Merchants Begin Ten-Day Fall Festival Sales Event Thursday
Population
City Units .................. 7.206
Trading Area 154)00
(1945 Bcrttoa Board Figurw)
Kings Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper
VOL 63 NO. 42
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C.( Thursday, October 15, 1953
Sixty-Third Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Prizes, Bargains
Feature Festival
9
Local News
Bulletins
. COMMUNICATION
An emergent communication
ol Fairview Lodge No. 339 A. F.
& A. M. for work in the first de
gree will be held Friday at
7:30 p. m. at Masonic Hall. Joe
H. McDaniel, Jr., secretary,
made the announcement.
OATES BETTER
C, C. (Bus) Oates, who was
severely injured on October 1
when a truck pinned his arm
and shoulder, was much Im
proved Wednesday. He is at
Kings {Mountain hospital.
METER RECEIPTS
A total of $145.85 was collec
ted from the city's parking me
ters Wednesday morning, ac
cording to a report from the
city treasurer's office. Meter
collections for the week end
ing Oct. 7 totaled $135.14.
ATTEND CONVENTION
Dr. D. F. Hord, Harold Hun
nioutt, and B. &. Peeler, Jr.,
were among Kiwanians at
tending the annual Carolinas
district convention at Colum
bia Sunday-Tuesday. .
BID OPENING
Bids on construction of the
new cafeteria and library ad
dition to West Elementary
school are to (be opened Tues
day morning at 10 o'clock at
Central school at a public
meeting.
FRIDAY HOLIDAY
Kings Mountain area school
children will get a holiday
from books Friday, as the
schools close for the day to al
low teachers to attend the an
nual South Piedmont district
teachers' meeting at Charlotte.
DRIVER'S EXAMS
W. C. Willis, state driver's
license inspector, who is at
City Hall each Thursday, said
this week that the new system
whereby applicants for licens
es can make appointments for
the exams is working out quite
well. He said appointments
can be made up to three weeks
in advance, either hy register
ing on Thursday here or by
calling the Highway Patrol of
fice in Shelby, phone 8108.
ATTEND MEETING
Mrs. J. N. Gamble and Mrs. P.
G. Ratterree, Red Cross chap
ter officials, attended a "Home
Service"' study course meeting
for (Red Cross officials in Wes
tern North Carolina at Meck
lenburg Tuesday. Miss Anne
Johnson, Atlanta field repre
sentative, taught the course
and picture slides were shown
toy the Charlotte chapter. ' ?
, WON AUTO
Miss Annie Laura Sum-mitt,
a former Kings Mountain citi
zen, was the winner recently of
a new Defioto auto in prize
contest conducted by Belk's
Department Store, of Charlotte.
Miss Sumanitt, now a Char
lotte resident, was a onetime
employ of Belk's here and was
also, a cleric at the Kings
Mountain rationing board dur
ing World War II.
Battenee Ups
Harmon C?
B. D. Ratterree, Kings Moun
tain realtor, has again raised the
bid on the T. N. Harmon Estate
property at the corner of Battle
ground avenue and Falis street
The required raise of five per
cent on the previous high bid 1*
$475.36, leaving the bkl now
standing at $0,983.11. M. L. Har
. < mon's previous high bid was $9,
307.75.
The property is being sold un
der commissioner's sale proce
dure, and the Tuesday raise by
Mr. Rattnree will necessitate re
sale of the property. The forth
coming sale will be the eighth for
this parcel of property.
^Pate of thc^utJehtu trot been
Many Retailers
Are Taking Part
In Promotion
Major retail members of the
Kings Mountain Merchants as
sociation are launching Thursday
a ten-day trade promotion labeled
"Fall Festival Sale", and featur
ing special prices, special pur
chases, and prize drawing give
aways.
The format for the. promotion
is similar to a Merchants Associa
tion sales event conducted last
spring, with the exception that
the event beginning Thursday
morning will be a ten-day affair.
The grand prize for some lucky
person will be a 21-inch console
television set, now on display at
Balrd Furniture. The television
set drawing will he conducted on
the last day of the promotion,
Saturday, October 24, at City Hall
at 7 o'clock.
