OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLIC A V D I T 0 R I 'J y
PORTLAND, 0 a .
Volume 53, Number 11.
Diversion Channel
Brings Liquid Gold
To Willow Farmers
Flow of 22 Million
Gallons Daily Seen
by Visiting Party.
Liquid gold, rivulets of it trickling
their way from melting snowbanks,
were seen by the party of local men
who visited the Ditch creek diver
sion channel last Friday. It trickled
its way into the canal for an accu
mulated flow of 35 cubic feet per
second, or 22,000,000 gallons every 24
hours, into Willow creek to be mined
by lower creek farmers in the form
of increased hay production, more
livestock, larger land values. And,
if this year's supply is duplicated in
future years, the average annual
"take" from the mine will be at least
$25,000 estimates Millard Rodman,
Soil Conservation supervisor who
superintended the job of bulldozing
the recently completed channel.
The party visiting the canal Fri
day was not large, but those who
accepted the invitation of Joseph
Belanger, county agent, were re
warded by the sight of the most,
beautiful flow of water in Morrow
county. The 6800-foot diversion
channel, 4 to 12 feet wide, was run
ning almost brimful of water up
wards of 18 inches in depth.
Through Ditch creek prairie,
Heppner's favorite summer camp
ing ground in days agone, the water
moved tranquilly and placidly, in
viting a canoe ride. Then as it
dropped over the brim of Coal Mine
hill, it became a raging, roaring,
foaming cataract, tearing away the
mountainside. In places here it was
concealed from view by snowbanks
still spanning the rapidly deepening
gorge, as it thundered its way the
precipitous half mile to join the wa
ters of Willow creek a few hundred
yards above the old coal mine bunk
er site where, even yet, may be
found good specimens of the young
coal, unearthed a million years too
soon, bearing the impression of lux
uriant vegetable growth deposited
several million years before by
Mother Nature to compose it.
Friday's party saw the flow near
its peak for the season. But, unless
exceedingly warm weather comes
apace, the canal will still be con
tributing to the waters of Willow on
the Fourth of July, for on the upper
reaches where the channel was ex
tended an additional 2000 feet in re
cent months, there remains snow
averaging near three feet in depth
and well packed.
Snow had disappeared entirely on
the prairie itself, and banks along
the canal were fairly dry, though
evidence of late spring was noted
by the belated appearance of wild
flowers which were appearing pro
fusely lower down. Luxuriant
greenery graced the prairie land
scape itself.
And that nothing shall happen to
this newly acquired asset of Morrow
county is the main purpose in life of
Mack Smith. Mack was the straw
boss who brought the canal into the
world, and he has been constantly
on the job since, fondling and petting
it more attentively than any girl
with her first doll aided by CCC
boys.
Mack and one of his helpers were
on the job Friday. On the way up
the visiting party discovered a size
able break in the canal where many
gallons of the precious liquid were
escaping. It was a half mile farther
up that Mack was met and notified,
and Mack dispatched his helper post
haste. By the time the party re
turned to the spot, the break had
been filled with gunny sacks full of
dirt and the escapement completely
checked.
Mack evidenced just pride, and a
pride all Morrow county may well
feel, when he told of visiting soil
conservation officials commenting
that the Ditch creek diversion chan-
HEPPNER,
LOSERS EAT CROW
JUNE 9; WIRE HERE
Game Commissioner Promises to
Bring Moving Pictures; Predator
Contest Extended to June 7.
Closing time in Morrow County
Hunters and Anglers club crow-
magpie contest was extended to June
7 this week, as Mark Merrill and
Logie Richardson, captains of the
p competing sides, almost completely
severed amicable relations. Each
refused to reveal progress of his side
for the week except to declare that
it had been the best week yet for
turn-ins.
Plans for the wind-up banquet,
now slated for June 9, took further
shape when Richardson contacted
Frank Wire, game commissioner,
while in Portland yesterday, and re
ceived Wire's promise that he would
attend, give a talk on game condi
tions in Oregon and also bring the
commission's moving pictures of
wild game life in the state. He also
promised to eat crow with the los
ers providing it was a "pullet" not
exceeding 25 years old, as crows live
to be 75 to 100 years old, he said.
