LIBRARY
u or o
EUGENE, ORE. 87403
85th Year
Number 3
Unearthing of 28 Gold Coins
Stirs Widespread Excitement
EPPNER
GAZETTE-TIME
4v ,
Heppner, Oregon 97836, Thursday, March 14, 1968
10 Cents
THE tfffiW H
S
Mustangs Bow Out Stofe Tourney
oMnrchin
Awards Go
To 4 Seniors
Four outstanding He p p n e r
High school seniors are winners
of local scholarships from Hepp
ner lodge No. 358, BPOE, Dale
Holland, scholarship chairman
for the Elks, announces.
Winners of $200 scholarships
are John Rawlins, son of Mr. and
Mrs. Wm. Rawlins, and Merrl
Lee Jacobs, daughter of Mr. and
Mrs, Walter Jacobs. Winners of
$100 scholarships are David Hall,
son of Mr. and Mrs. Gene Hall,
and Marsha Lovgren, daughter
of Mr. and Mrs. Marshall Lov
gren, Miss Jacobs and Rawlins will
go to Hood River to participate
In northeast district Elks com
petition for higher scholarship
awards, Holland said.
The awards are based on: 1.
scholarship: 2. financial need:
3. extra-curricular and out of
school activities; 4. personality
and leadership; 5. perseverance
and resourcefulness.
The scholarship awards will be
presented at Commencement on
Thursday, Mav 23.
Rawlins Is Heppner High stu
dent body president, served as
student body vice president last
year, and has held class offices
through much of his high school
years- He has participated in
football foi four years, basket
ball for three years, served on
the student council for four
years and on the executive coun
cil for two years. He Is active
in the Photo club, a member of
the National Honor Society, and
of Quill and Scroll honorary. He
was in the band lor two years.
Rawlins was American Legion
essay contest winner and attend
ed Boys' State in 1967. He has
been active in 4-H club work
for several years.
Miss Jacobs, who also won the
local Elks leadership award for
girls, has had a fine record of
achievements. Her many activi
ties, including high scholarship,
leadership, honors and offices
were reported in a recent story
on this award.
Hall won the Elks' leadership
award for boys, and his many
activities were also reported In a
story on February 29. He has
been outstanding in sports, presi
dent of the Future Farmers of
America chapter and is a can
didate for state president of that
organization. Like the others, he
has been outstanding in schol
arship. Miss Lovgren has been active
in Future Homemakers of Amer
ica for three years, in Future
Business Leaders association for
two years, in Girls' League four
years. She has worked on the
yearbook this year, has been a
member of the Pep club for four
years and has been a varsity
cheerleader for two years.
Marsha has been a member
of the National Honor Society
for three years and was chosen
Girl of the Month for friendli
ness. She served as class presi
dent for a semester as a junior
and has held other class ana
club offices.
County Water
Assistant Hired
Jack Huson of Heppner has
been hired by the Morrow coun
ty court as an assistant, water
master in the county. He will
work with Jerry Haines, water
master for District 5, which en.
compasses Morrow and Umatil
la counties.
Action was taken to hire Hu
son last Wednesday at a meet
ing of the court when Jack
Hynd, Stan Magill and Dick
Krebs appeared to ask for wa
ter supervision on Willow Creek.
They stressed the importance of
having a control on the use of
the water.
Herman Winter, district attor
ney, told the court that state
law requires that a water super
visor be hired if the irrigators
request it. There is provision in
the county budget for the pur
pose. At the meeting of the Hepp-ner-Morrow
county Chamber of
Commerce on Monday, March 4,
Herb Hynd asked the group to
support a move for water super
vision, and it was voted that a
study be made through the or
ganization's agriculture commit
tee. 1
ft ilTeam Loses
am
'ii i "- " i
JOHN RAWLINS
1
MERRI LEE JACOBS
DAVID HALL
MARSHA LOVGREN
Helen Salter Hurt
In Auto Accident
Helen Salter of lone suffered
painful injuries Saturday morn
ing when her car went out of
control, apparently from a flat
tire, and overturned on the
curves just south of Lexington.
Miss Salter, a nurse's aide at
the hospital in Heppner, had
just left her shift at 7 a.m. and
was going home when the acci
dent occurred.
She suffered rather serious in
juries to her left hand. A finger
and the thumb were broken and
a skin graft may be required to
the back of the hand. She also
suffered lacerations and bruises.
