F
PtrOLCME TWENTY-SEVEN
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Ae*nemoefi?
10. the early 1900 s visitors flocked
to the "newly discovered” Wes
tern K rth Carolina mountain
■wonderland -to take what many
proclaimed to be the "most ex
hiliratin'T ride am where.”
This was the ral trip from Black
Mpunta a to Mount M tchell.
The mil line was originally built
to com ?y logs from the Mitchell
range’s heavily-w ‘oded slopes to
saw m ; 's. Then someone came up
with ti e idea that neople would
pay— £l i pay gladly—for a ride
to the cloud-scraping summit in
southern Yancey County.
The passenger service—in bright
ly painted, open-air cars—was
instantly -succer Tul,
Seldom did the passenger train
make a run l 1 the peak that it
was net januTK Ito capacity. Q
Passengers b aided near Black
Mountain. It wss a rather slow
trip due to the large number of
switchbo • -Mth the train had to
negotiate. i. l ; r.e ended at Camp
Alice. Prom here passengers who
wished to continue to the top had
to walk a Witling, steep trail.
The end of the line —Mt. Mitchell
Stole To Spend.
SSOO/000 Atop
Mount Mitchell
V
The st. ' • w'll sP-'nd well over
$500,000 in Yancey County within
the near future. Rep. Mark W.
Bennett disclosed this week.
■Bemud ' said a transmitting
tower' so the state’s public school
elucatio.nl TV program will be
erected on Cl'ngman’s Peak near
(Mount M ;chell at a cost of ap
proximaLiy $250,000.
He aided that another $300,000
had btc;j earmarked for addition
of *facilitLes at Mount Mitchell
State Park and for enlargement
and * improvement of existing
facilities.
i*he jiark atop- the fi;fis4-foot peak
is one of the most popular tourist
spots' Tri ’The state.
Bennett said that he understood
the additional facilities will make
the park even more alluring to
the thousands of tourist who visit
Western North Carolina each year,
THE YANCEY RECORD
“Ltattuntei To TKo Pro|Si Os Yancey County*
Subset tp* ton *2.50 Per Year
Station at Camp Alice—is pic
tured in the lower photo. The trail
to the top is in the foreground.
Pictured in the top photo is the
first tower atop Mount M’tchell.
It was a crude, rather rickety
affair with a "crow’s nest” at the .
top which would accomodate one
observer at a time.
A suitable motor road to the
peak and improved autos brought
an end to the rail passenger ser
vice. And a subsequent increase
ilMthe number of visitors to Mount
Mitchell necessitated construction
of a more stable observation
tower.
The tower pictured was replaced
with • a large wooden platform
and then a tower of natural stone.
The latter was razed in 1960 and
replaced by the ultramodern
structure in use today.
These pictures were donated to'
The Record by Dr. and Mrs.
, W. A. Y. Sargent of
They are part of a collection of
12 photographs taken by New
England relatives of the Sargents
during a visit to WNC.
Thick Foliage
May Hold Up
Road To Peak
1 i
It will be at least mid-September'
before die route for the new Bams
vllle—Mt. Mitchell highway can be
pinpointed. The Record learned
: this week. I
i l
s State Highway Commission en
' (sinews who have been studying!
the location problem have decided
that it will be necessary to “fly”
the area and make aerial photo
* graphs before commitirtg them
-1 selves to a route.
I They say that pictures taken
*■ new would be virtually worthless.
f i A true picture of what must be
• 'coped with cannot be obtained
k until the leaves have fallen from
t the trees, they said.
''* 'Meanwhile.- Nick Stigailo, deve
i toper for the Illinois farm whose
e plans for a multi-million dollar
o resort in the Mt. Mitchell area
t inspired construction of the road,
V. arrived here.
BURNSVILLE, N. C„ THURS DAY, JULY 25, 19«3
_ • .1 M ' i_
Nobody Is Talking Now, But...
Something Is About To Happen
BY TOM HIGGINS
Something big is about to
happen.
This is the consensus of Burns
ville and Yancey County govern
mental and civic leaders.
But no one is talVtv.v Not for
the recofd (or The It.cord) at
least.
‘Perhaps a story in last Friday's I
Winston-Salem Journal is the key.
' The Twin City paper reported!
that Gov. Terry Sanford had ap
pointed a committee to administer
* -
Bald Creek Leader Proffitt Dies;
' ,' .-."H ■ . --#• 'O' '
Mrs. Jane |. Wray Succumbs
GLENN E. PROFFITT
Glenn E. Proffitt, 82, of Bald
Creek, died in an Asheville hos
pital Monday at 12 noon after a
long Illness.
