Page Ten
56-POUND RAIL FIRST USED FOR U. P. LINE HERE
GRANDE RONDE VALLEY IS
GREAT LIVESTOCK CENTER
LA GRANDE'S U. P. STATION
J. K. Fitzgerald Re
members Interesting
' Facts Abut Days of '84
Although not actually employed
on the lirtt railroad which came
to La Grande, J. K. Fitzgerald
had a part In the building of
the road. His father, Paddy Fitz
gerald, who was a section boss
for many years, was the contrac
tor fojj the laying of the road be- i
twccn a short distance west of
Hot Lake at the Gekeler place,
and a far as Oro Dell.
The younger Mr. Fitzgerald,
Who for Die last several years has
been the owner of a barber shop
here alter retiring from railroad
ing, was employed by his father,
laying truck or what is now
known as "section hand."
Interesting among the facts
which Air. Fitzgerald remembers
.In connection with that first road
Is that the steel used on that
first track .was 66 pound, while
today 110 pound steel is used on
the ordinary railroad tracks. He
also atats that except for numer
ous reconstruction Jobs, the fill
ing in with train loads of gravel,
etc., the original track still re
mains on wlilch that first train
pulled into La Grande 60 years
ftge.
In later years Mr. Fitzgerald
was employed as fireman and
brakenmn on this line, but his
railroading experience began when
working for his father, both in
Nebraska, from where the family
came tq Oregon, and then on the
present line of the Union Pacific
through the Grande Ronde valley.
"Of course," Mj. Fitzgerald
states, "La Orande was entirely
up on the hill when the railroad
was started, and during the time
when the road was being built, a
hotel, several saloons and finally
Mr. Roetch's brewery sprang up.
on Jefferson avenue." The hotel
was located on the approximate
location of the present O'Connell
Rooms, and was used to accom
modate the men who were work
ing on tbe road. '"Old Town" was
still the business district of La
Orunde.
BAROUCHE TO
BE FEATURED
IN PARADE
Baker Intends to send an un
usually large crowd of people to
La Grande for the Semi -Centennial
U. P. celebration, it was an
nounced today by J. B. McLaugh
lin, general manager of the com
mittee. While there he arranged for the
appearance of an old barouche in
the parotic hero July 20. the same
barouche that was In the Baker
Mining jubilee parade. Also a
Baker nunintr display Is to be
shown in one or the La Grande i
show windows during the celebra- 1
tion.
"Bilker is planning to enter two j
or three floats In our parade, al- !
so." McLaughlin said.
IVmlleton Knthuslastle
Jim McLaughlin and A. V. Nel- j
son were In attendance at the
monthly membership meeting of
the Per. die ton chamber of com- j
merce the other day. Pendleton is,
cnthusif.ttlc about the La Orande
celebration, they reported tipon ;
their return, and said the Round
up association hai promised any
thing they have that might aid
to the success of the Jubilee here. :
Mayor Jack Allen, of Pendleton. Is
amonp the most enthusiastic
worker? for the success of the U.
P. ceUbrntion In the Pendleton
country-
GIVES RULES
FOR FRIDAY
MORN PARADE
Rules and Judging standards for
floats in the Friday morning par
ade of the Semi-centennial cele
bration were announced today by
the parade committee.
Floats must be a decorated float
or car. No cars with only signs
on them will be permitted.
Judging is to be made on tlu
basis of 100 points, distributed as
' follows: Uniqueness of idea. 50
points: harmony of color and bal
ance, 2-3 points: perfection of de
tail. 10 points, and elaborateness,
15 points.
All floats must be registered at
the. chamber of commerce not la
ter than TuesdirV, July 17. No one
will be adnfttted torfhe parade tin
iest registered. Positions will be
assigned to all those registering.
ill:: -J'frfev.
tiLtkii ill 1
la (inmde's In Ion Purine stutum, erected only n few years
usu, ts one of the most beautiful and complete buildings of
If kind between liolse and Tori land. Ttie above picture
tins . token shortly fitter It was completed before the
growth of creepers' lent addition:) beauty to the building.
