East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-10-18
NEWLY-WED CONTEST
PRESENTS PROBLEMS
sTANFIELD BOOSTERS
CONFRONTED WITH TROUBLE
In Newly lnaugurated Plan TO Increase
Population by Giving Free Lots to
Newly Weds and Newborns Unex-
pected Difficulties Face the Judges.
Especial correspondence.l J

Stanfield, Umatilla Co, Oct. 49,
The position Of the man brave enough
to act as arbiter in beauty contest or
a baby show is an easy one compared
with the perdicament in which Con-
gresham Ellis now finds himself It
all came about in this wise. The new
town of Stanfield in the irrigated area
OF Northern Umatilla became anxious
TO still further swell its rapidly grow
ing population before the census en-
umerators got busy. In furtherance
of this laudable purpose a 10000
club for 1910" was organized and
every conceivable inducement offer
ed, and with "a firm determination to
increase the population" Of Stanfield
stalwart boosters went forth. Among
other devious devices it was deter
mined to offer free residence lots as
prizes to those newly married and to
those newly born. One of the first
things decided upon by the promoters
of the enterprise was that the contest
must be put on a basis Of absolute
fairness and that men Of unuuestion-
able integrity and Of peculiar ability
should be selected as judges. With
this in mind DR.. Coe, himself a friend
Of Roosevelt and Rooseveltian doc
trines, named as judges Congressman |
Ellis, Addison Bennett Of the Irrigon |
lrrigator and +. B. Aldrich of the !
East Oregonan. Now comes one Roy |
S. Neal and his bride, formerly Miss
Della Bott Of Pendleton and lay claim
to the first Of these prizes. Though
growing daily in cosmopolitan appear
ance, Stanfield, it appears, has no one
qualified to perform the marriage
ceremony and the young couple were
compelled to wait, or go to Pendle-
ton to get married. When upon their
return, they made application for the
lot, protest was made that the con-
ditions laid down in the rules had not
been complied with, and the matter is
now being put up to the judges.
When the matter was first proposed
Of offering prizes as outlined above,
II was foreseen that in this, as in
most racing events. there might be
more or less jOckeying for a start and
that some undue advantage might ac-
crue to the quick starters and to those
who got the pole. Also there was
danger apprehended from interlopers
not genuine residents, and from those
not regularly entered for the race. To
cover as nearly as possible all of these
and insure an equal
chance to all it was decreed that any
for prizes must have resid-
I'd for two months in the city of STAN
field, or upon lands in the Furnish &
Coe project, or must be the owner of {
ands or lots in one or the other. I
These rules apply to all entries and I
10 all classes and under them it was 7
decided to offer awards as follows:
For the first couple married in the I
lew town. one free residence lot. For y
he first boy born in the new town, {
me free residence lot. For the first U
yirl born in the new town, one free n
esidence lot. To further evidence s
heir fairness the promoters then ori- il
,inated what they call their grand h
rec for ALL" namely: One free resi-
ence lot for first child born after L
uly 18th, 1910. In this class there S
re no hurdles or handicaps, and no n
ne is barred by reason of age, sex Il
olor or previous disability, and the Il
rand finish is placed a full three Il
of a year ahead. Still fur t;
her inducements were offered in the
,ay of prizes for twins consisting of Il
wo boys. Twins consisting of two a
iris. Twins, girl and boy. Twins, h
oy and girl, and just plain twins. Ii
vhen entries were made for the trip n
It class, the combinations and COM
lications became still more complex CT
nd completing, until as in the doc 81
'ine of prior appropriation and of re- d
arian rights, the resulting tangle eC
GEMS inextricable. 1t was an un- CO
uarded moment, in which Congress- W
ian Ellis, Addison Bennett, and f. SC
Aldrich accepted the responsibility in
{ acting as judges in all of the sun
~ and divers difficult denouments, tn
ltries and exits hereinbefore men tn
oned.