North Carolina Newspapers

Population City Limits 7.206 Trading Area . . 1 5,000 (1945 Ration Board rtgaMo) Kings Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper VOL 63 NO. 19 Established 1889 Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, May 7, 1953 NAME 18 Pages Today Sixty-Third Year PRICE FIVE CENTS Local News Bulletin METER RECEIPTS A total of $165.01 was collec ted from the city's parking meters Wednesday morning, according to a report from the city treasurer's office. SUNDAY FIRE Kings Mountain fire depart ment answered a call to West Ridge street Sunday at 12:30 o'clock and entinguished a blaze (believed to have bfen caused from an oil stove in the home. No damages were re ported. IN JAPAN Lt. Frank A. Summers arri ved in Tokyo, Japan, on April 27, according to information received here by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. F- R. Summers. MASONIC MEETING (Regular communication of Falrview Lodge A. F. & A- M., 339 will be held Monday even ing at 7:30 at Masonic Lodge hall, according to announce ment, toy Joe McDaniel, Jr., secretary. CHURCH GROUP Annual Women of the Chur ch Birthday Party for members of First Presbyterian church will tbe held Wednesday, May 13, In the First Presbyterian church manse. Time of the supper party has been set for 8 o'clock. ? KIWANIS MEETING Regular weekly meeting of "HflnctwtfMg ctub wfll be held at Masonic Dining Hall Thurs day evening at 6:45. Program for the meeting has not (been anhounced. Mis. Lancaster's Rites Hiusday Mrs. Aze Mae Wall Lancaster, 47, resident of 102 City street, died Monday at 8:30 p. m. at Kings Mountain hospital follow ing an illness of one week. ? Mrs. Lancaster, wife of Carl Kermlt Lancaster, was the dau ghter of Lester C. Hord of Kings Mountain, who survives, and the late Mrs. Hord. She was an employee of Pauline Mills. She was a member of Temple Baptist church, where the funer al services will be held Thurs day (today) at 3 o'clock p. m. Rev. David N. Morris, the pas tor, will officiate and burial will follow in the Sunset Memorial Parte cemetery in Spartanburg, SC. The body, which was taken to the home of Mrs. Ernest Huffstetler on Walker street Monday, will lie in stoats at the church one-half hour prior to the service. Surviving in addition to her husband and father" are one son, Dewey Carroll Wall of Frederick, Oklahoma; four daughters, Mrs. E via Mae Wright of Spartanburg S. C., Mrs. Juanita Lankford of Gaffney, S. C., and . Mrs. Jo Ann costner and Miss Patsy Wall, both of Kings Mountain; three brothers, Durham and Odell Hord, both of Charlotte, and Rev. E. C. Hord of Cordelle, Ga., and one sister, Mrs. Ernest Huff stetler of Kings Mountain. , Also surviving are four half brothers, Tlmmons, Paul and Jake Hord, -all of Kings Moun tain, and L. C. Hord of the U. S. Navy in California; and three half-sisters, Mrm. Mary Tread way of Cramerton, Mrs. Jesse Pennington of Kings Mountain and Mrs. Elizabeth Carter of Wlnfleld, Al*. W. L. Cash ion, George Sellers, D. L. Dixon, George Thornburg,' E. B. Cooke, and L. W. Barett will serve as active pallbearers. No More In Field Manager Government Form Question Will Be Decided City Manager System Choice Awaits Voters Kings Mountain voters will de cide on Tuesday whether the city adopts the city manager form of government. In a referendum ordered by an act of the 1953 North Carolina General Assembly, the citizens will vote for or against the "City Manager form of government un der modified "Plah D". Should the vote favor the city manager form of government, the new form, as modified by a mendments to the "Plan D" ar rangement, would become effec tive immediately. Should the vote be against the city manager system, the present city charter providing a mayor council form of government will be continued. The question of whether the city shall adopt the manager plan has formed an interesting back drop to the current political cam paign. Of the four mayoral can* didates, Mayor Garland Still and George W. Allen are against the city manager system, Robert B. Osborne is for the city manager' system, and Glee A. Bridges has not publicly committed himself on the qu&tion. The manager referendum wag ordered by the legislature at the instance of the city planning board, following an order In Oc tober which restrained M. K. Ful ler, then- city administrator, from acting as a fclty manager. Under the amended "Plan D" form, the city board of commis sioners and mayor would be elect ed as they are now. The board would appoint a city manager, the city clerk, treasurer, recorder, so licitor, and city attorney. The city manager would employ all other department heads and they, in turn, would be fully responsible to the manager. The manager would have full hiring and firing authority. The manager, In turn, would be fully responsible to the board of commissioners. The referendum result will finally determine, pro or'con, an argument that has continued here for more than a decade, since a city manager was first employed. Generally, majority of candi dates, other than those for the top position and incumbents seek ing re-election, have played down the city manager issue. The city manager matter has been treated as a hot potato by those candi dates not previously committed concerning the matter. COMMANDER ? Sam Collins, above. Kings Mountain busi nessman, was named chef de gare of Lincoln Voiture 1180. 