The Kings Mountain Herald
1889
A weekly newspaper devoted to the promotion of the general welfare and publish^
for the enlightenment, entertainment and benefit of the citizens ot Kings Mountain
and Its vicinity, published every Thursday by the Herald Publishing House.
Entered as second class mailer at the postoff l<*e at Kings Mountain, N. C, under Act
of Congress of March 3, 1373
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Martin Harmon . .. Editor-Publisher
Charles T. Carpenter, Jr ...... Sports, Circulation. News
Miss Elizabeth Stewart Society
Mrs. Thomas Meaehaaa Bookkeeping, New*
MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
Eugene Matthews Horace Walker David Weathers Ivan Weaver*
Charles Miller Paul Jackson
(?Member of Armed Forces)
TELEPHONE NUMBERS ? 167 or 283
SUBSCRIPTION RATES PAYABLE IN ADVANCE
ONE YEAR ? $2.50 SIX MONTHS ? $1 .40 THREE MONTHS? 75c
BY MAIL ANYWHERE
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE i
And Moab shall be destroyed from being a people, because he hath magnified himself against the
Lord. Jeremiah )9:4t. Mm
Thanksgiving Day
The United States pauses once again
r today to celebrate the holiday establish
ed many centuries ago by the Pilgrims,
who found themselves relatively pros
perous compared to the previous months
when they crossed the ocean, landed on
rocky soil, and faced the hostile Indians.
Their first Thanksgiving Day was a
day cf thankfulness for the blessings
that had been given them.
Now a national holiday, Thanksgiv
ing Day is still the day for formal state
ments of appreciation for the blessings
of the past season.
Each has his troubles, each his prob
lems, but few, if they seek, cannot find
a long list of blessings.
Americans have been particularly
blessed over the years since Thanksgiv
ing began.
The nation has become the most pros
perous on the face of the globe. It has
withstood the divisive threats of war,
the differences of particular groups, and
has progressed in almost all avenues of
accomplishment. Meantime, it has re
tained the basic freedoms which the Pil
grims sought when they emigrated to an
unknown wilderness, the right to wor
ship as they pleased, to speak freely
without fear of reprisal, and the many
other basic freedoms subsequently guar
anteed by the constitution and the Bill
{ of Rights.
It is right that Americans should
pause to remember, at their church, at
family dinners, at other gatherings, the
, blessings they have been given and to
thank the Great Provider for them.
Restrictions OH
While all citizens are giad that the re
strictions on water consumption have
been rescinded and that it is now possi
ble to wash a car or douse a thirsty
shrub with a hose, some surprise was
expressed last Thursday at the seeming
ly sudden relaxation of restrictions.
The area had received some rain, but
no real gully-washers. In fact, a member
of the board of commissioners, Water
Commissioner Grantham, had remarked
to a Herald staffer only a day previously
that the rainfall had been insufficient to
materially enhance the city's water sup
ply
Next day, the restrictions were lifted.
The onset of the rainy season may
have begun and all of water-short Kings
Mountain and the Piedmont area hopes
it has. Certainly none will wish the city
administration the bad fortune of losing
its gamble and therefore forced to re
impose restrictions.
The Herald hopes, by the time this
appears in print, that the clouds will
have opened with many infches of rain
fall.
But last Friday afternoon's fire alarm
brought immediate conjecture on what
would occur if a very big, water-consum
ing fire occurred.
Meantinje, commendation is deserved
by the city water customers, who coope
rated exceptionally with the city edict
to lower water consumption. The pump
age figures quickly dropped to a mini
mum figure and stayed there.
Sometimes people deplore the super
cautious, but super-caution is an ideal
trait for the hunter. Every hunting sea
son the news reports list fatal accidents
from "unloaded" guns, from accidental
ly fired guns with defective safety cat
ches, and from numerous other similar
causes. Super-eautipn should be the by
word of the hunter.
'ft ? . ,
Congratulations to Aubrey Mauney,
re elected district representative to the
executive committee of the North Caro
lina Lutheran Brotherhood, and to
George Thomasson, elected secretary of
the county bar association.
Opposite Views
Will the economy go up, up and fur
ther up in straight lines, will a continu
ing upward line be punctured by reces
sionary dips, pr will the world again
have to go through a bitter depression
as in 1929-33?
These questions tease not only the
government leaders, the moguls of busi
ness and industry, but also the little peo
ple, financially speaking, who want to
be sure they're going to be safe on pay
ing out the home mortgage, the car
mortgage, and other boughton-credit
goods.
