Population
Greater Kings Mountain . 10,320
City Limits 7,206
Iht figure lor a rooter King* Mountain U derived from
tt* 1958 King* Mountain city directory coma*. The city
Undt* figure I* from too United State* cen*u* of 1950.
1 P Pages
ID Today
VOL 70 No. 30
Established 1889
Seventieth Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Local News
Bulletins
HOLY COMMUNION t
The Sacrament of the Lord’s
Sapper will be administered at
St Matthew’s Lutheran church
at morning services Sun. at 10
o’clock, Dr. W. P. Gerberding,
the pastor, has announced.
PROMOTED
Rill Throneburg, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Y. F. Throneburg, has
been promoted by Alleghany
Ballistic Labortatories, of Cum
berland, Md., from (the position
of research assistant to pro
ject engineer.
ROTARY CLUB
Joseph Whisnant, Shelby at
torney, will present a program
on Wills at the Thursday meet
ing of the Kings Mountain Ro
tary club. The club convenes
aft 12:15 at the Country Club.
NO FIRES
CiJty Fireman C. D. Ware
said Wednesday morning the
department has had no calls
«inoe July 9.
ATTENDS WORKSHOP
Mrs. Martin Harmon, city
schools piano teacher, attend
ed the Prances Clark piano
workshop held/ in Charlotte
Tuesday.
joining McGinnis
Clay (Mud) Poston will join
McGinnis Furniture Company
as assistant credit manager on
August I,- it was announced
this week by the management.
HOMECOMING
Antioch Baptist Church near
Grover will hold Homecoming
services on Sunday. Picnic din
ner will be spread on the chur
ch grounds following the mor
ning worship service. Special
sang services are planned for
the afternoon. / "
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter receipts from
on-street meters totaled $115
61 for the week ending Wed
nesday at noon. A defective
key prevented opening of the
Cherokee street parking lot
meters, City Clerk Joe McDan
iel said. In addition, the recre
ationo commission which now
gets all parking meter reve
nue received $8.60 in contri
butions from persons who had
parked too long.
life Saving
Courses Given
Life Saving Courses, under sp
onsorship of ithe Kings Mountain
Red Cross chapter, are being
completed by a number of Kings
Mountain citizens.
The courses have been under
direction of W. Donald Crawford,
water Safety Chaiitman for the
local chairman, assisted by Dew
ey Bookout, Roger Blackwell, and
Bill Cashion, Ithe latter of Tay
lorsville.
Registering for the senior cour
se were Floyd Morris, Jimmy
White, Arm McMackin, Jack
Beam of Shelby, Bill Lowery of
Shelby, Bat Ware, DeWayne
Caldwell, and Dale Gilliland.
This course was completed at
Maple Springs and Deal Street
pool and certificates, pins, and
emblems presented to the Stu
dents completing ithe 17 hour
course on Saturday.
The 15-hour course for Juniors
was completed by these stu
dents: Dwight Foster, Billy Pat
terson, Tommy Dean, Paul Rey
nolds, Joe Patterson, Michael I
vey, Jimmy Grant, Lamar Flet
cher, Vincent Mowery, Carol Jean
Goter and jfydy Morris.
Included in ithe instuctions
were: safety rules, adapting
swimming strokes for life sav
ing purposes: check systems for
swimmers; latest ARC methods
of resuscitation, including class
work, knowledge tests and prao.
tical tests. Prevention as well as
forms of rescue was stressed.
Merchants Picnic
Set For Wednesday
Annual employee-employer
picnic of the Kings Mountain
Merchants Association will be
held on Wednesday evening at
7 o’clock.
' Mrs. Ida Joy. Merchannts
secretary, said advanced reser
vations are being received, and
a large crowd is expected.
Women of Bethany ARP ch
urch are, preparing the meal
which will be served on the
church grounds.
HIGHWAY WORKMEN FELL TREES — Pic
hired is the Criag Falls property on the East
side of York road after workmen on the Inter
state 85 - project had . felled seven trees. Mr.
