The gazette-times., December 26, 1918, Image 1

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HEITNER, ORE., THURSDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1918.
SUBSCRIPTION, $2.00 PER YEAR
VOL. 83, NO. 38.
JOE MASQNWRiTES
HiB EXPERIENCES
Ho Has Keen Connected With I'ost.
office Department And Spent Most
of the Time in England.
We are fortunate this week in i
....... . . .1... I
of this paper tlree letters from Joe
Mason, lone postmaster, who
has I
been in the over-seas service for
many months past, being among the
first lAaich of draftees leaving Hepp
ner. Lately he has been moving
about some, and he describes his
travels in these letters to his mother
and sisters of lone.
A telegram received by the lone
relatives of Joe on the 18th inst., an
nounces that he has arrived by
transport in New York and was well
and happy. He had recently been in
the Naval Aviation Corps and sta
tioned at Queenstown, Ireland. Just
how soon ha will arrive home was
'not stated in the telegram, and he
is likely gone into . camp with
rest of the buys at Camp Mills.
the
Somewhere in Belgium,
Nov. 21, 1918.
Dear Brother and Sister:
I received your letter some time
ago, but really haven't had time to
write, and knew too, that you could;
read tile letters that I sent home.
I have also been' sending "Stars and
Stripes" home and suppose you read
them-.
Well the big thing is over now and
I am waiting for the time to return,
which I think will be quite soon. I
have seen a big part of England, and
almost more of France than I really
cared to. Up to the latter part of
September things were very quiet,
but from then on, my surroundings
were somewhat noisy. I did not get
among rifle bullets, but was right
under German machine gun fire from
aeroplanes, which was none too com
fortable. I saw about fifteen days of
hard fighting at close range on the
oilier front, but up here they are con
tinually moving back and we scarcely
hear anything except for an oceasion-
al Mr bomb. One night air bombs
shook the building where I was sleep
ing, but I have always contended that
I didn't have any "number."
I have seen a great incny sights
which I can better explain when I
get homo. At present I am on the
mail route and travel over a good
bit of country, the run extending six
ty kilos in one direction. The roads
are of cobble stones and in very good
shape with exception of a few shell
holes in them. Sometimes it takes
two days to a trip since there is so
much traffic and part of the way is
only oneway road and the Flanders
mud is something fierce.
We have had lovely weather for
the last two weeks with the excep
tion of the last couple of days, which
have been cold and foggy. Some say
the tomperature"has been at zero,
and I know It has been very cold.
Well I could tell you bushels of
things, but haven't time so wait in
pat.ence and write as often as possi
ble. With love to all,
JOE.
Iseghem, Belgium,
Nov. 24, 1918.
Dear Mother:
As I have just had supper and the
evening Is all mine will write you a
letter. This Is the first letter in
ii'iiieii 1 have been able to state
where I am. Will begin right and
tell where I have been. I left New
York on July 6th and landed in Liv
erpool on July 17th, went to South
Hampton to a rest camp for-3 days,
took boat across the channel and
landed at LaHarve France, was there
for two days aud took box car or
side door pullman for a throe days
ride through Franco and landed at
Martina Leroyt. Took a 22 mile hike
to a little town named Varuaignes
' and was billeted in houses there. We
arrived there July 2 8 and remained
until September first when the big
movo started. We had a box car ride
and stopped near St. Mihlel and our
division was held in reserve at that
place. . Of course we were not need
ed there so we were sent to the Ver
dun front, arriving there September
20th. It was here that things began
to get interesting. Our army didn't
do any shooting, but the Huns sent
over lots of big shells and of course
fiimio made hits. On the night of
September 26th, well I can't tell how
it sounded and hope I may never hear
It again, but at five In the morning
our boys went over the top, and the
Huns were hard to find except here
and there. Of course we lost some
too.1 You no doubt have read of the
battles of Argonne Forests and the
awful fighting done there, just re-
,-msmher that t.1',8 old lst Division
vu8 right tliero all the time and sure
won herft if a name. We loft there
! for a rest camp, but on our way got
ders to Mtitu to Flinders front, so.
we traveled aaouier mree uuys uu
irx cars tlircv.-rli kliiims. Paris and
several other larce chics aud land :d
! in B3i&ium at the city of YPRE3, a
city of ruins, nothing left standing.
