A Look Back September 1961
By Wally Peel
With sadness we note the passing of long time friend Allen Bell. A faithful reader of “A Look Back”, Allen was employed at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stonebridge, Massachusetts. He was instrumental in helping us obtain permission to use various Rockwell images over the years.
His help and his extraordinary sense of humor will be greatly missed.
Wally Peel
General Assembly Has Heavy Agenda
As the UN General Assembly opened, Diplomats from all over the world were asking for a negotiated settlement of the Berlin Crisis. It quickly became clear that the situation in Berlin was the source of the most concern in the 99 nation assembly.
Brazil’s foreign minister expressed hope that President Kennedy and Soviet Premier Khrushchev would reach a compromise on Berlin.
Japan’s foreign minister said the only way to reach a solution was through negotiation. He backed the Western power contention that the four power agreement on Berlin remained in effect, and could not be set aside by any one of the powers.
The Foreign Minister of Iran appealed to the big powers to rule out the use of force, and urged that the German people be allowed to determine their own future.
Two other pressing matters were on the Assembly agenda.
They needed to find a replacement for Dag Hammarskjold, who had died in a planc crash. The Soviets wanted a three man directorate , known as a troika, to replace the Secretary General. Others believed such a system would paralyze the operations of the United Nations.
The Assembly would also be taking up the question of whether Red China should be seated in the United Nations.
Kennedy Addresses the UN
President Kennedy told the United Nations that the United States had both the will and the weapons to avoid aggression. He challenged the Communist world to drop the arms race in favor of peace.
The President’s address covered a broad spectrum of events that confronted a troubled world. He called for a six point disarmament plan and asked for the creation of a UN peace force.
Kennedy urged the small nations of the world to rally behind the United Nations to defeat the Soviet effort to form a “troika” system of three man control over its police power.
His 38 minute address was alternately tough and conciliatory. He advised the Soviets that the United States believed a peaceful agreement could be reached to resolve the crisis in Berlin, but added that threats of force could lead to war.
As the President spoke, the Soviet delegation, headed by Andrei Gromyko sat quietly, showing no emotion. They did not join in a in any applause. When asked to comment on the speech, Gromyko would only say he wanted time to study it.
Soviet “Fishermen”
A spokesman for the North American Air Defense Command said at least 152 Soviet fishing trawlers were spotted within or near U. S. territorial waters. It was obvious they were there for purposes other than fishing.
Chief of Information for the Command, Barney Oldfield, said the boatmen were equipped with various devices designed for tracking and observation.
Oldfield reported 20 trawlers were spotted off the Aleutian Islands, 106 were seen between Greenland and Iceland, 7 off the banks of Newfoundland, 15 south of Nova Scotia, and one off the Nova Scotia coast.
They were fishing for something, and it didn’t have fins.
Thurgood Marshall Appointed
President Kennedy sent to the Senate the nomination of Thurgood Marshall to the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals.
Marshall was the second black man appointed to the Federal Circuit Court of Appeals. The first was Judge William Hastie, who at the time served on the appellate bench in Philadelphia.
Marshall, an integration legal mastermind, had been counsel for the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.
A native of Baltimore, Marshall served as Judge of the United States Court of Appeals Second Circuit from 1961 to 1964.
In the years that followed, President Lyndon Johnson nominated Marshall to the Supreme Court in 1967. He was confirmed by the Senate on a 69-11 vote, and became the 96th Supreme Court Justice, and the first African American to hold the position. .
Thurgood Marshall retired from the bench in 1991, and dies in 1993 at the age of 84.
Permanente to Build Plant in Montana City
Although it wasn’t “official” yet, it seemed certain a new industry would be coming to the Helena area.
Builder of the new plant in Montana City would be Permanente Cement Company of Oakland, California, one of the west coast operations of the Kaiser Industries.
The main reason for building the new plant was to provide cement for the construction of the Yellowtail Dam on the Big Horn River near Hardin.
Building of the dam would require a million barrels of cement., with each barrel containing four 96 pound bags of cement.
The new operation would include a blasting and quarrying operation, operation of kilns, grinding, bagging, and storage of the completed product. It would employ about 100 people year-round.
Studies indicated that beyond the construction of Yellowtail Dam, the plant could be kept busy indefinitely, supplying cement for other projects in Montana and Wyoming.
Kaiser had plants in California and in Bellingham, Washington. The Bellingham plant was unable to supply cement to meet Montana needs due to high freight rates.
Exploratory work for building the new plant in Montana City had already been completed.
Will The Meagher Statue Be Moved?
