0
Mail Tribune Today
Observes 50th Year
The Medford Mail Tribune today observes its 50th anniversary
f publication.
The publication started March 22, 1906, as the Medford Daily
Tribune, moving here from Ashland because "no town in Southern
Oregon has so bright a future." J. M. Potter, publisher, moved the
plant of the Ashland Tribune to Medford and started the paper
6 an evening and weekly.
The geneology of the Mail Tribune includes at least five
papers.
First was the Medford Mail, founded in 1888 by Thomas
Harlan, which was issued each Thursday. Newell Harlan pub
lished the Mail in 1890, and Felix G. Kertson in 1891. A. S. Bliton
in 1893 purchased the Mail, and published it until 1909.
After the Tribune moved to Medford from Ashland, where it
was founded in 1896, the Medford Tribune also published a
twice-a-week edition, the Southern Oregonian. Sidney D. Charles
had established the Southern Oregonian four years previously,
and in 1906 absorbed the Jacksonville Times.
Another paper in the Mail Tribune's genealogy was the
weekly Sun, issued Sundays. The paper was started in 1906 by
L. C? Branson and S. Sumpter Smith
Putnam Succeeds
Moore as Editor
George Putnam succeeded A.
F. Moore as editor of the
Tribune in 1907, and two years
later, on March 20, 1909, Bliton
sold the Mail to the Tribune
Publishing company. The con
solidation resulted in the present
name, the Medford Mail Tribune,
which has continued to publish
daily and weekly since that time.
- Putnam remained with the
Mail Tribune until 1919, when
he went to Salem to publish the
Capital Journal. He is now editor
emeritus of that paper and still
active in writing editorials and
columns of his reminiscences.
Robert W. Run-1 and Sumpter
Smith of the Sun purchased con
trol of the paper when Putnam
left.. Smith died in 1935. The
Mail Tribune is now owned by
the Medford Printing company,
stockholders of which are mem
bers of the Ruhl family and cer
tain employees of the paper.
"Picturesque Environment'
The Daily Tribune's March 22,
1906, lead editorial read, in part,
"the Ashland district, with its
unrivalled fruit, its picturesque
environment, its splendid water
supply and its undeveloped min
eral resources, is one of the fa
vored spots of the great west.
But as a point of vantage from
which to Qview and report the
great work of developing the en
tire county, the publisher be
lieves Medford is far more ad
vantageously located."
The policy of the paper was
"one of enthusiastic support of
all legitimate enterprises in
every part of the county."
Devoted to "the development
of Southern Oregon's agricul
tural, mineral and horticultural
resources." the editorial con
tinued: "The man who endeavers
to block the wheels of progress
in Medford. be he Republican,
Demdcrat or what not, will very
likflv be 'bawled out .
It concluded: "Let everybody
who has the interests of the city
and county at heart cooperate
with the Tribune; our cause is a
rommon one. Put your shoulders
to the wheel and push the good
old red wagon of prosperity to
the top of the hill. The exercise
will do you good and put money
in your pockets.
That edition had four pages.
Tod Story of Day
Ton storv of the day was from
Wallace. Ida., where a sheriff
ws seriously wounded attempt
ing to serve a writ of restitution
to secure the eviction of a man
from railroad property. Another
story concerned news of Jonn
T. Rockefeller s health.
Other Page 1 stories included
one about Swift Packing comp
any purchasing 1,700 acres of
land in three tracts near Port
land for establishing plants
and about the Oregon Railway
atfii Navigation company let
ting contracts for construction
of a railroad between the mouth
of the Wallowa river to Joseph,
some 47 miles distance.
