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Harvesting of
Heppner, Oregon, Thursday, June 19, 1958
County Grain Crop
Gets Under Way
Copies 10 Cents
Nearly 70,000 Acres of
Lost in
North End Fire Runs
From Boardman to Cecil
A spectacular range fire that
covered about 15 square miles
in the northern end of the coun
ty started on the Boardman bom
bing range Monday noon. The
fire, apparently caused by am
munition demolition, was not
brought under control until early
Tuesday morning.
Racing over between 50.000 to
70,000 acres of range land from
Boardman to the highway from
Cecil to Heppner Junction,
the blaze was fought by
nine fire trucks, army main
tainer and private farm bull
dozers and equipment. About
100 men were reported working
on fire lines over the wide area
and small crews were checking
spot fires on Tuesday.
No grain was burned in the
holocaust, but wheat on the
George Miller ranch at Cecil was
threatened. All of the Hynd Bros
range was wiped out and a few
sections used by Dick Wilkinson,
Grain Growers Offer
Farmers Fire Help
The Morrow County Grain
Growers have fixed up a
truck with a small fire fight
ing unit for farmers.
Any farmer having a fire
can call the Lexington office
phone 3-8423 and they will
help if they can.
Second Fire in
Month Hits Farm
Near Boardman
By MARY LEE MARLOW
The Boardman city fire truck
was called out for the second
time in less than a week Mon
day morning to put out a fire
on the farm of Lloyd Keller,
three miles east, of town. Keller
was burning some dead trees
that he had cut down and the
fire spread to the desert adjoin
ing his place. While he was try
ing to stop that the fire got to
his haystack and to a truck load
of hay by it. Mrs Nathan Thorpe
who lives across the road from
Keller, called the fire depart
ment and men from town and
neighbors responded to the call.
The truck and haystack were
destroyed and about 25 acres of
desert burned. Just four weeks
ago Monday, Keller's house
burned to the ground while he
was away from home. Wednes
day of last week the fire truck
was called to put out a fire at
the home of Charles Nickerson
in town. , "Nickerson had been
burning grass around the place
earlier, and wasn't home when
the house caught. The building,
owned by Mrs Mary Healy, was
completely gutted by the fire.
Daily Vacation Bible school at
Community church ended last
Friday, and pupils presented
their program that evening.
Theme of the school was "Ex
ploring God's Wonders." Pupils
recited memory verses and sang
songs learned. Their handwork
was exhibited in the church
basement. Total enrollment was
59, with an average attendance
of 54. 19 children received cer
tificates for perfect attendance
and six received certificates for
missing only one day.
Mrs Russell Miller entertained
a group of girls at her home
Saturday in honor of her daugh
ter Patty's 12th birthday. She
was assisted by her daughter,
Mrs Harold Baker, and Mrs Ron
ald Haas. . Present were Toni
Taylor, Patti Partlow, Dorothy
Rash, Eileen Ely, Brenda Bill
ings, Diana Malone, Irene Potts,
Lydia Hodges, Beatrice Rio, and
Roberta Phillips, the latter from
The Dalles, Ronda Haas, and
Ronnie and Randy Baker.
The Tillicum club met at the
home of Mrs Ronald Haas Tues
day evening of last week to in
stall officers. Mrs Dewey West,
retiring president, was install
Continued on Page 8
Monday's Range
George Rugg, Paul Webb, Camp
bells and Krebbs. The Wilkin
son sheep camp, located north
of the power lines on Six Mile
canyon which was a rough boun
dary of the blaze at that end
was not endangered.
Fire trucks used on the fire all
through Monday night Included
two from Cecil, two from Arling
ton, one each from Boardman,
Irrigon, Ordnance, Umatilla and
one from the bombing range
Spectators were drawn to the
area which was lit as bright as
daylight by the flames. C J D
Bauman, county sheriff, and
state police directed traffic
which jammed the Willow creek
highway around 11 pm.
Backfiring was started in the
Cecil area between 10 and 11
o'clock at night. The conflagrat
ion of heavy sagebrush and
grass shot high flames and
threw off heat like an inferno.
