OREGON CITY COURIER-HERALD NEW YEAR NUMBER.
DEPUTY ASSESSOR J. G. PORTER.
J. G. Porter was born at North Yar
mouth, Cumberland County, Maine, March
7, 1835. Attended school at Westbrook
Seminary, near Portland, went to Lowell.
Mass., where he learned the business of wol
grading and assorting. He sailed from Bos
ton for the Australian gold fields in Decem
ber, 1852, where he remained with variable
measures of success for seven years. Re
turning to the United States in i860, going
to California gold mines, where he followed
mining until 1864, when he accepted a posi
tion in the Pioneer Woolen Mills at San
Francisco. Mr. Porter came to Oregon in
June, 1866, to enter the employ of the Ore
gon City Manufacturing Company, in which
employ he remained for over 20 years, most
of the time as foreman of wool department
and wool buyer for the company. He was
five years a member of the City Council of
Oregon City, having been chairman of the
committee on streets and public prop
erty when Main street was improved. Mr.
Porter was nominated and elected County
Assessor of Clackamas County for 1881-2,
and since Jan 1, 1899, has filled the position
of chief deputy in County Assessor's office.
DEPUTY CLERK O. D. EBY.
Is a native of Oregon, having been born
in Linn County in 1872. In 1884 he moved
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with his parents to Lane County, where
he worked on a farm and attended district
school a few months each Winter. When
18 years of age he taught school and the
following year attended the State University
at Eugene. In 1893 he came to Clackamas
County and accepted a position in the gen
eral merchandise store of Robbins & Son,
of Molalla, where he remained two years,
after which he took up teaching as a profes
sion. In 1898 he was elected Justice for dis
trict No. 8, embracing Molalla, Marquam
and Soda Springs precincts, carrying his
home precinct by 166 to 25. He declined re
nomination in 1900. Last July he was ap
pointed Deputy County Clerk and is now
reading law after office hours. Mr. Eby has
a comfortable home at Molalla, where he is,
as elsewhere, universally honored and respected.
DEPUTY SHERIFF J. E. JACK.
One of the most prominent young men of
this county is Deputy Sheriff J. E. Jack. He
was born, reared and educated in Clackamas
County, and is therefore a strictly home
production the "native son" species. Mr.
Jack was born at Marquam, March 11, i860.
His father, William A. Jack, was a pioneer
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of '47, coining across the plains with an ox
team and settling on a farm near Butte
Creek. Until about 25 years of age Mr.
Jack followed farming, when he accepted a
position as salesman in the general mer
chandise store of the Butte Creek Grange
Association. He was one of the principal
promulgators of the Butte Creek fair, which
held its first session in 1885, and which is
the only fair held in the county. He was one
of the incorporators of the association, and
held the position of secretary of the same
for four consecutive years. In politics Mr.
Jack is uncompromisingly Democratic, and
in 1896 he was the nominee of that party for
the office of County Clerk, but owing to a
strong Populistic sentiment, his opponent,
Elmer Dixon, was victorious. He served as
Justice of the Peace for district No. 8 for a
term of two years. In 1898 he came within
four votes of receiving the nomination for
Sheriff of Clackamas County, J. J. Cooke
being successful both in the convention and
at the polls. It was a clean race between
him and Mr. Cooke, decided by the major
ity. He acted as chief deputy for Sheriff
Cooke during his first term of office, which
position he now holds to the entire satisfac
tion of the public.
DEPUTY SURVEYOR J. W. MELDRUM.
Was born in Iowa in 1839 and came to Ore
gon in 1845 and located near Ilwaco in 1850,
where his father had a donation land claim.
After living there six years he came to Ore
gon City in 1856, and has resided here since.
Mr. Meldrum took up surveying in 1865.
which occupation he has followed since. He
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was United States deputy surveyor for 20
years. Mr. Meldrum has no doubt run more
miles of lines than any other man in Oregon
during his 35 years of experience. He was
elected surveyor of Clackamas county from
1888 to 1890 and county judge from 1890 to
1894. While he was judge the present cash
system of road work was inaugurated and
Mr. Meldrum deserves much credit for the
manner in which he withstood the many kicks
that are always contingent with any new sys
tem. Those that objected at first and wanted
the old "picnic" system of working the roads
can now see where they were wrong and
Judge Meldrum was right. He is at present
deputy county surveyor and has been since
1897. All Mr. Meldum's work is done fairly
and without partiality.
CHAUTAUQUA AUDITORIUM