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About Vernonia eagle. (Vernonia, Or.) 1922-1974 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 13, 1955)
Library, U of 0 VOLUME 33. NUMBER 2 VERNONIA. COLUMBIA COUNTY, OREGON PHONE 191 LETTERS TELL EARLY DAY LIFE IN VALLEY The following letters, written by Israel Spencer, father of Bob Spencer, to a brother-in-law in Michigan during the first few months of his residence here, gives a colorful picture of life in the Nehalem valley as it was then Mr. Spencer was 32 years old at the time and his homestead com prised what is now known as O-A hill. The house of which he speaks stood near where Mr. and Mrs. Elmore Knight now live. Nehalem Valley August 12. 1876 Dear Brother, Well, here I am in the state of Oregon, in good health and with a full belly, having just got up from supper and got my fill of warm biscuits. i I have got me a ranch in tae above valley, the Garden of Eden and the Picture of Hell, with tim ber 360 feet high and no gaps. Have a house 12 by 16 two acres cleared, 12 acres chopped. The timber is vine maple, white, red , and yellow fir, and alder, ash. cedar, hemlock or spruce. The , alder is big trees, some of them I 2's feet through and 50 or 60 I feet tall, perhaps more. The | timber, without exception, is the largest I ever saw. I have been in here three | months and been out but once, j It means 30 miles to wMere we get 1 all the stuff they have to buy such as flour and groceries and pack it in on horses, 150 to 200 pounds to the horse over thb mountain, 1800 feet high and not much fun, you bet. But there is a pretty fair wagon road all the way but eight miles which we intend to cut through this fall. The wea- ; ther is cool in the daytime and ! cold at night. I have worn one of I my heavy woolen shirts all sum- • mer to chop in and not been very hot but when it comes to the night then a fire is the thing. No mosquitoes but lots of gnats and fleas in dirty houses. What sort of weather have you been having this summer and how is the wheat? The crops a.*.- I the best here that I ever saw. In I this valley the soil is a black I sand, clay loam or what you call it. It is the richest dirt that I ever saw. Wheat, oats and gar den stuff grows beyond all ac count. The Nehalem river from which the valley takes its name empties into the ocean 22 miles ,Iimp here on a straight line. It is 100 feet wide with good banks and soapstone bottom, very ra pid There is only five families here at present but 32 claims are taken since I came in. One m<.n came in yesterday and took a claim today. There is lots of game here: deer. elk. bear, beaver, and otter. Have been out hunting once with a man. Was out three days. Got not exactly lost but darn near it. I killed one deer and we could have got more and some elk, for we saw some, if we could have ' got them out to the settlement, | but in the mountains it is so I rough and cut up with so many 1 canyons, you do not know where i you are. Every one looks alike, j Am paying $2 50 coin for board ; per week. Shall get in some pro- 1 visions and keep house this winter. Have got some cabbage | and bagas in the ground, besides tobacco. Wish I had the double barrel gun. Shall hav-> to buy one. Get one of Remington in Portland for $35.00. Have just written to Mort that we have had plenty of rain this summer, most too much, in fact. We have to burn down the trees here—some of them are six and eight feet through—the burn them in two, bore with an auger, start the fire and let them rip. Cost me very near $200 to get here. Do not nedd that 40 yet. Will let you know when I do. Have to discount paper money 11 cents here for there is nothing but gold and silver. The smallest coin is five cents and but few of them. 10 cents is a bit, that is the base; three bits is three shillings. Write soon. Israel Spencer Mountain Dale Washington County, Oregon Nehalem Valley November 7, 1876 Broth’r Corwin, It has teen somewhere in the neighborhood of two months since 1 answered your last letter and. thinking perhaps that you d.u not get it, as is the case quite often in letters going from the coast, here goes again. Fine weather and lots to de. Have been putting in winter oats this week. Have not made much of a show but there has been a lot of hard work done. First you take a grub hoe and go down in the woods and see how long it will take you to grub up enough ground to sow 2 bushels of oatg and one of wheat. Then take a rake and rake it in. That is th? way I am doing it this winter but it will be different next year, you bet. Then get your own grub besides. That is the worst part of the program. But come up here and I will ais.