Main damage from the fire
could be caused, if strong winds
started sand blows, Dick Wilkin
son pointed out. Early snows al
so would eliminate pasturing la
ter in the fall.
The two-way communication
system on the Wilkinson ranches
proved valuable in gathering
men to fight the fire. George
Rugg was called from the moun
tains, Dick Wilkinson was called
back from Portland and operat
ions were coordinated by radio.
Women at the Krebs and Hynd
ranches furnished coffee, sand
wiches, cake and pop to the men
during the night.
Later reports told of the flames
getting out of control again
Tuesday afternoon in the valley
below Cecil near the Jack Hynd
home. The wind caused the fire
to jump the highway and rail
road tracks before being finally
brought under control by a crew
of weary firefighters, some of
whom had been on the job for
over 24 hours. Damage however,
still was confined largely to
sheep corrals, well houses and
sheep shelter in addition, of
course, to the heavy stand of
grass.
Loss of life was confined to
thousands of kangaroo mice and
jackrabbits.
4-H Summer Camp
To Be June 26-30
At Herren Creek
In preparation for the annual
4-H summer camp to be held at
the Herren Creek 4-H camp
ground June 26, through June
30, plans are being made now.
Approximately 75 young boys
and girls enrolled in 4-H club
work along with older 4-H mem
bers acting as camp counsellors
will take part in the four days
of camp craft sessions, nature
study hikes, camp fires, singing,
games, stories, soft ball and oth
er recreation.
Parents, leaders and those in
terested in 4-H club work will
spend Sunday, June 22 with a
clean up day in preparation for
the camp. Tents will be set up,
beds and mattresses moved in
and other details taken care of.
Pot-luck dinner will be held at
noon and anyone interested in
the camp is invited to attend.
Valbv Church To
install Minister
Rev Verlyn Kraxburger will
be the speaker at Valby Luther
an church at 9:30 am Sunday,
June 22. Sunday school will fol
low the service.
Dr S C Siefkes will also be at
the service which will be the
installation service for Rev John
Rydgren, who will serve as reg
ular minister for the Hope Luth
eran church in Heppner and Val
by church.
The annual picnic of the Val
by church and Sunday, school
will be held Sunday, July 6. All
members and friends are wel
come. Mr and Mrs N D Bailey at
tended the Rose festival in Port'
land last week.
TTE
MRS CLINTON AGEE (Janet
Howton) a June graduate of
Pacific University at Forest
Grove who will teach physical
education at the Heppner high
school this next year.
Residents Urged
Not to Waste Water;
May Face Rationing
All city water users were as
ked today by city superinten
dent, Vic Groshens to use care
in sprinkling and irrigation dur
ing the hot weather or they may
be threatened with water ration
ing. Groshens said this morning
that the city is pumping 700,000
gallons a day, the maximum
that the feeder main will carry,
but that local use has been going
over that amount for, the past
several days and is depleting
reservoir reserves.
He asks that residents sprinkle
only in the early morning or
evening and do not leave water
running all night.
"With resonable care we will
have plenty of water for every
one, but we can't afford to waste
it," Groshens said.
Youngsters Asked to
Treat Park With Care;
Keep Bikes off Walks
The Heppner city council and
police department this week
again reminded youngsters of
two problems always facing the
city during the summer. They
are treating the new city park
with care and bike and horse
back riding in the downtown
area.
Softball and baseball playing
on the main section of the park
has been prohibited because grass
there is still quite new and is
easily trampled out. The lower,
fenced end of the park is avail
able for youngsters' games,
though it is small.
Riding of bicycles on side
walks in the business area has
been prohibited for some years,
and police again remind young
sters of this ruling due to the
danger to pedestrians. There
have also been several recent
reports of broken store windows
caused by leaning bikes against
store windows, and police report
this practice " will have to be
stopped.
Horseback riding in the down
town area is also discouraged.
Morrow County Girls
In Neptune's Court
Miss Mardine Baker, daughter
of Mr and Mrs E Markham Ba
ker, lone, and Barbara Ander
egg, Boardman, will be princess
es of King Neptune's court at
the first McNary Aqua Capers
July 4-5 on McNary Lake near
Hat Rock State park. Eight other
princesses from the area will
complete the court.
