Image provided by: North Santiam Historic Society; Gates, OR
About The Mill City enterprise. (Mill City, Or.) 1949-1998 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 22, 1949)
Looking Up and Down the Canyon T he MILL CITY ENTERPRISE k J By CHARLES WOLVERTON As an expression of a state admin istration which has been shedding big and salty tears for ‘states’ rights,’ the declaration that the completion of STATE Highway 222 is “up to the federal government” sounds rather silly. Yet that was the answer of Chair man Banfield of the State Highway Commission to our appeal for finish ing the highway—or at least making travelable the portion between Mill City and Mehama. “Let the government take care of it,” mumbled Mr. Banfield as he chawed on the earpiece of his spec tacles. To the delegation that went to the big city from Mill City the hearing Tuesday was enough to sour a per son on the efficacy of democratic gov ernment. Along with Mr. Banfield’s spectacle, it was a spectacle of inept itude and impropriety one is almost ashamed to admit he witnessed. Just to give you a pictuie: Vital road and highway programs were presented to the commission by men whose manners were those of bums asking for handouts. It was: "If the commission would be so kind as to hear our story”—“and servile hand shakes followed invariably whether the applicant — or suppliant — gM what he wanted or not. Some of us were momentarily ex- peering Mr. Banfield to remove his brogans so as to allow some of the poor fiefs to kis is foot. Honest, it was isgusting. And of all the witnesses who tes tified at the hearing, only one raised his voice so that it could be heard by the audience. Our own County Commissioner Rogers mumbled his say so quietly that I, who was five feet away, could only catch a word now and then. Had Banfield had a sceptre and the applicants bumped their heads to the floor three times, such doings and trappings wouldn’t have seemed out of place. The spectators from Mill City—and that’s all we were—were plainly ap palled. We’re old fashioned,, I guess. If our council is doing something we don’t like, we holler. If the school board is adjudged amiss, it hears abou- it. We’ve neve- gotten in the habit of groveling. • ♦ • And for good leason. A public offi cer is a public servant. It is he, not the citizen — if I have my American tradition right—who must make the concessions. Enough of this dreaiy story. • • ♦ What about the Banfield conten tion for letting Uncle Sam do it? Uncle Sam has just got through spending about $5,000,000 in the Can yon on a state road. Is Oregon re ceiving quarters in the federal poor farm ? They told me when I came out here three years ago that Oregon is one of the richest states in the union. I’m not per suaded that our chief manufacture is tin cups. The Canyon is not asking a special favor. We ar econvinced here that the Mill City-Mehama project is but a link that gives to Oregon over a thousand miles of usable highway, which, because of its incompletion, is used almost solely by the sparcely settled section of eastern Oregon. We contend that our demands tie in with the state’s interests as a whole—to p ovide vital east-west and north south alternate routes, both intra a id interstate. The question of completing High way 222 has been confused with the traffic problen s connected with build ing the Detroit Dam. Those problems are not germane. Highway 222 stands on its own as a vital route—dam or no <tam. The commission is trying also make out that the project sought some Marion County pork-barrel, added up the requests for this and other Jobs and tried to represent — without being contradicted—that we were trying to hog more than our share of state funds. Again, it must be emphasized that finishing the job here is not a local pr -position. It's clear, after returning from the hearing, that our Baldock Coiner ha« been misnamed. Henceforth it shall s* Banfield Bend. And prepare to die, all ye who travel thereon. Some folks are complaining about the rrounds of dirt, f-e debris that »»companies va iou; const’uction pro je-ts, and the rude «cars in the land « ape made by bull zers ami pouer «hovels. I don't worry. It will bother me . to e when there ig no such litter around. It will be n omen that Mill City has stopped or Mowed down in its upward surge. VOLUME V, NUMBER 38 MILL CITY, OREGON. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. 