President Eisenhower gave a glowing
speech of optimism last week, predicting
great gains in production, population
and standard of living during the com
ing three decades. President Eisenhow
er, r.o economist, spoke from informa
tion furnished by his economic experts,
and finds plenty of echo from business
leaders throughout the nation. It might
be easily said, without formal count,
that the President voiced the majority
opinion.
The extreme opposite to this view is
represented by Sewell Avery, the 81
year-old dictator of the affairs and for-,
tunes of Montgomery Ward & Company,
who is facing a challenge from two
stockholder groups opposing his tight
fisted, pulling-in policies while the rest
of the nation, and, particularly, Mont
gomery Ward's principal competitors,
have been expanding, some increasing
their profits heavily. ,
Mr. Avery's pronouncement of last
week was interesting. He reminded that
there has never been a major war that
didn't find a depression, following, with
the exception of World War II. His state
ment, "Something's holding this thing
up," indicated ho thought the post- war
boom, punctured only by mild reces
sions, is being maintained artificially.
He further noted that management is
hired by stockholders to protect the
stockholders' interest and pointed with
pride to Montgomery Ward's debt-free
assets of $(T14 millions as proof that the
stockholders are 'doing all right. Plainly,
Mr. Avery thinks not only that a depres
sion will come, but that it is overdue.
And he intends to use the Montgomery
Ward assets to buy merchandise at give
away prices.
None knows what the future actually
holds. The truth may lie between the ex
tremes. The social security and unem
ployment compensation laws, stock
trading margin requirements, federal
deposit insurance, and many other built
in hedges guard against the all-out type
of depression suffered in 1929-33.
There are some old-fashioned rules
all can follow to guard themselves
against the dire happenings envisioned
by the ultra ? pessimists. One is saving
regularly a portion of earnings. Another
is avoidance of shoe-string purchasing.
The man or fi.'m with heavy debt gets
worse hurt in economic slumps. v
R. M. Gidney, the county's Boy Scout
Chairman, says there is a need for Boy
Scout leaders in Kings Mountain to re
vive certain troops which now are on
the inactive list and to broaden the pro
gram to include more Kings Mountain
boys. "We can get the boys," Mr. Gidney
said, "what we need is more active men
folk in the program, as troop committee
men and troop leaders." The Boy Scout
education is a great one for boys, and it
should not be ailoWed to falter.
Currently underway are two worthy
appeals, the sale of Christmas seals to
continue the work of the County Tuber
culosis association and the Girl Scout
Fund drive. Kings Mountain has always
supported these two agencies well, and
1954 should prove no exception.
-e av TEARS*. AGO Item* of newt about Kings Mountain area people and events
J[ THIS Will taken from the 1944 filet of Us) Kings Mountain Herald.
Kings Mountain stores will be
open all day next Wednesday un
til after Christmas, acwr-"-- to
the Kings Mountain Merchants
association. This arrangement
has been made for the convenien
ce of shoppers for the holiday
Aubrey Mauney and W. K. Mau
ney were elected to the Execu
tive Committee of the Lutheran
Brotherhood of North Carolina
at the annual meeting held Tues
day in Salisbury.
Social and Fersoeol
Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Keeter were
hosts at a buffet supper at their
home last Friday as e courtesy
to the Keeter's Department Stoito
force.
Mr. and Mr*. Cyras Palis left
this week for Dunedln, Florida
where they will spend the winter.
Mrs. James D. Mercer left
Sunday for Glen Alpine, whim
she has accepted a position these
in the Glee Alpine schools.
MARTIN'S
MEQICINE
Bt Martin Hanooa
Inoredienta: bit* of nevoe,
wisdom, humor, and comment.
Directions: Take tvcekly, if
poe tibia, but amotd
overdosage.
- Thursday Is Thanksgiving
Day, sometimes known as Tur
key Day, and indeed many a
bold will have run afoul of the
chopping block before the
roasters and ovens do their
handsome duty for sumptuous
Thanksgiving dinners.
m-m
Like America, and the world,
many curious and wondrous e
vents and indentions have come |
to mankind since the Pilgrims
held their iirst Tha:.. .agiving
Day feast slightly inland from
Plymouth Rock. The Pilgrims
p re-dated the 3ubsfequent New
Englanders who thought some
of their neighbors were
witches. Thus It would be a sure
bet that the eyes of Bashful
John Alden, Captain Standlsh,
and the pretty maid Priscilla
would havfe opened wide if
someone had had the temerity
to predict that someday it
would be possible to turn a but
ton and see a .church service
across the country 3,000 miles |
away, that by dialing a number
It would be possible to talk for
thfe same or greater distance,
and that a machine operated by
harnessed lightening would
milk the cow to provide the
cream that topped the Thanks- ,|
giving Day dessert. The timor
ous prophet would Indeed havte
appeared a wild-minded witch.
