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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1955)
Terk To Nation's CKristmas Tree Today Will Be 30th Visit To Giant Sequoia Sanger (U.R) The "world's oldest living thing" will be the scene this u'-cekend for a gath ering of pilgrims dedicated to the Christmas message of "Peace on earth, good will toward men." The nation's Christmas Tree, which sprouted from a. seed while men toiled to build the ramids centuries before the birth of Christ, once again will play the symbolic role for world peace throah Christian ideals. The 30th annual "trek to the ree" is scheduled Sunday vth about 3,000 persons expected0 to make the 54 mile journey from Sanger to the famed General Q Grant Tree in Grant . Grove of Kir Canyon 'National Park. There will be choral -groups and an address by Dr. Stuart L. An derson of Beeley, Calif., pres ident ofacuic scnooi oi re ligion. q The worship services at 2:30 p.m. (PST) also will be included in a nationwide rad9 broad- cast. Unique Servic Walker Lundberg, chairman of this year's trekoto the mighty sequoia redwood, believes the V. pilgrimage is unique. He pointed u out civic and service groups, enureses and "just plain" citi zens in the small Central Cal ifornia community participte. "However," he added, "the project wasn't easy in the be ginning. It took a lot of 0 hard work-before the treks began and more to keep them going year after year." In 1923, the idea was con ceived by the late Charles E. Le, secretary of Sanger's Cham ber of Commerce. He overheard a small girl ask her mother how many lights It woud require to decorate the General Grant Tree. Lee knew the lights would be almost impossible, but thought an annual re-dedication would do just as well. It has since been estimated it wouldQtake 3V4 miles of trim ming and tinsel plus 3,000 light bulbs to create enough radiance from the tree to penetrate the darkaess of mountain night. Starred 30 Yean Ago Lee went to a friend, R. J. Senior, and they mapped 'out a campaign to interest the citizen ry. On Christmas Day 1925, the firs hardy band of pilgrims far services at the base of the 267.4 Toot high sequoia. The following year, the U. S. Department of Interior formally dedicated the tree as the nation's Christmas Tree. Snow around the tree in the early treks sometimes exceeded a depth of 20 feet and the sturdy pilgrims used shovels- to dip trails through which worship equipment and organs were hautei. Now there is an all year highway to the grove, mak ing the trip from Sanger a sim ple one. Q The,; GeneraP Grant. Tree, topped at the trunk with rugged and gnarled mass of limbs which in themselves are larger than most trees, is the second tallest redwood in the world Twenty five miles, away the Gen eral Sherman Tree stretches 272 feet into the air from the base at the 6,500 foot level of the Sierras. Fires in past ages have dam aged and scarred the Grant Tree, but is majestic artistry still is an inspiration for the proof of the teachings of the Prince of Peace. Kefauver To Enler Oregon Primaries, Newspaper States Coos Bay (U.R) 'Sen Estes Kefauver (D-Tenn.), who Friday announced he was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nominatio'n, will enter the Ore gon primaries next May and the California primaries next June the Coos Bay Times reported Saturday In a cropyrighted story. Not only will Sen. Kefauver enter these two primaries, but he will campain in both states with vigor, according to Coos Bay Times News Editor Forrest Amsden. Necessary sums to sup port his candidacy have been underwritten, and the basic out lines of his campaign organiza tion in each state have been ar rived at, the newspaper said. Guarantee Expenses The story released in advance exclusively to United Press, said California friends of the senator have subscribed a minimum of $100,00 to guarantee that neces sary expenses will be met. The money is expected to come from thousands of individuals, many of them in the ranks of labor. In Oregon, sums of money run ning into five figures have been likewise guaranteed by friends of the senator who expect the fund to be raised among thous ands of the senators followers who have urged him to make "the good fight in 1956." The Times said Lyle Cook, Berkeley attorney, will head the northern California Kefauver committee. Southern California campaigning will -be headed by lom t-arreu, San Fernando bus inessman who earlier this ' fall spearheaded the Kefauver drive among former supporters of the Tennessee Democrat. Serve As Advisor Langdon W. Post, erstwhile head of federal housing in the 11 western states, will serve as ad visor to Kefauver for the entire state, with Harvey Hise of San Francisco expected to be treas urer of the California group. In Oregon, Kefauver's cam paign will be headed by William L. Josslin, Portland attorney and secretary to the late Gov ernor Charles H. Martin. Josslin directed the senator's primary campaign in Oregon in 1952. The Times said Kefauver was "totally disinterested in any 'deal' to confine his efforts to the vice-presidency, which bait was held out to him by the pro- Stevenson party machine in Cal ifornia." He did indicate that the post of secretary of state was Mrs. Robert Peary Reported 'Gravely " Portland, Me. (U.R) Mrs. Robert E. Peary, 92-year-old widow of the discoverer of the North Pole, was reported "grave ly ill" at her home here Satur day. Her daughter, Mrs. Edward Stafford who was born in Greenland and nick - named "snow-baby" by the famed ex plorer, was at her mother's bedside. Jet Plane Shears Off Automobile Top Twin Falls, Idaho (U.R) An Air Force jet pilot, attempting to land his T33 jet trainer on a highway near here Friday night, sheared qff the top of an automobile then crashed in a nearby field. The pilot, First Lt. Clyde Seil er of Williams Air Force Base, Ariz., was not injured. Mr. and Mrs. Clarence . Smith ' of Twin Falls and their daughter, Nancy, 12, occupants of the car, were hospitalized for observation. Attendants