U OF o
E U G E M , 0i,,4
72nd Year, Number 50
Copies 10 Cents
Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, February 23, 1956
Mud and Water Causing Serious Road, Erosion Problems
Red Cross Drive
Opening Planned;
Floods Up Quota
Red Cross fund quota for the
.
March d ive in Morrow rountv is
$2,818, it was announced by Dick
Brunner, campaign chairman, at
a meeting of the local chapter
Tuesday night at the Turner-Van
Marter and Bryant insurance of
fice. A kiekoff breakfast for volun
teer directors, officers and com
munity chairmen was set for
Thursday, March 1 at 8 a. m.
at O'Donnell's Cafe. Community
chaiimen are being selected this
week.
Of the total quota, $1,753 or
62.2 percent will be retained in
the county and $1,065 or 37.8 per
cent sent to national headquar
ters. Percentages will remain
the same regardless of ' the
amount collected.
Among local expenditures bud
geted for the coming year are
$325 for the Veteran's hospital
in Walla Walla, Wash.; $500 for
the county blood program and
$300 for first aid and water
safety.
The local chapter sent Larry
Dowen to a two-week acquatic
school last year before he began
swimming lessons for 140 child
ren who learned to swim at the
Heppner pool last summer, it was
pointed out. A similar program
is planned for this coming sum
mer. Among other expenditures
last year were the high seas pro
gram for service personnel and
for the home service program.
The Rev. Lester Boulden, home
service chairman, reported over
30 cases including telegrams, let
ters, social histories and health
and welfare in 1955. A total of
$1,761.99 was collectedjast year,
short 0f the $2,579 goal.
Ped Cross fund quotas have
been Increased this year due to
flood disasters on the East and
West coasts, it was explained by
Brunner and Jack Bailey, chap
ter president. Both men attended
a regional meeting in Walla
Walla last week and reported
that of 16 million dollars used in
the eastern flood relief program
only five and one-half percent
was used for administrative
costs.
Attending the meeting were
Brunner, Bailey, Mrs. John New
man, secretary, Mrs. R. B. Rice,
Jack Angel, Frank Turner and
Mrs. Tom Wilson.
City Starts Cleanup
Of Muddy Streets
City crews were working Wed
nesday on removing some of the
traces of the heavy winter which
have accumulated on Heppner's
streets.
The many snows and heavy
runoff of water has loaded the
city's streets with a thick layer of
mud and light gravel used for
sanding during ice condition, and
the crew was attacking the gooey
problem with fire hoses, the layer
being much too heavy for the
street flusher to handle. ,
Main street was cleaned first
and though many other streets
have a similar mud problem,
they cannot be flushed as they
do not have curbs or full width
paving.
In many places along Main
and other streets the mud and
gravel was from two to four
inches deep.
GRANGE SEES NEED FOR RECOGNITION
OF FARMER ORGANIZATION WORK
Discussion during last Sun
day's meeting of Willows Grange
at lone, the Grange feels that
farm organizations in general,
and especially in Morrow county,
are not being recognized as
really great assets to American
life and the American way of
living.
It was pointed out that should
the farmer go on strike as do
other labor organizations, living
each unto himself, he would soon
be rebuked as a menace to the
public. Farmers appreciate re
cognition of their efforts and
labor, of making their homes
beautiful and assisting in elevat
ing the standards of living.
The agricultural committee re
ported a county wide meeting
with the county agent to map the
program of work for 1956. A
protect completed was that of
clearing Morrow county of Bangs
District. American
Legion Conference
Set For Heppner
All -local American Legion and.
Auxiliary members have been
urged to take part in the joint
American Legion district 6 con-
frence to be held Sunday March
i at tha ITonnnpp T.Acrinn hall.
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Post commander Floyd Sayers
announced that the conference
will start at 5 p. m. with a g.oup
banquet at 6. Conference meet
ings will follow. State and dis
trict officers of both organiza
tions will be present, it was said.
o
Death Claims
Mabel A. Hughes
Mrs. Mabel A. Hughes, 71 years
of age, died Wednesday after
noon at St. Mary's hospital in
Walla Walla. She had been a
resident here for most of her life
until moving toMilton-Freewater
some years ago.
Mrs. Hughes was born March 4,
1884 at Henpner. the daughter of
John L. and Mary Ellen Ayers.
She was married tea. o, I9ut to
Arthur Percy Hughes, who pre
ceeded her in death.
