Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The Oregon statesman. (Salem, Or.) 1916-1980 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 26, 1924)
' - - .1;-.::.: : . J " - "- ' ' : - i The Weather OREGON Fair and con- SIX PAGES TODAY tlnued cold Friday; moderate to fresh . east; winds. Thursday Max., 27; min., 5; river, 1.7, tailing; wind j north; atmosphere, clear. i There was more happiness this Christmas than ever before; The Statesman thanks all its friends for their good-wishes.. SEVENTYrFOURTH TEAK SALEM, OREGON, FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 26; 1924 PRICE FIVE CENTS mp ) r V I I A L V- 1 V 1TEIUSE CHRISTIS IS QUIET AFFAIR Simplicity Marks Celebration of Yule Tide at Coolidge Home; Capital City Ob serves Holiday FEW RECEPTIONS AND PARTIES IN EVIDENCE Government Of f ices Will Open . Today; Congress to ' Meet Monday V WASHINGTON, Dec. 23. The simplicity that Attends oDservance of Christmas f in rural Vermont, . marked ' the I day at the White House and in a measure pervaded , the entire life of the capital. ' t Whether by design or not, ob servance of .the holiday through.. " out Washington partook of the quiet and timpie manner of the cthebration of President and Mrs. Coolidge, partly through the in herited custom of their Vermont forebears and partly because of th recent vacancy in the family circle, . : Cabinet members remaining In the city for the holiday observed the festival -with members of their families and those of high and low degree in official and. private life followed much I the same plan. There were few of the receptions and parties that once marked the day in the capital. Mr. Coolidge refused to permit the holiday to Interfere entirely with his routine. He and Mrs.1 Coolidge had ' break fast at the. usual hour. At nine o'clock : the president was in his ' office, but a clear desk greeted him and so he wandered through the ." executive I offices seeking ! among , the desks the overnight Jccumulation . of J mail. " Finding his, he sorted It out, taking with tia a few letter that appeared most likely to be addressed to his personal attention and then taking a seat beside the policeman's desk v in the main lobby read the morn ing newspapers. ' , Returning to the executive man sion,' he spent an hour with Mrs. Coolidge and, John, their son, and the White House's only Christmas guests, Mr. and Mr. Frank W. Stearns of Boston, and then the entire party drove to .the First Congregational church for the union Christmas day services, held under the auspices of the Wash ington Federation of Churches. Ministers representing the leading protestant denominations in the city participated in these services and a sermon entitled "The Abid ing Joy of 1 the Shepherds" was preached by the Rev. Charles Wood of the Church of the Cove nant, Presbyterian. ' ' - Government departments, which closed Wednesday noon, will re open tomorrow,: but congress will ... not reconvene until next Monday. s' ? COLD CONTINUES ' , SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 25. Cold weather continued through out eastern Washington today and tonight ' temperatures just above xero were reported from several sections. . , - j. ' ' e 35-YEAR RECORD Coldest Christmas Since 1891; Thermometer Stands at 18 SEATTLE, Dec. 25. One death of a woman from despond ency, the probably fatal wounding of a man self inflicted , and - the breaking of a 35 year weather Tecord for , Christmas when the temperature dropped to 18 de grees above zero, the coldest since 1891, marked Christmas day in Seattle. : - r -The body of Mrs. Av ilia Hackett was found in the gas filled apart ment of her sister, Mrs. F.1 Thom as. In, one hand was a doll and some garments f belonging to her six months bid baby who died four months ago. I , . F. I. Besselman, merchandising manager of a Seattle style shop, was "said by friends to have fatal ly shot himself tonight as a result of mental disorders. Clothes, candy and gifts, were distributed from a Christmas tree aboard the battleship Nevada in drydock at the Puget Sound navy yard at Bremerton to 50 orphaned chiMren-of Bremerton and nearby s Make It Snappy, Girls, ' Advice Given as JLeap Year Draws to Close Better make it snappy girls, if you intend to observe leap year only five more' days remain. Just five more days for. the several score of Salem's "most eligible" bachelors today. . They are' chuck ling to themselves, "according to rumors that are floating, around, because they have eluded the wiles of the coy ones so far, , Anyway, if