Established 1889
Sixty-Seventh Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10.320
City Limits 7,206
TIM figure fo. Greater Xing* Mountain It derived from
(ho 1955 Kings Mountain cl y directory census. The City
itadts (knit* is from tb* United Sia.es census of 1950.
VOL 66 Nb.2l
Oil Pages
ZU Today
Democrats To Choose Nominees In Saturday Primary
<<
Campaign Heads
Exude Optimism
RALPH WEBB GARDNER
BASIL L. WHITENER
HUGH A. WELLS
Local News
Bulletins
SPEAKER
Dr. W. L. Pressly, .pastor of
Boyce Memorial ARP church,
will deliver the 'baccalaureate
sermon to the graduating class
of Clover, S. C., high school
Sunday night
METER RECEIPTS
City parking meters return
ed $194 for the week ending
Wednesday at noon. A total of
$158.62 was collected from on
street meters, while an addi
tional $35.38 came in from the
Cherokee Street parking lot
meters.
KJWANIS MEETING
The Kings Mountain Kiwanls
Club will hold its regular
weekly meeting at the Wo
man’s Club Thursday night at
6:45 o’clock. John Cheshire,
program chairman, says in the
Sinawik, club publication that
due to so many requests, the
program this week will be an
Esso film.
KINDERGARTEN
Mrs. Coman Falls announ
ced this w/eek she is now ac
cepting enrollments for the
1956-57 term of Jack and Jill
Kindergarten. Classes will be
gin in late August.
White, Gaidnei
Say One Primary
To Settle Race
Confidence ran virtually un
bridled here Wednesday among
managers for the 11th district’s
three candidates for the Demo
cratic Congressional nomination.
Jack White, district manager
for Basil L. Whitener, the Gas
tonia lawyer and solicitor, was
unequivocal in predicting vic
tory on Saturday for his candi
date.
“I predict there will Ibe 46,000
votes cast in the seven counties
of the district and we’ll get
more than 50 percent of them,”
Manager White said,.
Lester Roark, campaign mana
ger for Shelby Lawyer Hugh
Wells, was also optomistic. Ac
knowledging his candidate had
started in third position, he told
the Herald Wednesday Wells had
a very good chance of edging in
to the runner-up spot.
"I think it is very safe to say,”
he added, “that no candidate will
get a majority in Saturday’s
voting.”
O. Max Gardner, Jr., district
manager for his brother, Ralph
Webb Gardner, matched Jack
White’s optimism, though his op
timism concerned his brother.
Declining to, predict the total
district vote, O. Max Gardner, Jr.,
said, "We’re going to win Satur
day in the first, and only, pri
mary.” *
On the local level, Kings
Mountain area managers also
got in their licks. Most optimis
tic was George Thomasson, the
Gardner manager, who predicted
three of four Kings. Mountain
area voters will mark ballots for
Gardner.
J. Wi. Webster, the Whitener
manager for Kings Mountain,
did not predict a percentage tout
said, "We -expect to carry Kings
Mountain,” adding, “The Gard
ner folks are just trying to ibuild
up their morale.”
Wells has not formally ap
pointed a Kings Mountain area
manager, tout Roark, former cit
izen of Grover, acknowledged
“we could be stronger in Kings
Mountain.” However, he made a
flat prediction that Wells would
get 80 percent of the Grover
vote.
Schools Buy
Thompson Lot
The Kings Mountain City
School Board has completed the
purchase of a lot adjoining Cen
tral School property from W. B.
Thompson of Concord.
It was reported Monday night
during the regular monthly
board meeting that Mr. Thomp
son had accepted the $10,000 of
fered toy the board for the lot
ahd the house which it occupies.
The tract measures 127.5 feet by
138 feet. It is on the corner of
Ridge street and Cansler street.
The board members did not
designate a definite use for the
property at this time, tout had
announced earlier that the house
would toe rented ‘for the present.”
The house is occupied toy Mr. and
Mrs. Tom Gilbert and family.
