Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7,206
A* figure lor Creator King* Mountain to derived from
(ho 1*55 Clog* Mountain city directory conruo. Dm city
Umttt figure In Inal toe United State* eaw of 1*50
VOL 71 No. 12
10 Pages
IQ Today
PRICE TEN CENTS
IN YOUTH ORCHESTRA — Pictured' above are James Forrest, left
and Sandy Campbell who are among the 85 Piedmont area students
who are members of the newly-organized Piedmont Youth Orchestra.
The group of young musicians will present a free concert Saturday
evening at Davidson college. Both Forrest and Campbell are Central
high school students.
Local News
Bulletins
LODGE MEETING
Am emergent communication
c<f Faii-view Lodge 339 AF&AM
will be held Monday night at
7:30 at Masonic Hall, accord
ing to announcement by T. D.
Tindall, secretary.
WITH MOTOR FIRM
J. W. Webster, former city
tax collector has joined Plonk
Motor Company as a collector,
it was announced by Fred
Plonk.
P-TA MEETING
Park Grace P-TA will hold
Its regular meeting Monday
night at 7 o’clock in the school
auditorium, it has been an
nounced.
P-TA PROGRAM
Pierre Dasen, Kings Moun
tain exchange student from
Switzerland, will present the
program at Monday night’s
Park Grace' P-TA meeting.
Young Dasen is a senior at
Central high,school.
WEST P-TA
West school Parent-Teacher
association will meet Monday
night at 7:30 at the school ca
feteria. Mrs. Bruce Thorburn
will speak on “The Exception
al Child.”
EARLY RESIGNS
Jake Early, city policeman,
has resigned effective Satur
day. Mr. Early has accepted
the managership of the States
^ ville entry in the newly formed
P Western Carolina Professional
Baseball league.
Merchants List
Committees
Kings Mountain Merchants As
sociation committees 'or the co
ming year were announced this
week by Wesley Bush, vice-pre
sident.
The membership committee is
headed by Harry Page and in
cludes Thomas Tate and Denver
.King.
Insurance Committee head is
Weslev Bu<=h and includes Den
ver King, Paul McGinnis, and J.
C. Bridges.
The annual Picnic Committee
is headed this year by James
Crawford and consists of Eugene
McSwain and Kennon Blanton.
Chairman of the Banquet Com
mittee is Thomas Tate. Making
^ up the committee are J. C. Brid
ges and James Crawford.
The Trade Promotion Com
mittee has Bill Fulton and Ken
non Blanton as co-chairmen.
Working with them is Hanry
Page.
Heading the Christmas Acti
vity Committee will be Eugene
• McSwain. Members include Den
ver King and Bill Fulton.
The special October 7th Com
mittee is headed by J. C. Brid
ges ard consists of Charles Dix
on. Jonas Bridges, and Paul
Walker.
Clarinetists
In Piedmont
Area Orchestra
Two Kings Mountain students
are among 85 from Piedmont
area high schools wlho will play
in the first concert of the Pied
mont Youth Orchestra Saturday
night.
Free to the public, the concert j
will be given in the dining hall
of the Ohamlbers Building at Da !
vidson college.
The orchestra draws its young'
musicians from 16 communities.
The players go to Davidson col-|
lege each Saturday morning for
rehearsal.
Organized in January by Frank i
West of the Davidson college
music faculty, Piedmont Youth
Orchestra is a non-profit educa
tional group. Participation in the _
orchestra is free to the musici-f
ans. Funds are derived from do
nations of interested friends.
William Mason, attorney from
Belmont, is president of the
board of directors.
Orchestra members include
James Forrest, who plays the
clarinet, and Sandy Campbell,
Who plays the bass clarinet, both
from Kings Mountain.
The, Saturday program will in
clude: Overtures from Diden
Piocini; Nocturne from ‘‘A Mid
summer Night’s Dream” by Men-!
delssohn; Emperor Waltzes by
Strauss and Procession of the
Sarder from Caucasian Sketches
by Ivanov.
