- mm
polk fcmtg (Mmtr
PART I
(THE HOME PAPER)
DALLAS, FOLK COUNTY. OREGON. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1915.
(TWICE-A-WEEK)
NO. 83
; ..iSBETTERED
. "EN BLOCKS ARE MACAD
AMIZED AND CURBED.
JLZOR MC ? KEPT AT HOME.
ti I
irty Owners Benefited
i . proximately $16,000
To Issue Bonds.
)!? Chief among the works carried on
by the municipality of Dallas in the
Sear just closing has been the street
fenprovement work. The city is at an
Jdvantage in owning its own quarry
,nnd rock crusher, and is thus enabled
to secure its' materials at a minimum
Vst. In spite of this advantage, hard
surfacing out of the question,
and all tt t was actually demanded
tiby traffic o uitions had already been
,taid, By . a construction of macad
am streets the city has built up a net
work of thoroughfares that would be
a decUed credit to a community much
grw r in size than is Dallas. The
Evm has been , laid properly on a
Carefully prepared sub-grade, and is
ittot giving way in any manner. It
lis slow to collect mud, and summer
dust is almost an unknown quantity,
the macadam is lasting and in more
I han one place in the city can be
Ifound to be almost as hard as asphalt
Ijmvenient. By being properly built,
foroperly drained, and kept in good re
pair a macadam street will last for
taany years,, thereby giving the city
"a street system that is a credit to
'the community and to the men who
are responsible for the constructive
Hcork, at a comparatively low cost.
'For next year hard surface is not be
!jng considered. The city administra
tors have tentatively prepared an out
line of the work that will probably be
(started in the first months of spring,
land which will further improve the
Street system, increasing, at the same
(time, the value of property affected.
On the various street works carried
tin this year there were employed a
large number of men, in addition to
twenty who gained a livelihood from
their labors at the rock quarry and
ici-usher. Under the direction of
Street Commissioner Peter Greenwood
.jfii'ty men wore employed last summer
:nd fall. G. D. Stewart, as superin
tendent of the rock quarry, directed
the, energies of the force there from
February until late in October, when
there was enough material on hand to
complete all the work that could be
done before the rains prevented fur
ther progress. The city's expendi
tures for labor on streets, exclusive
of quarry and crusher, amounted to
$4646.77. or labor at the rock
quarry and crusher the city spent
$5,326.37. The municipality owns the
land, and likewise the quarry and
crushing euipment, so that the only
expenditures necessary in producing
jy-ad building materials were those tor
luftor. The cost of the rock used in
street construction is represented by
the cost of crushing and hauling ma
terials from the crusher at 70 cents a
yard. As 7,!)45 yards of rock were
used the total cost of street building
materials was $5,561.;0.
Not only were street improvements
made, but more than 11,000 lineal
ieet of cement curbing were placed
at a cost or 30 cents a toot, or a
total of $3,303.79. The street world
as well as that at the quarry and
crusher, was done by day labor, but
the eement curbs were let under con
tract after competitive bids had been
received on the work. Combining the
best of macadam streets with eement
curbings on both sides on over 10
blocks of the city's thoroughfares, it
can rendilv be seen that the work done
in Dallas in 1015 was of no insignif
icant seoiie. The Uglow avenue im
provement work has been included in
the figures here presented by Auditor
Gregory, but in the bond sale and
city books this work has been en
tered as a separate undertaking. Three
and one-half blocks were improved on
Fglow avenue bv maradamization.
Curbs were also placed over most of
this. Jn addition to the I'glow avenue
improvement lolA blocks of macadam
streets were built by the citv. These
blocks are on several streets, includ
ing Court, Hayter, AshTLevens, Clay,
liobb, Burch, Academy and Church.
In tiie latter improvement curbs have
been set along most of the streets
macadamized.
Cost of Improvementi.
The cost of the work done is borne
in part by the municipality and in
part by the property owners benefited
iy the improvement. The total amount
1aid by the property owners will be
. lit $lrt.0O0, aeeordine to the esti-
maile-by City Auditor Gregory.
