The Kings Mountain Herald
Established 1889
A weekly newspaper devoted to the promotion of the general welfare and published
for the enllghtmenit, entertainment and benefit of the citizens of Kings Mountain
and Its vicinity, published every Thursday by the Herald Publishing House.
Ei.iered as second class matter at the postoffice at Kings Mountain, N. C., under Act
of Congress of March 3, 1873.
Martin Harmon
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
.*****. Editor-Publisher
SrnSth .Advertising Salesman and Bookkeeper
Ki pSS? . Circulation Manager and Society Editor
- dra I lonk . Assistant Society Editor
Eugene Matthews
Paul Jackson
MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
Monte Hunter
Wade H. Hartsoe, Jr.
Allen Myers
TELEPHONE NUMBER _ 739-5441
SUBSCRIPTION RATES PAYABLE IN ADVANCE_BY MAIL ANYWHERE
ONE YEAR -S-50 _ J2.00
PLUS NORTH CAROLINA SALES TAX
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE
JTnowm unto God ore all his works from the beginning of the world. The Acts 15:16.
World Order
Few around the globe, Including some
of those who framed the Constitution of
the United States, felt that the fledgling
new nation, rather fluke winner in the
war for freedom against Great Britain,
would survive.
Yet survive it has, successfully meet
ing Ithe second test with the former mo
ther country in the War of 1812, and
successively forging itself into a world
power through a tragic Civil War, and
two World Wars.
Through the Constitution, its amend
ments and the rule of law, this nation
has maintained internal order, and
freedom minus license.
A key question to many today is: Will
the United Nations survive?
Many citizens of the United States ra
ther hope it won’t, seeking to revert to
the isolationism propounded by George
Washington, the first president, who re
garded the suiTounding oceans as non
navigable moats. From its use of the ve
to in the Security Council and from its
general, policy of obstructionism, there
is question as to whether Russia, the
other major world power, wants the U
nited Nations to survive. Only in the
past few days Nehru, of India, has
flaunted the United Nations.
Apparently, these and many more
v/ant to play at the United Nations
game when the results suit their parti
cular positions or desires.
Yet in a constantly shrinking globe,
with experimental planes traveling
three times the speed of sound, and New
York and Paris only six hours apart by
commercial air transport, the peoples of
the world, regardless of differences in
languages, heritage and custom, must
learn to live together to survive.
The United Nations is a virtual baby
in age, and its charter has plenty of de
ficiencies. But there are some successes.
Aggression was halted in Korea and the
effort in the Congo is promising of suc
cess.
Much good work of the United Na
tions is unheralded, including its techni
cal assistance to food-short nations, its
relief work, and its medical missions.
The New York Times comments: “We
do not believe the U. N. will die. The e
vils, the cowardice and jealousies that
have been revealed from time to time in
the Assembly and Security Council ses
sions would exist even if there were no U.
N. A United Nations will continue to ex
ist because it must. No partisan debate,
no isolationism, if that is what we are go
ing to have, can change that truth.”
Business To Be Good
There was considerable evidence dur
ing the Christmas season that the re
cessive situation of the prior Christmas
season has been reversed.
Retail sales were up, steel mills were
booking more orders, industry was gen
erally showing improved sales and pro
fits.
In this area, textiles, the bread-and
butter industry, was out of its slump and
prospects appeared good for the coming
months.
North Carolina had enjoyed a banner
year in attracting new industries and
their life-giving payrolls and the pros
pect for the future is that more are
coming.
None, no matter how many endeavor,
can accurately pi'edict the future but the
economic indicators that have proved
valuable in the past point favorably
toward 1962 as a prosperous year for
the area, North Carolina and the na
tion.
Open Tuesday Wise
From reports from several retailers,
being open Tuesday was wise.
Not only was 'Tuesday, as a radio an
nouncer quipped, ‘‘national exchange
>dav" but it was also a day of solid sales.
The problem of getting a large group
c-f retailers together on opening and
closing hours and holiday schedules is
oc*t easy and THE headache of any Mer
chants Association president’s adminis
tration, as Bill Jonas and predecessors
will be quick to testify.
