Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10.320
City Limits 7.206
The figure for Greater Tinge Mountain is derived from
title 1955 Tinge Mountain dry directory censue. The City
Umlte flguie ie from the United Statee ceneue of 1950.
1C Pages
IQ Today
VOL 66 NO 5
Established 1889
Kings Mountain N.C. Thursday, February, 2, 1956
Sixty-Sixth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
MiningFirmWorkContinues
After Stock Sale Restrained
Local News
Bulletins
ARP MEETING
Men of the Church of Boyce
Memorial ARP church will hold
a supper meeting Monday
night at 7 p. m. at the church.
Special guests wil be members
of the adult choir and directors
of choirs of the church.
UNDERGOES SURGERY
Coman Falls, Kings Mountain
businessman, is reported to be
progressing nicely after under
going a major chest operation
in Charlotte Memorial Hospi
tal last Thursday. Falls is op
erator of Pastime Billiard Par
lor here.
ROBERTS RECOVERING
James ‘Soup” Roberts is re
ported to be recovering from a
surgical operation in Charlotte
Memorial Hospital. Roberts’
doctors say he Is doing fine,
(but that he will probably spend
another week in the hospital.
CITY AUTO TAGS
City Clerk C me Mitcham
said Wednesday that 584 city
auto tags had been sold throu
gh January 31. Mr. Mitcham
added that residents of the city
still have only two weeks in
which to buy their tags. Feb
ruary 15 has been set as the
deadline for purchasing the
tags.
METER RECEIPTS
City parking meter receipts
for the week ending Wednes
day noon totaled $184.51 City
Clerk Gene Mitcham reported
Wednesday. He said the street
meters accounted for $155.75
of the total, while off-street
meters returned $28.76.
KIWANIS MEETING
Mrs. W. L. Mauney will ad
dress members of the Kings
Mountain Kiwanis club Thurs
day night at Masonic Dining
hall at 6:45. Mrs. Mauney will
discuss activities and needs of
the Jacob S. Mauney Memorial
library.
COMPLETES DUTY
Air Force Lieutenant Gar
land Still, Jr., has completed
a tour of active duty and re
turned Wednesday to North
Carolina State College where
will begin work toward a Mas
ter’s Degree in agriculture.
LEGION SESSION
Regular monthly meeting of
Otis D. Green Post 155, Ameri
can Legion, will toe held Friday
evening at 8 o’clock at the Le
gion building. Athletic Officer
F. R. McCurdy will discuss
plans for 1956 Legion Junior
Baseiball, it was announced toy
Millard Prince, assistant adju
tant.
STUDENT SPEAKER
Erich Deichgraeber, Danish
student at Davidson college,
will speak at Sunday evening
services at First Presbyterian
church at 7:30. The Sunday ev
ening service will launch a se
ries of services on world mis
sions covering the topic “Mis
sions in a Revolutionary
World.” Mr,. Deichgraeber will
also speak at Dixon Presbyter
ian church at 3:45 Sunday aft- ,
ernoon.
Groundhog Day
Forecast Cloudy
February 1 always brings one
big question to everyone’s mind.
Will the groundhog see his sha
dow tomorrow??
If Wednesday’s weather was
an indication of Thursday’s
climatic conditions, Spring is
just around the corner.
Clouds, a few snow flakes
and cold air were on Wednes
day’s weather menu, and a
groundhog would require very
keen eyes to see his shadow in
those conditions.
It would be strange indeed to
forecast Spring’s balmy bree
zes with snow falling, but the
little furry prophet will have
to bear the responsibilities for
making tjie choice.
Judging by comments by the
weatherman, the groundhog
would be wise just to turn over
and go back to sleep
NAMED DIRECTOR — H. C. May
es, of Kings Mountain, veteran
executive of Superior Stone Com
pany, with home offices at Ral
eigh, was elected to membership
on the company's board of di
rectors at the annual meeting of
stockholders.
Superioi Names
Mayes Director
H. C. Mayes, well-known Kings
Mountain citizen and general su
perintendent of Western North
Carolina area plants of Superior
Stone Company, was elected to
membership on the company’s
board of directors at the annual
meeting of stockholders held re
cently in Raleigh.
