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About The Medford mail. (Medford, Or.) 1893-1909 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 21, 1903)
1 : An Advertisement I THK MAIL is sure to brlug results. because at leaBt . . . , 6000 People Head It Every week, and all of these Bead , ere of . . THE MAIL now tlmt when they see it In This n i Secretary Hitchcock Is Deter mined that the Next Congress Shall take Action on the Tim ber and Stone Act, the Com muted Homestead and the Desert Land Laws. , Washington, D. C, Aug. 16: The 68th Congress, when it regular ly assembles in December, will be called upon to remove from the statute books three laws under which the government has been ays tematically . robbed each year of hundreds of thousands,- if not mil lions, of dollars' worth of public lands. The robbers are not in all cases violating the letter of the law and as long as these three laws re main in- force they cannot be reached, but they are violating the spirit of the law, and escape only on technicalities. The fight began in the last days of the 57th Congress to bring about the repeal of the tim ber and stone act, the desert land act, the commutation clause of the homestead act, is to be renewed with vigor, and the friends, as well as the enemies of reform, are even now preparing to enter the' fray, each side determined to win. Secretary Hitchcock is favorable to a' sweeping reform in all land matters. The sentiment in favor of reform is growing, but any at tempt at such radical reform as is proposed by the Secretary would be met with failure. Reform legisla tion, to pass Congress, must be to same extent conservative, a sort of compromise measure. Congress will never consent to the repeal of the timber and stone act, unless some suitable legislation is enaoted pro viding a new but equitable meanB by which public timber lands may be acquired. It is possible that Eome legislation may be framed au thorizing the sale of timber from the public domain, a practice that is now prohibited, but for which there is more or lees demand. A more consistent fight can be made on the commutation clause of the homestead law than on either of the laws above specified, but a number of Western Congressmen , men of influence, too, are fighting the repeal of this law, on the ground that it would unnecessarily hard ship settlers. On the other hand, advocates of repeal asserts that any man who Bincerely enters 160 acres under the homestead law, with the intention of making it his perma nent home, could certainly not object to being obliged to live on his land for five years, nod to cul tivate and improve it. They insist that a bona fide settler, a settler of the desirable class, would do this, regardless of the law; would do it in his own interest, and would muoh prefer to acquire title by residence, than by paying cash for the land after be had resided there on for 14 months. ,., . ( ( Is is more than probable that Binger Hermann will be made a member of the Public Lands Com mittee in the next house. His six years' experience as Commissioner of the general land office has given him an insight into the workings of the public land laws that have been enjoyed by few men, and bis advice would ba eagerly sought on all occasions when important land problems were pending. The mention of Mr. Hermann in connection with the public land laws recalls the fact that a law, more vicious than any of those that VOL-17. are now before the public eye, -has for years been the subject, of attack by Hermann, and his influence in the next CongreBB can. certainly be counted on to bring about an ab solute repeal of the Huu land law, It is alleged byt many that the passage of the National irrigation law has largely done away with the necessity for? the "desert-land act, dutthis assertion will de cayed into question. It is a fact that the Government has deen swinded out of many thousanbsv of acres of grazing and even' agricultural land by persons who have operated under the desert land law, and so long as that law continues in its present foim theBe frauds can never be en t'rely arrested, ' Violations of the desert-land law have not been so extensive on the Pacific Coast as in the states east of the Rooky Moun tains, particularly in . Montana. But even in those states the desert haw has many friends as well as enemies. EKlflfTO PACK APPLES. From tho San Francisco Chronlole. It is stated that California now ships about 350,000 boxes of apples a year to Great Britlan, and that with more care in packing, the sale would increase very largely, A number of Oregon packers, who engage in tho business with the determination to perfect paokine, reg ularly ontsell any California apples by about $1 a box. This Is not because the apples are bettor, but because the packing is better ;the result is that since but a few