D_ ? ; ? ? c
i * 1 TODAY'S SMILE
SS The Waynesyille Mountaineer - mm
^ a Published Twice-A-Week In The County Seat of Haywood County At T he Eastern Entrance Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park . ?????? -O
71st YEAR NO. 30 It PAGES Associated Press WAYNESV1LLE, N. C., THURSDAY AFTERNOON, APRIL 12, 1956 $3.50 In Advance In Haywood and Jackson Counties
Pigeon River Route Approved For Interstate
Highway By U. S. Bureau Of Public Roads
Spelling Bee
Slated Here
Friday Night
The annual Haywood County
spelling bee will be held at Way
nesville Central Elementary
School Friday night, according to
CI C- Poindexter of Bethel, di
rector.
Elementary students will start
the spelling bee at 7 p.m., to be
followed by junior high and senior
high contestants. Prizes will be
given in each of the three divisions
by the Freel and Robinson Furni
ture Co. of Canton.
Aniong the contestants will be:
Elementary ? Patricia Queen
of Beaverdam, Betty Lindsey of
Fines Creek, Patsy Caldwell of
Hazelwood, Barbara White of Cent
ral Elementary, Minnie Ruth
Downs of Crabtree-Iron Duff, Dan
ny Fulbright of Cruse, David Mor
gan of East Waynesville, Betty
June Brackett of Lake Junaluska,
Sharon Henry of Maggie, Bruce
Trantham of Mlorning Star, Carol
Snelson of North Canton, Judy
Revis of Patton, Nancy Ray of
Pennsylvania Avenue, Druscilla
Ramseur of Pigeon Street, and
Garland Walker of Reynolds.
Junior High ? Joe Ledford of
Fines Creek, Sandra Sheffield o
Bethel, Sandra Robertson of Can
ton, Howard Gillett of Crabtree
Iron Duff, Franklin Trull of Cruso.
Martha Conley of Reynolds, and
Judy Ferguson of Waynesville.
High School ? Joretta Clark of
Fines Creek, Janice Fray of Beth
el, Robert Deas of Canton, Mary
Sue McCracken of Crabtree-Iron
Duff, Leona Davis of Waynesville,
and Virginia Lee qf Reynolds.
Pronouncers and judges will
come from Western Carolina Col
lege.
I
Parkway Travel
Up 40 Per Cent
During March
Travel on the Blue Ridge Park
way during March was up 40 per
cent over February, Superintend
ent Sam P. Weems of Roanoke.
Va.. said Tuesday.
A total of 217,400 persons in
66,026 cars visited the Parkway
during the month, an increase of
62.316 persons over the February
total. ,
The total was also an increase
of 60,701 or 38.7 per cent over
March, 1955.
> FAIR
- ^
Weather
Clearing, warmer.
Official Waynesville tempera
ture as reported by the State Test
Farm: I
Date Mas. Mia. Pr.
April 9 58 23
April 10 62 31
April 11 i 50 32 1.70
(The Test Farm reports that the
precipitation on April 11 consist
ed of rain and melted snow. At
5:30 p.m., April 11, (Vfc inches of
snow lay on the ground.)
Highway
Record For
1956
In Haywood
(TO DATE)
Killed 1
(IMS ? 9)
Injured .... 28
(IMS ? 11)
Accidents... 58
. (1955 ? 40)
Loss ... $21,639
(1955 ? 915,079)
(Tlits iBfMmatfM WQHIIE
fro si rroords at Stat. Blik
I a i'
'
WTHS ENTRANTS in the state high school sci
ence fay* at Chapel Hill, April 20-21, will be these
five students, who were selected last week at the
district science fair at'Western Carolina College.
On the first row are Susie Clark, who won first
place with her essay, on "The Cardinal, Our State
Bird," and Pan Parkman, second-place winner.
On the back row are Freda Breece. who was third
in the essay contest on cardinals; Joel Rothermel,
third in forestry, a.id Andy Owens, fourth in wild
life. The students were under the direction of
Mrs. Y. F. Burgess, biology teacher at the high
school.
(Mountaineer Photo).
Haywood County Apples Survive
Second Attack Of Cold Weather j
Despite reports of scattered
iantage, most of Haywood County's !
ipple crop escaped damage from \
he ice and cold weather Tuesdaj
ind Wednesday night brought on
jy the surprise spring snow which
covered Western North Carolina
yesterday.
