Population
City Limits 7.206
Trading Area 154)00
(1945 Ration Board Figure)
VOL. 63 NO. 50
Kings Mountain'* RELIABLE Newspaper
2Q Pages
Today
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, December 10, 1953
Sixty-Third Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Water Situation
Report Brighter
. ? ; <?> ' : l_l V
Local News
Bulletins
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter receipts for
the week ending Wednesday
at noon totaled $145.60, accord
ing to report from the city
treasurer's office yesterday.
TAG SALES
A .total of 171 Kings Moun
tain motorists had purchased
1954 auto license plates Wed
nesday, according to report of
City Clerk Joe Hendrick. City
tags may be purchased for one
dollar.
REAPPOINTED
Conrad Hughes was reap
pointed as the county's Num
4 Township tax lister in action
by the county board of commis
' sioners on Monday. Tax listing
will begin in January.
HAS MUMPS
Miss Alice Averltt, teaching
consultant in the city schools,
in confined to her home with
a case of mumps. She became
ill Wednesday.
""iOtaloU MEETING
Regular monthly meeting of
Otis D. Green Post 155, the A
merican Legion will be held
Friday at 8 p. m. at the Le
gion Hall. All members are in
vited to attend and urged to
(bring another member or pros
pect, C. E. Warlick, command
er, announced.
r; KIWANIS PROGRAM
Sen E. Hoff myer, of Morgan
ganton, superintendent of Nor
th Carolina School for the
Deaf, will present the program
at the weekly meeting of the
Kings Mountain Kiwanls club
Thursday night at 6:45 at Ma
sonic Dining Hall. Mr. Hoff
myer will (be accompanied by a
teacher and five students at
the school, according to Dr. W.
Pu Gerberding, program chair
man.
ROAD MEETING
June Scarborough, of States
ville, commissioner for the
12th State Highway division,
wiJJ be at the division office,
located approximately three
miles ea*t of Shelby on US No.
74 at 10 o'clock on Monday
December 14th, to receive and
hear delegations with- referen
ce to road matters, according to ,
announcement toy. L. B. Peck,
engineer.
AHP Christmas
Program Wednesday
The annual Christmas program
at Boyce Memorial ARP church
will be presented Wednesday, De
cember 16, at the church. Time of
the pageant i* 7 o'clock.
Cast of characters include:
Freddy Hambright, herald; Nan
cy Hovis, Mary; Melvin Ware, Jo
seph; Billy Shuford, Herod; Doug,
las Burton, servant; Frances O
wens, scribe, and Mickey Powers,
letter-writer. Angels include Lin-,
da Hull, Jane Hambright, Norma
Farr, and Diane Flowers. Shep
herds include Reta Phifer, Lynn
Goforth, Neal McCarter, Danny
Whi taker, Welly Harris, and
Wendell Phifer, Jr. Kenny Steffy,
I.ynn Cheshire, and Eddie Gar
rard will play the part of wise
men.
1952 City Taxes
1 n^i-ran 1 nnM
' * pelClBI pa VI#
and the 1*53 tax l*ry o! S113.
*046 is 96 percent paid. To*
?4 only SM67.71 dM on
wa tax levy, listing ?s
mmt POW ,
Gold Mine Shalt
Supply And Rain
Eases Drought
Though far from claiming an
adequate water supply, Kings
Mountain city officials were
breathing easier this week aftter
a series of developments which
held promise of relief.
After striking the water-filled
tunnel of the old gold mine last
Thursday morning at 6 a. m., thte
city expected to tap It for 300 gal
Ions per minute, beginning yester
day, with a new 40-horsepower
motor on a large pump.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges also re
ported the artesian wells at thte
old water plant being pumped for
about 110,000 gallons per day, and
heavy weekend rains swelled the
supply at the city lake reservoir,
raising the ltevel at the dam a re
ported two inches. Actually, the
level is some six inches above a
previously reported low spot, Wa
ter Plant Operator George Moss
said. v
The plea to water consumers,
howtever, was still "use water
sparingly", though the city board
did relax its request to *ei.vic&
stations and individuals on car
washing. Officially, the board of
commissioners passed a resolu
tion permitting car-washing on
Fridays and Saturdays '{Thar*
day, Friday and Saturday this
week), and has asked citizens
washing their cars at home to
conserve water ? . aftter a look
at the low city lake.
