i---5
Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 8,008
This figure for Greater King* Mountain 1* derived from
the 1955 King* Mountain city directory census. The city
limit* figure Is from the United State* census of I960.
Kings Mountain's Reliable NewspapeV
#
Pages
Today
VOL. 72 No. 10
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, March 9, 1961
Seventy-Second Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Gladden Ward 2 Candidate;
Kelly Seeking Ward 3 Seat
Local News
Bulletins
OPTIMISTS MEET
Kings Mountain Optimists
will meet Thursday night at
the American Legion Hall at
7:00 p. m.
FAIRVIEW LODGE
Regular communication of
Fairview Lodge 339 AF&AM
will be held Monday night at
7:30 at Masonic Halil, Secretary
T. D. Tindall has announced.
KIWANIS CLUB * „
A highway safety film, “The
Perfect Crime” Will be shown
at regular meeting Thursday
of Ithe Kings Mountain Kiwanis
club. Sherman Perry is pro
gram chairman. The club con
venes at 6:43 p, m. at the Wo
man’s club.
SUPPER
Young People of Central
Methodist church will sponsor
a spaghetti supper Friday
with serving to be from 6 un
til 7:30 p. m. at the church.
Plates will be $1 for. adults and
50 cents for children. Funds
will go to the Mission program
sponsored by the young people
and tickets may be secured i
from any member of the youth
group or purchased at the door.
PERMIT ISSUED
M. H. Biser, City Building
Inspector, issued a permit
Tuesday to Crown Central Pe
troleum Company to build a
one-story service station on
Cleveland Avenue between
Lin wood. Road and 'Jackson St.
Contractor for (the 5-room stru
cture is Webb & Blanton of
Shelby. Estimated cost is $20,
000.
FIRES
Firemen were called to Wil
son Street last Friday at 4:30 p.
m. to douse a grass fire. No.
damage was reported. The de
partment was called to Battle
ground Avenue Tuesday to
douse a blaze at -the Reynolds
Enterprises washerette. Fire
man Waire said lint and dust
collected atop a dryer blazed
up, but did no damage.
FARMER'S NIGHT
Kings Mountain Kiwanis
club Will hold its annual
Farmer’s Night banquet on
March 16. Members of the com
mittee on arrangements are
J. C. Bridges, chairman, W. T.
Weir, B. M. Ormand, P. M.
Neisler, N. F. McGill, Sr., and
Joe McClure.
Voting Bill
A'bill ito enfranchise for school
election voting citizens in the
Park Grace, Bethware, Grover
and Compact school areas is in
the hands of Rep. Jack Palmer
for introduction in the General
Assembly.
The bill, amending the present
Statute governing elections,
would assure election as school
trustees cf two citizens residing
in the areas voted into the Kings
Mountain district last year.
The hill provides that the City
of Kings Mountain will conduct
the election, as it has historical
ly, and requires the city to set
up voting precincts at Park
Grace and Bethware schools and
at Grover.
Citizens outside the city limits
but within the former school rtir
trist boundaries would vote at
Bethware school.
Text of the bill Riep. Palmar
has been asked to introduce
follows:
“The General Assembly of
North Carolina do enact:
SECTION 1: That Chapter 960
of the laws of 1955 applying to
the Kings Mountain School
Board shall remain in force and
effect since the school district
has been enlarged by consolida
tion except as herein amended.
“‘SECTION 2. That at the muni
cipal election in 1961 there'shall
(Continued On Page Eight)
14 Candidates
Now In Race
For City Offices
The candidate list far the bi
ennial city elections in May in
creased to 14 during the past
week.
The two additional candidates
are:
John W. Gladden, for Ward 2
commissioner.
Clavon Kelly, for Ward 3 com
missioner.
Both are entering the political
jousting for the first time.
Thus far, Mr. Gladden, a Par
ker street resident, long-time
citizen and Kings Mountain cir
culation manager for the Shelby
Daily Star, is the lone candidate
for the Ward 2 commission seat.
Mr. Kelly opposes another
newcomer, Corbett Nicholson,
former city gas system superin
tendent, who filed for office sev
eral weeks ago.