40 & 8, American Legion organ isation'. at a meeting in Shelby last week. Collins Named To 40/8 Post Three Kings Mountain Legion naires were elected to posts in Lincoln Voiture 1130, 40 & 8 at a meeting in Shelby last week. . Sam Collins, commander of Otis D. Green -Post 155,' the A* merican Legion, was named chef de gare of the Legion organiza tion. W. D. (Doc) Byers was named corresptfhdant and John W. Glad den, cheminot of the area voiture. Both are members of Otis D. Green post The Lincoln voiture includes Legionnaires from Cleveland and Lincoln counties. Summer Band Camp Planned Plans for a summer Band Day Camp are now being formulat ed, Joe Hedden, director of the city schools band, announce^ this week. Under the tentative plan', the camp will be operated similarly to the camp which was operated for the first time last summer Mr. Hedden said the camp would be run from June 15 to August 7, with a full program of recreation to ibe included with instruction in the playing of musical instruments. Directors Continued On Page Ten Improved City Jail Now One Of Best Lock-Ups In State, Inspector Says The state's inspector of correc tional institutions commended the City of Kings Mountain this week on improvements recently made to the city Jail. In a letter to Police Chief Hugh A. Logan, Inspector T. A. Early wrote: "The completion of the im provement work on the Kings Mountain Jail, which I found to be a fact on my visit there Mon day, offend me as great amount of pleasure as any Job among the .many that I have been able to get corrected. "Your Jail Was poorly designed In the beginning, not having pro perly acquired all of the neces sary facilities to make it usable except for limited short-time hpld ing. With the change In arrange ments, you now have tWo cells, with an independent entrance door, this door being one of the added features. Both of these cells, like all others, are equipped with modern Jail type coinodes and lavatories. The one cell near est the main entrance leading from the police of A*e, which was fdrmeriy used for confinement of women but was not located or Constructed for #ny degree of privacy, has been changed in de sign which now completely cuts off from any of the other cells, making it possible to use this one cell for any purpose for segrega tion or privacy as needed. "The four cells la the center of your cell block area have all been equipped with comodes and lava tories with an additional correc tive measure, the lack of which has given me considerable con cern since my personal inspection of this Jail more than three years ago. I have reference to the nar row hall between this group of four cells which made it possible for a prisoner confined. In either one to reach through the bars and grab the pistol from the hol ster of any officer passing be tween or attempting to place some n?wly - arrested person In either of the cells. This condition has been completely corrected by the addition of extra bars on the front of each of these four cells from a height of approximately the officers' knees to his shoul ders, making it impossible for a person confined to any of these cells to commit the act that pre viously would have been so easy for him to do. This, I consider, is one of the major improvements. "The entire ceil block area has been repainted, new bedding ac quired. and the entire Jail was on the date of this inspection, as clean a* you would find In any average home. 1 am very proud of It for you and I wish to thank everyone con cerned i'or their interest and co operation In completing a Job which now gives you one of the best town lock-ups to be found anywhere in North Carolina." i Mayor Hopefuls Have Scheduled Radio Appeals All of Kings Mountain's four mayoral candidates are taking to the air lanes prior to next Tuesday's municipal election, each having scheduled 'broad casts over Radio Station WKMT. John Greene, manager of the station, said at 3:10 Wednesday aifternoon that the following time had been purchased by the mayoral candidates; Robert B. Osborne has sched: uled five-minute talks at 5:30 p. m. on Thursday, Friday, Sat urday and