Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 27, 1927)
HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES, HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, JAN. 27, 1927. PAGE FIVE BOARDMAN A Pair of Blue Eyes In the estimate of the affable br&keman we were making a fair ' average of twenty miles an hour across the greatest country on earth, It was a flat country of far hor' zona, and for vast stretches peopled mainly, as one might judge from the car windows, by antelope and prairie dogs. Yet despite the novelty of ouch a ride behold me, surfeited with al ready five days' steady travel, en grossed chiefly in observing a clear, dainty profile and waiting for the glimpse, time to time, of a pair of exquisite blue eyes. Merely to indulge myself in fern inine beauty, however, I need not have undertaken the expense and fat igue of journeying from Albany on the Hudson out to Omaha on the plains side of the Missouri River thence by the Union Pacific Railroad of the new transcontinental line into the Indian country. mere were handsome women aplenty in the East; and of access also, to a youth of family and parts' nut nere I was, advised by the phy sicians -to "go West," meaning by this l ot simply the one-time West of Ohio, or Illinois, or even Iowa, but the remote and genuine West lying Deyona tne Missouri. The Union Pacific announcement! acclaimed that this summer of 1868 the rails should cross the Black Hills Mountains of Wyoir.in? to another range of the Rocky Mountains, in Utah; and that by the end of the year one might ride comfortably clear to bait Lake l,ityl And somewhere :n the expanse of brand new Western sountry, the plains and the moun tains, I would find at least the breath of life. When I arrived in Omaha the tick et agent was enabled to sell me trans portation away to the present west ern terminus, Benton, Wyoming Ter ritory itself six hundred end ninety miles west of the Missouri! Of Benton I had never heard. But in round figures, seven hundred miles! Practically the distance from Albany to Cincinnati, and itself dis tant from Albany over two thousand miles! All by rail. The ltdy of the blue eyes was bound for the same point. Ye gods, lut she was a little beauty; a perfect blonde, of the petite and fully form ed type, with regular features in clined to the clean-cut Grecian, a piquant mouth deliciously bowed, two ryes of the deepest blue veiled by long lashes, and a mass of glinting golden hair upon which perched a revishing little bonnet. The natural ensemble was enhanced ly her costume, all of black, from the closely fitting bodice to the rust ling criroline beneath which there l-ecped out tiny shoes. I had oppor tunity also to note the jet pendant in the shelly ear toward me, and the lashing rings upon the fingers of her hands. Could she by any chance live in Benton a woman dressed as she was, as much a la mode 'as if she walked in New York? Omaha itself had astonished me with the display upon its streets; and now if Benton, far out in the wilderness, should prove another surprise ! Indeed, the Western world was not so raw, after all. Half of my seat at the start had been effectually filled by a large, stout, red-faced woman who formed the base of a pyramid of boxes and parcels. She was going to North Flatte, three hundred miles westward. I told her I was going to Benton. She stared, round-eyed. "I reckon you're a gambler!" she accused. "I am Beeking health in the West," 1 said, "where the climate is high t.nd dry." "My Gawd!" she blurted, "High and dry! You're goin' to the right place. For all I hear tell, Benton is h,gh enough and dry enough. But laws sakes, you don't need to go that fur. You can as well 3top off at North Tlatte, or Sidney or Cheyenne. They'll scalp you sure at Benton unless you watch out mighty sharp." "How so, may I ask?" "You're certainly green," she ap prised. "Benton's roarin' and I know what that means. Didn't North Platte roar? I seen it at its beginnin's. My old man and me, we were there from th fust, when it started in as the railroad terminal. My Sakes, but them were times! Gamblin', shootin'. and drinkin' and high-cockalorums night and day! 