Population
City Limits 7.206
Trading Area 15.000
(IMS Jtiutoa Board Figuiw)
Kings Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper
16
Pages
Today
VOL. 63 NO. 48
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, November 26, 1953
Sixty-Third Year
PRICE FIVE CEN'TS
Parks Commission Members Resign
? r - a
Santa Will Visit
City Wednesday
0
Local News
Bulletins
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter receipts for the
week ending Wednesday at
noon totaled $135.70, according
to report of J. H. McDaniel, Jr.,
assistant city clerk.
GRADUATES
Miss Phyllis Lall, daughter
of Mr. and Mis. C. W. Lail,
route 2, graduated from King's
Business College, Charlotte,
November 17. She Is employed
by the 'First Baptist church of
this city as secretary.
. TWO FIRES
City firemen answered two
calls last week, according to
report of C. D. Ware, fireman.
A small house {behind the XX.
M- Peeler home on Goforth
street caught fire Friday after
noon. Saturday night an unoc
cupied dwelling house on City
!Lake road owned by 1m C. Hord
caught fire from a stove. The
house was (being cleaned and
the damage reported Wad a
hole burned in the floor and
celling.
Chest WinHex
The third wetekly drawing for
a Treasure Chest award offered
by 31 Kings Mountain retail mer
chants will be held on Friday af
ternoon this week, a one- day post
ponement due to the Thanksgiv
ing holiday.
The hour of thte drawing will
be 3:30 at the same location, the
First National Bank corner.
Amount in the* Treasure Chest,
according to announcement by
the committee in charge, is $175.
Last week's drawing, which at
tracted an estimated 300 persons
to the business district, again
was reeled off in quick order,
.with Thermon W. Green, Route
3, Kings Mountain, citizen and
Margrace.Mill employee, the win
ner.
Mr. Greten'a winning ticket was
the first one pulled from the tic
ket oage and l?c immediately
stepped up to claim bis winnings
? $30 in trade certificates spend
able at any one of the participat
ing firms. Mr. Greten's was a 20
percent ticket
Anyone may obtain a tlJcet for
the drawing from any .participat
ing firm, and the more tickets,
the more chances, for none are
destroyed. Under the Apprecia
tion Day Treasure Chest plan,
the total In the Treasure Chest |
Increases each week.
Rules of the promotion require
that a person be present to win.
A husband may answer for his
wife, or a wifle for her husband.
Otherwise, the winner has to step
up, be Identified, and claim his
own winnings.
No purchase. 1* required tb reg- 1
ister for the contest.
Nothing New
On School Sit*
There were no further develop
ments during the past week on
the proffer to the city board of
school trustees of 15 acres of
land for Its new Negro Elemen
tary school site. _ v ;'y
?nils was the statement Of Ar
nold W. Kincaid, board chairman, |
on Tuesday. ' |
W. A. Williams has offered for
sale at $1,000 per acre a tract
adjoining the site where construc
tion of a new $75,000 six-room Me
school has already be
? sell * portion of
1 a J M 41 , - Vi-? ?? lilinaAff
jointly oy nim?eii
Ml* Weir Estate.
HI ?
Merchants Plan
Mammoth Party
For Yule Opening
Kings Mjuntain's Christmas
shopping season will open offi
cially next Wednesday afternoon
at a mammoth Christmas party,
to be held on Rail/oad avenue
between Mountain and Gold
Streets.
Santa Claus will make his an
nual pre-Christmas visit and
distribute goodies to the young
folk. The Kings Mountain school
band will precede the Santa
Claus visit with a full-dress 30
mlnute concert which will in
clude a ftlll quota of Christmas
season music. _ '
Plans of the Kings Mountain.
Merchants association commit
tee in charge of arrangements
for the party call for the erection
OPEN WEDNESDAY ?
