North Carolina Newspapers

> Population Greater Kings Mountain 10.320 City Limits 7,206 The figure for Greater Kings Mountain is derived from the 1956 Kings Mountain city directory census. The City Limits figure is from the United States census of 1950. VOL. 68 No. 30 __ Established 1889 Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, July 25, 1957 Sixty-Eighth Year _____ PRICE FIVE CENTS City Underspent 1956-57 Budget V ft; L Local News Bulletins KIWANXS PICNIC Kings Mountain Kiwanians and their Ifamilies will Ibe serv ed a picnic dinner Thursday evening?.at 7 o’clock Iby El Bethel Methodist church. The ■picnic will he held at Bethware school cafeteria. MOOSE MEETING Members of Kings Mountain Moose Lodge 1748 will hold their regular weekly meeting Thursday night at 8:15 at the lodge on Bessemer City road, according to an announce ment. BUILDING PERMITS Building Inspector J. W. Web ster issued t!wo building per mits Monday.. One permit was issued to Callie B. Cook to build a two room addition to a residence on Bennett drive, at an estimated cost of $1500. The other permit was issued to George Nolan to build a one story house on Katherine street, at an estimated cost of $6,700. UNION SERVICE Sunday night’s union service lor five city church congre gations will ibe held at St. Matthew’s Lutheran church with Harry Petersen, assistant pastor at First Presbyterian church, to deliver the 8 o’ clock sermon. REVIVAL Services are continuing through Saturday at Bethany tAJRP church, with the revival series being conducted by Rev. ^ L. M. Allison, pastor of Gas W tonia’s (First ARP church. Ser vices are held nightly at 8 o’ clock p. m. DISCHARGED Robert E. (Bobby) Martin, son of Mr. and Mrs. E. 1C. Martin, was released from the Air 'For ce last week after serving four years and entered the Univer sity of North Carolina at Chap el Hill on Monday. The Kings Mountain man had Ibeen sta tioned with Headquarters divi sion at Wright-Patterson AIFB, Dayton, Ohio lor the past 18 months. TO ENTER ARMY Charles IF. Mauney Will re port at Fort Jackson, S. C. Sun day, July 25, for induction in to the army. Mr. Mauney is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Carl (F. Mauney, of Kings Mountain. ORMAND REUNION The annual Old Furnace pic nic will Ibe held July 27 at the Bert Ormand farm, two miles west of Bessemer City on the Long Creeik road. All members olf tile Ormand clan and their friends are invited to be pre sent. ICE CREAM SUPPER ^ The Ladies Auxiliary of Car P son Memorial church at Crow der’s Mountain Will serve an ice cream supper Friday from 5 to7 p. m. Ice cream and cake will ibe served and numerous entertainment events will be staged. IN GERMANY Major James M. Mercer has arrived in Germany lor duty /with the army. Mrs. Mercer and their daughter Peggy is in Kings (Mountain with Mrs. Mercer’s /parents, Mr. and Mrs. IR. G. Plonk, until they join Major Mercer when housing is availaible in Germany. LEGION AUXILIARY iNew officers oif Otis D. Green Post 155, American Legion /Auxiliary, will (be installed at the regular meeting Thursday | night at 8 o’clock at the Leg- j ion iHall. Delegates to Tar Heel Girls State will present the program. Neislei Plant Work Progresses Paul M. Neisler thinks it possi ble his new textile mill in Shelby will get in operation by Novem 9 ber. Construction was slowed due to slow shipment of steel for the roof of the 44,000 square foot building, but workmen are now finishing the roof. The firm will manufacture fa brics. Audit Shows City's Income At $607,997 The City of Kings Mountain had revenue of almost $45,000 more than it expended in the year ending June 30, audit report by A. M. Pullen Company shows. The audit report, receipt bf which was announced by Mayor Glee A. Bridges, also shows that the city’s total assets at year-end were $2,092,167, an increase of $112,000 during the fiscal year. Against total assets of more than two million, the city show ed liabilities of $733,220, of which $700,000 is bonded indebtedness. Other liabilities included $24,. 306 in utility deposit fees. At July 1, the city was able to begin the new fiscal year with cash on deposit of $54,894.97. All accounts owed by the city had been paid. The city’s capital assets are listed at book or cost value total ing $1,936,798. The big items are water and sewer lines, valued at $617,000, and water and sewer plant equipment valued at $523,. 