Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7,206
n* figure to I Qnatn Klngi Mountain I* derived from
the 1055 Kings Mountain dtf directory census. The city
Units figure is from the United States census ot I960.
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
VOL 70 No. 21
A.
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, May 28, 1959
U Pages
Today
PRICE TEN CENTS
Established 1889
Seventieth Year
Lowery Hasn't
Called Meeting,
Denies Switch
BY MARTIN HARMON
MIDI Lowery, chairman of the
Btethwiare school committee, said
Wednesday he has hot yet called
a meeting of the several Number
4 Township school committee
chairmten, thle group which has
the task of carving la political ar
rangement for a merger of the
township and' city schools.
Mr. Lowery also declined tto say
when, he woufM summon: the group
together, noting that the Beth
ware committee meets this week
and that he expeots to see the op
ening game of the Legion Junior
Basefbaill season here Friday
night. Indication was that hfe will
call no meeting before next week.
Mr. Lowery did ttefll the Herald
Wednesday that assumption by
some citizens that he had Chang
ed position from favoring to op
posing the proposed schools mer
ger has no basis tot fatot.
“I haven’t switched,” Mr. Low
ery said. ‘1 never- did say I favor
ed a merger without reserva
tions.” V
'Several proposals iare 'hieing dis
cussed for a political system
which will toe suitable to all of
the schools (which would foe effec
ted toy the mtebger. These Include,
in (addition to Mings (Mountain
city schools, (Park Grace, Grover,
IBethWare aind Compact in the
county system.
One group favors expansion of
the present Mings Mountain
board of education to 'seven mem
bers, with two tto (be added from
the present county school area.
Supt. ©. N. iBaimes, of the dty
system, Was suggested a sevCn
mah. board With two (to toe elected
from the present City district, two
from the prestent county district,
and three to toe elected at large.
3>r. P. G. 'Padgett, member of
the idity board of (education, sug
gests a sevenjman board, with
three from wlhat Is now the Mings
Mountain district 'a!nd 'four from
what is now in the county district.
Eugene Ptaitterson, recently re
tired member Of the EBeKhware
committee, commented Monday,
“I See no need to argue about re
presentation. I’m interested in
better schools, not rep resen ta
Wdn”
The merger contemplates even
tual construction of a new con
solidated townishlilp high school,
which school officials say can be
bad within three Ito tflour years,
provided funds are provided.
Hamrick Rites
Held Tuesday
Funeral services for Leonard
L. Hamrick, 41, Cleveland Coun
ty deputy sheriff fend former
Kings Mountain police ‘officer,
were held Wednesday afternoon
at Westover Baptist Church.
Mr. Hamrick died about 3 p. m.
Sunday afternoon at Kings
Mountain hospital of gunshot
I wounds in the head, which had
' been inflicted about 10 a. m. at
the Hamrick home on Phifer
Road.
Coroner J. Ollie Harris said
Wednesday his investigation
showed that the wounds were
self-inflicted and (that no inquest
will be field.
Mr. Hiamrick had been ill since
Friday and an autopsy showed
that he was suffering from pan
creartjftis. His physician said the
illness causes severe pain, Cor
oner Harris .reported. Within the
past two years, Mr. Hamrick had
undergone a serious stomach op
eration.
'A Cleveland County native, Mr.
Hamrick was a son of J. Caude
Hamrick and the laite Sallie Haw.
kins Hamrick. He had served as a
deputy sheriff since 1951 and for
three years previously was a
Kings Mountain city police offi
ce.*.
Surviving in addition to his fa.
ther, are his wife, Helen Knox
Hicks, to whom he was married
in 1937, a daughter, Mrs. Lawren
ce Lowrance, Kings Mountain, a
son, Lawrence E. Hamrick, Kings
Mountain, a granddaughter, Don
na Gay Lowrance, Kings Moun
tain, two sisters, Mrs. Oscar Mat-1
his, Shelby, and Mrs. Boyd San
ders, Kings Mountain, (three bro
thers, Joe G. Hamrick, Hampton,
| Va., Baxter Lee Hamrick, Phila
F delphia. Pa., and W. Howard
Hamrick, Kings Mountain, six
half-sisters, Mrs. Earl Davis, Mrs.:
Glenn Hawkins. Mrs. Frances;
Hamrick, Miss Sue Hamrick, and
Mites Brenda Hamrick, ail of
K’ngs Mountain, and Mrs. Lester
Ragan, Kings Creek, S. C., apd,
o-'p half-brother, J. Y. Hamrick,
of New Jersey.
