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Greater Kings Mountain
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VOL 66 NO. 52 ,
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Monday, December 24, 1956
———m*. —. ■ -m.
Sixty-Seventh Year PRICE FIVE CENTS
Associations
In Shelby Have
Hiked Theii Rate
Directorates of Kings Moun
tain’s two building and loan as
sociations will meet this week to
consider raising the dividend
rate of savings accounts to three
and one-half percent.
Both A. H. Patterson, secre
tary-treasurer of Home Build
ing & Loan association, and Ben
H. Bridges, Jr., secretary-treasu
rer of Kings Mountain Building
& Loan association said they
would summon their directors to'
consider dividend rate, following
announcement Saturday by Shel
by associations that they were
raising to the three and "one-half
figure, effective January 1. Like
Kings Mountain’s associations,
the Shelby associations had been
paying three percent.
The likelihood is that the Kings
Mountain associations will vote
the increased rate.
“I feel we’ll have to follow
suit,” Mr. Patterson commented.
He said there was no question
but that failure of Kings Moun
tain associations to pay the new
rate would result in heavy with
drawals of savings, which, iri
turn, would move to associations
providing greater dividends.
"It wouldn’t happen over
night,” Mr. Patterson said, "but
over a period of time withdraw
als would be heavy.”
Mr. Patterson said he expected
to call the Home Building &
Loan directors into session Mon
day morning.
Mr. Bridges, though express
ing some reluctance at upping
the dividend rate “at this parti
cular time”, added, “If the other
associations are raising dividend
rates, we’ll raise them, too.”
Kings Mountain Building & Loan
directors will convene either
Monday or Thursday.
Possibility of raising the rates
has been discussed and consider*
ed by the building and loan as
sociations previously and is a re
sult of so-called “tight" money.
As recently as last week, U. S.
Treasury 91-day bills sold a 3.33
percent interest. This is the
short-term financing device of
the Treasury Department.
Interest rates have been in
creasing constantly for several
months, as loans from banks
have been heavy for a wide va
riety of purposes. _ .
Associations here have paid
as much as five percent on sav
ings and as little as two percent.
The five percent was in vogue
during the Depression of the
Thirties. The two' percent rate
was used during World War II
when there was virtually no
building activity.
Today's Herald \V
Finalof Year
Today’s Herald will be t;he
final one of 1956.
Published in advance of reg* *
ular schedule, as is the tradi
tional Herald Christmas cus
tom, the paper includes Christ
mas greetings from Kings
Mountain merchants, feature
material on the traditions of
the Christmas holiday, and
news of the events of the past
weekend as well as forthcom
ing events during the holiday I
season. j
TTie Herald will close Mon
day afternoon for the Christ
mas holidays and will re-open
on December 31. The next edi
tion of the Herald will appear
on January 3,1957.
Local News
Bulletins
TV APPEARANCE
Boto Hoffman, Herald sports
editor, will be a guest on the
"Big” Bill Ward sports show
on WBTV Thursday night, De
cember 27. Mr. Hoffman will
give his predictions of the up
coming national football Bowl
games.
Kings If j
meat ansi
urejay. one o RHpMRsurance
Agency 4o extY^uish a fire
caused by a she i t circuit wire;
the other to 310 Waco road to
extinguish an oil stove iblaze.
Firemen extinguished a grass
i iblaze on Gold street,
NO MOOSE MEETING
,-nbers of Kings Mountain
Mi , 2 lodge 1748 will not hold
their regulai meeting Thurs
day night, December 27, ac
cording to an announcement.
KIWANIS PROGRAM
The Kings Mountain Kiwanis
club will hear an address
Thursday night by Bay Killian,
of Charlotte, personnel mana
ger of Belk's of Charlotte, who
will discuss “Human Relations
Keys to Better Dividends.” The
club convenes at.the Woman’s
Club at 6:45.
LODGE PARTY MELD
Kings Mountain Moose Lodge
1748 held a Christmas party
Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock
at the lodge on Bessemer City
road for children of lodge
members. Gifts were presented
to all children under the age
of 12.
STILL IN HOSPITAL
Arnold W. Kincaid, Bessemer
City businessman and Kings
Mountain School Board chair
man, is still undergoing tests
and observation at Kings
Mountain Hospital. Mr, Kin
caid is expected to be released
from the hospital Monday.
