Passenger
25th Issut
64th Yaar
Gracie Ebbing;
2nd Blow Builds
Plan Ear
Tests For
Students
Oregon State Board of Health
workers are in La Grande today
to prepare a series of ear testings
for all grade school youngsters to
morrow. A'l Union County grade schools
are Included in the testing pro
gram, according to Barbara
Beaver, state health official.
She stated that the national and
state averages disclose that four
per cent of school children have
a hearing defect. The test planned
for the county throughout the
month of October will reveal any
hearing deficiency. Children with
hearing losses are referred for
medical treatment.
The testing program tomorrow
will begin at 8:30. All schools have
been notified of this program, it
was stated.
Imbler FFA
Boys Receive
Recognition
IMBLER (Special) Members of
the Imbler chapter of Future
Farmers of America received
Grccnhand and Chapter Farmer
Degrees at county-wide initiation
ceremonies at La Grande High
School.
The ceremonies were conducted
bv state officers of the Oregon
FFA.
- . Three Degrees
Tho Greenhand Degree is grant
ed to any boy enrolled in voca
tional agriculture, has $25 invested
in a proj'ct, and is familiar with
the FFA. The boys who received
the Greenhand Deqrce were Dar
rell Gorham and Lei and Fries or
Summrvillc,. and Galon Cipston
of Imbler.
The Chapter Farmer Degree is
granted to boys who are enrolled
in vocational agriculture, and have
$50 invested in a proj-ct and are
able to lead a discussion for 15
minutes. x
The Chapter. Farmer Degrees
were granted to Fred Behrens of
Summerville; Wayne Brookshier.
Albert Johnson, and Carl Johnson,
all of Imbler.
Steelmen, Union Chiefs Agree
To Ike Strike Break' Attempt
WASHINGTON UP1 Both
sides in the deadlocked steel dis
pute agreed under President Ei
senhower's personal urging today
to resume negotiations immed
iately. The President promptly issued
a statement expressing hope that
an "agreement can be initiated"
before he returns next week from
his California vacation. Union
leaders said they hoped they
could report a settlement to the
President tonight.
Eisenhower won the agreement
after conferring first with indus
try leaders and then with United
Searles In
Resignation
From Force
The resignation of officer Gay
lon E. Searles from the La Grande
police department was announc
ed today by Chief Oliver Reeve.
Searles, who has been with the
department for more than two
years, plans to enroll at Eastern
Oregon College to work on a de
gree in sociology. After com
pleting a years work at EOC, he
will transfer to the University
of Oregon at Eugene.
Searles' letter stated he left
the department with regret but
planned on returning to police
work when he completed his
studies.
Chief Reeve expressed regret
at losing an experienced offic
er and stated that be found
Searles to be a very efficient po
liceman during the period he was
a member of the force.
LA GRANDE
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (UPI)
Tropical storm Gracie,
weakened but stitl a flood
threat, moved up tho eastern
seaboard today, after spread
ing death and widespread
damage through the Caroli
nes and Georgia.
Gracie was barely getting out
of the way ahead of her .sister.
Hannah, a storm that had built up
a 100-mile an hour punch in the
Atlantic 800 miles east of Palm
Beach, Fla.
Two deaths were directly attri
buted to Gracie's power, which
reached 140 miles an hour at the
height of the blast Tuesday. Ten
others were indirectly caused by
the storm. They included two per
sons washed off a fishing jetty
by a huge wave, seven traffic
deaths on rain soaked roads and
one traffic fatality when a car
hit a fallen tree.
A weather advisory this morning
said Gracie would sweep through
North Carolina. Virginia and West
Virginia during the day. accom
panied by heavy rain, and would
swing into south-central Pennsyl
vania Thursday morning.
Western and central Pennsylva
nia could expect a deluge of rain
tonight and low areas were cau
tioned of a flood threat.
Winds from the storm, which
swept into Charleston, S.C. Tues
day with a blast of 125-140 miles
an hour, were down to 35 miles
an hour and were considered no
threat to life or property.
Two Towns Still Isolated
South Carolina took the brunt
of Gracie's power. The communi
ties of Walterboro and Beaufort
still were isolated this morning.
State Civil Defense Director
Charles B. Culbcrtson and Deputy
Director A.V. Thomas left Colum
bia by Helicopter to inspect the
areas.
Beaufort sent a radio message
to Red Cross Headquarters that
3.000 persons still were housed in
emergency shelters there. About
300 national guardsmen were on
duty at the coastal town.
At 8 a.m. p. S t., hurricane Han
nah's highest winds were 100
miles an hour near the center
and hurricane force winds were
80 miles ahead of the storm and
25 miles to the south of it.
. During the next 12 to 24 hours.
