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Heppner Gazette Times, Thursday, March 29, 1956
HEPPNER GAZETTE TIMES
M01B0W COUNTT'S NEWSPAPER
The Heppner Gaaettt, established Marsh 30, 1883. The Meppnw Tims, Mtobtfafcsd
November 18, 1897. Consolidated February 15, 1812.
NIWSPAMR.
PUBUSHEftS
ASSOCIATION
ROBEET PENLAND
Editor and Publisher
GRETCHEN PENLAND
Associate Publisher
NATIONAL
CDITORI At
AsTbcIlATIAN
Published Every Thurrfay and Entered at th. Port Office at He Oregon as
Subscription Rates: Morrow and Grant uunues, , "
PATERSON FERRY-A Link That Shouldn't Have Been Broken
In about one more week when Paterson ferry
makes its final trip across the Columbia, Mor
row county will lose its only direct transporta
tion link with Washington and the north a link
which should not have been broken and one
which many people did not think they would
ever lose. The discontinuance of the ferry will
hurt Morrow county in the future.
The sale of the ferry to Umatilla county by its'
owners Frank B. Hogue and William R. Warner
came as a surprise and somewhat of a shock,
even to members of the Morrow county ctfurt.
who had for over a year attempted to work out
some plan whereby this county could purchase
the ferry and continue its operation. It was no
secret that Umatilla county and the bonding
company which sold the bonds that built the
new Umatilla bridge wanted the ferry, and wanted
it badly, but it was also the understanding of the
Morrow county court that the ferry owners, though
they wanted to sell and retire, didn't plan to sell
to the bridge company whom they knew would
discontinue the Paterson operation.
The county court has the legal right to buy
and operate ferries, such as Paterson, with county
road funds, but the court did not feel that it
could quite justify the use of needed road money
last year for such a purpose. Revenue bonds could
be used for the purchase, but bonding concerns
wanted to wait until the Umatilla bridge had
been in operation for a full year to see how the
bridge would effect use of the ferry. One year
would have been up in April and the ferry's reve
nue figures for this past year are very interesting.
The traffic figures for raterson ferry and the
Umatilla bridge show why Umatilla county (and
the bonding company, wanted the ferry out of the
way. Taterson during its last year, with the
bridge in operation practically all the year, car
ried a total of approximately 100,000 vehicles,
compared with 145,000 during the best year of its
operation. Since it was opened the bridge car
ried a reported 165,000 vehicles in 8 Mi months at
a gross revenue of $141,000. Bridge bonds is
sued amounted approximately $5,000,000 and they
were to be paid out in at least 27 years. A little
simple arithmetic will show why the Umatilla
bridge company needed Paterson's 100,000 cars
a year to meet its bond requirements.
The Morrow county court last year made a
strong attempt to work out a plan whereby it
could purchase the ferry, knowing that if Uma
tilla county bought it, service would be discon
tinued. A fairly good plan was worked out which
included the eventual sale of revenue bonds (not
general obligation tax bonds). The court held an
option to buy for several months, but let it drop
the first of this year when it decided that the
money necessary for a down payment would pro
bably be better used on county roads. It had
hoped, however, that after the start of the new
fiscal year, July 1, money could be found to make
the purchase. An indication given the court that
the ferry owners planned to keep the ferry oper
ating, was the $:W,000 the ferry company put up
for the construction of the 5.1 mile connecting
road between highways 730 and 30 to give a di
rect connection t0 highway 30 and the east. This
road cost just over $00,000 and was completed
only last summer. It hardly seemed likely that
the ferry company would spend that amount of
money and not intend to keep operating. Yet that
is what happened and it seems to bear out the
old aclac that "a bird in the hand is worth two
in the bush," Money talks, and Umatilla county
got there "fustest with the mostest.
Morrow county residents will soon miss the
ferry for now they will be forced to travel an extra
25 miles to get to the samp point on the Washing
ton shore that the ferry used to take them to In 5
or 10 minutes. Truckers will miss the ferry too, for
their continued heavy use of the service, even
after the bridge was opened, indicated that they
nreferred the short route offered by the ferry
Those inconveniences, though, are not the great
est the county will suffer from the discontinuance
of Paterson ferry. What may be lost in future
years could well cost us much more. The north
Morrow section of the Columbia offers one of the
finest dock facility sites along the upper river
and transportation to those facilities, which will
someday be built, from both sides of the river is
necessary if they are to be developed to their
fullest. The construction of the John Day dam
will speed such a development, yet tne elimina
tion of Paterson ferry can well act as a damper,
too.