COMMENCEMENT EXERCISES
The graduating exercises of the
La Grande public school will be
held at Steward's opera house Fri-
day evening. May 28. Graduates
' are Miss Lulu M. Hansen, Miss
i Pannie WcWhirter, Miss Ruth E.
j Chenault, Miss Susie L. Deal, Miss
I Katherine Weller and Miss Bessie
A. Collision. La Grandt Chron
ilclc, May 17, 1893.
FAIR TO BE HELD
The second annual fair of the
?y r"mrT3WfMM
- d
Grande Ronde Valley Agricultur
al society will open Joue week
from next Monday. La Grande
Gazette, Sept. 23, 1892.
FKEIGUT TRAIN WRECKED
Freight train No. 21, west
bound, was wrecked at North
Powder last Tuesday night. Ten
cars were thrown into the ditch,
and the track was torn up for
about 100 yards. La Grande Ga
zette, Oct. 21, 1892.
Gay Swains of the
'80s and '90s
would have come to our
store for adornment
Unfortunately for us we were not in business here
quite that early. Had we been, we are confident we
would have had the finest assortment of grey stripe or
check trousers, bright cravats, high choke collars, top
pers and derbies and other dress requisites of the day.
Just as Now
We offer to the men and young men of this generation
the latest in style and custom that, judging from our
growing trade, appears to appeal most pleasingly to
their tastes as well as satisfying to their pocketbooks.
HART, SCHAFFNER & MARX and MICHAELS STERN SUITS
GRAYCO SHIRTS - FLORSHE1M SHOES - STETSON HATS
Complete Line of WORK CLOTHES
The Gfrande Ronde Valley is
especially adapted to many types
of livestock raising, particularly
cattle, both beef and dairy, swine
and sheep. Horses, mules, etc.,
are raised in smaller quantities,
of course, largely as the farmer
needs them for Ills own uses.
In cattle, Union county boasts
of some of the finest herds In the
state, with purebreds predomin
ating. .This is to a large extent
due to the Influence of the East
ern Oregon Livestock show held
annually at Union In June, and
the largest show of its kind in
the northwest outside of the Pa
cific International Livestock ex
position at Portland.
As a dairy county, wltn an
abundance of hay and fine pas
turage, Union and Wallowa coun-
ties together rank as the leading
dairy section east of the Cascades. ;
In this county alone there are ap- j
proximately 7500 dairy cows, j
which supply an abundance of
milk for shipment to nearby mar- !
ket centers. In all, Including
dairy cows .there are 25.000 head
of cattle in Union county, most
of which are raised for beef pur
poses, and h bring a fine Income
to their owners.
The last check revealed nearly
12,000 head of swine bn Union
county farms, and a total of
more than 20,000 head of sheep,
which in the summer graze on :
the mountainous areas surround- I
Ing the valley. The county also
is Important as a chicken and
egg producing district, with 40,
000 chickens sold alive or dressed
annually, and around half a mil
lion dozen eggs produced each
year for both home and metro
politan consumption.
FRIDAY MORN PARADE
WILL BE BIG
(Continued from Page Nine)
features, four American Legion
drum and bugle corps, the famous
Ogden band, soldiers, Indians,
etc., all are included in the plans
for the parade, which are now as
suming definite shape.
Thla parade, the committee said,
should not be confused with the
pioneer parade to be staged on
the day previous July 19.
Capt. Walter A. Bean, of the
186th Infantry, has been appoint
ed parade marshal and also is di
vision chief of the section Includ
ing patriotic organizations. The
second division railroad and fra
ternal floats, la headed by T. B.
Salmon; the third division, guest
and commercial floats, by Homer
V. Leffel, and the fourth division,
Indians and miscellaneous, by A.
K. Parker. Capt Bean and his di
vision chiefs will have full super
vision over the procession.