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Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, July 30, 2003
What a difference a century makes. Here are the
U.S. statistics for 1903, sent to the editor by his super
daughter, Vicki Kaplan, from Carlsbad, Calif.
*Average life expectancy in this country was 47.
*Only 14 percent of U.S. homes had bathtubs.
*Only 8 percent of homes had telephones.
*A three-minute call from Denver to New York
City cost $11.
*There were only 8,000 cars in the United States,
and only 144 miles of paved roads.
*Most cities had speed limits of 10 mph.
*Alabama, Mississippi, Iowa and Tennessee were
each more heavily populated than California. With a
mere 1.4 million residents, California was only the
21st most populous state in the Union.
*The average U.S. worker was paid between $200
and $400 per year.
*A competent accountant could expect to earn
$2,000 per year; a dentist $2,500 per year; a veterinar-
ian between $1,500 and $4,000.
*More than 95 percent of all births in this country
took place at home.
Sugar cost 4-cents a pound. Eggs were 14-cents a
dozen. Coffee cost 15-cents a pound.
*Most women only washed their hair once a
month and used borax or egg yolks for shampoo.
*Canada passed a law prohibiting poor people
from entering the country for any reason.
*The five leading causes of death in the United
States were: 1. Pneumonia and influenza. 2. Tubercu-
losis. 3. Diarrhea. 4. Heart disease. 5. Stroke.
*The U.S. flag had 45 stars. Arizona, Oklahoma,
New Mexico, Hawaii and Alaska had yet to be admit-
ted to the Union.
*The population of Las Vegas, Nev. was 30.
*Crossword puzzles, canned beer, and iced tea
hadn't been invented.
*Mother's Day and Father's Day didn’t exist.
*One in 10 U.S. adults couldn't read or write.
*Only 6 percent of all U.S. residents had gradu-
ated from high school.
*Marijuana, heroin, and morphine were all avail-
able over the counter at corner drugstores. According
to one pharmacist, “Heroin clears the complexion,
gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach
and the bowels, and is a perfect guardian of health.”
*One out of five U.S. households had at least one
full-time servant or maid.
*Only approximately 230 murders were reported
in the entire country.
Just think what it will be like in another 100 years.
The Wild Blackberry Festival section will appear in the
Aug. 6 of ‘I.V. News.’ Get your ad copy in by 3 p.m. on
Friday, Aug. 1. Add an additional $15 for spot color.
Illinois Valley News
An Independent Weekly Newspaper Co-owned and
published by Robert R. (Bob) and Jan Rodriguez
Bob Rodriguez, Editor El Jefe
Entered as second class matter June 11, 1937 at Post
Office as Official Newspaper for Josephine County and
Josephine County Three Rivers School District, published
at 321 S. Redwood Hwy., Cave Junction, OR 97523
Periodicals postage paid at Cave Junction, OR 97523
Post Office Box 1370 USPS 258-820
Telephone (541) 592-2541, FAX (541) 592-4330
Volume 66, No. 19
Staff: Cindy Newton, Britt Fairchild,
Chris Robertson, Steve Fairchild & Becky Loudon
Member: Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association
DEADLINES:
News, Classified & Display Ads,
Announcements & Letters
3 P.M. FRIDAY
(Classified ads & uncomplicated display ads can be
accepted until Noon, Monday with an additional charge.)
POLICY ON LETTERS: ‘Illinois Valley News’ welcomes
letters to the editor provided they are of general interest, in
good taste, legible and not libelous. All letters must be
signed, using complete name, and contain the writer’s
address and telephone number. The latter need not be
published, but will be used to verify authenticity. The
‘News’ reserves the right to edit letters. One letter per
person per month. Letters are used at the discretion of the
publisher. Unpublished letters are neither acknowledged
nor returned. A prepaid charge may be levied if a letter is
inordinately long in the editor's opinion.
SUBSCRIPTION RATES
One year in Josephine County - $20.80
One year in Jackson and Douglas Counties - $24.40
One year in all other Oregon counties
and out-of-state - $28
POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to
P.O. Box 1370, Cave Junction, OR. 97523
(Editor’s Note: Views
and commentary ex-
pressed in letters to the
editor are strictly those
of the letter-writers.
* * *
Typed, double-spaced
letters are acceptable
for
c o ns id e ra t ion .
Hand-written letters that
are double-spaced and
highly legible also can
be considered for publi-
cation. Cards of thanks
are not accepted as let-
ters.)
* * *
‘Community comes
through’
From Deb Riley
Cave Junction
We want our wonder-
ful community to know,
that the Chris Rotin Col-
lege Fund-Raiser was a
success.
We appreciate all the
business and community
support; especially when
everyone is slammed with
fund-raiser requests.
The Home Valley
bank account will remain
open for your continued
support. Bless this valley.
‘Wildfire’
From Siskiyou Re-
gional Education Project
Cave Junction
The Senate Agriculture
passed legislation on Fri-
day, July 25 that guts envi-
ronmental protections for
destructive logging in na-
tional forests such as the
Siskiyou and Rogue Na-
tional forests.
The Senate is expected
to vote on wildfire legisla-
tion, based on the Bush
Administration’s “Healthy
Forests Legislation,” in
September.
