EASTERN CLACKAMAS NEWS Devoted to the Interests of Eastern Clackamas County Formerly Estacada Progress V olume 9, N umber 29 INDUSTRIAL AND AGRICULTURAL WORK Railway Company Now Working In Obtaining Farming Data At a meeting of the officials of the Portland Railway Light & Power Company a few weeks ago, it was decided that notwith­ standing the rather quiet busi­ ness conditions and subsequent lack of money for the expansion o f the business, an appropriation be made to inagurate and estab­ lish an industrial and agricultural department. At present the work is confin­ ed largely to the agricultural ex­ ploitation and experimentation, with Frank Ewing, lately of the company’s engineering forces, but now in charge of their Spring- water farm, as field manager of the department. This important move is the out­ come o f the more or less haphaz­ ard experiments that have been conducted by the company in years past and fathered by such railway officials as Traffic Mana­ ger F. D. Hunt, Property Agent R. M. Townsend, General Super­ intendent 0. B. Coldwell and others. As has been stated before, the railway company is entering into this campaign, knowing that the prosperity o f their corporation is directly linked with the success of the people, most of whom are in agricultural pursuits, adjacent to their interurban line3. The efforts at this time are a- long pioneering lines, as before real tangible results can be seen, much preliminary work must be done in the obtaining of proper records and data on which to base future operations. With this idea in mind, the company has had printed several thousand statistical forms, sam­ ples of which are reprinted here­ with on pages 6 and 7. The fill­ ing out and obtaining of the data from each agriculturalist in this community onto these forms is a vast undertaking and Manager Ewing is now at work calling on the farmers and compiling the information. E stacada , O regon , In order to expedite this part of the labor, as Mr. Ewing can call upon but a dozen or so farm­ ers per day, all farmers are ask­ ed to please cut out the forms on pages 6 and 7, fill same out to the best of their ability and mail them to Mgr. Frank Ewing, at Estacada. If this appeal meets ' with the cooperation o f the farm­ ers as expected, it will save the company much money, which can be used in the furtherance of other work in connection with the department. Eastern Clackamas and other parts o f this county are fortunate in being served by a local trans­ portation system, instead of a transcontinental trunk system, as the element of personal interest is everywhere apparent in the dealings of the Portland Railway Light & Power Campany with its patrons and those residing along its lines. In the past few years, this part of the county especially realizes the good that has been done by the transportation com­ pany, in the establishment of the Estacada Stock Yards and help along the lines of bettering the livestock marketing conditions. The local and county fairs can trace much of their success to this same desire depressed finan­ cially to help better the farmers’ status. • The present aid extended in the furtherance of experimental plantings of alfalfa; in the ac­ climatizing of corn and the dona­ tions o f high-bred, pedigreed boars as prizes at the various fairs is well known to all. While it might not be fair to announce further plans, the News knows that it is the ultimate in­ tention of the traction company to extend the work into the ob­ taining of better markets for the disposal of the produce raised along their lines, even consider­ ing the feasibility of establishing a market of their own. This is merely one item of the big plan, which the company has in view to help the farmer and help it­ self. The News feels safe in assur­ ing the railway officials of the hearty support and cooperation o f the local people in this work and in thanking them for the interest shown in the past. T hursday , A pril 6, 1916 PEOPLE FAVOR COMMUNITY WORSHIP Committee Appointed To Continue Investigations With the aid of sidewalk benches, chairs from neighbor­ ing stores and planks set upon empty boxes, a sufficient seating capacity was provided at the Es­ tacada C. I. C. room, last Sun­ day afternoon to accomodate the crowd. The very fact that a large number of people attended this meeting, is evidence of the in­ terest taken in the subject of the formation of a Community or Federated church here. The meeting was called to or­ der by John Ely, who was re­ tained as permanent chairman. Following an opening prayer by Evangelist G. E. Williams, the meeting reverted into a purely informal discussion pro and con of the subject at hand. In all, eight denominations were represented, being mem­ bers of the Christian, Methodist, Latter Day Saints, Presbyterian, Baptist, Congregational, Reform­ ed Christian and Catholic church­ es. During the course of the meet­ ing, extended or brief remarks were made by John Ely, Walter Givens, F. R. Guthrie, W. W. Dillon, A. 0. Whitcomb, Mrs. D. M. Marshall, Mrs. John Page, A. Demoy, Rev. Spiess, Lewis Jones, R. S. Coop, W. H. Holder and R. M. Standish. All speakers expressed a desire to see such community worship started, each realizing the advan­ tages to be gained, but many qualifying their remarks b y pointing out the obstacles in the path of such a plan. In a few instances, matters pertaining to forms of worship and details of theology threaten­ ed to dampen the ardor of the gathering, but the general opin­ ion was that these mattei s can be successfully overcome and ar­ ranged to the satisfaction of all at later date, following action by committee. Many matters came up at the meeting, which can best be han­ dled thru a committee and until a thorough investigation has been made of the charters and articles of organization employed by other communities that have successfully established commun­ ity worship, no definite action can be taken. $1. P er Y ear Beloved Old Lady At Rest Mrs. Henry Hoffmeister, more familiarly known as “ Grandma Hoffmeister” passed away Sat­ urday, April 1st at the family- home in Eagle Creek at the age of 78 years. Mrs. Dora Hoffmeister was born in Germany in 1838, coming j to this country when a child. She was married in Pittsburg, Pa. in the fall of ’66 and after a residence of a few years in Kan­ sas, came west with her husband, locating in Clackamas County, where they have resided for the past forty years. In recent years, owing to ill health, Mrs. Hoffmeister had been unable to join with and take the interest in the local ac­ tivities, which she would like to have done, but with her host of friends and cheery disposition, t h e neighborhood enjoyments were often brought to her home instead. The deceased is survived by her husband, Henry Hoffmeister, and five children, being Henry and John of Damascus; Dave and Fred of Eagle Creek and a daugh­ ter, Mrs. Lilly Ehmsen of Port­ land, and twenty grandchildren. At the funeral services, con­ ducted by Rev. Aue, at the fam­ ily home, Monday afternoon, a large gathering of friends, rela­ tives and neighbors paid their last respects to the memory of the beloved old lady. Interment, in charge of Under­ taker Henthorn, occured at the Forrester Cemetery at Eagle Creek. On motion by Mr. Dillon, the chairman was requested to ap­ point a committee of seven mem­ bers, which after obtaining ¡in­ formation from other community or federated churches and hav­ ing outlined a form of organiza­ tion, would report at a future public meeting, to be at such time and place as it may later designate. After a day or two of delibera­ tion, Chairman Ely Tuesday ap­ pointed the following committee, which will meet soon: W. H. Holder, W. W. Di Ion, D. S. Fleming, F. B. Guthrie, A. O. Wmtcomb and John Ely, with R. M. Standish as chairman.