The Kings Mountain Herald
Established 1889
A weekly newspaper devoted to the promotion of the general welfare and published
for the enlightenment, entertainment and benefit of tne cltieens ot Kings Mountain
and its vicinity, published every Thursday by the Herald Publishing House.'
Entered as second class matter at the postofflc-e at Kings Mountain,' K. G,. under Act
of Congress of Mareh 3, 1873
?" . 1 1 ? 1 - " ' ; 1 1 ? *w 1 1 11 1 , i , ,
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Martin Harmon Editor Publisher
Charles T. Carpenter, Jr. Sports, Circulation. News
Mil Elizabeth Stewart Society
Mr*. Thomas Meachara Bookkeeping, News
MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
Eugene Matthews Horace Walker David Weathers hran Weaver"
Charles Miller Paul Jackson
('Member of Armed Forces)
TELEPHONE NUMBERS? 1S7 or 283
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BY MAIL ANYWHERE
TODAY'S BIBLE VBRSE
For every one that cuketh receiveth; and he that seeketh /indeth; and to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. St. Luke 11:10.
"" I " - - j i . - :
Highway Report
For $110,000 the State Highway and
Public Works commission has obtained
from an out-of-state engineering firm a
recommendation for improving its high
way system by almost $1.5 billion dol
lars, the improvements to cover a de
cade of building of new roads, improving
and widening old ones, and otherwise
providing safer avenues for the growing
v automobile population.
The passenger car population in
North Carolina has passed the million
mark, with trucks upping the total
figure to 1.4 million. In addition, the
state is a vacation mecca, attracting
much out-of-state traffic.
The matter of financing was touched
on, too, with the engineering firm re
commending the usual government
method of getting the money ? deficit
financing.
The latter recommendation won't be
too appealing to many North Carplini
ans, perhaps the majority, who deplore
deficit financing in government, particu
larly in view of the federal government's
continuing red ink operations. Even the
Scott rural roads program provided the
money for retiring the bond* issues by
adding an extra cent per gallon to the
gasoline tax. The extra penny has paid
off handsomely, supplying annually
more than enough* to defray the princi
pal payments and interest charges.
?
But there is little question about the
need for great improvements to the
highway system of the state, in the in
terest of both safety and convenience.
Many new and fine roads have been
built and are being built, but even so
highway officials in all' divisions say
they're falling behind on needs. Many
motorists are quick to agree.
v
Since the highways are a product of
our political system, it is inconceivable
that all of the building recommendations
will be followed. However, it is good to
obtain a master plan from a competent
firm without the trials and tribulations
of political connections and pressures, ft
should prove well worth the cost. And
as in Kings Mountain's situation on hos
pital building, the fact of having the
plan (and perhaps the money) will
. prove most beneficial should the federal
government embark on the Eisenhower
plan of long-term expansion of federal
contributions to building of primary
highways.
Next Week's Parade
Santa Claus comes to Kings Mountain
for his 1954 visit next Wednesday in
v. hat is being billed as Kings Mountain's
biggest-ever Christmas-opening parade.
Indeed, the plans call for a big one,
with a large number of floats, including
the Carolinas Carrousel winner of Queen
City Coach Company, and numerous
other units, from groups, to bands, to
pretty girls and fast automobiles.
But the main attraction will be Old
Nicholas himself, a mighty important
man these days in the vision of a great
host of youthful admirers, almost burst
ing with excitement already and quite
impatient in wondering if Christmas
Day ever will arrive really.
The young folk will want to see Santa <
Claus and the adults won't mind either.
Next Wednesday's parade should at
tract a record crowd.
All will be pleased to learn that the
city is contracting for an anti-rat cam
paign. Kings Mountain grows some
mammoth-size rodents and the fact that
the eradicating effort is to be costless
to the city is nice, too. According to
Mayor Bridges, the D-Con Company
guarantees it and Grady Cole can rid us
of rats. Even if they are only partially
successful, the campaign would be of
great benefit.
The Debate Debate
Considerable attention has been given
throughout the nation to question of the
propriety of debating the government's
policy on recognition of Red China as a
suitable topic for college students to be
considering, since Ed Murrow propound- ;
ed the issue on a recent television show.
The government's policy, of course, is
not to recognize Red China (as it does
not and apparently doesn't anticipate)
and many of the colleges and universi
ties which ordinarily field debating
teams have duckcd out of the program.
