Mount Holly News
Clonstructive—If It Will Help Mount Holly And Gaston County The News Is For It—Progressive
VOL. XXVII.
MOUNT HOLLY, N. C., FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1950
NUMBER 1
THESE JAYCEES GAVE $100 OR MORE TO BUILDING FUND
COMMUNITY BUILDING TO
BE STARTED HERE MAT 1
Jaycees Busy Now Making
Plans For New Projects
AboT* an picJuttd alwen o« lha fillaao mamban oi tha Mount HoUr Junior Chambat oi
marca who conlribulad 1100 aaeh to lha buUdin* iuad lut Monday night Thay an mamban.of tha 1100
Club e tha Jaycaaa. Thia mooay wUl go toward tha naw Jayeaa Community Bul^ fM Mount I^y.
Thoaa in tha idclura an dbown handing th^ monay to Vica-Praaidant J. C. ^Tua, who ^aai^ in
tha abaanea of Praaidant Tad Johnaon who waa ill tha firat part of tha waak. Thay an. laft to rigl^
Hanrr Fowlar, Kan Daria, Gua Cbagaria. John Caldar, Harold Stmupa, J. B. Thompaom Ch^imM of
tha Board of Truataaa, Rufua Ingla. Wally Thompoon, ehairraan of lha buUdiito eommillaa, Pata Cha-
garU and Harold Hanfcla. J. C. Rhyna U ahown aaalad. Thoaa who eontribut^ $100 or mw that wan
whan tha pictun waa mada an Tad Johnaon, Johnaton MUlar, John Paintar and Jack Summoy.
Th*r« will h% olh*r $100 Cltib m*mb»n b*for» M«r 1»*-
Riverbend Plans Special
Dedication Next Sunday
The dedication service at the
Riverbend Methodist church will
be held next Sunday, February
19, beginning at 11 a. m. accords
ing to an announcement by the
pastor of the church, Rev. T. G.
HighfilL A large crowd is expect
ed to attend the dedication ser
vice, the picnic lunch following
the morning service, and the or
gan recital to be given at 2 p. m.
as well as the informal service to
be held at 3 p. m. Dr. W. A. Stan-
bury, District Superintendent,
will introduce Dr. Costen J. Har
rell, Bishop, who will take part
in the dedication service.
The picnic lunch is expected to
^ a highlight of the day’s obser
vance with an estimated 300 peo
ple bringing their lunches to the
church for the gathering. The af
ternoon organ recital will be giv
en by an organist representing the
Charlotte Company where the
church organ was purchased.
Many past leaders and pastors
of the Riverbend Methodist
church will be present for the
dedication services which mark
the end of a mighty effort by the
congregation to pay for the a.t-
tractive new church building in
which the first service was
preached on the first Sunday in
May, 1947. Among those who will
be present -to greet their old
friends and the attending friends
of the church wil be D. C. F. Roz-
zell, a former resident of this sec
tion; Rev. M. C. Ellerbe, pastor
of the church from 1945 through
part of 1949; and others. The ac
tual construction of the church
took place during Rev. EUerbe’s
pastorate there and he has a per
sonal interest in the church.
The church membership at the
present time is 101. Sunday school
Superintendent is R. H. Rhyne
and the Trustees of the church
include E. L. Norwood, X. L. Da
venport, and C. A. Bolick.
The original church was built,
on land donated by Mr. Sidney
Cannon and A. C. Rozzelle. Deed
for this land was made in 1883,
and the first church was probably
built at this time. This church was
used until 1928, when it was
torn down to make room for an
industrial project.
From 1916 through 1926, ser
vices were held at Riverbend
MethMist church by visiting pas
tors, approximately one service
per month. Riverbend has been a
part of the following Circuits:
Lincolnton, Gaston and L,owes-
viUe Circuits. The following mini
sters have server Riverbend Meth
odist church at various time.s:
L. G. McLeod; J. C. Hartsell; M.
D. Giles; D. B. Glenn; G. W. Cala-
our present pastor. 
Riverbend Methodist church
was re-organized on Sept. 3, 1944,
Rev. C. L. Grant being the pastor.
