THE MEDFORD DAILY TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OKEfiON, WEDNESDAY, AUGUST V 1009.
Medeord Daily Tribune
Official Paper of the City of Medford.
Published every evening except Sunday.
MEDFORD PUBLISHING COMPANY
George Putnam, Editor and Manager.
Admitted as Second-Class Matter in the Postof f ice at
Medford, Oregon.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES :
.month by mail or carrier.... 10.50 Oue year by mail 5.00
TODAY'S WEATHER PREDICTION.
Clear today and tomorrow. Warmer.
A rare and salubrious climate soil of remarkable fertility
heiuuiful scenery mountains stored with coal, copper and gold
extensive forests streams stocked with speckled beauties game in
abundance a contented, progressive people such is the Rogue
River Valley.
Average mean temperature 55 degrees
Average yearly precipitation 21 inches
"THE TRUTHFUL GRAVEYARD.'
July Sunset contains an excellent story by the author of
"Pigs is Pigs," humorously describing how the civic pride
and public spirit of a city was awakened and an era of pro
gress inaugurated by the establishment of "Thompson's
Truthful Graveyard."
Thompson, a new arrival, observing the close-fisted,
short-sighted narrow and selfish policy of the principal
property owners, men who had grown rich in the communi
ty, yet would do nothing to upbuild the city, saw that what
was needed was a few funerals. Unable to furnish these,
he did the next best thing he started his "truthful ceme
tery," light across' the road from the city's unkempt bur
ial ground.
Every week Thompson planted a white tombstone with
the name of a prominent citizen printed in black letters
upon it. The place for the truthful epitaph, was left blank.
Gossip kept busy rehearsing the meannesses of the citizen
named, and guessing what truth would be inscribed, and
who would be the next to be honored with a tombstone.
When the cemetery '.was pretty weil filled with grave
stones, the daughter of one of the leading citizens, "the
worst type of the small town millionaire," who was ill, vis
ited Thompson in an effort to bribe him in case her father
died, thinking the epitaphs a blaekmeailing scheme.
He showed her his "model graveyard" with the names of
fictitions citizens with epitaphs recording their deeds for
the public good. She entered into the spirit of the work,
and it was not long before, under Jier father's name, was
painted the following epitaph : ' ' Gave $1 0,000 for a Child
ren's Hospital."
The example was contagious, and soon under the names
of other leading citizens weir inscribed such epitaphs as tin;
lollowing: "Donated land for factory site," "(lave .f.KKH!
for public library," "Ooitntt'tl railroad right-of-way,"
"Subscribed $1000 for cemetery improvement," etc., and
the leading citizens began to show such public spirit (hat
the city began to grow, and tlie era ot progress was on.
"Truthful graveyards" could be worked to advantii'-ii
in many (Ngon towns, where funerals are badly needed
among the "-ossbaeks. especially in the Willamette Yallev
towns, where, if the needed funerals aetuallv took nlnco
there would lie no leading citizens left, and but few surviv
ing residents.
Indeed a "truthful graveyard" could be worked on ..
small scale in Med lord with profit, as some wealthy eit
izens, some who have been made rich through the advance
in values due to the efforts of others and who have sfo.-i.lilv
refused cooperation in miblie efforts, nibbr. thrmi.rl. H,.i,
publicity, be shamed into exhibiting civic pride and public
spirit out iiiauK rue liovd mere are not. lvumv uik.1i .,.
than in any community in Oregon, and each year sees their
number growing less;.
May they ever continue fo diminish.
31 EDFOIW V? GRO 1 127.
The average annual growth of Medford during the
past four years has been per cent. Each year has wit
nessed an increase of business and an increase in popu
lation at that ratio.
It does not make much difference what is taken as a
basis of comparison post office receipts, railroad busi
ness, school population, or votes polled ,the percentage of
annual increase is the same.
Medford has had no boom. Its growth has been steady
nd substantial and scarcely rapid enough to meet the de
mand of incressed population. Xo buildings have bceii
erected that were not rented in advance of construction.
As a result there are no vacant buildings in the city and
it is hard to secure a house to rent.
Owners of business property do not improve rapidly
enough to supply the demand. As a consequence,, there is
a premium upon buildings constructed and a tendency to
force rents to an excessive figure, higher than the business
warrants. Too many property owners seek to reap profit
in the investments made by others which increase the value
of their own holdings. Jiut such conditions are not un
common in growing communities.
If the present ratio of-growth is maintained, Medford
should have a population of 7000 in January, 1910, of
0500 in 1911, of 12,.r,00 in 1.912 and 1(5,000 in 1913. There
is no reason to suppose that this ratio of growth will di
minish. Everything on the contrary, points to its increase
with the development of the country.
