>. ?' v';\ ^ V-V "*'s . ' ? ? ? .'
Population
City Limits 7.206
Trading Area 15,000
(1945 Katlon Board Flguiw)
Kings Mountain's R E L I A B L E Newspaper
16
Pages
Today
VOL 64 NO. 10
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, March 1 1, 1954
Sixty-Third Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
? ?
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SITE OF LITHIUM CORPORATION PLANT ? The big circle in the
aerial photo abore locates the approximate site ol the spodumene
processing plant which Lithium Corporation of America has ob
tained from Dr. W. S. Matthews and others. The Southern Railway
mainline tracks are clearly risible, as is Stumptown, around the
curve at the top of the circle and Bessemer City in the distance. The
Lithium Corporation outlay (or its mining operation will be $7,000,
000 according to the announcement o i President K. M. Leute. (Gas
tonia Gazette photo by Bill Williams.) ?
Local News
GRASS FIRE
Kings Mountain firemen ex
tinguished a grass fire on Par
ker street Monday, according
to a report from city firemen
Wednesday morning.
SUMMERS PROMOTED
First Lieutenant Frank A.
Summers, son of Mr. and Mrs.
S*. R. Summers, has 'been pro
moted to that rank as of Feb
ruary 21, according to inform
ation received here. Lt. Sum
mer; is serving with the 32nd
Group, Army Corps of Engi
neers, in Korea.
KIWANIS PROGRAM
"Fun with Glass" will be the
program theme at the Kings
Mountain Klwanis club Thurs
day night at 6:45, with W. H.
Hobbs, sales manager, and H.
S. Muse, salesman, of Pritch
ard Paint & Glass Company,
Charlotte, conducting. < R. 6.
Peeler, Jr., arranged the pro
gram.
FRACTX E TEACHING
NEWBERRY, S. C. ? William
Cashion, of Kings Mountain,
among 41 Newberry College
students practice teaching in
South Carolina public schools.
Mr. Cashion' has completed
three weeks of practice teach
ing at Hollywood high school.
OPTIMIST CLUB
Chess Freeman, of Gastonla,
Optimist district chairman of
boys' work, will address mem
ibers of the Optimist club at
their regular meeting tonight
(Thursday) at 6:90 o'clock at
the Corner Cafe, aocording to
announcement toy Tommy
Owens, secretary.
The Erskine College Chora
leers will present a program
from the Psalmaat the morn-.
InK service of Boyce MetfnorfSl -
ARP churoh on March 21 und'
er sponsorship of the Erskine 1
Alumni association, It was an*
r.ouneed this week.
MAumrr condition
Tj. C. Mauney is reported still
improving at Charlotte Memo
rial hospital where he has
toeert a patient for several
weeks, members of his family
said
: ''Mk v* i
utmost Corporation Of America
$7 Million Expansion Confinned
Official confirmation that LI- 1
thiutn Corporation of Amaxioa,
Inc., will build a large spodu
mene (processing plant in the
Kings Mountain area came over
the weekend In a formal state
ment from K. M. Leute, presi
dent.
E. T. Plott, . Kings Mountain
representative of the firm, said
the company hopes to -break
ground on the processing plant
toy April 15. '
The 'building of the processing
plant will toe the major portion
of a $7,000,000 expansion pro
gram of Lithium Corporation,
which will also Include mining
operations In- a general area
from Grover to Lincolnton.
Home offices of Lithium Cor
poration, which will join Foote
Mineral Company in mining the
same product in this area, are
Rand Tower, Minneapolis, Minn.
In his statement, Mr. . Leute
pointed out that expansion of
production is necessary because
of an increase since 1946 of near
ly 1000 percent In the consump
tion of lithium for various com
mercial uses, of which the more
Important are In the ceramic,
grease, air ? conditioning me
tallurgical and organic chemical
fields. He said Lithium Corpora-'
tion has made arrangements to
borrow the necessary funds on
favorable terms.
Mr. Leute said he thought
government consumption of 11-,
thium over the next few years
will not exceed 20 percent of the
total increased capacity of the
lithium Industry.
Mr. Plott, the Kings Mountain
builder, who has been working
far. Lithium Corporation and ob:.
taining mineral leases for them
since 1946, said architects are
completing plans for the proces
sing and that local ahaa * con
struction firms, including Ben
nett Construction Co., of Kings
Mountain, are being invited to
bid on the construction.
