NYSSA GATE CITY
GATEW AY TO THE OWYHEE AND BLACK CANYON IRRIGATION PROJECTS
Published at Nyssa, Oregon
VO U M E XX X II.
NYSSA. OREGON. TH U R S D A Y. J A N U A R Y 28, 1937
NO. 4
Nyssa Residents Uneasy
Over Prospects of Flood
Final Gift Day
Held Wednesday
Steps Taken To Prepare
For High Water— Many
Refuse To Be Frightened
Merchants Express Their
Appreciation To Patrons
For Success of Campaign
Fear of a flood In Nyssa has been
a worry, to many people in Nyssa, but
according to a report made this
morning by reclamation engineers,
they feel the danger is not great un­
less the Snake makes an unusual,
abnormal and sudden rise. A route
for trucks has been mapped out and
the CCC camp have agreed to help
in case of emergency, along with the
reclamation forces here.
I t is believed
that should the
river rise to a threatening level, a
crew of men could throw in a dike
across the Wilson ditch approxi­
mately 100 yards from the mouth of
the ditch, which would hold back
flood waters.
The city council held a special
meeting Tuesday night and mem­
bers of the council went out to the
mouth of the Wilson ditch and per­
sonally inspected
the
situation.
They found the ice pushed up In the
river until it was standing approxi­
mately two feet
higher than the
bed of the ditch.
Alarmed at the condition, a crew
of men were set to work Wednesday
morning throwing a dike across the
Wilson
ditch near the
railroad
trestle but found it difficult to get
enough dirt to make a very large
dike. Another meeting was called
by Mayor Oraham Wednesday after­
noon to hear a report
made by
Captain Marion Tadlock of the local
CCC camp. Capt. Tadlock thought
there was some danger and offered
the services of the camp in case of
an emergency. Harvey Hatch, camp
superintenent .also spoke briefly on
the possibility cf a flood and the
feasibility of diking.
Guy Sperry and George Haycock
of the reclamation force here in­
spected the river and its relation
to the Wilson ditch this morning.
Their report was more encouraging
and will likely allay the
fears of
many.
Nyssa was visited by a flood in
1910, the water coming down the
Wilson ditch during an unusually
heavy spring run-off. A t that time
the Wilson ditch was in active use
carrying water to Ontario.
Since
1910, there have been numerous irri­
gation dams constructed along the
Snake and it’s tributaries, includ­
ing the Owyhee, Arrowrock, Ameri­
can Falls, Magic, Black
Canyon
Salmon, and others; so that a flood
from a high runoff is extremely un­
likely.
The danger at the present time
is in the ice in the river. The
water is entirely frozen over near
Nyssa and practically so from below
Weiser extending
to Homedale.
However residents here remember in
1924 when the river was frozen over
and there was no flood. Should the
Ice jam and form a barrier in the
river, it would likely flood over ad­
jacent ground until the barrier was
removed, either by force of the river
or by dynamite.
T h e city is keeping a close watch
on conditions and in case of a rise in
the river and water starts down the
Wilson ditch, prompt action will be
taken.
FARM ERS SIG N FOR
SOIL C ONSERVATION
B EN E FIT PAYM E N TS
Today was a busy day at the city
"hall with nearly 70 farmer; signing
lor Soil Conservation benefit pay­
ments. Those payments are based on
work done by the fanners in con­
serving the soil and In changing
their crops from soil depleting to
soli building crops.
According to
government rules
farmers must
make application for benefit pay­
ments. showing they had followed
out the plan as laid down by the
government at the start of last crop
year.
Seventy farmers have signed in
the Nyssa vicinity as being willing
to cooperate in the Soil Conserva­
tion plan and their checks are ex­
pected to arrive around the latter
part of February. A total of 165.000
will be distributed by the
federal
government in this county under
this plan.
