East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-04-28

If too much opposition in the part
of those most interested does not de-
velop, the proposition of dividing
Umatilla county will be submitted to
a vote of the people at the general
election in November, according to
Attorney j. p. Neal of Freewater.
Neal was in Pendleton yesterday wor
the purpose of securing data which
the promoters of the enterprise think
will be of assistance to them in the
work of securing signatures to the Pc
tition.
According to Mr.. Neal not more
than 20 men have thus far interested
themselves in the proposition to cre-
ate a new county, but he is very opti-
mistic regarding the outcome Of the
movement. He says the county, If Sc
cured, will either be named orch
ard" as an advertisement for its fruit
industry, or Williams" in honor OF
George H. Williams who died recent
IL at his home in Portland. BY using
the name of Williams they would
hope to secure the signatures of Port
land residents to the initiative petition
and their votes when it is finally plac-
ed before the people.
Only Four Towns Included.
The proposed new county would
only include four towns. These are
Milton. Freewater, Weston and Athe-
ma. The only place where the move
ment has so far met with any favor
is in the Milton and Freewater coun-
try. Six railroad flag stations are al
so included. These are Vansycle,
Stanton. Killian Junction, Hillsdale,
Grand View and Waterman.
The boundary line of the proposed
county would start at that point on
the state line between Oregon and
Washington where the line between
townships so and 33 intersects. It
would extend south along this range
line 10 miles, more or less to line
running east and west between town.
ships 4 and 3, thence east six miles to
! the range line between 33 and 81,
thence south along said line five miles
! to the southwest corner of section 80,
township 4. north of range "a; thence
east six miles to a rough line between
ranges "a and 80, thence south miles
to the southwest corner of section Is,
| township 8, north range S5, thence
east, following section lines for II
miles. more or less, to the center OF
/ the channel of the Umatilla river,
thence in an easterly direction follow
ing the center of the channel Of the
Umatilla and the North Fork thereof
to the county line between Umatilla
! and Union counties. thence along said
line to state line between Oregon and
Washington: thence west along said
state line Ss miles to place of begin
ming.
Would Have 5000 Population.
According to the promoters the pro-
posed new county will contain approx
imately $50 square miles or 25e
square miles more than enough to
comply with the state law. The pop
ulation is estimated at 5000 while the
required population is but 1900.
Those who have interested them
selves in the proposition are very
few residents of the far east end and
I they hope to secure Freewater or Mil
ton for the county seat. They pro-
pose to make Milton the temporary
county seat and at the end Of two
years they would have the question
submitted to the voters of the county.
In order to secure the support OF
Athena people they are promising that
Athena would be put in the running
for a permanent county seat, though
there is little likelihood that that
town would stand show TO be Sc
lected should the movement to create
the new county succeed.
Few Taxpayers In Movement.
| n. A. Davis, j. II. Hall and Henry
Frazier have been named as a super