Vidette-Messenger of Porter County from Valparaiso, Indiana • 1

lit Colder Tonight Partly cloudy, colder, chance of mow flurries tonight, low near 20; Thursday cloudy, rain or mow by afternoon, high 35. F. Lake temp, 27; today, 1:30 p. 34. HOME or VALPARAISO; UNIVERSITY Vol.

32 No. 127 Associated Press Leased Wire Valparaiso, Indiana, Wednesday, December 3, 1958 Telephones 2-7601 and 2-7611 Seven Cents LI RE 0)fP mil.) winiu i iium I tm Fire Threat To Famed Film Colony Checked Some Will HaulMice, Monkeys County Car Purchase Is Questioned Commissioners Accept Highest Of Two Bids Rain Adds To Hazard On Roads Drizzle, Fog May Change To Snow Tonight is on the ocean side of the highway. The flames jumped across the highway but the intensive efforts of firemen and their pumpers and residents with garden hoses checked the threat. Firemen battled to keep the blaze out of Malibu Canyon, but lost the fight just before dawn when flames 100 feet high roared over the top of the last ridge and bore down on the homes half a mile below. The fire has already destroyed several expensive homes, among them the $50,000 hilltop house of actor Lew Ayres.

brush and oak -studded inland slopes of the Santa Monica Mountains. The winds quickly whipped it over the crest of the hills and down canyons to the sea. "The situation doesn't look too promising anywhere," John Barton, assistant county fire chief, said today. The Pacific highway, U.S. 101, was blocked on either side of the fire zone.

The highway, a main north-south route between Los Angeles and San Francisco, runs east and west along the coastline at this point. The Malibu Beach film colony J-? Many U.S. Schools Being Rechecked For Fire Hazards By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Schools in many parts of the nation were being rechecked anew for fire hazards today in the wake of the Chicago blaze which took 90 lives. Numerous stops to insure safety for children were instituted, in- CHECK SAMPLE MERGER BALLOTS Mrs. Lillian Irwin, seated, Chesterton towti clerk, and Robert Griffin, right, Porter town clerk, check printing of ballot for Friday's Chesterton-Porter merger ref erendum vote with Warren Cannght, Chesterton publisher and chairman of community's board of election commissioners.

Both clerks serve as inspectors for respective boards of election commissioners, i (V-M Staff Photo) 'Red' Smith Given Another 2 To 1 4 Year Prison Term INDIANAPOLIS UP) Virgil W. (Red) Smith, central figure in Indiana's highway prison term of 2 to 14 years Special Judge Thomas E. Garvin also fined Smith 120,000 on his conviction of soliciting and accepting bribos from salesman Arthur J. Mogilner He also was disfranchised for 25 years. At their meeting: this week the County Board of Commissioners accepted the highest of two bids when they agreed to buy a new vehicle for the County Road Supervisor's department.

The accepted bid was from the Paul Dolembo Chevrolet and Cadillac, for a 1959 Chevrolot station wagon at a cost of $1,648. The only other, and lowest bid, was submitted by Willett Ford Sales, Inc. This net bid was $86 lower than the Chevrolet bid. Questions Bid Procedure The commissioners thought the Chevrolet was "the best according to the minutes of the meeting. Dwaine L.

Willett, president-general manager of Willett Ford Sales, made this comment to The Vidette Messenger, "If the county commissioners are not going to treat individual company proposals as bids, why advertise for bids?" Willett said he talked to board members but got no satisfoctory answer as to why they rejected the lowest bid. Gets No Complaints "One pommissinnpr smiH tVipv thought the county was getting a better product by accepting the highest bid," Willett noted. "How. ever, they have driven the 1955 Ford model for four years and we have never had a complaint from the county about this product." When contacted Tuesday, the chairman of the commission, Frank Ferguson, said, "The commissioners wanted to purchase a different make auto this year to serve as a basis of comparison with the Ford." No Preference: Jensen The county road supervisor, Anton Jensen, has had two Fords which were used during the last six years. He said he did not have any complaints about the Fords.

