TRIBAL PROGRAM NEWS
Walt’s Words of Wit
and Wisdom
by Walt Klamath
A long time ago, well not really so
long ago, Siletz was a booming town. There
were three grocery stores in town: Art
Bensell’s store, Nashif’s, and Bailer’s. At
Bailer’s market, there was the post office
and a hardware store. Bailer’s also had the
Siletz Lockers. I don’t know when the post
office moved out or when the hardware
store closed.
At that time on the Bensell side of the
street was a café owned by D.B. McMullen.
He used to buy eggs by the case from my
mom in Logsden. He had a little gambling
hall with two pinball machines. Mac used to
sell chicken feed and cow feed; he also
bought fern, chittum, blackberries, and
foxglove in season. He had a good
enterprise going.
Next to Mac’s warehouse, TuTon
Rilatos had a small gambling establishment
with some pinball machines (never did any
good there). Then as we continue through
town, there was a garage but I can’t
remember everything that had been there. I
think George Berry and I believe Adolph
Tronsin were there for a while.
Bittier Bros, had a service station and
a sports shop that was just a hole in the
wall. Behind their shop was a sty that
belonged to the old rodeo grounds. Then on
to the high school. Yep, they had rodeos or
any event there. I saw people on horses and
wagons going by our home in Logsden that
my uncle said were going to Siletz.
Then there was a restaurant I
believe was the Tyee lllahee, but I’m not
sure. I went there a few times. Then on the
corner was Jimmy Swartz’s big shop. He
repaired cars that our people crumpled up
along the road. My uncle had one that he
tried to climb a bank with. It didn’t work out
too well for him but worked out well
for Jimmy.
On the other side of the street, as I
mentioned before, was Bailer’s market
combination, then the hotel. It had a little
restaurant and a pinball machine. I think one
of the Miller boys ran that one. I hit the
jackpot on that one and went right out the
next day or so and made a down payment
on a ’42 Nash, a pretty new car in 1947.
Then a little later, Bittier Bros, built a
service station and expanded the sports
shop beside where the lockers are. I bought
several guns there. I have some interesting
stories about when that was being built, but
I won’t go into them now.
Amy, Maranda, Jean, and Marci Garrett
Elders Program
Director Named
by Marci Garrett
Kris Whitehead and her daughter, Kateri,
dance the jingle dance at Taft High
School in Lincoln City. They joined other
Siletz Tribal dancers (including members
of the Butler family on pages__and__ )
in a performance during the Antique
Week/Lincoln Days celebration in
Lincoln City in February.
Ah yes, this was a town. A lot of
industry, all forest-connected one way or
another, took place. There were a lot of
sawmills in the area. I’ve worked in most of
them at one time or another. In those days,
age was not a barrier if one could do the job
that was required.
Most of us in high school were pretty
big characters. I was working for Monroe
Lumber Co. when I was 17. There must have
been 10 or 12 mills between Siletz and
Nashville. Laborers were hard to find; it was
almost impossible to get fired no matter how
much one tried. There was always a job
waiting. One time I was making big money
- 85 cents an hour, wow! This was between
my junior and senior years.
One time McMullen held a big feed
down on the Brasfield place I think it was a
rabbit barbecue or something. Anyway, a lot
of teen-agers and others were there, so I
guess it was a success. I don’t eat rabbit
but was there for the fun. I don’t know if there
is any connection or not, but for a long time
there was a shortage of stray cats
around town.
On March 9, I was offered and
gratefully accepted the Elders Program
Director position. I live in Siletz and am the
granddaughter of Gladys Muschamp and the
daughter-in-law of Jean Garrett.
I’ve been working for the tribe since
1992 at the Siletz Clinic in a variety of
positions. I currently am a part-time student
at Eastern Oregon University. The university
offers an extended program that I’ve been
working on for two years now and within the
next year and a half, I’ll receive my
bachelor’s of business administration/
psychology degree.
When I first read the job description, I
knew that I wanted to apply. I saw the job as
a great opportunity to get to know our tribal
elders better and serve them to the best of
my ability. My first day on the job was at the
elders monthly meeting - what a great
experience! I didn’t know work could be so
much fun.
I know a lot of you have ideas for your
program and I would like to hear them.
Please contact me at 1-800-922-1399 or
541-444-2532, ext. 261.
Attention Elders -
Upcoming Events
Elders monthly meeting
April 15,2000,2 p.m., Chinook Winds
Transportation provided from each area.
Call your area representative or Marci for
more information.
Elders Gathering - “Circle of Wisdom”
May 2-3, 2000, Chinook Winds
Call your area representative or Marci for
more information.
Lapwai Idaho Trip
May 25-27, 2000
Call your area representative or Marci for
more information.
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