Mr. Kelly, a member of Kings
Mountain Baptist chuirch, is cre
dit manager of Lemaster Auto
& Home Supply stare of Bessemer
City. He formerly held a similar
position with a Kings Mountain
firm. He is a Mason. He and his
family live on Woodside Drive.
Mr. Gladden is a Parker street
resident, a past commander of
the American Legion post here, a
member of the 40 & 8 and a
member of Second Baptist
church.
Speculation continued this
week on whether four incumbent
commissioners would offer for
re-eleation.
Commissioner Boyce Gault,
Ward 2, and Ben H. Bridges,
Ward 3, continue to say, “I don’t
know” to questions on their in
tentions, 'but Commissioner Lu
ther T. Bennett, Ward 3, acknow
ledged (that he expects to seek
re-election to a third term.
Commissionr R. Coleman
Stroupe, Ward 5, hasn’t made
known his intentions^
To date, only Mayor Glee A.
Bridges and Ward 1 Commission
er Ross Alexander, among the
incumbents, are candidates for
re-election.
Also seeking the mayoral post
are Kelly Dixon, builder and
Congressional candidate last No
vember, David L. Saunders, one
time commissioner, and Garland
E. Still, former mayor.
Even minus the incumbent, a
four-man race is already posed
in Ward 4, where Paul W. Led
ford, farmer commissioner, Clin
ton Wood, Norman King, and
Willis Bagwell are commission
(Continued On Pag.e Eight)
CANDIDATES — Willis Bagwell,
top, and Norman King are two of
four announced candidates for
Ward 4 commissioner. Other can
didates are Paul W. Ledford and
Clinton Wood.
Mrs. Herndon's
Rites Conducted
Funeral rites for Mrs. Essie
Pearl Herndon, 74, wife of How
ard V. Herndon, were held Sun
day at 2:30 p. m. from David’s
Baptist Ohurch, interment fol
lowing in the Bethlehem Ceme
tery.
Mrs. Herndon died Friday
morning in the Kings Mountain
Hospital. She had been in ill
health for sometime and serious
ly ill the past several weeks.
A native of Cleveland county,
she was a daughter of the late
(Continued On Page Eight)
Local Citizens Voice Opposition
To Proposal To Expand Sales Tax
The prospect of paying sales
tax on food, drugs and a wide
variety of presently exempted i
tems is not pleasing to numerous
Kings Mountain area citizens.
Expansion of sales tax collec
tions by 81 milions in the 1961
63 biennium, with 73 million
recommended for schools, was,
recommended to the General As- j
sembly Monday by Governor;
Tanry Sanford.
Some local folk frankly dedlare
they don’t like the prospective
impact on their pocketbooks.
Others feel the projected funds
are not needed in the amount
recommended, and many oppose
the expansion of the sales tax to
include food and drugs as an un
fair tax “ In principle.”
Charles Blanton, pharmacist,
president of the Chamber of
Commerce and retiring president
of the Merchant's association,
commented, "I ordered some
new prescription call checks yes
terday with a major change, a
place for sales tax and printed in
red ink.” He predicted the Gov
ernor's recommendation will be
enacted in large part He added,
“Naturally, 1 think food and
drug pirioes are high enough now,
without adding more to the bill.
Howver, I agree that the amount
of money asked is needed for the
schools.”
W. G. Jonas, incoming Mer
chants association president, was
less charitable, saying, “It’ll be
pretty expensive for consumers,
I think the tax should be redir-l
ected.” He acknowledged the
need for additional school mon
ies but added he thought the
state “could go slower.”
Ollie Hariris, former president
of the state funeral director's as
sociation, said it appears that
burial costs will escalate. Cur
rently, the first $150 of burial ex
penses are not subject to the
sales tax. He opposed the exten
sion of the tax tto food and drugs
and predicted considerable oppo
sition to removal of .the exempt
ion on burial expenses.
Charles E. Dixon, past presi
dent of ithe Merchants associa
tion and automobile dealer, said
he opposed the extension of the
sales tax to food and the increase
from one (to two percent on sales
of new autos. He predicted the
state Automobile Dealers associ
ation would fight this proposal.
Paul McGinnis, retail mer
chant, commented, "Anybody
can make a show with more
money. I’m looking for a fellow
who can make a show with the
money on hand.”
