Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7.206
YW Bfan lor Onotar Dags Memitata U dastvad born
the IMS Bag* Mountain eltj directory com. The City
UaHa figure to from tba United State* eenras ol 1950.
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
QO Pages
LL Today
VOL 66 NO. 16
Established 1689
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday April 19, 1956
Sixty-Seventh Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
SCENE FROM "UTTER RELAXATION” — Mr. and Mrs. L B. Goforth.
Jr- are pictured in one of the scenes from the farce comedy "Utter
Relaxation", which won fifth place in dramatic competition at
Chapel Hill last Saturday. The play is presented by the Little Thea
tre and will be one of three one-act dramas on the Woman's Club
playbill scheduled for Thursday and Saturday evenings at the Wo
man's Club.
Local News
Bulletins
REVIVAL
Rev. E. B. Hicks, pastor of
Eastsid'e Baptist church, Shel
by, will begin a revival April
29 at Second Baptist church,
according to announcement toy
Rev. Howard Cooke, pastor. Ser
vices are at 7:30 p. itu nightly
through May 5.
CHOIR MEMBER
Bobbie Barrett of Kings
Mountain is a member of a
41-mem)ber High Point College
cappella choir which will make
a four-day tour of the state
starting Sunday. The choir
will give performances at chur
ches and schools in Raleigh,
New Bern, Wilmington, Jack
sonville, and other cities.
MASONIC LADIES BANQUET
Fairview Lodge No. .139 A. Ft.
& A. M. has completed plans
for the ladies annual banquet
to toe held April 28 at 7 p. m. in
the Masonic Hall. Tickets may
toe purchased from the officers
of the Lodge. The incoming
Grand Master of Masons of
North Carolina, John C. Vance,
will make the principal adress
according to announcement toy
the program chairman, A. W.
Kincaid.
MAKES HONOR ROLL
Earl Marlowe, son of Mr,, and
Mrs. E. E. Marlowe of Kings
Mountain, was listed on the
quarter honor roll at Appalach
ian State Teachers’ College
When grades were announced
last week.
METER RECEIPTS
City parking meters returned
5195.81 for the week ending
noon, Wednesday, according to
a report toy Miss Grace Carpen
ter of City Clerk’s office. She
said street meters accounted
for $159.81, while off-street me
ters returned $36.00.
ATTEND SYNOD
E. K. Whitener, Paul McGin
nis, Dorus Bennett, Fred Plonk,
C. S. Plonk, Jr., and Rev. Doug
las Fritz are representing Res
urrection Lutheran church at
the annual meeting of the Nor
th Carolina Lutheran Synod at
Salisbury. The meeting eAds
Thursday.
Sunday Afternoon
Water Cut-Off Set
Certain residents of the east
ern portion of Kings Mountain
will be without water service
for a five-hour period Sunday
afternoon, from 1 to 6 o’clock.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges said
the cut-off will be made in or
der to repair a large water
valve at the Deal street filter
plant
Residences on these. streets
will be effected: Ridge street,
from the water plant north: Dil
ling street, Piedmont avenue,
and Battleground avenue, one
block on both sides of Ridge
street.
The Mayor said water pres
sure through the whole com
munity might be slightly lower.
He asked the cooperation of
the public in the aregs effected.
Womans Clnb
Will Piesent
Three Dramas
Kings Mountain Woman’s.club
will present three one-act plays
Thursday and Saturday evenings
at 8:15 p. m. in the club audito
rium.
Mrs. Vernon Crosby, publicity
chairman, invited the public to
attend the program which she
termed an entertainment “must.”
Admission is one dollar lor a
dults’and 50 ctents for children.
Kings Mountain Litle Theatre
is presenting Bert Griscon’s larde
“Utter Relaxation” which won
for the local group a rating of
highest in state competition with
other litle theatre groups last
week. D. W. Swink directs the
production, and members of the
cast are J. B. Goforth, Jr., who
has the role of Wilbur Edmond
son; Mrs. Swink, Amy Edmond
son, Mrs. I. B. Goforth, Jr., the
maid, Ella; Mrs. P. G. Padgett,
Emma Proswick; Gordon Beaver,
Arthur Clement; and B. S. Peeler,
Jr., the telephone repair man.
