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About La Grande observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1959-1968 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 30, 1959)
LA GRANDE OBS ERVER WEATHER Fair through Saturday; high ' Saturday 50 55; lows 21-21. 50th Issue 64fh Year Steel Union Asks Court Relief On Strike Break Rule WASIIINTON (UPI) The United Steehvorkcrs Union petitioned the Supreme Court today to overturn an 80-day tack to work order that would halt the 108-day-old steel strike. The union also asked the tribu nal to stay the order pending its ruling on the petition. Otherwise the back to work order becomes elfective Monday. Union attorneys contended that U.S. District Judge Herbert P Sorg did not exercise proper "dis cretion" when he issued the Taft Hartley injunction last week. They 7 Children Are Burned To Death OTTUMWA. Iowa L'PI Seven children ranging in age from one to nine perished today when fire swept through a small home while their mothers were at a tavern. Six of the children were mem bers of one family. A fireman risked his life to res cue the only survivor, Sharon Dooley, 13, a babysitter. She was burned over most of her body and reportod in "very critical" condition at a local hospital. Fireman Robert Knox, 44, was credited with saving the baby sitter. Knox crawled into the flaming two-room hcuse and felt around the floor, trying to see the children through the dense smoke billowing through the home. - "I found the bodies of the seven children first in a corner of the kitchen," Knox said. "They were huddled together for protection against the searing heat and chok ing smoke. Told to Coma Out "I saw they were dead. I didn't get a chance to examine the babysitter who was nearby be cause the other firemen outside called to me to come out because of the danger. "When I got outside, it kept working on me the fact that I hadn't got a chance to examine her thoroughly. The longer - I stood out there the more I thought about it. "I don't know why. but I de cided to go back inside and see if she was alive. " "1 crawled inside. When I got near her. I saw her body move." Knox picked up the girl and with the aid of another fireman, Albert Kuble, gat her to safety. Poiica Held Back The ether children died of burns and suffocation. First on the scene were two policemen answering an alarm turned in by Mrs. Thomas Ander son, grandmother of six of the children, who lived across the street. Policemen were unable to enter the house because of the intense heat. Phoenix Hit By Flash Flood, 2 Tots Drown PHOENIX, Ariz. (UPI-FIash flooding, losed by by a alshing storm in the desert, took the lives of two children who were swept from their mother's arms Thursday night. One victim was a two-year-old girl, pulled from her mother's grasp as she tried to oss the child to safety when the family car was caught by a torrent ol water rushing through a desert dry wash. The other victim was a four-week-old child, who was washed away when the parents' car was knocked 600 feet off the old Apache Indian trail east of here and buried in sand and water. Dry washes and gullies in .nil parts of the state became poten tial death traps as the violent storm raked Arizona and South ern California with rain, hail and snow late Thursday and today. A number of deer hunters in the northern hills of Arizona for the opening of the season at dawn today were stranded by snow. Swept Off Highway Francis Lee Mears. 22 of Tuc son, his wife Rose Mary. 20. and their baby Shanon Lee were trav eling along the Apache Trail high way east of here when the car was swept off the highway by water gushing through the Davis Hash. said the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was equally wrong in af firming it Tuesday. Specifically, the union asked the Supreme Court to review the ap peals' court ruling. This was done with a view to voiding the order. The union lawye-s said Sorg should have considered other al ternatives before issuing a sweep ing order against the whole strike. Oppose M-day Provision The petition said Sorg had dis cretion not only to determine whether to enjoin the strike but also whether the back to work order "should run against the whole strike, and all of the strik ers, or against just that small percentage of the struck mills which alone create the peril to health or safety. ' "Voluntary cessation or defer ment of a strike for 80 days or longer avails nothing," the petition said. Arthur J. Goldberg, union attor ney who filed the appeal, told newsmen as he left the court that the union "is anxious for speedy disposition of the case, compati ble with the court's requirments". Asked if a delay in a court rut ing would benefit the union's side in the labor dispute, Goldberg said "we are not interested in delay.' Avalanche Wipes Out Village, Kills 800 Mexicans MEXICO CITY IUPD An avalanche caused by heavy rains obliterated the village of Minatit