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NEWS FROM YOUR
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OFFICIAL U M A T ILLA COUNTY PAPER
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HERMISTON,
VOLUME X X XIII.
UMATILLA
COUNTY, OREGON, J U ^ f 25, 1940.
SPECIAL MEETING
OF COMMERCIAL
CLUB AUGUST 6
JOE S. DYER PASSES
B. .a rt. George Beddow
A large crowd assembled at the
FRIDAY FOLLOWING
Columbia club house Thursday even
ing of last week to hear Mrs. Joe
Udey’s report on the Townsend con EXTENDED ILLNESS
vention held in St. Louis from June
30 to July 4. Mrs. Udey was a dele
gate for the clubs of Umatilla county,
and gave a thorough and interesting
talk on the four days’ doings, as well
as giving many humorous incidents
of events happening there and en
route.
She stated it was estimated there
were 21,000 delegates present at the
first meeting. Hotels were not pre
pared for the large crowds, she said,
and food was exhausted the early
part of the convention, as hotel and
restaurant managers did not believe
there would be such a large crowd.
There were 119 delegates from
Oregon. Mrs. Udey accompanied
friends, Townsend state workers and
representatives of the movement she
knew quite intimately which made
her trip very pleasant. One coach,
she said, was filled with Townsend
members, who marched through the
trains singing and waving flags. One
of the humorous stories told by Mrs.
Udey was somewhat of a joke on her
self. The sleeping car on which she
retired for the night was switched
off from the main train while she
shept peacefully. On arising in the
morning she saw none of her friends
and upon consulting the conductor
she found out) that her coach was be
hind. She was put off at a small
station where she waited the arrival
of her own car. To add to the amuse
ment and hilarity of her friends, who
were wondering why she was sleep
ing so late, she came walking into the
coach with a man, after her nights
absence from her friends. The gen
tleman in question, who was also a
Townsend delegate, took the train
at this particular point, and unknow
ingly caused amusement, and stood
the jokes the rest of the trip.
Dr. Townsend made the keynote
speech of the convention, the first
time he answered in this capacity, al
though it was the fifth annual con
vention of the Townsend movement.
Joseph C. O. Mahoney, Burton K.
Wheeler and Sheridan Downey, Unit
ed States senators, and John Cuneo,
Mr. Fish, Joe Hendricks and Robert
Secrest, representatives, gave talks
on the Townsend Recovery movement
and all were loudly applauded by the
large crowd. Mr. Downey, who is
the author of several Townsend
books, flew from Washington, and
after making his speech, flew back
again on the next plane to be present
at a committee meeting of which he
was a member.
The Townsend organization, which
___a youth movement, was repre
has
sented by 200 delegates. One of their
group addressed the convention with
a most wonderful talk, Mrs. Udey
stated, that brought rounds of ap
plause from the floor. His name is
T iffin Reed, 18, of Texas, where he
is a state speaker. Wilhelmina Ver-
berg, worker in girl groups of Michi
gan, 14, gave an astounding talk and
also received hilarious applause.
John L. Lewis, president of the C.
I. O., labor organization, addressed
__ convention. Robert Townsend,
the
son of the founder of the movement
and secretary-treasurer, and well
known national speaker, was present
at all sessions and made an appre
ciative talk the first day.
Mrs. Udey enjoyed a cruise on the
new river boat S. S. Admiral, with
hundreds of other delegates down the
Mississippi the first night. She said
the boat was wonderful. There was
a 16-piece orchestra which played in
the ball-room that covered the entire
second deck. She also attended a
large banquet given in Mrs. Town
send’s honor in the large municipal
auditorium, which she said was very
colorful and interesting.
Mrs. Udey is called the mother of
the Townsend movement here and in
this locality, having helped organize
other clubs in the county.
SCHEDULED^ HIKE
IS POSTPONED
The Camp Cookery club of Her
miston was hostess to the Umatilla
Camp Cookery club last Wednesday,
July 17, at the home of Laureli Say
lor. Sara Wurster, president of the
Umatilla club, took charge of the
business meeting.
An over night hike planned for the
Umatilla and Hermiston camp cook
ery clubs has been postponed until a
further date due to the infantile
paralysis scare. The hike was to
have been July 2* at the little beach
in Umatilla.
FUNERAL SERVICES
HELD HERE SUNDAY
One by one the old time pioneers of
the project are answering the final
roll call. Joe S. Dyer, well known
citizen and resident of the project for
more than 30 years, passed away
Friday, July 19, at the home of his
daughter, Mr. and Mrs. Edgar Peter
son at Powell Butte. “Old Joe” had
been ill since last winter when he
suffered a severe attack of pneumo
nia from which he never fully re
covered.
