Vernonia eagle., August 05, 1943, Image 1

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WE SALUTE
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CELEBRATE "AIRCRAFT WARNING SERVICE WEEK"
AUGUST 1st to 7 th BY VOLUNTEERING FOR SERVICE
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Library, U of °
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Thursday, August 5, 1943
Tire Shortage
Faced Here
As Elsewhere
Vernonia, Columbia County, Oregon
Tin Can Drive Here Is
Planned for Fall
Planned for this fall, sometime after school begins, is a tin can col­
lection drive for the Vernonia area. In the meantime Vernonia, Kist,
Keasey, and Natal householders are urged to save all their tin cans.
Collection plans and committees will be announced later, but arrange­
ments will be made to pick up the cans with the help of school students.
Quotas Quickly Used,
Other communities in the county held drives on August 2, 3 and 4,
But Few Tires for
but word of the plan did not reach here in time for action. Then, too,
Certificates Available
it is thought that with so many people away arranging collection would
An OPA news release lists Ver­ be difficult.
A meeting of some of the coun­
nonia as one of several Oregon
towns which faces a severe tire ty salvage chairmen was held in
shortage, having less than one Rainier on Tuesday, July 20, and
month’s supply of grade I passeng­ it was decided to establish a
As a climax to AWS week,
er tires. Even now those who are county central salvage committee
able to get certificates to buy
August 1 to 7, a picnic for
tires have difficulties finding the consisting of the local salvage
all observers on the local
tires here. Demands for tire chairmen. These men are: C. F.
AWS post here will be held
certificates here have recently ex­ Hieber, Vernonia; Charles R. Lew­
at Big Eddy park this Sun­
ceeded quotas, even though the is, Rainier; Harold Comery, Pres­
day, August 8. Chief Observ­
chances of using the certificates cott; V. L. Shepard, Clatskanie;
er M. A. Oakes asks those
are not too great.
attending to take well-filled
■Charles N. Rogers, St. Helens; W.
August quota for the area und­ A. Kessi, Scappoose; and L. A.
lunch baskets and cups; cof­
er the local rationing board in­ DuBois, Columbia City. Included
fee will be furnished.
cludes 45 new grade I and 15 in the Vernonia area are Kist,
Army visitors are expect­
grade III passenger tires, but Keasey, Natal and Vernonia.
ed to be present, and service
early this week nearly half of
awards will be presented to
According to the announcement
those qucttas was used. Most of from Otto H. H. Peterson, county
observers who have recently
the applications were held over chairman, the goal of the drive
earned them. Anyone who has
from July. Sixty-four truck tires for August 2, 3, and 4 is enough
no means of travel to Big
were allowed here last month, but cans for a carload to be shipped
Eddy should phone 774 as
that was 13 too few. August’s direct to the de-tinning plant in
early as possible.
truck tire quota is 65.
San Francisco. However, if a car­
load is not made from Columbia
August Quota Down
county, a pool may possibly be
Each item in the August quota made with Longview or Clatsop
is lowered from that of July. county.
New grade I passenger tires for
Although most people are fa­
July were 67, while 18 grade III miliar with instructions for sav­
New gasoline “A” books, can­
passenger tires were allowed. ing cans, they are given here in ning sugar, and ration book two
Passenger tubes are down to 30 order that everyone may take part replacements were among the it­
from 35, while truck tubes are in the can saving program. After ems in the monthly reports of
down from 25 to 18. Farm truck the tins are carefully washed, the the local rationing office. Seven­
and implement tires allowed in paper wrappers removed, and the ty-nine people have applied for
July numbered 6, while the new ends cut out, the ends should be canning sugar, and received a tot­
quota allows 4.
placed in the can. The container al of 3357 pounds. Five ration
Bicycles and automobiles seem is then flattened as nearly as pos­ books No. two were issued to
Iess in demand in proportion to sible, and stored until collection late registrants; and six, as re­
their quotas. Two new passenger of the tins is announced.
placements. Nine books were sur­
autos and 3 bicycles may be al­
rendered. Only one pair of boots
lowed in August, although only
was allowed, while 10 special shoe
City
Council
Meet»
one auto certificate was granted
At the city council meeting stamps were issued and one, de­
in July.
Monday night monthly bills were nied.
In a survey made by Zenas L. approved, Bob Spencer was given
New A books issued numbered
Potter of Washington, D. C., aide permission to use the city’s lawn 843; 20 of the original A books
of William M. Jeffers, rubber di­ mower at the high school until were issued during the early part
rector, Portland was found to the school’s is repaired, and coun­ of July. Other gasoline rations
have a 60-day supply of grade I cilmen indicated that they had allowed were as follows: 49 sup­
passenger car tires. Forest Grove no objection to the building of a plemental and 69 special B books;
and McMinnville were placed in
certain woodshed. As City Re­ 32 C books, .1 D motorcycle; 21
the same category as Vernonia,
corder Loel Roberts is on vaca­ E and 20 R non-highway; 28 T-l
while Clatskanie is among the tion, his place at the meeting was and 6 T-2 transport; 78,115 gal­
others on the shortage list.
lons to 38 bulk users.
taken by C. F. Hieber.