T raise the necessary amonnt the
pi is advertising ft bond sale, eov
fi t both the Cglow avenue and the
a! improvement Approximately
' of the property owners' share
.s- j aid in cash at the time of im
i.rov - T.ect. The city treasury mast
wr I he cost of street intersections
ivA
hat
i-b retentions, but aside from
e property owners benefited
imre.l under the city charter
T ne accounts of the various
-mer.ts cannot be closed, and1
exact figures will not be known until
the bond sale that is being advertised
is completed.
For the next year the city council
has made no definite plans, although
the budget provides a good sum for
street improvement and construction
work. That the chief portion of de
velopment next year will be centered
on the streets in the east and west
narts of the city is practically con
ceded. Probable improvements are
those needed on Clay, Lewis and Lyle.
Plans have been made through coun
cilmanic action whereby it will be
possible for cement sidewalks to be
constructed under the terms of the
Bancroft bonding act, with property
owners enjoying the privilege of bond
ing for the improvement they make.
Already a number of property owners
have declared that they will take ad
vantage of this simple way of pre
venting a direct outlay of cash capi
tal for sidewalk construction.
BAND MAKES HEADWAY.
Rehearsing for Concert to Be Given
in Near Future.
An unusually successful year is just
closing for the Dallas brass band,
which expects to bring its work to a
very fitting climax during the holi
days with a public concert at which
the talents of the members and Hie
organization as a whole will be shown.
For the past several weeks the mem
bers have been practicing diligently
on a repertoire of entirely new music,
and that their concert will be a suc
cess is certain fro mthe keen interest
all are displaying and from the musi
cal ability that has been brought iut
by B. A. Downey, director. The band
gave a series of open-air concerts on
the court house square that put it
prominently before the public atten
tion during the summer months, and
after a successful summer a re-organization
was perfected that has mater
ially improved the band. New mem
bers, as well as the best of those who
played under the old order of things,
allied themselves with the new organ
ization under a new director. Prof.
Downey is proving a popular and cap
able leader and his selection .of mu
sic, as well as the way those under
him present it, is greatly enjoyed by
those who have heard .the blind since
the reorganization.
The Dallas band is a public institu
tion in that is supported by the busi
ness interests, but after the first of
the year the city council will make
a monthly appropriation to cover the
expenses of the musicians. They have
appeared publicly on various occa
sions, such as football games, market
days and the like, and made one trip
to Lebanon with the football team.
The members of the band as it has
been since reorganized are: Professor
B. A. Downey, director; August P.
Risser, president; C. B. Williams,
vice-president; C. F. Smith, secre
tary; W. A. Boydston, treasurer, and
J. R. James, Arnel Wilson, Walter L.
Young, Roy W. Finseth, Oscar Dom
aschofsky, Thomas Magers, Chester
J. Siefarth, Richard R. Webster, John
W. Orr, Ralph P. Howe, Tobe Nachti
gall, A. C. Snyder, Jack Eakin, Ray
Boydston, Will Domaschotsky, Har
old Rich, G. D. Stewart. Merrill L.
Barber, J. Norval Crates, Will R,
Howe, Llovd Rice, J. E. Miller, Mel
vin Dungan, Will Young and Floyd
Luis. In addition to the instrumen
tal talent in the organization there is
a vocal quartet that is considered ex
cellent, and which will appear at the
concert that is to be given soon.
Among the vocalists who are to be
featured are John W. Orr, A. C. Sny
der. J. E. Miller and C. B. Williams.
At the piano the work of Lloyd Rice
is well-known and his offerings will
be another interesting part of the pro
posed concert.
Encampment Elects.
At its regular meeting on Monday
evening La treole encampment, num
ber 20, I. O. O. F., officers for the
ensuing year were elected. Those who
will preside over the destinies of the
lodge during the vear to come are J
E. Siblev, chief patriarch; O. P.
Chase, senior warden; J. E. Richter,
junior warden; A. W. Teats, high
priest; J.F. Holman. scribe and An
ton Larson, treasurer. The outlook
tor l!)lb, as the lodgemen see it, is
especially bright. With the induction
of the newly elected officers will come
renewed activity, although the order
has been especially ambitious during
the past year.
Polk County Han Dead.
