Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7,206
Tbe 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.
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
VOL 69 No. 5
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, January 30, 1958
1 A Pages
10 Today
Established 1889
Sixty-Ninth Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Local News
Bulletins
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter receipts for the
week ending Wednesday at
noon totaled $129.45, including
$111.13 from on-street meters
and another $18.32 from Chero
kee parking lot meters.
TAG SALES 533
City auto owners have purch
ased a total of 533 city auto
license tags for 1958, City Clerk
Joe McDaniel reported Wednes
day. He described tag sales as
"slow” said the city expects to
sell about 900 more before the
February 15 deadline for show
ing both city and state auto li
cense tags on vehicles.
TAX OFFICIAL
A representative of the Inter
nal Revenue Service will be at
Shelby Postoffice on Mondays
only during the hours of 8:30
a. m. to 4:30 p. m .to assist tax
payers in filing income tax re
turns. Citizens may contact
him in Shelby at Huxley 76641.
LIONS DIRECTORS
Directors of the Kings Moun
tain LionS club will eocene
at the office of Dr. Nathan H.
Reed at 7 o'clock Thursday
night, according to announce
ment by President J. W. Web
ster.
KIWANIS DIRECTOR
J. M. Cross has been appoin
ted a director of Kings Moun
tain Kiwanis Club, succeeding
W. F. Young, who resigned the
•club bulletin reported this
week.
NO WRECKS
Kings Mountain Police De
partment had no reports of
wrecks in Kings Mountain city
limits for the period of Janu
ary 22-29.
BUILDING PERMIT
J. W. Webster, city building
inspector, issued a building
permit January 23 to Southern
Bell Telephone & Telegraph
Oo. for a temporary structure
on W. Mountain Street between
Railroad Avenue and Cansler
Street to be used as a repeter
Station. Estimated cost was
$900.
KIWANIS
Dr. Harry D. Riddle, Gastonia
physician, will address mem
bers of the Kings Mountain
Kiwanis club at the club’s
weekly meeting Thursday
night at 6:45 p. m. at the Wo
man’s club. Dr. Riddle will
speak on a program arranged
by Charles Neisler.
GANTT BETTER
W. M. Gantt, Kings Moun
tain grocer and realtor, was re
ported improved Wednesday by
members of his family. Mr.
Gantt suffered a heart attack
last weekend and is confined
to 'bed at his N. Piedmont ave
n»e home.
WORLD MISSIONS
{Sunday night, the second in
a series of programs on World
Missions will be presented at
the First Presbyterian church
at 7:30 p. m. The Pioneer Fell
owship is in charge of the pro
gram which will present views
of the mission work around
the world. Billy Jones will pre
side, and other members who
will participate are Buddy Kir
ous, Kaye Cansler, Gail Kir
cus, Margaret Jackson, Jane
Houser, Pucky Lewis, Claudia
Goforth, Sara Rose Lennon,
and Susan Kesler. Dr. P. G.
Padgett will give a review of
“The Church In A Revolution
ary World”.
City Board Changes
Its Meeting Date
Beginning February 17th, the j
city board of commissioners will
hold regular monthly sessions
on second Wednesdays, rather
than second Thursdays, Mayor
Glee A. Bridges said this week.
Mayor Bridges said the board
was changing its meeting night
in order to permit use of City
Hall on second Thursdays by
Kings Mountain district Boy
Scouts for Court of Honor ses
sions.
“We are glad to relinquish
our regular date for a good
purpose,” the Mayor comment
ed.
Penalty Day Near
On 1957 Tax Bills
Webster Reports
$135,000 Levy
86 Percent Paid
Citizens who have not yet paid
1957 city tax bills have until 11:30
Saturday morning to pay their
tax accounts at par.
Penalty for late payment ap
plies Monday, City Tax Collector
J. W. Webster reminded Monday.
The extra tab will be one percent
Another one percent will be added
in March and one-half of one
percent in each month thereafter
that the bills remain unpaid,
i Majority of Kings Mountain’s
1957 has been paid.
Mr. Webster said this week
that payments through Monday
totaled $116,993.41, representing
86 percent of the total levy of
$135,005.06.
