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About Vernonia eagle. (Vernonia, Or.) 1922-1974 | View Entire Issue (April 5, 1929)
FRIPA Y, APRIL 5. 1929 VERNONIA EAGLE, VERNONIA, OREGON Umuntia üaijlr THREE Scene along the road between Issued every Thursday $2.00 per year in advance Houlton and Entered as second class matter August 4, 1922, at the post office at Vernonia, Oregon, under the act of March 3, 1879. Wilark, on the ADVERTISING RATES—Foreign, 30c per inch; local, 25c per inch; local readers 10c per line; legal notices 5c per line; classified lc per word. MARK E. MOE........................ highway to Ver- Editor i nonia. ON TO VERNONIA It seems to be the tendency of some, who are not directly benefitted by any march of progress, to block or hinder any project from which they will receive no direct personal gain, not taking in Highway Cuts Through consideration the fact, as in this case of the pro Some Heavy Timber posed extension of the West Side highway that, The scenery between Forest not alone this section, but the whole of Oregon Grove and Timber, presents would derive the gain of a better and shorter route. some of the most beautiful wood This road meeting is not being called together ed lands in the northwest. Houlton and Wilark, for the purpose of presenting the facts to the Cham on Between the main highway between ber of Commerce and Commercial clubs of cities St. Helens and Vernonia, the encounters some of the along the proposed route, but for the purpose of tourist wonder senic beauties of Ore presenting the proposition to the citizens who live gon. in the cities along the new route and a welcome is Along the highways between extended to all who are interested in better roads Houlton and Forest Grove, vir forest shades the roads, and shorter routes, which means that in these days gin and the proposed extension of where nearly all own their own cal’s and use the the West Side Pacific highway, Rainier and Forest highways, that everyone possible should attend a between would be a delight for road meeting which proposes and aims to sponsor Grove, the tourist, who has not pre a shorter direct route. viously traveled along these So let all who possibly can attend the meeting lanes. Along a few sections of the Monday, April 8, at 2:00 p.m. in Vernonia, and timbered highways, logging com hear from the committee in charge and prominent panies are operating, such as speakers just what this new extension will mean to Wilark where the big concern Clark & Wilson is working, the state of Oregon, and to those who favor a of but regardless of these few log shorter routing to Washington cities by the way of ging concerns which have reach Rainier across the new Longview bridge which is ed the edge of the road, the between Forest Grove now under construction and should be completed highway and Rainier is considered one of January 1, 1930. the most beautiful and interest COOPERATION NEEDED If we see another section of the country strive for better roads we are pleased and proud that Oregon continues to carry on its good road pro gram, but when it hits home, we must all put our shoulders to the wheel and assist in every way pos sible to make the proposition, which in this case means a better and shorter route, a reality. The first duty for every citizen especially in Vernonia and cities nearby is to attend the road meeting on Monday, and all who attend will be convinced that this new extension will be the life and „backbone of this section of Oregon. The future of this section of Oregon depends on a road building program of this nature. Eugene, Corvallis, McMinnville, Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Rainier, Vernonia and other cities along the new extension will be the great gainers in this new proposed route, but the state of Ore gon and its citizens, and the tourists at large will also realize benefits from a shorter and better route. CHOOSE WITH CARE The ultimate results that will be accomplished by the meeting of the delegates from the commun ities served by the west side Pacific highway and its proposed extension north through Forest Grove, Vernonia to Rainier will depend largely upon the caliber of the men selected at that meeting to di rect the destinies of the organization which will be formed at that meeting If the project is to be suc cessful it will have to be directed by men who are representative in the communities from which they are chosen, men who have the interests of their communities at heart, men who have a knowledge of road construction and the necessary steps to be taken to put over a project of the magnitude of the proposed extension. It is to be hoped that this meet ing will not suffer the fate of the large majority of such meetings; but out of it will be born an aggressive working organization that will function until the project is completed. • VERNONIA HELPS Vernonia can well be proud of the honor be stowed upon her by being chosen as the meeting place of the various delegations from western Ore gon for the purpose of forming an organization to promote the construction of a highway that will be of unlimited value to all of western Oregon and especially the communities directly affected by the proposed road. Vernonia is located on the section that is yet to be completed; but has bent her efforts towards a goal that will in the near future be real ized. This can only be accomplished by joining hands with other communities along the west side Pacific highway and adopting the age old slogan, “In Union there is strength.” ROAD IS EMPIRE BUILDER standing along the highway I resolutions were introduced and supported by Portland interests which had for their purpose the construction of a short road to the Roosevelt highway at a point between Astoria and Tillamook The sentiment for this proposed road can only be imagined by the tenacity that both sides for and against, urged their views throughout the