Population
City Limit*.. 7.206
Tbo population la from the U. S. Gorernment canaua
repo/t tot 1850. The Census Bureau estimates the nation's
population gain sines 1950 at 1.7 percent per year, which
Kings Mountain's 1954 population should approxl
The trading area population In 1945. based
board registrations at the Kings Mountatsi
55.000.
1C Pages
IQ Today
VOL. 65 NO. 21
Established 1889
_C
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, May 26, 1955
Sixty-Fifth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
COMMENCEMENT SPEAKERS — Dr. W. X- Pressly. left, and Dr. A.
C. Reid, right, will be the principal speakers at Kings Mountain high
school commencement exercises. Dr. Pressly, pastor of Boyce Memo
rial ARP' church, will deliver the baccalaureate sermon Sunday even
ing. Dr. Reid, head of the philosophy department of Wake Forest
college, will deliver the graduation address on Tuesday evening.
>
KMHS Graduation
To Begin Sunday
Local News
Bulletins
■<
ATTEND CONVENTION
Dr. it. N. Baker and Dr, D.
Hord attended the North Car
olina Dental convention in ses
sion May 22-May 25 at Pine
hurst. r
MOOSE MOVIE
Members of the Moose Lodge
will view a movie and hear a
talk on cerebral palsy at the
regular meeting at 8 o’clock
Thursday night. The cluib is to
1 co-sponsor a fund drive In
July.
GRADUATES
Donald Barrett, son of Mrs.
Edna Barrett, of 400 Gantt
street and Horace Barrett, of
Dallas, Texas, was graduated
from Dallas Tech high school,
May 20.
ACCEPTS POSITION
Jackie Falls accepted a posi
tion Monday as beautician
with Central Beauty Shop, Mrs.
Eloise Mabry, owner of the
shop, announced.
MASONIC MEETING
An emergent communication
for work in the second degree
will Ibe held by Fairview Lodge
A. F. & A.'M., 339 on Monday
night at 7:30 at the Masonic
Lodge, Secretary J. H. McDan
iel, Jr., announced.
ONE PERMIT
Building Inspector J. W. Web
ster issued a 'building permit
Friday to P. B. Phillips, to erect
a one story house on Second
street, at an estimated cost of
$3,000.
' Kintmell Is Bear
Baseball Captain
Jimmy Kimmell, former triple
threat star at Kings Mountain
high school, will captain the 1956
Lenoir Rhyne College baseball
team.
The selection of Kimmell was
announced at a banquet Friday
night honoring Lenoir Rhyne ath
letes.
Horace (Bone) McKinney,
member of the Wake Forest
coaching staff, was the principal
speaker. Basketball, baseball,
tennis and track awards were
made.
Kimmell, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Harry Kimmell, was awarded a
letter in baseball. He is also a
football letterman.
Gas System Tab
Was $262,000
The final round-figure con
struction cost of the city’s nat
ural gas system was $262,000.
Bill Gilrriore, representative
of Barnard & Burk, tije city’s
gas engineers, said Wednes
day that the final costs were in
and listed $2622,000 as the to
tal cost.
The city paid for the instal
lation out of a $400,000 gas
revenue ibond issue. Remainder
of the amount is available to
the city for further expansion
of the system, as demand aris
es.
19 To Receive
Theii Diplomas
Tuesday Night
Kings Mountain high school’s
commencement exercises for the
Class of 1955 will begin Sunday
evening with the baccalaureate
sermon and will conclude Tues
day evening with graduation ex
ercises. Both events will be held
at the high school auditorium
and will begin at 8 o’clock
Dr. William L. Pressly, pastor
of Boyce Memorial ARP church,
will deliver the baccalaureate
sermon. The invocation will ibe
given Iby Rev. Douglas Fritz, and
scripture will ibe read by Rev. P.
'L. Shore, Jr. B. N. Barnes, city
schools superintendent, will pre
sent Dr. Pressly, and the bene
diction will fee said toy Dr. W.. P.
Gerberding. The audience will
sing “-Lead On, O King internal,”
and the high school mixed chor
us, under the direction of Miss
Margaret Cole, will sing “Go Not
Far From Me, O God,” by Zing
garelli.
