OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLIC AUDITORI'J ?.!
PORTLAND. ORE.
ppepptieir
Volume 52, Number 48.
Elks' Lodge History
Recalled at 40th
Birthday Meet
Frank Roberts, Char
ter Member, Given
Life Membership.
Frank Roberts received an hon
orary life membership in Heppner
lodge 358, B. P. 0. Elks, at its 40th
birthday anniversary meeting last
Thursday evening. He was awarded
the honor as one of two charter
members still on the lodge rolls.
The other, L. L. Matlock, who was
to receive a similar card at the same
time, was prevented from attending
by convalescence from a severe at
tack of pneumonia at the home of a
sister in Portland. He will receive
his card later.
Illness and inclement weather held
down attendance, but more than six
ty lodge members participated in the
event.
Masons, Knights of Pythias, Wood
men of the World and other lodges
had already arrived on the scene in
Heppner before the Elks received
their charter on January 27, 1897.
But that day was a gala one in the
annals of the city as a special train
brought a horde of antlered broth
ers from neighboring cities to take
part in the ceremonies at Knights
of Pythias hall in the old Fair build
ing, according to the historical pa
per read by J. O. Turner .
Before acquiring its $40,000 home
in 1918, the lodge met for several
years in the Odd Fellows hall. Phill
Cohn, one of the charter members,
" made the motion which started the
new building. Frank- Gilliam, an-
other charter member, served con
tinuously as treasurer until after
the building was completed, a service
of more than twenty years. A. W.
Patterson was the first exalted ruler.
Mr. Turner paid tribute to many
men who had given distinguished
service, as well as to the part the
lodge has played in- the progress of
the community. So difficult was the
job of naming all who might deserve
mention, however, that he attempted
only some of the highlights.
In the 40 years, the lodge initiated
999 candidates, he cited from the
records.
Names of the 28 charter members
were given as follows: A. W. Pat
terson, printer; Phill Cohn, pharma
cist, warehouseman and grain deal
er; George Conser, banker; J. A. Pat
terson, locomotive engineer; T. R.
Lyons, salesman; J. C. Borchers, sa
loon keeper; J. W. Horner, saddle
maker; Leslie L. Matlock, stockman;
R. C. Wills, furniture dealer; P. O.
Borg, jeweler; E. W. Rhea, mer
chant; William Dunn, railroad man;
Frank Gilliam, hardware merchant;
E. J. Slocum, druggist; H. Dunn; J.
J. Harris, plumber; Frank Roberts,
saloon keeper; Wilson E. Brock,
druggist; W. R. Irwin, merchant; E.
H. Slocum, sawmill; Joseph Mueller,
musician; E. L. Matlock, stockman,
saloon keeper, and later sheriff; S.
W. Spencer, farmer, later banker; E.
L. Freeland, real estate, later bank
er; S. P. Garrigues, hardware.
The roster of exalted rulers from
the beginning includes A. W. Patter
son, W. E. Brock, E. L. Freeland, S.
W. Spencer, R. F. Hynd, Henry
Blackman, Frank Roberts, P.O. Borg,
Percy Garrigues, Lewis Kinney, Phil
Metschan, Jr., Harry Johnson, W.
E. Pruyn, Harry Duncan, W. A.
Hayes, Jay Vale, Gus Mallory, Edgar
Ayers, W. A. Richardson, H. H. Hoff
man, H. T. Allison, F. A. McMena
min, Charles B. Cox, Dean T. Good
man, E. E. Gilliam, C. L. Sweek, F.
W. Turner, Gay M. Anderson, C. J.
D. Bauman, H. A. Cohn, Earl W.
Gordon, L. Van Marter, J. G. Bar
ratt, D. A. Wilson, J. O. Turner, J.
G. Thomson, Jr., Harry Tamblyn,
Jasper V. Crawford.
For the anniversary program, D.
A. McAtee and W. E. Pruyn, other
HEPPNER,
,"""t'lii'n(i:HiFiiflfifliifnn'i'H;l'"'f.s
GRAZING DISTRICT
ELECTS OFFICERS
Consideration of Applications on
North End Tract Set for
February 17 and 18.
