VOL. 27
(THE HOME PAPER)
DALLAS, FOLK COUNTY, OREGON, TUESDAY, MARCH SO, 1915.
(TWICE-A-WEEK)
NO. 8
DEATH OF BENJ, SMITH
DECEASED WAS ONE OF POLK'S
EARLIEST PIONEERS.
Crossing Plains From Mossonri With
Parents, He Settled New Lew
isville in 1846.
Benjamin F. Smith, a pioneer of
Polk county, and one of its most re
spected citizens, departed this life at
his home near Lewisville, last Friday,
and the funeral services were held
from the family residence, conducted
by the Rev. Bowersox.
Although a puhlic spirited man,
Mr. Smith led the life of a quiet and
industrious farmer. His chief inter
est was centered in his home life and
his large farm, which is rated
one of the best in Polk county.
The only public office ever held by
him was that of Justice of the Peace,
a position which he filled with credit
for many years. He had also served
as a director of the Independence Na
tional bank since the organization of
that institution.
Mr. Smith was a kindly, compan
ionable man and his home was the
center of open-handed hospitality in
his neighborhood. He will be missed
by a wide circle of friends and ac
quaintances, who had long recognized
in him a good neighbor and a useful
citizen.
Benjamin F. Smith was born May
8, 1840, in Cedar County, Missouri,
and crossed the plains by ox team
with his parents in 184(3, settling on
the farm now owned by F. M. Smith
near Lewisville, where he spent his
early life. In the year 18C4 he was
united in marriage to Rachael M.
Burns, daughter of Wm, Burns, an
early pioneer, and removed to the
present home, where he has resided
continuously ever since. About one
year and a half ago he was stricken
with paralysis, which terminated in
his death. He leaves to mourn his
loss a widow and two children, W
W. Smith of Dallas and Mary Le
Veck of Lewisville. Three brothers,
J. D. Smith of Dallas, G. W. Smith
of Lebanon, and F. M. Smith of Dal
las,, and two sisters, Mrs. H. C. Mc-
Timmonds of Lebanon and Miss Ra
chael Smith of Dallas, also are afflict
ed by his demise.
THE SURRENDER OF GEN. LEE
Exercises in Commemoration of His
toric Event to be Held April 9.
The fiftieth anniversary of Lee's
surrender, which occurs on April 9,
will be appropriately observed by U.
. S. Grant post, Grand Army of the Re
public, at the armory, for which a
program has been prepared by the
committee in charge of the affair. The
exercises will open with "America"
by the audience, followed by prayer
by Rev. C. C. Curtis and a selection
by the Teachers 'quartet. An address
will be delivered, but the orator of
the day has not yet been decided upon.
The high school chorus will render
"The Old Guard" and "The Star
Spangled Banner," the audience join
ing in the latter.
All ex-soldiers and sailors are invit
ed by the post to attend and partici
pate in the exercises, as is also the
general public. The veterans are
holding the service of commemoration
in compliance with an order from
headquarters, and hope and trust that
there will be a liberal attendance, es
pecially by the children of the com
munity.
HAS STRONG ENDORSEMENT.
Eoscoe C. Stoats Would Have Inde
pendence Postmastership.
Roscoe C. Staats, who was born and
raised in the vicinity of Independence,
is a candidate for the postoffiee, which
will be vacant on or about November
1 of this year. Mr. Staats is a de
fendant from a long line of illustrous
ancestors who were democrats all
their lives, and following their exam
ple, Mr. Staats is also a democrat.
Practically the entire democratic or
ganization here is behind Mr. Staats
for the appointment. For four years
he was in the service of the govern
ment as railway mail clerk. ,Mr.
Staats is 32 years of age, married
and has a family. The business men
there have endorsed him as well as the
young men's democratic club of Polk
county.
TEACHING THE YOUNG IDEA.
Babcock Testing Taught By School
Supervisor of Lincoln County.
J. E. Davis, a rural school super
visor of Lincoln county, Oregon, car
ries a Babcock tester with him and
teaches the girls and boys how to
test milk and thus weed out unprofit
able cows. His services in this alone
are of very great value to the people
of that county, since a very large
portion of most dairy herds hardly
pay for their keep.
Mr. Davis is also engaged in an at
tempt to find some means of increas
ing the number of cows per acre of
cultivated land. His main reliance,
according to Professor F. L. Griffin,
state agent of industrial club work
for the Agricultural college, is the
growing of corn and use of corn si
lage. To succeed in this he must have
a good supply of acclimated seed corn,
which he is working now to provide,
It is said that good silage corn can
be grown in Lincoln county and that
with a good but inexpensive silo on
every dairy farm dairy dairy produc
tion would be doubled.
