Page 6
Heppner Gazette Times, Thursday, July 27, 1950
Area That Rhinos, Camels Roamed
Interesting Terminus for Motorlog
The toHoinr If t rondrnnatloa f ft 1
tnntnrlor appear nr In the July 9 Sunday
Orison ian maraiinr. It ! one of an an
nual aerie prrparrtl bT The OreronJan in
ro-oprratiun with the Oregon Stat Motor
atftoclatloo.
BY JOHN A. ARMSTRONG
Staff Writer, The Oreconlan
THE BEST TIME to visit the
John Day fossil b is right
after a rain or so ...j natives
of the area say.
The rains wash the dust and
debris from the surfaces of the
beds and leave them freshly
exposed, their delicate hues and
tints glowing like an oil paint
ing. Now, in western Oregon it's
no trick at all to visit some
scenic spot right after a rain.
In fact, the chances are pretty
good that if you get a day off
and want to go somewhere, it
will be raining or have just
rained, thus ruining your trip.
F - of the Cascades it's a
dii; i matter. It may not
have lained the day or two be
fore you visit the John Day
fossil beds, but whether or not
the rains have scrubbed them
clean and shining, you still will
enjoy the magnificent vistas
that brighten the area.
The accompanying map
shows the routes to and from
the John Day fossil beds. On a
recent motorlog in the white
Oregon State Motor association
car, we approached the area via
Prineville and the Ochoco sum
mit highway, U. S. 28.
Check Road Conditions
It is advisable to check road
conditions east of Prineville,
since portions . are not paved
and other stretches are being
improved this summer.
As you drive east from Prine
ville past the Ochoco reservoir,
you pass rich grasslands on the
valley floor, grazed by herds
of sleek cattle. The road winds
up to the summit, skirting one
of the clearest, merriest little
mountain streams in Oregon.
We residents of western Oregon
think firs are a majestic tree,
but nowhere will vou see more
regal trees than the pines that
line this stretch of highway.
Once over the Ochoco sunv
mit the road winds down into
more cattle country.
Business center of this area
is the tiny town of Mitchell in
narrow Keyes canyon, now a
peaceful hamlet, but once a
roarine cow country commu
nity. Most of Mitchell's homes
V 1
Heart of Painted Hills state park area.
Condon
J-TbrrruAwJ I- ....
Map of motorlog route
are located on a bench a hun
dred feet above the creek and
well out of reach of any future
flash floods such as damaged
the town tnree times in me
past.
About ten miles east oi
fh hiphwav rrnsses
RriHcfp rrepk over a covered
bridge. At the east end of this
bridge, a tiny, dirt road turns
northwards. It's not a very
promising looking road, but a
fivp-mile side trin nn it will
reward you with sights you'll
rememDer lor many years, es
pecially if you have a color
camera with you.
Park to Be Dedicated
Just five miles up Bridge
creek is the Painted Hills park
area, one of Oregon s newest
state parks, which will be dedi
cated in special ceremonies Au
gust 27.
Here the state has purchased
over 13 acres surrounding vari
colored mounds which rise 200
to 300 feet above the sagebrush
plains. From these mounds the
park gets its name.
The base of slopes parallel
ing the Bridge creek road are
fine examples of the lower
John Day fossil beds, exhibit
ing a ribboned sort of coloring,
bright red at the bottom and
shading upwards to pinks and
yellows or dull grays. This col
oration extends into the Paint
ed Hills park. The hills are
smoothly rounded off into even
domes.
The fossil beds in the Painted
Hills area are known for their
plant and leaf specimens. With
out being too technical, it is
sufficient to say that these
Painted Hills fossil beds were
formed in an era when the now-
drv saeebrush land was cov
ered with verdant forests and
lakes. Though vegetation was
luxuriant, the area seemingly
was devoid then of animal life.
for only plant fossils are found
here
After lunch in the Painted
Hills picnic grounds, it's back
down Bridge creek to U. S. 28
and east into the sheer rocky
cliffs of Picture Gorge to the
junction of U. S. 28 with Ore
gon state highway No. 19,
which runs northerly along the
John Day river.
Between Picture Gorge ana
Kimberlv. on Oregon 19 the
John Day river has cut down
through hundreds of feet of
varicolored, fossiliferous strata
reds, greens and buffs.
These are examples of the
upper or later John Day beds,
formed at a time subsequent to
the Painted Hills strata, and
contain the bones of many
strange, primitive mammals.
They bear witness to the theory
that there once roamea wis
area such creatures as rhinoc
eroses, saber-toothed cats, three-
toed horses, tapirs, peccaries
and giraffe-camels.
Fossil Beds Explained
The formation of these fossil
beds is simply explained by
Phil Brogan, Bend geological
writer, who says that many
ages ago mid-Oregon -streams
were checked in their courses
to the western sea by the rising
Cascades. Some of the streams
formed vast lakes. Others de
posited their sediments on
broad plains.
Ashes and pumice from the
volcanoes of the Cascades fell
on the plains and into the lakes.
Through the warm, moist ages
these volcanic deposits decom
posed into clays and rusty ox
ides. Thus the colors of the
lower John Day fossil beds are
reds, browns and yellows.
Later volcanic explosions
showered more ash on top of
these beds, piling up so rapidly
that oxidation was checked.
Therefore the colors of the
middle John Day fossil beds
are pale green, cream and
white.
From Kimberly the tourist
can continue north to the Co
lumbia and west to Portland.
Not having to hurry, we back
tracked to Picture Gorge and
turned east through more cattle
land to the John Day and Can
yon City area, an area rich in
Oregon historical lore.
monn and more -it's
Coast to Coast they're switching to
AMERICA'S N0.1 ECONOMY PiCIOJP
FORD
GIVES YOU
10 EXTRA
VALUES AT
NO EXTRA COST
. 4B-cu. ft. body capacity.
