soli-
r'our
then
rage
ocal
ness
E? to
pan-
5 on
)UR
send
For
P.O.
bion,
Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 8,008
ThU fljMr* iof Gr*oUr Kings MountvlB Is dsriTsd from
tbt IfSiT Kings Mounlcrin ctty dlrsciory nnsus. Tbs dty
Halts Ogurt Is Iroa Uw Ualtnd Stotss csasus si INO.
Kings Mountain's Reliable Newspaper
Today
VOL 76 No. 14
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, April 8, 1965
Seventy-Sixth Year
PRICE TEN CENT'
Comm. Rhea Will Move Replacing Dickson Firm
Heavy Fire Loss Well-InsurediESE' Walker And Brown File InS;
Registration Books To Open
Herndon Firm
Plans To Build
Modem Plant
Much of the J. E. Herndon
J^'ompany complex of sevtrral
^/uildingfi was gutted by fire ear
ly Saturday morning.
Among the buildings destroyed
was- one rented by neighboring
Elmer lumber Company as a
jjalnt warehouse.
A Herndon Company official
still had not estimated total dam
age, from the holocaust, with cot
ton and oher materials still
smouldering Wednesday after
noon, Some guess(Kl the Joss at
several hundred thousand dol
lars.
B. S. Peeler, Jr., estimated the
Lumber firm’s loss at $15,000.
Both firms were conducting
husinese operations Monday
morning, along with directing
clean-up work.
A Herndon official said Wed
nesday the firm has rented a
wai-ehouse In Shelby at the cor
ner of Morgan & Blanton streets,
between PAM Warehouse and
Shelby Mills. Minor repairs to
the warehouse were scheduled
for completion Wednesday after
noon.
Firemen fought the blaze for
13 hours before it was brought
under control. Meantime, fire
men ^vere able to save the Hern
don office building, Elmer Lum
ber's office building and others,
as well as nearby homes on City,
Ridge and Cansler sti’eets.
'With a strong wind from the
•^ortheast, debris littered yards
drives to Goforfch street and
'west. It was the city’s most cost
ly iiresinoe the 1964 fire leveled
Slater Mills. In contrast to the
Slater firm, both Herndon and
Elmer Lumber were well insur
ed.
A Herndon official said the
Long Shoals Mill fire of several
yeai's ago had dictated heavy in
vestment in insurance protection.
Not only was the firm as fully
insured against fire as possible,
hut also carried business inter
ruption and extra expense in
surance.
The Herndon firm listed these
losses:
A 60 X 160 warehouse, a 60 x
70 shed area, a 50 x TO building
(onetime thehangar at Bridges
Airport), and a recently con-
stinictcd 45 x 150 warchnuse. Oth
er losses were a '4S Chevrolet
truck, two warehouse fork lifts,
'60 Chevrolet truck, ’64 Evans
flatbed cotton trailer. Loss of
cotton waste and other inventor
ies is not yet assessed.
While anticipating rebuilding
at the present site, the official
said W^nesday, “We would sell
Continued On Page 6
Stadinm Fund
S leeps Upward
Pledges and actual cash-in-
band to the John Gamble Stad
ium Fund reached $74,607.39.
Tit?asurt2r Charles F. Harry, III'
said Wednesday.
Subsequently, W. S. Fulton.
Jr„ president of the Kings Moun
tain Kiwanis club, said account
ing on the club’s Thursday night
talent show has not been com
pleted but that the club’s mlni-
ntal pledge of $1,000 will bfc ex
ceeded.
The Kings Mountain Junior
Woman’s club voted unanimously
Monday night to donate its 1964
community project ifund of $150
to the stadium fund, Mrs. W. G.
Jonas, club president, reported.
Goal in the campaign to build
a new football stadium for the
city is $80,000 which mbans that
$5,242.61 is needed to complete
the fund quota.
Other gifts this week included
those from B. Holmes Harry,
Royster Grocery, Mr. and Mrs.
John Gold, James Ware. Spang
ler Construction Company. Ja
cob P. Hausbr, Wray A. Williams.
Mr. and Mrs. Yates Harblson and
Mr. and Mrs. Elmer McGill. Sec-
retarj'-Treasurcr Harry said.
John Gamble Football Stadium
will have a seating capacity of
4.000 and wiH be erected south of
the new high school plant on
Phifer road.
Mim of the fund-raising com-
Jlttbe Is to have the stadium
T^dy for use when the football
season opens in September.
