Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7,206
Ibe figure for Greater Kings Mountain Is derived from
the 1955 Kings Mountain city directory census. The City
Limits figure Is from the United States census of 1950.
VOL 68 No. 52
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Tuesday, December 24, 1957
Sixty-Eighth Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Kings
Pittsburgh Plate To Become
County Industrial Citizen
Local News
Bulletins
I_ _J
COLLEGE NIGHT
Sunday night’s service at First
Presbyterian church will be
College Student Night, Rev. P.
D. Patrick, the pastor, announ
ced, with the program to be
presented by church members
home from school for the holi
days. The service will begin at
7:30 and will feature special
music and short addresses by
the students.
OPEN HOUSE
Daughters of Wesley Class of
Central Methodist class is spon
soring open house Thursday
and Friday with calling hours
from 5 o’clock to 9 p. m. at the
home of Mrs. W. M. Gantt. A
silver ofering will be received,
with proceeds to benefit the
organ fund. The public is in
vited to view yule arrange
ments.
Listing Boohs
Open January 2
Annual city and county tax
listings won’t begin until Janu
ary 2, it was jointly announced
this week by J. W. Webster, city
tax supervisor, and by Conrad
Hughes, township tax lister.
Since majority of business es
tablishments will be closed on
the New Year’s day holiday, Mr.
Webster noted, the listing chore
won’t be started until the follow
ing day.
The law requires listing of pro
perties for taxes each January.
Police Report
Minor Accident
' Kings Mountain Police Depart
ment reported only one automo
bile accident during the past
week, a parking accident occur
ring on Battleground Avenue.
The accident occurred when
Fate Arrowood of Route 2, pulled
abreast of an automobile owned
by Frank Hodge of route 1, York
Road, Gastonia, attempted to
park and sideswiped the Hodge
vehicle.
Damage was estimated at $10
to each car.
William Roper, Jr. was the in
vestigating officer.
Today’s Herald
Final Of 1957
Today’s Herald is the last of
196-/. '
Published in advance to per
mit Christmas holidays for
Herald employees, '‘he edition
is the one which normally
would have appeared on De
cember 26.
The next publishing date will
be January 2, with the Herald
appearing on newsstands the
evening of New Year’s Day,
Today’s edition includes last
minute shopping suggestions
by some merchants, and nume
rous firms have purchased ad
vertising space to convey
Christmas greetings to their
friends and customers.
The Herald will close at noon
Tuesday and will re-open on
Monday, December 30.
Multi-Million
Fibre Glass
Plant Planned
Puttsburgh Plate Glass Com
pany’s board of directors voted
to build a multi-million dollar
fibre glass plant near Shelby.
The company subsequently
named John V. Schweppe as
manager of the Shelby plant.
Action by the Pittsburgh board
culminated a long series of e
vents whereby Shelby Chamber
of Commerce, aided by many
other county groups and indivi
duals, sought to bring Pittsburgh
to Cleveland County as_-an indus
trial citizen.
The plant is expected to em
ploy initially 800 persons, will
require several months to con
struct.
Ground breaking is scheduled
for January on the big site above
Shelby.
Implementing the efforts of the
Shelby Chamber of Commerce,
were citizens of the county, who
twice voted resounding approval
of the county’s furnishing water
and sewer line service to the pro
posed plant. The first vote was
nullified on a legal technicality.
Cleveland County’s economy is
expected to be boosted consider
ably, both by construction of the
plant and its subsequent opera
tion.
The Pittsburgh decision has
been hailed in all parts of Cleve
land County and in neighboring
counties. One visitor to Shelby
last Thursday, day the announce
ment of the Puttsburgh decision
was made, remarked, ’‘Old folk
were acting like Santa Claus had
already come.”
Masonic Officers
To Be Installed
New officers of Fairview Lod
ge 339 AR&AM will be installed
Monday night at 7:30 p. m. at
Masonic Hall.
Arnold W. Kincaid and Paul
W. Owens, past masters of the
Kings Mountain lodge, will con
duct the installation program.
