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About Malheur enterprise. (Vale, Or.) 1909-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1916)
Vale Is the Center of Vast Development. Drilling for Oil tonally Inaugurated. Warmsprings Project Assured. Willow-Xlder Project making Headway. Owyhee Project Progressing. The Frost km JBrogan Country More Prosperous than ever. Great Drainage Projects Going Forward. Dairying Rapidly Gaining. Sheep, Cattle, Hogs, Higher than ever. Malheur County is a Mecca for Investors. VOLUME VIII, NO. 5. vale, oregon; Saturday, December 30, i9i6. SUBSCRIPTION, $2.00 PER YEAR TRAIN SERVICE IS ABOMINABLE TO JOUNTRY INotoriously Inefficient 0. S. L. Has Adopted New Sche dule Which is Rank Dis crimination Against Vale. MAIL LAYS 24 HOURS IN ONTARIO Courts May Be Appealed to if Other Methods FailA Jitney Service May Solve Problem For Present. The new schedule adopted by the O. S. L. purports to leave Ontario for Crane at 10 a. m. arriving at Vale at 10:50. The Brogan train leaves Ontario at sometime unknown to us, return ing leaves Brogan at 2:30 p. m. This method of running the two trains renders both arrival and depar ture from Vale an element of old time uncertainty. For instance, the Ontario-Crane train on Wednesday, arrived at Vale about 12:30. The train leaving Bro gan at 2:30 arrived at Valo about 7 p. m. The Thursday trip was worse. Bill ed to leave Ontario at 10 a. m.- the Ontario-Crane train arrived at Vale at 12:55. Friday shows improvement. Ontario-Crane train scheduled to leave Ontario 10 a. m. arrived Vale at 12:25 p. m. " Citizens are prevented from ans wering their mail promptly. Mail lays over at Ontario 24 hours. Port land papers arrive at Vale late the day succeeding publication. All in all it is an abominable ser vice and conducted with the usual in efficiency of the notoriously inefficient O. S. L., it is practically unbearable. The indifferent service of the mid day trains the past years, have mat tered little to Vale as the evening train made up for the ridiculous man agement of other trains. The midday trains never have and never will be of real service to the town upon the advent of spring and by putting the roads in order, it will be possible to organize a jitney service that will get our mail in and may be those who de sire to travel to meet trains on the main line. The courts will bo appealed to if it is found that other legitimate me thods fail. It is not to be supposed that any live community will submit to crim inal oppression without making some struggle to evade the strangle hold of the octopus, Most roads give efficient service and endeavor to build up com munities, even though they mulct them on rates; it is only shortsighted provincial, incompetants who enter into destroying alliances, and invoke the power of the state to destroy val ues and communities. OLD JIMES One Vale citizen met another on the street. "Well, it seems like old times." "Sure," said the other. "Sage Brush Anne arrived on her usual time only two hours late. We don't have to ans wer our letters as it is no. use; in these rushing times mail four or five days old might just as well never be written." "I wonder where they found the bunch of inoperatives on the 0. S. L. They must have a scnool for their special education of how to do the most damage with the least effort." CHRISTMAS EXERCISES AT M. E. CHURCH Boy Scouts Drill at Christm'as Exer cises at the M. E. Church Cornet Solo by Mr. Tapp. The Methodist Church was the scene of a Christmas celebration on Christmas eve, that probably will nev er be duplicated. Every number on the program had been carefully pre pared and the church was crowded to the doors. As predicted, the cornet solo by Chas. B. Tapp, "The Holy City," brought storms of applause from the congregation. The pantomimes and recitations by the children were watched with the keenest interest, and the White Gifts for the King brought a liberal contri bution from the large audience. Point Is Selected For Sinking Oil Well WATER CREATES LAND VALUES Mr. Suiter Has Splendid Piece of Pro perty in Paul, Idaho, also owns Land in Malheur. Wo are in receipt of a pleasant let ter from Mr. E. M. Suiter, who is now at Paul, Idaho. Mr. Suiter is the owner of a splendid piece of bench land on the Bully creek benches. Not particularly happy over the de lay in getting water on his land at the same time Mr. Suiter is certain of results when that fact is once ac complished. Mr. Suiter says, in part: "Some eighties which were home steaded here 10 or 12 years ago have sold for $12,000, and most of those who sold did so because it is so high (4200). The water payments are rarely considered. Believe me, that bench land will bring $200 per acre easy and we could sell most of it here. They are starting a big sugar factory here now. This is a great beet coun try but this fall Tnany froze in the ground." IMPROVING EARTH ROADS By Andrew P. Anderson, Highway Engineer, U. S. Department of Agriculture. Earth roads must serve the needs of the greater part of farm traffic for years to come, and the matter of earth road maintenance is therefore of prime interest to