I I BRARY
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EUGENE. ORE.
Jmptteir
Copies 10 Cents
Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, December 6, 1956
73rd Year, Number 39
Heppner
For City
Record Said One
Of Best For
Town of Size
The city of Heppner was con
gratulated this week on the re
cord of accomplishments it has
made in recent years in a letter
read at the council meeting Mon
day night from Lee Kipling King,
certified public accountant, Port
land, who has just completed an
audit of the city's books.
King said in his letter, "I
thought the city council might
like to get some favorable pub
licity on the fine work they have
performed over the years. In that
connection I have included a
section of municipal accomplish
ments (in the audit report). This
shows a listing of major city im
provements, the increased value
of fixed assets bond redemptions
during the past four years, and
Investments of surplus funds.
"I personally feel that you have
made an outstanding record for
cities of your size and commen
dation for such a fine record is
surely in order."
Accomplishments Listed
Under the heading "Municipal
Accomplishments", King's report
stated:
A growing list of city improve
ments has been compiled 'during
the past several years.
A major accomplishment was
the authorization and construc
tion of a sewage disposal system,
financed by a bond issue ap
proved on June 24, 1952. City
officials secured bids for the pro
ject which was considerably be
low estimates for the work. As
a result only $250,000 of the aut
horized bond issue of $300,000 was
needed for sewage disposal con
struction purposes.
Numerous other improvements
have been recorded including a
"sprinkling system for the city
park, the addition of modern
equipment for the fire depart
ment, street and water depart
ments and for the swimming
pool.
The entire cost of $11,758.07 for
parking meters was retired from
meter revenues.
The valuation of municipal
fixed assets during the four years
ended June 30, 1956 increased
from $335,132.11 to $639,666.19, a
total of $304,534.08.
During the same period, the
city paid off bonds totalling $78,
000 and in addition had a sinking
fund of $50,000 invested in time
certificates of deposit to redeem
sewage system bonds when they
become callable in 1962."
Councilman Appointed
In other business, Mayor W. C.
Rosewall appointed E. E. Gonty
to fill the unexpired term on the
council of Robert Grabill, who
resigned due to moving away
from tre city. Gonty was elected
to a full term at the general elec
tion in November, but would not
have taken office until January
1.
The group received a request
for a card room license from Jerry
McAuliffe which was turned over
to a committee for investigation.
An ordinance was passed set
ting an occupational tax for the
privilege of operating a power
and light business within the
city. The rate to be two percent
of the gross revenue, and ordered
a similar ordinance be prepared
to cover the operation of a tele
phone system in the city.
Blinker Light Ordered
Jack Loyd, a member of the
Heppner school board asked the
council to install a blinker stop
light at the crosswalk between
the new grade school and the high
school. Such an installation was
recommended by a citizens traffic
committee.
The council ordered the street
Continued on Page 8
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Given Pa On Back
Accomplishments
Ballots Located;
Irrigon Soon to Be
Officially a Town
A belated election report gave
news this week that Motrow
county now has. or soon will
have, five incorporated towns
within its boundaries. Irrigon
approved the incorporation pro
posal at the November general
election by a vote of 68 to 39.
The delay in announcing the
results was caused by a snafu
in recording the vote. The bal
lots were brought to the county
clerk's oiiice in the election
pouches along with the other
ballots, but the clerk was not
so informed, so he stored the
whole works away in the court
house vault with the result
that the court never canvassed
the vote to make it official.
As soon as the canvass is
made the court will set a date
for the election of the new Irri
gon city councilmen and when
that is done the town will be
operating on its own.
o
Wagenblast Receives
Grossman Awards at
Portland Banquet
Alvin Wagenblast, Lexington,
was presented with second place
awards Monday evening at Port
land in the Northwest "Grassman
of the Year" contest. Wagen
blast won the county contest and
placed second in the state.
Wagenblast received a check
for $200 and a plaque from the
United States National bank and
a plaque from the Portland cham
ber of commerce, sponsors of the
contest and the banquet which
was held at the Multnomah hotel.
First place winner in the region
was Hans Luethold of Tillamook.
Attending the banquet and pre
sentation were Mr. and Mrs,
Wagenblast and Mr. and Mis,
Harold Beach. Beach is presi
dent of the Morrow county Farm
Bureau, sponsors of the local con
test.
Thirteen Make
lone Honor Roll
lone high school this week re
leased the names of 13 students
whose grades placed them on the
honor roll for the first nine weeks
period.