City Has $194,338
In Bank Balances
SCENE AT SATURDAY FIRE — A dty firemon pours water on buildings owned by J. E. Herndon
Company which were gutted by fire, fanned by a strong wind, early Saturday morning. The
blaze, bottled by more than 100 firemen from 2 until 6 o.m., destroyed four buildings owned by
the waste cotton plant and damaged on adjoin'ng warehouse of Elmer Lumber Company. The
wind fanned the flames away from the main o fices of the lumber company and toward a group
of homes, three of which were blistered by the intense heat. (Photo by Bill Jackson).
Youths Lose '
Licenses, Put
On Probation
Four Kings Mountain teen
agers drew variable sentences,
all suspended, and were placed
on probation for five years by
Judge Joe Mull in Cleveland
County Recorder’s Court Tues
day. All plead guilty.
The youths were arrested sev
eral weeks ago by county offi
cials after a Saturday night theft
at Weir’s Grocery near the Park
Yam Mill, in which 64 cartons of
cigarettes and a few cigarette
lighters were reported missing.
The arrests climaxed a seribs
of lour incidents beginning last
July 4.
The youths and the judgments:
James P . Falls, who plead
guilty to three counts of forcible
tivspass and larceny, 18 months
suspended on payment of $25
and costs, plus 323.52 for reim
bursement of W. T. Weir, and
surrender of his driver’s license
until September 3. Judge Mull
specified that he ble allowed to
drive his father’s truck solely to
obtain feed for his father’s farm.
A charge of larceny was nol
pressed with leave.
David Michael Ballard, who
plead guilty to three counts of
forcible trespass and larceny, 12
months suspended on payment of
$20 and costs, plus $23.52 for re
imbursement of Mr. Weir, and
surrender of driver’s license un
til Sbptemiber 3.
Daniel Charles Dilling, who
plead guilty on two c*ounts of
forcible trespass and larceny. 12
months, suspended on payment
of $20 and costs plus $23.52 to re
imburse Mr. Weir, and surrender
of driver’s license until Septem
ber 3.
Continued On Page Six
City Clerk Joe McDaniel. Jr.,
will report to the board of com-
missionei's at Thursday after
noon’s 6 p.m. session that the
city’s consolidated bank balances
total $1^,338.07, and all funds
anp meeting the current fiscal
year’s budgetary tests.
Mr. McDaniel will detail the
several funds as follows:
The Cemetery Operating Fund
has a small debit due to the
iK^avy expenditures incurred in
buying land and building and
furnishing an office at the cem
etery. This balance will be ab
sorbed when final distribution of
Cemetery Income is made on
June 30th. Currently, the Ceme
tery Fund has $39,000 invested in
savings and loan stock.
The General Fund with a debit
ed to be in -good shape with all
major debts paid as of March
31st. Heavy expenditures can be
expected from this fund especial
ly for street resurfacing as wea
ther permits.
Tile Debt Service Fund with a
cash balance of $21,674.11 is in
excellent shape. All debt service
due in this fiscal year has been
paid bxcept for a payment of
$10,525. The surplus generated in
this fund can be applied toward
meeting next years debt seiwice.
It cannot be transferred to any
other account or used for any
other purpose.
The Capital Outlay Fund with
a cash balance of $40,629.93 is
considei'ed to be in good shape.
With $177,775.00 budgeted a sum
balance of $32,126.58 is consider-
of $108,142.15 has been expended
to date leaving $69,632.85 left to
Continued On Page 6
Crackerjachs Will Be Featured
At Annual Retailer Party Monday
VETERANS
World War 1 Veterans will
hold a regular mebling Sunday
afternoon at 2:30 at City Hall
courtroom. Quartermaster F.
H. Glenn has announced.
Arthur Smith and his Cracker-
jacks from WB-TV, Charlotte,
will pibsent an entertainment
program at Monday night’s an
nual employee-employer banquet
of the Kings Mountain Merch
ants Association.
Featured with the group of
entertainers will he the “Coun
selors of thle Airways", Tommy
Faille and Ralph Smith.
Supper will be served buffet-
style at 7 o’clock in the dining
room of the American Legion
building on York road.
Tickets for the event are $3
and may hie purchased from
downtown merchants. A limited
number o£ tickets are available
to the general public at the
Merchants Association office on
Mountain street.
Jonas Bridges, association pres
ident, urged members to notify
the association secretary, Mrs.
