miMm
Population
City Limits 7.206
Trading JUm 354)00
(1945 Ration Board Flguxoc)
' ; "j ' - .1
VOL 63 NO. 53
Established 1889
Xings Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, December 31, ! 953
12
Sixty-Third Year
Pages
Today
PRICE FIVE CENTS
local News
Bulletins
OUT WITH FLU
Red Layton, city recreation
director, was out from work
this week with a case of influ
enza.
METER RECEIPTS
A total of $144.37 was collec
ted from the city's meter re
ceipts Wednesday morning, ac
cording to a report from the
city treasurer's office.
SANK HOLIDAY
? First National Bank will ob
serve New Year's Day as a
holiday, according to an
nouncement by F. R.- Summers,
president.'
TO INSTALL DEACONS
Installation and ordination
of newly elected deacons at
First Presbyterian church will
be held Sunday, January 3, at.
the 11 o'clock service. To be in
stalled are Hall Goforth, Char
les Nelsler, Luther Cansler,
George Thomasson, and Law
rence Lovell.
MERCHANTS VOTING
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Merchants association are
bfeing urged to teturn their
ballots in the current mail e
lecrtlon to determine associa
tion officers for the coming
Jfp|U?'l9!# Queen said deadline
set for returning the post card
bidlofc"^^ Jji m
Slightly more than half, the
membership has returned bal
lots thus far. : ? '
FIRE ALARMS
Kings Mountain firemen ans
? wered four fire alrams during
the week, according to a re
port Wednesday morning:. An
?uto jblaze and a grass fire
was 'extinguished on Thurs
day, and firemen extinguished
a blaze from a Christmas tree
and a grass fire on Christmas
?ay, last Friday. No damages
were reported.
1 1
Bank To Sponsor
Orator; Contest
ni^j^tlonal Bank Is in
;jn|Bt%0h(>'>i students of
mtaflbg m .TjaWnihlP to pn rt u-i
PHI? -m' #Tj|itewlde oratorical
contest.- .>? .
, The township participation by
First National is a part of the
Cleveland County and state-wide
otifiert'jte mi Carolina
Banltkrrf AisbcUtion, which is .?r
feting more than 9$600 in prizes
to statewide winners. ? -1
< W, president of
Fizst National, said prizes would
also go to local winners, and he
urged students of Bethware, Gro
ver, and Kings Mountain high
' 'Iflpijlln; |it> 1 1 to part icl
Sp|p.'
the contest called this "Big
Change" ~-to 4esigned to call at
?*l|li-to North Carolina's t.=
ata09;:ti|| turn of the cen
tury, and to cause high school stu
dents to devote some thought to
how this progress may bfc con
, future
begin with
high school eliminations during
the firpt week of March, 1954.
The winners from each high
?cbool in the county will compete
on March 10 to determine the
v Continued On Page Twelve
? ''iMh'titlA ? I ' ^ ?*-'*- - ? < ' ? ? I V ? ? 1 - .
Shelby Firm Buys
Harmon Property
Ratterree Bid
For Hannon Lot
Was Not Raised
The T. N. Harmon Estate pro
perty at the corner of Battle
ground avenue and Falls street
Is being conveyed to Western
Carolina Propertites, Inc., of Shel
by, of which D. W. Rqyster, well
known Shelby businessman, Is
president.
Bidding on the property, sold
under commissioner's sale proce
dure beginning last May, , was
finally concluded Tuesday, end of
the legal bic^raising pferiod, with
B. D. Ratterree, Kings Mountain
realtor, the successful bidder at
$11,130.
Mr. Royster said he was not
ready to announce plans for use
of the property, which is occupied
by a two-apartment frame dwell
ing. Howtever, he indicated that
he would have an announcement
concerning the property in the
near future. Mr. Royster, a Gulf
Oil Company distributor, said he
does not anticipate using the pro
perty for erection of a service
station.
Thte property front* 100 feet on
Battleground avenue, 330 <Mt ? n
Falls street and 105 feet on Cher
okee street. It was officially
"sold" ten times by Martin L
Harmon, Jr., commissioner, in
prooess of settling the T. N. Har
Harmon testate.