Miss Salter still remains at the
hospital as a patient and prob
ablv will be there until this
week-end at least.
Her Volkswagen auto was se
verely damaged. Miss Salter
lives witn her parents, Air. ana
Hi?
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null ' iiir rainterBjitiiirii''iifrf-iiiiHiiMriimi
Mrs. Hugh Salter, lone. I
To No. 1 Rogue River
(SEE SCORING CHART. PAGE 6)
Only 46 seconds stood between the amazing
Heppner High Mustangs and victory over vaunted
Rogue River, ranked No. 1 of A-2 teams in Oregon,
Monday night in the first round of play at the state
A-2 basketball tournament in Coos Bay.
But Gary Shontz, 6-3 all-state junior center for
the Chieftains, capped an astounding record-setting
40-point production with
seconds of that rousing ball game to snatch victory
from defeat for his southern Oregon squad, 66 to 60.
Shontz eclipsed a previous individual one-game scor
ing record of 35 points by Derrald Mann of Pleasant
Hill in 1965.
The Mustanss. in the famil
iar role of being overlooked in
Dre - tournament predictions,
came within a whisker of chop
nine down the Roeue River five.
They held a 60-59 lead with 1:05
to eo after David Hall scored
on a lavin. Earlier in the fourth
period they had gone in ironi
as mucn as lour poinis wnen
John McCabe. a real hero for
the Mustanes with his spark
ling play, broke a 48-48 tie at
the start of the fourth on two
quick field goals, one a jumper
and the other a layin from
Hall's neat feed.
Don Dimick cut the margin
to two on a pair of free throws,
and the unstoppable Shontz tied
the count at 52-52 on a tipin.
Cal Ashbeck tallied for Hepp
ner on a tioin of his own at
6:09 to play to give Heppner
the lead once more, but bhontz
came back with a jumper from
the free throw line. A few sec
onds later he connected on two
gift tosses, and the Chieftains
were in front, 56-54.
Bill McLeod entered the do
or-die Dicture at this point, hit
ting on a tournaround jump
from the kev and lumping an
other from the free throw stripe.
This put Heppner back in front,
58 to 56.
Lose Opportunity
The Mustangs lost their oppor
tunity to clinch the contest
when both Russ Kilkenny and
McLeod missed on free throw
attempts. Heppner's big center,
who turned in a fine perform
ance in the same setting 10
rebounds and tallying 12, miss
ed on a one-and-one, and Mc-
(Continued on page 5)
Camille Malcom
Named Princess
Of Spray Court
Camille Malcom, daughter of
Mrs. Barney Malcom of Hepp
ner. has been chosen as a
princess for the Spray Rodeo, to
eether with Diane Ashmead of
Soray and1 Deanna White of John
Day, it was announced following
a meeting oi tne roaeo associat
ion at Spray recently.
The girls will sell tickets on
a saddle to be given away dur
ing the rodeo. The one who sells
the most tickets will be queen
and1 the other two will be prin
cesses in the court.
Don Griffith was reelected
president of the association,
Jerry Beach was elected vice
president, Lyle Rilling was re
elected secretary and Joann
Griffith was reelected treasurer.
Dates for the rodeo this year
are May 18 and 19 with perfor
mances in the afternoons. There
will be a Queen's dance on the
Friday night, followed by the
first rodeo parade Satu r d a y
morning. A rodeo . performance
will be Saturday afternoon and
a rodeo dance Saturday night
with the Western Gentlemen
furnishing music for both dances.
On Sunday morning another
rodeo parade will be held, fol
lowed1 by the final performances
of the rodeo.
Howard Johnson of Condon
will be stock contractor.
At the convention of the North
west Rodeo association Johnson's
saddle bronc, Firedancer, was
chosen by the cowboys as Saddle
Bronc of the Year, and his bare
back horse, Orphan Annie, was
chosen Bareback of the Year.
