Series II, no0ll, OdditiesRadio Series

OREGON ODDITIES

AND ITEMS OF INTEREST

Oregon Oddities Radio Series

For use by teachers, students, libraries, and publications

Please give credit to the information service of TheFederal riters' and Historical Records Survey Projects of the WORKS PROGRESS ADNISTRATION OF OREGON L.O9Elks Building Port]and, Oreon The items in this bulletin,selected from the material Records compiled by the Federal Writers'Project and the Historical Survey of the Works ProgressAdinistratiOfl, are representative of nation-wide programs. the significant collectionsbeing made by these

The Historical Records Surveyi inventorying all sources records; town of early Oregon history,including county and state manuscripts and imprints; and church archives;historic cemeteries; old diaries, letters old printing presses;monuments and relics; private and memoirs; historic buildings;and Indian records and lore. has The chief undertaking ofthe Federal Writers' Project State guide books have been the American GuideSeries of books. Hampshire, Dela- been published for Idaho,Maine, Massachusetts, Now North Dakota and Ver- ware, Mississippi,Rhode Island, South Dakota, The manuscript for the OregonGuide is completed and will be mont, authentic ready for release this spring.The Oregon Guide, the first contain tourist guiae of the state, isfully illustrated and will and com- several chapters dealing withhistory, government, industry education. Half the merce, labor,transportation, agriculture and with points Guide will be devoted to toursof major Oregon highways, of interest logged mile bymile,

The Oregon Federal Writers'Project has written and distrib- uted the following books:

Flax in Oregon Builders of Timberline Lodge Fire Prevention inPortland History of Portland FireAlarm System

and dis- The Oregon HistoricalRecords Survey has written tributed. the following publications:

The Inventory of theArchives of Morrow County Diary of Basil Longworth, OregonPioneer Transportation Items from theWeekly Oregonian Married Womon's Separate PropertyRights Letter ,from Luckiamuto Valley,1846 Daily Sales of an Auburn Store,1868 Abstract of a Pioneer Road,1864-1911 From Corvallis to CrescentCity, 1874 County Histories, Universityof Oregon, The Commonwealth Review OREGON ODDITIES RADIO SERIES

