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"All the News Most Of
The Time ? The Most
News All The Time."
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THE WAYNE SVILLE MOUNTAINEER
Published Twice-A-Week In The County Seat of Haywood County At The Eastern Entrance Of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park
o , n
TODAY'S SMILE
Hard work is an accumula
tion of easy things you didn't
do when you should have
done them.
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71st YEAR NO. 53 11 PAGES Associated Press WAYNESV1LLE. N. C.. MOM) AY~ A FT E KNOON. JULY 2, 1956 $8.50 In Advance In HaywoodandJackaon Counties"
Waynesville Keeps $1.40 Tax Rate As Record
High Budget Is Adopted By Town Officials
v Hyr Budget
Is Set For I
$469,000
The tax rate for Waynesvilte will j
remain at $1.40 per $100 valuation,
just as it has since 1943. although
the budget is the largest in the
history of the town. The budget is
just $31,000 under a half million
dollars, and is $26,936 more than
last year.
The budget calls for $81,825 to
be raised by taxes, and the remain
der of the $469,136 budget through
other sources?water and lights?
or $391,241 from sources other than .
taxes.
, The general fund, including
capital outlay, calls for $190,463 1
with $65,841 allocated for streets; i
$120,867 for lights and $42,795 for
water, and $49,170 for debt serv-1
ice.
Of the debt service needs, a sum j
of $17,710 will come from funds
not derived from taxes, the budget
break-down shows.
The valuation of the town is set
at $5,800,000, which is up about
$150,000 over last year The budget
also estimates that the town will
receive $624 from poll taxes.
The records show that the pres
ent rate of $1.40 became effective
in 1943 and has not changed since
that time, although the budget has
more thah doubled in the same
period, as expenses increased.
Mayor J. H Way said he was
proud of the report, and in com
parison "with many other towns,
said: "Our finances are far better i
than anv town I know of, either in
this state or elsewhere." ?
G. C Ferguson, town manager,
said that when it was found that j
the current budget would be ,
about $27,000 above last year, that
it first appeared that the tax rate
might have to be increased, but
by careful economizing, it was dis
covered the rate of 13 years could ,
be maintained.
Miss Cornwell
Attends Meeting
In Washington
Hol^^r Demonstration Agent
Mart {Bit, .well returned here Sal- ,
urday Y"*?r a week in Washington.
D. C., attending the national meet- ,
ing of ,the American Home Eco- i
nomics Association. <
Miss Cornwell attended the meet- <
ing as a delegate in her official j ,
capacity as president of the North (
Carolina Home Agents Association, j]
At the meeting in the national t
capital were more than 5,000 home , 1
agents, home economics teachers. <
and h?me economists ? including i
200 from North Carolina.
Man Drowns Swimming
With Son On Shoulders
Milliard IS Moody. 41, drowned
Sunday afternoon while swimming
across Pigeo^i River with his 12
year-old son on his shoulders. The
son was resetted.
Coroner J. "Frank Pate said he
empaneled a j(*ry which returned
a verdict that Moody's death was i
thjL' result of "accidental drown- j
ing."
Dr. Pate said the drowning took 1
place at an old swimming hole four I
miles from Canton and near the
Osborne Farm Bridge. He said it
*as the fourth drowning at the ;
same spot which he had at
tended in an official capacity in
the last 15 years. The coroner ad- i
dcd that swimming was prohibited
at the spot because this portion i
of the river provides Canton's
water supply.
Dr. Pate said Cecil Cogburn. a
first cousin of Moody, told him
Moody had swum across the river
several times when his son, Larry. !
asked to be taken across on his
shoulders. It was while swimming
with the boy that Moody disap
peared. The boy called for help
and was rescued by Lewis Dotson
of Hazelwood and others. It was
Dotson who recovered Moody's
body at 3 p.m . an hour after
the man had disappeared. The
coroner said the body was
pinned by the current at the bot
tSee Man Drowns?Pare 8)
The
Weather
Partly cloudy arid hot Monday
apd Tuesday with widely scatter
ed afternoon and evening thund-1
ershowers.
