Population
City Limits.7.206
Ihe population Is from the V. S. Government census
report lor 1950. The Census Bureau estimates the nation’s
population gain since 1950 at 1.7 percent per year, which
means Kings Mountain's 1954 population should approxi
mate 7909. The trading area population In 1945, based
cm ration board registrations at the Kings Mountain
olitce, was 15.000.
Kings Mountain's RELIABLE Newspaper
On Pages
LU Today
Sixty-Fifth Year
VOL 65 NO. 11
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, March 17, 1955
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Local News
Bulletins
HOSPI1ALIZED
George Moss, City Water
Works Superintendent, entered
Kings Mountain hospital Mon
day tor treatment and diagno
sis.
METER RECEIPTS
Net meter receipts from city’s
parking meters for week end
ing Wednesday at oon were
$170.85, Miss Grace Carpen
ter, of city clerk’s office, re
ported.
MASONIC MEETING
An emergent communication
for work in the rirst degree
will be held iby Fairview Lodge
A. F. & A. M. 339 on Saturday
night at 7:30 at the Masonic
Lodge, Secretary J. H. McDan
iel, Jr., announced.
ONE FIRE
Firemen answered one call
this week, according to Ted
Gamble, Fireman. On Monday,
fireman were called to exting
uish a tractor-trailer Iblaze on
U. S. Highway 74.
ON HONOR ROLL
Miss Louise Gladden, of
Kings Mountain, was listed
on the general honor roll at
Gardner - Weibb college, Boil
ing Springs, for the past se
mester. An average grade of
92 or above is required.
ON DEAN'S LIST
Frances Patterson, of Kings
Mountain, has been listed on
the Dean’s list for the first se
mester at Erskine college, Due
West, S. C., Or. E. A. Sloan, the
Dean, announced. Miss Patter
son made no grade below 90 in
any academic subject.
RECOVERING
Sylvia Stacy, 14, who was
critically injured in an anto
mobile accident on Bessemr
City highway March 5, was re
ported iby Dr. James Lane Wed
nesday to be improving, and
would most likely be dischar
ged from Kings Mountain hos
pital within several days.
Little Theatre
Schedules Diama
TJie Kings Mountain Little
Theatre will present, “Family
Portrait”, a religious play by Le
nore Coffee and William Cowen,
on Palm Sunday evening at 7:30
p. m. in the high school auditori
um.
Little Theatre officials said the
play is being prtesented at the re
quest of the Kings Mountain Min
isterial association. The play,
“The Robe”, has been presented
for the past two years on Palm
Sunday by the group.
Mrs. Aubrey Mauney is direct
ing the production and listed the
cast of characters Tuesday.
Mrs. P. G. Padgett is "Mary”,
Sandy Stallings is “Daniel”, Gor
don Beaver is “Joseph”, Peggy
Rippy is “Naomi”, Flem Mauney
is “Juda”, Mrs. M. A. Ware is
“Mary Cleophas,” Billie Gibbons
is “Reba”, tommy Owens is “Si
mon”, Dr. R. N. Baker is “James”
and Buck Early is “Mordecai”
and “Mendel”.
Mrs. Lawrence Warlick is cast
in the role of “Selima”, Melba
Tindall is “Lydia”, Gene Mitcham
is “Mathias”, Douglas Swink
plays the role of a disciple, Peggy
Mauney is “Hepzibah”, Meek
Carpenter is “Appius Hadrian”,
Patsy Wright is “Anna”, and R.
G. Plonk is “Rabbi Samuel”.
Mrs. Tommy Owens has the
role of “Mary of Magdala”, Cur
tis George is "Daniel — age 16,”
Derice Weir is “Esther”, Lawren
ce Warlick is “Leban”, Philip Pad
gett is “Joshua”, Winifred Fulton
has the roles of. “Woman of Jer
usalem”, and “Bteulah”, Phil Mau
ney is “Amos”, Dave Wray is the
fisherman, and Bob Rosberg is
the customer, and “Mary, mother
of Mark”, is Mrs. Merle Beatty.
