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NEW STUD MILL IN OPERATION
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THE UNITED STUDS, INC. mill which is now operating at site of
former Blake mill on Hinton creek. On the left is the main saw
and head rig end the hooded equipment, right, is the scrag mill
which slabs the small logs. The slabbed timber in the foreground
moves on to a multiple-cut saw which will cut up to 8 2x4's at a
time.
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A LOAD OF LOGS, is being dumped and will be stacked in the cold
deck, a small part of which is shown in the right foreground. The
main mill in the background got into limited operation last week,
but it is expected that it will take some time yet to work all the
bugs out of the operation. The plant cuts only 2x4's 8 feet in
length.
NEW SITE This fall the United Stud mill will be moved to this site
now being prepared just west of Heppner. In the center of the
leveled tract can be seen the mill pond adjacent to which the mill
will be built. The equipment to the right of the pond is part of
the planer which will be housed in a steel building. (GT Photos)
MANY IMPROVEMENTS MADE TO FAIR
AND RODEO GROUNDS AND BUILDINGS
Many new improvements have
been completed at the Morrow
county fair and rodeo " grounds
during recent weeks and build
ings and grounds are in top
shape, it was revealed last week
at a meeting of the fair board.
Permanent chutes of welded
pipe set in concrete have been in
stalled on the rodeo grounds with
individual partitions made for
cows and calves which is expected
to give smoother operation of
rodeo stock. The fair pavilion
kitchen has been rewired for new
electric ranges which will be in-
Ullman Calls For
Realistic Farm Plan
Al Ullman, Democratic candr
date for Congress, spoke before
a group of local supporters here
Saturday night.
Chairman of the meeting was
Al Lamb who in his introduction
of Ullman pointed out that, "In
Baker county, the home of both
Al Ullman and the present Con
gressman Sam Coon, Al Ullman
received over one thousand more
votes than Coon, in a district
where their neighbors know
them best."
Ullman said, "My campaign
this year will be based on the
issues of greatest interest to the
people of Eastern Oregon. Among
them, the need for a realistic
farm prograf and a river de
velopment plan which will make
the water and power resources
of the Columbia basin available
at rates which will encourage the
full development of the North
west." "The basic question for
voters to decide this November"
Ullman said, "is whether they
wish to continue in office an
administration which according
to former secretary of interior
Douglas McKay is 'here in the
saddle as an administration rep
resenting business and industry',
or rather to choose Democratic of
fice holders who have tradition
ally represented the interests of
the farmer, the wage earner, and
the small businessman.
lift, -'Ql
stalled for cooking demonstra
tions prior to the opening of the
fair August 30
An agreement was reached be
tween the board, county court
and the Heppner school district
for the removal of dirt lrom hill
property of the fair grounds to
the new school property. A meet
ing with school officials is plan
ned to work out a more efficient
use of fair grounds, buildings
field and a new livestock barn
may be built jointly on the north
side of Hinton creek following a
request from L. L. Robbins, vo
cation agriculture instructor for
permission to house FFA livestock
projects in fair buildings.
Board members include W. E,
Hughes, chairman; Charles Carl
son and Willard Jones, Irrigon.
R. B. Ferguson is manager.
Summer Weather
Finally Hits County
The weather finally decided
to smile on Morrowcounty this
week and as he turned loose
some sunshine the unofficial
temperature at Heppner rose to
91 degrees by Wednesday after
noon. Farmers were pleased as the
warming trend was needed to
ripen crops, as were 4-H youngs
ters who are attending summer
camp at Herren creek and Uma
tilla forest employees now at
guard school at Tupper guard
station. Last year both groups
wallowed through much mud
and rain to "enjoy" their smumer
outing.
The warm break came Saturday
and the" mercury has climbed at
least into fhe 80's every day since.
RHEA CREEK GRANGE
TO HONOR BABBS
The Rhea Creek grange will
honor Mr. and Mrs. Leslie Babb
on Sunday July 1 with a potluck
dinner at 5:00 p. m.
Cards will follow the dinner
and all grangers and friends are
invited.
Copies 10 Cents
Forest Guards In
Training Session
At Tupper Station
About 60 Umatilla national
forest firemen, district assist
ants, rangers and instructors
gathered Monday evening at
Tupper guard station, 35 miles
southeast of Heppner, for the
eighth annual guard training
school The intensive course in
fire prevention and suppression
will last for four days, then look
outs and other crews will be as
signed to their summer positions.
The school is being conducted
by John Kucera, Pendleton, Uma
tilla National forest fire control
off jeer. He is being assisted by
district rangers and other forest
officials.
