davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
THE SCHOOL HOUSE FIRE

AS the forms were on the press last
Thursday afternoon fire broke out in
the coal stored in the basement of
the high school building, creating
much excitement for time. The fire
was first discovered by Mrs. j. A.
Spencer. The lady noticed smoke
issuing from the chimney at the
school house and she called the at
tention of her husband to the fact.
Mr., Spencer is janitor at the school
house. He thought some boys must
have started fire in the furnace, and
as there is no water in the boiler he
feared the consequences and fastened
to the school house. When he reach
ed the building the smoke and gas
fumes from the burning coal were al
most overbearing in the basement.
He turned in fire alarm, and in Won
derful quick time the fire truck was
OH the scene with a length of hose
stretched out $50 feet, and up the
steep hill to the school house A
stream of water soon quenched the
fire before any damage was done to
the building. 1t was the most for
tunate fire that has ever occurred In
town, if fire can be considered for
tunate under any circumstances. Be-
ing situated high on the hill top, re-
mote from any other building, had the
fire broken out at night the beautiful
and expensive high school building
would certainly have been destroyed
The local fire department deserves
unlimited praise for the speed in
which the apparatus responded to the
fire alarm last Thursday afternoon.
That quick response was made pos
sible by having an auto truck equip
ped with hose and ladders. 1t was
hardly five minutes after the first
shrek of the siren until a stream of
water was plying on the smouldering
coal in the basement of the building.
In order to reach the fire the truck
| had to ascend a high, steep hill, run
ming out all the hose belonging to the
department. 1t was neat, quick work.
I and the result of the frequent prac-
| tice runs that the boys nave recently
made to famiiarize themselves with
| the new truck
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16

Twenty-four more men have been
called for the draft from this county
to leave for Camp Lewis during the
five day period following August 26.
Among the lucky ones are Danato
Pachino, of Oroville; Robert E. Burns.
,of Chesaw; Lewis E. Jackson, regis
tered as from Chopaka, but now of
Bellows Falls, VT; George Turner,
Chesaw; John l.. Fread, of Nelson;
Stanley B. Neander, of Tonasket.
Jas. Stack pressed the office Tues
day with his face split open with a
smile that was almost noisy. Now ii
Is not uncommon to see James carry
ing around smile, but this was an
uncomomn smile, and we could not
account for it until meeting up with
Doc Elmer We learned that a new girl
had arrived at the home of Mr.. Stack
Tuesday morning. Hence the bril-
l1ancy of Jims countenance He is
| the happiest man on the hill
A. P. Murray and Guy Fruit return
ed from their trip to Seattle Tuesday
evening. They made the run over in
the bank Studebaker car going
through Blewett pass, and botl
men were surprised at the
ease in which the car negoti.
( Iated the mountain road Mr.
Murray reports that there is much
travel on the road between eastern
and western Washington, traveller:
and tourists driving in both directions
The gentlemen returned by train
leaving the car at Seattle for Mr.
Starrett to bring back. If such {
thing were possible Mr.. Murray anC
Mr.. Fruit returned home more in
tensely patriotic than before the,
made the trip. They report that tn,
spirit of patriotism runs rampant il
the big city on the Sound. Loyalt,
to the government is the watchword
and if proGermanism prevails any
where those innoculated with tn
Ipoison are exceedingly careful not t
hang out any signs. Seattle, they say
is seething with business activity an
the bung is out of the barrel of pros
Iperity. 1t would make better Ameri
cans of everybody if they could onl
have an opportunity to breathe som
of the air in circulation on the coas
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
MILL FOR THE RUBY