. In addition to demonstrating the
possibility of profitable corn-growin;
the girls and boys' of the clubs are
getting the best kind of an agricul
tural education and at the same time
earning some money for themselves.
Good seed corn of the right variety
ond type sells for about five dollars
per bushel.
TAX COLLECTOR IS BUSY.
First Half of Annual Contribution
Must Be Liquidated Tomorrow.
County Treasurer Holman's office
is a busy place. The date for liqui
dating the first half of taxes draws on
apace, tomorrow being the last day,
and many are hustling to the cap
tain's office prepared to pay in part, if
not in full. It has been necessary to
secure additional clerical assistance
to meet the demand. John Richter,
who had contemplated going to Al
bany ere this, has been induced by Mr,
Holman to tarry temporarily to aid in
the treasurer's office. He is familiar
with this work, and consequently is
able to get away with it in the most
approved style of the art.
The final rush will come tomorrow,
after which date, if the first half has
not been paid, taxes will be subject
to interest at the rate of one cent per
month until August 31, when they be
come delinquent and subject to a ten
per cent penalty and twelve per cent
per annum interest. Persons making
half payments by March 31 should noc
proffer second half payments until af
ter May 22, as the old tax law will
not be superceded until that date and
interest must be collected under its
terms until May 22. Taxpayers can
make payments only in half or full
amounts.
SNOW IN CASCADES IS LOW.
Flood Danger in Willamette Valley
Not Likely This Year.
That there is little danger of floods
in the Willamette valley this year is
indicated by the fact that there is less
snow in the mountains now than at
this season for many years. What
snow fell last winter has been going
out early and also gradually.
Unless there should come an unusu
ally cold period before summer, in
which snow should fall in the moun
tains, there is no likelihood whatever
of high water in the Willamette and
its tributaries this spring. A heavy
warm rain this time of year usually
makes a flood probable, but there is
said to be no danger this year.
May Reduce Picking Price.
If the hopgrowers in this vicinity
maintain the same attitude when it
comes time for harvesting that many
do at present, hoppiekers will receive
from thirty to thirty-five cents per
box this season instead of the regular
wage of fifty cents. This is only one
of the changes in hopyard custom
which are being contemplated by the
growers in Marion and Polk counties.
Lower wages, cleaner hops and short
er picking hours will undoubtedly be
inaugurated this summer. Oregon
Messenger.
Weighing the Mails.
Beginning next Thursday the Dal
las postoffiee will begin the weighing
of all parcel post packages sent out
from this city, and counting the rural
mail. The last named routine will
continue for thirty days, and the first
named for 15 days. Both outgoing
and incoming mail will be counted and
weighed. The counting and weighing
is held twice each year, and from the
data collected railroad rates for haul
ing of the mail regulated.
Percheron Stallion Sold.
Mr. D. F. Burge has sold his Per
cheron stallion, Univers, to J. B. Par-
ria of Cowlitz county, Washington,
and the animal will be shipped to
that point today. The consideration
was $2000. Mr. Burge will replace
the horse with one just purchased
from Madison & Wheeler of Spring
field, Illinois, which animal will arrive
here during the present week.
! Community
There is a tendency throughout the
country to carry community building
into the schools, and nowhere is better
success being attended from this ef
fort than at Dayton, Ohio, an ac
count of which is given by an ex
change. A history of the city has been
written for use in the eighth grade of
the schools there, and this is designed
to inspire young people with true con
ceptions of civic pride and the need of
city building in the most acceptable
way. In this connection, portions of
an address by the chairman of the
Greater Dayton association presents
ideas that should prove profitable to
people of every town and city truly
interested in its general betterment.
