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22 Pages
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FIRE ESCAPE A group of parents and civic leaders in Ash
land were taken on a tour at the Ashland Junior High school
this week, so they could see for themselves the fire dangers
that exist in the building. Part of the group, above, is shown
coming down the narrow fire escape that would be used by
students in evacuating the building.
Copco Wins Suit
Brought by State
Circuit Judge Orval J. Mil
lard, Grants Pass, late yester
day ruled in favor of the Cali
fornia Oregon Power com
pany in a suit brought against
the company by the state as a
result of a forest fire.
The state sought to recover
$40,682.40 which is claimed
to have spent in extinguishing
a forest fire in the Sykes
creek area of Jackson county.
The fire started on Labor
Day, 1955.
Judge Millard's ruling yes
terday ended the week-long
trial.
He ruled that Copco was
not negligent in the origin of
the fire and that it was nei
ther an owner, operator nor
Derson in possession of the
land where the fire started
The state clainied the com
pany had possession of the
premises where the fire start
ed, and that it was the com
pany's duty, as possessor, to
clear the area of the right of
way and adjacent land of
trees dangerous to power
lines.
Charges Negligence
The state charged that Cop
co was negligent in failing to
fight the fire or in preventing
it from spreading. .
Judge Millard said it was
his opinion that Oregon law
does not require the owner of
a right of way to fight fires
which start on or spread
across the land.
Testimony during the trial
brought out that a pine tree
was topped by a strong, twist
ing wind which blew the tree
top into an electrical distribu
tion line, causing the line to
break, and starting the fire.
Attorneys appearing for the
power company at the trial
were Roberts, Kellington and
Branchfield. The state was
Snow Continues To Fall
On Paralyzed N.Y. Town
By United Press International
A blinding storm aumpeu
another 12 inches of snow to
day on Oswego, N.Y., al
ready virtually paralyzed by
a five-foot blanket, but some
relief was promised for the
snow in Oswego and across
the nation from biting cold.
End Said Coming
The Weather Bureau in
Syracuse, N.Y., said an end to
Oswego's seemingly endless
snow was finally in sight. The
forecasters said about six
more inches could be expect
ed today and "then it should
be all over with.",
MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 1958
WhWl i
-04 III 'f:
represented by Thomas C. Sta
cer and Nicholas D. Zafiratos,
assistant attorneys general,
both of Salem.
Procedure For
Trees Changed
A change in the procedure
under which individuals may
secure permits to cut Shasta
fir Christmas trees for home
use on Rogue River National
forest lands, has been an
nounced by S. T. Moore, act
ing forest supervisor.
Moore said that two men in
the Prospect ranger district
have been authorized to re
ceive cash payments and to is
sue permits for trees at $1
each. He mentioned that a
separate permit will be issued
for each Shasta fir tree.
The permits may be ob
tained at the Prospect ranger
station on week days. The per
mits will authorize cutting in
a limited area above Union
Creek. On week ends the per
mits may" be secured at the
forest service log scaling sta
tion one mile north of Pros
pect.
Moore stressed that no trees
may be cut on the national
forest without a permit. Free
permits for cutting Douglas
fir and white fir trees for per
sonal use from marked areas
may also be obtained at the
same offices as the Shasta fir
permits.
Officials said that unauthor
ized cutting in commercial
quantities in the Blue Rock
and Four Mile Lake areas has
been reported and is under in
vestigation by the forest serv
ice and the federal bureau of
investigation.
In Oswego, sharp gusts of
wind piled snow into deep
drifts. The city's 23,000 resi
dents have been virtually cut
off from the outside world
since Sunday. Schools, fac
tories, and most businesses
remained closed for the third
straight day.
Trapped in Homes
Police and Red Cross teams
using skis and snowshoes, de
livered food to many snow
bound residents, many trap
ped in their homes, despite
scores of plows thrown into
the battle against the tower
ing snow mounds.
CONDEMN CLASSROOMS The Ashland by the state fire marshal. The condemned
Junior High school building, built in 1912, classrooms are on the top floor, where stur
which has for a number of years been of dents would be unable to escape through
concern to parents as being a "fire trap," windows,
had part of its classrooms closed this week
Third Floor of Ashland
Junior High Condemned
Ashland - The third floor
of Ashland Junior High school
was permanently condemned
as a fire hazard Tuesday by
the deputy state fire marshal.