To be installed are Fred Weav
er, master; Frank Ballard, senior
warden; I. C. Davis, junior war
den; T. D. Tindall, secretary; L.
A. Harmon, treasurer; Bruce
Thorburn, senior deacon; Ralph
Harrison, junior deacon; H. V.
Herndon, tyler; Paul Cole, chap
lain; Denver O. King, trustee;
and Ben Bridges, senior steward.
5>
(Paying Old Bills
This Mans Holiday
A least one Kings Mountain
citizen has proved himself an
honest man.
This citizen was in Keeter's
Department Store Saturday
morning, handed Byron Keeter
a shiny new ten dollar hill with
a white slip of paper attached.
The slip of paper was a state
ment in the amount of $7.90,
mailed to the citizen under the
date of March 31, 1932, and
covering a September 4, 1931,
account. The penmanship was
that of the late D. J. Keeter.
The citizen told Byron Keeter
he wanted to pay the account,
had had financial hard times
and regretted he hadn’t paid
it long ago.
The same citizen chanced
into M. L. Harmon on the
street, told him he wanted to
pay an account of $15 he*d owed
him, also of 1931 vintage. Mr.
Harmon, who has poor vision,
was embarrased he did not im
mediately recognize the man.
Both Mr. Keeter and Mr.
Harmon agree. They feel the
cash involved unimportant. Im
portant is that their faith in
human nature was justified.
They knew an honest man in
1931 and he still is. There was
no legal obligation to pay the
accounts, just a moral one.
Local Teen-Agers
Charged With Theft
Theft of food and drink from
the A & P and an M. A. Rhyne
truck resulted in charges against
three Kings Mountain teen-agers
and a Gastonia man.
Gaston rural police have jailed
Gene Layton, 19, of 404 Wilson
street, Virgil Hamrick, 18, of 21
Bennett Drive, and Bill Staggs,
17, of 413 York road, all of Kings
Mountain; and Pete Glaze, 22, of
Gastonia.
The officers said the four are
accused of stealing some pies and
cakes from the A & P and about
eight quarts of milk from the
truck.
The youths have (admitted also
to breaking into a Grover busi
ness firm last week and stealing
considerable merchandise. Sheriff
Haywood Allen went to Gas
tonia Saturday to talk to them.
John & Martin Receives Letter
From Brother He'd Thought Dead
John G. Martin, retired Kings
Mountain textile spinner, received
a letter last Friday from a broth
er “we’d long given up for dead”.
Mr. Martin received an air mail
dispatch from William “'Plato”
Martin, after noting a prior item
in Kays Gary’s Charlotte Observ
er column of December 14.
Mr. Gary wrote:
“William Martin, once known
as “Bill” and “Plato” Martin,
when he lived in Gastonia’s
Crowder’s Creek section 25 years
ago is in California suffering
from the sad lonesomes. Doing
well as a retired carpenter at 72, i
he’s hankering for some trace of
children he last saw in 1934....
The children were Mallie. Mamie,
Grady Lee an$l Bertha. Martin’s
address is Box 313, Newberry
Park, Calif.”
John G. Martin, the Kings ,
Mountain brother, was able to
write his brother that a daughter
lives at Glendale, S. C., near
Spartanburg, S. C.
According to the Kings Moun
tain man, Brother Bill was a good
carpenter and a bom rambler.
“When he was a little fellow he
used to say,” John Martin remi
nisces, “he would say, ‘Just wait
til I get bigger; I’ll not stay a
round here.”
He didn’t, though it required
several years.
He had started carpentering
luring the building of Camp
Sreene at Charlotte during World
War I. In the 1930’s, he had a
■tankering to go to Texas. His
■vife didn’t agree and he left any
vay. It was the last any of his
family saw or heard of him until
the Gary column item.
Mr. Martin says his brother’s
etter of last week reported he
lad become a civil service car
penter, had plied his trade all i
>ver this hemisphere—in Canada,
Alaska, South America and final
ly in California where he stayed
»nd retired.