235. Another major item are streets and paving equipment, valued at $359,000. City parks are listed at $157,983. City auto motive equipment is listed at $55,193 — more than the profit making power plant and equip, ment which it carried at $53,586. nty uts General fund revenues zoomed during the year to $453,487, with numerous accounts returning more revenue than had been an. ticipated. Utilities sales totaled $307,000 — more than half the city’s total revenue — and were $15,000 more than anticipated. Better than anticipated tax col lections also aided the city cof fers. Other contributions to the $54,925 receipts-over-estimates bulge were intangibles taxes, Po well bill street monies, and equip, ment rentals. Even the city recreation fund showed a slight gain over esti mate with1 $5,114.19 income, up $220 over the budget guess. EXPENSES The city spent last year near ly $2,000 less than it anticipated it would, paying out $563,059. Majority of the several city de. partments showed budget sur pluses, and those running in the “red” were by small amounts. Administrative, street, sanita tion, and fire departments and recorder’s court cost less than had been expected. Slightly over, spent were the police department by $706, the water and sewer de partment by $552, the light and power; department by $1,553, and the cemetery department by $13.44. The audit shows all insurance coverage of the city and shows the following fidelity bonds for city employees: City Clerk Gene Mitcham, Assistant Clerk Joe Me. Daniel and Tax Collector J. W. Webster, $5,000 each; Miss Grace Carpenter, clerk, $1,000, and Miss Billie Sue Gibbons, recorder’s court clerk, $8,500. SecondPittsburghBondVote Will Be Called In September Dogs, Fishing, Paying Habits Board Problems The city board of commission ers discussed a menagerie of sub jects last Tuesday night in what the city clerk said was labled a “clean-up” meeting. Up for discussion was the prob lem of stray dogs, the problem of some city employees said de linquent in paying their accounts to the city and others, and city lake fishing. These particular questions wer en’t quite cleaned up. The commissioners finally ta bled the dog discussion by nam ing a committee of three to check into (1) th'e law governing dogsj and (2) feasibility of establish ing a city dog pound, where! strays could be fed and quartered for 30 days before quiet exter- j mination. On the committee are; Mayor Glee Bridges, Chief of Po. lice Hugh A. Logan, Jr., and At torney J. R. Davis. Comm. Luther T. Bennett ad vanced the city lake fishing prob. lem, complaining that the few boats available at the York Road lake are in poor repair and are hazardous. Result of the discus sion was a motion by Ross Alex ander to donate the boats to Mrs. Sinclair Bridges, the lake care, taker. In turn, Mayor Glee A. Bridges was instructed to exam ine the boats and to remove those likely to water-log and sink. It was noted that private boats, without motors, are usable. The city employee paying ha (Continued On Page Eight) Sewing Class Enrolls 32 Enrollment in adult sewing classes now totals 32, according to report of Mrs. John H. Gamble, teacher of the course being con ducted at Central high school. Qf the1 total, 15 are enrolled in the morning class 'being conduc. ted from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Seven, teen women are enrolled in the night classes taught on Tuesday and Thursday nights from 7 o’, clock to 9 p.m. Students in the adult begin ners’ class are being instructed in the sewing of dresses, skirts and blouses, shorts, children’s dresses, and numerous articles of clothing. The summer course is sponsor ed by the city schools. Mrs. Gam. ble is teacher of home economics at the Central plant. Eastside Baptists Will Occupy New Chuxch Building On Sunday East Side Baptist church on York road will hold open house Sunday as the church congrega tion formally enters its new edi fice. • The Sunday activities will be gin at 9:30 a. m. with memlbers to assemible in the Sunday School class rooms. The congre gation will march from the old building to the new edifice, stop ping for a prayer service at the front of the building, iRev. Carl Greene, pastor, said. Former pasfors otf the church will participate in the service of dedication. Women of the church will serve the noon meal after which visitors will be invited to inspect the Ibuilding. Special singing will ibe a feature of the afternoon activities beginning at 2:30. The evening service will be held at 7:30 p. m., according to the pastor, who added that the first baptismal service will toe held in the new church at the Sunday evening hour. Second Baptist church organiz ed the York (Road mission on Ju ly 15, 1951 after purchasing the lot for $1200 and erecting the building at a cost oi $500. The first service was attended toy 62 persons. The mission was organized as East Bide Baptist church on Oc tciber 7, 1951 with 44 members. Rev. R. L. Chaney was the chur ch’s fii»t pastor and five deac ons and 'Sunday School officers were appointed. The church made application to the Kings Mountain Associa tion. purchased the mission pro perty from Second Baptist church for the sum of J1000 and in 1952 purchased four addition al lots for future expansion. In October 1954 plans were made to moive the frame 'building. Lee and Edith MdClain donated the first ten cents on the building fund.. (Ground was (broken for the new building in December 1954. The church called iRev. Don Wil son as