Retailers Plan
Late Closing
Christmas Eve
Kings Mountain . retailers and
their hard-working staffs will
work a long Christmas Eve sche
dule in order to accommodate
last-minute shoppers.
Majority of retail firms will
observe Saturday hours on Mon
day which means that depart
ment, jewelry and variety stores
will be open until 7 p.m. Grocers
will be open slightly later.
rain
did the
ficient
home. F
weather
Kings Mountain merchants
were rushed heavily Saturday to
supply their customers with gift
the
ldom
its suf
ers at
ithe bad
• a ' at-home
booster. Highways were not the
most desirable on Saturday.
The result was a considerable
traffic jam in uptown Kings
Mountain all day, both in the
car-crowded streets and on the
sidewalks.
“Monday should be a busy day,
too," one merchant remarked.
"There are always last-minute
shoppers. Some start filling their
gift list on Christmas Eve.
Others have only a few items to
buy.”
Uniformly, stores are still well
stocked with merchandise. Se
lections are not as broad as they
were a week ago, but there are
still enough goods to satisfy the
majority of customers. This ap
plies in all lines.
Most toy merchants say they
can still take care of the chil
dren, even though toys have been
moving at a rapid pace the past
few days.
Paul Walker, president of the
Kings Mountain Merchants asso
ciation, issued this word, ‘There’s
no reason to believe all persons
can’t get the vast majority of
the gifts they want even on
Christmas Eve. Kings Mountain
stores prepared for Christmas
better than ever and they mean
to take care of everyone.”
Father And Son Instantly Killed
When Struck By Track Wednesday
Double funeral rites were held
Friday for a Kings Mountain fa
ther and son, who were killed
Wednesday night in an automo
bile accident near Bethany ARP
church.
The two victims were Vester
Gillespie, 57, and his son, Wil
liam T. Gillespie, 31.
York County Coroner A. Y.
Leslie, Jr., said Saturday that
the Gillespies were killed when
they were struck by a furniture
firm truck driven by William H.
Ennis, Jr., of Conley Springs, N.
C.
Mr. Leslie set the scene of the
accident at about one-half mile
north of Bethany ARP Church.
He added that the Gillespie car,
a 1951 Ford, was parked in the
road with the left door open. The
lights of the vehicle blinded the
driver of the approaching truck,
according to reports from the
driver and Coolidge Wycoff, a
passenger in the truck.
The truck, leased by Tallant
Transfer Co., of Hickory, hit the
left door of the car and instantly
killed both Gillespies, who were
standing beside the car.
Mrs.. N.ell Reynolds ' Short of
Bessemer City, a former Kings
Mountain resident, received in
juries in the accident and was
taken to Kings Mountain Hospi
tal for treatment of a fractured
right knee and bruises.' Mrs.
Short’s two small children were
in the parked car and escaped
injury. The injured woman was
released from the hospital Fri
day.
Coroner Leslie said that a co
roner’s inquest would be held,
but added that no definite date
has been set for the hearing
pending the condition of Mrs.
Short. The truck driver Is under
a $1,000 appearance bond, and
hi8 passenger is tender a $500
bond. "
Vester Gillespie, native of
South Carolina, is survived by
his wife Mrs. Nannie Vaughan
Gillespie, four sons, Bailey Gil
Three Churches
Are Presenting
Christmas Rites
Two Christmas Eve services
and another on Christmas morn
ing will highlight church reli
gious celebrations of Christmas
here, following special rites in
virtually all churches during the
past weekend.
On Christmas Eve, the com
munity’s two Lutheran Churches
will hold 11 p. m. services, featur
ing Christmas music and brief
meditations. On Christmas morn
ing, First Presbyterian church
will hold worship services at 10
o’clock.
The Christmas Eve rites arC*
traditional with Lutheran
churches here and elsewhere and
customarily attract not only
Lutherans ibut many other citi
zens of the area.
Dr. W. P. Gerberdin, pastor of
St. Matthew’s Lutheran church,
said the rites at his church will
take the form of a musicale, with
special music by the church
cholf, two featured soloists, con
■relational singing of Christmas
■ymns.
