North Carolina Newspapers

Population City Limits 7,206 Trading Area 1 5.000 . (1945 Ration Board Figurot) RELIABLE Newspaper .?v s ;v ..ygai ?<- '-m 16 Pages Today VOL 64 NO. 6 r i ii? ? i lo~ Established 1889 ? ' ? ? ' ? ? . . ? ? ? ' < Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, February 1 1, 1954 Sixty-Third Year H PRICE FIVE CENTS Bloodmobile Here All Day Thursday l ? Local News Bulletins COURT OF HONOR Regular Boy Scout Court of Honor for Piedmont district Boy Scouts will be held Thursday, tonight, at 7:30 p. m. at City Hall courtroom. Scouter round table will be held during the meeting. Announcement was made from Piedmont council headquarters. TAG SALES A total of 759 Kings Moun tain motorists had purchased 11.954 city auto license stickers through Wednesday, according to report of Joe Hendrick, city clerk. Fifty of the total were purchased this past week. DIXON SERVICE 1 "People Without Pear," a re ligious film, will toe shown at Dixon Presbyterian church Sat urday night at 7:15, Rev. P. D. Patrick, pastor of the church, , said Wednesday morning. The public Is invited to attend. ON HONOR ROLL Joan Caveny and Luther Mc Swain of Kings Mountain have <been listed on the first honor roll group for the first semes ter at Lenoir- Rhyne college. Hickory, with grades averag ing between 94 and 100. Doris Lackey, Elizabeth Rhea, and (Rachel Plonk were listed in the second honor group. CAKE SALE The Young Married Women's Class of Patterson Grove Rap ? tlst church will sponsor a Cake Sale Saturday morning for the benefit of the church building fund. The wares, also includ ing pies* cup cakes, and candl ?, will be on display at C..E. War lick Insurance A?_ncy, . it was announced by Mrs. Carl Falls. TO GEOBGIA Mr. and Mrs. John O. Plonk, Jr., will leave this weekend for La Fayette, Ga., where Mr. Plonk Is Joining JEly & Walker Company. They expect to be In La Payette tor six months, be fore returning to their home here. SCOUT PROGRAM Members of the Kings Moun tain Khvanis club will have Soy Scouts as guests Thurs day night aa they hear a pro gram given by Mr. and Mia. R. M. Schlele, of Gaatonta. Mr. Schlele is the veteran Soout Executive of the Piedmont Council, whkh embraces the Kings Mountain district. The club meets at Masonic Dlnirfg Hall ?t 6:45. O: ^ FIREMEN ANSWERED CALLS City fireman answered three calls this past week, according to c. D. Ware, fireman. Ifiurs <*ay morning firemen answer ed a call to extinguish a fire at - the Mauney Hosiery mill. No fife damage - was reported. Firemen answered two calls (Wednesday morning to exting uish a grass and barn fire on Fulton street, and ? grass fire on Cherokee street. METER RECEIPTS Net receipts from the city's parking meters for the weak ending Wednesday at noon : were $ 148.27, Joe Hendrlck, of the-city clerk's office, reported. Parking Space ItwIoU lldinl r-arldng space rentals will quadruple when present ad. vance payments are exhausted. The city board of commis sioners last Thursday night raised the monthly rental rate to $4, payabfe semi-annually In advance. The ?fctal fee has Mm $1 per month. Mayor tflee A, Bridges re ported that parking meters re-' turn an average of $4-25 per month to the city and offered the opinion that the prevailing rate Is too low* Motion to raise lee was made by W. G. ided by Comm. and was car m Indlcat rental re aa well as to Increase the rentals. mm Kings Mountain Blood Donations Below Usage lngClnu1-e^i0UrtaIn cit,zens are be. bl^od tothoR(v1CAntrlbUte thelr thbVV B,of>dmobile wm'sofup^t thb Woman's Cluh Q ? ^ k ? ssi ^sr?pMmn ?? "? ?? ss? .as as? ,n"B SZlaS!?, iets Ktog.rlsf?seuj1a?^1r"ih*' I bteen?Ix months since the W SST&SS 'Trt neeS itre.ft *Uppl^in? our own g^SS?S? Daniel said. ' c' i^s&s^ssffjss t lnSm2S?&*?g ***??? 'Tfm teiL jl|_. j '* from We ?* Parti srv-w?- ^!f^ ^ own medical S2Sd hosp,tals. ex. K ProaSS ?VPproved the ? ??ram as the proper me ?'or meetlng the neted. "Whole blood Is obtained from able volunteer donors and afw ?a? .oSr* isssof 25 m'?h?'