Decatur Daily Democrat, Volume 57, Number 213, Decatur, Adams County, 10 September 1959 — Page 1

Vol. LVII. No. 213.

." • - ,<( ; < .-S ?/; ’ t . „ ' '■' ■■< ' ?' : ' 1 fc/W* '■ ; '' • ■ * s t » » * V«?x. rMisMKi a&wWff -?-l ’ I ‘^ , \ *l‘ ? ?^'l \"'' -'■? \ '■' r -I I I '- ' " I I*.:\*’«B || if WIN FIGHT TO SAVE DEADWOOD—Fire lighters from three states are winning their battle against a Blhck Hills forest blaze which surrounded the historic wild west town of Deadwood, S. D. The town's 4,000 residents split up, the men joining the fire-fighting line and women and children fleeing to safety. Authorities said they are winning the battle to save the town.

Bids Accepted On New School

The Southeast elementary school in Decatur took a big step toward reality Wednesday night, as the Decatur school board received bids and tentatively awarded contracts for the construction of the building. Dr. James Burk, Herbert Banning and Jack Heller, members of the board, W. Guy Brown superintendent of schools, John L. DeVoss, attorney, and Carl Bradley, architect for the new building, met with about 40 bidders and interested citizens in the high school building. The three low bids were awarded contracts, subject to approval of the special appropriation by the state board of tax commissioners. General contract bid of $219,500 by the Bultemeier Construction Co., of Decatur, received the contract. Haugk's of Decatur received the contract for the heating, plumbing and ventilation with a bid of $84,106, and McKay Electric of Fort Wayne was the low bidder for the electrical contract with $21,640. One alternate bid in the general construction contract was accepted by the board. This was a reduction of SI,OOO for laminated wood arches in the multi-purpose room in place of steel beams. As the braces are exposed, the board felt that the wood, while structurally as strong as steel, would save SI,OOO and also furnish added beauty to the room. Some Not Bead The total of the three bids was $324,240. A recent appropriation was made from the cumulative building fund for $338,300 for the construction of the building. All of this money is available at the present time .and no bonds will be needed for the construction or furnishing of the building. Three of the electrical bids were opened, but not read, as the bidders had failed to notice that the legal advertisement called specifically for a cashier’s or certified check and did not include a bond. One of the electrical contracts was not read, as the bidder had failed to sign the non-collusion affidavit. A total of 20 bids were received by the school city, with 16 of them being read. The general construction bidders were: Baker-Schind-ler, Defiance, O.; Bultemeier; Irmscher, Fort Wayne; Weigand, Fort Wayne; and Yost of Decatur. Six bids were also read for heating, plumbing and ventilation; Arnold, Fort Wayne; Hattersley, Fort Wayne; Haugk; Hoover, Markle; Lake, Celina; and Yost. Three other bids were received, but hot

SCHOOL BIDS General Construction Firm base ßicl Baker-Schindler $244,000 Bultemeier —— 219,500 Irmscher —- 263,700 Weigand— 253,061 Yost- 237,882 Heating, Plumbing and Ventilation Firm ' Heating Plumbing Combined Arnoldsss,Boo $37,734 Hattersley 56,757 ’ 36,963 $92,690 Haugk — 53,800 33,300 84,100 Hoover — 53,625 34,000 87,325 Lake- 58,416 40,782 93,198 Yost 95,000 Electrical ' Firm Base Bid Arnold... $22,979.00 Hattersley 22,796.00 Henry——- 23,675.00 McKay — 21,640.00 : XS Yost bid for total job - $349,492.