Heirs of the late T. N. Har
mon are: M. L. Harmon, Sr.,
Mrs. T. P. McGill, Mrs. Minnie H.
Crawford, Mrs. J. M. Lackey, and
Mrs. Giles Sellers, all of Kings
Mountain, Mrs. Knox Hardin,
Mrs. Rittie Goode, Mrs. J. L.
Wolf, and Frank Harmon, all of
Shelby, Mrs. Hoyle Starnes, Mon
roe, Mrs; Carl Stroupe and Mrs.
Claude Henderison, both of Mt
Holly, Luther Harmon, of Loop
City, Ntebr., and the Ella Harmon
Estate.
Other tracts In the estate pre
viously were sold to Fred Wright
and Hal S. Plonk.
Tieasnxe Chest
Total Is $272
Last Thursday's Christmas Eve
Treasure Chest winner was Mrs.
C ret tie Ltngerfelt, and the total
in the Treasure Chest for today's
drawing, to be conducted at 3:30
in front of Cooper's, Inc., is $272.
Today's drawing, last of the
year, finds the Treasure Chest
at its peak. . .
Funds in the chest are supplied
by participating merchants. It Is
possible for a person to win up
to 50 percent of the total in the
chest, depending on the percent
agte ticket which carries his name.
Last week's drawing was worth
$53 in trade certificates, spend
able at any of the participating
firms, to Mrs. Lingerfelt.
Under rules of the contest, a
person must be present to win,
though a hiwband may answer
for his wife, or vide versa.
Tickets are available at all par
ticipating firms and one may be
signed on each visit to each firm.
Broken Toy Almost
Put This Nick In lug
The newspapers have record
ed the plight of thfe father who
discovered on Christmas Eve
the empty train box.
It's almost as bad, or can be,
School Band Director Joe Hed
den relates, when father breaks
a toy while placing it under the
tifee.
. Mr. Hedden decided a broken
toy would be worse than no toy
at all, and, at 1:30 a. m.> ventur
ed tp his band quarters at Cen
tral school for mending ma
terials, and was happily work
ing away when a husky voice
shoulted, "There he is. Grab
him!"
Author of the intrusion was
thfe city police detail who had
awakened Supt. B. N. Barnes
to report a prowler in the
school house.
After recognition signals
were passed, everyone had a
good laugh and went to bed.
"You don't know how close I
came to spending Christmas bte
hind bars," Mr. Hedden notes In
relating the story.
March Of Dimes
Plans Formulated
Plans arc being completed this
week for launching of the annual
Kings Mountain March of Dimes
campaign with thfe goal lor this
year's campaign- $5,000.
George Thomasson, co- chair
man, said Wednesday morning
that the Kings Mountain area
campaign would formally begin
on January 10.
Funds collected in the annual
campaign are used to aid victims
of infantile paralysis, as well as
in research to discover methods
of prevtenting the disease.
The county goal for 1954 is
128,000.
I cnarles Nelsler is co-chairman
of the Kings Mountain campaign,
along with Mr. Thomasson. Mr.
Neisler will handle the industrial
gifts division, Mr. Thomasson
said.
The county Infantile Paralysis
Foundation held a dinner meeting
at Shelby Tuesday night, with
virtually all sections of the coun
ty rtspreaented. It was pointed out
that Cleveland County holds an
exceptional ret . of giving to
the infantile paralysis fund, and
that aid to the county's own polio
victims has been invaluable in re
storing them to health.
Co-chairman Thomasson said
the Kings Mountain drive com
mittee anticipates holding a Mo
ther's March on January 21 and
on distributing thfe familiar
March of Dimes cards to school
children cn January 22. The P-TA
organizations Will handle this
phase of the campaign, he added.
Announcement of the complet
ed fund-raising organization will
be made next week, he said.
HAMULI. BOMB
E? A. Hanrlll, who was injur
ed in an automobile accident
December Id, was released
from the Gaston Memorial hos
pital Tuesday and returned to
his home here.
