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About La Grande observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1959-1968 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 23, 1959)
WEATHER I'eitly cloudy through Thuii day with patchy valley fofl except mow flurries north to day; hight 15-4$ except cooler 'oggy areas; low tonight 22-14. LA; GRAND ERVER E OBS n94th Issue 64th Yiar Ike Home. Plans WASHINGTON il'i Presi cleil K.sc.il.o'.ver returned to his White House desk today and pre - pared to give the American peo ple in a nationwide talk late this afternoon the "impressions" he gainel in his 23.0(K) rni!e peace pilK'image alnoad. Eisenhower will make what was described as a "preliminary re port" on his trip when he lights li e nation's community Christmas tree here at 2 p m. p.s.l. His first caller was Vice Presi dent Pirhard M Nixon who was on ha. id to greet Ki-ienhower upon return trom his trip at Andrews Air Force ISae Tuesday nisht. While House News Secretary James C. Ilagerty said the Pres ident would make a 13 to 14 min ute speech whil? participating in the aiinual Christmas tree lighl ii.g ceremonies on the public grounds south of the White House. The speech will lie carried to the nation by radio and tele vision. Further Reports Planned Hugerty described the speech as "impressions" the President had received during his 11-nation tour ml said it ecsild be a "prelimi hcr egam. Asked if tit President would make any further public reports :) (lie trip, Ilagerty said he ex pected the chief executive to dis cuss his findings often in later Hu tches. He said this could in cuxle the President's Stat of the I'nioa Message, which will be de livered to Congress early next month. Te Chiof Executive, bearing a message of "Merry Christmas ami ml will" to all Americans fion hinitelf ami the iieuplc he visited mi his three-continent tour, la Hied at Andrews Air - Force Kosr. Md , at 11:25 p.m. e s t. Toesday night. After receiving a kiss from Mrs Eisenhower and a rousing wel come from . some n gaolers headed by Vice President liickard H. Nixon, cabinet members and members of Congress, the Presi dent drove to the White House for fint'eW applause from several m eWumW 9:: M Mi PRIEST ATTENDS EOC Father Elden Curtiss, assistant at Our Lady of the Vally Catholic Church, nears end of his first course in journalism. Father, Curtiss is pre paring for service with Baker Diocese edition of The Sentinel, official state Catho lic publication. Instructor Harold Dom listens as priest asks question during class meeting. "' (Observer Photo) BEAUTY AND THE Pretty Girl Armed Bars, Pistol -Whip OAKLAND. Calif. 'VP! I The girl was young and ;ood looking and her two escorts were well dressed. She sipped her beer while the men toyed with high balls. Bartender John Von Meier. 5S. found them pleasant enough, typi cal holiday drinkers. After two founds the girl got up and left As she reached the door one of her companions whipped out a pistol and cracked Von Meier in the face with the butt of the gun. "All right." the gunman said, "this Is a stick-up." The girl disappeared out the door. The two men worked fast, grabbed S70 lrr.ni the cash regis ter, another $93 from Von Meier's wallet. Tbey ordered the three nusaiul sparkler ainu ailniir- Al the airport, the President id he hail arrived too late at night "for an erudite and inform ative speech." Local Group In Sewage Meet Report La Grande's citizen committee formed to study the sewage pro blem knuckled down to the big t.isk before them at meeting held last night. Harold Patterson district representative of the Slate Sanitary Authority, wit on hand to answer questions per taining to various types erf sew age systems and to acquaint the raeeiliers with snme of the prob lems facing l a (irande. pnmmittce members question ed Patterson