December 6, 1937 (4 pages)

Thinking Out Loud H. M. L. Hardly: anyone who has’ known Ben Bost, but will feel sorry that he must pay a severe penalty for sell: 4 \ ing stolen gold. By reputation he has been known as a highgrader for a generation, but eventnally John Law overtook him. Furthermore according to the agents who have’ been busy in tracing down sales of stolen gold to Uncle Sam’s mint, the campaign to ensnare highgraders will be rigorously continued until this crime is stamped out. Easy highgrading money has been, unquestionably, a boon to business in Nevada County. When the first arrests were made a year ago, the result was to close several highway resorts. The effect was even more vital than that. Sales of household goods, clothing and even groceries took an abrupt drop. Gold thieves found themselves suddenly without a market, or at least, they were too thoroughly seared to offer — stolen gold for sale, } Just why there should ever have grown up in, public sentiment any forgiveness of gold stealing, as being something better than ‘horse stealing, car theft, or burglary, -is hard to understand. The business of mining gold is suffiriently hazardous without being forced to pay tribute to thieves employed in mining. The stock holder who invests his in mining, is entitled under legal or moral, to the net when occasionmoney any code, profit that accrues, ally it does accrue are given. severe penalties, convicted, burglars are generally treated to a long term in prison, footpads rarely escape the law’s penalties. Yet in God-fearing mining communities public ment generally .has been on the side of the gold thief. It is salutary lestherefore, that two gold thieves lately been sentenced to eohsiderable terms in Federal prison, The legal common denominator of all We mav Cattle thieves when sentison, have stealing is exactly the same. pity Ben Bost overtaken in his old age, but we must approve the enforcement of just laws, which make, no distinction among thieves and thievery. With little bites here and there the Nipponese are testing the character of democratic governments. A Japanese war ace zooms down and machine guns the British ambassador to China. A cocky Japanese lieutenant walks aboard a tug belonging American citizen hauls down: 3tars and Stripes throws it overthe ship. . to an the S board and makes off This morning’s dispatches state that have bombed three them a wars British with Japanese pilots British ships, and wounded One ship was fired and run Pro>. one of ship, several citizens. into the bank where it burned. fuse apologies have followed the two first outrages and other ‘“‘incidents,” and this morning’s ‘bombing will probably be atoned for in a lavish outpouring of Japanese regret. But there is a strong chance that or other, these irresponsible Japanese military satraps will go just a little too far, and find themselves engaged in a first class war. The democracies are slow to anger and are inherently peace loving, but they are also self respecting and in‘the long ran, repeated insult will lead to heavy handed reprisals. sometime Col.-and Mrs. Lindbergh following two years residence in England, where they think life is safer for their two young sens, have slipped back to the United States to visit their many friends and relatives here. They have left their two children with relatives in England. We consider that the reasons which led two such splendid Americans ‘to become expatriates, constitute a foul disgirace to American institutions. The blame lies equally upon a sensation mongering press, and upon governmental authorities, Federal and state, which failed to protect these citizens. from the cracked and the criminal. *, The average age of prisoners in California state institutions 19. These young men are incarcerated in daily association with the perverted and the vicious. The Prison Board is asking for another prison in which to segregate the ‘‘mentally perverted, the crimanally insane and vicious, is hardened criminals.’’ Under the com-. . ditions; it would %seem an imperative necessity, Billie Roe injured his right leg Friday while playing football and it Was quite painful over the week end. Nevada City u COVERS RICHEST GOL D AREA IN CALIFORNIA . ove ifia ton irom the Californian, March 15, 1848: The Liberty of the Press consists in the right to publish the Truth, with good motives and for justble ends: — Alexander HamilVol. 11, No. 96. ~ The County Seat Paper _NEVADA CITY, CAL. IFORNIA . ~ The Gold Center “MONDAY. DECEMBER 6, 1937. Benefit: Prizes galore will be awarded winners in the community card party that will be held next Friday evening in the auditorium of the new elementary school for the benefit of the Boy Scouts and the Camp Fire Girls. Mrs. L. B. Gregory and Mrs. E. T. Bonner, of obtaining prizes, reports generous committee in charge response to their appeal. Contributors of prizes for the even to date are as follows: Dickerman’s Drug’ Store, Plaza Garage, Bowman‘s Beauty Shop, Service Garage, Harris Drug Store; Nevada City Drug Store, Colley’s Confectionery, The Style Shop, Mrs. Er. Rose, Hartung’s, Kopp’s’ Bakery, Forest Service, Mrs. Arthur Hoge, Sr., the Nevada City Nugget, LeitPrizes Galore For Community Card Party ext Friday er’s wike. cow News Stand, and Penrose Grovery. Tickets are on sale at the Nevada City Nugget, the Grass Valley Union, Harris Drug