This weekend many prizes are
being offered by individua1 mer
chants participating in the "Fall
Festival Sale", via individual
drawings to be held in the several
stores. Repeat offerings will be
made again on Saturday, October
24. To be eligible for the drawing,
any person merely has to sign
hio name, without any cost or ob
ligation* at any, or all, of the par
ticipating stores; The more stores
a person visits and the more
times he signs his name, the bet
ter his chances, both for individ
ual prizes and for the grand
prize.
Merchants have been planning
the event for several weeks and
several were boasting proudly
this week of their success in ob
taining special purchases on fa
vorite fall merchandise. Mer
chants' shelves are bulging with
new fall goods, and many bar
gains are being offered during
the promotion on a "Fall Festi
val Only" basis.
. "This sales event serves several
purposes," J. C. Bridges, presi
dent of the K".ng? Mountain Mer
chants association, said. "It is
designed not only to stimulate
business during the ten days of
the sale itself, but to acquaint all
Kings Mountain area citizens
with the many advantages of
trading regularly at home, where
a person can obtain just about
anything he wants and at prices
which always meet, and usually
better, those at similar stores in
other communities."
KIWANIS MEETING
Ranny Arnette, president of
the high school Key Cluto, will
conduct the program at the
Thursday night meeting of the
Kings Mountain Klwanls club.
The Key Club is sponsored by
the Kiwanis club. The meet
ing will be at 6:45 at Masonic
Dining Hall.
Norton Declares
Press Freedom
For Everyone
"A newspaper has a semi-pub
lic responsibility and must be
free from everything except the
public interest," Randolph Nor
ton, literary editor of the Char
lotte Observer, told members of
the Kings Mountain Kiwanis club
at their meeting last Thursday,
evening.
Mr. Norton, who spoke on a
program arranged by Dr. W. P.
Gerberding in observance of Na
tional Newspaper week, gave a
fact-filled resume of the history
of the emergence of what ?his
nation knows as the "free press",
and cited efforts to shackle press
freedom since the invention of
the printing press.
After Guttenberg invented the
first crude printing press, Mr.
Norton pointed out, it wasn't
long until efforts at controlling
what was printed were evidenced
in laws providing taxes, licenses,
and censorship. The efforts have
continued, he added, even to the
present day, he cited the 1953
General Assembly's ill-fan.3d
Secrecy Act as a modern example
In North Carolina.
Further delving In history, Mr.
Norton declared the first North
Carolina Constitution is a model,
providing that anyone could print
what he wishes, but, in turn, must
be responsible for it
Mr. Norton entitled his address
"Every Citizen's Right 10 Know."
or. "What You Don't Know Is
What Hurts".
He pointed out that freedom of
the press is not for the press a
lone, but for the average citizen,
who, if he is not Informed, may
soon find his other liberties as
well.
"The continuing fight of news
men everywhere is for the privi
lege to get at information," Mr.
Norton concluded. "No matter
where you turn there is always
someone who desires to hide the
news if he regards it as detri
mental."
Jaycee Calendar
Project Launched
Members of the Junior Cham
ber of Commerce began the
club's annual Kings Mountain
Community Birthday Calendar
drive last Thursday when they
met at Plonk Motor Co.
Jaycees are operating a booth
on First National bank corner on
Friday afternoons and all day
Saturdays for two weeks so that
citizens may list dates on the
calendar. The calendar project
began last year.
The calendars list, In addition
to (birthdays and subscribers
names, dates of regular civic
olub and church meetings, wed
ding anniversaries, community
events, and others. They are
priced at 50 cents each amd list
ings may be made at 25 cents
per listing.
Sponsoring merchants give
subscribers birthday gifts. Co
Chairmen of the Jaycee commit
tee are Charles Dixon and Lewis
Falls. -
Dickson Report Revamps Details
Of City Bond Proposal; Total Same
*? ?