He was very instrumental in
getting the church re-organized,
as he took the leading part in this
project. A building program was
started shortly, but due to the
war time condition, actual con
struction was not started until
Aug. 5, 1946. .In the meantime,
Rev. M. C. Ellerbe became pastor
on the Lowesville circuit Oct.
1945 and he carried on the work
started by Rev. Grant until the
Church was completed and ready
for service, the first service being
held in the Church on the first
Sunday of May 1947, the church
official opening date was on May
14, 1947, at which time District
Conference was held at River
bend. The final debt on the church
was paid on October 5, 1949, at
which time preparation was start
ed on our dedication program, by
our present Pastor Mr. T. G. High-
New Building
To Be Modern
P.T.A. Has Plans
For Next Meeting
The P.-T.A. will hold its next
meeting at 7:30 p. m., Thursday,
February 23, at the high school
gymnasium. Mrs. Charles R.
Holtzclaw, the president, will
preside during the business ses
sion, and a very clever and in
teresting program has been ar
ranged.
Further carrying out the then\e
of “Know Your School,” the
grammar grade music depart
ment, under the capable direction
of Mrs. Paul Jones, teacher of
public school music, will present
the program. Following this, the
audience will be led in an old-
fashioned community sing by
Rev. J. O. Stroud, minister of
music and director of education
at the First Baptist Church in
Belmont
To mark Founder’s Day, this
meeting will be the P.-T. A.'s
birthday party, and the evening
will be topped off by the raffling
of a huge birthday cake to some
lucky winner.
HIGHLY HONORED
Donors Giving To
Band Drive Here
The Band Uniform Drive is
coining along nicely but James
H. Ware, churmaib was out ol
town Thursday and did not get
all the reports from the various
woricers. However, donations
are known to have come in from
Leo Fuller, Frank L. Rankin,
Amy Holland Smith, Julius A«
Grier, Mr. and MrSi B. IHxon,
I Nixon and Robinson Body
I Shop, Muriel Guin, J. A. Cost-
I ner and Frank Damaron.
These donations have aided
greatly and reports will be
given agrinst next weric. If
you haven't donated see Mr.
Ware or Wilson Crane at the
First Stale Bank and Trust Co.
Strike Fails To
Hurt Local Mail
The cancelling of one Seaboard
Railroad train, which formerly
ran each day and now runs only
on alternate days has not affected
the outgoing mail shipments here
in the least Postmaster O. L. Hoff
man said this week. The rail
roads have Uien forced to cancel tur.
the train temporarily because of
fiU.
VFW Has Bookod
Two Fino Films
Ready for showing to members
of the Veterans of Foreign Wars
and other eligible veterans are
two great films booked for the
February 28th meeting from the
U. S. Army, Commander F. H.
Abernathy announced this week.
The two motion pictures, which
can be shown only to select audi
ences as provided by Army reg
ulations, have never been releas
ed for general showing bScause
of their blunt dealing with the
recent war.
One of the films, 'The Nazi’s
Strike” shows how Germany
planned and prepared for World
War II ancThow she struck her
first blows in Austria, Czechoslo
vakia, and Poland.
The second film is to be shown
at the next meeting is entitled
“Death Mills” and is a forthright
history of the German concentra
tion camps and shows the mass
murders cemmitteed in the camps
under the Nazi regime. This film
in particular is limited in its
showing by the Army.
At the other regular meetings
which take place twice each
month, Commander Abernathy
said, other films released by the
Army will be shown. The planned
program of entertainment being
inaugurated by the V. F. W. here
includes scheduling 32 motion
pictures to be shown at intervals
during the coming year. Included
han: A. R. Surratt; E. W. Dickson;(among these films which will be
L. T. Mann; R. L. Owenby; S. H.
Bradley; Rev. Siler: J. J. Grey; W.
H. A^Larin; E. N. Crowder; J. B.
Tabor; J. A. Bowles; D. W. Drown;
J. A. Sharpe; and recent pastors
since the Church was re-organlzed
are as follows: Rev. C. L. Grant,
M. C. Ellerbe and T. G. HighfiU,
The new two-story building to
be erected by Leo Fuller, for the
Mount Holly Furniture Company,
will start going up on, or before,
March 1st, weather permitting.