Wo then marched 25 kilus through a
tytannlcally devastated country, the
old tattle Held of four and one half
years of awful conflict, and through
all that twenty odd miles there was
not a- house nor a tree standing, 110th-
in hut a mass of wreckag-j. We
ere billeted in a church in the little
town of Oosnewkirk. From here th-?
i.,i. . .,.,, I,..,, fivo .lavs lijltlc
I.'IVIDIVU Yv...fc .....w .. .
xiid then three days rest, then we
moved up to the town where we are
at present and we.iit into action again
and were just ready to go over the
top when peace was signed and I tell
you there was some happy bunch.
Will tell you more later and hope
to be home by Xmas.
Love from your son,
JOE.
Iseghcm, Belgium.
November 27, 1918.
Dear Mother and All:
As I have time tonight will write
you. I suppose you are fixing things
for dinner tomorrow. I can guc-ss
who killed the turkey. Well I wish
I could be with you, but as it is I .am
thankful to be where I am, and I wiii
have a good dinner too, no tur'.ce.
nor chicken but perhaps roast beel
or mutton, nothing fancy at the most.
I have no regular place of eating.
You see as I travel on the mail truea
I know most of the cooks along the
line 'and eat just where ever I can
get my head in.
We are moving out of Belgium
and expect to be near Paris for some
time. We have been in Belgium a
month. We came to Belgium by way
of Dunkirk France, got off the train
at a little station named St. Jean, the
terminal of the railroad, which at
one time was a little town the siz
of Heppner, all that is left now is
the sign. We stayed over night
there. As transportation was scarce
I had to walk the next morning with
the troops. My pack was about dou
ble weight and after five miles of
struggling I was forced to fall out
and rsct my arms. Of course the
others inarched right on and I was
left alone with my weariness. How-
overi after a few minutes of rest 1
proceeded along the way at a mud;
.ilower pace, and finally overtook a
t:al or rather Jim Nuntui, a chap just;
my size but witli a still larger pack.
We moved along at our own speed,
seeing the sights. The first town we
.anie to was Ypres, a town that huti
been about "0,000 population, ami
now just a tew 'walls, not a roof in
die place. However, there are a
great many interesting tilings there.
'e ate our lunch, which consisted of
hardtack and a one-halt pound bar
of chocolate and went on our way.
A'e came upon a wheelbarrow in the
grave yard of a small town, and as
our packs were quite heavy we ware
glad to unload on it and proceed 011
thru the mud. We met some French
officers who told us it was the first
time' they had ever seen soldiers f,a
to battle with wheelbarrows, so they
hailed a "Lairle" for us and we got
aboard. We rode about four miles
and the thing turned off the wrong
way and we were obliged to take to
our heels again without knowing
where we wanted to go, but a Belgian
M. P. told us which way he saw
Yanks going so we followed three
hours behind, and mind you. both
rain and darkness were falling and
we had ten miles to go. We walked
on for about three miles and came
to cross roads and were lost. But
with some lucX thru the fog and
darkness we discovered a light which
led us to a bunch of Belgian soldiers,
some officers pumping information
from Hunuish prisoners and a bunk
for the night, which consisted of a
dugout three feet deep and eight feet
square and covered with boards and
about six inches of leaking mud. We
awoke early the next morning aiulsuf
tei crawling out of our wet bunks
nnJ swallowing a little coffee aud
hardtack, proceeded Joyfully on our
way, and by sheer luck we were 011
the rifcht track finding our camp and
one of our old friends with whom we
went up town or what was left of
Oosnowkiik. Even the country about
here is all practically ruined, the
ground is full of holes, the trees are
all cut away, such is the effect, for
twenty miles around, even the rail
roads, merely a mass of tangled iron,
either all blowu to pieces or carried
away.