Luther Joy, the number of tic
kets they will need for their em
ployees Thursday and Friday so
that reservations may bfe made.
The annual retailer banquet
customarily attracts a large
crowd and also features the in
stallation of new officei's for the
coming year.
President Bridges will pi’bside
and Past President Robert O.
(Bob) Southwell will install the
new oMicers.
Rhea Declaies
City Must Meet
Sewage Order
By MARTIN HARMON
Wait! 5 Commissioner J. K.
' (Zip) Rhea said Wednesday he
' will move replacement of W. K.
! Dickson & Company aai the ciiy’.s
! eiigineering consultant at Thurs-
1 day's 6 p.m. meeting.
j Comm. Rliea’s vote follows rt'-
I velation by Engine<‘r \V. K. Dick
son last we<*k that preliminary
plans for meeting the city’s a-
grecmeni with the State Stream
Sanitation committee would not
be filed by las Thursday's due
date.
Comm. Rhea commented. “Mr.
Dickson has been aware of the
city's agreement to build a mod
ern sewage treatm.ent plant sini*e
the agreement was executed in
1963. The initial deadline has not
bof'n met and from dates Mr.
Dickson was quoted as indicating
last we<*k, neither will the next
two. The city’s agreement calls |
for having c'onstruction under- ■
way not later than January 1. ;
1966. and the system in service j
not later than January 1. 1967. ’
In view of the situation. I feel
the city must rc'lain an engineer
ing firm wrich will speed this ;
work to c*ompletion and tliereby
enable Kings Mountain to honor
its agreements.”
Mayor Glee A. Bridges, out-of-
town last week, said on return he
was surprised and disappointed
at the news the preliminary
plans were not at least ready for
filing. Recalling the agreement
w'as executed by the prior ad
ministration. he said he was re
minded of the agreement by a
notice from the State Stream
Sanitation committee early in
January.
He added, ‘T immediately for-
w’arded the notice to our engi
neers, W. K. Dickson & Company
and asked him to come over.
Several days passed and I tele*
phoned him. A few days later.
Mr. Dickson himself came to
Kings Mountain and he. Grady
Yellon, superintendent of public
works, and 1 toured the western
area of the city, which the pro
jected plant is to serve. I in
structed him to proceed and I
thought he was getting the plans
read>."
Last Friday, Mr. Dickson was
quoted in the Shelby Daily Star
as staling that at least $50,000
was required to be in hand for
the project bt'foro an application
for sharing fumls from Uie fcnl-
eral government could be sus
tained.
Mayo r Bridges commentiKi, I
“First I’d ever heard of the S50,-
000.”
51ayor Bridges did not say
what recommendation he might
make to the commission Thurs
day afternoon, but said, ‘T will
report the situation as I know it
and invite discussion and action
by the commissioners.”
One nearby city official, in dis
cussing his city’s sewage dispos
al needs a few’ months ago, said
the State Stream Sanitation com
mittee had the legal power for
tern action with firms or cities
w’hich do not comply with their
agret'ments. One action, he said,
might be an order to cease mak
ing any sewagie taps.
Another official said he under
stood the committee had the po
wer to force assessment of a
sewage service feb, with the
funds obtained to be held in es
crow for use of the city in com
plying with the agreement.
Otherwise, th’e commission will
consider a request from the
board of education for installa
tion of a sewage line from the
Phifer Road property line to the
outfall of the Mauney tank. May
or Bridges estimated honoring
the request would require lODO
feet of six-inch pipe, plus a
pumping station.
Two Cantatas
Palm Sunday
Two Kings Mountain church
choirs will sing Easter Cantatas
Palm Sunday.
Members of the Cent ml Meth
odist church choir will sing “7'he
Crucifixion”, meditation on the
sacred passion of the Holy Re-
deembr, text and music by John
Stainer, at the 11 a.m. morning
worship service.
The Church and Youth Choirs
of Kings Mountain Baptist
church will sing “The Resurrec
tion Song”, by Louise E. .Stairs in
a special Palm Sunday afternoon
i Continued Cu Pago 6
Books To Open
;ln Eight Wards
On Saturday
i II‘. gi.-^u ction bnok-^ will open at
Cigiu pnN-inrt^ Saturday for the
.May 11 cit> and board of educa-
, lion elections.
I Same qualifiea'ion lest will ap-
: ply as aj>plied in the county
' elei lion and was required in the
! county voting Iasi April. Kegi.s-
trant will have to prov»» his or
' hei abiiity lo read a section of
llie stati lon.stiiution and .sign
hi.-- or lier name.
