Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 55, Number 80, Decatur, Adams County, 4 April 1957 — Page 1

Vol. LV. No. 80.

COURT HOUSE LAWN UTTERED

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A large limb fell from one of the huge maple trees in the court house lawn Wednesday night, Uttering the entire area with debris. First reports of ice damage came about 6 p. m„ and continued all evening. No accurate total of the damage will be available for several days, since all telephone lines \ are down in the area. ________ '

May Be Forced To End Saturday Mail Deliveries Summerfield Gives Warning After Cut In Appropriations Postmaster general Summerfield Wednesday told a House Appropri- , ations subcommittee that he will be forced this week to suspend Saturday mail deliveries unless assured Congress will give his department $47,000,000 dollars soon. Rep. Wilson (R-Ind.) said Summerfield told the committee in a closed-door hearing that operating expenses for the current fiscal year that ends June 30 had run heavier than expected. Wilson also quoted Summerfield as saying the department would be forced to postpcme leave of some employes and to w suspend many purchases of equipment that had been planned. After a four-hour session, the subcommittee voted to give the department $17,000,000, 30 million less than Summerfield requested. Rep. Gary (D-Va.l, head of the subcommittee, said this was the amount of money Summerfield was entitled to and that as far as he was concerned, the department would have to dig up the rest from other revenue sources. The appropriation must be approved by the full committee and both the House and Senate. The post office head and postal officials had no comment about the closed door session when they lets the meeting. In another development, William C. president of the National Association of Letter Carriers, called the threatened curtailment of mail service “a catastrophe.” In still another development, the National Association of Postal Supervisors called the subcommittee decision “the worst catastronhe to the postal service since the time of Benjamin Franklin." Doherty recalled that it was seven years ago that the post office department cut deliveries to homes from two-a-day to one-a-day. He added, “At that time I called it a rape of the mail service and I think I was right.” Summerfield had previously warned Congress that a cut made in the department appropriation for the doming fiscal vear will require suspension of Saturday deliveries beginning July 1 unless the House cut is reversed by the Senate. 4-H Dairy Banauet Scheduled April 12 The annual Adams county 4-H dairy banquet is planned for Friday evening, April 12, announces Roy Price, 4-H dairy calf committee chairman. The banquet will be held at the Decatur Youth and Community Center at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are available from 4-H dairy calf committee members, Harry Lehman, Ben Kerke, Boy Price, Ben Mazelin, Edison Lehman, P. B. Lehman, Eugene Sprunger. Otto Lehman, James Smith, Everett Rice, Fred Duff, Bverett Singleton, and Wilbur Kirchhofer, and the county extension office.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT

Safety Conference In City April 18 Industries Sponsor Safety Conference Announcement waS made today of an interesting conference on industrial safety, particularly electricity. which will be held in Decatur Thursday, April 18, at 4 p.m. Plans for the conference are being formulated by the Central Soya Co. and the General Electric Co. 1 plants in this city. • Principal speaker for the safety • conference will be S.J. Douglas, • of Vincennes, electrical inspector ‘ for the bureau of mines. United • States department of interior. Special invitations are being ex- - tended to members of the industri- > al division of the Chamber of ComI merce, Decatur retailers, and to 1 science students in the schools. I These letters are being prepared > by Fred Kolter, executive secretary • of the Chamber of Commerce. > Persons interested in attending ; this conference are asked to cons tact Art Burris, Central Soya, or . J.J. Baker. General Electric, re- > garding attendance at the discusj sion. ( Douglas was one of the speakers at the 14th annual Northeastern ’ Indiana safety conference and ex- ‘ position, held at Fort Wayne last ' month. i ———————— t Curtis Miller Dies > Early This Morning ‘ Long Illness Fatal To Retired Farmer j Curtis L. Miller. 66, a retired farmer, died at 6:45 o’clock this , morning at his home, 725 Mercer ' avenue, following an illness of five years. He was born in Union township , March 11. 1891, a son of Mr., and ' Mrs. Charles C. Miller, and was , married to Phoebe Hart Sept. 8, ; 1915. > Mr. Miller spent his entire life in j Union township until moving to Surviving in addition to his wife , are three sons, Charles W. Miller . of Union township, Laun R. Miller , of Decatur, and Wendell Miller of Indianapolis; three daughters. Mrs. r Deloris Burley of Convoy, 0.. Mrs. Marcella Bryan of Fort Wayne, and Mrs. Winona Light of Decatur, and ’ 17 grandchildren. Two brothers • and one sister preceded him in i death.' Funeral services will be conduc- . ted at 2 p.m. Sunday at the Zwick i funeral home, the Rev. George . Yarian officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetary. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. Friday until time of the services. ISOLATED As the result of Wednesday’s severe ice storm, [ which disrupted practically i .’all telephone communica* • tions between Decatur and the outside world, the Decatur Daily Democrat has I* received no United Press . news service today. Consequently, no state, nation--1 al or world news is available for our readers. It is i hoped to have wire service restored Friday. •