John Martin reports a brother
»nd sister still living. The sister
s Mrs. Minnie Pruitt, of Kings
Mountain. The brother lives in St.
Louis, Mo. AH the four children
if Bill Martin are still living.
Brother John Martin regards
he news of and from his brother
is a rather special Christmas '
present.
Savings & Loan
Dividend Total
At New High Peak
Kings Mountain’s two savings
and loan asociations are prepar
ing to pay December 31 record
six-month dividend payments to
shareholders. The aggregate pay
ment will be $76,209.13.
.Pome Savings & Loan Associa
tion will pay to its shareholders
$41,603.01, including $22,150.91 to
owners of full-paid shares and
another $19,452.10 to holders oi
optional saving shares.
Kings Mountain Savings &
Loan asociation will pay an ag
gregate of $34,606.12 to its share
holders, including $16,689.62 on
full-paid shares, and $17,916.50
on optional shares.
Both associations are current
ly paying dividends semi-an
nually on basis of 3.5 percent per
annum.
December 31st payments are
$6,220.89 greater than were paid
last June 30. Home Savings &
Loan payments increased $3,841.
97 for the period, while Kings
Mountain Savings & Loan in
creased by $2,378.92.
Payments for the full year will
total:
Home Savings & Loan associ
ation, $79,364.05.
Kings Mountain Savings &
Loan association, $66,833.32.
Both A. H. Patterson, secretary
treasurer of Home Savings &
Loan, and Ben H. Bridges, secre
tary-treasurer of Kings Mountain
Savings & Loan, said that checks
would be mailed full-paid share
holders on December 30. Divi
dends on optional savings will
be credited accounts on Decem
ber 31.
Gilts To Needy
Families Heavy
Kings Mountain citizens and
groups wil probably set a new
record this year for Christmas
giving to the needy.
Virtually every church and
every church group, civic and fra
ternal organization have or will
promote projects for the com
munity’s indigent.
Robert H. Goforth, chairman of
the Jaycees Christmas activities
committee, reported the Jaycees,
via its buy-a-can-leave-a-can
project has delivered food and
toys to 35 needy families. On
Monday night, the Lions club
was to distribute food baskets to
the blind.
Sunday afternoon was a high
spot for 200 needy youngsters, as
Otis D. Green Post 155 and the
Kings Mountain Moose Lodge
collaborated in a Christmas par
ty for underprivileged youngs
ters at the Legion building.
Santa Claus reported that the
Legion cooks used 600 buns in
serving hot dogs and hamburgers
to the 200 children present. He
said he asked one youngster, who
appeared to be about three years
old, his age. The youngster re
plied, "Six.” "The kid was just
plain undernourished,” Santa
Claus remarked.
The Kiwanis Club is distribu
ting complete Christmas baskets,
food and toys to nine needy fam
ilies, President Harold Coggins
reported. W. T. Weir was chair
man of the Christmas activities
committee.
Bell Building
Repeater Station
Southern Bell Telephone and;
relegraph Company is being to
itilize its lot at ‘he corner of
Mountain street at Cansler, but
he small building being erected
s not ‘he company’s projected
lial system exchange.
The small building underway
s a repeater, or booster, station.;
Floyd Farris, Southern Bellj
manager, says he has no definite i
late on the building of a dial sys. ‘
:em exchange.
"You know,” of course, it’s in
:he mill,” Mr. Farris commented.
He said the company’s service ':
iepartment is now changing their
matrons’ telephone units to dial-1
ype in anticipation of the. fu-j
:ure building project and change-1
>ver.
Church Services To Climax
Annua! Yule Religious Rites
Candelight
Service Set
At Resurrection
Resurrection Lu'heran church
will hold its annual Christmas
Eve Candlelight mijsical service,
beginning at 11 p. m.