entire session. The senate at its final roll call on the short road project voted 14 votes for the project and 16 against. Since the adjournment of the legislature much interest has been shown for the short route and those interested have openly promised their support for the proposed extension of the west side highway from Forest Grove to Vernonia. This extension would complete the Prtland end of the coast road to Vernonia and only leave the uncompleted section from Vernonia to Seaside and Astoria to be competed. Large sums of Portland capital have been spent in developing the coast sections along the Oregon beach resorts and the men back of these pro jects would use their efforts in aiding any movement for the developing of the proposed Port land to the coast route which would place Portland within 80 miles of the coast and give the wonderful recreation grounds their week-end play ground. Should this extension of the west side Pacific highway be complet ed, which now seems a certainty, it would only be a short time until the demand for the con tinuation of the road to the coast would justify its comple tion. County Court Orders S .irvey of New Route between The Columbia county court at a recen session made an appro priation sufficient to make a survey of the proposed section of the West side Pacific high way from Pittsburg to Apiary. Preliminary surveys have been completed and the engineers have reported that a route can be located between these points that will not exceed three per cent and will be free from ex cessive curves and of such an alignment as will permit a max imum rpeed of fifty miles per hour o\er the entire distance. / Much of the proposed con struction will be through terri tory that is now logged off and according to the engineers can be gra< eu for less than $20,000 per mile. A much lower pass has been found than either on the Pittsbuig-St. Helens market road Ideal Camp Grounds or the Clacskanie-Mist market In Nehalem Valley road and much of the curves found in these roads will be No place on the entire Pa elimina ed. It is proposed to fol cific coast offers more induce low a low pass to the west of ment for recreation than that the Pittsburg-St. Helens, market section of the proposed exten road and follow practically a sion of the west side Paciifc direct line to Apiary. highway from Forest Grove The road from this point to through the Nehalem valley to Rainier would follow the Rain- Rainier. The proposed road fol ier-Apb.ry market road at the lows the Nehalem river for a present time; but this section distance of more than ten miles. would, according to the engin Great maples shade the road way eers, require considerable re in many places and along the location and straightening if it banks of the river, which is only was subjected to excessive a few feet away in many places. travel. The county court had ap It is not uncommon to see many propriated practically all of the tourists lounging under the available market road funds for maples and Alders and bathing the present year on this connect in the pools of the Nehalem. ing lin' but due to the fact that The camping places are all the construction of the Long- free and practically any place view-Rsinier bridge was an un along the streams can be made certainty at the time of the into a camp at a moment's county budget meeting, the notice. Some of the maple funds were appropriated on groves along the Nehalem river other road projects in the coun compose many acres and the ty. foliage is so thick that the sun How ver, the county court has seldom penetrates in the sum agreed to use all available funds mer time. Many tourists who in the future for the construc have visited the natural camp tion oi this section and until it ing places along the Nehalem is completed. It has been point have stated that they have never ed out by the county engineer seen anything to equal it in all that i nless some additional of their trave.s and go away funds ire made available it will wishing they could spend all be a n after of five or six years summer. until flie road can be finally finishe I with the market road Declare Monday a funds now levied. According to Holiday and Come to the pr ponents of the road this will be too long a period to use The Road Meeting in the construction of this sec tion ar I a move will be made to Roads were built for your get a< litional help from other convenience and pleasure, and a sources good opportunity presents itself Monday for you to hop into your car, taking a short holiday, and Arra’ gement* Being drive to Vernonia, attending the Ma Je For Large Crowd big road meeting and we are as sured you will become a real op The road meeting at 2:00 p. timist regarding the future of m. in ,’ernonia at the Joy thea western Oregon. And if you are tre M nday 8, should be well interested in Oregon you natural attend« d judging from the in ly are on your tip toes to learn terest displayed in the extension, the best means of serving the and t’ e theatre in which the state to the best of your ability. The first step in this line of meetin ; is to be held will seat duty at the present time would over 650. be to attend the West Side Pa A committee from the Cham cific highway extension meeting ber o. Commerce will aet as at Vernonia, Monday, April 8, guides for out of town visitors, at 2:00 p.m. where delegates and arrangement have been made and all interested in the welfare with 11 restaurants to handle of this section of Oregon will the visitors, without any delay. be on hand to hear the propo Vernonia is very enthused over sition presented by expert en the new extension, and with the gineers and sponsorers of this Rainier Commercial club, is new extension. working out a snappy publicity Welcome to the big mill town progra n so that invitations can of Vernonia Monday, April 8. be sen. to all surrounding towns, to attend the road meeting. Forest Grove ing highways, and in the