| Summary: | Historic Webster is a newsletter of the Webster Historical Society, Inc., created at the Society’s founding in 1974. The publication helped to serve the Society's mission of collecting and preserving the history of Webster, North Carolina. Webster, established in 1851, was the original county seat for Jackson County. WEBSTER, NORTH CAROLINA WINTER, 1978 Congress10an David McKee Hall The lights burned brightly that November 4 night in the old Victorian farm house on the banks of Webster's Tuckaseigee River. It was election night 1958, always an exciting time in Western North Carolina. This night was more so, for it was the first time a man from west of the Balsams had been elected to go to Washington as the Twelfth District 's Congressman. No person according to an Asheville Citizen editorial was better prepared by "heritage, training, and character to represent the rugged mountain country." David McKee Hall had that night reached a peak for which many only strive. He had been a most unlikely candidate for that office, or for that matter, any office or any job. David Hall was not a normal man-not in the sense that the word is often used. He had not been normal since he was fifteen. That was David Hall's age when he was stricken by osteomyelitis, a bone infection that cut his spinal cord and from 1933 paralyzed him from the waist down. Never again would he walk unaided. Mrs. Edith Moore Hall, his mother now living in Sylva, recalls a football game, when David was twelve, that might have caused the injury. But it could have been a number of factors because David was just as active as any other teenager. He hunted and fished with his father, David Sr. He swam "like a duck," his mother said. He picnicked with his family at Dills Falls. He was an active Boy Scout. The illness could have been the end of the world, for most people, normal people that is. The doctors felt his case was hopeless. His friends felt that too and often his family was near despair. But David Hall did not give up; nor did he allow anyone else to do so. He had been a student at Sylva High School when illness struck. He did not graduate, but that did not stop the studying which enabled him later to become a special student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill. Again there was little hope that he could complete college, and certainly not the pre-medical course he at first attempted, or the law course to which he changed. Even his professors, according to his mother Mrs. Edith Hall, did not think that he was a student to be reckoned with because they felt he would never live to complete his studies. And one time he very nearly didn't. The phone rang in the Hall 's Sylva home and university officials said that David had been taken to Duke Hospital with a temperature over 106. Mrs. Hall should come at once. Doctor Hedgepath, head of the medical clinic at U.N.C. asked permission to try penicillin which had never been used with a longstanding case of osteomyelitis. It would be an experiment and it might not work. Its use could be fatal. David had already given his consent, but . The . treatment was started at 2:00 A.M. By eight the next morning, David was talking with his mother on the telephone. After trips to local hospitals, hospitals in Atlanta, Duke and University Hospitals, David in 1946 went to the Institute for Crippled and Disabled in New York City. Mrs. Dorothy Parris, a Sylva newspaper woman, was in New York while David was an Institute patient. She saw him, after three months of concentrated, difficult training, demonstrate his power before the Congress of Physical Medicine. He jumped to an eighteen inch high platform, returned to the floor, and, according to Mrs. Parris, was up again in less than thirty seconds. For David, arms and shoulders were the key to walking. Hall did not stay in New York as the Institute doctors had hoped he would. He returned to Chapel Hill and within two years, again after concent rated and hard academic work, often more than double the number of courses University students usually take, completed his education. By 1948 David Hall was home in Western North Carolina, ready to practice law. He left Chapel Hill with an outstanding university record : president of the national law fraterni ty Phi Delta Phi, officer of the University Law Association, adviser to the dean of men, president of the dormitory council, and in 1947 "Law Student of the Year." He was the first special student to graduate from the Carolina Law School and to receive an L.L.B. degree. Hall returned to the mountains with his wife, Sarah McCollum from Bradenton, Florida. She had been his nurse at Duke Hospital and they had married in July of 1944. Like his mountain kin, he was soon involved in the political, social, and spiritual life of Jackson County. The Moore relatives, his mother 's family, had been in 'Western North Carolina since 1776 when Captain William Moore, a native of Ireland, was directed by General