Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 8,008
This figure for Grsater Kings Mountain Is derived from
the 1955 Kings Mountain city directory census. The city
limits figure is from the United States census of 1960.
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, May II, 1961
Pages
Today
VOL. 72 No. 18
Established 1889
Seventy-Second Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Glee Bridges, Cline, Gault, Ellison, Ben Bridges, Rhea Lead
Bennett Defeated
In Ward 3 Contest
Kings Mountain citizens went
to the polls in record numbers
Tuesday, giving pluralities to
Mayor Glee A. Bridges, Commis
sioners Ben H. Bridges and Boy
ce Gault, and Challengers Ray
Cline, T. J. (Tommy) Ellison add
J. E. (Zip) Rhea. A total of 2227
voted.
Iln the city office voting, no
candidate won a clear majority,
though Ben H. Bridges came very
close. His 1056 votes failed of a
majority toy 29 votes out of 2168
cast. He led Norman King at 621,
Paul W. Ledford, 211, Willis Bag
well 143 and Clinton Wood, 137.
The hotly waged mayoral con
test found Mayor Bridges with
814 votes of 2226 cast in this
race. He led second-runner Kelly
Dixon by 287 votes tout failed of
a majority toy 300 votes. David
L. Saunders placed third at 468,
Garland E. Still fourth at 375,
and Brooks MoAlbee fifth with 42.
Most close of all the contests
was in the four-man Ward 3
contest, which! eliminated Luther
T. Bennett, the two-term incum
bent commissioner. T. J. (Tom
my) Ellison, veteran of the politi
cal wars and several times a com
missioner, led the balloting with
661 votes, just 54 votes ahead of
second-runher Cortoet Nicholson
at 607. Mr. Bennett placed third
at 495, followed toy Clavon Kelly
at 380. Mr. Ellison lacked 411
votes of a majority.
Pluralities in the other wards
were more comparable.
In Ward 1, Bay Cline led In
cumbent Boss Alexander 929 to
720, with C. H. (Cat) Houser pol
ling 446. Mr. Cline’s lead was 209
votes. He lacked a majority by
119.
In Ward 2, Incumlbent Boyce
Gault’s 909 led Eugene Goforth’s
706 toy 203 votes-, with John Glad
den trailing at 519. Mr. Gault
lacked a majority toy 159.
In Ward 5, J. E. Rhea polled
981 votes to top Incumbent R.j
Coleman Stroupe’s 727 and Hazel1
Gill’s 458. Mr. Rhea’s lead was
254. He lacked a majority by 102.
(Balloting was conducted in al
most ideal weather, from the
standpoint of the temperature,
but rained threatened several
times during the day. The rain
I drops were limited to the drizzle
category.
There was heavy balloting ear
ly in the day, particularly at
j Wards 4 and 5. At Ward 4, a line
had formed before the polls o
jpened at 6:30 a. m., election of
ficials reported. •- t
FRONT RUNNERS
GLEE BRIDGES
RAY CLINE
BOYCE GAULT
TOMMY ELLISON
SECOND RUNNERS
J. E. RHEA
• - v. •.wy-Kvx-v.i
KELLY DIXON
ROSS ALEXANDER
GOFORTH
CORBET NICHOLSON
NORMAN KING
COLEMAN STROUPE
Williams Leader Over Harry
In'Uncontested School Vote
Williams Gets
Six-Yeai Tenn,
Hairy Foul
Two new board of education
members — first to represent a
reas merged inlto the Kings
Mountain school district —
were elected without opposition
Tuesday.
H. O. (Toby) Williams, who
led the voting with 2007, was e
lected to a six-year term, by vir
tue of leading Holmes Harry, of
Grover, who polled 1547 and was
elected to a four year term.
TO TAKE OATHS
H O (Toby) Williams and
Holmes Harry, mwly-eleOted
school trustees, will take their
oaths of office in ceremonies at
City Hall courtroom Thursday
morning at 10:30. Judge Jack
White is to administer the
oaths, and city and school
board officials are expected to
attend, as well as interested
citizens.
The amendments to the city
election laws, recently enacted
by the General Assembly, speci
fied that the candidate receiv
ing the highest number of votes
be seated for six years, with the
second-runner to be seated for
lour years.
The board of education is ar
ranged with staggered terms.
Voting was light in the three
outside • dty precincts, indica
ting the lack of a contest.
Mr. Williams is a farmer,
Kings Mountain high school gra
duate and a sports enthusiasts
For many years he has served as
announcer at Kings Mountain
high school football games.
Mr. Harry, Grover textile exe
cutive, is chairman of the Grover,
district school committee in thej
county system.
Both Mr. Williams and Mr.