While being open Tuesday was wise,
it still behooves the merchants to work
in accord if possible, both to avoid
horse-and-buggy age schedules and,
even more important, to keep the public
informed. Some merchants are specu
lating that polling on a type-of-business
basis8 might be more effective than
merely coming to decision by simple ma
jority vote.
i
Politics Upcoming
The year around the corner will mark
the so-called "off-year” elections, mean
ing a non-presidential eelction year.
Already the newspaper corps has fig
ured that the next Congress will have a
record number of new faces, due to
deaths, resignations, and the usual pas
turing of those who lose favor with the
voters.
The Democrats have maintained con
trol, if sometimes shaky, of the Congress
since the off-year elections of 1954.
While it is historic that the party con
trolling the presidency loses some Con
gressional ground in political off-years,
the biennial election result will be a
measure of what the nation thinks of
policies currently being followed. Is the
nation enchanted or disenchanted' with
the hand at the tiller?
Frequent elections are costly in time
and treasure, but the expense is cheap
in maintaining the freedom guaranteed
by the Constitution.
Major Decisions
Citizens of K ings Mountain and the
Kings Mountain area have some major
decisions upcoming within the next few
months, not to mention the day-to-day
decisions involved in the normal course
of events.
The first, likely, will be the area deci
sion on a school district bond issue,
which will determine whether a new
high school will be. constructed. On the
positive side, a new high school should
pretty well solve the crowded situation
within the schools for a number of years.
On the negative side, with population in
creasing, where can they be put without
more classroom space?
Another major decision this year in
volves the city alone.
Apparently D-Day is approaching on
the rebuilding of the city’s electrical dis
tribution system. The first step has been
taken in the form of the preliminary en
gineering work. The second will be in fi
nancing the improvements. Kings Moun
tain’s power system has been a very pro
fitable one and has been one of the
means whereby the city enjoys one of
the state’s lower ad valorem tax rates.
The “golden goose”, as one member of
the administration remarked, should be
well-fed.
On the thesis that first matters should
be attended first, these are this area’s
major decisions for 1962.
Neale Patrick
For thepast four years, Kings Moun
tain Herald readers have been treated
to a regular weekly diet of both incisive
and expansive sports coverage.
This service has been 99 percent cre
ditable to Neale Patrick, who finishes
his stint with this issue to join the staff
of his hometown daily, Tne Gastonia
Gazette.
The Herald will miss Neale Patrick,
not only for the results of his labors, but
because he worked well at all times with
other members of the staff.
The Herald regards its loss as the
Gazette’s gain, wishes both the Gazette
and Mr. Patrick wrell in their association.
Mrs. Souther
The death of Mrs. Macie Souther re
moved from the community a person
who had lived here many years and, as
a veteran teacher, had influenced the
lives of many children and their fami
lies.
A widow since 1944, Mrs. Souther
lived quietly and unobtrusively, doing
her job, constantly exhibiting friendship
and kindness.
From those who knew her best came
this continuing comment: “She never
complained,” a high compliment which
many others would be glad to claim.
Congratulations to Frank Hamrick,
newly-elected president of the Bethware
Progressive club. Mr. Hamrick has given
valiant service to the club in many oth
er assignments and will do the same as
president.
MARTIN’S
MEDICINE
By Martin Hanson
Ingredient*: bit* of new,
wisdom, humor, and comment.
Directions: Take weekly, if
possible, but avoid
overdosage.
There’s an old folklore me
dicinal theorem Which goes
something like this: 'Stufi a
cold; starve a fever.” It has a
more modern version diame
trically opposed: “Stuff a cold
and you may have to starve a
fever."
m-m
At any rate, when I greeted
Sunday morning with a drippy
cold I didn’t even bother to pull
out the thermometer. Christ
mas feasting was on the thres
hold and I elected the older ad
vice. For two days I stuffed it,
and, as this is written, am alive
to relate it.
m-m
I suggested to my mother-in
law she must be psychic. Sev
eral Christmas seasons ago,
she had presented me a pair of
pajamas. We were at her house
for the naght-before-CSiristrnas
party and 'had little more than
opened the gifts When I sudden
ly felt the bite of the flu bug.