New Feature Today
In Society Section
A new feature appears for the
first time today in the Herald
society section.
Entitled ‘’Bite £>ize News Bits”.'
the feature will include short ed
itorial and news items of partic- j
ular interest and is being written
by the Kings Mountain Woman’s
Club.
It is anticipated the feature
will appear monthly.
Four Six-Day Weeks For School Make-Ups
No Action Yet
On Filling (Sty
Tax Position
The cilty tax supervisor-collec
tor position remains vacant, with
the duties being handled by Ma
yor Glee A. Bridges and Joe Mc
Daniel, city clerk who was nam- i
ed temporary assistant tax coll- j
eator several weeks ago.
Mr. McDaniel was named dur
ing !the illness of farmer collector'
J. W. Webster.
Wednesday there was still lack
of unanimity among city com
missioners on filling of the pos
ition, both as to identity of per-;
sonnel or functionally.
Apparently there were two
possible functional methods un-,
der consideration:
1) Appoint a successor to J. W.
Webster, who resigned recently,
and name the successor tax col
lector-supervisor, with responsi
bility for handling the work of
the office completely.
2) Name a lady to handle the
clerical work with the Mayor to
give particular attention to more
difficult collections, land sales,
and other details of the work.
It was anticipated, officials ac
knowledged, that a special ses
sion of the commission would
have been or would be held this
week. However, several conflicts
oeunred involving members and
at Wednesday noon no date for
a meeting had been set.
Thus far, formal applications
for the position of tax collector
supervisor have been received
from these citizens: M. H. Biser,
D. L. Saunders, Sam Collins, I. C.
Davis, B. W. Gillespie, and M. C.
Poston.
"No Axe Out"
Says Bridges
Rumors to the contrary, there
is "no axe out” for Corbett Nich
olson, superintendent of the city
gas system. Comm. Ben H. Brid
Iges said Wednesday.
Comm. Bridges commented on
rumors extant the past week that,
the city might seek to shift the
gas system responsibility to oth
er city employees.
Comim. Bridges said there has'
been some discussion of some job
shifting, but that he knew of nc
plans to discharge Supt. Nlchol
son.
"Discussions merely have con
cerned ways and means of sav
ing the city money in every way
possible in order that the saving
may be available for long-tern
capital expenditures,” Comm
| Bridges commented.
Comm. Ross Alexander, gas
commissioner, says he thinks
Supt. Nicholson Is doing a cred
itable job, giving good service,
and that the two-mari gas de
partment staff should not be dis
turbed.
Martin To Lead
Faith Revival
Rev. N. W. Martin, pastor of
Plainview Baptist church of Dal
| las, will begin a week of special
services Sunday at Faith Baptist
church.
Services will continue all week
at 7 p. m. nightly, Rev. Flay
Payne, the pastor, said in mak
| ing the announcement,
i The visiting minister is a grad
luate of Southeastern Seminary.
Kittie Lou Sutton Is President,
Math Department, State Teachers
Miss Kittie Lou Sutton, Kings
Mountain teacher, was elected
president of the department of
mathematics of the North Car
olina Education Association at
the annual convention last week
end.
Mias Sutton has taught math
ematics at Central high school
since September 1950. She re
ceived her B. S. degree from
Tennessee Polytechnic Institute]
and earned her master’s at Pea-,
body College in Nashville, Tenn.1
Other teachers who were del
egates from the Kings Mountain
Unit of the NCEA to the three -
day convention in Asheville
were: Mrs. James Logan and
Principal Harry Jaynes from
Central; Mrs. W. F. Powell from
West; Miss Jackie Blanton and
Principal Robert Kennedy from
Ea it; and Principal R. H. Bryant
of North School. Supt. B. N. Bar
nes and Miss Alice Averitt, city
schools teaching consultant, also
attended the meeting.
