Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989, January 01, 1959, Image 1

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Medford mail tribune., January 01, 1959, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextCuba 53rd Year Medford 20 Pages SANTA MONICA F Thornton Rules Hatfield Must Resign His Post Salem-fl!PD-Attorney Gener al Robert Y. Thornton said late Wednesday that Secretary of State Mark Hatfield must resign his present office be fore becoming governor. The decision, in effect, gives to Gov. Robert D. Holmes the authority to appoint a secre tary of state to succeed Hat field. The governor said earlier his choice for the office was David O'Hara, former head of the State Elections division. Holmes then asked Thornton for a legal opinion as to his right to appoint O'Hara. Hatfield said that he would have no comment until he had consulted with Lamar Tooze, Portland, his private legal advisor. . Hatfield claimed earlier that he had the right to appoint his own successor after he became governor. Opinion Quoted Thornton's opinion stated: "Under the clear cut lan guage of article 5, Oregon constitution, prohibiting any one from assuming the office of governor who holds anoth er state office, the incumbent secretary of state and governor-elect must legally relin quish his present office in or der to become governor. ' Thornton said Hatfield must first submit, his- resignation,, Then a successor could be ap pointed and Hatfield would turn over to him all the books, moneys and records of his department. Thornton used as a prece dent the case of Hayden ver sus Hill in which a Lane coun ty legislator was required to resign his post before taking another state job. The attorney general point ed out that under an Oregon law which has been on the statute books since Oregon was admitted to the union, a secretary of state who chooses to be relieved of his duties before completing his term of office is required to resign to the governor. The governor (Holmes) then March of Dimes Chairman Named The Medford 20-30 club will conduct the March of Dimes campaign in Medford this year, Jerry Gastineau, county chairman of the National Foundation, announced Wed nesday. The drive runs from Jan. 2 through 31. Bert Rostel and Bart Gar red have been appointed, as cochairmen of the city fund raising drive. In addition to carrying out its full program on polio, the National Foundation will in clude research, professional education and patient aid in birth defects and rheumatoid arthritis. Rostel said the Medford chapter of the National Secre taries association will stuff and address mailing cards, due to be distributed within the next few days. Local Man Lodged In Jail After Crash Robert Daniel Shults, 28, of 601 West McAndrews rd., was lodged in city jail on two charges early today following an accident reported to Med iord police. Shults was cited for failure to leave information at the scene of an accident and charged with "drunk in public-involved in, an accident." According to police invesi gators. Shults' vehicle veered from Summit ave. about 3:55 a; m., hitting a fence, cross ing a flower bed a;id ending up against a black walnut tree-all in the yard of Fran ces Mary Anderson, 604 Clark st. Shults, who suffered a slight mouth injury, was later apprehended at bis residence. MEDFORD, OREGON, THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1959 appoints the new secretary of state under terms of the con stitution, according to Thorn ton. The attorney general also held that until the constitu tional requirements are met, Hatfield remains as secretary of state and Holmes as gov ernor. "All officers, except mem bers of the legislative assem bly shall hold their offices until their successors are elect ed and qualified," Thornton said. The decision may be ap pealed to the courts by Hat field. Light Death Toll Posted in First Hours of Weekend United Press International American motorists made it a happy New Year by posting a relatively light traffic death toll during the first hours of the long holiday deek 'end despite widespread snow and freezing rain. v Many would be celebrants decided against whooping it up on New Year's Eve andf stayed home rather than brave slippery highways. ' A snow blanket one to seven inches deep covered much of the nation's interior from Texas northeastward across the lower Great Lakes into southern Michigan. Freez ing rain made highways treacherous south of the snow line to the Ohio Valley. The National Safety Coun cil had estimated a 102-hour holiday toll of 390 dead in traffic, 40 more deaths than normal for a similar non-holiday period in January. Hope for Bcnus The council hoped the shock of the high Christmas holi day highway toil would pro duce a New Year's bonus of lives saved. On the basis of early reports, it appeared the council's optimism was justi fied. A United Press Internation al count at 8 a.m. (PST) show ed at least 54 traffic deaths