Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner herald. (Heppner, Or.) 1914-1924 | View Entire Issue (July 2, 1914)
HEPPNER HERALD. HEPPNER, OREGON. PROMINENT PEOPLE OF Facts Forced From Familiar Faces By E. G. H. WILLIAM OSCAR MINOR Some great man said, "Let me write the songs of a nation and I care not who makes the laws." And here let us add that you can generally get a pretty good idea of a man by noting the kind of literature he reads. When I first saw Mr. William Oscar Minor he was perusing his mail on the cor ner by the post office. He had the Literary Digest, Current Opinion, the National Geographical Magazine, all done up in a bundle with the "Herald" on the outside. The first impression was good and first impressions are the most lasting. When the first article appeared in this paper about the pioneers, sev eral people said, "Oscar Minor is the next man- you want to see, he knows about as much as any one a round here and he's a good man too." About the first thing I asked Mr. Minor was, "Where were you born, Mr. Minor?" "I was born back in Iowa, not far from Cedar Rapids in 18G4." That rather struck a cosmic chord in my Serah Bellum as I first opened my eyes upon this world near the same place. After we had located the place and exchanged compli ments, I drew out my trusty Water man and went to work. "How ilid you happen to come out here, Mr. Minor, nnd where did you stop first?" "Father thought that we could do better and we joined a party of iorty families and started over land. We were just six months to a day when we stopped at what was called Waucondo, b'lt now known as Gervais." It just happened to Btrike me that you can como in that many diiys now, and take a peek at the Garden of the Gods too. "What did you do when you first came." "I was just five years old then and father started a butcher shop at Waucondo We rented a hundred und sixty acres with a good house and all the barns and fences that we needed for $7.50 the first year, the next year we got it for $2.!0, the fellow who rented it to us the first year made $5.00 oft from us. Yes, rent was cheap in those dayt:." "In 1871 wo started for Walla Walla. We shipped the cattle up the river from Portland and we came overland ourselves to The Dalles. We stopped at a place near lone called 1'etteys I'osloHii'e, named after G. A. Pettcys who lived there. While there father heard of a place on Rhea Creek that was for sale for $.'!00. It was known as the Henry Gay place and was ten miles from what is now Hepp- ' ner. Father bought the place and : there we located. In the fall of '73 j I came to Heppner and took charge of j the livery stable and butchershop we had here. Father moved over the : next year. Soon after father went East and told me to run the store ! and make what I could. That was my first business venture alone. The first purchase I made was $72's worth of canned goods. I gradually branch ed out and added different goods. I was in the store eighteen years and was selling about any thing you need ed when I sold out. I sold mostly on a year's time. When a young fellow wanted to go into business, he got a few sheep and a few tons of hay to winter them on and then came in and made arrangements with me for his provisions. When he sold his wool he paid his bill. I lost very few accounts during those days. "I bought by the car load. I bought sugar in two or three car lots and other things on the same scale. I loaded many a wagon that went 250 miles into the interior. I used to supply many outfiits that drove sheep to Nebraska. The goods were piled halfway along the block and wagons were loading from sunrise till dark. I used to get most of my goods from The Dalles, eighty miles away. We didn't go to town very often in those days either." "When were you married, Mr. Minor, and what were some of the old customs of the early days?" "I was married in 1888 to Miss Halie Stan ley in Albany, Oregon. We have two children, a boy and a girl. I remem ber when the hotel here was built. The lumber was hauled from the mill and Charley Youngren and a man by the name of Clark planed the boards for $100. The lots on the corner cost $25 and the inside lots cost $10. We never had what you would call a deed to the land. The land didn't belong to any one in particular and when you bought any you simply got a piece of paper saying that you bought it from some one. We made most everything that we used. We made our boots, brooms, and pitchforks out of forked branches. We made our own fences by taking hidus and tying poles together with them. The hides we also cut in small strands by fastining a peg in the cen ter of the hide and driving a lnuo in the edge of the hide at its smallest diameter and pulled the hide against the blade, making a circle which gave us a round piece of