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March 3. 1897
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Flight o' Time
Medford and Jackson County
History from the files of The
Mail Tribune 10, 20, 30, 40
and 50 yean ago.
10 YEARS AGO
Auguit I. 19S3 (Thursday)
The jailing of Leiter Hur
ley last July 11, when he was
suffering from a fractured
skull,, was an error in judg
ment on the part of police
officers, the city council was
told last night.
The Jackson county grand
jury today recommended that
Medford Police Chief be re
nlnced "hv a man who is prop
erly qualified in all respects
to administer me auairs oi
the department."
20 YEARS AGO '
Auautt 6. 1943 (Friday)
Milk nroducers testify in
demand for Drice boost.
From Arthur Perry's "Ye
Smudse Pot" column: "Ra
tioning of food and gas has
failed to put a crimp in me
summer outdoor pastime, viz:
wciner roasts on a river bank.
Most of the year the weiner
associates with sauerkraut
and mustard. Now It is up the
social ladder a bit, and is
known to society editors as
'a tasty tidbit."
30 YEARS AGO
a. .....4 a ia4fi mtinilawl
County' judge found guilty
of ballot theft by Klamath
county jury in record time;
Jury deliberated 12 minutes.
County leaders scanned for
leaders to county Judge post.
40 YEARS AGO
August 6. 1923 (Monday)
Churches of city and valley
to hold memorial services for
P'.-esident Harding.
Nearly 1,000 tourists spend
week end in city.
in vr&DS AGO
August 6, 1913 (Wednesday)
Lack of sufficient binders
slows cutting of Table Rock
grain.
Porter J. Ncff has been at
Cold Hill several times lately,
acting as city attorney to clear
up the legal muddle that mu
nicipality has been in for some
time.
What's Your I.Q.?
kit.. ,m.( k tii eerier:
even or etjht is ewelleirti tlve er
Sis is good.
1. Name the U.S. Secretary
of Labor.
2. Is the correct name of
the South American country
spelled Columbia or Colom
bia? 3. If you say a girl is oscu
lhi what would you mean?
4. Which state leads in the
production of corn?
. wmmi it. S. President
was administered the oath of
office by his own father?
6. In referring to Sino-Japa-nese
relations to what docs
Sino refer?
7. Ex-President Truman Is
a member of which religious
denomination?
8. King John affixed his
teal to the Magna Charta in
1218; was that during the
12th or 13th century?
9. Sir Walter Raleigh died
342 years ago; did he die of
old age, poisoning or by be
heading? 10. Which noted actress
was often referred to as "the
Divine Sarah"?
Answorsi 1. Wlllard Wlrts.
2. Colombia. 3. That she is
kisiabla. 4, lawa. 3. Calvin
Coolldgt. 8. Chineia. 7. Bap
tist. I. Uth. 9. Boheiding 10.
Sarah Bernhardt.
I SSSNtWIr-APlt I
TUESDAY. AUGUST 8. 1963
Northeastern
tisvr.nl Dofl r wfwt rf
the Hat Creek valley, is
hours, and beauulul scenery.
From Mt. Lassen to Medford, by way of Hat
i 1. tt' i arf .. ,1 1 on T Tis4r. To
ureeK, nignway anu 103, uava ucua 11a-
hAnol AfAniimanf Til In 1 a Iro TtTlamafVl Folio T.fllcA
of the Woods and the Dead Indian road, is con
EirWahlv lnno-pr hut. it. is nlsn rewardinc in scen-
v " -o
ery, in views of countiy
l.i Jil.
nisiory oi me mouoc wars, aim 111 uic iguw mm
i i n j i -e xT..iL-. ri:
sounas ana smens oi a pan ot inuilucih jxu
foraia too little known.
Wa oViall rinmmont mnrp fllllv nhnut. Mt. T,as
sen later. But mention
tures of a recent trip may De worm wnne.
