OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLIC AUDITOR I 'J v;
. PORTLAND. 0 .
Volume 53, Number 40
HEPPNER; OREGON, THURSDAY, DEC. 9, 1937
Subscription $2.00 a Year
Local Men Return
From Visit to
Nation's Capital
Bartholomew and
Krebs Impressed
With Big Edifices
The size of government buildings
and the large forces of workers who
man them were among the outstand
ing impressions of the nation's cap
ital as reported by Charles Barthol
omew and John Krebs, who arrived
home from there Sunday, in talks
before the Monday Lions luncheon
at Hotel Heppner. Lons christened
re-opening of the hotel dining room
with their luncheon, it having been
closed since recent change of owner
ship of the hotel property.
Krebs and Bartholomew attended
a national meeting of local directors
of grazing districts set up under the
Taylor Grazing act. While results of
the meeting were generally satis
factory, all the regulations do not fit
Oregon conditions, they believed.
This government set-up is singular
in that it promotes "home rule,"
however, and the men expected that
such amendment of rules as may be
necessary to meet Oregon's needs
will be forthcoming.
The men, Mr. Bartholomew ac
companied by Mrs. Bartholomew,
went east and returned by train. The
trip was enjoyable throughout, but
western train service is far superior
to that in the east was the im
pression gained.
Both men reported on the size of
the department of interior building
which has 85 acres of floor space,
houses 6500 workers and has a din
ing room in the basement with fa
cilities to feed 2000 people at one sit
ting. Prices here were quite rason
able, though one might easily pay a
dollar for a sandwich most anywhere
in the city.
Tours were made of places of in
terest in and about the capital, and
the men looked in on congress in ac
tion. Mr. Bartholomew was im
pressed by the apparent ludicrity of
congressmen orating to vacant chairs
in the hall of the house of represent
atives. The main point, he deter
mined, was to have the speech re
corded in the congressional record.
The entire Oregon delegation had
dinner with Representative Pierce,
and called on Senator McNary. They
were unable to see Senator Steiwer,
however, as he was absent in New
York.
The local representatives were in
town Monday to attend a meeting
of the local district advisers and di
rectors, with Marvin Klemme, re
giinal grazier from burns. All were
present at the luncheon, including
besides those mentionel, L. D. Neill
and Bill Kilkenny.
Two enjoyable entertainment fea
tures were presented by Charles
Evans and Anthony Helit, CCC en
rollees. Evans gave a charcoal car
toon talk of professional caliber and
Helit played several numbers on his
piano accordion, a real accomplish
ment in view of the fact that he
played entirely by ear, having never
taken a lesson.
MRS. WEDDING PASSES
Funeral rites for Mrs. Lucy T,
Wedding were announced in the fu
neral notice column of Tuesday's
Oregonian, to be held in Portland
vesterdav afternoon. Though no
definite word is known to have been
received by friends here, it is pre
sumed that the Mrs. Wedding is the
one who taught in the local high
school for for several years in the
middle teens. Mrs. Wedding was in
structor of English for many local
high school alumni who remember
her motherly nature whicn caused
interest in her English students to
go beyond their reception of the
subjects she taught.
Marshall Fell visited from Port
land this week at the home of his
parents, Mr. and Mrs. M. R. Fell.
Eastern Oregon Wheat League Elects Officers
Charles W. Smith of Corvallis (left), named secretary-treasurer of the league at its La Grande banquet
Saturday night; George Peck of Lexington, chosen president, and Emil Schano, The Dalles, elected
vice-president. Courtesy Portland Oregonian
Elks' Sorrow Lodge
Hears Judge Johnson
Paying tribute to the high princi
ples of the order as exemplified in
the lives of departed brothers of the
last year, Judge Bert Johnson ad
dressed the annual lodge of sorrow
of Heppner lodge 358, B. P. O. Elks,
at the lodge hall Sunday afternoon.
Honored by the services were T. J.
O'Brien, W H. Turner, J. C. Swift, J.
J. Wells, numbered on the roll of
departed for the year.
Bert Mason, exalted ruler, presid
ed. Alvin Kleinfeldt, Christian min
ister, gave the invocation and bene
diction, and a quarter, J. A. Anglm,
J. G. Katin, Russell McNeill and
Richard Tuller, sang "Crossing the
Bar" and "Going Down the Valley."
Mrs. McNeill was piano accompanist
and played the funeral march to
which members entered.
Edgar A. Matteson,
Native Son, Called
Edgar Matteson, 59, native of
Heppner and lifelong resident, suc
cumbed to a lingering illness at his
home about 10 o'clock last night.