Gospel Concert
Set Here Sunday
Another sell-out crowd is pre
dicted for the Gospel Concert at
Central school auditorium Sun
day afternoon at 2 p. m.
The singing is being sponsored
by the Young Mens Bible class
of Second Baptist church.
Harold Phillips, chairman, an
nounced the following lineup of
quartettes: The Swanee River
Boys of Huntington, W. Va., Bud
and Ray Talley, the Little Happy
Two of Asheville; the Tally Quar
tet of Asheville; the Sisk Quartet
of Shelby; and another group.
Around 600 advance tickets
have been sold, he said. Admis
sion at the door will bie $1.25, he
added.
SPEAKERS IN REVIVAL SERIES — Rev. Z. V. Roberson, left, pastor
of Raleigh Court Presbyterian church, Roanoke, Va., and John C.
Livingston, ministerial student at Union Seminary, will conduct a
week of evangelistic services beginning Sunday at First Presbyterian
church.
Presbyterian
Service Series
To Start Sunday
A week’s evangelistic series
begins at First Presbyterian
church Sunday with services to
be conducted each morning at
10 a. im. and nightly at 7:30 p. m.
Dr. Z. V. Roberson, pastor of
Roanoke, Virginia’s Raleigh
Court Presbyterian ohurch, and
John C. Livingston, ministerial
student at Union Seminary,
Richmond, Va., are conducting
the • services, Rev. P. D. Patrick,
the pastor, has announced.
Mr.-Roberson will conduct the
morning and evening services,
while Mr. Livingston will lead a
week of youth activities. Program
for the young people will be
held eadh evening following the
evening service and the week’s
activities begin Sunday with a
supper for the Senior High Fel
lowship at 6 p. m. at the church,
Mr. Patrick said.
Dr. Roberson, moderator of the
Presbytery Synod of Virginia,
has been pastor of the Raleigh
Court church for more than 30
years. He is a former president
of the Roanoke Minister’s con
ference, the Roanoke Tuberculo
sis association, the Kiwanis cluib,
and has served as moderator of
the Montgomery Presbytery.
• Ordained to the ministry in
1917 in Rockingham, Dr. Rober
son went into YMCA work during
World War I, serving at Camp
Sevier in Greenville, S. C., and
subsequently at Fort Jackson,
Columbia, S. C. He is a graduate
of Davidson college and Union
Seminary and holds an honorary
degree of Doctor of Divinity from
Roanoke college.
A native of Orange county, he
is married to the former Miss
Irving Royster, of Oxford.
“We invite the public to at
tend these services,” Rev. Mr.
Patrick added.
Bloodmobile
Visit Scheduled
The Red Cross Bloodmobile
unit has scheduled a visit for
Kings Mountain Monday, March
29, Mrs. E. W. Griffin, publicity
chairman of the local unit an
nounced Wednesday.
The Bloodmobile unit will re
cbive donors from 11 a. m. to 5
p. m. in the downstairs of the
Kings Mountain Woman’s club.
A minimum collection of 125
pints will be sought by the Blood
mobile unit at the March 29 visit.
Kings Mountain citizens are be
ing urged by Mrs. Griffin to par
ticipate wholeheartedly in this
collection in order that the Kings
Mountain Red Cross unit might
mefet the necessary quota. .
Pastor Weeicley Gets
Burned In Baptistry
Rev. Gordon Weekley, form
er pastor of First Baptist chur
ch here, had a brush with
what might Ibe called “devil’s
brew” Sunday night. At least,
the temperature was in those
ranges.
iRev,. Mr. Weekley was con
ducting a baptismal service in
a 'borrowed baptistry at Char
lotte’s St. John’s Baptist chur
ch. When he entered the bap
tistry to conduct the baptis
mal rites he found himself in
scalding water.
Biting his lips, he neverthe
less completed the service, but
was limping badly on well
bandaged legs the following
day on a visit here. He said he
remained in the scalding water
nine minutes.
The baptismal group had
better fortune with a short
emersion period, and the assis
ting pastor wore long rubber
boots which the heat did not
permeate.