The board authorized Supt. B.
N. Barnes to invest $100,000,
which constitutes the remainder
of Kings Mountain’s county tax
monies, with the local touilaing
and loan firms, if property se
curity can toe obtained. Unless
proper security can toe obtained,
the board indicated it would
place the money in several
building and loan firms through
out the county.
Miss June Rogers was re-elec
ted city schools Bible teacher, an
action taken upon the recom
mendation of the Blble-In-The
Schools Committee, which is re
sponsible for funds to pay the
teacher’s salary.
Lee B. Weathers, Shelby news
paperman and author, appeared
before the tooard to report on his
recently finished history of Cle
veland County- Mr. Weathers re
quested that the tooard purchase
copies of his book at cost for use
tn the schools.
No action was taken on this
request, but board members in
dicated that the books would be
Continued on Page Eight
PRESS ON THE MOVE — The Herald’s big news
paper press got a ride last Friday as it moved
into the newspaper's new quarters on South Pied
mont avenue. The busy moving crew of Leroy
Mann, seated at edge of truck, paused only long
enough to allow the picture to be taken before
continuing the job of housing the press in its new
basement quarters. Pictured with Mann, left to
right, are Ross Reagan. Jim Leming, and Bryson
Hamilton. The press was back in action Monday.
(Herald Photo by Pennington Studio.)
_____:
Facts Are Listed
On Primary Voting
Following are salient facts
on Saturday’s Democratic pri
mary election:
Polls open 6:30 a. m.
Polls close 6:30 p. m.
Number of 'ballots for Kings
Mountain area voters: three—
including state, county and
townstfiip ballot.
Kings Mountain area precinct
voting places: East Kings
Mountain — City Hall; West
Kings Mountain — Victory
Chevrolet Company; Beth ware
— Bethware School; and Gro
ver — new Grover Fire Depart
ment ibuilding..
Predicted vote totals: dis
trict, 44,000, county, 11,000;
Number 4 Township--2,000.
BAPTIST SPEAKER
Horace Easom, of Shelby,
Baptist State Brotherhood sec
retary, will speak at 11 o’clock
services Sunday morning at
First Baptist church. Mr. Ea
som has served as minister of
music and education at First
Baptist church, Dallas, Texas,
and in Sheliby. He is an active
member of the Shelby church.
Today's Edition
Was Published
In New Quarters
Today s Herald was publish
ed in the newspaper’s new South
Piedmont avenue building.
Proceeding on a faster-than
ahticipated moving schedule, the
Herald had virtually all, of its
typesetting and job printing
equipment in operation after a
tw.o-day moving chore, handled
by Leroy Matfn Transfer Com
pany, of Gastonia.
Dean Styers, of the Gastonia
Gazette, superintended moving
of the typesetting machines and
re-installing them in the new
building.
The Herald has not completely
emptied its former quarters on
S. Piedmont, with some shelv
ing and inventory yet to be trans
ported to the new brick-block
concrete building. The Herald an
ticipates the moving will be com
pleted this weekend.
The moving job was speeded
through decision to move the
large and heavy newspaper press
without dismantling it. This ne
cessitated demolishing a portion
of the brick wall at the back of
Continued On Page Eight
Graduation Exercises Begin Here
Sunday; 74 To Receive Diplomas
The Rev. James B. McLarty,<
pastor of Central Methodist
church, will deliver the Central
High School baccalaureate ser
mon Sunday, May 27, at 8 p. m.
in thte high school auditorium.
J. R. Davis, city school trustee,
will introduce the Rev. Mr. Me
Larty.
, Other speakers on the program
will include the Rev. Douglas
Fritz, who will give the Invoca
tion; the Rev. W. C. Sides, who
will read the Scripture; and the
Rev. A. J. Argo, who will give the
benediction.
Graduation fexercises for the
74 graduating seniors of the
Class of 1956 will be held Mon
day, May 28, at 8 p. m. in the au
ditorium.
Dr. J. H. Ostwalt, Davidson
College faculty member, will
make the principal address.