Tuesday payments are not to
taled in Mr. Webster’s report.
Mr. Webster said he hoped to
be very busy Thursday, Friday
and Saturday morning writing tax
receipts.
“Nobody dislikes to attach tax
penalties worse than I,” he com
mented, “but the penalty schedule
is a matter of North Carolina
law. I hope everyone clears their
1957 tax bills by Saturday morn
ing.”
“
Mrs. Susie Sellers Harmon Lo
| Ran, 83, Cleveland County native
died at her home, 603 Limvood
Road, Tuesday night.
Mrs. Logan died suddenly af
ter becoming ill an hour before
her death at 10:30 p. m.
She was a member of the First
Baptist church.
Daughter of the late Mr. and
Mrs. George Sellers, Mrs. Logan
had been twice-married, first to
Edward Harnton, who died in 18
98, and then to John J. Logan,
who died in 1939.
Surviving are four sons, Paul
Harmon, Thomas G. Logan,
Sweetwater, Texas, Albert P. Lo
gan and William B. Logan, both
of Kings Mountain, and four
daughters, Mrs. Robert J. Love,
Kings Creek, S. C., Mrs. W. T.
Randall, Jacksonville, Fla., Miss
Mattie E. Logan, Charlotte, and
Mrs. Elmer Hardin, Kings Moun
tain.
Also surviving are 30 grand
children and 39 great-grandchil
dren.
Funeral arrangements were
incomplete Wednesday after
noon.
"Whammy" Use
Is Anticipated
Motorists are driving too fast
within the city limits and the
city police department is antici
pating resumption of use of
the “whammy".
The electric speed-timing de
vice will slow motorists down,
and painfully, as victims are
quick to relate.
Chief Martin Ware issued the
warning.
, ELECTED—Charles Harry, top, of
Grover, and Ollie Harris, of
Kings Mountain, are the new co
chairmen of the Cleveland Coun- !
ty chapter. National Foundation
for Infantile Paralysis. They we-e j
elected al a meeting in Shedjy
last Friday.
Harris, Harry
Polio Chairmen
J. Ollie Harris, of Kings Moun
tain, and Charles Harry, of Gro
ver, have been named co-chair
men of the Cleveland County
chapter of the National Founda
tion for Infantile Paralysis.
New officers were elected at a
dinner meeting held in Shelby
last Friday night.
Other officers named were
Mrs. John Augustin, secretary,
and Carlos Young, treasurer.
Treasurer Young, noting that
the chapter had $17,000 in hand,
said the directors felt there was
sufficient funds to justify their
not holding a fund-raising cam
paign this year. However, he
pointed out, a new incidence of
polio cases could quickly wipe
out the balances. The county suf
fered only three new cases during
1957, but the association is still
helping to defray care and treat
ment costs of 30 carry-over cases.
Committee chairmen named
for the coming year were: Max
Butler, executive ■’ommittee; C. B.
Cash, publicity; Joe Mull, medi
cal; J. A. West, education; George
Shull, speaker's bureau; Mrs. Ev
erett Lutz, women’s activities;
Charles Heeth, patient care; and :
John 7. McBrayer, industrial."
Merchants Want Privilege Relief,
But No Swap For Higher Tax Bills
A group of 16 Kings Mountain
businessmen aired their views on
the Kings Mountain privilege li
cense schedule at a called meet
ing of the city commission last
Thursday night.
According to present status, a
dry goods merchant buys a license
for selling dry goods but some
times sells other items, violating
the bounds of his license.
If a license were bought lor
every item in his store, the final
fee would amount to much more
than a small merchant can af
ford to pay, the merchants in
dicated.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges, in call
ing the meeting to order, told
the merchants that the meeting
was theirs and although they
could air their views and make
motions, there would be no chang
es until their suggestions are act
ed on by the city board of com
missioners.
After the meeting was opened
for suggestions, Dave Saunders,
local dry cleaner, stated he
thought everybody who owes ‘57
privilege license should pay up
and then the whole thing should
be cancelled.
"It’s not right for a man to
pay for a license to sell one thing
and then sell everything else,” he
said.
