c
Population
Greater Kings Mountain 10,320
City Limits 8,256
This figure for Greater kings Mountain is derived from
the 1955 Kings Mountain city directory census. The city
limits fig tire is from the United States census of 1965.
1
VOL 78 NO. 8
Pages
Today
PRICE TEN CENTS
House-to-House Invitations
For Liquor Vote Petitions
New Totals
On Signatures
Not Available
By MARTIN HARMON
Circulation of petitions in
Kings Mountain seeking an elec
tion on the question of legalizing
sale of liquor and beer-wine for
off-premises consumption con
tinues.
Determination of the number
of persons who have signed the
petition could not be learned
Wednesday, as a call-in for
counting had not been made.
Some 40 copies of the petition
are being circulated.
However, a spokesman for the
Citizens Committee for Legal
Control (of the sale of alcoholic
beverages) said the petitioners
will make a house-to-house can
vas inviting citizens to sign be
fore the petitions are forwarded
to the city board of commission
ers with request it, as the city
elections boards, authenticates
the signatures by a check against
the city’s election registration
books.
He added identity of the Citi
zens Committee for Legal Control
will be announced after petition
signing is completed and the pe
titions presented.
Meantime, Senator Marshall
Rauch, who on his own initia
tive, is conducting a poll of citi
zens in Gaston and Cleveland
counties, reported replies through
the weekend showed a 3 to 2
margin “dry” — many of those
answering of the "bone dry”
thinking. This group would out
law sale of alcoholic beverages
throughout the state.
A news report in Tuesday’s
Charlotte Observer reported an
effort similar to Kings Moun
tain’s underyvay . in Cabarrus
County. An opinion had been ad
vanced that ABC and beer - wine
elections could not be held simul
taneously.
Last week, it was reported
some 800 persons had signed the
Kings Mountain petition, appar
ently, if the signatures are au
thenticated, well over the num
ber required to legally force a
referendum on the beer - wine
sale question.
ABC store elections for cities
are set by legislative act.
When the petition-signing is
concluded, the petitions will be
presented to the legislative dele
gation as evidence Kings Moun
tain citizens want to vote on the
ABC question.
Senator White's
Appointments
As of Monday, Senator Jack H.
White, of Kings Mountain, had
been appointed to seven commit
tees by Lieutenant-Governor Bob
Scott.
In addition to chairmanship of
the committee on counties, cities
.and towns. Senator White was
named vice-chairman of Judici
ary II and also the committee on
salaries and fees.
Other committees on which
Senator White will serve are re
tirement and employment securi
ty, congressional redistricting, el
ection laws, and propositions and
grievances.
Propositions and grievances
handles liquor legislation, a maj
or issue of the current General
Assembly. Rep. W. K. Mauney,
Jr, is on the comparable com
mittee in the House of Represen
tatives.
With a federal court order to
redistrict the federal House dis
tricts, the redistricting commit
tee also anticipates a busy ses
sion.
It was anticipated Senator
White would be named to at
least one additional committee—
either appropriations or finance
_ it being customary for each
senator to sit on either one or
the other.
Meredith Alumni
Plan To Organize
Meredith College alumni of
Gaston county will hold an or
ganization dinner meeting at the
Gaston Country Club on March 4
at 12:30 p.m.
Mrs. Margaret Martin, alurnni
secretary, will speak to the
group.
Co-Chairmen for the meeting
are Mrs. Larry Hamrick, phone
864-5041. and Mrs. John Harris,
phone 865-8141, who Invite Kings
Mountain area Meredith alumni
to attend. Dinner reservations are
requested by March 2.
NOTES BIRTHPAY — Sam H.
Suber observed his 82nd birth
day Monday. He is recuperat
ing from surgery at Gaston
Memorial hospital.
82nd Birthday
For Sam Suber
Samiuel Robert Suber, 82, re
tired cemetery superintendent,
observed his 82nd birthday Mon
day.
Members of his family and a
large number of friends gather
ed in his hospital room at Gas
ton Memorial hospital where he
is recuperating from an opera
tion. Mr. Suber, who has been
hospitalized 10 days following
surgery, is doing well, members
of_ his family report.
Born in Beruit, Lebanon in the
mountains of Syria in 1885, Sam
Suber came to the United States
in 1906 at the age of 21. After a
short stay in Gaffney, S. C., with
his brother, Salem Suber, he mov
ed to Kings Mountain and here
established the Candy Kitchen
where Eagle Five & Ten Stores
is now located. In 1918 he mar
ried Artie Parlier.
Mr. Suber was employed as
Mountain Rest cemetery super
intendent 25 years.
