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About Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 14, 1915)
polk CEflSttittt (Sbsettm VOL. 27 (THE HOME PAPER) DALLAS, POLK COUNTY. OREGON. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 1975. (TWIOE-A-WEEK) HO. 66 HOP INDUSTRY IS GREAT RIVER BOTTOM DISTRICT PRE SENTS SCENES OF ACTIVITY. Picking Machines Operating in Horst Company's Yard Wigrich Ranch a Model Oner Fields. The hopyards of the Independence district have attracted the attention of hundreds of visitors during the past week, many coming from a con siderable distance to view the irianner in which the harvest of this vast crop is made. The hop-picking machine in the E. Clement Horst company's yards has this year made an added at traction, and automobiles from vari ous sections of the valley, loaded with the curious, are to be seen daily wend ing their way through tho extensive acres of the company to the location of this modern wonder,, produced by the inventive ingenuity of Mr. Horst him. self, and similar patterns of which are doing all the pickingin ihe Cali fornia yards Of his company this sea son, thus wholly eliminating hand pickers. Contrary to general opinion the machine is not used in the Held, but is housed conveniently to the yards and the hop vines hauled to it by teams, dozens of teams being thus employed in order to keep it supplied. The vines are laid one way on a platform wagon in order that thev may be handled by the feeders rapid ly and without rearranging. The vines pass over large cylinders making six ty revolutions per minute, the teeth of which separat.e the hop from the vine. Mr. J. G. Wiggins, a Califor nian in charge of the plant at the Horst yard, in explaining the ma chines entrusted to his care, told a representative of The Observer that each vine was struck by 3,200 teeth in the picking process, thus making it practically impossible for waste to occur. Following the picking by means of these cylinders, the hops are sep arated from the leaves and twigs by passing through revolving screens, the openings in which are of graduated dimensions in order to permit the ref use to waste away and leave the cleaned product. This, however, is not the process in its entirety, and neither could it be given in the amount of space at command. There are two of these machines, besides which are two arm picking machines, which separate the hops from the arms of the vines, and two overflow machines, the capacity of which is approximately 60,000 pounds, or close to 1000 sacks or hops, daily. But these machines, notwithstand ing their enormous capacity as com pared with hand picking, are insuf ficient to gather the harvest from the more than 600 acres planted to hops by this company, and in addition about 1,500 men, women and children are there employed throughout the season, many of the pickers compris ing large families known to the com pany and who are annual workers in ' the yards. The camps are sanitary, special provisions having been made with this important feature in view. Mr. H. N. Ord, the superintendent of this, the most extensive hop yard in the world, expects an average of ten bales to the acre. In one small tract thirteen bales to the acre has been harvested, but this is an exceptionally good yield under most favorable con , ditions. The Horst company probably has the onlv hot air blast system tor dry ing hops in the state, and 2.300 boxes of hops are turned oil daily by the employment of this modern method. Not onlv are practically twice as many hops cared for during the twenty-four hours as by the old plan, but the danger of damaging the product is entirely eliminated, while it is claimed that hops dried by the pro cess are better value. H. Landon, the engineer, piloted The Observer party through the dryer during the tempor ary absence of William BufTman, who is the real thing about the plant, first visiting the sulphur burning room, the fumes from which reach the hops on the dryers by forced draft, and then on through the various department. Between 130 and 140 degrees of heat only is necessary to cure the crop by this process, which is considerably less than under the old system. The Wigrich Ranch. "Is Major Rose about the prem ises T ' ' inquired the manipulator of the festive faber as he approached a young Englishman at the office on the Wigrich ranch of 800 acres, located four and a half miles southeast of Independence. " 'E is, sir; who shall Hi announce, sirf" After having paved the way the scribe was ushered into the presence of Major W. Lewis Rose, a typical Englishman of per haps fifty-five, who was ensconsed in huge easy chair of English pattern enjoying his afterlunch siesta