A new signup is expected to start
soon for the 1937 year. The county
committee will go to Baker Satur­
day to get information regarding
the 1937 plan and the signup will
start soon after. Those on the
county committee are Pete Tenaen.
C. M. Beaumont. N. S. Phelan and J
8. Jones,
range representative of
Juntura
Fastest Growing Town In Oregon
Journal Wins
Second Place
A distinct
honor was ac­
corded your weekly newspaper,
The Gate City Journal, when
it was selected at the recent
Oregon Editorial Association
meeting as the second best
weekly in Oregon, for this size
town.
This recognition is eagerly
sought after by the weeklies of
the state and it is a credit to
this community that their sup­
port has enabled The Gate
City Journal to carry o ff sec­
ond prize in the state. The
Redmond Spokesman of D e­
schutes county was first this
,ear.
The Journal publisher and
staff wish to thank the people
of Nyssa for their loyal sup­
port which has made possible
this recognition of the Journal
as an outstanding newspaper
of the state of Oregon.
Many Ducks Get
Banquetof Grain
Thousands of ducks in the Nyssa
region received several square meals
this past week as the result of co-
opeiaticn between the Oregon Game
Commission and the Nyssa W ild Lite
Club. Several sacks of grain were
distributed, but the continued cold
weather and heavy snow is working
a great hardship on wild life, espec­
ially ducks, and a great number of
ducks are expected to perish in spite
of efforts of sportsmen.
There are more ducks this year
than has been noted in the past ten
years and practically every drain
ditch has its full quota.
Feed in
the drain ditches, the only unfrozen
water to be found, has been nearly-
exhausted by the frantic efforts of
ducks to get something to eat.
The game department in Idaho is
also doing their best to feed all the
ducks, but in the several feeding
grounds operated by the state, they
have found so many ducks that it
has taken all the assistance and feed
they could possibly obtain, and still
they cannot take care of them all.
Farmers report
ducks
lighting
right in their barnyards to pick over
straw piles, and even come right in
with the chickens to get their feed.
People interested in the welfare of
the ducks, and who can spare the
feed, would be doing an excellent
service to feed as many as their
resources will allow, as the ducks
are in danger of perishing by the
thousands.
Pheasants seem to be faring fair­
ly well. In spite cf deep snow. They
are able to scratch down through
the deep snow and get a feed of
weed seeds, grains and other for­
age.
One of the favorite haunts of
ducks is at the Hot Springs near the
Tom Lowe place at Mitchell Butte.
Mr. Lowe has been feeding a good
many that come to a small lake
near his house and the CCC camp
has a small supply of grain they are
distributing at ether points in the
Owyhee district.
Besides ducks and pheasants at
the Tom Lowe place, a flock of ap­
proximately a dozen mountain quail
have been seen feeding. Mountain
Quail are very rare in this part of
the country.
LEG IO N JUNIORS
MEET T O N IG H T
American Legion Juniors and
those eligible for membership are in­
vited to Mrs Elmer E. Cloninger’s
home Thursday night at 7 P M. to
start Junior activities. Members
will be instructed in home nursing
and first aid.
IA Y H A W K E R S PLA N GOOD
T IM E FOR F R ID A Y N IG H T
All former residents of Kansas are
reminded of the first annual ban­
quet
scheduled for Friday night.
January 29th in the Community
church basement. A covered dish
dinner will be held, followed by a
program and entertainment
The
date. January 29th. is the birthday
Mrs Charlie McConnell was quite of Kansas and marks the day K an­
sas was admitted to the Union.
ill with the flu the past
Sugar Company W ill Build
On Land Adjoining Nyssa
Nyssa G ift Days held Wednesday
afternoon attracted an unusually
large crowd, considering road and
weather conditions, and a total of
»50 was distributed to Nyssa pat­
rons. The usual keen interest was |
manifest as the names were drawn '
from the barrel on Main Street.
Winner of one $10 award
was
Mrs. R. L. Patton and Bud Wilson
was the winner of the other. Mrs.
