A
I
i Population
City Limits 7.206
Trading Area 15.000
(1945 Ration Board Ftjutd)
VOL. 64 NO. 5
Established 1889
Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper
16
Pages
Toda y
t
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, February 4, 1954
Sixty-Third Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Local News
Bulletins
METER RECEIPTS ..
Net receipts from the city's
parking meters for the week
ending Wednesday at noon
were $136.75, Tommy Owens,
of the city clerk's office, repor
ted.
SUFFERS ATTACK
John Davis, of Walker street,
suffered a heart attack Tues
day around 1:30 p. m. His con
dition was reported to be criti
cal Wednesday afternoon.
BUILDING PERMITS
Two building permits, total
ing $9,500, were issued this
week to Kelly Dixon for resi
dential construction, according
to J. W. Webster, city building
.Inspector.
TO RALEIGH
K. E. ((Red) Morrison, of
Cooper's, Inc., left Monday to
attend a three-day General
Electric training school at Ra
leigh.
MUMPS VICTIM
Luco Jenkins, well-known
Finger laundry deliveryman,
Is confined to toed With a case
of mumps. He became ill last
Thursday.
JOINS PLONK'S
Don Bumgardner, son of Mr.
and Mrs. H. 3. Bumgardner,
has joined Plonk Brothers &
Company as a salesman in the
men's department. It was an
nounced thlrf week. ,
SPEAKER SUNDAY
C. W* Kirt>y, district Metho
? ? auperlntanjaot ? fr?r tho
Gastonia district, .will be guest
speaker for the Sunday night
worship service at Grace Me
thodist church at 7 o'clock, JL
quarterly conference will fol
low the service, Rev. C L.
Gra0t, the pastor, said.
ARP church contributed $1,
250.37 Sunday to the church
<bullding fund, according to
announcement fey the treasur
er of the fund, J. E. Anthony,
Jr. The goal was $1,250.
SALES LAGGING ,
Only 705 Kings Mountain
motorists had purchased 1954
.city auto license stickers
through Wednesday, two days
past the deadline, according to
report of Joe Hendrlck, city
clerk. The "tags" are priced at ,
one dollar and citizens are re
minded that city ordinance re
quires vehicle owners to pur
chase and display city auto li
censes.
KIWAN1S PROGRAM
Miss Margaret Stem, city
schools Blbla teacher, will
speak to members of the Kings
Mountain Kiwanls club Thurs
day evening at 6:45 at Maso
nic Dining Hall. Miss Stem,
a graduate of Winthrop Col
lege, holds a Master's Degree
in Religion from Duke Univer
sity.
CLUB CLOSED
Kings Mountain Country
Club will be closed Sunday,
Feb. 7-15, according to an
nouncement by Mr. and Mrs. B.
B. Speidel, country club mana
gers, this week. They will leave
Sunday to attend a manager's
convention in session in At
lanta and will also spend a
vacation In Palm Beach, Fla.
Dinners will not be served at
the club for the next two Sun
days, they said, but the pro
shop and golf course will be
,'<open.
TO WASHINGTON
Mayor Glee A. Bridges and .
City Attorney J. R. Davis are
scheduled to fee in Wartiing
ton, D. C, February 8, for hear
ing before the Federal Power
commission on the city's allot
ment of natural gas, already
tentatively granted. Mr. Davis
Mid Wednesday, however, that
a delay is being sought for the
Kings Mountain and Shelby
hearing to allow the engineer
ing firm, Barnard 4 Burk, more
time to prepare their case.
KINGS MOUNTAIN NATIONAL GUARD GETS A
WARD ? Kings Mountain Headquarters and Head
quarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 120th Iinfantxy
Regiment, 30th Division, North Carolina National
Guard, was presented a certificate signifying its
winning of the Silver Award for excellent perfor
mance on the 1953 summer encampment in cere
monies at the Monday night drill session- Capt.
Ray G. Burrell. batallion operations and planning
officer, at; left, is handing the certificate to
Capt. Humes Houston, commanding officer Of the
local company. Between the two captains is Lt.
