Dec. 24. 1935: WHAT A PARTY, THAT’S VOTE OF CITY’S KIDDIES Premier Theatre Packed for Annual Christmas Party. Santa and Gifts Spread Joy at Event.

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 24, 1935.

WHAT A PARTY, THAT’S VOTE OF CITY’S KIDDIES

Premier Theatre Packed for Annual Christmas Party. Santa and Gifts Spread Joy at Event.

FOOD BROUGHT TO SHOW FOR NEEDY

Boy! Oh! Boy! What a yowling good time those kids had at their annual Christmas party today.

Just ask any one of them, or any adult who peeked into Premier THeater this morning before the big show started. How those youngsters yelled when Santa Claus strode out on the stage to wish them all a Merry Christmas. How they cheered Commander T.O.Dillon of the American Legion who told them who sponsored the party and thanked all of the businessmen and and Vidette-Messenger readers for their contributions that made the swell gifts of candy and cracker jack possible The Premier Theater management donated all the films and show house for the part.

The event was to begin at 10:30 this morning with doors of the theater opening at 9:45. But who ever saw a youngster waiting at home until that time? Not many. Red checked, laughing kiddies, wide-eyed in anticipation of the fun to come, began to swarm about the show house entrance at nine o’clock. It wasn’t long after, that the legionnaire hosts and manager Justin Shauer of the theater, decided to open the doors. Then the stampede began. Each youngster was given a bag of candy and a box of popcorn confection on his way in and the lines seemed continuous until 10:30, completely filling the large show house.

Prior to the start of the move program Vernon L. Beach led his theater packed audience in several Christmas songs accompanied by Madge Lindall at the piano. Then, after several announcements by Manager Shauer and introduction of Santa and Commander Dillon the kiddies shook the theater with their singing of “Popeye the Sailor Man”, and the two-hour movie performance began.

Due to the help of many of the youngsters scores of needy families in Valparaiso will be treated to a bountiful Christmas dinner tomorrow, for over a truckload of foodstuffs was left in the lobby. This was loaded into the truck of George Grundell, legion member, who carted it to the veterans’ headquarters where it will be sorted and tonight distributed to poor families by the members of American Legion Auxiliary.

In addition to firemen, policemen, Mrs. Walter Vevia, Mrs. Bert Smith and Mrs. Schuyler Leffler, Legionnaires who helped at the theater party this morning were: Commander Dillon, Jack Yeager, chairman of the party committee, V.C. Lane, Ralph Kouns, Frank Reid, Paul McDonald and Ray Tuttle.

Vidette-Messenger carrier boys, all of whom did their bit by soliciting donations from their readers for the party, were represented at the theater today by the committee composed of John MacFarlane, Kenneth Rader, Arthur Van Arsdel and Glenn Reynolds. Harold Trapp was commended for his fine characterization of Santa. Donald Wertman, Bob Rex, MacFarlane, Trapp and Reynolds also did a fine job helping the management straighten up the theater.

Dec. 20, 1935: Kouts Has Tree, But Holiday Garb For It Seems Unlikely; Fire Chief Wise Sets Record

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 20, 1935.

Kouts Has Tree, But Holiday Garb For It Seems Unlikely; Fire Chief Wise Sets Record

(BY ROBERT ALLETT)

KOUTS, Dec. 20.ーKouts has a Christmas tree, but unless the American Legion decides to do something about it at their meeting tonight, there won’t be any lights on it this year. The tree, which might be used, is located in a park owned by the Pennsylvania railroad. No public observance of Christmas is planned for the community, which hasn’t celebrated the coming of St. Nick with anything special in the past five or six years.

The town board at its meeting Monday night turned down a suggestion that it buy a tree and trim it, for two reasons. In the first place town board members think the merchants should sponsor such a project and in the second place they remember that the last time a tree was decorated it stood in the downtown district until the middle of summer!

Of course, the Holidays will not come and go unnoticed here. Individual merchants have spread the cheer in their business establishments, J.G. Benkie’s Drug store with an attractive old English display in its windows, and Henry Dux, Fred Perry, Roy Wandry, Rasmussen’s, Quirk’s, Walk’s, Denison’s, Lee Murray, and Lee Fleming all having tinsel and festoons, or setting up brightly colored trees both in and outside their establishments.

Today at the high school which [illegible from water damage] a two week’s vacation, pupils were entertained with programs and treated to gifts. Grades one and two, three and four, five to eight and the high school held separate parties. Dramatics, music and surprise packages were headliners on the various programs.

Santa Claus will appear Tuesday night at Walt’s grocery and at Quirk and Co., distributing free candy and trinkets to several hundred children.

