Population
City Limits.. 7.208
n» population l« (rein the V> S. Gorenuneat census
report for 1950. The Census Bureau estimates the nation's
population gain since 1950 at 1.7 percent per year, which
■cans Kings Mountain's 1954 population should approxi
mate 790*. The trading area population in 1945, based
board registrations at the Kings Mountain
15.000.
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
1A Pages
ID Today
VOL 65 NO. 28
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, July 14, 1955
Sixty-Fifth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Battle Drama To Open Thursday For Fifth Season
City Approves Sunday Movies;
Ministers Ask Vote Of People
Local News
Bulletins
SUFFERS INJURY
Mis. Harry E. Page suffered
a painful injury in a freak ac
cident at Lake Montonia last
.Friday, losing a portion of
a finger when it was caught in
a folding chair. She had at
tempted to [brace herself when
a portion of the canvass ripped
out.
ATTEND MARKET
Harold Coggins, manager of
Cooper’s, Inc., attended the
High Point furniture market
showing on Monday and Tues
day. Dan Huffstetler, manager
of Baird Furniture, spent Mon
day at the market.
- *
METER RECEIPTS
City parking meter receipts
for the week ending Wednes
day at noon totaled $169.85,
plus a Bridgeport, Conn., bus
token, City Clerk Gene Mitch
am reported.
TO KOREA
A2c Raftny An^pte, son of
Mis. and Mrs. Jack Amette,
left Lowrey Air Force base,
Denver, Colo., last Friday, for
California and subsequent as
signment for duty at Seoul,
Korea, according to informa
tion received here by his par
ents.
TRANSFERRED
Capt. Tom Harper, Air Force
instructor at Greenville, N. C„
has been transferred for duty
to Ardmore Air Force base,
Ardmore, Okla. Capt. Harper
is to report for duty on July
31. Mrs. Harper, and children,
are visiting Mrs. Harper’s mo
ther, Mrs. John Plonk. Capt.
Harper will return here this
weekend.
GERBERDINGS RETURN
Dr. and Mrs. W,. P. Gerber
ding and family have returned,
from a vacation trip to St.
Paul, Minn. Dr. Gerberding
will return to his pulpit at St.
Matthew’s Lutheran church at
Sunday services.
COMMUNICATION
An emergent communication
of Fairview Lodge 339 AT &
AM for work in the third de- *
gree will toe held at a supper
meeting of the 'group at the
lodge Saturday at 7 p. m. Joe
H. McDaniel, Jr., secretary,
said that tickets for the supper
may toe obtained from Tommy
Tindall at telephone no. 439-M.
IN BARIUM SPRINGS
The Synod of North Carolina
of the Presbyterian church con
vened at Barium Springs Or
phanage Tuesday afternoon.
Rev. P. D. Patrick and C. IX
Blanton are commissioners
from First Presbyterian church.
ATTENDING INSTITUTE
Dr- W. L. Pressly, pastor of
Boyce Memorial ARP church,
Is attending the Institute of
Theology, Princeton, N. J. Dr.
Pressly announced there will
be no Sunday morning services
at the church tout there will
toe Sunday school.
COURT OF HONOR
Regular Boy Scout Court of
Honor for Kings Mountain dis
trict tooy scouts will toe held
Thursday night at 7:45 p. m.
at City Hall. Scout leader’s
round taible will toe held.
KIWANIS MEETING
Marshall Pickens, Director of
the hospital and orphan sec
tion of the Duke Endowment
Trust, will address members of
Kings Mountain Klwanis club
at their regular meeting Thur
sday night at 6:45 at Masonic
Hall dining room.
Pastors Issue
Statements
On City Action
Several Kings Mountain min
isters issued statements this
.veek concerning the action of
the city board of commissioners
in amending the blue law to
permit Sunday motion pictures.
The individual statements fol
low:
j Rev. T. A. Lineberger, pastor of
Macedonia Baptist church: “I
feel, that in the action taken re
cently by the city council of
Kings Mountain a decision was
made that infringes on the plan
of God that He established for
His people. The Powers that be
are ordained of God. Therefore,
no law-making body has the
right to make slaves or give
liberties that would not be pro
vided in the counsel of His Di
vine wisdom. His Day is Holy,
and He set it aside for the spir
itual and moral well being of
His people.”