Mr- Mayes is a veteran Supe
rior executive, having joined the
company when it was founded
in July 1939 by W. T. Ragland,
Sr., now chairman of the board,
and others.
Mr. Mayes was busy erecting
plants until 1945, when he be
came superintendent of the Kings
Mountain plant. He became West
ern area superintendent in 1952
Mr. Mayes is one of 11 Superi
or directors.
Other officers of the company
are W. T. Ragland, Jr., president;
Johny Bratton, Jr., vice-president;
Thomas White, secretary; L- B.
Shuping, treasurer. Bill Ross, at
onetime associated with the Kings
Mountain operation, was named
assistant to the vice-president.
Mr. Mayes is a native of Dur
ham, but was reared at Elfland,
in Orange county. Mr3. Mayes is
the former Miss Elizabeth Clark.
Libiai; Boaid
Members Named
Four new members have been
elected recently to the Jacob S.
Mauney Memorial Library com
mittee.
Named to three-year terms on
the committee were Mrs. J- N.
McClure, Mrs. Tolly Shuford and
Mrs. John Cheshire. They succeed
Mrs. W. T- Weir, Mrs. W. R.
Craig and Dr. D. F. Hord. Grady
Howard was named to a two-year
term, filling the vacancy created
when Mrs- J. E. Castle removed
residence to Illinois.
Dr. W. L. Pressly is chairman
and Mrs W. L. Mauney secretary
of the committee, which has res
ponsibility for actual operations
of the library
President, Finn
Axe At Variance
On Stock Issue
Carolina Mines, Inc., expects to
complete its plant and launch
Kyanite mining operations in the
near future, in spite of federal
court and Securities & Exchange
commission rulings restraining
further sale of its stock.
J. E. Herndon, vice-president of
the company, made die state
ment Wednesday.
Mr. Herndon said primary
cause of the difficulty is disa
greement between company of
ficials over the amount of stock
to toe issued President A. &. Mac
Culloch, of Vancouver, Canada.
Local officials of the company
contend Mr. MacCulloch’s agree
ment called for issuance to him
of 35 percent.of “stock issued and
sold.’’ Of the original issue sold,
company officials here contend
the president is entitled to re
ceive about 70,000 shares. Mr.
MacCulloch uses a different for
mula, contending he should re
ceive in the neighborhood of
120,000 shares.
In federal court last week in
Charlotte, Judge Wilson Warlick
granted MacCulloch an order a
gainst the company restraining
furthers ale of stock and ordering
a “status quo” continuance of the
company. The order postpones in
definitely the scheduled Febru
ary annual meeting of stockhold
ers.
The SEC ruling has the same
effect as the court order, that is,
to restrain the issuance of further
stock, J. R. Davis, attorney for the
firm said.
Officially, Carolina Mines is
suspended from SEC Regulation
A exemptions from registration
of stock offerings. Air. ,Herndon
and Mr. Davis described errors
in the prospectus, or stock sale
circular, as largely technical. Mr.
Davis said that the errors occur
red in spite of close consultation
with SEC officials prior to the
preparation of the prospectus.
The announcement of the SEC,
released last Friday, follows:
“With respect to Carolina Min
es, its Regulation A notification
was filed August 8, 1955, and pro
posed the public offering of 217,
395 shares of its common stock at
the $1 par value thereof. In its
order, the Commission asserts
that it has “reasonable cause to
believe” (a) that the terms and
conditions cf Regulation A have
not been complied with by Car-,
olina Mines in that the notifica
tion and offering circular contain
false and misleading statements
of material fact, and (to) that the
use of such offering circular in
connection with the stock offer
ing “would and did operate as a
fraud and deceit upon the pur
chasers.” Among other things,
the order asserts that the offer
ing circular (1) fails to disclose
the pendency of litigation with
respect to the title of Carolina
Mines to a major portion of its
mining properties; (2) states that
there are no “pending suits of
any type, civil or criminal a
gainst the corporation,” whereas
it appears that Carolina Mines
is defendant in a suit which
seeks to nullify and set aside the
mineral deed to such properties
on which issuer’s title is based,
in part, and which contains an
allegation that said mineral deed
Continued On Page Eight
Knitting Firm Is Opening Here;
Machinery Now Being Installed
A new industry is busy getting
ready to start operations in Kings
Mountain.
