ESTACADA Devoted to the Interests of V olume 8, N umber 30 SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH OUR CHURCHES S h o u ld B e a P o w e r In stea d O f a C h arity The report of the treasurer of the Estacada M. E. Church last Sunday, showed a deficit of $8 i.90 for the first six months of their fiscal year. At the annual church banquet last December, the rec ords showed that church to be free from debt on Oct. 1st and ready to start the new year with a clean account. This church is being supported by pledges and contributions from members and friends. Almost enough money was pledged on the pledge cards the first of the year, to have left a very small, if any deficit. Many of these pledges are not paid, and many people did not sign a pledge who could afford to help, if only in a small way. Those signing the pledges, did so w,th the best of intentions, but ‘ got behind” on their monthly payments and unless they catch up now, the amount due will seem like a real obstacle, instead of a small regular donation. While it is doubtful if legally a man or woman could be held to the payment of such a pledge, even it a church would resort to such an extreme, there is surely no reason why a person, who has signed a pledge card, should not feel morally and legally bound to pay it, the same as though they had signed a negotiable note or other contract. There is no reason why the present members who are “draw ing the load” should have to in crease their present generous do nations to make up this deficit. If you owe on your pledge pay up, or if you are not contributing something towards the Lord’s work, now is the time to do it. In a recent issue of the Satur day Evening Post, a well known writer commented on the pres ent weak condition of the aver age little town church and of fered a solution. This solution was the same as has been advo cated by hundreds of others, namely cooperation and the join ing of all church forces in a town. Estacada has about 500 popula tion, and possibly one-third of these people are church members or attendants. Estacada sup ports, or tries to support, four churches, and it is no wonder these churches are not able to dominate and take a leading part in politics and society, when they have to confine their efforts to keeping their heads above water. Consider what could be accom plished if these four churches would adopt up-to-date business methods and consolidate, for; et- ing their orthodoxies and creeds and all working on purely Chris tian principles. Experience has shown that when such a com! ina- tion is attempted, the real Ci ris- tian spirit seems to dissaj ear. E stacada , O regon , and the old minor questions of theology put a stop to fur, her I unison. The four churches of Estacada, if combined, could afford a first- class church building, one that would invite the outsider, one equipped as a drawing social cen ter, one that could keep its doors open oftener than on Sundays, and one that could afford to pay a good livable salary to its preacher. Consider again the good that such an institution could do, its united membership could domin- a e and dictate the politics of the city and surrounding country and more church work in politics is needed. Its work in the carry ing on of good would be unlimit ed, and ten fold more than the present power of the individual denominations. The church would become the biggest factor in this section and the leader. As an advertisement for Esta cada, it would be a wonder, to have the reputation of being about the first city that ever put the church and its work on a business basis, that forgot its de nominational creeds and ortho doxy and unitedly worked for the spiritual, moral and material welfare of a community. The Estacada schools are the city’s chief asset, because the schools represent united effort and combined forces and a conse quent power for good along edu cational lines. A similar, united church would have far greater power. Such a union is not out of the question. It would mean the getting together of the leaders of i the various denominations, the careful studying out of the prob lem, with real sacrifice and giv ing in on certain immaterial points, but ultimately such a com bination could be affected. O. & C. L an d G ra n t S uit The celebrated Oregon-Cali- fornia land grant case is now nearing its final stage and will be brought before the U. S. Su preme Court this month. This suit is of particular inter est to Clackamas county, where thousands of acres of this land are located. The total acreage involved is 2,300,000, with an as sessed valuation in this state of $50,000,000.00 If the ruling of the lower court is upheld, this land will revert to the government. If the govern ment would agree to open up this land immediately for settle ment, homesteading etc., it might be best for it to revert to its original ownership, but if it is to be placed in a reserve, the state will have to get along with out the taxes. I T hursday , A pril 15, 1915 $1. P er Y eah an