Population
Greater Kings Mountain 21,914
City Limits 8,256
The Greater Kings Mountain figure is derived from the
special United States Bureau of the Census report o
January 1966, and includes the 14.990 population o
Number 4 Township, and the remaining 6,124 Iron
Number 5 Township, in Cleveland County and Crowder*
Mountain Township in Gaston County.
VOL 78 — No. 38
Pag js
Today
PRICE TEN CENTS
Seventy-Eighth Year
MAP OF PROPOSED WATER PROJECT—The city's consulting engineer, W. K. Dickson, of Char
lotte, left, and Mayor John Henry Moss point to the map of the proposed S3 million Kings Moun
tain Buffalo Creek Water Project. Kings Mountain voters will be asked, in early December, to ap
prove the bonds for construction of the project. (Photo by Steve Martin)
Leaders Favor
Bond Referendum
The two dozen business lead
ers and industrialists attending
Monday’s special meeting of the
city commission favor the issu
ance of $3 million in bonds to
build a lake the size of Lake
Lure on Buffalo Creek.
“Is $3 million all?” exclaimed
Tom Tate, Home Savings &
Loan secretary-treasurer. "The
project sounds good”, he added.
L. E. Hinnant, co-chairman
with J. Ollie Harris of the city
industrial committee, said, "We
have no hope for growth with
out water. Water is a must. He
said he and Mr. Harris and their
committee had found this state
ment to be true after confabs
with officials of the state de
partment of conservation and de
velopment.
N. F. McGill, Sr., service sta
tion co-owner, “I’m interested in
water.”
Wilson Griffin, member of the
city planning board: “We thought
we were getting enough water
for a long time. We’ve grown in
to another shortage.”
Grady Howard, hospital ad
ministrator; "I’m very much in
favor. Can we last long enough
to get it built.”
Bob Lowe, Craftspun Yarns
general manager: “Craftspun is
the city’s largest user of water.
We’re in favor. We’ve got to
have water.”
James E. Amos, comptroller of
Massachusetts Mohair Company’s
Neisler division: “We’re vitally
interested.” “Our industry is im
portant to Kings Mountain and
Kings Mountain to us. Margrace
numhers 680 employees from this
area.”
Hal S. Plonk, businessman:
“Everybody knows we need wa
ter."
James Herndon, member of
the board of education: “I am in
favor." He questioned the water
rates, commented, "I know our
rates are lower in comparison
with other cities.”
Dick McGinnis, furniture deal
er; “I'm glad to see progress
being made on this project. I
hope they can materialize.”
J. C. Bridges and Glee E. Brid
ges, hardwareman, “Let’s proceed
with the project. We surely need
(Continued On Page Six)
CITIZENS GROUP AT COMMISSION MEETING—Mayor Moss (standing) from left* Public Works
Supt. Grady Yelton, Commissioner Ray Cline, Commissioner T. Ellison, Commissioner O. O. Walker,
Commissioner Norman King and City Clerk Joe McDaniel are photographed at Monday’s special
meeting of the city commission. Business and industrial leaders were photographed in the court
room- (Steve Martin Photo)
Bites Thursday
Tor Veteran
Practitioner
Funeral rites for Dr. James
Edward Anthony, 80, Kings
Mountain senior medical doctor,
will be held Thursday morning
at 11 from Boyce Memorial ARP
church of which he was a mem
ber.
Dr. Anthony died Tuesday
night at 7:30 in the Kings Moun
tain hospital where he had been
seriously ill for several weeks.
The veteran practitioner who
tame to Kings Mountain to prac
‘tice medicine at age 24, was a
native of Gaston County, son of
the late William Dixon and Mar
garet Whitesides Anthony. He
was a graduate of Erskine col
lege and the University of Ten
nessee Medical School.
For the past several years Dr.
Anthony had done limited gen
eral practice, for reasons of
health not accepting outside or
night calls. He retired April 13th
of this year after 56 years as a
practicing physician.
He became a member of the
North Carolina State Medical
Society 50 year club in 1961 and
was honored by the society and
presented a 50-year pin. He was
also a member of the Cleveland
County Medical Society, the, Am
erican Medical Society and the
Southern Railway Surgeon’s As
(Continued On Page Six)
Wayne Gregory
Is Wounded
Marine Cpl. Wayne Thomas
Gregory, Kings Mountain man
stationed in Vietnam the past
five months, was wounded in ac
tion September 12th.
