Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 57, Number 196, Decatur, Adams County, 20 August 1959 — Page 1

VOL. LVII. No. 1%

Decatur’s Bond Debt $1,598,000

Three Area Motorists Killed In Headon Allen County Crash

A “one-eyed" ear may have been partly responsible for the head-on crack-up of two ' cars late last night about six miles east of New Haven on Indiana highway 14 as three Monroevflle area motorists were killed in a flaming wreckage. Dead are: John Lorgie, 17, of route 1, Monroeville, driver of one car; Willis Gallmeyer, 21, of 1105 Elm street, New Haven, driver of the other car, and Richard Schilbey, 34, of Payne, O. State police said that both cars were crowding the center line, dividing the east and westbcftind lanes of the highway. State police reported that a state trooper had halted the Lorgie youth about 20 minutes previous to the terrific collision, in which all three occupants were crushed to death in flaming wreckage, and issued a warning ticket for driving with one headlight out of operation. The trooper handed the ticket to John Lorgie about seven miles down the highway from where the impact ocurred. t The Gallmeyer car, which burst into flames after the accident when a gas line leak ignited, heated to a red glow by the fire. The wreckage had to be cooled before the bodies of Gallmeyer and Schibley could be removed. From the position of the cars, Allan county sheriff Custer Dunifon said that the Lorgie machine was eastbound and the Gallmeyer car was traveling west. Both vehicles bounced to the opposite sides of the road after the head-on crash. The accident occurred at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday night. No funeral arrangements were available at 1 p.m. this afternoon. No Trouble As Mixed Schools LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (UPD, - The Little Rock school board meets today on the question of transfers for 70 students who are dissatisfied with their high schools under integration. At its meeting, the board will set dates for hearings at which the students—including 19 Negroes —will give their reasons for wanting to move to another school. After the hearings, the board will decide whether dissatisfied students attending integrated schools will be allowed to switch to segregated schools, and Negroes going to Negro schools will be permitted to transfer to integrated schools.

Four Changes Made In Monmouth Staff

Four changes have been made in the teaching staff and one change in the office staff of Monmouth school for the 1959-60 school year, trustee Omer Merriman has announced. Charles A. Rix will be the new principal, replacing Loren Jones, who has resigned to become principal at Leo school. Donald E. Elder is the new high school coach, taking over his duties from Harold (Buzz) Clinkenbeard. His wife, .Mrs. Virginia Elder, will teach first grade at Monmouth, replacing Mrs. Raymond Eichenauer, who will teach ih Decatur for the coming year. Mrs. Veronica Linn, of Decatur, is die new art and English teacher and will also be school librarian. Mrs. Linn, who has had eight years’ teaching experience, and recently has worked tor the county welfare office, succeeds Mrs. Charlott Bergdall in the art department. Mrs. Bergdall is continuing her schooling, and has attended St. Francis college this summer. The new school clerk is Mrs. Roger Ripley, of route three. Mrs. Ripley succeeds Mrs. Karen Schaefer. New Principal from Michigan The new principal comes from Reading,' Mich., where he taught school for the past seven years. Prior fi> that, he taught for three years in the Mudge school, in Michigan. He is an Air Force veteran, having served four and onehalf years. He received his bachelor of arts degree from Houghton college in New York, and is now

DECATUR DAIET DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IM ADQtSCOUNTY _____ -