Store, Dickerman’s Drug Store, The Nevada City Drug Store. Tickets are fifty cents each. This is the first time the new grammar school auditorium has been thrown open to @ big commusity card party and scores of people are taking advantage of the opportunity to see this beautiful new room, air conditioned and lighted according to modern standards. The proceeds of the evening will be devoted to completing the addition to Seaman’s lodge, which has been leased to the Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls and Cbs. There remains to be completed the floors, partitions and ceiling of the new addition. GRASS VALLEY TO GIVESANTA CLAUS WELCOME Santa Claus, responded merce’s dies of who has graciously the Chamber of invitation to Grass Valley this city to Commeet the kidwill fly over. in an airplane this evening o'clock, port at 7: 30;-On be welcomed to special ld about 7 landing at the airlanding Santa will Grass Valley by a of citizens. committee feph M. Dixon, Im; . mediately parade From afterward he will head a starting from Hills Flat, . there it will proceed west on . Main street to Mill, south on Mill to . Neal, thence to Church street, north! to Main, then he Bank of . America building Mill street in’ Grass Valley. back to on Citizens of Nevada City are invited to attend this event. Santa Claus will greet the kiddies in front of the Bank of America at the conclusion of the parade. As an added feature of the Christ-; festivities program there will broadcast contest on at 6:30 o'clock at . the Bank America corner. Other} broadcasts will be given on the 10th, 14th and 17th of this with the final broadcast evening, December 20th. who wish to take part in these broadphone tothe rooms, mas be an amateur Tuesday evening of 7th, month, on Monday Amateurs casts are requested to send or their names and addresses local Chamber of Commerce Santa Claus particularly desires to have #he kiddies write to him re-. garding what they desire for Christmas: He loves to get letters from the little ones and has made arrangements with the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce to take care of them for him. Address letters to him and deposit them in the special mail box that has been installed in the Chamber of Commerce rooms, 219 West Main street, Grass Valley. A large Christmas tree 30 feet high has been placed at the intersection of Main and Mill.street, in Grass Valley. This tree has been beautifully decorated and is lighted at night by hundreds. of colored lights which give it a most pleasing appearance. On Monday evening, December 6, immediately following Santa Claus’ greeting to the kiddies, the prize for the best window display by the local Grass Valley’“ merchants will be awarded to the luck contestant. Judging will be done by the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Nevada City. Santa Claus will visit all the shops and stores of Grass Valley twice a week during the month—-Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. FIFTY THREE AT OLDER BOYS CONFERENCE The older boys conference at the has an enrollment of 3 boys. Mr. Duékles was the director. Mrs. Libbey led the songs. The luncheon and dinner were served by Miss McKnight and her home ecvnomics class. Miss Petersén and the girls league gave a dance in the afternoon for the boys” énjoyment. The conference was a success and plans were discussed for a cowference for next year. hig xh schiool JURY PANEL FOR 1938 TO REPORT ON DEC. 14 The 193 jury county has been Grass Valley panel for Nevada drawn as follows: Township—Arthur H. Emory, Richard E Clary, Russell L. Miller, Albert B. Adams, Thomas J. Hocking, Leland V. Michell, Florence M. Salisbury, Ruth Body, JosFred-C. Morrison, Jack Sutherland, Frances. C. Ford, Meeker, Clarence R. CunRobert H. Potts, Ralph H. Cochrane, Rudolph M. Popp, Thomas A. Leary. Meadow Lake Moretto, L. B. hoffer, Jonas Smith, Julius Rough and R G. Florence ningham, Dick das, Ka KielHirsch, Mrs. Tillie F. Lichtenberger. eady Township— F1Yl Townsniip Duy mer R. Schwartz, William Morris, George W.Erway, Lowell Elster. 3ridgeport Township Neil En-; nis. Washington Township — Starling Ellis. Nevada Township — Edward J. Fitzgerald, Charles Marsh Brown, William J.:Treglown, Walter W. Nivens, Mary German, Oscar J. Odegaard, William D. Graham, Andrew J. Carey, Otto Schiffner, Mae Carr. SCOUTS GATHER 200 XMAS TREES Scouts of Troops 6 and 24 approximately 200 silver tipped fir trees last Saturday. The boys went to a section of the forest reserve above Graniteville. After receiving instruction from the rangers on how to select the proper trees and the method of cutting them, they felled and loaded the trees on a Nevada County Lumber company truck. The work was laborious. Large trees were dragged many blocks over the snow, and the boys were exhausted when the cutting and loading was completed. Scouts Bob Farmer, Leland Smith, Dick Gregory, Gino Benuzzi, Joe Widauf, Ray Sowden, Vincent Lewis and Scoutmaster W. Leslie appreciated a goods night’s rest that evening. The trees will be placed onsale the latter part of this week in the lot next to the Alpha store. There is a large variety in sizes, ranging from three to thirty feet. La The secured 30¥ BIRTHDAYS! Send a Greeting to Your Friends. . 