OREGON HISTORICAL SOCIETY
PUBLIC A U D I T 0 R I 'J M
PORTLAND.
Volume 57, Number 40
Loss of Livestock
Last Ten Years
Said Vital to County
H. D. McCurdy Cites
Assessment Figures
at C of C Meeting
That Morrow county has sustain
ed a drastic loss in livestock popula
tion, and a consequent loss in tax
revenue was emphatically shown
by Harlan D. McCurdy in a talk
before, the chamber of commerce
meeting at Lucas Place Tuesday
evening.
Citing figures from the assessment
roll for the years 1920 and 1940 for
purposes of comparison, McCurdy
said that the county's sheep popula
tion as assessed had dropped from
, 146,000 head in 1920 to 84,500 in
1940, a loss of 61,500 head. Total
' assessed valuation of sheep was
$811,000 in 1920 compared with $172,
000 in 1940, a difference of $639,000.
(Difference in value is accounted
for by the rate of assessment being
$5.50 a head in 1920 and $2.00 , in
1940). Using the county levy as an
example, Mr. McCurdy cited that
$15,261 was taken from sheep for
this one purpose in 1920, against
$2,816 in 1940, a difference of $13,
000. . This decline in sheep population
alone has meant loss of work for at
least 200 men, decline in consump
tion of hay by 5000 tons of hay, and
on an operating budget of $5.00 a
head, the loss of $300,000 that might
ytH have been available for circulation
$- in Morrow county this year ' had
iJ-Li t,; P:.tiiei sheep population figure remain-
'W"'!' n . man 1 1
Horses and mules present a black
er picture, according to figures cit
ed by McCurdy. In 1920 the assess
ed value of the 8464 head was $527,
000, while in 1914 the 1744 head as
sessed had a taxable value of only
$50,000, a difference in value of
$477,000. That this difference was
not made up by tractor operation
was indicated by the tractor figures.
Tractors had a total taxable value
in 1920 of $117,000, and had in
creased only $38,000 in 1940 when
the figure stood at $155,000.
Figures on cattle showed a taxable
value in 1940 $168,000 lower than in
1920, while hogs held about even
for the two years. .
McCurdy did not attempt to give
an answer for the big decline in
the livestock industry, saying that
dry years, market conditions and
practices affecting summer ranges
undoubtedly all had a bearing. He
held out the figures, however, as
food for thought in analyzing the
county's future.
Heppner Contributes
Well to Red Cross
Heppner's raised $50 in excess of
last year's contribution with close
of the recent Red Cross roll call
here, announces Mrs. B. C. Pinck
ney, roll call chairman. The turn
over for Heppner, made this week,
was $269.00.
Outlying districts have not been
heard from, but if they hold up cor
respondingly well to the amounts
raised last year, the county will
surely go over the top for its quota
of $450, Mrs. Pinckney said.
BAND PREPARES
The Heppner school band is spend
ing all of its allotted time to prepare
for the annual Christmas concert to
be given December 20. As is the
custom, the grade school choruses
will sing new and old carols. An
added attraction will be a Christ'
mas program to be given by the
merchants after the musical progam
It is hoped that a large crowd will
attend and let this help to remem
ber the origin of Christmas. He'
hisch.
Heppner,
Heppner Takes Hoop
Opener From lone
The Heppner high Mustangs
started their basketball season with
an easy victory over the lone Car
dinals at the local gym last Friday
night. The score was 44 to 20. Half
time score was 23 to 12 in favor of
the local team.
.High point man of the game was
Don Evans, lanky Mustang center,
while Brady was high for lone with
8 points.
The "b" squad of Heppner swept
over the lone "b" lads by a score of
25-11. Kay Ferguson was high point
man with 13 points.
"A" line-up:
Blakely 6 rf Peterson 3
Skuzeski 8 If. Hoskins 2
Snow 6 c Brady 8
Pinckney 7 rg Eubanks 6
Scrivner 5 ..lg Ledbetter 0
lone subs Cannon, McCabe, Em-
pey; Heppner subs Evans and Aik
en.