Classes were dismissed for
the remainder of the week.
Deputy W. R. Roble, Grants
Pass, condemned the entire
third floor of the 58-year-old
structure after he had been
summoned to Ashland by Fire
Chief Charles Davis. Davis
said that a group of parents
made the request.
School Superintendent Stan
ley Jobe said the school will
be permitted to use the two
lower floors of the building
when classes resume Monday,
Dec. '15. He explained that
daily schedule will remain
unchanged but will be in
more cramped facilities until
a new structure can be built.
No double shifts will be re
quired, he stressed.
Inadequate Facilities
The third floor, containing
seven classrooms and a music
room, was condemned due to
inadequate exit facilities,
Davis said. He explained that
during parts of the day near
ly 200 students were on the
third floor. Two metal exter
ior fire escapes and the in
side stairway were the only
18 Prizes To Be
Awarded in Contest
. A total of 18 prizes valued
at more than $450 will be
awarded in the Medford Jay
cees residential Christmas
lighting contest, Del Landing,
contest chairman announced.
Sweepstakes prize is a
four - speed hi-fi portable
phonograph, he said, "and
added that the prizes are on
display at the Jackson Coun
ty Federal Savings and Loan
association.
Entry blanks for the con
test are available by contact
ing the Medford Jaycees, post
office box 251, or from sev
eral downtown stores. He said
the blanks also are available
from Jaycees members.
All entries in the lighting
contest are eligible for prizes
regardless of size, Landing
said. He explained that the
organization was encouraging
residents to start new displays
even though they may be
small.
Salem - (CPD - All Oregon
highways are clear of snow.
Tribune
exits from the area.
. He explained that the build
ing had been listed as sub
standard for several years and
that enclosing the stairwell
had been suggested. This, he
added, was found not to be
practical since the cost would
exceed $15,000 and the walls
in the old building would act
as a flu in case of fire.. He
explained that smoke, gas and
fumes could travel quickly
from the basement to the attic
between the walls.
The fire marshal made his
last formal inspection of the
building in January, 1957,
Davis said, but added that the
fire marshal had conducted
"drop - through" inspections
three or four times during
the year. Each time any cor
rections brought to the atten
tion of the school authorities
were immediately made, he
said.
The first two floors of the
building are considered safe
for classes, school officials
said, since both floors are
partly on the ground-level. A
list of corrections for the first
and second floors are expect
ed this week from the state
fire marshal's office, Davis
said.
447 Students
A total of 447 students at
tend classes in the junior high
school building, Superinten
dent Jobe said, which includes
71 sixth grade students. These
students, who met in the jun
ior high school building due
to the overcrowded conditions
in the elementary school, will
be transferred to the Belle
view Elementary school. Tem
porary classrooms in the
school gymnasium is being
made available for the three
classes.
Jobe said that cafeteria ser
"I Don't Know Why Everything Has To Keep
Changing. When I Was A Young Man"
Price 10 Cents
No. 224
vice at the junior high school
will be discontinued and con
verted into two classrooms.
Students wishing a hot lunch
at noon may attend the Lin
coln school approximately
four blocks away. The super
intendent stated that the food
served at the junior high
school had previously been
brought to the cafeteria in hot
ovens from Lincoln.
School officials said classes
also will be held in the library
and the faculty room. The
vocal-music program, former
ly held on the third floor, will
be transferred to the orches
tra building on the grounds.
The action by parents which
resulted in the condemning of
the third floor of the school
came as a direct result of the
Chicago school fire disaster
last week.
New Building Planned
School officials said that
since the old school could not
be made to measure up to re
quired safety standards a new
structure will have to be
built.
Jobe said that school of
ficials had been planning a
new junior high school build
ing for several years and had
planned to have a school bond
election either in March or
April. He explained that the
recent action by the state fire
marshal would probably ac
celerate any planned election.
The school superintendent
said that the new junior high
school building would accom
modate between 750 and 800
students and would include
seventh, eighth and ninth
grades. The ninth grade is
currently with the senior high
school. Jobe said that it was
not expected to have the new
building before 1960.