1t is understood from good author
ity that plans are maturing for the
installation of treatment plant at
the Ruby mine. The movement In
that direction has gone so far that
we feel safe in predicting that within
less than six months a mill will be
in operation at the Ruby. The one
and only thing about the installation
of mill at that mine that surprises
us is why the mill was not provided
years ago instead of at this late date.
There is no intention to misrepresent
when the statement is made that no
mine in this upper country Is in a
better position to supply ore, and
high quality of ore, to treatment
plant than this same Ruby. Indeed,
there is no room for misrepresenta-
ton. The Ruby is not a prospect
with its value dependent upon results
from exploitation. 1t is well de-
veloped property with sufficient ore
already blocked out to keep a mill
working steadily for a year Of more
1t is matter of regret that it is not
possible for every stockholder in this
mine to personally examine the un-
derground workings. If that could
be done a mill would be In process
OF erection at once, in fact If the in
spection could have been made years
ago the mill would be in operation
today. The Ruby is an old holding
upon which vast amount of develop
ment work has been done. The
ledges have been cut, have been drift
ed on, the ore has been assayed and
analyzed time and again, and there
is no question of the quantity in sight
nor the values in the ore.
For a number of years the mine
has been practically idle. With the
ruling price of metals that the ore
carries it has been a mystery to us
why extraction has not been under
way since the exigencies of war have
added to the value of those minerals.
Located directly along side of a rail-
road the mine could not be better
situated for the extraction, handling
and shipping of ore at minimum
cost. 1t has been long time to wait
to see the old Ruby placed in the
class, but it is a great sat
isfaction to learn that the stockhold-
ers are awakening to the Importance
of the property they are interested in
and are showing a Willingness to
supply the sinews to provide a means
for making the old holding a paying
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
MASONS AT MOLSON

Monday evening there was a great
gathering Of members of Free and Ac-
cepted Masons at Molson, the occasion
being the organization Of lodge at
that place. The eXistance OF lodge
at Nelson Is an off shoot of the Oro-
Vile lodge, and the lodge at Tomas
ket is also a branch of the Oroville
parent stem. Masons from Green
wood, Midway, Republic, Oroville, To-
nasket, Omak and Okanogan were
present to give the new lodge send
off and aid in the ceremonies OF or
ganization. The new lodge takes the
number 223, and starts out with a
strong membership. or course the
visiting Masons were extended glad
hand and were royalty entertained
Those from Oroville present were F.
v. Covert, E. A, Williams. S. c. Nit
chell and J. M. r. Mitchell.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
THE SPARTAN SPIRIT

Mr.. and Mrs. C. w. Smith had let
tel last week from their son, Dur
ward. who is serving in the 5th Field
Artillery and who has been under
fire off and on for months, as his
command was one of the first Ameri-
can regiments to cross the pond and
get into the scrap. The letter was
dated July 4th, and the young man
stated that he just received a hard
crack on the head from a timber of
his dug-out, a Hun shell falling on
the roof and caving it in. He made
light of the injury He said that his
hair had been cut off and the wound
to the rear, "for the battery was 60
ing to commence throwing firecrack.
ers the next day." and he did no:
propose to miss the fun. No doubt
| his regiment was in the Marne Of
fensive and contributed to the dis.
comforture of the Bocnes. But look
at the spirit of the lad! Here was 6
, chance to escape the dangers of the
prospective fight. but he scorned tC
take advantage of that chance. He i:
over there to do his part. and is no
only willing but anxious to get intt
the hottest of the fighting. 1t is tina
spirit that will make the Hun re
spect the American soldier before thi
war is over, and prove to the mill
tary lords that the volunteer Ameri
can fighter, with few months train
ing, is as good a soldier as the ma
chane-made soldier that Germany ha
been building up for half a century.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
FROM ONE OF THE BOYS

This office is in receipt of a letter
from Charles McGinty dated July End,
from the base training school, End
District, st. Aignon Noyes Loir ct
cher, France. In part he says:
"A short time ago l received four
copies of the Oroville Gazette, which
| was certainly very glad to get, and
| wish to express my sincerest thanks
to you for your kind remembrance
of me,
Il have now been in France about
three months and am very we'll pleas
ed iwth my location, although | would
like to be back with the regiment,
from which l am detached. We find
conditions In the camps very much
better over here than we expected
when we left the States. We have
the army sales commissaries from
which most of the necessities of the
soldiers can be purchased at a very
reasonable cost. We also have the
Y. M. c. A., which provides concerts
and other entertainments for our
benefit. Besides this it furnishes us
with stationery and convenient places
to write letters.
France Is very beautiful country,
especially in the farming districts.
The cities, while they show the lack
of modern engineering. are in many
ways very interesting. Everything
seems to have very ancient appear
ance, some of the buildings having
dates on them that were carved in the
stone in the tenth century. Among
the places of historic interest which
| have had the pleasure of visiting
is castle which few centuries ago
was occupied by one of the rulers of
France and within which is an en-
trance to an underground passage
way which is said to lead to another
castle twenty miles away
81 haze not seen Lawrence (the
editors SOM since coming to France,
but eXpectto soon. I read several
letters which were printed in the
Gazette from the boys from Oroville
and vicinity and was glad to hear
that they We're all we'll satisfied with
their location"
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
AN ALL WOOL AMERICAN