Burial was in Mountain Best
cemetery.
LUTHER BARNES
DEAN WESTMORELAND
MARTHA ANN BAKER
CHRISTINE STILL
DEAN BRIDGES
RICHARD SPENCER
MRS. HILDA GOFORTH
DEWITTE BLANTON
Local Aiea Students Graduating
From Colleges And Universities
Kings [Mountain area student*
ore among the vast number of
graduates of junior and senior
colleges and universities this sea
son.
[For some, the commencement
season activities were conducted
iast weekend. Many more will
graduate this weekend.
Among the graduates:
Christine Still, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. G. E, Still, received her
bachelor of arts degree from Con
verse college at Spartanburg, S.
C., In exercises Monday. Mis® SUB
majored dh art.
Martha Ann Baker, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. W. D. iBaker, was
graduated maigna cum laude Sun
day from Appalachian State Tea
cher’s college, Boone. She receiv
ed a bachelor of science degree in
English.
Mrs. Hilda iB.'Goforth, wife of
H. A. Goforth, received her bach
elor'of science degree tn gram
mar ■SdhooQ education from ASTC.
Dean B. Westmoreland, son of
Mr. and Mrs. Bert Westmoreland
of Grover, ailso received Ids de
gree in ASTC exercises iasft week
end. Both Mrs. Goforth and Mr.
Westmoreland did their practice
teaching hi Kings Mountain a*
<M Mrs. J. O. Van Dyke, of Gas
tonia, who received her bache
lor’s degree.
DeWSttfce Blanttan, son of Mr.
and Mrs. C. DeWStte Blanton, re
ceived the ibadhetar of science do
gjnee in chemistry and math from
I Western Carolina college where
I he was la memlber of Allipha Phi
! Sigma, honorary fraternity, pres
ident of the America! Chemical
j Society, Student affiliate, and last
ed in Who’s Who In American
Colleges ahd Universities. He has
! won a fellowship^ from the Amer
I loan Cancer Society to do cancer
; research at the University of Mis
sissippi next year.
I (Luther Bahnson Barnes, son of
1 (Mr. and Mrs. B. N. Barnes, was
graduated Sunday from WSngaite
I Junior college. Others graduating
1 from junior colleges wtere: Dean
Bridges, Radhard Spencer. «Mj
Greene, and Pairytee Davits, all otf;
whom graduated from Gardner
Wdbb college.
Prtsafflla Thomas, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. Fred O. Thomas, re
oeSved the A. B. degree in ele
mentary education and psychoto
gy from Carson Neiwmaai college
May 19.
First Baptists
To Let Contract
On New Church
First Baptist church will begin
construction of a new $255,000
church plant in the immediate
future.
Members of the congregation,
ait the Wednesday night business
meeting, were expected to award
contract to John W. Craig, Char
lotte, following recommendation
by the building committee head
ed by W. B. (Bill) Logan.
Groundbreaking at the site on
West King and Sims streets has
been scheduled for Sunday, June
7, with special exercises to fea
ture the event.
Plans call for two buildings to
be connected by an arcade.
The temporary sanctuary will
seat 500 people. The educational
unit will provide for a Sunday
school attendance of 660.
'First units to be constructed
are on the east side of the prop
erty.
The building nearest King
street will be of brick and will
contain space on the ground floor
for a temporary sanctuary, class
rooms, ladies’ parlor, and kitch
en. Two adult departments and
the young people’s department
will be on the second floor.
The rear building will be of
window wall construction. In
cluded on the ground floor will
be four nursery departments, two
departments for beginners, and
one primary department, plus an
office suite (pastor’s study, chur
ch office, educational director’s
office, and work room) library,
choir room, and rest rooms. On
the second floor will be two de
partments each for juniors, in
termediates, primaries, one for a
married young people’s class plus
rest rooms and storage closets.
Both buildings will be air-con
ditioned and will be equipped
with Venetian blinds, adequate
storage space, and folding wood
en doors to make space more
flexible.
Fenced play yards will be pro
vided for the children, and kit
chen facilities will enable the
ladies’ pairlor to be used for class
and/or circle gatherings. Other
features wiill include: projection
booth for visual aids; motorized
screen (eleatriaally operated) a
bove the pulpit; dimmer switch
controls on lights in the sanctu
ary, a call system in the sanctu
ary so that parents needed in the
nursery will be notified immedi
ately by signal light.
