The Clinton chronicle. (Clinton, S.C.) 1901-current, March 27, 1969, Image 1
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Clinton
VoL 70 — No. 12
Chronicle
Clinton. S. C., Thursday, March 27,1969
INDEX
Three Sections, 20 Pages
Classified 6-A
Deaths 8-A
Editorials 2-B
Hospital News 4-A
Society 2-A
Sports 7-A
PROPOSED COURTHOUSE — Shown above are
architects’ drawings of the proposed new Laurens
County Courthouse. Above is the front and
below is the rear. County voters will go to the polls
on April 22 to cast ballots on issuance of up to $1.8
million in bonds to finance construction of the
courthouse. Voters also will be asked if they pre
fer that the new courthouse will be located on the
22-acre Todd property at the comer of Garling-
ton Street and U.S. Highway 76 By-Pass or the
site of the former Laurens Central Elementary
School located at the comer of Laurens Street and
Church Street. The county’s legislative delegation
issued a statement saying, “The need for a new
courthouse has been documented many times. The
delegation is not taking a position as to site, how
ever, we are taking a strong position in favor of
the new courthouse. We urge every property owner
and voter to go to the polls on April 22 ami vote in
favor of a new courthouse.”
Postmaster General
Visits Laurens County
Man Vs. Horse
“A man can outrun a horse for 100 yards,” said
Phil Rogers, Jr., recently at a National Guard meet
ing in Laurens.
“Oh, no, he can’t,” replied a horse owmer.
From that exchange has come a challenge race
—Rogers vs. a horse for 100 yards.
A definite date for the race hasn’t been set but
Rogers feels he is in too deep to l>ack out now. The
race probably will be held at one of the future Na
tional Guard meetings. Rogers admits, “Before I
get out there for the big race I’m going to run
against another horse just to see how it goes. May
be I need to plan some strategy.”
Rogers is an apt contestant. He runs the 100-
yard dash in about 9.8 or 9.9 seconds. A former
football star at Clinton High School and Clemson
University, he was drafted by the St. Louis Cardi
nals. His pro football career was interrupted last
season when he was called for six months’ active
duty with the National Guard.
He is now working in the stamping department
at The Torrington Co., but is scheduled to report in
July to the Cardinals’ Lake Forest, 111., College
training camp.
Concerning the horse vs. man race, Rogers said,
"Of course, a horse can outrun a man over a dis
tance, but in a short sprint from a standing start, I
believe a man could win over 100 yards. I think
Jesse Owens, the Olympic star, did it one time.”
• •****
i
There’s an interesting article in Southern Ad
vertising and Publishing magazine’s February is
sue concerning Jacobs Advertising Agency of Clin
ton.
Written by Mr. J. F. Jacobs, the article traces
the founding and growth of the agency.
Of particular interest is a recount of some of
the agency’s accounts which have become famous.
For example, the agency introduced the Edison
Phonograph in the South. Thomas A. Edison gave
J. F. Jacobs, Sr., a large color portrait of himself
which still hangs on one of the office walls of the
Jacobs Building.
One of the agency’s salesmen sold a Greens
boro, N. C., druggist, Dr. Dunsford Richardson, on
the idea of advertising a salve in the religious
weeklies of North Carolina. The prescription was
given the name Vick’s Croup and Pneumonia Salve.
Other eariy accounts included Maxwell House
Coffee and Coca-Cola Company.
U. S. Postmaster General Win-
ton M. Blount was in Laurens
County Wednesday, attending the
open'ng of the Benjamin F. Shaw
Company plant near Laurens.
Blount addressed a joint ses
sion of the S. C. General As
sembly in Columbia prior to at
tending the plant opening Wed
nesday afternoon. He was guest
at a dinner at Lakeside Country
Club Wednesday evening.
Blount was to be accompanied
by U. S. Sen. Strom Thurmond
and Ernest F. Hollings, Con
gressman James Mann.
