tiijb The Kings Mountain Heiald /majSsfa
Established 1889
A weekly newspaper devoted lo the promotion of the Reneral welfare and published
for the enlightment. entertainment and benefit of the citizens of Kings Mountain
and ils vicinity, published every Thursday hy the Herald Publishing House.
Entered as second class matter at the post office ai Kings Mountain, N. 2fWRt;
under Act of Congress of March 3. 1873
EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT
Martin Harmon . Editor-Publisher
Dick Woodward . Sport* Editor
Miss Elizabeth Stewart .Circulation Manager and Society Editor
Miss Libby Runch . Clerk
MECHANICAL DEPARTMENT
Paul Jackson Allen Myers Monte Hunter
Douglas Houser One Blanton Norman Camp
TELEPHONE NUMBER - 739-5441
SUBSCRIPTION RVTES PAYABLE IN ADVANCE - BY MAIL ANYWHERE
ONE YEAR .. *3 30 SIX MONTHS •• *2.00 THREE MONTHS $1.23
PLUS NORTH CAROLINA SALES TAX
_ , _______ __ _i
TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE
Eolfotr pe«»< <■ With all »icn, uad holiiu *», without vliit h no mon nholl mu- Iht Lord.
Hebrew* t-!:H
The Shelby Star's Position on Hospital Expansion Is Hardly
Shocking.The Herald Disagrees
In contrast to its initial position, when
the Shelby Daily Star avidly supported
a $1.5 million bond issue tor replace
ments. improvements and expansion of
Shelby’s Cleveland Memorial Hospital,
our county seat confrere In the news
trade, now opposes the issue which will
be determined by Cleveland’s citizens
Saturday
The Stai. which began having second
thought reservations in December, short
ly after an additional half-million had
been included for expansion ol Kings
Mountain Hospital, opens itself to the
charge that has been made against the
Star many times in the past, concerning
hospitals and otherwise. The charge:
county expenditures in the immediate
environs of Shelby are "A-OK", but an*
tinged with evil if very lar outside.
The late Lee B. Weathers, former pub
lisher and major owner of the Star, had
the dream ol a county medical center
years ago. He did not initially favor the
building of a hospital in Kings Mountain.
He felt the county should build a new
hospital (abandoning the then-small and
antiquated Shelby plant) in the vicinity
ol the county home. Mi. Weathers learn
ed quickly that iiis idea would not sell,
subsequently agreed to and supported
solidly the initial $400,000 bond issue
which provided $240,000 for additions fo
the Shelby plant and S160.000 for con
struction ol the Kings Mountain plant.
The use and growth of hospitals gener
ally and Kings Mountain's particularly
has been surprising and stems from
many factors, chief among them the in
creasing incidence of hospitalization
insurance and the fact that both husband
and wife in many families are job-hold
ing breadwinners.
While many contentions of the Star
position, as contained in editorials of
recent days, can be questioned and re
futed, there is one concerning Kings
Mountain Hospital that should be ex
posed. “But can we afford to build for
Gaston County?", the Star inquires.
Since Kings Mountain sits on the Cleve
While there are five candidates for
the Democratic nomination for governor,
it is generally acknowledged that the
three leaders are (alphabetically) Dr. I.
Beverly Lake, Dan K. Moore, and L.
Richardson Preyer.
All are campaigning as if they intend
to win, or, at least, do no worse than
lose after a close and hard fight.
Each of the three have paramounted
roads as a campaign issue. The argu
ment among them concerns what roads,
financing of them, and related items. Dr.
Lake promotes an east-west road, as does
Judge Preyer, the latter stating that it
should be in the federal interstate cate
gory which implies 90 percent federal
financing. Judge Preyer also suggests
North Carolina was shorted on the ori
ginal interstate allocations, on basis of
geography, size, and population. Judge
Moore, meantime, has made roads in the
mountain areas a major campaign plank.
The conclusion is that roads will get
much attention in the coming four years,
reminding that Cameron Morrison and
Kerr Scott are remembered as the major
"roads governors” in the current cen
tury - - and that their roads programs
contributed to the present well-being of
North Carolina.