hide. We extract ed the peg in the center and pulled the hide against the knife which cut the hide in a long narrow strip, gome times fifty feet long. We braided these and made ropes. Sometimes when we would tie our horses the coyotes would steal up in the night and eat the ropes. We saved hair, also, and made ropes. "We had a little Indian scare in 187H. The bnake River Indians got on a rampage and band of them under "Indian Jim" were found in the hills by Tex Craft who brought them in and searched them. They were held here until the excitement was over and then released. One squaw escaped and went down the river and told of the soldiers at Hepp ner and I guess that it was a good thing for us that she did get away for the Indians never came in this direction. "There were never many wild animals here. The coyotes used to be pretty numerous. Occasionally we saw antelopes and a few deer. My wife shot that bear you see on the floor, the man I had working for me shot the other one just a short time after wards. "How did you get into the fancy stock business, Mr. Minor?" "Well, when I was in the store 1 frequently took in exchange for goods anything the farmer had. I Boon found that I had quite a band of cat tle. When it came time to sell them I found that they didn't weigh as much as other cattle, although they looked as large as any of them. 1 won found that hoighth and length of leg didn't count as much as did thick ness. In lS'.Kl 1 went to the Oregon state fair and purchased some thoroughbred shorthorns. I have been in the business ever since and I guess I have owned about as many of the good one as any one else." j That Mr. Minor has been success ful, in the fancy cattle business, one needs l-ut to ask any Mock raise' of good cattle in this state or in any other. Better yet, take a look at his I rue. One man mice said Owl he collect there a do nome people sou venir spoons. He hit one whole quilt mude of ribbons. Silver and gold cup adorn every room in the bouse. I make a business of repairing Com- j s," ,f greatest shorthorn cattle bine Harvester, Threshing Machine, lh worl'' hv ' I'" Kngine, etc., and guarantee all my ! the Mountain Valley Stock Farm, work. Experience ha shown that 1 Uvely of the Valey, a cow for which money ran I saved by having maihin- jbe 1'I U00 at auction was a famous ery nut in working order before j animal. In 1X:'. the two greatest bought in the animal for $1700 and 'person who is not handicapped by reports have it that it was a lucky day for him for she would have brought not less than $3000 and might have sold for $5000. This cow was known on both sides of the Atlantic and brought Mr. Minor into worldwide fame. Viscountess of Fairview was a heif er that won the international honors at Chicago in 1906. About the same time Mr. Minor surprised many of his friends by paying $5500 for a yearling heifer and a two-year old bull. Mr. Minor has a fine herd of catle now and delights in showing them at his farm which is known as the Moun tain Valley Stock Farm. Mr. Minor knows about all that is worth knowing about cattle. To make any stock show complete and insure success needs but the announcement that Mr. Minor will show there. His name is a household word where good cattle are up for discusion. Mr. Minor has been a councilman for years and is a Republican. He has been here for a long time and knc-,73 what this country will do. ',7 hen asked if young man who is willing to work, can make good, he replied. "The early settlers who came here brought practically nothing with them. I know many wealthy men who were ordinary cow punchers a few years ago. There is no better climate in the United States. There is no land that I know of that will produce what land here will that you can buy for the price. I believe that the large ranches will be broken up and a more diversified farming come in. Woven wire will be used more, we are going to raise more hogs, chickens, and we are going to make this a great dairying country. Mr. Minor is an example of what a wealth can accomplish. He graduated ; from the University of Give and Take j and know3 everything that won't j work. His success has been the result ! of fair dealing. In his struggles he has evolved a kind, generous and indulgent nature which regards no man too low to receive his help and sympathy. Style, show, snobbish ness never entered into the makeup of Mr. Minor. His fads are fresh air, good food, sensible clothes and any thing that will make people happier, freer, and enjoy life more. He is a man who carries off heavy burdens and never complains when his friends do well. Men like Mr. Minor make the rest of us think that life is worth while, that only as we give do we re tain, and that prominence, position and power comes to those who accept conditions as they meet