eWSec 1)-Steteman, Salem, Cm, Sunday, March 27, 1955
Mir. TXT A
Fast avowing Firm maces Ziv a vay
By GLADYS SHIELDS
And CHARLES IRELAND
Statesman Newt Service
JEFFERSON Horatio Alger
could have written quite a book
bout Lloyd Wickett and Philip C.
Dimick. U
Two years ago these two Jeffer
son men say they had "about $15
between them" when they built
their first television antenna. This
month the sales of the TV anten
nas they manufacture here will
probably touch $30,000.
aim uiat is ouuui uiiec vuapicia
faster than Horatio's heroes usua
lly hit the jackpot. 1
first antenna in the small garage
behind Wickett's house.
i ' t " i
wicKeu a ruggea cnafK wno
played football on Oregon State's
1942 Rose Bowl team bought a
television set shortly before Port
land s first station went on the air.
' He used up the rest of. the profits
from a successful commercial
trip to Alaska in trying to buy an
antenna that would bring in a sig
nal. Began Tinkering
One "expert" followed another
to the Wickett roof, but the TV
set never did screen a picture until
Wickett began tinkering 'around
and making changes on the anten
nas he had bought.
Meanwhile his hunting sidekick,
Dimick. was getting interested.
Dimick had been a railroad mach
inist for 11 years and had technical
know-how to match Wickett's in
ventive talent.
They were working in a virgin
field, for Portland's first TV station
(KPTV) was the first ultra high
frequency station in the United
States and apparently there was no
satisfactory antenna for UHF
fringe-area reception.
And Jefferson, 18 miles south of
Portland, was definitely - fringe
area for Station KPTV.
Sold to Neighbors
"Ckr TipitrhHnrt nrartirallv Arim
us into this business," Wickett re
called. "Every time we'd get an
antenna finished, one of them
would come along and offer us $15
or $20 for it. The first thing we
knew we were making about four
a day."
"And everything we knew about
"television we learned out of a 35c
book," Dimick added.
It must have been a pretty good
book, for the energetic partners
soon moved to larger quarters and
added a couple of employes.
The business is now bulging
, through the corners of a former
warehouse which they purchased.
There are IS employes who turn
out as many as 230 antennas a day.
. A few weeks ago a new salesman
went on She road, selling the Jefferson-made
antennas tj wholesal
ers in Pennsylvaina, Kentucky,
Georgia and Indiana.
While most of the Wickett and
Dimirk sinfpnnaQ hav Hn esiM
in the Pacific Northwest, not too
many have been sold in Salem.
'Powerful Antenna'
"We build a more powerful an
tenna than most Salem folks need,"
was the way Dimick put it.
"Our antenna is designed for
e toughest kind of fringe-area re
ception for ultra-high-frequency
signals," he said. The antennas are
popular at Kennick, Pasco and
Yakima, Wash., and at, Pendle
ton, he added.
The partners feel that part of
eir success has come from being
in the right place at the right time.
Because they started experiment
ing as soon at the nation's first
UHF station went on the air, they
feel they got the jump on compet
itors in the East.
But now they are learning that
tfie East has a price-wise advant
age because of the tremendous
freight western . manufacturers
have to pay on merchandise they
ship across country to the big east
. arn market.
While the firm here makes 150
kinds of antenna for 22 channels
the big item is a model called Wic
kett No. 120. A $35 retailer, it is de
signed exculsively for UHF bands
a fringe areas.
Unofficial trademarks of the Jef
ferson antennas are the pink pias-
tec pieces that hold the brass re
ception elements to the frame of
the antenna.
New Plastic Molder
To date, the plastic parts have
been manufactured to order at
.Portland, but the Jefferson firm
tiat will do the job.
The partners hope to figure out
other items to manufacture on the
new plastic machine. Their next
expansion, however, will be an
other antenna plant which will be
located at Eugene. The new plant
will concentrate on very high fre
quency antennas and the Jefferson
plant will make UHF exclusively.