Other bids received were: Wad
del, $279,900; Carpenter, $277,900;
Laxrton, $269,000; Morrison, $264,
462; Atlantic, $262,600; Mitchem,
$262,110; Ramsey, $262,00; repre
senting firms 'in Charlotte, Rufh
erfordton, and Cleveland County.
Mr. Logan is chairman of the
building committee, and other
members are Mrs. Paul Nolan,
Mrs. W. F. McGill, Fred Weaver,
James White, I. A. McGill, and
Wray Williams.
“Grading has been completed
on the properties, and it is anti
cipated construction will begin
immediately", spokesman for the
building committee said.
City Gas Bill
To Escalate
The city’s natural gas bill is
going up by six percent soon, but
Mayor Glee A. Bridges says that
very tew city customers, will
have to pay more for natural gas.
The Federal Power commission
has already approved the request
of Transcontinental Gas Pipeline
Corporation for (the increase and
approval by the North Carolina
Utilities commission Is also anti
cipated.
Mayor Bridges said that the
city, with a growing customer
list, will be able to absorb the
Increase with the only exception
those customers who buy gas on
an interruptible contract basis.
Brown Resigns
School Position
E. LAWSON BROWN
Rotary Club
Honors Ladies
Kings Mountain Rotarians held
the annual ladies’ night banquet
Monday - evening at the Country
club, with winners in the Kiwan
is Tallent Show presenting an en
tertainTnent program.
Included in the program was
special music by Miss Sherry Me-;
Daniel, the invocation by Rev.
George Moore, the 'address of
welcome by Wilson Griffin, and
t>e response by Mrs. Tom Trott.;
President Haywood E. Lynch
•recognized spec-fail guests. The1
group 'sang the Rotary Soing and:
closied the program by singing
“America.”
Officers of the olub, iin addition
to Mr. Lynch, are: Tom (L. Trott,
vioe-presMent; Jack H. White,
•secretary; Richard M. McGinnis,
treasurer; amid Charles E. Dixon,
Sergeant alt-arms.
Union Services
To Begin Here
Kings Mountain churches will
begin thle summer schedule of
Sunday night union services on
June 7, spokesmen for ithe Minis
terial Association have announ
ced.
As is customary, members of
five aity church congregations
join in ithe services. One differen
I oe in the schedule for this sum.
; mer is that ministers wall preach
jfrom their own pulpits. Attend
ance will indicate if the schedule
will continue throughout .the
summer months. “We anticipate
, a good deal of .interest in these
i special services”, a spokesman
1 said.
|. The schedule for the month of
June includes:
June 7 — at Central Methodist
church, Rev. James McLarty to,
deliver the sermon,
i June 14 — at St, Matthew’s Lu
theran church, Dr. W. P. Gerber -
| ding to deliver the sermon,
j June 21 — at Resurrection Lu
theran ohurejj, Rev. George
Moore to deliver the sermon.
June 28 — at Boyce Memorial
ARP church, Dr. W. L. Pressly to 1
deliver the sermon.
Summer Band Class
To Start June 8
Summer hand sessions are slat
ed to start June 8, Charles Ball
anoe, band director, announced
this week However a minimum
of 5 more pupils is needed, he
said.
Tuition for the summer session
will be $10 for an 8% weeks
course.
The high school unit will meet ■
three nights each week. Mr. Ball. I
ance said, while the beginners'
and elementary unit will have an ■
hour session five days each week.!
OFFICIAL RETURNS
City Run Off Election
May 26.1959
Ward Ward Ward Ward Ward
1 2 3 4 5 Total
WARD 3 COMM. J
Luther T. Bennett 82| 96j 123| 148| 275) 724
T.Jj£fi4*m 54| 85] 185| 118) 148| 590
WARD 5 COMM. '
R. Coleman Stroupe_56| 91|180|J97| 167 j 691
Charlie E. Blalock 78| 92| 123j 74| 276j 643
Davidson Schools
Name Brown
Superintendent
E. Dawson IBnown, Central
school principal for Che past three
years, resigned Wednesday to ac
cept the supenlntendency of Da
vidson County schools.
(Mr. Brown will 'become adminis
trative officer of a 340-teaeher
school sylstem with 24 plants, in
cluding three Negro schools and
seven high schools, four of them
large consolidated units.
Mr. (Brown was unanimously e
lected by the Davidson County
board of education Tuesday
night. Hie will assume the post
July 1.
