Medford mail tribune., October 14, 1959, Image 1

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ROBERT W. SAWYER
Conservation, Reclamation Leader
Colbert W. Sawyer
IPron.Di.enf 'Oregon
.eader, Succumbs
Bend - (UPD - Funeral ar
rangements were being made
today for Robert W. Sawyer,
former editor and publisher
of the Bend Bulletin and an
outstanding Oregon conserva
tion and reclamation leader
for nearly half a century.
Sawyer, 79, died Tuesday
afternoon at St. Charles Me
morial hospital, which he
helped build, after suffering a
heart attack. He had planned
to enter a Portland hospital
today for minor surgery.
Born in Maine
Sawyer, who served in many
fields, was born May 12, 1880,
in Bangor, Maine. He came
here in 1912 and went to work
for George Palmer Putnam,
then publisher of the weekly
Bulletin, in 1913. Sawyer
purchased the newspaper in
1914 and it became a daily in
1917, tne day uescnuxes coun
ty was formed out of Crook
county. He sold the newspaper
to Robert W. Chandler in
1953.
After his retirement from
the newspaper field he re
mained active in conservation
work and retained an interest
in radio station KBND.
He was Deschutes county
judge from 1920 to 1927 and
was on the State Highway
Commission from 1927 to
1930. He was president of
the Oregon Reclamation Con
gress from 1931 to 1937 and
was Oregon director of the
National Reclamation Associ
ation from 1935 to 1948.
Outstanding Citizen
In 1953 Sawyer was pro
claimed by former Gov.
Charles A. Sprague, Salem
publisher, as Oregon's out
standing citizen of the half
century. Earlier he had re
ceived -the Amos Voorhies
award for outstanding accom
plishments in the field of
journalism. In 1956 he was
called the state's leading con
servationist of the half cen
tury by the Oregon chapter
of the Izaak Walton League.
Survivors include-his wid
ow, Mary, a daughter, Mrs.
Harry Bartlett of Fresno,
Calif.; three sons, Robert
Sawyer Jr., Scarsdale, N.Y.;
Alfred Sawyer, New York
City, and George C. Sawyer,
of Maine, and a sister, Mrs.
Thurlow M. Gordon, New
York City.
On Reconstruction Board
When Oregon's capitol
building was destroyed by
fire inl935 he was one of the
men called on to help with
a n advisory reconstruction
board. ' He remained to serve
on the state capital recon
struction commission from
1935 to 1939, then became
chairman of the Capital Plan
ning Commission which shap
ed expansion plans for the
capital grounds.
He also served on the Ore
WEATHER
IT .
FORECAST: Increasing 1 1 If i
cloudiness tonight and Thurs-
"nlilow tonlfht 40.
High Friday 72-75. Temp.
Highest Yesterday ..-! JO
Lowest this Morning
Our Skies Tonight
Sunset today 5:32 p.m.
Sunrise tomorrow :2 ajn.
Moonrise today 4:45 p.m.
Moonset tomorrow 5:22 ui-
Full Moon Oct. 16
PROMINENT STAR
Capella, high overhead 3.49 a.m.
Being : above the horizon so
many nours out of the 24, Ca
pella is visible every night of
, the year here on some part of
its course through the northern
sky.
(UPI Telephoto)
gon Statuary Hall Commis
sion and was its vice chairman
from 1945 to 1951.
Sawyer, a graduate of Har
vard, also was an attorney
and practiced law in Massa
chusetts before coming west.
Helped Build Hospital
One of his outstanding ac
complishments here was head
ing the group which paved
the way for construction of
the million dollar St. Charles
hospital. He shared leadership
with the late Carl A. Johnson.
He was long president of the
Central Oregon Hospital
Foundation and at the time
of his death was the founda
tion's president emeritus.
In 1929 he served as presi
dent of the Bend Chamber of
For many years Sawyer was
a director of the Oregon His
torical Society.
(See Story on Page 2)
Eight More Polio
Cases Reported
Portland (UPD The State
Board of Health today re
ported eight more polio cases
in Oregon, bringing, the total
so far this year to 130.' Six
of the new cases, , were listed
as paralytic and ; two were
fatal.
With 12 week's yet to go
this -year, a. Health Board
spokesman said it appeared
certain 1959 would be the
worst Oregon polio year since
1955, when 449 cases were re
ported. The two fatal cases brought
the number of polio deaths
this year to eight.
Of the 130 so far reported
this year, 101 have been para
lytic. Multnomah and Clackamas
counties accounted .for 72 of
the total.