State Auditor John J. Holmes chastised the Montana Board of Examiners for its “do nothing policy” in regard to the deteriorating state of General Thomas Francis Meagher in front of the Capitol.
In August the board received a letter from Clancy resident Casey O’Brien, asking that the statue be repaired. They assigned Historical Society Director Michael. S. Kennedy and State Building Inspector Henry Evans to investigate the matter.
O’Brien suggested that the statue of Meagher be painted emerald green. It was Holmes’ belief that refurbishing would be a better solution, saying the statue of the General “should mean more to the state than just a roost for sparrows”.
Holmes added, “I also can’t help but observe that the statue of Wilbur Fisk Sanders, who could not hold a candle to General Meagher, either as a soldier or a patriot, is kept in the foyer of the Capitol where it is nice and warm. Poor General Meagher is left out in the cold.”
A bit of “Horsing Around” over the statue…
Governor Nutter weighed in on the matter, suggesting the statue be moved into the Auditor’s office. He explained that funding had been approved for remodeling of Holmes’ office, and thought the Auditor might be able to provide space for the statue.
Not to be outdone, Holmes pointed out that Meagher was Governor of Montana Territory and thus Nutter should be just as concerned about the statue as he was. He told reporters that he was willing to make a deal with Nutter. “I am willing to make a deal with Mr. Nutter” he said, “I will put General Meagher in my office if the Governor will provide space in his office for the iron charger.”
He’ll Remember Helena
J. S. Rekhi, a 27 year old resident of New Delhi, India set out to see the world.
The bearded Sikh bought a new station wagon in Detroit, and hit the Highway to get a firsthand look at America.
Before he left the Motor City, he took the precaution of having his vehicle blessed. Not knowing what he might meet up with along the road, he had the station wagon blessed not just once, but three times. He first put the blessings of his own religion on the wagon, then had it blessed by a Roman Catholic Priest. Just to be on the safe side, Rehki then had it blessed by a Protestant Minister.
As he traveled from State to State he met with Governor’s, Senators, and many local dignitaries. His log book was filled with the signatures of officials, and others he met along the way.
Montana was the 17th State on the tour, and in Helena he met with Mayor Wanna Thompson, Governor Donald Nutter, and others including one woman he wished he hadn’t met.
After 18,000 accident free miles behind the wheel, he was hit by a woman driver in Downtown Helena.
With no time to stay and have the station wagon repaired, Rehki left town, taking with him a sizeable reminder of Montana’s Capital City.
The blemish on his driving record wasn’t his biggest concern. He was more worried about the consequences the Helena woman might face after hitting a vehicle with multiple blessings.
Price of Education
Manuel Hernandez Sanchez was one of the few Indians in the Mexican State of Chiapas who could read and write.
Because of his education, other Indians in the sparsely populated region would often seek his help in presenting appeals to the president, the governor and other officials.
His successes made him friends, but his failures brought him enemies.
New friends would shake his hand. New enemies kept burning his house down. In fact, that happened three times.
“I wouldn’t have all this trouble” Sanchez said, “if I hadn’t learned to read and write.”
Change in “Driving Habits”
The attire of the Clemens Nursing Nuns became a matter of concern in Muenster, Germany.
Active in the caring of out-patients, the nuns sometimes drove to their appointments. The large bonnets they wore obstructed their vision.
When the matter was brought to the attention of “higher authorities”, the Vatican ordered a “change in driving habits” to make its nuns more compatible with the motor age.
Here at the Station………
Clem Kaddiddlehopper refused to kiss Carolyn Lasater, Miss Utah, and Jayne Mansfield in the episode “Clem The Unkissable “on the season premiere of the “Red Skelton Show”.
The results were disastrous when Hawkeye supervised the building of a barbecue pit on “Guestward Ho”.
On “Frontier Justice “a farmer was forced to choose between his son, a Confederate raider, and his love of the land.
A teacher was nearly driven insane when she saw herself as another person, from another time on “Great Ghost Tales”.
When Kate offered advice to some Japanese friends, she nearly broke up an Oriental romance on the “Real McCoys”.
On “Twilight Zone”, Elizabeth Montgomery and Charles Bronson starred in the tale of two survivors of a nuclear holocaust.
Bub rescued comedian George Gobel from some over-zealous fans on “My Three Sons”.
On “The Untouchables” gang bosses needing one vote to break a tie in their struggle to control the crime empire, tried to smuggle a deported mobster back into the country.
Hoss tried to help his new friend Daniel Pettibone raise money to build a full size automobile on “Bonanza”.