Rev. H. G. McElroy, pastor of
Temple Baptist church: "I feel
that the City Councilmen acted
on the issue at hand without
the proper consideration of the
people involved. I am convinced
that no one, not even our city
councilmen, should act so hastily
on a matter such as this. I am
firmly against the opening of
the theatres on Sunday and feel
that the citizens should be the
deciding factor in a matter such
as this and not a half a dozen
men. I am also against the open
ing of the city park on Sunday,
and too would like to see steps
taken to close down the drive-in
theatres in the county and the
auto racing on Sunday, too. The
Lord’s day is a Holy day and not
a holiday, and I am against des
ecrating it.”
Rev. W. C. Sides, Jr., pastor of
Grace church: “It is my person
al convictions that the theatres,
or any other public places of en
tertainment, should not be open
ed on the Sabbath day. As a min
ister I feel that our people need
to have a conscience toward
what is right or wrong. If we
do not keep a high moral prin
ciple before our people the time
will come, in fact in many in
stances it has already come,
when our people will be unable
to discern the right from the
wrong. I do not feel that people
can respect the sacredness of
God's day, if they are not truly
guided in the observance of it.”
Rev. Phil Shore,«Jr., pastor of
Central Methodist church: “1
have not heard of any over
whelming demand for the open
ing of theatres on Sunday. If
such a demand exists it should
be heard, but not at the expense
of ignoring that large body of
people Who did not wish to see
the law on the matter revised.”
Rev. Howard T. Cook, -pastor of
Continued On Page Eight
BANK OFFICER — William G.
(Bill) Jonas, manager oi First
National Bank's personal loan
department, was promoted this
week to the position of assistant
cashier.
First National
Promotes Jonas
William G. (Bill) Jonas, man
ager of the personal loan dtepart
ment of First National Bank,
was promoted to the position of
assistant cashier by the board of
directors in session Monday.
Mr. Jonas will continue to man
age the personal loan depart
ment. >
Mr. Jonas joined First Nation
al Bank three years ago, after
fivte years of service with Gas
tonia’s National Bank of Com
merce. He is president of the
Junior Chamber of Commerce
and a director of the Kings Moun
tain Merchants association.
A member of Grace Methodist
church, Mr. Jonas resides with
his wife, the former Miss Virginia
Ferguson, of Gastonia, at 716
Jackson street.
Promotion of Mr. Jonas brings
to three the bank staff of assis
tant cashiers, who also include J.
C. McKinney, and Mrs. Helen R.
Blanton.
License Purchases
Now Total $2,784
Privilege license purchases
for 1955-56 by business firms
here and others doing business
in Kings Mountain reached
$2,764.75 through thte close of
business Tuesday.
The total showed an increase
of $1,668.50 during the past
week and compared with the
city’s tentative estimate of re
ceipts from this revenue cate
gory of $6,500.
Licenses are purchasable at
par through August 1, with
- penalty of five percent per
month provided for late pay
ment.
Solititoishlp Eliminated; Motion
To Fire Logan Goes Unseconded
The city board of commission
ers, seeking money to restore a
library appropriation of $900, vo
ted last Thursday night to dis
pense with the services of Re
corder’s Court Solicitor George
Thomasson as of August 1. The
tentative budget contained a
$1200 item as salary for the So
licitor,.
The board, however, failed to
settle its continuing police de
partment question, after long
and varied discussion, during
which a motion by Commission
er O. T. Hayes, Sr., to discharge
Police Chief Hugh A. Logan, Jr.,
failed to obtain a second.
The Hayes motion was presen
ted as the board was discussing
procedure for cutting the police
department to 11 men. Earlier,
the board had voted to adopt a
pared police department budget,
necessitating the cutdown of
personnel, on motion by Commis
sioner Hayes, seconded by Com
missioner J. H. Patterson and
was passed by unanimous vote.
In a discussion on how to trim
the department, Mr. Patterson
moved that Chief Logan present
a recommendation to the board,
which has the authority to hire
and fire. Commissioner W. G.