Former president of the Cham
ber of Commerce of the United
States, Blount was sworn in as
the 59th Postmaster General of
the U.S. on Jan. 22. Before his
appointment as Postmaster Gen
eral, he was president and chair
man of the board of Blount Bro
thers Corporation, general con-
WINTON BLOUNT
tractors in Montgomery, Ala. He
also was chairman of the board
of Benjamin F. Shaw Company,
piping contractors.
Education Leader
To Address
Dr. James A. Morris of Co
lumbia, commissioner of the S. C.
Commission on Higher Educa
tion, will be featured speaker to
night, Thursday, at the Clinton
Kiwanis Club meeting.
The meeting is to start at 7
p.m. at Mary Musgrove Hotel.
Dr. Morris, a native of Law
rence, Mass., is a graduate of
Northeastern University and re
ceived the A.M. and Ph.D. de
grees from Harvard University.
Prior to assuming his present
position, Dr. Morris was dean
of the graduate school of the Uni
versity of South Carolina. He also
was vice president of Advanced
Studies and Research and was
professor of economics.
He is married to the former
Marjorie Frampton of Charles
ton and Columbia and they have
two children, Stephe, 20, and Eli-
Kiwanians
DR. MORRIS
zabeth, 15. They are Episcopa
lians.
$240,000 Referendum
City Hall Vote April 15
The referendum on a new city
hall for Clinton has been officially
scheduled for Tuesday, April 15.
Clinton City Council met Mon
day night to hear protests about
the proposal and to set the re
ferendum date. Noprotests were
presented so council proceeded
with the official action of calling
for the referendum.
The referendum question will
be:
“Shall the City Council of the
City of Clinton be empowered to
issue and sell not exceeding
$240,000 of general obligation
bonds of the City of Clinton, the
proceeds of which shall be used
for the purp<ise of defraying a part
of the cost of constructing a new
City Hall for the City of Clin
ton?"
Polls will be opened at 8 a.m.
and will close at 7 a.m. on April
15. Polling places are: Clinton
No. 1, City Hall; Clinton No. 2,
National Guard Armory on South
Broad Street; Clinton Mill, Clin
ton Mills Community House.
All persons registered in their
Governor Helps
Launch PC's
State Campaign
Governor and Mrs. Robert E.
McNair will join Thursday night
in the Presbyterian College din
ner in Columbia to launch offi
cially the state-wide campaign
toward underwriting PC’s im
mediate need for $5 million, its
largest fund-raising drive in his
tory.
More than 300 persons will at
tend the affair, which also honors
Mr. and Mrs. James H. Thoma
son, Sr., of Mountville for their
recent $250,000 gift to the pro
posed new library. The Laurens
County businessman and farmer
is expected to make another dra
matic announcement in support of
the project at this time.
The dinner is scheduled for 7
p.m. Thursday at Columbia’s
Forest Lake Country Club. James
Chapman, Jr., Spartanburg in
dustrialist and PC trustee vice-
chairman, will preside over the
occasion, and President Marc C.
Weersing will speak on Presby
terian College.
As the EXCEL capital funds
campaign prepares to kickoff its
state-wide effort, almost one-
fourth (jf the $5 million need
already has been secured. The
local Laurens County drive of
last fall and special gifts since
$1.2 million. Subscriptions for
these sources: Laurens County,
$776,689; advanced gifts,
$273,099; trustees, $137,934.
The Synod of South Carolina
has authorized $2 million to be
raised among the Presbyterian
churches of the state. The re
maining $3 million needed for the
proposed new library, physical
education center, infirmary and
endowment additions is being
sought from other individual,
corporate and foundation
sources.
For the next two months,
churches will focus on achiev
ing their specific goals among
their individual members. A ser
ies of area meetings for the
church leadership has been held
in the various presbyteries dur
ing March, pointing toward the
local drives for Presbyterian
College.
CHS Students
Are Injured
In Accident
Two Clinton High School stu
dents were seriously injured in a
Sunday afternoon motorbike-
automobile collision at the inter
section of Highways 72 and 56.
Ricky Page, 15, of 203Washing
ton St, and Doug Ward, 15, of
403 Jefferson St, were still con
fined to Self Memorial Hospital
in Greenwood Wednesday. Ward
suffered a broken right leg. Page
also suffered a broken right
leg and internal injuries. Both
underwent surgery this week.
