La Grande evening observer. (La Grande, Or.) 1904-1959, December 16, 1916, Image 13

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La Grande evening observer., December 16, 1916, Image 13

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Newspaper Page Textto ratto? Jctvttmn SECTION TWO INDUSTRIAL AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER PRINTS THE NEWS THE DAY IT HAPPENS VOLUME XVI LA GRANDE, OREGON. SATURDAY, DECEMBER Hi, 191(5 NUMBER 1K3. Lft GRANDE HAS ATTRIBUTES OF A MODEL TOWN REASONS WHY LA GRANDE IS WHAT IT IS TO EXACTING SEEKERS A ITER HOMES VAST ARRAY OF FINE FEATURES RECOUNTED Observer Offers Christmas Tonic to Coinmercciul Soul of La Grande By Reviewing Some of the Things That Make La Grande a City Worth j While and With a Future That Will J Stay. Tonic is good for the physical sys tem. The Observer believes that once a year a community's soul needs tonic, and can think of no better mes sage of cheer, elixir and encourage ment to bring its readers than to re view some of the things which go to make La Grande an ideal community in which to live. In this issue there are recited only a few of the features used commonly in parading La Grande's substantial business stabil ity, and why it is a city worthy of pride and confidence, tin these col umns appear much in the way of sta tistics, but so far as it is possible for human minds to make it, it is the truth, and therein the article may dif fer from over-enthusiastic boost lit erature frequently turned out . from enterprising communities. Some reasons why La Grande is i city with a future and attracts ex acting families: It has a water supply the govern ment inspectors call ideal; mountain water, pure and uncontaminated and plenty of it. It has a modern, well-equipped and exceptionally well-regulated library. It has nine miles of paved streets. It has a city park second to none in the state in its facilities and scenic setting. It has a chautauqua of established merit. It has a school system embracing all the tried and true advanced ideas. It has a Y. M. C. A. doing a greater work than any similar institution of its size in the Northwest. It has splendid churches, well at tended and well administered. It has the commission-manager form of government. It has had no tuberculosis originat ing here in years, or contagious dis eases. It has enterprising businessmen. It will be on the Lincoln highway next year and is already a station in transcontinental automobile travel. at has Chicago-to- Portland passen ger train service of on ample sort. It has many active and enterprising lodges and several exceptionally fine lodge homes. It has a modern hospital. It has a low death rate. It is the county seat. It has a population of approximate ly 6500. It has the immensely rich Wallowa county tributary to it. lit has the second largest payroll in the state. It has two big sawmills near it. It has a division point with a rail road payroll this year of $65,000 monthly. It has a Commercal club. , It hns cigar factories. ' It has up-to-date moving picture houses. It has a paid fire department with automatic alarm and volunteer aux 4 ilinry. lit has a daily and a weekly news paper. It has a railroad men's club home. It has a modern and spacious pack ing plant. It has candy factories. It has modern tailor shops. It has annual grand prize motor cycle races. It has a big cider mill. Ht has big flour mills . It has a bottling works. It has a United States land office and postoffice housed in federal hutldincr. It has headquarters for postoffice inspector. COUNTY RESOURCES STUPENDOUS rrnnrt rT. Sif the "W" the 9eorKe Pa,mer Lumber company, and the rvSnSL? ndc ,Lumbff company three principal channels of payroll in La Grande poured a golden stream of dollars into La Grande during 191(5 The fE'thJM" ,Tl5? figUrC8 nre conservative. Beware of con! Dla V e bUtr,the bullf,y TS' and obvi"s'y not inclusive of packing PisWf Hi3' fT mJ "V0?6 army of clcrks unJ rious busines! nmlni tS th5 '" the postoffice and other enterprises too SSTiw "llnUon-, f tnese The Observer will make no estimate . w? rfa'11crs "ent:on that they exist and leave for individual cogitation what the full nmount in payroll might be. ... Ba'd f'KUf3 dtm't mean much, so The Observer disects the payroll of vpnVi'nL r 'hrea(ler3 husly: The Perrv mi' runni"K one shift this year instead of two as prior to the nation-wide lumber market chaos, hus a payroll of $19,000 monthly or f 22.800.00 annually. The O.