in the quiet of his attractive den. The greet ing was cordial, the information vol uble and decidedly interesting, not tmly reference being made to the ranch, which most interests Major Rose, but to various other themes, in eluding the present unpleasantness across the deep blue, which is follow-1 ed closely from day to day by the. major, he having for nearly a quarter of a century been an officer of a British cavalry, resigning only four years ago. This ranch is the proper ty of Englishmen, Messrs. Wigans & Richardson, the former having been Major Rose's companion in the army for many years, and tor whom the highest admiration is cherished. This explains why Major Hose, who has high connections on British sou, is manager for the company operating so extensively in folk county, and still another reason why he is so vi tally interested in the success of the undertaking by the Englishmen whom he represents. Last season this ranch yielded 350,000 pounds of hops from the 332 acres devoted to the crop, while this year's estimate is 480,000 pounds, which estimate is considered low. Six hundred and fifty people are necessary to gather the hop crop, and about 3,000 boxes a day are be ing picked. Experts say that Major nose has the best crop in the valley this season; that the hops from the entire area will average a ton to an acre, but the major himself is more optimistic in his views, believing that the yield will exceed the estimate placed upon it by these authorities. This is accounted for by the fact that spraying was early, time being taken to do the work thoroughly and with the best of "dope." The ranch is one approaching the ideal, and reminds one very forcibly of a southern plantation, there being the same "big house," surrounded by commodious buildings and warehous es, and )' quarters" for farm help. There is a general supply store and restaurant, both of which are open the year through, butcher shop and bakery, a dance hall with a floor 150 x50 feet, a moving picture show, be sides sixteen dry kilns 30x30 feet each, and other buildings. Every oth er night during the picking season a dance is given, and oftimes more than two hundred employes trip the light fantastic, to music furnished by the management, or an evening- Ma jor and Mrs. Rose frequent the danc ing pavilion, and not only enjoy in dulging in the terpsichorean art but in mingling with the men and women a goodly number of whom have pick ed hops on the place during the four seasons that the major has been in charge, and to whom more than $25. 000 will he disbursed for this season's work. This is one of the ways Major Rose has of studying the laboring class, Hops are shipped direct to London from , the Wigrich ranch,wUich,.iB reached by a sidingfrom Independence. In 1913 a train of fifteen cars went forward; in 1914 it required fourteen cars to deliver the product to the sea board, but this year fully twenty cars will be necessary if expectations are realized, for 3,000 bales, or more, is the hope of the manager. In addition to hops the ranch this year had 300 acres in wheat, from which a bumper yield was harvested. I here is 11 acres of orchard and 12 of loganber ries. The berries from this field were sold on the vines at one cent per pound. As soon as the crop is safely dis posed of it is the purpose of Major Rose to commence preparations tor next year's harvest by the erection of a number of additional cottages for the ocenpancy of pickers. The eight four-room houses already on the place will be doubled in number, and to these others will be added as the tents now used become worthless by usage. It is believed to be cheaper to build small houses and equip them than to supply tents, the deterioration of which is considered too great to be economical for housing pickers. These cottages are constructed along ave nues, and are fifty feet apart, each having a porch, and modern conveni ences, made possible by a splendid water svstem. The permanent help on the place occupies eight houses, built especially tor the purpose. The administration ot the W igans & Richardson company is as follows: Major J. Lewis nose, manager; Percy Ooble, bookkeeper; F. L. Brew, as sistant bookkeeper; Frank Luke, yard foreman; Algier Conger, riding boss; peace officers, Homer Mills and J. Hayes. These are the men who have made it possible 'for the Wigrich ranch to be characterized as having the best hop yard and the best plant in Oregon. Gilbert Patterson s Yard. In approaching the headquarters of the Gilbert ft Patterson ranch at Eola one finds it unnecessary to make in quiry for the chief high mogul, Mr. Isaac Patterson, tor that individual has beaten you to it, and is awaiting your coming, even thoueb it be unan nounced, with a welcome that immedi ately 'puts the visitor in good spir its and good spirits in the visitor. Few are the Polk county residents who are not familiar with this ideal country home and fertile ranch, it being situ ated in one of the oldest settlements of the state, and came very near be ing not far removed from the capital of the commonwealth, for H was hard by that it was proposed in an early day to locate the statebouse. The ranch covers a large area, but only; eighty-five acres are producing bops, which last year gave a yield oi 15.).