County
News
CONTRACT AWARDED
BY HIGHWAY GROUP
ST. HELENS — A number of
road contracts were awarded at
a meeting of the state highway
commmission in Portland Tues.
Among them was one affecting
Columbia county roads, awarded
to McEwen and Wilson, Seaside,
for approximately 12,000 yards
of crushed rock in stock piles for
use on the Elsie-Sunset and Camp
Vernonia roads,
portions of
which are in Columbia, Clatsop
and Tillamook counties. The con­
tract amounted to $30,355.
Ration Stamp Changes
Made Effective Tuesday
Effective at 12:01 a.m. Tues­
day of this week were a number
of changes in food rationing
which were announced only a
CITY NOW OVER
short time before by OPA offi­
E BOND QUOTA
CLATSKANIE — The city can cials. The local war price and
proudly boast the fact that it is rationing board was notified of
the first town in Columbia coun­ the changes by a telegram sent
ty to reach its quota in the Sixth Monday. The telegram stated:
“Effective midnight December
War Loan Drive.
25th
(1) Point values will be
Clatskanie has reached a total
sale of around $’20,000 at the restored on asparagus, beans,
latest reports, Mr. Rau, eounty corn, spinach and peas. (2) Sug­
chairman, reports, and that would ar stamps 30, 31, 32, 33 in book
be an incomplete statement since 4 cancelled and sugar stamps 40
several days have not been ac­ in book 4 cancelled. All unused
counted for up to thii time. The outstanding home canning sugar
local E bond quota was set at certificates cancelled. (3) Butter
$68,000 and better than $82,000 will be increased to 24 points per
pound. (4) All red stamps A-8
has been purchased.
through Z-8 and A-5 through P-5
DRILLING FOR OIL
are cancelled.
(5)
All blue
TO START IN SPRING
stamps A-8 through Z-8 and A-5
ST. HELENS — The county through W-5 are cancelled. (6)
and jellies are not re­
court last week was in confer­ Jams
ence with representatives of the turned to points yet. (7) Practic­
Texaco oil company, who have ally all meats will be back on
been seeking leases on certain of points as of midnight Dec. 31st.”
Also, notice was received by
the county-owned lapd in var­
raton
officials here this week
ious localities for oil drilling
from Miss Cecelia Gallagher, en­
purposes.
The oil men stated, it was forcement attorney of the Port­
learned, that their concern is now land district office warning con­
ready to really drill for oil after sumers and retail merchants that
having sunk a number of test use of all red and blue stamps
holes in several locations. The issued prior to December 1, 1944,
presence of oil in this county
was strongly indicated in some
of the test holes, it was said,
and the company is preparing to
bring in the larger drills and
equipment in the spring which
will determine whether or not
Receiving of the license per­
there is oil here. “We will be mitting operation of the Verno­
ready to drill until we reach nia Billiards makes possible an­
China, if necessary,” one of the nouncement this week of the
men is reported!to have said.
business change. Mr. and Mrs.
Harry Emmons are the new own­
ers, having signed papers for
the purchase late in November
from Mr. and Mrs. Orvel Ed­
wards. However, official an­
nouncement was not warranted
Sharp reduction in January until the license was received
quota of smaller truck tires for this week.
Mr. and Mrs. Edwards have re­
the Portland OPA district as well
as nationally is the direct result tained ownership of the build­
of large army replacement needs ing and plan to make their home
on the western borders of Ger­ here for the remainder of the
many, with a drop of 739 tires winter. They have not announced
plans for the future.
rioted for January.
In the large truck tires there
are 657 fewer for January, a re­
duction sufficient to cause con­
cern as replacement demands re­
main at a high level.
In grade 1 passenger car tires,
a cut of 800 was made in Jan­
Mrs. R. D. Eby, local war fund
uary. Production of these was re­ drive chairman, reported Wed.
duced to free manpower to build that the local quota of $68,000
more truck tires. Careful screen­ is within $2,000 of attainment.
ing of all applications will be She urges anyone who is con­
necessary it was pointed out.
sidering the purchase of bonds
scon, to do so before the end of
the month if at all possible for
Tractor Still Working
the purchase will count towards
The tractor which is being- used the quota.
for land clearing on the Elmer
Mrs. Eby also mentions that
Bergerscn farm is still working quite a number of articles re­
there Mr. Bergerson stated this main yet at the Victory Center
week and will continue for some and urged that people owning
time. From there it will be tak­ them be sure to call before Sat­
en to the Joe Baker and Charles urday evening at 8X p. m., the
Jensen places. Anyone interested time set for closing the center
may see the tractor in operation permanently. Articles not claimed
at one of these places.
by that time will probably be
turned over to Russian relief in
order that the business of the
Seal Returns Gain
center may be terminated.