Observers to
Picnic Sunday
Ration Figures
For July High
Supply Declared Low
“Mr. Jeffers wants car owners
to know the exact situation,” Pot­
ter said. “The tire supply in the
Portland district is low, but need
not be critical if the public will
cooperate during the next 90 days
and replace no tire ^hen the one
on the wheel will get by.”
New synthetic tires are being
delivered to Portland dealers, but
it will probably be September or
October before synthetic tires
reach Portland to supply fully
grade I tire needs, according to
the OPA. Grade III passenger
tires are expected to last until
about November.
Pomona Grange to Meet
The regular meeting of the
Columbia County Pomona Grange
will be held Saturday, August 7
at the Beaver Homes Grange Hall
in the Goble district. The meeting
will begin promptly at 11:00 a.m.
Dimout Aid
AugustS—5:58
6—5:59
7—8:00
8—8:02
9—8:03
10—8:04
11—8:05
12—8:07
•
8:35
8:34
8:33
8:31
8:30
8:28
8:27
8:25
Those Who
Are in It
Upon his arrival in Portland by
train Tuesday, T/Sgt. Walter Par­
cells phoned here and said he was
enroute to his home in Kingston,
Washington on a 30-day leave. He
left for the United States on Sun­
day, July 25 and arrived on the
east coast Wednesday, July 28.
Before he reports back to duty at
Salt Lake City, Utah, he may vis­
it friends in Vernonia.
A letter received July 28 by
A. D. Lolley contained the news
that Bob Wagner, who is in the
army air corps in Africa, is now
a sergeant. He said he had spent
a few days in a hospital because
he had a piece of steel in his
eye. Sgt. Wagner said he had been
in most of the larger cities in
North Africa. The letter was sent
July 7.
C’a'-ence “Bud" Lamping was
t-ansferred July 27 from Merced,
California to Yuma, Arizona and
began his advanced flying train­
ing July 29. His wife is also at
Yuma where he will train for nine
months.
Cleve Robertson took time Wed­
nesday, July 28 to write the
Eagle and say that he is "back in
camp and in the o groove again.”
“Sure was glad to see old Ver­
nonia,” said Cleve, “and enjoyed
myself swell.” Upon his return
to camp in Louisiana he received
the rating of technician, fifth
grade.
A clipping from the monthly
“Army Times” tells of “some work
on hand to be done.” Following
Third Army
troop
maneuvers
“somewhere in Louisiana” against
simulated enemies, the exercises
will be X corps, of which Cleve
is a part, against
armored
corps. Combat units of all arms,
including aviation will be sent
through each problem in their pre­
paration for battle.
Cleve says to "tell all the boys
hello.”
From Livermore, California Ca­
det Homer Michener was trans­
ferred to Corpus Christie, Texas.
His address is Class 7D-43C (c),
Cadet Reg. NATC.
Moi* “Those Who Are,” page 8
Volume 20, Number 31
Molly Pitcher
Tag Day to Be
Saturday Here
Legion Auxiliary to
Offer War Stamps
For Sale on Street
Molly Pitcher bond and stamp
tag day will be observed here
this Saturday, August 7 with the
American Legion Auxiliary as
sponsors. “Molly Pitchers” will be
on the streets on that day selling
all denominations of stamps and
will take applications for war
bonds. Every purchaser will re­
ceive a Molly Pitcher tag which
reads: “Fill the pitcher with bonds
and stamps on Molly Pitcher day.”
Molly Pitcher tag day honors
a plucky heroine of the Revolu­
tionary war. While the blazing
sun beat down on the battlefield
cf Monmouth, Molly Pitcher, as
she was called, went back and
forth carrying pitchers of well
water to the men. Then when her
husband fell at his cannon she
took his place and fired his gun
until the battle was won. For her
heroism she was given a commis­
sion of sergeant in the army by
General George Washington.
Although the modern Molly
Pitchers do not carry water to
the fighting men or man their
guns when they fall, they back
them up in an important way with
war stamps and bonds.
Teacher Stricken
With Paralysis
When several cases of infantile
paralysis sprang up in Salem two
weeks ago it was unfortunate for
Vernonia high school and one of
its teachers. Miss Betty Galloway,
who was commercial and social
science teacher here for two and
one-half years, will be unable to
teach here next year because she
was stricken with infantile paral­
ysis two weeks ago at her home
in Salem. Her case was reported
the most severe attack of six.
A letter from her father,
Charles Galloway, who is chair­
man of the state tax commission,
Thursday of last week announced
her resignation as she will be un­
able to be active for an indefinite
period. School friends who wish
to help her occupy her time in
bed by writing may address let­
ters to 809 Cottage St., Salem,
Oregon.
Church Survey
Being Made Here
The Assembly of God church
here started last week a survey of
church attendance and affiliations
in Vernonia. In addition to the
territory in town, the O-A hill
and Riverview will be covered.
