Population
Greater Kings Mountain
City Limits
10.320
7.206
Ik* flgure tec Greater Tings Mountain U derived from
Ike IMS Klngt Mountain city directory census. The City
limit* ftgui* 1* from the United States oensu* of 19S0.
Pages
Today
Sixty-Fifth Year
VOL 65 NO 50
Established 1889
Kings Mountain N. C., Thursday December 15, 1955
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Industry Holidays To Vary
From Three To Seven Days
DIMES DRIVE CO-CHAIRMEN — Charles H. Dixon, left. Victory
Chevrolet Company sales manager, and Curtis Kuykendall, right,
Foote Mineral Company laboratory analyst, will serve as co-chair
men of the 1956 fund campaign for the county division of the Na
tional Foundation for Infantile Paralysis, it was announced this
week.
Local News
Bulletins
BOARD MEETING
Supt. B. N. Barnes announced
Wednesday that the school
hoard will have a regularly
scheduled monthly meeting
Monday, December 19. He add
ed that only routine business
matters will be taken up by
the board at this time
PARK MUSEUM
Kings Mountain national mili
tary park museum will be clos
ed Christmas Day and New
Year’s Day, Ben Moomaw, park
superintendent, announced
■Wednesday.
CAKE SALE
The Open Gate Garden club
will sell cakes, pies, and cook
ies Saturday at C. E. Warlick
Insurance Agency. The sale be
gins at 8:30 a. m., officials of
the club said Tuesday.
NEW DEACONS
First Presbyterian church e
lected four deacons to serve
a three year term of office at
a congregational meeting Sun
day. Elected were J. W. Web
ster, Ben T,. Goforth, T. L. Kes
ler, and P. M. Neisler, Sr.
MORE CORE-DRILLING
Basic Atomics, Inc., is now
operating a second core-drill
on the S. S. Weir Estate tract,
it was learned this week from
W. T. Weir, one of the heirs to
the property. The company is
seeking to determine the sup
ply of lithium ore on the 200
acre tract.
TWO FIRES
Kings Mountain Fire depart
ment answered two alarms
this week. Monday morning, a
trash blaze was extinguished
near Sterchi Brothers and Mon
day after a small blaze was ex
tinguished at the old laundry
building on Childres street.
METER RECEPTS
City parking meter receipts
again topped $200 for the sec
ond consecutive week. City
Clerk Gene Mitcham reported.
On-street meters supplied
$166.21 and the Cherokee street
lot another $36.40, for a total of
$202.61.
CONTRACTS AWARDED
Contracts totaling $9,476.13
covering equipment for the
—new wing of Kings Mountain
hospital have been let, Busi
ness Manager Grady Howard
nounced this week. He said the
contracts — for linen, janitori
al supplies, patient room e
quipment, lobby equipment,
dietary equipment and office
equipment — went to five low
.bidders, previously reported.
Chief Sporting
New Safety Car
Chief of police Hugh Logan, Jr.
is sporting a new 1956 Chevrolet
Safety Car.
The safety car is donated an
nually for the use of the police
department by the First National
Bank and Victory Chevrolet Com
pany.
City Schools
To Get S50.000
From Bond Melon
Kings Mountain City Schools
will receive approximately $50,
184.53 of the $393,604.18 appropri
ated to Cleveland County from
the state last week, according to
Supt. B. N. Barnes Tuesday.
This money is the second half
of a $50 million school bond issue
voted by the residents of North
Carolina a few years ago.
Supt B. N. Barnes said that the
figures are unofficial, but that he
and the superintendents of the
county and Shelby schools had
worked the amount out accord
ing to a student per capita ratio.
According to Mr. Barnes, Kings
Mountain has 12.7 per cent of the
county’s school population, while
Shelby has 22.20 per cent and the
other 65.05 per cent are registered
in county schools.
Based on these percentages,
Shelby will receive $87,380.13, and
the county system will get $256,
039.52.
The first $25 million of the is
sue were distributed to the coun
ties some two or tftree years ago.
Supt Barnes says that the
Kings Mountain city school sys
tem is receiving “a little more”
than they did at the last distribu
tion of the money.
This is probably due to the in
creased enrollment of the Kings
Mountain schools during thfe past
three years.
GAMBLE ILL
John E- Gamble is a patient
at Kings Mountain hospital,
after becoming ill at his home
last Friday morning. He is not
allowed visitors, and members
of his family described his con
dition as “fair” yesterday.
Majority Say
Holiday Pay
Plans Unjelled
Christmas vacations for Kings
Mountain’s industrial workers
will range from three days to one
week, a survey of local manufac
turing plants revtealed Wednes
day.
