Image provided by: North Santiam Historic Society; Gates, OR
About The North Santiam's Mill City enterprise. (Mill City, Or.) 194?-1949 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 10, 1949)
Serving the North Santiam V alley The North Santiaia’s Mill City Enterprise VOLUME V. NUMBER 6 MILL CITY OREGON. THURSDAY, Looking UplBig Mill Will and Down Resume on the ( .any on March 1 Here Haylift Brings Fodder to Deer The North Santiam Canyon had its own haylift operation this week. Its 1 purpose was to provide feed for deer and elk in the Breitenbush area. Eli Bangs, Detroit truck company operator, took about four tons of hay from Stayton to the upper part of the Canyon Monday. There special army vehicles, manned by the Forest Service, cut their way through the deep snow to reach the deer and elk I count ly. By CHARLES WOLVERTON Willis | ter, general manager of This is the story of how I lost my first million, or to be exact, $1,000,- the Mil City Manufacturing Co., an 035. nounced this week that the m i, 11 In my battles with my worst ad which has been closed down since versary, the linoty; e.I had learned the first part of December, will re a little of its operation and what it sume pioduction March 1. .might do if adapted to othe. forms — The long shutdown, due largely to of printing. So I dreamed up an invention, and the drop in the market, decreased I upon consulting the printing trade employment here by about 50 men and two very good local technicians, directly, and a large number indir Lowell Stiffler and Bob Veness, was ectly. Resumption of the mill payroll will assured the thing I had invented was feasible, from an engineering stand be a welcome event for local busi nesses. point. So, armed with my idea and an Henry Kuckenbeig of the Kucken- inward assurance that 1 would make berg Construction Co., builders of no less than $1,000,000 on it, I pre the North Santiam highway, looked sented it to an inventors’ consultant this week at the mounds of snow in Portland. which filled the Canyon, and wonder He, too, was impressed, or else ed. it’s a part of his business to be so. The Company has 50 working days He suggested a patent search, a soit for finishing the highway, one of the of routine matter one is supposed to toughest 17 mile stretches ever un Mrs. Earl Parker, official weather go through to make sure no one else de. taken in the West. There remains, 1 eporter at the Detroit U. S. station, j has had the same idea before. I con Mr. Kuckenberg said, 230,000 yards sented, thinking all the while that this week added up the snowfall in of earth to move before their work it was a waste of time. How could that upper Canyon community since anyone else have the same notion, November, and it came to 112.5 inch is done. At the present, and for the past when mine was conjured up strictly es—fairly close to the 1937 record month, the company’s big equipment of 130.5 inches for the entire season between me and my linotype ? has practically been immobilized by The snow in Detroit has reached The patent fellow said the search the snow ami cold. would take about three weeks. I put a depth of 53 inches, or just six inch Only the last few <’..ys* has the the matter out of my head with the es short of the 1937 tecord of 59 weather warmed up enough to pour thought that my million was on its inches. concrete, which is the job of the H. With heavy snowfall in the upper way—a few weeks or months now O. Montag Construction Co., su con part of the Canyon this wee.;, since would make no difference. tractors of the road and the concern The other day 1 got a letter from the report was made, 1949 may al which has built most of the bridges, the patent expert. In it were enclosed ready have surpassed ’37—and with retaining walls and viaducts. This some drawings. Since he had agreed more, perhaps to come. will see resumption A Salem bound bus of the Hamman week probably to draw up my idea. I was glad to of that woik. note, at first glance, that he certain Stage Lines was stalled for hours in It was tough on two other contrac ly had made some excellent sketches. snowdrifts near the Santiam Summit tors in the area. R. W. Byers Co., Then I looked mote closely at the < Hogg Rock) last Fiiday. The bus, which is clearing right of way f^r picture. It was not of. my invention en route from Bend to Salem and the Bonneville power line, found it at all. It was the precise duplicate of s -heduled to arrive in Detroit at 10 almost impossible in recent day to a.m., was dug out by highway crews it. however, and at the top the draw clear and bum the trees and brush. ing bore the date of 1936, and the and arrived in Detroit at 4:30 p.m. And the Porte Construction Co. in Ben Hauck, driver of the bus, with legend that a patent had been given its work of building Breitenbush to one Friedman. Part for part, pro seven passengeis aboard, said he had bridge, gave up several weeks