Griffin Rutherford to destroy the Middle and Valley towns of the Cherokee. For this mission he was granted 450 acres on Hominy Creek in Buncombe County, where Enka is now located. Here he built a house and became the first white settler to live west of the French Broad River. Judge Frederick Moore, David Hall's grandfather, had opened his law office in Webster in 1892 with his cousin Walter Moore. He moved to Asheville in 1895, and in 1898 became a Superior Court Judge. Walter Moore also became a Superior Court Judge, a member of the North Carolina House of Representatives, and the only Speaker of the House from west of Asheville. David Hall's grandmother, Mrs. Lela Enloe Moore,moved to Webster with her family after her husband, J udge Frederick Moore died. The Moores lived first in the Terrell house and later in the Hedden house while the children attended school here. In 1915 Edith Moore, who later became David's mother, married David McKee Hall of Sylva. Through the years she has continued to carry on the family tradition of public service. She has founded and been president of numerous civic organizations in many of which she is still active. The United Methodist Church of Sylva counts her as one of its leading members. She spent twenty-three years in service at Western Carolina College, beginning as a dormitory hostess and ending as an assistant Dean of Women. In 1959 Edith Moore Hall was chosen North Carolina 's "Mother of the Year". Her brother Dan practiced law, became a judge, and was North Carolina's governor from 1964-1968. He plans to retire this year from his position as an Associate Justice of the North Carolina ·supreme Court. David McKee Hall, Sr. also had his roots deep in Western North Carolina history. His grandfather was Joshua Hall who left Burke County in 1829 to move west and settled between Webster and Cowee on Savannah Creek. The Hall home here in Webster had been bought by David Tonsa Hall who had been a gold miner. He and his wife Rachel Wilson lived there on the banks of the Tuckaseigee until they passed\ the farm on to Lucius Coleman Hall and his wife Hannah McKee. David McKee Hall, Sr., was born here on the farm in 1887. After school in Webster and Cullowhee, he attended North Carolina A. and M. (now North Carolina State University) in Raleigh. He came back to Jackson County to operate the Builder's Supply and later took over the Sylva Supply. He passed away in 1938. It seemed natural that David and Sarah Hall would come back to Jackson County, and it did not take them long to assume their place in the community. Within two years they had bought the Hall farm and restored the house to its country Victorian style. As a lawyer, Hall was a member of the American Bar, the North Carolina Bar, and the Jackson County Bar Associations. He became the attorney for the towns of Sylva and Webster. He was Chairman of the Board of the Continued On Page 2 Congressman David McKee Hall Page 2, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Winter 1978 David McKee Hall ••• Continued from page I Sylva Methodist Church. He was elected president of the County Chamber of Commerce, a worker to employ the handicapped, secretarytreasurer of the Jackson County Savings and Loan Association, a director of the United Fund, and Regional Fund chairman of the Red Cross. He became a member of the National Rivers and Harbors Congress. In politics, Hall was soon elected president of the county Young Democratic Club, a member of the executive committee of the North Carolina Young Democratic Club, and vice-chairman of the county Democratic Executive Committee. In 1955 David Hall was elected by the North Carolina Thirty-second Senatorial District, made up of Haywood, Henderson, Jackson, Polk, and Transylvania counties to go to Raleigh as a state senator. Because of his confinement to a wheel chair, it was imperative that he have physical assistance. And it was this kind of help that Ernest Burch continued to render. As Hall's personal aid in Webster and Sylva, he accompanied him to Raleigh. During the senate session he and his family lived in the capital in order that he be readily available, in many capacities, to Senator Hall. Burch was also of assistance to him in those early congressional days in Washington. During the early part of his term as North Carolina senator, Hall introduced a bill to reactivate the municipal government of the Town of Webster in Jackson County. The town had been incorporated in 1859, but after the county seat was moved to Sylva in 1913, Webster's charter had lapsed. In Hall's bill a mayor, Ernest Penland, Sr., and five aldermen: Lewis Cannon, Claude Cowan, Doug Davis, Goldman Monteith, and Joe Rhinehart were appointed to serve until their successors could be elected and qualified, North Carolina's Governor Luther H. Hodges appointed Hall to the State Board of Water Resources in 1956, but Hall did not complete his senatorial term. Two years later, in the May 31, 1958 Democratic