Official WaynesviUe tempera
ture as reported by ttfe State Test
Farm:
Date Ma*. Min. Tr
June 28 84 51
June 29 ... _ 85 55 .33
June 30 83 57 .88 :
July 1 84 50 .08 '
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THE FLASH FLOOD on Cove Creek Saturday pushed the White
Oak bridge across Cove Creek six feet o(T the foundation (note
arrow). The steel waterwheel from the nearby Cove Creek mill
was torn away and lodged against the bridge. The water at the
bridge was eight feet above normal.
(Mountaineer Photo by Bob Winchester).
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Highlights
Of Flood
By W. V. MEDFOKD
Marion Messer. after the flood
.subsided, found a large, addled |
copperhead snake on a sand drift. |
it could have been washed from
the mountains. Needless to say, i
Marion finished off the snake.
The Highway Department was
011 the job cleaning up shortly
after the flood and by Sunday
afternoon cars were able to trav
el nearly to the head of the
creek. Bobby Davis with the
big scrape worked unerasingly.
Perhaps 600 to 700 people
visited the scene of-the flood,
with the cars so thick on Sunday
afternoon that traffic jains oc
curred in several places.
Norman Hannah, operator of the !
Cove Creek mill, said he didn't {
much fear the mill would be taken
away because he thought it was
too strongly built. He has his liv- !
(See Flood Highlights?Page 8)
MRS. M. L. SADLER has been named president
of the Maggie Valley Chamber of Commerce, with
II. C. Grlswold, left, vice president, and Tom Camp
bell, right, treasurer. Mrs. I.eta Smaihers is sec
retary and office manager. The board of directors
Include* the officers and Rom Caldwell. Norville
Koeers. Claude Medtord. Tom Rhlnehart. Carl
Henry. Harry Stewart and Sam McCrary. The offi
cers and board were named tor one year.
(Mountaineer Photo*.
Varied Program Planned
For Section July Fourth
Lake Junaluska
Plans Number Of
Events Wednesday
Bv CLIFTON B. METCALF
July 4th promises to be an i
?ventful day at Lake Junaluska
with a sermon, field events, swim- :
ning contests, concert, and a fire- '
works display all on the program.
Dr. Conway Boatman, president
if Union College, Barbourville, j
Kentucky, will conclude a series ;
jf four addresses as platform
speaker in the main auditorium
when he speaks at 11 a.m. "Blund- ,
?rs in American Policies in the'
Vliddle East and Resulting Threats
;o World Peace" will be his topic.
Re is a former educational mis- 1
sionary to India and spent four
months traveling in Europe and
(See Lake Program?Page 7)
Chamber Urges
Listing Of Rooms
For This Weekend
i
Because of the anticipated ca
pacity crowd of tourists in the
Waynesville area over the
Fourth of July weekend, persons
with rooms to rent in their
homes are asked to list them
with the Chamber or Commerce.
During; holidays, regular tour
ist accommodations in this area
are usually filled un, and many
travelers have to be put up in
private homes' temporarily.
Ned Tucker, -executive vice
president of the Chamber of
Commerce, said that tourist
travel in the vicinity during the
first part of the vacation sea
son has been "far ahead" of the
similar period last year.
Waynesville
Band Back
From Miami
The Waynesville Township High j
School band returned here at 1 i
o'clock this morning from a week's '
stay in Florida representing Dis- j
tric-t 31-A at the Lions Internation- i
al convention in Miami last week.
The band's arrival here was de
layed when one of the buses had
tire trouble that affected safety
devices, putting the big vehicle
out of commission several hours
from late afternoon Saturday until
early in the morning Sunday.