sum mer months thousands of tourists camp along the roads between these two cities. Those attending the meeting Monday, April 8, at 2:00 p.m. in Vernonia from the south, should go from Forest Grove to Timber, and Timber to Vernonia. A committee from the Com mercial club will be on hand to direct the visitors to the Joy theatre, where the big road meet ing will be held. Prominent speakers and well Special Edition Pub known road engineers will be on lished to Advertise hand and prominent citizens, in cluding Senator Norblad and Meeting Here Monday Representative Glen Metsker, have been invited to address the The resolutions committee, meeting. All interested in the proposed extension of the West who have charge of the big side Pacific highway are invited road meeting April 8 at Verno nia, held their first meeting in and urged to attend. the directors room of the Bank of Vernonia Thursday afternoon, “We’ve Had the Worst April 4, mapping out their cam Kind of Weather, So It paign on publicity. J. A. Schune- of Rainier was appointed Must Improve,”—Lee sen chairman of the committee with Lester Sheeley of Vernonia, “April 4, glad it hailed today, Dean Rogers of Corvallis, E. C. and snowed itself out, for we Apperson of McMinnville, Loyal are assured by our good friend Graham, Forest Grove, and Dean Collins that the day of Judge Wood of Rainier compos the big road meeting Monday, ing the committee. April 8, will be a beautiful mild On account of the short period day, with blue skies and birds, left in which to reach the people flopping from telegraph poles living along the proposed route to radio poles. of the new extension, the com “The stores in Vernonia, who mittee decided to have the Ver up until today displayed rain nonia Eagle get out a special garments in their show windows, West Side highway edition, of changed their display to straw 2506 copies which were to be hats and palm beach suits, which distributed by special cars be was the proper spirit, in which tween Junction City, north of we wish to impress our visitors Eugene, to Rainier and points here Monday, regarding our throughout the Nehalem valley. weather conditions. In order to get the paper off “All rejoiced this evening when it started to rain figuring the press on Friday in time that it couldn’t rain much longer enough to give the publicity com this season and would probably mittee a chance to get papers stop raining long enough Mon throughout the valley and cities day for the good road supporters along the route, the staff of the to walk from their cars to the Vernonia Eagle were on the job meeting place without getting from 7:00 p.m. Thursday night when the first copy for the pa soaked.’’ per was turned in, to 3:00 a.m. Yours, Friday and early Friday morn “LEE.” ing cars driven by members of the Vernonia Chamber of Com merce were out on the highway, delivering papers to centers along the line of route. The first batch of papers A number of influential Port from the press were rushed to land business men, who have Rainier, to the group of road been interviewed concerning boosters in that city, where W. Washington County their attitude towards the pro C. Proctor secretary of the Rain Road* to be Improved posed extension of the West ier Commercial club of that city, Side Pacific highway from Forest handled the distribution for his Grove to Rainier, signified that territory. A resolution was recently they were very much in favor Lester Sheeley, who is con passed by the Washington coun of the project as it would aid sidered one of the best posted ty co-rt to improve a market materially in the project from men in this section of Oregon road between Buxton and Ver Portland to the Roosevelt high on roads, assisted the committee nonia. The stretch of road will way, which was the bone of con in charge, by furnishing figures, run fr <m the Buxton depot nor tention in the last session of the and giving al) assistance possible thward to the Cummings hill. Oregon legislature. to get the ball rolling for the, Beside making important im- At the last session of the leg first meeting for the proposed proven ents in grade and widen islature a number of bills and new extension. ing, the new project eliminates a bad crossing over a railroad. This step on behalf of Wash live wires such as Judge Wood, Jos. McKay, J. C. ington county will complete an Schunesen, and W. E. Proctor are leaders in their important link of the north and Commercial club and are sponsoring a project south highway and is looked on with favor by proponents of such as the West Side highway extension, which the West Side Pacific highway. Business Men Favor Project In the days of our fathers it was generally be lieved that the coming of a railroad to a community was the herald of progress but this idea has been gradually displaced by the fact that most com would be such a benefit to the state of Oregon. munities depend largely upon their highways for transportation facilities and what railroads for-' If a city is as live as its Chamber of Coifimerce merly meant to cities now is furnished by our intri or Commercial club then Rainier must be the livest cate system of highways interlocking practically small city in the world. every community in the state. This is true of western Oregon, where the proposed extension of the west California would have never interested and side Pacific highway will be built an deach com drawn the tourist trade if it had been the least munity along the route will be benefitted by the backward in its road building program. endless procession of tourists and home-seekers who will pass through the country served by the This section of the country should assist Ore- proposed road, where many will locate and make bon in upholding its reputation as the state of good highways. their homes. The city of Rainier can well be proud that Virgin timber The partner of progress is good roads. and Timber. charging the bill