ー

Even if the fire didn’t amount to much, Chief Si Wise thinks he hung up something of a record in responding to an alarm Thursday morning at 10:20. The siren screamed while Si was up on a ladder in front of a local grocery store where he was decorating a Christmas tree.

Si jumped to the ground, made a hundred yard dash to the nearby fire station, broke the glass in the key box when he found the door locked, and unassisted drove the engine to Jim Herring’s Tavern, scene of the excitement. It was merely an overheated chimney burning out and when Jim shut the draft off the fire died down.

Nevertheless, Si had come and gone with his apparatus before other merchants in town, who had heard the siren, could get outdoors to see where the fire was. At least that’s the story.

ー

The last 1935 meeting of the town board, held Monday night, marked the farewell appearance of William Salzer, clerk-treasurer, Chris Daumers, president, and Carl Peters councilman from the fourth ward Emil Hofferth and Fred Perry remain [illegible from water damage] board for another term and new members who will make take over their duties after Jan. 1 are Gust Rosenbaum, who replaces Daumers, Oscar Maxwell, who replaces Peters, and James Griffith, who is the new clerk-treasurer.

Dec. 12, 1935: KOUTS’ ONE-MAN INFORMATION BUREAU GIVES TIP ON RABBIT HIDE-OUT; BOYS FAIL FIND IT

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 12, 1935.

KOUTS’ ONE-MAN INFORMATION BUREAU GIVES TIP ON RABBIT HIDE-OUT; BOYS FAIL FIND IT

BY ROBERT ALLETT

KOUTS, Dec. 12.ーGordon Starkey is the local unofficial one-man information bureau. If there’s anything about Kouts or vicinity you want to knowーask “Gordie”ーthe chances are ten to one he can tell you, what, when, where and why. His modest service station is headquarters of the Hot Stove League and about half of this community’s younger male population makes a daily visit to the small shop where a good yarn is always being told by someone. Gordie is a great favorite with hunters, young and old. Having worked around here and old. Having worked around here most of his life he knows all the best spots for rabbits, squirrels and quail and in these days when game is getting more and more scarce and farmers more and more particular about who hunts on their land this knowledge is invaluable to shotgun devotees.

Yesterday, however, his reputation as a dispenser of hot tips was placed in serious jeopardy. Glenn and Gerry Gordon, Edward Pumroy, Kendrick Hiatt and “Snip” Cannon, five young natives, well-known here for their love of the hunt, stopped in to see if Gordie couldn’t tell them a new place to get rabbits. Having hunted in just about every square inch of this territory, there seemed little chance that Starkey could tell them anything they didn’t already know.

But Jesse Williamson, Morgan township farmer, Wednesday morning told Gordie to send any local hunters, who wanted some real rabbit shooting, over to his farm. “Only don’t send any hunters from Gary,” he asked. “The last time a bunch came over they took a pot-shot at my horses.”

So when the boys came in yesterday afternoon Starkey had just the information they wanted. They all knew just where the Williamson farm wasーor thought they didーbut Gordie, to be sure they would not get on the wrong land, took the pains of drawing them a rough map, along with implicit instructions as to how they might easily get there.

Two hours later an indigent quintet stormed into Starkey’s office and this time they weren’t hunting rabbits but so-called “information bureaus.” Gordie, it seems, had given them a bum steerーor so they said.

There is no record of anyone ever having got lost in the wilds of Morgan township before but the boys claimed they had covered the southwestern half of Porter county, had run out of gas, wasted an afternoon, broken their car and got kicked off three farms, with no luck as far as finding Jesse Williamson was concerned.

Starkey thinks the boys are too young to go hunting alone and he is going to get them all a compass for Christmas. Pumroy thinks Gordie gave them the wrong directions and is keeping this hunting paradise for himself. He also told Starkey he didn’t know a quail from a snow-bird anyhow.

In the meantime, little cottontails frisked about the Williamson farmーwithout a care in the world.

Dec. 6, 1935: VALPARAISO CITIZENS FIND V.U. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IS WELL WORTH PATRONAGE

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 6, 1935.

VALPARAISO CITIZENS FIND V.U. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA IS WELL WORTH PATRONAGE

BY ROBERT ALLETT

Valparaiso citizens are gradually awakening to the fact that Miss Helen Dvorak is building a splendid musical organization at the universityーone which last night proved itself a credit to the school, the director and the community.

One of the largest crowds ever to attend an evening concert of the Valparaiso University Symphony Orchestra responded with sincere applause to the group’s first concert of the present season. There must have been 500 present, the majority being townspeople, and Miss Dvorak has every reason to feel proud today. Her orchestra was excellent, the violin soloist, Darrel Kautz, who is a student of the director, demonstrated masterly technique, and the audience was receptive.

