Population
City Limit? 7.206
Trading Area 1 5.000
(1945 Ration Board FlgurM) '
Kings Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper
14
VOL 63 NO. 6
Established 1 889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, February 5, 1953
Sixty-Third Year
Pages
T oda y
PRICE FIVE CENTS
18* '.'J %*? m*
HOk THCAflO
SCHOOL GIVEN VISION -TESTING APPARATUS? Two officials of the Kings Moantain Lions club. Dr.
N. H. Reed, center, and President George H. Houser, right are pictured as they presented a tele-binoc
ular Tision-testing machine to the city schools. Superintendent B. N. Barnes, left, is receiving the
gift. The purchase price of S230 was obtained by the Lions club from proceeds of last year's broom
sale for the benefit of the blind. Dr. Reed is the club tail twister. (Photo by Carlisle Studio.)
Local News
| Bulletins
METER RECEIPTS
A total of $150.35 was collec
ted from the city's parking me
ters Wednesday afternoon, ac
cording to a report by the city
treasurer's office.
DAT OF PRATER
World Day of Prayer wiil be
observed in Kings Mountain
Friday, February 20, according
to announcement this week by
Mrs. Jacob Cooper, a member
of the council of church wo
men. Full details will be an
nounced later.
LADIES NIGHT
Annual ladies night banquet
of Fairvlew Lodge No. 339, A.
F. & A- M.,?will 'be held Friday
night at 7 p. m. at the Maso
nic HalL
% TUESDAT FIRE
City firemen answered a call
to Deal street Tuesday after-,
noon at 3:25o'clock and quick-'
* ly extinguished a grass fire at
the home of Joe Bennett. No
damage was reported.
LIONS PROGRAM
A representative of the
ground observer corps unit, of
Charlotte, will speak to mem
bers of the Kings Mountain
Lions club their meeting
Tuesday night at 7 o'clock at
Masonic Dining hall, accord
ing to announcement by W. L.
Plonk, program chairman.
* - ? ?.. '? ?%.' ? t.
ATTEND MEETING
Rev. W. L. Pressly, Lewis Ho
vis, Mrs. Caude Hambright
Mrs. B, D. Ratterree, John
Cheshire and Marriott Phifer
went to Troutman Tuesday
where they attended preaby
terlal meetings devoted to the
"New Life Movement."
LEGION MEETING
District 28. Commander
George Luekhart, of Shelby, is
scheduled to attend the regu
lar February meeting of Otis
D. Green Post 1S5, the Ameri
can Legion, set for Friday
night ?t the Legion HaH at 6
p. m. Commander Sam Collins
has urged all members to at
tend. .
DISTRICT MEETING
Past District Commander J.
WL Gladden announced this
weejt plans for a District 2$
meeting to be held at the
Spindale Legion Hut oh Tues
day night at 8 p. m. Confman
der George Luekhart, of Shel
by, will preside and all Le
gionnaires are invited to at
tend, he said.
Regular monthly meeting of
I the city board of commission -
Hi era will be held Monday night
at 7:30 at City Hall. Mayor
< Oarland Still said a Mil agen
da had not yet 4*eq prepared
tat Indicated the majority of
the business at hand would be
routine.
Lions To Conduct
Broom-Mat Sale
1 1 inwww w~i ttit r
DRIVE CHAIRMAN ? Hilton
Ruth will serve as chairman of
the Number 4 Township Red
Cross fund campaign, with Glee
A. Bridges serving as co-chair
man, according to announce
ment this week by chapter offi
cials.
Rath To Head
Red Cross Drive;
Bridges Aide
Hilton Ruth will serve as chair
man of the annual Number 4
Township Red Cross fund cam
paign, according to announce
ment this week by Rev. W. L.
Pressly, chapter chairman.
Glee A. Bridges will serve as
co-chairman, Mr. Pressly also an
nounced.
Mr. Ruth, well-known Kings
Mountain merchant, is manager
of Belk'a Department Store.
Initial plans for the fund cam
paign were formulated at a meet,
ing here with Miss Ann Johnson,
of Atlanta, area field office re
presentative.
The fund campaign will be con
ducted in March and further
plans for it, along with the quota,
will be announced in the near fu
ture.
^ -
Missions Expert
To Preach Here
Dr. R. H. Gerberdlng, of New
York, executive secretary of the
Board of American Missions of
the United Lutheran church, will
preach at St Matthew's Lutheran
church at Sunday morning ser
vice* at 11 o'clock.
He la a brother of the pastor.
Dr. W. P. Gerberding. ,
Prior to assuming his present
position, the mission board secre
tary' was for 21 years president of
the Synod of the Northwest, one
of the fastest- growing synods of
the church.