He said he had no preference as to what make of car his department used. "Selecting the car is up to the commission ers, he added. Commenting further on the commissioners' action, Willett said, "Eighty-six dollars might not seem like a lot of money when spread among all the taxpayers of Porter county, but if I he commissioners are doing the same thing with other bids, the total difference could amount to a sizable sum." Paul Dolembo, of the Dolembo Chevrolet and Cadillac, said he did not wish to make any comments on the issue. Ore Train Halted UntU Buffalo Are Shooed Away LEV AN, Utah (AP) The iron horse was forced to give ground Tuesday to a foe that caused railroads trouble in the early days of the. west.

Seven buffalo from a nearby ranch wandered onto the Union Pacific Railroad tracks, and halted an ore train until they could be shooed off. WANTS DYNAMITE CAPS ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (API-Some unidentified youngster sent a letter asking Santa for this: "Four or five caps for my MALIBU BEACH, Calif. AP)-A wind-lashed fire has cut an eight-mile-wide swath from the mountains to the sea here but a massed battery of pumpers, virtually one to a house, today checked a threat to the famed film colony. Elsewhere, flames 100 feet high roared on unchecked.

The blaze, driven by 50 m.p.h. winds, has destroyed an estimated 36 homes. Hundreds of residents have fled the area. The fire, perhaps set by an arsonist, burst out Tuesday on the Enrollment In County Schools Up Seven Percent Hike Recorded Over Year Ago More than 16,000 persons are attending public and parochial schools in Porter county this fall, an increase of about 7 percent over last year. Current total of 16,021 is 1,023 higher than a year ago and about 4,500 more than five years ago.

Breakdown County (9 townships 3,968 Center township 3,287 Portage 2,906 Westchester 2,111 VU campus 2,348 Valparaiso Technical 296 St. Patrick's (Chesterton) 504 St. Paul's 357 Immanuel 244 Totals 16,021 County Total 1953 11,534 195614,198 1954 12,315 195714,988 1955 13,325 195816,021 VU, VTI Decline All of the above units showed enrollment increases this fall with the exception of Valparaiso university and Valparaiso Technical Institute, which dropped slightly. VTI, in addition to 296 students here has 124 enrolled in its Indianapolis division. VTI will graduate about 40 students Dec.

19, the second last class operating under the quarter system. Last class will graduate next March. First students graduating under the semester system will get diplomas next June. Attorney General Rules On Minor City Wage Issue INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Atty. Gen.

Edwin K. Steers ruled Tuesday that salaries of minor city employes may be raised as long as departmental budgets are not exceeded. The ruling answered a question from State Rep. Mildred Churilla (D-East Chicago). Steers cautioned that any pay increase must be approved by the city, council after being submitted by the mayor.

The ruling affects only municipal employes whose wages are not fixed by law. Mrs. Churilla specifically mentioned street workers in her query. 'PILLARS OP POWER' Camera carrying hieh volt see lines north huge giants holding power unlimited -r of Series To Begin Within Next Few Weeks Johnson WASHINGTON (ffl Tha United States will begin firing a series of big satel-btes from the new Vanden-berg Base in California in the next iew weeks. Some of them will carry mice and monkeys.

The Defense Department's Ad vanciM Research Prelects Agency announced today that the "Project program will try te put up a device In It first launching attempt "late this year or early next year," At least a dozen satellite launch-ings will be attempted, as fast as one a month, Roy Johnson, ARPA director, told newsmen. Te Use Mice Johnson also said that an attempt will be made next year to recover a capsule from a satellite, bringing it back, through at-! mosphere. Johnson said mice will be used and, "We may, in one, use primate." He said that the program, for the present; does not include sending up a man. The satellites launched from Vandenberg will be aimed in' a southerly direction over the Pacific Ocean. Their orbit would be around the world over the North and South Poles At Lor ArHtwdes The first attempts will be aimed to put the big satellites up to relative low altitudes of perhaps a few hundred miles.

ARPA estimates they might make two or three passes around the world or perhaps stay up for a The first Discoverer vehicle will be a two-stage rocket. The booster will be a Thor IRBM produced by Douglas Aircraft Co. The second stage, the announcement said, is a new vehicle produced by the Lockheed Aircraft Corp. and powered by a BeuV Hustler engine. This latter engine is a liquid fuel rocket.