Members of his family include
his son, S. R. Suber, Jr., Mrs.
Suber and their two sons, S. R.
Suber III and Clafude; his daugh
ters, Mrs Humes Houston, Mr.
Houston and Samuel Humes
Houston, Jr.; and Mrs. Carl V.
Wiesener, Mr. Wiesener, Carl, Jr.,
Robert and Nancy Marion; and
his two stepdaughters, Mrs. Nell
C. Cranford and Mrs Joe Foster
and Mr. Foster.
Among Mr. Suber’s gifts on his
birthday was a decorated cake
from family members.
Easley Man
Hurt In Wreck
Louis E, Howard, of Easley,
S C., was injured Monday just
before noon when his ear slam
med into the back of a Grover
fire truck.
Howard was admitted to Kings
Mountain hospital but later trans
ferred to the Greenville, S. C.
hospital.
The fire truck reportedly on a
call and proceeding north of 1
85 was attempting to turn left
when it was sthuck in the rear
by the northbound Howard ve
hicle. .;—-dif/ww’;
Highway Patrolman J. R. Reid,
who investigated the accident,
charged Howard with following
too closely. He also estimated
damages to the fire truck at
$1,000 and $800 to the Howard
vehicle.
Bloodmobile
Emergency Visit
Here On Monday
The Red Cross Bloodmobile re
turns to Kings Mountain Monday
for an emergency visit.
Donors will be processed from
11 a.m until 4:30 p.m. at the Na
tional Guard Armory.
Blood program officials here
were hopeful that Monday’s col
lection would be a record one and
that the normal visit quota of 150
pints of blood would be surpass
ed.
“We’re badly behind in our
blood giving,’’ said Chairman
Tommy Burke. Recent visits of
the regional blood bank here
and in Grover had not been up
to-par and because of the high
usage of blood the usage has far
surpassed the blood donated in
No. 4 township, Burke explained.
Monday’s visit will be a “make
up” visit, said Burke.
Adult Classes
Are Continuing
I Free classes in adult basic ed
ucation are continuing at Com
pact school on Tuesday and Fri
day evenings and at Central
school on Tuesday and Thursday
evenings from 7 until 9.
Adults 18 and older can quali
fy and anyone wishing to attain
an eighth grade level education
in reading, writing and arithme
tic is eligible.
Mrs. Carmen S. Varney is di
rector of the program sponsored
by Gaston college and the Kings
Mountain district schools.
Rites Saturday
For Mr. Gardner
Funeral rites for Charlie H.
Gardner, 85, of Grover, were held
Saturday at 3:30 pm. from
Friendly Chapel Baptist church
with the Rev. James Sanderes
and Rev. Roy Walter officiating
Interment was in the church ce
metery.
Mr. Gardner died at 2:30 p.m.
Thursday in the Cleveland Memo
rial hospital after a two-week
illness
He is survived by his 'wife,
Donnie Godfrey Gardner; Route
1, Grover; two daughters, Mrs.
Wayne McSwain of Daytona
Beach Fla. and Mrs. Josh Mosses
of Lawndale; a half-brother, Jim
Franklin of Inman, S. C.; 15
grandchildren and two great
I grandchildren
Mis. Randall's
Rites Conducted
Funeral rites for Mrs. Lona
Mae Crowder Randall, 60, wife of
William T. Randall of Shelby,
were held Wednesday at 4 p.m.
from the Chapel of Harris Fu
neral Home, interment following
in Mountain Rest cemetery.
Mrs. Crowder, Kings Mountain
native, died Tuesday shortly aft
er noon at her home. She had
been in ill health for several
months.
She was daughter of the late
Mr. and Mrs. Frank Crowder of
Kings Mountain.
Besides her husband, she is
survived by a daughter, Mrs.
Donald E. Mendenhall of Mount
Airy.
All-Winning KMHS Boys Cagezs
Clinch Division Championship
By CART STEWART
Kings Mountain's undefeated
Mountaineers (18-0) clinched the
Southwest 3-A Conference cham
pionship Tuesday night at 'Bel
mont and are now awaiting the
annual Northwest - Southwest
Tournament which will be held on
March 3-9 at Lenoir Rhyne Col
lege in Hickory.
As the SWC champs, the
Mountaineers will play the fourth
place team in the Northwest Con
ference, Saturday night, March
4, at 9.
Coach Don Parker’s cagers are
setting a school record every time
they win a game, and, should
they win 21, will break the rec
ord of most wins in one season
(20), set by the 1965 team which
also won the conference cham
pionship.