A senate committee that day
recommended passing a bill ap
propriating $20,000 for construe
tion and equipment for a life
saving, ocean-going tug for ser
vice on the North Pacific coast,
Candidate for Office
Among candidates for politi
cal offices were James Withy
combe of Corvallis, Republican
candidate for governor; Walter
L. Tooze, Woodburn, Republi
can candidate for congress; E
V. Carter, Ashland, Republican
candidate for state treasurer; S
G. Van Dyke, Medford, Repub
lican candidate for Jackson
county sheriff; Egene A. Sher-
win. Democratic candidate for
state senator; W. R. Coleman
Phoenix, Republican candidate
for county clerk; and O. D
Owen, Medford, Republican can
didate for county treasurer.
r C. Hensley, secretary of
the county Socialist club, noti
fied residents of a county con
vention to nominate a full
county ticket for the Socialist
' party.
Local and Personal
In the "local and personal
i,,rrm of 1906. was the fol
lowing item:
"The weather: It rained
a little yesterday afternoon,
but cleared up in the eve
ning. Today we are having
sunshine and clouds alter
nately, but no rain. Temp
erature is moderate."
(-Another "personal" item read
as follows:
"Fred Champlin of t h e
Toots Creek dredger, is in
the city having his hand
treated. A short time ago he
suffered a slight burn, but
blood poisoning set in and
he is having rather a pain
ful time with it."
John Luther Long's "Madame
Butterfly" was scheduled at the
Ashland opera house the next
day, and the Butte Falls Sugar
Lumber company stockholders
elected new members to the
board of directors, including B.
Harris, John McAllister, W.
F. Entrop, F. W. Streets, J. E.
Enyart, Holbrook Withington
and J. H. Miller.
Ben A. Lowell of Woodville
advertised subdivisions of a
900-acre Rogue River ranch,
80 rods from the Southern Pac
ific depot, for sale.
Good Rigs'
J. A. Elmhirst advertised
fine stock," "good rigs" and
day and night cab service" at
the Nash Livery stables. The
Medford bank,, with capital
stock fully paid totaling $50,000,
had filed an application to be
come the Medford ' National
bank. The Jackson County bank
also listed capital stock of
$50,000.
Russell s confectionery, m a
half-page ad listed candies "that
are hand made and fresh,"
while Cameron and Meyers,
'The Metropolitan Outfitters"
of Medford npted that the firm's
shoes are "best by test, give
them a trial."
Price for the 1906 paper was
50 cents per month delivered
to southern Oregon homes. Cir
culation of the Daily Tribune
started with 50 paid subscrib
ers, and by Sept. 10, 1906, had
increased to 300 paid subscrib
ers.
Today, the Mail Tribune has
about 16,200 subscribers in
southern Oregon and northern
California.
United Press Full Leased Wire 0 J United Press Full Leased Wire '
No. 1
51st Year
26 Pages
MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1956
Price 5c
Kefauver Backers
Planning Oregon
Write-in Campaign
Candidate Approves
On Brief State Stop
Portland U.R) Support
ers of Sen. Estes Kefauver plan
ned today to wage a campaign
for write-in votes for Oregon's
May 18 presidential primary,
and they had the go-ahead of
the candidate himself.
Kefauver stopped briefly here
early today, en route by plane
from Montana. to San Francisco
and was met by a group of his
supporters who said he gave his
approval to a write-in campaign,
Would Bind Delegates
Neither Kefauver nor Adlai
Stevenson entered the Demo
cratic primary in Oregon. But
under Oregon law the 16-mem-ber
Democratic delegation to the
national convention would be
bound to support the candidate
getting the largest write-in vote.
Kefauver said he had not pre
viously announced his willing-
0
l ill
. ' 1
AAclCay Says Pressure fi Run
For Senate Game in Oregon
Ralph Cook Buys
Antelope Orchards
Purchase of Antelope orch
ards on Yankee creek by Ralph
Cook, local orchardist and
rancher, was announced today.
The orchard is believed to in
clude the largest single block of
seckel pears in the world. It con
sists of about 40 acres, and
yields about 20 carloads of pears
annually. Former owner is John
Ramsey, who have moved to
Nevada.
The orchard is located' east of
Camp White near Antelope
creek from which it receives its
names. Purchase price was not
announced.
Seckel pears are used princi
pally for pickling and are sold
through New York City markets
for this purpose.
