North Carolina Newspapers

Population City Limits 7.206 Trading Area 15,000 (1945 Hatlon Board Figurf*) VOL 63 NO. 17 Kings Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper ? 16 Pages Today m Established 1889 Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, April 23, 1953 f > Sixty-Third Year PRICE FIVE CENTS Schools Options i ? On Site Local News Bulletins PROMOTED Ivan E. Weaver, on duty with the Air Force in England, has been promoted to the Tating of airman, first-class, according ' io information received here. He is the son of Mr. and 'Mrs. Ralph Weaver. LIONS MEETING The Rhythmneers quartet will give a musical program at the Tuesday night meeting of the Kings Mountain Lions club. Hie club will also hear a re port of the nominating com mittee. The club meets at Ma sonic Lodge Hall at 7 o'clock. 2-RAY UNIT Mobile X-Ray unit will toe in front of Belk's Department store Friday, April 24, from 10 until 12 o'clock in the morn ing and from 1 until 4 o'clock in the afternoon, according to announcement received this week. LODGE MEETING . Fairview Lodge 339, A. F. & A. !M., will hold an emergent communication on Monday ev ening at 7:30 for work in the ? second degree, according to announcement by J. H. Mc Daniel, Jr., secretary. * CHICKEN SUPPER A chicken super for benefit of the Grace Methodist church parsonage building fund will be held Saturday, April 25, . at - 5 o'clock in the Bur-Mill club house. Plates will sell for $1*25 each, a spokesman for the group said. RESIDENCE SOLD Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Smathers have purchased the residence of Mr. and Mrs. 2>. M. Peeler on (Rosewood Lane, in a transac tion completed last Thursday. Consideration was not an nounced. Mr. Peeler has begun construction of a new home on Goforth street.. . KIWANIS MEETING Simmons Andrews, of Char lotte, will demonstrate won ders in the field of- communi cation at the meeting of the Kings Mountain Kiwanis club Thursday night at 6:45. Mr. Andrews is associated with Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company. IMPROVING Eugene Steffy, Kings Moun tain theatre operator, who has been hospitalized at Charlotte Memorial hospital as the re sult of a fall April 1, has been removed to Kings Mountain hospital. His condition is im proved but he is not allowed visitors. ' Flower Show Set May 4-9 The Kings Mountain Garden Club, in co-operation with Kings Mountain furniture stores will oooduct a flower show May 4-9. Each furniture store will dis play a particular suite of furni-. ture and members of Kings Moun tain Garden Club will furnish flo appropriate o be used with the furni ture. Names of stores, furniture to be displayed, md club members dbing {he arrangements will be announced next week. Local Exchange Raie Hikes Not Learned | Ben Telephone and Telegraph Company was gran-, tod an uygieyute rate inciease la North Carolina totaling them $1,600,000 Tuesday, rhat effect the rartes will on votes for Kings Moun could not be i hr> E. 7. Karris, of Shelby, man 0? the Kings Mountain id It weald be ?fal days before the effect tooal exchange urtee weald Sa&i ami Hunter Property Condemnation Will Be Sought Members of the Kings Moun tain district fcoard of school trus tees voted to execute options from severaj property owners and to institute condemnation proceed ings against at least one other for the new Negro schooi site at the regular monthly meeting held Monday night. Execution of ? the options and the institution of condemnation proceedings will clear the way for work to begin on the new six room elementary building on the new site. The new site is located several hundred feet west of Davidson school building and contains some 12 and one-half acres of land. / The board voted to institute leg: al proceedings to secure the pro perty of Tom Hunter, which is located on the new site. Included in the same motion were instruc tions to the building committee to proceed with attempts 'to pur chase some two or three acres from B. D. Ratterree and, if ef forts failed, to institute legal ac tion, along with the Hunter pro ceedings. ' The motion was made by Dr. P. G. Padgett, seconded by Fred W. Plonk and carried unanimous ly. Mrs. Haywood Lynch, vice