Since Parker came to Kings
Mountain in 1943, his teams have
captured three loop titles (count
ing this one), but has never won
an association championship.
The ’65 team advanced to the
finals of the bi-conference tour
ney before losing out to a strong
Hickory outfit. Should this year’s!
team win the bi-conference title, j
it will play the winner of the
North Piedmont-South Piedmont
tournament at Hickory on March ,
11, for the WNCHSAA champion j
ship.
The Mountaineers have two
conference games remaining, j
playing home games against,
Cherryville Friday and East!
Rutherford Tuesday. Thanks toj
(Continued on Page Eight)
DON BRIDGES
PAT CHESHIRE
DONNA CRAWFORD
>
i
DANNY DYKE
TIM WEBSTER
Five Govemoi
School Nominees
Five Kings Mountain high
school students have hen nomi
vi*ed to attend the Governors
School of North Carol'na, ac
cording to : nnoun cr/.ent by
Schools Supt. B. N Barnes.
Local nomination Is not tanta
(Continued on Page Eighty
committee Now Promoting Private
Convalescent-Nursing Center Here
Ed E Smith
Wrote WB-TV
Award Winner
WBTV Charlotte has won an
award for a documentary histori
cal program written by Edward
H. Smith, of Kings Mountain.
The program was “Signers for
Liberty,” televised last July 4
tnd featured the 56 signers of the
Declaration of Independence and
their fates.
Don McDaniel was producer- di
rector and Dick Taylor was nar
rator, the same team wliich did
he T-V program of 1965 on the
Battle of Kings Mountain.
The George Washington honors
Medal in the broadcasting media
vas the award won It is given by
he Freedoms Foundation of Val
ley Forge.
The programmers employed a
crge collection of portraits of the
signers and quoted from histori
al documents. They went to
Philadelphia’s Independence Hall
’o g.’^Lier materials and take
film.
Competing for the honor are
television networks, motion pic
ture companies, individual studios
and public relations departments
>f industries, along with universi
ties.
Mr. Smith writes for the Her
ald an historical column "This
Week in Tar Heel History,” feat
ured on the editorial page.
---
Heart Fond
Benefit Friday
Proceeds from a Friday night
dance for teenagers will benefit
the Kings Mountain Heart Fund.
The dance will be held from
") p.m. until 12 p.m. at the Na
ional Guard Armory. Admission
is 50 cents per person.
Announcement of the benefit
was made by Jonas Bridges,
chairman of the Special Events
division of the 1967 Heart Fund
campaign.
Commission
Meets Tuesday
The city board of commission
ers will meet in special session
Tuesday night at 6:30, with
among the major items of work
beginning of a study on re-codifi
cation of city ordinances, for
which a Florida firm holds con
tract.
The board is also expected to
consider possible increases in
commission and mayoral pay.
Other items on the agenda in
clude receiving of bids for a
street roller and fence for the
nubile works area at McGinnis
street and Cherryville road, and
holding of hearings on a petition
of Mns. R. p. Anthony for ap
oroval of a residential sub-di
vision plan on Cresent Hill road
and on a re-zoning petition on W
King street property by F. S.
Morrison.
The board will also consider an
agreement with the Kings Moun
tain Public Housing Authority
oertaining to the division of
funds the housing authority will
nay in lieu of city taxes.
Falls' Rites
Held Friday
Funeral rites for John Thomas
Falls, Sr., 58, of Greenwood, S. C..
Kings Mountain native, were held
Friday at 2 p.m. from Harris
3aptist church of Greenwood, in
terment following in Greenwood
Memorial Gardens
Mr. Falls died In a Greenwood
hospital Wednesday night aftei
an illness of five weeks.
A son of the late Mark M. and
Sara Wilkerson Falls, he had re
sided in Greenwood for the past
17 years He was employed by
Greenwood Mills.
Surviving are his wife, Mrs.!
Emily York Falls; a daughter,;
Mrs. Lee McDowell of Green-]
wood; two sons, William F. Falls
of Greenville, S. C. and John Tho- j
mas Falls, Jr. of Greenwood; two
brothers, D. M. and Earl Falls,
both of Kings Mountain, a sis-;
ter, Mrs. Virginia Burton, of;
Kino's Mountain; and six grand
children.
Rev. Billv J. Bridwell, Rev.
Henry J. Phillips and Rev. W.
T Brown officiated at the final
rite*. ,
McGinnis Buys
Plonk Property
Former Reba's
McCurdy Stands
Are Acquired
Paul H McGinnis has purchas
ed the South Battleground avenue
buildings occupied by McCurdy
Cleaners and recently vacated by
Reba’s Fashions from the R. S.
