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VOL. XXI
GRAMTS PASS. JOSEPHINE COUNTY. OREGON, FRIDAY, MARCH 9, 1906.
No. 49.
GRANTS PASS TO BE A RAILROAD CENTER
M0$
s V,
J
Preparations Now Under Way
for Building a Railroad to
Illinois Valley and Coast
. It can now be definitely announced
that Grants Pass is to bare a railroad
to tbe Illinois Valley and that grad
ing for tbe roadbed will be began
withe n the next 60 day. Wednesday
the local committee having in
harga the scouring of capital for the
V cooficroctioo of this railroad receiTed
' ' telegram from J. O'B. Oonn, of
San Francisco, stating his company
bad secured the capital sufficient to
at once baild the railroad from Grants
Pass to Takilma and its construction
woo Id be hastened with the greatest
possible speed.
This railroad leading from Grants
Pais to the ri 'h mining, timber and
agricultural section of the central and
Southern part of Josephine couuty
VM first undertaken three year; ago.
f Colonel T. Walu-Morgan Draper, hav
ing secured capitalists to pat in a
smaller at the Takilma copper mines,
set about securing railroad communi
cation from the smelter to the South-
i era Pacific at Grants Pass. In this
undertaking he was backed op by the
progressive citizens of Grants Pass,
lie organized a company iu Shu Fran
cisco, where he residua, of prominent
men of that city, who placed at the
HISTORICAL SKETCH ,
t)F GRANTS PASS
Interesting Facta of Eaily Das as
Told by a Form.r Editor
of the Courier.
By an oversight I have failed so far
to mention me rress oi uruuie
Pass, which is in marked contrast to
the strugglingg Courier of '85 and '86.
The Observer- weekly is firmly estab
lished s one of the levers for good in
the city and county; it is a paper of
'Which any community should feel
proud. J. F. Galbraith is its editor
aud publisher. The Mining Journal,
published by the M. J. Publishing
Co., Arthur Couklin, editor, is a zeal
ous friend to the miner and has been
established about nine years. The
J Courier, Observer and Miuing Journal
Q have job printing and book bind
ing plants complete and their press
rooms are full of the latest appliances
in the art preservative.
4 'When J. H. Stioe issued Vol. 1,
Uo. 1. of tbe Grauts Pass Courier on
Friday, April S, '6"S, it was a Beven
column, patent outside aud gave its
fowlers bat foar aud a half columns of
evading matter, subscription price
y oe copy io advance, $3.60 per
year." Its head line said "An inde
pendent paper devoted to the interests
of Josephine oounty and Southern
jOregon."
Asu matter of fact, the very first
print to make its appearance in the
m town wai the "Argus," an infamous
sheet out worthy of the name newspaper-,
ft was 6x8 inches, irregularly
issued, devoting considerable space to
attacks orion wr best citizens. Tbe
writer bought tlie entire plaut for $10,
iti m I a a no unit of it in the
Jourer omce excepting a rauruau
oat. Hon. H. B. Miller was the per
soa who suggested the name "Rogue
Biver Courier. " Meeting Mr. M Her
1 1 Sell Real tstate t
v L. IRELAND, "The Real Estate M;tn"
.
Ground Floor Courier
bead of the organization John O'B.
Qunn, one of the prominent capit
alists of San Francisco. This com
pany, known as the Californa & Ore
gon Coast Railroad Company, had a
surrey made of the route from Giants
Pass to Crescent City. This route
crosses Rogue river at Whit: Rocks in
the east suburbs of Grants Pass and
traversing the level bottom of nine
miles between Rogoe and Applegate
river and crossing the latter stream
near the mouth of Slate cees will
follow that oieek up to Love's Station
where a tunnel will carry the rail
road through Hay's hill, as that sec
tion of the divide between Applegate
and Illinois Valleys is called. The
Illinois Valley will be reached at the
head of Clear creek down which the
route passes to Selma where Deer ceek
is crossed aud the route runs through
the low divide east of Eight Dollar
mountain aud out on the Illinois
river bottom near Kerby. The route
follows up this Valley past Eerby to
(he forks of the river near Waldo.
The route here br.tuched one turning
op the right for of the Illinois and
ou across the divide at its headwaters
to Smith river iu Del Norte couuty
on the street I brought up the subject.
He fatcred the present name because
in thy Valley of fthe Rogue.
Mr. Miller was not consul-general
to Japan iu those days, bat he was
consal-geueral of Grants Pass aud
whatever he said was apt to go, so on
June 4, '86, the Courier came oat a
home print as the "Rogue River
Courier, Wimer & Stiue, publishers."
Tbe objection to the original name
was.that it implied a narrow pas,
whereas the townsite is in one of the
most beautiful valleys one ever sees,
and the Rogue river from the bridge
in the edge of towu when clear, is the
prettiest stream between the Atlantic
and Pacific oceans. Its beauty is of
the poetic sort, and many is the song
that will bo sang of it. Jaly 2, '86,
the' Courier came out with W. J.