Falls complained that the workmen invaded *
bis property in spite of the fact they have no
right-of-way agreement and no verbal permis
sion to proceed. He had refused their offer for
damages as “insulting". The property shown is
near the bridge crossing present V. S. 29.
Pennington Photo
Probable Cause
Found On Rape
Charge; No Bond
BY BOB EARLY
Roosevelt Williams, Kings
Mountain Negro, charged with
rape of a minor, wlais hound over
to tile October session Of Superior
Oourt following a preliminary
hearin g jin the (Monday session of
City Recorder’s Court.
Williams, who i!s Charged with
“Waving carnally known and a
hused a (female under tthe age of
ten,” has Ween held in custody
stooe Wis arrest on July 16. The;
Williams hearing ihad been origi
nally scheduled for July 20 but
deferred when the defendant ask
ed time to secure legal counsel.
Williams is alleged <o have
rapOd a 5 year old Negro girl at
her home on July 15. Witnesses
for the state told the court Mon
day that he had been staying at
the home of the child while thte
mother of the house was at work
at the Silver Villa. In testimony,
an U-year-old sister said that
Williams, drinking, had at first
atempted to force Mar to bed with
him by threatening her with a
butcher knife and a belt. She said
that when she screamed and rain
he lteft her alone. Later, she said,
he forced fh!e 5-yearold girl into
the (bed with him and closed the
bedroom door.
The witness testified further
that she and her 'brother heard
the child crying and tried to en
ter the room but the door was
locked.
A physician’s report, as stated
in court, said that the Child had
'been attacked sexually.
Attorney for the defense, Joe
Mull of Shelby, questioned wit
nesses in an attempt to free the
defendant from charges. He in
timated in ihds questioning that
the alleged incident could have
happened under other Circumstan
ces and that the defendant could
be facing charges ‘for which some
one else was responsible.
The victim of the alleged crime
was dm tears throughout the hear
ing.
Defense attorney Mull rtequesf
(Continued On Page Eight)
Highway Official
Draws Lady’s Ire
Workmen Move
On Highway Job
Minus Agreement
“If you don’t get off my prop
erty, I’m going to get a gun and
ShOat you off!”
The recipient of this verbal
blast wa^s a representative of the
State Highway commission, and
the forceful language came not
from a rough and hiate man, but
from a pretty young woman who
has a basiic understanding of
property rights.
The verbal action occurred Fri
day afternoon on York KOad
where contractors are an process
of building a link oif tatensstate
85, a project thiatt call for im
proving the approaches, entran
ces to and exits from this big
roiad N. C. 161, better known lo
cally as the York Road.,
Mrs. Joyce Falls Oashkxn had
made a hurried trip from her
home In Taylorsvillle to find a
Construction crew a work on her
property and some adjoining
property of her farther, Craig
Falls. The crewmen were at work,
minus right-of-way agreement,
and minus verbal permission to
'proceed. In the process, the crew
men had cut a water line, which
served t\vo dwellings owned ,by
Mrs. Oashion and her husband
'Bill Oashion, Taylorsville high
school football coach.
The threat worked momentari
ly. The highway commission re
presesentative summoned Plum
ber ‘Ben T. Goforth to tepair the
water line and left for the day!
Craig Palls reports, howevter,
that the crewmen returned to the
scene this week, moved a couple
of out-buildings Of thb Oashions
'and burned seven trees felled on
(Continued on Page *Eight)
United Fund Organization Meeting
Set For City Hall Thursday Night
Ain organizational meeting for
ta Kings Mountain United Fund
type organization will be held ait
City Ham Thursday might at 8
o’clock, it was announced by Bob
Mlaner, temporary chairman, this
week.
(Mr. Mainer urgted citizens to at
tend the meeting and said the in
tent of the inveCttgattlng commit
tee is to elect officers and to for
mally put the organization “in
business.”
Mr. Mamer noted that the Jun
ior Chamber of Commerce and;
Kings Mountain Merchants asso
ciation have oondudted exhaus-;
tsSve surveys Of Kings Mountain i
industrial and oomSmterCiaa estab
lishments and reported “the idea
Of a United Fund-type organiza
tion for Charitable 'giving has
elicited enthusiastic response.”