chairman, presided. All members were present except Chairman Klncaid. > The board voted to execute op tions on" the following property: Tom Meeks, $800; C61ee Jenkins, $400; Katherine Boyd, $300; and Odessa Shields, $200. Motion -was made by Dr. Padgett, seconded by Mr. Plonk and carried unani mously. The board also, discussed a* pro posed change in plans lor moving the several houses which will have to be moved to clear the site. The group had agreed to move two ot the houses involved onto school property next to the Davidson building. Mr. Plonk, member of the' building commit tee, reported that two home own ers involved had requested a nother site, which he reported J. E. Rhea, owner, had priced at $1,500. If the Rhea property is not secured, the prlglnal plan would he followed. The board approved execution Continued On Page Eight Dr. Plonk Head Of Drama Group Dr. Laura Plonk, Kings, Moun tain native, was elected president of the Carolina Dramatics asso ciation at the annual drama fes tival held at the University of North Carolina last wekend. Dr. Plonk, director of the Plonk School of Creative Arts, of Ashe vllle, succeeds Bristow Hardin, of Charlotte. The Plonk School's college group won the highest award giv en by the association in the an nual drama competition last week end with Its presentation of "The Potboiler". Two Are Named For Girls' State Miss Susan Moss and Miss Ann Mobley Dllllng have been selected to represent the American Legion Auxiliary at the fourteenth an nual Tar Heel Girls' State which convenes at the Woman's College of the University of North Cam ana in Greensboro June 28- July 3. Applicants to Girls' State are chosen by the local American Le gion Auxiliary group on a basis of enthusiasm, co-operation, hon esty, dependability, capability and qualities of leadership. They are chosen from the rising senior class of the High Schools of the State. Girls' State was o.iginated and established in 1340 by the Ameri can Legion Auxiliary, Depart ment of North Carolina, as an Americanism project to provide for high schoi girls of the state an opportunity to study and prac tice citizenship in a democracy. Miss Moss is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. George Moss, and Miss Dllllng Is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Dllllng of Kings ? ! ' f. v'v ' ' ELECTED ? Jerry King, above, son of Mr. and Mrs. Denver King, will be installed as master coun cillor of the Shelby Order of the Demolay on May 30. Jeny King Heads Demolay Jerry King, son of Mr. and Mrs. Denver King and a senior at Kings Mountain high school, has been elected master councillor of the Shelby Order of the Demo lay. Young King was named at a meeting of the organization on April 15 anu .."ill be installed on May 30. He will succeed Bill Pad gett of Shelby. , The Demolay is a secret order promoted by MasOns for boys ages 16 through 21. Central Students Contest Winners Alfred Wright, Kings Mountain high school tenth grade student, wag awarded first place in the declamation division of the an nual Western North Carolina High School Activities Associa tion forensic contest held Monday at Central school. His winning oratory was "The Shell of Self." Five other students were entered in the division. Kelly Weaver, Kings Mountain high school senior, won second place In the original speaking di vision, losing the first place a ward to Robert J. ?Kepley, New ton-Conover high school student. Kepley*s speech was "Safeguard ing Our Constitution." Five other students were entered. Shirley Ann Crawford, Forest City high school student, was first place winner in the poetry division. Her entry was "The White Cliffs of Dover." Bobbie Barrett, Kings Mountain school student, was one of the five oth er entrants in the division. Winner of the reading medal was Peggy Barrlnger of Hickory for her entry, "Elizabeth, the Queen". Lyvonne Lindsay, Cen tral student, was; one of four oth er contestants. Judges in the contests were: Declamation ? Mrs. Floyd Nop. lette and Rev. H. P. Barringer ot Bessemer City and Rev W L McSwain of Kings Mountain. Speaking division: J. S. John sron and Mrs. Cecil Delllnger of Bessemer City, and Rev. Park Moore of Grover. Poetry J Mrs. Haywood