Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 14, 1937)
OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY PUBLIC U D I T 0 R I U PORTLAND. ORE. Volume 52, Number 45. HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, JAN. 14, 1937. Subscription $2.00 a Year a?ette Loan Association Shows $767,! Loans in County Hardman National Names Officers at Annual Meeting. Farmer-stockholders of Hardman National Farm Loan association held their annual business meeting at the Elks hall, Tuesday, electing J. J. Wightman, Chas. B. Cox, John Ken ny, Ralph Benge and Frank Wilkin son to serve on the board of direct ors for the coming year. Directors met at the association office immediately afterward and on unanimous vote elected J. J. Wight man president for the year. W. Vawter Parker was elected secretary-treasurer to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of H. D. McCurdy. Mr. Parker will also ser vice loans for the lone and West Extension associations. Mr. McCur dy, who will continue to serve as inspector for Pendleton Production Credit association and appraiser for the state land board, resigned to give more time to his farm and stock; raising interests. ' ' . President Wightman and Secre tary McCurdy gave members a com plete picture of the association's fi nancial standing with the use of ll lustrated charts at the annual meet ing, and urged members to take act ive interest in the affairs of their co operative mortgage organization. . Aided by higher crop and livestock prices, members made good prog ress during 1936 toward clearing up delinquencies, paying off back taxes and getting their loans in good cur rent condition, Mr. McCurdy report ed. It is expected that further prog ress will be made in this direction during this year. The Hardman association has ap proximately $767,500 in outstanding mortgage loans which have been negotiated through the district land bank at Spokane for its 121 stock' holding members on a favorable co operative basis. At present it is making new first mortgage loans at the record low interest rate of 4 per cent a year, with payments spread over a long term of years, set up so the principal can be automatically paid off by the end of the loan per iod. Chinook Tuesday Breaks Cold Snap Overcast skies and thawing tem perature is being enjoyed in Hepp ner today as a relief from the se vere cold snap which started New Year's day and continued until Tu esday night when a mild chinook hit. Intermittent snows yesterday. last night and today varied from frozen fog to almost rain, bringing additional moisture most welcome to everyone. The mercury hit low for the sea son on Tuesday of last week at 14 below. Sub-zero nights have been the order up till Tuesday with Mon day night holding the week's record at 12 below. Some residents have taken advantage of the snow for skiing and sledding, while activity generally has been held down to minimum essentials. County roads and highways were generally clear ed this week, and school busses held up for several days are running again on schedule. Train service has continued, though late trains have been the order. GAME MEETING SLATED. Everyone, whether a member of the club or not, is invited to attend a meeting of Morrow County Hunt ers and Anglers club slated to be held next Monday evening at 8 o' clock at the Elks club. Discussion of proposed changes in game laws is on the docket, according to Chas. B. Cox, secretary. Hugh Stanfield Dies in California Hugh L. Stanfield, 54 formerly a prominent sheepman of Umatilla county and whose operations ex tended into Morrow county where he was well known, died Wednesday of last week in San Diego, Cal., after long illness caused by diabetes. He was the son of the late Robert N. and Harriet Stanfield, and was born at Umatilla. His widow, two daugh ters, Mrs. Arthur Walker of Oak land, Cal., and Harriet Stanfield of San Jose, and son, Hugh Stanfield, Jr., of San Jose, survive. Hermiston Herald, which report ed Mr. Stanfield's death, also gives the surviving brothers and sisters: Robert N. Stanfield, Jr., of Hunting ton, formerly associated with his brother in the sheep business; Ger ald Stanfield of Payette, Ida.; Mrs. Asa Thomson of Republic, Wash.; Mrs. Daisie Frazier of Riverside, Cal.; Mrs. Arthur Means of Seattle; Miss Kate Stanfield of Echo; Mrs. R. W. Allen of Spokane, and Mrs. Carl Helm of La Grande. He leaves also a half-sister, Mrs. J. B. Perry of Pendleton, and a half-brother, Ralph Stanfield of Echo. District Legislators Giver Assignments Committee assignments given out for Oregon legislators this week have resulted in important places for rep resentatives of this district. The senate, being half the size of the house, puts more committee work on its members, especially this year when house committees are compar atively small in number. Representative E. R. Fatland will again act as vice-chairman on the alcoholic control committee which will have considerable work to do with the numerous amendments that are proposed for the liquor act. He will serve on the education and game committees and will again be on the highways and highway rev enue committee where his experi ence as head of the John Day High way association will be of value, As one of the members on the labor and industry committee he will be in position to work for the perman' ent settlement of labor troubles that beset the farmers of the district. Representative Giles French will serve on commerce and navigation which may have to handle legisla tion regarding the development of