have been extended, and pres
ent schedules call for installations
to begin about the middle of May.
The project is estimated to cost
about $30,000.
Telephone engineers are work
ing on the surveys In White Oak.
and tentative indications point to
granting service to the last rural
area in Haywood.
"The outlook is extremely
bright," an official said.
Present studies of the area show
that the lines might go into White
Oak area via Panther Creek. En
gineers have had requests from
citizens of the Panther Creek area
wantinv ?prvl?? n ?J
_ ...vt ??u lull's I'UUIU
go through that section enroute to
V^hite Oak from Fines Creek.
The final decision of the en
gineers will be known in about 30
days, it was predicted.
Johnnie Ferguson,
38, Killed In
Florida Wreck
Johnnie Ferguson. 38, a native
of Waynesville, was killed in an
automobile wreck last -night near
Tavares, Fla.
He was driving alone, and the
burned car was found in a ditch
along the highway. He had crawl
ed away from the wreckage, it was
learned from Mrs. Alvin Ames, a
also a winter resident of
Funeral arrangements are in
complete. but will be held in
Waynesville. it was announced
here this morning.
The deceased was a son of Mr.
and Mrs. J. C. Ferguson of Mailn
Street, Waynesville.
He was working at a candy fac
tory, and had a new home about
half completed.
He is survive^ by his widow,
and four children, Joan, John Em
mett, Charles Wood row and Cary;
one sister. Mrs. Ames; two broth
ers. Bill Ferguson, Asheville, and
Bob Ferguson, Knoxville.
? i 1 >
OHiPore Da olrnir
70-Gallon Still
In Hemphill Area
A 70-gallon copper still In the
Hemphill section was destroyed
by Deputy Sheriff Gene Howell,
state Alcoholic Control Board and
federal Alcoholic Tax Unit agents
from Ashevtlle Friday night '
The officers found seven bar
rels of whiskey mash on the site
of the still.
The operators of the still, bow
ever, did not appear while the
officers were on the scene.
Carolina Grange
Master To Speak
At Fines Creek
Harry Caldwell, North Carolina
state Grange master, will be the
principal speaker at a Joint meet
ing of the Fines Creeb and Crab
tree Granges at Fines Creek
School Wednesday..April 4.
Refreshments will be served
starting at 7 p.m. and the meeting
will get under way at 7:30.
The meeting is open to the pub
lic, and has been announced as
"very important" for all farmers.
Miss Ann Coman Crawford, a
student at Woman's College at
Greensboro Is spending her Easter
holiday with her aunt, Mrs. Wil
liam I. Lee. She will return to
Greensboro Tuesday.
$55,000 Raised For New
Episcopal Church Building
(?l ? . ? ? a ? ? ?
r wages ana casn lor tne 173,000
building project of Grace Episcopal
church had reached $53,000 this
noming. according to Bev James
if Perry, Jr., reel or of the church
Rev. Mr. Perry said those in
?harge of the campaign predicted
he fund would total $60,000 by
his weekend.
Of the total, there is $10,000 In
?ash, the report showed, and indi
cations point to a rash fund of
a
$25,000 by early fall, when actuaT
construction is expected to get un
der way.
The $55,000 pledged to date la
from 62 family groups of the
church, it was announced.
The church recently adopted
Plans for erection of a church on
the corner of Haywood and Miller
Streets. Tentative plans call for'a
seating capacity of over 200,
4
| *CARSON C. FOARD of Wavnesvllle displays sam
ples of uranium (small dark plfCfl, used in mak
ing the atomic bomb, and spodumcne (lame while
piece), used in the production of hydrogen bombs.
Both came from Western North Carolina, along
with a large number of other minerals which Mr.
Foard has collected between Avery and Macon
counties in the past three years. Many of his
specimens are now on display at the T. S. Mor
rison-Foard farm equipment store at 405 Depot
St. In' his right hand. Mr. Foard holds a pros
pector's pick which he uses to dig semi-precious
stones and commercial minerals.
(Mountaineer Photo)
Paving Of Pisgah Motor j
Road Provided In Plans J
The old Pisgah Motor Road~
from the end of N. C. 112 to Wagon ?
Road Gap will be paved, Don J. J
Morriss, supervisor of Pisgah Na- (
tional Forest, said. ?
