North Carolina Newspapers

ft VOL 68 No. 18 Established 1889 Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper Kings, Mountain, N. C., Thursday, May 2, 1957 Sixty-Eighth Year PRICE FIVE CENTS Population Greater Kings Mountain 10,320 City Limits. 7,208 n, flfui, lot Greater Ungr Mountain U derived from ms Xlngo Mountain dtr directory cenruo. The «ty limit, figure U from tho United Stator eennus of 1S50. Of] Pages ZU Today No Candidates Added, As Filing Deadline Passes Industry Prospect Here Wednesday Local News Bulletins OFFICE CLOSED Office of Dr. L. T. Anderson, chiropractor, will Ibe closed Thursday, Friday, and Satur day while Dr. Anderson is at tending the State Chiropractic association in session at George Vanderbilt Hotel, Ashe ville. CLUB NIGHT (Regular monthly clu'b night will be held Saturday night at the King's Mountain Country Club, it was announced toy Bruce Thoitourn, president. A buffet dinner will be served at 8 o’clock. SPONSOR SALE The Ladies Auxiliary of Car son Memorial church will con duct a hotdog and hamburger sale (Friday (from 4 o’clock until 8 p. m- Proceeds will go to the recreation building fund. PLAY Patterson Grove school will present the play, ‘IHeribie Mak es the Team”, on Tuesday evening, (May 8, at 8 o’clock p. m. in the school auditorium. A small admission will ibe charged. RETURNS FROM DUTY Capt. Grady Howard, Marine Corps reserve, has returned from a two - week tour of ac tive duty at Parris Island, SC. METER RECEIPTS IMeter receipts neared the $200 - mark for the week end ing Wednesday at noon. City (Clerk Gene Mitcham said the week’s take totaled $101.67, in cluding $161.16 from on-street meters, another $30.51 from Cherokee parking lot meters. » I Gas War Makes Motorists Happy Kings (Mountain motorists are toenelfitting from the city’s most raucous gas war since the end of gas rationing late in World War II. As on that day in 1946, motor ists are again driving up to the pumps and saying “fill ’er up”. Major tprice for the regular gas olines is 22.9 cents per gallon. MdCoy's independent outlet had a 219 sign posted, and Glass Grocery was pumping aiway for a straight 20 cents, or five gal lons for a dollar. Some other sta tions in the Glass area had met the competition Wednesday mor ning. One Kings Mountain dealer said Wednesday afternoon there have been no indications the war is to Ibe ended, added it will end when the big companies like Esso, Shell, Texas and others no tify local dealers they’ll sell no more gas at the “cheap” price. At the 22.9 figure, there’s not much per gallon left for the com panies. As this dealer explained it, he still gets a gross profit of 4.5 cents per gallon, the distribu tor gets three - quarters of a cent, state and federal taxes cost 1095 cents. That totals to 155 cents, leaving the company 7.4 cents per gallon. “If they can sell it for this price during a war, they must be really getting well at the regu lar price,” one retailer remarked. Who starts a gas war? Many people start them. Some times it s a distributor trying to establish himself in a new area, sometimes it’s a retailer using gasoline for a leader. Sometimes it’s one off the big companies. At least, this is the word off several Kings Mountain retailers and dis tributors. It's right confusing, particular ly to contract users. The City of Rings Mountain, for instance, could save four cents a gallon toy buying at retail since the re cent war hit. Customarily, the city buys at the state contrac. figure. Survey Planned On Availability Oi Seamstresses IHoiw many experienced setwing machine operators are availalble for work or will make themselves available for work? This is a question the Kings Mountain Chamlber of Commerce will seek to determine next week by conducting a labor census. The answer to the question is needed to help Kings Mountain attract a netw industry, a North Carolina sewing and cutting op eration which anticipates near future expansion, probably in Kinigs Mountain. Announcement of the lalbor sur vey plans was made Wednesday toy Dan Weiss, vice - president of the Chamber of Commerce, fol lowing consultations here Wed nesday morning with officials of the industrial prospect. Conferring with the industrial visitors were memlbers of the Chamlber delegation which origi nally launched the industry-in viting project. They are W. K. Mauney, iFred W.j’lonk and F. R. McCurdy, in