8 Th New-Rview, Roieburg,
a
i
SOURCE OF RIFLES shown in the back of the pickup
truck is revealed to Undersheriff Carl Smith by Steve
Solovich. He said he had taken them from the John Ham
mond home on Cow Creek on May 22. He led deputies to
the place where he had hidden the guns. They were care
fully wrapped in oily rags, covered with plastic and hung
in a tree. In the barrell in the foreground food, clothing and
other items were preserved against the elements.
Self-imposed Exile Kept
Busy In 31-Month Sojourn
By LLOYD ROGERS
Staff Writer, Ntwi-Riviiw
The 31 - month saga of "Big
Steve" Solovich becomes more
and more incredihlo as the story
unfolds. The unfolding is slow
not becuase of any reluctance on
his part to talk, hut because of
the many strange details and
Steve's thick Yugoslavian accent.
One doesn't have to urge him to
talk about his self-imposed exile to
the mountains of Southern Oregon
after leaving the confines of the
Knscburg Veterans Hospital. He
talks incessantly as though he
were trying to make up for lost
conversation. His accent and veer
ing off on conversational tangents
is what makes it difficult.
What did he do all by himself in
the months of his freedom? Travel
ed (on foot, of course) and worked,
Steve says. That kept him occu
pied from the time he decided he
no longer liked the hospital until
he was taken into custody by
Douglas County sheriff's deputies
at one of his camps near Canyon
ville last week.
11 Camps Scattartd
His travels took him to all parts
of Douglas County and into Jo
sephine and Jackson counties. He
built camps and stayed where his
fancy told him to. In all, Kig Steve
says he had 11 such camps scat
tered about the three counties.
Must of them were in Douglas
County, his map reveals. This was
found in the one near Canyonville
and the locations are shown on a
school child's map of Oregon. Some,
student has indicated the county
seats and county names, but Solo
vich has marked in his camps.
In his lonely sojourn, Solovich
worked hard. "Oolla work, keep
busy," ho says. Kven in the winter
lie 'worked around his hcadqiiar-
II M I
CAREFULLY PREPARED civet cat polts found in bolovich's
Cunyunviue cunip unu lit id by Sm'nff liu C. L3yrd. Tne
skins show skill in preparation and aie on display at the
sheriff's office in the couithouse along with other items of
the woodsman's ingenuity. The civet cats were trapped dur
ing Big Steve's 3 1 -month soiurn in the mountains He said
he had hoped to get some of the youngsters in the area to
take them to town and sell them for him.
It's Iht? BALANCE of mgfedi
enls in bAkmg ponder Kl go
ems Ms leavening action. Only
when those are scientifically
btiinced can you be lure of urn
tor m action in the mutng bowd
plus that final, baHnctd rue lo
light and fluffy tnture in the
oven.
ClABRCt
Ore. Thuri. Sept. 19, 1937
r"- 8fe -
Iters on Nickel Mountain. Here,
Steve tells listeners, he kept occu
pied gathering nickel ore. He says
he has two or three tons of it
cached. Cold panning on Cow
Creek and prospecting in other
areas kept him busy, too. He had
a bottle filled with gold dust and
small nuggets, Solovich told his
captors, but isn't sure where it is
now.
Ralitd Own Food
To hear Solovich tell it, one
wouldn't think obtaining food was
much of a challenge. He lived off
the land. Steve raised grain and
vegetables in small gardens in the
high country. He killed what game
he needed for meat and he trap
ped predators and -fur-bearing ani
mals. This industry paid off. He
says he has enough food cached
away around the country to last
him several years. "Seventeen bar
rels of grain, hcans and corn I
got," Steve claims.
Samples of this food supply have
been gathered by deputies in visits
to hideouts. Steve willingly takes
them on these tours and shows
lliein where articles have skillfully
been hidden. Many of the woods
man's implements and food arti
cles are now on display at the
sheriff's office in the courthouse.
The hermit of the hills made
flour from grain he grew. This was
laboriously pounded out in a five
gallon can with a pestle he made
from a gear fixed to lite end oi a
i handle. By this method, he tells
questioners, he could make about
I five pounds of flour in eight hours.