on the possibility o( remodeling the present plant to meet state requirements. Pat terson outlined sis deficiencies in the existing treatment plant, including an inadequate digeilur rnd lack of a satisfactory second ary clarifyer, Inspection Trio Three members 0 the commit tee reported on inspection trips to various types of treatment plunts in Pendleton, Ontario, Vale and Pilot Ruck. Chairman Lee St oner appoint cl Hermsn Sksls as hesd of a committee to investigate the stlv uge and rebuilding of La Grande's current system. Stoner also cau tioned members of the entire committee to plan adequately (or future expansion of population and service when considering a solution to the problem confront ing the group. Oil Company Entered Tidewater Oil Co., Wall It K Strnets, La Grande, was entered last night hi officisfc said noth ing aepjeossd le be saisamf. .. . BANDITS patrons to lean forward with their hands on the bar. George C. Slocomb, 55. started to speak. He was slammed over the head with a pistol and fell unconscious to the floor. The ban dits cot $To more before they lefN the Shillalah Ca'e in Lafayette. The Village Tavern in nearby Richmond was crowded when the young woman and her two escort arrived not long afterward. There were nine customers and three employes. The girl ordered a beer and the men drank gin. Suddenly both men poured out a stream of foul language, whipped out guns and ordered everyone to lay on the floor. The attractive girl stood and watched The two men, both in their mid 20 s, went down the line rob- if I VV " ' L I J'fife xV""j f'Jt Wjf i t ' 3 mw t- ,''i-::1 TWS'-IWl let ' w V .!..-- 1' COMMITTEE AT WORK Harold Patterson, left, district representative of the Stale Sanitary Authority, met with members of La Grande citizen committee last night to answer questions re garding sewage disposal systems and to explain the problem in the present facili ties. This was first business meeting scheduled by the group. Committee chairman Lee Stoner and secretary Carlos Easley, right, sit at the head table wiih Patterson. Nest week the committee is scheduled to meet with Earl Reynolds, consulting en gineer. , (Observer ITioto) Local Parish Priest Student Of Journalism At EOC Here By BILL 8BBOUT bbsenrar Stall Writw Father EUea. Curtiss ie a fa miliar figure on the campus of Eastern Oregon College. This month he completed a course in basic journalbmi here. Father Curtiss is an assistant pastor of Our Lady of the Valley Catholic Church as Le Grande. Whei he completes hts work in jnarBOliam, he will assist in the puKlieation of the' Bak'T Diocese sdiliea oi ,Tbe Scatims, . He.ff 1 1 t'j'.ni -.a. .l.U-S ,", ' Men Rob Onlookers brg the ratrons. When the ban- dits reached Mrs. Marjorie Now- ell. 45. one of the men smashed her with his pistol. Then he bent down and kissed her on the neck. Then he picked her up and hit her again. He bent down ana Kissea he ragain. Tuesday night Oakland police summoned to an amusement cen ter arrested Mrs. Corrine Wie land. 22. wife of an overseas Navy man. and Larkin Murrell. 31. ex convict, as suspects. Mrs. Wieland confessed her part in the assaults and seven other hold-ups since May. and implicat ed Richard Dublinski. 27. as the second gunman. An all-points bul letin was issued for his arrest. She claimed Murrell and Dublin ski "were always threatening me and held me prisoner." LA GRANDE, currently doing some writing for the official Orefon Catholic asib licatiea. SeeSHe Feper Father Curtiss worked on th staff ef the Harvesters newspaper of St. Edwards Seminary in Sealt'e where he studied before being or dained ia May. 1958. Daring the next term of school, he will do seme additional work ia Journalism with the assistance ef Harold Dom, journalism in structor at Eastern Oregon Col rtatcek. -- - - .