He was a son of the late Hooker
and Alice Hampler Proffitt, a re
tired merchant and former trustee
and superintendent of Bald Creek
Methodist Church.
He served for many years as a
school committeeman in the Bald
Creek School district.
Services were held at 11 a. m.
Wednesday in Bald Creek Metho
dist Church.
The Rev. Donald Noblett and
the Rev. R. F. Hilliard officiated.
Burial was in the family come- ■
vtery.
-hSTSSTTS 'Sf
Proffitt, Earl C. Wilson, Claiborne
Scott, Albert and Alien Nance,
Charles Tontoferlin and wants
Mclntosh.
The body remained in Holcombe,
Brothers Funeral Home until
taken to the church to lie in state
one hour prior to service.
Surviving are the widow, Mrs.
Virgie Gibbs Proffitt; four dau
ghters, Miss Katherine Proffitt
and Mrs. Yates Bailey, both of
Bald Creek, Mrs. Vera Steel of
Asheville and Miss Mary Glenn
Proffitt of Louisville, Ky.; two
sons, James and Ralph, both of
Bald Creek; four sisters, Mrs.
Mary Scott, Mrs. Sarah Nance,
and Miss Ethel Proffitt, all of
Asheville, and Mrs. Lillian Eu
banks of Greensboro; three bro
thers, C. C. of Asheville, Charles
of Burnsville and Roy of Charlotte,
and eight grandchildren.
»• * •
MRS. JANE B. WRAY
• Mrs. Jane Bellack Wray, -k),
wife of the operator of Nu-Wray
Inn, and an active civic leader,
died in an Asheville hospital July
15 after an extended illness.
Services were held at 3 p. m.
July 17 at First Baptist Church.
Burnsville, of which she was a
member.
Officiating ministers were the ’
' Rev. C. B. Trammel, the Rev. R. F. I
1 Hilliard, and the Rev. Woodward I
Finley. Burial was in Academy
Cemetery! Pallbearers were Roto
i ert K. Helmle, Dover R. Fonts.
I Phillip Ray, Bruce Westnll, Pete
, Coletta, John T. Morris. Dr.
M. W. Webb and Donald Burhoe.
Holcombe Brothers Funeral Home
was in charge. '
I Mrs. Wray had. been a member ,
lof the Junior League since 1945,
in her native M‘'waikee,* Wis„
and in the Asheville chapter since
1955, when she came to Burnsville.
Slie was a member of the Pisgah J
G’rl Scout Council and served as '
Yancey County d' strict chairman
from 195f> to 1950. and was a
Brownie troop leader from 1955 I
to 1958.
She attended Connecticut College
and Milwaukee-Down Seminary;
and was a graduate oi the Wefcley
Memorial Hospital School of Nurs-J
ing in Chicago. . , 1
In addition to her Girl Scout
and other work in Yancey County',
she assisted her husband, Rush
P. Wray, in the management ol
money that Foundation is
expected to gift to the newly in-!
corporated No* Caroina Fund.
In January Bttysville and Yancey
leaders were ..Dulled together at
an extremely ecretive meeting
-and asked to anopose ways .in
which they coiid deal with some
of their problews .'if they had the
, I money. -%.
Ford Foundation executives at
l tended the loci meeting, which
■ was held at tAeNu-Wray Inn.
•| Following thefeessinn, the local
Nu-Wray Inn, commuted reg-
I ularly to Asheville to parilcipat
■ in Junior Leagt# -programs, in
i eluding the Craftsman’s Fair, Do’!
Festival: committee.
■ ( and other volunteer work. She was
a Citizen-Times Woman of ■ the
! Week several years 0 ago. •
Surviving in 'addition to her hus
band are a daughter, Mary Louise;
her mother. ;Mrs. Helen Bellack
of sister, Mrs. E. H.
Keator Jr. of gan Antonio', Texas,
and a brother, ‘bat-id Bellack of
.*_A— ;—-
Crafts Festival
Slated Aug. ID
On Town Square
Plans are being made at The
Parkway playhouse for the Sev
enth Annual Burnsville Fair. The
Fair is scheduled for August 10,
from 9 a. m.-4 p. m.
