Population
Greator Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 7,206
< The Bourn for Greater Wngs Mountain I* desired from
I UM IM King, Mountain city directory ciniun. TI» city
Umftn Sgvjt I* from tan Unltnd States cnnsus of 1S50.
1C Pages
ID Today
■VOL. 71 No. 26
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, June 30, I960
Seventy-First Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Tentative Tax Rate Unchanged From Last Year
Kings Mountain Virtually Assured Of New Armory
City Board Annexes
Plonk Estate Property
WINS SCHOLARSHIP — Deem
Bridges. Rings Mountain minis
terial student, has won a scholar
ship from the Order of the East
ern Star.
Bridges Wins
OES Scholarship
Dean C. Bridges, son of Mr.'
and Mrs. Grady Bridges is one!
of three student recipients of a;
Send the Light Sdhcflarship giv-1
en by tlhe Grand Chapter, Order!
of Eastern Star of North Caroli
na.
The scholarship was awarded
at the Order’s 55th annual ses
sion whiah recently convened in
Asheville, It was received upon
recommendation of the Kings
Mountain Chapter OES and is a
$800 grant which Bridges will use
in preparation for Baptist ordina
tion. The scholarships are part of
an educational program establish
ed in the past year under the
planning of Mrs. Mildred Fisher,
and Dr. John Bender, mem/bers
of the Order of Eastern Star.
Bridges, now a student at Geor
gia State College, graduated from
Kings Mountain high school in
1957, and graduated from Gard
ner - Webb Junior College where
he served as president of the
Freshman class and the Marshall
Society, and entered Carson New-!
man University. He was co-chair
man of the Summer Student Mis
sionary Fund and a nominee for
the campus BSA presidency. He
is presently employed toy the In
ternational Harvester Company.
In 1957, Bridges was awarded
an HASTARL Scholarship by the
Grand Chapter for religious lead
ership training. He has continu
ed to receive this award for the
past three years.
NO LEGION MEETING
Otis D. Green Post 155, the
American Legion, will not hold
a regular meeting Friday night
duo to Legion Baseball sche
dule, Commander J. T. McGin
nis said.
A 33-acre tract of land, former
ly the R. S. Plonk estate but now
owned by J. Wilson Crawfard,
was annexed to Kings Mountain
Tuesday at a special session of
the City Board of Commissioners.
The meeting was held at pub
lic hearing on the issue.
However, the annexation was
contingent on the further annex
ation of an adjacent tract owned
by Arey Oil Company.
Mr. Crawford plans a restrict
ed housing development on the
property and presented the board
ot commissioners a topographical
map Tuesday showing proposed
street layouts.
Mr. Crawford told the board
he would furnish the city with
a topographical map showing all
streets, grades, and drainage;
stake all streets, including cut
and fill stakes; furnish the city
with a street profile; deposit
with' the city the owners pc yon
of street assessments before gra
ding on the streets is started; and
deposit with the city before utili
ty work is started all fees for
water, sewage, and gas taps.
In return he asked that the
city grade and surface the streets
and put water, sewage and gas
to all lr»ts
The board said they would not
require the money deposit until
work could be started on the
grading, paving, and utilities, but
specified the work would have to
be staggered in with already
scheduled street and utilities
plans.
Mr. Crawford said the devel
opment would be of homes' in
three price brackets, and '.said
he thought Kings Mountain would
be proud of .the development
effected.
A petition was also received at
the session to annex a tract own
ed by R. S. Plonk heirs, T. M.
Plonk acting as agent and repre
sentative.
The tract, as described in the
petition, is as follaws:
BEGINNING at a point at the
southwestern intersection of
Highway No. 74 with a 50 foot
unnamed street and runs thence
with said unnamed street N. 51
55 W. 265 feet to a stake; thence
N. 82-38 E. 457.5 feet to a stake
in Arey Oil Company’s line;
thence S. 2 W. 200 feet to the
right-of-way 230 feet to the be
ginning corner and being the
unsold part of the R. S. Plonk
Estate and same is to be annex
ed to the corporate limits for
business purposes and not resi
dential.
!R. J. Arey, President of Arey
OH Company, Inc., of Shelby
petitioned Wednesday morning
for the annexation of the ccm
pany plot, which is the site of an
Amoco service station, into the
limits of Kings Mountain.
Public hearing on the annex
ation of the Plonk and Arey pro
perty is scheduled for the regu
lar >board session July 14.