Weigh 1,300 Pounds "The first Discoverer-launched satellites are expected to weigh approximately pounds tho announcement said. "This in cludes the weight of the second- stage vehicle which will orbit as an integral part of the satellite after burnout." Johnson was asked if bigger boosters will be used for even larger satellites. Proposals have been made to use the Intercontinental missile as -a booster. Johnson said that he hopes the Atlas can be used within the next 12 months. He said that with the Atlas it might he" possible to" put up a satellite weighing 10,000 pounds or more, using new high-energy fuel.

Howard Powell Is Named To Appeals Board Appointment Is Announced By Circuit Judge Howard "Hod" Powell, plant superintendent of McGill Manufacturing company's bearing division, today was named to the Valparaiso Board of Zoning Appeals ty Circuit Judge O. L. Burns. Powell will Mil the unexpired term of Earl Landgrebe, who resigned to begin a four year term as Indisna senator Jan. Powell's term on the board will run through lA A other board I AA-M members are Dr.

I AV Msnhtll Jox. chairman; Mrs. James Bigelow, Dr. Jsmes Doyle, John Aldrich and George Neeley. Howard Powell plaI commission reprejenUtlves on the board.

-T Powell ws a -m amber of tho 1933 Valparaiso High school basketball taatn which reined the, round of IS in the state tournament, i A three-time City Got! tourney champion, PoweU played college basketbaU.it University of Wisconsin. Powell Uvea at 1704 Calumet with his wife, the former Jeann Wilson, and three children, Pa tricia, 18, Joan, It, and Junes, 1L By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Some freezing rain added a new traffic hazard in northern Indiana this morning, and the Weather Bureau said a soupy mixture of fog and drizzle may change to snow by tonight. Frilng rain was reported around daybreak at Goshen, and the weathermen couldn't in many protpects of any thawing In the northern third of the state before Thursday. More snow was forecast for that area Thursday and Friday. Roads Mostly Wet State police reported main roads mostly wet from light rain, drizzle and fog.

Secondary roads remained slick, with a hard pack of mow left over from last Friday's storm. Temperatures were mainly on the rise this morning after dip-. ping to marks as low as 22 at Fort Wayne during the night. But the weathermen said a turn to slightly colder weather Is likely tonight and on through Thursday and Friday. Below Normal Readings Only light snow was forecast for tonight In central and southern Indiana, but another general snow may come Sunday or Monday.

The weekend outlook called for temperatures running 33 to 6 degrees below normal early December levels, indicating daytime marks averaging 28-tf and nighttime lows averaging 13-27. Weather reports Indicated two Inches of snow remaining today at Indianapolis but only an Inch at Fort Wayne and South Bend and a trace at Lafayette. None re-m a 1 of Evansville's seven inches. Third Science Workshop Set For Saturday Teachers From 3 Counties Coming To V.U. Campus Elementary school from Porter, LaPorte and Starke counties will assemble Saturday it Valparaiso university for the third annual science workshop.

Workshop will be held in science hall from 0 a. m. until noon. Dr. L.

Oliver Smith, VU chemistry professor, director of the science fair to be held on the VU campus on April 4 5, will be In charge. Dr. Ralph Eades, represent ing the Porter county and Indi ana Medical so cieties, is sched uled to greet the teachers. The American Medi Dr. Smith cal Society helps sponsor annual science fairs on a county, state and national level.

Dr. Smith announced that dis cussion groups will be held on the various scientific subjects. Topics Aulgnod Dr. Carl Krekler, VU biology professor, will speak on "Rules and Judging Criteria for the Mrs. Gail Parsons, Michi gan City, will talk on "Local Science Fairs," and Gilbert Dehne, also of Michigan City will discuss "How to Get Students to Start Projects." A talk, "Adventures on a Navy Science Cruise," will be given by Michael Regan, Hebron High school Junior i student.