When the craftsmen arrive that
Saturday morning the Town Square
will be covered with gay booths
and Remnants. Music, dancing,
folk sieging and refreshments will
be offered to all in a holiday at
mosphere.
The products of local craftsmen
wll be d'splayed for sale and
many draftsmen will demonstrate
their skills. Homemade jellies .and
jams, wood turnings, clay pots,
woven and braided rugs, and nev
elties wll be shown. Rockhounds
will find muon to interest them as
will fanciers of wrought iron. ;
The Parkway Playhouse direct- j
ors ask that all craftsmen and en- J
tertainers make themselves known
so that space may be reserved for
' them and a program prepared for
the greatest enjoyment of all. A
postcard to Harry Greene at The
Parkway Playhouse-in Burnsville
will do the trick. State what you
do or make and give your address,
the mountain.
illaHl *. :'sj
-
NEW OFFICERS—The Yancey County Chamber of Commerce elected* last week its officers for the
comtng year. They are (left to right): Charles Gillespie, vice president; Mrs. Grace Banks, secretafy
| treasurer; and Ralph Adair, presi dent. (Photo by John Hensley)
officials expressed a belief that
' Yancey would be richly bene
fitted. Is this it?
No one is talking, but. . .
: The purpose of the non-govern
mental N. C. Fund corporation,
which will have its headquarters
in Duiham, is “to find new and
Wetter ways to improve education,
economic opportunities, living en
viroment and welfare of the peo
ple,” Sanford said.
The governor added: “there j
is no telling how much money the:
Hollywood, Fla.
»* # *
MAX ADKINS
Seaman 2. C. Max Adlkns, . 37.
of the U. S. Navy, died unexpacti j
edly ’ Sunday in Portsmouth Naval-
Hospital in Portsmouth, v a.
He had been in the Navy for 15
years. >
Surviving are the parents, the
Rev. aiftf* Mrs. Gilbert Adkins:
two- Mrs. .Ralph .Tipton,
and Mrs.. Ellis Renfro, both cf
Green Mountain; and two broth- i
■ers, Lt. D«? Adkins and Plen Ad
kins, botlv of the U. S. Navy.
Funeral services will be. heldl
Thursday -ftti 2:30 p: *n. in North'
Band Fi faiU. Baptist .. Church.
The Rev. : Rfd, BeJm ap£ the Rev.
- Cbarfes Wrtfri with officiate, Burial
-■ g w wmetery'. J
** • '
4 _ « •
'Tr 6y angel
Troy Aansei, . 55. died unexpect
edly in his. home Sunday afternoon.
Serviced were held at 2 p. rri.
Tuesday in Holcombe.. Brothers
Funeral Home chapel.
The Rev. Jesse Hugh"'- offi
ciated. Burial was in Mclntosh
Cemetery.
Surviving are the widow, Mrs.
Lena Dellinger Angel; a daugh-i
ter. Miss Patsy Lou Angel; two I
sons. Dennis and Mike, all of the'
-horn ; the father, Burgin B. Angel
of Burnsville; four Asters, Mrs.
R. C. Brackett and Mrs. Basccmb
M ller cf Weaverville, Mrs. Paul-|
ine Carney o f Seattle, Wash., and.
Mrs. Cecil Burnett of Burnsville; ;
a brother, Cecil cf Burnsville.
** * •
MRS. KATE BAILEY
'Services for Mrs. Kate Whitson
Bailey, 31, of Rt. 1. Burnsville,
who died Sunday in a Burnsville
, hospital after a short illness were
held at 2 p. m. Tuesday in Borings
Chapel Methodist Church.
The Rev. Donald Noblett, the
Rev. Lloyd Bailey and the Rev. I
Howard Buchanan officiated. Burial
was in Woody Cemetery.
Price Per Copy Five Ceuta
fund will receive over the next
four years, but we feel confident
that we will have about $lO
million in foundation money, most
of it> by the first frost.”
Sanford said that ”20 or more
rural and urban communities
will* be selected for special
help by the •‘organization.” He said
those communities “wll develop
their own comprehensive pro
| grams for making improvements,
| using schools, welfare, public i
1 health and other agencies.”
IfflF a* w
jjf i^iV
.?■> •,--V■
MRS. JANE B..WRAY
1 Surviving • are the ‘ husband,
Glenn Bailey; the parents, Mr. and
■ Mrs.* Fred Whitson of Green
■ Mountain; four brothers, Arthtir,
i CaiLand-Jav |<te Whitson of Green
Nouirtain and Claude Whitson cf
Burnsville; th& paternal grand
father, Tom Whitson ’ot Green
Mountain; a stepson. The Rev.
