North Carolina Newspapers

Population City Limits.7,206 Til* population It from the D. S. Government census report for 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 7606. The trading area population in 1945. based on ration board registrations at the Kings Mountain office, was 15.000. 10 Pages 10 Today ! Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, March 24, 1955 Sixty-Fifth Year VOL. 65 NO. 12 Established 1889 PRICE FIVE CENTS SAND WINS SUPERIOR RATING — The Kings Mountain school band, directed by Joe C. Hedden, was awarded a grade of Superior (I) at the district band contest held at Salisbury's Boyden High school last Saturday.The 55-piece group, which played in Group IV, earned the jight to enter the state contest at Greensboro in April. (Photo by Hubert Carlisle, Shelby.) Local News Bulletins NEW DEACONS New deacons elected toy Boy ce Memorial ARP church Sun day were Don Crawford, Ben Goforth, Jr., and Dr. John C. McGill. They are to be ordain ed and installed at morning services Sunday. OPTIMIST CLUB Regular meeting of the Op timist clulb will be held Thurs day evening, (tonight), at 7 p. m. at the Woman’s club, it was announced iby Neal 'Gris som, president. PRESBYTERIAN First meeting of the Carol choir of First Presbyterian church will be held Monday at 3 p. m. in the church Fellow ship^ hall. Children in the Pri mary department and first, second, and third grade stu dents make up the choir. OFFICE CLOSED Offices of Dr. L. T. Ander son, chiropractor, will toe clos ed Thursday, Friday, and Sat urday, it was announced Tues day. Dr. Anderson’s office will • toe opened on Monday, he said. no fatal’accidents As of Wednesday afternoon, the City of Kings Mountain had gone 1,199 days without a fatal accident, Kings Moun tain Police department repor ted. AT CONVENTION Mrs. Helen Jenkins and Mrs. Ila Morrow are representing Helen’s Beauty Shop at an In ternational Beauty convention in session at Statler Hotel, New York, March 20-28. COMMUNICATION An emergent communication of Fair-view Lodge No. 339, A. F. & A. M., for work in the third degree is scheduled for Monday night at 7:30 p. m. at Masonic Hall, Joe H. McDan iel, Jr., secretary, announced. FAIRVIEW LODGE Members of Fairview Lodge No. 339, A. F. & A. M., will at tend the evening services at Grace Methodist church Sun day night. Members are asked to meet in front of the church at 7:15 ip. *m., at was announc ed. METER RECEIPTS A total of $179.75 was collec ted from the city’s parking me ters during the week ending Wedne“day at noon, it was re ported by the city clerk’s of fice. FULKERSON BETTER W. J. Fulkerson, ill last week with a slight heart con dition, has improved suffici ently to resume part-time du ties at Neisler Mills, Inc. First Presbyterian Revival Continuing Evangelistic services are con tinuing this week through Friday at First Presbyterian church. Dr. Z. V. Roberson, pastor of Raleigh Court Presbyterian chur ch, Roanoke, Va., and John Liv ingilon, ministerial student at Union Seminary, are conducting the week’s series. Morning services at 10 a. m. and evening services at 7:30 p. m. are being conducted by Dr. Rober son. Mr. Livingston is directing a week of youth activities, pro grams being held each evening after the worship services. Wile <H Victim. Dae For Release, Is Grover Citizen The husband of Mrs. Sybil By ers Quinn, of Grover, was among the 66 persons killed Tuesday when a navy transport crashed into a mountain peak near Hon olulu, Hawaii. AN James B. Quinn, 22, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Quinn, of Blacksburg, S. C., en route home for release from active duty, was reported among the passengers in a telegram from the navy de partment to Quinn’s parents Tuesday night. The seaman was an only son. He had been attached to the USS Princeton, which was recently en gaged in the Matsu Island evacu ation of Chinese troops. On Saturday, his wife had re ceived a cable from her husband saying he had arrived in Hawaii and would be home soon. The Associated Press reported the crash to be the worse in Ha waii’s history. The four-engine navy transport carried to their deaths £ woman, the nine-man navy crew, 17 air force passen gers, 22 army men, .12 marines and four sailors. It was an RD6 transport and was enroute to Cal ifornia from Tokyo and had turn ed back toward Hickam Field on the last leg of its transpacific flight. Eight miles off course and in a heavy rainstorm the big plane plowed into Pali Kea Peak, about 15 miles northwest of Honolulu at the southern end of Waianae Range. It was 2:03 a. m. The pilot turned on his landing lights just before the crash, wit nesses said. He apparently saw the mountain looming up in front and tried to bank away. It was too late. The tragedy was the fourth worst disaster in aviation history, and the second worst in the Paci fic. The youth was a nephew of Dr. T. A. Campbell, of