South Part Os County Is Hit Hard By Storm Damage Greater At * Berne And Geneva . Than In Decatur The south part of the county was hit hard by last night’s storm. Damage was greater there than in the Decatur area. The communities of Berne and Geneva were littered with branches and twigs off trees, and power lines were down all over southern Adams county. Electrical service was restored to Geneva at 10 a. m. today after the community was completely blacked out most of the night. Berne was also suffering from power failure and sections of that community were still without power at noon today. The Smith and Dunbar furniture factories there were not operating today although the Berne Furniture factory was able to resume manufacturing operations this morning. Several high voltage wires were reported down throughout Berne and Geneva but no bad fires or injuries were caused by the hazardous wires. Apparently there was no one injured by falling limbs. The situation in the south part of the couhty was made worse by heavy rains which have flooded streets and caused creeks to swell over their banks. Many county roads are impassable because of high water and county highway crews will be kept busy during the next few days repairing washouts after the water recedes. Highways leading out of Berne and Geneva are lined with broken utility poles and drooping wires. (OoatinuM ot> •**<• KgM) Clearing Streets And Sidewalks Os Trees The city street department is still working clearing the city streets and sidewalks of fallen trees and limbs, Bernard Clark, superintendent of the street department, said this morning. No attempt is being made now to clear yards; that will be completed after the streets and sidewalks are safe, Clark emphasized. City employes worked most of the night on the work. Work Os Students At South Bend Exhibit Decatur high school mechanical drawing students who entered exhibits of their work at the Purdue extension building last week, have sent all 35 drawings on to the South Bend exhibit for today and Friday, it was learned today. The Fort Wayne exhibit and also the South Bend show are sponsored by the Indiana industrial education association and the local exhibit arrangement was prepared by,the local students under supervision of their instructor, Amos Ketchum. Three boards, each containing 15 projects, are included in the Decatur exhibit and the entire display was selected from 11 northeastern Indiana counties to be sent to the state exhibit starting today in South Bend. The projects are all products of the Decatur high school work-shop. ,

ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Decatur, Indiana, Thu rsday, April 4, 1957.

Spring fce Storm Hits Decatur Area--Phone And Power Service Cut

- 1 — Adams County Is Host Today To 4-H Leaders Junior Leaders And Adult Advisers In Conference Today Adams county was host to 150 4-H junior leaders and their adult advisors from six counties today at the Decatur Youth and Community Center for the 1957 district junior leader training conference. Leo N. Seltenright, local county agent, was host for the event, one 1 of 13 such conferences held throughout the.state this spring. Five state staff members were present for the conference. The representatives from Adams, Allen, Huntington, Wabash, Wells and Whitley counties registered between 9 and 9:30 o’clock this morning under the direction of Mrs. Arthur Koeneman and Mrs. Ed Gerbers, of the county Farm Bureau' women’s division. .. Dick Tomkinson, state 4-H tedder, opened the meeting with group singing and participation games. Mrs. Arthur Koeneman, county Farm Bureau women’s leader, welcomed the youths and their leaders, and introduction and an--nouncements were made by agent Seltenright. At 10 o’clock, Eric Holm and Tomkinson passed out special copies of the state 4-H magazine, and showed the junior leaders the important articles about club meetings, fete. A special session was held for recreation leaders from 10 o’clock until 11:40 a.m. Each boy and girl was tagged with a White, yellow or green name tag«s he arrived, and the group divided into Six groups to discuss “The Key is in Your Hand,” “What Junior Leaders are Doing/’ and "The Whys and Hows of Judging.” Lunch for the large group was served at noon, with junior leaders presiding and heading the others in singing. A short speech followed the dinner. During the afternoon session, instruction in games, entitled “Fun for Everyone,” took place. It was followed by a pep talk, “Let’s Go In—’s7.” Special sessions were held for the adult leaders so that they will be up to date in knowing what is going on in 4-H and junior leader work throughout the state. The 4-H theme for 1957, "ImFort Wttyne Man Is Convicted By Jury William Files, 34, of Fort Wayne, was found guilty of manslaughter Wednesday night in connection with the strangulation death of his wife, Lula, 30, last Sept. 9. Files was found guilty by a jury in Allen circuit court after eight and one-half hours of deliberation. He was immediately sentenced by Judge. William H. Schannen to serve from 2 to 21 years at the Indiana state prison.

