Herald and Review from Decatur, Illinois • Page 15

I ERROR: ShoulcTbe dECATUR HERALD Decatux, Illinois, Tuesday, February 2, 1971 Ambulance Subsidy Approved in Atwood Macon Council To Consider Trailer Park (n.fiis) Whistleville's There, Somewhere ww-aWMiWBMBl isTV One to Seek Re-Election Charleston James Frazier, one of two members whose terms expire this spring, has announced he will seek re-election to the Charleston Board of Educa tion. Frazier is secretary of the board. He is a resident of Seven Hickory Township. The other term expiring is held by Harold Horn of Charleston Township. He has not yet indicated whether he will be a candidate in the April 10 elec tion.

Nominating petitions must be filed by March 19. Fire Damages Farm House Near Mansfield Mansfield A two-story farm home SA miles northeast of Mansfield was badly damaged by fire late Sunday night, according to Mansfield authorities. Ted Hoskinson, chief of the rural Mansfield fire department. said that the fire occurred at 10:30 p.m. and was possibly caused by an electrical shortage.

The house, owned by the Rolf estate, was occupied by Herman Mosley. Hoskinson said that Mosley was in the process of moving, so few possessions were damaged, although the interior of the house was destroyed. Photos by Dana Ewell "LET'S SEE, there was Uncle Billy Gipson and the Madens and the Ryders and the They lived in Whistleville as far back as I can remember." Arlie V. Hines. line, not o.

Civil Suit Challenges 'Ogilvie Plan' Springfield A civil suit nas been tiled U.S. District Court in Springfield challenging -the "Ogilvie plan" dealing with the hiring of Iminority workers in government ighway projects. One of the four highway con-xuction projects in St. Clair ianr" Madison counties shut Mown was being handled by the iNeal Lentz Construction "X6 of The Southern Illinois Builders Association and Southern Illinois Contractors Association filed the suit Friday seeking a declaratory judgment against Gov. Richard B.

Ogilvie; William Cellini, director of Public Works and Buildings; the Metro -East Labor Council, several unions and other of ficials. The suit charges the builders and contractors lost the opportunity to bid on $10-million highway construction in Madison and St. Clair counties because the state suspended letting of bids. This was in addition to the projects shut down. The state claimed there was racial discrimination in hiring practices and that greater minority group employment was needed.

Under the Ogilvie plan, there is a minimum ratio of one black trainee to four journeymen in each craft. The contractors and builders charged they have attempted to follow the plan but have been frustrated because the Metro-East Labor Council refused to send employes to the hiring halls. They further allege the unions claim the Ogilvie plan circumvents collective bargaining agreements. A spokesman for the Lentz firm said it has attempted to hire more black trainees but that was unable to comply because "the unions are not referring the trainees to us." RD. SELL MS Atwood Approval for subsidizing am bulance service by the Fleming Funeral Home in Atwood was given by the village board at its meeting Monday night But the Arthur village board had not taken any action' at press time.

Fleming Funeral Home will receive $600 a month from the villages if they approve proposal. Fleming Funeral Home also win retain all fees for its service calls. Hie village also must provide an ambulance and pay operation and maintenance costs. Ambulance service will be available 24 hours, seven days a week. Tne new arrangement was reached after Mrs.

O.R. Flem ing, who operates the funeral home, announced in November that the ambulance service would be discontinued Saturday. Last month the funeral home representatives offered to con tinue the service if the two villages agreed to the subsidy plan. A ways and means committee was then appointed by the village boards to study the proposal. Fleming Funeral Home agreed to provide service until Publisher Wible Dies tr Mount Pulaski Harry J.

Wible, 78, of Mount Pulaski, owner and publisher of the Mount Pulaski Times-News, died at 9:40 p.m. Sunday in Decatur Memorial Hospital. Mr. Wible was publisher of the weekly newspaper for 39 years. On Aug.

14, 1967, Mount Pulaski honored Mr. Wible for 35 years as publisher of the newspaper. The mayor at that time proclaimed it "Harry J. Wible" week. He was born in Mendon.

He married Margaret Tolen May 5, 1914. Mr. Wible leaves his wife; daughters, Mrs. Jeri Zimmerman and Mrs. Jean Martin, both of Mount Pulaski; brother, Don, Dallas, six grandchildren and two greatgrandchildren.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Wednesday in Mount Pulaski United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Mount Pulaski Cemetery. Friends may call from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m. today in the Schahl Funeral Home in Mount Pulaski.