■ Soloists will 'be Miss Frances
Bummers and Miss Margaret Me
rLarty, both .sopranos. Miss Sum
mers will sing “O Holy Night,”
by Adam, and Miss MoLarty will
sing "Come Unto Him’*, from
Handel’s “Messiah.” The choir
will sing five anthems, includ
ing “Lo, How a Rose E’er Bloom
ing,” “Over Bethlehem’s Town,”
“What Child Is This?”, "Sing
Gloria” and “Carol of the Bells.’'
Dr. Genberding will conduct the
meditation. The choir will bear
lighted candles during the pro
cessional.
Resurrection Lutheran s 11 p.
m. rites will be a candlelight
service, Rev. Douglas Fritz, the
pastor, announced.
Resurrection Lutheran church
will be entirely lighted by can
dles. The service will include
Christmas music and Christmas
scenes portrayed in tableau. The
Chiirch'is three choirs will partici
pate. The service will be conclud
ed with a candlelighting cere
mony in which each worshipper
will receive a lighted candle.
Rev. P. D. Patrick, pastor of
First Presbyterian church will de
liver a Christmas sermon at 10
o’clock Christmas morning in an
other Kings Mountain tradi
tional Christmas season services,.
Majority of Kings Mountain’s
other churches completed their
traditional rites on Sunday.
The Central Methodist choir
presented Handel’s “Massiah” on
Sunday afternoon, and Boyce
Memorial ARP church had a
Christmas pageant on Sunday
evening.
■. .. i ■
Baby Derby
Announced
The Kings Mountain Herald’s
second annual baby derby Is be
ing announced this week.
Numerous Kings Mountain
retail firms, cooperating in the
contest, are announciiig in to
days Herald many valuable gifts
for the kings Mountain area's
first arrival of 1957.
Rules of the contest provide
that the winner of the 1957 derby
must be born in the Kings Moun
tain area to parents who are resi
dents of this area. Rules also pro
vide that entiiep must be filed by
January 10 aijfl that certificates
of attending physicians must
’certify both time of birth and
place of birth. In event of the
unllklihood of a tie, the contest
judges’ will determine division
of the awards. The judges’ deci
sion will be final.
Sue Ann Arrowood was winner
of the 1956 contest and also the
Cleveland County winner
Neislers Decline Comment
OnRumored New Shelby Mill
Tax Listing
To Begin Here
On January 2
City and county tax listing will
get underway on January 2, of
ficials reported yesterday.
The annual listing chore, which
is required by law during the
month of January, will be under
way dally here Mondays-through
Fridays from 8 a.m. to noon and
from 1 to 4:30 p.m.
No listing will be done here on
Saturdays as the Number 4
Township lister, Conrad Hughes,
will be at Grover on those days.
When in Grover, Mr. ,Hughes will
set up for business at R. E. Ham
bright’s store.
J. W. Webster, city tax collec
tor, will handle the city listing
duties. '
Mr. Webster and Mr. Hughes
will follow identical schedules
here in order that citizens can
handle their listing for both city
and county at the same time.
Principal change in the tax
listing procedure is decision of
Mr. Webster to dispense with
mailing of forms whereby citi
zens can list taxes by mail. All
property-owners will be required
to appear in person to list for
taxes.
The tax listing officials noted
that all property, both real and
personal, within the county must j
be listed for taxes. In addition, j
males between the ages of 21 and
50 are required to list for poll
taxes.
As last year, business firms
will not be required to list their
inventories with the tax lister.
They are to supply these figures
(on forms to be provided via
mail) to County Tax Supervisor
Max Hamrick. The city, in turn,
will obtain the figures from the
tax supervisor.
Most Citizens
Having Holidays
Many of Kings Mountain’s ci
tizens are currently enjoying
Christmas holidays, as majority
of industrial establishments have
suspended operations.
Virtually all the rest of Kings
Mountain will close down on
Christmas Eve for at least a
two-day holiday, as retail mer
chants go home after the busy
holiday selling season.
There are some exceptions. |
Service stations will be open for
business as usual as will motion
picture houses.
Drug stores are on a varied!
schedule as follows: Kings j
Mountain Drug Company will |
observe Sunday hours on both!
Christmas day and Wednesday,
December 26. Griffin Drug Store
will not formally open on Christ
mas Day but druggists will be
available for emergency pre
scription service. Griffin will ope
rate on regular schedule Wed
nesday. Stroupe Drug Company
will be closed Christmas Day and
will observe Sunday hours on
Wedhesday.