Monday. George W. Allen has scheduled a 15-mlnute talk on Friday at 6:05 p. m. Garland E. Still has scheduled a 15-mlnute talk on Monday at 6:05 p. m. Glee A. Bridges has scheduled a 15-minute talk on Monday at 7 p. m. I Paving Exceptions Docketed For Trial Exceptions to city street assess ments, recently filed in Cleve land Superior Court, have been docketed for trial on May 26 be fore Judge George B. Patton. Th? exceptions were filed by four citizens, Roy Connor, B. D. Ratterree, W. K. Mauney and W. K. Mauney, Jr., to street assess ments for paving of East Gold street. ' v - ? According to E. A. Houser, clerk of Superior Court, the state ment of exception by each of the plaintiffs alleges that the city does not have necessary petitions, as required by law, supporting the assessments. No attorney was listed for any of the plaintiffs. The total amount involved is $1,463.75, presentely assessed a3 follows: Mr. Connor, $87.31; Mr. Ratterree, $53.24; W. K. Mauney, Jr., $953.74; W. K. Mauney, $369. 46. Police Variety Show Friday An all local talent "Variety Show," sponsored by the Kings Mountain police .department for benefit of the Police Depart ment's pony league team will be held in Central high school auditorium Friday night, May e. ' - Time of the show has been set for 8 o'clock. Included in the show are "Minstrel Days" by Margaret Goforth's fifth igrade students of Central school: "Rythmneers," Kings Mountain high school Jazz Band; "^Charleston Dance," presented by Mis. LucO Falls, Ed Smith and the RythmneeTs band; "The Kings Men," star radio quartette. "The Carolina Twins," string duo by Charles and Henry Fos ter; "Gene Whetstlne's Rocky Mountain Ramblers",' string band, "Southern Play Boys Trio" and many others. Tickets are on sale at 10 cents for children and 25 cents for adults. Red Cross Handles Rush Blood Coll The Kings Mountain Red Cross chapter handled successfully Mon day a rush call fgr fresh blood of a particular type for Paul Hut chins, a patient in Kings Moun tain hospital. Bill Gault, hospital technician, had found that the patient re quired blood not more than 12 hours old, therefore making his six refrigerated pints of the re quired blood-type not usuable In this cue. The Red Cross, which keeps a file of volunteer donors, by blood type, quickly obtained two per sons who gave their blod and they are standing by for further calls in this particular case. - . J Though the Red Cross Blood mobile had been here last Friday, the blood given then was not us "Gideon" Voted 52,500 By State Legislators Kings Mountain's contribution to North Carolina's burgeoning pageant industry got a financial boost and official recognition from the State of North Carolina last week, when the General As sembly voted a $2,500 appropria tion for "The Sword of Gideon". The action was one of the final ones of the 1953 Assembly and was strongly supported by Rep. B.'T. Falls, Jr., and Senator Ro bert Morgan. The appropriation for the Kings Mountain Little Theatre's produc tiort was a rider to another bill which was appropriating finan cial aid (10.000 as passed) for "Thunderland", the Asheville out door production. Previously, a similar sum had been approved for "Horn in the West" at Boone. The state has long supported "The Lost Colony", the state's original outdoor summer produc of the Kings Mountain drama, tlon. Rep. Falls, demanding inclusion said that if other dramas were to be supported, ' Kings Mountain's should be also. Kings Mountain Little Theatre officials were overjoyed at the de velopment, but some said they were more pleased at the official recognition by the state, than by the appropriation Itself. "We're on the map", one Little Theatre member remarked. The Little Theatre will present "Sword of Gideon" on four con secutive weekends this summer. lions To Fete Ladies Tuesday The Ki"-?s Mountain Lions club will hold its annual Ladies Night banquet on Tuesday night, with W. W. Smith, Ruth eitfordton humorist, making the address of the evening. The banquet will toe held at Masonic Lodge hall and will be-, gin at 7 o'clock. Dress will be Informal. A capacity crowd Is expected for the event, and officials are requesting that club members make reservations for guests as early as possible. Another feature of the Ladies Night program will be musical selection by Mrs. Robert Gldnev, Shelby soprano. ?Members of the committee on arrangements for the 'banquet are Ollle Harris, Richard Barn ett and Carl F. Mauney. Mr. Smith, an Insurance exec utive, is a widely known racon teur i^nd humorist and has fill ed speaking engagements In all parts of the nation, it was an nounced toy W. L. Plonk, who ar ranged the program. Rites Conducted For Baren Davis * " " . m Buren (Humpy) Davis, 32. res ident of route 3 in the Long