Morriss announced plans to pave (
the present road along with three
other projects in Western North
Carolina, the total cost of which
mr
He said bids would be fel In Ra
leigh by the State Highway; De
partment for the Pisgah and bther
road projects.
Other projects announced In
clude:
Reconstruction of N. C. 129 from
two miles north of Topton nine
miles into Robbinsvllle.
Paving the remaining five and
three-tenths section of the Nanta
hala Road west of Franklin across
Wayah Gap to Kyle.
Grading of a 15-mile new road
from Rosman to the end of a Blue
Ridge Parkway section at Beech
Gap.
The eight-mile Pisgah stretch
will join N. C 112 with N. C. J
276. Cost of the project will be
shared equally between Forest 1
Service and State Highway De
partment.
The Pisgah Motor Road was t
built by the late George Vander- fl
bilt as part of the road system on e
his estate. Long popular as a t
short scenic route, the road in re^
cent years had fallen into disuse r
and down to bed-rock making it d
difficult to maintain with gravel..
It connects Pisgah Lodge with i;
(See Paving Road?Pag^ 2) t
Building Loan
Stockholders J
Set Dividends
n
Dividends totaling $42,000 are c
being paid stor k holders of the "
Haywood Home Bnildin* and
Loan Association. it was an- d
nounred toda> by L. N. Davis, f
secretary-treasurer of the $7- a
year-old organization.
The dividends will be shared
by about 1,500 persons, and is ^
(he largest semi-annual dividend i
paid during the organisation's
history. The dividend period is
from last October to April 1, and 1
Is figured at the rate of J1/-.! per 1
cent.
The dividend Just prior to the
current one amounted to about 1
$15,000.
? ? | i
j 1
Vlarch Rainfall \
iVas 4.13 Inches ;
Rainfall for the month of March '
otailed 4.13 inches, according to 1
igures reported to The Mountain
eer from precipitation at the Moun-< 1
ain Experiment Station.
T^te heaviest rain during the
nonth fell on March 14. when the
lownpour totalled 1.18 inches.
In February, the total was 7.81 ,
nches?the wettest February in ]
his area in the past 12 years.
Cherokee Boy Finds
Catching Rattlers j
A Profitable Hobby
By MRS. T. G. HIGHFILL
Menich Catoclstcr, a smart and
enterprising Cherokee bey. is
finding his hobby profitable, and
the field of competition is not
crowded.
Menich catches snakes for sale.
He claims his hobby is easy.
The young Indian latches rat
tlesnapes. copperheads, cotton -
mouth moccasins and some oth
ers that are not quite as danger
ous to handle.
The secret to catching a snake,
says Menich, is, "never be afraid
of them. As for that, never be
afraid of animals."
He flrds his best huntinx
(round is in and around the rock
cliffs of Soco Mountain.
He describes Ms work as rerjr
easy. Pointin* out that you just
"pin the snake to the (round wKh
a forked stick?putting the stiek
just back of the head; tie a cord
around the snake's neck, and taas
your catch into a sack."
"Rattlesnakes always warn you
before they strike, by rattiinx
the rattles on their tails. You
lust look and listen." the snake
catcher pointed out.
Mrnieh said: "The copperhead
is a pretty snake. His neck is the I
color of copper, but he is by far
more dancerous to catch than the 1
rattler.
"The copperhead will stand up
and strike without warnine," he
said.
While the copperhead is the
most dangerous to rapture, tlir
water moccasin is the hardest of
the reptiles to catch.
"If a moccasin senses you are
afraid, he is liable to chase you. (
If on the other hand you are not
afraid and Just stand there look
inr him squarely in the eye, he'll
always stop, and often turn
haAlr **'
DMa
One summer Menich rauxht
and sold R rattlers, besides num
erous other harmless snakes, in
cluding the black snake, and lit
tle green garden snakes.
Once he caught a cub bear In
front of his home. He fed and
, eared for the bear, which becam
very gentle, and friendly The
worst thing about the cub was
his appetite?he ate like a gang
of pigs.
