wmul
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Mgt
mobs irnrmim
CColDs
Crowd Gathered
Af Wreck Scene
As Truck Explodes
Windows Blown Out
All Over Texas Town
Brownfield, Tex. - (UPD - A
butane gas transport truck
blew up Monday night in the
midst of 500 persons standing
as close to it as 10 feet. Spec
tators said flames shot 1,000
feet into the air and the blast
blew chunks of red hot metal
two miles.
The explosion killed four
persons and injured 168. Most
of the injured were treated
for burns and sent home, but
at least 63 remained in hospi
tals, some in critical condi
tion.
Started, with Wreck
The tragedy started with a
wreck between the butane
transport and a trailer truck.
There was a small explosion,
probably of gasoline, when
the trucks collided, and a fire
The Brownfield volunteer
fire department rushed to the
scene and spectators gath
ered. Fifteen minutes after
the wreck and original explo
sion, the powerful butane gas
on the truck blew up.
The victims include volun
teer fire marshal Jim Cousi-
neau, about 45, who earned
his living as an electrical en
gineer; Ruben Johnson, about
50, Lubbock; Wayland Park
er, about 45, and J. B. Ray.
Parker, a farmer, was a
volunteer fireman. Johnson
and Ray were spectators.
Hospital Overflows
The injured overflowed the
local hopsital and ambulances
and automobiles rushed them
to hospitals in Lubbock, Lev
elland and Lamesa, about 40
miles away. ,
Residents of Lubbock,
Muleshoe and Big Spring re
ported seeing the flash of the
explosion. Big Spring is 80
miles from Brownfield.
The explosion knocked out
Brownfield's power supply
and there was no power for
more than an hour. ' It blew
out windows all over town.
The glass in a filling station
two blocks away simply dis
appeared. Butane is a gas, widely
used for heating in the rural
areas, that liquefies under
pressure. It is carried about
as a liquid and stored in tanks
on farms and ranches, but the
moment it touches air, it be
comes a gas.
Pope Appeals for
'Unify and Peace'
Vatican City-flJPD-Pope John
XXIII, in his first Christmas
message to the world, ap
pealed today for "unity and
peace."
"T h e commemoration of
the birth of Jesus does not
cease to renew each year the
announcement of the same
doctrine and the same tone
unity and peace," he said in
his 3,000 word message.
The Pope spoke in Italian
over Vatican Radio, which la
ter rebroadcast the speech in
30 languages. It was beamed
to nations around the world,
including those behind the
Iron and Bamboo curtains.
Stewart Resigns at Holmes7 Request;
Denies Charges of Cooperation Lack
Salem-UPD-State Tax Com
missioner Sam Stewart today
tendered his resignation to
Gov. Robert D. Holmes.
At the same time, Stewart
denied aU charges Gov.
Holmes made against him
when he called for Stewart's
resignation.
Said Not Cooperating
The governor, who reap
pointed Stewart to his tax
job only last year, said that
Stewart was not cooperating
with the other two members
of the Commission, and was
not getting along with county
assessors.
Stewart said in reply that
minutes of Tax Commission
meetings would bear out his
contention that there was good
U
Hurts
"Ours
'Eyesores'
Surveyed
The mayor's "Make Med-
ford Beautiful" committee
has inventoried 37 "eyesores'
along Riverside and Central
aves., a subcommittee chair
man reported yesterday.
Granville Brittsan, chair
man of the survey action sub
committee, said six service
clubs has volunteered to con
tact property owners about
clearing up the unsightly sit
uations. He said he is confident
nearly all property owners
will cooperate in the beauti-
fication campaign.
Main st. and the airport
area are on- the committee's
agenda for surveys and in
ventories, he said.
Speak at Round Table
Brittsan, appearing witn
other committee members at
the Jackson County Chamber
of Commerce weekly round-
table luncheon, spoke enthus
iastically of the "wonderful
volunteer help" that has been
offered.
He said Boy Scouts, Girl
Scouts, Young Men's Christ
ian association, garden clubs
and the Rose society have all
offered to contribute time
and effort.
Lou Cranston, chairman of
the committee proper, discus
sed activities of the subcom
mittee for planting. The goal
of this group, he said, is to
plant plots of flowers along
the approaches to the city.
Several civic organizations,
he reported, have already
planted bulbs donated by the
Southern Oregon Nursery
men's association. He said
Girl Scouts volunteered to
plant bulbs in front of the
Union 76 service station at
Stewart and Riverside aves.
