f If "
TMMk -4 J? ' M -4V 1 A
The Times-Herald I an oM
established friend of the people
or M'TiH-y County where it hae
heeii m weekly visitor for thirty
year. It's Job department Is
-iiiiH- to nerve your needs.
The Times-Herald goes re
gularly o more homed in Har
ney County than any other
newspaper. If you wish to
reach the people use those col
umn" for your advertisement.
' ' ?
VOL. XXXI
BURNS. HARNEY COUNTY, OREGON. JULY 27, 1918
NO. 39
-j-
Mill lllr I ITI
ll j J'''V vy W -T
HARNEY COUNTY LAND
DEEDS DECLARED BOGUS
Handwriting Expert Say. Signa
ture to 1 6,000 Acres Pacific
Livestock Holding Spurious.
Others Faked c r Doubtful.
The following was published In th,
Portland Journal of last Tuesday un
der u Salem date line.
Attorney General tlrown today re
reived from T. Kylka. widely known
writing expert of San Francisco, a
report allowing that signatures to
deeds to more than 16,000 acres of
land now held by the Pacific Live
stock company In Harney county aro
either forged, faked, or very doubt
ful as to their genuine.
. This report will bo submitted to
the state land board by the attorney
general for the board's consideration
In deciding what ahall be done with
suits brought by the state against
the Pacific Livestock company to re
cover thousands of acres which it Is
alleged were obtained from the state
by fraudulent means.
With this report in hand, the at
torney general la now ready to pro
reed to trial with these land fraud
rases which have played an linpoy
taut part In the politics of this state
tn the last few years Efforts were
made in the last leglalature to ham
string the prosecution by refusing to
make needed appropriations, while
Governor Withycombe and State
Treasurer Kay have endeavored to
have the suits dismissed, but former
Governor West and Attorney Gener
al Brown insisted on the state mak
ing an effort to recover the lands.
which had been taken from the her-
of the school children of the
state by fraud.
In light of flie report front Mr
Kuka. who Is almost continuous!;
employed In the service of the gov
eminent as handwrltlug expert. It i.i
not (onsldered possible that the stale
land board can do anything els.'
than direct the attorney general to
proceed with tho prosecution. In
n- ...,l.,.. fl... -, , 1 1. fiw. v irelier.'i! will
k amend the complaint wWcfci
has been filed In the circuit ouri
lTei
for Hjmey County and falling In
that, the present suit will be dlsmls
ed and a new action will be Instituted
as the present complaint Is based on
a wrong theory sa to how the lands
were fraudulently acquired.
"In many Instances," aya Mr.
Kytka's report, "the evidence sub
mitted has convinced me that the
signatures were forged, and In many
other cases, due to the limited ma
terial available, I have been unable
to say positively that the signatures
were forged, or that the transactions
were fraudulent. These I have clas
sified -as doubtful, for the reason I
cannot pass the signatures as gen
uine because of so many circum
stances connected with the transac
tion and because of their close relationship-to
other transactions clear
ly shown to be fraudulent."
Assistant Attorney General J. O.
Halley, who has done much work oi.
the case, said that in many cases It
was found that names of cowboys
and other employes of the cattle
company were forged In acquiring
the land, and In other cases ficti
tious names were used.
The Pacific Livestock company
objected to turning over the deeds
to a handwriting expert for study of
the signatures until after the attor
ney general had riled a motion Ir.
court demanding the opportunity to
see the deeds. Then the company
turned them over without waiting
for the order of the court. The pa
pers involved were turned over to
Mr. Kytka lu August. 1917, so
practically a year has been taken In
making the ntudy.
. IHNNIloPI'KltH STILL AT ttOUK
1'rauk Whiting was in town yes- :
terday afternoon and when asked UHUtti work day In the evening. In
about his haying and other harvest . tne larger cities it has been the us
he said tie grasshoppers were trying j lom ror a long lime to close business
to harvest his oats, even after they j10uses at one o'clock In the afternoon
were cut and shocked. The hoppers , on Saturday. The banks generally
Invaded his field and he decided to ,.os on Saturday at noon. Some of
cut the oats, even though they wero tne gtores or Hums have seen fit to
green, to prevent the pests from de-' ,.,,,. a i, o'clock In the evening on
stroying them. However, he used a ' Saturday, the same as other days In
hinder and shocked the oats and the tne weei4. u should be rememberetl
hoppers have decided to eat up the l)ull nejp j, nuri to get and after the
shocked grain. I employes of a store or any other
j business have bad 12 hours constant
Cooler nights have followed the work they feel they have done a days'
recent rain storms. i work.