The men attending the school
are from six districts in the Uma
tilla forest,- Pomeroy and Walla
Walla in Washington; Pendleton
Ukiah, Dale and Heppner dis
tricts in Oregon.
During the past year the new
mess hall, kitchen and general
meeting building, started last
year at the Tupper guard sta
tion site, has been completed
and is being used by the crew.
Becausa of the short time the
men are stationed at Tupper,
they are being housed in tents.
All phases of fire fighting and
forest work are covered in the
four-day class sessions and one
of the instructors at Tuesday's
classes was Charles Rector, Uma
tilla national forest supervisor.
The Tupper station has been
set up as a permanent location
for the annual school.
County's Crop
Prospects Bright
Morrow county farmers have
prospects of harvesting one of the
best grain crops in recent years
with wheat expected to produce
8t least 25 bushels to the acre on
an average and barley to go from
30 to 35 bushels, barring un
favorable weather conditions be
tween now and harvest, N. C.
Anderson, county agent has re
vealed. The soil bank program has set
an average of 22.2 bushels for
the 1956 crop which is slightly
above the long term average for
the county. Last year the county
average was only about 20 bus
hels. As is usual, most of this year's
wheat was seeded last fall. Some
spring seeding was forced by the
dry fall and early freezing wea
ther, but in many instances the
spring wheat will compare quite
favorably with fall wheat. Mois
ture conditions last fall and this
spring h"ave been the best in
several years with well over
one inch of rain having fallen so
far this June.
Barley has not been grown ex
tensively in the county in the
past, but this year's crop is ex
ceptional and in many cases
looks even better than does the
wheat. Last year's barley crop
averaged only about 20 bushels
to the acre.
Harvesting of barley is expect
ed to start by July 10 in the north
end of the county with-"Wheat
to follow within a short time'
if the weather remains good.
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Former Resident
Dies in Idaho
Word was received here early
this week of the death of Fred
Elder, 69, a former barber In
Heppner and Lexington. He
passed away Sunday at his home
in Wallace, Idaho.
Mr. Elder left Morrow county
in about 1920 after having lived
here for several years. He was a
member of the Heppner Masonic
lodge.
Funeral services were held on
Wednesday with burial in a
Wallace cemetery.
o
Gale Street Curb,
Paving Completed
Curbing and paving of the one
block of Gale street between Wil
low and Center streets was com
pleted Wednesday by Leslie
Harris Pendleton paving contrac
tor. The block is the first major
street improvement project un
dertaken by residents in some
time. Another block of the un
named street connecting Water
street and the Seventh Day Ad
ventist church may be improved
later this year as residents of the
street recently petitioned the
council to have the work done.
Early News Copy
Asked For Next Week
The Gazette Times again asks
its news correspondents and ad
vertisers to get copy in to the
paper at least one day early
next week due to the Fourth of
July holiday on Wednesday.
The paper will be published at
..the regular time Thursday, but
to give employees the holiday
off, the early deadline will be
established.
lone Voters to
Decide Special
School Tax Levy
A school election on a special
levy of two mills to niisc $0,934.
96 will be held In the lone school
district on Wednesday. July 11.
The election will be held in the
school cafetorium from 2 to 8 p.
m.
The money raised by the spe
cial one-year levy is to be used
to blacktop the playground area
and for rearranging of class
rooms in the school building.
The election will be similar to
the one recently held in Hepp
ner d:strict to provide capital out
lay funds eliminated from the
district's budget by the rural
school board.
o
Local Woman's Story
In Reader's Digest
Mrs. Gloria Vitello Tyson, of
Heppner, is the recent recipient
of a $100 check from The Reader's
Digest for an anecdote submitted
to the magazines department
"Life in These United States."
Mrs. Tyson's contribution will
appear in the forthcoming July
issue.
'A
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Li.
MISS JUDY COLUNS
Heppner Girl Named
Delegate to National
FHA Convention
Miss Judy Collins, daughter of
Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Collins of
Heppner, will be one of 29 Ore
gon delegates to the 1956 nation
al convention of Future Home
makers of America, July 2 to 6 at
the Conrad Hilton hotel In Chi
cago.
A junior at Heppner high
school, she has been an FHA
member since 1953 and has ser
ved as chapter recreation leader,
parliamentarian and president.
Chapter adviser is Mrs. Homer
Hager.
FHA is the national organi
zation of pupils studying home
making in junior and senior high
schools in the U. S. and terri
tories. Any student who has
taken or is taking homemaklng
may belong and membership to
tals nearly 500,000. Judy will be
one of 2,000 FHA members at
tending the national meeting,
i Convention sessions will be
geared to helping FHA'ers recog
nize opportunities and accept re
sponsibilities related to improv
ing home, school and community
life.