Moss, Waco> Mrs. J. Loveland and Miss Marjp?Frances Cothran of Shelby. Reading: Mrs. Carl Howard of York, Mrs. John O. Adams of Bessemer City, and Mrs. L. C. W4rd or Bessemer City. Students from seven schools, in eluding Hickory, Newton-Conov er, Lincolnton, Cherryville, Ruth erfordton, Forest City, and Kings Mountain participated in the four divisional forensic meet. METER RECEIPTS ' A total of $155.27 was collec ted from the city's parking meters Wednesday morning, according to a report from the city clerk's office. Registration Pace Slow; Officials A rolling Places Again Saturday City registration for the forth coming May 12 election will con tinue at the respective polling places Saturday, second of three Saturdays for registering. The books opened for the first time last Saturday, and the five Ward registrars spent an un-busy day, though about 50 new names were added to the poll scrolls. . Final total of additions was not' obtainable but, at 4 o'clock Saturday afternbon, Ward 4 showed the greatest number of additions to the voter list with 15. Registration had not been ex pected to be especially brisk, since no new registration has been call ed since 15)39; and since majority of citizen* are already registered. Registrars pointed out, how ever, that all persons In doubt as to their registration should check with the respective regis trars. Others should obtain trans fers, they added. The books Will close on May 2. Citizens are now registering to vote in the May. 12 election when voters throughout . the city will choose a mayor and five Ward commissioners. All' citizens will also have the opportunity to vote In favor of, or against, the sdoj, tion of the city manager systerr of government. Voters In Ward 1 without any help from other cl'. j*ns will name 1 school trustee. Candidate List Remains Same No New Hats Enter Ring During Week No new candidates addod Uioir names during the past week to the list of 18 already seeking the seven offices to ?be filled in the May 12 election. One office' is .uncontested, J. R Davis, the incumbent, having no opposition as yet for the position j of Ward 1 school trustee. Three candidates seek each city office except in Ward 1, where onlv James (Red) Lay ton and W. S. Fulton, Sr.., have yet entered the race. Th-r week's activity as far as new candidates were concerned, was limited to rumors. The ma jor one was a report circulated Tuesday that Former Mayor H. Tom Fulton, prominently men tioned as a possible candidate for that office again, had paid the filing fee. The rumor was false, and the city office report ed a busy time answering in quiries about it. Generally speaking, there were few rumors left that could be considered seriously. Almost ail of the past several week's rum ors were either candidates or publicly-announced non-candi dates. Many observers felt all the filing business was comple ted, with the deadline lor getting names on the ballot only 13 days away. Clavon Kelly was mentioned as a possible seeker after Mr. Da vis' school board seat, but Geor ge H. Houser, prominently men I tloned as a candidate, indicated he did not exipect to offer. Political activity on the part of the candidates had increased markedly. All wore active in vis iting throughout the city in an effort to mobilize friends and to immobilize foes. The candidates to dat*>: For 'Mayor ? Garland E. Still, Incumbent, George W. Allen. Glee A. Bridges. For Ward 1 Commissioner ? James G. (Red) Layton, incum bent, and W. S. Fulton, Sr. For Ward 2 commissioner ? Lloyd E Davis, incumbent. War ren E. Reynolds, and J. H. Patter son For Ward 3 .commissioner ? Oil and R. Pearson, Incumbent, T. J. (Tommy) Ellison, and Clar ence Elgin. . For Ward 4 commissioner ? O. T. Hayes, Sr., Harold Phillips and Floyd Williams. For Ward 5 commissioner ? Sam 3tallings, W. G. Grantham and D. 1* White. For Ward 1 school trustee ? J. R. Davis, incumbent. Cancel Fund Reaches $555 Kings Mountain contributions to the annual Cancer Fund cam paign totaled $555.1 exclusive of donations mailed directly to county fund drive headquarters in Shelby, Mrs. Hubert Davidson, chairman of the Kings (Mountain division campaign, said Wednes day. 4 Mrs. Davidson said several cit izens had reported mailing do