Mr. Fuller, who owns the local
furniture company, will have a
building with several hundred
more square feet of floor space
than even the large building he
occupies now.
As was stated last week the
new building will go up on the
lot between Beatty’s Auto Parts
and the present site of the Mount
Holly Furniture Company. It will
have a 45-foot front, which is the
exact frontage of the building
they now occupy. It will run back
for 80 feet and will be of all-brick
construction.
The entire front of the store,
on both the first and second floors
will be all glass. This type of front
is considered the most modern
by all builders and will certainly
give Mount Holly one of the most
beautiful furniture buildings in
this section of the State.
To Havo Elovalor
Another new feature of the new
building will be the first elevator
ever to be installed in a retail
business in this community. Mr.
Fuller stated that he was placing
a modem elevator in the build
ing that will be designed to car
ry passenger or freight. It will
be very attractive and up-to-date.
On Tho First Floor
Also on the -first floor will be
the offices for the management,
bookkeeping department and the
cashier. These offices will give
privacy to customers who desire
to talk over contracts, purchases,
etc.
On both the floors the building
will have a total of 7,200 square
feet, 3,600 square feet on each
floor. Being entirely of all brick
and with the big window fronts
on both floors it will be one of
the show buildings of Gaston
county.
The A. and P. will take the
present Mount Holly Furniture
building. There are other im
provements to be announced in
the next few weeks for Mount
Holly that sound very encourag
ing for the future of the com
munity.
the impending coal shortage caus
ed by costly and lengthy negotia
tions between John L. Lewis,
head of the United Mine Work
ers, and a three man fact-finding
board appointed by President
Truman. Meanwhile, railroads,
some industries, and others who
depend on coal for a main source
of their operations, have been
forced to begin rationing coal
supplies in order to make them
last.
The local post office. still has
four outgoing mails and 6 in
coming mail shipments, Mr. Hoff
man said, while other towns and
cities are being limited in their
mail shipments. In some cities
and towns the mounting parcel
post shipments, delayed by the
cancellation of trains is causing
much inconvenience.
Arrangements were made by
the Mount Holly Post Office to
make mail shipments via trucks
running from Shelby to Monroe
on the days when the trains do
not operate. This system, put into
operation for the first time last
Saturday, hasjjToved to be entire-
Kelly L. Stone, son of Mr. and
Mrs, A. L. Stone of Mount Holly,
has been selected as a member
of the Honor Guard for General
Douglas McArthur in Japan. This
is a high honor for young Stone
and also for this community. The
Honor Guard, of which there are
actually only two momberg, flank
the color bearers when General
McArthur makes an official ap
pearance. The soldiers for ‘hfsc
greatest of care in regard to char
acter, appearance, etc.
Kelly joined • the service in
March, 1949, less than one year
ago. He took his training at Fort
Jackson, Columbia, S C. and
sailed from there to Japan. He
went directly out of high school
into the Army. He is now only 19
years of age.
Local Boy Is
Believed Missing
The Junior Chamber of Com
merce lined up projects wd
made other gains to finish secur
ing their needed money by May
1st to start on the Jaycees Com
munity Building. At the last
meeting there were 15 men who
made the Jaycee Hundred Dol
lar Club. This club is made up
of members inside the Junior
Chamber of Commerce who have
given $100 or more toward the
erection of the Conamunity
Building.
Many other 'Jaycees have giv
en between $25 and $100 and it
is believed that the $100 Club
will take on more members be
tween now and the time set to
start construction. May 1st. At
the last meeting Wally Thomp
son, chairman of the building
committee, explained the plans
and gave the club figures on the
proposed building construction
costs.
The building will be 70 feet
front with an attractive brick
entrance. The side-walls will be
of concrete blocks and the floor
ing of maple. At the present time
the first unit will run b«^ $9
feet with a possibility that the
Jaycees may make and gather in
enough money to make it 6$ feet
back. The building will have a
false wooden back in order that
it can be completed to a building
70 by 100 feet, which is extremely
large and would house any sort
of entertainment or athletic
ber 8. 1941, was a regular mem
ber of a B-36 crew which was to
have left Alaska at the same time
the lost ship left the Northern
base. Lt. Sparks had served on
one previous mission to Alaska
and according to his step-father,
Mr. Hankins, had written his wife
that he expected to leave Alaska
^ J. * ^ return to Fort Worth at ap-
Mr. and Mrs. Stone, parents of i proximately the time when the
Kelly, have been employed m iij.fated aircraft was to have left.