Menirh has thousands of acres
for his hunting, and few compcti- ,
?org. I
roard Finds
Prospecting
[ntriguing
By BOB CONWAY
Mention prospecting and the
verage person around here is
kely to think either of an old
esert rat und his burro in their
ndless quest for gold, or else a
nodern-day Forty-Nlner with his
leiger counter searching t or
ranium.
However Uu iml necessaryto
o out west to hit prfydlrt; you'll
Ind most of thla country's valu
ble minerals right here in West
rn North Carolina ? a number
f them in Haywood County itself.
?lust last week it was reported
hat a rich vein of ore ? contkln
ng gold, silver, copper, and iron
? has been discovered on a 6000
icre tract of land in the Balsam
irea. owrnd by Toip Lee of Way
lesville. Tests are now being made
0 determine ihe size of the vein
>f ore and its potentialities for
nining.
. Two other residents of Waynes
,ille who rcuiize the richness of
iVestern North Carolina minerals
ire Carson C. Foord and Otis
Lugar. both members of the South
>rn Appalachian Mineral Society,
.he latter being chairman of the
irganization's trip-planning com
mittees.
Mr. Foard, who has been collect
ing minerals for only three years,
nevertheless has an extensive col
lection of semi-precious stone? and
a number of valuable commercial
minerals ? including those used
in the manufacture of both the
atomic and hydrogen bomb.
Displaying a part of his collec
tion in his new farm equiment
store on Depol St., Mr. l-'oard
pointed out that most of the speci
mens came from Ihe area of West
ern North Carolina lying between
Avery, and Macon counties.
Among his collection is uranium
1 used in the A-bomb) and three
jres from Mitchell, and spodu
mene 'used in the H-bomb I from
Cleveland County.
Despite its great value at pres
(See Foard Find*?Page t)
213 Dogwood
Trees Delivered
Here Saturday
A total of 2)3 dogwood trees
were delivered here Saturday to
persons who placed orders through
the Chamber of Commerce.
Of that number, 133 were pink
dogwood, and 80 were white.
The trees, bagged in burlap, were
distributed to purchasers at the
First Baptist Church parking lot.
Specialist Gives Advice
On Growing Strawberries
. ?
Advice (in the production of
-trawberries was given to 75 Hay
j wood residents last week by H. M
iCovington. extension horticultur
ist from N*. C. State College. '
The special meeting on growing
strawberries was held In conjunc
tion with the distribution of 90,
(KH) strawberry plants to 125 coun
ty residents last week. The plants
were purchased through the county
agent'* office for $7.80 per 1.00Q
.
)
plants.
Mr. Covington gave the follow
ing advice on the cultivation and
fertilization of strawberries;
Plants should be set In rows four
feet apart, at interval* of two feet
in the row. ,
A balanced 8-41-8 fertiliser should
be used.
(Albert Ramsey, assistant county
agent, also advised using one bog
(See t)
i
/ .
Sale County Home,
140-Acre Farm Set
The 140-acre Haywood county
farm. and 18-room former county
home, will be offered at auction
Wednesday, April 4. The property
goes on the auction block after be
ing the subject of several court
hearings and injunctions last fall
and earlier this year.
West and Gossett are the auc
tioneers and the sale will begin at
9:30. The commissioners are offer
ing all the farm which has been
divided into small tracts, with the :
exa'Cjation of a small cemetery!
plot. This plot figured prominent-'
ly in the court case last fall.
The date of the first sale last
September was postponed when
surveyors were unable to carry on
their work because of the tall corn
crop. The new date for the sale was
set, and a few days prior to the
sale a group of eight citizens ob
tained a court injunction and stoo
ped the sale.
Later Judge Dan K.'Moore dis
solved the Injunction and the board
of commissioners set Into motion
plans for a new date and set the
sale date. Just a few hours prior
to the scheduled sale, papers were
served before dawn on the commis
sioners. as e second Injunction
was obtained upon a request of 108
plaintiffs
This hearing in December was
before Judge George B. Patton,
who ruled that the case, by con
sent, be continued to the January
term of court before Judge J. Will
Pless.