farmers. To control the moisture in the soil is one of the most difficult problems of earth road maintenance, but it is very nec essary if the roads are to be main tained in the best possible condition throughout the year. Owing to sea sonal variations of temperature and precipitation, practically every local ity has to contend with dust during the summer and fall and muddy roads during the winter and spring. In the semiarid regions, especially, the road man has a double task on his hands: First, to keep the roads from becoming muddy and full of ruts dur ing the wet season or when excess ir rigation and seepage waters reach the roadway; and, second, to keep the road surface from breaking up into dust and chuck holes during the long dry season. But while this task is difficult it is not impossible, and where the traffic is not too heavy or dense our earth roads can be so main tained as to be reasonably passable at all times and fairly good during the greater part of the year. The most important single consid eration aside from grades and loca tion in the first improvement of earth roads is that of drainage. The drain age must be adapted to each particu lar road and provide adequately for rain and storm flow as well as excess irrigation and seepage waters. The roadway must be raised and crowned just sufficiently to shed all water to the side ditches and not allow it to collect in puddles and soak into and soften the road surface, while the .side ditches and outlets must be am ple to carry away quickly and com pletely all water that reaches them from whatever source. All construction work involving any considerable amount of grading should be done early in the season be fore the soil becomes too hard and dry to be worked readily and to pack well. If the earthwork is delayed un til the soil has dried out, not only will the first cost be greatly increased but the road will remain very dusty and be difficult to travel during the en tire dry season. Furthermore, by the time the rainy season arrives the road way will, in all probability, be so worn down as to require a great deal of additional work to put it back into shape. The clay or gumbo road may be greatly improved in its ability to withstand both wet and dry weather by adding and incorporating sand with the surface soils, thus forming a sand-clay road. The essential prin ciples of this class of construction were described in a former paper, "The Improvement and Maintenance of Earth Roads on Sandy Soils." (See Reclamation Record, February, 1916, p. 75.) The roadmen interested in this class of construction should also secure a copy of Farmers' Bulletin No. 311, "The Construction of Sand Clay and Burnt-Clay Roads." But no matter how well an earth road is constructed it will not remain in good condition long, without sys- ( Continued on page 6.) VALE HAS A REAL SANTA CLAUS Generous Citizens Make Up Purse on Christmas Day and Distribute to Children. The kiddies of Vale who were un able to secure a home Christmas and Santa Claus received one any way. A subscription of some $40 was taken up and proper distribution made. The following were contributors: F. B. Glenn, $1; H. H. High, $1; J. D. King, 76c; Claude Wood, $5; R. H. Dearmond, $5; M. N. Fegtly, $1; T. B. Selby, $1; J. L.-Lewis, $2; P. G. Freeman, $1; Arthur Moody, $1; J. P. Dunaway, $1; A. Simons, $1; J. W. Sullivan, $2; V. S. Green, $1; M. D. Kelley, $1; John Dolan, $1; C. E. Brittingham, $1; T. W. Davidson, $1; Jas. Frost, $1; Dr. Davis, $1; F. B. Zutz, $1; Vale Drug, $1; Dr. Bartlett, $2; Powers, 25c; Dr. Burrows, $1; Tom Jones, 50c; J. R. Wheeler, $1; Robt D. Lytle, $1; Ben J. Brown, $1; I. R. Arvina, $1; Will Pritchett, $1. BOYS CAN GO TOWESTPOINT Fine Chance For Some Malheur Coun ty Boy to Win in Competitive Examination in February. Congressman Nick Sinnott has at his disposal appointment of two ca dets to the U. S. Military Academy at West Point? He has decided to All both of these on the basis of a district wide competitive examination. This will afford to the boys of Eastern Oregon the best opportunity ever pre sented to them to enter West Point. In order to make this opportunity as full and free .as possible the con gressman has arranged to have the examination held under the charge of the U. S. Civil Service Commission simultaneously in the following eight cities: Klamath Falls, Ontario, Bak er, Pendleton, Lakeview, Bend, La Grande, The Dalles, on February 1, 1917. This is the latest feasible date before the official examination at Vancouver Barracks, Mar. 20, 1917. Every eligible boy desiring to take the examination should report to the local civil service secretary at the postoffice in the above cities at 9 o'clock a. m., February 1st; and also if possible inform Congressman Sin nott at Washington that he intends to enter the competition. The two candidates who receive the highest grades in this competitive ex amination will be designated by Con gressman Sinnott as principals; the next two as first alternates, and those ranking fifth and sixth in percentage will' be designated as second alter nates. Any young man is eligible to enter the competition who is now and