CaDSfforniians Chased by Brush IFire
La Canada, Calif. -UPD- A
wind-whipped brush fire
scorched its way on a 25-mile
perimeter today as 1,000 fire
fighters and water ' bombing
1J rt& - 'III.
'm4 PrK w si-dT ' JrQ
. '"J" JK1m V -m'lii
BRUSH FIRE Firemen along the Angeles the backfires they started earlier climb up a
Crest highway keep a wary eye on a roar- hill. Flames were reported 90 to 100 feet
ing brush fire that has blackened more than high in some sections.
900 acres. These firemen watch as some of (UPI Telephoto)
Regional Edition
Medford
20 Pages MEDFORD, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1959 No. 171
Van Doren
Won't Discuss
Quiz Rigging
Ex-Contestant
Receives Subpoena
New York (UPD - Charles
Van Doren, 33, refused at a
news conference today to dis
cuss charges of television
rigging.
The English instructor who
won $129,000 on the defunct
quiz show "21" said he had
been unaware until Tuesday
that House investigators had
issued a subpoena for his ap
pearance before them. The
subpoena was served by a
member of the committee
staff a few minutes before the
news conference summoned
by Van Doren's attorney.
Apologizes To Newimen
Out of deference to the
committee, Van Doren said he
would not discuss the hear
ings before the press, radio
and television.
Van Doren apologized to
newsmen for his public dis
appearance after his suspen
sion from a $50,000 a year
NBC television job last Thurs
day night. He said he didn't
know he was of such interest
to the press and had not
known reporters were looking
for him.
A Week Off to Think
He said that last Thursday
he was "so distressed at events
of the past few days, including
my suspension by NBC, I de
cided to take the week off to
think." He and his wife went
to New England, he said, "to
try to find solace in the Oc
tober beauty of the country."
In Washington, House sub
committee' counsel Robert
Lishman said the Van Doren
subpoena calls for him to be
oh hand when the inquiry re
sumes its hearings Nov. 2. .
Oregon Farm
Prices Increase-""
Corvallis (UPD While na
tional farm prices held un
changed in September Ore
gon farm prices moved up, ac
cording to Mrs. Elvera Hor
rell, Oregon State College ex
tension agricultural e c o n o
mist. ' Mrs. Horrell estimated the
general price increase at one
per cent.
She added that although
state farm prices pointed up
ward last month, individual
fami commodities presented
an "up and down pattern."
Oregon poultry and egg prices
dipped, wool prices improved
and state potato prices moved
up, she said. Wheat was down
but other grains were up.
Dairy cows were unchanged
but milk and milkfat prices
improved in the state.
Salem -(DPD- Revenues for
electric energy sales by pri
vately owned utilities in Ore
gon for the year ending Aug.
31, were $94,608,289, up 7.42
per cent from the previous
year. . -
planes fought for control of
flames that forced residents
to flee their expensive foot
hill homes.
County Fire Capt. D. F.
Hooper said flames had sear
Mrs. HR Signs
Clemency Paper
For Chessman
Los Angeles - (UPD - Mrs.
Eleanor Roosevelt, author Al
dous Huxley and comedian
Steve Allen today were among
more than 200 persons who
have signed a Quaker organi
zation petition seeking to pre
vent the execution of death
row author Caryl Chessman.
The Southern California
office of the Friends Commit
tee on Legislation confirmed
Tuesday night that the peti
tions have been sent to Cali
fornia Gov. EdiAund G.
Brown.
Hearing Scheduled
The governor will preside
over an executive clemency
hearing for Chessman, now
38, who has lived for 11 years
in San Quentin's death row
awaiting execution in the gas
chamber. ;
Mrs. Roosevelt's secretary
confirmed in New York that
the widow of the late Presi
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt
has signed the petition asking
for commutation of Chess
man's sentence. Others who
have signed, according to the
Friends Committee, included
author Harry Golden, Theo
dore Bikel and rabbi Max
Nussbaum.
New Mexico Man
Appears in Court
Cecil Harvey Allen, 34, of
Hobbs, N.M., one of two men
involved in a series of burg
laries here last June and July,
had his imposition of sentence
suspended four years today
by Circuit Judge James M.
Main.
Allen appeared in ' court
here after his release from
the veteraMs "hDSp'ltarin Van
couver, Wash., where he had
been sent for treatment of a
disease. He had pleaded guilty
to the burglary not in a dwell
ing charge previously and a
pre-sentence report had been
ordered by the court.
