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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 31, 1958)
ig 3 (glial ranges Russia Te Meeting on Jermany Price 10 Cents MEDFORD 12 Pages MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 31, 1958 No.i 242 I' I ' ' n i 1 " N CENTENNIAL BEARDS Looking like a couple of "mule skinners" who just re turned from a month on the trail, Glenn Klein and Medford Barber Dave Doran dis cuss the merits of raising a crop of chin whiskers in observance of Oregon's centen nial year. Quite a number of men in Jack son county have started beards, taking ad Boy's Body Found In Illinois Near Where Drowned Grants Pass - The body of 9-year-old John Misenhimer, of Medford, who drowned in the Illinois river about 12 miles west of Selma, Monday, was recovered yesterday aft ernoon. Relatives of the Misenhim ers found the body about 1:55 pjn. about 30 feet from where the body of the boy's father, David Carl Misenhimer, was found late Monday, Josephine county sheriff's deputies said. The body was discovered under an eddy next to the bank, deputies said. Relatives of the Misenhim ers had relieved the sheriff's party in the boat and had just started dragging for the body when it was found, it was re ported. In the dragging party were Al Mitchell, 2241 Barnett rd., Medford, Don Williams, 532 Granite st., Ashland, and Jack McNerney, 795 Glendale ave., Ashland, all relatives. Also assisting were three Medford city policemen, friends of the father, and Howard McLain, owner of McLain drug stores in Medford and Grants Pass. The father and son, who -lived at 915 Newtown St., Medford, were on a fishing trip when the boy fell into the river. His father attempt ed to rescue him, but the tur bulent river swept them away. Mrs. Misenhimer and 12-year-old daughter, Carla Jean, were at the scene of the accident. Irrigation Officials Keep Watch Officials of Medford Irri gation district are keeping an eye on current water supplies and weather conditions. Jack Hoffbuhr, manager of the district, said the reason for the abnormal holdover in main reservoirs is the above normal precipitation last year. Last year the Medford weather bureau station meas ured 27.09 inches of rainfall compared to an average of 18.15 inches. The same figures will not hold true in reser voir areas but will be propor tionately the same. The MTD's reservoirs at Four Mile and Fish lakes gained 9,779 acre feet during the water year from Septem ber, 1957, to September, 1958, Hoffbuhr said. This repre vantage of the legitimate excuse to give their face a rest from daily shaving and to help stimulate interest in Oregon's 100th birthday. The idea doesn't seem to go over too big with the womenfolk but keeping beards neatly trimmed helps make them acceptable. Doran operates Ye Olde Clip Shoppe on East Main st. Contract Signed on Recreation Areas A contract for administra tion and development of rec reation areas on the Howard Prairie and Emigrant reser voirs has been signed by mem bers of the Jackson county court and mailed to the bu reau of reclamation regional office in Boise, Idaho. Work on recreation facil ities at Howard Prairie reser voir is scheduled to start next construction season, accord ing to James Callan, engineer for the Talent project. About $140,000 will be available for planning and construction of facilities for both reservoirs, Callan said. The contract signed by the county court included chang- Medford Boys Admit Throwing Switches Two 10-year-old Medford boys admitted to city police Tuesday that they threw sev eral switches on the Southern Pacific railroad tracks be tween Third and Fourth sts. Officers were notified by Paul Hughes Riggs, 249 South Riverside ave., that two youths were playing on the tracks and were throwing switches to the Swift company warehouse and Pinnacle Pack ing company had been thrown. The boys were released to their parents following noti fication of 'local juvenile authorities and railroad of ficials in Eugene. on Supplies sented the amount of gain over water used from the two reservoirs. At Fish lake in 1957, 129 acre feet less than was used was recorded. In 1958, the district recorded 9,779 acre feet more than was used dur ing the year Hoffbuhr said. During the year, MID laid or rehabilitated almost four miles of lateral pipe or slip form lining. Approximately 7,000 square yards of gunite lining was placed in the main canal. Approximately 25 miles of canal bank was repaired and strengthened. Hoffbuhr said the water supply outlook looks tough now. However, it is a little early to start worrying, he said. Bulk of the snows come in January and February. 