William Lawrence Plonk, far
mer, said he felt the big jump
in sales taxes on farm produc
tion needs (too much. He said
that taxing of feeds, seeds and
farm machinery would place an
undue burden on the farmer.
Ben H. Bridges, savings and
loan association executive flay
ed ithe proposal'to charge tax on
food. "Though I Consider myself»»
conservative, I’m a liberal on this
issue. A tax on flood charges an
unfair portion of the tax to those
who can (least affprd to pay."
School Progxam
Would Up Pay
567,000 Here
Adoption of Governor Terry
Sanford’s school improvements
proposals would add four state
paid teachers to the Kings Moun
tain district faculty and -would
materially increase the local
school operating budgets.
Superintendent B. N. Barnes,
using the 1959-60 school operat
ing year as a base, said the prin
cipal benefits, in addition to high
er teacher pay toy the state and
addition of faculty members,
would be additional funds for in
structional supplies, secretarial
aid, and janitorial aid.
The school system, at its pres
ent size, would not qualify for
the proposed additions to admin
istrative manpower in the form
of an assistant superintendent or
additional teaching supervisor.
Big jump would toe in teacher
pay.
The Governor’s recommenda
tions provide for a 21 per cent
increase for all faculty members,
including administrative person
nel.
Last year, state - paid instruc
tional allotments fur iftngs
Mountain were $321,652, indicat
ing an increase of about $67,000
in teacher pay for present fac
ulty members.
The system! has 78 state-paid
faculty members. On the propos
ed formula of adding one teach
er for each 20 on the staff, f(he
local system should qualify for
four more state-paid teachers.
At $1.50 per enrolled child, Mr.
Barnes estimated, secretarial sal
ary aid of about $3,59° would re
185 days.
During 1959 -90, the schools ex
pended for current expense $346,
236 in state-furnished monies, and
an additional $100,897 in local
funds. Mr. Barnes noted that
some of the local funds budget
represented federal funds, which
for bookkeeping and auditing
purposes are treated as local
funds. This total of approxi
mately $447,000 does not include
any funds for capital outlay
items.
"Secession"
Effort Pushed
The county board of education
has deferred until Monday night
action on a request of A. A. Pow
ell and George Hamrick, attor
neys for Number 4 township citi
zens who don’t want to join the
Kings Mountain school district,
to draw a boundary line for a
secession election.
The attorneys asked board of
education collaboration prior to
presenting a “secession” bill to
the Cleveland County legislative
delegation.
The attorneys for the dissid
ents, losers in last May’s election
in which Compact, Beth ware,
Grover and Park Grace school pa
trons voted to join the K IT *js
Mountain school district, want the
county board of education to set
boundaries on a portion of the in
coming areas and, in turn, want
the General Assembly to enact a
law whidh would permit voting
on question of withdrawing from
the Kings Mountain district.
Present state law doesn’t provide
for a portion of a city district to
withdraw.
There was no indication as to
what action the county board of
education might take.
Kings Mountain Superintendent
B. N. Barnes speculated that the
county board could decide to 1)
take a hands off attitude, or 2)
decide to collaborate by drawing
a boundary line.
He also speculated that the
county's legislative delegation,
Senator Robert Morgan and Rep
resentative Jack Palmer, might
find themselves in the midst of a
battle of petitions, with consoli
dation opponents supporting the
proposed '“secession” bill, and pro
ponents, along with Kings Moun
tain citizens, opposing it.
' AriocKer fteacfoCr fcdpefit Aeom
meiided is expansion of the school
iteadher pay period from 183 to
Country Club
Meeting Set
Annual meeting of stockholders
of Kings Mountain Country Club,
Inc., will be held March 21 at
the American Legion building, it
was announced /this week.
(Notices to stockholders will be
mailed this week, Secretary
James A. Lybrand said, and
mem|bers unable to attend are re
quested to return proxies.
It will be a dinner meeting.
UNITED FUND GIFT — Employees of Phenix
Plant of Burlington Industries contributed
S714.50 to the United Fund last Friday and rep
resentatives of the plant are shown above pre
senting the check to Chairman Bob Maner. Mrs.
Gertie Roper of the Winding Department gives
the check to Mr. Maner while Mrs. Sarah Coyle
of the Spinning Department and Oscar Short
of the Carding Department look on.