The church’s three choirs, sen
ior, junior, and child, will partici
pate in the rites. The church will
be entirely lighted by candles
and prior to the recessional, each
worshiper will receive a lighted
candle. The choirs will leave the
church and the worshipers will
pass through the candlelit walk
way.
The senior and junior choirs
are directed by Mrs. J. N. Mc
Clure, organist, and the child
choir is directed by Rev. R. Doug
las Fritz, the pas*or.
There will be no sermon. Dur
ing the reading of the Christmas
story, colored slides will depict
the Christmas story and the con
gregation will sing Christmas
hymns.
The children's choir will sing
"Hark The Angels Sweetly Sing
ing”, a French carol, and "The
Friendly Beasts”, arranged by
Dickenson.
The junior choir will sing
“When the Infant Jesus”, a Po
lish carol, and "Gesu Bambino”,
bv Yon.
The senior choir will -sing
"Carol of the Little King", by
Caldwell, “Sing We Noel", an
other French carol, and “The
Birthday of a King", by Neidlin
ger- ,
All choirs will join in singing
the antiphonal anthem “Sing
Gloria”, arranged by Davis.
Mrs. Ed Goter, soprano, will
sing a solo, “Lullaby on Christ
mas Eve”, by Christianses. Two
piano-organ duos, “Oh Holy
Night” and “Pastoral Symphony”.
The pianist will be Mrs. John
C.aveny.
Worshipers are being asked to
toe seated prior to 11 o’clock when
the processional begins.
Mayberry Rites
To Be Tuesday
-Funeral services for Mrs. Edith
Mayberry will be held at 3:30
Tuesday at Pine Ridge Baptist
church with Rev. George Willis
and Rev. Samuel Head officiating.
Burial will be in Mountain Rest
cemetery. The body will lie in
state at Sisk Funeral Home one
hour prior to the funeral.
Mrs. Mayberry, wife of Rev.
Jess W. Mayberry, died Sunday
morning at Kings Mountain hos
pital following a short illness.
O’;her survivors, in addition to
the husband, include her father,
Stacy A. Mullinax and stepmoth
er, Esther Mullinax; three daugh
ters, Mrs. Barbara Pursley, of
Kings Mountain, Mrs. Phyllis
Hambright, of Charlotte, and
Miss Jane Mayberry of the home;
six sons, James Mullinax, of the
U. S. Air Force, Sherwood May
berry, Michael Mayberry, Blanch
ard Mayberry, Marshal] Mayber
ry, and David Mayberry of the
home.
In addition, five sisters, Mrs.
James Nichols, of China Grove,
M-s. Kelley Goforth, Mrs. Ray
mond Price, Mrs. William Bridges
all of Kings Mountain, and Mrs.
Ralph Barnes, of Bridgeport, Ala.
bama; * one brother, Ed Mullinax
of Kings Mountain: two half
brothers, Dan Mullinax and David
Mullinax of the home; and ^wo
half sisters, Nancy Mullinax and
Patsy Mullinax of the home.
FALSE ALARM '
Kings Mountain Fire Depart
ment had only one call during
the past week, a false alarm
Saturday night *o Battleground
Avenue.
——————--——
First Presbyterian
Service Christmas
Firs'; Presbyterian church
will hold its traditional Christ
mas morning service at 10 a.m.
Rev. P. D. Patrick, the pas
tor, will deliver a sermon on
the subject, “The First Christ
mas and Christmas 1957”.
The church’s three choirs, di
rected by Miss Julia Lee Ribet,
will sing special music and Miss
Frances Summers, soprano, will
sing a solo number.
Bloodmobile
Visit Monday
I The Red Cross Bloodmobile
will make a one-day collection In
Kings Mountain on Monday, De
cember 30.
The unit will set up at the Wo
man’s club and will begin pro
cessing donors at 11 a. m., con
tinuing until 5 p. m.
Rev. R. Douglas Fritz, chair,
man of the Kings Mountain Red
Cross chapter’s blood program,
said Monday he was highly pleas
ed with the response of Industrial
employees to the credit card plan.
