The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1901-current, February 01, 1954, Image 1
tLATnrsMdDannHi " JJodqjc&nai PUBLISHED SEMI-WEEKLY Monday - Thursday Consolidated With the Nehawka Enterprise and Elmwood Leader-Echo Delivered Twice Weekly to More Than 3000 Cass County Families VOLUME 73 SIX PACES PLATTSMOUTH, CASS COUNTY, NEBRASKA, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1954 FIVE CENTS PER COPY NUMBER 20 CASS COUNTY'S GREATEST NEWSPAPER 0 im Special rehearsals and arrangements for the Platts mouth high school bands series of concerts are now under way, according to Melvin McKenney, local high school band director. The band will present two special pro grams on February 22 and February 24 in a fund 'rais ing program for their trip to Oklahoma in May. Tickets at $1 adults and $.50 children each are now on sale by band members for those two presentations, which will be presented at the Lions Community Building. Ticket sales for each of the Bad Luck Hits Brown Family At Greenwood Vhe bad luck strikes the Har- ditional programs will be pre ry L. Brown, family of Green- ' rented if the need is found. If wood, it strikes with venereance. necessary one or two more pro All members of the ill-fated grams would be given he ex family were horpitalized Wed- ( plained. neday after their car crashed The musical programs, part of into a brii?e east of Ashland, an "Oklahoma Band Wagon" and three hours later their six- fund raising: campaign launched rotm house at Greenwood burn- in December, are designed to ed to the ground. present the various small band Mr. Brown and his seventeen- : groups, along with vocal selec-year-old daughter, Dorothy, J tions. Small groups will be fea-u-re released from the hospital tured in the programs, according after observation Thursday, j to the band director, however, Mrs. Brown and three! Funds obtained through the vounger children. William, 11; ticket sales will go toward the Barbara 5; and Judith 6, were bands $2,000 goal for making held ever. i the trip to Enid, Oklahoma next Mrs. Brown was the most se- May to participate in a 13-state riously injured suffering a com- J midwest band clinic. The trip pound fracture of the right foot has been authorized by the and various cuts and bruises. ; board of education and by the The three children suffered se- Band Parents Club, vere cuts and bruises. The series of musical pro- The 5 a. m. fire which destroy- grams is backed by the joint ef td the Brown home was discov- forts of a dozen civic clubs, who (red by Harmon Miller who call- conducted a fund campaign in ed the Greenwood fire depart- December when "Oklahoma menr. Firemen however were Band Wagon" sponsor tickets unable to salvage anything; from the house. Damage to the house, owned by Emil J. Meisinger, was esti mated at $3,500. Loss from household articles was not esti mated. C. H. Gray, Resident Here 18 Years, Dies Clifford Hall Gray, resident of Plattsmouth for 18 years, died at St. Catherine's hospital at Omaha on Friday morning, Jan uary 23, following a six month illness. He was 67 years old. Born at Tabor, la., on October 20, 1S85, he was the son of Wil liam S. and Nellie Meyers. He was married December 24, 1908, at Nebraska City to Jennie Gar rean. A retired farmer, he resided at L To -Uiiiiiis fiauo mouth 18 years ago he was a member of the Christian church j and was baptized at the church at Tabcr on October 23, 1923. Surviving are his wife, Jennie, ! of Plattsmouth; five daughters, : TnrcHnv Nihl Mrs. Violet Morehead of Repub- I 1 -Uty lie, Kansas; Mrs. Nellie Kramer Kramer Una'dlllTind j BUes' f T JnU Alhrf f'pv Sd I All wttetes remaining in the one son Albert E. Gray of Ve-istore win De auctioned Tuesday nice. Lain. j night. Biles said the Thursday Also surviving are three - nlght aucti0n was very success brothers. Albert of Thurman, la., j fUi Oliver and Frank of Saskatche- i ' wan, Canada; and a sister, Mrs. Mildred Johnson, also of Can ada; and 15 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Funeral services were held Monday afternoon, February 1 at Caldweil-Linder Funeral Home with Rev. J. W. Taenzler of Om aha officiating. Burial was at Oak Hill cemetery at Platts mouth. Visiting hours were held Sunday afternoon and evening. Caldweil-Linder Funeral Home oi Plattsmouth was in charge of arrangements. State Tax From Cass County