North Carolina Newspapers

Vol u m ? 74 Numbu 23 and Clay County Pro? ress N?rtt? Cargl ino, Thuradoy Ju/iuur, / V6 4 8 Pauo Thi? w t H .b' ?' eJ Woe > * * * t - ? Editor 's ftote-Heok This week's riotebook takes a look at the big news stor ies covered by the Scout in the past year , month by month. These were some of the big stories that made the h ^ad lines during ls*63. IH JANUARY : The Sbl was in vestigating alleged nnsues of absentee ballots in Clay, fol lowing a Charlotte Observer story charging vote cor ruption; the first baby of the year was a son born to the Rev. and Mrs. Hamilton C Witrer of Murphy; Cherokee County deeded a tract of la rid behind the library to Murphy for a fire station; the Dept. of Agriculture granted $^0, 000 for use by the Forest Ser vice in Cherokee and Clay; a nationwide maritime strike affected the county , forcing a layoff by Textured Yarn at Peachtree; power users used a record amount said the local powei board. FEBRUARY: Contracts were awarded for new school buildings for Murphy and the County units; the County Com missioners approved a $12,000 amount for the And rews Health Center; Andrew boys basketball team won the Western end of the SMC lor the first time in history; A massive search got underway for a Culberson woman, 76 year - old Mrs. Lou Emma Shields, who was missing. MARCH: The missing wo man was found, dead ol natural causes in a field near her home; The N. C. Superior Court approved the Nantahala -Duke sale and it was appeal ed to the State Supreme Court by the opponents: Murphy's girls won the Smoky Moun tain Conference basketball crown; ARA approved an over - all economic development plaii for Cherokee County; the For est Service approved a $300, 000 recreation area near Chatuge Lake; Murphy High Vas invaded by an accreditat ion team. APRIL: Murphy folks were complaining about the 'Dust Bowl* on 64 west under con struction; later in the month the 'IXiSt Bowl' was watered down; a Clay County native won the $140,000 Irish Sweep stakes; Murphy citizens pro tested a proposed trailer park in East Murphy; Brumby Tex tile Mills, Inc. here was a warded a contract to make 362,400 T-Shirts for the armed forces; the County Commissioners approved cal ling for a county-wide tax ap praisal. MAY: A series olSreaK-ins in the county was solved by Sheriff Claude Anderson; Vot ing precincts in the county were reduced in number from 24 to 18; fire protection for private property outside the city limits was discontinued by the Murphy Fire Dept.; the Andrews to Hayesville Wagon Train number one was announced; t'naka, Sunny Point and Wolfe Creek communities entered the Community De velopment Contest; the Mur phy Library wall collapsed; Murphy Police Chief Neil Sneed retired after 25 years on the force; A new Post Of fice was dedicated at Culber son; and graduation at all area High Schools produced a re cord number of graduates. JUNE: Berkshire Mills Andrews plant officials an nounced the company's name was changed to Berkshire In ternational; a new Health Cen ter for Hayesville was an nounced; the Cherokee County Development Corp. purchased * 30 acre industrial site; The Cherokee County tax rate was upped 50 cents to $2. 10; a mas sive labor survey got under way in the county. JULY: Most action centered around July 4th and the And rews to Hayesville first an nual Wagon Train was a huge success; the Murphy Housing Authority advertised for bids on i $500,000 40-unit housing project, AUGUST: Clay County's tax rate was upped 20 cents to $1.50; Football practice got underway and school was not far behind; the Brasstown Bald Wagon Train attracted sev eral Cherokee and Clay County participants; Jack Owens was named publisher of the Scout Progr s, succeeding Jerue Babb, who was transferred to Spartanburg; Police Chief Frank MeHaffey retired at Andrews after 30 years with the force. SEPTEMBER: A Poultry Ichool got underway in the tountyi Congressman Roy A. WALTER PUETT, owner of Murphy's h. C. Moore Jewelry Store posed behind the empty counters Friday with a lone ring, left behind by thieves who carriea away some $15,000 worth of loot from the store. SBI Investigating $15,000 Murphy Jewelry Store Robbery MTRPHY " The N. C. State Bureau of Investigation is in vestigating leads in three states this week in an ei:ort to solve the biggest robbery in the history of the town. One or more