His flour, he says, is a mixture of
wheat and barley. The grain was
grown in plots planted in the full
lat higher altitudes "Hadda get,
high. Cattle, sheep eat otherwise,"
Sieve points out. He couldn't fence
Ibis gardens, he explains, because i
CBS Dismisses Writer
On Duchess Program
NKW YOKK Tin I'olum
i liia Hro.vli'iistinn System h;n riis
I mixri author I'lewliind Amory
a?t liu writer of a tclcMsion pro
1,1111 itlxiul thr lukc ii ml Mtirhoss
of Windsor in the wake of diflt r
(lives ln'iwtM'n hint and thr duih
ivss nvi-r hor anlolnoniaphv .
A V IIS spokesman said:
"Tin step was taken in ie of
vudevpreait eommenl on the b.uk
i; it nind of Mr Aimr s siippoiMl
ddltienee w ith the duke and
diiclies, wlurh wp feel hat erealed
a climate of opinion pieiudu-ud to
liu program "
i After the diNimssal w a an-
nmineed yesterdax , Ainory said :
" 'US couldn't hae been nicer in
'uninviting nie lo a parly They
ottered to pav me in lull for the
seiipl, althoiiLih I haven t written
a line. 1 have no ill feehm: toward
'I'llS. The only explanation they
!K'ae me was that the ehane re-
milted from 'p r J mi r p from
ountain Traveler
HEADQUARTERS of all Solovich's camps he had 11 of them was this one located on
Nickel Mountain near Jerry Flats. Big Steve and Undersheriff Smith stand between the
two "buildings'! of the camp. On the right is the workshop Solovich used. The structure
on the left was his living quarters. Deer antlers can be seen hanging from one of the
trees which support the workshop roof. Solovich says he killed but two deer during his
entire stay in the woods. That meat, properly dried, was enough to take core of his needs,
he claims
CANYONVILLE QUARTERS were well stocked with items salvaged from a nearby dump
ground where the wandering woodsman finally was captured by deputies. Plenty of fire
wood was on hand ready for the small stove seen at lower right. The camp also con
tained a sizeable supply of food Solovich had grown and prepared for winter months.
Reading matter, clothing and utensils were obtained by frequent trips to the dumpground.
he didn't have a permit to cut
trees.
Locks Were Barrier
Sieve's ideas of property rights
seem a hit eonfusinK. Me wouldn't
enter a place if it were locked hut
fell welcome if the door was un
latched. He readily admits taking
things such as rifles, clothing and
some food but left notes ex
plaimnK the situation.
Such notes probably puzled
property owners more than did
I lie a bsence of persona I jjoods.
Sieve writes with an accent, too.
One of his notices posted at a So
lovich camp was interpreted for ot
fleers. It followed simply enough
then, and reveals an msiylit into
Ins ideas of property rights. The
notice states:
Notice: Temporary Camp 11
Do not disturb or remove any
thing. Proposal if you are the
owner of these grounds 1 appreci
ate continue to use. t will pay
for the rents and the assess
ment. Soon as rains become
made I like to plant wheat, bar
ley, corn, cabbage and vege
tables for the coming season.
At his camp near Olalla. Solo
viee took another tack Here he
warned anyone uho stumbled on
Ins place that it was government
property. He identified himself as
a government trapper for the Stale
Warren Olney Resigns
Criminal Division Post
NKWTOUT. HI Warren
Olnev resigned Wednesday as chief
of the Justice Department's crim
inal division, effect i e Oct. l.i
President Kisenhower praised him
for dedicated service in the civil
nfils field.
Olnex 's resignation as an assist
ant attorney e n e r a I was an
, nounred at the President's vaca
tion headquarters
In the Kisenhower -Olney ex-chaiu-e
of correspondence made
public by the White Mouse. Olney
cave no spent u' reason for re
Mumm: and said nothing about Ins
plan for the future
Unt tn accepting th resignation
with deep lecret. the President
said he appreciated that Olney i
leaving for "couipelliuc personal
reasons" which were not spelled
out
MILLWORKER KILLED
SPHIN(;l'li:i,D. Ore. ..P A
fall m-,' load of lumber killed Harry
II Kritch. .VI. Kuuene, at the
W eyerhaeuser Timber lo. plant
here Tuesday.