ago. to fight snow all the way to the low cess for piocess, the invention had F ot the Byers firm it’s tough in er levels in the valley, and visibility been thought up 13 years ago. another respect. It is by contract re- So that, is the reason, dear reader, at times was cut to 10 feet. i quired to finish the clearing by Mar. why I do not have a million dollars. The Detroit and Bend, buses from ,15. Perhaps there are other causes of Salem were held at Mill City Sunday this unfoitunate situation — there and Monday because of a slide on the are, perhaps, a million reasons why North Santiam. Telephone lines be- I do not possess that sum. tween Mill-City and Detroit are also There is some satisfaction, how down. ever, in the knowledge that I once Traffic between Detroit and Idanha had a million, I’m better off by far was one-way most of the route, writh Two hundred or more parents at- than the man who never had a mil- snowbanks pliled high on both sides tended the Mill City Parent-Teacher lion to lose. of the road. • ♦ Assn, meeting Wednesday night in the high school auditorium. Twenty- One of the favorite devices of those AILEY VACATED seven new members were added to responsible for roads and highways An alley running north and south the organization. in the Canyon is to confuse the pub Founders day was celebrated with lic on who owns them. This was the through the Presbyterian Church case in the old days of the North block .platted but never used, was the third, fourth and sixth grades Santiam Highway. Technically it was vacated by city ored this week when presenting a pragrom under tha di —from Niagara to Detroit—a county no protests were registered in an rection of Miss Sigrid Grimstad, Miss road. Up to Niagara you were trav officially called hearing Wednesday Alice Smith and Mrs. Clyde Rogers. Parties will be given for the fourth eling on state highway No. 222. And evening. and sixth giades, for winning the as soon as you got beyond De'roit SCOUTS FETE ANNIVESARY contest of classes with the most par you were back on No. 222. The only reason for this smoke Boy Scout Troop No. 49 will cele ents in attendance. It was voted to change the meet screen, so far as we could guess, was brate its anniversary Monday night ing night from Wednesdays to Thurs to absolve everybody of responsibil at the Church of Christ w.th a patty ity for its care. The state could beg and demonstration of work done dur days for the remainder of, the year off—it was not its road. The county ing the past year. Eric Sodenberg, because of conflicting meetings of could aver—the ¿oh rrf maintaining district scout executive, will present other organizations. The purchase of iain capes for the it is too big for the finances of a moving pictuies oh the movement. patrol boys was approved. single county. All parents and persons interested * On pthe program were a rhythm Now there is another road in the in the Scout movement are invited, Canyon that’s joined the ranks of Plans for a scout cabin will be dis- band by the third graders; folk song and dances, a minuet, a polka, a sing the little game of Who’s Is It. That’t cussed. ing quadrille and original dance bj the route between Detroit and the the fourth graders, and a play by the new school. It has become a very TAVERN SOLD sixth grade. important road because it is the Marion Aiderman. Myrtle Creek. route of fhe school bus. and many David Wallace Sumpter. 69. a for * children are picked up along the way has purchased the Town Tavern in Idanha, it was announced last week. mer resident of Mill City, died in from Detroit. But folks in the upper part of the The tavern has been operated by Bud Longview Feb. 4. r Canyon have tried, so they tell me. Gesher. to find out whose road it is, so that it can be graded, for the bus is con stantly delayed by ’he ior. iti >n ' the route. To ate they've been unable to learn whether it is a state or a Not only for Mary Ann, but for all By ’ BOOTS" CHAMPION county road. the rest o? the creatures of the foi • This little >aime of hide-an d-iseek DETROIT Mary Ann is a special est. has gone on long enough. To the deer whome most of us know by Some of the things deer will eat highway officials involved we in the sight. i<he was found as a wee fawn are whole wheat bread, all-bran, ap Canyon say: two yens ago this Spr ng, on the ples and wheat. And dont forget. “You’re great big men now. You road between Fischer's Camp and De Mary Arm likes her cigarets. She oughtn’t to be playing such childish troit, by Duffy Fernbaugh and Art used to gather stubs from the street games.” Beason, who live at the camp. before the snow came. Jay Fischer raised her on a bottle We know that Mary Ann goes to BOATING and swimming Dock at the Wolvgtton front pvrch. from infancy and hug a bell around school nearly every day, especially at ___ lunch time. Guess you could call that Lake furnished by courtesy of the her neck. l,a*t spring she made her debut teamin'. Of late she has been seen State Highway Commission in and around Detroit. The deep snow with a friend, so maybe she will be this winter has made foraging scarce, setting up housekeeping this fall. Highway Still A Vast Job Record Snow Hits Canyon 200 Attend PT A Program Pet Deer Scrounges in Detroit A Lyen5 A/c’hdznj. E/fc/iorn. Mill City. Cates. Mongold. Detroit and Idanha *.Nii Mb UU Uiim Uh $2.00 A YEAR. 5 CENTS A CtPY FEBRUARY 10. 