8 December 7 MISS MINNIE BRAND Sacramento December 8 LENARE GRENFELL DICK JAMES Lost. Hili December 9 MARIA KNUDSON December 11 PAUL PHARISS December 13 DOLLY JEFFERSON KATHERINE WILLIAMSON _~— Happy Birthday_— Shes PRS RNS AUTO CLUBS ASK ‘CHANGE IN STATE HIGHWAY BOARD Byoad changies . organiza dion, authority and duties of the highway commission are to be sought through a constitutional amendment s»yonsored by the California State Automobile Association and the Automobile Club of Southern California it was announced today. The proposed amendment, it was stated, will be placed on the ballot for the general election next November as an initiative measure, with the following principal provisions: 1. A ful time salaried highway commission of five memibers in complete charge of state highway aifairs, including not only tion, maintenance and allocation of funds, but also law enforcement and promotion of traffic safety on the highways. 2. Transfer of the California highway patrol from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the new highway commission. In many important respects the would occupy a pposition comparable to that of the Railroad Com. mission, declared the announce. ment. A statement setting forth the plan the automobile clubs .was issued jointly by H. J. Brunnier of San Francisco and W. Keller of Los Angeles. Brunnier is chairman . of the highways committee of the . California State of Henry AssocKeller is chairman of a similar committee of the Automobile Automobile iation. proposed new highway commission . Police In . SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. San Francisco Chronicle says: and Federal officers drove yesterday toward the end of the romantic story . of the highgraders, hoping for the! takes $750,000 in gold a year and which has claimed millions since the} days of ’49. Secret operatives throughout the’ Mother Lode countfy are working to . . close cases against rings that are) lars worth of gold from mines, large and small, and Federal indictments are expected within. a few weeks it was learned. Using the Federal gold reserve act as their chief weapon, Secret Service agents of the Treasury and investigators for the State Division of Mines are working in close cous laboration with the doom of the high grader forecast. The conviction and Friday of Ben A. Bost, Nevada City gold buyer, who has operated 20 years in the Mother Lode, is but a chapter in the great drive, officials disclosed. Huge thefts are’ perpetrated through eldsely. knit of mingrinders, collectors and buyeis. operating on extensive scale many sections of the accordaing to Walter Bradley, of the . sentencing 72 year old rings ers, an in Sierra, head Club of Southern California. statement said, in part. . “The need enlarging the func. tions of the hihgway . clear and to that end a tion of the commission “The provide a continuity ministrative policies. entire the for commission is reorganizais necessary. would of highway adAt present the highway commission serves at pleasure of the governor. “Highway aéfairs should be as far possible from _ political influences. The amendment provides for the appointment of highway ers by ‘the governor, 1 by the state senate, for . ten year terms, so arranged as to . have one of the five ‘terms two years. proposed amendment commissionsubject to con. firmation expire } This would remove . the commission from control of any one administration. “Provision every is ‘to be made that) commissioners shall have the proper . training and of. fiee, and that three . shall be of party. . could be removed from office . expiration of their terms only by a two-thirds vote of the state . senate. . “At present the office of highway commissioner is largely an honorary carrying no salary. Duties of the commission are mainly the al. location of funds and location of the routes. When this is done, the De-. partment of Public Works carries on. Under the new plan the Departnent of Public Works will relinquish to the highway commission all highway and related functions. “With all highway affairs concentrated in the hands of th new highway commission, undesirable division of authority and duplication of duties, and the various weaknesses of the existing system would be elim. inated. “Transfer of jurisdiction over the highway ppatrol to the new highway commission is most logical. Among the duties prescribed by the amendment for the new commission are analyses of accident causes, safety education and enforcement of motor vehicle laws on the _ highways. There is a direct and close relatior between building safety into highways and policing the highways for for the safe movement of traffic. experience for the not more than the same political They prior to one, The . St . writing to the probation officer ate Mining Bureau. In one haul, a ring was known to have taken $15,000 out of a mine at SECOND NEVADA (0. HIGHGRADER SENT 10 JAIL Bost of Nevada City on Ben Friday in San Francisco was fined $5,000. and sentenced to five vears in Federal prison on conviction of falsifyiigs gold purchas affidavits. Federal Judge St. Sure declared that he had been ready to grant probation but that the probation report forced him instead to impose fine and sentence. This the second Nevada County conviction. Bill Moulton of French Corral was sentenced to Mc. Neil Island several months ago. Sheriff Lucot of Amador county statin 1921, $45,000 worth of disappeared from the Arshortly thereafter sold by Bost which he is ed that sold had gonaut mine and $14,000 Oof gold was to a Nevada City bank claimed he had purchased from two British Columbia prospectors who failed to register. Bost’s record of half cetury in the gold buying business was againgt him. 6.