?S?u'!hout "* ?v Instanw/J^h16, and ta s?nie Ssi irsss <hr?"^s r? p^crvc'a*,^,^,^ ^. '"c request is not made the ??hlt may rec?lve blood from mjy DrOUX^? to* Whlch ' there txrt, may not' be ? charges ChSm thfr "fd through Rted ki j ' e ^ no charge for the blood or Its .products. However thfere may be a charge maTe by laboratory 13d PhV?'clan for services administering STbS SS.|! "? ? by Porter's Father Succumbed Monday J"*1*?*! In Kings 0 ^rtne,aVf^ Of Portia v. rter' *ather of John Z*S5??*? M<Kmuta at^r30P-rtmr *"ccVmb?' Monday Si- i. ? f?' of a heart attack at his home in Durham. wSSSS wer? held Wednesday afternoon. Earl Bmngardner Dies Suddenly Of Heart Attack this community who succumbed ESSE* SV ?C? York Road home at 6:15 last Frl (day njght, were held Sunday af ternoon at 3 o'clock at St Mat thew's Lutheran church. Mr. Bumgardner had been In SLprnt eood hea,th ?nd his fit S,Ha/Uie ai * 8hock to his fam liy and friends. An active member of St Matt Lutheran church, he was serving as a member of the rrcU at the time his rfa ,? A longtime employee of ' b? Was a son nLi til Thomas Edward and Dela Blanton Bumgardner. g* h,s wife- Mrs. Carrie Falls Bumgardner, a son, Clauston Earl Bumgardner a grandchild, and his stepmother Mrs. Hattie Jenkins Bumgardner /"T1*!?* are ten brothers,* H^zel Austin, Edward, Ralph Blif' Hi iyde' ^?hn, George and Sr?. ?^mgardner. all of Kings Hnd J- ?* Bumgardner, p I ti^.anlonfe 8lster. Mrs E. S. Hardin, Shelby. ?1, Dli.W' P G^berdlng conducted the funeral services, and burial wag made In Oakview Baptist church cemetery. Prior to the services, the body lay in state at the church from 2:30. I P^fbtearers were Ray Cline, W. jLSww' ?r-. Randall. Hugh Ormartd, . Jacob Cooper, and [Dan Finger. ' Scoots To Assume City Positions ~ Boy Scout* will "officially" take ovter the city Saturday, with Scouts to spend the day in advi sory capacity to all city officials m inf. th jp1*' Mountain and marks the first time the event has been conducted. PoU<* Chief H. A. Logan, dis trict Scout chairman, announced the roster of Scout "officials" for the project. Jim Roper, of Troop 8, will eerve as the mayor, with Mike Ware, Troop 6i and Avery Howard Troop 2, to serve as members of the city board of commissioners. Steven Klster, Troop 8 will serve as city clerk and treasurer; Ronnie Hord, Troop 6, will be S&et^2endent of Kubllc works; Billy Ware, Troop 6, will be su perintendent of. the electrical de partment; Dinky Barrett, Troop 5, Judge of city recorders court; Roger Blackwell, Troop 5, will be clerk of court; and Andy Howard Troop 12, tax collector. Acting fire chief will be Dewitt Blanton Jr., Troop 2, and serv ing as firemen will be Dan Ro R?y Short, Jack Coins, De ri?ck Smith and Gilbert Bozeli, all of Troop 8, David Roberta of Troop 6, and Andrea Small and Donald Hope, of Troop 2. Dan Pa-ma, of Troop 12, will 3**^4 ol police. Thomas Jv2f* H??p * and Led ford. Troop 12, will serve as deck sergeant*, and serving as police men will be Mike McKee, Phil ^nUPe?' Blanton. ckarles Jolly, Bobby Myers, all of Troop 2, and Jerry Ledford and Cham Mercantile Stamp "War" Underway; Rationing Of Decade Ago Recalled > . V-*' %*'? V." ' ' v '* ' j"' ,v> t,' . , i", ? . _? Klnga Mountain U in the midst Of it* biggest stamp turmoil since warUiute tolackmarketing days. Actually, a stamp "war" Is underway, and some merchants who swore regularly at the stamp requirements for shoes, sugar and gasoline ? few years ago, are now back in the stamp busi ness whole-hog. * At the moment, Kings Moun tain'! rfetall population la In three groupfe, two with competing "sump" deals, and a third larger group that remains outside the fold and continues to offer mer chandise without, any excess come -on attached. One stamp doal ? with prem turns at the tend of the rainbow if the customer spends enough money or should live long enough? is known at "S A H" or "green stamps". The other is "United Profit Sharing Cou pons". Both deals are little diffe rent from the merchant's stand point, (except that the offering price on "S A W la