Kings Mountain Merchants Sponsoring Weekend Special Sale
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Greater Kings Mountain
City Limits
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yOL 71 No. 32
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, August 11, I960
Seventy-First Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Board May Ask Vote Before Merger Decision
Home S. & L. Buys Herndon Apartments Property
City-Wide Sale
Starts Thursday
Finance Finn
Plans To Build
New Offices
Teachers Named
By School Board
BY MARTIN HARMON
Home Savings & Loan associa
tion completed arrangements
Wednesday for the purchase of
the Herndon Apartments proper
ty on West Mountain street, with
future aim construction of nevtf
association offices.
Announcement was made by
A. H. Patterson, executive vice
president of the association.
The property was purchased
from Frank Little, of Henderson
ville, a former Home Savings &
Loan employee.
The apartment house occupy
ing the property was originally
built as a residence by M. E.
Herndon, former Kings Mountain
citizen, now of Charlotte.
Purchase price was not an
nounced.
Mir. Patterson said definite
plans for building new offices
have not been made. The as
sociation owns the building it
now occupies at the comer of
West Mountain and Cherokee
streets.
The Hemdon Apartments pro
perty fronts 115 feet on West
Mounitalp street and is 275 feet
deep. It adjoins Kings Mountain
postoffice on the west and Kings
Mountain Woman’s Club on the
east.
Home Savings association,
founded in 1923, showed total
assets of $3,856,948 at June 30.
It had reserves of $327,682 and
undivided profits of $17,947. First
mortgage loans totaled $3,389,
593.
Other officers of the associa
tion are Dr. J. E. Anthony, presi
dent-; G. A. Bridges and J. H.
Thomson, vice-presidents; Tho
mas A Tate, secretary-treasurer;
and Mrs. Emily A. Herndon, as
sistant secretary-treasurer. Jake
A. Dixon is manager of (the firm’s
Bessemer City branch office.
Many Students
Get 18 Units
Recommendation by the State
Board of Education that high
schools begin requiring “'as soon
as practicable” 18 course units
for graduation wont have any
immediate effect here, Superin
tendent B. N. Barnes said this
week.
"Many of our seniors are al
ready graduating with 18 units,”
Mr. Barnes said.
He noted that many high
school students enroll for five
subjects annually, rather than
the customary four, while sum
mer school ^population has con
tinued to increase. Many of the
summer school students are en
rolling for extra work, rather
than make-up work, he said.
The State Board recommended
that the two added units be re
quired in math and world his
tory.
Local News'
Bulletins
VISITING SPEAKER
Rev. Wayne Ashe of Gum
Springs Baptist church, Ly les
ville, N. C. will toe visiting
speaker at Macedonia Baptist
church Sunday for bath morn
ing and evening worship ser
vices. Dinner will be served on
die grounds at close of the 11
o’clock service.
Eighteen Firms
Aie Promoting
Weekend Event
Kings Mountain merchants
were busy Wednesday marking
down prices, preparing lor the
semi-annual city-wide sales e
vent beginning Thursday and
continuing through Saturday.
This year’s "Special Sale” pro
mt, Hon is featuring end-of-sum
mer bargains and some back-to
school wear.
Sixteen businesses are partici
pating in the event with two as
sociate sponsors.
Cooper’s, Inc. is featuring an
animal circus in conjunction
with the .apetaal -promotion.
The promotion is directed un
der the co-chairmanship of W.
S. Fulton, Jr. of Fulton’s Depart
ment Store and J. Kennon Blan
ton of~ Sterchi’s. Both agreed that
the price and time is right and
Kings Mountain folk would do
well to shop local stores this
weekend and take advantage of
the many bargains.
Participating in the promotion
are Belk’s Department Stare,
Bridges Hardware Company,
Cooper’s, Inc., Dellinger’s Jiewel
Shop, Eagle's 5-10-25c Stares,
Fulton’s Department Store, Keet
er’s Department Store, Kings
Mounatin Drug Company, Kings
Mountain Loan & Finance Com
pany, Medical Pharmacy, Mc
Ginnis Department Store, Page’s
Men’s Store, Plonk Brothers and
Company, Rose’s 5-10-25c Stares,
Sterchi’s, and Winn-Dixie.