Hop Citv lodge, No. 1333 of Inde
pendence has received a telegram
from the police of San Diego that a
member of the local lodge, F. Mel
gar, was found drowned in the bay
at that city. It is feared he met with
foul play. During the past few years
Melgar had been working for Scott
Campbell, south of Independence. He
went south to attend the lair.
Grange Elects Officers.
The Monmouth Grange held it an
nual election of officers Saturday. The
grange has been organised here for
four years and has 65 members. P. O.
Powell was re-elected master; J. R.
Stockholm, overseer; Miss Maggie
Butler, secretary; Mrs. J. R. Stock
holm, treasurer. At the next regu
lar meeting on the second Saturday
January. State Grange Master
Spence of Oregon Citv, will have
charge of the installment of officers.
CHIEF IS OPTIMIST
DALLAS HAS ENJOYED UNUSU
AL PROSPERITY PAST YEAR.
INDUSTRIAL INTERESTS ACTIVE
While Stringent Times Have Affected
. This Section to Some Extent, Not
Seriously Felt.
(By Mayor E. C. Kirkpatrick)
A conservative statement at a con
servative time! And why notf Dal
las is not enjoying a boom; the great
war has little effect upon the activi
ties of the community, either one way
or another, so that the things that
concern us at the year-end are only
the condition within the boundaries
of the city proper and the country
tributary, that plays a most important
part in maintaining the welfare of the
city. Generally speaking, business in
Dallas is good, and it has been good
throughout the year. The volume ot
business is not unprecedented, but I
believe I can say that it is somewhat
better than it was during the previous
year. In the face of conditions that
exist elsewhere that statement is a
weighty one. Dallas is in better con
dition, as far as the prosperity of the
community is concerned, than perhaps
any other city of its size in the state.
Nothing has entered into the year s
'activity to greatly enliven things.
Nevertheless, that business, both mer
cantile and industrial, has maintained
a reasonable degree of stability is in
deed a great satisfaction and a credit
to the people of the city, when we
turn to consider other sections of the
country and other cities of the land.
The industrial interests of the city
have even been better off than those
in other valley towns. The lumber
mill has continued to operate and all
others kept busy, employing the regu
lar quota of hands. Unemployment
is practically unknown, and those who
desire work here may hnd it at a liv
ing wage. The diversity of the in
dustnal lite here represented is a
point decidedly in favor of the city.
We could suspend the activity of one
or more of these important industries
without any serious effect, whereas, if
we hnd only one industry operating
here the success of that one would
spell prosperity or poverty for the
citv. The most apt comparison at this
time would be with the season pre
vious. The past year has seen prac
tically as much business transacted
in the city, has seen the maintenance
of the payrolls of the year before,
and in many ways has been maiked
by an increase in the volume of trade.
I cannot say that the outlook is
painted in extraordinarily rosy hues.
I torsee, in view of what has gone
before, reasonable prosperity for the
community, but as long as present
conditions prevail in other parts of
the nation and world there is little
hope for any astounding increase in
business activity or trade volume. On
all sides there is hope and there is
work. Those circumstances over which
the people of this city have no means
of control have had no effect upon us,
in spite of the cry of hard times that
has swept the country clean of prom
ise and almost clean of ambition. The
talk of hard times, it cannot be de
nied, is damaging, and its acidy in
fluence has eaten at the heart strings
of this city. Though, as I say, I feel
that its effect on Dalias has been less
than on other cities. Wrhile commer
cial and industrial supremacy is not
all that is to be desired and for the
city, it goes far toward making more
perfect conditions and toward making
thereby a better city and better
homes. Really as things are in Dal
las, and with the sterling citizenship
which the city en.iovs. there is no
reason why the next year and every
next year cannot be the best that Dai
las has known.
