HEPPNEH GAZETTE-TIMES. Thursday, rabrnarr X. 1W7
GAZETTE-TIMES
Heppner. Or9oc 97836
moebow couirrrs newspaper
The Heppner Gaiette established
Times established November 18,
'ASSOCIATION
WESLET A. SHERMAN
Editor and Publisher
Office Hours: 8 a.m. to 6 p m,
until noon Saturday.
Subscription Rates: $450 Year.
Every Thursday and Entered at
as Second Class Matter.
History Hinges on Response
If there ever were an opportune time to publish a history
of Morrow county, It Is now. More Interest is evidenced In
the project than ever before, and Giles French of Moro Is
willing and able to compile the history at a very reason
able figure.
French's capability Is attested by the several books that
he has written and by his many years as an editor. He
now has the time and the Inclination to do the Job for Mor
row county, asking for his expenses In doing research and
a modest sum from the sale of the book.
Even with his generous offer, though, the project will take
considerable money. It is estimated that publication cost for
1000 books will approximate $5000, exclusive of French's
work.
There is only one way apparent that the job can be done
through the liberal response of those who recognize the val
ue of such a publication.
If there are enough persons In the county and enough
former residents who believe that such a work is Important
they will have to step forward with donations to make It
possible. If this response is not forthcoming, the committee
of interested persons working on the project will consider it
as evidence of general disinterest and the publication of the
history will have to be abandoned at least for the time.
As has been said before, it becomes more difficult to
write an accurate history as time passes because those dir
ectly connected with the early days of the county are pass
ing on. Those who cherish Morrow county and have per
sonal attachments for it, may wish to see an accurate record
in print so that it may be perpetuated for posterity.
A Johnny-comelately to this part of the state such as
the editor of this paper is probably the least of those who
should urge such a publication. His roots were not sunk
in Morrow county soiL But as a publisher In the county, he
is in a position to see the keen feelings of longtime residents
and of those who have moved away.
If 200 persons would step forward with donations of $25
or more which they never could really hope to recover ex
cept to have the satisfaction of having the book published
and getting a copy for themselves the Job can get under
way. Those who desire to share are Invited to use the coupon
elsewhere In this paper.
Mother Nature and Conservation
Geologists say that the earth Is In a constant process of
evolution. A certain land mass may be in youth, another In
maturity and another in old age. Essential to this evolution
is erosion.
In youth, there are Jagged mountain peaks and deep val
leys. In maturity, the hills are rounded and the valleys are
broader. In old age, the rivers become wide and sweeping
with flat plains surrounding.
The erosion goes on as Mother Earth follows this pattern.
Wind and rain constantly erode rocks and soil, as the youth
ful earth points towards maturity and old age.
Heavy rains wash gulleys and the water is chocolate
brown with good soil as the erosion continues. Mother Na
ture will not be denied. Through eons of time the good
earth will go through this cycle.
But man has come to realize the importance of good soil
to productivity. He knows it Is precious. It has a great eco
nomic value to the farmer and to all those he serves by
producing crops.
So Mother Nature presents a challenge, and it is an un
deniable one. Her erosion is inevitable. It can't be stopped,
but man has learned methods to check it and conserve the
soil that is in his stewardship.
In Morrow county, through the work of the Heppner Soil
and Water Conservation district, ranchers are doing an ex
cellent job, as evidenced by their strip cropping, stubble
mulching, diversion ditches and other important practices.
They are working to retain and to build the productivity of
the county in the face of nature's relentless challenge.
In the past several years, the district has used the Gazette-Times
to present its annual report, rather than to du
plicate the report and mail it to parlcipating ranchers. It
Is contained in this issue on pages two and three of section
2. The report gives a good Idea of the work being done! by
the district. It will be emphasized at the annual conserva
tion meeting Tuesday night in the Lexington Crange halL
That the work in the Heppner district is recognized else
where Is evidenced by the fact that a Portland television
station recently made a documentary motion picture about
conservation in Morrow county. The film will be shown at
the Tuesday night meeting.