The work of the Mission board
covers continent* 1 United States,
Canada, Hawaii. Alaska and the
Wm Indies
Profits To Aid
Club's Work
For Sightless
The Kings Mountain Lions club
Will conduct its annual broom
sale for the benefit of the blind
beginning Friday.
Club members wilj make a
house-to-house canvas of the city,
as has been past policy, and will
offer for sale both brooms '(at
$1.50) and rubber doormats (at
$2.50), with proceeds aiding both
blind of the state and local sight
conservation work. . ?
J. W. Webster is chairman of
the project, and other members
of the committee are Sam Stall
ings, "Carl F. Mauney, Paul Ho
ward and James Houser.
Under present plans, teams of
Lions will vend brooms this week
end and again on Friday and Sat
urday, February 12 and 13.
Mr. Webster pointed out that
the articles offered for sale are
"good values". They are made In
Greensboro at a manufacturing
plant for the blind, which em
ploys only blind persons. A por
tion of the sale price remains with
the local club for sight conserva
tion work. Recently, the club pre
sented to Central school a tele
binocular machine for use in test
ing the vision of school pupils.
The machine tests vision in 12
different ways and 19 considered
much more effective than the
card tests which have been long
used.
"We expect our usual good
sale," Mr. Webster said.
TAG SALES
A total of 894 Kings (Moun
tain motorists have purchased
1953 city auto license plates,
according to a report by "the
city clerk's office. Deadline for
purchasing tags without pen
alty was February 1.
Mis. Saunders'
Rites Conducted
Here Tuesday
Funeral rites for Mrs. Elizabeth
Plonk Saunders, 51, Kings Moun
tain native and wife of W. P.
Saunders, president of Robbins
Mills, Inc., were conducted' at
Ressurection Lutheran church
here on Tuesday afternoon.
The services were conducted by
Rev. Cheves Ligon, pastor of
Brownson Memorial Presbyterian
church of Southern Pines, assist
ed by Rev. W. O. Nelson, of Rob
bins, and Rev. Vance Daniel, pas
tor of the Resurrection church.
Interment was in the family plot
of Mountain Rest cemetery.
Mrs. Saunders death at Moore
County hospital Monday morning*
followed a short illness, and came
as a shock to her familv and
friends.
Member of a well-known Kings
Mountain family, Mrs. Saunders
was a daughter of the late Mr.
and Mrs. R. S. Plonk. She was a
member of the Brownson Memo
rial Church at Sjutn.*rn Pines
and was quite active in the re
ligious and civic life of the com
munity. Prior to moving to
Southern Pines, the Saunders had
lived in Robbins for many years.
Surviving, in addition to her
husband, are t\ko daughters, Mrs.
Ralph Barnhart, of Raeford. and
Miss Dorothy Lee Saunders, a
student at Queens College, Char
lotte. Seven sisters and four bro
thers survive. They are Miss May
Plonk, Kings Mountain, Miss Et
hel Plonk, Winston-Salem, Mrs.
Hugh Ormand, Kings Mountain,
Miss Eva Plonk, Charlotte, Mrs.
C. A. Hager, Hickory, Mrs. W. E.
Alexander, Robbins, Mrs. W. M.
Hite, Charlotte, T. M. Plonk.
Charlotte, R. S. Plonk, Bessemer
City, Calvin Plonk, Kinga Moun
tain, and Herbert Plonk, Raleigh
One granddaughter, Elizabeth
Barnhart, of Raeford, survives.
Pallbearers were J. A. Neisler,
Kings Mountain, Reld A. May
nard, Burlington, J. M. Pleasants
and A. H. Grant, both of Sou
thern Pines, F. W. Warrenton,
Charlotte, Wayland Kennedy
Robbins, Dallas H. Nease, Aber
deen.
I
Rites Conducted
For Mr. Bookout
Funeral rites for David C
Bookout, 67, resident of First
street, wers conducted Monday at
4 p. m. from Second Baptist
church.
Rev. B. F. Austin, pastor of the
church officiated, assisted by
Rev. W. H. Redmond, Rev. R L.
Chaney, and Rev. R. L. Davis.
Interment was in Mountain Rest
cemetery.
Mr. Bookout died in Kings
Mountain hospital Saturday af
ternoon at 12:10 o'clock follow
ing an illness of several years. A
native of Cleveland county, he
was the son of the late Mr. and
Mrs. Levi Bookout.
He was a former employee of
Craftspun Mills and was a mem
ber of Second Baptist church.
He is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Mary Sue Allen Bookout; five
daughters, Mrs. Harold Phillips.
