Population
City Limits. 7.206
Tb. population' U from the V. S. Government census
report (or 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
on ration board registrations at the Kings Mountain
15,000.
Kings Mountain's
VOL 65 NO. 23
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Reliable Newspaper
Thursday, June 9, 1955
Sixty-Fifth Year
1C Pages
|Q Today
Local News
Bulletins
TO TAKE EXAM
Acting Postmaster W. T. Weir
and Substitute Clerk Lalon
Franks will take the civil ser
vice examination for perma
nent Kings Mountain postmas
ter at Kings Mountain Satur
day. Nine other applicants un
derwent the examination May
28.
MASONIC MEETING
Regular Communication of
Fairview Lodge No. 339 A. F.
& A. M. will ibe held Monday
at 7:30 p. m. at the Masonic
Lodge, Secretary J. H. McDan
iel, Jr., announced.
OFFICE CLOSED
Offices of Dr. L. T. Ander
son, chiropractor, will be clos
ed .Thursday, Friday, and Sat
urday, Mr. Anderson has an
nounced.
COURT OF HONOR
Court of- honor for Kings
Mountain district Roy Scouts
will toe held Thursday night
at 7:45 at City Hall, it was an
nounced from Piedmont Coun
cil headquarters.
FINGERS MOVE HERE
Mr. and Mrs. Carl Finger and
children have moved from
Cherryville into the residence
at 505 W. Mountain street re
cently occupied by Mr. and
Mrs. F. A. McDaniel, Sr.
AT SYNOD
Dr. W. L. Pressly, J. E. Gam
ble, and W. S. Fulton, Sr., are
representing Boyce Memorial
ARP church at a meeting of
Synod at Bon Clarkn assembly
grounds.
MEDAL WINNER
Dean Bridges was winner of
the Kings Mountain high
school Davis Declamation me
dal for 1954-55. Listing of the
honor was inadvertently omit
ted from the list of awards
announced at last week’s com
mencement, Supt. iB. N. Barn
es noted. The medal is given
annually toy J. R. Davis, Kings
Mountain attorney and mem
ber of the school board.
BUILDING PERMIT
Wednesday, June 1, Building
Inspector J. W. Webster issued
a permit to J. Tom Moore to e
rect a one story building on
Battleground avenue, at an es
timated cost of $40,000. The
building is to Ibe occupied toy.
A & P Tea Company.
TO ATTEND MEETING
Dr. Blake McWhirter, optome
trist, will attend a state opto
metry meeting Saturday, Mon
day and Tuesday at Morehead
City. Dr. McWhirter announc
ed his office will toe closed
these days.
RESERVE TOUR
Grady Howard, Marine Corps
reserve captain and -business
manager of Kings Mountain
hospital, left Sunday for Parris
Island, S. C., for a two-week
tour of active duty.
INSTALLATION
New officers of American Le
gion Post 155 are to toe install
ed at the regular meeting of
the group at the Legion Hall
Thursday at 8 p. m.
Postal Receipts
Dropped In May
Postal receipts at Kings Moun
tain postoffice were off for May,
compared to May 1954.
Total for the month, Acting
Postmaster W. T. Weir reported,
was $4,111.21, compared to $5,
133.26 for May 1954. Mr. Weir
said stamp sales were higher dur
ing the month, but that the drop
in metered mail was $1,131, re
presented principally by less par
cel post shipments. He guessed
that limits on parcel dimensions
and weights had forced some
manufacturers to use other met
hods of transportation.
Wednesday City's
Brash-Haul Day
Wednesday is the city sani
tary department’s weekly
brush-hauling day..
Mayor Glee A. Bridges re
minded citizens to make their
yard work and tree-trimming
coincide with this schedule
and he also asked them to
■make their cuttings as small
as possible to facilitate handl
ing.
The men and trucks are tied
up with garbage collection on
the other days of the week, he
noted.
City Considering Fee For Sewage Service
* * *
* * *
* * *
* * *
Department Heads Retained
TO ENTERTAIN LIONS — Graham Jackson. Atlanta, Ga., entertain
er, will feature the program of the Kings Mountain Lions club at its
annual laJies night banquet on Tuesdry. Jackson is nationally
known in the entertainment field as a "one-man floor show."
