Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7,206
Dh flgan lor Greater Kings Mountain Is derived from
ttw ms Huge Mountain city directory census. The City
Umlts figure Is from the United States census of 1850.
Established 1889
1 A Pages
| Today
PRICE FIVE CENTS
VOL. 68 NO. I
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, January 3, 1957
Sixty-Eighth Year
Polio Fund Campaign Starts;
Goal Of Drive Set At $3,535
Local News
Bulletins
MAUNEY BETTER
W. K. Mauney is still con
fined to his home with a back
ailment. His condition was re
ported improved oh Wednesday
and he .said he hoped to be off
crutches and at work again
within the next few days.
PLONK HAS OPERATION
Fred W. Plonk underwent an
operation at Rex hospital, Ral
eigh, on (Monday. His condition
was reported satisfactory the
following day and he expects
to return home during the
weekend.
LIONS MEETING
Members of the Kings Moun
tain Lions club will meet Tues
day night at 7 o’clock at the
Woman’s Club. Program fea
ture will be a motion picture of
last summer’s Lions Interna
tional convention, held at
Miami, Fla.
BANK MEETING
Stockholders of First Nation
al Bank will hold their annual
meeting on Tuesday afternoon
at 4 o’clock in the bank lobby,
it was announced Iby R. S. Len
non, vice-president and cash
ier.
IN DETROIT
Avery Murray, of Murray’s
Appliance, is in Detroit, Mich.,
this week for a preview show
ing of American Motors’ new
Leonard - Kelvinator appliance
line.
CITY BOARD
Tire board of city commis
sioners will hold its regular
January meeting Thursd ay
night at 8 o’clock. Mayor Glee
A. Bridges described the agen
da as “short and routine.”
JOINS STAFF
Miss Pat Staley has joined
the staff of Sudie’s Beauty
Shop, according to announce
ment Iby Mrs. Andrew Jenkins,
manager.
INSTALLATION MEETING
(Fred Alexander, Lt. Governor
of Kiwanis District 1, will in
stall new officers and directors
for the coming year at the
weekly meeting of Kings
Mountain Kiwanis Club Thurs
day night at Woman’s Club.
The ladies are invited to attend
this meeting.
TO INAUGURATION
'Jack White and Hal D. Ward
left Kings Mountain for Wash
ington, D. C„ Tuesday night to
attend the January 3 Presiden
tial Inauguration. Both were
active in ibehalf of the nomina
tion of Basil L. Whitener for
Congress in the Democratic pri
maries. Mr. Whitener will also
take the oath of office as 11th
district Congressman on Thurs
day,
lack Petezson
Rites Conducted
Funeral for William Jack Pe
terson, 79, who died at Kings
Mountain hospital December 24,
were held at El Bethel Methodist
church the afternoon of Decem
ber 26.
Mr. Peterson, a farmer, had
been in ill health for seven weeks
prior to his death. He was a
member of the El Bethel church.
He was a son of the late Mr, and
Mrs. Robert Peterson, and his
wife was the late Elizabeth Jane
Brakefield.
Surviving are three sons, Rob
ert A. Peterson, Elizabeth City,
W. R. and J. T. Petersen, both of
}Kings Mountain; two daughters,
Mrs. Arthur Blackwell, Inman,
S. C.f and Mrs. Fred Newton,
Fayetteville; a brother, J. T.
Peterson, Kings Mountain; and
six grandchildren and eight
great-grandchildren.
The final rites were conducted
by Rev. Frank Blalock and Rev.
H. G. McElroy. Burial was in the
church cemetery.
<
Bridges lists
Drive Plans;
Quota Reduced
The 1957 March of Dimes cam
paign is underway in Kings
Mountain with various fund-rais
ing projects already planned for
the drive.
Jonas Bridges, co-chairman of
the drive in the city, announced
Wednesday that several civic and
other organizations plan to aid
volunteer workers in helping the
city and its surrounding area
reach its $3535 goal.'
Kings Mountain Moose Lodge
will handle the solicitation of
business firms throughout the
area. A roadblock, similar to the
one last year, will be conducted
by the Kings Mountain Junior
Chamber of Commerce.
The Junior Woman’s Club will
again be in charge of the Moth
er’s March on Polio to be held
sometime prior to the January
31 closing date of the drive.
