100 YEARS AGO

July 2, 1925

Last Friday evening about six o’clock a general mix was staged at the section house at Opal City. The principals in the affair were Pedro Galas, Pedro Coyas and Jesus Manarera.

The affair was supposed to have been the result of a difference resulting from a quarrel over the turning on of the water. Manarera it seems had been ordered to do some sprinkling and after he had turned the water on it was turned off by one of the other men, both of whom, armed with knives, took after Mangarera when he accused them of this.

By way of protecting himself, Mangarera began shooting with a 32 revolver, which he had previously got from its hiding place under his pillow in the bunkhouse.

According to Mangarera, it was his intention to merely frighten off the men, who were attacking him, but Coyas proved the victim and received a shot in the leg and also one in the hip. He is now in the Saint Charles hospital being treated for his wounds, and Galas is now being held by the Immigration authorities at Portland subject to further action of the law pertaining to aliens.

70 YEARS AGO

July 7, 1955

Wheels are turning and plans are being formulated with the view of putting the biggest and best Jefferson County Fair in the history of the event, Harry Carpenter, Jefferson County fair board secretary, reported following a meeting of that group, Tuesday evening.

The period of September 1 through 4 will offer a diversity of activities including fair competition in 4-H, Future farmers of America, and open classes, the Northwest Championship Junior rodeo, dances, a carnival, fair parade, talent show, flower show, and buckaroo breakfast.

The weekend will revolve around a “Wheels of Progress” theme, and fair booths and fair parade floats will follow the motif.

For the first time in several years, a carnival will be set up on the fairgrounds. Arc-Way Shows, Creswell, Oregon, is the carnival company contracted for September 1 through 4.

Entries for the fair are due August 30 and 31. All entries are scheduled to be in place the evening of August 31, with the exception of flower show exhibits, due at 10 a.m., September 1, in the community hall.

The flower show, a new section this year, will be under direction of Jefferson Count garden clubs.

Judging of fair exhibits starts early September 1, and judging contests and demonstrations will be featured that day. That evening, a 4-H style show is tentatively scheduled at 8 p.m. in the Madras Grade school auditorium.

Beard Contest

Hate to shave? Want to shove the razor and shaving cream into a corner of the bathroom cabinet and watch them gather dust?

Ned Cox, owner of Ned’s Tavern, Madras, is offering an excuse for non-shavers to blossom out in all their wooly glory.

In conjunction with the Jefferson County Fair, Cox is sponsoring the “Bearded Buckos” and all male Jefferson County residents have been invited to join the beard-growing competition.

Competition in the beard-growing contest will come to a close September 1 as contestants gather at Ned’s Tavern to compare growth. Prizes will also be given for best women’s calico dress costumes.

50 YEARS AGO

July 10, 1975

For the second time in 10 days, Jefferson County Deputy Sheriff Pete Thomas has had someone shooting at him.

Deputy Thomas was investigating an attempted burglary at the Rainbow marker at Warm Springs about 1:25 a.m., Tuesday when at least four shots were fired in his direction from across the Deschutes River.

An unidentified person had called the dispatcher reporting that there was someone on the roof of the Frontier Bar adjacent to the grocery.

The deputy was investigating alone when the shots were fired.

Sunday, June 28, Deputy Thomas was present when gunfire was exchanged by Billy Jack Anderson, 20, of Madras and law enforcement officers. No one was injured in the exchange.

Anderson was later charged with second-degree kidnapping, first-degree robbery, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and recklessly endangering another person.

25 YEARS AGO

July 5, 2000

A recent range fire north of Madras 1,000 acres near an area where fire crews were mopping up an earlier, larger blaze.

The Baker Can fire burned sagebrush, grass and juniper near Trout Creek, in an area where the Seattle Flat fire had just blackened 3,400 acres.

The fire crews that were assigned to mop-up the Seattle Flat fire were dispatched to the other side of Trout Creek, and were quickly able to  contain the new blaze.

The Baker Can fire, of unknown origin, was first reported at 2:20 p.m. on Friday, June 23; and was contained that evening. This was one of many wild land fires in the region in recent days.

The Blue Pool fire last week burned on Bureau of Land Management public lands near Maupin. This blaze required the closure of the Lower Deschutes River.

The closure was necessary as a fire helicopter was using the river as a water source, according to a report from the Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center.

In a separate incident last week, a Burlington Northern railroad tanker car derailed 1.3 miles downstream from the fire, stopping traffic on the river.

The car was carrying sulfuric acid of an unknown industrial strength.

Initial attack of the Blue Pool fire was delayed for health and safety of fire fighters en-route to the fire.

A state hazardous material investigation team responded, with assistance from the Oregon State Police, and secured the derailment incident.

The cause of the Blue Pool fire was unknown last week.