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Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7.206
The figure for Greater Tinge Mountain Is deriTed from
the 1955 Kings Mountain city directory census. The City
Unutg figure is from thr. United States census of 1950.
VOL. 66 NO. 24
Sixty-Seventh Year
i ft Pages
10 Today
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday June 14, 1956
PRICE FIVE CENTS
HOSPITAL AUXILIARY GIFT — W. B. Grantham, Victory Chevrolet
company official, has presented a hook cart to Kings Mountain Hos
pital Auxiliary for use as a bookmobile at Kings Mountain Hospi
tal. Shown receiving the gift are Mrs. H. C. Mayes, chairman of the
"Pink Ladies” division of the recently organized volunteer women's
organization, and Grady Howard, hospital business manager.
Second Primary
Ten Days Away
SPEAKER — Arthur H. Jones,
Charlotte banker, will address
members of the Kings Mountain
Kiwanis club at their Thursday
niijrht meeting.
Kiwanis To Hear
Arthur H. lones
Arthur H. Jones, victe-president
in charge of public relations of
American Trust Company, Char
lotte, will address members of
the Kings Mountain Kiwanis
club at their Thursday night
meeting.
Mr. Jones is a graduate of
Oberlin clltege and from the
School of Finance and Public Re
lations at Northwestern univer
sity.
Active in Charlotte civic af
fairs, he is a former president of
the Charlotte United Community
Service. He is also a former chair
man of public relations of the
North Carolina Bankers asso
ciation. He is currently vice-pre
sident of the North Carolina As
sociation of Science and Industry.
The Kiwanis organization con
venes at the Woman’s Club at
6:45.
Summer Workshop
Enrollments Open
Enrollment in the summer
reading workshop to be conduct
ed by Miss Alice Averitt has not
been good enough to have the
course, Supt. B. N. Barnes said
Wednesday.
Miss Averitt can accomodate
only 20 students in this work
shop, and the classes are sched
uled to start around the first of
July. Sevteral parents have ex
pressed interest in enrolling their
children in this special reading
clinic, but unless a sufficient
number of applications are I'feceiv.
ed, the workshop will not be held.
This same course was taught
last summer by Miss Averitt, and
received a warm reception from
parents and students alike.
Supt. Barnes is urging all pa
rents interested in enrolling a
child for this summer course to
contact Miss Avteritt at once.
Since croly 20 students can be
accomodated, enrollment will be
on a first come first served ba
sis.
Ralph Gardner,
Basil Whitener
Run-Off June 23
Political activity was relative
ly minor this week, after a busy
weekend which found Basil
Whitener, the Gastonia second -
runner in the race for the De
mocratic nomination for 11th
district Congressman, formally
ask for a second primary, and
Ralph Webb Gardner, the Shel
by front-runner making a major
political address at a district ral
ly in Forest City.
Both events occurred on Fri
day.
Whitener, since, has challeng
ged Gardner, who led the first
balloting iby 394 votes, to a pub
lic debate ii) all counties of the
district. Gardner replied his
schedule was jammed from now
until voting day on June 23 and
that he would not toe able to
comply.
An estimated crowd of more
than 6,000 persons gathered at
Forest City last Friday night for
the 11th district Gardner-for
Congress rally sponsored toy Ru
therford county supporters of the
Shelby candidate. Gardner made
what his supporters termed a
“fighting” speech, a speech that
was tape recorded and will toe
broadcast here, via Radio Sta
tion WKMT, Thursday night
from 7 to 7:30.
The second primary race will
follow the same ground rules as
the first primary voting on May
26. Lone exception permissible
toy law, is a minor amount of
voting day registering, applica
ble solely to those citizens who
have qualified for citizenship
since the May 26 voting. This
would include those who have
turned 21 years of age and those
who have gained sufficient resi
dence to rate the “citizen” des
ignation for voting purposes.
It will be a short Iballot for
Continued On Page Ten
Spangler & Sons
Post Low Bid
On Piedmont Job
Spangler and Sons, of Kings
Mountain and Shelby, was ten
tatively awarded contract for
improvements to North Piedmont
avenue iby the 'board of city
commissioners last Thursday
night.
Spangler’s low bid of $27,461.
50 — for curb-and-gutter, side
walks, and widening of N. Pied
mont from Linwood avenue to
Stowe street — was well under
the bid of Mid-Stale Construc
tion Company, Statesville, which
bid $35,975. These were the only
bids received.