addition to Mt. Weiss. Mr. Weiss said the visiting of ficials were shown several possi ble sites for an 18,000 square foot building and that the visi tors seemed pleased with what they saw. The coming here of the new industry would hinge on ability of Kings Mountain to furnish the new, air . conditioned building under a lease - purchase agree ment. Mr. Weiss said further details on the survey to determine avail ability of experienced sewing machine operators would toe an nounced next week, both in the 'Herald and via Radio Station WKMT. The industry has indi cated it would need from 80 to 100 experienced seamstresses. WaiUck Named To Bethware Post Thurman Warliek, ILawndale native and currently a teacher at Shelby Junior high schooll, will succeed John Riudisill as principal of 'Bethiware school for the 1957 38 term, according to announce’ ment by J. IH.. Grigg, county schools superintendent. Mr. Rudisill recently resigned, following nine years as Bethware principal. Mr. Warliek is a Cleveland county native, son of Mr. and Mrs. Boyd T. Warliek, Lawndale. He is a graduate of Lenoir Rhyne college and attained the degree of Master of Arts in Ed ucation at (Peabody college, Nashville, Tenn. > Second Trial Foi Cecil Cooke Next Wednesday George Cecil Cooke, Kings (Mountain native, will go on trial for his life for a second time next Wednesday morninig in Cleve land County Superior Court. Cooke, sentenced to die after being found guilty last Novem ber of murdering Cleveland county storekeeper Daniel Z. Hol loman, was granted a neiw trial toy the North Carolina Supreme Court. Appeal was granted toy the State Supreme Court when Cooke's court . appointed defense attorneys C. C. Horn and A. A. Powell requested a retrial on grounds that Judge Hugh Camp bell! failed to clearly charge the jury. The case was originally sched uled for Wednesday, May 1, tout substitute Judge J. B. Craven, taking the place of ailing Judge J. C. 'Rudisill, moved the date for ward Tuesday morning, after a conference with members of the county bar association. Craven ruled in the bar meet ing that next Monday’s session of the civil term will be held on schedule. Court will adjourn Tuesday for the Sheltoy city elec tion and Cooke will again face the State prosecutor Jim Farthing at 9:30 a. m. Wednesday. Cooke, son of Kings Mountain resident, Mrs. Ruth iPinkard, grew up here and attended city ■schools. Lithium Has No Watex Problem ’Lithium Corporation of Ameri ca’s Bessemer City plant has no water problem, Bruce Thortourn, public relations director .said this week. Mr. Thoiiburn was commenting on statements made concerning Lithium Corporation in connec tion with a condemnation bill which the State Stream Sanita tion committee endorsed before the General Assemlbly and which was tagged as “introduced toy re quest’’ by Rep. B. T.. Falls, Jr., a co-introducer. “Lithium Corporation’s interest in any condemnation toill had ended well 'before the State Streaim Sanitation committee’s bill was introduced,” Mr. Thor bum told the Herald. IRap. Falls, in commenting on the bill, had said it was introduc ed at the behest of Lithium Cor poration, .which sought a 40-acre tract for which the owner asked $40,000. . Mr. Thorbum described Lithi um's original interest in the tract as strictly “futuristic.” LIONS TO POLKVILLE * Members of the Kings Moun tain Lions cluib will go to Polk ville Tuesday night for a zone meeting at (Brackett’s Cedar (Park. A stag affair, the meet ing will attract Lions from Grover, Kings Mountain, Boil ing Springs, Shelby and other groups in Zones 1 and 2. Din ner will toe served at 7 p.m. Veteran Grocer Frank B. Glass Retiring After 53 Years In Trade IFran'k B. Glass, longtime Kings Mountain citizen and grocer, has announced his retirement krom the trade he has 4*Med f o r 53 years. iMr. Glass recently incorporat ed his Grover Road grocery as Glass Grocery, Inc., and turned the reins over to his two sons, Hardld Glass, secretary, and Don ald Glass, treasurer. Mrs. Glass is president, and Mr. Glass says he’s quit. "IFeels real funny though, sleeping until .seven or eight o’ clock in the morning,” he laughs. Mr. Glass came to Kings Moun tain in 1920 to manage the Phe nix (Mill Store for the late E. A. Gmith, He remained at the saime stand through other ownerships, and his awn, until he opened his Graver Road grocery ten years ago. A native Of Burke county (near Hickory), the retired grocer first went to work in a grocery store for D. 