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Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7,206
The figure for Greater Kings Mountain U derived from
the 1955 Kings Mountain city directory census. The City
Limits figure is from the United States census of 1950.
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
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5 '■1 ■ Xx. -
VOL. 66 NO. 17
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday April 26, 1956 Sixty-Seventh Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
I
Local News
Bulletins
i
l- -
NEW ADDRESS
A/lc James R. Layton, son of
Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Layton of
Kings Mountain, has a new ad
dress, according to his family.
Layton’s address is now A/lc
James R. Layton, Box 172, 90th
Bomber Sqdn., TAC, APO 994,
San Francisco, Calif.
BAPTIST
Carl McCraw, president of
Union National Bank, Char
lotte, iwill speak at morning
worship services Sunday at
First Baptist church. Mr,. Mc
Craw, an active member of
Charlotte’s First Baptist chur
ch, is a Kings Mountain native.
ONE CALL
City Fireman C. D. Ware re
ported Wednesday Kings
Fire department answered a
call Tuesday to the residence
of W. K. Mauney where a fur
nace motor had short circuited.
Only smoke damages were re
ported.
ASSUMES DUTIES
Mrs. W. F. Stone, Jr., the for
mer Miss Virginia Ware, has
assumed duties at Central
Beauty Shop as a beautician,
according to an announcement
by Mrs. Eloise Mabry, owner.
HOSPITALIZED
Charles Dixon, office mana
ger of Victory Chevrolet Co.,
was admitted to Kings Moun
tain hospital Tuesday for ob
servation and treatment.
TWO PERMITS
Building Inspector J. W. Web
ster issued a building permit
Saturday to Thomas Dellinger
to erect a frame house on
Stowe street, at an estimated
cost of $4,000. Friday, a permit
was issued to James Leigh to
build a one room addition to
his residence located on Gantt
street, at an estimated cost of
$800.
lions Heat
School Champs
Kings Mountain city schools’
top readers and declaimers per
formed for the members of the
Kings Mountain Lions club Tues<
day night. ,
The program was presented by*
Rev. Douglas Fritz.
Sandra Plonk, winner of the
elementary schools Baker Read
- ing medal, read the humorous'
skit “Let Brotherly Love Contin
ue.”
Robert Plonk, winner of the
elementary schools Neisler De
clamation medal, declaimed
“We„ the People.”
Evelyn Wright, winner of the
high school reading contest, read
the inspirational story, “White
Lilacs."
Dean Bridges, winner of the
conference forensic contest, gave
the declamation “I Am Innocent
of This Blood.”
Guests at the meeting were
Gordon Williams and Gene Tay
lor.
City Board Meets
Monday Evening
The city board of commission
ers will hold a special session
Monday night at 7 o’clock.
Among items on the short
agenda are consideration of pro
posals from accounting firms for
handling the city audit for 1955
56, a petition from Kings Moun
tain Herald and First Baptist
church for construction of about
67.5 feet of sidewalk on S. Pied
mont avenue, and a hearing on a
re-zoning request by Dan Huff
stetler.
JAYCEE AWARDS PRESENTED — Bill Jonas, president of the Ju
nior Chamber of Commerce, is handing to Mayor Glee A. Bridges a
framed certificate conferring on the Mayor honorary membership in
the Kings Mountain Jaycee organization for civic service and aid
to Jaycee projects. Chief of Police Hugh A. Logan,, Jr., seated, receiv
ed a similar honorary membership, Martin Harmon, right, editor of
the Herald, holds a certificate of "recognition and appreciation” for
services of the Kings Mountain Herald in publicizing Jaycee and
other civic projects. A similar award went to Radio Station WKMT.
Manager Jonas Bridges could not be present for the presentation.
(Photo by Pennington Studio.)
Registration Books
To Open Saturday
Osberne Lists
May 26 Primary
Vote Officials
Registration (books for the May
26 Democratic primary will open
Saturday for the first time.
The (books will be open for
three consecutive Saturdays,
through May 12, and May 19 will
be challenge day.