A telegram to his mother, Mrs.
Margaret Thomas, of 211 West
Mountain street, from General
Wallace M. Greese, Jr., USMC
commandant of the Marine Corps,
read:
“Cpl. Gregory Wayne Thomas
was injured September 12, 1967
in the vicinity of Quang Tis, Re
public of Vietnam. Corporal Tho
mas received fragmentation
wounds to the right calf and
right side of his chest from a
hostile explosive device while on
ttn operation. His condition and
{prognosis were good.”
Mrs. Thomas said yesterday
she had had no further word
from her son.
Cpl. Gregory joined the Marine
Corps in June 1966 shortly after
graduating from Kings Mountain
high school. Before reporting to
Vietnam he was stationed at
Parris Island, S. G
RITES TODAY — Funeral rites
far Dr. J. E. Anthony, 80, will
be held Thursday at 11 a.m.
from Boyce Memorial ARP
church.
Two Buildings
Being Based
Razing of the old Division
school building and the aged
wooden portion of the Compact
elementary school is underway.
Supt. Donald Jones, reporting
on the two projects at Monday
night’s board of education meet
ing, said razing of the Compact
building would provide badly
needed playground area for
Compact. Starr and Borders are
razing the building in return for
the materials salvaged. Grading
of the play ground area will cost
about $100.
Packard Elliott of Shelby was
awarded contract for the- razing
of the Davidson building, begun
Monday. Mr. Jones said several
groups had expressed interest in
purchasing the land.
Gamble Stadium
Dedication Set
September 29
John Gamble Memorial Sta
dium will be formally dedicated
in half-time ceremonies Septem
ber 29th in the first home game
this season between the Kings
Mountain Mountaineers and East
Rutherfordton.
The stadium will be officially
presented with school officials
taking part in brief ceremonies.
The 4,000 seat stadium was
built via funds from public sub
scription and adjoins the new
high school plant on Phifer road.
The stadium is dedicated in
memory of the late football
coach, John H. Gamble, who was
felled at an early age by multiple
sclerois.
Mis. Northcutt's
Rites Thursday
Mrs. Marie Moss Northcutt,
72, died Wednesday morning at
Broughton Memorial hospital at
7 a.m. following illness of sev
eral years.
A native of Kings Mountain,
Mrs. Northcutt was a daughter
of the late Henry and Mildred
Allison Moss.
She was a member of First
Presbyterian church.
Surviving are three sisters,
Mrs. P. M. Neisier, Sr., Mrs. E.
A. Smith and Mrs. Frank L.
Hoyle, Jr., all of Kings Moun
tain; a brother, George W. Moss,
of Kings Mountain; and three
grandchildren.
Funeral rites will be held
Thursday at 4 P'.m. from Harris
Funeral Home. Dr. Paul Ausley
will officiate and interment will
be in Mountain Rest cemetery.
KM Mall, Inc.
Seeks Option
On Eight Tracts
Mountain MaiL.I.x#:.... tm
feeding with its plans for a mall
in downtown Kings Mountain
with a 400 car capacity parking
lot, is attempting to acquire op
tions on eight pieces of land
which lie within the proposed
mall area.
Corporation President, Paul
McGinnis, says that the land
owners will be contacted this
week about signing the options.
Total value of the sections of
land is $139,000 and is owned
by seven persons or firms. If the
land is aquired the mall will be
located along Cherokee Street
between Mountain and Gold
Streets.
The following persons or firms
own the sections of land: Phifer
Hardware, a small warehouse;
C. E. Cash, a small warehouses;
Mrs. Vera M. Cooper, a building
now occupied by Vera’s Beauty
Shop; D. R. Hamrick, a section
including two buildings occupied
by Saunders Dry Cleaning and
Stowe’s TV Repair Shop; Ham
rick is also the owner of two va
cant lots; Bridges’ Hardware, a
warehouse and Bonnie Cotton
Mills, a lot which is a part of
the meter parking lot.
Also, on the east side of Cher
okee Street, W. S. Fulton owns
a piece of property extending
from Cherokee to Piedmont, in
cluding the Bonnie Cotton Mill
office and a residential front on
Cherokee Street.
According to Mr. McGinnis,
aproximately 85 per cent of the
land owners who know about the
mall have joined the corpora
tion and purchased stock.
Also, the plans for the mall
include improvement in appear
ance of the rear entrances to the
buildings on the front of the
mall.