Oregon packers are in the business, all of whom do good packing. Oregon apples have come to be re garded in the British markets ai "better" than California apples. Pres tlge earned in this nay is well de served, and we respeotfully take off our bats to Oregon ; but it Is disgraceful that our California shippers should compel us to do so. CANAL TREAT!. Washington, Aug. 17. A cable gram dated August 12, has been received at the State Department from Minister Beaupre, at Bogota, saying that toe Manama canal treaty has been rejeoted by the Colombian Senate. President Roose velt was di vised of the newB. Mr. Beaupre's telegram being forwarded to Oyster Bay. S. P. to Pension Employes. The Southern Pacific pension syBtem has been put into operation, and 35 old employes of the company have been re tired under its provisions. Among them are G. Ewald, transportation depart- ment, lines in Oregon. The work of the pension board is still unfinished, and a number of high officials will probably be placed on the retired list in a short time. Among these are: Joseph L. Wilcutt, secretary of the Central Pacific, the Southern Paclfio and other roads in the Pacifio system; Captain N. T. Smith, treasurer of the Southern Pacific Company; T. H. Goodman, general passenger agent of the South ern Pacific; Jerome Madden, land agent of the Southern Pacific Company; J. N. Hanford, paymaster of the Southern Pacific Company; E. Black Ryan, tax attorney of the Southern Pacific Company. All the above ofti leers are over tho pension age limit of 70 years and all have been in the service of the company for more than the prescribed 20 years. Prosperity In Old Michigan. The following is from a Michigan ex change and In it' is told the conditions which prevail among farmers, which are not unlike the conditions found upon the farms In Oregon : On every hand one can see evidences of prosperity. The old dilapidated rail and board fences aro fast giving way to neat and substantial wire ones. The barns and sheds aro being repaired and repainted and in many instances now ones are taking the place of the old. New and comfortable rosiderces are also springing up here and there and everything points to a return of happy days on the farm. MEDFORD, JACKSON CODNTT, OF OREGON. Crater Lake Party More than Pleased Wlfh What They Saw A Brief Story of the Trip to the Lake Qrand Scenery and ' a Merry Party to Enjoy It, A member of the Portland Crater luke party has given the roriiana ure gonian the following account of their trip. After giving the personnel of the party he Bays : "It la probably the merriest party that has ever traveled over the hills to this great natural wonder of Oregon Leaving Portland August 4th by the Southern Pacific, they were transferred to wagons at Medford, arriving at Crater lake on schedule time Saturday night, AuguBt 8, with the exception of some freight. The long ride through the cool, enticing shadows of the yellow pine forests was brightened by sallies and bon mots without number, and the inspiration of the noble eanyons of the Rogue river, its waterfalls and marvel' ous natural bridge brought out quaint, picturesque metaphors and curious le gends such as might well become a per' manent part of Paelfio coast literature "Joaquin Miller was in his happiest vein, his wit and fantaBV finding fresh opportunity to vent itself at every turn in the road. Dr. Hill was-the humorist of another wagonload, a jovial giant, bent on seeing that everybody about him should get the best out of his va cation. President Campbell, alwaya brilliant reoontour, kept' np a perpetual laugh at the other end of the cavalcade, while Senator Fulton's shrewd humor and good sense gave the needed sploe of diversity. "At Eagle Point, fifteen miles be yond Medford, there was a campfire that will live long in the memory of those who were present. The whole country side for miles around had as sembled to do honor to the visitors, and the stirring intensity and lofty strain of feeling shown in the impromptu speeches; together with much olever repartee, brought out ringing applause from the people of Eagle Point, Joaquin Miller gave a superb tribute to Oregon for her part in the Indian warB, placing thhvstate before all others in the Union for the brave men she gave and the Oregon gold she coined for the cause. The battle of Table Rock was touohed upon with imuch dramatic fervor and vivid imagery a battle in which some of those present had taken an active part. ' A lively scramble down the mossy steeps of the picturesque little waterfall on the oountry place of J. H. Stewart, of Medford, was a feature of the next camp. This is situated In the heart of the foreBt, thecharming vistas and wild- wool glens causing Joaquin Miller to exclaim that he could not wish heaven itself to be more delightful and entranc ing in its beauty. The ruetio