Five directors for the Morrow
Grazing association were elected at
a meeting of the users of range in
Oregon Grazing District No. 7, held
at the courthouse last Saturday. Wil
liam Kilkenny, Heppner, was elected
for a five-year term. John Krebs
and Jack Hynd of Cecil were elected
for the four- and three-year terms
respectively, and L. D. Neill and
Chas. Bartholomew, Echo, were
elected for the two- and one year
terms respectively. At each annual
meeting hereafter, one director will
be elected for a term of five yearsJ
The same five men were elected as
a board of advisors for the manage
ment of the government land lying
within the district. William Kilken
ny was elected as the advisor for
three years, John Krebs and Jack
Hynd for two years each, and L. D.
Neill and Chas. Bartholomew for
one year each.
Marvin Klemme, regional grazier
at Burns, outlined the method of
handling public domain lands. First
preference for the use of government
land, Mr. Klemme said, would go to
those operators with dependent,
commensurable property who have
been using such public domain lands.
Mr. . Klemme pointed out that all
rights on public domain lands, un
der provisions of the Taylor Grazing
act, are property rights and not in
dividual rights.
On February 18 and 19, grazing
officials will consider applications
for grazing permits within the dis
trict, and all such applications should
be at the county agent's office on or
before February 17. "
Sub-District Hoop
Tourney Here, 26-27
Heppner will entertain the sub
district class B basketball tourna
ment here Feb. 26-27, announces
Alden Blankenship, superintendent,
Entering the compettiion will be
teams from lone, Lexington, Condon,
Boardman, Fossil and Heppner. Ar
lington, being host for the district
tournament the following week end,
will play in that event without par
ticipating in the sub-tournament.
While Heppner's squad has been
upset with illness, and one veteran,
Don Turner, completed his playing
career at mid-term, Blankenship be
lieved Heppner's chances of emerg
ing victorious from the local tour
nament to be good. Some of the
green material is fast developing and
the squad is looking forward to get
ting another chance to mix it with
Arlington after two defeats. Hepp
ner has defeated in the season's play
all the teams which will compete
here, except Fossil. The game sched
uled with Fossil last week end was
cancelled but Fossil and Lexington
played with one point margin and
as Heppner twice defeated Lexing
ton, little trouble is expected from
the Wheeler county lads. Boardman
will be the toughest team to beat, it
was believed.
Blankenship asks the community
to support .the tournament, as it is
expected to be self-supporting. Fail
ure to provide visiting teams' and
other expenses will make it harder
for Heppner to draw tournaments in
the future.
long time members were given an
honorary place in the chairs along
with Mr. Roberts by C. J. D. Bau
man who presided. A high school
mixed quartet, Miss Marjorie Par
ker, Miss Kathryn Parker, Gerald
Cason and Charles Cox, sang, ac
companied by Miss Juanita Leath
ers. Another entertaining feature
was the lodge quartet, F. W. Turner,
Joseph Belanger, Blaine E. Isom and
Dr. R. C. Lawrence. Following the
program a clam feed was enjoyed.
The anniversary program was in
charge of C. J. D. Bauman, L. E.
Bisbee and Charles B. Cox.
OREGON, THURSDAY, FEB. 4, 1937.
75 at Lexington
Meeting Talk
Erosion Control
Trashy Fallow Suc
cess Told in Letter;
Bad Roads Impede.
On horseback, on foot, and in a
few cases by automobile, about seventy-five
men found their way to
the Lexington grange hall last Fri
day for an all-day meeting of the
Columbia basin wheat farmers to
discuss farm practices as they affect
soil erosion.
H. V. Smouse, chairman of the
advisory board for the Lexington
Erosion Control district, outlined the
work done in that district during the
past two years to control blows. Mr.
Smouse pointed out that in the north
end of the county where blows have
been most prevalent, some 4,000 acres
of land were furrowed as emergen
cy treatment to stop blows. Through
the cooperation of the county court,
some eight miles of roadsides were
oiled to keep the sand from shifting.
Through the cooperation of the soil
conservation camp at Heppner, about
three miles of roadsides were straw
ed. Following harvest, all straw was
left on probably 70,000 acres of land
to be carried over in 1937 as trashy
summerfallow, Mr. Smouse said.