Ed Warren was awarded $7; Bud
Wilson »5 and Francis Ray »3. Those
awarded »1 prizes were Dick Adams.
Ed Warren, W A. Nye, C. A. M ar­
shall, Mrs. Jacob Groot, W. W. Fost­
er, Mrs. J. E. Bowen, Bud Wilson,
Francis Ray, L E. Wilson, Mrs.
Goodler Mrs. F. W. Sills, Tom Dix­
on, Mrs. Chas. Toombs and Ted
Frahm.
New members of the Mourners
Club made up of those not present
to claim their award were W. F.
Corn, T. C. Furgeson Agnes Horn,
Mary Hart. Mr. Atagi and Robert
Duffy.
The G ift Day Wednesday was the
last for this season and at this time
the business men would like to ex­
press their appreciation of the sup­
port an interest shown by patrons.
The conduct of the affair has been
a distinct pleasure to business men
of Nyssa and expresses in a small
measure the
gratitude
they feel
toward the many patrons of Nyssa.
An Appeal For Aid
My Fellow Citizens:
We who live in God's Country and appreciate the climate and
conditions afforded us by our residence, feel a great sympathy
with those fellow citizens of the flood devasted area's back east,
and while we do feel sorry for them, we can go a step further and
be the real Big Brother’s and Sister's that we really are, by help­
ing them to the fullest extent of our financial ability in giving
our money towards the relief of those sufferers, who are just like
you and me fellow American Citizens
The God inspired American Red Cross organization is doing
its very utmost to help the terrible situation, and they need your
help and mine to carry on. so let's do our part, even tho its the
“ Widows M ite" as every cent will help those fellow citizens back
east in their tragic condition.
T o recite the tragedies would be futile on my part, you know
them as I ,uo, it is really beyond description, its a 100 per cent
worse than War, because War is brought about by men for their
own selfish reasons, whereas these floods are nature, which is the
battle of all living beings, therefore we must all be Brother to
Brother mo; >so than ever in these terrible times.
T o enable the American Red Cross to carry on, bring your
donations to the Bank, or to the office of Frank T. Morgan or to
my office, cr to Mrs. Dick Tensen, and do this right away as the
money is needed worse than money was ever needed before.
When you help, you will feel better in the knowledge that you
have done your part and carried out that wonde’-ful message that
our M other’s passed to us, thru their light the “ Holy Book” . . .
“ Do unto others that you would have others do unto you.”
Please help to the fullest extent, even tho it runs you short
for awhile, and remember every nickle counts at a time like this.
Ice Loses Victim
When Men Save
Bradford Friday
"Blacky" Bradford, bachelor resi­
dent of one of the islands in the
Snake River approximately a mile
south of Nyssa knows now how it
feels to receive “ flood relief.” He
was rescued Friday evening after
being ice-bound in the middle ol
Snake river most of the afternoon.
Bradford went over to the island
Thursday and
Intended to sleep
there that night. Old Man River was
In a mean mood that night and the
strong current rolled up an ice bar-
river below the island and in a sur­
prising short time the waters had
come up enough to overrun the
island and started
Invading the
house. Blacky took his bed. axe and
a few belongings to the attic and at­
tempted to sleep, but it was a little
hard to sleep soundly with the
waters raising steadily just a few
feet below his attic perch.
In the morning, things had gone
from bad to worse. There was sev­
eral feet of water in the cabin and
the only outlet was to chop a hole in
the roof, which Blacky preceded to
do. Perched on top of the roof he
signaled for help and finally attract­
ed the attention of the Jordans who
live across from the island.
More
help arrived, but were powerless to
do anything as the river was a mass
of treacherous
ice.
There
were
places where the ice was frozen solid
and other places where the current
still cut a narrow swath.
