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Athena Merchants
Carry Bio Stocks
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VOLUME XXI.
ATHENA. UMATILLA COUNTY. OREGON. FRIDAY. JULY 9, 1909.
NUMBER 28
THE TUM-A-LUM LUMBER GO.
Lumber, Mill Work and all Kinds of
BUILDING MATERIAL
PAINTS, OILS AND VARNISHES
Posts and Blacksmith coal
A. M. Johnson, Manager
Athena, Oregon
a
ESTABLISHED 1865
Preston-Parton Milling Company
1 HM&m BEAUTY
Floor is made in Athena, by Atbena labor, mthe latest
and best equipped mill in the west, of the best selected
Blaestem wheat grown anywhere. 'Patronize home
industry. Yonr grooer sella American Beauty for
i$1.75
Per
ack.
: Merchant Millers and Grain Buyers
Athena, Oregon.
Waitsburg, Wash.'
r
i -if .- tVTA 5
4 i jjw
R. J. BODDY
WHOLESALE BUTCHER
'Makes a Specialty of furnishing
Meat in Large Quantities.
First-class stock, Reasonble prices
Wal Paper
Paints, Oils, Glass
House Sign and Carriage Painting
E. T. Kidder, MeArthur Building
ity Meat Market
J. II. STONE, Prop.
NORTH SIDE OF MAIN STREET
The Best Meat to be found in Town. Come and see
me. I will treat you right.
J. H. STONE, ATHENA, OREGON
CROP OUTLOOK GOOD
him
A
SHOCK
riFATII
Commercial Editor Cohen Finds Good
Wheat and Some Smut Write
up in Portland Journal.
Hymau H. Cohen, commercial edit
or of (he Portland Journal, was in the
city Monday. Mr. Cohen drove through
the Atbena wheat district and being
a orop expert, the following article
by him appearing in Tuesday's Port
land Journal will be read with in
terest by Athena wheat growers:
Athena, Or., Joly 6. This section
of Oregon, that has never known a
orop failure or even a partial one,
oomes forward . this season with a
wheat production that would be the
envy of the light soil distriots in their
best years.
Sixty bushels of wheat per acre or
practically that many dollars is not to
be sneezed at during any year, but this
year, when nearly every seotion of the
world is orying about mucn shortened
crops, the showing is almost beyond
belief.
This statement is not to be construed
to mean that the whole district for
even during the "bumper " of 1907,
this was not possible.
While fields of wheat that will go
60 bushels are not common, still sev
eral of them are noted.
Thirty and forty bushel prospects
are frequently met with in this grand
est of wheat countries. While 30 bu
shel fields are met with more will run
to 8,5 bushels than to the lower figure.
This unusnal reoord of an unusual
season ismaintaind in the 15 mile belt
that surround Atbena in every direc
tion
On the reservation the yield is . phe
nomenal, considering the dry weather
the orop has passed through roopntly.
With all tms glorious showing,
still many things may happen to the
wheat before the oom bines write finis
to the growing season. The past three
days has not done the wheat any good
and some damage is reported by hot
winds. The extent of this however
can only be ascertained when the
wheat is in the sack.
Smut is the principal worry of the
wheat growers here as e'sewhere the
present season. In the Athena, Wes
ton and Adams country some fields
show more smnt than a year ago,
when so muob talk was beard regard
tbe blight. Some fields in fact many
of them are entirely free of the trou
ble, but it is safe to say that more
smutty wheat was grown than during
1908.
Regarding the smut evil there are
many ideas among produoers as to the
i extent of the damage. Some growers
j are inolined to the view that the yield
on their plaoe will be cut down five
bushels per acres thereby, while oth
ers agree that two bnsbels will form
the total. Still others are inolined
to believe that the damage will be too
trivial to consider. In any event one
large tract will not be harvested, at
all on this acoonnt.
Spring wheat has gone out of fash
ion in this seotion of the country but
the small acreage still planted will
yield better tban the best of fail sown
in many other sections. It is quite
safe to say that the general run of
spring wheat will run from 20 to 25
bushels a most remarkable showing
this season, when the absence of rain
fall is considered.
Lightning Killed Boy
Clarke Downing, a 6-year -old son
of Mr. and Mrs. J. Downing, of Wall
owa, was struck and instantly killed
by lightning at 6 o'clook Sunday eve
ning. The boy started to the -field
after the cows. When about 250 feet
from the bouse he was hit by the bolt.