Mr. Plott said Bessemer City
has contracted to furnish his
firm with more than a million
gallons of water daily, with a
major portion unfiltered raw
water- Last weekend, Public Ser
vice Company of North Carolina,
th? natural gas utility, an
nounced it 'had Contracted with
Lithium Corporation for two mil
lion cubic feet of natural gas per
annum.
Mr. Plott said a temporary of
fice would toe set up in Bessemer
City about April 15. He said pur
chase options or leases on 2,000
acres of ore property are held
and President Leute termed the
holdings the "largest single re
serve of lithium ore in the
world."
Available data on Lithium Cor
poration shows it was organized
in 1944 as Lor Mirting Co., and
that Ks present name Was adop
ted, in. March 1947. Its principal
mining, properties previously
have been iry the Black Hilld of
South Dakota. Its gross sales in
1953 totaled $1,456,647 and it had
total assets at the end of 1952
of $1,905,273. It's capitalization
-at December 31, 1952, was 500,000
shares of par $1 common stock
and a long-term debt of $597,
C on tinned On Page Eight
Morgan, Honsex Ask Re-election;
Local Incumbents Will File Soon
ItWlf Senator Rofctrt F. Mor
gan and Clerk of Court E. A.
Houser, Jr., are Peeking re-e lec
tion. ?
The senator announced r..nn^i
1g :MI?i (QiniWi >ry on Wednesday
and elerk of court paid his filing
fee. Both seek renomlnatkm in
the May Democratic primary.
.Tho tpring political fires are
starting to byrn Somewhat later
tllph UUMftl this spring, with W
paucity of rumor material indi
cating a light season, in spite of
thte expected heated firings on the
state level between Senator Alton
(A*. Lannon and Former Governor
W. Kerr Scott.
Kings Mountain county office
holders, County Commissioner
Hag fl ?. Ifeimgardne?, ( 'manor
f > i n ?> n a r r i s , and School OSOilK
teaman Edwin lloore, arte all ex
pscted to file or otherwise an
nounce noticsa of csndMm y *401
in tbe week. Mr. Moore will prob
aMy file oe Friday, along wfth
other members of the county
Jchool board, Mr. Bumgardner
will probably filte next Monday
MllgpeMlllmnlsstoner's meeting
? : jEfi *... ? ?/ 19k
5*^1'
" * ? ' ; ?0 ' -:* . . ' *??' $i* ? ? ,
? . ? ?? k . AV*3'
takes hint to Shelby, and Mr. Har
ris also indicated he will file next
Interest la Kings Mountain is
also centering on the township
constableshlp, recently vacated by
Paul Byera, who was elected In
1952 and was recently appointed
a deputy sheriff. Among those
expressing Interest In the post
are Bobby Cox, auto salesman,
and Ervln Ellison, former candi
date for the -nomination.
Sens tor Morgan seeks his se
cond term as the 27th district
senator. Now married, the 31
year-old seed dealer, had a busy
record in the 1953 General As
sembly, serving on the Senate
committees on education, public
health, public utilities, proposi
tions and grievances and appro
priations. . < I ? r
Senator Morgan was recorded
against1 the so-called Swrecy Act
and for a state-wide referendum
on the qutevtkm of sale of liquor.
He Is an active Baptist layman.
Mr. Houaer, the veteran court
clerk, has held the position con
tinously since 1988.
v: V
City Population
Guessed At 7,578
Kings Mountain, 11 its growth
is average, should now be a city
?of approximately 7,578 souls.
TWe Bureau or the Census es
timated laat week that popula
tion In the nation Is increasing
steadily at the rate of 1.7 per
cent per year.
Since the 1950 census showed
the city with a population of
7,206, additions of 1.7 percent
incraatfes for three years would
bring the total of 7,578.
Architect Graves
To Discuss Pools
-
Charles Graves, Atlanta recrea
tion architect, Is scheduled to be
In Kings Mountain Thursday to
discuss swimming pool plans with
the parks and recreation commis
sion.
Fred W. Plonk, commission
chairman, made the announce
ment
The group has voted approval
of a proposal from Burlington
Mills, Inc., concerning a tract
' northwest of Cleveland avenue
I between East Ridge and Brbad
streets, but had received no ans
wer yesterday, he said.
The commission is sleeking to
purchase land for the Negro pool
near Davidson school as a joint
project with the city school board,
Which needs additional acreage
for the Negro elementary
site.