The contttruance was based in
part on the fact that the commis
sioners ha<j started a $25,000 dam
age suit agaftnst the plaintifTs. The
consolidation of the cases went be
fore Judge Pless and he granted
the board the right to sell the prop
erty By consent the board agreed
not to offer the property for sale
prior to April I, and, to also drop
the daman. SMI
The farm has been termed one
(See County Home?Page 2>
Saunook Girl
Is Injured
In Collision
Miss Doris Burgess, 21, of Sau
nook suffered a fractured right leg
and lacerations of the head when
the car in which she was riding,
driven by Mrs. Louise Mace Burle
son, 21, of WaynesvBle. struck the
rear end of another car driven by
Edwin Theodore Ford, 24, of Sun
set Part. Canton, on the Huywood
Buncombe line at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Highway Patrolman V. E. Bry
son said that Mrs. Uurlesutn's car,
a 1954 Chevrolet, struck Ford's car,
a 1949 Ford, when the latter stop
I pod suddenly in the highway with
| out giving a signal.
Miss Burgess was admitted to
the Haywood County Hospital. Mrs.
Burleson was treated at the hos
pital for bruises on her right cheek,
and then dismissed. Ford was not
injured.
Patrolman Bryson charged Ford
with failing to give a hand signal
and Mrs. Burleson with following
too closely.
Damage to Ford's car was estim
ated at $300 and to Mrs. Burleson's
at $500.
In another county accident, both
drivers were arrested when two
cars sideswiped on Highway 19A-23
at Balsam at 8:15 p.m. Friday.
Cpl. Pritchard H. Smith report
ed that Wayne Eulan Ward, 21, of
Sylva, was driving his 1951 Dodge
four feet over the center line when
it collided on a curve with a 1953
Chevrolet pickup truck, driven by
Donald Dean Smith, 19, of Ratcliffe
Cove.
Ward was Charged with reckless
driving and failure to report an
accident. Smith also was charged
with failure to report an accident
and driving without an operato's li
cense.
Damage was estimated af $200
to the passenger car and at $S0 to
the pickup truck.
R. B. BELK
R. B. Belk
Heads Local
Ford Agency
R. B. Belk, formerly of Charlotte,
has assumed the presidency of
Parkway Motors. Inc., 202 Haywood
St.. Waynesville's Ford Agency.
Before coming here. Mr. Belk
was associated for six years with
the Carolina Ford Tractor Co. in
Charlotte, last serving with that as
dealer development manager.
Prior to going to Charlotte, the
new president of Parkway Motors,
resided in Dillon, S. C., where he
was a tire distributor for nine years
and a DeSoto-Plymouth-GMC deal,
er for five years.
While in Dillon, Mr. Belk served
as a city councilman, after having
been electrtTby <vrfft-ln" "WJf'e: and
was a member of the Masons,
Shriners, and the Rotary Club.
Mr. Belk, who Is a native of
Monroe, N. C., is married and has
four children: a son, 19. now at
tending the University of North
Carolina; a daughter, 17, now a
junior at Charlotte East High
School; a son, 14. in junior high
school, and a daughter, 7, in
elementary school.
Mr. Belk'g family will join him
here in Waynesville after the close
of school this spring.
Haywood ASC
Group To Attend ^
State Conference
The Haywood ASC County Com.
mittee. Manager A. W. Ferguson,
and the ASC office staff will at.
tend the state conference of the
Agricultural Stabilization and Con
servation organization at Asheville
next week.
Among the speakers will be
Dean D. W. Colvard, dean of the
School of Agriculture, North Caro
lina State College, and L. Y. Bal
entine, state commissioner of agri
culture.
Registration of delegates will be
held at the George Vanderbilt
Hotel from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 3. The first general
session will begin in the Asheville
City Auditorium at 2 p.m. Tues
day. Wednesdays will be devoted
to four committee sessions and a
banquet at 7 p.m. The final gen
eral session will be held on
Thursday morning, with adjourn
ment expected at noon,
LEDBETTER IMPROVING
A. P. Ledbetter was reported to
day as improving, following an
operation at St. Joseph's hospital,
Asheville.
Highway
Record For
1956
In Haywood
(TO DAT*)
Killed.;:::: l
(IMS ? 9)
Injured . ?;: 28
<1955 ? 11)
Accidents.:: 58
(1*55 ? 46)
Loss ?.. $21,639
(1655 ? 115,679)
w PatraU ,/k HUH i , |
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ft > mSm