194*» Two Towns To Incorporate Chest Fund WPA IS BACK Local pranksters hung a sign last I week on the new bank building here, as a gag on the workmen who have been i emodeling the old brick build ing this summer. The sign originally was hung near the top of the west wall and said: “WPA Project No. 131313.” Not at all abashed by the prank, the workmen tacked the sign on a temporary fence on the street level, • in a much better display spot than before. Organization of an incorporateu Community Chest for Gates and Mill City was progressing this week, and a final windup meeting has been set for next Thursday. The organization committe includ I es Tony Ziebeit, Bill Stewart. Clyde Golden, Mrs. Albert Toman Sr., Jack Lacy, Mrs. Lee Ross, Bud Brude and Mrs. Charles Wolverton, < of Mill City; and Joe Bowes, Mrs. Allura Chance, Floyd Völkel and Elmer Stewart ,of Gates. Need for local incorporation of the Local business houses were clipped Community Chest has been stressed as a means of being able to allocat for about $150 late last week when the funds collected to local purpose- . a construction worker who had been Without such an incorporated g oup. in the Canyon several months opened money collected here must be turned up his check book and started writ in to a county fund, and local spor ing. sored organizations which usually ! The check forger used two names, share in the funds do not get them. , T. H. Tidell and Pat O’Hara, and, according to Chief of Police J. T. King, both names were fictitious. Nu Method Cleaners were cleaned | for $32, Per and White store went in ¡the re.l $36, Stewait’s grocery dis- i tributed lettuce worth $29, O’Hara .„-**». over the top at the Hilltop for j ’8, and a seM’ke station was rub- •ed out of $20. The Gates scl taxed Chief King warned local merchants to the utmost mis week, and one against cashing personal checks for classroom spilled out into the hall strangers, and said ipayroll checks way. ought to be scrutinized carefully, be- FV -st and second grades, which had , cause there is a gang operating in been under Mrs. Mary Champ. in this part of the state with duplicated creased to 26 in the for t •». and 24 company drafts. in the latter, necessitating; ihe I hiring | Chief King this week investigated of another teacher foi seioi md grade, a force(j entry into the Shell station Mrs. Bentley, of Lyons. car storage building. Charles Mason The second gr ade class is being held soid after a checkup that he believed in the hall we v of Atn *.-■* on» a tire, and perhaps other things, were Other arrangement* are bring Stud missing. ied, including rhe possibility of build ing a new room. Three new pupils registered Mon day, bringing the total in the first rix grades to 102 Mrs. Martin Jepson of Mill City was substitute teacher the first week. Funeral .services for Riley Abra ham Mason, former Mill City resi STOP FOR SCHOOL BUS. « dent, who died unexpectedly in Dal MOTORISTS W ARNED Motorists must stop for school las Saturday at the age of 67, were buses which have ha'tcd to pick up held in Mill City Christian Church or unload children within city limits Sunday. Mr. Mason, known as Abe Mason, as well as in jural areas. /~hief of was a planerman here before moving Police J. T. King said today. Chief King said many drivers pro to Dallas. He was born in Findley, bably were unaware of the fact that Ohio in 1882; was married there to the new school bus law a Is > applies Louise Mahler in 1901. Mrs. Mason died in 1923 and Mr. Mason married to city wtreeta. Toe law, enacted by the legislature Rillie E. Wilson in 1935. last spring as a safeguard foi bus I He was a member of the Christian riding school childen, requires motor Church, the Maccabees and th-* IOOF. Besides his widow he is survived ists to stop when coming behind or passing frorr the oj osite direction by two sons, Paul Mason, Mill City, a school bus thit is loading or un and Donald Mason, Wapato, Wash.; two daughters, Mrs, Ethel Harrinj. loading passengers. “This means traffic in both direc ton, Silverton, anil Mrs. Bernice Conk lin, Banks; a brother, Perry M: son. tions must stop,” said King. “Cars mus» remain stepped as long Mill City, and several grandchildren Burial was in Fairview cemetery is .any children are leaving the bus the IOOF lodge conducting the ser or crossing the loadway.” The only exception is traffic mov vice. ing in the opposite direction on the other side of a three- or four-lane MILL CITY LOIXiE No. 1X0 Al 4 roadway, which may pass with cau AM will hold special communication tion. Monday evening. Sept 26. M. M. de gree will be conferred. Charles C. RETAINING WALL PLANNED Kelly, secy. The Mill City Tavern and the Mill City Pharmacy are building a retain ing wall at the sidewalk to prevent RE( EPTION FOR TEA« HERS The Mill City Woman’s Club honor cars on the sloping part of the street from sliding over the sidewalk. The ed the teachers Tuesday evening with -ity will oil and surface the graveled a pot-luck dinner in the recreation nortion between the sidewalk a n < room of the high .«chool. The program started with a greet the pavement. ing from Don Sheythe, school board So, may there be more piles of lock member, and followed by introduct and junked lumber, may the I a n d- ions to the teacher.