His body was shipped to Hermiston
where funeral services were held
Sunday afternoon at the Prann Fun
eral Parlors with Miss Elizabeth
Leek reading the Christian Science
services. Pallbearers included F. B.
Swayze, H. L. Payne, H. T. Fraser,
A1 Quiring, Geo. Strohm and Joe
Reeves.
Mr. Dyer was born August 16,
1867, across the river from Gallipo
lis, Ohio. He left home when he was
18 and for the next few years was
employed with his uncle who was a
sea captain. During this time Mr.
Dyer made two trips around the
world.
He then became associated with the
Newport Construction Co. and helped
build the railroad through North Da
kota. Following this work he be
came a street car conductor at St.
Paul and Minneapolis, operating the
first service to be installed there. He
was then transferred to Denver, Colo
rado, to operate a similar service.
In 1909 he left his Denver job and
came to Hermiston where he located
on a small ranch in the south part of
the city. Before he left Denver he was
married. Following the purchase of
the ranch here, he was called to Seat
tle to operate a street car line dur
ing the exxposition then in progress
there.
Following his return to Hermis-
ton, he began operating his small
place which he devoted to diversified
farming. He became known as an
excellent gardener and produced some
of the finest produce on the project.
He worked on his place until last fall
when he sold it to J. G. Taylor.
Last winter Mr. Dyer and his
daughter, Mrs. Peterson, made an ex
tensive eastern trip at which time he
visited many of his school day friends
and scenes.
He is survived by his daughter,
Mrs. Peterson, two brothers, Amos
of Columbus, Ohio, and Curtis of
Hermiston, and one nephew, Waldo
Dyer of Hermiston. Mrs. Joe Dyer
passed away in September, 1938.
«
JUNE AND JULY
BRING NO RAIN
BOMBING FIELD
SITE LOCATED
No measurable amount of rain has
fallen in Hermiston since May 4
when .03 in. was recorded. On May
14 a heavy mist was responsible for
a .01 in. recording for the last drop
of precipitation until this week when
.06 was registered last Friday night.
There was not a trace of rain since
May 14, through June and until
July 19.
The weather records for the past
week, according to Chas. Taylor, fol
low:
Max. Min.
Date
July 18 ............. ............. 92 ..... 60
July 19 ............. ............. 94 ..... 60
July 20 .......................... 88 .. 59
July 21 ............. ............. 88 ..... 59
July 22 .......................... 97 ..... 53
July 23 ............. ............. 96 ..... 61
July 24 .......................... 89 .. 65
From all appearances and press
reports the army has decideu on the
Morrow county site for its new bomb
ing field headquarters. Maior John
C. Gates, who spent considerable time
in the past two years, and has cov
ered three states in the quest, states
that the Morrow county site is the
most feasible plot of ground for the
Dombing field and has sent his rec
ommendation to the war department.
The field will be 12 miles wide and
18 miles long. The northeast corner
of the field will be approximately
nine miles from Hermiston. Consid
erable agitation against the location
has been raised by Morrow county
officials and stock men as it will
mean the closing of the Boardman-
Ione road and the loss of grazing
lands to the sheepmen.
No definite word has as yet been
released as to the actual activities
planned.
THUNDER STORM
VISITS HERE
A regular old-fashioned thunder
storm visited this part of the county
to somewhat break the monotony of
the present heat spell last Friday
evening when a brilliant electrical
display with its accompanying thun
der entertained the populace
Al
though only .06 in. of rain was re
corded, heavier downpours were re
ported south and east of Hermiston.
A large transformer was burned
out at the Hermiston Light & Pow
er Co. sub-station near Echo Friday
night during the storm. The bolt
struck within a short distance of the
station, with service being out for a
short time. No serious damage was
reported by the REA although sev
eral fuses were blown out. A strong
wind was in evidence for a short
time but no damage resulted.
TOWNSEND CLUB
NEWS
The local club will meet at the
Legion hall Friday, July 26. The
meeting is changed from 8 p. m. to
8:30 during the busy season. Mrs.
Joe Udey gave the report of the fifth
Townsend National Convention at the
Columbia hall last Thursday night.
A request of those who misunderstood
the date, wanting to hear this report,
she is willing to give it at this meet
ing, July 26, if there is a crowd large
enough for her to feel it is justified.