The institutions on the ducking out list
include the Army and Naval academies.
The subject chosen by the National
Debating society is: "Resolved That the
United States Should Extend Diplomatic
Recognition to Communist China".
The fact of debating on the affirma
tive side of the question does not mean
the debaters necessarily favor the actual
fact. Debating teams customarily study
the issues, then debate either affirma
tive or negative sides, usually by the
luck of the draw.
As the Gastonia Gazette and numer
ous other newspapers have pointed out,
the basic question involved is not one of
government policy, but of the right of
an American citizen to freedom of ex
pression on any subject that does not
involve indecency, libel, or the over
throw of the government of the United
States.
Equally raked over for the adverse
debating decision were the chiefs of the
service academies, and even President
Eisenhower could think of no reason to
prevent the participation of the young
officer debaters.
Actually, the service academies, on
thesis that their students are officers in
the services already, have a bit of a leg
on which to stand. However, the rigidity
with which most of the generals and ad
mirals think in a day of rapid commu
nication and events, indicates that adop
tion of a more philosophical attitude
might not be amiss.
Recently criticism has been voiced by
those who feel the current demand for
scientists and engineers and others with
technical skills is resulting in the educa
tion of a great number of experts who
have learned how to handle specific
tasks, but who have not learned how to
live. .
Debating is one of the American's ac
tivities which helps to teach examina
tion of issues, of local and world hap
penings, and assessment of values. Few
issues are black-and-white, except by
over-simplification, even as the debate
debate perhaps is not. But the generally
accepted conclusion is that the govern
mental policy on non-recognition of. Red
China is long antedated by the freedom
of discussion provision Constitutionally
guaranteed.
The National Guard
Congratulations are in order -to the
Kings Mountain National Guard unit for
the high rating recently received after
a Third Army inspection.
Actually, it was another in a continu
ing series of good ratings for the Kings
Mountain company, which customarily
receives only one un- favorable mark
and that on slack strength.
While not inherently very bad, the
lack of a full complement is debilitating
not only to the National Guard unit it
self, but to the community.
Information, as the Herald has it, is
that the building of a National Guard
armory here awaits the company's
reaching full strength. Captain Humes
Houston, commanding officer of the
company, lists 28 vacancies, which, if
filled, would put the company at normal
complement.
In turn, an Armory would help the
Guard unit maintain full strength and
would be a community asset, another
public building available for many dif
ferent kinds of functions.
The Kings Mountain National Guard
unit needs an Armory and it needs a full
complement. In addition to valuable
training, the Guard also offers added in
come for those in its ranks.
10
YEARS' AGO Items of news about Kings Mountain area people and events
THIS WEEK taken from the 1944 files of the Kings Mountain Herald.
t
The United War Fund for
Kings Mountain and Grover has
reached a total of $6,685.33, over
subscribing its quota of $5,000 by
$1,185.33. The citizens of Grovter
are to be commended on their
part in subscribing $600 for the
fund, the largest amount ever
subscribed in Grover for any one
with his parents.
Miss Mabel Logan, of Washing
ton, C. spent the past week j
with her mother, Mrs. Etta Lo
i drive of this kind.
Social and Personal
Mrs. W. M. Gantt will enter
tain thfe Home Department of the
Woman's club Friday, December gan.
1st, 7:30 p. m. A Christmas pro- 1 Miss Edith Queen spent the
gram will be presented. past weekend with her parents
Everette Cloninger of the U. S. in Marble, N. C.
Navy is spending the week here
MARTIN'S
MEDICINE
By Martin Harmon
Ingredients: bits of ne w?,
xoisdom, humor, and comment.
Directions r Take weekly, if
possible, but avoid
overdosage.
Halbert Webb, neighbor (and
friend, except for one Saturday
annually), if not mentally tele
pathic is certainly prescient.
Halbert called me last Friday.