A younger brother saw him a few
minutos before the flash, and when
Clarke did not return an older brother
started to find him. He found the
body within a few feet of where the
smaller brother had last seen him. His
hair and body were badly burned and
death had been instantaneous.
9l
GEEIY ST
mSm WHERE PRICES ARE RIGHT ra,ffi
THE QUALITY GOO
MAIN 83
The Freshest and most Choice the Market affords in
8 V EC ETA
a 1
jjrj1 We Best that Money can Buy Always Found Here
$ DELL BROTHERS, CA GOOD TH1NG3 TO EAT Athena, Oregon
m
&
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&
PROJECTISPDSSIBLE
Interior Department Is Determined to
Shut Out Homestead Speculators.
A most important deoision has been
handed down by the interior depart
menta decision of intense interest to
thousands of men who expect to take a
chance in Unole Sam's big lottery of
August 9.
If you're trying to get a homestead
for a real home, go ahead.
If you're hoping to draw land, .live
on it 11 months, commote as quickly
as possible, then move away,- don't
dolt.
When the time is up you may find
you have lost the land.
Even though proof offered shows
technical compliance with respect to
inhabitancy of land entered for the
period ordinatily required in commu
tation oases, it must further be shown
that the entryman went to the land
with the intention of making it his
permanent residonce this is the meat
of a ruling that has been handed down
by the secretary of the interior. In
otber words those who propose to
make entry of Unole Sam's domain
must remember that if he goes to the
land with the intention of commuting
after he has made his entry, proof
may be rejected by offioers.
fiesidenoe within the meaning of the
homestead law must be established
and maintained with the intent to
make a permanent home upon the
land to the exclusion of a home else
where. It. cannot be aoquired by
mere ooonpanoy with a view solely to
acquiring title by a oolorable compli
ance with the law, but aotuai resi
dence must be maintained in good
faith with the intent to make it per
manent. Suoh intent must be present
at the initiation of every entry, whe
ther the title is aoquired after the
full period of residence prescribed by
law, or at the expiration of the short
er period under the commutation pro
visions oi tne act. 'mere is but one
character of evidenoe applicable to
every homestead, and that means t
residence bavins the oharaoter of per
manenoy, and established and main
tained with snob intent.
James Mosgrove Instantly Killed in a
Runaway Saturday Near His
Home in Alberta.
H01EB01D DIED ON TRAIN
John
Mclntyre Expired at Wallula
Tuesday Morning.
Homeward bound from Salem, Jobu
Mclntyre died on the train at Wallula
Tuesday morning.
Hugh Molntyre, a brother, was
bringing the siok man to his home in
Atbena, and when he left Portland the
evening before, the patient gave every
evidenoe of being able to stand the
journey but his physioal condition was
suoh that when the sinking period
was reaobed, the end oame quioklyi
Cancer of the stomaob was the oarse
of death. .
The body arrived in Athena Tuesday
evening bvd the funeral took place
from the home of Mrs. A. M. Johnson,
a niece of the deceased, Wednesday
afternoon.
John Molntyre was torn in Aigyle,
Scotland, and at death was 64 years
years of age. When a small obild he
was taken to Ontario, Canada, by his
parents. Shortly after reaching Can
ada he was left an orphan by the death
of both parents.
At the breaking out of the civil war
he entered toe navy and served in the
department of the Great Lakes. At
the close of the war be settled in
Miobigan where he married Saiah
Loomis.- She lived only four years
after the marriage. He oame to this
seotion about thirteen years ago, and
has sinoe made it his home.
He leaves behind him one brother
and a number of nephews and nieoes
to mourn his departure.
A Thrilling Rescue.
The days of heroism are not over,
as is attested by the following thrill
ing story, told simply in a dispatch
from Chelan, Wash: A 12-year-old
bor while in a rowboat on the Chelan
river, was oapsized on the boom above
Woodin avenue bridge Sunday after
noun. The swift current carried him
to the dam a few hundred feet below
the bridge where he climbed desper
ately for five minutes to some drift.
Men on shore tried to reach him by
laying planks down. Asa Post started
to the boy's rescue in a rowboat, but
before assistance reached him he was
carried over the dam, seemingly to cer
tan death. Post heroioally shot his
boat over the dam, narrowly esoaping
being swamped, and reaching the
drowning boy id the edge of the rap
ids. He lifted him bodily into the boat
as he was in his last struggles. Post
regained the oars just in time to avoid
being carried against a large rook and
the rapids and reaobed shore safely.