Judge Main suspended im
position of Allen's sentence
on condition that Allen make
restitution as -his financial
condition permitted for all
burglaries in which he had
been implicated, and refrain
from drinking and from as
sociation with immoral worn-;
en. . '
Allen's partner in the burg
laries, Raney Ray Newcomb,
43, had also pleaded, guilty
and had been sentenced to a
maximum of four years in the
state . penitentiary. Medford
police, who arrested the pair,
reported clearing a total of
18 burglaries in this area as a
result.
San Francisco -(UPD- A me
morial for late U.S. Circuit
Judge James A. Fee, formerly
of Pendleton, will be held Fri
day by the U. S. Court of Ap
peals here.
ed 1,800 acres of watershed
by dawn in the Los Angeles
National forest, just north of
this suburban Los Angeles
city. -
Price 10 Cents
Tribune
"Chessman has. already
served more time than the, av
erage convicted murderer, al
though he has taken no life
and is not charged with mur
der," read part of the clem'
ency petition. .
Numerous Appeals
Chessman was convicted in
1948 of 17 felony counts in
cluding kidnaping and rob
bery under the Little , Lind
bergh Law. The law provides
the possible death sentence for
those offenses when bodily
harm is done. '
He has escaped execution
since then by making numer
ous appeals to the state and
U. S. Supreme Courts. While
in death row he has written
four books, including his high
ly successful autobiography,
"Cell 2455, Death Row."
Lavern Watrud Is
Killed When Gun
Fires Accidentally
A Medford man was acci
dentally killed by his own
gun Tuesday evening while
hunting on the property of his
his brother-in-law, Oregon
state police reported.
Dead is Lavern Cornell Wa
trud, 42, of 19 Geneva st.,
Medford, who was found ly
ing behind his automobile at
6 p.m. by his brother-in-law,
Cecil Marvin Norris, route 3,
box 169F, Cherry lane, and
Norris' son, Patrick Howard.
Police said that Watrud
told Norris "I am shot acci
dent." He was taken to Rogue
Valley hospital by Medford
Ambulance service and was
deacl bnarrival. "
It was reported that Watrud
left his home about 3:45 p.m.
Tuesday and drove across
plowed fields to a draw where
he parked the vehicle. Norris
said that his brother-in-law
was in the habit of sitting
cross-legged with his gun
across his legs while resting.
Watrud, who was using a
12-gauge shotgun, had appar
ently sat down by the auto
mobile with the gun's barrel
pointing towards him when it
accidentally discharged. The
shot entered his ', left side
above the ,belt and went into
the left rear tire of the vehi
cle, police said. ,
145 Pints of Blood
Collected Yesterday
A total of 145 pints of blood
were collected yesterday dur
ing the regular visit of. the
Red Cross Bloodmobile, offi
cials said today.
' Quota for the visit was 290
pints. There were 113 ap
pointments made, and 83 don
ors were "drop-ins." Twenty
eight donors were rejected,
officials said.,
The flames lapped over
famed Arroyo Seco canyon
during the night toward the
Brown Mountain . area that
was burned over in 1934 by a
fire that blackened 8,000
acres.
Four firemen were injured,
two seriously, fighting the
flames. Others were treated
for burns- or smoke inhala
tion, Hooper said.
A $100,000 home in the path
of the flames was partially
burned but shifting winds and
determined firemen, aided by
home owners, turned the
blaze at least temporarily -from
about 150 other homes
in the area. '
Hooper said the Brown
Mountain fire line was all but
inaccessible since the one lone
fire road was blocked by
flames.
Forecasts called for abnor
mally high temperatures in
the 90s today with gusty des
ert-born winds up to 35 miles
an hour on ridges and in the
canyon, and low humidity -
all deterents to quick control.
The fire started late Tues
day after noon, apparently
from a carelessly discarded
cigarette.
Several hundred persons
were evacuated from their
homes during the night as a
precautionary measure.
Chairman Calls
Sunday Meeting
Of Disputants
Monday Seen as
Day for Report
Washington -DPD-President
dent Eisenhower's fact-finding
board in the steel strike
asked him today for a three
day extension until Monday
for filing its report.
Eisenhower promptly grant
ed the request.
In setting up the board un
der the Taft-Hartley Act, the
President had told the panel
to make its reports by mid
night Friday.
The report will determine
whether the President will
ask the Justice Department
to seek an injunction to halt
the steel strike for 80 days.