The load spilled from a power
lift onto Kritch, w ho wa helpint!
put lumber on a truck He leaves
a widow and two children.
. Vp fmvi mM
t- , J
of Oregon and signed the notices
"t'aseye Johns." (sic).
lie apparently played the part of
trapper seriously. Steve says he
set out traps lor bob cats and
other animals preying on young,
lambs. Hikinu miles through the
mountains tending Ins traplines,
Steve claims he caught many wild
cats Hit around Olalla, he says.1
He didn't know there was a boun
ty so didn't bother with their hides.
Skunks and civet owls were treat-,
ed differently ami their pelts were
carefully prepared for marketing
if he ever found an outlet.
Rattlesnakes also were on Big
Steve's outlaw list. He claims to
have killed scores of them. Also.,
he says, he was on the receiving
end of rattlers' wrath three times.
Once was almost fatal, he tells.
Solovich says the serious snake
bite occurred near Dixonvilte and
that he was nearly finished be- j
cause he couldn't reach water.
Recovers From Venom
An obhmnu porcupine came
near one night, the woodsman re-;
Kites, and was kilted and torn1
open for the moisture and strength,
the liver afforded. After this. So-;
lovich declares he was able to.
Lone Passenger
Attacks Pilot
t'l 'TCI IOC l K. N Y. i A for
mer Air Force pilot was attacked
without warning by his lone pas
senger Tuesday but managed to .
bring a single - engine chartered
plane down m a potato field near
a golf course.
The passenger, identified as Ar-.
thur V. Miller. 21. New Koehelle..
leaped from the plane, crossed a 1
wooded area, stripped to the waist
and waded across a brook. Police
found hi m semi-conscious, with
his wrists cut, among reeds near
Peeonie Hay
The pilet. Itoger l.oncteaux. Wt
l ake Mahopac. N V . said Miller
bail paid for a plane (rip from
Westchester County Airport, near
White Plains, lo Kast Hampton on
the eastern end of Long Hand
They were ;t ihhi feet over the bjv
ami Hearing their destination. I one
teaux said, when Miller suddenly
struck him on the head from be
hind with a pair of pliers.
l.oncteaux. who served with the
Air Force during World War 11
and the Korean War and won the
Distinguished Klyiny Cross, threw
the plane into a dive. The passen
ger, thrown off balance, dropped
the pliers.
He spoiled the North Koi k Coun
try Club here anil came down.
Miller was charged with felont
ou assault and sent to Central
Ishp State Hospital for psychiatric
examination
i 5tVT3"-i'-,V
LIS
make it to a stream where he
could drink and rest until recover
ed from the effects of tlie venom.
Deputies found a sizable supply
of lard snow white and packed
in cans in Solovich's camps. "Save
all Rrease," says the hermit. He
claims he made his soap from
such grease rendered from animals
and made the necessary lye from
ashes. Laundry and baths vvero
daily tasks for the woodsman, he
informes his captors. One of the
first things he requested when
brought to jail was to be allowed
to take a shower. Razor blades
he obtained from dumpgrounds
and was shaven when taken into
custody. He does wear a heavy
mustache.
Handiwork On Display
K.xamples of his handiwork may
be seen at the sherilf's office.' A
.22 rule, for example, blew up
while he was shooting it and was
carefully repaired and copper
sights made for it. A sheath
knilc was made from a table knife
and was worked to a fine edge.
An ingenious sheath which keeps
the knife from falling out but al
lows it to be easily drawn was
made from scraps of leather. A
pair of calked boots has been ov
erhauled to make them satisfac
tory for hiking and quietly mov
ing through the forest. Leather
cleat have been stitched to the
bottoms so most of the sharp calks
are covered but so the boots still
grip slippery footing.
Atomic Test Shot Again
Postponed Wednesday
ATOMIC TKST SITK, Nov. if
The Whitnry atomic tit shot
was postponed aeain Wednpsdny
beciuisp of unfavorable weather
conditions.
The Atomic Enercy Commission
did not indicate immediately when
it will try to file the shot next.
The Whitney, first scheduled lo
Co off last Wednesday and to be
lired from a .Vfl-foot tower, is
about half normal in strength. A
nominal bomb has the force of
20.000 tons of TNT.