Initial plans are to Weep the Or- j
gjanfcaation completely “local” j
without any ,iie4n with either;
United Fund or Community Chest,!
two nattSoma organizations which j
have fostered the onetime phri
year giving arrangement for
Charitable, health and other re
lated agencies.
“The principal purpose of such
an organization is to conserve
manpower,” Mr. Mamer noted.
"There are many individual fund
flairapaigns, each1 with separate
organizations, and thby work
hardships on persons with limited
time.” '
Berth industrial and commerci
al firms have beerf tasked if they
will toe willing to employ a volun
teer payroll deduction plan for
tempoyee giving. (Majority, Mr.
Manor said, (have indicated com
plete willingness to make such a
plan available.
ft is mot anticipated 'that all
fund-seeking organizations will
join the local United Fund initial
ly. Ait least thrtee national organs
izations — (the National Founda
tion for Infantile Paralysis, the
National Heart Association, and
i the National (Cancer Society'—
' don’t permit local units to affil
iate With this type organization,
Mr. •Manor said. The American
; Red Cross, which one time did not
allow participation, now approves
Red Cross inclusion in local com
bined charitable appeals.
Under usual operations of this
type, donors may designate what
particular appeals they wish to
support and In what amounts, or
they may give without designa
tion. In this event, funds are pro
rated on basis of percentage of
total budget obtained.
TRINITY RECTOR — Rev. Tho
mas Croppers, rector at Trinity
Episcopal church here, assumed
his duties here recently. He is a
native of New York.
Rector Assumes
Trinity Post
Rev. Thomas Droppers, Episco
pal Rector, has assumed his du
ties at Trinity Episcopal church,
and he and his wife are occupy
ing a new home near the church
site on Phifer road.
A native of New York, Mr.
Droppers was educated in the
public schools of Delmar, N. Y.,
received his A. B. degree from
Hamilton College, and his bach
elor of sacred theology from
General Theological Seminary.
He served as a student minister
at St. Paul’s church, Endeyville
and also trained at Southern
Town and Country Institute In
Valle Crucis, N. C. He was a stu
dent minister under the clinical
training program at the South
Carolina State Mental Hospital
in Columbia, S. C.
Ordained a Deacon in May 19
5tf in the Cathedral of All Saints,
N. Y., Mr. Droppers was ordain
ed a .Priest in December that
year by Grace atnd Holy Inno
cents’ Church of Albany. Before
coming to Kings Mountain he
was assistant at St. George’s ch
urch in Schenectady, N. Y.
Mrs. Droppers, whom he mar
ried in June this year, is the for
mer Mary Ellen Anderson of
Northfleld, 111.
Dixon Revival
Is Continuing
Revival services ane continuing
this week at Dixon Presbyterian
church, with George Harpbr, Jr.,
assistant pastor, leading the e
vangelisfcic seines.
OESitole School, •vith classes for
afll ages, Is being held nightly
through Friday at 7 o’clock each
fevering. The commencement pro
gram for the Bible School will be
he4d on Sunday during the regu
lar Sunday School hour.
The revival, which will also be
concluded on Friday evening, be
gins each night at 8:15 p. m. Ar
nold Jackson is defecting the song
service.
City Adopts $624,567 Budget
For 1959-60; Tax Rate $1.50
Hayes Renews
Bond Business
Complaints
Ernest Hayes, professional
‘bondsman, renewed bis complaint
to tihe city commission Monday
night that when prisoners rte
quest his bonding services he
doesn’t heiar about it.'
Mir. Hayes said he had two city
jail prisoners in the past month
who ‘had itofld him they requested
Ms services. He said he hadn’t
been dallied. He also complains
that Corbett Nicholson, another
licensed bondsman, does bonding
‘business while on duty as city
gas superintendent.
The commission summoned
Charles (IBud) Ware, city desk
sergeant.
Sgt. Wlarte, obviously tiled, de
clared, ‘Tin not going to call you
every time someone is arrested.”
However, he contended fhlat he’d
calllted Mr. Hayes everyfime a
prisoner has asked.
