Image provided by: Nyssa Public Library; Nyssa, OR
About Nyssa gate city journal. (Nyssa, Or.) 1937-199? | View Entire Issue (Aug. 12, 1976)
Thursday, August 12, 1976 Nyssa Gate City Journal, Nyssa, Oregon Page Nine Were The Biggest and Best Ever ADDING TO THE PILE on her left, • woman dig» in the soft dirt of the thunderegg beds. THERE WAS BEAUTIFUL turquoise and silver jewelry on display during Thunderegg Days, as well as the usual rock exhibits THUNDEREGG HUNTING AT SUCCOR CREEK State Park last week proved to be more than just a hobby for the young. It is for the young at heart as well. ROCKHOUNDS AND VISITORS were given free rides on the old stage coach, courtesy of the Nyssa Chamber of Commerce. Don Somers, who takes care of the old buggy and provides the horses, was busy helping A LINEUP OF FOUR-WHEEL rigs, pickups and cars wait for instructions on where to go to hunt the elusive thunderegg at Succor Creek last week. with the ice cream social when this picture was taken. The relief driver shown is Clarence Fritts of Apple Valley, who said he hadn't driven a rig like this for 40 years, but handled the team like a veteran. By Alan Abbey The eleventh annual Thunderegg Days is already history—and it will go down as the biggest, most success ful and best yet. The numbers tell pan of the story: 83 dealers came. Seventy-two of them were tailgaters outside on the school grounds and another 11 set up shop inside the school. Over 8,000 people visited the exhibits and they were from 33 states and Washington D. C. The list of foreign guests was also bigger than ever. They came from the Canadian provinces of British Columbia. Alberta. Manitoba and Saskatchewan, as well as Spain. Hong Kong. Japan. Holland. Belguim and West Germany. Emil Wohlcke. Thunder egg Days chairman, said. « & _ "All the Canadians came here strictly for the show.” He admitted that not all the foreign visitors came to Nyssa strictly for the show, but said they sure stopped by on their way through the area. The 83 dealers and the X Join the Fun and Entertainment at Th ■\ i ■* 67 th ANNUAL Progross-Splrlt of 76 MALHEUR COUNTY At The Malheur County Fairgrounds Ontario, Oregon Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Saturday 21 St AUGUST ,19, Entertainment Schedule In the Grandstand I SPECIALS WEDNESDAY August 18 2 Performance« 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. k L “Tbe Oregon Show L ? along with the - AUCTIONEERS OPEN CLASS HORSE SHOW Thursday, Aug. 19 2:30 p.m. A 7:30 p.m. at the grandstands * NO * LeRoy Van Dyke Saturday, Aug. 21 Historical pagani by the... Theatre Group Starts at 8 a.m. Awards Program Saturday, Aug. 21 1 p.m. Girvln Hall The Ira Allen Show Friday, Aug. 20 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Gospel Concert Saturday, Aug. 21 7:30 p.m. NO EXTRA CHARGE FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT A T THE GRANDSTAND Tickets Issued for Thursday Ft Friday SEETHE BEST OE AREA AGRICUI.Tl RE ON DISPLAY ANI) TOP ENTERTAINMENT FAIR Aw|. W-21 OREGON •1.25 Al l. POR JUST Buttons like this ran be pur chased at one of the 3 gates and the button is good for all 4 days of the fair. FAT STOCK SALE Friday, August 20 AT 7 P.M *. Wolfson Amusement Co. sdO* I. _ * J Wfrrf)/ IN GIRVIN HALL J » I > I « i to i' . ll t i M ■ /e X Hl 1 The carnival will bo going for the entire fair. Rides for all ages. Plenty Of Free Parking 8,000 visitors must have got together more than a few times, because Wohlcke said. "A lot of money changed hands.” What pleased him most about the exhibits was the large amount of rough rock. Wohlcke said this local material was made available to people who wanted to do their own work on the raw stuff. The big draws for many people were the rock hunting tours. They went out three separate days and drew over 100 cars, pickups, jeeps and four-wheel rigs. The largest of the three was the thunderegg hunt to Succor Creek State Park. It drew 40 cars. The petrified wood dig at Jamieson Bog drew 38 cars and the plume agate hunt at Graveyard Point drew 34. The thunderegg hunters met Thursday morning at 7 a.m. Lou Meckem led the eager group from his orange Bronco. He took with him his rockhunting buddy Bill Gru ber and two visitors. The caravan left the South park right on time and quickly made it to the gravel road which leads into the park. As Meckem led his rig over the dusty gravel road, he said. "Sure glad I'm in froni." His guests turned around and saw a huge rooster trail of dust blowing right into the nose of the car behind him. The troop jounced along the road, through the desert and canyon country of Succor Creek. It finally reached a point when Meckem had to separate the men from the boys—or the four-wheel rigs from the two-wheel rigs. He sent the four-wheelers down a treacherous incline and over to a dug out hill side. Many had already hunted Thundereggs there, but Mec kem promised the hunters they'd find some. And they weren't