Lenten Meditation (By Rev. Ray J. Walther, First Presbyterian Church) “AS IF” “ .... if thou seek him, he will be found of thee." 1 Chronicles 28:9 David's words to Solomon are interesting—for David is telling this to the wisest of men, “if thou seek him, he will be found of thee.” Yet David had learned by experience what even the wise Solomon had to learn for himself. What parent doesn’t hope to guide his or her child around life's pitfalls? Yet what child is willing to accept our “faith” without first delving into life to prove its meaning for himself? -* Live as if Christ lives and Christ will be “alive" in you. Men have proven this But have you? Have you sought out God in your life and has He been found of thee? The Lenten Season is a good time to start. And your own life is a good place to start. Redirect your own seeking and maybe your findings will bring you peace and satisfaction. Perhaps you can remember your Mother's words of wisdom. Have you heeded them? Have you succeeded in disproving them? Why not tjy them? “If you seek him, he will be found of thee.”

Lenten Meditation (By Rev. Ray J. Walther, First Presbyterian Church) “AS IF” “ .... if thou seek him, he will be found of thee." 1 Chronicles 28:9 David's words to Solomon are interesting—for David is telling this to the wisest of men, “if thou seek him, he will be found of thee.” Yet David had learned by experience what even the wise Solomon had to learn for himself. What parent doesn’t hope to guide his or her child around life's pitfalls? Yet what child is willing to accept our “faith” without first delving into life to prove its meaning for himself? Live as if Christ lives and Christ will be “alive" in you. Men have proven this But have you? Have you sought out God in your life and has He been found of thee? The Lenten Season is a good time to start. And your own life is a good place to start. Redirect your own seeking and maybe your findings will bring you peace and satisfaction. Perhaps you can remember your Mother's words of wisdom. Have you heeded them? Have you succeeded in disproving them? Why not tfy them? “If you seek him, he will be found of thee.”

Marriage Laws In Stale Are Revised Common Law Ties Illegal In State INDIANAPOLIS (UP) — Members of the 1957 Indiana Legislature, almost all of them married, had much to say about the way Hoosiers will enter the state of matrimony from now on. Some of the handful of new laws on marriage put restrictions on matrimony. Others make it easier for certain groups. It will be tougher to at least one extent—marriage starting next Jan. 1 will require a license and a ceremony. The common law marriage will no longer be • legal. Sen. Robert Brokenburr (R-In-dianapolis), author of the bill outlawing common law marriages, said “moral considerations” had nothing to do with the bill. He said too many persons entering a common law marriage believe it is "of a lower status than a statutory marriage” and figure they aren't subject to the legal restrictions. Dodge Obligations Too persons, Brokenburr said, dodge the obligations of a pre-marital blood test and other matters like the care of children and questions of inheritance with the excuse: “I’m just common law married.” , , Brokenburr said outlawing common law marriages entirely would make it impossible for a couple to be married legally without a blood test. "I think that one reason alone justifies the law,” he said. Then, too, some persons married without ceremony feel they don’t need a divorce to sever the tie. Brokenburr told fellow senators of one man who entered into five common law marriages, had children by all five wives, and never once got a divorce. However, in the eyes of the new law, all children born to common law marriages before Jan. 1 will be legitimate. Brokenburr assured senators any common law arrangement prior to that time would be, too. Hits Quick Marriages Another new law is a blow at “quickie marriages.”/ It requires a three-day waiting period from the time of application for the license until the license can be issued. Previously, the only waiting period was the time needed for the blood test. This law, effective the first of 1958, also requires couples to get their licenses in the county where one or both live, or where the ceremony is to take place. Boys still must be 18 and girls 16 to be married in Indiana. But another new law makes an exception: They can be younger if the girl is pregnant and if they and the parents consent. This takes effect next July 1. Another law makes it illegal for persons of unsound mind or who are diseased to marry. But the assembly amended it not to include epileptics. Still another new law makes the father of an illegitimate child liable to contempt of court if he ignores a court order to provide support.

