A GENERAL NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF ORGANIZED LABOR IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA 2 UNION Union Press, Established May, 1935. AN ATTAINMENT OF THE LARGEST GENERAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPAER CIRCULATION IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA Patton Courier, Established Oct., 1893, VOL. 52. NO. 20. ONE PATTON, PENNSYLVANIA, THURSDAY, "MARCH 8, 1945. SUBSCRIPTION $2.00 PER YEAR | PFC. MALLOY WOUNDED COUNTY TAX WILL MINE ACCIDENTS IN COUNTY ON SHARP | DECLINE IN YEAR State Department Lists a Drop of One Hundred Seventy Nine in Cambria Section, iN PHILIPPINE BATTLE SIXTY-FIVE NORTHERN | **““ ** 75% purer nears CAMBRIA BOY SCOUTS The 114th General Hospital in Eng- | | tand.~—During a heavy Nazi counter- | IT'S BEEN A TOUGH WEEK FOR US AS GET BADGE AWARDS incr on. icine, Sn Sustoene, At District Court of Honor Held Pvt. Douglas J. Krug, 19, of Ashville, | ———— in Carrolltown Last Thurs- Pa., was wounded in his right arm! And Without Missing An Issue of day Evening. Attorney and Mrs. Neice A. Malloy of Carrolltown were notified that their son, Pfc. Malloy 21, was wound- ed Feb. 10 near Manila in the Phil- ippine Islands. The soldier was serv- ing with a paratroop outfit when he was wounded. Pfc. Malloy entercd the service Mar. | 13, 1944 and trained with the para- troopers in Ft. Benning, Ga., before going overseas about six months ago. He is a graduate of Carrolltown High School and was working in a war plant in Clevelend, O., when he was called to military service. A ~ REMAIN SIX MILLS | Commissioners Envision Cambria Debt-Free at End of Seven More Years, by shrapnel from a Nazi 88-mm. the Newspaper, That's Quite | shell He is recovering at this United , | States General Hospital in England An Accomplishment. | where he has been awarded the Pur- | —— ple Heart. { | Before entering the army one year ago, Pvt. Krug was employed on the | farm of his parents, Mr. and Mrs. | Taxation rate in Cambria county will remain at six mills during 1945, according to the budget approved the other day by the county commission. ers. Mine accidents in the Cambria Co. coal region dropped off sharply dur-| ing the past year while production was plummeting to an all time peak. An accident decrease of 179 was To the reader of the Union Press- Courier who may fina delivery of his paper a bit late this week, the sig- nificance of it means but little, but to the managment of this news- Approximately 65 Boy Scouts re- ceived nearly 300 awards during a largely attended Court of Honor of the North Cambria District of the] Adm. Robert E. Peary Council last Thursday evening ir: the Parochial School hall, Carrolltown. Guest speaker at the affair, which was attended by several hundred, wag Assemblyman Thomas A. Owens, of | Carrolltown. Awards were presented by the fol- lowing scout leaders: Second-class— | Walter Hunter, scoutmaster of Troop 76; first class Otto Strittmatter, vice president of the district; ten- derfoot air scout certificates—C. M. Lehmier, district chairman; merit pbadges—Charles Sha rbaugh, district commissioner; Ralph Brandt, scout- master of Troop 68; William Leary, scoutmaster of Troop 82, and Louis Haluska, scoutmaster of Troop 81; star awards—A. J. Lantzy; life aw- ards—C. M. Lehmier; eagle awards and eagle palm—Y. J. Gonnella, field scout executive. The following scouts received the various awards. Troop 67, Barnesboro. Merit Badges— Charles Martoia, 8; and Gregroy Romett, five. Troop 68, Barnesboro. Life Badge—Joseph Sedlock. Merit Badges—Ben Salley 3, Steph- en Slavik 5, and Joseph Sedlock 5. Troop 69, Barnesboro. Star badge—Dick Rhoa, and Ro- bert Steele. First-class badge—Robert Brown, | Paul Bush and Thorton Atkins. Second class badge—George Wald- | erman, William oats and Ronnie Wharton. Merit badges—Robert Brown 12, Thorton Aikens 3, Bernard Warren- der 13, George Wildeman 2, Rich. Rhoa 2; Robert Lowmaster 1, and Paul Bush 2. Troop 71, Carrolltown. Life badge—Dick Kelly. Bronze palms—Fred Owens, Harry Ertter and Jack Cunningham. Merit badges—Dick Kelly 1, Fred Owens 2, Paul Gavaler 2, and Oliver Stolz 