I expect tills will' do for awhile,
and from now on I eau name all
places and tell you everything and
will send you cards every day. I sent
a lot of Xmas cards for you and the
girls all In one letter and hope you
get them.
Well 1 am tired and have done a
lot of writing so will close, with love
and best wishes,
JOE.
. THE WAY THEY WOULD
y, .... jj- "
John Sheridan Dies.
John Sheridan, for a number of
years engaged in the sheep business
;n Morrow county, and who was
taken to the Heppner Sanatorium
early last week, suffering from an
attack of Influenza, died at that
Institution at 1:30 a. m. Saturday.
Funeral services were held at 2 p.
m. on Monday, Rev. P. J. O'Rourke,
jiastor of St. Patrick's Church ofh
atlng. Spencer Crawford, foreman or tins
,hnn rlnarh'H Tiifisrliiv mnrninff for ,
- r v
Camp Lewis, Wash., where he got
to be mustered out of the service,
He has been connected with the local
draft board at Heppner for the past
three months, acting in capacity of
lerk. The end of the war now re
lieves him of ihis duty.
Wrist Watches Afbr,t.
Wrist vntches at sea, with tTHr
luminous diiils, nre at once a conveni
ence, a safeguard nnd a r ''. You can
tell the time without uuring your
clothes to pieces or going to a light,
When you walk along the deck at night
you can llold your forearm so that the
dial glows in the sight of nil who are
passing along the deck and thus pre-
vent collisions. If you don't play up
your wrist watch, you are supposed to
whistle "sweet aud low" in the dark as
you pass along. But If you are not
passing along the deck, only lingering
along the deck rail, and are fortunate
111 UUWllg U11U 1.U lUC iv'T numvu
nre crossing as your companion in that
lingering, your luminous dial at rest
on the deck rail Is apt to wreck the
wonderful sense of seclusion that dark-
ened decks give these war times. One
heartless patrol a trip or two ago step-
ped to the rail and asked a dismayed
subaltern not to have his wrist watch
"quite so far around," whatever that
meant, because It might be detected by
a submurine. Nelson Collins In the
Century Magazine. -'
DOING LONDON IN
. sib 12L-
Doing London In "splints and a bath tub" is not so bad as it
sounds. It Is one of the nnny methods used to entertain wounded
Yank doughboys In American hospitals in London when they are able
to be about. That side car on the motor cycle can be a mighty com
fortable "bath tub," say Pershing's heroes. Then, too, they feel they
are not rushed back to America without seeing a few. sights, other
Jhan hack.view. of running Germany - Q -
ALL LIKE TO LAND
1
WHEAT PRICE FOR 1919 STANDS.
The guaranteed price of wheat for
the 1919 crop stands, by the terms
of the Lever Act, ukder which the
United States Food Administration is
operating. This statement was made
by the. Food Administration Decern
ber 4.
The President's proclamation of
September 2, 1918, stated that the
"producers of wheat produced within
the United States for the cron of
1 arantnri th Hp.p,
j.l, 4.U o OC li,,1lnl
"" " "
at Chicago, and the end of the war
0r the proclamation of peace does
, . t , e,,araIltv.
. ' ,. . . .
vides "That the provisions of this
act shall cease to be in effect when
the existing state of war between the
1 ul.ed Siatcs and Germany shall
have terminated, and the fact and
e rt such termination shall be
ascertained and proclaimed by the
president; but the termination of
u-j3 act Bhall not fcffect any act done,
or auy -fight 0r obligation accruing
or accrued," etc. It further states
tllat ..A1I rignts or liabilities under
this act arlsing before its termination
ghaU continue and may be enforced
, the game manner ag 1 Ule act hail
not terminated."
The ,laranty foP the m9 wheat
expires June 1, 1920.
New Charter Adopted.
