IN
OUR
OPINION
A look back
at an old
KM paper
Margaret i
Ledford
recently
brought by
some Xerox
copies of arti-
cles that
appeared in
the Progressive
Reformer on
April 23, 1896.
The Editor
Progressive
Reformer was
published weekly in Kings
Mountain by H.P. Allison, who
according to an ad in the paper
was a Justice of the Peace who
“gives prompt attention to all
business entrusted to his
care...including drawing deeds,
mortgages, contracts, etc., and
collecting notes and accourits.”
The front page of the paper
stated that the issue was volume
XIV indicating, if volume num-
bers at that time represented the
same as they do today, that the
paper was in its 14th year of
existence. That would place it
being organized in 1882 - seven
years prior to the start of the
Kings Mountain Herald which
was born in 1889.
The paper included a lot of
information on elections, land
transactions and social items
from as far away as Chester, SC
and Maiden, NC. Many of the
articles were not legible, but
parts of some of them were and
were very interesting, as were
the few advertisements.
In addition to Allison's Justice
of the Peace ad, there were two
ads for livery stables and one for
the new City Barber Shop which
was located at R.R. Howser’s
Restaurant Store. J. Wingate.
Gary Stewart
was the barber. ° yar
J.B. Duncan’s tie stable i
ffered feed stock “at all times,”
animals for sale and animals to
“convey you to any point in first
class style and on fast time.”
M.L. Plonk and Co.’s livery
stable said “this courteous and
well known livery man will
meet all trains and see that your
wants in his line are supplied,
and that you are put in the
hands of careful and polite driv-
ers,” and that “new and easy
vehicles drawn by fresh, fleet
horses can be furnished on call.”
Another ad noted that E.P.
Davis, jeweler, had located in
Kings Mountain “for the pur-
pose of repairing watches, clocks
and jewelry, and solicits the
patronage of our own communi-
ty.” His business was located in
the Lugg Building next door to
Cansler and Rhyne. All of his
work was guaranteed for 12
months.
A new section entitled “In the
Mills” noted that the Crowders
Mountain Mill near Kings
Mountain was putting in a new
engine of 125 horsepower as a
reserve power, and that Kings
Mountain Manufacturing was
digging a cistern which was to
See Gary, 5A
LOOKING BACK
Kings Mountain police officers were sporting new uniforms in this picture from the 1952 Herald files. The officers are, left to right,
Chief S.R. “Pop” Davidson, Ed Martin, W.P. Shytle, P.A. Hawkins, Rhea Barber, Warren Ellison, W.E. Stroup, Paul Sanders, Ben
A flu shot will
Sessoms and Clarence E. Carpenter.
District representation
could help heal some
old wounds in county
The latest regular meeting of the Cleveland
County Board of Commissioners saw the dis-
trict representation issue creep closer to its own
fruition or death.
A committee has been named and will be
charged with first finding out if the county
wants it.
The issue is whether residents want to change the method
Stef Writer
.used to elect commissioners.
. Currently it’s an at-large method thatrmesthy put. REARS on
the board from one or two parts of the county.
A system based on districts would allow more representation
from the more rural sections of Cleveland County.
A little over ten years ago, the same issue came up, went
through the state legislature and died because of no action.
A widespread unofficial reason was because two of the com-
missioners at the time would have to run against each other.
The fact that the committee has even been given life by the
commissioners has been a huge step toward healing the deep
divisions made by the school merger issue.
A huge step, yes, but not the conclusion as division can’t be
totally wiped out.
But it’s a good start.
Other observations and ramblings:
e Creating a long hiking and biking trail, which could go from
the Catawba River to the Blue Ridge Mountains is an idea which
was the topic of a meeting last week in Kings Mountain. One of
the pieces to that puzzle would definitely be Kings Mountain
which is trying to market itself as a gateway to the three parks
near the city. The meeting will be the first step in trying to get
different trail and other environmental efforts coordinated.
* Looks like the greatest soap opera since Cleveland County’s
school merger issue has taken another twist. Black
Entertainment Television Founder Robert Johnson said he would
like to buy the Charlotte Hornets. But he was apparently turned
down by owner George Shinn.
* Regardless of what the Hornets do, basketball was still at
the hive last week with the men’s Atlantic Coast Conference
Tournament. One of the factors in tournaments picking a place is
the seating capacity of the new arena. Oddly enough, the new
arena plan in Charlotte would call for less seating. ACC
Basketball has been here for more than 50 years, and will contin-
ue to prosper in the state regardless of what happens with a pro-
fessional franchise. I don’t remember combing through articles
See Ben, 5A
Ben Ledbetter r
The Kings Mountain Herald
definitely be in
order next year
As many of you fellow-sufferers out there
will agree, there is nothing worse than being
sick with the flu.