thieves broke into the F. C. Moore Jewelry Store here last Thursday night and made of; with an estimated $ 15,000 worth of diamond rings, watches and other jewelry. There are two very unusual aspects to the robbery: A Murphy woman who lives if. an apartment only ten feet away from where the thieves broke into the rear of the jewelry store he-ard the break - in and saw one ol the robbers. She tried to call the local police station but couid ge? no answer, and after trying to call again, she told Murphy SBI Agent M. G. Crawford Friday morning that her phone went out of order. The other strange fact in the robbery was discovered by Murphy police during their investigation Friday morning. The store's cash box contain ing some $1,100 was lying upside down in the floor near the re-ar of the store, evi dently dropped by the thieves on their way out. The woman who heard the noise of the robbers breaking into the store is Mrs. Ellen Crawford, who lives alone in an apartment in the Mauney Building. SBI Agent M. (?. Crawford said she told him she first was awakened by the noise of someone pounding on the re-ar entrance to the store about 12:15 a.m. Friday. She got up and looked out of her kit chen window which is only about 10 feet from the rear door of the store, and she said she saw one man, but could : tot identity hint. The night policeman or. duty here was not in the station when Mrs. Crawford first < ai led, and was still out making his rounds when she called later. She told oft icers when she tried to t all someone else, her phone wouldn't work. SBI Agent Crawford stated that the phone was working when he checked it Friday morning, and there was :io explanation as to why it would not work during the robbery. Mrs. Crawford said she heard the robbers leave abo .t 1:30 a.m. Friday, and officers < alculated that the robbery must have taker: at least an hour or more. Officers were unable to de termine whether the robber used a ^ar or made the get away on foot. The officers said that from the amount of loot taken, it appeared 'bar more than one person made the breakin, or that one robber would have had to make several trips into the store T c ? arry out all the goods. The robbery was not discov ered by police until around 5:30 a.m. Friday morning when a janitor who fires the boiler m the building where Mrs. Crawford lives i ame to work and she sent him to the police station with word of the breakm. The thieves made at least two attempts at breaking into the rear of the store. Offi cer- >aid they first gamed entry into an upstairs junk room, then broke a hole through a screen - covered plate glass window at the rt^ar and either reached ir or rawled in and opened the inside lock on the rear door. The store is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Walter Fuett of Taylor '.poke here at the dedi cation ol the new Hiwassee Lake Campground; The Comity Fair was a hit; Sherit Cla.ide Anderson received near-fatal wound* in a shooting at the Courthouse, setting of: lira sive manhunt for the as sailant; the same day a mine cave-in at the Hitchcock Corp. here resulted in the death of two miners and focused world wide attention on Murphy dur ing the serarh for trapped miners; APW grants wereap proved for water and sewer improvements at Murphy and for water , and sewer improve ments and a community cen ter at Andrews; the Murphy Red Cross Chapter was suc cessfully reorganized; an ARA sponsored Nurse's Aid Training Course was com pleted ?t Andrews' District Memorial Hospital; 'King Of The World' Homer Tomlinson resigned to become a prophet at the Fields of the Woods. OCTOBER: The Forest Ser vice established i seed or chard at Beech Creek; the Lions Club sponsored Horse Show here was a big success; Kellis Radford was appoint ed as Chief Deputy of Chero kee County until Sheriff And erson recuperated; A Levi Strauss plant was announced for Murphy; The Home Dem onstration Western District Conference was held here; Forest Fire Danger was at a peak; Cherokee and Clay were placed in a new 36th Senate District following a special session of the State Legis lature; a District I PTA Con ference was held here; Fed eral Housing Contracts a mountlng to $638,000 were signed for Murphy's project. NOVF VBERi Nantahala Power Co's. rate Increase re quest was trimmed to an ave rage ot 10 per rent by the State Utilities