But for every one who realizes the importance of soil and
water conservation there are many who evidence little con
cern about it Conservation is important to everyone. As pop
ulation grows, the need for food will increase. Scientists are
even now looking to the sea as a source of food supply on.'
the theory that the land eventually cannot produce enough.
And everyone realizes the demand for water in view of the
recent move of the Southwest to seek the "surplus" from
the Columbia River.
While old Mother Nature pursues her course of erosion,
man needs to do all he can to save soil and water. This is
the challenge.
The Heppner Conservation district would be happy to
have you attend the Tuesday night meeting to see and hear
of work being done and learn of the job that lies ahead.
Gets Advancement
News ol recent advancement
in servi :o rating for Sherrill
McDonald, serving in Vietnam,
was received Friday by his par
ents, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis Mc
Donald, Ktppner. On January 10,
Pfc McDonald was notified of
his advancement to Specialist 4.
lTe arrived in Vietnam on De
cember 22 and has been serv
ing on potrol and as aid to the
engineers in Co. C, 3rd Btn.,
6fth Infantry, in the Mekong
Delta area.
March 30, 1SS3. The Heppner
1897. Consolidated February 15,
NATIONAL NEWSPAPEt
HELEN E. SHERMAN
Associate Publisher
Monday through Friday: 9 a.m.
Single Copy 10 Cents. Published
the Post Office at Heppner, Oregon,
Winter Attends
Marines' Session
Herman Winter, a captain in
the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve,
went to Twentynine Palms,
Calif., Sunday by airplane to
participate in a planning ses
sion for the Marine Corps sum
mer camp. Winter is trainine
officer for an artillery battery
with headquarters in Yakima.
Wash.
Heppner by Wednesday.
Too Big a Bito
"LBJ Urges Higher Social Security" said the morning head
line. This evoked a comment from one reader. "The presi
dent Is biting off more than he can chew."
But more correctly, the president is biting off more than
we (the people) can chew.
Why, we Just had an increase!
But he is asking Congress to increase the amount of an
nual Income on which Social Security taxes are collected next
year from the present $t!600 to J7S0O, then to $tHXi0 in 1971
and $10,800 in 1974. The present $6600 is up from the S4JV0
of 1963 and prior.
He also proposes that the present 4.4 per cent rate be In
creased to 5 per cent in 1969, instead of 4.9 per cent already
In the law. and to 555 per cent In 1973, Instead of the 5 f
per cent in the present law.
No matter how humanitarian a small businessman may
be by nature, this Is enough to stun him again. Many take
a triple Jolt on a jump like this. First he has to match the
funds contributed to Social Security by his employees. Sec
ond, he pays over a longer period of time as the covered
payroll is increased (going from the $4800 of 1965 to the
proposed $10,800 In 1974!). Third, for those business people
who are covered by Social Security as self-employed, they
also pay the higher rates on themselves. If they aren't so
covered, they can look forward to drawing nothing upon re
tirement. This is a condition that is becoming staggering and op
pressive. It is bad enough on the wage earner, some of whom
now depending on the number of dependents they can claim
give up nearly one-third of their paychecks for taxes and
deductions in the guise of "security." It Is worse on the
small employer.
If continued, these messianic policies of President Johnson
and the Great Society, already demoralizing the people, spell
extinction for small business.
Social Security, which was designed to benefit citizens In
retirement as well as those bereaved or disabled, is becom
ing a gargantuan parasite that is voraciously consuming the
productive capacity of workers and destroying their Incentive
and initiative.
Those in the higher echelons, like President Johnson him
self, certainly cannot see what conditions they are imposing
on the people for no such high percentage of their Income goes
to "security." Put him in the shoes of a small husband-wife
business for a year or two, however, and he would learn that
another segment of the population Is being forced Into dire
distress.
The principle of the working people laying something aside
for retirement death in the family or disability, is a fine
one. But the Social Security program, which has spiraled far
out of proportion from original Intentions, is no bargain for
the working person.