Palmor Retiring
Jack Palmer, three-term Cleveland
County representative to the North Caro
lina House of Representatives, announc
ed recently he is retiring, an announce
ment which is regretted not only by
personal friends but by those who have
watched his service closely.
When Mr. Palmer first offered for the
House, he was not what is termed an
“anxious'* candidate. He was quite wil
ling to say he was not especially well
versed in many matters of government.
His principal promises were that he
would work hard and would aaek to pro
mote 'the interests of his .county and
North Carolina.
Most will asrac that RspmsnUUvt
/
i
land-Gaston county line (numerous Gas
ton County citizens have Kings Mountain
post office addresses), it is natural that
the Kings Mountain medical corps would
have patients who live in Gaston and
who, on need, are hospitalized here. Has
a doctor ever predicated a patient's
treatment on his residential address? It
will he remembered that Gaston long
provided hospital service for Kings
Mountain area citizens, still does to some
extent.
As this is written, the Star’s editorial
writer has overlooked conveniently the
burgeoning occupancy rate at both in
stitutions. Since October the occupancy
rate average at Kings Mountain Hospital
is 89.6 percent. For the month of Jan
uary it was 98.T percent. The Shelby
plant was at the 100 percent mark for
January. Obviously, many patients dur
ing the period were relegated to hallway
beds, an unhappy, emergency situation
for patients, doctors, and the hospitals
too.
One chief thesis appears to stand out
in the Star’s comments: it wants the
Kings Mountain plant shut off from any
growth b> even one additional bed,
meantime concentrating all lunds to the
Shelby plant. Many label it as more
effort at red-headed stepchild treatment,
with this area considered in Cleveland
geography for county tax-paying, if not
for county services.
The vast majority of Shelby citizens
do not have this one-way street attitude.
Certainly it is not the* attitude of the
Cleveland Memorial Hospital board of
directors. Nor does Kings Mountain de
sire anything more than a fair share.
The Kings Mountain Herald voiced
support of the bond issue proposal for
the Shelby plant when it was not anti
cipated Kings Mountain would be
included. The basis was need. The He
rald was pleased when Kings Mountain
w as included - - again on basis of need.
The Herald’s position today is as it
was months ago.
Vote “For’- on Saturday.
Republican Primary
Apparently there will be more than
the usual Republican primary on May 30.
While GOP primaries are not unknown,
they are not too frequent, haven’t been
heavily contested in many seasons, and
are customarily only for a few offices.
For 1964, the primary total may not
be great on the GOP side, but certainly
interest will be generated. Already there
are three announced candidates for the
Republican nomination for governor,
reflecting several factors. Recent addi
tion to the two Guilford county Republi
cans, Rep. Don Badgley, and Sen. diaries
Strong, is E. F. (Bud) Gallagher, the
Gastonian. Mr. Gallagher has been active
in Gastonia politics at the local level for
many years and is graduating publicly
to the political big leagues. Rep. Badgley
has traveled already 18,000 miles in
traversing the Tar Heel state in quest
of votes.
While some feel the unusual number
of seekers for the GOP governor nomi
nation is reflective of party division and
inability to agree, others note that tor
rid, slambang warfare among the Demo
crats has been contributory to keeping
the party in power in the state for more
than 60 years, minus a few isolated
areas.
It remains patent that a party cannot
grow without fielding a team. Primary
activity will encourage many rank-and
file Republicans, who have felt they had
to register as Democrats to have any
voice, to put the "R" by their names ana
participate politically where they have
long yearned to be.
Palmer has fulfilled these pledges.
He has taken a fair-minded approach
to issues, minus an overload of precon
ceived ideas, and, on basis of perform
ance, has endeavored to weigh facta
before coming to decisions.
His service indeed has been of benefit
wuintu a rift in hig atata
I
MARTIN'S
MEDICINE
By MARTIN HARMON
l»gmlicntn: bit* <»/ wnca
iriMihtni, k Uitior, a nit i mu men fa
Dieritifi**: T<ikr treekly. i,
/numil.lr, hut ill'fill
nvci ftitmiifr.
