E.S S X E-W E'T 2'E t L si'
0
OF ok i
UEVSPAPER
EUGENE OR
L I B
97403
Musty Draper Show tonight, dinner
&
Gazette -Times
celebrates 95
years of recording
county history
The Gazette-Times is getting to be an old-timer this week
marks the 95th birthday of Morrow County's oldest newspaper and
Heppner's earliest business establishment still in operation.
The first edition of the old Heppner Weekly Gazette was printed
exactly 95 years ago today on March 30, 1883, making it the third
oldest weekly paper in Eastern Oregon and the eighth oldest in the
state to be published continuously since its founding.
Vawter Crawford, an early editor of the Gazette, bought out its
rival, the Heppner Times, established in 1897, and consolidated the
two papers under the name Heppner Gazette-Times on Feb. 12,
1912. Though its name was changed, the Gazette-Times has always
claimed the Gazette's birthday.
A fire in 1918 destroyed
early newspaper files, but
lively accounts of the 'old
days' in Morrow County
newspaper printing, complete
with details of ownership
transfers, appeared sporadi
cally in the Gazette-Times
editorial and letters-to-the-editor
columns whenever the
, paper's anniversary rolled
around.
The following history is a
composite of several such
accounts which were promp
ted by birthday number 60
(1943) and 75 (1958).
The Gazette was established
on March 30, 1883, by a stock
company formed by Jack
Morrow, Henry Heppner, Ellis
Minor and several other
old-timers. J.A. Stine of Walla
Walla, Wash., who launched
many early Oregon papers,
was a principal owner and
first editor.
Less than a year later, the
fledgling paper was sold to
John W. Redington, an old
scout and Indian fighter,
commonly known as J. Water
melon. This colorful figure
deserves more than passing
mention.
J. Watermelon had been
chief of scouts for General
O.O. Howard who once wrote a
glowing tribute to his scout's
courage, resourcefulness and
industry all qualities he car
ried into his editorial work. He
was both humorous and eccen
tric, and, one of the most
picturesque editors of the day
in Oregon, or anywhere else
for that matter.
While running the Gazette,
Redington painted snappy
signs on fence boards and
rocks all over the countryside
advertising his newspaper.
"The Heppner Gazette Hell
on Horse Thieves and Hypo
crites", and "The Heppner
Gazette Sangup fcr
Bustles", read two such signs.
J. Watermelon sold the
paper in less than five years to
one of Heppner's first mini
sters, the Rev. Henry Ras
mus, who kept the paper until
1886 when he sold it to the
Patterson Publishing Co. with
i Otis Patterson as editor. When
i he moved to The Dalles,
i Patterson turned the paper
f over to Corleis Merrit, who
i continued as editor until
February, 1900, when the
i Gazette was again sold to J.
V Watermelon Redington.
By this time, one rival, the
' Heppner Record, had quickly
been absorbed by the Gazette,
1 and the Gazette's longest
standing competitor the Hepp
ner Times was established by
E.M. Shutt.
During his short second stint
as Gazette owner, Redington
delighted in taking verbal
shots at his rival "on the lower
side of Stewart's livery sta
ble", jabbing the vain Shutt
about "strutting". Finally the
goading drove Shutt to desper
ation and he laid in wait for J.
Watermelon, a much older
man, and beat him up, his
honor vindicated.
It is questionable whether
the incident had anything to do
with his next action, but
Redington soon sold out to
Fred Warnock and E.P.
Mitchel. Warnock bought out
his partner in a short time and
kept the paper until he sold it
to Vawter Crawford.
Crawford's brother, O.G.
Crawford, a later editor of the
Gazette-Times, wrote a letter
to the editor in 1958, recollec
ting some early days as a
Heppner newspaperman : "...I
started 'at the case' about two
weeks after arriving in Hepp
ner (early March 1901), work
ing alongside my brother
Garfield who worked alter
nately for the Times and the
Gazette for several years. At
the time he was Shutt's right
hand man. I added to my
printing skill be learning to
feed the cylinder press, an old
Country Campbell, the power
being furnished by a little
German, Jack Newcomb. His
usual pay was 50 cents and a
bucket of beer while I drew
down 25 cents my week's
wages for the first three
months. From this momen
tous outlay of cash I gradu
ated, by December 1901, to the
imposing wage of $9 a
week 60 hours mind you by
changing my attachment from
the Times to the Gazette..."
Soon after Vawter Crawford
bought the Gazette from
Warnock, he purchased the
Heppner Times and edited the
two papers as the Gazette
Times, and to this day it has
been known by that name.
O.M. Yeager, former Hepp
ner resident and building
contracter who supplied much
of the data in this history,
ended his account printed May
1, 1958: "...The Gazette-Times
was in the possession of the
Crawford family until the year
cf 1351 wicn O.G Crswrford
sold the paper to Mr. and Mrs.