53rd Year Tribune es recommended by officials of the Medford, Talent and Rogue River Valley irrigation districts. Primary Purpose The contract states, that the primary purposes of both res ervoirs is for providing irri gation waters. It states also that irrigation districts have the right to run the water lev els of the reservoirs up and down as needed. Gordon Whitaker, chief of lands branch, regional office of the bureau of reclamation, said the bulk of the money al lowed for development of rec r e a t i o n facilities probably will go to Howard Prairie reservoir. What proportion of the funds is allotted for each of the two reservoirs will de pend on estimates made on construction of the facilities, Whitaker said. All engineer ing on the project will be done this winter, he added. Recreation d e v e lopments on Howard Prairie will in clude a boat basin with docks and camp, swimming area, motor court, trailer park and picnic areas. Plans have yet to be made for recreation facilities on the Emigrant reservoir, Cal lan said. Duncan Announces Two Appointments Portland -&TD- Rep. Keith D. Skelton of Eugene, a Demo crat, is scheduled to become chairman of the House Ways and Means committee of the 1959 Oregon legislature. The announcement was made Tuesday by Rep. Robert B. Duncan (D-Medford), who has been chosen speaker of the House. Duncan also announced that Rep. Clarence Barton (D-Co-quille), will return as chair man of the House Taxation committee. Sen. Walter J. Pearson CD Portland), scheduled to be come president of the Senate, said he would name Sen. Ward Cook (D-Portland). as chairman of the Senate Tax ation committee. Solid Clues Lacking In Martin Family Case Portland (DPD Authorities today again were out of solid clues in the disappearance of the Ken Martin family of Portland, the top mystery of 1958 in Oregon. Similar Notes Reject Demand West Pull Out European Security Talks Also Urged Washington-IUPD-T h e Unit ed States, Britain and France told Russia today they in tend to stay in West Berlin despite Soviet threats. They challenged the Kremlin to take part in a Big Four con ference on the problems of Germany as a whole, and European security. In separate but similar notes delivered in Moscow, the allied Big Three advised the Russians they would not discuss the problems "under menace or ultimatum." They also said that they would not recognize the East German regime even if the Soviets turn over East Berlin and the access corridors to the city to the puppet govern ment. The three notes flatly re jected the Soviet Union's Nov. 27 demand that the West quit West Berlin by June 1 and permit it to become a Communist-encircled "free city." Detailed Rebuttal The 2,000-word American note was considerably shorter than the British reply, which included a detailed rebuttal of the charges against the West which Soviet Premier Nikita Khruschev made in his Nov. 27 note. Officials said the United States intends to re fute these old Russian charges in a press statement to be is sued later this week. The sub stance of the allied notes was the same. The United States and its allies made it clear they will negotiate with Russia only if they receive some assurance the Kremlin did not intend to present them with a show down ultimatum on Berlin. Rose Parade on Local Television A change in programming will enable local television viewers to watch the Rose Parade from Pasadena, Calif., Thursday, a spokesman for station KBES-TV said today. A pre-Rose Parade program will start at 8:30 a.m. with the parade to be shown at 9 a.m. At 9:45 a.m. the station will telecast the Orange Bowl foot ball game from Miami, Fla., after which it will show the Cotton Bowl game from Dal las, Tex. At the conclusion of the second game, the station will cut into the Rose Bowl game from Pasadena. The Rose Bowl game is expected to be in progress at the time the local station cuts in, it was stated. Station KOTI-TV, Klamath Falls, will carry the same schedule. 390 New Year's Traffic Deaths Seen By United Press International The National Safety Coun cil warned today that as many as 390 persons will be killed in traffic during the New Year's holiday unless cele brants show "sober, thought ful, considerate behavior." "Surely the tragic highway toll over the Christmas holi day must have shocked all of us into more sober, thought ful, considerate behavior be hind the wheel," the council said. The 102-hour holiday week end begins at 6 p.m. today and closes at Sunday midnight. During last week's Christ mas holiday of the same dur ation, United Press Interna tional counted 599 traffic death, or 21 below the coun cil's pre-holiday estimate. Residents Flee Fire In Topanga Canyon Topanga, Calif.