pastor in January 1955. Blocks to erect the basment were purchased and roof on the base ment installed. In June 1956 the church called! Rev,. Carl Green as the pastor.! Work on the (basement was be-1 gun, the basement was pain'ed, bricks and (blocks bought to fin ish the new structure, and in May 1957 the congregation voted to award the contract to C. T. Behnett Construction company. “The struggle to build the church has (been a long and hard one for the people of East Side”, Rev. Mr. Greene said. “One has only to stop and look and see the building to know how God has blessed them for their efforts”, he added. A layman’s revival will begin on Monday night at East Side church, with services to be held nightly at 7:30 p. m. ELECTED--Chief of Police Hugh A. Logon. Jr., hos been elected a member of the board of con trol of the Law Enforcement Off. icers of the Carolinas. The Kings Mountain police chief will serve a one-year term on the board. Huiistetler, Son Aie Sued Mrs. Lyman Champion has fil ed suit for $50,000 damages a gainst Palmer Huffstetler, his father Dan Huffstetler, and the administrator of the estate of Paul K. Furr, who died with Champion, and two others in a head-on auto crash August 4, 1955. The wreck, which cost four liv. es, occurred on what is now U. S. 29. The road was under construc tion at the time of the accident. The complaint alleges that Furr drove his auto into Champion’s while both cars were enveloped in a cloud of dust left in the wake of Palmer Huffstetler’s speeding vehicle. Huffstetler, a minor, was driving a 1955 Chevrolet pick-up truck. Also killed were Ronnie L. Blackwelder, of Stanly county, and Mrs. Mary Sansing Grigg, of route 1. Kings Mountain. There were no eye-witnesses to thte accident, highway patrolmen investigating the accident said. Attorneys for Mrs. Champion are Reuben Elam and the firm of Kennedy, Mahoney and Mull. Cline Property Auction Saturday 'Four properties of the Sarah Isenhower Cline estate will be sold at public auction on the var ious sites on Saturday, (Dr. J P. Mauney, administrator for the estate, has announced. (Auction oif a four room house at 303 Parker street will begin at 10 o’clock a; m.A four room house on Duke street will ibe sold at 10:30 a. m. and a four room house at 206 Morris street will 'be sold at 11 a. m. on the proper ty site. Auction olf a seven room house at 943 East Marion street, Shelby, will get underway at 2 o’clock p. m., Dr. 'Mauney said. The four tracts of land will be offered for sale at public auction to the highest bidder. George Thomasson is the attorney for the estate. Phenix Workers Begin Vacations Employees of the Phenix Mills will observe the entire week of July 29th through August 3rd as a vacation week, it was announ ced today by J. S. iRotan, super intendent. The plant will close down at the end of operations on July 26 and will resume operations on August 5th, he said. Mr. Rotain said that all eligi. ble employees are receiving vaca tion pay. In most cases, this means that employees with more than one but less than five years’ service will receive amounts e quivalent to approximately one week’s pay, while those with more than five years' service will receive approximately two week’s pay. At Phenix Plant, approximate ly 72 percent of eligible employ es have more than five years’ service and will receive the larg. er payment, Mr. Rotan said. I Second Election To Be Required By Legal Snag Cleveland County citizens, who voted 35 to 1 in favor of spending money to ifutnish water and se wer lines for an 800-employee fibre glass plant near Shelby, will be asked to re-affirm their decision. Technical errors in the county commission’s ibond resolution have, in effect, nullified the preponderant majority vote re corded on June 8. Currently, the county’s ibond attorney’s Mitchell and Persh ing of New York city, are draw ing a new ibond resolution to con form to the indicated require ments, and the affirmation elec tion is planned for early Sep tember. Mai Spangler, Sr., president of the Shelioy Chamber of Com merce and recently appointed a member of the county com mission, said the bond attorneys phrased the original resolution which the North Carolina Su preme Court did not rule valid or invalid. However, some oif the justices indicated privately that, had they ruled, they would have declared the election invalid on grounds the ibond issue resolu tion was too specific. (Bond votes must be general in purpose, the indication was. The Supreme Court dismissed a test case brought fey A. W. (Buck) Archer, of Shelby, to re strain the holding of the elect ion. When the Supreme Court ruled, the election had already been held and the votes certified. The Supreme Court said it had nothing to rule upon, since the e leetion was already fapt. There was nothing to restrain. (Mr. Spangler feels there will be no change in the plans of Pittsburgh Plate Glass Company to construct the planned Shelby plant. Pittsburgh’s engineers are con tinuing with estimates of cost and Mr. Spangler said he felt Pittsburgh’s directors will vote to build at their quarterly meet ing in September. Present plans call for con struction to begin early in 1958. The county’s citizens voted on June 8 to borrow $415,000 for the building of water and sewer lines to serve the Pittsburgh plant. The election was held un der authority of a law passed by the 1957 General Assembly as introduced by Rep. B. T. 