Mrs. Roy Hudson, Mrs. Suford
Robbs, Misses Edith and Billie
Jean Bookout, all of Kings Moun
tain; one brother, John Bookout
of Gastonia ; four sisters, Mrs.
Elizabeth Jackson and Mrs
George Short of Kings Mountain,
Mrs. Nora Grayson of Belmont
and Mrs. Dovie Lewis of Forest
City.
Political Talk Still Holding Sway,
But New Possibilities Ate Limited
Political announcement* dur
ing the past week brought to
seven the total number of can
didates seeking city office in the
"May election tout left many citi
zens on the prospect list.
Some of the prospects are Con
sidered sure to seejc election,
while' some are In the dark-horse
category.
At least one placed a question
mark after his name this week,
where it had not toeen placed toe
fore.
Lloyd E. Davis. Ward 2 Com
missioner, said he was not sure
whether he would seek re-elec
tion.
Another regarded as an al
most-sure candidate, W. B. Lo
gan, mentioned prominently as
a candidate for Ward 3 commis
sioner against Incumbent Oil'
and Peat von, said he doutoted
that he would seek office. How
ever, lie declined to completely
close the door on the possibility
of tits offering.
One major rumor had George
H. Houser would seek the Ward
1 school board trusteeship ex
pected to i>e vacated by Incum
bent J. ft. Davis.
Otherwise, the candidacy ru
mors were principally re-hash
lngs.
% H. Tom Fulton and George W.
Allen were still expected to run
for mayor, and in Ward 1, the
names most frequently mention
ed were Incumbent James Lay
ton, J. Pat Tlgnor, J. E. Herndon.
and Jesse Carpenter.
. In Ward! I. B. Mauney, a for
mer cominwsloner, was being
mentioned, as was Tommy Elli
son, and, other Ward 4 names
Included Floyd Williams and
Paul (Blinky) Ledford.
For Ward 3 Commissioner, Bax
ter Wright Sr., Rofbert Osborne
was considering making the
race, in event B. T. Wright, Sr.,
decided against seeking re-elec
tion.
Hayes, Phillips, Reynolds Have Filed
As Candidates For Political Offices
?- ? ? i ' ? i ? : , <?? ?
EHS&INE GROUP TO SING HERE? The Erskine College Choralers,
a 16-voice glee club under the direction of Miss Helen Ligon, will
present a program of solo and group numbers from the Psalms at
the 11 o'clock service Sunday morning at Boyce Memorial ARP
church. ?
Kiwanis To Observe
Father-Son Night
The Kings Mountain Kiwanis
club will observe annual father
and-son night at the meeting of
the organization Thursday night.
Feature of the evening will be
a program by Art Thompson, of
Chailotte, a magician who will
endeavor to demonstrate that the
hand Is still quicker than the eye.
All Kiwanis members are being
urged to bring their song or a
n other boy.
. ' . , I
Former Chief
Issues Blast' -v
The city's ex-police chief. S. R.
(Pop) Davidson, issued a state-,
ment this week purporting to ex
plain certain charges against
him made by City Commissioner
Olland Person at the time of his
dismissal, and also leveled a
blast at C. E. Carpenter, current
responsible authority in the police
department, who had recom
mended that Davidson be dis
charged.
The Davidson statement fol
lows:
"My Friends and Citizens, the
motion made to fire me' was
made in the courtroom by Mr. C.
E. Carpenter. None was present
of the commissioners but L. E.
Davis, Olland Pearson and Gar
land E. Still.
"Mr. Pearson stated he gave
five reason for relieving me. 1)
that I didn't cooperate with the
police officers. He can't get a
statement to that effect unless
it would be from one of his stoo
ges.
2) He said capiases were Issu
ed to taxi drivers to serve. Actu
ally, a taxi driver came Into the
office to take to Cherryyille to
pick the man up.
"3) He said I cancelled park
ing tickets. I have cancelled only
for women who had been to the
doctor's office, after contacting
doctor's nurses. Others were can
celled because I knew some me
ters wouldn't give correct time.
I was not going to call any lady
a liar.
"4) About not cooperating with
the Judge and this court, I con
sulted with Judge White "on vir
tually every matter.
"5) Mr. Olland Person had no
information except that given by
Mr. C. E. Carpenter, the dictator
of the City of Kings Mountain,
tax lister, tax supervisor, clerk
of recorder's courf, desk sergeant
for the police department, also
director of the police department
?as of now'
Former Resident
Rites Conducted
Funeral rites for Ben Dixon
Phlfer, 78,. former resident and
rural mall carrier for 15 years,
were conducted Sunday at 3 p, m.
from El Bethel Methodist church.
