Image provided by: Morrow County Museum; Heppner, OR
About Heppner gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1925-current | View Entire Issue (March 15, 1979)
l-The Gazette-Times, Heppner, Oregon, Thursday March 15, 1979 From Burns to Salein, Sen, Bob Smith leaves hi mark Some observers of the scene in Salem are only half kidding when they claim Robert F. Smith is the best lawyer on Senate Judiciary Committee. The remark is intended more as praise of the Republi can Minority Leader's com mon sense, then a slur on other members of that panel. Nonetheless, he is the only one without formal legal training. During legislative sessions, Judiciary studies bills with legal implications. Conse quently, that committee over sees more proposed legisla tion than any other with the possible exception of Ways & Means. Members almost al ways are lawyers. How did GOP Smith from tiny Burns (Pop. 3,600) earn the reputation that led to such an appointment in a heavily dominated Democrat Senate? An immediate answer would be to cite his singularly outstanding service for six successive sessions in the House of Representatives. Among the youngest ever (at 29) to serve when elected in 1960, Smith became both Majority Leader and Speaker Pro Tern in 1965 and '67 sessions and Speaker twice in '69 and '71. But his elevation to the Senate in 1972 coincided with decisive Democrat takeovers in both chambers. And it takes more than a track record in the House of Representatives for a minority freshman to gain recognition and respect in the Senate. Bob Smith's character building began before his birth. It stems mostly from three individuals and a portion of this state as inhospitable as any. Smith's Senate Dist. 30 covers seven counties in Eastern and Southeastern Oregon almost 41,000 rgely barren square miles com prising 42 per cent of the state but home to only 3 per cent of the population. An admirer with a mathe matical bent once figured every man, woman and child on earth could be spaced on 100 square feet apiece and there'd be land left over for two million football fields, 220,000 Empire State Build ings and you could still fire a rifle in any direction without endangering life or property. Actually about the size of Ohio, the area is larger than 14 other states and bigger than the smallest seven combined. But the land is only part of the story. Smith's Texan father journeyed to Alaska following graduation from Tulane University to be a physician for a thousand cannery workers near Sew ard. He quickly went broke attempting to care for a largely self-ministering native population and earned just enough to escape the territory by horse-logging scrub timber for railroad ties. As an oil field roughneck in California, he confided to an acquaintence his ambition to practice medi cine in some desolate, ornery corner of the country at least 300 miles from the next nearest town. The friend had just come from such a spot and said the would-be doctor should go to Burns. He did. It was the winter of 1912 and took the intrepid traveler a full day to reach Sage Hen Hill about 20 miles west of town before subzero temperatures incap acitated his model-T. The shack of a local desperado provided temporary shelter that night and his reluctant host begrudgingly hitched team to sled and hauled the new doctor to town next morning. Only after his arri val did Dr. Smith learn the man was purported to have gunned down five fellow Oregonians in self defense. Senator Smith's mother ar rived on the scene as a public health nurse from Minne sotaassigned to solving a protein deficiency among local Indians and the pair wed in 1930. Largely as a diversion from meeting the health needs of his widespread patients, the elder Smith purchased a "little old place" south of Burns. It consisted of 1,500 acres and supported about 100 head of cattle. By the time he was 10, young to 4 Bob Smith spent every avail able minute on the ranch and before he was a teenager got annual cooperative roundup of calves born on the open range. Rising before daylight, the join other ranchers for the only kid in the bunch brought Salem Scene By Jack Zimmerman mr .... m ma ... s s w m m m, w aw si. , a L & t miu .urn iria . inn ouuc s h uw hk m i -v lar tp .. i., . .