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About Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1915)
VOL. 27 (TEE HOME PAPER) DALLAS, FOLK COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1915. (TWICE-A-WEEK) NO 23 MUGHWORKUNDERWAY THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS BEING SPENT ON POLK ROADS. Principal Rural Thoroughfares 'Will Soon Be Oiled Each District Now Busy, Road master Waldo J. Finn Is busily engaged in making preparations for some substantial road Improvements during the present season, some of which are already under way In differ ent parts of the county. Probably the, most important project In contempla tion in the way of permanent work is the hard surfacing of a mile of high way out of Independence, which will be performed largely for expert men tal purposes with a view to extending this character of Improvement to oth , er parts ofl the county. If this con- crete road proves satisfactory the plan Is to construct a like roadway between Dallas and Independence, then to Salem via. Independence, and eventually on other principally travel ed highways of the county. The city of Independence raises something like 18,000 in road taxes each year, which amount is turned over to the county court for the construction and im provement of county roads. The law provides that one-half of this sum must be expended within the district from which It Is collected, and the court will therefore have this addi tional fund to fall back on In making the proposed hard surface road. Of course there are other roads In that district to look after, and It Is possible that the present season will elapse without the permanent job having been undertaken. The county court contemplates do ing a considerable amount of road oiling as soon as weather conditions will permit, the highways to have at tention being between Dallas and Sa lem; between Brunk's corner on the Salem-Dallas road and Independence; between Independence and Mon mouth; between Monmouth and Dal las, and the road north from West Salem. This work will be performed by the Star Transfer company of Dal las. The county will probably pur chase the material, and pay the com pany three-fourths of a cent per gal lon for spreading. In this manner the work will be under the immediate direction of the court, and the appara tus being handy it can spread much or little, as may be required to keep down the dust during the summer. According to the opinion of Road master Finn the amount appropriated by Ihg court for the repair and main- iea? . v or roaas during me iau ana winter months is altogether Inade quate for the purpose. While 15,000 is only considered about half enough the road master says It will do for a starter. By the use of split-log drags during the comfng fall he hopes to keep the highways in fairly good shape. Much gravel will be banked during summer for use when It can not be hauled. The upkeep of the highways of the county is one of the most Important questions for study, but Mr. Finn is gradually solving it. It may be interesting to the people of Polk county to know what Is being done in the way of highway better ments at this time, and also something about what the court has in contem plation for the immediate future. The Observer, therefore, herewith presents by districts an outline of such m-1 provements, the Information being furnished it by Mr. Finn. District 1 The road has been grad ed from the Butler store to the county line, a distance of about three-quarters of a mile, but unless Yamhill county takes ud the work and continues it nothing further will be done by Polk county. The remainder of the dis trict's money will be expended on a piece of road near the Gibson place, on the Gold Creek road, and the road leading west from the Butler bridge. This latter road has been graded, a distance of about two miles, and is in good condition to receive rock. District 2 The Savery road from the end of Buhler's lane to a point where work was stopped last year In district 17 will be rocked during the season. There was considerable good work in this district last year, but it consisted mostly of grading. This work is being continued preparatory to rocking. District 3 In this district most of the money will be expended In and around Perrydale on the road leading to Dallas. There are some cuts and rocking necessary, and this will be given attention In so far as possible with the funds in hand. District 4 The new Fort Wayne crusher recently purchased by the county will be located at the Henry quarry In this district, and approxi mately 1500 yards of rock crushed and placed on the roads that are now being graded, mostly by donation work. It is also the calculation of the road master to do considerable work on the Salem-McMtnnville road. District & In this district Is a part of the Independence-Salem road, the maintenance of which is no small task. Several places in the old road bed broke through last winter, and this necessitates some quite expensive work. District C Here much good work Is being done. The gravel roads have beer" edlngly well maintained and; thret.Taid a