VOL 76 No. 23
Pages
Today
Established 1889
Kings Mountain, N. C., Thursday, June 8, 1967
Seventy-Eignth Year
PRICE TEN CENTS
Citizens To Vote In ABC Referendum On Tuesday
DAVID M. WILDER
ROBERT RHODES PLONK
SUZANNE LOCKRUDGE
WILLIAM L. HAMRICK
FRE1DA BURTON
mmmmmw
RICHARD A. GOFORTH
PAMELA BAT CHILDERS
VERNON CARSON
HAMS BOROV
SOGER DEAN SOWELL
10 Area Students
* Receive Degrees
Ten additional Kings Mountain
area students are among grad
uates of
and univertfltiei
3719 Persons
Are Registered
(hi City Books
By MARTIN HARMON
A total of 37] 9 names appear
on the Kings Mountain voting
egistration books as a result of
461 new names inscribed during
.he two-week registration period
ending at 7 p.m. Saturday.
Registration was heaviest of
the period on the final day Sat
urday, registrars reported.
How many will be eligible to
vote in the Tuesday referendum
on legalizing sale of alcoholic
beverages will depend on results
of Challenge Day Jume 10.
Nominally a thumb-twiddling
lay for the registrars, the up
coming Challenge Day is expect
ed to be busiest in the city’s his
tory as both the Citizens Com
mittee for Legal Control and
Committe Opposing Sale of Al
coholic Beverages indicate they
will persue the voting scrolls
closely for possible ineligible vot
ers.
Registrars think neither group
will find many, if any, to com
plain about. They point out the
books were cleaned in 1963 and
a new registration ordered.
Under regular procedure, chal
lenges, with reasons therefor,
must be made with the registrars
between the hours of 7 a.m. and
7 P'.m. Saturday. Where challen
ges occur, the registrars convene
their full precinct staff on Mon
day to approve or deny the par
ticular challenges.
On Wednesday, with Clarence
L. Black, Ward 1 registrar su
perintending, two sets of typists
—one for the legal control for
ces and one for the opposition—
were busy copying the names
from the pollbooks.
Final new registration figures
from the respective wards are:
Ward 4, 28; Ward 2, 61; Ward
3. 88; Ward 4, 125, and Ward 5,
159.
WKMT Schedules
Election Program
Radio Station WKMT will
conduct an “open mike” pro
gram Friday from 6 to 8:30 p.
m. on the upcoming referendum
on the question of legalizing
the sale of alcoholic beverages
in Kings Mountain.
Jonas Bridges, genera! man
ager, will serve as master of
ceremonies and two representa
tives each from those favoring
and those opposing will answer
questions posed by citizens via
telephone.
Mr. Bridges noted there will
be a ten second delay before
the questions are on the air.
Each will be recorded, prior to
broadcast, to conform to regu
lations of the Federal Commu
nications commission.
Floyd Wounded
In Vietnam War
Marine Lt. Curtis Floyd was
wounded Thursday in Vietnam,
he wrote his wife this week from
his hospital bed.
The Kings Mountain native
said he would probably be hos
pitalized two months with wounds
of the leg, shoulder and elbow.
In his letter, Lt. Floyd said
he was evacuated by helicopter
to the hospital. He did not fur
nish any further details of his
injuries.
Floyd completed Officers Train
ing School last November. He
was commissioned a lieutenant
following graduation from Wes
tern Carolina college.
Mrs. Floyd is the former Linda
Pruitt of Kings 'Mountain. They
are parents of a six-weeks-old
daughter, Jennifer Lynn.
METER RECEIPTS
Parking meter receipts for the,
week ending Wednesday noon
totaled $223.60, including $140.
60 from QJirStef'et meters and
,$f3 in fines;
— —:—-,
Voting Tuesday
7 a,m. to 6 p.m.
At Five Precincts
By MARTIN HARMON
Kings Mountain citizens will go
to the polls Tuesday in an histor
ic election.
