Population
City Limits...7.206
Ike population U from Ibo U. S. Government census
ropiwl for 19S0. The Cornua Bureau estimates the natlest's
population gain sines 1950 at 1.7 percent per r»ca. which
Kings Mountain's 1954 population should approxl
The trading area population In 1945. based
ward registrations at the Kings Mountain
15.000.
Pages
Today
VOL 65 NO. 25
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, June 23, 1955
Sixty-Fifth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
City Board Tentatively Adopts $495,798 Budget
Local News
Bulletins
LICENSE TAG FOUND
A North Carolina truck li
cense tag No. 892-664, with a
Gastonia city tag No. 4520 at
tached, has been turned in at
Kings Mountain Police depart
ment. The tag may be claim
ed at the police station..
METER RECEIPTS
Receipts from city parking
meters for the week ending
Wednesday at noon totaled
$175.43, it was reported toy Miss
Grace Carpenter of the city
clerk’s office.
MOOSE MEETING
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Moose Lodge No. 1748 will
hold their regular meeting
Thursday night at 8:15 at the
lodge on Bessemer City road.
IMPROVING
The condition of Jimmy Mil
ler, 10, accidentally wounded
last Wednesday, June 8, when
he exploded a rifle cartridge
with an air rifle, was report
ed satisfactory by his physic
dan Tuesday.
ANDERSON IMPROVING
J. E. Anderson, superintend
ent of Lambeth iRope Corpora
tion, is reported improving af
ter undergoing an appendecto
my at Charlotte Memorial hos
pital last Saturday,.
Drive-In Theatre
Damaged By Fire
Fire caused several thousand
dollars loss at Bessemer City ■
Kings Mountain Drive-In Thea
tre last Thursday morning a
round 2 o’clock. The fire partially
burned the theatre’s concession
stand.
Origin of the fire is unknown.
Both Kings Mountain and Bes
semer City Fire departments
were called.'
Gay Stinnett, owner, said the
projection booth and equipment,
which were housed in the conces
sion stand, were saved, but two
pieces of equipment recently pur
chased, a $1,500 ice maker and
a $500 french-fryer, were des
troyed by the fire.
Plans for rebuilding the con
cession stand are incomplete, Mr.
Stinnett said. The theatre show
ed its regular prograyi Friday
night.
Negio Pool
Opened Monday
The Davidson street Negro
swimming pool opened Monday
afternoon.
City Recreation Director Doug
Salley said swimming fees are
15 cents for children and 35 cents
for adults, the same schedule of
fees prevailing at the Deal street
pool._
L Ben Goforth, Jr., city schools
faculty member and supervisor
of both pools, said the Negro pool
now is operating Mondays throu
gh Saturdays, from2 p. m. to 6
p. m. and from 7 p. m. to 9:30 p.
m. The pool will also be open on
Sunday afternoons from 1 to 6
o’clock. When the demand is
greater, he said, an expanded
schedule for the pool will be ar
ranged.
The pool, located just off Waco
road, can accommodate 200 swim
mers.
Last Call Issued
For Typing Class
Qty Schools Superintendent
B. N. Barnes issued what he
termed a “last call” for regis
trations for a six-week typing
class to be offered in conjunc
tion with summer school.
Mr. Barnes said the instruc
tion will be available both to
adults and to high school pu
pils.
Thus far, he noted, potential
registrations are insufficient to
offer the course. He said a min
imum of 25 registrants would
be required. Fee for the course
would approximate $20. The
course would be equivalent to
one unit of high school credit.
Kiwanis Karnival
Set For Saturday
HOSPITAL TRUSTEE — R. B.
Keeter, of Grover, has been ap
pointed to the county board of
hospital trustees from Number 4
Township. *He will succeed C. F.
Harry, Jr., also of Grover.
Keetei Named
Hospital Trustee
R. Burris Keeter, Grover gro
cer, has been appointed a county
hospital trustee from Number 4
Township for a three-year term
beginning in July.
