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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 2, 1959)
Troops M sstras onto a si 53rd Year MEDFORD 14 Pages Mercury Drops 50 Degrees in Midwest Stales Br United Press International The mercury dropped more than 50 degrees overnight in northern midwest states to mark sharp weather fluctua tions throughout the nation. Cold air pouring down from Arctic regions left the north ern rockies and Dakotas shiv ering in sub-zero weather that only a few hours earlier had been in the forties. Great Falls, Mont., which ushered in the new year in 49-degree weather, reported four degrees below zero. Mi not, N.D., dropped to 10 be low from 32 degrees Thurs day. Other widely scattered sec tions, meanwhile, reported equally sharp rises, due large ly to a .band of warmer air through the Southwest, the Gulf Coast and north along the Eastern Seaboard. 20 Degrees Higher Readings were 20 or more degrees higher Friday in such widely separated spots as Austin, Tex.; Grantsburg, Wis.; Williamsport, Pa.; Syra cuse, N.Y.; Lebanon, N.H., and Burlington, Vt. It was warmer from Texas northward to Eastern Nebras ka and east of the Rockies in New Mexico and Colorado, where temperatures rose eight to 20 degrees, and from the lower great Lakes eastward into New England. Precipitation covered half the nation Friday morning, but came mostly as light rainfall. Showers along the Atlantic coastline were heavi est, measuring as much as 2 inches overnight in the Eastern Carolinas. The only serious snowfall occurred in western Nebraska, where an inch of snow during the night in addition to winds up to 25 miles per hour cre ated drifts that slowed much of Nebraska traffic. Drivers in the Alliance, Neb., area were reported turning back and waiting for an expected reprieve late this afternoon. Traffic Deaths in Siate Number Four By United Press International The N ew Year's holiday traffic death toll in Oregon stood at four persons early Friday. The count began at 6 p.m. Wednesday. A Warm Springs Indian, Gordon Rhoan, 19, was the state's first fatality of 1959. He was killed instantly when his car plunged off an em bankment from Highway 26 near Madras. His 18-year-old wife, Vivian, was in critical condition at a Redmond hos pital. Barbara Eaton, 27-year-old mother of five children, was killed early Thursday in a one-car accident on southwest Barbur boulevard in Port land. Vester Orville Varney, 39, was killed early Thursday when his farm truck left Highway 350 a mile east of Joseph. . A two-car crash on High way 99 four miles south of Albany late Wednesday re sulted in the death of Charles Edgar Griffith. 65, Tangent. He died early Thursday. Don na Marie Scarborough, 15, Tangent, was critically in jured in the same crash. Buying Activity Featured in Lumber Portland OD A spurt of buying activity featured the lumber industry during the closing days of 1958, Crow's Lumber Market News service reported today. It said retailers who had bsen holding off in the hope of a price drop suddenly de cided to buy when they real ized prices were rising. A sharp dip in production be cause of holiday shutdowns was partly responsible. COLD MU MIDWEST: MEDFORD, 'Don't You See? If We Ask for All This, They Might Settle for Just Letting Us Continue To Operate" Auto Deaths Mount; High Toll United Press International Auto' deaths mounted at a rate of better than three .an hour today, before the New Year's holiday week end reached the halfway mark, and safety experts feared the toll would exceed 400 by midnight Sunday. The National Safety Coun cil had estimated only 40 more traffic fatalities for the four-day holiday than would occur during a non-holiday period. A .comparatively safe New Years Eve driving re cord led council officials to believe their estimate was correct, but New Year's Day brought a spurt in highway fatalities, and there was no slackening off by mid-day to day. The United Press Interna tional count at 9 a.m. p.s.t. showed at least 149 persons killed in traffic accidents since the holiday began at 6 p.m. New Year's Eve. Twenty nine persons perished in fires, 8 in plane crashes, and 29 in miscellaneous accidents for an overall total of 215. California Leads California, which reported the highest traffic toll among states during the Christmas holiday, again led with 14. New York counted 12, Wis consin 11, and Pennsylvania 10. "The toll is running at an alarming and tragic pace," the council said. "Apparently the shock 'of the Christmas holiday toll, when 599 per sons lost their lives in traffic accidents, wasn't great enough to hold down the New Year's toll as we hoped." Council officials pointed out Tree Burn Slated On Crater Lake Ave. The tree burn following the Moose Lodge Christmas tree lift Sunday will be on Crater Lake ave. just north of the Grandview Market, according to Moose Lodge officials. The burn is expected to be gin late in the afternoon after all trees have been collected. Boy Scouts will pick up the trees and take them to the burn site. Residents wish ing to participate should leave their trees in front of thein houses, affixing to