Population
City Limits. 7,206
The population ii from the V. S. Gorenrment censor
report for 1950. The Census Bureau estimates the nation's
population gain since 1950 at 1.7 percent per rear, which
means Kings Mountain's 1954 population should <*>proxi
mate 7606. The trading area population in 1945. based
oa ration board registrations at the Kings Mountain
office, was 15.000.
VOL. 65 NO. 7
Kings Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper
Pages
Today
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, February 17, 1955
Sixty-Fourth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Local News
Bulletins
J
FINGER BETTER
Carl Finger, receiving treat
ment at Kings Mountain hos
pital lor a back ailment, was re
ported improving Wednesday.
RECUPERATING
Miss Alice Aver it t, city
schools teaching consultant, is
recuperating satisfactorily at
Gaston Memorial hospital, fol
lowing an operation she under
went last week.
AT DAVIDSON
Rev. P. D. Patrick, pastor of
First Presbyterian church, at
tended a meeting of the trust
ees of Davidson college in one
day session at Davidson Wed
nesday.
BANK HOLIDAY TUESDAY
First National Bank will toe
closed Tuesday in observance
ot the national holiday com
memorating George Washing
ton’s birthday, it was announ
ced toy R. S. Lennon, vice-pres
ident and cashier.
SUMMERS HOME
F. R. Summers returned home
Saturday from Charlotte Me
morial hospital, where he has
been receiving treatment for
pneumonia. Mr. Summers was
still confined to his home
Wednesday, but wa$ reported
improving satisfactorily.
LITTLE THEATRE
Try-outs for a religious play
to toe presented Palm Sunday
night toy the Little Theatre
will toe held at the Little Thea
tre office at the Woman’s club
Thursday (tonight) at 7:30 p.
m.
FOUNDER'S DAY
Annual Founder’s Day and
Father’s Night program will toe
observed at the regular meet
ing of the Central PT-A Tues
day night at 7:30 p. m. at Cen
tral auditorium, it was an
nounced this week.
AT PRESBYTERIAN
Mrs. Park Moore, of Grover,
will toe the speaker Sunday at
the morning worship services
at First Presbyterian church.
The program on “Africa” will
be the third in a series of
world mission programs at the
church. Mrs. Moore’s mother is
a missionary in Africa. A film
strip, “Our Church in the
World,’’ will toe shown.
SURVEY GAS SYSTEM
Mayor Glee A. Bridges, J. W.
Wetoster, E. C. Nicholson and
Joe McDaniel, Jr., are on a
three-day trip to Danville, Va.,
where the group of city offici
als are inspecting operation of
a natural gas distribution sys
tem. The group will return
Thursday.
ATTEND MEETING
Mrs. J. N. Gamble and B. S.
Peeler, Jr., attended an area
meeting of Red Cross officials
at Morganton Tuesday. Plans
for the forthcoming Red Cross
fund campaign were discussed
and Dr. Frank P. Graham, na
tional vice-president, address
ed the group.
KEETER BETTER
J. Byron Keeter, Kings Moun
tain business man who has
been confined to his home for
tbe past week with arthritis
was reported improving Wed
nesday.
SPEAKER
The Rev. Keneth DePloue,
Missionary of South Africa,
will be the guest speaker at a
special mission service at
Clhurch of God, Tuesday even
ing at 7 o’clock.
HOME FROM NAVY
Gene Mitchem, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Rufus Mitchem, has
been released from active duty
with the navy, following three
years service at Norfolk, Va.,
Mr. Mitchem and his family
will resume residence soon in
their home on Hawthorne
Road. Their home is now oc
cupied toy Rev. and Mrs. Doug
las Fritz, soon to occupy the
new Resurrection Lutheran
parsonage.
ATTEND MEETINGS
Chief of Police Hugh A. Lo
gan, Jr., and Sgt. Martin Ware
attended a Motor Vehicle^Safe
ty Check Program held in Cha
pel Hill Friday and Saturday.
The meeting concerned a new
safety program. The City of
Kings Mountain has ibeen se
lected as one out of ten cities
to participate in a voluntary in
spection program.