Kings Mountain retail mer
chants will be open Wednes
days all-day through Christ
mas, suspending as Is thelt1
custom, the regular Wednes
day half-holiday to accommo
date Christmas-season shop
pers. The by-laws of the Mer
chants Association call for re
sumption on the holiday on
Wednesday, December 30.
of a large chimney on the Coop'
er's, Inc., fbuilding. This will en
able Santa Claus to make his
traditional entrance into a large
"room" which will toe set up on
the street.
The party will (begin at 5 o'
clock, and Kings Mountain Mer
chants Association members are
issuing Invitations to all par
ents to 'bring their children to
the annual party.
"We think they'll have a good
time," John Lewis, chairman of
the committee, said.
The association Js fwregolng a
parade for the second consecu
tive year. A' poll of members fa
vored the party plan over the pa
rade method of formally opening
the Christmas shopping season.
Local merchants have been
busy this week decorating for
the Christmas season, and toy
merchants report good advance
sales of many items.
The city has already hung
Christmas lights, to be lighted
for the first time next Wednes
day, In the business section.
Greenville Men
Get Chenille Haul
Wrenn and Syracuse, of Green
ville, S. C.( purchased from the
Southern (Railway claim agent
last Friday *ue chenille mer
chandise contained in the rail
car wrecked here several weeks
ago.
L. L. Benson, local Southern
official, said about 5.000 chenille
bedspreads were included in the
car of textiles, a a well as chen
ille robes and rugs In large
quantity.
Billy LeBicheux. long Retired,
Basil; ActiveAtJIfe of 90
William (Billy) LeRicheux.1^
tlve Canadian and resident of
Kings Mountain for 56 years,
celebrated his 90th birthday Mon
?Hg
of Kings Mountain's elcfest
citizens, Mr. LeRJcheux or "Billy"
as he is affectionately called, has
gjmpjf frja hi! trMa ot'tqtjum.
frlwwwfc
of years. However,
prtentlce in domestic Work with
his granddaughter. Mrs. Frank
Price, where he has( made his
ltoitti JtoirjEii yeiiM.
He keeps limself busy with a
feather duater which
under his arm, and walks each ]
day to town, sometimes twice,
MM ?arviriaiiKhtfr, relates.
Born in Moravia*,' fSmgda, the
ton of English parents, Mr. Le
ttlcheux grew tip In Cape Vincent,
Hfc Y., where at tlte age of two
he ioet hto left arm In a sleigh
JH rWr?nntfn Hint hr Urf hi*
brother Cbarles were riding in
the snow when he (Billy) reached
over to pink up a hanrirul of innw
and the sled runner "tore off my
left arm." T ? g
Charles LeXkheux, who still
lives in Ntew York, 1* either nine
or ten years older than his bro
ther, Billy. "We're the only two
left out of nine, he said, Charlie
is SO or 100, I don't know which."
>. BUly LeRicheux and his late
wife, the former Miss Julie (Liz
zie) Dovtsr, were married in 1896.
Mr. LeRlcheux*s daughter, Mrs.
Glenn Smith, lives next-door, and
a second granddaughter, Mrs.
Everett Davis, Itves in Gastonla.
A member of Central Metho
dist church, Mr. LeRicheux has
been a Mtethodist for 00 years, He
never missed a Sunday, Mrs.
Price said, except the past sum
mer when he underwent a major
operation. His general health is
good, though his hearing and his
sight are p0or, 4fc added.
Mr. LeRlrheux is not content
to sit still, Mrs. Price continued,
and he was quick to prove It.
want me here anymore?"
he asked. Tve got to get In there
and get that dining room dusted
out."
And away fate went, buatty
wielding his feather duster, no
mean task tor a man born during
the War Between the States.
Chairman Says
Mayor Wants
Five-Man Body
Members of the city parks and
recreation commission have sub
mitted a blanket resignation to
Mayor Glee A. Bridges, Dr. Pad
gett, chairman, reported yester
day.
"Mayor Bridges asked that we
cut our group from 15 to five
members and wfe felt that the
only way to effect the change
would be to resign and let the city
board appoint the members It
wants on the commission," Dr
PadgeLt said yesterday.