Creek Presbyterian church com munity, died in Kings Mountain hospital Sunday at 12 o'clock, noon of injuries sustained in a truck accident Friday night. The accident reportedly oc curred on the Grover - Pleasant Hill road. The pick-up truck, dri ven toy Davis,' crashed into an embankment. State Highway Patrolman C, D. Fortune made the investigation. , Two other passengers of - the truck, Misses Martha Melton and Wllma Short are in Shelby hospital. Both received severe Injuries. Another passenger In the truck, Isaac C. Berry, was treat ed in Kings Mountain hospital, but not admitted. Funeral services were conduc ted Tuesday at 3:30 p. m. from Patterson Grove Baptist church. Rev. J. J. Thomburg, the pastor, officiated assisted by Rev. Bud Falls. Interment was In Moun tain Rest cemetery. Survivor* Include his parents, Plato and Dochta Parker Davis; three sisters, Mrs. Thekna Dea ton of Lincoln tori, Mrs. Evaline Keeter of Bessemer City and Miss Mazell^ Davis of the home; four brothers, Everett of Gaston i?, Earnest of Grover, and Robert and Fred Davis, both of Kings Mountain. Robert B. Osborne Enters " ? ? < - ' ? - " ' -* ?? Contest For Mayoral Post Fourth Candidate For Mayor Favors Manager System Robert B. (Bob) Osborne be came a last- minute candidate for mayor on Tuesday, posting his filing fee one day prior to the deadline, and bringing to four the number of candidates seek ing the city's highest elective of fice. Mr. Osborne further became the first candidate for mayor to sup port the referendum on city man ager system of government, which will also be determined at next Tuesday's municipal elec tion. He opposes Mayor Garland E. Still, George W. Allen and Glee A. Bridges, in a race that already has commanded major interest on the part of the voters for the past several months. Mr. Osborne, who has called Kings Mountain home since 1933, is manager of Gastonia's Western Union branch office. A Veteran of World War II, he served as a captain In the army signal corps. He Is the author of "Then Con quer We Must!", the outdoor dra ma commemorating the Battle of Kings Mountain which was pro duced successfully in 1951. His wife Is the former Miss Johnnie Mae Wright. Mr. Osborne is a member c 1 First Presbyterian church, and he was recently elect ed president of Its Men of the Church organization. Mr. Osborne said he Is "run ning as an independent", adding that he feels the fact of his em ployment by a large nation-wide concern in another city will fully free him from the "pressure, al leged or actual, which is common ly charged to almost all canui dates." Text of Mr. Osborne's an nouncement statement follows: "In view of the fact that the coming municipal election will present to the voters of Kings Mountain ai\ opportunity to vote upon the question to have or not to have a City Manager form of government, it is a matter of deep concern to me. (and I feel sure that many others feel as I do), that very little information or publicity has been given to this vital question. "Have any of the candidates, I either for Mayor or City Commis sioner, committed themselves on this subject? Are they for the ef ficient, orderly administration of city affairs, or do they prefer to take upon themselves the intri cate, far-reaching problems and trust to luck that everything will turn out all right? "The question of businessmen in city government has ben rais ed, and the qualifications of some of the candidates challenged, but the business experience of any of the candidates is not In itself enough to qualify them for office. "Municipal affairs are complcx; Continued On Page Ten o.-.r.'ulDATE ? Robert B. (Bob) Osborne dropped his hat in the race for mayor Tuesday, bring ing to lour the number of can didates seeking the office at next Tuesday's election. ODK Fraternity Taps lack Ruth DAVIDSON ? Hilton L. (Jack) Ruth was among 11 outstanding Davidson College student leaders and Athletic Director Paul K. Scott tapped fo?- membership in Omicron Delta Kappa, national honorary leadership fraternity, Monday morning. The 12 were initiated in a spe cial oeremony preceding the chap ter's annual banquet at the Davidson College Presbyterian Church Monday evening. Dean Fred H. Weaver of the University of North Carolina gave the principal address. Mr. Ruth, son of Mr. and Mrs. H. L. Ruth, Sr., is acting president of the Davidson College student body. Kiwanis Ladies Night May 14th Antunl Ki vnn'-. Cli-h night program will be licit! at the Masonic dining hall next Thursday night. May 14, at 6:45 p. m. Dr. W P. Gerberdin will serve as master of ceremonies and en tertainment will be furnished by Hubert Hayes' Youth Jam boree son<j and dance group from Asheville. Rev. P. D. Patrick will give fhe invocation. President D. F. Hord will welcome the group and By ron Keeter will introduce speci al and club guests. L. E. Abbott will toast the ladies, with Mrs. P. G. 