1949 Detroit Dam Bidders View Site, 450 Foot Height in New Plan; Theater in Detroit Caves In Unfinished Building Crushed By Heavy Snow Ten or More Firms Planning To Submit Estimates by Feb. 26 At least ten big contracting con- cerns will bid on the Detroit dam. An finished theater building in • That was indicated this week when Detroit collajseil and broke to pieces representatives of at least that many late Tuesday afternoon from the 'films appeared with Army Engineers weight of about 30 inches of snow officials to view the damsite Tuesday. Monday about 300 persons represent on the roof. Damage was not estimated. but ing construction concerns and mater the entire structure was valued at ial suppliers went over plans and about $20,000 or $25,000. Ed Vicke.s, specifications for the dam with Col, Idanha, who had a substantial inter O. E. Walsh in a meetihg at the Mas est in the structure, said by telephon onic Temple in Portland. Among the construction outfits in Wednesday that he did not know of his insurance, an extended policy, to. ested in the big 450 foot North Would cover all or part of the dam Santiam project 14 miles east of Mill City are: age, or if it was covered at all. The Kuckenterg Construction Co., Mr. Vickers, Who joined Frank Wilson, Detroit, in the enterprise af- I presently building the North Santi ter Mr. Wilson's former building was am highway; The Shea Construction demolished by fire, said he was ex Co,; Morrison and Knutson; the Guy pecting engineers of Timber Struc Atkinson Construction Co.; Wunder tures, Inc,, Portland fabricators of lich Constiuction Co., Omaha; the the beams which held the quonset Calahan interests of Los Angeles; type roof, to make an examination Griffith Construction Co., Los Angel of the building this week. Mr. Vick es; Bronson and Root, a Texas firm; ers declared the building would be General Construction Co. of Seattle; the Hnry Kaiser interests; McGuire rebuilt. The Detroit area has been covered Construction Co., Los Angeles; th< with a record snowfall this winter. Walsh Construction Co., San Francis Almost five feet of snow is standing co; and possibly several others. The Army Engineers’ delegation on the ground. Witnesses reported that they had accompanying the contractors to the heard the building cieak that day. damsite was headed by Lt. Col. Jack About 5:30 in the afternoon there Niles. Others from the engineers’ of was a sudden crash. The entire roof fice were Otto Hartman, Petcy Othis. apparently W««, Meme iflAvn by rhe i Harry Bull c: ford, Roy Overholtser, snow, the collapse caused supporting i Tom Kelly, Hal Thackery and Claude walls at each end of the auditorium I Beck, the latter >esident engineer at portion < fall. The front part of the I Mongold, the construction camp. The Contractors were taken to the building was unhurt. Recently childr^^have been skat- upper level, on the new road, and to ing on the inclined cement floor in- the old road location. Few spent more the building. Fortunately none were than a few moments ther; most of their study preparatory to bidding in when the bnilding tumbled in. A series of misfortunes has plagu has been carried on for the past few ed the site, one of the choice business months. A Kaiser representative said joc locations in the upper Canyon com munity. Less than two years ago a ularly, when asked about the job: “TrouW is, it’s too close to civil fire stalled late at night in the for mer buililing. It swept to the Bald ization.” Larry Kuckenbeig of the Kucken win Store and the Detroit Market, destroying all three. Mr. Wilson, then berg Construction Co. would not say owner of the building, had no insur positively his firm would bid on the ance. He estimated his loss at more dam, but he denied, if it did, that the bid would represent a group of con than $15,000. Land upon which the theater sits tractors. Engineets expressed the hope that is leased from John Otterson, Mar quette, Mich., who owns a large part Canyon logging concerns would bid oft the clearing of the reservoir. An of the Detroit townsite. estimate of 400« acres of clearing was given by the engineers. Previous TWAS JUST THE RIGHT FIT. AND THAT WAS THE TROUBLE estimates by the Forest Sei vice gave 7000 acres as the figure. T. R. Burton, Gates 1 ;gh school ADD DAM um.W principal, was called from his duties In a recent Tuesday afternoon by a message president of address, A bert Bauer, from Mrs. Button, relayed