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homes of readers who reside in the
heart of the Great Umatilla Wheat
Belt, and they have money to spend
ikm
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Entered at the Post Office at Athena, Oregon, as Second-Class Mail Matter
VOLUME XLIII.
ATHENA. UMATILLA COUNTY. OREGON. FRIDAY. AUGUST , 1922.
NUMBER 30
FIFTY-SEVEN MILLION DOLLARS EXPENDED
ON OREGON HIGHWAYS TO DATE SINCE 1017
Government May
Take Over Roads
R, C. Johnson of the Portland Jour
nal, finds that $67,000,000 have been
spent for roads in Oregon, from the
year 1917.
In round numbers this great amount
of money will have been raised from
the year 1917 to the end of the cur
rent year from all sources for state
highway construction. These sources
include the issuance of bonds, federal
aid, county cooperation, motor vehicle
licenses and the tax on gasoline and
distillate.
By the end of the present year the
$57,000,000 will nearly have all been
expended. As a result of this expen
diture the concrete accomplishment
will be 800 miles of paved highway,
1500 miles of rock surfaced road and
500 miles of unsurfaced grade. In
addition there will be approximately
1000 bridge contractions, including
overhead railroad crossings and under
grade passage ways. Counting irr the
bridges the average cost of the whole
expressed in miles is approximately
$35,000 per mile. Excluding the bridge
structures the average is about $30,
000. It is very obivous that if it had
been generally understood five years
ago, when the state embarked on the
sea of highway improvement, that
the outlay was to assume such large
proportions, the voyage would have
been postponed.
Now that it has been accomplished
there seems to be a general sentiment
that it is worth what it cost. Especi
ally is this the conclusion of those
who travel over the entire work and
realize its extent and the character of
the obstacles met and surmounted in
the securing of safe and easy grades
and firm foundations. To those whose
criticisms is based on local view
points the magnitude of the develop
ment is a revelation of the greatest
good to the greatest number.
Criticism disappears in the greater
knowledge of what has already been
done and what is yet to be done to
give Oregon one of the best highway
systems in the union of states.
Of the millions already expended
about 50 per cent ha? been allotted to
the two main arteries in the system,
the Pacific highway, extending north
and south, and the Columbia river
highway Old Oregon Trail, east and
west. These two main trunks are
practically completed and future de
velopment will be in the direction of
connecting roads reaching into the
more remote parts of the state and
bringing them into intimate relation
with the great populous sections as
well as serving local need. In this
future development a good start has
been made.
EX-UNIVERSITY ATHLETE
VICTIM TRUCK ACCIDENT
C. Richard Nelson, better known to
a host of college friends as "Dick,"
who was killed recently in Idaho in
the wreck of a county road truck
which he was driving, was a well
known University of Ore. football,
basketball and baseball player in 19-15-16-17.
He played center on the
football team and for three years was
a varsity guard in basketball.
In the spring of 1920 he returned
to the University of Oregon as coach
of the freshmen. Last year he was
athletic coach at Wallowa high
school, where his teams had excep
tional success. When school closed
for the summer vacation he went to
Caldwell, Idaho, to play baseball in
the Western Idaho league. It was
while working for the county road
department there, driving a truck,
that he was killed June 21.
In February of 1921 Mr. Nelson
married Miss Elizabeth O'Connor of
Caldwell, Idaho. He is survived by
his widow and by his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. G. D. Nelson of Lafayette, Ore.
Nelson was a star baseball player.
He played first base for three sea
sons at the university and was cap
tain in 1917. He was a member of
Alpha Tau Omega national college
fraternity. He tried out with the
Portland Beavers at one time. He
was one of the most popular ath
letes who ever attended the Univer
sity of Oregon,
If any railroad fails to function in
the carrying of mail and necessary
commodities as provided in the fed
eral priority order the government
will take over and operate that road.
This is the next move planned by
President Harding it was learned on
high administration authority.
The department of justice has ad
vised the president that this can be
done, under the law without any ad
ditional legislation, it was learned.