Campaign Hits
62 Per Cent of
$275,000 Goal -
$170,978 Reported
Contributed to Fund
A total of $170,978.93 has
been solicited in the Oregon
Shakespearean Festival's new
building fund campaign, it
was reported this noon.
The total of a little more
than 62 per cent of the $275,
000 goal for the new theater
in Ashland.
The new Medford total is
$54,515.50, Otto Frohnmayer,
cochairman of the campaign,
reported. Last week, the Med
ford total was $43,748.50, and
goal for the Medford drive is
$100,000.
Ashland's total is now $51,
430.84, which does not include
a matching fund set up by an
anonymous donor. A. C. Fries,
Festival association president,
Ashland, predicted that Ash
land may raise as much as
$70,000 toward the building.
Goal for Ashland was $50,000.
R. M. Sorenson's special
gifts committee this noon re
ported a total of $42,699.50,
material' gifts now total $5,
542, and out-of-town gifts
which are chiefly mail gifts,
now totals $7,433.75.
W. J. Williams, vice presi
dent of Harry and David's
Bear Creek orchards, dis
cussed values of the Festival
this noon.
Medford's final report
meeting will be next Wednes
day in the Red Cross building,
60 Hawthorn ave. Frohnmayer-
reminded volunteer
workers.
Construction of a new Fes
tival theater building and
public restroom facilities is
expected to start when the
campaign goal has been
reached. The old theater was
torn- down following last sea
son's productions. It had been
condemned by the state fire
marshal.
Perking Service lo
Be Available
Parking service, provided
by the Medford Junior Cham
ber of Commerce, will be
available between 5 and 9
p.m. tomorrow in downtown
Medford.
The Jaycees started the au
tomobile parking service Mon
day, and will continue the
service each Monday and
Thursday nights and Saturday
afternoons, until Christmas,
Gary Shuler, general chair
man of the project, said.
Shoppers may leave their
car at one of two stations, and
Jaycee members will drive it
to a parking lot and return it
upon presentation of a ticket,
Shuler said.
The Jaycees hope to elimi
nate much of the traffic prob
lem and at the same time help
Jaycee funds used to finance
other Christmas programs.
The downtown stations are
in front of the U.S. National
Bank of Portland, and at the
parking lot of the Medford
branch of the First National
Bank of Oregon.
Roseburg Mayor
Freed on Bail
Roseburff- (UPD -Mavor Arlo
Jacklin of Roseburg was freed
under $250 bail Tuesday nignt
after his arrest on a com
plaint alleging a cash payout
to a .17-year-old boy tor iree
Dinball games at the mayor's
bowling" alley.
District Judge Warren
Woodruff today continued the
case for arraignment until
Friday morning.
The arrest was made by
Douglas County Sheriff Ira
Byrd and Deputies Louie Suit
er and Roy Cox. The' com
plaint, initiated by Cox, al
leged that $16.60 was paid for
332 free games.
Washington (UPD The De
fense Department called for
9,000 draftees for the Army
during February, the same
total as for January.
WEATHER
FORECAST: Valley fof and low
cloudiness tonight and Thurs
d a y. Thickening cloudiness
above the fog Thursday with
chance of showers late in day.
Continued mild. Low tonight
45. High Friday 50.
Temp.
Highest Yesterday 50
Lowest this Morning 45
Prec. to 10 a.m. Today, Trace.
Our Skies Tonight
Sunset today 4:39 p.m.
Sunrise tomorrow 7:30 a.m.
New Moon today 9:23 a.m.
Moonset today .5:11 p.m.
VISIBLE PLANETS
(their approximate distances
from the Earth' tonight)
Mars 55 million milei
Jupiter 582 million miles
(They are now equal in brilliance.)
Heoyy Turnout
Of Voters Noted
In City Election
A relatively heavy turn
out of voters in today's
municipal' off-street park
ing election was indicated
shortly after the polls
opened at 1 p.m. In Ward
IV, for example, 18 persons
had voted in the first 10
minutes, with a dozen more
waiting in line lo cast their
ballots.
Polls will remain open
until 8 p.m. All registered
voters in the city are eli
gible to cast ballots.