'M. Cloninger at Whitnel, near 'Lenoir. He subsequently spent 14 years at BroOkiford Mill store, then put in a three - year stint in the army during World WaT I. Overseas for a year with -he 150th Engineers, he saw ac -ion in 12 engagements. Mr. Glass is a lifelong Republi can. He says he is a born, (bred and prac; icing member of the GUP political faith. He has voted since 18 (when a poll tax receipt was prerequisite to voting and the registration toooks didn’t count munch), and says he's nev er missed casting a ballot in a general election. Only once has he failed to go to the polls him self, that time when he cast an albsentee ballot from Europe. "1 guess that one got counted,” he remarked. Mr,. Glass’ first salary was $18 per month. It was a pretty tight squeeze, he recalls, but remem bers a good pair of shoes could be bought for $1J25. The retired grocer says he’s enjoyed his long service in the food distribution trade. “Operating a grocery store is a good education. You meet all types of people, and I like peo ple,” he remarked. "The people here have been good to me and I have enjoyed serving them.” Mr. Glass doesn’t belong to a church but, as he puts it, “leans Baptist”. Mrs. Glass is the former Etta M. McIntyre, of Kings Mountain They were married 32 years ago KiwaniansEndorse Fluoridation Plan COMMENDED — Neil O. John- ! son, manager of Foote Mineral Company's Kings Mountain op- 1 eration, was commended by com pany officials at the annual stockholder's meeting for his per formance as manager here. Foote Manager Is Commended PHIUAiDHL'PHIA — Speaking at the annual shareholders meeting in IPhiladdlphia last Thursday, L. G. Bliss, ipresident o(f IFoote Min eral company commended Neil O. Johnson, manager off Foote's Kings Mountain operation, for the local plant’s fine record dur ing 1957. « “iDuring the year Kings Moun tain established notable produc tion records and we enjoyed the lowest production costs of any year since the Kings Mountain operation iwas started,” Bliss said. ‘11 think this is a real tnibute to Neil Johnson and his fine organi zation." “In our Business, we Believe that people are much more im portant tnan statistics, if is grati fying to see the growth of many of our management people. I be lieve that the company has never been stronger with rejpect to the number and capabilities of our younger management group. With respect to our human re sources hve are certainly fortu nate because to these men will fall the important duties of man agement in the future.” Alan Newcombe laycee Speaker ‘Alan Nawcomlbe, W3TV Char lotte announcer and entertainer, will he the featured speaker at the annual ladies’ ni'ght banquet olf the Junior Chamber of Com merce on Tuesday night. The banquet will be held at the Woman s Okilo, beginning at 7 o’clock. Grady Howard, chairman of the committee on arrangements, said Wednesday plans lor the event are now complete. New officers for the coming year will be in stalled, and otner special events are planned. Dr,. W. L. Pre&sly will give the invocation, D. D. Saunders wall weiicome the ladies, and Mrs. Wil liam Jonas will respond. Jack anarpe, of High Poiru, will install the officers and direc.ors. Special guests will be presented by J. T. MdGinnis, retiring president, and George B. Thomasson will he master Of ceremonies. Other members of the commit-1 tee on arrangements are Harold Cloniniger, Louis 'Saibettie, and Dick (McGinnis. Dinner will be served by Mrs. j I. B. Goforth. Mr. Nerwcomlbe spoke here sev eral years ago for the annual ladies’ night ‘banquet of the Ki wanis cluib. At that time, he was associated with a Greenville, S.C., radio station. SPEAKER (Rev. Horace McSwain, execu tive secretary ot£ the (board Of ! missions and church extension of the Western North Carolina Conference of the (Methodist church, will speak at 11 o’clock morning services Sunday at ; Central Methodist church. Club Supports Director Vote To Fluoridate The Kilwanis Olulb voted unani mously Hast Thursday night to endorse a iprior decision olf the cluib’s board of directors to recom mend fluoridation of the city’s water supply--the decision to toe made toy referendum on May 14, The club acted on iHarry (Page’s motion after hearing talks sup porting (fluoridation toy ttwo mor ganton dentists, Dr. (Ralph