VOL. XXI
GRANTS PASS. JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, MARCH 23, 1906.
No. 51.
1
FREE TELEPHONING TO. ALL PARTS
OF JOSEPHINE COUNTY SECURED
The First County in Oregon
Progressive Community All Sections to Be Con
nected by Telephones Within Six Months.
Pacific States Telephone SL Tele
graph Co. to Co-opereLte With
Local Co. in this Service.
The movement undertaken some
time ago by the Rogue River Courier
to secure s complete system of tele
phone! for Joseph iDe county has met
with auch hearty support from the
farmers, miners and the stockmen of
the rural districts and of the business
men of Grants Pais aud the other
towns that it is now certain that be
fore the close of this year that every
eectiou of the county will be in tele
phonic connection with the county
eat And ' what is wore Josephine
county will enjoy the highly credit
ble distinction of being the first
onnty in Oregon to have a complete
system of telephone lines reaching
very part of the oonnty over which
"there will be free switching for every
subscriber. This is the terms of the
contract made by the Pacific States
Telephone & Telegraph Company
with the Applegate Valley Telephone
Company, that all rural liuea shall
have free switching on the Grants
Pass system and also these rural lines
"Will be connected through the central
office in Grants Pass so that they will
have free switching one with another.
This fine system will enable a Grants
Pass business man to talk with his
customers in any part of the county
and a Williams Valley stockman to
talk with an Illinois Valley etock
tnin, and a Galice miner to call np a
miner at lireenback. Granite Hill or
Takilma. The Grants Pass High
School, which is free to every boy and
girl in the county has many students
from other districts. These boys and
girls will be more contented aud
more able to do good work ifi school if
after studies hours they can call up
the home folks and have a little visit.
But the farmers will be the ones to
secure the greatest benefit from incite
rural tines for it will save them many
tiips to town and to their neighbors
nd it will enable them to know what
the state of the market is and to make
sale before he is at the expensa of
taking ft load of I rJduce to town.
While the installation of a complete
1
Sp. lifial tstate $
Mm
SOME GOOD BUYS
A Tine o-Room Dwelling and two choice residence lots
well located with commanding view, housa plastered and hard oil
finish, i well painted outside. Has been boilt only four years
Could not be rebuilt for less than $-'000 If taken by April first,
can be had at a saorfice. Only $1500.
b-Room House and two choice lots ou 8th street near Iowa.
House new and well painted. Price $1375.
j.Room Cottage and four choice lots in nice locaton. Prce
only $850 on a qock sale. Good Urnis if wanted. .
57 Acres flue Applegate bottom land 10 mles from Grants
Pass, 8 acres in hops, balance sutable for alfslfa or xegetables. A
snap at $1100, one-half cash.
A 28 acre Kiver Bottom Hop Farm in fine state of cultivation
close to town, for only $2000.
9 Acre of good bottom land, good 6 room house, good barn and
chicken house, IJ miles from Grants Pass, for only $1600.
80 Acres in the famous Applegate vally,9 miles from Grants
Pass. 60 acres io grain, afalfa and clover. All under irrigation.
Water right of 150 miners' inches with place. Good orchsrd 7 yearn
old good barn and other outbuildgs, fair house, one-eighth mile to
first-class school; one half mile to country store and postofflce.
New Rail Boad will go near place. A BARGAIN, if taken soon.
I HAVE STOCK AND POULTRY FARMS
Of all sixes and description at prices ranging from $500 to $15,000.