girining early in February the Oregon studies it carefully. If his library of 1tiosRadio Series, written, prepared sound effect records does not provide onsored by the Federal Writers' Pro- suitable sounds, he must devise them3 d the Oregon Historical Records Ocean waves1 for an example, as heard W].J..L- '' oe orotuuu..---' _I._ in the Captain Robert Gray drama, were over the followingstations: made by placing buckshot within a foot- ball bladder, inflating the bladder,and Y1JJ Portland1 Sundays at 4:45 PL zr 1 rolling it from side to side close to 4 ri ays a . The fabulous yellow ST Astoria KOOSMarshfield the microphone , story YLMSalem KFJI Kiamath Fa1Is stones in the Lost Blue Bucket Mine wore nothing less thanwalnuts in. a . Eugene KMEDMedford The gravel in which the sailors ;M La Grande KBNDBend bucket. dried 4 KWLKKelso - (Longview) in Sailors' Diggings found gold was KRNR Roseburg corn in a tin pan. cast, though this radio series bears the The director, having chosen his title as the semi-monthly bulletin, rehearses the actors carefully in their ;d jointly by the Federal Writers'P:ro- parts, oach reading his lines from the :4and the Historical Records Survey, script When each is familiar with his GOgraJflz will not, exceptin rare role, the director assembles the announce- and be a dramatization of the materia1 nionts, the sound effects, the cast a Only ted.in the Oregon Oddities bulletine the music and times them carefully. near future local newspapersand when the whole can bo effectively pro- stations will announce the time of duced in the required. space of time is -t ". broadcasts. the actual transcription made. The actual ITING THE DRAMAS. In selecting ma- ELECTRICAL TRANSCRIPTIONS. for radio dramatization the Federal cutting of a transcription often appears rsProject and the Historical Records vary amusing to a watcher.There seems workers attempted to find Oregon to be littlo coordination amongthe var- tales and incidents in Oregon history ious units -- the sound recordsrunning the isolated mi- not only were dramatic and significant1on a nearby turntable, re also authentic. Every attempt wascrophone with its group of gesticulating tomake the characterizations real. actors, the waiting singers, and the as- sortnicnt of implements to be used for 18Iiwere a southerner andspoke with When the record is made, l that was indicated in the script. sound effects. unrolatod Wereatrapper and mountain man like however, all the apparently elc, who was also a Virginian, his elements resolve into one short drama, designed to be understood solelythrough W&5writteninthe vernacular of his the sense of hearing0 The only differ- j, In the case of the story of the Colony, most of whose members were ence between a regularstudio broadcast is that ZYtrian origin or descent,, the characters and an electrical transcription 8oke in German dialect. In the Usia- the transcribed program, rather than House dramatization, care was taken passing out over the air, is picked up lude several stories of folk nature in the adjoining room by the rocord.ing havebeen. told of the famous hotel at apparatus and cut into a record for sub- lies, sequent and perhaps numerous broadcasts. afifteen minute radio program authen- Electrical transcriptions are first t, true characterization, and drama, made on a very sensitive record which *Utbe included in a story that can reproduces all sound faithfully. The flOmore than twelve minutes to repro- cellulose acetate material used for the 1 The announcements, signature and master recording is of such nature that Song augment the drama to fill ex- the record itself will not burn, fifteen minute period of radio time. The fine9 hair-like grooves however: made as the needle cuts into the record, 10 TECHNIQUE. When the script is are highly inflammable, Should this sen- *Ledit is turned over to the program sitive master record be played a few tarWho selects the cast.He deliverstimes the sounds produced becomedis- ript to the sound effects man who torted and. unrue For this reaJon dupli- -2- on a more lasting material.re made and operate a toll road along the trail tprocess known as pressing.These per-he had helped build across the Cascades. .t records may be played almot indef I-Later he threw the road open to the pub- y upon any phonograph,Elec4rical lic and in the years that followed thou- oriptions, however, are not jo be con-sands of settlers used it to reach new with ordinary phonograph records. A homes in the Willarnette Valley.Today material is used in rnakir.ghe radio Oregon StateHighway 50, on its way oriptions which eliminates surface across the Cascades, crosses and re- s and produces true sounds., crosses the old Barlow Trail0 Bibliog- raphy: Oregon Historloal Quarterly-March, tJND EFFECTS.The sound effects used 1902; September 1912. September 1925. dio work are often electricaily tran- ed.Broadcasting stations have corn- The Lost Blue Bucket rine.This is sets of sound effects ranging from a story of a famous lost