Mr. Weekley said an inad
vertent person in the church’s
water system resulted in fill
ing the baptistry with hot wa
ter instead of the customary
luke-warm variety.
Mr. Weekley is pastor of a
new church, Prividence Bap
tist, which will soon build its
own edifice but is now con
vening in a school building.
Women's Finance
Pane! Planned
Kings Mountain Woman’s Club
and First National Bank will co
sponsor a “Women’s Finance
Program” at the Woman’s Club
next month.
A two-night panel on April 12
and 14 will feature speakers on
four subjects, 1) Women, Money
and Finance, 2) Invtestments, 3)
Your Estate, and 4) Life Insur
ance. Out-of-town experts in the
respective fields will discuss the
subjects and conduct forums fol
lowing.
F. R. Summers, president of
First National Bank, said, “We
are happy to co-sponsor this pro
gram. Women are major stock
holders in thb businesses of the
nation, in addition to their role
in spending the major portion of
the money.”
Mrs. W. T. Weir is chairman of
the Woman’s Club committee on
the program.
FULKERSON ILL
W. J. Fulkerson is confined
to his home since becoming ill
Monday evening. His illness
has been diagnosed as a heart
condition. Mrs. Fulkerson said
he was considerably improved
Wednesday afternoon.
Series Of Robberies Aie Reported;
Thiee Pistols Stolen From Armory
City police are busy this week
seeking to solve a series of break
ins and minor thefts which have
occurred in the past few nights.
Most costly break-in, both from
standpoint of property loss and
type of goods stolen, occurred ov
er this weekend at the National
Guard motor pool building on
Phifer Road.
The guard company comman
der, Capt. Humes Houston, re
ported to police Monday that the
motor pool building had been en
tered through a side window and
that three automatic .45-caliber
pistols had been removed from
the interior strong room. Six clips
were stolen. Two of the pistols
had never been fired. The pistol
serial numbers are: 2424484,242
4475, and 606162.
On Monday night, theives loot
ed both the First Baptist church
office and the Herald Publishing
House cash box.
First Baptist church was enter
ed by pulling a piece off a win
dow sash and manipulating the
lock, while the Heraid office was
entered from a back window.
Mrs. Phyllis Carpenter, First Bap
tist secretary, said she missed
two apples and some postage
stamps. At the Herald, the thei
ves looted the cash box of five
one-dollar bills and an unknown
quantity of silver. The total was
estimated at $17 to $22.
Saunders Dry Cleaning was re
ported entered Tuesday night,
but nothing was found to be miss
ing. The thief or thieves broke
a window, lifted a latch, and clim
bed through, police investigation
indicated.
Deputy Sheriff L. L.. Hamrick
also reported that Patterson
Grove church and school had
been looted during the same pe
riod. Nothing was missed but
several locks were reported bro
ken. Deputy Hamrick credited
the damages to "general vanda
lism." ~
Collins Opposes Fulton In Ward 1;
Ford Is Third Candidate In Ward 4
Henry Neisler
Named President
Of Country Club
• Henry P. Neisler, was elected
president of the Kings Mountain
Country Club, Inc., for the com
ing year at a meeting of the in
coming board of directors Wed
nesday afternoon. He succeeds
George H,. Houser.
Other officers named were T.
L. Kesler, vice-president, and
Jack White, secretary-treasurer.
Directors for the coming year
had been elected at tihe annual
meeting of stockholders on Tues
day night. In addition to the
three officers, they are: ^ohn A.
Cheshire, W. R. Craig, W. J. Ful
kerson, L. A. Hoke, H. B. Jackson,
Jacob Cooper, W. E. Plonk, G. A.
Hook, Sr., and P. M. Neisler.
Some 50 stockholders attended
the Tuesday night ibuffet supper
meeting and heard reports on
the year’s activities from officers
and committee chairmen.
George H,. Mauney, reporting
for the house committee, sugges
ted the need for ibuilding im
provements and also suggested
that a women’s locker room and
lounge toe ibuilt to accommodate
women golfers “when funds are
available.”
