w o u u u u
41.
EGO!J HISTORICAL SOCIETY
BLIC AUDITORIUM
PORTLAND, ORE.
Volume 67, No. 12
$3.00 Per Year; Single Copies 10c
Heppner Gazette Times, Thursday, June 8, 1950
asette
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Werner Rietmann
lakes Own Life At
lone Early Today
Family at Loss
For Reason Behind
Shocking Tragedy
Citizens of the county were
shocked to learn of the death
this morning of Werner Riet
mann, native son and prominent
wheat rancher of the lone sec
tion. Death was self-inflicted and
resulted from a gunshot wound
in the top of the head, using a
32 caliber revolver. The shooting
took place at about 5 o'clock this
morning.
Mrs. Rietmann heard her hus
band get up and leave the house
shortly thereafter heard a shot.
She rushed to the Garland Swan,
son home and reported what had
occurred and Mr. Swanson called
Sheriff C. J. D. Bauman in Hepp
ner. In the absence of Coroner A.
D. McMurdo, Justice of the Peace
J. O. Hager accompanied the
sheriff to the Rietmann home at
the edge of lone where an exam
ination of the body was made
and cause of death established.
Family and friends are at a
loss to determine a motive for the
act. Werner was a quiet type of
man, hard working, industrious
and one who kept his business
affairs in good order. His brother
Otto who has worked with him
much of the time had noticed
that in recent months he appear
ed to be worried about something
but attributed it to general con
ditions and not to any particular
reason. It had also been noted
that he had lost some weight
but this too was attributed to the
fact that he had been working
hard. He and Mrs. Rietmann had
only recently completed a fine
modern ranch -type home just
east of lone and were getting
comfortably settled,
Up to press time today no plans
had been made for funeral ser
vices. The lone relatives are
awaiting word from members of
the family living at a distance
before making arrangements.
Werner was born July 14, 1895
at the old home place about 10
miles north of lone, his parents
being Mr. and Mrs. Paul Riet
mann, pioneer residents of the
county. He grew up in Morrow
county, received his education m
the lone schools and later engag.
ed in wheat raising in the North
lone district. He was one of eight
brothers who at one time formed
the main lineup of lone baseball
teams.
Surviving besides the widow
are seven brothers: Omar, Wal
ter, Otto, Victor and David of
lone; Edward of Denver, Colo.,
and Robert of La Havra, Calif.,
and two sisters, Mrs. Victor Peter,
son, The Dalles and Mrs. Anna
Stith, Meridian, Ida.
Heppner Team To
Play Squad From
Portland Saturday
Heppner's baseball team has
not fared too well in the current
Wheat-Timber league season, but
that fact has not chilled the ar
dor of players or fans for the
great national pastime. The boys
and their manager, La verne van
Marter, have decided that meet
ing new faces might give them
that little lift they have needed
all season and they will take on
the snappy club team of the
Blue Lake Amusement park of
Portland here at 2:30 p. m. Sat
urdayJune 10.
The Blue Lake boys are on tour
and wanted to come over and see
this part of the eastern Oregon
country and to find what kind
of baseball is played out on the
rodeo field.
Some changes in lineup will
be effected by game time Satur
dav afternoon. McRoberts, first
sacker, has moved to Pendleton
and Van will have to find some
one te take his place. An effort
will be made to strengthen the
battery and with a few other
improvements it is hoped the
team will make a favorable
showing.
A nominal admission will be
charged.
o
FIRE DEPARTMENT CALLED
HptiDner fire department re
sponded to a call late this after
noon. The garage at the Pat Mc
Intyre residence at the lower end
of Gale street was damaged to
some extent but the promptness
of the fire laddies kept the fire
from spreading to nearby prop
erty.
Boy Scout Special
To Leave June 19
About 96 boys from the Blue
Mountain Council district will
leave Pendleton by special train
June 19 enroute to Valley Forge,
Penn., for the International Boy
Scout Jamboree, June 30 through
July 4.
There will be interesting side
trips, with stops at Salt Lake
City, Denver, Chicago, Detroit,
New York City, Philadelphia and
Washington, D. C.