The legislation does
not provide fire risk reduc-
tion funding to protect
communities like Cave
Junction, which recently
experienced a wildfire at
the edge of town that
burned several structures
including two homes.
The bill (HR 1904)
contains language to ex-
pand the area where de-
structive logging can take
place without environ-
mental review or over-
sight, stripping the right of
the public to have a say in
the management of Na-
tional Forests.
If passed by Congress,
the legislation could lead
to an increase in logging of
old growth forests on pub-
lic land.
Bureaucrats in Wash-
ington seem to be coming
up with excuse after ex-
cuse to log in our national
forests.
What our communities
really need is funding and
resources to protect fami-
lies and homes from wild-
fires. Backcountry logging
will do nothing to help us.
Scientific studies have
shown that the best way to
protect communities is to
thin small trees and brush
near homes and buildings
not by logging large, fire
resistant trees deep in na-
tional forests miles away
from where people live.
Once again our gov-
ernment seems intent on
supporting a small sector
of society at the expense of
the rest of us. We need
responsible governance,
not a sell-out to special
interests.
According to conser-
vationists, the policy taken
by the Bush Administra-
tion and many in Congress
disregards popular will.
The public has clearly
called for an end to excess
logging on public lands.
Our forests deserve to
be protected for future
generations.
‘Selma trees’
From Greg Putney
Selma
Early Sunday morning
Don Scriven’s Tree Ser-
vice cut the oak trees on
the parking lot of the
Selma Post Office.
As a tree-care profes-
sional and a certified ar-
borist, I am deeply sad-
dened. It has been known
for years in our profession
that topping hurts trees,
causing a future hazard
and an immediate eyesore.
The large cuts will
lead to rot cavities, and the
sucker growth that grows
back will be weakly at-
tached to the tree. Ulti-
mately, these trees will
need to be removed.
I called Don Scriven
and asked if he had ever
read anything about arbor-
culture (the care of the
trees). He said “No, he
mostly just cut trees
down.” When I told him
what he’d done was an
insult to our profession, he
told me “go do it your-
self…”
Those who need the
services of a tree-care pro-
fessional should make sure
they are professionals. ISA
certification is a good indi-
cation that they are edu-
cated in their trade. Any
advertisement listing top-
ping as a service should be
viewed as questionable.
There is more to tree care
that a chainsaw and a
bucket truck. For more
information, people can
check
www.
isa-
arbor.com.
‘Taxpayer ire’
From Ellis Couron
Cave Junction
There have been con-
tinuing problems with Jo-
sephine County manage-
ment and taxes dating back
at least 30 years.
Most of the problems
had to do with how, and to
whom, the Oregon and
California Railroad monies
were distributed. Instead of
looking ahead and really
managing those funds, the
money was wildly spent on
everything and anything,
especially salaries, as if
there were no tomorrow.
Today we are strug-
gling with the results of
that mismanagement and
the inability of current
management to rectify the
problems.
The taxpayers tried to
address this problem with
a vote to the people to
change county manage-
ment from three to seven
commissioners.
Those very same pub-
lic servants have appar-
ently cried “foul” to Port-
land. To nobody’s surprise
GIVING LIFE - Tom Morrissey of Cave Junction
(pictured in photo above with medical assistant
Genevive Wise) was one of approximately 40 Illinois
Valley residents to donate blood on Thursday, July 25
during the American Red Cross blood drive at the I.V.
Senior Center.
(Photo by Britt Fairchild)
Frick questions CJ council
on property prices, parking
Real estate broker Jim
Frick has queried the Cave
Junction City Council re-
garding prices set on sur-
plus property, and what the
city plans for off-street
parking to accommodate
visitors.
Frick, from Century 21
Harris & Taylor, addressed
the council during its
meeting on Monday night,
July 28 in city hall.
Frick appeared upset
because he submitted a bid
of $20,000 for 1.0 acres on
West Schumacher Street,
advertised by the council,
and received a rejection
without a notation as to
who rejected it.
Frick asked if anyone
other than Mayor Ed
Faircloth had seen his bid.
It appeared that the mayor
took unilateral action.
Faircloth explained he
felt that since Frick’s bid
was less than two-thirds of
the asking price ($30,600)
based on assessed valua-
tion, he had the right to
turn it down.
Frick said he had ex-
pected not only to know
who rejected his offer, but
to receive a counter-
proposal, and got neither
“as a common courtesy.”
Said Frick, “I felt as
though it was thrown back
in my face.”
He told the council
that based on prices of
comparable adjoining
properties he felt his bid
was a good one. In addi-
tion, he noted, the recent
Daisy Hill Fire burned
through the property, and
city sewer connection is
not available.
After hearing Frick’s
position, the mayor stated
that he and others are “in a
learning curve” when it
comes to handling some
city business.
Frick complimented
the council on its down-
town beautification and
revitalization efforts. But
he added that perhaps the
city should take a close
(Continued on page 5)
Out ‘N’ About Treesort
300 Page Creek Road
Cave Junction
(Continued on page 3)
For the 22nd annual
Wild Blackberry Festival
Saturday & Sunday
Aug. 9 and 10
There will be a blackberry
scavenger hunt, blackberry
baking contest & blackberry hunt.
For more information phone
592-4920