Workers at Mauney Mills, Bon
nie Mill, and Sadie Mill will get
vacations of one week starting
Thursday, December 22, and con
tinuing through Wednesday, De
cembter 28.
Neisler Mills and Lambeth
Rope Corporation announced that
their workers will get a vacation
beginning Friday, December 23
and continuing through Monday,
December 26.
Burlington Mills employees will
start their holiday on Thursday
night, December 22 and will re
sume operations Monday night,
December 26.
Craftspun Yarns will begin
their holiday December 23 at 10
p. m. and will continue until De
cember 26 at 10 p. m.
Kings Mountain Manufacturing
Company employees will begin a
five-day holiday on Thursday
morning and will resume work
Monday night, December 26.
Mauney Hosiery workers will
have a holiday lasting from
Thursday, December 22 through
Wednesday, December 28.
Carolina Throwing Company
(employees will have a vacation,
but the definite length of the ho
liday had not been determined
Wednesday.
Foote Mineral Company’s em
ployees will have some timle off,
but the exact number of employ
ess to receive the vacations, and
the length of the vacation was not
definite Wednesday. Ed Goter,
company official, said that the
operations of the mill had to con
tinue, but that as many employ
ees as possibly can be spared
would have vacations.
Reports on Christmas bonuses
for workers were very slim,
with only two local firms an
nouncing dtefinitely that 'their
workers would receive bonuses.
- Burlington Mills will pay their
workers a Christmas bonus
Thursday, but the amount of
these bonuses was not available.
However, it is believed that bon
uses will run along the samte lines
as last year when Burlington
paid - .6,000 to local workers.
Craftspun Yarns, Inc., said that
a bonus equivalent to one day’s
work would be paid their work
ers. Last year, this bonus amount
ed to approximately $3,000.
Some other plants indicated
that bonuses might be paid, but
would sptecify no amounts as yet.
The textile mijls are closing
for shorter periods of time than
in some past years, an indication
of improved conditions in the tex
tile industry.
Lions, Kiwanians To Hear Justice,
Honor Grid Champs Thursday Night
Kings Mountain’s ace 1955 foot
ball squad and its coaches will be
the honored guests at the annual
Kings Mountain Lions Club foot
ball banquet Thursday night at
6:45 o’clock at Masonic Hall.
Charlie “Choo-Choo” Justice,
former University of North Caro
lina All-American halfback, will
be the guest speaker for this oc
casion.
Justice, who performed for the
Washington Red Skins’ pro foot
ball club, is now a member of the
American Oil Company’s public
relations department staff.
During recent weeks, Choo
Choo has been traveling thle state
speaking at numerous sports ban
quets. He is regarded as an ex
cellent speaker, and an authority,
of course, on football.
The Asheville flash will be
making his second appearance at
a Lions Club banquet here. The
first time Charlie attended was
in 1951, but he was not the prin
cipal speaker at that time.
One of the highlights of the
banquet will be the third annual
presentation of the Fred Plonk
Blocking Trophy to one of the
Mountaineers. The coveted award
went to Charles Yelton, senior
guard, at last year’s banquet.
Ronnie Layton, Mountaineer end,
was the first Kings Mountain
player to receive this award in
1953.
This year’s banquet will be a
joint meeting of the Kings Moun
tain Lions and Kiwanis Clubs,
with the Lions serving as hosts.
GRID SPEAKER — Charlie 'Choo
Choc" Justice, one o! the all-time
greats in Southern football, will
be the guest speaker at the Lions
Club annual football banquet
Thursday night. Justice is now a
member of American Oil Compa
ny's public relations department
Jaycees Invite
Man 01 1955
Nominations
In keeping with presentations
to be made on a nation-wide scale
by Junior Chambers of Commerce
during Jaycee Week, January 14
21, the Jaycees here will present
a Distinguished Service Award to
Kings Mountain’s outstanding
young man. This makes the sec
ond time the local civic organi
zation has taken part in the pro
ject which annually brings recog
nition to men who have served
their communities and fellowmen
well during the year just ending.
B. S. Peeler, Jr., was chosen as
Kings Mountain’s outstanding
young man of the year 1954.
Selection of the recipient will
be made by a scout committee of
leading citiztens, according to Jay
cee Project Chairman Ed Smith.
The winner will be chosen from a
list of nominations sent in by citi
zens of the community. Mr. Smith
pointed out that nominations are
not restricted to members of the
Jaycete club, but open to any
Kings Mountain man of the 21
35 age group.
