7
Entered at the Post Office at Athena, Oregon, aa Second-Class Mail Matter
VOLUME 47.
ATHENA, UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY MORNING, JULY 23. 1926
NUMBER 30
COMMISSION DENIES
RAIL JATES BOOST
Western Carriers Held by I. C.
C. to Be in Sound Finan
cial Condition.
Washington, D. C. Declaring that
no financial emergency existed In the
western district as a whole, the inter
state commerce commission denied
the application of the railroads in that
territory for a blanket increase of 5
per cent in freight rates. - '
It also denied the petition of secur
ity holders of northwestern carriers
for an additional 15 per cent horizon
tal increase in rates in western trunk
line territory, and held the earnings
of the roads in the west as a whole
had not been such as to warrant at
this time a general downward revision
of rates on farm products, including
livestock.
The commission admitted, however,
there were many inequalities in the
rates structures in certain sections of
the west which should be corrected.
Carriers in the west, the commis
sion said, appear to be both "financial
ly and physically sound," although it
was added that certain of the import
ant carriers in the northwestern re
gion and in western trunk-line terri
tory were not yielding 5.75 per cent,
the figure held by it to be a fair re
turn. It was added, however, that in
the entire western district conditions
had recently shown an "improving
tendency." "
ASSASSINS MURDER
YOUNGPUBLISHER
Canton, Ohio. Threats on the life
of Don R. Mellett, 36, publisher of the
Canton Daily News, because of his ac
tivities against alleged gamblers, were
carried out here.
Five bullets brought to an end the
career of the young publisher, who
came here a year ago to publish the
News, owned by James M. Cox, pub
lisher of a number of Ohio papers.
Mellett was putting his automobile
in the garage in the rear of his home
when the assassin's gun spoke. Neigh
bors who heard the shots immediately
dashed for the garage, but Mellett was
dead a bullet through his left tem
ple having ended his life almost in
stantly. The slayers had disappeared
in an automobile which they parked
about a block from the Mellett home,
No trace hag been found of the gun.
men, but they are believed by police
to have been hired to put an affective
period to Mellett's crusade against the
underworld of the city.
RAILROAD TO USE RADIO
Chicago, Milwaukee Will Link 2200
Mile System.
Chicago. A system of short-wave
radio communication designed to in
sure the safe operation of trains even
when blizzards or other catastrophes
paralyze ordinary means of communi
cation is to be installed by the Chica
go, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad
throughout its entire system, it was
announced here. ;
The company plans to connect its
entire system by air, from Chicago to
Seattle, a distance of 2200 miles.
Transmitters and receivers for the ra
dio operating system will be estab
lished at pivotal stations and com
munication will be in code.
Killing Attacks Ship Marriages,
Washington. Many couples who
have been married on the high seas
by the skippers of government ves
sels may have to have the knot tied
all over again just to be safe. In in
structing the masters of all govern
ment ships to discontinue the practice
of performing marriage ceremonies,
the general counsel of the shipping
board said: "The master xf a mer
chant vessel of the Uniterd States" has
bo authority to perform the marriage
ceremony."
lee Truck Lures Red From Films,
Hollywood, Cal, Admitting he was
a "big flop" before the cameras, "Red"
Grange quite the movies on short no
tice and announced he was going back
to the home town to resume bit ice
business.
Ex-Honduran President Dies
New York. Dr. Francisco Bertrand,
ex-president of Honduras, died of heart
disease at La Celva, Honduras. He
was St years old and was president of
Honduras from 1910 until 1919.
LAND SETTLEMENT IS
THE INCREASE IN
During the first six months of the
present year 214 families settled on
farms in Oregon and invested $650,'
374. That is the official record of
the Land Settlement Department of
the Portland Chamber of Commerce
whose work is co-ordinated with
that of the State Chamber in serv
ing those who wish to come to the
state to engage in agricultural pur
suits.