half mites of contract i grading near the Rogers place has been let, the price being $50 per mil the grading to be done to the com plete satisfaction of the county court. On the Bethel-Independence road In this district a considerable amount of work is also being done. District 7 Road building In this district Is a simple matter, because of the small mileage, abundance of pit and river gravel and the intelligent manner in which the supervisor nan dies the work. This is one of the few districts of the county that pulls down all of its road money, and this is done through the efforts of Chas. Dir- rell, the supervisor In that district. District 8 Some good grading is under way and crushed rock will soon follow. One or two small bridges are needed to replace ones in dilapidated condition, but these are to be given at tention before the season closes. District 9 Polk and Benton coun ties have an understanding in regard to the Independence-Albany road, and some good work is being done through what Is known as the Prather bottom When the work now under course of construction is completed It will be in splendid shape, and much of the through travel will be diverted from the CorvalHs-Monmouth road to the Buena Vista road, Buena Vista being In this district. District 10 Practically all the grad Ing of this road has been completed A short stretch still remains, however, on the Smith-De Armond road, but this will soon be finished. Gravel for the roads here will be shipped into Suver and distributed from there, (Continued on page six.) CLUB CENSURES FAIR BOARD. Takes Association to Task for Adver tising Catalog House In Booklet, At a meeting of the Commercial club Wednesday night the county fair board was censured for soliciting and publishing foreign advertising in its annual premium list, the principal ob jection being to the announcement of Portland mail-order house. J. E, Miller, representing the Dallas band, asked the aid of the club in securing a subscription for the support of the band during the summer. It is the intention of the managers of the local musical organization to secure a com petent leader and furnish concerts during the summer on the court house lawn. A subscription list Is already In circulation and should the commit tee fail to secure the desired amount the Commercial club will make ar rangements to contribute the balance. It was also decided at the meeting to attend the Buell picnic on Friday. MRS. ORA COSPER RE-ELECTED, Oddfellows and Rehcknh Grand Lodg es in Convention at XewKrt. The Grand Lodge of Oddfellows in session this week at Newport was the most largely attended in the history of the order. Officers present includ ed: William Galloway, grand master; John F. Hall, deputy grand master H. S. Westbrook, grand warden; E. E. Sharon, grand secretary; O. D. Doane, grand treasurer; J. S. Fine, grand marshal; B. M. Miller, grand con ductor; A. J. Howell, grand guardian; .1. A. Arbuckle, grand herald, and D, S. Young, grand chaplain. The Grand Lodge degree was conferred on 219 new members. There were 1500 members attending the convention. The Rebekah assembly elected Rose Palmer, president; Nellie Wattenburg, vice-president; Mary Lankester, ward en; Ora Cosper, secretary; Eda Jacobs, treasurer and Emma Galloway, trustee of home. Sprinkling Cheap at Present. Possibly because there is little need for patronizing the pregon Power company for aqua purl with which to lay the dust on streets within the corporate limits, the city council of Independence is still delaying the mat ter of fixing a price for water for the purpose. The council, or at least some of the members, are of the opin ion that water should be contributed without money and .without price, and the talkflest is likely to continue un til there is real need for the water. Contracts Are Awarded. At an adjourned meeting of the council Wednesday evening the city council awarded the contract for the building of approximately 8000 Ilneat feet of curbs to Holmes & Grant, their bid for the work being 30 cents and $2 each for corners. The oiling of about twenty miles of streets was awarded to the Star Transfer com pany, the price for spreading the ma terial being three-quarters of a cent. URGE PERCENT SIGNED OREGON HOP ASSOCIATION WILL CONTROL WORLD'S MARKET. Field Workers Continue to Turn Contracts, and Headquarters Greatly Encouraged. In If the predictions of the Oregon Hop Growers' association come true, by September 1 fully 70 per cent of the acreage within the state will have been signed up. Field workers are now turning In contracts daily, and have more than 50 per cent of the to tal acreage within the control of the association, which means that better prices will obtain next fall. Those growers who have subscribed stock have paid 70 per cent of their sub scriptions, thus placing the organi zation on a safe and sound business basis. It Is certain that the associa tion will have the handling of more hops this year than any other corpor ation or Individual In the world. In fact, there Is no other organization on this globular wad that can approach it for proportions. ' With this out