DECATUR DAILY DEMOCRAT ONLY DAILY NEWSPAPER IN ADAMS COUNTY

Geneva Lady Dies Wednesday Evening Mrs. Rose Moser, 73, of Geneva, died at 9:55 p.m. Wednesday at the Jay county hospital in Portland. Surviving are a son, Richard Moser; nine grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; two sisters and three brothers. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Hardy & Hardy funeral home at Geneva. Barial will be in Gravel Hill cemetery. Friends may call at the funeral home after 7 p.m. today, read. Electrical bidders were: Henry, Fort Wayne; McKay; Arnold, Fort Wayne; Hattersley, Fort Wayne; Cin-Dee, Decatur; and Yost. The Yost Construction Co. was the only bidder for the total job. Thank Interested Citisens After reading the bids, the board retired to consider them. Bradley, of Bradley and Bradley architects, and his consultants, felt that while the bids were a little higher than anticipated, they were quite good. After discussion, the board moved to accept the three low bids. The Southeast elementary Pudding will add seven new rooms to the city’s fast expanding school system. This will provide closer “facilities for the kindergarten through sixth grades in the south part of the city, and will release the pressure on the Lincoln school and the Northwest school. Brown and the school board expressed their thanks to all bidders, the architect and consultants, Miss Iverna Werling, Brown’s secretary, and particularly to a group of interested citizens from the south part of the city. The later group has met with the board on several occasions to help With the plans for the building, and win join in one final meeting before construction starts, to select the brick and tile colors. Construction should get underway this fall, and the board hopes to have the new building completed in time for the opening of the 196961 school year. The cooperation of the city administration in the construction of the Grant street sewer was cited by the board for this helped make the building possible. The state board of health would have refused to pass the plans without the sewer.

School Bus Safely Meeting Next Week The annual school bus safety meeting will be conducted Monday at 7:30 p.m. at the Adams Central school as an orientation for new bus drivers and a refresher for the experienced drivers. Supt. Gail Grabill said today that procedures and regulations governing the operation of the school buses will be discussed. Sgt. Bill Hunter, safety director of the state police post at Ligonier, and Cpl. Steve Woodworth, school bus inspector of the state police at Ligonier post, will be the main speakers and instructors at the evening session. Howard Haab, of the Indiana school bus drivers’ association, will also speak to the group, as will sheriff Merle Affolder of Adams county. The meeting is mandatory by law, which was approved recently by the state legislature. School board members, trustees and other administrative personnel besides, the drivers are invited to attend. Inspection Sept. 16 Wednesday, Sept 16, the annual school bus inspection by the Indiana state police will be conducted at two sites in Adams county, Grabill also announced today. Grabil said tyiat the morning inspection, which starts at 8 o’clock, will be conducted at Geneva high school with all the schools in that area having their vehicles there for the inspection. Jefferson township, Hartford Center, BerneFrench and Geneva will attend that session. At the Decatur city parking lot, (east of the A&P store parking lot) the following schools will start their school bus inspection at nocm Wednesday, Adams Central, Preble, Root, Union, and St. Mary’s townships. The inspection complies with the rules and regulations of the state specifications for school buses. All vehicles must meet these high standards or will not be permitted to transport school children on their daily trips to school.

School Bus Hit By Train, 7 Die

OAKLAND. Md. (UPI) — A Baltimore and Ohio Railroad passenger train slammed into a school bus stalled on a grade crossing today, killing seven children and injuring at least five others seriously, police reported. Oakland city police said the train, the Diplomat, eastbound from St. Louis to Baltimore and Washington, D.C., hit the bus broadside at the Paul Street (Md. 560) crossing as the children were frantically rushing out the exits. About a dozen of the 26 high school and grade school pupils riding the bus were still in the vehicle when the collision occurred. The bus driver, Leroy Campbell, Deer Park, Md., was helping children off the bus when the train smashed Into it. He was injured. The injured- pupils were taken to Garrett County Memorial Hospital in Oakland. The collision occurred at 7:26 a.m., c.d.t.at a crossing in Mountain Lake Park, Md., 3 miles east of Oakland. The Crossing has no .gates but is protected by flasher lights. The pupils were enroute to the Southern High School and the Dennett Road Elementary School in Oakland. The bus was knocked 40 feet to the side of the track, police said.

Decatur, Indiana, Thursday, Sept. 10, 1959.

