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Heppner, Oregon, July 25, 1957
74th Year, Number 20
8 Buildings And
Equipment Burn
At Padberg Ranch
A fire which started from an
unknown cause in or around a
shop building, last Saturday
completely destroyed eight farm
buildings and either damaged or
destroyed much equipment on
me William H Padberg ranch in
(.larks Canyon south of Lexing
ton. No definite estimate of the
loss has been made, but it will
run into many thousands of dol
lars, it is estimatted.
The fire started about noon in
or near a shop building located
just south of the house and with
in a short time strong winds had
carried the flames into all the
rsmaining buildings with the ex
ception of the residence which
was saved. The only member of
the family home at the time was
Mr. Padberg, who is 85 years of
age, and he suffered a fractured
hip when he fell from a pickup
when being returned to the fire
after having started down Clark's
Canyon road after help. He is
being treated at Pioneer Memori
al hospital.
Fire Seen From Plane
. Also noticing the fire shortly
after it started was Gar Leyva,
operator of Gar Aviation at Lex
ington, who had flown a spray
plane loaded with water to the
Van Winkle ranch to aid in putt
ing out a small stubble fire
which started shortly before. Ley
va flew over the burning build
ing and attempted to dump his
entire load of water on the fire,
but a faulty dump valve refused
to operate. He immediately flew
back to the Lexington airport
and sounded the alarm from
there which brought many volun
teers to help fight the flames.
Destroyed in the wind-fanned
fire were two large barns, one
holding a considerable amount
of baled hay, the shop building,
two granaries, one of which was
full of barley and the other part
ly filled with wheat, and four
other chicken houses and out
buildings. Completely destroyed
was a wheel tractor and partially
burned or damaged past usage
during the coming harvest were
two large pull combines. One
combine had just been com
pletely overhauled and was to
have been used the following day
to start harvesting. The Padbergs
had finished the overhaul job
only the night before The other
combine wasn't burned, but was
damaged when it was pulled
away from the heat. Also lost
were innumerable small tools
and two big piles of fence posts.
Nearly all fences in the immedi
aate area were also destroyed.
Through the efforts of neigh
bors who supplied and operated
two tractors, the fire was kept
away from adjacent wheat fields
and gtass land. Nearly 100 men
and women who saw the smoke
from as far away as 10 to 15
miles, used wet sacks and shov
els to help confine the fire to the
immediate area.
The ranch is the Padberg home
ranch which was taken up by
William H. Padberg in 1897. It
is farmed by sons Bill, Buster and
W. H. I. "Buck" Padberg.
There was a small amount of
insurance on the destroyed prop
erty. The blaze was the second seri
ous fire in this area in recent
weeks. On July 11 nearly $25,000
worth of baled hay was destroyed
at the Harold Wright ranch near
Ruggs.
o
Baker Nudges Junior
Legion Team 8 to 7,
To Play Sunday
The logal Junior Legion base
ball team dropped a close con
test to the Baker Juniors Sunday
8 to 7. It was the local's fifth
straight loss ,but coaches Floyd
Sayers and Ernie Drake said the
boys are showing marked Im
provement in their batting and
look for a win soon. The Heppner
boys hit 8 doubles during the
game.
The Juniors will play a return
game Sunday at the lone field
against Baker, and it is hoped
that another game can be ar
ranged for the following weekend
with Milton-Freewater. In a pre
vious game, M-F took the local
Juniors by a slim one-run margin.
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Estate.
SMOKING REMAINS of eight farm buildings which were destroyed
by fire last Saturday noon at the William H. Padberg ranch
in Clark's Canyon. The fire apparently started in a shop just
behind the garage in the right foreground and quickly spread
to the other buildings. Almost hidden in the smoke from one
burning barn, left center, are the remains of a tractor and two
combines which were either destroyed or damaged. Only build
ings left were the smell buildings in the left foreground, the
garage and house which is out of the picture to the right.
(GT Photo)
FAIR PREMIUM LISTS
MAILED; EXHIBITORS ENCOURAGED
Premium lists for the Morrow
count fair were mailed to the
mailing list this week which in
cludes all farm families and
others not on the list but who
might have made an exhibit at
last year's fair, the oounty agent's
office announced today. Addi
tional premium lists are avail
able at the office for those who
might have been missed in the
mailing, N. C. Anderson said.
