Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (June 17, 1959)
o ;: ' Wis viA M try : . i sl jMPft JTWWAY When Sharon Forsberg, 18-year-old coed f f Sal Francisco State College finished her exams last (ft'Mfc, she followed a sudden impulse and stowed away S f freighter bound for Hawaii. She had only 90 cents '"it! her. Her startled parents wired money to pay for ll passage, and a plane ticket home. Back in San Lean fra, Cflif ., Sharon poses in sarong and Hawaiian lei. Beard Contest Winners Listed Camp White - The beard growing marathon which started in February with at least 100 found- only nine vet erans at the finish Monday night when the Veterans of Foreign Wars auxiliary held its Centennial dance at the VA domiciliary. Mr. and Mrs. Harry Birch were in charge of the festiv ties which included contests for best dancers and best cos tumes among the participants. At least 50 auxiliary women appeared in pioneer regalia. Minnie Barron of the Ask land auxiliary wore a black shawl worn in 1851 by Betty Walker, grandmother of her disband. Laurene .Kell, retiring pres ident of the VFW auxiliary, department of Oregon, spon soring the event, was among the patrons of the Centennial celebration. Music was furnished by the Vic Flood orchestra, of Rogue River, and Vic David, chair man of the Veterans Allied C6uncil, was present to judge the beard growing contest. lne nine bearded winners of prizes were Fred Kemnikz, Ira Pollard, Wilmer Coats, Lester Farlinger, Roy Swelly, Charles Munson, M. T. Jack son, Thomas W. Simpson, and Haven Roper. The beards were judged for the best Van Dyke, mutton chops, Lincoln and the sorri est trims. FISHERMEN GET AMNESTY Seoul -(UPD- President Syng- man Rhee today granted am nesty to, 10 Japanese fisher men who were seized last month for violating South Ko rea's 6(J mile territorial limit. It was the first time such an amnesty has been granted. 3 f P 'W-"""" us i s Nsg NEW General Electric qualify built Refrigerator OJJLV 8 Iff5 and you get a big trade-in allowance! BUY ON CREDIT TERMS Guaranteed Used Refrigerators Used Westinghous 7 eu. ft. Frigidair S eu. - Late Model G-E 9 cv. ft. 57.70 77.70 127,70 Lat Model Westinghouse. Auto- ffmW mWf matic Defrosting Refrigerator m W Slightly Used 1958 G-E Automatic AAy TO Defrost. 70-lb. cap. Zero Freezer LM e O 15 eu. ft. Refrigerator Freezer VIAn QA Combination. Pink. Auto. Defrost H zTiTw 'home APPLIANCE COt Tribune 2nd SECTION MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, JUNE 17, 1959 Pages 1-6 83 Years Fail To Dim Controversy Over Custer's Stand Against Indian Warriors 303 SO. FROU? ST. Ph. SP 2-5595 Br ROBERT J. SERLING United Press International UPI Correspondent Washington-flJPD - June 25 marks the anniversary of the most humiliating defeat ever suffered by the United States Army. On that date in 1876, Gen. George Armstrong Custer and 211 men were massacred in the battle of the kittle Big Horn. The 83 years since then have failed to dim the CuSter legend, or the controversy that exploded the moment the 212 bodies were found on a lonely Montana ridge. There have been as many books writ ten about this comparatively minor Indian skirmish as on the battle of Gettysburg. At least a dozen movies have been made around the Last Stand. More than 100 paintings depicting Custer's death have graced the walls of every kind of establishment from Bowery saloons to swan ky museums. Up to a point, the facts of the battle are simple Custer and 10 troops of the Seventh Cavalry, about 400 men, were ordered down the Rosebud river as part of an over-all plan to box in an estimated 8,000 Indians. Changed Course Custer started out as order ed, but ran across a fresh Indian trail. There was evi dence the Indians were aware of his presence, but he chang ed course and followed the trail. On the afternoon of June 25, 1876, Custer found a large Indian village and spotted hordes of braves moving out of the village and away from his advancing cavalry Custer, apparently thinking this was the main body of Indians, made his fatal mis take. He sent Capt. Benteen and two troops along the bluffs on one side of the river. Maj. Marcus Reno was order ed to attack