Effective as the Lexington district
had been, its usefulness was serious
ly curtailed in one of two unfor
tunate cases through lack of coop
eration on the part of the land own
ers, with the result that thousands
of dollars of unnecessary damage
was sustained.' "MrT Smouse pointed
out that legislation had been pre
pared and would be submitted to
the present session of the legislature
which would permit the establish
ment of blow control districts so
that such unnecessary losses as oc
curred last spring might be reduced
to a minimum. Since the Friday
meeting, this bill of which Mr.
Smouse spoke, has been introduced
into the legislature jointly by Rep
resentatives E. R. Fatland and Giles
French. Mr. Smouse discussed the
trip taken to Douglas county, Wash
ington, last spring by twenty-six
farmers from Morrow county to ob
serve farming methods around Wa
terville, which have been very ef
fective in controlling blows, and have
resulted in the reclaiming of thous
ands of acres of land formerly aban
doned as being too light and too dry
to farm.
Following the luncheon, served by
the ladies of the Lexington grange,
a series of lantern slides made from
pictures taken within Morrow coun
ty were shown by Joe Belanger,
county agent. These slides were on
two main subjects wind erosion and
water erosion, and served as a basis
for the afternoon discussion. While
the meeting was essentially of a dis
cussion nature and with no attempt
being made to arrive at one solution
of all difficulties, nevertheless, out
of the whole discussion one fact
stood out plainly, that being that
trash on the surface and in the top
few inches of the soil is the most ef-
Contlnued on Page Seven
23 Inches of Snow,
1 .55 Inches Moisture
Total snowfall in Heppner for Jan
uary measured 23 inches, reports
Len L. Gilliam, government weather
observer. Total moisture content
was given at 1.55 inches.
High winds last night and again
today continued the thaw with slight
evidence of run-off from the hills,
the water apparently being almost
all absorbed by the thirsty ground.
Charles Becket was in town Fri
day, just getting back from a trip to
Portland, and was not able to get to
the farm in Eight Mile due to the
roads being closed by snow.
COUNTY RAISES
$522 IN DRIVE
Incomplete Returns Almost
Double County Quota for
Eastern Flood Victims.
A total of $522.38 had been sent
yesterday to national Red Cross
headquarters from Morrow county,
reported R. Allan Bean, county chap
ter chairman. Several points had
not yet been heard from and indi
vidual contributions were still com
ing in with promise that the county
quota of $300 would be doubled.
Indicative of the humanitarian
spirit in the county were several
contributions of more than $20.
Those reporting with amounts from
each place, yesterday, to make up
the total of $522.38 were:
' R. Allan Bean, Heppner $192.31
W. D. Campbell, Lexington 123.52
Mrs. T. E. Peterson, lone .... 125.30
Mrs. Herbert Hynd, Cecil .... 27.75
Tom Caldwell, Irrigon 16.00
Mrs. Zoe Bauernfeind, Mor
gan 27.00
Mrs. E. E. Rugg, Rhea Creek 15.00
Mr. Bean complimented the spon
taneous response of Morrow county
people. Much of the money was
given voluntarily without solicita
tion. There is still no limit in sight
to the amount of relief which may
be required as rehabilitation has only
started.
Farmers to Hear 1937
Program Explained
A county-wide meeting of farm
ers has been called at Leach hall,
Lexington, Friday, Feb. 12, begin
ning at 1:30 p. m., to hear explana
tion of the 1937 agricultural conser
vation program, announces Joseph
Belanger, county agent. All sections
except Boardman and Irrigori are
asked to attend.
"In some ways the new program
is simpler than last year's. In other
ways it is more complicated," Belan
ger said. "Work sheets signed for
last years propram will carry over
for this year, so those who filled out
work sheets last year will not need
to do so for 1937.
"In general, the same practices
which qualified a man for payment
in 1936 will be the same for 1937
with one notable exception," said
Belanger. The exception, he em
phasized, is, "In 1937 wheat cannot
be plowed down as a green manure
crop. Rye is the only one of the
small grains that can be plowed
down to qualify as green manure.