He said he had been informed
that 37 Burlington Industry em
ployees had already indicated
they will give blood and 23 Maun
ey Mills employees had made
similar pledges.
Under the credit card arrange
ment, a firm will qualify for six
month blood credit cards for all
employees and their families, if
20 per cent of the firm’s emplo
yees donate blood.
With demand for blood high, a
person must have a blood donor
credit card to agree to replace
blood should he be adminis*ered
it.
Rev. Mr. Fritz said advance in
dications are that the 150-donor
goal will be met, perhaps may
be exceeded.
Yule Mail Rush
Just About Over
Christmas mailing here is
slightly below last year’s, Post
master Charles Alexander said
Monday.
Through Sunday, postal can
cellations of out-going mail and
packages totaled about 10,000
pieces less than during Christ
mas 1957 and, though there was
still plenty of mail business, the
big push appeared over.
The peak days were December
16 and 17 when nearly 41,000
pieces of mail passed through
Kings Mountain postal drop slots.
Postmaster Alexander said the
chore of delivering incoming
mail had been handled smooth
ly and he reiterated his and
other postal employee’s apprecia
tion for their cooperation in post
ing Christmas letters and pack
ages early.
HOLIDAYS
The driver’s license examin
er's office will be closed Decem
ber 24-26 in observance of the
Christmas holidays it was an
nounced by Examiner Lee No
lan.
St, Matthew's
; To Have Annual
11P. M. Musicale
St. Matthew’s Lutheran church
wil hold its traditional Christ
mas Eve Midnight Musicale, with
the rites to begin at 11 p. m.
Tuesday.
Miss Rachel Farris, church or
ganist, is director of the musicale
and will play two preludes be
ginning at 10:50 p. m.
Soloists will be Frances Sum
mers, soprano, who will sing
Yon’s “Gesu Bambino” and Char
les Byers, baritone, who will sing
“Comfort Ye” from Handel’s Mes
siah.
The church choir will hold a
candlelight processional and will
sing five anthems, Williams’ “In
Bethlehem’s Lowly Manger”,
Jungst’s “Christmas Hymn”, Da
vis’ “Sing Gloria”, Merryott’s
“The Praise Carol”, and the 16th
century French carol “Sing We
Noel”.
Dr. W. P.^Lrberding, the pas
tor, will gi^A short Christmas
message ai^Kte congregation
will join th«^V >ir in singing four
Christmas hV is.
Theft Case
|
Court Continues
On the eve of Christmas eve
recorder’s court presented several
offenders with Christmas senten
ces.
A continued charge against
Cole L. Pitman of failure to com
ply with N. C. compulsory attend
ance laws was heard. His seven
th grade daughter was given a
chance to testify and said her
absences were because she didn't
like her teacher. Judge White re
called that he had had several
teachers he didn't like but said
that wasn’t sufficient reason to
quit school. He advised the girl
to get an education. Prayer for
judgment was continued.
A warrant against Jerry Oliver,
sworn out by Floyd Cooper char
ging Oliver with larceny of a
camshaft valued at $43, resulted
In Judge White finding Oliver
not guilty. Testimony from John
Boyace to whom Oliver reputedly
sold the auto part contradicted
what Boyace had earlier told po
lice. Boyace stated under oath
that he had gotten the camshaft
from a trash can.
Judge White suspected that
somebody wasn’t telling the
truth but due to insufficient evi
dence declared Oliver not guiliy.
Benjie Moomaw, charged with
reckless driving at the Silver Vil
la, pled guilty and was fined $5
and costs of court, upon condi
tions he not violate any traffic
regulations for 60 days and his
license be stamped.
Three public drunkeness cases
were heard, two receiving 30 day
sentences suspended upon pay
ment of costs of court and a third
(Continued on Page Eight)
Chamber Of Commerce Sets Dinner
To Promote Expansion Firm Stock
Kings Mountain Chamber of
Commerce will hold a kick-off
dinner to promote sale of stock in
Kings Mountain Business Devel
opment, Inc., in January.