-(DPD - More than 1,000 persons fled their homes today as a wind-lashed brush fire swept into both Old and New Toranga can yons. Three of some 700 homes in the area were reported burned. Lumber Industry Benefit Seen From Rale Cut New Market Seen For Rail Shippers Portland (UPI) - Georgia Pacific Corporation, one of the largest by-water lumber shippers in Oregon, Tuesday expressed approval of a cut in freight rates of the South ern Pacific railroad for lum ber to Southern California and Arizona markets. A spokesman for Georgia Pacific said earlier that the then proposed cut would ben efit the Oregon lumber indus try as a whole. Open New Market The spokesman said the new cut for rail shippers will open a new market and add substantially to other markets which Oregon shippers had de veloped in lieu of California customers. He said indications are that the action will generally firm lumber prices and affect the plywood market about the same way. The Oregon lumber market is reported strong in demand due to low inventories, slower production, unseasonable con struction and general business optimism, according to G-P. Lumber mill operators polled in the southern Oregon city of Medford said generally it was felt that it was a "bit early" to determine what ef fects the lower rail rates will have due to the holidays. Stimulation Expected Examples given were that lumber buyers were not on the road and wholesalers were watching inventories for tax purposes. They agreed, however, that some stimula tion was expected from steady customers in California and Arizona. The lumber mill operators in Medford said they ex pected the same rate of pro duction and no changes in em ployment. No extra work shifts were anticipated nor we're new mills expected as a result of the lower rates. Stewart Ave. Improvement Set A proposed agreement was signed yesterday by the Jack son county court on improve ment of Stewart ave. The Medford city council is scheduled to consider the agreement at its Friday night meeting. . The agreement provides the city would expend $27,500 the next fiscal year from its ar terial street fund for im provement of Stewart ave. in conjunction with the county's improvement program. The county has budgeted $50,000 for that purpose this year. The program will include widening and improvement of Stewart ave. and covering a large drainage ditch along the south side. The Stewart ave. bridge over Crooked creek has been rebuilt. The county agrees to cover the drainage ditch from Crooked creek bridge to Co lumbus ave., and to widen and improve a portion of the roadway on Stewart ave. 'This is to be done but not limited to the next four fis cal years," the agreement stip ulates. Experts Study Cause Of Missile Failures Cape Canaveral, Fla. -(UPD-Rocketeers studied complex electronic reports today to de termine the reasons two of their major missiles ran wild and had to be blasted to bits over the Atlantic. First it was the Navy Pol aris, still experimental, which was destroyed in flight Tues day morning. About 11 hours later it was the Air Force Thor, successfully flown many times. Both are intermediate range ballistic missiles with ranges of 1,500 miles. Gettysburg, Pa. -UPD- Presi dent Eisenhower has pro claimed May 1 as Law day. WEATHER FORECAST: Low cloudiness or fog in valleys, fair above 3,000 feet mean sea level tonight and Thursday. Mild temperatures. Low tonight 42. High Thurs day 50. Temp. Highest Yesterday 48 Lowest this Morning 43 Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 4:48 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow - 7:41 a.m. -11:10 p.m. Moonrise tonight . Last Quarter VISIBLE PLANETS Jan. z Venus, low in southwest in the early evening twilight. Mars, high in south 8:29 p.m. Jupiter, low in south east S:58 a.m. Mercury, low in southeast in the morning twilight. RAYMOND RETER Named Director Local Man Named Director of SF Reserve Bank The Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D. C, today announced the appointment of Raymond R. Reter, Med ford, as one of three new di rectors for branches of the San Francisco Reserve bank. : The appointment becomes effective Jan. 1, and is for two years. The San Francisco Reserve bank, which has branches in Seattle, Portland, Los Angeles and Salt Lake City, has 25 directors. Reter will be one of the five directors for. the Portland branch. Directors are selected by the board for their knowledge of economic and business mat ters of the area in which they live as well as on the national level. Federal District The 12th federal district In cludes Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Ari zona, and ' California. It was explained that a third of the directors of the federal re serve banks are elected by member banks with the re maining directors appointed by the reserve board in.Wash ington, D. C. Reter will attend the first board of directors meeting of the Portland branch there Jan. 8: He is owner of the Reter Fruit company here. Other directors appointed at this time were John D. Fredericks, Los Angeles, and Thomas B. Rowland, Pocatel lo, Idaho. Trial Date Set On Gambling The trial of two persons on gambling charges has been set for 9:30 a.m. Feb. 24 in dis trict court. Wallie Wong, 825 North Central ave., entered a plea of innocent in district court Monday to a charge of posses sing, displaying and operating a game of chance. Louella Lee Browne, 106 Vilas rd., Central Point, wait ress in the restaurant, entered a plea of innocent through her attorney to a charge of il legally paying off on a pin ball machine. Luella Browne was arrest ed by city police Dec. 13 af ter "police received a com plaint that a pinball machine was paying off in the Chung king Inn. Formal complaints were filed against the owner and waitress Dec. 16. Klamath Falls -(UPI)- Martin M. Zollar has been named superintendent of the Klam ath Indian Agency. 