, t -
Emtered at the Post Office at Athena, Oregon, as Second-Class Mail Matter
VOLUME 50
ATHENA, UMATILLA COUNTY, OREGON. FRIDAY MORNING, MARCH 29. 1929
NUMBER 13
1
50,000 PORKERS Oil!
CALIFORNIA RANCH
Largest Hog Raising Place
Possesses Large Array
of Equipment.
v Los Angeles. Pigs may be pigs,
but they don't all live rlike. There is
one family of pigs in. southern Cali
fornia that has a $1,750,000 home and
country place, including ; a private
railroad, sanitarium and : some 350
' man-servants.
' It is a very large family more than
50,000 and it must be figured in
round numbers, for the size changes
every day. There is not a day in the
year when a new brood i3 not born.
The pig family is on what is said
to be the largest hog ranch in .the
world. It is operated at Fontana, 50
miles east of Los Angeles, by the
Fontana Farms company. The an
nual pork output exceeds 7,000,000
pounds a year on the hoof. All of it
is sold on the Los Angeles market.
As pigs go, this is a blue-blooded
family. It is made up almost entire
ly of red Durocs, tracing ancestry to
the famous grand champion boar once
owned by Mrs. Anita Baldwin.
Dinner time is the big time in pig
life. That's why this pig family has
a private railroad. It is a dining car
line exclusively. A trainload of fresh
garbage leaves Los Angeles daily, 11
to 14 cars in the train some 340 tons
of feed. ;
. The swine are assembled in con
crete feeding pens, strung out along
both sides of switch tracks. Clam
shell dredge motors push each loaded
steel gondola down the spur and the
clamshell scoop deposits garbage in
the pens as it passes.
- . Rigorous sanitary measures are in
force, and the mortality rate at the
huge Fontana ranch is lower than
that of many efficient hog farms in
t the corn belt. During early life, when
pljrs make the greatest gains, the
garbage ration is supplemented by
prate and alfalfa. The ranch com
prises 2000 acres.
All hogs are' inoculated and vac
cinated against cholera, first at wean
ing and then at three months of age.
; A special hospital unit is maintain
ed with a fully equipped laboratory
under direction of a veterinarian, Dr.
C. P. Guyselman.
Wauna Camp Fire Girls
Will Observe Anniversary
The Wanna Camp Fire girls made
cushions during March to be used at
;Councl Fires. The cushions are
made put of various sh,ad8 of burlap
and have individual symbols painted
en them with oil paints.
The annual Grand Council Fire
which is given to commemorate the
Camp Fire birthday anniversary will
be held in Walla Walla on Saturday
evening March 30th at the Armory
pt 8 o'c)ock. The public is invited.
Tbe Wauna Camp Fire girls plan to
attend in a group.
Rational honors and ranks will be
awarded. .
Betty Pager "was hostess to the
Wauna girls Thursday evening at her
i, home. Mrs. Ralph McEwen assisted
Esther Berlin, the song leader, in
; teaching the girls songs and cheers
; to be used at the Grand Council Fire.
Light refreshments were served Mar
Jorle Montague was Chairman of the
r- refreshment committee, -
' i , A Complete Rig
'" " Glenn Dudley has assembled a new
; plow outfit to be pulled by his 60
;. Best caterpillar tractor. The outfit
. comprises an all-steel tractor plow
s, hitch, two four-bottom 16-inch Oliver
gang plows and a rotary harrow be
f bind each plow section. The plow
- hiteh was made at the JeRsen black
smith shop from blueprint, although
changes were made to suit condition
required by Glenn's general Idea of
. what his hiteh should be. He plans
on plowing 60 acre per day with the
new rig.
Moving To Portland
Mr. and Mrs. Charles Morris have
been packing and crating their house
, hold, goods this week, with object in
view of removing, to Portland to re
side permanently. Up to last sum
mer, Mr. Norris was engaged in the
harness business in Athena. At that
time, he leased his building on Main
street, to Perry Hall. Mr. Hall has
built np a good trade in harness,
automobile top and shoe repairing
eince taking ever the shop.
Telephone Construction -
A force of Pacific Telephone St
; Telegraph company workers have
. been in Athena and vicinity for sev
eral days doing construction and re
placement work on the lines leading
from the local exchange.
Baseball Takes On
Activity In Athena,
Two Games Scheduled
Baseball is taking on considerable
activity in Athena, with two games
scheduled for play on the local
grounds. Athena high school team
meets Adams high here at 3 o'clock
this afternoon, if the grounds can be
put in shape by that time; otherwise
the game will be played on the Adams
diamond.