Blacks burg. He was a graduate of Blacksburg high school and was attending Erskine College when he enlisted in the navy on April 17, 1951. He was a member of Blacksburg ARP church. He was married to the former Miss By ers on March 15, 1953. TO PREACH HERE — Rev. W. L. Hcnrkey, a former Rings Moun tain pastor, will conduct revival services beginning Sunday at El Bethel Methodist church. The services will continue through April 2. Harkey To Lead Revival Sendees i Rev. W. L. Harkey, a former pastor, of Grace Methodist church here, will conduct pre-Easter ser vices beginning Sunday at El-Bet hel Methodist church, it was an nounced by the pastor, Rev. Boy ce Huffstetler. Mr. Harkey is now pastor of Avondale Methodist 'Church, at Avondale. Services will be held at 7:30 each evening, beginning Sunday and continuing through April 2. Special music by the church choir will also feature the ser vices, under the direction ox Bob by Anthony, choir leader. Wayne L. Ware, Jr., is the church orga nist. BUILDING PERMITS Building Inspector J. W. Webster issued two permits during the week. A permit for construction of a one-story building on Juniper street to A. V. Yarbrough was issued Saturday. A permit to build a garage on Tracy street was is sued to William Arthur Mor gan on Monday. Phone Communications Situation unchanged As Strikers Stay Cut The strike union employees of Southern Bell Telephone & Tele graph company continued into its tenth day Wednesday, with little change here from the first days of the walkout. Mrs. Jack Arnette, a supervis or who has ibeen on switchboard duty since the strike began, said service is being provided as well as possible, with five supervis ory personnel and three non striking switchboard operators doing the work customarily handled by 25 regular duty oper ators. Generally speaking, all calls were getting through, though Mrs. Arnette said service would probably be a little slower throu gh Friday, due to a three-day aircraft warning test in the area, which began Wednesday morn ing. “The air warning calls are first priority,” Mrs. Arnette said. Individual instances of tele phone tie-ups were reported by several citizens. A ten-minute wait for the operator added to the consternation of a harried toother who found her youngster had swallowed some chlorox. A woman trying to reach her mo ther, who had been reported in volved in an auto wreck, found the longer-than-usuii-1 long dis tance service disturbing. Striking Kings Mountain ex change maintenance men and operators, still picketing with yellow signs, reported no infor mation had been passed to the rank-and-file union member ship,. One remarked thdt, “The union isn’t giving out much in formation." Meantime, negotiations on a new labor contract between the Communication Union of Amer ica (CIO) and Southern Bell Telephone & Telegraph compa ny are reported continuing in Atlanta, Ga. The company con tends the big bar to settlement is refusal of the union to incor Continued On Page Ten Band Awarded Top Rating At Contest The Kings Mountain school band, advancing to Group IV competition, was awarded a grade of Superior (I) at the dis trict music contests held at Salis bury last Saturday. The top award entitles the band directed by Joe Hedden, to par ticipate in the state-wide music contests to be held at Woman’s College, University of North Car olina, Greensboro, April 20-23. Other Kings Mountain area mu sicians also participated in the annual district contests. The high school mixed chorus, which sang Friday, was awarded a rating of Excellent (II). The chorus is di rected by Miss Margaret Cole. Peggy Joyce Reynolds, senior high school piano soloist, receiv ed a rating of Excellent (II-plus). Junior high school piano awards included Jimmy Plonk, excellent (II); Ruth McCurdy, good (III); and Nancy Castle, good (III). The piano contestants who play ed Saturday, are students of Mrs. Martin Harmon. , The piano contests were con ducted at Catawba College, with bands performing at Salisbury’s Boyden High school. Although officially known as “contests”, the musicians do not compete a gainst each other but are graded by judges. Director Hedden pointed out that Kings Mountain was award ed a unanimous decision, with all three band judges grading the unit as superior, and that the band played in the highest group (IV) represented at the district festival. The 55-piece Kings Mountain band played three numbers.