Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10420
City Limits 7,206
ffc* atm* tot Gnat«i dog* Mountain U teitnd fnm
dM IW King* Mountain dtT directory ctnnu. Tba City
IMb figure U from tba United State* eeaiu* of 1*50.
OO Pages
LL Today
VOL 68 No. 7
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C„ Thursday, February 14, 1957
Sixty-Eighth Year
PRICE FIVE CENTS
TRIPLETS BORN HERE FRIDAY J Mrs* Willie Mc
Clure inspects the newest members of her family,
all of whom arrived early last Friday morning.
The Bessemer City woman saVs. "We all wanted
a girl." The result was three girls. The nurse in
the picture is Mrs. William Mauney. The 35-year
old mother has nine children, is a twin herself,
and a member of a family of 13. (Pennington
Photo).
Local News
Bulletins
HOSPITALIZED
Dr. Paul Nolan described the
condition of Mrs. Rossie Bird,
301 Battleground avenue, as
being “fair” Wednesday. Mrs.
Bird is a patient at Kings
Mountain Hospital.
MOOSE MEETING
Ourtis Gaffney, secretary of
Kings Mountain Moose Lodge
174S, announced members will
hold their regular weekly meet
ing Thursday night ait 8:15 at
the lodge on Bessemer City
road.
REPORTED IMPROVED
Miss Gussie Huffstetler, well
known city schools teacher, suf
fered a heart attack last Fri
day and is a patient at Kings
Mountain hospital. Her physi
cian, Dr. P. G. Padgett, Wednes
day reported her condition as
“'good”. She i.s allowed no visi
tors.
CLOTHING DRIVE
Young Married Couples class
of First Baptist church is col
lecting used clothing for
needy families. Persons who
wish to contribute clothing
should contact the First Bap
tist church .secretary at the
church office and the clothing
will be picked-up and distribut
ed by the class.
FINE ARTS PROGRAM
West school fifth grade stu
dents of Miss Louise Kiser will
present a program of Stephen
Foster music at the Tuesday
afternoon meeting of the Fine
Arts department of the Wo
man’s club at 3:30.p. m. The
public is beig invited to attend.
ONE FIRE
Firemen were called Wednes
day morning around 11 o’clock
to Finger Laundry where a
blaze, which had ignited in a
dryer, was extinguished. Carl
Finger, owner, estimated dam
age at approximately $500.
WEST SCHOOL P-TA
Fifth and sixth grades of
West school will present a pro
gram on Founders Day at the
regular meeting Wednesday
night, February 20. at 8 ip. m.
of the West school P-TA
in the school auditorium. Mrs.
White’s second grade will pre
sent a play on “Months of the
Year.” Refreshments will be
served,
BUILDING PERMITS
Building Inspector J,. W. Web
ster issued a (building permit
Monday to B. D. RaLerree to
<build a one-story block build
ing at an estimated cost of
$2,000.
Club Asks Walkway
Use Along Railroad
"Please use the walkways and
keep off the grass when cross
ing the railroad between Moun
tain and Gold streets!”
This is the plea of Magnolia
Garden Club which, as a beautifi
cation project, planted grass and
shrubs on the Railroad avenue
side of the tracks.
A spokesman for the club
pointed out that three walkways
have been made for the accom
modation of those who like to
make short cuts from Railroad to
Battleground and vice versa.
With the recent rains, the club
thinks it has a good crop of grass
on the way.
Mother Of Six, 35,
Delivers Triplets
*
* *
Triplets' Mother:
"We're All Happy"
“They’re all having a lit
’cause they wanted a little girl,’’
said Mrs. Willie Meeks Mc
Clure, of Bessemer City, mo
ther of the first triplets bom
at Kings Mountain hospital
and perhaps the first mother
of triplets to be bom in Kings
Mountain.
Now the mother of nine chil
dren, Mrs. McClure guessed
that eldest son David would be
happy to help tend the wants
of his three baby sisters.
How’d her husband feel about
triplets?
“We’re all happy,” she re
plied.
The proud father, Tom Mc
Clure, is an employee of Fire
stone Textiles, Inc., Gastonia.