Ministers Oppose
Movies On Sunday
Preachers Vote
Unanimously
On Resolution
The Ki.igs Mountain Ministerial
association unanimously went on
record Monday against showing
of motion pictures on Sunday in
Kings Mountain.
The ministers mlet in regular
meeting Monday morning and
adopted the following resolution:
“Resolved, That it is the unani
mous opinion of ministers of
Kings Mountain that moving pic
ture houses should not be open
on Sunday, and that we believe
this opinion to be in harmony
with that of a majority of the
citizens of Kings Mountain.”
The resolution was adopted af
ter considerable discussion, in
which some members of the asso
ciation sought a more strongly
worded resolution addressed to
the city board of commissioners.
The action by the ministers
came as thie board is considering
a request for relaxation of Sun
day blue laws to allow showing
of motion pictures during non
church hours. At its February
meeting, when the board received
the request from Ed Tutor, man
ager of Joy and Dixie Theatres,
the board deferred action with
out comment.
Other principal action by the
ministers at their Monday meet
ing was discussion of plans for
the annual Good Friday radio pro
gram, “The Seven Last Words of
Christ”, a two-hour service in
which many of the city’s minis
ters take part.
30 Now Buying
Natural Gas
The city’s potential natural gas
customers numbered 39 Wednes
day at noon.
Records in the utilities depart
ment office showed 39 individuals
and business firms had posted de
posit fees for gas service, and V.
L. Beechum, gas department su
perintendent, said 30 customers
are currently being served with
gas. Service lines for the other
nine have been installed with in
auguration of service awaiting
mainline cut-on.
First meter readings on the gas
consumption will be made Thurs
day, Mr. Beechum added. Bills
will be mailed, along with other
city utility billings though on a
separate form, on March 1.
Line installation work is under
way on W. Gold street.
Thieves Swipe
Polio Fund Tube
David L. Saunders, ownler of
Saunder’s Dry Cleaners, reported
Saturday to Police Department,
the theft of a Polio Fund tube
containing approximately' fifty
cents in change.
Investigation proved, police
stated, that entry was gained to
the building by the theives throu
gh a side window after breaking
a window pane glass and lifting
the latch of the window.
TO CONDUCT MEETING — Dr.
Glenn Paxton, of Rutherfordton
Spindale, will be in charge of a
weekend fellowship meeting be
ginning Friday night and contin
uing through Sunday at Chero
kee Street Tabernacle.
Meeting Set
At Tabernacle
A wteekend fellowship meeting
will be conducted at Cherokee
Street Tabernacle, beginning Fri
day night, it was announced yes
terday by Rev. Kelly Dixon, the
pastor.
Dr. Glenn Parton, of Ruther
fordton-Spindale, will be in char
ge of the services. Friday even
ing’s service will be devoted to
missionary work, Saturday’s ser
vices will be devoted to youth
work, and Sunday’s services will
be devoted to evangelistic work.
Numerous visiting ministers
are scheduled to take part in the
weekend meeting, including Rev.
F. E. Spear, Gastonia, Rev. J. P.
Buckner, Duncan, S. C., Rev. J. B.
Welch, Rutherfordton, Rev. W. H.
Fortson, Winston - Salem, and
John B. Woodard, Rutherfordton
police chief.
The Cherokee Street Taberna
cle is a non-denominational
church.
Mr. Dixon extended an invita
tion to the public to attend the
services.
Kiwanis Club
To Fete Scoots
Kings Mountain district Boy
Scouts will be guests of the Kings
Mountain Kiwanis club Thursday
night.
The club’s Boys and Girls com
mittee, headed by Halbert Webb,
has arranged an entertainment
program featuring A. L. Thomp
son, Charlotte salesman and hob
by magician. Mr. Thompson sells
dyestuffs and chemicals for Civa,
Co., Inc., and has previously ap
peared here for the Kiwanis club.
Other members of the commit
tee in charge are I. Ben Goforth,
Jr., Amos Dean, Dr. W. L. Mau
ney, and I. G. Patterson.