City Hall offices will be closed
Monday and Tuesday, reopening
Wednesday. These offices will
also be closed New Year’s Day,
along with majority of the re
tail firms. County offices will be
closed Monday through Wednes
day.
- Building and loan associations
will close Monday at noon and
will ryopen Thursday morning.
Kings Mountain post - office
will be closed Christmas Day and
again on New Year's Day. Indi
cating the Christmas rush of
mall Is over, schedule for Mon-|
day calls for only one delivery,
Assistant Postmaster George
Hord said.
Spangler Ready-Mixed Con
St. Luke's
Christmas Story
And it came to pass in those
days, that there went out a de
cree from Caesar Augustus, that
all the world should be taxed.
(And this taxing was first
made when Cyreniug was gover
nor* of Syria).
And all went to be taxed, every
one into his own city.
And Joseph also went up from
Galilee, out of the city of Naza
reth, into Judaea, unto the city of
David, which is called Bethle
hem; (because he was of the
house and lineage of David:)
To be taxed with Mary his es
poused wife, being great with
child.
And so it was. that, while they
were there, the days were accom
plished that she should be deli
vered.
And she brought forth her
first-born son, and wrapped him
in swaddling clothes, and laid
him in a manger; because there
was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same
country shepherds abiding in the
field, keeping watch over their
flocks by night.
Ana, 10, trie angel or tne L.ora
came upon them, and the glory
of the Lord shone around about
them: and they 'were sore afraid.
And the angel said unto them.
Fear not: for, behold I bring you
good tidings of great joy, which
shall be to all people.
For unto you is born this day
in the city of David a Saviour,
which is Christ the Lord.
And this shall be a sign unto
you! Ye shall find the babe wrap,
ped in swaddling clothes, lying
in a manger.
And suddenly there wa8 with
the angel a multitude of the
heavenly host praising God, and
saying.
Glory to God in the highest,
and. on earth peace, good will
toward men.
And it came to pass, as the an
gels were gone away from them
into heaven, the shepherds said
one to another, Let us now go
even unto Bethlehem, and see
this thing, Which is come to pass,
which the Lord hath made known
unto us.
And they came with haste, and
found Mary and Joseph, and the
babe lying in a manger.
And when they had seen it,
they mads known abroad the
saying which was told them con
cerning this child.
And all they that heard it
wondered at those things which
were told them by the shepherds.
(St. Luke 2:1-18)
Site Reported
Bought Foi New
Fabrics Finn
Rumors are current here and
in Shelby that Paul M. Neisler,
Sr., and his sons will construct
a new textile monufacturing
plant in Shelby.
There is no confirmation from
Mr. Neisler nor from members
of his family. Two of his sons,
Henry P. Neisler and Charles A.
Neisler, replied to formal quest
ions "no comment”.
That the Neislers—who sold
their seven-plant Caroltnas ope
ration a little more than a year
ago to Massachusetts Mohair
Plush Company—will build in
Shelby was common street talk
In Shelby last week and the ru
mor was being discussed in Kings
Mountain business circles.
Kings Mountain folk expressed
regret that the mill is going to
Shelby instead of Kings Moun
tain.
The reason, as expressed by a
person close to the situation, was
this: “They came after us.”
It appeared another feather in
the cap of the Shelby Chamber
of Commerce, which again, it
was reported, served as a cata
lyst in helping to arrange the
transactions involved. However,
Paul Limerick, Chamber of Com
merce secretary, also said, “No
comment.”
The rumors, unconfirmed but
thought to be reliable, are:
P. M. Neisler, Sr., in behalf
of himself and others, has pur
chased a 20-acre tract, cut by a
stream, near the Shelby WOHS
radio station.
A view modern plant will be
constructed for the manufacture
of fabrics.
Mr. Neisler sought county aid
for a water line to serve the pro
jected new plant, received a si
milar answer to the one given
Massachusetts Mohair Plush
Company here. The county has
no further funds currently to use
to build water lines and, legally,
cannot pledge future income.
However, informal inferences
were that the county would fur
nish funds, if and when they be
come available. Meantime, the
rumors are, the Shelby Chamber
of Commerce borrowed the wa
ter line outlay of about $14,000
from a Shelby bank, with some
30 Shelby businessmen endors
ing the note.