2. Troop 73, Hastings. Life badge—George Milchak, James Stitts, and George Kolonay. Star badge—Andrew Holt, Regis Cronauer, and James Farabaugh. First-class badge—Donald Stritt- matter and Andrew Dumm. Second-class badge—Regis Walanin Ralph Walanin and John Mancuso. region in 1944 totaled 35, a boost of one over the preceding year. Merit badges—Thomas Deitrich 2, Edgar Holtz 7, James Farabaugh 7, Andrew Holt 5, Regis Cronauer 4 Donald Strittmatter 4, Andrew Dumm 3, John McNelis 9, Ronald Vancuso 3, Thomas C. Anna 4, Ralph Abel 3, Quentin Holtz 5, George Milchak 3, Ronald Collins 5, Patrick Donahue 3, Michael Vancuso 2, James Stitts 10, George Kolonay 10, and Paul Mar- | cuzza 4. Troop 76, Hastings. Life badge—Dewey Anderson. Merit badges—Dewey Anderson 3, Wendel Madis 3, Allen Madis 5, H. Emerson Abram 3. Troop 81, Patton. Bronze Palms--William Anderson and Richard Long. Eagle badge—Alphonse Noel. First class badge—- Joseph Yancho. Merit badges—-Joseph Yancho, 4; William Anderson 5, Alphonse Noel 4, and Richard Long 4. Troop 82, Patton. Gold Palm—Donald Forsythe. Life badge—Richard Hood, Clifton Deringer and John Leary. Bronze Palm—Ralph Kuhnley. First class badge—Paul Noel and Ben Winslow. Merit badges—Donald Forsythe 2, Charles Swab 2, Richard Hood 14, Ben Winslow 5, Ralph Kuhnley 10, Thom- as Sunseri 8, Clifton Deringer 15, and John Leary 6. V: STATE POLICE SAY: Weekly Reminder in the Cause of Safety. Carbon monoxide takes its great- est toll in winter months. Fumes from an automobile exhaust sys- tem contain this deadly poison. Never keep your motor running in- side a closed garage nor while sit- ting in your parked car with its windows closed. Have the exhaust system of your car checked to be sure it does not leak. Fumes from that system, entering your car, may cause you to fall asleep while driv- ing, resulting in serious accident. Keep your car ventilated, even in winter, to prevent this happening to you. > Herman Krug, near Ashville. S FATAL FALL PROV Injuries sustained in a fall last November resulted in the death of 93-year-old Mrs. Catherine (Stritt- matter) Schrift of Summerhill last evening at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Earl Beiter, Canton, O. The aged woman had been visit- ing with her daughter for the past six months. Widow of Simon Schrift, who | died Oct. 23, 1920, she was born Dec. | | 30, 1851, in Carrolltown, a daughter | of the late Peter and Maria (Long) | Strittmatter. | She and Mr. Schrift were united | in marriage Oct. 2,1871, in St. Ben- | edict’s Catholic Church, Carrolltown. | To this union 14 children were born. | Five children are deceased. | Surviving are these nine children: | Mrs. Annie Kibler, Hastings; | Barbara Kibler, St. Boniface; Pius, | Mineral Point; Mrs. Lucy Lantzy, De- | troit, Mich.; Peter, Summerhill; Mrs, Elizabeth Dawson, Orlando, Fla.; Mrs. Martina Beiter, mentioned; Mrs. Mon- |ica Campbell, Oak Ridge, Tenn., and Mrs. Amelia Penatzer, Summerhill. The nonagenarian was a sister of Paul Strittmatter of Hastings; Peter and Isadore, both of Patton; Anthony, Hastings; Mrs. Leonard Holtz, Has- tings; Thomas, Brandywine Summit, Pa., and Sisters Hedwig and Schol astica of the Benedictine Order. | Funeral services were held Thurs- day morning in St. John’s Caatholic church, with interment at New Ger- | many. -_ Vv | SEVEN MINERS INJURED AS MAN TRI? RUNS WILD | AT STARFORD OPERATION Seven miners were injured when a | man-trip ran wild early last Thurs- day at the Glenside No. 6 mine of the | | James Coal Company at Starford. Six were admitted to the Indiana | hospital as patients and the other was sent home after receiving first aid | treatment at the mine. The men were injured in jumping off the runaway trip. It was under- stood the string of cars carried ap- proximately 47 men and was descen- ding a grade into the mine when a coupling from the hoist cable to the end car broke and the trip started to run wild, pushing the mine motor ahead of it. Ve | BANNER GRANGE HAS ELECTION OF OFFICERS Philip Strittmatter was installed as | master of the Banner Grange recent- |ly at the first meeting of the unit | held since December 6th. Other