Associate sponsors include the
Kings Mountain Herald and Ra
dio Station WKMT.
1960-61 Faculty
Neai-Complete;
Three Vacancies
The city schools faculty is vir
tually complete, following elec
tion of ten teachers in the past
week.
B. N. Barnes, superintendent,
said three vacancies remain and
anticipates no difficulty in fill
ing them. Still needed are two
teachers for eighth grades and a
driver’s education teacher. Mr.
Barnes said he has copious appli
cations. i
The hoard also approved a lo
cal funds 'budget for the coming
year, which includes $147,438 for
current expenses, and an addi
tional $214,574 in the capital out
lay budget. Supt. Barnes said the
law requires budgeting of the
capital outlay funds, little of
which is expected to be spent
pending settlement of the school
OPENING CONFIRMED
Kings Mountain children will
answer first-day bells for the
1960-61 term on Tuesday, Au
gust 30. The board of education
formally set the opening date
at Monday night’s special ses
sion. Teachers will report on
August 29 for initial meetings,
opening day will he an abbre
viated session largely devoted
to distribution of textbooks and
assignments, and the first full
day session will be on Wednes
day, August 31. The same sche
dule will be followed by Park
Grace school in the county sys
tem.
merger election litigation. He
estimated about $14,000 will be
spent during the year for school
furniture and other capital out
lay items. He noted that the city
schools have a $50,000 capital
outlay credit with the state;
which would make a total of
more than $264,000 available for
construction of buildings, class
rooms and other capital require
ments.
The Monday night elections
completed the Davidson school
faculty.
Monday night’s session brought
another resignation. Mrs. Eliza
beth Is. Morrison, an eighth grade
teacher, resigned due to ill heal
th.
Newly elected teachers are:
Mrs. Donald N. Bridges, of
Shelby, eighth grade.
F. L. Larsons, former superin
tendent of Oherryville schools,
high school mathematics.
Mrs. Virginia S. Hinnant, Kings
Mountain, special teacher of pi
s'Continued On Page Ten)
AT CONFERENCE
B. N. Barnes, superintendent
of city schools, is attending ithe
annual conference of North
Carolina school superinten
deneraTMafs Hill college. - He
expects to return Friday or
Saturday.
AT PARTY MEETING
Mrs- 3. E. Lipford, county
Democratic vice-chairman, was
among Cleveland County Dem
ocrats attending a party lun
cheon ait Raleigh Tuesday. She
was accompanied by a niece,
Mirs. J. L. Davenport
Seventh Grade
Up At Central?
Tire Central school plant will
house three seventh grades,
eight eighth grades and the high
school during Ithe coming term,
if present tentative plans are
approved.
Without formal action, the
«'■ board of education indicated ap
proval of (the plan Monday night,
In line with efforts the past sev
eral years to remove majority of
elementary pupils from the Cen
tral plant.
Supt. B. N. Barnes told the
board that addition of another
teacher tor the coming term adds
to the space problem. The plan
will require use of West school
auditorium for two classrooms
and will require use of a portion
of East school auditorium tor an
other temporary classroom.
Preliminary analysis of the pu
pil-by-.grade population indica
tes the proposed arrangement
will be more manageable, Mr.
Barnes said.
PRINCIPAL — Connie L. Allison,
of Yanceyville, has been elected
principal of Davidson school. He
succeeds J. A. Gibson, who re
signed to become principal at
Rowland.
Bank Merger
Plan Announced
Plans for the merger of First
Union National Bank of North
Carolina with National Bank of
Commerce of Gastonia were an
nounced Wednesday toy Carl G.
MfcCraw, president of First Un
ion.
Kings Mountain’s First Nation
al became a unit of First Union
National of North Carolina sev
eral weeks ago.