Minneapolis (U.R) How
were Republicans able to vote
in the Democratic primary
election in Minnesota?
State election officials, in
response to numerous queries,
today explained that in a Min
nesota primary election; a
registered voter may request
a ballot of whichever party he
desires when entering the poll.
Republicans crossing over
party lines in this way was
credited with a significant ef
fect in the surprise victory of
Estes Kefauver over Adlai
Stevenson in the presidential
preference election Tuesday.
ness for a write-in campaign be
cause he had not had a chance to
talk to Oregon Democratic lead
ers. Kefauver's go-ahead also may
touch off a campaign to get
write-in votes for Adlai Steven
son, who has many Oregon sup
porters. Chairmen Contacted
Monroe Sweetland, Demo
cratic national committee, said
he had .written all Democratic
county chairmen, urging them to
encourage voters to write in
their preference for the presi
dential nomination.
"Presumably the champions of
Adlai Stevenson and Estes Ke
fauver will be active in every
county, and perhaps other aspir
ants will appear," Sweetland
said.
Investigation Into
Death Continues
Authorities are still investi
gating circumstances in the
death of Mrs. Jean Gunter, 30,
Ashland, who died March 16 of
a .22 gunshot wound, according
to District Attorney . Walter
Nunley.
Mrs. Gunter's husband, Jack,
30, told law officers he found
his wife's body in bed last Fri
day morning when he returned
home. Nunley said a formal in
quest to determine exact nature
of the shooting is pending.
David Shaw to Speak
At Phoenix Grange
Attorney David C. Shaw,
Gold Beach, Democratic candi
date for congress from the fourth
district, will speak at a dinner
sponsored by the Democratic So
cial club at 7 p.m. Saturday at
the Phoenix Grange hall.
Shaw's subject will be "Flood
Control and Full Development
of the Rogue," according to
Clyde Fichtner, president.
Also on the program will be
colored slides of a European trip
by Mrs. Frank Perl.
A discussion period will follow
Shaw's talk. The dinner is open
to the public, and reservations
may be made by calling Mr. and
Mrs. Marcus Norton at 3-2888.
Weather
FORECAST: Mostly cloudy
through Friday with scat
tered showers. Slightly cooler
and windy. Low tonight 35.
High Friday 52.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday 61
Lowest this Morning 37
Prec. to 4:30 a.m. Today Trace
Groups Appealed
To Administration,
Secretary Asserts
Public Opinion Poll
Showed Apparent Wish
Salem '(U.R) Interior Secre
tary Douglas McKay said today
the factors that made him an
eleventh hour candidate for the
Senate "originated in Oregon
and not in Washington, D. C,
or in the national committee."
McKay, here to launch his pri
mary campaign and mend some
political fences, said he was "be
sieged by those who insisted that
I run" when he visited Oregon
in February to attend the fun
eral of the late Gov. Paul Patter
son. "My answer was emphatically
'No.' I believed that as secre
tary of the interior I was already
doing an important job," McKay
said.
McKay's statement continued:
"These people then appealed to
the administration and to the
national committee. Their an
swer supported the position 1
had taken. Finally, under in
creasing pressure, it was agreed
that a public opinion poll would
be taken by an independent out-of-state
agency to determine who
would be the strongest candi
date. When this poll showed
the -apparent wish of the man in
the street that I make the race,
I then discussed it with Presi
dent Eisenhower and agreed to
run.
"There was no time for further
discussion with state leaders and
I boarded a plane for Oregon,"
the secretary said.
In explaining his decision to
try to unseat Sen. Wayne Morse,
McKay said he wanted xne iui
lowing understood:
States Position
"1. It was the opinion of Ore
gon voters and not the insistence
of party leaders in Oregon or
Washington, D. C. that determ
ined my decision.
"2. A Republican primary is
open until 5 p.m. of the last
legal day for filing and my filing
was made when there was yet
time for any other Republican
to file, withdraw or otherwise
follow his convictions.