Kings Mountain Kiwanis Club
plans to hold a radio auction sale
again this year, and Otis D.
Green Post 155, American Legion,
will conduct the annual Blue
Crutch Sale.
Charles Dixon is in charge of
school solicitations and Ollie
Harris, co-chairman of the local
drive, will handle industrial
gifts.
Mr. Bridges pointed out that
the quota this year is some $1,
500 below that of last year. This
drop is due largely to the suc
cessful use of Salk Vaccine and
fewer number of polio cases dur
ing the past year, he added.
Money raised in this annual
drive is used by the National
Foundation for Infantile Paraly
sis to fight polio throughout the
nation.
It was mainly through the use
of March of Dimes money that
the Salk polio vaccine was per
fected and put into use. This vac
cine has cut the number of new
cases radically, but there are
thousands of victims already af
fected by the disease that still re
quir treatment and care.
Extended Coverage
Changes Reported
Kings Mountain insurance a
gents along with others through
out the state have been notified
by the Commissioner of Insuran
ce of a change in rules govern
ing extended coverage clauses.
Under the new ruling, effec
tive January 1, agents report, all
coverage for windstorm and hail
storm damages will be written
henceforth at $50 deductible,
meaning that the first $50 of
damages will not be paid when
a result of these hazards.
The new rule is mandatory and
will be applied to all new busi
ness and to policy renewals as
they occur.
It was also noted that a new
policy covers insurance protec
tion of television antennae. An
tennae are not covered under
general extended coverage claus
es, but may be separately cover
ed. Again the $50 deductible
clause will apply.
New Scout Troop
Being Organized
Kings Mountain boys interest
ed in joining a Boy Scout troop
being organized at Resurrection
Lutheran church .should contact
Rev. Douglas Fritz, pastor of the
church, who said boys, age 11-14,
are eligible.
Sherman Perry will serve as
scoutmaster of the new troop, Mr.
Fritz noted. Interested boys
should contact Mr. Frit^ at tele
phone number 825-R.
City Auto Tags
Now On Sale
City auto licenses went on
sale here Wednesday as North
Carolina plates went on sale in
Rale%h at the Motor Vehicles
Department and at various
spots throughout the state.
The city tags sell for $1 and
are obtainable at the City Hall
office or police department of
fice.
Assistant City Clerk Joe Mc
Daniel said first-day sales were
brisk.
Hungary Relief
Quota Is Met
Kings Mountain area citizens
contributed (&500 to the Hungar
ian relief fund in a recent drive
conducted by the American Red
Cross.
Some contributions are still to
be received ibut Mrs. J. N. 'Gam
ble, executive secretary of the
Kings Mountain Red Cross chap
ter, said the chapter’s quota of
$500 had been obtained.
Grover area citizens donated
$115, Mrs. Gamble reported. Mrs.
W. F. Cockrell served' as chair
man of the Grover campaign.
Mrs. Gamble expressed appre
ciation^ to all contributors and
workers'^ the campaign. Goal of
the American Red Cross in the
campaign is five million dollars.
Bunch Foote
Purchasing Agent
Kelly Bunch has assumed the
duties of purchasing agent of
Foote Mineral Company here, it
was announced by Neil O. John
son, general manager.
Mr. Bunch, formerly assistant
purchasing agent at Foote’s Sun
bright, Va., plant, assumed his
new duties Monday. He succeeds
F. Scarr Morrison, who resigned
several weeks ago.
A native of Virgania, Mr. Bun
ch and his family lived at Big
Stone Gap. He and his wife have
four children. They expect to es
tablish residence here as quickly
as suitable quarters can be ob
tained.
Jury Exonerates
Driver Of Truck
A Connelly Springs, N. C., truck
driver, William Ennis, Jr., has
been cleared of all blame in the
highway accident deaths of Ves
ter Gillespie and his son, William
Gillespie, near Clover, S. C. on
December 19.
A coroner’s jury heard evidence
in the accident on December 28,
and returned a verdict that the
Gillespies died as a result of their
own negligence.
Testimony heard indicated
that the Gillespie car was parked
on the highway and that the
lights of the parked car blinded
the truck driver. The dead men
were said to have been standing
beside the parked vehicle when
the truck struck them.