Not a “university” symphony in the strict sense of the word, over half the musicians being from outside the school, all credit must be given, however, to the student council of the local institution as the financier, and to Miss Dvorak as organizer, of so outstanding a group.

Presentation of Tchaikovsky’ “Symphony No. 5 in E Minor” revealed an orchestra that responded nicely to delicate direction; revealed a background that was strong and steady, with fine intonation, and justified the importation of professional players, horns, bassons, obees, and contrabass, that added muchh to the beauty of the interpretation.

Double stops offered no terrors for Darrel Kautz, student soloist who played de Bériot’s difficult “Concerto No. 7 for Violin.” His emphasis on technique made his interpretation clean cut and clear toned and the tricky bowing of the composition was done excellently. Responding to prolonged applause, Kautz played “Goin’ Home” from Anton Dvorak’s “New World Symphony” which was distinctly an anti-climax, especially in the latter part of the composition.

The orchestra caught the stiff rhythmatic mood of Herbert’s “March of the Toys” from “Babes in Toyland,” and in “Dance of the Buffoons” from Rimsky-Korsakov’s “The Snow Maiden” amused the audience with sound effects which gave the percussion department a chance to show off, but in both instances a bit more looseness and humor on the part of the musicians would have added to the effectiveness of the compositions which are, at best, tone-pictures of something light and fantastic.

Violins, which throughout the concert were overshadowed by the horns and woodwinds, came through admirably in “Suite Algerienne Op. 88,” by Saint-Saens, doing some good sustaining work. One thing that can be said of Miss Dvorak’s orchestra as it played last night, no department was overemphasized and there was no evidence of a top-heavy string section. Themes were tossed from instrument to instrument with a finesse that has seldom been heard on the university campus and “March Militaire Francaise,’ second movement of “Suite Algerienne,” which is a perennial favorite on the hill, was never played better by a local group.

Fredrick Schweppe, music director at the university, announced the forthcoming presentation on Sunday afternoon, December 15, of Handel’s “Messiah” as the student council’s annual Christmas gift to the city of Valparaiso. The university choir will be augmented by the Lake county Lutheran chorus and the two groups will total 125 voices. The orchestra, under Miss Dvorak, will play the accompaniment and the program will be free.

Symphony orchestra personnel:

First violinーDarrel Kautz, concert master; edward misiora, Armin Manning, Selma Kroencke, Glenn Tom, Jessie Swanson, *Josephine Wyckoff, *Lois Lichtensberger, Louis Birkholz, *Betty Balleau, *Betty Lichtenberg, *Janice Carstens.

Second violin ー Martin Katz, principal; Alfred Erickson, Paul Egli, Harland Kaufman, Dorothy Mackensen, Donald Wiersbaum, *Mary Ellen Steele, Rosaline Grosz, Betty Pierce.

Viola ー Adeline Eaton, George Myers, *Palmer Myran, *William Nelson.

Violoncello ー Philip Anderson, Clarence Schneider, Edward Egglebrecht, *Jeanette Kamms. Contra Bass ー Harold Rogers, Melvin Breining, Robert Kinne, *Kelen Cook.

Flute ー *Herbert Anderson, William Anderson, *Paul Dolembo.

Oboe ー *H. Buchsbaum, Mrs. William Johnston, August Breitbarth.

Clarinet ー Kenneth Green, Lester Spears, *Jean Ordung.

Bassoon ー *Dall Fields, William Johnston.

Horns ー *Stewart Taylor, Albert Szabo, *Kenneth Hedstrom, *Eva Mitchell.

Trumpet ー H. Fulton, Howard Betz, Harold Jones, *Leroy Brittan.

Trombone ー Arthur Griep. Howard Krieger, Wallace Wilson.

Tuba ー *Robert Kawmmer.

Percussion ー Raymond Handschy, Robert Kinne.

* Guest members

Dec. 5, 1935: WOMAN CHICK THIEF GETS 6 MONTHS TERM

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 5, 1935.

WOMAN CHICK THIEF GETS 6 MONTHS TERM

Chicken stealing in Porter county was given a rude setback Wednesday with the conviction of two arch offenders, one in the Porter superior court, and the other in Jasper circuit court at Rensselaer.

Mrs. Marilyn Gaylord, […] twenty-three years, and styled “the queen of the chicken thieves,” was sentenced to six months in the Indiana Women’s prison at Indianapolis by Judge Mark B. Rockwell in Porter superior court on her plea of guilty.