"3. I never at any time in this
or any other election asked any
man to withdraw in my favor
and I never will. It was reported
to me before I left Washington
that other candidates would
withdraw if I filed. This did not
influence my decision. My de
cision was based upon my con
victions of my duty to Oregon,
to President Dwight D. Eisen
hower and the principles for
which he stands."
McKay concluded his state
ment by saying it was not easy
to give up a position in the Presi
dent's cabinet to enter a tough
political campaign. But I am do
ing what I have been doing
through 25 years of public serv
ice: I am doing what I believe
the people of my state want me
to do."
The interior secretary flew to
Oregon last night to endorse pre
liminary plans and a nucleus
organization for his primary
campaign.
INITIATE 3RD STAGE SrW'
SEPARATE 2HD STA6E
SECOND STAGE
8URN.Q0T
1 St f -FIRST STAGE WUT
THIRD STASEl
THUS STAGE BURK0UT I 1
IGffiTION SFPARATIOH
t tun '
i
VELOCITY 25,000 RSEtT
ALTITUDE 200-400 8IIIS "
RASGE 1500 MILES
TIME 10 MM. AFTER
LAUMCHTriS
PHEUKiiARY SCHEMATIC TRAJECTORY!
I II HI HWIIW III ! i rfi I Til til i f- ll
DEPICTING BURNOUT POSITIONS of three stages of Navy Martin Vanguard research
vehicle, drawing discloses flight plan of rocket which is to be fired from Florida later in
year. It will become satellite about 400 miles above earth.
(International Soundphoto)
Russian Nuclear
Blast Reported
Washington (U.R) Official
sources speculated today that
the new Soviet nuclear test
means the Russians are going
all-out to perfect atomic war
heads for long-range ballistic
missiles.
Others said it proves the Rus
sians have achieved "atomic
plenty." They are now, one well
informed source said, building
up a "whole family of atomic
weapons" comparable in versa
tility to the larger U.S. nuclear
arsenal.
Such weapons include atomic
warheads for everything that
now uses high explosives artil
lery shells as small as eight
inches in diameter, a growing
variety of missile charges,
bombs of many calibers, land
mines, torpedoes, and depth
charges.
May Have Been More
The new Russian explosion
was announced Wednesday
night in London and Washing
ton. It was part of a series 01
explosives which have been go
ing on intermittently since Au
gust, 1955. Although the United
States has reported only live in
dividual shots in the series, in
formed sources said there may
have been many more.
Never before, since their
first, test in September, 1949,
have the Russians been able to
stage so many tests in so brief
a time. Instead of months, the
gap between tests previously
had been years.
(See story on Page 10)
DOW-JONES AVERAGES
New York (U.R) Dow-
Jones final stock averages: 30
industrials 510.94 up 3.02, 20
rails 171.72 up 2.87, 15 utilities
67.23 off 0.06, and 65 stocks
180.97 up 1.44. Sales today were
about 2,650,000 shares compar
ed with 2,930,000 yesterday.
Salem -tU.R) A hop growers
vote on whether they wanted a
commodity commission formed
for their crop was completed
Wednesday. Votes won't be tab
ulated, however, until all county
ballot boxes are received by the
State Department of Agriculture.
'Great Decisions' Program Opening Day Set
The Jackson County "Great
Decisions" program for 1956 will
get under way this week end.
The foreign affairs discussion
and evaluation plan will start
with a discussion leaders' train
ing "institute" at 1 p.m. Sat
urday at the Medford High school
library. Anyone interested in
forming or leading a discussion
group in the Great Decisions
program is welcome to attend,
according to Don Hansen, chair
man of the committee in charge.
Hugh Simpson, of the South
ern Oregon college faculty, will
conduct the institute.
Fact sheets on the subjects
scheduled for discussion will be
available starting this week end
from three sources.