Ex-Harmon Lot
Re-Zoning Asked
| ' The city is advertising this
week notice of a request for re
zoning of the former T. N. Har
mon property at the corner of
Battleground avenue and Falls
street
D. W. Royster, president of
Western Carolina Properties, Inc.,
of~ Shelby, appeared before the
board of commissioners last
Thursday night to request the re
zoning of the property from resi
dential to commercial designa
tion, stating that he wished to
build a modern super market for
the Great Atlantic 'A Pacific Tea
Company ?;
. Mr. Royster said the building
would be approximately 50 feet
by 100 feet with ample parkirtg
areas, and that, with the excep
tion of alze, It Would be similar In
architectural style and accommo
dations to the A A P Super Mar
ket noW being constructed on
Franklin Avenue in Gastonla.
The board voted to call a hear
ing on the request for 'Thursday
night April 1;
TAO SALES , /.
A total of ftio Kings Moun
tain motorists had purchased
1954 city tag "?tickers" at noon
Wednesday, according to a ?e
port by Ut* city oleifc.
Engineer's Report!
OnWaterReceived
Dickson Advises
Buffalo Source
Fox Long Term
W. K. Dickson, Charlotte civil
engineer, favors increasing the
city's water supply by raising of
the dam at city lake and by cquip
ing the Gold Mine shaft with a
pump for stand by usage, he told
the city board of commissioners
at their March meeting.
I Hte said thr- city could increase
its available supply via this me
thod by a half-million gallons per
day for $65,000, whereas unitiza
tion of the ?avidson creek would
give about the same amount of
water hut would cost about $91,
000.
Principally, however, he direct
ed attention of the board to the
fact that thte total water available
to'the city in the present source
area is only two million gallons
dally and he recommended that
"studies be initiated looking to
the development_of the water
shed of Muddy" and Buffalo
Creeks."
Dickson continued, "This area
appears to offer the best possi
bilities for securing a safe, de
pendable supply for the City of
Kings Mountain. So far as is
known by us, Buffalo Creek is
not contaminated in view -at pre
sent and does not drain any large
communities or large towns above
the mouth of Muddy Creek. Mud
dy Creek has a very fine drain
age area but does drain a portion
of the Town of Cherryville."
The tengineer told the board
he estimated a filter plant addi
tion to double the dally capacity
of one million gallons would cost
$160,000, and, to a question from
the board, said improvement and
expansion of the McGill septic
tank would cost about the same
figure.
Mr. Dickson's estimations
on the city lake changes include
raising of the dam by ten feet to
a level of 830 feet, raising of N- C.
Highway 161 in its lowest spots
by about two feet, acquiring of 32
acres of the Gold Minle tract own
ed by C. F. Mauney, and erection
of a pumphouse and installation
of a pump at the Old Gold Mine
shaft. He estimated the land cost
at $4,000, the pump cost fct $4,000,
cost of clearing the land, raising
the roadbed ?nd raising the dam
at $57,000. The changes would
add 110 million gallons to the
storage basin, with a potential
of 576,000 gallons of raw water
available as standby from the
Gold Mine shaft.
The estimates on utilizing the
Davidson branch stated that a
dam, located on the John Owens
Continued On Page Bight
AT FAITH BAPTIST ? Rev. W.
F. Monroe, above, pastor of Gro
ver First Baptist church, will
conduct a revival at Faith Bap
tist church March 11-19. with
services each evening at 7 p. m.
The church is located on Bennett
Drive.
Fathez Warned
On Tniant Law
"He was absent most t'mes
without my knowledge", said R. I.
Gunnells of Popular Courts as he
entered a, plea of not guilty Mon
day afternoon in Recorder's court
on violation of the school at ten*
dance law.
Principal Rowell Lane testified
that the defendant's son, Pete
Gunnels. 14, had been absent ap
proximately half of the present
school year. On one occasion, Mr.
Lane stated, the child did have a
legitimate excuse, being ill in bed
at this time.
Truant Officer M. C. Poston
corroborated the testimony of
Mr. Lane, "but added that on sev
eral occasions after visiting the
hoy's home and talking with the
mother, the boy would return to
school. Mr. Poston further stated
the youth had been well enough
to be out on the streets.
With a warning to the defen- j
dant It was his duty to see that
his son attended school until he
becomes 16, Judge Jack White
continued prayer for Judgment
for 60 days with instructions to
Mr. Poston to check periodically
and report to the court on any
further absenteeism.