(Herald Photo by Pennington)
Billie Jones First Winner,
Of Jaycee Teen-Ager Award
MAY QUEEN — Sarah Robbins,
high school senior, will reign as
May Queen over May Day festi
vities at Kings Mountain high
school.
Miss Robbins
May Queen
Sarah Robbins, Kings Mountain
high school senior, has been elect
ed May Queen and will reign over
the high school May Day festivi
ties this year.
Miss Robbins is the daughter
of B. A. Robbins, 109 Fulton
street. She is president of the
Sitatix and Dramatics club, mem
Mr of the Future Teachers of
America and secretary in Miss
Logan’s homeroom. Miss Robbins
represented the high school last
year as Carrousel Princess in the
Thanksgiving Day parade at
Charlotte.
Sue Jean Wright, runner-up for
May Queen, will crown Miss
Robbins.
(May Day festivities are plan
ned annually by the “K” club at
Central school.
Attack Fatal
To C. G. Myers
Funeral rites for Clarence
Graham Myers, 59, whio died Fri
day morning of a heart attack,
were held Sunday at 4 p. m.
from Resurrection Lutheran
Church of which he was a mem
ber.
Rev. George Moore, assisted by
Rev. R. J. Essary and Rev. Al
bert Hastings, officiated and in
terment was in Hollywood ceme
tery at Gastonia.
lA Cleveland county native. Mr.
Myers was a son of Mrs. Henry
Myers of Kings Mountain and
the late Mr. Myers. He was a
contractor for sign painting.
He is survived, in addition to
his mother, by his wife, the for
mer John Eva Winchester; 1 son
Clarence Myers Jr. of Gastonia;
and 2 daughters, Mins. Floyd H.
Styers of Pearl River, La. and
i (Continued On Page Eight J
Honor Winner
EMUS Senior,
Top Student
Billie Jones, 17-year-old son of
Mr. and Mrs. C. W. Jones of 106
Mao-grace, was named Kings
Mountain’s Teen-Ager of the
Year at the meeting of local Jay
cees Tuesday night at the Wo
man’s Club.
Jones is a senior at Kings
Mountain High school and en
gages in an impressive list of
extra-curricular activities, rank
ing high scholastically.
A member of the National:
Honor Society, he presently ser
ves as president of the high
school chapter of the organiza
tion. He attended Boy’s State last
year, is a drum major in the high
school band, won the district
drum major award in compe
tition at Bristol, Virginia last
year, served as junior marshall,
won an honorable mention in
National Merit Scholarship com
petition, and was a district win
ner 'in the Morehead Scholarship
; competition.
He was a nominee for a Gen
eral Electric Science scholarship.
Jones is a member of First
Presbyterian Church and a past
officer of the Young People’s
group. He is a member of the
Presbytery Youth Council, and a
member of DeMolay, of which he
is a .senior counselor.
He is also a member of the
high school dramatics club.
The young teen-ager was cho
sen from twelve nominations for
nine entries in the city-wide
competition.
Chairles Blanton, Jaycee chair
man of the award committee,
said Wednesday he wished to ex
press his appreciation for the re
sponse of the. public too the con
test and for the nominations sub
mitted. He said the award will
be an annual event for the Jay
cees.
Jones will be entered in com
petition for the statewide Teen
(Continued. On Page Eight)
TEEN OF YEAR — Billie Jones.
Kings Mountain High school
senior, was recipient of the first
Teen-Ager of the Year award pre
sented by Kings Mountain Jay
cees Tuesday night.
Blanton Heads
School Group
Harold Love, of Shelby, chair
man of the Cleveland County Cit:
izens Committee for Better
Schools, has announce! member
ship of two additional sub-com
mittees.
Charles Blanton, of Kings
Mountain, will head the speak
er’s bureau, with other members
including Mrs. George W. Plonk,
Kings Mountain, Felix Hamrick,
Boiling Springs, Mi's. Lee Laven
dar, Earl, Taft S. Putnam, Lawn
dale, and Mrs. Bell Gheen, Mrs.
Rush Hamrick Jr., and Athos
Rostan, all of Shelby.