"B" line-up:
Parrish 2 rf. Bergstrom
Bothwell 2 If Cannon
Drake 5 c , Empey 2
Padberg 1 rg McCabe 3
Ferguson 13 lg Warfield 1
. lone subs Doherty 3, Crawford 2,
Christopherson and Huston; Hepp
ner subs Schunk 2, Starkey.
'3 Tops at Twelve
Lex Play Tomorrow
On December 6 at 8 p. m., the
Lexington high school student body
will present their three-act mystery
melodrama, "Three Taps at Twelve,"
in the high school auditorium.
The play revolves around an ex
citing plot where for one and one
half hours hair-raising adventure
fills the air. -
The story, briefly, takes you to the
isolated lake-shore manion of Jam
ieson Edwards, This crafty and mi
serly octogenarian, who. has ridden
relentlessly over fellow townsmen
to amass a huge fortune, invites
one night the five persons he has
most injured by his piratical bus
iness methods.
A helpless old man in a wheel
chair, he tells of a new will he has
drawn up. The four who will be
named in this epistle is a mystery,
as he has five guests present.
They are talked into playing the
"Murder Game" in the dark, to pass
the time until midnight. When the
lights are flashed on, old Mr. Ed
wards is lying on the floor, the vic
tim of a deadly poison. His nephew,
Dick arrives at this time to solve
the complicated mystery and pro
vide the romantic interest. The fin
ger of suspicion veers from the very
timid to the most vicious character
present until the true criminal is
finally trapped.
The thrilling chill produces from
the following cast:
Jamieson Edwards, Roy Martin;
Dick Edwards, Joe Way; Dr. Hull,
Duane Johnson; Harmon Gage, Don
Peck; Martha Gage, Lavelle Pieper;
Mrs. Baker, Mary Buchanan; Edwin
Dahlbeck, Elden Padberg; Cassie
Dahlbeck, Marcella Jackson; Cat
fish, Bill Nichols.
Scout Honor Court
To be Event of 16th
An important court of honor for
Heppner Boy Scouts is announced
for Monday evening, the 16th, at the
headquarters in the Church of Christ
by Martin B. Clark, scoutmaster.
Parents and friends of the scouts
are not only urged but are expected
to attend this meeting to show the
interest that is so vital at this time
to the troop's success. O. E. Hoover,
field executive with the Blue Moun
tain Council, will attend, and it is
expected that he will have some
important announcements in con
nection with getting the scout or
ganization perfected for the new
year.
Methodist church society will hold
food sale, Sat., Dec. 14, 10:30 a. m,,
Case Furniture sore. 2t.
Oregon, Thursday, December 5, 1940
Wheat Growers
Trek to Pendleton
Over Week End
Annual League Meet
to Present Many
Leading Speakers
The thirteenth annual conference
of the Eastern Oregon Wheat league
is attracting many Morrow county
people to Pendleton this week end.
Starting with committee meetings
at 1:30 this afternoon, the conference
sessions will open at 9:30 tomorrow
morning in the Vert Memorial buil
ding. C. L. Lieuallen, Pendleton's
mayor, will welcome the visitors,
with response by E. Harvey Miller
of this city. Address of President
C. K. Barker and report of Chas. W.
Smith, secretary, will round out the
opening.
Addresses by Orlo H. Maughan,
director of research, Farm Credit
association, and Gordon P. Boals,
senior economist, Foreign Agricul
tural Relations service, U. S. D. A.
are on the morning program.
The afternoon's opening at 1:30
will be followed by addresses by
Dick Richards, superintendent, E. O.
branch experiment station; Dean
Wm. A. Schoenfeld, school of agri
culture, O. S. C, and R. L. Edmin
ister, special assistant to secretary
of state, whose address on "Some
Aspects and Implications of Amer
ican Foreign Policy in the Present
World Situation," is expected to be
of highlight interest.
