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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (June 27, 1909)
COQUILLE, COUNTY S EAT- Q F. C Q OS J FacfaCon?tfaclty OQUIULK. the County Seat of Coos County, was founded by T. B. Wil lard, in 1873, and Is beautifully situ ated upon the north bank of the Coquille Ulver, overlooking an extensive stretch i of very rich. low bottom land which is on the opposite side or the river. The elevation of the land upon which the city is located Is such that an excellent view may be had. of the valley both up and down the river. The. low land on the opposite. Hdo of th river Is being- re claimed by drainage, and within the next two years this land will be in a state of excellent cultivation and yielding large returns. For several years after platting the little village of Coquille consisted of but few buildings and was of but little im portance. Kinally a sawmill and flouring mlll were erected and put into operation which gave employment to a number of laborers who, with their families, located In the town and built new homes. This was during the year 1.S80. and marked the first real progress and development of the community. Klve years later the town was incorporated by a special act of the Legislature and known thereafter as the City-of Coquille. At that time the Inhabitants numbered about 600 sturdy pioneers, each struggling in the wilder ness for sustenance. One morning in May, 1892. the people of the village were aroused from their leen to find the town on fire, and al though they responded to the call and labored manfully, the fire was not sub dued until It had destroyed stores, hotels, boarding-houses, livery stables, bank building, In fact the entire business por tion of tho vlllagn. The loss fell heavily upon the owners who either became dis couraged or- had not the money to re build and restock their business, bo it was some time before any move was taken towards rebuilding the town, but when the discouragement wore off. the people went to work with that determi nation characteristic of the pioneer, and their efforts were crowned with success. The result was better buildings, and a Do We "Know What We've Got Here? Ex-Governor Geer Goes: Into Justifiable Superlatives Over Certain Uncommercial Charms of Portland. BY T. T. GEER. , ONE of the commonest remarks made by visitors to the Rose 'Festival, doubtoss familiar to every Portland er. was "you people don't know what you've got here." Expressions of sur prise and admiration were heard on every band and our guests were filled with wonder that such a country is not more densely populated. The declaration that we Oregonlans fail to appreciate our aduvantages Is so fre quently made by people passing through Portland and the Willamette Valley that It Is calculated to set one thinking. Come to consider the matter, it is doubtless a fact that no other city in the United States can boast of these three natural re sources all Portland's a deep water har bor, a surrounding country of surpassing fertility and a sctnic beauty, far and near, unequaled elsewhere in America, or abroad, even when considered disconnect ed from the other two. This combination Is Portland's own, and the fact is the first subject of comment on the part of all its visitors. But people who live on the fat of the land soou cease to appreciate their fa vored situation and accept their good for tune as a matter of course. The pit; drinks its swill and relishes It with a grunt, but never deigns to look up to dis cover who its provider is, unless the sup ply is cut short. Then comes the sgueal. The fact that the annual death rate in Portland is smaller by far than any other city in the United States is not one of . chance. There's a reason. Immediately back of the city stands a majestic moun tain from which the breezes play as they weep across-country to the Cascades and are met by the health-giving osone that originates in' the forests of Douglas fir, which adorn the regions where Hood, Jefferson, Adams aud Hauler are the now-capped witnesses to the commercial and Industrial transformation which is taking place in this remarkable country. The atmosphere In Portland Is at all times as pure as it Is In the "Cascades' frosen gorges" and is constantly leav ened, if leavening were necessary, by the breeies which sweep up the Columbia from off the great Pacific To this Is added the Bull Run water, which is car ried to our very doors but a few hours after Its divorce from the snows and glaciers of Mount Hood, and no undesir able element Is left. It Is not singular that the death rate Is remarkably low'ln Portland the surprise Is that anybody should ever die here save through the natural ravages of old age. And did you ever specially admire our City Park with .the reflection that no ether city