Indianapolis Times, Indianapolis, Marion County, 23 April 1950 — Page 43

Editorials—Polities

ianapolis Times

- Politics +...iianiiiinn I rr

~ Features

SUNDAY, APRIL 23, 1950

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Times Photographers Choose Their Favorite Pictu

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“Cameraman Never Knows When

‘One in Million’ Chance Will Come

By GALVY GORDON IT'S A DAY-IN, day-out grind for the newspaper photographer. Pictures of routine accidents, club meetings, sports and

society fill his life.

Only rarely does the lens of his camera record vibrant living history, the impact of nature's forces or a truly spectacular accident. This “one-in-a-million” shot may come while he’s driving

to or from a routine photo-

Listen to why each of The

graphic assignment, or it may —— be at the scene of a tragedy. Times photographers whose Whenever it happens, there's Picture appears beside the photo deep satisfaction in having mir- . of his choice calls it “my rored the unforgettable scene in favorite photograph”: his shutter box. He can't al- s = =

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ways explain it, but he knows he's taken the once-in-a-life-time’ picture. The pictures above, taken by Times staff photographers over a period of years, are in this class.

Conservationists, Farmers Battle To Save Indiana's Rich Soil

Nearly 100 Million Tons of Rich'Land a

LLOYD B. WALTON, 310 N. Illinois St.," has lived most of his life in Indianapolis. He has been taking pictures since he was given a box camera on his 10th birthday, has been developing and printing his own

Washes Down Streams Annually.

TO Ry CAFR THURMAN

RETRY "

INDIANA IS floating down the Mississippi River. The equivalent of one good Hoosier farm passes Viricennes'every day in the tumbling, muddy waters of the

Wabash. - A definite, troublesome of the Kankakee River. More than 95 million tons of Hoosier soil went to the Gulf of Mexico last year. Heavy rainfall, floods and erosion are gradually eating away the fertile lands that made Indiana one of thé greatest agricultural states in the country. With the usual rainy season —now- Hoosier farmers can look forward to seeing more and more of their valuable lands washed away. In desperation and in a determined effort to fight for survival, Hoosier farmers have joined with the Indiana Department of Conservation and various federal agencies in a lastditch battle to save their land from the elements. 3 ~ - » THE ANSWER is conservation and flood control. Conservation Department agencies, working closely with the Indiana Flood Control and Water Resources Commission, are co-operating with the United States Army Corps of Engineers in a widespread pregram to conserve and protect Indiana resources. Soil conservation districts

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dust bowl! is forming south

have been created in 48 counties and Conservation Department agents are working day in and day out educating Hoosier farmers in the art of soil conservation. Contour farming, terracing and the planting of trees are major factors in the fight to prevent erosion. Conservation experts are preaching the planting of grasses, instead of money producing crops, on land threatened with severe erosion. = = 8 EROSION control and flood control go hand in hand. Conservationists explain that to save the soil from washing on sloping fields, farmers must follow practices which will make water “walk, not run” from the land. When water runs rapidly, it carries valuable soil with it, and destroys the productivity of land. But if sloping fields are terraced, or farmed on contour lines, the water of heavy rains moves off slowly, carrying little or no soil in suspension. And. as a result of the slower runoff, from the farm lands, streams in the valleys have more time to carry away the r after downpours, and the danger of damaging floods is correspondingly reduced.

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preture-since -the-age of -12.-Mr.

Walton attended. Indiana University and was a commercial and free-lance photographer before joining The Times seven years ago. Here's- what he says about his-faverite photo: “TI was . driving north on Capitol Ave. near Christmas in 1946 when I saw™ smoke billowing at 21st St. -I was on my way to take a picture of Christmas carolers. The gasoline truck had pulled into a service station after breaking into flames, “It's my favorite photo because of the sharp detail of the flames and the element of danger from an impending explosion.” 4 ” s HENRY E. GLESING JR, 850 N. Drexel Ave., has been a shutterbug for 12 years, taking

Farming practices which slow the run-off of water have still another benefit in areas where rainfall is Wght. More water soaks into the soil, and the water table rises, :

Pht a. a Death throes of a tre

=A photography as-a-hobby-in

grade school. Last year he took honorable mention in the National Press. Photographer's Association contest. Mr. Glesing has been a member of The Times staff 3; years. Now attending Indiana University Extension, he is a graduate of the New York Institute of Photography, New York City, and served as staff photographar on the Admiral’'s Command, Glenview Naval Air Station, during World War II. He is a native of Indianapolis. “In ‘covering’ some 30 Hoosier basketball games during the season just past, this picture of two Technical High School players scrambling for ‘a loose ball, snapped last month, is my favorite,” says Mr. Glesing. “Besides stopping action in mid-air, it shows graphically

STATE OFFICIALS are spending full time studying flood control and the prevention of erosion in® Indiana. These include Charles Beckert, director of the division of water

tor-trailer on an icy road.

