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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)