The January Reader's Digest quotes the Tax Foundation
as saying that a 21 -year-old man who starts working today
at "maximum covered earnings' ($6600 per year or more) and
retires at age 65, unmarried, can expect the value of his
Social Security pension benefits to total about $12,792 less
than the value of his tax payments plus compound Interest.
Over 44 years of working, he will have paid Social Secur
ity taxes totaling $32,496, including interest compounded at
3 percent. The value of his expected benefits will amount
to only $19,704, based on the estimated 13 years he will live
after he reaches age 65.
This Is Insurance?" asks the Reader's Digest.
When Social Security was first proposed, a plan might
have been devised to make it mandatory for a person to put
aside a portion of his earnings to a special account In his
name in private banks. This would have been held In trust
until something occurred to qualify him or members of his
family for social security. The Interest would accrue to his
account not to the government to squander. The money,
placed In private channels and available for loaning through
the banking system, would have contributed to the country's
prosperity and would have stimulated growth. Think what
these billions would do to the economy Irffree enterprise
channels!
Provision might have been made for the elderly who qual
ified for social security who had no opportunity to accum
ulate an account
The plan, in its mechanics, would be as easy to lmplc
ment as it Is for employers to collect and deposit federal
Income taxes on payrolls now.
Original intention of Social Security was to provide bene
fits that would assure happier lives for all citizens. As it
is developing today, however, with the Great Society "biting
off more than we can chew" It is making slaves of the peo
ple and giving them a poor bargain at the same time.
TO THE EDITOR...
To the Editor:
Of the many fine features
each week in the Gazette
Times, I seem to be drawn to
this particular column more
than some of the others; main
ly, I suppose, because there is
often some "ancient history"
which to an old-timer like me,
for instance, has strong appeal.
Ora Yeager is a most inter
esting contributor to this col
umn and his vivid memory al
ways recalls so many interest
ing incidents of the "old days"
and I .dearly love to read about
therrr; In his most recent let
ter to the editor he refers again
to the Hart family in relation
to Mr. Hart as station agent
at Heppner. Mr. Hart had neith
er "died or retired at the time
of the flood"; he had been
transferred to a station on the
(Oregon Short Line) part of the
U P. System as was the O.R.AN.
This station was, and still is
Meacham.
In reference to Vi Hart's sur
vival In the Titanic disaster
may I mention that she was
more fortunate than her young
est sister, Ruth, who lost her
life in the early 1920's when
the S.S. Alaska went down af
ter striking the rocky reefs
above the Golden Gate while
en route from Astoria to San
Francisco. I attended the "in
vestigation" of this disaster,
held in the offie of Commis
sioner Dolan in the Customs
House in San Francisco and
this Is where I learned of the
sad and tragic death of Ruth.
Another former Heppner girl,
Evelyn Shipley, sister of Mrs.
Sylvia Wells of Heppner, had
embarked on the Alaska with
her girlhood chum Ruth (the
latter had been making her
home in Pendleton or La
Grande for the several years
after her family had moved
from Heppner, as I recall for
a vacation in San Francisco and
other California points of inter
est.) This I learned from Evelyn
as she related it tearfully to
me in Mr. Dolan's office. She
had been called there to give
testimony as to what had or
may have happened in that
fateful morning hour when dis
aster struck the ship, its crew
and its passengers. It devel
oped that the lifeboat in which
Ruth Hart, among others, was
to be lowered to safety cap
sized before it reached the wa
ter; due in some degree to mis
handling of the ship's davits,
or possibly failure of the dav
its to operate efficiently, plus
a very rough sea and the roll
ing Alaska, and spelled doom
for many who might otherwise
have safely abandoned ship.
I had attended the proceed
ings at the Customs House in
the regular routine of duties as
a ship's reporter for the paper
where I was then employed
and was well acquainted with
Mr. Dolan and his office assist
ants. Little did I realize on
this particular morning that I
was to be reminded of what a
small world it Is. There was
Evelyn, still some what in
shock from grief and a terrify
ing experience, and Ruth was
dead; two lovely girls from out
of my early Heppner childhood
days.