since the holiday began at 6 p.m. Ned Year's Eve. Nine persons were killed in fires, six of them in Rochester, N.Y., and two died in miscel laneous accidents for an over all total of 65. Pennsylvania led the states in traffic fatalities with six. Wisconsin and Michigan had five each, and Illinois and Minnesota four each. Unoccupied House Damaged by Fire An unoccupied house at 444 North Fir st. was almost totally destroyed by fire last night, city firemen reported. Origin of the blaze had not been determined this morning and firemen liad not learned who owned the residence? Fire fighting equipment was sent to the scene about 11:20 p m. after a fireman at the main station, Front and Third sts., had noted a glow in the sky The whole house was involved in flames when firemen arrived. Small damage occurred to an adjacent storage shed of Medford Lumber company. - Tickets Go On Sale For Centennial Fair Portland -UPD-Tickets went on sale today for Oregon's Centennial exposition and in ternational trade fair. They were being sold under the slo gan, "Be a '59er." The Centennial Commission said it has 250,000 books of six adult tickets to sell for S5 a book and 50,000 junior ticket books to sell for $2.50 each. "" MR. 1958 - One year old today, Joseph Pat rick Fazio, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Fazio, 2241 Roberts rd., Medford, was the first baby born in Jackson county last vear. JoseDh has' come a lone way in a vear's time sind is a tVDical eyed and ' fiuTof - mischief. He- doffs- his, Another boy, was born at 9:03 o'clock today crown today to Anthony Shannon Fahey, to Mr. and Mrs. Ronald Harper, 118 West son of Mr. and Mrs. James Fahey, box 833, McAndrews rd., Medford, at Rogue Valley Ashland, who was born at 12:45 o'clock this hospital to be the third 1959 baby. Sweepstakes Prize Goes to City Of Glendale in Rose Parade Pasadena. Calif. -d'PD-The City of Portland, Ore., today won second place for it float in the Tournament of Roses parade for class A-2 cities, between 150,000 and 500,000 population. Si. Paul, Minn., was first and San Antonio, ' Tex., was third. Pasadena, Calif. (UPD The City of Glendale, Calif., won the sweepstakes prize as the most beautiful entry in the 70th annual Tournament of Roses Parade today as a shirt-sleeved crowd of a mil lion and a half persons Appointments Planned by Mayor Mayor John W. Snider said yesterday he plans to an nounce the appointment or re appointment of 12 Medford citizens to municipal positions at the city council meeting Friday night. The list includes four posts on the planning commission, three on the citizens' budget committee, two on the water commission, one on the li brary board, one on the civil service commission and one on the municipal court bench. Mayor Snider said he has not made definite plans re garding , membership on the Medford state athletic com mission and the board of plumbing examiners. These are appointed for one-year terms, A new president may be elected by the council Friday night, Mayor Snider said. The retiring council president is Paul" Meyers, Ward IV, who did not run for relection last month. A finance committee chair ma q and three members for the council's legislative com mittee are also to be named. Mayor Sniderd said a new "people-to-people'' committee movement is designed to pro mote exchange of letters, vis its, gifts and cultural exhibits and programs between Ameri can cities and "sister" cities of comparable size in foreign countries. Tribune morning at Ashland General hospital, to become Jackson county's first citizen this year. Medford's first baby this year arrived at 7:15 o'clock at Sacred Heart hospital. The baby is a son of Mr.' and Mrs. Benjamin toddler, bright- Lee Long, 1217 watched the spectacle get un der way. Judges at the parade's stag ing center selected the beau tiful floral float "Adventures in Fantasy'-composed of 10, 000 Vanda orchids, 6,000 roses and countless blossoms of narcissus and chrysanthe mums as the grand winner. The crowd had started ar riving at the six-mile long parade route during the night with the temperature drop ping to 52 degrees. The wea therman predicted a high to day of 80. The sky was cloud less, and a bright sun burst over the San Gabriel moun tains and splashed down on the flowery pageant. Grand prize was won by the Quaker Oats company, for its "Arabian Nights" entry depicting scenes from the Middle East. It was composed of roses, orchids and carna tions. St. George and Dragon Cal Poly college of Pom ona, Calif., won the theme prize for "St. George and the Dragon." The legendary ad venture depicted the dragon roaring out of his giant lair while a child was meeting the beast with a lance. The floral dragon's head swung from side to side, emitting clouds of smoke. ."Adventures in Sportsman ship" entered by the Chevro let Division of General Mo tors won the President's Tro phy in its debut in the parade. Cowboy star Roy Rogers and Dale Evans took part in the float greeting 1958 na tional soapbox champion James Miley, Muncie, Ind. WEATHER FORECAST: Considerable Cloudiness through Friday ex cept for partial clearing in aft ernoon. Patches of fog and oc casional drizzle tonight and Fridav morning. Low tonight 32. High Friday 45. Temp. Highest Yesterday t 45 Lowest this Morning 39 Prec. to 10 a.m. Today, Trace Our Skies Tonight Sunset today 4:48 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow .... 