Berne Funeral For Carl A. Sorgen # - • Services will be conducted at 3 p.m. Friday in the Yager funeral home, Berne, for Carl Chalmer Sorgen, 71, who died Wednesday at the Adams county memorial hospital. Mr. Sorgen died about 11:18 a.m. at the local hospital, where he had been a patient since Monday afternoon. He had suffered a heart attack Saturday and had been in critical condition since. A native of Hardin county, 0., in 1938, from Monroeville. Survivhe had moved to Monroe township ing are the wife, Firsta, a son, two daughters, two brothers, two sisters, and four grandchildren. Hie Rev. Gordon Neuenschwander will officiate at the services, and burial will be in the MRE cemetary. Friends may call at the Yager funeral home. Four Local Teenagers Injured in Wreck Four local teenagers were injured slightly in a one-car mishap las night at 11:45 p.m. about 2 miles east of Decatur on US. 224, causing extensive damage to the automobile when it struck a cement culbert. David A. Hartmen, 18, of route 4, Bluffton, the driver of the car remained in Adams county memorial hospital for observation of a sprained neck, abrasions, and contussions. The three passengers were released early this morning after treatment for minor burises and contussions. Susen Longsworth, 15, of route 4, Decatur; he brother, Joe Longsworth, 17, the same address, and Barbara, Bleeke, 18, of route 5, Decatur. Deputy sheriff Robert E. Meyer investigated the mishap and drove the three youths home after treatment at the hospital. He said that the occupants thought that a left tire had blown pulling the eastbound auto across the westbound lane of traffic into the culvert. Investigation proved that the tire had not blown out. Miss Longsworth was thrown from the car after the impact with the Culvert, but sustained only minor scrapes and scratches.

working o* his master’s degree in supervision and administration from Central Michigan University. Rix, his wife and two-year-old daughter moved to Decatur last week. Elder is a native of Union City, 0., where he graduated from the local high school. He is a graduate of Ball State Teachers’ college, where he lettered in golf.He coached all sports at Madison township in Jay county for the past three years, with nearly a .500 basketball average in the 100pupil school. His wife, Virginia, will teach the first grade at Monmouth. She taught school at Portland four years before becoming a substitute teacher in Geneva this past school year. Mr. and Mrs. Elder and their two boys moved last week to a home near Decatur south on road 2?» High School Staff Listed Members of the high school staff who are returning are Mrs. Agnes Yagdr, typing and commerce; Mrs. Paul Herderhorst, home economics; Mrs. Hugh Andrews, English; Mrs. Martha Kleinhenz, physical education and commerce; John F. Rosier, social studies; Darrell L. Gerig, music; Brice B. Smith, science and mathematics; Jim Arnold, industrial arts; James E. Woolsey, art, science, and agriculture. In the elementary grades, these teachers will make up the staff: Earl Dawaid, fifth and sixth"; Mrs. Mary Dean Myer, fourth; Mrs. Vera Harris and Mrs. Justine Cole, second and third; and Mrs. Donald Elder, first.

Elks New Building Under Construction - Construction of the new Elks lodge home on north Second street is progressing according to schedule, a work report from Bernard Hain and George Laurent, cochairmen of the building committee, shows. The foundations have been completed with the floors slated to be installed later this week on the 50x120 ft. building. The plumbing, heating, and electrical wiring are presently being installed within the structure, while the structural steel will be delivered and erected next week. Masonry work will start within two weeks on the 865,000, new building with Indiana Limestone being used as the finish for the exterior of the building. The building is being constructed immediately to the east of the old structure, which had its entire third floor gutted by fire a few years ago. Working on the project are: the Yost Construction Co. as general constractors; Haugk Heating and Appliances as the plumbing, heating and ventilation contractors: Kiess Electric as the electrical contractors. The building will also include a 24x48 ft. basement, which will serve as a multi-purpose room for the local Elks. LeoJ. Kahn, 86 Dies Wendesday Leo J. Kahn, 86, of Dulltown, 0., and father of George Kahn of this city, died Wednesday noon at 12:50 p.m. at the home of his daughter, Ms?. Dewey Shaffer, in New Corydon. Death from complications followed a 10 month illness. Born November 11, 1872, in Murray, Wells county, he was the son of Myer and Christine Gilbert Kahn. He was married to his wife, Dora, November 21, 1912. She survives. In addition to the widow, son, and daughter, a son William Kahn, New Corydon, survives. Four sons, one brother, and one sister are deceased. Mrs. Emma Clark, of Bluffton, a sister, and six grandchildren are also living. Funeral services will be held Friday at 2 p.m. at the Gillig and Doan funeral chapel, the Rev. Gerald Gerig officiating. Burial will be in St. Paul cemetery, Murray. The body was taken to the Gillig and Doan funeral home and friends may call after 2 p.m. today until the time of the funeral. Denver Woman Swallows Mouse DENVER (UPD — A Denver woman who swallowed a live mouse last Friday said today she never would have gone to the hospital if she had known it would have caused so much “commotion." Mrs. Florence Hill said she has been deluged with telephone calls and stacks of mail from all over the country, most of it wanting to know if the story were actually true. “If I were a young person, it might be different,” she said indignantly, “but a woman 67 years old isn’t going to be telling lies like this." “I would have been a little more strategic if I had wanted to stir up all the publicity I have been given.” The “publicity” started the day after her pet dog. Boots, awakened her from her sleep with his growling. She looked up and saw a 2-inch mouse jumping around near her bed. She said it was standing on top of her clock. She opened her mouth to scream and the mouse jumped in and wriggled its way down her throat. The next day one of her friends persuaded her to go to Denver General Hospita 1.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, August 20, 1959