look, and the prospects for a good crop, growers have every reason to be sanguine. The recent rains have given en couragement to the hop growers of the Willamette valley and with the warm weather which will soon arrive the yards are expected to make a re markable growth. Hitherto many of the yards have not' made the pro gress which was desired because of the lack of rain, but now this dan ger is past and the yield should be heavy unless unforseen circumstances intervene. Reports from California show that contracts there have al ready been signed as high as 14 cents. The growers ol California now are wholly organized and the associations in the two states will undoubtedly form a powerful factor this season In bringing good prices to the growers it is declared. AIRLIE OUTDOES ITSELF FOUR GOOD ROADS DAYS IN AS MANY WEEKS ARE PLANNED. SEVENTY-EIGHT TO GRADUATE. Dallas Loads Schools of County With Thirty-One. J. A. Churchill, superintendent of public instruction, has announced that the four-year high schools of Oregon would graduate 2046 pupils, 831 of whom are boys, and 1214 girls, this spring. Portland, with three schools, will have 366. Outside of the me tropolis, Eugene leads with 107 and Salem Is second with 102. The grad uates from the schools of Polk county are: Dallas, 81: Perrydale, 9; Mon mouth, 12; Alrlle, 6; Independence, 21. Illustrating the remarkable develop ment of the schools of Oregon, Mr. Churchill says that thirteen years ago there were only five four-year high schools, while now there are 118. Commercial Organization starts Some thing; of Real Benefit to Tliat Rural Community. The people of the Alrlle section are becoming enthused over better high ways, and are exerting themselves to bring about the much-needed Im provement of roads leading to and from that center. At a session of the Alrlle Commercial club Tuesday even ing a committee was appointed to perfect arrangements for a good road day once each week for a period of four successive weeks, the object being to assemble men and teams from the entire neighborhood for Bervlce upon those highways requiring attention. This committee is composed of Messrs. C. A. French, J. W.. McBee, U C. Caughy and M. L. Tubandt. Although the dates have not as yet been decided upon, it is known to the committee that about forty teams will be donated, and that practically every able bodied male member of the community will turn out and devote the day to bet tering the condition of the several roads. In this undertaking the commercial organization is to be congratulated upon having been able to create suffic ient enthusiasm to call forth such liberal response to its appeal for help In this direction. For a number of years this Immediate section has been quite badly neglected, much of the money alloted to the district having been expended in other parts of the territory. Immediately following the organization of the booster body a movement was launched to get at tention paid to Alrlie and the adjacent country, and this concerted action has brought forth fruit. In another col umn of The Observer today, Road master Finn is quoted as saying that practically all the money allotted to this district will be expended In and around Alrlie, which statement will certainly be received with rejoicing by the people of that place. in Dallas has Just returned from three months' study of the European battlefields, having been on the firing line in France and Belgium. He col lected over 400 fine colored slides for the' stereoptlcan, Illustrating scenes and conditions as they are on the battle front. Dr. Lewtas will visit Dallas next Monday, and will deliver his fascinating lecture In the Metho dist church Tuesday evening. Admis sion 35 cents. TAX CHANGE COMES TOMORROW. Will But No Property. Twenty-four years ago the late Cor nelius Hughes made a will deeding property he then owned to his heirs. Since that time, however, this proper ty, consisting of a ten-acre prune or chard near town and some town prop erty, had been disposed of by the own- and at the time of his death he had small means. The will is now in the hands of County Judge Teal. Mayor Will Return Soon. Mr. John Bird returned this morn ing from Portland. While there he islted Mayor Klrkpatrlck, and learn ed that the attending physician will permit the patient to return to Dallas ithin a few days. Sheriff Orr Then Succeeds Treasurer Holman as Collector of Taxes. Tomorrow morniag Sheriff Orrv,beT comes tax collector for Polk county, succeeding Treasurer,. Holman, the last legislature providing that this change be made on May 22. The transfer will be made without pomp or cere mony, the treasurer simply surrender ing this part of his work to the sher iff's office after having made a state ment to the county court. The salary of the treasurer, which is S1500 per year, the county court having paid one-half of the amount for tax collecting, will be reduced to $750, but notwithstanding the shame ful sum Mr. Holman will continue In office, probably with the hope of bet ter things In the future. FARMERS ENTHUSIASTIC. The Good Roads Movement Spreading Throughout Polk