Hannah was expected to continue
toward the west- northwest at
about 12 miles an hour with little
change in size or intensity.
Hannah was following in general
the path of its predecessor.
Steelworkers' President David J.
McDonald and other union offi
cials. McDonald informed the White
House shortly after leaving there
that . negotiations, which were
broken off by the union last Fri
day, would be resumed in a down
town Washington hotel in an ef
fort to end the 78-day strike.
McDonald sa.d he told the
President he hoped he could send
him a message tonight that an
agreement had been reached.
Industry leaders promised the
President to do their best to
achieve 'a negotiated settle
ment." Eisenhower Issued a three-paragraph
statement a half hour after
his meetings with the union and
management leaders. He said:
"In view of the mounting im
pact of the strike on our nation's
Beginning Russian
Course Offered
At EOC Here
Beginning Russian, a University
of Oregon course, will be offered
in La Grande through the General
Extension Division, according to
Charles Ivie, regional representa
tive. Registration is scheduled for
Oct 7, at 7 p.m. The class will
be conducted by Mrs. Lamoreaux
of Enterprise. The class Is sched
uled to meet twice a week in room
23 of the administration building
on the Eastern Oregon College
campus.
Anyone interested should contact
the regional office of General Ex
tension located on the college
campus.
Plane
L y ft ?
JIB K- -
PLENTY OF FOOD FOR EVERYONE
The "chuck wagon stop" on the Hereford tour yesterday w as one of the highlights
of the day. Here we see hungry tourers filling their plates at the Henry Hcydcn
place where wives of Hereford breeders had prepared lunch. From left are Mrs. Dale
Mandley, Pete Kamey, Glenn
ley McDonald.
it
D
PTTvT'
wmfflffl
wmffl
AFTER LUNCH This photo shows a portion of the Henry Heyden brood herd. The
Heydcn place, north of Island City, was the "chuck wagon stop." Union, Baker and
Umatilla counties were represented on the tour.
economy and on the jobs of hun
dreds of thousands of Americans,
I sincerely hope that an agreement
can be initiated before my return
to Washington next week.
"The purpose of the talks today
was to help bring about a volun
tary settlement of the steel strike
which wilt be fair and just to all
parties involved, including the
public. I am persuaded that this
is the kind of settlement that the
American people want. It is the
only kind that would be good for
all Americans and for our whole
economy."
White House News Secretary
James C. Hagerty told newsmen
that the President was quite
firm in his expressions to both
sides."
Portland Man
Reports Theft
Of Deer Gun
A Portland man reported the
theft of a rifle, from his parked
car, to La Grande police last
night.
C. L. Masters told police that
a 30.06 rifle, with scope and
case, was taken from his car be
tween 5 30 and 6:10 yesterday
evening. Masters' car was park
ed near the corner of Jefferson
and Chestnut Streets.
The rifle had a walnut stock
with a deer head carved on the
right side with the name "Tex"
engraved between the horns. It
was equipped with a four-power
Texan scope and was in a brown
leather case.
The rifle was valued at ST.M.
police said.
Cras
LA GRANDE, ORE.,
- rf
McKenzie, Tea bidor, Mrs.
hi. m
TV
Lia,
if
-'si
m
in
LOOKIN3 OVER THE STOCK Roy Baker, Cove, left,
and Jim Huber, Union County extension agent, look at
Arthur Dhu 10th, owned by Henry Heyden. The bull
is being used to sire replacement heifers and sale bulls
for Heyden.
DOW JONES AVERAGES
Dow-Jones final stock averages:
30 industrials 631.68. olf 8 42: 20
railroads 157 40. up 0 27; 15 utili
ties 87.91. up 0.15, and 65 storks
212 44, off 1 .56.
n
OBSERVER
WEDNESDAY, SEPT5A3ER 30, 1959
V t
4$
(jlcnn McKenzie and liar-
(Observer Photos)
r y mA A
V
yj
. j
WEATHER
Clearing and colder tonight;
mostly sunny Thursday; low to
night 14-32; high Thursday 56-62
1 i r i
1 1
Texas
Pages
Eight Pupils Die
When Bus Is Hit
BARK TAKEN
FROM DOG
LONG STRATTON. En.
(UPI I Mist Mary HtUn Grace
said Tuesday she wevM submit
har prii winnlnf Ceckar
Spanials to a "de barking"
operation rattier than five
rhom up.
Miss Grace, who raises
cockers, was finad five pound
($14) after throe neighbors
complained the dogs wore .
making too much noise.
Miss Grace had pleaded Imw
cent but she was fined anyway
and tho udgo reminded her
she was liable to a penalty of
two pounds e day while the
barking continued
Miss Greco said she bed
consulted a veterinary surgeon
who told her about a new
operation for "de-barking"
dogs.