Grantham seconded the motion
and Commissioner Sam D. Col
lins supported it. Commission
er Hayes voted against the mo
tion, with Commissioner T. J.
Ellison abstaining.
Chief Logan stated he was not
prepared to make a recommen
dation at the time because he
had not had prior instructions
from the board as to what con
siderations the dismissed men
would get.
■Mayor Glee A. Bridges asked
1 Chief Logan to leave the meeting
and prepare a recommendation.
Chief Logan returned about a
half-hour later told the board
he still had no recommendation,
asking that the board set the
procedure to be followed.
The board then directed that
the discharged personnel be re
lieved of duty as of July 15 and
be paid to August 1. At this
point, Mr. Hayes projected the
Continued On Page Bight
Movie Houses
Opened Sunday
Fox First Time
The board of city commission
ers amended a section of the Sun
day blue laws last Thursday
night, Kings Mountain movie
houses operated Sunday for the
first time to small audiences,
and the Kings Mountain Minis
terial association has attacked
thb action on the grounds that
the amendment was of sufficient
importance to justify submitting
of the question to the electorate.
The ministers met at a called
session Monday morning, with
eight present. The ministerial rte
solution reads:
“RESOLVED, that it is the con
viction of the members of the
Kings Mountain Ministerial as
sociation that the matter involv
ed in the action of the City Coun
cil in changing the City Code,
Chapter T, Article I, Stection 2
with regards to Sunday operation
of motion picture theaters is of
sufficient importance to warrant
being decided by the citizens of
Kings Mountain.
“THEREFORE, we request the
Council to make it possible for
the voters of Kings Mountain to
make that decision.”
Present and voting were Rev.
Phil Shore* president, Rev. Doug
las Fritz, Rev. H. T. Cook, Rev*
A. J. Argo, Rev. T. A. Lineberger,
Rev. H. G. McElroy, Rev. W. C.
Sides, and Rtev. J. J. Thronburg.
Several non-members of the as
sociation were present, including
lay representatives of First Bap
tist church.
The board of commissioners
had originally tabled a request
for amendment of thte blue law
several weeks ago, as presented
by Ed Tutor, manager of Joy and
Dixie Theatres, operated by the
Stewart & Everett chain.
Under the amtendment. passed
on motion of O. T. Hayes, Sr.,
with Sam Collins seconding, the
theatres are now permitted to
open from 1:30 to 6 o’clock Surt
day afternoons, and from 9 o’
clock to midnight Sunday even
' ings.
The old statute, with a particu
lar section concerning motion
picture operations on Sunday,
forbade any motion picturte ope
rations, either for an admission
fee, or free.
Mr. Tutor said his attendance
at three Sunday showings during
Continued On Page Eight
Ramsey Death
Inquest Friday
A coronor’s inquest to deter
mine whether the fatal shooting
of Willie A. Ramsey was suicidal
or accidental has been set for
Friday afternoon at 5 o’clock at
City Hall, Coronor J. Ollie Harris,
has announced. Ramsey died
July 4 of a pistol wound.
The eight-man coronor’s jury
impaneled for the inquest are D.
C. Hughes, Menzell Phifer, Char
lie Campbell, Bright Ratterree,
Carl Blanton, John Lewis, Hilton
Ruth, and Robert Goforth. The
eight men were sworn in last
Friday in the presence of the
body of Ramsey which had been
exhumed at the request of his
family.
Coronor Harris, after investi
gating the death of Ramsey, had
ruled the death a suicide and rul
ed an inquest unnecessaVy. Later,
however, several members of the
family expressed the opinion that
the shooting was accidental and
requested an inquest.
The autopsy was performed by
Dr. Craig Jones, assisted by Neal
Grissom.
The autopsy revealed that
Ramsey died of internal hemorr
hages, after the .32-caliber pistol
bullet had entered Ramsey's
right side, punctured the liver,
passed through a vertebrae,
punctured the right lung, and
lodged near his right shoulder
blade.
Coronor Harris, on making his
first determination, said mem
bers of Ramsey’s family had told
him their father had previously
threatened suicide.
