The gazette-times., March 29, 1917, Page PAGE SEVEN, Image 7

THE GAZETTE-TIMES. HKPPN'RR. ORE, THURSDAY MARCH 29 1917
PAGE PRVFN
THE CLUB
IS HEPPNER YOUNG MEN'S POPULAR RESORT
BILLIARDS AND POOL v
WE SERVE ALL THE LEADING BRANDS OF SOFT DRINKS
AND THE BEST LINES OF CIGARS AND TOBACCO. - -:-
O. B. Hottman, in the Palace Hotel.
7!
31- 1-2 Hot
3S ln
ct $725.00
irB $910.00
THE MOTOR IS A WONDER, UNUSUALLY POWER
FUL BUT WONDERFULLY ECONOMICAL 20 TO
25 MILES ON A GALLON OF GASOLINE IS THE
USUAL REPORT.
THE FASTEST SELLING COMPLETE
AUTOMOBILE EVER OFFERED.
These nir 1917 .Ifcidfe mi m have
fkem m stock rn for. delwy.
t.N APPEAL 10 THE
PEOPLE Of OREGON
From The Inmates of the Oregon
State Penitentiary Your At
tention Requested.
New Lumber Yard
i Now open in building formerly occupied by Independent
Garage on Main Street
LUMBER, LATHS, SHINGLES, BUILDING
MATERIAL.
LUMBER IN CAR LOTS A SPECIALTY.
Get Our Estimates Before Building
H. C. G1THENS
DDELCdD LOGOUT
ELECTRICITY FOR THE FARM.
SAFE -:- SIMPLE -:- EFFICIENT
VAUGHN & SONS, AgtS.
HEPPNER, OREGON
For Sale
480 ACRE FARM
All tillable. Nine miles from Lexington
Just finished a new house and new well
with plenty of water. Rented to good
tenant.
Will sell at a price that will be a profit
able investment to a resident of Morrow
County
JAMES BARRON
Everett, Wash
We acknowledge a pleasant call on
Tuesday afternoon from Erik Berg
strom,' of Goosberry. Weather con
ditions out his way now permit of
some work being done in the fields,
and Mr. Bergstrom had his teams
busy plowing. He got in some Fall
grain and expects to plant his usual
acreage this season.
George Pearce left for Madras last
Friday, where he will be connected
with the Madras Pioneer, a weekly
newspaper published at that place.
J. B. Sparks and wife returned to
this city Saturday evening after an
extended trip into the Pendleton
country.
The 29th Legislative Assembly in
troduced House Bill No. 518 for an
act to provide for the erection of a
new state penitentiary. This bill
goes before the Voters for their
adoption or rejection on June 4th,
1917. We, the prisoners confined in
the State Penitentiary, ask the voters
to act favorably on this measure.
March, 6th, 1917.
To the Editor:
Having been confined in the Ore
gon State penitentiary for a period
of four years, and during that time
carefully studied this institution, I
feel that the readers of this article
will appreciate what I am about to
state, more than an article written
by a prison reformer, and place more
credence in it, because I can back
the following by unquestionable
proof.
When I read in the legislative pro
gram House BUI No. 518 my interest
was immediately aroused and I ob
tained permission from the Warden
to have copies of the bill printed, and
I personally ask every prisoner con
fined here to enclose one of the slips
In his weekly letter. Of the four
hundred and twenty-five prisoners
here, all but thirty-five were more
than eager to be of help in making
our confinement more humanely hab
itable. As the average visitor enters the i
south wing cell house, he or she, sees
nothing specially depressing. The
corridor is light and airy and some
times the sun is shining in the win
dows, but many, many times I have
noticed visitors, as tiiey walked down
the corridor, stop In front of a cell
door, cup their hands at the sides
of their eyes and try to see the in
terior of the cell. It is not possible
to do so, with one or two exceptions.