It will be the first time in mod
ern history — perhaps only the
second time ever — that Kings
Mountain citizens have answered
the question on a strictly local
basis whether sale of liquor
through Alcoholic Beverage Con
trol stores and beer and wine for
off-premises consumption will be
legal. (Kings Mountain voted
“dry” 13-0 in 1874, only a few
months after the town was char
tered).
Leaders on both sides of the is
sue are predicting a record vote
of from 2700 to 3200. Present rec
ord is the 2337 cast for mayor in
the 1963 election.
The ballot is simple and voting
requires only one “X” (see sam
ple elsewhere on this page).
The referendum is being held
under legislative act (Senate Bill
197, as amended) and was en
acted by the General Assembly
following petition of 669 register
ed voters.
Voting will be conducted at the
five ward voting places from 7
a.m. to 6 p.m.
The precincts and election of
ficials are:
Ward I, City Hall, C. L. Black,
registrar, Mrs. Nell Cranford and
Gene Steffy, judges.
Ward II, American Legion
building, R. D. Goforth, registrar,
Mrs. Ruth Thomasson and Mrs.
Salena Trott, judges.
Ward II, East school, Mrs. Ruth
Bowers, registrar, Mrs. Bertie Me
1,'aniel and Roehel Connor, judges.
Ward IV, First Wesleyan Meth
odist Fellowship hall, Mrs. Vera
C. Cash, registrar, Brooks R. Tate
and Mrs. James Pearson, regis
(Continued, on Page Eight)
Wets Launch Offensive; Drys
Step Up Their Campaigning
The Kings Mountain Citizens
Committee for Legal Control of
Sale of Alcoholic Beverages open
ed its pre-election barrage last
Saturday with announcement of
a large steering committee and
has continued to mount an offen
sive.
The opposition—Kings Moun
tain Citizens Opposed to the Sale
of Alcoholic beverages—continued
their publicity campaign which
they had launched earlier.
The wets, or legal control pro
ponents, are headed by George
DeBrule and Charles F. Mauney
as co-chairmen, their opposite
numbers with the drys being
Fred Weaver and Marion (Willie)
Williams.
Both sides were using figures,
the drys most freely.
In letters and newspaper ad
vertising in today’s Herald the
legal control group points to the
fact that 80 percent of North
Carolinians live in areas where
alcoholic beverages are sold leg
ally. Another point is made of
net revenue return from legal
sales, with figures from nearby
"wet” counties and cities being
quoted, and with Kings Moun
tain’s projected annual net profit
at $200,000. Morganton’s net pro
fit was $189,000 and the wets
regard Morganton and Kings
Mountain as comparable in size.
The wets also hark back to the
forties in their declaration that a
"For” vote is not a vote for the
beer joints of yesteryear, voted
into limbo in Cleveland County
in 1949. They point out that beer
will be purchasable in grocery
stores and other retail firms
qualifying for and purchasing a
license.
The drys continue to use fig
ures, usually in percentages, to
claim heavy increase in crimes,
from public drunkenness and
simple assault to felonies, in one
time dry cities which moved into
the iwet column.
The drys say the profits from
legal sale of alcoholic beverages
are not really profits, as costs
of increased crime, larger police
forces, and other ill results of
consumption of alcohol eat up
sale revenues several times.
(Continued on Page Eight)
Tickets On Sale
For Anthony Fete
Reservations deadline for tick
ets to the dinner honoring Dr. J.
E. Anthony, retired Kings Moun
tain physician, is 9 a.m., Mon
day, June 19, morning prior to
the June 20 event.
Tickets at $2.50 per person are
on sale at the American Legion,
Kings Mountain Drug Company,
Griffin Drug Store, 'Medical Phar
macy, the Chamber of Commerce
and City Hall. Ticket reserva
tions may be made by calling
the Chamber of Commerce or
City Hall.
The Chamber of Commerce and
City of Kings Mountain are joint
sponsors of the event.