. Next Sunday the town team will
play the Thorn Hollow baseball club
on the Athena grounds. Sunday
Athena defeated Adams of the Coun
ty league, 9 to 5. Gross started on
the mound for Athena, Baker catch
ing. Adams took four scores off
Gross' delivery in the four innings
pitched. At the beginning of the
fifth, "Pike" Miller switched to his
Athena high school battery, and with
Jim and Mike Wilson doing the twirl
ing, and Myrick catching, Adams was
allowed but one score in the remain
ing five innings. ' Mike went through
three innings with no scoring against
him.
Adams was leading 4-0 at the be
ginning of the fifth, when Athena be
gan to smash the pellet. From then
on, Athena netted nine runs to one
for Adams. "-.'.-
The lineup for Athena was: Moore,
If; Miller rf; J. Pinkerton 2d; Myrick
cf and c; W. Pinkerton 3b; Bell ss;
Baker c; Huffman lb; R. McEwen If
J. Wilson, Gross and M. Wilson, p.
The spring schedule for games for
the Athena school team as it stands
at present is, Adams at Athena,
March 29; Athena at Helix, April 5;
Weston at Athena, April 8; Athena
at Adams, April 15; Athena at Wes
ton, April 26; Helix at Athena, May 3.
Slayer Shows Emotion
When Mother Leaves
Walla Walla, Mrs: W. R. Wilkins,
mother of R. L. (Lee) Wilkins, left
for her home in Grangeville, Idaho,
having seen her son for what she be
lieves to be the last time. Wilkins
was convicted of first-degree murder,
with death penalty, Friday, for shoot
ing Attorney John W.JBrooks, vr :.
"it is toe far and I am too old to
ccme to Walla Walla again," she said.
Wilkins showed the only emotion
since he was arrested when his moth
er left, turning away from her sob
bing. .
Wilkins, after the jury's verdict,
wrote in his diary:
"Death will be more pleasant than
the past nine months. Since the jury
saw fit to impose the death penalty
I take pleasure in congratulating
them in helping me, on my way out
of this wprld. of troubles. I have been
through more grief than, ever was al
lotted one person,'
Flag Hoist on II. S. S. California
Gypsies Gyped Per Usual
There's just no use trvlne to have
it any other way, Athena's chief of
police will not permit his home town
to be a hangout for bands of gypies.
That these begrimed but colorful no
mads are aware of this fact is dis
closed by their quick and concerted
movements in gettinsr out of town on
the mere appearance of the officer on
the street. A small band appeared
in Athena Tuesday shortly after
noon, and one befraszeled., dsty
damsel of he group managed q tar
ry long enough to. purchase a soup
bone, but that was lone enoueh for
the police chief.
Cougar Attacks Hunter
Fred Arzner the predatory animal
hunter of the Oregon State Game
Commission narrowly escaped death
last week when he was attacked in
Southern Oregon bv a couear. It vu
to his trained cougar dogs that Mr.
Araior owes his life. When the
animal had jumped for him the four
hounds attacked the cougar. The
vicious cat was killed but the doiya
did not escape from the fight without
a number Of bad ncratrhoa Mr
Arzner spends his entire time hunt
ing the animals that prey upon. deer.
Picture Program
William Bovd. sunnnrtoH ttv 11. n
Hale, Jacqueline Logan and Robert
Armstrong, will be KP4n at ftia Stan
dard Theatre tomorrow night in De
Mille'a latest picture, "The Cop." Sun
day night the screen's greatest co
medienne, Laura La Plante, is com
ing in "Home James," William
Beaudine's merry laurii special.
Sports reel.' new rl anA Ni4nA
as usual.
.:7?WilI Store Grain
Tanks of about lJ00-biihpl
city are being sold to farmers in MJn.
nesota and the Dakotas for storing
meir gram and flax. When filled they
will be sealed and Insured, after
which attempts will be maifo til ntitala
loans on the grain to the extent of
70 per cent of current market value.
Warmest Day of Season
r. .vtivtu vtic warmest
day of the season Wednesday, when
ti. w-'
tuv kMwyeraiure rose 10 W.
its ttte.r'l
Ill
L
'v-n a -- & t
vL-ir fa
An unusual view of the uig guns and mast of the flagship of the United
States battle fleet, the California, during flag hoist exercise that is, airing
the ship's . "alphabet" flags, which are used In signaling. The clock-like de
vice Is a range-clock, with 10 marks on it, 1,000 yards for each number.