Drops Over $64,000 Cass countians are paying $64, 241 less this year toward the state government than a year ago in property taxes, according to a study of the Nebraska Citi zens Council. That is a drop of 17.2 per cent with a drop from $372,455 to $308,245. The decrease in Cass county was 26:h in per cent among the 73 counties which will pay less taxes to the state government in paying their 1S53 taxes. Countians are paying 694 mills on each one dollar of valu ation to the state. That's $8.94 on each $1,000. A year ago the state mill levy for'Cass county was 3.30 mills. The levy ranks the county 43rd among the 93 counties in Nebraska. Subscribe to The Journal NOW! g; Tickets (p n two nights are limited to aoout 300 Mr. McKenney said today in reporting that sales are going well. The tickets may be pur chased from, any band member from now until the sales ex pire. Since the sale of tickets for an individual night are limited, MrKpnnpv nointed out that ad- were sold McKenney said today that the band would be happy to have to give more than the two concerts now planned. Sale of tickets, it successful enough, could neces sitate three or possibly even four concerts. He ulso explained that lack of facilities at the high school make it difficult for the music department to present its usual mid-wi nter concert and that therefore the series of programs will be two-fold. They'll not only be fund raising, but will also replace the annual winter program. McKenney explained. $20 Bill in March of Dimes Coin Box Believed Largest A $20 bill in the March of Dimes coin container at Biles Paint Store is undoubtedly the largest single contribution col lected in this manner in the cur rent March of Dimes campaign. The bill was deposited in the container by Elmer Kapperman, Tesident cf Hillcrest Hc-me near PlaUsmouth. A . . Ci . i AUCtlOn diarca A second auction will be held Tuesday night, February 2, at Baseball One of Plattsmouth's famed all-time baseball players and one of South Omaha's immortal ath letes was given recognition two weeks ago and admitted in the South Side Spavs' Hall of Fame. Andrew J. Graves, widely known baseball pitcher who died in 1951 at the age of 75, was chosen to receive the club's first annual sportsmanship award. The honor was presented to his brother, Perry "Kid" Graves, who once held the welterweight championship of the world. It inaugurated an annual rec ognition program which will in cude presenting an award each year to "All Time Greats' who were a credit to the community as sportsmen as well as great athletes. The late Andrew Graves began his baseball career at the aee cf 14 in his native Rock Bluff. Though starting as a catcher. he took over pitching chores one day when a cousin developed a sore arm during the game. In his career, Andy hurled for teams at Nebraska City. Platts mouth Cedar Creek and Union, later pitching in Omaha for the Union Stockyards. Shamrocks and Armours. In 1945, an ankle injury that had bothered him throughout his pitching career, required amputation of his left leg above the knee. Perry, who accepted the award to his brother, was nearly Chamber Fund Drive Launched Here Today Solicitors were reporting good success by noon today in the an nual Chamber of Commerce membership drive, which open end at 9 a.m. this morning. Approximately 30 local Cham ber boosteis, including most of the board of directors, were vis iting merchants and business men in the community to enroll them in the Chamber program for the nexc 12 months. Working mostly in pairs, the Chamber backers will visit ev ery business and every potential Chamber member as they seek funds and membership for the current year. Activities of the Chamber curing the coming year will append " considerably upon the outcome of today's campaign. President E. A. Ernst and a majority of the other 14 direc tors had help from other Cham ber backers in the one-day drive today. Though hopeful of com pleting the campaign today, Chamber officials are planning to spend . tne wTeek in making additional contacts and call backs where individuals were away from their place of busi ness or oui of town. License Plates For Bilces to Be Issued Tonight Bike owners in Plattsmouth will start receiving license tags j tonight dutmg the hours of 4-6 j p.m. and from 7 to 9 p.m. The license tags, patterned after 1954 auto license plates, will