The up-to-date cotft estimate on
sewage system and water system
improvements of the City of
Kings Mountain by W. K. Dick
son A Company, Charlotte engi
neering firm, has revised consid
erably the proposal recently out
lined by Mayor Glee A. Bridges
for a public Improvements bond
issue election.
The report of Mr. Dickson
changes only slightly the total a
mount recommended for sewage
and water system Improvements
Mayor Glee A. bridges con
ferred la Raleigh Tuesday with
W. E. Easterllng. of the Local
Government Commluion, con
cerning the holding of a $600.
000 public Improvements bond
Issue electlod and reported en
his return that Mr. Easterllng
had given the city a green ?:
light on its plans 16r holding
the ?lection. Definite action
will come from the City Board
. - ^
? from $445,000 to $450,000. How
ever, Engineer Dickson says that
th? dty should build a $160,000
high rate filter type sewage dis
posal tank to roplare the present
McGlll disposal tank, and plan
to spend $40,000 far additional
sewage lines, plus $250,000 for
increasing its waier facilities, ln
dodtne $65,000 for ralataar the
dam ft city lake and increaahut
the watershed capacity, $160,000
for new water filtering capacity
designed to double the present
million-gallon pc iay maximum,
and $25,000 for laying water
lines.
The original and tentative esti
mate outlined on October 1 by
Mayor Bridges listed 1300,000 for
sewage plant Improvement ?, with
estimated amounts for improving
several disposal plants, and only
9145,000 for water plant improve
ments.
Mr. Dickson also lists a $150,
000 recommendation for recrea
tion plant, but notes that the re
commendation is not made on
the basis of a detailed study.
Mr. Dickson also noted in his
letter addressed to the mayor and
board of commissioners that the
report supplements one he sub
mitted to the city on January 18,
1949, and states, " the over
all picture remains the same. In
view of the fact that the cost of
bringing all of the work up to
date would be so great at present,
the purpose of this supplemen
tary report Is to indicate what
should- be done at present, as a
part of a long-range program."
Mr. Dickson estimates that
raising the city lake dam by ten
feet would add 100 million gallons
of capacity to the watershed, or
treble the currently estimated
maximum of 90 million gallons.
P-TA MEMBERS TO HEAR SAFETY SPECXAUST ? Chief of Police |
W. T. (Bill) Ivey, of York. S. C.. will speak at a Joint meeting of all
Kings Mountain area Parent-Teacher associations next Wednesday
afternoon at 3:30 at Central School auditorium, according to an
nouncement this week by Chief of Police H. A. Logan. Jr.. who ar
ranged the program. Chief Ivey. a former Columbia patrolman, has
received nation-wide acclaim for the record established by York in
pedestrian safety. He is expected to discuss traffic safety as it ap
plies to school children. Chief Ivey has served as York's police chief
since 1950 and a few weeks ago took part in a safety program given
at the Kings Mountain Lions club.
50th Floral Fair
Work Underway
Woman's Club
Event Scheduled
For Wednesday
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Woman's Club were hard at
work this week preparing for
next Wednesday's Golden Anni
versary Floral Fair.
Theme of the Floral Fair is
"Autumn in the Hills", and, as
is customary, entries in the sev
eral competitive divisions are
being invited from anyone in
terested.
Mrs. O. W. Myers, publicity
chairman, said that sweepstakes
prizes in the form of pieces of
silver are oeing offered by Del*
linger's Jewel Shop and Gray
sort's Jewelry In the horticultur
al and flower arranging divis
ions. Only one entry Is allowed
an exhibitor In each class.
The show will foe open to the
public from 12:30 to 7:30 p. IB.,
and both lunch and dinner will
foe served. Admission fee will foe
50 cents for adults and 10 cents
for children. Dinner prices will
vary according to the menu.
In addition U>the flower show,
there will be a bazaar division,
with footh prize and ribbon a
wards.
The Floral Fair originated here
50 years ago as the project of
several community churches, at
that time weak and constantly
in need of. funds. The several
women' ? societies shared equally
in the work of the show and iri
the profits. The Fair then enjoy
ed a two-day run, and each
church society had a booth from
which it sold fancywork, at that
time very much in demand. As
the churches grew stronger, the
church groups relinquished their
Floral Fair to first > the Kings
Mountain Civic League the fore
runner of ttoe organization
known as the Kings Mountain
Woman's Clufo.