If a complete survey of all coun
ties were taken, it would doubtless
be found that the number of actual
settlers is nearer the 1000 mark
than the records show.
In its work of encouraging real
farmers to come to Oregon to de-
velope the farming area of the state
and increase the upstate population,
response comes to the department
from widely separated geographical
points, arcording to W. G. Ide, who
supervises the activities of this de
partment of the development work.
From Java, in Duch East India is
coming a young Hollander' to devote
his sturdy efforts to irrigated lands
in Oregon. At present manager of
sugar factory, Mr. Von Stietz vill
bring to his new farm home techni
cal training in agriculture acquired
in Holland, as well as practical ex
perience which he will direct toward
general farming with poultry as a
specialty.
Inspired also with a desire to come
to Oregon in the near future is Ger
man Bannert who now dweih in
Chile. Accompanied by his family
which includes 11 persons Mr. Ban
nert hopes to select lands in which
he can make a substantial invest
ment for farming purposes.
The success of the land settlement
organization continues to justify its
establishment. The committee has
been in existence about two and one
half years, during which time be
tween 1800 and 1900 families have
been brought into the state and plac
ed on farms, the capital investment
being in excess of $8,000,000. During
this time no complaints have been
made by any of the settlers abous
being disappointed in what was of
fered through the land listing and
appraisal system.
SENATOR ON WAY HOME
Chaxles L. McNary, senior United
States senator, will arrive in Port
land next ' Sunday. . After a brief
rest in Portland the senator will go
to Salem and will spend most of the
summer on his farm near by, Dur
ing this period Senator McNary will
inform himself on state conditions,
requiring congressional or depart
mental attention. . He is chairman of
the sub-committee in charge of the
senatorial campaign on the Pacific
coast.
CAUGHT IN CLOUDBURST
Mrs. Peters and Mrs. Liesegang
and their party from Echo, had the
thrilling experience of being caught
by a cloudburst in the mountains
above Wallowa Lake last week. They
were returning from a hike to Ice
Lake when & thunderstorm started
and there was a cloudburst just
above them. They took refuge in a
small cabin. A regular torrent of
water, mud and rocks rushed down
the gulch about the cabin but fort
unately missed the building.
OX TEAM DERBY "
Plans for an ox team derby over
the Old Oregon Trail from Platte
River, Nebraska, to Seaside, Oregon
will be discussed at a convention of
northwest realtors July 2224 at La
Grande, Oregon. Delegates have
been asked to express themselves at
the meeting and it is expected that
communities along the famous road
will make reports. The proposed
derby would be held in 1928, the
promoters said.
BIG SPUD YIELD
One of the highest rates of in
crease reported by farmers on the
Umatilla project this season with
early potatoes was secured by Roy
Sullivan. He planted 660 pounds of
seed early in the spring and marked
117.sacks that graded U. S. No. 1. In
addition he had some culls that made
the increase more than twenty-fold.
3000 ACRES BURNED
Grass and grain flret which swept
farms between Celilo and " iliggs
Monday caused heavy losses to sev
eral wheat growers and to the Pacific
Telephone and Telegraph company.
About 3000 acres were burned.
THE FIRM CROUP DECIDES
: TO CONW WITH FIGHT
The corn belt committee, represent
ing leading farm organizations of
the middle west met at Des Moines,
Iowa, to plan a continuation of its
fight for congressional aid for ag
riculture. The thirty men present were of
the virtually unanimous opinion that
ple'dges by the Republican and Dem
ocratic , parties had not been lived up
pto and that, ways and means for forc-j
mg adequate recognition for farm-'
ing should" be found, but ten of them
consumed ' the entire session with
speech ' making. The only , item of
business transacted was the appoint
ment by William Hirth of Columbia,
Missouri, chairman of the committee,
of a resolutions committee. ;
As the meeting convened, there
were broad hints from the Chairman
that the resolutions would present a
"policy of action that organised ag
riculture will pursue in congress re
garding legislative action; that the
challenge "contained in the Mellon
Letter would be accepted; that deep
resentment over both political parties
that betrayed their campaign pledges
would be expressed particularly
against the administration because
it was the majority party and had
the power to carry ,out its policies
and would censure Secretary of Ag
riculture Jardine." . , . .
