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About The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1953)
CASS COUNTY'S GREATEST NEWSPAPER PUBLISHED SEMI-WEEKLY Monday - Thursday Consolidated with The Nehowka Enterprise Delivered Twice Weekly to More Than 3000 Cass County Families VOLUME 72 EIGHTEEN PAGES PLATTSMOUTH, CASS COUNTY, NEBRASKA, : THURSDAY, MARCH 26, 1953 FIVE CENTS PER COPY NUMBER 35 u At District AAeet County Commissioners W. F. Nolte of Plattsmouth, Ray Norris of Weeping Water and Herman Bornemeier of Elmwood, along: with County Clerk W. J. E. McDonald and County Assessor E. C. Giles attended a meeting of county officers of the Southeast district at Lincoln Mon day afternoon. At the session, the group heard analysis of the present assessment laws as passed recently by the state legislature and of the specific provisions under the new statutes. State Senators, state tax com- mission officials and heads of MAmMAvrtlln in ' state county officers associa TgniD6lSillD 111 tfens led discussions on prob- m. amJT lems confronting commissioners I hsmhapUllr and assessors in relation to the VllCslIEUwl mij 50 percent assessment law. i mmB a a At the session Cass county of- flllalimO Hlfln t ficia-ls also had an opportunity Mil lEIllw iliyil to compare notes with county Increased interest in activities i officials throughout the south in the Plattsmouth Chamber of i east district on the effect of the Cnmmprrp i shnu-n hv an ud- ! new assessment provisions. w?rri trend in individual mem- . berships, a report from the Chamber of Commerce showed j today. 1 concensus is that personal as- In releasing the names of in- ! sessment schedules are showing dividual members, Orville Niel-I a decline . sen, Chamber director, pointed Locally Giles points out that out that the Chamber has more I actual valuations are running individual memberships than in j even with or above figures from any previous year. The increase ! last year, but that at the 50 is attributed to increased ac- ' percent level, figures are down tivities of the Chamber and a j considerably. The percentage of general interest in Chamber ' decline, or increase, won't ac functiors I tually be known until all sched- Individual members are L. J. , uJe completed and tabulat" merLofffL1- H I a state board of hSS: Orvml v. sSS!n, K. P. tax estimates and assessments tcJ co-?r, tv,,, Qri. I would be created unaer a bill cmon, Kicr.ara spangier. Vallery and Leslie Winters. Nielsen also pointed out that business memberships have hit an all-time high following ef forts of the membership com mittee to contact each and every business man or woman in the community. He said that membership list ings will be released to the Chamber office on April 1, and that after that date only mem bers of the Chamber will receive materials, bulletins and reports of the Chamber on activities and promotions. Drunken Driver Fined S100 After Union Accident James A. Surface of Omaha was fined SKY) and costs in conntv court Thursday mornins and had his license suspended for six months following an ac cident at Union Wednesday nieht. Arraigned in county court Surface pleaded puiltv to a charee of drunken driving. Surface was arrested Wednes day niht about 9:45 by Deputy Sheriff Charles Land after the car Surface was driving appar ently went out of control and collided with parked autos be longing to A. WT. Crawford and Alice Taylor of Union. Surface was drivine the car of Wayne Surface of Union when the mis haD occurred. Surface's vehicle collided with the parked cars when he turned east on a side road in Union. A Classified Ad in the Journal costs as little as 35 cents. Robert Tritsch Graduates From USAF Officer School T t T?nhprt W Tritsch son of Mr. and Mrs. Walter P. Tritsch of Plattsmouth was eraduated from the USAF offi cer candidate school at Lack land Air Foroe Base. Texas on March 20 and will begin extend ed active duty osa commission ed Air Force officer. Graduate ceremonies were held at the base near San An tonio for the class of approxi mately 600 new second lieuten ants. . Award'r" of the commissions culminated' s'x months of study Ind I practical application in Air Fiyr admiristTation and lead ership techniques for class mern S the maiontv