FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 1936
Dean Allen Writes
About Germany
(Editor’s Note) This is one of
several articles written for this
newspaper by Eric W. Allen,
dean of the University of Ore­
gon school of Journalism who
is now traveling in Europe on
a fellowship granted by the Ob-
erlander Trust of the Karl
Shurz memorial foundation.
By Eric W. Allen
Dean of the University of Oregon
School of Journalism
OBERAMMERGAU, Bavaria, -
It seems like Oregon again to
be among high mountains. Ober­
ammergau is a lumber town,
almost exactly the same size as
Cottage Grove, and I am pound­
ing the typewriter out of doors in
the pleasant courtyard of our
host, Anton Lang, who in three
successive Passion Plays took the
part of the Christus. Mr. Lang
is finishing up some necessary
letters, after which he wants to
show me through his pottery
shop.
“Oberammergau,”
translated
into Western American diction,
means “the upper Ammer count­
ry.” The stream we have been
following into the lovely Alps,
is the Ammer. This is the most
mountainous part of Germany.
The highest peak in the Reich,
the Zugspitze, 9,000 feet, is on­
ly a few miles away. Higher Alps
lie just across the border in Aus­
tria and Switzerland.
How does Oberammergau com­
pare with Cottage Grove? Both
town are progressive, and the
people think well of themselves,
but the cities are very different
to the eye. Both places have wide
well-paved streets, but Cottage
Grove streets are all straight,
while few Oberammergau streets
can stay straight for more than
a hundred yards or so, being
interrupted by fine old peasant­
style buildings located according
to the builders’ fancy centuries
before traffic became a problem.
These houses are very large, and
from the wide Swiss eaves down­
ward are covered in stucco of
pleasant pastel tints, and often el­
aborately painted with pictures
of rustic or religious scenes in
full color.
The costume of the people is as
practical as it is picturesque. The
men—even office workers—wear
sturdy leather shorts of cow or
deer-hide, held up by gaudily’ em­
broidered suspenders. All knees
are bare, and hats are decorated
with feathers or with the goms-
bart—the beard of the chamois
found in these mountains. It
looks like a shaving brush and
sticks up from the rear section
of the hat. The women wear cos­
tumes in high color with hun­
dreds of years of local tradition
behond them. Pendleton displays
a local costume at roundup time,
and Eugene when the Trail-to-
Rail summer comes around, but
I
LODGES !
i
A. F. & A. M.
Vernonia Lodge No. 184
A. F. & A. M. meets
at
Masonic
Temple,
Stated
Communication
First Thursday of each
month.
Special
called
meetings on all other Thurs­
day nights, 7:30 p. m. Visitor«
most cordially welcome.
George Plumb, W. M.
Glenn F. Hawkins, Sec.
*a
Order of Eastern Star
Nehalem Chapter 153, O. E. S.
Regular commu­
nication
first
snd third W ed-
nesdays of each
month, at Ma­
sonic
Temple.
All visiting sis­
ters and broth­
ers welcome.
Mrs. L. H. Dewey, W. M.
Leona McGraw, Sec.
VERNONIA EAGLE. VERNONIA. OREGON
PAGE SEVEN
in this part of the world local winter, the people make carvings I of weeks visit with her parents,
costumes are made very prac­ and embroidery, and altogether j Mr. and Mrs. C. A. Mills.
tical and worn most of the time the city is a good example of
by eight persons out of ten.
what a community located amid
Mrs. Ben Bergstrom is visit­
Anton Lang says the life of high quality scenery can make ing her daughter Mrs. Joe Doyle.
the typical peasant is very sim­ out of keeping things attractive
Mrs. Phil Peterson has been
ple. He eats excellent food, and and interesting for visitors. This
lives in a first-rate house, but country, by nature, is more like
he seldom travels more than a certain parts of Oregon than any­
BEFORE AND AFTER
few (piles and would not dream thing we have seen, but here
of owning a car. (A Ford costs every human activity adds to
$2,200 and gas comes at 45 to the beauty of the scenery, and
72 cents a gallon). However the has been doing so for centuries.
______ *_______
farmsteads present a superficial '
appearance that is far more im­
pressive than that of the thous­
ands of farm homes we passed in
the rich state of Iowa a couple
of months ago. We saw more
fresh paint in the Alpine rural
districts of poor little bankrupt
Mrs. Joseph J. Wangler of
Austria than in the whole of Am­ Burns came Sunday for a couple
erica’s richest corn country.
Houses and barns in this sec­
tion are usually built into a sing­
“Thai woman has driven her hus­
BRIDGING OVER
le impressive structure. Centur­
band nearly insane with her ex
ies of tradition and care have
trnvagance.”
given these an attractive forni.