nations to Shelbyy after recelv ln? the appeal letter mailed by Dr. Craig Jones, county chair man. Report on the amount Kings Mountain had contributed via this means was not immediately available she added. Kings Mountain quota Is SEEKS RE-ELECTION ? J. R. Davis, Kings Mountain lawyer, is a candidate to succeed him self as Ward 1 school trustee. Mr. Davis seeks re-election to a six year term. National Guard Seeks Recruits An intensive recruiting drive to bring new Guardsmen into the Kings Mountain unit of the National Guard was launched this week, Captain Humes Hous ton, commanding officer, an nounced yesterday. Aim of the drive will toe to bring the unit, Headquarters and Headquarters company, 3rd battalion, 120th infantry, - North Carolina National Guard, up to its full authorized strength. "Our unit, a vital member of America's defense team, has an important mission In time of emergency," Capt. Houston said in making the announcement of the recruiting drive. "We are especially appealing to 17-year-olds and their par ents. This age group can join the Guard, train at home and be paid at the same time and also ?be learning a job which will be good training for a civilian oc cupation," he said. "Seventeen - year - olds who join the guard and continue training are exempt from the draft because they are already receiving training," he pointed out. The annual unit encampment has been scheduled for June 14 28 at Fort McClellan, Ala* The local unit, primarily a communications group, offers valuable training in both radio and telephonic Jofos. All members of the local guard unit will play active parts in the recruiting campaign, Capt. Houston pointed out, with a prize of a sport coat being offered the enlisted man who secures the highest nurreber of new mer.. New recruits are also eligible, he said. Men Interested in complete details about Guard service and the (benefits it offers are invited to. visit the National Guard headquarters in the Motor Shed on Phifer road, on the armory site. ' An official of the unit is on duty at the Motor Shed every day, except Saturdays and Sun days, until 5 p. m. The company drills every Mon day at 7 p. m. at the Motor Shed and men interested in Joining are Invited to attend any of the sessions. Fellowship Day Set For May 1 May Fellowship Day, sponsor ed annually by the Kings Moun tain Council of Church Women, will be held May X at Resurrec tion Lutheran church. May Fellowship Day is one of the three national observances of church women of all denomina tions. World Community day and World Day of Prayer, annual church observances, deal with world needs, while May Fellow ship Day, more recently organiz ed, deals with the local needs of a community. Following a covered dish sup per held In the church at 6 o'clock p. m , a short program will be given and new officers for the forthcoming year will be elected. Mrs. O. W. Myers !? president if the Kings Mountain Council oit Church Women. C. E. Carpenter To Give Time To Tax Duties The city board of commission' ers met in special session Monday afternoon and relieved Clarence Carpenter of his duties as desk sergeant in the police department, in order that Mr. Carpenter may devote more time to his work as the city's tax supervisor. Mayor Garland Still, who sug gested the change, said the con siderable bookkeeping work in volved Jn copying- and checking the new appraisals, now being s?'t by the county board of com missioners, required more time than Mr. Carpenter could give to the tax work under the double duties. Mr, Carpenter is to con tinue his duties as clerk of re corder's court and will also assist With tlie regular work of the city clerk's office., Commissioners James (Red) Layton, Olland R. Pearson and Lloyd E. Davis were present. Commissioners C. P. Barry and B. T. Wright, Sr., were absent. The board also voted to ask the county to enforce an act pro hibiting carnivals from operating in Cleveland County. City Attor ney J. R. Davis said such an act, excepting only the Cleveland County Pair, was passed in 1923 by the General Assembly but had never been enforced. Action was taken after Mr. Layton had of fered a motion to prevent the city from selling power to carni vals setting up just outside the city limits. In other actions the board: 1) Voted to add to the tax scrolls tax bill totaling $69.72 a gainst Mrs. H. T. Fulton, Sr., re presenting tax bills for 1951 and 1952 erroneously not charged. 