Mount Holly for the past twenty
years. They are both working for
- Lioutonant Clinton W. Sparks,
son of Mr. and Mrs. 0. H. Han
kins of Mount Holly, is believed
to be among the missing crew
members of an Army Air Force
B-36 forced down in icy Char
lotte Sound en route from Alas
ka to the home base at Fort
Worth, Texas. Lieutenant Sparks,
inetnbei of the Aviued Forces*even that would"ever be staged
smee he volunteered on Decern- her;..
the Globe Mills.
The picture, -above, of Kelly
was snapped on duty as an Honor
Guard.
Legion Fish Fry
Tomorrow Night
The American Legion’s first
fish fry for the public in several
months will be held at the Amer
ican Dining Hail tomorrow (Sat
urday) night starting at 6 p. m.
and a large crowd is expected to
I J BK * TT 11 , attend the dinner. Rated a success I . . .
ly sufficient' and Mount Holly activities here, the uumrfiately af-
Mr. Hankins told a News re
porter late Thursday afternoon
that no word had been received
by the family from the War De
partment verifying whether or
not Lieutenant Sparks was on the
lost bomber. Mr. Hankins said
that it was possible that Lt.
Sparks may have b^n aboard
the second B-36 which landed at
Fort Worth anei* losing contact
with the burning bomber, but
that no information concerning
the members of either crew was
being released by the Air Force
officials.
The plane carried 16 crew
members and one civilian, it was
reported. An extensive air-sea
residents will continue to receivej,ish fries held by the members
service on a par with the previous Johnson-Lineberger Post of
prorgit shipping arrangements, the American Legion for the
Mr. Hoffman said. [benefit of their building fund
^ have attracted great crowds in
vtanlav IlnYrc Graham Cloniger will
MiCtillCjr JJUyd XII1 be in charge of the preparation
M u M| jof the food and those attending
MnlnPn MlflVPC ^ given all they can eat for
UUIUCII UlUVCd 11 25 per plate, it was announced.
Two Stanley boys. Bob Smith j
and Willy Hansel, entered the! '
squared circle of Charlotte’s great j m ■ i j
annual Golden Gloves Wednes-1 oCOHl L68ll6r$
day night to take part in the open-  U J
ing slate. Both fought in the nov-. M66tlll£ MORuSy
ice division and while they split * *
WORLD PRAYER DAV
On Friday, February 24th at
3:30 p. m., all the churches of
Mount Holly will meet at the
Presbyterian Church for the an-
booked at intervals are “Divide nual World Day of Prayer. £v
and Conquer,” telling the story
of the Nazis' conquest of Den
mark. Norway, and Belgium, and
also shows the Battle of Denmark.
“Battle of Britain,” is another of
the great films, shows the defense
(Ceatiaued Oa Bade Page)
eryone is reminded to set aside
this day in their minds for de
votional purposes. The Presbyter
ians are the host church for this
year and cordially invite all
members of all faiths to join them
the ticket with Smith taking a
decision that fans booed after put
ting up a terrific scrap, and Han
sel putting his man away on a
TKO in the second round, both
made magnificent showings.
Smith lost his novice welter
weight match with Sonny Price
of Lincolnton on a split decision
after coming out in the second
round to put Price on the ropes.
Smith weighed in at 146 for the
match while Price weighed 144.
Hansel, fighting the novice ban
tamweight at 116, floored Charles
Hinnant of Sumter, S. C., in 1:37
ot the second and waited with
gloves cocked while Hinnant took
the long count. Both local fight
ers representing the Stanley box
ing team, coached by Dick
Thompson and Donald Fortner.
Members of the newly organiz-
ed Mount Holly District Commit-1 ant Sparks had left the impres
ter the giant six engined plane
reported about 6 a. m. EST that
it was being forced to “ditch” in
the surrounding waters because
of fire and ice. The reports were
relayed by the accompanying
plane which reached the Fort
Worth base Tuesday afternoon.
