Best of Days of Yore 2024

The Best of Days of Yore 2024

10 years ago –

But all this weather has brought out the best in people. The most impressive thing was the parents who stood at the top and the bottom of the Wheeler High hill so the sledders would be safe. Great job!

Centenarian Dewey Thomas of Wasco commented how easy it was to have his driver’s license renewed, and noted he won’t have to do that again for eight years! A birthday celebration was held October 26 at the school in Moro.

Damascus Christian had been a thorn in the side of the Condon-Wheeler Lady Knights all year, since the State Class 1A basketball tournament in Baker City in 2013 when the Eagles defeated the Lady Knights by two points for the championship. All of their hard work through the year paid off when the Lady Knights mounted a well-calculated come-from-behind effort to defeat the Damascus Christian Eagles 57-52.

A unique tour group will visit the Painted Hills when six monks of the Gaden Shartse Dokhang Monastery base a two-week portion of their U.S. tour in central Oregon. With the blessing of His Holiness, the 14th Dalai Lama, the group is on a year-long tour in the U.S. to offer cultural and chant performances along with their sand mandala craft.

From Fossil Findings: From this writer’s point of view, the best thing about the Wheeler County Fair and Rodeo…the corn dogs!

Sadly, Condon’s venerable Liberty Theater is closing its doors. Saturday night’s showing of ‘Transformers’ will be the last, according to owner Don James. The future use of the Liberty Theater, on Condon’s historic Main Street, is uncertain.

Rodeo athletes of the Northwest Professional Rodeo Association, which sponsors some 30 rodeos a year, have just selected the Spray Rodeo as the Rodeo of the Year.

For those who are counting with us, someone with low self-esteem has now taken four light bulbs that illuminate the American flag at the Times-Journal office on Main Street.

On Nov. 22, the windsock at the Asher Community Health Center blew off the pole. This is the wind directional indicator that the air ambulance pilots use. The custodian took it to the clinic, but as of the end of last week it still hadn’t been replaced. Perhaps some good Christmas elves, or good citizens of Fossil, could assist in replacing the windsock.

Andrew Stinchfield popped over the mountain from Ukiah last Friday to keep a veterinarian appointment for Sandy with Dr. Wade, and to bring a load of recyclable lumber from his projects for his dad’s projects.

One of Gilliam County’s largest tax payers called on the Gilliam Co. Assessor’s office last week bearing a ceremonial check for a formal presentation, representing the wind farm company’s $2,109,000 property tax payment. EDP Renewables operates the Rattlesnake and the Wheatfield wind farms on farm land just west of Arlington.

Senator Ron Wyden will be back in Fossil to conduct his 700th town hall in the seat of Wheeler County, where by the way, he conducted his first town hall session as a United States Senator in 1996.

Doug Slagle motored up from Salem to watch the Super Bowl with friends Bob and Heather Devine and their daughter Haley. Haley, by the way, is a pilot for Horizon Airlines and is on her way to a new assignment which will have her domiciled at Medford.

25 years ago –

Named as grand marshal of the 1999 Gilliam County Fair is Carroll L. Hollen, a county native, long time county business man and active community supporter. Hollen was born at Condon in 1912, and is just one year younger than the county fair.

Mel Schneiter of Fossil is excited about his recent sale. While fighting on Okinawa during World War II in 1945, he obtained a Japanese officer’s sword and flag. He kept them as mementoes all these years. He recently advertised on the internet to sell the items and a man in the U.S. Air Force in North Dakota bought them for his father, who is curator of a museum on Okinawa.

Proud Papa Dan Schott announced that Margaret’s team defeated Chelsea’s team – that is to say that Gonzaga University where Margaret Schott is a student, defeated Stanford, where first-child Chelsea Clinton is a s udent, in the NCAA college basketball playoffs.