"Mr. Mellon took the position that
industry and the consumers of the
United States could not afford to
pay a higher price for food and raw
materials, than the industries and
consumers of Europe pay," said Mr.
Hirth. A liberal interpretation of
that would mean industrializing the
United States at the expense of ag
riculture and that would mean that
under that sort of system the Am
erican farmer could drop in caste to
an equality with peons and peas
ants." -,. .
Secretary Jardine was held by the
farm leaders not to have represented
agriculture conditions fairly and to
have recanted from a pledge that he
would not interfere against any par
ticular farm bill.
GIRL PROTECTION OFFICER
Miss Jeanette C. Jackson of Long
view, Washington, is on honorary
protection officer attached to the po
lice department of the city of Walla
Walla. Mayor Ben F.. Hill announc
ed that he had issued the appoint
ment because of the girl's intense
interest and accomplishments in ju
venile protective work. She is the
daughter of the chief cf police at
Longview. ,
HER THIRD ATTEMPT
Mrs. Elberta Goodman, wife qf tfie
night cook at the Quelle restaurant,
at Pendleton, made her third unsuc
cessful attempt to commit suicide
Friday morning when she swallowed
carbolic acid after a quarrel with her
husband at the restaurant. Report
from her physician were that she
would recover. v
BINGHAM SPRINGS HATCHERY :
MAY MOTOORTH FORK
" The fact' that the high tempera
ture of last week caused the death
of approximately one million finger
ling eastern brook and rainbow trout
at the Bingham Springs hatchery,
may cause the state game and fish
commission to change the location of
the hatchery to a point on the north
fork of the Umatilla .river, where
there is a flow of -water from
springs.
j.i Three experts .have been sent to
the Bingham , Springs hatchery in
an effort to save the fingerling trout.
Matt Rychman, . superintendent of
state fish hatcheries is giving the
situation his personal attention.
Not only are the hatchery, baby
trout dying off, but an infection
seems to have developed in the Uma
tilla river trout above Bingham
Springs. Dead trout ranging from
fingerlings to some a foot long have
been found along the scores. " Trout,
according to experts cannot; survive
in water for any great length of time
that is 70 degrees or warmer.
; Fate of approximately 150,000 rain
bow fingerlings turned into the Uma
tilla river in an effort tq save them
is also in doubt. Approximately
350,000 eastern brook trout are bi
ing cared for at present in a pool
from a cold spring near the resort
where the temperature is around 58
degrees.
HERBERT HOOVER TURNS SPADEMAN
" St 5 - m
I lists? iwlr W
! VV - ' i , ; I
A FORMER WESTON RESIDENT
DIES AT REEpSPORT, OREGON
W. A. Graham, for many years a
resident of Weston, and who was,
well known in Athena, died Friday
last at his home in Reedsport, Ore
gon, as the result of heart disease
from which he had been a sufferer
for the past year.
Mr. Graham was a brother-in-law
of Mrs. F. B. Boyd of Athena, and
with his wife, visited - here and at
Weston last summer. He was a car
penter and while a resident of Reeds
port was employed in a door factory.
He died at the age of 66 years and
is survived by his widow and three
sons, Neil and Herman Graham of
Reedsport and F. H. Graham of Pen
dleton, Interment was made Sunday in the
Scottsburg cemetery, the Odd Fel
lows having charge of the funeral.
TRAIL SCENERY TREATENED
Resolutions adopted at a meeting
of the managers of the Pendleton
Commercial association were mailed
to the Oregon state highway com
mission urging that steps be taken
to save the natural scenic beauty of
the timbered areas along the Old
Oregon trail. Unless such steps are
taken, according to the managers,
the land along the highway soon
will have been logged off, leaving
nothing but the stubbs of pine trees
for the tourist to view. Aid in pur
chasing timber lands , along the trail
was promised . by the association if
ways could be found to do this.