WANTS THK BOYS KlT
Uncle Sam wanta hla selective
service men who are called to the
colors hereafter to much the training
camps menially and tnorrally fit In
every way, and with at least an ole
i nientery knowledge of military drill.
The condtlon In which a man
; reaches camp makes a surprising dif
I feruttco tn his usefulness as a soldier.
Actual experience has demonstrated
that men who come to camp clean,
sober, willing and determined to do
their part, will he ready to leave for
the battle front at least a whole
mouth, and often more earlier than
others not o fit.
This having been demonstrated.
Uncle Sam has undertaken a plan to
educate all selective service men so
they will be better soldiers and better
men when 11 comes their time to be
called to the colors.
With this tn view, the various
local draft boards throughout the
country have Just been notified, i whom they purchased the bay.
through a leaflet from the provost . vn the distance from here Is con
Marshal General at Washington, of a s,i,.,,,i,j,., yet Mr. Jones states that
method for bringing personal In- u i not great from the Jackass
struct Ion to each man by means of i country where they have been In the
local boards of Instruction, to be ap
pointed by the draft boards.
These boards of Instruction are to
be composed of thoroughly patriotic
and capable citizens of each commun
ity. It is Intended that they shall do
more than instruct. For Instance,
the members of the Instruction board
will endeavor to ascertain and Clear
up all the perplexities that may beset
the registrant, and to be of practical
assistance to him in every way.
The first meeting of registrant
for Instruction, the leaflet suggest .
might well be at the time of the med
ical examination. The registrants
may be assembled iu small groups
for personal Interviews, It Is sugges
ted, and encouraging suggestion,
made to them us to the personal val
,uo of military training and of out
door life, the chant es lor promotion.
the aiil and friendly support of the
lOd Cross, the Army Knights ol
Columbus, Uie Y. M. C. A., the lie
brew Welfare Hoard, and the Coin
mission on Training Camp Activities
Prior to their induction, It is plan-
" ."" " '" '"'
gether OBCSJ or twice by ortler of th
local draft husrd, to meet in groups
for Instruction In the following sub
jects: (a) The provision which the gov
ernment has made for the protection
and welfare of disabled soldiers and, J
in the event of death, or their fam
ilies and dependents, through Its
! War itlsk Insurance Bureau.
(b) The Government provision ror
allowances and allotments to soldiers
dependents, these provisions being so
liberal that the soldier can rest as
sured his dependents will be umply
cared ror.
c) Discussion or such subjects us
"Why America Filtered the War."
"Why America Must Win the War"
"The Necessary Character of the
American Soldier." "Sexual Restraint
and the Avoidance of Liquor as a pat
riotic Obligation." Camp Life," etc.
It Is also planned to conduct pre
liminary drill to familiarise the men
with its first principles. U bss been
found that this work actually places
the men a month or 8b ahead In capa
icty to become efriclent soldiers, and
of course the well drilled man has a
much better opportunity of obtaining
quick promotion than the man who
has to begin at the beginning and
learn everything after he enters the
service.
The Government Is iveouraglng
draft registrants wherever possible
to enter local mllltla reserve organi
zations lit their- commmaultles for
drill.
o j
folmiwino oithiiik CUvTOM
Congress advanced the time an
hour last spring at the Instance of
President Wilson. It was for the pur
pose or saving daylight ami giving
people an opportunity to take advan-
.., ., ,i, a(ded hour after the
SHEEPMEN BUY HAY
NEAR IDAHO LINE
Jones & Lane Purchase Large
Amount of Alfalfa Near On
tario, Faying $ 1 5 a Ton For
It, and $10 For Ensilage.
F. P. Lane and I). T. Jones, woll
known local sheep owners, Tuesday
evening returned from Idaho. They
left here last week In Mr. Lane's
Cadillac, and during their absence
visited Ontario and even spent a lev,
days In Boise. Near Ontario they
purchased 400 tons of u I fulfil and
100 tons of corn ensilage, paying 116
per ton for the former and $10 per
ton for the latter, and lntond to trail
their sheep there this winter for feed
tng purposes. They Intend also to
lamb their sheep In February In
sheds owned by the rancher from
hsblt ol wintering some or their
sheep. Both partners are enthusias
tic about tho proposition.
