Population
City Limits. 7.206
n» population U from Iho V. 5. Government census
roport for 19S0. The Census Bureau estimates the nation's
population gain since 19S0 at 1.7 percent per year, which
means Kings Mountain's 1954 population should approxi
mate 7609. The trading area population In 194$, based
am ration board registrations at the Kings Mountain
office, was 15,000.
1 Q Pages
I 0 Today
Sixty-Fifth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
VOL. 65 NO. 31
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, August 4, 1955
Drama In Fourth Weekend;
Attendance Figures Mount
BATTLE DRAMA COMIC — Dr. P. G. Padgett, Kings Mountain phy
sician, plays the lead comic role in the outdoor battle drama "The
Sword of Gideon." Playing Billy Rover, combination medicine man,
horse thief and wit. Dr. Padgett fills the role for the fourth consecu
tive year.
Local News
Bulletins
ON CRUISE
Lt. G. E. Bridges, U,. S. Nav
al reserve, left Saturday for a
two-week cruise out of Char
leston, S. C., naval base.
METER RECEIPTS
City parking meter receipts
for the week ending Wednes
day at noon totaled $175.45,
according to a report from
Miss Grace Carpenter of the
city clerk’s office.
FAIRVIEW LODGE
Regular communication of
Fairview Lodge No. 339 A. F.
& A. M>. will be held Monday
night at 7:30 p. m. at Maso
nic Hall, Joe H. McDaniel, Jr.,
secretary, announced.
SOCIAL SECURITY
A social security representa
tive will Ibe at City Hall July
15, Joseph P. Walsh, district
manager of the Gastonia of
fice, has announced. The Gas
tonia office services an area
comprised of Gaston, Cleve
land, and Lincoln counties.
BREAKS HIP
Mrs. J. O. Plonk suffered a
broken hip in a fall at 'her
home on July 27. She is a pa
tient in Gaston Memorial hos
pital where she is reported re
cuperating satisfactorily..
CRAWFORD HOME
Harold Crawford returned
home Wednesday from Char
lotte Memorial hospital, where
he had been receiving treat
ment for a kidney ailment.
UNION SERVICE
Sunday night’s union service
for five city church congrega
tions will 'be held at First Pres
byterian church with Dr. W.
P. Gerberding, pastor of St.
Matthew’s Lutheran church to
deliver the mesage at 8 o’clock.
ARP SPEAKER
Rev. J. L. Maloney, president
of iBon Clarken, will speak At
morning services Sunday at 11
o’clock at Boyce Memorial ARP
church, Dr. W,. L. Pressly, the
pastor, has announced. '
COMMUNION SUNDAY
A special communion service
will be held in St. Matthew’s
Lutheran church Sunday at 9
a. m. There will be no sermon.
Sunday School and Morning
Worship will be held as usual
at 9:45 and 11 a. m. The pas
tor, Dr. W. P. Gerberding, will
preach at the Union Service at
8 p. m. at the Presbyterian
church.
Barnes Reports
Five Vacancies
On School Staff
City Schools Superintendent B.
N. Barnes reported the resigna
tion of two teachers during the
past week, bringing to five the
number of vacancies in the teach
er faculty for the year starting
August 30.
Recent resignations received
were from Miss Mary Bess Ply
ler, of Great Falls, S. C., who was
a second grade teacher at Cen
tral school, and Miss Elizabeth
Goode, of Cliffside, Central
school piano teacher.
To complete the faculty com
plement, the schools require two
Negro elementary teachers, two
white elementary teachers, and a
teacher for piano at Central.
Mr. Barnes said h'e has several
applications for the positions and
hopes to be able to present rec
ommendations to the board of
trustees at the August 15 meet
ing.
The Negro school vacancies a
rose due to resignation of one
teacher and allotment of an ad
ditional teacher due to increased
attendance.
In total, the schools have had
eight resignations from its 1954
55 faculty, which Mr. Barnes said
was less than customary.
Meantime, Mrs. J. C. Nicktels,
principal of Park Grace school in
the county system, which also
opens for the 1955-56 term on Au
gust 30, reported a full faculty of
seven teachers.
LIONS CLUB
Regular meeting of the Lions
club will be held Tuesday ev
ening at 7 p. m. at Masonic
Hall, Gene Timms, the presi
dent, announced Wednesday.