Farmers and townspeople alike
are urged to be thinking about
their exhibits and to get them
lined up now so that there will
be many in every class to make
this year's fair one of the biggest
PUBLIC UTILITY TAX
COUNTY REDUCED FOR COMING YEAR
The 1957 utility assessment
ratios, announced today by the
Oregon State Tax Commission,
show a definite easing of the
sharp reductions of the past two
years. The ratios? assigned by the
Commission to the various coun
ties for use on utility property
assessments, will continue to be
reduced as in the past until the'
level of locally -assessed property
is reached, a Commission spokes
man said, but the reduction will
be spread out over several years.
Previous Commission policy
would have brought about full
equalization in a single step this
year, but a substitute plan, em
bodied in House Joint Resolution
JA was proposed and approved by
the House. In the closing days of
the session, the proposal failed
to clear the Senate, but since
that time approval of the policy
contained in the resolution has
been obtained from those in a
position to advise the Commis-
icn.
The basic purpose of the new
plan is to slow the reductions so
that a minimum of "unanticip
ated economic hardships" will
result. There is no contention
that the equalization should not
be made, but the Commission
feels that it should be conducted
over a longer period of time to
allow a minimum disruption of
the taxing processes.
To carry out this policy, fTTe
Commission this year made ad
justments in the relationship of
each of the counties so that they
will be about the same amount
out of line with locally-assessed
property. In subsequent years the
plan is to reduce the ratios by a
definite amount each year. This
year the ratios are approximate
by 120 of the ratios posted by
the assessors and used on locally
assessed property. This means
utilities will pay 20 more than
other classes of property Each
WEATHER
The Heppner weather station
reports:
Hi Low Prec.
Thurs. 73 42 .
Fri. 79 49 , .
Sat. 85 51 .
Sun. 89 53 .
Mon. 88 55 .
Tues. 84 51 .
Wednes. 83 47 .
Rainfall for week, none; for
July, .11; for the year, 10.12 inches.
i X rsA
NOW BEING
yet. With the exceptional grain
hay and garden crops this year.
the county agent said he would
expect one of the largest exhib
its yet in these divisions. He
asked residents to check through
the premium book, and list the
exhibits which each individual
might enter.
Included with the premium
book is a list of points to con
sider if planning to exhibit fruits
and vegetables. The list was pre
pared from interest shown by
exhibitors in the past. If a copy
of this list is not included in the
book mailed out, it also can be
obtained from the county agent's
office.
RATIO IN
year hereafter the assigned ratio
will be reduced by 5 so that
next year the calculation will
be on the basis of 115 of the
posted ration, undess there are
other factors that affect the fig
ure. The ratios show a general re
duction 'of about 5 over last
year. Not all counties were re
duced; 11 were increased, from
one to three ration points, while
5 counties stayed the same. Twen
ty counties showed decreases
ranging from 9 points in Gilliam
county, 6 points in Jefferson
county, 5 points in Baker county
down to a 1 point drop for sev
eral counties.
In Morrow county the assigned
utility ration for 1957, will be 32
percent, down two percent from
last year. The county posted ratio
remains at 27 percent.
Van Marter Named
To State Office
La Verne Van Marter Jr. has
been notified by ft.L. Blackledge,
Grand Exalted Ruler of the Ben
evolent and Protective Order of
Elks of his selection as District
Deputy Grand Exalter Ruler for
Oregon, Northeast. Van Marter
is immediate past Exalted Ruler
of Heppner Lodge B.P.O.E. No.
358. He will attend a conference
in Salt Lake City on August 24
at which he will take his oath
of office, receive his official com
mission and be instructed in his
official duties."
Chest X-Ray Date
Changed for August
The regular free chest X-ray
sponsored by thte Morrow County
TB and Health Association, and
given the first Wednesday of
each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m.
at the Pioneer Memorial hospit
al, has been changed for the
month of August to the second
Wednesday, August 14.
o .
WIRES CAUSE ALARM
The Heppner fire department
was called to the Ted Smith
home on North Court street Tues
day afternoon when lead-in pow
er wires shorted in tree limbs
and flared. Damage was confined
to the wires.
Fire
$100 Prize Awaits
Top Cake Baker
Local Fair Contest
Once again it is time to start
thinking about entering the Ore
gon Wheat Growers League cake
baking contest at the Morrow
county fair, August 27, 28, 29 30
Anyone can enter mom, dad,
and youngsters, too if they can
bake a light tender yellow butter
type cake.
Th? 1957 contest is open to all
yellow cakes made with a solid
type fat and whole egys. An all
American cake, it's one that can
be dressed up or down and is ex
cellent for family and party des
sert. Contest cakes should be
frosted, although frostings and
fillings are only judged as acces
sories to the cake.
Premiums include $5 for first
place, $3 for second and $2 for
third place cake. All first place
winners will be expected to enter
the state bake-off which will be
held in Pendleton, December 5 6
and 7, at the annual meeting of
the Oregon Wheat Growers
League. The "state bake-off" win
ner will take $100 home to do
with as he or she wishes.
