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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 9, 1955)
is That So? " Amonf birds, assuredly, the ' all-time contenders for laziness arc the American cowbird and the Old-World cuckoo, no rela tion. .Their marital ties are free and easy; they don't build nests; the . tedium of hatching eggs is ntver theirs; and other birds feed their gluttonous young. : -Yet their indolent, parasitic Uvea are among the most fas cinating in wild life. To assure their offspring the distinct benefits conferred by strength and size (while saving their own skins) the cowbird and cuckoo usually lay their eggs in the nests -of much smaller birds. To assist them in carry ing out their deception, their eggs are proportionately small. However some birds recognize the cowbird's deceit. One, the yellow warbler, may dispose of the intruded egg by building a second floor atop its old nest. In fact, three stories may be built before the warbler will resign itself to hatching a false egg. The European cuckoo, how 5 ever, is less often discovered in ita deception: its eggs are small - and some of the cuckoos seem to practice egg-mimicry. Two Indian species fqr example which lay quite different color ed eggs, tend to deposit their respective eggs in nests of hosts which are remarkably like theirs in color, markings, and to some CAbCUb All we. Removes Host's Egg (Before laying her egg in the nest, the cuckoo usually removes one of the host's eggs . in her open beak thus fostering the popular conception that the cuckoo lays its egg on the ground and then flies with it to the foster bird's nest.) Even so, some put-upon hosts discover the deceit. Hence, to - assure - adequate offspring to maintain the species, these two parasitic birds lay more eggs. Where the non-parasitic rela tives of the cuckoo, say, lay from two to six eggs, the parasitic cuckoo may lay up to 18! To aid further the parasitic offspring, they hatch in an extra ordinarily short time. Where the sparrow's eggs take from 12-13 days, , the cow-bird s take only 10 days. And, first come, first served thus the early bird gets most of the food from the foster parents. Legitimate Young Destroyed Besides, for even greater as surance of survival, both the cowbird s : and cuckoo s young ruthlessly destroy their foster parent's eggs and legitimate young. To facilitate the dastard ly deed, the cuckoo, which is hnm naked and blind, has evolv ed a mechanical aid a hollow back. Being a heavy youngster; it wiggles to the bottom of the nest, hunches the eggs or mess mates on its back, and then by raising itself, hoists them over the side. Left alone in the nest, these changelings prove gargantuan eaters, keeping their little par ents in a constant frenzy to sup ply food. When he has outgrown the tiny nest, the over-grown usurper opens his long wings and flies fy Eugene Burns Ranger-Naturalist from perch to perch with his foster parents in tow. Usually, he sits in a fairly prominent po sition and utters a curious, high pitched note. This plaint has a tremendous effect upon other parents. Mothers on their way to their own brood will stop and give up their beakfuls of insects and worms to the over grown cuckoo. And then comes back to the changeling with another large 'mouthful, mean while neglecting their own for the time being. As many as five different kinds of birds have been seen assisting a pair of tiny foster parent hedge-sparrows. Adopts New Diet Comes the time when the fos ter parents give up feeding their giant youngster by now, per haps, twice their size. Left alone, unable to find insects, the young cuckoo adapts an entirely new diet and becomes a total vegfr; tarian until such a time as he can find his own insects. Then he goes back to his meat diet. . When the days grow shorter, in company with other young cuckoos, these European birds pack up and head south, eventu ally reaching Africa where they spend the winter. . (Copyright, 1954, by Eugene Burns) (Released by McClure Newspaper Syndicate) Free: By special arrangement with the editors of the Encyclo pedia Americana, my panel of judges will award each week to the reader who sends me the best question on nature and wildlife a complete 30-volume set of this world-famous refer ence work in a handsome Seal- craft binding. Each week, new questions will be considered. Sorry, I simply can t answer your many friendly letters. Please address your questions to: IS THAT SO! co Medford Mail Tribune, Box 575, Sausalito, Calif. 4-H Club COUNCIL SESSION Jackson county 4-H council of older- club members will meet at 8 -p.m. Monday at Bigham hall at the county fairgrounds. Business will include making plans for a countywide talent show to be presented in Feb ruary. TURN ABOUT Hartford, Conn. U.R) A cry of pain come from a woman ele vator passenger, Bobby Frish horn, six, explained to his moth er: "well, she stepped on my toes first." . LISTEN Thus Morning and Every SUNDAY at 10:15 a.m. to an ACTUAL EXPERIENCE of HOW CHRISTIAN SCIENCE HEALS Tun in Radio Station KWIN, Ashland, 1400 kilo. New City Officials For Rogue River Take Over Duties Rogue River New city offi cers at Rogue River were sworn in at this week's council meet ing, according to Recorder Orva Jean Cruise. Phil B. Engle became mayor, succeeding Fred Dengler. The latter was presented a television lamp as a parting gift from the city. Others sworn in were Coun cilmen Leslie Weigart, Harold Sander and Shade Combs. Coun cilman-Elect Robert DeArmond could not attend the meeting. Employees reappointed in cluded Police Chief William Peters, City Judge Raymond Greenhill