OREGOrr HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLIC A U D I 7 0 ? I V
PORTIA D , Of: .
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Volume 56, Number 42
Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, Dec. 21, 1939.
Subscription $2.00 a Year
i
Charles Notson
Tells of Missionary
Work in Far China
Local Society Learns
of Tibetan habits;
Travel Hazardous
News travels slowly in the far
Ma
OWL
Allotment Fund
Disbursed to
Morrow Farmers
$17,000 Received
To Liquidate Loans
On 1939 Wheat Crop
A bit of Christinas cheer was
spread maong wheat growers of the
county this week when government
funds in the amount of $17,000 were
disbursed here. The recent rise in
wheat prices has resulted in farm
ers of the county liquidating their
government wheat loans at prices
ranging from 10 cents to 17 cents
above the loan value.
According to word received from
the local AAA office, 25 farmers
have notified the county office of
repayments on 56,492 bushels. The
total number of loans in Morrow
county as of Dec. 20 was 214, cover
ing 466,092 bushels. This means
that over 400,000 bushels are still in
growers' hands.
Another important ' development
in the . wheat loan program is the
recent announcement by Commodity
Credit corporation of the extension
of time on warehouse stored wheat
to April 30 instead of seven months
from the date of the note, as they
were originally drawn up.
Allotment money received in the
county up to the present amounts
to $216,000. Agricultural conserva
tion payments are expected to reach
a total of $260,000. These payments
cover a diversity of farm activities
and include wheat acreage allot
ments, payments on soil building
practices, such as seeding crested
wheat grass, trashy sunimerfallow
method, seeding of alfalfa and clov
er, and reseeding depleted pasture
land in the dry farming areas. On
the irrigated lands planting and
maintaining wind breaks, mulching,
application of sulphur and many
other approved soil building prac
tices come under the allotment plan.
Mrs. E. L. Bucknum
Honored at Rites
Funeral services were held Tues
day morning at 10 o'clock for Mrs.
Edwin L. Bucknum, whose death
occurred Saturday night after a
short illness. Rev. Father Richard
Healy officiated at the services, held
from St. Patrick's church in which
Mrs. Bucknum had long been a
faithful worker. Interment was in
Masonic cemetery with Phelps Fu
neral home in charge.
Mrs. Bucknum was a native of
Ireland where she was born March
14, 1871. She came to America in
1893 and was married to Edwin L.
Bucknum June 8, 1895 at Binghamp
ton, N. Y. They left New York in
the spring of 1908 and came to Port
land where they resided until 1912
when they moved to Morrow coun
ty, locating in Heppner which has
been their home since, and where
Mrs. Bucknum had conducted a
rooming house for many years.
Deceased is survived by the hus
band, four sons, Edwin L. and Wil
liam J. of Heppner, Elmer J. of
Los Angeles and J. Gordon of Phoe
nix, Ariz., two sisters, grandchildren
and nieces and nephews, and a host
of friends who feel her untimely de
mise deeply. Kind and benevolent, it
is said that Mrs. Bucknum never
turned anyone in need of shelter
away from her door.
HAVE NEW DAUGHTER
From far off Valdez in Alaska
comes word of the birth of a daugh
ter to Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Hud
dleston. The little lady made her
advent into the world Saturday,
Dec. 16, and has been named Lorane
Anabel. Mrs. Huddleston was for
merly Miss Jeanette Turner, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank W. Tur
ner of Heppner.
Firemen Bring Joy
To Hundreds
Heppner fire department spread
joy among hundreds of chlidren last
Saturday evening when the annual
treat was staged at the municipal
Christmas tree. Not a few bags were
handed out to adults, for the fire
men were prepared to distribute
gift bags and thats what they did.
Four hundred bags filled with
nuts, candy and an orange each were
handed out, besides additional or
anges which were left after filling
the bags. One and a half crates
were distributed in this manner.
To fill the bags, the department
bought 125 pounds of candy, 140
pounds of assorted nuts and five
cases of oranges.
A good crowd attended the dance
in the Elks hall and there might
have been more dancers had it not
been for the lights failing at the
time the dance started. The fire
men met this emergency with can
dles and gas lamps and the program
was carried through as scheduled.
Special numbers were featured in
which Ted Ferguson and Yvonne
Bleakman did solo tap dances, and
the high school band played a 20
minute concert. Dance music was
furnished by Merrill's orchestra.
The firemen have set the date for
next year's ball and will work to
ward extending their program to
include a sunshine barrel.