The annual banquet, entertain
ment and dance is scheduled for
6:30 tomorrow evening.
Discussion of Bonneville power by
Administrator Paul J. Raver will
open Saturday morning's program.
Other speakers Saturday are Gro
ver C. Hill, assistant secretary of
agriculture; N. E. Dodd, director
western region, AAA, and A. M.
Scott, president North Pacific Mill
er's association.
Committee reports, election of of
ficers and selection of host city for
1941 will complete Saturday's pro
gram schedule.
AAA Election Meet
Scheduled for 19th
An election meeting for the elec
tion of community committeemen
who will administer the AAA farm
and range programs in Morrow
county in 1941 will be held in the
courthouse Thursday, December 19.
Committeemen will be elected for
each of the seven wheat and range
communities at this meeting, includ
ing the following: Eightmile, South
Heppner-Hardman, North Heppner,
Lexington, Morgan, lone and Alpine.
A general meeting will begin at
1:00 p. m. at which Will Steen,
chairman of the state AAA commit
tee, and Earl Thompson, farmer
field man for northeastern Oregon
district, will be present to discuss
with the farmers the economics of
the AAA farm program and the op
eration of the 1941 set-up.
Following the general meeting,
farmers from each community will
elect the committeemen whom they
want to handle the work for the
coming year.
IS JUNIOR MANAGER
Billy Barratt, son of Mr. and Mrs.
Garnet Barratt of this city, is jun
ior manager at Oregon State col
lege, and assisted at football games
during the season by- helping to
push the service cart out on to the
field at time out periods.
HOOP GAME SATURDAY
This coming Saturday the bas
ketball team of Heppner high will
journey to Pendleton for its second
game of the season. Mr. Knox an
nounces that he is taking both the
A and B teams. The game will start
at 7:15 p. m.
SCHOOL PRESENTS
OPERETTA 13TH
Annual Presentation of Students
Features Charming Music of
Stephen C. Foster; Many in Cast
Students of Heppner high school
will present "An Old Kentucky Gar
den," a two-act operetta based on
the music of Stephen C. Foster, on
the evening of Friday, December 13,
at the gym-auditorium.
This operetta is a delightful con
tribution to the wide revival of Ste
phen Foster's much loved melodies.
Their charming simplicity has been
preserved, and the story is skillfully
adapted to their beauty.
The characters are: Stephen C.
Foster, Hugh Crawford; Jeanie, Lu
cile Barlow; Colonel Staunton, Jack
O'Hara; Phillip, Don Bennett; Joy,
Dorotha Wilson; Hannah, Peggy
Tamblyn; Henry, Bud Blakely;
Richard, Jim Barratt; Majundahr,
Tom Starkey; Joe Buzzard, Don Ev
ans; Elmina, Kingsley Chapin; Wil
liam, Norval Osborne; Andrew, Bob
Swick; Seth, Allan Gibb; Adaliza,
Frances Wilkinson; Lily, Pat O'
Hara; Tom, James Kenny; Mr. Mon
eyfold, Walter Skuzeski; Mr. Arti
choke, Phil Cohn.
Two True Bills Given;
Court Sets Monday
Two true bills, both secret in
dictments were returned by the
grand jury for the December court
term in its report made last Friday.
One not true bill was returned, and
recommendation was made that one
county poor house building be re
moved and rebuilt and the other
remodeled and renovated. It was
also recommended that the county
jail be cleaned. Authority was giv
en the clerk's office to open a bank
account in its own name for the
handling of funds between turn
over periods, due to large amounts
that have been kept on hand at var
ious times.
The regular December term of
circuit court will convene at 10 o'
clock next Monday morning with
Judge C. L. Sweek presiding. Sum
monses for jury duty were issued
by the sheriff this week.
Sitting on the grand jury were
Henry Peterson, foreman; Garland
Swanson, M. L. Case, Harry Archer,
Frank H. Lindsey, Noel K. Dobyns
and Charles Vaughn.
