OR EGO N
PUBLIC
PORT
HISTORICAL
AUDITOR I "
S DC I CTY
Volume 57, Number 5
Spencer Crawford,
PublisherGiven ):
Tribute at Last Rites
Long Service With
Gazette Times ' Ends
at Portland Hospital
The greensward, wet with the
morning's rain, glistened in the
bright sunshine of a beautiful spring
afternoon, as the body of John
Spencer Crawford, Gazette Times
publisher, was lowered into the
earth 'for its final rest last Monday
afternoon. American Legion buddies
with whom he had long worked fired
salute. Jack Merrill sounded taps.
Then last of the Masonic rites were
pronounced.
Beautiful were the flowers that
profusely banked the graveside, part
of a magnificent tribute to one
whose life work had been centered
in the community, and whom Death
chose to visit to conclude a hard-
fought battle of three months dur
ation at the U. S. Veterans hospital
in Portland last Friday.
Rites at the Church of Christ pre
ceding commitment at Masonic cem
etery were in charge of Heppner
lodge 69, A. F. & A. M., of which
Spencer was secretary at time of
death. "Martin B. Clark assisted
Frank S. Parker who officiated for
the lodge. Russell McNeill, Frank
Turner, Frank C. Alfred and Ray
P. Kinne, in quartet sang "One
Sweetly Solemn Thought" and
"Nearer, My God, to Thee."
Pallbearers were Earl W. Gordon,
Alva Jones, Garnet Barratt, Harold
Cohn, D. A. Wilson and Archie Ball.
The large attendance included
many friens from outside the county
as well as those from every part of
the county. lone Masons assisted
the local lodge in the ceremonies,
and delegations were present from
Heppner post, American Legion, the
Legion auxiliary, high school faculty
and students.
Born in Heppner,, August 12, 1896,
John Spencer was the fourth child
of William Vawter and Cora Dale
(Spencer) Crawford. Departing this
life at Portland, Oregon, March 29,
1940, he was aged 43 years, 7 months
and 17 days.
With his life spent almost entirely
in this city, he was graduated from
both Heppner grade and high
schools, the latter event occurring in
1915. His newspaper apprentice
ship started in the Hepner Gazette
office when his father became pub
lisher in 1910. He was then 14 years
of age, but soon was making a
regular hand in the shop while
completing his school work. From
that time his life's work was cen
tered in the Gazette Times.
The only interruption in his work
here came in 1918, when on Septem
ber 14, he was inducted into his
country's service while the World
war was in progress, at Camp Lewis,
Wash. He received his honorable
discharge at the same place from
the 43rd Co., 11th Battalion, 166th
Depot brigade on January 11, 1918.
Part of his service work was as clerk
of the conscription board here in
Morrow county.
Upon receiving his discharge he
was taken into full partnership in
the newspaper business by his fath
er and continued as co-publisher
until his father's passing in 1934.
He since had full management.
Always active in community af
fairs, Spencer at various times held
leading offices in the Masons, Am
erican Legion and Lions club, be
ing a charter member of the latter.
For the last several years he served
as secretary of the Masonic blue
lodge, and when taken away was
serving his second term as a mem
ber of the board of education of
School district No. 1. He had served
as commander of the sixth Oregon
district, American Legion, and was
once a member of the state execu
tive committee of that organization.
Heppner,
NOSE COUNTING
STARTS IN COUNTY
Enumerators Begin Work In
Six Eastern Oregon Counties
Last Tuesday Morning
The long-awaited counting of nos
es1, otherwise taking the census," got
under way in this district Tuesday
morning when ' 83 enumerators
working out of the supervisor's of
fice at Pendleton started making
house to house calls. Work was ex
pected to commence in Morrow
county Wednesday morning. Anoth
er group of 29 enumerators will
enter the field, completing the quota
for the six counties coming under
the jurisdiction of W .W. Sirrine,
district supervisor.
Assignments were virtually com
plete Tuesday morning and portfol
ios were being issued to enumera
tors for Morrow and Walowa coun
ties. Expectations were that the
population count would be com
pleted in about two weeks and the
agriculture count in 30 days.