the maidens of Salem who .are seeking loving helpmates get busy. they may be able to direct the darts of Cupid rightly and retrieve their fortune. I " " Members of the Salem Bachel ors club have I been chuckling to themselves during the past few weeks because they have succeed ed thus far in escaping the fate that has so often befallen their many comrades. They have been thinking that because they have evaded the lure of the pretty help mate seeking husbands of Sa- leml The Salem bachelors are very ILL QUEST FOSTER-FATHER Death of "Millionaire Or phan" Holds Attention of Authorities CHICAGO, Dec. 25. William D. Shepherd, j foster i father of young William "Billy" MeClinc- tock. the '.'millionaire orphan," and chief heir I to his estate, will be questioned j at the state's at torney's office as soon as he reaches Chicago regarding the death of the youth at the Shep herd home three weeks ago, it was announced, today. . According to advices received from Albuquerque, N.. ML, ' where Shepherd and Tiis wife, " the latter McCIintock's guardian -until he became of age last spring, went after the boy's death. Shepherd has already started for Chicago Mrs. Shepherd, whom the 6tate's attorney also wishes to question did not accompany her husband, according to word received by au thorities here. At the same time State's Attor ney Robert E. j Crowe said he ex pected to order an investigation by the January grand jury if an autopsy performed on" the ex humed body yesterday reveals that the youth died from other than natural cause, j A preliminary re port on the post mortem exami nation will be: given to Coroner Oscar Wolfe by several patholo gists tomorrow! One of the patho logists making an analysis of the youth's vital organs represents the Shepherds. I CHICAGO HAS Happiness and Joy Go Hand in Hand ! With Misery and Suffering CHICAGO, Dec. 25. White and cold, Christmas in Chicago today brought happiness to thousands, misery and suffering to others. and death to two. It was the coldest Christmas in many years, the mercury dropping to five below zero early today' and hovering near !, the zero mark for the entire day. Two persona were found frozen to death, live ' others suffered frozen hands and feet and scores reported nipped ears and noses Despite the cold, the city made merry and thousands of the destl tute and homeless were fed and cared for by philanthropic agen cies. Religious services, big din ners and an afternoon of enter tainment featured programs in the jails, hospitals, charitable institu tions and homes for the aged. ; The Christmas spirit failed to permeate the underworld and its members celebrated the dav in dulging itf numerous holdups, rob- Deries and kldnaplngs. One worn an was robbed of a diamond rinc she valued at $3,500 and $100 In cash. -' : ; OLO SEA3IAN PASSES SEATTLE, Dec. 25. Captair John Matson, '88, one, of the old est Mariners on the Pacific coast died at his home today at Port Elakely. Bainbrldge island, near trt ill. 'a ill.. . v?a.iue. wapuin iviaLson came. 10 proud of the fact that they have gone so far, because they believe In union there is strength. They have banded themselves together, and consequently are able to ward off the attacks of the fair sex. i Not until 1928 will the eligible bachelors me forced again to with stand for 366 days the wiles and advances of those relentless fe males, who would become blushing brides during leap year, the! finale of King Cupid's special efforts, to rope in the gay, unwedded mach elors of the community. . ;i During the pest year the "elig ible" ones of Salem have fared well. Just a few have fallen into the sea of matrimony. Bacbler dom has not been deserted very greatly. However, the number is not large enough to have the other eligibles excited. Be that as it may, the confirmed, always-am-going to be a bachelor group of (Conttnna on pzt S) mm Mercury Drops to 4 Degrees Above Zero; Lowest In 60 Years Reported : : I i ' - Not only a white Christmas but a cold Christmas greeted Salem residents Thursday and only the old timers can recollect i the last time it was so cold on December 25. Never, it was declared, has there been such a cold day in the last 50, or 60 years. . Portland weather bureau records state that it was the coldest Christmas day that Oregon has experienced In 60 years. .: ; . p I ' t Low temperatures for the year. not excepting .the cold weather of last January, were surpassed when the mercury dropped to 5 degrees above zero. The coldest this yoar was 5 degrees and the coldest for the present spell