Wagon master Joe Yokum tells stories during lunch of past wagon trails to, from left, John and Jacob Sell, of Graham, Washington, and an unidentified wagon train participant. (East Oregonian, File)

25 years ago this week — 2000

When the early pioneers arrived in Oregon after crossing thousands of miles of harsh countryside, their wagon train found a verdant land but little else. No towns or stores, and rarely any other settlers to greet them.

During this year’s week-long Round-Up Wagon Train, when participants rolled into camp they were greeted with cold beer, catered food, shot showers and the jokes and smiles of their friends and relatives.

No one would say the current wagon train is as grueling as the two tripes made by pioneers, but the two do use the same wagons. And riding in the current train lets one quickly appreciate the hardships endured by those first settlers.

“You find out why in the older days you see so many people walking by their wagons instead of riding them, they aren’t too comfortable,” said Marv Anderson, wagon train co-chairman.

While veterans of the Round-Up Wagon Train couldn’t agree on exactly when the tradition started, most put it at around 19 years ago. In the beginning, the week-long trip was a little rougher.

“When we started it was a little but more authentic,” said Paul Green, the train’s other co-chairman. “Originally you had to be pretty tough to make it.”

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PENDLETON —  Colors of every hue accentuated the sixth annual Wildhorse Pow-Wow Saturday.

Hundreds of dancers flowed in their ornate costumes, accessorized with feathers, tassels and bells. Northwest Native American artists displayed their fine art, a mixture of colors from natural earth tones to the psychedelic.

Pendleton powwow dancer Bill Johnson wore a costume of yellow and black. He said the colors are significant to his family’s heritage. A Nez Perce, he is a member of the Chief Joseph band and a descendent of Yellow Wolf, one of the survivors of the Nez Perce war with the United States in 1877.

A warrior himself, Johnson, 59, is a Vietnam veteran who was honored with other veterans during Saturday’s grand entry.

“Rightfully so,” Johnson said. “Native Americans hold veterans in high regard.”

When he’s not dancing, Johnson stays close to his military roots as a fabricator and welder with the Army Corps of Engineers at McNary Dam.

While Johnson used the grassy lawn to continue a dancing tradition he started as a child, Spokane artist Ric Gendron fielded questions from visitors to the Northwest Indian art mar-ket, an addition to this year’s powwow.

Gendron’s use of dazzling — almost garish — colors made his display of acrylic paintings a worthy conversation piece.

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Fourth of July activities and fireworks are planned today in:

ARLINGTON

Games and horseshoe tournament begin at the park at 2 p.m. Fireworks start at dark, approximately 9:30 p.m.

BOARDMAN

The Fourth of July Parade on Main Street starts at 11 this morning.

Activities at Marina Part include a day-long softball tournament, food concessions starting at 11 a.m., a horseshoe tourney and kids games at 1 p.m.; bingo from 1-3 p.m. and 4-6 p.m.; a lip synch/ talent show at 3 p.m.; and afternoon and evening entertainment by Tony Madrigal and the McChoir Sisters. A “Thunder over the River” fireworks show will begin at dark.

IONE

The Blues Cruise Classic Car Show will begin at 11 a.m.; a beer garden and food vendors will open at noon. Games will include a horseshoe tournament, the frog jump, go carts, straw money pile and dunk tank/ The swimming pool will be open from 2 p.m. until the fireworks at dusk. Music in the park will begin at 2 p.m. and continue until the fireworks begin.

PENDLETON

An old-fashioned Fourth of July family celebration to benefit the Pioneer Playground Project sponsored by the American Association of University Women and the City of Pendleton is planned from 3-6 p.m. in Roy Raley Park. Activities will include relay races, three-legged races, a fishing competition, lollipop tree, bean bag toss, horseshoe toss, and face painting. The Pendleton Fire Department will provide a tour of the station and entertainment will be provided by members of the Oregon East Symphony. A raffle for a picnic table set will take place at 5 p.m.

Cookies, beverages, ice cream, and pie will be available.

Fireworks, put on by the Pendleton Jaycees, will begin at dark at the Round-Up grounds.

50 years ago this week — 1975

No July 1975

100 years ago this week — 1925

Charges of alleged violation of the liquor laws are faced by Bob Linsner, John Rothrock and a woman who gave the name of Jessie Rivard as a result of the arrest of the trio Monday afternoon. The arrests were effected in Pendleton at 205 West Webb street yesterday afternoon at 4 o’clock by Sheriff Cookingham and a deputy.

This morning the three faced Justice Berkeley for their arraign-ment. Their bonds were set at $1,000 each for the two men and $500 for the woman.

The officers seized 12 bottles of whiskey which had all been unloaded from a truck, except one, and it was found on the machine where it had spilled out of the sack that was the container for the rest of the liquor.

Linsner had just got off the truck when the sheriff’s car drove into view.

“The Rivard woman warned Linsner to hurry,” Sheriff Cookingham said. “My deputy reached the house and hold of the sack. Linsner hit him and knocked him down, but the officer held on. When I arrived we overpowered Linsner and handcuffed him. He resisted us, and several blows were exchanged before we got him to jail.”

The truck which had just been driven up in front of the house on West Webb street was also seized by the officers and an effort will be made to hold it, according to the sheriff. Linsner has been in trouble repeatedly in liquor cases.

Last night John Attebery was arrested on a charge of non-support.

At Milton, deputy sheriffs arrested Bob Warner on a charge of illegal possession, and he was fined $150 before Justice Scott. Neil Lieuallen was fined $50 and costs on the same charge.

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The first report on wheat yields in Umatilla county for the 1925 harvest is that made by M. E. Myers & Son of near Echo who started harvesting Monday of this week. Their yield is running between 18 and 20 bushels to the acre, and a sample of the grain gave it a test weight of 60 1-2 pounds to the bushel.

Hard Federation is the variety grown by Myers & Son. They expect a crop of between 9,000 and 10,000 sacks. The crop has been sold to Kerr-Gifford Co. at $1.30 a bushel, basis No. 1. The first carload will be made up next Tuesday and shipped out Wednesday morning, according to Carl Halterman, local representative of the company.

George Coppinger, also of near Echo, is now harvesting, but no report on his yield has been received here. A small sample sent in from the ranch was tested for its gluten content and showed a test of 34.9, which is said to be high. The sample was too small to permit of a weight test. Mr. Coppinger’s wheat is also Hard Federation.

Quite a number of farmers have declared their intentions of starting harvesting on Monday.

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All efforts to revive Joe Frost, aged 43. foreman of the Pacific Power & Light Co. gas plant, proved unavailing yesterday afternoon and he died shortly after he had been rescued from the valve chamber where escaping gas caused his asphyxiation.

Frost was in such critical condition that it was impossible to take him to the hospital, so resuscitation was attempted as the man lay in the yard of his home, near the gas plant. His wife and some of his children watched the efforts of physicians and nurses who for an hour and 15 minutes used oxygen tanks on Frost. Finally all hope was abandoned.

Carl Brantley and Jack Dixon, workmen at the plant, were overcome by gas fumes in their efforts to save Frost but were revived when oxygen was pumped into their lungs. They will recover, say doctors.

Frost, who has had 18 years experience in gas, crawled down into the valve chamber to repair an inch and a half outlet pipe, taking off the cover of a four inch tap into the gas main. Frost wore a gas mask which had 15 feet of hose, with only about four or five feet on the outside. He knocked the temporary cover off the four inch tap and the gas rose, Frost breathing the deadly fumes in through his air tube. He started to come out but fell back from the ladder in the valve chamber and disconnected his air hose completely.