Mrg1. J. N. McClure is directing
“Top Billing,” a serious play by
Mrs. T. E. Summerrow, Jr., of
Gastonia, formerly entitled,
"Country Ham.” The play has
ben published in “Country Gent
leman” and includes a cast of
Mrs. Bruce Thorburn, who has
the role of the farmer’s wife.;
Jimmy Plonk and Pat Owens por
tray the son and daughter; Mrs.
R. S. Lennon has the role of a
wealthy socialite, Mrs. Ed Tu
tor a movie star, Mrs. Merle
Beatty, an artist, and Hilliard
Black, the photographer.
Mrs. Aubrey Mauney is dirfec
ting the melodrama “Where Is
My Wandering Boy Tonight?”
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Stallings por
tray Maw and Harlow Hassen
pfeiffer while Mrs. Gordon Bea
ver has the foie of the heroine,
Angela Angleworm, Bob Baker,
the faithful darkey, Bruce Thor
burn, the villian Rudolph Raw
meat, Becky Tutor, the scheming
villianess and Hilliard Black,
Doug Swink, "Luthier Cansler, I.
B. Goforth, Jr., and B. S. Peelter,
Jr., the five little ones. *
Mrs. P. G Padgett is general
chairman of the show while Mrs.
Crosby, Mrs. J. A. Cheshire, and
Mrs. Gordon Bleaver are serving
on the publicity committee, Mrs.
Continued On Page Eight
Foote Claims 50-Year Lithium Reserves
Prizes, Bargains
Await Shoppers
<
Retail Finns
Aie Staging
Weekend Event
Kings Mountain retail estab
lishments will collaborate this
weekend in a three-day trade
promotion to toe known as Kings
Mountain Bonus Days.
In addition to special purchase
goods and bargain offerings,
the merchants are offering to
lucky number holders valuaible
merchandise awards at two
drawings, one to toe conducted at
5 p. m. Friday and another at 5
p. it}. Saturday. * The drawings
will toe conducted in the parking
area on iKailroad avenue across
from Cooper’s, Inc. The Saturday
prize will toe the major one, a 13
culbic foot Norge deepfreezer. Nu
merous prizes will toe given at
the Friday drawing.
All firms participating in the
sales event will toe registration
points for the prize drawings.
There is no obligation involved.
Registrants will toe eligible
merely toy signing their names
to the registration cards availa
ble at all participating retail es
tablishments.
Charles Blanton, chairman of
the trade promotion event, said
he anticipated tt will toe a suc
cessful one. “The merchants have
been planning Bonus Days for
the past six weeks and have
made especial effort to secure
quality goods at most favorable
prices. The timing was arranged
to give Kings Mountain area
shoppers a chance to get new
season goods at real toonus-to
customer prices.”
Other members of the Bonus
Days committee are Menzell Phi
fer, Richard Barnette, and- Jo
nas Bridges.
Participating firms include
Baird Furniture, Belk’s Depart
ment Store, Bridges Hardware,
City Auto & Home Supply, Coop
er’s, Inc., Dellinger’s Jewel Shop,
Dixie-Home Stores, Eagle’s 5 &
10 Store, First National Bank, Joy
Theatre, Keeter’s Department
Store, Kings Mountain Drug
Company, McGinnis Department
Store, McGinnis Furniture Com
pany, Myers’ Department Store,
Phifer Hardware, Ploirk Brothers,
Reba’s Fashions, and Sterchi’s.
Associated sponsors are Kings
Mountain Herald and Radio Sta
tion WKMT.
Bridges Tops
LoopDeclaimeis
Dean Bridges, son of IMr. and
Mrs. Grady Bridges, Waco Road,
won in the Western conference
high school forensic contest in a
contest held at Lincolnton Mon
day.
The Kings Mountain high
school student competed against
declaimers representing three
other schools in this division of
the Western North Carolina High
School Activities association.
Hospital Auxiliary Organization
Names Mrs. Padgett As Chairman
Kings Mountain women orga
nized a hospital- auxiliary Tues
day night and agreed to furnish
25 volunteers for duty at Kings
Mountain hospital May 13, date
of formal opening of the new
wing. '
Mrs. P. G. Padgiett was named
chairman of the. organization,
and other officers elected at the
meeting at City Hall include Mrs.
Carl Mayes, vice-chairman, Mrs.