Charter members of the Civic
League were Mrs. J. E. Ader
holdt, Mra. R. c. Baker, Mrs. E.
W. Barnes, Mrs. Molly Campbell,
Mrs. E. C. Cooper. Mrs. C. A. Dil
ling, Mrs. W. 8. Dilling, Mra. H.
C. Dwelle, Mrs. Lizzie Falls, Mrs.
H. T. Fulton, Mrs. Katie Garrett,
Mrs. Roasle Goforth, Mrs J. G.
Horn, Mra. Cora Hunter, Mrs.
John Long, Mrs. George Lovell,
Mrs. D. C. Mauney, Mrs. Floyd
Mauney, Mrs. J. &. Mauney, Mrs.
R. L. Mauney, Mra. g. A, Mauney,
Mra. J. L. McCoy, Mrs. J. X. Mc
Laughen, Mrs. H. N. Mosa, Mrs.
Mattte lfeal, Mrs. Ids Neliler,
Mra. O. C 0"Farrell, Mrs B. M.
Ormand, Mra. Nell Patrick, Mrs.
George Patterson, Mrs. A, H. Pat
tenon, (Mrs. Laura Aidtfnhour,
Mrs A. R. Rudisill, Mrs. Hidden
I Suggs, Mrs. ft. A. Young.
Mrs. George Homer, president
Continued On Puff* Might
Neophyte Gardeners
Produce Huge Yam
A possible new record in
sweet potato culture may hare
been set here this season.
Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence
Flowers, who live on Grover
Road, exhibited a unique,
giant- size number from their
six- row patch this week which
pulled the scales at 9Va -
pounds.
The Flowers couple, new to
the gardening business, can
hardly understand what hap
pened. They purchased ordi
nary sweet potato "slips," set
them nut as instructed, and
treated the ground with ordi
nary garden fertilizer from
Bridges Hardware. The land
had previously lain fallow for
a couple of seasons.
. , Like Topsy, the 'tater just
g rowed.
While the 9Vz-pound number
was the biggest, there were
many large-sized models, e- .
nough to produce ten bushels
from the six rows.
On Gas Prospect
City Attorney J. H. Davis ex
pressed optimism Wednesday
that the city would be awarded
a certificate of necessity and
convenience for the distribution
of natural gas.
Mr. Davis was commenting fol
lowing oral argument Tuesday
before the North Carolina Utili
ties commission, in a case which
has been pending more than a
year.
The Federal Power commission
has tentatively alloted the city
a quota of natural gas from the
nearby pipeline, but the hold up
on the awarding of a certificate
of convenience and necessity has
stalemated the situation.
Also attending the hearing
Tuesday at Raleigh were Mayor
Glee A. Bridges and Mr. Davis'
law partner, Jack White.
Champion Gin i
Damaged By Fire
Fire losses to the T_ A. Champ.
Ion Cotton Gin In ,tfae Oak Grove
community were estimated at
$645, city firemen reported here
Wednesday morning.
. The fire alarm was answered
Friday to the gin, located about
eight outside the Kings
Mountain city limits. One bale
of cotton iwas damaged in the
fire.
I Firemen also reported an oil
Continued On f*ft BMiKt
School Meetings May Settle
Consolidation V ote Question
- , ' - . - ?
Civil Service
Seeks Applicants
For Postal Exam
Applications are now being ac
cepted by the Fourth U. S. Civil
Service region, for substitute
clerk - carrier at the Kings Moun
tain postoffice, according to a
special civil service bulletin dated
October 13.
Applications are open until fur
ther notice and full details con
cerning the taking of the exami
nation, a written test, to be given
at Gastonia, may be obtained at
the Kings Mountain postoffice
from M. C. Falls, local civil ser
vice secretary. -
Applicants will be required to
reside within the delivery of the
Kings Mountain postoffice. Be
ginning pay rate of a substitute
clerk-carrier Is $1.61 H per hour,
the bulletin states, with incre
ments for longevity. Certain ve
terans' preference provisions ap
ply.
