Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
VOL 73 No. 12
Established 1889
Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 8,008
«U* figure ter Greater Kings Mountain Is dories' tram
tee 18&J Kings Mountain city directory census. Hie city
Halts figure is Iron tee United States census at i960.
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, March 22, 1962
Seventy-Third Year
16
Pages
Today
PRICE TEN CENTS
PRESIDENT • • John C. Smothers
has been elected president of the
Kings Mountain Country Club
He succeeds Jacob Cooper.
Smathers Named
Club President
John C. Smathers, general
manager of Park Yam Mills, is
the new president of Rings Moun
tain Country Club, Jne.
Mr. Smathers and other offi
cers were elected Wednesday at
a luncheon meeting of directors,
which followed Tuesday night’s
annual stockholder’s meeting.
He succeeds Jacob Cooper,
Other officers named Wednes
day are J. N. McClure, Vice-pres
ident; W. S. Fulton, Jr., secre
tary; L. E. (Josh) Hinnant, trea
surer; and James Gibson, as
sistant treasurer.
The stockholders elected four
directors for three-year terms
Tuesday night and heard reports
on the past year’s activities. The
newly elected directors are Tol
1 yShuford, Charles T. Carpen
ter, Jr, John Smathers, and Wil
liam Herndon.
Holdover directors with two
year terms remaining are L. E.
Hinnant, P. A. Francis, James
Gibson and W. S. Fulton, Jr.
Holdover, „dj£eqtors with one
year terms remaining" are F. 'M'.
Noisier, Sr., Jacob Cooper, J. N.
MOClure and George H. Houser.
The nominating 'committee in
cluded Dr. N. H. Reed, chairman,
George W. Mauney and Hunter
R. Neisler.
Reports were given toy the re
tiring president, Mr. Hinnant,
the treasurer, and toy chairmen
of standing committees, includ
ing, W. S. Fulton, Jr., pool com
mittee; J. E. Herndon, Jr., house
committee; Dr. George W. Plonk,
social committee; and P. M. Neis
ler, Sr., greens committee.
Local News
Bulletins
SCHOOLS COMMITTEE
The Cleveland County Citi
zen’s Committee for Better
Schools will meet at 7:30
Thursday night at Graham
School auditorium, Shelby.
STADIUM COMMITTEE
John H. Moss, chairman, hars
announced that the three
member city Stadium advisory
committee will hold a meeting
on Monday.
P-TA TO MEET
Ben F. Moomaw, superinten
dent of Kings Mountain Na
tional Military Park, will pre
sent “The Story of Kings
Mountain”, for the program
Monday night at the Park
Grace School P-TA meeting at
7 p. m. in the school auditor
ium.
KIWANIS CLUB
Jack Barham will show a
Southern Bell Telephone film
at Thursday’s meeting of
Kings Mountain Ki wants -club.
The club convenes ait 6:45 p.
m. at the Woman’s club.
VFW DANCE
VFW Post 9811 will sponsor
a dance for couple’s only Saft
dav night at the VFW club
house on Grover Road, Com
mande- Paul Dover has an
nounced.
FILM THURSDAY
Showing of films of the 1909
firs’: road race will feature a
VFW program open to the in
terested public Thursday night
at 7 o’clock at the VFW club
house on Grover road.
BIBLE QUIZ FINALS
Youth from Grace Methodist
I Church wiH pftay host to the
youth of the First Bapti't
church in the Bible Quiz Finals
Sunday nght at 7 o’clock. This
will replace the reguW **’"**
ing worship servicer A plaque
will be praceMed io the win-"
nar. .
-a 'lii©v-fesrsis*';-.’.* sfc*
U.S. 74 By-Pass
Project Approved
Details Lacking
On Construction
Schedule. Route
Construction of a U. S. 74 link
to by-pass Kings Mountain was
among 109 projects approved by
the North Carolina highway
commission last Thursday.
Another project approved for
the Kings Mountain area was
building of a bridge on secondary
road 2283, between 2281 and N.