Lloyd Bailey es Clncinatti and a
stepdaughter, Virginia of the home.
*• • .
WILSE R. JIYLEMON
•
Wilse R. Hylemon, 82, of Rt. 3,
Bunsville, died unexpectedly at
10;30 a. m. July 13 at the home!
of a brother, Alf Hylemon.
Mr. Hylemon was a retired sar
i mer and a native and lifelong
resident of Yancey County.
Surviving in addition to the
I brother, are two daughters, Mrs.
Floyd Sparks of W.ll amsburg,
Va„ and Mrs. Willie Tull of Balti
more, Md.; five sons, Ray of Rt.
3, Burfisville, Lawrence and Rob
ert of Williamsburg, A. G., and
Wince of Jonesboro, Tenn.; a sister
Mrs. SaJlie Harris of Pacolet
Mills, S. C., a brother, John- Hyle
mon of Cowpens, S. C.; 17 grand
children; and four great-grand
children. •
Funeral Services were conducted
July 15 in the Bald Creek Metho
dist Church. The Rev. Donald
Noblett and the Rev. E. J. Hall
| officiated.
7 KUMBER FORTY-NDiE 'f
“While the proposals are expect
ed to be statewide in nature,”
the Jitrnal reported, “they are
also expected to include pilot
project* in selected communitie*
with the idea that community
.projects can be expanded to in
clude several areas of the state.”
Sanford has called a meeting
of the N. C. Fund Committee In
Raleigh Friday.
'ls this It for Burnsville and
i Yancey County? No one is talk
jing. lust praying.
Playhouse
To Present
The 'Angel’
“Look Homeward, Angel,”, the
play based upon the novel by
Thomas Wolfe, will open at the
Parkway Playhouse in Burnsville
1 Thursday. (July 25) and play
through Saturday, (July 27).
The third production of o'lt
standing American plays present
ed in celebration of the N. C. dar
ter Tercentenary, “Look Home
ward, Angel” is the often hmnr
aus and poignant semi-b'osrafvhi
cal story of the early life in tb®
~ AshevtWe novelist, Thomas Wolfe.
l \ Returning in the same roles they
1 created in the highly successful
• Parkway production of three sear
• sons ago will be Blanche Kelly
f as E&» and W. C. (Mutt) Burton
as Gant. “Angel” win be directed
1 by Anthony M. Maltese, remem
• bered for Ms direction of such
memorable productions as “Diary
Os A«he Frank” and “The Grass
Harp.*'
Director -Maltese has assembled
an outstanding cast which includes
, Lewis Jacobson as Eugene (the
young Tom Wolfe), Robert Hath
away as Ben, Rosemary Osborne
as Laura, Carol Robinson as Fatty,
Ellen Woods as Helen and Carla
Miner as Mime. Elizabeth.
Others featured in the cast are
William Mamobes, Bob Del Paso,
Jonas Rolyn, Leslie Omelianuk,
Irene Manger, Alexandria Hfe
fanski, Gerald Jones, Sandra
Hager, Lauren Woods, Joe Rose
and Jhn Thomas.
The novels of Thomas Wolfe are
part of the American heritage.
They are highly auto-biographic,
often presenting very thinly dis
guised portraits of the people and
places he knew. The setting for
“Angel” is "Old Kentucky Home,"
the boarding bouse and home his
mother ran- in Asheville.
It is perhaps ironic that a play
should be written, based upon the
work of Tbornas Wolfe. Although
(he was to become one of America’s
great novelists* he always harbor
;ed a desire to be a playwright.
While \ a student at Chapel H»U,
the young Tom Wolfe stud’ed
playwriting with the late Fred
Kooh Sr., whose son, Fred Jr„ is
a summer res'dent of Burnsville.
The Ketti Frige play is one of
the most highly accla’med of re
cent years. It received both the-
Pultizer prize and the N. Y. Draft*
Critics’ Award. The Parkway
Playhouse production of “Angel"
is newly designed by Yearn Smith.
Curtain time is 8 p. m.
Shephard Get*
Top Lion Post
Raymond Shepherd of BOrnsvilto
was installed « zone chaJunja.
of the Lions Cub Mmday Night
at a meeting on Grandfather Moun
j Shepherd is Immediate ppt.v
Kelly and Paul Wooten, president