Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 17, 1958)
CT cn Ok JVI U u if AA (o)(o) Planned Corporation Buys 18-Acre Site for Future Buildings Roller Rink, Bowling Alley Planned Soon Plans for an extensive re creation and sports center on Highway 99 south of Char lotte Anne dr. was announced today by John S. Weisbrod, Medford real estate agent who handled the sale' of property Developing the center is a corporation formed by Med ford area residents, who are providing financial backing The corporation will lease fa cilities at the center to opera tors, Weisbrod said. The center, which will be an 18-acre site, (will include a roller skating rink, bowling alley and, later, other facili ties such as swimming pool, tennis courts and possibly a dance hall, he said. Construction Planned Construction of the bowling alley and roller rink are planned as soon as pear trees are removed from the site, which extends from the high way eastward to Bear creek. Weisbrod said the corporation hopes to have the bowling al ley and roller rink ready for operation late in the spring The bowling alley will be operated by Herschel H. and Kenneth F. Bixon of Ray mond, Wash., and will include modern equipment. The Bix- ons will hold the American Manufacturing and Foundry company's bowling equipment franchise in this area, Weis brod said. Included in the equipment will be an auto matic scoring device, auto matic pin setter and spotting, and a ball return which deliv ers the ball under the floor to the rear of the bowler. Weisbrod said the building will be an investment in ex cess of $100,000 and that an additional $100,000 will be invested in the bowling alley facilities such as snack bar, pro shop and space for retail sales. . The Bixons plan to retain a professional bowler to handle lessons and arrangements for tournaments. The bowling fa cilities will include 2' alleys, Weisbrod said. The roller skating rink will be operated by Hazel Middle kauff, Medford, and her brother, T. C. Cline, who ope rates two large rinks in the Pacific northwest. They plan to provide a professional ska ter for instruction courses, Weisbrod said. The roller rink will be about 14,000 square feet, he said, and probably will cost in excess of $100,000. Facilities will include a snack bar and pro shop. Weisbrod said the corpora tion plans to spend about $350,000 at the site in the near future. Members and officers of the corporation were not named, but Weisbrod said it is made up of valley residents interested in developing the center, which has been plan ned for some time. The property of the center formerly was owned by Clyde C. Pittenger, Weisbrod said. Value of the transaction was not released. Red China To Replace Mao Tokyo - (UPD - Peiping radio announced officially today that Communist leader Mao Tse-tung will be replaced as chairman of the Red Chinese government. The official Communist broadcast did not name a suc cessor. Reports reaching Tokyo said aging Marshal Chu Teh, now vice chairman, would succeed Mao. A Communist New China news agency dispatch from Peiping said "the question of not nominating comrade Mao Tse-tung as candidate for chairman (president) of the People's Republic of China for the next term" was discussed by the Chinese Communist party's central committee. "The plenary session adopt ed the relevant resolutions." the agency said, meaning that Mao's decision not to continue as president had been approved. in! COLLISION-A 16-year-old girl was treated at 'Rogue Valley hospital and released Tues day afternoon and the automobile she was operating was demolished in a collision at Eighth and Holly sts., according to Medford city police. Miss Judith Jean Lambert, 172 Greenway circle, was treated for shock and an injured left ankle after the vehicle she was driving was hit by an automobile oper ated by Mrs. Minda Everetta Irving, 42, of Prisoner Smuggles $590 Into Jail Despite Search Tight-fisted Lendel Carl Buttram smuggled $590 into Jackson county jail recently following his arrest on a bur glary charge, local police au thorities reported yesterday. According to their account, he wadded the cash into his faithful right" hand, swollen from an injured knuckle. He managed to. conceal it in spite of being searched twice. A total of $350 was discov ered in the course of a jail search yesterday morning, all but $10 in the personal pos session of other prisoners, the authorities said. First Clue The first clue reportedly came when Jack Kenneth Ly tle, taken from county jail to the Oregon state penitentiary following sentencing here, turned over $230 to the state guard who admitted him. Ly tle, 25, of Willow Tree court, Central Point, was given a three-year sentence in circuit court after he pleaded guilty to last month's burglary of the Jacksonville school safe. Buttram, 21, of Shady Cove, is in the jail here awaiting a preliminary hearing Friday on a charge of burglarly not -in a dwelling. His bail is $5,000. He was arrested early Dec. 4, shortly after a high-speed chase through Medford and Talent, in connection with the theft that night of approxi mately $687.55 from the safe of Crater Finance company in Central Point. Searched Again He was questioned at the Medford police station, and then reportedly strip-searched by Central Point officers. All his clothes were reportedly removed, but he kept the "I Think This Is Rather A Spirts h of CHJ County cash,. $20, $10 and $5 bills, safely in his hand. At the county jail he was reportedly searched again by the