The mother is herself a twin,
was one of 13 children. She is
35. She and the largest arrival,
Baby “A” likely to be named
Annette, were being discharged
from the hospital Wednesday
afternoon. The two smaller
ones, which appear to be identi
cal, will be kept at the hospital
for further nurturing.
Herald Won't Print
Letters With Aliases
Letters to the editor must be
signed legitimately, as must ad
vertising of a personal nature,
and political advertising.
The Herald has received re
cently a few letters, with obvious
political overtones and with sig
natures which are obvious alias
es. One, for instance, was signed
“G. I. Sams”. The Herald will be
glad to print letters of a political
nature in its open forum. How
ever, they should be brought to
the Herald in person and signed.
Otherwise, they must not be
slanderous or libeloi's.
Political advertising ia, men
tioned due to the approach of the
biennial city elections. The 1955
General Assembly enacted legis
lation requiring advertising to
be signed iby an individual, .such
as ‘‘John Jones, Chairman”. The
law does not permit sole use of
the former familiar type of ad
vertising signature such as “Citi
zens for Better Government'1,.
The Herald holds a want ad
fee from a citizen posting a "per
sonal" classified advertisement.
It was received by mail, unsign
ed. If the person will make his
identity known the Herald will
1) print the ad, or 2) refund the
money.
BOARD TO MEET
The regular monthly meeting
of the Board of School Trustees
will be held Monday night in
the office of Supt. B. N. Barn;;:.
Mr. Barnes said Wednesday
that only routine items of busi
ness are scheduled to be dis
cussed. However, it is felt that
the head football coaching job
at Kings Mountain High School
will be discussed by board
members.
Bessemer City
Woman, Babies
Doing Fine"
What may ibe the first triplets
born in Kings Mountain were de
livered at Kings Mountain hos
pital early last Friday morning
by Dr. Kenneth McGill, attending
physician, assisted toy Dr. John
C. McGill and Dr. Craig Jones.
The three Negro girls were
born to Mr. and Mrs. Tom Me- ^
Clure, who live near Bessemer
City. It was the seventh, eighth,
and ninth child for the McClures.
They now have five .'boys and
four girls.
The babies — only tentatively
named at noon Wednesday —
were listed on hospital records
as Baby McClure ‘'A” 5 pounds,
8% ounces; Baby McClure “B”, i
four, pounds, six ounces; and |
Baby McClure *‘C” four pounds, i
four and three-eighths ounces. j
A check of Kings Mountain
physicians, including those de
livering the three babies, reveal
ed that none had previously de
livered triplets. Dr. J. E. Anthony
is out of the city and could not
contacted, but his nurse, Miss
Ruth Randall, could recall no
triplet deliveries during her ten
ure with Dr. Anthony.
Dr. Kenneth McGill, noting that
triplet births occur, on a national
average at only one in 10,000,
added that 'his father, Dr. W. K.
McGill, for many years a prac
ticing physician in Clover, S. C.,
had never delivered triplets.
The doctor was forewarned,
having X-rayed the mother. He
had told the prospective father,
shortly before the deliveries, had
only told the prospective mother
that he was sure she’d deliver
twins.
The ibabies were delivered by
Caesarian section, the .second
time Mrs. McClure had delivered
(Continued on Page Eight)
Mayor Pay Scale May Go To $6,000
-<;
Baines, Grigg
Oppose Merit
Salary Plan
Superintendent of City Schools
B. N. Barnes said, “It sounds good
on paper, but I don’t think it will
work,” when asked about the
proposed teacher pay raise plan
based on the merit system.
Mr. Barnes is not alone in his
opinion of the plan proposed by
Govempr Luther Hodges. County
Superintendent J. H. Grigg voic.
ed his opposition to the plan
Tuesday.
“A merit plan would be a very
difficult thing to administer, and,
in my opinion, would be very un
popular with the teachers,” said
Mr. Grigg.
Grigg indicated the first need
is to get the overall pay schedule j
up to a competitive level with oth-!
er states and other professions.
Then according to the superinten
dent, there might be value in a
study to investigate the feasibili
ty of a supplemental merit scale.