SVimer publisher aud on December 6,
'8, the plain style of letter for the
headline was dropped and the pres
ent style wi:b a very slight difference
appeared at its head.
When Stiue landed iu Grauts Pass
he was broke; he looked about for aid
to start a paper; the merchant were
willing to help him some and Dr.
W. H. Flanagan was willing to loan
him about $400. He could not
see his way on this so came to Waldo
and asked me to stand behind him
when pay day should come, about a
year ahead. I promised that if he
would ( uhlifh an independent paper,
devoted to the interests of the oounty
I would. He had not been long in
business before he bad some trouble
with his wife and took an overdose of
morphine more than usual. Dr.
Flanagan wai -called in and by hard
work for a whole night, pulled him
through. Good and faithful norae
that the doctor U, I havi always be
lieved that be worked harder to save
Stine's life than he would otherwise
have done, for as he stated to me
afterward, he "did not want that
paper." In doe time Stiue came to
me for the promised aid. I had heard
I of his troubles, his whiskey and mor-
Rent Houses
Make Loans
Agent For
Phillips Hydraulic Ram
and
American Fire Extiopisk
Call upon or write
.
Bldg . Gbants Pass, Ore.
and the ce on to Crescent City. The
Other branch of the route followes up
tbe left fork of Illinois to th Takilma
smelter and will be extended on to the
headwaters of that stream to the Pres
ton Peak copDer district, known to be
one of the largest and richest in the
United States. .
Ample termiual groonds were secured
adjoining the Southern Pacific track
in the east part of Grants Pass, the
purhase of this land being partially
borne by a number of the citizens of
this city. A nombHr of right-of-way
contracts were secured on the route
between Grants Pass aud Takilma and
then all apparent activity on the part
of the Company cased. The general
hesitancy then prevailing of moneyed
men taking ap new railroad ventures
was assigned as the reason for the
California & Oregon Coast Railroad
Company not being able to interest
capital and baild their road.
An era of railroad building haviug
set in all over the Pacific Coast the
citizens of Grants Pass decided this
past Winter that it was a most propi
tious time to iufnse new life into
their local railroad venture A com
pany was organized in January known
as the Grants Pass & Western Rail
way Compauy, made up of some of
the leading citizens of the city. Some
138,000 in stock was subscribed to ee
oure funds for survey iug a route for
a railroad to llliuoiB Valley aud for
si caring terminal grounds and right-of-way.
Correspondence was opened
with a u umber of capitalists, who
were railroad builders, to interest
tliein in the proposition and to take
it up and build the mad. Consider
phine aud was not anxious tJ make
the loun, but the pour fellow had boeu
doing some business on that promise.
In my straits I weut to Davis Brower
for advise. He informed me he was
Stiue's lawyer but would advise with
me; his advise was that it was not
safe to make the loan and that iu or.
der to avoid the possible loss of the
money I had better buy a half interest
in the business and take the business
management of the paper. But I ob
jected to Stine's whiskey aud mor
phine. "Bind him np in au article of
agreement which I will write," said
the article said, was to abstain from
the use of whiskey, and he kept his
argeement just tbree weeks. Under
this purchase I paid Stine $800 for a
one-hal; interest in a broken hand
press and the office was without a
jobber. There was the usual amount
of well worn type. A new outfit
complete could have been bought for
less money. I had no usa iu the
world for a newspaper. I did not
know a column rale from a galley and i
had never studied giammar. Stine
she. This wat doue and Mr. Stine,
and I remained partners long enough j
to get out three issues of the home i
print; daring onr copartnersip
Stine aud I had bought au entirely
new drags for the paper and a Gordon
Jobber and all necessary job material;
this cost me another $800. At the
end of three weeks, Stine went on a
big spree, breaking his article of agree
ment and resulting in an abrupt dis
solution of co-partnership. I was
left entirely helpless. Sam Smith,
brother of Robert G., was our typo
bat he could not get out the paper.
At this juncture I thought of my old
friend Leeds of tbe Tidings, and to
Ashland 1 weut After hearing my
storr Mr. Leeds said: "I see how
you are fixed ; I have got a good man
in the ofilca who can do your work
and if yon can make a bargain with
him I will let him go; if I get pushed
I cau get in and set type sud that you
can't do." In very short order I
made a bargain with B. A. Stanard,
who immediately removed to Grauts
Pass, family and cow, aud at once
took full charge of the press room, re
maining with me as long as I owned
the paper, giving the best of satisfac
tion, getting out, as my files prove, a
very neat print and he was alajs on
time and no whiskey mixed up with
it.