He said :
"And so we formed the Greater
Dayton association, and the ideal of
the Greater Dayton association is not
greatness, it is not bigness, it is not
industries. The ideal of the Greater
Dayton association is service, and the
ideal of the Greater Dayton associa
tion is true community welfare. Back
of every great forward movement
there must be the force of some ideal,
and back of the force of our move
ment was that ideal of community
welfare. Our first great responsibili
ty is to maintain and perpetuate our
city-manager form of government. Ev
ery activity has our attention, it does
not matter what it is; every social,
every commercial activity of the city
has had our attention, and we are not
afraid to attack anything that we be
lieve is wrong. We are not afroid to
advocate onything that we believe is
right. It will either affect adversely
the whole welfare of the community
or it will affect it favorably. The
first thing that we undertook was the
federation of charities. The charities
of the city of Dayton were diversified,
overlapping, and we placed them into
one body, so that we could have one
body to deal with and so that there
could be no overlapping. We have
now going on, or will take very short
ly, surveys of poverty and crime,
housing conditions,- health and sanita
tion, etc. Mr. Bryce, in his book on
America, said that the most evident
neglect of the people of this country
was the neglect to vote, but the great
est neglect was the neglect to think.
What we wanted to do was to get the
people of Dayton to think, and we are
HURT WHILESPEEDING
BRAKE GETS BLAME FOR QUITE
SERIOUS ACCIDENT.
Two Young Men Thrown From Mo
torcycle Last Sunday, Driver Be
ing Unable to Make Turn.
While riding a motorcycle north on
Fairview avenue at a high rate of
speed last Sunday, "Buck" Stichler,
accompanied by Robert Muscott, was
unable to guide his machine when at
the turn into Washington street, and
as a consequence he collided with the
curb in front of C. B. Stone's resi
dence, receiving quite serious injuries.
loung Muscott escaped being hurt.
The former sustained injuries about
the neck, and his right ear was almost
severed from his head when he was
thrown from the motorcycle and col
lided with the building. The machine
mounted the curb, and lay close to the
building. When picked up he was
unconscious. He was rushed to the
Dallas hospital, where later he told
those around him that the cause of
the accident was due to failure of the
brake to work. The motorcycle was
badly wrecked.
GETS ITS WIRES CROSSED.
The Observer Errs in Saying J. C.
Fox of Dallas la Criminal.
The Observer was misinformed when
it stated that the Fox arrested for il
legally using the mails was Mr. J. C.
Fox, manager for the Portland Ce
ment company near this city, and vol
untarily hastens to make the correc
tion. The man arrested is W. E. Fox,
who is a painter.
To Begin Building Soon.
Preparations are making for the
erection of the new training school at
the Normal. The Old gymnasium is
being razed by Lloyd Mason, he re
ceiving one-third of the lumber for
his labor.
Wow, How It Hurt.
Miss Burtchell, one of the Normal
girls, had the misfortune to split one
of her great toes in trying to split
kindling wood. Three stitches were
necessary in dressing the wound.
Herald.
Development f
trying to educate them to think about
their city. We have become agita
tors; we are not going to leave the
agitation of public questions solely to
the people who are unwise in their
leadership, but we are going to try to
get the people to know what really is
best for the community welfare; and
ithis is one of the great responsibili
ties and duties of the Greater Dayton
association.
"We want to develop leadership in
the community. The business men of
the city, just like the businessmen of
any other city, do not stir until some
thing affects their own private inter
ests, and we want the business men of
the city of Dayton to be alive to the
things that must be done. We want
men to take hold of a project that is
lor the best interests of the communi
ty, and "we are trying to develop that
sort of leadership. We are doing this :
We are trying to develop civic patriot
ism. Take the men a .id women every
where, and when they see an Ameri
can flag they are inspired with
thoughts of national patriotism, be
cause they know of Concord and Lex
ington ond Bunker Hill and Valley
Forge. They know of the war of the
rebellion. They know of all the
achievements. It is an open thing in
lach mind. But I tell you that the
young people read in the papers about
the "City Hall gang," and they hear
the city officials exposed to disrespect,
and there is not in any metropolis, in
that connection, civic patriotism.
"What are we doing to correct
thatt We are having written a short
history of the city of Dayton, suitable
to be taught in the eighth grade, and
we are going to take every measure
possible to inculcate into the children
and into the men and women of the
city of Dayton a civic patriotism. We
need men and women of vision of the
community welfare, men with a vision
that righteousness exalteth a nation;
men who are filled with justice and
truth and who know how projects are
tOjbe urged and considered; men and
women able r to understand and " con
vince others that the effort at clean
liness, beauty, order, is not purely an
effort to make people do things for the
sake of change, but that the things are
necessary to right living, to health and
clean thinking, necessary to better
government. ' '
STATE REFUSES TO HELP
ROAD TO TILLAMOOK COAST
MUST BE DELAYED.
High Commission Is Fnancially Un
able to Expend Necessary Sum
This Year.
