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Looking west across Southern RR toward Mountain View Hotel on Railroad Ave. in 1915
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Thursday, March 14,1974
when rr was
By TOM McIntyre
Editor, The Mirror
burned and creased by the wind and sun
of 1870. Their universe was measured in
editorials
Something new
in education
Mules came first
Dull-eyed Stubbornly determined.
ITiere is something new in
education.
It’s something like an old
dream come true.
Remember when you sat in the
classroom with your behind
eating up the seat and your mind
slowly drifting into limbo?
Remember how you wished you
could strangle the guy who in
vented this course or that
course; and never understood
what was so earthshakingly
important about it?
Students today still do that.
But today the student can find
relief. The method is called
Optional School.
Thirty students at Kings
Mountain high are members of
the optional school there. Just
thirty so far, so you can see the
concept isn’t for everyone. Not
even a handful here when you
consider there are 1,200 students
at the high school. Consider also
there is nothing wrong with the
learning capabilities of the
minds of these students For
those with learning handicaps
there are different systems.
We’re talking about students
who cannot cope with nor func
tion within the regular public
educational system.
Until now these individuals
were statistics in a data book.
We called them dropouts.
Under the optional school
concept these individuals now
have a chance to become
respmisible human beings and
contributing citizens.
Ihe cost oi this special and
additional school is great.
But, how about if the students
themselves help defray these
costs? Ihat’s what they are
doing, you know. To enroll in the
optional school the student must
be employed, and that means he
or she must pay taxes and a
portion of those taxes foots the
bill for public education.
Hiirty students out of 1,200.
Seems almost numerically in
significant. To the majority of
people, the ones who did, do and
shall function magnificently
widiin the system, perhaps this
is true. But not to the local thirty
because they will not be listed
numerically nor pigeon-holed
catagorically. They cannot be.
If the optional school continues
to be successful we have hit the
daily double; double winners.
Hie student and society.
Driven from sunup til sundown, day
after day, week after week, month after
month muscles bulging beneath shaggy,
sweat-streaked hides until rivers and
streams, fertile land and forest had
yielded
Men replaced mules.
Men with pick and spade flashing in the
sun, slashing the soil. Men with backs
straining under their labors. Men with
crosscut and hammer.
The builders.
Builders who destroyed as they built
Who destroyed one way of life and
replaced it with another.
The railroad men.
They couldn’t have known. Those
tillers of the land around White Plains
couldn’t have known where it was
leading. Not those men, their gaunt faces
acres, their journeys in circles.
They couldn’t have known that
gleaming steel paralleling to a point in
the distance meant people were on the
way; men who strutted in hard boots,
men with pale eyes that had seen what
lay beyond the forest, beyond the
mountains, who talked of {daces and
things strange to White Plains; and
women. Women whosmelled of pink soap
and wore meetin’ clothes on weekdays.
’They couldn’t have known (Kople were
on the way, carried by a foul-smelling
steel monster as big as a barn that clung
to those ribbons of steel fighter than a
mules to a furrow; a'"}nonster that
shattered peace of mind like a soul
wrenched from living bowels and cast
screaming and kicking into the fires of
hell.
But in the fall of 1872 they knew.
’The Charlotte-Atlanta Airline Railway
(later Southern) was in White Plains
It was a jumping oft [dace.
perspec lives
by jay ashley
doing the backstroke
in a water closet?
I don’t, never haveand never will like to
move.
It’s primitive, backbreaking and ex
tremely neanderthal.
Maybe that’s why I have to do it so
much.
I have been married for almost three
years (yikes!) and since the nuptials I
late night tv (yawn)
It was quite late.
Everyone else was asleep.
1 was wide awake. Having just finished
an interesting novel I wasn’t ready to hit
the sack. Still, it was too late to begin
another novel (I am one of those people
that prefers reading a booking in one
sitting). So, I decided to warm up the
tube.
Consulting the TV Guide I saw where
Johnny Carson was on NBC, one of those
taped in England mystery shows was on
ABC and the CBS offering was a movie,
as was Channel 36s.
The color came on brilliantly and a
green Ed McMahon was saying “ and
heeerrrrreeeee’s Johnny!”
Carson cameon wearing one of his own
name-brand suits, made a remark about
Doc Severinson’s outfit. Doc made an
equally inane comment. Ed laughed.