The new organization, Kings
Mountain Knitting Company, Inc-,
will be in operation within 10
days, a company official report
ed this week. The firm will manu
facture underwear and polo shirt
knit materials.
Paul Opinsky, who will head
the operation, said that approxi
mately 20-24 employees will be
employed when operations start.
He added that local labor would
be used where possible, but that
exeprienced knitters would have
to be employed to operate the
chines. Mr. Opinsky said these
knitters would come from Gas
tonia.
Some 3035 machines will be in
stalled for the company’s primary
operations, but Opinsky said that
it was possible that others would
be added in the near future
The company maintains Its
sales offices in New York City.
The organization was recently
incorporated in North Carolina,
and information on the company
itself is sketchy at this time.
M. Altholz of New York is sec
retary of the company, and a
Mr. Cannon is president. Com
pany officials from New York are
expected to visit the local plant
next week.
The company is installing its
machinery in the building at the
comer of Ridge and City streets
J. E. Herndon, owner of the build
ing, said that the knitting firm
has a five-year lease on the build
ing.
Machinery being installed in
the local structure is part of a
group of machines formerly used
by Clover Knitting Mill, Clover,
S. C.
The Kings Mountain Merchants
Association diversified industry
committee was primarily respon
sible for the new firm locating
in this city. This commitee locat
ed the building to house the com
pany’s operations Committee
members include Fleete McCurdy,
and Dan Weiss
ELECTED — Hal D. Ward, above,
feed dealer, and Jack H. White,
attorney were elected directors of
Home Building & Loan associa
tion by stockholders at the recent
annual meeting.
White And Ward
B & L Directors
Stockholders of Home Building
& Loan association upped their
directorate to eleven members
and named Hal D. Ward and Jack
H. White to fill the two added po
sitions, as they heard reports on
prosperous 1955 activities and re
elected the other nine members
of the board
Following the stockholder ses
sion, the directors convened, re
ceived the resignation of Mrs.
Fairy L. Patterson, assistant sec
retary-treasurer, "with regret,”
elected William F. Young, of Bes
semer City as assistant treasurer,
and Mrs. Emily A. Herndon, for
mer clerk, assistant secretary. All
other officers were re-elected in
cluding Dr- J. E. Anthony, presi
dent, G. A. Bridges and J. H.
Thomson, vice-presidents, and A.
H. Patterson, executive vice-pre
sident and secretary-treasurer
The directors include Dr. An
thony, Mr. Bridges, Mr. Thomson,
Mr. Patterson, I. G. Patterson, L
L. Alexander, J B Mauney, B. S.
Peeler and B. D- Ratterree, in
addition to the new men named to
the board.
Annual report of officials of
the association showed the build
ing & Loan firm topped $2 mil
lions in assets for the first time,
closing the year with assets of
$2,022,776.76 a gain of $259,294
over the previous year.
During 1955, the association
made 263 loans totaling $667
126.92, up $290,095 over the pre
vious year- At year end the asso
ciation held 784 loans, including
761 on real estate, ?nd 23 stock
loans aggregating $1,822,116.22.
Total of savings accounts in
creased during 1955 to $1,789,861.
00, a gain of $203,866.09, while
dividend payments to savers to
taled $49,208.21
During 1955, the association ad
ded to its reserves $30,841.48,
bringing this total to $171,137.33.
At year end, stockholders (both
savers and borrowers) numbered
2,021.
Mr- Young, the newly-employed
assistant treasurer, joined the
management staff Wednesday.
Formerly a Bessemer City high
school teacher of English, he is
a graduate of Catawba College,
class of 1954. For a year, be work
ed as a student pastor of the Me
thodist church. He is a navy vete
ran of World War II and is a na
tive of Linwood in Davidson coun
ty. Mrs. Young is the former Glis
ta Kiser, of Bessemer City They
have a son, age four months.
Ruth Is Honored
By Sales Club
H. L- (Jack) Ruth, Jr., of Ame
rican Trust Company, Charlotte,
was one of 53 Charlotte salesman
honored last Friday night by the
Charlotte Sales Executive club as
outstanding salesmen.