Edward Watson, Negro, of
Winston Salem, entered a pita J
pf not guilty to non-support of
his minor child. Probable cause
was found by Judge White, and
the defendant was sentenced to
serve four months on the roads,
sentence suspended on condition
Watson pay his ex-wife $7 each
Continued On Page Eight
Commissioners Held Bus; Session;
Mass Of Routine Actions Listed
In a busy session Thursday
night, the city board of commis
sioners, in addition to receiving a
detailed report on the engln^r
Ing lor Its water plant Improve
ments, conducted a mass of de
tailed (business.
1) The board approved, at the
request of Superintendent Sam
Suber, setting up of a filing sys
tem on cemetery lot ownership,,
estimated to cost 1587.87.
2) It deferred for investigation
request by two ministers, Rfev. P. i
D. Patrick and Rev. W. L. Press- 1
ly, that the city resume its appro
priation of $600 per year to the
R<?d Croas. Question hinged on
the legality of such a payment
City Attorney J. R. Davis said
the city had no legal right to
makle the appropriation and that
the board members would be leg
ally liable for the amount tf ap
propriated.
3) The board gave approval of
advertising bids on a street
sweeper. Representatives of N.
C. Equipment Company had told
the board their Elgin model at;
$10,090 is the best in the business. I
The board talked possibility of
a rental - purrhase arrangement,
with final payment next fiscal
year.
4) The board approved recom
mendation of Hunter Allen, pow
er department superintendent, to
obtain bids on a street light regu
lator.
5) At the request of Fire Chief
Pat Tlgnor, the board changed
the pay scale for the city's flrle
men to $53.20 per week. The sa
lary had been $220 per month.
Mayor Bridges noted that the
new scale is the same as Shelby's.
6) The board approved an ar
rangement, suggested by Police
Chief Hugh A. Logan, Jr., where
by the police chief will get free
use of a new automobile, under
a Joint advertising arrangement
by Victory Chevrolet Company
and First National Bank. Chief
Logan explained there would be
no cost to the city. Approval was
subject to a cheek for legal 'ob
jections by the city attorney.
7) The board also approved, at
the police chiefs request a
Continued On Pag* Sight
Kings Mountain
Club To Be Host
To Top Kiwanian
Donald T. Forsythe, president
of Kiwanis International, will ad
dress Carolines District Division
1 Kiwanians at a meeting here
on March 19, according to an
nouncement this week by Kings
Mountain Kiwanis officials.
It will bte the first time a Kings
Mountain civic club has been host
to an international president. The
dinner will be held in the evening
at Masonic Dining Hall.
Mr. Forsythe will address an
anticipated crowd of 200 Kiwa
nians and guests. Kiwanians from
each of the lb* clubs in Division
1, bounded by Kings Mountain
and Waynesvillfe will be present,
along With C. J. (Skinny) Hyslup,
of Elkln, district governor, and
Herb Hennig, of Darlington, S. C.,
district secretary - treasurer.
Mr. Forsythe is a Small town
newspaper publisher from Carth
age, 111., and he attended Thiel
College, as did Dr. W. P. Gerbferd
ing, current president of the
Kings Mountain Kiwanis club and
pastor of St. Matthew's Lutheran
church. His election gave Carth
age the distinction of being the
smallest town yet to furnish a Ki
wanis International president.
"We are quite elated over the
forthcoming visit of President
Forsythe," Dr. Gerberding said.
"It will be a distinction for the
club and for the community as
well."
A Kiwanian since 1926, Mr.
Forsythe has sferved as -president
of the Kiwanis Club of Carthage,
lieutenant governor and governor
of the Illinois - Eastern Iowa Ki
wanis District, and was founder
of the district's Kiwanis Founda
tion for the Hard of Hearing, Inc.
He also served as chairman of
the International Committee on
Public Relations, trustee, ? and
treasurer. As president, Mr. For
sythe is chairman of the Execu
tive Committee of the Interna
tional Board of Trustees.
? He is a past president Of the
Illinois Press Association and for
two years sferved the Greater
Weeklies Associates, Inc., as pre
sident and is now chairman of
the Board of Directors.
He is a director of the Marine
Trust Company at Carthage, sec
retary of the Carthage College
Board of Trustees and was active
in organizing a department of
journalism at that school. He Is
a life member of the Northwest
ern University Chapter of Sigma
Delta Chi, national professional
Journalistic fraternity, and is an
active member of the Lutheran
Church. /
Three Local Folk
Had Panot Fever
"Be cautious * is the advice of
Dr. Z. P. Mitchell, county' health
officer, concerning parrot fever,
following receipt of positive re
ports of prior existence of the ill
ness ki Kings Mountain.
