North Carolina Newspapers

Population Greater Kings Mountain 10,320 «Sty Limits 7,206 Dm figure tot Gftaiu King* Mountain I* derived from ttaa MSS King* Mountain city directory census. The city Lined ts figure Is from too United States census el 1850. 1 £ Pages ID Today VOL 71 No. 9 Established 1889 Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, March 3, I960 Seventy-First Year PRICE TEN CENTS -k I Local News Bulletins COIN COLLECTORS Regular monthly meeting of the Kingis Mountain Coin Col lectors club will be held at City Hall courtroom Friday night at 7:30, according to an nouncement by Bill McGinnis. MEETING A jadnt meeting of the eld ers and deacons of First Pres byterian church will be held Wednesday night following prayer service. The meeting was postponed from last week. PERMIT ISSUED City Inspector J. W. Webster Issued a permit to William Paul Bridges Monday to build a one-sltory metal building on E. King Street between Deal Street and York Road. Estima ted cost of the structure is $500. LEGION MEETING Regular monthly meeting of' j Otis D. Green Post 155, Ameri- > can Legion, will be held Fri day evening at 8 o’clock aft the Posit Building, It was announ ced by Commander J. T. Mc Ginnis, Jr. It was also announ ced that dances have been sc heduled for March 12 and 26. KIWANIS PROGRAM Claude H. Raybom, of Char lotte, representative of Smith, Kline A French laboratories, will address members of the Kiwanis club at their Thurs day evening meeting. The club convenes at 6:45 alt the Wo man’s Club. -- ' 1 ■ ' * Heart Sunday Gifts Total Over $573 Heart Sunday donations total ed $573.72 in the house-tohouse canvass held to secure funds for the 1960 Heart appeal. Mrs. James Dickey, chairman of the special canvass, and Rev. Thomas Droppers, overall chair man, expressed themselves as well pleased with the response to the effort. Captains and volunteer work ers in the Heart Sunday effort were: Miss Irene Allen, captain: Mrs. Upward Ware, Miss Rose Malcolm, Miss Connie Padgett, Miss Diana Neal, Mrs. Tom Trott; Mrs. J. >N. McClure, cap tain: Mrs. Charles Ballard, Mrs. Sam Stallings, Mrs. Blanton, Mrs. Bridges, Mrs. Wilson Grif fin, Mrs. Shehan, Mrs. Charles Carpenter; Mrs. Y. F. Throne burg, Mrs. J. B. Simpson, Mrs. Fred Withers, captains; Mrs. Bet ty Bates, Mrs. Virginia Gibson, Mrs. Delores Falls, Mrs. Wilbur Smith; Mrs. John Cheshire, cap tain; Mrs. Delbet Dixon, Mrs. B. T. Wright, Lynn Cheshire, Mrs. Dan Finger; Mrs. C. W. Falls, captain; Mrs. Roy Spake and Mrs. Ray Mulllnax. Also: Mrs. George Thomasson, Mrs. Faye Dover, Mrs. L. L. Lohr, captains; Miss Naomi Edens, Miss Freida Burton; Mrs. M. D. Phifer, captain; Mrs. John Dill ing, Mrs. U. A. Wilson, Mrs. Ro bert Miller, Mrs. Dorus Bennett, Miss Ava Ware, Mrs. Reed Bell. Also: Mrs. O. W, Myers, Mrs. N. F. McGill, captains; Mrs. Paul Hendricks, Mrs. W. L. Mauney, Mrs. J. K. Willis, Mrs. Grady King, Mrs. Ellen Petrosino, Miss Winifred Fulton, Miss Margaret Harmon; Mrs. J. H. Arthur, cap tain; Miss Betty Morrison; Mrs. Bun Goforth, captain; Mrs. Kel ly McCarter, Mrs. Lawrence Brid ges, Mrs. Ben H. Goforth; Mrs. Andrew Roberts, captain; Miss Barbara Marble, Miss Annie Cole. Trio Stranded Near Charlotte Harris Funeral Home ans wered an emergency call Wed nesday, tout it didn’t concern sickness. Mrs. Hunter Allen, Mrs. Bill Allen and the latter’s mother, Mrs. Bill Camp had left for Charlotte about 8 a. m. where Mrs. Camp was to undergo a minor operation. The Mesdames Allen were going to await Mrs. Camp and return her home. Hunter Allen, superintendent of the city electrical depart ment, had a call late in the morning. His wife and party was stranded at Summitt ave nue, Wilkinson Boulevard, on the edge of Charlotte. Mr. Allen was hopeful the Harris’ emergency trip would toe successful at 4:15 Wednes day afternoon. September Likely Date Of Bond Election ‘March To Church In March’ Loyalty Campaign Begins Area Churches In Loyalty Drive Church Loyalty (Month, a com munity - wide campaign launched by the Ministerial Association, gets underway officially on Sun day, as citizens will be invited to join a ‘IMarch to OhurcSh in Mar ch” effort. Virtually all churches in the Kings Mountain area are par ticipating in the month-long pro gram which is 'being headed by Rev. Herbert D. Garmon and Dr. W. L. Pressly, ccnchairmen for the minister’s organization. “If one would inquire into the reasons for the sad fact that too many pews are vacant Sunday af ter Sunday, many varied excuses would be brought to light”, Rev. George Moore, Resurrection Lu theran minister, said this week. He listed some "excuses” as ill ness, weather, jobs, visits to oth er churches, visits by friends and relatives, visits to friends and relatives, and visits to children a way at school. “There is a