The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1914-05-14


sea on a lonely rock stands the Bell
Rock light house, 115 feet high,
built in 1910 at a cost Of over $780,
600, and which sends its alternate
flashes of red and white light from
sunset to sunrise lighting up the sea
for many miles around.
During the summer months the
town is full of visitors and tourists,
many attracted by the dry bracing
air, for this is the driest district in
Scotland, the rainfall being only
about 25 inches, and many by the an
tiquarian relics of the town and dis
trict, for in addition to the ruins of
the Abbey, there are many old ruins
and haunted castles in the country
adjoining, most of them dating back
to the 18th century, and in days
journey one can be entertained with
enough ghost stories and tales OF
battles and bloodshed around these
ancient ruins to keep ones nerves on
edge for some time. The fishing
community, consisting of about 100
families, appears to be great at
traction for visitors. These people
occupy a district along the water
front, living apart from the other
residents of the town, and never
mixing with them in social or bus
mess way. Their general appearance
and dress is altogether different and
one could readily believe they were
a different race Of people. Every
town along the coast has its fisher
folks" and most interesting they are.
Every day when the weather permits
they go out in their small boats,
three to five men in a boat according
to size, and seldom do they return
empty handed. When landed the
catch of each boat is sold separately
at auction on the wharf, the fish mer-
chants and peddlars being active bid
ders. Sometimes a storm comes up
when they are out at sea and sever
al times during the past winter the
life boat has been launched to stand
by and render assistance If any ac-
cident occurred. No lives have been
lost this winter, but few seasons
pass without some wreck when max
ing the landing. During the summer
months thousands of tons of herring
are landed and these are cleaned and
packed in barrels by the women
when the men are out after another
load" and exported to Russia and
Germany. The herring season is the
fisherman's harvest.
The principal industry of the town
is the manufacture Of twine and can
vas, the raw material, fax, coming
by ship from the Baltic Sea in Rus
sia. There are eight such factories
as we'll as two large shoe factories
employing approximately 5000 work
ers, the greater part being girls and
women, men being employed only as
mechanics and overseers. The wages
paid these factory workers is very
low, from $3.50 to $500 per week
according to age and experience for
the girls and women, and from $500
to $500 for the men. There are
also three engineering concerns en-
ploying approximately 500 men
whose wages will run from $500 to
$1,000 per week, the latter being
considered a high wage for the best
class of workmen in any Of the
trades. The painters, carpenters and
other artisans get from 16c. to zoe.
per hour working ten hours per day
except Saturday when all work in
factories and shops closes at noon,
the weekly half-holiday being uni
versal here. All retail stores, and
other places not observing the Sat-
urday half-holiday close on Wednes-
day afternoon, and the law is strict
ly enforced. A great number of the
retail stores are conducted by women,
a large percentage Of whom are
bachelor maids" and when clerks
are employed in the larger stores
they are mostly women and girls
whose pay is no better than the fac
tory workers. These conditions
drive the young men to foreign lands
or to "life on the rolling wave, .
and the proportion of women in the
town is yearly increasing. There
are hundreds of women working in
stores and factories for $500 pei
week or less and hundreds of men.
laborers, teamsters, ETC., working fol
less than $6 per week, and bringing
up a family. Rents and clothing are
cheaper, -four, meats and fruit are
higher, while groceries are about
! the same price as in Oregon. How
the poor beggars live is more than
can cure out, but they seem to bt
happy and have evidently found ou
that BLESSED are those who expec
nothing for they shall not be disap
pointed"
Scotland has always been knowr
as a good Sunday observer and here
the old customs are pretty well KEEP
up. Not only are all the stores
closed but the blinds on the windows
are drawn and no games of any kint
are allowed in the public parks o.
anywhere else for that matter. Dur
ing the winter the public skatin,
pond was frozen over once or twice
each time for three days. One Sat
urday the ice was in fine condition