Harry E. ocegall. battalion and company commu
nications officer. The local unit was one of two
in the battalion to win the award, and one of only
six winners in the regiment. The company is
currently launching a recruiting campaign. (Pho
to by Carlisle Studio). .
National Guard
Gets High Award
For 1953 Work
Headquarters and Headquar
ters Company, 3rd Battalion,
120th Infantry Regiment of the
North Carolina National Guard
? known colloquially as the
Kings Mountain National Guard
Company ? has received the Sil
ver Award for its field training
activities during 1953.
A certificate emblematic of the
awnrH nrgfipnted to the com
pany at Monday night's drill ses
sion, by Capt. Ray G. Burrell,
battalion operations and plan
ning officer. The Kings Mountain
unit was onb of two in the batta
lion to receive the Silver Award.
Capt. Houston said he was high
ly gratified at learning of the
award.
"We AM welt'* Capt Houston
8 aid. "Company E, at Morgan ton,
was the only other company In
our battalion to attain the award
and that company has an armory j
and other needed facilities."
Capt Houston called attention
to the observance this month as
National Guard recruitment
month, noting that the company
has openings for 50 men and pro
mising them pleasure, training,
and profit. *
The Kings Mountain company
also drew praise, as a result of its
annual Third Army inspection on
December 3.
The inspecting officer noted:
"The unit is well-organized. Ad
ministration, supply and main
tenance of equipment were ex
cellent. The appearance of vehi-,
cles was outstanding Mo
rale Is high as evidenced by the
appearance of the men and the
high attendance ttecord. The gen
eral appearance of the motor
pool, the display of equipment,
and the pn'.lce of the grounds
were superior. This unit has the
potential of becoming an out
standing unit "
LEGION MEETING
Regular February meeting of
Otis D. Green Post 155, the A
m erica n Legion will be held at
the Legion Hall on East Gold
street Friday at 8 p. m. All
Legionnaires are urged to at
tend, C. E. Warlick, commander,
said.
Chief Hugh Logan
Scout Chairman
* ' . " ? - *
<
New Chaiiman
Is Succeeding
I- W Wolwftftr
Chief of Police Hugh A. Lo
gan, Jr., has been appointed,
chairman of the Kings Mountain
Boy Scout district.
Thte appointment of Chief Lo
gan as Scout chairman was made
by the?x?outlV0 committee -aLthe
Kings Mountain district. *?' ,
A meeting was scheduled Wed
nesday night to formulate plans
for annual Boy Scout week
observancte here next week, Feb.
7^ through 13.
Windows of different establish
ments in town will be decorated
during Scout Week, Chairman Lo
gan said, with handicraft work
taken from each of the city's
troops.
On Sunday night, five uptown
churches will hold the annual
Boy Scout union service at Res
urrection Lutheran <jhurch. Chief
Logan is also asking pastors of
other churches in the district to
hold a similar program Sunday
night
On Saturday, February 13,
Scouts will take over the city for
the day, with Scouts from each
troop acting in the capacity of
city officials.
The new Scout chairman is a
one-time Eagle Scout and also
helped to organize Scouts and to
built a Scout camp In Cabarrus
County while doing polide work
there.
Chief Logan has requested the
co-operation of all adult leaders
in making the year a Successful
Boy Scout year.
% * *
In accepting the chairmanship,
Chief Logan succeeds J. W. Web
ster, who served as chairman for
the past yj ar.
v ?? '7 ? 7 &>> - =? ?*?>.; ?? - * "?' V* ' ?? *"*? . V ?' - 7
Merchants ITnlil Ipnnl Banquet;
Bridqe?leports Past Year Active
A crowd of 150 Kings Moun
tain merchant',, retail personnel
and other guests attended the an
nual banquet ol the Kings Moun
tain Morrhantrs association Mon
day evtenbig. - a
The program featured pantomi
mic entertainment by a group ol
youngsters from East Han>er
school, Lenoir, and also included
the annual report of the retiring
president, J. C. Bridges, and In
stallation of officers for 1954-6$.
