North Carolina Newspapers

Population City Limits ................ 1 . 7.206 Trod'?- Area 15.000 , (1945 Ration Board Pigant) VOL 62 NO. 36 King* Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper 14 Pages Today Established 1889 Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, September 4, 1952 Sixty-Second Year PRICE FIVE CENTS local News Bulletins TO OREGON Miss Martha Plonk left Sun day for Corvallls, Oregon, where she has accepted a posi tion with Oregon State College. LIONS MEETING Regular meeting of the Kings Mountain Lions club will toe held Tuesday evening at 7:00 o'clock at Masonic Dining Hall. Program for the meeting has . not yet been announced. KIWANIS MEETING Rev. H. Gordon Weekley, new pastor of First Baptist church, will address members of the Kings Mountain Kiwanis club at their regular meeting Thurs day night at 6:45 at Masonic Lodge Hall, according to an nouncement in the SinavMc, club 'bulletin. ATTEND OPENING Joseph N. Dixon, business manager for Kings Mountain hospital, Mrs. Mozelle Gardner, chief anesthetist, and Mrs. Dorothy Goforth, head nurse, attended the opening of the University hospital, Chapel Hill, Tuesday. BROTHERHOOD TO MEET The brotherhood of Resurrec tion Lutheran church will hold a special meeting at the chur ch on Thursday evening at 8. o'clock, according to announ cement by the pastor, Rev. Vance Daniel. TO HEAR BELK Rev. A. E. Belk. of Gaffney, S. C., will be guest minister at both morning and evening ser vices at First Church of the Na zarene on Sunday, it was an nounced by the pastor, Rev. C. E. McKenzie. The morning ser vice is at 11 o'clock and the evening service is at 7 o'clock. ATTENDED MEETING Rev. P. D. Patrick, pastor of the First Presbyterian church, J. H. Thomson, clerk of the ses sion, and J. G. Darracott, su perintendent of the Sunday School at Dixon Presbyterian church, attended the meeting of the Synod of North Carolina at Davidson College this week. DIXON SERVICE James Moss, a graduate of King College, Bristol, Tenn., ?will bring the message to the Dixon Presbyterian church at 9:45 a. in. Sunday, Sept.. 7. Mr. Moss Will * attend 1 Columbia Theological Seminary ?t De catur, Ga? this fall. _HOWARD RELEASED v apt. Grady Howard, on ac tive , duty with the Marine Corps for the past 17 months, has been returned to inactive status. He and Mrs. Howard and their family arrived home Saturday from Camp LeJeune, where Capt. Howard has been stationed. PASTORS' CONFERENCE Baptist ministers of the coun ty will hold a pastors' confer ence at First Baptist church in Shelby, next Wednesday morn ing at 10 o'clock, according to anouncement by Rev. W. L. MoSwain. Rev. B. F. Austin artd Rev.. J. R. Cantrell will discuss "Ordinances" LEGION NOTICE Regular September meeting of Otis D. Green Post 155, the American Legion, will toe held at the Legion Hall on Thurs day, Septemtoer 11. Date was changed from September 12 to avoid conflict with a Kings Mountain high school football home game. EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Members of the executive committee of Otis D. Green Post 155, the American Legion, were reminded today of the regular meeting to toe held on September 8 at the Legion Hall. Commander Sam Collins has urged all memtoers to at tend. Weekley To Begin Pastorate Sunday Rev, H. Gordon Weekley, new pastor of First Baptist church, will deliver his first sermon at 11 o'clock service* Sunday morn ing. Rev. Mr. Weekley Is expected to arrive in Kings Mountain Thurs day. He comes to Kings Moun tain, succeeding Rev. T, L. Cash Well, Jr., from the pastorate of Mason boro Baptist church, of Wilmington. I Auditors Suggest 13 Bookkeeping Improvements Ernst & Ernst, of Winston-Sa lem, in their audit report of the city s books for the fiscal year 1951-52, itemized 13 recommenda tions for improving the city's bookkeeping procedures. The recommendations com pared with 18 suggested Improve ments made by the same firm, following an audit of the city's books last year. Some of the rec ommendations were duplicates of those made last year. The auditing firm stated: "Both the accounting