Directors of the Chamber pf
Commerce made the decision
a meeting last Friday at the of
fice of President Carl H. Swan.
The dinner will be free. All
members of the Chamber of Com
merce and other interested citi
zens will be invited to attend.
President Swan’s committee on
arrangements for the dinner are
officers of the business develop
ment coroporation, J. Wilson
Crawford, president; Fred W.
Plonk, vice-president; and Ben
H. Bridges, secretary-treasurer.
Prior to the director’s decision,
Mr. Plonk, who had served ar
chairman of the Chamber of
Commerce committee to form the
business development firm, re
ported his progress to the direct
ors.
The group has afro voted te
convey to the Shelby Chamber of
Commerce congratulations on ifr
success in obtaining Pittsburgh
Plate Glass Company to build a
multi-million dollar fibre glass
plant near Shelby.
: Last-Minute
Gift-Buying
j Now Underway
Kings Mountain citizens were
busy Monday making last-minute
preparations for Christmas and
the holiday season.
Business section traffic was
heavy as last-minute shoppers
sought to complete gift lists with
only two shopping days remain
ing. Tile push at the grocery
stores was also in full swing as
the city's residential chefs began
filling larders for sumptuous
Christmas dinners, numerous
drop-ins and private parties and
for the day-after Christmas when
majority of retail stores will be
closed.
The city is already in a holiday
mood with virtually all of the tex
tile industry suspended for Christ
mas vacations. Popular in the in
dustry is a one-week holiday,
with regular production schedules
to be resumed Monday.
There are three principal ex
ceptions. Massachusetts Mohair
.Plush Company’s Neisler divis
ion plants will resume production
on Thursday, after a *hree-day
respite. Carolina Throwing Com
pany is operating on regular
schedule. Craftspun Yarns, Inc.,
with "yarn orders thin and year
end inventory time at hand, won’t
resume work until January 6.
Most re'ailers and financial in
stitutions, and city offices will
take a two day holiday. There are
a few exceptions among the gro
cers, some of whom will take off
only Christmas Day. Kings Moun
tain post office will be closed
Christmas Day only, and will also
be closed on New Year’s Day. The
state employment service branch
will take a three-day respite, re
opening Friday morning.
City hall office holidays will
coincide with these of the retail
ers, who will also be closed on
New Year’s Day.
The Kings Mountain Herald
will close at noon Tuesday, re
suming regular schedule Decern
(Continued on Page Eight)
St. Matthew's
Yule Story
A'ctw when Jesus loas bom in
Bethlehem of Judea in the days
of Herod the king, behold, there
came wise men from the east to
Jerusalem. •
Saying, Where is he that is
bom King of the Jews? For we
have seen his star in the east, and
are come to worship him.
When Herod the king had heard
these things, he was troubled, and
all Jerusalem with him.
And when he had gathered all
the chief priests and scribes of
the jwople together, he demanded
of them where Christ should be
born.
And they said unto him, In
Bethlehem of Judea: for thus it is
written by the prophet.
And Thou Bethlehem, in the
land of Juda, art not the least
among the princes of Juda: for
out of thee shall come a Gover
nor, that shall rule my people of
Israel. , 1
Then Herod, when he had privi
ly called the wise men, enquired
of them diligently 'what time the
star ajrpeared.
And he sent them to Bethlehem,
and said, Go and search diligently
for the young child; and when
ye have fou.id him, bring me
word again, that I may come
and worship him also.
When they heard the king, they
departed; and, lo, the star, which
they saw in the east, before them,
till it came and stood over where
the young child was.
When they saw the star, they
rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
And when they were come into
the house, they saw the young
child with Mary his mother, and
fell down, and worshipped him:
and when they had opened their
treasures, they presented unto
him gifts; gold, and frankincense,
and myrrh.
And being warned of God in
a dream that they should not re
turn to Herod, they departed into
their own country another way.
Matthew 8:1-1$