In the world can boast one as beautiful? . All the money In Chris : Undoin, If ajDPlied to the entacuUe. better business vuich gave the village a. new lease of life. It was not until in June, 1897, that Coquille was made the county seat of Coos County, the seat of government being transferred at that time from Empire City where the earliest settle ment in the county had been established during the year 1853. Coquille is located in about the center of the county, and the transportation facilities for reaching it are ample. It is 2S miles from Bandon which is at the mouth of the Coquille River, and there are six boats each way daily between Coquille and Bandon. It is 17 miles from aiarshfield, and may be reached from that point, also North Bend, and Empire, by train over the Coos Bay. Roseburg & Eastern Railroad, there being two trains each way daily. The railroad people do not work on Sunday. Coquille may be reached from Myrtle Point by the same railroad as well as by boat. There are also wagon roads leading to Coquille from all directions, which makes Coquille a distributing and shipping center for the entire county. To facilitate the increasing shipping Industry, a large new ware house has been erected near the water front and close to the large and com modious depot so that freight may be safely kept and yet handled with expedi ency. The city owns and operates a first class wharf which is situated between the warehouse and the business part of the city, furnishing adequate facilities for shipping for some time to come. It is a thriving little city of 2000 inhabitants, and the number is Increasing by immi gration coming from all parts of the United States. . Of the more important buildings of the city, the Courthouse is worthy of men tion. It was erected in 1898. a modern building of its kind, and was the first building in the city to be finished with lath and plaster. The woodwork is white cedar and myrtle, making a very pretty finish, the myrtle taking on a most beau tiful polish, is not excelled In appear ance by -any wood. This building is equal to any of the Courthouses in the state niltsirtA rf 1. . . 1 .1 a , VM. muCt na larger counties. could not reproduce that mountain, not to speaK of its wealth of trees, many of them hundreds of years old. inter spersed with the srrear v.Ha e shrubs to be found only on the west ern slope of the Cascade Mountains and in its beautiful adjacent valleys. And when it is remembered that from many of its best viewpoints may be severat mnes of the Columbia River and its tributary, the Willam ette, overlooked In the distance by five of the noblest snow-capped peaks In the world, the matchless picture may be realized and appreciated. No other city has one like it and it is one of those intrinsic assets which money cannot reproduce or successfully imitate. This is one of earth's most entrancing beauty spots and is within the reach of tne poorest of our people by the invest- ! ment of 30 minutes of leg service a delightful system of transportation en tirely Independent of the Harrlman sys tem and whose schedule is wholly free from the arbitrary exactions of soulless corporations. And then there are the trolley lines. The historic spot from whose summit Moses viewed the landscape o'er was Insufferably tame when compared with the magnificent picture which lavish Nature presents to the beholder who seats himself and herseir on the grassy slopes of Inspiration Point and drinks in. metaphorically speaking, the matchless results of the maker's mas terpiece in combination of sky, earth, mountains, rivers, forests, vegetation, clouds, valleys, prairies and coloring in background, perspective and compo site blending of its varying details. " And this wonderful panorama is but one of- a thousand to be enjoyed from many of Portland's suburbs. Within the reach of all our people at any time, it is a privilege which not even a mil lionaire of New York, Chicago, New Orleans, St. Louis ,pr any other city in the world may enjoy unless he pays us a visit and partakes of Nature's par tiality to the Rose City. Do we appreciate it all? There is no certainty that we do. In fact, there is daijy evidence that we "don't know what we've got here." One of the distinguishing character istics of Portland, not often commented upon, but which lends a distinctive charm to its appearance, is the custom of transplanting in Its lawns In all parts of v tho city, Oregon's native trees, shrubs and flowers, of which the state can boast of a greater variety than may be found in any of Its sister com monwealths. Indeed, many of them have not been transplanted, having been spared when the primeval forest was forced to an unconditional surrender, upon the advent of the white invaders. In many of the magnificent lawns in the region of Everett and Hoyt streets