■■ m ~ t 11 1 1 yl||ilßPK' Lji Lj Q|’I J.M f ■’s* i>. > wrw /. flf ' jflO' ‘ 1 fl ATTACKED WITH ACID—Rep. Frank Thompson (D-N. J.) points to the spot on his arm where a stranger squirted him with an acid-like fluid. His assailant leaned out of a truck parked next to him at a light and squirted the fluid from a syringe. Thompson, a key congressional figure in drafting labor reform legislation, brushed on the incident as the “work of a crank.”

Warm and Humid Until Sunday Quite warm and humid, the weather forecast said for Indiana. The forecast was for today. And for tonight. And Friday. And Saturday. As far ahead as the forecasters copld look, they saw no change in the situation, an abnormally warm wave of weather which War prevailed for days and promises to stretch well into next week with a warm moist air mass from the gulf coming out of the Southwest to keep cool Canadian air from filtering into the area. Temperatures ranged at high points Wednesday from 88 at Lafayette to 95 in the Louisville

School Reorganization Discussed Last Night

Dr. Merle Strahm, of the Ball State Teachers college department of Education, met with a large group of township trustees, advissory board members, school board members and school administrators from Adams county last night to explain the new school district reorganization law. The meeting was held in the cafeteria of the Adams Central school at Monroe. Gail Grabill, county superintendent of schols, moderated the meeting and introduced Dr. Strahm. The speaker started out by giving a brief history of the Indiana school system. He pointed out the various changes made, and emphasized that no fundamental changes in the laws regarding school districts or school administration have been made since 1859. Strahm also pointed out that the new reorganization law was not something dreamed up in Indiana. This same basic law was first, adopted by the state of Washington in 1945, and Indiana is the 17th state to use it. The fine points of the law might be changed as the needs vary from state to state, but the fundamental law has remained the same. Not Local Problem It was also noted that reorganization of school districts is not a local problem. It has, and will be, a nationwide problem, solved to the satisfaction of each state as interested lay people, educators and legislators work together to achieve better education and a more practical use of the tax dollar. The new law provides: 1. More equalized educational opportunities for students in public schools; 2. Greater equality in school tax rates; 3. Provide more efficient use of public funds. To show the need for this law, Strahm noted that some small schools, that offer an inadequate curricula, receive 90% of their total revenue from the state. The new law calls for the creation of a state commission, which has already been formed by the governor. It is the job of this commission to set up procedures and guides for the county committees, and to establish basic standards

i area, with upstate South Bend’s 90 again topping downstate Evansville’s 89. The night was one of the hottest of the season with all stations recording 70 or warmer. Lafayette got the 70, Indianapolis, Fort Wayne and Evansville 71, the Cincinnati area 72 and South Bend and the -Louisville area 73. Today’s highs will range from 88 to 92 in the north to the mid tls in the south, tonight's lows ' from the low to mid 70s, and Friday’s highs from the low to mid p The outlook for Saturday was . warm and humid.” Generally fair sides were due ‘ through Friday with partly cloudy . conditions developing Saturday. . But little rain was expected, although there was a chance of a . few isolated thundershowers in . afternoons or evenings each day , the rest of the week.

