The Coquille Valley sentinel and the Coquille herald., January 10, 1919, Image 1

The Coquille Valley
1
AND THE OOQTTILUE HERALD
COQUILLE, ep o s COUNTY, OREGON. PRIDAY, JANUARY 18. 191$.
VOL. XI1L N a »3
FUSSES lit HOUSE
Th*
B ill
Provides
fo r
Repay-
f o n t o f $346,000 T a x «* •
to Coos County
Wednesday’s Portland Oregonian
carrying the following dispatch from
Washington reached here that after­
noon, about the same time as a dis­
patch from ex-Govemor Oswald West
conveying the same information:
A fte r surmounting several objec­
tions and answering numerous ques­
tions, Representative Sinnot today
succeeded in securing passage, by
unanimous consent, o f the Coos Bay
wagon road land grant bill, restoring
approximately 98,000 acres to the
government under practically the
same terms as the lands o f the Ore­
gon A California grant, upon payment
o f (282,000 to the Southern Oregon
company, present holder o f the title,
and payment o f taxes by the govern
meat amounting to nearly $600,000.
- The bill, as passed, provides the
counties shall receive 26 per cent of
the proceeds from the sale o f lands
and timber fo r the benefit o f schools,
roads and ports which, it is estimated,
will produce $700,000.
Rresentative Garrett, o f Tennessee,
objected to the consideration o f the
bill, but CHanet-Induced him to with­
draw his objection, an hour's explana­
tion o f its terms and purposes result­
ing. I t is believed u e bill w ill now
the senate with little difficulty.
'
This is the best news Coos county
has heard since the war ended.
The
unanimity with which the bill passed
the house indicates that there are no
objections that will be likely to block
its way in the senate.
The amount involved for Coos coun­
ty, in taxes, penalties and costs, ts
around $860,000 and some time this
year the entire ameunt will, without
doubt, be paid unto the county treas­
ury here, which will not only provide
fa r the extinguishment o f all the
fleeting debt o f the county but leave
a nest e g g that w ill.g o a long ways
towards the sinking fund to liquidate
the road bond debt o f 862,000.
The next good news we hope to hear
is that Attorney Lijjeqvist has clear­
ed away the last legal obstacle in the
way o f selling the Kinney properties
fo r the taxes, penalties, interest and
coats due the county.
Since the above was written Archie
Walker, bookkeeper at the sheriff’s
office, has furnished the Sentinel the
following figures fo r the Southern
Oregon taxes on the Coos Bay Wagon
road grant lands in Coos county:
Total net tax 1909 to 1916.$167,262.68
Estimated tax fo r 1917 . . 26,000.00
Penalty on a b o v e .............
16,668.69
Interest on same ............. 118,841.02
Total due Jan. 9, 1919... .$821,162.89
■Estimated tax fo r 1918 . . 26,000.00
Total to be paid .......... $846,162.39
The net tax fo r 1916 being $24,049.-
21, the estimated amount o f $26,000
fo r 1917 and 1818 are conservative.
T ax Rate Reduced Four Mills
The total tax rate in Coos county
fo r 1918 will be 16.6 mills on the dol­
lar in the citita o f the county. This
is almost exactly one and two-thirds
cento on the dollar. In the rest o f the
county where no high schools are
maintained it is four-tenths of a mill
more, making it 17 mills. For 1917
the rate was 21 mills in the cities and
21.4 in the country, so the rate Is
four and four-tenths mills on the dol­
lar lees than last year. A t the same
time the total assessment has been
increased from 21 millions o f dollars
to 27 millions.
The increase in taxation caused by
these tw o changes works out in this
way for the state and county taxes.
On $100 the tax at the old rate o f 21
mills would be $2.10. One hundred
dollars with 36 per cent added makes
$184. The tax on this at 17 mills
would be $3.81. So fo r each $100 the
taxpayer pays an additional 21 cento,
i f his property has been subjected to
the average raise o f 86 per cent. I f
his raise has been lees he will pay
less increase or perhaps none at all.