Mr. Ruth, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Hilton L. Ruth of Kings Moun
tain was sponsored by Arthur
Jones, a vice-president of Ameri
can Trust Company
The Charlotte club honored the
53 men tapped at a banquet and
presented to each “Victor” tro
phies, described as the “Oscar" of
the selling profession, and also
gold embossed certificates em
blematic of the award.
Police Round Up Skull Gang
Members, Others For Lecture
Mayor Promised
Improvements
To N. Piedmont
Mayor Glee A- Bridges said
this week he has assurance from
district State Highway & Public
Works commission officials that
highway department will proceed
within the next few months with
improvements to North Piedmont
avenue.
The planned improvements will
include curb-and-gutter installa
tions from Linwood avenue to
Stowe’s Store, widening of the
road, and slight change of road
bed to straighten some of its
curves
Mayor Bridges said he had dis
cussed the project recently with
both June Scarborough, of States
ville, district commissioner, and
with E. L. Kemper, of Shelby, dis
trict engineer.
The improvement project was
promised several months ago and
was held up.
Engineering estimates indicate
the project will cost about $30,000
Sidewalk installations are also
planned, but will be at the ex
pense of the city and abutting
property owners, the Mayor said.
Scout Fund Drive
Underway Here
February 7-12 has been desig
nated as Boy Scout Week
throughout the nation.
During this week the eyes of
the entire country will be turned
towards the Boy Scouts of Ame
rica and the works they are doing.
Loca.ly, plans are still under*
way for projects dealing with
Scout Week within the city- A
Father-Scout Banquet is being
planned for February 13 at the
Woman’s club at 7:30 p. m. This
banquet is an effort to get more
fathers and men interested in the
local Scouting program.
The annual Scout fund drive
will also get underway next week.
Drace Peeler chairman of the
campaign, is preparing letters to
be mailed out to various business
and industrial firms as well as to
many private citizens. These let
ters will be the only form of soli
citation, Peeler said. This year’s
quota for the drive has been set
at $2,000
Mr. Peeler said Wednesday that
donations may be mailed to Post
office Box 388, Kings Mountain.
Checks should be drawn to Kings
Mountain District, Boy Scouts of
America.
Rev. James B. McLarty said
that Sunday, February 12, would
probably be designated as Scout
Sunday, with Boy Scout and Cub
Scout Troops of the various
churches attending in a body.
Kiwanis Plans
Polio Benefit
Mother’s March on Polio, a
Junior Woman’s Club sponsored
event, raised approximately $250
for the March of Dimes in Kings
Mountain Tuesday night.
Charles Dixon, co-chairman of
the March of Dimes campaign,
reported that about $2,000 of the
$5,000 quota for Kings Mountain
has been banked to date.
The Kings Mountain Moose
Lodge raised over $100 for the
campaign at a special dance at
the lodge last Saturday night
A radio auction, with all pre
ceeds going to the drive, will be
held next Wednesday afternoon
at Radio Station WKMT. The
Kings Mountain Kiwanis Club
will be in charge of the auction,
which is scheduled to start about
2:30 p. m. The Kiwanians have
conducted this project for the
March of Dimes for the past three
years.
Mr. Dixon reported Wednesday
that a quantity of goods has been
received to be used in the auction.
He also said that anyone having
donations for the drive, and who
might have been missed in Tues
day’s Mother’s March may call
any member of the Junior Wo
man’s Club- The donation will be
picked up.
Dixon also expressed the hope
that the amounts raised would go
upward as other organizations
turned in reports of monies re
ceived in various projects for the
drive.
Ralph W. Gardner
In Congress Race
Announcement
Lifts Candidate
List To Three
Cleveland county had a second
entry in the race for the 11th dis
trict Congressional nomination
Tuesday, as Ralph Webb Gardner,
son of the late North Carolina
Governor O. Max Gardner, for
mally announced his candidacy.
Already announced were Shel
by Attorney Hugh Wells, and
Gastonia Attorney Basil L.
Whitener.