Wild and wooly were the Summer Night Fights at Fossil last Saturday. Mixed martial arts competitors came from as far away as Seattle to compete in the ring, and the fierce sport added excitement to the boxing matches already on the slate. The event drew a large and spirited crowd, which included some of the firefighters bivouacked at Fossil while fighting the Waterman Complex fires. The event is sponsored by the Wheeler County Fair Board and is a fund-raising activity for the fair which is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

A doe has been harassing people of Mitchell. Deputy Will Osborn has been asking who the doe has attacked. If she attacks any more people, she will be turned out in the Ochocos away from town.

From Virginia Humphreys’ Spray Facts and Fallacies: The local school board and classified workers had a meeting last week and there was still no solving of the problem with negotiations. The union representative and the school board lawyer didn’t attend the meeting, but stayed out in the hall. We tax payers still paid the salary of the lawyer regardless where he sat.

“SHS, our hats are off to thee,” comes to mind when one considers the accomplishments of the Spray Eagles basketball teams this year. At the time of this writing, the boys are undefeated in league basketball play, and their record for the whole season is 21 wins and 2 losses.

Sarah Rucker and a group of kids from different sewing groups in Arlington made a trip to The Dalles to donate fleece hats the kids had made to the oncology department of Mid-Columbia Medical Center. An afghan, made from crocheted and knitted squares was given to the Women’s Shelter at The Dalles.

From Mitchell Madness, reported by fifth and sixth grades: Recently new vehicles have been showing up in Mitchell. Alice and Ray Heggie have a motor home. David and Linda Gorton have a pickup. Robert and Jenny Ross have a new pickup and a new car. Betty Jo and Carlyle Norton have a new car, and so do Ruth and Bob Collins.

From Spray Facts and Fallacies written by Virginia Humphreys, a retired Mitchell teacher: Sally Bourgeois gave a watercolor class at The Rock in Spray. Attending the class were Peg Humphrey of Fossil, Jonna McKay of Condon, Cheryl Jennison, Linda Brewer, Candy Humphreys, Barbi Snell, Cindy Frazier and Virginia Humphreys. The class was very relaxed and fun. Sally had raw material to work with as far as I was concerned since my art work has been confined to a red pencil on students’ papers.

The fourth grade class of Jan Stinchfield at Condon Grade School is excited to watch the hatching of eight baby chicks in her room within the last week. Through an Oregon State University program, the class gets a dozen eggs each spring. Six of the OSU eggs hatched, along with a banty egg supplied by Judy Jaeger and a Rhode Island Red egg provided by fourth grade student Tanner McCoin. The eight chicks are doing well.

Rural resident Duane Potter bagged a 100-pound cougar in his shop southwest of Condon. Potter said he went outside about midday Thursday to see what his dogs were barking at. He found the cat under a truck in the shop so went back to get a gun, and trying not to hit the truck or anything else in the shop, he shot but only wounded the cougar. The cat made a wild run up a wall and around the shop. Potter shot once more, hitting the cougar but not killing it. Out of shells, he called Dave Anderson in Condon for assistance and the animal was finally subdued. The male cat measured six and a half feet long.

A very poignant part of the Spray High graduation was the inclusion of Marvin Britt to the program. Britt happened to mention to the superintendent, Judy May, that he graduated from Spray High, but had never taken part in the actual graduation exercises. So Mrs. May and Marvin’s wife, Louise, decided to give Marvin his graduation ceremony. The whole scheme was kept secret from the man who should have walked across the stage to get his diploma 55 years ago. Marvin was a member of the SHS Class of 1944. He didn’t get to graduate because he received his summons to become a member of the armed service. This was in the midst of World War II, and everything was pointed towards winning the war.

Serving as Grand Marshal of the Spray Rodeo was Tom Campbell of Kimberly. Tom was born and raised on the family ranch at Lonerock, “just 25 horseback miles from Spray,” he says. His birth certificate shows that he was born in Gilliam County. He disputes that, pointing out that the family home was built on the county line and the bedroom in which he was born, was in Wheeler County.