- OOfl pound. The crop this year will nmbablv exceed that of one vear aeo by a considerable amount. When the (Continued on but page.) TRIP FOR FAIR PRIZE SCHOOL CHILDREN WILL CON DUCT NOTABLE CONTESTS. W. A. Barr of O. A. 0. Will Award Trip to Salem As Prize In Stock . Judging Contest. One of the most important features of the juvenile participation in Polk county fair this 'year will be the stock judging and canning demonstration by the boys and irirls of the county. County Superintendent Seymour, in conjunction with the fair board, has arranged a list of prizes that are among the most attractive that will be offered, and should attract the young folks to extend their energy and injenuity in an effort to make a creditable showing. Friday will be School day at the county lair and it is hoped that all schools in session on that day will close to allow the pupilB a chance to visit the show and take part in these two important contests. Already Mr. Seymour has received word from school boards in various sections saying that their schools will close. The first prize m the stock judging contest will be a trip to the state fair at Salem with all expenses paid for one day. The next four prizes will be $3, $2, $1 and 50 cents, respectively. Boys or girls residing in Polk county who have attended a school in the county during the past year areinvited to take part in the contest. Four cows will . constitute a class and there will be one class of each dairy breed exhibited, including Jersey, Guernsey, Holstein, Ayrshire and Brown Swiss. Each competitor will be riven a blank card for each breed and will be required to record the number or letter of the animals which, in his judgment, he would place in first, second, third and fourth places respectively. Twenty minutes will be allowed in which to Btudy the animals in each class and record their placing. All competitors must be pres- ent at the stock bams and report to the person in charge of the contest not later than 1:30 p. m., Friday at ternoon. One hundred points will be given for the correct placing of the cows in all classes and a proportionate number of points" will be given for such relative placing. The contest will be under the direction or vv. A. Barr of the Oregon Agricultural" col lege. The canning demonstration lor eirls of the county schools will also be held on iiday, September Z4, and will be a novel and interesting rea ture of the day's program. The Oregon state school for the deaf started its school year on Mon day, with an enrollment of forty-three eirls and fifty-live boys, uunng tne last few weeks all the rooms in the building have been prepared for the Homing pupils and the tables and cooking utensils are readv in the do mestic science room, as a course in domestic science has again been added to the course this year. UTTERS FORGED CHECKS PAINTER PROCURES CASH AND UNCEREMONIOUSLY DEPARTS Whereabouts of Harry 0. Drake. For merly Employed by Dungan Bros., -Sought By Officials. With. thirty-four dollars of the cap ital of two Dallas merchants Harry C. Drake, a paper-hanger, has abscond ed, leaving no trace of his where abouts. On Saturday evening Dungan Brothers, by whom the man was em ployed, issued a check to Drake cover ing his week's wages. Drake must have immediately copied the check and cashed it at Frank Kersey's con fectionery store. A check issued in his own favor for $20, and bearing Dungan Brothers' signature, was cashed at the V assail grocery store. Both forgeries were turned into the Dallas City bank without question. That the checks were falsely uttered was not detected until Harry Gaynor, who knew Drake as an occupant of rooms above Gaynor ' shoe store, wondered at his prolonged absence from the store and from bis duties with the painters. Mr. Gaynor thought perhaps the man was ill and went to his room, where it was made evident that the forger had departed. Mr. Gaynor found a blotter which, when reflected in a mirror, showed the signature of Dungan Brothers and "no hundreds ' mark. Suspicions ere confirmed upon inquiry at the bank which held .the apparently legit imate checks for $34. Drake had been