L. Arnold Kiser, recording sec
retary and treasurer, and Miss
Naomi Edens, corresponding sec
retary.
Membership in the auxiliary is
open to all women 18 years and
older who are interested in Kings
Mountain hospital and its work
in the community. Dues are one
dollar for active members and
minimum of $2 for Inactive mem
bers.
Hospital officials pointed out
that services of volunteers leave
the nursing staff free to carry
! out their major duties and added
that one of the first projects of
the auxiliary would be to assist
in the visiting program at the
hospital.
More than 60 women had sign
ed membership cards and others
who have received the cards are
asked to return them with the
proper information to Mrs. Kiser
at Postoffice Box 26 by the first
of the week.
Majority of women attending
the organizational meeting join
ed the volunteer group of “Pink
Ladies” for duties to include
manning the reception desk, dis
tributing mail, flowers, and read
ing material to the patients, and
acting as guides. This group will
wear pink smocks which may be
purchased at a cost of $3.60 plus
tax.
Mrs. Carl Mayes and Miss
Maude Gardner were named co
chairmen of “Pink Ladies" and
other members of that committee
include Mrs. W. K. Mauney, Jr.,
Mrs. Ben Long, Mrs. Howard
Continued On Page Bight
TOWNSHIP MANAGER — J. W.
Webster, city building inspector,
has been named to head Basil
Whitener's Eleventh District Con
gresslonal campaign in No. 4
Township. Attorney Jack White
of Kings 'Mountain is district
manager for Mr. Whltener.
Webster Named
Whitener Leader
J. W. Webster, city building
inspector and acting city tax col
lector, has been named as No. 4
Township chairman of Basil
WWt.ener's Jlth district congres
sional campaign.
The appointment of Webster
to this post was announced by
District Campaign Manager
Jack White Monday.
Mr. Webster made the follow
ing statement concerning his ap
pointment:
“I am happy to be associated
actively in the campaign of Ba
sil Whitener for the Democratic
Congressional nomination. Mr.
Whitener is a self-made man. He
is familiar with problems of the
textile worker and the farmer,
add he lias exhibited already his
knowledge of their problems in
formal statements during the
presfent campaign. Mr. Whitener
is an able lawyer £tnd has been
a capable public servant in his
present position solicitor. I
feel he is the mail best qualified
to represent the district in Con
gress.”
Mr. Webster, 40, is active in
the church and civic affairs of
the city. He is a member of the
city school board and a deacon
of First Presbyterian church. He
is also a member of the Kings
Mountain Lions club and a Ma
son.
He has served as city building
inspector for about two years.
Mr. Webster was named to the
post of acting tax collector last
week, when the board of com
missioners granted Clarence Car
penter, tax collector, a six-months
leave of absence.
Union Election
Decision Awaited
Whether a union reoresenta
tion election will be ordered at
Foote Mineral Company here,
and when, will probably be lear
ned in about two months, local
plant officials guessed this week.
A preliminary hearing before
Louis Perloff, member of the
National Labor Relations district
board, was held at the Gaston
county courthouse Monday, on
petition of two American Fede
ral of Labor Unions for an elec
tion.
Principal development at the
hearing was statement by A. B.
Dixon, union representative, that
he had authority to waiv% the pe
tition of the AFL Teamsters un
ion. Local plant officials said
Dixon’s statement followed com
pany objection to the joint peti
tion filed by the Teamsters and
the AFL Operating Engineers.
The union petition had been fil
ed by Operating Engineers Lo
cal 500 and Teamsters Local 71,
both of Charlotte.
Representing Foote at the
hearing were Nteil O. Johnson,
Ed Goter, Sen H. Goforth, Jr.,
and Attorney W. S Blakeney.
Union Representative Dixon
Continued On Page Eight
Annual Hepon
Estimate Said
"Conservative"
Foote Mineral Company be
lieves it can support its lithium
refining operations at foresee
able rates for at least 50 years.
This information was contain
ed in the company’s 1955 annual
report, decently distributed to
stockholders.
The Foote report states that,
at December 31, its measured
ore was computed at 10,739,199
spodumene pegmatite averaging
1.52 percent lithium oxide, with
additional reserves indicated at
13,264,307 tons of economic grade.
The. report notes that the prov
ed reserves, result of continuous
core-drilling operations, have in
creased seven-fold since 1953.
