HEPPNER GAZETTE-TIMES,
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THE
GAZETTE-TIMES
MOHBOW COUNTY'S NEWSPAPER
- PHONE 676-9228
The Heppner Gazette, established March 30. 1883. The Heppnei
Times established November 18, 1897. Consolidated February 15
1912.
WESLEY A. SHERMAN
Editor and Publisher
54
rkal NIWIPAPIB
PUILISHIRS
ASSOCIATION
Subscription Kates: Morrow and Grant Counties, $4.00 Year; Else
where $4.50 Year. Single Copy 10 Cents. Published Every Thursday
and Entered at the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon, as Second
Class Matter.
OFFICE HOURS: 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Former Editor Writes
Of Paper's History
O. G. Crawford, now of Ncl
scott but whose name is closely
linked with Morrow county
newspaper history, has written
an Interesting letter to the editor
on the occasion of the Gazette
Times' 801 ii anniversary. It is
published here with the know
Indue that many will be inter
ested in the paper's background
and In the personalities assoc
iated with It.
It Is as follows:
Reading of your forthcoming
observance of the 801 h anni-
'itim bii iini ij iiiii un ii ii', i nir'iMiiaiiirfy
O. G. CRAWFORD
versary of the Heppner Gaelte,
and later (he Gazette-Times, I
was Intrigued with the idea that,
although I had not been ap
proached on the matter, I might
add something of interest Inas
much that for 50 years I was
from time to time identified with
the publications as recounted
above.
To begin with, the Crawford
family controlled the newspaper
field in Heppner and Morrow
county for a period of 10 years.
Going back farther than that,
my brother, Vawter Crawford,
joined the mechanical staff of
the Gazette In 181)0, when Otis
and Alvah Patterson were the
publishers. He worked for the
Gazette until he took the office
of County Clerk in 1898, a post
which lie held for eight years,
then joined Hie Hank of Heppner
staff as assistant cashier. In 1910
lie had an opportunity to buy
the Gazette from Fred Warnock
and two years later took over the
Times from E. M. Shutt and
COMMUNITY
BILLBOARD
i i
Coming Events
LEGION MOVIES
Saturday. March 30, 8 p.m.
"The Screaming Eagles," a
U. S. Air Force picture.
Plus one-half hour of car
toons. 4-11 BEAUTY CLINIC
Saturday, March 30, 1:30 p.m.
Multipurpose room, Heppner
Elementary school.
All 1 11 gills, leaders and in
terested mothers welcome.
BLOOD BANK DRAWING
Wednesday, Apr. 3, 2 to 5:30
Catholic Parish Hall
"Give that others may live.
MORKOW COUNTY HUNTERS
and ANGLERS CLUB
Morrow County Courthouse
Wednesday, Apr. 3, 8 p.m. In
terested public invited to at
tend. BAND CARNIVAL
Fair Pavilion BUIg., Sat., Apr.
13. Full evening of fun,
starting at 5:30 p.m.
SPONSORED AS A TUBLIC
SERVICE BY
C. A. RUGGLES
Insurance Agency
P. O. Box 247 PH. 676-9625
Heppner
Thursday. March 28, 1S63
IIMIHIIIMIIHHIUIMIIIHIIIIIIIIHIH
HEPPNER
HELEN E. SHERMAN
Associate Publisher
NATIONAL EDITORIAL
-T ttmHMI.'.H.'J:H:B
changed the name of the com
bined papers to, Gazette-Times.
It was a few days before I
attained my 15th birthday that
my brother Garfield came home
for lunch one day and asked
me if I would like to learn to
"stick type," that being the
method of composition of the
day. I accepted the offer and
accompanied him to the Times
office after lunch. Garfield had
been identified with both papers
from time to time since 1890.
E. M. Shutt was editor and pub
lisher of the Times and the
paper was published from a
small two-story frame building
located just about at the rear
of the present Gilliam and Bis
bee hardware store, being one
of a group of several small
frame buildings that were con
sumed in the 1919 fire which
was responsible for wiping out
several blocks of business houses
and residences. Adjoining the
Times building on the south was
the Willis Stewart livery barn
and yard, and beyond that was
he Gazette building. thus,
Ileppner's two newspapers were
relatively close neighbors for a
number of years.