- One reason given by Richardson
for extending the banquet date to
June 9 was to give one of his mem
bers opportunity to hatch out the
bunch of crow eggs in his incubator.
Otherwise, Richardson said, he
would lose out on about 500 crows.
Richardson's crow died this week,
preventing the proposed match with
Merrill's crow. Richardson was
presented with a badger this week,
however, and now rumor has it that
Merrill is hunting a hound to fight
the badger as a part of the banquet
entertainment.
Condon Hospitality
Enojyed by Elks
A large assemblage of members of
Heppner Lodge 358, B. P. O. Elks,
was in Condon Saturday for the an
nual spring away-from-home initia
tion and convention, and those pres
ent from Heppner returned with
glowing reports of the neighboring
city's hospitality.
A class of five candidates was in
itiated in the afternoon with Bert
Mason, exalted ruler, presiding.
Evening fastivities centered at the
Crystal ball room where a 10-piece
Portland orchestra played for danc
ing. Fred Stewart, Ray Dukek and
L. Van Marter, on the Condon end of
arrangements, were credited with
doing a fine job.
S. E. Notson Goes
Thru Operation Well
S. E. Notson, local attorney and
pioneer in the offices of county
school superintendent and district
attorney, is reported as recovering
nicely from an operation which he
underwent at Emanuel hospital in
Portland, Monday.
Mr. Notson had gone to Portland
a week before for obsevation in an
illness which appeared to be fast un
dermining his health. Written word
from Mrs. Notson to friends Tuesday
announced that the trouble was re
vealed to be a simple constriction of
the bowel with no sign of malig
nancy. CLUB ENTERTAINED.
Misses Leta Humphreys and Rose
Leibbrand, who returned recently
from a tour of Mexico, entertained
fellow members of the Bookworms
club at the home of Mrs. Virginia
Turner, Monday evening. Dressed
in native Mexican garb, Miss Hum
phreys as the lady and Miss Leib
brand as the man, they related many
interesting incidents of their trip.
In addition they brought a gift to
each member in the form of swizzle
sticks, a wooden implement used by
Mexicans for stirring their chocolate.
Among other incidents was related
the killing of two large diamond -back
rattlesnakes, which they ran
over with their automobile.
nel was the best piece of ditch dig
ging they had ever seen.
OREGON, THURSDAY, MAY 20, 1937.
Street Surfacing
Bonds to be Decided
At Special Election
PWA Help Out;
Dangerous Building
Law Passed by Dads.
The matter of issuing bonds to
complete Heppner's street surfacing
program this year will be placed be
fore the people at a special election.
That was the decision of the council
Monday evening after receiving
word from C. C. Hockley, Oregon's
PWA director, that PWA assistance
this year would be on the basis of
amount of labor used from certified
relief rolls.
PWAthis year will expend only
the amount paid relief labor plus 15
percent, instead of granting an out
right 45 percent of the cost on ap
proved projects as has been done in
the past. On the basis of relief labor
the council believed hope of suffi
cient assistance from PWA to com
plete the street surfacing project
was entirely out of the question.
Frank Hayes, Pendleton engineer,
who made the preliminary survey
with estimates, was before the coun
cil and went over the program with
them. It was estimated that an ad
ditional $7000 would be needed from
the bond issue to augment the $8000
already provided in this year's bud
get in order to complete the pro
gram this year. The program pro
vides for surfacing all the principal
streets of the city with oiled macad
am varying in width up to 30 feet,
with rock macadam only on some
streets leading up hills and similar
surface on Riverside Way.
City Attorney Nys was instructed
to obtain a legal opinion on the
bonds, and it was expected the date
of the election would be set at the
next council meeting.
On advice from Engineer Hayes,
it was expected a committee of three
from the council and a similar com
mittee of citizens would wait upon
WPA in an attempt to get the swim
ming pool constructed with the aid of
this government agency.