primary, Congressman George Shuford, the incumbent representing the Twelfth District, was nominated for his third term. In this voting Shuford had defeated Waynesville industrialist Heinz Rollman and three other candidates. Rollman had come in second, behind Shuford by 19,000 votes, in a hard fought nomination. During the general election week, Mr. Shuford was admitted to an Asheville hospital. His entry was not announced, but when it became known, word went out the admission was only for 111inor surgery. The illness was much more serious, and Mr. Shuford was transferred to Bethesda Navy Hospital, near Washington, for treatment of paralysis. Shuford would not run in the November election against W. Harold Sams of Asheville. Shuford had won the nomination, but he would not be in the general election. Who would be the Democratic nominee? Heinz Rollman demanded the position. Buncombe and Henderson Counties, the population centers of the Twelfth District, wanted to control, as usual the nomination. It fell to the district executive committee of the Democratic party, two delegates from each of the district's ten counties, to pick the nominee. The committee, along with Hall's loyal and hardworking backers, met in the packed courtroom of the Swain County Courthouse in Bryson City on July 31. On that hot summer day it soon became evident that the only person who would get the nomination would be David Hall. David Hall, from Webster, west of Asheville, accepted the Democratic nomination to Congress. "I accept the nomination with a great deal of humility. I pledge to expand every effort toward victory this fall for all Democrats-in district, state, and nation, and I will work untiringly for not part, but all of the Twelfth District." Two days later the Asheville newspapers commented editorially that "many thousands of citizens . . are mighty happy about the new situation. We consider this a thoroughly wholesome and desirable development- good for Western North Carolina and the Democratic Party. Mr. Hall possesses all the qualifications, in his fine mountain background and place of residence as well as in his splendid character and abilities, to represent Western North Carolina in Congress." "Not only does he know the needs and interests of his home county, but he is familiar with the desires and aspirations of the entire district . . .During the four decades of his life he has been steeped in a family tradition of public service, a heritage that has given impetus to his own desire to serve . . .In selecting a congressional nominee, the Democratic committee reached into a central county of the district and tapped a man who, by heritage, training, and character, is equipped to be an excellent representative of the Democracy of this rugged mountain country. He should be elected." David Hall wasted little time getting into the congressional campaign. His district was a large one-from the Black Mountains of Bun-combe to the Tennessee line, west of Murphy. Never once did he slow down. He had long been able to drive his car, and his message as he crisscrossd the hundreds of miles of this western district was unity, a forgetting of political jealousies, and a regional solidarity to promote "the best interest of all Western North Carolina." David Hall would represent the district with courage, intelligence, and devotion. "He must know his district intimately, its needs and aspirations. He must be well grounded in State and Na-district . . .and I trust that I can in my work merit the confidence you have placed in me." In early January, the Halls of Webster became the Halls of Washington. The family moved into an Arlington, Virginia house and the girls enrolled in school there. On January 7, the Hall family, consisting of David's wife Sarah, their daughters Anne, Allison, and Hannah,- his brother Robert of Asheville, his sisters, Mrs. Margaret Dowdle of Franklin, and Lela Moore Hall of Harnett County, and his mother, Mrs. The Hall Home In Webster tiona! Government. He must understand politics and be a good politician himself. He must be a sound party man-in this case a Democrat-because to get good results in Washington a congressman must function effectively as a member of his party's legislative team." David Hall would tell his listeners that he had never considered himself an invalid, even though he could not walk. "Never," he said, "never have I thought of myself as being other than normal. The fact that I was confined to a wheelchair at fifteen apparently didn't affect my abilities to earn or to participate in civic, church, and political affairs." The election in 1958 was held on November 4. The Asheville Citizen called Hall's triumphant defeat of Republican candidate Sams a "political anti-climax". By over 20,000 votes 52,609 to 31,524, Hall had won despite considerable Republican campaign activity. So the lights burned brightly at the Hall farm that November 4 night. Hall and his wife left the constantly ringing telephone to awaken