Mr. Hayes Said he’d never been
called, then the sergeant said he
wasn’t sure he ever had cailled
him.
One of the instances, Mr. Hay
es contended, involved the July
23 arrest of Willie Clinton on ca
pias. Hayes said he had been
told by Clinton that hte’d asked
for Hayes’ 'services and been told
the judge would have to be con
tacted, since he was arrested on a
capias. Meantime, a cousin had
contacted Hiayes, who said he’d
gone Immediately to City Hall, ar
rived at 4:29 p. m., and found the
prisoner already released on bond
signed by Corbett Nicholson.
Sgt. Ware’s arrest sheet show
ed Clinton discharged at 4:27 p.
m. Ware said Solicitor George
Thomasson had set the bond.
Comm. Boyce Gault interposed
that Clinton had told him he’d
requested Mr. Hayes’ services.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges then
pointed out that* a prisoner usual
ly wanted out of jail, would call
one bondsman, but use another if
he happened fa.
Mr. Hayes rejoined, “If a pris
oner hasn’t been informed that
a bondsman is coming, he very
well may use another. But it’s
no accident.”
Comm. Ross Alexander said, “I
feel you have a full right to be
in City Hall and to do business,
also the right to be called.” He
added he didn’t think it wrong
for Mr. Nicholson to he a bonds
man, stating he’d heard no com.
plaints about Nicholson’s work
as gas superintendent.
Sgt. Ware said, “If you’d come
up here sometime ybu might get
sme of ’em.”
Mr. Nicholson, present at the
session, said, “On Saturday
night I stay here all night. Hay
es doesn’t stay up here.”
The commission, on the May
or’s suggtstdon, instructed Police
Comm. Luther Berinett to in.
vestigate and report to the board.
As he left the meeting, Mr.
Hayes said, Tm disappointed.
You don’t believe but one side.”
(Another case mentioned by
Hayes involved Linona Carpen
ter. The case record showed she’d
been lodged in jail for six days
before being released on a char
ge of abandonment and non
support: of minor children.
Auto Repossesor
Gets City Property
We’ll have our attorney con
tact their attorney
Oilty Olerk Joe 'McDaniel was
talking to Jake Early, city rec
reation director via telephone.
Mir. Early was reporting that a
Gastonia loan company had re
fused to tom over to him Babe
Ruth feague baseball equip
ment which the loan company
had acquired while repossess
ing an automobile.
The auto had been the partial
property of a Babe Ruth Lea
gue coadh and this baseball
gear, property of the city recre
ation corrtmission. reposed in
the trunk when the represent a
<tivfe of Domestic Doan & Fi
nance Company “pulled” the
car it had under mortgage.
‘'I don’t -anticipate we’i] have
any great t rouble claiming the
baseball equipment,” Mr. Me
Funeral Friday
For W. M. Gantt
Former Grocer
Died Tuesday
Of Heart Attack
William McKinley Gantt, 60,
prominent Kings Mountain bus
inessman, died Tuesday night at
11:30 ait Kings Mountain hospi
tal after suffering a heart at
tack.
Mr. Gantt, who had been in
declining health for sometime,
had been hospitalized the past
ten days, though his condition
had appeared improved before
the fatal attack. '
Born in Gaston County on
March 25, 1899, Mr. Gamtt was
the son of the late Andrew
Gamewell and Diane Clark
Gantt. A realtor and retired gro-1
oer, he was also vice-president of'
Kings Mountain Savings and
Loan Association and a member
of the official board of Central
Methodist church.
Hd is survived by his wife, Mrs.
Zella Dennis Gantt; one daugh
ter, Mrs. Gerald Edward Grant of
Brockton, Mass., two brothers,
John and Columbus Gantt of
Kings Mountain and three sis
ters, Mrs. B. A. Smith of Kings
Mountain; Mrs. Mae Weir of
Hamstead, N. C., and Mrs. Myrtle
Smith of Wilmington.