''Ha, ha," he grunted, "going
down tomorrow?" No, I wasn't
going, the situation at Chapel
College not being as bright as
in the good old days of Charlie
Justice and Company, though
I'd read some propaganda in
the sports sheets that indicated
the Big Game, Duke va. Caro
lina, might be somewhat better
than the last one I'd seen. Any
way, I still had the "barks"
from a lousy cold, and it made
the diickout easy. Halbert
wanted some extra tickets,
which I didn't have, and I
haven't learned yet whether the
tickets were to accommodate
some .Duke celebrant or others
of opposite leanings whom Hal
bert meant to embarrass.
m-m
Anyway, the Carollnas, as thle
old-style writers would have
calied them, had a sevry day,
and the die-hards of my lean
ings who madp the mistake of
making, the tvek had a long,
tedious journey home.
m-m
Not so the Dukes, who con
tinued for the fifth year their
mastery of the unloved rivals
from 12 miles away, perhaps
less since Governor Scott built
the "Football Road". Halbert
will be In high good spirits for
months to come, what with
Orange Bowl blossoms In the
air too, and if I were his ma
dame I would up my sights on
what Santa Claus should bring,
settling for nothing less than
Jthle fur coat or diamond dinner
ring class. Of course, the oppo
site situation obtains at my
housr
m-m
Wilson Griffin was at least
as smart as I. A Chapel Col
lege man, too, he also had ruled
out the Duke - Carolina venture
for 1954. But where there is
life thlere is hope, and, remem
bering the result of the Wake
Forest joust, there is, at least,
life, though it is possible the
Carolina lads would do better
to expend their energies In
different directions.
\ m-m
Christmas is Just around the
next corner or two, and if the
statement is a shocker for late
starters like me, just take a
pleek at the calendar. Total
shopping days left: 19. ~
m-m ,
Santa Claus comes to t#wn
next week for the preliminary
check-up before the main event,
and 20-plus i\nits ai*e expected
to serve as thfe cheery old gen
tleman's honor guard. The P re
Christmas arrival of Santa
Claus klnda gets one in the
Christmas mood, though I dare
say not one parent of youngs
ters eight years old and less
have had a chance to forget It
for \v!jfeks. Uncle Slam's post
office operators across the
street report already a big
avalanche of mall addressed in
big sci-awling scripts to Santa
Claus, North Pole.
m-m
Holiday Calls: I was working
a bit on Thanksgiving morning,
all by myself, when the tele
phone rang. The ca liter was Ber
tie, the Billie Mauney's' maid,
who was trying to reach anoth
er number. We had an interest
ing conversation, however, as
Bertie recounted hter Thanks
giving activities. To a question
on what she was doing for
Thanksgiving, Bertie replied,
"Just cooking". But the folk
j were away and Bertie had
plenty of help, with all the lit
: tlte Mauheys taking a turn with
the skillet. "They loves to
| cook." Bertie said, and added
that Sarah Frances, age seven,
j "can cook breakfast as good as
j I can" I wager it was a
good Thanksgiving dinner.
Another call came from Caro
lyn Jonas, on Woodslde Drive,
to identify thte Mystery Farm.
Carolyn was not only correct
but lucky, for ner name was
among those extracted from
the hat in the drawing for a
Joy Theatre free act mission.
Notes: The hunting season is
in, but, on basis of the heavy
run on posted . signs at thte
Herald, I wonder where t he
hunters are going to hunt - ? ? .? ?
John Lewis, the Merchants as
sociation president, found a
spot. He and Wood Grayson
were looking for rabbits and
John claims a bag of 18,
though I did not see the bag
and conducted no count......
Grady Howard had a t>ad
dream the other night ......
said he dreamed he and 1 were
traveling together en route to
a political rally. "Now what,"
Grady asks, "would you and I
be doing going to the same ral
ly?" I told him one of us must
have been an espionage agent
Rains finally seem to
have arrived In force. How long
will it be until you begin hear
ing complaints in the vein of
"Will it ever stop raining?"
CROSSWORD
ByA, C . Gordon
Business World
S? Short Fm (abfc.)
S? Tfcorou?hfar* (abb.)
It Prtfta faott
t?? The color of
debttd balu
J I? ElcctiVa Orw
13? Tfcioas MldM
37 ? Of Um
41? lath* i
19? Add* tha tnm I Cfcwfcal symbol lor ? JbUfct (abb.).