—The! State . . Said, have small first time to stamp out a racket that . . mine—sthat is pounds out the surplus State and Federal Drive To End Highgrading it was declared. Bradley ore that a single time. Many California mines, veins of }are very rich. Such ore grader. He ideal for the highitdown in the is “‘cobs’”’ quartz and reduces the ore to as wure gold as possible. Sometimes he will use a small length of pipe for the “cobbing.”’ The gold is then cached and often another worker construc-! assertedly stealing thousands of dol-! Will pick it up. Men who make fre~ . quent trips into the mines, such as mechanics and skip tenders, often are used_as the ‘‘mules.’’ ' RICH HAUL SEEN In view of the fact that a bar of pure gold worth $35,000 weighs 84 pounds the possibilities of rich hauls are great. Sometimes the men put. the pounded ore into their mouths and ean carry out $20 worth that way. Again they will mix it with their tobacco or put it-in an empty watch case. Normally the loot is taken to @ grinder—and@ there are many illicit mills scattered around the county— who extracts the remaining quartz. If he is operating on his own, he charges the miner 5 per cent of the value for grinding and then buys .the gold. He also keeps the concentrates, that is the left over, which have a value of possibly $1 a pound. That -is his extra profit. — The grinder may sell then to a collector, who turns it over to the final buyer, who ships it to the mint. All transactions ahe made at gradually increasing prices. At. the mint, however, the shipper must sign an affidavit as to the source of the gold. they will pretend to Again they will say other men, usSometimes own a mine. they bought 4t from ing fictitious names. The state mine inspectors to work whenever there is a doubt. Days and weeks of checking may follow. Men will hide in the hills watching a mine that has reported a rich shipment. The number of men working and the hours they are in the mine will .be recorded. When another shipment comes into the mint purportedly from that mine the officials will be in/’a position definitely to disprove the assertion. -In the event fictitious names are used as the original sources of the gold, equally long and tedious work is required ‘to check them. In a case now pending an outside officer acted as go between. A collector sold him $1600 in gold and. later was told to come back with “all he had.’”’ He brought $5200 to a Marysville hotel room that had been tapped for hearing by agents in an adjoining room. The gold was confiscated and the collector jailed. CLAUDE CLARK WILL ADDRESS ROTARY CLUB Claude Clarke, vice president of the California Hydrauloc Miners. association, will be the speaker next Thursday noon at the meeting of the Rotary club at luncheon. Mr. Clarke for several years has been in charge of Relief Hill, one of the historic placer mines of the county. CAMPTONVILLE CAMPTONVILLE, Dec. 6.—Mrs. Irene Olson returned Friday from a visit with her mother at North San Juan. “Wngineers and attorneys of the' two clubs will immediately confer! with state and national authorities in an effort to make the plan of administering highway afifairs in California a model for the entire nation.” ROOF FIRE CAMPTONVILLE, Dec. 6.—Constable John Jaynes almost was without a home Thursday when his house at the Jaynes ranch took fire. A spark from the chimney lit on the . roof and ignited it Fortunately the family was home and soon discovered the fire which they put out with the garden hose. It burned a hole about four feet square on the roof. & Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Arnett left . Thursday for Oakland where they . will spend the winter months, ex. pecting to return here early in the spring. W. F. Waterman has moved from the Cold Spring service station to North San Juan. Hector MeNeil of Grass Valley was in town Friday visiting his old home, Julius BE, Pauly left Saturday for Sacramento to take part in the Shriners ceremionial this week end at the capital city. Mr. and Mrs. Erle Pauly arrived Friday night from Oakland on &@ ‘week end visit to their old home. — Merle Butz took a truck load of MURCHIE MINER DIES OF INJURIES Roy Hurd, ofthis city was fatally injured at 12:30 Saturday morning after working five hours of his first shift at the Murchie mine. He died last night. : Fellow workers rushed to his assistance when the fall of rock from the hanging wall on the 1800 foot level occurred. His condition was so serious it was necessary to call a doctor to give first aid and Dr. Geo. Foster of Grass Valley was summoned. Hurd was taken to Jones Memorial hospital in Grass Valley. Tt was found he suffered a crushed verierbre which produced a back fracture and iyternal injuries. He resided with his sister in law, Mrs. Fred Bagshaw, on Piety Hill in this city. Mr. Hurd leaves a wife in Washington state. She has been summoned but did arrive in time to see him before he passed away. Funeral arrangements and other details will be attended to upon her arrival. GIRLS BASKETBALL The A ‘basketball team for girls the high school has chosen — captins: Ruth Godfrey, Ve and Edna Doolittle. The teams lumber to Alleghany Friday. délécted and ihterolaan nam é vlssaet. eee be

