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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (July 13, 2018)
1B THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JULY 13, 2018 CONTACT US ewilson@dailyastorian.com (503) 325-3211 ext. 257 COMMUNITY FOLLOW US facebook.com/ DailyAstorian IN ONE EAR • ELLEDA WILSON THIRTEENTH THOUGHTS o you have paraskevidekatriaphobia (fear of Friday the 13th)? Hopefully not, but here are a few random tidbits related to the fateful date: Famous daredevil Sam Patch successfully jumped off a cliff near Niagara Falls in 1829. When he jumped from Genesee Falls on a Friday the 13th later that year, it didn’t go well. At all. On Nov. 13, 1789, Benjamin Franklin wrote “In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes.” Truer words were never spoken. In 2004 the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute said that as many as 21 million people in the U.S. are so fright- ened by Friday the 13th that $800 million to $900 million is lost in business. It’s probably in the billions by now — and that’s really scary. (tinyurl.com/13fri13, tinyurl.com/BenTaxes, tinyurl. com/13badbiz) D A LITTLE REMINDER came across an old postcard (pictured) of downtown War- renton, Oregon, and I thought you might enjoy sharing it with your readers,” Marilyn Morton of Rockwood, Pennsylva- nia, wrote. She found it while helping clean out her aunt’s house in Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania. The front of the card says “Main Street, Warrenton, Oregon,” and the back is blank. Marilyn thinks the postcard belonged to her uncle, Edward W. Graham Jr. (pictured, inset), since her aunt handled his estate. He served in the Army during World War II, completing his basic training in Oregon, stationed at Battery Russell/Fort Stevens. “My grandmother, Hazel Lloyd Graham, traveled by train to Oregon to see him,” Marilyn wrote. “After basic training, my uncle went to Alaska, then on to Hawaii, and was ready to be sent to the Pacific if the war hadn’t ended.” “My grandmother and a friend of hers, Elsie Alderson, both had sons in basic at the fort, and they traveled together across the country from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania,” she added. “They stayed at a boarding house near the fort, and my grandmother became friends with the woman who owned it — unfortunately I do not remember her name. They wrote to each other for over 20 years, and my grandmother stopped in and visited her when my grand- parents were on their way to Alaska in 1964.” Marilyn’s uncle died in 1990 in West Elizabeth, Pennsylvania, where he lived all his life except for his time in the Army, yet he always kept this little reminder of Warrenton. CAPT. MENES AND SHIFTING atten down the hatches, the Disney Cruise Line has dis- covered Astoria, according to a post on the Disney Parks blog (tinyurl.com/DisneyAst). On Tuesday, Sept. 11, when the ship Disney Wonder stops here, “Disney cruisers will have the chance to experience the enchanting history and rich culture of Astoria, Oregon for the first time ever!” The ship is pictured, courtesy of the Disney Cruise Line. Passengers can go on a “Historic Astoria and Fort Clatsop Port Adventure” or “Create Your Own Glassblowing Masterpiece” at Fernhill Glass. “The Goonies” fans aboard surely will take note of the “Filmed in Astoria” tour. After all, Goonies never say die! B storia’s official meter maid (aka “Community Outreach Officer”) Ronni Harris and her nonmotorized two-wheeled scooter were featured on a KPTV news story by Haley Rush recently (tinyurl.com/KPTVronni), when she covered the kerfuf- fle over whether it was legal for Ronni to use a scooter on Asto- ria sidewalks to pass out parking tickets. Ronni is pictured, cour- tesy of KPTV. Since the scooter made the job easier and faster, Ronni was none too happy when it was decided the scooter was illegal, and she had to do the job on foot. The happy ending came almost two months later, when the ordinance banning scooters was altered by the City Council to exempt parking control officers “in the performance of their duties,” and Ronni was back on two wheels again. The scooter scuffle story was not only noted by KPTV — it was also rebroadcast in such unlikely spots as Horsehead, New