Entrance of Gardner into the
race brought an immediate blast
from Candidate Wells charging
Gardner with 1) toeing an absen
tee Shelby citizen who really liv
es in Washington, D. C., and 2)
that Gardner encouraged Wells,
as early as last autumn, to seek
to unseat Incumbent Woodrow
W. Jones.
Congressman Jones announced
last week he wouldn’t seek re
election.
Meantime, speculation was
continuing on what other citizens
would seek the nomination for
the seven - county district. Char
les E. Hamilton, another Gas
tonia lawyer, who opposed Jones
in 1950, was still weighing his
decision and Observers said it
was an even bet he’d run again.
Also mentioned as a possible
candidate was Superior Court
Judge J. Will Pless, of Marion,.
Candidate Whitener is a Super
ior Court solicitor.
Mr. Gardner said he was bas
ing his candidacy on his experi
ence. “I have had enough exper
ience with Government to know
that each of us has his duty and
I feel I could serve my district,
my state, and my country as your
Congressman in Washington.
‘The only promise I will make
is that I will use whatver com
mon sense and experience I have
to do my level best,” he continu
ed.
Mr.. Gardner is a practicing law
yer in Washington, member of
the law firm of Gardner, Morri
son and Rogers. He is 43. His
wife, to whom he was married in
1950, was Carrie Derby, of York,
Ala. He enlisted as a private in
World War II, and emerged a
major in 1946, after serving in
this country and the Chlna-India
Burma theater as a field artillery
officer. He was educated at the
University of North Carolina and
Yale Law school. He is a former
North Carolina state senator arid
past president of North Carolina
Young Democrats. He owns and
operates Aberdeen-Angus Farms,
near Shelby, and is a director of
the state Aberdeen-Angus Breed
ers association.
CANDIDATE — Ralph W. Gard
ner, of Shelby and Washington,
D. C„ formally entered the race
for the 11th district Congression
al nomination Tuesday morning.
Mr. Gardner, son ot the late for
mer Governor O. Max Gardner, is
the third candidate to seek the
nomination.
Libiaiy Tag
Day Saturday
Donations for purchase of books
for Jacob S. Mauney Memorial
Library will be invited Saturday,
as the library committee conducts
Library Tag Day.
Announcement was made by
Mrs. W. L. Mauney, secretary of
the library committee. Mrs- Mau
ney said the fund promotion will
be similar to the recent March
of Dimes “blue crutch” sale. Citi
zens will be asked to donate to
the library book fund and to wear
the library tags.
Mrs. Mauney pointed out that
the library operates on a meager
budget. Small appropriations
from the city and county (total
ing $900) plus donations are the
annual receipts of the library out
side of overdue book fines, she
said, leaving the book-buying
fund in need of additional aid
“We can’t have books without
funds,” Mrs. Mauney, herself an
experienced librarian, said.
The library tags will be vended
in the business district Saturday.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges issued
the following statement proclaim
ing Saturday as Library Tag
Day:
“Realizing the lasting good
done by our Jacob S. Mauney Me
morial Library, and the need of
new books daily, I Mayor Glee
Bridges, Mayor of Kings Moun
tain do set aside Saturday Feb
ruary 4th as Tag Day for the
library. I call upon citizens in the
City and County to make a con
tribution to the Library on that
day for the purpose of buying
new books, and I hope this will
stimulate in young people and
adults alike an increased practice
of visiting the library and of bor
rowing books”
Jones Draws Nine-Ten Year Term
For Robbery 01 Yates Gordon
Johnny Jones, Kings Mountain
Negro, was given 9 to 10 years in
prison on charges of felonious as
sault and second degree burglary
in Cleveland County Superior
Court Tuesday.
Jones was found guilty of sec
ond degree burglary in connec
tion with the robbery of Yates
Gordon, Kings Mountain postof
fice employee, at Gordon’s home
some two months ago.
The assault charge arose out
of a shooting scrape with another
Kings Mountain Negro last fall.
The two charges were consolida
ted for Judgment.
Judge Francis O. Clarkson of
Charlotte, presiding jurist, also
passed sentence on several other
residents of this area during the
short Superior Court sesion,
which ended Tuesday
Ken Whorley and John Lynch
pleaded .guilty to charges of
breaking and entering and lar
ceny in connection with the
theft of a guitar and amplifier
from a Kings Mountain churth.