This condition was changed by
Fred Warnock, who abandoned
the original Gazette building for
a location on May street, about
midway between Main and
Chase streets. The Gazette re
mained in that building until
In 1912, when the Times was ac-1
quired by Vawter Crawford who
decided that because the Times
had a typesetting machine, a
Unitype, it would be better to
dispose of some of the equip
ment of both plants and occupy
the Times building. This ar
rangement stood until after the
1918 fire which started in the
"Club" building on the comer
of West Willow and Gale
streets and spread out to include
several buildings in that immed
iate vicinity.
Frank Roberts, who built the
stone building at the corner of
West Willow and Main, owned
some of the lots left vacant by
the 1918 fire and Vawter pre
vailed upon him to put up a shop
building tor the Gazette-1 lines.
An agreement was reached and
that part of the present Gazette
Times building housing the
printing equipment was ready
for occupancy and the plant was
moved prior to the July 4, 1919,
fire. It seems almost unbeliev
able to me, but since figures
are not capable of lying, it must
he seen that the G-T has spent
more than one-half of its exis
tence in the location on West
Willow street.
In 1919, Vawter and son Spen
cer, who by that time had be
come associated in the publi
cation of the paper and was al
ready a "lop hand" in the print
ing department, found it nec
essary and advisable to re
place the old Country Campbell
cylinder press with something
more modem. They decided upon
the Optimus 41 as the type of
press best suited to their needs
and placed an order for the press
that lias served for almost 41
years. And (his was where the
writer came into the picture.
Having worked off and on for
two papers and then the G-T
after consolidation from 1901 to
1911), I moved from Heppner to
La Grande where I worked for
a short period in a small job
shop and then joined Hie job
staff on the La Grande Evening
Observer, then published by the
late Bruce Dennis. After 1 had
been there three or four months,
Dennis sold the paper and the
new publisher concluded that
wages were too high and cut
nearly all of the back shop tone
back $2 a week each. This was
hard to take in face of the fact
that World War 1 was on and
the cost of living was advancing
almost dally, so when an op
portunity came to work for the
Wallowa Chieftain at Enterprise
I accepted.
I The vears immediately follow
ing World War I were prosperous
ones tor tne i.azouo-1 nues umi
the publishers decided that was
the time to make long-needed
improvements in plant equip
ment. Chief of these was the
inuchase of the Optimus press.
Through the kindness and un
derstanding of George P. Cheney,
! publisher of the then Reeord
! Chieftain at Enterprise. I was
granted leave to spend the sum
mer at heppner and serve as
printer-pressman until such time
as the regular members of the
shop personnel had mastered the
RV AX---r y J '' ' Jff V f i
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F . - Jmmm - . Af '
THE OLD ONE MOVES OUT. Shown being pulled out of the Gazette
Times shop is the faithful old Babcock Optimus press, which
printed the paper for more than 40 years. Standing at right is
Jack Jewell, editor of the Wallowa Record, who bought the press
for his paper. (G-T Photo)
THE NEW ONE MOVES IN. Coming through the front of the
Gazette -Times shop is the No. 3 Miehle press which was pur
chased from the Woodburn Independent. This press printed most
of the Gazette-Times Welcome Edition in June, 1961, but this
issue of the Gazette-Times is the first printed on the Miehle
here. (G-T Photo)
feeding and handling of the new
press.
To the more sophisticated
nrescnt-ihiv nressmnn. addition
of a two.revolulion press capable
ol turning our j.uuu impressions
per hour might not warrant
more than a hint of elation, but
to printers of the old Country
Campbell press days it was a
revelation. The old Campbell
had served the industry for more
than one-half of a century and
its departure from the Gazette
Times office to take up service
elsewhere until the junk man
would take over was not as joy
ous an occasion as the office
personnel had anticipated. How
ever, with it off the floor and
on its wav to its new home, at
tention centered upon erection of
the new nress. an activity in
which I was privileged to par
ticipate.
The Barnhart & Spindler com
nanv. I h much which the Opt
imus was purchased, sent a com
pany machinist by the name of
Smith to erect the new press and
the day he got it in shape to
be tested he asked me to preside
at the feed hoard. I was not
familiar with the five-speed con
trol and Smith said for me to
attend to the feeding and he
would take care of the control.
He started on No. 1 and grad
ually Increased the power until
it finally h.-ul the little nress
going at top speed. My aim at
llio fririinf cauees was eood and
there was no piling of papers
suen as nappeneu merauy uious
ands of times in the year to fol
low. This I know because I did
my full share of it. On this trial
Mr. and Mrs. Rod Murray
217 N. Main Ph. 676-3610
Two Registered Pharmacists At Your Service Around The Clock
Nights, Sundays and holidays call 676-9G11 or 676-5512
A,
M 4
i
4
i
there was no ink on the press
just a dry run with nothing to
create static.