The state highway commission hav
ing declined to give financial aid to
the proposed new road in which Polk,
Yamhill and Tillamook counties are
interested, and which would give a
better grade to the Tillamook coast,
the project will have to be abandoned
for the present year. The commis
sion has not sufficient funds to con
tribute to the construction of this pro
posed road, although it appreciates
the value such a highway would be to
travel to and from the coast. Com
missioners Beckett and Wells recent
ly held a conference with the Yamhill
commissioners at McMinnville, and
while there the state commissioners
were consulted with the result as giv
en here. The road as proposed would
necessitate an expenditure of approxi
mately $90,000, of which amount each
of the three counties contemplated
contributing $15,000, the remainder
to come from the state. Polk could
ill afford to expend that sum on this
project this season, yet is had prac
tically agreed to do so in case the
project was financed by the state to
the extent of one-half the cost. Til
lamook was slow in making good, its
court not having made any provisions
to take care of its end of the under
taking. Yamhill has appeared to he
anxious to construct the proposed
road.
PRESENT ROAD TOO LONG.
Falls City Man Wants Lincoln to
Shorten Route to Coast.
While at Newport last week Mr.
Deals of Falls City spoke before the
Commercial club of that place on the
trunk line road now being constructed
to the seaside resort. The Yaqulna
Bay News says: "Mr. Deals of Falls
City, chairman of the Polk County
Good Roads committee, was present
and after being introduced by Mr.
Ed. Stocker, told the club of the road
building work that was being carried
out in his county in connection with
the road now being constructed from
Falls City to the Lincoln county line.
He stated that his county had levied
a 7 mill tax for this highway and that
about $12,000 would be expended
upon it by June 1 so that auto travel
could pass over it this summer.
"He thought the present road from
Newport to the Siletz was too long
and could be made much shorter, and
advised the people here to get busy
and see what could be done to shorten
this distance. Polk county be said
intended to hard surface their part
of this road as soon as it was opened
and properly graded. At the conclu
sion of his interesting talk some time
was spent in comparing map routes
between Newport and the Siletz, af
ter which the club adjourned."
LINER SUNK BY SUBMARINE.
er steamship With Many
Aboard Sent to Bottom.
According to a press dispatch from
London, the British admiralty an
nounced Sunday night that 110 per
sons, including passengers and crew,
were missing from the British steam
ship Falaba, sunk by a German diver
off South Wales. One hundred and
forty persons were rescued. It was
also announced that twenty-three
members of the crew .and three pas
sengers from the British steamship
Aquilla, also the victim of a German
submarine, were missing. A state
ment issued by the official press bur
eau said that the Falaba carried 160
passengers and a crew of 90 men. It
is feared that many of the passengers
were killed when the torpedo struck
the vessel. The others were drowned.
The British steamship Eileen Emma
picked Up 116 of the Falaba 's surviv
ors and six of these died aboard the
ship. '
HORSES RUN AWAY.
Henry Quiering Has Narrow Escape
From Serious Injury.
On Saturday afternoon a team of
horses driven by Henry Quiering took
fright near the corner of Main and
Clay streets and becoming unmanage
able ran down the latter thoroughfare.
The wagon to which they were hitched
struck a telephone pole in front of the
residence of I. N. Woods, tearing two
wheels off and throwing Mr. Quiering
to the ground. The horses continued
their course, and a few blocks farther
on the coupling pole caught nnder
and tore up a crosswalk, disengaging
the wagon from the team. The ani
mals were finally stopped on Miller
avenue. Mr. Quiering, although bad
ly shaken up and somewhat bruised,
was not seriously injured. He was
taken to the home of Conrad Stafrin,
where he soon recovered from the
shock.
Holds Adjourned Session.
The' city council held an adjourned
meeting last night, when further ac
tion was taken toward the improve
ment of the streets heretofore men
tioned by The Observer. In some
cases waivers were given by property
owners, thus obviating the expense of
advertising the proposed improve
ments. Several other matters of mi
nor importance were also given con
sideration. Must Pay Year's Tax.
A Washington dispatch says: As
sistant Secretary of the Treasury
Malburn has advised Senator Lane
that under the law the Oregon whole
sale liquor dealers must pay a full
year's federal tax July 1, notwith
standing the fact that the law stops
their business six months later. None
of the tax will be refunded.
Jones Gets Meredith's Place.