-W. payroll thin year averaged $65,000 monthly or $780,000.00 for 1916. The George Palmer Lumber company, operating on the same basis as the Perrv mill one shift in every 24 hours contributes $35,000.00 monthly or $420,000.00. .iliat much for direct payroll in La Grande exclusively Perry's mill must be reckoned as a pari of La Grande. Consider now some of the enter prises in the county which loavc their golden shekels in La Grande largely, either directly or indirectly. Wheat actually sold and not that reserved for 2d. Jued' t0.taIs 800'000 buels at an averago price of $1.25 or $1,000, U0U.00. the yield was a million bushels, cut down from last year on ac count of the need of Snmr.ier fallow. In the chase after war-wheat last VPJir. thn n tnmata ....... 1. r.i- - -it i i , , - . w nun ..-.a of which 3jO,000 was delivered and $-80,000.00. The oats yield was actually sold at 50 cents a bushel, Wild PUSSES -hill- apniirnfn .sCmnUi. - n - umuica, WHOLESALERS A T La Grande Stands Out As Second to None Outside Portland Among Ore gon Distributing Centers. Benefits accruing to the inhabitants of La Grande through wholesale groc ery, fruit and produce lines as carriad on here, are, obviously, unlistable, but in dollars and cents, at least, and in comforts and luxuries therefrom, some idea is gained hy a perusal of aggre gate figures and outstanding features. During the last four years La Grande has attained a position as a distribut ing point second to none in the state outside Portland, Boise and Walla Walla, especially the former, lead a trifle and in eastern Oregon, Baker is the closest contender for this dis tinction. Two wholesale grocers, each housed in finely equipped plants, em ploy a total of 19 men who with the exception of one, live here and spend the wages here. The joint overhead expense for these two wholesale hous es amounts to $43,000.00 annually a sum left here even to the last penny. It enriches the -banks and the merch ants. Extensive wholesale facilities at this point bring about cheaper goods through less freight rates, for edibles come in by carload lots rather than in small parcels. The merchant has his goods delivered him fresh; there is no twice-a-year stocking up and storage. But, great and desirable as the wholesale grocery business is, and the source of payroll that it is, there re mains another wholesale business and retail line that has been developed marvelously in the past four or five years. It is the fruit and produce line. Produce, fruit or fuel are handled from six different firms in La Grande employing an aggregate of 19 men and with annual expense of fully $30, 000, which added to the purely whole sale grocery lines bring the total com mission and wholesale business in La Grande to a payroll of $70,000 annual ly. A half dozen years since, this item was a mere bagatele. La Grnnde's geographical location is pri marily responsible for the extensive distributing business done here, prac tically all of the rich Wallowa coun ty's business is swinging to La Grande now instead of Portland previously. THE CLUB A FINE STORE Elegant Equipment. Various Lines of Goods and Drinks Popularize Place Only now and then does a city boast "of as neat, and well equipped cigar store as that which makes up The Club. Arch Bacon, proprietor, bought the store from the proprie tors of The Club pool hall, several vears ago. Housed in a spanking new building, embellished with elegant furnishings and always r.eat as a Din, the Club cigar store becomes at once a meeting place of the idle rich and busy poor alike. For a time Mr. Bacon contented himself with a full line of ripes ci T.rs and tobaccos, carrying many of the popular lines, and a sods fountain but not long aco he added to his busi ness by installing a fine lunch coun ter over which are served hot ta males, oyster cocktails and the cus ternary beverages of dry state. In order to accomplish this it was neces sary to rearrange the elegant parti tion to the card room in the rear, but a fine hi plate mirror was m- TANGIBLE ASSE 5jmji--u. oariuy yieiuau uu,uuu DUsneis sold at an average price of 80 cents or 350,000 bushels of which 250,000 was or $125,000.00. These figures are not Tl. I ,.:l.i i i. i nay yivm was imguiy 101 nom-j LA GRANDE'S CLIMATIC STATISTICS ACCURATELY KEPT FREE OF SALARY Musty Records Rich in Valuable Information Once Dug Out and Com piled This Community Blessed With Much Snow RAIN AND SNOWFALL IN LA GRANDE FOR 15 YEARS EX PRESSED IN INCHES Rain 1901 18.29 !902 19.99 1903 17.36 1904 19.89 1905 18.02 1906 ,. ... . . 