At the time of her death she
was president of the Morrow
county pioneer association; past
president of chapter AP, PEO, the
United Council of Churchwomen
and Women's Improvement Club
all of Milton-Freewater. In 1953
she was honored by Ruth chap
ter OES of Heppner when she was
given her 50 year membership
pin. She was active in church
work at All Saints Episcopal
church here and was district
president of the Women's Auxil
iary of the Episcopal church mis
sionary district of Eastern Ore
gon from 1943 to 1945. She was
a member of the Whitman alum
ni class of 1908.
Services will be held at 2 p. m.
at All Saints' Episcopal church
with Bishop Lane Barton and the
Rev. George R. S. Little officiat
ing. Interment will be in the
Heppner Masonic cemetery. The
family has asked that contribu
tions be made to the cancer fund
in lieu of flowers.
Surviving are a daughter, Mrs.
Lawrence Luther, Milton-Freewater
and a son W. E. Hughes,
llennner: a brother G. E. Ayers,
Milton and sister, Mrs. Bertram A
Tram A.
Warren Walla Walla; a nephew
Earl Ayers of Milton, and five
Grandchildren. Two children
preceeded her in oeaw, a aaugn-
ter Kathleen and a son Arthur!
Lee Hughes who died in 1948.
Folsom Funeral Home is in
charge of arrangements.
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Irrigon School
Gets Federal Money
WASHINGTON, D. C Con
gressman Sam Coon announced
Saturday that $8,397 has been
certified for immediate payment
to Morrow County School District
No. 10, Irrigon, by the Depart
ment of Health, Education and
Welfare.
This money is Federal, assist
ance under Public Law 874 to
schools in districts affected by
Federal Government activity.
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IONE LEGION
AUXILIARY TEA
The lone American Legion aux
iliary child welfare tea will be
Sunday March 11 at 2:30 p. m. in
the lone Legion hall.
disease. The home economics
rlub had as o highlight of its Fri
day meeting an interesting roll
call on old land marks and the
story, with pictures, by Echo
Palmateer of her recent tour of
the U. S.
Mr. and Mrs. Orville Cutsforth
of Lexington showed slides on
India and the Holy Land follow
ing the Grange meeting. The
pictures were taken on the re
cent round-the-world trip taken
by Cutsforths and the Franklin
Lindstroms. Cutsforth also gave
an interesting report on condi
tions in India. Mrs. Harold Do
byns, lecturer, had charge of the
program.
At the business meeting Mrs.
Ma,bel Cottor received a 4th de
gree pin. A potluck dinner pre
ceded the meeting and refresh
ments were served afterward by
Mrs. Dobyns and Mrs. Marion
Palmer.
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STATE TREASURER, Sig Unander. center was speaker at a special
meeting last Wednesday of the Morrow county Republican com
mittee. Shown with Unander are left to right, Collis Moore, Was
co; Mrs. Moore who is running for Republican national committee
woman; Unander; Mrs. Unander and Mrs. Verner Troedson, lone,
vice-chairman of the county Republican committee. (GT Photo)
FEDERAL BUSINESS
REPORT ON SERVICES
Receipts of 29 service establish
ments enumerated in Morrow
County in the 1954 Census of
Business amounted to about
$341,00, according to a prelimi
ary report covering service trades,
published by the Bureau of Cen
sus, U. S. Department ot Com
merce.
The combined yearly payroll
of the county's service establish
ments was $37,000. They re
ported 32 employees of whom 28
worked full time in the pay per
iod ending nearest November 15.
Proprietors actively employed in
the operation of unincorporated
businesses numbered 37.
Establishments providing per
sonal services numbered 9 and
reported receipts of $124,000. Es
tablishments primarily engaged
Robert H. Zinter,
Former Rancher Here,
Dies At Spokane
Robert II. Zinter, 77 years of
age, passed away February 17
at his home in Spokane, Wash.
Services were held Feb. 20 at Spo
kane with burial in the Green
wood cemetery there.
Mr. Zinter was a wheat rancher
in the Eightmile area of Morrow
- mil 1DQQ .i,V,pn Via
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He was an earlv member
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of the Morrow County Grain
g and f h for the for
nn.h,,h nni di
mation of a non-high school dis
trict and the use of school buses.
Surviving are children, Sid
Zinter, lone; Mrs. Alfred Huit,
Heppner and Gene Empey, Reno,
Nev.; two sisters, Mrs. Ida Fred
erickson and Mrs. Hulda Willits,
both of Spokane, and several
nieces and nephews.
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County Speech
Festival Set For
Lexington March 6
With the purchase of thirteen
Lgold medals to be awarded to the
winners in secondary speech
competition, plans for the Mor
row County Speech Festival
neared completion this week.