The public is invited as this is free.
Bring your friends. This being bank
night, all those wanting to help with
the penny a day program, are asked
to pay Mr. Morehouse of the finance
committee.
The dance Saturday night as a
benefit for the Townsend club was
well attended and the committee is
planning for another dance August 3
at the Columbia park.
Sale» In Auto Accident
Mr. and Mrs. George Sale suffered
minor injuries Saturday night while
returning from Pendleton when their
car left the road and struck a cul
vert. Mr. Sale attempted to dim the
lights when they went completely out. |
The accident happened near the Echo
junction. Mrs. Sale hit the wind
shield with sufficient force to break
it but did not receive any serious cuts
while Mr. Sale somewhat bruised his
chest from contact with the steering
wheel.
Follett» Parent» of Twin»
Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Follett are
the proud parents of twins, a boy and
a girl, born Saturday, July 20, at St.
Anthony’s hospital in Pendleton. Mrs.
Follett and children are doing nice
ly.
Berryman, in the Washington Star.
COW ELK TAGS
NOW AVAILABLE
Sportsmen wishing cow elk or an
telope tags should make application
at once at the office of the Oregon
State Game Commission, in Portland.
A total of 2000 cow elk tags will
be issued and 1500 antelope tags.
Should less than the quota be applied
for by August 1, the tags will be is
sued in the order in which applica
tions are received. Otherwise, a
drawing will be held.
No formal application blanks are
being issued. Those desiring the tags
should send in their names and ad
dresses and the kind and number of
the hunting license they hold, togeth
er with a check or money order for
$5.00 for each tag.
The elk season this year will be
from November 1 to 16, inclusive!
the deer season from September 20
HEALTH C LIN IC IS
to October 25; the bull elk season in
POSTPONED HERE
Clatsop county alone, from August
24 to September 2, inclusive: and
The annual clinic, under the aus the antelope season from September
pices of the Umatilla County Health 29 to October 6, inclusive.
unit, usually held in Hermiston at
Young People Enjoy Outing
about this time of the year, will be
Twenty-two young people from
held at a later announced date, ac
cording to Mrs. Thomas Fraser, lo the Christian Endeavor society of
the Church of Christ enjoyed a fine
cal representative of that unit.
This postponement has been made time on the J. H. DeMoss lawn last
necessary due to a few cases of in Thursday evening. Following the
meeting, wieners were roasted.
fantile paralysis in the county.
President George Harkenrider has
announced a special meeting of the
Hermiston Commercial club for Tues
day evening, August 6, at the Odd
Fellows hall. The Rebekahs are ex
pected to serve the dinner. This will
be the first meeting of the summer,
the meetings having been suspended
during the warm weather months.
Among matters which will come up
for discussion at the meeting will be
the proposed swimming pool, the
coming fair and the bombing field to
be located west of Hermiston. The
northwest corner of the bombing
field is only nine miles from Hermis
ton and an attempt will be made to
swing some of the activities of the
field towards Hermiston.
Attempts are being made to obtain
County Judge Johnsen of Heppner
and Major John C. Gates of the army
service as special speakers.
SERVICE FACILITY
SURVEY UNDERWAY
A survey of service facilities of
the Hermiston Light & Power com
pany in the Umatilla area to show
what changes are necessary to carry
the growing industrial power load
there are now under way by Pacific
Power & Light company, according
to Homer Beale, Pendleton district
manager for the company.
Although purchase of the Hermis
ton company properties by the Paci
fic company has not yet been com
pleted, the survey was undertaken at
losition for prompt
this time
is completed,
action whi
i, division en-
Beale
company at
gineer
the survey.
Walla W
The pbwer load in the Umatilla
district centers around the growing
gasoline tank farms there. Barged
up the river, gasoline is distributed
from these tank farms for much of
the tributary eastern Oregon area.
Standard Oil company already
has a farm at Umatilla while one is
being built by the Shaver Forward
ing company. In addition, pumping
facilities’ are being installed at the
latter plant to load truck tankers for
inland distribution.
Brown’s survey will reveal present
voltage conditions in the Umatilla
area and changes needed to augment
the Hermiston Light & Power com
pany’s present facilities to serve this
new business.
CONNOR BUYS OUT
ARLINGTON STORE
NUM BER 49
P. P. * L COMES TO
RESCUE SATURDAY
WHEN POWER FAILS
LIGHTNI NG STRIKES
NEAR TRANSFORMER
Reserve resources of Pacific Power
& Light company were called into
action Saturday to prevent lengthy
interruption of service to customers
of the Hermiston Light & Power
company following Friday’s severe
lightning storm which damaged the
Hermiston transformer substation at
the Umatilla river hydroelectric
plant.