WRITE ME
For illustrated descriptive pamphlet and list. '
W. L. IRELAND, "The Real Estate Man"
Q Ground Floor Courier Bldg.
to Secure This Evidence of a
system of telephones for the entire
oeunty will be of great advantage to
every farm community, miuiog dis
trict and town in the county it will
be of very great value to the citizens
oi Grants Pass, for it will make this
city the cento of one of the largest
telephone systems in Oregon and aid
a most important factor in building it
up to be the commercial metropolis of
Southern Oregon. There is every
reason to expect that within the near
fnture that with the free ,switohlng
and other favorable terms given by
the Pacific States Telephone Company
that there will be 1000 telephones on
these rural lines centering in Grants
Pass. The Pacific States Company
will profit quite as much by this co
operation scheme as will the independ
ent companies, for it will add folly
$500 a month to its te'ephone rental,
and its loug distance business, now
very small from the outlying dis
tricts of tite county, will be developed
so that it will yield a very large reve
nue. Ic will also make certain that
no rival company will enter this field
to compete for Grants Pass cr Jose
phine connty busiiiees and this Com
pany will not have the hard fight to
hold its territory as it is haviug in
Salem, Portland and dozens of other
towns on the Pacific Coast, where the
Automatio Telephone Company has
entered the field. With the reason
able rental for telephones aud free
switching for ail rural liues t'lat
enter Grants Pass, the farmers will
not be disposed to take up a strictly
independent service, nor will the busi
ness men of Grants Pass encourage a
new company to enter this field to
necessitate them each to hive two
telephones.
In order to lessen the expense and to
insure a better service only four in
dependent companies will be organized
to cover the territory tributary to
Grants Pass. The Applegate Valley
and all territory south of Rogue river
from Grants Pass will be handled by
the Applegate Valley Telephone Com
pany, now organized. ' A'l the terri
tory west aud north of Grants Pass
embracing Lee district, Galice and
down Rogue river to Mule Creek dis
trict, and Grave, Wolf, Jomp-off-Joe,
and Louse creek valleys will be
U. S. Fidelity & Guarantee Co.
Equitable Savings and Loan Assn. A
. Fire Insurance.
Lloyds Plate Glass Co.
Phillfps Hydraulic Rams.
Grants Pass, Ore. $7
covered by a company to be rrgan
ized. A meeting will be held at Lee
school house ou Saturday evening,
Apirl 7, and a second meeting will be
held st Merlin on Satordsy, April 14,
at 3 p. m. at which Charles Meserre
of the Courier, will be present to or
panlze a company . similar to one
formed at Provolt for the Applegate
district. It is expected that all who
ire interested in the establishment of
a rural telephone system for that part
ot the county will be attend. G,
O. Oium, manager for Josephine
county for the Paoifio States Tele
phone Company will be present at
these meetings to give all information
desired as to the cost of installing the
telephone system and the details of
the terms that his company has to
make to these independent companies.
The Uinois Valley will embrace the
third district and during thek latter
part of April, Mr. Meserve will take
op with the settlers of that valley
the organizing of a company to in
stall a telephone system to connect
with the Grants Pass and the other
county systems. After these three
companies are in good working order
a company will be organized for the
territory along Rogue river above
Grants Pars and including the Evans,
Foots aud Birdseye oreek valleys.
The second meeting for perfecting
the organization of the Applegate
Valley Telephone Company was held
last Tuesday afternoon at Pi o volt.
There was a large number of farmers
present, representing the various
sections of the valley. Owing to the
chairman, C. O. Biglow, being de
layed in reaching the meeting E.
Badger was made temporary chaii-
man. Charles Meserve presented a
copy of a constitution aud regulations,
which he had prepared, and they were
read by the secretary R. F. Lewinan.
A short discussion was had en the
terms outlined when a motiou being
mad'i they were adopted. G. O.
Oinm, manager for Pacifio States
Telephone Compaey's business in
Josephine county, . then pres- nted the
proposition that Geueral Manager J.
H Thatcher had to make for his Com
pany. Tli is agreement embraced the
following conditions:
Tho Pacific States Telephone &
Telegraph Company to lease rent free
for a period of five years to the Ap
plegate Valley Telephone Company
its telephone liue from the central
station in Grants Pass to its termiuus
of Williams, having a length of 30
miles. The Pacific States Company
to keep in repair that section of the
line irom its central station to the
bridge where it crosses Rogoe river
and to pay the taxes on the entire
line. The Applegate Company to
keep the line in repair from Rogne
river bridge to its end at Williams
and turn it over to the Pacific States
Company at the end of the five year
in as good condition as when they re
ceived it, the Pacific States Conijmny
to put the line in good repair before
the lease Roes Into effect The Apple
gate Compauy to have the right to
string additional wires along this line.