« in both grade an . -eape never settle down to the tran- high school by Vernon Todd, superin pfllitv of a fixed scene. It’s the way tendent of schools and Henry Bay if America: Tearing up. ripping lees, principal of the high school. The barbershop quartet composed down, building, iebuilding. of Mrs. Don Sheythe. Mrs. Bob Trask, I don't mean that there’s anything M i. Shields Remine and Mrs. l/ce ttractive about a pfle of rubble It’s Ros.« gave several numbers. Afilm on (Tbina today was pre- - »be credit of UBI that ita 21 bom ?« ie-»- the park are com p'eted t * the •en’ed at the close of the evening by lai’, detail. Lr’wr.s nd «hru’* * e M- Nason. It was the last authenie nr and the entire site ha.« the film *o c* Tf out of China. fifty member« an i gue>t appearance of a residential section >nt. established for years. An* all in less wer<* p Ho«te«s*s Gir the evenin- we*e *-~n four month.«. Mild—’ Allen. Mrs. Nelson L»m The completely finished product— V n»u* t'ie evidence* of new build'ng phear. M- Jack Colburn. end Mr ir t'at makes a con lete picture Cheriea Wolverton. of a comrr.-unity where wellbeing and The table decorations »ere fair 'lowers and leaves. >rre > are coupled. Check Artist Clips Stores ClassOverflows Into H«!! Services Held for Abe Mason Serf i ng LYONS, MEHAMA ELKHORN, MILL CITY GATES. MONGOLD DETROIT, IDANHA »2.00 A YEAR. 5 CENTS A COPY Mill City-to-Mehama Road Project Loses Dam Worker Recovering Highway Commission Says Job Is Up to U. S. to Do The State Highway Commission in merce, Robert Veness, secretary, Roy Portland Tuesday flatly refused to I Beebe, Martin Hansen, David M. Homer Bauer, scaler for Consoli consider construction of a new stretch Reid, Charles Kelly and Charles Wol dated Builders, Inc., was reporter by of Higway 222 between Mill City and verton. a Salem hospital to be out of danger, Mehama and said it was up to the , Col. D. A. Elligvt, acting Portland following treatment for injuries he federal government to do it. district Army engineer, withheld received this week when he fell about comment except to say that the con Harry Banlield, chairman ot the 50 feet from a cliff. tractor, Consolidated Builders, Inc., commission, speaking for the state According to witnesses, Bauer grabbed a loose rope, which he ap group, asserted that the portion of on the Detroit Dam, would be more parently believed was tied down, and highway sought by a joint represen directly concerned with highway pro tumbled backwards below. His skull tation of the Mill City and Salem blems and truck hauling to the dam was fractured, and his wrist injured. Chamber a of Commerce, was a fed site than his division. eral matter because* of heavy hauling County Court to Fighi On. to the Detroit Dam, a U. S. project. • Banfield's st»' , , ■ (ori n -«ement that the Mar- The chairman, was asked: county Court should seek federal “Since the hauling to the J uam will funds for the alia City-Mehama pro- have to 1 ha'‘ L u« on almost 100 miles of ject has not halted the court’s cam 'highway besides the seven miles in, paign for it, County* Judge Grant I question, do you think the federal Continuing progress on the Detroit government ought to build those high , Murphy said Wednesday. He dedaiad that the delegation Dam was i eported today by Consol ways, too?” , asking for the road improvement idated Builders, Inc., today. “I’m not so sure they (the govern No major unit at the damsite was ment» is going to haul loads over our “doesn’t have any apologies to make, even if it does run the state highway completed, according to Jack Murray highways,” Mr, Banfield replied. costs around here up to $15,000,000.” public relations representative for the (Several weeks ago a trucking con- company, but work was continuing on tracto: for the cement haul to Detroit as asserted by Banfield. the south access road, the cable way Di m sought an interstate permit for “Since 193!» the only federal aid excavations, other excavation at the the contract, in a hearing in Portland spent in Mai ion County was $237,000 base of the dam, and the coffer dam and decision rests with the Oregon on the Silverton road last year, and at Cumley Creek. State Highway Commission whether we have an authorization far $450,- The south access load leads to ex his trucks will be permitted to use ooo more on that road. The highway department also matched about »500,- cavation locations on the south face the highway.) of the dam base and to the Cumley The cominwrfoa heard the low- 000 on the Noith Santiam highway Creek quarry. voiced «weal • f>? Commissioner Rog as a relocation project. The- new Pa The cable ways towers will be high era of the Mari«n4k>unty Court with cific highway