Have you ever wondered what stories made headlines in Jacksonville 50 years ago? It may have been a different era of history, culture and politics, but there are often parallels between the kind of stories that made then and today. As interesting as the similarities may be, so are the differences. These are some of the top stories from the week of July 6-12, 1959. The items were compiled from the Jacksonville Public Library’s periodical archives by Staff Writer Max Marbut.
• Miss Ethel Lee Bostick married Burton Murray Gladstone but what made the ceremony significant was that it was held in jail and all participants were aware that Gladstone would likely spend his honeymoon — and then some — as a prisoner at Raiford. The wedding was performed in the lobby of the Duval County jail by Justice of the Peace Dorcas Drake. After the ceremony, Drake presented the newlyweds with a white Bible and said, “All the marriages I’ve performed have lasted. I’m sure this one will, too.”
Warden Tom Heaney commented, “I’ve never seen two more nervous people. They didn’t talk much. They just looked at each other and went google-eyed. I guess that’s love.”
Bostick wore a dress of white nylon net lace over pale blue and the groom wore a charcoal gray suit and dark gray tie. Drake arranged through a Downtown ladies store for the dress.
Sheriff Dale Carson and Heaney topped off the ceremony with a three-tiered wedding cake which was baked by Ben Sweigert, a “well-known pastry chef” who was serving time in jail for auto theft.
It was reported that “Gladstone’s sincerity in confessing his crimes and cooperating” with City Police Sgt. Fred Murray in closing the cases, with Drake who presided at his preliminary hearing, members of Duval County Solicitor Lacy Mahon’s staff, Judge William T. Harvey and jail officials paved the way for the unorthodox nuptials.
• The 1959 State Legislature granted Sheriff Dale Carson the authority to hire 26 new officers to add to the existing 100-man roster of the Duval County Patrol and more than 100 applications were received by the Civil Service Office.
It was noted that several incumbent patrolmen were college graduates, several were taking “special night school courses” and all had graduated from high school.
“We want educated men, yes,” said Patrol Chief William F. Johnston. “But what is more important, we want intelligent men. Many times education is confused with intelligence and we want and need intelligence.”
Carson stated that personality and temperament were vital to a law enforcement officer’s qualifications.
“Everyone hasn’t the temperament to be a police officer,” he said. “He must be pleasant but firm. He must realize his primary duty is to help people, not just throw them into jail. He must try to make driving safe, not just hand out tickets.”
Applicants were required to be a county resident for two years, be at least 5 feet, 10-1/2 inches tall and weigh at least 165 pounds “with the weight well distributed,” said Johnston.
Recruit patrolmen would start at a weekly salary of $80.45 and receive a $5 weekly increase after each six months for the first 18 months. The rookies would also receive a $25 monthly allowance for out-of-pocket expenses. All uniforms, guns and ammunition were supplied by the County. Other benefits included a choice of the state or county pension plan and a regular raise for each five years of service.
• A change in the general public attitude of “I want you to be tough on everybody but me and my friends” would help the court do a better job, said Municipal Court Judge John E. Santora Jr. who had just begun his first term on the bench.
Addressing the Jacksonville Insurers Association, Santora said constant attempts were being made through third parties to pressure the court in its disposition of traffic cases. He said individuals with teenaged sons caught in traffic violations were the most frequent offenders in that regard.
Santora also pointed out that 90 percent of fatal traffic accidents were caused by a willful violation of the law and that only 1 percent of traffic violators were apprehended and punished. He also favored re-examination of drivers every three years when they applied to renew their licenses and said that process would “weed out many misfits.”
• A film about Jacksonville was sent on its way to Moscow to be viewed by “five or six million Russians.”
The film, “The Jacksonville Story,” was a 26-minute color movie made by the Russell-Barton Film Studios for the Jacksonville Area Chamber of Commerce. It was one of four films to be shown by the National Broadcasting Company at its upcoming U.S. exhibit in the Soviet Union.
Several months earlier when members of the Chamber’s Public Relations and General Information Committee heard about NBC’s exhibit they contacted U.S. Rep. Charles Bennett to see if it could be shown. The film was made in 1957 as a way to publicize Jacksonville to the rest of the country.
Bennett, in turn, contacted the State Department, which contacted NBC. The network was interested, but said the film would have to have Russian subtitles and be narrated in Russian. The film was sent to New York City where a Russian script was written and recorded by a United Nations employee.
In addition, State Department officials viewed and approved the film before it left the country. A few scenes showing Jacksonville Naval Air Station were deleted for the final version.
• The flags of Britain, the Netherlands and Germany were flying side-by-side at the Atlantic Coast Line docks Downtown. The banners were fluttering in the breeze from three vessels which were unloading cargo and “emphasizing free-world trade.”
The SS Banda, a 447-foot freighter registered out of Amsterdam, unloaded a cargo of 221 French Simca and Puegot automobiles. The SS Brunswick registered out of Hamburg was unloading 250 Volkswagens and the SS Patella, registered out of London, was delivering thousands of gallons of asphalt from the Dutch West Indies.
The small French cars were lined up on the ACL property with 440 English Vauxhalls and other Simcas which had arrived the week before.
W.R. Ketchum, vice president of McGiffin & Company, shipping agents in charge of unloading cargo for ACL, said the number of foreign cars passing through Jacksonville’s port was increasing and averaging 1,000 vehicles per month.