OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLIC AUDITORIUM
PORTLAND. 0 R T .
Mm
M
Volume 56, Number 23
Heppner Valuation
Upped $60,000 for
Taxing, Says Wells
Assessor Tells Work
of Reappraisal; Ben
nett Reports Meet.
Assessed valuation of Heppner,
according to the reappraisal recent
ly completed by Oregon State Tax
commission, will be upped between
$50,000 and $60,000 for extension on
1940 rolls, Assessor Tom Wells told
the Lions Monday noon luncheon.
Written complaints on valuation are
now being received by the county
board of equalization, being open for
15 days starting last Monday. But
after the equalization board acts,
final say is still left in the hands of
the state tax commission.
Those filing complaints should
state the basis on which complaint
is founded and have the complaints
notarized, said Wells, who told the
service club group that notices had
been sent all property holders whose
valuation is increased under the re
appraisal. These notices were mailed
last week end and Monday his office
was beseiged with questions.
The reappraisal, so far extending
only to town property in Heppner,
Lexington, lone and Boardman, was
arranged for by this county on prof
fer of the state commission, said
Wells. Salaries of the appraisers were
paid by the state while Morrow
county paid other expenses.
In making the appraisal, the ap
praisers used a formula that is fol
lowed in localities similarly situat
ed. As Main street is the basis of
every town's stability, it was pre
sumed that Main street property is
of greatest value, with other prop
erty graduated in accordance with
its proximity thereto. Original cost
of improvements with variations for
depreciation and state of mainten
ance were taken into consideration
in arriving at the present value. This
would not necessarily be the true
market value, said the assessor, but
seemed a fair basis in establishing
taxable value. The assessment val
uation is figured at 60 per cent of
the appraised value, this percentage
being deemed equitable to prevent
large fluctuations in the millage rate.
Wells said 215 parcels of town
property had been raised by the re
valuation. The assessor pointed out that the
appraisal psychology used is that
property with high valuation and
low millage rate is generally more
saleable than property with lower
valuation and higher millage rate.
A prospective purchaser, he said,
generally asks first what the tax
millage rate is. If it appears high,
the purchaser is apt to lose interest
immediately. The general effect of
higher valuation is to lower the
millage rate, which is bound to be
constant so long as the amount to
be raised by taxation is the .same.
Also speaking to the clug was W.
S. Bennett, local Smith-Hughes in
structor, who reported the state
Smith -Hughes conference attended
recently at Halfway. National lead
ers in the work as well as out
standing state educators appeared on
the program. Emphasis on night
school work was stressed and Ben
nett reported that night schools will
be organized again in Morrow coun
ty this fall, particularly to assist
those just getting started on the
farm. One of the biggest problems
today, it appeared from reports at
the conference, is to get the young
fellow just out of high school es
tablished in self-supporting work.
It is desirable to get those agricul
turally inclined established on farms
of their own. This problem is one
for which no one appears to have
the answer, but should have the
thought of everyone interested in
future welfare of the community,
he said.
Heppner,
FIGHT CARD TOPPED
BY TITLE MATCH
Saturday Event Draws Lively
Interest in Tickets as firemen
Present Leading Lightweights
Tickets are going strong for the
firemen's boxing card Saturday night
at the Rodeo grounds. Feature at
traction of ten rounds for the north
west junior lightweight champion
ship is the highest type of boxing
talent that has ever been brought
to eastern Oregon.
Buzz Brown, holder of the north
west featherweight and lightweight
titles, will put his junior lightweight
title on the block when he meets
Joe Mendiola, the French-speaking
Philippino, in the main event. Men
diola just recently boxed Harold
Hoshino, the Pendleton Japanese
boy, a ten-round draw in Pendle
ton. Ninety-nine per cent of the
fans agreed that Mendiola was en
titled to the decision.
The decision here will be made by
the referee, Joe Marcus, and two
local or eastern Oregon judges. This
will be the first time that Joe Mar
cus has appeared here since 1922
when he left here to become a pro
fessional boxer. Joe will be re
membered here by many as he start
ed out here the same time that Vic
Eads and Russell Wright started
boxing, all under their trainer,
Clarence Bauman.
The firemen have been busy as
a beehive the last few days getting
things ready for the event. "A fine
supporting card has been lined up
by Matchmaker Vic Eads who in
company with George Combes of
Fossil is putting on the card.
Powder Proctor, 17-year-old Port
land negro who has been appearing
in main event bouts at Salem, is
meeting Jack Curley of Salem m the
eight-round semi-final. These boys
are tops in any man's town and
plenty of action is in store for this
bout.
In the six-round special event,
Stanley Partlow, who usually head
lines the smokers here, will meet
Danny O'Brien, a fighting Irish lad
from Klamath Falls. Stanley will
have his hands full in this bout as
O'Brien knows his stuff and is quite
a slugger himself.