may be seen splendid clumps of hazel grown to the height of 20 feet, while an unpretentious but beautiful alder tn THE SUNDAY - , ; - I - - - -P-zSg a1 I '-'thlh ?ul tx-" S gl mMrrzzf . -'4EE3 hzzzzzzr tz.'S " 1 - 99 one of the fashionable lawns on Flan ders street presents a diameter of IS Inches and a trunk as straight as the majestic fir. Another loyal Oregonlan has transplanted a dozen thimbleberry bushes where they may be seen grow ing modestly but thriftily under the bay window of his beautiful home near est the curb and the fruit produced by this leafy plant Is the most allur ingly non-satisfactory known to man. One may eat of it uninterruptedly for 10 hours, only finally to surrender to the Implacable demands of increasing nunger, tnougn the last berry tasted i as good as the first! But it Is a beau tiful plant. And many of Portland's homes are domed by the rustic vine maple, which 1 A I LU.' H Vri . v h If ; 1 SA.NOY HOOK IXFB-SAVESO STATION NOW HAS SEX-CYXESTOEB G.VSOIJTSE EGIK IJFEBOAT. NEW YORK. June 26. (Special.) The first br-cylinder gasoline engine lifeboat on the Atlantic Coast has bee. de livered by the bmild-Jrs. The Holmes Motor Company, of West Mystic Conn., to the Sandy Hook Life Saving Station. The desl-m and specifications for this boat were prepared by Senior Captain C. H. McLellan, R. c. S.. retired, superintendent construction of lifeboats and life-saving apparatus and is the culmination of years of experimenting and careful re search along the lines of life-saving boats. The new .craft IS the most tip-to-date life-saving boat In the world. It la called the "Storm King." Its dimensions are 36 feet over ail by 8 feet 7V4 Inches beam. The planking Is of mahog any, being of the double diagonal type with canvas between. The total thickness of the planking is Inches and over 100 separate plank, are required for the two .kin a. The .deck Is of mahogany, also all the other exposed parts of the boat. Below deck are located 7 copper air tanks In seven distinct water-tight compartment, with 13 additional tank aboe deck. The boat 1. non.inkable and .ell righting. In a test at the yard of the builders, the boat right ed nd balled free of all water within 20 seconds and the engine was running with the boat in operation Inside of three minute.. She has a 1500-pound bronze keel to make her quick at self-righting. All the metal work Is of bronse. OREGONIAX, PORTLAND, defies the symmetrical In nature by Its Irregular methods of growth, but whose leaves in October engage in a worthy effort to compensate for its distorted appearance by displaying a wealth of beautiful colors, rivaled only by those of the rainbow. In all parts of the city may also be seen the mountain lilies. Cascade ferns, the native columbine, the wild honeysuckle, white and red firs, with their drooping limbs sweeping the ground, while several homes have, rare hedges composed exclusively of the Ore gon grape, the state shrub and flower, than which no plant boasts a prettier leaf or more attractively finished foli age. Even the native camas, the vege table manna upon which the aborigines largely subsisted, is remembered by the loyal old-time Portlander, whose com mendable fidelity to Oregon's superior array of flowering plants and shrubs Is to be applauded, and its blooms of blue here and there serve to give an attractive phase to the varying land scape. Mountain and coast rhododendrons are given a prominent place in many of our best lawns, and in company with the JUNE 27, 1909. larkspur and the plebeian "flag" that supplied ready-made whistles during our schooldays, which were chiefly useful in laying the foundation for trouble with the teacher, contest for first place with the interloping Madame Caroline Testout and the arrogant pretensions of the Richard son, whose first name is William Allen. Indeed, this is the one country which is so profusely supplied by nature with a wealth of flowers, shrubs, trees and plants that Importations are resorted to only as a means of presenting a variety and not with the expectation of adding to the beauty of the picture which can be created and sustained only in this wonderful land of sunshine and showers neither usurping the time or place that should see the other the presiding poten tate. The California poppy transplanted to this marvelous climate at once takes on such an astounding degree of added development that the visiting native son of the Golden State invariably inquires Its name. The fragrance of the carna tion as it develops in "the Oregon Coun try" rivals the fabled spices of Araby wnue a rme along a country road in th The publio school building, which was erected in 1900, is a credit to any town, although it is too small to meet the re quirements of the increasing population. During the school year, which has Just