higher, ap proximating three percent of sales. The United "deal" only figures to cost about two percent The "S * H" premium man has a premium store In Gastonla. The United stamps are redeemable with premiums at Keeter's De partment Store or Blalock's Park-Inn. Meantime, non ? participating merchant* are being high-pres sured to Join one or the other stamp outfit, both by the stamp salesmen and by participating nMtdjBSs. Some are declining. Hilton Ruth, manager of Belle's Department Stpre, said Belle's did not Join. up. "We figure the store which sells the goods will be the store which has the goods at the right price w?wf the customer wants them. Belle's will meet that test." Don Glass, of F, B. Glass A ?Grocery, said that firm, a ? with some others, bought the stamp deal two yean ago. "It wasn't any good," he (did. Charlie Rlalock, of Blalock's Park-Inn, claims increased sales doe to the stamp program. Meantime, shoppers are getting covered up with premium cata logs and sump paste up hooka of the competing houaey. ? jf "GHOST" PLATERS ? Franklin PetheL top, and Mlu Jean Cash, pictured above, are listed In the cast of "The Ghost Train." Lit tle Theatre production to be shown at Central auditorium Saturday night at 8 p. m. little Theatre Play Saturday Kings Mountain Little Theatre playters will present the three-act mystery drama, "The Ghost Train", at Central auditorium Saturday night at 8 o'clock. ? R. G. Plonk, Jr., will direct the production, -wMeh Hsts a cast <jf eleven, including Franklin Pet hel, Miss Jean Cash, Dr. P. G. Padgett, Meek Carpenter, Mrs. C. A. McCarter, Dr. R. N. Baker, Ed Smith,' Miss Susan Moss, Mrs. Au brey Mauney, Tom Izard and Mr. Plonk. Thte plot centers around a rail road station in Maine, near the Canadian border. The author makes use of an old legend of a phantom death . dealing locomo tive with daring rum and narco tic runners. Humor is furnished by the seemingly silly actions of the detectivte, who, nevertheless, solve* the case. "For sheer, creeping mystery, this play is without a peer", Mr. Plonk, reports. "We invite the public to attend our perform ance," Me added. Admission will be 25 and .60 cents. Job Situation "Not So Bad" The Kings Mountain office of thte North Carolina Employment Service last week received 440 totally unemployed claims for compensation. The ' ' estimated Kings Mountain area labor force Is 5,000. This was the report Wednesday of Franklin Ware, managter of the Kings Mountain office, who termed the report "not so bad". It is, of course, much worse than the most reoent low point for the week ending August 21, 1953, Mr. Ware adds. For that week, only 90 signed totally un employed claims for compensa tion, with only eight of the 90 new dalmk. * Police Department To Check For Tags Police Chief ft. A. Logan, Jr., announced yesterday that his department will begin on Mon day citing motorists who have not purchased 1954 city auto li cense stickers. . Records at city hall Indicate that around 300 vehicle owners still have not purchased stickers. Deadline for purchase was Feb ruary L Some 760 motorists h?vc already bought stickem with 1P53 sales listed at LI 15. The city is using stickers in lieu of metal tags this year for t!je first time. They are still pric ed at one dollar. 1 IM WASHINGTON Mayor Glee A. Bridges and Attorney Jack H. White went to Washington, IX C., Monday, to represent the city at the Federal Power commission heating concerning an allot ment of natural gaa for the city. The fpc has tentatively allotted the city. Sewei Tap Fee Oi $35 Is Set By City Board The city now has a plumbing code and, after February 15, will charge a $35 fee for sewer lap ins, according to action taken by the board of commissioners at their regular meeting last Thurs day night. Under the arrangement on sewer taps, the plumbing con tractor will pay the. fee, after fig-, uring it into the cost of his esti mate, and the city will make the sewer tap and run pipe to the ci tizen's property line. Previously, the plumber has been making the tap No