In a brief ifeport which elicited
considerable applause from his
audience, President Bridges re
counted activities of the associa
tion ddrti? tbajMst twelve mon
?*|?&or?ed a net membership
gain of two (to 54) during the
?, and added that the treasury
been bettered over the same
date last year by 1240.
Incoming president John H.
IawIs 'predicted that the assocla
tlbn would enjoy a good year In
the forthcoming 12 moptfc-i^A
file entertainment program
was presented by Dan Huffs tel
ler, and featured Linda HendrMk,
M'iry .in Midi, Rebecca Yeung
blood, Nancy Mathls. Sarah Bar
low and Richards Dobbins who
Imitated artist* of the stage and
radio. It was their 87th perform
ance.
B. S. Peeler, Jr., led the group
in singing "America", and R?V.
W. L Pressly, president of the
Kings Mountain Ministerial as
faodatioo, gave the invocation.
Qm A.' Bridges superintended a
prize drawing for the ladies, and
W. G. Grantham installed new
officers.
New officers are John Lewis,
president, and Paul Walker, vice
president. New directors included
Boss Alexander, Sam Collins,
Martin Harmon, and Hubert Mc
Ginnls. Holdover directors are
Tates Harbison, B. 8. Peeler, Jr..
Fred Plonk, John Plonk and J. C.
BrtdgWs Retiring dir^torr in.
elude Dan Hi i f fSM 1 Hi ; Haywood
Lynch, O. W. Myers, Hilton Ruth,
and Hal Ward.
t A delicious dinner menu, in
eluding chicken, dressing, rice
and gravy, cranberry sauce,
string beans, candled yams, ce
lery and oMvea, hot rolls, coffee,
and pineapple upside down cake,
was served by Mr*. I Ben Go
forth. .
BSA HEAD? Chief of Folic* Hugh
A. Logon. Jr. has boon appointed
chairman of the Kings Mountain
Boy Scout district for the coming
year. He succeeds J. W. Webster.
McGinnis Opens
Floor Service
Bill McGinnis is announcing
this week the opening of McGin
nis Floor Service, following his
purchase of supplies and inven*
tory items of Novelite Venetian
Blind Company.
Oliver Falls, owner of Nove
lite, said he would work with Mr.
McGinnis for several weeks, be
fore entering another type of
work.
McGlnnlr Floor Service is lo
cated at lit West Mountain, tem
porarily sharing quarters with
McGinnis Shoe Service.
The firm will specialize, Mr.
McGinnis said, In floor coverings
of all kinds, including rubber tile,
asphalt tile, inlaid linoleum, vinyl
tile, plastic wall coverings, in ad*
dition to manufacturing made-to
measure Venetian blinds.
Mr. McGinnis Is a son of Mr.
and Mrs. W. Henkle McGinnis.
Oris Booked
For Shoplifting
. Two Gastonla Negro girls,
Louise Pringle and Barbara Ann
Blggers, both 18, wore booked at
city police headquarters Wednes
day morning on charges of shop
lifting.
Officer Martin Ware said that
the suspect* were picked up and
searched and that a dress, iden
tified by O. W. Myers as one
from his department store, was
found on one of the girls.
Mr. Ware alao said that the two
suspects first went to Saunders
Dry Cleanters where they asked
for a paper clothes bag. After
leaving the dry cleaning estab
lishment, they were presumed to
have gone to Myers' Department
store where they took the dress,
using the paper clothes bag to
take the stolen goods from the
store. ^ /
oufof plonk's Department stortf
' The police department is now
trying to locate the driver of a
car also believed to be connected
with the theft*.
V ?' "VL
Parks Board
May Purchase
BuiMil Tract
Fred Plonk,- chairman of thb
city's parks and recreation com
mission, met with Burlington
Mills, Inc., officials here Tuesday
to discuss the possibility of pur
chasing a 24-tract of land for a
city recreation center,
Announcement of the meeting
was made at the regular meeting
of the Junior Chamber of Com
merce at Masonic Dining Hall
Tuesday at 7 p. m.
Members of the parks and rec
reation commission were guests
of the club. Jaycee Jack White,
secretary of the commission,
spoke for the group.