Beaver achieved the impossible by somehow managing to get himself trapped in a soup bowl on “Leave It To Beaver”.
“Fight of the Week” featured a ten round lightweight bout between Jack Donnelly and Paolo Rosi.
Marshall Matt Dillon helped a trail herd escape the attack of a vicious band of rustlers. James Arness and Dennis Weaver co-starred on “Gunsmoke”.
On “Perry Mason”, an Army officer hired Perry to represent him. Mason arrived at the base to find his client had been murdered.
On the season premiere of “Cheyenne”, Cheyenne tangled both professionally and romantically with a lady trail boss from Texas.
Buddy’s aunts were taken in by a con man on “Bringing Up Buddy”.
On “Peter Gunn”, Jacoby interrupted his vacation to help solve a mystery.
Om “Laramie”, a deputy sheriff allowed an ex-convict to escape, so the man could prove himself innocent of charges against him.
In an attempt to cure Maynard of his fear of girls, Dobie got some of his lady friends to make a play for his beatnik pal on “Dobie Gillis”.
That's
At the last nine days in September 50 years ago.
U. S. Resumes Nuclear Testing
In response to ten shots fired by the Soviet Union, the United States reluctantly resumed its nuclear testing program.
President Kennedy made the announcement, stating that our first test since the November 1958 moratorium had already taken place at a site in Nevada. He gave no indication of the size of the blast, other than to say it was low yield.
The major difference between testing by the two powerful nations was the fact that U. S. tests were being conducted underground, while the Soviet tests were in the atmosphere, which added the danger of nuclear fallout which could potentially harm mankind.
Yield was also a factor, with the U.S. testing low yield weapons while the Soviet Union fired more powerful ones, some in the megaton range.
The President said he had no choice other than to resume testing in order to strengthen defense of the free world. He closed his remarks with the pledge that this country was still ready to negotiate a controlled test ban treaty.
Plane Crash Claims the Life of Dag Hammerskjold
United Nations Secretary-General , and nine others, died in a plane crash while on a mission to seek peace in the Congo.
The Secretary-General was flying from Leopoldville for peace talks with President Moise Tshombe of secessionist Katanga.
Rhodesian authorities said the wreckage of the DC6B was found in bush country near the Congo-Rhodesian border.
Cause of the crash was unknown. Some speculated that it may have been shot down by jet fighters in Tshombe’s Katanga Air Force.
The death of Hammerskjold plunged the United Nations into the deepest crisis in its history. Some thought it might spell the beginning of the end of the UN as an effective world peace organization.
The tragedy could not have happened at a less opportune time as the UN was about to open the 16th General Assembly session.
Replacing Hammerskjold would not be easy. To produce a successor the Security Council would have to agree on a candidate and recommend him to the Assembly. That would likely bring about a crisis as the Soviets were expected to push the idea of a troika, a three man board made up of one Communist, one Westerner and one neutral, each having the ability to veto.
If that concept was enacted it would effectively destroy the power of the Un Secretary General.
Katanga Troops Battle UN Forces
Katanga’s defiant army threw planes, armored cars and swarms of troops into new assaults on United Nations forces attempting to prevent civil war in the Province.
U. N. sources reported that Irish troops hemmed in at Jadotville were strafed by Katanga jet fighters. Later, the same type of jet dropped two bombs on Elisabethville airport, and strafed the control tower at the UN Kamina base.
Battle weary Swedish troops fought off repeated onslaughts by Katangan troops led by white officers, and backed by armored cars. Mortar and machine gun fire raked the base, and two companies of Swedish troops stationed in Leopoldville were flown in to reinforce the garrison at Kamina.
Heavy casualties were reported on both sides.
Reds Buzz Airliners in Corridor
The dispute over the use of the Berlin Corridor heated up when Soviet fighter planes buzzed two Pan American aircraft.
In one incident, a Soviet Mig approached a Pan American Berlin to Hamburg flight. The fighter circled the airliner several times, then pulled alongside it for a short distance, flying about 20 feet off the right wingtip.
Three hours later another Pan American plane was approached by two fighters in the south corridor. One followed the Pan Am craft in the tail position while the other crossed in front of its nose at a distance of about 100 feet.
Western Foreign Ministers were scheduled to meet to decide what steps should be taken if the Soviet harassment continued.
U. S. Government officials reported military leaders were studying the possibility of stationing fighter planes near the corridor terminals in West Germany, to have then ready for instant action if airliners in the corridor were endangered by Soviet pilots.
No Kidding
Kibitzers in Chipley, Florida were given fair warning that they might get soaked if they continued offering unwanted advice to on duty firefighters.