them and prove their mastership. CONFIDENTIAL CHARTS j ""j!. Equipped ! s Farmers and Farm Facts Mr. O. J. Cox was in to see Jim Huddleston last Saturday. Mr. Cox is one of our leading dairymen and Jim says that he is one of his best customers. Mr. R. B. Wilcox attended the Farmers Union meeting Saturday and told us that he had started heading and expects to harvest a bumper crop. Mr. Jack Hynd came in town last Friday and left Sunday for Cecil. Jack says that he expects to deposit a few dollars after harvest. Two.Siity SUirWd Model. The greatest motorcycle vtlue ..r .,h;..,l 7 H P. Twin equipped with Electric Heed Lisht. Electric Tail Litit, Electric Sutnn!, Two Sets Storage Batteries and Corbin-Brown Rear-Drive Speedgmet er. Price $260.00. See Catalog for detailed deecriptiort. $ndian MOTOCYCLES FOR 1914. PROFESSIONAL COLUMN F. DYE, DENTIST Pemancntly located in Odd Fellows building, Rooms 4 and 5. Dr. A .P. CULBERTSON Dr. II. T. ALLISON PHYSICIANS & SURGEONS Office Patterson Drug Store Heppner, - Oregon Drs. WINNARD & McMURDO PII YSICIANS & SURGEONS Ueppncr, - - Oregon Dr. F. N. CHRISTENSON DENTIST Heppner, Oregon Offices with Drs. Winnard & McMurdo i I Notice of Slurid'H Sule. By virtue of an execution and order of sale issued by the Clerk of the Cir cuit Court of Morrow County, State of Oregon, dated the 15th day of June, 1111 1, in a certain suit in the Circuit Court for said County and State wherein George C. Burton, Trustee of the Estate of Thomas N. Wilson, de feased recovered Judgement against J. M. Turner and Carrie S. Turner, defendants for the sum of $500.00, with interest thereon from January lHt, 11112 at Eight per cent, per annum, JiSO.OO. Attorney fees; $22.85, taxes puid with interest thereon at Ten per cent, per annum from Feb ruary 13th, 1H14, ami the further turn of $24.t0, costs, which said judgement was so recovered on the 13th day of June, l'.Ml. NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that I will on Saturday the 18th day of Julv, 11M4, at the hour of 2 o'clock, I'. M. of mi id day at the front door of the Court house in the I ity or llepp-1 lier, Morrow County, Oregon, sell at public auction to the highest bidder lor cash in hand the following de scribed real property to-wit: Si of NE'a and NW'( of NE1, of Section 35, Tp. 1 N. R. 25 E. W. M., taken and levied upon a the property of said defendants, being the real pro perty mortgaged by said defendants to plaint ill to secure payment of aid sum and ordered Hold by the court to satisfy mine, or so much thereof as may bo necessary to satisfy Haiti judgement, together with costs that have or may accrue. Dated this 17th day of June, 11)14. Marion Evans, Sheriff of Morrow County Oregon. C. E. WOODSON ATTORN EY-AT-LAW Office in Palace Hotel. Heppner, Ore. I SAM E. VAN VACTOR ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Heppner, Oregon S. E. NOTSON ATTORNEY-AT-LAW Office in Court House, Heppner, Ore, WELLS & NYS ATTORN EYS-ATLAW Heppner, - Oregon KNAPPENBERG & JOHNSON ATTORNEYS AND COUNCELORS AT LAW lone, Oregon Dill Trace who lives on Willow Creek was up town last Saturday. He says that his wheat will go 40 bushels to the acre. Bill is inthe dairy busi ness and has educated a few cows to keep him in spending money. Ed. Brown, the corn raiser over in the Black Horse district, was in town Saturday. Ed. says that his corn is as good as they raise anywhere and if nothing happens he is going to get that automobile this fall. Get busy you automobile men. Mr. J. H. Frad, the man who has over five miles of woven wire fence on his place, was in town also. Mr. Frad believes in woven wire and wants his neighbors to play fair and fence their share of the field. "Buster" Keithley just came in from herding Indians in the Umatilla Nat'l forest. He says that the Indians have gathered a good supply of Kouse Camia, or Indian bread, for the winter "Buster" will be remembered as the man who was nearly devoured by a bear last winter. It seems as if he shot the animal but didn't kill it, he lost his gun in the brush in trying to escape. Mr. C. W. Larson, who lives on the Heppner Flats, dropped in town Sat urday to see his friends and also to tell us that his crops are in fine shape. He has three hundred acres of wheat that looks about as good as any one's. Mr. Henry Wagner is harvesting about three hundred tons of hay this year. He says thut he has several hundred acres of first class grain. Henry says that there is no secret about his wanting a wife. Get busy girls. Mr. Joe Campbell says that he has three acres of fine spuds. Last spring he planted some of Jim Huddleston's railroad corn and it's doing fine. Mr. J. L. Kirk says that he has some turkeys. He raises wheat, chickens and hogs as a side issue. Mr. Kirk says that prosperity is coming his way this