Lions To Hold
Ladies Night
Event Tuesday
The Kings Mountain Lions
club will hold its annual ladies
night (banquet on Tuesday even
ing, with Graham Jackson, na
tionally known Negro entertain
er, to feature the program.
The annual event will ibe held
at the Woman’s Club at 7 o’clock.
Sam Stallings, chairman of the
committee on arrangements,
said club members should make
reservations for guests not later
than 5 p. m. Friday. “We have
ample space for guests, hut the
caterer must have the reserva
tions by Friday,’’ Mr. Stallings
said. Reservations may be made
by calling 35 or 398.
The Atlanta, Ga., entertainer,
Jackson, was a navy chief petty
officer in World War II, and tra
veled with the late President
Roosevelt to Warm jgprings and
other paints. He is described as
“the one-man floor show”, per
forming on the accordion, elec
tric organ, ipiano and other in
struments. He has received com
mendatory reviews from the na
tion’s leading newspapers, mu
sicians and individuals. Ed Sul
livan, the television master of
ceremonies, said, “You were a
big hit with the Yankees,” after
Jackson had made a New York
appearance.
Among out-of-town Lions offi
cials expected to he present are
District Governor and Mrs. Jim
Farthing, of Lenoir, Zone Chair
man and Mrs. Carver Wood, of
Shelhy, and Mr. and Mrs,. Howard
Caveny, of Shelby. Mr. Caveny is
president of the Shelhy club.
Presidents of other Kings Moun
tain civic clubs will be special
guests as will widows of Lions.
Lions President Jacob Cooper
will preside.
Other members of the ladies
night committee are H. B. Jack
son, T. W. Grayson, Jonas Bridg
es, and W. K. Mauney, Jr.
Gerberding Car
Stolen, Recovered
A sixteen-year-old Greenville,
S. C., youth, apprehended shortly
after stealing a 1954 Dodge own
ed by Dr. W. P. Gerberding, was
turned over to the FBI Wednes
day morning and charged with
violating the Dyer Act, for trans
porting a stolen motor vehicle a
ceoss a state line.
Chief Hugh A. Logan, Jr., said
Thomas McJunkin, when stopped
by Rutherford County police in
Spindale Tuesday morning about
4:30 for a routine check, admitted
the car he was driving had been
stolen earlier in Kings Mountain.
The stolen car later proved to be
Dr. Gerberding’s and had been
stolen by McJunkin around 3 o’
clock the same morning from the
Continued On Page Five
jaycee Paper
Pick-Up Sunday
Members of the Junior Cham
ber of Commerce will conduct
a scrap paper pickup on Sun
day beginning at 2 p. m.
The club is asking the co
operation of all citizens in
having paper bundled and pla
ced on the curb 'by 2 p. m. Sun
day. Persons wishing to have
paper picked up on Saturday
arfe asked to telephone Bill
Jonas at No. 113 or Herbert
Mitcham at No,. 123.
Persons may also phone No.8
on,Sunday afternoon if the
pickup crews have by-passed
their bundles.
Blanton To Join
Ding Finn Staff
Charles D. Blanton, now com
pleting two years service in the
army, will rejoin the pharmacy
staff of Kings Mountain Drug
Company Monday, it was announ
ced by the management.
Mr. Blanton was a member of
the drug firm’s pharmacy, staff
for three months in 1953, follow
ing his graduation'from the Uni
versity of North Carolina. Dur
ing the past two years he has
been stationed at Fort Jackson,
S. C., and worked as a laboratory
technician ih the base hospital.
In addition, he has done off-duty
work in pharmacy at several Co
lumbia drug firms.
Mr. Blanton had the highest
grade awarded by the North Car
olina Pharmacy board when he
underwent the pharmacy licens
ing examination in 1953.
He is the son of C. D. Blanton,
Kings Mountain Drug Company
partner.
GIRL'S STATE
Miss Sara Elizabeth Houser
and Miss Derice Weir leaVe
Sunday for Greensboro where
' they will attend 16th annual
Tar Heel Girls’ State in ses
sion June 12-17. They are del
egates from Otis D. Green Post
155, American Legion Auxili
ary.