York (WENY) and Saltillo, Mississippi (WTVA). ccording to “Lewis & Dryden’s Marine History of the Pacific Northwest,” the demise of the French bark L’etoile de Matin (Morning Star) was one of the “important wrecks” of 1849 when she ran aground. Capt. Francis Menes arrived at the Columbia River Bar in early July, but even after waiting seven days for a bar pilot, none showed up. As it turned out, Pilot Reeves had drowned in San Francisco Bay, and there was no replacement. (Capt. George Flavel wasn’t granted State Pilot License No. 1 until 1851.) Having successfully crossed the bar on his own in 1847 with the Morning Star, on July 11 Capt. Menes thought he’d give it another try. What he hadn’t counted on was the fact that prior to the north and south jetties being built, the Columbia River carried vast quantities of sediment to the mouth of the river that formed sandbars, which were con- stantly shifting from one spot to another in the rushing water. Consequently, a navigational map that was perfectly good one year would be worthless the next. It didn’t take long for the ship to run aground in 16 feet of water. There she sat for nine hours, being “thumped” by the heavy seas around her. Lowering the lifeboats turned into a tragic fiasco; one man drowned in the futile effort, and all of the lifeboats were lost. Eventually, the keel and rudder broke off, and the ship — with the pumps broken and everyone ter- rified, but still aboard — drifted into Baker’s Bay. Capt. Alexander Lattie Sr., who worked for the Hud- son’s Bay Co., arrived on the scene with some Native Americans and crew members from three other vessels to assist the disabled ship. They spent 20 hours bailing and pumping, and by constructing an emergency box rudder, they managed to take the Morning Star safely to Portland. The cargo, which belonged to Capt. Menes, was mostly saved, and he opened a store in Oregon City. L’etoile de Matin did not fare as well; the hull was sold, and later burned for its iron and copper. A LOCAL BREVITIES S A ‘I DISNEY DISCOVERS ASTORIA SCOOTER SCUFFLE idbits from the Saturday, July 14, 1888 edition of The Daily Morning Astorian: • “The July run” is so far a little slow, between a lope and a canter. Note: From the Sept. 7, 1888 edition: “The salmon run so far this season has been very light, and none of the canneries are running more than half time.” •Before Judge (Matthew) Deady in Portland last Thurs- day, Larry Sullivan was arraigned on a charge of secreting Japanese sailors who deserted from the bark Kitty. Plea of guilty entered. Sentenced to pay a fine of $50 (almost $1,300 now). Note: Larry Sullivan, an ex-prizefighter, was a notorious shanghaier, or “crimp,” who operated on the Astoria and Port- land waterfronts. • Yellow cedar has an odor about it so obnoxious to the teredo (shipworm) that it will not be attacked … Note: According to Appletons’ Guide-book to Alaska and the Northwest Coast (1896): “It is the one ship timber of the Pacific Coast, the only wood which repels the teredo, and ships’ timbers have been found to be sound and good after lying under water for 30 years.” • So far several East Portlanders have come down to the seashore, and should the usual July torridity prevail, thousands more in that vicinity will follow their example. Note: The more things change, the more they stay the same. • Advice To Mothers: Mrs. Winslow’s Soothing Syrup should always be used for children teething. It soothes the child, softens the gums, allays all pain, cures wind colic, and is the best remedy for diarrhea … Note: The syrup was loaded with morphine and alcohol, and a teaspoonful could easily kill, which is why this awful concoction’s nickname became “the baby killer.” (tinyurl.com/ badsyrup) • Chief Barry desires to say that the “cow ordinance” will be strictly enforced. A word to the wise is sufficient. Note: Perhaps it is the same as the current city code ordi- nance 5.515 (3): “No person may keep a live horse, mule, cow, calf, swine, sheep, goat, chicken or other livestock or poultry in a dwelling.” Keep those cows off the furniture, people. You’ve been warned. (tinyurl.com/notocows) ‘IT’S EVERYTHING ABOUT MY WIFE’ eriously, who cares about the World Cup when the results of the 23rd World Wife Carrying Championship in