procedures and the system of internal' control employed by the City are, we be lieve, still inadequate to ? safe guard the property and funds of the City, even though improve ment has been made during the year. We find the weaknesses now include, among others, the following: "1) little or no formal receiv, ing procedure for goods pur chased; 2) occasional failure to match invoices with purchase or ders, due to absence of purchase orders or purchase orders with out the proper information there on; 3) failure to make record of audit of invoices as to extensions, footings, prices, etc.; 4) no ac countability for materials pur chased, or for scrap; 5) failure to control amounts receivable for taxes; 6) failure to completely control liability for utility de posits; 7) failure to abide by bud get accounting; 8) failure to pro perly authorize all invoices paid 9) payment of vendors' state ments (as contrasted to original invoices); 10) no accountability of some permits issued; 11) fail ure to properly control utility re ceivables; 12) failure to accurate ly summarize and control asses sments; and 13) frequent errors in the preparation and entry of accounting Information." "We have noted," the report continued, "the great turnover in personnel and understand the problems the City has faced. Many of ihe above weaknesses are being <. -rrected and worked out by City personnel. We recom mend for your consideration the employment of a receiving clerk and the establishment of a cen tral storage in order to control the inventories of the City; that the Board of Commissioners au: thorize and approve all invoices oVer a minimum amount; that the minutes of the Board of Com missioners' meetings include full, I itemized information in detail ori all actions of the Roard; and that assessment scrolls be properly I processed according to law." j The auditors reported that the "liability shown by the books for; light and water deposits is not in 1 balance with the detailed records. ! It probably represents the ap! proximate amount of the liability. Considerable work will have to ; bo done to be able to correctly state the liability." METER RECEIPTS A total of $146.58 was collec ted from the city's parking me ters Wednesday morning ac cording to a report by the city treasurer's office, i i. - Crowd Expected For Fashion Show TO BE INSTALLED ? Rev. Vance Daniel will be formally installed as pastor of Resurrection Luth eran church at morning services Sunday at the church. ?>r. F. L. Conrad, Synod president, will conduct the service. Dr. F. L Conrad To Install Daniel i Rev. Vance Daniel will <be for mally installed as pastor of Resurrection Lutheran church at the 11 o'clock service at the church Sunday morning. Dr. F. L. Conrad, of Salisbury, president of the Lutheran Synod of North Carolina, will conduct the installation rites, which will be held in the nave of rhe chur ch. Rev. Mr. Daniel first came to the Resurrection church with the status of mission developer. Sunday morning's service will be the first held in the main au. ditorium since construction work on the nave began several weeks ago. Plastering work has been concluded, though other work remains to be completed. No vesper service will i>e held at 'he church Sunday evening, the' Resurrection congregation having been invited to attend the opening of the new Spindale Lutheran church at 3 o'clock Sunday afternoon. Rev, H. G. Fisher, a former pastor of St. Matthew's Lufhemn church here, is pastor of the Spindale church. ACKNOWLEDGE GIFT Kings Mountain hospital and staff have expressed apprecia tion the WMU of First Bap tist church for contribution of new linen for the operating room, Joe Dixon, business manager, announced the gift yesterday. City Commissioners Talk New Jail, After Seeing Re-modeling Sketches The city Board of commission ers met in special session Friday night to discuss jail improve ments with its architects, looked at the estimated $19,000 price tag attached to the sketches, then agreed to Investigate the possi bility of building a new jail. After first authorizing the firm of Onnand St