Most Local Textile Plants Take
Vacation; Stores Close On 4th
BY ELIZABETH STEWART
A totig portion of Kings Moun
tain citizens will be on vacation
next week, as majority of textile
plants close for the week begin
ning July 4th.
Closing for the week will be
Phenix Plant of Burlington In
dustries, Mauney Mills, Carolina
Throwing Company, Massachu
setts Mohair’s Margraoe and Pau
line Plants, Kings (Mountain
Manufacturing Company, Park
Yarn Mills, Sadie Cotton (Mills,
Bonnie Mills, and Lambeth Rope
Corporation.
At Mauney Hosiery Mills some
knitters, loopers, and inspectors
will work regular shifts, officials
reported.
All eligible employees at Phe
nix Plant will receive vacation
pay, tvased on length of service,
and this same policy applies at
mslority of the texitile firms.
Two plants, Crafbspun Yarns
and McDaniel Hosiery, will op
erate on regular schedules next
week. Several other firms had
not decided Wednesday whether
I their establishments would shut
down for the entire week.
Employees of Grover’s Minette
Mills took a vacation last week.
Operations were resumed on Mon
day.
Majority of retail businesses
! will also close Independence Day
I only. Stores were closed Wednes
| day afternoon and will be closed
1 the Wednesday afternoon follow
I ing the Monday holiday,
j The pos toff ice will be closed
! along with city offices on Mon
day. '
I In general, drug stores and
I service stations will be the prin
I cipal business establishments
open.
i Aubrey Mauney, Kings Moun
j tain Manufacturing Company of
j ficial, in commenting on his
, firms' plans to take a vacation
I next week, noted that “many of
| the mills customers” take this
j time of the year to vacation and
it’s a good time for employees to
have a respite from work.
Some citizens had already
made plans this week for treks
to the beaches and mountains. ,
Senate Group
Approves S104.000
For Construction
Kings Mountain citizens can be
“pretty well assured” of getting
a new National Guard armory
building, according to a report
Wednesday to Mayor Glee A. Br
idges from Major Sheldon, head
of the State National Guard En
gineering Department.
The Senate Appropriations
Committee approved spending
$104,000 for the construction Fri
day and added the appropriation
to its list where (the House com
mittee had made no allowance
for this unit.
Major Sheldon attributed the
appropriation to the efforts of
Senator Sam Ervin.
The armory 'building will be
constructed on a three-way share
plan between the city, county,
■and federal funds.
Kings Mountain’s board of
commissioners committed its
part some time ago. The Kings
Mountain share would amount
to some $20,000, and can be ob
tained either from non-tax funds
or a bond issue.
The bond issue will not require
a vote, since commissioners have
the power to Issue up to two
thirds of the previous year’s net
debt retirement iii bonds without
a vote of the people.
County commissioners have
also indicated the county’s pro
portional share is forthcoming.
The new armory will be con
structed at the present site, but
with an enlarged plot. The city
some months ago purchased the
Fieeite McCurdy property adjoin
ing the present armory site for
the construction.
Consolidation
Heating Set
Friday Morning
A hearing tar Kings Mountain
School Board, Cleveland County
School Board, and the Cleveland
County Board of Commissioners
to answer allegations made in a
complaint against them by a
group of school patrons protest
ing ithe May 14 school vote will
be held Friday at 10:00 a. m. be
fore Judge P. C. Froneberger in
Gastonia.
fThe allegations will be answer
ed by attorneys J. R. Davis, rep
resenting the city school board;
D. Z. Newton, representing the
county school board; and C. C.
Horn, attorney tor the county
board of commissioners.
The boards have been under a
temporary injunction, halting
completion of plans to consoli
date No. 4 Township schools with
the (Kings Mountain City Admin
istrative Unit.
The protesting group contends
the May 14 consolidation election
was not conducted in a legal
manner.
Meantime, neither city nor
county schools can make plans
for the ’60-’61 school term. Kings
Mountain school board members
last week admitted they were
stymied, and J. Horace Grlgg
said Wednesday the county sch
ool program had been greatly
hindered by the action.
The decision of Judge Frone
berger is expected to be appeal
ed to Superior Court, thereby ty
ing up plans until the court ses
sion in the fall.