The report comes to this office that
a man of the cloth is working this
part of the county for membership in
the NonPartisan League. If our in
formation is correct the loyalty of this
man has been questioned, although
he denies the allegation. But so far
as that goes is neither here or there,
but he would surely strengthen his
claim to loyalty if he postponed poll
tical activities until after the war.
This Introductory is only leading up
to story we heard Wednesday, in
which the solicitor was turned down
hard, and which should have struck
the solicitor dumb while it appeals to
the true Americanism of every resi-
dent of the county. We were told
that this solicitor, or a brother So
licitor, out working for the s4 per
head that the solicitor does not lei
escape, appeared at the home of that
old pioneer of eastern Washington
w. H. Hicks, living on Ellemeham
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
OKOvILLE, WASHINGTON AUGUST 16 1918

mountain, and opportuned him to
come in and partake of the blessings
of Non-Partisanship, of course at SIG
per throw The old timer arose in
his wrath, ordered the solicitor off
the premises, and declared that so
long as the war continued it was no
time for red blooded Americans to be
stirring up strife by promoting politi-
cal propaganda. There has been moth
ing that has occurred locally since
war was declared that has given us
greater pleasure than this account of
the attitude taken by Mr.. Hicks. We
have knowii Mr.. Hicks from a time
so remote that both of us were fairly
young men when we first met. Mr.
Hicks is man of positive ideas, and
has the courage of his convictions. He
is reader, thinker, a reasoner and
of more than ordinary intelligence.
That may account for the stand he
took, but what makes that stand the
more notable Is that Mr.. Hicks is a
student of and believer in socialism.
Mr.. Hicks and the writer have differ
ent ideas in respect to that particu-
lar ism, but that has not affected our
long friendship Knowing Mr. Hicks
radicalism along socialistic lines, and
sad to say knowing that the trend of
radical socialism is to throw the in
fluence of the party on the side of
German autocracy as against Ameri-
can democracy, the attitude of Mr.
Hicks on this occasion made us feel
proud of the old man. Mr.. Hicks
stands with the balance of the loyal
citizenship of the land, for America
first. We can settle political differ
ences after the Huns get punishment
they have coming. And God grant the
settlement will be for the best good
of humanity as a whole.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
RED CROSS NOTES

Members wishing 10 win service
bars will be given credit for work
done since Jan 1st, 1918, if they will
check up the number of hours worked
and give same to branch secretary
Work was registered for last week as
follows: Mrs. J. M. Norris, hours !;
Mrs. w. Fl. Thayer, = hours; Mrs.
Eva Weaver, hours; Mrs. Roy Mat
erson, 2 hours, so minutes: Mrs. w.
A. CRUDE, 2 hours Mrs. A. E. Schultz,
"a hours; Mrs. Ethel Sanderson, 8
hours, Ii minutes; Mrs. s. B. Starrett,
3 hours; Mrs. J. NJ. Adams, 4 hours;
Mrs. j. l.. Masters, hours; Mrs. Ella
Collier, hours; Mrs. Viola A. House,
20; Mrs. M. Ferguson, hours; Mrs.
F. w. Taylor,'7; Mrs Chas. r. Peter
leon,--7--hour,5 ,5---Nfrs. ss-s3rnfv-,=-za4 a4
hours.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
NOTES FROM THE SOLDIERS

