The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, December 19, 1968, Image 1
WEATHER
(Week of Dec. 12-17)
Hitfh: 67 Low: 18
(Dec. 13) (Dec. 15-16)
Rainfall: .03 in.
(Dec. 14)
%\)t Clinton Chronicle
Vol. 70 — No. 50 Clinton, S. C., Thursday, December 19, 1968
INDEX
Classified (>
Deaths N
Editorials 10
Hospital New^ x
Society 2
Sports 7
GINGER CROCKER AND COLLIE LEKN
... In Scene From 1967 Pageant
(Photo By William M. Shields)
Annual Christmas Pageant
The young people of the First
Presbyterian Church will again
reenact the ever-new Christmas
story in colorful pageantry for
four nights before Christmas.
Under the direction of Dick
Swetenburg, a rustic stable to
house the “holy family”, and a
twenty foot high scafolding for the
angelic choir will lie construct
ed.
Special lighting for the entire
scene will be installed by Tarry
Bolick and Marion I lers. The
abundant greenery for the entire
scene is again provided by Death
Copeland. The costuming for all
the 20 to 30 participants in the
pageant is under the direction of
Mrs. Thomas Dollis. Mrs.Callie
Gault will supervise the make
up department.
The Saturday nightperfnrm-
ance from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. under
the direction of Billy Glenn and
Mrs. Tony Benson, will lie pre
sented by the young people in the
Junior high Youth Fellowship.
Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday
evenings the Senior high Youth
Fellowship will provide the
actors for the entire production,
and will work under the direct
ion of Mr. and Mrs. Roy Benja
min.
Ttie hours for the perform
ances will vary each evening:
Sunday it will begin at 6:00 and
continue until 8:00; on Monday it
will begin at 7:00 and continue
till 9:00; and on Tuesday, Christ
mas Eve, the pageant will begin
at 6:00 and conclude just liefore
8:00 when the annual Christmas
Eve Candle Light Service begins
in the Sanctuary. The animals
used in the scene are provided i
by Ernest Patterson and James
Addison.
This annual event is one of the i
high points in the activitiesofthe
young people of the First Presby-;
terian Church.
Local Churches Plan
Christmas Programs Sunday
First Baptist
The Junior Youth Choir and
Adult Choir will present the
Christmas cantata The Radiant
Christ”, by Noble Cain, at the
Sunday morning service, Dec.
22, at First Baptist Church.
On Tuesday evening, Dec. 24,
a program of Christmas carols
and Scripture lesson will be led
by Bruce Galloway. The 7:30
p.m. service on Tuesday will
take the place of the regular
Wednesday evening prayer ser
vice.
The public is invited to all
services at the church.
1st Presbyterian
The Adult Choir of the First
Presbyterian Church in Clinton
will present a cantata, “Rejoice,
Earth and 1 eaven,' by Dietrich
Buxtehude this Sunday morning at
the 11 o’clock worship service.
Buxtehude is an important sev
enteenth-century composer
whose works were greatly ad
mired by Johann Sebastian Back.
A Chamber orchestra and organ
will accompany the twenty-one
voice choir.
The prelude will be a 1 andel
sonata for violins and organ. Two
Bach chorales arranged for
trumpets and organ will be heard
for the postlude.
Violinists will be Mrs. Oliver
Webber and Mrs. James Phillips
of Spartanburg; cellist is Mr.
I ans Schmettau of Spartanburg;
trumpetists will be Mr. Thomas
Bishop, Spartanburg and Mr. Ro
bert Powell, Clinton; timpanist
will be Mr. James Adair, Clinton.
Organist-director is Mr. Charles
T. Gaines.
CAROL, Cl'APEL Cl OIRS
The Carol and Chapel Choirs
of the First Presbyterian Church
will present “Lo, a Star" by Ro
bert Graham, a Christmas Can
tata for children’s voicesonSun-
day, December 22nd at 5 p.m.
The public is invited.
Joanna Chruch
Presents Cantata
Sunday Evening
The cantata “The Manger King"
will be presented by the adult
choir of Joanna Baptist Church
Sunday, Dec. 22.
The program will start at 6:30
p.m.
It will feature solos, duets,
quartets, women’s and men’s
choruses from the 20-voice
church choir. The adult choir is
directed by Harry Bouknightwith
Mrs. Carson Nabors at the piano.
The score is based in part on
familiar Christmas carols and
hymns.
Christmas Eve
Service Slated
The annual Christmas Eve ser
vice at the First Presbyterian
Church willbe heldTuesday, Dec.
24, at 8 p.m. in the church sanc
tuary.
A service of lessons and carols
has been arranged.
Following a candlelight pro
cession by the four choirs of
the church, Mr. Alfred L. Bix-
ler, minister, will lead the con
gregation in prayers and then will
read selected scripture pas sages
pertaining to the Christmas
story. During the service, the
Carol, Chapel, Youth, and Adult
Choirs will sing Christmas mu
sic, and the congregation will
join in the singing of carols.
