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About Vernonia eagle. (Vernonia, Or.) 1922-1974 | View Entire Issue (March 27, 1931)
Friday, March 27, 1931. VERNONIA EAGLE, VERNONIA, OREGON MONEY TO BURN i observed. “Kiss me.” she com- manded fiercly. Elmer dutifully obeyed, “Now go forth and make your fight for school trustee,” Nellie order- ed. “See to it that you win. If you’re defeated I’ll cry. (Continued Next Week) Pioneers Meet In Clatskanie Days of kerosene lights and oxen; days when St. Helens was a heavily timbered strip of land; SER.VICE. ft. KuM the days when a wild party con sisted of throwing hay in the box of a sled and enjoying a straw CHAPTER VI own obsessed me. Nellie.” he art ride to a farm home, where the mitted. “I have been scrimping eanwhile rimer cinrke’« more than usual lately. I wanted evening was spent in roasting ap final period of service at the to get going—to be independent ples in front of a fireplace and Smoke Shoppe was drawing .< and make enough money to enable telling stories; and when there close. Hnring that two weeks one me to marry you and give you was a small town, Milton, on the Incident alone upthrust itself in El everything you desired.” present site of the Fir-Tex plant mer’s consciousness as n pleasant “But darling—I would have mar recalled Saturday variation from the orderly proves ried you on far less. I would have I —all were when Columbia County’s Pioneer Sion of morning, noon ami night. been a help to you, not a source of association met at the First Pres On the third da.v following the expense.” W. N. U. M great news, the editor of tile Clar- ion fathered a thought truly bu- colic. Remorse for the light man- ner in which he laid once offended Elmer Clarke in his local brevities column now overtook 1dm. What if Elmer should take a notion to hack some smart metropolitan journal ist in a new I’llarcitos paper and run the Clarion out of business! Horrible! A vaenney occurring on the board of trustees of the Union high school at tills time, the Clar ion came out with Hit editorial blast In bold brevier with a three- column head, suggesting the elec tion to the board of that sterling and distinguished citizen, Elmer Butterworth Clarke. The propo nents of another candidate to the of fice, which was without salary, promptly pointed out the inadvisa bility of shattering an ancient and well-established custom of electing to the school board only those men and women who had demonstrated their fitness to superintend the ed ucation of the young by providing the community with young to edu cate. In an indefinite and roundabout wny Elmer sensed a covert slam in this. At any rate it aroused all of his new-born antagonism to provincialism. Egged on by his friends, he decided to demonstrate to I’llarcitos that a young unmar ried man should, and would, func tion on that board or know the rea son why. Immediately he announced himself as a candidate for the of fice. Nellie was delighted, because this evidenced on Elmer's part a subcon scious decision to continue to live In I’llarcitos and grow up with the town. She advised him to conduct a furious campaign against the mos shocks of tlie community, to prove that he had Its interests at heart as truly as did his opponent, Henry Tlchenor, who was the fa ther of twelve children. Indeed. In the midst of her subtle blandish ments she suddenly conceived the Idea of making Elmer the leading citizen of the county, if not of the State. In one illuminating Instant she caught a vision that caused her to tremble. As the sole proprietor of Elmer’s place, she knew her man couldn't be elected town dog catch er, but as president of the I’ilar- citos Commercial Trust and Sav ings hank she coulu elect him mayor at the primary election. From mayor to the state legislature, from the state legislature to lieutenant governor, from that to governor, to congressman, to United States sen ator, to the Vice Presidency—to the White House! “It’s a big dream,” she reflected, "but only those who have the abll- lty to dream big dreams ever amount to anything. Just as easy to dream big dreams as little ones —and Ansel P. Moody has battened on this community long enough. El mer is right. He's a pawnbroker, not a banker, and a hanker should be the big man in any community. He should know better than any man its needs, its aspirations and his duty toward it. When the time comes I'll tell Ansel P. Moody where he gets off. He’ll sell his controlling Interest In that bank to me at a fair price, or I’ll start a new bank and run him and his competitor out of business in ten years.” With difficulty she repressed a cheer. “I'll open my bank with a hundred thousand dollars capital, fully paid up. I'll start with my own deposit of at least four hun dred thousand dollars and I’ll be come a member of the Federal Re serve bank, which no banker in this town has sense enough to be come. I'll take over every loan Anse Moody has as it falls due. I’ll cut the Interest rate on those two bloodsuckers and I'll lend money on honesty, ability and in dustry ; in the long run III consol idate the other two banks In this town with mine—I mean Elmer’s and mine. Oh. Elmer darling, you’re playing Into my hand, and that means you'll wear out your Ufe. not drag it out and rot It out! And nobody shall ever know who put up the money." At their next meeting, after In culcating in Elmer such a sense of power as he had never known be fore, Nellie adroitly shifted the conversation to a subject which is never very far from pleasing to nine men out of ten, to wit. him self. ''Dearie.” she charged suddenly, "do