The move for the blanket re
signation was begun at a meeting
several weeks ago, Dr. Padgett
Mid, when a request from Mayor
Bridges for the change In num
ber was announced.
"Mayor Bridges suggested thai
a smaller commission could work
i better with the city board," Dr
Padgett stated, "and asked that
we get together and decide which
five would remain on the com
mission."
Dr. Padgett said that the com
mission assumes it is still actlvfe
until the reorganization Is effect
Mayor Bridges said that he has
received the letter of resignation
and that the city board will act
on It at the next meeting.
Somb members of the recrea
tion commission have stated In
private, discontent over the ma
yor's actions In taking options on
land for recreational purposes
without knowledge of the Recrea
tion Commission. .
The recreation commission Is
not happy, some members Indi
cated. with what they consider
the mayor's assumption of recrea
tion commission duties.
Th? parks fhd recreation com
mission was created by ordinance
dated September 13, 195p, pre
scribing the terms of members,
organization, powers and duttes.
Ten members were named In the
original ordinance, which was a
mended on November 10, 1952, to
Include 15 members.
Under the amended ordinance,
Dr. Padgett, Rev. P. D. Patrick
and Mrs. J. H. Patterson were tp
serve for one year; Mrs. Harry
Page, Hunter Neisler and W. K.
Mauney, Jr., for two years; A. B.
Chandler, Palmter Hudson and
Jack Hullender, for three years;
G. C. Kelly, Jack White and John
Lathem, for four years; and John
Smathers, Fred Plonk and James
Layton, for five years. Future ap
pointments were to be for flvb
years.
Mr. Chandler and Mr. Hudson
are no longer residents of the
city and Mr. Layton was replaced
when he was named recreation
director. Dr. W. P. Gerbferdlng is
the only appointee to the board
since the total membership was
increased.
SQUAfifc DANCE
Kings Mountain and Cherry
vllle WOW will present the
annual Christmas square dan
ce on Saturday at 8 p. m. at
the Cherryvllle American Le
gion Hall. Proceeds from the
dance will go to the orphan
homes of the state, Ray Smith,
who announced the dance;
said.
G. F. Lattimore
Rites Conducted
??MV MM ' ' I
SUCCUMBS ? Funeral rites fox
George F. Lattlmore, Kings
Mountain textile executive, were
conducted at his home Saturday
afternoon.
Turkey Da;
Faze Tzaditional
Kings Mountain was preparing
for Thanksgiving Wednesday,
and grocers suspended their
regular Wednesday half-holiday
in order to help housewives fill
their larders.
Generally speaking, Kings
Mountain^ plaris were traditional
for the Thanksgiving season, with
butcher's sales indicating turkey
to be a menu favorite.
Hunters welcomed thb arrival
of rain, which enabled the Gover.
nor to lift the ban on hunting, im
posed due to dry weather and
danger of forest fires, and church
-goers ? estimated at well over
half the population planned to
attend annual Thanksgiving sea
son services.
Boyce Memorial ARP church
men were working on their tra
ditional breakfast, scheduled at
8- a. rri. to follow services of 15
years standing. A sptecial offer
ing would benefit the church's
Dunlap Orphanage.
A similar service, followed by
a breakfast, is scheduled at Cen
tral Methodist church.
St. Matthew's Lutheran church
also has scheduled a traditional
service. The 10 a. m. Thanksgiv
ing Day rites will feature special
music by Miss Frances Summers,
and the pastor, Dr. W. P. Gerber
dlng will preach on the subject
"Our National Blessings".
Other Thanksgiving Day events
which will attract Kings Moun
tain citizens is the Charlotte
double ? header, the Carrousel
optenlng the Christmas "shopping
season, and the Turkey Day foot
ball game between Wake Forest
and the University of South Caro
lina.
Other Thanksgiving Day foot
ball fare which customarily at
tracts Kings Mountain citizens Is
the Catawba ? Lenoir Rhyne en
counter, at Hickory this year.
Expected to see action for the
Lenolr-Rhyrte Bears Is Jim Kim
mell Kings Mountain frosh star.