Following the “FallelujahCho
rus" from Messiah, the congre
gation will participate in the tra
ditional Service of Lights, a beau
tiful service during which every
one present lights his candle, and
holds it high while singing “Si
lent Night". Miss Nancy Jones
will be the flutist on one anthem.
Music by the Adult Choir has
been selected from Handel’s
“Messiah.”
Mrs. Gloria Wysor is director
of the Carol and Chapel Choirs.
Mr. Charles T. Gaines isOrgan-
ist and director of the Youth and
Adult Choirs.
The public is invited to attend
the service.
Mayor: City Can Afford
Proposed New City Hall
Azalea Dept.,
House Gutted
By Blaze
The furniture pmductiun de
partment uf Azalea Mobile Homes
and a nearby frame house suf
fered extensive damage Tuesday,
Dec. 10, in a wind-swept fire of
unknown origin.
The fire was reported about 2
p.m. It gutted the furniture pro
duction building and the rear por
tion fell in. The front part of the
building was saved.
Wind apparently swept the
flames onto a residential build
ing nearby and it was described
as a total loss, according to a
spokesman for the Clinton Fire
Department.
Two trucks from the Clinton
volunteer department answered
the calls. The first truck was
engaged m fighting the fire at
Azalea Mobile Domes on South
Livingston Street when the near
by house also caught fire. The
second truck was called to fight
the house fire but efforts were
unsuccessful
None of the other buildings at
the mobile home plant were dam
aged, according to the Fire De
partment spokesman.
One of the trucks was on stand
by at the scene until about 6 p.m.
Courthouse Closes
The offices in the Laurens
County Courthouse will be closed
Dec. 24 - 25 - 26 for the Christmas
holidays.
Clinton Mayor Harry Layton
told Clinton Rotarians Tuesday
that the city can easily afford
the proposed new city hall with
out an increase in property taxes.
Discuss ng the $500,000 pro
ject planned for a lot owned by
the city on North Broad Street,
Layton said the city already has
approximately half f the neces
sary funds, accumulated in a
building fund over the years from
the city's share of revenue from
the Clinton-Newberry Natural
Gas Authority.
He said council proposes to
have a general obligation bond
issue of about $250,000 to fi
nance the remainder of the pro
ject. Layton said these bonds
could be retired from revenue
from the Gas authority.
The mayor said, "We could
retire them m five years, with
ease. However, our current plans
are to market the bonds for a 10-
year issue, with a provision that
they can be called, without pre
mium, at any time within 10
years.
He said, "We won't have to use
all of the city 's revenue from the
Gas Authority to retire these
bonds. We have been putting the
full amount into the building fund
but in the future, that won't be
necessary.'
City Clerk and Treasurer
Brooks Owens explained, Last
year, we received $117,000 from
the Gas Authority. We expect
those revenues to remain stable
or increase. The revenue could
approach $120,000 or $130,000
within the next year or so. Un
less there's some major catas
trophe, we should be able to ap
ply $30,000 to $40,000 of this
revenue toward other needed pro
jects, in addition to the city hall
financing.
,. - . ■■vr ... ...
Owens also explained that the
city would receive a more fa
vorable interest rate on 10-year
1 bonds than it would on bonds of
\ shorter duration.
■ Owens said that over$16,000 in
Hospital Rate
' Increase Set
\ Effective Jan. 1, there will be
! a $2 per day increase in the room
‘daily service charge at Bailey
jMemorial Hospital
The hospital's board of trus
tees took the action at a recent
meeting. The increase will mean
that semi-private rooms will
range from $21 to $26 and pri
vate rooms will be $31 to $32.
Hospital Administrator Fred
Crawford said, “Even with the in
crease, we Ye still in line with
other area hospitals. This in
crease was necessary to meet
the increased cost of operation.
The minimum wage goes up again
in February, from $1.15 an hour
to $1.30 and the cost ofevery-
thing else also keeps creeping
upward.''
architects fees already have
been paid. He said the city has
a total of $220,907.40 in its
building fund. He also said that
after the first of February, the
city will have a general bonded
endebtedness f about $54,000.
lie said, "1 don t know of but
two other towns n South Caro
lina that have a general obliga
tion debt that D w.
Discussing the need for ttie
building, Owens pointed out that
the state is tightening down -n
requirements Dr jail facilities.
He said, “Our jad was approved
on its last inspection but itdidn t
pass with flying colors. And the
day may not be far off when we
will not be allowed to operate
with a volunteer fire department
any longer. After a town reaches
a certam size, this affects n-
surance rates.
Mayor Layton said, "Clinton
has an excellent image through
out the state. This proposed
building is in keeping with that
image. It s colonial style, in
keeping with the architecture at
Presbyterian College, some
buildings at Thornwell and at
Whitten Village.