the village with another three troops. And Custer " continued along the ridge after the: supposedly fleeing Indians. Hemmed In But the "fleeing Indians" were mainly squaws and chil dren. Reno's charge on the village splintered against hun dreds of screaming braves. He retreated to a bluff where he was hemmed in on three , Custer was far up the river in more ways than one. In following what he thought was the main Indian force, he ran into an ambush. Reno's com mand heard heavy firing. The shots grew fainter and finally died away. Benteen finally re joined Reno's troops and their combined forces managed to stave off all attacks until the next day when reinforcements arrived. That briefly, was the Custer j Massacre. Of Custer's immediate com mand, there were no survivors except for a horse named Co manche belonging to one of his officers. There also was supposed to have been an In dian scout serving Custer who got away -by putting on a Sioux blanket and riding off unnoticed. Wore Loin Cloths This legend survived for years, until research disclosed that June 25, 1876, in Mon tana was an extremely hot day. The attacking Indians wore only loin cloths and any one trying to escape in a blanket might as well have been wearing a tuxedo. The humiliating defeat re sulted in loud demands for a congressional 1 n v e s tigation. Reno in particular was con demned for failing to come to Custer's help when he heard the firing, but he insisted it would have been suicide to leave his bluff and try to break through the Indians at tacking his own command. But Benteen, who regarded Reno with unvarnished con tempt, claimed Reno over-estimated the force attacking him and could have come to the rescue. At any rate, the House Mili tary Affairs Committee re fused to initiate a probe. Reno himself asked for a Court of Inquiry by the War Depart ment. The Court convened in Chicago three years after the massacre, and exonerated Re no of cowardice. No Formal Verdict There never was a formal verdict on Custer's own part in the battle. To this day, military experts and historians disagree on whether Custer was merely a victim of bad luck and too many Indians, or whether he violated orders, made matters worse by divid ing his already tiny force into three hopelessly inadequate columns and then blundered Into an ambush.- Regardless of his wisdom, there never was any doubt on the, gallantry of the Last Stand. The general was found with one bullet through his heart and another through his brain. Boh his pistols were empty. Some of the "Last Stand" paintings depict Custer as a well-groomed, dashing cavalry officer with flowing blond hair the locks which had caused the Indians to nick name him "Yellow Hair." Ac tually, his hair had been close ly cropped before leaving-Ft. Lincoln on the last campaign. He hadn't shaved' for five weeks before the battle. And when he went down, he was no dashing, debonair, cavalry leader but rather a tired, dirty, bedragged old soldier who knew death was near when he led his 211 troopers into a trap sprung by the finest light cavalry in the .world. Last To Die Some months after the bat tle, Indians who had taken part told Army officials Cus ter was the last to die. One brave said, in the simple yet beautiful description' so typ ical of the Indians, "Yellow Hair stood like a sheaf of corn with all the ears fallen around him." - ' Thus died George Armstrong Custer and thus was born the Custer Legand. There are those who say he was more of a bad general than a martyred hero. But there also are those who put the blame for the Custer Mas sacre not on the man who died, but on Washington for send ing a poorly-equipped vastly outnumbered force to do an impossible job. , The total infantry and cav alry units fighting in the In dian Wars numbered less than 2,7000 men. They had to face more than 300,000 Indians. Enthusiasm for YCC Said To Be High in Oregon Washington - Legislation authorizing establishment of a Youth Conservation Corps has stirred enthusiasm among Oregon residents . who recall President Franklin Roose velt's Civilian Conservation Corps, Sen. Richard L. Neu barger told the Senate Tues day. The Oregon Democrat