Richard Barber of lhe Barber
Orchards at Saunook said: "We
have had no great damage here up
to the present time. There may be
slight damage, but not enough to
affect production as yet."
R. H. Boone of Francis Cove
told The Mountaineer: "I can't tell
until it warms up, but there has
been no domage previously. The
28-degree temperature that we
had last night does not do much
harm. '
Zack Massie of the Dcllwood
Road said: "It's hard to tell now,
but damage, if any, has been min
or A few blooms have been killed,
but there are plenty left. The pic
ture looks good at this time."
Mrs. Cosby Frady of Francis
Cove stated: "Our early-variety ap
ples ? approximately one third of
our total crop ? has been damag
ed and we may lose from a third to
(See County Apples?Page 81
Restaurant
Will Open
On Monday
Art Shephard's Drive-In Res
taurant. formerly Spaldon's, will
open for business Monday morning
at 6 o'clock, and will be open daily
from 6 a.m. until midnight.
Mr. Shephard said the restaurant
on North Main St. will specialize
in "old-fashioned mountain cook
ing" and will offer curb service.
On the menu, he said, will be
homemade pies and biscuits, corn
bread. crackling bread, country
(See Restaurant?Page 8)
Dog Vaccination Clinics
Slated To Start Monday
i ? ? i
Rabies inoculation clinics tor I
dogs in Haywood County will start
Monday and continue through May <
9. 1
Ernest Chambers, county dog '
warden, said that all dogs three '?
months or older must be vaccinat- '
ed and must have 1956 dog tags.
When the clinics are over, Mr.
Chambers added, all dogs not vac- J
cinated will be picked up.
Next week's schedule is:
Monday ? Saunook Grocery, 4
p.m?; Neighborhood Grocery, Sau- 1
nook, 4:45 p.m.; Green Valley
Grocery, Hyatt Creek, 5:15 p.m., -
and John Plott barn, 6 p.m.
Tuesday?Buchanan's Store, Al- 1
lens Creek. 4 p.m.; Aliens Grocery,
Camp Branch, 4:45 p.m.; Muse's
Corner, Aliens Creek, 5:30 p.m.,
and Frady's Store, Aliens Creek,
6 p.m.
The remainder of the schedule
will appear in Monday's Mountain
eer- v
McCracken
School Board
Candidate
Hugh L. McCracken of Clyde
has filed as a candidate for the
Haywood County school board for
a four-year term. He Is now filling
the unexpired term of the late
Tom Leatherwood.
Mr. McCracken, a Champion
employee, is a member of the First
Baptist Church of Clyde and the
Clyde Lions Club. He also has
served cs a member of the Clyde
Township school board.
Mr. McCracken is the second
candidate to file for an elective
office. Charles B. McCrary of
Fines Creek announced Monday
that he is a candidate for state
representative.
The deadline for candidates to
flic for offices is noon this Satur
day.
To be selected are a State rep
resentative, school board members
from three districts, constables,
and magistrates.
R. P. Akin of Clyde, sales rep
resentative for Chapman Drug
Company of Knoxville, has had as
his guest. Robert Stokesberry the
company's assistant sales manager.
Fire Wednesday
Destroys House
On Fairview Road
!
A tenant house on the farm of
George Plott on the Fairview Road
was destroyed by fire of unknown
origin at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The occupants of the house, Mr.
and Mrs. Claude Bolick and their
two children were visiting a
daughter on Aliens Creek at the
time the blaze broke out.
Waynesville fireman were call
ed, but the fire was beyond con
trol when they arrived on the
scene.
The four-room frame house was
termed a complete loss. The
dwelling was valued at $1,500 and
furnishings at another $500.
Pre-School Study
Set For Parents
At Hazelwood
The program has been announc
ed for a study course for parents
of children who will start to school
next year, to be held on Tuesday,
April 17 at the Hazelwood School.
Sponsored by the Parent-Teach
(See Pre-School?Page 8)
IM'GII MfCRACKFN
I
Smoky Park 1
Gets Added
$10,000,000
By The Associated Press
Secretary of the Interior McKay
Wednesday announced plans to
spend an additional 10 million dol
lars In development of the Great
Smoky Mountains National Park
in North Carolina end Tennessee
during the next 10 years.