He was the son of R. P. and Virgin
ia (Tipley) Matteson, early pioneers,
and is survived by brothers Newt
of this city and Walter of Porter
ville, Cal, and a sister, Mrs. Hulda
Gabler of Monument.
Funeral services are announced
for tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock
from the Pentecostal tabernacle,
Rev. E. D. Greeley officiating and
Case mortuary ni charge. Inter
ment will be in Masonic cemetery.
County Broadcast
Slated Over KOAC
Morrow county's soil conservation
program will be given the state ra
dio spotlight next Tuesday when a
special program will be broadcast
over KOAC, Oregon State college
radio station, at the noon hour.
Joseph Belanger, county agent,
will tell of accomplishments in this
county in an interview before the
KOAC "mike," while in Corvallis
to attend the annual conference of
extension service workers. Mr. Bel
anger will leave for Corvallis this
week end.
TRACTOR SCHOOL ATTRACTS
Two hundred people registered at
Braden-Bell's farm implement
school last Friday, and those in
charge report pleasure with the
Show's success Among those in
charge were H. R. Money, district
"Caterpillar" representative, and
Walter H. McGhee, district John
Deere representative.
WILL GANGER PASSES ,
Announcement was made in the
daily press this week of the death
of Will Ganger, former lone resident
and for many years a garage opera
tor in Pendleton. Among surviving
relatives are a brother, Sam Ganger
of California; sisters, Mrs. Dorothy
Sparks and Mrs. Mary Burt of Port
land.
RAINFALL AHEAD
1936, 10-YR. MEAN
3.08 Inches in Last Three
Months Brings Total to 13.07;
Highest Since 1927
Morrow county missed getting its
usual good rains in September but
a wetter than usual. November com
pensated to raise the rainfall so far
this year to above that for the entire
year of 1936 as well as the ten-year
average.
Records of Len L. Gilliam, gov
ernment weather observer at Hepp
ner, show total precipitation for the
year to date at 13.07 inches. Total
precipitation for 1936 of 9.22 inches
was below the ten-year average of
10.54. Though precipitation has been
nil for December so far, there is
still time to bring the total above
that of 1927, the last wettest year,
which showed 13.11 inches.
Only .36 of an inch of moisture
was recorded by Gilliam for Sep
tember. October was better with .94,
while Novembers total was 1.78. The
readings at Heppner are indicative
of conditions which prevailed over
the county generally. Wheat fields
now have a normal amount of mois
ture for the season, general reports
indicate, while range grass has re
s ponded exceptionally well. The
grass cover in the mountains is said
by old-time stockmen to be in the
best condition they have ever seen it
this time of year.
The timbered region has enjoyed
balmy weather to date, while the
county generally has been treated
to a prolonged Indian summer.
Freezing temperatures have pre
vailed at Heppner for the last few
nights, with a low of 20 degrees
above zero Tuesday night.
Local residents have been able to
smile so far as they read of winter's
onslaught elsewhere, but the light
ing of smudge pots in Califronia
orange groves and donning of heavy
wearing apparel on Miami beach
while the Rocky mountain section is
gripped by Boreas causes some to
look with satisfaction upon well
filled fuel bins.
John Austin Injured
in Seattle by Car
Chester Darbee, depot agent, re
ceived a letter from his brother-in-law,
John Austin, yesterday morn
ing telling of Mr. Austin's confine
ment in a Seattle hospital suffering
from injuries sustained last week
end when he was struck by a car in
the Washington city. Mr. Austin,
who made his home here with Mr.
Darbee for several years, had gone
to Seattle several weeks ago.
Though the injuries were severe,
Mr. Austin did not succumb to them
as announced in a daily press re
port the end of the week, and hopes
are held for his recovery.
J. I. Purdy district freight and
passenger agent for Union Pacific
railroad, was a business visitor in
the city yesterday from his head-
I quarters at Pendleton.
City Dads Order
Big Christmas Tree
Heppner"s city dads say Christ
mas is not Christmas without a tree.
Accordingly they authorized a large
tree to be obtained and placed in a
principal intersection on Main street
when they met for regular business
Monday evening.
Plans for sidewalk improvement
on Court steet were discussed, and
rapid progress was reported as be
ing made in removing the condemn
ed buildings at the corner of Main
and Center streets, with Lee Slocum
in charge of the work.
E. L. Morton was acting mayor
in the absence of Jeff Jones, and
other councilmen present were P
W. Mahoney, L. D. Tibbies, R. C
Phelps and D. A. Wilson. ' -
Red Cross Over Top;
Report Incomplete
Though still short in number of
memberships, Morrow county has
gone "over the top" for its quota of
$300, announces Russell McNeill,
county chapter chairman. A few re
ports from individual workers have
yet to come in.
