The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1919-02-07

- +'ut movement .Ol
saE tEam access to tbs
cities IA Coos bay. The construction
of these highways would necessitate
about rs miles of new road.
VI Lumber shipments by water from
the Columbia river during the month
of January were exceptionally light.
Records compiled show that 18 vessels
loaded at lower river mills in that
n1nth, their cargoes totaling 13,31S,-
| feet. During the same period
seven vessels loaded 4,390,735 feet Of
lumber at upriyer mills, making a
grand total of 17,7O9,361 feet shipped.
A bonding election for the new
Sparta irrigation project near Baker
took place Monday and carried by a
large majority. This election marks
the transition, of one time famous
mining camp from region of desert
hills to a promising agricultural COM
munity. The plan is to reclaim $4,000
acres by bringing water from Eagle
creek through the Sparta mining
ditch.
All restrictions, save those on prof
iteering, have been removed by the
Oregon food administration and the
suite of offices formerly occupied by
the administration in Portland have
been closed. w X. Newell, fede 4
food administrator for Oregon, viii
hold his office until the signing of
peace, when the United States food
administration automatically loses all
power.
Charles L. Houston, of Astoria, we'll
known contracting builder of the low
er Columbia river district, was almost
instantly killed near Clatsop station.
He was directing the construction of
new piledriver and had climbed into
the donkey engine to examine it, AS
he grasped pipe to balance himself,
it gave way and he fell to the ground,
distance of about is feet, striking
his head on railroad tie and frac-
turing his skull.
A perceptible impetus was given to
Marion county's ever-growing fruit in
dustry when the machinery of the new
100000 plant of the Northwest Fruit
Products company was set in motion
for the manufacture of jellies, jams
and preserves from the fruits and ber-
ries of the Willamette valley. The
management Of the new plant hopes
to manufacture 115,000 cases of jel-
lies, jams and preserves within the
next so to 80 days.
That the proposed great loop high
way around Mount Hood may become
an accomplished fact as soon as pos
sible, Rufus c. Holman, president Of
the Oregon Association of County
Judges and Commissioners, has called
meeting to be held in Portland Sat
urday, February 8. To this meeting
Lave been invited the county courts of
Hood River, Wasco, Jefferson, Clacka-
mas and Multnomah counties, United
States forestry officials and interested
citizens.
In report made by the chief Of
engineers to the senate committee on
commerce, the following available bal
ances for Oregon river and harbor
improvements on December 81, 1918,
are shown: Columbia river at the
mouth, $94,642; Columbia river and
lower Willamette below Vancouver,
Wash, and Portland, $21S,O71; Clat-
skanie river. $3.50; Willamette river
above Portland and the Yamhill river,
S7461; Willamette river at William
ette falls, $11,821.
According to orders from Receiver
w. F. Turner, operation on the Pacific
& Eastern, which extends 33 miles
from Butte Falls to Medford, owned
by the Hill interests, ceased Friday,
and the railroad will be sold within a
fortnight. Receiver Turner offered to
keep the railroad in operation for sew
eral months longer provided Medford
citizens and Butte Falls timber own
ers put up a $4,000 cash bond to in
sure against loss in operation, but the
offer was refused.
approximately 10000 out of $4,000
acres Of the lower Klamath lake
marsh lands, which are being reclaim
ed by the installation Of gates at the
Southern Pacific crossing of the klaln-
ath strait, have been drained, with
total lowering of the water of two
feet in the l5 months since the gates
were installed, according to officers
OF the Klamath drainage district. Al
though the water is off the land, it is
not yet sufficiently drained for cul-
tivation, and 1t is not expected that
The land will be ready for use for o
year.