Bradford did about the only thing
he could, he put his belongings in his
boat, which fortunately was still
available; and started across the
river. His progress was slow and not
very certain. Finally the boat be­
came frozen in the ice and he chop­
ped. chopped and chopped but pro­
gress was very slow. He faced the
prospect of sleeping In that boat In
midstream all night and zero weath­
er made it a very unpleasant
thought.
In the meantime more and more
people gathered on the shore Many
theories were advanced as to how
the man could be rescued but noth­
ing practical. Finally a chalk line
was secured from the reclamation
office and a mighty heave succeeded
in getting it to the boat. A rope was
fastened to the boot but it parted
when an attempt was made to pull
the ice bound boat free.
With darkness already at hand,
Dan Buchanan of Vale, who hap­
pened to be In the crowd tried a
theory o f his own. He took two
planks; laid the first one on the
treacherous ice and wa ked out on
it. Nothing happened, so he laid the
other down ang went further out.
Still nothing happened so he pro­
ceeded by this slow but dangerous
method and finally arrived at the
boat. The two men came back to
shore by the same method, leaving
boat and bedding in the river. Next
morning the ice had froaen suffic­
iently that Bradford was able to get
to his boat and finally succeeded
in getting it to shore.
$1.50 PER Y E A R
Respectfully yours in Service,
DON M G RAH AM
Mayor, The City of Nyssa. Oregon.
Ill
W eiser r l p o m
r ie v
Here Saturday
*
Basketball will again occupy the
center of the sports spotlight this
week end after three weeks without
a home game. Friday night the
locals play the strong Vale squad at
Vale and Saturday night,
Weiser
will play on the local floor. Both of
Ihese games are important for the
locals and a win each night will def­
initely stamp Nyssa as the outstand­
ing team of the district.
Nyssa has already won victories
over Huntington, New Plymouth,
Parma, Nampa, Ontario and Em­
mett.. Their only loss was a one
point defeat by New Plymouth in the
small Plymouth gym.
The game with Weiser Saturday
night will be the last game before
the annual Snake River Valley
tournament, scheduled for February
4th, 5th and 6th in Ontario. Nyssa
will take part in the tournament
along with teams from Vale. On­
tario, Parma. Payette, Weiser, Em­
mett Fruitland and New Plymouth
The first tipoff Saturday night
will be at seven o’clock for the
■eccnd team game with the varsity
game to start at eight. The plan is
to finish the ball games before the
annual President's Ball, also sched­
uled for Saturday night in the local
gym.
PLA N FATH ER AND SON
A F F A IR FOR FEB. 12
The Ladies Aid of the Community
church are planning a tamale feed
for Fathers and Sons, and have set
February 12th as the date for the
affair.
'ROUND TOWN
Much interest
being shown in
eastern floods . . . Brud Short finds
icanty attire big handicap in shovel­
ing snow in 23 below weather . . .
Spring thaw sends many to roofs to
epair leaks . . . Only bare ground
in town Is under Bill Coleman's car
In front of sandwich stand . . . Boys
rying Dewey Ray's and Dr. Sarazin's
fur coats with envious look . . .
Beet company's purchase brings poy
to Nyssa folks . . We should be
bearing about soft ball soon . . .
Buddy Edwards now reported to be
In San Francisco . . . Coal shortage
averted by arrival of several car­
loads . . . Help the Red Cross
Come to the President’s Bail , , .
Buy in Nyssa . . .
m iiiuiiiHunB
FRIEND S HERE SHOCKED
by anders ° n suicide
Friends in Nyssa were saddened
Monday by news o f the death of
Robert S. Anderson, 50, of
Boise,
who died Sunday afternoon as the
result of a self-inflicted wound. An­
derson is the man who installed the
refrigerating machinery at Halver­
son's, Wilson's, Bob Freeman's and
W hity Williams’. He had been here
several times and had formed quite
an acquaintance around town. His
son Robert Jr., Is also known around
Nyssa as a paper salesman for Blake
M offitt and Towne.