Morrow county assignments were
completed by Mr. Sirrine Tuesday
morning as follows: Alpine and
Pine City, Frank M. Lundell; Board-
man and district, Minnie McFar
land; Cecil and lone, Mary K.
Thompson; Eightmile and Goose
berry, Lewis C. Batty; Hardman,
Ted L. Bumside; lone (outside),
Joel C. Engelman; Irrigon, Arvilda
P. Bleakney; Lena and North Hepp
ner (outside), Louis D. Brown;
Camp Heppner CCC, Lieut. Marius
P. Hanford; Lexington, Emma H.
Breshears; Heppner, Mary C. Mc
Intyre; South Heppner (outside)
Robert A. Jones.
'Soup to Nuts' Makes
Hit With Audience
The' title of the play, "Soup to
Nuts," presented by the junior class
of the local high school last Friday
night was only an indication of the
"concentrated foolishness" that kept
a large crowd laughing heartily
throughout the performance.
Many compliments were received
by the twelve members of the cast
after the final curtain. The audience
was particularly high in praise of
the work of Don Bennett as Doctor
Manny Pilski, the Hebrew health
specialist, and Kathryn Thompson
who played the role of Trudy Tru
dello, an exotic movie queen.
A futuristic farce written by Aus
tin Goetz, the play delved into fu
ture scientific developments and re
vealed the actions of the cast wJien
under the influence of "hate," "love"
and "truth" pellets.
Complete financial returns can
not be obtained until next week
but the amount turned in by the
students who sold tickets has al
ready assured a proift, according to
Bud Blakely, class treasurer. The
play, an annual event, was present
ed to raise money for the junior-
senior banquet and the junior prom.
RANCHES SOLD
A number of realty transactions
were consummated in the county
last week in the disposal of proper
ties bv Federal Land Bank of Spo
kane. The Noah Clark place in
Eight Mile was purchased by Floyd
Worden and the Ray Young farm
in the same territory was acquired
by Frank Anderson. On lower Rhea
creek the Glenn Boyer place, oc
cupied by Walter Rood the past
vear. was sold to Noah Pettyjohn,
who has taken possession. Rood
moved his family to lone.
Spencer married Lera Georgian
Githens, daughter of Mr. and Mrs.
Hugh C. Githens, in this city June
3, 1920. To them were bom three
sons, John, Hugh, and Calvin, who,
with Mrs. Crawford, survive. He
is also survived by the mother,
Cora Crawford, and eight brothers
and sisters: Mrs. J. O. Turner, Mrs.
R. B. Ferguson, Mrs. Leonard
Schwarz and J. V. Crawford of this
city; Arthur R. Crawford of San
Rafael, Cal.; Mrs. LeRoy Jones of
Montesano, Wash.; Mrs. Everett
Hayes of Joseph, and William V,
Crawford of Portland.
Oregon, Thursday, April
Benefit Saturday
To Help Band's Trip
To Annual Contest
Past Laurels Cited
as School Organiza
tion in Tenth Year
On Saturday, April 6, the Hepp
ner school band will sponsor its
sixth annual dance to raise money
for its trip to the district musical
festival at La Grande on April 12.
The band will appear in a street
concert at 4:30 on Saturday after
noon and will also appear at the
dance at 11:30 to play their three
concert numbers. The warm up
march is Sousa's "Semper Fidelis";
reauired number. "The Traveler,"
overture by Forrest Buchtel, and
the selective number, "Hero," over
ture by Harold M. Johnson. The
dance starts at 9:30 at the Elks
hall. Music will be furnished by
Merrill's orchestra.
The band was organized just ten
years ago by Harold W. Buhman
and attended its first contest in the
spring of 1935. Since that time the
band has made an impressive record
for itself.' In 1936 the band walked
away with top honors in class "D"
division at the state contest. In
1937 the band again journeyed to
Corvallis to gain the only superior
rating. In 1938 the band duplicated
their previous record by winning
the only superior rating in their
class. Nineteen thirty-nine brought
a phanffe in the contest rules. In
the district contest held in La
Grande. Heppner took a superior
which enabled them to attend
the national regional contest in
Portland. Against contestants trom
Washington. Oregon, Idaho and
Montana, Heppner drew an excel
lent rating among the bands ot the
nation.