The bond issue would have to
be approved m a municipal re
ferendum. A majority of the free
holders (property owners) in the
city limits must sign a petition
requesting the referendum. All
registered voters residingwithin
the city limits will be eligible
to vote in the referendum.
MAYOR LAYTON
Fireworks Must Carry
State's Approval Mark
Only fireworks labeled “Com
mon Fireworks' arepermissable
in South Carolina, Laurens
County Sheriff Eugene Johnson
said this week.
He said his deputies are check
ing fireworks stands in the county
in an effort to eliminate any con
traband fireworks.
The 1962 S.C. Code of Laws
spells out the law pertaining to
fireworks, listing the explosive
power allowable in various types
of fireworks.
Concerning firecrackers, the
law says the external dimen
sions must not exceed one
and one-half inches in length and
one-quarter inch in diameter and
may not exceed two grams each
in weight.
Permissible fireworks must be
certified as “Common Fire
works” on all shipping cases and
by printing on the fireworks.
It is unlawful
(1) To offer for sale or to
sell permissible fireworks to
children under the age of 14 years
unless accompanied by a parent;
(2) To explode or ignite fire
works within 600 feet of any
church, hospital, asylum or pub
lic school;
(2) To explode or ignite fire
works within 75 feet of where
fireworks are stored, sold or
offered for sale;
(4) To ignite or discharge any
permissible fireworks within or
throw the same from any motor
vehicle; and
(5) To place or throw any ig
nited fireworks into or at any
motor vehicle.
Clinton Lions
To Host Rally
PC Holidays
Begin Friday
Christmas holidays for Pres
byterian College students are
scheduled to begin officially this
Friday, after the final examina
tion of the fall semester.
The 25-day vacation period will
end next January 13. That day,
students will complete registra
tion for the second semester of
the 1968-69 session and will be
ready for the regular class
schedule to start the next day.
Classwork then will continue un
interrupted until the spring holi
days, set for March 7-17.
Lions Clubs of District 32-A
Lions International will hold their
Third Annual Mid-Winter Rally at
Presbyterian College in Clinton
on Saturday, January 18, 1969.
Approximately 500 Lions and
their ladies from over the Dis
trict are expected to attend.
International Director James
D. Foster of Falls River, Wis-
Chronide To Publish
Early Next Week
The Chronicle will be published for distribution
on Tuesday, Chnstmas Eve, next week.
It will have a special section devoted to Christ
mas stories plus Christmas messages and notes of
appreciation from Clinton-Joanna merchants.
Deadline for advertisements will be noon, Satur
day, Dee. 21.
Deadline for news articles and pictures will be
10 a.m., Monday morning, Dec. 23.
, ,. -i-: i
. ■ " V ■ k ' 5 5
’ ' *
c". ..D:
w# •>>:
120,000 GIFT — A $20,000 gift to
ward Presbyterian College’s proposed
new physical eduation center is made
by J. Austin Dilbeck of Atlanta,
shown at left presenting his check to
C. W. Anderson, chairman of the
Laurens County campaign raising
funds for the center. PC President
Marc C. Weersing looks on with ob
vious approval. Dilbeck, board chair
man of the Georgia Casualty and
Surety Company, is the newly elected
chairman of the PC board of visitors.
His gift to the physical education
center is credited through the Geor
gia Synod campign, which now has
raised $981,674 for Presbyterian Col
lege, even as the South Carolina Sy
nod moves forward with its minimum
$2 million drive.
consin, will be the featured
speaker at a banquet in Green
ville Dining Fall at the close
of the Rally.
The local Lions Club will serve
as host to the Rally. Rembert
Truluck, past District Governor
and a past President of the Clin
ton club is serving as General
Chairman.
District 32-A is made up of
54 Lions clubs in upper South
Carolina, with a total member
ship of 2730. The District is
divided into 4 Areas and 8 Zones.
Clinton is in Area C, Zone 6
which is the geographical cen
ter of the District.
W. B. “Bo” Etters of Spartan
burg is District Governor; John
B. Armstrong of Fickory Tav
ern is Deputy District Governor;
and Robert Armstrong of Lau
rens is serving as Zone chair
man.
The rally will get underway
with a social hour at 5 p.m.
Special music and special en
tertainment for the event will be
furnished by student groups from
Presbyterian College.
According to Chairman Tru
luck, response thus far indicates
this will be the largest rally
ever held in the District.
* * *
Water Damage
Caused In Fire
Water damage resulted Mon
day afternoon in a fire in the
Jacobs Building on East Caro
lina Ave.
A fire reportedly started in
one ofthe rooms of Shields Photo
graphy Studio, setting off a sec
tion of the building's sprinkler
system.
The sprinkler system quickly
doused the fire but it took about
20 minutes to cut off the sprink
ler system.
Shields said be suffered very
little loss of Christmas orders.
School Holiday
Laurens County School District
56 students began their Christ
mas holidays Wednesday, at the
end of the regular school day.
They will report back to school
on Jan. 2.