-i you up such a meal that you will be sick of horn?. Potatoes, bread, meat, coffee and gravy with a sprinkling of venison thrown in. Have killed two deer and help ed kill one bear. Saw four elk the other day but did not have my gun. Have got a new one, breech loader, re-loading cart ridges. Shot a ball through an alder tree day before yesterday that was over 12 inches through. It is a big story but it is the truth, and no rot nor hollows either. W’ll, to business. If father has received the money on those papers yet I would like for him to let it out to some good man again for not more than one year. I do not think I shall want it before that time, though money is at a discount here. Ninety cents is all you can get for green backs, 90 for trade dollars, 95 for half dollars silver, that is, in gold. My pile is down to 13 twenty dollar gold pieces and I calculat’ it will stay where it is until next spring, then to get me a cow and a horse or oxen. We are going to commence work on the school house here tomorrow. There is a petition drawn tip for a post office here but it will take a long time for it to get to Washington and back. There is nothing doing in this part of the world that would be of interest to you. Have you had any of. Emma’s pictures taken yet? If so send me one. Frost last night, the first on’ that there has been in here and that did not kill tomatoes. Have lots of green ones yet and toback 55 Juvenile Cases Heard In County During Year During the past 12 months there were a total of 55 juveniles against whom cases wer' filed in Columbia county juvenile court, according to County Judge John W. Whipple. Of these cases. 21 were filed as delinquents and 34 were filed as dependents. In ad dition to the above court cases, some 19 juveniles were brought before the court and handled in an advisory manner with the for mality of a charge having been filed. AH juvenile delinquents tried were placed on probation either to their parents, or an officer, wit.1 the exception of one girl too is in posev yet. Have lots of flowers that are blooming and all of th j time. I must fill my pipe and stop. Good night. Israel Spencer Mountain Dale Washington County, Oregon New Fire Chief Plans For Drills j I i I I Newly appointed fir? chief. Bob Thompscn, called the first meet ing for' his d partment Monday night to map plans for efficient operation. He named Bob Curl as assistant fire chief and plans were made for having regular drills to familiarize all men with the operation of the equipment and to learn the part each should p'.ay in case of fire calls. The first of these drills will be held Sunday. Chuck Johnson, former mem ber of the group has rejoined it. Plans w?re made for men of this department to attend the County Fire-fighter’s Association m eting at St. Helens at which members of the councils and mayors of the towns of the coun ty were to be present and dis cuss plans for civil defense work by the fire fighters in the coun ty. Larry Garner was elected as Vernonia vice-president of th? county association, also. Four Matches on Slate Thursday A schedule of four matches will provide the entertainment for wrestling fans Thursday evening at the Legion hall at another in the series of bouts being arranged by the American Legion. Spectators will see Man Moun tain Dean Jr. as one of the even ing’s features in a match with John Cobb. Dean is billed as weighing 384 pounds and Cobb at 245 pounds. Two other matches will bring Joan Barr into the ring with The Tiger Woman, Minnesota state champion and Fern LaVerne will meet Mana Bernardi, Italian champion. Last on the evening's agenda will be a tag team match. The evening's bill will open at 8:30. Tax Assistance At Union Hall The help offered each year by the internal revenue service to taxpayers in preparing federal income tax returns will be avail able here March 28 and 29 inclu sive. according to notice from R. C. Grandquist, district direc tor. Internal revenue men will es tablish an office here at the Union hall for both days. Other places in the county where assis tance will be available are: Clatskanie, Tourist hotel March 30 and 31; Rainier city hall, March 28 and St. Helens Court 1 House. January 27 and 28 and March 29 and 30. All forms for reporting income taxes are available at the local post office, including W-2 forms I ' Representative Walter Norblad I (R-Ore.) has again been selected as a member of the Committee on Committees by a Republican House caucus in Washington. D. C. This Committed determines the committee assignments of all Re publican members of the House of Repr?sentatives Assignment Given Norblad who was s?nt to the Louise Home for girls, and two boys who were committed to the MacLaren School for Boys at Woodburn In the dependency actions, the temporary custody