C. 216. Division Engineer W. W.
Wyke said the bridge to be re
placed is within a half-mile of
the South Carolina border and
crosses Dixon creek.
Mr. Wyke could give no addi
tional information on the U. S.
74 by-pass and the Herald was
unable to contact J. Clint New
ton, highway commissioner in
this area.
'However, Comm. Newton has
said previously the new link of
U. S. 74 will by-pass Kings Moun
tain to the north, leaving pres
ent U. S. 74-29 in the vicinity of
Carver’s service station and re
connecting with present U. S. 74
in the vicinity of Bethware
school.
Roger R. Jackson, Jr., of Ral
eigh, public relations director for
the highway commission, told
the Herald by telephone he had
no specific information on the
project, but that the approval of
it put it on the “work-to-be-done”
list, minus a specific construction
schedule.
Mr. Jackson said approved pro
jects are usually two or three
years distant from actual letting
of construction contracts.
Styers Wins
New Promotion
Bruce G. Styers of Hagers
town, Maryland, son of Mrs W
F. Styers and the late W. F. Sty
ers of Kings Mountain has beer
promoted to Account Manager
Maxwell House Division of Gen
eral Foods Corporation with
; headquarters in Scranton, Pa.
The announcement was made
by W. E. Cohan, National Sales
Manager of Maxwell House Di
j vision, General Foods Corpora
tion..
I Mr. Styers started with Gen
era! Foods Corporation as a re
tail salesman in 1946, was pro
moted to Institution Representa
tive in 1951, Institutional Sale;
Specialist in 1953, Area Represen
tative of Hagerstown, Maryland,
in 1955, and to the present pro
motion as of April 1, 1982
I He will maintain headquarters
in Scranton, Pa., where he am
his family will be located.
Rotarians To Hear
Swiss Student Here
j Rudolph Glarner, Rotary Ex
change student from Switzerland
j at Davidson college, will address
■Kings Mountain Rotarians at
their Thursday meeting at 12:15
at the Country Club.
Glarner Will talk of his home
I country and compare the educa
| tional system in this country with
■that of Switzerland. ‘
He is studying at Davidson or
a one-year scholarship from the
Rotary Foundation. Bom in Zu
rich, he is 22 years old and son
of a GJ.arus lawyer Who is now
serving his first term in the
Swiss Parliament.
| A pre-law student in Switzer
land, he represented his country
on college ski teams and had en
gaged in this sport professional
ly
He won the Rotary. Foundation
grant for study at Davidson from
a field of 50 young men.
AIRMAN OF MONTH - A/ 2C
William E. Seism, Kings Moun
tain serviceman in Germany,
was recently named Airman of
the Month by the 436th Tactica
Fighter Squadron. . »»,
Seism Named
Top Airman
'A/2C William E. Seism, son of
Mr. and Mrs. G. B. Seism, has
been named Airman of the Mon
th by the 436th Tactical Fighter
Squadron stationed in Germany
Seism’s commanding officer
Major Westwood H. Fletcher
Jr., wrote the airman’s parents,
“This award is presented each
month to that Airman who best
demonstrates through his on-the
job effectiveness and through in
terrogation toy a select board of
officers and noncommissioned
officers, the attributes of an out.
standing Airman. Your son was
one of four candidates, all of
[whom had been carefully chosen
from some 200 airmen. His con
duet and appearance before the
Selection Board was the final
step in his selection for this hon
or.” He continued, "As Airman
Seism’s Commander, I share you?
pride in his achievement.” -
Major Fletcher noted that the
effectiveness of the Squadron
and of Tactical Air Command
in large measure depends on in
dividual contributions. He added
in his letter, "Personal dedica
|tion, in my opinion, keeps TAC
the most versatile Aerospace For
ce in the World today....”
Rites Conducted
F« Mis. Cudd
Final rites for Mrs. Hannah
Masengale Cudd. 83, widow of J.
C. Cudd, were held Saturday af
ternoon at 3 p. m. from First
Baptfst church, interment follow
ing iji Mountain pest cemetery.
Mbs. Cudd died Thursday af
teiribon In Turner Convalescent
Home, Shelby, after an illneiss o
three years.