'Falls, Jr., of Cleveland county. --- lias System $35,666 Profit The city natural gas system showed an operating profit for the year ending Jung 30 of $35, 666.91, prior to debt service re quirements, audit report of A. M. Pullen Company shows. During the 12 months, the gas system had sales of $99,232.90 and other revenues of $2,629 for a gross intake of $101,862. The system spent $66,195, in cluding $48,638 for the gas it purchases from Transcontinental Pipeline Company. Built with revenue bonds, the system last year paid $5,633.28 in bond interest. At year end, assets of the sys tem totaled $464,385. The year-end report showed a drop in customers from the past year by 50, with 392 customers being served with natural gas. Of the total, 317 were classed as res. idential users, 60 as small com mercial users, four large com. mercial or industrial users, and 11 schools and public buildingc; are listed as customers. "All covenants of the prospect us have been or are in the pro-1 cess of being complied with. We find no recommendation neces. sary as to any revision of the gas service charges or administration of the System,” the auditors com mented. SUNDAY PROGRAM Barnette Brother’s Spartan burg, S. C., group, will be a mong singers on the program Sunday afternoon at 2:30 p. m. at East Side Baptist church. All area singers are invited to par ticipate in the program, W. C. Waters, East Side church choir director said. OAK GROVE BUILDING PASTORIUM - Ground breaking ceremonies were held by Oak Grove Baptist church Sunday morning for a new seven room pastorium. Pictured, left to right, are J. S. Ware, assistant chairman of the building com mittee. Mrs. T. A. Champion, eldest member of the church present for the ceremony. Stokes Wrigh:, representing the church brotherhood, Mrs. F. C. Ware, representing the WMU. Horace Bell. Sunday school superintendent. Rev. James E. Holder, pastor, Giles Bell, associate director of the BTU and J. H. Dye, contractor (Photo by Ellis Studio) C. Of C. Plans Development Firm ■Ha m -- ------ financing For Industry v Is Discussed Kings Mountain Chamber of Commerce virtually is ready to talk financial turkey with a gar. ment manufacturer which has indicated interest in locating an 80-100 employee industry here. Meeting Tuesday night, the Chamber of Commerce board of directors discussed organization of a Kings Mountain Industrial Development Corporation which would furnish funds for equity financing in a new building. President Carl H. Swan named a five-man committee to proceed on the financing operation. The five are: W. K. Mauney, Fred W. Plonk, Dan Weiss, George Thom asson, and Martin Harmon. The directors discussed a stock sale arrangement at $10 per share, indicated 2,000 shares would be necessary to handle the garment manufacturer’s require ments. Mr. Swan said he had confer red with Fred W. Plonk, a mem. ber of the committee conferring with the garment manufacturer, and reported that an insurance company had made a verbal com mittment to handle a loan on a new 18,000 square feet air-condi tioned building. This manufactu rer has indicated interest in a lease-purchase arrangement. Dr. L. T. Anderson, secretary, reported he had received an in. quiry Tuesday from a New York garment manufacturer who is interested in utilizing the Loom Tex corporation building. Presi dent Swan expects to confer with the'manufacturer in New York Monday. METER RECEIPTS Parking meter receipts for the week ending Wednesday at noon totaled $173.03, with $147.35 gleaned from on-street meters and $27.68 from off street meters. Taxes Discountable Beginning August I City and county 1937 tax ac counts will (be payable in Au gust at the full two percent discount, tax officials remind ed this week, J. W. Webster, city tax coll ector, said tax notices will ibe mailed to all persons and firms during the first week in Au gust, in order that they may take advantage of the fully allowed discount. 'Ralph Tucker, of the county tax collector’s office, says work on the county tax accounts is now underway and that no tices will ibe mailed Iby August 10 to all 'persons and firms which discounted their tax bills for 1956. Lynch Says "I'm Running” Haywood E. 