them what ever contribution they care to make. Contributions, Moose Lodge officers state, are to be used for purchase of playground equipment for city parks. Washington - flJPD - Comp troller General Ray M. Gid ney today issued a national bank call for the figures as of Dec. 31. OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 2, 1959 MOVES IHTO SHOW BE . j ! ei congress Feared that by about. the game, time two years ago, the last com parable four-day holiday, only 120 traffic fatalities had been counted.' The council had estimated a roadway death toll of 390 during the 102 - hour New Year's holiday, which ends at midnight Sunday. That would be 40 more deaths than the normal toll for a nonholiday period of the same duration in early January. The council said the New Year's Day toll ran about 50 per cent above the traffic fa tality count last Jan. 1. City To Provide Pollution Man Medford can provide a man for participation in . the pro posed joint city-state air pol lution study of this area, ac cording to City Manager Rob ert A. Duff. Duff's report to this effect is to be presented to the city council at its meeting tonight in the city hall council chamber. The state air pollution au thority has agreed to train the man, and provide air sam pling equipment and analyses. He would be responsible on a part-time basis for servicing sampling stations and making field surveys Also on the council's agen da is consideration of an agreement with Jackson cpun ty for the joint improvement of Stewart ave. The county court signed the agreement Tuesday. It calls for the city to spend $27,500 in the 1959 60 fiscal year from its arte rial street funds. The council is also to con sider authorizing the exten sion of Eighth st. from River side ave. across Bear creek to East Main st. This is an other phase of the arterial street program, and would provide the final step in the Main st.-Eighth st. couplet. WEATHER Forecast: Partly cloudy to night and Saturday with Iso lated snow showers. Colder to night with low 25. High Sat urday 38. TEMPERATURE Highest Yesterday 4S Lowest this Morning 34 PRECIPITATION To 10 a.m. Today Trace Our Skies Tonight SKIES TODAY Sunset today 4:50 p.m. Sunrise tomorrow 7:41 a.m. Moonrise tomorrow 1:29 a.m. New Moon Jan. 8 Highlights of the phenomena in the skies abcve in the First Quarter of this year center around the planets. Venus be comes increasingly prominent in the evening sky and Jupiter will soon be joined by Saturn in the morning sky. Mars grows dimmer and its distance from the Earth doubles in this period. Tribune Second Cold Air Mass Expected in Valley Late Today Snow resulting from a cold front moving into southern Oregon could turn the ground white in the valley temporar ily this afternoon and evening, the Medford station of the weather bureau reported. The cold front, second one coming into this area in two days, was expected to move into the valley early this af ternoon. A little more snow than experienced in the flur ries las, night and this morn ing was anticipated but no heavy snowfall on the valley floor was foreseen. The weather bureau said that southern Oregon is hav ing "a shot of winter" as the result of cold air out of the interior of Canada penetrat ing west of the Rockies and Cascade mountains. Chilly weather is forecast, for two more days with a warming trend predicted about Mond day. Cold Front Arrives First cold front arrived over the area during the morning yesterday. Cold and unstable air brought the snow flurries last night and earlier today. A low temperature of 25 degrees is expected .in the Medford vicinity tonight and the weather bureau warned that anything which would be harmed by freezing should be protected. All roads in the southern Oregon area were reported open by state police this morn ing with snow flurries noted generally throughout the area. The Siskiyous had packed snow, but it was sanded. Four inches of new snow was re ported. State police said mo torists were getting along without using chains. Oregon Mountain was re ported clear. ! Prospect this morning had snow flurries, with 3 inches of new snow. Motorists were ad vised to carry chains. It was snowing heavy over East and West Diamond lake roads. East Diamond lake road had 6 inches of new snow, and West Diamond lake road had 5. Motorists were ad vised to carry chains over both roads.' New Officials to Take Oath Monday Three new county officials and three judicial judges will take the oath of office Mon day morning. A deputy county clerk will swear in Democrat Marvin Madden as county clerk, Re publican Joseph D. Walsh as sheriff and Republican Earl Miller as county judge. Also renewing the oath of office will be the reelected coun ty commissioner, Republican Chester Wendt. All are four year terms. Retiring Circuit Court Judge H. K. Hanna is expect ed to give the oath of office to the new circuit judge, James Main, reelected Circuit Judge Edward C. Kelly and District Court Judge Roy E. Bashaw. All are six-year terms. Neuberger Joins in Service Cut Prolest Portland - (UPD - Sen. Rich, ard L. Neuberger (D-Ore.) joined California's Sen.. Thomas