employed by Dun- ean Brothers for 15 months, and his actions were never questioned. In fact, he had been very careful and honest in all financial transactions, accepting his check each week for a arefiiilv nrPMred time slip. He is aDoat 43 yn id. gnrt nmt ( n! 1.. rii;rnn: rtnt j, legitimate salary check at Price J Brothers' store on Saturday evening. FRITZ ASKS DAMAGES AFTERMATH OF TERRIBLE AC CIDENT AT BLACK ROCK. August P. Risser, Guardian, Files Claim for $30,000 Against South am Pacific Company. Alleging extreme negligence on the part of the Southern Pacific company in permitting the constant use of a dilapidated and unsafe bridge over the Little Luckiamute river at Black Rock, August P. Risser, as guardian for Joe Fritz, irresponsible, has fned suit in the circuit court to recover $30,000 damages from the railroad company. Fritz was engaged as a fireman on the defendant company's engines when the bridge over the Lit tle Luckiamute river gave way on July 10, 1914 and precipitated the locomotive to the river with the plain tiff in the cab. Escaping steam from the boilers of the engine severely burned the face, body and legs of the plaintiff. So serious were the burns, according to the complaint, that Fritz has been incapacitated, and his men tality has been effected. He suffered much pain and a great nervous shock from which he will probably never recover. On August 16 of this year, August P. Risser was- appointed guardian for the injured man, who had no other income than the $120 he earned each montn as a nreman. ? Fritz had been employed by the Southern Pacific company for a num ber of years and had crossed the Same bridge many times with Engin eer C. H. Faulkner, who had both )egs broken and received severe burns jn the same accident. The bridge that collapsed was near the "Y" at Black Rock, and when the engineer felt its timbers weakening he threw the throt tle open in a desperate hope of get ting the locomotive, hauling a freight tram, across before it should give way. His action was in vain, how ever, and the engine, with its occu bants, crashed into the river, a dis tance of twelve feet, turned over and stood up on end. Fritz has several brothers and sisters in Dallas, and is unmarried. A passenger train with many travelers had crossed the defec tive bridge not more than an hour before the accident in which Frfitz was injured. Oscar Hayter ?s attor ney tor the plaintiH, Over the Breakers in Row Boat. Lowell Stubblefleld was in the city on Thursday and returned to Newport Friday afternoon. Mr. Stubblefleld is said to be the first person to go out into the ocean from Nye beach in a row boat. It is an almost daily di version for the young man and one companion to go two or three miles over the water trolling for salmon and from some of the pictures dis played it is evident that the foolhardy venture is a success. ihe only pro tection against accident are life belts .worn by the adventurous young men. LOSS IS GREAT BY FIRE 7 GROWERS SUFFER FROM MYS TERIOUS FIRES. Governor Will Probably Be Request ed to Protect Hop Growers From Lawlessness $50,000 Loss. An intoxicated loafer is blamed for the destruction by fire on Thuisday night of two barns, five horses, sever al tons of hay, a number of sets or harness and some farm machinery on the Wigans-Richerdson hop ranch south of Independence. There were eight horses in the barns when the fire was discovered and by quick work on the part of hop pickers the lives of three were saved. Several grow ers have suffered within the past week by fire losses and it was their inclina tion at first to attribute the trouble to a band of L w. w. agitators wnicn are said to have been at work in the various wards, but facts disprove this idea and in each ease the fire has been blamed to other causes. Major Rose, manager of the Wigrich yard is con vinced that the loss in that yard was the result of a carelessly thrown match or cigarette from the hand of some intoxicated person who reeled his way into one of the barns. Some insurance was carried on the Wigrich property. ueoree Keuf Buttered tne loss 01 a hop kiln and most of the season's crop a tire that visited his vara eany Friday morning. Mr. Reuf had just completed the picking of the hops on his place and had stored them in the kiln bouse, which was a total loss. Some insurance waa carried on the hop bonse and the crop, hut insurance adjusters who were in Dallas on Fri day and Saturday, soon after the fires occurred, believe that only about three-quarters of the insurance prem ium on the crop will be allowed. Thin however, is not the official statement of the companies carrying the risk. The nnirin of the fire at the Reuf yard is a mystery, although the