Population
City Limits. .7.208
Tin population Is from the 0. S. Government census
repast for 1950. The Census Bureau estimates the nation's
population pain since 1950 at 1.7 percent per year, which
means Kings Mountain's 1954 population should approxi
mate 7606. The trading area population in 1945, based
on ration board registrations at the Kings Mountain
office, eras 15,000.
Id Pages
IT’ Today
VOL 65 NO. 4
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, January 27, 1955
Sixty-Fourth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
SNOW SCENE—Here is a sample of Kings Moun
tain’s snow dress of last week, following the first
major snow the city had received in seven win
ters. The picture above was snapped by Carlisle
Studio in the yard of the B^ron Keeter residence
at the corner of Bidge street and Cleveland
avenue.
Local News
L? m «11 m #■»
OliilCLinS
AT RALEIGH
Dr. J. P. Mauney, veterinari
an, is attending the 17th an
nual conference for veterina
rians toeing held January 25
28 at North Carolina §tate col
lege, (Raleigh. The conference
is sponsored by the college
and the State Veterinary Med
ical Association.
TAG SALES
A total of 410 city auto li
censes for 1955 have toeen pur
chased at the office of the city
clerk, Miss Grace Carpenter, of
the city clerk's office, announ
ced Wednesday. Eighty-two of
the total were purchased this
week, she said.
MASONIC INSTRUCTION
A. C. Wright, certified lectu
er, will toe at Fairview Lodge
No. 339 A. F. & A. M., starting
7:30 p. m. Monday night for
instruction in all degree work.
All Master Masons are invited
to attend. The schedule of in
structions will toe announced
Monday night at the lodge
hall, Joe McDaniel, Jr., secre
tary, said.
AT PRESBYTERIAN
Sunday morning, the con
gregation of First Presbyteri
an church will hear a message
toy Alexander McGeachy of
Clearwater, Fla., a student at
Davidson College. His subject
will toe “Feeling God’s Pres
ence.” Bob Martin, Welch, La.,
also from Davidson, will sing
“I Walked Today Where Jesus
Walked."
RATTERREE TRANSFERRED
Major James Ratterree; USAF,
has received orders to report
for duty at Tacoma, Wash., Air
Force ibase, according to infor
mation received here iby his
parents, Mr. and Mrs, R. D.
Ratterree. He has been on duty
at Tucson, Ariz.
Gastonian Praises
Courtesy System
The Kings Mountain Mer
chants association received
from a grateful, over-parked
motorist recently a letter of ap
preciation for the city’s mer
chant • sponsored Courtesy Nic
kel parking system.
B. B. Brown, Jr., of 1019
Woodland Drive, Gastonia,
wrote: "I am attaching Cour
tesy Ticket I received in your
city today. Since you folk have
been more than generous, I
feel that I should return more
than the nickel the officer plat>
ed in the meter for me. I would
like to compliment your asso
ciation upon this courtesy and
T shall no? only rommeber to
place the nickel in the meter
next time but remember the
gesture your city gives to those
visiting there. It would be well
for some of our other cities to
take a lesson from you folk—
much could be accomplished."
Mr. Brown enclosed a quar
ter In the courtesy envelope.
Merchants Elect
rAiunc d.a0.*Ja^
vuiuiid i icdiuciu
Retailers To Hold
Annual Banquet
Monday Evening
Sam Collins, partner and man
ager of City Auto & Home Sup
ply, will be installed as president
of the Kings Mountain Merchants
association at the organization’s
annual Employer-Employee ban
quet Monday night.
Mr. Collins was elected presi
dent in mail balloting concluded
Monday.
Other officers to be installed
Monday night are Flfeete McCur
dy, vice-president; Jonas Bridges,
Fred Haithcox, W. L. Plonk and
Richard Barnette, two-year direc
tors; and William Jonas, one-year
director. Mr. Jonas will fill the
unexpired term of the incoming
president, Mr. Collins.
Holdover directors are Hubert
McGinnis, Martin Harmon, and
Ross Alexander. John H. Lewis,
retiring president, will be a mem
ber of the board ex officio. Mr.