Dr. Mitchell said two separate
blood samples of Phillip Baker,
his daughter, Ellen Baker, and
the Baker maid, Leila Garner,
tested for parrot fevter, proved
positive, while tests on seven oth
ers proved negative.
Mr. Baker is a parakeet breed
er.
Persons who have comte in con
tact with parakeets, and who have
symptoms of Influenza and pneu
monia should call their family
physician, Dr. Mitchell said, re
porting that Dr. J. Graham Smith,
of the U. S. Public Health Ser
vice was in- Kings Mountain Wed
nesday visiting ? persons who
might have been texposed to psit
ticosis.
"We are not condemning any
birds, however," Dr. Mitchell add
ed, "until we have sufficient evi
dence. To date, we don't have it,
and we hope we don't get It."
Reports on birds from local
flocks sent to the U. S. Public
Health Service laboratory at
Montgomery, Ala., have still not
been received, he added, though
a positive report on a Shelby bird
waa received.
Also back in the county was
Dr. Martin Hines of the North
Carolina State Board of Health.
On Wednesday, however, Dr.
Hines had gone to Henderaonvllle
to check reports of an outbreak
of parrot fever there. 'v.'
Physicians here are being kept
Informed of developmenta In the
check-up on the illnesa, Dr. Mit
chell added. ' v
EVANGELIST ? Rev. Vernon S.
Broyles. Jr., D. D., of Atlanta, Ga.,
begins an evangelistic series at
First Presbyterian church Sun
day morning with services to
continue through th? following
Sunday evening.
Bioyles Series
To Begin Sunday
Rev. Vernon S. Broyles, Jr., D.
D., of Atlanta, Ga., will bfegin a
special series of evangelistic ser
vices at First Presbyterian church
on Sunday morning, at 11 o'clock.
The services will continue
through the following Sunday
evening. Weekday services Will bfe
held, except Saturday, at 10;00
a. m. and 7:30 p. m.
Dr. Broyles is a graduate of
Davidson College and Union The
ological Seminary. He has served
with distihetion in the pastorate,
his la?t pastorate being with th?
North Avenue Pre! b y t e r la n
church in Atlanta, Georgia, from
1941-1950. "His work there was
so outstanding that he was unani
mously called by the General As
sembly of the Church to head the
Extension Committee which in
cludes thfc work of Evangelism,
Radio, Christian Relations, and
Home Missions. In this new posi
tion he is known widely in church
circles as a most able preacher
and executive," Rev. P. D. Patrick
pastor of the church, said in an
nouncing the evangelistic series.
Scout Fund Drive
Exceeds Quota
Annual Kings Mountain Boy
Scout District fund drive is over
the top, Chairman G. C. Kelly re
ported this week.
Some $1,775 has already been
turned in, against a quota of
$1,700, and Mr Kelly said that
several groups of solicitors had
not yet made reports and he ex
pects an additional $300 to be
turned In. ;
? "On behalf of the Scouts in the
district, I wish to express my sin
cere appreciation to the contri*
butors and to the fund drive
workers for the very successful
effort," Mr. Kelly said.
Workers who have not yet
made their reports are urged to
do so lit order that the campaign
can be closed, he urged.
Monday Tax Filing
Report Deadline
Monday Is D-Dcry for millions
of taxpayers, among them the
citizens of Kings Mountain,
Number 4 Township. Clmlaad
County, North Carolina.
Monday midnight is the fi
nal absolute deadline for port
ing federal income tax reports,
state income tax reports, and
state intangibles tax reports
for those who expect to avoid
th? penalty for lots filing. Peo
ple who don't have most of
their income from wages are
also required to pay one-four
th of their estimated 1954 In
come tax. .
People rendering tax service
? lawyers, accountants, book
keepers, and individuals spec-,
iallslng in fixing income tax
forms ? are burning the mid
night ell, and one moaned that
he didn't believe he'd have
time to prepare his own tax
forms. The press of tax clients
was that heavy.
Since Kings Mountain , poet
office cloees at 8 o'clock and
since there is no longer .any
night dispatching. Kings
Mountain area taxpayers ?
should aim at 5p.m. Monday
as the last- minute dropping
in-lettsr-box deadline.
J