ID. (Cof fey and (Dr. C. C. Diercks. Dr. Diercks noted in ihis remarks he is a native of Iowa and lived in a community which had natural fluorine in its water supply of one part per million gallons. (He said he needed a filling at the moment, Itfut hadn’t had one in 14 years IDr. Diercks noted that critics of fluoridation contend the removal of sugar (from the diet would eliminate tooth trouble, “true” Dr. Diercks acknowledged, “ tout it’s impractical to eliminate swe ets.” Dr. (Qieroks said (fluoridating equipment and supplies (would cost the city albout 10 cents per person per year. Opponents, he noted, lalbel tihe fluoridating salt sodium fluoride as “rat poison”. Also true,he con tinued, but retoutted toy Contend ing that medicines are dangerous ilf used Indiscriminately. Me .said the machinery for flu oridating is foolproof. If defective no flourine is added, A person will get none, rather than too much, he said. He claimed a 50 to 60 percent cut in tooth decay in children will result from fluoridating the water supply, and contended that good "(baby” teeth produce good j adult teeth. The anti . fluoridationists, he said, are faddists who have fought chlorinating water (which this city does) and pasteuriza tion olf (milk. During an open forum discus sion several Kings Mountain dentists and Dr. Paul Nolan com mented on several of the ques tions asked, most of them con cerning the changes in (bone structure caused 'by over, . doses of (fluorine. Their statements^ Dr. O. IP,. Lewis: "No bad ef (Continued on Page Eight) Falls Defends latest Bill By MARTIN HARMON Rep. B. T. Falls, Jr., defended his recently - introduced hill to allow cities to build water and sewer 'lines up to 10 miles out side their corporate limits as a •‘hedge" against possible defeat of the Jorthcominlg county ibond issue to supply water and sewer facilities for the proposed Pitts burgh Plate Glass plant near Sheltby. Mr. Falls added he would in troduce this week a bill to allow municipalities to install natural gas lines and to sell gas outside their corporate boundaries. The Herald queried Mr. Falls on his Ibill because it appeared municipal authority for building the lines would make the (Pitts burgh Plate Glass issue a one time operation, in spite of the fact the county commission as sured a Number 4 Township dele gation it would help Kings Moun tain .should the need arise. # iRep. Falls said he did not in clude the gas utility authority in to the other bill because he an ticipated heavy abjection from private gas utilities such as Pub lic Service Company, Piedmont Natural Gas and other private firms distributing gas. ‘Why did you not introduce the water - se(wer bill as a locall bill effecting the City of Shelby a lone?” Rep. Falls was asked. He replied that a local bill would be of dubious legality, might be found unconstitutional if contested before the Supreme Court. ‘That might happen to the oth er bill, too,” he said, referring to the recently enacted legislation empowering counties of the state to issue bonds for water and sew er line construction. Registration For City Vote 162 Saturday Saturday will be the final day to register for the May 14 city election. Registrars (will be at the five ward polling places all day to put names af voters on the books. Final day registration is cus tomary most 'brisk, as candidates see that their friends are regis tered. Last Saturday was a rather brisk day at the polling places as 162 neiw voters were added to the election pollbooks. The total was well ahead of the 'firs; Sat urday total of 78. 'Major activity last Saturday was at the Ward 5 box at Victory Chevrolet Company, where Mrs. J. T. McGinnis, Jr., registrar, re ported addition of 67 voters, in cluding 48 Negro citizens. In all, 78 nelw Negro voters have regis tered at Ward 5 on the two Sat urdays. In (Ward 2, where Mrs. H. R. Parton is registrar, approximate ly 20 Negro citizens have teen among the 48 new voters regis tering the past two Saturdays. (Here are last week’s other to tals: Ward 1 at City Hall, 12; Ward 3, at Frank Ballard's Gro cery, 18 and 10 transfers (through 4 p. m.); Ward 4 at Kings Moun tain Manufacturing Company clubroom, 25 (through 4:30 p.m.). Saturday, May 11, will he Chal lenge Day. The registrars will be at the polling places to allow candidates or other citizens to protest the names of any voter iiit-y ibei are