Business firms will clos? for
the day, *>lth the exception of
drug stores and service stations,
and the druggists expect to work
on short schedule. "Holiday
hours," are planned at Griffin
Drug Company, "Sunday hours,
no fountain Service" at Kings
Mountain Drug Company.
The postofflce will be closed,
as will the North Carolina Em
B* yment Service office, the City
11 oftice, and all financial In
stitutions.
The Kings Mountain Herald
will be closed for the day, but
majority of industry will follow
regular schedules.
MOT* ? T* ? Observe
Building Fond Day
Boycte Memorial ARP church
will observe Its second "Building
Fund Sabbath" at 11 o'clock ser
vices on Stfhday.
Tl* church recently began a
long-term building fund program
and sets each fifth Sabbath as
Building Fund ?>ay with a goal
of ?1,250. The ten-year goal Is a
minimum of $50,000,
The committee Includes J. L.
McGiH, chairman. G. Matter
sen, M. D. PMtnr, 9. E. Anthony.
Jr., treasurer, and Martin Har
e> ?'
Illness Fatal
To Veteran
Textile Official
Funeral services for George F.
Lattimore, secretary-treasurer of
Park Yarn Mills Company, were
held Saturday afternoon at the
Lattimore residence, 119 North
Piedmont avenue, with Rev. P.
L. Shore, Jr., pastor of Central
Methodist church conducting the
rites.
Mr. Lattimore died at his
home on Friday morning at
11:30. H declining health for a
number of years, his condition
had worsened considerably dur
ing the ten days prior to his
death. However, he had visited
his office briefly on Tuesday.
At the funeral service iRev. Mr.
Shore read from the Bible the
121st and 123rd Psalms, and a
portion of the 14th Chapter of
St. John.
Interment was made in Moun
tain Rest cemetery.
A Kings Mountain citizen for
24 years, since he came here in
1929 to become secretary- treas
urer of Park Yarn Mills Compa
ny, Mr. Lattimore held the dis
tinction of being the oldest of
ficial in point of service in the
far-flung Johnston Mills organi
zation. He first Joined the late
C. W. Johnston In Charlotte, then
served as secretary -treasurer of
Eastern Manufacturing Compa
ny, a Johnston mill at Smith
field, before coming to Kings
Mountain. * .
A native of the Sharon com
munity of Cleveland County, he
was a sdn of the late , William
Aaron Lattimore and Mary Don
ahue Elliott Lattimore. He was
a (Mason.
He was a man of friendly dis
position and quiet humor.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs.
Evelyn White Lattimore; a son,
George F. Lattimore, Jr.., Greens
boro; three brothers and six sis
ters, J. A. Lattimore, Shelby, Sam
C. Lattimore, Blacksburg, S. C.,
Eugene Lattimore, Shelby; Mrs.
R. R. Miller and Mrs. vVill Har
ris, both of Harris; Mrs. M. D.
Moore, Shelby; Mrs. T. N. Cook,
Monett, Mo.; Mrs. Broughton
McGinnis, Shelby; and Mrs. R. O.
Crawford, Gastonla. A grand
son, George McNeill Lattimore,
also survives.
Active pallbearers were L. Ar
nold Kiser, Halbert Webb, W. T.
Weir, and John G. Smathers, all
of Kings Mountain, Billy Latti
more, Blacksburg, S. C., Donald
Jonas and Fred Krueger, both of
Charlotte, and Fred Lindsay,
Rutherfordon. v
Haimon Property
Bid Was $10,217
M. L. Harmon,. Sr., waa the
high bidder at the commisslon
er'a re-sale Saturday o 1 the T.
N. Harmon Estate property at
the corner of Battleground ave
nue and Falls , street, Mr. Har
mon's high bid was $10,217.
It edgjted the bid of B. D. Rat
terree, who had held the high
bid prior to Saturday's sale.
Under commissioner's sale pro
cedure, the bidding will remain
open through next Tuesday, De
cember 1, ten days after the sale.