WTTPTt7V FAT.T.Q tVto htof fpgfnra nf MiAl'
rf UlVilUl 1 raUUU) HIV, VII1V.. VII-MV
thur-Burney Falls State Park, about 50 miles
southeast ol Mt. snasta
i i i i-..i
most spectacular waierians we nave ever seen,
The river comes out of springs above the drop,
and cascades over it into a churning pool of blue
white water, then flows away in green and blue,
AaiAn -Pi.nvi this main MTU tnrf 11 1 1 ntrioi minm
falls come directly out of
i. 1 1 l ml. ... ,.l
DOin siaes. xne craggy siune. uie inu&aca, nuicna
si .i i ii i. l
ana ierns, tne trees, an
JCllll.Jl Ilia Vai atf lUlMllllg WVlrll jyj,ay -wa.ww
and overnight camping. Artificial Lake Britton
is a iavoriie ior Doaters
SPHERE is a point on Highway 299 a few miles
east ot ran Kiver Mills wnere tne roaa tops a
hill T .nAln'niY nrio ia mot. hr tho nlirfif fif fhft
. i n i j
entire soutnern ena oi
urifli Mf T.siciaart frt fl-A
Willi 1TX be XJCliTIOVll lyU lyll UIIU PJUMUii
the north. Nowhere else, we believe, is there
quite such a spectacular view of both mountains
looming up, dominating all those in between.
Mt. Lassen, we learned, is the southernmost
is a sharp break between
of the Cascades, ana tne gi-anite iormations oi
the Sierra Nevada. .
All of the northeastern corner of California
kn Vim-la fni'im w frrev if n f no Tt ia a nlaa QQtl t.
iiau uccii tcua iuvuiuia uai c ivujmiiv
but somewhat desolate area, ranging from high
J i i- i U....U t. mil
tivated fields.
LAVA BEDS National Monument, is a far-too-little-known
area with the multiiile interest of
recent volcanic activity,
caves, cinuer euiies, cuiiiiueya auu uuici icaiuico,
i i i
ana oi nisiory.
Tf nrao Viai-n iViat trio
fought his last and losing battle in defense of his
homeland, and the. right of his people to remain,
I G01Qly411jr tllC C1IV1 UQvUlllllV UI VV uvvvivim.
A visit to his lava-castle stronghold, where he
i i pfi i l 1. oh
lougni on overwneiming
icirin : . 1
XOIatf ailU 1UIU) JO ItlVJIIC V Jl lil WIV yi 'o vii
marked trail leads thiough the stronghold, and
it is punctuated with informative signs.
m
A WELL-EQUIPPED camp is located near the
Monument headquarters and one young sum
mer ranger assured us that no snakes had been
a.l 1. II r 111
seen in the camping area ior two years, w e 11
take his word for it, although it has the look of
1 A.
amke countiy
mi
Ke country.
TUn inmnn n f eU,iAfA
in mid-summer it must get
il.- -1
was warm tne aay we were mere, uul a uieez-c
lliaUC tllillio bUVIV All viv wiiwuvi
The little museum at Monument headquarters
is a jewel well laid out, thoughtfully set up,
informative and most interesting, both from geo-
lnrrin anrl Viistnrin nmiPfts. Rnt.h hfiadniiailera and
caves in the park. Others
.1 t 1 . s
are available at no cost
One hopes that the
,1. . . ?11 1. - ;
tne Monument win De lmpruveu buuii.
DIRECTLY adjoining the Monument on the
north is the Tulelake game refuge, operated
Vi iVio Tl Q Vicli anrl Wilrllifn Sorvif'P a vast
Ujf MIC . V I . i loll 11 1 V I ' ' i.vi.iiv w-. t ' - "
expanse of marsh, meadow and lake, lying in
lusn conuasi tu me naiMi aim luiuiuuui iauu
r- o wi tf tVA lo,i Knrlc
ov.ajrc ui tiic icici utvio. .
Coming north, one sees more evidence of fer
tile farmlands, with thousands of acres of barley,
onions and potatoes. It is prosperous-looking.
As we drove northwest toward Klamath Falls,
the country began to look more familiar, with
the Cascades creeping closer, and Mt. Shasta
kiffiiiv fVr.i-.i irnct 1 n ci it h wncf in tinllth rTl'ic
huge beacon of a mountain is one of the most
spectacular sights in tne
from many points both in
THE attractive boulevard along the west side
of Klamath lake, leading toward Lake of the
Woods, is dotted with homes, and it is narrow
and winding. As the eastern anchor of the new
trans-Cascade highway, it will need some widen
ing, if not eventual replacement, if it is to serve
heavy traffic. As soon as the road gets out of the
residential area, however, it is excellent all the
way to the lake.
The new cutoff, which will go from the north
end of the lake down near Fish Lake to Browns
boro and Eagle Point, has been cut through, but
is not yet ready for grading or paving at the
lake junction. When completed, it will cut many
minutes from the Medford-Klamath Falls trip.