W. Al. Jones of Eastern Oregon
was yesterday elected secretary of
the state fair board to succeed Frank
Meredith, resigned. Mr. Meredith has
accepted the secretaryship of the
Washington state fair board at an in
crease in salary. Mr. Jones is known
to many Dallas people, having made
several visits to this city.
Quarterly Inspection Tonight. .
Capt. Stafrin has issued orders to
members of Company L, to the effect
that they are to appear at the armory
tonight in service uniform for inspec
tion and muster. Expert sharpshoot
er and marksman badges will be pre
sented to the enlisted men who quali
fied at the target range in 1914.
Would Interest Dallas.
Albany bowlers are trying to inter
est Dallas in a tournament to be held
in that city about April 15. It is the
purpoa- of the organization there to
hare the leading towns of the valley
represented. As yet nothing has been
done here.
BEGIN MAKING PLANS
POLK COUNTY PIONEER ASSO
CIATION IS PROPOSED.
Mr. Ford Believes Society to Perpetu
ate the Memory of Their Achieve
ments Should be Perfected.
Although the county fair is quite
distant as yet, plans are being per
fected for the organization, on the
second day of that event, of a Pio
neers' association, and to that end U.
S. Grant and J. G. Brown are serving
as a committee to enlist the interest
of the early settlers of Polk county in
such as society. The undertaking is
most commendable, and should not on
ly have the membership of all pio
neers but their support in furthering
the organization. John T. Ford, a
well known pioneer, writes The Ob
server on the question as follows:
Editor Observer: As announced in
The Observer of last Friday a move
ment is under way to organize a Pio
neers' association on the second day
of the Polk county fair in September
next. The roster is to include the
pioneers, their children and all des
cendants of pioneers, and it has been
suggested that persons interested in
such organization communicate with '
U. S. Grant and John G. Brown of
this city, who, as I am informed, have
the matter of organization in hand.
The writer hereof, has also been invit
ed to participate in the organization.
Of course, he is willing to aid this
commendable movement in any way
that he can, but, in his opinion, there
are others more competent to take up
the good work and carry it forward
to successful conclusion than himself.
We should be patriotic, not selfish in
this matter.
The Oregon pioneers were a highly
developed type of people, virile, ener
getic and intelligent. They were
amque in this: They constituted the
most energetic, adventurous and in
telligent element of the community in
which they lived, they were more than
a representative class. Only the pro
gressive and daring had the moral '
and physical courage to undertake th
hazardous task set before the noble
men and women who settled the Ore
gon country in the early 40 's and 50 's.
But, in these so-called degenerate
days, the fortunate descendants of the
Oregon pioneers hesitate to get out-,
side the environments of the county
where they were born lest they starve
to death, yet our noble forebearers
did not hestitate to tumble their chil
dren, goods and chattels into an ox
wagon and start upon a long and dan- .
gerous journey through an inhospit
able wilderness infested with wild
beasts and inhabited by cruel and
treacherous savages, hoping to find an
Eden on the vernal shores of the
moaning Pacific and they found it.
Yes, they found the world's long lost
Eden, and by their prudence, energy,
courage and intelligence they built up
a splendid commonwealth m this new
Hesperian world. We, their descend
ants, and thousands of other happy
people, are now enjoying the fruits of
their labor, and the very least their
descendants can do is to perfect a fit
ting organization to perputate the
memory of their splendid achieve
ments. This is the purpose, as I un
derstand it, of the organization pro
posed. Other counties of the state
have done what we purpose doing, and
the people of those localities are tak-
ng hold of the movement with energy
and intelligence. What others have
done we can do. In the not distant
future some one of these good old pio
neers will be "the last leaf left on the
tree in the spring," then who will be
so despicable as not " to do him rever
ence f Why not show him respect
while living, and not wait until he has
'dropped into that dreamless sleep
from which no awakened voice has
ever yet returned to us. One touch
of sympathy in this life is worth a
flooded river of tears after the slug
gish clod rattles on our mortal casket.
The noble old pioneer will soon be "a
bright, brave memory, his a stainless
shield ; no shame defaces and no envy
mars the record of an honored life
revealed ; his name, a star among eter
nal stars."
It should be our aim to perfect a
permanent organization, have our an
nual meetings, capable speakers to ad
dress us, and suitable amusements to
entertain the people. Who will be
the next to speak up in meeting 1
the next to speak up in meetingt
J. T. Ford.
Degree Teams Drilling.
Rebekah degree lodges of Marion
and Polk counties are drillingtheir
degree teams for the contest at the
aismct convention to be held
Woodburn, April 15.
in