"He was dippy about her before
It is not that the farmers are
be married her.”
copying the artists, but that the
artists copy the farmers. Carmel,
California, for instance, is mere­
ly an attempt by architects and
artists to attain something like
the dignity of housing which the
Bavarian farmer reaches instinc-
ively. These farmers love their
soil and their work and their
homes.
In Oberammergau the princi­
pal industry is wood carving—an
THE GOLDEN RULE
offshoot of the lumber activities.
BARBER SHOP
The art was taught the people
centuries ago, Anton Lang says, financial straits and they could not
by the monks in the monastery get along but for her card win­
N. S. SODEN, PROP.
on the neighboring mountain. It nings.”
solves the problem of seasonal
“She sort of 'bridges’ over their
occupation and keeps people from
going stale with idleness in win­ difficulties, so to speak.”
____ *____
ter.
BAFFORD BROS.
In 1633, during the 30-years
war that almost destroyed Ger­
General Plumbing
many, Oberammergau got off
light from the prevailing pestil­
Vernonia
ence that followed the armies,
suffering only 85 deaths. The
people swore an oath to give a
Passion Play every ten years
forever. This oath, intended as
Roland D. Eby, M, D.
self-sacrifice, turned out in the
course of time to be one of the
principal sources of the town’s
Physician and Surgeon
prosperity. Passion Plays were
common in most churches in those!
Town Office 891
days, but when the fashion dis­
appeared elsewhere Oberammer­
gau kept on because it had sworn.
Now the town is so famous
that visitors come even in the
DR. R. I. HALL
nine years between plays. Ober­
“Do you like your school, Jim­
Physician and Surgeon
ammergau is a great center of my?”
hiking in the mountains, and
965 Bridge St.
"Yes, sir; we have a fine school,
there is much business in tavern
Phone, Office 72, Res. 73
but
I
think
they
oughtta
get
a
new
keeping, hikers’ supplies, souv­
Office Hours 7 to 12 1 to 5
enirs, and guiding. In the long teacher."
Special Attention to
Obstetrics
ill this past week.
Mr. and Mrs. Al Lachine and
Mi. and Mrs. Alvin Lachine and
sen Alvin motored to Rainier
Monday.
Ask For
TWIST BREAD
That Is Giving Wide
Satisfacti“"
Try It
Vernonia
Bakery
Professional & Business Directory
Oregon Motor Stages
Leave from Bush’s Cafe
7:55 a, m. 1:25 p. m. and 5:25 p.m. daily
for Portland via Timber.
Leave Portland, from Yamhill stage
depot daily at 9:30 a. m., 2:00 p. m. and
5:15 p. b.. Call service between Camp 8
and Vernonia.
Sundays Only: 12:30 p. m. for St. Helens.
Leaves St. Helens 3 p. m.
FARE: $2.10 round trip, $1.30 one way
Ride the new Oregon Motor Stages
The Forest Grove
NATIONAL BANK
invites you to Bank by mail if
inconvenient to come in person.
Attorney at Law
Joy Theatre Bldg. Ph. 663
In Vernonia Mondays and
Tuesdays
PAPER HANGING
Painting
Kalsomining
BOB MORRELL
761 Second Street
Dr. Chas. E. TATRO
Chiropractor
—
Radioni.t
Physio-Therapist
OVER CLINE FUR. STORE
Phone 231
H. M. BIGELOW
-
DENTIST
Joy Theatre Building
Vernonia - - - Oregon
Nehalem Valley
Motor Freight
W. A. Davis, Frank Hartwick
Proprietors
Portland- Timber- Vernonia-
Mist- Birkenfeld- Jewell-
Astoria
Vernonia Telephone 1042
Willard Batteries
GENERAL MOB1LGAS
Oils . . Expert Greasing
VERNONIA
SERVICE STATION
E. SORENSEN
High Grade Ladies’
and Gents’ Tailor
Cleaning, Pressing,
ations and Repair
expertly done.
Alter­
Work
Roland L. Treharne
Expert Automobile Repairing
WELDING
ROLAND’S
SERVICE STATION
CASON’S TRANSFER
LOCAL AND LONG DIS­
TANCE HAULING
SEE US
For your old-growth
16-INCH FIR WOOD
AND CEDAR SHINGLES
FULLERTON
STUDIO
— PIANO — VOICE —
479 Rose Avenue
Telephone 1091
847 Third Street
Vernonia Plumbing Shop
J. A. Thornburgh, President.
“THE ROLL OF HONOR BANK”
NEAL W. BUSH
Buy Your Printing
Now and Save Time
—a—aaaaassssssssssstr
Plumbing, Heating and
Sheet Metal Work
Fred Hansen, Prop.
Phone 392