lack of concern”, he noted, “for spiritual growth.” “And yet,” he continued, “not one would dream of missing the meals prepared each day for physical growth.” “Why is it that we deny ourselves the spirilla! food which is essential to life's true growth?” he asked. This con demnation”, he pointed out, “is not in the absen<*e but in the in different attitude toward wor ship in God’s house Which says “It’s not that important.” Indifferent absence .rom chur oh is the mark of the weak, the coward, and the fearful, the min ister believes. Mr. Moore added that a special emphasis on chur Ch loyalty in March is for sin cere attendance and worshij Which is a “fruit of the Spirit.” Dr. Lake Seeks Governorship Dr. I. Beverly (Lake, onetime as sistant attorney general, became the state’s fourth announced caw didate for the Democratic nomi nation for governor on Tuesday Dr. Lake, an avowed segrega tionist who said in Sanford a few weeks ago he wouldn’t offer, op poses three other candidates, a mong them 'his former boss Mai colm SeawelL Dr. Lake quit over disagreement with Seawell and the administration on method of handling the segregation prob lem. Seawell said North Carolina would uphold the edicts of thte United States Supreme Court as the law of the land. Dr. Lake doesn’t agree. Other candidates are Terry Sanford, Fayetteville lawyer, and John Larkins, Trenton lawyer. The entry of Dr. Lake, also a onetime Wake Forest law school professor, followed close on the heels of mass demonstrations of Negro students in many Southern cities who seek to be served food In nominally all-white restau rants. His candidacy will bring to the fore the segregation issue which, thus far in North Carolina, has been limited chiefly to at tempts of Negro citizens to gain admission to nominally all-white schools and for elimination of “Jim Crow” status on public con veyances. For the most part, Nor th Carolina has followed a slow course in dealing with the prob lem and some schools in the lar ger cities have been integrated on a token basis. All of the gubernatorial candi dates are from the section of the state considered “East” or "Coas tal Plains." Entry of Malcolm Seawell as the third announced candidate in dicated strong possibility that a second primary would be neces sary to settle the contest Most observers think the entry of Dr. Lake removes any doubt that a (dontinued on Page Bight) PROMOTED — Charlie Ballard is the new public relations direct or and personnel manager ot Lithium Corporation of Ameri ca's Bessemer City plant He suc ceeds Bruce Thorbum. Lithium Promotes Charlie Ballard Charlie Ballard has succeeded Bruce Thorburn as public rela tions and personnel director of Lithium Corporation of Ameri ca’s Bessemer City plant. Mr. Ballard assumed his new duties on February 22. He was promoted from a pro duction supervisor’s position. 'Mr. Ballard is a Kings Moun tain native and a former star school, semi-professional and pro fessional baseball player. He is a veteran of World War H, having spent several years in the Pacif ic Theatre. He held the rating of staff sergeant on discharge. Prior to entering the service he attend ed Lenoir Rhyne college. On his return from war service, he own ed and operated Piedmont Wash erette for more than six years. Mrs. Ballard is the former Bet ty Roberts and they have a son, Mike Ballard. All are members of First Presbyterian churah. City Auto Tag Sales Set Record Sale of city auto license tags has set a record. City Clerk Joe McDaniel, Jr., said Wednesday total sales to date were 1780. Mr. McDaniel said records indicate several more remain to be sold as the police depart ment checks out the list to see that all in-city auto owners purchase and display the tags. Negress Shot To Death Sunday; Brown Is Held Carrie Stevenson, 61-year-old Negress, was shot to death with a 12-guage shotgun near here early Sunday afternoon. Gaston county rural police said the shooting took place on Can terbury Road but in Gaston coun ty. Arrested for the slaying was James Brown, 53-yearold Negro, alleged to be the Stevenson wo man’s common-law husband. Brown was charged with murder by Det. Q. H.. Dale and Officer Jerry Pasour of the Gaston rural police. The officers said the slaying occurred following arguing and some drinking by Brown and Carrie Stevenson. According to Brown, Carrie Stevenson tried first to assault him with an ax. Later, he said, she attacked him with a foot long butcher knife and cut him on the wrist The third assault came wher Mrs. Stevenson brandished a ful ly loaded double-barrel shotgun. J Brown claimed he grabbed the! gun and it went off. The blast all but tore off the woman’s right hand, the shot striking her in the chest and knocking her from one bedroom of her home to another. Brown ran and hid