Claude Drake Gives
Trip Report to Lions
A visit to Boy's Town near Oma
ha where doubles of leading movie
actors who made the famous motion
picture were seen; inspection of the
large museum at Denver and of
the famous tabernacle at Salt Lake
City were highlights of his trip
made to the national FFA meet at
Kansas City recently, cited by
Claude Drake, who attended as a
member of Oregon's livestock judg
ing team.
There were 15 boys in the north
west party on the train with Drake
and they were accorded many cour
tesies along the way going and com
ing, including banquets at the prin
ciap stop-over cities.
Drake reported a large attend
ance of FHA members from over
the entire country, and a wonderful
exhibition. Finals of the national
speaking contest were held at the
annual banquet, a highlight event.
JAMES JOHNSON PASSES
Word was received in Heppner
just before press time that James
Johnson of Range, pioneer of the
Butter creek section, had died.
Particulars were lacking. Mr. John
son was in Heppner last week to
attend funeral rites for his old time
friend and neighbor, Michael Kenny.
LEX HEC TO MEET
Lexington Home Economics club
will meet at the home of Mrs. Laura
Scott in Lexington on Friday af
ternoon, December 13. Please notice
change in day for this meeting.
Subscription $2.00 a Year
City Prepares to
Welcome Santa
In Gala Manner
Community Pro
gram, Treat, Guess
ing Contest Feature
Starting Monday morning with a
big opening of displays of Christ
mas merchandise at local stores, and
introduction of a big guessing con
test in which all stores are partici
pating, Heppner is preparing to wel
come the Christmas season in gala
fashion.
The guessing contest, particulars
of which appear in another column,
will continue through Saturday
night, the 14th, to end with giving
away of grand prizes that evening
at the community Christmas tree on
Main street which will be put in
place by the fire boys.
The firemen also have taken the
lead in sponsoring a community
treat for kiddies and will prepare
a thousand bags of candy to be
handed out at the community
Christmas program at the gym-auditorium
when Santa Claus will make
his appearance at 9:15 o'clock the
evening of Friday, December 20, the
day school closes for the Christmas
holidays.
The annual school band and grade
school chorus program, featuring
Christmas music, will be presented
before Santa's arrival. Special seats
for children will be arranged behind
the stage on the gym floor to facil
itate handling the crowd.
When Monday comes, it is expect
ed Heppner's main thoroughfare
will be in full Christmas regalia,
adorned with evergreens and colors
significant of the season.
Heppner lodge of Elks and the
Star theater will have their own
Christmas party for kiddies on the
afternoon of Christmas day with
showing of a special Christmas mat
inee picture at the theater.
A highlight event of the Christ
mas season will be the annual fire
men's ball at the Elks hall, to be
staged the evening of Saturday, the
20th. It will be in the nature of a
semi-formal with special features.
Proceeds will assist firemen with
their activities of which the com
munity Christmas treat is one.
Central Market to
Stage Grocery Opening
C. W. McNamer, owner, announces
the opening of the new grocery bus
iness at Central market, formerly
conducted solely as a meat market,
niext Saturday. Special arrange
ments have been made for a grand
opening, including serving of sand
wiches and coffee and offering of a
number of attractive door prizes.
Mr. McNamer emphasizes that the
new market is all home-owned,
catering to home-grown and home
manufactured products in its buy
ing department. A full and com
plete stock of fancy and staple gro
ceries, including vegetables and
sundries for the home, have been
placed on the newly constructed,
and pleasingly decorated shelving
Roy Quackenbush, local man, has
been placed in charge of the gro
cery department to be assisted by
Frank Hensley, recently of The
Dalles.
FIVE NATURALIZED
Naturalization proceedings were
had in circuit court this morning
with Judge C. L. Sweek conferring
citizenship honors upon Frederick
Grant, Charles Monagle, Regina
Magdelena Swanson, Silas C. Salter
and Peter Slevin.
IRRIGON PEOPLE VISIT
Fifteen Irrlgon people waited up
on the county court yesterday in
the interest of road work in their
community.