Ian Tuesday with a sudden blow that may have snuffed out 800 lives, reports from the storm devastated west coast disclosed today. Swarms of scorpions and taran tulas attacked the injured survi vors when the rain-loosened side of the Copales Mountains thun deredonto the village and, tore loose the nests of the -poinsonous insects arachnids. Frantic ap peals tor anti-venom serum were radioed to Mexico City. The disaster at Minatitlan was only one of a series that hit Mexico's Pacific Coast Tuesday wnen a storm, aescrinea as a cyclone, wiped out a dozen vil lages and killed more than 1.000 persons. Many hundreds were still unaccounted for. The fate of 1.000 persons in the flooded town of Zacoalpan in northern Colima state was still in doubt. Scout Court Of Honor At LDS Church Tonight A Boy bcout Court of Honor will be held at 7:30 o'clock tonight in the small auditorium at the local LDS church, it was announced by Paul Jenkins, district Scout execu tive. The affair is also a parent's night, and they will observe their boys in a uniform inspection being standard graded, by Scout leaders. "I was waist deep in sand and my baby was washed out of my hands, and I couldn't do a thing about it," sobbed the young moth er to a highway patrolman who came to their rescue. Officers searched unsuccessfully with flash lights for the baby. Two-year-old Maude Eldridge was ripped from her mother's arms and drowned when a churn ing wall of water raged out of a dry wash flooded by rain and overturned the woman's car north of here. Mrs. Theresa Eldridge of Cave Creek, told sheriff's officers she got one daughter five-year-old Patty-to safety, but the strong current pulled Maude away from her as she attempted to toss her to safety. The child was swept a mile down the wash. A violent wind storm packing gusts of up to 70 miles an hour swept Southern California, uproot ing numerous trees and raising a thick blanket of dust. L.A. Without Electricity Thousands of homes in subur ban Los Angeles areas were with out electricity when power lines were blown down or knocked down by felled trees. Heavy rain accompanied by a were electrical storm struck the Imperial Valley, but flooding was reported confined to uninhabited desert areas in Southern California. Vote $360,000 Bond Issue Called For By GRAOY PANNELL Observer Staff Writer A $360,000 special bond issue for construction of a new sewage dis posal facility here will be voted on in La Grande next Friday. City commissioners face some what of an acid t"st over the is sue, they having endorsed the project several monts ago, but finding strong opposition then to their original disposal area site. A referendum, on a new sewage treatment plant, called for al most a month ago, had to be postponed until Nov. 6 because suitable acreage owned by the city at Municipal Airport was den ied them for this purpose by both state and federal aviation auth orities. Oxidation Ponds The city commission, unani mous in its desire for a new type disposal plant, proposes 100 acre oxidation ponds at a site near the present disposal plant just east of the city. In order to reach as many of the eligible voters as possible on the special election Friday, a newsletter containing vital infor mation on the proposed new sew age facility has been mailed to every home owner in the city. Signed by the entire commis sion slate, the letter urges all Interested persons to attend a public meeting Tuesday night at 8 o'clock at the junior high school auditorium. At this time more technical information will be available from memebrs of the Stato Sanitary Authority, , the city engineer and members of the private engineering firm of Cornell, Howland, Hayes and Merryfield. Why does the city commission face an acid test? . For .vr8l reasons. As repre sentatives of the city and charged with the responsibility of operating the city government, th?y must come up with a solution to pre sent city sewage problems. Most Economical Also they must present the type of new disposal facility that is the most economical and yet wi'l adequately handle the job and face up to state health standards. The oxidation ponds are the an swer, they say, and they have in formation to back them up. The lagoon type oxidation ponds are the cheapest by $100,000. A new sewage freatment plant, pat terncd after the one now in oper ation, would cost $464,000 to con struct. To build additions to the exis ting plant and bring it up to state health standards would cost $437, 000. Cost -of the oxidation pond type plant is $360,000. That's the figure on the bond ballot. New 100 acre oxidation ponds are the cheapest in linancing costs, operation and maintenance costs, total required annual re venue and required average mon th'y service, for these reasons: 1. Assuming no federal aid under Public Law 660. 2. Assuming bonds financed for 20 years at 4Vi per cent in terest. 3. Tax levy based upon La Grande assessment roll of Jan uary, 1W7. 