— “Folk Song Suite”, “Ballet Parisi enne” and “New Colonial March”. Members making the trip were: Flutes — Elizabeth Crawford and Janice Gladden. Clarinets — Jean Arthur, Flem Mauney, Mason Hughes, Scotty Wise, Rose Malcolm, Judy Early, Continued On Page Ten Board Discusses Land Purchases Discussion Of expansion of Cen tral and East Elementary schools’ playground areas highlighted the regular monthly meeting Monday night of the Kings Mountain board of school trustees. The board has been seeking for over a year to purchase ad ditional land for East school from Consolidated Textiles, Inc. The plot lies west of Church street directly behind the school build ing. Supt. B. N. Barnes told the board that he hasn’t received an answer to numerous letters to the firm’s New York office since the firm promised to send a repre sentative here after receipt of a letter offering $500 per acre au thorized by the board on April 19, 1954. At the February meeting, Mr. Barnes reported completion of a new survey of the lhnd showing 5.136 acres which the board wants to buy. The board discussed an offer by Mrs. Henry Jones to sell some acreage facing Parker street and is to meet in special session soon to consider the matter. The board has talked of acquiring addition al land for Central school several times in the past but received no offers from adjacent property ow ners* The board voted authorization for summer school band on the same basis as last year after hearing a request from J. C. Hedden, band director. T. W. Cothran, Shelby archi tect, met with the group and pre sented preliminary plans for the Continued On Page Ten Webster Seeking School Post, Fleete McCurdy Withdraws Methodist Choii To Sing Cantata Sunday Evening The Senior Choir of Central Methodist church, under the di rection of Miss Bonnie McIntosh, will present “Requiem,” toy Johannes Brahms, on Sunday evening at 7:30. The cantata is being presented as a special service in the chur ch’s observance of Lenten rites. Soloists will be Sue Dixon, who will sing “Ye Now Are Sor rowful”, Earl Marlowe, who will sing “Here on Earth We Have No Continuing Place,” and B. S. Peeler, Jr., who will sing “Lord, Make Me to Know.” The German “Requiem” was written toy Brahms for a religi ous commemorative observance honoring German soldiers who died in the Austro-German War. Miss McIntosh noted: “Buoy ant hope and assurance of God’s infinite mercy is the keynote, and throughout this composi tion Brahms uses a warmth of imaginative and quick emotion al characteristic. His style is very modern, original, and sponta neous. The choir will use the English text in its Sunday evening per formance. Members of the 20-voiee are Ann Byers, Sue Dixon, Win fred Fulton, Jean Hicks, Dorothy •Goforth, and Mary Alice McDan iel as Sopranos. The altos are Martha Carpenter, Jo Ann Clon iger, Merle McClure, Mrs. Y. F. ThronSburg, and Mildred Mc Daniel. Jacob Dixon, Buddy Mayes, Rev. Phil Shore, and Ar thur Walker are tenors, and Wil liam Allen, Meek Carpenter, O ren Fulton, Earl Marlowe, and Burlie Peeler, Jr., are soloists. North School Plans Viewed Preliminary plans as presented by T. W. Cothran, Shellby archi tect, and approved Iby the Kings Mountain city district hoard of school trustees call for construc tion of 14 classrooms at the new elementary school location north of Bridges street, (between North Piedmont avenue and Ramseur street. The building is to be construc ted with two major wings, pri mary and elementary, connected by a long covered walkway with a multiple - purpose room and offices in the center. The building is to face Ram seur street (to the west), with a cafeteria and kitchen wing on the back side. The primary wing, which is to house eight class rooms, is to be on the south side facing a proposed extension of Bridges street.The proposed ex tension of Bridges street would connect with North Piedmont avenue. The six - room elementary wing is to be on the north side, at which point a possible future addition is planned. At that time two of the rooms to be construc ted now would become a library. The proposed library rooms will be partitioned at present to pro vide two classrooms. The primary wing, with an outdoor classroom on each the east and west side, will be com pleted, with no additions to wards the Bridges street exten sion contemplated. A 10-foot walk is to be con st! acted from the school to N. Piedmont avenue at Fairview street. Some 31,000 square feet is planned in the new building, which will house a large number of students now attending Cen tral and East Elementary schools. The multipurpose room is to be used as an auditorium seating around 450 persons. A stage will be included and the board plans to construct the room to a size suitable for an elementary basketball court. Other rooms in the center por tion are to be a teacher lounge and work room, a general office and a principal’s office. Toilets are included in both the primary and elementary wings. The preliminary plans were forwarded to Raleigh Tuesday and await approval of state school board committees before bids will be asked. Supt. B. N„ Barnes said that he and Archi tect Cothran are to meet with State officials in Raleigh on Monday. Red Cross Donations Reach $3,00G-Mark Contributions to the Kings Mountain Township Red Cross fund campaign passed