CLARA GONZALES
A y
-ff-
1 tl
genorita Clara Conzaies, the enly
wpmar lawyer in F'cncma, la In Wafi
Inaton working v.!'.!! Ister-Anwrl.
can CemmisaiQivef V;;-,un,
"The High School Hero"
The Standard Theatre will present
"The High School Hero," a photo
play special, on Wednesday evening,
April 10, as its annual benefit pro
gram for the Athena high schqol
junior class. One-half ef the net pro
ceeds will t the class to be used
in defraying a part of the annual
junior-sepior class banquet. Athena
high school talent will provide all
numbers for the prelude program of
the show which will include musical
selections, sopgs, stunts, etc.
Face Burned With Hot Oil
Elmer Stockstill had his face ser
iously burned Monday evening while
working in the mechanical depart
ment of Zerba'n Athena Garage. He
was engaged in removing fibre grease
a heavy duty lubricant, from a bear
ing on a caterpillar tractor. In do
ing so he was compelled to use a
blowtorch to- melt the grease. Be
coming excessively hot,- gas formed
and spurted the burning - fluid into
Elmer's face. Fortunately his eyes
escaped injury. ;
Milton Buys Building
Purchase ef the. Columbia college
property at Milton by the eity of Mil
ton was decided by a vote of the
citizens,, 202 voting in favor of the
purchase and -126. against it. The
measure took the form, of an amend
ment" to the. city's constitution ex
tending the. city's credit $20,000, to
allow the purchase. ' The building will
be used for a community .center, as
city hall and for a fire station.
A Week-end Visitor
Mrs. M. W. Hansell enjoyed
pleasant week-end last week when
she visited her daughter Helen at
Washington State college at Pull
man. Mrs, Hansell waa well enter
tained by the young ladies at Kappa
Kappa Gamma house, and is en
thusiastic in praise of the institution.
Miss Helen will be at home on April
10 for the spring vacation.
A Fine Picture Coming
The Standard Theatre has booked
a splendid picture, "The Trail of '98"
for a showing- here on Saturday.
April 27. The story of "The Trail of
98" is now running in aerial form
in th Wall Wall Union.
Walter Russell Dies
y In Veteran's Hospital
r . K
News has been received, in Athena
of the death of Walter Russell, at the
Veteran's hospital in Portland, Tues
day of last week, March 19, at the
age of 35 years. Deceased was a son
of Mrs. May Russell, of Condon, and
was born in Athena 1893. He was
a nephew of Mrs. Henry Miller, Mrs.
W. R. Harden and W. C. Russell of
this city.
Walter was a veteran of the World
War, having served as a private in
the 1st company of the 66th artillery
for nineteen months overseas. : His
honorable discharge from the army
indicates that he had been in the sec
ond battle of the Marne and also the
second battle of the Argonne. He en
listed in the service July 13, 1917.
He was gassed while in service, but
brighta .disease.. was jhe. direct cause
oi aeatn. ;
He was employed as brakeman on
the Union Pacific out of Portland
prior to his death. He is survived
by his widow, three children, his
mother, one brother and one sister.
Funeral services were held from the
Congregational church at Condon,
Thursday of last week.
, Win In Declamatory Contest
Stafford Hansell won first in the
extemporaneous division for Athena
high school in the district oratorical
contest at Weston, Friday evening.
Stafford took for his subject, "The
Effect of the World War on Crime."
In the grades, Athena succeeded in
winning two first and three second
places in the contest Aaron Doug
las was first in the patriotic division;
Fern Carstens second in humorous;
Doris Jenkins second in dramatic,
Billy Johns won first in his grade and
Helen Barrett second in 8th grade
dramatic. Patronella Walters won
third place in the dramatic division.
Mail Plane Down
A Varney mail plane, George Buck
pilot, was compelled to make a forced
landing on Telephone Ridge, a few
miles south of Thorn Hollow, Friday
afternoon. Buck was carrying mail
from Boise to Pacso, when the land
ing was made, and he brought the
mail down to Thorn Hollow station,
Where it was forwarded bv train.
Tuesday the plane waa . brought
through Athena on a truck, en route
to Pasco whore it will be renaired.
One wing and the landing gear wan
damaged to some extent.
He Changed Jobs
A man in s remote section of Ore
gon, some time ago, promised the
State Game Commission that he
would forsake his habit of killing deer
out of season. He was notorious in
his locality for hunting out of season
and boasted that he could not be
caught. When he gave up illegal
hunting he took up another habit
that of moonshlnlng. Now he is in
jail.