Even the traditional turkey,
which the Pilgrim obtained
from the woods around his log
cabin, has come a long way In
these centuries, though unfor
tunately for poor Tom the
Cobbler his fate is the same,
a date With the hatchet and a
trip down the red lane to the
waiting tummy.
It has not been many years
ago that turkey was a state
occasion entree, traditional for
Thanksgiving and frequently
for Christmas, but not anything
approaching an everyday af
fair. But what has happened In
the past decade? Farmers have
turned to raising turkeys by
the fens. of thousands and,
though the fowl is considered
a bit hard to gjrow, growers
have been quite successful to
the point that prices no longer
require a long-term savings
plan or bank loan to relievte the
butcher of a nice dressed-and
drawn, ready-to-cook bird.
m-m
I have had turkey four or
five times in the past few
weeks, for example, though
Thanksgiving is just arriving.
I am not complaining, as the
bird tats mighty well when It's
properly cooked. However, If
the roasting process has been
prematurely ended, turkey can
taste something like the old
aged rooster, hardly fit for
ground chicken salad.
m-m
Another original Thanksgiv
ing tradition is church-going
and it retains its place high on
the list of Thanksgiving Day
activities, as it should. Churches
arrange special programs,
eatln* meetings, song services
and other events, and Thanks
giving would not bfe Thanks
giving without them.
m-m
Hunting on Thanksgiving
Day undoubtedly dates back to
the Pilgrims, too, though the
emphasis was somewhat diffe
rent in those days. Sorry aim
would have been hard on the
cook In those "days. Todajj, it
merely disappoints the sports
man.
m-m
Relative newcomer to the
Thanksgiving Day traditions Is
football, day of rivalry renew
als for many collegiate institu
tions. This tradition is probably
npt more than 60-70 years old.
and even some of the onetime
touted Turkey Day gridiron af
fairs have succumbed under
the pressure of bigtlme football
arid coaches' desire for a full
week between battles. As a
youngster, I remember the fa
mous Thanksgiving Day tradi
tional s. Wake Forest - Davidson
and Virginia - North Carolina,
but these two have long since
disappeared from the Turkey
Day list.
' ? ^Sf= . 7 - ,:\'i
Back to the turkey, there is
the tradition of the wishbone
rite, in which two feasters pull,
the wishbone for the right to
makfe a wish. Folklore has it
that the wish of the winner will
come true.
?Wot what should winmihil
wishbone j ousters wish? That
depends on the wisher. A young
damsel might wish for The
Question, a young swain for the
tfflnuth*
But all *111 want to wtah for
W& '
neighbors for the <
g
b
Bm Tb? Want Ad Section Tot TTIc Wttfi Completed Pud*
Viewpoints of Other Editors
SAO EXCEPTION
Everybody's getting into the
act ? the squalid drama of Wes
tern North Carolina and the ab
sentee ballot racket.
The Citizen regrets to say that
it scarcely blames those who are
inquisitive. Among them is the
House Campaign Investigating
Committee, which has sent an
agent into the 9th Congressional
District to look into alleged ballot
irregularities.
True, the House committee is
to some extent partisan, lor it is
hteaded ajid staffed in part by Re
publicans. Yet we believe the com
mittee will be circumspect in its
investigation. Absentee balloting
clearly has got out of hand In
half a dozen Western counties, to
say nothing of the .9th District.
Peddling of these ballots is not
only a violation of State law but
is prohibited by Federal statute
and carries a heavy penalty.
The least that may be said for
the issuance of large numbers of
absentee ballots in certain Wes
tern counties is that some of them
go legitimately to persons who
are living temporarily ip other
states or are serving in the arm
ed forces. Lack of Job opportunity
has compelled many persons in
the Westernmost counties to emi
grate to Northern industrial ci
ties, but they keep their citizen
ship in- North Carolina.
When that is said, however, all I
Justification vanishes. Thfe 1,200
absentee ballots issued in Macon
County, faf example, represent
between one-sixth and one-fifth
of the electorate. It is inconceiv
able that so large a population
of any county could be absent or
incapacitated on election day.
The situation in the embattled
9th District of course bears close
scrutiny not alone by a congres
sional committee but also by
State and local authorities. The
net effect of complaints and char
ges in this district and in the
counties to the West 1? a black
mark on the good name of North
Carolina.