This vear the band goes to La
Grande to compete in the district
contest. Should Heppner gain a
superior rating there, the bandsters
will be entitled to go to the regional
contest in Spokane.
The roster of this year s band in
cludes 47 members, two majorettes
and a director. Instrumentation of
personnel is, trumpets, Jack Merrill,
Don Frederickson, Kemp Dick, Kay
Ferguson, Nelma Hanlon, Dick Fer
guson, Merle Burkenbine, Howard
Gilliam and Raymond French; clar-,
inets, Omer McCaleb, Richard Hay
es, Don Jones, Paul Doolittle, Clif
ford Faye, Kathryn Thompson, Lau
ra Warfield, Elizabeth Healy, Doro
tha Wilson, Kingsley Chapin, Jack
O'Hara, James Barratt, Jr., Dick
Edmondson, Loma Mae Jones, Lau-
rell Ball, Betty Cunningham; trom
bones, Henry Aiken, Don Evans,
Robert Pinckney, Calvin Crawford;
baritones, Hugh Crawford, Walter
Skuzeski; saxophones, Lowell Ash
baugh, Phillip Cohn, Louise Green,
Harold Armstrong, Wilbur Worden;
horns, Jackson Cantwell, Don Weh
meyer, Jack Aiken; bass, Don Ben
nett; oboe, Peggy Tamblyn; flute,
John Skuzeski; percussion, Warren
Blakely, Jr., Ted Ferguson, Shirley
Wilson, Helen Healy, Mary Lou
Ferguson; drum majorettes, Dorothy
Huit, Norma Prock; director, Harold
W. Buhrnan.
FERGUSONS BUY PROPERTY
Ferguson Motor company closed
a deal this week for the. Natter res
idence, purchasing it from Katie Mi
nert. No changes in the newly ac
quired property are contemplated
for the present, it is stated. Miss
Minert has moved to a cottage on
Chase street which has been re
modeled. The Natter house is one
of the older properties of the city.
Mrs. H. C. Woods of Portland is
spending a few days with her mo
ther, Mrs. Albert Rea.
Business visitors in Heppner Tu
esday were Mr. and Mrs. Fred Fal
coner of Pendleton. .
4, 1940
TOWN FOLKS EAT
AT GRANGE HALL
Chamber of Commerce Has
Pleasant Meeting With People
of Butter Creek Section
Heppner people to the number of
48 met at the Lena Grange hall
last evening where the regular
meeting of the chamber of commerce
was held. The Home Economics
club of the Lena grange served the
dinner and the reputation of Little
Butter creek cooks was well sus
tained. More than 80 people were
served, for while the grange pro
gram was suspended, a goodly num
ber of the grangers were present to
greet the visitors from town.
The chamber presented the eve
ning's program, including address
by B. C. Pinckney, president, who
told of the clubs program, its aims
and the desire of the town to serve
its surrounding territory. Russell
McNeill favored with two vocal so
los, accompanied by Mrs. McNeill.
P. W. Mahoney spoke on the road
program, reporting the results of
the recent meeting of county com
missioners and himself with the
state highway commission and pros
pects for highway improvement in
the countv. pointing out that the
commission's fiscal year starts July
1 and that some of the local pro
jects will be up for consideration
on the 1940 schedule.
Following two numbers by the
Lions club quartet, J. O. Turner
spoke on the proposed rural route
from Heppner to Lena via upper
Blackhorse, Sand Hollow and lower
Butter creek, returning over the
Lena-Heppner sector of the O.-W.
highway. Turner said that Heppner
feels that mail service, where prac
ticable, should be handled within
the county and that Lena should be
eettine its mail out of Heppner.
Mrs. George Currin, president of
the Lena Home Economics club, ex-
Dressed pleasure of the club m
having the chamber of commerce as
guests.
Seed Peas Ordered
for Trial in County
Contract have recently been sign
ed by three Morrow county farmers
with the Morrison Seed company
of Spokane, for the growing of 420
acres of Perfection peas for seed.
Frank Anderson and Al Bergstrom
of the Eieht Mile community and
Orville Cutsforth of Lexington will
grow the peas this year, more or
less as a trial.