-. He waa assigned to the local parish by Bishop Francis P. Leip zig of the Baker Diocese this past fall. - Father Curtiss exp-rts to further his education in journalism at an other school In the future and ia presently considering the I'nivrrsi ty of Oregon. ma amies at ine pirnrt. now- ever, keep hire occupied and he.rrOITI rlCIRe CrOSIl will want him to continue with imirnnTam ta nr Ir Ia the meantime. Father Curtis is busy writing stories from the diocese on Eastern Oregon in adrfi- lon to handling his duties as ao assistant to Mmsignor Crulty. paUor of Our Lady of the V;,lh y. ANNOUNCES FELLOWSHIPS WASHINGTON 'VPH The IT. S. OftVe of Education an nounced TueoiUy it avouid aai d eesrty eat fritovsnips before Ap ril B lor rJwy of B foreign umgoasee soldom taught tn this cwTiiiili y. t l Jr v M r M 1 m i PLEASE SANTA, A GARBAGE CAN Gary Davis. 3, of Memphis, Tenn., has a simple request for Christmas. Gary seems to have a phobia for garbage cans and in sisted to a local department store Santa that all he wanted for Christmas was one nice garbage can. Here Gary has climbed aboard the can while his pet dog, Penny, seems to be perplexed by the entire affair. ORE., Wj-PNi-SDAY, DECKMEK S3, 198 -t?T.v. v LOCAL CLUBS AID 'KETTLES' The SalraHan Army Christ mas "karlle" fund was en riched by more Mian Self tlircugh the efforts ef service clubs and Explorer Bay Scsuts last Saturday. Lt. Oakley Summers, In charee ef the Salvation Army here, said that rhe Liens due) haadad the individual club drive effort by raising 1130 40. " KunMoruo ctufe weivKs Sorop' timist with in.. Third wee Kiwatbs with $a.M; Ratwy fourth, S5S.J); Junior Chambor ef Cimmerce, SM.fS, and Ex plorer Scoui i, S20.lt. At Least 42 Dead RIO DK .TANEISO UTI 'Fire men coiiiIhuk the charred wreck age ef uhtrlan home shere said tud.iy al lea-t il ue'sais were killfrf and in oilier inured In Turvtay'a dtmhlt- air crash. A Urailinn domestic airliner. huh kaked emgs with an air force k'l IraiiH r over Rio. crashed in tnihurtvii Ramos, setting four homes m fire All of the 31 per ni aboard the auimer and at k'u.-e to rrili Gi m the crash area ere killed. Air Ce-lri f-'ihiardo Silva Perez, pilot e the trainer, parachuted te safety. --. f t, I 1 --!Tia4JsL ai Winter Strikes U.S. With Furious Punch FAIR SHOT, POOR JUDGE SAN JOSt, Calif. (UPI) Rookie sheriff's Deputy Oar roll Morehouse proved te fol io workers Tuesday that he's e fair shot but e poor judge et firearms. Morehouse pkked up an other deputy's new pistol while en a coffee break at headquarters end remerked: "Well, well, a five-shot Chief Special." He removed five rounds from the cylinder, took elm at the candy machine and slow ly squealed the friaaer. The fun was a sin-shot "Cobra." Christmas Beginning Of Long Holiday Here For School Children By GRADY PANNELL Observer Staff Writer Christmas will be a long holiday for cily and county school students and for some public officials this week. City students will b-fin their holiday period following dismissal of classes at the regular hour this altrrnoon. They will report back to classrooms on Monday, Janu ary 4 of a new year. EOC students already are oa a long holiday. College classes were dismissed laat weekend. Pity the Postmen Pest effuw workvra wift be4he busiest ef the lot here, however, ae weary najlm-w trudge their routes right "up te the wire." The Social Security office will be closed Thursday, afternoon and will not open again until Monday, giving the SC. workers a long Christ mas. Most churches will observe Christmas with special services hire, and one religious organiza tion, the Salvation Army, plans to offer its cheer a little early. Salvattoa Army At T O'clock tonight, the Salva tion Army will hold Its annual Christmas program (or seedy children at ita headquarters. Ill Fir St. Parents wishing te have their children Included la this