Foot? Mineral Company con
tinued on a half-day basis, and
consumption of finished water, as
reported by Mr. Moss, was down
to a low average of 542,000 gal
lons per day.
Striking the legendary Gold
Mine tunnel was thte big news of
the past week, and climaxed long,
tedious "and expensive work by
Carolina Well-Drilling Company,
of Shelby. The drilling crew, al
ter encountering heavy rock, hit
the tunnel at 250 fleet. Initial
pumpings brought out a good
stream of water accompanied by
a heavy aroma of sulphur.
Mayor Bridges said Wednesday
morning that the 40-horsepower
motor expected to be in operation
Wednesday afternoon *vould pro*
ducte 300 gallons of water per
minute from the Gold Mine's un
derground lake, or In excess of
400,000 gallons per day. The Gold
Mine is located on high ground
northeast of the city lake on pro
perty owned by Carl F. Mauney.
"People should continue to use
water sparingly," Mayor Bridges
said. "We feel better about the
water situation, but it is going to
require much rain to return the
lake reservoir to a safe ltevel." |
CAROL program
A Dickens' Christmas Carol
will be presented at the Plonk
School of Creative Arts In
. Ashevilie by students at the
3chool on Saturday and Sun
day. The Saturday program
begins at 8:15 and the.
Sunday afternooo program be
gins at 4 o'clock, according to
announcement made here
Wednesday.
Boaid Confirms
$9,184 Street
Assessment Roll
* * ? , * . -? .
The city officially added $9,
18-1.68 to its accounts receivable
last Thursday night, as it con
firmed assessments for improve
ments to numerous city streets.
The action was taken after a
public hearing attracted only
three persons to protest the pre
viously advertised assessment
roll.
Dorus L. Bennett, G. L. McDa
nlel, and V. F- McMahan ap
peared to protest the planned
assessment, generaly on the
contention that the assessments
were too high. However, Mayor
Glee A. Bridges stated that the
work was done toy a previous
administration and that the costs
were arrived at from figures
furnished by Tom Henry, former
superintendent of public works.
After promising a check of the
property involved, the city later
confirmed the assessments as
charged, with one exception. Re
measurement of the property of
G. L. McDanlel on Landing street
extension revealed an error and
resulted in deduction of 56.60
from the McDaniel assessment.
The full assessment roll is
published in today's issue of the
Herald, Page 8, Section IL ' Ac
cording- to the statement accom
panying the assessment, the as
sessments may be paid at net
until January 3, 1954, with un
paid balances after that date
bearing interest at the rate of
six percent per year. The assess
ments are payable in three year
ly Installments.
RmI Bites Held
Toi C, Hard
Funeral services for Lfester C.
Hord, 82, were held Monday at
2 p. m. from Oak View Baptist
church.
Rev. C: E. Oxford, Rev. E. O.
Gore, Rev. Frank Tetter and Rev.
David Morris officiated and buri
al was in Mountain Rest ceme
tery.
Mr. Hord succumbfed at his
home dfo route one at 4:30 a. m.
Saturday after an illness of sev
eral years. He was a retired mer
chant and building contractor and
was a native of Cleveland Coun
ty. He was a member of Oak
View church.
Survivors includb his wife, Mrs.
Charlotte Ballard Hord; five sons,
Rev. ?. C. Hord of Cordele, Ga.,
Tim, Paul, and Jake Hord of
Kings Mountain, Durham and O
dell Hord of Charlotte, and L. C.
Hord, Jr., of the U. S. Navy in
California; four daughters, Mrs.