of the SS" officers, the graduation renresnts an advancement- 1 i;ra1 ranks t t Tritsch is exoected to en- ov a briei nume '.r , Lrtine to new technical Air rS?ce Base. JUlnoK where f vr'll stterd a technical per- cne' school. t t Tritsc in a letter to his ,T,tV writes that he may be 5BrS; VTStter part of this crmduate of Flattmiouth v,irti "school in 1947. Lt. Tritsch from thf University Nebraska in 1951. He majored Officers County Assessor E. C. Giles l said that among those with whom .he conferred the general Legislature by the revenue com mittee. The board w-ould assist county ax tssors in arriving at a uni form assessment of all taxable property and send them an es timate of the value of property in their county. The board would be under the state board of equalization. Another bill, also sent to the foor, differs from the tax as sessment board in that it pro vides that the toard of equali zation would assist county as sessors in arriving at a uniform assessment of the taxable pro perty. Otoe County Assessor Wilson Erwin has reported that a check of 106 personal property sched ules made out in the recent ser ies of assessment clinics with the schedules competed last year by the same persons shows a 20.78 percent decrease in value. The decrease was noted even though none of the 106 schedules listed corn last year, but this year everyone of the schedules included corn. Cass County Assessor Giles also noted today that the re ports of corn on the assessment is helping to keep valuations up somewhat. Mougey's Hogs Top Market at Omaha L. B. Mougey was the only Cass county shipper at Omaha during the past week, but topped the hoe market on Monday, March 23. Mougey's 17 hogs weighing 236 brought $21.25, tops for the day. Large cattle runs resulted in a market that ranged from, un evenly steady to 25-50. cents lower. Hogs sold steady to 25 cents lower and sheep sold 50 cents higher. Lt. Robert Tritsch in oersonnel work at the Uni versity and was also student manager for the Cornhusker football team. The 23-year-old Plattsmouth youth was active in sports in the local school, participating in football, basketball and track. He entered the service in Octo ber 16, 1951. ;' .."JiV-'.V: r n. 1 IP V 1 I Street Crew Erects New Installation cf Plattsmouth's 'new street markers was completed early this week by the city street department. Here crewmen are shown getting ready to place the new marker at 13th and Main street. Bob Beins, on truck, is ready to Mrs. Comstock, 71, Dies Wednesday; Funeral Friday Mrs. J. C. Comstock, hospital ized for the past seven months, died at Immanuel hospital in Omaha early Wednesday morn ing. March 25. 1953. She was 71 years old. Mrs. Comstock had been in ill health for the past two years. A native of Mooresville, Mis souri, where she was born June 19. 1881, she was the daugghter of Edna V. and John H. Sibert. She was christened Mattie B. Sibert. She was married to James C. Comstock at Breckenridge, Mis souri, on October 30. 1907. Two sons were born to this union They are James F. Com stock. a mechanical engineer for the Omaha Public Power District, and Cecil W. Comstock, a teacher at Leigh. Also surviving are one daugh ter-in-law, Mrs. Lois Comstock. and two grandchildren, James Charles and Mary Lois Comstock of Murray. Mrs. Comstock was a member of the Presbyterian church and was also afffiliated with the Presbyterian Woman's Associa tion. Funeral services will be held at the First Presbyterian church at 2:30 Friday afternoon. March 27, with Rev. Keith Delap of ficiating. The casket will not be opened at services. Sattler Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Committee to Decide Repairs Mayor Clement Woster has asked the public buildings com mittee headed by Councilman D. L. Grove to come up with a "definite" recommendation for repairing and remodeling the City Hall. He issued the statement Mon day night after the committee reported a preliminary estimate of $303 for enclosing the front of the building, building an in side stairway and other remod eling and repairs as suggested by the council. Remodeling became necessary when the garagexdoor on the I1 f "de was! i,-"1 "i',, "iJiilr iuc uui.a oian un iiui III gui street. Woster also asked for defin