Mrs. Nell (Reynolds Short, form
er Kipgs Mountain resident, suf
fered a fractured right knee and
bruises in the accident. Her two
small children, who were in the
parked car, were not injured.
York County Coroner A. Y.
Leslie, Jr., presided at the hear
ing. D. D. McCarter served as
foreman of the jury.
Hearing on Lithium-Steelworker
Union Question To Be Wednesday
The National Labor Relations
Board will conduct a hearing in
Charlotte next Wednesday on the
claim of the AFL-CIO Steelwork
ers union that it has sufficient
members at Lithium Corporation
of America to qualify as bargain
ing agent. The union petitioned
for an election last month.
Bruce Thorburn, .personnel
manager of the Lithium firm,
said the company had ibeen noti
fied the hearing will be conduct
ed at the post office building in
Chralotte on Wednesday morning
at 10 o’clock.
Mr.. Thorburn said his company
would deny the union claim.
The difference of opinion cus
tomarily results in the NLRB’s
ordering a union representation
election. Other matters custom
arily airecj at the hearing include
question of which employees are
eligible to participate in the elec
tion.
Should an election 'be ordered,
as appears likely, it will be the
second held at the Bessemer City
Road Lithium plant. On Novem
ber 18, 1955, employees of Lith
ium Corporation rejected by a
narrow margin efforts of both
the Steelworkers and the API
Operating Engineers to qualify
as bargaining representative.
Herald Headlines
Record History
Of City For '56
Kings Mountain citizens wrote
“the end” to 1956 Monday at mid
night and could reminisce over
a large number of news events
during the year just closed.
Files of the Kings Mountain
Herald reveal a wide range of
activities, some happy, some tra
gic.
Among the top news events of
1956 in Kings Mountain (not
necessarily in order of impor
tance) were: 1) The presidential
election, in which Number 4
township returned a majority to
the Republican candidates for the
second consecutive time: 2) the
C. S. Plonk: safe robbery; 3) the
confirmation of Charles L. Alex
ander as permanent postmaster;
4) conviction of Cecil Cook, for
mer citizen, for the murder of
Dan Holloman; 5), union activity
at Foote Mineral Company, Mass
achusettes Mohair Plush Com
pany and Lithium Corporation of
America; 6) industrial wage in
creases, first due to the new
federal minimum wage, later
due to the general textile in
creases launched by J. P. Ste
vens Company; 7) the Pearsall
plan election; 8) the winning for
the first time in history of the
conference championship by the
undefeated, once - tied Kings
Mountain football team.
.a numDer oi ivings ivioiwuain
citizens were honored during the
year by being elected to impor
tant offices in civic, church, and
trade organizations. They in
clude: Mrs. Aubrey Mauney, nam
ed president of the state Feder
ation of Women’s Clubs; J. Ollie
Harris, named president of the
state Funeral directors and em
balmers examining board: H.
Tom Fulton, elected president of
the national Walking Horse asso
ciation; C. D. Blanton, elected
president of the North Carolina
Pharmacy association; Aubrey
Mauney, elected vice-president of
the United Lutheran Brotherhood
In America; Martin Harmon,
elected secretary-treasurer of As
sociated Non-Dailies of the North
Carolina Press association; and
Dr. P. E. Hendricks, elected pres
ident of the Cleveland County
Medical society.
Among prominent citizens re
moved by death were B. S. Peeler,
Sr., D. C. Mauney, and Mrs. J.
E. Anthony. Citizens and former
citizens who died by accidents
were Airman Ranny Arnette,
Nick A. Moss, W E. Blakely, Mrs.
W. E. Blakely and Mr. Blakely’s
sister.
A review of major Herald
headlines of 1956 follows:
JANUARY
Coralee Fabrics expanding pilot
operations; Nicholas A. Moss
suffocates in Staten Island fire;
Aubrey Mauney acting executive
secretary of Lutheran Brother
hood; Neil O. Johnson named
new Foote Mineral Kings Moun
tain manager; Fred W. McClure,
Traveler’s Rest, S. C., Cleveland
County’s first highway fatality,
killed instantly in motorcycle ac
cident.
