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
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New You Can Have
Gas Anywhere!
Modernize your home with Butane or Propane
gas and appliances. Available now for imme­
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O’KEEFE & MERRITT Precision-built gas ranges. Also
water heaters, space heaters, brooders, hot plate3, restaurant
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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
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ta g WiMigw
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