Mayor Bridges
Given Full-Time
Status By Board
Mayor Glee A. Bridges became
a full-time mayor last Thursday
night, on unanimous vote of the
board of commissioners. It was
the first full-dress session of the
second Bridges administration
and a meeting generally devoid
of fireworks, as the commission
ers voted to re-employ all depart
ment heads, to retain the city at
torney and judge, of recorder’s
court, all at same* pay.
Ward 5 Commissioner W. G.
Grantham was elected unani
mously mayor pro tempore.
A larger-than-usual audience
was present and Mayor Bridges
welcomed them, stating meetings
of the board are always open and
that any citizen is welcome to at
tend at any time he wishes.
Principal disagreement occurr
ed when Mayor Bridges suggest
ed the commissioner department
appointments for the year, Com
missioner O. T. Hayes, Sr., de
clining to accept appointment as
gas commissioner. In turn, Com
missioners Ellison and Patterson
indicated they wanted no part of
the gas job and the board turned
to other matters without finally
settling the question of which
commissioner will accept which
department responsibility.
Two changes proposed by Mr.
Hayes were made. City Court
Solicitor George Thomasson, who
has been working on a fee basis,
was voted a salary of $100 month
ly and the $3.50 solicitor’s fee was
removed from the schedule of
court costs. City Judge Jack
White is paid $150 per month.
Mr. Hayes later moved that
Assistant City ,Clerk Joe Mc
Daniel, Jr., be assigned the du
ties of city purchasing agent, and
the motion carried unanimously.
Clerk Gene Mitcham noted sub
sequently that he had the pur
chasing duties, and Mr. Hayes
said he didn’t know they had
been assigned previously.
Otherwise, principal discussion
of the meeting concerned use of
City Stadium for pony league
baseball and softball. T. C. Mc
Kee, aiding with the pony league
program, said he had 63 ballplay
ers with no place to play, and
Jaycee spokesman sought use of
the ballyard for a late-summer
softball tournament. Objections
hinged on the fact that the pony
leaguers and softballers have dif
ferent diamond specifications
from regular baseball and that
the grass infield would be ruined.
Mr. McKee’s plea was, “Which
is more important, the grass or
the boys?”, and Bill Jonas, Jay
cee president, noted that the Jay
cees hoped to use proceeds from
the proposed softball tourney for
building a miniature golf course
at the city recreation plant. Also
speaking for the Jaycees was K.
E. Morrison.
Outcome was appointment of a
committee, including Mr. McKee,
Commissioner O. T. Hayes, H. L.
Kindred, of the recreation com
mission, and the mayor to obtain
sites for pony league baseball.
Board members indicated the city
would make the sites usable. Mr.
McKee had previously stated he
could obtain no answer from the
recreation commission, which un
der current city policy, has juris
diction over City Stadium. Sever
al commissioners indicated they
thought an August softball tour
nament would be approvable,
since football season would open
shortly thereafter, of necessity
marring the grass.
In other business, the board:
1) Approved a petitipn for the
paving of Brice street, when
Continued On Page Five
Jaycees Oppose Plan To Abandon
County's Mobile X-Ray Operation
The Junior Chamber of Com
merce went on record at its reg
ular meeting Tuesday at Maso
nic Hall as opposing the aban
donment of the county’s mobile
X-Ray unit.
The club, which solicited
funds from Kings Mountain area
citizens for the purchase of the
mobile unit, opposes an effort by
the courfty health department to
install the equipment perma
nently in the new county health
center building.
The Shelby club, which also
raised funds in the rest of the
county for purchase of the mo
bile unit, has also gone on rec
ord as opposing the move.
George Thomasson, Wilson
Griffin and Bill Eldon were nam
ed to a committee to secure pe
titions and resolutions opposing
the move.
President Bill Jonas presided
at the meeting and committee
appointments were read.
Guests were Bob Maner, Jask
Moss and Bill Rosenstengal.
Donald Patterson
Miss Barbara Grantham
William Z. Cashion
Four Received
College Degrees
Four area students received
college degrees in commencement
exercises last week.