Hairy were leaders in the move
ment of adjacent area citizens to
merge into the Kings Mountain
school district
The new trustee* will replace
Arnold W. Kincaid and J. W.
Webster, both completing six
year terms. Mr. Kincaid is a vet
eran member of the board, hav
ing served as trustee for several
terms.
NEW SCHOOL TRUSTEES _ H. O. (Toby) Williams, left led
Holmes Harry in the uncontested board of education election Tues
day. Williams won a six-year term, Harry a four-year term. They
will take oaths of office Thursday morning.
OFFICIAL RETURNS
Board of Education Election, May 9
Ward Ward Ward Ward Ward Beth. Park G. Gro.
1 2 3 4 5 Totals
Williams 196 | 275 [ 350 [ 370 j_569 | 103| 53 | 91|2007
Harry 131 j 207 j 256 | 265 ) 452 ] 62| 56 |ii8|1547
PRESIDENT _ Mrs. Isa Lose
lace was Installed Tuesday as
presfaSsat of tbs Gastonia Associ
ation of Insurance Women. She
succeeds Miss Libby Camp, also
I of Kings Mountain.
Mrs. Lovelace
Is Elected
Mrs. Iva Lovelace, associated
with the insurance firm of B. F.
Maner Agency, will head the
Gastonia Association of Insuran
ce Women for the coning year.
Officers were installed at a
dinner meeting at Gastonia Elks
Club Tuesday night. Mrs. Love
lace succeeds Miss Latofoy Camp
of Kings Mountain. Miss Camp
is employed in Gastonia.
Other officers, all of whom
are of Gastonia, include: Miss
Ruth Weaver, vice-president;
Miss Carolyn Griffin, secretary;
and Mrs. Tessie Bridges, treasur
er. 1
Miss Laura Tittman, of Gas
tonia, a charter member of the
organization, was named "Wo
man of the Year.”
Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Maner of
Kings Mountain accompanied
Mrs. Lovelace to the meeting.
Ground Buies
For Run-Off
Are Outlined
|> « one'
officials will
ward polling SLaVh® fiye
Pay no additfomfem Candwlates
^■s&sjfffsa
to call, in wri tnurf™ n which
City Clerk rUn'off
said Tuesday tht McI>aniel, Jr., I
heretofore ^fbe^wf P°licy as|
The final * followed,
run-off wfl! ty£A*f°r a
Sunday is a M^U^day’ May 15.
Mated calls wiU Kone^L day‘
vided they are ^ored’ Pre
fer than Sunday^FwJked no Jai
at Kings lVfomti-POStmar
office Sunday wiuTt?m I***
caSd^teTtleSS SI (dty ofti<*!
Jnayor and b^^V>^!‘acurrtbont
ers will conK? to^SlJssion'
least until May 25 at
dfies that elected'8Pe
serve in office uZL?Hmals will
City Electii
sidelights
years ago wWeif one 861 two
ba]iot8
hartT^^dejitr^S, etforts of
eolidation fight faffed con'
ware reported lonef^f; , Beti»*
board of edoearr”16 wnte-ins for
H. A. cSfST^ trustees for
Grover had aw S? Jun Yart*>ro.
^ i Gene
hated too write ^fountain
«y and «SS*}»ai Low
'**«■'« isgrs
the night’s ««w T1^ to report
after 7 o'clodfc1^^’at Portly
*"* P^no^J was th£
fOHHmm, o.
OFFICIAL RETURNS
City Election, May 9,1961
FOR MAYOR
Bridges
Ward Ward Ward Ward Ward
1 2 3 4 5 Totals
814
103: 135| 1261 152
Dixon
421
Saunders
73| 120| 152
481 73; 61 j 81
298i
140j 527
Still
371
McAbee
531 122j
6
86
21
24
2051 468
77|_375
11
42
WARD 1 COMMISSIONER
Cline
1291 150| 222
Alexander
Houser
591
391
971 135
184
185
80j 601 101
244
244
166
929
720
446
WARD 2 COMMISSIONER
Gault_
Goforth
_102' 129: _164| 199] 315]_909
Gladden
77| 125| 132] 131! 24l[ 706
47] 78] 131| 152] 111] 519
WARD 2 COMMISSIONER
Ellison 721
49|
541
_ _47[
Nicholson
Bennett
Kelly
92i_196|
114j 90;
741 731
48 751 ' 72
134| 167)
149; 205j
129| 165|
138.
661
607
495
380
WARD 4 COMMISSIONER
Bridges _ _1501
King
166| 174| 171| 395
1056
_43|_
Ledford
10]
99) 159|
341 25,
147| 173
621
541 88
211
Bagwell
9|
Wood
111
20J
JZL
35)
35|
671 12
143
52j 22
137
WARD 5 COMMISSIONER
Rhea116|
160| 200j 190! 315
981
Stroupe
821 104] 175| 2351131
727
Gill
31) 681 48| 521 259
458
Forum Series
Will Continue
Radio Station WKMT expects
to continue its Monday afternoon
radio political series in event of
any run-off election.