Registration
Tor Bond Vote
Ends Saturday
Registration books will close
Saturday for the city's January
16 ibond election, when the citi
zens will determine the course
of a proposed $600,000 bond is
sufe. V ? * ?
Saturday will be the third and
final Saturday that the several
election registrars will be at the
five ward polling places to ac
cept new registrations and to
handle transfers.
Registration has ibeen any
thing but brisk, partially due to
the Christmas holidays, partially
?because most citizens are regis
tered already.
All citizens who expect to vote
must be .registered.
The voters will determine:
1) Whether the city shall bor
row $250,000 for water system
improvements.
2) Whether the. city shall bor
row $200,000 for sewer system
improvements.
3) Whether the city shall bor
row $150,000 to use for providing
a recreation plant.
4) Whether the city commis
sioners shall be authorized to
levy a tax of five cents per $100
valuation for operating a recrea
tional program.
Voters may approve one ques
tion and disapprove the others.
The answer to any one question
will not effect the other ques
tions, and vice versa.
B & L Dividends
Total
' ?' ??' ' ?
Kings Mountain Building &
Loan association dividends paid
during 1953 totaled $22,595.65, ac
cording to announcement Wed
nesday by Sen H. Bridges, secre
tary - treasurer.
Mr. Bridges said year-end semi
annual payments totaled $12,293,
14, as follows: on optional sav
ings shares, $4,724.38; on full-paid
stock, $5,000.93; on installment
shares, $1567.83.
Thfe total for the year was di
vided as follows: on optional sav
ings shares. $9,196.04; on full-paid
stock, $11,831.78; on installment
shares, $1,567.83,
TAG SALES
A total of 298 Kings Moun
tain motorists have purchased
1954 city auto license plates,
according to a report from the
city clerk's office Wednesday
morning. Purchase price of the
tag is one dollar.
Survey Party Getting Data
On Highway 74 By-Pass
City, County
Tax Listing
]Tq Get Undeiway
The annual January job of list
ing properties for city and county
taxes gets underway partially on
Saturday, and fully on Monday,
January 4.
Clarence E. Carpenter, city tax
lister, said hfe would not start
accepting city listings until Mon
day, though Conrad Hughes, the
Number 4 Township tax lister,
will begin work Saturday, work
ing at Grover at Roundtree's
hardware. :'
Mr. Hughes will join Mr. Car
penter at City Hall on Monday,
and, as is customary, citizens of
the city will bo able to list for
both city and county at the same
time.
The city listing schedule will be
from 8:30 a. m. to 5 p. m. daily,
except:
Saturday afternoon. January 9;
Saturday all day, January 16;
Saturday afternoon, January
23.
On the Saturday dates listed,
Mr. Hughes will again be at Gro
ver. At all other times, including
the closlhg day, Saturday, Janu
ary 30, both Mr. Carpenter and
Mr..Hatfitefl will bte on duty at
City Hall courtroom.
Both are urging early listing,
pointing out that those who list
early will undoubtedly save time.
Both noted that the law re
quires all property owners to list
their properties during the month
of January. Males betwteen the
ages of 21 and 50 are required to
list for poll taxes.
Chief Loqan Reports
Quiet Yale Season
Only two "lock-ups" were
made here on Christmas Eve and
Christmas Day, Chief Hugh A.
Logan reports.
The small number of arrests
was probaibly a record, he added.
"On behalf of the police de
partment, I want to express our
appreciation for the nice conduct
of the citizenry- It was very quiet
here and* no bad wrecks occur
red," Chief Logan said.
Citizens Readying Annual Welcome
Of New Year With Traditional Bites
Kings Mountain citizens were
preparing this wteek to welcome
the arrival of .the New Year, A.
D. 1954.
Housewives were purchasing
blackeyed peas and hog Jowl for
the traditional good luck piece
de resistance on the New Ytear's
Day menu, and numerous other
citizens were getting ready for
the customary New Year's Eve
revelry. . .
Private partfes are the order of
the day for Thursday evening,
with the arrival of the New
Year's signaling the end of the
current holiday mason.
