Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 5, 1976)
BESSIE WET2ELL U OF ORE NEWSPAPER LIB EUGENE OR 97403 GOLD I JT rneno JMF yjF DlgQpF lp Monte Stookey looks through a days dredging. (G-T Photo) Gold (gold), n. 1. A precious yellow metallic element widely used in coins, jewelry, etc. 2. Riches. 3. A yellow color, n. goldsmith. Monte Stookey, n. 1. Heppner man, curious, inquisitive, anxious. Part time goldsmith, now ranked fourth in the state in gold panning. Monte Stookey's dredging curiosity to locate the Mother Lode has produced a fourth place finish for the Heppner man in the Oregon State Gold Panning Championships. Stookey took the honor last week in Baker, competing against stiff competition that included the world champion, the California State champion and the United States champion. "It's a hobby more than anything else," Stookey says. But when he's asked if he'd find a big nugget some day, he just answers, simply "I will." Stookey uses a motorized dredge right now. A recent trip to the John Day River produced sis or seven little nuggets and some gold flakes. Prom the dredge, Stookey pans the sediment and finds the heavier gold metal, at the bottom of the pan. Stookey has a couple gold claims near Cable Cave by Sumpter, but hasn't got the cash on hand to start in that type of mining in the rocks. So he keeps dredging and panning. What for? To find "a little gold for a little cash." ? . v t ea f MS. .- . i ) -i ----- Jy-- iA- i-V &mU ,, ,,.,.m,IT. ,1 Guy Patterson, left, and Frank Sampley survey Big foot prints they found. Guys feet are in the animals foot prints and Frank's hand point to where animals handjprints are. Guy, a 6'J man, is, still about five feet shprt of the animals frame tchen it drank water here. (G-T Photo) Hundreds of tracks found near Heppner By VVILC.PHLNNEY The Urge German Shep herd dog whined and whim pered and jumped up on it's masters' side for protection. Its owner looked bewildered and said, "something's wrong." A small posse of about seven young men were care fully aurveying the mountain ous terrain near Johnson Creek, south of Heppner. "Here's another one," Guy When the grader found the tracks, he got out of his rig. But a foul, almost nauseating stench forced him to get bark in his rig. The Indian tales tell of the bad smell. Monday night, after more of the crew had received word of the finding, Guy Patterson. 23 year old son of Pat Patter son. Pine Contract LoKKint( at first. But at the first sighting of the huge prints, some measuring 21 inches long, a firm believer was made. The small band of trackers found many aigns of the big animals. Besides groups of tracks, Guy quesstimated that there were five different sets by the sizes, there was also 'It's a tlamn good hoax, if that's what it is.' At one spot. Guy put his feet where the animals foot prints were and bent down tol where the animal's hand prints were. He was short, with his 61 frame, by at least five feet of coming up where the animal had taken water. Guesstimates ranged from nine to 12 feet and Guy, by the I impressions left, guessed that - "A 4 Patterson, head tracker said enthusiastically. He brushed away some soil and there It was. Another track. It la UigfooL For more than 200 years, Indians have told tales about mammoth beast, with mon strous feet they rail Mas quatch. ligfoot became part I of Morrow County this week. Not just t few prints. There are hundreds, maybe tnou sands, lending more and more credence to theory that has escaped most people's wildest dreams. The first prints, three In all. were spotted by fine Contract Logging grader last Wednesday morning. Those tracks were atill very distinct Tuesday afternoon. 21"- boss, took a couple buddies and began a trek that ended only after about four miles and four hours of constant tracking. Their tracking yielded more than Jut three tracks. It found hundreds In the brushy area near Johnson Creek. Tuesday, this writer look the tour with Guy Patterson, his higging buililios Frank Smspley and ln Llppcrt and Guy's younger brother, Jay. There have been at least ten people that have seen the tracks. SkrpUi.im was inevitable feces found and kept. Tracks were found in al most all directions almost everywhere a human foot was put down. The human foot msde an Impression almost Impossible to see moments after It left the turf. The Bigfoot prints k-ft Impressions, sometimes as deep as one and half Inches in the ground, after to days of rain. The group shared findings and found four spot where the animals, whatever they are, hii knrll near Johnson Creek to lake water. the animal could weigh much as 1000 pounds. Pur speculation? Impos sible? Incredible? Poasibly but not probable by the evidence In the mountains. Frank asked Guy Monday if he believed in BigfooL Guy had told him no, but by the end of the day, Guy says he was a firm believer. "If someone would have told me this two weeks ago. I'd havessid 'Bull'," Guy said. Hut now i ve been made a firm believer." Ijiler In the day, the grader (Continued on pare 10) THE . 