1 ‘ t for the requirements of a practi- ! cal school district. The state com- ■ mission must also report from 1 time to time to the state legisla- ’ ture, and screen all the reports 1 from the county committees. Big Job Ahead ’ The county committees have a mountainous task. They must sur- ' vey, sift, poll and review the en- ’ tire county, and then put their facts together and make the rec- , ommendations for the new school ’ districts. Township and county J lines no longer mean anything. Any area that looks like a natural [ school district can be formed r through county committees from ’ two or more counties working together. Also, established schools ; play no importance in the new set- ’ up, other than making the best use possible of existing buildings in ' the newly defined districts. After the county committee submits its findings, the state may ac- ! cept or reject them for further study. After they are accepted by the state, the residents of the dis- ■ trict may approve them by petitions signed by at least 55% of the residents, or may vote on them at a time set by the county committee. If other states can be used as 1 a guide, any recommendations that ’ the state commission feels are ’ proper will eventually be put into ’ effect, either through immediate ! acceptance by the residents or fu- ’ ture pressure by the state. 1 Well Thought Out The thought and study behind the whole reorganization issue was : emphasized by Dr. Strahm when ’ he pointed out some interesting facts behind the defeated law to [ refuse funds to any high school t with an enrollment of less than : 120. This measure was introduced • merely to point up the need of r some sort of action, with no J thought of its passage by the 1959 > legislature. The law did pass the House, and almost passed the Sen- - ate before being shelved. i It was the general consensus ! that reorganization in Indiana is - here, and that all present would 1 feel an obligation to inform as , many people as they could about ; it.

Utility Reports Show Interest Payment High

The Decatur electric utility shows a profit of $16,294.68 for the i first six months, but bills totalling almost $70,000 for the cost of repairing the" steam.and diesel generators, and the first power elec- : tion and related charges, are still unpaid. The cost of repairs to the steam plant, $43,694.50, will not be ; paid until the amount due f’-om the insurance companies is ascertained. It is hoped that insurance will ; cover at least 50% of the cost, j A bill of $17,000 from the Baldwin- | Lima-Hamilton for diesel repairs < has been deferred until it is made , certain that company engineering i was not responsible for the last breakdown. Election charges, cost , of the suit against the city by coun- , ty clerk Richard Lewton, and the . printing of the ballots, cost the ] electric department $8,700.75. , Book Value Explained According to the accounting balance sheet, the utility plant in service is valued at $4,018,362.83. This figure includes every amount ever spent on the electric utility. The book depreciation, a book figure based on percentage which is set by law and by the local utility, shows that this has depreciated $1,423,978.74, plus $830.96 for uncollectible accounts. Rural line payments during the past few years have amounted to $23,263.59. Accounts payable are $92,642.58; deposits by customers, $18,579.64; interest accrued, $7,096.89. On June 30 there were $685,000 in outstanding bonds but this ; has reduced $16,000 on July 1. Funds on Hand I There was $28,500.94 in the sinki ing hind to pay the . inter’st and principal of the diesel plant debt ! of $685,000 on June 30. Also, there r was $275.620 93 in the cash depreciation fund. There was $77,952.52 in the cash fund; $18,622.64 in the ' consumers deposit fund, S3OO in ‘ petty cash; $67,597.92 in accounts receivable from customers; $28.64 in interest receivable; $86,156.43 in material and supplies: $6,317.09 in prepaid insurance; $346.49 in other current and accrued assets. This makes the earned surplus as of June 30, $2,380,809.28. The latter figure is the total amount received as profit by light company in its lifetime. Operating revenue for the first ■ half of the year was up 4.3%, to $417 774.17. Operating costs were up 1/9%, to $389,256.65. Operating ■ income was $28,517.52, up 52.7%. Gross profit for six months was $28,900.25, up 50.5%. Interest on the diesel olant debt was $7,621.89, and $4,983.68 in street lighting was do- . nated. lowering the net profit for . six months to $16,294.68. This is up 160.6% over last year, but the repair bills of $60,000-$70,000 have not yet been paid. Electricity Used A total of 12,390,400 KWH was purchased during the six-month period, which is up 41.1% more than last year. The cost of purchased electricity is up only 37% over last year. Steam generating expenses are down 25.1%, and 37.4% less power was stearri-gen-erated. Diesel expense was up 37.2%, and production was up 245.3%; this was because of the use of the diesel while the steam plant was out of operation, mostly during the April-June quarter. Total amount generated by diesel was 1,906,000 KWH, and 1,324.000 of this was in the past quarter. The total steam KWH generated was 7,950,000. Coal cost $7.21 a ton, and it took 2.218 pounds of coal to generate 1 KWH. Oil cost $.107 a gallon, and 12.492 KWH was generated per gallon. KWH losses in transmission amounted to 7.84%, up 3.7% over last year.| Air Force School At Indiana U. BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (UPD— The U.S. Air Force foreign language school .at Indiana University officially was underway today with the first group of specially selected airmen studying Hungar- , ian and Albanian. Future groups, which will arrive tor the nine-month course each month, will study Russian. The school, designed to accommodate nearly 300 airmen, held its first day of classes Wednesday after weathering the objections of Calii fornia members of Congress who wanted the school located in their West Coast state.