prouram are invited to have them preneof. Highlight of the evening will be a llirisUnas play, according to Lt. Oakley Summers The play Is "The Quesuoa. and It deals with what OniKlanne mraui te the Individual. OM St. Nk-k will be present, too, oral he will gift the rooruprtem Caady will be passed around at the end of the pragraiTi. fl Families Last yrnr. U. Bummers auid. there were SS families Dure re ecrving Ctrrwimju baskets. A le af US persons Were vbdUM by the SA. in JtuUi, hosnilaai asra U Hot Lake rest home. Ench re ferred gut. $300,000 JEWEL ROBBERY PULLED IN SAN FRANCISCO SA . FRANCISCO (UPI) A bandit rtsved a swank downtfwn jewelry store StM.M is gems Tuesday night, then vurilsff-d into the surging crowd of Christmas shoppers. The rfhher. armed with a pis tol in geC h.'Bid and what be said was a vial of explosives in the other, forced an employe of the store to go with him. But the em ploye, Ralph Hut he. escaped when th man tried to forCe him into a church on the next block. Graham Browne, manager of the Paul DeVries-Louis and Co. jewelry store, described the ban dit as a professional. "He took only the big pieces 11 of them, and be stulfed them all into a blue paper bag," Browne said. "He took no junk." The stolen pieces included a 10 carat diamond ring, a 5-carat man's diamond ring, two 3 carat diamond rings, a Si-carat emer ald ring, a star ruby and a string of perfectly matched 11-millimet- cr cultured pearls. Browne said there were five em ployes and four customers In the store when the robber came In. ' He took Mr. Iluthe as a host P0 WHITE CHRISTMAS LOOMS FOR MUCH OF THE NATION United Prtns International Winter in all its forte and fury struck hard today. It as sured a white Christmas fur much of the nation, hut put a real crimp in holiday travel plans. As the Northeast recovered from heavy snow, Arctic alf spilled southward through the area, dropping temperatures to below jero. In Oneonta, N.Y.. it was 12 below. A wide band of snow spread over the Midwest, slowing nignway iranic to a crawi. nirrei was an eih( iiuh fall at Madisivi. Wis., and in some parts of tlie state the snow was H inches deep. Koaris in northern Illinois were barely isien tn some spots South M the snow there was rain and Noil hem California gut ita "fust anprcoahle rain in over three months," the Weal her Bu reau said Heavy snow warnings were in effect for the Great Lakes region and harrardous drviing conditions were expected to continue. A total of 207 persons attended last year's children's Christmas party. The Salvation Army again will embark on the same program. Many kinesoms people will bo treated te e typical Christ- minos, plus gifts end enter tainment, Friday at Doll's Stoak house, 11 Dapot ft. Tur key features the menu. Dell's is even providing trans portation between the hour of l:tt and t:St p.m. that day te those who will call and request this ser vice. The Chistmna purty at OeJ'e begins of p.m., with dinner -to be aerved between S and t tt p.m, Santa Clous will be prexent with various gifts candies, nuts and orungea being donated by Al- bertaoa'e. Eddy's Bakery is (uraisb- ing rolls and pastry and Pepsi Cola will provide the beveragus. Church Service Among special church services are those at Zion Lutheran, Piral Presbyterian, St. Peter's Episco pal and Ow Lady of the Valley Catholis Church. First Freubyferuui will hold a candlelight worship service at T p m. Thursday, In charge of the Bev. Louis Samson. Zion Lutheran will have tradi tional candlelight service beoia aing at ?: pm. Thursday, with Christmoa curou) and a meatuun front the auator, the Rev E. W. Kaatea. PurUcuxauui in the eer vice will be the Lather Leswae. Christmas day service is arbwduM fan- M S sun. and will aarlude special varuj mane. Holy Cammianna win be cele brated Ot it Q.m- Sunday at Zioa Lolaeran ia