At the same time it was made plain
ENGINEER BEEZLEY
FILES A REPORT ON
County Growers
Will Show Grain
B. F. Beezley, government engin
eer with the Bureau of Public Roads,
Portland, has filed his report of the
preliminary investigation made by
j him of the proposed Weston-Elgin
that the gdvernment does not con-!road' which traverses part of the
template doing this until the break Umatilla National forest and for
down of the particular railroad be-J which federal aid is asked through
comes evident. For a while at least, the Forest Service, jt ia understooJ
the president after placing full re- IU . , ,
sponsibility for failure to end the that Engmeer Beezley found no se"
strike on the railroads, will keep rlous Physical difficulties in the way
hands off and let the two factions of construction, and confidence is felt
fight it out. by those interested that in due
The department of jusice, it was ' course the location survey will be
learned, has worked out a complete ! ordered
BAND AT ROUND-UP
AUttnn will furnish a hand of 26
pieces at the Round-Up this yearjrfosed Weston-Elgin highway across
.1. E. Froome has the contract witnllhe Blue Mountains, a Walla Walla
the Round-Up association to furnish
a band to represent this part of the
county at the big show in September.
He is assembling the players, and re
cently the first rehearsal was held
in Athena. Players in addition to
Jacal musicians, are being secured
from organizations ftt Pilot Rock,
Walla Walla and Dayton, Wash. An
ex-regimental bandmaster of the U.
S. Army has been secured to direct
the band.
SATURDAY-SUNDAY SHOWS
Even better than the programs of
last Saturday and Sunday are the
pictures for the coming Saturday and
Sdhday shows at the Standard Thea
tre. Wallace Reid is coming tomor
row night in "The Hell Diggers" a
PERFECT SEASON FOR
VEGETABLE PRODUCTION
The present season has been a per
fect one for the production of fruit
and vegetables. The local stores
have carried the best quality of or
chard and garden products that has
been in the market for some years.
Prices, while high with the intro
duction of "the first crops, have in
each instance settled to normal quo
tations, and quality considered, the
normal prices have as a rule been
reasonable,
One exception may be noted, Cher
ries kept up in price from the first
shipments, and while a normal crop
was marketed by the growers, foreign
demand was such that the local buyer
had to dig deep in his purse to find
the price,
Tomatoes, which started at a brisk
price, have settled until the top qual
ity has been purchased at the local
stores this week at 75 cents per box.
Vegetables in splendid variety and
superlative quality are in demand at
satisfactory prices.
LAKE AT TOLLGATE
With the completion of the pro-
man has in contemplation a pleasure
resort in vicinity qf Woodward's Toll
gate at the summit of the mountains.
He purposes darning a stream flowing
through a meadow which will result
in an artificial lake, covering approx
imately 65 acre. He will have mo
tor boats and other pleasure craft
for hire, and the scheme is said to
embrace the construction of numerous
cabins on the lake's shore.
ONE KILLED IN WRECK
Eastbound O. W. R. & N. passen
ger train No. 4 was ditched at North
Fork, 35 miles east of Pendleton, ear
ly Wednesday morning. The engine,
baggage car, smoker and tourist
sleeper, left the track, and the smok
er toppled over. In this car twelve
procedure for taking over the rail
roads. As soon as unpardonable con
gestion occurs for the movement oi
mails or for food and fuel district at
torneys will go before the United
States court and ask that a receiver
be named on the legal ground that
the officers of the railroad no long
er are able to operate it.
With a receiver named, the road is
literally in the hands of the United
States government and such wages
and working conditions may be fixed.
MILTON BOY KILLED
Claude Miller, ten year old son of
Mr. and Mrs. Levi Miller, was instant
ly killed when he fell from a tree
across the road from his home in
south Milton. It is believed the boy
The report deals with a roail 44
miles in length, leading up Hal?
creek out of Weston and descending
into Elgin by what is known as the
north or Gordon creek route. Twenty-two
miles of it would be in Uma
tilla county and twenty-two miles in
Union county. The present toll gate
route would be followed for only,
part of the distance. The road would
be 12 feet wide, cleared to a width
of 44 feet and grubbed to a width of
25 feet. It would have a ruling
grade of six percent and a maximum
grade for short distances of seven
percent, with a minimum radius of
curvature of 100 feet. It requires
four bridges, one cattle pass and a
large number of corrugated metal
culverts. The engineer Doints out
...1. L1J - 1, L i . . ...