Chipley Mayor E. A. Thorpe reported finding a valid city ordinance dating back to 1921. It stated:
“Any unauthorized person making any suggestion as to the operation of the Fire Department at any fire, thereby causing confusion to the department, will be asked to stop commenting. If the person refuses to discontinue after being requested to do so, it shall be the duty of the Officer in Charge to order the water hose turned on him.”
Rail Merger Delayed
A rail merger hearing scheduled for September 19th in Saint Paul, Minnesota was postponed until October 10th. The delay in the hearing was considered a victory by merger opposition forces.
Montana Railroad Commission chairman Jack Holmes said the delay was in response to the Montana Commission’s motion that the hearing date and time be changed.
He interpreted the granting of the request as a measure of progress in the commission’s fight to defeat the merger of The Northern Pacific, Great Northern, Chicago Quincy & Burlington, and Spokane, Seattle and Portland Railroads.
According to Holmes, the main reason for requesting the delay was that the states involved had not had enough time to prepare. The magnitude of the transaction, which involved 26,000 miles of railroad, and an estimated cost of three billion dollars, was considered sufficient grounds for requesting the delay.
Commissioner Paul T. Smith would represent Montana interests at the rescheduled hearing.
Her Name is Judy
Having a baby at 8AM didn’t deter a Helena woman from performing her civic duty. She simply rounded up a babysitter, and reported to the courtroom as an alternate juror well in advance of the 10AM starting time for the trial.
Having a baby, so she hired a babysitter?? That needs some explanation.
When being examined for jury selection, the woman told Judge Victor H. Fall that she was “expecting” a baby. Upon further questioning she revealed that she cared for welfare children from time to time, and that she was scheduled to receive a three day old baby on a day when the trial would be underway.
The situation did not excuse the woman from Jury Duty, and thus the new baby was being cared for by a relative during her time in court.
On “arrival” day the woman was asked what the baby’s name would be. She replied, “I named the little girl Judy. It was the closest I could come to Jury, and I only had to change one letter.”
Sign of a Troubled Marriage
In Kankakee, Illinois, policeman Virgil Johnson was in the process of repairing a parking meter when he made an unusual discovery.
He was accustomed to finding an occasional slug in the meter, but this time the problem was caused by something else.
Jammed tightly in the coin slot was a woman’s wedding band.
Hazardous Duty
We all know the dangers police officers face while on duty. It’s not a friendly world out there.
In Milwaukee, Police Matron Albina Jenko was rushed to the county emergency hospital at 3:30AM for treatment of a dislocated jaw.
She didn’t receive it in an altercation with a criminal. The injury wasn’t obtained in a crash during a high speed chase. She didn’t dislocate her jaw in a fall while chasing a bad guy.
Officer Jenko suffered her on the job injury when she yawned while on the night shift.
Here at the Station………
NBC introduced us Gunther Toody and Francis Muldoon, two of New York’s finest, starring in a new comedy “Car 54 Where Are You.” This sitcom featured the adventures of two officers assigned to Patrol Car 54 in the fictional 53rd Precinct. Toody,played by Joe E. Ross, was short, stocky and not very bright. His partner Muldoon was played by Fred Gwynne. Muldoon, a shy bachelor, was tall, quiet, and more intelligent. Some may recall the words of their theme song.
There’s a holdup in the Bronx,
Brooklyn’s broken out in fights,
There’s a traffic jam in Harlem
That’s backed up to Jackson Heights,
There’s a scout troop short a child,
Khrushchev’s due at Idlewild!
Car 54 Where Are You??
On “Rawhide”, an outlaw tried to regain the love of his only son.
A man’s ability to pick the winners for six out of eight horse races daily puzzled the detectives on “77 Sunset Strip”.
Guest star Gene Barry played himself on the season premiere of “Pete and Gladys”.
Bodie clashed with a warring Indian party on “Massacre at Gunsight Pass” on “The Cheyenne Show”.
On “Surfside 6”, Sandy found a lost little girl and became involved with an intricate smuggling ring.
“Peter Gunn” was hired by billionaire Cesar Carlyle to locate some missing documents that were being used in blackmail.
Ike Clanton swore he would kill Wyatt and his brothers in a battle at the OK Corral on “Wyatt Earp”.
On “Dobie Gillis”, Dobie and Maynard bid farewell to civilian life and reported for Army Duty.
That's
At the third week in September 50 years ago.
Nikita “Sugar Coats” the Arms Crisis
U. S. diplomats were unsuccessful in any attempt to enter negotiations with the Soviet Union that would result in a peaceful solution to the Berlin crisis.