Mentions Contest
Cranston also mentioned
the possibility of a "Cleanup
and Paintup" contest in which
Medford residents could com
pete for prizes.
Tony Manno, roundtable
member, suggested a system
whereby the merchants would
establish a fund for the con
test. Winners in various cate
gories would be paid back
the cost of their restoration
cooperation on the Commis
sion.
Stewart said he favored
plans by the governor to re
organize the Commission and
that he had cooperated with
county assessors except when
they were disregarding the
law.
The letter stated that Stew
art was "amazed" at the
charges leveled at him by the
governor and said that as re
cently as this fall, the gover
nor had told him he was sat
isfied with his work.
Silent on Speculation
There had been speculation
around the capital that Gov.
elect Mark Hatfield would
appoint Stewart as tax com
missioner when he. is inau
gurated Jan. 12.
n :
USDInj
168
Talks"
in City
by Group
work from it,
Manno also suggested that
the committee refer to the
20-30 club the project of re
painting the service-club
signs at the north and south
ends of town. Pictures - of
these signs were published
Oct. 27 as part of the Mail
Tribune's pictorial inventory.
"It takes an act of Con
gress to touch those signs,"
Cranston replied. He explain
ed that they were on state
property and thus any reno
vation would require state
approval. But he agreed with
Manno that the 20-30 club
could handle the ' matter. '"
Hardship Situation
Cranston also discussed a
hardship situation on Fair-
mount st., where a vacant
house is in poor repair be
cause the owners are in Cali
fornia. By terms of a parent's
will, he explained, the house
cannot be sold.
But, he said, John Chaney,
an attorney representing the
Medford Realty board on the
committee, believes there is
a way around this and has
sought to get in touch with
the owners. Otherwise, Cran
ston said, the committee hopes
the owners can at least be
persuaded to let a realtor find
tenants who could keep the
place in order.
The inventory of Riverside
and Central aves., Brittsan re
lated, stemmed from . a tape
recorded survey undertaken
by the Crater Lions club. The
survey results were submit
ted to City Recorder Darrell
Huson, head of the survey
sub-committee. Huson pre
pared a formal inventory,
and turned it over to Britt
san. As things stand now, Britt
san said, participating service
clubs have each taken one of
six groups of eyesores along
these thoroughfares and are
in the process of talking
things over with the property
owners.
Boise-IUPD-Earl W. Murphy,
62, secretary of the Idaho
Chamber of Commerce for 18
years, died today.
But neither Stewart -nor
Hatfield had any comment on
that point today.
Stewart heads the valuation
division of the Tax Commis
sion and has been a firm advo
cate of county appraisal pro
grams since he was appointed
to office.
In the past, Stewart has
clashed with assessors of
Multnomah and Lane county
Over his revaluation program.
Policies Not Changed
Stewart told the governor
"you did not feel at the time
of my reappointment to the
Commission that my actions
were damaging to sound ad
ministration, yet my policies
were the same 18 months ago
as they are now.
Underground
Grotto Collapses;
18 Feared Dead
Belgium Villagers
Collecting Mushrooms
Brussels -(UPD- An under
ground grotto in a corner of
Belgium collapsed today, ap
parently wiping out part of
a group of villagers collect
ing mushrooms for Christmas
dinners.
Eighteen were buried and
feared dead. The broken body
of an 8-year-old girl was the
first to be recovered from
the humid, dark passageways
of the grotto.
Dozens Treated
About 150 persons from the
quaintly named village of
Zichen-Zussen-Bolder, in the
northeast corner of the coun
try on the Dutch border, were
gathering mushrooms when
the disaster struck.
Most clawed and scrambled
their way to safety through
passages and air shafts.
Twelve were hospitalized
with serious injuries. Dozens
of others were treated at the
site for cuts and bruises.
Rescue teams from Holland
and Belgium converged on
the spot within a half hour
of the alarm being given.
Praying for Miracle
But a police spokesman said
"it would be a miracle if any
one is alive" under the tons
of rubble which fell on the
muddy floor in which mush
rooms thrive.
In the pall of dust hanging
around the hillside, relatives
of the trapped villagers pray
ed for that pre-Christmas mir
acle. The grotto consisted of
about 120 to 160 acres of
caves and galleries in an ab
andoned quarry. The caves
began to collapse over about
20 acres, probably from some
earth movement caused by re
cent heavy rains. The walls of
the quarry caved in sending
a terrific whoosh of air
through the entire workings.
