Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
Mountain 10.320
7.206
derived from
The City
census of 1850.
Pages
Today
VOL 65 NO 48
Established 1889
Kings Mountain N. C., Thursday December I, 1955
Sixty-Fifth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Local News
Bulletins
TWO FIRES
Fireman Ted Gamble report
ed city firemen answered two
calls this week, one Monday to
a residence on N. Piedmont
ave., the other, Tuesday to a
residence on First street. Only
smoke damages resulted he
said.
BUILDING PERMIT
Building Inspector J,. W. Web
ster issued a building permit
Saturday to W. D. McDaniel to
alter a one story building at
109 Sims street, at an estimat
ed cost of $500.
METER RECEIPTS
City parking meter receipts
for the week ending noon Wed
nesday totaled $159.89, accord
ing to a report by Miss Grace
Carpenter of city clerk’s office.
Street meters accounted for
$131.57 of this total, While off
street meters returned $28.32,
she reported.
HOLY COMMUNION
An advent celebration of the
Lora’s Supper will be observ
ed Sunday morning at 11 o’
clock services at St. Matthew’s
Lutheran church, with new
members to be received by a
dult baptism and affirmation
of faith, it was announced by
the ipastor, Dr,. W. P. Gerber
ding.
LITTLE THEATRE
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Little Theatre will meet
Tuesday night at 8 p. m. at the
club office at the Woman’s
club, according to announce
ment by Mrs. Ed Dill, presi
dent.
PRESBYTERIAN
Dr. Robert L. Stamper, vice
president of Columbia Theolo
gical Seminary, Decatur, Ga.,
will speak at 11 o’clock wor
ship services Sunday at First
Presbytrian church on the ser
mon subject, ‘"The Christian-A
Unique Testimony.” He will al
so preach at afternoon services
at Dixon Presbyterian church.
ACCEPTS POSITION
Mrs. John Fulton, of Kings
Mountain, has accepted a posi
tion in the offices of Minette
Mills, Inc., of Grover, and as
sumed her new duties last
week.
TO GREENVILLE. N. C.
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Page
left over the weekend for
Greenville, N. C., Where Mr.
Page enrolled Monday as a
student at Eastern Carolina
Teachers college. The couple
will reside at 100 S. Elm
street. Mr. Page has held a po
sition with Margrace Mill. Mrs.
Page is a former member of
the city schools faculty.
SOCIAL SECURITY
A representative of the Gas
tonia social security office will
be in Kings Mountain City hall
from 9:30 a. m. on December
5 and 19 to handle social se
curity matters for area citizens,
It was announced by the Gas
tonia district office manager.
Neisler Takes
Pageland Post
J. A. Neisler, Jr., formerly at
Margrace Mill here,has been pro
moted to superintendent of the
former Neisler Mills plant at
Pageland, S. C., and has assumed
his new duties.
Mr. Neisler succeeds the late
Harry Turner, of Pageland, who
died suddenly of a heart attack
two weeks ago.
Neisler plants were sold last
month to Horvath, Inc.
Retailers Set Yule
Hours And Holidays
The board of directors of the
Kings Mountain Merchants as
sociation set Christmas-season
plans at a special meeting Wed
nesday morning.
According to the action, the
city's retail stores will be clo
sed on Monday, December 26,
and will take another holiday
on the subsequent Monday,
New Year’s Day. Christmas
falls on Sunday this year.
The merchants directors also
voted to work longer schedules
on the three days preceeding
Christmas, December 22-24. On
these three days the majority
of merchants will remain open
until 7 p. m.
MINISTER PRESENTED CAR — Pictured ore Rev.
and Mrs. Howard Cooke as they receive the keys
to a 19S6 model Ford from Mr. and Mrs. Horace
Benfield. Mr. Cooke, pastor of Second Baptist
church, received the car as a gift from members
of the church recently. Mr. Benfield is a church
trustee. (Photo by Pennington Studio.)
Kings Mountain Residents
Draw PrisonTerms At Court
Childers, Guin
Foster, Houston
Are Sentenced
Cleveland county’s Superior
Court docket for the present cri
minal term has been well populat
ed with prosecutions of Kings
Mountain area citizens, with se
veral drawing prison and road
stentences.
James M. Childers, the Peace
ful Valley resident charged with
atempting to burn his wife to
death by setting fire to her matt
ress while she slept, was found
guilty and sentenced to a two
year term of work on the public
roads.