The cost of interest on the $925,-1 000 debt on the sewage disposal plant exceeds the cost of operating the plant, figures for the fir»* six months of operation this year show. The report shows that during the June quarter $20,645.12 was collected, making a total of $-40,538.26 for the first six months. Operating costs were $7,674.15 for the quarter and $16,873.73 for the half-year period. Interest on the debt during the periods was $11,409.36 and $22,818.78 -Jtspectively. A profit of $1,561.61 was shown for the quarter, and $845.75 for the first six months. The balance sheet for the sewage disposal operation shows that the plant in service is valued at $1,429.92; this is the part actually paid for. Work in progress is list-■ ed at $1,019,149.03. This is yet to be paid. A cash sinking fund, for the payment of the interest on the debt, contains $27,704.39. The cash depreciation fund is $5,000. Cash c.n hand, $7,705.90; cash, construction fund, $148,436.54; accounts receivable, $7,516.18; prepaid insurance, $776.71. This gives a total of sl,217,718.67 in book assets. Debt, the $925,000 bond issue is outstanding; also, $5,448.82 in accounts payable; $23,087.51 >n accrued interest; these last two make an earned surplus of $13,336.59 as of January 1. There is also a donated surplus of $250,000, received from the federal government towards the payment of the costs of building. A profit of $845.75 for the half-year brings the total surplus to $264,182.34 as of June 30. Complaints Filed I Against Ohio Outfit Die Winston Construction Co., an Ohio corporation, temporarily located on 13th street near the Erie railroad crossing has received four writs of attachments yesterday in Adams circuit court on separate complaints on account. Clyde E. Butler, D.8.A., of Butler’s Garage filed a complaint and writ of attachment, charging the Ohio firm with an indebtedness of $212.54. A second plaintiff, filing a separate complaint and writ of attachment, Don Forst, D.8.A., of the Decatur Auto Supply, charges the firm With an indebtedness of $163.56. The third complaint was entered and filed by the Citizens Telephone Co., who filed a bill of $377.81 with its complaint. The fourth plaintiff was Bowers Hardware, who charged the Winston Co. of owing $410.92. Definite action on the complaints is pending.