After Johnny’s unfunny monologue
viewers were asked to stay tuned to see
tliat night’s guests.
“....Ferd Nurd, a man who plays his
arm, Stella Bistarlette, who's latest
picture is the wow of the porno theaters,
and the great Thad Pembrook, in one of
his rare TV appearances...”
I flipped the chaiuiel to ABC in time to
l»ar and see a guy you wouldn’t buy a
used car from telling me to contact some
c-ompany I never heard of if I wanted to
get my invention manufactured and into
tile stores so 1 could become a
millionaire.
I made a note to call the Consumer
Pi otection Agency and again flipped the
diannel, to CBS. Raymond Milton-Hyde,
tliat famous English actor, was emoting
in a scene from the late movie. He was
scaled in a dunky restaurant beside some
artificial flowers when an artificial bee
flew out and stung him savagely on the
eyelid. He was immediately transformed
into a gigantic honeycomb and began
di ipping artificial, but deadly, honey all
mer the maiiie d’l'ictel....
journal
by tom mcintyre
I flipped the channel to 36.
An announcer who sounded like it was
all he could do to keep from throwing up
was telling me how I could become a
truck driver, then the same announcer
(they only have one at 36) wanted me to
rush in my money for some albums or
tapes of those great golden oldies of 1812.
I flipped it back to Johnny Carson.
“....ppphhhhhhhhggggyyyyyyy!” It
was Ferd Nurdand he was playing “On A
Clear Day” on his arm.
Back to ABC.
Melba Scwartz and Stewart Smith-
Anthony were emoting in a scene from
the taped in England mystery.
“You’re such a boor,” Melba was
saying.
“How dreadful of you Agatha,”
Stewart replied.
“You silly boy. Of course Uncle Cedric
removed you from his will.”
“Uncle Cedric never liked me.”
“And with good cause. After all, you
set fire to his wooden leg not once, but
four times.”
“(Chuckle) It was the ftrst time the old
boy had moved that fast in years.”
“Uncle Cedric failed to see the humor
in that vicious act.”
“Now who’s being a boor?”
“Pour me a sherry and do sit down.”
“Only if you promise to speak to Aunt
Myra on my behalf.”
“(Chuckle) Now who's being a boor?”
I decided to try my luck with channel 36
again.
“Hi, this is Chuck Berry and I want to
tell you how you can get the original hits
of the 60s..”
Back to CBS’ late movie.
"My God! Those people! They’ve been
honey-ed to death....!”
Bark to Johnny Carson.
“....well, you certainly are a lovely
girl,” Johmiy was saying to Stella
Bistarlette.
“Thank you, Johnny. So are you.
(Giggle)”
Johnny gives look at audience. “And
now, here’s Ed with a message...”
Flip!
“...Aunt Myra is such a boor...”
Flip!
“...This is Pedro inviting all of my
Gringo friends...”
Flip!
“...Oh, I’ll never be able to get all of
that artificial honey out of my car{)et...”
Flip!
“...what’s your book about, Thad?”
“Two hundred and twelve (>ages.”
Johnny gives look at audience. “And
now, here’s Ed with a message...”
Klip! Flip! Flip! Flip!
Click!
“Yawn, ' I yawned.
have taken my chattel, cartel and
companions with me on three moves.
Chapel Hill, Graham, Gastonia and
Kings Mountain have seen me, Barbara
and fish hurtle in, unload and reside.
Fish??
Yes fish.
Strong healthy fish
In Sept. 1971, while habitating in Cha{)el
Hill, the wife and I visiteda local |>et shop
and purchased two goldfish which we
nani^ Damoti and Pythias. I have
always been strange that way.
Damon stayed with us some time until
finally meeting his fate in the sewer
system of Cha[>el Hill. In other words, I
accidentally {Wured him down the drain
On our last night at The Hill. Don’t ask
how it hap[>ened. You’d never believe
me.
(You know. I’ve always wondered if
Damon is still alive. If he is, somebody is
gonna have a cardiac arrest when they
find a twelve-foot goldfish doing the
backstroke in their commode one night.)
At any rate, Pythias remained un
scathed and travel^ with us to Graham.