Charles Neisler gave the re
port of the social committee, sta
ting that the social activities
had been expanded particularly
for teen-agers and other children
of club members, in addition to
offering the customary program
of club social activities.
J. A. Neisler, greens commit
tee chairman, related activities
in improving the fairways and
greens, and J. C. Smathers, sec
retary - treasurer, reported for
the membership committee an
increase of nine stockholders and
four golfing members during
the past year. Members of all
classifications totaled 123, he
said.
President Houser said he felt
the club had enjoyed a good
year, in spite of a month’s inac
tivity when the club manage
ment positions were vacant. He
commended the committees for
their interest and cooperation
and declared the club golf course
“one of the best little courses in
the area.”
The stockholders voted com
mendation to Mr. and Mrs. Earl
Byrd, the club managers, for
their work during the year.
Trio Oi Youths
Admit Break-Ins
A series of break-ins and minor
thefts which have occurred in
Kings Mountain in the past sev
eral weeks were solved Tuesday
by Kings Mountain Police depart
ment with the confessions of
three teen-age boys, ages 14 and
15.
The youths, Chief Hugh A. Lo
gan, Jr., said, admitted to break
in of Central school building on
four separate occassions, to the
stealing of A & P Tea Co., pro
ducts left by distributors at night
time in front of the establishment
and to thte attempted break-in of
S & T Grocery Store.
Two other youths, who are yet
to be apprehended, Chief Logan
said, were also implicated by the
trio.
The youths were released Tues
day afternoon into the custody of
their parents to await Juvenile
court action.
By-Pass Surfacing
Bids To Be Opened
The State Highway & Public
Works commission will open bids
on the surfacing of the U. S.
Highway 29 by pass south of
Kings Mountain on March 29, ac
cording to announcement from
Raleigh Tuesday.
The by-pass surfacing job is a
mong several bids the highway
commission will consider at its
March 29 opening.
Specifications call for surfac
ing more than nine miles of road,
from the intersection with U. S.
74 east of Kings Mountain to the
intersection with U. S. 29 at Gro
ver.
ELECTED
Miss Stella Patterson, of
Rock Hill, S. C., a former tea
cher in Kings Mountain city
schools, has recently been e
lected president of the York
County Education association.
CANDIDATES FOR POLITICAL OFFICES — Pic
tured are three candidates who filed this week for
city political offices. Fleete R. McCurdy, left, seeks
election to a six-year term as Ward 3 school trus
tee. Tilman Pearson, center, filed several weeks
ago for Ward 2 city commissioner. Sam Collins,
right, seeks election as Ward 1 city commissioner.
Mr. Pearson opposes J. H. Patterson. Mr. Collins
opposes W. S. Fulton. Sr.
Phone Service Maintained
As CWA Walkout Continues
ELECTED — William G. Jonas,
above, was elected Incoming
president of the Junior Chamber
of Commerce at the organiza
tion's annual election Tuesday
night. He will succeed Wilson
Griffin on May 3.
Jaycees Elect
Bill Jonas
William G. (Bill) Jonas and a
new slate of officers for the com
ing year were elected by acclama
tion at the annual Junior Cham
ber of Commerce election on
Tuesday night at Masonic Hall.
No nominations wtere made ex
cept by the nominating commit
tee and the following were nam
ed:
Clavon Kelly, first vice presi
dent.
Herbert Mitcham, second vice
president.
R. G. Plonk, Jr., secretary.
Louis Sabetti, treasurer.
Delbert Dixon, "Jay Bird”.
Charles Dixon, William Hern
don, and Clinton Jolly were nam
ed to two-year directorships and
Dean Payne was named as direc
tor to fill the one-year unexpired
term of Mr. Plonk.
President Wilson Griffin, who
presided over the meeting, was
elected as state director. The new
officers are to be installed at the
annual meeting on May 3 at Ma
sonic Hall.
Gene Herrin, North Carolina
national director and candidate
for the state presidency, and Jim
Sommers, both of Statesville, at
tended the meeting.