Thinking Out Loud H. M. L. Hardly: anyone who has’ known Ben Bost, but will feel sorry that he must pay a severe penalty for sell: 4 \ ing stolen gold. By reputation he has been known as a highgrader for a generation, but eventnally John Law overtook him. Furthermore according to the agents who have’ been busy in tracing down sales of stolen gold to Uncle Sam’s mint, the campaign to ensnare highgraders will be rigorously continued until this crime is stamped out. Easy highgrading money has been, unquestionably, a boon to business in Nevada County. When the first arrests were made a year ago, the result was to close several highway resorts. The effect was even more vital than that. Sales of household goods, clothing and even groceries took an abrupt drop. Gold thieves found themselves suddenly without a market, or at least, they were too thoroughly seared to offer — stolen gold for sale, } Just why there should ever have grown up in, public sentiment any forgiveness of gold stealing, as being something better than ‘horse stealing, car theft, or burglary, -is hard to understand. The business of mining gold is suffiriently hazardous without being forced to pay tribute to thieves employed in mining. The stock holder who invests his in mining, is entitled under legal or moral, to the net when occasionmoney any code, profit that accrues, ally it does accrue are given. severe penalties, convicted, burglars are generally treated to a long term in prison, footpads rarely escape the law’s penalties. Yet in God-fearing mining communities public ment generally .has been on the side of the gold thief. It is salutary lestherefore, that two gold thieves lately been sentenced to eohsiderable terms in Federal prison, The legal common denominator of all We mav Cattle thieves when sentison, have stealing is exactly the same. pity Ben Bost overtaken in his old age, but we must approve the enforcement of just laws, which make, no distinction among thieves and thievery. With little bites here and there the Nipponese are testing the character of democratic governments. A Japanese war ace zooms down and machine guns the British ambassador to China. A cocky Japanese lieutenant walks aboard a tug belonging American citizen hauls down: 3tars and Stripes throws it overthe ship. . to an the S board and makes off This morning’s dispatches state that have bombed three them a wars British with Japanese pilots British ships, and wounded One ship was fired and run Pro>. one of ship, several citizens. into the bank where it burned. fuse apologies have followed the two first outrages and other ‘“‘incidents,” and this morning’s ‘bombing will probably be atoned for in a lavish outpouring of Japanese regret. But there is a strong chance that or other, these irresponsible Japanese military satraps will go just a little too far, and find themselves engaged in a first class war. The democracies are slow to anger and are inherently peace loving, but they are also self respecting and in‘the long ran, repeated insult will lead to heavy handed reprisals. sometime Col.-and Mrs. Lindbergh following two years residence in England, where they think life is safer for their two young sens, have slipped back to the United States to visit their many friends and relatives here. They have left their two children with relatives in England. We consider that the reasons which led two such splendid Americans ‘to become expatriates, constitute a foul disgirace to American institutions. The blame lies equally upon a sensation mongering press, and upon governmental authorities, Federal and state, which failed to protect these citizens. from the cracked and the criminal. *, The average age of prisoners in California state institutions 19. These young men are incarcerated in daily association with the perverted and the vicious. The Prison Board is asking for another prison in which to segregate the ‘‘mentally perverted, the crimanally insane and vicious, is hardened criminals.’’ Under the com-. . ditions; it would %seem an imperative necessity, Billie Roe injured his right leg Friday while playing football and it Was quite painful over the week end. Nevada City u COVERS RICHEST GOL D AREA IN CALIFORNIA . ove ifia ton irom the Californian, March 15, 1848: The Liberty of the Press consists in the right to publish the Truth, with good motives and for justble ends: — Alexander HamilVol. 11, No. 96. ~ The County Seat Paper _NEVADA CITY, CAL. IFORNIA . ~ The Gold Center “MONDAY. DECEMBER 6, 1937. Benefit: Prizes galore will be awarded winners in the community card party that will be held next Friday evening in the auditorium of the new elementary school for the benefit of the Boy Scouts and the Camp Fire Girls. Mrs. L. B. Gregory and Mrs. E. T. Bonner, of obtaining prizes, reports generous committee in charge response to their appeal. Contributors of prizes for the even to date are as follows: Dickerman’s Drug’ Store, Plaza Garage, Bowman‘s Beauty Shop, Service Garage, Harris Drug Store; Nevada City Drug Store, Colley’s Confectionery, The Style Shop, Mrs. Er. Rose, Hartung’s, Kopp’s’ Bakery, Forest Service, Mrs. Arthur Hoge, Sr., the Nevada City Nugget, LeitPrizes Galore For Community Card Party ext Friday er’s wike. cow News Stand, and Penrose Grovery. Tickets are on sale at the Nevada City Nugget, the Grass Valley