Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (June 27, 1957)
L I BRARY U OF 0 EUGENE, 4V ORE . i irwi ill ir ii if 11 ii ii II 7 ii Copies 10 Cents Wilkinson Ranching Operations Win Grassman Award For 1957 t V7 , -o '4 t COUNTY GRASSMEN, Frank Wilkinson, center, his itn-in law, George Rugg, right, and son Dick. r,ot innMhor nvpr ninna for future develoomsnt of their ranch operations. The three were named this week os Morrw county Grossmen of the Year by the Morrow of the award. By Irene Wilson Maintenance of adequate range cover, grass seedings and con struction of stock ponds are am ong the practices which have won for Frank Wilkinson and Sons, Heppner, the Morrow coun ty grassman of the year award for 1957. Announcement was made Tuesday night at a meet ing of the Morrow County Farm Bureau, sponsor of the county contest. Wilkinson, his son, Dick, and son-in-law, George Rugg, own and lease, upwards of 100,000 acres. This includes the home place and other properties on Willow creek above Heppner, forest service allotments in the Blue mountains in the south end of Morrow county and Taylor grazing allotments and the Six mile ranch in the sands of north Morrow county. Coming here as a young man from England in 1905 with some 572 in his pockets, Frank Wilk inson started the operation after working for wages for 10 years in the Fossil area for the Gilman French concern, or the Prairie ranch. During that time he had acquired sheep and cattle which he sold to enter World War I. On arriving in Portland the arm istice was signed. After working around the stockyards there for a couple of years, Wilkinson mar ried Wavell Ball of Fossil. On their return from a wedding trip to England, Mr. and Mrs. Wilk inson settled on the original Wil low creek ranch of 2260 acres. As he developed his own place and acquired additional holdings, Wilkinson carried out, a rotation al grazing program to hold and improve his grass. Originally mainly a sheep ranch, Wilkin- lone Grange Gets Thanks From Ullman For Dam Support At the regular meeting of Wil lows grange of lone a letter was read concerning Hells Canyon dam from Al Ullman thanking the grange for their views and telling of his continued support. It was voted to dispense with the July meeting and to hold a picnic in, place of the August meeting with time and place to be announced later. Donald Heliker was appointed chairman for the princess dance, with Hershal Townsend and Leo Crabtree as helpers. Mrs. Lewis Halvorsen and Mrs. Hershal Townsend were appoint ed chairmen for the grange booth at the county fair. The Home Economics club met at Mrs. Earl McCabe's with a potluck dinner. Additional grange business was discussed includ ing the annual bazaar which is held every fall. Pomona grange was announced as being held at Boardman, June 29 and all members urged to at tend. Following the meeting the grange "was host for a house warming for Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Halvorsen. A large crowd attend ed and cards were played after which refreshments were served. A money tree was presented the Halvorsens from the group, by Mrs. Ernest Heliker. Sue Town send had charge of the guest book. - i i j i Hi' v V'mm7fy y "l f son and Sons gradually branched into cattle along with the sheep. They now run about 500 head of Hereford breeding cows and five bands of sheep, one of year lings and four of ewes and lambs. Band numbers range from 1000 to 2000 head. Bulls are registered and run with from 25 to 35 cows depending on pastures and water supplies. Sheep are wintered and lamb in the sand areas and are moved , to the mountains while the range is still in top condition to guarantee feed for the following year. Cattle graze on Willow creek pastures and under a rota tion system most are moved to from four to five different past ures, each year, starting at the lower elevations and advancing to the foothills and mountains to preserve forage. Calves are fed grain through the winter to the yearling stage and sold in the spring. Top heifers are held for replacement. Regular vaccina tions and spraying are done at branding time and feedlot stock is sprayed again when necessary. Over 150 miles of fencing is main tained over the entire operation. Hay production on irrigated pastures last year totaled about 900 tons, or some 23,000 bales, Dick Wilkinson 