Fleete McCurdy, also owner of.
a dry cleaning establishment, said
Saunders’ suggestion, if followed,
would be inviting door-to-door
peddlers to infest Kings Moun
tain.
Sam Collins, of City Auto &
Home Supply, proffered that a
transient and full-time system toe
put in use, using different price
scales, thereby “sticking all tran
(Continued On Pqge Ten)
Citizens Voice
! Strident "No's”
ToPayT-V
A number of Kings Mountain
citizens are up-in-arms over pro
posals before Congress to attach
coin devices to television sets to
permit pay television.
Miss Ida Lattimore, manager
of Western Union here, said 68
employees of Slater Brothers sent
a petition-type telegTam to Con
gressman Basil L. Whitener Tues
j day urging his opposition. An
other went on behalf of the Mer
chants association from President
Charles E. Dixon, and numerous
individuals added their voice to
the complaint.
Cong. Whitener has already
voiced his opposition in a state
ment to the House Committee on
Interstate and Foreign Com
merce, which will act on the bill
or bills before they reach the
floor of the House of Representa
tives.
Mr. Whitener told the com-1
mittee:
“In connection with the hear
ings which you are currently con- j
ducting to determine the advisa- j
bility of authorizing closed cir-;
cuit transmission of television ■
broadcasts I would like to express i
my opposition to the proposal.
“It is my considered opinion i
that a departure from our pres 1
ent system of handling the tele
vision transmission of intelli
gence and entertainment is not
in the public interest. The pro
posed pay-television method will
place an undue financial burden
upon the masses of the people
of this Nation and would leave
them with the alternative of ei
ther suffering deprivation of the
pleasures and values of television
or paying money for that service
which they cannot afford to do.”
“I do not believe that it is con
sistent with the best interests of
our economic, cultural, or social
life to authorize a system which
would have the effect which I
visualize that pay-television will
have upon the life of the people
of America.”
5 & L Dilectors
Are Re-elected |
Shareholders of Home Savings
6 Loan gathered for their 35th
annua] meeting Tuesday at the I
association offices, re-elecied al] i
directors, and heard reports on a
prosperous year’s activities.
A. H. Patterson, executive vice,
president and secretary - treasur
er reported the newly opened
branch in Bessemer City, launch
ed in May, “doing very well”,
with a large number of new ac
counts opened by Bessemer City
area patrons.
Other figures given by Mr. Pat
terson were: mortgage loans in
creased during the year by $382,
178; savings accounts increased
$377,41S; total assets increased
$411,265; reserves increased $31,
780; no money was borrowed dur.
ing the year; of three foreclosur
es one was made on request and
none resulted in loss to the asso
ciation ; total dividends paid set
a new record of $80,026, up more
than $20,000 from the $58,926 paid
the previous year.
Mr. Patterson noted that the
association’s liquidity percentage
held at about nine percent during
1957, well above the legally re
quired minimum of six percent.
He said about 95 percent of the
association’s loans are at six per.
cent interest, making safe the as
sociation’s 3.5 percent dividend
rate on savings accounts.
Vice-President Glee A. Bridges
presided at the annual meeting.
Directors re elected were Dr.
J. E. Anthony, president; Glee A.
Bridges and J. H. Thomson, vice
presidents; A. H. Patterson, ex.
ecntiye vice-president and secre
tary - treasurer, W. F. Young, as.
sistant treasurer; and L,. L. Alex
ander, J. B. Mauney, I. G. Patter
son, P. D. Ratterree, Jack H.
Whit>, and Dr. Paul E. Hend
ricks.
Following the shareholders
session, the directors re elected
all officers, as listed previously,
along with Mrs. Emily A. Hern
don, assistant secretary.
DUKE FUNDS
Kings Mountain hospital re
ceived $1,444 from the Duke en
dowment fund representing a
dollar for each welfare day re
corded at the hospital last year, j
The local hospital and Cleve
land Memorial at Shelby, were
among 91 North Carolina hos
pitals and 27 child care insti
tutions receiving over half a
million dollars from the Duke
endowment.