I f his raise has been more than the
average he will have to pay more m
crease than the 21 cento on the $100.
It is to be noted, too, that a six
per cent raise on a $2,10 tax on a
hundred dollars valuation would be
12 am} six-fourths cents, so that a 21
emit raise on the state and county
tax on $100 is really a 10 per cen
„ raise instead of a six par oeut raise.
Ml OLD R E » '
A s elsewhere explained this
where the state board has put oi
over on Coos county by increasing our
state tax 18 per cent instead o f six
per cent, because they could distri­
bute the total six per cent increase for M rs. C. B. Kronenberg Pinard
the stote about as they pleased and
A w a y E arly T his Morning
make Coos county the goat i f they
at a Ripe Old A g e
saw fit.
The state tax we were asked to pay
A t 12:80 this morning Mrs. Cath­
last year in Coos county amounted to
$42,286.70. This year the bill is $70,- erine Elisabeth Kronenberg passed
away at her home in this city. She
187.20.
had been an invalid and a patient suf­
ferer fo r nine years, but evef? pleas­
Brought H ere F or Burial
ant day saw her out on the streets
Tuesday evening tho remains o f Pe­
in her wheeled chair, attended by her
ter L. Nichols were brought in here
faithful daughter, Mrs. Ida K. Owen,
from Salem where he had died Tues­
who left her own home when her
day morning and his funeral services
mother became helpless, to come here
took place at the Undertaking Par­
and
care fo r her.
lors at 1:80 p. m. yesterlay under the
Mrs. Kronenberg'' lacked less than
auspices o f the G. A . IL, o f which he
two months o f being 83 yea n o f age,
was a member.
having been born in Baltimore, Mary­
Mr. Nichols used to live in Penn­
land, March 1, 1836. She came to the
sylvania, but came here from Califor­
nia in 1886. About four years ago Pacific coast in 1866 and was married
to John Kronenberg at San Francisco
he was married here to Mrs. Julia
March 6, 1866. They came to Cqoa
Hall and she survivee him.
Mr.
county in 1869 and became residents
Nichols was sent to the Insane .Hospi­
o f Coquille more recently. Mr. Kron­
tal in May, 1916, and has remained
enberg was one o f the leading citizens
there ever since. He was one o f the
o f this valley fo r many years and left
veterans o f the Union army in the
•considerable estate.
Civil War.
Mr. and Mrs. Kronenberg celebrat­
ed their golden wedding March 6,
1906, and his death occurred four
years later in 1910. They were the
parents o f five children, John L., who
died two years a g o { Mrs. Ida K.
Owen, o f this city; Mrs. Emma F.
The following county court proceed­
Blakely, o f Lodi, California; Mrs.
ings are in addition to those reported
Rachel Marsh, o f Port Oxford; and
last week, the court not having ad­
Fred, o f Sauaolito, Cal. Mrs. Kron­
journed until Tuesday o f this week:
enberg is also survived by a brother,
One half the $8,000 salary and ex­
Louis Knapp, of Port Orford.
penses o f the county agent, and one-
The arrangements fo r the funeral
half the $400 fo r the county club lead­
have not yet been made, as Fred and
er was referred to the state agricul­
Mrs. Blakely have not yet been heard
tural department, payment fo r that
from as to whether they can be pres­
portion being made by the U. S. gov­
ent.
ernment.
The allowance o f $10 from the in­
Oregonians Joyful Today
digent fund to G. W. Miller, o f M yr­
Every old Oregonian— and every
tle Point, was cancelled on account o f
new on$, too, we imagine— gave a
his death.
Mrs, Andy Kent, o f Marshfield, was deep sigh o f relief this morning to
allowed a widow’s pension o f $26 per And that we had got good old Oregon
weather again.
Soft Chinook airs
month.