Rev. Douglas Fritz is program
chairman for the meeting.
Loan Officials Think New FHA
Terms Won't Slow Building Here
Kings Mountain’s building in
dustry does not expect a materi
al slow-down on home construc
tion, in spite of ' the increased
down-payment requirements on
GI and FHA-insured home loans.
A partial survey of building &
loan association managers and
others handling FHA and GI
construction loans feel the new
requirements will have little ef
fect here.
Over the weekend, the FHA
tightened its down payment re
quirements, by a general two
percent increase. On GI loans,
formerly obtainable at no down
payment (though fees and loan
closing costs usually require a
$300 to $350 outlay), a minimum
down payment of two percent
will be required, or $200 on a
$10,000 home. Straight FHA loans
win now require a minimum
down payment of seven percent
(formerly five) on the first $9,
000 of a home’s cost, plus 27 per
cent on the total above $9,000.
The FHA down - payment on a
$15,000 house would be $2,250.
In addition, maximum terms
of these loans have been short
ened to 25 years, compared to the
former maximum of 80 years,
which will have the tendency to
increase monthly payments.
But A. H. Patterson, executive
vice-president of the Home Build
ing & Loan association ‘ thinks
the more stringent requirements
will have "no effect.” His firm
has closed several GI loans, no
straight FHA loans.
Ben H. Bridges, Jr., secretary
treasurer of Kings Mountain
Building & Loan association, says
the effect here will be “minor, if
Continued On Page Ten
Drama Schedule
Calls For Finale
On August 13th
“The Sword of Gideon” will be
presented Thursday, Friday and
Saturday evenings in the fourth
of five scheduled weekend show
ings.
The commemorative drama of
the Battle of Kings Mountain —
in its fifth and last s'eason unless
a new producer is found prior to
1956 — is underway at the amphi
theatre of Kings Mountain Mili
tary park, with weekend show
ings at 8:15 p. m.
Crowds last weekend were re
ported good on Friday and Sat
urday evenings, with audiences
of approximately 250 each even
ing. Thursday evening’s audience
was small, but hardy. Rain began
to fall but the cast continued the
performance and the visitors re
mained in their seats.
Crowds are expected to in
crease as the final performance
date — August 13 — approaches.
Thursday night’s audience will
be swelled by a group of South
Carolina youngsters from near
by Camp York. Ed Smith, publi
cist, said several other groups,
Boy Scout and Cub Scout troops
and Sunday school classes, at
tended the drama last weekend.
He reminded that group rates
are available to organizations of
this kind when they attend In
groups of 20 or more.
Regular admission fees are $2
for reserved seats, $1.20 for gen
eral admission, and 60 cents for
children.
The 90-member cast is present
ing Florette Henri’s “The Sword
of Gideon”, which brings to life
the drama of the Revolutionary
period through the fictional medi
um of Reece McDermott, leader
of a revolutionary band and Sal
ly, his mountain girl sweetheart.
Biff Leonard plays the role of
McDermott, while Susan Moss
plays Sally.
The drama is presented on the
site of the famous Revolutionary
War battle, now Kings Mountain
National Military park, by the
Kings Mountain Little theatre.
License Buying
Zoomed Monday
Purchases of city privilege li
censes zoomed upward Monday,
as business firms rushed to beat
the deadline and the concurrent
five percent penalty.
A total of $1008 in privilege li
censes were sold to business
firms Monday.
The Monday sales brought the
total for the year to $4,836.25.
The city estimated it would re
ceive $6500 in revenue from this
source. Penalty of five percent
per month applies to late pur
chasers after August 1. '
Meantime, payments of street
assessments slowed, Mr. Mitcham
reported.
Payments during the past week
totaled $241.40, bringing the total
for the year beginning July 1 to
$6,347.95.
Interest on unpaid portions of
street and other public improve
ments assessments accrues at the
rate of one-half-percent per mon
th.
REUNION
Annual reunion of the de
scendants of the late Rufus A.
Ware will be held Sunday at
the home of Mr. and Mrs. R. A.
Jolly, 604 N. Piedmont ave. A
picnic dinner will be served.