Program details are being, ar
ranged, Mayor John Henry Moss,
co-chairman, said Wednesday.
Water Level Up
From Recent Rains
Public Works Supt. Grady Yel
ton said Wednesday that auxil
iary supply streams and streams
serving the York Road and Da
vidson Lake reservoirs have much
increased from the weekend rains.
The Davidson lake level is up
three feet and the York road re
servoir water level is up 30 inch
es. No pumping has been done at
Davidson reservoir since May
27th, he reported.
Meantime, the dty is continu
ing use of all water auxiliary
sources, said Yelton.
SAMPLE BALLOT
Special Municipal Election
KINGS MOUNTAIN, NORTH CAROLINA
|UNE 13, 1967
INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTER
1. To vote FOR City Alcoholic Beverage Control stores
and off-premises sale of beer ahd wine, make a cross
(X) mark in the square to the left of the word FOR
2. To vote AGAINST City Alcoholic Beverage Control
stores and off-premises sale of beer and wine, make
cross (X) mark in the square to the left of the word
AGAINST.
3. If you tear or deface or wrongly mark this ballot return
it to the registrar and get another.
□ PQP City Alcoholic Beverage Control Stores and
Ofi-Premises Sale of Beer and Wine
□ AGAINST
City Alcoholic Beverage Control
Stores And Off-Premises Sale of
Beer and Wine
PRINCIPALS IN CORNERSTONE-LAYING CEREMONY — The congregation of'Central Methodist
church held cornerstone laying services Sunday at the new $250,000 church plant. Leading the
services, from left to right. Masons Wright Falls and David Falls, Dr. Cecil L. Heckard, Gastonia
district superintendent of the Methodist church, and Rev. Howard Jordan, pastor of the church. Dr.
Heckard delivered the sermon at the morning w crship hour, after which the congregation gather
ed outside to officially place the cornerstone. P laced inside the store are pictures of both the old
and new edifices, a Bible, Methodist hymal, discipline and church history, a church roll and di
rectory, a city directory, a copy of the June 1. 1967 edition of the Kings Mountain Herald and
church-related periodicals. (Photo for the Herald by Neil Holcomb)
Housing Group
To Consider
Architect
Kings Mountain Public Housing
Authority will meet Monday, at, 1
p.fti. at City Hall /of. the regulSfc
mbfithly rrteetirig. "
Chairman John L. McGill said
principal item on the agenda will
be. retention of ari architectural
engineering firm for planning of
the recently-apprcwed .. loQ-unit
Kings Mountain project.
Chairman McGill said the
group would also discuss employ
ment of an executive secretary.
Under terms of the Public
Housing act, the Housing Assis
tance Administration of the De
partment of Housing and Urban
Development provides advances
of up to 90 percent of the cost
of the project, repayable when
the housing authority issues
bonds to cover the total cost of
the project. In turn, amortization
of the bonds is guaranteed by
the Housing Assistance Adminis
tration.
An initial grant of approxi
mately $18,000 will be made for
planning.
Other members of the author
ity are Martin Harmon, acting
secretary, Brooks R. Tate, Wil
liam Orr and Carl F. Wilson.
Robbins Wins
Heroism Medal
SSG/E6 Steven N. Robbins of
Kings Mountain has received the
Army Commendation Medal for
Heroism while a member of the
First Cavalry Division in Viet
nam.
He is the son of Buford Robbins
of Kings Mountain and is a mem
ber of Company D of the First
Battalion stationed in An Khe,
Vietnam.
Robbins is also recipient of the
combat infantry badge, the Rang
er Tab, parachutist badge, and
the Purple Heart.
The citation reads: “For hero
ism in connection with military
operations against a hostile
force, S/Sgt. Robbins distinguish
ed himself by heroism in action
on March 12, 1967, while occupy
ing a security position at a land
ing zone. Alerted when a trip
flare was ignited in front of his
position, Sgt. Robbins immediate
ly illuminated the area with a
spotlight in an effort to observe
enemy movement. Unable to de
tect any hostile activity, he set
up a position outside his bunker.