closed, the primary department was car ried on in a separate building, owing to lack of room. In addition to the public school, there is a business college,- which should be mentioned in this connection, as It is doing a most commendable work. At present the class In that Institution numbers 35. The owners of the present First Na tional Bank have the plans and specifica tions ready for a large new brick build ing, modern in every particular, and will Include three store rooms, besides the banking departments, on the lower floor, with offices above. The Farmers & Mer chants Bank has the foundation ready for its new concrete building. In addition to the above-mentioned buildings, there are a goodly number of modern residences recently built. Those of Judge Harlocker and A. J. Sherwood stand out most conspicuously of any, perhaps, by reason of their elevation, be ing situated upon Nob Hill, which is an elevation in the southeasterly part, over looking the entire city as well as the whole Coquille River Valley. Equally beautiful in architecture, design and size are the more modern homes of W. C Chase, J. M. Nye, John Paulsen, Mrs. "W. V. Cope, George Belloni, B. Folsom. George Peoples, Dr. James Richmond, J. A. Davanport, R. H. Mast and many others, all good, substantial buildings and adding much to the appearance of the city, as well as comfort to those who dwell within. Coquille has ten general stores, two hardware store, three millinery stores, two furniture stores, two Jewelry stores, two livery and feed stables, three barber shops, three confectioneries, one first class photograph studio, two drugstores, two doctors, eight lawyers, machine shop, furniture factory, sawmill, two news papers, seven churches, with .hotels, cafes and boarding-houses. ample The water supply of Coquille is ex cellent. It is carried to the city from a mountain stream three mnes distant, and Willamette Valley during the blooming of the wild roses, suggests the seventh heaven of absolute delight. The Summer mornings here are an inspiration, .while the evenings are an unending succession of delightful dreams. And I refuse to let the enthusiastic writer who contended that this country was the original Gar den of Eden go uncontradicted. i.. could not be true, for the reason that 4n ex change for a mere pippin, Adam relin quished his holdings there and moved out. This would be no Inducement for a trade in the "Willamette Valley, since "Just as good" as even Hood River Spitzenbergs can be produced in any part of this magnificent domain by an easy compliance with the provisions of nature. It Is a combination of these manifes tations of conceded favorltsm by a con siderate Providence that appeals to Port land's visitors and uniformly brings forth the remark that we "don't know what we've got here." We breathe the attar of roses, inhale the life-giving balsam of the mountain firs, always in attendance on every hand, enjoy a multitude of natu ral blessings, in comparison with which the famed land of Canaan shrinks to the dimensions of thirty cents, and constant ly ieas i our eyes on a stretcn of en trancing scenery more beautiful than words can describe, and the while .drift Into a condition of Indifference to It all which borders on the domain of inap preciation and Ingratitude. From one di rection comes the "Beautiful Willamette," made famous by the poetic tribute of Sam L. Simpson comes "winding, wid ening through the valley," and "In whose crystal depths, inverted, hangs a picture of the sky," while from the eastward flows the majestic Columbia, "sired by the eternal hillB and wedded to the sea," bearing on Its wide bosom the products of an empire unrivaled In the world for Us production of the material necessities of man. Does America, anywhere, surpass or even equal all this? Does the earth, else where? Do we "know what we've got here?" Well, I should say not! LABOR EXCHANGE SUCCESS Statistics of German Scheme Shows Much Good Already Done. BERLIN. June 26. (Special.) Striking evidence of the effectiveness of labor ex changes in coping with employment is supplied by statistics just published. In dicating the work accomplished In Ger many by the institutions which Mr. Win ston Churchill proposes to establish In England. On January l, 1908, there were SS9 nubile labor, exchanges' In Germany, of which 248 were In Prussia, 55 In Bavaria, 11 in Sax ony, 15 in Wuertemberg, 17 in Baden, 10 in Hesse and 16 in Alsace-Lorraine. In the statistical year 1907-8 work was found for no less than 932,956 persons. Of these 61,742 were placed In jobs connected with agricultural pursuits. Men to the num ber of 667,411 were put to work and 265,505 women. The great Central Exchange, In Berlin, secured employment for over 100.000 peo ple. The exchanges at Munich! and Stutt gart placed between 60,000 and 