Jerreal Foster was found guil
ty of robbery and was sentenced
to serve two to four years in the
state penitentiary. Foster was
charged with stealing $2,900 from
Rufus ‘Blackie” Oates, Kings
Mountain service station opera
tor, last summer. The money was
found by Gaston County law en
forcement officers in a house trai
ler in Cramerton, and Foster was
taken into custody. He was said
to have walked into the service
station and removed the money
from the cash register while the
operator was servicing a car.
Bobby Guin, 20-year-old Kings
Mountain boy, was sentenced to
serve six to ten years in prison on
four charges. Guin had been
found guilty on two counts of
larceny of an automobile and two
charges of breaking and enter
ing and larceny. He was found
guilty of breaking into Robert’s
Grocery and Jay Motor Company,
as well as taking two automo
biles. The charges were combined
for judgement.
George “Banty” Hnston Kings
Mountain Negro was found guilty
of assault with a deadly weapon
and received 18 months inprison
ment. Huston was charged with
a knife attack on Willie Sea
wright, another Kings Mountain
Negro, and of cutting Seawright’s
throat. The attack was said to
.have occurred near Nebo Bridge.
James Edward Wood, and
Richard Styers, 16-year-old youths
of Kings Mountain, were put on
probation after being found guil
ty on charges of breaking and en
tering.
Jerome Grant, another 16-year
old Kings Mountain lad, was also
put on probation. He was charg
ed with breaking and entering
Continued On Page Eight
SPEAKER — Thomas L. Carroll,
representative of the National
Cotton council, will address
members of the Kings Mountain
Kiwanis club Thursday night.
Kiwanis To Heai
Thomas Caiioll
A representative* of the Nation
al Cotton Council of America
will discuss “Cotton’s Blueprint
for Progress” before members
of the Kings Mountain Kiwanis
club at the Thursday night meet
ing.
Thomas L. Carroll, of Charlotte
who has ben associated with thte
cotton council since 1949, will
address the Kiwanians.
Mr. Carroll’s assignment with
the organization is the mainte
nance of membership relations
and information for cotton manu
facturers.
Before joining the cotton coun
cil, Mr. Carroll was personnel di
rector of the Wachovia Bank &
Trust Company, Winston-Salem,
and before that time was a Com
munity Chest director in Kansas
City, Mo., and other cities.
The club meets at Masonic hall
at 6:45.
NO COURT
Kings Mountain Recorder’s
court did not hold its regular
weekly session Monday due to
the Superior Court session toe
ing held in Shel'by this week.
Cases scheduled to toe heard
were postponed until the next
session, December 5.
Jaycees Add Sponsois To Expand
Annual Christmas Charity Effort
Kings Mountain Jaycefes, in col
laboration with the Kings Moun
tain Moose Lodge, Otis D. Green
Post 155, area schools and gro
cers, will again sponsor its “Buy
a can, leave a can” Christmas pro
ject lor the needy.
K. C. Morrison announced this
week that thte Jaycees were shar
ing sponsorship of the annual
Christmas appeal this year in or
der to broaden its pontential in
serving needy families of the
area.
In addition, the Jaycees will al
so invitfe the giving of toys this
season, in order that children
may gtet an extra share of the
Christmas spirit, Mr. Morrison
added.
During the Christmas shopping
season, citizens are asked to buy
an extra item of foodstuff—or
an extra toy—for a needy family.
Depository baskets will be avai
lable at all groceries and toy
stores in Kings Mountain and
Bessemer City, Mr. Morrison sta
ted.
On Christmas Eve, the sponsor
ing organizations will gather the
baskets and parcel out the items
for needy families.
The Jaycees have sponsored the
project for the past several years.
First National's
Christmas Club
Tops $70,000
Kings Mountain postmen will
carry good news Thursday, as
their pouches include 768 checks
totaling more than $70,000.
The money Vs the pay-off on
,First National Bank’s 1955 Christ
mas Clu'b, which found 768 per
sons completing Christmas Club
savings contracts entered a year
ago.
The total payment is by far the
greatest in the bank’s four-year
history of Christmas Club activi
ty. Last year the payments edg
ed $40,000. In 1953, the total was
about $20,000, and the first year
found total payments at $6,000.
First National President Frank
R. Summers, who announced the
totals for 1955, predicted ano
ther sizeable increase in partic
ipation for the 1956 Christmas
club, now open.
“We expect the total pay
ments for next December to top
$100,000,” Mr. Summers,said. “Al
ready,” he added, “some 250 per
sons have joined the club for
1956- and it is just officially
starting. We’d like to have 1,000
Christmas Clubbers for the com
ing year.”
Christmas Club members agree
to pay a set weekly amount into
the fund each week. The mini
mum of 50 cents per week, but
there is no maximum. The term
is for 50 weeks. At the end of
the club year, on December 1,
the bank mails checks to its
members.