Some time ago, Darla Seale’s sister, Jane, was in Uzbekistan with a group assisting with medical aid for children. Country Flowers of here and a doctor on the trip combined to send 120 Beanie Babies with the relief workers for the children there.

50 years ago –

In the early morning hours of November 13, the Kinzua Mercantile was broken into and $484 was taken from an unlocked safe. Since then one juvenile has been apprehended for the actual burglary, and three other juveniles, among whom the money was distributed. Entry to the Mercantile was gained through a barred window. However, the widest space between the bars was a mere six inches. “I don’t know how, but he squeezed through there somehow!” mused Wheeler County Sheriff Otho Caldera.

Last Saturday evening, Gary Phillips became the 5,000th pizza customer at Alice’s Place. He was awarded $25.00 in merchandise after it was announced that his pizza was the 5,000th pizza made. As a junior at Condon High School, it will probably not take too long for Gary to consume his $25.00!

Gene Hartill is in serious condition and was to undergo surgery in The Dalles after accidentally shooting himself in the leg. Hartill, who is employed by Larry Wade at Lost Valley, was chopping wood when he saw a coyote As he grabbed for his 30-30, he slipped in the mud and shot himself in the lower leg. He lost consciousness for a time and when he woke, dragged himself to his pickup and managed to drive to the Wade ranch.

Miss Lillian Battley from Norfolk, England and her cousin, Mrs. Maude Jones from Cornwall, England spent a few days with the John Sufalkos recently. Miss Battley and Mrs. Sufalko taught together at Old Buckingham School in Norfolk before Joyce came to America to live.

Saturday afternoon 15 Senior Citizen golfers gathered at the Kinzua Golf Course for the first annual Over-the-Hill Golf Tournament. Older fellows from different areas of the county who had in past years tried the greens and fairways of Kinzua proved they still understood the tricky little course and its many breaks.

Four years ago, John Habesohn returned to his native village in southern Austria after being away for 64 years. John came to Condon in 1905 by stagecoach and can remember when the north end of Main Street ended at Burns Brothers Grocery (then the post office) – and beyond that was sage brush and coyotes.

“Please don’t look at the helicopters” is the advice being issued to Fossil residents. A series of television ads are being prepared for branch offices of the First National Bank of Oregon around the state. Fossil has been selected as the first area to be filmed. The filming will be done in helicopters and the advertising agency doing the filming has requested that the residents don’t walk down the street staring up at the helicopter.

A once-in-a-lifetime thrill was Bob Alford’s when he made a hole-in-one on the third hole of the Condon course, which is 155 yards long. Alford, who has only been golfing for five years, used an 8 iron for the difficult feat. The first hole-in-one was made in July, 1969, by LeRoy Parks, who was stationed at the Air Base.

A true “believe it or not” story was revealed this week by George Ellsworth of Condon. In 1904, his sister, Olive Ellsworth, was sitting on the floor sewing some doll clothes and had stuck her needle in the rug by her side. George happened to run by her in his bare feet and stepped on the needle, breaking it off in his left foot. He was taken to the doctor in Wasco, and although the doctor probed around in his foot, he couldn’t find the needle and told his mother there was no needle and the incident was soon forgotten. Seventy years later, while x-rays were being taken of his feet at Good Samaritan Hospital, the doctor discovered the needle and was even able to see the eye of the needle. He asked Mr. Ellsworth if he wanted the needle removed, but he replied, “No,” that after seventy years it had become a keepsake.

From reporter Glenda Madden: The 4-H Club called the Boo-Boos came to order. It was called by our president, Marci Walker. Roll call was called by our secretary, Rene MacInnes. We had one person absent, Nora Mabe. Mrs. Steiwer helped us in our work. Sheba, Mrs. Steiwer’s cat, stole the show from Mrs. Steiwer. We had refreshments.

