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About Vernonia eagle. (Vernonia, Or.) 1922-1974 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 31, 1946)
6 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1946 THE EAGLE, VERNONIA, ORE. When Winter Conies RONA MORRIS WORKMAN ROCKING W RANCH A person’s reaction to winter dépendu greatly upon where he lives, what he does, and his own mental equipment. There are times when I like winter and other times when I consider win ter as being just exactly what Sherman said war was. The an cient Mayan idea of hell, which they called Metnal, was a place, grey, clouded and chill, like a cold damp swamp where the souls of the lost were forever seeking to keep their heads above the heavy black mud. That descrip tion closely resembles our cattle lots and almost any other place on a ranch in Oregon about February or March. I notice in the literature about Oregon, which is sent to westward-yearn ing eastern folks by our chambers of commerce, that Oregon mud is never mentioned. The brochures merely state that Oregon has abundant rainfall. How right they are. I imagine that most of those seductive booklets are written by men who sit in an of fice and never set foot on any thing but a <fty pavement, save in summer. I’ll wager if those writers ever tried to chivvy a determined cow away from t'ne place she wanted to be to the place she didn’t want to be, and got their boots stuck fast in the mud while she was trying to decide whether she was going to “take" them or the other fellow, they might say something about rain and mud, though I’ll bet it wouldn’t be printed. I know there isn’t much you can do about mud in the wide- open spaces except swear at it. (And I have often been amazed, when listening to ranchers talk of it, that the mud didn’t in stantly turn to dust under the heat of their language.) Every spare moment in dry weather you haul gravel and pile it in feed ing sheds and lots and cry your heart out for cement to hold it, J.E. Fossum Electrical Service Knight’s Bldg., 706’ First St., Vernonia CONTRACT — DAY WORK — INSTAL LATIONS — ALTERATIONS — REPAIRS Home Commercial Phone 283 or 662 Industrial (but no cement to be had, of course) and the rains come and your lovely gravel slowly sinks and sinlu and is as if it had never been. I watched my men- folks branding a bunch of calves before we got the branding chute built. The corral was muddy, it was raining, as usual, and be fore they got through they were stamping the Rocking W brand on anything they grabbed. If it yelled, the one with the brand ing iron knew it was a man; if it merely bawled, he counted another calf branded, and they almost got the Big Boss ear-notched before he could get the mud out of his mouth enough to let them know what they had hold of. I have never been able to de cide whether its harder on men- folks in wet weather or on us poor women who have to fight valiantly to keep the mud from all moving into the house. I wipe up my k'.tchen floor, scrub my back porch and hose off the tdr- race, and look at them with complacent satisfaction. Ten min utes later here comes somebody in a hurry. He gives his feet a swipe, bangs across my clean floor with a scared look and muttered apology, followed, quite likely by a dog who makes no apology, and I look at the trail they have left and begin mutter ing to myself. If a woman has never worked out in those feed lots, she probably doesn’t keep her feelings to herself, but speaks concisely ar.d to the point. However, I have wallowed through that muck, so I merely think longingly of dry desert places where there never could be any mud, take my mop and clean up the mess once more. Sometimes I have thought it would be a good idea for ranch women to put a foot-deep layer of sawdust over all their floors when the first rain starts and then d g it WE CAN DO IT If its carpenter or cement work, new or repairs, we can do it. Just see York, the builder. Sidewalks a Specialty E. M. YORK CONTRACTOR & BUILDER 108 A St. 4528 Loans ta Vets Approved G.I. loan applications of Oregon veterans of World /War II, rep resenting a capital investment of $20,915,063.47, have been approv ed by the veterans administration, Thomas M. Craig VA represent ative in this area, said last week. On these loans, the VA is com mitted to guarantee $9,919,848.05, or about 42 per cent. The G.I. bill permits the VA to guarantee not more than 50 per cent of any loan, and up to $4000 for pur chase of a home and $2000 to buy or start a business. Besides the 4528 approved loans another 152 were still being pro cessed at the end of September when the latest totals were com plied. Home purchasing accounts for the majority, or 3655 loans total ing $17,708,301.23, of which the guaranteed or insured share amounts to $8,601,422.64. The average G.I. loan for homes in Oregon is for $5165, including a VA guarantee on $2347.30 Ex-serviceman farmers have re ceived 273 farm loans (for $1,008,- 797.35, with guarantees on 440,- out in the spring. It would make fine fertilizer and compost for the garden. However, there are times when winter gives real pleasure. In the long evenings, after the chores are done, when we relax about a warm fire with the lights softly glowing, the sound of rain on the roof is something to listen to with lazy delight. I know our horses and cattle are warm and dry for the night, contentedly munching their hay; the dogs lie dreaming on the hearthrug, and I pick out some well-loved book which fits my mood and browse through it, sensing the warmth and quiet and comfort of home. Sometimes, as I turn a page, and pause to listen to the dark world outside, I say comfortably, “The wind is ris ing,” but it doesn’t worry me. Tomorrow, with its work in the rain and mud is far away; now I am at ease, and the outside is safely shut away for a little time The red dog whines and makes little running movements with his feet; perhaps he is dreaming of a golden fall day aind the sweet trail of a pheasant through the brown stubble. The cat climbs lazily into my lap, yawns, and settles down for another nap. The Big Boss turns the sport page of his newspaper, and outside the rising wind “wuthers” around the corner of the house and sways the shrubbery against the win dow. No, winter isn’t all bad. It does have its moments. 