Roberts Mountain Fire
Burns Acre Of Crass
A fire al the b;ise of, Roberts
Mountain aloui; HiKhwAv 93 hurtl
ed aliout an acre of rass Tues
day betore it was extinguished by
the Dounlas Forest Protective
Assn.
The I'KI'A said I lie fire was lie
hex ed to have been caused by a
ciouetie thrown from a passinK
auto. According lo the DKI'A the
tue started about 9:30 a in. the
OKP pumper truck and crew ar
rived at 10 and had the fir out
in half an hour.
Slowly Unfolding
Js i-k Item
" W fjw I iff
HERE'S HOW I made flour, Steve Solovich explains to Douglas County deptuy sneriffs
whom he led to this headquarters hideaway on Nickel Mountain. He holds in his hands a
pestle made from a gear placed on the end of a stick. With this, he said, he pounded
groin he had grown and made flour. Hanging on the tree-support at the right of his
"workshop" are traps he used. The beat-up guitar? For entertainment, naturally.
tAALLA HIDEAWAY is shown to deputies by the obliging prisoner. Wnile ne explains
notices he had tacked to the "wall" to Deputy Louis Suiter, another deputy, Gail Cor
nine, examines contents of storage barrels in the foreground. The notices proclaimed the
camp to be one belonging to a government trapper and warned against disturbing or re
moving anything. This camp was equipped with a sheetiron stove found in an abandoned
cabin and packed up the steep mountainside to the lean-to. (Paul Jenkins Photo. Others
on poqp courtesy Sheriff Ira C. Byrd).
w&rc .-.-$ .
HOME GROWN corn was o favorite food item for the mountain man His home was, trie
hills ond that's where he grew his crops. This garden is located on a rather steep side
hill and was irrigated with water taken from a creek. The water was carefully steered
'from one garaen paten 10 anorner so every oir was usea. mis corn crop was harvest
I ed last season so only the dried stalkj remain. The canny woodsman grew wheat, barley,
! beans and vegetables.
Super Highway Work For 1 56 Miles Awarded
WASHINGTON Nearly 76
million dollars worth of contracts
for construction ot tsfi miles of
super highways were awarded
last month, the Bureau of Public
. Hoads reports.
The hichways are part of the
ll.ooomile network of interstate
and defense hichways which will
span the nation and link 90 per
cent of all I S. cities of 50.000
population or more.
Also last month, contracts were
advertised for 24fi miles of con
struction, to cost an estimated IDS:
million dollars. Another 72 million
dollars was authorized for sur-j
veys, preparation of plans and ac
quisition of nvhts-ot-way.
As of Aug 31. H months after
passage of the 19.S6 federal Aid
llishway Act. more than $2,700,-;
ooo.ooo has been programed for
improvements to the interstate
system. All but about 400 million
1 !
dollars of this was federal a i d
funds, colleced from motorists in
the form of special excise taxes
on gasoline, tires, etc.
"Programme" is one of the fi
nal steps before contracts are ad
vertised. Antibiotics For Cows
May Adulterate Milk
CORVAl.I.IS '.r Antibiotic
given sick cows may adulterate
their milk, Oregon State 'ollege
said.
It cautioned dairy farmers to
follow strictly the rule to discard
all milk from a treated cow tot
al least 72 hour after the last
antibiotic treatment.
Most of the difficulty is with
cows fl'ven large doses of peni
cillin for mastitits, the college
said.
Construction of 3.161 miles n(
the federal network had been pro
gramed as of the end of last
month.
In the West, figures fur various
states include:
For Oregon, total cost of proj
ects where construction contracts
have been advertised or awarded
or where work is undcrwav sio .
0.19.000: federal funds. $17.576 000;
total mileage. 73 4 miles.
Washington, 517.644.000; $15 115
000: 63 2
ld;o. $4,324,000: S3.O76.0HO. 15 7.
California. S95.2S3.0o0; $87,009 -000;
100 9.
ASKS FOR AID
TAIPKI f Premier O K Yui
said Tuesday Nationalist China
has asked for 98 million dollars
in economic aid from the 1 nited
States for the 1948 fiscal year.