their three daughters and give them the victory news. "Daddy, you beat him. I know you did," cried Anne. Then her sisters Allison and Hannah joined in the wild, happy celebration. Hall, in his acceptance speech pledged again to dedicate himself and his office to "true representation of all the people of this great David Hall of Sylva, along with other kin and close friends gathered in the gallery of the United States House of Representatives. The occasion was the swearing-in ceremony for the newly-elected representatives of the 86th Congress. The oath was administered by Speaker of the House Sam Rayburn of Texas. David Hall had asked for assignment to the House Interior Committee, one important to Western North Carolina because of the large public land holdings of the Federal Government. The Cherokee Indian Reservation is also under the Department of the Interior. What could have been farther from the land of Western North Carolina than the moon? Yet Congressman Hall was assigned to the new committee of Science and Astronautics. Americans and their government were just beginning to realize the importance of space. The Russians had developed Sputnik only a year before and the United States was feeling the pressure to compete. Congressman Overton Brooks, committee chairman, reminded the members that "we have no time to lose. . .The national security aspects of space vehicles should be stressed now. "Hall became the top ranking freshman member of the committee. Much of the work in Congress is done through the committee system. Here, small groups of members become knowledgeable about the committee topic. In the fall of 1959, Hall with other members of Space and Astronautics flew to Londonto attend the International Astronautical Federation. In London, Hall worked with other delegations for proper ground rules and effective regulation of international scientific associations. David Hall arrived in Washington in January 1959. He had just received his committee assignment and had just entered into the ways and workings of Congress. Early in the term he had been chosen treasurer of the Eighty-sixth Congressional Club composed of the sixtythree freshmen Democratic House members. Suddenly in February, Hall had to undergo surgery at Bethesda Naval Hospital for a kidney problem. A second operation followed in March. In November at St. Joseph's Hospital in Asheville physicians found a malignancy in the scar tissue. In New York's Sloan-Kettering Institute in December an operation to remove the cancerous growth was performed. Hall was returned to C. J. Harris Community Hospital in Sylva and died there, at age forty-()ne, January 29, 1960. Congressman Herbert C. Bonner of North Carolina's First District announced to the House of Representatives David Hall's death. "His life was carried on with determination" said Congressman Bonner. "He was dedicated to the welfare . of the Government of the United States, and his own area of our State, the Twelfth District." Senator Sam J. Ervin, Jr. announced Hall's death to the Senate. "I have never known a more gallant spirit." Both Houses of Congress adjourned after a committee of members, twelve from the House and two from the Senate, were appointed to attend the funeral in Sylva's First Methodist Church on Sunday, January 31. Over 600 people, neighbors, old and political friends, and Washington dignitaries crowded the brick church that David Hall's father had helped build in 1917. "David had a strong will to live in a large world. He had drive, control, and discipline of his natural abilities. He had a desire to grow, to learn, to accomplish. "He had faith in himself, boundless energy, unceasing hope, a sense of duty and mission although he knew he was living on borrowed time." Hundreds of David Hall's friends followed the procession through the rain to the Webster Cemetery where he was buried near his father and grandfather, those early Carolina pioneers in whose footsteps he had followed. Beyond the hilltop cemetery, rising in tier after tier are the Continued On Page 4 Page 3, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Winter 1978 David McKee Hall (I9I8·I960) Just after he was sworn in as a member of Congress by Sam Rayburn. David with his family at the home in Webster-Mrs. Edith Hall, Hannah, Allison and Anne hall and wife Sarah . November 5, 1958. A conference with Senator John F. Kennedy. David at four . Eleven years old and mascot of Sylva Scout troop. David as a senior in high school. Page 4, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Winter 1978 Tom McClure Recalls Duties With Congressman Hall and His Washington I was Mr. Hall 's personal assistant in addition to being a member of his staff. I traveled with him always-to about everyfunction or meeting. Mr. Hall was a member of the House Science and Astronautics Committee. I attended all committee meetings with him and took care of all his affairs in that connection. This required a Top Secret Security clearance. taut; Jean Mauney Green of Murphy, secretary Tom McClure, Sylva, personal assistant; Sue Moreland of Asheville and Washington, secretary. Committees usually met during the morning hour and the House would go into session at noon. Following the morning committee meetings, Mr. Hall and I would return to the office for a brief period then go to the House floor around noon. I usually sat in the family gallery and when Mr. Hall ~tJ~L0\{1{~ 1{~<>0~f(coi<, f'9lr<'~<F{,J:{'@., ~ur,. 