change was made in the ar rangement concerning water taps, with the $25 fee still pay able to the city. However, efforts will be made to. coordinate the two Jobs, It was noted by E. C.. Nicholson, city public works su perintendent. Mayor Glee A. Bridges had suggested that the city is losing money on its $25 water tap fee, and suggested that a $40 water tap fee would more nearly cover the city's cost. However, Com missioner Harold Phillips objec ted and said he thought a $25 fee is sufficient. W. B. Logan, a mong the plumbers present for the code discussion, said he felt the water tap fee plus the sewer tap fee would total $60 and would cover the cost to the city, if the two taps could be made at the same time. The jplumbing code is similar to Charlotte's, with minor chan ges. ? I In other actions the board: 1) Appointed Mr. Nicholson city plumbing Inspector and named S. A. Blantori as assistant. 2) Tabled for investigation on property lines and other data re- 1 6t a group 6t Benfield street residents for city water service. 3) Restored the $125 per week appropriation from parking, me ter receipts to the city parks and recreation commission, .retroac tive to January 1, date the P?y*. ments were suspended. 4) Voted to deposit $3,000 of cemetery account funds in the 1 Kings Mountain Building & Loan association. 5) Instructed the chief of po lice to check the feasibility of Installing parking meters oh S. I piedmont avenue, west side. 6) Ordered removal of meters and establishment of "no park ing" zones fh front of fire plugs. 7) Passed a resolution approv ing the supplemental report of Barnard & Burk, engineers, on the city's application for a nat ural gas allotment. The report tended to show the economic feasibility of a city gas distri bution system without Neisler Mills, Inc., as a customer. 8) Instructed the city attorney to check on certain deeds for street rights-of-way, after Supt. Nicholson had stated complaints from some citizens that he was invading private property. 9) Approved repair of the city's ditching machine at an estimat ed cost of $400. 10) Declined request of the Rings Mountain Little Th-atre for the city to share in the $90 cost of an advertisement in a I soon-to -toe -published map No action was taken on Mayor Bridges' report of a two-family water billing complaint. K M. B. & L Open House Set Kings Mountain Building A Loan Association will Chow ,.f ts newly renovated and redeco rated building next Tuesday af ernoon, as it holds open house from 3 to 5 o'clock. Ben H. Bridges, Jr., secretary treasurer, issued an invitation this week to all Kings Mountain :itlzens to visit the association offices on West Mountain street next Tuesday afternoon to in spect the modtern facilities Just being completed. Workmen are making final installations this week of Interior fixtures. "We hope all citizens will see our completely new offices, " Mr.. Bridges said. "They are modern in every respect and equip the association to give the best In service to tu shareholders." Officers and directors of the association, In addition to office personnel, will be hosts for thte Tuesday open house. Favors will be presented to guests. On Tuesday evening, st 7:30, the association will hold Its an nual meeting of sharp holders to hear report* on the 1998 activi ties of the association and to etoet directors for the coming year. mxjlasd irrnx The condition of Charlie Sal lard, who is a patient st ttis Kings Mountain hospital, is ?e ported to be greatly improved. Mr. Ballard Is expected to be dismissed from the hospital wtthln a few days. I'WSHrS'4 r> ' ?3t??* ** ?' <?