Carl P. Finger Appointed
Successor To Bumgardner
Citizens Group
Tapped Finger
For Board Post
More than 30 citizens gather
ed at Kings Mountain Country
Club for a Dutch dinner last Fri
day night.
The citizens 1) endorsed Carl
P. Finger for appointment to the
county board of commissioners,
and 2) voted themselves into an
organization called the Better
Business Eureau, with Ollie Kar
ris, as chairman, and with Char
les E. Dixon as secretary.
It was suggested that the
group meet for a Dutch dinner
twice annually, on the second
Fridays of July <»nd January, and
at other times on call by the of
ficers.
Mr. Harris was not present at
the meeting.
W. K. Mauney, one of the citi
zens present, suggested that the
group discuss forwarding the a
doption of the city manager form |
of government for the city of
Kings Mountain, but discussion
was brief and no action was ta- ]
ken by the group.
Jack H. White presided.
In addition to Mr. Finger, other
nominees included J. Broadus
Ellis, previously advanced for the
county commissioner by Grover
residents, and D. L. Saunders. Mr.
Sanders asked that his name be
withdrawn. Subsequently, sug
gestion that the group "get be
hind one man.” in its appoint
ment recommendation to the
clerk of court, resulted in with
drawal of Mr. Ellis’ name.
The meeting was arranged by
Mayor Glee A. Bridges and Ollie
Harris. Mayor Bridges said 42 ci
tizens had been invited to attend.
Cashwell Accepts
Albemarle Call
Dr. T. L. Cashwell, Jr., a former
pastor of Kings Mountain’s First
Baptist church, lias accepted the
pastorate of First Baptist church,
Albemarle.
Mr. Cashwell resigned as pas
tor of College Avenue Baptist
church, Lenoir, at the worship
hour Sunday. He will assume his
new duties on Sunday, February
23.
Mrs. Myers* Mother
Dies In Walhalla
Funeral rites for Mrs. J. M.
Bellotte, mother of Mrs. O. W.
Myers, of Kings Mountain, were
held Tuesday afternoon in Wal
halla, S. C. Mrs. Bellotte suc
cumbed Sunday night. She had
been in declining health for seve.
ral years.
Myers’ Department Store was
closed Tuesday afternoon during
the funeral hour.
Swans Hatching
Far From Home
Australian black swans are
hatching right off the Gastonia
highway.
That’s the word from Glenn
MacDonald, owner of Glenn’s
Lake located near the former
New South Restaurant.
MacDonald reports he paid
$51 freight charges to have the
birds sent from their native
habitat in Australia. The birds
built a huge nest in the middle
of the lake in his back yard
and he helped matters along
by placing a board from the
nest to shore.
The nest now contains seven
eggs which are expected to re
lease baby black swans at any
moment. Mr. MacDonald con
sulted an expert about the hat
ching and was told he was luc
ky to be having any to hatch
because of the differing wea
ther conditions of the United
States and Australia, where it
is now mid-summer.
APPOINTED — Carl P. Finger,
Kings Mountain native, was ap
pointed Wednesday by Clerk of
Court J. W. Osborne to fill the
vacancy on the county board of
commissioners created by the
death of Hazel B. Bumgardner. j
Mr. Finger will take the oath of
office on Monday.
First Baptist
Hearing Delayed
Hearing before Judge Dan Kj
Moore, of Sylva, on the tempo
rary restraining order granted
members of First Baptist church
opposing construction on a new
site, was postponed tentatively
until Monday.
The Superior Court Judge will
be holding a session of Gaston
Superior court next week. The
temporary order restrains offic.
ers of the church from disposing
of real or building fund assets.
The hearing was postponed by
mutual agreement, according to
Rev. Aubrey Quakenbush, pastor
of First Baptist church, and Jack
H. White, attorney for the group
opposed to building on a new
site.
Mr. Quakenbush, appointed
with A. W. Kincaid and Isaac
McGill as a committee to retain j
counsel for the members favoring
construction on a new site, said
the firm of Mullins, Holland and
Cooke, of Gastonia, has been re
tained.