ELECTED — Miss Kittle Lou
Sutton, high school teacher. « s
elected president of the math
ematics department of the North
Carolina Education Association
at the recent convention.
Ellis, Peeler, Sarratt File;
Contest For District 1 Post
CANDIDATE — J. Broadus Ellis,
incumbent county commissioner,
filed candidacy this week for re
election. The Grover Democrat is
completing his first term.
Spanglei Rites
Held On Tuesday
Funeral rites for Ernest W.
Spangler, 59, president of Span
gler & Sons Concrete, Inc. were
held Tuesday afternoon at Shel
by’s First Baptist church.
Mr. Spangler died suddenly
Sunday morning at Hollywood
hospital, Hollywood, Fla. Death
resulted from a heart attack. He
had suffered a previous attack
last August. He and his wife had
gone to Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,
two weeks ago to spend the re
mainder of the winter at their
home 'there.
The firm which Mr. Spangler
heads operates a plant in Kings
Mountain and Shelby. Prior to
founding this firm, he was for 15
years Shelby superintendent of
streets.
He was born in Ross Grove
community and was the son of
the late Reuben A. and Minnie
Weathers Spangler.
His Shelby home was at 701 N.
Washington St.
Surviving are his -wife, Mrs.
Verna Patrick Spangler; two
sons, R. Patrick Spangler and
Earl W. Spangler, both of Shel
by; one daughter, Mrs. Edward
Erickson of Mt. Prospect, a su
burb of Chicago, 111.; two bro
thers, R. A. Spangler and Will
Spangler, both of Shelby; three
sisters, Mrs. S. S. Summey of
Shelby, Mrs. Clarence Leonard of
Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., and Shelby,
and Mrs. Grover Cline of Ft. Lau
derdale; and nine grandchildren.
Mr. Spangler was amember of
the First Baptist Church and the
Nolan Sunday School class; the
Cleveland Country Club and the
Elks Club of Shelby.
The final rites were conducted
by Rev. John Lawrence and Rev.
Zeno Wall, with interment in
Shelby’s Sunset cemetery..
The family had requested that
memorials be designated for the
Cleveland County heart associa
tion.
Country Club
Meeting Tuesday
Annual stockholder meeting of
Rings Mountain Country Club,
inc., will be held Tuesday even
ing at 7:30. #
Dinner will be served at the
club dining room and stockhold
ers aire requested to make reser
vations by Saturday.
Louie Sabettie, secretary, said
the agenda will include election
>f directors for the -oming year
ind reports by officers and com
mittee chairmen on activities of
the past year.
He said a special committee,
including James Herndon and
Charles E. Dixon, will make a
report on poeaibilit'ies of constru
cting a club swimming pool.
Other officers are J. Ollie Har
ris, president; George W. Maun
ey, vice-president; and L. EJ
Hinnant, treasurer.
Chairmen of standing com
mittee: who will make reports
are James Herndon, house; Dr.
George Plonk, social; Georg*? W.
Mauney, greens; and Charles E.
Dixon, membership. 1
County Office
Filing Deadline
Is Auril 15
•
Three incumbent county com
missioners filed notice of candi
dacy for re-election this week, as
a contest developed for the Dis
trict 1 post being vacated by Mai
Spangler, Sr., Who is retiring.
Seeking re-election are J.
Broadus Ellis, of Graver, Knox
Sarratt, of Earl, chairman of the
board, and B. P. Peeler, of Bel-j
wood, who recently joined the
board by appointment.
The District 1 or Shelby con
test to date lists William Hugh
Dover, Shelby radioman, and U.
L. Patterson, Jr.., Shelby florist.
Chairman Sarratt represents
District 5, while Comm. Peeler
represents District 3.
Democratic nominees are elec
ted in county - wide voting, but
candidates must reside within
the district they seek to repre
sent.