--.uv ... iffesgfe II.., "V - f i 7 JT 7 -Kitto? 55? fmk S6 Shapes U c.rrn f 0 i f n Kea Lear, Komaine, fl ( U1 11 fimm Prom Chili lb. U or Endive Your choice fU ea. From Israel lb. 2J m!mG; Tomatoes .49 Always Open! f Cucumbers 5 ..'1 For Speedy Checkout service... Celery Hearts 69c y tssinnipers MV- Disposable Daytime Diapers for babies 16 to 23 pounds Box of 30 OBreck Hair Spray Agree Shampoo Good flews Razor Kodak Film 110-JO or 124-10 Color Print DYHAM0 20-iriCH R flfl x 3 HP Briggs & Stratton 4-Cycle Engine (Sh Regular 94.95 DYNAMO 22-INCH Briggs & Stratton Engine 3.5 HP Convenient Rear Bagger . Regular 109.95 '.(S)(3)88 DYNAMO 22-1 IK 1 1 Briggs & Stratton Engine 2.S HP. Convenient Rear Bagger Regular '159.95 am 88 Lawn Maweri not available at these Safeway Stores: Coquille, Myrtle Point, Castle Rock, 849 W. 6th in Eugene or 10th V Jefferson, 6400 N. Interstate, 5920 NE Union t Lloyd Center in rortiand. Atroiol 1 Slit I 78 $ I 38 M ITT' not' 1J " ' 1 I J1 'intm J rw M nn I efllllV in the hobbled horses and was responsible for firewood and water. Heading out at day break, he shared lunchless days in the saddle and returned at sunset with the other ranch hands to hastily eat and collapse in bedrolls on the ground. After an early youth as "satisfying as any boy could imagine, tragedy struck twice while Bob Smith was a frehman at Willamette Uni versity. Heart attack claimed his father and six months later his mother died in a traffic accident. l-mmj Imported ; A Green Leaf, Butter J J ly V mDOrted 111 Alii nil tfUDpSiSif Pepsodenr ... To Whiten Teeth 30' Off Label 6.5-0unce Tube Cling Free 24.$ Fabric Softener Sheets 12 Off Label Skimmed Milk 'C. 42( .p.Teci Bofjs rMoMHivi 1 Instant Sanka $4M High Point Coffee c3 Instant Folgers z $3" Folger's Coffee ir T All Detergent H54 Pefergent Scotch Buy C-f! ESiH All-Temperature V J ISP Hi 49-01. Box U The season's finest fruits and vegetables await your selec tion at Safeway. We've gathered them here from across the land . Come in today and choose your family's favorites. mo '''''' W A widowed Irish immigrant, Margaret Bamberry, had been helping out at the Smith home in Burns for several years and she stayed on encouraging young Bob to continue his education and vowing to remain until he was happily married and she had a CfTDSp IsflfldOC ok SSunkist Lemons Fresh Spinach Solod Of Ftrtict bun Q Fresh Cauliflower ,59 Beautiful Green Foliage ... A Decorated Mums Sprayed A Fresh Cut Flowers Sprayed a Trifoliate Plant. The Irish Delicate Green Color To Remind Lovely Irish Green Color To Grace Claim It's Good Luck! You of St. Patrick's Day Your Home Plants and Flowers Limited to Available supplies 4 mm lODDullG Lucerne Evaporated Milk Great for Baking and Cooking lucerne. 13-0unce Can Soft Spread 1 Scotch Buy Table Spread 16-oi.Iub Oreo Cookies M05 Double Stuf c,tr. $l05 Dath Towels $1" Soup Starters 98 Saltine Crackers r M09 Totino's Pizza :.ZL. $279 Apple Juice "T" $269 UUft YoQIiff Lucerne Plain CT''fN Jk or Sundae Style Oj 32-oz. Carton u V T1 Carlo Rossi Burgundy, Chablis, Vin Rose' I Liter Orange Ice House bS-r- mil chance to babysit his off spring. Smith didn't marry until he was 35 (his bride, Kay, 29) and Mrs. Bamberry got to sit two of the three Smith children before she died at age 89. Well along with his legisla tive areer, the lawmaker- rancher had operated a con struction business, tire shop and gasoline wholesale enter- mi. i i. t nnn prise, me rancn grew 10 i,uuu deeded acres and grazes 1,700 head of cattle. Along the way Cont., on page 13 Large & Sweet 6)$ Imported Q. From Israel lb. Bakina Potatoes 191 DMS.SM TtwnKouuStidltn S028 15-oi.Ctn..Sin40' Fruit Snack Rolls tZJi Grapefruit Juice Town House Grapefruit Pink or Natural 46-0unce Can a. .'toi.n..ArL- Potato Chips ffl Blue Bell.. 8-01. Twin Pack VS' AS Saffola Margarine 84 SoftSaffola 93' Parmesan Cheese1 $159 1000 Island 99' Figaro Cat Food 4$1 Blue lilt. Kibblejral99 Flatures Scent rS: 3 51 2-1 Cheddar J Lucerne Medium sr 2-lb. Loaf Si Chateau LaScilc Christian Bros. Naturally Sweet 750 r . $ .'S.n'V mil Smash Beverage Burgundy San Martin Vintage Burgundy ...$Si79 -Liter VLJ KcjimrmtTTO I f I 2a i