The na tional science fair will be discussed by Norman Schumaker'of Michigan City. Various science projects and material will be on display at the workshop. 175-Pound Deer Killed By South Shore Train A 175-pound doe was killed at 6 a.m. today by a South Shore train near the east end of Dunes State Park, Sheriff Lester Ilineline reported. He added that he flans to dress the animal today and give the meat to the Shults-Lewia home in Morgan township, 1 Valparaiso Man Learns 0( Fraud Museum Incident Happened 90 Years Ago In East (EDITOR'S NOTE 334th In Porter county historical series based on fact and legend compiled by a local Journalist.) By THE STROLLER "I don't suppose there's any harm in telling the story Mrs.

Main-street. "It Happened about 90 years ago. My father told it to us young-uns many a time but he never told us who the man was." To toll the tale I have to go beck to 1865 when P. T. Barnum, proprietor of the New American Museum, was a representative in the state of Connecticut his homo state.

"There was a railroad bill pending to be voted on that certain afternoon and Barnum was speaking in opposition to it. He frankly said he considered it crooked. Although Barnum had built his fortune on the theory that people liked to be fooled, as well as entertained, he never did a thing that disturbed his conscience. "This railway bill was a giveaway of state land. It was on July 13 that bill was coming up for a vote.

As Barnum spoke long and earnestly in protest, a page brought him a telegram. He paused a second to read it, laid it aside, and continued his speech. The bill was defeated: Museum On Fire "As friends came up to congratulate him he showed them the telegram, it was from his son-in-law in New York. 'The museum is on fire. Nothing can be saved'." Friends and opponents alike came to express sympathy and say they were sorry.

Barnum said, "Well, for the next few months 1 won't have time to be sorry, jf'll go back and build or buy or rent a new set of buildings." He returned to New York, viewed the still smoking ruins, and then set about obtaining and remodeling a group of buildings up on Broadway near 34th street. Within four months he bought out four other museums, had curiosities shipped from all parts of the world and in his famed menagerie he had "Many wonderful, fearful, and ferocious animals from all the world, including the only gorilla in captivity never before has such an animal been shown in a museum." It was in September, 1867, that father Visited Aunt Theodocia and the family in Onondaga, N. Y. He had heard so 'much, and had read so much about this Barnum Museum that he went down to New York to see it, be fore coming back to Porter county. (Continued no page 8, column eluding new (Ire drill procedures, Some cities, such as New York, St Louis and Pittsburgh, were sending officials to Chicago for a first-hand account of what authorities had learned there.

California was doing likewise. At New Haven, city officials announced they are placing school fire prevention and evacuation procedures under direct supervision of the Fire Department. The Board of Education previously had charge. Fire officials now will hold monthly drills and make periodic inspections. Authorities in Kansas City said that, although schools there are regularly inspected four times a year, a special new check was being made by a team of 30 inspectors.

2 Faulty Boil.rs A Boston probe disclosed three of the city's school buildings were not given safety certificates by the Massachusetts Department of Public Safety. Two had faulty boilers and a third failed to meet safety requirements. Boston Fire Commissioner Francis X. Cotter" ordered a special study of buildings. School Com mitteeman John J.

Tierney Jr. said a dozen Boston schools had defective heating equipment. New Orleans Fire Department Supt. Howard Dey called a Tues: day meeting of public and parochial school officials to consider any necessary new measures. He added he would ask authority for the Fire Department to call fire drills without advance notice.

At present, school officials must be informed beforehand. Washington Takes Stops Officials in Washington, D.C., said steps already had been taken to prevent a disaster such as that in Chicago. One of the major measures, a seven-year project completed last year, was to provide 89 older buildings with fire proof, enclosed exit stairwells. Newer Washington schools were built under stringent safety codes calling for fire resistant materials and measures to reduce hazards In Denver a five-year program of checking all schools was completed last summer. Public schools spent half a million dol lars installing firewalls, enclosing stairwells and adding fire extin guishers Both New York State and city authorities ordered sweeping new safety surveys.

records perspective shot of towers rltv on outstretched arms. V-M Staff photo) A bonding firm promptly posted a $25,000 bondo Smith could go free again pending appeal of the case. Already under appeal is an embezzlement conviction under which Smith was sentenced to another 2-to-14 year term. Both terms could be served at the same time. Judge Garvin told Smith his conduct as a former State Highway Commission chairman was "most reprehensible." "You do not deserve any compassion," the judge added.