Tli is lease to be conditioned on the
Applegate Company renting not less
than 50 telephones of the Pacific
States Company.
Tho Pacific States Company to rent
telephones to the Applegate Company
for 60' cents per month payable semi
yearly in advance, keep them in re
pair while, in use and 'pay the taxes
on them. The subscribers will pay
for the batteries, when they have to
be renewed. These batteries will
cost about 20 cents each and will last
from six to eight months. The sub
scribes will install .their telephones,
the connection with the wires being
so sinible that any person can do the
job These telephones are to be- the
latest improved, high power instru
ments and are to be delivered in
Grants Pass freight paid and the
rental will begin with thir removal
from the depot These telephones
will be . sub-leased by the Applegate
Company to its members.
Tim Pacifio States Company to sell
switch boards and other telephone
central office snpplifs at cost to the
Applegate Companv.
The members of the Applegate Com
pany to have free switching with the
Grants Pass system and with all other
rural lines that ma be boilt into that
city. The Applegate Company to have
all the revenue derived from non
members using iu lines and the Pa
cific States Company to have the
revenue from the long distance Cosi
ness. This proposition from the Pacific
States Company was compared with
the advantage that might be had from
strictly independent system and after
the merits of the two systems had been
folly considered the Pacific States
proposition was accepted on motion
made by Charles Meserve and second
ed by E. N. Provolt. The question
was then considered of incorporating
the Applevatfl Va'ley Telephone Com
pany. A vote being taken it was de
cided to incorporate and E. Budger,
E. N. Provolt and C. O. Biglow were
chosen as incorporators and Charles
Meserve was authorized to arrange
with an attorney to prepare the
papers aid to forward them to the
sicretary of state at Salem. To show
the interest that the citizens of Grants
Pa's have in these rural telephone
companies four of the prominent bust
ness mon of that city accompanied
Mr. Mese've and Mauager Oium to
Provolt These gentlemen were Geo.
R. Riddle, of Hair-Riddle Hardware
Company, Lee Calvert of the Grants
Pass Hardware Company, Roy Wil
son of P. H. Harth & Company, and
T. B. Cornell, lately in the grocery
business. On being called on by
Chairman Badge, each of them gave
short addresses in which they com.
mended the movement for rnral tele
phones and the especially advantageous
featoies ot free switching for these
country lines with Grants Pass. On
a motion to that effect Chairman
Badger appointed the following per
sons a committee to secure members,
Henry Kubli, Upper Applegate ; John
Per noil, Applegate; R. F. Lewman,
E. N. Provolt, Provolt; O. O. Biglow
and Morford John, Williams; Bert
Sargeut and Louis Sturgeon, Upper
Williams; W. S. Bailey and William
York, Missouri Flat; Fred Knox,
Laurel Grove; J. W. Gilmore and H.
L. Reed, Murphy; C. C. English,
New Hope; Mr. Clements, Ceutenial
district aud Sooth Grants Pass; W. I.
Sweetlnnd and Chas. Mesarve, Grants
Phhh.
The next meating of the Applegate
Valley Telephone Company will be
held at Provolc ou Saturday, March
31 at 2:Ii0 p. m sharp. It will be
necefsiiry for all who wish to join the
company to be there to sign the HtocK
book and place their order for a tele
phone aud for wire and insalatora
The wire and insulators will cost
about $8 por mile. Porcelain insula
tors will be used and the wire can be
strung to trees aud give as good ser
vice as to poles. No telephones will
be allowed to he connected with the
main line between Grants Pass and
the various central stations, all tele
phones being connected to the latter
by branch liues. The object of this
is to keep the main line clear, other
wise it would be loaded up with 40
to 50 telephones aud then uo one
oonld talk over it. A oenlral Will be
established at riovclt and branch
lines will be run op Williams Valley,
op Applegate and Thompson Valleys
and across to Missouri Flat and down
to Laurel Grove district. A central
will be pot in .at Murphy to accom
modate the four or five branch liues
that will cover the adjoining territcry
and a central will be put in at South
Grants Pass for the residents of that
section and of the Ceutenial district
The shares of stock will be $5 each,
bot if 100 members are secured, as is
expected, it will not require ao assess
ment of more than f J a share to pay
for instilling the centrals and to meet
the other expenses of puttiug the tele
phone system in working order. The
persons keeping the cntral stations
will be giieu free telpehoues and
those handling a large nuaiber ot
lines will be paid a salary. Mr.