officers inducted include: (Mrs. Ruth Stoltz, overseer; Faber | Farabaugh, steward; Mrs. Philip | Strittmatter, lecturer, Margaret Stolz | chaplain; Mrs. H. M. Mohler, secre- f cary: G. H. Dumra. treasurer; John Strittmatter, assistant steward; Wil- | liam Strittmatter, gate-keeper; Mrs. keeper; Mrs. Helen Randall, Ceres; Mrs. W. A. Farabaugh, Pomona; | [Rose Strittmatter, Flora; and Mrs. | John Eckenrode and Mrs. H. M. Moh- | | ler, evecutive committee. Memorial services were conducted | by the Chaplain for a former member | of the Grange, Sgt. Bengamin Rand-| in France. | | all, Jr., killed in action Mrs. Philip Strittmatter, lecturer, an- | nounced that the following members | {did not miss a meeting during 1944: | | Mr. and Mrs. H .M. Mohler, Mrs. W. | A. Farabaugh, John Strittmatter, {Betty Mohler and Margaret Stoltz. | | Readings were given by Helen Ran- | dall, Demetrius Strittmatter, Allard | Nihart, Jr., Robert Burley, HEckenrode and Donald Dumm. ' | CRESSON SOLDIER WOUNDED i FOR THE SECOND TIME | son, who recently was awarded the | Bronze Star medal for heroic action | was wounded for the second time on | Feb. 18th, in Germany, having been previously wounded in Sept. 18 in received the Purple { France, and | Heart. NT Mother and Son Injured. Mrs. Madeline Nastase and her son, Robert, aged nine, were injured on Monday afternoon when involved in |e car wreck in Summerhill Township on the road leading from Ebensburg. TO NONAGENARIAN William Springer, lady assistant gate- | Mrs. John | Sgt. George R. Williams of Cres-| | paper much water has flown over the | dam since the issue of last week was printed. | In other words, as this newspaper reaches you the Press-Courier plant has been moved—at least in greater part—and the paper you read this | week came off a different press and was issued from our new home on | Magee avenue. | Of course, our moving is not nearly | complete as yet, and it will take a | couple of more weeks to finally ac- ! complish that, but all our heavy ma- | chinery was transported and set up | in the new quarters in the interim be- tween last week and this, and the | mechanical accomplishment of pro- ducing this weeks’ paper all was ex- ecuted in the new snop. This, too, despite the fact that the | editor was three days attending leg- | islative sessions in Harrisburg. The | business manager has won his laurels. | While we have great things plan- | ned for the | bigger newspaper, this week and for some weeks to come, we beg your in- | dulgence. When we are all fitted up, | {and ready to do business in the man- | ner we anticipate, we're going to hold “open house’ some day, and we are going to invite all our readers and friends to come and see our plant, and we assure you that will be with- in the next month or so. However, right now, our working conditions are a bit chaotic. Numerous intricate pieces of heavy printing ma- chinery have to pe at least partially | torn down to move, and intricate ad- justments don’t alweys fit exactly as | one would desire. But we have mov- led the “worst of it,” and the biggest { problems have been overcome. | For which we are thankful—but mighty tired. Not GIHAN WITH GROUP GETTING CITATION Allied Force Headquarters, Italy— Technician Fifth Grade Henry G. Cihan, son of Mr. Peter Cihan of Pat- ton is serving with the 135th Military Police Company, on duty in the Med- iterranean Theater of Operations, which recently was awarded the Mer- itorious Service Unit Placque. The citation says that the plaque was awarded for “superior perform- ance and outstanding devotion to du- ty in the performance of exceptionally difficult tasks.” | Activated in June, 1944, in Italy, i the unit has always faced these ‘“ex- | ceptionally difficult tasks.” For a (long time it policed almost 2,000 | square miles. It now operates in the | Peninsular Base Section. | In addition to its regular police and | traffic control duties, the company, | because of efficiency, has often been | called upon to perform other duties. [It cleared areas for troops preparing for the Southern France invasion, acted as honor and security guard for Secretary of War Henry L. Stimson and