has been since December first, 1916, an actual resident of the Second Con gressional District in Oregon, provid ed that on June 14, 1917, the date of entrance to the Academy, ho is not under 17 nor over 22 years of age. The examination, which will be the same in every city, will be written in form, and will embrace the following subjects: Algebra, Geography, His tory, English Composition and Eng lish Literature, Plane Geometry, Eng lish Grammar. Usually there is but one vacancy at a time for each district at West Point The increase in number of cadets making two at this time furnishes to the boys of Eastern Oregon the best opportunity to get in the Academy ever offered to them, with several weeks in which to prepare. Any one thinking of entering the contest can get full information about the Mili tary Academy and sample questions by writing to Congressman N. J. Sin nott, House of Representatives, Wash ington, D. C. If a man isn't much of a mechanic, his wife will tell him of some other man who is always fixing up some thing around the house. The human iceberg may have his allotted place in life, but he can make no greater mistake than trying to break into politic. A lie often goes around masquer ading as imagination. People exaggerate your bad habits, so get rid of them. One often feels that the thermome ter is too conservative sbout it. NEW MEN IN VALE FIELDS ENTHUSIASTIC Point Selected For Drilling is in Southwest Quarter of 19-19-44-Work Has Com menced and will Continue SAYS OIL IS VARIETY OF GREAT VALUE Geologist's Examination Is Very Favorable and all In terested Are Enthusiastic Over Outcome of Venture Vice-president Meyer and the com pany's geologis't. 'W. N. Gibb, were in town this week looking 6ver the country and making selection of a proper place to begin boring. "I was somewhat skeptical as to what my .examination would show," said Mr. Gibb, "Mr. Meyer seemed almost too enthusiastic over the pros pects, but upon looking into the sit uation I have been agreeably sur prised. In fact no country ever pre sented better prospects than this and I feel confident of a satisfactory out come. The point we have selected is on the SWM, of Section 19, T. 19 S., R. 44 E., W. M." "Work has been commenced and lumber ordered fojj building the nec essary shelters and mess houses and material purchased from the Malheur well will be .hauled immediately to the ground," said Mr. Meyer. "We have high hopes and the outlook is so ex cellent that I feel justified in saying that my company will bore until they bring in an oil well. The oil of tho region is of great commercial value, having a parraffine base." The company represented by Mr. Meyers as Vice-president, is the Western Pacific Oil and Gas company, with offices in Boise, Idaho, at 608 Overland Building. The officers of tho company are: W. N. Reeves, pres ident; W. D. Meyer, first vice-presi-dent; P. M. Davis, second vice-president; E. W. Johnson; treasurer; S. Leigh Savidge, secretary; W. N. Gibb, Geological Engineer. RALPH HOYT NOW A BENEDICT Popular Salt Lake Business Man Ventures Into Sea Of Matrimony. Ralph Hoyt, formerly of Vale, and now connected with a wholesale busi ness at Salt Lake, and Miss Edith Necly, daughter of Mr, and Mrs. II. C. Neely, of Vale, were united in mar riage Friday afternoon at 4:30 o'clock. The ceremony was performed by Rev. W. J. Luscombe, of the M. E. Church at the home of the bride's par ents, and' only a few near friends and relatives of the couple were present. Immediately following the marriage the young couple departed on the af ternoon train for Salt Lake, where they will make their future homo. Both of the young people are well known and well liked in Vale, and the Enterprise joins their host of friends in wishing them much happiness and success in their future life. Natural Protective Instinct The birds build nests for tho pro tection of their young against the weather; the foxes dig holes for se curity against foes; the squirrels lay by stores of nuts against the coming of winter; and dogs bury bones against the day when bones will be Bcarce. These are the manifestations of a normal protective instinct aris ing from an experience of many many generations. So far as is known though, no bird ever tried to build more nests than his neighbor; no fox ever fretted because he only had one hole in which to hide? no squirrel ev er died of anxiety lest he should not lay by enough nuts for two winters instead of for one; and no dog ever lost sleep over the fact that he didn't have enough bones laid aside to pro vide for his declining years. COUPLE MARRIED ON CHRISTMAS EVE Popular Young Vale Couple United in Matrimony by Rev. W.J. Luscombe, Christmas Ere. Christmas Eve, Sunday, December 24, 1916, at the Methodist Church, Vale, James K. Kelly and Miss Con stance E. Wilson were, united in mar riage in the presence of the immedi ate friends and relatives. The beau tiful ring ceremony was used. Rev. Wm. J. Luscombe officiated. ', The newly married will go to house keeping at once at their ranch home south of Vale. They have the, best wishes of a host of friends for their future happiness. SPECIAL SEEDS TO