4. Based upon city count of sewer services of January, 19S7. The only thing the city commi- sion can do under these circum stances, and after more than gen tle prodding by the State Sanita tion Authority, is turn the propo sition over to the voters, iou vote next Friday. Walter R. Parker, longtime re sident of La Grande, sums up gen eral opinion on the bond issue. I want to know more about it before I vote, and I'm going to ask some questions Tuesday night." State Jurisdiction One of the questions Parker plans to ask city officials Is about state jurisdiction over lagoon type ponds. He cites Prineville's desire to construct sim:iar facilities and the state's attitude on the matter. The state seems only luke warm to oxidation type ponds. If we vote favorably on this matter how do we know the state will go along?" is his question. Mrs. Allie Hall Dies Mrs. Allie Hall, Elgin, passed i.-iv at a local hospital this morn ing. Funeral arrangements will be announced later by the Daniels funeral home. LA GRANDE, OREGON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1959 Fridav Elk Season Tomorrow; By BILL BEBOUT Observer Staff Writer Hunting conditions in Northeast ern Oregon have been termed ex. cellent by local Game Commission o'ficials as hunters prepare to take to the field tomorrow a hall hour before sunrise for the oen ing of the general Elk season. Light snow in the Tollgate area and in the higher elevations ot the Wallowas, although not suffi ciently heavy to move elk down will make it easier for the hunt ers to track the big animals. The season runs through Nov. 22 in this area. Heavy rains prior to the season EOC Theatre Ticket Sales Start Sunday Season ticket sales for the Eastern Oregon College theatre productions get underway Nov. 1, according to Richard llialt, as sistant professor of speech and drama. Hiatt indicated the season's program, which opens with "The Solid Gold Cadillac" Nov. 12, will include three major productions, an evening of one-act plays, plus a dance and choir performance. In addition to "The Solid Gold Cadillac," the year's major pro ductions will be "Th? Glass Men agerie," and "Old King Cole." The EOC drama director noted season ticket sales would continue through Nov. 14, last night for the season's first production, opening have contributed to the the mountains and hunters are ex pected to have fair to good success Set U S. Rocket Shot To Venus End Of '60 RICHMOND, Va. I UPI I - A space engineer said today tiie Na tional Space Agency will launch a rocket 28 million miles to Venus by the end of ItHlO. Allan B. Churgin. research en gineer for the National Aeronaut ics and Space Administration said rockets are available now to car ry such a space probe. Venus is more than 112 times as far from Earth as the Moon. "Space exploration this year and early next year will see the launching of several dozen differ ent satellites and probes as lar away as the vicinity of Venus," Churgin said. He added NASA did not expect to recover a space probe launched to such a distance. Churgin, addressing a section of the Virginia Education Assn. meet ing here, also said the Scout four- stage rocket, capable of placing a 150-pound satellite into an orbit Police Make Four Traffic Arrests La Grande police made four ar rests for violation of the basic rule yesterday. Three of the char ged persons were women. Beverly Jean Rachau, 2515 Sec ond St., was cited for doing 30 miles per hour in a' 20 mile zone near the Second Street overpass at 4:49 p.m. yesterday. Bail was set at $10. Joan Rae Collins, 805 Lake St., was cited for traveling 32 miles per hour in a 20 mile zone at 1:54 p.m. near the overpass. Bail was set at $12. Helen White Quinn, 407 Alder St., was cited for violation of the basic rule on Fourth Street be tween K and M Avenues at 12 13 p.m. Police said she was travel ing 28 miles per hour in a 20 mile zone. Her bail was set at $8. Norman Earl Diggins, Imbler, was also cited for violation of the basic rule when police clocked him at 40 miles per hour in a 20 mile zone near the Second Street overpass at 4:41 p.m. Bail was set at $20. Hearings on all cases will be at 3 p m. today. Wallace T. Collingwood. 1422 V Ave., was cited for failure lo stop for a red light at the intersection of Adams Avenue and IVot Street at 8:22 yesterday. Bail was set at $10 and a hear ing scheduled for 3 p.m. next Monday. Oil Gets Underway Here Hunting Looks Good in this area. In I n ion ami Baker counties, prtispeds are f.iir to good ill the Tullg.ite, mi. Emily. Staikey and Sumpier areas. The Wenaha area, larlieau Meadows, Iiroek Meadows Lookout Mountain, Klk Flat, round and Uiag Meadows are expected to lie fair aimig the top for hunter suceess. Fair Hunting Rock Creek, Slick Ear. Milk Creek, ami llutle Creek should be fair along the Wenaha River. In the Chesniinnus area, quite a num ber of elk have been observed 3 rouiul Hi(l. Corrals. Buekhorn Spring and the Deadhorse Ridge area. Many elk have been seen a rtmnj Knkland Forest Camp and Table Mountain area. In the Sled Siings area. Grossman Creek will he good but access is restricted. Five Dollar Ridge. I'owatko Ridge. WashUiaid Ridge. Toe Creek and McCallister Ridge should be fair hunting. The area around Sled Springs guard s! al ion and Snow Hollow Heroic Rescue Last Night Of 2 Hunters Trapped In Wreckage Two Oregon hunters narrowly escaped death last night when they were trapped for several hours in snow and ice after their jeep plunged. 