the half-way point this week, Chairman Henry Neisler said Wednesday. He said contributions have reached the $3,000 figure, com pared to the minimum goal of $5,220. Meantime, he said reports from the various soliciting groups indicated “a good re sponse” to the appeal. He also urged that soliciting groups complete their work as quick ly as possible and invited per sons wiho have not yet contri buted to forward contributions to B. S. Neill, treasurer, at First National Bank. City District Pre-School Clinics Set Pre-school clinics, for next year’s first-graders, will be held next week. The clinics will be conducted by the staff of the Cleveland County health department, head ed by Dr. Z. P. Mitchell, accord ing to announcement by Miss Alice Averitt, city schools teach ing consultant. Central school clinic will be held Tuesday morning in the basement of First Baptist church, from 9:30 a. m. until noon. Pa rents are instructed to enter the basement door near the Scout Hut on Mountain street. West and East Elementary school clinics will be conducted in the respective school auditori ums. East school clinic will be held Thursday, March 31, from 9:30 a. m. until noon, while West school clinic will be held the same day but will begin at 1:30 p. m. Each child entering school for the first time will be given a general health checkup, as well as inoculations for diptheria, smallpox, tetanus, and whooping cough if parents so desire. Chil dren who have previously receiv ed these inoculations, may also receive booster shots. The inocu lations are required before a child can enter school. Regardless of whether a child has had the necessary inocula tions to enter the first grade next .fall, Miss Averitt said, it is ur gent the children be enrolled now in order to determine the number of children entering, first grades at opening of the 1955-56 school term. Number of pupils determ ines the number of teachers need ed for the 1955-56 school term. Children must be six years old by October 15 to enroll in the 1955-56 school term. DISCHARGED Sylvia Stacy, 14, who was seriously injured in an auto mobile accident on Bessemer City highway March 5, was discharged from Kings Moun tain hospital Wednesday. No New Filers For City Offices; Several Say "No" The net total of candidates for city and school district political offices failed to increase this week. There was one new can didacy and one withdrawal. All the activity concerned the two school trusteeship offices to ibe filled on May 10. J. W. Webster, city employee, filed notice of candidacy for Ward 2 school trustee, and Fleete R. McCurdy, who had filed last week for the Ward 3 school position, with drew. It was the second withdrawal of the current political season. In withdrawing, Mr. McCurdy, a Kings Mountain dry cleaner, issued the following statement: ‘I hereby withdraw my candi dacy for School Board Trustee in Ward 3. Prior to filing my candidaicy, I discussed with Mr. Arnold W. Kincaid, present member from Ward 3 and chair man of the hoard, his intentions concerning seeking re-election. Mr. Kincaid indicated he desired to complete his service with his present term and suggested that I seek the office. “Since I filed last week, many citizens haye suggested that Mr. Kincaid, in view of the many mafor problems currently, con fronting the school administra tion, should continue to serve on the school hoard. These citizens have pointed to the city schools building program, currently un derway, the segregation ques tion, and other matters with which he is most conversant, as reasons for needing the contin ued service of a veteran member, such as Mr,. Kincaid is. in view 01 mese consiuera tions, my respect for Mr. Kincaid and his wofk with the school board, I am withdrawing my candidacy.” Mr. Webster seeks the school board position toeing vacated toy Mrs. Haywood E. Lynch, who is completing this year the six year term to which she was elec ted in 1949. Mrs. Lynch an nounced several weeks ago she would not seek re-election. Mr. Wetoster, a former employ ee of Elmer Lumber Company, joined the city several months ago as gas tap salesman. He has since toeen assigned a num ber of duties, including inspec tion of 'buildings and other in stallations. He is a member of the Kings Mountain Lions club, First Presbyterian church, and of the Loyal Order of Moose. In view of the McCurdy with drawal announcement, Mr. Kin caid is expected to file for re election momentarily. There were numerous “won’t run” statements by citizens who had been rumored as potential candidates. Ben H. Bridges, Jr., said be would not toe a candidate for Ward 4 commissioner. C. E. Warlick said he would not toe a candidate for Ward 3 commis sioner. Paul McGinnis said he Continued On Page Ten Kings Mountain Hospital Is Again In Black, Audit Foi 1954 Shows Kings Mountain hospital show ed an operating profit of $8,852. 