Mrs. Christina Hauser, o f North and warm rains have come to take the
Bend, widow o f Joseph Hauser, with place o f the frosty nights and chilly
three children, was allowed a widow’s mornings fo r which not even the beau­
tiful sunshine o f the pleasant after­
pension o f $26 a month.
The allowance o f $26 a month to noons could atone.
Last Tuesday morning we saw the
Lura Barkdohl from the indigent fund
Coquille Valley in a new garb as we
was cut off:.
The allowance to Genevieve G. Rob­ came over the Sherwood hill on our
inson o f $26 a month from the indi­ way down town. For there had been
gent fund was cut off, sho having re­ rain enough since New Y ear’s to flood
all the low grounds, and all the open
moved from the state.
The docket was closed Up by the dis­ spaces from the river to the Fat
missal o f a number o f applications for Elk hills a mile or two away was
widows’ pensions, one because the ap­ sheeted with ice. W e had seen the
plicant was not a citisen o f the United valley there flooded fo r weeks at a
States and another because the papers time, but never before covered with
an ice blanket, even as thin as this.
were defective.
Again at two o’clock the same a f­
So were a number o f cases where
applications were made fo r refund of ternoon the air was so flooded with
tax money and to redeem property sunshine on the Coquille bench lands
from tax sale, without a tender o f the that for a while it atoned as warm
as summer. But'our eastern readers
necessary cash.
On Monday, John Yoakam succeed­ must remember that this comparison
ed G. J. Armstrong as county commis­ is with an Oregon summer— and a
sioner, and those who were present Coos coun-.y one at that— not an Illi­
in court after the change say there nois or n Kansas summer. It was
can be no question but that he has delightful, o f course, but it wasn’t all
plenty o f backbone.
we wanted.
CHANGE IN THE
COUNTY COURT
Goes to Portland as W itness
Growth o f PostoflBcc Receipts
County Clerk Oddy returned last
night from Portland where he went
last Sunday as a witness for the coun­
ty in the Kinney tax case in the pro­
ceedings brought by the T itle Guar­
antee Trust company of Portland, to
secure an injunction to prevent the
sale o f the Kinney properties fo r
taxes. Attorney Liljeqvlst made the
concluding pleas in this case Wednes­
day morning, but the decision o f the
court is not expected Until some time
later.
The growth o f business in Coquille
during the past year is reflected in the
following statement o f the postoffice
receipts here fo r two years past:
Receipts fo r 1917................. $7,228.04
Receipts fo r 1918 ................. 9.827.14
Increase in 1918.................$2699.10
This increase o f 36 per cent in a
single year is gratifying not only to
the postmaster, but to all our people,
even if a part o f it is due to the in­
crease in letter postage which went
into effect in November, 1917, and
consequently increased the receipts of
Litigation a Dead Issue
The dearth o f litigation In the Cir­ 1918 six times as much as it did those
cuit Court hero is still remarkable. o f 1917.
Only one case has been filed so far
W atson W on’t Resign Yet
this year and only two since Dec. 16,
a period of 24 days. I f this keeps up
Referring to the stories that he Is
more lawyers will want to follow our intending to resign and remove to
friend Roberts, o f Myrtle Point, out Portland and engage in the law busi­
into the open air, which he finds such ness Judge Watson says that, in view
an elixir.
o f the utter inadequacy o f the $1,000
salary paid the judge in this county
to furnish that official a decent living
Another O kt Resident Gone
Mrs., S. J . W right, one o f the old and the constantly increasing amount
timers in the Coquille Valley, died o f work he has to do, he had thought
Wednesday at the residence o f Jasper o f getting out. But so long as there
Yoakam on the Cunningham road, Is any indication o f a movement to
aged 76 years, 11 months and 18 force him out he will certainly stay
days. Funeral services will take place with the job.
there at 1:80 tomorrow
afternoon. I - 'srg, A
(Saturday)
It was R. L. Gimlin and not
Gilman, as we reported last
Judge Coke will be over here next who purchased the Mac bon
Monday to hold an adjourned term o f stand and confection'Try on
the Circuit Ceto*.