Foote has extensive mining
operations and ore concentration
operations here and other mining
and refining operations at Sun
bright, Va. Its home offices are
at Philadelphia, Pa.
Salient points from the annual
report show that Foote had re
cord gross sales of $15,309,078 in
1955, up more than $2,000,000 over
the previous record year. Net
earnings were $902,841 or 92
cents per share of common stock.
Foote’s 1955 payroll totaled $3,
474,999. Total assets rteached $12,.
456,428 of which stockholder
equity was $7,583,428.
Foote Chairman Gordon H.
Chambers wrote in the annual
report:
“A year ago our forecasts in
dicated that 1955 would show an
uptrend in sales and profits. In
some areas the predictions were
correct. In other areas we fell far
short of our goals. Fortunately,
our major decisions on expand
ing the Company still appear
sound and profitable. The minor
errors have been or are being
corrected to the best of our abi
lity.
“What went wrong in 1955?
For example, we underestimated
the cost and time rtequired to
complete one major construction
program, and failed to identify a
number of processing problems
early enough. Once these prob
lems became clear, satisfactory
answers were found rather
promptly. Also, some market
prides declined, resulting in low
Continued On Page Eight
Gardner Plans
Thursday Visits
Ralph W. Gardner, candidate
for the Democratic nomination
for U. S. Congress from the 11th
District, will come to Kings
Mountain today where he will
address members of thte Kiwanis
Club at 6:45.
The Shelby candidate will be
accompanied by his wife, Carrie,
and following the Kiwanis ses
sion they will attend the drama
to be presented at 8:15 at the
Woman’s club.
Gardner will come to Kings
Mountain Thursday after ap
pearing before the Rotary club
of Gastonia at noon. Other
speaking engagements this week
at Grover Monday night before
the Lions club and at Ruther
fordton Tufesday evening where
he addressed the Junior Cham
ber of Commerce.
Last week Gar4ner named
James Padgett of Fores^ City,
brother of Dr. P. G. Padgett of
Kings Mountain as his campaign
chairman in Rutherford county.
Padgett, who is active in the ci
vic and religious life of his com
munty, is manager of Padgett
& King Furniture Storle and Pad
gett & King Funeral Home in
Forest City.
Kiwanians To Fete
Farmers April 26
The annual Kings Mountain
Kiwanis Club’s Farmer’s Night
banquet will be held Thurs
day, April 26, according to an
announcement by President B.
S. Peeler, Jr.
Guest speaker for this event
will be Dr. John William Pou,
head of the Animal Industry
department at North Carolina
State college, Raleigh.
Dr. Pou, a native of Iredell
County, is a cousin of Mrs. W.
L Pressly of Kings Mountain.
He is recognized as an expert
in the field of dairy cattle
breeding, and has been active
in agriculture since his gradu
ation from State College In
1938, except for three years he
spent as a major in the United
States Army,.
Hannon Seeking District 2
Post, Opposing Bumgardner
AMONG THE CANDIDATES — Last-minute entry ol many candi
dates added several contests to the May 26 Democratic primary list.
At top left is J. D. Harmon, who is opposing Hazel Bumgardner, right,
for the District 2 county commissioner nomination. At center, left,
is B. P. Jenkins, who seeks to regain the District four county commis
sioner post he lost to John White, right, two years ago. Below, left, is
Haskel Bumgardner. one of seven candidates for Number 4 township
constable, and at right is Wilbur W. (Ebb) Wright, who is challeng
ing Incumbent Dan Moore for the register of deeds nomination.
Personnel Additions, Equipment
Improvements At Neisler Listed
Neisler Mills division of Mass
achusetts Mohair Plush Company
is planning machinery improve
ments and other steps to im
prove the division’s competitive
position and to take advantage of
anticipated improved market
conditions, General Manager W.
M. Ford, said this week.
Mr. Ford also announced seve
ral personnel additions and
changes which, he said, are de
signed to improve operational ef-1
fiqjency and quality of products.
Among theip -are: employment
of Archie T. Wilbanks, Laurens,
S. C., in charge of production
control, planning and quality;
W. K. Lee, Greenville, S. C., as
division mechanical engineer;
Fred Cauble, Spartanburg, S. C„
as assistant to Clarence Jolly in
yarn manufacturing; and promo,
tion of W. J. Fulkerson to the
Continued On Page Eight
Jaycees To Sell Kleenex Friday
Fox Little League Team Benefit
* Kings Mountain Jaycees will
conduct a Kleenex sale, lor the
benefit of their Little League
baseball team project, Friday
night.