W. K. Dickson, of Charlotte,
the city’s engineer, told the com
missioners the Spangler bid was
some $1500 under his estimates.
Actual award of contract a
waits approval tby the State
Highway & Public Works com
mission, which is. paying the cost
of the improvements, exclusive
of sidewalks. North Piedmont is
also State Highway 216.
Bids were opened at 2 p. m.
last Thursday with the Mayor
and city commissioners present.
Sidewalks will be installed on
both sides of Piedmont, on the
customary basis of 50 percent as
sessment to the property owners
fronting the street.
Lions Club Holds
18th Ladies Night
Conformity and materialism
are the chief dangers to the con
tinued peace and happiness of
the United States, Dr. John R.
Brokhoff, Charlotte minister, told
an audience of 125 Tuesday
night at the eighteenth annual
ladies night banquet of the
Kings Mountain Lions club.
Dr. Brokhoff’s address was the
feature of the annual Lions club
gathering.
■'Prosperity and security do not
produce happiness,” he declared,
stating that “our long term sur
vival depends oh the quality of
men.”
In addition to the principal
address, the group enjoyed vo
cal renditions by Miss Evelyn
Cline, who sang a medley from
“Showboat” and “It’s Wonder
ful.” She was accompanied by
Mrs. Tommy Owens, pianist.
In a surprise presentation,
Lions President Gene Timms,
who served as master of cere
monies, presented club secretary
George Thomasson a trophy em
blematic of his being named a
‘TOO percent secretary” by Lions
International.
Dr. W. P. Gerberding gave the
invocation and special guests
including Lions district and zone
officials and officials of the Shel
by Lions club, were presented by
W. L. Plonk, who presented Dr..
Brokhoff. Ollie Harris welcomed
Continued On Page Ten
Privilege License
Schedule Adopted
The city’s privilege license
schedule for the oming fiscal
year, adopted last week, is
published in today’s edition of
the Herald.
Licenses are purchasable
July 1 and are required iby law
to be bought during the month
of July. Penalty of five percent
per month applies subsequent
to Augnst 1 on those persons
and firms who fail to buy them
during the required period.
Changes in the schedule are
minor. Some fees have been
reduced by the board of com
missioners to conform to Nor
th Carolina statutes.
Ramsey Adds Details On Incident
In Which B-2S Bomber Was Saved
Airman 1/c Robert Ramsey, of
Kings Mountain, recently credi
ted with saving a B-25 bomber
from crashing at James Connal
ly Air Force Base, Texas, is home
on 30-day leave and added some
explanatory details to the inci
dent.
The big B-25 was in trouble be
cause its hydraulic system was
not properly operating the land
ing gear. Ramsey, on the ground
figured out a way to get it work
ing, the information was radioed
to thepilot and the plane was
brought in safely—with only a
few minutes of gasoline supply
left.
According to Ramsey, Investi
gation revealed a pilot had en
joyed a "hard landing” the day
before, but had failed to log it
on his flight report. The impact
of the landing had snapped an
engine brace causing the engine
to drop about a half-inch. This
put a strain on the wheel hous
ing, which prevented the big B-25
wheel to go In place.
Trouble with the hand pump
method of building pressure was
that the whole hydraulic system
wasn’t out, and some 1000 pounds
of pressure was still being main
tained on the main system. A
hand-pump can generate only 700
pounds of pressure.
Ramsey figured out that this
hydraulic pressure had to be re
duced. This was the key. The
pilot flapped the plane’s wings
and worked the brakes to re
duce pressure below the 700 pound
mark. It worked. The wheel mov*
ed into place and a smoothe land,
ing was made.
Had the "hard landing” been
logged, Ramsey says, the ground
crew would have caught the trou
ble before the plane ever took off
; again.
Ramsey is a ground crewman
and therefore doesn’t fly on re
gular duty. But he likes to fly
and takes every opportunity to
get into the air.
Ramsey’s wife is the former
Hazel Morgan, also of Kings
Mountain.
WILLIAM EUGENE AMOS
MISS JEANENE HALLMAN
HERBERT DALE bIXOft
JAMES B. COLE. JR.
JOHN CURTIS
Five Students
Get Degrees
Five additional Kings Moun
tain students are among gra
duates of area colleges and uni
versities.