The schedule gdt a li ttle mixed
that year. Instead of staying
overnight and passing on the
next morning, I put up for sev
eral days — abed — and the pa
jamas were put to immediate
use.
m-m
This year she presented me
some beautiful linen handker
chiefs ( a gift I always appre
ciate), and again the gift Was
put to quick and practical use.
m-m
On Sunday prior, thanks to
Jonas Bridges, we were able
to slay two birds with one
stone, traveling to Woodruff,
S. C., during morning church
service hour, yet in effect at
ing church in Kings (Mountain.
The auto radio brought in quite
well Dr. W. P. Gerberding’s
"'God with us” Christmas mes
sage from St. Matthew’s Luth
eran church and Charlie Wood
ward’s excellent music,
m-m
On Christmas day it was a
traditional celebration with my
aunts, Misses Laura and Lillian
Plonk, and other members of
the clan in Asheville. The wea
therman assisted with a cold,
but dear and beautiful day,
with ioe apparent only in a
couple of shaded spots along
the road and shining white on
tie mountain tops. One other
evidence of ice was in Beau
catcher tunnel, Which leads in
to Asheville. Down a couple of
crevices hung some wintry art
work in the form of icy stalag
tttes.
m-m
I almost confess to over eat
ing, and if I let out a couple of
gobbles before the week is over,
it will be merely the result of
copious quantities of roast tun
key.
m-m
The wreck totals many not
show it, or the folk along my
two routes may have been es
pecially courteous and/or care
ful, but on my two jaunts the
motorists were especially well
behaved. I experienced no close
calls, and saw only one driver
trying to get to destination a
little faster than he might
have. I have sometimes been
wont to Charge that such ex
perience is especially unusual
in our neighboring state to the
south, but must confess Old
Hurry was operating in the Tar
Heel state.
m-m
The super-highways are a
dream of practical engineering
and are worth their cost in
comfort and safety. There’s a
particularly pretty view of the
whole Kings Mountain range
on one knoll between Grover
and the Dixon read over-pass,
and the Old Port-Black Moun
tain stretch of four-lane boule
vard remains to me a wonder
of the age.
m-m
Some markings at intersec
tions remain confusing, partic
ularly at night when traffic is
heavy. William Plonk was fol
lowing me down the mountain
and I failed to make the right
turn into Marion. The straight
course (one-way only) led to
ward Cross none, Lanville and
Blowing Rock. I told William,
after arriving home, I thought
maybe he’d like to head to the
mountains for a bit of skiing—
Which, with the soon-to-open
slide at Blowing Rock and the
already open one at Fire Top
mountain, appear to be the ma
kings of a winter tourist sea
son in the mountain®, as well
as a summer one.
m-m
William guessed he and I
were too ripe for such limb
risking activity (ask Bob Ba
ker, the dentisit.)
m-m
The giving spirit was eviden
ced in more ways than one
Rev. B. L. Raines said the
“Christmas clearing house’
made Christmas merrier for
44 needy families, with 14 mer
chants volunteering major ad
dtvtions to the gift inventory
Th» was exclusive of manv
deliveries made by numerous
organizations.
m-m
Now it’s time to
New Year!”
say. “Happy
f DON'T GO"OUT"
WITH THE OLD YEAR
i j
IN. OUT AND IN AGAIN
It was all a. tang time ago but
we remember very vividly the
call-up of the reserves in 1940, a
whole year before Pearl Harbor.
There are a lot of middle-aged
men about who could tell today’s
young reserves a thing or two a
bout administrative foul-ups, in
adequate facilites and makeshift
equipment — not to mention the
pains of an upro ted life.
Yet we can testify that the
gripes then were never as seri
ous as the (papers of that day pic
tured them. We do not think that
most of today’s gripes are tifher.
For all the complaints, the young
men of today are of the same
mettle as their fathers. They
will do wliat has to be done.
But there is one difference be
tween yesterday and'today. Wte
knew in those days that we faced
But the problem of tt e in
again • oul again-in-again soldier
is not going to go away ju t be
cause some general airly drinks
“that is what the reserves are
for.”