Up-to-the-minute figures on re­
turns from the sale of Christmas
Seals brings the total to $565 as
of Wednesday of this week, Mrs.
C. L. Anderson, local chairman,
states. Some returns are still an­
ticipated from those who have
either forgotten the matter due
The annual meeting of the
to the Christmas rush or 'have Western Oregon Livestock associ­
neglected to make the remittance. ation is scheduled for February
15 and 16 at Coquille, according
to a preliminary announcement
PAPERS DELAYED
Mrs. B.W. Borton urged Jour­ issued by H. A. Lindgrem Cor­
nal subscribers not to blame car­ vallis, secretary-treasurer and ex­
rier boys this week due to the tension livestock specialist.
R. C. Burkhart of Lebanon,
late arrival of papers on Christ­
mas night. That edition was not president of the association, and
delivered here so carriers could Fred Knox, Eugene, vice-presi­
not distribute them, hence were dent, are working with other
members of the executive com­
not to blame.
mittee in preparing a program to
be announced later. The meeting
PUBLICATION DELAYED
will be conducted on the usual
The Vernonia Eagle will
committte basis, with each group
be a day later neat week
considering certain problems con­
owing te
the falling
of
fronting the western Oregon live­
New Year on Monday.
stock producer at this time.
Business Sale
Authenticated
January Tire
Quota Reduced
Quota Lacks
$2,000 Yet
Annual Meeting
of Stock Men Due
is now illegal.
The stamps—red stamps A-8
through Z-8 and A-5 through P-5,
and blue stamps A-8 through Z-8
and A-5 through W-5—were in­
validated as of 12:01 a. m. Tues­
day, as the OPA moved to tight­
en rationing of meats and pro­
cessed vegetables because of war-
induced shortages.
Miss Gallagher declared—“Use
of such points by either consumer
or retailer is "now illegal and all
such points in the possession of
housewives or others must be
immediately destroyed. They are
not redeemable for any food pur­
chases and attempted use of the
stamps is illegal.”
Record Books for
Farms Available
That better farm accounts
may be kept of the sales and ex­
penses on farms, cash farm rec
ord books are available at the
county agent'« office according
to word received from George A.
Nelson, county agent.
These books are set up in as
simple a manner as possible so
that the maximum amount of in­
formation can be kept with a
minimum amount of recording.
The book is so designed that there
is a cash account kept of the
farm items and at the same time
this can be summarized under
the different farm enterprise
headings; by checking the totals
at the end of each month and
the end of the year, it is pos­
sible to get a complete account
of the farm business for each
fam enterprise.
These books are available at
the county agent’s office in St.
Helens at the cost of the print­
ing.
Flu Cases Still
Prevalent Here
An interview with medical au­
thorities here this week regard­
ing the cases of flu which have
been quite extensive in number,
revealed that new cases are be­
ing reported every day and that
many people have contracted the
disease during the past few
weeks. At present, it was esti­
mated that new cities are being
reported at about the same rate
as the number of recoveries.
At first signs of the ailment,
people are urged to watch’ their
temperature, drink lots of fruit
juices and remain in bed in order
to prevent the case from becom­
ing serious.
Farm Rationing
Committee Out
Columbia county’s farm ra­
tioning committte,
like those
throughout the nation, was dis­
missed last week with the thanks
of the state AAA committee and
of War Food Administrator Mar­
vin Jones for a difficult war
job well done, according to W.
C. Johnson, chairman of the
county AAA committee.
Complete cancellation of the
farm machinery rationing pro­
gram by removal of corn pickers,
the only rationed item since
September 29, has eliminated
much of the work assigned to the
committee. Remaining duties have
been transferred to the county
AAA committee, including rec­
ommending applications for ■trac­
tors of the crawler type and is­
suing ‘ preference rating certifi­
cates for gas engines, lumber
and copper wire.
The f armers who served on
the committee—W. C. Johnson,
Mist, and Ray Tarbell and Wm.
Skuzie of St. Helens—have each
received a letter from Judge
Jones expressing warm praise
for valuable war service in help­
ing to obtain maximum produc­
tion from a limited quantity of
new farm machinery.