/
$1.50 T H E Y E A R .
Like the W id o w * Grafae o f Oil
H is Passing Monday Proves that
Death Still Loves a
Shining M ark
When wo went to jpress last week
Roy E. Nicolai was very seriously ill
with the influensa at the Coquille hos­
pital where he had been since the pre­
vious Saturday.
He did not improve
but while* there was life there was
hope and through Saturday, Sunday
and Monday inquiries as to his condi­
tion were constant, and it seemed as
if every one in the city was waiting
with baited breath for news from bis
bedside. Aided by a strong constitu­
tion and having always lived a tem­
perate life, neither using strong drink
nor tobacco, it was hoped against hope
to the last that he might ppll.through.
He was given up, however, on Monday
and about nine that night his spirit
took its flight.
His mother, Mrs. Theodore Nicolai,
and his brother, Harry, came down
here several days before his death and
were with him at the la s t The re­
mains were taken to Portland Wed­
nesday morning the membws o f his
frm ily accompanying them and R. A.
Wernich going up on Thursday to at­
tend the funeral, which takes place
-today.-......
- -—
---------- "
~
Besides his mother and brother,
Harry, who were here, Mr. Nicolai is
survived by his fater, another brother,
Arthur F , who is an aviator at New­
port News, Virginia, and a sister, Mrs.
E. E. Duncan, o f San Francisco.
Roy E. Nicolai was 88 years o f age
and had boon prominent in the lumber
industry- o f the Pacific coast ever since
he attained his majority.
He was
widely popular in social and business
circles at Portland and during the two
years he had lived in Coquille he had
made a host o f friends here. He was
most affable and courteous to every
one; and was one o f those men so in-
stely joyous ftist his very presence
seeded to radiate sunshine.
He was secretary and assistant
manager o f the Sitka Spruce company
and was also a member o f the Nicolai
Door company of Portland.
Tax Levies fo r 1918
W e are indebted to Deputy Assessor
A. A. Sclander fo r the following fig­
ures for the tax levies o f 1918, now
being extended on the rolls.
The state and county tax is 16.6
mills. The high school tax is 4 tenths
o f a mill.
In the cities o f the county the rates
are as follows in mills, the total in­
cluding school, district, road district
and port district levies:
Special City Tax Total Tax
27.4
Empire ................. .. .6.1
Coquille ...............
422
392
Marshfield ........... ..11.6
41.4
North Bend .......
42.6
M yrtle Point ....... ..1 1 2
East Side ........... .. 82
372
Bandon ................ ..11
47.9
29.2
Beaver Hill ....... ..10.1
These levies sre not to be comparod
with last year’s because the valua­
tions have been so greatly increased,
but it will be noted that in Marshfield
where the raise was considerably
more than the average the rate for
city special taxes is a good deal lets
than in Coquille where the raise was
much less in proportion.
Coming now to the road districts we
find special levies in ten o f the 27
as follows in mills:
District No. 3 ............................... 8.6
District No. 4 ............................. 10.4
District No. 7 . . . . ......................10
District No. 9 ............................... 7.3
District No. 1 0 ..................., i . . . . 8.6
District No. 1 3 ............................... 6.1
District No. 1 4 ............................... 8.4
District No. 1 6 ..............................10
District No. 1 6 ...............
3 2
District No. 2 7 .......................