Central Point police and the night jailer, Again the money went undetected, al though it was said he turned in his wallet .containing $30, as part of his personal pos sessions. Homer Cloyd Brooks, 39, of Pueblo, Colo., who was ar rested shortly before in con nection with the same theft, reportedly had no money him self. Admitted Smuggling Buttram yesterday admitted smuggling in the money, ac cording to a sheriff's deputy who participated in the shake down. The shakedown revealed that Donald Harry Morgan and John E. Clark, other pris oners ,each had $160 tucked inside cigarette packages. Al ice Corrion, a woman pris oner, had concealed $20 and $10 was under Morgan's bunk, according to the deputy. Buttram was reported to have given another $10 to a visitor to the jail. The other prisoners report edly talked of winning the money from Buttram in a card game, but Buttram was said to have stated he simply gave it to them. Results of the shakedown have been submitted to the district attorney's office. Dis trict Attorney Thomas J. Reeder said yesterday after noon he did no., expect to bring any charges against the prisoners who had the money. Salem - (UPD - State tax com mission valuation division em ployees will meet here Thurs day and Friday for their an nual in-service training school. Sad Sort Of Thing . . ." : Area edfbrd 2103 Hillcrest ave. The Lambert car was eastbound on Eighth st., police said, when it was hit by the Irving car which was travel ing north on Holly st. Mrs. Irving was cited by police for failure to yield to a vehicle on a through street. The Lambert automo bile (above right) was turned over in the impact. The front end of the other vehicle also was damaged. A Medford city fire truck was called to the scene of the accident. Prentice Named Secretary of Tree Farm Group Dale Prentice, now district forest engineer with the West ern Pine association in Red ding, Calif., has been hired to succeed the late Lewis L. (Doc) Simpson, Robert Kline, president of the association, announced today. Prentice said yesterday he will assume his new duties as secretary-manager and forest er of the Southern Oregon Conservation and Tree Farm association Jan. 1. His wife and two children will stay in Redding to handle the sale of their home there. Mr. Simpson helped organ ize the SOCTFA about 11 years, ago and served as its executive until his death on Oct. 25. With Group 10 Years Prentice has been with the Western Pine association in southern Oregon and north ern California for 10 years, and was a friend of the for mer SOCTFA secretary-mana,-ger. He spent seven of the 10 years in Klamath Falls for the Western Pine association and three years in Redding, the U.S. bureau of entomology Prior to that he served with and plant quarantine when it was an independent agency. Prentice graduated from the University of California, served in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II, is a native of Kansas and came to California in 1937. Prentice said his job here will be similar to the one he has with Western Pine asso ciation. His present job in volves advising owners of more than a million acres of forest land in northern California- and 300,000 acres in southern Oregon. Jaycees Announce Christmas Tour The Medford Junior Cham ber of Commerce will sponsor a shopping tour for under privileged children, Jim Ash er, committee chairman, has announced. Each child on the tour will be given funds to purchase gifts for his family. Children are accompanied by a mem ber of the Jaycees, who spon sor the program for children who would not otherwise be able to purchase gifts. Asher said anyone desiring to contribute to the program may mail contributions to the Jayces, post office box 251, Medford. Assisting Asher are Don Randies and Jerry Nei dergahl on the committee. DOW-JONES AVERAGES New York (UPD - Dow Jones final stock averages: 30 industrials 569.38, up 4.20; 20 railroads 154.03, off 0.33; 15 utilities 88.48, up 0.59, and 65 slocks 197.42, up 1.02. Sales to day were about 3,900,000 shares compared with 3 970,000 shares Tuesday. Price 10 Cents Medford 22 Pages California Brush Fire Burns Info Camp Pendleton Marine Forces Man Fire Lines San Juan Capistrano, Calif. -(UPD-A roaring brush fire whipped by turbulent winds spilled over into the 110,000- acre Camp Pendleton Marine Reservation today and in an other area threatened nearly 300 homes. Marines manned fire lines as the flames rolled across the tinder dry brushland of the reservation that is dotted with scrubby oak trees. Bar racks on the base were only several miles from the fire's southern edge. 52,000 Acres Blackened The four-day blaze blacken ed more than 52,000 acres of valuable watershed and de stroyed 19 structures, mostly summer cabins, as it burned on an 80-mile perimeter at the junction of Orange, River side and San Diego counties, about 55 miles from lios An geles. Fire officials said helicopt ers were standing by to drop Marine crews into remote portions of the northern front while backfires were started to check other hot spots. More than 2,000 firefighters were on the lines while bull dozers carved out breaks on mountain ridges and planes bombed hot spots with a water-borate solution. County Purchases Site for Wayside Picnic Facility The first of a series of pro posed wayside picnic areas was acquired yesterday by Jackson county, County Judge Rodney Keating said today. A deed to approximately 1V acres at Spout Springs on the Dead Indian rd. was signed yesterday by Mr. and Mrs. Leland