When a hand grenade suddenly
landed in his position, Sgt. Rob
bins, with complete disregard for
his own safety, rushed forward,
grabbed the grenade and threw
it back outside the perimeter. His
calm and courageous action pos
sibly saved the lives of two men
who were occupying the same po
sition.”
BAPTIST SERVICE
Rev. James M. Wilder will
use the sermon topic, “Remov
ing the Mask” at Sunday morn
ing worship services at Kings
Mountain Baptist church*
WINS SCHOLARSHIP — Larry
Burton has won a scholarship
from Georgetown University for
the coming school year.
Larry Burton
Wins Scholarship
Georgetown University has
awarded a university scholarship
to Larry Burton, Kings Mountain
High School senior.
At * the university, Larry will
enroll in the school of Foreign
Service, where he will prepare
fos a diplomatic career.
Located in the nation’s capital,
the school offers a study abroad
program for its students in in
ternational affairs.
Larry is the son of Mrs. Law
rence Burton and the late Mr.
Burton. He has been active in
high school, he is a member of
(Continued on Page Eight)
Beautician
Was Former
Society Editor
Harris Funeral Home Chapel
was filled to overflowing Tues
day morning for the funeral ser
vice of 'Mrs. Eva Mae Suber
Houston, 47.
The Kings Mountain beauti
cian, a former society editor of
the Kings Mountain Herald, was
found dead at her home about
10 o’clock Sunday morning by
her son, Samuel H. Houston, Jr.,
who had stopped while en route
■Boone.
Coroner J. Ollie Harris said
death resulted from accidental
suffocation. A mattress was
smouldering, apparently ignited
by a lighted cigarette. Mrs. Hou
ston was alone, her husband,
Major Samuel Humes Houston,
of the North Carolina Army Na
tional Guard, being on duty at
Fort Bragg.
Mrs. Houston was found on
the floor in a hallway, apparent
ly having been overcome as she
sought to leave the smoking
home.
j Also victims were the family
• pets, two dogs, a cat, and four
| kittens.
A Kings Mountain native, Mrs.
Houston, known to her friends
by “Debbie”, a childhood nick
name, was a daughter of Sam
R. Suber, Sr., and the late Artie
! Parlier Cansler Suber. She was
| graduated from Kings Mountain
j high school in 1936 and was em
ployed in the designing depart
! ment of Margrace Mill. She be
; came society editor of the Herald
| in 1945 and, at her death, was
i owner and operator of Debie's
(Continued On Pat/e Eight)
Week Left In City-wide Clean-up;
Citizens Urged To Remove Debris
With only a week remaining
in the citizens sponsored Kings
Mountain clean-up and beautifi
cation campaign, workers were
speeding up their efforts this
week to enlist citizen cooperation
in using covered gtirbage cans
and cleaning up properties.
Civic club presidents were ap
pealing to citizens via a program
on Radio Station WKMT and the
Junior Woman’s club was pro
moting the sale of 30 gallon
capacity .standard, covered gar
bage cans.
Seventy-five percent of Kings
Mountain property owners are
using the standard, covered gar
bage can and the remaining 25
percent should, Clayvon Kelly, co
chairman of the steering com
mittee in the city’s spring beau
tification campaign told workers
meeting Thursday for a “report”
session.
He cautioned that 30 gallon
cans are too heavy and without
tight lids, dogs can spill the con
tents and he pointed to several
incidents this week.
City ordinance points out that
30-gallon capacity, covered gar
bage cans must be used by citi
zens. Kelly said red markers will
be placed on sub-standard cans
this week.
J. E. (Zip) Rhea and Raleigh
Brown said plans will be made
to hold a clean-up campaign
meeting of interested persons
in the Davidson school area.
(Continued on Page Eight)