coattenotion of the Oiristmue period. Soleiwit Nbjb Mass Our Lexty ef the Vaiky eid cele brate the n-adnaraul Scfema Hirs Mionuds KUaai Tworsday. waa the Rt. Rev. Mnwv Matthew Crotty the cwiuhrant, atwisted by ratbers Eaeua Certiss and Charles SM CMRISTMAS Pan t age- and walked him all the way up to Post and Maslon la block and a half away). Kuthe broke away and came back unharmed." The gunman was described as in his mid-forties and about six feet tall. His only disguise consist ed of dark glasses and a pair of stick-on type, bandages in a V shaoe from his eyes to his mouth. Browne said the bandit rejected several less expensive items sug gested by Ruthe. emptying show cases and window displays while Christmas shoppers passed by a i:apnc:iTTB .xarrsTeVussiALS Mva Cti Blame Winter For 14 Deaths NFW YORK IT! The na tiisi's biggest city, digging out of a seven-inch snowfall that nearly hamstnuig its transportation as teries, today faced a possible iv Ileal perfirmance Christmas T. The It hour snowvurm starujia m the last day of autumn and ended at t a m. ea t. just SS minis rs before winter officially arrived Tuesday. Big air, rail and road transportation was hobbled fur most of the day. At least 14 deaths were blumed on the snow in Maesachunalla, Connecticut. New Jersey arut Pennsylvania. ,.. The dead included T-feur-eU Williem Nichols of H Paan, Ten., who slid beneath the wheubi ef truck on his first sled ride in New Kensington, Pa. ' Eight persons died ia highway accidents, three ia fails, and twa h orn apparent heart attacks white clearing snow. The weather bureau saht tateye waa a chance of rain er snow Thursday as a precipnatiea amp forming tn the Midwest moves eastward. Seven inchea of snow wenM he shrugged aff by menu ajrrrrtoan cities. But New Vera, with iu tight checluarfaaurd ef strata and Di thairuaids ef commuters wto awtn m bx mckI as4 cuft n . morniiuj and eurge back oat to the evening, cue be thMWSl to near butt by evee tna. Fire Guts 3 Stores In Montreal District MONTREAL (UPI) A 0nj fire on the etty't mam gbeynrirta; street early today btobuM SB fare men out am sure asasssmtuaew to battle fin roue wkiea gates three stores. The twe-oturm Ore partly de stroyed two kiuhUrrgK e St. Cum or roe St. Aa Adjaeeat Unnaie, the CemedK CaaadteenB) wen dam aged by water. No sou ww asianat. He's Old Hnd Af Delivering Bfebies . dcnvei turn Aviation nwesusee Canea teastead. S3, de kvared has taard set ef twine, his ne's ltrk asd 1Mb ckinisen, in tkenr trarier bosse Wsedny nfghti "AAev I dukrered use rwsk pair ef twins," Usseostnt seidt "rrw wae nwnintid lera alaa't, neefl a dorter." Firemen Awavste Cxfll . The La Ce-ande fire eVpasement was caia-d te 13S1 madlson Ave., yestiesuy aftcraeea to put out iscs fire. Two trucks were dis patches to the minor blaze that occurred at 3:35. few feet away unaware that a holdup was in progress. One employe, Mrs. H. J. Leyser, said she observed a uniformed pa liceman standing with his book against the store window during the robbery. She said the officer departed before the robber did." Another employe. Mabel Duke, uid the bandit told her he was wanted for murder. "He said one thing more would not make any difference. Just be fore he left, he said, 'I'm aeriouai If there's a false move. I'D, blow the place sky high. If any attemgi is made to call police I wiil kfl this man (Ruthe). . . I'm probabiy going to kill him anyway." , , Ruthe escaped when he ducker) into the office of British Overseaa Airways Corp. He said the fan man had told him to go InaUa M First Congregational Church wtma they reached the next corner, I'll put a bullet in your beck," An independently operated Do Vrieat wholesale firm, located A block away from the retail ueere! was the scene of another tea jewel robbery in 1SSS. Tbe three) iwmi wa iauni wiUUn g days. - - 7