8 Heppner Gazette Times,. April 22, 1943
Early Day Editor Was Colorful
Character, Writes Texas "Print"
(Continued from last week)
I stayed with Heppner newspapers to see interior towns devel
op, cutting off of Heppners' trade territory by new railroads and
changing of stage lines. I witnessed the passing of the colorful
trail drivers, who came to Heppner each spring and with the melt
ing of the snows headed east behind great bands of sheep to eat
their way to Wyoming, Montana and Kansas pastures, and ultimately
into the Chicago and Omaha packing houses. Many wonderful
stories of those days lie dormant today, perhaps never to be written,
which are as much the saga of the northwest as are the lives of
the missionaries who pushed into the wilderness to press the white
man's civilization upon a roving, happy people, then as free as the
wild life upon which they survived.
John W. (Watermelon) Reddington sold tthe Gazette to the
Pattersons. Reddington , a colorful soldier of fortune and an
Indian fighter of considerable note, passed his last days in the
Soldiers' Home at Sawtelle, Calif. Heppner Blackman and I
helped place him (our old boss) in the earth from which he came.
There is much to be written about John W. Reddington. He was a
wonderful American. He was fearless and honest. He loved the
pioneers of Heppner, even to Cut Mouth Joe, the Indian, and he
never quit talking about them.
Reddington came back to Heppner in later years to acquire the
Gazette. I became his foreman. Hep Blackman came in to learn
the trade; however, Hep had spent some little time with me at lone
, where I published, edited, printed and deviled the Post. Vawter
sat me up in business when I attained the ripe age of 16. He sold
the Post after a year's venturing his dollars and good reputation
and I went to work for Reddington.
Later I went over to the Times with E. M. Shutt. John Red
dington delighted in taking verbal shots at his competitor on the
"lower side of Stewart's livery stable." . Shutt was vain and Red
dington jabbed him about "strutting." Finally, the goading drove
Shutt to desperation. He laid in wait for Reddington, a much older
man, and beat him up. Shutt felt his honor had been vindicated
and Reddington didn't give a damn, so everything was peaceful.
Reddington sold the paper to Warnock & Michel and soon I was
back on the Gazette.
In the years of service on the Gazette I worked with Jack Mills,
as fast a printer as I have contacted to this day, and God knows I
have contacted many of them; Sammy Teed, a queer little hunch
back who loved his liquor far too well, and several tramps who
dropped in for a square meal or two and a jag. But Vawter, Jack
and I held the fort several years on the old Gazette. We saw it
prosper and we saw it sink to unprofitable levels.
There is nothing I would like better than to dig back into the '
files of the Gazette, if such there are, and retell those wonderful
stories of the gay nineties. There are a lot of us old boys sticking
around who were youngsters in those days youngsters who were
rough and ready, but gentlemen toward their women folk, and who
packed a lot of fun into a one-seated buggy almost any night when
the weather permitted.
Back at the turn of the century Heppner was a gay. little city. It
was a substantial metropolis. Its newspapers were virile and its
people ready for almost any sort of a lark. Don't get me started
STAR Reporter
Friday-Saturday, April 23-24
Walt Disney's
Bambi
The life and loves of a tiny fawn
that lived in the great forest ... a
"must see" and a real treat for old
and young alike, in Technicolor.
plus
OUTLAWS OF PINE RIDGE
Western story with Don Barry and
Lynn Merrick.
Sunday-Monday, April 25-26
The Hard Way
Ida Lupino, Dennis Morgan, Joan
Leslie, Jack Carson, Gladys
George
Fine dramatic entertainment for
everyone.
Tuesday, April 27
Johnny Doughboy
Jane Withers, Baby Sandy, Bobby
Breen, "Alfalfa" Switzcr. Butch
and Buddy, Henry Wilcoxon,
Spanky McFarlan
The junior victory caravan goes to
town for the army, featuring the
youngster stars of yesterday.
Wednesday-Thursday, April 28-29
Seven Days Leave
Victor Mature, Lucille Ball, The
Great Gilderslcevc, Freddy Mar
tin and his Orchestra, Ginny
Simms, Les Brown and his Orch
estra, The Court of Missing Heirs
and Truth or Consequences
A happy blitz of laughs and ro
mance! (Any mother with a son in the U. S.
Army Air Corps excepted will be
admitted free to see this feature
upon presentation at the theater
boxoffice of a snapshot of her son
in uniform).
RECOVERING FROM FLU
Nels Justus is able to be on the
street again after a severe tussle
with the flu.
Scout Fund Team
Named at Dinner
Final arrangements for the edu
cational finance campaign for the
Boy Scouts of America were made
at a "kick-off dinner Thursday
evening at the Lucas Place.
As explained by Clifford J. Han
son, assistant scout executive of
Blue Mountain council, there is no
set financial quota or goal to be
reached by the Boy Scout drive.
The funds are necessary to maintain
Scout work in this and .11 other
communities having troups, and it
is important that the people of the
community have an opportunity to
learn of the benefits to our youth
coming from this great organiza
tion. J. O. Turner was named chair
man of the local drive and a com
mittee of 16 men was chosen to
contact a list of people prepared in
advance of the meeting.
Sunrise Service,
Cantata Scheduled
Continued from First Page
choral communion at 11 a. m. Sun
day. At St. Patrick's Catholic church
high mass will be observed at 10 a.
m. Shnday with the combined lone
and Heppner choirs joining in the
singing.