Officials reported that Premier Khrushchev had completely rejected the Western proposal for a ban on nuclear explosions in the atmosphere. That dealt another blow to the hopes of reducing the risks of war.
The Soviet leader had called for big power talks on world problems, including disarmament and the Berlin crisis, but informants said his remarks were clearly propaganda. Sugar coating for his rejection of a test limitation plan.
They believed strongly that Khrushchev was committed to a very tough and defiant course aimed at intimidating Western nations into accepting his Berlin demands.
Secretary of State Dean Rusk warned the Soviet government against risking disaster by their single-handed action against the allied interests in West Berlin. He also warned the Kremlin not to mistake the West’s desire for peace as a willingness to yield to the Soviet’s Berlin demands.
U. S. Nuclear Tests to Resume
The Joint Congressional Atomic Committee was called into session to go over plans for a new series of underground nuclear tests by the United States, and to hear a top secret analysis of the latest tests conducted by the Soviet Union.
They were told that Atomic Energy Commission and Department of Defense experts were working night and day to get American testing underway.
Experiments would start with a series of underground blasts of low yield. Low yield was defined as a force comparable to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. They had an explosive equivalent of 20,000 tons of TNT.
It was believed that the new series of Soviet tests were in the 100 million ton range. That led scientists to believe that the Soviets were testing trigger devices for the super bomb Premier Khrushchev had threatened to build. That bomb would pack a punch of 100 million tons of TNT.
U. S. testing was expected to resume within a week to ten days.
Fallout Not Harmful
As the Soviet Union resumed its nuclear testing program, concerns over radioactive fallout grew in this country.
While closely monitoring the situation, officials agreed there was no immediate danger.
Scientists believed the first Russian test was exploded below the 40,000 foot level, which would explain the speedy arrival of radioactive debris over the United States.
The radioactive cloud produced by the second shot was largely caught in a high pressure cell over Siberia.
Unusual weather conditions caused the cloud from the third nuclear test to pass over the continental U. S. ahead of the fallout from the second blast.
Soviet tests were occurring in such rapid succession the first cloud had already traveled around the world, and materials from more recent tests were mixing with it. That would make it harder to detect when future tests occur.
In the two weeks following the resumption of testing, the Soviets had already detonated ten devices.
Artificial Astronaut
The United States took another “catch up” step in the race for space, launching an “artificial astronaut” into orbit for a single sweep of the earth.
Just over three hours after it roared away from Cape Canaveral on the nose of an Atlas rocket, the capsule splashed down in the Atlantic about 160 miles east of Bermuda.
The “astronaut” on board was actually a gray box filled with instruments that were designed to breathe, sweat, and even talk just like a human.
Successful recovery of data from the instruments would be a huge step forward in the program designed to match, and perhaps even surpass the Russia’s manned orbital flights.
At the time, the Soviets had already put two of their cosmonauts, Yuri Gagarin and Geherman Titov into orbit. The U.S. had placed two men, Alan Shepherd and Virgil “Gus” Grissom into 15 minute suborbital flights.
No word from NASA on whether or not the “artificial astronaut” consumed any Tang.
Hurricane Carla
Texas and Louisiana residents found themselves being visited by an unwanted guest. Her name was Carla. Hurricane Carla.
She announced her arrival from the Gulf of Mexico, by wrecking piers, beach houses and boats. Carla pushed her deadly winds in excess of 150 mph with gusts of up to 170 mph toward land.
Tides nearly 20 feet above normal flooded scores of cities and towns. Water rushed through multi-million dollar industrial plants all along the coast.
She came ashore as a Category 4 hurricane, making landfall near Port O’Connor and Port Lavaca.
Not wanting to face Carla’s wrath, nearly 400,000 people evacuated the Texas and Louisiana coast lines. In Port Arthur, cars stretched bumper to bumper for 20 miles on the 5 highways leading out of town. Port Arthur was becoming as ghost town.
Carla spawned 26 tornados within her circulation. One ripped through downtown Galveston killing several people.
As she left the Lone Star State, Carla dropped heavy rain, causing a great deal of flooding in the Midwest.
One of the most powerful storms to ever strike the United States, Hurricane Carla left behind a path of destruction with an estimated loss of well over 2 billion dollars. She claimed 43 lives.
As the hurricane approached, a young reporter took his camera crew to the National Weather Service radar station on the top floor of the Post Office building in Galveston.