3"r", 18(.2. d;u,;U 1~ _J.L;~-t/C7t -~ntt?ra~"'"f ~ Z4."1: .Lcu-uu. 1'/ ],.,{n.r; V '-"U-4' .?npJ;{. .u>u{ J -uiu <'<nd ·)lA< f!im4« Wr,·M'c .d,- .d'vl<ln ~.t.u.t ~ ./.£;; .9'"'"'"~- O:tu;;,. f'a":a ,.?,(, )«~ Gtu.t ,,.,-4 -tk -.&l,.y . !$ .£n'lk'a' f'/t.tJ.J,u.; M.·pf.t,,.,,,j ~,$"'>'~- ~ a. Jf~ j 16. t£"}<~"'-~ .f & .au,y.-~ · ~y:.-4 for 'VC1. « aduf -~ fm•.< -'~ d,.t .:~ ,u-<a -ln.~,( d •.,k.tur 4rntl" hj f!<i//',w)'f G-_,u,~ 8/tm-tl_ <.;au-4.na. l'.nce ~ut oi?£a.:1et.~8Nt. f"tul .£Ut-nd, Q?Ft.W.D.Wu~ ;, . ,. ('ll<llt . a2f:6 ~ 7lia£.u-r. BltOf)('J'Oiof,JII,US. needed something he would turn around to me, nod, and I wo uld go down to the Speaker's gallery just outside the floor of the House to see what assistance he might need. I handled much of the correspondence in the office and met many visitors for Mr. Hall, showing them around Capitol Hill , after their meeting with him. During some of this time Mr. Hall was confined to the Bethesda Naval Hospital during which time I would take the morning mail and go to his suite at the Hospital where we would go over the mail and correspondence. I would then return to the office and leave in the late afternoon with mail going out and go back to Mr. Hall's hospital suite. After that I would go to my classes in the evening at American University. During this period of time I lived with the Hall family and of course enjoyed a very warm and close relationship . Mr. McClure, a native of Jackson County, is now a practicing attorney in Atlanta , Georgia . David Hall ••. Continued FJ"om Page 2 Cowee mountains and at their feet flows the Tuckaseigee River, past the old Hall farm . "Here was a man," wrote the Shelby Daily Star, "even though confined to a wheelchair, who insisted upon standing upon his own two feet. And we'll wager he never stood taller than he does now. '' By Joe P. Rhinehart Information for this story was taken from members of the Hall family, including Mrs. David M. Hall, Sr. , of Sylva, friends of David Hall, and files of The AshevilleCitizen Times. Local Brevities Jackson County Journal Sylva, December 3, 1908 Algea A. Brown, a nephew, of our clerk of court, V.F. Brown, has just completed his law course, and with good recommendations comes in our midst to take up his profession, Mr. Brown is located at Webster. We are glad to report that Weaver Moody who was low with ' fever at the A. and M. College is much better. Dr. Candler who was called to attend Mr. Moody, returned last Saturday and states that his chances are good for recovery. Joe Parker Rhinehart, the 1977 winner of the Adviser of the Year award receives an engraved tray from Sunpapers representative, Fay Welch. (This is a copy of an article printed in the October, 1977 issue of the Montgomery County Public Schools Bulletin.) Joe P . Rhinehart, Gaither sburg JHS teacher , has been selected Ma ryland's outsta nding journalism teacher and adviser . The award, given yearly by the Baltimore Sun, was presented at the Univer sity of Ma ryland's annual journa li sm a d v ise r 's workshop. Rhinehart is the adviser of the school 's paper, The Sword and Shield, whi ch he began 16 years ago. The paper has con-sistently won Ma ryland's top junior high school honor s, and this year was a medalist winne r in th e Columbia Scholastic Press Association competition . A new credit course in journa lism for MCPS ninth graders follows a co urse of s tud y tha t Rhinehart directed. <Editor's note : Joe Parker, son of Mr. and Mrs . Joe Rhinehart, is a native of Webster. He and his wife Florence are co-authors of The Webster Cookbook. They a re members of the Webster Historical Society and frequent contributors to Historic Webster. Mrs. Hamilton Mrs. Alice McGuire Ha milton, of 3033 Continental Colony Parkway, Atla nta, Ga ., who would have become 90 year s old on Washington's Birthday this year and who for ma ny years lived in the North Carolina mountains, Knoxville, Tenn., Atla nta and Decatur , Ga., died on J a nuary 10 at South Fulton Hospita l in East Point, Ga. Mr s . Ha milton, only last year vividly recalled in great detail her turn-ofthe- century experi ences as a young girl hungering for education in a book called " Blue Ridge Mountain Memories" published by Conger Publishing Company, Atlanta, Ga. Her thirst for knowledge was satisfied by being a ble to a ttend Cullowhee College, now known as Western Carolina Univer sity. Mrs. Ha milton was born in J efferson county, Tenn., and when she was 6 year s old the fa mily moved in a cover ed