Death was from a self-inflicted
shotgun wound. In his clothes was a
note which said in part, “ looks like
this is the best way out. Dad." He
was said to have been despondent
because of poor health and fin­
ancial worries. He is survived by his
wife; two sons and a daughter. The
remains were
shipped to
Rocky
Ford, Colorado Tuesday for funeral
services and burial.
OREGON A IR M A IL
H EAVIEST IN
H IS T O R Y
The greatest air mall year in its
history was recorded by Oregon in
1936 when its citizens sent 229.329
pounds of corresponence over the
airways, it was reported today In o f­
ficial figures released by Postmast­
er Goshert.
The record-breaking total repre­
sented a gain of 13,323 pounds, or
more than six per cent, over Ore­
gon's 1935 air mall volume. O f the
total, 197,470 pounds were dispatched
from Portland, 10.532 pounds from
Pendleton and 21327 pounds from
Medford, as the three points in Ore­
gon at which air mall planes stop.
Still further gains in the speed
of air mail service, plus added
schedules and a continued growth
of the nation's vast airway network
are expected to contribute to even
larger air mail loads in 1937, Post­
master Goshert said.
PO M O NA G RANG E MEETS
AT P A R K SCHOOL HOUSE
An all day meeting of the Pomona
grange was held
Saturday at the
Park school north of Ontario. The
meeting was sponsored by the Ore­
gon Slope grange but all members
brought food for the noon luncheon.
The Frank Wards who Uve near
the river moved to town last Satur­
day evening and will be here until
all danger of high water from the
river la past. Others who moved to
town were the Buell Clements who
are staying with the Hugh Olasgows
and the A. J. Richeys who are at the
home of Mrs. Cunningham.
Buy 195 Acres In Grieg and
Hanson Farms To Carry
O n Operations Here
The Amalgamated Sugar Company entered the
Nyssa territory Wednesday in a substantial way with
the purchase of the 185 acre E. M. Grieg ranch dir­
ectly east o f Nyssa at a reputed price o f $15,000 cash.
The Hansen 10 acres, which joins the Grieg ranch on
the south and is bounded bv the Snake river, was also
purchased by the sugar manufacturing company.
The company will start immediate construction of
a warehouse, approximately 40 by 100 feet to house
the district offices of the company and storage space
for machinery, seed and other equipment. All the
clerical work for the district from Weiser to Caldwell
will be handled from the Nyssa office. The warp*’ ''” ^
will be built in the northwest comer of the company’s
newly acquired land, close to the highway.
President’s Ball
Will Be Held Sat
Final arrangements for the Presi­
dent's Ball, scheduled for this Sat­
urday night, were made at a com­
mittee meeting Wednesday evening.
All the organizations of the town
are co-operating in staging the a f­
fair and a splendid dance is antici­
pated Saturday night.
TWo basketball
games are also
scheduled for Saturday night: the
first to start at 7 o ’clock and the
final game is expected to be over by
nine o'clock in time to start danc­
ing Immediately after. Both games
are with Weiser, but have no o f­
ficial connection with the dance.
A splendid orchestra from Weiser
has been secured and in view of the
worthy cause, a big crowd should be
In attendance. Seventy per cent of
the money raised will
remain in
Nyssa for local health work and the
balance turned over to the Warm
Springs Foundation to aid
their
splendid
fight against
Infantile
Paralysis.
D. MacLafferty
Funeral Tues.
Funeral services were held Tues­
day afternoon In the Community
church for D. MacLaffetry, 87, who
passed away Saturday, January 23
at the home of his son. Dr. B. N.
M acLafferty of Aberdeen, Wash­
ington. Mr. M acLafferty
was an
old-timer around
Nyssa,
coming
here in 1915 but three months ago
he went to Aberdeen to visit his son’s
family living there. W hile visiting in
the Washington city he contracted
pneumonia and passed away. The
body arrived in Nyssa on the Port­
land Rose Monday and put in charge
of the Nyssa Funeral Home.