She, with a male companion, who is still at large, is believed to have attempted a burglary of the Otto Jardine hennery in Jackson township on July 3 last.

Surprised in the act by Mr. Jardone, the couple pulled guns on Jardine, relieved him of his shotgun, and then locked him in the chicken coop, making their escape.

Mrs. Gaylord, who claims Seattle, Wash., as her home, was arrested in Lake county by Sheriff Neil Fry and Chief Deputy Sheriff Carl Herron, who had been working on the case.

Desco McBride, age 40, who admitted stealing chickens in Porter county, was sentenced to one to ten years in Michigan City prison by Judge Moses Leopold at Rensselaer.

McBride was apprehended in LaPorte county by authorities after officers had been tipped off by a Valparaiso dealer to whom he had sold chickens.

He was accused of stealing a quantity of chickens from a farmer living near Rensselaer. The farmer identified a number of fowls found on McBride’s farm on State Road 6, near the LaPorte-Porter county line, as those taken from his hennery.

McBride moved to his present location in April and last year was arrested at Troy, Mich., for grain thefts.

To Sheriff Fry he admitted having stolen some chicken in Porter county.

Nov. 23, 1935: Porter County Once Was Site of Thriving Cheese Plant; Pioneer Ell Pinney Relates Is History

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 23, 1935.

Porter County Once Was Site of Thriving Cheese Plant; Pioneer Ell Pinney Relates Is History

(BY ROBERT ALLETT)

Few people living today can remember when east Porter county was the center of a thriving cheese industry that annually converted thousands of pounds of milk from herds in that vicinity into a delicacy that served the middle west.

Located on Crooked Creek on Snake Island, one and a half miles north of where State Road 30 now runs, and slightly to the northwest of Wanatah, the “cheese factory” is an institution long since forgotten even by Porter county’s oldest residents. No written record of the business is available, and no landmark remains to designate the exact spot where the factory stood. A wealthy landholder named Ruell Starr owned Snake Island and Joe Cromer was the manager of the establishment which was at least partly controlled by James McGill. Beyond that, names of men who ran the establishment have faded from memory of Porter county’s earlier historians.

Ell Pinney yesterday recalled the time when he, accompanied by his father, Horace Pinney, and his brothers, Kay and Jay, whose names, Mr. Pinney explained smiling, were the result of a large family in which there “were so many children we had to use the alphabet to name them.” made daily trips to the cheese factory to dispose of their milk. This was at least ten years before the death of the elder Pinney which occurred in 1880.

“Sixty-five years is a long time for a man to remember names of people he wasn’t interested in,” said Mr. Pinney when asked about the men who ran the cheese concern. Mrs. Oresta Freer, a neighbor, supplied much of the information obtained. Mrs. Freer, not as old as Mr. Pinney, held faint recollections of the old timers and their activities. In her youth Mrs. Freer taught in a one-room school near here and remembers Dr. G.H. Stoner as “a bright little shaver.”

It was agreed by Mrs. Freer and Mr. Pinney that the cheese factory was built on the site of a mill race which had been installed by Mr. Starr but never used. No one knows just what became of the factory, but it is believed that when Harry Dolson started a similar business at Wanatah in about 1875 he took over the Crooked Creek concern. This venture lasted only a few years, however, and cheese making in Porter county was a thing of the past. Individual farmers turned their milk into butter, selling large quantities to the Chicago area.

Mrs. Freer told of hearing her father, Elias Sherman, one of the county’s earliest known settlers, speak of buying cattle at the Crooked Creek center which was evidently used as a sort of livestock trading post.

Mr. Pinney, interested in the coming Centennial celebration next year, remarked that one of the stories his father, who settled here just 100 years ago, told was of meeting a band of Indians being driven west as he was returning to his farm from a trip to Valparaiso. Swamps and underbrush made the journey to the county seat an affair of major proportions in those days.

An interesting sidelight into the first years of Valparaiso university was given by Mr. Pinney who attended the Valparaiso university was given by Mr. Pinney who attended the Valparaiso Normal School under Brown and Kinsey in 1878. Unlike the system today under which text books in all schools are changed almost annually, Mr. Pinney remembers that at that time one used any volume he could lay his hands on and it was a rare occurrence when two students in a class possessed the same text by the same author.

Asked how Thanksgiving was celebrated in those days, Mr. Pinney replied with a twinkle in his eye, “Same as we do knowーate all we could!”

Nov. 11, 1935: Principal Goldsborough of Chesterton High, Now In 25th Year In That Office of School

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 11, 1935.