| some time ago Mrs. Mary w. Nit
chell OF this place received a letter
from John M. Columbus, Of Wenat
chee, member of Co B, Sd Balloon
squadron. She answered that letter
and during the past week she recely.
ed ANOTHER letter from the young man
dated Somewhere in France" June
! IL, In part he says;
After arriving here found out
that the company that | was in was
only a temporary organization. We
were all split up and l was sent for
ward to company already organized
Dut closer to action. | am only a
private in this company, having lost
my rank on being transferred from
the old company. The fellows in the
new company are all from the east,
but ! am getting along all right with
| them.
My address is John M. Columbus.
Co. B, Sd Balloon Squadron Ameri.
can E. F., France. Just wait. Some
day | intend to get that France off
| the address and substitute Germany.
Played around the balloon today.
Quite interesting. One gets a dandy
view of the artillery firing at about
800 meters. 1900 feet.
Il have brother In the flying
corps in California, training for Of
ficers commission. There are three
| of us boys in the army and there may
be four now. Don't know where my
brothers are. | think there Is one
somewhere in France. We are sort
OF warlike family, don't you think 7?
Day before yesterday was ON guard,
yesterday on hike full equipment. to-
day balloon training"
Mrs. Mitchell is also in receipt of
| a letter from Frank Bowerman,
formerly of this place, from which
the following extracts are taken:
To-day or tomorrow will be pay
day and then there will be lots of ex-
citement in camp. There are not
many men here now, but they will
start coming in soon. The first bunch
| to come in will be drafted men that
are not fit for over seas duty to be
uStu LOT anu pollSc
duty. They are going to ship out all
able bodied men except what are
used in the flying department at
Kelly No. 2.
1--WE have been having lots of fun
lately watching small plane that
Ed. Stinson. one of the instructors,
made up here. 1t is only about half
the size of the ordinary practice and
training plane and about twice as
fast, 1t is hardly any time from the
instant the plane leaves the ground
until it is several thousand feet in the
air. ! hope the next time you hear
from me it will be from some place
besides Texas"
Young Bowerman is attached to the
66Sth Aero Squadron, and has been
stationed at Kelley Field, No. 2, San
Antonio, Texas, for many months.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
SUDDEN DEATH

Miss Lucy Ratledge, a sister of Mrs.
w. H. Payne, died at the home of
Mrs. Chas. Kyle Sunday morning af-
ter only brief illness. A small
pimple or boil made its appearance
above the right eye of Miss Ratledge
and from that eruption blood poison
ing supervened and within 70 hours
from the first appearance of infection
the young woman died of septic men,
ingitis. Medical aid was not called
until it was too late to save the pa
tient. The deceased was % years OF
age and she had lived in Oroville
about a year. Mrs. Ratledge, the
mother of the girl, died only a few
weeks ago. The funeral took place
from the Methodist Church Wednes.
day afternoon.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
taken part In the making of this o.Sis

taken part in the making of this oasis
AS stated before this particular
tract is merely mentioned because Wa
enjoyed the surprise of inspecting II
1t is no better than many Others that
might De seen within a radius of n
tew miles or town. 1t may not be-
nearly as good as some of them To
DC better. however, the tract would
nave to be marvel. Attention ia
not called to the tract because it han
pens to belong to Mr.. Gray, but inst
TO point out and emphasize the fact
that the West Okanogan Valley Irri-
CATION project has been a godsend and
blessing to this part of the valley.
And though that blessing in a few
years hence every acre under the
system Will yield of the fruits of the
earth Just as bountifully and bios
som into loveliness the same as this
particular orchard tract that We have
devoted so much space in mentioninp
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
THEY DID NOT KNOW HIM

The following good one on ex-
Marshal E. J. Wilson, of Oroville, is
taken from the Okanogan Independ-
ent. 1t is pretty good joke on Eli
and will be appreciated by his friends
in this place who know of his intense
loyalty:
--.Esi-pEi@sony-ferm deputy pier-
1T of this county and city marshal of
Oroville, was made the victim of mis-
taken identity few days ago when
he was arrested by United States Of
ficials at Petersburg, Alaska, charged
with being an l. w. w. and labor
agitator, and but for the fact that
he had in his possession tucked away
in the bottom of his trunk a COM
mission from Sheriff Ward as deputy
sheriff, it is probable that he would
have seen the inside of a Jail.
After leaving here some weeks ago
Wilson went to Petersburg, Alaska,
to do carpenter work on cannery.
The first night he was in that town
U. S. marshal and the captains of
two sub chasers entered his room
ana tod MIN he was under arrest !;
| that they were looking for an |. w. w.
| who was due to arrive on the boat
that brought him to town and that
they believed he was the man. Will
son protested, telling them where he
came from and who he was, but they
proceeded to search his trunk. Find
ing no |. w. w. literature in his pos
session they began to take his story
seriously and when he produced his
old commission as deputy sheriff for
Okanogan county they concluded that
! they were barking up the wrong tree
and called off the deal
After working a few weeks at Pet
ersburg Wilson returned to Puget
Sound and is now located at Anacor-
tes where heis employed in a shir
Iyard."
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
MORE MOLYBDENUM