Majority of Kings Mountain
citizens resumed regular duties
Monday though others had still
another wteek for rest and relax
ation.
Generally speaking, all of
Kings Mountain Industry will be
back In action on Monday, Janu
ary 4.
Merchants re-opened Monday
after a long weekend and faced
plenty of work. Business was
brisk, including both sales and
exchange, and stocks werte In
sadly-depleted shape.
After a slow start, Christmas
buying hit a peak during the final
six buying days and retail sales
men were hard put to It to satis
fy all demands for gift goods.
One department store report
ed that Christmas Eve was Its
biggest day in history, and almost
aU merchants said they were
gratified with the final rush of
buying.
Stores To Be Open
As Usual Friday
Kings Mountain merchants
will be open as usual on Fri
day, New Year's Day. though
they have already resumed the
customary Wednesday after
noon half-holiday.
Due to the long Christmas
weekend, the Merchants Asso
ciation board of directors rec
ommended suspension of the
New Year's Day holiday and
majority of firms have indica
ted they will be open for busi
ness as usual.
The First National Bank will
close for the day, but the
building & loan associations
will be open.
Shooters To Be
Here Thursday
Cherryvlllc's famed "New
Years Shooters" will visit Kings
Mountain for the first time as
the group continues Its 200-year
old tradition this season, Rodney
Black, secretary . treasurer of
thte group, announced this week.
The "Shooters" have scheduled
a visit here at 9 o'clock Thursday
morning to fire their ancient
Confederate muskets as a wel
come to the New Ytear.
Police Chief Hugh A. Logan,
Jr., said that South Railroad ave
nue, between West Mountain and
West Gold streets would be block
ed off for the exhibition.
Thfe visit is one of several plan
ned Thursday by the 38-member
group. On New Year's Day the
organization will spread the an
nual good cheer throughout Gas
ton County, firing their weapons,
loaded with powder only, as a sal
utation to the New Year and to
bring prosperity to those in ear
shot of the gunfire, Mr. Black
said.
A speech is delivered by a mem
ber of the club for anyone who
requests It, Mr. Black continued,
and after each of the four tradi
tional speeches is made the jain
bearers fire their weapons. If a
speech is made for an individual
or a group, legend has it that the
recipient will have peace, pros
perity, htealth and friendship dur
ing the coming year.
This year marks the first time
the "Shooters" have extended
their area of performance.
King's Condition
Reported Critical
The condition of Grady W.
King, veteran Kings Mountain
mechanic and fire chief is re
irdted as critical, his physi
cian, Dr. J. E. Anthony; said at
4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon.
Mr. King, who hae been in
declining health for the past
several months, lapsed into a
partial coma in the past - 24
hours, Dr. Anthony said.
LIBRARY OPEN
Jacofo S. Mauney Memorial
Library is now open, accord
ing to Mrt. Charles Dilling, Li
brarian. The library has been
closed several days due to a
defective furnace.
Engineer Says
No Definite
Plans Yet Made
A location crew of the North
Carolina Highway and Public
Works commission began work
this week seeking information on
a possible re-location of U, S.
Highway 74.
L. B. Fteck, division engineer,
emphasized Wednesday that the
work at the moment is complete
ly "exploratory".
"We are trying to find out what
can lie done toward by passing
U. S. Route 74," he stated.
Mr. Peck said that no money
has been allocated by the State
Highway commission for such a
project and that there are no de
Map Posted
A revised map on location of
the U. S. Highway 29 bypass
from Grover Road to a point on
present 29 & 74 east of Kings
Mountain has been posted at
the courthouse In Shelby and
at Gastonia, a* well as at the
division highway office, L. B.
Peck, division engineer, told
the Herald Wednesday. He
said It i* possible that grading
and structure contracts will be
let as early as March lt54 by
the State Highway and Public
Works commission.
finite plans, at the moment, for
such a project. The pfoject could
be set up in the commission's al
locations for 1954-55, Mr. Peck
added.
Generally, thte survey crew is
examining possible locations for
a new road or street in the area
from East Gold street south. The
new road would pass under botfi
S. Battleground avenue and the
tracks of the Southern Railroad.