To those persons who might berate the county
court for spending $30,UUO lor me raierson con
thev shouldn't feel too bad
ly. The money wasn't wasted. Already, well over
a million bushels of grain has been hauled over
that road to the Morrow County Grain Growers
elevators and dock adjoining the ferry and within
a few years many millions more ousneis win
travpl the route which will easily justify the ex
pense. The road will also knock a few miles off
tho additional 25 or 30 that residents of this area
now will be forced to go to get to the Yakima
valley, Seattle or the north.
Hnw much the ferrv will be missed can pretty
well be illustrated by a comparison of traffic
with roads in the county, wnne we aoni nave
accurate traffic count figures, we doubt that there
Is any state highway or county road in Morrow
county except highways 30 and 730 and possibly
the Lexington-Bucks Corner highway, that carries
100,000 cars a year. We wouldn't stand for the
elimination of any of them without putting up
a fight.
Our court cannot be condemned for letting the
ferry slip out of its hands, for, we believe, it acted
in good faith and in what its members thought
was for the best interests of the people, in not
spending money it didn't have. Another six
months could have told a different story.
But, It won't do us any good now to cry about
it for there won't be any ferry to carry us over a
flood of tears. We were just simply beaten to the
draw.
THIRTY YEARS AGO
From Files of the Gazette Times
April 1, 1926
f)n Satnrdav afternoon, March
27, occurred a very unique cele
bration, the occasion being the
fiftieth anniversary of the wed
ding of Mr. and Mrs. E. F. Camp
bell of this city. Mrs. Campbell
was tendered a Bride's Maid
Party.
The Tri-Countv Baseball lea-
pup. romnospd nf teams from
Hermiston, Echo, Umatilla, lone,
Boardman and Arlington, was
formed at a meeting of repre
sentatives held at Umatilla on
Monday evening.
Among those returning to Eu
gene after spending Easter va
cation at home here were miss
Luola Benge, Miss Gladys Benge
and Misses Leta and Lveiyn
Humphreys.
Because of a few days vacation
at the Oregon Normal school,
Miss Beluah Batty of Hardman,
was able to be home for a snort
visit.
With this issue we begin Vol
ume No. 43, as it was 43 years
ago when the first issue of the
Heppner Gazette was put out;
thus we are forging well on to
the half century mark, and will
soon be a full-grown institution.
4
1 ' F
" n. i
f V , i .
iu,TonH. daughter of Mr. and
Mrs. David McLeod.
Mrs. Roxie Moeck, Mrs. Alfred
Shirley and John Rietmann, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Rietmann,
were all patients in the Pioneer
Memorial hospital last week.
LeRoy Brenner, son of Mr. and
Mrs C E. Brenner has been
graduated from the USAF pre
flight cphr.nl at Lackland air
force base, San Antonio, Texas.
He is now in flying trainine in
Marianna, Florida.
Mrs. Vela Eubanks of Portland
recently visited relatives here.
Mrs. Ronald Tye and children
of Enterprise visited at the
homes of her sisters, Mrs. Joe
Gaarsland and Mrs. Walter Cor
ley this week.
o-
Gazette Times Classifieds Pay I
Rev. and Mrs. A. L. Cargill
Special Services Set
At Nazarene Church
Rev. and Mrs. A. L. Cargill of
Colorado Springs, Colorado, will
open a series of special evange
listic services at the lone church
of the Nazarene on Wednesday,
April 4. The services will con
tinue through April 15.
Rpv. Cargill has been engaged
in church work since 1920 and
is wpll known for his unique pre
sentation of Bible truths and dy
namic Christian zeal which nas
created a demand for his minis
try.
The public is invited to attend
these services.
lone News
It's Time Something Was Done
On page one of today's paper are a group of
pictures which show graphically the condition of
one of Heppner's main business lifelines to the
south the Heppner-Spray highway. That condi
tion is far from good. In fact, it's terrible!
From the end of the pavement at the junction
of Rock and Chapin creeks, the highway (and it's
an exaggeratioir t0 call it such) is in what many
old time residents have recently called the worst
condition they have ever seen. During the past
week we made a trip only as far as the Kfnzua
road which is less than half way to the John
Day highway, and we can certainly back up any
statements we have heard regarding the road.
Thp residents of Monument, Kimberly, Spray,
Kinzua and Camp Five like to shop in Heppner
they have told us so yet they have also made it
quite plain recently that they aren't going to
travp that kind of a road To no n. us u 101
easier, even if farther, to go to John Day, Prine
ville, Redmond or elsewhere.
a. thio iimo nt thp vear in particular, no
rtl UH3 li. n-
nmrmnt of maintenance will keep a gravel-sur
face road in good condition, and if the road isn't
good people aren't going to use it any more uitn
necessary which can mean oniy one uung .