of chilly weather. prior to yesterday, was 6 degrees below zero. The maxium recorded yesterday was 27 degrees.! s People who were congratulating themselves upon getting- through the cold weather without suffering frozen pipes were disillusioned Thursday morning when they arose at an early hour to see what Santa Claus had dropped into the old sock. As the twelfth day of the cold spell dawns today the weather ap pears to have gained intensity in stead of decreasing, as was antici pated. Another very light fog covered the district- last, night adding to the penetrating quality of the cold. The wind of the early part of the week has disappeared,; however, bringing some relief to those whose work keeps them out of doors. ' " THIRTY-THREE DEAD HOB ART, Okla., Dec. 25 (By the Associated Press). With the identification of the last victim established, the death list in the Christmas eve fire at the Babb Switch rural school tood at 33 tonight. Twenty injured, persons still were confined in two hospi tals.. One is expected to die and two others are in a critical condi tion. Funeral services for 16 of the dead will be held tomorrow. Three Die Instantly When Machine Goes Over Em bankment; Driver Held RICHMOND, Va., Dec. 25. - Four Richmond men were killed today when their automobile left the Petersburg-Richmond turnpike and went over an embankment. Earl Gathright, Bernie Childress and Herman Cumber were killed instantly. (Charles Jordan died in a hospital. Ryland K. Leonard, driver of the car, ws arrested on a charge of careless and reckless driving which later was changed to a charge of involuntary . man slaughter. He was released on $1,000 bond. I . U. C. BEATS NAVV , HONOLULU. Dec. 23. Univer sity of Colorado football team to day swamped : the ' Navy Service team here, 43 to 0, outclassing the sailors in every department of the game and . leavin g. no. doubt as to tM cH,T! j,35' Fureriority, OU ARE KILLED 11 ACCIDEK I CHRISTIASGAY Many Fatalities are Reported Throughout Country; Fires and Flood Take Toll of Lives ' FIFTY PEOPLE KILLED; 1 LOSS FROM FIRES LARGE Thirty-Three Burned to Death in Christmas Eve Tragedy! at School House CHICAGO, Dec. 25. (By the Associated Press). More than 60 persons were killed, upwards f hali? a hundred were injured and 15. others are missing as the result of an unusual number of accidents Christmas eve and Christmas daf. In addition to the loss of life, fires, many of them resulting from overheated stoves dn2 to the zero Christmas weather la some sec tions of the country, caused a heavy property loss. , The most serious as well as the most pathetic Christmas eve trag edy occurred at x Hobart,, Oklal, where 33 persons are known to tf! dead as the result of a fire in a school house where a Christmas entertainment was in progress. , The next highest toll of life was taken near Roanoke, Va., where six are dead,- nine are missing and 35 are in hospitals, as the result of breaking a "muck" dam at Salt- vllle last night. , At Stamford, Texas, four were killed and six Injured, one serious, ly, in a fire in the Stamford Inn. 1 Two men were frozen to death in Chicago's five below zero Christmas weather, a policeman was killed as the result of a fain and t a "Chinese laundryman - was 3hot and probably fatally wounded in a renewal of tong warfare. Three were killed aid one was probably fatally hurt and another less seriously injured- in an auto mobile accident at Richmond, Va., and at Dixon, III., Si three year old child shot and killed his 10 year old brother with their 'father's shotgun and one person was killed as the result of placing oil in a cook stove. ' i Two were killed in a Christmas eve snooting scrape near Kicn mond, Ky.; two were killed in an automobile accident at Birming ham, Ala.; a three year old girl died of burns at Worcester,. Mass.; one was killed in an auto accident at Le'xington, N.. C; a policeman was killed at New, Orleans by a bank robber; a mother died of ( Coatlanad on pge. B ) n mm mm ON ICE Brothers Die in Attempt to Rescue Cap; Younger Boy Runs for Help EUGENE, Or., Dep. 25. Two brothers, Stacy Swanson, 12, and Clark, 10, were drowned about 7 miles north of this city at 4 this afternoon in an attempt to rescue from the water a cap lost by the younger lad in playing on ice that partly covered the slough. Clark's cap fell off, and In try ing to get it, he fell in. His brother, coming to his rescue, also went under. A smaller brother rushed for help but the bodies had been in 10 feet' of wxter for 15 minutes when neighbors pulled them