Diplomas will awarded to thte
74 graduates by Principal Rowell
Lane. Others on the program
will include Dr. W. L. Pressly,
who will give the Invocation; the
Rev. P. D. Patrick, who will in
troduce Dr. Ostwalt; Dr. W. P.
Gterberdfng, who will give the
benediction; and Mearl Valen
tine, president of the graduating
class, who will present the class
gift to the school.
TO RECEIVE DEGREE—Frank
lin Pethel will receive the m ester
of sacred music degree from Un
ion Theological Seminary School
of Sacred Music. New York City,
in exercises in New York's River
side church Tuesday. Mr. Pethel
is the husband of the former
Miss Emelya Gillespie of Kings
Mountain.
TO HEAD LIONS — Dr. Nathan
H. Read. Kings Mountain opto
metrist. was elected president of
the Kings Mountain Lions club j
for the coming year at the club’s
Tuesday night meeting.
Reed Elected
Lions President
Dr. Nathan Reed, Kings Moun
tain optometrist, was elected
president of the Kings Mountain
Lions club for 1956-57 at the
meeting of the civic organization
Tuesday night.
He and ail other new officers
were elected by acclamation as
the only nominees for the seve
ral club positions.
Dr. Reed will succeed Eugene
Timms.
Other officers elected were: J.
W. Webster, first vice-president;
James Houser, second vice-presi.
dent; Richard Barnett, third
vice-president; George Thomas
son, secretary: F. A. (Pete) Mc
Daniel, Jr., treasurer; Wilson
Crawford, tail twister; Dr. Blake
McWhirter, assistant tail twister;
and Lee Roberts, lion tamer.
Elected to two-year terms as
directors were Rev. Douglas
Fritz, J. C. McKinney and Edwin !
Moore.
Directors with a one-year term
remaining are Carl F. Mauney,
W. L. Plonk, and Howard B.
Jackson.
Lee Roberts welcomed Gordon
Williams as a new member of
the club.
Following the business session,
George Thomasson conducted a
spelling contest, with W. L.
Plonk and Martin Harmon de
clared co-winners. Both failed to
spell correctly "heteroeneous.”
Pupil Assignment
On School Agenda
A special meeting of the Kings
Mountain Board of School Trus
tees has been set for Tuesday
night at 7 o’clock in Supt. B. N.
Barnes’ office.
The meeting is for the purpose
of assigning students to parti
cular schools for the 1956-57
school term, beginning next Sep
Continued on Page Eight
Voters To Settle
Local, District
State Contests
Kings Mountain area Demo
crats will join their Democratic
neighbors throughout North
Carolina Saturday to help decide
identity of party nominees for
state and district offices.
In turn, the local voters will
help choose nominees for five
county offices.
Voters of Number 4 Township,
which includes Kings Mountain,
Bethware and Grover precincts,
will determine the nominee for
constable.
Voters of Number 5 Township,
who vote at Waco, will decide
a three-man constable race.
Taking top spot in voter Inte
rest, as the voting day neared,
was the district Congressional
race, while the Number 4 Town
ship constable race between sev
en candidates was claiming as
much interest as any.
Ralph Webb Gardner, Hugh
Wells, and Basil L. Whitener
weren’t sparing the horses as
they worked at top pace for fa
vor of district Democrats. Wells,
a Shelby attorney, was still aim
ing his fire at Ralph Gardner,
also of Shelby, and Gardner was
replying with some strong state
ments of his own. Whitener,
meantime, was able to avoid
“charges.”
Some evidence was available
that interest in the three coun
ty commissioner races is increas.
ing.
Three of the five incumbents
on the county board have oppo
sition to their bids for renomina
tion. In District 2 (Number 4 and
5 townships), Hazel B. Bumgard
ner factes the challenge of J. D.
Harmon, Shelby feed salesman
who lives near Buffalo Creek.