The Dead Indian road is a familiar drive,
and as the valley floor came in view, so came
another familiar sight. The Family Secretary of
Health, Education and Welfare put it in two
sighed words "Smog again." E.A.
California
Mf QViucfg lVTP.1niii'1 onrl
a drive of less than five
. it !
new to us, in the exciting
1 J iL n!U i nrl
of some of the other fea
(tne cicyj, is one oi me
n i ..
fissures in the rock on
iU -n.nnnr. t J An
mane it a signt to see.
ana water anieia.
ii. i ,1 nr
tne c-ascaue mountains,
arilltVl and Mt SVltJctQ
the volcanic structures
including lava beds,
faWnrl P.antain 3aoc
nuinueis ui uuupa in
iL i.U V..: A ofnll
ivt lAOl'f Vvir 1 1 1 It 1 lift TO Kilt
fearfully hot. The sun
IL.... U..i. U..a.pa
are nearby, and lanterns
1 1
ior speiunKers.
dusty, unpaved roads to
1
woria, ana is visioie
Oregon and California.
MEDFORD
,coNGas
"Tt HOT BIT
EMOTIONAL
ABOUT A
TCSTBUWEATY
think before
you ratify;
AH THE MILITARY!
08&fa&lU,l AUOB TIMES
"I'd like to sto you carrying
Communications
Letters to the Editor must bear the name and address of the writer,
although under certain circumstances the use of a pen name or initial
for publication Is permissible. The Mail Tribune reserves the right to
edit all letters with a view to clarification and condensation. Letter
submitted for publication must not exceed 400 words. The letters
printed in this column do not necessarily represent the views of tr
paper. In fact the contrary Is often
Moment of Decision
To the Editor: From read.
ing Mr. Oscar Jacobson's let
ter of the 4th, I gather that
his imagination is working
overtime. It certainly is if he
imagines that any information
I contribute regarding the
Aquarian Age is a pipedream.
Anyone who is aware in the
slightest degree of what is
now transpiring anyone who
can discern the "writing on
the wall" and the "signs in
the heavens" and has investi
gated the matter as thorough
ly as possible can testify that
I suffer no delusions nor vain
imaginings.
There are two factions in
the world; those who are still
sleeping and enjoying the
dream-world, and those who
are awakening from it to find
reality. As Paul so aptly put
It "Not all shall sleep." I
think il far better to be num
bered among those in the lat
ter category, and it is to this
end that I dedicate my time
and efforts now: that as many
as will, may be inspired to
seek the light and awaken
from the "long sleep" in the
darkness.
I am a very busy woman.
and it is not easy to find the
time il takes to compose these
letters. If I were not sincerely
convinced that my doing so is
serving an important purpose,
it would be a simple matter
to decide I haven't time and
disregard it entirely.
These teachings, if such
they may be called, are not
for all, for not all are ready
to receive them. It is certain
ly Mr. Jacobson's privilege.
or anyone else's, to become
crystallized in his particular
set of concepts; the only ob
jection is that further spirit
ual light cannot enter under
such circumstances. At some
future time when the barriers
are let down, there will be
another opportunity to re
ceive it. Lot s wife had made
considerable progress on the
path to spiritual enlightment
when she "looked back" to
her former concepts and be
liefs, and became crystallized
in them or as it says in the
Book, she turned into a "pil
lar of salt."
Together with former
thing, former concepts also
shall pass away. Those per
sons who cling tenaciously to
the old cannot grasp the new
nd evolve as our planet
evolves, for they are attuned
to the frequency of a past
dispensation instead of to that
of the new. Now is the mo
ment of decision; shall we
follow the path leading back
to the former darkness or
the path leading ahead into
light? The choice is ours!
Louise Wopschall
Route I. Box 408
Eagle Point, Ore.
Starlight Saving
To the Editor: I have sent
the following letter to your
columnist Mr. Frank Jenkins:
Dear Mr. Jenkins: Some
time back a lady in Klamath
Falls allegedly shot at a
Klamath Falls business man
who was alleged to be a lead
er in the so-called "Daylight
Saving Time" movement
(which saves nothing now,
never has saved anything, and
will save nothing in the fu
ture). I personally feel that, in
stead of penalizing the lady,
she should be voted a Gold
Medal and given some les
sons in marksmanship.