This would be in addition to a
contemplated expenditure of 551,
600.000 on construction of the Blue
Ridge Parkway in North Carolina
and Virginia and the Foothills
Parkway in Tennessee, which con- t
nect with entrances to the park.
The work is all planned under
the 10-year "Mission 66" program
submitted to Congress in Febru
ary. However all the contemplated
expenditures are contingent upon
Congress appropriating the funds. '
The pending Interior Depart
ment appropriations bill includes i
more than $4,300,000 for the Blue ,
Ridge and Foothills Parkways for I
the year starting July 1 in addi
tion to tt><. cat 'ten too ..i..-?i ---
? iv ?.11v ?pii.vw, iw jJiumicu u!!?
der the 10-year program.
McKay said the development of .
the Great Smoky park is designed
to provide facilities to care for the
approximately four million visitors '
(See Smoky Park?Pare 8)
0.5 Mile Of
! Roacb improved
During March
Work done on Haywood County ?
' roads during March included the j j
strengthening of the surface and .
adding stone to portions of five
roads, according to a report from
the State Highway Department's .
14th District office in Sylva.
Roads worked on were: Hemp
hill. 0.2 mile; Rabb Road, 0.1 mile;
Balsam Ridge Road, 0.05 mile; I
Muse Road. 0.05 mile, and Cove
Creeks Road, 0.1 mile.
Last month, a total of 8.95 miles
of roads were worked on In the
14th Division, which includes Hay
wood, Henderson, Polk, Transyl- i
vania, Cherokee, Clay, Graham. I
Jackson, Macon, and Swain coun
ties.
|
Methodist District Meeting
Set April 19th At Murphy
Four Tried For
Misrepresenting
Benefit Claims
i Maurice W. Williams, claims
deputy in the Waynesville em
ployment office, reminded county
| residents today that employment
security laws require that appli
cants applying for unemployment
benefits report all conditions af
! fecting their rights to assistance?
j including any work and earnings
therefrom during the week when
benefits are claimed.
Mr. 'Williams said that H V.
Pressley, R. B. Pressley, and Billy
I'ressley. all of Route 3, Waynes
; ville. were tried recently by Jus
, tice of the Peace J. J. Ferguson
and found guilty on a charge of
' failing to report work and earn
ings while claiming benefits.
The three were given sentences
of 30 days on the road ? suspend
ed on refund of benefits obtain
ed and cancellation for one year
of their eligibility to receive as
(See Four Tried?Page 8)
The annuel conference of the
Waynesvllle District of the Meth
odist Church will be held at the
First Methodist Church in Mur
phy Thursday, April 19, accord
ing to an announcement by the
Rev. Frank C. Smathers, superin
tendent of the Waynesviile Dis
trict.
Special speaker for the confer
ence wil Ibe Dr. Sidney Anderson,
missionary from Hong Kong.
Approximately 400 delegates and
many visitors are expected to at
tend the conference. Rev. Smath
ers pointed out that the reports
from the 94 churches in the Way
nesviile District are expected to
be good.
District directors ? Rev. Roy
Bell of Sylva. Rev. A. L Maxwell
of Murphy, Mrs. W. S. Dixon of
Canton. Miss Laura Jones of Frank
lin, Mr. Hazel Ramsey of Canton.
Rev. Earl H Brendall of Waynes
viile and Mrs. Wallace Ward of
Lake Junaluska and many others
will report on the district work.
Representatives of the confer
ence agencies will also attend and
make reports.
The meeting will get under way,
at 10 a.m. ,
Prison Escapee
Is Recaptured
Roy Moore. 26, a Haywood Coun
ty native who escaped front the
state prison camp in Cherokee
County February 23, was recap
tured Wednesday morning at a
relative's house on Big Creek a
bove Lake Logan.
He was taken into custody by
Sheriff Fred Campbell and Deputy
Vernon Messer, apd will be re
turned to the prison camp.
He was serving time on a charge
of driving drunk.
Haywood Methodist Men
To Hear China Missionary
The Haywood County Methodist
Men's Fellowship will meet at 7
p.m. Monday at Roclc Hill School,
with the Shady Grove Methodist
Church as host.
