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OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLIC A U DITOP1 V v
PORTIA : :
Volume 56, Number 52
Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, Feb. 29, 1940
Subscription $2.00 a Year
Hall Dedication
Draws Number of
State Leaders
Grangers Turn Out
in Force for Event at
lone Saturday
. Boardman, Lexington and Hepp
ner communities, as well as lone,
were represented when Willows
grange sealed the cornerstone and
dedicated the new hall last Satur
day, Feb. 24. '
The first event was the sealing
of the cornerstone with Grange Or-;
ganizer Chas. Wicklander as repre
sentative of the Oregon State grange.
The various officers filled their sta
tions, and although rain began be
fore completion of the ceremony the
spirits and enthusiasm of the mem
bers were not dampened.
Dedication of the hall followed
immediately with State Master Gill
as dedicating officer. Officers, past
masters and dedicating officer were
led in march by 'the assistant and
lady assistant stewards, preceeded
by the flag bearer. Mr. Gill gave
a timely talk, making reference to
grange ideals, following which he
authorized establishment of the al
tar. Altar bearers were past mas
ters Vida Heliker, O. L. Lundell
and Ivar Nelson, assisted by Jack
Bailey.
The ceremony at the altar was
beautifully given by various officers.
The chaplain, after invoking the
blessing, led in a responsive reading
in which all present assisted. The
Graces renewed their obligations of
fidelity by decorating the altar with
their offerings of flowers, fruits and
grains.
The final ceremony consisted of
returning the keys of the hall by
Mr. Gill to Subordinate Master Ba
ker, who in turn gave them to the
steward, admonishing him as to their
safe keeping.
A program of music and talks
followed: Group number by a mix
ed quartet, lone high school; talks
by Chas. Wicklander and Mrs. Thi
essen were next in order; Rev. Den
nis sang, "Bless This House" and
"The Rosary," contributing much
to the pleasure of all. A girls' dou
ble duet sang, following a talk by
Mr. Gill.
Guests were invited to visit all
departments of the new building.
Continued on Page Eight
C. of C. Monthly
Dinner Wednesday
The monthly dinner of the Hepp
ner chamber of commerce will be
held at 6:30 p. m., Wednesday, March
6 in the dining room of Hotel Hepp
ner. This is the membership meet
ing and all members have been ask
ed to keep this date in mind and
. to be on hand. Arrangements are
being made for a special speaker
and there will be other entertain
ment features.
The chamber of commerce is com
ing to the fore with a program of
community activity and the officers,
directors and active members be
lieve there are many others who
should join in the good work.
CO-OP PLAN TO BE
AIRED SATURDAY
Stockholders and Others to
Learn of Proposed Expansion
by Warehouse Company
Plans of the Morrow County Grain
Growers, Inc., to expand into a co
operative association will be aired
to stockholders and all others inter
ested in attending the special meet
ing to be held at Leach hall in Lex
ington Saturday morning. The ses
sion is set for 10 o'clock and the
directors have expressed the hope
that they will be a,ble to open the
meeting promptly on that hour.
The first matter 'of business will
be to explain the proposed expansion
to the assemblage and to throw the
meeting open to general discussion,
according to George Peck and G. J
Rvan, who were in Heppner yester
day. For that reason it is desired
to have a good representation of
farmers and stockmen on hand. The
project backers are thoroughly sold
on their proposition and are anx
ious to sell it to others.
Peck and Ryan reported progress
during the past week but have with
held sale of stock until after Satur
day's meeting, when, they feel there
will be a beter understanding after
some of the clauses are explained.
A feature of the Saturday meet
ing will be the free lunch at noon.
Plans have been completed to feed
200 or 'more people. An effort will
be made to close the meeting in time
for the people to attend to their
week end shopping and for those
who wish to attend the merchants'
matinee in Heppner.