Thee medals, a new innovation
this year, will be given to first
place winners in all areas of high
school speech competition such
as impromptu, poetry, reading,
extempore, etc. A debate contest
appeared likely for the first tirrfe
in recent years as both Heppner
and Lexington high schools sig
nified intentions to enter debate
squads.
During the past week schools
throughout the ounty have been
staeine preliminrv tryouts for en
trants in the festival, slated for
UraillS 111 lilt ranrai, oiaicu
Lexington, March 6. The affair
to '
will be divided into two sections
h .mnptitinn rn hoth
secondary and elementary levels
set for 1:30 p. m. while a one-act
play festival rounds out activi
ty at 7 p. m. in the Lexington
auditorium As usual, the public
auditorium as usuju, ine puuiiL
is invited to both sections of the
speech festival.
FORMER RESIDENT PASSES
Word was received here of the
death of Mrs. Annie Clowry,
known to many here as Aunt
Annie, February 1 at the home of
of her brother in Irwin, Iowa. She
had suffered a severe stroke some
time ago and had never com
pletely recovered.
She was 85 years of age.
CENSUS GIVES
IN COUNTY
in automotive repair, parking
and other automotive services
numbered 6 and had receipts of
$58,000. Establishments listed as
"all other services" in the preli
minary report numbered 14 and
had receipts of $159,000.
o
Heart Attack
lakes Otto Ruhl
Funeral services for Otto Ruhl
66 years of age, were held Tues
day afternoon at the Creswick
Mortuary chapel with Rev. Char
les V. Knox officiating. Mr. Ruhl
died suddenly Saturday of a heart
attack at his home near Lexing
ton.
Mr. Ruhl was born November
19, 1SS9 at San Jose, Calif., and
came to Lexington to live with
Mr. and Mrs. Eph Eskelson at the
age of nine years. During his life
time here he was engaged in
ranching or ranch work.
He is survived by his wife, Elva
Ruhl, Lexington; two sons, Lau
rel and Norman, both of Lexing
ton; a half brother, Clarence Gu
ber, Madras; two half sisters,
Alice Guber and Lorena Guber
both of Portland; two grandsons,
Otto E. and Richard of Lexington.
Interment was in the Heppner
Masonic cemetery.
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Future Farmers
Plan Observance
Future Farmers of America
members throughout the nation
are scheduling special activities
to focus public attention on the
work of their organization during
National FFA Week, February
18-25.
Locally, members of the FFA
chapter plan parent-son ban-
mints, and other activities.
Momiiprshin in the FFA is
made up of farm boys who are
students of vocational agricul
ture in high school. The organi
zation's activities are designee
primarily to help develop rural
leadership and good citizenship,
and to stimulate the boys to bet
ter achievement in their study
and wo:k toward successful es
tablismment in farming.
The Heppner FFA chapter has
tfi members. Olticers are: presi
dpnt. Eddie Brosnan; vice-presi
dent, Bob Stevens; secretary, Bob
Hare; treasurer, Larry Fetch; re
norter. Dick Applegate; and sen
tinal. Mike Monahan. Llewellyn
Robbins, vocational agriculture
instructor in Heppner high school
servps as advisor of the FFA
chapter.
The national
Future Farmer
organization has more than 383,-
--r- ,
1 000 members in the 48 States, Ha-
n i P i rr Momhor.
i wm. aim i "--" -
ship in Oregon totals approxi-.
matelv 3800.
Future Farmers choose the
week of George Washington's
hhthdav each year for the ob
servance of National FFA Week
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Although generally recognized as
a Revolutionary War general and
our first President, Washington's
first love was the farm he called
Mount Vernon. There, he was one
of the first in the nation to pracc
tice contour planting, crop rota
tions, fertilization, and other soil
conservation and improvement
methods. It was more than a
century after Washington's death
before general use was made of
many of the sound agricultural
practices that he advocated.
Heavy Runoff Tuesday
Covers Several Roads
Rain and snow. the lack of
which is usually the top subject
for conservation in Morrow j
county, this week still holds its
number one news position but
not because of any shortage of
either. The moisture has con
tinued to come and again this
week overflowed onto roads, city
streets and Into basements mak
ing many county roads nex"t to
nntiassa hie and causing serious
erosion damage on hundreds of
fields.
After eettinc considerable run
off last week from the melting
snow, another snow storm hit the
area Thursday night and Friday
tn Henosit from four to six incnes
of new snow on already soaked
lands. Strong warm winds Mon
day followed by fairly heavy
rains through Tuesday caused the
heaviest runoff of muddy water
experienced so far tms winter.
