A Look Back in Time: Lewis County Legislators Meet With Farm Leaders Ahead of 1953 Session to Address Noxious Weeds, Other Issues

Dec. 9—A group of nearly 30 leaders of agricultural organizations met with the four state legislators from Lewis County on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 9, 1952. The four legislators were State Sen. Dale Nordquist of Centralia and State Reps. Ed Mayes of Centralia, Joe Chytil of Chehalis and Harry Siler of Randle.

"Lewis County's agricultural industry is primarily interested in 1953 state legislative action aiding it in its losing battle against weed invasion and in supporting the experiment stations and extension service budgets of Washington State College," The Chronicle reported.

The farm group leaders "firmly" emphasized the need for support from the state college budgets for agriculture but said the most important issue was the passage of "some sort" of state weed law to address the problem of noxious weeds, primarily tansy ragwort.

"Henry Bouchard, Silver Creek, said he believes tansy today is claiming 10 percent of the farmers' income, and the weed, deadly to cattle, is still spreading and control is in sight," The Chronicle reported.

Ernie Sorensen of Chehalis represented the Lewis-Pacific Dairymen's Association at the meeting. Sorensen urged the legislators to protect the filled milk law that was apparently under consideration for repeal.

Mayes told the group he believed he could probably convince the chair of the House Agricultural Committee, as well as other members of the committee, to visit Lewis County. He also urged a second meeting between the legislators and farm leaders be held in February, arguing legislators "want views and ideas on measures."

Saturday, Dec. 10, 1932

—George Bradely, 29, and Lawrence Stevens, 27, were being held in the Lewis County Jail on Dec. 10, according to The Chronicle. The two men had been arrested for shoplifting on the night of Friday, Dec. 9. They were alleged to have stolen socks from a self-service shoe store in Chehalis.

—In a story entitled "Old Man Winter Shows No Mercy," The Chronicle reported on the low temperatures the Twin Cities had experienced recently. "It was warmer in Centralia today than it was yesterday, but the fact brought no rejoicing to local residents," The Chronicle reported. Local business owners had apparently experienced an increase in the demand for mittens, wools and other warm clothing.

—Frederick Luke, pastor of the Centralia Episcopal Church, was scheduled to deliver an address on Sunday, Dec. 11 at Chehalis' Westminster Presbyterian Church. He was to deliver an address entitled "The Evil Effects of Alcohol and Narcotics from a Scientific Standpoint" at 7:30 p.m. At the church's 11 a.m. service, Rev. J.C. Tourtellot was to deliver a sermon entitled "He Could Not Be Hid."

—Stella Beers died in Rochester on Friday, Dec. 9. Born in 1865, she was 67-years-old at the time of her death. She was survived by her husband Aaron Beers and her two sisters, both in Ithaca, New York.

—Norman Snell, a nine-year-old from Grand Prairie, was "confined to his home" after he broke his leg falling from his house. A doctor treated the leg shortly after the accident and was reported to be "mending nicely."

—The Morton City Council debated its laws on alcohol on Monday, Dec. 5, The Chronicle reported. According to The Chronicle, Morton's ordinance at the time was in line with an initiative in which the voters passed a "bone dry" law. Based on The Chronicle's reporting it appeared Morton was likely to repeal its law, though it would have enacted new laws in its place pertaining to public drunkenness and drunk driving.

—Chehalis' junior and senior high schools were reportedly visited by a Canadian Mountie. The mountie, who was on leave for health reasons, gave two talks to the schools. Major H.C. Schoof, a 66-year-old native of Germany, came to the U.S. at 15 and became a cowboy in Nebraska and the Dakotas before moving to South Africa, Mexico and, finally, Canada. "His story, romantic in many particulars, was listened to with much interest," The Chronicle reported. A survivor of tuberculosis, Schoof reportedly credited his ability to have so many life experiences to being a "total abstainer in the matter of use of intoxicants."