be issued at the police station aft er school and in the evening each night this week. The 58-bike owners wrho regis tered their two wheelers at the ORC armory Saturday will be eligible to receive the tags by paving the 50 cent fee. Licenses will be issued by Special Police Officer Dick March. Lloyd Fitch, commander of the V.F.W., reports that 58 Jbicycles were registt-redby the' V.F.W. members Saturday morning. During registration, bicycles were also safety inspected by V.F.W. members in cooperation with the city's bike registering program. . Registration will be conducted again at the armory next Sat urday during the morning hours. Under a recent city staute, reg istration of bicycles is manda tory. They must meet certain safety requirements and must be licensed to be ridden in the! wiv. The young bike owners are also eligible to join a bicycle club under the sponsorship of the V.F.W. ihe club, to be orga nized here during the coming weeks, will have club jurisdic tion in bicycle violations. Murdock Co-Op Stockholders Meet Stockholders of the Farmers Cooperative Elevator at Murdock will meet Tuesday, February 2 to elect four directors for two year terms. It will be the 39th annual meeting of the cooper ative. The two o'clock meeting will be held at the frehouse at Mur dock, according to Henry Klem me, secretary. A classified Ad In The Journal costs as little as 35 cents Pitcher speechless as a half-dozen home town former baseball greats witnessed the presentation. "I have never been so honored in my life," the veteran welter weight champion said. The Kid" still active in box 7 V If' ' 1 John Dynamo Denninson, left, president of the South Side Spavs at Omaha, presents sportsmanship award honoring the late Andrew Graves, to his brother, Perry "Kid" Graves of Plattsmouth. Looking on is Bill Bergesch, new business manager of the Omaha Cardinals, who was guest speaker at the Spavs meeting recently. Cut courtesy South Omaha Sun. irodatnatton WHEREAS, February 8. 1954, is the 44th anniver sary of the founding of the Boy Scouts of America, char tered by the Congress of the United States, as a program for all the boys of America, and WHEREAS, the Boy Scout program has affected the lives of 21,000,000 American Boys and men since 1910, and now has an active enrollment, of 3,300,000 and the movement, through its current theme, "Forward on Lib erty's Team," seeks to provide a higher quality program for its ever-increasing boy membership, and WHEREAS, the Boy Scouts of America, is a great force for training youth in right character and good citi zenship; ' NOW THEREFORE, J, Clement T. Woster, Mayor of the City of Plattsmouth in the State of Nebraska, do hereby proclaim the week of February 7th to 13th as "Boy Scout Week," and do urge our citizens to join with the boy membership of this great movement in now honoring the volunteer Scout Leaders whose unselfish efforts in behalf of boys make an inestimable contribution to our city. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF I have hereunto signed my name officially and caused the Seal of the City of Plattsmouth to be affixed, this 1st day of February, 1954. (SEAL) Scout Week To Be Noted At Plattsmouth Feb. 7-1 3 Final arrangements are being Co mm ISS 10 fl Suspends Tavern Operator 3 Days The State Liquor Commission has dismissed 1 charges against one Plattsmouth tavern operator and given another a three-day suspension on credit charges. The Commission has ordered Earl Alexander to close his tav ern for three days for violation of the 30-day credit regulation but dismissed a similar charge against Ralph Timm for lack of evidence. , The Commission however ap proved the request cf Timm to close his tavern for several weeks wrhile he takes a vacation. Eagle Lions Receive Charter at Dinner Program Thursday Approximately 30 Plattsmouth Lions Club members and their ladies 'attended charter night dinner and program at Lincoln Thursday nieht for v the Eagle Lions Club. The club was spon sored by Plattsmouth and Elm wood clubs. District Governor John Sav aee of Omaha was speaker, while Zone Chairman Ray Story of Platsmouth also spoke. The bell and gavel were presented by N. W. McKee, president of the Plattsmouth club. Gilbert Griffen Dies on Coast Mr. and Mrs. Guy Griffen left Thursday for Santa Barbara, California, where they were call ed by the death of