ite recommendations in order to that more definite estimates of the cost may be obtained. Junior Hi Music Clinic Set Here Junior high school musicians from four schools will compete in a clinic and contest here on Tuesday. March 31, music direc tor Melvin McKenney announced today. Entries from Tecumseh. Belle vue, Syracuse and Plattsmouth w.ll particiDate in the all-day clinic and an evening concert. The schedule calls for solo comcetition in the morning srrall groups in the afternoon, followed by massed rehearsal. An evening massed concert will be presented at 8 p. m. Directors of the music depart ments of the four schools will conduct the concert. Lyle Welch, Lincoln high band director, will be judge. ;vt. J )v -"h m'i Housing Project Streets Dedicated To City Monday Hill and Valley Streets in the proposed Valley View Housing project have been dedicated to the city and were accepted by the city Monday night, pending the passage of an ordinance at the next regular council session. The two streets form an oval in the proposed hous ing area, just East of High way 73-75 and, about 300 yards south of the Platts-mouth-LouisviUe road. The dedication of the plat was signed by Mayor Clem ent Woster and Clerk-Treasurer Albert Olson. City At torney Harold Lebens will prepare an ordinance for passage by the Council at its next session. All Property Owners Must File Schedules Periods for filing tax assess ment schedules will end in three Cass county communities this week and is slated to open in two more during the coming week. Residents at Manley have two days, March 26 and 27 in which to complete schedules, while at Elmwood, Murdock and Louis ville the filing period ends on Saturday, March 28. Schedules may still be com pleted at Weeping Water which opened last Saturday. Residents at Weeping Water have until April 10. Filing will open at Cedar Creek on April 2 and 3 and will be held at Scnith Bend from April 2 to April 4. All personal property owned on March 10, 1953 is assessable for the full year, County Asses sor E. C. Giles points out. It is the responsibility of each pro perty owner to file a schedule. All motor vehicle owners are re quired to file assessment sched ules. wen as from Plattsmouth. " w Kesiaents or cass county as We schedules at the office of the county assessor in the court house at Plattsmouth. Where filing periods have al ready elapsed, residents of those communities, who failed to file an assessment schedule may do so at the court house. Schedules must be filed by April 20. Hearings Set on Phone Company Rate Application Hearing on the amended ap plication of the Lincoln Tele phone and Telegraph company fr authority to adiust its rates and charges for phone service, will be held on Apri 10 at the Railway Commission room at the state caoitol at Lincoln. Filings pertaining to the amendment must be made on or before April 3. Hearing on the merits of the amended applica tion will be held cm May 12. Al McClanahan, who was re cently injured In an automobile accident returned home Satur day from St. Catherine's hos pital and is reportedly improved. Markers start laying the cement while at far right, Bob Brittain, prepares to dig out an old street marker post at the intersection. At center, Foreman Elmer Gochenour holds the new sign erect while awaiting the cement. Journal Photo. Protest Lodged Against Street Paving District A protest against creation of a paving district on Eight Avenue and Clinton streets was lodged ueiore ine naiumoum wty Council Monday night by At- luiiicj- Ana. j-. kj. ui Weeping Water, representing "all property owners" in the proposed district. a -The protests were agatnst a petition submitted to the coun UT "-wa. weeks ago for creation of a street improvement district for paving Eighth Avenue from Porter street to Clinton and from Holdrege to Eleventh street. Mrs. Dwyer told the council that the cost of the improve ment would be too great for the amount of benefit to her clients. The cost might result in "con fiscation of my clients' proper ties," she explained. - The Weeping Water" attorney also hinted that Councilman E. O. Vroman, who has pushed for the street improvement, would "not be eligible to vote" if the matter comes before the council. Basically