The move in that teeny goldfish bowl was
rough so we rewarded him by (lurchasing
a ten-gallon aquarium. He enjoyed his
surroundings so much we bought him two
playmates...molly fish. Not being a
biological genius, I didn’t realize until
later that one was a male and the other a
female and the female just happened to
be greet with child.
Child!!!
Try children!!
Try lots of children!!
Would you believe 36 children??
Momma Jay cared for these little devils
until it came time to move again. This
time to Gastonia.
I took the helm of the U-Haul truck and
Barb took the ’61 VW loaded with the
acquarium full of mollies and Pythias
and off we wait.
The mollies died from the trip.
Pythias laughed.
I don’t think he ever liked those mollies
anyway.
So recently we moved again...this time
to KM and naturally Pythias went along.
As 1 held the acquarium on my lap
during the ride, I reminesced about the
hale and hearty goldfish and the (ilaces
he can tell his grandchildren about. As
the water gaitly splashed in my eyes and
the smell of goldfish permeated the cab
of the truck, I looked to the future for
Pythias. Maybe now he has a permanent
home where he can swim and frolick and
not have to worry about moving again.
He’s not as o(>timistic however.
He still hasn’t un(>ackcd his bags from
Uic Gastonia move!
A few months prior to the com ing of the
railroad CapL Freno Dilling tore his
roots out of the Cherryville clay and
came to this clearing in the wilderness.
In short order his sawmill was humming.
Virgin timber quickly became crossties
for the coming railroad The ca[>tain’s
deep well furnished water to the engines,
later.
And so it began.
The raiiroad, with its facilities for
trans[>orting people and materials,
ignited the spark that heated the forge
from which was shaped the solid foun
dation on which Kings Mountain was
built.
And it was the railroad that brought the
farsighted young men and women to this
settlement. And it was their children and
their grandchildren and great-
^andchildren who found delight in hot
footing it down to the depot to watch the
trains coming and going.
And since all the budding businesses
were centered around the railroad the
defiot was a natural hub of activity. Many
a youngster, and adult for that matter,
idled the hours away sitting in the shade
watching the jaassing parade; the new
faces that were quickly to become
familiar faces; the wagons pulling to the
siding to unload merchandise and
materials; drummers in tight suits
lugging heavy sample cases filled with
modern day miracles of industry.
The railroad
It was modern before its time.
It was fascinating and it was fearsome.
It was a circus; a fourth of July
parade.
And it was sadness. V
In the dead of night it rattled through
and long after the tremor of its passing
was only a memory its whistle-shrill
could be heard echoing across the land-
scaipe like a meloncholy ghost in search
of its mate.
During World Wars one and two the
depot was a launching pad for hundreds
of young men on their way to adventure
and service. Bands played. The older
(leople cheered and remained at home.
And waited.
And sometimes that launching pad to
adventure became the cradle of heart
break. Some of the young men came
home. No bands played. They couldn’t
have heard them if they had.
But the railroad bi'ought other [leople
to Kings Mountain; people who only
came to visit. People Kings Mountians
might never have ever had a chance to
meet otherwise.
People such as Senator Folk of
Missouri, Senator Copland of New York,
Senator George of Georgia, William
Jennings Bryan and President Herbert
Hoover.
These and many more came to Kings
Mountain to help celebrate the an
niversaries of one of the most famous
battles of America’s original fight for
independence.
For more years than not the railroad
was king.
It was.
Automobiles and airplanes dethroned
the king.
Today a train bisecting a community
has become an annoyance, especially if
the community has neither an under nor
overpass. Motorist arrive at their
destinations with teeth on edge after
waiting, waiting, waiting for a train to
clear the crossing.
And the noise is nerveracking when
you are trying to carry on a tele|)hone
conversation.
What do we need with trains today?
We have automobiles. We have air
planes.
We answered our own question
recently. We ran out of gas.
Does that mean the railroad, like a die
hard dictator in exile, is going to make a
comeback? Railroad officials are
skeiXical. Southern, for instance, reports
some increased interest, but the SR of
ficials attribute that strictly to the gas
shortage. They do not see this as a long
term trend by any means.
Passenger revenue constitutes less
than one half of one percent in the
Southern coffers. The railroad long ago
accepted its new role.
Now, Southern, which winds its way
from Washington, D.C. to New Orleans,
is like all of its sister rail systems -
earning the daily tread on freight con
signments.