Simon Juanto, Frank Moyulhan
and Walter Leehmann yesterday left
by auto for Idaho, where they will
also look Into the hay situation, and
It Is probable that they will purchase
their hay tor winter reeding or sheep
before reluming.
It Is understood that the sheep
may be trailed through the entire dis
tance from here, or can be trailed
as fur us Crane, In Harney County,
and shipped the balance of the ills
tancj by railroad, the rate boing
cents per head, with one-third
of this rute for the return trip. Ifoal
of the ram hers who have hay for
sale have fine sheds, the use ofwhlch
nay lie had for lambing, and in sonn
Instances the sheds are electrically
lighted. I" view of the shortage of
buy throughout this section, and the
fact that In places where hay Is foi
sale such as Surprise Valley the
prices asketl are considered by the
h. en .owumsa- we ehnrntnmt. An
other point in connection with tte
situation In Malheur County and over
the line Into Idaho Is that there is
open country which may be grazed
when the weather conditions permit
during the winter months, whereaB
In places like Surprise Valley It Is
nPoessary to feed the sheep through
out the winter once they are takftn
Into the Valley. It Is probable that
other sheep owners will make the
trip If the visit of Messrs. Juanto,
Moyulhan and Leehmann proves suc
cessful. Lakevlew Kxamlner
AKMY MAKES KKCOKU MKAT
PURCHASE
The largest single order for bacon
and canned meats in the history ot
the world--98, ft60, 000 pounds of ba
con and 134,000,000 pouds or canned
meet has Just been placed by the
Quartermaster's Department, U. S A.
ror the American Army overseas.
Louis F. Swift, tn commenting on
this, said be order will take the ba
con from approximately l.BOO.aM
hogs and If other work were dropped
to produce It would be equivalent tn
the total beeeei production of the five
largest Chicago packers for nearly
five weeks, however, six months will
elapse before delivery Is to be com
pleted. Mr. Swift said:
"At the current prices on the day,
last week, when the purchase was
made, the packers would pay the live
stock producers about $80,000,000.
lor the necesBry hogs and over $50,
000,000 ror about 900.000 cattle re
quired.
"The cattle will cost os twice as
much, and the hogs two and one hall
times as much as In the pre-war per
iod. "The whole order will he made up
berore the Mrst or the year, despite
the ract that, even berore this pur
chase, one rourth or the packers'
facilities have been devoted to filling
military demands.
"In order to get out the canned
goods the packers will find It necess
ary to employ night and day shifts of
tanners. Notwithstanding the fact
that the products are being rushed
forward thus hurriedly, not a single
complaint has been received on meats
delivered to the armies abroad."
o
We hope our hunch is true that
the world gets a dove In its worn,
knitted sock this Christmas.
VIRGIL SHIELDS WRITES
HOME PROM FRANCE
Harney County To Recently
Promoted. Gives Interesting
Account of Doings Abroad
and Describes Country.
Virgil, son of Mr. titid Mrs. T. J.
Shields of Silver Creek, who lis: been
In Frame since befero lust Christ tuns,
has written some interesting letters
home during the past few woeks and
through the kindness of his mother
we are privileged to publish some
of them 1 elow :
Chlssay. Loir-et-Chev.
May, 17, 1913.
Dear Mether:
I haven't written you for sometime
so I guess I had better get busy. Sev
eral things have happened lately.
Among others 1 hasjT become a Cor
poral. Am now aHQeissay, about
two miles from Mopchurd with i
small detainment oi men. iut.e
are only nine of us and we sure have
swell quarters. We are living In a
little building about. :lock frsm a
swell big Chateaux where a Count
and his daughter life. He is a real
nice old follow and 'both he and nls
daughter come down and talk to u
quite often. They both speak pretty
good Kngllsli.
We have spring beds, tables, chairs
cupboards, a dresser, ah otgau. and a
nice big sofa In our billet so It Is al
most impossible to believe that we
are still In the army.
The grounds too
very pretty.
I Imagine It must havi
b"jn i-well be-
fore the war and eye
now It sJiaid
to beut for dass
111 send you a
picture of the Chatetux or.e of these
days. This Is Just a little place so
there is not much td. do bore only
stav at home when off duty.
I haven't gotten any-mail for about
ten day's so I .ought togOt quite a blNrflniis of men and there was not a tar-
when It does-cottaa, The weather H
fine. In fin timilJk't pe beat and I
never felt jjV'lt, '"'' ""
doll t iitjediBMrWBK'l hie
I now wear the gold i hevron on my
lert arm, to show that I've been here
six months and then some.