7:41 a.m. Moonrise tomorrow 12:19 a.m. Last Quarter tomorrow 2:50 a.m. Our Earth, on its nearly circu lar journey through space, to day reaches the point on its orbit nearest to the Sun. It is in Pernihelion and Perihelion distance this year is 91,344,000 miles. Price 10 Cents No. 243 West Ninth st., Medford. Other soapbox racers ride down a runway of white chrysanthemums in front of a grandstand of 8,000 red and white, roses. The City of Los Angeles with "Horizons Unlimited" took the Queen's trophy, and St. Louis was awarded the National trophy for its "Child hood Adventures." A foreign entry, Ireland, won the international trophy with its "March of Dimes" theme. Five girls and a boy, all students at the University of Dublin, flew here to ap pear in the parade. Orchids, roses and chrysanthemum car ried out the floral decor. Chief Justice Earl Warren and Mrs. Warren were among the many dignitaries watch ing the parade from the offic ial grandstand. E. L. Bartlett, senior sena tor from the new state of Alaska was parade grand mar shal. San Carlos, Ariz. (UPD -Two Indians were killed and eight injured when dynamite, being used to celebrate the arrival of the New Year, destroyed a frame home on the San Car los Indian Reservation early today. American Officials Believe May Bear Olive Branch on U.S. Visit Washington - !UPD - Ameri can officials said today they would not be too surprised if Soviet Deputy Premier Anas tas I. Mikoyan is bearing an olive branch when he arrives in Washington next week. It may be a well-concealed peace offering but the impres sion in official circles here is that the 63-year-old confi dente of Soviet Premier Niki ta Khrushchev probably is coming to feel out U.S. au thorities on the possibility of a deal on Berlin and other German problems. Mikoyan was expected to see President Eisenhower and Secretary of State John Fos ter Dulles, although the Rus sian Embassy and the State Department said no definite appointments have been made as yet. Information from behind the Iron Curtain suggests Noon Edition 80 Homes Burned; Other Mansions Said Threatened Winds Whip Blaze Over 1 1 ,000 Acres Los Angeles - (UPD - Two wind-lashed brush fires raged out of control today in the Santa Monica mountains. An estimated 80 homes had been destroyed in Topanga and Benedict canyons and many expensive mansions be longing to such celebrities as Doris Duke, Marion Davies, Barry Sullivan, Peter Lorrie and Cameron Mitchell were for a time threatened. The fires were the third and fourth to ravage southern California within a month. Many residents refused to join the thousands of home owners ordered by the fire department to evacuate. They showered their properties with water hoses in a fight against towering flames that flashed as much as 150 feet into the sky. Keith Klinger, county fire chief, said the Topanga blaze was definitely started by an arsonist. Cause of the Bene dict Canyon blaze was unde termined. Topanga Canyon, about 20 miles west of downtown Los Angeles, was hardest hit and fire was burning out of con trol on a 25Tmile perimeter. An estimated 11,000 acres al ready were blackened in the area along with 79 of the 80 structures reported destroyed. Firemen Are Injured Some 1,500 firemen battled the two blazes while a squad ron of planes "bombed" hot spots with a water-borate so lution in a desperate effort to halt the fire's relentless march. At least eight firemen were hospitalized with injuries. Scores of others were treated for smoke inhalation. Firemen said the Benedict Canyon blaze near Beverly Hills was being contained but was still dangerously out of control in the adjacent can yon of Beverly Glen. About 600 acres was reported black ened in the two densely popu lated canyons. Winds up to 50 miles an hour sent the blaze zipping across the brush-studded hill sides and canyon which all week long had been sucked dry by strong desert winds. Other area schools were used as shelters for the evacuees and homeless. Fire officials said it appeared that most families forced to flee were staying with friends or relatives in other sections of the city. The Bel Air hotel, an ex clusive hostelry where many celebrities stay, was threat ened for a while Wednesday night when flames came with in a half a mile in the Bene dict Canyon area. Also threatened was the famous mansion of Mary Pickford, Pickfair, along with the mansions of Fred Astaire, David O. Selznick, Tony Curtis, Cary Grant, Kirk Douglas, Ray Noble, Elizabeth Taylor . and