is a co-sponsor of the YCC bill in troduced by Sen. Hubert Humphrey of Minnesota. The bill has been passed by a spe cial subcommittee of the Sen ate Labor and Public Welfare Committee after five days of public hearings and is now being considered by the full Labor Committee. Neuberger said in a Senate speech that the new youth corps idea has prompted edi torials, resolutions and letters from Oregonians who remem- EVEN THE COWS! Joliet, 111. -(UPD Cows in Stateville Penitentiary's dairy herd have no names, Warden Joseph . Ragen said today. They're known by numbers. B5T MEDFORD PAINT and PAINT WITH Wallpaper Store 6th & Holly Diagonally Across from Post Office PHONE SP 2-9321 MUMM Wt Giva S&H GREEN STAMPS minis' Der tne old CCC as "one of FDR's important conservation programs." Vast Significance The Senator said the bill "holds vast significance for the development of two very different but vital portions of our nation's wealth: our nat ural resources of timber, soil and water and our human re sources found in the youth of our cities and towns." "We today can still follow some of the 137,000 miles of trails and roads or camp at picnic grounds built by the youths of the CCC a quarter of a century ," nfPCSCTa said. "Our vfluiblf tifc resources trf morg vlutM today because of the mife lion acres of trees hich seeded by th CCC. "But more thai thesfc tangi ble reminders of the natural resource conservation ; values of this program, w in Oregon and in many other states can count among our most re spected citizens many , who came to the West with the CCC. Some came from broken homes, from the streets and' alleys of crowded eastern cities." , - s7 Y) J3 J Fine styling, easy handling, maxl- T Tvjjs J mum mileage, Barking worries, 5 V I passenger roominess, large rear j f jf X luggage space all yearn ia 1m I low-cost IT FIAT HOO . f y Only $1SS4 -ll rrs&k i m 1 wx v v BARBECUE! Electric R0TISSERIE! COVERED COOKER! ft m us i (0 " it Woman Bound Oyer To Grand Jury Delia Louise Iholts, 20, of 401 East Main st., Medford, was bound over to the grand jury on a charge of forgery when she appeared in dis trict court Monday. Mrs. Iholts is charged with forging a $20 Travelers' check June 14 and signing the name of Mable R. Garvin, Chicago, 111., to it. Mrs. Iholts had waived right to a preliminary hearing and right to an attorney. A WEEK 1 I HEAT PTlV INDICATOR , I I Ifc S .?-- Wylrf- SmaH iflustrarioa m vLMj I shows hood closed V lk B yj with'stacool 1 wood knob. V S YOU GET ALL OF THESE EXTRAS! O ONE PIECE Barbeue Grid with over SEVENTY SQUARE INCHES of grill space. And if s easier te clean. Sill PEICI ? COMPLETE on ANDY'S Credit Terms POPULATION 177 MILLION I Washington -(UPD The Com merce Department estimates that the U. S. population has passed the 177 million mark. The clock in the lobby of the Commerce Department build ing posted that figure at 3:11 pjn. (e.d.t.) ; Tuesday. The clock shows an increase of one person every 11 seconds. Here's everything you want for more enjoyable outdoor cooking. A Barbecue with features usu ally found in much higher priced models. An elec trically operated Rotisserie. And the very newest for no Hi no that authentic flavor a covered cooker. All Rust-resistant COPPERTONE finish. F Varans You get ALL THREE IN ONE. And you get H at en Aiabam't Let this special price while this limited shipment lasts. phone SP 2-2970 O Covered Cooker with beat indicator ami 4 adjustable vents, fives food that luscious outdoor smoked flavor. Rood in "up" position serves as warming oven or may be removed when rat ia use. O One piece Grid can be RAISED OR LOWERED with front crank. And it swivels so entire surface is easily reached. O Rubber tired wheels and front towel-rack-handle makes . it easy to move about even when in use. Double front leg. O ELECTRIC ROTISSERIE has WATER PROOF MOTOR. Adjustable; removable. Large enough for a big roast n I IB U LJLJU YOUR FRIENDLY CREDIT JEWELER y ' WE GIVE GREEN STAM PS 15 N. Central HEN'S 17 JEWEL WATCH Rugged Yet Handsome r ii $ 7 a. r im Resistant . I I I Ls2m I u S - vTI A Kin THEY'RE . I J ANDY'S 1 I I rj i - r I i "V I ANDY'S BEST BUYI J TIRMS j I Shockproof Water