‘the grit,~determination and atl:

out spirit of Hoosier high school athletes. The shutter, snapped at precisely the right instant, seems to be in there playing the game with the players.” ou = ” DAVID L. PENNYCUFF, 24097; Central ‘Ave., has been telephoto operator for The Times 21; years. An Indianapolis native, he learned photography while working with the McClatchy Newspapers &

Broadcasting Co., California, before coming to The Times. He attended Technical High School. “The picture of the first

snowfall of the winter of 1948 is: my own personal favorite.” he says of his photo above. “Snapped just after midnight, it expresses the peace and quiet of a city at sleep. Falling snow and blazing lights of the

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Contour strip cropping saves soil on the Virgil Stipp farm near Bedford.

resources; Ralph Wilcox, state forester, and J. N. Deal, United States assistant forester in the Indiana area. Mr, Wilcox urges longer rotations on slopes and less fre-

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' Glimmering beauty of the

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“War Memorial Plaza’ combine to give a ghostlike aura to the scene.” ” » ” BILL OATES, of 11068 Oliver Ave., Apt. 2, Is a native of Indianapolis. He was graduated from the Ray. School of Photography, Chicago, and served as an Army photographer two vears before joining The Times staff in November 1948. He has worked in commercial. photographic laboratories and won several news picture awards from the Herdld- American while attending school in ChicagO. - “I was leaving the Statehouse after taking a routine picture on a rainy and cold day in November, 1949, when I saw these two oldsters huddled on the steps trying to keep warm. They were abject and paid no attention to the camera. Never

Rivers "steal" rich topsoil.

quent plowing. He suggests the planting of grass or hay frequently in order to hold the topsoil on the land. He urges complete retirement from soil depleting crops In areas subject to severe washing. He recommends scientific plowing to hold the water on: the slopes rather than allow it to rush down to the nearest drainage streams. “Farmers throughout Indiana are co-operating to correct a bad situation,” Mr. Wilcox says. “They are learning that if they are to save theiréfarms they must do {it scientifically,” he sald.

” ”. WHY ALL this Emphasis on scientific farming and prevention of #rosion? a

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“have I-seen such depth of emotion on any photographic subject.” ” . » JOHN R. SPICKLEMIRE, 5308 Primrose Ave. has been a Times Staff Photographer since 1940. He joined the business office staff of The Times in 1929 and studied photography in his off-duty hours. Born in Indianapolis, he attended Butler University, During the past decade, his camera has recorded the complete gauntlet of emotions, events and accidents in Indianapolis. “I like the picture of the overturned tractor-trailer because of the freakish nature of the accident,” he explains. “The cab was suspended by a single bolt and no one was hurt. The entire highway was blocked.” I happened on the scene in the

Flood and Erosion |. Fights the Same

The experts ‘explain that flood alone, although a great hazard, is not the biggest danger to Indiana. Floods actually stimulate the grounds and some of the river bottoms and lowlands produce in great quantities after a peak flood.

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during a blinding snow storm two years ago while driving to another photographic assignment.” » » . BOB WALLACE, 4008 N. Adams St. has been a member of The Times Staff since late: 1948. An Indianapolis native, he attended Southport High School and was graduated from Indie ana Unversity. He has been an enthusiastic photographer since his sophomore year school when he acquired his own darkroom at home. “The picture of the little girl sitting hopelessly in the ruins of her home, clutching her fireroasted doll, is my favorite, Bob says. “Taken in January, 1949, it has everything an artist could desire . . . atmosphere, drama and a background of desolation.”

precipitation. A survey indicates that 11.58 inches gf rain fell in the basin durin period of a

18 to. Jan. 1. The Wabash River total for the same period was 10.6 inches. This rainfall brought what is termed as “moderate” flood stages throughout the basin. Farm lands were flooded. In some sections the high water reached the danger stage and

It is true, however, that a. in gai cases, the e , 8 8S, Xperts say, flooded lowland is “stealing” thousands of 5 sgood topsoil from neighbor otis ol good Hover

farmers and in the course of years the soil will move on In the never-ending trek to the salty Gulf of Mexico. The experts are agreed that Indiana can survive as a great agricultural state only with complete and adequate water control. Floods, they say, can be partially controlled by the farm owners and no matter what the rainfall is, if grounds a, scientifically prepared, erosion can be prevented. Indiana has had floods from time to time ever since the state was admitted to the union. In the past 10 years there have bee. floods of various degrees every year, mostly in the spring.

s = ~ RAINFALL is distributed throughout the various river basins and, according to statis-

tics, uamage results in accor- floods, of dance with advance control Course, is a primary issue of measures, the Army etigineers and state rg

The floods of recent months

can be termed typical in an overall picture of rainfall in % Hooslerland, Paul Miller, chief U. 8. weather observer, explains.

Records of the latter parg of The survival of Hoogler farm« December show three sepafate lands, however, with storms over ‘the White River scientific plowing, irrigation

basin averaging 1.55 inches of

ler soil went down the drain. R » - . ‘IN CONTRAST to the floods of this year; it will be recalled that from five to nine inches of rainfall over the same area caused the disastrous flood of 1913. The big 1943 flood was caused by from 10 to 14 inches of rain. Statistics place the damage of the great 1913 flood at 25 million. Total losses in the Wabash basin alone since 1936 have been estimated at 24 million or approximately four million annually, Flood damage, as tabulated

.by the Engineering Department

of Purdue University, amounted to almost $24 million in six

,years from 1938 to 1943. The

damage was from a standpoint of crop losses, livestock losses and suspension of business. Prevention of

authorities. ‘Steps are being taken each year, as funds are

available, to create reservoirs, :

rechannel streams and otherwise lessen the damage of heavy rains. :

and planting, the experts asv.

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