2) Authorized purchase of a carload of MCO, to spread on dirt streets as a dust preventive. 3) Gave the American Legion permission to use two parking spaces, rent-free, for an exhibit on Friday. Commissioner Layton was nam ed to investigate further possibili ty of laying curbing from Watter son Street to Kings Mountain hospital. The board discussed with Tom Henry, superintendent of public works, a work schedule on a num ber of projects and told him to give first priority to laying of a sewerllne on Mauney avenue, au thorized several weeks ago. The board discussed without ac tion employment of a policeman, and instructed Chief H. A. Logan, Jr., to bring In a recommendation, provided Jim Lybrand, fireman, did not wish to transfer to the desk sergeant's job. Rabies Clinic Set Saturday Dr. J. P. Mauney, veternarian, announced Wednesday, rabies cli nics In Kings Mountain areas for Saturday, April 25. Clinics have been set it the following places: Grover high school from 10:30 until 11:00 a. m. White's Service Station on Gro ver road from 11:00 to 11:30 a. m. Grigg Town on Grover road near Archdale Dairy, from 11:30 until 12:00. Glass Grocery on Grover road from 12:00 until 12:30. Dog owners are urged to have their dogs vaccinated,. Dr. Mau ney said In making the announce ment. County Tax Supervisor Says Clamor On New Appraisals Now Subsiding "Business" at the county au ditor and tax supervisor's office concerning the new property ap praisals had "slowed ofcf some" Wednesday afternoon, Tax Su pervisor Max HamrtCk told the Herald.. "Business" has 'been quite brisk since the new appraisal - mailirvg got underway, though Mr.. Hamric^ said that the num ber of complaints is not stagger ing. More people have been in to inquire, compare and to inves tigate than to complain, he said. Wednesday morning, Mr. Ham rick said, he had helped a citi zen check appraisals on 30 pieces of realty wirh no complaint re sulting, he added. However, between tltose in quiring and those filing com plaints, it meant a >busy time for county officials. Clarertce E. Carpenter, city tax supervisor, went tb Shelby early In the week to begin the laborious task of copying tjie tax appraisals 'onto the city <books, but returned home empty-handed. "They were too busy," he reported. While the cfty will use the tax appraisals set iby the county, as required by law, the city has no voice in determining the valua tions. Mr. Hamrick pointed out that the appraisal sheets listed the exact amount to be assessed a gainst the particular piece of property, which is 70 percent of the estimated 1945 value of the property. Manufacturing enterprises in the county were receiving this week appraisals on their ma chinery and equipment. The de tailed appraisal listing itemiz ed all machinery as to location, replacement value, physical val ue and sound value. The listing for tax purposes will be 70 per cent of the sound value. Thus a company with sound value of (1 ,000,000 in equipment would be asscsserd $700,000 on the tax (books. Citizens having any questions aibout the appraisals should have no hestitatlon In Inquiring about them," Mr. Hamrick said, "The full records are available for . inspection, comparison or cheeking," Mr. Hamrick said. ? i School Band Gets Highest Rating ? f . ON WELFARE BOARD ? Dr. Nathan H. Reed, of Kings Moun tain, has been appointed a mem ber of the county welfare board. Appointment was made Monday by the county board of commis sioners. , Crowds Attend Art Exhibit A largo "number of citizens were visiting Central school gymnasi um Wednesday to see the city schools art and crafts exhibit, which will continue through Thursday and Friday, West school was acting as host school Wednesday. East school will serve as host school on Thur sday, and Central will be host school on Friday. The exhibit is non -competitive, with no prizes offered. The ex hibit marks an effort on the part of teachers of Kings Mountain city schools to show to the public work being done in the field of art and crafts in the