Mr. Pfeck said the only of her
work done on U. S. 74 re-location
were some preliminary surveys
taken in connection with the work
on th& U. S. 29 by-pass. Mr, Peck
said the survey did not Indicate
that route "feasible".
The highway department would
desire an 80- foot right-of-way
Mr. Peck said, which would be
sufficient width to build a six
lane street, same wld(h as Gas
tonia's Franklin avenue. The city
would be expected to pay for one
third the right-of-way costs, hte
added.
Phone 600 For Fire
Alarms Exclusively
Citizens were urged this weWc
to use the city's fire phone, No.
600, to report fires only and not
tie up this Important telephone
with routine calls.
Fireman C. D. (Red) Ware Said
yesterday, that a big Increase has
been noted in calls on No. 600 of
a routine nature. When the num
ber rings, it sets off a loud buz
zer In the fire station at City Hall
afid generally disrupts the place,
he said, in addition to putting the
phone out of action whlen it might
be needed for an important call.
Persons desiring to contact any
one at City flail or calling for
information are urged to use the
police department phones, No.
1 254 or No. 720.
School Boaid
Pie-Christmas
Session Busy 4
1 ,
A large amount of routine busi
ness was transacted at the regu
lar monthly meeting of the Kings
Mountain district board of school
trustees, hfeld at Central school
Monday, Decembor 21' at 7:30 p.
m.
J. L. Beam, Cherryville archl
tect, met with the board in re
ference to the East Elementary
school building program, submit
ting near-final plans for the con
struction of a ntew four-room
building there and for remodel
ing of the present structure. He
said that he expected to receive
final approval from the state
school board building planning
committee at Ralfeigh.
The board voted tr> ask for bids
on the new building project and
the remodeling project both sep
arately and in combination.
In a disciission of the minutes
of the November IS mebting, the
board approved minutes clarify
ing the price of the tract of land
it secured a 60-day option on
from W. A. Williams. '
Actual acreage of the tract was
not known at the time of the
meeting and the option agree
ment was to purchase the tract,
15 acres more or less, at $1,000
per acre not to exceed $15,000 for
the tract, the board agreed. The
tract lies on the north side of the
new Negro elementary building
now under construction and is to
be used for a school nthletlc field
and as a city recreation area.
Chairman A. W. Klncaid pre
sided at the December meeting
and other trustee# prevent were
J. R. Davis, Mrs. H, E. Lynch and
F. W. Plonk. Superintendent B.
N. Barnes wa??ho present.
In other actions the board:
1) Granted the electrical con
tract for West school building
project to the next low bidder,
L. A. Hoke at a bid of $1,085, after
Eastern Electric Co., the low bid
der, failed to post bond.
2) Authorized an addition of
$175 to the West school plumbing .
contract for emergency work
done by Floyd Greene, of Shelby,
after discovery of a terracotta
sewer line under the new struc
ture, a violation of the state
building code. The line was re
placed with cast iron pipe during
a weekend to prevent closing
down of the school.
3) Elected Mrs. Tommy Owens
as East school piano teacher on
a part-time basis.
4) Authorized expense account
for Supt. Barnes to attend the
national meeting of school ad
ministrators In Atlantic City, N.
J.
5) Voted to secure prices for
terectlon of a 50-foot flag pole At
Central school to comply with a
previous board's action to finish
the project started by a donation
of $87.81 by the Class of 1941.
6) Voted to authorize Marion
D, Packard, lighting engineer, to
perform a complete lighting sur
vey of Central school bunding
after Mr. Barnes reported that
thte engineer did not wish to ac
cepv .ess than $1Q0 for making a
survey of the primary depart
ment only.
Supt. Barnes reported that two
faculty resignations Were forth
coming, from Mrs. Dorothy Fin
ger and Mrs. Betty Kendrlck, and
(old the board he had been ad
vertising for a second and an
eighth grade teacher to replace
them.
