Boris E. Bechtley 1158 Melville St. VANCOUVER, B.C. •
DecS-57
FIRST TIME STORY EVER TOLD
itor Talks To Man Who Visited Mars'
By RON POWELL Citizen News Editor
This week ;i man came into tlic Citizen news office ;md ivlici'i ho had left some four hours later my ears were ringing with one of the strangest stories I have ever heard.
As you liijj.y sec by (!k» headline on this article, this man claimed that he had visited Mars in a flying tjiiucei'. At this point there may be loud bursts of laughter from all sides, luit let n>R explain . . .
This man, a resident of the district, who, at his request; will remain nameless in this article, dropped into the office and said in a reasonable, sincere fashion, "I have a story I would -yei-y much like to tell you, but Tin afraid you might think mo completely crazy or'else laugh at me."
Kuc!i a statement, of course, only served to whet the newspaperman's appetite in me and I told him to give it a whirl and find out what my reaction would lit'.
He then went on to tell of being picked up in a flying machine shaped like a saucer by a creature not of this world and of being transported through space at a tremendous rate of speed to a planet he assumed was Mars.
My initial reaction was one of complete skeptic-ism and I was alert for any signs of violence while looking for an opening to ease him but of the building.
Hut, as the stranger went on with his weird tale in a calm, quiet manner, I began to relax a bit. .Ji H a few years ago Sputniks circling the earth would have been crazy too. It was almost as if he was telling me about a trip to some foreign country.
I tried to look for loopholes in his story and tried to catch III in up on many of the smaller details. He couldn't be caught.
The interest for me became so great that I told him to start right at the beginning and tell his story with as many details as he could remember, This interview is recorded below in his exact words.
By" the time his stairy"w7lanet he thought was Mars. It is a cutaway view showing a square black plate in the centre of the floor with beams running from its corners. The arrow points to the glass or plastic room the man was in during the trip.
he seemed to have a helmet on. He was about my height, maybe a little shorter. He had something in his hand and he pointed it at me. I thought it was his finger, but it made a click
After the click he waved his hand quickly and I went to put my arm up in front of my face, but I was paralyzed: I felt like falling down but 1 didn't. He put a black, square plate on my chest and strapped it, around my back. I could hear a dog barking away off in the distance, but I couldn't hear him walking. He must have walked very easily. I could see his outline as he walked around me.
.After he .strapped the plate on me he walked in front of me and he pointed the thing in his hand at the plate on my chest rather than ray head like before. He walked away and pulled me after him. 1 couldn't move or walk, but he just pulled me along after him. 1 wasn't actually in the air, but my full weight wasn't on the ground. It seemed as if I was light.
Behind the brush was a small field. In the field, hidden from the road was a round object about 150 feet in diameter. It was dark and I couldn't tell what it-was. My (See "CITIZEN EDITOR TALKS TO MAN" Page 3)
Inside
Classified ............................ Pg. 10
Comics................................ 1'g. 11
Editorial .......................... I'g. 4
Sports ................................... Pg. 6
Women's, Social ................ I'g. !)
Outdoors .......... Pgs. 7, 8
v/ ¦" ,,:;>-r
The Weather
Few snow showers this evening, a little milder, winds light. Low tonight and high tomorrow, 20 and 35.
Telephone 67
VOL. 1; No. 70
PRINCE GEORGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1957
PRICE 7 CENTS
BY CARRIER $1.35 PER MONTH
Alder manic Candidates
if
JOHN POWERS
ALD. FRANK CLARK
Two Years Jail For Beating Elderly Man
A youth who mercilessly beat and robbed an elderly man in a hotel room hero was sentenced to two year's less a day imprisonment yesterday.
Eckardt Walter .7es.se, 20, was sentenced by Magistrate P. .1. Morari and told: "If you were 10 years older, your sentence would be 10 years longer."
Jesse was convicted of beating Thomas Balue, 53, in a city hotel room and room Nov. 15 and of robbing his victim of approximately .$350. Balus -was hospitalized for several weeks.