At thnn* outside < lty prcn incts,
\0Ler.'- will di*:ermini* only
the election of two memiiers of
the board of education.
At (Jruvi. itcscue Squad build- ;
ing, citizens of the (h’over school,
district, will register and vote.
At Park Grace school, citizens
living in the Park Grace - Com- i
pact section of the sc iiool district !
will regisior and vote, and at |
Bethware school citizens living in i
tiu* Bethware area .section ot tlie ;
.school district will register and
vole. j
AH other ward voting places;
are the same as applied in the;
May 1963 city election. •
It is not anticipated that voter'
.'•egistration will be heavy as an *
all-new registration was held two |
years ago. |
New citizens must register lo i
Citizens who have changed res-!
idencG within the community ^
mils obtain transfers. I
Vo ing iir('cin«-!s and list of,
jUktge.*- jidiows:
Ward I at City Hall, i\ L. Black, j
registrar. j
Ward II at American Legion j
building, R. D. (Joforth, registrar.
Ward III at East school, Mrs.
Ruth Bowers, registrar.
Ward IV at Kings Mountain
Manufacturing cluhroom, Mrs.
Vera Cole (.'a.sli. registrar.
Ward V at National Guard
Armory. Mrs. Paul Patterson,
registrar.
Grover School Dis:rict at Grov
er Rescue Squad Building, Mrs.
Tames C. Scruggs, registrar.
Beihware School Di.strict at
Bethware school, Mrs. Frank
Ware, registrat.
Park (Jracc School District at
Park Grace school. Mrs. James
Cloninger. registrar.
Registr<Cion books will be open
for four successive Saturdays
from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Chal
lenge Day is Saturday, May 8.
Cemeteiy Fund j
Bill Delayed
Mayor Gicc A. Bridges said
this week hi* has requested S(*na-
tor Jack White to delay introduc-i
tion of a bill which would em-l
power the city to use for general
purpo.ses its perpt‘tual care come-1
tery fund. '
The Mayor said both lie aJid
city comniis.sioners have received
calls from s{*\eral citizens wlioj
oppose tile change.
He said he would ask the com-'
mission to affirm or coun’er-
mand the bill request at Thurs-:
day afternoon’s 6 p.m. session.
WINS FELLOWSHIP—Stephen
E. Kcsier has won o National
Science Foundation F^lowship
for a third year ot graduote
work at Stanford University.
Keslei Wins
NSF Fellowship
.Stephen E. Kesler, son of Mr.
and NIrs. Thomas L. Kesler of
Kings Mountain, has been a-
warded a National Science Foun
dation Fellowship for the third
year.
Kesler. in his third year of
graduate school at Stanford Uni-
voi’sity, is now completing work
on his do^ toj'ate degree. He com-
pleied research work on his doc
torate during the summer.
The Kings Mountain man was
among 1,339 students from a-
cio.‘5s the nation to receive grad
uate fellowships in the sciences,
mathematics and engineering.
There were some 7.S07 applicants.
A graduate of the University
of North Carolina with a bache
lor of science degree, Kt*sIor
earned his master’s degree from
Stanford University in Stanford,
Califoi-nia.
Herndon Resigns
Chairmanship
J. K. Herndon. Jr., Tuesday
wrote the Kings Mountain board
of education his resignation as
chairman.
Mr. Heindon the rectmt fire
which gumvl much of the J. E.
Herndon Company c*omplex die-
laliHi his action.
*'l could not do justice to the
citizens of the school district to
continue as chairman.” he com
mented. Ho said he would con
tinue as a member and would
render every assistance possible.
II. O. (TobyI Williams is vice-
chairman.
SQUAD
(Trover Rescue Stjuad trav(*l-
ed 1,332 miles for a total of 840
hours and 21 calls during the
month of March. aa*ording to
report of squad reporter Ralph
Milier.
DIXON 4 H CLUB
The Dixon Community 4-H
dub will hold regular meeting
Tuesday night at 7 p.m. at
Dixon Presbyterian church.
Moss Promises Effort To Obtain
Return Of Kings Mountain ESC
John Henry Moss, candidate
for mayor, said Wednestlay he
will seek rc-oi)ening of the FTm-
ployment Security commission
and the Kings Mountain welfare
offii*e branch ‘•whether as may
or or interested citizen”.
Return of hotli he termed of
“vital importance.”