During that period, a person may
raise the bid by a minimum of
five percent of the present high
bid.
Martin L. Htrmon, Jr., is the
commissioner, and Davis and
White are attorneys.
Bites Conducted
For Mrs. Bennett
Mrs. Nancy Bennett, 85, dfcd
Friday night In a Shelby hospital
after an extended Illness.
Funeral service* were held
Sunday afternoon at St. Mat
thews Lutheran church, of which
she was a member, with Dr. Wil
liam P. Orberding offilcatlng.
Interment waa in Mountain Rett
cemetery.
Mrs, Bennett la survived by her
husband, Wade Bennett
? '
FAIRVIE W LODGE HONORS PAST MASTERS ? Pictured, are the living Past Masters of Falrview
Lodge 339, A. F. & A. M., who were honored Monday night by fellow Masons at an emergent com
munication. All 13 of the past masters were present and took part in the degree work. Back row.
left to right, are Dr. O. P. Lewis, Arnold Kincaid, Dr. J. E. Anthony, M. A. Ware. John H. Floyd. J. E.
Herndon, and Dr. 1. P. Baker. Front row, left to right are W. K. Crook. Paul Owens, C. J. Gault Jr.,
Charles H. Pugh. of Gastonia, O. T. Hayes, S. A. C rouse, and P. F. Dilling. Dr. Pugh. of Gastonia,
Senior Grand Warden of^the Grand Lodge of North Carolina, was the principal speaker at the com
munication. (Photo by Carlisle Studio.) \
Water Shortage
Is Still Serious
Rains Settle
Dost, Don't Up
Level At Lake
s Rains over the past weekend
and on Tuesday night relieved
parched Kings Mountain of dust
and grime but gave no material
aid to the city's serious shortage
of water.
The water level at city lake,
held steady over the weekend,
but it had held steady the 'pre
vious weekend, leading city of
ficials to attribute the steady
level to less consumption, rather
than the influx of water.
Conservation measures contin
ue and the city is still investi
gating every avenue of increas
ing its present watershed sup
plies, Mayor Glee A. Bridges said
yesterday. These included con
tinued efforts to tap the old
Gold Mine shaft on property
owned 'by Carl F. Mauney, and
request for a re-check by the
state of Its previous tests on the
water from the Cherryville Road
artesian wells, once the city's
only source of supply.
The latter promised best chan
ce of relief. Though It tested out
as contaminated two weeks ago,
tests run the past week by Geor
ge Moss, city water plant opera
tor, showed up "negative" or
with contamination present only
one time in the week. Mr. Moss
thinks the state's district engi
neer, due here Friday for the of
ficial re-test, will approve use
of the water which the city can
chlorinate via a portable ma
chine. More than 100-gallons per
minute have been pumped from
these wells during the test runs
without diminishing the steady '
Continued On Page Eight '
M
HEADS RED CROSS ? I. G. Pat
terson, oil dealer, is the new
president of the Kings Mountain
chapter. American Red Cross. He j
succeeds Rev. W. L. Pressly, fol
lowing recent annual election of
officers.
Griffin Reports
On Band Drive
Some $200 has been collected
in the Jaycee-sponsored drive for
funds for the Kings Mountain
school band during the first week
of the campaign, Wilson Griffin,
chairman, reported yesterday.
Reports have not been heard
from most of the soliciting teams,
Mr. Griffin said, and he urged
heads of the divisions to "pep
up" the drive during the next
week.
Goal of the drive is $1,500, with
v Continued On Page Eight
Senator A1 Lennon Spends Busy
Afternoon Shaking 400 Hands
United States Senator Alton A.
Lennon, openly and frankly po
liticking for the Democratic nom
ination to the senate seat he holds
by appointment, held open house
in Kings Mountain's City Hall
Saturday, then toured the busi
ness section for a quick hand
shake with many more local area
citizens.
He told friends In the late after
noon he had met 400 citizens.
