75 years ago
August 25, 1943
Otis Morehead Jr., 19, navy gunner’s mate third class on a merchant ship just now is home “fattening up” after a 19-day, 21-hour ordeal in an open lifeboat after his ship was torpedoed and sunk off South Africa.
“I was on the bridge (when the two torpedoes hit),” said Morehead. “The ship immediately began to sink. I only had on a pair of dungaree trousers, a light sweater, my white hat and my shoes. And I couldn’t swim. I put on a lifejacket and over I went. Did I learn how to swim quickly!”
“My companion and I got on a raft and a moment later one of the lifeboats saw us and picked us up. Nineteen days and 21 hours later a British corvette sighted us and picked us up.” He had lost more than 20 pounds.
He’s spending his leave with his mother, Mrs. Theresa Morehead, Aberdeen General hospital nurse and with other relatives.
August 26, 1943
A plan to raze the fire-damaged fourth floor of the St. Joseph’s hospital east wing pending such time as the building may be completely replaced is being considered, although no definite decision has been made, hospital authorities said today.
Minor repairs will be made to rooms in the lower stories which were damaged by water and smoke. However, as little work will be done as is necessary to make the building livable, it was pointed out, since it is expected eventually to replace the wing.
At present, the old wing is used for living quarters by a few student nurses and several hospital maids.
50 years ago
August 25, 1968
Sunday, no newspaper published
August 26, 1968
He did it again! for the second consecutive year, 29-year-old Ronald Smith, a Raymond logger, walked away with the first prize of $500 in the second annual Clam Prix held at Ocean Shores Sunday.
His digging time was four minutes and 43 seconds and his limit of 18 clams weighed two pounds and 15 ounces. Eddy Valentine of Copalis Beach placed second, winning $75 while third place went to Jim Pierce of Hoquiam, winning $25.
25 years ago
August 25, 1993
John Spellman, the scholarly gentleman whose kindness is remembered by two generations of Grays Harbor College students and scores of Harbor bookworms, died of cancer Tuesday. He was 80.
Spellman was the librarian at GHC for 23 years. The college library was renamed in his honor when he retired in 1978, the same year Spellman and his wife, Rosalie, were named The Daily World Citizens of the Year.
Rosalie Spellman, who survives at the family home in Cosmopolis, was the head librarian at the Aberdeen library for 25 years, retiring in 1984. She oversaw construction of the present building and the city’s link-up to the modern five-county Timberland system.
August 26, 1993
Reports of the John Birch Society’s death are greatly exaggerated.
Born at the height of the Cold War, the controversial conservative political action group is making a comeback, according to the Northwest coordinator.
“The trend is definitely up the last two years,” Robert Chipp of Graham said during an interview with The Daily World.
“Things are getting worse. People say, ‘What can I do about it?’”
There are about 40 JBS member on the Harbor, according to Ron Armstrong of Humptulips, a longtime member.
Don “D.J.” Spoon of Aberdeen is the leader of the county chapter, and about 20 members meet monthly, according to Armstrong.
Chipp and Armstrong say John Birchers don’t deserve the “right-wing extremist” label they were tagged with in the mid-’60s when they backed Barry Goldwater for the president and talked about the merits of lobbing a grenade into the men’s room at the Kremlin.
Armstrong said left wing” is total government” and the “right wing” amounts to no government, which amounts to anarchy. “That puts us somewhere in the middle, possibly slightly to the right.”
Compiled from the archives of The Daily World by Karen Barkstrom