Ellis, Grover businessman and
fairmeir, defeated incumbent CaTl
Finger of Kings Mountain in the
1958 run-off primary. Finger had
been appointed to the post at the
death of Commissioner Hazel
Bumgaxdner.
Peeler was appointed to the
District 3 post in January after
F. L. Rollins of Lawndale re
signed because of ill health.
This leaves the District 4 com
mission post without a candi
date, however indications are
that incumbent John White
plans to announce for re-election
before the April 15 deadline.
Meantime, the deadline was
passed last Friday for state wide
and district offices.
Kelly Dixon, of Jtings Moun
tain, pasted his filing fee as Re
publican candidate for 11th dis
trict Congressman, opposing Ba
sil L. Whittner, the Democratic
incumbent.'Neither are apposed.
The Democratic gubernatorial
line-up remained four, including
Terry Sanford, Jahn Larkins, Jr.,
Dr. Beverly Lake, and Malcolm
Seawell.
Three seek the Democratic
nomination for lieutenant-gover
nor. They are Cloyd Philpott,
Dave McConnell, and C. V. Hen
kel, Jr.
Heart Fund
New At $1672
Kings Mountain citizens wer
generous, in their contributions
to the Heart Fund and donations
totaled $1,672.85 during the Feb
ruary effort.
Rev. Thomas Droppers, chair
man,'who announced the fina
receipts from the drive, said
Wednesday he was gratified at
response to the appeal. “We are
grateful”, he said, "to the indus
tries, the merchants, the profes
sional people and all citizens
Who made this drive a success."
Two Heart Sunday volunteers
Whose names did not appear it
a list just published were Mrs
Georgia Rice Birt and Mrs. Dar
nell Arrington.
Mr. Droppers also expresses
appreciation to all campaign wor
kers and to Radio Station WKM1
and the Kings Mountain Herald
Entries Invited
In laycee Road-eo
Kings Mountain Jaycees are
inviting entries in the annual
Road-eo to be staged here a
gain this year on the afternoon
of April 13th.
Young people, from 12 to 19
years of age, are eligible. Both
girls and boys may compete
for over $5,000 in scholarships
to be awarded In state-wide
contests.
Jaycee Otis Falls, Jr., said
this week he anticipates that
many young people will be in
terested in the event. The
Road-eo will be held in front
of Plonk Brothers on. Wednes
day, April 13th, at 2 p. m.
Details on entering the con
test are aval'able at the office
of Police Chief Martin Ware,
Fire Chief Pat Tignor, a£ any
school principal’s office, and
from Mr. Falls or any member
of the Junior Chamber of Com
merce.
MANAGER — Glee E. Bridges is
Cleveland county co-chairman of
Terry Sanford's campaign for the
Democratic nomination for gov
ernor.
Giant Bound
To High Court
" . . . after the shot I went out
the back door to call the police
and the ambulance. I saw a man
run from beside the house with
a gum. It was my daddy,” said
Janice Grant, age 9, Monday af
ternoon in City Recorder’s Court
at fthe preliminary hearing for
her father, Charlie Grant, on a
charge of assault with a deadly
weapon with intent to kill.
The charge resulted from the
shooting of Ernest “Bub” Biddix
February 29 at the home of
Grant’s estranged wife on Battle
ground Avenue.
A motion to dismiss the char
ge by Grant’s defense attorney,
John Mahoney, was dismissed by
Judge Jack White and the case
was bound over to Superior
Court.
Biddix was shot the evening
after Grant had charged him and
his estranged wife with adult
ery. The adultery cases were
transferred to Superior Court for
a jury trial.
Biddix, in testimony, told the
court Grant had followed him to
the post office after the Febru
ary 29 court session and wanted
to fight. Biddix returned to the
police station. Biddix said Grant
told him “he was laying for me
and was going to get me.”
Later in the evening Biddix
went to the home of Ruth Grant
on Battleground Avenue. He said
he was sitting in a chair in the
living room and heard a pecking
on the eide of the house. The
noise came again. Then a train
came by. Biddix was shot
through the window as the train
was passing.