Dr. A. C. Reid, Wake FoVest
college philosophy professor, will
deliver the graduation address
Tuesday evening. Dr. Reid, a na
tive of Davidson County, receiv
ed his B. A. Degree at Wake For
est in 1917, his M. A. at Wake
Forest in 1918, and his Ph. D.
from Cornell University in 1923.
He became an instructor in phil
osophy at Wake Forest in 1918,
was promoted to associate pro
fessor in 1920, and has been head
of the department since 1923. He
will be presented fey Rowel!
Lane, high school principal. Rev.
A. J. Argo will give the invoca
tion, and Rev. Howard Cooke
will say the benediction. The
mixed chorus will present
“You’ll Never Walk Alone,” as
arranged toy Rigwald, and pre
sentation of diplomas will be
made toy Principal Rowell Lane.
Miss Peggy Jean Rippy will pre
sent the gift of the graduating
class.
Donna Crawford, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Crawford,
and Tommy Gerberding, son of
Dr. and Mrs. W. P. Gerberding,
are the class mascots.
Fifty nine students are candi
dates for high school diplomas.
AT PRESBYTERIAN
George Grissom, Columbia
Seminary student, arrived Sun
day to assume duties of sum
mer assistant pastor to Rev.
P. D. Patrick at First Presbyter
ian church.
METER RECEIPTS
Net meter receipts from city's
parking meters for week end
ing Wednesday noon were
$172.22, according to Miss
Grace Carpenter, of city clerk’s
office.
Hayes Wins Ward 4 Commissioner Seat
551 Put Cais
To Safety Lane
Mechanical Test
Kings Mountain motorists were
running their autos through the
safety inspection lane in front of
City Hall this week at a rapid
pace.
By Wednesday at noon, 551 ve
hicles had been put to the ten
point test — with few qualifying
for perfection in these ten tests.
One of the favorite misses was
lack of back-up lights, now re
quired on new model cars by
state law, but missing on older
models, unless the purchaser was
willing to pay extra for them.
The Safety Inspection lane will
remain open through the week
end. It is being manned by vo
luteer mechanics and personnel
from the city’s garages and ser
vice stations.
No charge is made for the in
spection, a joint promotion of the
city police department, the Na
tional Safety council, and other
groups.
Saturday night, a free square
dance is scheduled at the high
school gymnasium at 8 o’clock,
as an end-point fillip to the Safe
ty Week promotion.
Kiwanis Club
Honors Ladies
A capacity crowd was present
last Thursday night tor the an
nual ladies night .banquet of the
Kings Mountain Kiwanis club,
Which featured an address on
the “Mission of Laughter,’’ by R.
L. Patton, superintendent of
Burke County schools.
Mr. Patton, interspersing ad
vice for living with witty anec
dotes, told his hearers that “your
outlook on life makes all the dif
ference in the world.”
He advised a constant effort
to relax and “to get hate out of
your heart.” "Hate hurts none
but yourself,” he declared.
“It is important,”'he said, “to
learn to take it. Some can’t, and
they are miserable.” He further
advised moderation in all activ
ities, be it work, play, religion, or
other pursuit.
Mr. Patton was presented Iby
B. N. Barnes.
Burlie Peeler, Jr., served as
toastmaster, and L. L. Benson
said the invocation. J. C. Bridges,
Kiwanis president, recognized
visiting Kiwanis officials from
Shelby, Gastonia, and Asheville,
presidents of other Kings Moun
tain civic clubs, widows of Ki
wanians, past presidents now
living in other communities, and
other club guests.
Two duets were sung by Miss
Melba Tindall and Dr. Blake Mc
Whirter, with Mrs. F. R. McCur
dy accompanying at the piano,.
Ladies were presented a pair
of the new stretch nylon hose iby
the ladies night committee which
included, Mr. Peeler, chairman,
Dr. D. F. Hord, F. iR. McCurdy, G.
C. , Kelly, Glee E. Bridges, and
Henry Neisler.
The dinner served by Mrs. I.
B. Goforth included tomato juice,
baked ham, potato salad, lima
beans, pear salad, celery, olivfes,
pickles, hot rolls and butter,
iced tea, and lemon bisque.
