North Carolina Newspapers

Population Greater Kings Mountain 10,320 City Limits 7.206 (he flfura for Snmr Xing* Maun tats it derived from foe Itfifi Days Mountain city directory crams. The City ■Me first. Is (ten the United Mstee census el IfiSfi. Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper HE) Cl r|A ».. 1 ^ Jnfc/ 1 VOL 66 NO. 18 Established 1889 Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday May 3, 1956 Sixty-Seventh Year PRICE FIVE CENTS VOLUNTARY AUTO INSPECTION CAMPAIGN PLANNED — Pictured is a group of Kings Moun tain citizens as they met at City Hall last week to map plans for the second annual Kings Moun tain area voluntary motor vehicle safety check scheduled for May 21-26. Front row. left to right, are Chief of Police Hugh A. Logan, Jr., Chairman John Smathers, and Woman's Club President Mrs. George Houser. Second row, left to right, are W. G. Grantham, handling details for setting up the check lane, and Jonas Bridges, publicity chair* man. Back row, left to right, are Louis Sabetti, in charge of program materials. Bob Maner, fi nance chairman, and Mayor Glee A. Bridges, a member of the steering committee. (Photo by Penninton Studio.) Political Tempo Quickening As May 26 Voting Day Nears Local New Bulletins ONE PERMIT Building Inspector J. W,. Web ster issued a permit Friday to M. B. Hannon for an addition on a one story frame house on Benfield road, at an estimated cost of $600. METER RECEIPTS City parking meter receipts for the week ending noon, Wednesday totaled $242.85, ac cording to a report by Miss Grace Carpenter of City Clerk’s office. Miss Carpenter said <street meters returned $201.75, while off -street meters accoun ted for $41.10. MOOSE MEETING Rings Mountain Moose Lodge 1748 will hold their regular Thursday night meeting at 8:15 at the lodge on Bessemer City road, according to an an nouncement by Curtis Gaffney, secretary. ATTENDS MEETING Rev. P. D. Patrick, pastor of First Presbyterian church, rep resented Kings Mountain Pres bytery at the general assem bly’s stewardship conference held in Charlotte on Tuesday. TOOTH CHOIR The youth choir of Macedonia Baptist church will sing over Radio Station WCYL, York, S. C., Sunday afternoon in a half hour program from 2:30 p. m. until 3 o’clock. The choir is composed of 22 young people of the church who are 13-18 years of age. TO HEAR WELLS Hugh Wells, Shelby attorney and candidate for the 11th dis trict nomination for Democratic Congressman, will address t .members of the Kiwanis club at their meeting Thursday night at the Woman’s Club. The club will convene at 6:45. SUNDAY DINNER Kings Mountain Woman's club will serve dinner Sunday at the clubhouse at 12 noon with the menu to include fried chicken, green beans, new po tatoes, lettuce and tomato sal ad, and apple pie. Plates for adults are $125 and children’s plates (ages 12 and under) are 75 cents. < SOCIAL SECURITY A representative of the Gas tonia social security office will toe at City Hall here next Mon day and again on May 21 to serve residents of the area with any question pertaining to so cial security, it was announced toy the Gastonia office mana ger, Joseph Walsh. Three Congress Candidates Push Their Campaigns The tempo of political activity —particularly in the ‘ three-man race for the 11th district Congres sional nomination — increased during the past week, with at least one interesting sidelight. Last week, Kings Mountain utility poles suddenly blossomed with placards exhorting the vo ters to cast May 26 ballots fbr Ralph Gardner. ,, It wasn’t long until managers for Basil Whitener were brand ishing a city ordinance at Mayor Glee A. Bridges and Chief of Po lice Hugh A. Logan, Jr. The or dinance prohibits the use of util ity poles for this purpbse—be the advertising political or other wise. Jack White, district manager for Whitener, was among thoSe protestirijg and iby Wednesday virtually all the placards were removed.' "As far as T know the police department has cleaned the pol es,’’ Chief fyogan remarked, add ing, "I. didrf^t know that ordi nance was on the books.” It reminded some local citizens of the incident which occurred during the 1950 primary, when