By th.- accident nl an an.dent
in Shelby last Friday. I became
acquainted with a onetime Katas
.Mountain citizen and also got a
.-onsidcrahlc surprise. I would
have guessed the gentleman in
the other oa- to he in his early
seventies, His driver's license
showed his hirthdate as 1S7.V
mm
Mr. Luther Oscar Hoffman not
• only appears much younger than
he is but also remarked that he
*’an read minus his spectacle*,
which I consider as quite wonder
fill.
m-m
Mr. Hoffr.tnn. a foundry-man.
left Kings Mountain in 1917. after
heme associated with the late Dr.
J. (i. Ilord in the manufacture of
• radius rods for the old Model T
l Ford. There was a time when the
Morel T radlu; rod was a highly
expendable item, much as a \in
.age Chevy my Father iiad years
ago which was an :i vi • breaker,
m-m
Mr. Hoffman related a story
Dr. Ilord hail told him. A Negro
family had summoned Dr. Horn
to attend a very sick youth. On
arrival. Dr. (lord found the youth
at tin- brink of death and se
vere ;>aain and administered a
heavy sedative, hoping to ease
the youngster's last minutes. In
only a few seconds the hoy died.
The boy s mother turned to the
father and said. “Don't he kilt'em
quick?" Dr. Hold told Mr. Hoff
man he hoped never to be in that
situation again
My business (or being &i Shel
by at crash time shortly after
noon last Friday was that I was
•nioutr to the Pittsburgh Plate
Glass luncheoe honoring t h e
eight candidate.-: for the college
scholarship Pit. burgh is award
ing. On thesis it is most discour
teous to ue late for an eating en
gagement. I’d cut short a tele
ohonec onversation with my
friend A. V. Nolan to be sure I’d
not he late. I lad plenty of time
'til the unfortunate smash and I
was late as to hour, but not real
ly late. The delicious roast beef
with trimming.-: was served huf
'et style and all had not navigat
ed the line by the table when I
arrived.
m-m
One of the Shelby policemen
wh.> answered our summons to
investigate the accident was Enos
Er»*ema>i. formerly a member of
| the Kings Mountain police force,
lie and his associate. Grady
Woods, were most courteous.
The scholarship luncheon was
a pleasant affair, and I was re
mindful again that Jack
Schwoppe. who presided, is a most
i effective master of ceremonies.
| And the eight youngsters tapped
a s candidates were ail very
j bright-looking and sharp-eyed.
Toby Williams, vice-chairman of
i ’he Kings Mountain board of edu
■ •ation, who was present, told me
i 'ater that one of the Shelby
voungsters had made a score of
over 1300 out of a possible 1600
■ on the college entrance hoard ex
aminations. wi tch is “high cot
ton" scoring. A sample of Jack's
wit was his presentation of Elli
ott Grover, one of the three judg
es. "His name is Ellio’t Grover."
Tack related, "but most folk call
him Lint head.''
■MB
Orto of my owner companions
was Jim Allen, editor of the Shel
by -Star. Referring to his editorial
of the day before opposing the
hospital bond issue, I told him.
I "Jim. you're catching Hail Colum
bia in my town today." He ack
! nowl«*dged he was catching a bit
I of it in Shelby, too.
After the luncheon, my long
! time friend Rush Hamrick. Jr.,
i ;nvited me over to the new Ken
dall Medicine Company building
for an inspection. It is a beauti
ful building of about 30,000
square feet, of brick and concrete
construction, is centrally heated
and cooled, and is espe ially well
arranged, into six maior depart
ments served by conveyors. A
salesman tags the gathering bas
ket with whatever number of col
ored clothespin? the order re
quires.
What intrigued me most though
•vas the narcotics vault, which
Rush said was built to the exact
specifications 01 the federal nar
cotics bureau. Roof, floor and all
ildes were six-inch thick concrete.
f»ne entrance is by heavy steel
wire door which locks automati
cally. On the interior is a warn
ng system connected directly to
he sheriffs office. After it is set
'or the night, tampering with any
loor on the building is immediate
v flashed to Sheriff Allen's dig
tings. Rush confesses then* weir
i couple of false alarms before
he learned the proper sett inn
ombination. I was also interest
•d in the pie-stressed concrete
iard for the roof. While the con
rete cost mor" than steel, the
massive warehouse has only nine
•osts. With siocl there <v«uk
lave been 34.