Races Aft Speedway
Sunday Afternoon
Some 35 cars are expected for
the races Sunday afternoon at
Kings Mountain Speedway. Time
is 3 p. m.
R. D. Spearman reports that
last Sunday’s challenge race and
other events were called off be
fore noon because of rain. Thir
ty cars and some 1,000 fans show
ed up anyway, he said.
The challenge race, set last
week, will be run Sunday, he said.
Kiwanis Club Schedules "Kamival";
Proceeds Aimed For Tennis Courts
The Kings Mountain Kiwanis
club will present a community
carnival, to be known as “Kiwa
nis Karnival and Auction”, on
June 18, with a wide variety ol ac
tivities on the one-day program.
Announcement of the club ac
tivity — to earn funds for two
major Kiwanis projects — was
made yesterday by Dr. W. P.
Gerberding, chairman of the pro
ject
Proceeds will go to the Kiwanis
project for the city recreation
plant, the building of two tennis
courts, and for the Kiwanis club
student loan fund.
Among special events planned
will be an auction of valuable
merchandise, a street dance, and
numerous other carnival type
promotions.
Henry Neisler Is sub-chairman
in charge of the auction, while
W. T. Weir is superintendent of
arrangements for the street
dance.
Further details concerning the
June 18 event will be forthcom
ing next week, Dr. Gerberding
said.
w w w www wwwv;
Mayor JobMayBeFuIl-Time;
Chief Logan’s Fate In Doubt
Results Given
On Aptitude
Tests Of Seniors
Results of an aptitude test con
ducted by the Kings Mountain
Employment service among 29
high school seniors was reported
this week by Franklin Ware,
manager.
Mr. Ware said the tests, taken
voluntarily, showed that seven
students had greater aptitude in
stenographic work; eight in typy
ing, bookkeeping and related
work; two in nursing; two in au
tomobile mechanics; one in ma
chine shop trades; two in literary
work; and seven in sales and pub
lic contact work.
Mr. Ware said 25 of the seniors
indicated they would seek em
ployment after they graduated
from high school next week.
The test was the General Apti
tude Battery and included consi
deration of personal interests,
leisure time activities, hobbies
and personal characteristics.
Mr. Ware said a number of the
students are listed for employ
ment at his office and invited
any employer to seek an inter
view with any or all of the group.
“It is good business to employ
our graduates and to keep them
in our community,” Mr. Ware
noted.
- ■ ■ -.
Dog Quarantine
Starts June 1
Dr. Z. P. Mitchell, Cleveland
County health officer, said Wed
nesday the county board of com
missioners have declared a quar
antine of all dogs in the county
during the month of June. At the
request of county officials, the
enabling act for the quarantine
was passed by the current legis
lature.
Dr. Mitchell said the purpose
of the quarantine is to eliminate
all unclaimed dogs in the county
who frequently have preyed on
poultry and livestock. Dr. Mit
chell further noted all peace of
ficers have been empowered to
destroy on sight any stray dogs
during the month, regardless of
whether dogs are wearing collars
or tags.
“Since there is no way of dis
tinguishing between a dog that
has escaped and one that has not
been confined,” Dr. Mitchell
said, “Dog owners should be
careful about preparing a suit
able place to confine their dogs.
It is entirely the dog owner's re
sponsibility to see that their dogs
are kept confined or, if not con
fined, kept on a leash,” he said.
Chief of Police Hugh A. Logan,
Jr., stated Wednesday that the
quarantine will be enforced in
Kings Mountain.
Six To Be Coniirmed
At St. Matthew's
Sunday is the Festival of Pen
tecost or Whitsunday at St. (Mat
thew’s Lutheran church. It will
be observed at 11 a. m. by the
rite of Confirmation. Six girls
will make their vows at the al
tar. They are Myrtle Dunn, Jane
Gosey, Joann Lackey, Linda Mit
cham, Peggy Sanders, Patsy
Sisk.
The choir and the class will
sing* special numbers. The class
! wll ibe robed in white and the
pastor, Dr. W. P. Gerberdlng, will
lay his hand on the head of each
as they kneel before the altar.