County Council Prunes Tax Rate Eight Cents; Levy Still Big Boost

Jefferson Club To Hear John R. Walsh ■ -w a j K | John B. Walsh John R. Walsh, Indiana secretary of state, will be the principal speaker at the September meeting of the Jefferson club next Tuesday night at 8 o’clock in the Marine room of the Berne auditorium, Roger Singleton, president of the club, said today. Walsh, a 1934 graduate of the Indiana university school of law and a former congressman, is well known here, having spoken several times. A leading contender for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senator in 1962, Walsh spoke at the Indiana Democratic editorial Association meeting at French Lick two weeks ago, and greatly impressed the audience. A veteran of World 11, Walsh served as congressman from the fifth district, and is a practicing attorney in Anderson. He was the successful Democratic candidate for secretary of state in 1958. A Methodist, he is married and has three children. Refreshments will be served following the meeting. All Democrats interested in hearing Walsh are urged to attend the meeting of the Jefferson club, founded to include all Democrats who wanted to become more familiar with the party leaders. 14 PAGES

Festival Opening Is Delayed To Tonight The Red Men’s fall festival, scheduled to open Wednesday night, was unable to do so because of several misunderstandings concerning streets to be used and lack of power facilities. Officers of the Red Men lodge stated today that the festival will definitely open this evening at 7 o’clock and will run through Saturday night. Merchants who received free tickets for distribution are reminded that these tickets were given as a courtesy from the Red Men and no charge is to be made. Lake Shore Amusements are furnishing the rides and concessions, and several local concessions will also be on the midway and will be operated by the Red Men. INDIANA WEATHER Fair and quite cool tonight. Friday sunny and a little warmer northwest. Low tonight 42 to 50. High Friday mostly in the 70s. Sunset today 7:03 p.m. Sunrise Friday 6:21 a.m. Outlook for Saturday: Generally fair and pleasant. Lows 40 to 50. Highs 75 to 83.

Schools Are Now Open, Safety Appeals Issued

Because of the opening of school and the great number of cars on the h i g h ways of the city and county, Sheriff Merle Affolder and city police chief James Borders issued a joint safety announcement this affernoon .cautioning all motorists to exercise extra care in driving to safeguard against any school children or bus accidents. More than 5,000 county and city children are attending school this year, some for the first time, and motorists must take into consideration that the children sometimes forget, but the motorist must not, the announcement said. Promise Quick Prosecution The speed timer and radar will be fa operation a great deal of the time checking on speeding vehicles on city and county roads, especially durfag the early morning school hours, and late in the afternoon. Violators of school safety procedures on the highway will be hastily prosecuted, they stated. About school buses, vehicles in both lanes of the highway must

Achievement Trip To Lois J. Gerke Miss Lois Jean Gerke, of route 5, Decatur, won one of the Stark Wetzel & Co. 4-H achievement &ps Wednesday at the state fair in Indianapolis, being named one of the 16 girls in fae entire state for the award. The Gerald Strickler family and Rolandes Liechty • also took several top awards in ■the cattle and beef divisions of judging yesterday. Sandra* Strickler, Os Decatur, took fourth place in the Hoosier gold medal Aberdeeh-Angus calf contest with a heifer calved between May 1 and August 31, 1958. There were 15 top awards in this division. Her sister, Carolyn, won third place in the same division of cows with a heifer calved between Jan. 1 and April 30, 1958. The girls’ father, Gerald, took fifth place with a bull calved between Jan. 1 and April 30, 1958. Liechty walked away with five separate awards in the dairy cattle class. He had a third in the cow under three years old category, a sixth in the dam and daughter class, a sixth in the Holstein cow under three class, a 12th in the senior heifer judging, and a seventh in the get-of-sire junior class. He is from Berne.

Local Lady's Mother Dies Last Evening Mrs. Florence Birdie Dull, 79. of Glenmore, 0., the mother of Mrs. Ercie McConnell of Decatur, died at 8:10 p.m. Wednesday at the home of ‘a daughter, Mrs. Anna Chilcote, Fort Wayne, of a coronary occlusion after an illness of four months. Mrs. Dull, a member of the Greenbrier E.U.B. in Christ church of Glenmore, was born April .6, 1880 in Van Wert county. She was the daughter of George and Charity Egler Johnson. On May 30, 1896, she marreid Benjamin Dull, who died in 1950. Surviving are four other daughters, Mrs. Minnie Brown, of Huntington, Mrs. Otie Grabiil, of Houghton Lake, Mich., Mrs. Mildred McConkey, of Fort Wayne, and Mrs. Eileen Reed, of Richmond; a son, Richard Cecil Dull, of Fort Wayne; two brothers, Carey Johnson, of Van Wert, 0., and Willis Johnson, of Glenmore; a sister, Mrs. Pearl Brown, of Ohio City; 19 grandchildren, 33 greatgrandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Cowan and Son funeral home in Van Wert, the Rev. S. F. Kochenbargerv of Wren, O„ officiating. Burial will be in the Greenbrier cemetery in Willshire, O. Friends may call after 7 p.m. today at the funeral home.