Even with the regrettable,
minor, auto smash-up, it was
f WANTED
^1
> GOOD MEN IN N.C.
j^FOR MILITARY TRAINING
UUk jMl.
hvrou/ fyccahns
‘ITS SURE HARD TO GET HELP THESE DAYS"
Viewpoints of Other Editors
FIGHTING FOR MEDICAL
CARE
Medical cart* for the aged, wh
ich threatens to become a hardy
perennial in Congress, may vet
bloom. lTesidem Johnson has
pledged to wage a vigorous fight
on bchali ol the Administration’s
plan ;o finance hospital care and
nursing service through Social
Security. Action also lias been
promised by six Republican Sen
ators who have introduced a pro
posal based on the lindings of
the National Committee on Hea
lth Care for the Aged, a private,
bipartisan body 'hat spent a year ■
1 in studying the problem.
There is enough similarity in
the two ptopusals to make pos
sible an effective compromise.
Both would rely on increased So
cial Security payments to pay the
costs of providing care for the
nation's 18 million elderly citi-,
zens. The Republican measure I
wculd seek even more extensive,
••overage by authorizing private
insurance companies to pool th
eir risks so that they will be able
to provide additional health be
nefits at a "cost within tire reach
of mast older people," :» measure
that would require special worn
tlon from antitrust legislation.
A combination of public and
priv ate Insurance may be the best
approach to assure the widest
possible support for a program
that is so sorely needed. The
number of persons over fi5 is in-1
creasing at a rapid pace, but
many have no protection what
soever and an equally large num
ber have inadequate coverage.
Providing them with hospital
care will be expensive, yet the
taiiure to act is proving even mo
re costly, both in terms of human
suffering and eventual economic
cose
But a working plan cannot be
implemented without effective
leadership. Mr. Johnson's obser- j
vation that "we have just begun
to fight" reveals that the Admin
istration has not yet made the'
necessary effort to assure a vic
tory. If a bill is to be passed this
year, Mr. Johnson will have to
be prepared for a fight to the
finish.
—Nsw York Timas
SAD LESSON
Thor** is something both shock
ing and pathetic about the vice
investigations ir New York's Nas
sau County, which are now said
to be spreading to three other
states. Some ol the alleged par
ticipants are described as suour
ball wives, a few of them moth
ers. from middle or upper-middle
income families. Some fathers
are reported to have baby-sat
while the mothers we-e out as
call girls to supplement their
husband's im-omes.
The idealist might have sup
posed that the comforts of the
affluent society would reduce
the immoral pursuit of more. But
now, to put beside the exposures
of both business and personal
immoralities utilized by some big
corporations 1 n recent years,
comes tbia now and bitter exam
ple of distorted values in private
life.
Nassau's District Attorney Wil
liam Cahn sayr the current ar
rests have followed almost two
years of collecting : vidence. How
i much more would be disclosed by
equally zealous efforts else
where?
Even the idealist finally admits
■ it: however for the investigations
j»>. there will always be an unde
tected suburb of humanity In
which erring individuals will be
/confronted only by themselves
until, if ever, the detectives ar
j rive, It is there that moral com
m tment must begin to accom
pany material advance. It is there,
are hope, that the sad lesson of
’ today's Nassau Counties can be
i learned.
i
FROM NILE TO ATBARA
(•rilling though the heat is in
the upiN-r valley of the Nile lor
most of the year, men have lived
there since before recorded his
tory, and where families are dug
in they usually wish to stay.
However, when the High Dam is
finished the huge artificial lake
behind it will drown thousands
of Nile villages, and their inha
bitants will have to move. Fifty
thousand of these villagers be
long south of the border, in Su
dan. Last month the first batch
of migrants travelled to the new
home being built for them at
Khashm al Girba on the Atbara
River, between Khartum and the
Ethiopian border. Everything is
being done by the Sudanese Gov
ernment to smooth their path. A
complete new town is under con
struction. well laid out. with ho
uses. shops, schools, mosques,
and so on. Communities will ha
ve continuity. Old Nile neighbors
will still be neighbors on the ba
nks ol the Athara.