The Class will receive its first
Communion the following Sun
day, June 5th, at 11 a. m. They
have been under instruction by1
the Pastor for two years. They
will ibe honored at a reception
and reunion of those confirmed
in the past 10 years, June 5.
RECREATION DIRECTOR—Doug
Salley, Fayetteville native, is
city’s first full - time recreation
director. He assumed his duties
late last month and expects to
move his family to Kings Moun
tain in the next few days.
Police Investigated
Minor Accidents
Monday abound 3:55 ip. m.,
Kings Mountain Police depart
ment investigated an automobile
accident on W. Gold street. Driv
ers involved were listed by Police
as P. A. Hawkins, of Church
street, operating a 1952 Pontiac,
and Emory Carlton Nicholson, of
305 S. York street, operating a
City owned truck. The collision
occurred, Police reported, when
the driver of the Pontiac, which
was parked on the right side of
the road, opened- the car left
door in the path of the truck
which was attempting to pass.
Property damages were estimat
ed to total $85.
Thomas Lee Adams, of route 2,
and Everett A. Bringham, Jr., of
route 3, were involved in an ac
cident Sunday, Police reported.
The accident, which occurred at
the intersection of Carpenter and
King streets, resulted Police re
ported, when the Bringham ve
hicle, while attempting to make
a left turn off King street, on to
Carpenter street, struck the A
dams vehicle on the left front
fender. Property damages were
estimated to total $25.
Police reported the occurrence
of an accident Saturday when
the hand brakes of a car owned
by Thelma Styers Lanier, of 31
Parker street, failed to hold and
struck a car owned by Raymond
Kitter Hartsoe, also of Parker
street. Both cars were parked on
Parker street, Police said.
Friday, Police reported, cars
driven iby James Edward Ellison
of route 1, and Betty Bowens
Wright, of 32 Church street, col
lided on Church street. Property
damages as a result of the acci
dent were estimated to total $35.
Rudisill To Play
Saturday Night
John Rudisill, principal of
Bethware high school, is to play
on the Gastonia juniors’ “old tim
ers” team in a game against later
day stars at Sims Legion park in
Gastonia Saturday night.
Game time is 8 p. m.
Mr. Rudisill was rightfielder on
the 1935 club which won the Lit
tle World series. All but two
members of the team, both now
in service, will be in uniform for
Saturday’s game and Doc New
ton, coach of the club, will be on
hand to manage the club. -
Russ Bergman will tutor the
younger club.
OFFICIAL RETURNS
City Run-Off Election
Hn 24. 1955
For Ward 4
Commissioner:_
O. T.TKayes, Sr.
Paul W. Ledford
Ward Ward Ward Ward Ward
I. 1 I 2 I 3 4 5
^9f -150| 191| 223| 190
861 HOI 54| 1241 239
City
Total
853
613
first Meeting
Of Full Board
To Be June 2
What will be the end-point re
sults of Tuesday’s run-off elec
tion, finally completing the iden
tity of all members of the city’s
second Bridges Administration?
A survey by the Herald Wed
nesday morning, including con
versations with Commissioners
Sam Collins and T. J. Ellison,
Mayor Glee Bridges, and Com
missioner - nominee O. T. Hayes
indicates:
1) Mayor Bridges is likely to
become a full-time mayor at a
salary at the permissive maxi
mum of $300 per month, with con
current restrictions on city pur
chasing at Bridges Hardware,
where the mayor is the employee
of his sons who operate the busi
ness as a partnership.
2) Vast majority of city em
ployees will retain their jobs,
with Chief of Police Hugh A. Lo
gan, Jr„ the department head
most in danger.
3) There is not too much likli
hood of a firm and irrevocable
split in the administration, along
the lines of the Still administra
tion, when three commissioners
frequently combined to over
ride the mayor and two board
members.
With the election of Mr. Hayes
Tuesday, speculation arose on the
bloc possibility, with some citi
zens offering the opinion that
Commissioners Collins, Hayes
and Ellison would team to ef
fectively control the board. (The
mayor votes only in case of a
tie.)