- " ' Indications Of Improvement In Textile Employment Here ' Owens Is Listed Killed In Action In Recent Beport The Department of the Army has notified Mrs. Emmie Owens Benfield that the body of her son, Cpl. Billy Andrew Owens, who had been listed as missing in action ih Korfea for three years I and "presumed dead," has been I recovered and positively identi fied. . ? I The Kings Mountain family was notified by telegram Mon day. Cpl. Owens, 19, was killed in action in Kyedong, Korea, July 27, 1950. The body was identified in Ja pan, the telegram stated, and is to be shipped to Kings Mountain for burial. Cpl. Owens was stationed on Okinawa before his unit, Head quarters Co., 3rd Battalion, 29th Infantry Division, was sent to Korea. A letter dated July 15, 1950, was the last communica tion Mrs. Benflteld had from her son. . ? . Cpl. Owens Is survived, In ad dition to his mother, by his step father, Horace Benfield, and a brother, Charles H. Owens, of" Kings Mountain. He was the son of the late James T. Owens, and before ten tering the service, Cpl. Owens at tended Kings MoUhtaln high school. He was a member of Tem ple Baptist church. Disposal Tank Acreage Short More property may be needed for the rebuilding and expansion of the city's McGUl septic tank. Mayor Glee A. Bridges said Engineer W. K. Dickson had In dicated the city's treact, covering 112 feet, by 363 feet, by 118 feet, by 417 feet, would be insuffici ent for the treatment plant an ticipated. Adjoining property Is owned by Paul Mauney. Concerning the MeGill tank, City Attorney J. R. Davis report ed that the city's deed to the property could not be located On record in Gaston County, where the property Is located, but was found instead recorded in Cleve land County. The deed has now been put on record in Gaston county, he added. Mr. Davis offered the opinion there would be no trouble con cerning ownership of the proper ty and further stated that ad joining property could be ob tained for the plant expansion via condemnation proceedings, if by no other means. New Traffic Signal In Business Section The city installed this week a new one-way stoplight at the Gold street rail crossing. Synchronized with the traffic signal at the corner of Gold and Battleground, the new signal is visible only to traffic south bound on Battleground. The new traffic regulator Is designed to eliminate a jam-up In peak traffic periods resulting from inability of eastbound tra velers on Gold street to get Into Battleground. DBJVe t ll To Head B?y Scout Dnve ..Annual am^T^T v ore** Ground woynd K ? . J"?d l"T ot*Bh*k*aPtE?iCh torl ^ held s llnw ne" Sfrh ?^UrCh / u.?? -2?: 2 3 ??* ?/ In T"' B"P- ' hav,,ne BaP?st o_ K/ngs J5. 1%3 wi^r*an^ ^?C,at'?n I J*1*- The X* 34 ch2r^Ve^ber' ?"8Xc "i''"t?n?Z,br ??<?? 8er*iees Wl i lg[oun(1 b?efi.1nt' / J1* 1**d,, heid" kjn? Church FalS?Rment. I S&SS'Vw/ 8?cla tion Ra ,a'n fW,rk ?W ftonary L*?- T. w a?'* *? play Paxm a**oclatt ***!*- / chuVtS?E P?% i0111^. and the acons or ?,/ Fa,th / e member*. ?f thb church; / held a? ** n)r*iere?? ??ii. * ^y.V'7;'cd,"CC i ' ? ? -? _ "*!? i ?tat - * Kings Mountain Exceeds Its Quota In 1954 March Oi Dimes Campaign Kings Mountain has exceeded its 1954 March of Dimes quota. With a tie w reports still to be received, the total stood slightly In excess of $5,200 Tuesday night, and Co-Chairman George Thorn asson said some additional mo nles should be received. "We are very happy to be able to raakfe report of Kings Moun tain success bl the March of Dimes campaign, and It would not hav* been possible without the cooperation of many Individ uals and groups who gave liberal ly of time, energy and funds. "While the campaign seemed to lag at the start. It gainfed mo mentum as It went along and finished up quite nicely," he con tinued. The final "push", Mr. Thomas son reported, came from Neisler Mills, Inc., where contributions of employees and the Industrial firm, plus somte sizeable perso nal gifts, took the total over the $5,000 goal. Proceeds from the campaign go to the Cleveland County branch of the National * Foundation for Infantile Paralysis. A minor por< tlon of the funds go to the Na tional Foundation, and the ma jor portion remains with the county chapter for aid to polio victims. Mr. Thomasson reported" that the dance on January 30, sponsored by the Entre Nous Tfeen club and the Klwanls club, netted * profit of $131.20 for the drive. Some 200 persons attended the dance, with Curtis George winning the floor prize. A sum of *163.46 was collected from 42 "test tubte" receptacles placed about the city, he reported, with the one at the Silver Villa topping the lie t with $38.83 col lected. Included In the "tube" was a ten dollar bill and a check for $10, he said. "We want to urge all workers to complete' their drives this week." he said. Charles NeUler served as co chairman of the campaign. 