One of the technicians drew a rough outline of the Gulf of Mexico on a sheet of plastic, and held it over the Weather Service black and white radar display. That gave the audience an idea of the storm’s size, and the position of its eye. That creative thinking set the standard for all future broadcast coverage of storms.
The young reporter who faced Hurricane Carla and kept viewers informed of her path was Dan Rather.
The New Miss America
On Saturday night, the nation watched as Maria Beale Fletcher, a hazel eyed, brown haired beauty from North Carolina was crowned Miss America for 1962.
The nineteen year old from Ashville was the winner of the preliminary swimsuit competition in the pageant. Standing 5 feet 5 ½ inches tall, Miss Fletcher tipped the scale at 118 pounds.
A former member of the Radio City Rockettes in New York, the new Miss America was hoping for a career in the entertainment field after completing her college education.
Miss Montana, Jeanna Katherine Lester of Missoula, was among the semifinalists.
Olson Weighs In On Postal Increases
Representative Arnold Olson indicated he would likely vote in favor of proposed postal rate increases although, in his words, he “won’t enjoy it.”
The Montana democrat stated that his principal objection was that there was not enough of an increase in rates for third class junk mail.
One of the bills reported by the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee suggested a third class increase in single piece that would go from 3 cents to 5 cents for the first three ounces and would remain at a cent and a half more for each additional ounce.
Other postal classes would increase by a penny. First class letters would cost 5 cents. The price of air mail letters would soar to 8 cents.
Another piece of postal legislation would increase longevity awards for long-term service by postal employees, bringing them up to those of other classified Civil Service workers.
Representative Olson gave vigorous support to that bill.
A Complex Case About Complexion
In Loughton, England, eleven year old Jane Reeve got her primary education at an all-girls school. It was her hope that she would be allowed to continue her studies at another girl only facility, but alas, the poor lass learned that she had been assigned to a co-ed school just outside London.
Jane’s father protested to local educational authorities. They turned down his request that his daughter be admitted to the girls-only school, insisting that school was full.
He then presented a doctor’s certificate that pointed out medical reason behind his request.
Little Jane had a hypersensitivity disorder of the immune system…in simple terms, an allergy.
She wasn’t allergic to the flowers that grew in front of the new school, or the wheat in the field behind it. Her system had no negative reaction to the sheep grazing in the courtyard. Jane’s problem was worse than all of them combined. She was allergic to………Boys!
Boys made the 11 year old nervous. When near them, she would break out in a rash. Doctors confirmed the condition, but were unable to cure it.
With a full understanding of Jane’s condition, school officials eventually reversed their decision, and made room for one more.
Jane skipped off to school BOY FREE.
Robber Robbed
A man walked into a gas station in Portland, handed employee Steven Stabler a $5 bill, and asked for change.
As Stabler complied, the man pulled out a revolver.
Realizing what was about to happen. The quick thinking attendant shouted “There’s a Police car! You’re not getting anything from me!”
There was no police car in sight, but the rattled gunman fled empty-handed. He got no loot, and was short $5 to boot.
Here at the Station………
Our viewers were treated to 30 minutes of fine entertainment provided by the students of the Blanche Judge Dance Studio.
On “Bonanza” an arrogant London prizefighter and his manager came to Virginia City in search of challengers. They found one in Hoss.
Attorney Abraham Lincoln Jones faced disbarment when he took the case of a bearded motorcyclist charged with the accidental death of a small town policeman on “The Law and Mr. Jones”.
A pre season game between the Dallas Texans and San Diego chargers was featured on “ABC’s Wide World of Sports”. Viewers got the extra bonus of being able to eavesdrop on the coaches’ instructions.
Roy Acuff and The Smokey Mountain Boys were the guests of host Carl Smith on “5-Star Jubilee”.
Marshal Simon Fry cloaked his identity to save friends with whom he was being held hostage by three desperate gunmen on “The Deputy”.
“Fight of The Week” featured a middleweight bout between Dulio Nunez of Puerto Rico, and hometown favorite Denny Moyer of Portland. The fight was held at Portland’s Glass Palace.
Beaver, who had a long standing crush on his teacher, Miss Landers, was overwhelmed when he learned she was engaged to be married, on “Leave It To Beaver”.
Don McNeal was host of the “1961 Miss America Pageant” broadcast live from Atlantic City.
The Lennon Sisters and Larry Dean put out the Welcome sign with a lively rendition of “If I Knew You Were Coming I’d Have Baked A Cake” on “The Lawrence Welk Show”.
On “Tales of Wells Fargo”, Jim Hardie responded to a plea for help from dance hall girl Kitty Thorpe when she learned her husband had escaped from prison and planned to kill her.