Mahoney, in cross examination
asked young Janice Grant who
asked her to testify. She replied,
“My Mother.” Identifying the
assailant of Biddix as "Charlie
Grant, my father” she told Ma
honey she only saw the right
side of his face. He was wearing
a light suit and no hat. He had
black hair, she said.
In answer to a query by the
Shelby lawyer as to who prompt
ed her to say who the man was
she said, "No one told me ito say
that.”
Other dispositions:
Paul H. Roberts, damage to
personal property, 30 days sus
(Continued. On Pape Eiphtt
This Saturday
School Day; No
Easter Holidays
City and Park Grace school
children, who got six days of
mid-winter snow-enforced holi
days, will investigate the joys of
Saturday classes for the first
time Saturday, March 26.
The city board of education
decreed the following make-up
schedule at a special session Wed
nesday afternoon:
Elimination of previously
scheduled Good Friday and Eas
ter Monday holidays.
Saturday schooling on March
26, 2, April 23 and May 14.
Full day schedules will pre
vail.
Park Grace school schedules
coincide with city school sche
dules due to a school bus sche
dule.
Previously, the board had sche
duled April 16 as a make-up day,
but substituted this date — day
prior to Easter — for May 14 at
the late Wednesday meeting.
At Monday night’s session,
Supt. B. N. Barnes suggested
that an April 2 make-up would
interfere with the band’s pro
jected trip Co itihe Azalea Festival
at Wilmington, that April 9 is
the date of the National Merit
Teacher examinations which nu
merous faculty members will un
dergo, and that April 16 is the
day prior to Easter. He also said
summer school schedules and
fact fjjat diplomas have already
been engraved made undesirable
a lengthening of the scheduled
term.
Dr. P. G. Padgatt made the mo
tion for the adopted schedule.
He pointed out that snow “holi
days” weren’t necessarily com
pleted and that any additional
make-up days would worsen the
problem. Mrs. John McGill said
she felt it better to make up lost
days before hot weather.
In other actions Monday, the
board:
1) Elected for the 1960-61 term
all principals and the teaching,
supervisor, Miss Alice Averitt. 1
2) Voted to charge Trinity E-!
piseopal church rent of $3 per use
of West schbol, with the added
proviso that the church pay the
janitor an hourly wage satisfac-j
tory to thb janitor. Through Feb-j
ruary, the church had used West
school on 45 occasions.
3) Authorized Supt. Barnes to
purchase stainless steel counters
for North and East school cafe
terias. He had informed the!
board that 'bids are to be receiv-i
ed, on present schedule, on Mar- j
eh 31 and outlined specifications.
4) Authorized Chairman Fred
Plonk ^nd Supt. Barnes to study
possibility of erection of tennis |
! courts and bring a recommenda
tion to the board. Mr. Plonk had j
advanced the need for tennis
j courts, both to serve school chil
i dren and the high school tennis
team. He estimated cost of con-j
struction at about $1500 per ten
nis court. .
Pianists Win
High Ratings
Kings Mountain student pian
ists made high ratings Wednes
day in district piano contests
held at Lenoir-Rhyne college in
Hickory.
Score ratings of “I” or “super
ior” were Joan McClure, Wen
dell Phifer, Jr., and Reta Phifer.
Score ratings of “II” or “excel !
' lent” were Buzzy Shuford, Tere
! sa McDaniel and Susan Plonk.
All are pupils of Mrs. Martin
Harmon.
Judge was Fletcher Moore, of
Elon college.
In band contests at Lenoir-'
Rhyne Tuesday, the city schools
elementary band, directed by
Charles Ballance, was scored aj
rating of “III” or "good.”
Low Bids Fox Hospital $171,590,
Well Under Initial Cost Estimate
Low bids for building a 25-bed
addition to Kings Mountain hos
pital totaled $171,590, tabulation
following last Thursday’s bid op
ening showed.