Golden Case Is
Continued Today
The case of Jerry Eugene
Golden, 28, of 684 East Val
ley View rd., Ashland, was
continued today in circuit
court pending consultation be
tween Golden and his attor
ney. Golden appeared before
Circuit Court Judge Edward
C. Kelly on charges of assault
with intent to commit rob
bery. Judge Kelly appointed
William Duhaime, Medford,
his attorney.
Golden was brought into
circuit court on one charge be
cause the nature of a second
charge will depend on wheth
er the shooting victim, Ray
Edward Reid, lives, the dist
r i c t attorney's office ex
plained. Golden also is charg
ed with assault with intent to
kill 34-year-old Reid of 1850
Barnett rd., Medford.
Attendants at Rogue Valley
hospital today said Reid's con
dition "is satisfactory consid
ering the number of days."
Reid's physician told the dist
rict attorney's office that he
wanted to wait three or four
days before definitely predict
ing whether or not Reid would
live.
Golden was arraigned in
district court Friday afternoon
on charges of assault with in
tent to kill and assault with
intent to commit robbery. He
has admitted to firing the shot
that struck Reid Thursday
evening in the 90 and 9 Tav
ern on South Riverside ave.
Salem-(DPD-The State Board
of Control has voted to use
the Eastern Oregon State hos
pital at The Dalles for treat
ment of mentally retarded
persons as its first priority.
WEATHER
FORECAST: Variable cloudiness
tonight and Wednesday.
Valley iog reforming tonight.
Clearing partially Wednesday
afternoon. Outlook for Thurs
day, night and morning fog.
Low tonight 35. High Wednes
day 45.
I Temp.
Highest Yesterday 45
Lowest this Morning 29
Prec. to 10 a.m. Today, Trace
Our Skies Tonight
Sunset today 4:42 p.m.
Sunrise tomorrow 7:38 a.m.
Moonset tomorrow 6:04 a.m.
Full Moon Dec. 25
PROMINENT STARS
Aldebaran, near the Moon.
Betelgeuse. low in east 6:27 p.m.
VISIBLE PLANETS
Mars, high in southeast 7:30 p.m.
Jupiter, in the south-
east - 6:21 a.m.
Price 10 Cents
Medford
12 Pages
Eugene Man To
Be Director of
Motor Vehicles
Finance Post Goes
To Elections Chief
Salem -UPD- Two major ap
pointments were announced
today by Gov-Elect Mark Hat
field. Vern Hill, Eugene police
chief and a 20-year veteran
with the state police, will be
the new state director of mo
tor vehicles.
. Freeman Holmer, 41, pres
ent state elections chief, will
take over as state director of
finance- and administration.
Hill replaces James R.
Johnson, an appointee of Gov.
Robert D. Holmes.
Holmer takes over from
John F. Richardson, also a
Holmes appointee.
Both men had revealed
their intention of resigning
when Hatfield takes office on
Jan. 12.
20 Years With Stat
Hill, 47, who has been Eu
gene police chief for four
years, devoted 20 years pre
viously in state police service
in Salem and Eugene. In Eu
gene he was the sergeant-in-charge
of the area state po
lice headquarters after work
ing out of the Salem head
quarters. He is a native of
Newberg.
Holmer attended Concordia
college and the University of
Oregon and has taught busin
ess and public administration
at both New York University
and Willamette University
here. He also served as secre
tary to several legislative in
terim committees.
Qualifications Prevail
Holmer currently is presi
dent of the Salem chapter of
the American Society for
Public Administration and
chairman of the research and
development committee of
the Citizens Conference for
Intergovernmental coopera
tion. "In making these two ap
pointments, professional qual
ifications and background
prevail," Hatfield said.
Stores Will Be
Open Again Tonight
Tonight will be the last op
portunity for Christmas shop
pers to make purchases during
evening hours, and Medford
downtown merchants expect
crowded stores again tomor
row, the final shopping day
before the holiday.
Stores will remain open un
til 9 o'clock tonight, but will
close at 5:30 p.m. tomorrow so
emoplyees may have Christ
mas eve at home. Most stores
and all governmental offices
except emergency agencies,
will be closed Thursday.
Schools in Jackson county
which did not close Friday
will close this afternoon and
tomorrow.
Schools closing today in
clude Jacksonville, Griffin
Creek, Ruch, Phoenix, district
6C which includes schools at
Central Point, Gold Hill and
Sams Valley, Eagle Point, Tal
ent, Applegate, Prospect,
Howard and all . Medford
schools.
Rogue River and Evans Val
ley schools will close tomor
row afternoon. All schools
will resume classes Monday,
Jan. 5.
The Mail Tribune will pub
lish a noon edition Thursday.