Among the 47 graduates of
Bowman Gray School of Medicine
at Winston-Salem with the de
gree of Doctor of Medicine was
William Eugene Amos, son of
Mr. and Mrs. M. C. Amos, of
Kings Muntain. Mr. Amos pre
viously won his undergraduate
degree, Bachelor of Science in
chemistry, from Wake Forest
college. He is a membler of Phi
Beta Kappa, honorary scholastic
'Continued On Page Ten
Board Considers
Policemen Pay,
Insurance Split
A motion to pare the pay of
two city policemen by $5 month
ly was defeated 3-2 in the June
city board session last Thursday
night, but the ipatter is scheduled
to be aired again at the board’s
next get-together.
Several months ago, Policeman
Tom Gladden and Martin Ware
were voted the extra pay due to
their status as justices of the
peace, which enables them to is
I sue warrants.
I Commissioner Tommy Ellison
1 pointed out at Thursday’s mfeet
! ing that Officers Buck Bridges
and Babe Ware, also magistra
tes, weren’t receiving any extra
money and that the policy should
be consistent. He subsequently
moved that the reductions be
made, and Sam Collins seconded.
Commissioners Jay Patterson,
Paul Ledford and W. G. Gran
tham opposed but stated they
would like to reconsider when the
full facts are presented. Mayor
Glee Bridges said he would have
the information at the next board
session.
The board also deferred for
further investigation a plea by
B. F. Maner, Kings Mountain
general insurance agent, for a
split-up of insurance premiums.
Mr. Maner had suggested onle or
two agents write the city’s in
surance. get a fee for the "pa
per work,” then be directed by
the city to split commissions.
Mayor Glee Bridges told the
board that he had conferred with
the Arthur Hay and Warlick
agencies (who handle much of
the city’s business) and that these
representatives had told him
they were not interested in the
suggested arrangement. He was
i told, he said, they suggested he
i cancel any business the city
wished if he felt the services
were not adequate,
j Mr. Maner had directed his
plea to the board several weeks
ago. He had stated at the time,
! aqd repeated Thursday night,
i that he was a citizen and tax
payer and felt he should share
in the city’s insurance business.
His suggestion on the sharing of
premiums followed. The board
agreed to write other citys of
comparable size to determine
what policy these followed on
the purchase of insurance cove
I rage.
The commissioners passed, with
minor changes, the city privilege
license schedule for 1956-57. Ma
jority of the changes were made
to conform with state statutes.
The board conditionally ap.
proved petition of Issac Ray for 1
ingress and egress from his re
sidence to Deal street. The con
dition is that Mr. Ray permit
closing of the Dilling street en
trance, by which he had been
served. Bill Bennett, a neighbor,
appeared before the board in
support of the Ray petition..
Mr. Bennett also commented on
the city recreational program.
He suggested to the commission
ers that progress would be fur
thered by appointment to the re
creation commission of repre
sentatives of all civic clubs. Ma
yor Bridges replied that the com.
mission had had difficulty ob
taining a quorum when it was a
15-member body. Present mem
bership is four, vacancy creat
ed by the departure of Leland
Kindred leaving only Fred Plonk,
Continued On Page Ten
Safety Honor
Won By City
Kings Mountain won a special
citation for pedestrian safety in
the 17th Annual Pedestrian Pro
tection Contest of the American
Automobile Association and the
Carolina Motor Club, it was re
ported yestterday.
Top Pedestrian safety awards
went to the State of Kansas and
the cities of Seattle, Wash., and
Newton, Mass., for the all round
Excellence of their accident rec
ords and pedestrian safety pro
grams during 1955.
A total of 1,611 cities and 47
states sent reports to the AAA for
analysis and scoring. Kings
Mountain was one of 725 cities
under 10,000 population. Total
points earned was 88. Chief of Po
lice Hugh A. Logan, Jr., was con
test representative.
No pedestrians were killed in
Kings Mountain in 1955,1954, and
1953, but three pedestrians wfere
injured in 1955, four in 1954, and
eight in 1953. Pedestrian death
rate for cities in this population
group was 3.4 per 100,000 popu
lation.
Kings Mountain ranked
sevienth among the 725 cities with
88 per cent of the available
points. In the engineering sec
tion, Kings Mounain received 100
per cent.
Past awards include honorable
mention in 1954 and a special ci
tation in 1952.
City And County Officials
Work On 1956-57 Budgets
0
10-Cent Rise
In County Rate
Is Anticipated
The Cleveland County tax rate
likely will be up for the coming
year Just how much of an in
crease will be tacked on to the
$1.24 per $100 valuation is not
definite.