stop when a school bus stops to load or unload children. While school patrol boys will conduct the foot traffic, these youths are not an official law enforcement agency. They will allow the children to pass when the road traffic permits. These youths will not stop cars to permit children to pass. Cooperation Needed The full cooperation of all motorists is requested and necessary to keep Adams county and Decatur free from school children being injured in vehicle mishaps. Those children who drive to school are also warned to exercise good thinking and caution when on the highway. The traffic laws apply to all drivers, not only to adults. The sheriff and the chief of police extend best wishes to all pupils for a rewarding 1959-60 school term. Parents of all school-age children are also asked to instruct their children the three most common, good habits of pedestrians and motorists alike—stop, look and listen.

Poster On Exhibit To Publicize Meet A large poster, including photographs of Decatur, showing the events that will take place here during the 1960 state of the Indiana rural mail carriers association, is now on exhibit at at the Decatur Chamber of Commerce office. The poster will be taken to each county in the state by Bernard Green, president of the Indiana association Designed by the Adams county rural carriers, the poster is the first of several promotional ideas to build attendance at the threeday convention here next summer, Tom Miller, president, said today. Wives of the carriers will be entertained by a fashion show, and a program of Swiss music. A musicale will entertain them during the afternoon. Many tours, including one of the Central Soya plant, are included in the program. A top national speaker and an outstanding display will also be featured. A key to the city tops the display, which will be in the Chamber window for several weeks before it is shown over -the state. Several hundred rural carriers and their wives are expected to attend the meeting.

Hospital Head At Statewide Meeting Thurman I. Drew, administrator of the Adams conuty memorial hospital, Is in Indianapolis today attending a statewide meeting of hospital administrators. The main problem to be discussed is the unionization of hospitals in some states which has resulted in widespread strikes in hospitals in California and the east. Enrollment Gains At Pleasant Mills The total enrollment of the county schools rose to 3,408 today as the Pleasant Mills school reported an enrollment of 231 pupils, with 141 in the grades and 90 in the high school. Principal Gerald Vizard reports an additional 33 pupil? in school as 198 were enrolled last year. The figures for this year and of 11; grade 2, nine, or four less; last are: grade 1, 16, an increase grade 3, 14, an increase of five; grade 4, IX one more; grade 5, 12, a loss of four; grade 6, 19, a gain of four; grade 7, 32. a gain of nine, and grade 8, 26, a gain of 16. In the high school, 12 freshmen, 27 sophomores, 31 juniors, and 20 seniors enrolled while the 1958-59 figure was 26, 32, 14, and 20, respectively.

The 1960 county tax rate will probably be $1.28 per SIOO of taxable property, or 41 cents more than fast year, as the county council closed its two-day session Wednesday at the courthouse. The council snipped five cents from the requested 68-cent budget of the county officers, cut one-cent from court house fund, cut the welfare fund by one cent, and eliminated the one-cent hospital fund, but the overall cpunty rate still soared well over the 87-cent figure of last year. The individual tax rates, subject to alteration by the county tax adjustment board and the state tax adjustment board will then be as follows: Decatur-Washington .... $6.25 Decatur-Root 6.24 Berne 6.07 Monroe-Monroe 5.09 Monroe-Washington 5.05 Geneva 5.73 Washington 4.22 Wabash 4.59 Union 2.98 St. Mary’s 3.60 -Root 3.34 Preble —— 2.96 Monroe 4.24 Kirkland 3.94 Jefferson 3.71 Hartford 3.35 French 4.59 Blue Creek ... 2.68 Besides the 63 cents allowed for the county fund, the welfare fund received 13 cents, which was one cent more than last year, but one cent less than requested. The bridge cumulative fund went from 8 cents to 15 cents and the hospital fund was eliminated. Thurman Drew, hospital administrator, wrote the council that the hospital hoped to be self-sustaining as it had in the past, but requested the one-cent fund for emergency reasons. It was not allowed by the council. Other Fund Budgets Other county budgets are the hospital bond fund, which remained at seven cents, and the hospital furniture and equipment fund, which was raised from 2 to 4 cents. New additions to the 1960 budget are the 24-cent county wide school tax fund, which is mandatory by state law, and the court house building fund of two cents. The county tax adjustment board, which meets Sept. 14, preparatory to the state adjustment board meeting, will be comprised of seven members and is of a bipartisan political structure. No more than four of the members may be of one political faction. Members selected to date are William Kruetzman, of the county