About a week ago I was sitting at home minding my own
business when the flu-bug came calling. At first I noticed a sort
of odd tickle in; my eslopagus near the epiglockinspiel, sort of
like a little feather was in there. In about 15 minutes the tickle
got worse. Within an hour I was stretched out on the sofa, cov-
ered with two wool blankets and shaking like a leaf. Thus began
what has been a very long seven days of generally feeling
like...well, awful.
The type of flu that has been going around this year is particu-
larly vile. After a few hours of alternately trembling like a wet
Chihuahua and roasting as if in the very fires of Hades, the next
stage in this flu is the onset of a splitting headache. Say, do you
recall those aspirin commercials from many years ago when
folks would try to describe how their headaches felt- “like two
bull goats a hittin,” one guy said. Well, my skull felt just like I
had been slammed upside the noggin with a sheet iron frying
pan.
Besides the headache, fever, and chills, another symptom of
the current influenza is an aching body. I dragged myself to the
doctor and was first seen by a little boy who told me he was a
medical student. The lad asked me where it hurt. All over
quothe I. Well, where do you mean? All over my body. What
part of your body? From the tips of my toenails to the ends of
each strand of hair. Sheesh!
Actually the bodily aches and pains make you feel as if you
have been dragged down a long stretch of poorly maintained
railroad track. After that, you may perhaps feel as if you have
been stomped by a large, yellow mule or tossed out of a rapidly
speeding car onto the roadbed.
Another phase in my brand of flu is perhaps the worst of all.
This is the most nagging, persistent, wicked, gut-wretching
cough you can imagine.
The coughing spells start out slowly, then increase in tempo,
frequency and volume until you are practically screaming out
baw-haw-haw with all your might. All the while your eyes are
See Alan, 5A
Alan fh Hodge,
Guest Column
Thursday, March 14, 2002
Editor: Gary Stewart ¢ 739-7496
YOUR VIEW
New high
school in
works in ‘63
Excerpts from the Thursday,
March 14, 1963 edition of the
Kings Mountain Herald:
- Architects for the new Kings
Mountain district high school
have informed school officials
they expect to show them pre-
liminary plans for the new plan
at Monday night's
board of education, Supt. B.N.
Barnes said Wednesday. Supt.
Barnes conferred with the archi-
tects on Monday, on Tuesday vis-
ited Rutherford County’s new
East High School in an effort to
get additional information on
desirable room sizes and other
data.
- Though legislation is yet to
_ be introduced, there is a strong
likelihood that North Carolina
_ citizens may get the opportunity
to approve or disapprove a $100
million state bond issue for local
school construction. That is the
opinion of B.N. Barnes, Kings
Mountain superintendent of
schools, following a two-day
. meeting in Raleigh as
Southwestern NCEA district
member of the state schools’
superintendents policy commit-
: tee.
- Mayor Kelly Dixon is seeking
re-election to a second term. The
mayor filed his candidacy and
. paid the filing fee Wednesday
Morning.
- Harry Jaynes, Kings
. Mountain High School principal,
has been elected vice-president
of the Southwestern district of
the North'Carolina' Educational
} Assoeiationoils 916 Jlisq ls Hen
- Corbett Nichdlson;, former
city gas superintendent, has been
re-elected captain of the
Cleveland County Life Saving
and Rescue Squad.
- The Kings Mountain Junior
~ Woman's Club has made a dona-
tion of $150 on a new heart
© machine, a defibrillator, for
Kings Mountain Hospital.
Hospital Administrator Grady
Howard said the machine is
designed to treat cardiac stand
stills and ventrical fibrillation
simultaneously, both internal
and external.
- Contributions to the Kings
. Mountain Heart Fund increased
to $2,728 this week, Chairman
- L.E. “Josh” Hinnant reported.
~ Mr. Hinnant said additional
_ pledges of donations are in hand
and he hopes to the final report
will show a total of at least
~ $3,000.
- Directors of the Kings
Mountain Chamber of
Commerce have initiated plans
to expand broadly the scope and
work of the organization.
Specifically, the Chamber of
Commerce Board adopted plans
to raise a $10,000 annual budget,
to set up an office, and to
employ an executive secretary.
meeting of the
a
SIDEWALK
SURVEY
BY BEN LEDBETTER
THE HERALD
i
ation?
What did you think about
the Georgia crematory situ-
Pretty bad. | just can’t see | think that the man should
people doing it to other peo- be held accountable for
ple every single person, every
“Bones” Mitchell single family that he did
Lincolnton that to.
Shane Burton
Kings Mountain
If what | heard is true, it's
really lame.
| think the man had a men-
tal thing because it would
be a whole lot easier to
cremate the people
instead of burying the bod-
ies.
Barry Faile
Kings Mountain
Junior Pryor
Kings Mountain
Got a question you'd like to submit to Sidewalk Survey? Send your question by mail to us here at The Herald. If we use your question, we'll give you the credit.
It's sick. It doesn’t make
any sense.
Lucinda Williams
Kings Mountain
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