disappointed. While showing one of Meckem's visitors how to dig for "eggs" a woman from California found a thunder egg as big as a canteloupe. It was the day’s largest find. Actually, most of the thun dereggs there were golfball size. More than one person joked, "Maybe if I replant it. it will grow bigger." Meckem came by and gathered up his visitors. "Let's try a new place." he said. They jumped into the Bronco, headed off the road and sideways across a hill. "Just yell if I scare you," he said as the car bucked its way through ditches and over rocks. "I know what I can do in this thing. It probablv can go to tougher places than I'm willing to take it." They finally reached a spot which Gruber had pointed out. Meckem got out a shovel THAT’S A REAL rock '’hound” down there helping his master search for thundereggs at Succor Creek last Thursday. LOU MECKEM [left] AND BILL GRUBER led the hunt for thundereggs at Succor Creek State Park during last week's 11th annual Thunderegg Days. Little did any of the and pick and began digging. Meanwhile, Gruber picked up a heavy wire "egg basket" and began picking rocks up from the ground. Needless to say. all the digging didn't amount to much, and when the four abandoned the holes and looked along the ground, their search was a lot more profitable. Meckem headed back out. after making sure that none of the two-wheel rigs would get stuck on their way out. Wohlcke said that just about everybody who went rockhunting found something The Lions Club Barbecue Thursday and ice cream social Friday were big successes and Wohlcke said. "It was a little too cold for ice cold watermelon Saturday night, but they came by Sunday afternoon and sold all of it. In a new innovation this year. 1200 pounds of spuds were given to tailgaters and rockhounds. They were do nated by Fred Arai. Wohlcke said they were much appre ciated. He also said that all the tailgaters told him they'd be back. “There are always a few complainers." Wohlcke ADRIAN :< Business Directory 4Î i---------------------------------------- Í X Fire Dept.-5O3-372-222O J § St. Police 503-884-6468 Adrian Mercantile 503-372-2727 208-724-6131 :j: S S Adrian OU Compan» 503-372-2877 208-724-6130 X 1 I I Free! Brothers Trucking Commoditv & Livestock 503-372-2736 Martin's Market A Adrian Supplv 503-372-2722 Mirage Cafe A lounge Live music Sat. night 503-372-2338 Participants in the Ameri can Monitor Poll from the Malheur area strongly op pose spending taxpayers' money to subsidize a new and extended federal housing program to be spread over a 40 year period at a cost of $27 billion or more. Voters also rejected the swine flu vac cination program which is expected to cost $135 million. Local voters generally echoed the views expressed through out the state and nation. The American Monitor Poll has interviewed more than 20.000 voters all over the explained, "but most every body was happy." He’s already working on the twelfth annual Thun deregg Days. BUYERS WANTED Junior Market LIVESTOCK AUCTION SALE Malheur Co. Fair I I s S X SJ I Anyone may bld for an animal a; the auction, or members of the sale committee will bid for him. Each animal offered has been graded good or better. Base price la set by Vale Livestock Auction Company. In purchasing an animal at the Junior Livestock Auction, you will help the boys and girls of this County. These animals represent the combination of a year's work In the feeding and caring for this fine livestock. The auction is an opportunity to show your support of two youth programs, and al the same time bay premium meat at your own prices. The purchase price will Include coat of delivery to any slaughter house In the area, or the animal can be resold. The 4-H Clubs and FFA organisations of thia County need support In these worthy enterprises. Sponsored by Junior Livestock Sale Stephen Plumbing X Oregon A Idaho licensed K X 503 372-2783 Committee representing Matieur County livestock Van DeWater Leveling 503-372-2562 503 -3’2-2464 country on these and other issues since it was formed over a year ago. The Washington-based 300-10 Action Plan, sponsor of the monthly poll, calls it "one of the most important tools in the hands of the voters in this election year.” George Millett. Executive Secretary of the 300-10 Action Plan, points out that the major pollsters Gallup and Harris question only about 1.000 to 1.500 citizens compared to American Monitor's 20,000 to 25.000. For this poll taken in June, a total of 766 eligible voters in Oregon voted on the two issues. 177 were from District 2, represented in Washing ton by Representative Al Ullman. S í I Parker Lmbr. A Hrdwre 503-372-2433 208 724-6174 Oppose Housing, Flu Programs S g Bea's Beauty Bar Wrecker Service 503-372-3213 people on the tnp know that Meckem went exploring on his own and found a rich vein of baseball to softball sue thundereggs. I g Association, Vale Livestock Aucton Co., and 4-H Leaders Assoc atxxi