Henoner business will suffer.
linnmipr wants and needs the business of
those people, but to get it something is going to
havp to hp done about the road. The chamber of
commerce could well put such' a project at the
inn nf its list of important projects. The cham
ber can't get the job done alone, but if every
organization and interested mciiviuuai win gei
together and make enougn noise, tne siaie nigu
way department will eventually listen and act
Let's develop a program that will bring results!
H. O. Ely was presented with a
50 year jewel by the Morgan Odd
Fellow lodge at a meeting held
at Morgan Thursday evening
March 22. His daughter, Mrs.
Wallace Matthews made the pre
sentation and gave a speech. His
granddaughters, Deneice ana
Bernice Matthews and Bonnie
Kaye Akers presented him with
a boutonnier. Mr. Ely joined the
I. O. O. F. lodge at Morgan on
March 6, 1906. Out of the 28 that
joined then he and Russell Cox of
Pasco, Wash., are the only mem
bers left. Refreshments were
served by the Rebekahs. There
were around 30 people present
Those coming from a distance
were Mr. and Mrs. Elvin Ely of
Boardman and their grandson,
Jimmie Lillie. of La Grande.
The Arnica club met at the
home of Mrs. John Proudfoot on
Wednesday afternoon March 21
with Mrs. Earl McKinney as co-
STAR THEATER, Heppner
- . . . . ....... . ..,. sr. rhiMrpn 2fle including federal i ax.
Admission rricesi auuui uc, oiuuma - ;;..., ., a
All children occupying seats must buy tickets. Sunday .how, con nuou nam 4
rt m flthnr AVAninflfl BTuTT OT : JU. VWV" r- - r
Thursday-Frlday-Saturday, March 29-30-31
KENTUCKY RIFLE
Chill Wills, Lance Fuller, Cathy Downs, Jeanne Cagney, Jess Barker, Sterling Hoi
loway. A good western with touches of comedy in color.
This
THE NAKED AMAZON
Authentic, amazing safari into the Amazon jungle.
Sunday-Monday, April 1-2
GOOD MORNING, MISS DOVE
Jennifer Jones, Robert Stack. Cinemascope and Color. No fooling, this is perfect
Easter entertainment and a picture for every body-t he hearttugs and tears, tne
love and laughter in the life of a lady who devoted her life to building good citizens
and reaped a rich reward. (Bugs Bunny for Easter, too!)
Sunday shows at 4 p. m., 6:15 and 8:30
Tuesday-Wednesday, April 3-4
DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE
You'll enjoy this Technicolor comedy- most popular picture of the year in Eng-land-and
as is the case with English pictures, perfect down o the merest walk
on The cast Is headed by two of the top-ten Britich stars, Dirk Bogarde and Ken-
Added: "The Robins Sing" with Leighton Noble and Orchestra.
hostess. Games were played and
those winning prizes were Mrs.
Frank Helina, the guest prize,
Mrs. Lloyd Morgan, Mrs. Marion
Palmer and Mrs. Ray Heimbig
ner. Mr. and Mrs. Clifford Yarnell
and daughters of Vancouver,
Wash., visited his father, Harry
Yarnell who is ill in the Heppner
hospital. Other patients from here
in the hospital in Heppnr are
Albert Lindstrom and Frances
NOTICE-
Local Electrician
John Newman
Will Be Out of Town
' April 8 to 16
. YSWEJlL
NEW 1956
WALL COLORS
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dttptonM $4.19 gal
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Matching colors for walls and woodwork.
Hundreds of glorious color combinations
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Every color guaranteed washable.
Case Furniture Co.
: .
.'7 r7 IiM
"""TlJ Lift yur heart afresh your
rv I' - -VT sPr w e eternai giry f
J $ Easter ... in Church on Sunday
l iX'V m01'nin- Rejoice anew in the
''KH l I i f fett vVX V' aster Promise of everlast-
- n ing" ' ' s7nbolized in the beauti"
iv iVtr If r 7 V Iff J ful floral decorations, hailed in
ff Js ,?? 7 ) tjJ I the triumphant hymns of praise,
k F . yf'' 'i I memorialized in the stirring ser-
p " 1 - J mons' sanctif ied in the deeply
yJJs j V felt prayers of gratitude.
j 1 I We Urge You To Attend The
fifeyX Church of Your Choice.
I ; f i f
tK "R1n V J Heppner Pine Mills
ni l " ' Tum-A-Lum Lumber Co.