Information sought will include
children's attendance at Sunday
school and parents’ church affilia­
tions and attendance.
Miss Zelma Schmidt and others
from the church are working on
the project, which may take sever­
al months to complete. Although
the church will make personal use
of information learned from the
survey, other churches will be wel­
come to make use of it
Local AWS Post Manned
24 Hours Daily; Over 100
Workers Usually on Hand
In front of an unpainted cabin atop about as high a small
hill as one sees in the Vernonia area, C. I. Anderson sat in
a chair one late afternoon calmly smoking and reading. The
green timber on the hills, the fast-sinking sun, the absence of
activity—everything within eye’s view made a picture of
utter serenity and peacefulness.
Yet the man in the chair, the cabin, were there and are
there for a very definite, a most vital purpose. The cabin is the
local aircraft warning service observation post, while the man
in the chair is a volunteer in the ground observer corps, which
was set up by and is a part of the army air forces. Because lo­
cal people like Mr. Anderson are on duty at the post 24 hours
a day, as are thousands of others on the West Coast, the air
force is informed of every movement of aircraft in the zone.
The local post, the exact location of which is a military se­
cret, had a humble beginning in October, 1941 when a tele­
phone was attached to a snag, and the rear end of a pickup
truck with a canopy top served as a shelter. (Mrs.) Grace
Pierce served as first chief observer. A post at Keasey was also
organized in October, 1941 with L. O. Gillham as chief observ­
er. It was discontinued in March, 1942 when the territory was
covered by forestry lookouts.
Second Post Organized Later,
But Abandoned Last September
In December, 1941 a second post in this vicinity began op­
eration with Harry Condit as chief observer. It was first lo­
cated on Lode McDonald’s ranch and then moved to Mr. Con-
dit’s place one mile from Treharne on Beaver creek. This post
was abandoned on September 23, 1942 because so many ob­
servers were moving elsewhere and it was difficult to keep
both posts manned.
A better home for the present post was put up in January,
1942 when volunteers moved an old cabin to the site. Then on
February 1, 1942 Garland Segar took over as chief observer
and stayed on the job until August of that year when he left
Vernonia. He was succeeded by Milton Oakes, present chief.
Supervisor for an area here 12 miles square is Frank Morris.
At the present time the local post is the only civilian volunteer
post maintained under Mr. Morris; the others are forestry
lookouts. Incidehtally, Mr. Morris helped map out and start
the posts in his district.
Assisting Mr. Oakes as assistant chief observers are Ruth
Steers and Harry Condit. Mrs. Steers is also post instructor,
having attended a special school in Portland to learn aircraft
recognition and how to teach it. She is teaching such classes
here this week. Mr. Oakes says his duties include: "Keeping
the post in order and manned . . . seeing that telephone lines,
lights, and wood are taken care of . . . notices posted and logs
of all planes reported and records kept for the army . . . see­
ing that transportation is provided . . .” Yes, the chief observ­
er IS a busy man.
Post Car Rented by Army;
Some Drive Own Autos
Included in transportation is often driving observers to duty
in the post car, which is rented by the army on a mileage bas­
is. Even though each shift is supposed to include one driver,
either Mr. Oakes or Mrs. Steers often has that task. Many ob­
servers drive their own autos to the post.
The wood problem was licked last winter during the mill
shutdown, for volunteers spent extra time near the post fell­
ing snags (equal to about 25 cords of wood), sawing them, and
cutting and piling 8 or 9 cords.
But back to Mr. Anderson and the other observers on the
post. He started his watch at 6:00 p.m. and together with his
partner, who would join him soon, a 12-hour shift would be
served, terminating at 6:00 am. How do they do it? Let the
chief observer explain. “I would like to compliment,” said Mr.
Oakes, “the men who serve 12 hours a night, men who are
putting in 6 days a week in industry, then serve 12 hours on
top.” Dividing sleeping hours is the only way this can be done.
The 24-hour week-day shift includes two day shifts—6:00
a.m. to noon, and noon to 6:00 p.m.—and the night shift. The
24 hours on Saturdays and Sundays are each divided into 4
equal shifts of 6 hours. Two individuals are on duty each
watch. Although the average number of observers at the local
post is about 117, this numbei has dropped to under 100 at
present, 20 substitutes included.
At Least 20 Observers Needed;
Volunteers Should Phone 774
At least 20 more observers are wanted at the post, and any­
one who can serve should phone 774, the chief observer. New
observers are given systematic training before being assigned
to duty. Many of the faithful women watchers have gone to
work at the mill, and often wish to keep on at the post—al­
though other volunteers are used in bheir places when possible.
Total number of men and women serving at the post is about
equal, men being in the majority at night and women, in the
daytime. However one team, of women is on duty at night
and about 5 men on week-end day shifts. Schedules are chang­
ed weekly, and about 20 are enrolled for weekly shifts, while
about 40 volunteers take a turn every other week. Three to five
substitutes are required weekly. Probably the most "regular”
substitute is young Roy Oakes, who has accumulated nearly
500 hours as a sub.
Continued on page 4