This said "Klamath Falls
businessman" would "h o w 1
like hell" if some of the log
gers got him out of bed when
they go to work - at daylight
or earlier. He'd claim his
privacy was beinu invaded,
moreothan likely. Yet 1 have
strong doubts he goes to work
before t tic sun is quite high
in the sky. It appears that the
"white collar business m t n"
from downtown are the only
ones who favor the idiotic
idea of setting the clocks,
ahead.
I am the oraiiitoW of
MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD, OREGON
ihoso signs in Hiroshima!"
the case.
another system which should
be known as "Starlite Saving
Time," which consists of set
ting the clock BACK one hour
in summer to get TWO hours
extra sleep each morning.
Floyd R. McCabe
Mt. Pitt Star Route
Butte Falls, Ore.
Unbelief a Sin?
To the Editor: Oscar Jacob
son says in his letter publish
ed on July 28 that "unbelief
is the worst sin today."
Doesn't he know that some of
the finest people the race has
produced were unbelievers?
For his enlightenment and
other readers who may not
know either, let me name a
few of them:
Thomas H. Huxley, English
biologist; Johannes Brahms,
German composer; Herbert
Spencer, British philosopher;
Percival Lowell, American
astronomer; Charles Lamb,
English essayist; Clarence
D a r row, American lawyer;
Luther Burbank, Ameri can
horticulturist; Robert Burns,
Scottish poet; John Bur
roughs, American naturalist;
Robert Ingersoll, Ameri can
lawyer, writer and lecturer;
Albert Einstein, noted physi
cist; Thomas Edison, Ameri
can inventor; Charles Stein
metz, German-American elec
trical engineer; Marie and
Pierre Curie, French physi
cists; John Adams, our second
president; Thomas Jefferson,
our third president.
The list is endless. How
could, anyone in his right
mind label such wonderful
people miserable sinners? It
Is simply untrue that unbelief
is a "sin." Such a queer no
tion exists only in the minds
of the religiously indoctri
nated.
Lydia Burnham
814 Warne st.
Prescott, Ariz.
In the Day's News
By FRANK JENKINS
Odd note in the news:
Over in "Malheur county
they have found what appears
to be a BENEFICIAL bug.
11HE bug's scientific name
is Aroga Wehsteri, and
according to the Malheur En
terprise, published at Vale, it
attacks ONLY sagebrush and
fs harmless to beneficial
plants. It is a defoliating moth,
meaning that it strips the
sagebrush of its leaves, and
thus KILLS it.
The moth, according to the
Enterprise, is not a newcom
er to the Malheur area, al
though It is comparatively
recent, according to the ento
mologists who have observed
it.
TT WAS first noted in May
of last year, and at that
time about 15,000 acres were
infested. But by now the moth
has spread into other areas.
Bob Kindschy, range and
wildlife specialist with the
Bureau of Land Management,
says he traveled recently bet
ter than 20 miles in one of
the newly infested areas and
estimates that at least 200
square miles are included in
the infested area he saw on
the trip.
He says it is not presently
known whether the moths
will destroy ALL the sage
brush, but thinks that by next
spring the evidence should
be fairly conclusive.
IIE A
il ..T
DDS.
cyclical, much like mice, rab
bits and other forms of life
on the deserts. If introduc
tions could he marie in spe
cific areas and clesn kill
could be achieved, it ould
be a boon ( Mm Westers
ranges. It loutd tornmplie)!
at little cost liat fnher
and various ajna.re.ment
ties have been U:ii i
do for C lorjfj tirt ) rtl
exiaaiis,") w C
French Politicians Increasingly
De Gaulle Will Run for Second
By JOSEPH W. GRIGG
United Press International
Paris-fUPD-President Charles
de Gaulle may run after all
for a second term in 1965-at
least, betting among French
politicians is increasing that
he will.
One factor, it is thought,
that might decide him to do so
would be failure to patch up
his disagreements with Presi
dent Kennedy about nuclear
policy and the future of the
Western alliance.
De Gaulle's seven-year term
finishes at the end of 1965-two-and-a-quarter
years from
now.
Several times recently he
has dropped oblique hints that
he might not run again. He
has seemed to be preparing
the French people for think
ing about a possible successor.