The railroad has become a beast of
burden.
Like the mules that helped clear the
way through Kings Muuniaiii for that
modern invention more than 100 sum-
n)crs ago.
rv,
idi^logtfe
” What is the best meth(xi for , ^
checking a community’s
pulse? Through an exchange
V^of dialogue. Through a ■
Jc reader’s dialogue within '
“' these columns his or her,;.
i'V point of view will be made
S clear on whatever issue he or i
&she chooses. The Mirror ;:
•;C’values your viewpoint.;,"
>■?.-Address your letters to
Kings Mountain Mirror ;',
■i;; DIALOGUE, P.O. Box 6, ;
Kings Mountain, N.C., 28086. ■■
All letters must be signed ,,
-v and include full address and
phone number. Pens ready? V;
Si Hien begin.
*
Thanks.
To The Editor;
I want to thank you for your reent
articles concerning the crisis in the
Police Department which our city has
just gone through. I think we are through
the crisis now and much of the credit >
must go to you for fair and impartiJ
reporting. The manner in which you have
handled the matters of city government
in the past few months has restored much
of the faith in mass-media which, I
confess, I had lost during the past few
years. The recent interview you
published with the new Chief of Police
was urgently needed and perfectly timed
to give the citizens of Kings Mountain a
[)ositive statement by which we might
receive encouragement. While others in
the communications field were having a
“Heyday” by spreading rumor, giving a
biased view, not including all the facts
a)id even, in some cases, using the
situation for personal advantage, you
seemed to have the welfare of all con- ^
cerned at heart. And I am grateful fqr
that.
I knew the former Police Ch ief as a fine
man whom I believe did a good job while
I have been in the city. 1 also know the
present Chief and have confidence that
the job will be well-filled by him. I have
had personal dealings with many of the
policemen on the force in my capicity as
a Minister, I have found them to be
seriously dedicated men. 1 see no reason
why our police force cannot continue to
be one of the finest in the state.
Your positive attitude in re[)orting and
in editorial comments have been
refreshing. May God help you to continue
to be a force and voice for the good of a II
the citizens of our city. It is good to read a
news|)a[)er that knows the difference
between the news [lage arjd the editorial •
page and doesn’t confuse opinion wifh
foots in news reporting.
I don’t know if your state news
association has an award for good
citizenship or not but I sure do think you
deserve to be recognized for your at
tempts to bring about a more healthy
attitude toward city government in the
minds of all peoples.
We have had good leadership in the
past in our city, we have men whom I
think are serious in their devotion to
making our city a better place to live,
work and worship. The same is true
about the present administration, in my
opinion. If all of us were to rally with the
officials instead of "nit-picking” and
trying to find the mote in their eye, they
would be able to do the task they need
do.
Here is hoping and praying that we will
put all past hurts, grirfs and precon
ceived ideas behind us and that we will
all work together for the good of each
other to the Glory of God. After all, we
still have open elections and the ballot
box is the best place in the world to
protest. Disagreements between the
people and their elected officials are
bound to come, and if we don’t think the
officials are doing their job properly we
have the option of electing some one to
take their position. But it just isn’t fair to
ham-string, pressure, question the
motives of and in general fight all that an
administration trys to do. That isn’t even
sensible besides not being to the best
interests of all the citizens. y •
Lrt’s get on with going on! Let’s all {Juf/
selfish interests behind us and seek the
good of our fellow man.
God bless you in your attempts to
report the news fairly and in your at
titude of unity and progress which you
show in your editorials.
EUGENE W. LAND
Pastor, Second Baptist Church
One Good
Deed Deserves...
To the editor;
One of thethings Girl Scouts are known
for is the good deeds they do, but this
time our troop would like to thaCik
someone for doing a good deed for us.
A carload of Girl Scouts and leaders on
the way from Gastonia to Kings Moun
tain on a recent Saturday had a blowout.
After not being able to obtain help from a
nearby service station (which had no
customers at the time, but said they were
waiting for a pileup of gas business),
Johnny Whetstine of Rt 4, Kings
Mountain, stopped and changed the tire
for us.
Even though this happens often, we are
much appreciative of his “good deed”
and would like to see this good news
printed
f fi
!/
TROOP 70
First Prcshylcriuii t'liiircli,
Ciisliiiiiii
• )