The show is by McNary Aqua
Capers, Inc, a non-profit corpor
ation composed of sportsmen
from Umatilla and Morrow coun
ties, to promote greater recreat
ion on McNary Lake. The pro
gram will include water ski and
air shows, boat promenade and
water pageant, cross-lake swim
ming, demonstrations by the Tri-
Pass Ski club of Eugene and
fireworks. Events will start at
1 pm, July 4 and end at 6 pm,
July 5.
PUG
75th Year Number 15
Grass
Bl
aze
Businesses Agree
To 3-Day Closing
Over The Fourth
Fifty-two businesses in Hepp
ner, Lexington and lone will be
closed over the three-day Fourth
of July holiday, it has been an
nounced. Business men have
signed an agreement to close
during Friday and Saturday,
July 4 and 5.
Grocery owners pointed out
that final delivery of fresh pro
duce into the area would be
made on Thursday and no more
deliveries would come in from
wholesalers until Monday.
Business that will close include
the Heppner Market, Norah's
Shop, Wilson's Men's Wear, Mor
row County Creamery Turner
Van Marter and Bryant, Peter
son's Jewelry, Thomson Bros,
Connor's dress Shop. Gonty's
Heppner Bakery, Gilliam and
Bisbee, Heppner Variety, Hepp
ner Hardware and Electric, Her
man Howard Barber Shop, Cen
tral Market, Central Meat Mar
ket, Pacific Power & Light, Hepp
ner Cleaners, Heppner Laundry.
Farra's Shoe Service, Lott's
Electric, Ambrose Chapin's Bar
ber Shop, Heppner Gazette
Times, Case Furniture Co., Hepp
ner Red and White Store, Rug
gles Insurance, Way's Electronic
Service, Heppner Sla u g h t e r
House, Court Street Market, Tum-A-Lum
Lumber Co., Anderson's
Builders Supply-Bank of Eastern
Oregon, Lois's Beauty Shop,
Jeanne's Shop, Kay's Fountain
Lunch, J C Penney Co., Carl F
Spaulding, Beauty-Mode Shop
and Moyer's Cafe.
Lexington businesses closing
will be Hatfield's Grocery, Ni
chol's Red and White Store, Lex
ington Oil Co-op and Lexington
Cafe.
At lone those closing will in
clude Bristow's Grocery, Mc-
Cabe's Meat Market, Swanson's
Grocery. Richard M Greer Gro
cery, Omar Rietmann Hardware
and Melvin Melena Builders
Supply.
Also sienine is Mel Brady who
delivers bread to the three towns.
Businesses that will remain
open include the First National
Bank, Phil's Pharmacy, Hum-
nhrevs Drusr Store, Rosewall Mo
tor Co., Fulleton Chevrolet Co.,
Farlev Motor Co.. Empire Ma
chinery Co., Ella's Grill, O'Don-
nell's Cafe and service stations.
Former Resident Dies
In Mesa, Arizona
George William (Bill) Corbett,
former resident of Heppner and
the Eiehtmile area, died June
1 at his home near Apache Junc
tion, Arizona, according to word
received here.
Survivors include the widow,
Nellie, Mesa, Arizona; a stepson,
Maurice Smith, Tacoma, Wash;
a stepdaughter, Mrs Helen Ster
ett, McMinnville and nine grand
children. Services were held June 4 at
the Garden chapel with burial
in Mesa.
Republicans Schedule
Committee Meeting
The Morrow county Republi
can central committee will meet
Tuesday evening, June 24 at 8
pm at the Robert Penland home
in Heppner.
The purpose of the meeting is
to elect officers for the coming
year and it is urged that all
interested persons plan to at
tend. Pine Mills Secretary
Receives Promotion
Mrs Jean Mallory, secretary at
the Heppner Pine Mills for the
past two years, has been pro
moted to the position of secre
tary to Maurice Hitchcock, own
er and operator of the White
Swan Lumber Company. The
Heppner mill Is affiliated with
the White Swan organization.