30-VfortWs^^ adaahaa . 45 ? In tha diractior of
11? Always start whh ? T? Cow- W ?Will 4 1-Mijl oickmaM
tUa. > Mdvky 4S ? Pacforaa
Sm Tb? Want Ad Sectloa Pot TM> Week's Completed PusU
Viewpoints of Other Editors
I
NINETEEN SEVENTY
NINE
Secretary of Commerce Weeks
calls the seventy^Tifth anniversa
ry edition o f the Statistical Ab
stract of the United States, Just
out, "a mirror of the vitality and
the progress" of the American
people. . . .
Well, the half million or so ab
stracted statistics in the new
tome doubtless reflect vitality;
among' other things they reveal
there are more than three times
as many people In this country
as there were seventy-five years
ago. How much progress the sta
tistics represent may be more
debatable. For instance, the book
shows that there are now about
a million more American women
than American men, whereas the
reverse was the case in 1879.
Opinions will differ as to Just
what that trend signifies.
Also, urban population now ac
counts for fifty-nine per cent of
the country's total, compared
with a mere twenty-eight per
cent whten the Statistical Abstract
first appeared. Ourselves slaves
of the subway and sufferers
from metropolitan claustropho
bia, we cannot help raising an
eyebrow at that particular evi
dence of progress.
Then there is a little statistic
about the public debt. Now $270
billion or better, it was $2 bil
lion (8eventy-flve years ago. At
that time, customs receipts fur
nished the bulk of the Govern
ment's revenue ; today most of it
comes from individual and cor
porate income taxes. Perhaps this
represents progress, but one is
constrained to ask, for whom?
And if all this progress con
tinues to progress, we are not
sure we will enjoy looking into
the Statistical Abstract's hun
dredth anniversary mirror. ?
WaU Street Journal.
TREES STICK WITH YOU
DESPITE THE WEATHER
While this welcome rath of the
past Week will doubtless have a
wonderful effect on the pastures
and small grains in Rutherford
county, we want to comment
right now on the other half of
the picture ? the dry spell that
has been with us all summer and
fall.
The drought pointed out some
thing that everybody should
know, that crops are very vulner
able when the season goes again
st them. So we know that some
of the farmers . in this area are
glad to find they have orte crop
that doesn't suffer too much
dry year, or even in two or three
dry years.
Trees are a wonderful safe
guard against the liabilltiea of*
weather. It is true that a "Jftf
year reduces the growth of these
valuable farm Items, and too
much dry weather, over a period'
of years, will actually stunt them.
In addition, the drought we have
been experiencing "(which we sin
cerely hope is over for a while)
creates a very real danger of fo
rest fire damage, which Is the
severest punishment that trees
will undergo. <
But tree*
Ml Oit^amparatively light mois
ture. And they are a crop in a
very real aefiae vJfen they can be
cut for pulpwood or for saw tim
ber.
Many a Rutherford fanner
knows what it la to make a fat
bank deposit from the sale of
some of his timber, and moat of
then*. who have aold it are com
fortably aware Of a good stand
still remaining on their acreage.
Theee are %]tso the kind of farm
era who are moat apt to set out
seedling* to replace the mature
tlmb#r that haa been cttt- ?
Forest City Courier. A
WE'RE 38th IN VOTING
. The Greensboro Dally News
takes note of another Tar Heel
low ranking. We're 38th in voting.
Only 52 per Cent of North Caro*
lina's eligible voters went to the
polls in 1952 when Ike and Adlal
were contesting for the Presiden
cy.
The national average was 63
per cent." Southern states had the
poorest voting records. Bfelow
North Carolina were Florida,
Tennessee, Texas; Louisiana, Ar
kansas, Virginia, Georgia, South
Carolina, Alabama and Mississip
pi. Lack of a real two-party sys
tem in most Southern areas may
help explain the great lack of vot
ing interest in the South, but it
doesn't excuse the South's voting
deficiency.
The usual reaction to low vot
ing p recent age is simply to de
plore or ignore. Or, If there is any
positive reaction, it usually tables
the form of a "get out the vote"
scheme thought up by a promo
tion-minded civic club.
? Apparently the Greensboro
Dally News doesn't go for schem
es or slogans or fanfare to over
come our voting 'deficiency.
"What can we do about it?"
asks the News. "Exactly what
we are doing about our other de
ficiencies ? work to gain more
education, knowledge and under
standing which will in turn giv?
us a larger chare of the national
wealth which will in turn <wte
I hope) make us take oUr civic re
sponsibility more seriously."