FHA is sponsored by the Ameri
can home economics association
and the U. S. office of education.
Cooperating groups are the home
economics sections of the Ameri
can Vocational association and
the National Education associa
tion. Judy's other school activities
include being majorette for the
high school band, Girls Athletic
association and she is a member
of the Rainbow Girls. Her trip is
being financed by the Oregon as
sociation of Future Homemakers
of America and the following
Heppner organizations: high
school student body, chamber of
commerce, P-TA, Willows Lodge
I. O. O. F., Soroptimist club, Ma
sonic and Elks lodges and the
American Legion.
Mr. and Mrs. Homer Hager left
Monday for a weeks vacation in
Portland.
Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, June
Grassman Award
Goes to Wagenblast
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GRASSMAN OF THE YEAR, Alrin Wagenblast with two of his ranch
hands, sons John, 9 and Steve. 7. The award winner farms Lex
ington ranch on which many improvements have been made in
recent years. See adjoining story. (Wilson Photo)
Transforming a depleted, over
grazed ranch into fields of high
producing postures and irriga
ted hayland has won for Alvin
Wagenblast, Lexington, the
"grassman of the year" title for
Morrow county, it was announced
Tuesday night at a meeting of
the county Farm Bureau.
Taking over a 50(1 acre ranch
just north of Lexington In 1919,
Wagenblast has increased the
livestock carrying capacity of his
paxtur? and range land from 12
cows and calves to 150 head
without injury to the soil or
vegetative cover over the seven
yiar pentd ci his owr.ort.iiip.
During the past five years
Wagenblast has seeded 45
acres of permanent irrigated pas-
lone, Hermiston
Plan Observances
lone will be the only Morrow
county community to hold a
Fourth of July celebration, though
a neighboring Umatilla county
town, Hermiston has announced
plans for ,a day-long celebra
tion. The two affairs "will not con
flict, as the lone American Le
gion post has announced plans
for a big free fireworks displayj
on Tuesday night, July 3 to be
followed by a dance at the lone
Legion hall.
The Hermiston celebration will
be hold all day Wednesday with
a varied program scheduled well
into the evening. Motorcycle
races, fireworks, picnics and
street dances are on the pro
gram, members of the Hermis
ton chamber of commerce, spon
sors, revealed.
No general observance of the
holiday is planned in Heppner,
though all city, county, state and
federal offices and most business
will be closed on Wednesday.
County Democrats
Plan Organizational
Meeting Friday
An organizational meeting of
the Morrow county Democratic
central committee will be held at
the Newt O'Harra home in Lex
ington at 8 p. m. Friday, June 29,
it was announced this week.
Election of a county chairman,
vice-chairman, secretary and
treasurer will be the first order of
business. Following will be a
general discussion of issues and
plans for the coming campaign.
The public is invited.
o
Heppner Girl Gets
Girls' State Office
At the recent meeting of Girls'
State at Willamette University,
Salem, Meredith Thomson was
elected to the House of Represen
tatives and appointed county re
porter of the Nationalist party.
Mrs. James Thomson and Ber
nice drove to Salem and attend
ed the candle lighting ceremony
at Girls' State. Meredith returned
to Heppner with them.
28, 1956
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tures, 75 acres of dry land grass,
has 18 acres of irrigated bottom
land prepared for seeding and
an additional 75 acres of hill
land in summer fallow for seed
ing next year. Eventually he
plans to seed 195 acres of wheat
land to grass and continue seed
ing on his dry land
hillsides wherever .practical.
Grasses used in separate fields of
vernal, talent and ladak alfalfas
are alta fescue, intermediate
wheatgrass and akaroa orchard
grass for his irrigated pastures.
On dry land seedings nomad al
falfa, crested wheat and bulbous
bluetfrasa is seetled.
For the first time this year
Wagenblast figure he will have
a surplus of hay for marketing
from his pastures that produced
eight tons per acre last year and
show signs of higher yields this
season. A regular system of
weeding, clipping, fertilizing, ir
rigating by sprinkler and ditch
and rotation grazing is followed
by Wagenblast in his pasture
management. By deferring dry
land grazing six months out of
the year, grasses are gradually
coming back to economic pro
duction. The entire property is
cross fenced for rotational
grazing.