a "Woodrow Johes Victory Cara van’’ came to Kings Mountain to aid the Jones Vote quest. Enter ing the city limits, one qf the caravaners was making gobd use of a loud speaker system in his car when accosted Iby the Kings Mountain constabulary and hauled to tl>e police station. The charge was violation of the city’s ordinance prohibiting use of out door loud Speakers within the city limit§. Otherwise, the campaign was marked by a sudden blossoming of campaign advertising on the part qf all candidates. Basil Whiftner's forces got out a Whitener crossword puzzle, Ral ph Gardner and Hugh Wells (in Kings Mountain shaking hands Wednesday) placed newspaper advertising in majority of the newspapers of the district. In Kipgs Mountain, “Gardner for Congress” banners began to- ap pear with more frequency on &u \ Continued on ‘page Eight Sunday Designated Straw Hat Day Here Sunday will be “Kings Moun tain Straw Hat Day” lor male members of the population. Paul Walker, president of the Kings Mountain merchants as sociation, announced this week that May 6 has been designated as the official day for men to don straw hats for the summer season. Kings Mountain department stores announce they’ve alrea dy had some interest among the male population in buying new model hats, particularly on Monday which was the hot test day to date in the spring season. Models are slightly changed this year, with more accent on so-called Ivy League num bers and "flat-tops.” Dark col ors will again b4bpe|>ular this Summer, merchants have re ported. tf,®' Fellowship Day Bites Thursday Kings Mountain churchwomen will observe May Fellowship Day Thursday evening (tonight) at a program at First Baptist church. The observance is one-of three programs sponsored here annual ly by thfe Kings Mountain council of churchwomen of which Mrs. Paul Mauney is president. Other observances commemorate World Community Day and World Day of Prayer. A covered dish supper at 6:30 p. m. will precede the 7:30 p. m. program. Rev. A. T. Quakenbush, pastor of First Baptist church, will give the invocation and benediction. Mrs. John Gamble and Mrs. Eu gene Steffy will conduct the re sponsive reading. Offertory music will be. presented before Mrs. Aubrey Mauntey discusses how the offering is used and Mrs. W. M. Gantt introduces the program which will feature the showing of the film “Sound Of A Stone.” The film will be shown by Lu ther Cansler. “This is a family program,” Mrs. F. R. Summers, publicity, chairman noted, "and we invite all families of. the community to join in this observance.” Bethware Commencement Program Set; Co-Valedictorians Named Commeribement exercises for Belhware high school senior class were announced yesterday by Principal J.ohn Rudisiil. Hie exercises, scheduled for May 20-22, wi/hegin on Sunday May 20, with tne baccalaureate sermon by Dr. Dorua P. Rudisiil, of bUckory, professor of Bible and philosophy at Denoir-Rhyne college and a brother ef Princi pal Rudisiil. Class night festivities will be observed on Monday night May 21, and graduation exercises wtdll be conducted on Tuesday night, May 32. Rev. James B. MCLarty, pastor of Central Methodist church will make the graduation night address. Claude Harmon, chairman ,of the district school committee, will award diplomas. Principal Rudisill announced that two students will slSire hon ors for valedictorian of the sen ior class. Thdy are Nancy Bell, daughter of Mr, and Mrs. Horace Bell, and Sara', Mae Hamrick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Ben Hamrick. Employment Slightly Off Daring April Kings Mountain area’s employ ment. picture worsened only slightly during the four weeks ended April 25, but indications are the figure on job-seekers and unemp loyment compensation claiments will be greater for the subsequent four-week period. Franklin L. Ware, Jr., manager of the Kings Mountain branch of the North Carolina Employ ment service, said the April 25 report does not reflect heavy ac tivity of the past weekend in ac cepting claims for unemployment compensation from iaid-off em ployees of Neisler Mills division of Massachusetts Mohair Plush Company. The company announ ced last week it’s