mine, discovered squeaking of a door to the howling of somewhere near the present town of Vale f pack. When a certain sound is by a boy.The lad: a member of the lost d to snake a radio drama more realisticimmigrant train of 1845, found some .ranscription of that sound is played bright pebbles near a spring.He stored the space of time needed to give the his find in an old blue bucket but it was ed effect. not until later that he discovered the OREGON ODDITIES SERIES bright pebbles were gold.Countless ex- è Aurora Colony.The Aurora colony, peditions have returned to the vicinity, y between Portland and Salem1 was trying to re-discover the lost El Dorado od upon the communal princip)!e of but the location of the Lost Blue Bucket erly love and universal equaiity. Mine is still unkriown.--Bibliography: the kindly and efficient leadership A scrap book of clippings from the Blue , Keil the colony thrived.thousands MountainEagle, owned by Clint Haight, res of fertile land were brought undereditor. vation.Each man sought the kind of yxnent he liked best, whether in the Laughing Devil Canyon.Back in the the cabinet shop, the hotel or the 1850's, during the various gold rushes Each delivered his output to the that swept through the west, two pros- 1 storehouse, and when he 4esired pectors decided to search for gold in the Ing for himself, his family or his wilds of the Curry County hills.They ho received it for the asking. When bought their supplies at a general store, Keil died, there was no one to take his whore the storekeeper warned thorn that as leader.The colony disbanded. nobody entered or remained in Laughing in the final dissolution and divisionDevil Canyon after dark.Nevertheless, Operty equity prevailed in bringing the two miners headed across coulitry to peaceful and fair settlement. -- the mouth of the canyon.They reached ography: Bethel and Aurora by Robert their destination about noon and. without hesitation started up between the can- yon's gloomy walls.All afternoon they Barlow Trail."God never made a worked their way slowly up the gulch, a.ifl that had no place to go over it," prospecting as they went.Toward sunset d Sam. Barlow, as he determined to they found gold and named their claim a trail south of Mount Hoqd apross the pick and Shovel Mine,As night Cascades Rather than wait at The settled down, the two prospectors sat 8 for their turnon the barges down by their campfire planning how they would cOlUmbia River, Barlow and Joel Palmerspend their new-found wealth.Suddenly d away and cut a trail for their ox horrible laughter echoed along the canyon iid wagons.Progress was slow, win-walls.Closer and closer the laughter aet in,the food supply ran low.Half sounded, so terrifying that even the d, theparty pushed on until, aided thought of gold, could keep them there reScue party, they reached Oregon Cityno longer.They fled and another lost Oflber 25, 1845,However1 Sam Barlow mine was added to Oregonts mining legends. OXXVIUOOd that the trail would turn Bibliography:Coos County Newspaper; ide ofiimiiigration across the mcun- pioneer reminiscences, He obtaineda charter to construct 305 &i: -3- star of Oregon.Six young, pioneer Ore- Sailors? Diggings.During the farmers, blessed with more courageand southern Oregon gold excitement in 1852 ermination than nautical knowledge, five sailors deserted their ship at it a ship which they proudly named Star Crescent City and started for the mines. Ore:on, and set sail for San Francisco. Pooling their money, they bought picks, seph Gale, though not a master mariner, shovels, pans and a supply of food; then s theonly one who had ever been to sea struck out along an old Indian trail to- d was therefore named captain.The otherwards Jacksonville.Several days later ers of the crew gained their knowledgethey wore hopelessly lost.They stopped going down to the sea in ships by read- one evening on the banks of a creek high a nautical almanac.However, by the up in the Siskiyous.It was there that & they reachod the Colunbia Rivex Tar, two members of the bowildered party de- found that going to sea was quite cided that gold was "whore you find it" erent from farming.By the time the and started digging.They struck gold. of Oregon had sailed over the bar intoThat was tho beginning of the mining Pacific they felt inclined to agree camp of Waldo, also iciown as Sailors' their friends who had predicted they Diggings, now a ghost town, but for many %uiit a coffin for themselves. Corn- years one of the richest mining soctions ing fog, sea sickness and inexperience,in southern Oregon.