Prof. George W. Taylor,
chairman of the three - man
board, at the same time asked
for a special meeting Sunday
,of representatives of manage
ment and union to attempt to
draw up a list of points on
which there is an agreement.
Meet Again Thursday
Taylor said the extension of
time and the special meeting
were being requested because
of the "very grave difficulty
in assembling the facts and
giving them proper analysis
and form."
He adjourned today's ses
sion until Thursday morning.
Taylor told the steel com
panies that if they wish they
can continue their testimony
through Thursday afternoon.
The steel companies were to
have completed presentation
of their case Thursday noon.
He asked represenatives of
the steel companies and the
United Steelworkers union to
be "on call" to answer ques
tions while the board's report
is being drafted.
At today's session, Taylor
accused both sides of taking
"adamant" positions that
brought on a breakdown in
collective bargaining.
Statement Drawn
Taylor, after hearing open
ing tesimony on behalf of the
steel companies, drew from
their chief negotiator a state
ment that .management has
been unwifiing to negotiate
on any wage demand that
would raise steel production
costs by more than 2 per cent.
Taylor, who heads the three
man board, emphasized that
the United Steelworkers un
ion has been equally "adam
ant" - in demanding there
should be no change in con
tract provisions regarding
working conditions. -
The board was set up when
President Eisenhower invok
ed the Taft-Hartley act last
Friday in an effort to halt the
3-month-old strike.
R. Conrad Cooper, negotia
ting representative of the 12
largest companies, contended
in his testimony that the
union has been equally adam
ant in demanding wage in
creases which would hike pro
duction costs two or three
times the 2 per cent figure.
Wage Demands Negotiable '
Taylor said "that is not my
understanding." He asked
President David J. McDonald,
of the steelworkers to answer
from the audience w.hether
the union's wage demands
were negotiable.
"The answer is 'yes'," Mc
Donald replied.
Cooper commented: "We
have come all this wayt
Mr. McDonald to say h
demands are negotiablellt
not been so in the in
we have had."
Portland Airport
Closed by Fog
Portland - (UPD - Portland
International Airport had
zero visibility from 2:35 a.m.
to 7:45 a.m. today as a blanket
of, thick fog hung on persis
tently. At 10 a.m. the airport tower
reported that visibility had
improved to one-eighth of a
mile, still short of necessary
visibility to permit aircraft
to land. One - quarter mile
visibility is required for land
ings. Democratic Group to
Meet Here Tonight
The election of delegates to
the national and state Demo
cratic conventions will be dis
cussed at a meeting of the
tral committee of Jackson
County Democratic party at 8
o'clock tonight at tne Med
ford Labor temple, 24Vi
South Grape st., Medford.
Scheduled to attend the
November meeting of the cen
tral committee is G. Girard
Davidson, Portland, national
committeeman.
il.-b- I'themjiJfiie:
CONSTRUCT FORMS The Eighth st.
bridge over Bear creek, that will form the
final link in Medford's east-west one-way
street system, is beginning to take shape,
with pilings already set and work now
under way on the forms for the reinforced
concrete beams. The appraches on the east
side are complete except for the area right
IBM Processing Is
Approved for MHS
Student Enrollment
The Medford school board
last night approved use of an
IBM Data Processing Service
for student registrations at
Medford High school starting
with the 1960-61 school year.
The board also approved a
group therapy program for
high school behavior deviants.
The IBM Data Processing
Service, which is operated in
Portland, will be helpful in
reducing clerical costs, saving
teacher time, facilitating fast
registration and increasing ac
curacy. The service was
adopted at Marshfield High
school during the last school
year and is being used for
the first time this year in Bea-
verton, Lebanon, and other
schools. : '
Reduced Costs - ' -
r- Assistant Superintendent El
liott Becken said reports from
the schools indicate reduced
costs, quicker registrations,
and that it is a "desirable step
in coping with increasing
high school enrollment and
with increasing clerical and
professional staff involvement
in ' accumulating the same
types of information and re
ports." The board decided to start
the program next school year
since registrations this year
have been completed.
Becken said the group
therapy program appears "to
be a positive means of assist
ing pre-delinquents to a bet
ter adjustment."
Adoption of the program
here followed reports of a si
milar program's effectiveness
in Ashland High school last
year, and by Dr. Arthur Car-
fagni, psychiatrist from the
San Francisco bay area, at a
meeting with school officials
earlier this month.