cottage, with its wide verandas, waB filled with trophies of chase and pine wood curios. The campfire talks Inspired by the rare hospitality of the owners were quite aB notable as at Eagle Point. At the notural bridge, where Rogue river disappears into the living rock to come out of its prison-house a foaming torrent, It was found that the horses, although the best obtainable, were not quite equal to the task of carrying the generous load of table supplies provided by Mr. Steel up the mountain on sched ule time. This will explain why the company of 27 people arriving at Crater lake about Bunset Saturday night found, after waiting two hourB, that the cook, with his supplies, was enoamped at the base of the mountain. This necessitated a merry scramble of a mile down the mountain in the moonlight. But Sunday morning found all encamped in good shape on the rim of the lake, engaged in studying (he raarvelot. changing tints 01 water ana rocty enn as tne sun moved westward. Ou Monday, August 10, a party of about 30 people, under the guidance of Captain O. C. Applegate, who was encamped near by, climed Castle moun tain, which is 8175 feet from sea level, or 1000 feet above the camping ground. Senator Fulton, Dr. Bill. Mr. Wheeler and son, who remained behind, Im proved the time by taking a swim 'in the lake. Today (Tuesday) is one o! eager an ticipation, as tbe new boat furnished by tbe United State Government is to he launched by means of rones from tbe clifT to the lake, 1000 feet below. Everybody declares he Is having the belt time of his life. Venison is a popular dish today, two hunters having brougbt in two deer. OREGON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 1903 NEWS OP THE STATE. The steamer Ore ton returned hut week from Nome with $250,000 in gold I and 139 passengers on board. ; Hon. Malcolm A. Moody has just re- ceived notice from the Commissioner of Pensions that the claim of Lewis Law ley, of Tho Dalles, has boon allowed at (8 a month from June 27, 1002, This pension established a new ruling ou the Indian War veteran act of the above date, thereby recognizing as pension able tho volunteers who failed to druw the pay allotted to them by the . War Department for their services against the Indians In the early daye when every man and every horse that oould be spared from the scattered settlements of Oregon and Washington were called upon to protect tbe lives and property of the pioneers. At a meeting of prunegrowere held at Salem last Saturday a movement was Btarted for the organization of a mutual insurance company, for the Insurance of prune dryers. The growers were agreed that the insurance companies charge too high a rate of premium for this class of risks, and that the coat oould be greatly reduced by oo-opera tiva action. It ie intended that the in surance association shall accept mem' hers throughout Oregon and Washing ton and transact business only on prune' dryers and warehouses. The new or ganization will have no connection with any of the other prunegrowere' associa tions. The officers and enlisted men at Fort StevenB are engaging In a series of ser vice drills that will continue for period of ten days or two weeks. The entire force at the post is enoamped in tents on the reservation and is living under practically the same conditions aB if the United States was at war with auother nation and an enemy's fleet was expected to attempt an entrance of the Columbia river. To make the situ ation as realistic as possible, the Quar termaster's Department steamer Major Gny Howard makes dally oruieeB about the mouth of the river, and the. big guns are trained on her and fired with blank cartridges. Everything at Fort Stevens is now on a war footing and will bo continue until these drills are completed. Dr. L. W. Brown, of Eugene, relates a most peouliar circumstance. He was oalled to Cottage Grove Friday night to aseiBt in an operation to remove an eye from Mrs. Hunnicutt, who haa been blind in one eye for 35 years, and it had been deemed advisable to remove the nselesB member. The operation was to be performed' next morning, and the woman was nlaced on the ooeratinir table, and the attending' surgeons got their instruments in reamness for the operation, when the woman ehouted that the L,ord had restored her Bight. Those in attendance were greatly sur prised at this outburst, but the good eye was closed and she was shown several articles and could bob them plainly with the eye that bad been blind for years and called the articles byname. There were half a dozen wit nesses of the occurrence and all wore dumbfounded. The woman had Bpent several hourB in prayor previous to the time for tho operation and just before going on the operating table offered a final prayer toGod to restore her sight. She naturally feels that her prayer was answered. From the PruttroBD's uulde. 