Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1916-01-21
NEWPORT

We have had about four
inches of snow on the ground
for about one week. The
ground has been frozen and
coasting is fine. The public
school children have put in as
much time as possible enjoying
this delightful sport. The high
school boys and girls went out to
the Jessup place mile out of
town and coasted with their
sleds till midnight. This is a
treat the pupils scarcely ever get
in this country and they are
making the most of it. 1t was
so cold that a good many of the
little birds troze to death.
There must have been 5000
birds in Newport and everybody
fed them. They were gentle
and came right around the door
to be fed. don't think anyone
tried to hurt them. The child
ren call it the Finley feed,' the
state biologist, Mr.. Finley, when
here with his moving pictures
lectured ito the school children
upon the subject of preserving
bird, fish and animal life. The
teachers of the public schools
have taken the matter up with
the children and now the little
birds seem to be protected all
over the state. No one tries to
harm them and pubic senti-
ment is so aroused that game
and fish is being protected in the
same way. In 1862 we had
just about such a snow storm
as this. 1t laid on nearly a
month and then went off with a
warm rain. The whole William
ette valley was flooded. The
willamette river with its tribu-
taries were all out of Their
banks, houses, barns, fences
and hay floated down the river
Sometimes chickens were on the
hay growing, and people were
on top of the houses and barns
shouting for help. Small boats
and larger boats were busily en-.
gagged in getting people to
places of safety. One family
was clinging to the tops of trees
near Corvallis and were taken
off by small boats. Portland
was nearly drowned out. Front
street and up to Third was sub
merged. The loss in property
was large. The snow in the
Valley at that time was from one
to two feet deep. 1t is now all
the way from twelve to eighteen
inches and If 1t goes off quickly
with a warm rain we may ex-
pect a repetetion of the same
thing. Stock at that time died
by the thousands. People cut
timber that. the cattle might
browse on the limbs and brush.
This great snow storm and flood
will be remembered by old TIM
ers. BY not being prepared
Lincoln county will lose a good
many thousands of dollars in
the loss of sheep, horses and
cattle. lfrIti
The Elk City scribe thinks il
a nice thing to have the Sunday
closing law. Judge Gantenbein
did not decide it. Put it up to
the people at the next election to
vote on. This is right. We
don't want to reverse the wheels
of progress and go back one
hundred and fifty years and take
up an old Blue law like that. II
our Elk City scribe would
brighten up a little and be more
progressive he would not get
scared at owls. The owls sit
still, blink their eyes and look
wise. Some people do that, toe
The owl has always figured
largely with superstitious people
With the Indian he Is a bird OF
Ill omen. When he comes
around at night hooting the In
dian believes he is a doctor and
is giving them bad medicine and
soon some member Of the tribe
will die. This keeps them al
ways afraid, thinking something
dreadful was going to happen.
would like to hear from
Skookum. He may be a big
chief and have a half dozen
klutchmen in the happy hunting
ground and has gone back to
that. -...... -