1,000 feet down an embankment 18 miles west of Sum merville. Rushed lo Grande Ronde Hos pital at 11:30 o'clock last night by Don Dempsey Ambulance Ser- 300 miles from Earth, would be operational "sometime in the very near future." Churgin, stationed at NASA's Langley research Center at Lang ley Air Force Base, Va., said a manned space station was "at least five or 10 years in the fu ture." ' He predicted that the first manned space ship would be car ried by the Luna rocket, still un der development, which would stand one-fourth as hir,h as the Em pire State Building and develop six million pounds of thrust. It would be able to put a 150, 000 -pound satellite into orbit, Churgin said. He gave no time table for development of the Luna. Churgin did not elaborate on the rocket which would hurl the Ven us probe; but it presumably would be under the NASA Vega program. Island City Market Heist Is Fruitless ISLAND CITY (Special) Hydes Supermarket here was broken in to last night when entrance was gained by forcing the front door lock. As far ns could be determined this morning nothing was taken from the market, but $3 in change was reported missing from the ad jacent post oflice. An attempt to crack the post office safe failed, it was said. Local Youngsters In Special 'Trick-Treat' Campaign Here Many La Grand? youngsters will join with 2,000.000 American young people this Saturday night in the I'nited Nations Children's Emer gency Fund U'NK'EF) in a "trick treat" operation to aid needy per sons. UNCEF is the world's largest international organization entirely devoted to the health and welfare of children and mothers. It oper ates with other United Nations agencies to combat disease and malnutrition in under-deve'oped areas where illness and hunger are taken for granted. Ring Doorbells The La Grando boys and girls who will participate in this drive will be ringing doorbells in the city following a 6 p.m. get-together at the Presbyterian Church. They will wear arm bands for identification. New Hill should also provide some bulls. In the Minani area, the lower Minam region around the heads of squaw Creek. Trout Creek and Deer Creek should be fair, al though uccess is restricted in this area. The upper Minam will be slow until snow falls, as well ut the North Minam and Bear Creek. Good Conditions In the Snake River area, the up per lmnaha from Indian Crossing up, including the north fork, mid dle fork and the south fork, should be good. This area can become snow bound very fast, but present con ditions should make it good hunt ing. The lower area between the Iimtha and Snake River will pro bably be only fair until snow falls. The recently completed road up Dry Creek is not open to the gen eral public at the present time. In the lmnaha district, the area around Lick Creek out north to llarl Butte should be fair. Additional information on the elk season may be found on to day's sports page. vice were Donald Knuffman, 28, Camby, and John Fisher, 44, Hub bard. The attending physican said Fish er was suffering from severe shock and the extent of his injuries was not immediately available. Kauff man was suffering from multiple fractures, including the back. Trapped 4 hours Their vehicle was towing a two horse trailer on the Skyline Road when the aeckks.-rt tfiirred around -4:30 p.m. They were helpless for some four hours before a Game fj Commission power wagon could j ' penetrate the narrow snow-coverd road. The ambulance made it part of the way and returned the two men in a shuttle team effort. The pair was getting an early start in preparation for opening of the elk season tomorrow. They planned to drive deep into the mountainous- area by the Sky line Road and set up a horse camp in order to proceed the rest of the way. Horses Unhurt They were able to tell rescuers that the heavy trailer slipiied to the left off the narrow road above Ruckles Springs near the approach to Dusty Saddle. The rig pulled their Jeep with it, both vehicles turning over several times. The horses were thrown out as the trailer tipped over and both mounts were uninjured. However, the two hunters suffered severe jolting in the accident. State Welfare Meeting Here The State Public Welfare Com mission is meeting in La Grande today with the morning session devoted to the adoption of special reports and the consideration of individual care program by the state group. A special report on the medical