out. They were sons of Mr and Mrs. H. R. Swanson, farmers ARE NHS - iV i 10 B 3 nil mi MERRY CHRISTMAS TO EVERYBODY ', By ELLA McMUNN r ' Dear People: I'd like to say something, but it kind of sticks in my throat, and I have to keep pawing at, my eyes, although I have not hurt myself this morning, or anything. But they Just keep filling ud and slopping over onto my typewriter. Dear People dear, dear people. I can't seem to eet any further than that. I never'knew there were so many kind hearts' in the world, for someway, I think it was a matter-of heart, instead of head, that caused so many to buy my little book, "Down On The Farm." ";' ' But whatever it was I am goriously happy over it, and I will tell you. since it is your, affair as well as mine, that the money is going to be used to prop up the old barn, so it won't fall down, and put shingles on it, and a window in it, so I won't have to wonder if I am putting the pitchfork into the hay or into a hobo''J'And if there is any money left I shall buy my Mother an Ingersoll watch, or maybe 1 will buy the watch first. t k Anyway I thank-you for buying the book, and the Statesman for writing such lovely things about it, and managing it, and Patton Brothers for selling it, and I and my Mother certainly do wish you a Merry Christmas, " ' j Th above was received by The Statesman yesterday, morning. Had it come the day before. It would have been printed (whether In tended to be or not) in yesterday's paper. But it to a, beautiful mes sare for the day after, too, or ano any other day. Ed.) i :; pOOR CHILDREN r IN NEW YORK GUESTS OF CITY Thwfrnl Performance Attend ed By Over 6,500 Youngsters ; , ' Toys Given t NEW YORK, Dec. 25. Hun dreds of Christmas entertainments were staged here today for poor children. At each of these Santa Claus distributed toys and fruit and candy to boys and girls who otherwise might have l03t faith In him. . - One of the most spectacular functions was at the Hippodrome where 6,50fr youngsters .were en tertained at a theatrical perform ance after midget actors had as sisted old Kris Kringle in handing out presents to the children. Thousands of Christmas dinners, clothing and gifts were distributed to needy families by relief agents in cooperation with countless in dividuals. The holiday spirit also pervaded hospitals, prisons and re form schools.! j Gaily decorated trees were set up in many of them. Christmas dinners were served ?n ail of the institutions t and volunteers ' pro vided music and other entertain ment. The weather man's promise of a "white Christmas"! did not materialized One Divorce Action to Two Marriages,! Record SEATTLE, Dec. 26. For every two marriage licenses . issued in King county, which Includes Se attle, during 1924, one divorce action was begun, according to County Clerk I George A. Grant. Up to today 4330 marriage licen ses had been issued and 2195 di vorce actions filed, Mr. Grant said. During 1923 there were-222 drvorce actions begun iand 4421 marriage licenses issued.) FLOOD DEATHS Many homeless -When VVaH . of Water Sweeps Dwell-1 ings fnto , Stream ROANOKE. Va., 'Dec. 25. Six persons are known to be dead and nine are missing as the result of the breaking of a'muck dam" of the Matheaon , Alkali works at Saltville last night. Thirty-five are in hospitals' at Abingdon and Saltville, some seriously injured. Most of the injured were said to be lying In an improvised hospit al over a drug store at Saltville. . Physicians and nurses rushed from near by owns were aiding those hurt, while other relief was given those left homeless. Searching parties were scouring the banks of the Holston river, for miles below the alkali works in an effort to recover more bod ies. It was feared that some of the missing may be buried in the tons of muck released j with the waters when the storage dam gave way.- . : L ; The flood which bore: down at 1 0 o'clock upon the miU settle ment nestling below the Impound ed waters came without , warning and the victims, , trapped in their homes, were unable to escape. All the missing are believed to have been swept into the, north, fork of the Holston river. ,One body, that of Mrs. Harry Traitor, the only Identified deadj was found four miles below the scene of the disaster at her home! in the first house belowthe dam. A Christ nao mart,, vfraa BiA tn hsVA hopn in progresa and it is1 thought that most of the missing jwere guests at the Traitor home. I f SABATINE GETS PRIZE NEW YORK. Dec. 25. Rafael Sabatini for his novel "Scara mouche" has been awarded the $10,000 prize