I trust this recitation of facts
relative to the installation of the
little press that has for nearly
41 years performed valiant ser
vice in the publication of the
Gazette-Times has not bored you.
It has been prompted by a de
sire to "keep the record straight"
so far as those in whose hands
the destiny of the newspaper
was placed for a little more than
one-half of the publication's 80
years as Morrow County's News
paper. I am proud that I got
my initial bid to the newspaper
field right there in Heppner and
that it was my privilege, after
a lapse of more than 40 years
after making that start in March,
1901, to return as editor and
publisher in late 1942. With the
able assistance of my wife,
Viola, we took over a business
whose future was as doubtful
at the time as was our country's,
faced as it was with an all-out
conflict to preserve the American
way of life. But our eight years
and nine months tenancy is a
story in itself and has no place
in this article.
Before closing, permit me to
state that I think the newspaper
field in Morrow county is being
covered in an able manner and
to add a word of hope that the
community will continue to give
the Shermans the support they
deserve and must have to carry
on the excellent job that is being
done.
Yours for accomplishment of
bigger and better things,
O. G. Crawford
YOUR DRUGGIST
... a title we're proud to hold.
Whatever vour prescription needs,
whenever they arise, our service
is at your command. Every new
health-miracle is at our pharma
cists' command ... at your service!
All prescriptions promptly filled
by registered pharmacists.
HUMPHREYS
REXALL DRUG STORE
Chaff and Chatter
Wes Sherman
THE BOYS at the coffee shop
expected to see the Gazette
Times printed by mimeograph
this week. Of course, it is still
a little early at this writing to
predict that they were wrong,
but the first run is on the "new"
Miehle, and we think that the
odds are in our favor to get out
on schedule.
A few days ago it looked as
if our shop couldn't print even
a handbill with the disruption
caused by moving out the old
press and moving in the new
one. But with some expert help
and the cooperation of many the
job was completed on schedule.
As soon as the paper was out
last week, the work started in
removing the Babcock Optimus
that served the Gazette-Times
for so many years. O. G. Craw
ford, former publisher, tells in
an article also on this page of
the installation of this press
when he was editor years ago.
Jack Jewell, publisher of the
Wallowa Record, was due at 6
p.m. Wednesday to take out the
Babcock, which he purchased.
However, the truck he had ob
tained for the purpose developed
trouble soon after he left Wal
lowa, and he and his crew were
delayed. They had to obtain an
other truck, transfer all their
gear and then make the trip
to Heppner. They arrived at 2
a.m. Thursday and went right to
work, sticking with the job
through the night.
Meanwhile, Howard Keithley
had ripped out the front of the
shop to make room for moving
the presses intact.
At about 10:30 a.m. Thursday,
just as Jewell and his men were
completing the loading of the
8,100 pound Babcock on their
truck, the Miehle arrived on a
big Wilhelm Trucking Co. truck
on the end of its journey from
Woodburn. Jack moved his "new"
press out of the way, and the
job of unloading the 16,900
pound Miehle began. Under the
expert eye of George Bent, press
erector, and the able work of
the trucker and a rigger of the
Wilhelm Co. the press was rolled
off the truck on wooden rollers
and over skids to its position in
the shop.
Meanwhile, the home staff
was moving equipment out of
the way and making changes
throughout the shop. The new
press involved a complete re
organization, which should
prove time-saving and more ef
ficient over a period of time. The
electrician was busy making in
stallations and general organ
ized confusion reigned.
Friday found Keithley re
placing the front of the build
2
DRAWING
to 5:30 p. m.
THE
BL00DM0B!LE
IS COMING
THIS MESSAGE SPONSORED
MEMBER,
ing, the new press was in posit
ion and Bent was busy fitting
the accessories in place.
The home crew was busy
rushing around, finding new
places for equipment and start
ing to mop up.
Bent, through the knowledge
gained in 27 years experience
moving and erecting presses, had
the Miehle ready for operation
by Saturday, except for the auto
matic feeder which is an intri
cate mechanism. A chain broke
that drives the feeder from the
motor, and Sunday morning
found him and the editor not
in church but scouring Cornett
Green's junk yard for a small
size harvester chain. We learned
that there are about six million
kinds of chain made, of which
5,999,999 are represented In the
junkyard of Cornett Green, but
this particular kind isn't there.