Like the Kings Mountain mer
ger, this one, Whkh will bring
: First Union’s total resources to
more than $170,000,000 will be ef
fective When approved by the
j Comptroller of the Currency and
stockholders of both banks,
j National Bank of Commerce
directors approved the merger
| proposal Tuesday and First Un
I ion directors acted at a Wednes
day morning meeting.
According to thle tentative mer
ger plan, Joe Reading, chairman,
and Miles Rhyne, president, of
the Gastonia bank, will become
officers of-First Union National.
Mr. Reading will be chairman of
the Gastonia unit and Mr. Rhyne
will be executive vice-president.
There will be no changes in op
erational personnel, with the
same 'board of directors, officers
and employees, Mr. McCraw add
ed.
First Union National had assets
of $153,371,000 at June 15, and
National IBank of Commerce had
assets of $16,185,000.
It was pointed out that First
(Continued On Page Ten)
CANDIDATE DIXON WITH CANDIDATE NIXON — Kelly Dixon,
Kings Mountain Republican candidate for 11th district Congress*
man, shakes hands at the GOP National convention in Chicago
with Republican Presidential Candidate Richard M. Nixon. Mr. Dix
on reported on convention activities last week at a meeting of the
Kings Mountain Young Republicans cflib and at a meeting of the
Kings Mountain Lions dub Tuesday night.
Cleveland GOP
To Meet Saturday
Whammy Toll 21
In 14-Day Period
Five more victims have been
added to the toll of “whammy”
runners in the Kings Mountain
area. i
Last Tuesday the machine
was placed on East King at Go
forth Street and in about two
hours Officers Enos Freeman
and Ellis King had issued
speeding charges against five
unwary motorists.
The toll for speeders thus far
caught by the whammy has
now reached 21 in the past two
weeks.
KIWANIS CLUB
John Babbington, seasonal
ranger at Kings Mountain Na
tional Military Park, will
speak to Kings Mountain Ki
wanians at their Thursday
meeting. Kiwanlan Sherman
Perry, Park historian, will pre
sent Mr. Babbington. The club
convenes art 6:45 at the Wo
man’s club.
Mormon
Likely Bet
For Chairman
Cleveland County Republicans
will meet ait the county court
house alt 2 o'clock Saturday and
are expected to name Clarence
Morrison, Shelby contractor, as
oounity chairman.
Kelly Dixon, Kings Mountain
Republican candidate tor 11th
district Congressman, said John
McBrayer, of Shelby, was named
chairman on the resignation of
J. Worth Silver,- Shelby realtor,’
but that Mr. McBrayer had de
clined to serve. Mr. Silver re
signed to become Shelby post
master.
Election of the chairman will
be principal business at the
Shelby meeting, Mr. Dixon add
ed.
Mrs. E. Eaul Moore, route 1,
Shelby, is county GOP vice
chairman.
Members of Number 4 Town
ship Republican precinct com
mittees Mir. Dixon listed as:
East Kings Mountain — James
Rollins, chairman, R. H. (Doc)
Burton and W. T. Weir.
Continued on Page Ten
Wilson, Hullender
Injured Saturday
Jerry Wilson and William
(Bill) Hullender, injured in a
freak accident at the Kings
(Mountain Mica Company office
early last Saturday morning, are
reported recuperating satisfac
torily.
Both men were struck by steel
fragments from a high speed
grinder which suddenly disinte
grated.
Wilson is hospitalized with a
fractured jaw, and severe facial
cuts, and five missing teeth. Hul
lender was 'given emergency
treatment for a lacerated finger
and three fractured toes.
IPaul Lancaster, plant manager,
said investigation Wasn’t revealed
a plausible reason for the grind
er disintegration. .
Mrs. Norman
In Church Post
Mrs. Mary Brower Norman of
the Antioch community has re-]
placed Mrs. F. A. McDaniel, Jr.,|
as secretary of Kings Mountain
Baptist church. ,
The replacement, a result of
Mrs. McDaniel’s recent resigna
tion, was effective August 3.
Mrs. Norman, a native of Pen
nsylvania, was educated in the
Prospect Park, Pennsylvania j
schools. She is the mother of
two sons.