wagon to the Blue Ridge Mountain community of Norton, N.C. She lived in Whittier , Sylva, Asheville and Marsha ll for many years. Her fi rst husband was J ames Terrell Bird, Sr ., of Qua lla County. In 1928 Mrs. Ha milton moved to Atlanta and owned and managed several hotels, the most recent of which was The Northwood, now called the Pavillion Hotel, on 17th St. In 1939 she rented a room there to Ma rgaret Mitchell , a uthor of "Gone With The Wind," to use as a hidden office. She lived in Knoxville, Tenn ., from 1963 to 1971 and was a member of St. Pa ul Methodist Church there. She was a member of the North Decatur Uni ted Methodist Church, Decatur , Ga. Funeral services were held in Atlanta J anua ry 13 at a t H.M. Patterson and Son Cascade Hill Chapel with buria l in Wes t v iew Cem e t e r y , Atl a n ta , The Rev. Reynolds Greene , Jr., and the Rev. George Holden offi cia ted. Survi vors inc lude a daughter , Mrs. Sa ra Belle Edwa rds , Atl a nta a brother W.M. McGuire, Knoxville , Tenn ., Two sis t e r s, Miss Ruth McGuir e , Ma r yvi ll e, Tenn ., and Mrs. Frank S. Galey, Orlando, Fla. She also leaves seven gra ndchildren and 10 greatgrandchildren. Taken from the Sylva Herald, J anua ry 26, 1978. (Mrs. Ha milton was a cha rter member and enthusiastic supporter of The Webster Historical Society .) Page 5, HISTORIC WEBSTER, Winter 1978 Political Announcements Jackson County Journal Webster June 8, 1906 Treasurer I ta ke this means of saying to the Democratic voters of J ackson County that I am a candidate for the office of County Treasurer . Thanks to the good people who conferred this honor on me two years ago. If I am elected to succeed myself, I will strive to make a faithful officer . W. D. FRIZZELL I her eby announce my name as a candida te for the office of County Treasurer for Jackson county subject to the democra tic primary of said county . JOHN A. WILLIAMS Clerk of Superior Court I have served you as best I could for one term as Clerk of the Superior Court. It has taken a lot of hard work and study to learn the duties of the office, but I think I will be a ble to serve you much better in the future tha n I have in the past. Thanking you fo r past favors, I again solicit your support in the Democra tic primary soon to be held, promising a cheerfull submission to the will of the people so expressed in the primary. Very respectfully. V.F. BROWN To the Democratic voters of Jackson county. I am before the prima ries of said County as a Candida te for the office of clerk of the Superior Court, subject to the action of the prima ries. Thanking you all for past favors, and soliciting them again. It is not worth my while to say anything as to my ma king you a clerk as you all know me, and know how I heretofore served you. Respectfully, J . W. FISHER Sheriff I adopt this method to announce to the Democratic voter s of Jackson county that I am a candidate for the nomina tion of Sheriff of J ackson County. BOOTH PRICE After careful considera tion, have decided to place my name before the people for sheriff again , subject to the Democratic primary, which is to be held soon. I have tried to serve the people the best I could in the past , and will endeavor to do so in the future, if elected. Thanking the good people for the support they have given me in the past, and for whatever support they may give me in the next prima ry, I remain your humble servant, W.C.NORTON Having been solicited by a number of voters to allow my name to go before the primary as a candidate for Sheriff, I have decided to do so and ta ke this means of thanking my friends for their support given me four years ago when I was a candidate for this same honor. If I am selected to make the race and am elected, I will endeavor to serve the people in such a way as that they will not regret having supported me. J .W.DAVIS To the democra tic voters of J ackson county I hereby announce myself a candidate for Sheriff of said county, subject to the ac ti o n of the Democ ratic prima ries. If nomina ted and elected I pledge myself to make you an honest and faithful officer. A.B. BRYSON To the Good Citizens of J ackson County: I have served you as sheriff for six years and two years as county commissione r . My record is before the people. If it is the wish of the people to reta in me longer you will please give me the sheriff's office this time; as that office s uits me better than commissioner. If you do not desire that I serve you any longer I am willing to retire to private life and be one of the humble citizens. Respectfully, W.A. HENSON Register of Deeds I hereby announce myself a candidate for the office of Register of Deeds of J ackson count y , s ubj ec t to the Democra tic primaries. OTTISSELF I hereby announce myself a candida te for the office of Register of Deeds of Jackson county, subject to the action of the Democra tic primary. JAKEJ. WILD I hereby announce myself as a candida te for Register of Deeds for Jackson county, subject to the