Noting that first publicity on
the merit proposal calls for the
principals to administer the rais.
es to teachers showing more effi
ciency and initiative, Grigg said
this system would open the way
for “serious difficulties” in per
sonal relations and community
pressure on principals.
Mr. Barnes also felt that put
ting the burden of “rating” the
teachers on principals could cause
some undue hardships on the
school heads.
Mr. Barnes also questioned the
time element involved in switch
ing to a “merit” system, saying
it would take a period of time to
put such a plan into action.
"I am disappointed in the pro.
posed nine percent pay increase.
I feel that our teachers deserve
more,” the city superintendent
stated.
The increase being asked by
state teachers and school offici
als is approximately 19.6 percent.
Lutherans
Ending Mission
The Lutheran Evangelism Mis
sion will end in Kings Mountain
Thursday night as Dr. Paul Graf
and the Rev. Corley R. Lineber
ger will deliver their final ser
mons at St. Matthew’s Luther
an Church and Resurrection Lu
theran Church.
Dr. W. P. Gerberding and Rev.
R. Douglas Fritz reported Wed
nesday that attendance had been
good at both churches for these
services.
Sunday afternoon, a joint ral
ly of all churches participating in
the Mission will be held in Ovens
Auditorium in Charlotte. Dr.
Oscar Carlson, of Baltimore, will
be the speaker for the rally.
Dr. Gerberding announced that
Communion will be held at St.
Matthew’s Sunday morning at 11
o’clock.
A total of 60 persons from the
two churches have been visiting
homes in the community each
night during the Mission.
Rev. Mr. Fritz reported that
Resurrection Lutheran rfiembers
held an unexpected “candle-light
service” Tuesday night as an e
lectrical transformer blew out
throwing the church into dark
ness. Candles used in Christmas
programs each year we're put in
to use and thg service continued
as scheduled, he said.
Chambei Of Commerce Membership
Totaled 68 Wednesday Afternoon
Kings Mountain Chamber of
Commerce now numbers 68 mem
bers, a report of Dr. L. T. Ander
son, secretary - treasurer, showed
Wednesday afternoon.
The figure includes cash • in
hand memberships at $25 each,
purchased toy firms and individ
uals. It does not include, Dr. An
derson said, indicated member
ships where checks have not yet
been received.
Fleete McCurdy, membership
committee chairman, said he was
highly pleased at the work ac
complished by members of his
committee during the .past week.
“The committee members have
worked hard and it appears the
success of the organizational
drive is assured,” he commented
“Many more firms and individ
uals have said they expect to
join. It is merely a matter of ab
taining their checks.”
Mr. McCurdy noted that much
of the work thus far has been
among retail business establish
ments. The membership commit
tee will convene again Monday
night at 7:30 at City Hall and
next week’s membership effort
will be to sign members in in
dustry and outlying business
areas.
Present plans call for formal
organization on attainment of
100 members At present, the or
ganization is in “acting” status,
with only the $25 per year dues
schedule definitely set.
Memberships to date as listed
by Dr. Anderson are:
F. R. McCurdy, Daniel D. Weiss
Martin Harmon, Dr. R. N. Baker,
Amos F. Dean, Charles E. Dixon
W. L. Plonk, Dr. L. T. Anderson
(Continued on Page Eight)
B. & L. Firm Will Celebrate
50th Anniversary Tuesday
«
Kings Mountain
B. & L Holds
Annual Meeting
Shareholders of Kings Moun
tain Building & Loan association
met in annual session Tuesday,
re-elected all directors, and heard
reports from officers showing as
sociation assets had topped $2
million dollars for the first time.
The stockholders authorized
change of the corporate name of
the association to “Kings Moun
tain Savings & Loan Association,
Inc.” in line with an industry
trend, which supporters say bet
ter describe the association's
functions.
Immediately following the
stockholder meeting, the direc
tors re-elected all officers, who
are: W. K. Mauney, president; J.
C. Keller and W. M. Gantt, vice
president; Ben H. Bridges, Jr., sec
retary - treasurer; Mrs. Ruby H.