12,000 Individuals, 84 Species Counted Annual Christmas Count by Valley Bird Fourteen bird watchers from Medford and other Jack son county points took part in the annual Christmas bird county Tuesday. Favorable weather and a background of experience in studying the birds of the vicinity ' brought forth a record number of 84 species and more than 12,000 individuals. The count produced further evidence of the rapid increase of starlings in .the valley. Many large flocks were seen totaling 3,758. This compares with 1,940 red-winged black birds, the next most numer ours species. Other species of which more than a thousand were counted were Brewer's blackbirds, robins, Oregon juncos and mourning doves. Unusual wintering species noted were an American eg ret, a spotted sandpiper and a greater yellow-legs. The num ber of individual ducks seen was not great, but twelve dif ferent species were noted. Army Defenses Hold After Four Days of Struggle Casualties Heavy On Both Sides Havana-(DPD-A life or death struggle for the central Cuban city of Santa Clara raged to day. Informed sources here said the rebels still were un able to crack government de fense lines, after four days of bitter fighting. Wild rumors circulated in Havana, but Cuban army sources said the rebels had barely been able to penetrate the outskirts of Santa Clara, the capital city of the province of Las Villas at Cuba's nar row waist. Within the city itself, the army said, there was only snipping but on the city's out skirts the rebel and govern ment forces were engaged in frequent and heavy fighting, with both sides suffering heavy casualties. Foreign diplomatic sources in Havana said they had heard "rumors" of an estimat ed 1,600 rebel casualties, but they said this referred to fighting throughout Las Vil las Province and not in Santa Clara alone. Cuban army authorities said they were not worried by the status of the fighting there. Cuban officials described as 'highly exaggerated" re ports abroad that thousands had died in the fight for the city. Army officials said only small rebel combat units had been able to penetrate the city's defense lines and only in the outskirts. Early today neither side had made any official state ment concerning the Santa Clara fighting in more than 24 hours. Big Struggle Reported The rebel radio claimed that more than 300 govern ment troops had deserted to the insurgents in the fighting for Santa Clara. But another rebel broadcast said the at tempt to capture Santa Clara, a city of 150,000 and a key communciations center in Central Cuba, had developed into a "life or death struggle." Authorities here discounted many of the rumors circulat ing about the extent of figh1 ing in the city. They noted that no ' private communica tion channels existed between Santa Clara and Havana and there was no road, rail or air traffic. Meanwhile, two Kentucky school teachers, Larry Brant ley, 22, and James Reid, 38, who were seized by Cuban police Monday when they stepped off an airliner at Ha vana, have been released. Offices, Stores to Be Closed Tomorrow Local, state and federal of fices will be closed tomor row for New Year's Day. Half the staff in the county clerk's office will be given Friday off, County Clerk Ber eth P. Hopkins said. This is to compensate personnel for overtime put in during the year. The other half were giv en the day after Christmas off, she explained. Most stores in the bounty also will be closed. All state policemen will be on duty today and tomorrow, the department reported, and said that all traffic laws will be enforced. The Mail Tribune will pub lish a noon edition tomorrcXv. The count area was a 15- mile diameter circle center ing about a mile south of White City. Most of the roads in this area were tra versed by the five parties traveling by car and numer ous short hikes were taken to areas away from the road. At the conclusion of the count the group met for coffee at the home of the Rev. and Mrs. Thomas McCamant and tabu lated the results. Those participating were Ralph Browning, Mrs. How ard Bush, Maj. Gen. and Mrs. J. H. Hicks, Betty Jo Hicks, Mrs. Robert Hubbard, Miss Mabel Moore, Mr. and Mrs. McCamant, Dr. and Mrs. John Reynolds, Mr. and Mrs. Carl Richardson, Tom Turpin. The list of birds seen is eared grebe 3; piedbilled grebe, 15; western grebe, 1; great blue heron, 10; black crowned night heron, 9; American egret, 1; Canada "Heavens - Services Scheduled In Valley The New Year will be wel comed during Watch Night services scheduled at .many Medford and county churches. Some services will include holy communion and others will feature film and devo tion service. Youth of the First Method ist church will participate in a service scheduled there from 11 p.m. until midnight. Service will close with com munion. The Central Church of Christ will be host to the Phoenix Church of Christ for Watch Night services. Communion