Compiled by Don Hoiness from archived copies of The Bulletin at Deschutes County Historical Society.

100 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

Feb. 10, 1918

May enlist women for service with armies in France

Six women and three men have been appointed by Secretary of War Baker to investigate the advisability of the organization of a women’s war service similar to Great Britain’s Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps and make it a part of the American army. Those in it would wear uniforms and work behind the lines, releasing more men for the front. The women would be under strict military rule.

In the English army regular cantonments are provided for the women in France. Typists, chauffeurs and others professionally inclined, are enlisted.

Campaign against ‘subs’ successful

America has adopted a unique anti-submarine campaign, which is successfully sweeping the divers from the sea, it is authoritatively learned. New guns and torpedoes are also being utilized. The nature of these devices is a military secret. The statement that torpedoes will be used against submarines, however, may refer to the Hammond wireless controlled torpedo.

Tells about merino sheep

“Just about every so often I get to feeling sheepish, as it were, and have something to show my familiarity with those animals,” says Strickland Gillilan in Farm Life.

The other day I saw my wife cooking a leg of lamb. Now and then she would open the door of the oven and flip some water over the meat.

Thus I learned how, when we start to roast somebody, we may be said to be giving him a lamb-basting.

You have often heard of sheepfolds, haven’t you? Well, if you want to see a sheepfold look at any merino sheep which accounts for the way the folds show on them.

When merino sheep were made, hide was cheaper than mutton and wool was a drug on the market. So a wee bit of sheep was wrapped in several sheepskins, necessitating a lot of overlaps. It seems easier to shir a sheep than to shear one.

There is an old rhyme which speaks of the “folded flock.” Those must have been merinos. It is some nifty stunt to de-wool a merino and leave on more of the hide than of the wool. It is the only accordion plaited sheep in the solar system. If merinos had been washed in green persimmon juice all their lives they couldn’t have been puckereder.

Evidently their mamas didn’t use (that kind of) soap.

The Southdown, Oxforddown, Shropshire-down, etc, are sheep with clean dresses and dirty hands and faces.

The only sheep that wear bustles are the fat rumped sheep now being raised at Brookings, S.D. They carry a trailer, something like a locomotive, only there isn’t a tender behind, except for eating purposes.

75 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

Feb. 10, 1943

All men but those needed in war industries expected to be inducted for military duty

Only necessary men in the 35 industries now listed as essential can be reasonably certain of escaping a call to military service this year, war manpower commission sources said today.

That means that every able-bodied man, aged 18 through 37, must look forward to induction, regardless of whether he is a father, unless he is found to be a necessary man in an industry contributing to the war effort or in agriculture, or unless congress takes some further action, such as to postpone induction of fathers.

It was pointed out that there is a wide abyss between the necessary occupations in essential industries and the list of “non-deferrable” occupations announced two days ago by the war manpower chief. When asked what the prospects were for men on neither list, an official said:

“The only logical conclusion is that men not listed as necessary can look forward to military service, regardless of whether or not their job has been listed as non-deferrable.

“However, any man who transfers from his present job to an essential industry in which he becomes a ‘necessary man’” will get further deferment.”

WMC Paul V. McNutt has said that 10 out of every 14 men will be in the armed forces by the year’s end. There are an estimated 15,000,000 physically fit men aged 18 through 37, of whom more than one-third already are in uniform.

It will be necessary to take not only fathers who are not deferrable because of occupation, but it might also be necessary to raise the present age limit set by the armed forces.

Huge new U.S. battleship will soon be ready for war

Another U.S. battleship, 41,000 tons of sudden death, is in commission and almost ready to join the U.S. fleet.

It may now be revealed that this huge floating fortress, believed to be the match of any man-of-war afloat, was laced in commission months ago.

Since then she has been engaged in training her crew, sharpening her gunnery, making up-to-the-minute improvements, shaking out defects that invariably crop up when a warship is in her infancy.

I am in a position to state it will do the enemy no good to come within range of this ship’s nine 16-inch guns — it’s bad enough to be behind them when they fire.

On a day when the big guns were unlimbered against a distant target, I was standing on a conning tower platform, all eyes and ears.

Some moments later, I was clawing for the rail with one hand and trying to get control of the other, which had been lifted as though grasped by an unseen giant. I was hit with stunning force. My legs buckled. But I could still hear, and the “cease firing” command sounded very good indeed.