H. Kuchel today in opposing Southern Pacific's proposed cut in passenger service between Portland and Oakland, Calif. The Oregon senator said he had wired the Interstate Com merce Commission to "rein force" Kuchel's request that the ICC suspend the request ed cutback to three trains weekly in the railroad's Shasta Daylight service. Price 10 Cents No. 244 Ike Challenges Reds to Practice What They Preach Gettysburg, Pa. -(UPD- Pres ident Eisenhower today chal lenged the leaders of Russia to practice in Berlin what they preach from the Kremlin about peaceful coexistence with the West. The President, in an ex change of New Year's mes sages with the Soviet Union's top bosses, said that Russia's expressed hope of reducing dangerous international ten sions in 1959 was inconsistent with her Nov. 27 demand that the Western Allies get out of West Berlin by June 1. Thus Eisenhower took a de cided arm's length attitude to ward the New Year's peace message which came in from the Kremlin late Thursday, Spends Leisurely Day The President was spending a leisurely New Year's Day with his grandchildren watch ing the Cotton Bowl football game on television when the White House in Washington notified him that a message had come on from Soviet Prime Minister Nikita Khrushchev and K. Vorosilov, chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet. Voroshilov technically is the Russian head of state, but Khrushchev is the boss; The message came in by commercial cable in Russian and was sent to the State De partment for translation. Eisenhower fired back his thanks for the high hopes for 1959-and sent it by Western Unior sV Infesjmce, he informed the Russians-that however admir able peaceful intentions might be, they should be backed up by pbsitiveHpr6gressT-He sug gested Berlin as a prime start ing point. 898lh Patient On Mercy Flights Charles (Chuck) McNair, 15-year-old son of Dr. and Mrs. Raymond W. McNair, 229 Valley View dr., was flown to Medford from Ban don, Ore., yesterday, for an emergency appendectomy. The boy had been visiting his grandparents over the holidays. The operation was performed at Sacred Heart hospital. Young McNair was the 898th patient carried by planes of Medford's non-profit service, Mercy Flights, Inc., as was the first patient in 1959. The service began opera tions nine years ago this month. The first year only 13 patients were carried, the second year this doubled, to 26, and the third year, 1952, there were 86 patients. Each year following this the num ber of patients carried by the planes has been around 150. It appears certain that the 900th patient will be carried before Mercy Flights ninth anniversary of its first emer gency flight the middle of the month. i - DOW-JONES AVERAGES New York - (UPD - Dow Jones final slock averages: 30 industrials 587.59. up 3.94; 20 railroads 159.72, up 2.07; 15 utilities 91.22, up 0.22, and 65. stocks 203.91, up 1.48. Sales to day were about 3.380,000 shares compared with 3, 970,000 shares Wednesday. Butler Starts New Year by Counting Out Stevenson; Boosts G. M. Williams Lansing, Mich. -4UPD- Paul M. Butler started his fifth year as Democratic party chief Thursday b y counting out Adlai Stevenson and giving a boost to Michigan's Gov. G. Mennen Williams' chances in the race for the 1960 presiden tial nomination. Butler, who was here to help usher Williams into un paralled sixth consecutive term, told newsmen he did not believe Stevenson would run again and said he doubted party leaders would want to "take chances on a man al ready defeated twice." Williams received a tele gram from Stevenson congrat ulating him as "the winning est fellow I know - in more ways than one, or even six." The Democratic party chair JUDGE RETIRES-Circuit Court Judge Her bert K. Hanna, right, who retired today after serving 18 years as judge in judicial district No. 1, Jackson and Josephine coun ties, is shown above being congratulated by William McAllister, Chief Justice-elect of Firefighters Get California Blaze Under Control Los Angeles -(UPD-Firefight-ers expected to bring under control today southern Cali fornia's latest brush fire, which has destroyed 81 homes in its devastating march from Topanga Canyon to the sea. Norman La Vigne, chief county fire dispatcher, said "it should be a routine job from here on in if the winds don't increase." Meanwhile, the thousands of residents who fled from the heavily populated area when the blaze started New Year's Eve began returning to their homes. A second fire that black ened 650 acres, threatening movie stars' mansions, was brought under control Thurs day" night by "some" 500 fire men. La Vigne said the second blaze, in the Topanga-Malibu section of the Santa Monica mountains, was' 60 per cent under control, and added that no structures were immedi ately endangered. He said the some 800 fire men still on the lines were aided in their battle by low winds and a 30 per cent hu midity. He said damage to exclusive homes and other buildings plus valuable watershed amounted to "easily more than a million dollars." The second fire in Benedict Canyon and Beverly Glen, only a few miles from Beverly