A new ordinance looking to the
abatement of dilapidated or illy-constructed
buildings which might be a
menace to public health or safety
was passed on third reading, and
with emergency clause attached be
came effective immediately. The
new ordinance supercedes all pre
vious ordinances of the same char
acter, and sets out methods of con
demnation and removal of such
buildings. A maximum fine of $100
or imprisonment not to exceed fifty
days, or both such fine and imprison
ment, are provided as penalty for
any person who fails to comply with
the provision of the ordinance with
in ten days after receipt of notice.
Cat Fends Off
Rattlesnake From
Kittens in House
(lone Correspondent)
One day last week Mrs. Harold
Townsend who lives near Cecil
heard a commotion in a room in
her home and on making an inves
tigation found the disturbance to
be caused by a mother cat who
was defending her kittens from a
rattlesnake. Mrs. Townsend hur
riedly called her husband who
killed the snake which was a large
one with fourteen rattles.
ASK MAP INSPECTION.
The state highway commission has
left a map of Morrow county at the
clerk's office to be checked by the
public for any errors as to location
of schoolhouses, roads, and other in
formation given on the map. Any
one who can conveniently do so is
asked to drop into the office and
check that part of the map with
which he is familiar, as the state
commission is desirous of making the
map as accurate as possible.
FOUR BOYS TO VIE
AT STATE MEET
Gilman High Point Man at La
Grande as Team Places Third;
Town Subscribes Money for Trip.
Heppner will be represented at
the state high school track meet in
Eugene this week end the first time
in history. Coach Henry Tetz is leav
ing today with the four boys who
qualified in the invitational track
meet at La Grande Saturday. They
are Leonard Gilman, high point man
at La Grande, Norton King, La Verne
Van Marter and Charles Cox.
A popular subscription started at
Monday's Lions luncheon provided
money for the trip.
Heppner placed third at La Grande
with 27 points. The four boys en
tered won the half-mile relay in
1:37.3. Gilman led the field in the
javelin throw, heaving it 154 feet, 10
inches, tied for first place in the pole
vault at 11 feet, and tied for third
place in the high jump. King placed
second in both the 100-yard dash
and the broad jump; and Van Mar
ter was fourth in the 440-yard dash.
While no records were set at La
Grande, Coach Tetz believes the
Heppner squad will be in the running
at Eugene.
La Grande copped Saturday's in
vitational meet with 59 points.
Pendleton was second with 51. Oth
er scores were Enterprise 201&, Mil-ton-Freewater
19 1-6, Baker 13,
Union 10, Pilot Rock 4, Halfway 3
and Helix 1. Gilman beat out Stitt
of La Grande by a quarter-point for
high individual score and the special
trophy award, the help of his team
mates in the relay contributing the
deciding margin. Gilman scored 134
points to Stitt'a 13.
FARM BUREAU UNIT
ORGANIZED HERE;
BARRATT IS HEAD
The Morrow county unit of the
American Farm Bureau Federation
was organized last night at a meeting
at the Heppner hotel. J. G. Barratt,
Heppner, was elected temporary
president with E. H. Miller, Lexing
ton, temporary vice-president. Tem
porary directors are Henry Baker,
lone; J. J. Wightman, Heppner; Har
lan McCurdy, Heppner; J. O. Kin
caid, lone; Frank S. Parker, Hepp
ner; Frank Wilkinson, Heppner, and
Oscar Peterson, lone. These officers
were elected to carry over until a
meeting for permanent organization
could be held in the near future.
Mac Hake, Pendleton, president of
the state Farm Bureau, was the main
speaker at the dinner meeting. Otto
Schulz of the national Farm Bureau,
who has been active during the past
few months in getting county units
under way in Oregon, assisted Mr.
Hoke in organizing the unit here.
The group was unanimously of
the opinion that this organization
would supplement and coordinate
the activites of the other farm or
ganizations within the county. Mr.
Hoke, in his address, pointed out the
trend in all industries and groups
toward closer and more effective or
ganization, and emphasized the need
for effective organization of agricul
turalists for their own protection.
The temporary board of directors
will meet in Heppner, Wednesday
evening, May 26, for the purpose of
preparing articles of association and
by-laws to be considered at the next
general meeting.
Oiling Lex-Jarmon
Road Completed
Oiling operations on the Lexing-ton-Jarmon
road from Lexington to
Butter creek were completed Satur
day by a state highway crew. The
road was covered with heavy sur
face from Lexington out 12 miles,
and lighter surfacing was used the
remaining eight miles.