of all 34 min ors involved was placed with the Columbia county public welfare commission and by them placed Dimes Line Grows A steady increase in the line of in fost?r homes or otherwise car dimes down the counter at Vike’s ed for. In addition to the above cases. cafe is evident from the total 17 adoptions were handled by the listed for Wednesday morning of Last week on Wednes same court. There were 15 in $46 80 dividuals committed to the state I day the amount totaled $24 10. hospital and four cases filed in- I Contributions to the collection volving f’eble minded persons, 1 will go towards this area’s col according to the judge. lection for the March of Dimes. C of C Hears Cheese Man Speak Friday Details of Industry Told to Group by Tillamook Official 10c COPY Bid Awarded For New Shop Construction A new, modern truck repair shop building will be constructed at Pittsburg this summer Crown Zellerbach officials indicated ear lier this week when bids were opened for the job and the award made. Day and Nite Furnace Com pany, Inc., of 11916 N E. Halsey, Portland, rec .ved the contract for the work. The building will be 40 by 69 feet of concrete block and steel construction to handle repair work now being done at the shop in Riverview Ray E. Deaver, treasurer and assistant manager of the Tilla mook County Creamery associa tion and secretary of the Tilla mook Cheesse association, was the speaker for the membership meeting of the Vernonia cham ber of commerce and a group oi lodal guests interested in dairies and cheese manufacturing last Friday. Deaver made a very interesting and informative talk, discussing I the costs of buildings, machinery The annual crab feed banquet and equipment, payroll, storage, advertising, distribution, avail for the Columbia County School able milk and related subjects. | Master’s Club was held Monday He gave both the advantages and evening at St. Helens and was at disadvantages of a cheese plant tended by Superintendent E. E. and recommend'd that if thought Dove. Bill Ferguson, Harold Mc is given to starting one in the Entire and Bill Johnson, from the Nehalem valley, to get a specialty local high school, and Superin cheese to prdduce, hire a good tendent Darrold Proehl, Walter cheese mak *r and do lots of ad Harris, James Johns, Dan Lawler vertising. especially building up and Lyle Frazier from the grade school all of whom report a won mail orders. John Davey, chief accountant derful feed and an occasion well of the Tillamook Creamery as worth attending. sociation. accompanied Mr. Deav er from Beaver. Don Coin Walrod, Columbia county extension agen., attended the meeting. He said that agri culture is the largest single com modity in Columbia county, Members of the Vernonia Fed bringing in one and one-half mil eral Credit Union will vote on lion dollars this last year and the question of declaring a three that there are approximately 7,- and one-half per cent dividend 000 cows producing 50 million when they attend their annual pounds of milk per year. meeting Saturday of this work, Lyman Hawk.en reported that January 15, at the IWA hall. he and Marvin Kamholz, indus A recommendation of the j trial committeemen, had inter amount of the dividend was made ' viewed Dean McCallister, school at the union's board of directors^ of business administration, Lewis meeting last Saturday. Also | and Clark college, regarding a scheduled for the annual meeting 1 survey of the labor pool in this session is the election of officers J area. Plans are b‘ing formu to serve for the coming year. Re- ! lated to do this. freshments will be s?rved at the | Art Ostrander, roads and high meeting. ways committee, told of his com mittee meeting with groups from Lions Hear Officer Forest Grove, Rainier and Long Rupert Gillmouth, Hood River view in the interest of getting Route 99W re-routed through county sheriff, was the guest McMinnville, Forest Grove and speaker at Monday evening’s Vernonia to the Longview bridge. Lions club meeting. He gradu They will meet with the inter-st- ated last year from the FBI school ed civic leaders and chamber of at Washington, DC. and spoke commerce committees the first of on the FBI at the meeting. February to formulate plans and to consult with state highway en- Judge Heads Mint Men gin-ers. County Judge John W Whipple One new membership, the Stan was re-elected president of the dard Oil Company of California, Oregon Essential Oil Growers Longview, was announced. league last week at the league's annual meeting at Oregon State College. The judge is a Rainier mint grower. Schoolmasters Attend Meeting Credit Union to Name Officials Warrenton on List Friday The Loggers travel to Warren ton Friday, January 14. Next Tuesday night will mark