But he had nothing to say
about this at his news confer
Matter of Fact
(c) Nw York Herald
(Joseph Alsop will be on
vacation this month - and
gathering material both in
this country and abroad for
future columns. During his
absence, top members of the
New York Herald Tribune
will substitute for him.)
By LAURENCE BARRETT
IF WE FAIL TO RATIFY
Washington - So far, the
argument over the limited
nuclear test ban treaty has
skirted perhaps the most im
portant issue: what the conse
quences would be If the Sen
ate fails to ratify.
President Kennedy says
this would be a "great mis
take." Mr. Harriman says it
would cost this country its
position of world leadership.
These are understatements. It
is not too much to predict that
rejection of this treaty will
sentence the world to con
tinued imprisonment in the
dungeon that is the arms race
for a long, long time.
Both in the Administration
and in Congress there is con
siderable optimism that the
necessary two-thirds vote in
the Senate will be achieved.
Yet there is an undercurrent
of opposition, rather muted
for the moment, and lacking
in focus. If a rallying point
emerges, the treaty could be
in trouble. Rejection is not
the only avenue of defeat. An
attempt could be made to ap
pend "reservations" or even
formal amendments. These
could have the same effect as
a negative vote.
ONE wonders whether those
who for various motives
are searching so hard for
minute flaws In the treaty
have honestly considered the
larger question of what fail
ure to ratify would mean.
If the United States is un
willing to take this very little
step towards arms control,
then its stated position since
the end of World War II in
favor of controlling the atom
is a fraud. And the more re-
llfHY is that NEWS?
" Well, nearly a century
ago John B. Bogart, city edi
tor of the New York Sun,
lecturing one day in the Sun's
newsroom to one of his cub
reporters, offered this famous
definition of news:
"When a dog bites a man,
that is not news, because it
happens so often. But if a
MAN bites a DOG, that IS
news."
CO-
According to the principle
laid down by Editor Bogart
It is certainly NEWS when
a bug bites a pest like the
sagebrush which has driven
out the grass from so many
arid Western acres and so far
has defied all efforts to con
trol it at a cost within eco
nomic limits.
Over the long years of the
past, bugs- appear to have had
the bad habit of biting only
those things that are USEFUL
to man.
TEADING the headlines and
" listening to the radio and
watching TV, one is apt these
days to arrive at the conclu
sion that all news is BAD
news.
It isn't true.
For example:
In Chicago the other day,
a history - making medical
team composed of researchers
from Peter Bent Brigham hos
pital and Harvard Medical
school reported that they
have succesfully transplanted
a kidney from DECEASED
donor to YOUNG man.
Whk-h ie In say:
The dying nVvr ilW one
of liw kufneyt to ow
mn ho needed e
IMn, aj t oUt full tin
titatt , ith family to
elTt. is $liv ),'id wtK.
Thjj nays; you see. isn't all
bad.
ence a week ago Monday. A
question was asked, but
De Gaulle did not answer it.
Some French commentators
have taken this to mean that
De Gaulle, who earlier was
thought to have decided
against a second term, now
may be changing his mind.
They pointed out that he
will have about four weeks
for quiet thinking about the
future during his August va
cation at his country home at
Colombey-les-Dexu-Eglises.
Age would be the main con
sideration against a second
term.
De Gaulle is nearing 73. He
will be 75 when the next pres
idential election is held. If
he took a second term - and
few doubt he would not win
hands down if he runs again
he would be 82 at the end of it.
That still would be some
years short of West German
By Joseph Alsep
Tribune Syndicate
cent American posture in fa
vor of arms reduction and
ultimate disarmament is
doubly fraudulent.
It must be remembered that
the treaty under considera
tion is essentially an Ameri
can treaty, which both the
Eisenhower and the Kennedy
administrations Dut forward
for the world to see and de
sire. Were we seeking to de
ceive tne world? were we,
safe in the knowledge that
the Russians would spurn any
agree ment, merely teasing
humanity?
THE treaty to ban tests in
the atmosphere, outer
space, and underground is the
most modest advance possible
that can still provide mean
ingful progress. If we fear
this, then longer strides to
ward peace will frighten us
senseless.
Would the Russians negoti
ate with us seriously again
on anything else? It is diffi
cult to see why they should.
They could simply bask in
their greatest propaganda vic
tory of the cold war.
The arguments against the
treaty vary from sober con
siderations of the military
and technical implications to
hysterical screams about what
monsters the Russians are.
The Senate must think about
the former and try to be im
mune from the latter.