Representatives of the Spokane
company who were in the county
last week stated that they are in
terested in finding a locality for the
production of Perfection seed peas
which is free from weavils. In
checking the soil conditions, rainfall
and frost records, the representa
tives feel there is very good possi
bility for this crop in Morrow coun
tv.
C. D. Conrad, county agent, states
that if these trials turn out success
fully the growing of peas for seed
may furnish an opportunity for far
mers in the locality to further di
versifv their crops.
Other farmers who are interested
in trying out these peas on a small
scale may obtain seed from the
county agent's office free of charge.
EAR INJURED IN ACCIDENT
While engaged in woodcraft work
at his residence Monday evening,
Martin Clark, Christian minister,
was the victim of an accident which
came near to causing him to lose
an ear. He was turning out vases
for the Leington high school play
and when he speeded up the motor
the block he was sawing hurtled
from the lathe and struck him on
the side of the head. Mrs. Clark
rushed him to a physician who took
six stitches in the wound.
Edison Morgan and family of lone
were transacting business in Hepp
ner Tuesday.
Mr. and Mrs. Orville Smith drove
to Yakima Tuesday on a short busi
ness trip.
Subscription $2.00 a Year
Branch Warehouses
Combined Under
Cooperative Deal
200 County Produc
ers United in New
Storage Enterprise
A deal claiming the attention of
officers and directors of the Morrow
County Grain Growers, Inc., Lex
ington enterprise, was consummat
ed Saturday when warehouses and
facilities of Farmers Elevator com
pany of lone were taken over. On
Monday, April 1, the business was
opened on a cooperative basis with
all warehouse properties at Hepp
ner, Lexington, lone and McNabb,
formerly the property of the two
concerns, placed under one manage
ment. Approximately 200 grain growers
and livestock producers of the coun
ty are affiliated with the Morrow
County Grain Growers as a result
of the merger. All are stockholders
and will participate in the affairs
of the concern.
Morrow County Grain Growers
Co-operative association was incor
porated on April 2, 1930. It was suc
cessor to the Lexington Warehouse
company and its policy has been
one of expansion throughout. Dur
ing the past winter the concern
bought up some of the smaller ware
houses at lone and following that
transaction began working on plans
to place most of the warehousing
facilities of the branch under one
management. The , Farmers Eleva
tor company at lone was approach
ed relative to selling its properties
and after an agreement had been
reached the Lexington concern set
about to bring the deal to a conclu
sion. Financing was arranged and
it was necessary to secure part of
the money through sale of shares
to grain growers and stockmen of
the territory to be served. With
this job behind them, officials of
the MCGG completed the transac
tion with the Farmers Elevator and
assumed control of the major part
of the warehouse and elevator fa
cilities of the county, with a total
storage capacity of 500,000 bushels.
Proposed plans of operation will
be submitted to the stockholers at
a special meeting calle for Mon
day, April 8, at the Leach hall in
Lexington. Further business, in
cluding election of officers, will
come before the annual meeting in
June. Present officials are George
N. Peck, president; Henry Baker,
vice-president; R. B. Rice, secretary-treasurer,
and O. W. Cutsforth,
Werner Rietmann, E. C. Heliker
and Lee Beckner, directors. G. J.
Ryan is manager.
Open House at CCC
Camp Next Sunday
Sunday, April 7, will be "open
house' day at Camp Heppner CCC
and an invitation has been extend
ed the public to visit the camp be
tween the hours of 1 and 5 p. m.
Generous refreshments will be ser
ved, the visitors will be shown
about the camp and all who wish
will be given an opportunity to in
spect various projects completed and
under construction by the Soil Con
servation service.
Fifty-three enrollees of the local
camp and 39 from the SCS camp
at Monument who have completed
their service period, left Heppner
by rail Saturday evening for Port
land. Most of the boys were from
Portland and surrounding commun
itijes. Replacements sufficient to
bring the camp's strength up to
190 enrollees are expected to ar
rive here about April 20.
Mr. and Mrs. A. R. Fortner and
son Robert of Grass Valley were
guests at the home of Mrs. Fortner's
parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Lucas,
the past week.