Fneral services will be held
Friday afternoon at 4 o’clock
from Central Methodist chuch,
with the Rev. H. D. Garmon, the
pastor, and the Rev. J. B. Mc
Larty, a former pastor, to offi
ciate. The body will lie in state
at the church one hour prior to
the services. Interment will be
in the mausoleum of Sharon
Memorial Park, Charlotte.
KIWANIS CLUB
W. T. Robinson, manager of
public relations for Carolina
Freight Carriers Association of
Cherryville, will address Kings
Mountain Kiwanians at their
Thursday meeting. The club
.convenes at 6:45 p. m. at the
Woman’s club.
SUCCUMBS — W. M. Gantt, re
tired Kings Mountain grocer,
died Tuesday night Funeral ser
vices will be held Friday after
noon at 4 p. m. in Central Meth
odist church.
Union Service
At SL Matthew's
Sunday night's union service
will be held at St. (Matthew’s Lu
theran church.
Dr. W. P. Ger Warding, the pas
tor, will deliver the message ait
eight o’clock. Dr. Gerberding’s
theme will he "To Ninevah via
Joppa, the story of Jonah as a
foreign missionary. The choir
will sing "The King of Love my
Shepherd Is" by Shelley.
Schedule for the remainder of
the union service series will in
clude:
Shnday, August 9th, at First
Presbyterian church wih Rev. M.
D. DilBose, pastor of Kings Moun
tain (Baptist church, to deliver the
message.
Sunday, August 16, at Resurrec
tion Lutheran church, with Rev.
George Moore to deliver the mes
sage. \
McCurdy Says Meter Plan Changes
Minor and Won't Effect Motorists
BY MARTIN HARMON
There’s already a change in the
parking melter sett-up, since the
city farmed It out to the oifty rec
rtealttion commission, (but it won’t
effect motorists or their tempers.
In the interest of putting a few
more coins into the rather unfill
ed recreation commission coffer,
the commission this week toad
Riager 'Blackwell, their meter “of
ficer,” to cease the praCticfe of put
ting a fivecent coin (far an hour’s
parking in the meters when mo
torists have over-stayed their
tfarib.
However, they’re still putting
the regular request on the motor
ists' windshields which say, in ef
fect, "You’re over-parked and
won't you put a dime in this en
velope?”
Several years ago, the City of
Kings Mountain, plagued by mo
torists’ complaints about paying
a dollar for over-parking by n
minute or thirtee, adopted the cour
tesy nickel system, a system bor
rowed from the Town of Smith
flieild. Under the plan, the meter
man put in a nickel, thbn put the
envelope request on the over
Parker’s windshield. The mer
chants of the community, via the
Kings Mountain Merchants asso
ciation, staked the meter officer
to the nickels, paid for the print,
ed forms 'and other necessary
tools, and were able to break ev
ep, financially, on the new sys
tem. Meantim, the city contin
ued to derive about the same a
mount of revenue from its park
ing meters, parkers “moved on”
when theirbusiness was done,
and the police department and
city farthers escaped the ire of
many a motoriert.
Fleete MdCundy, of the recrea
tion commission, said Wednesday
there Is no intent to “bust” the
system and that thte new arrange
merit will be a volunteer one. “We;
merely will save putting in the
nickels.”
<1We hope,” he continued, "that
citizens will not only continue to
honor this courtesy parking plan
but will Increase theftr contribu
tions since all the the monies will
!be used to expand the city's pub
lic recreation program. Needless
to say, it can use plenty of ex
pansion."
As early aS 1961, the General
Assembly passed a law permffit
tdng the city to use parking me
ter revenues for public r<'crea
tion. However, it was only a few
weeks ago, effective July 1, that
the city willed the parking meter
revenue to the commission.
- The gift hdd same Costly strings
attached. The commission will get
the revenue, but It will also have
to pay the cost of the meterman
and the upkeep on the city’s near
200 me’ers.
(Mr. McCurdy estimates that a
year’s parking meter revenue will
net about $2500 for public recrea
tion.
“It’s not a lot of money, com
pared to what is .needed, but It’s
that much. And we Hope that con
tributions of persons parking too
Jong will help swell the total,”
Mr. McCurdy continued.