'
TiHE Republican Congression
al leadership now gropes for
some rational basis on which
to question the treaty. It posed
this choice last week: "Which
will do most to preserve peace
in the world, ratification of a
limited treaty placing selec
tive restraints on the develop
ment of nuclear weapons, or
a maximum up-to-the-minute
defense capability so destruc
tive as to prohibit attack?"
(This is the same Republican
leadership that thinks the de
fense budget could be cut
easily by a few billions.)
Actually, this seemingly
logical question contains
holes. The treaty does not pre
vent, or even seriously In
hibit, continued weapons de
velopment. But there is a big
ger hole. The question implies
that an absolute deterrent
exists, or is readily obtain
able. This is a delusion. There
exists only the means for mu
tual destruction.
No new weapon is immune
to a still newer defense. No
defense remains impermeable
for long. The choice really is
between an ever -quickening
contest for more devastating
weapons and a glimmer of
hope that the race may slow
to a more rational pace.
IN EVALUATING the debate
that is to come, it would
be stupid to shut one's mind
to all opposition. Perhaps
there is real evidence, undis
closed until now, that the
treaty's risks are greater than
its benefits. If so, it is difficult
to believe that President Ken
nedy is unaware of it, or has
ignored it.
The skeptics urge caution
and objectivity. One would
do well to be cautious and ob
jective in considering criti
cism by scientists who think
that, because they have built
great engines of war. these
engines must be kept ever
primed at mankind's head,
and the criticism by profes
sional anti-Communists. One
would also do well to be skep
tical of politicians who have
their eye on Election Day
next year and who know thai
if the treaty is ratified and
proves successful. President
Kennedy will reap great po
litical benefits.
Finally, the 100 judges In
the Scnata must know that
their votes on this issue will
t remembered for a long
Ieri time.
IAr AttOUNCED
. IxMiinations for civil serv
! ltions have been an
outcrd for air commander
(pilot) and in electrical engi
neering. Additional informa
tion may be obtained at the
Medford post office.
Chancellor Konrad Adenauer,
who is 87.
But Madame Yvonne de
Gaulle is known to feel that
he has earned retirement and
that 75 would be a fair age
at which to take it.
De Gaulle was reported
earlier to have taken the
same view.
Aides said he had planned
to run aeain only if he felt
France needed him in an
emergency - that is, in case
of a grave international crisis
or if it appeared that a summit
meeting likely to lead up to a
general cold war settlement
was in sight.
Now, De Gaulle is said to
be having second thoughts
about what constitutes an
"emergency."
It is suggested that he may
not want to pull out until he
Strictly Personal
By Sydney
(c) Field Enterprises, inc.
RITES OF PASSAGE
Writing about the young
people riding around in their
white convertible, as I did
recently, reminded me of an
other incident
on the eve of
the Fourth of
July holiday.
It was 1:30 in
the m o r n
ing, and I was
parked in my
car near the
main inter
section of the
little town in
which I spend my summers.
I was waiting for a passen
ger due to arrive on an out-
of-town bus.
During the half-hour I sat
there, dozens of automobiles
whizzed by me. Almost all
of them were filled with teen
age boys, circling the town
noisily, cutting corners sharp
ly, and pretending to them
selves that they were having
a wild time.
It called to mind what an
American anthropologist said
recently about the "rites of
passage. ' In older times,
young men were given op
portunities to prove their
manhood, their courage or
skill, by performing certain
difficult rituals that the eld
ers of the tribe had prepared
for them. If they "passed,"
they were declared to be men.
We have no such line of
demarcation in our modern
industrial socitiy - and so
the automobile has become,
in its synthetic way, the
symbol of the riles of pas
sage. The boys whissing
around the corners, brakes
screeching and rubber burn
ing, war (in a wistful and
unsatisfying way) trying to
demonstrate their manhood.
As the anthropologist re
marked, a good deal of
what passes for "delin
quency" in contemporary
Editorial Comment
Here's How We Got So Pretty
A group of Medford citizens, known as the Medford
Capital Improvements Committee, visited Eugene recently
to see our civic center. They were impressed, both with
the center, and with the community effort that made it pos
sible. Around the state a number of citizens are trying to
set up a state-wide committee to encourage the beautifica
tion of cities. A landscape architect advised the group,
"Eugene is becoming such a good example of pride in civic
appearance, it would be interesting to know what has
brought it about."