Mr. Collins labeled this theory
as false, saying he would decline
to enter into a firm bloc with
either Commissioners Patterson
and Grantham, both re-elected on
May 10, or Commissioner Ellison,
also re-elected on May 10, and
Commissioner Hayes. Mr. Ellison
and Retiring Commissioner Phil
lips, in the occasional splits of
the past two years, were outvoted
3-2, and have stated privately
they were "out in the cold”.
The full Bridges Administra
tion II will meet for the first time
at the regular session of Jupe 2,
Mayor Bridges said Wednesday
morning.
He acknowledged conversation
concerning returning the mayor
al position to full-time status and
said he would accept it if the
commissioners desired it.
The question of Chief Logan’s
continuance in office was advanc
ed during the campaigning sea
son, with pressures being exerted
both for and against him.
The board, in a routine action,
re-employed all department
heads for 30 days on May 12.
KIWANIS MEETING
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Kiwanis cluib will hold
their regular weekly meeting
at Masonic Dining Hall Thurs
day evening at 6:45 ip. m.
Speaker for the program will
be G. C. Potter, of Charlotte, as
sistant freight traffic manager
of the Southern Railway. A
film entitled "Big Trains Roll
ing” will be shown by Mr. Pot
ter.
1466 Citizens
Accord Hayes
Margin Of 240
Oliver T. Hayes, Sr., won elec
tion to the city board of commis
sioners from Ward 4 Tuesday, as
he defeated Paul W. Ledford In
a run-off election, 853 to 613, a
margin df 240 votes.
Mr. Hayes will take the oath
of office at 10 o’clock Thursday
morning at City Hall, replacing
Harold Phillips, retiring Ward 4
commissioner, who has continued
to serve until a successor is elect
and qualified.
The run-off voting total sur
prised majority of the experts
who had predicted a maximum
vote of 1200, compared to the
1466 voters actually logged on the
pollbooks.
Mr. Hayes carried four of the
five wards, dropping only the
large Ward 5 box by 49 votes. He
picked up heavy majorities in
Wards 3 and 4. In Ward 3, the
Hayes margin was 191 to 54.
The victory of Mr. Hayes was
his first in seeking elective politi
cal position. He had three times
sought election to the board of
commissioners and one time had
sought election as mayor.
In 1937, when the city elected
its five commissioners by the
sweepstakes method, with the
five high candidates being de
clared winners, Mr. Hayes ran
ninth, polling 268 votes. He
ran for mayor in 1951, running
fourth in a four-man field. He
again sought a board position in
1953, placing second in a three
man field. In the May 10 city
election, he led a four-man race
by 189 votes, but lacked a ma
jority by 267. Subsequently, Mr.
Ledford demanded a run-off, and
the following ten days saw an
active campaign between the two
and their supporters, culminating
in Tuesday’s large vote.
The lone race attracted only
351 less voters than did the six
race, 19-candidate election of
May 10.
The board of commissioners
convened briefly Wednesday
morning at 10 o’clock to canvas
the vote, verifying the totals re
ported by the election officials
Tuesday night and making the
result official.
Lions Banquet
Plans Listed
Graham Jackson, nationally
known Negro organist and enter
tainer of the late President Roo
sevelt, will provide the feature
entertainment for the Kings
Mountain Lions club ladies night
banquet.
Announcement was made yes
terday by Sam Stallings, chair
man of the ladies night commit
tee.
Jackson plays an electric or
gan, piano, and accordion, and
is billed as a one-man floor show.
While a chief petty officer in
the navy during World War II,
Jackson accompanied President
Roosevelt to Warm Springs, Ga.,
helped to sell $3 millions in war
bonds, and was given nation
wide publicity in Life Magazine
and other publications. Ilis pub
licity brochure, shows him enter
taining Mr. Roosevelt and Act
ress Bette Davis at Warm
Springs, the late Senator Taft in
Washington, and at numerous ot
her functions.
“We feel we have an unusual
program for the ladies night ban
quet,” Mr. Stallings said.
The ladies night event will be
held at the Woman’s Club on
June 14.
Long Strike Against Bell Ends;
All Strikers Back On Job Here
The long Southern Bell strike
ended officially in Kings Moun
tain Wednesday morning, as all
striking employees returned to
their jobs.