Msgr. Seimetz Named Head Os New Deanery St Mary's Pastor t Appointed Head Os Huntington Deanery ! The Very Rev. Msgr. Joseph J. Seimetz, pastor of the St. Mary’s t Catholic church here, was named : dean of the newly established > Huntington deanery, which will ini elude Adams, Wells, Huntington, > Wabash, and Whitley counties. The new deanery, formerly part • of the Fort Wayne deanery of the ■ Fort Wayne diocese, will be effec- . tive May L Bishop Leo A. Pursley I said. It will include the following ten parishes: St. Joseph, Bluffton; • St. Paul of the Cross, Columbia ■ City; St. Mary’s, Decatur; St. ’ Mary of the Presentation, Geneva; • St. Mary’s and SS. Peter and Paul, ! Huntington; St, Patrick, Largo; St. Catherine, Nix Settlement: St. , Joseph, Roanoke, and St. Bernard, . Wabash. r The new deanery will be one of j four similar subdivisions of the j diocese.' There will be two urban (Fort Wayne and South Bend) . deaneries, and two rural (Huntington and Elkhart) deaneries. - * Msgr. Seimetz. who has been 1 pastor of St. Mary’s here since • 1933, directed completion of the i new church here three years ago. The project required two years to : complete, and is regarded as one of the outstanding churches in the ■ area. ' A native of Michigan City, Msgr. ! Seimetz attended St. Mary’s school there, St. Joseph at Rensselaer, 1 and Mt. St. Mary’s seminary in ‘ Cincinnati. He was ordained June 17, 1911 by Bishop Herman J. Alerding in . Fort Wayne, after which he served as assistant pastor of St. Joseph church, Logansport, until Oct. 28, 1920, when he was named pastor of St. Patrick church, Chesterton. He was appointed to the Decatur pastorate Jan. 27, 1933. Investiture as a papal chamberlain. with title of Very Rev. Msgr., was Sept. 20,1945. Wilson Reed Dies After Long Illness Funeral Services Saturday Afternoon Wilson Reed, 72, a resident of the Decatur community most of his life, died at 3:30 o’clock Wednesday afternoon at his home, 116 North Fifteenth street, following an illness of several months. He was bom in Van Wert county, 0., April 6, 1884, a son of George and Elizabeth HainesReed, and was married to Mabie McQueen Dec. 20, 1906. Mr. Reed, a carpenter, and his wife celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary last December. Surviving in addition to his wife are two sons, Kenneth Reed of Washington township, Orval Reed of Decatur; three daughters, Mrs. Alton Andrews of Washion township, Mrs. Lloyd Kirchner of Root township, and Mrs. Lester Bueker of near Roanoke; 13 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Five sisters and one brother preceded him in death. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Zwick funeral home, the Rev. John E. Chambers officiating. Burial will be in the Decatur cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 o’clock this evening until time of the services. INDIANA WEATHER Continued cool with possible rain tonight Friday mostly cloudy and cool with occasional rain showers. Low tonight 33. High Friday 50. / 12 Pages