Rev. P. L. Shore officiated, as
sisted by Rev. W. L. Pressly and
interment was In the church
cemetery.
Mr. Phlfer died at his home in
Charlotte Friday evening. He had
been in declining health for some
time.
He was a son of the late Mr.
and Mrs. John M. Phlfer and a
native of Cleveland County. Mr.
Phlfer had lived in Kings Moun
tain before moving to Charlotte
Cemtinusd On Page Bight
Erskine Group
To Sing Here
Sunday Morning
A special musical program will
be presented by the Erskine Col
lege Choralers at Boyce Memori
al ARP church Sunday morning
at the regular 11 o'clock service,
according to announcement fhis
week by the pastor, Rev. W. .L.
Pressly.
The 16-voice group, under the
direction of Miss Helen Ligon,
will sing a three-group program
of solo and group numbers from
the Psalms as follows:
Brother James Air (Psalm 23)
? arr. Jacob.
Bless The Lord, Oh My Soul
(Psalm 103) ? Ippolltof-Ivanof.
Seek Ye the Lord (Psalm 119)
? Roberts.
Praise the Lord. (Psalm 150) ?
Franck.
The Lord Is My Light (Ps.alm
27) ? Speaks ? Mr. Tom Chand
ler. *
The King of Love My Shepherd
Is (Psalm 23) ? Shelley.
Cast Thy Burden, Upon the
Lord (Psalm 55:22) from "Eli
jah" ? Mendelssohn.
Oh Praise the Lord (Psalm
117)^?Hawley.
Offertory ? Forest Green ? Pur
vis ? Mr. Sebron Y. Hood, Jr.
The Lord Is My Shepherd
(Psalm 23) ? Bishoff.
He That Dwelleth In the Se
cret Place (Psalm 91) ? Mac
Dermid.
Lift Up Your Heads (Psalm
24) ? Oshford. ?
Miss Cortlandt Morper is ac
companist for the group.
Rites Conducted
For Mrs. lolley
Funeral services for Mrs. Sarah
Jane Ware Jolley, 79, resident of
route 2, were conducted Sunday
at 4 p. m. from Oak View Bap
tist church.
Rev. C, E. Oxford, pastor of the
church officiated, assisted by Rev.
E. O. Gore and Rev. R. L. Har
din. Burial was in the church
cemetery. -
Mrs. Jolley died at her home on
Park Yarn Mill Village Friday
afternoon following an illness of
two months.
She was a daughter of the late
Continued On Page Eight
Seven Citizens
Now In Race
For City Posts
Throe niorcVnxIktates entered
thojr names in the elty's political
contest during tho past week.
O. T. Hayes, Sr., and Harold
Phillips filed Monday their no
t iocs of candidacy for tho Ward
I commissioner post, and Warren
,E. Hoynolds filed Saturday fr>;
tho Ward 2 cnmmisslonership
| To dato. scvon candidates have
entered tho raoo for city offices,
with only one office still going
begging. No candidates have yet
filed for tho Ward 1 commission
ership. Also going hogging at the
moment is the Ward 1 school
trusteeship.
Tho candidates to dato aro: *
For mayor ? Glee A. Bridges
and Garland E. Still.
For Ward 2 commissioner ?
Warren E. Reynolds.
For Ward 3 commissioner -r
Olland R. Pearson.
For Ward 4 commissioner ?
O. T. Hayes, Sr.\ and Harold
Phillips.
For Ward 5 commissioner ~
Sam Stallings.
Mr. Reynolds, Kings Mountain
native and automobile dealer, un
successfully sought the Ward 2
commissionership in the 1951 elec
tion, running third to L. E, Davis
and the late C. C. Edens.
Mr. Hayes, a candidate for
mayor in 1951, ran fourth in a
four-m^n field, and was subse
quently acting ci*y clerk for a
short period. He is a member of
Central Methodist church and a
Mason. V,
Mr. Phillips is the assistant
superintendent of Craftspun
Yarns, Inc., and a partner in
Bridges and Phillips Texaco Ser
vice. He attended Kings Moun
tain school, the North Carolina
Textile school, and spent four
years in the army during World
War II, including 42 months in
Europe with the transportation'
corps. He is a member of Second
Baptist church, a Mason, a Kiwa
nian, Jaycee and Woodman.
Little Theatre
Meets Tonight
A meeting of the Kings Moun
tain Little Theatre, Inc., has been
called for 7:30 p. m. Thursday
night at the organizations office
on East King street, after which
casting will begin for parts in
"The Robe", next production by
the group.
Several important items of ,
business are to be discussed, j
President Bruce Thorburn said
yesterday, and all members are
urged to attend.
