The gazette-times. [volume] (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925, 1920-07-08
HEPPNER, OREGON, THURSDAY, July 8. 1920.
SUBSCRIBER TELLS OF
TRIP OVER RITTER ROAD
Editor Gazette Times.

Editor Gazette-Times:
In the last current number Of your
paper you announced the interest OF
The Heppner Commercial Club in the
opening OF the new grade built to the
Grant county line from Heppner, and
II is presumed others are interested,
therefore 1t might be well to publish
through the columns OF your paper
the following information concerning
the opening of same and the condi-
tlons one will find in travelling be-
tween these two points.
The official "Pathfnder" of Nor
row county, which We will refer to
as car No. /, TO pass over the road,
was piloted by the County Roadmas-
ter, and car No. 2, which was the
standard Oil Co. car, was presided
over by air. Milholland, who had TAX
On the job as supply man, and so well
did he perform his duties OF supply
ing the cars with gasoline and oil
that all cars making the trip to
kitler from Heppner and return were
supplied and the supply is not yet ex-
hausted but was left at two different
stations between here and there for
future use.
Cars No. l and left promptly on
scheduled time, 8 a. N. Saturday
morning, July 3. 1920, making no
stops between here and the summit
at Ditch Creek, where an hour and a
half was spent in a most pleasant
manner disposing of the dinner pre-
pared by the official cook for the oc-
casion. The next stop was made at
Three Mile canyon schoolhouse,
where the neighborhood was cele-
brating on this day so as to be pre-
sent at the Ritter celebration the fol-
lowing day. The cars were quickly
surrounded and the delegation in
troduced to every one present and
were deeply impressed with the man
ifest interest and words of apprecia-
tion expressed, by most every one
present, of the occasion of the open
ing of this splendid road in Morrow
county, and as the delegation depart
ed they were assured all would be
in Ritter the next day to boost for
''as good or better road" on the
Grant county end Of same.
The next stop was made on the
grade leading out of the North Fork
1i the John Day, IL BIO miles from
Ritter where a reading of the grade
was taken by the official Engineer of
the party. This grade proved to be
the steepest going from Heppner to
Ritter and was slightly over Il per
cent. The next stop was in front OF
the hotel in Ritter, distance of 55,5
miles from the First National Bank
in Heppner, which distance will be
shortened about seven miles when
the new grade is completed in Grant
county.
The orator of the day, at Ritter,
called for information which no man
dare dispute, concerning the road be-
tween Ritter and Heppner telling the
following story as illustrative; "The
Judge was pressing the witness about
heresay testimony and remarked,
We must have evidence which no
man dare dispute That is what |
am giving you,' said the witness,
My mother-in-law told me this, "
The speaker asked, How far is it
from Ritter to Long Creek?
Answer from audience, "15 miles.
(No one disputed it,
How far from Long Creek to
Monument"
Answer, 20 miles,
How far from there to Heppner
on old road?"
miles.
"lIow far from Ritter to Heppner
over new grade, when the new grade
is completed in Grant county?'
Answer, As miles. (No one dis
puted it,
How far from Ritter to Pendleton
over the new grade now building?"
Answer, S4 and lilo miles.
On the return trip the LOG kept
by the official statistician and record
ed as the clinometer was read to him,
shows two grades coming this way
from Ritter to be q per cent. And
as We met sick people on their way
to Ritter from Heppner in car, whol
asked about the road, we told them
if their car was working well they
would perhaps have no trouble as
these hills are solid but steep, but
If car is not working well you had
better not try it with people who
could not walk if helped out Of the
car.
SUBSCRIBER,