The “Meanest Person in Town Award” should go to the person or persons who dug up plants one night this week at the Condon Nursing Home. The plants were placed around the nursing home for the enjoyment of the patients, but they won’t enjoy the large holes that were left by the vandals. Mr. and Mrs. Selwyn Simons, who have worked so hard to beautify the grounds, said they would be glad to give plants to anyone asking for them, if it would bring more joy to their life than it does to the patients.

On April 18 the Wheeler High golfers blew to The Dalles where they took on the Wahtonka and Heppner JV golfers in both boys and girls matches. Under the most adverse conditions due to nearly gale force winds, which were difficult to walk against, let along swing a golf club, the golfers worried their way around the course. When the swinging was over, the Wheeler boys were on top. Kent Bell was low for all golfers. The Wheeler girls were defeated by Wahtonka who seemed to be better wind players.

The Fossil Grade School boys flag football season has drawn to a close. The team finished 7-2 for the season. They haven’t lost an eight-mn football game in four years. The two they did lose this year were to Tygh Valley’s six-man team.

On Friday, November 29, the OMSI Planetarium staff will be at Camp Hancock to view a complete lunar eclipse. This activity will be open to the public free of charge. According to Dale Long, Camp Hancock Coordinator, “Hancock could possibly have the best view of this eclipse than anywhere else in the country.”

Mike Leckie vacationed for 10 days in Mexico. He couldn’t wait to get back rto work at his store, the General Mercantile, but couldn’t get gas on a Sunday, so returned to work on Monday.

75 years ago –

Frigid weather has forced the closure of two Condon businesses. The People’s Meat Company suspended operations at their slaughterhouse. Ice formed over the water containers in the building and knives froze in the meat. The Condon Lumber Company closed down and will not resume work until the weather moderates. It was so cold Monday that one of the prongs on the mill’s big lumber carriers snapped off, and had to be welded back on.

Come and visit us at the Happy Canyon in Arington and watch our automatic doughnut machine in operation. Fresh doughnuts four times daily.

Now about 3 of Spray’s local citizens are going about town with bandaged hands. A matter of differences? Banish the thought. Darrell Cecil suffered a badly cut hand while employed at the mill. Clarence Warren’s knife slipped while ear-marking a calf, and Butch Livingston – it seems Butch is somewhat given to nightmares and sustained a badly cut wrist when he struck out manfully while asleep by the man who wasn’t there. The window was.

Mike, small son of Mr. and Mrs. Wick Parrish, has long been an admirer of “Bambi” and never tires of hearing the story of the deer. Not so long ago, while returning to Condon from a week at the Frank Anderson ranch in Ajax, Mike, his parents, and sister Patsy saw two “Bambis” cross the road and bound out into the stubble. It was indeed a thrill for the Bambi admirer and when someone said “it should be in the paper” that’s where Mike put it.

W.L. Hollen, Condon’s postmaster, who went fishing with Tom Rice on Thirtymile last Saturday, brought home a 16 ½ inch trout. If you don’t believe it, he can show it to you. It’s being kept in the refrigerator.

The Kinzua Pine Mills Company again issued warnings regarding the 20 mile speed limit in Kinzua. Signs have been posted in the main part of town but not much attention has been paid to them during the past few months. The management states that anyone caught violating this speed limit will be discharged.

The American Legion sponsored a banquet for the Kinzua baseball players and their wives, and Manager Joe Hayes. Lester Halverson, who had the best batting average of the season, was presented with a fishing rod by the Kinzua Pastime. Edward Wham was given a fishing creel by the Kinzua Mercantile Co., for best all around sportsmanship during the season.

Last Friday business took Dale Wood and Jerry Schreiner to the Antone country. However, their minds were diverted by the inviting fishing streams in which they claim, were fish “yeah long” and they didn’t even have a pin and a string to try their luck.

If you lock your keys in your car, Arlington is the place to do it, reports a motorist who did just that. Calling at one of the local garages, she was referred to Merle Anderson, who obligingly left his supper table and extracted her keys from the locked car in less time than it takes to tell about it.