Smith did not reply. TRIAL SPEED URGED INDIANAPOLIS '(AP) Prosecutor John G. Tinder today asked immediate arraignment of three Carpenters Brotherhood officials so he can get their highway scandal trial conducted before be leaves office Jan. 1. "We are prepared, and the case is nine months old," Tinder said.

Special Judge Horace C. Holmes of Tipton said he'd like to try the case this month, too, since he also leaves office Jan. 1. He said an arraignment date might be set later this week. A series of defense motions has delayed the trial since indictments were returned Feb.

18 against Maurice Hutcheson, Carpenters president; Frank M. Chapman, treasurer, and O. William Blaier, vice president. They are charged with conspiracy and bribery in reaping $78,916 in quick profits on land deals for the Trl-State Highway in Gary. The three officials have been free on bail.

SAFETY CHECK ORDERED NEW YORK (AP) State and city authorities have ordered a check on safeguards against fires in schools as a result of the Chicago blaze which cost 90 lives. that date. Former mark was in 1927. Temperature ranged from zero Nov. 30 to 68 degrees on Nov.

14 and 17. All-time November low reading is -6 in 1950. Prevailing wind was from the southwest and there was fog Nov. 16. The month included 12 clear days, 12 cloudy days and six partly cloudy days, Meteorologist Richard Coote said.

scandals, was given another today. Landgrebe Ending CC Chief Term Al Williamson To Take Over Thursday Night Earl Landgrebe, who will begin a four-year term as Indiana senator Jan. 1, will turn over the gavel as out-going Chamber of Commerce president to Al Williamson at the annual of dinner at 6:30 p. m. Thursday in the University Union.

Landgrebe, local trucking firm owner, was elected last month as Republican state senator representing Porter, Jasper, Pulaski and Newton counties. He will succeed longtime Sen. John Van Ness, now chairman of the Indiana Public Service commission. President elect Earl Landgrebe Williamson, Landgrebe and other new and retiring of officers and directors will be honored at the ladies' night dinner program Thursday. Indiana Steel Products company will also be honored, this being the 50th year in the company's history.

President Clarence Jackson of the Indiana of will be main speaker. Entertainment will be by the 30-voice LaPorte High school swing choir. Robert Anderson of McGill Manufacturing company will be master of ceremonies. Walter Ricks, of Secretary-manager, announced that to date more than 250 ticket reservations have been made for tomorrow night's dinner, 7 WORKERS KILLED STUTTGART, Germany W) The Stuttgart Konstanz express plowed through a group of nine railroad workers today, killing seven. "I'm sicker than a dog and 1 just want to get to bed." MIoly Cow goes on the auction block Thursday, along with the reserve grand champion steer, a Hereford summer yearling shown by Huber Ranch of Schneider, and the third-place steer, a Shorthorn owned by Donald L.

Obrecht Son of Harlan, Iowa. The search for winners continues today with the selection of the grand champion barrow from more than 990 entries. November Warmer, Wetter Boy Are Stock Show Stars Month of November was warmer and wetter than usual, Flint Lake Weather station records revealed. Mean temperature of 42.8 degrees was 2.9 above normal and precipitation of 3.54 inches was .73 above normal. Snow totaled 2.1 inches, 1.7 coming Nov.

28. Rainfall of 2.22 inches Nov. 15 set a record for Steer, Iowa CHICAGO (AP) A sleek, chunky Aberdeen Angus steer and the exhausted teen-age farm boy who exhibited him are the stars of the International Livestock Exposition. Charles (Chuck) Wood 17, of Spencer, Iowa, and his steer, Holy Cow," Tuesday walked off with the exposition's most coveted steer award grand champion. Actually, young Wood limped out of the arena.

Handicapped by right leg, and suffering from a severe attack of asthma, it was all he could do to put his 950-pound animal through its paces In the International Amphitheatre. When the judge slapped Holy Cow on the rump to signal its se lection as grand champion steer, young Wood made a bee-line for his hotel room and bed. "This is the happiest da of my life," he murmured to newsmen and well-wishers who swarmed about him; But he added: a plaster cast on his fractured.