8
While Band on, with a 47.9 mill rate
stands highest among the towns the
socond highest rate in the county is
in that portion of the school district
No. 31, the Powers district, which is
located in road district No. 27. The
rate there is 61.6 mills. This is owing
to an extra school levy fo r a n<
school building. For this building the
district has voted $22,461, and the
school levy is 26.8 mills. There is a
road tax only in the outlying portion
o f the school district, which is in Road
District No. 27, that being the only
read district in the south end o f the
C. W county levying a special road tax.
The highest rate in the county ia In
Week,
School District No. 66, at the head o f
nr
Front Wtllanch Slough, where the school
levy to 332 mills gad the total levy
In view o f tho fact that where $30,-
000 had been appropriated for the
maintenance o f county roads last year
the expenditures in that Una amount­
ed to $60,000 last year, the new coun­
ty court has just decided upon unified
control. Last year the county was di­
vided into two nearly equal districts,
the north and the south, with one com­
missioner the boss in one district and
the other ip the other. This ordet
was revoked this week and the whole
county was placed in charge o f the
Roadman ter. To thid office J. S. Saw­
yer was appointed fo r the year begin­
ning Jan. 16, 1919, and ending Jan.
16, 1920, at a salary o f $200 a month,
with as much more fo r the expenses
o f the office. W ith one official know­
ing just how much money there is to
be spent on the roads the expenditures
can no doubt be kept within tile ap­
propriations a good deal better than
with two, each bound to keep within
the total amount so fa r to be was con­
cerned.
The policy o f having all the pur­
chases for the varioux county offices
made by one official is .also to be con­
tinued, the county jsHge being the
purchasing agent formal! the county
offices the same as las^year.
S t o c k
OFFTHEROADS
to keep
The County Court has decided to
order all stock running at large on
the main county roads to be taken. It
was all right to make free commons
o f tho roads while they were little
more than trails through the woods,
as was the case with1 the main road
from Beaver Hill Junction to Marsh-
Acid until recently, but times have
changed since then.. Now tl at we
have invested hundreds o f thousands
o f dollars putting such reads as the
one named on line and grade it would
be utter folly to permit cattle to wan­
der over those grades a t will and
trample them back ta$o the roadsides
as they hr.vg begun to do along the
Marshfield road already, before the
traveling public has M rffi to g * any
benefit from it.
The court eotimates the damage
done to our main roads at not less
than $1,000 a year and it ia an item
that will grow larger year by year,
as long as the practice is permitted.
So an order will be made at tnce di-
rosi.il g that ctock shall not be al­
lowed on imp.-oved highways, and all
found so trespassing shall be taken
up.
And this leads to another sugges­
tion along the same line.
Coquille
has ceaiod to be an old rtyle town
where every citizen was supposed to
fence his place again his neighbors’
cows; and yet in the neighborhood
where the writer lives it is impossi­
ble to have winter gardens because
ouebody’s stock is turaei loore in
the night and .browses rpon tho cab­
bage, broccoli, salsify, chard and other
green vegetables. W e need an order
rom the city fathers as well as from
the county court in regard- to making
public commons o f the streets.
City Treasury in Fine Condition
City Treasurer Sanford’s statement
o f the financial condition o f the city of
Coquille elsewhere published ought to
interest every taxpayer. There is in
the treasury now *$963722 in cash
and o f the city’s indebtedness of about
glHb.000 there is $42,000 due by indi­
vidual taxpayers fo r improvements.
And against the remaining $68,000 of
indebtedness,
$30,000 in
funding
bonds and $28,000 in water bonds the
city holds property conservatively es­
timated to be worth nearly $80,000.
The water bonds were reduced $1,000
in amount last year by the payment
o f Nos. 88 and 39, and they are to be
paid year by year at the same rate
until the last issue is extinguished.
Surprise
Sprung
W hen
C.
Skeeis Is Sworn In A fte r
Other N e w Members
The old council, which has been
conducting the city affairs fo r the
past 19 months, found very little to
do last Monday evening and adjourned
sine die, to make way for the new.
One surprise was sprung on them,
however, when the recorder read the
resignation o f Jno. W. Miller, whose
removal from the city necessitated
such action. It was accepted.