Crested wheat grass seeded for 1936
compliance qualifies for exactly the
same payment in 1937 even where
no additional seeding is made."
President's Ball
Nets County $93
With total receipts of $200. and ex
penses of $65.75, the net return from
the President s Ball Saturday eve
ning was $134.25, of which 70 percent
or $93.97 remains in Morrow coun
ty to combat infantile paralysis, an
nounces Dr. A. D. McMurdo, chair
man of the event. The ball was well
attended considering the severe
weather, and Dr. McMurdo thanks
the public and his helpers for the
fine showing.
Expenses included $36.50 for or
chestra, $22.50 for hall rent and $6.75
for incidentals.
A feature of the evening was the
cake sale, with V. R. Runnion as
auctioneer. Each of the six cakes
averaged more than $3 selling for
a total of $18.50. Those making
cakes were Mrs. Annie Clowry, Miss
Mildred Clowry, Mrs. Paul Hisler,
Mrs. Dennis McNamee. Mrs. H. O.
Tenney and Mrs. A. D. McMurdo.
GROUNDHOG ACTS.
The result of Mr. Groundhog's
work was quickly seen in Heppner
Tuesday. After brilliant sunshine
for a time in the morning, the skies
became overcast shortly after noon
and by the middle of the afternoon
winter had started on another six
long weeks with a fall of fine snow.
Subscription $2.00 a Year
Mahoney to Salem
In Interests of
Flood Control
Court Gives $50 to
Work for Appropria
tion for Engineer.
Hoping for an appropriation to
assist the state engineer in taking
preliminary steps toward establish
ment of a flood control district in
Morrow county, the county court
yesterday voted $50 expense money
to P. W. Mahoney whom they asked
to go to Salem, to work for the ap
propriation. .
Mr. Mahoney, head of a citizen's
committee appointed some time ago
to work for construction of flood
control dams on Willow and Rhea
creeks, and S. E. Notson, Lions club
representative, appeared before the
court and told the story which led
to the court's action.
Army engineers have already made
surveys and drawn up specifications
for two flood control dams, one at
the Scherzinger place on Rhea creek
and the other just below the mouth
,of Balm fork on Willow creek, Mr.
Mahoney explained. However, be
fore the government will consider
further action, it requires that some
competent authority provide the
necessary sites and assume the up
keep after the dams are constructed.
Then, if the projects are okehed, the
government will stand the cost of
dam construction.
Advice from State Engineer C. E.
Stricklin a few months ago indicat
ed the proper course for providing
the local administrative authority
was the organization of a flood con
trol district. A state law provides
for setting up such districts, and
authorizes the engineer to call an
election on being served with a peti
tion signed by ten property holders
within the territory proposed to be
included in a district. Such expense
is authorized to ba defrayed from
"proper funds in the hands of the
state engineer if such, funds are
available." The hitch comes, Mr.
Mahoney explained, because no
funds for the purpose have hereto
fore been appropriated.
He had been given the assurance
of Mr. Stricklin that his office was
willing to cooperate in every way
possible, but that it could do nothing
toward organizing the district until
funds were made available. It is
for the purpose of getting such funds,
if possible, that the court felt justi
fied in paying Mr. Mahoney's ex
penses to Salem. Mr. Mahoney ex
pects to leave Monday.
The committee stressed, and the
court acquiesced in the assertion that
past flood experiences here, includ
ing the major disaster of 1903 when
223 lives were lost, prove the ex
treme need for the flood control
dams.
Establishment of the district
should a majority of the landowners
within the proposed boundaries vote
for its establishment if and when
the election is called is only a pri
mary step in the program. There
will still remain the matter of "sell
ing" the federal government and
complying with all required "red
tape."
A large popular sentiment in favor
of the projects has heretofore been
expressed not only by residents of
Heppner, but by farmers on the
creeks who have many times suf
fered losses from flood damage.
PRESENTATION DELAYED.
Engineer Hayes was unable to
make it over from Pendleton Mon
day to present the completed draft
of the proposed street improve
ment project before the council.
Closed roads prevented his coming.
His draft will be used to make appli
cation for PWA assistance. Time
of the council was taken up in dis
cussion of various departments of
city work.