Mr. Keeter will succeed C.
Franklin Harry, Jr., of Grover,
currently vice-chairman of the
board, who is completing the
term of office to which he was
appointed in 1952.
Other Number 4 Township trus
tees are W. L. Plonk and Lewis
Hovis, both of Kings Mountain.
Jn addition to Mr. Keeter, the
board of county commissioners
made these appointments to the
15-man board of hospital trus
tees: Billy Joe McCraw, Number
1 Township, succeeding M. H.
Walker; Hugh Davis, Number 5
Township, succeeding Zeno Hord;
Dr. Fred Falls, Number 6 Town
ship, succeeding R. J. Rucker, re
tiring board chairman; and Ed
Cook, Number 10 Township, suc
ceeding Everett Lutz.
Mr. Keeter has owned and ope
rated Keeter’s Self-Service Food
store at Grover for the past 15
years. He is a member of Gro
ver's First Baptist church and the
Grover Lions club. Mrs. Keeter is
the former Miss Bryte Richard
son, of Kings Mountain. They
have five children.
The trustees customarily or
ganize at the July meeting.
TO CHARLESTON
Thornton S. Hamll, former
ly of Kings Mountain, will as
sume the duties next week of
staff electrical engineer at
Charleston. S. C, Naval Opera
ting Base.. He has previously
been associated with Lockwood
Greene Company, Spartan
burg, S. C.
Doused Project
Is Re-scheduled;
Features Added
The Kings Mountain Kiwanis
club will do a re-play on its Ki
wanis Karnival Saturday, fol
lowing partial postponement last
Saturday due to rain.
The Karnival will be operated
at a new location, on the vacant
property adjoining Dean Buick
Company, it was announced by
Chairman J. C. Bridges, and the
festivities will get underway at
7 p. m., with all the features,
plus added attractions, which
had been scheduled for last Sat
urday night.
Rain began peppering down
shortly after 9 o’clock, just as the
big merchandise auction was
getting underway. Earlier show
ers had prevented the beginning
of the street dance.
Meantime, the Kiwanis con
cessions, including refreshment
stand, pony ride, and golf driv
ing range, had been doing nice
■business.
Added attraction will include
the appearance in person of Fred
Kirby, WB-TV cowboy performer,
Mr. Bridges announced.
The Karnival will open at 7 p.
m., with the open aid dance fea
turing a well - known orchestra,
to start at 8 o’clock.
“The rain was bad luck,”
Chairman Bridges said, “but no
thing is lost. Saturday night’s
event will be even better than
the one originally planned."
Mr. Bridges said a huge quan
tity of valuable merchandise re
mains to be auctioned.
Proceeds from the promotion
will be devoted to two Kiwanis
projects, one for building of ten
nic courts at teh city recreation
plant, the other the Kiwanis
Club student loan fund, which
enables Kings Mountain high
school graduates to attend col
lege.
Sarah Thombs
Gets Scholarship
Sarah Lloyd Thombs, recently
graduated honor student at Dav
idson high school, has been a
warded ay $600 scholarship from
the Chambers Scholarship fund
for the year 1955-56, it was an
nounced this week by Foote Mi
neral Company.
She is the daughter of Leo
Thombs, mill janitor at Foot’s
Kings M9untain plant, and Mrs.
Thombs, who lives at 310 Ellis
street.
She expects to enroll next fall
at Livingston college, Salisbury.
The Chambers fund was es
tablished under a trust agree
ment between Mr. and Mrs. Gor
don, H. Chambers and a Phila
delphia bank last November. Mr.
Chambers is president of Foote
Mineral Company.,
Under the agreement, a seh<>
Continued On Page Five
Schools May Offer Night Classes
Fox Adults; Rental Policy Amended
The city board of school trus-<
tees authorized the superinten
dent to investigate feasibility of
offering night instruction for
adults in mathematics, physics
and chemistry, at the regular
monthly meeting of the board
Monday.