“Any citizen of our community
is entitled to send in the name of
the person he or she feels has
done the most for our town dur
ing 1955, and who best deserves
to be called Kings Mountain’s
Young Man of the Year,” he said.
The judging committee will be
made of prominent local citizens
above the age limit of the contest.
Thfe names of both judges and no
minees will be kept confidential,
with only the name of the winner
being released to the public at the
January 17th meeting of the club,
he addled.
Anyone wishing to submit a
name for consideration is urged
to writte to Post Office Box 109,
Kings Mountain. A brief state
ment of why they feel that person
should be chosen may be included,
but only the name of the nominee
himself is necessary. All nomina
tions must be submitted by De
cember 29th.
At the same time Kings Moun
tain’s outstanding local citizen is
being honored, more than 2,000
other young men will bte recog
nized in similiar ceremonies by
Jaycees all over America as a
part of the celebration of Na
tional Jaycee Week.
Mail Avalanche
Mounting Heie
The annual Christmas rush at
Kings Mountain postoffice was
underway Wednesday as an av
alanche of both outgoing and
incoming mail caused post office
employees to speed their opera
tions.
Acting Postmaster W. T.. Weir
said the post office canceled 6,
347 pieces of outgoing mail on
Monday and another 9,641 pieces
on Tuesday. At 2 p. m. Wednes
day the Tuesday figure had al
ready been topped.
Mr. Weir predicted that the
coming weekend would be the
peak mailing period, as citizens
post Christmas cards and last
minute packages for out-of-town
destinations.
Concurrently he announced
that the post office will toe open
on Saturday all day, remaining
open until 6 p. *fn. Customarily
the post office closes at noon on
Saturday.
Thus far, Mr. Weir reported,
regular postal personnel has
been handling the job “and
keeping up with it.’’ Ken Pruitt
and Don Crawford have been
working extra time for the past
two days.
“It’s too late to mail early,”
Mr. Weir commented, “but I do
urge everyone to get their Christ,
mas mail of as quickly as possi
ble, in order to insure delivery
by Christmas. This applies par
ticularly to parcel post and mail
other than first-class.”
Postal Receipts
Up In November
Postal receipts at the Kings
Mountain .post office increased
during November over the same
month last year.
W.. T. Weir, acting postmaster,
reported November ’55 receipts at
$4,781.97. or a gain of $224.27 ov
er the $4,557.60 for November
1954.
Flags Will Fly
Here On Thursday
Col. Frederick Hambright
chapter, Daughters of the A
merican itevplution, is asking
Kings Mountain business firms
and operators of public .build
ings to fly the United States
flag on Thursday, the 164th
anniversary of the ratification
of the Bill of Rights to the Con
stitution.
Mrs. E. L. , Campbell, DAR
chapter flag chairman, made
the announcement.
Thieves Crack Bennett Safe,
Get $50, Carry Off Tumblers
WEST SCHOOL EXHIBIT — Pictured is a science and art exhibit of
West school fifth grade pupils of Miss Louise Kiser which the class
prepared for Visitation Night, observed Wednesday, December 7, at
the school when the PT-A sponsored a Christmas dinner-bazaar. The
exhibit features the use of paper mache and the pupil’s study of rep;
tile life. (Photo by Carlisle Studio.)
McGill Brothers
Deny Allegations
<
Bailey Changes
In Civil Suit
Said "Untrue"
Dr. John C. McGill and Dr.
Kenneth H. McGill, brothers and
Kings Mountain medical partners,
denied this week charges by a
Kings Mountain man they had
wrongfully committed him to the
state hospital at Morganton.
William J. Bailey, 23, entered
suit in Mecklenburg Superibr
Court last week against the
Kings Mountain physicians and
Dr. Thomas H. Wright, Jr., of
Charlotte. He charges in the com
plaint that he was “wrongfully”
committed to the state asylum
and seeks court award of $150,000
in compensatory and punitive
damages.
Speaking informally about the
action, Dr. John C. McGill said,
“The only allegation of the com
plaint we admit is that Mr. Bai
ley was committed to the State
Hospital at Morganton. The oth
er allegations are untrue.” He
added that formal answer to the
complaint will be filed in Meck
lenburg Superior Court soon.
In the complaint Bailey said he
was committed to the Morganton
State hospital for observation on
October 18, 1954.
Prior to Oct. 15, 1954, Bailey
alleges, he was a patient at a
Kings Mountain hospital under
the care of Dr. John C. McGill.