Mrs. Norman is the wife of the
late Max Norman. She is a mem
ber of Antioch Baptist church.
Intangibles Tax
Rebate Is $9190
The city received $9,190.34 from
the State of North Carolina this
week, the check representing the;
city’s Share of 1959 intangible
taxes.
It was a new $1700 bonanza for
) the city, Which had budgeted on
ly S7500 from (this revenue source. [
Last year’s rebate is $7510. I
City Clerk Joe McDaniel said
the intangibles check is credited
like ad valorem taxes, With $2361!
accruing to the general fund,1
$2830 to debt service, and $3997
for capital outlay. ■' , I
Annual Barbecue
Next Wednesday
The Annual Bethware Commu
nity Barbecue will be held Wed
nesday at Bethware school at
6 p. m.
The Barbecue, held each year
as a kick-off to the Bethware
Community Fair, is a project of
the Bethware Progressive Club
and under the direction of Stokes
Wright
Tickets are on sale at $1.50
each from Mr. Wright. They may
be obtained from him at his home
on Route 3 or by phone at 793-R
2.
The 13th annua] Bethware Fair
will begin on September 14. It
will run through September 19
and will feature the usual exhi
bits, booths, rides, games, and
fireworks.
Official fair catalogs are being
distributed to patrons and adver
tisers.
COURT OF HONOR
Court of Honor for Kings
Mountain district Boy Scouts
will be held Thursday ait 7:45
p. m. at Central Methodist
, church, it has been announced.
Funeral Services Held On Monday
For Conway Jackson Gault, Sr., 71
Church-State Political Broadcasts
Cost $30 Per Hour, Bridges Says
Funeral services for Conway
Jackson Gault 77, were held
Monday afternoon at First Pres
bytemian church.
Mr. Gault died suddenly at his
home on Parker street Sunday
morning at 11:15. He had been
in declining health since last Oc
tober but had not been confined
to bed.
A native of Union County,
South Carolina, Mr. Gault came
to Kings Mountain on May 8, 19
22„ to be associated with Dilling
Mills Company, an association
continued until 1930. He had pre
viously been an overseer with
Chadwick-Hoskins, Charlotte.
In the early thirties, he enter
ed the grocery business. Several
years "later, his son, C. J. Gault,
Jr., became a partner. On his re
tirement in 1953, Boyce Gault,
another son, joined the grocery,
firm. The two sons now own and
operate the firm their father
founded. For some years, he had
managed a Dixie-Home Store
(Continued on Page Ten)
BY MARTIN HARMON
Press reports indicating that
Kings Mountain Radio Station is
sponsoring ithe Sunday afternoon
broadcasts of a group advocating
“separation of church and state” i
are untrue, Manager Jonas Brid-1
ges said this week.
The Sunday afternoon rate for
ah hour broadcast is $30 and the
time has been paid for thus fax
by A. J. Johnson, Gastonia gro
cer.
Mr. Bridges said he is writing
the Charlotte Observer and Gas
tonia Gazette concerning what
he termed "murdered grammati
cal structure.”
Mr. Bridges made his com
ments when informed some folk
had noted Federal Communica
tions Commission regulations
require gift time for political
broadcasts to be duplicated by
the station far proponents of
opposing views.
•‘That is correct," Mr. Bridges
said to the contention. He added,
"We’ve never made it a policy
to editorialize on the news. Our
customary policy is to broadcast
wire service news copy as it is
received.’’
Mr. Biridges said he had receiv
ed one complaint from a Catho
lic priest, Rev. Thomas P. Cle
ments, concerning the Sunday
afternoon broadcasts and had in
formed the priest time would be
available to him, or anyone else,
at the same rate.
The WKMT broadcasts are sp
onsored by a group of 40 persons
in Gaston and Mecklenburg
county. One of the group, Dr. V.
Ward Barr, of Gastonia, was
quoted as saying the purpose 6t
the weekly program is to defeat
Democratic Presidential Candi
date Jack Kennedy and Demo
eratic Gubernatorial Candidate
Terry Sanford.