DEADLY
DISEASE
TOLL UP
NEW YORK UPI Thirteen
persons are dead in New Jersey
of a highly fatal virus disease
whose outbreak is so rare that
New York City health authorities
said they would consider one case
an epidemic.
A total of 23 cases of eastern
equine encephalitis IEEE) have
been reported in six southern New
Jersey counties, most of them in
children.
'About 75 per cent of infected
persons are expected to die, and
most who survive will be per
manently impaired in mind or
body.
At least four state departments
have joined local health authori
ties in attempts to destroy the
mosquitoes which carry the virus
from infected birds to horses and
men. '
One community has declared it
self in a state of emergency with
three suspected cases. Panicky
residents have kept children home
from school inside screened
houses, or have fled to other
areas.
Resort hotels booked sohd for
two coming week ends of Jewish
holidays have reported mailbags
full of cancellations even though
some are as much as 10 miles
from the nearest reported case.
Gov. Robert B. Mcyner has said
I the situation is "serious" but has
I warned against "undue alarm.
an me acauiy uiseaac uc cv
i pectca to Dreax oui in omcr cum-
f I munitics?
Theoretically, yes. But medical
history and local health author!
ties say not likely.
Cuban
Against
HAVANA (UPD Premier Fidel
Castro was under an unprecedent
ed heavy attack from major In
dependent Havana newspapers to
day for his denunciations of the
Cuban press and newsmen who
criticized his regime.
It was the first time since Cas
tro led his revolutionary forces in
to power last Jan. 1 that the press
has openly taken such strong ex
ceptions to his remarks.
The war of words was toucnea
off by Castro's criticisms during
a long nationwide television ap
pearance Monday night.
There were rumors that the Ha
vana newspaper Diario de la Ma
rina would suspend publication bo
cause of the attack by Castro. But
spokesmen said the newspaper
would publish today and carry a
full reply to the Castro charges.
Tired Of Threats
In a preliminary reaction, the
newspaper termed the Castro at
tack as "representative of Cuba's
worst interests. And in an edi
torial prepared for publication, it
said "we are tired of so many
threats, so much intolerance and
so many gratuitous accusations
and unjustified charges."
It said press freedom existed
in Cuba but it was a "very spe
Ki s
Five Cents
COOPER, Tex. (UPI) A
truck heavily loaded with salt
crashed into a busload of
Texas junior high school
children on a curve Tuesday
night, killing eight and injur
ing 20.
The victims included Mount Ver
non Junior High School Principal
Jack Henry, 45. and his son,
Billy Max Henry. 11. Henry was
driving the bus on a football trip.
Also killed outright were Mrs.
Melba Meeks. a teacher at the
Mount Vernon school; and three
students, Zach Taylor, 12: Ken
neth Hightower, 14: and Rex
Weatherford. 12, all of Mount
Vernon.
Two girls, Audrey Turner, 12,
and Juaquita Rainey, 12 or 13,
died later at a Cooper hospital.
Lex Weatherford, Rex Weather
ford's identical twin, was injured.
"There's a bunch of broken
noses, bones, and cuts," highway
patrolman Max Womach said.
"The seats all tore loose when
they hit."
Union Farm
Bureau Sets
Membership
Ralph Robinson, La Grande, was
named organization director for
the Union County Farm Bureau
at their meeting recently. Robin
son will lead membership work
for the organization during I960,
assisted by Floyd Richards, Cove,
and members of the county group.
President Gene Stockhoff ap
pointed the nominating committee
which will include the chairman of
the four centers within the county
These are Dean Puckett, Cove
chairman of the committee; Glen
McKenzle, La Grande; Howard
Good, Elgin; and Guy Smith
North Powder.
Nominees will be reported and
election held at the annual county
meeting scheduled for Oct. 22 at
the Farm Bureau hall in Island
City. Program chairman for the
evening will be Glen McKenzie.
Resolutions Work
Other business included resolu
tion work presented by resolutions
chairman Roy Leonard. He called
attention to the annual discussion
of all resolutions and policy for
the present and ones proposed
during the past year. Separate
committee meetings will be held
by the various committees before
the general county resolutions
meeting set for Oct. 13 in Island
City.
Chairmen of the committees
as appointed by Leonard include
Natural Resources. Frank Coun
scll and Roy Leonard; Community
Betterment, Grant Henderson and
Glen McKenzie; International Af
fairs, Ben Robinson and Harvey
Ruckman; Taxation, Guy Smith
and Bill Trindic: and State Agri
cu'ture, Glen Sands and Floyd
Richards.