via H. N. of Commerce, the Portland Chamber said: Wilson. Their son, Billie Joe, was in “We know that the flood control dire straits. advantages will elminate the $15? Young Burton had worked his head 000,000 losses suffered annually in through the back of a chair. It was a the Willamette Valley. perfect fit. In fact, he was stuck, "Two of the dams in the Willam and his fretting and jerk pg only ette Valley Project are already built, made matters worse, for h s head and now Detroit Dam. bwause of it swelled. power producing capacity, is being They had to saw him out. pushed to completion as rapidly as The lad was asked if he wanted to possible.” stick his head in a chair again. He The Willamette Valley Project ran. Committee issued information this week on plans for the Bonneville Ad UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT ministration’s end of the North San tian» development. Mr. and Mrs. Courtland Rue have Quoting W. E. Trommerhausen. of taken over the Milk Shake Shack Eugene, district manager: from Mr. and Mrs. Nelson t^mphear "1. Detroit-Lyons 230 kv line. This They took charge this week. section is designed for double circuit steel towers. The clearing of right i-»f-way is well under way by R W brotherhooo ' Byers of Redding, Calif., and bids I will be called shortly for construe I tion of the line, with completion date set for August 1949. “2. Lyo*«-Lebanon 230 kv line. This sect on of line on st**«-1 tiwe.i will extend eventually to Goshen The elearinr contract was s*warded to Paul Helmick of beattie, and bids will be called shortly on the con- struction of the line, with completion set for August rri'< “The Albany- lebanon 115 kv line was originally laid out to del ' . construction power to the Corps of Engineers for Detroit Dam and an ultimate surce of supply for the Iann ■ County rural system of the Benton- Lincoln Electric Co-operative. We propose to install a 6000 kva tempor ary 115-12.5 kv step-up substation to supply the construction power at Detroit.” Of the announcement that Pi eai dent Truman had asked for $2,000.- 000 more for this year for the De troit dam, the committee said: “This should assure completion of Detroit Dam in 1952 in accordance with Col. O. E. Walsh's statement at the annual meeting on Dec. 8.” Representatives of a heavy hauling concern of Portland, a steel company and Marion County officials inspected a route for big equipment headed for the Detroit dam Monday, and decided on the county road between Mehama and Mill City. Although the road is winding and poorly surfaced, it was chosen because the loads will be too high for existing bridges on the high way. County Commissioneis Roy Rice and Ed Rogers were accompanied by representatives of the Willamette Iron and Steel Co. and Rud e Wil helm, Portland hauler, inspected the route which probably will be used in conveying obout 250 loads of steel for penstocks used in the consti uc- tin of the dam. Plans are to haul the mute rials this summer. Contracts will be let soon and bidding deadline is Feb 24. Route tentatively chosen is via Sil verton to Mehama and thence to Mill City on the Marion County side. An alternative was suggest here: From Albany to Sio, tl.ence to Lyons and Gates via the county load on the Linn County side. The loads will extend 17 feet above the trucks, which excludes use of the highway bridges. Rate of sipee■! will be slow, hence highway official want to route the trucks off the main highways . Each truck will carry about 72,500 pounds of steel. The inspection tour itself got stuck out of Mehama. The officials had to back up and return to Mehama, go to Mill City via Lyons and letum to Mehama on the Marion side. Col. Walsh and members of his staff explained the dam specifications Monday to about 300 prospective bid- (Continued on Next Page) 15 Acts Ready For Lions Show Fifteen or more acts were assured for the Lions Club's big amateur how. which will be held at the Mill City Theater next Tuesday night. A wide range of entertainment is nromised from the talent thus far lined up. Theie will be music, com- medv acta, acrobatics, and «•"en an artist. Performers alreadv arranged for include: Ernest Po drabsky and Don Ficek; Wylie Muse; Do'ena and Norma D* vine, Kenneth Hill; Kirk Wirick; Lo is Hart; Judy Podrabsky; Dorothy and Marjorie Downer; Joan Johnson; Carol Blazek and Mary Jo Waiver ton; Benny King; John E. Davis; two Incognito Gals; Lewis Pietrok; Paul Horner; and possibly others. An applause meter will determine the most popular acts. Prizes w II be $25 for the best art; $15, second; and »5. third. Contestants ae limited to a five minute act, with a three minute en core. Only residents of the Canyon, from Mehama to Idanha, are elig ble. Advance sale of tickets indicated a big turnout Proceeds will go for a park which the club bought last sum mer. Robert Veness has been gene-al chairman of arrangements for the show.
