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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."
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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.