Earnest Huffstetler and Mrs. Jes
qie Pennirtgton of Kings Moun;
tain, Mrs. Mary Treadway of
Cramerton, and Mrs. Elizabeth
Cartter of Flint, Mich.; 21 grand
children; and 10 great-grand
children.
Four half-sisters also survive,
Mrs. Craig Falls, Mrs. J. B. Falls,
and Mrs. Alton Ivey of Kings
Mountain, and Miss Eunice Hord
of AshevJIIe.
BUILDING PERMITS
Building permits were issu
ed during the past week by J.
W. Webster, building inspect
or, to C. G. Whitef or erection
of a home on Linwood R<L at
an estimated cost of $10,000
?and to Frank Burke for erec
tion of ? residence on W. Gold
St. at estimated expense of
*10,000.
Paris & Recreation Commission
; Five New Members Named
The city board of commission
ers adopted ? resolution last
Thursday paring the city parks
and recreation commission to six
members, accepted formally re
signations of the former mem
[MM, 'then named five citizens
to the new commission. ?
AH of the five have had pre
vlous service on the city iparks
and recreation commission.
1 The resolution sets tip a three
year staggered system of ser
vice on the commission, and the
board appointed five members
as follows: ? .
Fred W. Plonk, to serve on*
yea'r. ? *? ?? \i
Hunter & Nelsler, to aervfe two
years, ? - - ;
W, JH- Mauney, Jr., to serve two
sars. ,
John Lathem, to serve three
[ JacJc H. White, to serve thre*
years. ' .
The board left vacant one one
year term.
Comment on the Incident of
the en masse resignation of the
former board was brief. Commts- :
sioner Harold Phillips said some]
members of the resigning com
mission had Indicated Tack of
Cooperation on the part of the
city board. While Mayor Glee A.
Bridges said ha understood from
members of the recreation com
mission that it had proved diffi
cult to obtain ? quorum with an
[unwieldy number of members.
; A meeting ot the newly ay
pointed pirtv and recreation
commission has been tentatively
scheduled for 5 o'clock Thursday
afternoon at the offices of Oavls
k White, attorney*, for the pur
w nf nrMnblna
ACCEPTS CALL ? Rev. R. Doug
las Fritz, pastor of Mt. Hebron
Lutheran church at Hildebran j
in Burke county, has accepted
the call of Resurrection Lutheran
church to become its pastor.
To Assume
Pastorate Here
Rev,. R. Douglas Fritz has ac
cepted the pastorate of Resurrec
tion Lutheran church in Kings
Mountain and will assume his
new duties about January 1.
Formal acceptance .of Mr.
Fritz' resignation from his pres
ent pastorate at Mt. Hebron L
theran church, Hildebranj in
Burke county, was formally ac
cepted Sunday by the Mt. He
bron congregation. The Mt. He
bron church first had declined to
accept the resignation tendered
on November 22.
Rev. Mr. Fritz will succeed Rev
Vance Daniel, first pastor of Res
urrection Lutheran church, who
now is serving another mission
churcu at Decatur, Ga.
Rev. Mr. Fritz was born In
Waukeshau, Wise., the son of Dr.
and Mrs. C. E. Fritz, the former
now the president of the Geor
gia ? Alabama Synod. He was
graduated from Columbia High
school, Columbia, S. C., in 1944,
Lenoir Rhyne College in 1947,
and the Lutheran Southern The
ological Seminary In 1950. The
Mt. He'^'on congregation at Hil
debran was his first parish and
he began his work there in June,
1950.
He was married to Miss Anne
McClintock, of Winnsboro, S. C.,
in June, 1952.
Marie Wright
Winner Of SU2
Marie Wright, who lives on
South Piedmont avtenue, was the
winner Of Ik st Thursday's Trea
sure Chest drawing. Her name,
on a 50 percent ticket, was the
first one drawn and the ticket
was worth $112 in trade certifi
cates.
The Treasure Chtest drawing
for this Thursday lists *? total
value of $176, according to an
nouncement by the merchants'
committee handling the promo
tion.