When one of the buses was halt
ed about 40 miles south of Ocala ,
all of the girls in the band and
several boys were put on the other
bus and taken on to Ocala
The boys that remained behind
with the stranded bus. helped to
change tires and do other things 1
to get rolling again. While the [
; bus was out of commission, motor-;
ists along the highway gave the
Waynesville musicians food and |
[drinks to ward off the pangs of
(See Wavnesville Band?Pa?e 8> I
Boosters Club
Has Big, Varied
Program All Set
The Fourth of July oil Wednes
day will be observed as a general
holiday in the Waynesville area
with industrial plants, stores, and
offices scheduled to be closed all
day.
The closing involves town, coun
ty. state, and federal offices; banks,
postoffices. the Haywood County
public library.
As has been the custom for the
past several years, the Fourth of
July celebration in the Waynesville
area will center around Hazelwood
and Lake Junaluska where full
programs of activities have been
scheduled. One event, however, has
(See Waynesville 4th?Page 7)
Flash Flood Heavily Damages Cove Creek Area
Buildings,
Crops, Roads
Are Damaged
By W. C. MEDFORD
What is described as one of the
worst flash floods ever to hit May
wood County swept down Cove
C reek valley Saturday afternoon,
taking no lives but causing thous
ands of dollars in damages to
homes and other buildings, roads,
bridges, gardens and crops.
A cloudburst struck about 3
o'clock on Big Laurel Branch at
the head of Cove Creek. Within
43 minutes it had swept away trees,
two bridges, a rock wall, a barn,
a garage and a large part of the old
grist mill, as well as carrying down
corn, tobacco and other crops and
tons of valuable lopsoil.
forced to spend Saturday night
with friends were Mrs. Arzilla
Chambers and her three children,
a. muddy flood waters washed over
a foot deep into her rooms. She
was able to start cleaning the house
Sunday morning.
The deluge started in the deep '
Big Laurel Cove, not far from the )
home of Pearson Sutton. It pick- '
ed up Sutton's garage and part of '
a barn, forcing the family to flee I
from the home. The dwelling
however, was not harmed.
The water wheel of the old Cove !
Creek grist mill was torn away, i
together with the drive wheel
shaft, cogs and most of the race
The wreckage washed against the
highway bridge just below, tear
ing tlio latter some ti to 8 feet off
its abutments.
Mrs. Chambers, a widow, saw
her garden entirely washed away
She said that the flood waters came
10 feet up on the lower side of
her house. She hurried her chil
dren to safety and returned to the
house to try to save some of her
possessions. A neighbor. Norman
Hannah, heard her screams and
arrived in time to help her as she
waded out.
Marion Messer saw an acre of
his bottom land washed away, down
to the rocky base. He lost corn
and tobacco. He stated that he
never saw such a sight. It was 4
(See Flood?Page 8>
Waynesville
To Receive AAA
Safety Award
Waynesville will receive another
award this month from the Ameri
can Automobile Association for go
ing through 1955 without a pedes
trian fatality, Chief of Police Or
vilie Noland announced today.
Waynesville will be onp of 15
North Carolina (owns to receive
the AAA awards made to munici
palities willi records of three or
more years without a pedestrian
death.
Chief Noland said that Waynes
ville ranks fourth in the entire
state with a safety record of six
years. Chapel Hill is first with a 14
year record, Morehead City is sec
ond with a 13-year record, and I
Thomasviile is third with a nine- j
year mark.
RICHARD BRADLEY
C. G. THOMPSON
Bradley Heads Recreation
Commission; Thompson To
Take Over C. of C. Reins
Richard Bradley was named pres
ident of the Waynesville Recrea
tion Development Commission a-,
Ihe seven-member board of direc
tors elected officers for the year.
Mrs. Harry Whisonhunt was
elected vice-president; Mrs. How
ard Liner, secretary, and EueL
Taylor, treasurer.
The other directors Include;
John Carver, Ned Tucker, Charlie
Woodard. Mrs, William Prevost and
W. f. Doolev.
Mrs. Whisonhunt. Bradley and
Tucker were named in the charter
to serve one-year terms; Woodard.
Mrs. Liner and Dooley, 2-year
terms, and Taylor. Carver and Mrs.
Prevost for three years.