HARRY LODER
JOHN EVVING
City Hall Beat
By TONY SKA 10
I'Yont man for the syndicate back of the new million dollar Simon Fraser Hotel is one-time Alaskan and former Trans-Western Airlines executive Doug Starr. His presence in the city during the past three months or so during which time he scouted the potential, was kept secret by Industrial Development Commission chairman Harold Moffat and board of trade secretary - manager Bill
Shockey. Starr ranks the Robert C'huekrow Construction Co., the firm thai will build the hotel, in the same class ¦with famed New York veal esUiter and promoter William' ZecJ\on-dovf. The firm is currently build-Ing a -175-roomer in Nassau.
Incidentally, the hotel here will solve the parking problem by providing self-parking for its guests% ,
• t-V ?V ^r About two-dozen CNR enfran-
30 Persons Saved From Hotel Fire
By fiEORCil] FKAJKOK Canadian Press Staff Writer
MONTREAL (CP> — A vicious, five-hour fire Tuesday night gutted the three upper" floors .on the south and west sides of the historic .Windsor Hot-jl. traditional stopping place for visiting monarchs and states-men. i
Quick work by firemen, who rescued about 30 persons with-in minutes of the blaze's out-
break, prevented lo^s of life, But more than a dozen persons were injured—none seriously—by smoke and flying "pltss,
"When the fire was extinguished au:i:l.'i ;i.jii.. L£3T. today. fipt§ men beuan a rnom-by-inoin cheek; of the c"aved-in floorsj to confirm that none of the hotel employees or 270 guests was missing.
(See" "30 PERSONS'' Page "2V"
chised trainmen were not able to cast their votes at the advance poll yesterday nor will they be able to do so at the advance poll today or at any time tomorrow.,Trouble is that the advance poll opening at 11 a.m. is too late for them and its closing at 1 p.m. is too early. Chief reason for the advance poll, the first ever held here, was a concession to the trainmen in the first place. *¦ "r ¦£ ¦&
It loks like television is just around the corner- for Prince George. City council Monday night received an application for a licence to operate closed-circuit TV in the city. The applicant is the same Doug Starr mentioned above. This time he represents Vostroii Corporation. d Xew York syndicate, that will form a B.C. corporation to operate the medium. There's nothing in the city bylaws governing issuance of TV licences so an" amendment to the'bylaw Will* be introduced at the next nieet-iug oL council.,This won't jieccs.-sarily provide- Vestron with a licence however.-
¦"<&'-&"'?' '
The city will approach the CXR, the highways department Gee CITY HALL BEAT, Page 2]
ELECTION EDITORIAL:
POSITIVE THINKING AND ACTION NEEDED IN CIVIC ADMINISTRATION
Tomorrow the voters of Prince George go to the polls to elect a mayor.and three aldermen for a two year term of office.
The campaign has been a lively one with a good many issues coming to, the fore. Major race has been between John Morrison "aiicPCaft-ie -Jaiie- Gray for'the senior city hall post of Mayor. Both camps have aired their views und presented their platforms.
At this time we would like to discuss what we feel is the major issue in tomorrow's election, although there hasn't been much emphasis placed on it In a direct fashion. This is the question of whether or not city council will give positive leadership to Prince George during the years of. the' near future.
No other period in the history of this city will be as important as the next two years. There are those negative-type people who think Prince George is at a standstill or that it i.s going backwards. Fortunately this is a minority view and it is not shared by the businessmen of North America.
This was pointed out in a very adequate fashion Tuesday when a New York construction company announced plans to construct a million dollar, hundred-room hotel here. This illustrates the faith being placed in our community by outsiders.
Now it is up to the taxpayers of this community to have an equal quantity of faith in the future of Prince George. This cannot be clone by negative thinking. City council must lead the way in breaking down the barriers of adverse criticism and petty bickering which exists in many corners of this city and in its own organization.
Teamwork and a pulling together of all concerned will do more to put this city on its feet than any amount of knocking or pulling apart. Outside interests with money to invest arc much more attracted to an area that conducts its business in a sound, sensible fashion and an area that has shown it is equipped and prepared to grasp the rosy future of this wonderful British Columbia and make something worthwhile out of it.
What has all this to do with tomorrow's election? We can only answer this by saying that each voter will (See "POSITIVE THINKING" Page 4)
Search Continues For Lost Trapper
Ground search for an elderly Chief Lake trapper continued to-lay through deep snow and near-zero temperatures.
