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About The Cottage Grove sentinel. (Cottage Grove, Lane County, Oregon) 1922-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 25, 1910)
buttage (fomr VOLUME IV COTTAGE GROVE, OREGON, FRIDAY. FEB. 25, 1910 UNDERTAKE TO DEFEAT MEASURE TEND ING TO BUILD UP A GREATER OREGON Commercial Bodies of Eugene and Roseburg Would Retard Progress of Great State to Serve Purely Selfish Ends. Join in Effort to Defeat Creation of New County. i The joint convention of Lane and might reap the benefit. He further em ■ Douglas counties at Roseburg last phasized that Cottage Grove “depends ’-' Saturday, the purpose of which was to upon the ignorance of the people of the ■defeat the creation of Nesmith county, state for success,” a statement that ■was a disappointment to the promoters, will be taken care of at the November, ^inasmuch as the attendance was consid election. erably smaller than had been anticipat- Mr. Abraham evidently forgets that ■ed, proving conclusively that “the ninety-five per cent of the people resi V unanimous sentiment” of the people, dent ■ of the territory within the boun iso often alluded to, is not against divis dary lines of Nesmith county signed the ion of the territory in question. The petition asking, the legislature to grant ■delegation from the county seat of the prayer for a new county, and that ■Lane numbered about one hundred, but there are approximately eight thousand ■a tremendous effort was necessary to inhabitants within the territory, other ■mnst.er that number, and many of the wise he would not have asserted that it jEugene men did not remain to partici- is wholly a Cottage Grove scheme. He ' pate in the deliberations of the conven - also forgets that nearly twelve thou ■tion, but took the next train home. sand signatures fròm all parts of Ore- ■The so to —y— convention —------------- itself was tame, , -- .. gon are attached to a petition now on ■speak. The one thought uppermost in file with the Secretary of State request- ■the minds of those present, however, | ing that the question be placed on the ■was how to defeat the Nesmith propo- ' ballot at-the November election, other- ■sition, it cropping out here and there wise he would not have asserted that »that the undertaking would be no easy the selfish interests of Cottage Grove «natter, notwithstanding the allegation i alone demanded the new county. He Khat there are only “a few people in ! stated that a small portion of Douglas the proposed territory of the new coun- ■ county is agricultural lands, only about -ty,” practically admitting that the . half of it being tillable, and assuming Hneasure is meritorious and that stren- that he is correct and that half of its Hous efforts must be put forth to de- 5,041 square railed tillable it would ■•■feat it for that reason. give that county under existing condi- | The Commercial club of Roseburg tions 1,500,000 acres of agricultural Kvas not enthusiastic over the “terrible lands, or more than the entire area of '«monstrosity about to be thrust upon some of the states in the Union. Think Khem,” less than fifty Roseburg resi- of it! The entire Willamette valley Ijients attending the convention, and contains but 5,000,000 acres of land— bnly a few of these taking active part good, bad and indifferent—yet Douglas In-the proceedings. The Hon. Ike county has within its boundaries 3,000,- Bingham, a gentleman whom Cottage 000 acres, and complains bitterly be Grove first sent to tile legislature and cause Nesmith asks for a paltry 648 Mwhom has since depended upon his square miles of its territory. And 468 friends in this community for support square miles of this in the National at the polls, was a considerable part of Forest reserve, the show from Lane county seat, his Nesmith county asks for 13 per cent protest against county division attract of Douglas’ total area; only 976 of its ing more attention than any other population, leaving it 22,212; only $1,- speaker, not excepting the antagonistic 305,302 of its assessable property, leav 'Mr. Williams, whose principal stock in ing it $27,275,704, and yet the hue and rade appears to be hot air. Senator cry of “schemers,” “personal benefit,” (Ingham disregarded facts, his inten- “selfishness,” and dozens of other ion evidently being to arouse some en- equally nonsensical appellations are husiasm into a very sluggish affair. sent up from certain sections of Doug Ar. Abraham of Roseburg and the dis las, principally in and around Rose tinguished gentleman from Lane were burg, where grave fears are entertained the life of the convention, the absence that the proposed new' county may de of either of whom would have thrown prive them of some of the revenue a somber cloud over the proceedings. which is now employed in the building The former made an effort to explain up and development of territory imme the situation, but exaggerated his diately adjoining the court house. statements regarding the proposed boundary to-such an extent that even BINGHAM GETS INTO THE GAME. Se,nator Bingham opposed the meas the informed of his co-schemers could not prevent a blush of shame over- ure, and criticised the “good people spreading their countenances. He stated pf Cottage Grove’,' for their endeavor * among other things that the proposed to withdraw from present associations * boundary line of Nesmith came to the in county matters. He said in his spiel ■tenter of the North Umpqua river, and before the convention that he had many within a few miles to the esat of Rose friends in