others. Khrushchev may be seeking some formula to get out of the box in which he placed him self by his Nov. 27 ultimatum to the U.S., Britain and France to get out of West Berlin by June 1. The Western Allies have re jected his demand and have made it clear they will fight if necessary to stay in Berlin. However, they have offer ed to negotiate with Russia on the Berlin question if it is tied in with the broader problems of German reuni fication and European secur ity. Mikoyan may be entrusted with finding out whether the American position is negoti able, officials said. They pointed out that the wily Ar menian, who has survived 43 years of Communist politics, would be a natural choice for such a role. "The Rebel Claims Are Greatly Exaggerated, And That Shooting You Hear Is Just Static" 22 Persons Killed In County in 1958 Twenty-two persons were killed in Jackson county dur ing 1958 in traffic accidents, four less than the number that died in highway acci dents in 1957. During the first eight months of 1958 only eight per sons had died in traffic acci dents compared to 21 for the same period in 1957. Fourteen persons have died on the county's highways since Sept. 18, 1958. Twelve of the persons killed were men, eight were women and two were two-year-old children. Four accidents this year claimed eight lives com pared to only three double fatalities in the county last year. Among those killed in the double fatalities were John Barnett Named Station Manager Promotion of Jerold R. Poulus to national sales man ager for the network and of Edward P. Barnett to general manager of station KBES has been announced by California Oregpn Television, Inc. The appointments were ef fective today. Poulus has been manager of KBES, the firm's Medford video facility, since 1955 while Barnett has been sales manager for the station here for more than five years. In his new capacity Poulus will serve all three stations of California Oregon TV, KIEM at Eureka, Calif., and KOTI at Klamath Falls, as well as KBES. His work will involve travel to sales centers at Los Angeles, San Fran cisco, Seattle, New York, Chicago and Portland. He will be based here. Poulus has been with the parent firm for 13 years, start ing as an engineer for radio station KIEM in Eureka. He was with KBES when it first began operation in 1953 and returned to Eureka as pro gram manager for KIEM-TV when it began telecasts a short time later. Barnett came to the Rogue river valley . during World War II and was stationed with the 91st Infantry Divis ion at Camp White. He was manager of radio station KWIN at Ashland from 1946 to 1951 when he was recalled into the infantry. Mikoyan Washington officials noted with interest that the Soviet government has not yet told the Russian people about Mi koyan's planned visit to the United States. the assumption is that they may be waiting to do so un til they can connect it with some news development which will obscure the fact that the Russians asked for the visit This would tend to play down the fact that the Krem lin sought permission for Mi koyan's U.S. trip after Com munist failures to dent the Allied front at Quemoy and in the Middle East, and after Khruschev had gotten into an untenable position on the Ber lin crisis. Mikoyan was expected to arrive Sunday or Monday, Soviet sources reported. Edwin Smith, 30, of Portland, and John Stanley Wilford, 50, of route 3, box 234, Med ford, in a four-vehicle pile up February 14, on Highway 99 near Phoenix. Minzie Claude Seamon, 20, of 781 M Beatty st., Medford, and Wil liam H. Dunn, 28, of Empire, were killed March 22 on Highway 62 near Antelope bridge, and Nov. 8, Frederick Albert Kleinsmith Jr., 35, of Detroit, Ore., and Flonnie Marie Costa, 38, of 1689 Jack son rd., Ashland, were killed on Highway 99 at the foot of Billings hill just north of Ash land. The fourth accident to claim two lives was the fol lowing week end, when Mrs. Hannah Dawson, 81, f t Se attle, Wash., and her daugh ter, Mrs. Hannah Jane Olson, 52, of Langley, were killed on Highway 99 near Phoenix. The two children to lose their lives in accidents were Cora Lee Ottosen, Eagle Point, in a collision Sept. 17 on Highway 62 at the junction of Highway 234 and Wilifred Leo Moore Jr., Butte Falls, who was killed Sept. 28 on Butte Falls rd. Two Pedestrians The last two fatalities with in the county were pedes trians. Dec. 17 George Theo dore Cook, 84, of 153 Granite st., Ashland, was struck on Highway 99 south of Phoenix during a foggy night, and Charles Johnson, 82, of Ash land hotel, was killed Dec. 24 on East Main st. in Ashland. Other fatalities during the year in traffic incidents were Mrs. Marma Jean Talbot, 27, of route 1, box 130, Gold Hill, who was killed in an accident March 12, and Mrs. Dorothy Aleene Williams, 29, of Pros pect, who died following an accident April 22 on Highway 62 south of Prospect. Mrs. Sophie McClung, 78, of Smith River, Calif., was the state's only traffic fatal