Gilbert Grif fen. brother of Guy Griffen. The Californian died unex pectedly at his home on the West Coast. Subscribe to The Journal NOW! Honored ing through a V.F.W. program, is now a justice of peace in Plattsmouth. His brother Alvy, now in Omaha, and cousin. J. H. Graves of Plattsmouth were others at the honoring dinner ceremony. CLEMENT T. WOSTER, Mayor made nere ior observance of Boy Scout week by Plattsmouth Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts. The week will be observed February 7 to 13. Cub Scout leaders outlined their final plans Friday night at their monthly pack meeting, and Boy Scout arrangements are virtually complete, according to Scoutmaster Al Linder. Included in the week's observ ance will be mass attendance at church, a Cub and Boy Scout window display at the Gas Com pany office; parents night by the Boy Scouts, and wearing of uniforms to school throughout the week. . 'Noting the approach of Scout week, Mayor Clement Woster to day proclaimed the week of February 7-13 as . Boy Scout week at Plattsmouth and called upon citizens of the community to join with Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts in paying tribute to vol unteer Scout leaders in Platts mouth. The Mayor called attention to the 44th anniversary oi the Founding of Boy Scouts on Feb ruary 8, and to the role the youthful Scouts, play in the community. .Post-Boy Scout week activities are also being planned by the Scout groups. The annual Blue and Gold Banquet of the .Cub Scouts has been set for February 26, while a court of honor will be held later in the month by the Boy Scouts. The Scouts will attend church at Holy Rosary Catholic Church and the First Presbyterian church on February 7th to kick off the week's observance. Final preparation for the other activ ities during the week will be announced during the next few days. ( Six Countians Earn Degrees At University Two Plattsmouth students, Alice Reade Olson and Cyril Louis Kocian, were among ap proximately 275 graduates to re ceive degrees from the Univer sity of Nebraska at mid-year commencement exercises held at Lincoln Saturday. Mrs. Olson, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Reade, was awarded the Bachelor of Science in education. Kocian, whose parents are Mr. and Mrs. I. L. Kocian, was awarded the Bach elor of Science from the College of Business Administration. At ceremonies earlier in the day, Kocian was commissioned a second lieutenantin the. U. S. Air Force Reserve. He is also a member of Delta Sigma Pi, bus iness administration honorary. Four other Cass Countians also earned degrees at the for mal commencement exercises. They are: Clayton E. Ten Hulzen of Weeping Water, bachelor of sci ence in agriculture. Rose Ann Stiffler of Louis ville, bachelor of science in home economics. Hubert H. Rodman of Louis ville, bachelor of arts. Wendell A. Cole cf Weeping Water, bachelor of science. Mrs. Doran Bowman under went major surgery this morn ing, Thursday, at the Lutheran hospital in Omaha.. Victor Schreiner, is spending this week with his mother in Alliance, Nebraska. ' 7 Hearing Slated On Salaries of Cass Officials . Cass Count v Board of Com missioners will welcome discus sion on proposed county of fials salaries at a public hearing at the court house Tuesday aft ernoon. Tentative salaries, previously adopted by the board, w7ill be nresented for discussion to both the general public and to coun ty office holders. Increases have been voted m every office by the board, in the tentative schedule okayed fol lowing a recent eight-county parley. Hikes range from $200 a year for the county sheriff and county superintendent of schools to $l,10fl for the register of deeds. Top paid county offi cial under the board's suggested schedule would be the county treasurer. Board Chairman H e cm a n Bornemeier will preside at the Dublic hearing at two o'clock Tuesday afternoon in the dis trict courtroom. Commissioners Ray Norris and W. F. Nolte will also help conduct the discus sion. Role of setting county offi cials salaries was placed in the hands by a 1953 act of the legis lature. The salaries would be come effective in January 1955, when new or re-elected officials will take office. Ruse Sentenced To 1 8-Month Term For Tax Evasion C. A. Ruse, Plattsmouth used car dealer and appliance store owner, was sentenced to serve 18 months in