The Secretary of Commerce turns up first spadeful of dirt at ground
breaking ceremonies for emergency hospital on the grounds of the Seaqul
Centennial International Exposition in Philadelphia, The exposition will
commemorate the 150th anniversary of the elgning of the Declaration of
American Independence. At the cabinet member's right is Mayor Kendrick
of Philadelphia. The hospital will be conducted by physicians and nursea
from the Philadelphia General Hospital.
JURY OF ONE CANNOT
AGREE IN LIGUOR CASK
A citizen of Malheur county was
arrested pear McDermott, Oregon,
recently, charged with violation of
the prohibition laws. His case was
heard in a very sparsely settled com
munity, and" the small panel of ven
iremen was soon exhausted. When
all had been examined, it was found
but one juror remained in tha box.
By stipulation, this lone juror heard
the evidence and retired for deiiber.
ation. ' Some time later tha "jury"
came out, threw down a senled en
velope with the remark; "There's
the verdict," and hastened to his
horse, outside.
Inside the envelope was the mes
sage. "Jury unable to agree. '
GANG KILLS EDITOR
Threats on the life of Don R. Mel
lett, publisher of the Canton Ohio,
Daily News because of his, activities
against alleged gamblers were car-,
ried out. Five bullets brought an
end to the career of the young publisher.
COMBINE BURNS
As the result of a hot box a com
bine burned Saturday on the.Lawr
rence Hagen place, eight miles nortn
of Pendleton. A half acre of wheal
was destroyed when the combine
i burned.
The Magnet
PATTERSON AND PIERCE
PIERCE AND PATTERSON
A Salem special to the Morning
Oregonian says: Senator Ike Pat
terson, republican nominee for govr
ernor of Oregon, and Governor Wal
ter M. Pierce, democratic nominee for
re-election, discussed the. forthcom
ing campaign and election in a pleas
ant tete a tete in the executive of
fices here today, with Mr. Patterson
sitting in the governor's chair.
Both made their predictions of the
outcome of the election. They dis
cussed crop conditions in Oregon and
chatted until Senator Patterson left
for his Polk county farm to continue
his harvest operations,
Attired in hist farm togs and .x
plaining that he had just dropped in
to town on a little business, Mr. Pat
terson stopped at the executive of
fices to pay his respects to the gov
ernor, "Come right in, Ike, and sit in the
governor's chair," beamed Walter, "I
believe you want that chair anyway."
"Thank you, Walter," smiled Ike,
seating himself at the big desk while
the governor took a seat on tha side
lines. "It does feel comfortable."
"Who, in the opinion of each of
you gentlemen will be elected gov
ernor of the state at the November
election?" asked General George A.
White, a third member of the party.
"Ask me something hard, smiled
Governor Pierce, "that's an easy one,
as I'll be elected easily."
"The question is an easy one in
fact, there isn't any question about
it I'll bo elected without a doubt,"
averred Mr. Patterson.
WHEAT RUNS 23 BUSHELS
Wheat js running about 25 bush
els to the acre on Eureka flat, ac
cording to Herman Lind of Walla
Walla. Similar reports are being
made by others. Some smut is being
found in red wheat on the flat, but
most of the wheat is of good qual
ity. Some of the growers who have
finished harvesting have already re
ceived checks for their wheat, the
movement of grain being steady.
WILL SUPPORT NORMAL
A Pendleton delegation will pro
bably attend the Kiwanis luncheon to
be held at The Dalles July 29, at
which time C. L. Starr, member of
of the board of regents of the Ore
gon Normal school, will discuss the
needs of an eastern Oregon normal
school which is to come . up for a
vote of the citizens of Oregon this
fall.