action of the Democra tic Convention. THEO. BUCHANAN I hereby announce myself a candida te for the office of Register of Deeds for J ackson county. subject to the action of the Democra tic prima ry. GEO. 0 . COWARD There proba bly a re not a half dozen men in the county who have held more offices or served longer than I have, but I have never yet asked for a single one, and I have never yet held a remunerative one. But I now for the first time ask for one, subject to the Democra tic nominating convention. I want to be your next Register of Deeds , because I believe I am fully competent to discharge its duties, and because I need the fees for my support. Should I be successful in securing the nomination and election I promise unsparing and courteous discharge of the duties it involves. JAMES W. TERRELL C.A. Bird for Representative Editor Jackson County Journal : I do not see nor hear of any on e s po k e n of for the Legislator for J ackson county. I wish to call for my old fri end and neighbor, C.A. Bird, of Qualla township. He served us as county commissioner two terms and made a good one. He will represent us fairly and squarely in the house. W.M. RHEA Sylva , N.C., June 6, 1906 Historic Rifle Is Donated To Museum Cullowhee, N.C. August 29, 1934 Mr . W.E. Bird, Cha irman Smoky Mounta ins National Park Museum Cullowhee, N.C. I am presenting you as cha irman this r ifl e which was donated to me by the heirs of the late D.M. Wike , my father , of Cashiers, N.C. The gun was made by Ha rvey Gillespie (about the year 1868 ) of Transylvania County. You will see that it is a muzzle loading rifle. The bullets were run in molds from bars of lead. In loading they were wra pped with cloth called " pa tching" . Thi s cloth was oiled with tallow held in an oil cup in the breech of the gun. The early settlers of the mounta ins usually kept such fowling pieces for the protection of their homes, but this pa rticular gun was ma inlyused for hunting wild game that roamed the forest at that time. Many bears, wolves , wildcats, deer , wild turkeys, not to mention a ll the smaller animals such as squirrels, raccoons and pheasants, lost their lives by the expert ma rksmanship of the many hunter s who carried this gun . It was also used in old time " Shooting Matches" where pa rts of beef were the stake and many choice pieces of beef we re ca rri ed away beca use of its s upe rior shooting qualities. I hope it may be ol some mterest to those who visit these southern mountains, because it is a true relic of " Bygone Days" . Respectfully, W.D. Wike (Note: This gun is in the Gr eat Smoky Mountains Museum. It is labeled "Gillespie Gun". . Page I, HIS IURJC WEBSTER, Winter 1978 Valley Of The Horsepasture A Picturesque Section l)ear Editor: The readers of lie DEMOCRAT will probably like to hear from the southern part of Jackson County. I will say in the outset that we will have snow in abundance and a likelihood of more yet to come. Perhaps but few of the readers of the DEMOCRAT have ever visited this section of the county. The Georgetown Post office is kept by the enterprising and economical farmer, John A. Hooper he lives near the center of the beautiful Fairfield valley, which is situated about five miles from the Transylvania line and is surrounded by grand and picturesque mountains, noted for their altitude and large overhanging cliffs. The valley is traversed from north to south by the Horsepasture river; the waters of which are clear as crystal and abundantly supplied with speckled trout. It is here that the bold and fearless Wade Hampton used to while away his time catching these delicious mountain trout. He also spent much of his time, during summer, hunting deer, turkeys and smaller game. I have heard it said that the General could scare up two quails, let them fly in opposite directions, shoot and kill both of them before they got out of reach. Leaving history and returning to a description of the country, I will state that Horsepasture river has its source at, and near, the top of the Blue Ridge range of mountains. It flows in a southeasterly direction and enters the Keowee river of South Carolina. Along its course for ten or fifteen miles below here, it flows over a bed of pure white sand, giving the fisherman a chance to see his game at almost any depth in the stream. Looking south you see the great Chimney-top mountain rearing its head far above the surrounding country; its base forms the southern boundary of Fairfield, the entire mountain presents a beautiful spectacle from below, and furnishes sufficient elevation for the tourist to make his ascension to its summit and view the mountains of Western North Carolina. Many years ago a party of South Carolinians went up on Chimney-top early in the spring some time during the day one of their horses strayed from them and remained in the forest all summer, late in the autumn the lost animal was found, after much worry and trouble. Not being accustomed to wild grass, it was almost