In the top four-round preliminary
Sammy McCracken, Hermiston's
fighting son, will meet Alvin Petty
john. In the 4-round curtain raiser,
Tarzan Greener of Hardman will
try to even the score with Richard
Hayes of Heppner.
Earwig Rout Likely
As Bantam Numbers
Increase in City
An 11-egg hatch from a setting
of Mrs. Will Morgan's, and a two
egg ditto by Ed Gonty's little hen,
this week augmented the fast
growing population of black ban
tams in the city. While doffing his
hat to the superior feat of Mrs.
Morgan's little Mrs. Bantam, Ed
feels encouraged over prospects of
fewer earwigs at his place.
Bantams are now kept at many
Heppner homes to repel the ever
increasing attacks of earwigs.
Owners assert that the little chick
ens will leave the most luscious
dish of bone meal for an earwig
any time.
ARE RODEO BACKERS
In giving the list of those indem
nifying the coming Rodeo last week,
the Gazette Times inadvertently
omitted the names of J. Logie Rich
ardson and Ralph Jackson. Apolo
gies are extended these Rodeo back
ers. INSURANCE MEETING SET
A public meeting for discussion of
the new crop insurance program was
set for the afternoon of August 30
at Lexington, by Clyde Kiddle,
state administrator, when in the city
Monday.
For sale, Taylor's rooming house,
good business. 23tf
Oregon, Thursday, August
Box Factory Site
Money Returned
To Contributors
Bridal Veil Official
Says City Still
Favored for Plant
Though contributors to the Box
Factory Site fund this week received
their money back, there is still good
possibility of establishment of the
factory for which the money was
subscribed, according to word from
Leonard Kraft, manager of Bridal
Veil Lumber and Box company, the
firm concerned.
In authorizing return of site fund
money to contributors, Kraft wrote
the local committee as follows:
"We take this opportunity to
thank the Heppner Box Factory
Committee for the consideration and
cooperation shown us during the
past several months. Your cour
tesies have been deeply appreciated.
"We regret that circumstances be
yond our control have prevented
completion of our plans for so long
a time. However, we still look with
favor upon Heppner as a suitable
location for a remanufacturing plant,
and hope that the next few months
will find us a part of your commu
nity. As soon as market conditions
justify, we will more than likely
proceed at once with installation of
our equipment.
"With reference to the subscrip
tion that has been collected, we sug
gest that you are at liberty to re
turn it to your contributors. We are
sure that the moral support of the
community and its business men will
be behind us, and that, after all, is
the most important consideration."
The solicitation of site funds was
made in February after a public
meeting at which officials of the
company appeared and authorized
such action. The officals at that time
made no defnite promises, but the
reputation of the company and their
purchases of timber adjacent to
Heppner encouraged citizens to lend
this support toward construction of
a box factory.
Hell Divers Give
Exhibitions at Pool
Two Hell Divers this week at
tracted more than usual interest to
Heppner's big new municipal plunge
as patronage continued on a large
scale and student swimmers made
progress toward certificates to be
awarded soon.
The Hell Divers, Bernard McMur
do, home on summer vacation from
Oregon State college, and Al Seth
ers of Portland, film salesman who
with Mrs. Sethers, nee Delia Ulrich,
was visiting her relatives here, gave
several performances. Hell Divers,
may it be said, is an organization of
expert divers in Portland. McMurdo
has been assisting with diving in
struction for the Red Cross classes.
Water in the pool was changed
Tuesday evening and the new water
was reported as cool yesterday, but
the usual good crowd prevailed.
TIMBER FIRE SUBDUED
Fire which started on the Ham
ilton ranch on upper Rhea creek
Saturday night was subdued after it
had covered about an acre, with as
sistance of local CCC's and the for
est service crew. Because of its
threat to merchantable timber in the
area being logged by Scritsmeier
mill, the local forest office heavily
manned the fire line to make short
shrift of the start. The fire had
started to crown when the fighters
arrived, reported F. F. Wehmeyer,
local ranger.
$100,000 IN CROP LOANS
Total loans on new cron wheat
under the AAA program had reached
$100,000 yesterday, reported the lo
cal Agricultural Conservation of
fice.
17, 1939
HI, YO! SILVER!
Silver's coming to Rodeo. No,
not the Silver of "Lone Ranger"
fame, but as beautiful a horse as
ever roamed the Morrow county
range. He's the three-year-old
stallion of Dee Cox, Jr., of Lexing
ton. Sired by a B. F. Swaggart
horse, he's the son of a pinto
mare that belonged to V. Gentry,
one of Rodeo's fathers. The "V.
Gentry mare" has been seen at
Rodeo many times. Last year Dee
rode her in the parade and led the
then two-year-old pure white
stud colt. In the last year Silver
has been trained to do things, like
putting his front feet on the stump
as seen in the picture. Reflecting
his Arabian ancestry in conforma
tion, there's no need to say that
Silver is a beautiful horse. Dee
was up on his gleaming mount
for the above photograph, much
as he will be seen in the coming
show.