Masonic rites will be at 9 p.m. NEW TOURISM -Two Chinese language newspapers in Hong Kong, Tao Jih Paoand Fai Pao, quoted "well-informed leftist sources" as saying Peking will open some parts of Communist China to foreign tourists in 1971. They said citizens of countries having diplomatic relations with Peking would be welcome. Area Caucuses Townships Effingham Candidates for township road commissioner will be named in all townships in Effingham County today during caucuses. Supervisors will be named in seven townships.

East Oakland Candidates To Be Chosen Oakland Candidates for East Oakland Township supervisor and highway commissioner will be selected during caucuses today in Oakland. Democrats will meet at 2 p.m. in the supervisor's office. Republicans will convene at 2 p.m. in the Oakland City Hall.

No petitions for three Oakland aldermen seats have been filed yet. A vacancy exists in Wards 1, 2 and 3. I the villages reached a decision on the matter. Members of the committee were Ernest Aschermann Jr. and Orvflle Beals of Arthur and Keith Romine and OrviDe Heit of Atwood.

No decision has been reached by the boards as to the percen tage of the $600 subsidy each village will pay. Pana Seeks Financing For Projects The Pana City Council next Monday will accept sealed proposals from four municipal bond companies and a financial consultant firm for financing the community's $1.4 million im provements to its water and sewer systems. The council has heard proposals for financing the project from four municipal bond com panies and the financial consul tant firm. The $1.4 million is for improvements to the water treat ment and distribution system and sewer treatment acuities. Shelbyville Soldier Killed Shelbyville A 21-year-old Shelbyville man has been reported killed in action in Vietnam.

Authorities have reported that Michael E. Williams was killed last Thursday in Vietnam. He was born in Shelbyville. He was married to Sheri Stanton Nov. 25, 1967.

He leaves his wife; son, Michael, Shelbyville; parents, Mr. and Mrs. Max Williams, Shelbyville; brothers, Scott and Douglas, both of Shelbyville, and sister, Mrs. Pamela Borman, Shelbyville. Funeral arrangements are incomplete at Lockart Son in Funeral' Home Shelbyville.

Neoga Man Runs for Post At College Mattoon Floyd T. announced Curl of Neoga has his candidacy for trustee on the Lake Land College Board. He has served on the board for four years and is presently board secretary. Curl-said his experience on the board should make him a valuable trustee during the expansion of the col lege in the future. to Act Townships which will nominating supervisor be can- didates today are Mound, Sum- mit.

Moccasin, Jackson, Bishop, jL iTancis and Watson, The townships holding caucuses today to nominate road commissioners are West Mound, Moccasin, Liberty, Mason, Jackson, Summit, Ban ner, Watson, Union, Douglas, Teutopolis, Lucas, Bishop and St Francis. Nominations To Be Made Pierson Station Candidates for Unity Town ship highway commissioner will be nominated in caucuses today in the town hall at Pierson Sta tion. Republicans will meet at 2 p.m. and Democrats at 4 p.m. nxnest Murpny, tne commis sioner whose term is expiring, win seek the Republican nomination.

The single trustee petition was filed by Glen Crist. Three trustee seats must be filled in the ADril 20 election. Macon Development of a mobile home park on land recently annexed to the northern side of Macon will be discussed at the regular meeting of the Macon City Council next Monday. The land, owned by J. Bert Jesse, was annexed by the council in January.

Since then nearly 100 Macon residents and ihe Macon Board of Education have voiced objections to the park's creation. A resolution opposing the park was passed by the school board during its Jan. 18 meeting. The statement said the board would not favor the park's development until the school district's building and educational funds made it economically feasi ble. The classrooms are presently filled to capacity and the influx of more students would necessitate the hiring of more teachers, the resolution said.

A group of Macon residents has hired an attorney to represent its interests in preventing the creation of the trailer park. The attorney said Monday me land was annexed following an illegal hearing by the Macon Zoning Board of Appeals. The land should have been annexed as a residential zone before the hearing to rezone the land for the park was held, the attorney said. The residents maintain that a trailer park would adversely affect the school system, the neighborhood property values and the city's sanitary facil ities. Further legal action may be taken by the group if the council does not call for another zoning hearing, the attorney said.

FIRM ON EXCHANGE Clinton Common stock of Wallace Business Forms Inc. began trading Monday on the New York Stock Exchange. There are 1,804,426 shares of stock outstanding. The firm has a plant in Clinton. DECATUR, ILL IE TT WE Hffl MM WE CAM By Dana Ewell Whistleville road to Whistleville is with Good Samari- The dotted tans.