eiroiieuusly tv.g*Ster ;d. Three In Race For Legion Post (Members of Otts D. Green Post 155, American Legion, will elect jfficers for the coming year at rhursday night’s regular month y meeting, with a three . way .ontest in the making ror cum Tiander, the post’s highest posi tion. Already nominated for the top spot are Ray Cline and Dean Payne. This week triends of Carl iVeisener were booming him for ■ommander, said he would be lominated from the floor, prior to the voting. Mr. Cline was the nominating committee’s choice, while Mr. Payne was nominated from the floor at the April meeting. Other nominees at the April meeting were: For first vice-commander, Ross Alexander and Gene Gibson; lor second vice - commander, W. D. Morrison (retiring commander); tor adjutant, Millard Prince; for assistant adjutant, Bobby Seilers; for finance officer, James Ben nett; for historian, C. T. carpen ter, Jr.; sergeant-at-arms, Law rence Ramsey; assistant sergeant -at-arms, Bryant Wells; for cnap lain, John Gladden. Nominees tor the executive committee (five to be elected) in clude: Sam Collins, Dick McGin nis, Wilbur Smith, James Alex ander, F. R. McCurdy, Gene Wright and Hubert Aderhold’,. The meeting will be convened at the Legion building at 8 o' clock. FAMILY NIGHT Family night at Dixon Pres byterian church will (be held Saturday night at 7 ip.m., ac cording to announcement by the pastor, Rev. P. D. Patrick. YOUNG MAGICIAN — Charlotte high schooler John Wells Clif ford, also known as "Wells the Wizard" will demonstrate his magic here Monday night at a show sponsored by the Kings Mountain high student council. Young Magician To Appear Here John Wells Clifford, 17 - year old Charlotte high school student and magician, will ibring hi,s act to Kings Mountain Monday night, under sponsorship of the Kings Mountain high school student council. The young magician bills him self as 'Wells the Wizard" and has previously performed here for the ARP Men’s club. Monday night’s show at t h e high school auditorium will be gin at 8 o’clock. Top feature of Clifford’s show is his escaipe from a straight-jac ket, a replica of the late Houdi ni’s escape trlek. A semi-profes sional, Clifford began performing six years ago at the age of 11. :He has appeared in many neigh boring cities and is the youngest member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. Admission will be a half-dol lar for adults, 30 cents for stu dents. Proceeds will be used to finance Student council activi ties, according to Jim Pressly, who made the announcement. Falls Laboratory To Be Dedicated Ceremonies dedicating t h e Oliver Green iFalls Memorial Laboratory of Kings Mountain hospital will be held Saturday at the hospital at 3 p. m., it was announced by iGrady Howard, business manager. Present for the ceremonies will be Mrs. Katherine Falls Frazier, of Statesville, widow of Dr. O. G. Falls, who recently memorialized her late husband via a gift for the hospital laboratory. iRev. P. D. Patridk, pastor of First Presbyterian church, will give the invocation, and short ad dresses iwi'll be made by Dr. P. G. Padgett, chief of the hospital medical staff, and by J. Ldwery Austell, chairman of the county hospital board of trustees. The late Dr. Falls was a Kings Mountain physician and indus j trialist. He never formally prac ticed medicine here, having re turned to his native community to found the Cora Mill, now Craftspun Yarns, Inc. IHe was long prominent in the civic, re ligious, and educational life of the community,. Candidates. Laymen Agree Politics Unusually Quiet During 'SI Race What’s going on in city poli tics? This question is being asked regularly these days 'by candi dates and voters alike. And thus far there are fefw answers. Either that, or those who know the answers aren’t talking. Most candidates and observers aigree that outward city political activity is unusually quiet for a community that has known con sideralble political borrlbast dur ing the past decade. In fact, the statement is (frequently made that the current campaign isj quieter than any since 1945 — in I spite of the fact that at least two candidates seek the six elective | city hall positions. Will the several campaigns “get hot” or remain quiet? That’s a question all the candidates would like to have answered, too. Will many people vote, itf the temper of the campaign remains as it has .since filing season open ed in February? The total vote question is one which concerns the candidates particularly. Majority figure they will be helped by a large total vote, which, in every instance, is not always correct, and can't be. In the 1955 city balloting, 1817 persons cast ballots, While 1466 returned to the polls to decide the run-otff election between the late O. T. Hayes, Sr., and Paul Led ford. 