'The apple plungers have started at their fall work. News reaohed the Guide office this week that a Chicago house by Its representatives purchased an Oregon orchard estimated to contain some 7,000 boxes on an 'all round1 basis all varieties and sizes at SI. 50 a box. This 1b nervy, or rather riskv buying, to say the leant of it. Shipments abroad will have to realize eleven shillings. about $2.05, for the shipper to come out at the right end of the horn. "Prices are nigh, anynow, rignt now in Oregon and the growers have set a general asking price of $1.25 to $1 .85 f. o. cars." Hurrah for Southern Oregon! Go'. darn her plctur', she always was a trump card, We have known it all the time and It is gratifying to now real ize that others are of the same opinion. These Teacher Were Successful. The following teachers were eucceBs- ful at the regular teachers' examination held In Jacksonville, Aug. 12, 18 and 14th. First grade: David P. Mathews, E. E. Smith, Nettie Thompson, Eftle Weiss, Ethelyn Hurley. Second grade: Mamie Rippey, Helen Walt, Martina Tbells, Fannie Hewos, Viola PrciBter, Christina MaoTavlsh, Agnes Mooro. Third grado: Mac Curry, Lillie Howes, Kate Broad. Primary grado: Harriet F. Caniere, Ella Griffith, Mrs. M. Peter, NO. 34. Opinions of Some of Our Citizens Serious and Otherwise . Ralph Woodford: "Wo reached Ash laud Tuesday noon with our Crater lake crowd. There were juat an even thirty five in the party, counting the teamsters. Tbere wore eight teams and wo made the trip without any seri ous iiooident, exoept that Sam Harnish, of Eagle Point, lost one of his horses' It wbb a fine animal, and it dropped dead in the harness within a short dis tance of the Indian Agency. The orowd ohipped in a dollar or two each and raised fifty dollars tor him and he bought another borse from an Indian. Say, funny thing about the Indian he bought the horse from. He is one of the reservation Indians and evidently gets drunk every time an opportunity is presented. A few weeks ago he in dulged too freely in red liquor and was arrested, tried and sentenced to dig 1200 post boles, as a penalty for tbe offense. He dug 800 holes, and as this was all tbe holes needed at that time the remainder of the One was remitted, but no sooner was ho a ree Indian than did he go fill himself up again with hilarious booze. .This happened the day before we reached the Fort. He was tried again for being drunk and was sentenced to split 1200 posts and he had commenoed working out hlB sentence the morning we saw him. Say, that fellow must hare a thirst like a oow. I went out and dug a pesthole yesterday just to get an Idea how many 800 would bo when they were properly dug United Status Senator Fulton and his family were with tho orowd. The sen ator is one of the best fellows I eversnw In a crowd of that kind . He waB equal to all occasions, one of thoso fellows who fits in almost any place. As tho farmer would say of bis team good for plow purposes on work days and real, tasty drivers for ohuroh purposes on Sunday. He wan In Mr. Lindley's'load and it was amiiBing to see him helping Mr. Lindley curry bis borses and he knows how to do it, all right. Jeff Hamlin was tbe handy man oi the orowd. If any of the teamBters got inta traublo Jeff was on hand to help fix things up. He's an all 'round, gener ous, good fellow and we couldn't have kept house without him. The orowd enjoyed the trip Immensely well and I believe next year a larger crowd than ever will visit the lake." S. G. Van Dyke: "How's fruit, was that what you asked? Why, my dear sir, I have no fruit not now, but you wait a few years and I will be market ing' Oregon red and yellow apples like Voorhies, Lewis, .Stewart, Whitman, Owell and the several othor big growerB are now. I havo as flue a fifty aero or chard of apples and pours now growing as you oftentimes see. 1 havo 100 acres of land in my farm but I do not think 1 will put out any more orchard. Fifty acres will bo adout all I can properly attend to. You soe my farm is made up of good alfalfa and grain land and I can hardly got mysolf outof the notion that I can make money irom growing grain and hay. I have twenty acres of alfalfa and 1 have out already two crops this season and will cut a third crop from some of It. Some of the field I am now pasturing. I will get five tons or a little better to the aore. Last year I cut over six tons to the acre. I am agoing to sow eighteen acroB more to alfalfa next year. No, my land is not sticky it is pretty much all river bot tom. In my opinion sticky land is not agood alfalfa producer. The soil seems too heavy and cold. Tbe best alfalfa land is freo soil where the bard pan !s not too near the surface. I know of sov eral parties who have tried It on sticky land and it was not a success. My wheat crop was light thiB year too dry.. Right at present time my