city schools system. Miss Alice Averitt, of the city faculty, said. The exhibit will be open from 9:00 until 12:00 o'clock in the mornings and from 2:00 until 5:00 o'clock In the afternoons; from 7:00 until 9:00 o'clock on Thursday evening, April 23. Acting as hosts and hostesses for this exhibit are representa tives of local P. T. A.'s, students, and members of Student Council of Central High School. Captured War Goods On Display Friday An exhibit of captured war equipment from Okinawa and the South Pacific, including a Jap P T boat* will be on display in front of Kings Mountain Drug Com pany on Friday. The unit Is being sponsored by the American Legion and there will be no admission but dona tions will be accepted. The unit, c6nsisting of a large trailer, will be at the location all day Friday and local Legion of ficials have urged all citizens to see the exhibit. In addition to the P T boat, oth er articles on display will Include a thousand-stitched belt, a 32 pound pair of Japanese suicide shoes, guns and bombs. Annual Festival Honors Captured At Greensboro Kings Mountain High School's . 55- piece hand was iiwarded a number one rating of superior at the annual State High School Music Contest - Festival held in Greensboro Tuesday. ' The hand was one of a group ot .-.ixteen competing in Class III for senior bands, and had re ceived a rating high enough at' tiie last state contest to quality for appearance at the -Greensbo. ro contest without preliminary elimination. ? Kings Mountain's band has a chieved a superior rating for the past thfee years. For the contest festival the band played "New Colonial Mar ch" by It. B. Hall. "Deep River Rhapsody" by Walters, and "Sleepers Wake" written by Bach and aranged by Chiaffar eiii. Two other numbers had been prepared for presentation by the group. Judges were Colonel Harold Bachman; University of iMiami, George C. Wilson, University oif Missouri, and Earnest E. Harris of Columbia University. Members of the Kings Moun tain high school band are: Clarinets ? Bob Cashlon, Peg gy Joyce Reynolds, Patsy Gofor th, Billie Mabry, Fleming Mau ney, Derice Weir, Marilyn Tes sener, Beoky Harris, Mary Free- , man, Glenda Spake, Edward Blanton, and Jean Arthur. Alto Clarinets ? Susan Moss and Fern Barrett. Bass Clarinets ? Jay Patter son and Shirley Greene. Cornets ? <5ene Ellis, Bill Sanders, Larry Carpenter, Rich ard Bollinger, Jim Pressly, Rog er Blackwell, Charles Jolly, Louis Crawford, and Bobby Myers. French Horns ? Charles Yawn, Bud Ware, Poochle Mitchem and Kenneth Roberts. Flutes ? Shirley Falls, Louise Gladden, Donna Cheatham, and Jane Crocker. Saxophone ? Ann McKelvle, Georgianna Moss, Mary Owens, Clyde Morrow and Harold Ellis. Baritone ? Luther Barnes, Harold Hord and Frank Hlnson. Trombones ? Bill Briggs, Hoy* le Burton, Reggie Painter, and Darrell Sperling. Oboes ? Butch ie ilouser and Bobbie Brtrrett. Boisen ? Boyce Gault, Jr., and Robert Hardin. v Percussion ? Timothy Glad den, Charlie Blanton, Nick Smith and Pat Owens. Bassoon ? Kelly Weaver. The band is under the direc tion of J. C. Hedden and T. H. Hau student band director of Appalachian State Teachers col- , lege. Kelly Weaver is band presl: | dent. "Kings Mountain's band gave I a splendid performance, Mr. Hedden. band director said, and one that we feel proud of." Belk's Installing \ Air Conditioning I. I ' ' ? y-^lf Belk's Department Store is In stalling an air-conditioning sys tem, which will be ready for us? during the coming summer, ton Ruth, manager of the fliro said this week. 'Mechanical Contractors, of Charlotte, is installing a Westing house to serve tooth the Be lk ?buildings. Previously, the build ings have been recently insulat ed with Johns Manvllle insula tion, handled by Charles B. Campbell, agent. Filing Deadline May S at S p. a. ,38 - aL Deadline for filing for city political office will be at 5 p. m.. on Wednesday, May 0, City Clerk J. R. Hendrick said terday. Mr. Hendrick has interpret ed the phrase "five days be fore the election" to mean the close of business on May 8. which is 5 p. m. Citizens wishing to seek city office must file notice of can didacy in writing and pay a filing fee of five dollars. The election will be conduc ted on May 12.