Recent discoveries would tend to
show that there is an extensive
molybdenum zone on the north slope
of Ellemeham mountain. few miles
west of Oroville. Mention was made
last week of the discovery made by
Messrs. Perrizo and Nelson. and now
comes some more prospectors resid-
ing in Oroville who have just discov-
cred more molybdenum deposits on
land adjoining that where the first
mineral of this character was uncov-
cred The lucky miners are DR.. H.
M. Jaggers, Riley Collie and Joe Agen.
The result of their Investigations are
most encouraging. They leased 81
acres adjoining the Perrizo-Nelson
find and started prospecting. They
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16

Judge ferguson ofIiciated az
happy union Wednesday evening when
he united in marriage Emil G. Belli-
cini, of Houston, B. C. and Rosy
Tirni, of this place. The happy groom
came 1,10O miles from the northern
part of British Columbia to join the
girl of his heart. Mr.. Bellicini is well
fixed in this worlds goods as he has
800 acres of land, many cattle and
able mineral holdings. Mr. and Mrs
Bellicini will make their home in the
far north.
DR.. and Mrs. d. H. Lewis, Fred
Hart, Miss Robert Evans, in one car
and Mr.. and Mrs. Reevie Frank and
MIR. and Mrs. S. B. Starrett, jr., in
another car, left for Seattle and Ia
coma Wednesday morning expecting
to be absent a week. Mr.. and Mrs.
Starrett will visit in Seattle and the
surrounding country, while the bal
ance of the party will spend most of
their time at Tacoma, where the men
folks will attend the annual meeting
of the Elks, of which order they are
members.
Mr.: and Mrs. J. M. Norris, sr., left
for Portland Thursday, where Mr..
Norris will attend the national en-
campment of the Grand Army of the
Republic. Portland will present
gala appearance during the encamp-
ment, entertaining the ancient veter-
ans who fought for the flag over so
years ago. The meeting and the pro-
/ ceedings will be doubly significant
and patriotic with the sons and grand
sons of the veterans of the old army
now fighting just as valliantly on the
fields of France to perpetuate the gov
ernment for which these old fellows
once fought just as gallantly to save
from disruption. 1t would be worth
many years of mans life to be at
| that gathering.
Billy Frank has one of the finest
ranches under the irrigation system.
and by his close attention this year
he has made a very Eden of the place
! His alfalfa is yielding enormously
| "h" hio iiulI JleeS are idiTly BTOdn-
ing under the burden of fruit. Mr..
Frank also is surrounded with domes-
tic animals and fowls. And speaking
of fowls reminds us that Mr.. Frank
is raising two African peacocks. He
was fortunate in securing seven eggs
for Matching. Five of the seven
hatched out, but from one cause and
another three of the little birds died.
The two left are active and lusty
little cusses and promise to grow up
to maturity, in which case Mr.. Frank
will have some rare birds.
! Prosecuting Attorney Chas. A.
Johnson and Deputy Sheriff Harry
Stark were in Oroville Wednesday
lcalled here by an assault case under
trial. Mr.. Johnson is just closing a
four year term as prosecutor, and ii
can be said of him that he has made
a most efficient and capable public
officer. He was not eligible to re-
election and hence is not candidate
this year. Harry Stark, who made
one of the best sheriffs the county
, has ever had. has been acting az
, deputy during the past two years
AS Sheriff Ward will not run this
= year, as he is going off to the war
= Mr.. Stark has filed as a candidate fol
: sheriff. His announcement is equiva'
, lent to election and reelection should
Harry live that long.
The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-08-16
TRINITY EPISCOPAL CHURCH

Services will be held on next Sun
day morning at IL a. m. Regular
services every first and third Sun
days at II a. m. Sunday school every
Sunday at 10 a. m. Trinity Gulld
meets every first and third Wednes-
dav of the month. Next meeting on
Wednesday, August 21, at the nome
of Mrs Charles Peterson.