83-Year Youngster
Dusts Off Tadpole
Style at Plunge
- W. G. McCarty, Heppner's ex
mayor, at 83 still feels young
enough to swim with the young
sters. "Don't go telling any tall stories
about it," said Mr. McCarty, known
to all as Uncle Grant. "Of course
I can't swim like I used to. It has
been years since I last swam. You
know, I learned, to swim as a boy
in one of those frog ponds, taking
my style from the tadpoles."
Finding the old suit moth eaten,
Uncle Grant outfitted himself with
late model trunks for the dip. He
couldn't help feeling a bit un
dressed, being accustomed to some
coverage above the waist. Swal
lowing his modesty, however, he
presented himself at the pool's
edge. And as one young chap
who witnessed it vouchsafed:
"Gee, he dove right in."
'Foxy Grandpa' Gets
Poetic Tribute
"Foxy Grandpa" of the old-time
comic sheet may have a replica in
Heppner if the sentiment contained
in the birthday greeting from his
granddaughter is a true indication
of the temperament of W. G. Mc
Carty, 83, whose first dip into Hepp
ner's new plunge splashed news
into far corners. The greeting from
Mrs. Elaine Furlong of Condon, re
ceived this morning, reads:
HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDPA
There is a man in our town,
Most people call him "Gran."
But I've always called him "Grandpa"
And he is the darnedest man!
At 80 he chopped down trees for
wood;
At 83 he swims and dives;
What will that kid be up to
On the day he's 85?
ATTEND WEDDING
Mr. and Mrs. E. L. Bucknum and
son William motored to Mt. Angel
Wednesday to be present there to
day for the wedding of son and
brother, Gordon Bucknum.
Mrs. J. G. Barratt and son Jim.
and Mrs. E. P. Hoyt and son Dick of
Portland, returned Monday evening
from a visit at Browning, Mont. Mrs.
Hoyt and son went on to Portland
Tuesday morning.
i- . f r v
Subscription $2.00 a Year
Rodeo Dress-Up
Saturday; Queen
To be Announced
Boxing Card, Band
Feature P re-Show
Activities Here
Saturday, August 19, is Heppner
Rodeo Dress-Up day, the time when
all citiezns don their brightly col
ored Windsor ties and cowboy shirts
in preparation for the week of pre
Rodeo activities.
Dressing up in cowboy regalia
has long been the custom and all
who can are asked to cooperate in
wearing ties and shirts. Those who
wish may don more complete out
fits. "The more you look like a cow
girl or cowboy, the better it will
be," said the dress-up committee
of Howard Bryant, Scott McMurdo,
Howard Furlong and Curt Thomson.
Citizens caught not wearing some
form of rodeo garb will be punished.
The committe hinted that those of
fenders would be listed for some
form of kangaroo court or perhaps
a fine. Names of dress-up custom
violators will probably be revealed
at a public place, where they will
receive said punishment.
Festivities for Saturday are head
lined by the final queen dance at
the fair pavilion where the long
awaited answer of "who will be
queen" will be announced. Already
selected by the Rodeo association,
the queen will be introduced to her
public at midnight, Saturday. The
queen is single, member of a pioneer
family, graduate of Morrow county
high school, and a former Rodeo
queen attendant
Another Saturday feature is the
benefit firemen's open air fight card
starting at 8 p. m. at the Rodeo
grounds. This card main-events Buz
Brown, northwest featherweight
champion, against Joe Mendiola,
Philippino challenger. Matchmaker
is Vic Eads; promoter, George Combs.
The Heppner state championship
band, under direction of Harold
Buhman, wil play on Main street
between 4:30 and 5 p. m. Saturday.
The dress-up committe has arranged
the band's playing as an entertain
ment feature for the people in town
for the inauguration of Rodeo week.
LaVerne Van Marter
Paralysis Victim
Heppner relatives and friends were
shocked yesterday to learn of the
serious illness of La Verne Van
Marter, who is reported as isolated
in St. Anthony's hospital at Pendle
ton with infantile paralysis. An out
standing four-year high school ath
lete here before going to the Uni
versity of Oregon last year, young
Van Marter was one of the most
promising athletes ever reared in
this section. He played freshman
football at the university last year.
was a member of the tennis, bas
ketball and baseball squads.
A group of local boys who attend
ed a university pep rally at Pendle
ton Monday evening saw LaVerne
and reported that he was complain
ing of pains in his legs, but nature
of the malady was not suspected at
that time. In the local group were
Francis Nickerson, Joe Green, Don
Turner and Paul McCarty, all uni
versity students.
KINZUA OFFICIAL VISITS
Joe Coleman, manager of Kinzua
Pine Lumber company, was a visitor
in the city Monday in connection
with timber purchases in this coun
ty. Plans are being laid for exten
sion of the Kinzua operations well
into Morrow county's ponderosa pine
timber belt. Grading of a road to
connect the end of the big mill's
railroad with the Heppner-Spray
road at the W. H. French ranch has
been under way for some time.