look now oi a live eiectric wire while that suitable quarries may be opened
m n.c v.cc ..u umi u.e shock causea every few miles if crushed rock is
him to loose his hold on the tree and desired surfacing,
fall. He and his brother were in the j Colonel Paul H. Weyrauch of Wal
tree and when the 10 year old fell a Wana) president of the Blue
his brother hastened down uninjured. .Mountain Highway association, has
" m wo u.ower gasping , announced that arrangements
mo it, naviiig receivea a proKert
neck from his fall. The fact that the
lad had a burned spot on his hand
led to the theory he had taken hold
of a live wire. The current was prob
ably not sufficiently strong to elec
trocute him but brought about his
death indirectly,
are in
progress for taking Congressman N.
J, Sinnott of Oregon and Congress
man J. W, Summers of Washington
over the road, in company with oth
ers interested. It is expected that
I. M. Schannep, Umatilla county
(judge, L. J. Shannon, Umatilla coun
ty roadmaster, and President Wey-
ALLEGED LIQUOR RUNNER rRUch wiU be members of the Partv-!
SHOT BY FEDERAL OFFICER ? C0Unty courts of Walla Walla!
and Union counties may also be rep-1
resented. Plans for the trip are in
Umatilla county wheat growers ari
evincing their keen interest in the
Northwest Grain and Hay show
which will be held in Pendleton dur
ing the week of Round-Up by mak
ing entries of their choice wheat re
ports the East Oregonian. More than
two dozen of these entries from grain
men in the county have already come
into the office of Fred Bennion, and
more are expected from now on.
J. E. Harv-y and Herman Rosen
berg will c Turkey Red. James
Hill, who last year won eighth place
in the white club class with Hybrid
128 will be back for some money
again this year. Tulloch and Smythe
will show Triplett and Hybrid 128.
Last year they took first on certi
fied Hybrid, third on white club
and third in- the Hybrid special.
They also won a first at the Land
Products Show at Portland last win
ter. W. A. Slusher has entered some
Turkey Red and Hybrid. L. L. Rog
ers will compete for the prizes with
Federation and Jenkins club. The
Peringer Ranches Co. will also try
for honors in the Jenkins class.
Frank Ramey will show Hybrid, and
R. M. Warren will have some Blue
stem and Hard Federation before
the judges. Otto Reiman and Ralph
Reese of Echo will enter Hard Fed
eration and Mr. Reese will also have
some Early Bart.
White winter barley will be enter
ed by Storie and Ritner and Hosen
rye by Frank Frazier.
F. A. Given is visiting the ware
houses in the county and securing
samples of the grain belonging to
those who will make entries.
NOTED ART COLLECTION AT UNIVERSITY
OF OREGON TOTALLY DESTROYED DY FIRE
TWELVE CROSSINGS ORDERED
CLOSED ON HEPPNER LINE
DECISION MAY MODIFY
STATE HIGHWAY PLANS
Felled by a bullet In his leg from
the gun of a federal prohibition of
ficer when he attempted to escape
at Baker, a man giving his name
as T. R. Wilson and his home as
Walla Walla, Wash., probably will
lose the member by amputation, the
attending physician said.
A car driven by the wounded man,
the hands of the executive board of
the association, and invitations will
go forward at once to the congress
men named. It is said that an effort
will also be made to interest Senator
Poindexter in the junket.
A personal acquaintance with the
locality of the proposed construction
containing' 1108 quarts of brandy I w he. part of the congressmen, who
and whisky was seized by the Baker
officers.
Wilson was captured after he
leaped from his machine on Main
street in a chase by the federal qf
ficer, in which three shots were fired,
one taking effect.
will view the fine farming country
in the mountain districts and talk
with the settlers en route, as well as
acquire more intimate knowledge of
the Umatilla National fqreat, is ex
pected to impress them with the ad
visability of the road's construction.
An order was issued by the public
service commission Wednesday re
quiring the closing and abandonment
of 12 open public grade crossings on
the Heppner branch of the Oregon
Washington Railroad & Navigation
company in Morrow county.
The order, it was explained, was the
result of an investigation and hearing
held at Heppner July 12 relative to
the application of the O. W. R. & N.
company for a change and rearrange
ment of the crossings on its Heppner
branch.