Superintendent B. N. Barnes
had told the board Foote Mineral
Company had sought the instruc
tion for some of its employees
and offered to defray expenses of
the instruction.
' In a policy change, the board
also voted unanimously to change
its policy on renting school pro
perty for private functions. Un
der the resolution, the board vot
ed not to \rent its facilities for
admission - charging events on
Sundays. Under present policy,
the superintendent is authorized
to rent the auditorium and gym
nasium to churches and civic
groups. Objection was voiced by
board members to the practice of
renting the building for Sunday
gospel sings, to which admission
Continued On Page Ten 1
REVIVAL TO BEGIN — Rev. W.
C. Sides. Jr., pastor of Grace Me
thodist church, will' launch a
week's series of revival services
at the church on Sunday evening
at 7:30. (See Story page 2.)
AMPHITHEATRE BOX OFFICE — Preparations for the opening of
“The Sword of Gideon" on July 14 are rapidly nearing completion.
Pictured above readying the outdoor theatre box office are Meek
Carpenter, left, general manager. Cynthia Plott, and Ben Moomaw,
Kings Mountain National Military park superintendent. *
Drama Officials
See Biggest Season
GRADUATED -L. Miss Nancy
Plonk, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
R. L. Plonk, received the degree
of Bachelor of Arts in Oratory
from Staley College, Boston,
Mass., on May 26.
Bites Conducted
For Mrs. Osborne
Funeral rites for Mrs. Lona
Evans Osborne, 77, were conduct
ed Tuesday morning at 11 o’
clock from Harris Funeral Home,
interment following in Mountain
Rest cemetery.
Mrs, Osborne died suddenly at
Kings Mountain hospital Sunday
at 5 p. m. of a cerebral hemor
rhage. She had been ill three
days.
A native of Hickman, Ky., she
had made her home here for 19
years. She was the widow of
George F. Osborne and a member
of First Presbyterian church.
Surviving are three sons, Wil
liam F. Osborne with whom she
made her home, Robert B. Os
borne, both of Kings Mountain,
and Alvis T. Osborne, of Tucka
hoe, N. Y., two daughters, Mrs.
Norma Swaringen, Norwood, N.
C., Mrs. E. R. Smith, Memphis,
Tenn., a brother, Cleve Hawkins,
Fulton, Ky., two sisters, Mrs. Het
tie Stevens, Memphis, Tenn., and
Mrs. J. A. Wray, Fulton, Ky., and
five grandchildren.
Rev. P. D. Patrick, pastor of
First Presbyterian church, con
ducted the rites.
Active pallbearers wOre C. E.
Blalock, J. E. Rhea, W. B. Mc
Daniel, Dr. N. H. Reed, Eugene
Wright, and Jack Arnette.
uo;;.i MEETING
Regular Lions meeting will
'be held Tuesday night at 7
o’clock at Masonic hall. Offi
cers for 1955-36 will be install
ed.1
I
15 Performances
Are Scheduled,
Starting July 14
“The Sword of Gideon’’ will
begin its fifth season in the
Kings Mountain National Mili
tary Park on Thursday night, Ju
ly 14, at 8:15 p. m. The outdoor
drama commemorates the Battle
of Kings Mountain. Backers hope
to make this season the biggest
of all.
Meek Carpenter, general man
ager of the drama, points out
that 1955 marks the 175th anni
versary of the battle which Tho
mas Jefferson called the turning
point . of the American Revolu
tion. “We’re going all out this
year,” Mr. Carpenter said, “to
make the production the great
est it’s ever been! We have four
year’s experience,- more financial
support, a script which has been
improved each season, and a lar
ger than ever supply of experi
enced performers!”
Three’ additional performances
will be given this season, making
a total of 15 performances to be
held on Thursday, Friday, and
Saturday night, July 14 to Au
gust 13. Little Theatre groups
from many communities in this
area take part in the production.