The club meets at Masonic Din
ing hall at 6:45.
Dr. Grosse Correct, Moomaw Says;
Kings Mountain Is Military Park
Dr. Grosse was correct, Ben
Moomaw reports.
On Herb Shriner’s Saturday
night television show, “Two For
The Money”, Mr. Shriner asked
two contestants to name the 21
states in which the country’s na
tional parks are located.
Dr. Grosse rang the buzzer
stopping the contest when the
lady contestant named South
Carolina as one of the states.
The quiz show “judge” didn’t
explain why he disallowed the
South Carolina answer and one
could almost hear the big howl
that came up from local area
citizens.
Mr. Moomaw reported receipt
of numerous phone calls and said
it was “really rough" in the York,
S. C., area. *.
He is superintendent of Kings
Mountain National Military Park
and therein lies the answer.
The local park is a “military”
park, as designated by Congress.
Supt. Moomaw reports, and is in
one of 11 park categories as list
etl by the National Park Service
of the Department of the Inter
ior in its recent annual travel or
visitation deport. The report list
ed:
“National Parks” — 28 in num
ber, including Great Smoky
Mountains in North Carolina,
Grand Canyon and Yellowstone,
the largest in size comparing to
the State of Connecticut, with the
smallest about the size of Cleve
land County.
“National Historical Parks” —
seven, including Colonial Wil
liamsburg, Appamattox, etc.
“National Monuments” — ovter
100, including Ft. Sumter at
Charleston, S. C., Death Vallfey,
etc. < /
“National Military Parks and
Cemeteries”—12, Including Kings
Mountain, S. C„ the second lar
gest and containing the second
oldest marker (the Chronicle
marker), Guilford, etc.
“National Battlefield Sites” —
four, including Cowpens, S. C.‘
“National Battlefield Parks” —
three, including Manassas, Va.
“National Historical Sites" —
11, including Ft. Raleigh, N. C.
“National Memorials” — nine,
including Wright Bros,, N. C.,
and Washington Monument, D. C.
“National Parkways” — two
the Blue Ridge and Natches
Trace, Miss.
"National Recreation Areas”—
four, including Lake Meade (Boul
der Dam), Nev.
"National Memorial Park" —
Theodore Roosevelt, N. Dak.
“That’s the way Congress has
designated them,” Mr. Moomaw
added, “and that’s why Dr. Gros
se was correct”.
Civic Groups
Will Discuss
Recreation Plans
Representatives from the city’s
civic and veterans clubs are to
meet with the parks and recrea
tion commission at City Hall
courtroom on Thursday at 8 p.
m. to discuss plans for an enlarg
ed recreation plant and program.
The meeting is being called by
the Junior Chamber of Commerce
which is to hold a director’s meet
ing Thursday at 7 p. m.
Jack White, recreation commis
sion secretary, reports that invi'
tations have been extended mosl
clubs in the city and he urges
that every organization wishing
to assist have a representative
present at the joint meeting.
The recreation commission has
formulated an outline of projects
to submit to the other groups for
their acceptance as projects, Mr
White reported two weeks ago.
The recreation commission is
currently supervising construe
tion of two swimming pools and
is interviewing applicants for the
position of city recreation direc
tor.
Negro Officer
Wounds Boyce
The assaulting of a police of
ficer- Sunday afternoon by two
Ntegro men resulted in the shoot
ing of one by Officer Laymon
Cornwell and the arrest of the
other.
In Kings Mountain hospital re
cuperating from two pistol
wounds of the left leg and charg
ed with assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill and
resisting arrest is Sammy Boyce,
Negro, of 311 Watterson street.
Free under a $500 bond on sim
ilar charges is Johnny McClure,
of 417 Childers street.