Miss Nancy Nickels, daughter
of Mrs. J. C. Nickels, received the
master of arts degree in educa
tion from George Peabody Teach
er’s college, Nashville, Tenn., on
last Friday. She received her A.
B. degree in education from Wo
man’s college, Greensboro.
Miss Barbara Grantham, dau
ghter of Mr. and Mrs. W. G.
Grantham, received a bachelor
of music degree from Westminis
ter Choir college, Princeton, New
Jersey. She was a member of the
symphonic choir for two years
and a member of the Wesley
Foundation.
Donald Preston Patterson, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd Patterson,
received a bachelor of science de
gree in business and art educa
tion from Western ^Carolina col
lege, Cullowhee, where he was a
member of the Methodist choir,
a class officer, president of Alpa
Phi Sigma, a member of the Fine
Arts and Industrial club, on the
Catamount staff, a drum major,
and winner of the college’s best
citizen plaque. He has accepted
a position as city schools art in
structor in Washington, N. C., for
the coming term.
William Zura (Bill) Cashion,
husband of Mrs. Joyce Falls Cas
hion, was awarded the bachelor
of arts degree at commencement
exercises at Newberry college,
Newberry, S. C., on Sunday.
RETURNS HOME
First Lieutenant J. C. Bridges
Air Corps reservist and Kings
Mountain hardwareman, re
turned Sunday from a two
week tour of active duty at
Pope Air Force base, Maxton.
Police Roster
May Be Trimmed.
Talk Indicates
Will Kings Mountain citizens
soon be paying a monthly fee for
sewage service?
Will the police department ros
ter be cut?
Will the city adopt a fee for
removing brush from residences?
What firm will audit the city’s
books for the fiscal year ending
June 30?
All of these questions were pro
pounded and left unanswered at
last Thursday's board of commis
sioners meeting.
A monthly sewage fee of $1, or
$12 per year, almost was adopted
and may be yet, but the commis
sioners didn’t indicate they fav
ored a suggestion of Public
Works Supt. E. C. Nicholson for
a brush-hauling fee. There was
little discussion on the police cut
back.
Definitely indicated in the au
dit discussion was agreement by
the commissioners that the only
sound audit contract is one based
on a per hour cost, rather than
a flat fee basis. Also indicated
was that Robert H. Cooke, Shelby
CPA who audited the city books
last year, will not be retained for
the upcoming audit. The board
heard John Dickenson, of A. M.
Pullen & Company, Charlotte,
outline objections to a contract
audit and an offer from his com
pany to handle the work at $5
per hour, plus travel expense. Mr.
Cooke had written the board he
would audit the books for $893.
All members agreed the per hour
basis was best, but deferred ac
tion when Commissioner Hayes
suggested that bids be invited
from other firms, including John
Eck, Gastonia, and Ernst & Er
nst, of Winston-Salem.
The sewer fee and police cut
back possibilities came vie Ma
yor Glee A. Bridges in a report
on his recent trip to Chapel Hill
for a League of Municipalities
meeting.
The Mayor said many cities are
now charging a sewer fee (billed
monthly with other utilities), and
Commissioner Sam Collins quick
ly made a motion to enact a fee
of $1 per month for city sewage
service. Discussion indicated
Commissioners Patterson and
Grantham were sympathetic to
the motion with Commissioners
Ellison and Hayes opposed. Fi
nally, Mr. Collins withdrew his
motion and Mr. Grantham’s sub
stitute to table carried.
The Mayor told the board that
North Carolina cities under 10,
000 population maintain a police
force, on the average, of 1.5 po
licemen per 1,000 population. If
Kings Mountain follows the for
mula, he added, it would provide
10.5 policemen, compared to the
14.5 policemen now employed. (A
part-time Negro policeman is em
ployed on weekends to work with
full-time officer Laymon Corn
well.)
The questions will be upcoming
at future board meetings, as the
budget adopting deadline ap
proaches. Tentative plans call for
submission of the budget to the
board on July 7, with final adop
tion required not later than July
28, City Clerk Gene Mitcham said.
Miss Grantham
To Give Recital
Miss Barbara Ann Grantham,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. W. G.