TO CHAPEL HILL
Kenneth Shernll Spears, son
of Mrs. Goldman Spears and
the late Mr. Spears, has enroll
ed in the Graduate School of
UNC at Chapel Hill. Spears
was formerly associated with
■a New York City publishing
house.
Three Days Remain Of Fair
Mrs. Myers Wins
Three Fair Prizes
Mrs. Philip Myers won three
prizes at the Cleveland County
Fair this week.
The Kings Mountain woman
copped a blue ribbon in the
antiques department for a
French bedwarmer she brought
home with her from France.
In the flower division she
won a third place award for
a begonia and in the crafts di
vision flower-carved vases made
from World War 1 ammunition
•hells.
The annual Cleveland County
Fair continues through Satur
day with a varied program of en
tertainment, rides, exhibits and
shows, marking the 4-lth anni
versary of the nation’s greatest
county fair.
One of the new attractions at
this year’s fair is the log cabin
which has been reconstructed on 1
the fairgrounds as a dedication
to the memories of Cleveland
County. The cabin, which has
been furnished with items similar
to those used over 100 years ago,
is surrounded by a lighted fence,
(Continued On Page Six)
Masters' Pony
Wins Fair Prize
Baby Doll, a pony owned by
young John Masters, placed
fourth in the Cleveland County
Fair pony races Tuesday.
Young Masters was accom
panied by his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Bennett Masters.
Eight-year-old John Masters
is a third grader at Bethware
school.
$325,000 School Addition,
Renovations Are Approved
Tazget Date
For Completion
Next September
By ELIZABETH STEWART
A 12-room addition to North
school and extensive renovation
of 'Bethware and Grover schools
estimated to cost $325,000 was
approved Monday night by the
city board of education, as Supt.
Donald Jones was authorized to
employ an architect.
Target date for completion of
the project, which also includes
expansion of the North school
cafeteria and library, is Septem
ber 1, 1968.
In addition, board members,
visualize future construction of
a new elementary school to be
located possibly in the high
school area of Phifer road.
The proposed projects are in
line with recommendation in the
recent school survey report of
Kings Mountain district schools
conducted by the Division of
School Planning of the N. C. De
partment of Public Instruction.
To the question, how will the
projects be financed? Supt. Jones
told board members a bond issue
will not be necessary. He says
the projects can be financed with
Kings Mountain’s pro rata share
--$374,557.97 of the state-wide
$100 million bond issue approved
in 1963, provided the plans are
approved by the Division of
School Planning.
Jones told the board addition
al capital outlay funds and cur
rent expense monies in the
amount of $400,000 are available
to finance the proposed new ele
mentary school.
The North school addition on I
Ramseur street would eliminate!
the overload in the school system,
(Continued On Page 8ixJ
Tuesday Holiday *
For School Pupils
Tuesday will be a holiday for
all school pupils with exception
of Davidson and Compact schools.
The 45th annual meeting of the
Southwest district North Carolina
Education Association will be
held at Hunter Huss high school'
in Gastonia.
At Davidson and Compact holi-j
days will come later when the
North Carolina Teacher’s asso
ciation holds its annual meeting.
CLEANUP DAT
Church Clean-Up Day wiM be
Saturday afternoon at 2 p.m.
at Grace Methodist church, ac
cording to announcement by
Rev. Dixon Adams, pastor.
WINS FELLOWSHIP — Huston
Huffman of Kings Mountain
has won a S3,600 fellowship an
nually for two years at the In
stitute of Textile Technology in
Charlottesville, Va.
Rat Control Project
In Full Swing
Kings Mountain’s rat control
project is in full swing.
“The rat boxes are working",
reports Public Works Supt. Grady
Yelton. Mr. Yelton said 27 boxes
have been placed in ratdnfested
areas of the city, and that more
will be available.
LUTHERAN TOPIC
Rev. Charles Easley’s sermon
topic at the Sunday morning
worship hour at Si. Natthew’s
Lutheran church will be “Cross
the Heart of Christianity Now.’’
He will continue the overall
theme, “Reformation Talks -
With Luther’s Grandchildren.” I
School Survey
Is Discussed
At Length
One-by-one the city board of
education Monday night dis
cussed the lengthy survey re
port on the 10 schools of the dis
trict system conducted by the Di
vision of School Planning of the
State Department of Public In
struction.
A related story in today’s Her
ald reports the protects approved
Monday night by the board for
major school improvements were
recommended by the state plan
ning team.
other recommendations the lo
cal board discussed at length.
