8
The Cherokee Scout
104
PAGES and Clay County Progress Per Copy
Volume 79 - Number 29 - Murphy, North Carolina ? February, 6 1969 - Second Class Postage Paid At Murphy, North Carolina
No Need For Firemen
*
Hugh billows of black smoke boiled up as flames
quickly destroyed the home of Mrs. Jackie Adams in
- the Brasstown section Tuesday afternoon.
According to reports at the scene, Mrs. Adams was
sick and in bed when the fire started, and was carried
out a back window by neighbors who saw the house
'was on fire. A 1962 Ford that was parked close to the
house and a small building (in the foreground) were
also destroyed.
The Murphy volunteer fire department were
advised not to go to the fire, as the house was already
destroyed by the time they were notified. (Scout
?photo by Bill Gray)
Football Pays For Itself In Murphy,
Financial Statement Shows
The 1968 Murphy High
School football season was a
success financially as well as in
the win-loss column, according
to a financial statement
released last week by Murphy
City School Superintendent
John Jordan.
Total receipts for the year
were $10,749.33 and
expenditures were S9.410.21,
which left a balance of
$1,339.02.
"This has been one of our
best years, financially," Jordan
said, "and we are certainly glad
to see our football program at
Murphy coming out ahead."
Gate receipts and advance
ticket sales accounted for
$8,760 of the total revenue. Of
the Ave regular season home
games, the homecoming game
against Hayesville drew the
largest gate receipt, which was
$1,592.31. Other teams drew
the following: Blairsville,
$1,301; Sylva-Webster, $1,363;
Franklin, $1,159; and
Andrews, $1,088.
Murphy's share of the gate
receipts of the AA playoff
game against the
Hendersonville Bearcats at
Sylva was $1,608. Had it not
been for this game the school
would have experienced a $300
loss over the entire season.
Other ticket revenue came
from $502 in season ticket
sales. $103 in pregame sales
against Hendersonville, and
$42 in advance sales to the
Gilmer County game.
The remaining $2,000 came
from such miscellaneous items
as gate change returned,
insurance, cheerleader
uniforms and a guarantee of
$200 with West Fannin.
The major expenditures
Former Pro Quarterback Is
WCU Head Football Coach
Robert L. (Bob) Waters.
Assistant Coach at Stanford
University and a former college
and professional quarterback,
is the new head football coach
at Western Carolina University.
Waters, 30, who played
quarterback and defensive back
for the San Francisco 40'er's
for 5 years, takes over as
Tomato
Growers
. A trellised tomato
production meeting will be
held at 7:30 p.m. February 13
at the Courthouse in Murphy.
Al tomato grower* and
prospective growers are invited
to attend.
All the latest production
information will be premited
relative to plant bed and field
production.
Catamount Coach from Dan
Robinson, who resigned last
fall after 13 seasons as head
coach.
Announcement of the
selection of Waters from more
than 50 applicants was made
today by Col. Walter L.
Williams, Athletic Director of
Western Carolina.
A 1960 graduate of
Presbyterian College in
Clinton, S. C. Waters was
chosen the Most Valuable
Player in the Tangerine Bowl in
1960 and was picked that year
in the 7th. round of the
National Football League draft
by the 40-er's.
He played four yean at
quarterback from 1960-63,
then one season at defensive
See WCU Coach
. . .on page 3
included $3,672 for uniforms,
$1,148 for equipment and
$1,875 for coaches travel and
salary.
Other large expenditures
includes film, $327;
cheerleader uniforms, $326;
insurance $508; electric
service, $384; electric service
for little league, $36; official
fees, $415, and gate change,
$975.
The remaining amount
included advance ticket sales,
sales tax on equipment.
NCHSA dues and other small
items.
According to Jordan, the
balance of $1,339.02 will go
into the basketball program.
He said that a statement
showing the basketball revenue
and expenditures would be
released at the end of the
season.
The Murphy High Bulldogs
had a 10-0-1 record for the
season, losing only to
Hendersonville in the season's
last game.
Voter Registration
Equipment Bought By
County Commissioners
The Cherokee County
Board of Commissioners
unanimously approved the
purchase of $1,859.37 of
binding and indexing
equipment in preparation for
the new loose leaf voter
registration system that will go
into effect in 1970.
The equipment includes 23
indexes, dividers, storage
cabinet and a Are proof vault.
The change over from the
present system is in compliance
with a law passed by the N. C.
General Assembly requiring all
counties in the state to adopt
the loose leaf system.
All members of the Board
were present at the regular
monthly meeting Monday
when this action took place.
Members include Chairman W.