Chairman Zeb V. Cline is opposed
by George Lettkhardt in District
1, and John D. White is opposed
by B. P. Jenkins, Sr., in District
4. Jenkins seeks to regain the
nomination he lost to White two
years ago.
For the first time since 1949,
the races for the board of com
missioners are county-wide. All
Democrats throughout the county
will have the opportunity of vot
ing in all county commissioner
contests. The 1955 General As
sembly changed the voting rules,
scrapping the district set-up, ex
cept as to residency of candi
date.
Another county-wide race finds
Wilbur W. (Ebb) Wright, for
mer Kings Mountain citizen, chal
lenging the incumbent, Dan W.
Moore, for register of deeds.
Still another county race is
the six-man sweepstakes affair
for the county board of educa
tion. Dr. R. M. Maybin, of Lawn,
dale, seeks to win one of the five
nominations now held and re
sought by the board incumbents,
who are Edwin Moore, Walter
Davis, B. Austell, W. H. (Coot)
Lutz, and Charles D. Forney, Jr.,
Continued on Page Eight
Safety Lane Logs
464 "Customers"
Kings Mountain’s automobile
safety-check lane had logged 464
cars through its gates through
Wednesday at 2 o’clock.
Officials of the safety-check
committee said they were pleased
with the results thus far and an
ticipated heavier business cm
Thursday and Friday.
Concurrently., it was announc
ed that Saturday’s primary vot
ing would force closing of the
lane a day early, due to the nteed
for parking space at the City
Hall precinct (East Kings Moun
tain).
Previously, the lane had been
scheduled to operate tnrough
Saturday.
The check-lane was being staf
fed voluntarily by Kings Moun
tain mechanics and service sta
tlon operators and members of
the Kings Mountain Woman’s
Club.
Dtee Hughes, on duty Wednes
day, said majority of the cars
were passing the 10-polnt tests.
At the checklane, cars are be
ing checked for condition of
brakes, front and dear lights,
steering, tires, exhaust system,
glass, windshield wipers, rear
view morrors, and horn.
J. C. Smathers, chairman of the
committee on arrangements, urg
ed all Kings Mountain aYea mo
tot-ists to avail themselves the
chance to get the free check up.
"Motorists should not take
chances of mechanical failure on
the highways, for serious and
sometimes fatal wrecks can re
sult. TTiey have in the past,” Mr.
Smathers continued.
Zeb V. Cline
George Leukhardt
FOR COUNTY COMMISSIONER
District 1
Hazel Bumgardi
net
J. D. Harmon
fUH CUUHTY COMMISSIONER
District 2
John D. White
B. P. Jenkins, Sr.
FOH COUNTY COMMISSIONER
District 4
Dan W. Moore
Wilbur W. Wright
FOR REGISTER OF DEEDS
Arnette Services
To Be Held Friday
Funeral services for Airman
Second Class Julian Ranny Ar
nette, 19, will Ibe held Friday af
ternoon at 4 o’clock at First Pres
byterian church, of which he was
a member.
Interment will be made at
Mountain Rest cemetery. «
The body of Airman Arnette,
who was killed in a truck crash
in Korea only a few days before
his 20th .birthday, is scheduled
to arrive in Atlanta, Ga., :by air
at 3 o’clock Thursday morning. It
Is scheduled to arrive here at 9
a. m. and will be taken to the
Arnette home off Shelby Road at
5 p. m. Thursday afternoon.
The funeral rites will be con
ducted by Rev. P. D. Patrick, First
Presbyterian pastor, and he will
ibe assisted by Dr. W. P. Gerber -
ding, pastor of St. Matthew’s Lu
theran church.
Pallbearers and flower bearers
will be members of the Kings
Mountain High School graduat
ing class of 1954, classmates of
Arnette, who, with eight other
members of the class, enlisted
together in the Air Force shortly
after receiving their diplomas.
A high school football star,
Airman Arnette had made a
good record in high school, both
In scholastics and in extra-cur
rlculars. He was vice-president
of his graduating class and vice
president of the National Honor
Continued On Page Eight