In addition, numerous conso
lation- prizes are being added as
a so-called "Christmas bonus", it
was announced. The first drawing
will be for thfe Treasure Chest
prize, subsequent drawings for
the consolation articles.
It was also announced that no
tickets will be accepted for de
posit In the big ticket cage at
the time of the drawing. Tickets
must be deposited at participat
ing stores prior to the drawing.
The committee said the change
would eliminate delay and con
fusion at the scene of the draw
ing.
Thursday's drawing will again
be held In front of Kings Moun
tain Building A Loan association,
same location as last week, at
3:30 p. m.. or shortly thereafter.
Treasure Chest tickets are ob
tainable from any participating
retailer. A person must be pre
sent to win, though husband can
answer for wife and vice versa.
Mrs. Morrison's
Father Succumbs
Funeral rites for Clarence Ver
non JUall. 57. resident of Glen Al
?*ne ?nd fa**??r Mn. F- *.
Mnr-tvtn o' K?nrt M<*'t,aln. were
conducted Tuesday afternoon at
2:|0 from Glen Alnlne Methodist
church with full Masonic burial
rites in the Marion cemetery.
Mr. Lail died suddenly at hla
home Sunday night at 8 o'clock.
Re had t?een in declining health
for several years.
City Resolves
To Seek Bettei
Phone Service
The city hoard oT~"commissioiv
ers unanimously adopted a reso
lution at their December meeting
last week to seek improved tele
phone service for the community
from Southern Bell Telephone &
Telegraph Company.
The resolution did not indicate
what type of improvements the
hoard desires, but indications
were the city will press Southern
Bell for Installation of dial ser
vice.
In an otherwise busy night, the
board also
1) Reinstituted the one dollar
penalty for late payment of water
and power accounts, effective
with January billings.
2) Approved payment of $650
to Luco Falls, Wiley Blanton, and
City Clerk Joe Hendrlck for their
work in re- mapping and re-num
bering city blocks.
3) Approved transfer of taxi
franchises of the late Gus FMty
to Frank Roper.
4) Approved petitions for im
proving, when possible, the fol
lowing streets: Edgemont Drive,
street paving; south side of Lac
key street to the intersection of
Gantt street, sidewalk; Gantt
street, between Fulton and ^Lac
key, street - paviug; and. west
side of Cleveland nvenub, between
Ridge and King street, sidewalk.
5) Informed Carlton Mills, Inc.,
it could use the city dump for a
fee of $84 per year, same policy
the city follows with Park Yarn
Mills Company.
6) Approved a long list of tax
cancellations as furnished by Tax
Collector C. E. Carpenter, duetto
a varietv of reasons, including
double ? listing,- Hating of proper
ty outside the city limits, listing
poll tax for men In service, list
ing by people now deceased. The
board declined to cancel a bill for
about $24 against Yates W. Jones.
Mr. Jonfes contended he had listed
one day and moved outside the
city limits two days later. The
city attorney advised that the tax
bill was due the city.
7) Voted to advertise for bids
on eurb-and-gutter and sidewalk
Improvements to West Mountain
street. On this project the city Is
to be reimbursed for the eurb
and-gutter work, up to $19,000,
by the State Highway nnd Public
Works commission, a letter from
the district engineer ? stated.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges "pointed
out that the Mountain street pro
ject most likely would require al
most all the available funds and
that a similar project, scheduled
for N. Piedmont avenue would
have to await new credits from
the state in the forthcoming fis
cal year..
8) Voted to advertise for bids
on a 50-pound capacity chlorina
tor for the city water plant, at
Insistence of State Health De
partment inspector.