Bill LeGrande, of Shelby, was
named chairman of the legisla
tive subcommittee. Other mem
bers are Charles Neisler, Kings
Mountain, Jack Herndon, Grover,
Dr. Jack Hunt, Lattimore, Perry
Cacomson, Shelby, J. Lander Far
ris, Shelby, and Torrence Grigg,
Waco.
Chamber Of Commerce Lists Goals
For 19(1; Member Drive Planned
Kings Mountain Chamber of
Commerce has adopted a 1961
program aimed at betterment
and growth of the community.
In a lettter to members this
week. President Charles Blanton
outlined the 1961 program of the
organization:
tPor community betterment—
1) Better lighting for the com
munity; 2) effort to regain a
state employment service branch
, office; 3) promotion of more ac
; tive observance of the Battle of
Kings Mountain anniversary; 4)
support of improvements in elec
tion machinery; and 5) prepara
tion of a new and up-to-date city
map.
Far growth—
; 1) Launching of efforts to in
crease treasury funds to the point
new industry for the community
can be “wooed and won”; 2) pre
paration for a new publicity bro
chure on the Kings Mountain a
rea suitable for industrial pros
pects, tourists, and schools; and
3) purchase and/or optioning o 1
[ one or more desirable industrial
sites.
The program was adopted by
the organization’s directors.
Mir. Blanton commented, “We
have adopted goals that we be
lieve are realistic and are within
the realm of attainment, most oi
them within the current year.”
Mr. Blanton said the Chamber
erf Commerce will launch a mem
| bershiy campaign in early April
Voters May Get
Voice In Movie,
Pool Decision
BV MARTIN HARMON
Kings Mountain citizens may
5T.et a voice in deciding the Sun
day blue law issue at the May
city election, some members of
the city commission indicated
Wednesday.
A survey by the Herald indi
cated that the board may con
duct an informational referen
dum on the issue.
Term.; of the voting were Less
definite.
There was a question whether
individual enterprises would be
singled out for Sunday operation
bans, or whether the citizens
would be invited to give an ag
gregate preference on an abso
lutely closed or absolutely open
Sunday.
Odds are, commissioner oom
menfcs indicated, .that the voters
will get the opportunity to ans
wer "yes” or "no” to the question
of opening or closing the motion
picture theatre and the city-own
ed swimming pools.
At least, this Was the stated
position of Commissioners Boyce
Gault and I.uther Bennett, both
of whom favor a referendum.
Commissioner Ross Alexander
opposes a referendum, startling,
“My idea is that the commission
should decide the question.'*
However, he added, if a referen
dum is offered, he favors the vo
ters deciding whether Sunday
will be absolutely open or abso
lutely ‘"blue".
Commissioner Ben H. Bridges
said he favors a referendum, but
he didn’t spell out the ‘Km
said the question of operation of
the city^owned swimming pools
should be included.
Comm. Bennett said, “I favor a
referendum along the lines re
quested by the Kings Mountain
Ministerial association. I don’t
believe the people would favor
the blue law currently in the
city ordinances.”
The Herald was unable to con
tact Commissioner R. Coleman
Stroupe. However, Mr. Stroupe
has stated previously .that he
would favor a referendum and
he has also voiced the opinion
that the city is in a poor moral
position when it forces motion
picture theatres to close, yet op
erates its own swimming pools.
The Sunday blue 'law issue
was revived last fall when own
ers of Joy Theatre requested re
laxation of the city's ordinance
prohibiting Sunday showings.
The commission .took no action.
Late in December, Joy Theatre
began Sunday showings and has
continued the policy since.
Many businesses operate with
out prosecution in violation of
the current blue law. These in
clude some cafes, drug .stores,
service stations and automatic
laundries, in addition to the the
atres. Some other firms, inclu
ding industries, aren’t sure whe
ther they’re violating the blue
law or not.
The commission, it was indica
ted, will offer an informational
referendum, rather than a bind
ing one, comparable to the ref
erendum of two years ago on the
question of fluoridating the city's
water supply.
The 'result would offer a guide
to the incoming administration
on which action it should take
* / ;
TO RALEIGH
Representatives of the Kings
Mountain Unit of the North
North Carolina Education As
sociation axe expected to go to
Raleigh Wednesday for the
UFE hearing before the joint
appropriations and finance
committee of the General As
sembly. The meeting is at 2 p.
m. in Raleigh Memorial Audi
torium.