Art Crawford
4852 Kingston Way
San Jose, Calif.
Biology Students
Take Field Trips
The students of Kirk Horn's
Biology I and II classes at Hepp
ner High school went field trip
pirifr recently. They left the high
school at 8:00 and went to Rock
Creek to do some bird watching.
The students all took sack
lunches and ate at the bottom
of Rock Creek Canyon. John
Rawlins, one of the students on
the trip, said they observed 20
species of birds which was very
good because of the time of the
year and the weather. John also
said that the prize discovery
of the day was some pictures
Horn took of a Long Ear owl.
Students going on this trip
were John Rawlins, Frances Ab
rams, Don Cossitt Patti Holt,
Teresa Harshman, Earl Ayres
and Tim Loyd.
Greenup in Vietnam
Pfc Jerry L. Greenup left last
week from Fort Lewis for mili
tary service in Vietnam, accord
ing to word received here from
relatives. He Is stationed near
Saigon with the 87th Transpor
tation Cj. His wife, Cindy, and
baby daughter, Joanne reside In
Seattle.
Chaff nd
Wes
WHEN JIM NOKENE returned
from service In World War 11
after being twice wounded in
the European theater, he
brought few things home with
him. About the only things in
cluded that he remembers were
his wrist watch and a knife-
The knife had a wooden han
dle, and the blade folded In
side. It came from a sailor in an
Atlantic convoy. The sailor gave
it to a buddy of Norenes, and
the buddy passed it on to Jim
who served In the 101st Airborne
Division.
Most of those who had pos
session of the knife at various
times saw heavy combat action
and were hit, but they always
pulled thiough.
So the knife earned the repu
tation of being a good luck
omen.
Recently Dr. Norene learned
that Greg Pierce Is now serving
in Vietnam in his old outfit
the 101st Airborne. He dug the
knife out of a drawer at home
and gave It to Gone Plr-rce to
pass on to son Greg with the
good wishes of another from the
101st and the assurance that It
will blng htm home safely from
duty there.
BOB PEN LAND'S last edition of
the Tillamook IWadllght
Herald (January 29) curried a
story on the treasure diggers of
Neahkahnle mountain. The
yarn tells how a Salem painter
has decided that he has solved
the secret of the long sought
treasure and asked the state's
permission to dig in the beach
sands for it.
The story points out that
going through the red tape of
getting permission to dig Is
tougher than finding the treas
ure itself. Because the supposed
treasure i located on the beach
(according to the Salem man's
deductions), permission of the
State Land Board was required.
This came through In good time.
But because of the fact that any
such treasure might have arch
eological or historical Import
ance, the man Is faced with a
state law passed In 1935 that re
quires permission from the pres
ident of the University of Ore
gon. And before President Ar
thur S. Flemmlng would give
such permission, the Headlight
Herald learned, he asked for an
opinion of the attorney-general
as to his authority and responsi
bility for granting such a per
mit Apparehtly this ruling has
come through, but the U of O
president's office hasn't revealed
what It was. As It now stands,
the whole matter Is In the hands
of the University of Oregon An-
tnropoioiry and Natural History
departments. They are to come
up witn the answer on how
many strings are attached to the
permit, and when and If it will
be granted.
"All thU proves just one
thing," says the piece In Pen
land's paper. "The wheels of
government grind slowly , . .
even when It comes to digging
in the sand."
This story has more than
passing Interest to us since in
days o! yore we have spent some
time roaming Neahkahnle
Mountain. But we hastily add
that It wasn't In search of treas-
Hearing Slated
On Interstate 82
A formal public hearing will
be held in the Vert Auditorium
of Helen McCune Junior High
School, Pendleton, beginning
promptly at 2 p.m. (PST) Thurs
day, February 23, to take testi
mony on proposed plans pertain
ing to the alternate routes of
Interstate 82, connecting Inter
state 80 N In Oregon with In
terstate 90 In Washington, as
determined by a study and re
port of a consulting engineering
firm.