At the special election last Friday,
the new city charter was approved
, by the citizens of Heppner by a better
j than two to one vote. There was a
! light vote cast, the result being 61
for adoption and 29 against, a total
of 90 votes altogether. Heppner can
now look forward for some real lm-
provements under the provisions of
ho new city charter. '
SPLINTS AND BATH TUB
be mm
OF GRAZING PERfillTS
SECRETARY AXX. UNCUS NEW
RATES IN EFFECT ON MARCH
1 NEXT
(ranting of Five-Ynstr Permits Whore
Cond'tions Wiurant Authorized
Reasons for Higher Fees
Discussed iu Statement.
Secretary Houston, believing tha'
further suspension of the increase in
national forest grazing fees first
decided on In 1916. is no longei
justified, has announced new rates
to go into effect March 1, 1919.
Effective at the same tine, he has
authorized the granting of 5-year
grazing permits where the conditions
warrant and such permits are desired
by the stockmen.
'In accordance with the conclus
ion reached by me on February 1,
1917," Secretary Houston has in
formed the stockmen through letters
to their two national associations,
"that the charge for grazing should
0.3 based upon the real value of the
forage, I have decided that beginning
March 1, 1919, the charge for grazir.
upon the national forests durbg the
year-long period will be from ?0.80
to $1.50 por head for cattle, varyin
with the advantages of the different
ranges. The rate for sheep and goats
on each forest will be 25 per cent of
Jie rate for cattle. The rate for
horses will be 25 per cent more than
for cattle and the rate for swine 25
',er cent less. The proportionate
charge for grazing during only a part.
:f each year will be in accordance
with the provisions of the national
forest regulations."
War Delayed Action.
The original plan was to advance
grazing fees 33 1-3 per cent a year
for three years, beginning in 191V,
but on account of the disturbed con
ditions which confronted the stock'
men that year the advance mado
was only. 25 per cent; while a year
later the emergency situation cre
ated by the war led Secretary Hous
ton to suspend temporarily the fur
ther carrying out of the plan.
"I am not unmindful of the dim
culties whicn still exist, he says
"but under the circumstances it
seems unwise to defer action further
on this important problem."
Regarding the authorization of
five-year permits, Secretary Houston,
after noting the fact that the stock
men have from time to time urged
the Issuance of such permits, no.
subject to reduction except for viola
tion of their terms or to stop damage
to the forest opange, as a means ot
Mobilizing the live-stock industry,
goes on to say:
"On several of the forests applica
tions have already been approved foi
permit's during a five-year period
subject to an annual reduction of 5
per cent to provide for the issuance
of permits to new settlers, in addi
tion to such reduction as might b.
necessary to .prevent damage to the
fo est.
"It appears that while the stock
men are ready to subject themselves
to whatever restrictions are neces
sary for the welfare of the forest
from the standpoint of timber pro
duction or other primary purposes
for which the land was set aside, yet
the possibility of the 5 per cent an
nual reduction proves an embarrass
'ment to them. It Is appreciated that
the assurance of continued use of
the range for a specific number of
animals durinf a term of years would
undoubtedly tend to greater stability
of the industry and encourage the
handling of business in a way to in
crease, the quantity and improve the
iiiality of the live stock and woulc
a'so enable a better administration
of the range itself.
Other Factors Considered.
"On a considerable portion of the
National Forests we have reached
the point where permits for a period
of live years can be put into erlect
without difficulty. On certain other
forests we are not in ft position to
grant five-year permits for more than
a portion of the stock at present, upon
ihem, because there is serious ques
tion whether there is not now more
stock than can be carried permanent-'
ly, without injury to the forest. There
is also the extra stock which has been
taken care of as a war emergency,
some of which we will not be able to
continue, and for that reason should
not be included under five-year per
mits. "The Issuance of annual permits
will be continued where reductions
are necessary to insure against over
stocking or where this may be re-
n nired for any other reason. The
plan is progressively to bring about
a more secure tenure of ti.e ','t r'.ins
privileges ti:r;.ui:h in? ::-..-.aa c at
jvc-yoar permits as fast as this can
be done in confide; atir:n of the
v.iiioi'.H public interests i.ivolvei."