Answer to the question as to
who will operate the Grover,
Beth ware, Park Grace, and Com
pact schools is unknown at this
time. Mr. Grigg said he believes
the judge will direct the deci
sion at the time he gives a deci
sion on the injunction.
However, he said, if the county
is given jurisdiction of the sch
ools, he thinks it most practical
to operate them as separate sch
ools in last year’s manner.
J. Edwin Moore, county school
board member, said Wednesday
it is neither economical not prac
tical to effect a temporary con
solidation of the Grover and
Bethware school with No. 3
school, and he was very much a
gainst such a measure. He said
his opinion is echoed by W. H.
Lutz. He also indicated C. D.
Forney, Jr., would not be in fa-*
vor of such a move.
Mr. Forney could not be reach
ed Wednesday for a statement..
BAPTISTS TO OCCUPY NEW CHURCH — Pictured above is the
handsome new First Baptist Church which members will occupy
on Sunday. Ribboncutting ceremonies will begin at 9:30 follow
ed by regular services of morning worship. Ground was broken
for the new building June 7, 1959.
Kings Mountain
Bank Merger
Is Completed
The First National Bank of
Kings Mountain was officially
merged Friday with the First
Union National Bank of North
Carolina, i
Officers were elected at a meet
ing of memlbers of the Board of
Directors of the new (bank at
their meeting in Charlotte.
B. S. Neill, former president
of the First National Bank here,
was made senior vice president.
Other Kings Mountain officers
are R. S. OLennon, vice-president;
L. E. Hinnant, assistant vice
president; W. G. Jonas, assistant
cashier; Mrs. Helen R. Blanton,
assistant cashier; and Mrs. Loui
se C. Lybrand, assistant cashier.
[Memlbers of the Kings Moun
tain Board of Directors will be
the members who have served
on the hoard of the First Nation
al Bank of Kings Mountain.
They are Dr. L. P. (Baker, G. A.
Bridges, J. E. Herndon, Jr, R. S.
Lennon, 'W. k. Mauney, B. S
Neill, Paul M. Neisler and Frank
A. Summers.
Carl G. MjcCraw of Charlotte
will continue as president and
chief executive offiicer of the
bank and all other officers of the
system were reflected.
A certificate approving the
consolidation of the hank undei
First Union National’s charter
was issued by the Comptroller ol
the Currency in Washington as
of the close of business on Fri
day.
First Baptist Occupies
jNew Sanctuary Sunday
The congregation of First Bap
j tist Church will occupy its hand
j some new quarters at 603 West
; King street on Sunday, and rib
boncutting ceremonies will mark
the grand opening.
Rev. B. L. Raines, pastor, said
the first service will begin at 9:30
a. m. followed by an appropriate
service in the sanctuary. Groups
will assemble for Sunday School
at 9:45 and return to the sanctu
ary at 10:50 to be seated by ush
ers for the morning service.
Morning worship services will be
broadcast via WKMTT during the
mionth of July.
Tentative plans are being made
to hold open house on the after
noon of July 17, provided Mr.
Raines said the expected progress
I can be made in the direction of
sowing lawns, landscaping, fur
ther developing of the parking
area, and in connection with some
few minor items within the build
ing itself.
The new church is composed of
two units: the first is 48 by 106
feet and contains the sanctuary
on the first floor and educational
space there and on the second
floor for young people and
adults. The second unit is a two
story structure 48 by 114 feet and
provides educational space for
nursery groups through in term*
diates. Both units are aireondt
tioned throughout.
Ground was broken for ths
new building on June 7, 1959. The
work has been under the direc
tion of Wilbur, Kendrick, Work
love The lord And Work Hard'
Says 99-Year Old Mrs. Whisenant
BY ELIZABETH STEWART
‘‘Just love the Lord and work
hard,” Mrs. Theodocia Whisenant
says is Her secret for long life.
And “Grandma” Whisenant, as
she is affectionately called,
should know. She’s 99.
In the late twilight of life, Mrs.
Whisenant lay in her bed in her
old family homeplace on Gastonia
highway, talked with longtime
friend, W. D. Weaver and smiled
to the repertorial question, “How
do I live to be 100?”
Her sparkling disposition be
I lies her age, although her hair
is silver and her eyesight failing.
Confined to a wheelchair the past
five years since she suffered a
' failL Mrs. Whisenant still loves to
chat with friends and attend
church when She can. She never
misses the annual homecoming
at Antioch Baptist church,
i Helping Mrs. Whisenant remi
nisce were three of her five dau
ghters who live nearby,
j “Mia’s philosophy has always
been not to worry but to look up
and be happy." they believe.