John Irwin of Salkum, Wash.,
will be clown for the 2-day ro
deo. The Spray rodeo is approved
by the Northwest Rodeo Assoc
iation and NBA champions of
1967 are expected to be on hand.
by 'Whisker'
seven points in the last 45
Eagles Claw
Heppner Five
In Consolation
Waterloo for the Heppner High
basketball team in the state A
2 tournament at Coos Bay came
in the form of the Stayton Eag
les Tuesday afternoon. Playing
tight defensive ball, the Eagles
hobbled the Mustangs, 60 to 43,
and knocked the Greater Ore
gon champions out of the tour
nament. v - 1
Rogue River,' which topped
Heppner 66 to 60 Monday night,
was to play Sutherlin, winners
over Stayton in the opening
round 60-41, in one Tuesday
night contest. Yamhill -Carlton,
which disposed of last year's
champs, Reedsport, 64-62, Mon
day, was to meet Pleasant Hill,
59 to 54 victor over Clatskanie
in the first round. Tuesday af
ternoon in the other champion
ship semi-final.
Clatskanie faced Reedsport in
the consolation bracket opposite
HeDDner-Stavton. and the win
ner was to meet the Eagles for
the consolation title Wednesday
afternoon.
In the Stayton game, Bill Mc
Leod grabbed the opening tip
off and had a basket in sec
onds. This was followed by a
free throw by Russ Kilkenny,
and the Mustangs had their on
ly lead of the game
Stayton soon tied it up and
moved away quickly, rolling to
a 16-9 first quarter lead. The
Mustangs, apparently tired from
their late mgnt exnausting
game against Rogue River,
couldn't find the basket and
their fast break was effectively
(Continued on page 5)
Cheerleaders Win
Coos Bay Tourney
Heppner won one tourna
ment at Coos Bay, anyhow!
Cheerleaders -(plus one) of
the Mustangs entered a bowl
ing tournament sponsored for
entertainment of the high
school kids at the A-2 basket
ball meet.
Heppner cheerleaders won
by a wide margin, according
to Kit Anderson, representa
tive of the Gazette-Times at
the basketball tournament.
He told of it in a telephone
report following the game
with Stayton.
The girls will receive a fine
big trophy to be presented be
fore the basketball meet goes
into history, Kit said.
Meeting Called
For Water Users
Jerry Haines, watermaster for
District 5, which encompasses
Umatilla and Morrow counties,
announces there will be a meet
ing on Tuesday, March 19, at
7:30 p.m. in the circuit court
room of the Morrow county
courthouse of the Willow Creek
and Rhea Creek and tributary
water users.
Purpose of the meeting will
be to discuss the water rights
and administration of those
rights and explanation of the
hiring of an assistant for the
area. Representative of the
State Engineer's office will be
present
All water users are urged to
be present and any other inter
ested persons are Invited.
. V.
"n...
DON GREENUP (right) points
were found last week while bulldozers were oiaaing sut to restore me pona. jonn veuara, man
ager of the First National Bank. Heppner branch, is an interested spectator. Tractors, one oper
ated by Dick Meador. continue at work in the background, more concerned about restoring the
big pond than in the gold. This pont is located about a mile above the Greenup house in a
canyon. House and buildings of Press Thompson once stood on the site aftor be homesteaded
here.
Story Brings Calls
From All over U. S.
If It were possible for the
Don Greenups to take all the
money spent in telephone
calls made to them on their
"gold strike" in exchange for
the gold coins found, they
might be willing to make the
trade.
Following the' Associated
Press story Friday and other
published accounts of the
"strike," their telephone rang
throughout the week-end. One
call came from West Virgin
ia. NBC News called from New
York City and another call
from NBC News came from
Los Angeles.
Since the account was pub
lished in "True West" maga
zine in 1966 about boys find
ing five gold coins while fish
ing in the pond on the Green
up place, the family has been
the recipient of calls and let
ters from all over the country.
Mr. and Mrs. Greenup evad
ed some of the harassment by
"escaping" to the state A-2
basketball tournament at Coos
Bay, their daughter, Terryl
(Tag) Greenup said. No one
was home to answer the
phone Monday and Tuesday
since Tag works at the First
National Bank.
By Tuesday night, all seem
ed quiet at the "diggings"
scene.
lone Garden Club
Proposes Desert
Memorial Drive
Ione's Garden club has
posed the designation of
pro
the bomb range road of Morrow
county as the Sam Boardman
Desert Memorial Drive for a dis
tance of 12 miles from Highway
I-80N to the old Oregon Trail
crossing. It is enlisting cooper
ation of other organizations in
the county to aid in planning
other scenic drives and develop
signing projects to mark histor
ical and scenic attractions.
Morrow county court has ap
proved the re-naming of the
bomb range road and has offer
ed cooperation, according to
Mrs. Lloyd Johnson and Mrs.