For this kiudners when Mr. Lends
ran for statu printer, though be was a
republican and I a democrat, he wrote
me to know if I could sopport him
be got my vote ana several of my
friends at mf suggestion besides. 1
sold the Cooritr to G. G. Wickson,
dairy machinery dealer, San Fran
oiscl (wbo bought it for his brother-in-law.
A. A. All worth) for $1600.
Wickson sold it to Mr. Shepherd;
Shepherd to Cnrry ; Curry to Jerry
Mucan; Xuoan to its present owner,
i While I owned tbe Courier, Miss Cora
'Smith, daughter of Edwin Smith aud
able encouragement was received aud
the outlook was good for getting a
company to take up the venture when
Mr. Gunn and Colonel Draper re
vived their project aud again ap
peared ou the Buene. With the back
ing and co-operation of the local
Grants Pass company they were able
to make such a showing of tonnage
aud feasible route that they are now
able to secure ample capital for build
ing the railroad. On an agreement to
this effeot the local company will turn
over their stock so soon as a seotiod
of this road is constructed and retire
from this field.
Encouraged by their success In get
ting it made certain that Grants Pass
will have railroad connection with
the rioh territory to the south, the
managers of the local company have
turned their attention to getting a
railroad into the great undeveloped
region to the east of this city. With
that end in view the articles of in
corporation will be amended to en
able a change of route to be made.
This route will be from Grauts Pass
to Woodville ; thence op Evans creek
to near Bybee Springs thence through
a low pass across to Sams Valley and
ou in a nor heast oourse to Rogue
river near Prospect, where the Condor
Power & Water Company are putting
in one of the biggest electrio power
plants on the Pacific Coast. The
route will then be op Rogue river to
its bead at Crater Lake thence on
into Eastern Oregon.
This road would be even a more
profitable' oue than the one to Cres
cent, City for it would tap oue of the
finest timber belts in Southern
sister to Hon. R. G. Smith, and
F. W. Chausse, gave me uo little
anxiety; they were determined to
break into the Courier office and be
come printers. There were but 600
voters iu the oounty at that lime aud
they did not rosli to the support of the
county's first paper. I could there
fore not afford to hire extra help.
Miss Smith came quite often; I bad
no notion whatever of employing her
but did not tell her so. One day
while I was Btandiug in the office door
sne hesitated, as (the was passiug, to
plead for that "case." She would try,
sue said, and if she did not give satis
faction she would gladly quit. I pat
her off; as she walked away I noticed
her closely; she wbb dressed plain bat
neutly ; her dress was of good mater
ial ; iu the back of the waist on one
shoulder, wai a very neat patch about
two iuches square that decided her
future; I said to myself, "I will give
that girl a case" aud I did aud
though she was rather delicate as to
health, she dropped iuto the taper
business as a duck do?s into water and
proved a valuable acquistion to tne
Courier force.
I had now disposed of Miss Smith,
whst was I to do with that slender
bpy, whose father had recently died,
leaving quit) a large family strug
gling agaiuat the tides? Going down
the strret to the office oue day with a
dozen lead peuolls in my baud; I met
the boy who iu a playful mood snatch
ed one of the pencils from the btiucb
that was the first editors peucil he
ever wielded but not the last one;
soon after that he was running the
Inker iu the Courier office.
W. J. W1MKK.
RAILROAD MANAGER
VISITS GRANTS PASS
General Manager Crulg Well
Pleased with, Possibilities
.of Rogue River Valley.
A. L. Craig of PortUud, general
manager of the Harriiuan Hoes iu Ore
gon, which practically includes all the
railroads iu this state, wai in Grauts
Pans all of Mondav, he arriving in his
private car with tbe morning passen
ger train and remained until 10:110 p.
m. when bis car was taken to Ashland
by No. 11. Mr. Craig wai accompan
ied by J. P. Jones, traveling passengei
agent for the Southern Paoific and O.
It. cc A. hues in this state. The ob
ject of this visit of Mr. C'aigs to Rogue
River Valley was that he might famil
iarize himself with otnditious here M
related to the development of a larger
traffic for his road. While Mr. Craig
has been a resident of Oregon for sev
eral years, this was lbs first time that
ne had been in this section of the
state, except to pass through on the
cars and he was most Agreeably sor-
Vl!ey and at the many aud immense I
To Build Road to Crater Lake,
Thence East Connect With
Transcontinental Line.
Oregon, largely of sugar pine, that
oovers the country from Evans creek
almost to .the summit of the Cascade
mountains. The extensive coal fields
of Big Meadows would be made avail
able and prospect work has proven
that there is a vast deposit of good
coal in this district. There is along
the line of route extensive deposit
of asbestos, cinnabar, copper and
gold, that railroad transportation
would develop. Tbe tourist travel to
Crater Lake, one of the greatest
sneuio wonders of the world, would
bring a large tr-ifllo to this railroad.