The principal speaker will be
Dr. Sidney Anderson, missionary
to China for 40 years. Dr. Ander
son was in Shangh*.: for a number
of years and then when the
Chinese Communists siczed con
trol of the country, he moved to
Hong Kong to head the Wesley
Village refugee program.
The Rev. George C. Starr, Jr..
pastor of the Central Methodist
Church In Clyde, will be In charge
of the program.
Sherrtll Jimison" of Thickety is
president of the Haywood Metho
dist Men's Fellowship.
HARRY BUCHANAN
rnmmlMJnnrr 14th District
Pigeon Road
Story Began
Back In 1832
(EDITOR'S NOTE?The fol
lowing article on the history of
the Pigeon River Road la re
printed from the February 28.
1955 issue of The Mountaineer.) |
' ' * {
By W. CURTIS RUSS
Contrary (o popular belief, the
history of the Pigeon River Road
is not all current. It dates back
(See History?Pare 8)
Commissioner Buchanan To
Ask 5-Mile Link Contract
Be Let On Road Very Soon
The Pigeon River route has been formally approved for the inter
state highway connecting Knoxville and Asheville, Harry Buchanan, com
missioner of the 14th Highway District, announced at noon today.
The formal announcement of the decision, which has been pending
for almost a year, came from the Washington office of the U. S. Bureau of
Public Roads to A. H. Graham, chairman of the state highway commis
sion, and thence to Commissioner Buchanan.
The decision means that I
a modern four-lane high- '
way will be built Immedi
ately from Newjwrt, Tenn.,
via WaterviHe and Fines
Creek to Clyde. The high
way will have a water grade
route all the way with a
grade of less than four per
cent, according to the en
gineers. The highway will
be an all-weather road
which will permit travel
from Western Carolina to
East Tennessee and the
Midwest every day in the
year.
Commissioner Buchanan
this morning said that
should Highway 19-23 from
Clyde through Canton be
utilized as part of the in
terstate system, then the
proposed viaduct at Canton
would be widened to four
lanes to meet interstate
specifications.
A five-mile link of the
road from Cold Springs
Creek to the Walters Dam
might be let under contract
this summer, Commissioner
Buchanan said. "I am going
to do everything we can trt
get that link under con
tract this summer," the
commissioner remarked.
"We want work started on
the road, and want it open
ed as soon as possible.
Every day it is not opened
means that much lost re
venue to Western North
Carolina," he continued.
The 6.7-mile section from Water
ville to Cold Springs Creek was
graded about a year ago. It was
graded for a two-l.ine highway.
Since Interstate regulations call
for a four-lane highway, it was
learned by The Mountaineer this
morning that engineers are study
ing the feasibility of a dual proj
ect of widening the 6.7 mile link
to four lanes along with the grad
ing of the five-mile link now ready
for a contract.
Tile Interstate highway will be
limited access.
The decision as to the route
came almost a year after the hear
ing in Aoheville over two propos
(See Pigeon River?Page 8)
A. H. GRAHAM
Stgte Highway Chairman
EDITORIAL
Gratifying News
Not since the announcement that a railroad was to be
built through Haywood, has this county, had such good
news about transportation facilities as the formal decision
of the Pigeon River Route being approved for the Inter
state highway.
The Pigeon River Road is a much greater asset than
any of us can fully comprehend at this time.
The full benefits to Western North Carolina and
Eastern Tennessee are far beyond calculation.
The completed modern water-grade highway, and
an all-weather one, will benefit our entire economy.
Those people who cater to the traveling public will
| benefit because it will mean the lengthening of the tour
ist season ? both in the spring and fall, by several months.
1 The road can be traveled all year, which will make it the
only direct route open on many days through this part of
Western North Carolina linking the South and Midwest.
Business will benefit from the road because of short
er distances to many midwest markets and a more easily
traveled toad.
The road will be the means of opening the Eastern
end of the Great Smokies, and will also take a lot of com
mercial travel off the worn-out Highway 441 across New
found Gap.
The area served by the road right here in Haywood
will be "opened up" since much of the road will traverse
sections that'are now without a modern highway.
The whole project adds up, to one of tremendous
magnitude for all Western Carolina and Eastern Tennes
see.
And added to the formal announcement of the route
for the interstate highway is the statement of Commis
sioner Buchanan that he will expedite matters as fast as
jmssible in getting links of the road under contract.
?