Chairman Plonk, Mr. White,
Hunter R. Nelsler and W. K.
Mauney, Jr., members of the
commission were present. John
T. Lathem, also a mefnbdr of the
five-man body, was absent. .
Mr. White told the group that
the commission is endeavoring to
secure sites for two centers, white
and Negro, adequate for future
needs of the city and that "it
looks like we're going to have to
build swimming pools first". Thb
pools are to be located on the
sites of the future proposed cen
ters, he added.
Two sites for the white center
and one for the Negro cfenter are
"seriously under consideration"
he said. The two sites are the
Burlington Mills tract, located
west of ' Cleveland avenue, and
the old city waterworks site.
"Thte Burlington tract is large
enough, is centrally located and
is easily assessible," he said. He
declined to reveal location of the
Negro site under consideration.
Burlington at one time offerbd
to give the tract to the city but
the recreation commission at that
time did not accept the offer be
cause of certain restrictions, in
(L'lUUHiy a nm-ision ilauoe, in thto
proposed agreement.
Mr. White also said that the
board has discussed building and
site layout plans with Charles
Graves, Atlanta, Ga., architect.
"We are spending public money
and we wanted to gtet an expert
in the field to assist with plan
ning," Mr. White added.
Bill George, West Elementary
school principal, was also a
i guest of the club.
j President Paul Walker presld
|ed over the mteetlng.
Hodge To Speak
To Woman's Club
Property conveyance* to the
City of Kings Mountain, record
led at the office of the Cleyeland
County Register of Deed* on Jan
uary 28, Included five "street
rlwdf, V /, ... . X :
Mr. and Mr*. J. C. Bridges, Mr.
and Mr*. Glee Bridges, and Mr.
and Mr*. Glee A. Bridge* con
veyed to the <*ty tteft feet on the
?outh tide of Landing street for
and Mr*. W. G. MtDanlel and
Mr. >nd Mrs. G. L, McD?nlei ron
veyed tr? 0ft <11 y 1(1 fo-t Strip*
on Junlp?9|||i
Faulton Hodge, of Shelby, case
worker for the Cleveland County
\yielfare Department who went
abroad last summer under spon
sorship of the International You
th Exchange program, will speak
to members of the Kings Moun
tain Woman's club at their meet
ing Friday night at the Woman's
clubhouse.
Mr. Hodge was a visitor in 16
different homes in England dur
ing a five-months tour last sum
mer and also visited other homes
in Scotland, Holland, Belgium,
Germany, Switzerland, and
France. The International Youth
Exchange is sponsored by a
group of business men and wo
men, who belive that understand
ing is the basis for world peace,
a spokesman for the group said
In making ihte announcement.
Mr. Hodge is a graduate of
Mars Hill Junior College, receiv
ed hi*- bachelor of science degree
In Sociology from Furman Uni
versity and hi* master of arts de
gree in sculpture from the Uni
versity of Louisville. He complet
ed an advanced study in Chris
tian ethics at Southern Baptist
Seminary, Louisville, Ky.
Program for the meeting was
arranged by the International Re
lation* Department of the Wo
man's dub.
Supper ivlll be served at 7 o'
clock, and Woman's club officers
for the year will be elected and
a constitution adopted during the
business session.
? l , ,
City Recorded
"Street" Deeds
Mayor Flays Herald Editor
For City Affairs Comment
An Editorial J <
When It's The Public Business.
The Newspaper Must Speak Out . . .
In the column at the extreme right of this page,
Mayor Glee A. Bridges makes some interesting state
ments and' charges concerning the operation of this
newspaper and its duties.
He also makes some statements, which are partial
ly incorrect, intentionally or hot. Among them:
1) Mayor Bridges writes he did not state that the
city expected to do all the work involved in the expen
diture of the $600,000 voted by the citizens on January
16. His inference, in a telephone conversation with the
Herald editor, as reported in a news story of January
21, was that the great portion of the work would be
done locally, without the benefit of certified engineer
ing advice. ' _ . -
2) Mayor Bridges says the city had no part in the
$2,200 paid to Engineer W. K. Dickson for certain sur
veys. True, Mr. Dickson was retained originally by the
Fulton Administration in 1949 and paid $2,000. But the
Bridges Administration said it was paying Mr. Dickson
$200 to bring that 1949 survey up-to-date and, indeed,
based its appeal for $450,000 of the bond money on the
Dickson report. * ?
