Adams County Makes the News - Adams County Leader #41

The Adams County Leader        Published Weekly On Friday
Wm. Lemon Editor and Manager
Member State Editorial Association 
Member National Editorial Association
Official Paper of Adams County Price $2.00 Strictly in Advance

July 13, 1934
FRANK GALEY DISCUSSES NEED OF SQUAW FLAT WATER PROJECT
 
I wonder if our citizens realize what will happen to the orchard industry if we do not get the Squaw Flat reservoir?  Last year the coddling moth struck us in damaging quantities with a consequent heavy carload loss to fruit shippers.  The moths are here again and will always be here.  From now on we will spray three to six times.  Therefore, the apples must be washed before shipping.  Now this added expense absolutely prohibits anyone owning, renting or caring for an orchard which has not an adequate supply of water to mature the fruit every year.

Before the heavy infestation of moth, we could take a chance on the water supply.  Today, the best orchards in the valley are not producing commercial apples because of water shortage.  Many of them are completely abandoned.  Bill Spahr examined a limb containing twenty apples in an abandoned orchard about June first.  Nineteen apples were wormy and one contained seven worms.  He said, “I would not give $3.00 for the orchard now, but if it had late water I would like to own or rent it.”  The law demands that these abandoned orchards must be sprayed or chopped down.  The question now is—are we to save and improve our orchards by getting a water supply for them?  Or allow about half our best orchards to be chopped down next year.  It seems to me the tremendous loss to the owners, to our taxes, and our pay roll will warrant us getting Squaw Flat.  Otherwise, we can hope for only a sleepy cow town—at least while we have .02 cattle.
   
Frank Galey
February 9, 1934

A PERTINENT QUESTION

A Leader reader writes:  "In the name of sense, why should the village dump be in such close proximity to the cemetery and so conspicuous from the highway?  That situation is indicative of a town on the ragged edge of decay.  Certainly the dump ground should be in some out-of-the-way place and less conspicuous."

December 31, 1937
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: A SIMPLE TALE
The habits and ways of men are little known!  No one has yet found out for certain whether Mother Nature blinds them in one eye or confines man's reading ability to horses, cows, women, and wine-- whether the world's supply of men are increasingly dumb, blind, or don't care.  Above Council (birthplace of Noah, apples, and George Wink) is a sign reading "Stock Drive."  This by-way is one of the greater engineering feats of early days.  A narrow crawling road for the modern cars, but a boulevard for your grandpap and mine.  An obviously good highway for cows, sheep, and sons out riding.

You cannot cross this road without reading the sign, but local stockmen drive their critters nonchalantly down the highway.  Past the "Stock Drive" sign.  Tramp! Tramp! Aha! A soft spot.  Ascend the Forest lawn.  Several hundred hoofs to cut the turf of velvet.  Three sleepy herders to drive them off.  Four disappointed Forest men.  A hundred furious townsmen.  On across the town they go.  Down to green pastures or feed lots.  Fifty cents an hour for dirt to fill the tracks.  Up once more the grass comes, only to be trodden underfoot.  A peculiar situation which surrenders its beauty to industry.  The ways and habits of men with his neighbors and beasts are little known.

October 1, 1937
THE COURTHOUSE LAWN
What has happened to the courthouse lawn this summer?  In the past several years there has been a beautiful green lawn, always nicely watered and mowed, and it has been a beauty spot on top of the hill the courthouse is situated upon.  This summer there has been no lawn.  Why not?  All other county and municipal buildings of the state are characterized by the beautiful lawns surrounding them.  The official and other visitors coming to the Adams county court house, the sight of the barren spot there now, made worse by the dried burned grass that was once a lawn, leaves with a feeling that there is a lack of care of the public buildings.  Where does the fault lie?

compiled by Eberle Umbach