Plonk Estate.
Purchase price of the two build
ings, occupying a lot fronting 50
feet on Battleground and 105 feet
deep, was $20,0'!0.
Mr. McGinnis said he expects to
add to the length of the former
Reba’s Fashions building, re
model it with a new front and
"front” back, and utilize it for an
expansion of McGinnis Depart
ment Store which is adjacent.
McCurdy Cleaners will continue
to occupy its building.
Mr McGinnis said he expected
to begin construction after Easter
and have the Reba location ready
for opening about July 10. It will
house the ready-to-wear division
of McGinnis Department Store,
freeing space in the building Mc
Ginnis rents from Dr. D. M. Mor
rison for an expansion of general
department store inventories in
breadth and depth.
Mr. McGinnis said his purchase
is a tie-in to the plans now un
derway for renovating the down
town business section.
He also said his individually
owned firm is in process of in
corporation as McGinnis Depart
ment Store, Inc, with himself,
his wife and son John McGinnis
as incorporators.
Church At School
Program Begins
First of three Sunday sessions
of the Church At School at First
Presbyterian chiurch begins on
Sunday at 5 p.m. and will con
tinue until 6:30 p.m
The program for all-age groups
will follow the theme, “Affluence
and Poverty’’ and is an expansion
of the Daily Vacation Church
School.
A covered dish supper on Wed
nesday evening launched the pro
gram.
Mr. and Mrs Charles Blanton
will teach the adult study of
"Plenty and Want: The Responsi
bility of the Church". The Senior
High topic, “Can't We All Be
Rich,” will be led by Mr. and
Mrs Raegan Harper. Pioneer
groups will study, "On the Trail
of a Twin”, under the direction
of Mrs. Bessie Harris and Mrs.
Paul Maune.v. Fifth and sixth
graders will study the book,
“White Elephants for Sale”, led
by Mrs Mabel Logan. M-s.
Mickie Hoijser will lead the study
for the third and fourth graders,
“White Elephants for Sale”. Mrs.
W. C Ballcw will lead a study
for first and second graders on
the topic, “No Biscuits at All.”
Mrs.:', ynn Pascal and Mrs Jackie
Barrett will be in charge of the
kindergarten group, four and
five-year-olds, and the nursery
will be under direction of Mrs.
Clara Rhea and Mrs. Nelle
Cranford
WINS CONTEST
Don Beam, Jr., 14-year-old
son of Mr. and Mrs. Donald
Beam, Sr., of route three, was
first place winner in the an
nual Cleveland County FFA
public speaking contest. A stu
dent at Waco school, Beam
used the subject, "Agriculture:
The Strength of a Nation.” The
contest was held Thursday at j
Elizabeth school.
WINS CONTEST — Warren
Herndon has been named the
Kings Mountain high school
winner in Time Magazine's 31st
annual current affairs contest.
He received a certificate from
the weekly news magazine.
Bnmgaidnei's
Riles Conducted
\ - "'; '
Funeral riles f<jr Clyde E
Bumgardner, 4.S, were lield Sun
day at 4 p.m. from Oak View
Baptist church of which he was
a member.
Rev. C C. Ilundy, assisted by
Rev. E. O. (lore, officiated at the
final rites, and interment was in
Mountain Rest cemetery.
Mr. Bumgardner died at 8 p m.
Thursday at Veteran’s Hospital
at Oleen after a two-week ill
ness. He was a native of Cleve
land County, son of the late Mr.
and Mrs. Thomas Edward Bum
gardner.
His wife, Mary Costner Bum
gardner, died in December 1965.
He was a veteran of World War
11
Surviving are two sons, Steve
and Joe Bumgardner, both of
Kings Mountain; three daughters,
Mrs. Arthur Baity, Jr., of Pom
pano Beach, Fla., Mrs.. Garland
Ridings of Shelby, and Mrs. Rob
ert Martin of Kings Mountain;
six brothers, George Bumgard
ner, John Bumgardner, Edwin
Bumgardner, Ralph Bumgard
ner, and Ray Bumgardner, ail of
Kings Mountain, and Bill Bum
gardner of Bessemer City; one
sister, Mrs. F S. Hardin of
Shelby; and four grandchildren..
Mis. Bates'
Father Passes
Funeral rites for Lawrence
Augustus Wise, 75, of Lincolnton,
father of Mrs. Bill Bates of Kings
Mountain, will be held Thursday
at 4 p.m. from Emmanuel Luth
eran church of Lincolnton, inter
ment following in Hollybrook
cemetery.
Mr. Wise died suddenly Tues
day.