Applicants should execute
Form 5000-AB and file it with
the Regional Director, Fourth U.
S. Civil .Service Region. Tempo
rary "R" Building. Third and .Jef
ferson Drive, gW, Washington 23,
D. C.
The announcement lists as a
special notice the following: "Re
gisters resulting from this exam
ination will supersede previous
registers established for the of
fices listed."
Bus Terminal
Needs Manager
Who will manage the Kings
Mountain Bus Station was still
an unsettled question Wednesday,
Clayton Love, of Queen City
Coach Company told the Herald.
Mr. and Mrs. O. L. Alverson,
who have operated the West King
street terminal, are relinquishing
it after Thursday.
""Mr. Love said he did not know
what arrangements for the con
tinued operation of the terminal
would be concluded but he was
hopeful, he said, that manage
ment for the station can be ob
tained and service continued.
He acknowledged that several
possible station managers had
been interviewed, but that none
have been employed.
Paul Byers, who had operated
the station since its opening, re
linquished it two weeks ago.
Logan No Applicant
For Laurinburg Post
Chief of Police Hugh A. Logan,
Jr., said this week he had de
clined an invitation from the City
of Laurinburg to apply for the
position of ?hief of police in that
city.
Chief Logan acknowledged that
he had received last weekend an
invitation to apply for the Laurin
burg position.
"I am well satisfied with being
Kings Mountain's police chief,"
he said.
NEW PASTOR ? Re*. A. D. Holt
has arrived in Kings Mountain
to assume the pastorate of First
Church of the Naxarene, located
on S. Cherokee street. Mr. Holt
succeeds Rer. C. E. McKenzle.
Holt Accepts
Nazaiene Call
The Rev. A D. Holt, for the
past two years a commissioned
evangelist in the Church of the
Nazarene, has come to Kings
Mountain to accept the pastoral
call of the First Church of the
Nazarene here.
He succeeds the Hev. C. E. Mc
Kenzie.
Mr. Ilolt has been a minister
of the Church of the Nazarene for
many years, majority of his ser
vice having been spent in Virgin
ia and North Carolina.
He ha's served the First Naza
rene church in Richmond, Va?
for two tenures as pastor, and
the Central church in Greensboro.
North Carolina became a sepa
rate district of the denomination
In 1942 and Mr. Holt served as
the district superintendent until
1945.
Mrs. Holt is a musician who
will aid with the church music.
The Holts have one son. They
moved to Kings Mountain last
Thursday.
23 Are Inducted
In Aimed Forces
Three Kings Mountain men
Were among a group of 23 who
left Shelby Wednesday mcrning
for Induction into the Armed
Forces.
Roy Clyde Blalock, of Kings
Mountain, was named leader of
the group. Others from Kings
Mountain inducted were Carl Ed
ward Morrison and William Max
Whitworth.
Thirty men will be called for
pre-induetion October 27, Mrs.
Clara Newman, clerk of the Se
lective Service Board, announced
Wednesday morning. A second
pre-induetion call will be for No
vember 9, she also said, and a
second group of men are to leave
for Army induction oti November
16, she added.
Lions In Favor Of Recreation Bonds,
School Mergers. Straw Vote Shows
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Lions club would vote by a
heavy majority to support a city
recreation bond issue and also to
consolidate the school districts
of the township, they Indicated
in a straw vote Tuesday nighi.
Dr. P. G. Padgett, chairman of
the city parks and recreation
commission, invited the club
members to note their feelings on
the two matters as he concluded
an address Tuesday night, in
which he outlined plans of the
commission for a recreation
plant, and In which he also stated
strong support of the proposal to
consolidate the several school dis
tricts.
Of A8 straw ballots turned In
by Lions members, the count was
reported at 43 to 5 In favor o(
both proposals, with one "maybe"
noted on the recreation bonds.