'estimated. All is fed to the cattle and most stored in feeders located along Willow creek. An additional 500 tons is purchased for sheep feeding with any extra going to feedlot cattle. Since 1950 conservation pract ices on the holdings have includ ed seeding of many varieties of grasses on 96 acres; 54 acres of land leveled to increase hay pro duction; moving of 12,560 cubic yards of dirt on channel changes; development of 3,128 feet of drainages; building of 14,320 lin ear feet of ditch and construc tion of nine stock ponds along the Willow creek area. In add ition nine ponds have been de veloped in the mountains in co operation with the forest reserve program. Majority of the channel changes are just below the city wells on Willow creek and drain ages are divided about 50-50 on the home place and the former Mary Kirk place. Poids were constructed both for irrigation and stock watering holes and permanent ditches were built for irrigation on Wil low and Skinner creeks. Diver sion gates and flumes are in cluded in the water development system which follows the CCC program started in 1939. In addition to the stock opera Hon, Wilkinson and Sons have about 560 acres in wheat and summer fallow and 420 acres of Cropland. All farming is done on the contour. They have been co operators with the Heppner soil conservation district since its foundation in 1943. Modern equipment for the op eration includes nine tractors, a carryall land plane, bulldozzer, nine pickups, jeeps and trucks and other farm machinery. This year three bands of sheep were hauled in trucks from the sands to the mountains. Hired help varies from 10 to 20. Following the recent windstorm in the Boardman area which destroyed the Wilkinson sheep camp, a new sheep camp will be built with wind protection planned. C -x . St- County Farm Bureau, sponsors Radios Used To facilitate management of the holdings "which range the length of Morrow county, Wilk inson and Sons recently installed four two-way radios with the base station at the Heppner TV site, the first such rancn com munication system in this area. They have approval for 10 radios from federal communications system. Children of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Wilkinson include Dick, who is married and has two daughters; Shirley (Mrs. George Ruggs), with two daughters and Frances (Mrs. Walter Osland) Newcastle, Wyo., with three daughters. All attended Oregon State college. Dick Wilkinson . handles the cattle and farming operation and Frank Wilkinson and Rugg the sheep operation Selection committee for the county contest was Harold Beach and Alvin Wagenblast, Lexing ton, and Don Heliker, lone. Wilk inson and Sons will compete for the state title in the "grass is gold" contest sponsored by the Portland chamber of commerce. o Parent-Teachers Stress Program On Child Safety Local Parent-Teacher officers joined with the national organiz ation in promoting child safety with emphasis on bicycle swimming care. and 1 Included in the program is a cwt; utility-commercial cows, 12.. drive to educate youngsters on 110 to 14.20 cwt; canner-cutter proper riding of bicycles; teach-1 cows, 9.50 to 13.80 cwt; shells, ing little girls not to accept rides, 7.10 to 8.90 cwt; and bulls, 17.10 with strangers and stressing the 'to 18.90 cwt. safest nlarP to swim is in a su- HOGS Weaner pigs, 11 to 15 pervised pool. They strongly em phasize that a youngster should never swim by himself. The national P-TA convention was held recently in Cincinnati where it was reported that there are now 11 million members throughout the nation. The PTA in Oregon comprises 127,000 members and 245 belong locally. In the state association, Mrs. Helen Rondeau of Condon is the art chairman. o GT Requests Early Copy Next Week The Gazette Times again requests advertisers and news correspondents to get copy In to the paper ct least one day early next week. Because of the Fourth of July holiday falling on Thurs day the Gazette Times will be published one day early and ell deadlines are advanced by one day Heppner subscribers will receive their papers Wed nesday afternoon while those living in other areas will get their's as usual Friday. Mr. and Mrs. Ray Judson and daughter Karen and Anne Dallas all of Salem visited last week at the home of the C. E. McQuarries. Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Espy and sons and Gary Jones of Potlach, Idaho were overnight guests Sun day with her mother, Mrs, Thompson. P.- A. Linda and Judy Wellman of Baker are visiting at the home of their aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Meador. Heppner, Oregon, June 271957 Small Timber Fires Fought as Training Session Opens Forest Service fire suppression crews Sunday fought their fourth timber fire of the season in the Madison Butte area when a "sleeper" fire from previous light ning storms broke out. The fire was confined to a single snag which had been smouldering for several days it was thought. The first fire reported this year was a snag blaze on June 2 in the Kingbolt Spring area. Others were controlled in Cupper Canyon on June 17 and Gilman Flat on June 19. All were set by lightning and none grew to any size, the Hepp ner district ranger's office re ported. The annual Umatilla National Forest guard training school op ened at Tupper Guard Station Monday with about 60 Umatilla forest employees attending the sessions which are given under the direction of Charles Rector, Umatilla National Forest super visor and other training person nel. The school will end Friday and all lookout and guard as signments will be made next week. Even though this winter and spring has been unusually wet, the dry weather during recent weeks has dried forest areas greatly, it was reported, and the public is urged to take every pre caution against starting fires in the timbered areas. o Livestock Prices Holding Srtpng HERMISTON Prices remained strong at the Hermiston Live stock Commission Co. sale Friday in a fast moving market that 81 consignors place 278 cattle, 93 hogs and 84 sheep on the auc tion block. ' Hog prices wert high with :feeder pigs topping at $22.30 cwt, fat hogs jugt below at mm cwt cwt and sows at $18.10 cwt. Most cattle prices were steady with veal continuing where prices lev eled olf last week. Dairy cows ranged from $115 to $147.50 per head whUe the best stock cows and calves brought a very re spectable $195 per pair. Dry cows and heifers and steers for feed lots will be espeel ally needed for next Friday's sale. The market: CATTLE Baby calves, 4.50 to 29 per head; steer calves, 20.10 21.80 cwt; heifer calves, 18.30 to 19.60 cwt; veal, 20.10 to 22.75 cwt; stocker steers, 16.75 to 18.30 cwt; feeder steers, 18.30 to 20.10 cwt;. grass heifers, 15.60 to 18.60 cwt; dairy cows, 115 to 147.50 per head; feeder pigs, 20.10 to 22.30 cwt; fat hogs, 20.50 to 21.660 cwt; sows, 14.75 to 18.10 cwt; and boars, 5.50 to 13.50 cwt. SHEEP Feeder lambs, 15.20 to 16.10 cwt; and older ewes with lambs at side, 9.25 per head. Those earning top prices at the market included Paul Partlow, Boardman, 15 per head for 7 weaner pigs; Federated Livestock Co., Pendleton, 21.60 cwt for 15 fat hogs of 2845 pounds; A. M. Shaffer, Condon, 18.10 cwt for a 360-pound sow; W. E. Brock, Tou chet, 16.10 cwt for four lambs of 320 pounds; Leo Klaus, Hermis ton, 22.75 cwt for a 260-pound veal; D. L. Lemon, Arlington, 18. 90 cwt for a 1570-pound white face bull; Ned Roberts, Patter son, 195 per pair for three sows with calves at side; and Pete Kos- fos, Pendleton, 16.10 cwt for an 890-pound white face cow. o COUPLE TO OPEN REST HOME IN HEPPNER Mr. and Mrs. H. Workinger of Condon this week announced that they will open a home for old couples or single men or wo men in Heppner. They have rent ed the Bob Davidson house here and will provide board and room in a homelike atmosphere. o FISHING AT COAST Among those from Hepner who were fishing at Wesport, Wash., last weekend were Mr. and Mrs. Walter Becket, Mr. and Mrs. Claude Buschke, Mr. and Mrs. Max Buschke, Mr. and Mrs. Del mer Buschke, Mr. and Mrs. Har old Evans and Doyle Keyes. OPENING OF FIRE SEASON BRINGS STOP TO ALL OUTSIDE BURNING HERE Heppner fire chief C. A. Rug-areas because of the very heavy gles today announced the annual ban on all types of burning with in the city of Heppner by pro claiming the start of fire season here. He stated that effective im mediately no burning permits of any kind will be issued. The ban, according to city ord inance, applies to all types of burning whether in the open or in containers and prohibits the burning of any material except in commercial quantities in an approved incinerator. At present time there is no approved incin erator in the