They can be obtained at the
office of the Jackson County
Chamber of Commerce, 5 South
Riverside ave., at a charge of $1
for the eight sheets. Those wish
ing to have them delivered can
telephone 2-5355, and make ar
rangements for delivery, and
they can be ordered by mail
from the office of Gene Piazza,
207 U. S. National Bank building,
telephone 3-5331. A charge of
SI. 50 is made for mailed or de
livered copies of the fact sheets.
Information on any phase of
the program can be obtained
from Hansen, whose telephone
number is 3-5311.
Radio stations KYJC and
KMED will sponsor weekly half
hour programs on the topic for
discussion each week. The broad
casts are being prepared by mem
bers of the Southern Oregon col
lege staff in cooperation with in
terested individuals and the ra
dio stations. Times of the pro
grams will be announced later.
A survey of the first of the dis
cussion topics, "How Can the
U. S. Meet Russia's New Chal
lenge," will appear in Sunday's
edition of the Mail Tribune. Sur
veys of succeeding discussion
topics will appear in succeeding
Sunday editions of the paper.
The other . seven discussion
topics will include "What Can
the U.S. Do About Germany in
Europe?" "What U. S. Policy for
North Africa?" "Can the U.S.
Help Peace in the Middle East?"
"How Should the U. S. Deal With
China?" "What Can the U. S. Do
About Japan's Role in Asia?" and
"What U. S. Problems in the
United Nations?"
Each discussion group is en
couraged to use prepared ballots,
which are included with each
set of fact sheets, to express their
opinions on the subjects, and to
forward them to the Great De
cisions committee, which will
compile them and see the results
reach members of congress and
the state department.
Similar programs were suc
cessfully conducted last year in
Portland, Corvallis, Eugene, and
Springfield in Oregon, as well
as elsewhere, and are again un
der way this year
The temporary committee
which has set up the informal
framework under which discus
sion groups can be organized is
working in cooperation with the
Foreign Policy association, a non
profit, non-partisan nationwide
organization which has the aim
of wider public participation in
determining U. S. foreign policy.
Congresional and governmental
leaders of both, parties have at
tested to the value of its work
in recent years
Further details on the program
appear on Page 4 of today's Mail
Tribune,
WORK IS PROGRESSING on Navy Martin Vanguard re
search vehicle which will place world's first man-made satel
lite in its orbit around earth. This is artist's conception of
launching, scheduled for Florida test center. In background
is gantry which places vehicle on launching stand. At right is
blockhouse housing scientists in charge. (International)
UN Disarmament
Committee Hears
Stassen Proposal
Plan Calls for Mutual
Reduction by Russia
London (U.R) The United
States offered today to cut its
military manpower to 2,500,000
men if the Soviet Union will
match it.
The American proposal was
put before today's session of the
U. N. subcommittee on Disarma
ment by U.S. delegate Harold E.
Stassen.
Stassen said the United States
also was willing, on a mutual
basis with Russia, to reduce
armaments and military expendi- -tures
to levels in line with the
smaller armed forces.
The entire American offer was
contingent on the Soviet Union
reducing its armed forces to
2,500,000 men, with a corres
ponding reduction in expendi
tures and armaments.
Reciprocal Basis
The American plan specified
that the scheme must be carried
out on a "reciprocal and safe
guarded basis."
Stassen began unveiling the
American plan yesterday with
a dramatic proposal for a 20,000
to 30,000 square mile '-'test strip"
in Russia and the United States
where means of detecting war
scale military buildups could be
tried out.
Almost at the same time the
British Defense Ministry an
nounced that Russia has "recent
ly embarked on some further nu
clear tests." Russia began a simi
lar series at start of last, sum
mer's "Summit Conference" in
Geneva and it was believed the
new series was timed to bring
pressure on the London Disarm
ament Conference.
At Least One Port
Each test zone would contain
at least one port, airfield and
rail terminal and various non
secret military installations in
which the effects of a major as
sembly of soldiers and supplies
could be observed.
The proposal is a logical se
quel to President Eisenhower's
"Open Sky" plan for air inspec
tion as a means of guaranteeing
peace.