halting tempo rarily of third shift work. “Company officials say they are hopeful the situation will change materially in threi^ to four weeks,” Mr. Ware added. For the April period, total weeks of employment compensa tion claimed was 1145, an average of slightly less than 300 claims per week, and only slightly high er than 1,096 registered during the previous four-week period. Number of active job-seekers jumped to 411, result of addition of 107 new applicants for em ploymtent. During April, the employment service received 84 job orders and made 73 placements, the same figure recorded for the March period. Of this total, do mestic household employment was the largest total, resulting in 19 plecements. Others were: textiles 18, construction 11, min ing 9, public utilities 9, wholesale and retail trade 2, service indus try 2, and farming andd related work 3. Maximum payments of un employment compensation are $30 per week for a maximum of 26 weeks in a benefit year, Mr. Ware said, adding that several claimants have earnings in the base pteriod qualifying them for the maxhnum payment. Average check being drawn, however, is $23 to $24, he continued. New TT 29 Strip Opened The new two-lane strip of U. S. 29 from Archdale Farms to the -Grover city limits was open ed to traffic last week. This new strip provides four lane accommodation for traffic, with one-way traffic on each two-lane strip of the boulevard. For all intents and purposes the road construction is complete. However Ed Kemper, district highway engineer, said general condition of the road will deter mine when it is to receive an added treatment of hot-mix.. Mr. Kemper said the highway department is currently widen ing, improving, and applying base material to the St. Luke’s church road, a county spur off Highway 216 (Cherryville-Road), with a view to eventual paving of this road. However, he added, the paving will not be done dur ing calendar year 1956. The St. Luke’s road work is a part of the highway division policy in preparing now for even tual hard-surfacing all county roads which log as many as 100 vehicles per day. Mr. Kemper further remarked that only some eight to ten miles of unpaved road in Cleveland county cur rently carry this amount of traf fic. There are no new develop ments, he added, on the possibi: lity of extending the new double lane -strip of U. S. 29 through Grover. Grover town officials declined, due to the heavy finan cial consideration required, to a gree to share right-of-way cbsts. Mr. Kemper said further de cision on Improvements to 0. S. 29 now await action of Congress on the pending $51 billion high way construction bill and, sub sequently, on the question of whether & new inter-state road will be built from Gastonia south. Preliminary engineering surveys have been made for a possible new U. S. 29. Present terms of the pending highway legislation provide that the proposed fede ral-state' interstate roads be built on a share formula, where by the federal government would supply 90 percent of the funds,. OPEN HOUSE Central Methodist church will honor Rev. and Mrs. James Me Larty and family and new members of the church at open house Sunday evening from 7:30 p. m. until 9 o’clock, ac cording to announcement >by Mrs. Paul Hendricks, president of the Women’s Society of Christian Service. Mrs. Aubrey Mauney Elected N.C. Women’sClub President ELECTED—J. Ollie Harris. Kings Mountain mortician, was elected president of the North Carolina Funeral Directors and Embalm ers Examining board, in session at Raleigh Wednesday. Mr. Har ris has served on the board for several years and advances from the vice-presidency. Harris President Of State Board J. Ollie Harris, Kings Moun tain mortician, was elected Wed nesday to serve as President of the North Carolina Funeral Di rectors and Embalmiers examin ing board. Mr. Harris advances from the vice-presidency of this state li censing board which conducts examinations to determine fit ness of applicants for funeral di rector’s and embalmer’s licenses. Mr. Harris was elected presi dent at a meeting, of the group in Raleigh on Wednesday. The Kings Mountain citizen is a veteran member of the