Calling attention to the open
ing of the registration books in
all precincts of the county, J. W.
Osborne, county elections board
chairman, announced the names
of the several precinct officials.
All are registered Democrats. Mr.
Osborne noted that no Republi
can candidates had filed in the
county and that no recommenda
tions for Republican judges had
been filed with the elections
lboatd. But, he added, a Republi
canjudge would be named for
each precinct in sufficient time
for November general election.
Kings Mountain area precincts
land officials are:
\ ^ast Kings Mountain — Mrs.
Nell Cranford, registrar, Ted
■Gamble and Mrs. Craig Falls,
jtujges, and Craig Falls, alter
na+e.
West Kings Mountain — Mrs.
J. H. Arthur, registrar, Mrs. F. A.
McDaniel, Jr., and I. B. Goforth,
Jr., judges, Mrs. Charles Dixon,
alternate judge.
Bethware — Mrs. H. A. Gofor
th, registrar, Mrs. Myers Ham
bright and Leonard Gamble,
judges, and J. Clyde Randall, al
ternate Judge.
Grover — J. B. Ellis, registrar,
Miss Ethel Martin and Mrs. Inez
B. Ellis, judges, and Mrs. Bill'
McCarter, alternate judge.
Waco — G>. M. Murray, regis
trar, Raven Craft and J. R. Hord,
judges, and W. S. Brown, alter
nate judge.
The elections board has not
called a new registration, mean
ing that Democrats who voted in
the county primary two years
ago, in the 1954 general elec
tion, or in the special bond elec
tion of 1954 are eligible to vote
in the Democratic primary. Per
sons. who have never registered,
either due to age or residence re
quirements, should see the reg
istrar at their particular pre
cincts.
State Grand Master Vance To Speak
At Fairview lodge Ladies Night
John C. Vance, of Asheville,
Grand Master of Masons in North
Carolina, will make the principal
address Saturday night at the
annual ladles night banquet of
Falrvlew Lodge 339, A. F. & A.
M.
He will be presented by Dr.
Charles H, Pugh, of Gastonia,
immediate past Grand Master of
Masons In North Carolina.
Many other priminent Masons
from throughout the state are ex
pected for the annual ladies
night event, which will be held
at Masonic Dining Hall at 7
o'clock.
Dinner will be served by Kings
Mountain chapter 123, Order of
Eastern Star, of which Miss
Helen Logan is Worthy Matron,
and special music will be present
ed by Dr. Blake McWhirter and
Miss Melba Tindall, vocalists, ac
companied by Mrs. Fleete Mc
Curdy.
Announcement of the ladies
night banquet plans was made
by Arnold W. Kincaid, who said
that the banquet would also fea
ture “the heart-warming practice
of Fairview Lodge in honoring
the widows of former Masons.”
D. E. Tate will be in charge of
this ceremony.
Some 250 Masons thfeir wives
and guests are expected to at
tend the event.
CANDIDATE — J. W. (J. U.) Wil
son, city trucker, is one ot seven
candidates seeking the Democra
tic nomination for Number 4
Township constable, subject to
the May 26 primary.
Does Chill Slow
Political Hie?
Why is political activity out
wardly quiet?
Is it the cool weather, holding
back the political sap?
With registration books open*
ing for the first time Saturday
and with voting day in the Demo
cratic primary only a month
away, majority of citizens guess
that the activity of both candi
dates and their supporters will
increase. •
• But that has beten the predic
tion for several weeks with little
outward result.
The “big" race in this area,
Ralph Gardner, Basil Whitener
and Hugh Wells, jousting for the
Democratic nomination to suc
ceed Woodrow W. Jones as 11th
district Congressman, have all
been working hard. They have
traveled through the district se
veral times, made speech after
speech to civic clubs, shaken
thousands of hands, but the re-*
suits thus far have been lack
lustre. Thus far in Kings Moun
tain—and it is reported in other
spots of the district—few sup
porters are shouting any candi
date’s praises in the true spring
political warfare tradition.