Polling places are, for
Ward I, Hedrick Junior
High school; Ward II. girls'
gym at Medford High
school; Ward III, McLaugh
lin Junior High school, and
Ward IV, Girl Scout house
in Hawthorne park.
Ike Refuses To
Refute Russian
Missile Reports
Washington - (UPD - Presi
dent Eisenhower said today
he saw no reason to refute
reports from Russia that the
Soviet Union has an 8,700
mile ballistic missile. But he
sharply rejected as without
evidence a recent report that
Russia was test flying an
atomic-powered plane.
Highly Guarded View
The President, at his first
news conference since Nov.
5, declined to discuss in spe
cific detail information from
the Kremlin relayed to him
Tuesday by Sen. Hubert H.
Humphrey (D-Minn.).
But he took a highly guard
ed view of a number of re
ports of startling Russian pro
gress in the development of
scientific weapons. He said
that in the case of the atomic
plane there was absolutely no
reliable evidence of any kind
that the Soviets had flown
such an aircraft.
(Continued on Page 6)
DOW-JONES AVERAGES
New York - (UPD - Dow
Jones final stock averages:
30 industrials 564.98, up
6.85; 20 railroads 155.64, up
1.70; 15 utilities 87.95. up
0.50, and 65 stocks 196.73.
up 2.10. Sales today were
about 4,340.000 shares com
pared with 3.790,000 shares
Tuesday.
Becken, Jeweft to
Speak at Meeting
Elliott Becken; assistant
superintendent of Medford
schools, and H. P. Jewett,
superintendent of schools in
district 6C, will discuss their
respective districts at a public
meeting of patrons in Howard
school district tomorrow
night. . .
The meeting was called by
the Howard School Reorgani
zation Information committee,
of which Nick Gier is chair
man, and will be held in the
Howard school gymnasium
starting at 8 o'clock.
Questions regarding future
plans of the Medford and 6C
districts, construction of addi
tional facilities, and changes
in the academic programs are
expected to be discussed by
Becken and Jewett.
The Jackson County Reor
ganization committee has
recommended that Howard
district be consolidated with
district 6C, which now in
cludes Central Point, Gold
Hill and Sams Valley.
Applegate Valley flu Fire Report
Involves Ranger Station, Dancers
Applegate Valley A
flue fire at the William
Roby residence, and a par
ticular set of circumstances
recently, started a chain
reaction which had most
of the Applegate valley
residents driving around
searching for a fire and
alerted the Jacksonville
fire department.
Mrs. Roby discovered the
house near the flue burn
ing. She called her hus
band from a nearby service
station, and the Medford
telephone operator to noti
fy proper authorities.
The telephone operator
apparently called the Star
Ranger Station. Since
everyone was at a farewell
party for Ranger Vern
Taylor and not available at
the moment, Miss Carolyn
Matteson of Grant Pass,
baby-sitter for Byron Peff
ley, office clerk at the rang
AT LEAST 'HIM
CULTIS
BODY OF 'MESSIAH'
DISCOVERED IE) DEBRIS
Chatsworth, Calif. (UPD An exploding bomb ripped
through a religious colony today, killing barefoot "messiah"
Krishna Venta and at least eight other persons, including an
11-month-old boy.
FBI agents threw a cordon about the charred debris of the
main monastery building of the Fountain of the World Cult
and began a search for more bodies, possibly including that
of a maniac who touched off the bomb.
Ventura County Sheriff's Lieutenant Ralph M. Hollis said
the colony listed only eight persons as missing and that por
tions of another body were found. "It is our opinion now"
that it is that of the bomber, Hollis said.
Venta's body was one of the charred bodies found in the
smouldering wreckage of the building. He was identified by
dental work an upper plate.
The blast caved in one wall of the building, setting it on
fire and spreading debris several hundred feet in Box can
yon, some 30 miles northwest of Los Angeles in the Santa "
Susana mountains.
The flaming wreckage touched off a brush fire that roared
out of control through the tinder dry watershed. Some 250
men were on the fire lines.
(Continued on Page 7)
Work on Recreation
Facilities Planned
Work on some of the recre-.
ation area facilities at Howard
Prairie reservoir will start
during the next construction
season, James Callan, project
engineer for the Talent proj
ect, told the county court yes
terday afternoon.