Service Watch Night communion service at Eastwood Baptist church will mark the begin ning of the Baptist Jubilee Advance, a five-year empha sis on evangelism. The serv ice will start at 8:30 p.m. Services at First Church of the Nazarene will be held from 11 p.m. until midnight. Apostolic Faith church will be open from 8 pjn. until midnight for regular preach ing services, including con gregational singing, personal testimonies, and reports of missionary activities of the church, both at home and in foreign fields. Prayer will usher in the New Year. Mt. Pitt Avenue Church of the Nazarene will hold a com bination social time and Watch Night service. Activi ties wil be held at the Red Blasting Caps Taken from Quarry State police warned today that blasting caps stolen from Bristol Silica Granite quarry near Gold Hill are "extreme ly dangerous." All such caps should be turned into law enforcement officials and authorities should be informed if persons are observed with them, state police said. Several boxes of blasting caps and one box of electric caps were stolen from the quarry on old Blackwell Hill rd. some time Monday, state police said. The theft was re ported by Harry Skevington, Rogue River, an employee of the quarry. State police warned that the electric blasting caps are dangerous especially since they are delayed action and can be set off by a transmit ting radio. goose, 7 (4 honkers, 3 cacK lers); snow goose, 1; mallard, 67; American widgeon, 37; pintail, 3; green-winged teal, 7; shoveller, 6; wood duck, 1; redhead, 2; ring-necked duck, 42; lesser scaup, 3; buffle head, 10; ruddy duck, 22. American merganser, 10; Cooper's hawk, 2; red-tailed hawk, 26; marsh hawk, 2; sparrow hawk, 73; California quail, 84; ring-necked pheas ant, 27; American coot, 347; killdeer, 267; spotted sand piper, 1; common snips, 15; greater yellowlegs, 1; mourn ing dove, 1,008; burrowing owl, 3; belted kingfisher, 3; red-shafter flicker, 74; acorn woodpecker, 60; lewis wood pecker 4; hairy woodpecker, 1; downy woodpecker, 8; yellow-bellied sapsucker, 4; horn ed lark, 5; Steller's jay, 5; scrub jay, 50; black-capped chickades, 15; plain titmouse, 18. Common bushtit 30; white breasted nuthatch, 10; pygmy To - Betsy" ' m-lL Mr Churches Cross building, 60 Hawthorne ave., and will begin at 7 p.m. with a potluck dinner. , At 10:45 o'clock the Watch Night service will begin at the church, and will conclude just after midnight. The hour will include congregational singing and a message by the pastor, the Rev. Henry L Brown. Salvation Army Salvation Army services will begin at 7 p.m. with potluck dinner for all mem bers and friends of the Med ford Corps. At 8 p.m. an open air service will be held and at 8:30 p.m. a film, "Serving Christ," will be shown. Candle Light will be a part of the Watch Night service at 10:30 p.m. The public is Invited to at tend the film showing and the 10:30 p.m. service at the Sal vation Army building, Fourth and Bartlett sts. Film Planned Services at First Baptist church will begin at 8:30 pjn. with a "get-acquainted" time with new members who were received into the church dur ing 1958. Refreshments will be served and a film "Center ville Awakening," will be shown. The year will close with devotion and prayer. Watch Night service at the First Presbyterian church will start at 11 p.m. and will in clude communion. Free Meth odist church will hold activ ities starting at 8:30 p.m. Churches outside of Med ford holding services tonight include Central Point Com munity Bible church, which will show the film, "The Great Light," starting at 9 p.m. Fellowship Supper In Ashland, a fellowship supper and Watch Night serv ice will be held at Faith tabernacle. The supper will begin at 6:30 p.m. A commu nion service will be held at Grace Lutheran church. The event will start at 7:30 p.m. and include a sermon, "Tak ing Spiritual Inventory," by the Rev. E. Paul Riedel. Phoenix First Presbyterian church will hold services starting at 9 pjn. The, eve ning will start with a buffet supper and include the film, "Martin Luther," at 10 pjn. Communion will be served between 11:30 and midnight. New Year's day, the valley Roman Catholic churches wiil observe the Sunday mass schedule. During Watchers nuthatch, 1; brown creeper, 8; winter wren, 1; Bewick's wren, 9; long-billed marsh wren, 1; American robin, 1,261; varied thrush, 1; hermit thrush, 4; western bluebird, 248; golden-crowned Tcinglet, 45; ruby-crowned kinglet, 13; Say's phoebe, 1; cedar wax wing, 557; loggerhead shrike, 1; common starling, 3,758; myrtle warbler, 4; Audubon's warbler, 1; house sparrow, 199; western meadowlark, 570; red-winged blackbird, 1,940. Tricolored blackbird, 337; Brewer's blackbird, 1,805; brown-headed cowbird, 135; purple finch, 104; house finch, 682;American goldfinch, 360; lesser goldfinch, 679; pine siskin, 206; rufus-sided tow hee, 26; brown towhee, 11; Savannah sparrow, 130; lark sparrow, 12; Oregon junco, 1,013; white-crowned sparrow, 49; golden-crowned sparrow, 318; fox sparrow, 8; song sparrow, 51.