Cottage Grove, and some rel burg, whereas the line is ifot within atives, but they had his sympathy, and four miles of the stream mentioned and after the election next November Hoes hot run east of Roseburg in any would thank him for helping defeat the particular, but to the north of that city measure. He agreed with the chairman many miles. He also stated that, be- of the meeting that there was no neces ing a member of-the committee on coun- sity for a new county; he though that . .ties in the last legislature, he was while everybody, including Eugene, is familiar with the bill now pending and prosperous and the country one of milk that the north line was so close to Eu- and Ubney, all semblance of harmony K’ene that' its was on the very town, would be destroyed by this move, but practically speaking, the truthfulness he would stand out against Nesmith re of which assertion is denied and cannot gardless of the consequences. There He susbtantiated by the gentleman or would eventually, he thought, be a di ¿ny one else. The fact is, the north vision of Lane county west of the Coast line of the proposed new county is al range, and when that time came he most six miles from the corporation would say, “take it; it is yours,” but limits of Eugene^ and the county seats not until that time would he submit to would be nearly eighteen miles apart. a division of the Lane territory. He ^Bhe line follows a natural elevation, thought the people of the state should and was carefully drawn so as not to not be given an opportunity to vote on conflict with the territory directly tri the question, but he had confidence butary to Eugene. The residents of a : enotigh in them to believe that they considerable portion of the country would bury it so deep that it couldn’t ITvithin the new county on the north, in be dug out in twenty years. He said prder to reach the present county seat, Lane and Douglas counties are too im notwithstanding the distance is not portant to let a few people who are too great on an air line, necessarily have to ambitious a take any part of them, and travel around about way, making it then become the laughing stock of the Inconvenient to reach the business cen state. The senator distorted the lines ter4 of the county. This fact is clear to of Nesmith county, and endeavored to Iny one familiar with the topography make it appear to the uninformed that If the territory in question. The line is we are a set of grafters, yet at the out Bxactly half way between Cottage set of his remarks he pleaded ignorance Krove and Eugene by rail or wagon. of the question. I He charged that the Nesmith County C. S. Williams, who has been active committee had misrepresented the facts in opposing the Nesmith proposition tifore the legislature, which state from a Eugene standpoint, and who has ent is also challenged by that com- probably perpetrated more misrepre ittee. Mr. Abraham alleged that the sentations on the subject than any >le purpose of the desire to create the other living man, took occasion to im new county was to make Cottage Grove press upon the convention that it is an a. county seat that the people thereof arbitrary move on the part of office- I seekers and boomers. “Why,” he ex claimed, “they are taking out the very heart of Lane, and their line comes within four jniles of the city limits of Eugene,” and he being credited among the intelligent, must have known bet ter when he uttered the words. He al leged that the boundary lines had been drawn tp include the richest part of Lape county, and timber lands had been taken so that when the government disposed of timber in the Forest reserve Nesmith would get 25 per cent of the revenue. This statement either comes from ignorance of the law or willful misrepresentation, for every county bordering on the reserve gets a share, and Nesmith would get that revenue whether it took the lands alluded tp dr not. Mr. Williams' wbre his fighting clothes, and was ready for the fray, but wanted to do his fighting with money rather than with facts and fig ures. Money is disputable, figures never lie. He thought that $12,000 to ■$15,000 would be about the right amount, inasmuch as Nesmith had raised a fund of $1,000. Mr. Williams was willing to grant a western division of the county any time asked for, but he absolutly refused to give up any thing to Nesmith. He continued his tirade, notwithstanding about twenty men left the room in evident disgust, but he said nothing except that he was disposed to fight. C. S. Jackson of Roseburg said the line commenced east of Roseburg and zigzagged like steps; it took ten miles of roads and no bridges, and $2,000,- 000, of assessable property. The rec ords of Douglas county, however, do not-correspond with Mr. Jackson’s ran dom statement, neither does the map of proposed county of Ne^jnith. The Nes mith county line does not touch any lands east of Roseburg, and the records show that the assessable property to be taken from Douglas is but $1,305,302 —slightly over one and a quarter mil lions. Neither does the south line dam age Douglas county, as the gentleman would have us believe. “The line,” he said, “takes the North Umpqua valley and people living there would have to come to Roseburg to get to Cottage Grove, or else scale the Bohemia moun tains which are covered with show twenty-four months in the year.” The fact is, the line is not within four miles of the North Umpqua, and the natural and most convenient way for a majority of the settlers to conveniently and expediently travel is to Cottage Grove. There