Mr. Kincaid previously called
attention to what be described
as an error in last week's Herald
account on the First Baptist liti- i
gation. He said the two earlier
church votes held were on 1) the
question to purchase of the W.
King-Sims street site, at which
the majority voted to purchase; |
and 2) rescinding the original de
cision due to small majority re
corded at t*v» original vote. The
result was rescind.
Mr. Kincaid explained that the
original idea was to purchase the
site as “insurance”, in event the!
church should later decide to uti-1
lize it for a new plant or lor some'
other purpose.
Laundryman
To Take Post
On County Board
Carl Preston Finger, 37, Kings
Mountain native and laundryman,
has been appointed to the board
of Cleveland County commission
ers to fill the unexpired term of
the late Hazel B, Bumgardner.
Mr. Finger will represent Dis
trict 2, which includes Townships
4 and 5. Clerk of Court J. W. Os
borne made the appointment
Wednesday morning, in the pres
ence of a large delegation of'
Kings Mountain citizens. Mr. Os
borne indicated he would adminis-'
ter the oath of oliice on Monday, j
prior to the regular February j
meeting of the commission.
In a statement following his |
appointment, Mr. Finger said, “I \
appreciate very much the privi-1
lege of serving District 2 through
the county commission. With thej
other commissioners, I shall seek \
to forward the interests of all
citizens of Cleveland County dur
ing my tenure as a commission
er.”
Mr. Finger will serve until the
next general election. He said he
would be a candidate for the
Democratic nomination in the
May primary.
Son id Mrs. Belle M. Finger, of j
Kings Mountain, and the late Mr. I
Finger, the commissioner ap-1
pointee attended Kings Mountain j
schools and North Carolina State ,
college. He spent 39 months in
the air force during World War)
TI and served in the European
Theatre of Operations. He is a j
former employee of Neisler Mills.!
In 1946. he opened Cherryville
Laundry, acquired the Kings j
Mountain Laundry operation in
1954 and consolidated the two
under the trade name Finger
Laundry. He is a member of St.
Matthew’s Lutheran church, the
American Legion, and is a form- j
er Jayeee and Lion. His wife is
the former Carol Newby, of New
ton, a teacher at Kings Moun
tain high school. They have two
children.
Clerk of Court Osborne issued
the following statement on mak
ing the appointment:
“Upon the death or resignation
of a member of the Board of
County Commissioners the re
sponsibility of appointing a sue- {
eessor to serve until the next j
General Election rests with the
Clerk of the Superior Court. Fol- S
lowing the death of Mr. Hazel
B. Bumgardner, and at my re
quest the Kings Mountain and
Shelby papers carried news ite-us
to the effect that I would wel
come such suggestions as to his
successor the people cared to
make. Numerous suggestions
have been made, and the names
of a number of qualified and com
petent persons have been called
to my attention. Some of these
persons were available, others
(Continued On Page Ten)
Get Ready For Saturday Sadness;
Here's Why Power Bills Are Up
City gas system customers
won’t get the familiar yellow
card-type statements Saturday,
nor in the future.
They will find their gas bills
on the familiar white card, total
ed along with their power and
water billings.
City office officials anticipate
there’ll be some confusion result
ing from the changeover and,
perhaps, some criticism on the
grounds of the dollar-and-cents
totals being "too high'1.
In some instances, city officials
will agree, but they've several
explanations, among them: vari
ance in billing period and sick
ness of a meter reader.
City Clerk Joe McDaniel ex
plains it this way: Gas billings
formerly were made by the gas
department alone, usually on the
16th of the month or the 17th and
were therefore pretty consistent.
This time, the same meter-read
rs read all of them—gas, water
and power. The chore took long
er. It meant that some gas custo
mers are being billed for up to
35 or 37 days service, compared
to the customary 30 days.
Another kicker-upper was the
illness at meter reading time of
Dutch Wilson, of the electrical
department, who regularly reads,
meters. This time Mr. Wilson’s1
reading chore was delayed until j
it could be handled by others.
These particular bills will be up.
Another dollar-and-eents adder
was the fact of the December !
January cold weather, spelling
customer use of more gas and
more power. January is usually
a peak billing month for both
gas and power as low tempera
tures up cooking, water heating
and furnace consumption.