Though the official roll call ended
Thanksgiving day, quite a number
of persons were notcontacted, and
anyone wishing to join the Red
Cross who has not done so, may
have the privilege by calling at
First National Bank of Portland
Heppner branch, where Mr. McNeill
will serve them.
Elects New Officers
Grazing District
Directors and advisers of Morrow
County Grazing district met at the
county agent's office Monday and
Tuesday. Business of the district was
gone over with Marvin Klemme, re
gional grazier from Burns, and Chas.
H. Bartholomew and John Krebs,
directors, made report from attend
ance at a national meeting in Wash
ington, D. C, from which they had
just returned.
John Krebs was named chairman
of the board of advisers, and Bil
Kilkenny president of the board of
directors when new oficers were
elected Monday.
FIRE AT STORE
The ladies ready-to-wear store of
Mrs. Agnes Curran was damaged by
fire about 10 o clock Monday night,
Mrs. Curran was out of the store
for a short time, and returned to
find the blaze arising Xrom the dav
enport. Smoke and water damaged
stock some, though the blaze was
quickly subdued by the fire de-
parment. She had no insurance on
the stock. An adjuster was in the
city this miming to adjust loss on
furniture and damage to the build
ing belonging to Mrs. Leta Babb.
PARTY POSTPONED
The party slated by Woolgrowers
auxiliary has been postponed to Fri
day, Dec. 17.
George N. Peck
Heads Wheat Men
For Coming Year
E. O. League Hears
Governor, Others
at La Grande Meet
The Eastern Oregon Wheat league
concluded its 1937 annual meeting at
La Grande Saturday with election
of George N. Peck, Morrow county,
president for the coming year; Emil
Shanno, Wasco county, vice-presi
dent, and Charles W. Smith, Corval
lis, secretary.
Governor Charles Martin, princi
pal speaker at the banquet Friday
evening, emphasized the importance
in these troublous times of close ad
herence to our American ideals of
social responsibility.
George E. Farrell, Washington,
D. C, who was scheduled to discuss
matters of agricultural adjustment,
was unable to be at the meeting.
C. E. Carter, assistant administrator,
came out from Washington, D. C, in
Mr. Farrell's place. There has been
some fear, Mr. Carter said, that in
arriving at an adequate adjusmtent
of wheat production in the United
States, some discrimination might
be made against the producers in
the Pacific northwest states since
this section has consistently been a
heavy surplus area. Such fears are
entirely without basis in fact, he as
sured, since any discriminatory re
duction program would be impossi
ble of administration.
C. C. Chapman, editor of Oregon
Voter, discussed at spirited length
the present upset labor situation in
thecountry, with special emphasis
on the intolerable condition in the
Portland area prevailing at the pre
sent time. The real solution, Mr.
Chapman intimated, lies as much in
adequate enforcement of the present
laws by public officials as in the
passage of additional remedial legis
lation. The policies of the labor lead
ers, according to Mr. Chapman, do
not represent the opinions of the
majority of the members of the rep
resentative unions. The quarrel on
the Pacific coast is not between the
employer and employee the real
quarrel is between the leaders of the
A. F. of L. and the C. I. O., (each of
whom is striving for dominance.
The gist of Mr. Chapman's remarks
was that while in any particular
controversy one group of leaders
might be more at fault than the
other, the public in general could
not pin its hopes on eventual dom
inance of either group.
J. M. Parrish, secretary of the
Tri State Wheat Transportation
council, outlined the background of
this council and emphasized the ne
cessity of adequately financing it if
its purpose in assisting wheat farm
ers in maintaining equitable freight
rates were to be continuously effec
tive. The transportation committee, of
which E. H. Miller, Lexington, was
chairman, again expressed the oppo- .
sition of the wheat league to pass
age of the Pettingill bill. Two other
bills, sponsored by labor, namely the
70-car-train bill and the 6-hour-a-day
and the full-crew bill were also
opposed by the league. The league
requested the Interstate Commerce
commission to hold a hearing in
Portland before granting the request
of the railroads for a flat '5 percent
increase in freight rates.
The Federal Programs committee,
of which Mac Hoke, Pendleton, is
chairman, strongly endorsed the idea
of production control as a necessary
part of future agricultural programs.
The present soil conservation pro
gram was declared to be excellent
but not of itself sufficient to sta
bilize farm income. The committee
recommended voluntary control up
to the point where burdensome sur
pluses of major farm crops were ac
cumulated; but went on record as
endorsing individual farm quotas
when two-thirds of the producers of
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