He also reported bids of $1,15
by Kings Mountain Cotton Oil '
Co. and $1.19 by Mr. Bridges of
Shelby for contract to haul coal
Continued On Page Twelve
End Of Korean War ,
New Administration ,
Drought , Top City News In 1953
Kings Mountain closes its
books today on the 365 busy,
news-filled days
ProbaMy th#. three major news
events to Kings Mountain during
1953 were 1) the end of the Ko
snn War j 3) the election o t *
ne# dty admlntetratkm; and **
slon of postoffice carrier service,
i the wreck of a Southern Railway
freight and resulting 11-car pile
up near the business section, the
[completion of the county-wide re
| valuation ofj prope^janAviie
i ? fr. a m i . j-iiii ?* in i i , ri ? m i 111 ii i ii <i i itfr m 1 1
Uttw infanri fiumJTit*r r^nrw a i
presentation ofthe htstortcal dr?
haten PMG? chief. TWt dty
superintendent of public work*,
Tom Ibajr, resigned, and was
replaced by E. C. Nicholson. A
hot political campaign resulted
in election of a completely new
city administration and the vot
ers refused to approve a city
manager form o? g&rtiMMMMt by
? margin of otght vote*. Tbe OOP
baadedby
ander purchased the Jewel Box
and re-named It Alexander's
Jewelry; Radio Station WKMT
opened In March; the Cash Bro
ther* leased their two motion pic
ture theatres to Stewart * Eve
rett, tnc-; and ClaSds HaiHbrlghf
sold hi* QualH? Sandwich Corn
A- K. Walker. B.
?greantwd a sew ??
[ Major chui|tl In the city's to
called professional corps went
tHU opening of a law dittlee by
George Thomasson and the re
sumption of practice, after an
Sans
army tour of duty, by Dr. Paul
E. Hendricks.
Important personnel change*
found Grady Howard the new
business manager of Kings Moun
tain hospital; Ben H. Bridge Jr,
named secretary - treasurer of
Kings Mountain Building A
?ssoHaH0n; and franklin
I to ^Management of the
bCMteh of the
King* Mountain
piled their usual recortf: of gen
erosity and liberality, contribut
ing In varying amounts to Vfr
tually all national charlttes, In
addition to giving record amounts
for church operations and for
church building.
Highway accidents cost the
Uvea of Floyd E. Jackson, Lee
Gordon, Kings Mountain Negro
man who was killed shortly after
U. S. Highway 74 and 39 was
opened to traffic, and Leon Law
son Mttchem, Kings Mountain Ne
18*'-- ?
William tawrenc* Bridge* was
killed when atn?ck*by a train and
Otis B. Smith was instantly kill
ed when struck by lightning.
Well-known area citizens re
moved by death included W. K.
White, Miss Ell* Harmon, Miss
Bessie Slmonton, Ben H. Bridges,
Sr., W. A. Hawkins, Alex Shep
pard, G. F. Lattimore, D. C. Book
out, Ben Dixon Phlfer, Dr. J, S.
Norman, T. S. Keeter, J. J. Gard
ner, Ned W. Moss. Victor Phlfer,
Mrs. Mary Ann Dixon Hambright,
Jifi*. C. S. Falls, Ed Bumgardner,
Mrs. Otto Hehn, Mft. Mary B.
Amy McKlnney
Cash, L,. E. D CHI, ancTjKibert
Herndon.
Jan wary
Tate Elected Masonic Head;
City, County Tax Listing To Be
gin; Glee A. Bridges 1ft Running
.??VV. \\ . wVi'-'V.# > - '? ' .J'
For Mayor; Mrs. Carl Mayes It
Contest Winner; Owners Of Sav
ings Accounts Collect Dividends
At Year End Of $32,658; City Was
Ready To Welcome /? , rival Of
New Year In Traditional Ways;
Her.idon Completes In - Town
Parking Lot; Laundry to Open
Again Monday; Stofeet Auut
lfcents Hearing Monday; Bridge#
To Head Merchants Body; An
no*! Potto Fund Campaign To
Begin Monday; Howard. Reed
Co-Chairman; Kiwania Officers
To Be Installed; Manage? Recom
mendation Of Planning Body De
Co*tinued On Pag* Ten