Heppner will be represented at
the jamboree by Wesley Mar
latt and Terry Thompson.
o
Farmers, Business
Men Invited to
Help Lay Concrete
Fair Board Plans
To Lay Dance Floor
In One Day's Time
Friday, June 9, 1950 will be a
red letter day in Morrow county
Fair and Rodeo history if plans
of the official board are tarried
out, for on that day one of the
biggest pieces of work coming
to the attention of the public in
recent years will be consum
mated. Laying of the dance floor in
the new exposition building at
the fair-rodeo grounds is the ob
jective of the fair board. Thi3
will be no small task when the
dimensions are taken into con
sideration. A floor space 60 x 90
feet will be covered with con
crete and smoothed over to make
an excellent dance pavilion.
Look at these figures and see
what a job the farmers and bus
iness men have lined out for
them: To complete the job they
will have to mix and spread 90
yards of sand and gravel with
360 sacks of cement. Each vol
unteer worker has been asked
to bring a shovel and a wheel
barrow to help pour the con
crete. He also is asked to bring
his own lunch, for this is strictly
a volunteer proposition.
Monday evening of this week
saw the new pavilion completed
except the floor. It has been no
small task to accomplish this
feat when it is remembered that
the building's dimensions are
60 x 180 feet. The almost nine-
foot walls were laid in four days
May 14 and the roof for this
sizeable expanse was laid in ap
proximately one month.
The fair board hopes to be able
to seal the dance pavilion half
of the biuiding with firtex or
similar material. This will not
be done this year and perhaps
not within another year or two,
but it is included in the plans.
When that is done, heating will
be accomplished at a nominal
cost and the big room can be
used throughout the year. As it
is, the building will be ready
for this year's pre-rodeo dances
and the fair time dances and will
be available as long as weather
conditions permit.
The opposite end of the build
ing will not be floored due to
the fact that it will be used for
exhibiting purposes.
Speaking of the roominess of
the building, Orville Cutsforth,
chairman of the board, said that
five or six cars could easily drive
around inside of it without
crowding each other. He and Bob
Grabill worked with two main
tainors leveling the ground after
the walls were completed and
never once got in each other's
way.
Farmers have quite generally
acceded to the board's invitation
to help with the work and it is
hoped that business men will
show a similar interest.
o
PETTYJOHN-KEITHLEY VOWS
SPOKEN AT STEVENSON
Miss Eunice Keithley, daugh
ter of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Keith
ley and Clyde Pettyjohn drove to
Stevenson, Wash, last Saturday
morning and were married. They
were attended by Mr. and Mrs,
Pat O'Brien.
The bride wore a white taffeta
dress and matching hat. She is a
member of this year's graduat
ing class of Heppner high school
The newlyweds are at home to
their friends in the Court Street
apartments now owned by the
Ellis Pettyjohns.
o-
Mr. and Mrs. Albert Schunk
went to Monmouth Monday to
attend commencement exercises
Their son and daughter-in-law,
Mr. and Mrs. Herbert Schunk
are members of the graduating
class of Oregon College of Edu
cation.
Dedication To Take
Everybody in Morrow county
and surrounding area has been
extended an invitation by the
Morrow county court and the
board of directors of the Pioneer
Memorial hospital to attend Ihe
dedication service and open
house to be held at the hospital
building Sunday June 11.
Judge Garnet Barratt has been
forming the dedicatory rues,
will include presentation of a
bronze plaque commemorating
"White Angel Part
f 1,1 n. "71 j i ma ii m Vteay-
iir-. oV-wLr, .--taaaa
That Morrow county will be
amply prepared to care for the
sick and injured in the mos.
modern manner is seen in this
view taken of the ambulance
(White Angel) at the rear of the
Council Sets Up
Financing Terms
For Sewer Project
The city council moved one
step closer to submitting trie
sewer project to a vote 01 me
people when the committee re
port on methods of financing was,
read and accepted. With a fi
nancing plan to offer it will put i
the city in better position to lloat
a bond issue for construction of
the project.