--Bibliography: Old crew drifted for five days.Until thenewspaper clippings; pioneer reminis- lifted and they found themselves at thecences. heads of the Golden Gate, neither the am nor his crew had had any idea where The Santa Maria of Hobsonvillo. Sixty were.The farmer-mariners sold the years ago Tillamook County was a region of Oregon at San Francisco for enoughof forosts intersperscd with grassy y over a thousand head of cattle and plains and isolated from the rest of the hundred head of horses and mules whichstate 'by forbidding mountains and the drovo back to Orogon.....Bibliography: lack of roads.At a point of the bay 3 and Dryden's Marine History. iciown. to the Indians as Talapus Cradle, Joseph Smith built a sawmill.Tho littie o Uinatilla House.The Umatilla Housetown of Hobsonville grew up around it. Q drama is the story of that nationallyIt was soon evident that the mill could hostelry at The Dalles on the Colum-produce more lumber than the local mar- ver,The owners, Nicholas Sinnot ket could consumo, and, unless a freight-. jor Handley gave the same service toor could be induced to stop at Hobson- ich who could pay for it and the pooryule, Smith's mill would have to be shut Could not.The Umatilla House was the down and tho little town would dio,Dc- r of commercial, political and socialspite his best efforts Smith could not tor the entire upper Columbia River persuade a ship's captain to cross the Upon its register appeared such Tillaniook bar.Every pilot considered $ as President Ulysses S. Grant, Gen- the undertaking too dangerous.Meanwhile Sherman, Henry Vil]ard, Thomas A. the mill dock was stacked high with un- *0211 John L. Sullivan and James Corbett.sold lumber. .b1ilding itselfno longer stands, but Smith' s young son went to San Fran- kr old-timers gather they re-toll cisco, and, after ninny robuffsfinally cales of the Umatilla House, the hotelpersuaded the Captain of the Santa blaria Philosophy, whose owners' policy ofto enter Tillamook harbor.At Hobm- Ozrting bums and bankers has becomea yule the Santa Maria was loaded vrih s Best loved among those stories islumber and made ready to sail,Thca'- Oe aboutthe bum who became prosperoustam, fearing the dangers of the bar Sinnot and Handloy wore bankruptedthreatened not to return for another car- fir0that burned the old Umatilla go.If he wore not returning ho agreed cai0 to the aid of his benefactors to sound one blast when he had crossed thorn $50,000 to rebuild.Bib- the bar.Three blasts would j.rdi calc his aphy: Oldnewspaper clipping, reininis-sure return.Since the fate of the $ Ofpioneers and historical docu- town. depended upon the signal :athors it seemed an etcrnit'r to the :raiing -4- 5idezits of Hobsonvillebefore the ship to give up the life of adventureand ssed thobar and threeblasts of tho froedom and to scttlo down to thequiet ta Maria's whistlesounded across the oxistonco of con'riunity life, but as %or.-- Bibliography: Old newspaper time passed they became respected mem- )pings, old maps andinterviews with bers of the .Joe Meek 0ondénts of the oarly pioneers. was elected sheriff ofthe Provisional government in 1843 and in 1848, follow- Joe Meek: Mountain Man.A slack fur ing the , he Liado a et in 1840 forced Joe Meek,"Doc' Nevrc11 spoctacular trip across tho plains to thoir associate trappers toabandon thoWashington bearing a memorial asking dand easy life they onjoyod intho federal aid for protection againstthe Mountafris and -to movo to the Willaxa- Indians.When the Oregon territory was Valley.Packing their scanty stores formed he was made United States Marshal. wagons, with their NozPorco wives andBibliography:Frances Fuller Victor; tdron prched atop the loads, they set River of the West. After many difficulties they reached 1hitirian Mission at Walla Walla.There Captain Robert Gray.Undaunted by abandoned the wagons and made the resthis failure to make important discover- a way to the WillanietteValley by packies on his western exploration voyage sos.Weeks later, on a grey December of 1788, Captain Robert Gray returned oold, weary, and hungry, they reachedto the Pacific Coast in1792. Piloting Willmotto River near whore Milwaukie the Columbia, he cruised the Oregon atands. coast, observing evory possible inlet Christmas day of 1840 Meek and the and studying the muddy channels the tammen staked out claims on the rivers sent out to the sea.The force atmPlains.They suffered extremo and width of one of these channels so hips that first winter but wore savedattracted his attention that, on the starvation by grain which they securedmorning of May17, 1792, hepiloted the Vancouver.With the arrival of springsturdy little Columbia through the for- took to the beaver streams again, bidding breakers and into the river _g they could live by trapping in which he named in honor of his ship. IThen they took their pelts to theHis discovery was later the basis of OI Bay Company they found them worth-one of the mostimportant claims the 1 for hats were then being made of United States made to the . instead of beaver fur as formerly. Bibliography:Oregon Historical Quar- ore was nothing loft for the mountainterly: September,1929;March, 1930,March o do but farm their land.It was hard.1935. Oregonian, Jvnuar,r 27, 1935,.

The next Oregon Oddities pamphlet will be devoted to questions and an- swers pertinent to Oregonhistory, geolor and geography.

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