Medford is fairly started, and like a snowball rolling
down hill, grows larger all the time. The tributary country
is destined to witness a remarkable intensified " develop
ment, and Medford will keep pace Avith it.
THE TOWN THAT
PUSH BUILT
VI. The Keen Clothing Dealer
Total School Population of Statu
160,042 a Year A(jo.
Shows 166.645 Aunlnst
THIS ia the clothing daatar who
want
To the hardware store and freely span!
On advertised bargains the vary bill
ni got from tha furniture daalar'a till,
Whirt it want whan tha dry goeda
marchant bought
And paid with tha bill that tha butcher
got
From tha grooar who had aattlamant
mada ,
With tha monay tha henaat workman
paid.
P. S. Tht local dealer who' I UP to muff
Will always advirtist hit stuff.
Hanry Clay's Fame.
IC i-M LI tie M. 'helps -of Chicago was
Introduced nt Nice to Lord liluuk ot
Kuglaud. As lie was mnoklng, bo said
to Lord Blank. "Will you have a cl-
(inrr
Thank you,- but I awoke only one
brand, the Henry Clay."
'AH right; I'll order some." said Mr.
Phelps.
The box was brought. It was em-
bclliiibed with the familiar picture of
Hnrry of the Went." As he took bis
cigar Lord Blank snld. "When old Clay
was alive be tnndo a good cigar, but
bis sons don't keep up bis reputation."
Henry Clay! Why. be didn't make
cigars. He woa a . statesmao and
ranked as high with us as Gladstone
and John Bright do lu your country."
I beg your pardon," said the noble
lord. "1'to smoked these cigars all
my life, and I loll you old Cloy made
a sight hotter cigar than his boys
dol" Argonaut.
How Victor Hugo Propossd.
Adclc. bolder and more curious than
Victor (for alio was a girl), wanted to
llnd out what wns the meaning of bis
silent admiration. . She said: "I am
sure you bnve secret. Uuvc you not
me secret greater than all?" Victor
icknowledgcd that, he had secrets and
hat one of tliem was greater than all
the rest "Jitot llko mo!" cried Adclc.
Well, come, now; tell mo your great
est hoc rot, and I will tell you mine."
'My great Bocrcr," Victor replied, "Is
thut I love you." "And my great se
cret Is thnt I love you," suld Adclc.
like nn echo. "I.ovo Letter of Victor
Hugo."
READ THE TRIBUNE FOR NEWS.
SAI.K.M. Aug. I. I .ii Uo r.iiini.v.
Illlt lllht l-llllllly III lllllllO It 1 1 1 1 II (I I H. p,
icmii I, hlniw mi iiicri'iiHo from 10 1 J
to 11 Nil in llio number of children 'if
ncliiinl ngtt during llio punt yenr. Tim
enrollment in the ppnlilic boIhioIh Ihis
incrciiHi'il from fl.'IO In 1111. (lie niim
licr nf Ii'Iii'Iii'I'h employed from '2D mi
.'II. The nvurtigo moiillily wiliirv of
ninlc tcnclici'M Iiiim dcci-ciiMcd from
$H'. lo $70, lull (lie nveriigo monthly
Hillary of female tonolinrH Iiiii in
erenxed from $.10 lo 02.
Though Ave conn tie in the i'uhI-erojiiii-t
of the Htnlo hIiow n decrene
in their nchool population, the aggre
gate. ini'ii'iiKC tlirouglioiit the htnlo
hns liccn greater thmi in tiny vinglo
prcviniiK yenr. Tim lotnl nohoo
population n yenr ngo wim 1(10,01'.'.
while thii your it !h Klfl.fi-tO.
The, live coiinticH tdiowiug n oV-ci-ciihc
nro Halter, whone Hcliool pop
iilatinii Iiiim declined from .1211 '
1171; flilinm, wim. population wn.i
iIcciviihmI from 1112 to 1 00 ; Mor
row, which kIiowm n diTone from
1801 to 1.1(1(1; Union, showing n de
crease from .1102 to .1274, tinil Wheel
er, which show n ileclinc from H8S
lo 87.1.
Other EiiHlcrn Oregon coiintiei
k'how incrfiiKcH, Hume kI'iltIiI. other
more ierccptible, hut Ihe Willamette
vnlcy counties uml Sniilhcrn Oregon '
omiiitiei show llio inont improverooii'.
Trof. Homnnoff in Violin Solos, fit
at the Xnsh Orill every evening, dur
ing dinner. 110
Or "Oscillation r"
Freddie-Are you fond of motoring?
Minnie-Ub, yen! And the conMiint
"own la Hon" doesn't bother me a bit!
r7 '-v
or
Grades - - Right Prices
"NUFF GED
99
mkm mm
LPSflMU!
Street and Southern