guarded and transported millions of lire for the Allied Commission. Overseas 24 months, Cpl. Cihan | wears the Mediterranean Theater Ribbon with two Battle Participation Stars and he has been awarded the Good Conduct Medal. x LT. KIRSCH AWARDED BRONZE STAR FOR HEROISM IN ITALY First Lt. Paul C. Kirsch, of Span- gler, has been awarded the Bronze Star for heroic achievement in action. front in Italy with the 135th Infan- try regiment of the 34th (Red Bull) Division. When intense enemy artillery fire was directed upon his company s po- sitions, Kirsch was given the mission of locating and destroying the Ger- | [man observation post directing the { fire. Exposing himself to sniper fire, related the award citation, Kirsch | searched until he found the enemy po- | of his own. | As he adjusted fire, the Germans | picked up his position, and it was hit | seven times by shells, the first one | tearing the roof off and wounding 7 | men. Kirsch continued directing fire and finally knocked out the enemy | observation post and a machine gun covering it. errr mim While the flood conditions in the state of Ohio have been destructive, rivers flowing eastward did not reach flood stages. Union Press-Courier— | { plans that will in the not distant fu- | Mrs. | ture give you a much better and a | He is serving on the Fifth Army | sition and set up an observation post | noted in the seven districts of the state department of mines embrac- ing coal pits in the Cambria County area. During the year there was a total of 2,426 accidents in the seven dis- tricts, compared to 2,605 in 1943. This includes all lost time accidents and fatalities. Deaths resulting in the county mine Accidents resulting in less than 60 days lost working time during the past year totaled 2,065 compared to a total of 2,191 in the same district during the preceding year. Serious injuries recorded in coun- ty mines dropped 44 during the year. In 1944, a total of 336 accidents re- sulting more than 60 days’ lost time were listed, compared to 380 in 1943. Coal production in the mines soared to 26,817,676 tons to reach an all- | time record. This would mean that county mines produced 11,055 tons of coal for every accident—from a lost- time of one day to a fatality—during | 1944. { Accidents recorded in the districts, | including mishaps resulting in any lost-time, follow—Sixth district, 251, a drop of 55 from the 259 recorded in 1943; Seventh District, a drop of 39 from the 475 in 1943;Tenth dis- trict, 454 accidents; Fifteenth, 318; Eighteenth district, 220, compared to 35 during 1943; Twenty-fourth dis- trict, 385, a decline of 51 from 1943; and Twenty-eighth district, 328, a drop of 35 from the previous year. PVT. WESTOVER WOUNDED. vt. Nathan E. Westover, 21, of Westover, R. D., previously reported | missing in action in Belgium, is in a | military hospital recovering of woun- | ds. He is a son of Mr. and Mrs. Vallie | Westover. He was listed as missing | January 4th. | V-. : MINERS PLEDGE FINE RED CROSS DONATION A donation of $4 per man has been | pledged to the 1945 War Fund of Cambria County Chapter of the Am- erican Red Cross by four locals of the United Mine Workers of Amer-| ica, Bernard Timms of Barnesboro, has announced. | On the board of District 2, United Mine Workers of America, Mr. Timms | revealed that the blanket contribu- | tion has been voted by Patton Local 842, Bakerton Local 1269, Marsteller | Local 2246 and St. Benedict Local | 2008. Patton Local has 60 members; Ba- kerton, 850; Marsteller, 385, and St. Benedict, 180. In other words, it was said, the Red Cross is assured a total of $5,- 900 from the four miners’ organiza- | tions. ieee ie { GARDEN STUDY CLUB LEARNS OF HYBREDS | The regular monthly meeting of the Garden Study Club was held at | Patton Drug Company Building on | | Tuesday evening with Mrs. Charles | | Snyder acting as chairman. Mrs. A. | | J. Yahner gave a talk on hybreds and all new seeds, which was very in- structive. The members participated in a flower pronouncing bee. Mr. Steve Molner of the Florist Shop dis- played flower arrangements and vases. Mrs. Gill Mrs. Walter Little, | Mrs. B. Young, Mrs. Joseph Short and | Miss Agnes Palcho also displayed beautiful potted plants and paintings The Palmer House corner was the subject of discussion, the Garden Club members and the general pub- lic are asked for donations of trees and shrubbrey to keep beautiful the city park. Any time from now until planting time call Miss Yvonne Yer- ger, chairman of park committee if you can make any donations for the park. Light refreshments were servea and the meeting adjourned until March. | Voie Hurt by ‘‘Bomb.”’ | An experiment with a home made |er the top, to set an outstanding rec-| a|ord in the drive for blood donors. An- xiety over the outcome of the drive | which was expressed at the beginning Anthony Zucco, 21, was manufac- | of last week was dispelled when in- | turing a bomb when an explosion of | terest surged upward and continued | powder he was using tore off the | through the week. At times it was| Hastings, were advised that bomb last Friday afternoon cost Cresson man a thumb and resulted in| a serious injury to his left hand. brother, Staff. Sgt. I'rank J. Malloy, is with the Army in the South Pa- cific theater. nV i a POMONA GRANGE HOLDS MEETING On January 27th, the Pomona Grange met in the grade school build- ing in Ebensburg. A resolution was adopted by the Grange urging the draft boards to consider more ser- iously the necessity for food and the lack of replacements for any farm- ers which they migat take into the army. The Grange also took action to establish an official newspaper, the executive committee being authoriz- | ed to arrange for its publication. The worthy master appointed the | following committees: Legislative Ed Jones, George Leiden, G. Dumm, Mrs. O'Hara and Miss nore Garrett; Home economics—Mrs. Hazlett, Miss Eastman, Mrs. Weise, | Mrs. Phil Strittmatter and Mrs. Geo. Leiden. The afternoon session was dedicat- ed to the fiftieth anniversary cele- bration. Four Past Masters were in attendance and spoke a few words. They were J. A. Farabaugh, E. Jones, Ed Weise, and Philip Strittmatter. James Garrett was the only charter member present. An address was given by G. H. Dumm, past secretary, who spoke of Grange achievement. He favored the cooperation of leaders of industry, ag- riculture and labor to settle their common problems. The state master spoke on the subject of Grange Im- provement. He asked for more activ- ity on the part of the farm leaders. He announced Grange Day, when each member is to devote one day to Grange work during the year. REPS. SNYDER AND KELLY PROTEST ANY FURTHER DRAFTING OF THE MINERS Further drafting of “essential, ir- replaceable” coal miners is opposed by two Pennsylvania coal region con- gressmen, Reps. Snyder and Kelly told the House they understand that newest draft regulations will “take 70 per cent of all coal miners in Pennsylva- nia between the ages of 18 and 29.” That would mean a production drop of 12,750,000 tons a year, Kelly said. “I am well aware that we cannot win the war without troops,” he re- marked, “but neither can you place implements of war in hands of the troops, without coal.’ Snyder said “practically 30 per cent of the nation’s coal miners already have been drafted--a higher percen- tage, we have been told, than any other trade.” The mines have been stripped of younger men, the congressman said, adding that training replacements takes as long as two years. Ve MINER'S HOSPITAL NURSING SCHOOL GETS APPROVAL The School of Nursing at Miner's Hospital recently recieved full for continuance of their school for the year 1945. The school has now been established since September, 1941. It is a mem- ber of the U. S. Cadet Nurse Corps program and living up to its pledge to supply federal hospitals with Sen- ior Cadet Nurses. To date the en- rollment for the school is 43 students. Of these 15 are senior students and will graduate in September of this year. The full class of the school will be selected by the end of June. Any one interested in joinifig the Cadet Nurse Corps should contact Direc- tor of Nurses at Miner’s Hospital for particulars. rer A reer CAMBRIA COUNTY GOES OVER TOP IN BLOOD DONORS Cambria County has again gone ov- H, | bonds will be paid off each year Le- ap- | proval from Pennsylvania State Board Total anticipated expenditures for the year are $1,542,504.56 as compar- {ed to the actual outlay of $1,260,852.