Whorley was given 12-18 months,
suspended, and was put on pro
bation. Lynch was given an ac
tive road sentence of 12-18 mon
ths.
A drunk-driving charge against
June Adams was nol pressed by
the state.
Henry Lee Grier, 16-year-old
Negro of Kings Mountain, plead
ed guilty to charges of second
degree burglary in connection
with break-ins at the Paul Neis
ler, Jr., home here. He was given
3-5 years by Judge Clarkson.
Alfred Hugh Cloninger of Gas
tonia, charged with highway
robbery in connection with the
robbery of Uncle Henry’s Store
on Cherryville road, pleaded
guilty to the charges, but prayer
for judgment was continued un
til the April term of Superior
Court.
Cloninger admitted assaulting
Jack Moss, operator of the store,
with a drink bottle and removing
some $75 from the store’s cash
box.
Prosecution
Warning Given
To Group Of 20
BY BOB HOFFMAN
Skull Gang activity in the
Kings Mountain area took a set
back during the past week.
Chief Hugh A. Logan, Jr., cal
led a conference of approximately
20 boys at police headquarters
Saturday afternoon in an effort
to disband the gang.
Several of the youths were in
volved in the gang’s activities,
while other youths had been in
volved in opposing the Skull
Gang’s reported strong-arm tac
tics.
Some admitted belonging to the
gang, but would give very few
details on the activities of the
group or its purpose.
Chief Logan talked to each
individually, then called the en
tire group into the city courtroom
for another talk
Logan warned that the gang
fighting in Kings Mountain was
going to be stopped, one way or
another. He said, “I wanted to
tell you boys that the police de
partment is going to stop the
fighting. And after this warning,
indictments will be brought aga
inst any further violators. We do
not want to s^nd anyone away,
but if this talk does not stop the
feuding, then more drastic ac
tions will have to be taken.”
Both groups indicated that
most of the trouble was coming
from ‘‘Skull Gang” members
from Bessemer City.
One of the youths admitted
having a pair of brass knucks
taken from him in a fight at a
Kings Mountain movie house
some 10 or 12 days ago.
Chief Logan called for the boys
to end their hostilities, and warn
ed, “fighting, either on a gang
or individual basis, is not going to
be tolerated here ”
Neither members of the gang
or the other group of boys could
give any reason for the recent
out-break of gang fighting in the
city. Both factions admitted that
they could see the seriousness of
the situation and agreed to call
a stop to the violence.
Chief Logan called the recent
flurry of gang activity a most
serious offense, and compared it
with an act to overthrow the gov
ernment.
Two of the “Skull Gang” mem
bers said their parents had either
burned or otherwise destroyed
their gang uniforms, which bore
the skull and crossbones insignia
of the group.
Gang members reported that
the skulls were painted on the
jackets by a member of the gang
living In Bessemer City. These
same boys said the gang started
as a skating club in the neighbor
ing city. Many new members had
been taken into the organization
recently, they added
Chief Logan said this yveek he
felt the gang had ceased its op
eration in the city. However, West
school pupils and teachers found
a crude skull - and - crossbones,
painted in orange, on the school
terrace Monday morning. Wheth
er the work was that of the Skull
Gang, or a prank, was a matter of
speculation.
Refund Checks
Being Mailed
The city board of commission
ers held a brief special session
Monday and authorized the city
clerk to draw checks refunding
$436.88 in street paving assess
ments paid by certain property
owners on East Gold and Deal
streets
The commissioners also voted
unanimously to release to Duke
Power Company for electrical
service Kings Mountain Knitting
Company, a new firm planning
to begin operations here in the
near future.
Hunter Allen, electrical super
intendent, had reported to the
board that cost of the city in pro
viding the service would amount
to about $1,000 and that city’s
commercial rate schedule hardly
justified the investment.
The commissioners had previ
ously voted the refunds on the
Gold and Deal street assessment
matter. Some taxpayers had paid
assessments, while others, on the
ground that the paving had been
done by the State Highway &
Public Works commission, won
favorable court rulings to prevent
the city’s collecting the assess
Continued On Page Eight