board. Hospital Honois Late I. C. Plonk A portrait of the late Joseph Calvin Plonk was one of three unveiled in Sunday ceremonies at Rutherford County hospital, Rutherford ton. The late* Mr. Plonk, kinsman of the Kings Mountain Plonk clan, was honored along with the hos pital’s founders, Dr. Henry Nor ris and Dr. Montgomery H. Biggs. The portrait of Mr. Plonk was unveiled toy his widow, Mrs. Maude Reinhardt Plonk, and the citation distributed to persons at tending the ceremonies read: Joseph Calvin Plonk was bom December 9, 1852, near Kings Mountain, in Cleveland County, North Carolina, the son of John Jonas and Ann Ellen (Oates) Plonk. His forebears were of Dutch origin, the immi frant ancestor of the line, Jacob lonk, coming from Holland in 1747; he settled first in Lancas ter, Pennsylvania, and later movied to North Carolina. “Mr. Joseph Calvin Plonk was an outstanding figure in the cot ton manufacturing industry and was for years one of the most in fluential manufacturers 'in the South. As President of the Chero kee Falls Manufacturing Com pany, of Cherokee Falls, South Carolina, he contributed much to business and social welfare of the section. This is shown by the fact that he was a charter mem ber and, after his retirement, an honorary member for life of the South Carolina Textile Associa tion; a life rpemtoer of the Ame rican Cotton Manufacturers As sociation; and a leading figure in the National Manufacturers Association. Continued on Page Eight Kesler Winner In School Contest Steve Kesler, son of Mr- and Mrs. T. L: Kesler, was first-place winner in the extemporaneous division of the high school foren sic contest Friday at Lenoir Rhyne college, Hickory. Young Kesler, tenth grade stu dent at Central school, received a medal and a scholarship to Le noir-Rhyne which is valued at $80 each year should he attend the Institution. His subject was “The Coloniaf Problems of France In North Africa." Bobby Early, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jake Early, represented Central school ’in the dec lama don division. A ninth grade stu dent, he chose the subject, "The Personality of Jesus” by Fosdick. Kings Mountain Citizen Named To State Office Mrs, Aubiey Mauney was elec ted president of the North Caro lina Federation of Women’s Clubs at the annual state conven tion in Durham last weekend. The threle-day convention fea tured the election and installa tion of officers and the presenta tion of club awards. Among win ners was Kings Mountain Wo man’s club which placed first in yearbook competition. Mrs. Mauney, active in civic, religious, and Women’s work of the community, is an activfe mem ber of Kings Mountain Woman’s club. She is a past president of both the Junior and Senior Wo men s clubs here and has served as president of district four of the state federation which in cludes Cleveland, Rutherford, Lincoln, and Gaston counties. She was state chairman of the Ame rican Home department and ser ved as first chairman of the state Fine Arts division. She served twice as chairman of the static Fine Arts festival and was chair man of the federation year book committee. She is a past record ing secretary of the state federa tion. She served as president of the state Woman’s Missionary Soci ety of the United Lutheran Sy nod of North Carolina in 1943-46 and is a past recording secretary of the North Carolina Council of Churches. Mrs. Mauney is thle wife of Aubrey Mauney, secretary-trea surer of Kings Mountain Manu facturing company who is cur rently serving as third vice-presL dent of the Lutheran Brother hood of America. Officers were elected to serve a two-year term. Kings Mountain delegates to the convention included Mrs. Hay wood E. Lynch, Mrs. Jacob Coo per, Mrs. Claude Hambright, and Mrs. George Houser, all of the Senior club, and Mrs. D. W. Blan ton and Miss Margaret Goforth, both of the Junior club. Other officers elected, in addi tion to Mrs. Mauney, include Mrs. C. Gordon Madrey, of Ahos kie, first vice-president; Mrs. Jamies Harper, Jr., of Southport, second vice-president; Miss Mar gartet Yorkley, of Mount Airy, third vice-president; Mrs. Leslie Bamhardt, of Charlotte, corres ponding secretary, and