the Columbia river for navigation Counties and cities and education will be other committee assignments, He has also been appointed chair man of the committee on public in stitutions which is expected to han dle the building proposals for the state and determine the fate of a new parole system for the peniten tiary. Senator Rex Ellis has been plac ed on agriculture, alcoholic traffic. game, penal institutions, public lands, roads and highways commit tees, several of which are of mater ial value to the people of his district, PLUMBERS KEPT BUSY. Earl Gilliam and Lester Doolittle the city's plumbers, have been kept on the trot since start of the storm two weeks ago, straightening out frozen and bursted water pipes. In many instances they could take time only to straighten out the house holders cold water enough to bridge the emergency not attempt ing to put the entire water system back in repair, in order to get water for everyone as soon as possible, TO MOVE OFFICE. Victor Peterson, Federal Land bank representative, who has been sharing office space with Harlan McCurdy in the Roberts building, expects to establish his headquar ters soon in one of the new office spaces upstairs in the First National bank building. Mrs. M. R. Wightman and baby daughter left Heppner hospital this week, returning to their home down Willow creek. President's Birthday Ball to Again Benefit Paralytics Dr. McMurdo, Chair man, Names Helpers For Event of 30th. The annual President's Birthday. ball benefitting infantile paralysis sufferers will be held Saturday eve ning, January 30, at the Elks hall, announces Dr. A. D. McMurdo, who is serving again as chairman of the event on appointment from nation al headquarters. Dr. McMurdo has named E. L. Morton treasurer, and C. B. Cox, Father James O'Reilly, R. B. Fer guson, R. C. Phelps, J. V. Crawford, James Farley of Heppner, Bert Ma son of lone, and Ralph Phillips of Lexington as members of the gen eral committee. Again this year 30 percent of the net proceeds will go to the national foundation for infantile paralysis sufferers while 70 percent will re main in a local fund to be expend-j ed in behalf of victims of the disease in this county. This year's event honors the 55th birthday of President Roosevelt, and is one of a series of similar events to be held throughout the nation at the same time. Dr. McMurdo asks everyone to support the worth while cause by buying the tickets to be offered ta $1 each. GERMANS HARD HIT FOLLOWING WAR V. M. Sackett Tells Lions Club Experiences With Army of Occupation After Armistice. Vernor M. Sackett had spent six months at the front and was sta tioned at a little outpost on the Meuse in northern France when the armistice ending the World war took effect. Mr. Sackett, son-in-law of S. E. Notson who with Mrs. Sackett is visiting at the Notson home from Salem, recalled the incident before the Monday Lions luncheon, also telling of experiences with the army of occupation in Germany following the armistice. A half dozen American soldiers were at the outpost. They heard ru mors the evening before that the armistice would be signed on the morrow. They were skeptical until the next morning when soldiers be gan passing by, shouting and sing ing. The last cannon boomed at 11 o'clock that morning of November 11, 1918. With interjection of considerable levity, Mr. Sackett told anecdotes from his experiences soon afterward when he was ordered to the Rhine with the army of occupation. No horseman, though everyone from the west was supposed to be, he became chagrined when he found it impossi ble, with a 60-pound pack on his back, to mount a rolly-polly nag as signed him on which to make the trip. After making the first day's journey on foot, he accomplished the rest of the distance atop heavily loaded supply trucks. Retreating Germans had felled trees in the road and otherwise blocked the progress of the occu pationists. An impression was made by many dead horses along the road, all bony in appearance, for which the retreating army apparently had in sufficient provender and had left to die along the way. The rolling green landscape was enjoyed as they passed through the German countryside, in contrast to the war-torn terrain of France. At Prum they were stationed in an old army hospital, built about a large court. Here as before on the trip they spread their blankets on hard board floors. Only once on the trip Continued on Page Five Funeral Rites Held for John Woodward, 91 Funeral rites were held from the Methodist church here at 1 o'clock Saturday afternoon for John Wood ward, 91, pioneer stockman of this section who died at his home in the Columbia district near Hermiston on Wednesday last week. Interment was in Masonic cemetery. Mr. Woodward was for many years a prominent sheepman with head quarters at Heppner before moving to Hermiston several years ago. He lived here at the time of the 1903 flood in which Mrs. Woodward lost her life and the home was swept away. He also experienced the Chi cago fire. Mr. Woodward was born in Eng land October 16, 1845, coming to the United States just at the close of the Civil war. He made two trips to the native land and has a brother who still resides there. He first married Clara Hale of Heppner, and in later years wedded Ada Julia Waddell who preceded him in death two years ago. He is survived by three sons, Bob and Harold of Hermiston and Roy of Enterprise; and a daugh ter, Mrs. Frances W. Jones of Spo kane. Camas Prairie Man Digs Out for Feed Foster Collins came to town yes terday