Press Launches
Fidel Castro
cial freedom.'' It said there were
no censors and no agreement by
the newspaper not to criticize the
Castro government, but it added:
You should know by now that
there are two big and shameful
facts that damage the freedom of
press In our country.
One, it said, was public figures
saying one thing publicly and an
other privately because of "fear
and Adulation.
'Therefore," Diario de la Ma
rina said, "in Cuba and abroad
there are very few who believe
Snowstorm Creates
DENVER (UPI) Students
eyed ski slopes on the western
horizon today, dog tired repair
men were still busy restoring
electric service and traffic sig
nals, and homeowners assessed
shrub, tree and roof damage
which may exceed seven million
dollars In Denver, which was
caught unprepared for 10.6 inches
of heavy, wet snow.
The storm began in the early
hours Tuesday. By dawn, every
tree and bush in the city drooped
beneath the weight of clinging
snow.
Limbs eight Inches thick broke
from trees. They crashed onto
roof and car tops, across side-
34
Ship Goes-
Down Like
Meteorite
BUFFALO. Tex. (UPI) A
Lockheed Kleetra plane, bound
from Houston to New York, ex-,
ploded in the air late Tuesday
night, sailed across the sky like
a flaming meteor and crashed in
a scrub oak thicket.
All 34 persons on board six
crew members and 28 passengers
were killed. They were bound
for Dallas, Washington and New
York. Recovery crews found
bodies and parts of bodies hang
ing trom the oaks.
A state Department of Public
Safety patrolman thought the fall
ing Bramff International Airways
plane was a meteor as it fell.
A man and his wife, who live
near where the main body of the
wreckage fell, heard debris fall
ing on their roof and the trees
in the yard and then the Impact
and blast of the wreckage hitting
the ground.
"Wreckage, bodies and mail are
scattered over an area a mile
square," B. H. Pickens, 49, who
runs a feed store at Buffalo said.
"There are just pieces of bod
ies. I had just gone to bed twhen
the plane crashed).
I raised up and saw a light
in the east and heard a terrible
explosion. I thought maybe he had
hit the ground, but the wreckage
looks like it exploded in the air.
"It must have happened in the
air, because it blew all over the
countryside." t "
Looked Like Meteor
The Texas Department of Pul
lie Safety said one of its patrol
men also thought the plane ex
ploded in the air. He thought at
first it was a flaming meteor
going down.
The Civil Aeronautics Bureau
ordered four men, headed by John
Zirochi of its Miami office, to in
vestigate the crash. In view of
the explosion-in-air reports. It
was understood that they will
look for signs of sabotage.
Set Booster
Meeting At
Imbler Hall
IMBLER (Special) Pleasant
Grove Granga is holding its. .
"Booster mghf meeting 'Saturday
evening at the grange hall. There
will be a potluck supper at 6:30
and a short program will follow.
Guests for the evening will be
the FFA juding team of Imbler
High School, the faculty and
their families. This is an open
meeting and the public is invit-'
ed. i
Mr. and Mrs. Gibson of Bris
tow, Calif., are here visiting hr
mother. Mrs. Delia Rollins, and
other relatives. Sunday they
drove to Moses Lake, Wash., tak
ing Mrs. Rollins and Miss Ruby
Rollins with them to visit Mr.
fcnd Mrs. Pete Havakost and b ra
lly. Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Cantrell
have moved into their new home
south of Imbler. They have been
doing extensive remodeling to
the house and building new mink
pens and sheds.
Ycung George McDonald met
vith an accident while at play
on the school grounds Monday
afternoon. He suffered a brok
en arm. He was taken into town
to the doctor. He is the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Harlcy McDonald of
Pumpkin Ridge.
Attack!
Regime
there is complete and full free
dom of the press in Cuba." "
The newspaper Avance also do
livered a strong reply in Tues
day's editions. Castro has accused
the newspaper of "working In a
suspicious manner' and fomemV
ing anti-revolutionary rumors.
Columnist Augustin Tamargo in
an open letter told Castro trig
charges were "ridiculous and a
lacking In foundation" he had te
hear them twice before being con
vinced that the Premier had ao
tually made them.
Damage In Denver
walks and streets. Power and ter-
ephone lines went down all over
town. Unpruned shrubbery was
flattened. r
In the high Rockies, snowslides
and snowfalls of as much as IS
inches closed roads. ' Fraser,
Colo., had 24 inches of snow oa
the ground Tuesday night.
Several mountain areas started
up chair lifts and rope tows, as
winter sportsmen showed up (or
their earliest crack at the ski
slopes in recent memory.
Highway crews opened a mouhf
tain road west of Denver In time
for Mrs. Thomas Holbrok, 28, to
give birth to a son in a city hoe-pitnl.