THOSE WHO
ARE IN IT
KILLED IN ACTION
According to word received
from the Adjutant General’s of­
fice, Pfc. Gerald Turner was
killed in action, in Germany, on
December 4th.
GETS TRAINING
George E. Noyer, Vernonia, is
now in training at the San An­
tonio, Texas aviation cadet train­
ing center where potential pilots,
bombardiers and navigators are
receiving preflight training to
prepare them for aerial instruc­
tion and duties as aircrew mem­
bers in the air forces. The future
fliers are subjected to a rigorous
10-week program of instruction
covering physical, academic and
military training.
SCHOOL COMPLETED
S2te Robert Turner and Mrs.
Turner, after spending Christ­
mas with relatives here and in
Portland, left Wednesday for
Shoemaker, Cal., his next station.
He has completed gunners mate
school at Farragut, Ida.
NOT HOME YET
George Turner, who was ex­
pected home shortly before
Christmas, was transferred to
Baxter General hospital at Spo­
kane where he underwent a med­
ical examination and was pro­
nounced O. K. He will next be
sent to the Ft. Lewis reception
center after which he hopes to
receive a 21-day furlough in
order to visit his parents, Mr.
and Mrs. Tom Turner.
GETS
CLUSTER
First Lieutenant Donald F.
Morris, 25-year-old pilot on an
eighth air force B-17 flying
fortress has been decorated with
an oak leaf cluster to the air
medal.
The decoration was conferred
for “meritorious achievement
while participating in heavy
bombardment missions in the air
offensive against the enemy over
continental Europe.”
Lt. Morris has seen action in
bombing attacks on German tar­
gets in the Ruhr Valley, and has
participated in attacks on enemy
military Installations along the
western front. His veteran fort
ress group, the 390th, a unit of
the third bombardment division,
has been cited by the president
f'” its daring and skillful assault
on key ballbearing factories at
Schweinfurt, Germany, in Octo­
ber, 1943. Before he entered the
air forces, Lt. Morris was a log­
ger for the O-A.
LANDS
IN
HOSPITAL
In a V-mail letter to George
W. Johnson, Pvt. Chas. (Chuck)
McDonald tells about a peculiar
accident which put him in the
hospital in Paris. He says, “I
got banged up a bit, but I’m do­
ing fine now. I was under a tree,
a shell lands in the tree and
breaks off the top, the top lands
on me and breaks a bone or
two in my neck, and I land in
the hospital. I’ll be back giving
the Germans heck before long.
They call our outfit “The Super­
men” so I’ll have to go back and
keep up the good name.” He
says to tell everyone hello, and
he hopes it won’t be too long
before all the boys can come
home to stay.
A later letter tells that he
has been sent to a hospital in
England and mentions that civ­
ilians have nothing to complain
about after the hell the boys are
going through over there.
M c D onald visits
Major W. F. McDonald was a
visitor at the Masonic installation
which was held on Thursday
night. December 21. In the fu­
ture he will be stationed at
Portland Air Base but for now he
will be located for approximately
two months at Redmond Air
Base. His family will accompany
him to Redmond.
IN HAWAII
KEASEY — Mr. and Mrs. W.
J. Lindsley have received word
that Pvt. Lee Lindsley is now
stationed in Hawaii.
REA Provides Leading
News Interest of Year
In keeping with a policy of
listing the leading news events
of the past year, a search of files
at the Eagle office for 1944
brings out the fact that electrici­
ty was the basis for the most im­
portant stories of that period.
In March, the REA was pro­
posed at a mass meeting which
was attended by citizens repre­
senting nearly every part of the
proposed district which was sug­
gested by REA representatives.
At this first meeting, directors
were chosen to carry on the
cooperative in its early stages
of formation.
in March that a city perk super­
visor be hired for the summer
months. The idea embraced a lar­
ger field of activity for the park,
in that athletic games were ar­
ranged and facilities for enter­
tainment were increased. A swim­
ming pool lifeguard was the only
provision of former years. The
proposal was carried out success­
fully.