from his Camas prairie farm after working for three days to clear the road from his place to the high way. He had to make it out for feed for his stock, he said. The mercury dropped to 25 below at the Collins place, hovering be tween there and 2 below for two weeks. Snow on the prairie meas ured between 16 and 18 inches, and when he left for town a new fall was so thick that he couldn't see his hand before his face. The old snow was very light. While at work the other day, he had the experience of seeing two does which laid a short ways away And watched him work all day. SMITH RITES HELD. Last rites for Emmett F. Smith who died the Wednesday previous at Clark county hospital, Vancouver, Wash., were held from the Christian church here at 2 o'clock Saturday afternoon, Alvin Kleinfeldt, minis ter, officiating, and interment was in Masonic cemetery. Mr. Smith, a resident of the Knights of Pythias home at Vancouver and who had been in poor health for several years, died as the result of shock when he fell and broke his hip. A sister, Mrs. A. G. DeVore, was here from Port land for the funeral. He is survived also by sisters, Mrs. D. S. Barlow of Eight Mile, Mrs. A. L. Anderson of Portland apd Miss Oma Smith of Pendleton. Mr. Smith followed ranching on Rhea creek for 25 years and many old-time neighbors and friends paid their final respects at the funeral services. DEBT ADJUSTER CALLS. S. T. Bailie of La Grande, district farm debt adjustment supervisor with the Resettlement administra tion, met with the local committee at the county agent's office here Fri day. A program of work for the year was considered. He advised that anyone wishing the services of this volunteer committee should see the county agent. ASKS $7500 DAMAGES. Suit to collect $7500 damages for injuries sustained in an automobile accident was filed in circuit court here this week by E. R. Nelson of Portland against Ernest M. Lundell of lone. Shepperd and Phillips of Portland appear as attorneys for plaintiff. 24 COYOTES TAKEN. Burton Barnes, A. J. Knoblock and Alva Stone, biological survey hunt ers in Morrow county, killed 24 coy otes in December, according to the monthly report. The score was Barnes 7, Knoblock 6, Stone 11. North End Range Improvement Plan Progresses District 7 to Elect Officers on 30th; Blanks Available. The Department of the Interior took the first definite step toward range improvement in the large block of range land involving some 350,000 acres lying mostly in Mor row county, but partly in Gilliam and Umatilla counties, when on De cember 18 this whole section of coun try was set up as Oregon Grazing! District No. 7. . There has been a demand by stockmen in that area for some type of range control which would en courage the control of grazing to the end that this large section of coun try could be brought to something like its former carrying capacity. Last year Wm. D. Campbell, Mor row county judge, George N. Peck and Frank S. Parker, county com missioners, attended a hearing of the Eastern Oregon Land Planning board at Prineville, to urge organization of a Taylor grazing district in the north end of Morrow county. On July 29 a meeting of the range users in that section was held at Heppner at which time the rangemen unanimously re quested that a grazing district be formed. On November 6 a meeting was called at Heppner by the De partment of Interior at which a for mal request for this district was made. It is planned to handle the land within the area by a grazing asso ciation. Articles of association, sign ed by Jack Hynd and John Krebs, Cecil, L. D. Neill and Chas. Barthol omew, Echo, and William Kilkenny, Heppner, have been filed with the State Corporation commissioner. The Department of the Interior has set January 30 as the time and Hepp ner as the place for the meeting at which the association officers will be duly elected and the new asso ciation can formally start operation. Applications for grazing permits may be obtained at the office of the coun ty agent at Heppner. The expressed purpose of this new association, as outlined in its articles is "To promote, aid and protect the raising of livestock and to conserve, protect and improve the range with in the boundaries of Oregon Grazing District No. 7, as the same now ex ists or as same may be amended from time to time." In the early days of the livestock industry in this section, the territory now included in Oregon Grazing District No. 7, was in a very different condition than it is today. Men who saw the range in . those days say that the whole area was covered with bunch grass. It was once fairly common practice for stockmen in. the south end of the county to hire riders dur ing the summer to haze the wild horses down into the open range to the north. Year-round grazing by horses and more lately much year round grazing by sheep has brought parts of this range to a condition which threatens to leave it perma nently valueless. The federal government is the largest landowner in District No. 7. Land owned by individual stockmen forms the next largest block, with the railroad and Morrow county each owning about 44,000 acres. Undoubtedly, the mere set up of a grazing district in this area will not solve the problem of over-grazing, but the majority of the stockmen in that section feel that through the es tablishment of this district and the grazing association, the way has been paved for a constructive range program which should not only halt range deterioration but should form the basis for a real range improve ment program.