A lot ot chapters remain un
written in the Wickett and Dimick
story. A big magazine recently
published an article about a TV an
tenna-manuf acturing f i r m ' thai
started out like theirs and now em
ployes 1,000 persons.
wickett and Dimick areta t pre
dicting anyuung like that will hap
pen to them.
But already they've come a lot
v farther than they expected. to,Ahe
day they borrowed a farmer's
welding tools to make their first
antenna.
Pedestrian Hit on
Silverton Street '
Itatenua Ntw Scrrlc
SILVERTON Mrs. Sig Moe was
carrying her arm in a sling Sat
urday as the result ox a street
accident Friday night Injuries
were not believed serious.
The accident occured at 8 o'
clock at the intersection of Oak
and First Streets. Police said a
heavy mist and fog made vision
poor. Lewis Hall was listed as
driver of the car which struck
Mrs. Moe.
Legion Post
To Fete Past
Commanders
SUtesm&B Ncwi Servle
SILVERTON Delbert Reeves
Post of the American Legion
will pay tribute Monday night to
its commanders from its found
ing here in 1919 to the present
' The annual event will start at
6:30 at Legion Hall, with a no
host dinner served by the Ameri
can Legion Auxiliary.
Present commander, Bruce
Billings, and his officer group,
are in charge of the event with
C. J. Towe, who headed the post
from 1932 to 1933, arranging the
program.
Carl R. Moser, Portland, de
partment commander, will be
guest speaker.
Six of the 38 men who have
served as head of the Silverton
Post have died. These are Glenn
R. Price, Clarence Higinbotham,
George P. Manolis1, Dr. A. J. Mc
Cannel, Claire Jarvis and Clif
ford Rue.
Dr. "R. E. Kleinsorge was the
first commander. .
Tumble From
Show Horse
Injures Girl
Spjtcnua Ktwi Itrvkt ; r
AMITY Jerri Williams, 14-year-old
daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. R. H. Williams, was acci
dently thrown from her show
horse. Jack Rabbit, and the result
of the accident is a broken thigh.
Jerri, known in horse circles
as a fine horse woman, met her
accident on her way 'home from
an .after school canter. She de
cided to let her horse run part of
the way. By the time she got to
the place she was to turn she
decided to head on as the horse
was in full gallop.
She was not able to keep him
going straight down Jellison
Street. The anmial turned sharp
ly at the corner and threw Jerri
against a telephone pole. She
then rolled into a clump of black
berry briars and began calling
for help.
Douglas Ingram, a high school
boy, finally discovered her after
he heard a number of distress
cries. Help was summoned at
once.
Aft ambulance took her to a
McMinnville Hospital where a
Portland -orthopedic specialist
performed special surgery on the
girl.
Featured inSilvertoriVlay
JEFFERSON Biggest-selling item among the 151 varieties of television antenna manufactured by
Wkkett and Dimick factory here is the Wickett No. 129 displayed above by Lioya wickett, a part
ner la the fast-growing firm. Owners have applied for patent on this antenna which is designed
for poor-reception areas served by ultra high frequency stations.
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MRS. JANZEN IN HOSPITAL
HAYESVILLE Mrs. Dave
Janzen of Hoodview Road entered
Salem Memorial hospital last week
for treatment of a stomach ail
ment. She recently sold her 35 acre
farm and house to Mr. and Mrs.
Pierre Saucy of Portland Road. On
leaving ' the hospital next week
Mrs. Janzen will go to her apart
ment on South Cottage Street
-
t i . . . :
it : ' i ' . ' ' X y
y r '
SILVERTON Sharing top billing in the play which Silverton stu
dents will present four nights next week are Gail Larsen (left)
and Kay Bergerson. The play, "The Long Watch," is abont wornm
in the Air Force. It will be presented at 8 p.m. Tuesday through
Friday at Silverton Union High School by members ff school
drama department There are 14 in cast j
Health Meeting
Slated at Silverton
Statesman News Scrvict
SILVERTON The annual well
child conference will meet Thurs
day at 2 p.m. in the Eugene Field
school. Health chairmen from the
various outlying districts will at
tend and Mrs. E. Z. Kaufman,
chairman, will preside..