The annual report o f the city treas­
urer, elsewhere published, was pre­
sented to the council and ordered
filed. In this connection City Treas­
urer Sanford said the city’s financial
condition was better than it had been
for years and showed a net gain in
funds on hand in the past 19 months
o f about $3,600, exclusive o f the $6,-
000 received from the county for the
water fro n t
/
The chairman o f .the committee ap­
pointed to confer with J. A . Lamb re­
garding the price at which the Lamb
heirs would deed the myrtlo^grove to
the city, being absent the subject
was not considered by the old council
and anything along that line now will
have to be in the nature o f a fresh
s ta rt
In bidding farewell to Henry Lor­
enz , the only retiring councilman
present Mayor Johnson stated that he
considered Mr. Lorenz an extraordin­
arily good councilman and that he had
been a faithful watch dog o f the treas­
ury, a very necessary adjunct o f all
city, state or national governments.
When Mayor Johnson called the
new council together there was an­
other surprise sprung, fo r after learn­
ing o f Mr. Miller’s withdrawal, the
mayor quietly slipped out and secured
the^oonaeat o f Chaa. T. Skeols to All
the* vacancy caused, and after J. A .
Lamb and Allen McLeod had taken
their,places around the table Mr.
Skeeis” name was presented and
((Uickly confirmed, aad he was imme
diately sworn in. The appointment is*
one which will be heartily endorsed
by the public, for Mr. Skeeis in the
five years he has previously served on
Ihe board has made a very enviable
reputation as a wise, conscientious
and capable official.
The bond o f Recorder J. 8. Law ­
rence in the sum o f $1,000 with L. H.
Hazard and L. J. Cary as sureties,
was approved and turned over to the
mayor.
W. H. Mansell, who has served the
city longer as councilman than any
one in the present body, wns unani­
mously elected chairman o f the coun­
cil. He has served in that position
first and last for six years.
The only change made in the sal­
aries o f the city officers was in the
case o f the recorder. Mr. Lawrence
has been receiving $46 per month
from the general fund and $60 from
the water fund, but Mr. Hawkins’ sug­
gestion that it should be made 60-60
was approved and the recorder will
now receive $100 a month, which Is
none too much in these days o f h. c.
U and is an amount to which the e f­
ficiency o f the present recorder clear­
ly entitles him.
The marshal and night marshal,
will receive $86 per month from the
general fund, the water superinten­
dent $86 and the fire chief $6 from
the water fund; while the city treas­
urer will receive $200 per annum, the
city attorney $60 per montlUB^d the
health officer not hess than fTO per
annum, all from the general fund.
When the resolution providing for the
officers’ salaries was up fo r consider­
ation, Councilman Barrow made a
proposition that “ since the devil dens,
the saloons, had gone out o f business”
there was no use for a marshal, and
that as a matter o f retrenchment the
Moonshine Trial On Today
offices o f marshal and water superin­
The case against the Powers men tendent should be consolidated, there­
accused \ o f running the moonshine by saving from $60 to $70 per month
still discovered last summer on a to the city.
rocky hillside above that place ia to
Practically the entire council op­
come up fo r hearing in the federal posed this union o f the two offices in
court today. Attorneys Goes and Me one man, many o f the members argu­
Knight, o f Marshfield, are to appear ing that R would effect no saving
o f the defendants.
when the extra help needed was taken
68 mills.
There are fourteen School Districts
in the county out o f a total o f 84, in
which no tax levy ia made this year,
and their levy is only the state and
county rata o f 17 plus the port rate.
The poft levy is 22 mills in the
Port o f Com Bay; 2.1 in the Bort o f
Bandon and 12 in the Port o f Coquille
River.
x
into consideration. Mr. Lamb thought
there was enough work for one man to
do on the water system alone, keeping
up repair» which If neglected would
mean a large expense in the future.
Mr. Hawkins said that both sys­
tem* had been tried and that 8. V. Ep­
person, who was the last to serve in
the dual role o f marshal and water
(Coattaued om ftfth