The assault on Officer Corn
well by Boyce and McClure was
the climax of an argument over
a citation previously given by
Cornwell to one of the Negro
men and the attempted arrest of
McClure, who during the course
of the argument threatened Corn
well, Chief of Police Hugh A. Lo
gan, Jr., said. Cornwell, Chief
Logan added, thrown to the
ground by Boyde and McClure,
shot Boyce in self defense only
after three shots fired in the
ground failed to stop the advan
ces of the two Negro men. Chief
Logan also stated that Officer
Corr vell called by car radio for
another patrol car, but police on
Arrival found Boyce shot and Of
ficer Cornwell’s clothes "torn
off”.
Trial for the two Negro men
has been scheduled for Monday
in City Recorder’s court.
Webster Issues
Four Permits
Four building permits estimat
ed to total $20,300 were issued
this week by Building Inspector
J. W. Webster.
On Wednesday, February 9, a
permit was issued to F. V. Webs
ter to erect a one story house on
Second street, at an estimated
cost of $4,500.
A permit was issued to Noah
Gardner Thursday, February 11,
to erect a dwelling on N. Tracy
street, at an estimated cost of
$4,000.
Friday, J. A. Lovelace was issu
ed a permit to build a one story
dwelling on Wilson street, at an
estimated cost of $2,800.
Earle Cloninger was issuted a
permit Monday to erect a one
story building on Juniper street
to be used as a dwelling, at an
estimated cost of $9,000.
$539.20 Judgment
Filed Against Logan
Judgment in the amount of
5539.20 was awarded Jim White
tgainst Hugh A. Logan, Jr., in
Cleveland Superior Court last
Thursday.
The litigation concerned a ba
ance White alleged Logan owed
him on a tractor. Logan had de
nied the allegation. White, in his
complaint, claimed that Logan
owed him a balance of $1,089.20
for tractor and related equip
ment purchased on January 1,
1949.
SCHOOL BOARD
Regular monthly meeting of
Kings Mountain city district
board of school trustees is
scheduled Monday at 7:30 p.
m. at Central school.
AT KEETER'S
Miss Mary Owens, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Paul Owens,
has joined the staff of Keeter’s
Department store as cashier,
the position formerly held by
Mrs. Howard McKee, who has
resigned.
George W. White First To File,
Seeks Ward 4 Board Position
FOURTH GRADE OF 1915—Pictured are members
of the fourth grade class of Central school in 1915.
together with their teacher (back row left) Miss
Laura Meares. In the picture, front row. left to
right, are Houston Lindsay, Willie Parker, Forrest
Houser, Claude Hambright, and Charles Peterson;
second row, Herman Falls, Lloyd Falls (deceas
ed), Frederick Ware, Thomas Mercer, Ralph Ware,
Fred Mercer, and Earl Ledford; third row, Manon
McGinnis, Nell Watterson Biser. Bessie Ramsaur
Harris, Emelya Billing Gillespie. Henrietta Cash,
Lucille Cornwell, Inez Abbott, and Flora Belle
Fortune; fourth row, girl at left unidentified, Nina
Roberts Wolfe, Mary Ledford Moss, Ethel Huff
stetler, Agatha Hord, Callie Hannon, Ida Dixon
Thompson, Vera Hambright, Helen Shoemaker;
back row, R. D. (Boot) Lockman, Clemonsee
Boone, Howard Pursley, Floyd Wright, Everette
Wright, Kirvis Wright, and Hunter Neisler. Mrs.
Gillespie supplied the photo.
Sunday Fire Levels
Bethware Church
EVANGELIST — Rev. Percy Ray.
of Myrtle, Miss., will begin a re
vival series at Second Baptist
church Tuesday with services to
be conducted nightly at 7 p. m.
through March 4. Rev. Howard T.
Cook is pastor of the church.
Bagwell Bites
Held Wednesday
Funeral service for Mrs. Min
nie Bagwell, 71,-year-old resident
of 820 N. 4th street, were conduct
ed Wednesday afternoon at 4 o’
clock from Second Baptist church.
Rev. Howard T. Cook, the pas
tor, and Rev. R. L. Chaney offici
ated and burial was in Mountain
Rest cemetery.
Mrs. Bagwell died Monday at
11:30 a. m. at the home of a son,
J. T. Bagwell, after an illness of
three months. She was the daugh
ter of the late John and Mary
Cantrell.