owner is willing to attribute it to carelessness on the part of dry-house employes If the tires had been the work of W. W.'s, Mr. Reuf thinks they would have been get at a time when the loss would have crippled him. Since, how ever, they were started after the crop had been picked and dried and the loss would be covered by insurance it is not reasonably supposed that the fires were set by members of that law less band. In spite of this theory growers are discussing the advisabil ity of asking the governor to do what he can to protect their property, in view of several threatening letters which, it is said, have been received by growers. jour large hop kilns and approxi mately 7000 boxes of hops were totally destroyed by lire in the yard of Eph M. Young, four miles north of Inde pendence, on Friday morning, and the origin of the tire is unknown. Mr, Young had finished picking his crop on the day before the conflagration and practically the entire yield was stored in the house. Men were work ing in the kiln at the time of the fire and to some carelessness on their part the destruction is attributed. About two thirds of this loss is covered by insurance. The most disastrous fire that has marked the present season and last week s destructive series of fires was that which consumed seven hop houses and seven balers on Saturday, with a loss of approximately $32,000 to T. A. Livesly and company. About 600 pickers and other employes were at work when the Livesly blaze start ed from the roof of a kiln house. Ef forts were made to keep the fire from spreading to other buildings, but with in a short time the blaze bad jumped to each of the seven houses. One nicker, J. Proctor, assisting in the fire fighting, was caught beneath a falling roof, escaping without serious injury. The fire spread to a stubble- field and a patch of brush and burned over 15 acres and consumed two straw stacks before it burned 'itself out. Approximately 1250 bales of hops were destroyed when the store houses were burned, and the remainder of the unpicked crop will be dried at the two remaining kilns and at anoth er ranch owned by Livesly near Sa lem. It is almost certain that this fire was started by a spark or from spontaneous cumbustion. It is estimated that the total loss in the four disastrous fires, all within a period of twenty-four hours, v nearly $50,000.--- -- HELD FOR GRAND JURY. John Krebs, in Mixup at Rickreall, in Clutches of the Law for Shooting. . . A seventeen-year-old boy, thinking that he would be doing something smart by joining in hop-yard bonfire merriment that kept many peaceful and tired pickers awake at the John Carroll yard near Rickreall on Thurs day evening, stepped, with his sister, to the door of the tent the three were occupying and where his mother was asleep, and fired five shots into the air. He had noticed during he day that a young lady acquaintance for whom he had fervent youthful fond ness was 111 the company of another boy. When the shots rang out about midnight a group of revelers about the bonfire sensed a tragedy. Wilhin a very short time, John Krebs, the smait-aleek marksman, was in the clutches of the law, and early the next morning was an inmate of the county jail, hob-nobbing with five hardened criminals. On Saturday morning Krebs appeared lor trial be fore Justice Holman and was held for the grand jury on a charge of at tempted murder. One of the live shots fired by the youth had mysteriously come down out of the high air and pen etrated a tent, a lanre oil can and had imbedded itself in a mattress within a foot of the heads of two little chil dren sleeping thereon. The rv)su:p- tinn was that Krebs bad attempted to tnke bis spite out on the young lady of his favor by ending a heart smash ing career, but this is vehemently de nied by the youth. Justice Holman placed bonds at $100 and bell Krebs for the grand jury which meets on Thursday. Mrs. Krebs, the boy's mother, and his married sisters, who stood at his side when the shot was fired, failed to arrive in time for the trial but their evidence was admitted by Prosecuting Attorney Sibley. Glenn Holman defended the young man, whose home is in Salem, and the young lady in the rase, together with the "other man," were witnesses. Exhibiting at Fairs. David Riddell left Wednesday with twenty-five head of sheep and goats which he will exhibit at the Inter state Fair at Spokane, Washington. From there he will attend the Wash ington State .fair at Yakima and then return for the State fair at Salem. Messrs. Riddell ft Sons have a fine lot of sheep and goats and it is but fair to presume that their stock will bring home a (rood share of prizes given at these shows. Herald. Labor Day Not