No one will deny that this has been a hard winter and it seems almost impossible that three lambs could lose themselves in October and come home again in the middle of February looking hale and hearty. However, such is the case for Bill Huddleston of near Lonerock. Bill says a search failed to reveal the lambs’ whereabouts, so it was thought they had perished from the cold, or had been eaten by coyotes. On February 17, the lambs, now grown to a sheep’s estate, returned to the Lonerock corral.

Eb McKinney donned his cowboy boots Monday to help Ernie Lear move some of his cattle to the Louie Godbout ranch on Thirtymile. It took the men two days to do the job and Eb doesn’t believe he’ll enter the bronc busting contest come rodeo time.

The Burns Bros. Union oil truck was badly damaged and their dog, Major, killed at the Adolph Shaffer ranch southeast of Condon when the emergency brake released and the truck rolled down the grade and turned completely over, landing on all four wheels. James tried to get in to stop it but was unable. The truck will soon be back in operation, but Major, a cocker spaniel and the boys’ constant companion, will be long missed. He had been on hand, late and early, to help make every delivery since the boys took over the Union Oil plant.

Mr. and Mrs. Ed Campbell and Bruce came from Pendleton to deliver a cocker spaniel pup, which Mrs. James G. Burns purchased to replace the dog killed when the Union Oil truck overturned at the Shaffer ranch last week. James and Ray have named him Major II.

The Hulden Motor company employees are at a loss to know what to do with a purse that was found in the Rio theater in Arlington immediately following the magic show. They say if not claimed soon, the money will be confiscated and put in the “coffee fund”.

Jerry Alford of Mayville celebrated his sixth birthday Thursday afternoon. Several 6 year olds came to help him eat cake and ice cream and play games. Jerry says he is now old enough to go to school, and to go fishing.

Marvin Albee, who recently purchased the Burns Mortuary, has purchased a Cadillac combination ambulance and hearse from a dealer in Oakland, Calif. He states that the vehicle will be available to go anywhere it is needed day or night. The vehicle, the body which was custom built by Miller, will soon be equipped with oxygen and all first aid essentials. Mr. Albee holds a Red Cross instructors rating in first aid.

W.M. Eubanks was a surprised man the other day when the Arlington city marshal, Clarence Miller, returned his brand new shotgun to him before he knew it had been stolen. A transient saw the gun in the unlocked car of Mr. Eubanks and took it. All might not have turned out as it did, if the fellow had not tried to sell the gun to the marshal. Mr. Eubanks did not press charges.

Asher Montague and Earl Cramer were snowed in last week when they went to the Tom Cimmiyotti ranch to help him tag his sheep. They managed to tag half of the band before the chinook wind blew the road shut and filled the creek to such an extent that crossing was impossible. However, relief came in the form of the county road crew just as the chewing tobacco was about to give out.

Don Didier reported to the local doctor’s office to receive treatment for burned feet. Seems Don, one of the Blue Devils main players, was giving his sore feet a hot water treatment and got the water a little too hot. From all reports, he’ll be able to take his place on the team soon.

Many Kinzuans were treated recently to a sight which is not often seen in this latitude. The Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) was plainly visible. It was a most beautiful sight to those lucky enough to see it.

Walt Hulden called Mrs. Hulden in Portland Saturday night about 6 o’clock to say that he was leaving shortly to spend the weekend with her and the children. When he hadn’t arrived by 8 o’clock Sunday morning, Mrs. Hulden called Arlington to find out what had happened to him. Arlington didn’t know, so state police in both Oregon and Washington were notified to be on the look-out for him. Washington cooperating to the extent of putting out a special patrol car. Walt arrived in Portland just before noon Sunday without knowing that the police were looking for him on both sides of the Columbia. It seems that the drive from Arlington to The Dalles had been so exhausting due to icy roads and bad weather – it took him 3 hours – he decided to stay all night at The Dalles.