Wwl I.orato in Heppner.
Dr. C. C. Chick, of lone-, has rented
'ho John Kinsman prooriv in tiast
Mepuner and wiii move inu the
tni" at once with his fa'niiy. Dr.
hick, ho has enjoyed a s ieidid
practice at lone, will take over the
ractice of Dr. Wlrnsrd at iMs'ci'y.
ia comes, here with a reputation
1 at is well earned, having been a
evident of the county for about 14
cars past, during which time he has
had offices at Hardmun, Lexingmn
and lone, and hia success in these
"elds Is MUfTicient recommendation
hat he will make good in this larger
field. Dr. Chick and his family will
be made welcome in Heppner, where '
hey are already well known, and
this paper bespeaks for the doctor a
plendid practice here.
Chopped His Thumb.
While cutting kindling Sunday
iiornlng, Frank Gilliam had the
misfortune of cutting off the end of
' is thumb on the left hand. He wab
Ing a double bitted axe which came
;n contact with the cloihes line over-
lead, causing the tool to defied with
lisastrous results. The thumb was
ntirely severed diagonnally across
he first joint, the severed part hang
ng by a slight piece of skin. He
athered up the remains and hustled
to the home of Dr. McMurdo, where
lie injury was repaired, the doctor
'sing nine stitches to hold the
severed parts of' the thumb together.
Brother Dies in Nebraska. v
Mrs. H. E. Storm received word
on Monday notifying her of the death
of a brother, David Rosen, of Oak
land, Nebraska. Mrs. Storm departed
for Oakland on Tuesday morning,
not expecting to reach there In time
for the funeral, but to be of assis
tance to her brother's family in this
hour of bereavement. Mr. Rosen
was a victim of influenza and was in
a hospital at Lincoln, Neb., at the
time of his death, and ' had been
receiving treatment for rheumatism
w hen he tontracted influenza.
A 10 V pound son arrived at thi
home cf Mr. and Mrs. Leo Hiil in
this city on the 24th inst. The'
young man came at a rather Inoppor
tune time, his mother, father and ot
her nKmbers of the family bein; sick
with the flu. Mrs. Hill and the baby
-re. li.-ing quite well now at the home
of Mr. and Mrs. F. A. Andrews, and
I.ir. Hill and the other children are
improving. Mrs. Hill's mother ar
rived last evening to help care for
the stricken family.
We understand that a deal was
closed this week whereby G. A.
Wilcox takes over the D. C. Wells
place just west of Heppner. Mr.
Wilcox early in the fall disposed of
ills alfalfa farm at Jordan Siding to
Laxton McMurray. and since that
time he and Mrs. Wilcox have been
living at lone, and looking about for
another home. We are glad they will
become permanent residents" of this
place again.
Harold Cohn reached home on
Monday from the Norfolk, Va., navy
yard, giving his parents, Mr. and
Mrs. Phill Cohn, somewhat of a
surprise. Harold was specializing
in the radio section and had enlisted
for four years, but the end of the
war made it possible for him to ge
a release. He has enjoyed the ser
vice but is glad to be home again.
Mr. and Mrs. John Woodward ot
Lena, spent the week-end In Hepp
ner. Having recently disposed of
their Butter creek ranch, they expect
to move to a new home in the Spring,
going perhaps to either Hermiston
or Stan field, where they will get a
small alfalfa farm and be uer.r a
good school.
James Walter Yeager arrived
hour- last evening from San Fuin
cisco and will spend a short visit
with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. L.
Yeager. He has been in the radio
servke. working for a large steam
ship company of San Farncisoo, for
the past two years an l more, and
,UU i! his first visit home.
With the exception of a few spots
here and there. Heppner had u
White Christmas, there being a light
full of snow during tha week with
the thermometer gradually dropping
toward the neighborhood of zero.
Laverne Van Marter returned
from Portland the first of the week.
He has been at work in the metropo
lis for some time past.
Mr. and Mrs. N. S. Whetstone are
1,1 Pendleton this week, to remain
until after the Christmas holidays.