. . Excavating at Elevator
Contractor Hugunin has been di
recting a force of men In excavating
for the foundation of the new addi
tion to be made to the Farmers Grain
Elevator company plant on lower
Main street. A large , amount . of
building material is on the ground
now, and construction work will ad
vance steadily, once the excavating is
completed. ,
"Too Many Parents"
Calls For a Second
Presentation' Here
Athena high school's annual play,
"Too Many Parents," by A. A. HoiT
man and directed by Mildred Bate
man, went over better than 100 per
cent in tAhena, for it was necessary
to give a second presentation to ac
commodate - patronage. Gross re
ceipts totaled ?170.00.- ;
Advance sales more than filled the
auditorium for the Tuesday evening
performance, and the attendance
Wednesday evening was even greater
than an average audience at the audi
torium. Every pupil in the school
who took out tickets for sale, return
ed cash and tickets without a single
mistake, which Superintendent Meyer
characterizes as being a very fine
record. ,
"Too Many Parents" proved to be
a splendid vehicle for amateur talent
production, and Miss Bateman, with
a well balanced cast, skillfully made
the most of it. A farce comedy and no
thing more; the cast was carefully se
lected and in its entirety the charac
ters entered into play with a marked
smoothness that impressed the audi
ence with the feeling that the pre
sentation bordered well toward pro
fessional endeavor.
In the thirty-eight years the writer
has reviewed the annaul plays given
by Athena high school, he does not
recall one that was better presented;
one in which the play proved better
adapted to the talent of the cast, or
one that elicited more audience in
terest than "Too Many Parents."
Ralph McEwen in the role of
"George Murdoch" was much at ease,
and with graceful stage presence,
most creditably depicted the exas
perated son, while Edwin McEwen as
"Ned Stanley," lawyer and friend,
was very good as George's main foil.
Carolyn Kidder took the part of
"Sylvia Murdoch," George's sister, in
seemingly the easiest way in the
world, and Weldon Bell as "Carraway
Bones" was a ' scream. John Kirk
was happily cast as "General Burton"
brusk and gruff, but withal a kindly
old dad to his daughter "Evelyn,"
piayeu oy miss reiiy uuger, very
much in love with George, and who
generally had her way. .
Thelma Schrimpf, in the role of
"Mary Murdoch," mother of George
and widow of the captain, imperson
ated very satisfactorily the plot
character of the play, and her mar
riage with Bones surely scrambled up
a mess for all concerned. The writer
will wager his Ingersol watch that
Stafford Hansell never saw a sea
captain, but he surely gave a splendid
impersonation of one , in his fine
rendition of "Captain George Mur
doch," and when "Remedias," the sec
ond wife of the captain (Mildred
Bateman) got her Spanish up, you
could fairly feel the sting of her
stiletto. '
Yes, "Too Many Parents" was good.
Everybody says so.
Bag Limit Changed
Wild ducks of Oregon were grant
ed greater protection by, the ftat
legislature. The limits were cut to
15 ducks a day and 20 a week. The
bill was advocated by many who be
lieve that the birds were being
slaughtered unnecessarily. .
The Athena Bridge Club
Members of the Athena Bridge
club enjoyed an afternoon at bridge
last Friday when Mrs. Lloyd Mich
ener entertained. Three tables were
in play. Guests for the affair in
cluded Mrs. Dudley Rogers, Mrs. E.
C. Prestbye, Mrs. Bryce Baker, Mrs.
Will Kirk, Mrs.' James Cresswell and
Mrs. M. I. Miller. High club score
was made by Mrs. Henry Dell, Mrs.
M. L. Watts receiving the consolation.
Mrs. James Cresswell was presented
the guest prize. Pink sweet peas
were used to center the tables at the
tea hour, when the hostess was as
sisted by Mrs. Will Kirk in serving.
Locomotive Strikes Baby
The East Oretronian renorts that
little Lawrence Francis Perard, age
19 months, was criticallv in lured lant
night when the Portland Limited east
bound, struck him when he was play
ing at the Jane street crossing, three
blocks west of the Union Pacific Ac
pot. A cylinder head of the locomo
tive Is believed to have struck the
child in the face, knocking it to the
ground and fracturing its skull.
. Broken Knee
Mrs. J. E. Jones suffered a fracture
of the left leg at the knee, Saturday
last when she was engaged in house-
cleaning. Mrs. Jones was taken to
Walla Walla after Dr. Sharp had re
duced the fracture, and an X-ray ex
amination revealed that one bone was
fractured in two places and also a
slight fracture was noted in the knee
joint. The X-ray picture also re
vealed that Dr. Sharp had set the
fractures perfectly, and the splints
were allowed to remain.