Homer Morton, who went to Portland last Tuesday to bring home a new truck for the Condon Motor and Implement Co., got snowed in and didn’t return to Condon until Saturday. Even then he had to come without the truck.

Dismay struck full-force on the Globe-Times staff when the linotype (the machine that sets the type) literally fell to pieces. A very important wheel had given way under the strain and would have to be replaced before production could be resumed. Since several days would elapse before repairs could be made, arrangements were made with the Gazette-Times in Heppner to use their linotype Wednesday night. The crew packed up necessary metal, paper and copy, got themselves to the neighboring town, where they worked all night, and returned to Condon at dawn to assemble this week’s copy of the “home town paper”.

Mr. and Mrs. Morris Wilson of Mayville, who took a load of cattle to the Portland market last Sunday, returned home on Monday without their truck. Just below Blalock, the truck “coughed its last” and had to be towed into Arlington, where its motor is undergoing an overhaul.

The Boy Scouts took a census of the canine population of Condon last week, finding a most pronounced mixture of breeds, colors and sizes. Not a few animals were listed as lacking owners – and still more as lacking in qualifications for the canine right to life, liberty and pursuit of the neighbor’s chickens. It is now up to the Camp Fire girls to take a census of the feline population.

Among the Condon boys graduating from OSC in Corvallis were Earl Hardie, Jack Fatland, Jack Cushman and Dale Potter. Of special interest is the fact that Hardie and Fatland have gone all the way through school together. Graduating from the Condon grade school and high schools, World War II interrupted college plans. They entered the services together, Jack in the Navy and Earl in the Army. Receiving their discharges within two days of one another, they reentered OSC together. Jack is one up on Earl as he was married last fall to Caroleen Coleman.

100 years ago –

Clem and Condon baseball teams played a quickly arranged game at the Fair Grounds on Sunday. It was a hot game, though the wind was north and the weather cold and shivery. Clem won, none of the Condon players able to hit Ashenfelter. Clow, Condon pitcher, says he got one hit – on the leg! The score is not available, but – Clem won. That’s enough!

In order that Pem Brown may not have to explain the black eye that he is wearing nor the swollen cheek that goes with it, we hasten to explain that it was only a collision on the baseball diamond at Heppner last week that caused it. The other player was Wick Parrish – but Wick is immune to black eyes, except the feminine!

Bill Wilkins recently paid a freak election bet lost to J.D. Weed, when he rolled a peanut with his nose, along the sidewalk the width of Weed’s law office. Some of the onlookers accused Bill of working the peanut behind his glasses before he made the start. But others say he fulfilled the terms of the wager with both eyes open and his nose hitting on all four.

Art Miller who is charge of the Caledonian dance tonight, is authority for the assertion that the invention of the harp was due to an accident, while the inventor of the bagpipes was a Highland cottager who got the idea through stepping on a cat.

A very enthusiastic crowd of football fans saw Wheeler County High lose a game that showed a sample of the spirit and fight that boys from Fossil are made of. The game was won by Boardman, at Fossil, at a score of 25 to 6. The boys attribute the loss to a black cat that ran in front of a truck while the captain and a few members of the team were going after sawdust.

Mr. and Mrs. W.R. Crosby, the parents of Mrs. C.E. Fitzmaurice, arrived in Condon. They covered the 1500 miles from their home in East St. Louis in their car, traveling leisurely and camping as they saw fit along the road. They spent a few days in Yellowstone National Park, seeing the sights there. Mr. Crosby left with Mr. Leathers on a fishing trip into the mountains as he is a confirmed sportsman and is anxious to kill a deer or perhaps a bear, or any other kind of predatory animal that gets within range of his gun.

Walter Seale, who was badly injured at the Butte Creek Round-Up at Fossil, will be well in a few days. When thrown from his horse, his shoulder was dislocated and his face, shoulders and body were severely bruised. His horse rolled over him two or three times, and his escape from death on the hard ground was a marvel to those who saw the accident.

