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
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