Vaughn, of Shelby, to prepare sketches for a new jail to be built behind the pre sent City Hall, the board re scinded the action to confer with Jt- L. Williams. Monroe, Va., ar chitect, described by Chief of Po lice S. R. Davidson as a specialist in jail architecture. Mr. Williams is to confer with the board at its next regular meeting. The board indicated it would consider financing the project, should it become a definite one. through a special bond Issue. Such an issue would require a favorable vote of the citizens. Otherwise, the session was limited to further discussloh on the recently-enacted power rate schedules. Commissioner Baxter Wright made two motions which failed of seconds, one to eliminate de mand charges on all schedules, the other to cut commercial rate*. Commissioner James Lay ton suggested a possible rate cut of 10 percent or the adoption of rate schedules used by Duke Po wer Company, a?1 Mayor Gar land Still suggested making the commercial schedule the same at residential, plus 20 percent, or to I eliminate demand charges. But there was no agreement, with Commissioners Lloyd Davis and Olland Pearson indicating they wanted to give the current rates a trial over a reasonable period of time. In reply to a question on com plaints, City CleW; Joe Hendrlck ?a}d, "We received less com plaints last month than previous ly, though complaints on power bills are a regular part of the paying period." On motion of Mr. LaytOn, se conded by Mr. Pearson, the board voted unanimously to study a re port at the subsequent regular meeting to Include: 1- revenue from current rates; 2) revenue based on residential rates, with a 20 percent adltlon for commer cial users; 3) revenue based on a 10 percent reduction; 4) revenue from city distribution if Duke Power Company rates were ap plied; 5) revenue, less demand charge*; and 6) revenue, with REA rates applied. The board also authorized the expenditure of up to fl.tftO addi tional for Atreet re-surfacing be ing done by Taylor Construction Company. The board originally contracted with the Taylor Com pany for $25,000 in street resur facing, and authorized the in crease, if necessary, to complete |AU streets originally scheduled | for the "hot-mix" treatment. High School Gym Scene Of Event On Friday Night "Fall Fashion Frolic," a fash ion show featuring fall merchan dise from Kings Mountain stores shown by local mouels. will foe presented at the high school gymnasium Friday evening* at 8 o'clock. The show is being sponsored by the Kings Mountain Junior Woman's Club in cooperation with the Merchants Association, Nine firms will show apparel and accessories during the even ing. They are Belk's Department Store, Plonk Brothers & Company. Reba's Fashions, Myers" Dress Shop, Keeter's Department Store, Wee Folk Shop, Dellinger's Jew. el Shop, Sudie's Beauty Shop, and Grayson's Jewelry. Mrs. James White is chairman of the Junior Woman's cluh com mittee and Mrs. J. B. Simpson will serve 4s commentator dur ing the showings. Mrs, Charles Alexander will give the. word of welcome, first item on the pro gram. Officials of the show are ex pecting an exceptionally good showing of all fashions for wo men and children and a capac ity audienca. Tickets are on sale at the par ticipating firms and by members of the sponsoring organization. Models for the show were an nounced yesterday. They in clude: Belk's ? Miss Ruby Crawford, Mrs. P. D. Herndon, Mrs. Ray Clemmer, Mrs. Bruce Thorburn, Phyllis Dean, Beth Houser, Bil lle Jo Thorburn. Johnny Clem mer an?l Billie Mabry, Plonk's ? Mrs. Thorburn, Mrs. Eugene Roberts, Mrs. I. C- Davis, Mrs. Clarence Plonk, Sr., Miss Rachel Plonk and Miss Doris Stewart. Reba's ? Mrs. Vernon Hudson, Myers' ? Mrs. Herndon, Mrs. L,. E* Abbott, Mrs. Hunter Allen, Mrs. Sam Mitchem, Miss Marion Arthur, Miss Mary Ann Beam, Mrs. Carl Mauney, Mrs. David Cash, Miss Joyce Biser and Pat Steffy. Keeter's ? Mrs. Hunter Patter son, Miss Bernice Harrison, Miss Margaret Cornwall, Miss Diana 51,680. ( Continued On Page Eight) City Operations 82,099 In Black Blessed by record general fund receipts, the City of