The prosperity of the farmer in
Polk county has a very direct and
telling effect upon the prosperity of
the city. The city and the city's in
terests have combined to help the
farmer, not only through sales days.
tfairs and exhibitions, but through
good roads that they may travel to
ana Trom the city year in and year
out. The trade during winter months
(Concluded on last page) 1
Special Offer for
December
The Polk County Observer is
its subscribers for next Saturday Sales Day only. Briefly it is
this: For every year's subscription paid to The Observer, whether for
arrearages or advance, a coupon rood for fifty cents in merchandise at
any store advertising in The Observer will be given. These coupons
are just as good as gold, and will be received as cash at any store
whose advertisement annears in The
By taking these coupons to the stores
Christmas purchases without additional outlay for The Observer is
fully worth the regular subscription price, and any reduction is pure
velvet. Pay your subscription Saturday and take advantage of this
exceptional offer.
THE COUNTY ROADS
LARGE SUMS SPENT ON HIGH
WAYS AND BRIDGES.
COUNTY BRIDGE THIS YEAR.
Road Commissioner Firm Tells The
Observer Whereas How 1915 Mon
ey Was Expended.
Polk county is engaged in road con
struction work that is destined to put
it in rank with the first counties of the
state in point of good road mileage,
and 'to make the county the most at
tractive in the Willamette valley to
the thousands of tourists who will
travel through this great wonderland
during the years to come, when its
beauties will be heralded to the world
to an even greater extent than they
have been. In saying great work, it
must be borne in mind that the work
of such more wealthy counties as
Multnomah, or the southern Oregon
counties, where larger cities make
r tax rolls and therefore more
money for the work at hand, is more
perfect and far reaching, but at that
Polk county has built and purposes
building roads that many counties in
the same financial standing cannot,
or do not try to equal. The building
of such famous roadways as the Co
lumbia river highway and the Pacific
highway, ithough the latter will very
possibly be routed through Polk coun
ty before many years, does not detract
from the work done here, but it, rath
er, a means of enhancing the value
of and the interest in the local roads.
With her immense resources and her
scenio wonders Multnomah county is
in a better position to advertise her
work to the world. By that means
will tourists and travelers be attract
ed to Oregon, ithence to Polk county,
where good rural highways will have
become famed. Most of the tourist
travel in years to come will be by
motorcar, and the constantly increas
ing number of motor-driven vehicles
makes that statement bear double sig
nificance. The roads of Polk county
will be tributary to the great high
ways built by Multnomah county and
by the state, and, indeed, may be de
veloped to such perfection that roads
leading from other counties will be
come tributary to these. At any rate
such is the glowing possibility if Polk
county is successful in a campaign to
re-route the Pacific highway through
its boundaries.
The beauties of nature reign su
preme along the highways and by
ways of the county and extend a
charming invitation to the county's
citizens, as well as those of other
parts of the country, to spend joyous
idle hours in 'touring them. Grain
fields, orchard lands, hop fields and
veritable forests primeval extend on
Polk county roads in a riot of gay
colors and rich tints that the best
of landscape would have difficulty
in picturing. Slow running streams,
rushing mountain creeks, plains, for
ests and fields combine to give one a
choice of any environment, or scenic
change that may be in mind. Hunt
ing and fishing grounds that are not
excelled in the northwest send out a
call for visitors, for sportsmen and
for nature lovers that has proved ir
resistible to those wno nave tneu
them. Portland and other well-popu
lated centers are within delightful
motoring distance from these Polk
county attractions, and with the lm
Drovement that is being made in roads
throughout the valley a three-hour
trip from Portland will be an actuali
ty, rather than a hope, within a very
short time.
Where the Money Went.
That Polk county's boast to good
roads is not an idle one is evident
from the report of Roadmaster J.
Waldo Finn for the year that is just
closing, showing where and how $78,
000 were spent on the improvement
of the rural highways of the county.
This amount was divided proportion
ately to many protects and to several
different classes of work. To road oil
ing, grading, bridge construction, and
various other divisions of the general
head of road work, this $78,000 was
credited. First, to repair and main
tain the roads that have been in use
$15.000 was required. In this is in-
Saturday
Eighteen Only
makinf a special Christmas offer to
Observer today or last Tuesday.
yon will be able to pay for your
clucled the cost of 2G00 yards of gravel
and rock used in repair work. The
oiling of fifty-two miles of highway
in different parts of tile county cost
$3,000. As a testimonial of the value
of this work from the viewpoint of the
farmer, or the motorist, ask one of
them and you will leflrn that the good
taken from the use of oiled roads was
easily worth the expenditure. Sprink
lers were at work throughout the
spring and early summer months in
permanently laying the dust with
crude oil, and, in contrast to other
roads in the valley, tourists trom out
of the county were free to say that
the main traveled highways or Polk
county were the best in the valley.