A native of Union Counity, S. C.
she was the daughter of the lat
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Kidd. Sh
was a member of First RanM-t
church. Mr. Cudd died in Octobe
1957.
Surviving are two daughters
Mrs. T. A. Pollock of Kings
pooipHC ’H IPO 'S-rpM ‘uiEjunojv
of Sandisfield, Mass., and one
son, J. E. Cudd of Arlington, Va
Also surviving are three grand
children and seven great-grand
children.
The final rites were conducted
by Rev. B. L. Raines, assisted by
Rev. H. D. Garmon.
Active pallbearers were W. F.
Laughter, B. N. Barnes, Frei
Weaver, Joe Hord, W. B. Logai
and Wiley Blanton.
Retailers To Hold Animal Banquet
Frida? Night; Edwaids Will Speak
A. Y. Edwards, Ford Motor
Company representative in Char
lotte, will make the principal ad
dress and Charles Blanton will
install new officers as highlights
of the annual employee - employ
er banquet Friday of tfhe Kings
Mountain Merchants Association.
The banquet will begin with
d'nner to be served at 7 p. m. at
the Woman”s c'ulb.
Boh Southwell. Cha'rrnan of
the entertainment comnvttee,
will presept the s'oegker. Tom
Tate and W. D. Morrison will
supervise presentation of gifts
to the ladles' and President W. G,
Jonas will preside. V " ’
Mr. Jonas will also report on
1961 activities of the association.
Rev. N. ft Pusey. pastor of
Grace Methodist church, w«J give
the invocation.
Mr. Blahtx^ immediate put
fi ~ > j/tte
president, will install Glee Edwin
Bridges as president of the as
sociation for the coming year and
Harry E. Page as vice-president.
New directors, with terms ex
piring in 1964, are B. S. Peeler,
3r., Richard McGinnis, Mrs. Sue
Young and Ben H. Bridges. Hold
over directors, with terms expir
tag in 1963, are W. D. Morrison,
Mrs. Merle Beatty, Robert Sou
thwell and OHie Harris.
Out going directors include J.
K. Blanton, W. S. Fulton, Jr.,
Harry Page and Thomas Tate.
Fy>rty-five Kings Mountain a
rea firms are members-of the re
tailer group.
The- banquet customarily at
tracts a large crowd and Mrs.
Ida Joy, association secretary,
said reservations indicate-*- - ca*
oasity crowd- will attend the a#
fair.
Carolinas AIME
To Convene Here,
Tour Three Firms
A meeting of the Carolinas
section, American Institute of
Mining, Metallurgical and Pe
troleum engineers, will convene
here Saturday at the Kings
Mountain Country Clbb, it was!
announced by Neal O. Johnson,
chairman.
After registration and lunch,
the engineers will tour three
Kings Mountain area firms, Li
thium Corporation’s plant and
laboratory, Kings Mountain Mi
ca Company’s open pit, and Foot'
Mineral Company’s mining op
eration, before moving to Souti
Carolina for a tour of Broai
River Brick Company, near Gaff
ney.
Following the tour and dinner
at Hotel Carroll, Gaffney, a pro
gram will be presented and bus
iness session conducted.
The Carolinas Section numbers
131 members and associates lo
cated in North and South Car
oliina. Its members are geolo
gists, mining, metallurgical en
gineers, and other technical peo
pie associated wi,th the mfinera
industry in these two states. Thi
| Section is one Of 98 local sec
tions distributed among seven
Regions located throughout th
United States and foreign coun
tries. There are approximately
40,000 members including asso
ciates and student members ir
the AIME national organization,
with headquarters in New York
City.
Most mineral activity in the
Carolinas is in the field of non
metallics. North Carolina is the
first state in the nation in pro
dueing lithium minerals, felds
par, sheet and scrap mica, and j
olivens. It ranks second in tung
sten arid third in talc production
South Carolina ranks second ir
the nation in output of kaolin
kyanite, and vermieulite.