In Number 4 Township, six
challengers want to take the De
mocratic constable nomination
away from C. A. (Gus) Huff
stetler, who has served one full
two-year term and part of ano
ther. They are Elmer Ross, Wil
liam (Bill) Huff stickler. Ben
Sessoms, J. W. Wilson, Robert
Ruff, and Haskel Bumgardner.
County-wide races number on
ly five, four of them two-man
affairs, the other a sweepstakes
joust.
Wilbur W. (Ebb) Wright, one
time Kings Mountain citizen, is
challenging Register of Deeds
Dan Moore. George Ueukhardt is
challenging Zeb V. Cline for the
District 1 county commissioner
ship. J. D. Harmon, Shelby feed
salesman who lives near Buffalo
Creek, is challenging Kings
Mountain poultryman Hazel B.
Continued on Page Eight
East Principal
Mis. Thomson
Will Retire
Mrs. J. H. Thomson will rtetire
as principal of East School at
the end of the current school
year.
Mrs. Thomson announced her
letter to the City School Board
last week. The board, in a spe
cial mteeting Monday night, ac
cepted her resignation, but did
not name a successor for the
principalship.
The special meeting had been
called, to re-telect teachers for the
coming year. All other teachers
except Miss June Rogers, teach
er of Bible were re-elected. The
board expressed regret that it
could not re-elect Miss Rogers
due to the fact that the Bible
Committee had not yet brought
a recommendation before the
board.
The election of a Bible teacher
hingtes on the recommendation of
this committee which pays the
costs of Bible teaching! in
the Schools, and the board'can
not take action until a recommen
dation is received. Miss Rogers
was praised highly by the board
for her work during the past
year. Chairman A. W. Kincaid
madte it clear that the hold-up
of the re-election was not a
popular choice with the board
members.
Mrs. Louise Albrecht was re
elected on the condition that‘she
re-new her certificate which has
expired.
Mrs. Rosalie P. Suber was elec
tted to a teaching position in West
School for next school year. Mrs.
Suber had left her West School
position during the current year,
but reapplied. Mrs. R. S. Lennon
replaced Mrs. Subter for the in
terim period.
The board passed motions that
a letter be written to Mrs. Len
non thanking her for her ser
vices during Mrs. Suber’s ab
sence, and to draw up a resolu
tion thanking Mrs. Thomson for
her many years of faithful service
to the community schools. Dr. P.
G. Padgett said, “Mrs. Thomson
has definitely left her mark on
this community, and many per
sons hfere have felt the influence
of her years as a teacher.”
Roberts Heads
Baibei Chaptez
Kings Mountain barbers or
ganized a chapter of the Associa
ted Master Barbers of America
and Elected officers here Mon
day night at Wright’s Barber
shop.
Officers are Lee Roberts, presi
dent, G. L. Wright, vice-president,
S. R. Dixon, secretary-treasurer,
Curtis Gaffney, corresponding
secretary, and Baxter Wright,
chaplain.
The chapter was organized by
U. D. Koonce, of Greensboro bxe
cutive vice-president of the As
sociated Master Barbers of
North Carolina.
Pat Tignor, F. W. Davis, and
C. E. (Gene) Wright were nam
ed to head the sick committee,
F. W. Davis was named publicity
chairman, Gene Wright was rlhm
ed chairman of the entertain
ment committee, and C. A. Go
forth was elected sergeant-at
arms.
Charter members of the organ*
za’tion are G. L. Wright, C. E.
Wright, both of Wright’s Bar
ber ship; Pat Tignor and C. A.