The beautiful services were in
charge of the Seven Day Adventists
church, with Elder Turner of Boise
giving the funeral service. Music was
furnished by a duet from the Ad-
entist school of Caldwell.
D. M acLafferty was bom In New
York In 1849 and it was while living
in the east that he met and married
Mary Louisa Spaulding in 1868. T o
this union were bom four sons, three
of whom survive and were present
at the funeral
services Tuesday
The body of Mr. M acLaferty was
laid to rest beside the body of h i»
wife in the Nyssa cemetery.
He and his family came west In
1889. spending a short time in the
Wallowa valley and then settling in
the Orays Harbor region In Wash­
ington where he was in business in
Aberdeen for many years. He moved
to Nyssa in 1915 and has since made
his home here.
Mr
M acLafferty was a
loyal
8.D A. for more than 40 years and
took an active part in all lines of
church work.
He is survived by his three sons,
George C. M acLafferty of Nyssa; Dr.
B. N. M acLafferty of Aberdeen.
Washington and N. C. M acLafferty
of Soquel, California.
1 Officers of the company in Nyssa
Wednesday to m at? the deal were
H. A. Benning, general manager of
the company; R. H. Tallman, district
manager; and J. R. Bachman, sec­
retary of the company.
The company will likely construct
a sugar factory at a later date if
present plans
materialize.
H. A.
Benning, general manager for the
company stated that it was the com­
pany’s intention to construct a sugar
factory for the 1938 crop if the acre­
age in the territory
justified the
two million dollar expenditure.
Farmers near Nyssa have been
especially enthusiastic for sugar
beets since the two successful crops
the past two years, and a total of
some 5,000 acres have already been
signed in the territory from Weis-
er to Caldwell, with a big bulk of this
acreage hear Nyssa. By planting
time it is expected this acreage will
be likely increased to six or seven
thousand acres; which would almost
assure a factory for 1938. In case the
company decided to build a factory,
it is likely that ground will be brok­
en sometime next summer, Com­
pany officials are authority for the
statement that in the territory from
Weiser to Caldwell, there Is room
for three or four sugar beet factories
and the only
requirement is suf­
ficient acreage to
keep a factory
busy.
Farmers and business men are
enthusiastic over the company's de-
Jlsion to make Nyssa their base of
operations and many farmers who
have hesistated about signing for
an acreage of beets are expected to
'play ball with the company” by
growing the beets they desire.
The company’s decision to make
such a substantion purchase of pro­
perty on the very outskirts o f Nyssa
would seem to indicate their faith
in the future of Nyssa as a sugar
beet producing area. The past year's
crop proved to the company that
beets in this territory have an espec­
ially high sugar content, and yields
have been such to make the crop a
very profitable one.
The company is also believed to
have had an eye on the thousands of
acres of new land o f the Owyhee
project, which will make ideal beet
land In a very few years. These
lands are settling fast with a very
desirable type of settler and there
is strong proof to back up the pre­
diction of several experienced men
that Nyssa. in a comparatively short
time, will become the “ Sugar Bowl”
of the United States.
W IN D W EDNESDAY N IG H T
BLOCKED ROADS A G A IN
The wind which came up W ed­
nesday evening blew several roads
shut again, but warmer weather
Thursday started the snow thawing
and it was really pleasant outside.
Country roads are being cleared
again and traffic will soon be again
traveling unhampered.
Temperatures have been up and
It is possible a warm wind may
crane at any time. Schools were
opened again Monday and the fo l­
lowing day the attendance was up
to a very satisfactory figure. Sick­
ness seems to be on the wane, al­
though many are still Indisposed.
Attendance in school Is much better
than ten days ago.
Mrs. E. Blodgett returned home
last Saturday night from a months
visit with her daughter Mrs. Tom
Burton and family at La Grande and
with relatives at Cove.