A marshal asked Cheyenne Bodie for help when his town was invaded by hoodlums on “The Cheyenne Show”.
Singer Frank D’Rone and comedian Tommy Noonan were guests on “The Spike Jones Show”’
Dobie and Maynard were given an aptitude test by a computer on “Dobie Gillis”.
Bentley found himself in a ticklish situation, when the daughter of a man he was representing in a divorce action got a crush on him on “Bachelor Father”.
Grandpa wasn’t pleased when he learned that Little Luke was more interested in atomic research than agriculture on “The Real McCoys”.
That's
At the second week in September 50 years ago.
United Nations Breaks with Katanga
The resumption of nuclear testing, and tension in Berlin were dominating the headlines, but we were also keeping an eye on the Congo.
The United Nations announced it was breaking all relations with the Katanga government.
In a letter to President Moise Tshombe, U. N. representative Conor O’Brien said the United Nations cannot maintain relations with a government which includes a minister against whom most serious charges are pending.
That was in reference to Godefroid Munongo, minister of interior, who was suspected of plotting the murder of U. N. personnel, and atrocities against Baluba tribesmen.
Those charges came from Andre Cremer, who said he had served in Katanga’s gendarmerie, and had been given a special mission to kill Deputy U.N. Chief Michel Tomber.
Munongo countered by saying Cremer couldn’t be believed, because he was a known criminal, wanted on theft and forgery charges.
Resistance to United Nations operations in the Congo stiffened when it became more and more apparent that the world body way trying to bring Katanga back under the wing of the central government in Leopoldville.
Truman on Nuclear Testing
Former President Harry S. Truman weighed in on the Soviet Union’s announcement that it would resume nuclear testing.
The former chief executive described the decision as “a very bad thing’, and said their intention to resume testing was, from a propaganda standpoint, very helpful to us.
Concerning the Soviet claim of perfecting a bomb with the explosive force of 100 million tons of TNT, Truman said the United States should have already had that powerful a bomb.,
When asked if the U. S. should also resume nuclear testing, Truman told reporters that that was a decision only the President could make.
Truman made the comments to reporters as he and his wife arrived in New York for a visit with their daughter and her family.
U. S. To Conduct Nuclear Tests
Lifting the lid off a three year ban of atomic tests, the United States was preparing to resume underground testing of nuclear weapons.
“We have no other choice”, President Kennedy said. He was responding to word of the Soviets third atomic blast in five days.
U. S. tests would be below ground, and in laboratories, and would not produce fallout of radioactive particles that would be potentially dangerous to all life.
President Kennedy’s announcement drew applause from Congress, where members of both parties had been calling for resumption of U. S. tests.
The decision, announced by White House press secretary Pierre Salinger, swept away a ban that had been adopted by the United States, Britain, and the Soviet Union in November of 1958.
You Can’t Get To Leipzig From Here
Western Allies barred Dutch and Belgian airlines from using the Berlin corridors for special flights into Leipzig.
A British Embassy spokesman said the ban was in retaliation for the Communist closure of the West Berlin border.
Another allied source described it as a “necessarty decision”, to show Moscow that the air corridors were in fact reserved for U.S., British and French allies in Berlin, and were not to be challenged.
The banned flights by Dutch KLM and Belgian Sabena airlines would have used the corridors about half way, then turned south to deliver passengers to the Lepizig Trade Fair.
Airline Crash Kills 78
A four engine TWA Constellation filled with vacationers crashed in a muddy corn field west of Chicago’s Midway Airport.
All 78 on board perished, making it the nation’s worst single plane disaster at the time.
Witnesses said the craft was apparently trying to make an emergency landing. The crash occurred shortly after a thunderstorm had swept through the area.
In Washington, the FBI said it had started an investigation of the possibility that a bomb may have caused the crash.
A thunderous explosion caused residents to first look southward toward an Atomic Energy Commission installation.
Upon impact the blast spewed burning oil and scorched the side of a house, melting the plastic screens on windows. A big wheel assembly plowed through the side of corrugated steel machinery shed.
A full scale investigation was underway. Representatives from the Civil Aeronautics Board and the Federal Aviation Agency sifted through the wreckage and took witness accounts in an effort to unravel the mystery of the crash.
The Man of Women’s Park
Ever wonder how Women’s Park stays so beautiful?
“Back in the days” all credit was due to a man by the name of John Edward Best.
Like the lyrics of the Frankie Laine song “That Lucky Old Sun”, John was up in the morning, out on the job, worked like the devil for his pay.