Gene Mitcham was presented
as a new member by Paul Wal
ker, membership chairman, and
Mr. Herrin inducted him into the
club.
Other guests attending included
Delvin Huffstetler and Ralph
Hullender and a former member,
Capt. Maynard Snow, recently re
turned from Air Force duty in
England and now on leave before
reporting for duty in Texas.
MOOSE MEETING
The regular meeting of Moose
Lodge No. 1748 will be held
Thursday night at 8:15 at the
lodge on Besseme>- City road.
Skeleton Force
On Switchboard;
25 Are Out Here
Telephone service in Kings
Mountain was Available, if a lit
tle below normal speed, Wednes
day, as the strike of Communica
tions Workers Union employees
continued throughout the South
ern Bell system.
About 25 Kings Mountain ex
change employees answered the
j strike call.
The union - company contract
expired Sunday and negotiators
for7 the company and thb union
failed to agree on terms of a new
contract.
In Kings Mountain, Southern
Bell officials reported service was
being maintained as well as pos
sible with a limited number of
supervisory employees and three
regular operators manning the
switchboards.
Mrs. Virginia Arnette said
eight people are handling the
work customarily done by the ap
proximately 25 Kings Mountain
exchange operators. Of the three
non-striking regular operators,
one was not a member of the
union and two others resigned
before the strike was called, Mrs.
Frances Hord Ptetty, a member
of the striking group, said this
week.
With the strike underway,
Kings Mountain citizens were
treated to an unusual sight, as
the striking group marched with
yellow-and-black signs in front of
the Southern Bell offices in the
Fulton building. The picketing
was effective only as publicity,
however, as patrons, company of
ficials, working employees and
citizens were allowed to pass
freely into the business office and
to the second • floor exchange
quarters.
Mrs. Petty said one of the arg
uments unsettled concerns classi
fication of exchange cities and,
in turn, determines pay rates.
One picket said Wednesday
morning she had spent five years
with Southern Bell here and
makes $43.50 for a 40-hour week
at the switchboard.
Southern Bell has contended
throughout the long negotiations
Continued On Page Eight
;
RECEIVES EAGLE AWARD —
Richard Hunnicutt, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Harold Hunnicutt, was
awarded the Eagle Scout Badge
at the regular monthly Boy Scout
Court of Honor Thursday night.
Troop 1 Scout
Gets High Awaid
Richard Hunnicutt, Troop i
Kings Mountain Boy Scout, was
awarded the Eagle Scout Badge,
highest award in scouting, at reg
ular monthly Boy Scout Court of
Honor Thursday night.
Scout Hunnicutt became a Boy
Scout at the age of 11, and is the
son of Mr. and Mrs. Harold Hun
nicutt. He is an 11th grade stu
dent at Central school.
Other badges that Scout Hun
nicutt has received are God and
Country Badge, the highest a
ward given to a Scout by a chur
ch, 12 years perfect Sunday
School Attendance Badge, and A
merican Rifle Association Mark
smanship Badge.
Bill Green, of Troop 7, achieved
the rank of First Class Scout,
while William Ledbetter, of
Troop 2 and Jerry Wells, of
Troop 1, achieved the rank of
Second Class Scout.
The following Scouts were ad
vanced to the rank of Tender
foot: Thomas Huffstetler, Pat
Continued On Page Eight
ftgnew To Feature Farmer's Night
Banquet Oi Lions Club Tuesday
The Kings Mountain Lions club
will entertain an estimated 125
area farmers Tuesday night, at
the club’s annual Farmer’s Night
banquet.
Edwin Moore, chairman of thfe
club’s committee on arrange
ments, said invitations are being
mailed this weekend to all far
mers of the area to attend the
event.
Feature of the program will bb
an address by E. H. Agnew, An
derson County, S. C., farmer and
president of the South Carolina
Farm Bureau Federation. Long
active in South Carolina farm af
fairs, Mr. Agnew was secretary of
the PGA from 1935 until his elec
tion to the farm bureau presi
dency. He is a native of Georgia
and a graduate of Clemson col
lege.