96 for the year ending December 31, report of George G. Scott & Company, Charlotte certified pub lic accountants shows. The hospital, on the basis of previous auditing procedure, woujd have showed a much lar ger profit on its 1954 operations, Business Manager Grady Howard noted. For the first time, the au ditors charged off depreciation expenses, in 1954 amounting to $9,277.63. The profit figure, be fore depreciation, was $18,130.59. During 1954, the Scott report (published in today’s Herald, page 5, section 2) shows, the hos pital had gross income from pa tients of $183,513.55. From this figure was deducted charity al lowances, discounts, and bad ac counts totaling $27,090.49, leaving j net income of $156,423.06. Operating expenses totaled! $148,075.59, including administra tive costs of $15,290.41, dietary costs of $22,019.03, house and pro perty expenses of $14,621.42, and profession and services of $96, 144.73. The hospital's 1954 laun dry bill totaled $4,717.30, house keeping required $3,823.27, and plant operation cost $6,080.85. i Medical and surgical expenses to taled $19,068.83, nursing service cost $53,033.36, pharmaceuticals $10,609.03, X-ray work cost $5, 708.74, and laboratory expenses totaled $7,724.77. Income items from governmen tal agencies, voluntary contribu tions and non-hospital services to taled $9,783.12 and slightly ex ceeded the newly added operating cost represented by the deprecia tion charge-off. Assets The Scott statement showed to tal assets at December 31 of $433,470.51, and a surplus or net worth at $398,933.06. Included in the assets total are operating fund cash-on-hand of $12,578.05 and accounts receiva ble of $30,371.56. The plant fund had cash-on hand of $14,534.35, land, build ings, and equipment, and advan ces to architects totaling $366, 047, for a total of $380,581.35. Operating fund liabilities to taled $10,725.47, including ac counts payable, accrued salaries and wages, and payroll taxes, lea ving a surplus of $42,889.16. Plant fund liabilities listed the depreciation reserve and a re serve for plant improvements of $14,534.35, leaving a surplus of $356,769.37. CANDIDATE — J. W. Webster filed notice of candidacy this week for Ward 2 school trustee, subject to the May 10 election. Garden Council Spring Flower Show Wednesday Annual spring flower show of the Kings Mountain Council of Garden clubs will be presented at Kings Mountain Woman’s club Wednesday, doors to open from 2 o’clock until 0 p. m. Flower show committees will hold a meeting Thursday (today) at the home of Mrs. Sam Davis to complete final plans for the 1955 show, Mrs. W. L. Ramseur, publicity chairman, said Wednes day. Theme of the show is “Beauty On Parade”, and competition is open to the public. "A new feature of this year’s show is an educational exhibit,” Mrs. Ramseur said, "which de tails the different stages of flow er arranging.” “Another exhibit,” Mrs. Ram seur continued, “is a bulb exhibit which lists the steps in bulb planting.” Local garden clubs will exhibit flower arrangements suitable for church decoration. Blue, red, and yellow ribbons will be given to all first, second, and third place winners, while tri color awards will be given to the outstanding Horticulture and arrangement exhibits. A sweep stakes award will be awarded to the winner of the most blue rib bons in the show. Admission is 50 cents for adults and 10 cents for children. Mrs. Sam Davis and Mrs. George Houser are serving a co chairmen of the show. City Assesses For Surfacing The board of city commission ers bought two dump trucks and confirmed street-paving assess ments totaling $7,416.18 at a spe cial session Wednesday, March 16. The board awarded the con tracts for purchase of two two ton dump tracks on low bid of $2, 532.15 each to North Carolina Equipment Company, of Char lotte. The trucks will be Chevro lets with Galion dump equip ment. N. C. Equipment Company edged the only other bidder, Bak er Equipment Company, of Char lotte, which had offered the trucks at $2,537.03 each, a differ ence of only $4.97 per truck, or $10.94 on the total purchase. The street assessment confir mation action was a carry-over from the March 3 meeting, when public hearing on the scroll had been advertised. The assessment scroll was adopted with two omis sions from the hearing notice ad Continued. On Page Ten Vickers Managing Roses Dime Store R. E. Vickers, of Lebanon, Tenn., is the new manager of Roses Five & Ten Stores. He as sumed his duties Monday, and his family expects to move here during the weekend. Fred Haitcox, former manager of the store, moved with his fami ly last weekend to Lebanon, where he assumes management of the Lebanon store. Mr. Vickers’ wife is the former Miss Ellie Mae White, of Hurst ville. They have two children, Lou, age 8, and Roy Vickers, age 6. He has served as manager of Five & Ten stores for the past 17 years.