Fin- land are in? The July 7 event drew competitors from all over the world, with 39 couples from 13 countries. During the 253.5 meter race (with obstacles) the wife — who wears a crash hel- met and must weigh at least 108 pounds — is slung over her hus- band’s shoulders upside down. This year, a Lithuanian couple, Vytautas Kirkliauskas and Neringa Kirkliauskiene, won with a time of 1 minute, 5.1 sec- onds in their fourth attempt at the championship. They are pic- tured in a screen shot from an AP video (tinyurl.com/FinnCarry). “It’s everything about my wife,” Vytautas said. “I have beau- tiful wife. She’s wonderful. She helps me. We’re doing this together, and we’re so happy today.” T SPREADING LOVE ast weekend, “this group of Malaysian Buddhists has asked me to drop this religious tile, which represents peace and world calmness (no more natural disasters) … in 500 feet of water for them,” Ron Neva, owner of Northwest Wild Prod- ucts at the West Mooring Basin, reported. His photos are shown. The tile is actually a sacred stone tablet, made of granite. It’s 18 by 24 inches, and 1 inch thick, and contains, in Sanskrit, the Usnisa Vijaya Dharani Sutra, a Buddhist scripture (tinyurl. com/seasutra). World Class Fishing will do the honors some- time next week; in return, the group blessed the West Mooring Basin. Periodically, tablets containing this sutra are distributed in riv- ers, lakes and oceans throughout the world (usnisa_vijaya.tripod. com/web). This year, there are more than 80, and No. 81 is off Astoria. A member of the group, Tee, said they want the tablet to be as far out at sea, and as deep, as possible. He also hopes it lands face up — which is pretty iffy in such deep water. “The aim (of the tablets) is world peace and to stabilize the earth,” Tee explained. “The bottom line,” said Robert Pascoe, who works with the group, “is all they want to do is spread love.” L COMMUNITY NOTES SATURDAY Lower Columbia R/C Society — 8:30 a.m., Jim’s Roadhouse Grill, 1605 E. Harbor St., Warrenton. Lo- cal Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) chartered radio control model aircraft club meets for breakfast and business. All model aircraft enthusi- asts are welcome. For information, call 503-458-5196 or 503-325-0608. Seniors Breakfast — 9 a.m. to noon, Astoria Moose Lodge, 420 17th St. Cooked to order from menu, includes coffee. Cost is $5 for seniors 62 and older, $7.50 for those younger than 62. Breakfasts are open to the public. Proceeds af- ter expenses help support local and other charities. Chinook Indian Nation Coun- cil — 11 a.m., Chinook Nation Trib- al Office, 3 E. Park St., Bay Cen- ter, Washington. Monthly meeting, open to all tribal members; bring a potluck item. Those attending are asked to arrive on time. For ques- tions, call 360-875-6670. Sit & Stitch — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Homespun Quilts & Yarn, 108 10th St. Bring knitting, crochet or other needlework projects to this community stitching time. All skill levels welcome. Columbia Northwestern Mod- el Railroading Club — 1 p.m., in Hammond. Group runs trains on HO-scale layout. For information, call Don Carter at 503-325-0757. Spinning Circle — 1 to 3 p.m., Astoria Fiber Arts Academy, 1296 Duane St. Bring a spinning wheel. For information, call 503-325-5598 or go to astoriafiberarts.com SUNDAY Seniors Breakfast — 9 a.m. to noon, Astoria Moose Lodge, 420 17th St. Cooked to order from menu, includes coffee. Cost is $5 for seniors 62 and older, $7.50 for those younger than 62. Breakfasts are open to the public. Proceeds af- ter expenses help support local and other charities. MONDAY Cannon Beach American Le- gion Women’s Auxiliary Break- fast — 9 to 11:30 a.m., American Legion, 1216 S. Hemlock St., Can- non Beach. Scandinavian Workshop — 10 a.m., First Lutheran Church, 725 33rd St. Needlework, hardanger, knitting, crocheting, embroidery and quilting. All are welcome. For information, call 503-325-1364 or 503-325-7960. Line Dancing — 5:30 to 8 p.m., Seaside American Legion, 1315 Broadway. For information, call 503-738-5111. No cost; suggested $5 tip to the instructor. Astoria Rotary Club — noon, second floor of the Astoria Elks Lodge, 453 11th St. Guests always welcome. For information, go to As- toriaRotary.org