Dr. Padgett, who spoke on a
program arranged by Howard
Jackson, pointed out that Kings
Mountain is badly behind in the
matter of public recreation and
that the commission felt swim
ming pools, for both white and
i
colored populations, should be the
first facilities supplied. He noted
that a poll of school children
found about three- fourths listing
a pool as the most-wanted facili
ty.
Dr. Padgett further noted that
"Our work requires money, and
we haven't had' much," adding
that the commission felt the pro
gram now underway, made possi
ble by. city appropriation of park
ing meter revenues, had been
highly worthwhile.
Dr. Padgett noted several ob
jections to accepting the tract
proffered by Burlington Mills
Corporation Including 1) a rever
sion clause. 2) expense of moying
Duke's power line, 3) inadequacy
of acreage, and 4) desirability of
location. .*
His remarks concerning the
school consolidation proposal'
came at the end of his address,
and he pointed out that the con
solidation proposal indicated an
excellent opportunity to provide
tmprpved education at leas cost
to the whole of the township, with
benefits to all districts concerned.
Action Possible
By Committees
Oi Three Schools
Decisions by school commit
teemen of the Park Grace,. Beth
ware and Compact districts oil
the question of petitioning an
election on the proposal to con
solidate the schools in Number
Four Township into a single ad
ministrative unit appear forth
coming by Monday night.
The several boards have ten
tatively scheduled meetings
during the coming' wieekend to
determine whether they shall al
low citizens of the township to
vote for or against consolidating
the several school districts o t
the township.
Grover's school committee has
already petitioned for an elec
tion on the consolidation ques
tion.
Principal L. L. Adams of Com
pact school has announced that
patrons of that unit have been
invited to attend a tea Sunday,
afternoon at the school auditori
um at 3 o'clock. Committeemen
of 'the district will discuss the
consolidation matter with the
patrons attending, he said. .
Members of the Park Grace
committee are expecting to meet
this week to. consider the peti
tion, it is understood.
In the Bethware district, where
much opposition to the proposal
has been evidenced, a public
meeting has been set at the
school Monday at 7:30 p. m. Su
perintendent j. Ii. CJrigg is to
meet with the group.
Superintendent Grigg said
Wednesday that failure of any
of the remaining committees to
sign the petition asking for an
election Would have the effect of
defeating the proposal. He said
he based his opinion on a letter
from an assistant state attorney
general.
City Selling
Garbage Cans
In an effort to improve garbage
collection service and to speed it,
the City of Kings Mountain is
offering for sale, at cost of $2.50,
galvanized garbage cans of 20
gallon capacity.
City officials state that the gar
bage collection' work is slowed
badly due to lack of standardiza
tion in garbage cans and because
many of them are too big and
too heavy requiring two men to
unload them.
The city is also asking that,
where convenient, citizens place
their covered garbage cans and
trash on the street.
"We are trying to improve the
service and to make a minimum
of two pick ups on each and every
street," Mayor Glee A. Bridges
said, "and we want to standar
dize on the 20-gallon garbage can
as the proper one to handle."
The sale will be conducted
Monday on the parking lot back
of City Hall.
After next week, the city plans
to red-sticker garbage cans not
meting specifications and will
suspend collections until proper
disposal cans are obtained, the
Mayor continued.
PI
Lions Rummage
Sale Continuing
The Kings Mountain Lions c J
Rummage Sale will continue ?
weekend in the Putnam Building.
Officials said that more
have been added this week to re
stock the offerings.
Co-Chairman J. W. Webster an.
nounced the following staff list
for the remainder of .the sale:
Friday, Warren Reynolds, Char
lie Moss, C. D. Ware, and Otto
Williams. Sahirday, C. P. Barry,
George Houser, Joe Hendrlck,
Clarence Jolly.
October 23, Paul King, Hal
Plonk, J. C. McKinney, and Craig
Falls. October 24, Edwin Moore,
Hubert Davidson, James Houser,
J. G. Darracott,
October 30, Clyde Whetstlne,
James Rollins, Rev. P. L. Shore,
Jr., and E. E. Marlowe. October
31, A. C. Delllnger, Paul Howard,
Sam Stalling*, Gene Patterson.