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