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About Oregon City courier. (Oregon City, Or.) 1902-1919 | View Entire Issue (April 22, 1915)
Undverslt Eugene, Ore 0 l 3t )t (C it (jJ tt 0 J J J J J Jl J J Watch for our big Booster Day and Rose Show Edition We expect to make this a hummer. J We claim the largest circu it lation in Clackamas County J our books are open for in J J J J Jit J J J spections Mr. Advertiser take the hunch. t$ dJi8 jt 8 t)t (,jt 33d Year OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, APRIL 22, 1915 Number 5 T TO PROBE HUNDREDS SEEK ROYAL SALMON IN FOAM-FLECKED WILLAMETTE ON ill STREET y costs IH5W K US NOBLE T1K OVER LI AGAIN BARLOW SALOON PERMIT REVOKED 01 COUNCIL REVERSES SELF FOR THIRD TIME IN REGARD TO PAVING ACTION MAYOR KEEPS ELECTION VOW Drastic Anti-Booze Ordinance Intro, duced Amid Laughter and Jok ing Remarks. Hose Ordered 1 Oregon City's council got down to business Wednesday evening and had a session that was in the main devoid of fireworks, and which characteriz ed by a reversal of its stand of last week on the Main street paving ques ttion. The matter of the improve ment of the county seat's chief busl ness thoroughfare was brought be- fore the city fathers again when a petition representing approximately ( two-thirds of Main street property holders was presented, endorsing the recommendation of Worswick paving, and asking the council to adopt this form of surfacing. With the excep tion of V. Harris, Mr. Kelly and the trustees of the Methodist church, the petition contained the names of prac tically all interested outside of the original committee of eleven who had first recommended . Worswick poving, Councilman Hackett and Andrews rose simultaneously to move the adoption of the petition. Mayor Jones recognized Mr. Hackett as the author of the motion. In making the motion Councilman HacV.et said that as a' majority of the property owners seemed to want Worswick paving he was willing to let them have their way. Mr. Andrews felt the same way about it. "However," said Mr. Hackett, "1 think this whole tthing is a shady proposition. The city asked for ten tative bids on this Main street job, and we appointed a special committee to look into the matter. The special committee recommended bitulithic paving, and a minority report favored El Oso. Then this Worswick concern slipped in here and put in a verbal offer, and though they have put up nothing, they appear to have won out. It looks to me as if there was something crooked in the deal, but if the property owners want it and . are willing to take the responsibility, 1 wash my hands of it." Councilman Cox thought that if the council was going to accede to the request of the property owners it ought to throw out everything so far done and start all over again by asking for bids. "After the council really passed on the bids submitted, and took the certified checks of the bidders," he said, "the other concern comes sneaking in. The Worswick people were in Portland when bids were asked, and could have come in with the others, but they didn't make a move until they saw that a com petitor was likely to get the busi ness." Councilman Mezner said that as long as the property owners had shown what they wanted he was will ing to change his stand. When the matter of adopting the petition was put to a vote, Councilman Cox was the sole member of the council pres ent who cast a negative vote. The city engineer was then order ed to prepare plans and specifications for improving the street with Wors wick paving, and City Attorney Schu bel was instructed to draw up a reso lution for the Worswick material, the same to be presented at a special meeting next week. Again Council man Cox cast the only negative vote. When the matter of purchasing fire hose came up, Councilman Long submitted the same report as was turned in by the fire committee last week, favoring the purchase of A. G. Long & Company's wax and gum treated hose at $1 a foot. Mr. Templeton moved that the report be accepted. Councilman Andrews thot the city might better buy cheaper hose and experiment with it. Coun cilman Metzner thought the city would be foolish to "throw away $500 in an experiment." Councilman Hackett thought "anything cheap is a poor investment." After consider able discussion the committee report prevailed, and City Attorney Schue bel was ordered to draw an ordinanc appropriating $500 for the purchase of the specified hose, and carrying $400 incidental expense for the con struction of a hose tower. Fire Chief Frost expressed the opinion that the hose tower could be fitted up for $100. At Councilman Hackett's suggest ion the fire and water committee was instructed to make such repairs to the Greenpoint fire house as might be