Thursday, Dec. 10, 1942

—The Chronicle reported invitations for Christmas day dinner were wanted as soon as possible for soldiers in the Chehalis area. The news came from Don Abel, the chair of the committee responsible for arranging the dinner program, who had spoken to the Chehalis Rotary Club at its luncheon on Wednesday, Dec. 9. "Those who can entertain one or more of the boys in uniform at dinner are urged to notify Mrs. Henry Enrst, phone 581. To date, 34 such invitations have been received, Abel said, and about three times this number are needed to provide for 100 or more men who are expected to be guests here," The Chronicle reported. The men were to arrive at the Chehalis USO center at 12:30 p.m. on Christmas day.

—During November 1942, Lewis County exceeded its $250,000 quota for war bonds by over $35,000. The county raised a total of $285,815 in November, above its $250,000 goal. The numbers had been announced by Cenetralia Mayor Ray Sprague, the county war savings chairman, who said he received the numbers from the state headquarters for war savings. Sprague also announced Lewis County's bond quota for December would be $243,200. Additionally, Sprague said only Series E bonds would be counted towards the total, with Series F and G bonds, those purchased by corporations, not be included in the county totals.

—The four state legislators from Lewis County were scheduled to meet in Centralia on the evening of Friday, Dec. 11 to discuss lawmaking problems with citizens ahead of the legislative session in January. The meeting came after similar events held in Chehalis and Pe Ell during the preceding week. "The legislators request all persons having problems relative to their business, or other groups, to meet with them to discuss their problems to express their views on any legislation which may be presented at the session beginning in Olympia early in January," The Chronicle reported.

—The Chehalis Draft Board announced the names of five men who had been drafted for service in the Army on Dec. 10. The men were to leave for Fort Lewis on either Monday, Dec. 12 or Tuesday, Dec. 13. The five men were Virgil Compton, Leo Moore, William Richardson, John Rogers and Harvey Constant.

—Catherine Bucher, a pioneer woman, died at the age of 55 on Monday, Dec. 5. Bucher was born on Nov. 25, 1877 in Allegan, New York. She moved to Morton in 1903 where she married E.E. Edlund. She died of a heart attack in her home and had been of previously good health, The Chronicle reported. She was survived by her husband, three daughters and two sons. One son preceded her in death after being killed in a car accident in 1931. A funeral service was held for her at the Morton Catholic Church on Dec. 10.

—A "modern" house in Chehalis was listed for rent at $15 a month. No description was given for the house other than it being "close in."

—A five-room Chehalis house was listed for $3,400 in The Chronicle. The house included an attached garage, a "fine kitchen," venetian blinds, two large lots and a location near a bus line and schools.

Wednesday, Dec. 10, 1952

—The Centralia Fire Department responded to two fires occurring within minutes of each other on the morning of Dec. 10. The fires caused only a small amount of damage with the losses from the first fire being reported as "slight" and the damages from the second fire reported by firefighters as totalling about $200.

—U.S. Senator-elect Henry Jackson was expected to be in the Twin Cities on Thursday, Dec. 11 for a breakfast meeting at Chehalis' St. Helens Hotel from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. According to Don Abel, a Chehalis resident and chair of the State Democratic Committee, Jackson was making a tour of the state before returning to Washington, D.C. Abel added Jackson had expressed a desire to meet as many Lewis County residents as possible. The meeting was open to the public and anyone interested in meeting the senator was welcome.

—A 15-year-old Centralia girl was taken into custody by Centralia police on the morning of Dec. 10 for being out after curfew hours, marking the second time in two weeks she had been apprehended on the same charge. She was found with an 18-year-old "boy companion" at 1:30 a.m. The 18-year-old was charged with possession of alcohol while a minor. The girl had been previously arrested with four other 16-year-old girls around midnight on Nov. 29.

—The Chehalis School Board completed arrangements to open bids on Jan. 6, 1953 for the construction of a $400,000 music-gymnasium addition to Chehalis High School, soon to be renamed W.F. West High School. Plans for the addition had been completed by the district's architectural firm and was already approved by the state department of education. According to Chehalis School District Superintendent Chester Rhodes, the construction was scheduled to be completed for the new addition by Sept. 1, 1953.