a Federal prison for income tax evasion Thursday by Federal Judge James A. Dono hoe. Ruse and his wife were also fined $2,500 and costs on the eva sion count to which they plead ed no defense. The government has charged the Plattsmouth couple with re porting a loss of $1,104.28 in 1949 when they actually had an in come of $13,115.46. Ruse was fined $7,500 in April of 1949 when he pleaded no de fense to evading income taxes in 1943, 1944 and 1945. Govern ment attorneys said the Platts mouth man still owes penalty payments on the first offense. Wynne Babbitt has returned from Bt. Joseph's hospital and is convalescing at home. Court House Briefs Arthur R. Tov was fined $10 and costs when arraigned in county court on a charge of im proper parking. Lowell C. Wiles posted $2,000 bond Friday and was released from county jail. Wiles was bound over to district court aft er pleading guilty to a charge of refusal to support child. Arguments were taken under advisement by District Judge John Dierks in the reckless driv ing charge against Bernard O. Pierce in district court Wednes day. At request of the defendants time to plead was extended in the damage action of Joseph W. Collison against Irene Fewrins. Demurrer was ovemled by District Judge TMreks in the damaee action of Douglas Lane Hilt against Harold Buell. Motion of the defendant was overruled in district court Fri day in the damage actions of James E. Douglass and John B. Nicely against J. R. Childers. The mandatory injunction of Catherine Meisinger et al against Hugo Meisinger et al, was dismissed with prejudice in district court Friday. Hearin?: was held in district court Friday and license to sell real estate granted in the guar dianship of Raymond Jerry Moore, a minor. Partial release of "judgment lein was approved in district court in actions of Mildred Gak emeier against Dean Gakemeier and Ruth M. Gakemeier against Richard Dean Gake meier. Bobby H. Hensley was fined $10 and costs when arraigned in county court on a charge of speeding. ITS ess: ikodlDes Meft Bon DDIfi) FtLDFfld At least fifty local ladies one of the most successful March of Dimes fund raising campaigns at Plattsmouth, in the Mothers' March on Polio. The ladies netted approximately $700 in the one night drive. ' A project of the American Legion Auxiliary, the Moth ers' March was the first held at Plattsmouth in recent years and was highly successful, both in the eyes of the sponsoring group and to the local March of Dimes committee. John Long, 89, Longtime Cass Resident, Dies John Long of Elmwood, for mer resident of the Plattsmouth and Louisville communities died at his home at Elmwood on Sun day, January 31, following a lengthy illness. He was 89 years old. A longtime resident of Cass ; county, Mr. Long had resided at LaPlatte, Louisville and Platts mouth before going to Elmwood. He was reportedly in failing health for some time. Funeral services will be held ! Wednesday afternoon at two o'clock at Clements Funeral Home at Elmwood. Burial will be at Riverside cemetery at Louis ville. Surviving are his wife, Etta; four daughters, Mrs. Lawrence Smith and Mrs. Lloyd Larson of Louisville, Mrs. Arthur Nance of Elmwood and Mrs. Donald Dihel of Yuba City, Calif.; and three sons, Charles Long of Pacific Junction, la., Waldemar Long of Plattsmouth, and Don Long in the United States Air Force sta tioned at Tooele .Utah. Also surviving are 23 grand children and 17 great grand children. County Preparing New Road Map E &"flJ system is being prepared by the county surveyor's office, in co operation with Cass County Commissioners to be submitted to the state department of roads and irrigation. The maps will be marked for improved roads and mail routes, and will show the type of sur face of each road in the coun ty. Commissioners worked on the map with County Surveyor Glenn Johnson last week. FIRE AT CAFE Firemen answered a call to Kent Cafe and Service Station early Thursday evening, when an air conditioning unit caught fire. The blaze was quickly brought under control. Alexander Rhouts was fined $10 and casts in county court Thursday on a charge of failure to pay motor fuel equalization fee. Wiley Hahn was fined $103 each on c o jnts of overweight on capacity plates and no license plates when arraigned in coun ty court Thursday. Speding cost Murt J. Smith 25 and costs in county court Thursday. Carl