Chance for Postal
Rate Increase Dim
Washington (UPD Presi
dent Eisenhower's request for
another postal rate increase
was given little chance today
of winning approval from
Congress.
Two' Major
Announc
MEDFORD, OREGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1958
zi
FOSSIL FOUND An agatized section of
bone which has been identified as being
from a 15-foot invertebrate that lived in the
Rogue River valley some 400 million years
ago, was discovered recently by Tommy
Tucker (left, above), 1030 Oak st., Central
Point. Tucker uncovered the bone at. a
depth of about one foot while digging a hole
for a lilac bush in his back yard. Delmar
Smith (right), of Crater Rock museum, Cen
tral Point, is pointing out how the bone
section broke along one of the suture lines
UMC Assured of
Reaching Goal
For Sixth Year
The United Medford Cru
sade has reached its goal for
the sixth consecutive year,
Richard Travis, general chair
man, announced today.
The Crusade has received
$130,500 of its $131,030 goal,
he said, and other commit
ments and receipts will be suf
ficient to make up the differ
ence of about $500.
The "Christmas Cards for
UMC" received here will be
delivered by United Air Lines
tomorrow morning to the Wa
verly Baby home, a UMC and
United Appeal agency in Port
land. Travis exressed his appre
ciation to residents of Med
ford for their response to the
campaign, and was especially
grateful to those who contrib
uted twice to raise about
$7,000 in a week to assure the
organization it would reach
its goal and that welfare serv
ices of its agencies will not be
curtailed.
He pointed out that Med
ford is the only city in Oregon
which has reached its United
Fund goal six consecutive
years.
Buffram Sentenced
To Prison Term
Lendel Carl Buttram, 21, of
Shady Cove, was sentenced to
ZVz years in the Oregon state
penitentiary this morning by
Circuit Court Judge Edward
C. Kelly.
Buttram pleaded guilty to
a district attorney's informa
tion charging him with bur
glary not in a dwelling.
Buttram and Homer Cloyd
Brooks, 39, of Pueblo, Colo.,
were arrested Dec. 4 by police
following a high speed chase
in the valley. They were ar
rested in connection with the
theft of about $687.55 from
the safe . of Crater Finance
company, Central Point.
Brooks has waived the right to
a grand jury hearing and was
arraigned on district attor
ney's information.
by . Hatfield
Medford Man Hurt1
When Hit
George Washington Childs,
61, of 16 Portland ave., was In
poor condition at Sacred
Heart hospital today after be
ing run over last night by a
Christmas tree salesman's
truck in Medford.
The salesman, James How
ard Nunes, 26, of 169 Glen
wood rd., told city police he
felt a bump under the left rear
wheel of his Army surplus
weapons carrier truck and
thought at first it was a blow
out. The accident occurred
shortly after 8 p.m. at the in
tersection of East Main and
Cottage sts.
Childs suffered severe head
and chest injuries, according
to police.
Leaves Sales Area
Nunes told police he had
just left a Christmas tree
sales area at Main and Gen
essee sts., where he had been
selling trees to a retail dealer.
Restraining Order
Asked on Rail Rates
San Francisco -UPD- Fifteen
Northern California lumber
companies and trucking firms
have asked for a' restraining
order to halt proposed rail
road freight rate slashes in
Oregon.
The petitioners told U. S.
District Judge Lloyd H.
Burke Monday that unless
the rate cuts were suspended
"the California lumber in
dustry would be destroyed or
substantially damaged in
comparison to the Oregon in
dustry." The new rates were request
ed by the Southern Pacific
Railroad and became effec
tive automatically after the
Interstate Commerce Com
mission took no action after
the seven-month statutory
period.
The new schedules reduce
charges an average of 20 per
cent on lumber carloads of a
minimum of 34,000 pounds
between Oregon, California
and Arizona points. California
railroad operations are not af
fected by the rates.
53rd Year
Tribune
No. 235
" . !
that criss cross it. Smith said the creature
once inhabited the ancient seas that covered
this area and is of the family of cephalopods
that resembled a squid, except that the
body was elongated and was held rigid by
a heavy bone running through it. The aga
tizing process alone, in which the bone
molecules are replaced by silica, takes up to
20 million years. The fossil will be on dis
play at Crater Rock museum after Christ
mas, Smith said.
by Truck
He was turning south from
Main onto Cottage it. when
the accident occurred, police
said. He told police he had
just cleared the windshield of
fog and was not driving more
than 15 miles per hour.