And Mrs. Whisenant, they a
greed, can look back over many
MRS. WHISENANT
full and productive years.
! Bom in the Antioch section
I near Grover, sbe was one of si>
children of farmers. Her father,
Abraham Hullender, fought ir
the Civil War and came home a
; sick man. His wife was left alone
to raise the family and young
j Docia Hullender learned at ar
1 early age how to plow. “I could
1 (Continued On Page Eight)
man, and Warren Architects or
Charlotte. The contract itself
was awarded to Craig Construc
tion Company, also of Charlotte.
Much of the responsibility invol
ved in this venture has rested
on the shoulders of the building
committee composed of W. B.
Logan, chairman, Mrs. Paul No
lan, Fred Weaver, J. E. White,
Mrs. W. F. McGill, Wray A. Wil
liams and I. A. McGill, Mr. Rain
es continued.
Mr. Raines added: “For a
number of months First Baptist
Church and Kings Mountain Bap
tist Church have been making
use of the same facilities and
church plant. During this time
these sister churches have work
ed together in most unusual cir
cumstances and have perhaps set
a precedent in the convention in
many respects.
‘^Pastors of both congregations
‘ moved to Kings Mountain on the
i same day, June 3, 1959, and be
gan a work together with their
j respective congregations which
i has continued successfully for 13
; months with each church carry
ing on a full time program in the
same church building.
Mr. Raines, in behalf of his
church and its membership, ex
i Dressed eratitude to Rev. and
Mrs. M, D. DuBose, to the Dea
cons and other church officers,
to the flower committee, led by
Mrs. C. E. Cash, and to the en
tire membership of Kings Moun
tain Baptist Church for their
splendid cooperation which has
contributed to making such a ven
ture possible.
The pastor issued an invitation
to the public to attend all servi
ces.
Bell Injured
In Two-Car Crash
Bill Bell, 26-year-old Kings
Mjountain man, was hospitalized
with multiple cuts on the legs
and back after a two-car wreck
on U. S. 74 east of Shelby near
the Buffalo Creek Bridge around
3:30 p. m. Saturday.
Highway Patrolman A. D.
Kimbrell said the wreck occurred
when Bell’s car and a car drive*
by Kenneth Porter Crotts, 40, of
Shelby collided as one attempted
a left turn and the other approa
ched in the leftlane at a high
rate of speed. '
Bell’s car collided with the
Crotf3 car and traveled over 200
feet acrows the median strip and
j the west-hound lane and over
turned in the highway, Kimbrell
said.
Kibrell charged Bell with reck
j less driving. Damage to his car
1 was estimated at $1,500 and to
the Crotts car at $250.
Mr. Bell is a patient at deve
i land Memo.ial hospital.
Funeral Today
For Herman Tate.
Gunshot Victim
Funeral rites for Herman C.
Tate, 56, Who died Saturday of
accidental gunshot wounds, will
be held Thursday at 4 p. m. from
Second Baptist church.
Rev. Albert Hastings, assisted
by Rev. P. T. Brock, Rev. C. C.
Parker, and Rev. O. R. Costner
will officiate, and interment will
be in Mountain Rest cemetery.
Mr. Tate, a former Kings
Mountain citizen, was an over
seer at Rex Mill No. 2 in Gasto
nia Where he and his family liv
ed in the Ranlo community. The
accident occurred at Southern
Hardware Supply Company
where Tate, an amateur gun
smith, was adjusting the stock
on a rifle he had purchased there
Friday. Gaston Coroner W. J.
MoClean said death was instant
aneous and he ruled the shoot
ing accidental.
Prior to 1945, (Mr. Tate was
choir director at Second Baptist
church here and he and his wife
were in demand for special sing
ing by various churches. They
appeared together on radio and
made records. His wife, Mrs.
Minnie Odell Tate, died in 1958.
Mr. Tate was a native of Ru
therford county, son of the late
Mr. and M!rs. Vance Eugene
Tate. He was a member of Ranlo
Baptist church.
Surviving are three sons, Ro
bert Howard Tate of Lowell, Bil
ly C. and Curtis Tate, both at
Ranlo; four daughters, Mins. W.
(Continued on Pane Eight)
Board Adopts
Interim Budget
For New Year
BY DAVID BAITY
City comntissianers Tuesday
night set a tentative tax rate for
■the 1960-61 fiscal year of $1.50
per hundred valuation, five cents
for recreation funds inclusive.
The tax rate, unchanged from
last year, is contingent on com
pletion of the 60-61 city budget.
City Clerk Joe McDaniel told
the board, meeting in special
session Tuesday, a rate should
be set so tax work can be started.
The board also voted an in
terim budget authorizing the city
to operate until the 60-61 budget
is adopted. City Clerk McDaniel
told the board he had worked
up a tentative budget, but the
board did not take action.
Budget Outlined
The tentative budget was out
lined by McDaniel to the Herald
Wednesday morning and /lists
total expenditures of $650,918.28,
some $26,351 more than budget
ed last year.
However, $16,162.90 is being
budgeted this year for purchase
of a new fire truck for the fire
department.
Expedted expenditures for the
city includes $7,180 for the cem
etery; $22,520, administrative;
$21,948.88, sanitary; $78,585.52,
street work; $48,460, police and
court; $19,080, fire department;
$56,408, general; $57,709.88, wa
ter and sewer; $189,034.60, electri
cal; and $48,367.50, debt service.
The biggest money maker for
the city by-large are utilities, ex
pected to net $390,000. Some
$135,000 in taxes are the second
money maker. Powell Bill funds
are expected to net the city some
$33,000 and back taxes some $17, -
500.
An unappropriated surplus of
$19,668.28 is to be transferred to
the revenue account.
McDaniel said the budget is
only tentative, and changes will
be made before adoption.
Board Actions
Actions of the board at Tues
day’s meeting included:
1) On petition from residents
voted to pave Stowe Acres from
Catherine Street to Margaret st.,
Margaret Street from Second St.
to Stowe Acres, and Catherine
Street from Second Street to Sto
we Acres.
2) Request the release of Floyd
Street fro mthe State Highway
Department for paving work by
the city. ,
Baptists Set
Service Schedule
Kings Mountain Baptist chur
ch has announced a change in its
schedule of services.
Rev. M. D. DuBose, pastor,
said Sunday School on Sunday
morning would begin at 9:30 a.
m. beginning Sunday, July 3rd.
The morning worship service will
get underway at 11 o’clock.
Mid-week prayer services will
be held on Wednesday nights,
the pastor continued.
Both First Baptist and Kings
Mountain Baptist churches have
shared the same quarters for ov
1 er a year and the former church
I is occupying a new building on
' Sunday.
Terry Sanford Carries Kings Mt.
And Cleveland County In Primary
BY NEALE PATRICK
Kings Mountain and Cleveland
County helped nominate North
Carolina’s next Governor in Sat
urday’s second Democratic pri
mary.
Terry Sanford was the firm
choice of Ithe voters here and
throughout the county in his
run-off clash with Beverly Lake.
The youthful (42-year-old)
“Man on the go" carried both
Kings Mountain boxes and led
17 of the 28 precincts in Cleve
land County. Sanford’s margin in
the West Kings Mountain box
where he polled 391 votes to
Lake’s 270 was one of the most
conclusive In the county. San
ford’s lead in the Ea^t Kings
Mountain box was smaller, 292
votes against 226 for his oppon
ent.The 391 votes in West KM
was the third highest box total
for Sanford in the county, trail
ing two big Shelby boxes.
Total count for the two pre
einats in Kings Mountain show
ed Sanford with 683 and Lake
| with 496 ... a margin here of
187 votes.
i Sanford made only a slight in
' crease in his vote in the second
primary over his total in the May
voting. He drew 670 votes from
the two local precincts in the
first primary, compared to T ake’s
249.
The big margin fr>- Sanford
here last Saturday, however,
helped him gain the lead in Cl
eveland County which he carried
by slightly less than 600 votes.
The sandy-haired attorney
from Fayetteville amassed a
total vote of 5,084 in Cleveland
County, topping Lake’s 4,444 to
tal.
Both county totals were up
i from the May primary when
Sanford gained 4,046 and Lake
2,585 votes.
By the figures, it would appear
! that Lake drew more of the Lar
kins and Seawell voters in the
second primary.
While the two Kings Mountain
precincts remained on the San
ford side in both primaries, the
other two boxes in No. Four
Township switched from Sanford
to Lake in the two elections.
(Continued on Page EightJ