Commission; Vnaka won the Cherokee County Community Develop ment Contest; the State P resident of Woman's Clubs wa<; here for a District meet ing; Rep. Herman H. West announced that he will not seek re-election; Count) Elections Hoard Chairman Hobart Hughes died and Hayes Leather wood was appointed to the post; Bond elections in Murphy and Andrews passed for water and sewer improve ments, plus a community cen ter at Andrews; a JayceeCl.ib was chartered in Murphy; Cherokee and Clay Counties were named as possible sel ections as pilot counties for a Federal Rural Renewal Program; A new home for the Scout got underway; the con tract for a new Post Otiice at Hayesville was awarded; local communities mourned the assassination of JFK; the Andrews Wildcats won the State Western Division Class A Football Championship. DECEMBER: The Murphy Planning Board was moving ahead with new plans arid members; Levi Strauss's pilot plant here got production underway; A federal grant was approved for a carpenters and bricWayers training course for Cherokee, Clay and Gra ham! Santa arrived In the an nual Andrews Christmas Pa rade; an Industrial Develop ment group was chartered in Andrews; Nantahala Power Co. appealed the SUC ruling trimming their rate Increase; UnaVa Community placed fourth in the WNC competit ion! A snow on December 23 left plenty around for a White Christmas. Murphy. Mr. Puett, who is also principal or Murphy High, said the store was "literally I leaned oat." The loot included approxi mately 300 rings, some 54 watches, and two cases of other jewelry. Some of the stolen items were partially insured, but Mr. Puett said that not any one of the items was insured for more tha: $50 each, and that some of the stolen dia mond rings were valued at more than $7,50. All the diamonds in the store were taker, except tor five sets that were m the display win dow. The exact amount ot the stolen goods will not be known until the owners complete an inventory. Practically no clues were left behind by the robbers. Murphy police said that the thieves must have worn glo ves, because they left no fin der prints, and smudged glo ves prints were found at the s cene. The rear ot the ^tore la* eo a blir.d alley, and the area wa> covered with a solid sheet ot ice, and Murphy pol ice -aid it was impossible to determine whether a car had been parked at the rear ot the store State, local, and county law men in surrounding areas have been notified by the N. C. SH to be on the lookout tor the loot. Most ofiicers agreed thai the robbery could ver ? p? " s < b J > been pulled by proies s ional thieves, sine e amateur . would have a har : time dis posing ot the loot. Some ot the -.toleji watc he - belonged to lo? al people wnv had taken tnem to the shop for repairs. Fred B. Liles Buys Interest In Davis Drug ANDRFWS - Per< y R. Fere bee of Andrews ha? cold hi !? terest in Dav;s Dr Co. to Fred P. Liles, Jr., a fid Mr. Liles' wife, J trnrny. Mr. Lile^ is a native el Alabama, and is a licensed pharmacist for the states of Alabama, Georgia, and North Carolina. He has had 15 year- ex perience ac a pharmariM. Mr. Liles came to And rews from Macon, tra., sevej months a^u as pharmacist i: charge of Davis Drug Co. The store has been in con tinuous operation in And rew^ since 1912. It was pur chased in 1938 by the late Lee Watkms and Mr. F erebee. Since the death of Mr. Watkins, the store has been owne^ by Mr. Ferebee and Mrs. L. L. Ezzell until this week's announcement that Mr. Ferebee had sold his half in terest to Mr. Liles. Peace Corps Exam Scheduled Jan. II At Sylva Courthouse Prospective Volunteers will have the opportunity to take the Placement Test for the Peace Corps Saturday, Jan. 11, 8:30 a.m., Room 4, Court house, Sylva, N. C. Joe C. Fisher, Civil Ser vice Examiner In Charge, said that 12 applicants have taken the tests here during the past year. Applicants who wish to take the January test will be considered for work in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. -New Appraisal Brings Up Delay - Tax Listing In Cherokee County Will Not Begin Until Feb ruary MI KPHY - la* li- ting m Cherokee County will he at least a month later tha:. i - ual this year due to the count* -wide tax appraisal whu h 'ia just been completed. Listing of personal prop erty by all citizens of the county normally is completed during the month of January " a . ? e-d r , t ? j r t.'ii. i. - _i j r di di *? .?1 -J -'U iiM'iig j;i[ 1 1 dt led -t the r j : ** t cJ< 'I i c.'