Surviving in addition to J. T.
Bagwell are two sons, Willis Bag
well of Kings Mountain and Ja
mes Bagwell of Ft. Mill, S. C„
and a daughter, Mrs. June Taylor
of Lawndale. Twenty-eight grand
children and six great-grandchil
dren also survive.
Active pallbearers were Melvin,
Charles, Carl, Billy and Lee
Bagwell and Bobby Taylor.
WITH LAW FIBM
Miss Joanne Caveny has join
ed Davis & White, Kings Moun
tain law firm, as a stenogra
pher. She began her duties
Monday. Miss Caveny has serv
ed several months in the office
of Lassiter, Moore and Van Al
len, of Charlotte.
Dixie Theatre
Damage Slight
In Saturday Fire
Weekend fires in frigid weath
er resulted in complete loss of
David’s Baptist church near
Bethware school and slight dam
age to Dixie Theatre.
The Sunday afternoon fire at
David’s Baptist church was
fought by both Shelby and Kings
Mountain fire departments, but
to no avail.
The Saturday morning fire at
Dixie Theatre was extinguished
quickly, but Fire Chief Pat Tignor
said the blaze would have bebn
out of control — endangering al
so nearby commercial properties
—had not the alarm been receiv
ed when it was.
The David’s Baptist blaze was
reported to Kings Mountain firte
department by Patrolman C. D.
Fortune, after he was hailed
when passing by a Bethware
community resident. The fire was
thought to have originated in the
church heating plant. A power
failure had occurred in the area,
and church members speculated
that the power failure caused the
furnace’s exhaust system to fail
Kings Mountain and Shelby fire
men tapped the 3,000-foot distant
lake of Earl Morris to pump wa
ter on the blazb, but it could not
be brought under control.
Continued On Page Eight
Mayor Wants Ideas
On Slogan For City
Should Kings Mountain con
tinue to refer to itself as “The
Historical City,” or should
some other slogan or slogans,
be adopted?
Mayor Glee A. Bridges wants
some answers by Friday..
J. Robert Covington, vice
president of Charlotte’s Jeffer
son Standard Broadcasting
Company (WBT and WB-TV
Charlotte and WBTW Florence,
S. C.) has addressed the may
or with a request for slogan
and other information which
Mr. Covington says the Char
lotte broadcasting companies
will use on the air lanes in
publicizing Kings Mountain
after moving to its new facili
ties on W. Morehead street.
These are the questions Mr.
Covington asks:
What, if any, is your com
munity’s slogan?
What phrase or sentence best
describes the character, activi
ties and/or objectives of your
community?
What regular special events
or celebrations do you sched
ule, and how can they effec
tively be described?
These are the questions the
Mayor is passing along to
Kings Mountain citizens.
For years, the city has used
the slogan, "The Historical
City,” indicating its connec
tions, geographically and oth
erwise, with Kings Mountain
battleground.
LIONS PROGRAM
A representative of Cleveland
County Welfare Department
will address members of the
Kings Mountain Lions club at
their regular meeting Tuesday
night at 6:45 p. m. at Masonic
Dining hall. The program was
arranged by Dr. Nathan Reed.
World Day Of Prayer Offerings
Used For Many Charitable Works
Somewhere in Florida a tou
sle-headed three-year old — the
child of migrant laborers—plays
in the safety of a child-care cen
ter, apart from the hazards of
the dirt roads of the migrant
community.
Across the nation in 'Minneap
iolis an American Indian, newly
! arrived in the city in search of
work, is given help in locating
a home for his family.
In the great metropolis of New
Yor.K, a young college student
from overseas thousands of mil
es from home gets his first sense
of •belonging" in a strange land
through the kindly guidance of
an adviser of the Committee for
Friendly Relations Among Forei
gn Students.
Around the globe to Africa
and beyond to the Orient — in
India, Pakistan, Japan, China,
and Korea — Christian leaders
are receiving the training they
need to better serve their own
people in some of the world-fa
mous interdenominational Chris
tian colleges.