22.08 Snow 18.50 37.00 20.00 36.25 40.50 27.50 53.50 33.00 29.60 72.75 48.25 89.50 75.75 16.50 50.05 "?4.'i5 1907 1908 , 1909 , 21.31 15.11 17.19 1910 20.51 1911 . . . 15.46 1912 .. 1913 1914 ........ 1915 .... 28.41 23.39 12.50 18.61 1916 16.62 December not included. j Musty climatic records, maintained by volunteers under the direction of the federal government, are rich in 'interesting statistics. Delving into the continuous and daily figures for j a period of 15 years, and beyond that i except that prior to 1901 they are not 'complete and continuous, strange and interesting figures are found. Rain fall, snow-fall and clouds have been accurately tabulated for that period very day. For the last year Claude : Mackey, fire chief, assisted by Fire I men Riley and Rowe have at tended to the minute readings and ob servations daily. They don't get paid j a penny for it either but do it for . u ,. r u:n nn:i., w.. A Incrs jiro summarized at. t.hp end nf the month and year, and the govern ment returns to them in due course EPITOME OF TEMPERATURE AND PRECIPITATION DURING YEAR ENDING DEC. 1, 1916. a a i: ' g sr r r r s 2 : ' ' y, r '. Dec. 53 3 38.8 25.5 19.5 Jan. 56 1 29.1 13.4 41.0 Feb. 57 9 43.7 28.3 39.0 Mar. 68 24 52.7 34.0 3 Apr. 80 30 60.5 36.5 ... May 76 28 62.0 38.4 1 June 100 38 74.5 46.4 ... July 99 40 81.1 52.1 ... Aug. 96 38 86.0 53.9 ... Sept. 94 35 75.5 45.0 ... Oct. 78 22 62.0 33.7 ... Nov. 62 3 45.1 27.2 .75 1.84 .91 1.95 1.80 1.28 1.43 1.16 .57 .20 1.09 5.09 1.14 Total for 11 months 1916 103.80 16.62 of time, statistics for the entire state, fully as minute as those taken here i fact there is uniformity in this respect throughout the entire national j-r.lunteer and paid climatic compila tion. Union County Clear Community For instance in the matter of clouds. Taking the current year and 3915 which appear to be sjTnbolic to a fair degres of the general average for the whole. Union county, more especially La Grande has far more clear days than cloudy. Thus far this year there have been 88 entire ly cloudy days and 186 clear ones. Rain fell on 87 of the days to date. Last year there were 181 clear days and 114 rainy. La Grande Not Cold Notwithstanding popular belief to consumption only. Corn, just coming into its own is not a commercial prod uct. The fruit situation this year is decidedly off-color, Imbler apples alono being up to normal, Cove's apple and cherry crop was two-thirds or less under normal but as if in mockery to those who saw almost a complete apple failure except at Imbler. These figures arc authentic: Union shipped 30 carloads, Imbler 125, Im Grande, including Alicel and Conley, 30; Elgin 25, Covo 20. Total 230 cars. Not all these cars were first grades cider mills got many culls but the average price received is $1.00 per box, or a total of $138,000.00. Prunes, often overlooked, totaled 31 cars out of Cove and 36 out of Union for a total of 67,000 crates at an average of 75 cents per crate. Total for prunes $50,250.00. Cherries were principally produced nt Cove, and sparsely there this year only 15 cars going out, at an average of $N0 per ton or $1.'!,200.00. All these fruit items do not consider home consumption. Then there is the county income from hogs. Basing the estimates on the actual shipments of one of the principal dealers, there were shipped out this year 100 carloads of hogs, bringing an average of $1800 per car to the grower, or a total of $180,000.00 for hogs. The potato yield this year in addition to that used at home, amounted to 125 carloads out of the principal shipping centers, which at an average of $1.25 a sack brings $93,750.00 to the county. Cattle shipments amounted to 125 carloads at an average of $2500 per carload, a total of $312,500. Ilexes were a big source of income. Not inclusive of the fancy stuff sold, 150 cnrlonds were shipped out for a total return of $528,000.00. Therefor, in addition to the $1,222,800.00 in payroll, there is the grand total of $'.',737,450.00 from industries in the county noted above to keep La