McCurdy will succeed Paul Wal
ker. Retiring directors are Yates
Harbison, J. C. Bridges, B. S.
Peeler, Jr., Fred W. Plonk, and
Bobby Bridges.
Monday night’s banquet will
be featured by an address by W.
W. Smith, of Rutherfordton, life
insurance representative, who
will discuss “Salesmanship”. Mr.
Smith is billed as a humorous
speaker.
Tickets, at $2 each, are now on
safe for the event, with numer
ous directors handling the sale.
Reservations are required by Sat
urday noon, Yates Harbison, com
mittee chairman, has announced.
Presidents of civic and service
organizations and their wives will
be guests at the tevent.
OPTIMIST CLUB
Regular meeting of the Kings
Mountain Optimist club will
toe held Thursday evening at 7
p. m., at the Woman’s club, it
was announced this week toy
Neal Grissom, the president. !
RETAILER CHIEF — Sam Collins
has been elected president of the
Kings Mountain Merchants as
sociation for 1955. He will be in
stalled at the annual Employer
Employee banquet Monday
night.
Fabric Fum
To Open Soon
A new business enterprise,
Whitley Fabric Shop, will open
here soon, it was announced this
week by W. Herbert Whitley, of
Bessemer City, owner.
The firm will ibe located in the
J. R. Davis building on W. Moun
tain street, recently vacated by
P. & N. Appliance Company,. The
appliance firm moved next door
in the building formerly occupi
ed by The Meat House.
The Fabric firm will offer for
sale complete lines of fabrics
and sewing accessories, includ
ing drapery materials, Mr. Whit
ley said. The firm will be mana
ged by Ralph Whitley.
Work on renovating the build
ing is underway.
Whitley’s Fabric Shop has op
Continued On Page Eight
Bloodmobile At Grover On Monday;
Qnoia For Collection 12S Pints
The Red Cross Bloodmobile
>vlll visit Grover Monday under
sponsorship of the Grover Lions
club and in another of title Kings
Mountain Red Cross chapters
■egular blood collections.
The Bloodmobile unit will re
ceive donors from 11 a. m. to 5
p. m., at Shiloh Presbyterian
church and seeks a minimum col
lection of 125 pints. The blood is
stored in the area bank at Char
lotte for the benefit of the entire
area.
Red Cross chapter areas which
fail to meet their quotas face sus
pension from the blood program,
as did the Kings Mountain chap
ter last year.
The Kings Mountain chapter
serves all of Number 4 Township.
Kings Mountain citizens are be
ing urged to visit Grover Monday
and give their blood in this col
lection.
“Grover is a small community
and it is too much to ask that this
community, without help from
her neighbors in Kings Mountain,
meet a full regular quota of 125
pints of blood," Mrs. E. W. Grif
fin, publicity chairman, said yes
terday.
The Kings Mountain police de
partment is in charge of trans
portation and any person wishing
to offer their blood should call
the office, telephone 254.
“Blood is now used in treating
many illnesses," Mrs. Griffin con
tinued. “With greater calls, great
er supplies are needed.”
Dr. P. G. Padgett, chapter
blood chairman, will make a talk
in support of the collection via
Station WKMT Monday morning
at 9:15.
f
Patterson Says
Building Boom
Will Continue
Officers and directors of Home
Building & Loan association were
re-elected at meetings Tuesday,
as shareholders, in annual meet
ing, heard reports on a prosper
ous 1954 and predictions of fur
ther progress for the association
in 1955.
Shareholders re-elected all of
the nine directors, Dr. J. E. An
thony, G. A. Bridges, J. H. Thom
son, A. H. Patterson, I. G. Patter
son, L. L. Alexander, J. B. Mau
ney, B. S. Peeler, Sr., and B. D.
Ratterree. In a meeting following
the annual session, the directors
re-elected all officers, who are:
Dr. Anthony, president; Mr.
Bridges, vice - president; Mr.
Thomson, vice-president; Mr. Pat
terson, executive vice-president
and secretary - treasurer; Mrs.