A crew will return later to place
the surface binding. CnmnMi
the oiling gives a fine surfaced high
way all the way to Echo to connect
with the Oregon-Trail highway.
Subscription $2.00 a Year
High School Will
Graduate Class of 27
Tomorrow Evening
Junior-Senior Ban
quet, Baccalaureate
Held This Week.
Twenty-seven seniors of Heppner
high school will receive diplomas at
commencement exercises at the gym-
auditorium at 8 o'clock tomorrow
evening, with W. A. Dahlberg of the
University of Oregon faculty deliv
ering the address. Dr. A. D. Mc
Murdo, chairman of the board of ed
ucation, will present the diplomas to
the following:
Louise Anderson, Lois Ashbaugh,
Dora P. Bailey, Norma Jean Beckett,
Zara Neva Bleakman, Paul C, Brown,
Gerald LaMar Cason, Necha Co
blantz, Vivian Ruth Cowins, Charles
Marion Cox, Elsie Marie Crump,
Melissa Mae Edmondson, Rosanna
Farley, Leonard Gilman, Fred Hos
kins, Jr., Norton King, Wm. Lee
McCaleb, Jr., Louise McFerrin, Ri
ley Munkers, Kathryn Parker, Mar
jorie Parker, Andrew M. Shoun,
Donald Edwin Turner, Elizabeth E.
Vance, Erma Van Schoiack, Helen
Van Schoiack, Ellis K. Williams.
The program numbers will be:
Prelude, "Scarf Dance," Chamniare;
processional, "Coronation March,"
Meyerbeer; invocation, Rev. R. C.
Young; vocal duet, "Indian Love
Call," Zamecink, Harriet Hager and
Gerald Cason; commencement ad
dress; trio, "Indian Dawn," Gerald
Cason, Ellis Williams, Jackson Gil
liam; presentation of Balfour plaque,
Spencer Crawford; presentation of
Norton Winnard cup, Dr. A. D. Mc
Murdo; presentation of class of 1937,
A. H. Blankenship, superintendent;
presentation of diplomas.
The class motto is "Only a Com
mencement." Its colors are rose and
gray, and the flower pink rosebuds.
Closing activities of the school
this week have been featured by the
junior-senior banquet Saturday eve
ning at the Elks hall followed by the
senior prom; baccalaureate exercises
at the gym-auditorium, Sunday, final
examinations, completed yesterday,
and the student body picnic at Hid
away springs today. Tomorrow stu
dents will receive their final grades
and school will be over until next
fall.
Rev. R. C. Young delivered the
baccalaureate address, giving an in
spirational message that was well re
ceived by everyone. Other program
numbers were: Prelude, "Bacause,"
G. Delbruck; processional, "Grand
March (Aida)," Verdi; invocation,
Alvin L. Kleinfeldt; vocal solo, "A
Tiny Seed Becomes a Shrine," Co
burn, Jackson Gilliam; quartet, "The
Rosary," Nevin, Gerald Cason, Nor
ton King, Ellis Williams, Jackson
Gilliam; benediction, Mr. Kleinfeldt,
and recessional.
Attractively decorated banquet and
dance halls in the Elks building were
the scenes of the reception and prom,
attended by members of the junior
and senior classes, instructors and
members of the school board with
their wives. Jackson Gilliam, presi
dent of the junior class, extended
the welcome, responded to by Kath
ryn Parker, senior class president
After dinner speeches were made by
Dr. McMurdo, Mr. Blankenship, H.
E. Tetz, coach; Mrs. Lucy E. Rodgers,
county school superintendent; and
Don Turner, student body president.
Other numbers were presentation of
the class key by Miss Parker, read
ing of class will by William Lee Mc
Caleb, Jr., senior class prophecy by
Kathryn Mitchell, and talk by Paul
McCarty, president-elect of the stu
dent body. The Columbians, Irri
gon orchestra, played for dancing in
which local students were joined by
Lexington and lone students.
Paul Webb was in the citv the end
of the week, coming over from Walla
walla to look after ranch interests
in the Hardman section.