Grande and her sister towns running the year round. fer from extreme cold. For instance in the past two years there hasn't been a single instance of "below zero" weather. Private and inaccurate read ings frequently report severe zero weather in La Grande but the govern ment records don't show it. Snowfall Is Material One reason for the frequency of good range, and the scarcity of areas where irrigation is an absolute ne cessity, is seen in the amount of snow fall in La Grande. Were days con tinuously cold, this vicinity would have as much snow ac any' given winter month day as the middlewest, probably, but snow falls and mcl-.a away hurriedly in this vicinity. But the total snowfall is nevertheless ma terial, and, generally, consistent. In 1914 there was a serious paucity and the water mains froze up and the spring range was lean and the water supply curtailed. But that was ai. exception. People who lived in La Grande last January and February will not soon forget the snow blockade, but great as the snowfall for 1916, it had not at the beginning of December reached the high mark set in 1912. With that lone exception the 84.75 inches of snowfall to date in 1916 is the great est total on record. Rainfall Deceiving Nineteen fourteen saw the lightest rainfall in the 15-yoar rain period snd 1912 the greatest. The average is somewhere around 18 or 20 inches per year. The snowfall is included in this, measured as melted snow and not as snow. After the snow is melt ed and is added to the rainfall, the final and total precipitation is de termined. In this issue are many valuable climatic and precipitation tables. Clip them out and save them for future reference. It takes time, patience and effort to get them together, and The Observer did it for the benefit of its readers, acknowledging the kindly as sistance of those who keep the records. CLOUDS, RAINY DAYS AND CLEAR THE PAST YEAR SHOWN IN EPITOME w n "i o - S 1916 r- Sr n January 19 9 R 17 February 12 7 7 15 March 12 13 7 11 April 7 8 3 19 May 12 12 5 14 June 5 8 3 19 Juiy - 0 4 3 24 August 2 2 2 27 September 4 6 3 21 October ,4 4 8 19 November 10 15 15 0 Total ... 87 88 61 186 1915 (Total) ....101 114 70 181 Jtm Jm J I J . CEMENT SHIPMENTS SHOW .J. CONSTRUCTION WORK 5 Two principal cement dealers in La Grande this year handled j 4 35 carloads of cement. With ! the exception of probably four 4" carloads this was used in La 4" Grande alone. Wholesale house J 4 basements, garage floors and 4 cement walks took the most of 4 this aggregate shipment of ce- 4 4 ment 4 4 J44,4'I,'"4 SCHOOL SURVEY OF GUY I Out of 1100 Heads of Families in La Grande Which Students Tabulated Only I I Are Aliens. Alien family heads in La Grande are a great scarcity. During October the seniors of the La Grande High School, in connection with its study of economics under Principal Hamp ton, took a detailed survey of fami lies in La Grnndc, ascertaining their occupations, and their numbers. In this survey they ascertained that there were about 1100 heads of fami lies in the city, variously devoted to something like 64 occupations. While the survey is accurate so far as it is possible for the students to mako it without going over the field a sec ond and a third time, it is not entire ly impossible that errors have crept in. But the table is a fair comparison of occupations followed. During the time the data was being accumulated, the surveyors found only 14 heads of families who were aliens. Of all the many occupations that employ the supporters of these 1100 families, that of railroading is of first importance. This single occupation employs 259 heads of families. The occupation of milling is next in im portance, employing nearly 100 men who have dependent families. , Itis largely through these two sources that La Grande is able to boast of being the second largest pay-roll town in Oregon. Of this dis tinction we should be justly proud. The pay-roll each month, of the Palm er Mill alone, is estimated at ap proximately $35,000, this firm having a total of more than 400 men in its imploy. Merchants too, whose families num ber about 74, are in no small minor ity, and the number of clerks is about 41. Tht number of farmers having fam ilies totals 59 and retired farmers, 48. Of common laborers, there are 95. Doctors 13; Attorneys 11; Touchers 7; Carpenters 35; Bankers 9, etc. The following table represents what the studonts found, it being again em phasized that the table deals with heads of families, not all employes in the city, by any means: Number of families 1091 .Railroaders 259 Clerks 41 Dressmakers 6 Retired Farmers 48 Barbers 10 Civil service 8 Lumber Business 16 Farmers 59 Doctors 13 Carpenters 35 Traveling Salesmen 11 Real Estate 15 Plumbers 3 Theaters 4 Garages 16 Nurses . . . G Wood haulers ... 