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About The Coquille Valley sentinel. (Coquille, Coos County, Or.) 1921-2003 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 1985)
B-8-Wednesday, Feb. 20,1985-Sentinel/Herald Great Depression left mark on Coquille Harry Slack remembers early law career By Laura Isenhart Publisher I •t was October 1929 when Harry Slack Sr. came to Coquille to begin work in the law offices of the late A. J. Sherwood. Only weeks later Coquille and the rest of the nation was plunged into the Great Depression. But unlike some businesses, the Depression actually created business for the firm which 54 years later is still headed by Mr. Slack. A. J. Sherwood was the father of Mr. Slack’s wife and had a thriving law business in the town in 1929. He was also involved in the community in a number of ways and was the president of the First National Bank of Coqille. His death in September 1929 brought Mr. Slack to Coquille that fall to pick up the business. Being from Dallas, Texas by way of Illinois Wesleyan Uni versity he was not a member of the Oregon bar. He had to wait until July of the next year before he could take the examination. Offices were located downtown in the upper floor of the bank building which is at the comer of First and Central. Mr. Slack says that although the De pression in some ways added to the law business, often it became a matter of barter and exchange in payment for services. He, along with physicians and other professionals, sometimes took fire wood, fruit, potatoes, and etc. for pay ment. “They were fair transactions,” he says, and of course there were bank failures. Mr. Slack was the attorney for the receiver when the Farmers and Mer chants Bank in Coquille folded. In the county he remembers a number of banks closing; one in Myrtle Point, another in North Bend, and one in Marshfield. The bank failure in Coquille may have precipitated the failure of the Coquille Sawmill Company, Mr. Slack remem bers, for which he was also the attorney for the receiver. “Some people got hurt,” he adds. “There was no FDIC. Not only the stockholders but some of the depositors.” F T MOORE PUSH-PINS LOCATED AT OdCTtTTj-jTJF! CTTr, OZEeZEG-OlT NEW ORGANIZATION. NEW MANAGEMENT, COMPETENT FACULTY. COURSES IN ENGLISH. MUSIC. MATHEMATICS, ELOCUTION, SCIENCE- - - - Tuition per term of 12 weeks, if paid in advance, $4.50, for grades 1,'2, 3 and 4. For grades 5, 6, and 7, $6 per term. 8th and 9th grades, $7 per term, Winter term opens 1st Monday in January. For particulars Call on or address A. If. MULKY, Superintendent. There were more stores in the business district, however. Stores were open on Saturday nights and people came for the social part of it as well as to make purchases. He remembers Henry Lorenz’ store which was quite a nice dry goods store carrying many brand names and quality merchandise. A large grocery store was located where the U-Mark is now. B or Coquille he says the Depres sion started tapering off in 1935 and 1936. Before that period George Ulett * ransportation changed some of came to town and bought the Oerding When Mr. Slack first arrived Myrtlewood Company and with Ralph that. Smith started the Smith Wood Products. the road was gravel all the way to the California border. There was no black It employed many and kind of pulled top, although a concrete road existed Coquille out, he adds. “It was a real from Coquille to Marshfield. shot in the arm.” Mr. Slack has seen in 54 years in Dairy ranches were still operating in the law profession change also. “Two the valley during those years, but prices years ago about 50 percent of the lawyers for dairy products were way down in in Oregon had less than five years ex those days, he says. “All of the bottom perience.” He thinks there are some land had dairy farms. Now they are attorneys who do not have the proper almost extinct - the younger generation perception of the profession. “They doesn’t want to milk cows, but prefer went into it for the big buck and it is not the place for those who want to make to raise beef.” a lot of money,” he says. He points to the suspensions and disbarments of In 1929 there were several other law younger ones today; something that was offices in Coquille. Those included “Art” very rare years ago. There were no Berg, Grant Corby, Harley Covalt, J.J. grievances against lawyers as there are Stanley, Jas. Watson and S.D. Pulford. today. Mr. Slack sees the problem today But the population wasn’t much different as the profession being overcrowded — Mr. Slack says he doesn’t believe that the same as medicine. in 50 years the population of Coquille “Advertising was unheard of. Now the yellow pages contain ads, including law yers outside of Coos County.” with glass-headed, needle-like, steel-pointed COOS COUNTY ACADEMY has varied more than a thousand in either direction. For small pictures, draperies and many other articles about the home and office. Always in color harmony because glass heads are trans parent. Will not deface the finest surface. Two sizes, small and large. Either size, ioc doz. Moore Push-Less tlaiurers forpictt nicks, mirrors, etc., weighing up to 20 lb <loz.; large size, supporting 100 lbs., 10c ; Moore Push Tli'u ml» Tricks, needle points firmly imbedded in brass heads. 3 sizes, Kkperdoz. Samples of Moore Push Products sent for 2c stamp Sold by all Stationery, Hardware and Photo Supply Stores, or by Mail MOORE PUSH-PIN CO., 1105 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, Pa. Mr. Slack also notes that in his pro fessional career he has probably turned down more cases than he has taken. The cases had no merit. “Today some of the younger lawyers take cases of any type, clog the court dockets and wind up costing the client money.” The clogged courts are also due to the public defense system, Mr. Slack