city, the chief said. In opening the fire season, the chief urged extreme care in all Plans Announced For 1957 Oregon Youth Range Camp The 1957 youth range camp, sponsored by the Pacific North west section of the American So ciety of Range Management, has been scheduled for July 29 through August 3, reports John Houston, U. S. Forest service, Portland. Clouston, chairman of the so ciety's youth committee, said the camp will be held at the Tupper guard station in the Umatilla national forest near Heppner. Eastern Oregon counties and Coos, Curry, Douglas, Jackson, and Josephine counties, are elig ible to send four boys to the camp. The boys, ages 14 to 18, will be selected through plant identification contests, or on the basis of leadership, citizenship and love of the outdoors. Scholarships covering camp costs of each boy will be provid ed by local organizations and Individuals in each county. A lo cal committee in each county will arrange the scholarships and help select the boys. Chairmen of these committees will be an nounced soon. At the camp, boys will study range and soil judging, plant id entification, ranch organization and management, and predator control. There will be time for supervised swimming, Softball, and other sports, and for ses sions on photography and camp ing. Outdoor manners, sports manship, and woodsmanship al so will be featured. Camp manager this year will be Bill Currier, USFS, Portland. Jack Ross, Oregon State college farm crops specialist, is camp program chairman. o Savings Bonds Sales Improve in County The sale of the new United States treasury department sav ings bonds, with their improved interest rates, went up last month in Oregon, according to word received today by county savings bonds committee chair man Jack Bedford. "There has been so much curiosity concerning what the May sale of savings bonds would be, because of the change of interest rate from 3 to 3'4," said Bedford. "In most years since the end of World War II, our sales in May have been less than in April, both in Oregon and in the country at large. This year that pattern has been re versed. Sale of E and II bonds In this county in May were $15,007, com pared to $21,7883 a year ago. To tal sales in Oregon of the two series last month were $3,085,531, up 9.47(. Sales in Morrow county for the year are ahead of 1956 by $36,000. r r- 1 te.- f 'ih'ii NEW WATER LINE goes into the ground as crews are nearing the completion of the project which renews two miles of Heppner1! main water line from the Willow creek wells. Shown are Vic Groshens, city superintendent, foreground, and Frank Hamlin readying the section of 8 inch pipe for laying. Handling the digger is Bob Dcbbs. The crew hopes to complete the work by this weekend. rank growth of grass which is now getting dry and causing a fire hazard. The fire department has fought two grassfires already this season, the last Tuesday morning along Linden Way in North Heppner. The department has done some controlled weed and grass burning in the last two weeks where it has been requested to do so. o County Wheat Men Approve Quotas Wheat growers in Morrow coun ty last Thursday approved mark eting quotas on wheat by the wide margin of 235 in favor to 11 votes against, the county ASC of fice reported this week. The na tionwide vote was held on June 20. Glowers in Oregon approved quotas by an 85.9 percentage, but figures nationwide, were not available. Quotas were approved, however. The secretary of agriculture had proclaimed marketing quotas o.a wlveat for next year, but growers must approve them each year in the referendum. Northern Lights Seen Here Tuesday Northern lights which are of ficially known as aurora borealis, put on their first reported show of the year Tuesday night but it is doubtful if many persons liv ing right in Heppner viewed the demonstration. The continually changing pil lars of light were first noticed about 10:30 and gradually faded out shortly after 11 p.m. They showed some slight change in pastel colors and brightened ab out 90 degrees of the northern skyline. Lights of town would have blinded most viewers but the lights were particularly brilliant when watched from the Top of Heppner hill or other high point, o Medical Costs Account for Increase In Welfare Budget The Morrow county public wel fare department this week gave explanation