'Twasn t no place for inno cence! Easy come, easy go, that was the word. I don't say but what times were good, though. My old man con tracted government freight, and I run an eatin1 house for the railroaders, so we made money. Then when the rail road moved terminus, the rest of the crowd moved, too. You stop off at North Platte, Nebrasky. It s healthy and its moral." But since I had crossed the Missou n something had entered into my blood which rendered me obstinate against such allurements. For her North Platte, "strictly moral," I had no ardent feeling. I was set upon Benton. And in after days soon to arrive I bitterly regretted that I had not yielded to her counsel. Nevertheless this was true, at pres ent: "But I have already purchased my ticket to Benton," I objected. "If I don't like it I can move elsewhere. Possibly to Salt Lake City, or Den ver." She snorted. "In among them Mormons? My Gawd, young man! Where they live in conkibinage several women to one man, like a buffler herd or other beasts of the field? Denver well, Denver mightn't be bad, but ain't on no railroad, either. If you want health, and to grow up with a strictly moral community, you throw in with North Plntte." "I thank you," I replied. "But since I've started for Benton I think I'll go on. And if I don't like it you may see me in North Platte after all. She grunted. "You oan find me at the Bon Ton restaurant. If you get in broke, I'll tuke care of you." In remarkably short order she was asleep. Tne broktman came in later, liirht ig the coal-oil lamps. Outside, th twilight had deepened into dusk. Numerous passengers were making ready for bed; the men by removing their boots and shoes and coats and galluses and Btretching out; the wo rsen by loosening their stays, with significant clicks and sighs, and lay ing their heads upon adjacent shoul- cUrs or drooping against seat ends. rabies cried, and were hushed. Final "night-caps" were taken from he prevalent bottles. The bnikemnn leaned to me. "You for North Platte?" "No, sir, Benton, Wyoming Terri tory." "Then you'd better move up to the car ahead. This car stops at North Flatte." Fortui.e had favored me across the aisle from my new seat only a couple of seats beyond, I glimpsed the top of a golden head, sceurely low and barricaded in by baggage. I slept until midnight. The train was rumbling as before. The lamps had been extinguished the coach atmosphere was heavy with oil smell and the exhalations of hu man beings in all stages of dishabille. But the golden head was there, about as when last sighted. Now it stirred, and erected a little. I felt the unseemliness of sitting and waiting for her to make her toilet, so I hastily Btaggered to achieve my own by aid of the water tank, tin basin, roller towell and small looking-glass at the rear. The coach was the last in the train. stepped out upon the back platform for fresh air. A bevy of antelope flashed white tails as they scudded away. Two mo tionless figures, horseback, whom I took to be wild Indians, surveyed us from a distant sandhill. Across the river there appeared s fungus of low buildings, almost in (listinqulshnble, with a glimmer of canvas-topped wagonB fringing it. That was the old emigrant road. Whilo I was thus orienting myself the car door opened and closed. I turned my head. The Lady of the Blue Eyes had joined me. As fresh as the morning she was! "Oh! You? I beg your pardon, sir." I felt her diffidence was more polite than sincere. "You are heartily welcome," I as sured. "There's air enough for us both." We tore by another freight waiting upon a siding located amidst a wide debris of tin cans and barren spots, resembling the ruins from fire and quake. "North Plattel" She laughed merri ly. "Dear me, don't mention North Platte not in the sBme breath with Benton, or even Cheyenne. A town of hayseeds and dollar-a-dny dorks whose height of sport is to go fish ing in the Plattel A young man like you would die of ennui in North Platte." "There is Juleburg." "A town?" I gasped. "The end!" She smiled. "The only inhabitants now are in the station- house and the graveyard." "And the others? Where are they?' "Farther west.. Many of them ir Benton." "Indeed? Or in North