Schools Close for
Winter Vacation
Heppner grade and high schools
will close Friday afternoon for the
winter vacation. Work will be re
sumed Tuesday, Jan. 2, 1940. Sever
al members of the teaching staff will
remain in Heppner while others will
return to their homes for the per
iod. Those remaining are Mr. Pea
vy, Mr. Bennett and Mr. McKenzie.
Mr. Blankenship and family will go
to Centralia and then to Everett
to spend Christmas and to attend the
wedding of Mrs. Blankenship's bro
ther, John Gable. Mr. Blankenship
will attend a meeting of the com
mittee on state vocation training in
Portland during the vacation.
Mr. Knox and family will go to
Portland; Miss Blair to Monmouth,
Miss Gerlach to Canby, and Miss
Rachel Forsythe will spend her va
cation in Ashland. Other teachers
were without definite plans.
MIDNIGHT SERVICE SET
A midnight service will be observ
ed by the Episcopal church in Hepp
ner Christmas eve, Sunday, Dec. 24.
A choral service will open at 10:30
o'clock when Christmas carols will
be sung. At 11 o'clock there will be
holy communion administered by
Archdeacon Eric Robathan of Pen
dleton. Mrs. O. G. Crawford will be
guest soloist for the occasion. The
public has been extended an invita
tion to attend these services.
fviLhn
LEX RECEIVES
BIG WATER CHECK
WPA Assistonce Granted
in Reconstruction of Recently
Purchased Service
A check for $17,700.22 was receiv
ed by Mayor Tom Barnett for the
town of Lexington last Saturday
morning, the same being the amount
forwarded by the Works Progress
administration, 'for the purchase of
the privately owned water system
now in use and for partial recon
struction of that system. Details of
the purchase were closed Monday
afternoon when city warrants cov
ering the purchase price were turned
over to Mrs. Elsie Beach and Mrs.
Laura Scott, co-owners of the sys
tem. With acquisition of the water, sys
tem, details are now being ironed
out for going ahead with reconstruc
tion work. This includes replacing
the old pipe lines with new and
larger pipe and some readjustment
in the water supply. '
The water system now in use at
Lexington was installed in 1908 by
Karl Beach and W. G. Scott. The
first well was dug and a windmill
installed to do the pumping. Later
the owners drilled a 300-foot well
at the rear of the W. F. Barnett &
Co. store and this has been the
source of supply until recently when
the city drilled a well in the east
part of town. When the windmill
proved inadequate, a six-horsepower
gasoline engine was installed to do
the pumping. This motive force was
retained until the new electric ser
vice was installed in the county and
since that time an electric motor
has furnished the pumping power.
Following the passing of both Mr,
Scott and Mr. Beach, Mrs. Beach
took over the active management of
the water system, a post she retain
ed until Tuesday morning when the
city took over.
Burns Ready for
State Woolgrowers
Plans have been completed for the
annual convention of Oregon Wool-
growers association at Burns, Jan.
7, 8 and 9, according to C. D. Con
rad, Morrow county agricultural ag
ent, who states that reservations
should be made at once for hotel or
room accommodations and that those
coming in late may have difficulty
in being placed.
It has been proposed that reserva
tions be made for Pullman service to
the convention city. If enough re
servations are made the car will
be used for transportation to Burns
and remain there for the duration
of the meeting, thus supplying sleep
ing quarters for the passengers. This
method is both convenient and econ
omical, it is stated, and those wish
ing this service should get in touch
with Mr. Conrad at once.
Committee meetings will be held
January 7, the other days to be de
voted to the general convention
program.'
Audience Pleased
With H. S. Operetta
An audience comfortably filling
the gymnasium greeted the cast in
"And It Rained," high school pro
duction, last Friday evening. Some
forty young people participated in
the operetta, which was character
ized by bright, catchy music and
sparkling, witty libretto.
The eleven principals handled the
roles and spoken lines in a credit
able manner and were given good
backing by the choruses. Dances
were a feature of the operetta and
the special numbers by W anda How
ell, tap dancing, and the slave dance
appear worthy of special mention.
The tango by four young people,
Elizabeth Healy, Connie Instone,
Joe Farley and Harry O'Donnell,
was another pleasing number, and
the Indian dance featuring Birdine
Vance, Jean Hays, Kathryn Thomp
son, Bob Pinckney, Hugh Crawford.
Howard Wray and Bill Blake proved
to be the most mirth-provoking
number on the program.