9) Passed a resolution author
izing in-city service stations to
wash automobiles on weekends,
rescinding partially a previous
request by the city to suspend
auto-washing altogether. Jim
Leigh and Jim Gibson, service
station operators, told the board
the car-washing restriction had
proved a great detriment to the
other phases of their business as
well. : ;
10) Instructed E. C. Nicholson,
- Continued On Page Eight
Negro Family Loses
Almost All In Fire
Luther Black and family, color
ed, had a short period of resi
dence at the George Thombs
house on Waco Road,
The Black family moved In
Tuesday morning, and, the house
was destroyed by fire Tuesday af
ternoon, destroying virtually all
the Black belongings. Reported
saved were a few items of furni
ture, wearing apparel, and a hog
Black had just killed. No Insur
ance coverage was carried, and
Black was laid off his Job at
Kings Mountain Sh*?et Metal
Works a week previously, he said.
The fire, which occurred about
3:30 p. m., was thought to have
started from a defective flu.
CHAFTSFOTf MiTT
Annual Christina ?.*rty tor
emplavees of Craftsnun Yarns,
Inc., and their families will be
held at Central school auditor
ium Sunday, December 20 at 2
i ?..m. Fred Kliiby will be the
' feature attraction en 4 pro- 4
gram Including quartets and
specialty acts, Harold ThllUpe
jaid In the ftftno?iK*menfcV 3^
w; i 11 Tuinnnfir i' i L II 1 111 ll?lKT8Hf
THANKSGIVING DAY KILL ? Kings Mountain's Harry Page family
is pictured above at the Oakland plantation, near Council, shortly
after Mrs. Page had felled a 10-point buck weighing 130 pounds on
a Thanksgiving Day hunt. Mrs. Page felled the deer at 55 yards,
using "OO" buckshot in a 12-guage automatic shotgun. It was the
third deer bagged by Mrs. Page, a veteran sportswoman. She is a
former North Carolina Women's Skeet Shooting champion. Pictured
are Laura Page, Mrs. Page, Harry E. Page, and Polly Page.
. , m i i i .i
Lay ton Awarded
Blocking Trophy
Enright Speaks
At Annual Lions
Football Party
Rex Enright, University Of
South Carolina football coach,
delivered an Interesting, wit-filled
address at the annual Lions club
football banquet Tuesday night
honoring Kings Mountain high
school players and coaches. .
The banquet meeting, attended
by nearly 120 persons, was held
at the Masonic Hall.
Ronnie Layton, senior end on
the 1953 team, was awarded the
first annual Fred Plonk Blofck
lng trophy for being chosen by
the coaches as the olub's out
standing blocker. The handsome
trophy was presented by Coach
Shu Carlton, after he had intro
duced the members of the team.
Coaches Carlton, Don Parker,
and John Charles were presented
gifts by W. L, Plonk, program
chairman, and President Ollie
Harris presided.
Coach Enright was Introduced
by Ken Alexander, Gastonia Ga
zette sports editor.
The veteran USC mentor intro
duced Gene Wilson, of Fayette
vllle, captain and "inspirational
leader" of the 1953 Gamecocks,
and Earl Dunham, backfield
coach, "ontp of the greatest play
ers I've had the pleasure of
coaching."
Coach Dunham showed a movie
of the USC - Maryland game as
a final feature of the program.
NEW PASTOR, ? Rev. H. Spur
geon Scruggs, above, has assum
ed pastorate duties at Park
Grace Church of the Nasarene.
He succeeds Rev. Clay Childers.
who has entered the evangelistic
field*
Scruggs Accepts
Nazaxene Call
Rev/ H. SpUrgeon Scruggs has
accepted the pastorate call of
Park Grace Church of the Na
zarene and began his duties last
Sunday. He succeeds as pastor
Rev. Clay Childers, who resigned
to enter the evangelistic field.
Rev. Mr. Scruggs has servled
Continued On Page Eight
Model Home At 607 Crescent Circle
To Be Demonstrated This Weekend
Elmer Lumber Company, Inc.,
and Crescent Hill Development
Co., Inc., will collaborate this
weekend In presenting in Kings
M-xintain's first model home
| Rhow, beginning Friday evening.
The two firms, supplier and
builder, are showing the new
ranch-style residence at 607 Crej
?ent Circle and ihvltlng the public
to visit and Inspect the Just-com
pleted five-room residence.