Mrs. J. Henry Highsmith, of Raleigh, member of thle board of trustees. Bank Will Close Thursday, May 10 First National- Bank of Kings Mountain will be closed Thurs day, May 10, according to an an nouncement by President F. R. Summers. May 10, is Confederate Memo rial Day. This holiday is observ ed only in North and South Caro lina. The city’s other financial in stitutions, Home Building & Loan and Kings Mountain Building & Loan, had not decided Wednes day whether they would close or not. Audit Contract, Police Vacations On City Board Agenda Thursday Much of Thursday’s agenda for the regular monthly meeting of the city board of commissioners represents deferred decisions on business discussed at a special session Monday night. The board will consider these deferred items at the Thursday night 8 p. m. session at City Hall: 1) Award of contract for the annual city audit. 2) Police department vaca tion policy. •- * 3) A requfest for easement to enter North Deal street exten sion from a Mr. Ray. 4) Request from B. T. Wright, j Sr., for relief from future curb ing cost should the city widen N. Goforth street to 50-foot di mension. Mr. Wright contends the widening will destroy the curbing in front of his property and he doesn’t want to pay his portion of the assessment agin. Algo on Thursday night the commissioners are expected to ing bids to install curb-and-gutter and sidewalk on North Piedmont avenue and to effect some fund transfers to tide over several city departments for the remain der of the fiscal year. Actions taken at Monday night’s special session were: l) Re-zoning of a lot on E. King street to neighborhood trading area designation from re sidential designation. The request had been made by. Dan Huff stetler and none appeared at the meeting to object. 2) Authorization for instal ling about 67 feet of sidewalk on South Piedmont avenue (West side) on petition of First Bap tist church trustees and Kings Mountain Herald. The board in structed the Mayor to obtain bids and award to the lowest bid der. The petitioners stated they would pay their 50 percent share of the sidewalk job on completion. Estimated cost was $125. The Mayor informed the board he expected to indict Albert Tur ner, Shelby plumber, who “con tinues to refuse to pay plumbing tap fees unless caught." The board deferred action on award of audit contract to de termine which of four bidders would be able to audit immedia tely the recorder’s court and tax accounts through April 15. On that date, leave of absence granted Recorder Clerk and Tax Supervisor Clarence E. Carpen ter became effective. The audit bids were: Ernst & Ernst, of Winston Continued on Page Eight ELECTED — Mrs. Aubrey Maun ey, of Kings Mountain, is the new state president of the North Car olina Federation of Women's Clubs. Mrs. Mauney was elected at the annual convention held in Durham last week. Democrats Set Meetings Democratic precinct workers in East Kings Mountain will hold a meeting Saturday afternoon at 3 o’clock at City Hall, according to an announcement iby S. A. Crouse, chairman of the East pre cinct. Precinct committeemen, inclu ding a chairman, vice-chairman, and three committeemen, will be elected at Saturday’s meeting. Delegates to the county Demo cratic meeting to be held in Shel by May 12, at 2 p. m. will also be named.. Present East Precinct commit tee members are :Mr. Clouse, chairman; Mrs. C. C. Oates, vice chairman; Leonard Smith, Ollie Harris, and J. E. Mauney. West Precinct workers will meet at Victory Chevrolet Com pany Saturday at 2 p. m., Chair man H. D. Ormand said. West committee members are Mr. Or mand, chairman; Mrs. J. H. Ar thur, vice-chairman; H. B. Jack son, Mrs. J. N. Gamble, and Mar tin Harmon., West will also elect Committeemen and County del egates. Grover and Bethware precincts have not reported the date or place of their meetings. Grover chairman, J. B. Ellis, and Beth ware chairman, Wayne L. Ware, Jr., were not reachable Wednes day. Grover precinct' committeemen are iMr. Ellis, chairman; Mrs. D. A. Moss, vice-chairmap; Vance Kiser, Carley Martin, W. J.. Hern don, and James Byers. \ Cleveland County Democratic officers include