Later, when I described my reactions to an officer, he remarked: “Why that was a mild blast; we didn’t fire a full charge.”

Be that as it may, it was quite an eruption and this ship is quite some ship, She is unquestionably a more powerful fighting craft than any of her sisters.

50 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

Feb. 10, 1968

Vince Genna a good choice to manage Bachelor Lodge (editorial)

Selection of Vince Genna to manage the lodge at Bachelor Butte was a good one.

Difficult as it may be for City Manager Hal Puddy to find a new director for Bend’s Parks and Recreation Department, the choice of Genna is a fortunate one for Bend. It’s no secret that he has received some tempting offers in recent months. Sooner or later one of these probably would have been too tempting for him to turn down, and he would have been lost to the area.

Bend has a stake in the future development of the Mt. Bachelor resort. Genna should prove a valuable asset in that development.

He’s a friendly, hard working guy who has the ability to get along with people. As he has demonstrated many times in his work for the city, Genna also has a real knack for getting things done.

There is not space enough in these columns to list all his accomplishments. However, several deserve special mention.

His selection last year for the coveted National Gold Medal Award presented by Sports Foundation, Inc., brought national recognition not only to Genna but to the Central Oregon area.

Developments at Juniper Park and the newly undertaken Columbia Park are largely the result of his foresight, enthusiasm and energetic prodding.

His work with youth has been especially outstanding. The various programs which he has developed have provided countless hours of wholesome recreation for literally thousands of Bend young people.

Special mention should also be given to his interest in adult phases of recreation and his work with the school system in developing joint usage of facilities for various evening sports programs such as basketball and softball.

The list could go on and on, but these accomplishments re enough to indicate the excellent background which Genna will take with him to his new position at Bachelor.

We can’t think of a better man for the job.

Kiki highest U.S. finisher in ski race

Kiki Cutter of Bend, Oregon, placed 17th in the woman’s downhill ski race in France today.

Miss Cutter was named to the U.S. Olympic team after flashy performances in pre-Olympic races.

She led the American contingent. She ran the course in 1:44.94.

Miss Cutter started 25th in the field, This was the first ladies event of the 10th Winter Olympics. The next event will be the slalom on Tuesday.

25 YEARS AGO

For the week ending

Feb. 10, 1993

Readers wax eloquent in face of world’s most hideous potholes (Keith Fredrickson)

Oh, the human spirit!

Give us adversity, and do we complain? Hell no. We crack jokes about it; write poems about it. We’re indomitable, unconquerable. A piece of work.

The reason I feel like such a Pollyanna is because I’ve just finished reading all the entries in the first-ever In Your Face, Slow Your Pace, Kidney-Jarring, Door-Rattling, Shock-Shattering, Hideous Pothole Contest.

When I asked readers to send me descriptions of their favorite — or least favorite — potholes, I was half-expecting a bunch of moaning and groaning about what a poor job our federal, state, county and municipal government have done in preventing and repairing car-size craters on our roads.

Instead, readers responded with a graceful celebration of humor.

One of my favorite entries came from Jeff Haller, Bend’s own Garrison Keillor, who said the best pothole he’s seen this winter is located at the corner of South Highway 97 and Baker Road in Deschutes River Woods.

“It is so large,” he said, “that it deserves a name — Lake Car-be-gone.”

“This pothole has eaten entire small cars and trapped many full-sized one. The good news is that this spring and summer many of us will not need to travel to the mountains to fish or water ski as Lake Car-be-gone is very close to town. During the cold days … I have seen several ice fishermen there.”

Another Bend resident, Barbara Wulf, nominated a pothole named “Fred” at the corner of Deschutes Place and Quimby Court as the High Desert’s most hideous.

“Fred” is getting quite deep and has a tendency to dine on yellow Honda Civics and other small cars,” she reported.

Several entries referred to myriad potholes on Division Street, in Bend, including Kathy Miller, who labeled one particular spot as “Pothole No. 4,976 — more commonly described as Elvis and Madonna grappling over Elvis’ guitar (at least I think it was the guitar)!”

And Division, along with Franklin Avenue, was the focus of a bit of satire from Bill Standley, who wrote:

“President Clinton announced today that U.N. peacekeeping forces would begin training in Central Oregon immediately. … A spokesperson said that Division Street and Franklin reminded them of Serbia under attack … because of the massive shell holes and number of wrecked and destroyed vehicles littering the sides of the road. …”