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                                                                Exhibit 17(b)(2)


              [Letterhead of Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation]


May 4, 1998

Board of Directors
Brad Ragan, Inc.
4404-G Stuart Andrew Blvd.
Charlotte, NC  28217


Members of the Board:

         You have requested our opinion (the "Opinion") expressed below, on
behalf of the shareholders of Brad Ragan, Inc. (the "Company"), of the
consideration to be received by the shareholders of the Company in the proposed
transaction (the "Transaction") in which The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.
("Goodyear") would acquire 556,924 shares of common stock, or approximately 25%
of the total shares outstanding, of the Company for $37.25 per share (the
"Offer").

         Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation is one of the largest independent
investment banking firms headquartered in the Southeast. As part of its regular
investment banking business, Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation evaluates
securities in connection with negotiated underwritings, leveraged buyouts,
secondary distributions, private placements, estate and gift valuations, mergers
and acquisitions, employee stock ownership plan purchases and other activities.

         We have developed our Opinion on the basis of the findings and
conclusions arising from our conduct of due diligence with respect to the
Company. In arriving at our Opinion, we have, among other things:

         1)       reviewed the terms of the Offer;

         2)       reviewed historical market price and volume information
                  relating to the Company;

         3)       analyzed certain historical and projected business and
                  financial information relating to the Company;

         4)       conducted discussions with members of senior management of the
                  Company with respect to the business and the Transaction;

         5)       reviewed financial and market information as to certain other
                  publicly traded companies believed by us to be reasonably
                  similar to the Company; and



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         6)       conducted such other financial studies, analyses and
                  investigations as appropriate and relevant as the basis for
                  the conclusions set forth in this Opinion.

         We have relied upon and assumed, without independent verification, the
accuracy and completeness of the financial and other information furnished to us
by the Company including, without limitation, all financial projections.
Accordingly, we do not make any warranties, nor do we express any opinion
regarding the accuracy of such projections. We have also relied upon the
assurances of management of the Company that they are unaware of any facts that
would make the information provided to us incomplete or misleading.

         Based upon and subject to the foregoing and such other matters as we
considered relevant, it is our opinion that as of the date hereof, the Offer
received by the shareholders of the Company is fair, from a financial point of
view.

         Our fees for rendering our Opinion are not contingent upon the Opinion
expressed herein, and neither Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation nor any of its
affiliates or employees has a present or intended material financial interest in
the Company. Further, Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation is independent of all
parties participating in the proposed Transaction.

         This Opinion is furnished pursuant to our engagement letter dated
November 13, 1997. Our Opinion is directed to the Board of Directors of the
Company and does not constitute a recommendation to any shareholder of the
Company as to how such shareholder should vote in connection with the
Transaction. This Opinion is a summary discussion of our underlying analyses and
may be included in communications to the shareholders of the Company provided
that Interstate/Johnson Lane Corporation approves of such disclosures prior to
publication.



                                        Very truly yours,



                                        INTERSTATE/JOHNSON LANE
                                        CORPORATION