Meterman Blackwell, a Bre
vard college student, will relin
quish his duties to Recreation Di
rector Jake Early come time for
school opening. •
The merchants association has
stepped out of the arrangement
on request of the recreation com
mission, (President Jonas (Bridges
said.
“We have been assured there
will be no Change of plan which
would deteriorate the excellent
parking arrangement in vogue
here since the courtesy nickel
plan was adopted,” Mt. Bridges
commented.
Budget Provides
Mayor $600 Raise,
Judge White $300
The city board of commission
ers formally adopted a 1959-60
budget Monday night calling for
expenditure of $624,567, up by
$2629 from 'the tentatively adopt,
ed budget, and retained the same
tax rate of $1.50 per $100 valua
tion.
[The additional $2629 was an in
crease in the budget for capital
outlay spending and was derived
from more cash surplus than was
originally expected.
The $1.50 tax rate — expected
to return the city $140,000 — will
toe divided as follows: general
fund 32.5 cents, detot service 44.5;
capital outlay 68 dents, and recre
ation fund five cents.
Last year no tax was levied for
the (general fund, the city enjoy
ing a larger cash surplus.
The addition to the capital out
lay fund means that the city Is
earmarking $80,531 for capital
Cor long-term) purchases during
the year (which (began July 1.
These are the proposed expendi
tures: water and sewer installa
tions, $10,700; paving of streets,
$15,975; curtbihg, guttering and
sidewalks, $48,608; adding ma
chine, $409; city Wall air-condi
tioniing plant, $2,000; and fire
alarm signal's, $209.
‘Majority of city employees will
make the same salaries as last
year, the 'budget indicates. How
ever, the appropriations call for a
$600 raise far the (Mayor and a
$300 raise for the judge of city
court. City Clerk Joe McDaniel
said commission action to effect
the increases are necessary be
fore they are effective. Via the
budget, Mayor Glee A. (Bridges
salary will be $4200 from the City,
another $600 for travel expense,
and $500 salary from the gas de
partment, for a total of $5300. He
grossed $4700 last year. Judge
Jack White would receive $2100
rather than the $1800 last year.
Other budget items:
1) The city anticipates spend
ing $16,000 Jess in its Street de
partment, principally in the main
tenance account.
2) Budget for the general de
partment Is off $1500, with a
$3315 saving anticipated from in
surance purchases and an in
crease of $1,080 for civil defense.
(Only $20 was spent lor civil de
fense last year.)
3) Water and sewer depart
ment expenditures will ’be off
$2,000 this year.
4) Electrical department expen
ditures are expected to increase
$10,000, half of it for power pur
chases, another $700 increase for
meters, another $2300 for trans
formers, and an additional $1350
for line hardware and light fix
tures.
4) Debt service, a fixed cost,
will toe $3,000 less than last year.
5) Principal receipts drop is
anticipated on street assessments.
The city collected $24,308 in this
category last year, thinks it will
receive only $12,000 from this
source during 1959-60. i
Service Available
Plans are being completed to
introduce city delivery service to
citizens living in the Linwood
Section, according too announce
ment by Postmaster Charles Al
exander.
Mali service (foot delivery to
the door) will be available to
citizens who live in the 200-900
blocks of Cleveland Avenue; 600,
900 blocks of Groves street; 800
900 blocks of Rhodes avenue; 600
-800 blocks of Linwood road; 800
900 blocks of Monroe Avenue;
800-900 blocks of Katherine Ave
nue; and 600-800 blocks of Jack
son street.
To receive this service, those
patrons who have not numbered
their houses must do so, Mr. Al
exander pointed out. In addition,
a mail receptacle must be in
stalled.
Patrons, presently being serv
ed by the route 1 carrier, may, if
they desire, retain their present
rural boxes and city delivery
will be made to them, in lieu of
front porch delivery.
"As soon as the foregoing con
ditions are met by residents liv
ing within the specified sections,
city delivery service will be ini
tiated," Mr. Alexander added.
Patrons having questions con
cerning city delivery service are
invited to contact the postmaster.