Baker, assistant secretary-treas
urer; Mrs. Louise H. Martin, clerk;
J. R. Davis, Jack H, White and
George B, Thomasson, attorneys
Directors are: Dr. L. P. Baker,
Ben H. Bridges, Jr., J. R. Davis,
W. M. Gantt, Clyde Jolly, J. C.
Keller, R. L. Lewis, of Bessemer
City, J. E. Mauney, R. L. Mauney,
W. K. Mauney, Dr. J. C. McGill,
and C. G. White, of Landis.
Ben H. Bridges, in his report,
called attention to the forthcom
ing open house on February 19,
at which the association will
celebrate the fiftieth anniversary
of its organization in 1907.
Mr. Bridges also called atten
tion :to a published financial
statement comparison and re
vealed percentage gains in spe
cial categories during the past
three years.
During the past three years, he
reported, the association has
seen:
1) An increase in assets of 124
percent.
2) An increase in savings (dol
lars) of 132 percent.
3) Total loans during the three
years to 820 persons and firms
amounting to $1,879,861.54.
4) An increase in reserves of
51 percent (invested in Federal
Home Loan Bank stock and in
United States government securi
ties, the former up 106 percent,
the latter iby 85 percent).
During 1956 the association
made 249 loans, including 50 for
the building of new homes, 40
for the purchase of homes, and
159 for remodeling and other pur
poses. These loans totaled over
$722,000. t
At the end of 1956, the associa
tion loan portfolio showed 811
loans for a total of $1,766,000. The
average balance was $2,177.78.
Also at the end of 1956, the as
sociation listed 1,003 savings ac
counts (759 optional savings, 244
full - paid stock) totaling $1,870,
552. The average savings account
balance was $1,864.96.
During 1956, the association
enjoyed an assets gain of 27.97
percent to $2,151,050; savings
jumped 19.08 percent and divi
dends paid to savings account
holders totaled $47,221.60.
Childers Youth
Has Operation
Wynn Childers, two • year . old
son of Mr. and Mrs. Sherman
Childers, is in Charlotte Memori
al Hospital in ‘‘very critical con
dition” following an operation
Tuesday night fur a ibrain con
cussion.
The concussion occurred, the
grandfather, E. B. Cooke, said
Wednesday, when the child fell
from a highchair, striking h i s
head on the edge of a small table.
A local physician was consult
ed and the child rushed to the
Charlotte hospital, where an op
eration was performed immedi
ately.
The child’s father is stationed
in Germany with the U. S. Army.
The injured child and his moth
er, the former Miss Peggy Cooke,
reside with her parents at 309
Walker street.
BACK AT WOBK
Bruce Thorburn, Lithium
Corporation public relations di
rector, is back aj his desk after
being a patient in Kings
Mountain hospital.
SCOUT SPEAKER — M. G. Bos
well, deputy regional Scout
executive of Region Six, Boy
Scouts of America, will be the
guest speaker for the annual
Scout Banquet to be held at the
Woman's Club tonight at 6:45
O'clock. Some 150 Scouts, Scout
leaders and guests are expected
to attend.
Boswell Speaker
For Scout Event
M. G. Boswell, deputy regional
executive of Region Six, Boy
Scouts of America, will be the
guest speaker at the Kings Moun.
tain Kiwanis Club’s annual Scout
banquet at the Woman’s Club
Thursday night at 6:45 o’clock.
Jay H. Patterson, co-chairman
of the 1957 Boy Scout fund drive
here, says that approximately
150 persons are expected to at
tend the Kiwanis banquet. Mr.
Patterson is accepting reserva
tions.
Following the meeting, the reg.
ular District Court of Honor will
be held at the Woman’s Club. Cub
Scout leaders are asked to meet
in the Club lounge at 8 p. m.
Friday morning, the 1957 fund
drive will be officially opened
with a “kick-off" breakfast at
,Central Methodist church at eight
o’clock. Following the breakfast,
canvassers, under the supervision
of Mr. Patterson and Co-Chair
man Sam Stallings, will begin
work. Kings Mountain’s 1957
Scout fund quota is $2,000.
Mr. Boswell has a rich and suc
cessful background in Scouting,
both as a professional and as a
volunteer.
He was born in Greene County.
Georgia. His early education was
at Richmond Academy in Augus
ta. He is a graduate of Davidson
College. He holds the highest
rank in Scouting, that of Eagle
Scout.