Acceptance of the report aid
not come without adverse com
ment. In fact, there was strong
opposition from Councilman Case
who presented figures to snow
that the rate set-up would hit
him harder than any other busi
ness concern or individual. The
committee had worked out tne
plan on a basis of so much per
meter on the grounds that each
user should helpvpay for the
sewer service. Case's exceptions
were that he could not reason
ably charge each tenant an ad
ditional $2 or $2.50 per month
for this service; that in compari
son to what other large property
owners were assessed he would
be obliged to pay out of all pro
portion to the valuation increase
to his property that would ac
crue from having the sewer ser
vice. The committee members
argued that payment of the
assessment would be the tenant's
obligation and that his obliga-
Hon would be for his personal
water meter.
Call for a vote resulted in four,
votes in iavor or tne report 10,
one against. Mayor Conley Lan-
ham being absent, Dr. C. C. Dun-'guests and Mrs. William Lab
ham, council chairman, presided j hart had charge of the guest
and this left five councilmen to i book, while Mrs. William Bar
vote including Claude Cox, W. I ratt and Mrs. Jimme Farley pre
C. Rosewall, E. E. Gonty, O. M. sided at the punch bowl. Mrs.
Yeager and M. L. Case. .Stephen Thompson and Mrs.
The council considered appli-1 Leonard Schwarz poured. Mrs.
cations for director of the swim-jJesse O. Turner finished cutting
ming pool and after discussing the brido's cake -The latter tw0
qualifications, tendered the posi- are a"nts of the bride'
tion to Mrs. William Labhart who j After a short honeymoon the
has served in that capacity the young couple will return to Hep
past two years. jpner to make their home.
The city accepted Mrs. Blanche ( The bride has grown to young
(Continued on page 8) womanhood in Heppner where
Place At 1:30 Sunday
the occasion and which will be
accepted by P. W. Mahonoy,
chairman of the board of direct-
ors for installation at some point
in the building.
Immediately following the de-
.. " ' .1 & 7, V
dlcatI?n exercl!!es. !h.?'e ,
yjn ,t..v... ..-.w.o
shown through the building.
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of ice cream, cookies, coffee and
punch.
Governor Douglas McKay head.
of New Hospital Service
new Pioneer Memorial hosptial
which will be dedicated Sunday,
, n . onpned for servke
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June 10. wmi una uumuumuu..,
the sick and injured will have
Kelly-Ferguson
Vows Spoken At
Church Ceremony
To the strains of soft organ
music, amid candle light and
pastel toned peonies and delphi
nium, Miss Marylou Ferguson
and Robert C. Kelly of Elmira,
Calif, exchanged their wedding
vows Wednesday afternoon at 4
o'clock. All Saints Episcopal
church was crowded with rela
tives and friends while Rev. El
von L. Tull, vicar, performed the
ceremony.
Miss Ferguson, daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Raymond Ferguson, es
corted up the aisle by her father,
was gowned in a white net three
tiered skirt in ballerina length
with fitted taffeta bodice and
taffeta sash. Her fingertip veil
was held in place with a Juliet
cap of net and seed pearls.
Around her neck was a single
strand of pearls. She wore white
mitts and carried a small shower
of stephanotis with a white or
chid in the center resting on a
white prayer book.
Mrs. Donald Turner of Portland
was matron of honor for her cou
sin. Her gown of ballerina length
was white embroidered swiss or
gandie with green taffeta slip.
She carried a .nosegay of yellow
rosebuds and her cap was of
embroidered swiss. She also wore
short mitts.
Acting as best man was Steph
en Sutherland of Tonopah, Nev.,
a classmate of the groom's at
Oregon State college. Ushers were
Donald Turner and William F.
Barratt. Mrs. Tull presided at the
organ.
A reception at the P. W. Ma
honey home followed the church1
ceremony, mrs. ramcia t-spuy
assisted in the receiving of the
Afternoon
ed a list of dignitaries receiving
invitations to the dedication but
the governor has replied that he
can't be on hand. It is expected
that Representatives Henry ret
erson and Giles French and Sen
ator-btewart Hardie 01 uonaon,
as well as mayors from the towns
ot tne county and neignDormg
hh h r0cm,t
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Opening of the hospital has
been set for midnight Sunday,
June 18.
advantages of the best transpor
tatiori to the hospital where the
fit nf ..inmpnr anri mpdiral
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anu nursing wm uc
ployed in their care.