J. Fred Stilwell, pastor of the
Cooperative Church of lone, an
nounces special services, including
fin Easter program in the Sunday
school and an appropriate Easter
sermon at 11 o'clock, with special
music by the choir.
HORSE TOSSES HEAD
BREAKS RIDER'S NOSE
Mrs. Vivian Kane suffered a bad
ly fractured nose when a horse she
was riding Sunday reared up, strik
ing her in the face with the back
of its head. Consequently, her face
is terribly sore and is taped and
bandaged.
Mrs. Kane is a good horsewoman
but the unexpected action of the
horse caught her off guard,
RETURN TO WORK
County Treasurer L. W. Brigga
and Deputy Sheriff , Neva Wells
were back in their respective of
fices at the court house Monday
morning after enforced vacations
due to sieges with influenza.
VISITS THE DALLES
Miss Effie Adrews, manager of
the Heppner office of the Pacific
States Telephone and Telegraph
company, enjoyed a short vacation
the past week which she spent vis
iting relatives and friends in The
Dalles.
Farm War
N
BETTER RETURNS FOR WAR
CROPS
Higher support prices, which re
place incentive payments for three
crops, have been announced as fol
lows: Dry edible peas. $5.65 for
No. l's, $5.40 for No. 2's; dry beans,
$6.50 for most varieties, except
limas and kidneys, which will bring
$7.50 per hundred; flaxseed, $2.85
per bushel. Incentive paymens will
be made on potatoes and commer
cial vegetables on the acreage be
tween 90 and 110 per cent of the
farm's goal. Payment rates for veg
etables is $50 an acre; for potatoes,
50 cents a bushel on the normal
yield.
CRAWLER TRACTOR REPAIRS
Manufacturers of crawler tractor
parts have been directed to allocate
20 per cent of their production for
essential civilian use, including ag
riculture.. This should should re
lieve the shortage caused by heavy
military demands, but because of
the large back -log of orders for
parts, the effect of this regulation
may not be felt for a month or so.
WHEAT LOAN DEADLINE
All warehouse-stored wheat loans
expire on April 30. If wheat is not
delivered cr loan redeemed before
that date, farm storage loans will
run another 12 months.
TntES FOR TRACTORS
Owners of steel-wheeled tractors
may convert to rubber if they can
show that the tractor must be mov
ed over the road between farms, or
that the tractor was purchased af
ter May 1, 1942, and its use is ser
iouly handicapped by the soil or
topography on the farm on which
it is operated. Tire certifications
will be issued by OPA rationing
boards to owners certified by the
County OPA war board.
Final Figures on
Red Cross Released
With all returns in, results of the
recent Red Cross war fund cam
paign show that Morrffw county
citizens subscribed a total of
$3410.37. This figure and district
totals were submitted the first of
the week by Bennie Howe, county
chairman.
According to Mr. Howe's tabula
tions, district subscriptions were as
follows: Boardman, $83.50; Cecil
$90. 50; Hardman $87.25; lone, $954.30
Morgan $85; Irrigon $147.16; Lena
and Pine City $97.50; Eight Mile
and Gooseberry $316.50; Lexington
$505.49; Heppner., $977.16; miscella
neous donations $66, making a to
tal of $3410.37. Morrow county's
quota, $2100; oversubscribed $1310.37.
A WORD OF THANKS
Speaking in behalf of my com
mittees and for myself, I wish to
thank the people of Morrow county
for their generous contributions to
the American Red Cross war fund
and I wish to commend the com
mittee workers for their untiring
efforts in making the campaign
so completely succesJul.
Bennie Howe,
County Chairman.
CLUB MEETS MONDAY
Mrs. D. M. Ward will be hostess
to the Past Matron's club at her
home Monday evening. The meet
ing opens at 8 o'clock.
J?
jsTEnrsS!
(Shanm km
Tf&isr Tim
Effective Sunday, April 25
The Spokane
for Spokane and tke East,
Walla Walla, Yakima, Lewis
ton, Colfax, Pullman, Moscow
Will Leave Arlington
11:43 DAILY
Instead of I2i28 a.m.
Arriving Spokane 6:40 A.M.
(Instead of 7.00 a. m.)
For further information or reservation, inquire
F. C. Tolleson
UNION PACIFIC RAILROAD
The Strategic Middle Route
1." WWI
if ( J
HERE'S YOUR
EASTER HAT!
Gaily Flowered or
Smartly Tailored
A new hat makes your Easter
wardrobe! In Penney's bril
liant collection see the lovely
new sailors all crisp and
shining ... the tiny calots
and pompadour styles . . .
berets and off-face types.
Everyone a beauty they'll
set off your new coat or suit
and make life brighter the
minute you make your
choice. Some are a mass of
flowers, others are trimmed
with feathers, ribbons or
niching. Grand choice of col
ors, too!
t
Hi
GIRLS' HATS l49
Big wide-eyed bonnet, jaunty
sailors and toft breton rollers,
Straws, felts with all the- ribbons
and flowers little girls love I
AN EASTER HAT
For you, too, Sirt
Cmuin
Fur Feltt
(.98
Siown is the new bound edge
edallion one of the top styles
br Marathon! All of spring's
newest and BEST details are rep
resented In this fine group 1