Think what it must be to be prison
ers confined in that cell, I should say
two prisoners, for the cell houses two
men. They measure 5 x 6 x 8
feet and one-third of that space is
taken up by two bunks, one above
the other. The cell I am sitting in,
writing thU article has never known
one single ray of sunshine. It h uo
wonder that on the days the doc
tor visits the prison he finds from
35 to 45 men lined up waiting for
bim. Their ailments are comprised
mostly of sick headaches, bad sto
machs, Insomonia, rheumatism, etc.
There are no toilets in the calls,
only an Iron bucket that does not
even boast of a lid that fits. That
bucket must be used, if the necessity
arises, by both men and then sits in
the cells until 6:30 in the morning.
You can understand the waiting line
for the doctor. The wings and cells
are kept as clean as possible, but all
the soap and water and bug juice in
Christendom1 cannot make one of the
floor tier cells fit for one man, much
less two, to live in.
The big windows can only be rais
ed a small way. The air is so foul
at night that two guards have been
compelled to resign in the past six
months on account of it. If big
healthy, able-bodied, well nourished
men can't stand it, then what of the
proisoner.
The cells on the fourth tier, north
wing, are even smaller, being, 4x7x9
feet, and they get the benefit of all
the stench and foul air from the
three tiers under them.
The cell house in winter time is
so cold that one Is compelled to go
to bed during the day time to keep
warm. In the summer time, it is
just the opposite. Men in the cells
pour watre on the floor and then
lie naked on the bed trying Jto sleep.
The Chapel.
As you step from the turnkey's
office Into the chapel, which connects
the north and south wing cell hous
es, you will notice, If you are ac
quainted with the buildings, that you
are looking at a veitable fire trap.
The wood ceiling, wooden floor
and wood stairway, erected many
years ago, seasoned and dry as tin
der, need but a chance match or
coal from the big barrel stove in the
chapel to turn it into an inferno, that
all the fire companies in the state
could not subdue in time to save the
lives of the prisoners confined in their
cells because there are no outlets
from' the cell houses except through
the chapel. If such a catastrophe
should occur, you, the people of Ore
gon will Individually and collectively
be responsible. In the past four
months a small fire occured In the li
brary at 3 a. m. Before it was ex
tinguished the men in the cells near
est the library were nearly overcome
by the smoke, and it was only a
small blaze. -
Above the chapel, the shoe shop,
Bertlllon room and hospital are lo
cated and are all wood except the
bars on the windows. The shoe shop
with Its grease, oil and leather would
make a fine meal for flames. Ad
Joining the hospital and separated
only by a brick wall is situated the
women's quarters; all wood. The
sick men confined in the hospital
have absolutely no chance for life
should a fire occur.
While I am writing of the hospital,
I want to call your attention to the
awful condition that exists at this
time. It can only be remedied by
the voters of the state.
The roof on the main ward Is about
12 feet from the fioor and is cover
ed with tin. In the summer time it
is so hot that the sick men can hard
ly breathe. Men that are tubercular,
those having asthma, catarrh, rheu
matism, diseases of the stomach, etc.,
were confined in the same ward.
Last winter when small-pox broke
out in this institution, there were
two or three cases of measles, and
they were only separated from the
small-pox cases by a sheet stretched
around the bed.
The tubercular ward Is too small to
properly care for the cases there are.
It is not the fault of the officials
in charge. They cannot make room
where there is no room.
The building was erected In 1871
and was plenty big enough for the
120 prisoners at that time, but it is
a far cry from the 1871 to 1917.
Shoe Shop
The men working in the shoe shop
make all the shoes worn by the pri
soners as well as doing all the re
pairing. No modern machinery, no
ventilation, except two small win
dows side by side, crowded into a
small room, not conductive to goor
work or health.
Auditorium.
; When the present auditorium was
erected the builder was evidently in
a hurry. Today the entire south
wall Is ready to fall down. The
wood around the windows has rotted
away, the plaster has fallen off in
huge chuncks and you can look over
the country through cracks between
casings and brick wall. The entire
south wall Is entirely saturated with
water and the inside wall is green
with mold and decay. Slowly but
surely it is crumbling away.
Kitchen.
The kitchen is located in the base
ment along with the bake shop, ve
getable room, butcher shop and com
missariat's office and store room.