The accident occured at 4:15
p.m. Sunday. A car driven by
Shirley Anne Jacks, 21, turned off
72 in front of the motor bike,
which was driven by Page with
Ward as a passenger, according
to Clinton Police reports.
precinct to vote in municipal
elections of Clinton prior to
March 15 will be eligible to vote
in the referendum. Persons who
vote must present their registra
tion certificate prior to voting.
A legal notice concerning the
referendum appears in today’s
Chronicle.
City officials originally had
said the referendum might call
for issuance of general obliga
tion bonds not to exceed $250,000.
However, it was determined that
only $240,000 will be the maxi
mum needed.
The proposed new city hall is
expected to cost about $500,000
but the city already has about
$260,000 in its building fund. The
building fund is composed of the
city’s share of re venues from the
Clinton-Newberry Natural Gas
Authority. City officials intend
to use part of the Natural Gas
revenues for the next few years
to retire the proposed general
obligation bonds.
CHS Band Uniform
Drive Gets Underway
A $9,000 fund raising campaign
for the purchase of new uniforms
for the Clinton High School band
got off to a flying start Monday
night when an executive com
mittee was selected at a meet
ing of band students’ parents.
The meeting was held at Clinton
High.
Mrs. A. C. Workman Jr. was
named general chairman with Dr.
R. H. Dawson as a project chair
man. Others selected to serve
on the executive committee are
RIMER
N. PULLIAM
J. PULLIAM
AABC0 Acquires
Azalea, Empress
2 Other Companies
AABCO Industries, Inc., a
newly formed Delaware Corpora
tion, has acquired all of the out
standing stock of four existing
corporations. The acquired com
panies include Azalea Homes,
Inc., in Clinton, Empress Homes,
Inc., in Kinards, both mobile
home manufacturers; Queen City
Mattress and Upholstery Co., Inc.
of Charlotte, N.C., a furniture
manufacturer; and Federal In
vestment Corporation, a real es
tate holding company in Laurens.
The combined companies pre
sently have annual sales close
to $15 million and employ approx
imately 500 people. Corporate
offices for AABCO will lie es
tablished in Greenville. Each
company will lie operated as au
tonomous subsidiaries of
AABCO.
Norman F. Pulliam of Harts-
ville has been named as Presi
dent and Chief Executive Offi
cer of AABCO. Prior to joining
AABCO, Pulliam was manager of
Industrial Development for Suno
co Products Co., a major di
versified paper company with
corporate headquarters in Harts-
ville. He is a graduate of Clem
son University and received his
Masters from Harvard Business
School. Before attending Har
vard, he was associated with the
Owens-Corning Eiberglas Cor
poration as an industrial en
gineer. He is married to the
former Jo Carol Padgett, a native
of Gaffney. They will establish
their new residence in Green
ville.
Shelton J. Rimer of Laurens,
formerly president of the mobile
home companies, was elected
chairman of the board of direct
ors of AABCO. Mr. Rimer is
well known in the mobile home
industry, having over 20 years
experience as a leading manu
facturer and retailer. For the
last 12 years he has owned mo
bile home manufacturing com
panies and prior to becoming a
manufacturer, he operated a
chain of retail lots throughout the
Southeast under the name of Ri
mer, Inc., with the famous up
side-down sign.
Joe J. Pulliam, Jr. of Augus
ta, Ga. is a vice-president and di
rector of the parent corporation,
AABCO Industries, and president
of the furniture manufacturing
subsidiary, Queen City Mattress
and Upholstery Company. He
brings to AABCO a broad back
ground of furniture experience,
having been associated with
Rhodes, Inc., a leading retail
furniture chain for the past 20
years.
The mobile home companies,
operating three plants, produce a
variety of quality models under
the brand namesof Azalea, Abby,
Empress, New England and Coun
tess. The primary distribution of
the companies’ units is through
dealers in 15 Southeastern, Mid
western and Mid-Atlantic states.