'Padgett responding. John L. McGill is chairman of the ladies night committee and other members are B S. Peeler, Sr., W. S- Fulton. Jr., Harry Page and J C. Smathers. Paul Walker Installed As President As Jaycees Hold Ladies Night Party Some 100 Jaycees, their wives and guests attended the eighth annual ladies night banquet of the organization at Masonic din ing hall Tuesday night. The group \jcas treated to an unusually good program and an equally good short address by J. B. Brame, of Durham, state president, who installed new offi cers and directors of the club. Mr. Brame told the group that the Junior Chamber of Commerce is the world's greatest proving ground for tomorrow's, as well as today's, leaders of the commu nity, state, nation and world. H? praised the quality of Jay cee leaders of the past and re minded Kings Mountain Jaycees that much work remains to be done and that young men will hav? to see that it is accomplish ed. Mr. Brame installed Paul Wal ker as president of the organiza tion, succeeding Joe Hedden, a long with the following new offl ContU Mt?d On Pagt Ten t. r _ - : - *v ! ? * ! INSTALLED ? Paul Walter, a bm, was Installed as president of Um Junior Chamber of Com morco at tho eighth annual la dloo night banquet of the organ isation on Tuesday night at Ma sonic dining halL 19 Candidates Seek Election To Seven Posts Nineteen candidates complete their politicking activity, this weekend for next Tuesday's mu nicipal election, when the voters will take the first step toward deciding which seven of the nine teen shall be successful. Only one has an easy task. J. R. Davis, Kings Mountain attor | ney, being unopposed for a second six-year term as Ward I school trustee. A strict ward affair, only voters in Ward I will gel these ballots. All the other 18 candidates have l opposition and the campaigning has been hot and heavy for the past several months. First candidate in the field was Glee A. Bridges, who filed notice of candidacy for mayor on De ] cember 30. The last was Robert IB. (Bob) Osborne, who filed for the same position on Tuesday. ? Indication of interest in the Tuesday election is obtainable from the report of the five ward registrars which shows that 439 names have been added to the election scrolls. Registration end ed last Saturday, and the forth coming Saturday will be Chal lenge Day. Registrars will be at Picture Page Tho Herald is featuring to day on page 1, Section II, a pic ture page of all candidates for 1 city office, plus information on next Tuesday's election and thumbnail skclches on all the 19 candidates for the seven offices to be filled. the polling places to allow all citizens the opportunity of in specting their books for incorrect listings. Challenge Day is cus tomarily a tame affair, and Sat urday is not expected to t>e an exception. City Clerk Joe Hen drick reported 3,780 on the city election books. Predictions as to the total vote have varied considerably, but many think the total will exceed the record set in 1951, when 1,873 persons cast votes for four may oral candidates. All citl'cns may vo'o for !h'; mayor and fivo ward commission ers. Should a candidate fail to ob tain a majority in Tuesday's elec tion. the second high candidate may demand a run-off election, which would be held on May 26. All the candidates for city offi ces seek two-year terms. Facts Are Listed On City Election Facte concerning Tuesday's municipal election: Polls open: 6:30 a. m. Polls close: 6:30 p. m. - Voting places: Ward 1, City Hall courtroom. Ward 2, City Hall fixe sta tion. Ward 3, Phenix Store. Ward 4, Kings Mountain Manufacturing Company club room. Ward 5, Victory Chevrolet Company. Total registration: 3,780. Predicted vote: 1X00 to 1,600. City ? wide offices to be fill ed by all voters: mayor and five ward commissionerships. City wide referendum to be decided by all the voters: question of whether Kings Mountain adopts city manager form of government. Ward office to be filled by voters of particular ward: Ward 1 school trusteeship. Basis of decision: majority of the votes cast for particular offices. Run-off provisions: candi dates qualified for run-off elect (ou must file demand for run-off in writing with city clerk not later than five days after May 13. In event a run off election 1* required. It will be held en May 26. The city board of commis sioners, which acta as the elec tion board, will convene Wed nesday merning at 10 o'clock to canvas the vote. Candidates certified as elected will be sworn in en Thursday May 14. Where run-off elections axe required, incumbents will hold office until their successors are elected and qualified.