long suit Is dairying. I am milking twelve cows and they are averaging me about $5 a oow per month. The lowest price I have received for butter fat per pound was twenty cents, and the highest thirty. In July the price paid was twenty-two cents. I am shipping to the Ashland creamery. I was doing business with that creamery when tho one In Medford started and it's pretty bard to break; away when a fellow Is being treated square." J. A. Perry: "Yes, I am buying fruit There is not mnch grain to buy this reason and as I havo sort o' gotten into tho notion of buying a good bit of something every fall, I have decided to tackle fruit their is lots of that and I ought to bo able to got hold of several carloads. In all probabilities I will turn my purchases over to the Fruit Grow ers (Jninn. The Union has rented part of my ollloo for tholr seoretary and part o( my warehouse for their packers." Tbe belt part of Southern Oregon Is tbe Rogue River . . . .... Valley. The boil Iowa In the Valley li tbe towu of . , MEDFORD Tlio best Newspaper ' published In Boil thorn Ort'gon, )r , , . THE MAIL. It bus the (I.tirpost Ctroulutloii, Rives I the most News mid Is ulwuys relia ble . . APE OREGiMS. They Are Going to Pack Their Fruit As We Do in Oregon Oregon Orchards a Treat to the Eye. From the California Frultman's Guide. - ..." A. 8. Greeoway, general manager ia the United States of E. A. O'Kellydt Co., of London, returned recently Irom a trip to the apple seotlons of California and Oregon. He expresses himself at highly delighted and impressed with the appearance of the apple oropsia both states. The Pejaro Valley, ho ventures to predict, will turn oat a muoh better orop than it has in the past three or four years. Newtowns show a good and full c.-op and Bellflowers are even fuller. Hr. Greonway noticed that the Pejaro Valley orohardists are tak ing more care of their orchards; they are thinning ont conscientiously and spraying is now almost universal.' "The Oregon orchards," said Mr. Greenway, "arb a veritable treat to the eve. The crop is a good one. Tho Newtowna are a large orop, even if not so full as the other varieties and the apples are looking remarkably fine and dean. "In California tbere will be Ices five- -tior apples than ever before. Tho grow ers have learned their little leBSon from experience and are hunting for , four-tier stock. I look for a great im--:-provement in the Cnllfornlans' packing and grading this seaBou and beliovo that thov will emulate Oregon in theso regards." Prom the San Francliae Examiner. One of the most sucoulent morsels In the aftermath of the big fight was tho size of the "rate." Past masters in tho art of wheedling money out of the pub lic rolled tholr eyes and smocked their Hps every time the amount of the groes. receipts was recalled. It was prophe sied that it would be a long time beforo $112,340 would jingle into a pugilistla boxollice in Hub city again. Of this amount $il2,728.50 went to Jeffries. Ab the actual time of fighting was less than half an hour, he received better than $1,000 n minute for slugging Corbott. It may ba that JeltVies will object to his earnings being figured on a thirty minute basis, as he lest the entire day over the job. But evon then t32,73P,60 is a fairly good return. For that mat ter, one might take into consideration tho five weeks Jeff Bpent in training and argue that the game was worth the candle. Reckoning that way, Jeff ries has earned over (0,000 a week. If be could manage to keep hie date book full bit emoluments would reach oloen to (340,000 a year, and that is enough to make President Roosevelt's annual stipend look like oar fare. Corbett didn't do so bad, either. His share of the takings was I10.909.W). The Yosemite Club, which, like tho man at tbe top of tbe ladder, "did all the work", hail to contest itself with a paltry 18,702. From these figures it is as plain as a pikestaff that championship pugilism payB. The prospect is so alluring thai there Is talk of forming a company tho object being to scour tho highways and byways of the world in search of some husky young giant oapablo of lowering Jeffries' colors. It is generally conced ed there is no known heavy-weight at present in Bight who is equal to tbe task. AMOtStl TM1- CHURCHES. FfltBT M. K CHURCH, Preaching noxt Sunday morning and evening, at the usual hours by the pas tor. All are invited. - PltESBYTKRIAN CIlUltCH. Preaching August 23d at H a. m. by Rev. C. H. Hoxie. Other services as usual. No preaching in the evening. All aro invited to attend these services, , Rbv. W. I' Shields, Pastor. ' IIAITIST CIIURCB. Sabbath school 10 a. i, Win. llavis Sunt. II. Y. P. U. 7 p. u. Leon Howard President, Rev. J union Kelso will preach nt 11 A, M. It is desired that tho members, so fares possible, bo pre falnt no proaohtni: In tl.o evening. T. J,. Ckandau,, Pastor, '