Omar Rietmann, who are in
charge of the project for the
club.
As proposed, the club plans
to erect an appropriate sign at
the junction of the Memorial
Drive with the Interstate high
way, calling tourists' attention
to the drive. The club expects
to clean up debris along the
route and hopes to establish a
turnaround and perhaps other
facilities at the Old Oregon
Trail crossing.
They have been assured oi
getting assistance of a plant
ecologist in naming and label
ing flora along tne roao. com
Mrs. Johnson and Mrs. Rietmann
have examined some of the
plant life and trees and are sur
prised at the variety.
They met with a committee
from the Chamber of Commerce,
and the latter organization is
giving study to developing oth
er scenic routes in the county.
Oscar Peterson, former county
judge, is chairman of a com
mittee with this in mind. Mem
bers are Jerry Sweeney, Judge
Paul Jones, Mrs. Avon Melby,
Jack VanWinkle and Orville
Cutsforth.
At the meeting. Judge Jones
said that the county is in the
process of selecting a few roads
on which litter barrels will be
placed.
Some discussion was given to
the possibility of providing
mile posts along main routes,
and also of the possibility of
producing at some time in the
future a brochure that would
call tourists' attention to scenic
routes and attractions in the
county. . , ..,.
h
to a muddy spot at the aide of
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TERRYL (TAG) GREENUP took a minute off from her Job at the
Tirst National Bank to hold five o the 28 gold coins found
last week on the ranch of her parents. Mr, and Mrs. Don Green
up. Three at the top are "double eagles" $20 gold pieces, ana
the three at the bottom are $10 gold pieces. One of the double
eagles is worth $500 to $600. (G-T Photo).
Discovery at
Revives Treasure Story
By WES SHERMAN
Twentv-eieht gold coins,
ranging from $5 gold pieces to
double eagles ($20 gold pieces),
were unearthed last Thursday
while Don Greenup, Dick Mead
or and others were doing some
bulldozing work at a pond site
on the Greenup place. The site
is about a mile above the Green
ups' home, which is 12 miles
from Heppner on the Hinton
Creek highway.
Discovery of the coins caused
a wave of excitement that rip
pled via wire service stories
all across the United States. It
brought back into the limelight
a story that Press inompson,
early settler who homesteaded
on this spot, had hidden a small
fortune there.
Face value of the gold pieces
found last week Is $375, but
from a collector's standpoint,
the value is far greater. One
double eagle, minted in Carson
City, Nev., in 1891 is believed
to be a rare coin that is worth
some $500 to $600.
Wind Doesn't Show
Complete report from Don
Gilliam, weather observer, for
the week of March 6 through 12
shows only .02 inches of rain
and temperature falling below
freezing on six consecutive
nights Not shown in the report
were the gusty winds that blew
early this week. Report is as
follows:
Hi Low Prec.
53 29
51 31
50 27
54 26
55 28
55 28
67 38 .02
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
his pond site where 28 gold coins
(G-T Photo).
Greenups9
Apparently this is the third
time that gold coins have been
found at the pond site. A story
written in True West magazine
by Paul Atkinson in the Aug
ust, 1966, issue said that a fish
erman spotted a double eagle
in a foot of water while fishing
in the pond that Greenup had
constructed.
Boys Find Coins
Some 10 years ago, according
to Mrs. Greenup, four boys were
going fishing at the pond and
while digging for worms on the
bank, uncovered five $5 gold
pieces. Three of the boys were
Billy Monagle, Jerry Greenup
and Raymond Nichols, sne could
not recall the name of the
fourth.
Since the article appeared in
True West magazine, the Green
ups have been almost besieged
by would-be treasure hunters,
with calls coming from all parts
of the United States. They have
generally turned down permis
sion for treasure hunting on the
place.
The pond was drained about
a year ago and silt had wash
ed in. Just a few days ago
Greenup started dozing silt in
order to restore the pond.
It happened that two treasure
hunters from Minnesota arrived
at this time and asked permis
sion to search for the treasure.
Since Greenup was working
there, they were given permis
sion, and he agreed to split any
gold found on a 50-50 basis.
The Minnesotans used detect
ing devices and helped spot the
28 coins which were uncovered
by one of the dozers. Greenup
said that they were located in
a bunch, and that bits of rotten
leather, or possibly the remains
of an old can, surrounded the
(Continued on page 8)