The two-hour house-to-house
sale will begin at 7 o’clock and
prospective purchasers are re
quested to turn on porch lights.
' The Jaycees are offering three
400-count boxes of Kleenex for
$1, which Wilson Griffin, a mem
ber of the sale committee, said is
a bargain. The three-box pack
age includes three colors, white,
pink and yellow.
The city has been divided into
four sectors, with groups of
Jaycees to man each.
“We mean to do the whole job
in two hours,"-Mr. Griffin said.
The Jaycees sponsor a Little
League baseball team in the sum.
mer and proceeds from the sale
will go to this fund.
Members of the sale committee
are William Lawrence Plonk, and
Don Hambright, co-chairman,
Gordon Beaver, Wilson Griffin
and Ken Pruitt.
Jenkins Opposes
White; Constable
Total Now Seven
J. D. Harmon, who lives near
Buffalo Creek in Number 4
township, filed for county com
missioner from District 2 last
Saturday as a late-entering can
didate opposing Hazel B. Bum
gardner, Kings Mountain farmer
and veteran incumbent.
Also entering the county com
missioner race was B. P. Jenk
ins, former commissioner. He
will oppose Incumbent John D.
White, in a re-match of the De
mocratic primary race of two
years ago, when White defeated
Jenkins.
In the other county commis
sioner contest, Incumbent Zeb V.
Cline, from District 1, is opposed
by George Lbukhardt.
Other last-minute candidates
included a whole host of consta
ble candidates' in many of the
county’s 11 townships. In No. 4
township, seven citizens, includ
ing Incumbent Gus Huffstetler,
seek the position. Filing shortly
before the deadline were J. U.
Wilson and Haskell Bumgard
ner, both city employees. Previ
ously filed for the post were Ben
Sessoms, William W. Huffstick
ler, Elmer Ross and Robert Ruff,
along with Constable Huffstetlfer.
County-wide races, in addition
to the three county commission
er jousts which area citizens will
help settle, include the race for
Democratic nomination for re
gister of deeds which finds Wil
bur W. (Ebb) Wright, former
Kings Mountain citizen, challeng.
ing Incumbent Dan Moore.
s Citizens here will also help
five of the six county school
board candidates win nomina
tion. Dr. Richard Maybin seks
one of the five nominations, as
do the five incumbents, Edwin
Moore, Kings Mountain, and B.
Austell, Walter Davis, C. D.
Forney, Jr., and W. H. Lutz.
In Number 5 Township, three
men seek the constable spot, in
cluding Jack'Page, Lemuel Beat
til, and Joe R. Barrett. .
Continued On Page Eight
Intiudei Feigns
Wound, Escapes
An after - midnight intrud
er at Kings Mountain Moose
Lodge on Bessemer City road
was welcomed toy gun-fire ear
ly Wednesday morning.
S. J. Smith, who sleeps in
the lodge, awakened about 1
a. m. Wednesday to discover a
man in the building. Smith fir
ed at the intruder with a pistol,
but the man turned and ad
vanced on Smith. At this point,
Smith fired point-blank again
and the intruder fell to the
floor.
Mr. Smith, thinking he had
wounded the break-in man,
rushed to the telephone to call
Gaston County Sheriff’s de
partment.
As Smith was using the
phone, the "wounded” intrud
er leaped to his feet and dived
through a front window, tak
ing glass, blinds, and sash
with him.
Gaston County officers used
toloodhounds to trail the escap
ed man to a point near the Bes
semer City - Kings Mountain
Drive-In, tout lost his trail
there.
Smith told the officers that
his uninvited guest was a
white man, aibout 40 years old,
about five feet-seven inches tall
and weighing aibout 140
pounds. Smith added that he
could make positive identifica
tion of the man.
Sheriff Dwight Beam and De
tective Jim Harris of Gaston
County are investigating the
break-in. The would-be thief
lost his hat in the excitement,
and it was toeing tracfedJ Wed
nesday.
Mr. Smith also told officers
that he felt sure he had woun
ded the man, tout no blood was
found. Sheriff Beam said he
did not feel that the fugitive
was injured.