Robert Penland, who still own
and edit the paper. The paper
is still going under the able
management of the Penlands
and it would take a strong
paper indeed to gain a foothold
in the newspaper field of
Morrow County."
The Penlands published the
Gazette-Times until October
1960 when they sold the paper
to W.O. and Frances Wild
man, who kept the Gazette
Times only eight months
before they sold out to Mr. and
Mrs. Wes Sherman.
Sherman carried on the
active role the Gazette-Times
has always played in promo
ting Morrow County's inter
ests until his death on June 22,
1969, in Washington, D.C.,
during the first vacation the
popular editor-publisher had
taken in eight years. Ironi
cally, Sherman died the day
after it was announced by the
Oregon Newspaper Publishers
Association that the Gazette
Times had won two first place
awards in the annual news
paper contest best news
continued on page 16
auction April 8, to benefit X-Ray Fund
Rusty Draper, mistakenly
identified in last week's Gazette-Times
as Rusty Drake,
will perform in a special
concert tonight (Thursday) in
the Riverside High Schol gym
with proceeds going towards
the purchase of X-Ray equip
ment for the Boardman Clinic.
The performance will start at
8 p.m.
Draper, a country-western
vocal star on radio, network
y;:-l. r, :;. u
1 T C
i .- t
. .4
Growing school enrollment
prompts budget increase
The operation of Morrow
County schools next year as
proposed by the district's
advisory and budget commit
teesis subject to voter ap
proval of a $2,067,639 special
levy next Tuesday, April 4.
If approved, the special levy
will add about .94 cents per
$1,000 assessed valuation to
the $7.58 per $1,000 assessed
valuation currently paid by
taxpayers.
In addition to the levy,
voters will cast ballots for
school board and advisory
committee members.
The only school board posi
tion open is a four-year term
for Zone 1 in Boardman.
Candidates are Kenneth
Broadbent and Larry D.
Leichleiter.
Two advisory committee
positions are open in Heppner
with Frank Pearson unop
posed for the Position 2 seat.
Judy Currin and Stephen K.
Peck are vying for Position 7.
Earl Trudeau and Francine
Evans are unopposed for the
Position 1 and Position 6
advisory committee race in
the Boardman-Irrigon area.
Mary J. Martin is unop
posed in her bid for the
Position 4 advisory committee
seat for the lone area.
Comments by the candi
dates appear on page three of
this issue.
The special levy amount
reflects an increase of 13.4 per
cent over last year according
television and in recordings
for the past three decades, has
performed live in every state
and in Europe and Japan.;
Tickets can be purchased
for $5 from Gardners Mens
Wear, Heppner; Alice Bart
lett, Boardman; Pat Mc
Donough, Irrigon; and JB's
Records Shop, Hermiston.
Admission at the door will be
$7.50.
The X-Ray Fund for the
run
DA , iUAKCil 30, I .) 7o . , .
J
fr,S.
t' -
?
. -
to Superintendent Matt Do
herty. The largest increase 8.3
per cent came in the area of
salaries, fixed costs, mainte
nance and improvements to
facility and programs. A four
per cent increase is due to
district growth and equaliza
tion of educational opportuni
? 'fW fi!
is'-' ' Hi i I
n?
VII1!', 'ilk iril..-hlili-m
-' t ' i - l
r , . p I j
ft ! V - ?
r - ... . -, . ....... - .- ... '
? .. . . ... .
"We Can Handle It" the sign said on the side of the 130-ton, derailed engine and handle it the Union
Pacific Crews did. It took several hours last week to lift, nudge and baby the locomotive back on
the track. The derailment was caused by debris in the crossing near Vern's 76 station.
clinic will also receive the
profits from a noon meal,
prize drawing and auction
scheduled for Saturday, April
8, at Riverside High School.
Beginning at 11:30 a.m.,
diners will be able to choose
between Bar-BQ beef or fried
chicken as a main course,
complimented by potato sal
ad, rolls and beverages. Cost
for the meal will be $2.50 for
adults; $1.75, 12 and under,; or
"I '
i if
FFA Slave auction
slated next week
Fifty prime head of Future Farmers of America
members will go on the block to the highest bidder next
Thursday, April 6, at the Heppner chapter's annual Slave
Auction. Bidding is expected to be brisk at the event,
scheduled to start at 8 p.m. at Heppner High School.
The auction is the local FFAers only fund raising project
this year and proceeds will go to support the chapter's many
activities.
Buyers can expect their husky, young purchases to put in a
full eight hours in the type of labor of their choice anything
from hoeing gardens to pulling rye to barn cleaning to house
work.