Cake should be entered at the
woods department by 10 a. m.
Wednesday August 28 at the
Morrow county fair.
Heart Attack
Strikes Barratt
County Judge Garnet Barratt
was taken to Pioneer Memorial
hospital Wednesday morning aft
er having suffered a heart attack
while at work at his office in the
court house.
Physicians attending Judge
Barratt said his condition is con
sidered critical but that it will
take several days of tests to be
able .to determine definitely the
seriousness of the attack.
Judge Barratt suffered a pre
vious attack over one and one
half years ago and was hospital
ized for several weeks.
Guest Preacher
Due at All Saints'
Guest preacher at All Saints'
Episcopal church Sunday will be
the Rev. Father F. C. Benson
Bellis, rector of St. Luke's Episco
pal church at Long Beach Calif.
He is the former dean of the
Cathedral of Manila, Philippine
Islands.
Mr. Bellis and the Rev. R. S.
Little rector of All Saints' are
presently attending a church
conference near Portland.
Heppner Navy Man
In Flight Training
PENSACOLA, Fla. (FHTNC)
Navy Ensign Donald E. Blake, son
of Mr. and Mrs. Earl J. Blake of
Heppner, Oreg., is undergoing
instrument, formation and night
flight training at Correy Field
Naval Auxiliary Air Station, Pens
acola, Fla.
Before advancing to this last
stage of basic training, students
complete the precision-acrobatic
phase of flying.
Upon completion of basic train
ing they are assigned to anti
submarine or patrol planes for
advanced training.
60 Bushel
f.
A-
4
HEAVY YIELD of certified Omar and Burt wheat is being harvested
by these two combines on the Bergevin ranch south of lone.
This field of Omar stands more than waist high and is over
aging 60 bushels per acre. ' (GT Photo)
Oregon Youth to
Gather Here for
Week Range Camp
Organizations interested in 4-H
club work will sponsor four boys
to the 1957 Youth Range camp
which will be held next week at
the Tuper Guard station in the
Blue mountains.
Bruce Rigby, lone; Bill Parsons
and Billy Doherty, Lexington, and
Billy Monagle, Heppner will at
tend the camp on scholarships
provided by the Morrow County
Livestock Growers association,
Morrow County Farm Bureau,
Heppner Soil Conservation dist
rict and the Morrow county 4-H
club council.
The boys, who must be 14
years of age or older, were select
ed on the basis of leadership,
citizenship and love of outdoors.
Boys from Coos, Curry, Douglas,
Jackson and Josephine and all
eastern region counties will be
represented.
At camp, boys will study range
and sou judging, plant identifi
cation, ranch organization man
agement and predator control.
There will be time for supervised
swimming, Softball and . other
sports and for sessions on photo
graphy and camping. Outdoor
manners sportsmanship and
woodsmanship will also be feat
ured. The camp is sponsored by the
Pacific Northwest section of the
American Society of Range Man
agement and will run July 29
through August 3. This is the first
time the camp has been held in
Morrow county.
New Transmission
Line to Serve
Local Co-Operative
Bonneville Power Administra
tion today announced opening of
bids for clearing and construcc
tion of the 26-mile Big Eddy-De
Moss 115,000 volt transmission
line with an apparent low bid of
$217,830 submitted by Key Con
struction Company Tacoma Wash.
Energization of the line and a
15,000 kilovolt-ampere substation
with two feeder positions ,at De
Moss, Oregon in May 1958, will
provide power for Sherman and
Gilliam counties in North Cent
ral Oregon served by the Wasco
Electric Cooperative, the Colum
bia Basin Electric Cooperative,
and Pacific Power and Light
Company.
Specifications call for clearing
a 100-foot secured right-of-way
and construction of H-frame and
single wood pole structures, to
gether with some steel river
crossing towers and stringing of
conductor and overhead ground
wires.
The successful contractor will
have 2G0 days to complete the
project. .
Other bids include Tyee Con
struction Company and Lee Hoff
man, Seattle, Washington $244,
137 (combined bid); R. C. Hughes
Company, Spokane, Washington
$231,089; Montgomery Electric
Company, Portland, Oregon, $237,
608; Sierra Electric Company,
Portland, Oregon $248,735: and
W. L. Ridge Construction Comp
any, Spokane, Washington, $235,-
835.
TOWN SOFTBALL TEAM
TO PLAY AIR BASE
The Heppner town Softball
team will play a Condon Air
Base team tonight (Thursday) at
6:30 on the -rodeo field.