-r'.ar > r Id ft J . V\ LX>i;lc?, (.< -rit. ] Super v ; - or p explained th; w cck '.'id' - e ? e r a i - 1 ep - ' fldVt- [(.: f>e < "omple'ed to ?> jp i lev. dpprai - LeK listing can get underway. r lghi io d iicar ( FIREMEN PLAYED A FUTILE STREAM of water onto the blazing Milton Hotel in Blair - c vi lie, Ga., Friday night, b'-r the old frame stricture was eensuncd iliirie- r ahou a . ho jr. --- Milton Hotel Burns --- Murphy Firemen Called To Fight Blaze In Blairsville L AIRSVII.'.E , G A - A spectacular blaze destroyed The Milton Hotel, a Hlair swlle landmark, Friday night, de spite the eilort- of horh the Biairswlle and M .rphy I in Dep.' : i merit . ihere were r ic n: iries the tire which ? a i-ec an 1 1 mated $7^,000 jdviajo Torh<. t a ' 1 1 o us old hotel . Hotel ow: er f-'onneil Vken said the tire urred -hort]> alter y:0Q p . i r . frida*. r\ and his fan :\> w re wa', hi../ television n; t.neir neart , home. He sa^o 'hat he ra desk to p'.sh iht tire .-i 1 <s r ? ; and then out onto the hi/hwu., where he stopped a <-.r rnon help. "It ;ii>: went <p like 4 ? i rich pine knot," Mr. aip.. aid. The two -tc-ry sir r ,r ?. wa> heavily varnished, 'it ai J. It w.i - ol pine ; ramt- ai.e panel ? on -true tion. Hlairsville firemen ?: alied Murphy Sr help a bo ;t i-f p. n . On-' ol Murphy* hrt :r.jiks a: d several mem ber- of the lo< a] volunteer Fire Department were quickly dispatched to Hlairsville, h it by the Time the tr u k r.a-.ie the 30 minute trip to the North Georgia rcw,, the hete' "-a ( ompletely engulfed w<th na mes, and Murphy fir erne;; o i lid only stand by to heij prevent the fire from >preat:~ i : : ? to other nreas . A lot arava: o: M ,.v; * ar- tell 11 w *, d thi *ri.; k T > hidir vtlle, a: a" mev of tm perph f'udl." - -'lli' .i.tjl tht N tci !- .r ed ? n ?- ? r o j:,d. ] he ' er.tr 3t j a r k-. ? t1. i J r- -i ldi . . v wa . the lr s a - I , r h *vme. 1. i.4l it w i - r u v '? Mr, Aiker. hi- ' ? ? . r, ? .. report .-per. J o hiair ? ?-Ju , Mr. A in: en -.a.d, wa ei.oa! to the Si : . i ' h Ho ; e 1 . IV - lone^a. Mr. A . ? . wrt ?? w;ar hi ? j'i i.rai.i ? ? r ? or a?t e:. t.ht h.jtldi!:^ w' a s a-iL i ina: it ft di'teri'irv i.' the iV - t J wT. \ ? He ex pet t- 'he dr r / r* ? <i. w ill he rei '.ilr a' d p< ih L , the motel he.h ! The viei .u 1 a r j v d . laycees Sponsoring County-Wide Polio Immunization Campaign MTU PHY " A < ampaign to immunize every person in Cherokee County and nearby areas against polio will get underway during January as the newly formed Murphy Jav ~ee Club begins Its fir " ma or project. Campaigns to stop polk have been successfully con ducted in many area s through out the country, and the Jay rees here plan to follow the pattern of these campaigns, to stop polio in this county. fhe campaign has the stamp of approval from the Cherokee County Medical Society, re presenting every doctor in the county, and the Sabln oral vaccine is accepted world wide a^ the best way to pro vide Immunization, plus the added benefit of insuring that persons who have received this varcine cannot still be a virus 'carrier'. A massive publicity cam paign, making use of every media of communications In the area, plus TV and radio stations reaching into this area, will be conducted to in sure that every person in the county takes advantage of the vaccine. In a nutshell, the campaign works like this: Three Sundays In the com ing nto'iths will v c of ip a "Stop f5' h' S "?r i-.:a - ' . fVr ! ' : ampaign, rhc^c da r ? dr>" T All. l.\ F el' - "2 '?I , d'?d M<ir Statioi- will e ~er .p , ??. ario J5 part or r ? i ? ' 01;: o * i ea ' h of t}ie-e l.i r ?- - . A dif l" l adrm i i ill ! in'c if pr>. ? i,:- i it plcif p r o - I he a . c me raker hv month, with two ..irop< pin - ed on a tiny igar < ub<\ p - fant? over three mo-it V* a:uj very young rhildrer rei er-e the var< ine by dro; per di rertly in the mo.ith. It t< odorless, tasteless, < a i^e^ no side affects, regardle^ of age, sex or allergy. Evendai hetics, pregnant women, and mildly sick persons an take it safely. Phere will be no set c harge. Persons who take the vaccine will be asked to contribute a quarter, hut no one will be denied the vaccine because of inability to contribute. The Sahin vaccine was deve loped by Dr. Albert Sabin and licensed by the U. S. Public Health Service. Over 300,000 people In the world have al ready received the vaccine It has been proved completely safe, and is en<k>rsed by the American Medical Assocla no i , r r- a ? a ? !?? . \ J if r ? 