Goforth, both of Central Barber
ship; Lee Roberts, of Phenix
Mill Barber ship; F. W. Dover
Continued on Page Eight
SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED — Pictured are two Kings Mountain re
cipients of Chambers college Scholarship awards for the 1956-57
school year, given annually to children of Foote Mineral Company
employees, with their parents and Neil O. Johnson, Foote Mineral
Kings Mountain manager, who announced the awards. Left to right,
are Mary Elizabeth Adams, Compact school scholarship winner, her
father Jack Adams, Manager Johnson, Leo Thombs, and his daugh
ter, Annie Thombs, Davidson scholarship winner. Sara Thombs, a
college freshman awarded a scholarship for her sophomore year,
was not present for the photo.
Three Students
Get Scholarships
Foote Mineral
Manager Lists
Area Awards
Award of three one-year college
scholarships to Kings Mountain
children of Foote Mineral Com
pany employees was announced
this week.
The recipients are:
Mary Elizabeth Adams, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Jack Adams,
who will graduate from Compact
high school this year, and who
expects to enroll next autumn at
A. & T.. College to study French
and home economics.
Annie L. Thombs, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Leo Thom'bs, who
will gradute in June from David
son high school, and who expects
to enroll at A. & T. college to
work toward a B. S. degree in
nursing.
Sara Thomlbs, who is complet
ing her freshman year at Living
ston College, Salisbury, on a
Chambers Scholarship awarded
last spring.
The Chambers scholarships are
awarded annually to qualified
children of Foote Mineral Com
pany employees from a scholar
ship fund set last year by Mr.
and Mrs. Gordon N. Chambers.
Mr. Chambers is chairman of the
board of Foote Minefal Compa
ny.
The scholarships are renewa
ble annually for a four-year pe
riod provided the recipient’s gra
des are adequate. The student,
to recteive a renewal scholarship
must finish in the upper 50 per
cent of his or her class.
Value of the scholarship is
sufficient, Foote’s Kings Moun
tain personnel manager Ben H.
Goforth, Jr., said to pay virtually
all expenses of a one-year col
lege term.
LIONS DIRECTORS
Directors of Kings Mountain
Lions club will meet Thursday
night at 7 o’clock in the office
of Dr. N. H. Reed.
Kiwanians To Entertain Farmeis
Oi Area Thursday; Pou Speaker
Kings Mountain Kiwanis club
will serve as host to farmers in
-this area Thursday night when
the club holds its annual Farm
er’s Night at Kings Mountain
Woman’s club.
Invitations have been extended
to all farmers, and a good num-1
ber are expected to attend this j
event.
Dr. John William Pou will be
guest speaker for this occasion.
Dr. Pou is head of the Animal Ih
dustry department at N. C. State j
college. He is considered one of j
the state’s leading authorities on
dairy cattle breeding and gene- [
tics, as well as daily production, j
Born in Elmwood, Iredell
County, July 8, 1917, Dr. Pou re
ceived his B. S. degree in Animal i
production from N. C. State col
lege in 1938, was awarded his M.:
S. degree in dairy husbandry by i
the University of Wisconsin in ■
1947, and earned his Ph. D. de- ■
gree in animal breeding at Cor
nell University in 1951.
Dr. Pou, known to his friends
as “Joe,” is a familiar figure in
North Carolina agricultural clr.
cles. A top-ranking 4-II club
Continued on Page Eight
GUEST SPEAKER — Dr. John W.
Pou, head of the Animal Industry
department at N. C. State College,
will make the principal address
at the annual Kings Mountain
Kiwanis Club Farmer's Night
program to be held Thursday at
6:45 p. m. at Kings Mountain Wo
man's Club.
Weather Just Lovely,
Says Snow Refugee
While the unseemly late
chills have caused much shiv
ering, higher - than-normal
fuel bills, and furnished a
leading topic of conversation,
one Kings Mountain citizen
thinks the weather is quite
lovely.
It's all a matter of compari
son.
Paul Lancaster, superintend
ent of Kings Mountain Mica
Company was in New York and
New England states last week
on a ibusiness trip. In New
Hampshire last Friday, the
Kings Mountain man shivered
through a steady snow. The
new snow already had ten in
ches of snow to build on.
“I'm glad I live in the South,”
Mr. Lancaster commented this
week. "It’s really pretty warm
after all.”