However, Manager Jonas Brid
ges said this week, the format
will be altered and effort will be
made to have citizen panels in
terview not only the mayoral
candidates, butt commissioner
candidates as well.
The hour program begins at 6
p. m.
Prior to Tuesday’s election, five
mayoral interview programs
were broadcast.
ELECTED
A student from Kings Moun
tain at Pfeiffer college has
been named vice president of
Kappa Chi, pre-ministerial or
ganization at the college. Bill
Bumgardner, son of Mrs. Aus
tin Bumgardner, Shelby Road,
was named to the post held in
elections an the campus recent
ly. A major in the college’s
pre-ministerial program, he
graduated from Central school
in 1954.
Local News
Bulletins
MASONIC MEETING
An emergent communication
of Fairview Lodge 339 will be
held Monday at 7:30 p. m. ait
Masonic Hall. Supper will be
served alt $1.50 per plate and
Past Masters will serve as of
ficers far the evening, Secre
tary T. D. Tindall announced.
OPTIMIST CLUB
Regular meeting of the Rings
Mountain Optimist club will be
held Thursday night at 7:30
at Grace Methodist church fel
lowship building.
AT OPTIMIST MEET
Glynda Lynn, winner of the
regional spelling bee, was a
guest of the Optimist club at
the regular meeting last week.
Glyndafamily also attended
the program.
\
HEADS JAYCEES _ James Ly
brand is the new president of the
Kings Mountain Junior Chamber
of Commerce succeeding Robert
H. Goforth. New officers were in
stalled recently.
Legion Elects
W. D. Morrison
W. D. (Red) Morrison, Victory
Chevrolet shop manager, was
elected commander of Otis D.
Green 'Post 155, American Legion,
in the annual post election last
Friday. I
(He defeated Ross Alexander
and David Delevie, and will suc
ceed J. T. McGinnis, Jr., com
mander for the past two years.
(Mr. Morrison is a former post
commander.
For first vice-commander, Ho
Ibart Dye and H. O. (Tdby) Wil
liams tied at 42 votes each. Mr.
Dye won a coin toss for the po
sition.
Other officers elected included
Eugene Goforth, second vice
cpmmander; Joe McDaniel. Jr.,
adjutant and finance officer;
.Floyd Dover, historian; and
George Hull, sergeant-at-arms,
Elected to file five-man exec
I utive committee were Frank
Blanton, Jay Powell, Eugene Gib
son, E. C. (Abie) Martin and
James Bennett
Six Contests
Are Indicated
For May 23
Two second runners in Tues
day’s city election, Norman King,
Ward 4, and R. Coleman Stroupe,
War3“5,""have told the Heraid
they expect to ask for run-off e
lections, and several other sec
ond-runners have indicated they
may.
Mr. Stroupe, two-term commis
sioner who placed second to J. E.
(Zip)-Rhea, said at Wednesday’s
commission meeting he never
thought about not calling a run
off.
Mr. King called the Herald
early Wednesday afternoon to
say he definitely will call a run
off.
Challenger Rhea lacked 103 vo
tes of a majority in his three
man race with Comm. Stroupe
and Hazel Gill.
lOomim. Ben H. Bridges lacked
only 29 votes of a majority in his
five-man contest with Challenger
King, Paul Ledford, Willis Bag
well and Clinton Wood.
Mayoral runner-up Kelly Dix
on said Wednesday morning he
felt he would toe “going back” on
his supporters should he decline
a run-off, but %vould defer decis
ion.
Corbet Nicholson, runner-up to
T. J. (Tommy) Ellison in the
four-man Wand 3 commissioner
race, told the Herald it would be
Thursday before he made a def
inite deosision, but he indicated
he felt reasonably sure he would
seek a run-off.
Comm.. Ross Alexander said
Wednesday afternoon he likely
would call a run-off with Chal
lenger Ray Cline, leader in Tues
day’s three-man race.
The Herald was unable to con-'
tact Challenger Eugene Goforth,
runner-up to Comm. Boyce Gault
In Ward 2. i
Mr. Stroupe has twice come
from behind to win in run-off e
lectiorts, over taking W. G. Gran
tham, in 1957 and Charles E.
Blalock, in 1959.
LITTLE LEAGUE NOTE
The Kings Mountain Lions
club has donated $25 to the
support of the Police Depart
ment entry In the Kings Moun
tain Little League, President
George Thamasson reported.