County, That the farmers of Polk county have been brought to an appreciation of the value of Improved highways Is shown In a rather significant way by the manner In which several comma nlties have turned out this spring and donated services in this commendable cause. Farmers generally now favor better roads and Insist that the county court continue its generous policy in this direction. There Is clamoring from all sections for "road money, and the court finds It a difficult prop osition to comply with the requests coming In from all quarters, In fact it Is an impossibility. But the work Is going forward rapidly, the purpose being to make the Improvements as permanent as funds in hand will per mit. Time was when the farmers looked with suspicion on good roads propos als, believing that It was mainly a Bcheme to fix up the country highways for the use of automobllists and to draw country trade to the cities. They have gotten over this' idea, however, and have discovered that the benefits and advantages of good roads come to them, even more than to others. They have found that good roads are a good Investment, and If retrenchment Is to be made they want It done In other directions. And when the farmers want a thing they usually manage to get It. Which is another way of say ing that while Polk has made a fine start-In the improvement of highways, In a few years it probably will have one of the best systems of roads to be found anywhere In the state. WOULD RECOVER DAMAGES. Responsibility Rests With Bones. From Independence comes a denial of the statement that Prof. Bones re signed his position in the schools of that place rather than to apologize to the board ot education. Our Inform ant says the board requested an apol ogy, but did not Insist that It be forth coming to the extent of threatening dismissal. The resignation was whol ly the act of the teacher himself. Hack From the War. Rev. John Lewtas, the popular evangelist and lecturer well known CHRISTENS THE ARIZONA JUNE 19. Hair for Grand Army Veterans. On behalf of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic, The Ob server on Tuesday urged that some Dallas society present that organisa tion with the stars and stripes, the post being unable to provide flag. When the Commercial club met the following evening the matter was tak en up with the result that the vet erans will soon be presented with a starry banner. Boys Small Fruit Tract. Sidney I Johnson, son of Mr. and Mrs. Wynn Johnson, has purchased tea acres of young orchard from J. N. Conn, the consideration being $300-9. The tract is planted to prune trees. three years old. and adjoins the forty acre orchard of his father, known as Sidney orchards. Kit 4 t jr'- I V4 . J Miss Esther Boas of Arizona has been appointed by Governor Hunt u sponsor for our newest super-Dread nought at the Brooklyn navy yard. Mrs. Morgan Seeks $7500 From the Southern Pacific Company. Suit; asking judgment for $7500 for .the death of her husband, B. W. Mor gan, on April 6, 1915, through the alleged negligence of the Southern Pa cific company, was filed against the company yesterday by Blanche Mor gan, says the Statesman. Plaintiff claims that her husband was driving along the Silverton road near that city about 9:30 o'clock on the morning of April 6, and that he was struck by a Southern Pacific train, sustaining injuries from which he died a few hours later. Plaintiff alleges that her husband was careful and that the de fendants failed to whistle or ring a bell to give warning and that the fire man was on the right side of the loco motive when he should have been on the left side. Had the fireman been on the left side It is claimed, he could have seen the approaching team and wagon. Plaintiff places the loss of her hus band's support and care at $7600 to herself and six children ranging in age from five months to fourteen years. MUST PUBUSH BUDGETS SCHOOL LAW MAKES IMPORTANT CHANGE IN PROCEDURE. Where There Are no Newspapers No tice Must Be Placed on School House Door. DR. BUTLER'S AUTO STOLEN. Independence Physician's Car Taken While He Attends Circus. Stealing an automobile belonging to Dr. C. W. Butler of Independence, af ter the physician had left it near the circus grounds in Salem Thursday night while he attended the perform ance, four young men had their joy ride brought to an abrupt end, when the machine skidded, crashed into the curb and a telephone pole and was wrecked. Apparently none of the oc cupants of the stolen car were Injured, for according to eyewitnesses, no soon er had the car struck the pole, than they leaped out and disappeared In the darkness. The automobile had one of the forward wheels broken off and the engine was badly smashed. Statesman. Hereafter in making tax levies all school districts in the state of Oregon will be compelled by law to publish or post a budget statement of the esti mated amount of revenue required for the ensuing year for the maintenance of the schools, and It is also manda tory that the districts in which high schools are maintained, shall publish or post notices of special or annual meetings of the districts