The total of the low bids was
considered under initial cost es
timates of $275,000.
Grady Howard, hospital ad
ministrator, guessed that con
struction for the conitract will be
let about April 1. Since state and
federal agencies .share in the
cost of the construction, approval
must be obtained from the state
Medical flare commission and
federal officials, he explained.
Eight firms were bidders on
the general contract, with J. S.
Mitchum of Sheiby posting the
low bid of $112,702.
cal contract, with L. A. Hoke, of
cal contract, with L. (A. Hoke, of
Kings Mountain, low at $20,810.
Seven firms were bidders on
the heating and air-conditioning
contrao;,with Mechanical Con
tractors, of Charlotte, low at $21,
585.
Three firms bid on the plumb
ing contract, with Gaiston Plumb
ing and Heating Company, Gas
tonia, low at $16,493.
Present for the bid opening
were Bruce Jones, Raleigh, archi
tect for the state Medical Care
commission; I.O. Wilkerson, Ra- j
leigh, another Medical Care com-'
mission official; Knox Sa/rratt,
chairman of the Cleveland Coun-1
ty board of commissioners; and
members of the hospital board
of directors.
ELECTED — Jean Hicks, student
at Appalachian State Teacher's
college, has been elected presi
dent of the college drama group,
"The Playcrafters." Miss Hicks is
a junior.
Miss Hicks
In School Post
Miss Jean Hicks, Kings Moun
tain junior at Appalachian State
Teacher’s college, has recently
been elected president of Play
crafters, the college drama
group.
Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H.
D. Hicks of Kings Mountain.
Miss Hicks is also vice president
of Alpha Psi Omega, national
honorary dramatics fraternity.
While a member of the drama
group, Miss Hicks has played
major roles in a number of
ASTC productions, including
“The Crucible”, “Pygmalion” and
“Lithuania.”
Other Cleaners
Help Saunders
In spite of last week’s fire,
Saunders Cleaners was back in
business this week, compliments
of other Kings Mountain clean
ers.
■“Ail Kings Mountain cleaning
establishments offered us use of
their facilities until we’re back
in business,” D. L. Saunders, own
er of the fire-gutted establish
ment said this week.
In addition to stating appreci
ation to the neighboring clean
ers, Mr. Spunders added words
of thanks to members of the fire
department, other friendly citi
zens, and patrons who lost cloth
es in the March 16 fire.
He said thot patrons who lost
clothes in the fire must file
claims for losses by April 15,
deadline for filing such claims. .
Mr. Saunders also said he ex
pectetKo be back in operation at
the old location on Cherokee
street by Monday of the coming
week.
Church Body
Names Padgett
ATLANTA, GA. — Dr. James
A. Millard, Jr., Stated Clerk of
the General Assembly, Presby
terian Church, U. C., announced
today that Dr. Philip G. Padgett
of Kings Mountain has been of
ficially certified as a commission
er to the 100th General Assem
bly of he denomination.
The Assembly, which meets in
Jacksonville, Fla., April 28 thro
ugh May 3, will bring together
more than 525 church leaders
from 83 presbyteries in all the
Southern states. It is the highest
court of the denomination and
meets annually to establish the
laws and programs under which
the Church operates.
Dr. Padgett will attend as a
commissioner from the Presby
tery of Kings Mountain. Also re
Presbytery will be The Rev. I. S.
McElroy, Jr., of Richmond, Va.
Red Csrosr> Dihre
Won't' Bo Held
Kings Mountain citizens may
still contribute to the Red Cross
program in town, although a
fund drive will not be conducted,
as customary, in March
Interested citizens who did not
give via the United Fund to the
Red Cross may wish to forward
their gifts to the Kings Mountain
Chapter of which J. Ollie Harris
is chairman.
A United Fund drive was com
pleted in January and Red Cross
is included In the local United
Fund, it was pointed out