Cancer} Society To Meet This Evening

Expanding its board of directors and corps of volunteers will be on schedule for the Adams county chapter of the American cancer society tonight at 8 o’clock in the office of Dr. John B. Spaulding. Tonight’s meeting will be the second of the reorganization meetings held since the society moved early this summer to act on American cancer society policy and to, withdraw from "the Decatur and Berne community chests. The society, if enough volunteers offer to help, will conduct its own fundraising crusade against cancer next April. When the society first met after the decision to withdraw from the federated funds in June, 12 persons mfet with Robert Billicombe, northern Indiana representative for the American cancer society, to review the local cancer society’s program. The national society’s policy had been declared several years ago, when the society found that the public contributed more money to an independent crusade against cancer than it did through federated funds. Furthermore, in the federated campaigns, the cancer society lost much of its identity and part of the educational power it has when it has its own house-to-house drive. Under the new policy, no new unions with federated funds were

council, and Mayor Robert. D. Cole, by virtue of his office. Yet to be selected are a representative of the school trustees and four member's appointed by the judge of the circuit court. Deputies Get Raise The county office deputies will receive a $l5O raise from a requested S3OO in the county fund budget, which was cut five cents. The paring? by office were: county clerk, requested $20,280, but received $17,400 as his request for a full-time third deputy was curbed. He did get SI,OOO for part-time help. Also cut from this budget was S2BO for office supplies and S3OO in raises for two deputies. This cut was almost across the board for all the county offices. The sheriff, who requested $30,540, received $29,990 as his deputies were allowed a S4OO raise from a requested S6OO each.. He was also allowed $3,150 for fulltime office help. The anditor was cut from $17,310 to $16,400 as S6OO was snipped from his office supplies request and S3OO from the deputy request. The treasurer last only $l5O on his requested S3OO ra’se for the deputy, receiving $15,73u. The recorder was 'also cut by only the $l5O raise, receiying $12,370 from a request of $12,500. The surveyor lost SSOO of his budget when the council pruned S2OO from office supplies and S3OO for the two deputies’ raises. The county agent lost his request for an assistant agent, also the S3OO in raises for his two office workers. His budget request was $19,400, but wound up at $14,840. More Cuta The superintendent of schools lost his request for a school nurse and incidentals for her travel and a bid for a S3OO raise for his office help, leaving his budget at $16,250 from the requested $19,400. The •county health officer, the county coroner, the county assessor, and the Washington township assessor, all escaped cuts as their budgets of $1,070, $1,700, $10,780, and $5,010, respectively, remained intact. The prosecuting attorney lost S6BO from his request as SSOO was disallowed for an assistant and SIBO from office supplies, making his total $2,580 from a request of $3,260. The circuit court and the county election board received their full requests of $17,290 and $17,120, respectively. The registration of voters was uncut at $1,980, but the county courthouse budget lost $630 as $250 from repair of buildings fell by the wayside and S2OO for repair to .Continued on paste six)

permitted, and the units that were participating in federated funds were to review their status. The Adams county chapter of the American cancer society has not met its quota in united fund-raising campaigns. If enough volunteers appear tonight to warrant keeping up the society in this county, the Adams county chapter will be a part of a stepped-up crusade against cancer. Each part of the society’s threefold program can be expanded. The unit can provide money for fellowships to. research into the cause and cure for cancer. Locally, the unit can also provide for scholarships to local students who show interest in the sciences and indicate they might continue their studies. The society can continue its program of public education, through spreading information about cancer in films for groups such as home demonstration clubs, by providing books and teaching aids far schools, and by distributing educational material during the April crusade and at other times. In the third division, family service, which the society has been active in since it began in 1946, can also be expanded, by helping cancer patients and their families. The society provides bandages, transportation for treatment, and special equipment needed at home.

Six Cents