Colored slides of the seven basic
services of (the county health de
partment will be shown, and re
ports of the polio vaccine field
trials will be heard.
( HEMORRHOIDS )
t
WULA.MRM. "3S
not at 1
iter At
STOMACH
COLON
OttOftpCtt
M. REYNOLDS
HOOti -00 k-H.t. 1-00 n. 114 CtNTn STMtT
0,HmWIMm tALCM, ormon
One Day
Service
In aMO A.M.
Out al 5 P.M.
JUMBO
PRINTS
Album Mounted
8 txp.
Rolls
Only
49'
Developed in our
own modern plant!
Salem's Kodak Dealer
JEFFERSON Newest piece of equipment in the Wickett and Dimick TV-antenna factory here
is plastic molder, shown above with partner Philip C. Dimick at the controls. The molder will
make small -pieces which connect brass reception elements to aluminum frame antenna. Own
ers says the plastic molder is one of very few located in the Pacific Northwest
325 Court St
seniierrii ,
Hktt optntt tt out
24 hr.
PRESCRIPTION SERVICE
AFTER 11 P.M. CALL
SALEM 3-9123
Prescription Pharmacy
Salem
4-3336
Open Until 11 P.M.
Sundays and Holidays
12 A. M. to 2 P M.
C P.M. to 9 PJtf.
130 S. Liberty
Duplicate Prescriptions
On File in All Stores
Daily
Deliveries
Downtown Store
Salem
3-9123
310 Court
12:30 and 4:30 P.M.
Medical Center Store
Salem
3-3157
2440 Grear St.
'II mm I
Ph. 2-4716 III P - --aM
mm
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Optic Filter ;
18,000 Volts
Picture Power
Bonney New
President of
Auburn PT A
PEDEE FARM SOLD
PEDEE Lawrence Purdin has
sold his farm. He and his daughter.
Dorothy, have stored their house
hold goods in Dallas and are visit
ing m southern Oregon before lo
cating in a new home. The buyer
is from Sherwood.
Statesman Kcwi Service
AUBURN Election of officers
ook priority at the Auburn PTA
meeting Thursday night Elected
as president, was Calvin Bonney;
vice president Ray Alderin; sec
retary, Miss Jacquelyn Davis;
treasurer, Mrs. Sam Saunders.
Mrs. Walter Mosher reported
$100 realized on the rummage
sale, proceeds o go lor equip
ment for the new school building
now under construction.
The topic discussion was on
legislative bills pertaining to ed
ucational system.
April 21, is the next PTA meet
ing. Judge Joseph B. Felton of
Marion County Circuit Court, wit
present a reenactment of a court
scene. Visitors are welcome.
Hostesses were Mrs. Waller
Mosher and Mrs. E. G. Schacher.
Ceramics Class
Planned in Zena
School District
Statesman News Service
ZENA A class in 'ceramics
was the main discussion topic
Lineoln-Zena Parents Club Wed
nesday at Zena School.
The teachers, Mrs. Lloyd Allen
and Mrs. Vesta Matter, reported
ceramics classes could be held
on Tuesdays and Thursdays for
a four-weeks period.
All parents interested in tak
ing three courses are to meet at
th Zena School Tuesday at
p.m. An instructor from Salem
will show how it is done.
Three Smiths on
Arkansas Court
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (JF) In
a recent decision of the Arkansas
Supreme Court Chief Justice
Griffin Smith wrote the majority
opinion. ! -
It affirmed a ruling by Chan
cellor W. Leon Smith. -i
The. dissenting opinion .was
written by Associate Justice
George R. Smith.
II
OCE COACH TO SPEAK
MONMOUTH Dr. Robert Liv
ingston, basketball-baseball coach
at OCE, will speak at a banquet
honoring the Albany High School
Basketball team, Tuesday at Albany.
Coming
Soon!
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