The Battle of Kings Mountain
has been called one of the most
colorful, furious and decisively
won contests .of the American
Revolution. Backers of this his
torical drama, based on the battle
and the events surrounding it,
like to emphasize the entertain
ment as well as educational and
inspirational value of the sub
ject. Mr. Carpenter points, too,
to the fact that over 140,000 peo
ple visit the park each year, mak
ing it the only national park since
World War II to break atten
dance records every year for the
past five years. During that time
park visitation has increased
from less than 90,000. Nearly two
thirds of these people come from
two hours driving distance or
less. “We’d like to have all of
them come see our show," Mr.
Carpenter said.
Aii - Conditioners
Bought For Hospital
Order has been placed for
room air - conditioners for
Kings Mountain hospital and
installation is expected soon,
Grady Howard, business man
ager, said Wednesday.
The installations were ap
proved recently by the hospi
tal board of trustees and will
be provided from regular op
erating funds of the hospital.
License Schedule
Adopted; Pullen
Will Audit Books
The city board of commission
ers last Thursday morning voted
to retain A. M. Pullen & Com
pany, Charlotte accounting firm,
to audit the city’s books for the
fiscal year ending June 30, ac
cepted the resignation of Public
Works Supt. E. C. Nicholson with
out naming a successor, and a
dopted with two minor changes
in the privilege license schedule
used during the past year.
License for peddling in the city
was halved to $100, after Com
missiofier Tommy Ellison said
the city isn’t collecting any ped
dler’s licenses. Other commission
ers offered the opinion that the
$100 fee would be more enforce
able. The fee for out-of-town laun
dries operating here was upped
from $15 to $25, same amount
charged local laundries.
Motion to employ the Pullen
firm for the annual audit was
adopted after a prior motion of
Commissioner O. T. Hayes to re
tain Ernst & Ernst, of Winston
Salem, failed to obtain a second.
Pullen had made a verbal bid of
$5 per hour plus travel expense.
Ernst & Ernst bid $6 per hour,
plus travel, or $7 per hour with
out any additional expense. Eck
& Eck, of Gastonia, bid $35 per
diem.
The bo^rd also authorized in
stallation of numerous sewer
lines on a neediest - first basis as
follows: a half-block of Wood
side Drive (previously been ap
proved for paving), a half-block
of Hillside Drive, a .half-block
between Catherine avenue and
Cleveland avenue, service for
two residences on Cleveland ave
nue provided easements are ob
tained to tap the Church street
main, a half-block on Henderson
street, a block on Ellis street, one
and-one-half blocks on Ridge
street, and W. Gold street exten
sion to Phifer Road, provided
street right-of-way is furnished
by George W. Mauney, owner of
the property. The resolution on
the Gold street extension also
provides that water lines be ex
tended as demand requires.
The board left unsettled ques
tion of policy on removing brush
from city residences and took
no action on a city group Insur
ance policy renewal.
The city’s present hospitaliza
tion carrier, Equitable Life As
surance Society, had notified the
city its rates would be increased
in the year beginning July 1, due
to heavy claims during the past
11 months. Mayor Glee A. Brid
ges said he had proposals from
Pilbt Life Insurance Company to
provide similar coverage at $9.30
less per month, and from Liberty
Life Insurance Company to pro
vide similar coverage at some
$58 less per month. City Clerk
Gene Mitcham interposed the city
would benefit from a change only
for a year, since rates follow ex
perience ratings. He also said
a change would complicate the
city’s bookkeeping work and
might cause the city to lose cer
tain credits with Equitable on a
concurrent group life insurance
policy. Through May, Mr. Mit
cham informed the board, Equi
table had paid claims totaling 173
percent of the year’s premiums.