at least two weeks before the meeting is held. In districts where there are no newspa pers the notice Is posted on the door of the school house, but where news papers are published the notice ap pears in the papers. This is the sub stance of a law passed at the 1915 session of the legislature. Nothing was known of this law In Lane county educational circles until an attorney called the attention of) E. Moore, county school superinten dent to it yesterday. Inasmuch as the annual meeting of the districts of the county comes on the third Monday In June, at which time the tax levies are fixed, the clerks of the district have little time to prepare the budgets and notices of meetings. In case the new law is not complied with through lack of knowledge of the law or otherwise. the tax will be null and void. The new law is entitled: An act to provide for a more ade quate notice of school district meet ings and to provide for the publica tion of a budget of the estimated rev enues required for the ensuing year." It reads as-follows: "Section 1. The clerk of any school district maintaining high school grades and in which a newspaper Is published shall publish a notice of each annual and each special meeting or election in one or more of the newspapers pub lished in said district and having a general circulation in the district, at least two weeks before such meeting Is held, and in case no newspaper is pub lished In such district, the clerk shall post said notice on the school house door In such district. 'Section 2. It shall be the duty of the district clerk of any district at least two weeks before a meeting Is held for the purpose of levying taxes to publish in one or more newspapers published in the district and having a general circulation, a budget state ment of the estimated amount of rev enue required for the ensuing year for the maintenance of the school district, and In districts in which no newspaper Is published the clerk shall post such budget on the door of the school house In said district at least ten days before the meeting. It shall be the duty of the directors of any such dis trict to make out and deliver to the district clerk of their district, an Item ized statement of the amount of rev enues which may be required for the purpose ofl carrying on the district schools for the ensuing year, which statement shall be signed by the board of directors at a legally called board meeting." STEVENS OPENS GOAT DAIRY. Falls City Man Engages In Bnslness in State's Metropolis. F. J. Stevens, who has a goat ranch near Falls City, has opened a goat dairy in Portland, having shipped part of his herd to the metropolis last week. Of the venture the Oregonlan says: "The first sample of the goat milk was sent to the milk laboratories yesterday for analysis. The goat dairy will be subject to Inspection the same as dairies selling cow milk, according to Instructions of City Health Officer Marcellus. The goat milk Is used for babies. Mr. Stevens says he hopes to -enlarge his venture rapidly." TRAIN KILLS AGED WOMAN. Mrs. Letltla Evans Hit While Walk ing Track to Daughter's Home. Mrs. Letltla Evans. 62 years old, one of the most prominent women of Mar ion county, was killed last night by a Shasta Limited train at Brooks. The train struck her while she was walk ing on the track to the home of her daughter, Mrs. J. W. Fruit. Besides her husband, she ts survived by four children Dr. J. C. Evans, physician at the State Insane asylum: H. C. Evans, also of Salem; L. F. Evans of Lostlne, and Mrs. Fruit She was a daughter of the late John Savage, a pioneer of Marlon, and a sister of George O. Savage, a merchant of New port, Oregon. Young- Hoseer Denied Freedom. Louis Husser, Sr., Informs The Ob server that although great pressure has been brought to bear upon the case the release of his . son, Louis Husser, Jr., who Is held In a detention camp at Kingston, Canada, la now considered quite Improbable until af ter the close of the European war. Oscar Hayter has been acting for Mr. Husser. Polk Leads All Others. Polk county, perhaps has more pure bred, registered cattle than any other county in the state of Oregon. There are 676 registered cattle of Jersey breed with a total valuation of over $1,500,000. Of these 151 are In the register of merit, Indicating that num ber of the very best cattle In the country. Dr. Dunsmore Here Temporarily. Dr. H. C. Dunsmore of Indepen dence, Polk county's representative at the Panama-Pacific exposition, return ed home Wednesday evening, his mis sion being to perform the marriage ceremony for his daughter. He win return to San Francisco the first of the week. , Remains of Pioneer Laid Away. The funeral over the body of the late Cornelius Hughes was held from the undertaking parlor Wednesday af ternoon, and was attended by the Masonic order, of which he waa a member, in a body. Interment vaa In Oddfellows' cemetery. Recent Births. Born, to Mr. and Mrs. Webb Lewis of Oak Grove, last Friday, a son. Born, to Rev. and Mrs. F. W. Neal at Dallas hospital last Friday, a son. Born, to Mr. and Mrs. William Mil ler of Salt Creek, on Friday last, a son.