BE HAD Limited Supply are on Hand This Year, and Sinnott Wishes All Orders to be in Early. Congressman N. J. Sinnott has re ceived notice from tho Department of Agriculture that he has been al lowed a limited number of packages of alfalfa, field pea, millet, Sudan Grass and white clover seed. Because of the very limited supply on hand this year tho rule has been made that only one package of seeds can be sent to a person. Those wish ing a package of tho seeds should write to Congressman Sinnott for the same at once before tho .supply is ex hausted. The seed will-be mailed di rectly from tho Department's ware house, and will be accompanied by a circular giving full instructions for culture of the crop. Tho department has also decided that no seed will bo sent out later than Marcn first. There has been great difficulty in securing some of the seeds this year and for that reason only the follow ing number of packages could be al lotted to the Second District of Ore gon. 70 four pound packages Kansas- grown alfalfa seed. 200 four pound packages of improv ed variety field "pea. 50 four pound packages of Kursk millet seed. 100 one pound packages of Sudan grass seed. 40 two pound packages of white sweet clover seed. Requests will bo transmitted to the department by Congressman Sinnott in the order in which tncy are receiv ed. It will bo a caso of "first come, first served" as long as tho supply lasts. CATHOLICS HOLD GOOD SERVICES Christmas Exercises at St. Patrick's Church draw Large Attendance and Well Appreciated. Christmas eve was tho scene of many elaborate and noteworthy celo brations in the various churches of the city. The services at St. Patrick's church, where midnight mass was cel ebrated, was unique in many ways The Rev. John Moriarity delivered a sermon which was well received by tho largo number present, and the choir rendered appropriate selections for the occasion. The main altar was tastily decorated with flowers, potted plants and evergreens, while on the side altar to the left was a complete miniature review of the birth of Christ. By the presenco of a desert scene for the background, domestic animals, statutes of Mary, Josephr the child, the three wise men and the shepherds and their flocks in tho fore ground, lighted by small candles, a very beautiful scene waB presented. The large number who took part in the services, and the attention paid to every detail, is a fine evidence of the esteem in which the people of all denominations in Vale hold Rev. John Moriarity. Villa is married but apparently not yet settled down. Washington Her aid. For correcting soil acidity, 1 ton of burned lime is practically equal to 1 tons of slaked lime or 2 tons of ground limestone, in case all three forms are of equal grade of purity. Montana voters believed a woman's place was in the House. Wall Street Journal. Prospects Good COMPARISONS OF SCHOOL TUITIONS Comparison of High School Tuition Charge in Various Towns of Oregon Changes Opinions. During the meeting discussing the Budget it appeared that the charge for high school tuition in Valo was rather high and that tho general charge was high. An investigation has brought out the following facts: Charges for High School Tuition Vale .... .........$111.00 Ontario 51.00 Nyssa 105.00 Astoria, Clatsop county 91.50 Seaside, Clatsop county 76!00 Joseph, Wallowa county 126.68 Enterprise, Wallowa county .... 86.53 Wallowa, Wallowa county . 68.53 Columbia county average .'. 65.00 Ashland, Jackson county 49.07 Medford, Jackson county 49.48 Phoenix, Jackson county 66.00 Central Point, Jackson county 83.53 Gold Hill, Jackson county ,72.00 Rogue River, Jackson county,. 63.50 Butto Falls, Jackson county .... 101.20 Echo, Umatilla county ..... 156.60 Ferndale, Umatilla county .... 108.00 Hcrmiston, Umatilla county ..... 91.00 Pendleton, Umatilla county .... 96.12 Weston, Umatilla county 82.80 Athena, Umatilla county 84.60 Milton-Frcowater 61.12 Stanficld, Umntilla county 127.80 Unapine, Umatilla county 111.60 WILLOW-ALDER ' SITUATION Vale-Oregon Company Can Go No Further Maney Bros. Suit Conies in January. It is necessary that holders of land under the Bully creek watershed, hav- ling contracts with tho Vale-Oregon company ana who are within tho boundaries of. the Willow-Alder Dis trict, should thoroughly understand the situation. The Vale-Oregon company as now constituted and which holds the con tracts, can go no further. It seems impossible to make any kind of an arrangement with that company, which tho district could possibly en ter into. Tho cost of tho accomplish ments of that company has been far more than tho district would bo jus tified in paying. There are a number of bond hold ers not interested or holding stock of the Vale-Oregon company. They have then rights to participate in any set tlement made with tho V.-O, com pany. Maney Bros, and Wells and High have liens on tho V.-O. property. amounting to about $77,000, which court costs will, run to over $80,000. This suit will come on in January. There are other debts of tho V.