Merchants Back
Free Show With
Ticket Purchases
First Free Matinee
to be Staged in
Heppner Saturday
FEBRUARY RAINS
BEST SINCE 1921
Total of 2.17 Inch Fall for
Month Exceeded Only in 1915
and 1921; Heavy Run-Off Seen
TO AUCTION STOCK
Mrs. Elsie M. Beach of Lexington
was in Heppner yesterday making
arrangements for closing out her
hardware and implement business.
She announced that the stoie stock
will be sold at auction on Monday,
March 11. Mrs. Beach has been
nrominently identified with the bus
iness life of Lexington since the
death of her husband, he late Karl
L. Beach. She was business mana
ger for the Lexington water system,
owned jointly by herself and Mrs.
W. G. Scott, up to the time it was
taken over by the city, and has
also managed the store for many
Pendleton Chorus
Greeted Warmly
A fair sized audience greeted the
Pendleton Women's chorus at the
high school gym-auditorium last
night, but what the audience lacked
in numbers it certainly made up in
enthusiasm. Everyone of the 15
numbers commanded a hearty re
sponse and the chorus was not al
lowed to leave the stage after the
closing number without responding
with an encore. Ted Roy, director,
had arranged a comprehensive pro
gram of standard songs, delightfully
tuneful and not a few of them fa
miliar through use over the radio.
Miss Frances Robertson, soprano,
delighted her audience with two
numbers, "My Heart is a Silent Vio
lin," by Fox, and "I Love Life," re
sponding to the insistent demand
for a third number with Friml's
"The Bubble." Miss Robertson sub
stituted for Baynard Sager, violinist,
who was unable to be present. Pos
sessed of a beautiful voice and a
gracious stage presence, she became
an instant favorite and there will
no doubt be a demand to hear her
again soon.
Dan Motanic, full blooded Cayuse
Indian, sang three numbers, "Indian
Call to Sunrise," "Fallen Leaf," and
"Bells of the Sea." The first num
ber was sung in native tongue and
without accompaniment. "Fallen
Leaf ' is likewise an Indian song
but was sung in English. The young
bass-baritone's best tones were ev
ident in the third number, his bass
notes displaying a rich quality.
Mrs. Roy, in her accompaniment,
was most sympathetic and depend
able. ,
Funds realized from the concert
will be uced by the Heppner music
study club in providing milk for
grade pupils.
INSULATING HOUSE
C. D. Conrad has a crew of men
busy re-covering his residence on
south Court street. Material being
used is an asbestos-cement prepar
ation, fireproof and designed to
make for more warmth in winter
and a cooler house in summer. A
sheeting of asbestos-asphalt paper
is laid over the walls before the sid
ing is put on. Completing the insu
lation of the house a layer of rock
wool will be placed over the ceiling.
This is the material for insulating
refrigerators. The Conrad house
will be white when the job is completed.
Business men of Heppner show
ed their eagerness to participate in
the first free merchants' matinee by
liberal purchase of tickets the first
of this week. So liberal has been
the backing that all expenses of the
first show have been met and the
fund will be but a few dollars short
of staging an April show. I
As soon as the tickets were placed
in the merchants' hands customers
began receiving them. It is the pur
pose of the business houses to see
that everybody is given a chance
to see the free show, or as many
as the theater will accommodate,
but in order to forestall a general
rush of ticket seekers most of the
houses are giving preference to cash
customers.
The shows will be given during
the afternoon. The first show starts
at 2 o'clock and the second at 3:30
For this event the Star theater
management has secured "Missing
Evidence," an exciting melodrama
of the F. B. I., featuring Preston
Foster, Irene Harvey and Chick
Chandler. In addition there will be
short subjects, forming a well
rounded program.
With but one or two exceptions,
every business house in town has
tickets to give to customers. In ad
dition, many of the concerns are of
fering special discounts for cash,
cooperating in the movement . to
stimulate trading at home. Placards
in the windows indicate where tick
ets may be secured and there is
scarcely a store front or profession
al office without one.
The merchants' matinee is being
sponsored by the chamber of com
merce as one step in the direction
toward recovering business lost to
other towns outside of the county
in recent years. It is the chamber's
plan to inaugurate other innovations
from time to time and just now at'
tention is being centered on the
free matinee idea to get it properly
launched.