Car Safety Check
Is Scheduled
A city-wide motor vehicle
safety check wil’ .be conducted
here from May 21-26. It will toe a
voluntary program.
John C. Smathers, secretary
treasurer of Park Yarn Mills, is
serving as chairman of the vol
untary safety effort and announ
ced this week committee chair
men to handle details of the
campaign.
They include:
W. G. Grantham check-lane
committee; Jonas Bridges, pub
licity; Martin Harmon, special
events; Hugh A. Logan, display;
Glee A. Bridges, employer • em
ployee committee; B. F. Maner,
finance; Louis G. Sabettie, pro
gram materials; and Mrs. George
Houser, historian and recorder.
In addition to Mr,. Smathers,
the steering committee includes
Chief Logan,Mr. Sabettie and
Mayor Bridges.
Plans for the campaign to as
sure good condition of the city’s
motor vehicle population will be
announced in the near future.
Specifically, the committee ex
pects to operate a safety check
lane in which expert mechanics
(serving without pay) will check
brakes, lights, steering and other
auto parts to assure their safe
operation.
It will toe similar to the safety
check conducted last year, which,
Mr. Smathers said, attained con
siderable popularity among the
city’s motorists.
Oak Grove Votes
Full-Time Pastor
Oak Grove Baptist church con-1
gregation voted on Sunday to
employ a full-time pastor, then
received the resignation of the
pastor Rev. Hoyle Alexander, who
has been serving both the Oak
Grove and Mull's Chapel Baptist
church.
Rev. Mr. Alexander resigned
to accept the pastorate of West
End Baptist church at Gaffney,
S. C.
Under action by the congrega
tion, Mr. Alexander’s replace,
ment will be employed to serve
only the Oak Grove church.
Third Shift Work
Halted By Neisler
Orders Short,
Firm To Suspend
Swing Shift
Approximately 75-90 employees
3f Neisler Mills Division Massa
chusetts Mohair Plush Company
will receive layoff notices next
week.
W. M. Ford, Neisler division
general manager, confirmed the
lay-offs Wednesday.
He reported that third shift
workers at both Margrace, and
Pauline Mill will have to be.
“temporarily laidoff.” Mr. Ford
added that some of these work
ers would be absorbed by first
and second shifts at the two
plants, but still placed the num
ber of effected employees at 75
90
"We didn’t feel that these
workers werte getting enough
work to be fair to them, and de
cided that they should be allow
ed to draw unemployment com
pensation,” Mr. Ford said.
When asked about the status
of the remaining workers, Mr.
Ford said that both Kings Moun
tain plants will run two shifts.
"Naturally we hope we will be
able to put the third shift back
into production soon. We had
hoped that the market situation
would have improved six or
eight weeks ago, and we still
have hopes that the situation
will improve shortly," he added.
Schools Want
Thompson Lot
Kings Mountain City School
Board voted Monday night to
attempt to purchase a lot and
house adjoining Central School
at 107 East -Ridge street for $10,
000.
The property, which is owned
by W. B. Thompson of Concord,
formerly of Kings Mountain, was
reported to toe for sale, and board
members expressed interest in
obtaining the lot, which measur
es 127.5 feet toy 138 feet.
A purchase price of $10,000 was
agreed upon toy the board after
a long discussion,. During the dis
cussion, it was brought out that
the school needs all additional
property adjacent to the Central
plant that it can obtain.
An attempt to purchase the
property some five or six years
ago did not materialize because
at that time the 'board did not
have money available for pur
chasing additional land. The
price offered toy the board at that
time was $10,100.
Board Member Fred Plonk ex
tended the board’s offer to Mr.
Thompson following Monday’s
meeting. Mr. Thompson told Mr.
Plonk that he would come to
Kings Mountain to discuss the
matter with the board.
No specific project is in mind
for this tract if obtained, tout the
board felt it could toe used for
any number of needed additions
to the Central plant.