A man was working at Tri
County Equipment Co. He could
n't find any on the premises
there, and another Good Samar
itan was busy at Inland Chem
ical on this Sunday morn. He
couldn't find any either, but he
welded the broken link, and we
were in business again.
However, we decided not to
use the feeder this week be
cause there are other adjust
ments to be made and we will
run the press by hand feeding
for this week and next week.
Monday morning found the
shop in pretty good shape (ex
cept for a badly needed paint
job). We were in full produc
tion again by Tuesday, and to
day (Wednesday) finds the
"new" press rolling.
It's surprising how many dif
ferent persons had a hand in the
move in one way or another,, and
we appreciate the good services
rendered. The furniture store
(Case) even shared in it, cutting
glass for the replaced shop front.
Others were Nate McBride for
some welding, Fulleton Chev
rolet for wrecker service, Turn-A-Lum
Lumber Co., Anderson
Builders Supply, Western Auto,
Gilliam and Bisbee, Chief of
Police Dean Gilman (who block
ed' the streets while the trucks
were loading and unloading),
Fred Gimbel and PP&L, and
heaven knows who all.
We were real proud of our
sidewalk superintendents. Fig
ure we had the best crew of on
lookers that has been assembled
in a long time.
The folks mentioned above are
in addition to the principal ones
involved George Bent, the ma
chinist and press expert; Pen
dleton Electric Co. and Pat Cole
who rewired the place; Keithley;
and the Portland trucking firm.
Do Your Part !
Give A Pint
At Blood PpH
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 3
Catholic
PARISH HALL
HEPPNER
CANTEEN SERVICE BY
MARANATHA CLUB, IONE
If convenient, make appointments in advance by calling
Mrs. Orville Cutsforth (Ph. 989-8473). However, an appoint
ment is not essential.
BY YOUR HOME-OWNED EANK
ANK OF
pastern Qrecjon
HEPPNER IONE
FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE
With all this fine assistance
we got the job done on schedule.
It really went like clockwork.
Most of the benefits that will ac
crue from the change will be
noticed principally within the
shop on labor saving and pro
duction helps. However, it should
contribute to a better paper and
will give us greater capacity for
any growth that may come to the
area.
It does feel good not to have
to mimeograph the paper this
week! Anyone Interested is wel
come to drop in and see our
"Iron Monster" but it will be
more intriguing when the feeder
is in operation. Some day, if
and when we get cleaned up,
we would like to hold an open
house.
CONGRATULATIONS to John
Wagenblast for winning first
place in the state on his first
year record book at the FFA
convention in The Dalles last
week. John was first a district
winner, and his fine book went
on to cop the state title. That's
another contribution to putting
Heppner's name on the map.
THE LITTLE item in the G-T
last week about someone
breaking a window in the club
house of the gun club brought
results. The club received three
dollars in the mail with a nice
anonymous letter of apology,
which stated that it would never
happen again.
SCHOOL MENUS
Heppner-Lexington
Week of April 1-5
MONDAY Hamburger cas
erole (Mor) carrot sticks, coffee
cake, fruit, bread and butter and
milk.
TUESDAY Potato salad, wien
ers, buns, celery sticks, fruit and
milk.
WEDNESDAY Navy beans
wilh butter, fruit, salmon sand
wiches, cabbage salad, bread
and butter and milk.
THURSDAY Hamburger gravy
on rice, buttered peas, Jello veg
etable salad, fruit, milk and
bread and butter.
FRIDAY Split pea soup, pea
nut butter sandwiches, lettuce
wedges, cake, fruit and milk.
Mr. and Mrs. Gordon Pratt and
family spent Thursday through
Sunday in Portland visiting rel
atives and Mr. Pratt attended
the OEA convention.
Mr. and Mrs. Bob Dobbs and
son Bob went to Portland March
17. Mrs. Dobbs and son, Bob, re
mained for a longer stay and
Mrs. Dobbs attended the beaut
icians' trade show. Ron Gray
brought them home Wednesday.
Dr. and Mrs. Jim Norene and
daughter, Tracey, were in Port
land for the week-end to visit
his father, Roy J. Norene.
Mrs. Connie Cushman. Jeanne
and Mike, visited Wednesday
through Sunday with her par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Art Watkins.
1
aT A DATE
TO GIVE
AS A COMMUNITY SERVICE
CORPORATION