SCENES FROM BATTLE DRAMA — Pictured are
scenes from The Sword of Gideon", which will
open Thursday night for its 195S season. Three of
the pictures are from former productions, while
the inset picture at right, below, is the familiar
marble obelisk erected by Congress to commemo
rate the Battle of Kings Mountain. Attendance
has averaged 5,000 per year since the Little Thea
tre first presented "Then Conquer We Mustl" in
1951. It opened "Sword of Gideon" in 1952.
Friday Meeting Is Scheduled
To Determine Police Paring
RESIGNS — J. Neal Grissom has
resigned his position with Harris
Funeral Home to accept the po
sition of manager of the Jackson
Funeral Home, Hendersonville.
Grissom Resigns.
Position Here
J. Neal Grissom, Harris Fu
neral Home embalmier, has re
signed to become manager of
Jackson Funeral Home in Hen
dersonville. He will assume his
new duties on August 1.
Mr. Grissom, Gastonia native,
came to Kings Mountain four
and one-half years ago. He is a
graduate of Gastonia high school
and Gupton Jones College of Mor.
tuary Science, Nashville, Tenn.,
where he received the DMS de
gree. He is a World War II Ma
rine Corps veteran.
Hie is president of the Kings
Mountain Optimist club and is a
Red Cross first aid instructor
here. He is married to the former
Miss Ann Price and they have
two sons, Neal Grissom, Jr., age
12, and David Grissom, age 6.
WOMAN’S CLUB
‘ \
The Woman’s club will serve
dinner Sunday at 12:15 at the
Woman’s clubhouse, it hqs
been announced. Fried chicken
and roast beef plates will be
available, and advance tickets
may be purchased from Mrs.
P. E. Hendricks, at telephone
no. 125, or from Mrs. J. M.
Cooper, at telephone no. 310.
Final Adoption
Oi Tax Rate,
Budget Possible
The city board of commission
ers has scheduled a short special
session for Friday morning at 10
o’clock, with the principal item
of business to settle the month
long question on which police
men will be relieved of their du
ties, due to a curtailed budget.
Other possible items of busi
ness, Mayor Glee A. Bridges,
said, might be final adoption of
the 1955 tax rate, tentatively set
at $1.70, and final adoption of
the 1955-56 budget.
Mayor Bridges said budget ac
tion would be taken only if “it’s
ready..” Meantime, Gene Mitch
am, city clerk, had invited the
commissioners to gather inform
ally Wednesday afternoon to ef
fect some changes in the tenta
tive estimate adopted last mon
th.
The Mayor said he had con
versed with representatives of
the Kings Mountain Ministerial
association concerning the Sun
day blue law repeal amendment,
and had promised to schedule a
special meeting to discuss the
matter
However, he added, he had told
them that Friday morning’s ses
sion had been scheduled with
the understanding it would be
brief and that he felt the minis
ters would have insufficient time
to discuss the blue law matter
Continued On Page Eight
Richard Hold
Found Dead
Rev. Richard Winfield Hord,
44, of Vale, Kings Mountain na
tive, was found dead in bed at
his home Wednesday afternoon
about 2:30.
Details concerning his deatfi
are incomplete, but it was re
ported that Mr. Hord was to meet
his wife 'around noon at his mo
ther’s home. here. His wife
had been away from home since
Monday afternoon. When Mr.
Hord failed to melet his wife, she
was driven to Vale by Robert
Hord, a brother.
Mr. Hord was pastor of Mt.
Vernon Baptist church, Vale.
He is survived by his wife and
two children.
PUBLIC WORKS CHIEF—Grady
Yelton, Kings Mountain citizen,
will assume the duties o< city
superintendent of public works
on August 1. Mr. Yelton will suc
ceed E. C. Nicholson, who resign
ed in June.
Carolina Mines
Manager Named
Peter R. Peterson, of Vancou
ver, B. C., has been named gen
eral manager in charge of erect
ing machinery for the operation
of Carolina Mines, Inc., it was an
nounced Wednesday by J. E.
Herndon, vice-president.
Mr. Herndon said Mr. Peterson
was elected by the board of di
rectors of the company in a meet
ing* here Tuesday. Mr. Peterson
attended the board meeting. He
was also elected a member of
the board of directors and as
managing director of the com
pany’s mining operations.