3) Anent the comment about reading the minutes
of boaixl of commissioner meetings, it is Herald policy
to report the meetings from first hand information
gleaned from reportorial presence at the board ses
sions. When meetings are held without out knowledge,
as was the special meeting of January 21, the minutes
are our source. But there has been no complaint on our
report from those minutes.
Mayor Bridges' letter is welcome, for he is the chief
administrative officer of the city. However, answer to
the one important question still is desired by the Her
ald, and a sizeable portion of the community's citizens
will concur.
, Is the city going to employ professional engineer
ing aid in its program, be his name Dickson, Olson,
Graves, or Smith? \ . V .
Mo nmrrpapni- n-r> rthy nf thp namp Can bury itS
conscience regarding the public business. ''The Mayor's
attitude is not untypical. Holders of political office are
well known for laughing and smiling when the news is
good and praise forthcoming, and for tearing their hair
when the news is bad and criticism resultant.
There was no intention to agitate trouble or dis
sension, nor to infer that the board members are weak
lh knowledge ? except in engineering. The time to
speak on spending of the $600,000 is now, not when the
money is all gone and the mule out of the barnyard.
The business of the City of Kings Mountain is the
public's business, and, if Mayor Bridges was not aware
of that fact, he should never have sought the office.
County Bond Issue
Election Planned
Bond Money
Would Benefit
Schools, Hospital
The county board of commis
sioners anticipates calling a $2,
743,000 county bond issue elec
tion in the near future, with the
funds to bte used for school con
struction, hospital plant expan
sion, and for construction of a
county health center building.
The commissioners passed a
resolution Monday : iiistfructing
County Attorney C. C. Horn to
make arrangements for the legal
technicalities with Mitchell and
Pershing, New York' attorneys
specializing In bond work. The
commissioners indicated they
would call the election as quick
ly a* possible.
The citizens will be invited to
vote "yea" or "no" on three ste
parate Issues: .
~ 1) $2,500,000 for capital Im
provement* for the Shelby, Kings
Mountain and Cleveland County
school units.
2) $216,720 for the county share
In building an $143,350 addition
to Shelby hospital and a $73,370
addition to Kings Mountain hos
pital. |
3) $26,596 for the county's
share in the cost of building a
health ctenter.
Still hanging fire was the re
quest of residents of the western
portions of the county for a hos
pital plant. Already disapproved
by the Medical Care Commission,
' the county commissioners are go
ing to pitss the case further with
the state-body, according to their
action on Monday,
Calling of the hospital bond
issue election was cleared last
weekend, when the Medical Care
commission tentatively approved
a 14-bted addition to Kings Moun
tain hospital, plus necessary ex
pansion of service facilities, and
a 50-bed addition to Shelby hos
pital. plus addition of service fa
Ccmtinved Oft Pag* Wight
1953 Tax Take .
Up To $103,175
A last-minute rush of tax
payers, beating the arrival of
penalty day, paid S15,?00.19 in
to city coffers prior to the end
of business on Monday.
Tax Supervisor C- E. Carpen
ter reported the heavy week*
end payment* put the total
paid on the 1953 levy over the
5100,000-marlc, with the new
paid-in amount listed at $103,
175.87.
This represents 81 percent of
the 3128,086.18 levy, and leav
es delinquent $22,910.31.
Penalty of one percent appli
ed February 2. An additional
one percent will be added to
unpaid 1953 tax bills In March.
Engineer Seeks
Watei Fox City
W. K. Dickson, Charlotte en
gineer who compiled recom
mendations on which the city
administration advanced ma
jor portions of its successful
January 16 bond election, con
ferred with Mayor Glee A.
Bridges and Public Works Su
perintendent E. C. Nicholson at
. City Hall Wednesday mprnlng.