1 . ' < S. Medr ; i ,?> ? will 1 t t! .'it' !nr ?H h St i if Pol'."' S'.-iday . a nd oiiiv * jew r nor: - ? w.i; i rq i re<: 'or --a h prrsoi. rp ; i : k ..p rhe -.^dr ' j ho with rhe two ? i r v. ? p ?. ? i ..v ]?.'? 0< it 4-.y\ poj IT i; Iv their month-. Ihdt'c al I thore ,'v to it. Fhr Jdyt c< - will ; the A:inoun< ement^ 'iext w eek ol the places m th> county where the vaccine will be adminis tered, and everyone ir the ounty and f jr rounding areas will be mlornnj ot the vac cine stations on rhe first Sunday , Jan. 1^. On Dean's L ist YOl'NG HARRIS. ( A. - Thomas Allen Pejiland, a sophomore at Young Harris College, has gained atademic recognition on the Fall Quar ter Dean's List. The Dean's List is reserv ed for students maintaining an average of 90 or above in al] courses of study with no grade below 85. Penland is the son of Mr. and Mrs. SUvey S. Penland of Hayes vlUe and is studying at Young Harris preparatory to majoring In science. ? ii .f, he dpprd ekre per .-.I'-.ai pre he i : : I ed dlid rr. ? - k ? property ep> I .. ' f Nc.' ? d i 1 0 f t ; p " I. j ? j rr..~ : .r::^- the month t d ,ir ? di.d >>et -tartexi itr 'J' 1. !V -J ? . r . : t' carl; err j r ? . i^i repcr' o! 'he ew tor trie vomit) ill ? ... ::,d :e pjbht -.ext i" ! " e month!) Co in > v . oi . v. r.er - meet: rig, lo; *? w i T r. a- . hanges l.'i the . d C which Nir. Donle ? ; m'ed o it that it JcidV ?;! ! e-' r-dr . lor ix ! : - r i ' i"' ?> li 1 1 ake -t doubly iipcT'd / \vr every property v. ' ? r . i . : r . taxes :fi his w \ ^ :,.p when the li-ter re 'u; rt-, rather than < ortung :? the *d>. o; lite n. the c ourt o.x , w-^ere things will t>e er ? r ..-heo u. order to wind p the ob on time. The '.ew tax appraisal tor Cherokee Comity wa- order td'e iaw passed furing ,j ? ess ion of the N. C. e: 1, \ - s en i ^ 1 ? requiring f al* i i.r .tie- th* state dll :or d lew appraisal ae I'rJi'.v - <? - hedile. i :ke e 60 other counties '!.t -raTe, Cherokee ? ? ' o et : r : i '.oner s have '.i'm 1 1 i ? hd v e the appraisal ' ? a professional The t : r : t : or Carroll and Phelp-, 1 d > Appraisers, of ?v i ts>' ? Salon has conducted :he job here. Be/ore beginning the ap -?raisa*, the firm made a sur . ey oi ia.jc * a lac- mi the county i- well j: re? it real estate '? r i >: t\- , a,' i J "ased the new ap ^ r a i -di a. ? i ? r d l : . ^ To existing i he ' fv? appraisal is the . . i. 1 ? i < xte.'i - ; v t- arid complete : *.n^ ol property and real r d r r. . t'le o j' ? y ever .?id J- . Bloodmobile Here Jan. 13 V' RPHY * r he Arr.er i an r<od 1 r o -? r^.U^dniohile will i *?< fit J : r ? ? i<it tc Mi r r". . Ikt 1 .*t-i v J anna ry 13. I "if * i > K >d[ i 1 .''h If Will bP Monday. J-i . 13, aT K wer Hoard h .iJding i<.;30 tr ? - ;.3C p.m. i ' a .. 1;< vi-.it here will o\ :wi tc wind ip The q A t j oi 300 pints. ! wi visits here by the : ? . ' >v.x_li i lonile during the 1963 i o j : . r e -J for ?. ollec tions of *n-" t?-r "u red Cross C 1 i : t ' r . ' i j 1 1 a r Sa^-, Chat man of '\e Reo (,r> ph>od Pro lan for the Cherokee County M . rphy) chapter -aid This we.k That a < olle< T ion of blood i.-:.arions um a Jew pints bet ter thai. *hr ! ir ^ two for this ;<er;od w( .] ?: r. . ,re rhat the I"; al hapter will reach the q iota. With a tig'Jrt of 157 pints reded to reach this nark during 'he ".ext two visits herr by the Bloodniobile, the Chapter officers here are workri? toward a donation of around 8C pint? during each of the next two vlsiis. Wild Weather Greets 1964 MVRPHY - Snow, giant flakes, then rain, sleet, lightening and thunder, more rain and wind, then more sleet, and finally three more inches of snow for the first morning ol 1964. This crazy, mixed-up pat tern of weather occured dur ing the 24 hours before the first Scout of 1964 went to press, and would - be wea thermen must have decided to just go back to bed rather than try and forecast the coming events. All In all, the holiday week was everything that could be expected, and most people were ready to start the new year on the right foot, with Inventory for the businessmen and baek-to-school for the youngsters heading the schedule.