Several bridges were constructed dur
ing the season just past and many
others were repaired or rebuilt, cost
ing the county $9,000. The cost of
machinery, tile and culvert pipe used
in the past season was $4,800, accord
ing to Koadmaster linn's report, and
tor the payment of engineering and
supervising skill the county treasury
was called upon for $5,800. trom
these figures it is to be seen that the
total cost of roads and bridges in
1915 was $38,500.
For actual constructive work, how
ever, the greater amount was expend
ed. Eighteen miles of standard grade
roadway were built, necessitating the
moving of approximately 60,000 yards
of earth. This work cost $9,000. Ten
thousand dollars were spent in crush
ing 6500 yards of rock, which was
placed on six miles of the grade con
structed. Twenty-four miles of grade
were graveled in the year of 1915, and
thus were 17,000 yards of rock used,
costing, for rock, labor and all, $17,
500. The approximate cost of regrad
ing 22 miles of roadway is placed ait
$3,000. Therefore, for the construc
tion of roads $39,500 were spent by
the county. .
That such expenditures should bring
the desired results is not to be de
nied. County Judge John B. Teal lias
well expressed the desires and ambi
tions of the county in regard to road
improvement and construction, by
saying: "We want the best roads
possible for the money we have to
spend on them, and for the money we
are spending on them we expect and
are getting 'the best roads in the
state. ' ' And in so saying J udge Teal
has also expressed' the desire and the
opinion of practically every individual
in Polk county who is interested in
the upbuilding of the county, the pop
ulation of her rich and fertile lands
and the maintenance of the place held
by the county as compared with others
of the state. Though one of the small
est counties in area Polk is within a
few places of the top in the matter
of road improvement and construction.
mere are many nines yet to oc
built and as many miles to be repair
ed, but with time, prosperity and per
sistence this work will eventually be
accomplished and will be more to the
welfare of the county than any other
proposed or possible undertaking.
(Continued in second section)
SCRIPT IS DENOUNCED.
Hotels of Oregon Refuse to Accept It
From Salesmen.
After a talk by Henry Serr of Dal
las the Oregon Hotel association, in
session at Portland this week, went
unanimously on record as being
against the acceptance of so called
hotel script in lieu of cash for hotel
bills. Attention was called by Mr.
Serr to practice of certain promoters
in signing up one hotel in each town
to accept script which tho promoters
sell at a discount to commecial firms.
These script books are given to
salesmen instead of entrusting them
with cash for their expenses. Hotels
that accept the script send it to the
promoters for redemption, the com
mission exacted by the scrip compan
ies being 10 per cent gross. Such
hotel scrip was scored by members of
the association as being highly per
nicious, in that it took from the ho
tel man profits that should rightly be
his.
Druggist Wants To Know.
Mr. Browersox of Monmouth has
made inquiry of Attorney General
Brown concerning lawful means of de
naturing alcohol to make it unusuable
for drinking and at the same time
non-poisonous. Mr. Brown says that
the United States internal revenue de
partment has several formulas for
making alcohol unfit for beverage pur
poses and that several of the formu
las are non-poisonous. The Monmouth
pharmacist explains that he wishes to
carry alcohol in stock for bathing and
antiseptic purposes, but says that the
usual method of mixing wood and
grain alcohol results in a deadly pois
on. Statesman.
Henry Brophy Buried.
The funeral services over the re
mains of Henry B. Brophy, who was
accidentally killed at West Salem on
Monday, were held in Salem on Wed
nesday afternoon, and were largely
attended.
Rejoice Over Birth.
An 8'4 pound son was born Decem
ber 8th to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Sher
wood of Canby. They were former
residents of Polk eonnty. Mrs. fcher
wood was formerly Miss Esther Ed
gar, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Finley
Edgar of Crowley.