Heppner SCD Calls
Meeting to Study
County Wide Unit
A hearing to consider the addi
tion of land to the Heppner Soil
Conservation District will be held
at the Willows grange hall in
lone at 8 p.m. Monday, June 12,
according to Nelson Anderson,
county agent, and secretary of
the Heppner Soil Conservation
district. The area under consider
ation will include all land in
Morrow county that is not already
in soil conservation districts.
William L. Teutsch, assistant
director, extension service, Ore
gon State college, and a member
of the state soil conservation com.
mitlee, will conduct the hearing.
The hearing is the result of the
circulation of a petition for addi
tion to the district, which was
signed by 49 land owners in the
area involved and submitted to
the state soil conservation com
mittee.
Because of the interest shown
throughout the area, all ranchers
are urged to attend the hearing
and express their views, Ander
son stated.
A soil conservation district has
no power to assess or levy taxes,
It is a purely voluntary organi
zation composed of farmers for
the purpose of soil conservation
The district's activities are direct
ed by a board of farmer super
visors who serve without pay. It
is the individual's privilege to
cooperate or not within the dis
trict boundary. Technical assist
ance and advjce from the Soil
Conservation Servirp is made
available to all cooperators with
in a soil conservation district
through a memorandum of un
derstanding with the Department
of Agriculture.
she is greatly loved. She is a tal
ented pianist and a graduate of
Whitman college in the class of
1949. (She can also drive a wheat
truck in a neat manner. Her
groom is a graduate of Oregon
State college, finishing his course
in March of this year.
Coming for the wedding were
Mrs. Wm. Scholes of Goldendale,
Layette Awaits
First Baby Born
In Few Hospital
The first baby born in the new
Morrow County Hospital will re
ceive numerous attractive gifts
from the merchants of Heppner.
His or-her parents will also be
rewarded in a lesser degree for
their share in the historical
event.
The donations, which were col
lected from the merchants by a
committee from the Jay Cee
ettes, are on display in the win
dow of the Pacific Power and
Light Company.
Businessmen who were missed
by the Jay Cee-ettes on their tour
may leave their donations to the
derby" at the Marshall-wells
store or with Mrs. Richard O'Shea.
The Jay Cee-ettes will list the
prizes and their donors in the
advertising columns of next
week's paper.
Should any business place feel
that the person undergoing the
first operation or receiving treat
ment for the first broken bone
should merit a "consolation
prize," the Jay Cee-ettes will be
happy to receive the donation
and give it due publicity.
o
City To Rebuild
And Repair Flood
Damaged Streets
One New Section
To Connect With
Road to Hospital
With funds on hand for con
struction and repairs, the city
council Monday evening voted to
have upwards of three quarters
of a mile of streets rebuilt, built
and repaired. Three streets bad
ly torn up by the freshet flood
in February 1949 will be rebuilt,
one block of new paving will be
laid and any funds left over
from the state share fund will
be applied to repairing .other
streets.
A total of 4,096 feet of street
work is included in the order. On
upper Main street, the block
passing the swimming pool will
be resurfaced. This will include
some grading. The 396 feet will
require 300 cubic yards of base
rock and 200 cubic yards of
crushed rock surfacing.
Riverside Drive will be resur
faced a distance of 2700 feet.
This will require 1000 cubic
yards of base rock and 100 yards
of the surfacing material. A con
siderable amount of regrading
will have to be done.
A stretch of 300 feet will be
built connecting the north end
of Gillmore street with the road
to the Pioneer Memorial hospi
tal. It will require 250 cubic
yards of base and 150 cubic
yards of surface.
Chase street between May ana
Cannon streets will be rebuilt.
This double block, involving 700
feet, which was badly torn up
by the 1949 flood, will require
500 yards of base rock and 300
cubic yards of crushed rock sur
face. It is understood the Olson Con
struction company of Pendleton
will do the work. The city will
furnish materials on the remain.
der.
Practically every street in
town needs repairing but it is
not assured that all will get the
attention they require.
SOROPTIMISTS LISTEN TO
TWO SPEAKERS TODAY
Two speakers were on the pro
gram of the Soroptimist Club of
Heppner at noon today. Mrs. Joe
Hughes presented the facts and
figures on the school budgets as
gleaned from the county assess
or's office.