When the ordinary eitize i be
comes a soldier, 'however i luot
antly, he does so because h t is
willing to serve his county ; if
this is not so, then we have roth
mxa la iivl SO, UlCil -----
ing but an army of merceni lies.
When he joins the reserves ixter
his regular duty he accept the
obligation to be recalled; he
knows that he will be the |Hrst
to respond in war, that he nust
bear the brunt whKle the cot ntry
is mobilizing.
But this concept puts an «
obligation upon the Govern* ent.
That obligation is to be exh me
ly careful about when it so tnds
the alarm, to be always awa e of
what it is that the citizen so (tier
is being asked to do, and
high call of tuty to eoui T j™*
be sounded e*y time fh, t
gets nervous ! f
One young man we knew
two years of regular duty.
came home, married and d*
on his career. He was upre tec
a year later and went bac «
| Korea. All this he bore wiflu *ly
* rtU iiuh llv
and willingly stayed in the n *'r'
ves. He went willingly when She
Piesident uprooted him agait$ in
the alarms over Berlin.
Still, slice this anyway yocj ^
here is a young man who tJ «e
tones in a decade has had Ms
career chopped up, his home'
'noted. Now he** f *“
bon isn't so rm»
ter a’l: may be '
can go home -ant
A SLIGHT
CONTRADICTION
In presenting his 20-year pro
(gram to the Soviet Union Com
munist Party Congress last mon
th, Premier Khrushchev set a
goal of implementing the Marx
ist precept, "From each accord
ing to his ability, to each accord
ing to his needs.”
'Now, according to reports from
the Soviet Union, Communist in
ternal propaganda media are ev
erywhere urging Soviet citizens
to bend their backs to the tasks
of making the glowing 20-year
promises come true. “To work,
tovarishchi!” is the pervading
theme.
Indeed, although communism
disdains “bourgeois morality,” a
code of "morality for builders of
communism” has (been widely
widely publicized in the Soviet
press. It extols truthfulness, sim
plicity, irooral cleanliness, friend
ship, brotherhood, humane rela
tionships, mutual respect, and
“conscientious work for tile good
of society.”
This last is is reinforced by
the maxim that Captain John
Smith adopted in the Jamestown
settlement In early North Amer
ican history, <1He who does not
work shall not eat.”
This is in rather sharp con
trast to the popular concept of
the “welfare state.” In Western
societies capitalism has made
elaborate provision to assure at
least that those Who cannot work
still may eat. Sovient “socialism”
uses work norms and wide dif
ferences of pay levels to push
or reward its producers. Com
munism may offer the future So
viet citizen a soft life — but he’d
better work for it. — The Chris
tian Science Monitor.
resigns his reserve commission
Chen we, for one, oan hardly
blame him. It will not he that he
is less warm to ditty hut more
waay of the whims of Washing
ton.
While the reserve soldier ac
cepts obligation to go first when
his country is embattled, he has
a reasonable right to expect that
the permanent strength of our de
fenses be managed in such a way
that he is not casually called ev
ery time his Government wants
to make a show of determination.
When that happens, it is the Gov
ernment and not the citizen-soldi
er who has failed in his duty.
IA few more such calls and the
country will have few volunteers
to call. We may still have a com
utsory reserve, but you may be
sure it will be of a different kind
and quality from those who went
first to Bull Run, t o Belleau
Woods and to Pearl Harbor. —
The Wall Street Journal.
4 A TEARS AGO
JL V/ THIS WEEK
[feme of newt about King*
Mountain area people ana
event* taken from the 1961
files of the King* Mountain
Herald.
Annual tax lyisting will begin
January 1st for both city and
county, according to joint an
nouncement this week by Clar
ence E- Carpenter and B. D. R»t
terree.
Social and Personal
«Vtrs. Charles Neisler was hos
tess at a dessert bridge and rook
iparty Friday a$terr.oan at the
Country Chib.
James Throneburg of New
Turk Ci'tv arrived Friday to
«pend the holidays with his par
KOlr. and firs., T, F. Throne
•Ambulance Service—
Kings Mountain, N. C
Phone 739-2591
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