The board decided to have an ad
visory committee, composed of
representatives of civic group.-,
town officials, schools and others;
as a general planning board for the
receration program
Bradley announced he will tender
his resignation as president of the
Chamber of Commerce at the July
10(1) meeting of the board of direc
tors, At that time C. G. Thomp
son. president of the Smoky Moun
tain Fertilizer Company, will as
sume the past of president of the
civic group.
Both men said today they would
have formal statements to make oil
July 10th relaive to their new of
fices',
Bradley has served as president
of the Chamber of Commerce since
January 1955.
Haywood County
Sales Taxes Up
In May $5,416
Sales tax collections in Haywood
County during May of this year ex
ceeded the total for May. 1955 by
So 416, according to figures report
ed in ' The Retailer," published by
Ihe North Carolina Merchants As
sociation.
Collections for May, 1956 were
placed at $41,846, in coutra-t to
636 430.69.
Sales tax receipts in (he county
acre even higher in April?$42.
>04.36.
United Fund
Mails Funds
To Agencies
Checks totaling $7,350 Will be
distributed today by .1 B. Siler, j
| treasurer of the United Fund here j
to 13 agencies participating in the )
fund.
Cheeks for $19,845 were mailed j
out earlier this year to the 13 agen-!
eies making a total of $27,195 al-:
"located out ol" the budget which
called for $28,241 to the 13 paf
| ticlpants
The first figure shows the amount
of the new cheeks, while the fig
ures in the brackets show the t
amount of the cheeks mailed earli- j
j er:
Bo> Scouts $072 >$J.<>83>.
i tint Scouts $072 i$1,6831.
Orthopedic Hospital, Polio. $2,-'
; 197 ($5,500 >
fled Cross $1,359 '$3.620>.
Clothes Closet $41 <$103>.
WTHS Band $328 <$2,077t.
Waynesville Lions cheer fund
$713 i $1.780>.
Cripple Children $206 ($515*.
Women's Club Christmas Tree)
'fund $41 i$103'
Cerebral Palsy $274 '$687'.
Hazel wood Lions cheer fund
$206 ($515).
Carolina-- United $487 ($1,219). j
| Physically Handicapped $150
, '$350)
The above distributions, accord-!
! ing to the audit of Frank P. Kiggs, I
J represents 96 per cent of the'
budget lias been paid the partici-1
; pating agencies of (he United ;
| Fund here.
lohnson Heads
S Rotary Club Here
John N Johnson assumed the 1
presidency of the 60-memher Way- \
| nesville Rotary Club Friday, as the t j
gavel was turned over by James j:
Kilpatrick, retiring president who !
will serve as vice president for i
(Sec Rotary?Page 8) t
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TB Survey Ends; Total
Falls Below '55 Figure
The 1956 chest X-ray survey -
ended in Haywood County Saturday
with the final total of those exam
ined at 9.917?just 11 under last
year's figure of 9.928.
During the survey which extend
ed through the month of June, the
unit at Waynesville and Hazelwood
made 5.087 X-rays and the one at '
Canton and Clyde made 4,830. j
The survey opened in the county '
this year when one unit spent two
days at Clyde and another three
days at Hazctwood. One unit then
moved to the courthouse parking
lot in Waynesville and the other
to the Canton poslolTice.
The actual cost of operations of
the two mobile X-ray utnts has <
been financed by the State Board of
Health but TB committees in Can
ton, Waynesville. and Clyde have
paid the cost of clerical help, and
for postage to notily county rest-,
dents of the results, of their X- 1
rays.
Hay wood County Home Demons
tration Clubs also havv lent their
assistance by providing volunteer
I'uiTor it the -ite- of tit. mobile
V
units to urge the public to have
X-rays made.
Highway
Record For
1956
In Haywood
(TO DATE)
Killed 2
(1955 ? 1)
Injured .... 42
(1955 ? 37)
Accidents... 98
(1955 ? 76)
Loss ... $31,996
(1955 ? $39,479)
(This iafwuithl MH|iM
from records il Stats Htata
?r?jr Patrol)