KIWANIS SPEAKER — The Rev. Andrew B. McLeilan, minister of the
West High Church of Scotland at Kilmarnock and guest minister of
the summer at Covenant Presbyterian church in Charlotte, will ad
dress members of the Kings Mountain Kiwanis club at the Thursday
night meeting at Masonic Dining hall at 6:45. Mr. McLeilan previ
ously visited the United States five years ago as preacher appointed
by the British Council of Churches.
Board To Convene
Thursday Evening
1955 Tax Accounts
Payable At Discount
August is the month for city
and county taxpayers to ob
tain the full two percent dis
count on city and county tax
bills for 1955.
Under present schedules, as
enacted by the General Assem
bly, tax bills may be discount
ed two percent if paid in Au
gust, one percent if paid in
September, and one-hqjf of one
percent if paid lii October.
For the City of Kings Moun
tain it is the first year of the
new schedule, tax bills former
ly being required to be paid in
June to obtain the full two per
cent discount.
City Tax Collector Clarence
Carpenter said tax notices will
‘be mailed prior to the end of
August.
Youth Recovering
From Polio Attack
Charles Blanton, 17-year-oid
son of Earl Blanton and Mrs.
Jack Smith was reported Wed
nesday by his mother to be im
proving after being stricken with
polio July 18.
Mrs. Smith said her son who as
ytet shown no paralysis from-the
attack would be examined sev
eral times within the next year
by a Gastonia physician.
The boy, wno Is a senior at
Kings Mountain high school, was
not hospitalized.
Agenda Reported
Short For August
City Session
The board of city commission
ers will meet Thursday night at
8 o’clock at1 City Hall for the reg
ular August meeting.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges said the
agenda will be light.
One question possibly to be con
sidered will be a decision on whe
ther to squeeze the city budget to
provide for an additional police
man. or whether to dismiss a pre
sent member of the force. The
problem results from Monday
night’s action, at a special meet
ing, when the board re-employed
Negro Officer Laymon Cornwell.
Mayor Bridges said he didn’t
know what course the board
would take. Though the re-em
ployment of Cornwell over-staffs
the department budget-wise, it is
possible the city will have greater
receipts than anticipated. Income
improvement would make possi
ble revision of the budget later
in the year. Commissioner Sam
Collins has indicated he prefers
to leave the police force comple
ment at its present number of 12.
Another item expected to be
considered is a proposal for the
city to lease property off Chero
kee street for a metered parking
area. Advanced at a prior mefet
ing, the proposal was tabled for
investigation by a committee in
cluding Commissioner Collins,
chairman, and Commissioners T.
J. Ellison and W. G. Grantham.
The paved area is jointly owned
Continued On Page Ten
POOL STAFF It! MODERN DRESS — Members of the city swimming
pool stall app^red recently in modern dress—sport shirts. Bermuda
shorts, and Scotch plaid long stockings. Pictured, leit to right, are
Ronnie Cole. Charles Bridges. Jerry McCarter and I. Ben Goforth, Jr*
Mr. Goforth Li manager of the city pool opeations.
Ware Declares
Job Situation
"Pretty Good"
Kings Mountain’s employment
situation “looks pretty good’’,
Franklin Ware, manager of the
Kings Mountain branch of the
North Carolina Employment ser
vice said Wednesday, comment
ing on figures included in the re
port for July.
Resumption of three-shift ope
ration at Kings Mountain Manu
facturing Company, other textile
hirings, and beginning of paving
of the Highway 29 by-pass con
tributed to the improvement, Mr.
Ware said.
The Kings Mountain office re
ceived only 52 nbw applications
for employment during the mon
th, and placed 73 persons in em
ployment. A total of 88 job orders
had been received.
Meantime, the office processed
1319 claims for unemployment
compensation for the four-week
period ending July 25. However,
Mr. Ware said the total was
swelled by some 300 due to July
4th week spot points. Three com
panies declined to designate the
week stoppage as a “holiday”,
enabling their employees to ob
tain compensation for the week’s
stop-off. Unemployment benefits
are charged to employer’s unem
ployment compensation reserve
funds.
Park Sets July
Travel Record
Kings Mountain National Mili
tary Park reports a new all-time
monthly travel reaord for July
and distribution of a new folder
about the famous site of the Bat
tle of Kings Mountain.
Ben Moomaw, superintendent.!
reported that 24,822 persons vis
ited the park during July, jump
ing the total since January 1 to
95,756.*
Visitors last month came from
37 states, the District of Colum
bia, Ontario, Formosa, Germany,
Japan, Poland, Scotland and
Thailand, he said.