the "outcome will de pend upon a check of the sig natures oi property owners signing the original petition, Signatures are now being check ed by City Attorney Harold Leb ens. ATTEND SERVICES : Among those attending fun eral services here for Mrs. Philip Hirz were Mr. and Mrs. David Frazier and Mr. and Mrs. Jim Fraizer of Utica; Mrs. Morris Frazier of Lincoln; Mr. and Mrs. Jim Bloom, Mrs. Sample Hart , ... . . , and Jerry Smith of Omaha; and Mrs. George Joyner of Kansas. ' Footings Poured At Columbian School I I? - 'Nn. , "-S 1 i,TCTf 'w "s!" U-'i-W x " Ji ...... ,t J--- l,ffJ J j f 'V f 1 - - Raymond Pointer and Ted Embury, with wheelbarrows, start the short trip from the cement mixer to the excavations where footings were poured at the new Columbian school proj- Two Families Flee Apartments As Fire Roars Fire which threatened an en tire business block in Platts mouth early Wednesday morn ing was quickly extinguished by the Plattsmouth Volunteer Fire Department. Fire Chief Ray Wiysel. com plimenting the department on its exceptional turnout at the 1:33 a. m. fire in the Robert Nash apartmenjt in the Cloidt building on Main street just off hefn-maSTitSVigt1 haw o Firemen answering the alarm found flames belching from aLiB ini, tfyUUf L!!! south window m the Nash apartment, located on the sec- ' ond floor of the buiding to the 1 south. But the fire was ex-1 tinguished within five minutes i after firemen arrived. I m tne bathroom, "probably from ruff has received transfer orders defective wiring." j to the 509th Bombardment Wing Although the Nash family and ) at Roswell, New Mexico. He is residents of another apartment to report for duty at his new as in the building were forced to ""nmprt. nbont Mav 1. flee the building in their night clothes, there were no injuries, Wiysel said. I . jjt:nage to me Duucung was estimated at about $1500 while loss to the Nash' familv was es timated at from 50 to 75 dollars. Despite the early hour, all but four of the regularly active fire men failed to make the fire, Wiysel said, in citing his crews for doing a "good job in put ting the fire out." A moderate wind at the time could easily have spread the flames along the entire block of businesses if the fire had had a greater start. Senior Class Play Set for April 9-11 The Senior Class Play and j participation in the Fine Arts . Festival at Lincoln are on the horizon on the dramatic field for students at Plattsmouth high school. Rehearsals are now being held in "The Robe.'' senior class plav selection to be - given here on April 9, 10 and 11. The following week dramatic Jl?alsuh ,wm attend the Fine Arts Festival at i-ancom. Lntnes in the festival have not yet been determined, Tninian T vMo hinh c-.J,i matic instructor has explained Elmwood Man's Mother Dies Mrs. Rita Ferguson of Lin- : vision. At Roswell, he'll be as coln, mother of Elmer H. Steph- j signed to a tactical unit. The ens of Elmwood died at Lincoln ! w'ing to which he has been as Sunday, March 22, 1953. She i signed was the first to drop an was 72 years old. atomic bomb. Funeral services were held at i Expressing regret at leavinsr two o'clock Wednesday after- Plattsmouth, Lt. Col. Woodruff j """" fT til tn f'-. E" r; tAii,h ouiciaung. iiuriai was at Wyuka cemetery. Surviving are daughters, Mrs. Pearl Kunz of Imperial Mrs Rudy Varga of Lincoln. Mrs Dorothy McClure of Glendale, California. Mrs. Eva Smice of Lincoln and Mrs. Francis O '- Erien of Denton; sons. Harvev j nia. Elmer H. Stephens of Eta - '9 and Virgil Ferguson of "Jh A h "ruLner; i grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren. ouncBi lection Officials s" April. 