-O. company, but are second to tho bonds. Under these, circumstances there is no way for a settlement except in and through the courts, at least part way. If those who hold the bonds could be made to understand that by clean ing up the accounts and joining hands with tho district, put in the first unit their losses might be mini mized. This of course is difficult to accomplish. What they had hoped and had been promised, and, in fact, had been led to believo .had actually been accomplished, is discouraging, but we believe that after tho first skirmish, the air might become clar ified, and the project go forward to final success. If the whole matter is left to tho courts to clear up and bfi, .the re sult will be at least two years delay and almost, if not complete, total loss to those who have furnished funds to date. The contracts now left which are on deeded land are not of any value, but it will be necessary to take them into court to clean up the record. Tho Board of Directors which will be elected next month, whoever they may be, will of course make every endeavor for some immediate adjust mcnt, in fact, the time will be at hand whan such adjustment may bo possi ble. Tho only thing wo can do in tho Willow-Alder District is to keep on close touch with every event and bo ready to move when the timo comes. Tho movement west is already on, and these benches at an altitude of 2C00 feet ore unexcelled east or west and will repay the long and tedious wait for water. CONGRESS MAY bin UKMjUW; SQUARE DEAL A Square Deal For Oregon to Come at Last If Con gress Aids Warmsprings and Owyhee Projects. 5 OREGON BADLY TREATED IN PAST Reclamation Officials Hope to Squeeze out Enough 'to Start Construction on both Projects. Orcgonian News Bureau, Wash., Dec. 25. The long promised "square deal" for Oregon in the distribution of money from the reclamation fund will soon bo in sight if Congress' will act favorably on tho recommendations of tho Reclamation Service and 'au thorize tho construction of the Mal heur and Owyhee irrigation projects. A square deal for Oregon must now come from Congress, for the recla mation extension act took the appor tionment of moneys out of the hands of the Secretary of ho Interior and placed it in tho hands of Congress it self. '; Oregon Badly Treated. How badly Oregon has been treated in tho past is shown by the last report of tho Reclamation Service. Accord ing to this report Oregon 'has contri buted to the reclamation fund $10, 836,127, and less than half that amount'' has thus far been expended or allotted for work in the state. Tho total allotment to date for the Uma tilla project is $2,598,751, and for tho Klamath an Oregon and California project $3,009,992. Probably half of this latter amount is creditable to Cal ifornia. Oregon's total benefits . aro below half of what tho state has con tributed. If Congress should decide to appro priate for the Malheur and the Owy hee projects tho full amounts called for the state still would bo far short of getting its just due, but there is no likelihood whatever that full ap propriations favored by tho Reclama tion Service will bo granted this ses sion. Start All That Is Hoped For. Tho most that Oregon can hopofor at the present session is an appropria tion to start construction of the Warm Springs dam on the Malheur project and n like appropriation for tho storago dam on the Owyhee pro ject. This, however, is as much, as tho Reclamation Service thinks nec essary, for it estimates that it will .re quire two years to build tho dams and if the start can bo made the mon ey necessary to complete tho dams will bo appropriated by tho next Con gress. There is, as is generally known?, a decided shortage in tho reclamation fund. There is not enough money on han to complete expeditiously most of the projects now under way, and Spc- rctary Lane personally has always be lieved it is better to finish those pro jects before turning to others not yot begun. If this attitude of the Secre tary is made plain to the committee, ovon though both Oregon projects are held to be feasible, it will be doubly difficult to get an appropriation this session. Officials Arc Hopeful. Nevertheless, it is tho belief of of ficials of the Reclamation Service that it will be possible to squeeze out suf ficient money this year to begin the Warm Springs dam on tho Malheur project, without doing serious injury to other projects. Furthermore, Rep resentative Sinnott will show to the appropriations committee that the money appropriated for reclamation projects comes out of a special fund which can not be used for other pur poses, and that no matter how much may be set aside for new projects in Oregon, tho general fund in tho Treasury will not be affected one way or another. Tho diversion of $200, 000 or $400,000 for new "projects in Oregon will not affect a Treasury det ficit; it will merely divert that much from the general reclamation fund which otherwise would bo applied to other projects. , It is going to require intense effort on tho part of the Oregon delegation to get appropriations this session for the Malheur and Owyhee projects, for .there will bo opposition from mem bers whose projects will feel the ef fect of a diversion of several hundred 4 (Continued on page C.)