Collaborating with the two ma
?r exhibitors are five Kings
ountaln firms which are fur
nishing the home for the show.
Balrd Furniture and Cooper's.
Inc., are furnishing the two bed
rooms, McGinnis Furniture Com- 1
pany if. exhibiting furniture suit
able for the den, and the living ]
room is being furnished by Ster
chl'a. Inc. Community Implement
Supply Company Is furnishing
Crosley appliances for the kit
cheh, with other kitchen fixtures |
being shown from Elmer Lum
ber's Youngstown line.
The home will be open for In
spection Friday evening, from 7
to 9 p. m., on Saturday ftom 2 to
5 and 7 to 9 p. m., and on Sunday
afternoon, from 2 to 5 p. m.
Continued. On Page Might
Voters To Decide
Bond Questions,
Recreation Tax
The city hoard of commission
ers has called a $<>00,000 bond is
sue election for January 16. Re
gistration books for the special
election will optfn on December
19.
The board completed final
plans for the election at its De
cember meeting last Thursday,
named election officials, passed
ordinances and resolutions re
quired to offrr the election,
whereby citizens will determine
whether the city shall borrow
$250,000 for water system im
provements, $200,000 for sewer
system improvements, and $150,
000 for building recreation facili
ties.
Each of the Issues will stand or
fall on its own. One issue may be
approved, another disapproved
without effecting the outcome of
the others.
In addition, the voters will vote
"yes" or "no" on a fourth ques
tion: Shall an annual tax of not
more than five cents on each $100
of taxable property be levied, if
necessary, for conducting and
mantaining a supervised recrea
tion system.
Election officials named by the
commissioners follow:
Ward 1 ' ? C. L. Black, regis
trar. M. L. Harmon, Sr., and Mrs.
Lloyd llouser, judges.
Ward 2 ? Mrs. II. R. Parton,
registrar. Mrs. L. C. Parsons and
Mrs. George Allen, judges.
Ward 3 ? Mrs. Ruth Bowers,
registrar, Rochel Connor and
Mack Murray, judges.
1 Ward 4 ? C. P. Goforth, regist
rar, _George White and Mrs. C. P.
Goforth, judges.
Ward 5 ? Mrs. J. T. McGlnnis,
Jr., registrar, J C. Keller and W.
D. Weaver, Judges.
The registration books will be
open for three consecutive Sat
urdays beginning December 19.
January 9 will be Challenge Day,
and the voting will be conducted
on Saturday, January 16. Per
sons already on the voting books
are not required to register again.
Optimist Group
Meets Thursday
Third pre-organizational meet
ing of the Optimist club will be
hold at Corner Cafe, opposite the
oostoffiee, Thursday at.6:30 p. m.,
with Hugh Cranford, of Char
lotte, district governor to attend.
Announcement was made by
Joe McDaniel and Tommy Owens,
temporary officers of the group.
The meeting will be a "dutch"
affair, with some 20-25 Kings
Mountain men expected to attend.
Shelby and Charlotte Optimists
are also bxpected.
Report from the by laws com
mittee ? James L; '>r r.J and C.
E. Carpenter ? is expected along
with other pre-organizational bus
ness.
John Parker, Optimist field re
presentative, has bfeen assisting
with the organization of the'club
here and will be at the meeting.
"We're close to actual organi
zation but we need to get every
bcxiy together at one time and
complete this preorganization
business," Mr. McDaniel said.
School Groups Plan
Christmas Pageant
The Kings Mountain school
band, high sehou' mixed chorus
atid high school Student Partici
pation organization will present
a Christmas pageant at Central
Auditorium on Thursday even
ing, Deco.nber 17.
The pageant will be "The
Christmas Story", as taken from
St. Matthew and St. Luke, and
will include rresentatlon of a se
ries of tableaus in pantomime,
with must!??! accompaniment,
and with A\'red Wr'^h: serving
as narrator it was- announced.