The cast included Mr. Wise, bald
proprietor of the Wise hotel, James
Keny; M'lle Marie Caray, a French
dancing teacher, Pat Dooley; Dennis
Black, the romantic lead he is re
turning home from college, Jack
Merrill; Maizie Black, his sister,
with one hundred dollars, Frances
Wilkinson; Mrs. Wise, boss of the
Wise hotel, and her husband, Juan
ita Phelps; Maibelle Rich, beautiful
daughter of Mr. Rich, Lucille Bar
low; John Rich, follows and furn
ishes the money, Jack O'Harra; Cur
ly Rich, brother of Maibelle and
member of the glee club, Don Ben
nett; Steele Black, father of Dennis
and Maizie, and a real sport, Bud
Blakely; Jack and Fred, members
of the glee club, Harry O'Donnell,
James Barratt.
Miss Jean McElhinny directed the
music, Norbert Peavy was dramatic
director and the dances were di
rected by Miss Martha Blair.
Free Matinee to be
Saturday Offering
A free matinee for children is the
offering for Saturday afternoon,
Dec. 23, at the Star theater in Hepp
ner. The free show is a gift from
the theater and Heppner lodge 358,
B. P. O. Elks. There will be one
showing only and the hour is 2 o'
clock. A special film, "Call a Mes
senger," has been obtained and in
addition two other numbers, "Hunky
and Spunky," and "Five Times
Five," will be shown.
The same matinee will be shown
by the Liberty and Elks at Condon
Monday afternoon.
MURTHA BROS. BUY CATTLE
Murtha brothers of Condon add
ed to their Morrow county holdings
today with the purchase of 98 head
of cattle from Mrs. Pauline Quaid.
The cattle were formerly part of
the Monahan holdings. Mrs. Quaid
is visiting in the city from her
home at Portland.
reaches of China where modern
modes have not penetrated and man
is dependent on "shank's ponies" or
the native horses for transportation.
This fact is brought to the attention
of Heppner people through corres
pondence received from Charles
Notson, native Heppner boy and a
missionary working among the
mountain tribes of high western
China.
Letters travel slowly, too, as a
recent communication from Mr.
Notson, written October 5, 1939, was
received by members of the Union
Missionary society in Heppner about
two months later. Through the
kindness of the mission society the
Gazette Times is permitted to pub
lish from the letter, dated at Shun
wa, Tsinghai, Oct. 5:
Breakfast is over, and I have just
finished morning prayers with the
Chinese. A good many things are
on my program today, and I expect
the usual interruptions will keep
me from getting around to most of
them; but first on the list is a long
over-due letter to you good friends
who have been so patient in our
slow response to your letters con
taining lovely gifts of money. . . .
We have just returned from Min
chow, where we attended our an
nual conference. As attendance is
compulsory, We shopped around for
three horses, and set out. I carried
Mary and a Tibetan boy carried Ed
ward, except occasionally when
Ruth took him on her steed. In all
we had 19 days in the saddle. As
we have not dope any riding for
nearly a year, you can imagine how
we felt the first few days!
Some one has said, and truly, that,
it is not the traveling in China that
is difficult, but the stopping. The
meanest tourist camp I eveyput
up in would be heaven compared to
the best Chinese inn. The first night
we spent in a Tibetan village twenty
miles up a steep valley from here.
There being no inn, we gladly ac
cepted the hospitality of a man,
whose friends we had treated for
minor injuries a few days previous.
Now, one flea can give me a merry
time any night until caught, but
Continued on Page Five
Masons, Eastern Star
Hold Installation
One of the highlights of the win
ter social season was the banquet
and installation ceremonies held by
Masonic and Eastern Star chapters
at Masonic hall last evening. About
150 lodge members and invited
guests enjoyed the turkey dinner
which was served at 6 o'clock.
At the installation ceremony the
Masons inducted the following of
ficers: James Leach, W. M.; Thom
as J. Wells, S. W.; Hanson Hughes,
J. W.; C. R. McAlister, S. D.; Walter
Luckman, J. D.; John Wightman,
S. S.; Harold Stevens, J. S.; C. J. D.
Bauman, marshal; W. E. Pruyn, ty
ler; Robert Wightman, chaplain.
Frank S. Parker, treasurer, was in
stalling officer. Spencer Crawford
is secretary.
The Eastern Star installed the fol
lowing: Madge Thomson, W. M.;
Robert Wightman, W. P.; Etta Park
er, A. M.; Archie Ball, A. P.; Daisy
Shively, secretary; Rose Liebbrand,
treasurer; Ella Benge, conductress;
Annie Schaffer, associate conduc
tress. Mr. and Mrs. W. T. Doherty were
in from their north Lexington home
Tuesday to attend the funeral of
Mrs. E. L. Bucknum.