year. Mr. C. L. Ashbaugh who lives over in Lost Valley was in town Saturday. Mr. Ashbaugh is one of our diversi fied farmers and raises everything, including chickens. j Mr. C. W. Valentine was in Hepp-' ner Saturday and says that he is 1 60,000 brand-new red machines will go outover the Indian trails during the coming year the greatest motorcycle produc tion in the history of the industry. They will flash forth fully armed with " Thirty-Eight Better ments for 1914 !" Armed with powerful and beautiful Electrical Equipment! Armed with a New Standard of Value which must completely overturn all existing ideas of motorcycle worth. All standard Indian models for 1914 come equipped with electric head light, electric tail light, two sets high amperage storage bat teries, electric signal, Corbin Brown rear-drive speedometer. You cannot fully realize the 1914 Indian without a thorough study of the 1914 Indian Catalog. It makes plain a host of compelling Indian facts that all motor cycle-interested men can consider to their real profit. Send for the 1914 Indian Catalog the most interesting volume of motorcycle literature you've ever read. The 1914 line of Indian Motocycles consists of: 4 H.P. Single Service Model $200.00 7 H.P. Twin Two-Twenty-Five, Regular Model 225.00 I 7 H.P. Twin Two-Sixty, Standard Model 260.00 i 7 H.P. Twin Light Roadster Model 260.00 7 H.P. Twin Two Speed, Regular Model 275.00 1 7 H.P. Twin Two Speed, Tourist Standard Model 300.00 . 7 H.P. Twin Hendee Special Model (with Electrio Starter) 325.00 Pricei F.O.B. Factory JOS. BURGOYNE Agent for Morrow County. LEXINGTON Heppner G arage Now Equipped with a Complete Blacksmith's Shop All Kinds of Repair Work Done Quickly We have a furnace for making all kinds of Buggy, Wagon and Automobile Springs Michael Sepanak, Expert Workman, is in charge of this department. We are agents for Ford, Overland and Mitchell Automobiles. W. L. SMITH, ABSTRACTER Only complete set of abstract books in Morrow County. HEPPNER, . OREGON ATTENTION Threshermen FOR FINE I T-TO-IWTE HOMES See T. (I. DENNISEE, ARCHITECT AN I) CONTRACTOR. LOUS PEAUSON i TAILOR Heppner, Oregon. harvest and you should not full to have your repair wink done early. lUiti't wait until hurvrht kUiU, as you did luit year. C. O. PRENTICE, I). V. M. harvesting one of the best crops he ; ever raised. Mr. Valentine Bays thut ! his neighbors have fine crops also. Mr. B. F. Swaggnrt, probably the largest mule raiser in the country, says that crops look better now than they have at any time in the last thirty years. Mr. Swaggart had the misfortune to lose by at'i'ident his fumous jack, "Black Tom," the sire of "Baby", the largest mule that ever lived. As yearling, Mr. Swaggart offered $1000 for a mate but could never fined one. He is one of our best diversified farmers and has all kinds of grain and fruits on his place that lure not excelled anywhere. i Mr.' William Soukup says that his 1 ten acres of Murphcys will feed all of the Irish in the county for the next jt vilv months. Besides these he has O'er hundred chickens and seventy aires ot good grain. Box 2118. Ernest Sitser, Heppner, Oregon, i her but were herds of shorthorns in the country were owned by Charles E. I.add and Mr. Minor. In a consignment sule tint spring Mr. Minor offered for sale, Salie liirl, and three of the wealthiest and leading Shot thorn men of the j country were on their way here to buy llrppner, dcliiyed. Mr. Minor Veterinary Surgeon and IVnlisl OllWe: Patterson's Prug Stor Phone, Main li'i . Oregon Mr. II. B. Gater. and sons, owner of the local litfht and water company, tvi't for Portland Saturday. Mr. '.lutes was State Senator from Wash-1 inglon County for four years. Mr. Irving and two sons left for Portland last Saturday. COME TO Gilliam & Bisbee For anything in the HARDWARE UNE We have it, will git it, or it is not made We Specialize on the following: The Deering Cutting Machinery of all kinds. The Bain, Webber and BittendorlT wagons. The Velie Carriages, Buggies & Etc. The John Deere and Oliver Plows. The Van Brunt and Thomas Gram Drills. The Dain, Buck Kakes and Stackers. The Fairbanks and Stover Gasoline Engines. The Russell Steam Engines and Threshers. The Aermotor Wind Mills and Pumps. The Stewart Sheep shearing Machines and extras. The Kimp Sheep Branding Lipuid. The Sherwin William Paints and Colors. The Chinanel Varnishes and Graining Compound. The Great Majestic Steel Kange 'The World's Best." The Diamond Edge Tools, every one Guaranteed. The Sharplem Tubular Cream Seperators. The Community Silver Ware, Guaranteed for fifty years. We try to keep a complete, up-to-date stock of everything car ried in a first-claw ilore, and we esk everybody for a liberal ihare of their patronage. We do our best to merit the same. Come and see us GILLIAM & BISBEE