Plant Will Mean
Wider Curriculum
i Harry Jaynes, Kings Mountain
[high school principal, said this
j week the building of a new con
solidated high school plant will
enable the school to offer an ex
panded curriculum and predict
ed the Kings Mountain school
will compare favorably with
schools anywhere.
Mr. Jaynes said:
“The qualified voters in the
Kings Mountain school district
| are to be congratulated on their
, overwhelming support of the
! recent school bond election. The
I favorable vote was most eonvin
•cing in the face of many obsta
cles and side issues.
“This vote indicates a strong
desire for educational improve
ment in our school district. Many
people realize this building will
give us an opportunity to expand
our curriculum. In my opinion,
the improvement of our curricu
ton is the most important fea
ture of improving our education
i al program. I feel sure our new
! high school facilities will provide
the needed space for expansion
in the most suggested areas.
I “The excellent cooperation re
ceived by the school officials ii
the election is greatly apprecia
ted. This support is especially
appreciated by our students who
Will receive the greatest benefit.
Without such active support for
the bond issue, the school would
have been In a precarious posi
tion. The absence of severe cri
ticism indicates we have an ex
cellent opportunity to expand
our educational program to fav
orably compare with schools any
where.
“School officials who are re
sponsible for the expansion of
this new school urogram pledge
themselves whole-heartedly to
the task. We will diligently striv*
to give our students the best pqs
sible school for the money inves
ted. With vour continued supnort
of education, everyone can feel
very opimistlc about the future
Of educational ooDortundties in
the Kings Mountain school dis
trict”
°iano Students
tt Festival
Four Kings Mountain students
participated in the North Caro
lina District Piano Contest - Fes
tival held in the auditorium of
the Mauney Music building at
Lenoir Rhyne College in Hick
ory March 10.
The were Rita BeSl who receiv-j
ed a rating of I or superior; Reta
Phifer, Susan Plonk and Wend
ell Phifer, Jr., were Judged1‘11 ©ri
excellent.
Pupils of Mrs. Martin Harmon,
the young pianists participated In
the Junior High School division
of the contest - festival and play
ed the following selections:
"Minuet in G Minor” by Bach
and “MancU Gras” by Dittenha
ver, Rita BeR: “Memietto”4>jf Mo-,
zart j»ui "May Breezes” ' From'
{Continued On Page Eight)
High School Site Suggestions
Invited By Education Board
SENIOR PLAY CAST COMPLETE - Pictured a
bove are members of the cast of "Here Comes
Charlie", Kings Mountain high school Senior
class play which will be presented next Friday,
March 30th at 8 p. m. in the school auditorium.
Miss Lillian Quinn is directing the production
which includes this cast of students: front row.
left to right Peggy Ware, Carolyn Jonas. Gail
Morrison, Betty Morrison, and Carol Goter.
Back row, from left Claire Gilstad. Ervin
Smith, Mitchell Cobb, Mike McSwain and Tom
my Bennett. The play is a three-act comedy by
Jay Tobias.
MAY QUEEN -• Sandra Plonk
high school senior, will reign a
May Queen at school May Da
festivities.
Sandra Plonk
Is May Queen
Sandra Plonk, high school sen
ior and daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Wray Plonk, will reign as May
Queen at May Day festivities in
ithe Consolidated Schools.
Miss Plonk was elected by the
Student Body of Kings Mountain
high school Thursday.
. Runner-up I,inda Bennett,
senior, will crown the queen an 1
Judy Watterspn and Patsy Spen
cer, seniors, will be maids-of j
honor.
Other members of the May
Court will include two senior at
tendants, still to be announced
Junior attendants Kay Mauney
and Gail Huffstetler; Sophomore
attendants Toni Ware and Con
nie Shaw and Freshmen attend-j
ants Linda Sherer and Margie
Huffstetler.
The “K” Club annually spin
sors May Day activities and th
high school girls physical educa
tlon classes present the program.
Gillespie Improving
From Stroke, Surgery
Booth W. Gillespie, Kings
Mountain citizen, has been trans
ferred to Charlotte Rehabilita
tion hospital.