Phillip wnetsune, local Axers
truck driver, killed in truck-train
crash; James Rotan named sup
erintendent of Burlington In
dustries’ Phenix plant: City to
launch major tax collection drive
February 1, foreclosure, garnish
ment, levying mapped; Polio
Drive has raised 20 percent of
quota; R. L. Spencer new presi
dent of Montonia Club; City
spends 80.6 percent of budget In
first six months, revenue running
high.
Grady Howard named Young
Man of Year for 1955; City
firemen answer 17 calls in first
half of January; Baptist pastors
form own area ministerial orga
nization; Kings Mountain Jaycees
list long activity program for
past year; Several projects be
ing planned for March of Dimes
drive.
Charles Alexander likely to get
postmaster appointment, gets
GOP township committee nod;
Paul Walker new Merchants As
sociation president; Grady Wil
liam Montgomery dies from in
juries received in auto accident
January 15: city logs 1,500th safe
driving day; Spotty layoffs at
Neisler Mills division said to be
temporary; Skull gang gives city
taste of organized juvenile delin
quency; Mining worker awarded
$6,500 judgment against Foote
Mineral Company; Woodrow
Jones announces retirement
plans, Whitesner, Wells toss hats
into Congressional race.
FEBRUARY
Police round up Skull Gang
members, others for lecture,
Ralph W. Gardner in Congress
race; Jack White and Hal Ward
named directors of Home Build
ing & Loan association; H. C.
Mayes named director of Superior
Stone; Carolina Mines. Inc., stock
sale halted by Securities and Ex»
change Commission, Kings Moun
tain Knitting Company opens
operations here; Johnny Jones
Continued on Page Eight
Businessmen Are Optimistic
Over Area Prospects For ’57
Mica Company
Makes "Dry Run"
In New Plant
Kings Mountain Mica Compa.
ny is making “dry runs” at its
new plant on the Charlie Moss
property south of Kings Moun
tain.
Paul Lancaster, manager, said
Wednesday he expects the new
plant to be in production on or
about January 15..
Kings Mountain Mica, which
with its predecessor company,
has operated here since 1948, ex
pects to produce scrap mica at
its new plant. Ore reserves of the
Moss property have been estima
ted by company officials at what
they term a “conservative 25
years.”
The lease on the Moss proper
ty covers 200 acres, of which 30
ac^es have been used for three
reservoirs. One of the reservoirs
will be a settling basin, another
a water reservoir, and the third
a fresh water supply. Mr. Lan
caster noted that the overflow
from the reservoirs will be un
polluted and will be returned to
natural streams.
“We won’t be using water or
ruining it for the people below
us,” Mr. Lancaster remarked. He
said the plant would require 1500
gallows of water per minute.
The new operation will not re-’
quire a large personnel. Mr. Lan
caster said nine men will handle
the anticipated three-shift oper
ation. Supervisory personnel will
manage both the Moss property
plant and the Patterson property
plant off Caiisler street exten
sion.
Mr. Lancaster declined to re
veal the refining process the
company will employ and the po
tential production capacity of the
new operation.
Mica mining was begun here
by F. B. Hendricks in 1948. Three
years later he and others formed
Kinugs Mountain Mica Company,
Inc., to continue and expand the
operation.
Construction of the new plant
was begun last May.
Montonia Club
Meeting Tuesday
Lake Montonia Club, Inc., will
hold its annual meeting Tuesday
January 8, at 7:30 p. m. at city
hall.
George Houser, secretary of the
organization, said Wednesday
that routine business affairs and
the election of officers and direc
tors is scheduled to come before
the .stockholders.
R. Lee Spencer of Gastonia is
president of the organization.
A treasurer’s report showing
cash receipts of some $5,000 and
disbursements of $5,605 has been
mailed to stockholders. Included
in the disbursements is $1,254.49
in capital outlay and $1,610 in
salaries.
Capital outlay expenditures
are broken down to show $277.82
for picnic area drainage, $157.54
for a heavy duty lawn mower,
and $819.13 for extension of the
parking area.
Cash receipts included $4,700
from membership dues, $264.50
from the music account and $9.50
for lights.