Well mother there's nothing more
to write so wlll close and write to
Marie.
Lots or love as ever
Corp. Vlrg. E. 8hields.
Under date or June 4 ho writes:
Dear Mether:
Censor rules have been modified
quite a bit and we are now allowed
to tell you exactly where we are lo
gated. 1' am at Montrtrhard, which
Is about twenty rive miles oast of
Tours and twenty miles south of
Blols. If you can get hold of a very
large map of France. 1 think you can
rind It quite easily. It is a small
town or two or three thousand
French inhabitants. It Is quite a
old tho and there Is quite a bit of his
tory connected with it.
They wlll also let us send picture
post cards or the towns home now.
Am enclosing a tew tonight and will
send you some more as -soon soon
as I have time to get them.
The old castle In these pictures Is
eleven hundred years old and has
quite a history connected with It.
All of the buildings are made of
stone as you can see by the-pictures
You can get a general Impression
of how the country looks from the
picture taken from the castle. At
present 1 an on a mounted patrol
that covers the country you can see
In this picture. I sure am glad that
they have loosened the lid on cen
sorship for 1 know Ii will make you
folks feel a lot better to know Just
where we are.
June 23. 1918
Dear Mether:
Have not written to you for sev
eral days so will try to scratch ofr a
rew lines this arternoon. We havi
not had anv mall ror a couple or
weeks and I have heard that It
would be three weeks now before we
got any altho I don't know how true
It la.
It doesn't seem possible that t'.ils
it the latter part ot June. It seems
only a Bhort Mm slncn spring and
yet It seems years since we left the
States. 1 wish they would ship us
up to the front or some other place
where we would see a little action.
I am getting tired of thhV'servlce of
the rear" stuff. It wlll be Just my
luck to stay right here at this Joint
tho till the war Is over. Oh well I
should wom I have a "regular
bed" and don't have to work so very
hard now.
it has been raining a little during
the past few days, which I suppose Is
very good for the grapo vines, etc.
and it doesn't bother me much any
more. I suppose you Tolks are beginning
to think bout haying. Write and tell
me all about the crops, stock, and all
such things ror it all Interests me.
Well mother, there Is not much to
write and as my girl Is coming
down to see me today and It's about
time ror her to arrive, I'll close for
this time and write again soon.
l.iOts of love as ever
Your son
Vlrg.
Mrs. C. A. Sweek called this office
yesterday and stated she had receiv
ed a letter from her son Cy who Is In
the officers training camp at Ameri
can Lake In which he tells of practice
with big guns and on the ranges.
With her permission we publish be
low portions or this letter:
Camp Lewis, Wn.
July 21, 1914.
Dear Folks at heme:
Last week or rather week berore
last we were In the trenches again
and last week we were on the range
ali week. I had the opportunity ot
seeing the much talked of Browning
machine gun In action. Also to see
It dissembled mm well as the Vlckers.
There certainly is no comparison be
tween the two guns. The Browning
Is much the more simple In construc
tion as well as lu operation. The
possibility of getting out ot order
while In action Is also a great deal
less. The Browning is some $.'100
cheaper t:s well. One of their targets
was a house (empty) at ubout 1400'
yds. They simply riddled the house
with bullets. The dust rising from Itl
gave tne appearance mat it was on
""' "" """" " "Ul ""
erftfu rniiPiiuiinllntr ill I f ci. n i I'liiin i
f 1 .. "I 1. ..t ,. 1 .,,. nind l , , ii t nn I .. r-
'" m .. .. ......
get but what was hit. 1 could tell
you a thousand other things that are
of timely Interest but which we am
asked to "keep under our hats " us
one officer put It.
The coming week I am an acting
platoon leader and very likely my
fate wlll hang on those few days.
The Benzene Board Che board that
kicks the ones not wanted out ) sits
Saturday. Who were the unfortu
nate no one knows, but we will find
out about .Monday or Tuesday.
I must dose and beat It berore re
treat. Write soon
Your son Cy.
HIG STOXK GAIiAGK KKKCTKD
AT ONCK
Harry C. Smith of to Burns Gar
age Informs The Times-Herald that
a contract has Just been let by that
i i i-in for the erection of a 50x100
me story stone building on the site
of the present location. The work
is to begin at once, In fact excava
tion has already begun and It Is to
be completed as rapidly as possiblo.