Mr. Gillespie suffered a stroke
of paralysis two weeks ago and!
underwent an operation at Char
lotte Memorial hospital for re
moval of a blood olot in a neck
artery.
He will undergo remedial ther
apy for effects of the stroke at
the Rehabilitation hospital.
His condition is reported im
proving: ; > ■' - '
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter receipts for
the week endi n«r Wed nerd a v at ,
noon Totaled $156.50, including
$105 from on-street meters, $39
from over parking fees. and i
$12.50 from off-street meters,
City Clerk Joe McDaniel re
ported.
Lenoir-Rhyne
Choir To Sing
Here On Sunday
The nationally known Lenoir
Rhyne College A Cappella choir,
of Hickory, will present a con
cert of sacred choral music here
Sunday afternoon, it was an
nounced toy the Reverend George
T. Moore. The program will te
presented in Resurrection Luth
eran Church and will begin at 3
p. m.
The A Capella Choir is made
up o-f 60 voices and are ail stu
dents at Lenoir Rhyne college.
The group has enjoyed a wide
reputation in the performance of
sacred music during its 26 years
of touring. It is 'nationally known
for bringing the finest in sacred
Choral music to Lutheran con
gregations throughout the Eas
tern seaboard. On its annual
spring tours, the choir has gained
important success for its tonal
color, sectional balance, and in
spiring interpretation under its
director, Professor 'Kenneth B.
Lee.
Professor Lee has served as
director of the Choir since its re
organization in 1935. He received
his bachelor’s degree in music in
his hometown of Northfield,
Minn., at the-St. Olaf College,
where he was a member and the
bass section leader of the famed
St. Olaf Choir, directed at that
time by Dr. F. Melius Christian
sen. He received his master’s do-:
gree from the American Conser
vatory of Music in Chicago.
The A Capella Choir wall offer
a concert of 16 selections rang
ing from Nicolai (1599). to con
temporary composers.
Among these numbers are the
following: “Psalm 50” by F. Me-;
(Continued On Page Eight)
GOOD CITIZEN - Tommy Blacl:.
a freshman, was named 'Good
Citizen' for this month at Kings
Mountain high school. The Stu
dent Participation Organization
selects the honored students.
City Will Auction
25 x 25 Foot Lot
The city will offer to sell r.t
public auction Saturday mom in »
at 10 o’clock a small strip c!
land, 25 x 25 feet square, adjoin
ing the southwest portion of Mc
Carter’s Esso Service on Eas
King street.
The City acquired the block o'
land from the late P. D. Herndon,
and, it is speculated for use fir
an alley which has never been
developed.
The sale will be conducted a*:
the site.
The city reserves the right to
reject any or all bids.
Ormand Celebrates 93rd Birthday,
Says He's Retiring His Old Ford
Capt. B. Meek Ormand observ
ed his 93rd birthday Sunday,
went out to dinner with members
of his family, then reeelced
friends and kin Sunday after-,
noon.
He’s made a decision: to stop
driving and “retire” his 1939
KO'd.
The retired railway conductor,
barn March 18, 1869, in the Long
Creek community, remarked last
week, “I’m going to quit driving.
1 iufit canU see well enough to
drive.”
Capt. Ormand’s license was
last renewed in 1958. He com- '
mented a year later, “The exam
iner made me drive all over
town, but he renewed it.”
A school teacher at 17, Capt,'
Qrmand subsequently joined
Railway and went.up
the ladder to conductor.
Always known as a trader, he
specialized in trading mules, was
last week recalling the purchase
of a carload of mules for the
management of what is now the
Carolina Aluminum Company, a
division of Aluminum Company
of America, at Badin.
“In those days dirt moving
was done by wagons and mules,’’
he recalls. “They needed some
good mules and asked if I could
get them a carload. I told them
I could, called a friend and to. 1
hi/n I wanted the best mules ho
could find. He had plenty, he
said, as the government w»'n't
buying topgrade mules. They
came into Badin express collect,
and the express bill was over
$600. Later I was asked where I
got such good mules. I told the
manager I stole 'em.