Beginning his beef herd by
trading labor for livestock,
Wagenblast by 1953 was able to
purchase 10 head of purebred
llerefords. At present he has 113
cows, yearlings and calves and
this fall by selling the last of the
culls expects to have a complete
ly purebred herd. His livestock
program includes vaccinating,
spraying and culling. Machinery,
added gradually, Is kept In top
condition for all farm work.
Wagenblast, who came here
from The Dalles, is married and
has two sons, John, 9, and Steve,
7, whom he gives credit for real
assistance on the ranch, elimi
nating the need for hired help
during haying and harvest. This
year he is master of the county
Pomona Grange and the Lexing
ton Grange. He is a member of
the Morrow County Livestock as
sociation and the Oregon Wheat
Growers League,
A cooperator with the Heppner
Soil Conservation district since
1950, Wagenblast stated he val
ued technical assistance from
Tom Wilson of the soil conser
vation service and N. C. Anderson
county extension agent. He will
compete with other county win
ners for state grass title in the
"Grass is Gold" contest spon
sored by the Portland chambet
of commerce and locally by the
Farm Bureau.
Hot Weather Stops
Burning in Heppner
Heppner fire chief C. A. Rug
gles reminded residents this
week that with the coming of
"fire weather" city ordinances
specify that no permits for out
side burning of trash can be
issued.
Ruggles urged residents to take
particular care with inflammables
and pointed out that the heavy
grass crop this year will make
grass fires extremely dangerous
after a few more days of hot weather.
73rd Year, Number 16
Acreage Reserve
Agreements Now
Available From ASC
The Morrow county ASC office
now has copies of the soil bank
acreage reserve agreements
available for farmers wishing to
participate in the program, ac
cording to Norman Nelson, chair
man of the county agricultural
stablization and conservation
committee.
Farmers can get full informa
tion on terms and conditions of
paiticipation in the acreage re
serve, which is the first part of
the program to get under way
this year.
"Growers interested in taking
part in the acreage reserve have
until July 20 to sign soil bank
agreements designating the acre
age of wheat which they wish to
include under the reserve," Nel
son stated.
"But a farmer who has already
planted his wheat crop and who
wants to plow or cut it in order
to reduce the acreage below the
allotment will not have much
time before the deadline for al-
justing his acreage. In Mor
row county the deadline is June
30 for fields below 2,000 feet ele
vation and July 25 for areas above
2,000 feet." The agreement
should be signed before the far
mer does anything with his acre
age, it was said.
A wheat grower who wishes to
participate in the acreage re
serve this year, Nelson explained,
first must have complied with
the wheat allotment set for his
farm. If he can meet this condi
tion, he then has three or four op
portunities for earning payments
on the 1956 crop.
Such a farmer may earn pay
ments either by underplanting,
by crop loss through weather
conditions or other natural
causes, or by plowing or cutting
a portion of the crop to reduce
the acreage below the allotment.
Payments will be $1.21 per bus
hel, based on either the normal
or .the. appraised yield, wording
to the method of qualifying.
Payments for underplanting
winter wheat, seeded last fall
may be made only if the farmer
underplanted his allotment be
cause of adverse weather condi
tions. The rate for this practice
Is $1 per acre.
Irrigon Man Cleared
On Morals Charge
The rape charge filed last
week against James J. McRae of
Irrigon in justice of the peace
Gus Fisher's court has been drop
pod, it was revealed this week.
The complaining witness ap
peared before the court prior to a
hearing and requested that the
complaint be dismissed and dis
charged. McRae had been brought be
fore Fisher last week and charged
with attacking a minor girl, but
the complaining witness failed to
appear at a preliminary hearing
set for June 25 and the case wa9
ordered dismissed by judge Fis
her. First Half Building
Permits Climb
Building permits issued by the
City of Heppner during the first
six months of 1956 total $81,000,
almost equal to those Issued for
the entire year of 1955.
Of the total amount $73,700 was
for new construction and the
largest permit issued was for the
construction of a 16 unit motel
estimated to cost $27,000. The
remainder was for residential
buildings.
Repairing and remodeling per
mits total $7,300. During 1955
new construction permits amount
ed to $71,000 and repair work
and remodeling totaled $16,725.
Not included in the 1955 figures
however was $258,000 for the con
struction of the new Heppner
grade school because the city
code does not require school dis
tricts or government agencies to
obtain building permits. -
PICNIC CANCELLED
The Catholic parish picnic pre
viously scheduled for. Sunday,
July 1 has been postponed until
a later date, it was announced
today.
Mr. and Mrs. Jack Bedford
have as guests at their home, his
mother, Mrs. Beatrice Bedford,
his sister-in-law, Mrs. C. H. Bed
ford and daughter Barbara Bed
ford, all of Portland.