9 . . 1 ' Sf m 'W l IIEPPMEE "MISS VOL. S3, NO. 25 HEPPNER. OR. THURSDAY. August S, 1171 12 Pages 1S Mini - Cloud burst causes area crop, rood damage A Monday afternoon storm hit Morrow County this week, causing extensive crop dam age to area farms. A low pressure system of! the Pacific Coast swept into the area Monday, bringing rain, hail, and lightning to Morrow, Umatilla. Gilliam, Grant and Wheeler Counties. Morrow, southern Umatilla and northern Grant counties appeared hardest hit. Ten forest fires were reported in the. Umatilla national forest and Morrow County farmers reported wheat crop losses as high as 20 per cent. The storm did little damage to roads in Morrow county. A mud slide stalled traffic be tween Lexington and Hepp ner for about an hour. The mud also damaged Dr. How- Morrow County suffers June employment loss Umatilla County experienced a substantial employment increase during June, while Morrow County suffered an even more substantial loss in employment, according to Labor Force Trends of the state employment division. The employment increase occur ed pri marily in food products, wholesale and retail trade and government. Even though Morrow County employment decreased over the month, the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate also decreas edfrom 9.6 per cent In May to 6.7 per cent in June. The major portion of the loss in employment was tied to a lull in construction at Portland General Elec trie's coal fired plant site. Food processing and the govern ment sector also experienced employment losses during June. The unanticipated decline in contract construction stemmed from a temporary lull in activities at the construction site for the PGE plant. By the first week of July, much of the June employment loss had already recovered. With the letting of additional contracts for the construction of the plant structure itself, the rapid expansion of area construction will resume. Lumber and wood products activities in creased slightly in Morrow County and moderately in Umatilla County. The Morrow County wholesale sector is inactive as the potato packing sheds are currently down until the potato harvest in August. For the future in Morrow County, a 190 million residential and commercial project to provide homes for 11,000 people is planned for Boardman. An initial $25 million phase of the development is scheduled to begin this summer. ard Ruber's home. HaiL not as bad as last year, did crop damage up to 20 per cent on 350 acres of wheat on a ranch run by Pat Cutsforth. Cutsforth reported more than one inch of rainfall in 10 minutes. He said he already harvest ed 350 acres of wheat, with yields running at 25 bushels. Water ran tire deep on trucks at the Al Bunch ranch. Another rancher near Bunch. Dean Hunt, reported .85 of an inch of rain in the 10 minutes the storm took to cross his field. Clark's Canyon received some damage as the water1 from the mini-cloud burst swept through the canyon's draws, washing out top soil and some crop land. LABOR FORCE SUMMARY FOR MORROW COUNTY (By Place of Residence) J Change From June May June May June 132$ 1976 1975 1976 1975 Civilian Labor Force J7 3,690 4,040 3,220 -350 4470 Unemployment 240 300 200 - 60 40 Percent of Labor Force 6. 5 7.4 6.2 ui xxx Seasonally Adjusted Percent 6.7 9.6 6.4 xxx xxx ToUl Employment 2 3,450 3,740 3,020 -290 44)0 MORROW COUNTY NON AGRICULTURAL WAGE k SALARY EMPLOYMENT (By Place of Work) ToUt 2.200 2,440 1,680 .240 S20 Manufacturing 720 SCO 543 - 80 180 Durable Goods 350 340 390 10 - 40 Lumber ! Wood 330 320 380 10 -50 Other Durable Goods 20 20 10 0 4 10 Nondurable Goods 370 460 150 90 4220 Food Products 370 460 150 - 90 4220 Other Nondurable Goods 0 0 0 0 0 Nonmanuiacturing 1,480 1,640 1, 140 -160 4340 Contract Construction 330 490 140 .160 4190 Transp. .Utilities 120 110 100 4 10 4 20 Trade 380 380 370 0 4 10 Finance, Ins. a. Real Estate 50 50 50 0 0 , Service li Miscellaneous 210 190 1)0 4 20 4 80 Government 390 420 350 . 30 4 40 Labor .Management insputes 0 0 0 00 0 NOTEi Estimates are subject to revision. y Includes employed and unemployed individuals 16 years and older. DaU are adjusted for multiple job holding and commuting. 2 Includes nonagricultvral wage and salary, sttf-tmptoytd, unpaid family workers, domestics, agriculture and labor disputants. Larry Fetsch A surprise resignation from John Mollahan as Morrow County sheriff hasn't left the county without its chief law en forcement officer. Mollahan 's resigna tion became effective Aug. I. However, Larry Fetsch, deputy shertXf, has taken over as acting sheriff until the county court makes an ap pointment. Mollahan, Judge Paul Jones described his re signation as "a com plete surprise", was not available for comment. Under Oregon law, Mollahan has until Aug. 27 si S p m. to withdraw his resignation. Sea. Mark Hatfield wilt swing thrvuf fc Heppnee nest TarMiay, Aaar4 II n t Ur ef Org citl, Hatfield will b at (Ke Wage Wkl at J IS m Taersdey le talk te lt (itiaeea.