Platte!" bantered. "North Platte!" She laughed mer rily. "Dear me don't mention North Platte not in the same breath with Benton, or even Cheyenne. A town of hayseeds and dollar-a-day clerks whose height of sport is to go fishing in the Platte! A young man like you would die of ennui in North Platte." Her free speech accorded ill with what I had been accustomed to in wo mankind; and yet became her spark ling eyes and general dash. "Will you," she asged, "join me in a little appetizer? You will find it a superior cognac and we breakfast shortly, at Sidney." From a pocket of her skirt she had extracted a small silver flask, stop pered with a tiny screw cup. Her face swam before me, in my astonishment. "I rarely drink liquor, madam.' I stammered. , "Nor I. But when traveling you know. And in high and dry Benton, liquor is quite a necessity! You will not decline to taste with a lady? Let us drink to better acquaintance, in Benton I" "With all my heart, madam." I blurted. We consummated our pledges just in time. The brakeman issued, bring ing discord into my heaven of blue and gold and comfortable warmth. With a darting glance at him and a parting smile for me she passed in side. The brakeman lingered. "Friend of yours, is she?" "I met her in Omaha, is all," I stiffly informed. "You are acquaint ed with the lady, yourself?" "Her? Sure. I know about every body along the line between Platte and Cheyenne." "She lives in Benton, though, I un derstand," I proffered. "Yep. Followed her man. A heap of people moved from Cheyenne to Benton, by way of Laramie." "She is married, then?" "Far as I know. Anyway, Bhe'g not single, by a long shot." And he laughed. (Continued Next Week) Copyright by Edwin L. Sabin. MRS. A. T. HBEEIM, Correspondent. Mrs. W. H. Mefford was called to Pendleton Sunday because of the ser ious illness of her grandson. Richard Root, who is a patient at St. An thony's hospital. He has been quite in with heart trouble for several weeks following a serious operation for appendicitis, suffering from rheu matism of the heart, and also leak age of the heart. He is only nine years old and has had a hard time of it for' the last year or so, having had an operation for mastoid, followed by me appendix operation about seven weeks ago. The worst of the flu epidemic seems to be over and another wave of it could not Bweep quite bo many vic tims as there aren't many who avoid ed the first siege. Dillons, Wilsons, Broomes, Clarks at Messner, Mef fords. Aliens, Gorhams, Dillaboughs, Klags, are all gradually recovering. Janet Gorham and Mrs. Ballenger each had a suppuration abscess, in other words, a gathering in the head and Ellen Broome had some nasal difficulty. Mrs. Broome and Mrs. Dil lon each had a case of incipient pneu monia, but all are well on the road to recovery. Mrs. C. G. Blayden was another victim who is again out after strenuous siege. Mrs. W. A. Goodwin of Condon fell last week and broke her right arm. The doctor who reduced the fracture stated it would be a month before she would be able to again use her arm. Mrs. W. A. Price went to Hot Lake a week ago to recuperate from a bad attack of flu. She was a victim of the flu four years ago which left her heart in a weakened condition. Mr. rrice took Billy to Portland to stay witn his grandparents until Mrs. Price returns. Roy Fugate of the U. S. Biological Survey spent several days in Board man this week inaugurating a cam- paign for poisoning the rabbits in this section. This is an excellent time to conquer the pests since ac cording to reports one dead bunny now equals ten in the spring. Rev. Swogger came down Sunday but no services were held because of the extreme cold and so much sickness. Arthur Goodwin, a former resident, is recuperating from a serious opera tion for hernia at the hospital in The Dalles. Fond memories of the winter seven years ago were brought back very vividly on Thursday and Friday of last week when the thermometer ciawled down till it reached 22 below zero. A blizzard visited us on Wed nesday that reminded us of "Old Iowa" and on Thursday, Friday and Saturday it was bitter, bitter cold. There was no fuel shortage fortun ately so no one suffered