Merchants and professional men
cooperating in the matinee include
Ferguson Motor Co., Dr. R. C. Law
rence, First National Bank, Patter
son & Son, Ed Gonty, M. D. Clark,
Thomson Bros., W. O. Dix, Heppner
Market, Gordelen Beauty shop, Dr.
L. D. Tibbies, Dr. Dwight Miller,
Humphreys Drug Co., Hanson Hu
ghes, Gordon's, Elkhorn Restaurant,
Case Furniture Co., Green's Hard
ware, E. G. Noble, Alex Green, E. R.
Huston, J. O. Peterson, Healy's Ser
vice Station, Bert Kane's Garage,
Gazette Times, D. A. Wilson, Bra-
den-Bell Implement Co., Heppner
Steam Laundry, Pacific Power &
Light Co., Lundell's Service Sta
tion, Standard Service Station, J. C
Penney Co., O'Donnell's Cafe, Hepp
ner Garage, Gilliam & Bisbee, Rose
wall-Gentry Motor Co., Merrill';
Cafe, McAtee & Co., Curran's, Ai
ken's, Sprinkel and Key, Burl Cox
en, t . w . Turner oc io., iJyKstra ;
Trading Post, Morrow County Ab
stract & Title Co., Gamble's, Dick
son's Variety Store, City Meat Mar
ket, Safeway, John Skuzeski and
Morrow County Creamery Co.
February, 1940, will be remember
ed not only as the longest February
in many years but also as one of
the wettest since precipitation re
cordings have been made in Morrow
county. A total "of 2.17 inches of
moisture has fallen since the first
day of the month and this figure
has been exceeded twice since 1910,
when; the rain gauge was first set
up at the Gilliam residence.
In 1915 the precipitation was 2.31
inches. Again in 1926 February was
a wet month, with a fall of 2.26,
The intervening years for the most
part showed markings under two
inches. The ten year averages have
shown a gradual decline, while the
30-year average is 1.16. The 1939
figures dating from September 1
show a gain of 2.20 inches over the
same period in 1938. This is for
the months from September 1938 to
February 1939 and the 1939-40 per
iod. The 1938 period had a precip
itation of 4.76 inches, with rainfall
for each month. In the current per
iod the fall amounted to 6.96 inches
and there was no precipitation in
November.
Copious showers have fallen the
last few days and streams have been
swollen. Rock creek is reported the
highest ever seen by Jim Carsner
and Theodore Murdock of Spray
who were in Heppner Tuesday. They
said there is about a foot of snow
on top of the mountains and that
Rock creek was between 200 and
300 feet wide at the Ray, Wright
sheep camp. The water was run
ning over the road and the stream
looked more like a river than a
creek. A telephone call received by
Fred Wehmeyer Wednesday stated
that more than eight inches of pre
cipitation had been measured at the
French ranch during the month.
Condon Blasts
Heppner Hopes
At Tournament
Six Offices to be
Filled This Year
AUXILIARY MEETS
Plans for the 21st Legion and
Auxiliary birthday party were dis
cussed at the meeting of the aux
iliary at the home of Mrs. R. B. Fer
guson Tuesday afternoon. This will
be a pot-luck dinner on March 15
at the home of Mrs. E. O. Ferguson.
The unit will contribute one dollar
to the infantile paralysis fund. An
order for 1000 poppies has been sent.
A. P. Hughes and son Edwin of
Lena were transacting business in
Heppner Tuesday.
With the Oregon primary election
but a little more than two and a
half months away, the local political
pot is beginning to warm up. Can
didates for county offices are tossing
their hats into the ring, three hav
ing announced already, and rumor
has it that the pot will be boiling
within a short time.
Last week G. A. Bleakman an
nounced his candidacy .for county
commissioner. This week Sheriff C
J. D. Bauman an C. W. Barlow
county clerk, are making their bid
to succeed themselves. Other of
fices to be filled are district at
torney, county school superintend
ent and coroner. Present incum
bents in those offices have not com
nutted themselves, although it is
understood that Frank C. Alfred
district attorney, has filed his inten
tion with the secretary of state.