and Holand Stiehl, maintenance man. Chairman Named Engle's council committee ap pointments mcluded, chairmen, Mrs. Agnes Magerle, finance committee, and Combs, street committee. Others will be named later. " A fire committee and chief will also be named later. Citi zens voted last year to have their own department. The city is now awaiting delivery on a new fire truck before, organi zation is made. The Rogue River Rural Fire department is now furnishing protection to the city, The $15,000 in fire bonds to finance the new department were received and signed. .They will be forwarded to June S Jcnes company, Portland, . the purchaser. : Evening Classes Slated at School Start of four evening classes in accounting, shorthand, typing and public speaking have been scheduled by the Robertson School of Business, 40-42 North Riverside ave., it was announced yesterday. .. The classes will be conducted on Monday and Thursday eve nings from 7 to 10 p.m. : The school, also announced plans for an eight-week course in beginning typing to be of fered on Saturday mornings. The course will be open to all per sons over 12 years of age. : Stewart Hopper, commercial instructor at Eagle Point high school, will teach the evening beginning shorthand classes. The evening beginning typing classes will be under the instruction of Mrs. Mary McLoughlin, Ash land. .Clyde Gwaltney, who for merly taught in the Draughons School of Business, '. Oklahoma City, Okla., will teach the ac counting classes. Instructor for the public speaking course, will be J. N. Tobin, who taught for 28 years in the Emily Griffith Opportunity school, Denver. . u V WEARING expression of cat that swallowed canary, Premier Mendes - France leaves French National Assembly after victory on German rearmament plan by 287-260 vote. "(International) ine Dealers Hit Trade Stamps Roseburg The Oregon Gaso line Dealers association, in con vention here last week, adopted a resolution deploring the col lection of premium trading stamps by government em ployees on gasoline purchased for federal use on credit cards. The resolution also said the use of such stamps at all involved the giving away of "unreason able proportion of . prof its." ; Among officers elected by the association was Vic Milnes, Med ford, as third vice-president. " The group took no action re garding a proposed two cent in crease in the state gasoline tax, and outgoing president .Ernest M. Barker Jr., Roseburg, said the organization went on record against the proposal three months ago. .'. Some 80 members attended. Next meeting will be in Eugene on. April 12 and 13. : Local Business Names Changed in Listings Changes in status for three business, names were listed yes terday in records at the office of the Jackson county clerk. " Gordon E. Young and Regina Young have retired from the as sumed business name Medford Plate Glass and Mirror Com pany, which has been assumed by T. R. Flury and Blossom Flurey, J. W. Mildred, and Rob ert M. Wickman. John P. Jones and Henry J. Davis have retired from the assumed business name J. and J. Trucking Company, which has been reassumed by Davis alone. Jones and Davis have, retired from the assumed business name Three Pines Lumber Company, which has been reassumed by Jones. . , . - Getting U sedto College Vork Worst Worry The Calendar Years : By J. HUGH PRUETT Astronomer. Extension Division Oregon Higher Education System A reader yof this column (a minister) asks, "What is the dif ference between the Julian and Gregorian calendars?" In ancient times many nations tried to run their calendars ac cording to the phases of the moon. If we call the time from one full moon to the next a month, it is impossible to have an even number of months in a year. Extra days were some times added but confusion, us ually resulted so that when the calendar said it was summer; snow might be falling. START YOUR SAVINGS by the 10th of Hit month earn divi dends at f the First. ACCOUNT NOW INVEST REGULARLY EVERY PAYDAY IN AN INSURED SAVINGS ACCOUNT- Insured to $10,000 by The Federal Savings and Loan Insurant Corporation v -;' Your Savings Will Earn Dividends, Tool Como In Today Investigate Discover how you will profit with regular investment in a First Federal account. START YOUR SAVINGS PLAN NOW If f ww wts W I SO FIRST FEDERAL Savings & Loan Assn. of Medford 27 North Holly Telephone 2-9147 1 We usually say that a year is the time it takes for the earth toynake one complete revolution around me sun. -xms is tne siae real year and from a mechanical viewnoirit is the true vear. But the historical year is the tropical year, tne interval irom one "spring begins" to the next "spring begins." This is about 20 minutes shorter than the sidereal year. Space forbids a full expla nation here. Julius Caesar and his as tronomer Sosigenes in 45 B. C. decided to put an end to the cal endar confusion by establishing a tropical year which was very accurate'. It seemed that a year was very close to : 365 V4 days. To end a year part way through a day wasn't practical. Four years would be 1461 days. Said Sosigenes, "Let's have three suc cessive years of 365 days each, then have a fourth (leap year) of 366 days." The . vernal equinox ("spring " begins") " came March 25 in 45 B. C. This Julian calendar- (named for Julius Caesar) made the year actually 11 minutes 14 seconds too long and gave an error of a whole day in . 126 years.