Tbe boy soon recovered consciousness.
Prominent citizens who saw tbe thrill
ing resoue spsak in high praise of
Post's heroism and say be should be
awarded a Carnegie medal. The riper
is high, swiii and dangerous.
ames Mosgrove met a sbookinar
death near Naotou, Alberta, Saturday
afternoon, being instantly killed when
thrown from his tuggy by a runaway
team. V
A telegram announcing the death
was all tbe information received here
until Wednesday, when a letter came
giving tbe particulars.
Mr. Mosgrove, in oompanv with
Dunoan Molntyre, left Nanton for
home. Mr. Mosgrove drove a mile
out of his way to let Mr. Mclntyre out
at tbe home of Johnny Molntyre.
Proceeding on his way homeward,
that was the last seen of James Mos
grove alive. Tbe team oame tearing
home and his son-in-law, Felix Moran,
immediatey started over tbe road and
found him dead.
He had been thrown from tbe rig
and was doubtless killed instantly, for
on examination bis neok was found to
te broken. He was a powerful man
pbysioally but was badly crippled thus
making it difiioult for bim to protect
himself in falling.
At tbe time of his death James Mos
grove was aged 66 years, 8 months
and 20 days. He was born in Ireland
and oame to tbe United States many
years ago. He lived m Colorado before
coming to this state. For several years
be farmed on the reservation and re
tired to engage in the mercantile bus
iness in this oity at the time he and
his brothers, Matt and William, in
corporated the Athena Meroantile com
pany. Later he purchased a large
body of wheat land near Nantou, Al
berta, since whioh time he has resid
ed there.
James Mosgrove was a big man and
be bad a big, warm heart. In his
quiet, inostentatious way he did many
a kind tnrn for his follow man deeds
that will ever be remembered by those
who were benefitted by them. He was
a Mason, having an honored member
ship in Dolph Lodge, No. 80, of this
oity.
Besides brothers and sisters, he
leaves a wife and one daughter, Mrs.
Felix Moran. Tbe body arrived in
Athena yesterday, accompanied by rel
atives and tbe fnneral, conducted by
brother Masons took plaoe this after
noon from the M. E. oburofa.
WHITE FISH COMMIT SUICIDE
A Real Fish Story as Told By
a Real Fisherman.
'Gith,"
There, are legions of fish stories, but
there is only one real fish story. It is
told by Postmaster Githens and the
veracity of the tale is vouched for by
him, and him only. However, "Gith"
is deep in tne lore of tbe finny tribe
and when it oomes to luring the speck
led beauty from his native haunts in
the narrow oonflnes of the creek, he
oarries tbe banner, as attested by his
splendid oatob of last Sunday. But
to tbe story:
Down somewhere near Cayuse sta
tion, Mr. Githens was strewing the
tanks of tbe stream with squaw fish,
suckers and chubs and now and then
waa'adding a fine Rainbow trout to
an already fine collection. Finally bis
attention was directed to a shallow
portion of tbe stream. He beheld a
white fish, 15 inches in length, dart
head-on against a rook. Tbe flsb
baoked away and again rushed at tbe
rook at qnioker spped. Again it re
treated and tbe third time it came at
the rook at full speed, struck it fairly
and the force of the collision was so
great that it was thrown out on the
river bank, where it lay' for an instant
and then fell back into the water and
floated oft on its taok.
It was a clear case of suicide, and
whether the fish feared the post
master's prowess as an angler, or bad
filled up on Wood's angle worm bait,
is unknown.
Government Men at Work on Scheme
for Reclamation of Land
West of Hermiston.
Through some work that is being
done by the reclamation service in the
vioinity of the mouth of Butter oreok
rumors have become rife that the gov
ernment is intending to take up an
irrigation project on tbe west side of
tbe Umatilla and covering a large seo
tion of tbe now desert land of Umatil
la and Morrow counties, says the East
Oregonian.
For a number of weeks past a crew
of men under Mr. Copeland, one of
the reclamation engineers, has been at
work on test pits near the month of
Butter creek. These pits are being
sunk for the purpose of asoerraiuiug
the water retaining powers of tbe land
in that locality. Though no informa
tion has been given out by tbe reolam
atiou men it is generally believed by
partios familiar with the looality that
the land is suoh that it may be used
for reservoir purposes.