413.96 of that sum. Farm loans average $4221.39, with guarantees of $1963.95, Craig stated. An even 600 business loans have financed ex-GIs to the ex tent of $2,197,964.89, of which the VA is backing $783,011.45. To protect the veterans’ inter ests, the VA has rejected only 78 G.I. loan applications in this state, Craig pointed out. Of this number 57 were turned down be cause another goverment agency declined to guarantee or insure a prior loan and only 21 were re jected by the VA because the pur chase price exceeded a reasonable market value or because the vet eran’s income appeared insuf ficient. “In almost every instance of a loan application by a veteran, the VA has accepted the decision of a lending agency to make the loan, “Craig said. “Loans are rejected only after investigation by the VA shows that the veteraq’3 in terests are endangered.” T Send your Laundry & Dry Cleaning to Portland’s most mo dern plant. Two pick ups and deliveries weekly at Vernonia at your home or our local agent— BEN BRICKEL’S BARBER SHOP OREGON Laundry and Dry Cleaners NOMA ELECTRIC FOR YOUR BATHROOM Safe, Longest Life, No Fire Hazard. See to Appreciate at GREENWOOD MOTORS Vernonia, Ore. . Ph. 1121 Dodge, Plymouth and Dodge Job-Rated truck Dealer j Oregon-American LUMBER CORPORATION Vernonia, Oregon I i New You Can Have Gas Anywhere! Modernize your home with Butane or Propane gas and appliances. Available now for imme diate delivery. O’KEEFE & MERRITT Precision-built gas ranges. Also water heaters, space heaters, brooders, hot plate3, restaurant ranges and griddles and shop heaters. Modern Gas & Appliance Rt. 2, Box 322-A, Hillsboro. Phone 3161 East on Portland Highway Advertisement •I iis I Arrived Davenport and Chair Sets Designed For Comfort In Your Home 1. Bill does not prohibit commer cial fishing in coastal streams.’ It regulates WHEN, WHERE and HOW fish may be token. 2. Bill actually offects year round employment of Very few—perhaps not 25. 3. Bill would sove about 59% of cur steelhead. (Note: A steelhead is a roinbow thot has gone to sea ond returns. I 4. Bill does not offect commercial fishing on Columbia nor does it offect the taking of SHAD. 5. Bill No. 312 would assure a fu ture supply of Oregon's No. 1 foodfish, the salmon—ond protect Oregon's No. I tourist attraction —the steelhead. 6. Bill directs Fish and Gome Com mission to conduct studies in order thot we may have FACTS with which to manage ond safeguard Oregon fisheries. 7. Taxpayers are now paying $165,000.00 each biennium to maintain fishing for commercial interests. More protection will help rebuild the fishing, thereby reduc ing taxpayers' load. 8. Legislature has tried on two oc casions—1941 ond 1945—to save these fish for YOU and the FU TURE. Now your help is needed to make this bill (312) a low. 9. NO TAXES. This is not a money measure. Rather it would help re duce taxes. Long-wearing beautiful coverings and sturdy construction assure you complete satisfaction. • • • Guaranteed all new materials Perfect Posture Support Expert Workmanship by Craftsmen BUSH FURNITURE “Everything for the Home’’ =•- ===== VOTE 312 YES FISH BILL lave Pd 62» Cilmon & Uregon jteeihead Adv —W J Smith, Oeh. Chn>.. Corbett BMfu, Portland. Or. From where I sit... //Joe Marsh Friendship—Three Thousand Miles Apart Ever play chess? It’s a great game! One of the strongest friend ships I know of started with a game of chess—between Dad Hoskins, in our town, and a man named’Dalton Barnes, in England. They’ve never seen each other, never met. But for the past eight years they’ve been playing chess by mail together — Dad puzzling over Dalton’s latest letter, while he sends a chart of his next move to England. Dad always thinks best With a mellow glass of beer beside his chessboard. And the Englishman writes him that he does the same. “You know, it’s almost as if we shared a glass of beer together, too!” says Dad contentedly. From where I sit, you can talk about diplomacy and foreign pol icy, but it’s often those little things —like a game of chess or a glass of beer—that can make for toler ance and understanding . . . be tween people of all nations ... be tween neighbors here at home! Corr.'ieht. 1946. United Stales Bremers foundation Nearly one-third of Oregon's 8,254 teachers possess only temporary emergency certificates. Teacher turnover in the last school year was 24.2 per cent throughout the state. Among the five State System of Higher Education institutions, the number of teacher graduates dropped from 1,177 in 1931 to an estimated 102 in 1946. Oregon schools must have a Sound financial system. Keep qualified teachers. Vote 316 X ytS for BASIC SCHOOL FUND Frd , Soix 'ckco1 Supo*’fv'd ta g WiMigw 5Î0 'o id 1