for the 10 percent increase in the county budget for its share of public assistance funds which raised to a total of $13,847'. The department advises that this increase in contingent on an overall increase of 12 percent in the total funds required for wel fare recipients for the next fiscal year due solely because of the increasing need for medical care and related services which now consume nearly 40 percent of the total expenditures for the indl Kl.m uun ui u.c tuum,. compares with 25 percent of the total costs for these purposes fori the two proceeding years. ' The total budget for the next.rormer locoi nesiaenT fiscal year is $87,839 which in cludes state 'and federal funds but no administrative costs. Heppner Man Named State Director Dale Brown, well known Hepp ner trapshooter, has been named a director of the Oregon Amateur Trapshooting Association. He was chosen at a meeting of the ors anization last weekend in Port land. 74th Year, Number 16 First County Barley Harvested As Elevators Emptied Grain was both coming and going in Morrow county this week as the first local barley was received at the Lexington elevat ors of the Morrow County Grain Growers, and at the same time the last of the 1956 crop of wheat was leaving the Paterson Ferry dock of the co-op. The credit for hauling the first load of 1957 crop barley went to C. C. Carmichael of Lexington, who started cutting Tuesday in a field just north of Lexington. Al Lamb, MCGG manager said Wednesday that the barley was good quality, with a 46 pound test and a moisture content ot 9. As far as is known no wheat has yet been cut in the county, unless possibly well to the north along Butter creek, but harvest ing is expected to start In the northern end by the first of the week. Shipping Heavy As the new crop grain was starting to arrive, the Morrow County Grain Growers today shipped the last bargeload of last year's wheat crop from Its Paterson Ferry elevator and dock. Lamb reported that since June 10, 550,000 bushels of wheat have gone out of the dock, making MCGG the largest shipper on the river during that period. All the co-op's elevators are now clear of the 1956 wheat. While the wheat was being cleared, trucks have been in the process of transferring nearly 600,000 bushels of barley from the co-op's other elevators In the county to the Paterson Ferry dock for in-transit storage. The movement is being made to open all storage facilities for the 1957 crop which wil soon begin to roll in. Crop expectations are still high though there has been some com plaint from farmers in certain sections that winds during the past several days have caused some shriveling. Wednesday's light rain, which amounted to .05 inch in Heppner, was generally welcomed by most wheat grow ers, but farmers with hay down took a rather dim view of the sprinkle. Generally the light fall was more beneficial than detri mental, however. o lone Board Awards School Bus Routes The lone school board Monday evening awarded school bus routes for the coming year to the following: Dry Fork, Adon Hamilton; Rocky Bluff, Hershel Townsend; North lone, Earl McCabe; Goose berry, Ernest McCabe; Heimbig-ner-Halvorsen route, Delmer Crawford. The large buses which were purchased by the. school Histrirt uill ha rlriinn VT Prhorf DcSpain, Ray Barnett and Pete Cannon Q . . , . Dies in California Word has been received of the death on June 19 of Harry Solby at Woodland, Calif., where he has made his home for a number of years. He lived in Heppner for a number of years as a boy and later served some time here as deputy sheriff. He had been in poor health for some time and his death was caused by a sudden heart attack. Among his survivors is a nephew, Bob Selby of Shelton, Wash. o Rev. and Mrs. Charles Knox and family left Sunday for Ind ianapolis, where he will attend a special session at Butler Uni versity. They were accompanied as far as Denver by Mrs. Pete McMurtry, who will visit there with her son Glenn. Mr. and Mrs. Al Lamb and Mr. and Mrs. Harlan McCurdy, Jr., were in Spokane the end of last week to attend a. grain conven tion. WEATHER The Heppner weather station reports: Hi Low Prec. 76 55 . 70 46 . 68 41 . 78 47 . 88 46 . 76 44 . 80 59 .05 Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Rainfall at Heppner for the week, .05; for June, .38; for the year, 10.01 inches. 1