Mr.. Summers says members
have told him the money goes
for various expenses, though
Christmas gift-buying claims a
large part of the total. Others
save for various purposes, one
member noting that the money
came in handy for defraying pro
perty tax accounts.
Board To Meet
Thursday Night
Mayor Glee A. Bridges said
yesterday he has a short agenda
for Thursday night’s regular
monthly session of the board of
city commissioners.
The board will be asked to
confirm appointment by the chief
of police of Samuel Eugene Ware,
27, as a city policeman. Chief
Hugh Logan put Mr. Ware on the
force when Bill Bell, former po
liceman, declined re-appointment.
Ware is a “rookie," who formerly
holds a third - class raidoman’s
worked at Margrace Mill. A for
mer Marine, Chief Logan says he
license.
The board will also hold a pub
lic hearing, prior to confirmation,
on paving assessments for a
Meadowbrook Road extension.
In addition, the board will re
ceive regular monthly departmen
tal reports.
The commissioners will con
vene at 3 o’clock at City Hall
courtroom.
MOOSE MEETING
The regular weekly meeting
of Moose Lodge No. 1748 will
be held at the lodge on Besse
mer City road Thursday night.
Grand Jury Declines True Bill
On Charge Against Huffstetler
Local Fund Audit
Of City Schools
Filed By Cooke
The annual audit of local funds
of the Kings Mountain City
Schools district has been-complet
ed by Robert H. Cooke, certifed
public accountant of Shelby.
A copy of this audit report for
the year ended June 30 is on file
at Superintendent B. N. Barnes’
offide, and a summary is publish
ed in today’s Herald.
The audit reveals net value of
the schools is carried at $970,023.
25, including the school build
ings building sites, and fixtures,
which are valued at $891,606.
Other assets includes cash in
bank $85,417.25 and special tax
es receivable for the current and
past years, $2,600.68.
School liabilities included $7,000
for bonds payable; and a $2,600.
68 reserve for uncollected taxes.
The audit reveals that the
Kings Mountain school district re
ceived $42,269.67 from Cleveland
County on a student per capita
basis during the fiscal year end
ing June 30, 1955. It also shows
that the special 20 cents district
tax returned $19,153.90 to the
school coffers.
Other major items in cash re
ceipts included $12,322.77 brought
in by the school lunch rooms, and
another $4,934.21 as Kings Moun
tains per capita share of fines
from various city and county
courts.
On the district fund disburse
ments side, the largest expendi
ture was for the maintenance of
schools which cost $33,222,84.
Other large items included in
structional service, $29,438.27;
and auxiliary agencies, $13,651
24.
Other expenditures showed that
$10,086.50 was spent for realty
purchases at existing schools, and
that another $9,260.25 went for
new building sites for proposed
buildings.
A look at the cash disburse
ments compared with the district
budget reveals that the district
underspent its budget of $498,113.
61 by $377,072. 79. Current ex
penses cost $9,919.61 less than an
ticipated, and capital outlay for
new buildings and sites were
$367,153.18 less than anticipated.
This money will be spent how
ever; as new buildings are start
ed, and for the new North Ele
mentary School already in pro
gress.
A break-down of school insu
rance shows that $631,630 worth
of fire insurance is in force on
Continued On Page Eight
Philbeck Home
Razed By File
The residence of Jasper Phil
foeck, of the Oak Grove commu
nity, was completely destroyed
by fire Tuesday night around
10:30.
The family was away from
home at the time the fire was
discovered by Tom Hamrick, a
neighbor. Origin of the fire is un
known, but the blaze is thought
to have started in the back of
the house. The house was parti
ally covered by insurance.
All household articles and
wearing apparel of the family
were destroyed, with the excep
tion of several bedclothing items,
a couch and several chairs. Wed
ding gifts of Mr. Philbeck’s dau
ghter, Miss Betty Philbeck, were
also destroyed. Miss Philbeck is
to be married December 11.
Stokes Wright, city postman
and a neighbor of the Philbeck
family, said several friends are
donating monies, clothing, and
other items to the Philbeck fam
ily. He said he had received sev
eral gifts and would be happy
to accept others to turn over to
the fire victims. Mr. Wright’s
phone number is 793-R-2.
loycees To Collect
Waste Paper Sunday
Kings Mountain Jaycees will
conduct a waste paper pick-up
Sunday afternoon, (beginning
at 2 o’clock, it was announced
•by President Bill Jonas.
Citizens are asked to stack
their waste paper on the curbs
in front of their homes for the
Jaycee pick-up.