This will be a fire proof and rrost
oroof building and one that wlll take
are of their trade In fine shape for
the present at least. Interior of the Btate, besides a bene
Thls firm has been located In tho ft tl, the traveling public In every
present building for a long time and reHpect. A post road Is not paved. It
they have-contemplated building but jB a graveled road but one that la
had postponed it from time to time HUbstaiitial and permanent,
because of the war and other causes, i -
but their business demands a larger
place and Mr. Smith decided to let
the contract and start the building at
once.
This will be another substantial
business block for Burns and will b
followed by many more us soon u
war conditions wlll permit the erec
I In' of them.
Past Present ami Future
1914
1 can whip the whole world!!!!
1915
I told you 1 could! ! !
1916
I have almost done It!!
1917
I still think I can!
1918
1 would have, but
1919
Those Damned Yanks.
o
The Russian csar has u remark
able way of coming to life. We sus
pect the reports of his death (like
that of Mark Twain) were greatly
exaggerated.
WORK BEGINS ON THE
BURNS-CRANE HIGHWAY
Engineers Here to Make Loca
tion and Survey Route. Re
port to Federal Government
to be Sent Next Week.
Assistant Knglneer M. O. Be.nnott
ol the State Highway Board, arrived
In this city Wednesday eveniug ac
companied by two assistants, H. B.
Wright and H. H. Wessell. Tim gen
tlemen come to begin active w,ork ea
the post road between this city and
Crane and have been In conferenoo
with tho county court and also look
ing over the route with a view of se
curing the best.
Mr. Bennett stated to a represen
tative of The Times-Herald this
morning that everything was in read
iness for the survey and that Mr.
Wright would take charge of It. He
stated tho county court had com
piled with every requirement asked
and that the Highway Board would
act In conjunction with the county In
every way possible.
After viewing the route and going
over the ground during the past two
days the route selected runs on the
present county road to the neighbor
hood of the Experiment Station and
from that point It is hoped to make
a direct line to Crane providing thin
is found possible.
This would give a most direct
route and one that conforms to th
custom of the highways wherever
conditions have permitted. A road
such as it Is the Intention to build
wuld he a great benefit to every
property owner alpng the line and
theVe i uttie doubt but that right of
wav wlll . granted readily.
Mr Hf.nneU gtateadt will bo n
, &fUMLorl t0 lue ttA
eral government
re actual con-
uteiiet an unrk en
egln but this
r), , wln oe muai
urlng the corn-
, in,, week. Mr. Wr
will make hi i
survey In the me
and asr eoon
as approval is secured of the plau-.i
from the government bids wlll be
usked for the construction and i:i
case they are satisfactory the i.uili.
leg of the roatl will be contracted,
otherwise the State Highway Board
wlll do the work. Mr. Bennett says
under such circumstances they use.
the equipment of the county when it
is suitable for the work and where
It may be had without Interfering
with other county road work, and in
addition other equipment la elthr
purchased or hired.
These engineers will take charge
of the survey of the proposed chitugi
In the route at Sage Hen and will
also make a change in the route near
Glas Buttes. The road in that vicini
ty is in Lake .unity and on the north
Side of the hill. It is the Intention to
make a new route to the north ot
this located entirely In Harney and
Deschutes counties and thus it will
be maintained by the two countiei
directly interested.
This is a very Important link in the
through highway east and west and
one tnat jH possible of travel during
tno entire year. It means a great
,ieui to the Isolated sections of the
SEE HER AT THE LIBERTY TO
MORROW NIGHT
After an extremely ntormy sceno
at the studio wherein charming Viv
ian Martin had furiously defied her
director and refused absolutely to
sucrlflce her charming curls to Art
for her next riirmount picture. "The
Trouble Busier, " there came a sooth
ing lull and then a sunny smile ap
peared on the star's pretty face and
all was well.
The smile was caused by the ap
pearance of the wardrobe woman
with one of the soHest, prettlesi.
curliest wigs imaginable. It was the
exact shade ot Miss Martin's curia
and suificed to calm even the some
what ruffled director, Frank Relcher,
who had been muttering sotuetbin ;
about "temperament."
The fact that the short curls wero
not her own could hardly be detec
ted and as wlll be seen at the Liberty
Thaetre on Sunday "The Troubh
Buster" suffers not a whit for Mine
Martin's refusal to sacrifice her
curls.
i.ftpi
!