T. Moore, Ray Sims, Jack
Simonds, Andrew Barton,
Carlyle Matheson and Luther
Dockery.
Other business of the
day-long meeting included
releasing several minor
property liens and personal
taxes.
Several- road
recommendations were
forwarded on the highway
department. They were that
improvements be made on the
Wiggins and Mt Liberty
Cemetery Roads, Bear Paw
Road, Bell Hill Road and Beaver
Dam Road
Water, Water Everywhere . . .
All of the areas creeks and rivers
were out of their banks Sunday
afternoon following five days of
almost continuous rainfall. The above
roadway was completely submerged at
noon Sunday, with parts of the road
bed under six feet of water. Scout
photographer Jim Morgan made this
photograph about a mile south of
Marble, just off the main highway.
TV A officials reported that 5.8
inches of water fell from Thursday
through Sunday, with continuous rain
from Friday evening to Sunday
afternoon.
Survey Indicates The Extent Of Poverty,
Unemployment & Opportunities In Area
Over 50 industrial leaders,
businessmen and educators
from the Upper Hiawassee
Development Association area
attended the UHDA's Human
Resouces Workshop January
29 to hear the results of a
survey which concerns the
area's labor and economic
situation.
The survey, which was
completed last summer, was
done by Robert Mosteller and
Michael Bo wen, the two
Southern Regional Education
Board interns. Proposed
questions that were to be
answered by the survey
included 1) number of
unemployed, 2) number of
umemployed who are seeking
work, 3) how do we attract
industry when we have an
untrained labor force, 4) for
what jobs should high school
students prepare, 5) just how
poor are we, and 6) does
welfare kill iniative.
The results of the survey,
which are quite lengthly, were
not given, but the general
findings were discussed by the
interns and the group.
Robert Mosteller who
surveyed the latent labor force
in the area, reported the
following findings:
In this area, which includes
Fannin, Towns, and Union
Counties in Georgia and Gay
and Cherokee Counties in
North Carolina, the median
income increased from $2400
in 1959 to a present $3700.
Still, four percent of the
families earn less than $3,000,
although 85 percent own their
own homes. In N. C. one out
of four houses contacted had
no indoor bathroom facilities,
while one out of five had none
in Georgia.
According to the survey,
many people have only an
eight grade education and there
is approximately 70 percent
unemployment. The report
also showed that there is not as
many of the unemployed
looking for work as was once
thought. Theife were' 18
percent of the unemployed
who did not work a full week,
with the remainder not
working a full year.
Reasons for unemployment
included layoffs, looking for
work and not wanting to work.
Although one out of four
raised meat, it was found that a
larger percent of the people did
not eat well.
One of the surprising things
brought out was that 20
percent of the people who had
a skill were not using that skill.
Welfare, it was found, was
supporting mostly
unemployed, illiterate people
who were incapable of doing
any work.
As to the latent labor force,
20 percent of the people
contacted said they were
willing to work, but many of
them were unskilled. This
brought out the need for
training facilities and what was
being done in the public
schools.
If work were available, 40
percent of the people
contacted that are now
working out of the area would
move back, and another 20
percent said they would if they
had comparable salaries.
Mosteller also reported that
the rural roads in North
Carolina were in better
County To Participate In
Law Enforcement Program
i en law eniorcemeni
associated personnel from
Cherokee County were among
60 people who met in Bryson
City January 30 to form an
organization for the
improvement of law
enforcement services in six
southwestern counties. The
counties presently involved are
Cherokee, Clay, Graham,
Jackson, Macon and Swain
Counties.
Representing the town of
Murpny were ronce oniei reie
Stalcup and City Clerk Charlie
Johnson. County
Commissioner W. T. Moore,
Sheriff Claude Anderson and
Deputies Holloway and
Radford represented the
county, while Mayor Percy
Ferbee and Police Chief Milton
Mashburn attended from
Andrews.
The group were present to
See Enforcement
. . .on page 2
condition than those in
Georgia, but the need for
better roads is prevelent in
both states.
Mike Bowen, who studied
the employment opportunities,
determined the number of
people now employed in the
economy of the area and what
field they were involved.
The ratio of service-industr
ial workers, which has been
found to be one to one in
prosperous areas, was discussed
and the question was brought
up as to whether or not this
area could support one service
related worker for each
industrial worker.
In 1974 over 13,600 will be
See Survey
. . .on page 2
Heart Fund Drive
To Begin Saturday
Cherokee County Heart
Fund volunteers will be joining
over 100,000 others
throughout the state who are
participating in North
Carolina's Heart Month. The
Heart Fund drive is separate
from the United Fund, as it
was not included in the original
Cherokee County United Fund
drive.