In June 1922 he became Assis.
tant Executive of the Atlanta A
rea Council, where he served un
til November 1923 when he be
came the Scout Executive of a
large area known as the Blue
Ridge Council, with headquarters
at Greenville, South Carolina.
After thirteen years of outstand
ing leadership in the Greenville
Area, he became Scout Executive
of the great North Florida Coun.
cil with headquarters at Jack
sonville. Mr. Boswell became a
member of the Region Six staff
January 15, 1948.
He has been active in civic and
religious affairs, being a member
(Continued on Page Eight)
'Kings Mountain
B. & L To Hold
Open House Event
Kings Mountain Building &
Loan association will hold open
house Tuesday afternoon, cele
brating the Golden Anniversary
of the association’s organization,
which occurred January 31, 1907.
The public is toeing invited to
attend the open house, which will
be held from 1 to 7 o’clock at the
association offices.
Utlicers, directors and their
wives will be hosts at the event.
The committee in charge of
arrangements includes Mrs. W.
M. Gantt, Mrs. R. L. Lewis, of
Bessemer City, Mrs. J. E. Mauney
and Mrs. Ben H. Bridges, Jr.
Refreshments will toe served
and favors will toe given all who
attend.
In addition, the association
wil] conduct a prize drawing, in
which it will give to lucky num
ber holders a total o{ $300 in op
tional savings accounts. First
prize will be $100, second prize
$50, third and fourth, $25. Ten
prizes of $10 each will toe given.
“We invite every citizen of the
Kings Mountain area to attend
our open house, celebrating our
fiftieth year doing business in
Kings Mountain with Kings
Mountain citizens,’’ Secretary
Ben H. Bridges, Jr., said.
Lobbyists May
Torpedo Tax Bill
By MARTIN HARMON
“It’ll be full of holes,” State
Auditor Henry L. Bridges said
Tuesday night in Shelby a,s he
replied to a question on how the
proposed North Carolina revenue
bill will look when .the lobbyists
finish their work.
Mr. Bridges had just completed
an address to a joint session of
Kings Mountain and Shelby Lions
at Hotel Charles, in which he
discussed North Carolina’s rev
enue picture, predicted a $60 mil
lion surplus for the biennium
ending in June and declared,
“In North Carolina you get more
for your tax dollar than in any
plied to a question on the pro
| other state,.”
Mr. Bridges had previously re
posed “right-to-work” tax by say
j mg, “I’ve heard a good bit of
| complaint on that myself.”
He confined majority of h i s
formal address to a summation
j of state revenfte, its sources and
its uses.
He pointed out that 71.5 cents
I of each general fund dollar goes
' for education, including 62 cents
! for public schools, the remainder
for state - supported educational
institutions like Western Caro
lina, University of North Caro
lina, etc. Another 8.5 cents goes
out as grants - in -aid to orphan
ages, for state employee retire
ment funds and similar purposes,
a similar amount to operate men
tal institutions and sanitaria,
and 6.92 cents for executive and
administrative expenses. Debt
service takes 269 cents of each
! general fund dollar,
i Mr. Bridges said the budget
j commission recommendations for
I the 1957-59 biennium, plus fed
<Continued on Page Eight)
County's "Young Fannei Of Year"
To Be Tapped Here Tuesday Night
Kings Mountain and Shelby
Junior Chamber of Commerce
will collaborate Tuesday night in
making the first annual “Cleve
land County Young Farmer of the
Year" award.
The award will be made at a
joint meeting here at the Wom
an’s club, wjith Bessemer City
Jaycees also to be guests. Other
special guest.s will include Bon
Cox, onetime University of North
Carolina football star, now state
Jaycee president, a delegation
from the agricultural department
of N. C. State college, H. B. Clapp,
'ounty agent, and area high
ichool seniors interested in study
ing agriculture or agriculture en
gineering.
Also to be present will be farm
equipment representatives who
will summarize new develop
ments in farm machinery.
Program details were announc
ed by Charles Dixon, Kings
Mountain, and Jim Phillips, Shel
by, co-chairmen of the “Young
Parmer of the Year ’ project, and
by Bill Eldon, program chairman
for the Kings Mountain club.