Union, Harris Drug Store, Dickerman’s Drug Store, The Nevada City Drug Store. Tickets are fifty cents each. This is the first time the new grammar school auditorium has been thrown open to @ big commusity card party and scores of people are taking advantage of the opportunity to see this beautiful new room, air conditioned and lighted according to modern standards. The proceeds of the evening will be devoted to completing the addition to Seaman’s lodge, which has been leased to the Boy Scouts, Camp Fire Girls and Cbs. There remains to be completed the floors, partitions and ceiling of the new addition. GRASS VALLEY TO GIVESANTA CLAUS WELCOME Santa Claus, responded merce’s dies of who has graciously the Chamber of invitation to Grass Valley this city to Commeet the kidwill fly over. in an airplane this evening o'clock, port at 7: 30;-On be welcomed to special ld about 7 landing at the airlanding Santa will Grass Valley by a of citizens. committee feph M. Dixon, Im; . mediately parade From afterward he will head a starting from Hills Flat, . there it will proceed west on . Main street to Mill, south on Mill to . Neal, thence to Church street, north! to Main, then he Bank of . America building Mill street in’ Grass Valley. back to on Citizens of Nevada City are invited to attend this event. Santa Claus will greet the kiddies in front of the Bank of America at the conclusion of the parade. As an added feature of the Christ-; festivities program there will broadcast contest on at 6:30 o'clock at . the Bank America corner. Other} broadcasts will be given on the 10th, 14th and 17th of this with the final broadcast evening, December 20th. who wish to take part in these broadphone tothe rooms, mas be an amateur Tuesday evening of 7th, month, on Monday Amateurs casts are requested to send or their names and addresses local Chamber of Commerce Santa Claus particularly desires to have #he kiddies write to him re-. garding what they desire for Christmas: He loves to get letters from the little ones and has made arrangements with the Grass Valley Chamber of Commerce to take care of them for him. Address letters to him and deposit them in the special mail box that has been installed in the Chamber of Commerce rooms, 219 West Main street, Grass Valley. A large Christmas tree 30 feet high has been placed at the intersection of Main and Mill.street, in Grass Valley. This tree has been beautifully decorated and is lighted at night by hundreds. of colored lights which give it a most pleasing appearance. On Monday evening, December 6, immediately following Santa Claus’ greeting to the kiddies, the prize for the best window display by the local Grass Valley’“ merchants will be awarded to the luck contestant. Judging will be done by the Business and Professional Women’s Club of Nevada City. Santa Claus will visit all the shops and stores of Grass Valley twice a week during the month—-Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. FIFTY THREE AT OLDER BOYS CONFERENCE The older boys conference at the has an enrollment of 3 boys. Mr. Duékles was the director. Mrs. Libbey led the songs. The luncheon and dinner were served by Miss McKnight and her home ecvnomics class. Miss Petersén and the girls league gave a dance in the afternoon for the boys” énjoyment. The conference was a success and plans were discussed for a cowference for next year. hig xh schiool JURY PANEL FOR 1938 TO REPORT ON DEC. 14 The 193 jury county has been Grass Valley panel for Nevada drawn as follows: Township—Arthur H. Emory, Richard E Clary, Russell L. Miller, Albert B. Adams, Thomas J. Hocking, Leland V. Michell, Florence M. Salisbury, Ruth Body, JosFred-C. Morrison, Jack Sutherland, Frances. C. Ford, Meeker, Clarence R. CunRobert H. Potts, Ralph H. Cochrane, Rudolph M. Popp, Thomas A. Leary. Meadow Lake Moretto, L. B. hoffer, Jonas Smith, Julius Rough and R G. Florence ningham, Dick das, Ka KielHirsch, Mrs. Tillie F. Lichtenberger. eady Township— F1Yl Townsniip Duy mer R. Schwartz, William Morris, George W.Erway, Lowell Elster. 3ridgeport Township Neil En-; nis. Washington Township — Starling Ellis. Nevada Township — Edward J. Fitzgerald, Charles Marsh Brown, William J.:Treglown, Walter W. Nivens, Mary German, Oscar J. Odegaard, William D. Graham, Andrew J. Carey, Otto Schiffner, Mae Carr. SCOUTS GATHER 200 XMAS TREES Scouts of Troops 6 and 24 approximately 200 silver tipped fir trees last Saturday. The boys went to a section of the forest reserve above Graniteville. After receiving instruction from the rangers on how to select the proper trees and the method of cutting them, they felled and loaded the trees on a Nevada County Lumber company truck. The work was laborious. Large trees were dragged many blocks over the snow, and the boys were exhausted when the cutting and loading was completed. Scouts Bob Farmer, Leland Smith, Dick Gregory, Gino Benuzzi, Joe Widauf, Ray Sowden, Vincent Lewis and Scoutmaster W. Leslie appreciated a goods night’s rest that evening. The trees will be placed onsale the latter part of this week in the lot next to the Alpha store. There is a large variety in sizes, ranging from three to thirty feet. La The secured 30¥ BIRTHDAYS! Send a Greeting to Your Friends. . 8 December 7 MISS MINNIE BRAND Sacramento December 8 LENARE GRENFELL DICK JAMES Lost. Hili December 9 MARIA KNUDSON December 11 PAUL PHARISS