Sportswear Finn
May Be Enlarged
Directors of Kings Mountain
Business Development, Inc., have
authorized two of its officers, j
J. Wilson Crawford and Fred W.j
Plonk, to serve as a committee
to confer with Waco Sportswear,1
Inc., on expansion of its facili
ties. j
Action was taken following
Tuesday morning’s annual stock
holders meeting, at whkih direc
tors of the association were re
elected and reports were made on j
the firms’ activities.
President J.'Wilson Crawford
reported on the work of the firm,
during the past year and Ben H.1
(Continued On Page Tenj 1
SUCCUMBS — Conway Jackson
Gault Sr., retired merchant and
textile man. died at his home
late Sunday morning.
Early Election <
Would Provide
If And When"
Contingency
By MARTIN HARMON
Kings Mountain’s board of ed
ucation may ask the county com
missioners to set a date for a
high school plant bond election
prior to the settlement of litiga
tion challenging validity of the
May 14 school merger election.
This possibility was discussed
informally at Monday night's
special session of the Kings
Mountain board.
Chairman Fred W. Plonk poin
ted out that proceeding with a
bond election in the near future
would “save a year.” at a time
when pressure for classroom
space is increasing rapidly.
Superintendent :B. N. Barnes
added, “We need classrooms
now," but agreed with Chairman
Plonk and other members of the
-senb s.^uojd uo pjreoq
tion, “Who would know how to
spend money for classrooms
now?”
It is anticipated that the board
will approve plans to use West
and ‘East elementary auditoriums
for classroom space the beginning
August 30 year. There will be two
classrooms in the West auditori
um, one carved out of the East
auditorium.
Supt, Barnes offered the opin
ion that the bond election can
be held, on original “if and when
the school merger is approved”
plan, once the county commission
sets a date for it. Should the
bond issue be approved and the
courts rule against the May 14
election result, which favored the
merger, the 'bond election would
be null and void. Initial plans
called for an election to determ
ine whether the proposed merger
area wished to issue $1,100,000 in
school district bonds for building
of a high school plant.
Board members A. W. Kincaid,
Mrs. John L. McGill and Dr.
I Phillip G. Padgett wondered a
loud Whether the county com
mission would set an election
date. Supt. Barnes pointed out
that the state attorney-general’s
office had recommended original
ly holding the bond election in
advance of the merger election.
ThC initial plan was changed
when both proponents and oppon
ents of the merger with Kings
Mountain petitioned the county
board of education for 1960-61
consolidation, either with Kings
Mountain or with other county
school units.
The litigation challenging the
election result brought a court
order for retention of the “status
quo” until the litigation is set
tled.
The suit is scheduled for trial
in October in Cleveland Superior
Court.
iAn appeal to the North Caro
lina Supreme Court is anticipat
ed, regardless of the outcome o£
the case in Superior Court.
Lynda Parton '
In Church Post
Lynda Woody Parton, grand
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. R.
Parton of Kings Mountain, was
elected president of the Synodi
cal Young People’s Christian Un
ion of the ARP Church at a re
cent young people’s conference at
Bon darken.
(Miss Parton, a senior at Frank.
L. Ashley high school in Gas
tonia, is the daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. Lynwood Parton of Gasto
nia, former residents.
The conference was held at the
church’s assembly grounds near
t Hendersonville.
Miss Parton recently returned
| from Mexico after a month’s
i workcamp she attended along
with 20 other ARP young people
from Virginia, Georgia, North
and South Carolina and Tenness
ee. The group made the trip by
I bus. Miss Parton was a delegate
j from First ARP church of Gas
' tonia.
I ___
McGills Of Gaston
To Meet Wednesday
| McGills of Gaston will ga
ther for the annual reunion
j Wednesday, August 17th at Be
I thel Church Arbor, it has been
announced.
President George McGill of
Wallace will preside at the
11:30 a. m. business meeting.
Picnic lunch will be spread
I at 12:30 and a large crowd is
! expected to attend.