“Now,’’ he continued, “if that
fellow had believed what I told
him. I’d have been lying, would
n't I?”
Capt. Ormand is a 50-year Me
son and Shriner and elder of
First Presbyterian church. He re
sides in the Mountain street re
sidence .he. .purchased when un
completed in 1911.
■u
Site-Seeking
Efforts To Date
Are Reviewed
BY MARTIN HARMON
Citizens who have sites they
wish to recommend for location
of the new high school /plant,
and, more preferably, those who
have sites they own and wissh to
proffer, are being requested by
the board of education to make
them known immediately.
“We're seeking the best possi
ble site on which to locate the
now high school plant,” Chair
man Fred \V>. Plonk said Wed
nesday, “and we intend to move
with all possible speed to obtain
it and to speed the construction
of the new district high school
building.”
Meantime, B. N. Barnes, super
intendent, reviewed preliminary
work thus far toward obtaining
a site.
Several months ago, two mem
bers of the Division of School
Planning, State Department of
Public Instruction, visited ard
surveyed cursorily five tracts as
possible school sites. These were:
1) The Houser land on the
East side of York Road. ,
2) The Fulton property, we.it
of Temple Baptist dhurdh.
3) The Phifer road property c?f
73-plus acres, on the west efefe
of Phifer road and under opdr n
to the board of education at $500
per acre.
4) The southwest side of ti e
road leading* from Phifer Hot el
to the Margrace mil'll.
5) The property west of Kirtf-s
Mountain Country Cliib ard
Country Club estates, araout 30
available acres owned by Marv n
Goforth and other adjoining pro
perty owned jointly by C. S.
Plonk and the J. O. Plonk Es
tate.
The state officials, I>r. J. L.
Pierce, director of the plannii g
division, and W. L. Lathan, ed i
cation consultant, made a fe v
comments, Supt. Barnes recalls,
| but did suggest of the Gofort i
Plonk property, “See what migf.it
j be possible here.’’
Since that time, site action has
been limited to obtaining per
mission from Mr. Goforth to
survey the possible site, an ac
tion taken following the Mare ft
10 election in which the taoai i
was voted monetary authoiit y
required to build the new platif,
; Supt. Barnes said.
Numerous factors are involve !,
including population densit ,
’ transportation of pupils, avail i
I bility of utilities and comparab e
cost where not available, loca
tion of access roads, cost of land,
and comparative costs of glar
ing and other developing. TS »
'board seeks a tract with a min -
mum of 60 to 75 acres.
Supt. Barnes said that, whe i
full information is obtained «i
several sites, it will be compile i
and officials of the State Plai -
ning division requested to return
for a detailed study and reoar. -
mendations.
Mis. Cloninger's
Mies Conducted
Funeral rites for Mrs. MS*/
Medlin Cloninger, 67, were hef t
Monday afternoon at 4 p. a?
from Macedonia Baptist church,
interment following in Mountain
Rest cemetery.
Mrs. Cloninger died Saitiurda '
afternoon in the local hosnita >
after suffering a heart attae
Thursday at the home of her
granddaughter, Mrs. Darrell Aus
in, with whom she resided art
Gastonia highway.
A native of Greenwood Count],
S. C., she was the daughter <f
the late Mr. and Mrs. lame:
Monroe Medlin. Her husbanr'.
Philo W. Cloninger, died in Ne
vember 1957. She was a membe -
of Macedonia Baptist church.
Surviving are one son. Everef*
Cloninger of Hialeah, Fla. an<
three daughters. Mrs. Olive -
Falls of Charlotte, formerly #'
Kings Mountain, Mrs. C. W. Pric
of Ellenboro and Mrs. Paul] War1
of Kings Mountain, six wth* *
grandchildren and one great
grand son.
Active nallbearens were J. It
Medlin, Wayne Haynes, HwraM
Cloninger, Earl Cloninger, lame
Cloninger and Kenneth Clonia
ger.
Final rites wore conducted fir"
Rev. Wayne Ashe, assisted by
Rev. H. D. Gannon.