He said the physician “adminis
tered or instructed others to ad
minister large doses of pain-kil
ling drugs” which kept him un
conscious” for long periods of
time.”
The suit alleges Dr. McGill ask
ed his brother and Dr. Wright to
make examinations “of the men
tal condition of the patient.” Bai
ley, in his complaint, calls the
examinations "hasty and superfi
cial.”
Dr. Kenneth McGill, the com
plaint charges, “wholly neglected
and failed to make any mental
examination . . . but simply sign
ed and executed the affidavit."
On Oct. 15, 1954 Bailey con
tinues, he was taken by ambu
lance to Memorial Hospital at
Charlotte for an examination by
Dr. Wright pursuant to an order
by the Cleveland County court
clerk.
Bailey said he was taken to the
hospital in a “drugged and semi
'conscious condition.” Dr. Wright’s
examination, the suit alleges, was
Continued On Page Eight
>
Christmas Herald
To Be Day Early
Next weiek’s Herald will ap
pear one day early. It will ap
pear on news-stands Tuesday
night, December 20, and will be
in the mails the 21st.
The Herald customarily ad
vances its Christmas-week is
sufe in order to give its staff an
extra Christmas season holiday.
All deadlines will be advan
ced by a day.
Advertising copy should be in
not later than 2 p. m. Monday.
News copy should be received
not later than 2 p. m. Tuesday,
and society news not later than
10 a.m. Tuesday.
The issue will be the Herald’s
annual Christmas edition, fea
turing special Christmas fea
ture material, Christmas greet
ings from merchants, last-min
ute shopping suggestions, as
well as the regular news con
tent.
The Herald will observe
Christmas holidays from noon
December 21, re-opening Mon
day, December 26.
Gerberding To Give
Radio Broadcasts
Dr. W. P. Gerberding, pastor of
St. Matthew’s Lutheran church,
will deliver a series of five Christ
mas messages via Station WKMT
Kings Mountain, beginning Mon
day of next week.
The program will be at 9 a. m.
Dr. Gerberding said his topics
will be "The Announcements,”
“The Manger,” "The Angels,”
“The Shepherds,” and “Thfe Wise
Men.”
Sheriff Thinks
Safecrackers
Professionals
Safe-crackers "punched” a safe
in Bennett Brick & Tile Com
pany's office Tuesday night and
took approximately $50, it was re
ported Wednesday morning.
Dorus Bennett, a company of
ficial, reported that entry to the
building was made by breaking
a window in the back of the of
fice, He added that the thieves
took the tumblers and knob from
the safe and carried them off
when they left.
Bennett quoted Sheriff Hay
wood Allen and other investigat
ing officers as saying that the
robbery bore the earmarks of a
professional job.
The robbery was discovered a
bout 7:20 a. m. Wednesday, when
the office was opened for the
day's business.
Although the brickyard opfera
tes on a 24-hour-a-day schedule,
no employee reported seeing any
of the robbers’ activities, and the
actual time the crime was com
mitted is not known.
This was the second robbery
in the Kings Mountain area with
in a week, and the third in the
last month.
Last week, Jack Moss, opera
tor of Uncle Henry’s Store on the
Cherryville road, was knocked
unconscious and some $75 was
taken from the store’s cash box.
Cleveland County deputies report
ed Wednesday that no postive
identification had been made of
Moss’ assailant, but that several
persons had beten questioned in
regard to the assault and rob
bery.
About a month ago, Yates Gor
don, Kings Mountain postoffice
employee, was robbed of about
$100 by a knife-wielding Negro
man who entered his home while
Gordon was taking his wife to
work. Johnny Jones, 56-year-old
Kings Mountain Negro, has been
identified by Gordon as the man
who robbed him. Jones is in the
Shelby jail awaiting trial in Su
perior Court on charges of bur
glary and robbery.
Methodist Choir
To Sing Cantata
Central Methodist church sen
ior choir will present its annual
Christmas program Sunday even
ing at 7:30, it was announced by
Miss Bonnie McIntosh, director
and organist.
The 21-voice choir will sing
Matthews’ “The Story of Christ
mas,” an Advent cantata written
in a melodious style and using
modern harmony.
Members of the choir are Ann
Byars, Jane Croker, Sue Dixon,
Mrs. I. B. Goforth, Jr., Jean
Hicks and Mary Alice McDaniel,
sopranos; Jane Byars, Linda Bis
er, Barbara Hill, Kay McCarter,
Mrs. J, N. McClure, Mildred Mc
Daniel, and Mrs. Y.F. Throne
burg, altos; Jacob Dixon, Bobby
Early, and Arthur Walker, ten
ors; and Glenn Grigg, Earl Mar
lowe, Rev. James McLarty, and
B. S. Peeler, Jr., basses.
Soloists will be Sue Dixon, Earl
Marlowe and B. S. Peeler, Jr.
