EASTERN CLACKAMAS NEWS
D evoted to the Interests o f Eastern
V olume 10,
N umber 25
E stacada , O regon ,
T hursday ,
PROPOSED CHEESE FACTORY
MEETS SET-BACK
DIMICK EXPLAINS
S 2 2 0 0 BRIDGE DEAL
More Cooperation Needed To
Assure Industrial Growth
Implies Wastfulness Aimed
At Local Supervisors
A rather discouraging condi
tion now faces the committee in
charge o f the soliciting o f stock
and contracts for the proposed
cheese factory at Estacada, with
most o f the real interest in the
project confined to those farmers
residing in Springwater, Viola
and points on the south side of
the river.
The only reason that can be as
signed for this change o f attitude,
is due to certain statistics obtain
ed by meml>ers o f the committee
from one or two similar indus
tries in the state, which statis
tics have had the effect o f dis
heartening some of the promoters.
Then furthermore, there is a
difference o f opinion as to the
merits of a cheese factory as com
pared with the establishment o f
a local sweet cream station, or
the starting o f a creamery.
There are few farmers but a-
gree that any industry which
would centralize the marketing
o f the dairy products, would be
a success, but as has happened
here and elsewhere before, real
cooperation is lacking.
All admit that moremoney can
be made by the farmers if they
profit by both the manufacture
and sale o f the milk and no good
reason has been presented why
the dairy products o f this com
munity cannot be manufactured
at a profit here, as well as at more
distant points.
Despite a few disheartening
figures which have been brought
to the attention o f the committee,
the cheese making industry at
large is a good paying proposi
tion and there is no reason why
this community cannot accom
plish what other Oregon districts
are.
Through the traffic department
o f the P. R. L. & P. Co., the
News is this week in receipt o f a
letter, stating that a Seattle com
pany is looking for a location in
Oregon, where a daily supply of
100,000 pounds o f milk can be
obtained.
This district, a t this time
could not furnish such a volume
o f milk, but the very fact that
capital is looking for locations to
manufacture dairy products, in
dicates that a profit can be made
and this community should get
aboard the industrial wave, or be
washed aside into the calm obli
vion o f the back-waters.
Herbert A. Emerson, Deputy
Commissioner of Foods and Mar
kets o f the State o f New York,
told about 200 business men and
farmers in Eugene the other day,
that " I f the war in Europe con
tinues another year, the produc
tion o f dairy products in Russia
and Siberia, which have in the
Concluded on third page
While the News has never re
ceived any direct explanation of
the difference between the $2200
paid by the taxpayers for the
Eagle Creek Falls bridge and the
$340. paid to the contractors,
which condition was brought out
in connection with the recent
Cascade County movement, the
News is pleased to reproduce
herewith the nearest to an ex
planation that has turned up, be
ing a letter received bv forme
Road Supervisor D. M. Marshall
o f Estacada, from Ex-County
Judge Grant B. Dimick o f Ore
gon City.
Oregon City, Oregon
March 1, 1917
Mr. M. Marshall,
Estacada, Or.
Dear Sir:
I have h^ard considerable regard
ing the buildiSK of the bridge at Eagle
Creek Fall«, and the misrepresentations
that have been made by a number of
people living at Estacada.
Now you were supervisor at the
time that bridge was built, if I remem
ber correctly, and when the question a-
rose as to the building of that bridge,
there were two other questions involv
ed that were considered by the Court
at the same time. One was the build
ing of the bridge under a contract price
o f (349.00. The other was the building
of the road around the hill South o f the
bridge, instead of going over the sharp
point followed by pioneers in the early
settlement o f tnat country, and the
improvement of the road from near the
Grange Hall at Eagle Creek up to the
bridge, and the whole amount of the
improvement which hinged o n the
bridge construction was estimated to
entail ai. outlay of some $2290 and the
Court went out and went over the pro
posed improvements and approved the
same.
The records show that the bridge was
built and $340 was paid therefor, and the
report of the supervisors show that the
other work was done and the money
paid therefor If this money was not
properly expended it was the fault of
the supervisor who had charge o f that
work, and it requires more than an Es
tacada "boomer” to make me believe
that you or Henry Johnson or any sup
ervisor who had charge of that work
ever misappropriated one dollar of that
money.
Yours very truly,
Grant B. Dimick
i
It will be noted from the above
letter that the difference o f $1850.
was expended on road work, ex
tending from the Eagle Creek
■Grange Hall to the top o f the
Eagle Creek canyon hill in Gar
field District No. 10., represen
ting many miles o f road.