care program of the commission was heard and a discussion on the revised plan is scheduled for this afternoon. The commission is meeting at the Neighborhood Club on 6th and N Streets. The meeting is ocn lo the public. Upon their special canvass of La Grande, the young people will reassemble at the church where their collections will be counted. A social time will th"n follow for ; all participants until 8 30 o'clock. The local UNCEF committee said that every cent collected by the teen agers will be sent to the United Nations commitle for fur ther distribution. Soroptimists Aid Underwriting part of the drive here is the local Soroplimist Club. Various projects L'NICEF under takes is TB vaccination, tropical disease cures, war against trach oma and foodstuffs. Aided coun tries match every UNICEF dollar with an average $2.50 and even tually take over the programs. A 30 nation executive board, includ ing Ihe UN as a member, governs LNICEF. 8 Paget Sewage ""hi W. H. REUTER I ii i mm my uli in m i i I pi .ltCV, ... j( 1 JOHN GROUPE n.,-, i fc.:- .1 .. ROBERT E. ALLEN ETHEL JAMES BESSIE STUART pV r ED CRAIG Five Cents Plant Men Say Yes, Not ; The Women By NEIL ANDERSEN Observer Staff Writer What does the man in the street think about next week' bond election on a new sewage lagoon-type plant, and how will, he vote? That was the main question asked several residents of La Grande yesterday by The Obser, ver as the Nov. 6 bond voting; date draws near. Most of the men queried ex pressed favorable comment. Th majority of women, however, sal cj they would vote against the Is sue. And many of the people ques tioned didn't know too much about the special election issue or didn't wish. to be quoted. Favors Lagoons W. II. Reuter, a druggist, favor ed the proposed lagoons and the, bond election. "I think we should have it, and I'll vote for It," Reuter said. A salesman claimed not to know too much about it Win Howe, 1303 Ninth Ave., said, "l don't know too much about it but I know the city needs it. If the city needs it, I'll vote for it. E. R. Smith, 1210 Walnut St.) is a fireman (or the Union Pact fice railroad. "In my opinion it will be alt right. I have read up on the matter and I know we need air improvement although I'm unde; cided on the type. The increased! water waste coming into our pres ent system from new bouses will force us to do something. I plan to vote in the affirmative," Smith said. John Groupe, 96 South Third St. is a partner in a men'i cloth ing firm. Me also will vote in favor of the bond election. "I think the city has to do something or be told to bv the ' . (1 state. 1 will go along with, the -7 city commission's recommenda ' lion and vote for it. I think La ' ' Grande is entering a phase of growth and must improve its fa ,J cilities and keep pace with the times, he said. Basic Essential "Sewers, streets and civic Im provements are a basic essential to any community and we cannot stand still," Groupe added. "It's a good thing. It will have to come sometime," said Robert E. Allen. Allen, 2206 Jefferson Ave., thinks that something hji to be done to improve our pres ent facilities and he will vote for the bonds. . Housewife Bessie Stuart, 1613 Fifth St., plans to vote agairfst the bond issue. T" "We need to do something about the present problems but I don't think that lagoons are the answer," she said. ' Ethel James, hotel clerk at the Sacajawea, thinks she will vote for the issue. '. "It's high time we did some thing about our present facilities. It's for better sanitation in the city and I'll vote for that," she said. Lou Yeager, 1507 Seventh St., has charge of the Sacajawea Col fee Shop and is undecided ho she'll vote. "It's necessary for the city but why mess with storm sewers and now this, she said. . She is undecided now but plana , to talk the issue over with her husband before she makes a final decision. Schoolteacher Otto Weigel, 2106 Cedar St., claims he need to know more about the Issue, He doesn't know which way he'll vote until he gets more inform! tion and can vote Intelligently,1 "Smelly" Question "It's still a smelly question," Weigel joked. Bob Wilkins was worried about the addition to the tax burden, "If we want new facilities we. have to pay for them," Wilkin said. I think the ability of the community to bear additional tax burdens warrants further study," commented Wilkins. i A dry cleaner, Ed Craig, 1206 0 Ave., didn't want to wait un til it was too late to add new las cilities. -; "It seems to be the growing 1 need of the community," he caio The present facilities were built, for a city of a certain size and the city has grown as evidenced by the numerous homes being built. I see no need to wait until a new system is forced upon jus and then there is no place to ! put it like with the schools," Craig : added. , That is the way several citli tens who will vote on the issue I feel The final result wont W known for approximately 10 daya, 1 J