Kings Moun tain showed a slight cash operat ing profit during the fiscal year closing June 30* Audit report of Ernst & Ernst, which audited the city's accounts, showed income exceeded expendi tures by $2,099.31, after deducting $2,976.02 as an adjustment ol the reserve for insolvent taxes, ? The city received during the year $420,141.04 and spent (in cluding the tax reserve adjust ment) $419,041.73 for all purposes. General fund expenditures to taled $375,427.28, debt service cost $41,405.53, and cemetery fund ex penses, limited to capital Improve ments to the cemetery, were $1, 208.92. All but one department closed the year showing their respective budgets underspent. The excep tion was the street department, which overspent its budget by $879.07. As was customary, the utilities departments showed the largest expenditures. The city spent $113^ 060.34 via the light and power department (with $65,383.43 paid for the purchase of power), and the city spent $51,17537 via the water and sewer department. Other departmental expendi ture included: Administrative, $23,151.06: street, $46.49201; sanl tary, $16,323.21; police, $35,441.76; fire, $13,156.87; cemetery, $7,305.. 68; general. $15,306.80; recorder's court, $3,695.76; miscellaneous, $235.15; and lor capital outlay, $53,602.56. In addition, $6,585.31 was transferred to the debt ser vice fund. REVENUES Revenues included $377,035.92 in general fund receipts. $41,405. 53 in debt service fund receipts, and $1,699.59 In cemetery fund receipts. Sale of power and water ac counted for the biggest share of the income. Power sales returned Continued On Page Eight Fifth Annual Bethware Fair Ready To Open ? The fifth annual Bethware Community fair will open next \\ ednesday afternoon at 1 o'clock with record crowds expected to attend the four-day event. The fair will feature both farm and commercial exhibits, with prize drawings scheduled for each ?evening at 9:30 to be followed by fireworks displays. . Opening day will be children's clay, with special contests for children. No gate admission will be charged. On the midway, the Williams Amusement company will hold sway, with a half-dozen riding de vices to be operating for the en tertainment of fair-goers. Meeting Tuesday night, the Bethware Progressive Club, spon sors of the fair, mapped final plans for the event and officials are predicting their "best-ever" fair. John Rudisill, secretary-trea surer, said that the Bethware school luncur >om will be operat c-d cafeteria stlye during the fair to serve meals to fair-goers at rea sonable prices. The fair will open each day at 1 p. m. Judging of all exhibits and in all departments will be com pleted Thursday. The s;?ecial Fri day feature will be a farm ma chinery exhibit at 2 o'clock. Fair officials include Lewis Ho vis, president, Myers Hambright manager, Mrs. H. A. Goforth as^ sistant manager, Will Wattersor assistant manager, J. H. Rudisill' Jr., secretary-treasurer, Mrs. La mar Herndon, assistant secretary, "dwin Moore, superintendent of grounds, and Leonard Gamble, as sistant superintendent of grounds. Directors are: J. D. Harmon, Will Watterson, Boyd Harrelson, Dale ChLrU * 1fonard Gamble, r5w pm? Charles Blalock, .?i w ' Lewis Hovis, Ed Win Moore, Wilard Boyles. Hal Morris and J. H. Rudislll, Jr. Department directors and as sistants Include: Agriculture- Boyd Harrelson director, Willis Harmon, assistant director,- J. S. Ware, L. E Cham pion and Lamar Herndon. Horticulture ? Cameron Ware director, Wayne L. Ware. Jr.! trank Ware a,nd Edwin Moore. Farm and machinery ? Lewis Hovis, director. Lyman Cham pion, and Joe Craver. ?Women* department ? Mrs H. A Goforth. director. Mrs. Hal Morris and Mrs. Clay Poston. Women's department sub-divi sions include: ?Canned Fruits and Vegetables I'ron;m* Gamble, Mrs u ill \\ atterson, Mrs. Eugene Pat terson. Mrs. Wray Greene. Preserves. Jellies. Jams, Pic kles, Relishes and Meats Mrs Menzetl Phifer, Mrs. W. A Wright. Mrs Frank Ware. Mrs. Claude Harmon. Pantry and Dairy Supplies - Mrs. William Bell, Mrs. Earl Mor ris, Mrs. Hugh Ormand, Mrs. De witt Randle. Household