improvement was built above the crest of the dam and will bored inattentions but listened with out of war funds and not from state support cables upon which giant slightly more interest to an appeal or federal aid funds, and it was built buckets will be carried, tiansporting by Roy Harlan, president of the Sa as a military ioad. concrete to the dam forms. “Marion County has been contrib lem Chamber of Commerce. As soon as the coffer dam is com Delegation Glum. uting to state highway funds through pleted, the North Santiam River will Mill City's delegation had to sit gasoline and' other channels an av be diverted into a 1400 foot tunnel. in helpless silence while the short erage of »2,000,000 a year and ad Thiee-shift employment at the <lam 15 minutes allotted to Salem for five ditional 1-cent tax will run that up stands at about 500 at present. separate projects, of which the Mill piobably to $2,500,000. We received City Mehama road was one, was con I back an average of about $300,000 a AUTO REPAIR SHOP OPENS sumed by Salem's Baldock traffic year. "Undoubtedly in the 10-year period plan and other matters. Total time L. A. Knowles has opened a new from 1939 we have contributed pro- devoted to the North Santiam garage and body repair shop on First ject consumed about three or four'around $15,000,00 to $20,000,000 into Av., near Broadway. the state highway fund. We are not The firm has been in business for minutes. Despite the Salem Chamberof Com blaming the highway commission for 14 years in Lebanon, and specializes merce invitation to Mill City to par it hasn’t been expedient or conven in repairing wrecked vehicles. ient for it to do these things until Mr. Knowles and family have rent ticipate in a joint effort to present now, and a vast backlog of them has no the need for the Canyon road job. ed a home in the Swift addition. I Canyon representative was asked or built up. "The city of Salem evidently is go invited to pi esent arguments for it. < HURCH RALLY SUNDAY ing to neap the harvest from this It was Salem’s show. The Presbyterian Church Rally Day Banfield asserted the state had no backlog but certainly such projects as will be < bserved next Sunday morning funds for such a project, and took the North Santiam Highway, Silver- at the Sun lay School. Salem’s representatives to task for ton road and South River road should asking for a highway construction not be long delayed. LOUIE KANOFF GRAVELY ILL “The North Santiam highway is program that would cost millions. Louie Kanoff, Mill City business However, Salem got its Baldock wholly a state project and we believe man ar 1 fanrar, suffeied a heart at- plan (which it didn't want) and a it is entitled to early consideration.” tack v lie driving home Mon lay bridge over the Willamette (which Bend Tried and Failed. from S ayton and is in serious con it did). Clay Cochrane, manager of Two years ago the Bend and Red dition in Salem Memorial Hospital. the Salem chamber, heartily shook mond Chambers of Commerce, and Mr. Kanoff was driving when he the hands of the commissioners. His representatives of other cities in the was stricken. He diove his car into day’s wo k was done eastern part of tile state made a . farmyard and collapsed. Residents Attending the hearing from Mill strong appeal for the Mill Olty-Me- there identified him and notified re City were I«ee Ross, J. C. Kimmel, hama road project which was actu latives. president of the Chamber of Com- ally partially cleared for right of way ten years ago. But the commis sion then abruptly turned them 'krwn. Detroit Dam Work Shows Progress Charter Vote Due Mayor Harold Kliewer reported to day that legal work on the city char ter was nearly completed and that a city election on it would be held as soon as possible after it is ready. Mayor Kliewer said the charter la being amended to contain the neces sary provision« of the Bancroft Act, a state piovision setting up proced ure on special assessments and city bond issues. The mayor said he had been ad v:sed by officials of other cities to -lace the Bancroft provisions in the charter; and by so doing save consid erable legal expens«- in the future Twa «bip« of a Naval expedition to the Antarctic, the ffW F.dlito and the I’HH Norton Island. Me up to bay Ice In the coerse of exploration work in the -south Polar regions. The above photo was taken In the Bay of Whale«, sled and «81« used la aarfare exploration are la the left foreground. The Navy’« role In carrying the flag of the I'alted stale« to the end« of the earth 1« exemplified In Ita frequent «alllea Into the «oath and north polar faatnesaeo. ro-xial U » N«vy Pbo««grapk> Basic grading and graveling ha* been completed on First Av«. up the steep 1 ill to Ivy St. Final surfacing and grading will be undertaken after the fill packs.