The study and report covers
four alternate routes In Oregon
which are approximately as
shown on the attached map.
Maps showing the proposed
alternate lines will be on dis
play in the Supreme Court Room
of the Umatilla County Court
house In Pendleton on Monday
and Tuesday, February 20 and
21. State Highway Department
engineering and right-of-way
personnel will be present on
both days from 9 a.m. to 10
p.m., for informal informational
hearings. They will be prepared
to discuss the alternate routes
with those who may be affect
ed. Mrs. Duvall Buys
Tract of 480 Acres
Mrs. Amanda Duvall has pur
chased the balance of a 720-acre
piece of land known as the Kin
cald estate.
She has farmed this land and
has been owner of one-third of
It for several years. It Is lo
cated 7'4 miles north of Hepp
ner In the Blackhorse district
and Joins her other holdings.
This is wheat land with a
minimum of scab land. Purchase
price from the Klncald heirs of
their two-thirds interest, con
sisting of 480 acres, was $60,000
cash.
Chatter
Sherman
23
ure. We climbed to the top on
one occasion and brought down
the topmost rock to give to
mother for her rock garden.
This war in the days before
the coastal highway was con
structed m tbe seaward side of
the mountain Neah kali nle
towers over the resort comnuui
Ity of Manzanlla and lies north
of Nehalem. It really Isn't much
of a mountain, as mountains go,
but from Its heights It offers
one of the moM sectaeular
views of our wonderful Oregon
coast. Out looks down on the
panorama of the vast blue
ocean an.t to the south, tils eye
takes him over Nehalem buy
and down the coastline to Man
hnttan Beueh. Kockaway, Twin
licH'ks ami the entrance to Ti I la
niook Bay.
Of the thousands who zip
over the fine highway skirting
Ntah kah tile, perhaps few know
the stories of Its reputed treas
ure, although at least one book
has been written about It. Most
motorist pause only for a quick
look at tlu panorama unfolded
before them, or to snap a pic
ture, then hurry on.
A few persons have devoted
many years of their lives hunt
Ing for the treasure. At least
two persona have died seeking
I! We recall an accident that
claimed cither one or both of a
father ami son team when sand
caved In on their digging on
the beach.
One fellow .TO years ago ur
more could generally be found
there on any decent day wont
ing from his old panel rig. Var
ious markings on rocks were
supposed to have significance In
leading to the treasure. Tills
fellow said that he had located
some of them, then lost the
trail.
We recall that mother once
took her group of Camp Fire
Girls to Neah kah-nle when
they wev on an outing to Rock
away. One of the girl. Esther
Davidson of Forest Grove, slip
ped and fell as they were climb
ing the mountain. She rolled
quite a distance but fortunately
was not seriously hurt. She Is
now Mrs. Fredenburg, mother of
Ed Fredenburg, center of the
O.NU basketball team.
Fact or legend, after once be
ing exposed to the story of the
treasure of Neah kah nle Moun
tain, one cannot help but won
der, when he visits there, wheth
er he might be standing over a
chest of doubloons, or piece of
eight
But old Neahkahnle just
stands there silently, taking the
buffets of strong winds and
shedding the si ( cms of the sea.
She'll nevei tell.
The Salem Painter Isn't the
first who thought he had solved
the mountains secret. We hope
he gets hU chance to dig.
Appointments Made
At Church Meeting
Members of All Saints' Epis
copal parish, Heppner, held
their annual meeting In the
church parish house Sunday,
January 2t. following the ten
o'clock service.
Following reports from purisii
organizations, a budget vote,
convocation report and other
church business appointments
were made of Jack Loyd us
senior warden and Ned Ciurk as
Junior warden. Three new mem
bers elected to the vestry were
Gene Kletmann, lone; Mllo l'rln
die and Elwaync Bergstrom,
Heppner.