About 13 residents of the tiny
Man, Were Rich It Says Here
Prince Grovgc i* our of the three richest cities in Canada according to the Financial Tost.
In its Xdv. 23 ix*»i<*. the
Post, tin* businessman's bible, lists this "city together with Trail, Kosslam! ami Smilt
• K4e.-Marie,,Oiit., jis liHng the tliifo wcnHhiest cities in tlie Dominion.
The nation's two largest cities, Toronto and Montreal*
rank seventh and twelfth
"'respectively.' <. _.
community 20 miles northwest of Prince George joined police and sawmill workers in the hunt for Harry Clayton, 05, missing since Dec. 2.
Clayton had been expected to return home over the weekend.
Friends, notified police late Monday, and yesterday officers and volunteers trekked through snow and stumbled over fallen trees in a fruitless hunt for the man.
Clayton's wife lives at Chief Lake. He also has five daughters.
Residents say he is well acquainted with the country in which his trapline bis located. He has lived in the area since 193G. : •
The trapline is 26 miles Tong and runs.' northwest of Chief Lake in the direction of Lapolnte Bros, sawmill.
Two KCM V constables left here
~ (See 'SEARCH'-'-
Candidates For Mayor
MAYOR J. R. MORRISON
ALD. C. J. GRAY
Five Persons Die In Plane Crash
KETCHIKAN, Alaska — Five persons, including four nembers of one family, were tilled Monday when a light plane plunged into Twelvemile Sound near Hollis, 15 miles west of this city.'•
KiUed were ilr. and Mrs: Charles Williams'of Hollis and their two small children and the pilot of Uie craft, Don Morgan of Hollis. ¦ ¦ j
Nervous Cairn Settles Over Seven Candidates
A nervous calm settled over most of the seven candidates who arc contesting civic office today.
By the time the words of the last campaign speech had dissolved into thin air Monday night all seven hud said all they could or wanted to say. Some did not speak at all.
The rest is now up to the voters..
13y all indications, voting will he the heaviest it has been for at least the last four years, or
Wilh the exception of tin municipal manager plan, there was no real contentious issue under fire.
The real battle of course i.s for the office of mayor and ;it times the candidates. Mayor John Morrison and Aid. Carrie Jane Gray showed something less than restraint, in their crit-icilsm of each other. However, for the most part the criticism was veiled and at least one candidate was accused of campaigning by innuendo.
At press time today it was difficult to say which of the two woidd emerge the victor.
Of the aldermanie candidates, the two seeking re-election, Aid. Frank Clark and Aid. Ken .lack refrained from participating in a vigorous campaign.
Of the three newcomers to the municipal election scene two, John Powers and John K\v-ing have both plumped for better public relations between City Hall and the taxpayer. Candidate Harry Loder has promised to work for industrial
development and to fight for natural gas.
Voters will be asked to elect one of two candidates for the office of school trustee. Veteran school administration Harold Moffat is seeking his eighth term while candidate Jack Rhodes i.s contesting the office for the first time.
Of equal importance to the electorate are two referendums that are being presented for approval. District, voters must approve a $(>50.()()() grant for the construction of the new Prince George & District Hospital. The other involves the expenditure of $450,000 for the construction and renovation of school in the city and district. A two-thirds majority vote Is required for the safe passage of both refer-endunis.
The polling station in the Civic Centre opens at 8 a.m. and voting will continue until S p.m. District voters may cast ballots at numerous stations throughout the district.
Alaska Highway Bridge Out Again
TAYLOR, B.C. CT — Alaska Highway traffic has been interrupted again by the collapse oi i ;>0-foot section of a month-old emporary wooden bridge across lie Pine River south of this community near Fort St. John.
Loss of the bridge almost iso-ates the north country by hign-way.
The bridge, erected on a temporary basis after the collapse of the $4,000,000 suspension nidge over the Peace River 33 nsles northwest of Dawson Zreek, went out Tuesday under
the force of heavy ice. The army, which built and maintain-I ed the bridge, had restricted traffic Monday.
The Pine River bridge was built as a temporary link in the Alaska Highway, joining the highway with the Pacific Great Eastern railway bridge across the Peace River. The PGE bridge, just completed but not yet in use by the railway, was pressed into service when the highway suspension bridge col-lapse