necessary, the building being re ported as settling. At the request of Councilman Cox the same committee was also empowered to move the hose house at Twelfth and Taylor streets so that it would be entirely on city property. Ordinances declaring the assess ment for High street at $30,909.82; Madison street, $3,529.54 and Third 6treet, $1,493.07 were passed through (Continued on page 8 CITY ENGINEER INVENTS BLOCK THAT DISREGARDS ACTUAL POINT OF LOCATION PORTABLE CEMETERY EQUALL'D Tangle Develops Over Vacation of Alley in Block 151 as Ordered By Ordinance No. 671 Last week the Courier felicitated City Engineer Charles S. Noble, of the county seat, upon his perfection of a portable graveyard. In council meeting last week Mr.- Noble endeav ored to alibi himself, and passed the buck to County Recorder Dedman. Mr. Dedman denies all resposnbiility in the matter, and says he has no de sire to share with Mr. Noble the glory of having invented the move able cemetery. In another column will be found more of this Dedman Noble controversy. These few re marks are intended to shed light upon another achievment of the ma jor's. ' Major Noble, it appears, has not only invented the portable graveyard, but he has also perfected an inter changeable city block, that can be lifted up and put down anywhere. For instance, with a mere stroke or two of the pen Major Noble can turn block 151 of Oregon City into block 115, or vice versa, even though these two tracts of land are some consider able distance apart. In fact, the two blocks that Major Noble plays with as a prestigator plays with billiard balls are six blocks apart. But a little thing like that is nothing to the man who can make one graveyard grow where none was before. Block 151 is bounded by Jackson, Fourteenth, J. Q. Adams and Thirteenth streets; block 115 is bounded by Madison, Tenth. Jefferson and Eleventh streets; but as far as City Engineer Noble is concerned either one will do for the other. People who doubt this are invited to visit the office of the county re corder and investigate the plats filed for various purposes during the years 1913 and 1914. Careful search will reveal a plat dealing with the vacation of part of the alley in lot 151. At least such is the manner in which the plat is listed, and the plat also bears a reprint of Ordinance 671. which cut the alley in block 151 down from 26 feet to ten feet in width, add ing eight feet to the obutting lots on either side. ' 1 However, on this same plat is a nice little map, drawn by City Engi neer S. Noble, and labeled in bold figures block "115." The plat is pur ported to have been approved by Mayor Linn E. Jones on December 10 ,1913, and it is further proof of Mr. Noble's skill in juggling tracts of land be they cemeteries or mere city blocks. The plat as filed, and as paid for by Oregon City taxpayers, is of doubtful value. The wording on the plat is perfectly nice and correct, and refers to block 151. The sketch of the block is also said to be correct, as far as the boundary streets are concerned. But the fact that this block is numbered "115" is held by many attorneys to invalidate the en tire plate, and to make it just as use less as the $54.76 plat of the famous portable cemetery. The small sketch on the plat is presumed to be a part of the official map of Oreon City, say attorneys; and if the block re ferred to is numbered "115" on the official map (as the Noble plat would make it appear) then it has no business on a sheet of paper that car ries on ordinance dealing with block 151. In other yords, technically the "description" pf the- property is just as wrong as was the highly imagnary description of the location of the Noble portable cemetery. Indications are that the magic of Major Noble will prove expensive for Oregon City. It is said that should any property owner desire to contest the legality of the "block 151-115" plat, considerable expense would be necessitated to settle this tangle. In regard to the cemetery plat, which has already cost the city $54.76 in filing fees, another $54.76 will have to be paid for a filing fee of a cor rect plat. This will make a mere trifle of $164.28 to get the cemetery straightened out to say nothing of the original $205 paid for the pretty plans and curves road as drawn by "Architect" Weed. ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANNED Barlow Rancher Scheming to Put in Small Power Plant and Sell Juice E. P. Preble, owner of a large ranch between Barlow and Aurora, this week completed plans for the in stallation on his property of a small electric light and power plant, to be operated partly by water power and partly by a gasoline engine. A stream with considerable current runs through Mr. Preble's property, and during high water he intends to utilize this to run his generators; (Continued on page 8 1L i J 4 fT fi.. 2? jmaHfTSKiTlS" , ' I ' FALLS OF THE WILLAMETTE, All this week Oregon City has been the meca for fishermen from all parts of Oregon and Washington and even from further points. The lure of the royal salmon has drawn hundreds of visitors to the city, and rivermen who have boats to rent reaped a gold en harvest from sportsmen and sportswomen who have desired to try their luck on tho mile or so of river between the falls and the mouth of tho Clackamas. The salmon season has been at its height, and many a lucky angler has been repaid for his hours of toil in the broiling sun by going home in the evening with from 35 to 42 pounds of the finest fish in the world in his possession. Printed estimates of the number of boats containing anglers that were on the river last Sunday vary from 400 to 1200. The latter estimate was made by the Oregonian, with the aid of its imaginative correspondent from Oregon City. With all due respect to the estimates made, truth compels the Courier to say that there probably were not more than 250 boats out on Sunday between the falls and the TWO CHECKS HIDDEN FOR COURIER READERS TO FIND THIS WEEK J Nobody found the hidden J J check. Read the advertise- J 5f test last week. This week J a second check has been placed among our advertis- . ers .and the person who J J finds it will also receive last J J week's check. This means J that a double reward will be J J paid this week to the, Cour- J it ier reader who solves the J & mystery of the hidden J check. Read tthe advertise- J Jt ments on the special page J v over carefully, and from the J J extra letters you will be J J able to spell out a clue that J J will show you where these Jt two checks are waiting to J J be claimed. J t& i$ i$ tt tJ t$ 1 ROAD MAY EXTEND Willamette Valley Southern Eventu ally to Reach Salem, Says Dimick Judge Grant B. Dimick, president of the Willamette Valley Southern,' has outlined plans of the company for an extension of the line from Mt. Angel to the state capital. Efforts to secure a right-of-way for the ex tension will be commenced this sum mer, it is said, though there is little likelihood of much work being done on the proposed lengthening of the road until next year. The company has a considerable block of unsold bonds on hand, and can easily finance the extension. It is believed that the road will be on a paying basis this fall, and as soon as this condition exists active work of extending the line will be taken up. Several surveys have al ready been made, and it is said that the route from Mt. Angel to ' Salem offers no great engineering problems. The road, if built, vould give a ser vice between Portland and Salem on either side of the Willamette valley; the Hill electric line now reaching the capital by the west side. MANY ATTEND SUPPER Christian Endeavor Society Members Meet in Baptist Church Parlors Junior and Intermediate Classes of the Christian Endeavor Society of the Baptist church gave a most suc cessful and enjoyable supper in the church parlors Alonday evening, and many were on hand to hear the bright remarks of the speakers and to par take of the tasty repast offered. Refreshments for the evening were inc harge of Misses Marie Andresen, Dorothy Green ond Veril Armstrong. The program committee was com posed of Leta Aldridge, Marie Cox and Vira Williams; while the -serving of supper was in the hands of Mrs. Dilson, Mrs. Jeremiah, Mrs. Gillette, Mrs. Burke and Miss Armstrong. Mrs. Oglsby and Mrs. Milliken were formal hostesses for the evening. The Courier for Butter Wrappers v. , THE FISHERMAN'S PARADISE rapids, but these 250 were busy most of the day. Many splendid fish were caught, both local and visiting an glers sharing in the luck. Not only were there several hun dred people on the river seeking to tempt the salmon from the swiftly running waters, but as many more people lined the banks on both sides of the stream, or leaned upon the railing of the suspension bridge watching the anglers. In fact at times Sunday afternoon the crowd on the bridge became so large that po lice cautioned the spectators to move on, fearing that the dead weight would prove too great a strain upon the cables that support the struc ture. The best vantage point from which the sportsmen could be seen was the pile of rocks west of the Hawley mills. Showing a commendable pub lic spirit, the Hawley Mill company permitted the crowds of visitors to YOUTH IS SUICIDE Victor Schmidt, of Springwater, Hangs Self in Father's Barn His mind believed to have become unbalanced as the result of sunstroke sustained three years ago, Victor Schmidt, 29 years old, the son of A. D. Schmidt, a Springwater rancher, committed suicide