said Mrs. Smith suffered shock but otherwise the family was not believed to have been hurt. The plane was on a flight from Williams AFB to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho. Seller said he crossed over Twin Falls at 8,000 feet in a driving rainstorm with both his radio and compass gone. He said he spotted the highway and decided to try for an emer gency landing. Seiler reported when he saw he wasn't going to make the landing safely he started to pull up but the plane veered and hit the Smith vehicle. The plane lost its undercar riage and. a wing fuel tank in the impact and subsequent crash in the nearby field. Korea, Japan Resume Trade Afler 4 Months Seoul, Korea (U.R)The Re public of Korea government Saturday authorized full re sumption of trade - with Japan after a four-month boycott. Kim II Hwan, minister of commerce and industry, an nounced that trade with Japan would be reopened Jan. 1. President Syngman R h e e halted all exchanges between the two nations Aug. 18. more important, to him, than the vice-presidency, the Times said. 2 WIN A co r y o ONLY 3 DAYS LEFT TO GET FREE TICKETS 0 , 4-7 Dec Why Don't You Try? No Need To Buy! N 49' SI. 80 WITH Va!Bft ANY GAS PURCHASE POUNDING BOARD & HAMMER B!G DISPLAY OF TOYS AT REDUCED PRICES WREATHS IT'S FUN TO BUY GAS AT or "On the Point" South Central at So. Riverside FREE FORD TICKETS FROM SO, OREGON FORTUNE STATIONS, CENTRAL MAR KET, CRATER LAKE MOTORS, AND BELL MOTORS. Man Held On Charges Of Threatening Ike Albuquerque, N. M. (UK Federal authorities Saturday held a New York City man on charges of writing President Eis enhower a "threatening letter." The U.S. Secret Servicenan identified the man only as John Burns, and declined to disclose contents of the letter which agents said will be made public at his arraignment. Burns signed a waiver of re moval Friday to face charges in New York, where he ap parently mailed the letter. He will be arraigned and tried there. Fire Destroys Eugene Grocery, Residence Eugene (U.R) Fire of unde termined origin last night de stroyed the Gillespie Corners grocery store on the Lorane high way about 16 miles west of Eu gene. Also destroyed was the ad jacent residence of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Pew, proprietors of the store. The Pews and their, two children escaped without in jury. There was no immediate estimate of the loss. SILENT THEFT Half Moon Bay, Calif. '(U.R) Thad L. Graves complained to police Friday that a burglar took 50 pounds of hamburger from his deep freeze and fed it to his kennel of wolfhounds to keep them quiet while he stole 75 parakeets , from Graves' aviary. Circus Parades on TV Closing Season Sarasota, Fla. (U.R) The circus, with all its color and excitment, thrills and buffoon ery, paraded across TV screens throughout the nation Friday night before folding its tents for another season. It was circus in its best tradi tion, featuring the top acts of 1955, complete with everything but the traditional circus smells. CBS, which flashed the ex travaganza to 140 stations across the land, described it as the biggest remote control produc tion in television history. It cost the sponsors, General Foods, an estimated $300,000 to $400,000. More than 8,000 persons wit nessed the show live from the three ring circus of Ringling Bros, and Barnum and Bailey's winter home here. With movie actor Charlton Heston introducing the -parade of talent to TV viewers, the circus opened with its tradi tional blaring circus march. Then came the inevitable clowns, with their laughter and buf foonery, led by mournful Em mett Kelly, the wild lions and tigers roaring in their cages, aerialists somersaulting and swooping high, the horses trot ting in unison, elephants lum bering heavily. These and many other acts synonymous with the big top. It ended on a Christmas note, with the entire cast in the main Sunday, December 18, 195S MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBU&S-QINE May Pay Less Than Billion In Taxes Portland U.R) The Oregon Voter magazine estimates that Oregonians pay just a little less than $1,000,000,000 a year in federal, state and local taxes. The issue of the magazine published Saturday said the state's tax burden is about one third of its total income. Oregon income was set at $2,910,000,000 and the tax take from that is $975,200,00Q." The Voter reported that prop erty taxes throughout the state were 7V& per cent higher than last year and accounted for $144, 822,391 of the tax bill. Goodell Appointed To Finance Committee Portland (U.R) E. Stanley Goodell of Portland Saturday was appointed chairman of the Budget and Finance Commit tee of the Republican State Cen tral Committee by Stalg) Chair man Wendell Wyatt of Astoria. Goodell, a lumber and ship ping executive, succeeds Ralph E. Williams, who recently resigned. Use Mail Tribune Want Ads Four Women Die In Pre-Dawn Texas Fire Beaumont, Tex. U.R) Four elderly women were burned to death Saturday in a pre-dawn fire that swept a two-story con valescent home in a quiet resi dential section of North Beau mont. Six other residents of- the home were rescued by firemen and neighbors. The fire was believed to have been caused by a defective heat er in a small room at the rear of the nursing home. FURNITURE MOVJNG PADDED VAN Dependable Service Rates Reasonable ring singing Christmas carols and bidding farewell until they hit the road next April. SANSON i ' FURNITURE STORAGE CONCRETE BUILdFnG - DRY & CLEAN "A Safe Pace for Your Household Goods". Furniture Moving Furniture Storage F. E. SAMSON CO., Inc. "ANYWHERE FOR HIRE" 4TH & FRONT MEDFORD PHONE 2-5295 22 o o 1 o o ill Open Every Night Through Friday In yoruphdoc,ncome MAIL THIS COUPON BARNES Ira SEND me the 55-niece Diesel Electric Train Set for only $8.88. I will pay S1.00 Weekly until the lull price is paid. Nw occouM Q Ml amount ftcloMO1 Chats M my account COD. FUU NAME ADDRESS CITY -STATE -PHONE- EM PIOYED "V EMPLOYER'S ADDRESS- Corner 6th & Front Streets Phone 2-4048 .o o