The sandy-haired, 47-year-old
senator proved quite affable, de
monstrated a hearty handshake,
and greeted callers like long-lost
kin. As a matter of fact, he oc
casionally greeted approaching
Kings Mountaineers aa "cousin".
Senator Lfcnnon made no mo
mentous pronouncements, but
mentioned, among other items
iK;
l) g? <wq?ctstho He e for the
Senate . Democratic nomination
next May to be a two-man affair,
with formfer - Governor W. Kerr
Scott, the Haw River farmer, as
his opponent; '
2) He thinkB Scott's talk of a
minimum of $125,000 required to
make the race has hurt Scott;
3) He is glad to have Harry
Gatton, the Iredell county man,
as his new administrative assis
tant;
4) He attended all the roll call
votes from the date of his quali
fication as a senator, and loss 20
pounds in the process;
5) He must visit 30 counties be
tween now and January 6, the
date Congress reconvenes. 11 he
is to be sure of visiting the 100
prior to next May's election.
The Senator greeted many citi
zens who dropped by to call at in
vitation from Charlie Moss, Mar
gracte Mill overseer, who had
first proffered a civic club speak
ing engagement to the Senator
several weeks ago.
Among the Kln^s Mountain
Continued On Page Bight
Fairview Lodge
Pas! Masters ,
Honored Monday
Past masters of Fairview Lodge
339, A. F. & A. were honored
Monday night at an emergent
communication which, some of
the Masons think, set a record in
Masonry.
?? Each of the 13 living East Mas
ters of Fairview Lodge, charter
ed more than three quarters of a
century ago, was present for the
communication "and each partic
iuated in the degree work con
ducted, according to D. E. Tate,
Master.
Honors to the following past
masters were accorded by Char
les H. Pugh, senior grand warden
of the Grand Lodge of North Car
olina: Dr.. L. P. Baker, Dr. J. E.
Anthony, Dr. O. P. Lewis, M. A.
Ware, O. T. Hayes, P. F. Dilling,
J- H- Floyd, S. A. Crouse, J. E.
Herndon. W. K. Crook, C. J.
Gault, Jr. A. W. Kinraid and
Paul Owens.
The lodge was opened by the
master, and his corps of officers.
Arnold \V. Kincaid, past master,
acting as marshal, presented
John H. Floyd, past master and
district Deputy grand master of
the 37th Masonic district and
Warden Pugh.
The Past Master relieved the
regular officers in conferring the
Fellowcraft degree.
At the conclusion of the degree
rite, Mr. Pugh called on all Ma
sons to help correct the deplora
ble situation extisting in the na
tion today, in which crime and
apathy prevail. The speaker de
clared pea v is not in the world
today because the "Supreme Ar
chitect of the Universe is not in
vited in at the peace conferen
ces."
Following the closing of the
lodge, coffee and sandwiches
were served by members of the ,
Eastern Star.
Faith Baptist
Church Organized
A new Baptist church, namled
Faith Baptist, was organized in
Kings Mountain on Sunday, No
vember 15 in the Burlington
Mills area.
The new church is an outgrow
th of a mission point which be
gan two or three years ago under
sponsorship pf the Second' Bap
tist church.
Organization wis under direc
tion of the missions committee
of thte Kings Mountain Baptist
association, Rev. Lawrence Ro
berts, chairman, and Rev. T. W.
Bray, associational missionary.
Rev. M. A. Bray acted as mo
derator, Rev. Mr. Roberts, clefk,
and the Rev. John S. Farrar,
chairman of the associational
missions council, delivered the or
ganizational sermon.
Others taking part in thfe or
ganization were Rev. W. S. Har
din, Rev. Franklin Monroe, and
Rev. Gordon Weekley, Jr.
Officers of the new church are
B. T. Brooks, superintendent;
Ed Riley, treasurer, and Mrs. B.
T, Brooks, clterk. Walter Flay
Pavne who has served the mis
sion for. the past year, was call
ed to be pastor of the new church.
Ordination services were held
Continued On "affe Eight
'i:- 7>. V.