Wednesday after noon at his home. The young man went into the barn on his father's place, tied his hands together, placed a noose about his neck while stand ing on a box, and then kicked the support from his feet. Coroner Hempstead investigated the case. FOUR BOYS WANTED Multnomah County Looses Youths from Detention Home; Wants Help ....Four boys, ranging in age from 12 to 15 years of age, and one of them wearing long trousers, escaped from the detention home in Multnomah county this week and departed for regions unknown. Sheriff Wilson has been asked to keep an eye open for them, and any resident of Clack amas who runs across any one of the youngsters is requested to commun icate with the sheriff at once. The boys are described as follows: John Philippino, 13 years old, med ium light complection, slender of stat ure, and with a large scor on the right temple. Carl F. Tarld, 14 yeasr old, tall, dark, wearing among other things a brilliant red sweater. Joe Pizzaro, 15 years old, tall and slender, wearing dark suit and hat, long trousers, and having a large scar on the right side of his mouth. Lawrence Buckbee, 12 years old, round face and blu eyes. The boys may seek work at some farm. It is beleived that they are heading for California. FINE IS REMITTED Mumpower Boys Get Off Easy after Fishing in Clackamas with Nets On complaint of fish wardens Jesse and Carl Mumpower were arrested by Constable Frost Monday and arraign ed before Justice John Sievers, charged with having fished with gil nets in the Clackamas river during closed season. Both boys pleaded guilty. Justice Seivers fined each fifty dollars, and then remitted Carl Mumpower's fine, leaving the boys to make up fifty dollars between them. Justice Seivers also ordered the fish wardens to return the gear used by the boys. Constable Frost made the arrest over the telephone, telling the two young men to report. They did not wait for the constable to go after them, but came into court and surrendered. Willing Workers Meet The Willing Workers, the young peoples' organized class of Beaver Creek Sunday School, met at the home of their teacher, Mrs. D. F. Bennett, Friday evening last. Sev enteten were present and all reported a delightful time. Their next meet ing will be held April 30th at the home of Mies Myrtle HenriciM pass at will across their property, and owing to this courtesy many hun dreds of people were enabled to not only get a close view of the fisher men, but got intimately acquainted with the falls as well. By careful climbing it was possible to get with in 20 feet or so of the main cataracts, and scores of people spent the day watching the leaping water tumble and crash over the high rock ledges in masses of billowy spray. Many amateur photoraphers were on hand, and pictures of the falls at hteir fin est were taken. Among those who captured salmon during Sunday were the following: B. J. iSerghoff, who landed a 42-pound-er, and who will be given a gold but ton by the Salmon club; P. T Mun son, who got a 33-pounder; Dr. Earl Md' arland, R. A. Davis, R. E. Hay wood, L. G. Hollister, J. D. Strong, Cal Henderson, Ed Gilbert, Miss Ma rie Young, H H. Hunter, S. F. Ue- Allister, James Gorham, Peter , F. Grayson, E. E. Beeson and many others. Throughout the week fishing con tinued good. TREASURER M. E. DUNN REPORTS NEAR HALF MILLION IN VAULTS J County Treasurer M. E. J J Dunn reports that up to J J April 20 there have been J J 'collected nearly half a mil- J J lion dollars in taxes. The J J -exact sum paid in to the J J county vaults up to the J J date given is $472,294.94. J J In return for this amount J J 10,193 receipts were issued. J J The county has been par- J J ticularly fortunate this year J J in its collections, large and J J small taxpayers coming in J J promptly with at least half J of their payments, and some J J of them paying all the J J money, taking advantage J J 'thereby of the discount and J J avoidance of interest charg- J J es. J J j ( BEER COMES HIGH Ralph Carson Finds Five Bottles of Malt Liquor Worth $60 Apiece Foor bringing five bottles of bock beer into ttown in violation of the Schuebel ordinance, Ralph Carson was sentenced this week by Recorder Loder to pay a fine of $300 and to serve 90 days in jail. This is Mr. Carson s third attempt to beat the Schuebel law, so he got an extra heavy penalty. Patrolmen Woodward and Cooke arrested Carson when he dropped off the interurbans Sunday morning. Later Chief Shaw poured the beer into the gutter while Carson looked on. The sentence imposed makes the beer worth $60 a bottle to Corson, with 18 days for him to think about each wasted quart as well. VETERANS PROTEST Old Soldiers Think Baseball Should Be Forgottten on Memorial Day At a meeting of Meade Post on Saturday