Mrs. Aubrey Mauney, who will
direct the produqfion, has issued
an invitation to any Kings Moun- j
tain citizen who is Interested in
taking part in the religious dra
ma to attend casting for "The
Robe" parts.
The play is from the novel by
Lloyd C. Douglas as dramatized
by John McGreevey and the cast
consists of 13 parts for men and
9 for wornen.
"The Robe" is to be presented
sometime in March, prior to Holy
Week. The group presented "Ten
Little Indians" at Central school
auditorium Tuesday night.
Mr. Thorburn, former vice
president, assumed the presidency
of the organization on the resig
nation of Jimmy Spivey recently.
Week's City Tax Payments Heavy;
Clerk Reports Levy 82.2 Percent In
A penalty of one percent ap
plied to $20,094.85 of the city's
1952 tax levy Monday.
A heavy influx of payments last
weekend sent the city's collections
up to $92,945.85, or 82.2 percent of
the levy, City Clerk Joe IJendrick
reported.
However, the city office work
load on mailing penalty notice*
to delinquents was still quite
heavy, A total of 1,144 penalty
notices was mailed for the gross
tax balance due.
More persons owe 1952 tax bills
than have paid, Mr. Hendrlck's
report showed, the unpaid list
totaling 53 percent of the persons
listed on the city's tax scrolls. The
82.2 percent of the tax bill al
ready received was paid by 47 per
cent of the 2.187 taxpayers.
January collections totaled $26
317.55. or slightly more than the
total for January 1951, when the
cit>? collected $25,643.26.
Percentage wise, collections for
1952 were slightly behind 1951.
On last year's first penalty date,
83.3 percent of the levy had been
paid.
. The 1952 levy is $113,040.08.
Mr. Hendrlck pointed out that
North Carolina law requires im
position of it penalty of one per
cent on February 2, an additional
penalty of one percent on March
2, and additional penalties of one
half of one percent for each mon
th thereafter."
He urged that the 1,144 persons
receiving second notices pay their
tax bills now to avoid further
penalty.
SEEK OFFICE ? Warren Rey
nolds, above, and O. T. Hayes,
Sr., below, arc seeking election to
city offices in the May election.
Mr. Reynolds seeks election as
Ward 2 commissioner, while Mr.
Hayes seeks election as Ward
4 commiss.oner. Also seeking
the Ward 4 post is Harold Phil
lips.
Masons To Hear
Dr. W. M. Boyce
Dr. W. M. Boyce, of Charlotte,
a former Kind's Mountain min
ister, will make the principal'
address at the annual ladies
night banquet of Fairview Lodge
339, A,. F. & A. M., Friday even
ing.
The banquet, to be hold at
Masonic Dining Hall at 7 o'clock,
is expected to attract a capacity
crowd, including a number of
Masonic officials and distingu
ished guests.
Special "music for the dinner
will bo given by a trio including
Rev. Gordon Weekley, Miss Mel
ba Tindall and Miss ? Louise
Gladden, with Mrs. F. R. McCur
dy accompanying at the piano.
Paul W. Walker will give the
address of welcome and Mrs. M.
A. Ware will respond. D- E. Tate,
worshipful master of Fairview
Lodge; will preside. Special
guests will be widows of Ma
sons and a tribute to these
guests will be given by Past
Master W. K. Crook.
Dr. Boyce, pastor of Sardis
Presbyterian church, was for
five years pastor or Boyce Me
morial ARP church hero. Ho is
president of the Charlotte Meek
lenburg Ministerial association,
a past president of the Charlotte
Lions club and a 25-year Mason.
Distinguished guests expected
to attend the banquet include
Dr. Charles H. Pugh. of Gastonia,
senior grand warden of North
Carolina; J. G. Johnson, of Char
lotte, grand steward, grand
lodge of North Carolina; Arnold
W. Kincaid, Kings Mountain,
grand lecturer, grand lodge of
North Carolina; Joel J. Faulk,
Charlotte, district deputy grand
master, 27th district; Rcid W.
Howe, Cr a morion, district depu
ty grand master, 28th district;
and John H Floyd, Kings Moun
tain, district deputy grand mas
Iter, 37th district
I Dinner will be served by the
Kings Mountain Chapter, Order
of Eastern Star.
OYSTER STEW
Plans were announced yester
day for an oyster stew to be
held Saturday from 5 p. m. to
8 p. m. at Patterson Grove
school. Admission will be 75
cents for adults and 35 cents
for children, with proceeds to
go to the Patterson Grove Bap
tist church 'building fund. Ev
eryone is invited to attend,
the announcement reads.