Aooording to rumors that are now
in circulation tbe government is in
vestigating the proposition of water
ing land on the west side of the liver
with water to be stored in a reservoir
at tbe mouth of Butter creek. If
found feasible the Umatilla will be
dammed below the mouth of Butter
creek and a lake formed extending as
far up the stream as Stanfleld. Lower
Butter creek would be converted into
a lake.
Should it be possible to store suffi
cient water by suoh a proceeding it is
argued that the projeot could be car
ried out very eoonomioallv throuch
tbe fact that no feed canal would be
needed. However the land being con
sidered for a reservoir site is valuable
and to sooure it by purchase or con
demnation would mean a beavy ex
pense. West of the Umatilla river there
lies a great arid plain embraoing iu
the neighborhood of 200,000 acres ly
ing iu Umatilla and Morrow counties.
This is land which onme under tbe
original Umatilla projeot. For a time
the reclamation men considered plans
for a reservoir in the vioinity of Tub
springs but tbe plans were not carried
out but given up temporarily in order
to permit of the reclamation of tbe
present Umatilla project. During tho
past few years the land on the west
side of the river has been known as
being under the "John Day project."
Under this scheme water would be
taken from tbe John Day river above
the mouth of Thirty Mile creek and
oarried across Gilliam oounty to tbe
thirsty desert. To carry out tbe John
Day scheme would take many mililons.
Siuoe the reolamatiou men have
been busy with the test pits at tbe
mouth of Butter creek ruuoh specula
tion baa arisen as to the purpose of
tbe movement. It is regarded as en
tirely probable that the government
will abandon tbe John Day project for
the less expensive plan of damming
the Umatilla at Butter oeek. , As to
bow much land will be reclaimed by
the latter scheme little is known.
However it is tbe general belief that
upwards of 75,000 aores may be wat
ered.
Should the government proooed with
tbe establishment of a projeot west of
tbe Umatilla river it will be by far
tbe largest projeot in this county and
tbe reclamation of tbe desert land
would work untold benefit to ibo coun
ty and especially to the west end.
THE DEADLY GIANT CRACKER
Bates Coyotes With Eggs.
Donald McDougall, a farmer near
Nine Mile, Wash., has found tbe most
successful and praotionl method of
trapping coyotes. Mr. MoDongall is
running a large inouhator and in test
ing out bis batch abont eight weeks
ago he had a large bucketful of un
feitilized eggs, 10 or 12 dozen, which
ha buried in tbe field to prevent bis
dogs and chickens getting the habit
of eating eggs. A few days later he
noticed something was digging them
up, and having a suspicion it might be
coyotes, he carefully buried four steel
traps, and tbe following night was
rewarded with one ooyote. A few
nights latei be got another, until he
now has trapped eight, an average of
one a week.
Christian Church Announcements.
Services will be held as usual next
Lord's day at the Christian oburob.
Tbe morning theme will be "Tbe Cost
of Prayer." Every Christian should
hear this. Services at night prompt
ly at 8 o'clock. All are cordially In
vited to attend.
York
Dell Held Miniature Bomb a
Moment Too Long.
sYork Dell is nursing a badly laoer-
ated hand, as tbe result of celebrating
a sane Fourth of July at Wenaha
Spriogs.
York experimented with a giant
fire cracker and tbe miniature bomb
exploded in his left hand. Tbe hand
was badly lacerated and tbe shook wuh
so great that little or no feeling was
experienced for several hours;
The big craoker bud been lighted
but failed to explode. York picked it
up and converted it into a "foso,"
after tbe manner in which tbe small
fire craoker is sometimes used. Ap
parently there were two compartments
in tbe tig red tube. For an instant
brilliant sparks sputtered out and then
oeasad for an instant. . Then followed
a terriflo explosion. Tbe craoker was
lown to atoms and York was in no
condition to continue oelebrating. The
injured hand bled profusely, was im
mediately dressed and no dangerous
results are anticipated.
Congressman Cushman Dead.
Congressman F. W, Coshman of
Taooma, died in New York Tuesday
morning. Senator Piles was at tbe
bedside. Pneumonia followed a
slight operation on tbe neck, and he
bad been critically ill for five days.
After tbe rally Saturday night it was
thought he would recover. Hope was
not abandoned bythe physicians until
midnight. He wus unoousiooos from
then until death.