Hills, swept along the canyon walls and forced evacuation of the homes of Doris Duke, Marion Davies, Peter Lorre, Cameron Mitchell, Barry Sul livan and others. Both fires were believd to have ben the work of an ar sonist. Quake Sways Homes In Channel Islands Jersey, Channel Islands -(UPD The severest earthquake recorded in the Channel Is lands since 1927 swayed hous es, rattled furniture and caused minor craqks in walls in the pre-dawn darkness here today. But no serious damage was reported. Eastern areas of this Channel Island near the Nor mandy coast were the most severly affected. Gale force winds which swept the island all night sud denly subsided during the tremor. man said he was a "great ad mirer or Mennen Williams" and said the party "couldn't go wrong" by nominating the man who at 47 is the old man of Michigan politics and the nation's senior governor. But ler quickly added that there were other candidates with vhoTi the party "couldn't go wrong." .uuer emphasized the party was "pretty well stacked" with presidential possibilities. And he stressed that "it is much too early to see where they stand." Butler said he did not think Texas Sen. Lyndon Johnson or former New York Gov. Averell Harriman would be candidates for the presiden tial nomination. He acknowledged that Mas the Oregon State Supreme court. More than 50 members of the Jackson County Bar association paid tribute to Judge Hanna in a ceremony held in Circuit Court No. 1 this morning. Bar Members Pay Tribute to Judge Members of the Jackson County Bar association paid tribute this morning to Cir cuit Judge Herbert K. Hanna, who retires today after 18 years as judge in judicial dis trict No. 1, Jackson and Jose phine counties. More than 50 attorneys and three judges met in Judge Hanna's court room to pre sent him with, a gift and to praise his work on the bench. Among those praising Han na's career in the court was Chief Justice-elect of the Ore gon State Supreme court, William McAllister, former Medford attorney now resid ing in Salem. Hanna, who was born in 50,000 Workers To Aid Centennial John W. Snider, Medford mayor and a member of the Oregon Centennial commision, told a group of southern Ore gon lumbermen at a luncheon here this week that an un precedented 50,000 volunteer workers will help make the state's birthday celebration a success in 1959. Snider also told the group that an unprecedented amount of money is being spent by private firms, the state travel bureau, and the Centennial commission to attract visitors to Oregon this year. He said that he feels the number of visitors would more nearly approach the maximum num ber predicted, 10 million, than the minimum estimate of 6 million. Reporting on Centennial progress to date, Snider prais ed the forest products indus try for "taking the lead" in working toward the success of the 100-day exposition which will climax the cele bration next summer. The in dustry plans a quarter-million - dollar exhibit at the Exposition and International Trade Fair in Portland. A. A. Lausmann, Medford, finance chairman for the co operative industry effort, told the group that over half the necessary funds for the ex hibit had been raised, and that the "clean-up" campaign to collect the remaining funds is under way. He said that every member of the indus try, "from the logger through the supplier of equipment and services" is being asked to participate financially. sachusetts Sen. John Kennedy and Minnesota's Sen. Hubert Humphrey were forerunners in the presidential race and that New Jersey Gov. Robert Meyner has strong support in his state. But he declined to elaborate on their chances or to name other possible candi dates. Butler, who assumed party leadership four years ago Thursday in New Orleans, said he planned to play a "positive role" in planning for the 1960 party convention. He said a committee will meet Jan. 17 in New Orleans to make recommendations on a site for the 1960 convention. Six cities - Chicago, Los An geles, San Francisco, New York, Philadelphia and Mi ami - will be considered. Jacksonville July 15, 1882, is the son of a circuit court judge, the late H. K. Hanna. He practiced law in Jackson ville after being admitted to the bar in 1906 and moved his office to Medford in 1927. Elected in 1340 He was elected circuit court judge in 1940, taking office in January, 1941, following the retirement of the late Judge H. D. Norton. When the number of cases increased so greatly by 1946, a second cir cuit judge, Judge O. J. Mil lard, was appointed to take office in 1946. A third, Judge Edward C. Kelly, was ap pointed in June, 1957. Circuit Judges Kelly and Millard shared the bench with Hanna at this morning's cere mony. ' Others commending Han na's integrity, selflessness, ju dicial temperament and knowledge were Attorneys Frank Farrell, Otto J. Frohn- mayer, J. F. Fliegel, Frank Van Dyke and George Rob erts, Medford; W. W. Balder ree, Grants Pass; and William Briggs, Ashland. Court Representative Justice McAllister said he spoke partly as a representa tive of the state supreme court. He declared that the "fine judges" in this district were