C. C. Horn, chata-J man; Mrs. J. E. Lipford, of Kings^ Mountain; G. R. Cline, second second vice-chairman; and David Royster, secretary - treasurer. FALSE ALARM C. D. Ware, city fireman, re ported Kings Mountain Fire department answered a false alarm call Thursday to Radio station WKMT. Kings Mountain Area Offenders Draw Sentences J. C. Tate, route 3, Rutherford ton man, received two years in state prison in Cleveland County Superior Court this week on for gery charges. Tate, who was one of the state’s most-sought-after bad check artist admitted that he had signed some 50-60 checks with the name of C. W., and L. W., Green. These checks had been cashed throughout an area of several North and South Caro lina counties. Two charges of forgery were brought against Tate by Chief Hugh A. Logan, Jr., Judge Jack White had bound the defendant over to higher court, and Judge Francis O. Clarkson, presiding jurist, gave Tate a total of two years on these counts. It is reported that Tate will face several other forgery char ges being brought by other coun ties, where ho has passed checks. John Coy Wilkes, 34, of Shel by was another forgery defen dant who had been bound over to higher court by Judge White. He received three months’ ac tive road sentence, and another 12 months suspended. Wilkes had admitted forging the name of Glenn Putnam to a check for $18, which he passed in Roberts Store here. Calvin Cornwell, Kings Moun tain Negro, pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree bur glary in Superior Court, but judgment has not yet been pas sed by Judge Clarkson. Cornwell was bound over from Kings Mountain Recorder’s Court on charges of first degree bur glary. He was accused of break ing into the home of Walter Mc Cabe, another Kings Mountain Negro, after night,fall, and of taking $40 from McCabe. McCabe said he was asleep at the time Cornwell entered the house, and added that he awak ened to find Cornwell removing one of his shoes in search of additional money. Cornwell ad mitted breaking into the house, but said he went there to col lect $10 which McCabe owed him. Walter Bill Riley was found guilty of breaking and enter ing and larceny charges. He was given 12-18 months on the roads on these charges. A crime aga Continued on Page Eight Registration Report Given County registration books will be open again Saturday at each of the 28 voting places. Registrars reported light acti vity in the Kings Mountain area as the books opened for the first time last Saturday. Mrs. Nell Cranford, East Kings Mountain registrar, had thte busi est day in Number 4 township as she added 15 names to the vot ing book and handled five trans fers from other precincts. Mrs. J. H. Arthur, West Kings Mountain registrar, logged eight new voters at hier box and also handled a number of transfers. Mrs. H. A. Goforth, Bethware registrar, reported four new re gistrants in this precinct. J. B. Ellis, Grover registrar, could not be reached Wednesday for a report on this precinct. The books will be open Satur day and again on May 12. Un registered persons who expect to vote in the May 26 Democra tic primary must register. This year’s registration is not a new one. However, new citizens citizens and those who have be come 21 years of age should get their names on the books if they expect to cast ballots. Neill loins Travel Agency Buren S. Neill, Jr., since 1948 assistant office manager at Neis ler Mills, has resigned to join Wide-World Travel Service, Inc., a recently organized Gastonia travel agency. Mr. Neill will be actively as sociated with the firm, which maintains offices at 218 E. Franklin avenue, Gastonia. Another member of the cor poration is Max Parrish, Pyra mid Eelctric Co., personnel mana ger, Ma^Nelij sai<j the firm will specialize In arranging all types of travel accommodations for citizens of this area, including both regular trips and tours, in the nation 6r international. The service is rendered at no cost to the traveler- The travel agency can handle bookings on all steamship and aidlines, as well as railroads, Mr. Neill added. A resident of Gastonia, Mr. Neill is a son of Mr. and Mrs. B. S. Neill, Sr., of Kings Moun tain. V '