Principal Goldsborough of Chesterton High, Now In 25th Year In That Office of School

(BY ROBERT ALLETT)

Principal F.M. Goldsborough is celebrating his 25th anniversary this year as principal and his 30th year as a faculty member of the largest unit in the county educational system, Chesterton high school.

In 1905 Mr. Goldsborough was assistant principal and in 1910 became head of the school which at that time had a high school enrollment of between 40 and 50 pupils. Today, with 291 pupils, Chesterton is second in the county as far as size of the student body is concerned.

Principal Goldsborough received his higher education here in Porter county, having earned his A.B. degree from Valparaiso university in 1922. His faculty at Chesterton numbers 15, of which three are new this fall. Miss Avola Watkins has been placed in charge of the newly organized art department, Miss Beulah Eldridge replaced Miss Elizabeth Zehner in biology and physical education, and Miss Lillian Sayers, formerly of Morgan township, has taken the vacancy left by Miss Elizabeth Bescherer who taught Latin and English.

Miss Bescherer was given a surprise party by members of the classes of 1933, 34 and 35 at the high school Friday night, in celebration of her approaching marriage to Paul T. Copp of Gary. Mr. Copp in 1932 was an instructor in mathematics at Valparaiso university. Miss Bescherer was presented with a dinette set, a table and four chairs by her former pupils.

Prominent activities at Chesterton include debate for both boys and girls, band, orchestra and glee clubs; one of the two Hi-Y clubs in the county, the other being at Valparaiso high school; student council; G.A.A., and of course, sports. While Walter Jones is coach at Chesterton George Lowry is known throughout the county for his interest in and knowledge of athletics.

Mr. Lowry has designed various scorebooks for baseball and basketball which have been accepted for publication by leading companies specializing in athletic equipment.

Chesterton excels in its science courses and is the only school in the county system which boasts a complete chemistry department.

Something special in the line of outside entertainment is being offered to Chesterton high school students this year. Sponsored by the Northwest Assemblies, a series of six programs will be presented, three per semester, and will include appearances of musicians, lecturers and entertainers.

Chesterton graduates of 1935 now attending college are: Barbara Brunk, Oberlin college; Howard Carlso, Morningside, Iowa; John Rooney, Indiana university; Howard Smith, Purdue; and Robert Sabinski Indiana university.

Nov. 11, 1935: CITY OBSERVES ARMISTICE DAY; SALUTE FIRED

Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on November 11, 1935.

CITY OBSERVES ARMISTICE DAY; SALUTE FIRED

Legion Members Conduct Program Which Includes Speeches at City Schools and University

ROOSEVELT HONORS UNKNOWN SOLDIER

Uncovered heads turned toward the east in Valparaiso today as hundreds stood at attention in commemoration of the signing of the Armistice which halted hostilities of the World War seventeen years ago.

Charles Pratt Post of the American Legion, took charge of the outward activities of today’s celebration, with many former soldiers in uniform and a firing squad firing a three-round salute at the courthouse square.

At 11 a.m., a halt was called for all activities throughout the city. At that moment those in the downtown district faced east as soldiers fired volleys. A bugler sounded taps immediately thereafter.

In city schools, members of the local American Legion post spoke to the students. Commander T.O. Dillon, of the local post, was speaker at the Gardner school; Howard D. Clark at the Banta school; John W. Larrew, at the Central grades, a Edmund J. Freund at the Central junior high school and Columbia schools.

Attorney Ira C. Tilton spoke at the Armistice Day celebration held this morning at Valparaiso university, where a large gathering of the student body assembled for impressive rites.

At Valparaiso high school a fine program was given by the students. “America, the Beautiful,” was sung by the students under the direction of Mrs. Mary Myers, supervisor of music, after which Superintendent Roy B. Julian read selected scriptures. A vocal solo “There Is No Death”, was rendered by Prof. Burton L. Conkling, of the high school faculty.

Talks were made by Harry LaForce, high school senior, on “The American Spirit”, and by William Burk, also a high school senior, on “The Zero Hour.” Principal H.M. Jesse spoke on “Fort McHenry, the Scene of the Writing of the National Emblem.”

James Stoner, a high school senior, sounded taps, and the students were dismissed for the noon recess.

Importance of Armistice day was also registered in the religious services held on Sunday when members of the American Legion attended the Methodist Episcopal church at the morning service and heard a splendid address on “The Man Power of America,” by Rev. J. E. Porter, pastor of the church and a chaplain in France during the World War. in the evening at the Presbyterian church a union Armistice Day service was held in the evening with Rev. Porter and Rev. Chester W. Wharton presenting “A Conversation with the Unknown Soldier.” Large crowds attended the services.