Dates for balloon and tag
days in Murphy are: balloon
days, February 8 and 15; tag
days, February 14 and 22.
Heart Sunday will be held in
the West Cherokee Division
February 16 through the 22.
Heart chairmen are: Murphy
City, Faye Kenney; Bates
Creek, Doris Dockery; Grape
Creek, Betty Haigler; Ebenezer,
Grace Hall; Boiling Springs,
Wayne Abernathy; Grandview
and Owl Creek, Mr. Hebert
O'Dell.
Ogretta, Nancy Helms;
Unaka, Alice Morley; Violet,
Mrs. W. D. Graham; Hiwassee
Dam, Mildred Graves and
Charmia Jones; Friendship and
Shoal Creek, Harry Bagley;
Culberson, Wilma Shields;
Ranger, Betty Kilpatrick and
Virginia Burgess; Martins
Creek, Doris Ashe, A. J. Martin
and Geneva Chastain; Bellview,
Eva Nell Hughes; Moccasin
Creek, Florence Henson;
Brasstown, Verna Lee Kephart
and Blanche Smith; Peachtree,
Willard Hembree; Tomotla,
Wilma Pope; Pleasant Valley,
Girlene Dockery; Texana,
Catherine Sudderth.
The Heart Fund fights heart
attacks, heart defects, strode
and high blood pressure. Thfe
year's slogan is "Give So Moire
Will Live When A Volunteer
Calls On You!!
For Clyde May, Life Began At 39
By Bill Gray
Friday was a day that Clyde
May will remember for a long
time. It was his 39th birthday
and the end of his second week
of work with Levi Strauss
Company in Murphy.
For most of us these events
pass by hardly even noticed,
but for Clyde, who has been
totally blind since birth, it was
the first time in all of his 39
years that he has held a
full-time job.
The hiring of Clyde by Levi
was a first also for Murphy, as
he is the first totally blind
person hired in this area as a
regular industrial employee.
Horace Cannon, plant
manager for Levi, became
involved with Clyde when he
mentioned to Murphy Lions
Chib member Merle Davis that
Levi would be willing to hire a
blind person. Wheels began
turning and through the work
of Lion Area Representative
Howard Crouch, Clyde was
interviewed and found capable
of doing the job.
"In the two weeks that
Clyde has been here," Cannon
said, "he has done outstanding
to be blind. He is as nice to
everyone as can be, and he
really appreciates what it done
for him."
Clyde's job is turning front
pockets, which involves the
literal turning in-side-out
trouser pockets before they are
sewn into trousers. He places a
pocket on a verticle medal
stand, depresses a foot pedal to
straighten the pocket, and then
stacks them into a neat pile to
be carried to another
department
Eunice Ledford, the head
trainer who works with Clyde,
was surprised at his ability to
learn. "His progress against job
standards is following the
normal curve in spite of his
handicaps," she said after
referring to a chart. "It took
several days for him to catch
on because of his not being
able to see, but after that when
he got the "feel" of what he
was doing he has moved right
along with no problem."
Clyde works the regular
shift along with everyone eke,
and is driven back and forth to
work by a fellow employee,
George Morrow.
"He to no mom problem
than any of the other
employee*," Jerry Reynolds, *
who supplies him with
materials, said of Clyde.
Reynolds also helps Clyde
when he goes on breaks and to
lunch. "It is amazing the way
Clyde gets around," Reynolds
continued. " As soon as we
finish moving things around
I'm sure he will be able to
make it around in the plant by
himself."
The only special
arrangement made for him was
setting up a work station near
the isle so he would be more
free to move about.
According to Cannon, Clyde
was born in the Nantahala
mountains and lived there until
he moved to Asheville in 1954.
While there he worked in the
Lions Industries for the Blind,
helping to rebuild and repair
mattresses.
"Clyde has never been to a
school," Cannon said, "but he
reads braille very well and
takes seven! magazines. Clyde
speaks very well, and obviouriy
has a high I. Q."
In 1964 he w? laid off
from his work in Asheville and
moved back to Nantahala to
live with his mother and sisters.
At present he lives alone In a
boarding house on Willow
Street until the weekend, when
his mother take* him back to
Nantahala.
Cannon noted that the Levi
Strauss Company, which hw
plants throughout the United
States, is involved in a program
of actively seeking and
employing disadvantaged
persons. Levi now employes
178 disadvantaged people in
their eastern plants alone.
Clyde is very proud of his
new job, and the bet that he is
now doing some productive
work. When talking about Ms
work, Clyde had these thhgi
to say: "I like it just Am. .
Everyone has been wondsrfaL
It's the first time I've worked
dnce 1964, and I'm Mly
enjoying H."