Mr. Dickson told the Herald
he was beginning work on a
survey of the area of city lake
In an effort to seek additional
sources of water for possible
i use by the city
Mr. Dickson declined to esti
mate the time required for the
work, saying It depended on
many factor*.
Mr. DlcksOn further stated
that Bums * Spangler, low
bidder* on the West King
street curb-and-gutter and
gutter and sidewalk project
(from Watterson street to
Kings Mountain hospital) are
scheduled to begin work on
Monday.
t ?
Mayor Bridges
Tags Editorial
As "Premature"
editorial suggesting ihat com
SCr ' ?n?lnecr,'lR advice would
assure more capable .spending of
he recently voted $000, (XX) pub
lic improvements bond money
addressed an open letter to thS
editor this week telling thc Her
not the business of the newspa- '
Mayor Bridges presented thf
l?^?vrr,litn iel,cr to Herald Ed.
Uor Martin Harmon ?i peiso,,
tow?ay morninR- The text fol
p,!!!' ,s very unfortunate that the
Editor of The Herald is not sat
infl . running his paper
and let the Mayor and Citv
S?ni ' Wh? WOre eleeted by the
people run the city affairs." if
you wish to run the city, then of.
fer yourselj as a candidate for
Mayor or clty Counc|1 and ^
wani ?" ?
"I have not, or any member or
the council to my knowledge
made any statement to the effect
hat we expected to do all the
work on the program in mention.
We are going to contract on o
pen bids the major portion of
the work, such as addition to fil
hiIJSJ*? , enlarsem'ent to the
disposal plant, swimming pools,
-n^?irl.Cf.tnin,part3of the work,
we navtr talked uf and aig plan- -
USe tho city equipment
and men, who we feel are as
competent as any for the woric
we Plan to do locally. Thereby
we will save city money and fbe
using local ]abor as much
possible.
My again, observing
the long lines forming at the
Employment Office in Kin?s -
Mountain, I Ibelieve that the
"??.S0SC8 our people will appro
ciate the efforts of the Mavor
?h?t<$UnC'il t0 spend as mu?h of
TvlTV" mo,Bey as possible, ?
In Kings Mountain. I belleve the
combined knowledge and exper
ience of the six men on the gov
erning board who were duly e
lected by the citizens of Kings
Mountain would know the value
t? ii. c,?.1,ar about as well as the
Editor of the Herald."
to' 'n'orm you
Mr. Editor, that the $2,200.00 you
elaborated on, was Money allo
admi ?;ic,nd,.SpCnt by a Prevl"us
and th's admin,
istration, had no part in this
spending whatsoever.
"1 will also request that in the
ruture, you read our minutes at
east two times so you will get
it printed correct In your paper'
"We will welcome any P co?
s ructlve criticism from any ci
zen, but we do not appreciate
any premature editorial remarks
as was printed in the last
week's Herald.
"Our meetings are always o
pen to the public, and we keep
complete set of books for in
spection of any actions taken by
the board, we account for every
spent' 0t thG taxpayers' money
"The power of The Press can
be a great weapon for good in
the community when aimed in
the right direction, but it can al
so do great harm when it is us
ed to agitate and stir up trouble
and dissension. So regardless o t
you and your paper, we Intend
to continue to administer the ?f
fairs of Kings Mountain to the
best of our ability."
Band Fond Drive
Short Of Goal
Only around $750 of a $1,500
quota has been raised for the
Kings Mountain school band, Wil
son Griffin, chairman of the Ju
nior Chamber of Commerce com-*
mittee conducting the drive, an
nounced Tuesday night.
Mr. Griffin made an appeal to
persons wishing to make a con
tribution to contact him this
week, final week of the drive.
"The Kings Mountain school
band has always been a great
credit to the city and I feel cer
tain that many citizens and firms
who have not yet contributed this
year still want to do So. The band
needs money now to pay equip
ment reconditioning bills and for
other purposes," Mr. Griffin said.
Checks may be made payable <
to Kings Mountain School Band
and addressed to Mr. Griffin at
the Kings Mountain postofficte.