They are: Julie Rietmann, Le
ann Padberg, Melvin Martin,
Karen Lundell, Bill Salter, Leland
McKinney, Ken Jones, Annbelle
Coleman, Linda Heimbigner, Sue
Ekstrom, Mardine Baker, Alyce
Rea, Judy Howton.
Receiving honorable mention
were Kay Sherer, Ellis Ball, Harry
Swart, Jim Swart, Dick Sherer,
Phil Emert, Grant Rigby, Mary
Emert and Grace McCabe.
TURKEY SHOOT SET
The Morrow county Gun Club
will hold another merchandise
and Turkey shoot Sunday, Dec.
9 at the club house south of
Heppner.
OLD LEDGER BOOK TELLS MUCH ABOUT
EARLY HISTORY IN GOOSEBERRY AREA
A very interesting record book
telling much of the early history
of the Gooseberry district was
found recently in the attic of the
Eric Bergstrom home during a
remodeling project. The book,
which is a combination ledger
and account book and contained
much information on the early
history of the area.
In the book were entries made
from 1883 to 1887 and it named
many of the early settlers. Some
of those mentioned were Isaac Es
teb, .local blacksmith "and laler
postmaster; Frank Holmes, Jay
Ball, George Brians, Perry Miller,
John Spignell, Alex Young, Eu
gene Meyers and the four Akers
families William (Grandpa),
Benjamin, Garret and Harvey.
These were pioneers who settled
here in 1883 and 1884, before this
section became Morrow county.
Each took up homesteads in the
area.
Little can be realized of the
hardships and privations of these
early settlers as all had to start
from scratch with little or no
equipment. The sod was broken
little by little with two or three
horses on a walking plow, better
known as a "foot-burner." Home
made harrows were used to cul
tivate the ground and seeding
was done by hand. Crude, horse-
Soil District
Supervisors Meet
Assistance available to ranch
ers in soil conservation districts
was explained by officials of
state and federal agencies at the
annual area meeting of district
supervisors from Umatilla, Mor
row, Grant and Gilliam counties
all day Tuesday at the county
courthouse. Bill Cooper, Union
farmer and member of the state
soil conservation committee, was
in charge.
Panel members who discussed
the cooperative program with
districts included John Denison,
Pendleton, area conservationist,
soil conservation services; How
ard Cushman, Corvallis, state ex
tension service; William Mulkey,
Portland, state agricultural sta
bilization and conservation office;
Charles M. Rector, Umatilla na
tional forest; Warren Leatham,
Portland, conservationist with the
bureau of Indian affairs; Glenn
Ward, Heppner, state game com
mission; Harold Tower, Portland,
state conservationist, S. C. S. and
Glen Purnell, Corvallis, executive
secretary of the state conserva
tion committee.
The workshop session included
an exchange of problems and ac
tivities in the various soil dis
tricts and disucssion on the soil
bank and watershed programs.
Enrollment Still
Open in Adult
Sewing Classes
Women who plan to enroll in
the adult education sewing clas
ses are required to attend the
meeting at the Heppner grade
school multipurpose room on
Monday evening, December 10 at
7:30 p. m. The women are re
quested to bring pencil and note
paper.
The course in the basic Bishop
methods of clothing construction
is offered through the coopera
tion of the Oregon Division of
Vocational Education of Salem,
the adult education program of
school district No. 1 and the Par
ent-Teacher Association of Hepp
ner.
Mrs. G. C. M. Smith, vice presi
dent of the Heppner P-TA Is
assisting with the organization.
Mrs. Homer Hager, teacher of
home economics in the local
school, who has taken instruction
in the Bishop method of clothing
construction for the past three
summers and graduate work in
clothing at Oregon State college
will be the instructor.
PAGEANT TO BE PRESENTED
The Methodist church school
will present a pageant "In His
Name" on Sunday, Dec. 23 at 7:30
p. m. The presentation will be
directed by Mrs. Lucille Owens,
Mrs. Oliver Creswick, Mrs. Vic
Kreimeyer and Mrs. Lester Boul
den. driven threshers were used. The
price of wheat was around 60
cents a bushel and was hauled
to Alkali, later known as Arl
ington. Some of the prices noted in
the book were: pork and beef, 4
to 6 cents a pound; coffee 20
cents a pound; eggs, 10 cents
a dozen; butter, 15 cents a pound;
shoes $1.25 per pair; flour $1.00
a sack; overalls 85 cents; calico
7 cents a yard and lamp flues
15 cents.
A small school was built about
1885 with an attendance of 15
to 20 children. Later the attend
ance grew to some 40 pupils.