9 - ...... ?? ' Consolidated Firm Resumes Five-Day Week Recent higher-than-customary unemployment figures in Kings Mountain are expected to drop considerably next week, due to an upturn in the textile situation which has caused increase In ope ration of several firms. Major improvement will come from the resumption of opera tions on a full-time, three -shift, five-day-week basis by Consoli dated Textiles, Inc., which has ' been operating this year on an a'.ternate week basis. J. Lamar Moore, superintendent, said he was not sure how much backlog of orders are available, but he presumed Expensive "changing over" would not have been order ed had not orders been sufficient ly large. Consolidated employs about 285 persons. Slater Manufacturing Com pany, virtually shutdown since January 15, is operating on two shifts at about 30 percfent of ca pacity and has recalled this week more than 20 of its 65 employees, Superintendent C. W. Craddle said Wednesday, Kings Mountain Manufactur lng Company may operate next week, but Aubrtey Mauriey, gen eral manager, was not optimis tic. He said yarn prices are still 'i at too-low level 8. Bonnie Mill resumed opera tions the week beginning Febru ary 1. Total unemployment claims for , thte week ending February 5, ac cording to the Kings Mountain office ofvthe Nori'j Carolina Em ployment Service, was 788, in cluding 370 initial claim*. 14 Oppose Bur Mil Hecxeation Site The city board of commission ers received without action last Thursday night a petition from 14 citizens opposing the use of the Burlington Mills Corporation pro perty, off Cleveland avenue, for a city recrfeation plant. BurMil has indicated it will sell the tract for a nominal fee for development as a recreation . center. Previously, BurMil had of fered to give the city the tract, but certain restrictions caused the parks and recreation commission to refuse the proffer. At Thursday night's meeting, Mayor Glee A. Bridges reported that he and Fred W. Plonk, parks and recreation commission chair man, had discussed th? mattter with a representative of Stirling ton Mills Corporation, and that the BurMil offer is expected soon. Commissioner Harold Phillips offered the opinion that the Bur Mil tract was the best available and added hte felt the petitioners were "two years late". He said the BurMil site had been under consideration for two years. Text of the petition follows: "We the undersigned taxpayers and property owners wish to ex press our serious objection to the . location of a playground and re* "nation center on the Burlington Mill property adjoining or near our homes and property. We de veloped this section for our homes and feel that this proposed center will greatly damage our property. We will appreciate very much your consideration of our objections and will, find a morte suitable site elsewhere." Signing the petition were Hay wood E. Lynch, J. B. Keeter, H. C. Mayes, Pashla Wright, John C, Reynolds, Mrs. T. H. Crawford, Bryan Hord, Mrs. Fay Goforth, J. W. Webster* Luco Jenkins, B. H, Gault, M. W, Williams, N. M. Farr and William S. Fulton, Jr. City Relnstitutes W & L Draft Plan TMe city utilities department will draw bank drafts against accounts of wates and power customers if the customers wish It, City Clerk Joe Hen drick announced this week. - Many people, he said, have asked that the city draw a draft against them each month to save tlmte and trouble ? and possible cut-off and late pay ment charges. Mr. Hendrlck said a state ment In writing, ordering the draft drawing, will be required before such service Is instituted. Some years ago the city fol lowed a similar policy, but It was discontinued.