The city defrays the cost of the
Continued On Page Ten
Jn
TO SPEAK HERE — State Sena
tor Robert F. Morgan, of Shelby,
will address members of the
Kings Mountain Kiwanis club at
their meeting Thursday night at
Masonic Dining Hall at 6:45. A
Shelby seed and feed dealer, he
is serving his second term as
North Carolina state senator,
Rites Conducted
For J. C. Plonk
Funeral services for Joseph
Calvin Plonk., 57, were held Sat
urday morning at 11 o’clock at
St. Matthew's Lutheran church,
with interment following at
Mountain Rest cemetery.
Mr. Plonk, lifelong citizen of
Kings Mountain, died last Thurs
day at Kings Mountain hospital.
He had been ill three weeks and
had undergone a major operation,
prior to his death.
He was a member of the St.
Matthew’s churclj. He was a son
of the late Rufus S. and Mary
Motley Plonk.
Surviving are three brothers,
Rufus S. Plonk, Bessemer City,
Herbert J. Plonk, Raleigh, and
T. M. Plonk, Charlotte; and sev
en sisters, Miss May Plonk, of
Kings Mountain, Miss Ethel
Plonk of Kings Mountain and
Winston-Salem, Mrs. Hugh Or
mand, Kings Mountain, Miss Eva
Plonk, Charlotte, Mrs. C. A. Ha
ger, Hickory, Mrs. W. E. Alexan
der, Robbins, and Mrs. W. M.
Hite, Greenville, S. C.
The funeral rites were conduct
ed by Rev. R. Douglas Fritz, pas
tor of Resurrection Lutheran
church, and by Dr. E. C. Cooper.
Active pallbearers were Hal S.
Plonk, Fred W. Plonk, Dr. W. L.
Mauney, Ray Cline, Hal; Goforth
and Marriott Phifer.
Flower-bearers were Mrs. F. R.
Summers, Mrs. Fred W. Plonk,
Mrs. Garland Still, Mrs. R. L.
Plonk, Mrs. George Houser and
Mrs. J. H. Patterson.
The family requested that me
morials, in lieu of flowers, be
given to the Lowman Home, a
Lutheran institution for the ag
ed, at White Rock, S. C.
ENROLLMENT
Friday has been set for the
dead line for enrollment of
children who plan to take in
structions in the present swim
ming class at Deal street pool,
Doug Salley, city recreation di
rector said. Adults interested
in swimming instruction are
requested to enroll Monday
night at 7 o’clock at the pool,
he said.
Vacation Schedules To Vary Here;
Several Finns Plan Vacation Pay
Several Kings Mountain manu
facturing firms will take tradi
tional Independence Day vaca
tions, but some firms have not
yet completed vacation plans, if
any.
Neisler Mills has announced it
will close only on July 4 and 5,
taking a two-day respite, instead
of the customary week, and Mau
ney Hosiery Mills has been clos
ed this week, taking the vacation
period earlier than Visual. Mau
ney Hosiery will resume regular
schedules Monday.
The Herald’s incomplete sur
vey showed:
Craftspun Yarns, Inc., will'sus
pend operations at 6 a. m., July 1,
and will resume work at 10 p. m.
on July 10. C. G. Kelly said cus
tomary vacation pay will go to
employees based on two percent
of earnings for some employees
and four percent of earnings for
employees with longer service.
Burlington Industries’ Phenix
plant will be closed the week of
July 4 and will make vacation
payments, John La them, superin
tendent, said, though full details
have not been received from
company headquarters.
Lambeth Rope Corporation will
observe a ' week’s vacation, with
pay, beginning July 4. However,
employees will be invited to
work, if they wish, Frank Burke,
general manager, said. He guess
ed the plant would be able to
operate one or two shifts during
the July 4th week.
Jacob Cooper, superintendent
of Bonnie Cotton Mills, said ten
tative plans call for a July 4-11
holiday.
Park Yarn Mills, which had or
iginally planned a week’s closing,
will close only one day, on July
4. Employees with a year’s ser
vice will receive vacation pay of
two percent of earnings, in addi
tion to regular wages for the
week, Manager John Smathers
said.