offered by Adolph Zukor to the , writer whose story or play made the best motion pic ture in the year which ended last September 1, I 1 i TO SIX 'John Drinkwater, English j Daisy Kennedy, i Drinkwater, known principally to I this country for his Abraham Lin- I coin play, is shown above with I Willamette Spanned By lc$ Bridges; Pack Forces "Rei " lief" Against Bank Hundreds of people yesterday motored across the walked or Marion-Polk county bridge forj a sight of the Willamette river frozen over by Ice. The river, was bridged in two places just south of the county bridge by huge jice cakes that had come together, piled up and then Were joined by the freezing of th. water betwi ten the cakes. It is seldom that such a sight is to be seen lrrSalem -and it" has been years since the river was frozen from bank to bank. Old timers recollect a few times when this occurred in the past. j The river steamer "Relipf," owned by the Inland Transporta tion company, kept afloat Thurs day though it settled a little deep er in the water. The water (ad vanced ifrom the boiler room to the edge of the deck while the pres sure from the ice pack forced! the vessel closer to the bank, moting the entire ship about two fjeet. The ice was also forced from jthe water in the river on to the batiks. Everything removable in the fRe tief was taken off yesterdajf so that in case the vessel should sink the loss would be reduced, CHRISTMAS BRINGS ST is Aged Father Finds Boy! on v.? : Christmas Day After Continued Search MINNEAPOLIS, Dec.. , 25 A son who lost his father 20 years ago and a father who searched for his sori for a ccore of yuars, wrote "Finis" to a Christmas drama of real life today with a proposal and an Impending wed ding to add romance to the clos ing chapter. The son isf Afthur Swanson. tak en from his home when he was two years old, brought up among strangers under the name ojj Ar thur Peterson, who thought: for twenty years that his father was dead. The father is Elvard Swanson. who for twenty years has sought to find his son. Mr. Swanson, a stationary1 en gineer, went to Green Bay, Vis., then to Chicago, then to Sisrter's Bay, Wis., seeking his son. j. At last he came to Minneapolis. Arthur Peterson, sitting in, a local theater with the "girl" wa6 called to the telephone , by an usher and told j to call his own home. ' He met ia man who called himself "Mr.1 Hanson." They talked a minute. Then the man said: TI'm not Hanson. I'm Edward Swan- son your father." ! The new found father bought a diamond ring for Arthur today and at their first Christmas tree together in twenty years, father and son shook hand and the son proposed to "the girl." I ' KILLED IX WRECK OAKLAND. Cal., Dec. 23. One man was killed and . two others were seriously injured as a result of railroad crossing accidents Sear here, today. An tone- Marino, X 50, a laborer,; was instantly killed at Rodeo when struck by a Southern raciflc train, L ) i v r v-v K - - iC ,i ; ; :it . " . ... . ' . :X, III es SEE EROZMEH 0 mm Poet-Playwright, and ancee, Inspect Future H ome Daisy Kennedy, the violinist. They were snapped as they visited their future home in Evelyn Gardens. EMPLOYES GET' : LARGE SHARE Lumberman Gives Between Two and Three Million Dollars to Workers COLUMBUS. Ohio, Dec. 25. (By the AP.) -A Christmas gift of possible value of between $2, 000,000 and $3,000,000 was an nounced here today. "William McClellan Hitter of Washington, D. C, formerly of Co- lumbu3 and founder of the Wil Han M. Ritter Lumber company. th executive offices of which are here. Is the donor and 124 men and! women who reside here and !n 12 eastern states are beneflci aries. lit. Ritter : is turning back to the men and women most of whom are employes of the company, ap proximately one-fourth of the cap ital stock of the corporation that heart his name. Plain for distri button of the stock were completed last "night. ' The shares that will be divided number 12,500 and have a par value of $1,250,000. As the stock of the corporation is closely held, no exact approximation of the real value of the gift could be obtain ed, but local bankers expressed the opinlcn that I. might run between 52,000.000 and $3,000,000. HOTEL 5fANT DIES SEATTLE? Dec. 27. P, C. Bow ers. 74, manager of a hotel here died from heart disease today. Mr. Bowers managed a hotel in Spo kane in 1890 and three years later became manager of a Tacoma ho tel. In 1894 he assumed com mand of a hotel in Portland, Ore., remaining there until ,two years ago. S TUX UTILITIES Stages Double-Headed to . Accommodate Christmas : Rush; Trains Filled Holiday traffic showed, a high peak the few hour preceding Christmas. Every train, stage and motor bus was heavily loaded with holiday throngs on their way to spend Christmas at home. Tick et receipts and reports show that most of the traffic was of short hauls. Stages running o Port land and to points south of Salem were double-headed in order to care for the people who wanted to celebrate Christmas away from the city. . It is claimed that more people passed throush the Stage Termin al during the past week, than have previously passed there during any Ome of the past year. The Fourth of July would be the only excep tion, however; for at that time a record was made in holiday crowds. The Oregon Electric reported a heavy sale of short haul tickets to Portland and to points south. Spe cial heavy sales were made to peo ple traveling to Portland. : Southern Pacific . officials re port that traffic was about the same, with the exception of the last hour rush. Many ticket were fi?H t?Z way-points. HOLIDAY CROWD SITICUIUS STOPS TO SEE STJlTEIFiDH None of Institutions are For gotten and All Report Having Had a Pleasant Christmas Observance , SMALL GROCERY STORE CONSUMED AT HOSPITAL Dinner Requires , Volumes, cf Edibles; Cantatas, Pro grams are GiYen Wards of . the various state In stitutions were not forgotten yes terday when Santa Clau3 called on Salem folks. " Programs, din ners, and special features were in evidence at the different places. .Because greater freedom has been allowed to the sending of gifts to inmates of the state pen itentiary Christmas day was not observed with the usual Christinas dinner, according to Warden A. M. Dalrymple. The dining room decorated with Yuletide greenery and a program provided by Frank Bligh, Salem theater man furnish ed entertainment for the Inmates in the morning. Hospital Has Dinner -A real Santa' Claus visited the wards of the Oregon State hospit al Christmas day and distributed candy and nuts to the 900 in mates. The wards were well dec orated for the occasion with Christmas greenery. A lig-t lunch was served at noon, with cake, pie, cider, etc., being serve I. Later in the day, however, a ! dinner was served with t a f lowing menu: 2250 pouE.fi c ; chicken, 500 pounds of dr; . -, 30 gallons of gravy, 25 gallocs I mashed potatoes, 125 gallons cf cabbage salad, 600 pnmpkin pic j, 500 pound ralsia cake, eIx bar rels of cranberries, 200 gallons cf milk, 150 dozen eggs; 600 pounds sweet spuds, 100 pounds fruit cake, 100 boxes apples, 2C0 gal lons coffee, 200 pounds fruit sal ad, 100 pounds plum 'puddlnj:, 1100 pounds of candy, 500 gal lons cider, 1500 pounds mixel nuts, and four barrels of popcorn. No special program was obserre3. Programs Are Given At the school for feeble-minded two operettas were given, cca for the custodial children and 02 a for visitors and friends. A picture show for all the children was hell Christmas evening. "The Capture of Santa' Claus" was depicted by the smaller children, while "Tha Doll's Lullaby and the Frolic or the Toys" by the older ones. Yes terday they were served a Christ mas dinner with a menu of 1C0O pounds of goose, and all the trim mings that go to make up a real dinner. There was pumpkin pie, cranberry, sauce, baked sweet po tatoes, and Other things that 3 to make a Christmas dinner. A small Christmas tree was placed in each cottage and decorated. Christmas packages swamped and filled the office of the industrial school for girls, according to Mrs. Clara Patterson, superintendent. A Christmas tree, and a picture show - yesterday afternoon and a program last night. A Christmas cantata is to be presented tonight. Carols Are Sung Carols were sung Christmas morn by a- chorus of 13 boys at the training school for boys and a special dinner was given them at noon- Packages were delivered to them and every one receive! a present. A program was present ed in the evening. SEATTLE CITY iiiisioa Federal Prohibition Officers Stage Raid on City : Departments SEATTLE, Wash.. Dec. 25. (By the Associated Press). -F. A. Hazeltine, federal prohibition di rector for the Pacific northwe-ft. late Wednesday raided the II;-:t county court house and the Se.it;'. ; city hall, which are combined ia a single building. lie found r.i: 3 empty whisky bottles, which co - ty employes told him were 1: for turpentine in the paint s; The superintendent of the h; ing pronounced the raid a politi I attack, and announced that would ask the county ronr -sioners to file a : Washington i-;; .'.!-. !!