Slaves of all sizes and shapes will be available at the
auction, so everybody needing help around their ranches,
gardens or homes is invited to make their selections on April
6. Refreshments will be served at the event.
"Ilocin"' Jo Lynn Daly tests the muscle of fellow slave
"Deceiving" Steve Marlatt. in preparation for the big FFA
auction to be held at Heppner High School on Thursday, April
(i. at X p.m. Both will be among the 50 slaves to be sold to the
highest bidder for eight hours worth of labor.
4
ties and a 1.1 per cent increase
was noted for the education of
handicapped children.
Within the district's budget
the largest single amount,
$1,617,244 is spent for instruc
tionthat is, where students
are actually doing classroom
work. Support sei vices such
as administration, transporta
$10 per family.
Prizes donated for the
drawing include a half of beef,
cut and wrapped, courtesy of
Kroll's Department Store;
four hams from Hill Meat Co. ;
and a television video pinball
game donated by Cal-Am-Fuhrman
Co. Tickets for the
drawing are available from
members of the Lions Club in
Boardman and Irrigon, the
Greenfield Grange, the Board-
1IEITNER, OREGON . . ,
tion and food service re
quire an addtional $1,406,915.
Morrow County taxpayers
are favored with one of the
lowest tax rates in the state
for support of schools.
If the levy receives voter
approval next Tuesday, tax
continued on page 3
man Eagles, Alice Barlett,
and D.O. Nelson in Heppner.
Ticket-holders need not be
present to win.
Items so far donated to be
auctioned to the highest bid
der after the dinner and prize
drawing include two loads of
gravel, a chain saw, two
vented kitchen range hoods,
one light fixture and gift
certificates from several
stores.
! Vi
! !
10 PAGUS
News
School elections
face voters Tuesday
An important election date for Morrow County voters is
next Tuesday, April 4.
At that time voters will be asked to approve special
levies for the Morrow County School District and Blue
Mountain Community College. A separate story appears on
this page concerning the Morrow County School District
election.
In the BMCC election, of utmost importance to local
voters is retaining Bob Rietmann on the board of directors.
The incumbent, Rietmann is Morrow County's only
representation on the BMCC board and he is being seriously
challenged by a Pendleton resident.
BMCC is also asking voter approval of a special levy that
would cost taxpayers an estimated $1.05 per $1,000 assessed
valuation. That amount reflects a drop of three cents per
$1,000 from the current year.
Morrow County provides about 25 per cent of the
district's share of operating costs and without Rietmann on
the seven-member board of directors, all representation
would be from Umatilla County.
Dave Harrison resigns
as CBEC manager
Columbia Basin Electric Cooperative Manager Dave
Harrison submitted his resignation to the utility's board of
directors Monday, March 27.
Harrison told the board he was resigning to enter private
enterprise in the Spokane area. When contacted by The
Gazette-Times Harrison said details of the business he plans
to start in Spokane will be revealed at a later date.
Harrison's letter of resignation stated that he would
remain here for 60 days.
A manager of rural electric cooperatives for the past 20
years, Harrison has been at Columbia Basin for the past five
and one-half years.
No comment was available from the CBEC board.
Heppner doctors won't
staff Boardman clinic
Heppner physicians J.H. Diehl and Richard Carpenter
notified the Morrow County Court last week that they would
be unable to staff and operate the medical clinic in
Boardman. The doctors were to start practice at the clinic
April 1.
In a letter to the Court dated March 21, the doctors said,
"We now find that we will be unable to begin practice on that
date or in the near future.
"This decision is regrettable but necessary considering
the present conditions and circumstances with regards to the
clinic in Boardman."
When the clinic in Boardman was being constructed, a
third physician, Dr. Joe Gifford, was a member of the
partnership. Gifford moved from the area recently which
added to the workload of Diehl and Carpenter in Heppner.
The doctors said losing the third member of their team
caused them "considerable concern regarding our ability to
adequately staff the clinic in both Heppner and Boardman."
Mrs. Joe Barlett, chairperson of the North Morrow
Medical Advisory Committee said a search is underway for a
doctor to staff the clinic.
Mrs. Bartlett said anyone having information about a
physician wishing to start a practice should contact her at
481-5505.
7cn!lier
by Don G-.f!r.:n
The X-Ray Fund drive has
so far accumulated $2,640
from such money raisers as a
Taco Feed in Irrigon last week
and from private donations,
but, as fund chairman Alice
Barlett said, "We have a long
way to go." More than $14,000
is still needed to purchase the
equipment.
1 i
20C
Briefs
111 I A
Wed.. Mar. 22 C5 "i
Thurs.,Mar.23$6 lj
Fri.,Mar.;4 59 '
Sat.. Mar., 23 69 it
Siii)., Mar. 07 (
M m., ?.7,.tr. 7 i
Tues.,flar.28. 63 U