The condition of city finances
received favorable mention in
January when a report by City
Treasurer C. F. Hieber revealed
that the city was in excellent fi­
nancial condition and that a sur­
Progress Revealed
plus was being built after all ex­
Other stories during the year penses were paid even though no
regarding the cooperative told property tax was levied during
the progress made in setting up the previous year. Only sources
the district and preparing it to of revenue were watei- rentals,
engage in the business of selling licenses and fines.
electricity. In August, the public
A final report in February of
utilities commission conducted a the “March of Dimes” campaign
hearing regarding the sale of the for financing treatment and re­
Oregon Gas and Electric proper­ search for infantile paralysis was
ty and after the hearing gave its '$394.47. This amount was much
consent to the sale and in Sep­ greater than a similar fund of
tember the REA resolved to pur­ $65.20 the preceeding year.
chase that part of the Clatskanie Red Cro»* Helped
PUD which serves residents on
The Red Cross membership
this side of the Clatskanie moun­
tain. The last important step of drive report was $4,459.52 of
the year was the signing of a which members of IWA Local
mortgage for $171,150 by local 5-37 contributed $2,665.83. The
directors, the money to be used total amount exceeded the quota
for purchasing the OG&E and of $4,(100.
An interview of the meat
for building distribution lines to
customers not now served by markets in this locality was cop-
electricity.
ducted in August to determine
the results of the waste fat col­
Youngster* Considered
Of importance to younger res­ lection here. After figures were
idents of the community was the checked, it was determined that
proposal made the city council during an average month, 1250
pounds of fat was turned in for
the making of munitions of war.
BADGE AWARDED
Pfc. Elmer L. Brady, son of The amount exceeded consider­
Mrs. R. L. Brady of Vernonia, ably several guesses which were
has been cited by the 6th armored made of the possible turn-in pre­
infantry battailion of the first vious to the actual check. House­
armored division and awarded the wives were doing their part
combat infantryman badge for towards furthering the war effort
actual participation in combat the survey showed.
Sport fans were highly elated
against the enemy with1 Lieuten­
ant General Mark W. Clark’s at the close of the football sea­
son with the Loggers’ showing
fifth army in Italy.
Standards for the badge are this year. The home team bested
high. The decoration is awarded all eomers and rose to the district
to the infantry soldier who has 3 playoffs, meeting Columbia
proved his fighting ability in Prep here and losing to the vis­
itors by a small margin. The
combat.
The handsome badge consists County championship was won by
of a silver rifle set against a the Loggers for the first time
background of infantry blue, en­ since 1941.
Many Give Blood
closed in a silver wreath.
A news article in July men­
THANKS RECEIVED
The Vernonia Service Club is tioned that 23 lccal people jour­
still receiving many letters of neyed to Hillsboro to give blood
thanks from those in the service to the Red Cross blood plasma
who have received Christmas bank. That number was the larg­
remembrances from club mem­ est to make the trip from here.
bers. Recent letters have been re­
Other items worthy of short
ceived from E. H. Washburn, mention include stories dealing
Astoria;
Harvey H. Johnson, with paper drives, one conducted
San Diego; Cpl. Ralph Ohler, In­ in February and the other in
dia; Sgt. Harold Brimmer, Camp December, the formation of a
Buckner, N. C.; Lt. H. G. Caton, forestry club at the high school,
Alamogrado, N. Mex.; Pvt. Ed­ this club being the first such
ward Bellingham, Salina, Kansas; group in any school of the coun­
Sgt. E. V. Robertson, France; ty and a survey of business firms
Mildred Weed, Treasure Island, in January which resulted in re­
Cal.; Clara Benson, San Francis­ vealing that business conditions
co; Cpl. Maude Ramsley, Ft. during the previous year were
Lewis; and Lt. R. R. Acord, APO better than at any time since
the beginning of the war.
N.Y.
MAKINSTER PROMOTED
Marshall C. Makinster, 23, pilot
of a B-17 flying fortress oper­
ating
in
the
Mediterranean
theatre of operations, has recent­
ly been promoted to the rank of
secend lieutenant. Lt. Makinster
is a veteran of more «than 35
combat missions over enemy-held
territory and has been awarded
the air medal with an oak leaf
cluster for “meritorious achieve­
ment in aerial flight.” Presenta­
tion of the award was made by
Lt. Col. Willard S. Spehry, dep­
uty group commander.
Lt. Makinster enlisted in the
army signal corps, July 17, 1942
and later entered cadet training.
He was graduated from pilot
training at Blythville, Ark., Jan.
7, 1944, where he won his wings
and was appointed flight officer.
He completed his phases at
Hendricks Field, Fla., prior to
his overseas assignement.
(More “Those Who” page six)
SIXTH WAR LOAN
Goal
$425,600