Cooperation in Program
Cooperating in the pro
gram here will be Dr. Fred
Trost and Bennett Kilpack of
Southern Oregon college. The
program is ' designed for
youths who could become de-
d attempts to help
rsyina tnemseives
T3lems.
eckeh pointed out that dis
cussions by those participat
ing in the program are confi
dential. . ,
! The Ashland High school
program last year was a pilot
Judge Comments
On Board's Letter
Circuit Judge Jamas M.
Main today said he would not
answer the state board of con
trol's letter to Circuit Judge
Edward C. Kelly unless the
board wrote him directly.
Judge Kelly has already re
plied to the board, which re
cently criticized court action
here in which a 16-year-bld
Ashland juvenile was sent to
the MacLaren School for Boys
in Woodburn.
Judge Kelly referred the
board's communication " to
Judge Main, since Judge Main
had been responsible for the
boy's commitment to MacLar
en. Judge Kelly criticized the
board ' for not having com
municated with Judge Main
in the first place.
"I fpel," Judge Main com
mented today, "that if they
need any information other
than what Judge Kelly has
given them, they will contact
me."
Y'fSW'j0Vj fig
program by Southern Oregon
college. Becken said none of
those participating . in the
Ashland program appeared in
law enforcement agency re
ports last summer. A similar
program is being conducted
at Bar O Ranch in northern
California.
Encouraging Interest
Becken said Circuit Judge
Edward Kelly and Speaker of
the House Robert Duncan
have expressed an encourag
ing interest in. the program.
Such programs have been
held in other sections of the
west coast with success, he
noted.
The distributive education
program at Medford High
school, was reviewed by the
board. Thirty-four students
have been placed in jobs in
Medford through the pro
gram, which is . directed by
John Crabb. ....... . . ,
The board also authorized
Assistant Superintendent Rus
sell Acheson to study the pos
sibility of a new well at Ruch.
Acheson said there are two
wells there now. One has a
high mineral content water
and the other pumps only
three gallons of water a min
ute. ,
Although the situation there
is not critical, Acheson said,
he suggested the board . con
sider a deeper well to insure
a more adequate water sup
ply.
Road Crews Start
Table Rock Project
Jackson county road crews
Tuesday began work on mov
ing an irrigation canal from
the Table Rock rd. right of
way in the Table Rock area,
County Road Engineer Paul
Rynning reported.
Rynning said the project
was a cooperative job, with
county road crews furnishing
labor and the Table Rock Ir
rigation district and U. S. soil
conservation service supply
ing materials. . -
,He explained that the move
would permit widening of the
road and would relieve a
drainage problem.
"Now It's An Invasion Of Privacy!"
at the bridge, but a standard roadbed mu
be laid on' the wes, side where the Wester
Auto building formerly stood, according tt
Public Works Director ,Verne Thorpe. Aftr
the concrete cures for about 30 days, finpl
work can be done on embankments ant
curbs and gutters, Thorpe said. The pictur
above was taken from the eaSt side. -
Decision on Afc5
e
Zoning Scheduled
By Group TonigSsf
G
A decision on the propped
interim zoning ordinance fo
the Rogue valley floor i du '
when the Jackson :ount
planning commission holds jig '
regular monthly meeting at 9
o'clock tonight in the courfr
house.
The ordinance, aside from
its general zoning regulations,
proposes to control excavj-
tions on agricultural land by '
Highway 99 freeway ctnj
tractors seeking fill dirt .
A comparable ordinance in '
Lane county became the cen- '
A. . A " 1 i T.-l
after. Circuit Judge Frank
Reid refused to grant an Sn-
junction to prevent R. A. ;
Heintz Construction company
of Portland from carrying out
such excavation. 0
Letter Received
Jackson County JuSge Earl
M.--Miller- today -released a "
letter he received this week
from Howard V. Buiord, sec
retary of the Lane county
planning commission o
"One farm area 8f roughly
50 acres," Buford wrotC, "has
been destroyed since Vudge
Reid lifted the restraining or
der filed by Lane county
against Heintz Construction
company, but aside from this
the company has takannbor-
row (fill) from one of the four
areas designated by he Lane
county planning commission."
Buford continued that he
was beginning "to seriously
doubt" whether a requested
court opinion on the matter
would be issued before next
month, despite assurances re-
ceived by his office "that an " "
early determination would be
made." . . ' '
The Jackson county piano
ners are to decide whether tocD
recommend the proposed or
dinance to the county codrt.
Principals Favor ,o
Youth Camp Revival
Salem -(UPD- More than 150
junior and senior high school
principals went on record
Tuesday as favoring revivSl of
National Youth camps similar
to the Civilian Conservation
Corps of the depression era.
m
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