Granted this explanation is cor
rect, then why did Mr. Dimick
state before the House Commit
tee on Counties in the last legis
lature, that the bridge cost $2200?
It looks very much as though Mr.
Dimick purposely misrepresent
ed. for money expended for road
construction has no business be
ing charged to bridge building.
If, as has been sum m ed, that
the county records are in such a
disgraceful condition that $1860
is charged to a wrong account,
it is all the more necessary that
Clackamas County
M arch 8,
1917
High School Plans
Being Considered
The Estacada school hoard
have been busy for the past two
weeks, inspecting the various
sets o f plans for high school build
ings, being submitted by many
o f the leading architects o f the
state.
The sale o f the bonds was to
have been advertised for an ear
ly date, but as the law states that
the State Land Board shall have
the first option on the purchase
o f same, correspondence with
this hoard developed the fact that
the Land Board is anxious to pur
chase the-bonds and will proba
bly pay par or above, or at least
pay as much as offered by outside
bidders.
O f the plans considered, all are
attractive and embody the latest
up-to-date school facilities, with
well ventilated class rooms and a
large general assembly room, cap
able o f seating from 500 to 650
people. The exterior views as
submitted, guarantee the erection
o f a beautiful building and one
which will be a show-spot for
Estacada.
some competent a u d i t o r s be
employed to straighten out a sys
tem which is as unbusinesslike
as Clackamas County’s seems to
be, or apparently was during
years past.
You will note from the above
letter a tendency to shift the re
sponsibility onto Messrs. Marshall
and Johnson, who at that time
were the supervisors in the two
districts adjoining the bridge.
It should be unnecessary to
state that no taxpayer in Eastern
Clackamas County has ever even
insinuated that any misappropria
tion o f funds was traceaole to the
road supervisors, nor have any
insinuations or charges o f other
than wasteful methods been ad
vanced against the former county
courts. But that an obsolete, in
adequate, unbusinesslike system
o f keeping Clackamas County’s
records is claimed and this con
tention is backed by the latest
finding o f the expert accountants,
who lately went over the records
and who a few years ago made a
preliminary audit.
Taken altogether, the above
explanation from Judge Dimick
is a feeble one, indicating clearly
that he either intended to misrep
resent the local bridge expendi
tures, or admitting that the sys
tem for keeping the expenditures
segregated, is a rotten one.
If Judge Dimick has any fur
ther explanations to make on this
subject, or others pertaining
thereto, the columns o f the News
are open for his version, but to
try to insinuate that charges o f
misappropriation o f moneys by
the local road supervisors are be
ing made by "an Estacada boom
er” will in no ways shift the res
ponsibility nor satisfactorily ex
plain the wastefulness.
$1. P er Y ear
Suit To Break Road Tax
A suit was begun in Oregon
i City last Saturday, by P. E. Linn
| o f Garfield, the Union Lumber
Co. and other lumber ‘concerns,
owning land in Road District No.
49, against Clackamas County
and Sheriff Wilson, for the an
nulment o f the 1916 road tax in
that district.
This road district at its last
meeting duly voted in favor o f
the 10 mill special road tax, which
has been current for several
years and while in former years,
attempts have been made to an
nul the vote o f the resident tax
payers this is the first time that a
suit has been actually begun.
If this tax is declared illegal,
is will do away with the majority
o f the contemplated road building
in the upper Garfield district, de
spite the wishes o f the residents
and land owners therein.
Hotel Probably
Will Remain Closed
F. D. Hunt, Traffic Manager of
the P. R. L. & P. Co., was an
Estacada business visitor last
Monday.
Mr. Hunt holds out
little hopes o f the Hotel Estacada
being opened up this season and
owing to the generally quiet busi
ness conditions with his company,
expects that the contemplated
appropriation for the improve
ment o f the Estacada Park and
pavilion will not materialize.
Cascade Measure Cannot
Get On June Ballot
After receiving the best o f le
gal advice from leading attorneys
and final word from the Secre
tary o f State, the promoters o f
the Cascade County movement
finally gave up hopes o f being
able to get the measure placed
upon the ballot at the coming
June 4th election.
As this election is in the nature
of a special election, and as the
legislature specifically stipulated
the measures that were to be vot
ed upon, there is no loop-hole
through which the new county
creation can be submitted to a
vote o f the people o f this coun
ty, before the next general elec
tion in November 1918.
Slander Suit Begun
l
Walter Givens o f Estacada,
through his attorneys, E. W.
Bartlett o f Estacada and George
C. Brownell of Oregon City, on
Monday entered 3uit at Oregon
City, asking $25,000 damages
against M. J. K erkesof Portland,
for alleged slander.