STORK ARRIVED HERE JANUARY 2 — Mrs. Luther LanieT smiles as
she is photographed with her second son an eight-pound, three
ounce youngster born Wednesday morning at 7:04 at Kings Moun
tain hospital. The boy has been named Paul Amos Lanier. He is the
apparent winner of the 1957 First Baby Derby being conducted by the
Herald and numerous Kings Mountain merchants. (Photo by Pen
nington Studio.)
raul Amos Lanier
First 1957 Baby
Hospital's Firet
Youngster Of *57
Bom Wednesday
Paul Amos Lanier appears to
be the winner of the Kings Moun
tain Herald’s 1957 First Baby
Contest.
The new Kings Mountain citi
zen was logged into the world at
7:04 a. m. on Wednesday morn
ing, January 2, at Kings Moun
tain hospital by Dr. Paul E. Hen
dricks.
The new arrival is the second
child, both sons, of Mr. and Mrs.
Jack Lanier, who live at 310 Par
ker street. An older boy, Marion
Jack Lanier, was born to the
couple in August 1954.
The baby’s grandparents are
also King3 Mountain citizens.
They are Mr. and Mrs. Marvin
Styers, 607 Clay street, and Mrs.
Gallie Lanier, also of 310 Parker
street.
The proud father is a second
shift cable twister at Firestone
Textiles, Inc., in Gastonia.
The mother, the former Thel
ma Styers, is 20 years of age. She
and her husband were married in
September 1953.
The stork apparently was slow
arriving in Kings Mountain this
year, not making a single stop on
New Year’s Day. A check with
Kings Mountain physicians han
dling obstetrical work didn’t give
much hope for an early arrival.
The Lanier youngster, his mo
ther reported, arrived “early.”
The anticipated date was Janu
ary 14.
Under terms of the Baby con
test being sponsored by the Her
ald and numerous Kings Moun
tain merchants, numerous and
valuable gifts await the contest
winner, which will be announced
next week. If no other claims to
earlier birth in 1957 are filed
with the Herald by January 8,
Paul Amos Lanier will be de
1 clared the winner.
Home Ablaze, Foui-Yeai-Old Wakes
Father, Probably Saving Family
The five-memiber family of H.
G. (Pete) Barkley, Kings Moun
tain grocer, probably owes its
current well-being to the oldest
child, four-year-old Bob Barkley.
At about 2:30 a. m. on Christ
mas night (actually the morning
of December 26) the youngster
awakened his father to report the
Barkley’s Goforth street resi
| dence ablaze.
“The smoke woke me up.” the
j youngster relates. “I got scared.”
As it was the early morning
fire did considerable damage be
fore it was extinguished by city
firemen. Mr. Barkley estimates
the damage at $8,000 to $10,000.
Majority of the loss was covered
by insurance.
Fire Chief Pat Tignor and Mr.
Barkley do not agree on the cause
of the fire. Chief Tignor thinks it
may have been caused by a
burning cigarette. Mr. Barkley
thinks it originated from defec
tive wiring on 'a lighted Christ
mas tree.
The Barkleys are living tempo
rarily in the Reynolds residence
in the 800 block of West Moun
tain street.
Otherwise, the fire department
had three other alarms during
the holiday season. All were
grass fires with no damage re
ported from either.
>—
Retailers To Resume
Mid-Week Closings
Kings Mountain merchants
will resume their mid-week
half holiday schedule next Wed
nesday.
The merchants were open all
day yesterday due to the prox
imity of the New Year’s Day
holiday.
Kings Mountain retailers sus
pended the Wednesday half
holiday prior to Thanksgiving.
They will continue the mid
week closings until next No
vember, according to current
by-laws of the Kings Mountain
Merchants asociation.
Dividend Rates
To Be Increased
Kings Mountain’s two building
and loan associations, as was in
dicated on December 24, have
acted to raise dividend rates to
three and one-half percent, up a
half of one percent over current
rates.
Home Building & Loan asso
ciation directors acted December
24, while Kings Mountain Build
ing & Loan directors took action
on December 29.
Technically, the two assocotions
did not declare a rate and won’t
until the next dividend payment
period next summer. The actions
were to declare the “intent” to
up rates when the dividend dec
larations are made.
Shelby building & loan associ
ations have previously escalated
rates to 3.5 percent.