to the city, Columbia County but cautioning the offender that the second offense will receive Market Roads Are a severe penalty for having to Almost Completed stop or slow down as it is much perferable to have them tear down the main street, like a mad In the original market road steer, knocking things in all di system for Columbia county, rections and cheating the city three market roads were desig out of a few dog licenses. nated and the county court has used their efforts to complete these before any other routes Forest Grove Pleased were laid out. With New Direct Route The first one was the St. Hel ens Pittsburg road; the second Sentiment in favor of the was the Rainier-Apiary road and proposed cut-off between Forest the third was the Clatskanie- Grove and Rainier has reached a Mist road. The St. Helens-Pitts- fever heat as a consequence of burg market road has been com the meeting to be held at Ner- pleted for about eight years, nonia, April 8. Forest Grove the Rainier-Apiary market road sees in this road a long expect has been completed for about ed and needed connection with three years and the Clatskanie- the Columbia River highway at Mist market road will be com Rainier which will make the pleted this year. Practically all of the market clatsop beaches and points in the state of Washington within road funds of Columbia county easy reach of the peuple ,uf the has been expended on these Tualatin valley and give to the three projects and with their west side Willamett ■ districts a completion the county will be short cut north that will elimin free to expend such additional ate considerable mileage and market road funds which are make accessable much of the levied from year to year on any tourist and beach travel hereto new projects that may be de fore cut off from the district signated. on account of inaci usability to At the time that the Rainier- the Willamette valh y cities. Apiary market road was original This road would lead through ly constructed, there was little huge forests of virgin yellow fir agitation for its extension to which heretofore has been shut Vernonia. With present interest away from the toerist on ac of the northern extension of the count of inadequate highways. west side Pacific highway, the The highway comm.ttee of the people of Columbia county have Forest Grove Chamber of Com become wide awake to the pos merce has gone on record in sibilities of this extension. Ac favor of this proposed short cut cording to the assessed valua and will, according to President tion of Columbia county, the Gillette, take the ne essary steps market road funds available each to aid in the early formation year is approximately -40,000 a of an organization to promote yeur. This amount diminishes at the rate of about $2000 per this project. Forest Grove feels that it is year on account of the valua entitled to a more direct route tion shrinking at the rate of a to Washington and lower Colum $1,000,000 per year. bia river points and will be pres It has been pointed out by ent at Vernonia on the 8 of officials of the county that un April at the mass meeting call less the county construct its ed on that date w;t.h a strong main highways while the tim delegation headed by Loyal ber is uncut it will be unable Graham, ex-state representative to more than maintain the pres and premier good roads enthusi ent roads within a few years. ast of Washington county in an It has also been pointed out effrot to put over he proposed that the market road levies are extension of the west side Pa no additional taxes on the pro cific highway. perty of the timberman and if expended judiciously will con struct all of the connecting Nehalem Watershed 1* links over a period of four or Sportsmen’s Paradise five years. Hunters and anglers who fre quent the Nehalem river and its tributaries vision this section as Dogs As Scarce A* of the few favored spots in Hen Teeth Here one northwestern Oregon where the Why there are no dogs in fish are always hungry and the Vernonia may interest many, deer can be enticed with a pinch but this city claims the distinc of salt. The word “Nehalem,” tion of having less purps as which is a corruption of the boarders than any other city of Yamhill Indian name meaning its size in the world, and the hig hunting ground, and is im reason is that the speed limit in misnomer if reports of fisher the city is unrestricted. men and hunters are to credited. It’s hard on the dogs, and There are approximately 350 the undertakers are working miles of good trout streams in three shifts, but still it draws the Nehalem water shed and the the tourist trade, when they hills abound with deer during know they can visit a town and ! most of the season. The state dash down the main stem 50 game commission has alloted miles per. Our cops have been more than four times the num instructed to wave a fat mitt at ber of trout planted in the Ne the speeders and to assist any halem river and its tributaries unfortunate tourist who may last year and from early reports have had the misfortune to have the streams will offer more in a blowout by helping him change ducement to the sportsman than his tire and load his gas tank, ever before. To Cut Through New Territory Present plans of those who have outlined the completed West Side Pacific coast highway include the construction of a road from Pittsburg, four miles north of Vernonia to Apiary, nine miles south of Rainier. This would involve 12 miles of new construction and would provide a scenic road, short in length, which would open up a new sec tion of Columbia county for set tlement, as much of it is rich agricultural land. The Nehalem valley is but sparsely settled at present,, and this is due entirely to the fact that it has not been blessed with good roads, close to markets which could be reached quickly. Lot tor bond med by Co lombia rivor Longviow Bridge Co., •bowing bow rhe bridge will look when it is finisbod.