He also stated firm supp.irt
for the efforts of the 73 power-
selling cities to amend Senate
Bill 95 and Hou.se Bill 255 to in
clude the desired sentence “to
provide that nothing in the arti
cle shall prohibit a municipality
from provuiiiig electrical serv
ices to any customer within its
corporate limitos. or for aiquir-
ing at a fair price the elei’trical
facilities of another supplier
within the municipality’s
bounds.”
“OUicrwise, he said, “Kings
Mountain’s growth be stunted.”
He said he telegraphed support
of the amendment to four sena
tors and three representatives,
all personal acquaintances, Wed
nesday.
On return of the bmploymont
office, ho declared. “It would
help restore the balance of in-
town employment and would be
of inestimable value in obtaining
divbrsrfied industry.”
He praised the Chamber of
Commerce effort to regain the
welfare office.
On failure of the city lo meet
its initial deadline with the .State
Stream Sanitation tH)mmission,
he promised. “If elected Nlayor.
I shall move quickly to so<* that
i the city state rtMuiiv-
ments. This long ovTrdue project
I w an absolute necessity.”
Walker Opposes
In-Law Nephew
Incumbent Rhea
All candidates for city and
board of education offices now
.tave op|>osition.
Commi.ssioner J. E. (Zip) Rhta.
Ward 5. previously the lone can-
Jidate unopposed, now has two
opponents.
C. O. Walker, retired contrac
tor, and an uncle-in-law of Com
missioner Rhea, filed for the
Ward 5 post Tuesday. Benjamin
F. Brown, Negro, employee ot
Margrace Mills, filed Wednesday.
Addition of the two new can
didates brings the number to 19
those seeking six City Hall and
two board of education positions.
Filing deadline is April 16.
Mr. Walker came to Kings
Mountain in 1924 as superinten
dent for A. H. Cioion Construc
tion Company and while here
married the former Madge Rhea.
The Walkers are parents of one
daughter, Mrs. F. A. McDaniel,
Jr., of Kings Mountain. They
are members of Kings Mountain
Baptist church and Mr. Walker is
a Mason, Shriner, and member
of American Legion Post 155.
They live on W'illiams street.
Serving in the Navy during
World War I, Mr. Walker made
14 trips across the Atlantic on
convoy duty.
His experience in water, sewer,
streets and the construction busi-
tu*ss spans 50 years. For 22 years
until 1946. he was superintendent
of A. H. Guion Construction Com
pany of Charlotte and Gastonia;
was assistant general superin
tendent of water, sewer and
streets at Camp Shelby at Hat-
tisburg, Miss., general superin
tendent of w’ater and sewer at
B3Td Airport at Richmond, Va.,
general superintendent of water
and sewer at the Marine Base at
Cherry Point, in addition to
m iny others from Virginia to
Florida and from the Atlantic
Continued On Page 6
Rill Herndon
Repeat Champ
Bill Herndon. Park Grace
school seventh grader, is Kings
Mountain’s spelling champion for
the second straight year.
Herndon, son of Nlr. and Mrs.
William Herndon, spelled 95 of
100 words TOrrezlIy in a written
tost W’edncsday afternoon to
win the Kings Mountain Bee and
represent the city in the Char
lotte Observer spelling bee this
spring.
He competed with seven other
top spbllers representing the
East, W^est. North, Davidson,
Compact, Gro\er and Bethware
elementary schools in the Kings
Mountain district.
The contest was hold at North
school.
East school's David Smith will
receive the Frank R. Summers
spelling mbdal at school finals.
Young Herndon was not eligible
to receive the medal, since he
had received the top spelling a-
ward last year.
Davidson bighth graejer Rob
ert White will receive the F. R.
Summers spelling medal given
to the top speller at Davidson •
Compact schools.
Alleged KKK Leader
Gone; Sticks City
The man thought to bt\ hut
not confirmed as the Ku KIu.x
Klan leader in Kings Moun
tain, is no longer a Kings
Mountain citizen.
City officials said this week
the residence occupied by thb
man reliable informants said
last week was the Cleveland
County KKK organizer is va
cant. Exact date of his depart
ure is not sure, but is indicat
ed as last Thursday.
He left (he city utilities de
partment his calling card
$60.50 in utility bills over and
above his depc^it fees.
He loft no forwarding ad
dress, postal officials relate.
Titej^ had alrbadv checked.
His ox-landlord had the sana#
problem the city dues*
t2-pd