OCR Text |
Show V-J Jubilation Drew Many To Churches, Parties, Might Spots i President Harry Truman's announcement of the surrender surren-der of Japan at 5 p.m. Tuesday, August 14, heard by hundreds hun-dreds who had kept a four-day vijfil at radios awaiting the important newscast, brought to all the immense relief of sudden freedom from the big and little nightmares incident to three-years, eight-months and seven-days of war. The news came half-hour after the regular day shift at the mines had left and just half-hour before regular closing time at local stores. Within a matter of minutes all retail businesses had cleared of customers and the doors locked for a two-da v holiday. The old fire alarm bell behind the city hall, silent for many-years, many-years, was tolled and whistles and sirens blown. Motorists honked loudly and raced dizzily up and down the narrow street with banging strings of tin cans I and old wash boilers or fantastic decorations tied to machines. Youngsters climbed on top of Main street buildings and showered show-ered scraps of paper down on the Carr Fork and Main intersection until the litter was ankle deep. Liquor store patrons made a split second dash to secure the makings of victory cocktails before be-fore the door slammed shut for two days. The reaction of parents and wives of service men was that of deep thankfulness: "Thank God! I wonder how soon he'll be home?" Mass was said Wednesday at Holy Rosary church. Many local members of Hellenic Orthodox Ortho-dox church, Salt Lake City, attended at-tended the special services there Wednesday. Two hours after official of-ficial announcement of victory a prayer service was held at the Highland Boy Community House. "World Peace and the Church" will be subject of the sermon for the service of worship next Sunday Sun-day at 11 a.m. at Community church. The public is cordially invited to join in service. Bingham Bing-ham LDS ward will hold its V-J program at the regular Sunday evening service. Utah Copper company, with the victory announcement, closed clos-ed down Wednesday and Thursday, Thurs-day, the first two-day holiday for "round-the-clock" shifts since the war began three years ago. United States Refining and Mining also closed their properties proper-ties for the two-day festivities. Workers of National Tunnel and Mines jumped the gun by celebrating cele-brating Tuesday and Wednesday, a small force reporting Thursday for work. A V-J dance was immediately staged at the Civic Center under combined sponsorship of No. 1 and No. 2 Firemen, Lions club, Junior Chamber, American Legion Le-gion and city officials. Net proceeds, pro-ceeds, $150, will be used to make improvements at the Civic Center. Cen-ter. The night spots just outside the city limits did an unprecedented unprece-dented business, many high spirited spir-ited revelers celebrating until daybreak. Wednesday morning, as soon as the news of the removal of gasoline restrictions was made official, many motorists drove to service stations, boldly ordered "Fill 'er Up" and like the Cowboy Cow-boy in the old story "drove wildly wild-ly off in all directions" for the first long, carefree spin since rationing. ra-tioning. The V-J mood at Bingham was for the most part one of mellow fellowship and good will and the small parties in celebration were innumerable. O |