—An Associated Press story announcing proof had been discovered for Albert Einstein's theory of relativity was featured in the Dec. 10, 1952 edition of The Chronicle. The announcement, from the National Geographic Society, came after a team had observed an eclipse of the sun which "found the noted physicist on the beam" in his predictions from 37 years earlier.

—Bernard Johnston, described as a pioneer of the area's coal industry, had reportedly died shortly after noon on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Johnston, who had been ill for several years, had served as Centralia's Finance Commissioner and City Treasurer. He was 91-years-old, having been born on Sept. 18, 1861 in Warsaw, Illinois.

—The Centralia City Commission had reportedly taken notice of a higher rate of births of girls than boys recently. A city health report from November reportedly showed 28 girls had been born compared to 16 boys, a difference of 12. "The Centralia City Commission took notice of the inequitable distribution of the gentler sex over men Wednesday morning, but after a short discussion could find no solution to the fact," The Chronicle reported. "Mayer Claude Warren asked after the report had been read, 'Isn't there anything the commission can do to bring about a more equal amount?' After a knitting of brows and a short discussion, the body agreed it had no answer."

Monday, Dec. 10, 1962

—The Lewis County Democratic Party re-elected Walter Wagner of Centralia as its chair during a meeting on Saturday, Dec. 8. The meeting was held in the courthouse annex where the county Democrats reelected their officers for the 1963-1964 term. Also elected were "Mrs. E.C. Roberts" of Centralia as vice chair, Hugh Kalich of Toledo as state committeeman, "Mrs. Lee Chapman" of Centralia as state committeewoman, "Mrs. Bert Jones" of Centralia as secretary, "Mrs. Gordon Viles" of Chehalis as treasurer and "Mrs. E.C. Kuehner" of Chehalis as recording secretary. After the meeting a dinner was held at the Chehalis Elks' Lodge.

—James Bieber, a 19-year-old from Ajlune, was expected to be released from Chehalis' St. Helen Hospital on Dec. 10 after his car collided with a White Pass School District bus. Bieber had received head cuts and bruises in the crash which occurred at 7:05 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 8. According to the State Patrol, the area had been extremely foggy at the time of the accident. The bus was leaving for a service station after it had unloaded White Pass students at the Mossyrock High School gym for a basketball game.

—The Chehalis branch of the State Patrol issued 54 tickets to 48 drivers over the weekend of Dec. 8 and 9. Speeders received the most tickets with a total of 29. Other reasons for the tickets included driving without a license, expired licenses, failure to yield and drunk driving.

—A lawsuit was filed by James Gober, the Chehalis Justice of Peace, for a breach of contract related to his salary. Gober listed the three Lewis County Commissioners Hugh Kalich, Curtis Back and Martin Jacobsen as defendants along with Lewis County Treasurer Harold Quick, Lewis County Auditor Vern Cain and Washington state Attorney General John O'Conneell. Gober argued he had sought election to the position when salary was set at $3,600 a year but the Lewis County Commissioners had voted shortly before the election to reduce the salary to $2,400 a year.

—An Associated Press story was featured in the Dec. 10, 1962 edition of The Chronicle describing a council of the Catholic Church that would become known as Vatican II. The story described the council as being unique in Catholic history. "Twenty councils met before, always to condemn an error in the eyes of the church or battle what was considered a philosophical evil. But the present council, which recessed over the weekend until the fall, has a positive cause to plead instead of a complaint. That cause is internal renewal of Catholicism — 'to let in fresh air," as Pope John XXIII said — before going to seek union with all the churches of Christianity.

—A "large older house" in Chehalis was listed for $10,950 in The Chronicle. The house was described as having four bedrooms, one and a half bathrooms, a large kitchen with a breakfast bar, a separate dining room, a large living room, an entry hall, fireplace and a large yard with fruit trees.

—John Manwell, 73, was reported as having died in Centralia home on Saturday, Dec. 8. Manwell was reportedly born on May 5, 1889 and had been a Centralia resident for the previous 40 years.