Members of the Farmer’s Night
committee are Mr. Moore, Eugene
Patterson, and H. O. (.Toby) Wil
liams.
"We annually look forward to
our Farmer’s Night banquet as
one of the outstanding events of
the year, and we expect this one
to be no exception,” Mr. Moore
said.
Special entertainment events
are also being planned, he added.
Fleete McCurdy
Candidate
For School Post
Three more candidates entered
the city’s political arena this
week, including two for city com
missioner positions, and a lone
candidate for school trustee.
The new candidates are:
Sam Collins, merchant, who
seeks election to the city board
of commissioners from Ward 1,
opposing W. Sage Fulton, Sr.,
the incumbent.
Charles (Rocky) Ford, textile
employee, who seeks election as
Ward 1 commissioner, opposing
George W. White and O. T. Hay.
es, Sr., who had previously filed
for the position.
Fleetfe R. McCurdy, dry cleaner,
who seeks election to the Ward 3
school trustee position.
There were still no candidates
for the Ward 2 school trustee po.
sition being vacated by Mrs. Hay.
wood E. Lynch.
Ward 3 Commissioner T. J.
(Tommy) Ellison and Ward 5
Commissioner W. G. Grantham
were still without opposition for
re-election. [
All of the candidates have de
posited their $5 filing fees with
the city clerk.
Arnold W. Kincaid, current
Ward 3 school trustee, has made
no formal announcement con*
cerning his plans for seeking re
election, but has indicated he
might not run again.
numors of potential candidates
were more prolific during the
past week, with the name of For
mer Mayor H. Tom Fulton still
being bandied about as possible
fourth mayoral candidate. Mayor
Gibe A. Bridges is seeking re
election and is opposed by Baxter
T. Wright, Sr., former city com
missioner, and Olland R. Pear
son, also a former commissioner.
W. B. (Bill) Logan was being
mentioned as a possible candidate
for Ward 3 commissioner,
though he said several weeks ago
he didn’t texpect to offer, and
mentioned as possible candidates
for Ward 5 commissioner were
Harry E. Page and W. F. Laugh
ter. Ben H. Bridges, Jr., wras be
ing mentioned as another likely
Ward 4 commissioner candidate.
The name of J. W. Wbbster was
added to the list of possibles for
the Ward 2 school trusteeship,
which already included W. S.
Fulton, Jr., and Hilton Ruth.
Mr. Ford, who filed Monday, is
a loom fixer at Carolinian Mills,
High Shoals. He resides at 200
Linwood Road and is a former
employee of Phenix Mills (now
Consolidated Textiles). He at
tends Grace Methodist church
and is a Kings Mountain native.
Mr. Collins is partner in City
Auto & Home Supply, a tire-ap
pliance firm. He is a native of
Elkin. He is currently president
of the Kings Mountain Merchants
association and is a past com
mander of the American Legion.
A World War II navy veteran,
he is still a member of the active
naval reserve. He is a member
of First Baptist church and live3
on Wells street.
Mr. McCurdy is owner of Mc
Curdy Cleaners - Laundry, com
Continued On Page Eight
'55 Dales Given
Fez Battle Drama
Dates of “Sword of Gideon”,
drama of the Battle of Kings
Mountain, werie announced this
week, with the season extended
a week.
Meek Carpenter, of Gastonia,
president of the Kings Mountain
Little Theatre, made the an
nouncement.
The drama is to open on July
14 and will be presented on
Thursdays, Fridays and Satur
days for five successive weeks.
The dates are: July 14-15-16; 21
22-23; 28-29-30; August 4-5-6; and
11-12-13.
Mr. Carpenter also announced
that President Eisenhower has
been extended an invitation to at
tend the drama by Congressmen
Woodrow W. Jones of Ruther
fordton, and C. R. Jonas of Lin
colnton.
He also said that Bill Trotman,
of Winston-Salem, who directed
the project last summer, will be
unable to serve again due to an
ticipated armed forces service.
The year 1955 is the 175th an
niversary year of the Battle of
Kings Mountain, which the dra
ma commemorates.