George W. Parman won a sport model Chevrolet car recently in a raffle at Billings, Montana, through the “investment” of 4 bits on a chance on the car. Tiring of the importunities of the raffle ticket seller, Parman bought a 50-cent chance to “get rid of him”. A few days later, a copy of the Billings Gazette published the name of George W. Parman as the winner of the Chevrolet – a $750 model.

From Clem: Mr. and Mrs. Brose Dill have arrived from Tillamook. After one look around they may wonder why they came.

Reports from Arlington tell of the marvelous escape from death of little Barbara Spillman, the daughter of Paul Spillman. While on her way home from school, her horse stumbled and unseated her, but one foot caught fast in the stirrup. Thus she was left dangling head down. In this position she was found by her father, who had become alarmed when the little girl did not return from school at the usual time. The gentle horse had not become frightened at the child hanging from the stirrup, thus saving the little girl from death. That horse has a place in the affections of the Spillman family that no other can fill.

Mike Dukek of Fossil, formerly a county commissioner of Wheeler County, in the days when highway construction was going on there, is registered at the Imperial, says the Oregonian. Once, when a piece of road-building machinery was needed in his county, Mr. Dukek went to Salem, got the equipment from the highway department and drove the big truck home in order to hurry up the job.

The Lonerock pool hall has changed hands. Bill Moor and S.T. Lyons transacting the deal by means of a trade. Mr. Moor taking livestock in exchange for the city property. Also from Lonerock: The Fairbanks-Morse people have been in Lonerock discussing with the city officials, the probability of an electric lighting system.

Last week a man claiming to be a geologist in the employ of the Standard Oil Co., arrived at Kent and arranged for board and rooms for himself and two assistants while he was prospecting for oil along the John Day River. He had an excellent line of talk and soon got the confidence of his host. He secured three good meals

and a bed Saturday night and Sunday disappeared.

Dorin Wilburn, Melvin Hunt, and Danny Walters have returned from an outing on Deep Creek, above Mitchell. They caught some nice trout, but spent most of their time in the open in pure vacation style – nothing to do, and lots of help doing it.

The Globe-Times “Grandmother offer”, a year’s subscription, to the youngest grandmother has brought several replies. To date Mrs. T.J. Andrews of Lonerock holds the record. She became a grandmother at 33 years of age. (A week later…) Grandmothers at 40 years are plentiful in this part of Eastern Oregon, but only in such fertile and fruitful valleys and towns as Lonerock can we find them below the age of 35. Mrs. Andrews is the winner.

Bob Fitzmaurice revived his reputation as a sprinter the other day when he and Kewpie Clow laid off a sprinting course several miles out in the sage brush to settle the question as to whether Clow could afford to give Bob a ten-foot start in 100-yard dash. Kewpie couldn’t.

Miss Argie Younce, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. C.S. Younce of Spray, and Clyde Britt of Service Creek were married last week at Goldendale. Quite a romance is connected with the marriage. Mrs. Britt was a 17-year-old school girl a week ago last Monday, but on that day she did not appear at school, and her father having learned that young Britt and Miss Younce had driven away in a car, notified Sheriff Johnson of Fossil, who notified Sheriff Montague in Condon to be on the lookout for the young couple. But Cupid must have extended his special favor and protection to the young folks, for in spite of the vigilance of the officers of two counties, the elopers reached Goldendale. Mr. and Mrs. Britt returned at once to Spray, where they received the congratulations of all.

Jake Larch denies all ownership of the slick and slippery hill that cussing motorists insist on calling “Larch’s Hill”. He says all that he owns in that disreputable piece of road is the fence posts that motorists have taken from his roadside fence to throw into the muddy ruts. Yes, Jake has no hill.

A little snow squall struck the Heppner Surgical Hospital February 3, according to reports received from that institution The new arrival is a boy, and is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Kemper Snow.