Grantham, will give an organ re
cital Sunday afternoon at 4 o’
clock in St. Matthew’s Lutheran
church.
The program will include se
lections by J. S. Bach, Franck,
Peeters, Jongen, and Mulet.
Miss Grantham received her
bachelor of music degree in May
from Westminister Choir college,
Princeton, New Jersey. She was
an organ student of Donald Mc
Donald.
NEW SEWAGE DISPOSAL PLANT — Pictured are three units of the
new city sewage disposal and treatment plant on McGill creek, now*
completed and ready for formal acceptance bv the city. Top photo <
shows the settling basin the raw sewage first enters. Second picture 1
is a revolving purification plant, step two in the purifying process, 1
while bottom photo shows the sludge basin. The sludge moves to ’
drying beds and the purified water flows downstream. When the ,
sludge dries, it is ready for hauling away and has a value as com- j
mercial fertilizer. (Herald photo by Lafaye Meacham.)
Deal Street Pool!
I
May Open Friday!
The shiny new Deal streets
swimming pool may open for cus
tomers this weekend, probably
Friday, City Recreation Director
Doug Salley said Wednesday.
The Negro pool off Watterson
street is not quite completed, but
should be ready for swimmers
next week, he added.
Actual opening of the pools de
pends somewhat on the weather,
and Wednesday’s rain was no
help to the pool staff in getting
ready for business.
Mr. Salley said swimming fees
will be 15 cents for children and
35 cents for adults, the same
schedule of fees prevailing in
nearby cities. He said the pools
will be open daily, Monday throu
gh Saturday, from 9:30 a. m. to
12:30 p. m., from 1:30 to p. m.,
and from 7 to 9 p. m. The pools
will also be open on Sunday af
ternoons from 1 to 6 o’clock.
The pool operations will be
under direct supervision of I. Ben
Goforth, Jr., city schools faculty
Continued On Page Five
Kings Mountain Takes Top Place
In Charlotte Area Blood Program
Kings Mountain’s blood-giving
record for the past eleven mon
ths topped all cities in the Char
lotte Red Cross area.
Kings Mountain area citizens
gave 653 pints of blood, against
a 500-pint quota, during four
visits of the Red Cross bloodmo
bile, or 130.6 percent of the quota.
Kings Mountain topped High
Point, in second place, with 123.2
percent of its quota.
The figures were revealed Wed
nesday morning at a meeting of
Red Cross officials here, when
Ollie Harris, Kings Mountain
mortician, was named chairman
elect of the local chapter’s disas
ter relief committee. He will suc
ceed Ben H. Goforth, Jr.
Dr. P. G. Padgett is blood pro
gram chairman and Grady Ho
ward is donor recruitment chair
man.
Meeting with Red Cross offi
cials here were Miss Antoinette
Beasley, field representative, and
Miss Sallie Barrett, of the south
eastern area staff, Atlanta, Ga.
Bridges Announces
Mayoral Schedule ,
Mayor Glee A. Bridges as
sumed full time duties Mon- ’
day, following last week’s
board action.
The Mayor said he would !
maintain a tentative office
hour schedule at City Hall as i
follows: from 9 a. m. to noon, 1
and from 1 to 4 p. m., except j
Saturdays. The Saturday sche- '
dule will be 9 to noon.
“Of course, I’m available 24
hours a day, if needed,’’ the j
Mayor added.
Schools Gain
Two Teacheis
Kings Mountain city schools
have been allotted two addition
al state-paid teachers over last
year’s number, B. N. Barnes, su
perintendent, reported this week.
The new allotment lists 62
white teachers and principals
and eight Negro teachers and
one principal, making a total of
71. One white elementary and
one Negro elementary teacher
was gained over last year’s fig
ure.
The state failed to allot a su- •
pervisor, with a new law requir
ing a system to have 75 state
paid teachers to qualify, an in
crease of perhaps 25 over the
regulation in effect last year.
Mr. Barnes, however, said that
he has contacted state school of
ficials and is in process of work
ing out an agreement with the
county whereby Kings Mountain
can retain its supervisor. Miss
Alice Averitt has filled this po
sition the past four years.