Old Ballot Found
Enclosed in the book was a
copy of the 1894 general election
ballot and some of the candidates
running for office were Gallaway,
Kennedy, Ford and Pierce for
governor; Hallock, Hogue and
Morrow for county clerk; Harring.
ton, Hays and McGee for sheriff;
Anna Balsiger, Addie Conlee,
Martha Neville for county super
intendent. According to the bal
lot 39 votes were cast at Goose
berry and four parties were rep
resented, Democrat, Republican,
Peoples and Prohibition.
The finder of the book and bal.
lot wonders if anyone still living
voted in that election.
Santa Tells of
Plans For Visit to
Heppner Saturday
A mighty popular gentleman,
particularly among the younger
set will make his annual visit
to Heppner Saturday afternoon,
Dec. 8, according to word received
by Richard Brunner, chairman of
the chamber of commerce mer
chants committee who Is sponsor
ing his visit. ,
In case you can't guess his
identity, it's an old fellow known
as Santa Claus.
Santa sent word that lie will
arrive in town snortly alter l
o'clock next Saturday afternoon
to check up on the behavior of
the county's youngsters, find out
what they would like to have him
bring them for Christmas and to
pass out treats to all those who
come to visit with him.
He will arrive probably on a
fire truck unless the snow is too
deep, and will set up his tempor
ary headquarters in front of the
Heppner Hotel. Later he will go
to the lounge of the Elks Lodge
where he plans to spend at least
an hour visiting with the smaller
youngsters whom he couldn't find
time to talk with on the street.
Brunner said Santa sent word
that he will have a big sack of
candy and other treats with him
enough for all the kids who
come to see him.
Red Cross Helps
Hungarian Relief
A special limited Red Cross
fund drive for Hungarian relief is
now under way in Morrow county
following a meeting of the county
Red Cross chapter Tuesday night
at Heppner. J
The local chapter is asked for
$135 for Hungarian relief and
Mrs. O. W. Cutsforth, chapter
chairman, said the money will be
sent out of the chapter funds, but
it is hoped that special donations
will equal that p mount. Persons
wishing to aid are 3ked to make
their donations either to Mrs.
Cutsforth, Lexington, Mrs. Verner
Troedson, lone or to Frank Tur
ner, Heppner.
Following the meeting it was
announced that committee ap
pointments had been made for
the coming year with Paul Tews
and Willard O'Harra, disaster
chairmen; Home service, Rev.
Lester Boulden and Rev. Merlin
Zier; blood bank, Jack Bailey;
home nursing, Mrs. Velma Glass;
first aid, C. J. D. Bauman and
William Labhart. The regular
Red Cross drive chairman will be
named later.
It was announced that the an
nual blood drawing will be held
during May.
Local Scouts To
Sell Christmas Trees
Scouts of Troop 86 drove to the
mountains Sunday to harvest
Christmas trees for sale in Hepp
ner. Funds raised will be used
to purchase Scout equipment for
the new troop.
Those making the trip were
senior patrol leader, Larry Angell;
patrol leader Tom Glass of the
Navaho patrol; Don Keeling, Mike
Koenig, LeRoy Garnder and Ken
ny Keeling with Jim and John
Cason, Jim Farra and Dennis Fer
guson of the Beaver patrol.
The scouts were accompanied
by scoutmaster Mickey Schmidt
and Bud Wilson and family.
Transportation for the scouts was
furnished by the Heppner Pine
Mills, Inc.
Combined Choirs to
Present Cantata
The combined choirs of the
Christian and Methodist churches
will present a Christmas Cantata
"Chimes of the Holy Night" by
Fred B .Holton on Thursday, De
cember 20 at the Methodist
church at 8 p. m.
The choirs are directed by Nor
man Peters. Mrs. Vic Kreimeyer is
the organist.
ATTENDS MEDICAL MEET
Dr. A. D. McMurdo attended the
meeting of the American Medical
Association held in Seattle Nov.
27 through 30. He reported the
meetings were very Instructive
and interesting. There were doc
tors present from every state and
some foreign countries.
This was the first time the
clinical session of the AMA has
ever been held in the northwest.
Headline of the Week
"Portland Egg Prices Crack "
L.
IP J,,(m:-
CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS went
with the aid of these three fork-lift trucks supplied by Heppner
Pine Mills and Tum-A-Lum Lumber company. Over a dozen
chamber of commerce members aided in hanging the strings of
boughs and colored lights.
Walter Wiglesworth
Named New President
Of The Wranglers
Walter Wiglesworth of Echo
was named new president of the
Morrow County Wranglers Tues
day night. He will take over the
office the first of the year.