starved to death. The only thing interesting about the horse was its name-Cashiers , from which Cashiers Valley gets its name. In traveling through these mountains the mind of the tourist is directed to the great number of cold springs along the way, and the quantity of brooklets supplied by them. There are many streams here large enough to turn a small mill, whose waters are cold enough, during the entire summer, to make one's teeth ache. Fairfield Valley is so level that by erecting a two or three dollar thousand dam at the lower end, over a section of land it can be converted into a lake. This would make quite a desirable place for pleasure seekers, if such a thing were done. Capitalists have talked of this scheme for several years and I think it is sure to be accomplished in the near future. Nature has done too much in that direction for it to go unimproved. Yours truly, W.D.Wike *Georgetown, N.C. February 8th, 1895 *The Georgetown (near Toxaway) post office is no longer in existence. Order Form The Webster Cookbook Drawer W Webster, North Carolina 28788 Enclosed is$ . Send me copies of THE WEBSTER COOKBOOK 11 U.2S plus .75 for wropping and moiling. lndicote on seporolt sheet if books ore to be moiled to othor thin person moking order. Gift cords will be included If indicoted. NAM~ --- ADDRESS --- CITY _____ _ STATE --- Zl P· --- '-- --- Personals --- Jackson County Journal Webster Friday, June 8, 1906 T. H. Parker of Cowarts, was here Monday. M. D. Hardin, of Wolf Mt. was here Monday. W. L. Henson, of Painter, was here Wednesday. Born to George W. McConnell on the 4th inst. , a son. The trustees of Webster Graded School met last Saturday and set Saturday, June 9th to elect a principal and teachers for our school. It will be well for those living in the county, and not in reach of a good school to move to Webster and school their children. We will welcome you into our town. Sylva Dots The ice cream supper given by the ladies of the Home Mission society was given at the millinery shop of Mrs. Sherrill and Gray last Friday night. In spite of the rain they cleared over $6.00. DockBrysonofCullowhee, Mrs. W.W. Brown , is was here Monday on visiting her parents in Tran- A coat of paint was put on the parsonage last week. It gives it a fine effect. Nearly all the debts are settled on the parsonage, and the next payment to the church extension board practically arranged for. This is due to the work of the Home Mission society and to no one more than Mrs. Marsh, wife of the Methodist pastor. business. sylvania county. D. W. Middleton of Tuckaseigee, was here on business Monday. Geo. Tathem, of Deitz , received injuries while working at the saw mill Friday. Mrs. Lawrence D. Cowan has gone to visit her parents at Shoal Creek this week. Professor R. L. Madison, of Painter, was here Monday. Thanks for the beautiful bouquet of blossoms. Miss Bell Picklesimer, daughter of Mr. Samuel Picklesimer, died of heart trouble on the 31st- Franklin Press. Mrs. V. L. Marsh, of Sylva, was here Wednesday and organized the Womans' Home Mission society , of the Methodist church. The Staff Editors: Mrs. Louise B. Davis Dr. Marilyn Jody Circulation Manager: Mrs. Jennie Hunter Typists : Mrs. Sara Barrett Mrs. Jennie Hunter Contributors: Joe Parker Rhinehart Tom McClure Mrs. Ralph Sutton Mrs. David Hall Drawer W Miss Mary Love has gone to Sweetwater, Tenn. , to spend a month with relatives. There are no finer ladies than Miss Mary. Dr. and Mrs. Nichols have returned from Cashiers. They contemplate housekeeping. We are glad to have them as neighbors. J .W. Divelbiss has opened up business in the basement of the Sylva Supply Co. He is selling corn and hay. He is a business success. Call on him. Gen. E.R. Hampton was in town this week. Judge Davies, Miss Daisy and Mrs. Coxe, spent a few hours in town this week. W ehster Elects Town Officials The town of Webster elected November 8, 1977, James Simpson as its mayor; and Roy Baker, Claude Cowan, Louise Davis, R.L. Haskett , and Goldman Monteith as its aldermen. These officials, chosen on a non-partisan basis, will serve for a term of four years. Mrs. Irene Queen remained as town clerk . In mid December, the mayor, the board and the town clerk were sworn into office by Magistrate, J .H. Morris, Jr. of Webster and Sylva. Send your renewal check to Mrs. Joe Rhinehart, Membership Chairman, Webster, North Carolina 28788. MEMBERSHIP RUNS FROM JANUARY 1 THROUGH DECEMBER 31 The classes of membership and dues are as follows : Active (resident of Western N.C.) : $5.00 yearly Associate (outside Western N.C.): . $5.00 yearly Contributing: . . . . . . . . $10.00 yearly Supporting: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $20.00 yearly Sustaining: . . . . . . . . . . SJO.OO yearly Life: . . . . . . . . . . . S100.00 All contributions are income tax deductible. Webster, North Carolina 28788 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED
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