Arts Department ? - Mrs. Ted Led ford, Mrs. Frank Herndon. Mrs. Hugh Dover, Mrs! Willard Boyles. Flower Department ? Mrs. Floyd Herndon, Mrs. Boyd Har rellson, Mrs. Perry McSwain, Mrs. Dale Volbracht. Food Committee ? M.s. John Rudisill, Miss Sara CranfoTd Mrs. Bryan Hord. Mrs. J. K Wil lis. 4-H Club Department ? Miss Lois Gamble, Miss Sonyla. Go forth, Miss Laura Lalrte Morris, Miss Patsy Hoyle, Jenkins Assumes Archdale Duties Ben P Jenkins, Jr., former Cleveland County farm agent, will superintend the operations of Archdale Farms, Kings Mountain dairy, according to announcement this week by P. M. Neisler. Mr. Jenkins will manage the dairy In conjunction with the op eration of his farm management service In Cleveland Country. He said no Immediate changes are anticipated in the dalcy opera tion, which supplies milk to con sumers both via retail stores and home delivery. Mr. Jenkins assumed the duties of manager of the dairy Monday He succeeds Holland P. Dlxoni who resigned to become an offi cial of Hardin-Dixon Equipment Company, Shelby farm equipment dealers. Archdale Farms Is owned by Neisler Mills, Inc. Mr. Jenkins recently resigned ss a district official of the farm ?xtension service to launch his new farm management service. * . - .. . " ?. ' , . ***" " : V ? '? '4 ?' . ? ^ / . ' . ? .. 1,991 Kings Mountain Area Pupils Begin School Term ? ? ? Mb m nrsTf * PORTRAY DRAMA ROLES ? George Gray. of. Gastonia. and Miss Betty Weathers, of Shelby, may be seen as "Reece McDermont" and "Virginia" in the Kings Mountain Little Theatre drama. "The Sword of Gideon," which opens at the amphitheatre at Kings Mountain National Military Park on Thursday night, September 11. The drama is scheduled to run for 12 nights, on Thursdays, Fridays and Satur days. ? New Battle Drama Opens Next Week 100-Member Cast j Completing Work For Opening Somif" gof>d reserved" scats, in- t eluding only a fewfor the sept em- \ her 11 opening night perfor mance, ah> still available for the ; opening week of the Little Thea tre's new drama. The Sword of Gideon, Cast of the drama was announ ced 1 his week. Miss Betty IyCflford, office sec- ' rotary of the sponsoring group, . reports that ticket sales are brisk and a capacity opening, night audience is almost assured, i Several important / guests and many members of /he press, ra dio and televisiory are expected to attend the September 11 per- ! formance. Misp Ledford has announced that U. S, Senator Clyde K. Hoey, of Shelby, and U. S. Representa-,' tive Wood^ow W. Jones, of Ruth- f erfordton, will be present for th? : opening performance. The drama is now going into the last week of dress rehearsals] and Mrs. P. G. Padgett has issued an appeal for all members of the 100-odd cast to be present at all practice sessions. Reserved seat tickets are priced at $2.40, general admission at $1.80 and grandstand at $1.00. Tickets may be secured aj the Little Theatre Office. 510 East Continued on Pag ? eight waS" ' ' ' ' 1 PH 11 ? ? ? 'WKrftii1 RECEIVES MASTERS DEGREE? Mrs. Marcelle Blanton Navey, a bove, received her master of arts degree from George Peabody col lege for teachers in Nashville, Ten., on August 22. She received her bachelor of arts from East Carolina. The daughter of Mr. and Mrs. E. W. Blanton. of Kings Mountain, and wife of the late Ralph L. Navey of Raleigh., Mrs. Navey has taught at the State School for the Blind in Raleigh for 12 years. She resumed her teaching position there Septem bers. City Audit Report Shows Surplus Value Over Million For First Time The City of Kings Mountain closed its fiscal year 1951.52 show ing a surplus value of $1,078,722 55, an increase during the year of $86,000 79, according to report of Ernst & Ernst, Winston-Salem auditing firm. It was the first time the city had shown a surplus bool^ value in excess of a million dollars. The surplus , breakdown In cludes: general fund, $58,020.67 ; cemetery fund, $16,888.78, and capital fund, $1,003,813.10. According to the condensed summary of the city's financial condition, the city listed at June 30 cash of $84,43&97, receivables of $38,058.23, supplies inventory of $23,462.72, and property and equipment totaling $1,256,773.02. Liabilities included $71,050,17 in current accounts, plus $253,000 in bonded Indebtedness. Included in the current accounts were 1952 tax prepayments of $30,639.18 and prepaid 1952 privilege licen ses of $3,026.87. The property and equipment vaiues listed by the auditors in cluded these major items: , Water and sewer lines, $333. 