This appears to be a sound ap
proach. It also ties in with our
own pet opinion about voting.
We have never thought as highly
of "getting out the' vote" as we
havfe of Increasing the knowledge
and understanding of those eligi
ble to vote. More intelligent .vot
ing is a more pressing need than
simply more voting.
; When North Carolina and the
rest of the South succeed in In
creasing the "education,- know
ledge and understanding" o t the
people, not only will our voting
percentage rise sharply, as the
Greensbor ?> Dally News hopvfl,
but the Intelligence of the deci
sions at th<? polls will likely be
higher too. And when we reach
a high level of intelligence in vot
ing, we'll really have something
to crow about. A high voting per
centage alone . doesn't reflect
streggth of democracy. ? Smith
field Herald -
ON WRECKS
A man can wreck his married
Ute by foolish conduct at a sum
mer resort, says a lecturer. Which
is very true. But a lot more men
wreck their lives of single bless
edness at such places. ? Kingt
port. Ten*., Time*.
0.
DISAGREEMENT
My husband thinks it Is much
easMr to hold the toothbrush
steady and shake his head, while
) find It more convenient to move
the brush. ? Chicago Tribune
SCIENCE BAFFLED '
Science has conquered virtually
all questions of everyday life ex
cept the ipatter of getting four
legs ot equal length on a Ooffee
Butter purchases by American
households rose toover^fr 40
lion pounds during a four-week
period In September ? represent
Ing an increase of more than five
million pound* or 10 per cent over
purchases In the comparable pe
riod In 11)53.
This Expectant Pop j
Really Hospitalized
Moat lathers pace the floor
before their children are born
but one Kings Mountain father
didn't get a chancte.
Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Craw
ford were expecting their first
child this month.
Tuesday night, Mr. Crawford
became 111 and was taken to the
hospital for an emergency ap- .
pendectomy. Mrs. Crawford
was admitted to Kings Moun
tain hospital on Thursday, and
the baby, a girl, was born Fri
day morning at 7 o'clock.
Mr. Crawford, who was two
doors down the hall from his
wife, didn't know Mrs. Craw
ford was in the hospital until
Friday morning when she and
the baby were wheeled Into his
room.
The couple named the baby
Catherine Ann. All three were
dischargted on Monday.
World production of soybeans
is expected to rteach an alltime
high in 1954. with a 735 million
bushels crop forecast. Over three
fourths of the anticipated 90-mll
lion-bushel increase will cofne
from the United States. 1
T =
Services Set
At Chinch Of God
A mission service is to be corn
ducted Thursday (tonight) begin
ning at 5 p. m. at the Church of
God on E. Parker st., according
to an announcement made Mon
day. ,;i;:
Rev. Kenneth B. DuPlough,
missionary in South Africa, and
Rev. Paul H. Watku. of Cleve
land, Tennessete, ' will be guest
speakers. Rev. tJuPlough Will al
so show pictures at the Sunday
service at the Church of God.
The public is invited to attend.
Rev*. E. E. Salter, the pastor said.
Commercial slaughter of cattle,
calves, shbep and lambs, and hogs
in North Carolina during Sep
tember amounted to million
pounds livewelght ? the highest
monthly total since records be
fcan in 1947.
DR. BLAKE M. McWHIR'?ER
OPTOMETRIST
Room 1, Morrison Bldg. Phone 316-W
Office Hours 9-5 Daily Except Fridays 91
v' ' ? ' * ? . ?
Evenings by Appointment
COMPLETE VISUAL ANALYSIS
THAT "SMART LOOK"
" This family's got ltl They look smart
because they ARE smart . . ? and one
of the smartest things they do Is to
send all their clothes to ns for our
thorough, but-oh-so-gentle dry clea
ning . . . which always brings back
that like-new snap and sparklel
WEAVER S CLEANERS
Phone 910 ? 310 N. Piedmont Ave.
LOANS FOR HOMES
FHA-GI
? Elmer Lumber Company can arrange your FHA
or GI Loan
? DOWN PAYMENT AS LOW AS FIVE PERCENT
OF YOUR CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
? IN SOME INSTANCES. YOUR LOT MAY BE
YOUR DOWN PAYMENT.
? INTEREST ONLY 4l/a%.
for full information see .
ELMER LUMBER COMPANY, he
25 PHONE8 54