last vehement protest was made against the custom that prevails in many communities of desecrating Memorial Day by playing baseball and indulging in other amusements. By legislative enactment Memorial Day has been designated as a fitting time to decorate the graves of the fallen heroes of the Civil War. It has also become a beautiful custom all over the country for people who have relatives or friends buried in the various cemeteries to make an annual pilgrimage to the burial place and strew flowers over the graves. It would be just os appropriate to play baseball at a funeral as to play on Memorial Day lay the veterans. What was particularly aggravating to the veterans this year was the re fusal of some of the Oregon City mu sicians to assist in the Memorial Day programme on account of engage ments to play baseball. What do you think about the talk for road bonds? Let us hear from our friends. TAXPAYER ASKS RESTRAINING ORDER AGAINST COUNTY COMMISSIONERS CHARLES W. RISLEY FILES SUIT Expenditure of More than $1000 Without Seeking Bids and Let ting Contract Alleged Wrong Hoping to discover whether or not the county court regards the state laws as being worthy of obedience, Charles W. Risley has filed suit in the circuit court asking for a re straining order directed against the commissioners in regard to certoin classes of road work. The suit asks that the county commissioners be re strained from undertaking any fur ther expenditures for highway work in districts where the testimated out lay is $1000 or more; and applica tion for the order alleges that the county commissioners have already violated the state law in 45 instances. There is a state law that provides that in the case of any road district where the estimated expenditure in any year are $1000 or more, he coun ty court must advertise for bids and let the work by contract, or else have it done under thes upervision of the county surveyor or roadmaster. County Judge Anderson and County Commissioners Mattoon and Knight have interpreted this law to apply only to specific bits of work, or jobs, the estimated cost of which would be $1000. Mr. Risley resides in road district No. 47, and alleges that during the current year $3573.93 will be expend ed in the district under the sole su pervision of E. D. Olds, district su pervisor, lhis, he alleges, is an open violation of the law, and he charges that bids should have been sought for the improvement work in his district, or else that the improvemnec should have been done under the personal su pervision of the county surveyor. Mr. Risley alleges that similar vl olations of the law have been permit ted by the county court this year in road districts Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 21, 22 23, 24, 25, 26, 28, 30, 81, 32, 85, 87, 38, 40, 41, 43, 49, 51, 54, 65, 56, and 58. These districts, together with the one in which he resides No. 47, makes 45 out of the 60 road districts of the county in which the state law has been violated, accordeing to Mr. Risley 's charges. Complaint has been made from time to time that road funds in this county have been wasted, and that as a result taxpayers have not got any thing like the returns they should have had for the highway tax. The law alluded to in Mr. Risley's action was designated primarily to secure economy in road work, and by forcing competition in $1000 jobs, to bring out the lowest possible price on large improvements. The progress of Mr. Risley's action in the circuit court will be watched with interest by a large number of taxpayers who are desirous of discovering what is wrong with the county road system. Should the court decide that the law has been violoted in the 45 districts named, it is not at all unlikely that payment for the warrants for this work may be stopped, and the county commis sioners be hold directly responsible for the payment of the road costs. NEW STORE OPENED Popular Merchant Moves to Baker's Bridge; Will Offer Merchandise G. H. Magary, a well-known and popular merchant of the county, who formerly conducted a successful bus iness in Milwaukie and other com munities, has moved to Baker's Bridge, and will there conduct a gen eral store that should prove of gen eral benefit to the neighborhood. Mr. Magary has installed a modern and comprehensive Btock, and will make every effort to please people of his locality. The increasing settlement of the upper Clackamas valley, and the new trade that will come in the fall with the opening of service on the Carver line, should prove beneficial to Mr. Magary s business venture, and bring him a lasting success. INTERESTING MEETING HELD W. C. T. U. Ladies Discuss Problems Regarding Rearing Children An interesting mothers' meeting was held by the Gladstone W. C. T. U. last