Most) of the crossing eliminated are
on what is known as the Oregon
Washington highway, serving the dis
trict between Arlington and Heppner.
For a number of years this road sup
ported a comparatively heavy traffic.
Of the 12 open public crossings
which are to be closed, eight are en
tirely eliminated. Three others are to
be gated and allowed to remain in use
as private farm crossings only, and
one is discontinued as a public cross
ing but permitted to remain for pri
vate use of property owners in that
vicinity.
A modification of the state highway
program will probably result from
the decision of the state supreme
court that it is illegal to apply mar
ket road funds on state highways.
This judgment was rendered Satur
day on an appeal from Lane county,
where a section of the Pacific high
Way had been designated by the coun
ty court as a market road and im
proved with market road funds.
The case grew out of the Polk
county controversy where the county
was enjoined by the circuit court from
appropriating market road funds on
the grade of the west side Pacific
highway between Monmouth and the
Benton county line. Owing to the fact
that a number of other counties had
resorted to the same expedient to
raise money to cooperate with the
state appeal was made to the sup
reme court for final determination.
The supreme court held that it was
the intent of the legislature to keep
market roads entirely distinct from
state highways.
As a result of the decision the fin
ancial adjustments between the state
highway commission and several
counties will have to be rearranged
and new agreements entered into for
work now under way and in pros
pect. The state highway commission and
county courts had proceeded on the
theory that in practical effect the
state highways in some counties were
the main market roads of the county,
especially in thinly populated coun
ties such as Curry.
An effect of the decision will prob
ably be a resort to the legislature for
the enactment of a law which will
permit the application under certain
circumstances.
Fanned by a brisk wind, fire on the
University of Oregon compus Sat-'
urday afternoon destroyed the wo
men's gymnasium building, now
housing part of the art department,
and the annex adjoining, in which the
School of Journalism and the infir
mary are located.
The blaze also, damaged the resi
dence of Dean Sheldon. The total
damage to college structures is esti
mated by President Campbell at more
than $51,000.
This loss does not include the vain.
able Fairbanks art collection, which
was housed in the gymnasium. This
collection, consisting mainlv of aculn-
tured work, was destroyed.
1 he gymnasium building was erect
ed some 30 years ago for the men of
the college. For many years it was
also the scene of university social
activities. Later it was converted in
to a gymnasium for the women. Ear-
lyday football scores and what were
then state and coast track records
were inscribed on honor rolls on the
walls of the building.
During the height of the blaze em
bers were blown onto all roofs in the
path of the wind and it was with
great difficulty that the hundreds of
volunteer fire fighters, aided by tho
lire department of Eugene, saved
these buildings. Scores of students
who were in Eugene at the time, has
tened to assist in saving the school
property.
One residence located nearly six
blocks from the scene of the main
blaze caught fire from sparks dropped
on the roof, but prompt action pre
vented the destruction of this build
ing. Sparks even lighted in Hayward
field, one and a half miles from the
campus.
The fire started about 4 o-clock and
it was not brought under control un
til after 5 p. m. The cause of the
blaze is yet to be determined.
SYNDICATE TO BUY
IRRIGATION BONDS
Doesn't Seem to Be Any End to It
stirring" mining story, and bunday . were seriously injured and one pas
night, Goldwyn's fine current picture, i sger, M. Moralez, a Mexican was
"The Dangerous Curve Ahead" will ; killed. A broken rail caused the I
be screened. Both of these fine pict- ! wreck, and the fact that the. train was
u res wilt be exhibited with no ad-; climbing the mountain at slow speed
yance in admission prices. i instead oi coming oown, eise laian-
. . ties would doubtless have been more.
TOMATO PRICE DOWN !
The price qf tomatoes, due tq-al ANOTHER CROP DUB
large crop, ripening early. Is grad- Another cutting of alfalfa is under
ually growing downward. The first way jn this vicinity. While the pres-
of the week brought the price to 75 j ent cutting is not so heavy as the .
cents per crate, with prospects of j first, owing to no moisture during the
still further decline. , entire month of July, a fair crop of
I hay is being put up.