Wheat Being Harvested
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PRINCESS BARBARA STEAGALL
Rodeo Dance to Honor
Lexington Princess
Ths first of the 1957 Morrow
county fair and rodeo princesses
will be honored Saturday night
when Barbara Steagall, 16 year
old daughter of Mr. and Mrs..
Wilbur Steagall of Lexington
will be the guest of honor. The
dance is being given by the Lex
ington Grange, Princess Barbata's
sponsor.
Princess Barbara, five feet six
inches, is the tallest member of
this year's all-blonde court. She
will be a junior at the Lexing
ton high school next year.
Princesses are becoming a tra
dition in the Steagall family as
Barbara is the third daughter to
be accorded the honor. Her sister
Deanna was a rodeo princess in
1954 and only last year another
sister, Pat was a member of the
royal court.
She is a member of the, Wrang
lers riding club and consistently
places high in competitive events
held by the club. Logically, she
lists riding as her favorite pas-
Native Hollander
Tells of Country
Harry Eongers, new admin
istrator of Pioneer Memorial hos
pital and a native of the Nether
lands, Monday noon spoke to the
chamber of commerce on his nat
ive country.
Eongers told how much of Hol
land lies below sea level and
how the country is diked and
drained, to provide additional
badly needed farm land. He fold
of the big storm of 1953 which
breached the dikes and inundat
ed a large area of coastal lands
and how the dikes were repaired
and the sea water pumped out
to allow farming again in the
flooded areas.
He explained that Holland has
one-fourth the land area of the
state of Oregon, yet supports over
8,000,000 peope.
Reports continue to come in of
exceptionally heavy wheat yields
as harvesting gets into full swing
in all sections of Morrow county.
The Morrow County Grain Grow
ers Wednesday reported that it
is now receiving about 125,000
bushels per day at all elevators
and that peak hauling is now
under way at the Lexington, lone
and McNab stations.
One of the heaviest confirmed
yields reported this year on a
large field is on the Bergevin
ranch south of lone. Denward
Bergevin, operator, who has one
of the largest fields of certified
wheat in the county, is now harv
esting Omar and Burt wheat on
two fields. The Omar has aver
aged GO bushels per acre with
nearly half of the 233 acres harv
ested, and a 257 acre field of
certified Burt is running 56 bush
els to the acre. The Omar has
tested at 61 and one-half pounds.
Bergevin reported that the
time. , During the school year
Princess Barbara is active In extra-curricular
events and is a
member of the Girls Athletic As
sociation. She is excellent help at
home and she has been active in
4-H club work having had four
years of cooking and sewing.
For her dance, which will be
held at the fair pavilion In Hepp
ner the Lexington Grange has
signed Jay Purdom and his Blue
jay Boys, a well known TV radio
and recording orchestra from
Spokane. Dancing is scheduled
from 9:3o to 2:00 o'clock.
Other princesses on the court
will bo honored at their own
dances on subsequent weekends.
o
Registration Date
Set For Kindergarten
The Heppner Civic League met
Monday evening at All States
Episcopal praish house and it
was announced that kindergart
en registration will be on Friday,
September 6 at the kindergarten
room in the school.
Fees, will be $10 registration
and $6 a month if the child at
tends more than 13 days; if at
tendance is less than that the
charge is 50c per day. Mrs. Roy
Tabor will be the teacher again
this year.
During the meeting two new
members to the kindergarten
board were elected, Mrs. Gordon
Pratt for a two year term, re
placing Mrs. Jack Angel and
Mrs. Larry Dowen for a three year
term replacing Mrs. William Sdw
ell. Bids will be asked for from
local plumbers for putting in a
rest room in connection with the
kindergarten room. This improve
ment is to be financed by the
Civic League.
Mrs. Pratt was appointed chair
man of the committee to prepare
a float to enter in the rodeo par
ade. Near lone
grain is so heavy that he is forc
ed to combine In low gear, well
throttled down, and is covering
only about three-quarters of a
mile per hour,
Other ranches in the same area
have reported yields between 40
and 50 bushels per acre.
The MCGG reported that indi
cations still hold that former
forecasts of 30 to 35 bushels per
acre will be the county-wide
wheat yield, with barley expected
to run at least a ton to the acre.
MCGG manager Al Lamb said
that they still expect to be able
to handle the grain without dif
ficulty. The co op is shipping
heavily and reports an ample
supply of railway cars to meet
needs.
Mr. and Mr3 John Karlik of
Portland visited one day last
week at the home of Mrs. Clara
Gertson. Mrs. Karlik is Mrs. Gert
son's daughter.