Friday in the school auditorium. Seventh and eighth grade pupils assisted in the meeting, opening the session with a song, "The Legend of the Bells." Mrs. Holdren and Mrs. Moran favored those present with readings; Mrs. Brownell read a paper on "Table Manners and Politeness in the Home for Children;" Mrs. Reynolds pre sented a paper on "The little require ments;" and Mrs. Hagermann gave some very pleasing solos. JOE KING FOUND GUILTY OF SELLING LIQUOR TO BOY FROM MOLALLA COUNTY ATT'Y HEDGES WINS Efforts of George C Brownell in Be half of Indicted Saloonman Prove Unavailing Clackamas county will be some what dryer than it was, and young boys will be better protected from the outreaching clutches of the De mon Rum, as a result of the efforts of County Attorney Gilbert Hedges to convict Joe King, Barlow saloon man; who this week was found guilty in the circuit court of selling liquor tto minors. County Attorney Hedges was confronted with many difficulties in this case, but overcame them all and had the satisfaction of seeing the prosecution win out with the sup port of the jury. Joe King, keeper of one of the few remaining saloons in the county, and one of the two at Barlow, was accused of having sold liquor to Fe lix Baty, a Molalla boy who return ed from his place drunk one even ing. King was arrested, entered a plea of not guilty, and awaited his trial with bravado and the belief that he would be acquitted. He engaged George C. Brownell, self-announced prohibition candidate for the United States senatorship, and a lawyer with a great record of legal victor ies, to defend him. As a result of the many odd combinations connected with the case, public interest in it was intense, and when the action was brought to trial crowds thronged tto the court-room to hear the evidence and arguments. So great, in fact, was the attend ance at the trial that upon several OCCaaSlOIlH UU11U1B HttU wU u-iv doors of the courtroom and clear the i V. ,4 tho' hall. King was indicted by the grand jury, and entered as his de fense a general denial of the charges. The state's evidence was simple and brief, and was attacked at every point by all the legal cunning and technical protest at the command of Attorney Brownell. In summing up before the jury, County Attorney Hedges made a brief and direct plea for justice and for the preservation of the mroals of the young. For the defendant Mr. Brownell delivered one of his famed and eloquen stpeeches, using every bit of skill that long practice before the bar has given him. For half an hour the jury deliber ated the case, and then returned a verdict of guilty as charged. Mr. Brownell was plainly disconcerted by the verdict, but made no appeal in behalf of his client. Judge Campbell, in passing Ben- tetnee upon the Barlow saloon man, ordered his license revoked, fined him ). and ordered him confined in jail for 60 days, later suspending the jail sentence. The revocation of King's license will cut down the grog-shops in Bar low to but one, and will probably cause the remaining place to be con ducted with a close regard for the ttechnicalities of the law. The triumph of the county in the case re flects great credit upon County At torney Hedges, who handled the pros ecution throughout with skill and suc cess, pleading for simple justice up on the evidence introduced, and never for a moment relying upon theatri cal effect for his success. The case was won because the state's case was well prepared ond worked up, and because the jury decided that the law had been placed on the statute books to bo obeyed. During the course of the trial con siderable comment was made that Mr. . Brownell should have undertaken de fense of the man in a case deal ing with selling liquor to a minor. During the recent statewide prohi bition campaign Mr. Brownell declar ed himself firmly on the side of the "drys," and showed no sympathy with the "wets" at all. Since the. campaign, however, he has undertak en the .defense of both King, of Bar low, and of Fritz Boysen, the pro prietor of the Hotel Belle, at Mil waukie. PROGRAM IS OUTLINED Formal Passing of Control of Locks To Be Correctly Celebrated With the expectation that Albany, Corvallis, Eugene, Harrisburg, New berg, Salem and other up-river cities will join with Orea-on City in cele brating the formal change in control of the Oregon City locks, T. W. Sul livan and M. D. Latourette, the com mittee in charge of the proposed fes tivities, have outlined a tentative pro gram for May 6 that should provide plenty of ginger foi the occasion. It is expected that each of the up-river cities will send down delegations to assist in the formalities of the lock transfer; and it is believed that each of the communities will be formally (Continued on page 8