are ten times as many people in the Bohemia mining district in Douglas county who have to come to Cottage Grove, and from there to Roseburg, adistance of fifty-five miles, than are effected by the proposed change. At present many of the min ers of this section who have business at Douglas county seat are compelled to come to this city and go thence, entail ing large expense and loss of much time, and these are enthusiastic sup porters of the Nesmith county measure, Cottage Grove being within easy ac cess by rail the greater part of the dis tance. Mr. Fisher of the Guard was called upon by the convention to express his sentiments on the proposition, but he declined by calling upon another. Mr. Chenoworth said he was no talker; the gentlemen preceding him had voiced his sentiments, and it is therefore judg ed that he is opposed to building up a greater Oregon. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED.-- The committee pn resolutions pre- sented the following, after having been sent out by the convention to “strengthen” some parts of the docu ment : Resolved, That we are unalterably opposed to the creation of the County of Nesmith and among many reasons for this action we offer at this time the following: First—That the lines on the north of the proposed new cotin ty reach within four and one-half miles of the City of Eugene, leaving the remaining portion of Lane county but 17 miles wide, north and south of the Willamette valley, while the proposed county will be 26 miles north and south in the valley, thus -leaving Lane County 40 miles wide at each end and 150 miles long. It also leaves a large portion of Doug las County west of the proposed county, the inhabitants of which would be com pelled to travel through the territory of the proposed county in order to reach the county seat of Douglas County at Roseburg. Second—Tlje lines are so formed as to take in a large territory of Douglas County lying east of Roseburg and all the inhabitants of that territory in or der to reach the new county would have to go to Roseburg or Oakland and thence by rail to the new county seat. Third—The bill for the new county appoints two Commissioners from the new county seat to act with one from Lane between the two counties and a like arrangement has been made in the bill for division of the property of Douglas County. Fourth—That the territory embraced in the bill has been so arranged as to give-.ijhe new county a maximum of assessable property with a minimum of expense in maintaining county roads. Fifth—That the lines are so arrang ed as to take the largest quantity of standing timber that could possibly be reached following ridges between riv ers so as to leave the old counties with a maximum -of county roads to main tain. Sixth—-That a large number of peo ple in the northern part of the new ter ritory object to being taken into the new cpunty. Many other reasons exist against formation of the new county, but the time given your committee is too short to formulate them. COMMITTEES NAMED. The joint committee appointed to carry on the anti-divison campaign .con sists of the following: Lane county—C. S. Williams, S. B. Eakin, F. W. Osburn, C. H. Fisher, E. S. Rolfe, B. L. Bagart, J. M. Williams, D. E. Yoran, I. H. Bingham, W. G. Gilstrap,_ E.’ J. Frasier, F. M. Wilkin, C. S. Frank, L. R. Flint, Fred Fisk, Eugene; R. -D. Hawely, W. P. Lowery, R. F. Scott, Creswell; John Kestley, L. M. Beebe, A. J. Henderson, Spring field; George Drury, Coburg; A. L. Roney, Goshen; W. C. Washburn, S. L. Morehead, Junction; O. W. Hurd, Flor- cene. Doulgas county—M. R. Ryan, Drain; F. L. Engle, Kellogg; P. T. Spaugh, Looking Glass; A‘. C. Seely, W. H. Richardson, B. W. Bates, George _ ______________________ NUMBER 21 Neuner Jr,. L. Wimberly, J, H. Booth, J. A. Buchanan, Roseburg; S. S. Johns, Myrtle Creek; B.F. Nichols, Riddle; Karl A. Miller, Glendale; 0. P. Coshow, J. D. Zurcher, E. L. Cannon, Albert Abrahrm, T. R. Sheridan, J. F. Bark er, W. G. Wonacott, F. W. Haynes, Roseburg; George J. Sterns, Oakland; Earl C. Sabin, S„utherlin. STATEMENTS ARE REFUTED. At a meeting of the Commercial club of this city on Monday night, when the attendance was larger than for many months, the following resolutions were unanimously adopted and the secretary instructed to send copies to the several commercial organizations of the state: Whereas, The Commercial bodies of Eugene and Roseburg, Oregon, did on the 19th day of February, 1910, hold a joint session of their respective bpdies in the city of Roseburg for the purpose of opposing the creation of Nesmith county; and Whereas, We deprecate the mislead ing statements in the resolutions adopt ed by said meeting by these commer cial bodies; Therefore, be it Resolved, That the creation of the proposed 'Nesmith county is a meritor ious measure from the fact that every citizen residing within its boundaries will be benefitted and ninety-five per cent of the legal voters of the said ter ritory voluntarily signed a petition praying for the creation of Nesmith county by the state legislature, realiz ing that by the successful consumma tion of the undertaking they would be benefitted. Second: That the boundary lines of the said proposed Nesmith county have been drawn in strict adherence to the topography and natural water-sheds of the territory, looking to the conven ience and accessibility of the citizens, regardless of the valuations of taxable property or the number of miles of road or bridges to maintain. Third: That it is the earnest desire of the citizens of the proposed Nesmith county to develop its resources, build more and better highways within its territory, all of which, tend to the up building of a Greater Oregon, and which must necessarily redound to the mutual benefit of every citizen within the state. Fourth: We refute .the statement that the creation of Nesmith county would work a hardship in any way whatsoever to either of the old coun ties. The creation of Nesmith county would not remove any territory left to the older counties from its present loca tion, and none of it would be any fur ther from the seat of government after the formation of Nesmith county than at present, but on the other hand would prove a great convenience to 95 per cent of the population of Nesmith county. Be it further Resolved;- That the Commercial club of Cottage Grove does hereby express its confidence in the ability of the people of the great state of Oregon to decide this measure at the November election, 1910, by casting of a fair impartial and unbiased vote. A Good-Natured People. Cottage Grove citizens treated the Eugene excursionists to Roseburg yes terday ' with greatest good humor and jollity. They distributed some of their boom literature among the crowd and presented them with an immense maul or mallet to do their “knocking” and joshed and joked with the passengers 'with no sign of spleen.—Eugene Regis ter. Two Handsome Homes. The Oregonian last week printed pictures of two of Cottage Grove’s pretty residences, those of Messrs., Kem and Eakin. . TERSE TOWN TOPICS Many Minor Matters of More than Passing Moment PERT PERSONAL PARAGRAPHS Gleanings Here, There and Everywhere By The Sentinel Rounders.—The Cream of the News Condensed for Easy Reading. Senator Bingham, who strenuously opposed the formation of Nesmith coun ty at Roseburg last Saturday, has here tofore been placed on record as saying that if he still resided in Cottage Grove he would want the new county, as we are doing. And then, too, there is Mr. Bristow, another former resident of Cottage Grove and now also of Eugene, Who assisted while living here in an attempt to make a new county out of practically the same territory that is embraced in Nesmith. It makes a dif ference to them now on account of their associates; they are identified with Eu gene. When in Rome do as Romans do, you know. A contest between districts No. 45 and 48 at Cottage Grove was up before the county school boundary board yes terday. There was a petition to change the line between the districts, and as there were seven residents within the district of the proposed change who did not want to be moved into the other district the petition was turned down by the board. Another petition will be presented at once changing the lines so as to leave the aforesaid seven fam ilies in the old district and it will prob ably be allowed,—Eugene Register. Mr. E. A. Gleason, proprietor of the Cottage Grove brick yards, is prepar ing for a season of activity, and ex pects to employ from twelve to twenty workmen again this summer. Last season Mr. Gleason manufactured 600,- 000 bricks, but expects to increase that to 1.000,000 this year. He_will inaugu rate operations as soon as the weather will permit. ^Elish Johnson, one of the earliest settlers in the Siuslaw valley died at his home on the north fork of the Sius law river a few days ago at the age of 72 years. He was born in New York and served through the Civil war as a member of a cavalry regiment from that state. He leaves a wife and seven children. In the debate between the Grants Pass and Roseburg high schools the for mer carried off the honors. TELLS OF HIS LONG TRIP. Grantham, If Stories Are True, Is a Wonderful Pedestrian. Norman R. Grantham, who is walk ing from New York to Portland and re turn via. New Orleans, left Cottage Groye Saturday morning, after having spent nearly two days here. Grantham while in Cottage Grove told some very startling tales of his experiences on the road, among other things saying that he had been held up eighteen times and relieved of several valuables. While walking into Seattle he stepped from the railroad track to permit a train to pass, as he expressed it, and just as the locomotive reached a point near where he was standing it left the rails, going into the ditch. It struck a telegraph pole, breaking it off squarely, and as it fell it hit him knocking him to the ground, from the effects of which he was laid up three weeks. In Portland he delivered twenty-eight lectures ,at the electric theatres, and eight in Sa lem, besides dozens in other towns along the route, and besides these vol untary delays he suffered from sickness for a time, all of which lesfds The Sen tinel to wonder if he will reach his destination on Auguest 21 next, the date specified. According to his alleg ed agreement Grantham must cover the ten thousand miles in 365 days, or for feit $2,500. A little figuring shows that he must necessarily walk about thirty miles each day of the year, and the loss of as much time as indicated looks rather damaging to his case. When Cottage Grove had been reached' Grantham had coverved about half the distance,- and if he spent a month from various causes off the cinders he must certainly be something of a pe destrian. Something to Noise About. The advocates of the creation of Nes mith county' are making lots of noise already, and were given a column -in the Oregonian this morning. Eugene and Roseburg will have to work hard if they except to defeat this measure. It- will come up for a vote at the election- next November.—Eugene Guard.