The striking employees, mem
bers of Local 3605, Communica
tions Workers of America (CIO)
met Monday and ratified by u
nanimous vote the strike settling
agreement effected over the
weekend by negotiators between
the company and the union in
Atlanta, Ga.
Mrs. Jack Arnette, supervisor
at the Kings Mountain office,
said all the striking employees
were on their regular jobs Wed
nesday. She said five temporary
employees, who joined the staff
during the strike, were released,
and management personnel from
other offices, helping here during
the long strike, returned to their
regular jobs.
Company and union agreed to
a new one-year contract last
weekend.
Terms of the new contract pro
vided wage increases for the 50,
000 non-supervisory employees
ranging from $1 to $4 weekly,
based on the employee’s experi
ence, location, and job classifica
tion, at a company cost of more
than $7 millions annually.
Also included in the new agree
ment are reclassification of eight
cities and towns for wage pur
poses and shorter schedules for
operators who work certain night
hours. In addition, the agreement
provides for broader arbitration
of disputes arising under the con
tract, including disputes involv
ing suspensions of employees and
disciplinary action taken under
the no-strike clause.
Still excluded from arbitration
are the company pension and
benefit plan, leaves of absence,
compliance with health and safe
ty measures and demotions and
discharges during trial periods.
RUN-OFF WINNER — O. T. Hay
es, Sr., was elected Ward 4 com
missioner Tuesday in a run-off
election with Paul W. Ledford,
who had placed second in the
May 10 voting. Mr. Hayes will
take the oath of office at 10
o'clock Thursday morning.
May Gas Bills
Total 54,339.33
City natural gas hillings for
the month ending last week,
which customers will receive on
June 1, total $4,339.33, a slight
increase over last month’s total.
Figures reported by Assistant
City Clerk Jo»McDaniel, Jr., show
that residential billings totaled
$349.03, small commercial hill-1
ing.s totaled $216.22, large com
mercial hillings $3,749, and pub
lic institution billings (city and
school) $25.08.
Mr. McDaniel said the city list
ed approximately 140 customers
at the end of the hilling period,
compared to 110 a month ago.
The city buys the gas from
Transcontinental Pipeline Cor
poration. Billing for the past
month from Transcontinental
(which bills as as of the end of
calendar months) was $2,420.83,
Mr. McDaniel said.
Run-off Election
SIDELIGHTS
Tuesday's voting was conduc
ted quietly, with no lines con
gregating and making it appear
only a small vote was being
cast. But the vote totals taken
during the day did not bear out
the appearance. At the Herald’s
noon cheek of the five boxes, 608
persons had cast their ballots in
dicating that the total would
reach 1400. Customarily, voting
is heavier in the afternoon than
in the morning. And it was.
Ballot marking required only a
second, with the lone race.
****
Tuesday’s was the second run
off election in city poltical his
tory. The first, in 1951, attracted
1837 voters, second biggest vote
total in the city’s experience.
*♦»*
First to cast their ballots Tues
day in each of the wards were
Ollie Harris in Ward 1, M. A.
Ware in Ward 2, Harrison Baity
(as usual) in Ward 3, John Han
cock in Ward 4, and J. K. Willis
in Ward 5.
***#
One stir of the morning prov
ed of no consequence, may not
have anyway. Rumor was being
circulated that the Ward 3 poll
ing place at Phenix Store open
ed late. It did. Frank Ballard,
owner of Phenix Store, had been
called out of town to see an ill
kinsman, didn’t get home until
late, and arrived to open his
store and the polling spot at
6:50, or 20 minutes after the
scheduled time, Mrs. Ruth Bow
ers reported. But she didn’t think
anybody missed voting because
of it. Questions during the day
included what effect a late o
pening might have on the out
come, and whether the box could
be thrown out. As it happened,
the result would have been the
same, even without the Ward 3
totals.
****
Counting was simple Tues
day, with virtually every box re
ported within 20 minutes after «
the polls closed, in contrast to
the arduous work of May 10.
The winner, O. T. Hayes, Sr.,
called the Herald from his home
about 7 o’clock to inquire of the
results and to be told iby Reporter
Lafaye Meacham he had won.
The winner thanked Mrs. Mea
cham and said, “I wanted to win
more than anything in my life.”