D. Houk of Ash land. When developed, the road side rest and picnic area will include a semi-circular road through the site, picnic tables and benches, toilet facilities and a new drinking fountain, the county judge said. Agreement Reached In return for the deed the county, has agreed to run a water pipe under the road into two concrete watering troughs which it will con struct for the Houk livestock. Profile drawings of the site will be sent to the state park department and to the Jack son county planning commis sion for making plans for the site. The park committee of the county planning commis sion and a representative of the state park department had already examined the site, Judge Keating said. "Henry Enders of Ashland was instrumental in interest ing the Houks in the project," the county judge said. "This has been under negotiation for the past six months while arrangements were being worked out." Branch Bank at Portland Held Up Portland (UPD The Hills dale branch of the Multnomah bank was held up about 1 p.m. today, police reported. A spokesman at the bank said it was not immediately determined how much money was obtained. Brownlee, Idaho-(0PD-Idaho Power's third 90,000-kilowatt generating unit at Brownlee dam across the Snake river went on the line today. WEATHER FORECAST: Considerable valley fog tonight and Thursday with variable high cloudiness above the fog. Low tonight 35. High Thursday 45. Temp. Highest Yesterday 51 Lowest this Morning 35 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 4:40 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 7:35 a.m. Moonset tomorrow 12:27 a.m. First Quarter today 3:52 p.m. At moonset the constellation of Orion will be in the south. Its second brightest star, Betel geuse, is high above Rig el and to the left. MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1958 LONG REACH The Medford fire depart ment's 85-foot aerial ladder rig has proved itself to be a "handy gadget" to have around for a number of things besides fighting fires, and -use was made of it yesterday when strings of Christmas lights were hung on the two blue spruce trees in front of the Med ford library.' The trees are so tall and the NATO Ministers Discuss Defenses Paris-(UPD-The NATO Coun cil of Ministers met today to revitalize the alliance's atomic and rocket defenses against the new Communist offensive in Berlin. Authoritative sources said NATO believed the existing nuclear deterrent was power ful enough to rule out danger of a war over Berlin but that Russia would continue to probe the Free World's de fenses. The subject of American missile bases in Europe was one of the major topics under discussion today, both in the council meeting and in private diplomatic conversations. An other was a drive to build NATO strength to 30 divisions from the current 23. Action to Curb U.S. Supreme Court Urged Before It Becomes Organized action to curb the U. S. Supreme Court was urged by Andrew Unger, 634 Pennsylvania ave., at a meeting last night in the speech room of Hed rick Junior High school. "I'm trying to interest enough people to force Con gress to take action of some kind against the Supreme Court," Unger said. "Other wise it will become an oligarchy." He said the justices are liable to be impeached at the next session ' of Con gress. They were almost im peached at the last session." Quotes Jackson, Smoot Quoting Andrew Jackson, seventh president of the United States, and Dan Smoot, contemporary tele vision commentator, Unger addressed his remarks to an audience of 14 people. Col. William H. Paine, 56 North Orange st., acted as chair man and spoke briefly at the meeting's conclusion. ' Col. Paine noted that this was Human Rights week, proclaimed by President Ei Double Launching Of Thor Missiles Termed Successful Vandenberg AFB, Calif. - (UPD- Two powerful Thor in termediate range ballistic missiles, fired within four hours of each other Tuesday, went the full program range Into the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, missile sources revealed today. Had Field Day "The missiles went right down the pickle barrel," an unofficial spokesman admit ted on the basis of informa tion from this new western missile base and at Cape Canaveral, Fla., as the after math of a double-barrelled launching of the Thors. "The Thor boys had a field day in less than six months after contracts were signed for operational missiles. "Both missiles went the full range, landing within five miles of the intended im pact point. And that would be close enough if they were car rying atomic warheads." The double launching, ac cording to best - informed sources, has paved the way for the first Project Discover senhower. He said the Presi dent urged citizens to study the Bill of Rights and the United Nations Charter. "If these are the supreme law of the land," Unger said of Congressional legis lation authorized by the Constitution, "where does the Supreme Court get the power to nullify any law even if it is , unconstitu- . tional." "If Congress passes a law contrary to their authority, it is ipso facto nullified. Congress would promptly disallow the law itself." Charges Court - He charged the Court with rejuvenating the Com munist party in this coun try by recent civil rights decisions. "Lenin, Stalin and other top Communists have always predicted the United States would col lapse from within," he said. He accused President Ei senhower of calling the Court "the supreme law of the land" and said this abased the presidency be low the Court. 