Mr. Herndon said that the
firm’s manager is a veteran of
35 years experience in mining
operations, that machinery for
gyanite mining operations is ex
pected to arrive soon, and that
the firm hopes to be in opera
tion v/ithin six months.
Roads'into the company’s mi
neral lands — which lie between
the peaks of Kings and Crow
der’s Mountain, have already
been cut.
Little Theatre
Has Scheduled
15 Performances
"The Sword of Gideon”, Floret
te Henri’s drama commemorat
ing the Battle of Kings Mountain,
will open for a 15-performance
season Thursday night at the
Kings Mountain National Mili
tary park amphitheatre.
Curtain time will be 8:15.
Officials of the Kings Moun
tain Little Theatre, producers of
Drama Tickets
Reserved seat tickets for
"Sword of Gideon” may be ob
tained in advance for any of
the 45 scheduled performances
at the Little Theatre office at
the Woman’s Club. Tickets will
be on sale at the Battleground
Amphitheatre boxoffice prior
to each performance. Ticket
prices are: reserved seats, $2;
adult general admission, $1.20;
child (under 12) general admis
sion, 60c. The Little Theatre
telephone is 943-W.
the outdoor drama, said Wednes
day that all details of the pro
duction are completed for tomor
row’s opening.
The drama will be presented
each weekend — on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday evening —
through August 13.
The cast, working on the 1955
production for several weeks,
held dress rehearsal at the am
phitheatre Tuesday night add had
scheduled another for Wednesday
night.
Lead roles in "The Sword of
Gideon” are being taken this sea
son by Biff Leonard, of Lexing
ton, as Reece McDermott; Susan
Moss, playing the part of Sally
for the second season; and Doug
Swink, high school faculty mem
ber, playing the part of Col. Pat
rick Ferguson, the British com
mander, for the first time.
Returning in the top comedy
roles will be Dr. P. G. Padgett, ay
Billy Ftover, the thieving medi
cine man; and Mrs. M. A. Ware,
as the Widow Smith.
The drama is based on the his
tory of the Battlfe of Kings Moun
tain, credited by Thomas Jeffer
son as "turning the tide” of vic
tory against the British in the
Revolutionary War.
“The Sword of Gideon” is be
ing presented for the fourth con
secutive season. In 1951, thfe Lit
tle Theatre produced Robert Os
borne’s “Then Conquer We
Must!”
One feature of the production
repeated from 1954, will be thfe
authentic Indian dances of Gene
Mauney. Mr. Mauney’s dancing
Continued On Page Eight
City Carrier
Routes Extended
Kings Mountain postoffice add
ed a number of in-city areas to
city carrier routes on July 1, Act
ing Postmaster W. T. Weir re
ported Wednesday.
They include York road (100
400 block), the 100 block of Slater
st., the 600 blocks of East Gold
st., Mauney ave., and Floyd st.,
Oriential ave. (100-400 blocks),
the 100 block of Owens st., Sadie
loop in the Sadie Mill village,
Hendricks street, thfe 100 block of
Lynn st., Church st. (600-700
blocks), the 500 block of Wood
side drive, and the 100 block of
Guyton Loop.
He also listed First and Se
cond sts. (900-1000 blocks), the
400 block of Morris st., the 100
block of Rosewood ave., the 100
and 200 blocks of North Sims st.,
the 300 block of North Carpenter
st., and the 800 block of W. King
st.
Churchwomen Issue
Call To Prayer
The Kings Mountain Council
of Churchwomen is asking all
area church congregations to
participate in a world wide call
to prayer at church services on
Sunday.
Mrs. James B. Simpson, coun
cil presidfent, said that the
World Council of Churches has
issued the appeal to all church
es to unite in prayer for the
Geneva conference in Geneva,
Switzerland, on Monday.
She notfed that a special
prayer service for the four-po
wer conference will be held in
the Cathedral of Geneva under
the auspices of the World
Council of Churches, simulta
neously with optening of the
conference. Some 162 rrtember
denominations in 47 countries
of the world are to participate,
in the appeal, she added.