ity during the long July 4 week end. She was killed in an accident on Highway 66 near Lincoln. George Potter, 79, of route 1, box 1, Gold Hill, was killed July 26 near Gold Hill and Mrs. Bessie Marjorie Smith, 37, of Klamath Falls, died in Ashland Sept. 20 following an accident on , Highway 66 near Tub Springs. Motorcycle Accident Ernest Lee Beer, 24, of 330 North Central ave., died Oct. 11 after his motorcycle failed to make a curve on Highway 238, and Eugene Richard Tay lor, 23, of 199 Mead st., Ash land, was killed in an acci dent on Highway 99, Oct. 13. Mrs. Helen Adele Rose, 42, of Fort Jones, Calif., was killed Nov. 11 in Medford to be the only traffic fatality within the city this year. Also killed in accidents were Frank Collier Learning. 51, of 459 Grand st., Central Point, on Highway 62 at Eagle Point, on Nov. 29 and Richard Carrol Smithson, 22, of Portland, died Dec. 5 after his automobile left Highway 62 near the Cascade Gorge bridge. First Fatality in State Is Reported Portland - (UPD - A woman was killed in a traffic acci dent here shortly before 6:30 a.m. today, the first report ed 1959 fatality in Oregon. The coroner's office iden tified the victim as Barbara Eaton, 27, Portland. George Gibson, 39, suffer ed a fractured leg in the ac cident, police said. Military Junta Takes Over; Peace Negotiations Seen Judge Urrutia May Be New President Havana (UPD Wild mobs surged through the streets of Havana today, smashing windows, looting and pil laging. ( Hundreds of revolution aries smashed the Hotel Se villa casino 10 feet away from the United Press In ternational office. The rebel militia fired shots into the air to try to break up the mobs. The ca sino was virtually de stroyed. Hundreds of demonstra tors then swarmed through the nearby Hotel Plaza and smashed that casino. Vandalism was rampant. The last vestige of law and order was rapidly disappearing. Havana -(UPD-President Ful gencio Batista fled the coun try today, leaving behind a nation in chaos and under rebel threat of more violence to come. The rebels threatened a gen eral strike unless Judge Man uel C. Urrutia is named pro visional president at once. A military junta took over in Batista's stead and both junta and rebel sources indi cated peace negotiations would start immediately. Newsmen at Camp Colum bia heard rumors, without any confirmation, that both sides had issued cease-fire orders. Scarcely had the news of Batista's downfall spread through Havana streets before mobs attacked the Fifth Po lice station in the heart of Ha vana and freed an undeter mined number of political prisoners. At Havana Prison, a fortress-like structure overlook ing the city, other political prisoners rioted while hun dreds of relatives milled about outside the walls. Accused of Brutalities The Fifth Police station had been under command of Lt. Col. Estaban Ventura, one of the top leaders who fled with Batista. It was at the Fifth station that political prisoners underwent initial interroga tion. Rebel sources charged Ventura with many brutal ities. Ciudad Trujillo reports said Batista had reached there with a party of 40 persons. Rebel sources said rebel leader Fidel Castro and Judge Urrutia would arrive in Ha vana at 10 a.m. (p.s.t.). The rebel sources said that a "civil mediation committee" has been formed to try to work out a formula for ending: the civil strife. A representative of former President Prio Soccarras also was expected in Havana to day. The Batista government fell apart with dramatic swiftness before dawn. Shortly after 2 a.m., p.s.t., it was disclosed that Batista and practically all high civil and military au thorities had fled Cuba in three military airplanes. Expected in Florida Batista headed for Ciudad Trujillo in the Dominican Re public. Others, including members of his family, flew to Jacksonville, Fla., arriving there this morning. The ulti mate destination of the Ba tista family was believed Day tona Beach, Fla., where Ba tista long has had a summer home. Gen. Eulogio Cantillo took over leadership of the mili tary junta which announced that Senior Supreme Court Justice Carlos M. P i e d r a would be the stop-gap presi dent. Cantillo said that Batista had called his Army officers in to Camp Columbia, Army general headquarters, before taking off this morning and announced he was resigning because he did not want fur ther bloodshed. Even as Batista fled, bitter battles raged through the three easternmost provinces of Cuba-Las Villas, Camaguey and Oriente. A major battle was reported underway at Santa Clara, capital of Las Villas at Cuba's waist, with heavy casualties on both sides. Named to serve with Can tillo on the military junta were Piedra and Maj. Gen Jose E. Pedraza. Later it was reported that Pedraza had been found inacceptable to the army and that he also had left the country. . Quilcene, Wash. (UPD-Three children died Wednesday night when a fire of undeter mined origin destroyed their home here.