in a nearby field. Dale said he and Pasour found him and he surrendered when they drew their guns. Brown had a gash across the left side of his neck, Which he claimed was inflicted by George Stevenson, son of the dead wo man, when he came home and found his mother. The son deni ed cutting Brown. Officers said the dead woman and her slayer had been “friends” for 12 or 13 years. Mrs. Stevenson was a widow and the mother of three children. t — REPEAT SERVICE St. Matthew’s Lutheran ch urch will repeat its Ash Wed nesday Holy Communion ser vice Thursday night at 7:30, according to announcement by the pastor, Dr. W. P. Gerber - ding- Dr. Gerberding said the service is being held to accom modate members unable to at tend the Ash Wednesday rites due to Wednesday’s heavy snow. DuBose Heads Township Campaign "or Gardner-Webb College Fund Kings Mountain • and Grover are organizing to have a pari in Cleveland County’s fund-raising effort for Gardner-Webb college. The Rev. Marion DuBose, pas tor of Kings Mountain Baptist church, is town chairman for the area. He and a group of volun teer leaders will meet with col lege officials March 3 in Kings Mountain to map plans for the campaign. Cleveland Is working toward a goal of $300,000 as lits share in the $550,000 drive for expansion purposes at Gardner-Webb. A report last week showed $190,000 of this figure already secured, leaving $110,000 yet to go. Fund-raising counsel for the college has expressed hope that the Kings Mountain-Grover area will set a goal of $30,000 as their share in Cleveland’s total effort. The Kings Mountain area was originally scheduled to launch a Gardner-Webb campaign Febru ary 15 with Shelby and other communities of Cleveland Coun ty. The Rev. Mr. DuBose had a greed to lead the effort, but due to illness in his family was un able to complete an organization »t thait dm«. As currently scheduled, Cleve HEADS DRIVE — Rev. Marion DuBose, Kings Mountain minis ter, is heading the Kings Moun tain area drive in a fund-raising effort for Gardner-Webb college. land other than Kings Mountain will complete its general cam paign March 14. The latter group is scheduled to be fully organ - (Continued on Page Bight) Other Elections Preclude Earlier Merger Decision BY MARTIN HARMON The school bond election of the newly created school tax district will likely be called for September, It means that the earliest possible merger of func tions is for the 1961-62 term. It had been hoped that the e leotion could toe held in April. Impossibility of an April date became apparent Monday when school officials conferred with C. C. (Cobby) Horn, county at torney on Monday. State law prevents the holding of any local election withip 30 days (before or after) a state wide election. In addition, a minimum of 42 days is required to advertise the election, to open the registration books, provide for challenge day and conduct the voting. Since a state-wide primary is to be conducted in late May and provision !is made for a second primary, to provide for run-offs, in late June, school officials guess the county commission can hardly set a date earlier than September. Conferring on the election call with County Attorney Horn were Supt. J. H. Grigg, county schools, Suipt B. N. Bames, Kings Moun tain schools, Prey W. Plonk, ch airman of the Kings Mountain board of education, and Max Hamrick, county auditor and tax supervisor. Mr. Plonk commented, “I’m really disappointed as we had hoped to have the voting in Ap ril. But it appears September is the best that can be done. Mr. Horn says that bond attorneys will veto any plan which doesn’t meet the very letter of the law.” The county commission will meet Monday and school offi cials expect to ask them to make plans for calling the school dis trict bond election then. Petition of about 20 percent of voters in the area asked an election to grant the newly created district authority to issue up to $1,100, 000 in bonds for building a new high school plant to .serve the merged district — almost all of Number 4 Township and a small portion of Number 5 Township. State law, too, would prevent the merger unless the voting is completed by June 30. State law specifies .that a merger can be come effective only at the begin ning of a fiscal year. Earliest possible date now appears to be July 1, 1961. Current plans call for an addi tional election, should the bond issuance authority toe approved. It would be an election among citizens currently outside the present Kings Mountain district on question of merging with the Kings Mountain -district and on question of paying the current Kings Mountain district supple mental school operation tax of 20 cents per $100. j Bowen Child Remains Critical The condition of Michael Bo wen, struck by a car in the park ing