Guest speaker was T. P. Maher,
who is a past president of the
Oregon Astrological Society, who
gave an instructive talk on ths
sun and other solar bodies.
o
1.11 INCHES OF RAIN
Showers that started Tuesday
evening continued up until this
morning over the region, with the
result that farmers' faces have
broadened and they are able to
smile once more. Accordng to Len
Gilliam, 1.11 inches of moisture
has fallen in ending the drouth
that was beginning to take on a
serious aspect.
o
Miss Nancy Adams had her
first plane ride last week when
she flew from Pendleton to On
tario. Her sister Betty who teach
es at Vale met her and the girls
Farris Prock Dies
From Burns Due To
Highway Accident
Gas-Saturated
Clothing Ignited
Following Upset ;
Farris Prock, 36, Heppner trucx
operator, died at 6:30 Wednesday
morning at John Day 10 hours
after an accident near Kimberly
in which he was fatally burned.
Prock had been on a hauling
trip to John Day and was return
ing to Heppner. Near Kimberly
his truck turned over. He appar
ently was not injured in the ac
cident but gasoline draining
from the tank saturated his
clothing before he climbea out
of the cab. The story reaching
Heppner is that upon freeing
himself he casually lit a cigaret.
te and this act ignited the gas
fumes. He was rushed to the
Blue Mountain hospital at
Prairie City where he was found
to be suffering from 95 percent
burns. Not having the facilities
for coping with so serious a sit
uation at Prairie City it was de
cided to rush him to Portland
by plane from John Day. Ar
rangements were made with a
flying service to leave imme
diately upon getting him to the
flying field but he died before
reaching John Day.
The body was taken to the
Driskell Mortuary in John Day
and Mr. Driskell brought it to
the Phelps Funeral Home in
Heppner, arriving shortly before
noon Wednesday.
Chapel services will be held
at the Phelps Funeral Home at
2:30 o'clock p.m. Friday, with
Rev. J. Palmer Sorlien officiating.
Interment will be in the Heppner
Masonic cemetery.
Farris Prock was born February
15, 1914 at Harkville, Mo., the
son of Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Prock.
He came to Heppner with his
parents and had been engaged
in trucking for a number of
years, doing both local and long
distance hauling. He is survived
by his parents, two brothers,
Vernon and Faye Prock, both of
Heppner - and a sister, Norma
(Mrs. Jack Merrill) of Portland.
Park Curbing Put
In Past Few Days
A strip of curbing 326 feet in
length has been laid the past
few days along the south half
of the city park. The work was
done by Al Baska, contractor
from Condon who submitted the
lowest bid.
Baska and his crew finished
the pouring Tuesday and put on
the finishing touches Wednes
day. The next step in the park de
velopment will be filling and
grading the grounds and seeding
to grass. The city purchased
fencing material last year and
this will be put up along the
south line to Willow creek and
north along the creek to the
corner of the civic center build
ing.
The county court hopes to
have the new machine and shed
at the fair grounds ready for oc
cupancy by July -, the end of
the period granted by the city
for vacating the north end of
the park site.
o
Mrs. M. R. Wightman
Buys Apparel Shop
Mrs. Marvin Wightman has
purchased the Anderson & Wil
son ladies ready-to-wear shop
and took possession Wednesday
morning. Mrs. Nellie Anderson
and her sister, Mrs. Ella Wilson,
bought the store from Mrs. Agnes
Curran in January 1946. Later
Mrs. Anderson took over her
sister's interest and has enjoyed
a good business. Her plans for
the future are indefinite at
present but she expects to do
some visiting around before she
settles down to a regular routine.
Mrs. Wightman will continue
the same type of merchandising
and invites the public to come
in and call. There will be no
formal opening but she will try
to meet your needs at all times.
The shop will continue on in
the same location in the Farra
building and will be known
henceforth as "Claudlen's."
went to Kellogg, Ida. to visit
their sister Clarabelle and hus
band, Mr. and Mrs. John Roscoe.
They expect to return home next
week. Miss Betty has just com
pleted another highly successful
year's teaching in the Vale
schools,
v.