The house is presently occupi
ed toy Mr. and Mrs. Tom L. Gil
bert and family.
POSTPONED
Regular Thursday morning
meeting of the Credit Women’s
Breakfast club has been post
poned, according to announce
ment by Miss Ray Humphries,
program chairman.
TO BE INSTALLED — Horace
Brown, recently elected gover
nor of the Kings Mountain
Moose Lodge will be installed, a.
long with other newly elected of
ficers, at the regular meeting of
the lodge Thursday night. ,
Moose Officers
To Be Installed
Kings Mountain Moose Lodge
1748 will install officers for the
coming year at its regular meet
ing at the lodge Thursday night.
Horace Brown will bte installed
as governor succeeding Warren
Reynolds.
Other officers to be installed
are: George Newton, of Besse
mer City, junior governor; Jack
Killian, Jr., of Gastonia, prelate,
John Lackey of Kings Mountain,
treasurer; L. W. Carpenter, of
Bessemer City, three year trus
tee; J. C. Williams, of Bessemer
City, two year trustee; and Wil
lie Grice, of Kings Mountain,
one-year trustee.
Fred Dixon, past junior gover
nor, will be the installing officer.
The meeting is set for 8:15 p. m.
Band, Pianist
Get II Eatings
Central school’s 52piece band
received a rating of II or "excel
lent’’ in the annual state music
contest last Wednesday afternoon
in Greensboro.
Peggy Joyce Reynolds, piano
student of Mrs. Martin Harmon,
also received a rating of II or
"excellent" in the senior high
school piano contests, held at
Greensboro last Saturday. Miss
Rleynolds is a high school junior.
Selections by the band includ
ed “New Colonial March” by R.
B. Hall, “Mexican Overture” by
Merle J. Isaac, and “Thendara
Overture” by Mauride C. Whit
ney.
Other bands receiving the rat
ing of excellent in grade three
were Albemarle, Dallas, and
Reidsville school bands. Joe C.
Hedden directs the Kings Moun
tain band.
CORRECTION
In a sanitation market rating
report published in last week’s
Herald, (Morrison’s Market of
Timm’s Stop & Shop was re
ported .by Cleveland County
Health department as Grade
“B”. The report should have
read Grade “A”, according to
notification by Dr. Z. P. Mitch
ell, county health officer.
Jerry Ball To Play For Jaycees
At Annual Ladies Night Tuesday
Kings Mountain Junior Cham-'
ber of Commerce will hold its
annual Ladies night banquet on
Tuesday evening at 7 o’clock at
the Woman’s Club, with Jerry
Ball, Charlotte pianist, to feature
an entertainment program.
In addition to the entertain
ment by Mr. Ball, public relations
man for Esso Standard Oil com
pany and well-known through his
musical activities for the annual
March of Dimes fund drive, the
program will feature installation
of new officers for 1956-57.
Jack Sharp, of Kannapolis,
Jaycee national director, will
conduct the installation ceremon
ies.
Bill Jonas, retiring Jaycee pre
sident, will preside.
Officers to be installed are J
bert Dixon, vice-president; Ed
H. Smith, secretary; Bob Maner.
treasurer; Dr. Blake McWhirter,
jaybird: -and William Lawrence
Plonk, Charles Blanton and
Dean Payne, directors.
Phifer Worked 2,196
Consecutive Days
Rufus Phifer, the. city post
office’s contract mail messen
ger, was back on the job Mon
day, ' after a hospital seige
broke a long record of service
without a single day’s absence.
Mr. Phifer took over the du
ties of mail messenger—which
includes dispatch and receipt of
mail handled by the railroads,
plus delivery of special delivery
mail—on April 16, 1950.
It was April 19, 1956, when
Mr. Phifer was hospitalized
with a kidney ailment, after
2,196 consecutive days of ser
vice. The mail messenger job
is a seven-day-per-week duty
schedule.
During the three-plus day
interim, Acting Postmaster Ted
Weir and other postal employ
ees handled the duties of the
ill messenger.