Yet there were riots when the
resettlement area was first an
nounced. It was too far away, the
villagers complained — surely
some alternative site on the Nile
could have been found. The sc
rubland by the sluggish Atbara
seemed strange to them compar
ed with the cliffs of Nubia. These
are the kind of objections always
heard when populations have to
be shifted. They reflect the deep
est human instincts and affect
ions. All the same, by any out
side standards the change is for
the better, and the vanguard
may be able to persuade the rest
of the settlers that this is so.
—Ttas Times (London)
BEATLED
As if the Tories didn't have
enough trouble!'....
A Russian newspaper lias blam
ed the British government for
Beatlemunia. .said Moskovosky
Komsomolets;
"The British authorities do not
interfere. Moreover, they encou
rage the Beatles. Why? Because
this diverts the attention of the
young people in Britain from
politics, from bitter reflections
about desecrated ideals and shat
tered hopes."
Though they have not yet been
toppled by th<- nuclear controver
sy. unemployment and Christine
Kinder, the Tories must absolute
ly shudder at the prospect of be
ing labeled “friend of the Bea
tles.'*
The Charlotte Observer
'
■ % A YEARS AGO
j I V THIS WEEK
| ftrms of news about Kings
Mountain aim people and
'.'rents taken from the 195k
■ tiles of the Kings Mountain
I Herald.
Mayor Glee A. Bridges gave a
round-figure report on plans of
his administration for the e.xpen
diture of SG00.000 in borrowed
money for public improvements
in an address before the Kings
Mountain Lions club Tuesday
night.
SOCIAL ASD PSRSOKAL
Miss Helen Logan was elected
president of the Kings Mountain
chapter of the North Carolina
Education Association for 19M-5S
at a meeting Oi the group at Con
tral school Thursday. I. B. Go
forth. Jr. was named vice-presi
dent and Mrs. Helen B. Bakei
County Official^,
To Confeience
County nn<l municipal officials
from nini'lrm counties in this
section of the State have hecn ir
vitnl to take pit in an Area On
feronce on **<'i\»l Defense ltox|M£,
sihililv" In he held in Hickory u:i
Tuesd iv. Man-! .1.
Program seh< dull* and other d*
rails will In* sent to th«* Uhairma
of the Hoard or County Conunis
sinners of "act- county. I hi- Ma\
of earh city o town, and the I"
■ al Civil Defense Dire-lor by th**
University of North Carolina Kx
tension Division which will con
duct the Conference. These oft,
rials have alrosriv received let
ters from governor Sanford, I te
state Association of County Offt
eials and the North Carolina
League of Municipalities, askirv
them to attend.
Keynote speaker for the six
hour session is Alex McMahm
General Counsel for the North
Carolina A •sodation of Countv
Officials. Othi rs on the program
ini lude Governor Terry Sanfot.
and State Civil Defence Direct!
Kdvvard U. Grit fin.
Counties and municipalitic
whose governing officials will
participate in the Hickory Cor
fere tux* are those serv-xl by the
State Civil Defense AgcVt^^
Area "K" Offi.* locale<l in
Lincoln County Courtn *us<*. (W
eolnton: Herman •• S:sk, Dlree
tor.
The eoenlies are: Al< xamlei .
Alleghany. Anson. Ashe, Avery.
Cabarrus. Caldwell, Catawba,
Cleveland. Iredell. Lincoln. Meek
lenburg. Stanly. Surry. Union.
Watauga. Wil'.es and Vadkin
t GOOD CHEER |
STARTS HERE I
Phone 482-2434
HARRIS ?Juruml &&me
KINCS MOUNTAIN. NORTH CAROLINA
Dear friends,
Often we are asked.
’’Whom shall we see about the
preparation of the grave?"
"Do you arrange for the
clergyman?" "Can you
notify the musicians?"
All these details are
a part of our service. The
family is relieved of as
much concern as possible
in making funeral arrange
ments. We know this means
much to those whom we
serve.
Respectfully,
. iJjasyu*
lAv.^tAT’O- O national UUCTED MORTICIANS