885.31 ; water plant and equip ment, $301,764.59; street paving and equipment, $251,815.67; and school buildings and sites, $128, 096.88. . The city hall and site is listed at $44,409.77, the electric light and power system at $39,140.06, while the cemetery property is I listed at $27,11251. City Enrollment Shows Net Gain Of 38 Pupils A total of. 1.991 Kings, Mountain area school children enrolled' for the 1952-53 term Tuesday. Of the total, 1,816 were enroll ed in the. five city .schools units; while 175 were enrolled at Park Grace school in the county sys tem. The city system showed a fitst day population gain of 38 pupils, while at Park Grace the total was three less than on last year's opening day. Opening day problems in the eity system 'we're confined . to equalization, of classes and spacp problems, Mr. Barnes said All elementary schools reported very large fourth grades, arid East school found itself one classroom shy. Some pupils will be transferred to Central school to alleviate the over-populated problem, and school officials are contemplating moving one class from East school to Central. Mr. Barnes said ample classrooms had been provided by pressing three rooms at Central into class room service which had formerly been used, for other purposes. He said all the necessary ' re-arran gements would be completed by the weekend. Largest first-day enrollment gains were reported by East and Central elementary schools, each reporting 24 additional students ovcj last year. Davidson colored school, how ever, showed a. drop in opening day enrollment of 28, eight in the high school and 20 in the elementary school. West elementary school enroll merit gained eight over last year's rlrsf day and Central high school enrollment was up a total of ten students. . First-day enrollment figures follow: Central elementary, 653 West elementary, 236; East ele mentary, 3-16; Central high. 366; Davidson elementary, 153;- Dav idson high, 62; totals, white. 1.601 ; colored. 215. Mr. Barnes said it is customary for enrollment to inc.- ease slight ly sifter the opening day. ? Foote Institutes Wage Increase A five rent per hour wage in. crease and extension of group life insurance coverage, for hourly rated employees was made effec tive Monday by Foote Mineral Company for employees of the Kings Mountain division. Announcement was made by A. K. Cfiariler. superintendent of the Kings Mountain plant. The increase was termed a "cost of living adjustment". A total of $2,000 jn life insur ance is to be granted each hourly rated employee who has been with the company for 90 days, or more. It was announced that those employees who have been with the company less than 90 days will receive the coverage once they have completed the 90 day period of employment. Circus Coming To Town Monday The circus is- coming to Kings Mountain on Monday, according to announcement by the Junior Chamber of Commerce. Two per. formances will be given at Plonk Showgrounds, off Grover road. J This Is really a circus, not a carnival," Chairman Jack White said in making the announcement. "We feel that local citizens will really enjoy seeing an old-time circus and are/happy to be able to present thfc Kelly & MorrU Circus, one d( the besc," lie con tinued. ' The citrus features "Big Blanche", billed as the ' largest elephant in the United States "Blanche" weighs 11.000 pounds, according to circus officials and was purchased from Cole Bro thers Circus in 1950. "The man agement offers $1000.00 for proof Blanche is not the largest ele phant," according to a press re lease. Kelly A Morris also features ' what is billed as the second lar gest travelling 700 In America, Continued on page eight