Fairy L, Patterson, assistant sec
retary - treasurer; and Mrs. Emi
ly A. Herndon, clerk. Davis &
White were re-elected the asso
ciation’s attorneys.
In his report on the associa
tion’s 1954 activities, which found
assets increasing to $1,763,0S2.16,
Secretary Patterson listed these
highlights:
“Home loans increased both in
number and amount, with such
loans numbering 293, and totaling
$558,419.00 in 1954, gains of $232,
905.21. Total loans outstanding
now amount to $1,503,689.80.
"New savings in 1954 increased
| by $216,074, or nearly 14%, bring
ing total savings accounts to $1,
585.995.21, and the number of
savings account holders also in
creased. Dividends paid out to
savers totaled $43,337 at the rate
i of 3% per annum.
i o iurtner protect the savings
entrusted to us and to maintain
our strong financial position gen
erally, we increased our reserves
significantly. A total of $22,829
was added to the reserve fund
with the result that total reserves
now amount to $140,295 or near
ly nine percent of savings."
Such gains, Mr. Patterson said,
Were of “great significance” since
they came at a time of moderate
business decline and some unem
ployment. This would seem in
dicate, he said, that the people of
Kings Mountain have realized thie
importance of saving a portion of
their income each year for things
they wish to buy in the future, as
well for financial security.
Mi Patterson described the
outlook for business in the com
ing year as “highly favorable.”
Homle building, Mr. Patterson
said, most likely will equal or ex
ceed 1954’s levels. Demand for
new homes continued strong, he
commented with demand greatest
for larger, well-designed, well
equipped and well-located houses.
Prices of most new homes should
remain stable, he said, "with
some improvement in quality”
likely. In 1955 the home buyer
should be able to get more house
for the same amount of money
than in 1954, he concluded.
HOSPITALIZED
P. A. Hawkins, city police
man, is a patient in Kings
Mountain hospital where he is
receiving treatment for a heart
condition. He entered the hos
pital on last Thursday.
Many Activities Scheduled
For Benefit Of Polio Drive
FIRST GAS CUSTOMER — Mr. and Mrs, Ben Seagle, who live at 118
Sadie Mill, became the first customers of the Kings Mountain Nat
ural Gas department last week, as the city department crew cut in
their service late January 19. The gas department reported it was
serving 14 customers at noon Wednesday.
City Gas Service
Is Inaugurated
Lock Cars, Chief
Warns Motorists
Chief Hugh A. Logan, Jr., is
sued a warning this week to all
Kings Mountain car owners to
make certain that their cars
are locked overnight. Chief Lo
gan said that a series of thefts,
with mostly radios being stolen,
have occurred recently.
The chief is also asking all
radio dealers to notify the Po
lice department of any person
or persons trying to dispose of
used car radios.
IN HOSPITAL
E. E. Marlowe, Kings Moun
tain auto dealer, is receiving
treatment at Kings Mountain
hospital for a severe arm frac
ture he sustained in a fall at
his home on Tuesday night.
19 5 4
PRESS AWARD
Nnrtlj (Sarnliija
flrcsa Asaurialiatt
Best News Coverage
Weekly Division
SECOND PLACE
KINGS MOUNTAIN HERALD
KINGS MOUNTAIN, N. C.
January 21, 1955
A
14 Customeis
Being Served
On Wednesday
The city’s newly created Natur
al Gas department got into busi
ness on the afternoon of January
19, as service was inaugurated
for its first customer. Wednesday
at noon the city listed 14 gas
users.
First service went to Mr. and
Mrs. Ben Seagle, 118 Sadie Mill.
On Wednesday, the city began
serving B. & B. Restaurant.
Other first-week customers re
ported are: Leonard Smith, Lu
ther Caveny, Sadie- Mill office,
Dennis Goforth, E. C. Nicholson,
John W. Gladden, North Carolina j
Employment Service office, J. R. i
Davis (office), Dr. J. E. Anthony j
(office), V. L. Beechum, the gas
department superintendent, and
L. S. Stroupe. The city is also buy
ing from itself, having converted ]
the City Hall boiler for use of
natural gas on Tuesday.