Observed. Labor day was not observed in Dai- la, except that some of the county officer were closed, as also were the hanking institrrtions of the city, while the postoflfice observed holiday hours. OLDREUCSAREWANTED JUDGE TEAL WOULD SECURE MILL STONES FOR LAWN. . Congressman McArthnr Will Assist In Getting Hii Uncle' Early Burrs For Polk County. Two ancient burrs from the first grist mill in Polk county, and no doubt the first in the state of Oregon, are being sought by Judge Teal, that he may place them as memory stones on the court house lawn. The old bun's were made long before most Dallas people were born, the exact date being unknown. When Judge Teal came to this country forty-five years ago the stones were laying in desutude in a fence corner on Judge Brice's farm near Ellendnle. J. W. Nesmith, grandfather of Representa tive C. A. McArthur, owned and oper ated the pioneer mill where early day wheat growers brought their thresh ings to be ground. Mills had taken on a new and more modem dignity than that of a grist grinder as much as 50 years ago, so it is possible that the stones are more nearly 75 than 50 years old. From Judge Brice's farm, where the burrs had been for many years, they were moved to Portland after Judge Teal, as eounty commis sioner, had requested that they be given to the county. In Portland they ornamented the lawn of the mother of G. W. Himes, until the property was sold. The new owner considered them as other than ornamental and turned them over to Mr. Himes, who, as as sistant secretary of the Oregon His torical society, included them in the society's collection of pioneer relics. They now rest peacefully, but unin terestingly, m the historical society's rooms. The burrs were made of Polk coun ty stone, from a quarry somewhere on Salt Creek, by a Polk county pio- Thev served an honorable ex istence grinding Polk county's early day wheat into grist for many of the , county's hardy settlers in the histori cal old days of the west. By all rights the burrs are unquestioned property of tho county. When representative McArthur was in Dallas late last week Judge Teal communicated j his desires to him, and as a grandson of the original owner of the old mill stones the congressman has agreed to. put the question of transferring them to Dallas before Mr. Himes. Mr. Mc Arthur expressed the belief that there would be no trouble about getting the stones for Polk county. Judge Teal hopes to have the burrs brought back to Dallas, when he will arrange to have them set in conspicuous spots on the public square. The date of their origination and., the name of their maker, together with any other historical facts that can be determin ed, will be cut into the stones. In the center of each is a hole where a shaft went through and these will be filled with flowers. When the lawn on the court house square is improved the stones should add an attractive fea ture, provided, of course, that Judge Teal's efforts at securing their return from the historical society is success ful. BABY SHOW NEXT WEEK. Interest Being Manifested in Forth coming Event. A valuable list of prizes is to be offered by F. E. Davis for the prize winning babies in the show and eu genic contest to be held at his store next Thursday. Mr. Davis is in charge of the Polk county fair show and contest and is staging it at the store for the benefit of the better facilities there for the care of little children. It will be a dignified and properly managed exhibition and the prizes that shall be offered, together with the examination of the young sters that three Dallas doctors will make, should prove enough induce ment to mothers to enter their ba bies. The prizes offered will come principally from the Davis stock, but a number of local merchants have do nated special awards. Dr. A. B. Starbuck, Dr. V. C. Staats and Dr. A. Bollman will be the judges at the eugenic contest. Entries should be made as early as possible although there is no rule against bringing youngsters in on the day of the eon- test. Some entries are already in. and with a little interest displayed bv a few of the county's proud mother the baby show should be an unquali fied success. It is the official eounty fair show and contest and is nnder the direct and capable management of F. E. Davis. Dallas A a Hunting Ground. That territory embraced within the corporate limits of Dallas is fast be coming a game preserve, probably due to the abundance of game in this im mediately vicinity. Only the other ay a China pheasant was killed by flying against one of the bank win dows, and on Saturday a jack snipe pent more than an hour eavorting along Court street. Rabbits are fre quently killed in the town's outskirts.