Deadline Saturday
For Award Nominees
Deadline for nomination for
Kings Mountain’s Young Man of
1956 will be Saturday, it was an
nounced this week by Ed H,
Smith, chairman of the Jaycee
committee handling the award
work.
Mr. Smith emphasized that
nominees are invited by all citi
zens. To qualify for the award, a
man must be between the ages of
21 and 35, though he may qualify
if the work performed occurred
when he was 35.
A judging committee including
citizens over 35 will choose the
award recipient. Nominations
should be filed with Mr. Smith
before Saturday.
It will be the third consecutive
year the Kings Mountain Junior
Chamber of Commerce has pre
sented its Distinguished Service
award to the man adjudged the
community’s “Young Man of the
Year.” Previous recipients are B.
S. Peeler, Jr., and Grady Howard.
The award will be made Jan
uary 15.
Textile, Mining
Outlook Is Good;
Building "Soft"
Kings Mountain business lead
ers generally are predicting that
1957 will be a good business year.
Some decline to guess into the
future more than six months but
the general outlook for the Kings
Mountain area is that textiles will
be good, and that mining will
continue to boom. The principal
soft spot as the New Year begins
is in the building industry.
Here are some comments in
the Herald’s spot check on Kings
Mountain economic prospects for
1957: 1
W. K. Mauney, Mauney Mills,
Inc.: “I look forward to a good
year generally. There is much
competition in textile, but we
have orders booked for several
months ahead.”
William Ford, general manager
of Massachusetts Mohair Plush
Company: “Our activity is cur
rently good though prices, in view
of rising costs of materials, are
poor. However, we are continuing
to install new machinery in the
Pauline plant and our employees
in Kings Mountain have increas
ed in number to approximately
1,000 persons.”
Neil Johnson, general manager
of Foote Mineral Company: “We
anticipate continuing to produce
at maximum capacity.”
F. R. Summers, president of
First National Bank: “Business
should be very good here for the
first six months at least. Biggest
‘if’ in the general economy seems
to be the question of whether
governments win delay building
of roads, schools, and other pub
lic works due to higher-cost mo
ney.”
Paul W. Walker, president,
Kings Mountain Merchants as
sociation: “Business prospects in
Kings Mountain look good. Re
tail sales should equal it not sur
pass 1956. Payrolls in the area
are good and this indicates good
volume for retailers.’’
A. H. Patterson, Home Building
& Loan association: “We have
plesnty of money to lend for new
construction. While we have pro
cessed a number of applications,
we are having difficulty finding
enough applicants with required
down payments. We anticipate'
activity will increase during Mar
ch aqd April. If the federal gov
ernment raises the allowable in
terest rate on GI home loans to
five percent, we will be in posi
tion to make some loans of this
type.”
Ben H. Bridges, Jr., Kings
Mountain Building & Loan asso
ciation: “At the moment we do
not have a great number of loans
in process. -However, this is our
slack season, and there is need
and demand for new construc
tion. I anticipate that there will
be a heavy pick-up by spring and
that 1957 will be a busy, prosper
ous year.”
Tax Listing
Reported Brisk
City and county tax listing be
gan at City Hall Wednesday, with
officials reporting a brisk start
on the annual chore.
Tax listing will continue
throughout the month of Jan
uary. The officials will be at City
Hall daily from 8 a. m. to noon
and from 1 to 4:30 p. m., except
on Saturdays, when County List
er Conrad Hughes will be at
Hambright’s Store in Grover to
accommodate citizens of the
Grover area.
Charlie Ware, farm census tak
er, will follow a schedule co-in
ciding with Mr,. Hughes’.
A. A. Barrett, lister for Number
5 township, has announced the
following schedule: January 7 at
Water’s Store, January 8, at
Ware’s Store, January 9, at Eak
er's Store, January 19 at Bess
Store, and January 11 and 12 at
Barrett’s Store. He can be reach'
ed at his home on other days dur
ing the listing period.
All persons are required to list
their properties for taxes and
men between the ages of 21 and
50 are required to list for poll
taxes.
J. W. Webster, city tax lister,
urged all citizens to list as early
as possible. “We always get jam
med at the last minute,” he com
mented, "resulting in delay for
the people. Early listing will save
much time.”