People brought it about. Dedicated people who cared
kept the flame alive. The Century Fund and the Gateways
group never let the idea of civic beauty die. The big im
petus came when a group of architects organized themselves
as Architects Collaborative and presented their dream for
a civic center. It was a low-key presentation. They didn't
urge that old buildings be torn down and new ones estab
lished all at once. Their rule was, "When you have to re
build, rebuild here." The "here" was the general area of
today's civic center.
There was, of course, opposition. Some people are just
naturally aginers. The old arguments, ranging from social
ism to sentiment, were dredged up. Voters refused to put
the library in the civic center complex, where it ought to
be, and put it out on the edge of the business section in
stead. But the dreamers didn't give up.
The gloomy, stuify old courthouse came down. So did
that funny old jail. In their place arose the county's first
contributions to the civic center. Other units of govern
ment got the idea. The park blocks area, only recently an
area of scruffy back doors and unpainted buildings be
came something to be proud of. Businessmen began to
paint up and fix up.
Following the county's lead, the U.S. National Bank
had its new building built to blend in with the county
structures. A few more old piles were torn down, in the
case of the Hoffman Hotel, burned down. That part of town
looks 100 per cent better than it did 10 vears ago this
despite that awful sign on the otherwise beautiful Equitable
Building. There are indications that clashing decor is "out "
Presenting a good appearance has become the thing to do.
Take any neighborhood of run-down homes. Let one
family move in and start painting and cutting the grass.
Soon the people next door are shamed in to it. Then others
start, a blighted neighborhood becomes attractive and
charming. But thLs does take imagination and leadership.
Somebody has to be first. The imagination, in the case of
downtown, was furnished by Architects Collaborative, the
leadership by state and local government.
Not that we're done. The parking problem remains, and
it must be solved. However, the county has proved that
parking lots need not be ugly. With imagination Eurene
can ameliorate the parking problem and still make the
town look better.
Eugene businessmen have been most cooperative in
planting trees, in landscaping, in painting Thev like the
way the town looks, too. And they also know that if they
don't work hard to make downtown attractive, the drift to
the outlying business centers will be hastened, to their
own detriment and at the expense of those who will have
to pay for the shift in property valuation.
q Eugene Rfcfcter-Guard.
Bet
Term
is sure that France's nuclear
striking force is fully ready
for action.
It also is being suggested
that with the future of the)
Western Alliance, the Euro
pean Common Market and a
politically united Europe still
so uncertain, De Gaulle might
feel reluctant to give up.
Amid all this speculation,
no obvious successor yet has
appeared. De Gaulle, himself,
is said to favor Premier
Georges Pompidou, a 52-year-old
former house of Roths
child banker.
De Gaulle's first prima
minister, Michel Debre, is said
also to have presidential am
bitions. But De Gaulle, himself, may
have the final word after all
by deciding to be his own suc
cessor.
J. Harris
life is an ineffectual effort
to create soma rites of pass
age by the boys themselves.
Society sets no tasks for
them, so Ihey try to make
their own standards of vir
ility. But this does not, and
cannot, gratify them in any
deep, lasting and confirma
tory way. It does not re
ceive the approval of tha
"tribe," and, more impor
tant, it actually proves
nothing - for any idiot can
drive a car with reckless
abandon. In trying to prove
their manhood in this falsa
way. they actually become
more juvenile than ever in
the eyes of society.
The puberty rites and the
rites of passage that obtained
in less sophisticated societies
served a very real purpose,
both socially and psychologic
ally. The boys had something
to look forward to, and tha
tests were actually meaning
ful, for it took dexterity and
courage and endurance to
qualify. Most of all, it bound
the youths to the manhood
of the tribe.
Juvenile delinquency, in
various forms, ' is spreading
throughout the civilized world
- even in countries which had
no such phenomenon until ti e
present generation. There 3
a vast resentment and rebel
lion against the pannns nf Iho
adult world, and the teen-,
ager forms a sub-culture that
if often threatening to the '
continuity and stability of tlia
social order.
We are not tackling t h ia
nrnhlnm in anv cancilila iipsit.
indeed, we do not even un
derstand its dynamics. As
Paul Goodman points out, in.
his book, Growing Up Ab
surd." unless we give voun li
sters something meaningful
to do, they will find a mean-
inn in tMnlpnio ilcolf
t
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pt