partly responsible for the "fine bar in Jackson county." Van Dyke spoke on behalf of the state bar association and other members of the cir cuit courts in Oregon. A resolution from the coun ty bar association was intro duced to the court as a per manent record. It praised Hanna's outstanding career. Train Hits Auto, Occupants Escape A Southern Pacific train crashed into a car in Rogue River yesterday, but the car's occupants escaped uninjured, state police said. R. E. St. Clair, route 1, box 417, Gold Hill, and his family jumped from the car when St. Clair, the driver, thought he would be unable to cross the tracks ahead of the train. The abandoned car was damaged beyond repair, state police said. St. Clair said he became confused and thought the train was approaching on tracks other than the ones he was crossing. Thinking he would be unable to cross safely, St. Clair and his fam ily jumped from the car. The Southern Pacific rail road trainmaster's office in Medford said today it could find no report of the accident. State police were called at 2 p.m. yesterday, an hour after the accident occurred. American Ship Takes Tourists from Cuba Washington -(LTD- The State Department reported that an American ship began evacua tion of 500 U.S. students and tourists from Havana after victorious rebel authorities momentarily blocked plans for the operation. The department said rebel leader Fidel Castro allowed the City of Havana to dock after the temporary two-hour hitch. Gettysburg, Pa. -(UPD- Presi dent Eisenhower today gave his final approval to the new 49-star American flag. Heavy Bursts of Gunfire Heard in Areas of Capital Urritia Proclaimed New President Havana -(UPD- Fidel Castro's rebel troops made a triumphal entry into Havana today. Rebel militia still were digging out remnants of de posed President Fulgencio Ba tista's followers and occasion al heavy bursts of rifle and machinegun fire was heard through the city which was also in the paralyzing grip of a general strike. The entry of his troops was the final symbol of victory for Castro, who earlier in the day proclaimed D. R. Manuel Urrutia provisional president and Santiago de Cuba his pro visional capital. The Cuban armed forces accepted Urrutia as president and pledged sup port to Castro. Some of the heaviest firing today ocburred a few doors from the United Press Inter national headquarters which was "sealed in" temporarily by the militia pending clarifi cation of the situation. The biggest battle in down town Havana took place in the Manzana de Gomez area between the rebel militia and holdout followers of Sen. Ro lando Masferrer, a supporter of the now-exiled Batista. This fight started about 11:30 a.m. and ended at 12:45 p.m. Reports said an estimated 200 of Masferrer's followers sur rendered there. Rebels Enter City Other firing was heard over an area of several city blocks and the sound of machineguns and rifles was heard on all sides. Heavy firing was heard across the Ceomyal part of the city. Another fight went on at the corner of the Prado and Colon st. First elements of the rebel troops reached the outskirts of Havana at 10:30 a.m. The main group entered the city in 10 trucks at 12:40 p.m. They were wildly cheered by the populace. Insurgent forces held a tight grip on the city. For the most part, they maintained law and order, in contrast to Thursday's wild rioting. But some incidents still took place. The military and naval of ficers club in Mariano, where Batista had presided over many lavish parties, was sacked, looted and burned to the ground by mobs. The national rebel radio network announced that it was arranging facilities for Castro to make a radio broad cast this afternoon. No hour was fixed, but the announce ment said the rebel leader's address to the nation would be aired as soon as possible. Charles S c h u m a n, UPI UPMT staffer, was an eyewit ness to today's battle in the center of Havana. He watched as the rebel militia and the 200 Masferrer adherents bat tled it out in and around an office building. "For two hours the plaza crackled with gunfire," Schu man said. "It was no place to be. Yet' hundreds of specta tors watched the fight, expos ing themselves to danger as much as any of the combat ants. "They followed the militia as the soldiers advanced through the fire toward the target building. Duncan Announces New House Group A new standing committee of the Oregon house of rep resentatives, to be devoted to planning and devolpment mat ters, will be appointed this year. State Rep. Robert Duncan of Medford, speaker-designate of the house, announced that the committee will work with the state planning and de velopment department, and would also be concerned with Centennial legislation coming before the house. Duncan said the new com mittee reflects the concern felt over the needs for new industry in the state, and that this merits the appointment of a standing committee. Otherwise, the lineup of 20 other standing committees of the house will remain un changed, he said. Bulletin London- (UPI) -Moscow Radio reported to day that the Soviet Union has launched a rocket to the moon.