We spend more money in America for chewing gum than for books – probably because it’s easier to exercise the chin than the brain.

James Walker, Sr. is most susceptible to music. A new record induced a desire to dance the Highland Fling, which in turn produced an attack of lumbago. Dancing alone in the kitchen can be dangerous.

A.W. Rickenbacker and Dale Tracy, representing the Rickenbacker Motor Co. were in Condon calling on Mrs. Elsie M. Weed who represents the company here. Mr. Rickenbacker is a brother of Captain E.V. Rickenbacker, the great aviator of the World War. After the war he organized the automobile company that bears his name. The Rickenbacker is said to be the first four wheel brake machine made. Stock in the company is being sold by Mrs. Weed.

John Tilley, L.C. Kelsay, J.H. Britt and others over on the John Day River in Wheeler County are putting up the ice from the river for use next summer.

The basketball games last Friday vs. Hardman came very unexpectedly for Condon as they didn’t even know a game was to be played until they saw Hardman had arrived, ready and expecting to play. Even though they had not practiced for two weeks, Condon took the floor and came away in favor, 42 to 14.

“To smoke or not to smoke, that is the question,” says Orvine Tierney, paraphrasing the bard of Avon. If he smokes he loses a suit of clothes, a hat, a pair of shoes, a necktie, perhaps his B.V.D.’s – most everything except the power of speech. He swore off smoking and then made some bets about it!

Rafe Hankins gathered and brought 54 head of wild and woolly horses from Malheur County for the Oregon-California company, says the Fossil Journal. He arrived in Fossil with them, coming from Condon where they had been shipped by rail. In the bunch is one hot-blooded stallion that grew up on the range and looked good to a bunch of Malheur fellows who got him up and tried to ride him, intending to appropriate him for their own use. The horse bucked them all off, so off he went to Fossil.

Also from Clem: Most people believe in hitting the nail on the head, but Mrs. Newell Reed believes otherwise. She hits it on the foot. As a result her gait borders on the abstract, also we hear she is making free use of the iodine and turpentine.

The birth of a litter of pure bred pigs in Wheeler County is of more importance to Fossil Journal readers than the divorce of a grand duke or the murder of a movie star somewhere else.

“Married men are like Fords,” says Ernest Fatland. “You can tell them by their clutch!”

“Scamp” is dead. Peace be to his ashes. Scamp NeVill, the best known dog in Condon, has passed on to his reward, and if there is a canine paradise, there Scamp is.

From Condon Times 1909 —

According to the new fish law a woman need not pay a license, may catch as many trout as she can and is not limited as to size. And will all these advantages she still wants to vote, how unreasonable they are.

A swarm of bees settled near the Times office on Thursday. Kenneth Welshons, who is quite an expert, waded in to the swarm, caught the queen and put her in a box and later the whole “shootin’ match” were taken to the Fitzmaurice residence where it is to be hoped they will increase and multiply until every family in town has a hive of bees.

The hens are showing a disposition to call off the boycott and appear to be getting busy again. Biddy has no aversion for work during severe weather.

E.A. Stinchfield has been nursing a very disagreeable toothache this week. Dr. Coryell came over and removed the disturber.

James R. Jones was in town on Tuesday having his pension papers attended to. No laborer is more worthy of his hire than the old soldier who fought bravely for the Union. Nevertheless we have the same respect for those who wore the Grey; they too fought for what they thought was right.

Lester Wade is hunting for cattle to buy for the eminent firm of Wade and Schott. He hiked out for the Mayville country on Monday in search of fat steers. Lester knows a stag from a steer all right.

Billy Farr got a bad kick in the face on Friday of last week from a cow he was about to butcher. The bovine objected to the performance and when Mr. Farr stooped to close a gate she met him a hind swing square in the face. Bill was somewhat disfigured but still in the ring. He wiped the blood from his physemohegney and succeeded in butchering the cow before going home for needed repairs.