Other survivors include his
wife, Mrs. Rebecca Seagle Wise;
two sons, L. A. Wise, Jr., of Lin
colnton and John C. Wise of
Jackson, S. C.; four other daught
ers, Mrs. Yates W. Campbell of
Gastonia, Mrs. H. L. Duncan,
Mrs. J. B. Long and Mrs. Reid
Campbell, all of Lincolnton; two
brothers, G. B. Wise of Lincoln
ton and L. P. Wise of Gastonia;
and one sister, Mrs. Ilia Ramsey
of Troutman. Also surviving are
12 grandchildren and nine great
grandchildren.
Pic. Horace N. Ropei Wounded
In Left Leg Sunday In Viet Nam
Pfc. Horace N. Roper, Kings
Mountain serviceman stationed
in Vietnam, was wounded in ac
tion last Sunday, according to a
telegram sent to his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Ivy Roper.
The telegram stated Pfc. Roper
suffered injuries of the left leg.
His parents had not learned
Wednesday how seriously he
was injured.
Pfc. Roper, a member of the
First Air Cavalry, Air Mobile Di
vision, has been stationed in
Vietnam seven months.
His address, as listed on the
telegram sent to his parents, is
US 53424304, Company B, 15th
Medical Battalion, APO San
Francisco, California 96490.
MSCB
__HI
Monday Night
Community
Meeting Set
A citizens committee has been
organized to promote construc
tion of a Kings Mountain conva
lescent and nursing center, to be
privately financed, owned and op
erated.
Following meetings last Thurs
day and Monday nights a third
community-wide meeting is sched
uled for Monday night at 7:30 at
City Hall.
The group Monday elected Joe
R. Smith, secretary-treasurer of
Kings Mountain Savings & Loan
association, chairman of the pro
motion committee.
These committees were nam
ed:
Fact-finding—Chairman Smith,
James Gibson and Ray W. Cline
Administration and personnel
requirements — Grady Howard.
Investment — Mrs. Devere
Smith, Devere Smith, Mrs. Clyde
Kerns, John L. McGill and O. O.
Walker.
Land Acquisition and Archi
tect O. O. Walker, John L,
McGill, James Gibson and W. S
Biddix.
The initial meeting was called
at the instance of the city, Mayor
John Henry Moss having previ
ously named Commissioners Ray
Cline, W. S. Biddix and O. O.
Walker as a promotion commit
tee of the city to organize the
movement
Mayor Moss said yesterday he
is highly pleased at the reception
to the effort and added it is in
I tended this facility be available
1 to all.
Chairman Smith added, “I hope
every citizen interested in the es
tablishment of this needed com
munity facility will attend Mon
day night’s meeting.”
Cooler Soon
At High School
The board of education Mon*
day night authorized advertising
for bids for air-conditioning ma
chinery for Kings Mountain high
school.
Itocm units were installed in
the initial construction.
The board elected two teach
l ers to fill resignations: Miss Re
j becca Louise Oashatt, of Gas
j tonia. will succeed Mrs. Robert
Mann as a high school English
teacher, and Mrs. Nancy Y. Gray,
of Shelby will succeed Mrs.
Johnnie G. Moore as a high
school commercial teacher.
Among other actions the
board:
1) Approved contract for cabi*
net work in the high school ag
riculture department with Elmer
Lumber Company, low bidder of
| three at $1070. Cleveland Lumber
Company, of Shelby, bid $1137.
2) Assigned three children just
i moved to Kings Mountain to
j schools, Lee White to Grade 1
j North, Roger White to Grade 3
North, and Gail White to Grade
7 Central.
3) Authorized purchase of V6
ton truck.
41 Received copies of federal
Office of Education pupil assign
ment guidelines. Superintendent
B. N. Barnes informed the board
action must be taken by April 1.
PPG To Honor
Six Finalists
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Com
pany's Carolina division will
honor nominees for the annual
scholarship at a luncheon Fri
day at 12:30 at North Lake
Country club, Shelby.
Larry Burton, Kings Mountain
high school senior, is among six
nominees and will be interview
ed by a panel of educators at
Hotel Charles on Friday.
Pittsburgh Plate Glass Foun
dation’s fifth annual plant com
munity scholarship is valued up
to $6,000 for a four-year period.
Buford Pearson's
Sister Passes
Funeral rites for Mrs. Bernie
Pearson Splawn, half-sister of
Buford Pearson of Kings Moun
tain, were held in Chesnee, S. C.,
Wednesday.
Mrs. Splawn died at 8:45 p m.
Monday in Chesnee. She was the
daughter of the late D. J. and
Alice Branch Pearson.