Eastern Oregon would be a traffic
field of enormous proportions. In
that suction connection would be made
with some one of the Eastern rail
roads now heading towards the Pa
cific. The building of the two roads
above mentioned would make Grauts
Pass the Spokane of Southern Oregon
and be the beginning in transportation
development that would make this
city oue of the big railroad centers of
the Pacific Coat.
Aotive preparations are now under
way for the construction of the rail
road from Grauts Pass to Takilma,
and so soon as it is certain that a
resources that it contains. During
the day, be, in company with Mr.
Jones and with the Southern Paoifio
local t gout, 'Mr. Jester, called on the
business men of the ci'y and gained
from them much of the information
he desired as to the methods and pos
sibilities of developing the latent
wealth of this Valley.
Mr. Craig expessed himself to a rep
resentative of the Courier as a result
of his investigations that the greatest
resources of Josephine oounty was
being the l-ast developed, that of
agriculture which be held would in
time bring in a greater wealth than
the mines or tbe timber. He, did not
speak disparagingly of the latter In
dustries but credited them with being
great factors in the prosperity of
Rogoe River Valley. Bach had been
the showing iu the markets of the
world aud at the Lewis and Clark fair
of Rogue River frut that Mr. Craig
was certain that the time was not
distant when this valley will be famed
for its appl-s and berries quite as
muoh as Hood River now is. In
quality aud product! venesi Rogue
Kiver apples, pears, peaches, grapes
aud oberries were excelled by uo sec
tion of the United States aud Mr.
Craig thought it would be a safe ven
ture for farmers here to grow these
fruits. The dairy business, the raising
of large horses and diversified farmiug
was commended by this all-round well
posted railroad man. ' Of the move
ment now under way to establish
rural telephone Hues and organize
Grangos in this Valley Mr. Craig
stated that the telephone had proven
A TIMELY TOPIC
You will soon bo thinking about houso
cloaning, that brings up tho matter of
CARPETS
The New Goods have arrived beautiful,
serviceable patterns of tho best Carpets
made; tho prices aro really loss than you
would expect to pay for tho best. Let us
show you.
WALL PAPERS
Our factory people report
expeciea aaiiy. it win pay you to wan and seo
tho enMro completo new linos; more beautiful than
ever. Our word for it you won't regret waiting.
Thomas b 0 Neill
HOUSEFURNISHERS
smelter Is to be ereoted at Blue Ledge
copper mines a branch line will be
built np Applegate to that large aud
rich mining district. The Company
has a deed to ample termiual grounds
in Grants Pun adjoining the Southern
Paoifio line, where a union depot
will be built Right-of-way is now
beiug secured, that matter being at
tended to by the Company's attorney, '
A. O. Hough and by Thos. Galvin,
who is doing the field work. Where
the right-of-way cannot be bought
condemnation suits are being institut
ed and tbe owners of the land made
to allow the railroad to pass through '
their property. It is expeoted to have
grading begun by May 1st.
A meeting is called for next Thurs
day evening in the Opera Uonse to
consider some matters in connection
with the railroad to Illinois Valley,
and also to take up the question of
securing a railroad from Grants Pass
to Crater Lake and on to Eastern
Oregon and connect with tome trans
continental line. It Is expected that
every stockholder in the Grants Pass
& Southern will be present and also
all other citizens of Grants Pass who
art) iuterosted iu making this a city
of 35,000 people. .
! itself to be one of the strongest factors
yet brought to take away tbe lone
souieuess aud monotony of farm life
aud to make especially the young peo
ple contented to stay on the ' farm.
The Grantge, now that it had be
come a farmers club instead of politi
cal organization, bad become a power
of great good to the farmer and his
family. On good roads Mr. Craig is
an enthusiast and thinks the founda
tion of the farmers prosperity is de
pendent on the condition of the roads
to his marketing point As most
roads now are it costs the farmer
from 25 to 75 cents per ton per mile to
haul his produce to tho railroad, yet
this expense oonld be out down one
half by building hard surfaced roads.
Mr. Craig stated bis company would
more than ever take up the systematio
advertising of Rogue, River Valley as
he was folly convinced that it was
one of the most promising sectious to
homeseekers and invettors that was
reached by an Oregon railroad. The
Southern Pacific was now giving the
same freight rate from .Rogue River
points as from Portland or San Fran-
ioiscoon fruit, hops, wool and other
farm products tu the market! of the
East.
Dscla.ma.tory Contest.
We again call attention to the de
clamatory contests to be held Wednes
day aud Filday.Maroh 28th and 80th in
the High School Asieuibly room.
These contests should be patronized
largely and generously by all who
have the interest and welfare of oar
l.iniuu it uean, xsjors open at t :lot
program to begin at 7 :45.
that the new goods aro
mi - "v.
5.