Special thanks were given by
Rev. Dirk Rlnehart on behalf of
the parish to Barton Clark, re
tiring ser.ior warden, and to
Robert Jones, treasurer.
Doctor Attends Meet
Dr. A. D. McMurdo left Tucs
day for Portland to attend a
medical meet In it In Pnrtlnrwl nt
the Sheraton Hotel. The meet
ing is sponsored by Lederle
Laboratories. The doctor ex
pected to be gone until Satur
day. Tell the advertiser you saw It
in the Gazette-Times.
More Fun, Always...
At the TWO Sparkling New
In SALEM
112 Rooms
JWU baaadtU
rWB031M3H5l
BOTH UM HAVI KISTAUKAMTM
Bob Kroll Takes
Basic at San Diego
Hob Kroll. son In law of Mr
and Mrs. l. t) Nelson. Is now
taking batle training with the
navv at San Diego, Calif., and
h exN"cli to conclude this
phase of the tralnlnu as of
March 31. He left Morrow coun
tv on IveemlM-r 20 after he and
his wife. Phyllis, had been
with the Nelsons, her parents,
helping on the ranch since last
June.
Mm. Kroll went to t'orvallls
when her husband left 'or ser
vice and la staying wtlh hi
Iiarcnta. Mr. ami Mm. Jack
kroll, while she Is working In
Corvallts.
Mr and Mm Joe Rartlett and
daughter. Kathy. of Welling
ton, Texas, are now at the Nel
son ranch where Bnrtlett I em
ployed on the ranch. The dau
ghter Is In the sixth grade In
Heppner.
Parents of Mm. Bartlett are
Mr. and Mm. Lyle Roberts, who
are employed on the ranch of
Max Ban-lay. The Bartlett are
not stranger to Morrow coun
ty, having lived here for a few
yearn a number of years ago.
Two Doctors Guests
At Annual Banquet
Dr. Wallace Wolff and Dr. A
D. McMurdo were among
guests at the annual banquet
for the St. Anthony hospital
staff In Pendleton last Ilium
day night. The banquet la giv
en for the staff by the sisters
at the hospital.
Children from St Joseph's
Academy furnished musical en
tertainment. There were no
speakers, and emphaala waa on
visiting. The Heppner doctor
reported a very enjoyable evening.
COMMUNITY
J BILLBOARD K
Coming Events
BASKETBALL
Heppner vs. Enterprise at
Enterprise, Friday, Feb. 3
Heppner vs. Burns at Burns,
Friday. Feb. 10.
PANCAKE LUNCHEON
Shrove Tuesday. Feb. 7
All Saints' Episcopal Parish
Hall
Serving from 11 a.m. to 1
p.m.
Everyone welcome!
PUBLIC CARD PARTY
Saturday, Feb. 4, 8 p.m.
Lexington lOOP Hall spon
sored by Holly Rebeknh
Lodge
Bridge, pinochle, prtiea, re
freshments Public cordially Invited.
ANNUAL MEETINGS
Soil, Water Conservation Dis
trict Meeting
Tuesday, Feb. 7. Lexington
Grange Hall. 7:30 p.m.
I-exlnifton Oil Co nn Mtlna
Tuesday. Feb. 14. 10:30 a.m.
Lexington grange Hall. Free
noon dinner.
ANYONE FOR BASKETBALL?
OSU BASKETBALL, 3:00 p.m,
Sunday, Feb. 19. OSU va.
UCLA. KATU Channel 2.
OSU BASKETBALL. 3:00 p.m.,
Sunday, March 12. OSU va.
OREGON, KATU Channel 3.
Meet the man from NORTH
WESTERN during breaks
In the games.
SPONSORED AS A PUBLIC
SERVICE BY
C. A. RUGGLES
Insurance Agency
Htppner
P. O. Box 247 PH. 678-9625
In EUGENE
150 Rooms
21lUlui
Mmm. (513) 342 Bill
WITH U4IOUH Com MOP