He said he drove another
100 feet along Cottage st. aft
er feeling the bump before he
stopped, looked back, and saw
Childs lying in the street, po
lice reported.
William Lester Hurst, 37,
of 1125 West 10th st., a rela
tive of Nunes, who was in a
vehicle parked on Main st.,
said he saw Childs "throw his
hands up." He asserted that
Childs was not in the cross
walk when the accident oc
curred. An attending physician at
the hospital reported that
Childs said he had been walk
ing west and was in the cross
walk when struck.
Childs was given first aid at
the scene by Clarence Virgil
Childers, 2472 Gary st., who
said he arrived shortly after
the accident. He was taken to
the hospital by Medford Am
bulance service.
Police issued no citations.
Reorganization Group
Withdraws Suggestion
The Jackson County Reor
ganization committee last
night withdrew its previous
recommendation on the future
of the Howard school district,
and will reconsider its consol
idation with another district
or districts at a later date.
Nick Gier, chairman of an
information committee in the
Howard school district, said
the group presented to the re
organization committee last
night the results of an opin
ion poll taken in the district.
The action to reconsider dis
position of the district fol
lowed the poll's presentation.
, Gier said 883 opinion bal
lots were mailed to patrons of
Howard district asking wheth
er they favored consolidation
with district 6C, which now in
cludes Central Point, Gold
Balance Without
General Increase
In Taxes Doubted
Temporary Programs
Scheduled To End
Washington - (UPD - Key con
gressional Democrats today
openly questioned the ability
of President Eisenhower to
balance the new federal budg
et at $77 billion without a
general tax increase.
The chairmen of the Senate
finance and House appropria
tions committees accepted Eis
enhower's announced goal of
ending mountainous federal
deficits as admirable. But they
doubted that Uncle Sam would
take in enough extra revenue
to do the job in fiscal 1960.
The President, although he
proposed increased defense
spending, promised he would
not ask for a general tax hike.
He said the budget will call
for higher postal rates and
gasoline taxes, however.
In a direct challenge to the
strong Democratic Congress to
refrain from heavy new spend
ing, Eisenhower issued the
rare budget preview Monday
nearly a month before it was
scheduled to go to Capitol
Hill.
End Temporary Programs
"It will be a balanced budg
et," the President said. "Rev
enues and expenditures will
be in the general area of $77
billion."
The Chief Executive said
reductions in total spending
expected to pass $80 billion
this year-would be accom
plished in the new budget
partly by ending of temporary
programs in agriculture, un
employment insurance and
housing. Savings in this cate
gory were estimated at up
wards of $2,500,000,000.
What interested the Demo
crats in heavy control of Con
gress, however, was the bright
revenue picture painted by
Eisenhower.
Revenue in the current fis
cal year is expected to be in
the neighborhood of $68 bil
lion. This will leave a deficit
of about $12 billion. The
President's "balance" next
year at $77 billion would
mean an improvement of $9
billion dollars In federal re
ceipts. Skeptical of Savings ,
One of the most influen
tial Democrats in the field
of federal finance, Chairman
Clarence Cannon of the House
Appropriations Comm i 1 1 e e,
said he was skeptical of Eis
enhower's anticipated savings
and found "no evidence that
revenues will be up to what
he expects.H
Chairman Harry F. Byrd of
the Senate Finance Commit
tee, another powerful Demo
cratic figure, was more lauda
tory than Cannon of Eisen
hower's economy objective.
But like other Democrats,
Byrd questioned whether there
would be enough revenue to
make a balanced budget pos
sible. Eisenhower said defense
spending would push upward
to a new peacetime peak. De
fense spending this year is
expected to run about $40,-
800,000,000 and there have
been recent estimates that the
1960 military outlay might go
up well above $41 billion.
Grants Pass -(UPD- Clarence
Barker, 47, an employee of
the Illinois Valley Logging
company, was killed late
Monday in an accident about
20 miles east of Cave Junc
tion.
Hill and Sams Valley, or with
district 549C, Medford.
A total of 561 valid votes
were returned. Of these, 378,
cr 67.4 per cent, favored con
solidation with district 549C,
and 183, or 32.6 per cent fa
vored consolidation with dis
trict 6C.
The reorganization commit
tee had recommended that the
Howard district be consoli
dated with district 6C along
with Rogue River and Evans
Valley.
When the committee recon
siders disposition of the dis
trict, it also will consider a
petition from residents along
Burcell rd. and Mt. Pitt ave.
who desire consolidation with
district 6C. This portion of the
district lies within a half mile
of the Central Point grade
school.
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