you know that suit you're wearing is beginning to look just a little bit shabby? I don't like to see my Elmer letting himself go like this. You should be the best dressed man In town—and usually you are. I'm afraid you've been trying too hard to save money to equip Elmer’s place.” He squeezed her hand grate fully. “The Idea of that business of my “I know It. old lovable. But you were doing as well In your job as I was doing in mine, and It Isn't a particularly striking evidence of un selfishness when a man asks a woman to give up financial inde- pemlence to scrimp and save and sacrifice with hint, I didn't want you to do that. My mother had to do that all her life and it hurt me. I swore that when I married, my wife should never have to say to me. ‘Elmer, dear, may I have a dollar and n half to pay the bill?’ or 'Elmer, I’d like eight lars to buy a new hat.’ “Nellie, that sort of thing Is graceful. I want "you to have your own private cheeking account and I never want to know what you do with the money." Nellie now squeezed his hand. “Never fear, Elmer, I'll have my own checking account and nobody shall ever know what I do with the money. I agree with you thor oughly there. But. Elmer, we're off our subject. I want you to go up to San Francisco and get yourself a complete wardrobe. You must take a vacation, Elmer.” “I will—if you’ll take it with me.” ”1 shall not. On a vacation I'd be a nuisance. You'd be working hard just trying to assure yourself that your wife was having a won derful time—and I'm not ready to marry you yet, dear. Really, you must not bother yourself with a wife and her trunks and bags, not to mention your own.” “Sure you can't be persuaded to change your mind and marry me before I go. Nellie?” "Elmer Clarke, I'tn not even en cored to von—yet. Remember that. I have already explained to you why.” He surrendered. “You're a mean woman, but I love you, so 1 sup pose all of my life I’lJ be giving you your own way about every thing. The only comfort I’ll draw out of that will be the knowledge that you’re wiser than a tree full of owls and probably know more about everything than I do.” “Omit the compliments, Mr. Clarke, please. Are you going on that vacation?" “Yes—after I’ve cleaned up Henry Tlchenor In this school election. By the wny, Nellie, I’ve made one new resolution since that lawyer, McPeake, wired me I was a mil lionaire. I’ve decided not to cook my own breakfast hereafter and to refrain from eating my luncheons and dinners In restaurants. I’ve engaged a smnrt gentleman of color to look after me and the dogs. His name Is Jasper and he swings a mean skillet; he can buttle, drive a car and play the banjo.” “Good 1 Elmer, I think you ought to buy yourself another nice pres ent. You’ve been good for ever so long and you deserve it. You’ll want a new house, of course. If you Intend to remain In I’llarcitos long enough to complete your term of office as chairman and member of the board of trustees of the Union high school. What do you wnnrfor your bungalow and lot?” “Ten thousand dollars. Got a customer for me, Nellie?” "Yes, but I’m afraid my custom er cannot meet your terms. I know n party who might be Induced to buy your house if you will accept two thousand dollars down, with a first mortgage for two years on the remainder at seven per cent.” “Sold!” The word popped out of Elmer’s mouth In much the same manner he formerly employed when giving orders to his patron. "I sup pose you'll want a commission, Nel lie,” he suggested with what Anse Moody would have termed 111-con- cealed humoroslty. “Not from yon," she replied breathlessly. They were lunching at the time in a booth nt the Palace grill. Nellie glanced around, saw that for the moment they were nn- PAGE THREE byterian church at Clatskanie for the grants that make up Columbia its first meeting of the year. county was told by Judge Fuller The morning session was called ton, who also mentioned one Nel to order by Martin White, presi son Hoyt, who ilved in a very pre- dent, who stated the aim and pur I tentious style on what is now pose of the meeting, and the min known as Hoyt Ridge, across utes of the pervious meeting were the bay from Warren. Early his read by Grant Watts, Scappoose, tory of the Nehalem valley was secretary-treasurer of the organi told by Judge D. W. Freeman of zation. New members were enrol Clatskanie, a pioneer of the Ne led, bringing the membership up to 75 with many others waiting to join. At noon the visitors, as guests of the Clatskanie Kiwanis club were given a chicken dinner, serv ed in an efficient manner by the Boy Scouts. An addrees of wel come was made by Rev. Dorris, to which Judge W. J. Fullerton re sponded. Mrs. Blanch Bunts sang several old songs. The principal speaker of the afternoon was W. J. Powell of Portland and formerly of Ver nonia, who recalled much of the pioneer days on the Nehalem in his speech. Other members were called up on to make speeches and “Auld Lang Syne” was thoroughly dis cussed. An interesting history of halem valley. Frank Peterson of'ago. Mr. and Mrs. Grant Jones Nehalem, Ira Parcher of Hudson,1 anj Arthur Quigley were the mu- G. W. Perry of Houlton, Mrs. I . . Grant Watts and Walter Carl, of slclans' Birkenfeld were others who gave Mr. and Mrs. W. J. Powell were interesting facts about the early made honorary members of the “60’s.” society, after which the meeting An old-time orchestra made up adjourned, subject to the call of of piano, violin and guitar, played, the directors.—St. Helens Senti- the old familiar songs of long nel. 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