It's a good thing, too, because without them I never would have found Whistleville. I never doubted that Whistle ville was there somewhere. But I almost gave up hope of finding someone who knew how to get there. I started out Sunday for Mount Zion. The only directions I had at that time for finding Whistle ville came from a Hervey City resident and so the trail began south of Mount Zion.

The trail, at least the way Ii followed or misfollowed it, end ed on South Side Country Club road by way of Elwin. That's where I finally gave up and stopped to ask somebody if he knew where Whistleville was. The somebody was Wilbur Reed, my first Good Samaritan. Reed thought he knew where it was but decided it would be easier to lead me there than to try to give directions. By the time we got to South Franklin Street Road, Reed had decided he was leading me to Turpin Station and not Whistle ville.

Two guys at a nearby gas station had never heard of Whistleville and a third had heard of it but didn't know where to find it. A phone call yielded another set of directions and Reed led the way as far as Salem Grade School. There we parted ways as he wished me luck. My luck lasted about one minute, just until I plowed into a deep drift of snow. But it only took another minute for two more Good Samaritans to appear on the scene.

With an equal measure of ad vice and pushing I was on my way again and so were they be fore I had a chance to say thank you. So, if you're reading this, whoever you are, thank you! Two sharp curves in the road later and I was at least I thought I was. It wasn't until I knocked on a nearby door and asked, "Is this tnat i was as sured that I really had arrived. Bob Wasson and his wife who dwell behind that door, which once led the way into Whistle vflle's only church, just smiled when I related my round-about route. "All our friends get lost whenever we try to tell them how to get here," said Mrs.

Wasson. "Whistleville is not geographically defined," said Wasson. "It's just a community. "We don't have town meet ings. In fact, that's what is.

so nice about Whistleville. "But everyDoay can't live Whistleville." And everybody doesn't. There are only 25 families who live along the three quarters of a mile stretch of Rural Route 7 "from corner to corner," which is the way Arlie V. Hines describes Whistleville's unofficial city limits. Hines arid his brother Forrest are the only members of the Hines family who still live in Whistleville, and, according to Hines, his family was among the first homesteaders to settle Whistleville.

Kines can remember when there were only 10 houses in Whistleville, so the prediction of a 1908 newspaper clipping that wiusuevme would soon fade away hardly came true. But the Whistleville that Hines knew as a boy and that his parents and aunts and uncles knew was not the same Whistleville of today. me settlement erew in dense timber, closely akin to the homesteaders' native Ken- El 11- timber which has since been thinned by a bulldozer. Listening to Hines the old set tlement came to life. I could almost hear the stage coach rolling' by and see the Indians knocking at his mother's door.

Hines doesn't remember the Indians himself, but he remembers his mother's story about them and he knows where to find three of their graves. He also remembers the story which gave Whistleville its name. "Back across the ravine there lived a family with a lot of daughters. "The parents were strict when it came to the daughters dating. "Their boyfriends would ride up on horseback to the edge of the woods near the house and whistle for the girls.

"Each boyfriend had a different whistle and each daughter knew which boyfriend was calling by his whistle. They -would sneak out of the house and ride off." The only whistling in Whistleville today is that of the wind whipping through what trees are left. There is no sign proclaiming Whistleville's post office no store or city hall. It's just a row of houses on either side of a straight but hilly stretch of road between two curves. But apparently that's enough to make Whistleville a tourist attraction.

"Why, we have quite a tourist season here during tne summer," Wasson said, smiling. "It's a nice place to drive through on a summer Sunday evening." I guess the "tourists" have learned that half the fun of Whistleville is finding it SIGNS According to folklore, plenty of acorns, hickory and other nuts, with squirrels working overtime storing them away' means a severe winter. EXECUTIVE DRIVEN! NOW AVAILABLE! DELIVERED JAN. 6th. RETURNED JAN.

28th. BALANCE OF WARRANTY AVAILABLE! VERY LOW FULLY EQUIPPED' 1971 FORD GALAXIE '500' 4 DR. SEDANS PREVIOUS DRIVERS' NAMES AVAILABLE! ALL DELIVERIES FINAL! 4 Jobs, But Only 1 Candidate Atwood Horace Romine has announc- No petitions of candidacy for ed he will not seek re-election as Atwood village president and village -resident. 455 E. PERSHING only one for village trustee have been filed with two weeks remaining before the Feb.

15 filing.