80,000, and Dresden and Dusseldorf between 40.009 and 60.000. The statistics given are com piled by the "National Union of German Labor Exchanges." See Tull & Gibbs pre-inventory sale announcement on Page 11, Section 1. Its abundance is such that it will supply a city of many times the present popula tion, it nas the purity of all mountain streams of Oregon. Coquille is surrounded bv the lareest and richest dairy farming district in Coos County. This Industry is one of the most resourceful and the most substantial and' reliable in Coos County today. It brings thousands of dollars to farmers each year, and the product is rapidly Increas ing. Then there are the logging and lumbering Industries carried on from everyside of the city, and coal taken from the earth in large quantities within one and one-half miles from the corporate limits, supplying the inhabitants with coal for fuel for $3 and $4 per ton, mak ing coal a cheaper fuel than wood in this wooded district. The hill land about Coquille Is excel lent for fruit, and with adequate railroad shipping facilities, Coquille and vicinity will place apples upon the market equal to those of the Willamette. Rogue River or Hood River Valleys. The climate is well adapted for small fruits of all kinds, and the strawberries grown here today are equal to the famous Hood River ber ries, and the price has never yet gone below 10 cents per box. Vegetables may be planted on the bot- . torn land most any time during the Spring and Summer and a large crop will be the result. i-eas. beans and sweet corn, by planting at different times, will' furnish succulent food from early Sum mer until November in the open field. Such are some of the conditions of Co quille today. She wants more people more Industries, more money to enlarge and develop the dairy, fruit, mining, lum bering, fishing and other industries. . Bought Witness, Is Charge. VANCOUVER, B. C, June 26. fSpe- . clal.) George W. Patton, proprietor of . the Terminus Hotel, in this city, was ar- p rested yesterday on a charge of tam pering with the prosecution's chief wit ness, who failed to appear in court when Patton was summoned on a charge of allowing gambling. COURTESY IS PASSING FRENCH POLITENESS GIVIXG WAY TO RUDENESS. Postal Strike Has Shown Ganls Power or Firmness in Crisis, ' and Change Is Noted. PARIS. June 26. (Special.) There Is little doubt that the result of the recent postal strike has been exactly the reverse of what the government of France intended that it should be. The strike was a failure. A number of men have been punished. But preparations are now being made to give French officials the right to combine. This right may be disguised under high sounding titles, such as "the statute of functionaries"; it is, nevertheless, a sort of Magna Charta for French gov ernment servants, and, however it "be presented, the government servants themselves undoubtedly look upon it as their reward for having disorganized the inner life of the country. The latter-day Parisian is fast losing the quality of ' politeness for which Parisians have until now been so justly renowned. Nowadays. . rudeness and violence are the best methods of ob taining satisfaction In Paris. It is a lesson which people of all classes are having forced upon them. The postal officials showed their weakness and their strength, and the new statute is the result of their violent action, which In the broadest sense was an act of supreme rudeness to the public. While they protested politely no notice was taken of their claims, just or other wise. Now that, figuratively speaking, they have banged the desk with their fists, they are getting satisfaction. A delicious story bearing on this method is going the rounds. There was some mistake about seats at a Paris theater. The man who had paid for them and could not get them had used up all courteous arguments and lost his temper. "If you don't give me satisfaction at once." he said, "I will box your ears." "Why on earth did you not say so at once," was the answer. "T am al ways ready to do anything I can when I am asked for It politely." The angry man got his seats. TACOMA GAS PLANT SOLD Syndicate Organized in Chicago Takes Over Property. Frederick V. Holman, legal representa tive of Byllesby & Co., engineers of Chi cago, -lias received advices from that firm to the effect that the negotiations for the plant of the Tacoma Gas Light Company were concluded on Friday, June 25, and the, syndicate organized by Byllesby & Co. has purchased the stock and property of the Tacoma concern. Ample funds are now assured for the extension of the gas mains to all parts of the city. The pres ent plant serves only certain districts. Messrs. Byllesby & Co. are among the best-known gas engineers in the country and control plants in "everal of the large cljjea. -4