A harder working man the town had never seen. There was no riding mower. He groomed the lawn the old fashioned way. No underground sprinkler system. He dragged hoses and set sprinklers all day long. Not a blade of grass ever went without water. Keeping Women’s Park Beautiful was indeed a labor of love for John Best.
One might imagine this man going home to relax in his easy chair after a hard day at work. That wasn’t the case. All work and no play, it’s said, would have made John a “dull boy”…and dull he was not.
When not working, chances were good you’d find John at the Seventh Avenue Gym. He played a mean game of badminton that brought fear to the hearts of his opponents. A bona fide member of the Helena Badminton Club, Best dominated the court like no other.
If you stepped onto the court to oppose John, you’d have just one expectation…to lose. To go down in defeat at the hands of the master.
While many people work hard all day and lead an active life, John’s story stands out simply because, by his own admission, he was no “spring chicken”.
Still on the job, keeping Women’s Park beautiful, John Best was 91 years old.
New Chamber Location
Helena Retail Merchants were skeptical about the proposed move of the Helena Chamber of Commerce to the corner of Lyndale and Warren.
The members of the Merchants, a division of the Chamber, went along with the need for a new office site. All eight wanted the new office located downtown.
“This thing needs to be thrashed out.” B. W. Stoner said. “We have been trying to keep the center of town on Last Chance Gulch. If we go along with the Lyndale and Warren proposal, we would be working against ourselves.”
Neil Livingston added “Before we stick out our necks, we should investigate-maybe look around downtown for a site.”
Retail Merchant president Mauris Olson suggested more information be obtained before opposing or approving the site.
Ultimately the Chamber Board of Directors would have the final say.
Say it Ain’t So
The word “ain’t” was accepted for listing in Webster’s third New International Dictionary.
The new publication would say “Ain’t used orally in most parts of the U.S. by *cultivated speakers”.
More modern versions of Webster’s Dictionary define ain’t as “am not” “ are not “ “ is not” “have not” “has not”, and in usage discussion states although widely disapproved as nonstandard, and more common in the habitual speech of the less educated, the word ain’t is flourishing in American English.
Note the difference between the two.
*Cultivated – refined, educated
The word “ain’t” has been in Webster’s Dictionary for 50 years, but it still drives Spell Check crazy.
A Bad Sign
In Atlanta, members of the Rock Baptist Church lost their pastor, when the Reverend Harry P, Wooten moved on to another post.
On the night following the pastor’s departure, thieves broke into the church and stole the pulpit and an amplifier.
Here at the Station………
Perry defended a young newspaper publisher who was accused of killing his double-crossing fiancé on “Perry Mason”.
The “Fight of the Week” from Miami Beach Auditorium featured New York’s Carlos Ortiz and Cuban lightweight champ Doug Vaillant.
Wally got suspended from the track team for horsing around, and his little brother tried to get him back on the track on “Leave It To Beaver”.
Jim Hardie protected a murder witness who was slated to testify against a man who killed a Wells Fargo agent during a stagecoach robbery on “Tales of Wells Fargo”.
Skiers from 33 nations took part in the World Water Ski Championships on “ABC’s Wide World of Sports”.
On The “Cheyenne Show”, an expectant mother and her injured husband accepted Bodie’s help in getting their herd to Salt Lake City.
On “The Ann Southern Show”, con man Oscar Pudney made elaborate plans to attend a wedding, only to find out that he wasn’t invited.
With his mother’s help, Dobie won a contest and a date with a movie star on “Dobie Gillis”.
On “Guestward Ho”, Hawkeye’s first love suddenly reappeared. She was welcomed warmly by the Pueblo Chief until he learned she had marriage on her mind.
Peter decided his night school teacher was made to order for Bentley, and plotted to get them together on “Bachelor Father”.
On “Wyatt Earp”, Wyatt tried to keep peace among some feuding miners and found himself in an embarrassing situation.
Believing the theory that there was nothing worse in married life than a woman who is smarter than her husband, Grandpa took action when Kate enrolled in adult education on the “Real McCoys”.
On “My Three Sons” Steve was assigned to a guided missile project and found himself working closely with a very attractive lady engineer.
That's
At the first week in September 50 years ago.
| For a fascinating look at Helena's past visit Kennon Baird's Website |
|
Helena As She Was |
This feature is intended to be an entertaining look at our world in years gone by. It is in no way intended to be biased, nor are comments intended to offend anyone. While we encourage viewer comment, we do reserve the right to condense, edit or omit them should we feel such action is necessary.
Email to a friend
Print version
Plain text
Post your comment