Who among us Tar Heels wants
to brag that North Carolina has
furnished this only complaint to
date about, election irregularities
Which has been filed with the
House Campaign Investigating
Committee? To all intents we're
the exdeption, not the rule, and
a sad one. ? AahevUle Citizen
POLICEWOMEN DONT 1
WINK
Most policewomen are probably
more soft hearted than they seem,
willing to wink at roan/ minor
infractions of the luw. Wise wo
men rarely wink at anything or
anybody, especially the policewo
men ef Lubbock,. Texas.
The city of Lubbock Is equipped
with 1,100 parking meters, devices
for controlling the parking prob
lem and raising municipal reve
nue. It Is reported that the take
from the meters has increased
400 per cent since women took
over the meter beat, slightly over
a year ago. I
This does not necessarily mean
that women are more lawabidlng
than men, since it is likely that
more women than men park cars
on the streets of Lubbock. It does
suggest that women are tougher
than men when it comes to keep
ing other people In line with law.
?The Philadelphia Bulletin.
the Army's
M. _ in . II Ml
rougner witn tM troop#,
will mean that Ae other
ar* finally
KHM Mm
EXTENDING THE
TOURIST SEASON
Much has been said and little
has been done about extending
the tourist Season in Transylva
nia and adjoining counties.
However, the Waynesville'
Mountaineer strongly points out
editorially this week thkt one are
a in.Wtestern North Carolina Mon
tana Village, is doing something
about it and the results are amaz
ing.
That's right: ? Fontana Village
is proving the idea that the tour
ist season cannot be extended be
yond Labor Day not only wrong,
but is proving that the mohth of
October is an extremely profit
able month, to say nothing of the
extra business in .September.
Our neighboring paper points
out that officials of Fontana
found thfct by putting a little ex
tra promotion back of their fall
business, they are now finding
it is becoming one of the most
profitable seasons of the year.
Of course it is not as big as Au
gust, but the extra business is
paying off big dividends for the
cost of promotion.
A national program is being
started to encourage industry to
stagger vacations throughout the
year, rather' than lump them in
July and August. This plan will
give more business in the late
fall, and early spring months.
Fontana is finding that con
stant promoting, and providing
thfe visitors with something to do,
is' paying' off in dollars and cents
in proportions which several
years ago was believed impossi
ble.
The "rocking chair" tourist Is
almost a thing of the past. That
era passed with the coming of
the automobile.
Today, there are thousands of
travellers on the road every day of
the year, and it is those places
that are going after that travel,
catering to their wishes, and their
needs that are reaping the har
vest.
We havte something to offer
them. The world's most beautiful
coloring right here in our Pis
gah National Forest, ideal cli
mate, and probably most Impor
tant of all, friendly people who
are moat generous' with South
ern hospitality. ? Trantylvtmia
Time*.
IN DEFENSE OF GOSSIP
"Small towns havfe more goe
sips because It's more fun watch
ing a game when you know the
players," so said one S. C. Barry.
A lot of stinging remarks a
bout small town gossips are Just
plain Jealousy. In a little town
you know what's going on, good
and bad. moat of the time. In our
larger cities, you know a little
of what is gotnf* on part of the
tlrrte. Thte city dweller seema lost
and out of touch with the world
when he goes to a small city and
finds everyone so well Informed.
You don't have to be very sharp
to put so irie thing over in a big
town but you have to get up
mighty early to pull the samte
thing in a small, grass Toots city.
Kind* burn* toe big bugs up to
discover that the local citizenry
(yokels to them) have figured
them otit ao quickly.
So. even gossip, bad as It us
ually la, has its good points. Be
fore you vent your wrath on a
wagging tongue stop and think
...,..fifs a mighty good feeling
to know you livte In a place where
you know what Is going on and
the neighbors know, you and
though, at
tod a little
? .-.i '
AT EASE, lipr.
Lounge around all you like. Don't
cramp your style to pamper yod*
clothes. Lot US do the pampering.
v We'll bring back .that "like ne^ v*' \
look in a flash for small cash. Give
';V " as a rinw''-:.
V WEAVER'S CLEANERS
HARRIS FUNERAL HOME
Phone 118 ^ ; 1 .i; J ; Kings Mountain* N/C.
t? Ambulance Service ?
I
LOANS FOB HOMES
FHA ? G1
Elmer Lumber Company can arrange your FHA
or GX Loan
DOWN PAYMENT AS LOW AS FIVE PERCENT
OF TOUR CONSTRUCTION COSTS.
? IN SOME INSTANCES, TOUR LOT MAT BE
/ TOUR DOWN PAYMENT.
? INTEREST ONLY 41/2%.
lor full information see
ELMER LUMBER COMPANY. Inc.
25 PHONES 54
TO THE HERALD!