the next home game for the Loggers. In the preliminary game it will be the Vernonia grade school frosh versus the grade school team. Th! highly talented graders' dropped a clos? one in their last venture with the Freshmen by a score of 26-25. Anything can hap pen in this one. The varsity will run up against the Pacific Frosh team which was the victor in a previous game this year 45-32 The ‘Loggers will hav’ the problem of stop ping Bill Braun, former Logger, now U.U. man. Braun has been playing regu larly for the Frosh team. The Loggers have shown a great deal of improvement since the last en counter and should giv 1 the Frosh tea am good battle. Game time is 6:30 p.m. Tuesday night at the local gym. Practice Shoot Dlted A practice ^sbovt is planned for Sunday at the O A ball park by the Vernonia trap club, an offi cer of the club said Wednesday morning. Those interested in shooting are invited to be there at 10 o.clock. THURSDAY. JANUARY 13. 1935 Bank Marks Up Record Gain in '54 Vernonia Branch Shows Deposit Total Amount Of $1,588,211.35 The United States National bank marked up a record gain of more than $86,000,000 in deposits during 1954. Deposits for the state-wid? banking system n * stand at $748,300,328 Part of this outstanding growth has resulted from th? merger if the Commercial Bank of Oregon group and the Bank of Albany with the U.S. National last N vember. In addition. U.S. Na tional acquired branches at Du fur and Brooking earlier in the year. Deposits for the Vernonia branch total $1.588.21135 according to George A. Remnant, manager Loans and discount.^ also show ed a steady increase and now ag gregale $270,178.235 for the en tire system. Th? Vernonia branch reported loans and discounts totaling $292,- 162.81. Growing with the state it serves, U.S. National lists total resources of better than $810< 000,000. This represents a ga r» of more than $95,000.000 during the past 12 months. “The year 1954 has been on* it increased service opportunities for this bank,” E. C. Sammon», president, comn^iented. “U. S. National now serves the people of Oregon with 58 banking offices throughout the state.'’ The U. S. National is Oregon» only state-wide banking system that is home owned and home op erated, Sammons pointed out. Juvenile Safety On PTA Program The PTA will meet next Mon day, January 17 at 8:00 p.m. in room 4 at the high school. Th* program topic will be Juvenri» Protection and the speaker will be Reverend George Trobough of St. Helens, chairman of sofrty and protec ion for the Columbia county council of the PTA. Claud * Shaw will also be pre sent to give hiv views on what is being done in the Vernonia area on juvenile protection. The public is invited to attend. Flue Fire Calls Trucks City firemen and trucks wer? called to the home of Shorty Monaco near Riverside Drive Sat urday because of a flue fine. Dam age was reported to be light. Mill Lease Renewed THOSE WHO ARE IN IT Announced late last week was the renewal of the lease to J. M. Johnson by Elmer Bergerson for another year. The mill operation is located eight miles south of Vernonia on the Timber road. Ale LeRoy Thomas left Mon day for Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska after spending 1* days here visiting at the home of his father, Charles Thomas of Trs- harne. Loggers Capture Victory In First League Game Lower Columbia league play tributed 5, 5 and 6 points res opened Friday night, January 7, pectively to keep Vernonia above with Vernonia defeating Scap board. poose 69-61, St. Helens edging The last quarter was all Ver out Seaside 52-51, Clatskanie de nonia. Derrald Fluke, substitute feating Neakahnie 57-47 and War guard for the loggers, went wild renton walking over Rainier 53- collecting 8 points and helped 40 salt away the first league victory The Vernonia Loggers display for the Loggers this season. ed championship form in the first Hank Bass, team captain for quarter against the Scappoose the Loggers was high for the Indians by scoring the first 15 night with 21 points, followed by points of the game Hank Bass team mate Carl Holsey who tut l?d his Logger team in the first for 18 points. Jim Nuther ac canto by hitting the hoop for 8 counted for 15 points along with points. Gilligan and Gabrielson who scor In the second quarter Jim Nut ed 14 points apiece. s ter, Scappoose guard, began The Baby Loggers were handed threading the needle with an 8- a defeat at the hands of th* point outburst and closed the gap, Scappoos? JVs by a score of Vernonia leading 32-26 at the 49-29 Dan Hokey was high along half. with Pugh of Scappoose, eact* The third period was nip and scoring 10 points. tuck, both teams scon ng IB points (Additional sports, page 6) Ho'.sey, Fulton and Bass con