WINS BACK BABE
JUDGE BELT REVERSED IN BOW
ERS' CHILD CASE.
JUVENILE COURT GETS CUSTODY
Lengthy Legal Battle for Possession
of Marion Bowers, Takes Her
From Custody of Grants.
The supreme court on Tuesday held
that the juvenile court of Multnomah
county and not the county court of
Polk county has exclusive jurisdiction
in the case of Marion Bowers, aged
four years, over whose custody a con
troversy has been waged tor two
years. The action of Circuit Judge
Belt in dismissing a habeas corpus
petition of Mollie Bowers, mother of
the child, who contended that the
Polk county court had no authority
to decide who was a fit and proper
oerson to have the care of the child
and that such exclusive jurisdiction
was vested in the Multnomah county
court, was reversed.
July 1, 1913, the Portland juvenile
court made an order awarding the
mother the custody of the child until
further order of the court. Mr. and
Mrs. John Stump, grandparents of
the child, had" agreed to take the
child, the order said. In November,
1913, Mrs. Bowers left the child with
Mr. and Mrs. Milt B. Grant of this
city, however. About February 1,
1914. Mrs. Bowers demanded posses
sion of the child and Mr.' Grant re
fused to surrender her. Thereupon '
the mother undertook to spirit the
child away to Portland, but was un
successful.
On September 25, 1914, the county
court of Polk county made an order
giving Mr. and Mrs. Grant custody of
the child. On February 9 the Mult
nomah county court made a new order
and recited that John Stump, grand
father of the child, had died since the
first order was issued, and that Mol
lie Bowers, the mother, was in a po
sition to give the child a good home,
and revoked the order as to giving
the child to the Stumps. Thereafter
Mrs. Bowers started a habeas corpus
case. The court holds in an opinion
by Chief Justice Moore, that to per
mit any other court than that which
had original jurisdiction to interfere
with a ward, when duly adjudged to
be such, would create interminable
difficulties. '
As a result of the decision, Mr. and
Mrs. Grant, who have had charge of
the child for two years, must sur
render her to her mother, and if they
wish to regain her custody thdy must
apply to the juvenile court of Mult
nomah county. Walter L. Tooze, Jr.,
has represented the Multnomah coun
ty juvenile court throughout the pro
ceedings and J. E. Sibley and G. O.
Holman have handled the case for
Mr. and Mrs. Grant.
BOOKS SHOW MANY VISIT0R8.
More Than 11,000 Place Cognomen
on Registers in 1915.
Between January 1, 1915, and De
cember 11 of the same year, 9,211
names were written on the register at
Gail hotel, the greater number of
which persons were visitors to Dallas.
But this is not indicative of the busr
iness transacted during this period,
for, according to Mr. Serr, the land
lord, more than three times that num
ber of "locals" took meals at the
hostelry without registering. Adding
to this an estimated number of 2,000
registering at The Imperial during
the nine months that that hotel was
open during the year, brings the num
ber of visitors to Dallas hotels up to
the handsome figure of more than 11,-
000.
Dallas is considered one of the best
towns in the valley from the commer
cial tourists' standpoint, and the
knight of the grip is largely in evi
dence on the register at the Gail.
While other towns in this territory
have been oppressed by stringent fi
nancial conditions of the past year,
Dallas has more than held its own,
and is coming out of the depression
with her colors flying. Like an eagle
pluming its wings for a higher night,
Dallas is planning new things for th
future that cannot fail to be of ma
terial benefit to the community.
Mink Kills Chickens.
A mink 'broke into the poultry
house of C. E. McPherren at Falls
City and killed and sucked the blood
of sixteen grown chickens and fright-.
ened the remainder of the poultry
from the premises. The varminr was
frightened away by the barking of
dogs before it had an opportunity to
do anv further mischief.
This vicinity has been bothered
with minks for some time and the
nesidenters have lust quite a good
many chickens. G. Sowers has been
the heaviest loser in the past, having
lost 11 at one time and 14 at another.
Elected Vice-President
Frank Gibson of this county has
been elected vice-president of the Sa
lem Egg Circle. At present the Dal
las circle is sending its eggs to Salera
for shipment
A
1-