ON THE TRAIL AGAIN
Ezra Meeker, aged 96, who crossed
the plains behind an ox team in
1852, left New York city on July 15
In a motor camping outfit, to go ov
er the Oregon trail again, to collect
funds for marking the trail. Mr.
Meeker will sell memorial half-dollars
for $1 each. He is tho presi
dent of the Oregon' Trail Memorial
association.
NORTHWEST WOODS
SWEPTJY FLAMES
Stevens and Pend Oreille
Counties In Washington
Declared Furnace.
Seattle, Wash. Beslnning the sec
ond week of forest fires, caused, by
lightning and heat wave over the Pa
cific northwest the situation is much
improved in western Washington,
western Oregonand British Columbia,
while conditions in northeastern
Washington, Idaho and Montana re
mained stationary.
The .biggest forest conflagration in
tha northwest since the Idaho fire of
1910. was threatening Stevens and
Pend Oreille counties in eastern Wash
ington. Seventy-four separate fires in
the two counties were threatening to
merge into one gigantic blaze that
would virtually sweep all the princi
pal forestB of the two counties. Fight
era were powerless to stop the onrush
of the flames,
Conditions in the Colvillo national
forest of northeastern Washington
were reported to the United States
forest service as being critical. In all
500 fire fighters are engaged in fight
ing 11 large blazes and a number of
smaller ones in the Colvillo region.
Only a few fires were burning in
western Washington and western Ore
gon, and they were in logged-off lands
and slashings and virtually under con
trol. Lakeview, where three large fires
covered 1000 acres and all the avail
able local men were engaged to fight,
was the most serious situation in Ore.
gon.
BRIAND MINISTRY
DEFEATED AGAIN
Paris. Premier Brinnd's tenth gov
ernmont resigned Saturday after suf
fering a defeat in tho chamber of
deputies on its full power financial
bill. The government was 43 votes
in the minority.
Defeat came when tho demand of
Finance Minister Caillaux for full pow
ers was put to a vote of confidence.
The chamber voted lack of confidence,
288 to 243,
Edouard Herriot, the radical leader
and president of the chamber of depu
ties, accepted the task of forming a
new ministry. The now ministry con
tains 11 radicals and radical-socialists
Herriot, Chautemps, Hesse, Dala-.
dler, Quevllle, Bonnot, Milhaud, Jac
quier, Dumesnll, Bazilo and Lambert,
all deputies.
The life of the new cabinet is ex
pected to be extremely short. Thl
is the opinion in all political groups,
including Herrlot's own party, because
tho promlor will again have to base
his policy on the socialist program,
wlilch the senute Is not likely to ac
cept and which, even In the chamber,
will probably have a, narrow majority,
If any.
STORMS KILL NINE IN EAST
Lightning and Wind Play Havoo
From Maine to Ohio,
New York, N. Y. Nine deaths and
property damage estimated at $250,000
marked a path of Sunday electrical,
rain and wind storms from Ohio to
Maine.
In addition, throe l:oys who set out
in a canoe from Sandy Hook, N. J.,
were missing. Four deaths In New
England were caused by lightning.
Four others were killed hy fulling
trees or drowned In New England dur
ing storms.
Marie Aogo Dubois of Adams, Mass.,
was killed by a lip;htning bolt that also
Struck and injured her brother, Al
fred. Leo McCaughey, of Hampton
Beach, N. II.; Edward L. Know, Her-
mon, Me.; and Fred Felch, Salisbury,
Mass., were the others killed by light
ning. Lightning struck near tho destroyed
naval arsenal at Lake Denmark, N. J.,
frightening thousands of sightseers,
but doing no dainago.
Crops wero damaged by wind and
ball in Maine and New Hampshire.
Clark's Heirs Win $47,000,000 Case.
Butte, Mont. A Jury la district
court here unaulmouKly rendered a
special verdict in favor of the estate
of the lato Senator W. A. Clark, in a
contest brought by three women who
claimed daughters' shares in the 47,
000,000 left by the lute copper magnate.