Pictures accompanying this story
show a few of the results of the
heavy wash.
The thawing and rain made
many roads in the Heppner area
nearly impassable and covered
highways in many places with
thick layers of heavy, muddy silt
washed from adjacent fields.
Ttfore were numerous reports
from all over the county of roads
being badly cut up and in some
steeper canyons the runoii oi
mud stopped all traffic.
Gilliam County Hit
The northwest section of tne
county and Gilliam county suf
fered considerably more from the
storms than did the Heppner area,
accoiding to reports received
Wednesday. At Cecil it was re
ported that, one and one-half
inches of rain fell between 7 p.
m. Monday and 9:30 a. m. Tues
day and state police reported that
Willow creek, which was nign
and muddy at Heppner, was
spread out over practically all
bottom land below its junction
with Eight Mile canyon below
Cecil. Much of the heavy influx
of water was coming from Eight
Mile canyon.
The Condon-Arlington highway
was closed for a while Tuesday
because of high water and wash
outs and was reported open to
only one-way traffic Wednesday.
The highway from Condon to
Fossil was closed the same day
because of high water and slides.
Arlington Has Trouble
Tuesday Arlington residents
spent much of the day attempt
ing to keep the waters oi me
stream running througn rown
from inundating the entire town.
According to reports dikes were
hastily thrown up above town to
nrotect buildings and keep me
water out of the main part of
A series of pictures showing
some of the rain and mud dam
age of the past few days was
supposed to accompany this
story, but because of the cur.
tailed mail service due to the
Washington's birthday holiday
the cuts failed to arrive from
the engravers. Though they,
may be a little out of date,
they will be printed next week.
town. Several culverts were
washed out and for a while the
water covered the mainline Union
Pacific tracks along highway 30.
Snmp residents in the Shuttler
Flats section were forced to leave
their homes because of the water
which was called the , highest
ever seen in that section.
At the same time Morrow and
r.illiam county was trying to
trying
rmiP with its overdose of water,
reports from southeastern wasu
ington told of even worse cases
of flooding and road wasnouis.
Snowpack in that area has been
heavier than on this side of the
Columbia.
Roads Suffering
A check of roads near Heppner
revealed that many have been
cut badly by water and in many
more places they have been
covered with a layer of silt up to
six and eight inches deep, some
of the worst places have been in
Clark's Canyon and the McNab
Olex road which has been entire
ly closed at times. Mud and
rocks covered the highway in the
vicinity 0f Morgan and it was re
ported that the saturated ground
was causing some breakup of the
Lexington-Hermiston highway.
Soil Loss Heavy
Though not as spectacular as
mud covered roads, obviously the
greatest loss in the county was
n the huge amount of topsoil
that is going down the streams
with the water. Many fields
have been cut severely with
steeper hillsides showing ravines
two and three feet deep.
It was reported that many
homes in this area have had
flooded basements due to the
high water table and the Mor
row County Grain Growers re
ported that the basement of its
lone elevator filled with about
six feet of water damaging mo
tors and grain augurs.
Leonard Gilliam, Heppner
wpather observer recorded .48
inches of moisture between last
Friday morning and Wednesday
morning with .22 inch falling on
Tuesdav. Three and one-half
inches of that came as snow Fri
day.
At Gooseberrv the weather sta
tion reports a total of .75 inch of
moister so far for February, much
of it is in the form of snow. For
the winter 23 inches of snow has
been measured, about the same
as has fallen in Heppner.
No accurate mountain snow
measurement has been made
since the first of the month but it
is estimated to be at least five
feet in the higher elevations.
Eighteen inches of new snow was
reported at the lower end of
Shaw creek last weekend with
several more inches having fal
len since.
The five-day weather forecast
for this area issued Wednesday
calls for continued mild weather
and snow or rain flurries. No
heavy storms are expected, how
ever. "Heart Sunday"
Drive Planned
Heart Fund Sunday, February
26 has been proclaimed by Mrs.
Jack Bailey, chaiman of the
county Heart Fund drive and it
has been announced that on that
afternoon local volunteer work
ers will make a house-to-house
canvass for contributions.
The Heart drive has been car
ried on throughout the county
and the nation during February.
Volunteers who will aid in the
Sunday afternoon canvass in
dude Mesdames Creston Robin
son. Walter Edger, John Hart
man, Mike Saling, Douglas Drake,
Ned Sweek. Kemp Dick, Don
Bennett, William Heath, Riley
Munkers, LeRoy Gardner, James
Healy, Harlan McCurdy Jr., Rich
ard Meador and Howard Petty
John.