He wrote the hoard of educa
tion:
“As you well know, I have had
a. difficult decision to make con
cerning leaving Kings Mountain.
It has rtott been easy, but I feel
that an opportunity exists at the
present time in the Davidson
Couhty Schools Which I should not I
bypass. It is with regret I write j
this resignation as Principal of I
Cenitrcl School. My relationship
with you, the school board, and
the ipeople, has been a wonderful
experience far me. I am grateful
for this. You presented me an op
portunity to grow educationally,
which I hope in turn 'has served a
purpose in Central School and the
city. I know I will' never work
with a finer administrative group.
“I appreciate you and the mem
bers of the Board of Education
suggesting certain financial re
munerations for me )to remain in
Central School. It is with (regret I
decline (this offer.
“Thanks again far the many
consideraltnions.”
Mr. Brown told the Herald, ‘It
is with mixed feelings that my
family and I make plans to leave
Kings Mountain. Kings Mountain
citizens have been mOre than kind
to us and they have from the first
day we arrived here. We all re
gret to leave.”
Mrs. Brown is part-time secre
tary to Dr. Paul Ausdey, pastor of
First Presbyterian church.
E. COLEMAN STRCUPE
T. LUTHER BENNETT
Pools Will Open
For 1959 Season
City swimming pools will op
en on Saturday for the season
and will be open dialy there
after, weather permitting.
Already the pools have been
open on weekends and City
Clerk Joe McDaniel said Wed
nesday that 39 adults, 93 stu
dents, and 1068 child tickets
have been sold this year. It
means 1200 persons have used
the Deal street pool already in
1959.
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter receipts for
the week ending Wednesday at
noon totaled $143.43, With $20.
30 derived from off-afreet me
ters and $123.13 from on-street
meters, City Clerk Joe McDan
iel reported.
Pressly Baccalaureate Speaker;
High School VliII Graduate 80
Commencement exercises tor 80
Kings (Mountain high school sen
iors will toe conducted on Sunday
and Monday evenings.
On Sunday, Dr. W. L. Pressly,
pastor of Boyce (Memorial ARP
ChUrch, will deliver the commen
cement sermon. On Monday even
ing, members of the graduating
class will take major 'parts on
the program.
Both programs will begin at 8
o’clock.
On Sunday evening, Kings
Mountain ministers will toe prin
cipals on the program. Rev. Geor
ge Moore, pastor of Resurrection
Lutheran churCh, will say (the in
vocation, Dr. Paul Ausley, pastor
of First PreSbyteriian Church, will
read the scripture, and Rev. J. W.
Phillips, pastor of First Wesley
an Methodist Church, will pro
nounce the benediction. The high
school mixed Chorus, under di
rection of C. A. Ballartce, will
render speCiaS music.
Monday night exercises, to be
conducted toy the seniors, will in
clude the invocation by Peggy
Black, the welcome by Philip
Padgett, and addresses toy Ger
trude Pearson and Linda Mitch
em. Dewayne Caldwell, class
president, wail present the Class
gift to the school, and David
Plonk will pronounce the benedic
tion. A double quartet Composed
of seniors will render special mu
sic.
Awards will be presented at
Monday morning exercises in the
aiementary and high schools.
Candidates for diplomas are:
Betty Jean Allen, Trl'ie Arro
wood, Brenda Barnette. Judy Bar
rett. James (Bennett, Peggy,
Black, Linda Kay Boone, Linda
Mitaeal Bowens, Gilbert Brazzeil,
Carolyn Ruth Bridges, Mary;
Prtamdes Bridges, (Patricia Ann;
Brooks, Bliaabeth Ann Brown,
N'orman Eugene Bumgardner,
DeWayne Caldwell, Carroll Cald
well, Kenneth Ray Camp, David
Eugene Carroll, Robert Boyde
Qarly, Glenn Etters, Douglas Eu
(Continued On Page Eight>
SPEMCER -^5r. W^^PrSy,
pastor ol Boyce Memorial ARP
church, will deliver the common,
cement sermon to members of the
Central high school graduating
class Sunday.
Bloodmobile
To Return Here
Thle Red Cross bloodmobile will
return to Kings (Mountain June
15 in am effort to meet a heavy
quota and erase a 244-pim deficit.
(Bob Maner, chairman of the
Red Cross Mood program, said
the June visit wiil be the final
one for the fiscal year- and the
only opportunity to make up the
necessary quota to fill the need.