Other officers elected were Leo
Crabtree, lone, vice-president;
Bruce Lindsay, Heppner, secer
tary; Barbara Jordan, Heppner,
treasurer. The new directors are
J. W. Norene, Don Evans and
Archie Munkers. Holdover direc
tor is Al Fetsch and Ralph Beam
er, retiring president, is also on
the board.
The Tuesday night meeting
was the Christmas party complete
with Santa Claus and candy for
the youngsters.
lone and Heppner
Post Offices Set
Extra Christmas Hours
Postmasters James H. Driscoll at
Heppner and Ruby O. Roberts at
lone announced this week that
both post offices will remain open
Saturday afternoons, December 15
and 22 to help handle the rush of
Christmas mail.
The postal department again
asks all persons to do their Christ
mas mailing early as possible to
ease the load during the heavy
rushperiod of the last two weeks
before Christmas.
Adult Soils Class
Sign-Up Still Open
The adult soils and fertilizer
class held its second meeting in
the high school Monday evening.
The class was conducted by
Douglas Price, local SCS man,
on land classification. He de
fined many terms used by the
Soil Conservation service in map
ping soils and also general soil
terms.
A definite explanation was
given on how the soils were clas
sed and why they were classified 'money ior the Christmas Seals
as they were on the soils map. I which were put in the mail the
Miniature soil profiles wereimiddle of November, is coming
shown to give the men a chance
to see the different horizons of
some of the soils in the local area.
The next two classes will be
conducted by Marr Waddoups,
who recently left the Pendleton
branch experiment station and is
now working for Lamb-Weston
Cannery Co. Waddoups will lec
ture on soil chemistry and micro-
organisims.
It still Isn't too late to sign up
for the class, which is held on
Monday evenings at 7 o'clock.
. o
R. B. Rands Appointed
J of P at Boardman
R. B. Rands has been appointed
by Governor Elmo Smith Justice
of the Peace in the Boardman dis
trict to fill the unexpired term of
William Garner who resigned.
Rands was elected to the post
for a full term but he would not
have taken office until January
1. He will also serve for the re
cently combined Boardman and
Irrigon districts and the justice
dispensed with at Irrigon.
County Farm lncomelUp2 5 inV 5 6
Morrow county agent N. C. An
derson this week completed the
compilation of figures showing
the agricultural income during
1956 in Morrow county increased
almost $3,000,000 over 1955. The
figures are part of the agent's an
nual report made to Oregon State
College.
Anderson said it is quite a job
to find all the factors affecting
income and to determine one that
is anywhere near accurate, but
that his figures showed a total
agricultural income for 1956 of
up quickly Sunday in Heppner
(GT Photo)
City lakes on
Holiday Look
Luck was with the volunteer
crew of Hcppnerites Sunday who
spent most of the day hanging
Christmas decorations and lights
in the downtown area. A cold,
freezing fog had hung over the
area for over a week, but Sunday
dawned reasonably bright and
fairly warm by comparison with
the previous several days.
Pacific Power and Light line
man, Heppner Pine Mills lift
truck drivers and volunteer cham
ber of commerce members got
most of the bright decorations in
the air Sunday and the job was
finished Monday by Fred Gimbel
of PP&L and Jess Ticer, Pacific
Telephone Co. lineman.
Decorations included streamers
of green boughs assembled by
members of Heppner high school
Future Business Leaders club,
strings of colored lights and
bright plastic Santas, candy
canes and bells.
Mrs. Nelson Named
To Hospital Board
The county court has appointed
Mrs. D. O. Nelson of North Lex
ington as a member of the county
hospital board to fill the unex
pired term of John Krebs of Cecil.
Krcbs resigned earlier this year
because of changing his residence
to outside Morrow county. Mrs.
Nelson's term will run for ap
proximately four years.
Other members of the board are
P. W. Mahoney, Heppner, chair
man; Jack Van Winkle, Heppner;
Garland Swanson, lone and Mrs.
Mervin Leonard, Lexington.
Christmas Seal Sale
Reported Very Slow
According to Morrow County T,
B. and Health Association seal
sale chairman, Mrs. Jack Angel,
i1" rdllt-r siowiy.
All those who have received
seals, are urged to send in their
contributions as soon as possible.
Residents are reminded that
74 of the funds thus collected
remains in Morrow county and is
used by this county to combat
tuberculosis.
Dad's Night Planned
By Heppner P-TA
The Heppner P-TA will have a
Dad's night at its regular month
ly meeting to be held Wednesday
evening, Dec. 12 in the grade
school multipurpose room, it was
announced today, Dads will be
In charge of the evening program.