- 97 to operate the county last year. The tax rate, approved by all three commissioners, remains the same as it had been since 1938, when it was reduced from 8 to 6 mills. Commissioners pian to pay $400,000 of the county's bonded debtedness this r and refund proximately 9,918.75 worth bonds. Under the present plan of payment the county will be debt free of bonds in 1952, the commissioners said. Bar- ring unforseen circumstances the county will be able to retire all of its bonds for the first time in history by 1952 without increasing the present millage, it was pointed out by the | commissioners. Present bonded indebtedness of the is $2,996,671.18 and those as they become due. The amount pay- able each year will decrease as the bonds are retired and the interest rates decrease. In 1932 the total bonded indebted- ness of the county was $9,182,324.20 and during the last 12 years the debt was reduced approximately $6,000,- 000. The county is expected to have sizeable surplus at the end of the year with anticipated receipts and cash on hand reported at $1,566,432.- 25 and the anticipated expenditures only $1,542,504.56. Payment of current taxes is fixea in the budget at §785,000 as conipar- ed to the actual amount of $768,392.- 16 collected in 1944. Appropriations tc the various de- partments, commissioners, court house, elections and the various offi- ces are about the same as they were during the last year. Commissioners said that only slight changes were off in- ap- of | county a | made in a few of the allocations. —V: MAY INSTALL WARD FOR MENTALALL VETS Two rooms in the Cambria County Home have been offered to the gov- ernment for use as a ward for the temporary hospitalization of mentally ill war veterans. Capt. Kretz of the Veterans Administration Bureau, of Pittsburgh, and Commissioner Cyrus W. Davis made a survey last Thurs- day of the county home buildings. There is a dire need, it is pointed out, for temporary quarters, where veterans can be hospitalized while ar- rangenients are being made for their admittance to permanent government maintained hospitals. The two rooms at the county home would accommo- date eight servicemen. It is understood that the govern- ment would maintain the temporary quarters and provide the necessary personnel provided the rooms prove adequate. It was pointed out that the government is seeking to establish such temporary cuarters in every county for the care of mentally-ill servicemen. ye COOPERATION PLEDGED BY CAMBRIA LIQUOR MEN IN CURFEW REGULATIONS The Cambria County Retail Liquor Dealers Association, reatilers, met on Monday evening in Johnstown to dis- cuss plans for the policing of industry to sevure strict compliance with the emergency midnight curfew, as well as to all laws governing the liquor trade. The regulations were read, and members reported that since the new curfew went into effect they have cleared their places of patrons prom- ptly at midnight. CRESSON SOLDIER HURT. Pfc. Walter Prichard, 19, of Cres- son, was wounded on February 5th, while fighting the Japanese on Luz- on Islands in the Philippines. He has been in the service since July 19, 1943, and overseas for ten months. Two brothers, Cpl. John J. Prichard, and Cpl. Thomas Prichard, also are {in the army. ——N | Cpl. Kline Wounded. | Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Kline of their thumb from his left hand, shredded a | necessary to turn away volunteers be-| son, Cpl. Bernard M. Kline, 22, Has- middle finger and burned the remain- | cause the staff did not have equip-| tings, was wounded slightly on Feb. ment to take care of any more. The | 17th, in Germany. He entered the _—V—— quota had been set at 4,700 pints; and | armed forces on Feb. 17, 1943, and Do your part in the Red Cross War | the total wen over the 5,000 mark by | was assigned to overseas duty five der of the hand. Fund Drive. It's a paramount duty. the end of last week. months ago.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers