Image provided by: Friends of Jacksonville's Historic Cemetery; Jacksonville, OR
About Jacksonville post. (Jacksonville, Or.) 1906-19?? | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 1909)
VOL. II. EXPLOSION AT THE ICE PLANT A frigid wave visited that part of Medford located near the ice com pany's plant, just before 7 o’clock Saturday morning. At that hour the ammonia compressor of the plant ex ploded and blew up, and the ammonia gas escaped from the building in a white cloud, turning whatever it touched which was of a liquid nature into ice. The floor and walls of the plant, which were wet at the time of the explosion, were coated with ice as the result of the loosing of the ammonia gas. Just what caused the explosion has not been determined yet. C. A. Brown, who is employed at the plant opened up Saturday morning at the usual hour of 6:30, and some time afterward was engaged in work back of the compressing plant, when the explosion occurred. Strange to say, he was not hurt by the accident, al though he was less than six feet away from the heavy cylinder which was hurled to the ceiling and landed ten feet away. D. V. Byrd, another employee of the company, had just left the room when the explosion oc curred, and the cylinder landed in the very spot in which he had been work ing, and broke a hole through the floor at that point. People in the vicinity of the plant thought for a while that a Are had broken out, from the great volumes of white ammonia gas which escaped from the building in great clouds. The ammonia could be smelled almost a mile away from the plant. The employes of the company were nearly overcome by the escaping gas while they went through the building shutting off the various pipes of the plant. The amount of the damage has not been ascertained. The cast iron cylinder, which was blown off, weighs several tons and it will take some time to have another one made at the foundry. However, the plant will not be compelled to stop work long, because the compressor has a second cylinder. OFFICES BURN AT BLUE LEDGE The main office building of the Blue Ledge Mining company, erected at their mines near Eileen was entirely destroyed by fire at 10 o’clock Satur day morning. The fire started from a defective flue and spread rapidly, and in spite of the efforts of the men employed at the mine nothing was sav ed beyond a few papers from the offi ce. It was with the greatest difficulty that near-by buildings were saved from the flames. The 55 men who are em JACKSONVILLE, JACKSON COUNTY, OREGON, JANUARY 16, 1909 ployed at present by the company were handicapped in the efforts, as no large water supply was available, owing to the snow, which covered everything. Still this was a great aid in checking the spreading of the flames. The building was erected at a cost of $7000 and aside from this a number of valuable papers were lost. The amount of insurance could not be learned. REGARDING SIDEWALKS The matter of sidewalks in this city has been talked of on the streets but nothing definate has been done. Side walks should be put in at the earliest possible date leading from California street to the court house, and suitable crossings and gutters installed. The charter provides for side walks and all that is necessary is to pass an ordinance, publish the same for four weeks, advertise for bids and proceed to build the walks. We cannot expect to keep up our dignity as a modern city without the necessary sidewalks. Strangers com ing into the city will judge the charac ter of the people by the appearance of the town. If you go into a neat, clean little town you make the remark that the people are enterprising and rustlers. Can you object to strangers coming into this city and make remarks MEMORIAL ERECTED ON SPOT WHERE LINCOLN WAS BORN. about our sidewalks? They unhesita The Lincoln memorial on the old Lincoln homestead neur Hodgenville, tingly say that our sidewalks are in Ky., is almost completed and will be the scene of a great dedication ceremony exceedingly poor condition for a town on Feb. 12 next, the one hundredth anniversary of the birth of Abraham of the importance of Jacksonville. Lincoln. President Roosevelt will be the principal speaker of the occasion. The memorial building Incloses the little log cabin where the great emanci WHAT THE CHARTER SAYS pator first saw the light of day. Th« new structure was built entirely through “The Trustees shall have power to popular subscription by the Llncolu Farm association, of which Governor compel, by ordinance, the owners of Joseph W. Folk of Missouri is president. lots to construct and repair sidewalks along the streets adjacent to said lots at the cost of owners thereof; and to the development of Jacksonville in or provide for selling the lots adjacent der to receive their just share of im Develope Jacksonville to which any such walks may be con provement. structed or improvements made, to and these cities will develope, and pay all costs and expenses thereof in when these cities develope Jackson the same manner as like property is ville will receive the reward through sold on execution, under and in pursu business transactions. Governor Makes Several Re Article vi, Sec. 4. —“The board of ance of the laws of this state.” commendations in His Mes trustees shall have power to levy and There is no necessity or excuse for delay in this matter. Let us have collect taxes EXCEEDING ten mills sage — Calls Attention to on the dollar, if an ordinance or bill for sidewalks. Statement No. 1 Pledge- that purpose be first submitted to the legal voters of the town, after ten Public and Normal Schools. ABOUT THE CHARTER days notice of the time and place of such voting, and a majority of such The governor’s message was read in Jacksonville needs a new charter, voters shall vote in favor of such the legislature Tuesday and contained which fact no one doubts. The char tax.” The people want sidewalks and many recommendations. Following is ter under which the city is governed was pass.d by the legislature on the should have them. Now it is up to his message in part: 28th day of November, 1860, and print the bjard to order the necessary re ELECTION OF A SENATOR ed in phamphlet form February 1,1886. pairs. The fact that a majority of the leg The conditions of the city have islators subscribed to pledges promis changed or should be changed, since DIED ing to vote for the people’s choice for 1860. If Jacksonville is to keep pace s.nator, supplemented by a law enact COSS At the family residence in with the business world we must have West Medford, at 5 a. m., January ed by the people commanding all mem a charter, modern and up-to-date. 8, 1909, James F. Coss, Sr., aged bers of the legislature to vote for the 85 years 11 months 1 day. Funeral people’s choice for senator, is a suffi This vast region of wealth west and services held from late residence, cient guaranty that the election this southwest of Jacksonville comprising Saturday January 9, 1909, at 1:30 p. Steamboat, Applegate, Bur.com, Sterl m. Interment in Jacksonville cem year will be as summarily disposed of ing and Watkins must depend upon etery. as it was two years ago, and the time of the legislature devoted to the con sideration of measures of public in terest. GOVERNOR’S MES SAGE READ TUESDAY FINANCES 1Í ii Ilf II 81 II lì II 0 II II H » h ill The money now in the hands of the treasurer bel nging to the different funds of the state is on deposit in the numerous banks of the state, but in case the treasurer holds securities therefor exacted by I im under the depository act of 1907, and the bond of the treasurer to the state for the faithfnl performance of his duty is held as additional security. The duty of approving the securities taken by the treasurer from the several deposit arios is vested not in the executive, but in the treasurer and the attorney general. I do not believe there is any danger of loss to the state in the futu re if the provisions of the depositary act of 1907 with respect to deposit of state funds is strictly observed. TAX LEVY It must be expected in the very na ture of things with the steady increase in population and the consequent in crease in burdens and expenses of the government that the tax levy will be higher, unless subjects which now es cape taxation are brought within tax ing power. I fear to recommend any revision of the asssessment laws of the state, but is unfortunate that some system has not been adopted to bring about a uniformity of assessment and taxation in the several counties of the state. The question requires that tax es shall be uniform and equal, but it is a well known fact that in most of the counties of the state, personal proper ty and money almost escape taxation. . In some counties land is assessed at from one-third to one-half of their act ual cash value, while in others it is assessed at two-thirds of its value, and in none at the actual cash value as re quired by law. Until some uniformity of assessment is devised there must be inequality of taxation, and so long as some property escapes taxation entire- NO. 37. ly and real property is not assessed at where conditions warrant, this apparj cash value, the levy for state and coun i .¡nt inequality in the administration of ty purposes must continue to be high justice. It miy be that I have exer and taxation must lack the constitu cised too frequently the power of the tional requirement of equality and un executive in behalf of prisoners, and iformity. that an occasional mistake has been made, but in the aggregate the results EDUCATIONAL FUNDS OF THE STATE Irreducable School Fund The irre accomplished have been most benefi ducable school fund of the state has cial, for the public has been relieved increased during the past two years of the support of a convict and he has from the sale of land and other sourc been restored to useful citizenship, and es, $430,720.21, the principle thereof on in many cases he has returned to the the 30th day of September, 1908, be support -f a depen lent family, who, during the incarceration, were the ob ing $5,429,930.60. jects of charity. STATE LANDS The report of the state land board and state land agent with respect t school, indemity and other state lands. The price of school lands has been raised to $5.00 per acre, and in some cases a slightly larger price has been obtained, while the price received for indemnity lands is $8.75 per acre which covers the expenses incident to per fecting the selections, netting the state about $8.65 per acre. At no time in the history of the state has so large a price been received, for it must not be orgotten that the prices now being obtained are for lands that are left over after the best of the princely grant which was made to the state had been disposed of in former years. It is very greatly to be regretted that the school lands were not years past held for higher prices, for had this been done the irreducable sc ool fund might have been large enough to have made it unnecessary to levy a tax for the support of the peblic schools. TAKING PRISONERS TO PEN A great saving can be effected in the matter of bringing the prisoners to the penitentiary if the same system is adopted with reference to that insti tution as was heretofore adopted with regard to patients for the asylum. Convicts should be conveyed to the penitentiary by officials of that insti tution, without other cost than their actual expenses. STATE BOARD OF AGRICULTURE The annual fair held under the aus pices of the state board of agriculture has grown to be one of the most im portant factors in industrial, agricul tural and horticultural development. The last report showed an increase in receipts over any one previously held of about twenty-five per centum. It may be s tfely claimed that no one factor has played a more important part in stimulating the live stock in terest, in improving methods of agri culture and in horticulture, and in at tracting the attention of people in the ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE The report of the superintendent other states to the possibilities of soil deals at length with the present con and climate. ditions and needs of the institution, WATER SUPPLY FOR STATE INSTITUTIONS and I invite your particular attention As the population of the state in thereto. It will be necessary, as is creases, that of charitable, penal and suggested by the superintendent to ex reformatory institutions increases in pend quite a considerable sum of mon the same proportion. The question of ey in order to place the asylum in a a more ample and purer water supply condition to properly care for and is becoming a vital one, and particular treat the inmates along the lines of ly with reference to the insane asylum. improved methods for care of the in The health of the unfortunate confin sane. ed in this institution must suffer un It cannot be too persistently urged less something is done in the very near upon your attention that better facili future to relieve the condition as to ties must l»e inatullc'* -T* ~- **"- ct ' . ¡. b 'pi-’-mic of typhoid fev tion against fire. The state has had er and other diseases always is immi one warning, and nothing but prompt nent under the present conditions. and vigorous action on the part of the EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS officers and attendants at the asylum, The Agricultural college and the ably assisted by the fire department of State University are in excellent con the city of Salem, prevented the en dition, and the enrollment at both of tire destruction of the main building these institutions is larger than ever of the asylum, and the possible loss of before. a number of lives. The institution is NORMAL SCHOOLS now crowed to its limit, and moneys Under an act of the last legislature must be appropriated either to build a new asylum or enlarge the facilities the normal schools of the state were (Continued on Page Two) of the present one. The population thereof increases in proportion as the ..................• 1 ■ — population of the state increases, and it is safe to predict that in ten years WEAK KIDNEYS MAKE WEAK the population will increase 109 per BODIES. cent. THE PENITENTIARY Acting upon the assumptien that the purposes to be subserved by the ad ministration of criminal justice are threefold, namely: First, the protec tion of society; second, the punish ment of wrongdoers, and third, his re formation, the penitentary has been conducted during the last six years along lines entirely at variance with those heretofore in vogue. Stripes have been done away with; cruel and unusual punishments have been abol ished, and although strict discipline is maintained, the prisoners are treated more humanely than ever before. The result has been good, and it has been found that where a disposition on the part of the officials is evidenced to put some confidence in the prisoner, it is appreciated, and is not apt to be betrayed. It has been my policy to assist where- ever possible in restoring convicts to useful citizenship, particularly where in mv opinion the three purposes of . punishment have been attained. I have also during my term, con ceived the idea of conditionally com muting or pardoning a prisoner where the facts involved in the conviction seemed to warrant it, reserving the right upon condition broken to return him to the penitentiary. This condi tional commutation or pardon has been sustained by the supreme court of this state, and it has been found to be a strong factor in restraing the released prisoner from the commission of a crime. The administration of justice is un even. To illustrate: There are ten judicial districts in the state. A man may be convicted in one of a simple felony, and sentenced to a long term in the penitentiary; while in another, where the crime committed is the same under almost.idcnticalcircumstan ces, the prisoner may be given a very short term, it seems to me that it is a part of the duty of the executive branch of the government to equalize Kidney Diseases Cause Half the Common Aches and Ills of Jacksonville People. As one weak link weakens a chain, so weak kidneys weaken the whole body and hasten the final breaking down. Overwork, strains, colds and other causes injure the kidneys, and when their activity is lessened the whole body suffers from the excess of uric poison circulated in the blood. Aches and pains and languor and urinary ills come, and there is an ever- increasing tendency towards diabetes and fatal Bright’s disease. There is no real help for the sufferer except kidney help. Doan's Kidney Pills act directly on the kidney« and cure every kidney ill. A. R. Bly, living Cor. 4th & B. Sts., Ashland Ore., says: "Doan’s Kidney Pills proved of wonderful benefit to me. At the time I began using them I was so lame and sore that I could hardly get around. My kidneys were disordered and the secretions gave me much annoyance by their frequent ac tion. I would arise in the morning feeling tired and worn out and the pains in my hips were excruciating. It was while I was in this condition, that Doan’s Kidney Pills were recom mended to me and I procured a box. I had only used them a short time when I felt better, continued taking the remedy and was soon free from any trace of kidney trouble. I have recommended Doan’s Kidney Pills to many persons suffering from this afflic tion and will continue to do so.” Plenty more proof like this from Jacksonville people. Call at the City drug store and ask what customers report. For Sale by all Dealers. Price 50 cents. Foster-Milburn Co., Buffalo, New York, Sole Agents for the Unit ed States. Remember the name—Doan’«—and take no other.