7 Vote Election officials for the April 7 city election were named Monday night by the Plattsmouth City Council. Two clerks and three judges were named for each of the four voting precincts. Selected by councilmen from each -of the four pre- C'inrtS- thp tprtinn riffiriulc will ha cntlnnorl jit ihn vntinor ! places in the district f rom i i I I f m !lfA.J..fl Assigned Post In Hew Mexico Lt. Col. Harold ' Chips' Wood- Lt. Col. Harold "Chips" Woodruff Lt. Col. and Mrs. "Woodruff and three children have resided here for the past 21 months and have been active in community af fairs. In Plattsmouth Lt. Col. Woodruff was elected the first president of the Plattsmouth Parent-Teachers Association and was re-elected again this year. in., i ."j ! Prmm : bluuf at the Presbyterian chnrrh ra? n mpmhor of the Rotary Club here and only re cently was forced to decline the nomination as a candidate for the board of education. At the Air Base here, Lt. Col. Woodruff was a special projects officer with the intelligence di- i . ims morin? lhai 1 ve ! grown more roots here than m j any other town." The Woodruffs' three children T - , f Janice' 6th 8Taaer: Terr'' : 4th grader, and Mellisa, 11 i months old. i i David Friest stud u " ;. , 2r. p. areilts' .Mr- an? tMrs- guest of T. I. Mrs. Ed Egenberger and Joan were in Omaha Thursday. .Ji) ect, while Bob Davis, back to camera, awaits his turn at the machine. At right is Larry Apker, sup.nntenaent ol Korsho, Construction Com- pany, school contractors. Journal Photo. senea:s -hich they were selected, Election officials will be: First Ward, first precinct, Leone Schmidtmann and Mrs. G. G. Griffin, clerks; John Liber shal. Mrs. John Sattler and Mrs. Fred Rea, .judges. First Ward, second precinct Mrs. Louis Tiekolter and Miss Maxine Cloidt. clerks; W. H. Ofe. Wm. P. Kraeeer and Adolnh i Koubek. judges. Second Ward, first precinct Mrs. Phil H. Rihn and Mrs. L. L. Wiles, clerks: C. A. Johnson. Mrs. Charles Janda and Wm. E. Brown, judges. Second Ward, second precinct Ida Patton and Betlv Jean Ault. clerks; Frank Rice. Frank lin Kief and Mrs. Fred Edwards, judges. Polling places for the city election will be the same as in the past. That is: First Ward, first precinct Courthouse. Fird Ward, second precinct Plattsmouth Motors. Second Ward, first precinct Cass County Motors. Second Ward, second precinct Cass County Maytag. Voters in the city will be asked to select two councilmen, one from each ward, while voters of the school district will name two members to the board of educa tion. Candidates for office are: Council, first ward D. L. Grove, Republican; B. H. G. Eiting. Democrat. Council, second ward E. O. Vroman, Republican; Clark Fin ney, Democrat. Vroman and Grove are incum bents, seeking re-election. School board Herman Tie kolter and Robert Painter, in cumbents: and Harold Gaines and Col. Hnrold "Chins" Wnrd u ' a 1UUILX1 nominee ior me ' scnoox Doara. nas withdrawn from the race. Mrs. Frank Hull, Resident Here 39 Years, Dies Mrs. Gertha R. Hull, resident of the Rock Bluff community for 35 years before coming to Plattsmouth four years ago, died at her home in Plattsmouth Tuesday evening. March 24, 1953. following a long illness. She was 75 years old. Airs. Hull, who had been ill for the past one and one-half i years, observed her 75th birth day anniversary on March 18. Native of Story County, Iowa, where she was born March 18. 1 1878, she was the daughter of j George P. and Flora Eastwood. She was married on September 10, 1895. at Des Moines, Iowa, to Frank G. Hull. They observed their golden anniversary in 1945. Mrs. Hull with her husband and family came to Rock Bluff 39 years ago in 1914. They lived at Rock Bluff until four years ago when they moved to Platts mouth. Mrs. Hull was a member of the Christian church. Surviving are her husband, Frank G. Hull of Plattsmouth; five sons, Harold of Plattsmouth, Gilbert cf Willow Springs. Mo., Eldcn E. of Plattsmouth, Ben A. of Chamberlain. South Dakota, and Fred of Bellevue; and three daughters, Mrs. Georgia Wilson ' I of Blairstcwn. Mo., Mrs. Kathryn Glaze cf Plattsmouth and Mrs. Jean Jacks of Naches, Washing ton. Other survivors are a brother. C. Lou Eastwood of Grandview, Wash.; a sister. Mrs. Mabel Knorr Knorr of Glendale. Calif.: i grandchildren. Two sons. Arthur F. and Ed ward E. Hull, preceded her in death. Funeral services will be held Friday afternoon. March 27. at Caldwell-Linder Funeral chapel with Rev. J. W. Taenzler of j Omaha, formerly of Plattsmouth. oinciaung. Visiting hours will be held Thursday afternoon and evening from 4 to 6 and from 7 to 9 at Caldwell-Linder Funeral Home, I wmcn is m charge or arrange s ments. Burial will be at Rock Bluff i cemetery. Cliff Oirardot Jr.. is here vis i iting with his parents. Mr. and j Mrs. C. C. Girardot and family, n(i. witn otner friends. After a X&glJtgS? i Alaska. i sr-v