- It is now known, that the -length of the tropical year is 365 da. 5 hr, 48 minv 46 sec. By the time of the church Council of Nicea in AJ.' 325, the vernal, equinox had fallen back to March 21. By A.D. 1582 the equinox came March 11. Pope Gregory and his astronomer Clavius that provement. First of all they ad year made a great calendar im vanced the date by ten days so as to bring the equinox back to March 21, the time it: occurred in A. D. 325 As for leap years, they were to come every our years as previously, ' excepting that a century year must be divisible by both four and 400 te be a leap year. Thus 1600 and 2000 are leap yeare ' but not 1 1700, 1800 and 1900. This plan makes the year only 26 seconds too long. Thus an error of only one day will result after 3323 years. . . : t - : . . The Eastern calendar adopted by some European countries in 1923 gives a year that is off by only three seconds, or an error of a day in about 30,000 years. This differs from the Gregorian in that century years are leap years only when a division by nine leaves a remainder of either two or six. It will not differ from the Gregorian until -A.D. 2800. - Ashland Getting used to col lege work is the major concern of freshmen, Southern Oregon college Director : of Guidance Harold A. Cloer reports. - Cloer, in discussing responses of freshman to a "problem check list," said "not knowing .how to study," was the primary prob lem facing the new students. Other problems, in descending order, were "not spending enough time in study," "need for a part-time job," "getting low grades," "having poor back ground in. some subjects," "eas ily distracted from work," and many more. A few complained of worry about examinations, the ' study facilities in dormi tories, military service, and prep aration to do college work. The purpose of the survey was to determine the troublesome problems ; of - freshmen and to give individual students and op portunity to work with staff members in solving specific problems, Cloer said. On the basis of the survey a student-faculty committee' has organized a "How to Study" seminar. . Typical of summary state ments by the students was one by a boy in the liberal arts cur riculum. "I can't get as much studying done as I would like to, mainly because of friends com ing in to dorm room and talking, and because of trouble concen trating. My troubles are two: studying and money." A teacher education woman student said, "I worry most about my mother and the sacrifices she is making, and secondly about my studies because I don't think I'm getting as much out of college as I should." . - APPEAL TROUBLE New Haven, Conn. U.fi) Mrs. Mary ' Scilia objected to a $10 fine on a charge of breach of the. peace. 'She appealed and a higher court sustained 'the fine and sent her to jail for 30 days. I Sunday, January 9, 19SS MEDFORD. (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE FIVE Both Banks Here Deposit and loan figures as of Dec. 31, 1954, were released here yesterday by the managers of the Medford branches of the First National Bank of Portland, and the United States National bank. '.. ' . , Year-end statement of condi tion figures for the Medford branch of First National show that on Dec. 31, deposits at the branch were $26,578,476, and loans were $9,805,366, accord ing to Manager C. E. Hedberg. At the same time one year ago, the branch reported de posits of $24,456,320, .and loans of $10,331,896. "', Statewide, First National re ported new all-time deposit and loan records. Since the Dec. 31, 1953 statement of condition, the First National organization has increased by 20 banking. off ices. The year-end summary for the Increases in '54 Deposit Totals Eagle Point Grange : Eagle Point Grange met in regular session at - the Grange hall on Jan. 4. Meeting was called to order at 8 p.m. by the Worthy Master, Mabel Wertz. It was announced that first aid classes will be held in the Grange hall on Wednesday night, beginning at 7:30. All persons living in the community who are interested in taking the course are. invited. All officers of the Grange are reminded of the drill prac tice for officers on Tuesday, Jan. 11, at 8:30 p.m. '. It was announced that Grange council will be held in the Gold Hill Grange hall next Saturday night. ... .The charter was draped in memory of Norman Dunford. A contribution to the "Crippled Children's Fund" was made in lieu of flowers, for the funeral. The literary program, pre pared by the new lecturer,, was greatly enjoyed by the members. Medford branch of United States National, prepared by Manager Allan F.- Perry, showed branch deposits at $20,125,869. This compared wth about $17,877, 000, at the end of 1953, and some $20,075,000 on Dec. 31, 1952. Loans Down " i. v . The Medford branch of Uni ted States National reported loans and discounts totaling $7, 228,697 as of Dec. 31, 1954, down from 1953. On a statewide basis, United States National marked up a record gain in deposits during 1954. Part of this growth re sulted from the merger of the Commercial Bank of : Oregon group, and the Bank of Albany, with U.S. National last Novem ber. In addition, U.S. National acquired branches at Dufur and Brookings parlipr in the vmr ' NOW- oo CASH IN JACKPOT No Purchase Needed To Win FORTUNE S. CENTRAL & S. RIVERSIDE I I SAMSON'S FEED PRICES Watch for this Ad each, Sunday for Samson's money-saving Feed Prices This Week's Special ' Introductory Price 10-LB. BLOCKS PEEBLES WHEY $1.00 each Wheat, Field Run Hen Sratch ..cwt. $4.30 ..cwt. 4.40 Samson's Spec. Egg Mash No. 2 .cwt. 4.50 Triangle X-tra Egg Pellets . .cwt. 5.00 Samson's Special Dairy Feed .. sk. 3.05 Cracked Corn . .. '. .cwt. 4.40 Rolled Oats . sk. 2.75 Ground Oats & Barley ;...:..........4?wt. 3.60 Ground Barley .. . cwt. 3.35 Samson Feed & Seed Co. 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