Mrs Mallory and daughter,
Donelle, left Wednesday for
White Swan.
i .
BILLY DOHERTY. 16. son of Mr
was judged grand champion
Oregon Wheat League-sponsored 4-H and FFA fat stock show
and sale at The Dalles last week. Billy won the champion 4-H
beei showmanship before competing in the grand champion
contest.
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MIKE GRAY, 15, son of Mr and Mrs Merritt Gray, Heppner, is
shown with his reserve champion Hereford at the Oregon Wheat
League fat stock show and sale at The Dalles last week. Mike
is a member of the Heppner high school FFA chapter.
Foreign Students From
II of 0 Visit In County
Four foreign students at the
University of Oregon are visiting
and working in the lone, Lex
ington and Heppner areas , this
summer.
Guest at the home of Mr Vnd
Mrs Milton Morgan, lone is Pe
ter Giacomimi, 20 of Rome, Italy
who entered his junior year last
fall at the University and win
graduate next spring in politi
cal science. On his return to
Italy he will study further for a
degree in his own country.
Miss Lena Graslund of Sweden
will arrive this week for a va
cation at the home of Mr and
Mrs Don Heliker, lone. Miss
Graslund was a freshman last
year and is studying liberal arts.
Miss Lei Uemura of Hilo Ha
waii arrived last week at the
home of Dr and Mrs Wallace
Wolff in Heppner where she will
be employed for the remainder
of the summer. Miss Uemura en
tered her freshman year at the
tiniversitv last fall and will con
tinue there next year in liberal
arts.
Guest at the home of Mr and
Mrs Orville Cutsforth, Lexing
ton, is Miss Johanna Segers, an
exchange student from The Ha
gue, The Netherlands. A iresh-
man last vear. Miss Segers is
majoring in psychology and will
return to her homeland in July
to continue her studios at the
University of Leiden. Mr and Mrs
Cutsforth were the first in the
area to entertain foreign stu-
New Extension Agent
Arrives Here June 15
Miss Esther Kirmis, newly ap
pointed county extension agent
in home economics arrived in
the county June 15.
Her first responsibility was
that of accompanying the Mor
row County delegation to 4-H
summer school being held on
the Oregon State college campus
this week.
She will be looking forward
to meeting the homemakers of
the county in the next few weeks
as she works with the various
groups in their Home Economics
programs.
WEATHER 4
Prec.
.01
.07
Thursday
, Friday
Saturday
( Sunday
, Monday
Tuesday
Rainfall for the week .08, for
June .95, for the year 10.19 inches.
Hi Low
73 50
72 52
75 47
79 55
82 52
87 54
91 60
.v. v j , JS - -TV. . ...
and Mrs W J Doherty, Lexington,
4-H livestock showman at the
dents in their home when they I
invited a Japanese stuaent xo
their ranch last summer.
Mr and Mrs Loyd Howton,
lone, were expecting Miss Lissi
Olesen of Denmark as a vacat
ion guest but received word this
week that she would be unable
to come.
"The people at the University
are very much impressed with
the generosity and interest
which these people are showing
in our foreign students," accord
ing to word received from Fran
cis Nickerson, executive secre
tary of the Oregon state system
of higher education.
"We hope to make the pro
ject a continuing thing on a year
to year basis. Certainly it will
be a significant contribution to
international good feelings on
the part of everybody concern
ed," Nickerson, a former Hepp
ner high school graduate, said.
Funeral Services
For Ralph R Justus
Will Be Friday
Funeral services will be held
Friday afternoon at 2:00 pm at
Folsom's Funeral chapel in Pen
dleton for Ralph R Justus, 65,
who died Tuesday in Walla
Walla.
Mr Justus was born July 8,
1892 near Heppner and had liv
ed here all his life until about
three years ago when he and
his wife moved to Pendleton.
He was a member of the Hepp
ner Masonic lodge, Ruth chapter
OES and the Heppner Elks lodge.
His wife, Hilda, survives him.
Rev M B Ketcham will offic
iate at the service and inter
ment will be in Olney cemetery
at Pendleton.