December 13 DOLLY JEFFERSON KATHERINE WILLIAMSON _~— Happy Birthday_— Shes PRS RNS AUTO CLUBS ASK ‘CHANGE IN STATE HIGHWAY BOARD Byoad changies . organiza dion, authority and duties of the highway commission are to be sought through a constitutional amendment s»yonsored by the California State Automobile Association and the Automobile Club of Southern California it was announced today. The proposed amendment, it was stated, will be placed on the ballot for the general election next November as an initiative measure, with the following principal provisions: 1. A ful time salaried highway commission of five memibers in complete charge of state highway aifairs, including not only tion, maintenance and allocation of funds, but also law enforcement and promotion of traffic safety on the highways. 2. Transfer of the California highway patrol from the Department of Motor Vehicles to the new highway commission. In many important respects the would occupy a pposition comparable to that of the Railroad Com. mission, declared the announce. ment. A statement setting forth the plan the automobile clubs .was issued jointly by H. J. Brunnier of San Francisco and W. Keller of Los Angeles. Brunnier is chairman . of the highways committee of the . California State of Henry AssocKeller is chairman of a similar committee of the Automobile Automobile iation. proposed new highway commission . Police In . SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. San Francisco Chronicle says: and Federal officers drove yesterday toward the end of the romantic story . of the highgraders, hoping for the! takes $750,000 in gold a year and which has claimed millions since the} days of ’49. Secret operatives throughout the’ Mother Lode countfy are working to . . close cases against rings that are) lars worth of gold from mines, large and small, and Federal indictments are expected within. a few weeks it was learned. Using the Federal gold reserve act as their chief weapon, Secret Service agents of the Treasury and investigators for the State Division of Mines are working in close cous laboration with the doom of the high grader forecast. The conviction and Friday of Ben A. Bost, Nevada City gold buyer, who has operated 20 years in the Mother Lode, is but a chapter in the great drive, officials disclosed. Huge thefts are’ perpetrated through eldsely. knit of mingrinders, collectors and buyeis. operating on extensive scale many sections of the accordaing to Walter Bradley, of the . sentencing 72 year old rings ers, an in Sierra, head Club of Southern California. statement said, in part. . “The need enlarging the func. tions of the hihgway . clear and to that end a tion of the commission “The provide a continuity ministrative policies. entire the for commission is reorganizais necessary. would of highway adAt present the highway commission serves at pleasure of the governor. “Highway aéfairs should be as far possible from _ political influences. The amendment provides for the appointment of highway ers by ‘the governor, 1 by the state senate, for . ten year terms, so arranged as to . have one of the five ‘terms two years. proposed amendment commissionsubject to con. firmation expire } This would remove . the commission from control of any one administration. “Provision every is ‘to be made that) commissioners shall have the proper . training and of. fiee, and that three . shall be of party. . could be removed from office . expiration of their terms only by a two-thirds vote of the state . senate. . “At present the office of highway commissioner is largely an honorary carrying no salary. Duties of the commission are mainly the al. location of funds and location of the routes. When this is done, the De-. partment of Public Works carries on. Under the new plan the Departnent of Public Works will relinquish to the highway commission all highway and related functions. “With all highway affairs concentrated in the hands of th new highway commission, undesirable division of authority and duplication of duties, and the various weaknesses of the existing system would be elim. inated. “Transfer of jurisdiction over the highway ppatrol to the new highway commission is most logical. Among the duties prescribed by the amendment for the new commission are analyses of accident causes, safety education and enforcement of motor vehicle laws on the _ highways. There is a direct and close relatior between building safety into highways and policing the highways for for the safe movement of traffic. experience for the not more than the same political They prior to one, The . St . writing to the probation officer ate Mining Bureau. In one haul, a ring was known to have taken $15,000 out of a mine at SECOND NEVADA (0. HIGHGRADER SENT 10 JAIL Bost of Nevada City on Ben Friday in San Francisco was fined $5,000. and sentenced to five vears in Federal prison on conviction of falsifyiigs gold purchas affidavits. Federal Judge St. Sure declared that he had been ready to grant probation but that the probation report forced him instead to impose fine and sentence. This the second Nevada County conviction. Bill Moulton of French Corral was sentenced to Mc. Neil Island several months ago. Sheriff Lucot of Amador county statin 1921, $45,000 worth of disappeared from the Arshortly thereafter sold by Bost which he is ed that sold had gonaut mine and $14,000 Oof gold was to a Nevada City bank claimed he had purchased from two British Columbia prospectors who failed to register. Bost’s record of half cetury in the gold buying business was againgt him. 6.