2. 1.480 lbe. payload ca
pacity.
3. Up to 15 greater frame
section modulus.
4. Up to 18 more brake
lining area.
5. BU Gyro-Grip
clutch.
6. Light curb weight only
J.220 lbs.
7. A' "mlnum alloy Fllght
light istons.
8. Oil filter and oil bath air
cleaner (standard).
9. Ford level action cab
suspension (standard).
10. Door glass Air Wing
ventilators (standard).
FOR BIOOIR LOADS,
. . . chooie the 8-ft., 54
In. wide Ixpreit body,
available on Serlei F-5,
3,700 lb. G.V.W., and
S.rlai F-3, 6,800 lbs.
O.V.W.
Ford Trucking Costs Less Because
FORD TRUCKS LAST LONGER
Uih Ul.il itglitratlra Jot. n ,JM,000 Ir.iki, lift Inmronct erH pr.v. H,i Trucks loll Una.il
n- i I'd '0"0
""Xleta. f) V6 other
Oregon Over Top In Independence Savings
Bond Campaign Ending First of This Month
m-tl FordF-l Pickup shown here G.V.W rating 4,700 Ibsi
Oregon went over the top in
ihe Independence Savings Bonds
campaign, according to Larry
Hilaire, vice chairman of the
Oregon Savings Bonds commit
tee. The treasury department op
ened its sales campaign May 15,
with July 4 as the closing date.
"Final report to the Federal
Reserve bank shows Oregon
people purchased $5,940,831 as
against a quota of $5,892,000,"
Mr. Hilaire said. "Although the
margin of success was very slim
extremely heavy sales during
the days covered by the final re
port made it possible for Oregon
to maintain its record of never
having failed to make its quota
in 11 successive War and Sav
ings Bonds drives. And, while
they were making the purchases
that preserved the record of the
state, many an Oregonian add
ed substantially to his personal
financial independence and se.
curity.
"Twenty-three of our 30 coun
ties over subscribed their quotas
with Gilliam, which led most of
the way heading the list with
194 percent of quota. Following
in order were Tillamook 141,
Grant 126, Wallowa 117, Jose
phine 115, Union 103, Curry 102,
Morrow 101.G, Sherman 101 and
Jackson 100.5 percent."
A release from the office of
Secretary of Treasury John W.
Snyder reports that $716,013,000
in E bonds were sold in the na
tion during the Independence
drive. The national quota was
$654 million.
According to James H. Driscoll
county chairman, total sales in
Morrow county amounted to $35,
585 or 101.6 percent of the quota
of $35,000.
SUGGESTED AREAS farHUIiTERS-CHOICE"DEER SEASON.
0PEN AREA, WESTERN
CULTIVATED AGRICULTURAL LANDS
AND ADJACENT N0N-CULTIVATED
LANDS WITHIN A RADIUS OF ONE MILE
OPEN AREA, EASTERN
OREGON: A3 SHOWN
OREGON STATE
GAME COMM.
NAMES OMITTED
In listing the names of spon
sors for the Wrangler party at
the Winchester cabin last week
the names of Mr. and Mrs. Ed
Letrace and Mr. and Mrs. Wm.
Smethurst were not included in
the copy turned in to this news
paper. The copy writer feels duly
humiliated and is hereby ten
dering an apology to those whose
names did not appear.
o
EXAMINER COMING
A drivers license examiner will
be on duty between the hours of
10 a. m. and 4 p. m. Tuesday, Au
gust 8 at the city hall in Hepp
ner. Persons wishing licenses or
permits to drive are asked to get
in touch with the examiner well
ahead of the scheduled closing
hour in order to assure comple
tion of their applications with a
minimum of delay.
o
Care for Veterans
Of the 110,675 patients in Vet
erans' administration hospitals
in February of this year (1950),
anly 36,726 were service-connect
ed cases. The remaining 73,949,
or 68.5 percent of tie total num
ber, were non-service-connected
cases.
IF YOU WANT
TO SAY
Thank you . .
Congratulations
Sincere Sym
pathy . .
Get Well Soon . .
I Love You . .
5ay it wi tfi Jfore
HEPPNER
FLOWER SHOP
From where I- sit ... 6y Joe Marsh
Take Your Choice
SittinK around lust Friday eve
liins. the talk turned to the best
way of netting to sleep when it
seems you just ran't. "The way I
always do." says Sandy .loli isun, "is
to breathe dec and make believe I
weigh a ton."
".hist throw away the pillow it
works every time," says Buzz Ellis.
When counting sheep came up,
vitrht away was the question: What
kiml of sheep?
From where I sit, you could ar
gue 'til Poomsday and never get
eomplel" agreement -on a lot of
things. Now, lake me. I'm all for
having a glass of beer or ale on
juTasioti. Vor "sociable beverage"
may be a "Coke" or buttermilk or
maybe a cup of hot coffee.
Hut enjoying our preferences is
I right in this country and each of
us is entitled to his own. The iin
pnrtant thing is to respect thai
right in the true democratic spirit
of understanding! As a matter of
fact, what a tiresome old world this
would be if we all did have the same
likes and dislikes.'
Copyright. L'nited Stales Brewers F vitndation
ittttmtttuimvMi
Princess Jane Seehafer and Willows Grange
Invite you to the
rome
OA MCI
IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIM
Willows Grange Hall - - IONE
Saturday Evening, July 29
It if' w mA
flh fern
sk f . I
MUSIC BY FARROWS ORCHESTRA
Admission: $1.25, Tax Included
Supper will be served by the Home Economics Club of Willows Grange
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