Edsel Reed Injured ByFlorinationFumes

A local resident, Edsel Reed, 33. of 716 Indiana street, reported this morning that he and the six other workers, who were overcome by florination fumes Wednesday at the Fort Wayne Zollner Piston Co. plant, are in good condition. Reed explained that after spending about an hour and a half in the Fort Wayne Lutheran hospital, all the workers were released after treatment. Valve Loose A safety valve on a florination tank became loosfc, causing fumes to escape. The seven were overcome when they carried the tank from the plant out into the open air. Two of the men, Don Beery and Al Harmon, both of Fort Wayne, were burned slightly by coming in contact with the gas. Neither is in serious condition. Reed said that the entire plant was released for about two hours while the interior was fumigated. Fort Wayne fireman and police assisted plant personnel in handling the leaky tank. Firemen dumped the tank in the St. Mary’s river later that afternoon. Rushed To Hospital A police ambulance took the injured men to the hospital. Company officials supplied the ISO workers with box lunches, because

Six Cents

The Decatur water department reported a net profit of $21,008.10 for the first six months, Ed Kauffman, city auditor, stated today. The balance sheet for the first six months, ending June 30, shows that the utility plant in service is valued at $683,215.26. The cash bond and redemption fund contains $9 343.06. The cash-depre-ciation fund has $21,454.09. Current and accrued assets are: cash, $76,290.04; accounts receivable from customers, $11,538.60; miscellaneous accounts receivable, $250.59; material & supplies on hand, $242,878.56; prepaid insurance, $498.44. A deferred debit of $1,233.84 represents this year's share of the three-year debt on gravel well tests made by the department two years ago. This ‘ makes the total for assets on the balance sheet reach $826,702.48. Bonds Outstanding Liabilities include the long-term debt of $48,000 representing bonds issued to build the water softener. Accounts payable are $5,713.42, and interest accrued amounts to £605.64. The reserve for depreciation of the water department plant is $158,978.90; this is the amount of the $683,215.26 “utility plant in service” that has already been written off the books. There is also a S3OO reserve for uncollectable debts, i department patrons now total $24,Tap payments by Decatur water : denartment patrons now total 867.85. This money goes directly ’ into the cash fund, and is exnended as needed. > The earned surplus last January 1 13; miscellaneous debts take $67.56 . 1 of the department was $567,596from this figure. The net profit of $21,008.10 leaves the earned surplus of the department at $826,702.48, 2nd Quarter Profit The second quarter profit for the three-month period ending June 30 was $11,181.10 During the quarter, ’ 72,559,100 gallons of water were , pumped, with 26% of the water ' being used at the plant. Loss in mains amounted to 11.4% for the quarter, 14.8% for the first six 1 months. A total of 47,485,765 gallons were actually sold. A total of 377.5 tons of salt were 1 used as softening, at a cost of ! $5,511.50, or $14.60 a ton. This is ■ .3% less than the cost last year, r ' Wreck Here Causes : $25,000 Damage Suit Lloyd Hall, Fort Wayne, seeks . $25,000 damages from the owner of a truck he drove into, in a law- , suit transferred Tuesday from Allen county to the Wells circuit court, Bluffton. Hall claims Leo E. Case had 1 parked a panel truck on the roadway, just below the crest of a hill 1 in northern Adams county May 27, 1957. The Hall car crashed into the

it was feared that their food may have been contaminated by the escaping fumes. The florination tank was used in the Zollner furnace operation. Others injured besides Reed, Harmon, and Beery, were: Dave Lendiman. of Tocsin: Francis Howard, of Fort Wayne. Maurice Halleck, of Fort Wayne, and Bob Atherton, of Fort Wayne. Reed said he will probably return to work later this week. The father of three children is employed by the company as a furnace worker. Mrs. Martin Braun Did Not Make Call The telephone call made to the city hall complaining about piles of junk was not made by Mrs. Mararget Braun, of 222 North Seventh, it was learned this morning. The lady who made the call indentified herself as Mrs. Mar* l garet Braun: however. Mrs. Braun ' did not make the call, and the actual name of the caller is unknown. I 12 Pages