Inauguration of gas service cul
minates a three-year-and-more i
effort of the city to get into the ■
gas distribution business.
The gas department is inviting j
deposits for service in areas
where installation of mains have
been completed. The deposits (re- !
fundable on suspension of ser- i
vice) are $5 for residential cus-';
tomers, $10 for commercial cus-!
tomerr, and $25 for industrial I
customers. It is still possible to j
obtain a gas tap for $10. The city I
nas indicated this rate will go',
lo $55-$75 when the construction
of the system is completed.
V ■ n
Mother's March,
Sing, Auction,
Road Block Set
The coming week will ibe “big
push’’ week for Kings Mountain’s
March of Dimes campaign, with
a wide variety of activities sche
duled to boost the total of con
tributions to the fund to fight in
fantile paralysis.
The principle activities begin
on Sunday.
At 2 o’clock, the Junior Cham
ber of Commerce is sponsoring a
Gospel Sing at Central school
autditorium featuring the Har
moi.n“rs Quartet and Dan Husk
ey’s Revelaires, tooth of Atlanta,
Ga„ plus the Toney Trio, of Le
noir, and the Pantomimers, of
Kings Mountain. Admission will
be $1.25 per person.
Also on Sunday afternoon, the
Jayeees will conduct a March of
Dimes roadblock on U. S. 29 and
74, inviting passing motorists to
aid the fund,. This event was
cancelled last Sunday due to in
clement weather.
The familiar Mother's March
will be conducted Monday even
ing 'between 7:30 and 8:30 by
the Junior Woman’s Club, under
direction of a committee includ
ing Miss Margaret Goforth,
chairman, Mrs. James Alexander,
Miss Irene Allen, Mrs. Denver
King and Mrs. J. T. McGinnis, Jr.
Industrial plant whistles and
bells will sound prior to the be
ginning of the house-to-house
solicitation. Citizens wishing to
contribute to the March of Dimes
fund are requested to switch on
their porch lights.
Next Wednesday afternoon,
from 2:30 to 4:30, the Kings
Mountain Kiwanis club and Sta
tion WKMT will collaborate in a
"radio auction.” Items of mer
chandise are ibeing collected by
the Kiwanis club and will toe of
fered at auction during the two
hour period. Bidders should call
the radio station (phone 999).
When an item is sold, a member
of the Kiwanis club will be dis
patched with the article and will
collect from the purchaser. Un
successful bidders and other lis
teners are invited to contribute
a dollar for playing of their fa
vorite song. Charles Neisler and
J. C. Bridges, of the*Kiwanis
Club, and Co-Chairman Ben
Bridges, Jr., or W. J. Fulkerson,
Continued On Page Eight
Stroupe Drug
Tc Open Eere
Stroupe Drug Company, Inc.,
a recently organized retail drug
firm, tentatively will open here
about March 4. it was announced
this week by L. S, Stroupe, gen
eral manager.
The firm is owned by Mr.
Stroupe and W. H. Houser,
Cherryville druggist.
Work is ynderw'ay now on the
building of Dr. W. L. Matiney at
231 S. Battleground avenue,
where the firm will be located.
Mr. Stroupe said the building is
being extensively remodeled, with
new front and fixtures, to provide
a modern drug store, which will
offer for sale full selections of
cosmetics and sundries, in addi
tion to drug prescription service.
A. modern soda fountain is to be
installed, and the firm will be a
franchised dealer for Walgreen
drug products.
Mr. Stroupe, a Gaston county
native, is a registered pharma
cist who attended the University
of North Carolina School of
Pharmacy and George Washing
Continued On Page Eight
Herald Wins Second For News Work
In 1954 State Newspaper Contests
The Kings Mountain Herald
won second place in news cover
age in the 1954 state-wide weekly
newspaper contests, as judged by
the journalism staff of Washing
ton & Lee university.