lot of Grace Methodist Chur ch at 8 p. m. Sunday, was still listed as critical by attending I physicians Wednesday after 'noon. v I Young Bowen, the 10-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. C. F. Bowen of 829 Church street, was struck by a car driven by W. C. Sides, Jr. 48, pastor of the church. Rev. Sides backed over the child. The pastor said he felt some thing under his car, got out, looked, and saw the child under the car. The officers surmised that the boy was lying behind the car before it started moving. Young Bowen is listed in cri tical condition at Kings Moun tain Hospital. The accident was investigated by police officers Ellis King and Jackie Barrett. CAKE SALE The Kate Ellen circle of Oak Grove Baptist church Is spon soring a cake and pie sale Sat urday morning beginning at 9 a. m. alt Phifer Hardware Com pany. J Webster Resigns City Tax Position Resignation Was Tendered On Wednesday J. W. Websiter, cilty tax super visor and collector since 1956, has resigned effective Saturday. Mr. Webster resigned verbal ly Monday, and tendered his let ter of resignation to the mayor and board of commissioners Wednesday morning. ' He addressed the following letter to ithe mayor and commis sion: “Due to the pressing duties of my office and in view of my re cent operation, I find it will be necessary for me to resign the job of tax collector. I want all of you gentlemen to know that it has been a pleasure working for you and I am very sorry to leave but, as I stated above, I find it necessary.” At an informal session of the commission Tuesday night, Ma yor Glee A. Bridges and Comm. Boyce Gault, commissioner on administration, told other mem bers they had conferred with Mr. Webster Monday concerning work of the tax office. The ma yor said some phases of the work is behind and that the dis-} cussion concerned ways and j means of getting the work up-to date. As a result of the discuss ion, the Mayor said, Mr. Webster said he was resigning. There had been no further dis cussion of the matter on Tuesday and Mr. Webster had reported for work as usual. There was some feeling among the com mission members Tuesday night that Mr. Webster might have, changed his mind and no action was taken. The formal resignation was tendered by Mr. Webster Wed nesday morning. In January, Mr. Webster un derwent a major stomach opera tion. Last year, his wife died following a long illness. Mayor Bridges said no action will be taken on a successor to Mr. Webster prior to next. Thurs day’s regular March commission meeting. City Clerk Joe McDan iel Is also assistant tax collect or. Mayor Bridges said he and Mr. McDaniel would handle the work of the office until a suc cessor is named. Mr. Webster, who has filled the role of city building inspect or in addition to his tax otfice duties, has received a salary of $350 per month. Mr. Webster Is a Kings Moun tain board of education member, a former zone chairman and pre sident of the Lions club, treasur er of First Presbyterian church, and a Mason. Before becoming city tax col lector, he was employed by El mer Lumber Company, managed B. & B. Restaurant, and was em ployed by Bennett Construction Company. RESIGNS — J. W. Webster, for the past four years city tax col lector and supervisor and city building inspector, resigned Wednesday morning. Grant Charged, ! Can't Be Found Charles Grant was charged Monday night with assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill by Ernest Biddix following a Shooting at Mrs. Grant’s home at 400 N. Battleground Avenue. Biddix was sitting in a chair in the living room of the house when someone shot through thej screen, window, and a partially j closed blind with a shotgun, in juring IBiddix's left thigh. Biddix was taken to Kings Mountain Hospital for treatment.' Police Chief Martin Ware said: he is not in critical condition Biddix and Mrs. Grant were| scheduled to be tried for adultery' charges in Monday’s session of City Recorder’s Court, but trans ferred the cases to Cleveland County Superior Court for jury trial. The charges were brought against the two by Grant. Chief Ware said Biddix took out the warrant for Grant’s ar rest, but it has not been served. Grant, Ware said, cannot be found. Girl Scout Sunday Set A Girl Scout promises to do her duty to God and country, to help other people at all times, and to live by the Girl Scout laws. In ifings Mountain, 172 girls who belong to seven troops ol Brownie and Intermediate Scouts will worship together Sunday as they begin a full week of Gir Scout activities. The occasion is Girl Seoul Week which officially opens or Girl Scout Sunday. “You Cai Count On Her To Be Prepared’ <Continued On Page Eight) World Day Of Prayer Observance Planned For St. Matthew's Friday Kings Mountain’s 1960 observ ance