Recommendation that the board
continue to study to determine
the feasibility of consolidating
with the county school system
brought these comments:
Supt. Jones “I am not saying
that someday we shouldn’t do
this. We should certainly reeval
uate this as we go along. Any
time ewe feel we can do some
thing for a more effective school
system, we should do.”
James E. Herndon, Jr., T think
we should point out to our friends
in Shelby that everything outlin
ed here is the same initially as
requested by the county system
two years ago. Their plan would
be no change in this district
whatsoever. We would lose 'a lo
cal school board and a superin
tendent. The administration would
be merged.”
George H. Mauney, ‘‘The treas
ury would be merged.”
Mr. Herndon, I feel it’s some
thing long away, if to come at
(Continued On Page Six)
Baby-Sitter lones Turns Gorilla
Sitter When Ape Escapes At Fair
By ELIZABETH STEWART
Bob Jones, of Forest City, state
vice-president of the Jaycees, was
tardy for the Kings Mountain
Jayeee meeting Tuesday night.
He had good reason.
Jones and his family were
baby-sitters this week for a va
cationing friend’s children —and
their baby gorilla.
The 100-pound baby gorilla, ap
pearing in the wildlife exhibit of
the Cleveland County Fair this
week, left his cage Tuesday aft
ernoon for a walk over the mid
way.
He was returned to his cage
after about an hour and what
Jones described as a harried
chase which resulted in minor
bites to Jones.
Dr. T. G. Westmoreland, a
veterinarian, administered trail
quilizers injected by needle to the
aple and tranquilizer candy in an
effort to subdue him and a dep
uty sheriff, Jim McKinney, offer
ed a new law enforcement weap
on, a chemical mace in an aero
sol can that’s supposed to take
all the fight out of “a person.”
After the gorilla was finally re
turned to his cage, Dr. Westmore
land treated Jones’ wounds and
Jones came to Kings Mountain to
present the program on “Parlia
mentary Procedure” for Jaycees.
He also visited a doctor here
for a tetanus shot.
A local Jaycee, in reporting
the program, said, "We kept
waiting for the punch line. Bob
told us he had to stop by the,
fair to check on a gorilla before
he came to the meeting andj
might be a few minutes late.” I
Commission Asks
$3 Million
Watez Bonds
Reiezendum
Kings Mountain citizens will
be asked in early December to
approve a $3 million bond issue
which would finance the cost of
Kings Mountain’s Buffalo Creek
Water Project.
The city board of commission
ers, acting Monday to avert a
chronic water shortage, voted to
submit an application to the
Local Government Commission
for the issuance of the bonds.
Legal machinery for the bond
vote was set in motion yesterday
as State Senator Jack White,
city attorney, twas contacting
bonding attorneys. The North
Carolina Local Government Com
mission must approve the bond
proposal before it is presented to
voters, and Mayor John Moss be
lieves it will be approved. Mon
day the mayor, City Engineer W.
K. Dickson and City Clerk Joe
McDaniel presented the commis
sion with auditing, engineerinig
Water Editorial and Picture P-2
and planning reports to receive
the preliminary nod from the
executive secretary to the com
mission, W. E. Easterling.
The planning and engineering
studies are complete and have
been approved by the U. S. De
partment of Urban Development.
Mayor Moss said the department
is now reviewing financial as
pects of the program.
Mayor Moss said no increase
in taxes will be necessary and
that the 30-year bonds would be
retired by general revenue funds.
He said water rates would be
increased but would still be on
a level with Shelby and other
neighboring towns that have new
water and sewer facilities. Moss
noted that present water rates
are below those of other towns
in the area.
In recommending the bond ref
erendum Monday, Mayor Moss
said “This lake will provide an
adequate water supply at all
times, a water supply which will
(Continued On Page Six)
Board Advertising
Property Sale
For Sale: Miscellaneous and
assorted items of school furni
ture and desks salvaged from
old Davidson school building.
The board of education is ad
vertising for sale this week sev
eral pieces of home economics
and shop equipment which Supt.
Don Jones reported is not need
ed and have housed the equip
ment at Bethware school shop
building.
The board is also advertising
for sale at public auction on Oc
tober 14th 6,230 feet of land be
yond North school, property
bounded by the Gordon Beatty
and Ben Bridges Estate proper
ties.
"We see no future need for this
property”, said the school super
intendent.