Russia's Andrei Gromyko did
not reply at once, and observers
here doubted he will do so until
he has had a chance to check
with Moscow.
Little Harm Expected
From Commerce Order
An Interstate Commerce Com
mission order prohibiting circu
itous routing of lumber by rail
is not expected seriously to
harm lumber interests here, lo
cal sources have indicated.
The ICC issued the order!
Tuesday, . to go into effect April
9. Under the circuitous routing
system, a shipper sends unsold
lumber to a distant point by a
roundabout route rather than a
direct doute. The shipper at
tempts to sell the lumber at
some point before it reaches the
final destination.
Ties Up Box Cars
Often the circuitous routing
system ties up box cars as long
as 60 days. Normally, lumber
shipped by the direct route
could reach the same desination
in slightly more than a week.
Complaints that this type of
routing may in part be respon
sible for the current box car
shortage inspired the ICC order.
The roundabout routing is,
however, one way for mills to
sell their lumber. For example,
lumber which cannot be sold
locally might bring a good price
elsewhere where demand for
that particular type of lumber is
greater. It also has been pointed
out, however, . that the reverse
can happen. One source said that
a certain type of lumber might
be considered "out of style"
elsewhere in the nation and
would therefore have to be sold
at a distress price, which would
be considered generally econo
mically undesirable.
Excectincr Order
Some local sources have indi
cated that they have been ex
pecting the order from the ICC
and have expressed favor, for
it. Feelings appeared to be that
anything contributing to tne re
ported box car shortage should
be curtailed.
One source said that some
some smaller wholesale lumber
firms may be hurt by the order,
but predicted no major perman
ent crippling effect in general.
It has been claimed that the
circuitous routing curtailment
will make it necessary for some
firms to build up inventories in
order to sell lumber. Some other
lumber interests, however, for-
see little or no change in inven
tories as a result.
Counly Truck Bids
Awarded to Two Firms
International Harvester com
pany, 2232 Biddle rd., and Auto
motive Equipment company,
1245 Biddle rd., were successful
bidders yesterday to provide
Jackson county with six dump
trucks, according to the county
court.
Four five-yard trucks costing
$4,918,05 each will be purchased
from International Harvester
and two Diamond T eight-yard
trucks at 11.000.53 each will
be purchased from Automotive
Equipment company.
Maxwell House Cuts
Prices on Coffee
White Plains, N. Y. (U.R)
The Maxwell House Division of
General Foods Corp. today an
nounced it will slash prices for
its regular ground coffees three
cents per pound, effective to
morrow.
Recent lower prices for green
coffee beans made the cuts pos
'sible, a spokesman said,
Jacksonville Census
Scheduled Next Week
Jacksonville A census of
Jacksonville residents will be
taken Monday and Tuesday,
March 26 and 27, Mayor John
Keaveny has announced.
He stated that the city council
authorized the census in order
that Jacksonville's pro rata share
pf certain state funds will be
increased on proof of population
growth since 1,190 recorded in
the 1950 federal census.
Three enumerators will record
the name, age and sex of all per
sons residing within the Jack
sonville city limits. All persons
who will be absent from their
homes on Monday and Tuesday
are requested to leave the re
quired information in a conspic
uous place outside the house.
Everett Ravenor is census di
rector. Enumerators are Mrs.
Fred Richardson, Mrs. Walter
Mooring and Miss Judy Frohs.
Request Funds for
Experiment Station
A request for $4,000 from
Jackson county to assist in oper
ational expenses of agronomic
work at the Southern Oregon
Branch Experiment station was
made yesterday to the county
court.
Representatives Of the station
and the county extension service
told the court that the station
will need $6,000 next year to
carry on present experimental
work, due to a drop in income
at the farms.
Josephine county has been
asked to consider budgeting
$2,000 for the work.
Commission Chester Wendt
said the court has taken the re
quest under advisement.
Property composing the ex
perimental farms is owned by
the county and operational costs
are covered by state funds and
income from the farms.