“It won’t last,” Mr. McDaniel j
comments, “and, anyway, billings j
balance up, since a longer billing
period this month spells a lower I
one the next. But I wish we could j
have instituted the change in a
warmer month.”
The billing consolidation of
city utilities and gas system ser
vice was ordered by the city board
of commissioners in an effort to
save time and money. Mr. Me
Daniel agrees that the consoli
dation will bring about this re
sult thereby save the citizens
taxpayers money.
And he’s hopeful his customers
will have read his explanation
before waxing too angry.
j Foote Woikcis
Again Decline
Union Choice
Foote Mineral Company em
ployees rejected for the third time
in three years here Wednesday
efforts of a labor union to be
come their bargaining rep resen ta.
five.
The vote in the National Labor
Relations Board election was 92
to 53 against the organizing bid
of tlie United Lime, Cement and
Gypsum Workers (AFL-CIO).
The counting was completed
shortly after voting was com
pleted at 4 p. m. Miss Mabel Sapp,
NLRB representative from Wins
ton-Salem, conducted the voting
and counted the ballots in the
presence of four Foote employees,
two pro union and two pro-man
agement, and others.
Pro union observers were Ly.
man Robbs and James (Bill) Con
ner. Pro-management observers
were Harold Crawford and Paul
Cole.
All eligibles voted except Wo,
one ill and hospitalized and the
other out-of-town on vacation.
There were six challenges, not
enough to effect the result.
Here for the vote-counting were
Vernon Johnson, the Virginian
who was organizer for the labor
union, and J. D. Bradford, of
Birmingham, Ala., one of the
eight vice-presidents of the Unit
ed Lime, Cement and Gypsum
Workers. Both indicated disap
pointment at the result. Mr. John
son, who observed his 31st birth
day Wednesday, agreed it wasn’t
a happy birthday present.
Ben H. Goforth, Jr., Foote per
sonnel manager, shook hands
with the union officials following
the vote-count, congratulated Mr.
Johnson on the "cleanest” cam
paign we’ve seen yet.” Replying
a thank you. the union organizer
said, "We’ll see you again next
year.”
Under federal statute, unions
cannot obtain*another election for
a year.
In Kings Mountain, it was the
fifth time in less than four years
that employees have rejected un
ion organizing bids at NLRB e
lections. Lithiufh Corporation em
ployees at the Bessemer City
plant have twice rejected unions.
Mr. Goforth and other Foote
officials said they were well
pleased with the result.
Hunnicnt! Heard
On Civil Defense
Harold Hunnicutt, assistant di
rector of civilian defense, sum
marized the communications ar
rangements of the defense pro
gram then demonstrated in a
meeting of the Kings Mountain
Lions club Tuesday night.
Mr. Hunnicutt, using a porta
ble radio transmitting and re
ceiving unit, talked with radio
operators in Bessemer City and
Lincolnton in the presence of club
members.
Following Mr. Hunnkutt's talk
and demonstration, club mem
bers kept him busy for 20 minutes
posing questions about details of
the civilian defense operation.
Prior to the address, Dr. George
W. Plonk was welcomed as a new
member of the organization.
Snow Blankets
Community
Kings Mountain recorded its
first genuine snowfall of the
winter beginning Wednesday
noon.
Leaden gray skies dumped
on the town a thin covering of
the flaky substance which
stuck in places leaving the
sidewalks and highways free,
but wet. Temperatures hover
ed above the 32 degree mark
during the afternoon with the
expected low for Wednesday
night 32-36 and chances of rain
mixed with snow predicted.
Superintendent B. N. Barnes
said the city schools would be
open Thursday unless condi
tions changed entirely from
late Wednesday afternoon's
conditions. County school chil
dren awaited county superin
tendent’s verdict on whether
school would be held. Mean
while snow cream, snowball
fights, and snovmen were
some of the result, of the pre
vailing weather.
Several times during the
winter, snowflakes have made
half-hearted attempts but fail
ed to develope into a full-fled
ged snow. One ice storm was
the nearest substitute for snow
until Wednesday.