53rd Year Tribune No. 230 limbs so brittle that it would be impossible to hang the lights by use of an ordinary lad der. City Park Custodian Johnny Dyer is shown above on top of the hydraulic ladder, while Fireman Ed Evans operates the con trols on the truck. Also helping put up the lights were Park Custodians Tom Meed and Fred Grow. er program before the end of the year. At the same time, it was expected that the first flight test of the Titan ballistic mis sile, slated as the eventual successor to the Atlas inter continental ballistic missile, would be conducted before the end of this year at Cape Canaveral. Portland Attorney Suspended by Court Salem (UPD The Oregon Supreme Court today suspend ed Portland Attorney Richard R. Morris from the practice of law for one year. . Morris had been convicted of failure to file federal in come tax returns for 1953, 1954 and 1955. Vancouver, Wash. - (CPD - George Bell, 66, Vancouver switch foreman, was dead on arrival at a Vancouver hos pital Tuesday after being crushed between a moving car and a stationary one. The accident occurred at the down town railroad yards. Oligarchy "Sen Morse (D-Ore.) de fended the Supreme Court when they attempted to curb it," Unger said. "He wanted to preserve the dig nity and integrity of the Court. "If I go out here and commit a crime, I lose my dignity and integrity. The people won't forget it. "I told him (Sen. Morse) I was going to attack him for his stand on the Su preme Court. I asked him to come here and defend himself. He hasn't replied." Unger discussed his ex periences in the Spanish American War before the meeting. He opened the session officially by saying he would discuss the U. S. Constitution, which all pub lic officials from soldiers to policemen are pledged to uphold and defend. At its conclusion about an hour later, he said, "The time may come when I can speak forcefully on the sub ject. In the meantime I need practice. Tonight was practice." Short Circuit in Nativity Scene Starts Holocaust Estimated 200 Persons Injured Bogota, Colombia - (UPD - A fire which started in a Christ mas nativity display swept through the crowded Vida de partment store Tuesday night in one of the worst holiday tragedies in Bogota's history. At least 98 persons died in the flames and smoke many of them trampled and smothered in the panic that followed the first dreaded cry of "fire." An estimated 200 others were injured, of whom about 50 were near death today.. The fire started at 5:25 p.m. while the store was crowded with Christmas shop pers, most of them women and children. A fire department official said the blaze was caused by a short circuit in the colored lights of the na tivity display in the center of the ground floor. The flames, fed by paper and straw in the simulated manger of the Christ child, leaped to nearby counters piled high with inflammable plastic toys and gifts. Trapped Inside Store In a matter of seconds, the flames raced across the ground floor, trapping scores of persons in the windowglass, doorless rear portion of the building. Dense smoke quick ly filled the store. Firemen reached the scene only two and a half minutes after the alarm was sounded. But by then the whole front of the store was aflame. Many were trapped, and in vestigations were underway to determine if the store's doors had been ordered lock ed to prevent theft. , Within an hour, the blaze was under control. But the scene inside the store was grim. One fireman said bodies of many of the victims were piled against the back wall of the store's ground floor. They apparently had milled about desperately and blindly there until they felL Most were asphyxiated. The injured were taken to the hospital of San Juan de Dios and other institutions. Some were given blood trans fusions. Escape Via Roof Friends and relatives crowded morgues and hos pitals this morning, hunting for their loved ones. By dawn, every available coffin in Bogota had been used, and additional ones were brought in from nearby communities to hold the dead. Many of those who escaped saved their lives by making their way to the store's roof and jumping to the tops of adjoining buildings. One group of men, trapped at the rear of the second floor, grabbed tools from the hard ware section and chopped their way through the wall to safety. One survivor said that when he ran to the back of the first floor, he found a man perched atop a fragile step ladder frantieally beating the wall and ceiling with his head in a desperate effort to get out. Several other men joined him with various weapons to open a hole. As they worked away, firemen chopped through from the second floor and saved them. Children May Call Si. Nick Tonight Children of the Medford vicinity still have three op portunities this week to give their orders to Santa Claus. ' They may telephone SPring 3-7353 this evening and Thurs day and Friday nights. Hours for calling are 7 to 9 p.m. The telephone service has been arranged by the Medford Kiwanis club with D. J. Bol ton, chairman, in charge. Bolton advised youngsters to dial Santa's number with care in order that telephone subscribers with similar num bers will not be flooded with calls. He reported that Trav elodge motel here received ap proximately 100 calls last night because of transposition of digits by dialers. Santa talked to some 500 children calling from this area last night. Washington -(UPD- The Agri culture Department has esti mated Oregon's 1958 wheat crop at 28 million bushels.