'Record vote was cast in 1951, when 1887 persons went to the polls, 1850 returning two weeks later to determine the Still-'Allen mayoral run-off and the Davis Edens run-off. Should a run-off election be re quired (this year, as is possible in all contests where more than two candidates have filed, the run-off election would be held on May 28. Plonk, Padgett Are Unopposed For School Jobs Kings Mountain has 20 candi dates seeking eight elective city and school district positions. Deadline for filing for pulblic office was passed Monday after noon without any last ■ minute additions to the May 14 election ballots. Last candidate to formally file by posting his fee was J. Lee Rdberts, who had announced last week he woulld seek the mayor's office. Mr. Rdberts posted his fil ing fee Saturday. The school trustee positions are uncontested, with tiwo positions open and tiwo candidates. Fred vV. Plonk and Dr. P. G,. Padgett, ooth seeking second six - year terms, have no opposition and their election will be a May 14 formality. Contests exist for ail six City Hall elective posts. Three candidates seek to be mayor, including Mayor Glee A. Bridges, who seeks a third con secutive two - year term, GaiHand Still, a former mayor, and J. Lee Roberts, seeking the office for the first time. Tiwo candidates seek to toe Ward 1 Commissioner, Sa!m Col lins, asking a second term, and Ross Alexander, making his boiw in "the political arena here. Ward 2 finds a siweepstakes af fair, with ifive candidates .seek ing the commissionershiip J. H. Patterson is vacating. The candi dates are Boyce Gault, grocer, J. C. Olary, scrap dealer, A. Dawitte Cornwell, grocer and realtor, Bryant Wells, newspaper circula tion representative, and Tilman Pearson, textile employee. A rematch is set for Ward 3 commissioner. Incumbent T,. J. Ellison, seeking a fifth term on the hoard, is apposed toy Luther T. Bennett, who ran 'second to Mr. Ellison two years ago. Three candidates seek the Ward 4 commissioner jolb, includ ing Paul Ledford, the ineumlbent, Ben H. Bridges, and Charles W. Ford. Mr. Ford ran third in a four - man race for this position two years ago. In Ward 5, Ineumlbent W. G. Grantham seeks re-election to a third term. He is opposed toy R. Coleman Stroupe, who ran sec ond to Mr. Grantham in 1955, and by Rev. S. T. Cooke, first Negro candidate in Kings Mountain’s political history. Also to be determined by the citizens is endorsement or rejec tion of proposals to fluoridate the city’s water supply, a referendum halving been called on this ques tion. Filing deadline was earlier this year than in former years, the date having been advanced to 15 days prior to the election by ac tion of the General Assembly. Boaid To Meet Thuisday Night The city iboard of commission ers will convene for its regular May meeting Thursday niight at 8 o’clock at City Hail courtroom. Mayor Glee A. Bridges was not aivailalble Wednesday afternoon, but City Clerk Gene Mitcham said he understood the commis sion’s agenda will Ibe brief. The board will hoild a hearing on a petition ctf Virgil Self to re zone a 50-foot lot on Gillespie street. Mr. Self seeks rezoning from residential to neighborhood trading area designation. Mr. Mitcham said the city hoard may consider bids for the annual auditing of the city’s books, as had been previously ad vertised. On the other hand, he noted, the board may delay ac tion on the audit until after the city biennial election on May 14. New Lake Oil Limits To Fishermen •Davidson Lake, the new city water resevoir near Davidson Scout camp, is off limits to fishermen, Assistant City Clerk Joe MdDaniei pointed out Wed nesday. •He said amibitious fishermen have been reported casting lines into the new lake and that the lake can’t be opened for fishing until next year. The lake has been stocked With small fish from govern ment hatcheries and for free— but the city had to agree to pre vent fishing until the fish grew to sufficient size, Mr. McDan iel noted. ,