In event of rain, the pick-up
will be postponed until the fol
lowing Sunday.
—<
Red Cross Unit
Will Operate
At Woman's Club
Kings Mountain citizens are
being urged to contribute their
blood to the Red Cross area blood
bank Thursday, when the blood
mobille returns here for a one
day visit.
Donors will be processed at
Kings Mountain Woman’s club
beginning at 11 o’clock this morn
ing until 5 p. m., Red Cross offi
cials said.
Miss Antionette Beasley, Red
Cross area field representative
in Kings Mountain Tuesday to
discuss thb blood program with
local chapter officials, invited
area citizens to visit the blood
mobile “in the spirit of Christ
mas giving.”
She noted that Kings Mountain
citizens donated only 82 pints at
the last visit of the oloodmobile.
Goal of the collection is 125 pints.
Pritchard Joins
BurMil Phenix
J. T. Lathem, superintendent
of Burlington Industries Phenix’
plant, announced this week the
addition of Fred S. Pritchard,
who joined the supervisory staff
as general ovterseer of spinning.
Mr. Pritchard comes to Bur
lington from Gaffney Manufac
turing company where he held a
similiar position for the past
nine years. A native of High
Point, he attended school there
before being graduated at North
Carolina State in 1926 with a
degree in textile chemistry. Mr.
Pritchard has been in the textile
field all his life.
He and his wife, Mary Fitz
gerald Pritchard, now reside at
804 W. Mountain street. Mrs.
Pritchard has been a member of
the faculty at East School for the
past several years.
*56 Allotments
On Cotton Due
Cleveland county’s cotton al
lotment for 1956 has been cut by
six percent to 34,950 acres, it was
reported this week >by county ASC
officials.
J. D. Ellis, ASC secretary, said
individual farmers would find
their allotments pared up to 25
percent. Smaller growers may
not Ibe cut any. i
Allotments are due to be mail
ed individual farmers early next
week.
In 1955, Cleveland county plan
ted 37,091 acres of cotton.
s>
Bit, Tis Chilly
In The Sunny South
Old Man Winter making his
presence very well known in
the Piedmont Carolinas the
past few days.
Temperatures dropped to a
bitter 20 Monday night, and
came right back with a 21
Tuesday.
Now the weather forecasters
are saying that new masses of
cold air will hold the readings
in the low 20s for the next 48
hours.
Relief from the cold snap is
expected to come this weekend
when Warm air masses are
scheduled to sweep In from
the Gulf Coast.
Hospital Staff
Organization
Near Complete
Virtual completion of the or
ganization of the Kings Moun
tain hospital medical staff was
announced yesterday by Dr,. W.
L. Ramseur, chief of staff, fol
lowing a meeting of the medical
men Monday night.
Dr. P. G. Padgett will serve as
assistant chief of staff, while Dr.
Kenneth H. McGill will serve as
secretary • treasurer.
The executive committee will
include the chief of staff, secre
tary - treasurer, and Dr,. Paul H.
Hendricks, while the credentials
committee includes Dr. John C.
McGill, chairman, Dr. Paul V.
Nolan, and Dr. John Hamrick
of Shelby.
Dr. Ramseur said a few other
standing committees are yet to
be named.
Grayson Buys
Music Center
Sale of the Music Center, up
town record shop, to Grayson’s
Jewelry was announced this week
by the owners, Dan and Delvin
Huffstetler.
Mr. Grayson said he would
move the Music Center’s inven
tory into his jewelry store at the
corner of Mountain and Cherokee
streets and operate the record
shop as a part of his jewelry
business.
The consolidation is scheduled
for next week. Meantime, the re
cord shop will be operated in its
present location in the Putnam
■building.
Transaction was completed
Monday.
Officials Put Finishing Touches
On December 8 Christmas Parade
The Kings Mountain Merchants
association was busy this week
completing plans lor the Decem
ber 8 Christmas parade, which,
officials report, should be Kings
Mountain’s “biggest and best
ever.”
Mrs. Elaine Quteen, association
secretary, reported Wednesday
that 30 units are already entered
in the parade, with more expect
fed.
Traditional highlight will be
the appearance of Santa Claus, on
his annual pre-Christmas visit.
In addition to the Santa Claus
float, seven more are already en
tered in the parade, including the
Lancte, Inc., float of Charlotte, the
prize-winning Queen City Coach
Company float, a float by Kings
Mountain Jaycees, one by Lithi
um Corporation, by Carolina Fre
ight Carriers, of Cherryville, and
by Burlington Industries Phenix
plant.