Heads Deanery /'/■•.I1 ■ ■ Msgr. J. J. Seimeta Denial Clinic Held Here On Wednesday Clinic Sponsored By r Tri Kappa Sorority 5 Children in the kindergarten and ‘ the first six grades of Decatur’s 1 four elementary schools received] * dental examinations Wednesday during the 17th annual Tri-Kappa 1 dental clinic, * Local dentists who donated their ' time to make'the free examlna- ’ tions were Dr. Harold DeVor, Dr. ’ Joe Morris, Dr. John Spaulding , and Dr. Ray Stingely. The dentists found a high rate of decay in the teeth of local chflI dren yesterday. The parents of each child examined will be noti- ’ fied as to whether or not the child needs dental care. The only children not examined yesterday were pupils in the Northwest elementary morning kindergarten. They are to be Examined next Monday. Mrs. Calvin Burnett was generar chairman of arrangements for the clinic this year. She was assisted by Mrs. Guy Koos, Mrs. James Kocher, Jr., Mrs. William Christen, Mrs. Kenneth McConnell, Mrs. Roger Singleton, Mrs. Robert Aschliman, Mrs. Robert MutSchler, Mrs. Harold August and Mrs. Kenneth Gaunt. Mrs. Koos will be chairman of a committee which will operate early this summer to offer financial assistance to those families who cannot afford adequate dental care for the children. Darr Funeral Rites Saturday Afternoon Funeral services for Mrs. Elizabeth Darr, who died Wednesday at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Roy Stewart, will be held at 2 o’clock Saturday afternoon at the Zimmerman Bros, funeral home at Rochester. The Rev. Benj G. Thomas, pastor of the Bethany Evangelical United Brethren church in this city, will officiate. Friends may call at the funeral home until time of the services. Some Os County's Schools Closed By Failure Os Power Many Adams county school students and teachers received an unexpected holiday- from classes today because of power failures all over the county. Jefferson, Geneva and Adams Central schools were known to be closed, and it was believed that Pleasant Mills and Hartford schools were also closed although the lack of communication made it impossible to get reports from these two schools. Telephone lines were also down between Decatur and Monmouth but it was believed that the school was open, since it was reported that the Monmouth buses were running this morning. . The Decatur and Berne schools were able to open since power service in the two cities had been largely restored by this morning.

City Isolated As All Os Toll Lines Are Out Berne Area Worst Hit As Ice Storm Strikes Last Night An early spring Ice storm Wednesday night and this morning left most of Adams county without telephone service, apd many areas have no electric service; however, no personal injuries were reported at a late hour today.. Wofst hit were the county’s telephone lines. Charles E. Ehinger, president of the Citizens Telephone company, reported that more than 200 poles were already reported down in the county. Most serious damage was done in the Berne area, effecting service in Wabash and Jefferson townships. All long distance telephone lines, except that to Wren, 0., were still out at noon today. Telephone communication with Fort Wayne is expected |o be resumed some time tomorrow. Nineteen poles are out on the line north of Poe. It will be two days before all I storm damage is reported, Ehinger stressed, and he said that prompt reporting of damaged lines will greatly facilitate repairs. South of Berne cm the tile mill road there are '3% mites of total. pole loss, with all the lines tangled and iced. Lines to Monroe and Pleasant Mills are also down. Geneva appeared to be the worst hit, Isolated by telephone, and with a complete power failure from the Indiana-Michigan lines. Unscrambling of wire, and putting it back up will be the major telephone problem, besides resetting many poles, Ehinger explained. Meanwhile, the Decatur police and sheriff’s office maintained emergency radio contact with other Indiana cities. Several death messages were forwarded by the police. Portland’s radio net was out of order briefly last night, but all other radios in the area were reported working. The sheriff’s office reported a busy night, unscrambling road troubles and power wires across the highways. For a short while, U. 3. highway 27 was blocked in Geneva Wednesday night as several power poles fell across the road. Several cars slid off the road about 6:30 p.m. and shortly there- ’ after, but no damage was reported. The sheriff’s telephone was out (Ceatlaaad P««e Five) Power Off During Hospital Surgery Power Is Off Three Times During Night The lights went out at the Adams county memorial hospital early this morning during an emergency appendectomy. A powerful surgical lamp, operated on battery, was put into use, enabling the surgeon to continue the operation. Thurman Drew, hospital administrator, stated today that the power was cut off three times after midnight. During this time, three babies were delivered and the emergency operation was successfuly performed. He stated that, fortunately, the hospital had nd patients in oxygen tents, which are power operated. If any patient had been in an axygen tent, it would have been necessary to administer the oxygen through an emergency mask unit. The local hospital, unlike many hospitals, has jio emergency generating unit, although plans are included in the, expansion program for installing a gasoline driven generation system which will provide power in the event of an emergency. Drew said that today everything was in operating condition at the hospital. He stated that the orly tree brought down by last night’s wind and ice was a red cedar which would have been removed anyway for hospital expansion.

Six Cents