East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1905-04-24
HELIX HAPPENINGS
WATER SYSTEM
BEING INAUGURATED.
The Town Is Supported by Many Rich
Wheat Farms Adjacent to the City
is in the Center of Fertile and
Prosperous District.

its official census taken. There are
1S5 men, women and children within
the limits of the town of Helix. Like
other Eastern oregon towns Helix
shows signs of growth and prosper
ity.
At present the city is putting in a
municipal water system. A we'll 55
feet was dug which has a flow of 80
gallons per minute. On a hill $50
rods distant a reservoir is being con-
structed. 1t will be 20 feet above the
street level and will contain 100000
gallons of water
The city will not ievy any special
tax to make this much-needed inn
provement, as it has about $1,000 in
the treasury toward the completion
of the project, which will cost about
$2500.
The remaining $500 will be paid
as the city accumulates funds. The
city bought a plot of ground 4sx9O
feet from H. b. Richmond, upon
which to place the reservoir.
Another civic Improvement was the
placing of sidewalks all over town.
The city purchased the cemetery
from William Scott, and bought land
adjoining it to enlarge it when neces-
sary.
A day or two ago fire bell and
tower was put up in the rear of the
postoffice. The bell came from st.
Louis and cost S65.
The new bank recently started is
doing good business and is proving
great convenience to the farmers
in this vicinity as we'll as to the resi-
dents.
Captain Isaacs, the postmaster at
this place, an old pioneer, and the
mayor since the incorporation of the
town, said: eve are rather proud of
our record. We have been incorpor-
ated less than two years. We have
no debt. We keep our saloons shut
eon Sunday. We have an orderly
town. We have just put in a new fire
bell. have purchased the graveyard,
are putting in a water system, and
are forging ahead"
Captain S. T. Isaacs, as has just
been stated, is mayor.
Frank Richmond, \. b. Montgom-
cry. B. B. Richards, L. D. Smith, J..
X. Bott and ID. b. Richardson are
councilmen. c. G. Knight is the re-
corded. C. E. Bott the treasurer and
]. p. Navin is the town marshal.
At the grocery store one may see
farmers buying vegetables, butter and
eggs-a thing that seems odd' tor IN
other communities it is the farmers
who are selling, not buying these
commodities.
In conversation with the owner OF
the store he said: our FARMERS mere
are wheat raisers and many OF them
do not take the time TO Dother Win
raising garden or making butter
We get most of our vegetables from
Pendleton or Milton.
"I have accounts here on my book
ranging from few hundred TO 81
500 for groceries and other supplies
purchased during the year. In the
fall, when the wheat is sold, they are
all squared up. l do not belleve there
is a community in the whole united
States where the loss from credltins
is so small as here.
THE only accounts we lose are an
occasional small Dill contracted py
transients who move IN Tor niue
while and then tilt between TWO days
THE accounts OF the permanent
residents are as good as wheat IN the
bin or gold in the bank
John McEichorn, Helix whea'
buyer and warehouseman, said; The
amount of wheat tributary TO HellE
is surprising to a person unacquaint-
ed with this neighborhood, Last year
we got in about $4,000 sacks at the
two warehouses here or to put 1t In
bushels, over $4,000 bushels; a
larger part, of course, being red chafi
wheat. with some barley
John Zimmerman one OF the prln-
cipal land owners and wheat raisers
said: who are the biggest wheat
raisers here? Let me see. We'll
there is Frank and II. b. Richmond
They farm about II quarter sections
and Henry koepke, who farms seven
or eight quarters; and John Gross
with about the same number; ana L.
Mueller who is farming 10 quarter
sections; and the Myricks and VIII
liam Scott, and Ed Potts and lots oi
others. One man farms IA quarter
sections. He owns one and rents the
other 10. / own and farm IA myselr