P. M. Neisler, Sr., was trea
surer of Neisler Mills, Inc., which
prior to October 1955 operated
here, in Ellenboro, Shelby, Dou
ble Shoals, Pageland, S. O., and
Mayo S. C.
His three sons are Paul M.
Neisler, Jr.., associated with
Massachusetts Mohair Plush
Company, Henry P. Neisler, em
ployed by a Concord fabrics man
ufacturer, and Charles A. Neis
ler, general manager of Black
mer & Company, Kings Moun
tain cotton brokers.
Building and Loan Dividend Total
Will Set Record For Period, Year
Kings Mountain’s two Ibuilding
and loan associations will again
pay record dividends to assoeia
tlon shareholders on December
31.
iReports of the two associations
this week showed that 'building
and loan association sharehold
ers will receive on the final day
of the year a total of $55,774.36.
The final six-month dividend
payments will also set a new an
nual record, with dividend pay
ments from the two asociations
totaling $106,161.61. It is the first
time these dividends have topped
with $87,934.49 paid last year,.
A. H. Patterson, secretary-trea
surer of Home Building & Loan
association, reported final six
month dividend payments at
$30,857,08. These include $956.79
on installment shares, $16,208.44
on full-paid shares, and $13,691.
85 on optional savings shares.
The Home Building & Loan total
for 1956 will reach $58,935.93,
comparing with $51,211.55 the
previous year.
Ben H. Bridges, Jr., secretary
treasurer of Kings Mountain
Building A Loan association re
ft
Church Rites,
Family Dinners
Feature Season
Kings Mountain will observe a
traditional Christmas against a
background of improving condi
tions in its bread-and-butter
textile industry.
For textiles, 1956 has not been
the happiest of years, but majori
ty of textile men express optim
ism for the next several months.
Citizens will be busy Monday
with last-minute gift buying and
housewives will be putting the
final touches on larders filled
with traditional Christmas sea
son food.
Essentially, Kings Mountain’s
Christmas for mast folk will be
quiet, featuring religious serv
ices, family gatherings and the
visits of the children’s friend,
Santa Claus.
Church services feature two 11
p. m. Christmas Eve services at
St. Matthew’s and Resurrection
Lutheran churches, and a 10 a. m,
service Christmas morning at
First Presbyterian church.
For almost all it will be a
bright and cheery Christmas.
For the needy, numerous
church groups and civic organi
zations are making a point to
supply both food and gifts, toys
and clothing to make Christmas
a joyous holiday for all. The
Moose Lodge, American Legion
and city pfolice department are
distributing toys to children in 65
families.
The city's population is al
ready swelled with the arrival
home of the community’s college
population.'
Christmas entertaining is al
ready well-underway with nu
merous private parties.
Mis. Curtis Bell
Hurt In Accident
Mrs. Curtis Bell, Belvedere
Drive resident, is in Kings Moun
tain Hospital with severe head
injuries received about midnight
Friday night when her car over
turned on the old Kings Moun
tain-Blacksburg road.
Dr. Paul Nolan, attending phy
sician, said Sunday that Mrs.
Bell’s condition is "serious but
improving."
According to reports from
members of the family, Mrs. Bell
was taking Don Kiser to his
home following a Christmas par
ty when the accident occurred.
Kiser was not injured in the ac
cident.
iRoad conditions were wet and
slippery at the time of the acci
dent, and it is believed that Mrs.
Bell, driver of the 1952 Chevrolet,
lost control of the car Which over
turned.
The wrecked car was said to be
a total loss.
Wyatt Near End
Of Hospital Stay
Christmas should be a happy
time for the Cliff Held Wyatts
of 106 Wingate Circle, Gas
tonia.
Mr. Wyatt, a patient at Kings
Mountain Hospital since last
July, is spending the Christmas
holidays.with his family, and
faces the prospects of being re
leased from his hospital bed
early in 1957.
The 'recently discharged 14
year Army veteran was injured
in an equipment accident on
North Piedmont avenue in July
and lost his left leg as a result
of these injuries.
Wyatt was mangled in a
tractor-type payloader while
working for Neal Tawkins
Company of Gastonia. Hie
(Hawkins firm was doing grad