Commenting on the candidacy of
Mr. Bleakman last week, the Gaz
ette limes included the assessor
among offices to be filled. This is
in error as Tom Wells' term does
not expire until 1942.
AUDITS COMPLETED
Auditing of county and other
books was completed Tuesday af
ternoon and Russell Morgan and
Robert Amos, auditors, left that eve
ning for Salem to turn in their re
ports. The books of the city of
Heppner, the welfare office and the
town of Leington were audited by
the men who represent the auditing
department of the secretary of state'
office.
Irrigon at Top as
Heppner Takes Con
solation Game
By JERRY ACKLEN
The strain of two first-round
games in one day began to tell on
Heppner high basketeers as they ad
vanced to the semi-finals in sub
istrict 13-B tournament play at
Condon last week end and in the
course of the afternoon the Mustangs
faltered just long enough to drop
the game with Condon by the nar
row margin of one lone basket scor
ed in the last minute of play after
the game had been tied for the sev
enth time during the afternoon. Fi
nal score, Condon 33, Heppner 31.
Meanwhile, Irrigon high schools
Wheat league champions advanced
to the championship round by de
feating Boardman high school and
the evening romped over the
Condon contenders with a 30 to 18
count in a game that easily showed
the superiority of the Irrigon Comets.
Apparently enraged by their el
imination at the hands of the Con
don five, the Heppner boys came
back in the evening to meet Board-
man in the consolation game to
determine the third place winner
and the victor of a third-place tro
phy. This game became almost a
massacre of the Boardman quintet
that had previously squeezed out
a narrow 37 to 34 win over a strong
Fossil outfit and had managed to
hold the Irrigon high champs to a
40-32 count in the afternoon's semi
finals. Final count of the consola
tion game, Heppner 50, Boardman
18.
On opening day Heppner met and
defeated lone high 38-22 and Uma
tilla 36-27. Irrigon took Lexington
29-19; Condon defeated Echo 37-25
and Boardman beat Fossil 37-34.
Heppner placed two men on the
tournament all-star list of ten best
players in the sub-district elimina
tion. The complete list of all-stars
follows: Harry O'Donnell and Hugh
Crawford of Heppner; Willard Jon
es and Donald Houghton of Irrigon;
Roy Partlow and Ralph Skoubo oV
Boardman; Charles Edwards and
Tom Burns of Condon; Vane Hiatt
of Umatilla and Jack Dean of Fos
sil.
Continued on Page Eight
FATHER DIES IN SPOKANE
Russell McNeill received word
Wednesday morning that his father.
E. P. McNeill had passed away in
Spokane. The elder McNeill suffer
ed a stroke Tuesday evening and
Mr. and Mrs. McNeill were prepar
ing to leave for Spokane when word
came of the father's death. Funeral
services were to be held today. Mr.
McNeill's mother died April 19 last.
Signs Designate
Through Streets
Heppner is becoming more metro
politan day by day and the latest
evience is found in the designation
of two streets as "through" streets.
Day policeman Albert Sehunk and
a crew of men have been erecting
stop signs on the corners leading
on to Gale street and ihis will be
followed by similar signi on Court
street south of the court house.
Action on these thoroughfares
was decided by the city council at
the January meeting. It is the hope
of city officials that cai drivers will
cooperate in making the new regula
tions workable. It is pointed out
that the sign sare not being erected
as ornaments, but that they mean
what they say.
ATTEND LODGE AT CI NYON
A carload of Heppner Masons
drove to Canyon City Sunday to
attend a special session of the Can
yon lodge in the afterroon. Besides
enjoying an excellent dinner served
by the host lodge, the visitors in
spected the Joaquin Miller cabin
and other interesting spots before
turning their attention homeward.
Included in the group were C. J. D.
Bauman, Robert Wightman, Hanson
Hughes, E. R. Huston and Walter
Luckman.
years.