STUDENTS HOME
FROM SCHOOL
Among students who arrived
home from Oregon colleges this
week are Lance Tibbies, Mary
Jo and Alice Faye Stewart, Don
Casteel and Sharon Cutsforth,
University of Oregon; Shirley
and Dick Kononen, Meredith
Thomson and Jim Hayes, Oregon
State college and David Cox and
Wayne Soward, Eastern Oregon
College of Education.
Jay Sumner will remain for
summer school at OSC and Jan
et Wright will return from OSC
following 4-H summer school
where she is working as a stu
dent advisor.
Tommy Gonty Is visiting his
brother and sister-in-law, Mr
and Mrs Raymond Gonty at Ren
ton, Wash for two weeks.
Harvesting of Morrow county's
1958 grain crop got under way
this week and by Wed. bar
ley was coming in to both the
Lexington and North Lexington
elevators of the Morrow County
Grain Growers. Some cutting was
reported north of lone Monday.
Max Barclay and William Do
herty started hauling to the
North Lexington elevator Wed
nesday morning and shortly af
terwards barley began coming
in to the Lexington elevator from
the Adolph Majeske and Duvall
ranches.
Elevator operators reported the
early barley was of good quali
ty and indications were for a
high acreage yield. Wheat har
vesting is expected to start in
the north areas by July 4 or
earlier.
The hot weather of the past
few days brought on rapid rip
ening of all grains and there
have been some reports of wheat
being hurt by the high tempera
tures. In some fields the wheat
is still partly green and soft
and fear was felt that the heat
had caused damage, but general
indications are that the county
as a whole will enjoy one of its
largest crops in history.
Al Lamb, Morrow County
Grain Growers manager, said
Wednesday that the co-op is
shipping heavily against govern
ment orders from all stations ex
cept Ruggs and North Lexing
ton which are already empty.
Shipping has also started again
from Paterson which was down
for a short time because of high
water in the Columbia.
Radio System
And Generator
To Aid Defense
Civil defense operations in
Morrow county gained headway
last week when the county court
approved purchase of a 30 kilo
watt standby generator for the
Pioneer Memorial hospital and
plans were outlined for Install
ing a base station and control
cable for radio communications.
The hospital generator has
been ordered as a civil defense
surplus unit. The present gener
ator is 3 kilowatt. The unit and
other civil defense equipment
are purchased through the civil
defense program under match
ing funds with federal monies
covering 50 percent and state
and county funds 25 percent
each of total costs.
The communication system for
civil defense and law enforce
ment calls for the laying of 10,
000 feet of cable from the court
house up the hill where the cross
is located and south to the hill
where the Wilkinson ranch base
station is situated. The cable
to the county base station will be
large enough to Include several
lines.
A five-year rental has been
secured for the base station.
The two-way county communi
cation is expected to Include a
mobile unit in the county sher
iff's car, the county roadmaster's
car, the city police car and a
car In Boardman at present. A
remote control will be installed
at the Heppner hotel to receive
calls when the sheriff's office Is
not open.
Officials expressed hope that
the system may get in operation
within the next - one or two '
months. The cable has been or
dered but not yet received.
Also operating from the base
station will be a communication
system for the Heppner Pine
Mills which received its license
last week. It expects to go into
operation shortly after the Fourth
of July and will have radio
equipment in three of its six
logging trucks, in the crew truck
and a unit each for the engineer
and jammer.
Al Lamb To Head
Democratic Group
Al Lamb was elected chair
man of the Morrow County Dem
ocratic Central committee Tues
day evening at a meeting at the
home of Mr and Mrs Newt O'
Harra in Lexington.
Mrs Clarence Rosewall is the
vice chairman; Mrs Paul Brown,
secretary; L E Ruhl, treasurer
and O'Harra, congressional com
mitteeman. ,
Plans and organization for the
coming campaign were discuss
ed at the meeting.
Mr and Mrs H C Wood of Port
land are visiting in Heppner this
week.
Weekend guests of Mr and Mrs
Henry Happold were his brother-in-law
and sister, Mr and Mrs
Hank Hall and the Hall's dau
ghter, Mrs Diane Zimmerman of
Oakland, California.