Beauty queens from area
schools will appear in the parade,
and eleven marching bands have
already indicated they will be
here for duty next Thursday. In
addition to the Kings Mountain
school band and the newly organi
zed Davidson school band, others
will appfear from Shelby, Gas
tonia, Dallas, Bessemer, Cherry
ville end other surrounding
groups.
Sam Collins, president of the
merchants association, predicted
the parade would attract a record
crowd. “We’re really going all
out, in every way, to make this a
top-notch event,” he commented,”
and we invite all Kings Mountain
area citizens to see it.’ ’
The December 8 parade will be
gin at 4 p. m., forming on W.
Gold street, and covering a long
line of march on Railroad avenue,
King street. Piedmont avenue,
Mountain street and Battleground
ave.
City electricians have already
begun stringing Christmas lights
in the business district and will
turn on the lights for the first
time as the parade gets under
way.
Members of the Merchants as
sociation committee in charge of
the event are Ross Alexander,
chairman, Hubert McGinnis, Bill
Jonas, and Dan Wieiss.
Manslaughter
Count Had Faced
Local Youth
The Cleveland County Grand
Jury Tuesday returned a "no true
bill” decision in the case of Pal
mer Huffstetler.
Huffstetler, 17-year-old Wak'e
Forest frbshman and the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Dan Huffstetler of
Kings Mountain, had been indict
ed on a charge of involuntary
manslaughter, which arose out of
an automobile accident on August
4 that took the lives of four per
sons.
Young Huffstetler had said that
he was racing with one of the
vehicles involved in a two-car col
lision on the U. S. 29 by-pass near
Kings Mountain.
The four occupants of the two
vehicltes killed in the crash were
Paul Kenneth Furr, 19, of Stanly
County; Mrs. Mary Emmaline
Sansing Grigg, 41, of route 1,
Kings Mountain; Lyman E.
Champion, of route 3, Kings
Mountain; and_F.onnie L. Black
welder, 21, also of Stanly County.
The defendant signed a state
ment following the accident, in
which hte said that Furr had been
talking to him about a race for
three or four days, and that the
two cars lined up at the scene of
their work for the race a short
time before the fatal mishap.
Huffstetler said h'e passed the
car being driven by Champion,
when Furr’s vehicle failed to
catch up, he returned to find the
wreckage. He then came to Kings
Mountain and callted an ambu
lance.
It was several days before
charges against Huffstetler were
preferred, the state highway pat
rol finding technical legal bar
riers in the way of making char
ges. The road on which the fatal
accident occurred (now U. S.
Highway 29) was under construc
tion and not a public road.
Huffstetler was represented by
Davis & White, of Kings Moun
tain and Horn & West, of Shelby.
Mr. Hugh Carpenter, of Shblby,
is foreman of the grand jury
which returned the "no true bill”
on the charges.
S-D Activities
To Start Today
Kings Mountain hopes to have
five “S-D Days”, Chief of Police
Hugh A. Logan, Jr,., said this
week as he announced the city’s
participation in the nationwide ef
fort to cut traffic accidents and
deaths.
Kings Mountain’s activities
will begin Thursday on National
SAFE-DRIVING DAY as designa
ted by President Eisenhower, and
continue through Monday.
As a part of Sptecial acti
vities, a traffic safety contest will
be conducted to reward an ex
pert driver.
Called “Spot Checks For Driv
ing Experts,” the contest will a
ward a prize of ten gallon of
gasoline to the driver who has
been judged outstanding behind
the wheel. Officials of the lo'cal
police department and the State
Highway Patrol will make the
selection.
The traffic division of the Po
lice department and members of
the State Highway Patrol in the
couaty will make daily spot
checks during contest week.
Each day drivers will be under
observation, with only the expert
eligible for the prize.
The winning driver wil be pre
sented an “Expert Driving” cer
tificate by a Police official. This
certificate will entitle the win
ner to ten gallons ofgasoline pro
vided by East King Esso Service*.
Here are some of the qualifica
tions that Police observers will
look for:
1. Smooth driving. You can al
ways spot an expert by his
smooth driving — the way he
blends with the flow of traffic
without jerky stops and starts.
2. Perfect Timing. Watch how
an expert driver anticipates his
next move long in advance. That
takes perfect timing. He never
darts from lane to lane.
3. Constant control. That’s an
other sign of an expert behind
the wheel. He knows that driv
ing at reasonable speeds will en
able him to keep constant con
trol of his car. He knows, too, that
excessive speed is the number
one highway killer.
4. Good judgment. The expert
I always adjusts his driving to
Continued On Page Eight