'Lynch, who indi cated last weefc he was almost “definitely” a candidate for the North Carolina House of Repre sentatives, said over the week end, ‘1 am running now.” LMr. Lynch said he had receiv ed much encouragement to offer for the Democratic nomination for the House, subject to next spring's primary. Another Kings Mountain citi zen considering offering for the legislative post, 'L. Arnold Kiser, had made no statements tlirough Wednesday. Mr. Kiser was out-of-town and could not ibe contacted. Another likely candidate Is Hugh Wells, the Shellby attorney, who like Lynch, is telling friends he is ndw “running.” ONE FIRE City 'Fireman N. M. Farr re ported Wednesday morning city firemen extinguished a iblaze Friday on First street which had ignited a hollow tree. Bethwaie, Compact Enrolled 1,010 As Summer Term Opened Monday Opening day enrollment figu. res at Bethware school totaled 534 and 476 Negro students regis tered at Compact to bring the area county registration up to the 1,0X0 mark. Thurman Lee Warlick, Beth, ware principal, reported a slight overall decrease but said that ligh school registration was up by a few students. A total of 44 first grade students- were admit ted. L. L. Adams, Compact princi pal, stated that enrollment is up in both departments of his school. Ninety-one registered for the high school, an increase of twelve over opening day figures last /ear. Three hundred eighty five elementary students were admit ted, making an increase of eight over last year’s opening day en rollment. Bethware’se teacher shortage was filled by Miss Meta Divine, of Bessemer City. Resident of 215 kV. Virginia Avenue, Miss Divine is a graduate of Furman Univer sity. Her subject is social studies. Mr. Warlick listed the high school faculty and subjects taught as Mrs. Evelyn Jackson, English: Mrs. William Powell, science and math; Mrs. N. F. McGill, home economics and typing; William Powell, physical education and science; Myers Hambright, agri. culture; and Miss Meta Divine, social studies. In Compact school, Mrs. I. V. Couser, and Mrs. S. P. Adams teach first grade; Mrs. L. W. Wellmon, second; Miss Lea trice McNair, second and third; Mrs. J. C. Surratt and Mrs.R. L. Belton, fourth; Miss Duella Johnson, fifth, Mrs. M. M. Gill, sixth; Mrs. S. P. Campbell, sixth and seven th: and Mrs. C. T. Wilson,seven th and eighth; and Mrs. M. H. Cabiness, eighth. Mrs. H. C. Wilson teaches Eng. liSh and French in the Compact high school department, while Miss M. R. Adair teafitfes home economics and science. [ C. T. Pass teaches physical ed ucation, social studies and coaches, while J. E. Sanders teaches sci ence and math at the Compact school. M. L. Campbell teaches agriculture. . ' Chuxch Breaks Ground Foi New Pastorium Oak Grove Baptist Church held a ground-breaking ceremony at the close of the morning wor ship service Sunday. The church ibroke ground on a new pastorium just across the road from their church 'building. Those who participated in the ceremony were: J. S. Ware, who acted as as sistant Chairman of the 'building committee in the aosence of the chairman, 'Richard 'Sipencer; Mrs. F. C. Ware, who represented the WMU; Stokes Wright who reipre sen ted the Brotherhood; Horace Bell, Sunday school superinten dent; Giles IBell, associate Dir ector of the Training union; Mrs. T. A. Champion, eldest member of the church present at the ser vice; Rev. James E. Holder, pas tor; and J. H. Dye, contractor for the new residence. The home will 'be a seven-room residence with a full-size 'base ment. There will 'be a total floor space of 1624 square feet, exclu sive of the basement. It will be brick veneer construction. It is scheduled to (be ready for occu pancy around the first of Oc tober. Grading was begun on Mon day of this week. Motorists Sad, Gas War Over The war is over! But very few Kings Mountain motorists seem happy. The war the motorists liked is the gas war which kept area citizens on the road at the rate of 16.9 cents per gallon in a few instances. The black hour for gas buyers was midnight Tuesday,. Shell and Esso told their Kings Mountain distributors to hike prices, and motorists found reg ular rates Wednesday morning. Gulf Oil company told its deal ers Monday to surrender and go iback to regular prices. Gulf dis tributors on Shelby iRoad had raised prices Tuesday. Glass Grocery, on Grover Road, reported a rate of 29.9 cents for regular and 32,5 cents for high test. The gas war is definitely off. De-Segregating Effect Not Known Local effect of the decision of three large-city boards of education to admit Negro stu dents to previously all - white schools was not known com pletely Wednesday. B. N. Barnes, superintendent of schools, was in Boone and could not be reached for com ment on action by Winston Salem. Charlotte and Greens boro boards of education to ad mit an aggregate of 12 Negro pupils to former white only schools. However, J. H. Grigg, county schools superintendent, said no requests were filed this year during the period allowed by state law to protest school as signments. The law allows ten days to request re-assignment, following notification, Supt. Grigg said. City school assignments for the year beginning September 3 have not been completed.