These and an increasing num
ber of similar services to people
throughout the world are made
possible each year through of
ferings received through the
Worid Day of Prayer.
This year Americans in an es
timated 20,000 communities once
again will join with their fellow
Christians as in 125 countries
prayers rise in identical or sim
ilar services, marking the sixty
eighth anniversary of the <>bser
Continued On Page Eight
Bonnie Mills
Cardroom Boss
In City Race
George W. White, a cardroom
overseer at Bonnie Mills, Inc., fil
ed notice of candidacy Wednes
day morning for Ward 4 commis
sioner.
Mr. White was the first candi
date to announce for political of
fice in the forthcoming city elec
tion to be held May 10. Mr. White
paid the $5 filing fee at the office
of the city clerk.
He seeks the position on the
board'of commissioners now held
by Harold Phillips, superinten
dent of Craftspun Yarns, Inc. Mr.
Phillips stated In a board meet
ing several months ago he would
not seek re-election.
Mr. White has resided at 100
Lackey strteet for 30 years. Born
in Gaffney, S. C., he came to
Kings Mountain at the age of 18
and has lived here since. He is
a former employee of Dilling
(now Burlington) and Phenix
(now Loom-Tex) mills. Mr. White
is a member of St. Matthew’s
Lutheran church, a Mason and a
Shriner.
Except for Mr. White’s filing,
the lists for the May political
jousts remained blank.
Mr. White said, “I am running
on my own.”
Mayor Glee A. Bridges, who
had indicated last week he would
file within a few days for re-elec
tion, was out-of-town all wefek
and had not filed nor made any
formal announcement.
To be filled in May are the po*
iSitions of mayor, five ward com
|missioners, and two school trus
1 teeships. All city positions are
i filled biennially, while the school
I board positions are for six years.
Expiring terms this year are
those of Mrs. Haywood E. Lynch,
Ward 2, and Arnold W. Kincaid,
Ward 3. Neither have made de
finite announcement as to whe
ther they will seek re-election.
Mr. Kincaid said recently he was
undecided and might not offer
again “if a good man runs”. Mr.
Kincaid is the current chairman
of the school trustees.
Humors were still scarce on
identity of candidates, though ma
jority of the present city commis
sioners are considered “sure”
candidates for re-election. These
include W. Sage Fulton, Ward 1,
J. H. Patterson, Ward 2, and W.
G. Grantham, Ward 5.
T. J. (Tommy) Ellison, Ward
3 commissioner, has been listed
as a possible candidate for mayor,
as has Harold Phillips, the Ward
4 commissioner.
Tilman Pearson, who said sev
eral weeks ago he was consider
ing seeking the Ward 2 post, stat
ed this week he would probably
reach a definite decision within
the next ten days. His brother,
Olland Pearson, is also consider
ing seeking the Ward 3 position
he held from 1951-53.
Wilson To Conduct
East Side Revival
A .week’s revival series begins
Sunday at East Side Baptist
church with services to be con
ducted nightly at 7:15 through
February 28, it has been announc
ed.
j Rev. Donald Wilson, new pas
tor of the church, will conduct
I the services. The new pastor and
his family were to move to Kings
Mountain during thle weekend.
Polio Fund Gifts
To Exceed $5,888
Kings Mountain contribu
I tions to the 1955 March of
i Dimes fund are expected to ex
l ceed $5,000.
J. C. McKinney, treasurer,
! said Wednesday a total of
. $4,598.37 has been deposited to
I the fund’s bank account, and
| that further contributions
| should swell the total over the
$5,000 figure.
Still to be completed and re
ported is the business area so
licitation, being handled by the
Kings Mountain Optimist club.
Also still to be received are re
ports from Mauney Hosiery
Company and Bennett Brick &
Tile Company in the industrial
division.
“We are highly pleased with
the response to this appeal for
funds to fight polio,” Co-Chair
men Ben H. Bridges, Jr., and
W. J. Fulkerson said Wednes
day. “We wish to thank all the
many people, committee mem
bers, organizations, and indi
vidual donors for making the
campaign another successful
I one in Kings Mountain.”