END OF HARVEST
A few will finish harvesting this
week and next week will find many
of the fields in this part of the coun
HAS MELON CROP
s no secret, lor Marion nanseu
il telling it himself that he has an
ty cleaned up. the weather this week ; exceptionally big crop of melons this
fcas been ideal for threshing grain, j year on his farm north of Athena,
ind considerable wheat ha been do-' The season has been a favorable one
livered to the warehouses. for melon growing.
mJ Ui jim. i
Fifty-six of the nation's largest
financial institutions have formed a
syndicate and will take over the $28,
000,000 Horse Heaven irrigation bond
issue as soon as the supreme court of
Washington rules on the validity of
the issue, according to an announce
ment made.
Under the plan, as announced each
institution is to take over about $500,
000 worth of the bonds. No move will
be made, however, until after August
14, when the court ruling is anticipa
ted. Work will not begin until 30 days
later, even though the court ruling
is favorable.
The Horse Heaven country, which
includes 340,000 acres along the Col
umbia river in Benton county, Wash.,
is now a barren section. Water for
irrigation is to be brought through
a 12 foot circular pipe for almost 100
miles from the Klickitat river on the
east slope of Mount Adams. It will
require at least two and one half
years to finish the work, the general
contract for which has already been
let to Howard Amon, contractor. Sub
contracts will be let soon after Au
gust 14. Engineering difficulties con
fronting1 the project are small, it was
stated.
STILL CAUSES $10,000
FIRE AT WALLA WALLA
"RED" RUPERT IS MARRIED
Clyde J. (Red) Rupert, former
Portland policeman and athlete who
t coached the Weston Normal football
I team during one of its best seasons
some eighteen years ago, was mar
ried last Friday at Marshfield, Ore
I'gon, to Hazel Erwin, who served time
in the Oregon penitentiary ai the i c
complice of Willard R. Tanner in the
j slaying of Roy W. Wallace in Port
1 land in 1812. Having been divorced
! by his first wife, Rupert met and fell
I in love with the woman while "do
ing time" lor the theft of $18,000 in
Liberty bonds from the Northwest
ern National bank of Portland
when he was special guard at the
1 bank, Rupert was pardoned from
i McNeil island four mqnths ago by
! the president. He and his new wife
I declare they are "going straight."
When at Weston Rupert was a man
ly, upstanding young fellow, and a
fine type of the football athlete.
Building operations aggreggtinw a
quarter of. a million titular are un
der way at, Jlnseow, Idaho, with a
pronpect for enhanced activity in the
autumn.
Fire caused by a still in operation
in the racing barns at the Walla
Walla fair grounds, caused a loss ef
$10,000 to property, and the death of
two race horses, Friday night.
Donatus, with a mark of 2:16 and
Dorothy M. with a record of 2:23 were
cremated by the flames, but othor
valuable racers were liberated from
the burning stables.
The still was plainly to be seen af
ter the building was destroyed and
had been a copper still of about ten
gallons capacity, and had evidently
been setting on a kersoene stove. Tho
supposition is that there had been hay
piled around the outfit to hide it.
There were rumors that the fire
had been set to conceal the still and
that the sheriff's force knew who
was running the still and were out
after him. At any rate neither Sher
iff Springer nor any of his field dep
uties were to be found last night all
being engaged on the case.
AUTOMOBILE FIRMS MAKE
HEAVY PRICE REDUCTIONS
Heavy price reductions on Stude
baker, Chandler and Nash motor cars
have been announced.
Cuts on Studebaker, Chandler and
Nash motor cars range from $70 to
$300 on various models. Nash cuts
were from $50 to $250. Chandler cuts
were from $20 to $300.
The Studebaker corporation, it was
said, has produced 60,000 cars in the
first six months of the year and ex
pects to enter 1923 with production
at the rate of 150,000 annually.
WANTED EAGLE FEATHERS
Jim Kannini, Indian, was persist
ent in his request for the feathers
in the mounted eagle at Prestbyo's
Service Station, Wednosday, when on
ly little Jennamea Read was attend
ing the station. The little girl be
came alarmed and phoned for her
mother, who soon convinced the In
dian that he could not have tho feath-
I HE RAISES POTATOES,
Out on the Harvey Caton place,
Just south of Athena, Harry Keller
has 25 acres of fine looking growing;
potatoes. Harry planted Netted Gems
and a portion of the seed was of the
mountain certified variety. His pros
pects for a big yield are good,