attraction, but a poor horse race cant compare with a Punch and Judy show nowadays, since the gambling element has been eliminated. C o u n ty F a irs A re L osing Let the county offer $200. l'or the best bushel of home grown O rig in al U sefu ln ess corn, and proportionate amounts A Hamburg is a variety of a for similar useful products with chicken and with a breed called $509: for the best dairy cow, etc., the Polish, is rapidly converting and good results will follow. the average county fair poultry Can by promises that trie com exhibit, into a freak side show. ing fair will not be like last Thè Lord may have orginally year’s exhibit and they undoubt made the first Hamburg, but He edly see the folly of their ways. would hardly care to be credited Last year was E.stacada’s debut j wi;h the present variegated among the entries and it deserves specimens that are being award no especial credit for winning, ed a big share of the poultry for aside from two strong com honors. petitors, the standard of excel A Hamburg or a Polish fowl lence was far below par. looks like a cross between a tub Wmle it was not generally ercular jack-snipe and a spring known at the time, the judges of bonnet, that had been thru a the agricultural display last year, paint factory explosion. who happened to be officials of By means of freak breeding the State Board of Horticulture, and possibly by crossing with the threatened to sprinkle kerosene chrysanthemum, most outlandish on part of the apple exhibit, excuses for poultry are created for instead of comprising clean with ostritch plume headgear or ; high grade fruit, it was a fair with the paint spots or pencilings exhibit of current fruit diseases. running in bands, blotches, freck Owing to lack of competition, les or imitation eczema effects. | prizes were awarded in some At the last Clackamas County classes to exhibits that were not Fair, there were 19 classes and worthy of showing, and the near I awards for these freak birds, for by farmers as a rule would not cocks, cockerels, hens, pullets enter their produce. and pens, making 95 in all, with The establishment of the East prizes as follows: $1.50 each for Clackamas Fair is the direct re the first four classifications and sult of these conditions. If the $2. for the pen. not including the county fair is going to be a real second prizes of $1. each. one this year. Eastern Clacka Undoubtedly these fowls can mas will probably join in the lay eggs, in order to reproduce, competition. but they have never been men Let's either do away complete tioned as prize winners at egg ly with the Clackamas County production, oris the stimulating Fair and its expense to the tax of their raising, helping to in payer or get back to the original crease the productivity of the foundation for a competitive fair, farm or lowering the cost of liv along uplifting and developing ing. lines. At the present rate, prizes will be awarded soon, for the best E sta c a d a C lay V a lu a b le specimens of Japanese lap dogs About a year or so ago, F. J. or pink chameleons. Harkenrider of Estacada discov $31.50 was the grand total of ered a large deposit of blue clay cash offered in the potato exhib on his property and believing it, but possibly the improving of that it was of commercial value, varieties and increasing the yield corresponded and sent samples of spuds, is not of as much con to the Dept, of Ceramics of the sequence as raising freaks. ,0 . A. C., which is in connection $48.50 in cash was offered for with the Oregon Bureau of Mines the total awards in corn, with and Geology. other staples averaging from After an extended delay, a $1.50 to $20. as a stimulus for the very favorable report has been growers to raise better produce. received. Samples of dry pressed The county fair should be held, bricks and drain tile made from providing its main object is to this are now on exhibit in the stimulate rivalry along sensible Fr gress office and they repre and valuable lines, to help im sent extra fine specimens of this prove the varieties and yields of work. staple produce. I. A. Williams, chief ceramist Thousands oftiollars have been for the department in his report, spent in the past, in the horse says this clay is especially adapt racing end of the fairs, with the ed for the manufacture of hollow purse hung on one race, exceed ware, such as tile, hollow brick ing the value of a whole depart and probably would be good for ments of agricultural prizes. the making of stoneware. The day of the horse race is gone Here is a chance for the for in nearly all parts of the coun mation of an industry in Esta try, but judging from the sam cada, and if some of the local ples of ponies that are still on investors would show their faith the local tracks, Clackamas coun in home financing as they have ty ought to do something to im in investing in out of town in prove its breed of racing stock. dustries. the community will di These races are held primarily as rectly benefit. DO YOU KNOiV WHAT A HASVI8URG IS?