12 Jan 1940
Page 1
This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
This newspaper page contains 25 articles. Subscribers can read the full text of each article.
Newspaper
Washington Evening Journal
Location
Washington, Iowa, United States of America
Date
Jan 12, 1940
Page
1
A column notes a burglary at a house owned by James Simpson in Council Bluffs. Thieves ransacked the property taking windows frames bathroom fixtures heating plant electric fixtures and all interior hardware leaving only bare walls and floors.
Davenport reports 150 orphans at the Iowa Soldiers Orphans Home segregated from other children due to illness with influenza. Superintendent Syl McCauley is also ill with the disease.
Ottumwa bargaining committee of the Packinghouse Workers Organizing Committee of the C I O has asked for a 10 cent per hour wage increase for all Ottumwa employees of John Morrell and Co union officials said.
A group of 25 University of Iowa undergraduates urged that students be allowed to confer with the state board of education, faculty, and alumni in selecting the next president to replace Dr. F. E. Gilmore, whose resignation takes effect July 1. Merle Miller of Marshalltown led the move.
Des Moines. Edwin R. Herbert director of the Iowa state employment service was indicted by a Floyd county grand jury at Charles City on perjury charges. Herbert faces 24 counts while H. J. Eberhart now in Dubuque and formerly at Charles City is charged with six counts.
Ottumwa Iowa reports the Wapello county grand jury indicted Leo T. King a 41 year old transient from Minneapolis on larceny and robbery charges tied to the theft from L L Robb of Eldon a man who had fed him. The case centers on the elder’s welcome turning to crime.
Edgar A. Oetjen of Washington will be honored at a Sunday service at 2 PM at L A Jones funeral home with Rev. W F Krueger presiding. Burial follows in Elm Grove cemetery. He died by inhaling gas after a nervous breakdown.
Amos Stout of Brighton township was chosen as president of Washington County Farm Bureau at the annual meeting. A. L. Duensing became vice president, Robert Wiley secretary, and Ray Lambert treasurer. New directors from townships were elected, and Mrs. John Cherry, Mrs. John Stewart, and Mrs. Merle Twinam filled county leadership roles in Women’s Home Project, Music, and Publicity. State Farm Bureau speaker Raymond Sayre urged democracy be practiced for all and noted the need to address hunger as a condition of true freedom.
Secretary of Agriculture Henry A. Wallace defended the administration’s reciprocal trade program before the Ways and Means Committee. He argued opponents aim to repeat tariff grabs of 1922 and 1926. The program’s authority expires June 12 unless renewed, and Hull contended farmers are better off now.
In Washington the special school election favored disposing of the old Heights school site on North Second Avenue by 20 votes but kept three other properties. Centennial and Wallace votes opposed sales while Lincoln and Heights had mixed outcomes. Overall 391 ballots cast with 158 yes and 171 no. Heights 199 yes 179 no. Wallace 163 yes 215 no. Board mourned the result, planning to retain all properties and defer any sale plans.
Washington county hospital reports 1130 patients in 1939, double the 1934 total, including 172 infants and 172? babies, 88 boys and 84 girls. December average daily patients 21.3, peak 29, lowest seven, 6.2 day average stay, 20 daily meals per patient, 40534 meals served at 21 cents each, 551 surgeries with 178 major operations and 184 tonsillectomies, 407 medical cases, X ray earnings 3645, lab specimens up by 795 from 1988.
President Roosevelt urged Democrats and Republicans to reach a nonpartisan agreement on aid to Finland. Congress had bills to extend up to 60 million dollars in credit and to sell 1000 Garand rifles to Finland at one dollar each. The president said Finland assistance is under study by the state department and other agencies.
The laboratory handles pneumonia typing water tests from wells and the YMCA pool milk examinations and sewage tests. Tuberculosis and occasional diphtheria tests are done but no diphtheria cases have appeared in ten years and many children are immunized. The county hospital was refurnished with new furniture and beds after twenty seven years of service.
W. E. Bond, manager of the Montgomery Ward store, is ill at his home with flu and unable to report to work yesterday.
A 1949 Ford coupe registered to Frank E. Reeder of Des Moines was wrecked five miles east of town on No 92 near the Rex Smith home. The driver fled after the crash and has not returned to town. he may be headed toward Cecertville, leaving a suitcase at the Smith residence. The car turned over multiple times and was towed to a Washington garage.
A fifteenth district Christian Endeavor rally will be held at Cotter Presbyterian Church this Sunday with activities from 2 pm to 5 30 pm A prayer and supper will follow The afternoon speaker is Dr W Bastwood of Washington Presbyterian Church and Rev M A Robeson Cotter Presbyterian pastor will lead the evening service
Word arrived today of the death of E K M Corbett a prominent Sioux City attorney in Gulfport Mississippi after an illness of influenza He and his wife Edith Van Sickle had traveled to Mississippi for his health Mrs Corbett formerly resided here and was daughter of the late Nial Van Sickle Her mother was sister of Mrs M E Canier.
A brother and sister living across West Main street died within ten minutes today from heart attacks. Attorney Edward J. Harmeier, 63, died at 12 50 PM at his home, while his sister-in-law Dr. J A Marie, wife of Harmeier’s brother, was found dead at the Marie home across the street after failing to reach her on the phone. Funeral plans not yet set. Harmeier born December 7, 1876 in Richmond. educated at Richmond, Washington High, and the Iowa State University Law College. practiced law in Washington. survived by wife Anna Eagle and brother Louis Harmeier. An obituary for Mrs Marie will follow.
London reports a major reorganization of air defenses amid warnings of a possible swift German blitzkrieg. Six systematic raids on the British coast followed days of bombing and machine gun attacks on British and neutral ships as tensions rise.
Rescue crews report 25 bodies recovered from the Pond Creek Pocahontas Number One coal mine after a blast trapped 91 miners. Officials estimate 66 victims remain dead. four were recovered yesterday and 21 today. State inspector KE L Chatfield notes violent blast and after damp likely left miners immobile. Rescue teams plan to search the fourth chamber as conditions allow. The blast cause remains undetermined.
Collin Forbes aged 84 died at two this morning in Riverside. The body is at J A Jones Funeral Home while funeral arrangements are pending.
Weather records show the official government bureau thermometer falling to a degree above zero last night as daytime highs reached a degree. Officials note colder overnight lows in the early morning hours with continued chilly conditions forecast.
Mr and Mrs Laurence t announce the birth of a daughter born Wednesday morning at a home near Riverside weighing six and a half pounds.
Dr. Preston L. Etter resigns from the St Washington board of education after decades of service. Richard A. Stee was elected to fill the vacancy, with Etter free to retire after the elementary school building program’s completion and ongoing state school board reforms. Etter joined the board March 26, 1929, succeeding the late P. G. Ahrens, and led as president in 1933-34.
Report suggests Nazi forces study British air and sea defenses and plan to exploit gaps in coastal fortifications. Allies monitor intelligence as potential raids loom, with observers warning of intensified pressure on port facilities and radar stations.
We want people to find what they are looking for at NewspaperArchive. We are confident that we have the newspapers that will increase the value of your family history or other historical research. With our 7-day free trial, you can view the documents you find for free.
People find the most success using advanced search. Try plugging in keywords, names, dates, and locations, and get matched with results from the entire collection of newspapers at NewspaperArchive!
You can also successfully find newspapers by these browse options. Explore our archives on your own!
Browse by location and discover newspapers from all across the world.
Browse by date and find publications for a specific day or era.
Browse old newspaper publications to find specific newspapers.