—The! State . . Said, have small first time to stamp out a racket that . . mine—sthat is pounds out the surplus State and Federal Drive To End Highgrading it was declared. Bradley ore that a single time. Many California mines, veins of }are very rich. Such ore grader. He ideal for the highitdown in the is “‘cobs’”’ quartz and reduces the ore to as wure gold as possible. Sometimes he will use a small length of pipe for the “cobbing.”’ The gold is then cached and often another worker construc-! assertedly stealing thousands of dol-! Will pick it up. Men who make fre~ . quent trips into the mines, such as mechanics and skip tenders, often are used_as the ‘‘mules.’’ ' RICH HAUL SEEN In view of the fact that a bar of pure gold worth $35,000 weighs 84 pounds the possibilities of rich hauls are great. Sometimes the men put. the pounded ore into their mouths and ean carry out $20 worth that way. Again they will mix it with their tobacco or put it-in an empty watch case. Normally the loot is taken to @ grinder—and@ there are many illicit mills scattered around the county— who extracts the remaining quartz. If he is operating on his own, he charges the miner 5 per cent of the value for grinding and then buys .the gold. He also keeps the concentrates, that is the left over, which have a value of possibly $1 a pound. That -is his extra profit. — The grinder may sell then to a collector, who turns it over to the final buyer, who ships it to the mint. All transactions ahe made at gradually increasing prices. At. the mint, however, the shipper must sign an affidavit as to the source of the gold. they will pretend to Again they will say other men, usSometimes own a mine. they bought 4t from ing fictitious names. The state mine inspectors to work whenever there is a doubt. Days and weeks of checking may follow. Men will hide in the hills watching a mine that has reported a rich shipment. The number of men working and the hours they are in the mine will .be recorded. When another shipment comes into the mint purportedly from that mine the officials will be in/’a position definitely to disprove the assertion. -In the event fictitious names are used as the original sources of the gold, equally long and tedious work is required ‘to check them. In a case now pending an outside officer acted as go between. A collector sold him $1600 in gold and. later was told to come back with “all he had.’”’ He brought $5200 to a Marysville hotel room that had been tapped for hearing by agents in an adjoining room. The gold was confiscated and the collector jailed. CLAUDE CLARK WILL ADDRESS ROTARY CLUB Claude Clarke, vice president of the California Hydrauloc Miners. association, will be the speaker next Thursday noon at the meeting of the Rotary club at luncheon. Mr. Clarke for several years has been in charge of Relief Hill, one of the historic placer mines of the county. CAMPTONVILLE CAMPTONVILLE, Dec. 6.—Mrs. Irene Olson returned Friday from a visit with her mother at North San Juan. “Wngineers and attorneys of the' two clubs will immediately confer! with state and national authorities in an effort to make the plan of administering highway afifairs in California a model for the entire nation.” ROOF FIRE CAMPTONVILLE, Dec. 6.—Constable John Jaynes almost was without a home Thursday when his house at the Jaynes ranch took fire. A spark from the chimney lit on the . roof and ignited it Fortunately the family was home and soon discovered the fire which they put out with the garden hose. It burned a hole about four feet square on the roof. & Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Arnett left . Thursday for Oakland where they . will spend the winter months, ex. pecting to return here early in the spring. W. F. Waterman has moved from the Cold Spring service station to North San Juan. Hector MeNeil of Grass Valley was in town Friday visiting his old home, Julius BE, Pauly left Saturday for Sacramento to take part in the Shriners ceremionial this week end at the capital city. Mr. and Mrs. Erle Pauly arrived Friday night from Oakland on &@ ‘week end visit to their old home. — Merle Butz took a truck load of MURCHIE MINER DIES OF INJURIES Roy Hurd, ofthis city was fatally injured at 12:30 Saturday morning after working five hours of his first shift at the Murchie mine. He died last night. : Fellow workers rushed to his assistance when the fall of rock from the hanging wall on the 1800 foot level occurred. His condition was so serious it was necessary to call a doctor to give first aid and Dr. Geo. Foster of Grass Valley was summoned. Hurd was taken to Jones Memorial hospital in Grass Valley. Tt was found he suffered a crushed verierbre which produced a back fracture and iyternal injuries. He resided with his sister in law, Mrs. Fred Bagshaw, on Piety Hill in this city. Mr. Hurd leaves a wife in Washington state. She has been summoned but did arrive in time to see him before he passed away. Funeral arrangements and other details will be attended to upon her arrival. GIRLS BASKETBALL The A ‘basketball team for girls the high school has chosen — captins: Ruth Godfrey, Ve and Edna Doolittle. The teams lumber to Alleghany Friday. délécted and ihterolaan nam é vlssaet. eee be