The reports said that the instru
ments in the plane were crippled,
one engine was afire, and that se
vere icing had occurred on the
plane.
A general air of secrecy has
surrounded the missing plane
since the first reports were re
ceived saying that it was in dis
tress.
Mr. Hankins said that Lieuten-
MERE FOR FUNERAL
Miss Ann Connell, a student at
Greensboro College, came home
on Wednesday of last week to be
here for the funeral of her cousin.
in this day of spiritual guidance. ^ Ben Hunsuck on Thursday.
tee of the Piedmont Council of
the Boy Scouts of America will
meet next Monday night, Feb
ruary 20 to discuss the re-organi-
zat’on of the District Committee
here and to hear talks by Rev.
Leslie Conrad, vice-president of
the Council and by Mr, R. M.
Schiele, Scout Executive. All the
members of the District Commit
tee are urged to attend this meet
ing which will be held at the
Sion that three of the giant planes
were in Alaska and that it was
possible that he was still there
with his crew while it was also
possible that his plane may have
been the one which reached Fort
Worth and that he is restricted
from contact with his wife or
parents until the shroud of sec-1
recy is lifted. Lieutenant Sparks
had assured his wife on numerous
occasions that if any of the planes
There is some talk that several
business men are planning on
making donations to the club to
ward the Jaycee community
building. If so they are asked to
see or call J. B. Thompson, chair
man of the Board of Trustees of
the building, Heniy Fowler, treas
urer of the building fund. Presi
dent Ted Johnson or Harold Hen-
kle. There will be no drive for
money but voluntary donations
will be accepted.
The Jaycees are building this
new structure for Mount Holly
and will use it regularly only on
Saturday nights and for meeting
nights twice each month. The
building will available for all
other clubs, churches or groups
wishing to sponsor civic events.
Andy Holt Has
Great Record
Lions Club building at 6:45 p. m. iin his group were forced down
Chairman of the district commit
tee is Mr. J. M. Craig and vice-
chairman is Charles R. Holtzclaw.
or involved in any accidents, he
would contact her immediately,
but it is possible that he has not
been able to comply with his
promises due to War Department
restrictions.
VISIT SUNDAY
Mr. and Mrs. W. E. Moore visit
ed relatives in three towns this
past Sunday. In Kings Mountain CAKE AND PIE SALE
they wei*e the guests of Mr. and | The ladies of the Lutheran
Mrs. J. R. Moore, in Grover they! Church will hold a cake and pie
visited Mr. and l^s. Charlie Mul-Jsale Saturday morning at Ward
linax, and irf Clover they visited‘■Rhyne's grocery for the benefit
with Mr. Moore’s mother and i of the educational building fund,
S father, Mr. and Mrs. Sam Moore, it was announced.
Andy Holt, 18 year old former
resident of Mount Holly, and the
son of Mr. and Mrs. A. S. Holt of
Durham, is a member of the
wrestling team at the State School
for the blind in Raleigh and thus
far in his career extending over
several years has been pinned to
the mat for the count onty one
time. Young Holt, a senior at the
Raleigh School, has proven his
athletic prowess, in several other
fields including the “grunt and
groaners” and has been one of the
outstanding-students at the school
in track, swimming and other ath
letics.
Also an outstanding student in
the scholastic curriculum at the
school, the former local resident
is making a fine name for himself
in the school and is president of
the student body. Andy’s father,
A. S. Holt, is a former coach at
Mount Holly High School, and for
a time was coach at one of the
high schools In Durham before
accepting a position with the Dur
ham Y. M. C. A. A brother, Ed
Holt, 15 years old, is an outstand
ing basketball player for the
Junior Varsity team of one of the
junior high schools in Durham
and was recently in Charlotte
taking part in a tournament in
which Durham won over Pie*'
mmt and Tech high scho^'
Mrs. Wilma Moore, a**
Andy’s, traveled to Ic«
week to watch the young .
in action when the wrestlers a.
the State School for the Blind met
Ihe wrestling team from Greens-
bore High School in a series of
matches. Andy pinned his man in
less than two minutes of the first
round, Mrs. Moore said, and at
the same time was handicapped
by the forced loss of several
pounds within a weric preceeding
(Continued oa Bock Pago)