of the annual World Day of i Prayer will be a special program I to be held at St. Matthew’s Lu theran church Friday afternoon 'at 3:30. The Kings Mountain observan ce is being sponsored by the Kings Mountaip Council of Unit ed Churchwomen, an interdenom inational group representing all churches in the community. A similar service for the color ed citizens will be held Friday night at 7:30 p. m. at Good Hope Presbyterian church. Mrs. Wilson Crawford is gen-1 eral Chairman of the service in Kings Mountain, Taking part in the community - wide program will be Mrs. E. R. Goter, Mrs. M. I D. Phifer, Mrs. Andy Huffstet ler, Mrs. A. W. Kincaid. Mrs. Earl j Ledford, Mrs. Paul Ausley, Mrs.! C. A. Butterworth, Mrs. J. R Mauney, Mrs. B. N. Barnes, Mrs. I Bob Hall, Mrs. George Thomas son, Mrs. John C. McGill, Mrs. P G. Padgett, Mrs. James Herndon Mrs. George Moore, Mrs. Jack Hauser, and Mrs. Sam Stallings. All citizens of Kings Mountain are being invited to participate in the services. The 1960 theme. “Laborers To gether With God,” was written by the Women’s Inter-Church Council of Canada and is based on the biblical text from I Cor inthians 3:9. It includes a drama tization of “Friends Across the Frontier,” peoples from the many nations of the globe as they de monstrate to the world the un limited power of prayer and the depth of concern for God’s Child ren everywhere. One of the m-oiects aided by World Day of Prayer offerings provides religious directors for Indian boys and girls in govern ment schools in ten states. Eight Inches Of Snow Falls ' In Seven Homs Snow fell in quantity again Wednesday morning and was continuing at a fast pace at mid afternoon, promising Kings Mountain area citizens tfheir deep est snow ^in several decades. The snowflakes began falling shortly after 8 a. m. and quickly covered the community. By 3 o’ clock the snow measured eight inches and drifts were much deeper. The prediction of the weather prophets was six to ten inches. More quickly than usual, the snowfall clogged highways, sent housewives to grocery stores to replenish their larders, and pos ed considerably problems for many. Industry was playing its pro duction plans ‘by ear.” Massa chusetts Mohair Plush Compan and Mauney Mills, Inc., were planning to operate if possible and on limited schedule if work ers appeared. Mauney Hosiery Company had virtually shutdown, but Carolina Throwing Company was hoping to find sufficient op erators to continue the major portion of its current operation. Generally, firms which attract workers from points outside Kings Mountain were in greatest difficulty. School authorities were worried about getting some 3,000 stu dents home safely. City public works employees found their efforts at removing snow futile. Supt. Grady Yelton remarked, "it’s falling so fast we can’t keep up with it” Floyd Farris, Southern Bell Telephone manager, called early in the day to say the Kings Mountain switchboard was clog ged "wilth every available line in use.” Mr. Farris said snows always clog telephone traffic and guessed that school young sters may have already been sent home, a' factor that always ups telephone traffic. But they hadn’t been. Traffic was a growing prob lem. Service station dealers were sold out of chains, found the same situartion at wholesale hou ses in Gastonia and Shelby. Trucks and other vehicles got stranded, posing a similar prob lem for lighter vehicles which moved well until their momen tum was slowed. Shoe merchants had a second seasonal rush on rubber foot wear and other snow gear. The quality of ithe snow was light and airy, in contrast with the icy glazing snow of the night of February 12-13. It gave pro mise of being ideal for snow balls, snow cream, and constru ction of snowmen. — Four Attended GOP Convention | Several Kings Mountain citl j zens attended the Republican i state' convention held at Raleigh Saturday. Among the Kings Mountain ' delegation were Kelly Dixon, candidate for Congress from the ; 11th district, W. A. Williams, H. • O. (Toby) Williams, and F. C. 1 Ware. I - No School On Thursday As the snow brings trial and tribulation to (many, strands others from home, and slows production schedules, it never theless brings joy to some. Supt. of Schools B. N. Barnes , said Wednesday afternoon ! that Thursday’s school aotivi j ties will be suspended. It’s an unscheduled holiday which should find the stu dents quite delighted. j Also cancelled by the sche dule change, was Thursday night’s faculty-high school basketball doubleheader. The game will be re scheduled. Mrs. Martin Harmon said j she would not take her p;ano | pupil entries to Hickory Thurs day for the district piano con tests. She had been unab’e to reach officials, she said, but , presumed the contests would be re-scheduled.