Work on the recreation fa
cilities proposed for Emigrant
reservoir will start "a year
from now," Callan added.
About $140,000 will be avail
able for planning and con
struction for facilities for both
reservoirs, Callan said.
Members of the county
court said they should be
ready to grant concessions on
Howard Prairie reservoir late
next year.
Assures Court
Gordon Whitaker, chief of
lands branch, regional office
of the bureau of reclamation,
Boise, Idaho, assured the
county court and officials of
the Medford, Talent and
Rogue River Valley irrigation
districts yesterday that recom
mended changes would be
made in the contract for de
velopment and administra
tion of the recreation sites and
it would be returned "in the
next two or three days."
Changes were recommend
ed at a meeting of representa
tives of the three irrigation
districts yesterday afternoon.
It should be made clearer in
the contract that primary pur
poses of both reservoirs is for
providing irrigation waters,
irrigation district officials
said. That the irrigation dis
tricts have the right to run
the water levels of the reser
voirs up and down as needed
should also be clearly stated
in the contract, officials sug
gested. Water Level Lowered
The water level- in Hiatt
reservoir will be lowered in
1960 when Howard Prairie
and Emigrant reservoirs are
both in operation, it was re
ported yesterday. It will be
possible then to clear many of
the snags from the lake. The
lake should be poisoned for
clearing trash fish in 1960, it
was suggested.
Whitaker said probably the
bulk of the money allowed for
development of recreation fa
er station, answered the
telephone. ,
Miss Matteson thought of
calling Upper Applegate
store at McKee bridge. But
she found no store under
the name "McKee" in the
directory, and called Leo
nard McKee of Jackson
ville. His understanding was
that the house from which
the baby-sitter was calling
at the station was on fire,
so he tried to telephone
neighbors in the area, who
apparently were at a
Grange square dance.
McKee finally contacted
Mrs. Jim Winningham, who
roused her husband from
bed to drive 12 miles up
the valley looking for a
fire. The Winninghams
found everything quiet, but
spread the alarm at the
square dance. It was about
10 p.m., and the dance
cilities would go to Howard
Prairie reservoir. What pro
portion is allotted for each of
the two reservoirs will depend
on estimates made on con
struction of facilities, Whita
ker said. All engineering on
the project will be done this
winter, he added.
Recreation developments on
Howard Prairie will include
a boat basin with docks and
ramp, swimming area, motor
court, trailer park and pic
nic areas. Plans have yet to be
made for recreation facilities
on the Emigrant reservoir,
Callan said.
Dedication Set
Af Hoover School
Open house and dedication
ceremonies at Hoover school,
one of two new elementary
schools in Medford, will be
held Jan. 20, school adminis
trators reported to' the Med-
ford school board last night.-
Classes at Hoover started
this school year.
Open house and dedication
of Wilson school, which
opened for classes last month,
tentatively is planned in Feb
ruary, school board members
were told. Construction crews
are putting the finishing
touches on Wilson school.
Board members reviewed
plans for purchasing sites for
junior high schools, but any
action has been delayed until
after plans of the Jackson
County Reorganization com
mittee are completed.
The board approved a
schedule for preparing and
considering the 1959 school
budget, including salary
schedules. A study of the pro
posed budget will be complet
ed next May, school officials
said.
Also discussed was the pos
sibility of changes in account
ing procedures of the district.
School administrators have
recommended that machine
accounting - be used as an
economy measure. A study of
the possible change has been
under way for sometime by
school officials.
quickly broke up since
many of those attending
had left children at home.
Meantime, men at Star
Ranger Station had been
told that the fire was
"across from the blue
swimming pool at the
James Miller ranch."
Ben Twiss and Bob Sor
ber went to the J. B. San
ford home across the river
Mrs. Sanford had received
a call from Elba Graham,
Jacksonville fireman, who
believed Sanford's house to
be on fire. He told Mrs.
Sanford the Jacksonville
firemen were at a meeting
and would be standing by
11 received directions.
The flue fire was about'
a mile from the Sanford's.
Soon after Mrs. Roby rel
ported the fire to the Me
Ro'bv ephne
Roby had extinguished it
with a bucket, of water
meant for his horse.