but every one kept in close proximity to the stove. Night school opened last week in spite of the cold weather, with a good attendance. This is an excellent op portunity for persons who wish to "brush up" or take gome new subject to take advantage of. A splendid list of subjects is offered with three half hour periods each Monday and Wed nesday evening. Burton Barnes is here from over in the John Day country. Boardman friends will be interest ed to hear that Clark M. Jantzen has accepted a teaching position in Cin cinnati, Ohio. Mr. Jantzen resigned his position here the first of the year and having had a misunderstanding with his betrothed who lives in Cin cinnati, went to that city. Everything has been settled very amicably and Mr. Jantzen is well satisfied with his new location. Mr. Goodwin received a letter from Mr. Jantzen laBt week. Mrs. A. T. Hereim was a guest of Mrs. Warner Sunday for dinner at the Highway Inn. ALPINE. Arthur Sepanek, son . of Mr. and Mrs. Michael Sepanek, drove home from San Francisco last Friday in his new Studebaker coach. He has left California's sunshine to enjoy Ore gon's snow. Pupils of high school passed their semester examinations with high grades. The Sepanek family motored to Pendleton Saturday. Mildred Schmidt was a visitor at the Lambirth home Wednesday night. Thursday night proved to be the coldest night of the season to the peo ple at Alpine. Margaret Melville has been absent from school two days because of the cold weather. Several of the Alpine people are planning on attending the basket so cial at Pine City Friday. Pupils in the grade room are in high sports over the easy history ex amination given this week. Preparations are being made for a program to be given next Farm Bu reau night, February 6. LOST During past summer, one iron gray mule, weight about 1200 and one iron gray mare mule, weight 1100, each bearing brand E on right shoulder and coming six years old. Will pay reward of $10.00 apiece for recovery of said animals. WEBB BROS, Walla Walla, Wash. 44-7. Strayed or Stolen Four or five head of horses from ranch of B. P. Swaggart; have no visible marks er brands; Miss Cantata one of bunch. Reward for information leading to re covery. B. F. SWAGGART, Lexing ton, Ore. LEXINGTON CHURCH OF CHRIST. Lord's Day, Jan. 30th. Bible School 10 a. m., preaching and Communion, 11 a. m. A welcome to you. E. L. WOOD, Minister. FOR A QUICK LUNCH Have pure, rich whole milk. Fresh Every Day. Alfalfa Lawn Dairy WIGHTMAN BROS, Props. Phone S0F3 Central Market C W. McNAMER, Proprietor FRESH AND CURED MEATS, FISH AND POULTRY Call us when you have anything in our line to sell. Phone Main 652 CERTIFIED Seeafl DSy We have some very fine Recleaned Seed Rye certified to be Spring Rye You can buy Princess Flour from us. It is the flour that "makes friends easily." Corn Rolled Barley Poultry Supplies Brown Warehouse Co. Phones: Warehouse 643, Residence 644 EVERYBODY COflVG CALIFORNIA bids you turn back the calendar to summer and come play in the warm sunshine. Aa an added inducement the Union Pacific now offer (pedal low round trip faro and assures you a manretoua journey on tin finest of fast train. Connection via Portland or Salt Lake City. MAU TOOK KESKKYATtOMS MOW CHESTER DARBEE, Agent Heppnar, Or. Brought from far off lands, right to your table with all their sun-ripened, nature flavored goodness. You can depend upon our canned fruits, veg etables and delcacies to be the very best. We recommend them! Or der some today. Prices reasonable. Phelps Grocery Company PHONE 53 OAKLAN D Announces the Appointment of Ferguson Motor Co.! As Associate Dealer of Oakland and Pontiac We are pleased to announce the appointment of this new local dealer a connection which admirably reflects the high standards Oakland has set for selling and servicing its motor cars. A cordial invitation is extended to you to call on our new dealer and examine the new OAK LAND SIX, the car that is everywhere winning and holding increasing good will. See also its companion car the PONTIAC SIX, the outstanding new car of the year. OAKLAND MOTOR CAR COMPANY PONTIAC, MICHIGAN OAKLAND (PONTIAC fes.' - r-e? $1025 .1295 mfrcun COACH or COUPB