E. Johnson was fined $50 and costs in county court on a charge of overweight on tandem axle. Norman Foster paid a fine of $10 and costs in county court after pleading guilty to a charge of improper license plates. Glen W. Hodges was fined $25 and costs when arraigned in county court on a charge of speeding. Speeding was also costly to Phillip F. Drew, who was fined $15 and costs when arraigned before Judge Raymond J. Case. Coca Cola Bottling Company was fined $10 and costs in coun ty court on a charge of over weight on foreign truck without resident registration. Clinton Cowell was fined $25 and costs in county court on a charge of careless driving. Samuel H. Ellis paid a fine of $15 and costs in county court when arraigned on a charge of speeding. Passing a stop sign cost H. S. Leffler $10 and costs in county court here. Mark D. Lundby was fined $200 and costs in county court on a charge of overweight on axle. irelfoi Q joined forces Friday night in Returns from the drive began filtering into Feldhousen Drug where headquarters were held, shortly after 7:30, just a short time after the campaign open ed. Before eight o'clock more than $250 had been turned in and by midnight more than $500 had been turned in. Other solicitors turned in their funds the following day, while many also made additional calls to homes that theyhad missed or where people wrere gone the night of the solicitation. Al though a few homes were miss ed, Auxiliary members felt that the town was well canvassed. A few other contributions are be- ing received daily as the total continues to mount. Mrs. Don Wall, local chairman of the March of Dimes, and Mrs. Sophia Wolever, Mothers March on Polio chairman, counted the Mothers March returns as they came in after the Friday night collection, which was launched with fire trucks touring the city with sirens wide open. More than $100 was also listed among additional March of Dimes collections this week, in addition to the Mothers March and excluding the Saturday farm produce sale at Platts mouth Sale Barn. Those collections included al most $98 from donations from Cass Theatre patrons, plus funds from coin containers at two gro- eery stores. Coin containers at Soennichsen's Black & White netted $17.37; while one at Ru back's Super Store produced $14..92. Meanwhile March' of Dimes activities will be carried on well into February. A Junior or Wo man's Club smorgasbord will be held at the Lions Community building on February 7th. ser- ing from 12 noon to 4 p. m.; while a three-act comedy play will be given on February 8, 10 and 11 at the building. Arrangements for the smor gasbord have been completed, and regular rehearsals are be ing held by the cast of the play, "Your Uncle Henry." A special performance for youngsters un der 14 will be given on Monday, February 8, while performances will also be presented February 10 and 11. The play will be given at 8 p. m. at the Lions building each of the three nights. Tick ets on sale at all drug stores. Dr. Pucelik to Head Heart Fund Drive Appoint of Dr. L. S. Pucelik as chairman of the Plattsmouth Heart Fund Drive was an nounced today by Mrs. Donald w Clarke. Hastings, state cam paign chairman of the Nebras ka iiearo Association. In accepting the chairman ship for Plattsmouth' Dr. Puce lik said: "The Nebraska Heart Associa tion has set $75,000 dollars as its 1954 goal to fight diseases of the heart and blood vessels through research, education, and community heart programs. This community has never failed a worthy cause, and I'm sure that the citizens will support us 100 in our effort that our doctors might combat those terrible diseases that are responsible for a greater toll of human lives than all other diseases com bined." The Nebraska and national heart campaigns will be run throughout the month of Feb ruary. At least 75 of all funds collected in Nebraska will remain in the state to be used exclusively for the citizens of Nebraska. Incubator Baby Brought- Home Frank Edward Cheval, Jr., in an incubator for weeks after his birth in December, was brought to the home of his Da rents, Mr. and Mrs. Frank Che val. at Plattsmouth Saturday. The babv had been at St. Jo seph hospital at Omaha since birth. Janet Rouser daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Marion Rouse, under went surgery Saturday at St. Marys hospital in Nebraska City.