The lightning, which peppered
northeastern Oregon and southeast
ern
Washington with
numerous
minor electrical troubles, burned out
two of the Hermiston company’s
three 50-kva transformers.
Despite damage to its own wide
spread system in the storm area
which kept service crews busy until
early Saturday morning, Pacific
Power * Light company rushed two
100-kva transformers from its re
serve stores at Kennewick, Wn., to
restore service from the Hermiston
hydro plant. Installation was com
pleted by Sunday."
Burning out of the two transfor
mers cut the Umatilla river plant
off from the Hermiston system,
throwing the entire system load on
the connection with Pacific company,
which supplies a portion of the
power distributed by the Hermiston
system.
Despite the fact that purchase of
the Hermiston system has not yet
been completed by Pacific company,
the emergency brought prompt ac
tion to prevent disruption of service
to customers.
Homer Beale, Pendleton district
manager for the Pacific company
explained that by overloading the in
terconnection equipment for a short
time the Pacific company was able
to carry the entire Hermiston load
until the new transformers were in
stalled. It would not have been pos
sible, however, to have continued this
overload until the damaged transfor
mers were repaired or new ones ob
tained elsewhere, he said.
W . P.A. WORK TO
COMMENCE SOON
John R. Dickson, district W.P.A.
superviser from Baker, was in Her
miston Wednesday and stated that
work on the Hermiston street and
sidewalk project would resume in
about two weeks. It is necessary that
a minimum crew of 20 men be avail
able before any work can begin.
Mr. Dickson stated that Wm. Bol-
lin, office engineer for W. P. A., will
come soon to confer with the local
swimming pool committee in regards
to information on the construction of
a pool here. John A. Clarke is chair
man of the committee.
H. L. Connor, owner of Connor’s
Grocery, has purchased the remain
ing merchandise and some stock fix
tures from the Arlington Safeway
store which has been discontinued
there. The deal with Safeway Inc.
was completed this week but the mat
ter of leasing the site of the store has
not quite been settled. Should the
latter be completed this week, Mr.
Connor announces that he will open SKOYBO ENJOYS
there the first of next week.
Although the personnel of the new INTERESTING TRIP
store has not been announced, it is
Herbert Skovbo arrived in New
expected that someone from here
will be employed. The concern fea York recently after an extended trip
tures an up-to-date meat market aboard the S. S. President Hayes.
He is employed on the President
which will be continued.
Hayes which is one of the finest
steamships of the President line. He
UPHAM PICKS UP
recently won a promotion and is now
rated as a petty officer.
CARRIER PIGEON
On the trip the ship touched many
Claude Upham, prominent Colum interesting points, among them be
bia ‘district farmer, received a visit ing Manila, Hong Kong, Singapore,
from a stranger this week when a Colombo, Bombay and Cape Town
carrier pigeon boldly landed in his Africa. While in the east, Mr. Skov
chicken flock and partook of an even bo visited the New York fair and
ing meal. After some persuasion, places of historic interest in Boston
Mr. Upham was able to read the and Philadelphia.
markings on the legs.
On one leg was an aluminum band Cushing Re-elected Camp Manager
with the lettering “A V 401412 Seat
Rev. Stearns Cushing has been in
tle” while another band on the other formed that he has been re-elected
leg read “P 4-20.” It was surmised camp manager of the annual Suttle
that the pigeon was en route from Lake Institute, sponsored by the Ep
Portland to Seattle but was away off worth Leagues of the Methodist
churches. The organization plans
course.
extensive building operations this
Hermiston Picnic Scheduled
fall.
The annual picnic for former Her-
More Students Enroll A t School
mistonites living in and around Port
Several more Hermiston men have
land will be held Sunday, July 28, at
the Laurelhurst park in that city. Ac enrolled at the aviation school now in
tivities will start at 1:00 o’clock with progress at Pendleton. The boys ex
a picnic lunch a» 2:00. All former plain that the course is rather stiff
Hermiston residents and their friends but interesting. Going from here are
are cordially invited to attend. A. W. Harry Connor Jr., Eddie Peterson,
Agnew,
formerly
of Hermiston, Johnny Dunning, Claude Wilcox, De-
writes from Portland telling of the verde Elwood, Alfred and All
Shipp and Jesse Moore.
occasion.