Sadie Cotton Mills has set ten
tative plans to observe a holiday
the week of July 4.
The city’s laundry . cleaning
industry will be closed through
out the week, laundry and dry
cleaning operators have announc
ed.
Merchants will take their usual
one-day holiday on July 4.
Tentative Rate
For 1955 Taxes
Set At $1.70
The city board of commission
ers has tentatively set the 1955
56 budget at $495,798.33, a record
high, yet plans to hold the city
tax rate at a total of $1.70 per
$100 valuation — same rate for
1954.
Actually, the general operating
tax rate will be cut by five cents
per $100, for the board, in its ten
tative tax rate action, earmarked
five cents per $100 for recreation
al purposes.
Final action on the budget and
tax rate will be taken not later
than July 28 and possibly earlier.
Though copies of departmental
breakdown sheets had not been
made at last Thursday morning's
special session, it was noted that
the police department appropria
tion of $40,185 anticipates an li
man department, including the
chief of police, three less police
men than currently on the force.
City Clerk Gene Mitcham also
noted that the police department
budget anticipated a raise for the
chief of police from $4,020 per
annum to $4,200, and Commission,
er O. T. Hayes said, “I want to
object to that, if now is the pro
per time.” Mr, Mitcham replied
that changes should come after
the commissioners had received
the departmental breakdown es
timates, soon to be distributed,
and when the budget is being con
sidered for final adoption. J
Mr. Mitcham j,lso j^ted that
the lignf and power department
budget anticipated raises for
Linemen Harry Wilsoh, Arthur
Sanders and Jack Blanton, but
that the fire department budget
did not provide for a requested
raise for regular city firemen ap
proximating $3 per week.
Mr. Mitcham said the budget
figures did not include a $600 ap
propriation for welfare aid, ad
ministered by the Red Cross, nor
a $900 appropriation for Jacob S.
Mauney Memorial library. City
Attorney J. R. Davis said the two
appropriations are of question
able legality.
After the budget adoption mo
uun, approved Dy unanimous
vote, the board Informally dis
cussed without any action a prior
proposal to set a sewer fee. Com
missioner W. G. Grantham said
he had learned of several more
cities which are charging a fee
for this service, and Commission
er Hayes said he thought a fee
might be properly charged to
manufacturing plants which have
large amounts of refuse going in- *
to the city disposal system. Mayor
Glee Bridges remarked that Con
solidated Textiles had created a
considerable problem at the Mc
Gill tank by discharging into the
system a starchy type of refuse
from its textile operations.
The board indicated that any
changes in the tentative budget
will be via shifts within the va
rious departments, or by revision
of estimates, with the tax rate
tentatively set to be maintained.
. The board also tentatively set
the $2 poll tax, chargeable to
male residents between the ages
of 21 and 50.
The total of $495,798.33 com
pares with the 1954-55 budget of
$472,431. Anticipated spending
and revenue is $23,376.33 greater
for the coming fiscal year.
Revenue
The city again expects to re
Continued On Page Ten
City May Cease
Brash-Hauling
The city may take action to
suspend its brush-hauling ser
vice, a function of the sanitary
department, at its scheduled
special meeting of June 30.
Discussed without action at
the meeting of last Thursday,
the suspension will be recom
mended toy Mayor Glee A.
Bridges, who estimates the ser
vice cannot be maintained with
presently anticipated income.
Coming under the brush-haul
ing category is also rubbish,
other than garbage, of various
kinds.
Mr. Bridges estimated the
cost of maintaining the brush
hauling service would be $9,000
per year, including purchase of
a truck, automotive supplies,
and salaries for three men. The
Mayor said a majority of the
board of commissioners have
indicated they feel as he does.
“We want to continue the
twice-a-week garbage pick-up
and fee 1 maintaining this ser
vice is more important than
providing brush-removal ser
vice," the Mayor explained.