The committee asks that any
one not contacted during the can
uas mail any contribution to
"Heart", care of your local post
master.
Morrow Democrats
Plan Organization
Meeting February 27
Morrow county Democrats are
scheduled to meet Monday even
ing, Feb. 27 at the Newt O'Harra
home in Lexington. Organization
and plans for the coming cam
paign will be the topic of discus
sion. The meeting will be informal
though it is expected that one
or more candidates will be pre
sent at the meeting. Refresh
ments will be served and a re
port on the Stevenson meeting
will be given by the local chair
man, Al Lamb.
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Jury Panel, Election
Boards Are Named
Printed elsewhere in this issue
of the Gazette Times, along with
the proceedings of the county
court. Is the full iurv panel for
1956 and the court appointments
for judges and clerks for election
boards for 1956-58.
The jury list contains the
names of 500 registered voters of
the county.
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CUB SCOUT BANQUET
The annual Cub Scout blue and
gold banquet will be held Wed
nesday. February 29 at 6:30 p. m,
in the basement of the Christian
church.
Conservation Tour
Monday to View
Erosion Problems
The annual Heppner Soil Con
servation tour, usually held in
May, has been scheduled for next
Monday afternoon, it was an
nounced today.
The tour was originally an
nounced for Monday, Feb. 27, and
then was postponed early this
week because of road conditions
in the area to be covered. Con
flicting schedules for the next
two or three weeks made it
necessary to change back to the
original date, Tom Wilson, local
conservationist said Wednesday.
Wilson and county agent N. C.
Anderson made a trip over the
tour route Wednesday morning
and found that barring any more
extremely heavy storms, the
route was passable to cars.
The tour which is sponsored
jointly by the Heppner -Morrow
County Chamber of Commerce,
will start with a free luncheon
for all participating farmers and
chamber members at noon at the
Methodist church. Immediately
following the lunch, the tour will
start from the church.
The route to be taken will
cover the Sand Hollow area to
the baseline, thence to the Lex
ington-Echo highay, to Lexing
ton, up Clark's Canyon and into
Heppner. It is planned for a
two-hour tour.
Heavy Erosion Seen
The tour has been set up this
year to give participants an op
portunity to examine the effects
of this year's heavy rain ana
snow on fields in the county.
Much cutting has been obvious
on numerous fields for some time
and the rains and thawing early
this week has added much to the
erosion problems. It was felt by
directors of the district that a
tour now would show the effects
of poor and good conservation
nractices much better than later
when crops are coming up and
covering many of the scars.
The luncheon will replace the
regular chamber meeting on Mon
day and all members as we a as
interested farmers are invited to
make the trip.
o
Charles S. Emry, 96,
Passes at Albany
Charles Sumner Emry, 96 years
of age, a one-time resident of this
area, died February 11 at Albany,
Oregon. Final rites were held
Feb. 14 with burial in the Al
bany Masonic cemetery.
Mr. Emry was born June 18,
1859 in Kansas and lived in Ore
gon for 70 years. He left Morrow
county 45 years ago to make his
home in Jefferson, in the Willa
mette valley.
He was married to Sina Bow
man in Kansas and they had
four daughters who survive him.
They are Mrs. Maggie Fuqua,
Costa Mesa, Calif.; Mrs. Bert
Bleakman, Hermiston; Mrs. Char
lie McDaniel, Boardman; Mrs.
Tom Ramsdell, Salem. He also
leaves 12 grandchildren, 12 great
grandchildren and 14 great-greatgrandchildren.
o
School Budget
Committee Meets
The budget committee for
school district No. 1 consisting
of Ray Ferguson, Frank Anderson,
nick Wilkinson. Howard Bryant
and Harold Becket met recently
with the school board and super
intendent to go over the budget
for the coming year. Bryant was
named chairman and Ferguson
secretary.
The budget was approved dv
the school board for presentation
to the rural board. It will be pub
lished in full and a public hear
ing date will be set after the
rural board has considered the
budget.
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Game Commission
Field Day Planned
On March 18 the state game
commission is plannnig a field
day over the North Fork game
management area, it was re
vealed this week. They plan to
plant bitterbruch seedlings.
Clubs from the surrounding
area have been invited to attend
and anyone Interested in making
the trip are asked to contact Ken
Keeling, Glen Ward or Ralph
Taylor as soon as possible.