' K. P. Convention April 2
The district convention of the
Knights of Pythias lodge will be held
in Milton April 2, with Hercules
Lodge acting as host to the visitors.
Delegates a-e expected from lodges
at Tendleton, Weston, Athena, Helix,
Adams and Hermiston. Some of the
state officers are also expected to at
tend the meeting... ; Wrf. .
BEGIN WORK ON
I AID BILL
Senate Agricultural Com-
mittee Begins Task of
Drafting' Plan.
Washington. A start was made by
the senate agriculture committee on
the drafting of one of the major pieces
of legislation to which the Hoover
administration, has been pledged
that of farm relief.
The i committee assembled with a
view of expediting its work so that
a new farm bill, a substitute for the
twice vetoed McNary-Haugen meas
ure, will be ready for the seventy
first congress when it convenes in
special session April 15 to consider
the farm question along with that
of tariff revision. s
The greater part of today's meet
ing was taken up by an explanation
of a plan by Senator Brookhart, re
publican, Iowa, who said he believed
it would meet with the approval of
President Hoover.
The Iowan's plan contemplates a
huge revolving fund of more than a
billion dollars with which the govern
ment would purchase crops so as to
relieve the domestic market of a sur
plus and would provide a subsidy up
to $600,000,000 to take care of any
losses incurred by selling surpluses
on the world markets at prices less
than those paid for the crops.
It would endeavor to establish the
cost of production and would arbi
trarily fix the prices of crops at a
sum 5 per cent in excess of the cost
of production.
After Brookhart had explained his
plan, Senator McNary of Oregon,
chairman of the committee, declared
that President Hoover had spoken
against price-fixing, taxes or fees,
and any method which would put the
government, directly into the agricul
tural business, ' Y .. .
He asked Senator Brookhart wheth
er in view of this position of the
president he felt the plan had any
chance of success. The Iowan con
tended that the bill would be approv
ed. ,
Marion Hansell Will
Manage Bean Acreage
A fairly well attended and enthusi
astic meeting of those interested in
promoting the bean-growing indus
try in the Athena-Weston district,
was held at the office of B. B. Rich
ards in Athena, Friday evening.
The whole situation pertaining to
the enterprise was up for discussion
with the result that Mr. Eickhoff and
his associates were assured that suf
ficient acreage will be under contract
for bean production in this territory.
M. W. Hansell, prominent Athena
farmer, who has taken much interest
in the matter of securing an alter
nating crop with wheat on summer
fallow land, and who is thoroughly
conversant with soil properties, has
consented to accept the position of
manager of the Athena-Weston dis
trict for the big bean packing com
pany, represented by Mr. Eickhoff.
This week Mr. Hansell is engaged in
closing up the contracts with local
land owners for bean acreage. Mr.
Eickhoff has been notified by his
company that he will be stationed
here perhaps all summer to direct the
management of the whole project. Mr.
Hansell is his first appointed aide.
W. C. T. U. Essay Contest
Unusual interest ' has centered in
the W. C. T. U. Essay contest this
year and Athena is to be congratulat
ed in receivine two first places in the
county awards. Those winning in
the local contest were Eldon Myrick,
Stafford Hansell, Aaron Douglas and
Teddv Miller. . The countv nrizeg of
five dollars to high school students
and three dollars to grade pupilB will
be presented to the followine: Hicrh
school senior, Marie Van Slyke, Mil
ton; high school sophomore, Stafford
Hansell, Athena: eiarhth erade nunil.
Izella Hendricks, Pendleton; Sixth
grade pupil, Rachel Koken, Pendle
ton; Fourth erade nunil. Teddv Mill
er, Athena. Judges were, Mrs. Ralph
Mcfcwen of Athena, Mrs. VashM Kin,?
of Helix, and Mrs. J. F. Slaughter of
Pendleton. The essays will be enter
ed in the State content.
Alhena-IVtirtleton Shooters
; Athena-Pendleton shooters, over the
traps ef the .Walla Walla gun club
bunday made a score in the teleera-
phic tournament of 71. Marion Han
sell and Guy Matlock made a score of
24 each and Finis Kirkpatrick made
Z.I. The trio beat Central Dono-lan
and The Dalles, and lost to Klamath
Falls. Marion Hansell finished sec
ond in a Walla Walla handicap shoot,
smashing 45 out of a possible 50 tar
get wore. '