Designation of the “Young Far
mer of the Year’’ follows the same
format of the Jaycee "Young Man
of the Year” award. Identity of
the committee is not revealed.
Basis for the award is progress
made in farming during the past
five years.
Mr,. Dixon said this year’s com
mittee has also honored three
other young farmers, naming
them runners-up to the winner,
who will be presented a plaque
Tuesday night.
The meeting will begin at 7
Board Places
Solicitor Pay
At $100 Month
The City Board of Commission
ers voted Thursday to petition the
State Legislature for permissive
legislation to set the maximum
salary of the mayor of Kings
Mountain at $6,000 a year.
The salary range, as proposed,
would be from $600 to $6,000 a
year, with the actual salary be
ing determined by the board. The
current range is $600 to $3,600 a
year.
Action on this item of business
came after Hilton Ruth, local
merchant, made a talk commend
ing the mayor and commission
ers for the way they had conduct
ed the city’s business during the
past administration. Mr. Ruth
said he represented a group of
local businessmen who feel the
city needed a full-time mayor,
and added they think the salary
should be raised to $6,000.
Commissioner Jay Patterson
made the motion that the legis
lature be petitioned to allow the
salary change. The motion was
seconded by Commissioner Sam
Collins and the vote was unani
mous.
In another important item of
business, the board voted to set
a $100 a month salary for Solici
tor George Thomasson, with the
money to ibe 'paid from the City
Recorder’s Court fund.
The solicitorship has been on
a fee basis of $3.K) per case. Un
der the new set-up, the $3.50 fee
will still be added to the costs
of court, but all the money receiv
ed from costs will go into the
court fund.
The action was recommended
by Mayor Glee A. Bridges. The
motion was made by Commis
sioner Paul Ledford, and second
ed by Commissioner Jay Patter
son. The vote was again unani
mous. |
In other actions, the board:
1) Heard a request from G. F.
Hambright & Son, local painting
contractor firm, that the city a
dopt a privilege license for
painters. The Hambright firm
recommended a fee of $5 per
man. Mayor Bridges appointed a
committee including Commis
sioners Collins, Ledford, and Pat
terson to investigate and return
a recommendation.
2) Approved petitions for a
sidewalk from East King street
to East School on Cleveland ave
nue and for paving on Jackson
street, from Cleveland avenue to
Rhodes street, and for paving on
Hillside Drive, from Marion street
to Hawthorne road. Mayor Brid
ges reported that he had signed
the sidewalk petition for Cleve
land avenue, as he had 'been au
thorized by the board. The may
or’s signature wa.s for city prop
erty along Cleveland avenue.
3) Voted to transfer $4,000 from
the general fund to capital out
lay to cover costs of building
Margrace water line, for installa
tion of a signal light on North
Piedmont avenue, and for other
projects already completed.
4) Tabled a request from the
League of Municipalities asking
for donations to be used for lob
bying during the present State
Legislature session. The League
said in its letter it was interest
ed in passing several bills which
were scheduled to appear before
the law - making body.
5) Heard a report from Mayor
Bridges that he will be in Chapel
Hill on February 22, and that he
plans to obtain all information
available on the proposed fluori
dation of the city water supply.
6) Charged off $15.50 in t a x
assessments against Milton Hope
for a portion of a lot the city
took to construct a street. Tabled
a request from Mr. Hope that his
entire tax assessment on proper
ty on Gaston street becharged off
on Mr. Hope’s contention of in.
creased water damages to his
property. He contends that the
construction of the street by the
city caused the increased water
damage.
7) Gave City Clerk Gene Mit
chem permission to transfer $60
from the miscelleanous fund to
the police department. This mon
ey was to cover payment for four
A.W.G.L. servicemen returned by
the local officers. The city was
acting as custodian of the fee of
$15 for each man returned.
(Continued, on Page Eight/
City Auto Tag
Deadline Friday
City auto tag sales increased
considerably during the past
week, as dearline for purchase
of the tags approached.
Final day for buying the tags
without penalty is Friday.
City Clerk Gene Mitcham re
ported sale of 1,039 tags
through Tuesday.