Half of the kitchen space is taken up
with guards' range. The balance by
the steamers used In cooking the
food for the prisoners. The ceiling
Is so low that when the steamers are
turned on you cannot see a man four
feet away from you. There is no out
let for it. Nice healthy place to
work.
Bake Shop.
The bake shop is half the size of
the kitchen. It is equipped with an
old-fashioned brick oven that was in
stalled in 1871. There is no ventila
tion whatever. Good pickings for
cockroaches and mice. After the
bakers build a fire under the ovens
they are compelled to pull the fire
out to determine the temperature of
the oven and let it cool down to i
baking . heat. Some bake shop
What!
Vegetable Room.
Three feet below the level of the
kitchen is the vegetable or peeling
room. A damp room that must be
continually lighted by electricity, to
enable one to see. Men sitting on
upturned boxes peeling vegetables,
feet encased in rubber boots to
protect them from water. Shut off
from fresh air, they develop rheuma
tism. Some of the men are unable
to stand it longer than three months.
Again I say that it is no fault- of
the officials in charge. There Is no
other place available for this work
Butcher Shop.
Located just a little way from the
peeling room on the same level,
About the same size as the inside
of a 36 foot box car and it looks like
one, containing two cutting blocks
and when a few quarters of beef are
hune un there is little space left. It
It is artificially lighted and is so
cold that when the butcher steps in
to it at 5 a. ni. to commence his day's
work, he may well imagine himself
in Alaska.
Laundry.
The laundry Is located in the yard
above the bath house in a building by
itself. In 1913 the laundry caught
Are from the drier which burned the
rafters and inside ceiling supporters
aa well as Dart of the tin roof. The
roof was repaired but the charred
rafters are still in the same condi
tion as after the fire. Crowded for
room It takes a mathematician to
figure out how the men handle the
clothes of the institution, but they
do somehow. The mangle in use
must have come over in the Mayflow
er. Laundrymen have no recollec
tion of ever seeing one of its kind be
fore. The drier is so small that ful
ly one-half of the men in the winter
time have been compelled to put on
their clothes still wet.
Bath House.
The bath house is located beneath
the laundry in a space 12 x 12 con
taining wall sprays and two ceiling
showers. In this the inmates are
obliged to bathe. The 85 men work
lng in the flax plant march to the
bath house on Saturday and as many
as can crowd into this small space
to get their weekly bath. The air
is bo foul and the steam from the
water so dense that the men are glad
to get only half bathed. With water
dripping from the celling and the
steam so thick, it is impossible to
dry the body before donning clothes,
consequently rheumatism.
Cesspools and Toilets.
There are no toilets in the shops
or buildings for the use of the men
during the day. The toilet in the
yard ia exposed to the weather and
the men are so averse to using it that
serious causes of constipation result
Afterword.
Who should know these facts bet
ter than the man inside, I am here
in daily contact with these conditions
and il you Air. Voter do not believe
this article, why not come and see it
for yourself? Are you for humanity
and willing to give your fellowmen a
helping hand or does the saving of
few cents additional taxation for
four years appeal to you most?
A penal Institution must be a
place of reformation as well as a
place of punishment, and reforma
tion of men cannot be made under
the conditions existing here.
l. g. Mcdonald.
I
O. A. Forbes and J. A. Kiehn of
lone, were transacting business in
Heppner Friday afternoon. They
report a heavy blow over the north
end of the county, with real estate
on the move at a rapid rate. Cold
weather has been keeping the far
mers back with their Spring work,
but better conditions are looked for
right away.
W. D. Gordon of Little Butter
creek spent Monday in this city on
business.
Mark S"mith and wife have gone
out to the J. O. Turner ranch in the
Sand Hollow district to assist Mr.
Turner in putting in his crop.
Lotus Robison, Rock Creek far
mer was a Heppner business visitor
Monday.
Wm. Lowen and wife, Mrs. Mary
Ingrum and Frank Frates motored in
from the Frates ranch on Eight Mile
Monday and spent several hours
shopping in this city.
Nick Leathers was down from
Hardman Monday attending to mat
ters of business.