Auditor Max Hamrick said
Wednesday that the tax increase
is expected to be at least 10 cents,
bringing the total to $1.24 per
$100, but that it might go high
er.
The county commissioners are
scheduled to meet again June 20,
but a special meeting to set the
tax rate may be called before
that time, Mr. Hamrick added.
Several county departments, in
cluding welfare, health and agri.
culture, have asked for budget
increases. However, these increas
es have not been approved by
the commissioners. If all bud
get increases are approved,
which is not likely according to
Mr. Hamrick, the countywide tax
rate could jump as high as $1.32
per $100 valuation.
In addition to the county rate,
residents of Kings Mountain pay
a school district tax of 20 cents
per $100.
Department heads will be cal
led before the commissioners to
explain their budget outlines be
fore a fixed tax rate for the year
is sbt.
The indicated minimum 10
cents per $100 increase results
from debt service requirements,
largely from county-wide bond is
sues for hospital add school con
struction voted by citizens in
1954.
Mrs. Clark Named
City Court Clerk
Mrs. Jeanette Smith Clark, has
been employed by the City of
Kings Mountain as clerk of re
corder’s court and for general
secretarial duties, including work
in the tax office.
The board of commissioners
authorized employment of a re
corder’s court clterk at the June
7 meeting.
Chief of Police Hugh A. Logan,
Jr., had been serving as acting
clerk of court.
Mrs. Clark will assume her
duties on Monday.
Duke ROTC Men
Receive Orders
DURHAM — Two Kings Mottn.
tain men are among 75 Duke
university graduates who receiv
ed Armed Forces commissions
at recent commencement exer- j
cises and who have been assig- :
ned to duty.
Air Force Second Lieutenant \
Reginald A. Murrary has been as. '
signed to duty for indoctrination .
training at Lackland AFB, Texas, j
Navy Ensign J. A. Schwarz j
has been assigned to duty at Yo-1
kouska, Japan.
JOINS POWER FIRM
Houston Black, formerly of
Kings Mountain, has accepted
a position with Carolina Power
& Light Company, with home !
offices at Raleigh. Mr. Black, j
son of Mr. and Mrs. Clarence !
Black, has been a member of
the Rockingham high school'
faculty. He is a graduate of
Catawba college.
WINS WINGS — The Air Force
has announced that Charles E.,
Painter, of Kings Mountain, was
recently commissioned a second
lieutenant and awarded the sil- j
ver wings of an air observer, on
completion of his training at
Harlingen, AFB, Waco, Texas.
Painter Wins
AF Commission
WACO Texas—In recent gra
duation ceremonies at Harlingen
AFB, Texas, A/C Charles E.
Painter, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lu.
mas W. Painter of 107 Cleveland
Ave., Kings Mountain, was awar
ded his silver observer’s wings
and Second Lieutenant’s commis
sion in the United States Air
Force.
A graduate of Kings Mountain
high school, Lieutenant Painter
later attended Appalachian State
Teachers College, Boone, where
he majored in math and phy- j
sical education.
Lieutenant Painter’s 12 month
course has trained him for a place
in the new all-jet combat force
of the USAF. His mastering of
the techniques of electronics and
navigation qualifies him for an
assignment as an observer in the
operational aircraft of the USAF.
He will receive further advanced
specialty training in radar bom
bardment and electronics after
his operational tour. Lieutenant
Painter is 'now assigned to Math,
er AFB, Calif.
Margrace Sets
Week Stop-Ofi
Employees at Margrace Plant
of Neisler Division of Massachu
setts Mohair Plush Company will
begin a vacation stop-off next
week, William Ford, general
manager said Wednesday.
Mr. Ford said the work stop
page would apply only to the
Margrace plant. He added that
plans have been made to move
a quanity of machinery during
the week’s cessation of opera
tions.
Mr. Ford also reported that
this stop-off would be the sum
mer vacation as far as he knew.
He said no other vacation plans
for the summer have been for
mulated.
PENLEY’S CHAPEL
Rev. Boyce Huffstetler, form- >
er pastor of El Bethel Metho- I
dist church, will deliver a i
special "Father's Day” mes- j
sage at 11 o’clock services Sun- j
day morning at Penley’s Cha
pel Methodist church. L
School Board To Meet On Monday;
Pupil Assignment lob Deferred
The Kings Mountain City
School Board will hold its regular
meeting for June Monday night
at 7 o’clock in the office of Supt.