The awards were presented at
the Duke university banquet of
the Mid-Winter Press Institute
last Friday night, with Governor
Luther Hodges making the pre
sentations.
The Herald placed second to
the Transylvania Times, of Bre
vard, Other winners in news cov
erage were the Skyland Post,
West Jefferson, third, and the
Bertie Ledger • Advance, Wind
sor, fourth.
Martin Harmon, (editor of the
Herald, accepted the award on be
half of the news staff.
It was the third award won by
the Herald in the annual news
paper contests since 11)50.
In 1950, the Herald was adjudg
ed first in the editorial page di ■
vision.
In 1952, thte Herald was adjudg
ed third in news coverage.
Twenty-six weekly newspapers
of the state competed in the 1954
contests. Basis of the judging
was six 1954 editions, four of
them on publishing dates desig
nated by the contest chairman,
and two others of the Herald’s
choice.
PROMOTED — Harold J. Phillips
has been promoted to the posi
tion of superintendent of Crafts
pun Yarns, Inc., it was announ
ced this week by the company
management. The appointment
was effective Janupry 1. Mr.
Phillips had held the position of
assistant superintendent.
DAR Chapters
To Unveil Marker
At Long Creek
Col. Frederick Hambright chap
ter, of Kings Mountain, and Wil
liam Gaston chapter, Gastonia,
Daughters of the American Revo
lution, will complete a joint pro
ject Sunday as officials unveil a
marker to Revolutionary War pa
triots interred at Long Creek
Presbyterian church cemetery,
Laura Page, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Harry Page and a des
cendant of Lt. James W’hite, one
of the patriots to be honored, will
unveil the bronze marker in the
wall of the cemetery gate. The
inscription reads: “In memory of
Revolutionary Soldiers, Captain
Samuel Espey, Lieutenant James
White, Private James T. Henry,
and other patriots buried in Long
Creek cemetery—Erected by Col.
Frederick Hambright Chapter,
William Gaston Chapter, N. S. D.
A. R.”
menroers oi the two chapters,
the Long Creek congregation, de.
scendants of the patriots and the
public are invited to attend the
unveiling exercises which will be
held at noon, immediately fob
lowing regular morning services
at the church.
Mrs. C. D. Blanton, of Kings
Mountain, and Mrs. Kay Dixon,
of Gastonia, regents of the two
chapters, will preside over a short
program and present the marker.
Rev. J. S. Johnson, Long Creek
pastor, will accept the marker
for the church.
Committees from the two chap*
fers in charge of the project are:
from Col. Frederick Hambright
chapter, Mrs. J. E. Herndon,
chairman, Mrs. C. E. Neisler and
Mrs. Frank R. Summers; from
William Gaston chapter, Mrs.
Walter Rhyne, chairman, Mrs.
Charles Smith, Mrs. Vivian Ran
kin, and Mrs. Evon Houser.
Cola Machine Theft
Reported To Police
Elzie Bridges, owner of Brid
ges Texaco Service, reported to
police Tuesday that sometime
after 12:30 a. m. Monday night,
$8 to $10 in dimes were stolen
from a drink machine at the
station.
Mr. Bridges reported. Police
stated, that the key, which had
been left in the box, had been
broken off in the lock and the
box opened with an alien wren
ch. The money was in a change
box.
City Gets Second
Snowfall In Week
Kings Mountain, plagued
with several dry years, got a
second snowfall Sunday even*
ing, after last week’s big one.
Much of the January 1S-19
snowfall of five inches was
still on the ground when snow
began dropping again Sunday
afternoon.
The snow, a light, flaky com
position in contrast to the sleety
variety of five days earlier,
mantled the ground and shrubs
in new white dress, but in less
quantity.
Roads were quickly cleared
Monday morning and there
were few reports of stalled
cars.
Merchants were rushed, how
ever, in their rubber footwear
department. Old stocks were
cleaned out in majority of the
city’s establishments, and sev
eral merchants placed rush or
ders in anticipation of more
rough weather before spring ar
rives.
Freezing temperatures have
been nightly occurrence for the
past week.