Between one-third and one
quarter of the visitors entered the
museum located at the foot of
* TO CLOSE TWO DAYS
The museum at Kings Moun
tain National Military Park
will be closed on Monday and
Tuesday for painting. The
I building is to get a new coat
of paint on the inside and out
side, Supt. Moomaw reports.
the ridge where a band of Amer
ican frontiersmen decisively de
feated British forces under com
mand of Col. Patrick Ferguson
on October 7, 1780.
The new folder, first revision
since 1936, was received from
government printers this week.
It was written by George Mac
kenzie, park historian, and Mr.
Moomaw and was edited t>y the
Publications Section, National
Park Service, Washington, D. C.
Retailer Outing
Next Wednesday
The Kings Mountain Merchants
association will hold its annual
employer-employee summer out
ing next Wednesday afternoon at
Lake Montonia.
John H. Lewis, chairman of
the committee on arrangements,
said he anticipated a record
crowd for the barbecue dinner
and asked that reservations be
made at the Merchants associa
tion office by Thursday.
Dinner will be served by Silver
Villa Grill at 6:30. Lake Montonia
swimming and other recreation
al facilities will be available to
the group.
Tickets are $1.50 per person.
Yelton, New Public Works Chief,
Has Spent 27 Years In Road Work
Grady Yelton, the city’s new
superintendent of public works,
assumed his duties Monday.
His office is located at the city
garage on City street and the
garage telephone number is 1178.
Mr. Yelton, who succeeds E. C.
Nicholson, brings to the public
works superin tendency 27 years
of experience in construction
work, expected to be valuable in
his management of four major
city departments — sewage, san
itary, water and street.
A native of Gaffney, S. C., Mr.
Yelton and his family have resid
ed in Kings Mountain for many
years, though Mr. Yelton himself
has bfeen a “weekend” citizen.
He first went to work for La
vender Brothers, of Earl,
as timekeeper and commissary
clerk in 1928, spent 15 years with
this fijrm as he moved up the lad-1
der to foreman and construction :
superintendent. He subsequently 1
spent seven years with F. D. Cline J
Company, of Raleigh, returned
to Lavender Brothers for two j
years, and since August 1953, has '
been associated with Ray D. |
Lowder Construction Company of ;
Albemarle. All of the companys !
were road builders.
Mrs. Yelton is the former Miss j
Geneva Smith, of the Locust
community in Stanly county. The
Yeltons have a son, Charles Yel
ton, recent graduate of Kings
Mountain high school, who will
enroll next month as a freshman
at Ltenoir Rhyne college.
The Yeltons attend First Bap
tist church and reside at 407 E.
Ridge street.
Cornwell Re-Hired
By Board Monday
PROMOTED — Zeb Plonk, Kings
Mountain native, has been trans
ferred to Boston, Mass., from At
lanta, Ga., by Liberty Mutual In
surance Company and promoted
4a IKo v\aci a4 MPoictMnt «»!»«
tv t«v V« V 1VV
president and assistant manager
of the company's underwriting
service.
Liberty Mutual
Promotes Plonk
Zeb O. Plonk, Kings Mountain
native, recently was promoted by I
Liberty Mutual Insurance Com-!
pany to the position of assistant!
vice-president and assistant man
ager of underwriting service.
Mr. Plonk, son of Mr. and Mrs.
C. S. Plonk, recently moved to j
Boston, Mass., to assume his new j
duties. He had lived in Atlanta,
Ga., since 1940, where he had held i
successively with Liberty Mutual
the positions of assistant division
claims manager for the southern
1 division, assistant to the vice-pre
sident and division manager,
southern division, and division
manager of underwriting and re- j
lated functions.
The Kings Mountain native i
joined Liberty Mutual Insurance
Company on July 7„ 1930, follow- i
ing his graduation from North
Carolina State college, first being
assigned to the claims depart
ment of the company’s Boston
office. He was transferred to the
Baltimore, Md., office as claims
adjuster in 1931. returned to Bos
ton as special claims adjuster in
January 1934 and was promoted
to claims supervisor shortly
thereafter. In 1935, he became
chief adjuster of public liability
claims in the New York office.