A final drive for membership
is now being conducted and it is
hoped that persons who have
not renewed from last year will
plan to be at next week's meet
ing. The group also plans to serve
coffee and donuts during and
after the Heppner-Ione basket
ball game Tuesday, Dec. 11.
$11,974,000, which would be an
increase of about 25 percent over
1955. This was accounted for by
the increased wheat and barley
yields and a good potato and
melon crop with good prices for
farmers in the Boardman area.
The figure released for 1956
show grain and hay at $9,100,000
compared to $6,500,000 in 1955.
Livestock income remained about
the same with $1,470,000 com
pared to $1,500,000 in 1955. Dairy
was down from $400,000 in 1955 to
$300,000 In 1956 . and egg and
Heavy Snow Misses
Heppner, More
Cold Said on Way
Heppner this week again up
held its tradition of being located
in the "Banana Belt". While most
of the rest of the state lay under
a blanket of snow varying from
one to several inches deep, the
ground was practically bare here
and though the temperature did
chop to a low of 11 degrees early
Thursday morning, it didn't get
anywhere near as cold as the
weatherman had predicted.
There still is a good chance
it may, however.
The mercury began to drop here
Tuesday and a very light snow
or freezing fog fell Wednesday
but not enough that Heppner
weather recorder Leonard Gilliam
could even get a measurement.
Both Lexington and lone had a
much heavier fall and it was re
ported that seven inches fell in
the upper Willow creek section of
the Blue Mountains on Tuesday.
The area along the Columbia had
nearly an inch Wednesday with
nearly all of highway 30 from
Portland east classified as ex
tremely hazardous. Snow also fell
to the south with the John Day
river country well covered.
Heppner's low temperature was
14 degrees Thursday morning and
the high Wednesday was 27.
The weather bureau continued
to warn the entire Pacific North
west to expect much colder wea
ther during the next two or three
days and predicted that the tem
perature in much of Eastern Ore
gon may get down to zero by
this weekend. They said there
is also a chance for some more
snow or freezing fog.
o
Mrs. Anna Groshens,
Ex-Heppner Resident
Passes in Portland
Mrs. Anna L. Groshens, 84, mo
ther of Victor Groshens of Hepp
ner and a forme rresident of this
area, died suddenly November 30
at Portland. Services were held
Monday, December 3 at Portland
with interment in the Rose City
cemetery.
Mrs. Groshens was born August
11, 1872 in Sweden and came to
America when she was 16 years
of age. She and her husband
came here in 1896 and home
steaded at what Is known as
Groshens Cabins on Potamus
creek. They moved to Montana
and Pendleton, returning to Hepp
ner In 1903. In 1926 the family
moved to Portland where they
since resided. Her husband Vic
tor passed away in 1910.
Surviving are Harry A. Gros
hens, Edward A. Groshens, Mrs.
L. J. Dempsey, all of Portland;
Victor of Heppner; Mrs. Roy Hel
goland, Portland and Mrs. Frank
Hanson, Bonners Ferry, Idaho.
She also leaves 14 grandchildren
and four great-grandchildren.
o
Church to Observe
"Women's Sunday"
Sunday will be observed a3
"women's day" at the Heppner
Christian church with the ladies
of the church in charge of the
service.
Mrs, Effie Ritchie, Milton-Free-water
will be the guest speaker.
She has a wide background of
experience in church work and in
her home church she has been
active not only In women's but
also youth work. She is an ar
dent worker in the M-F council
of churches and the Columbia dis
trict Christian Endeavor's youth
work.
Mrs. Anne Smouse will leave
next week to spend the Christmas
holidays with her daughter and
son-in-law, Dr. and Mrs. Richard
K. Baker in Rochester, Minn.
Jack Angel spent last Wednes
day and Thursday In Yakima on
business. Miss Angel and Jackie
accompanied him.
Mrs. Loyd Burkenbine and four
children left Tuesday for Kansas
for a 15 day visit with relatives.
poultry were up to $200,000 this
year compared with $175,000 in
1955. The income from potatoes
and truck crops doubled in 1956,
it was estimated at $150,000 to
$225,000 last year.
Farm timber products was esti
mated at $300,000 compared to
$250,000 in 1955 and small fruits
dropped from $25,000 in 1955 to
$2,000' in 1956 because of winter
kill in the November 1955 freeze.
Miscellaneous animal products
increased from a $25,000 estimate
in 1955 to $125,00 in 1956.