Frank ' Parker, who recently pur
chased the H. F. Blahm place north
west of Heppner, is making prepara
tions to put in a complete water sys
tem in his residence, placing the
reservoir on the bluff above the
house. Mr. Parker is well pleased
with his purchase and no doubt he
has one of the best alfalfa and wheat
farms on the creek.
Elbert Young was in Heppner on
Saturday attending the meeting of
the Farmers' Union and assisting in
the deliberations of that body over
the proposition of building, an eleva
tor. i
W. H. Cronk and wife and Mrs. C.
W. McNamer were visitors in our city
from lone on Saturday, coming up
in the Cronk car.
Short Horns for Sale I have two
yearling Shorthorn bulls for sale,
See animals at my ranch.
GUY BOYER.
R. F. Hynd, president of Heppner
Milling Co., returned to his Portland
home last Friday, after spending the
week in Heppner on business con
nected with the company.
L. W. Eriggs has accepted a posi
tion as bookeeper with the Heppner
Milling Co., entering upon his duties
at their office on Friday last.
George Hendry has purchased the
lot north of the Club building from
Minor & Co., and expects to ere
a residence thereon during the sunv
mer. F. W. Burns, the Condon nursery
man spent several days in Heppner
the past week soliciting orders tiw
Spring stock.
Miss Josephine Richardson spent
the week end visiting with friends ia
lone and Arlington.
L. E. McBee, Skinner Creek farm
transacted business in Heppner o
Monday.
K. L. Beach and W. G. Scott, busi
nes men of Lexington were in Hepp
ner on Monday. They report the
citizens of their section as getting
quite busy since there is some indica
tion of Spring having arrived.
W. E.' Leach, Lexington merchant,
was doing business in Heppner o
Monday.
Mrs. Albert Bowker has returned
from Condon, where she spent seve
ral days visiting at the home of Mxa.
Geo. Purdy.
The Morrow County Creamery ha
just installed a new Ice cream free
ing plant of the most approved de
sign and turned out their first pro
duct this week. There will undoubt
edly be a big demand for home mad
ice cream after the product of tMi
local creamery gets on the market.
Among the new Ford owners ia
Heppner during the past week ar
Dr. N. E. Wlnnahrd, Dr. H. T. Allt
son, John Bush and Arch Barnari.
Mr. Barnard purchased a new Fori
truck and the others took taurine
cars. Orve Rasmus made the sales.
Warren C. Kennedy and wife wer
in the city Tuesday from their ranch
home in the upper Rhea creek sec
tion. A big Chinook hit that section
of the country the first of the week
according to Mr. Kennedy and tb
snow is melting rapidly. He saj
that the roads south of Heppner am
nearly Impassible in places, but states
that O. M. Whittington is doing son
of the best work on the road new
his farm that he has ever seen.
Mrs. Holmes Holman, of lone vlsJt
ed with the family of Walter Casn
in this city over Saturday night '
Church of Christ.
Services Sunday April 1. Subjeeft
of morning sermon: "Profanity.'
In the evening a union service for
the whole town will be held, preside!!
over by the Mayor. Several BboA
speeches will be made by citizens Is
the interest of the starving million
of Europe.
The Easter sermon, April 8, at 11
a. m. will be especially for the oH
folks. Arrangements will be mada
to provide conveyances for any what
would be .unable to attend otherwise.
Crystalized Ideals !
THAT'S WHAT THE HOMES BEING
BUILT IN HEPPNER TODAY ARE
THE CRYSTALIZED IDEALS OF THE
PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING THEM
BUILT.
YOU HAVE IDEAS TOO, TO BE DEVELOPED.
WE HAVE A COLLECTION OF
"MODERN HOMES" PLANS WHICH I
WILL INTEREST YOU. DROP IN AND i
nriTi a Tk . - . 3
BEE UK muWE IN AND I'LL SEE YOU.
COMPETENT BUILDERS
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Heppner
Planing & Chop
"HOME-MADE HOMES"
Heppner, Oregon
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Complete Line of Candies and Cigars and all the
Leading Soft Drinks. Card Tables in Connection.
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