The furniture subsidiary,
Queen City, is an old well-es
tablished name in the industry,
having been in existence since
1922. It manufactures primarily
medium-priced sofas, chairs and
mattresses for retail dealers
throughout the Eastern half of the
United States. The company plans
to rapidly expand this segment of
the business.
AABCO operates its own fleet
of 40 mobile home and furni
ture delivery trucks and trac
tors.
According toNormanPulliam,
President of AABCO, “The pur
pose ofcombining the companies
was to establish a large, well-
integrated company that would be
a dominant factor in the indus
try. Combined, the companies
have the necessary resources and
management to become a nat
ional leader in our markets. As
far as the future goes, we plan
to go public with our stock in
1969. We also intend to immed
iately build a large, modern mo
bile home plant that would give
us a substantial increase in pro
duction capacity. We are pre
sently making plans to enter the
sectional housing market on a
large scale basis. A large por
tion of our future growth will
come from establishing new
plants and making acquisitions in
our existing and related fields."
Leaman Jones, treasurer; Mrs.
Guy Tumlin and Mrs. Len Led
ford, secretary; and Len Led
ford, publicity chairman.
Named as area chairmen were
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Perry, Clinton
area; Mr. and Mrs. Harold Mur
phy, Joanna area; Mr. and Mrs.
Jerome Finley, Mountville area;
Mr. and Mrs. Alex Simpson,
Cross Hill area.
These chairmen will name
various committee members to
work in conjunction with the
executive committee. Mrs.
Workman said, “Through this
coordinated effort lies the suc
cess of the fund raising cam
paign for the much needed band
uniforms."
Another meeting ofareaVhair-
men and the executive commit
tee was held Tuesday night. Dr.
Dawson outlined a schedule of
coordinated events to take place
in an all-out drive throughout
School District 56.
Dr. Dawson said, “Among the
events to take place will be pub
lic appearances of the Rev Devil
band, public solicitation of funds,
a ‘Band-A-Rama 1 of Rock and
Soul groups in the area and pro
jects which the Clinton High band
members themselves would con
duct."
Lr. Dawson announced Tuesday
night that tentative plans already
have been made to conduct a bake
sale in front of Belks and Com
munity Cash and for a car-stop
solicitation campaign. No dates
have been set for the two pro
jects.
At the Monday night meeting,
CHS Band Director Harry Bauk-
night introduced a representative
of a band uniform manufacturing
firm who displayed uniforms
similar in design to the proposed
new CHS uniforms.
Bauknight said, “We will have
a uniform distinctly different
from most in the area since
several unique features of other
leading and ‘eye-catching’ uni
forms have been incorporated
into the new CHS uniform.
“This is a uniform befitting
the splendid students musicians
who make up the Clinton Red
Devil Marching Band and a uni
form of lasting quality of which
School District 56 can be justly
pround."
Mrs. Workman and Dr. Daw
son expressed their hope that
area residents will enter into
this fund raising drive with en
thusiasm and that their response
will make possible the purchase
of the uniforms before the May
1 deadline. The uniforms must be
purchased by May 1 in order to
be available by next September.
£
Other Memoirs
BY JOE H. SIMPSON
Clinton, like most all other cities in this section,
was at one time a city of many BELLS. First, to
my way of thinking, were the Church Bells. Most
every Church had a bell tower. Early each Sun
day morning these bells notified both saint and sin
ner alike that it was the Sabbath and each had the
privilege or duty to attend religious services of his
choice.
Another bell that is still enjoyed by all Clinton-
ians was the clock at Thornwell Orphanage. It rings
forth the hours day and night, .in fair or foul
weather.
There were many trains on both of our railroads
and each sounded its bell as it crossed Broad Street.
Another bell that sounded good to th$ clerks and
other employees of the city merchants was the ten
S o’clock Saturday night closing time bell. This no-
:jj: tified one and all that the weeks’ business was over.
One other bell, that I want to mention, was the
S dinner bell. Are these used any more? Or, does
£ the tody of the house just yell, “Soup’s on, come
>•: and get it.”
•y