13 Dairymen 4 Architects 2 Marble workers 2 CHy officials .... 6 Teachers 7 Telephone employes 6 Painters and paper hangers . . 12 Tailors ,. ... 2 DruggiBts 6 Electricians 2 Landlords 7 Butcher i 6 Hotel Proprietors 4 . (Continued on Page Eight) CITY MAINTAINS ITS RECORD OF OS IN THE WAKE OP BOOM DAYS WHEN BUILDING WAS ABNOR MAL, FIGURES ARE GOOD PRIVATE GARAGES BUILT SHOW TREND OF TIMES Homes, Busness Blocks, Wholesale Warehouses and Extensive Ifrnaira Have Been the Trend of Building Year-Excess Over Ist Y ear Is Con " Siderable Item Repairs Numerous. Plodding along in the wake of the tremendous building boom which struck La Grande three and four years tigo and back as far as five seasons sinco, 1910 has seen a commendable and delightful thrift. It exceeds last year several thousunds. Four years ago La Grande put up 80 substantial homes, the year after that about 60 and for a period of four seasons tho average stood around that figure. , Then, too, there were built many liig structures, such as the Foley building, tho West building, the Y. M. C. A., the Elks' home, and numerous other structures including school houses. Three hundred thousand dollars, more or less principally more were spent annually for a considerable time un til three years ago when the building activities commenced to ease up. To date this year, the buildir.ir exnendi. tures are considerably more than $92.- 000.00 which is the sum total as shown by building permits figures, for in al I most every instance the builder puts in his estimate much under the actual cost. The extensive additions to the railroad roundhouse, and the big bridge across the yards are not in cluded in figures given from permit ' Garages have been quite the craze ..nr.- XT 1.. A I """ jti. iicau vu iuv'ai aim com mercial garages have been built Rep resenting but a trifle in dollars and cents to the lumber dealer and con tractor, but emphasizing the other side of the question the great growth of auto owners' ranks. The Julius Roesch garage on Adamas and Fir now being built is one of the largest commercial garages in the county. A quarter hundred very substantial homes were put up during the year, a large warehouse was built, additions to another made, and the Sommer building remade at heavy expense and an item that gave La Grande a i new and very up-to-date business block in the heart of the city. I Thirty-two homes were extensively remodeled and repaired in the time Involved in this discussion. It cost an average of $74.00 to build each pri vate garage. Thus the building has been along permanent and cozy homes, better business house facilities, and greater wholesale equipment. Running up to December 15, the permits issued this year total nearly 93,000 a figure that is not representative of the real out lay; it is under as analysis of the items will show, but are used here because they are the ones on record: Last Year's Building Exceeded In 1915 La Grande expended $84, 871.00 and the present year $92,000 in round figures. January Building Activities It was on January 13th that the first piece of construction in La Grande for 1916 was commenced. William M. Rollins, a contractor, com menced building a one story frame dwelling on lot 9, block 2, Sugar ad dition on Y avenue between Spruce and Pine street for his own use. Cost $600.00. Other buildings erected and repairs made in January are: Repairs te brick building on Adams avenue Fourth and Depot street, cost $250.00. O. Johnson was the contrac torn, S. A. Gardinier, owner. Goodnough & Sons repaired the brick on Depot, Adams and Washing ton for the Levy-Vogel Drug com pany. Cost 200.00. John Mars built a two-story brick on Depot street for Julius Roesch. Cost $3000.00. Total for January $4,050.00. February Not Building Month - . Much of February was the snow- NEW BU ILDI (Continued on Par Eight) the contrary, La Grande does not suf (Contlnued on Page Eight.) (Continued on Pag Eight)