The public is invited to hear the
cantata.
FREE SUPPER
Otis D. Green Post 155, A
merican Legion announces that
a free supper for all members
in good standing will be held
at the Legion Hall Saturday,
December 17, from € to 8 p.'m.
Dog And Pups Perish In Flames
Aftei Barks Awaken Cook Family
E. B. Cook, Walker street resi
dent, was convinced Wednesday
morning that a dog is man’s ibest
triend.
In fact, Cook and several mem
bers of his family probably owe
their lives to Topper, a small toy
i terrier, and the family pet.
Toppers’ barking awakened Mr.
I Cook early Wednesday morning
and upon investigation, he found
the back part of his home in
flames.
After arousing his three child
ren and getting them to safety,
Mr. Cook, cut off from the tele
phone by the flames, dashed a
cross the street where he called
the fire department from a tele
phone at the residence of Mrs. J.
C. Jolly,. Mrs. Cook was at work
when the fire was discovered.
The house, owned by Neisler
Mills, Inc., was reported by Fire
'hief Pat Tignor to have been
approximately 75 percent de
stroyed. Origin of the fire is un
known. Most of the family’s per
sonal effects and part of the
household items were saved. *
The dog, Topper, lodged on the
back porch for the night, and her
four small pups died in the
flames.
HONORED — Paul H. McGinnis,
Jr., senior in chemical engineer
ing at N. C. State college, was in
itiated recently into membership
in Tau Beta Pi engineering fra
ternity. He is the son of Mr. and
Mrs. Paul H. McGinnis, Sr., of
Kings Mountain, and a member
of Sigma Phi Epsilon social fra
ternity.
Maaney Twins
Play Concert
At Hickory
Kings Mountain’s Mauney
Twins, duo-pianists, played to an
enthusiastic audience at Hickory
Saturday night, in a Community
Concert association performance.
- The pianists, identical twin sons
of Mr, and Mrs. W. K. Mauney,
played five encores—in addition
to a heavy four-group program
—and might have played more,
the applause from the capacity
audience indicated.
Numerous Kings Mountain ci
tizens attended the concert.
The artists pleased the audi
ence with an informality of style
in presenting their program,
sometimes interposing for the
benefit of those who were unable
to differentiate between them,
"He’s Ernest,” or "He’s Miles.”
The Twins opened with Bach
Howe’s “Sheep May Safely
Graze,” and continued in the first
group with the Mozart-Busoni
overture to "The Magic Flute,”
and Brahms’ "Variations on a
Theme by Hadyn.”
The second group included
Scriabin’s "Fantasy,” Arensky’s
"Le Rteveur,” and the difficult
“Perpetual Motion” by Weaver,
the last played in unison, each
artist playing the same notes.
The Twins played Straus’ “The
Blue Danube” as an intermission
encore.
The third group included Cho
pin’s “Rondo in C major, Opus
73,” Debussy-Busser’s “En Ba
teau," and Saint Saens’ “Scherzo,
Opus 87”.
Group four included Milhaud’s
two-part “Le Bal Martiniquais,”
Sckaikowsky’s “Valse Sentimen
tale,” and the Babin arrangement
of Rimsky-Korsakoff’s “Dance of
the Tumblers.” Finale to the for
mal program was another unison
selection, Liszt’s tinkling bell
“La Campanelia.”
As encores, the Twins received
appreciative applause from the
audience for two versions of
“Yankee Doodle,” one played in
the style of the late George Ger
shwin, the second as Beethoven
might have written it. They end
ed the concert with a number cal
led “The Bagpiper” and a Mil
•haud rhumba.
Santa Claus Comes
Early For Williams
Santa Claus came early for
Willis Williams, janitor of First
National Bank.
Willis finished his night’s du
ties at the bank Tuesday and
took off for a restful sletep.
However, his sleep, if any, was
not restful, after he discovered
he had lost a key-ring contain
ing the keys to the bank.
Not everyone was in bed, how
ever, and LaFaye Meacham,
Herald staffer, working late,
chanced upon the keys lying on
the sidewalk on Mountain
street.
Mrs. Meacham turned the
keys in at the police depart
ment.
Bright and early Wednesday
morning, Williams sped to the
police department to inquire
about the missing keys. Upon
seeing the key-ring, his face
lighted like a Christmas tree,
local officers reported.