B. N. Barnes.
Supt. Barnes reported Wednes
day that a discussion of the bud
get for the coming school year,
as well as a report an vacancies
and replacements of vacancies in
the city schools will be on the
agenda. Other than these two
items, Mr. Barnes reported the'
meeting would be primarily the [
clearing up of routine business
matters.
He said that 'no concrete plans
for pupil assignments had been
made, and this would probably
be taken up at a later meeting.
Supt. Barnes reported that ap.
proximately six vacancies have
been announced tn the city
school system, with two of these
having been filled. Among thfese
vacancies will be the principal
ships of East Elementary and
Central schools.
Principal Rowell Lane announc
ed his resignation some two
weleks ago to enter a Baptist
Seminary this fall. Mrs. Irma W.
Thompson who served for many
years as principal of East School,
is retiring.
Two high school teachers,
Douglas Swink and Miss Dorothy
Lachmund have also announced
they would not accept their teach
ing posts in Kings Mountain next
school tterm. Miss Lachmund
plans to do graduate work, while
Mr. Swink has accepted a posi
tion with New Hanover High
School in Wilmington.
City Tax Rate
To Stay Same;
Budget To Rise
City officials are busy making
preparations for adoption of the
1956-57 budget.
Indications are that the city’s
$1.70 per $100 valuation tax will
not vary during the next fiscal
year, though the budget finally
adopted is expected to increase
about 10 percent to $550,000.
Mayor Glee A.. Bridges said
Wednesday the increased budget
would be possible — without up
ping the tax rate — due to high
er-than-expected receipts during
the fiscal year now ending and
due to a likely increase in prop
erty valuations.
Though figures are not final,
Acting Tax Supervisor J. W.
Webster said, there is now an in
dicated increase of some $225,
000 in property valuations, which
he attributed largely to the hea
vy constructions of homes and
.other buildings in 1955.
Mayor Bridges said it was like
ly he will call a special session
of the city commissioners next
week to work on the budget. De
partment heads will ibe called in
to explain and support their bud
get estimates and the city board
will consider the requests in the
light of anticipated receipts.
During the past year the tax
rate of $1.70 included a five-cent
tax for recreational purposes.
Local News
Bulletins
METER RECEIPTS
City Parking meter receipts
for the week ending noon,
Wednesday totaled $190.97, ac
cording to a report iby City
Clerk Gene Mitchem. He repor
ted that street meters return
ed $159.50, while off-street me
ters 'brought in $31.47.
ONE PERMIT
Building Inspector J. W.
Webster issued a 'building
permit last Thursday to T. F.
Bridges to erect a one story
house on Church street, at an
estimated cost of $4,000.
MOOSE MEETING
Kings Mountain Moose Lod
ge 1748 will hold their regular
weekly meeting Thursday
night at 8;15 o’clock at the
lodge on Bessemer City road,
. according to Curtis Gaffney,
secretary.
ASSUMES DUTIES
Miss Carolyn Robinson, dau
ghter of Mr. and Mrs. W,. Roy
Robinson of Gastonia, has as
sumed duties of director of
Christian Education at First
Presbyterian church. Miss Ro
binson, a recent graduate of
Flora McDonald college, is a
member of Gastonia’s Olney
Presbyterian church.
ACCEPTS POSITION
Miss Joyce Kiser, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Rufus Kiser,
has accepted a position with
Southern Bell Telephone com
pany in Charlotte. She is resid
ing at 1822 Parsons street.
GRADUATES
Miss Vicki Jenkins, of Kings
Mountain, was graduated from
Sacred Heart, Academy, Bel
mont, on June 4. Miss Jenkins
was editor of the “Gradatim,”
associate editor of Sacred Heart
Echoes, and valedictorian of
her class.
RETURNS SUNDAY
Rev. James B. McLarty, pas
tor of Central Methodist chur
ch, will return Sunday after
serving a two-week tour of du
ty with the navy reserve at
Whiting Field, Pensacola, Fla.
Mr. McLarty holds the rank of
lieutenant commander.
CAKE SALE
The Ladies Class of Penley’s
Chapel Methodist church will
conduct a a cake sale at Brid
ges Hardware Saturday begin
ning at 8 o’clock, and a hot
dog sale Saturday night at the
home of Edward Gantt, corner
of Phenlx and Church streets,
according to an announcement
by W. L. Huffstetler, pastor of