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.