The promotion to the Atlanta po
sition followed in 1940.
In 1933, Mr. Plonk was married
to the former Miss Gale Walra
ven. of Baltimore. They have
three children. Don Plonk, age
20, is a rising junior at Middle
Tennessee State college, Mur
freesboro, Tenn., and Glenn
Plonk, 18, will enroll in Septem
ber as a freshman at Tufts col
lege, Medford, Mass. Jane Plonk,
16, is a rising high school junior.
The Plonk family resides at 42
j Oxford Ritad, Medford, Mass.
Postal Receipts
Declined In luly
j Receipts at Kings Mountain
i postoffice declined in July, ac
cording to figures reported by W.
T. Weir, acting postmaster.
Total receipts for July were
$4,537.53, compared to sales of
$5,314.55 for July 1954. The de
cline was $777.02.
Mr. Weir attributed a major
portion of the decline to lowered
deposits on metered mail.
Negro Officer
Returns To Duty
On 3-2 Vote
In a meeting requiring only
about three minutes, the board
of city commissioners voted 3 to
2 Monday night at a special ses
sion to re-employ Laymon P.
Cornwell as a city police officer.
Cornwell, first Negro officer to
serve on the Kings Mountain po
lice force, had been dismissed
two weeks previously in a three
person cutback of the force,
which the administration attri
buted to budget limitations.
Monday's special session, which
probably set a record for brevity,
found Commissioner J. H. Patter
son moving the re-employment of
Cornwell, with Commissioner W.
G. Grantham seconding, and
Commissioners T. J. Ellison and
O. T. Hayes, Sr., opposed.
There was no discussion, as
the corrir'-siooers acted with a
full delegation of Negro citizens
in attendance. The board met in
the courtroom which was filled
to capacity.
Following Cornwell's dismissal,
90 Negro citizens had petitioned
the commissioners to re-employ
him or some other qualified Ne
gro as a policeman. Cornwell had
been praised by Mayor Glee A.
Bridges, Recorder Judge Jack
White, Chief of Police Hugh Lo
gan, Jr., and many Negro citi
zens as a “good officer”.
Cornwell returned to duty
shortly after the board action.
| He, along with Officer Bill Bell
I and Mrs. Juanita Falls, desk
■ clerk, had been dismissed with
pay to August 1.
The cutback of the roster had
been dictated when the commis
sioners approved a budget which
included a smaller appropriation
[ for the police department.
Cornwell receives top officer
pay of $250 per month, paid to
! policemen who have put in 18
' months of service.
The police roster now numbers
| 12 men, including Chief Logan.
Speech School
Underway Here
The Cleveland County Chapter
of the North Carolina Society
For Crippled Children and A
dults is sponsoring a five-weeks
speech clinic at Central high
school auditorium.
Announcement was made by
Dr. N. H. Reed, chairman of the
county chapter, and Rowell Lane,
high school principal. The course
began Monday.
Charles Graham, speech in
structor at both the Rocky Mount
city schools and the Tarboro
Health Department, is conduct
ing the course. Mr. Graham re
ceived his master’s degree from
the University of Virginia and
does summer work in speech in
struction with the Easter Seal
society.
Persons who wish to enroll
may contact Mr. Graham in the
first grade classroom under the
auditorium at Central school
Thursday and Friday, it was not
ed. Dr. Reed added that Kings
Mountain has some 45 to 50
school children who have speech
difficulties. He noted that the ser
vice includes a hearing test with
audiometer furnished by title
Easter seal society. All other ma
terials for the course are being
furnished by the chapter.
Plans to sponsor speech clinics
in other county locations are be
ing arranged, Dr. Reed said.
Octogenarians Take
First Train Trip
A Kings Mountain couple, oc
togenarians, went on their first
train ride last week.
Price Harmon, 89, and his wife,
who is 87, visited a granddaugh
ter in Reidsville all last week,
making the round-trip by train.
While in Reidsville they toured
scenic spots in Virginia.
Tax Advertising
Is Now Underway
Advertising of property for
sale due to unpaid 1954 tax bills
is underway.
Published this week is the
first of a s'eries of four adver
tisements by the county tax col
lector prior to actual sale of the
properties on September 5.
City tax advertising for the
September 12 sale will begin
next week, City Collector Clar
ence E. Carpenter reported.