Kings Mountain citizens are be
hind an estimated net consump
tion of 244 pints and it is antici
paitbd donations will be enough to
erase the deficit by June 30.
Red Cross officials are asking
that reetpierets of blood who have
not replaced their donations in
the blood bank ask friends and
relatives to make up the deficit, i
The regional blood coUectntg i
unit will set up at the Woman’s
chib. Donors will be processed i
from 11 a. m. until 5 p.m.
1242 Citizens
Brave Rain
To Cast Ballots
BY MARTIN HARMON
Kings Mountain citizens Tues
day re-elected T. Luther Bennett
and R. Coleman Stroupe, return
ing ito Oily Halil all incumbents
far the first time Since 1945.
The other incumbents had been
re-elected in the May 12 city e
lecttion.
Mr. Stroupe, the Piedmont ave
nue barber, scored a “first” in
city political history by bouncing
off the ropes as a first election
second . runner for the. second
time. In 1957, Mr. Stroupe trail
ed W. Gurney Grantham, but
overtook him in the run-off elec
tion. It was a repeat performance
Tuesday. Charles E. Blalock had
led Mr. Stroupe on May 12 by 56
votes. Tuesday’s ,totals showed
Stroupe the winner by 48 votes.
The count for Ward 5 Commis
sioner was Stroupe 691, Blalock
643. Mr. Blalock led in Ward 1,
2 and 5, but his margin in three
wards was too thin to overcome
the heavy vote bulge Mr. Stroupe
gained in Wards 3 and 4.
ivir. Bennett, retaining his
Ward 3 seait against T. J. (Tom
my) Ellison, had led ithe May 12
voting by 151 votes. Mr. Ellison
whittled the Bennett margin sli
ghtly on Tuesday buit not enough
as Bennett repeate3 his May 12
performance by leading in four
of the five wards. Mr. Ellison led
in his home Ward 3, as he did
May 12. The margin of the Ben
nett victory was 132 votes. The
count was: Bennett 724, Ellison
59 J.
In spite of ithe rain that persist-’
ed throughout ithe voting day, a
total of 1242 persons sVent to the
polls, slightly more tibwi tu£f the
2176 who voted on May 12.
The election was conducted
without untoward incident and
the tallying was complete 45
minutes after the polls closed at
6:30.
City Election
Sidelights
Tuesday’s rain forced a chan
ge In location for the Ward 1
precinct. It was cold and C. L.
Black, Mrs. Nelle Cranford and
Miss Margaret Kendrick moved
into the City Hall lobby from the
more exposed fine station.
Mrs. Annie Roberts Barrett, vo
ting about 5:30 ait Ward 4 pre
cinct, remarked that she hadn’t
voted in a City Election since
Tom Fulton ran. That would
have been ten years ago, when
Mr. Fulton was seeking re-elec
ition as Mayor. She further said
she had voted for President Ei.
senhower in 1952 and before that
hadn’t cast a presidential ballot
since she had voted for Woodrow
Wilson. She also answered the
“why” question: She doesn’t be
lieve in women’s suffrage. That
makes at least two Kings Moun
tain lady citizens of the same
mind. The other is Miss Ruby
Burrage, of the Belk’s Staff.
Charlie Blalock, who lost in a
squeezy vote to R. Coleman
Stroupe, had a rough day other
wise. His wife underwent an op
eration at Kings Mountain Hos
pital election morning.
Many folk underestimated or
under-guessed Tuesday's total
vote and it cost them coin. Mrs.
Ruth Thomasson, a Ward 2 jud
ge, had wagered with a friend
that the total would be closer to
600 than 800. The Herald editor
is to collect a six-cent soft drink
from Otis Fails, Sr., Who also
thought no more than 600 would
go to the polls.
As it frequently happens, the
Lions Club’s ladies night ban
quet came on election day. The
Herald provided the returns at
7:25. Tail Twister W. K. Mauney,
Jr., read them to the assemblage.
This time the Herald’s count was
right. It was in 1951 when .the
Herald adding machines disgorg
ed a wrong total and, momentari
ly, had the late C. C. (Shorty)
Edens elected commissioner. The
recheck showed he’d been edged
by Lloyd Davis by seven votes.
‘Twas quite embarrassing.
Mrs. Paul Patterson, a Ward 5
judge, was doing double duty
Tuesday. She was handling her
election chore, also vending 60
cent battles of vanilla for her
church circle. She remarked the
extract is good, that she would
n't sell anything she wouldn’t
(Continued On Page Eight) 4