Bidger has offered to keep the Pro
volt office for $15 per month for this
year while the compauy is getting a
start. No arrangements have yet
been made at Murphy aud Sooth
Grants Pass for operators. The cost
of maintaining the central o dices and
such other expenses as will be le
ctured will be met by a telephone
rental charge of probibly 25 cents per
mouth, which with the rent of 50
cents paid the Pacifio States Company
will make the telephones cost 75
cents per month. The rent In Grants
Pais is $1.25 per month for residence
telephones and $1.50 for office tele
phones. Hie articles of incorporation are
being prepared by Hon. Geo. H.
Durham aud expects to have them
signed op this Saturday when be will
fije them with the secretary of state.
The filing fee and the corporation
tax will be $10 each that being the
charges against incorporations having
a capital of less than $10,000. Mi.
Durham makes no charges for his legal
services, he contributing his fee,
which would have beeo not less than
$J5, to axaisst by that much the
farmer in financing their telephone
undertaking. He will also accompany
Mr.
Meserve to Provolt to attend the
meeting next Satsrday and see that
the legal details of completing the or
ganization of the Applegate Valley
Telephone Company are fully complied
with.
While makiag it pos'ible for the
people of the county to have a first
class telephone service at a reasonable
oost the Pacifio States Telephone ci
Telegrap'i Company are arranging to
greatly improve the servioe in Grants
Pa-is. It is expeoted to spend fully
$5000 in installing what is known as
the central energy system. With this
system there is but two telephones on
a line and there is no bell to be rung
to call central. The Company will in
crease their central station so that it
can handle a thousand or more tele
phones and thus readily handle the
large bosiness that will come with the
growth of Grants Pass and the in
stallation of rural lines throughout
the oonntry. Their present quarters
in the First National Bank building
will be too small for the Company's
use and the Bank Company will
probably erect this Summer brick
building immediately back of the
Bank block on groond now occupied
by their wood house. This building
will be 26x70 feet and will be entirely
osed by the Pacific States Company,
the front part for central station and
offioea aud the rear for a storage room.
With these intended Improvements
that are to be made by the Pacifio
States Telephone Company and with
the completion of the four big rural
telephone systems that will cover all
the territory tributary to Grauts Pass
this city will have by far the best
telephone system of any city in Ore
gon, Portland not excepted.
Subjoined is given in full the con
stitutlon and by laws of the Apple
gte Valley Telephone Company.
ibis constitution-has been carefully
prepared and embodies the best features
of the constitutions of a number of
independent telephone oompnnies and
strictly oouforms to the laws of Ore
gon. It folly safeguards every in
terest of the members and fully
proti ots tho company from being
Monopolized by a faotion of its mem
bers or being absorbed by a rival
oompany. At the meeting next Satur
day at Provolt, roles and regulations
will be adoptel governing the use of
the Company's telephones and of the
maiutalnenoe of the central stations
and the lines.
The following is the constitution
and by-laws:
(Cun;inued ou Page Two.)
A Fi no Percheron Horse.
Fred Knox, who his had charire
siuce last Fall of ihe fine Percheron
horse, A vata, owned by the Grants
Pass Breeders Assoc ation was in
Grauts Pass Wednesday from his Ap-
plugate ranch. Mr. Kuox brought
Avata in to have him shod aud to let
horsemen of this vicinity see the
splendid condition this 3000-pound
8-year old is in.
Beginning with April 1st H. L.
Reed of Morphy will take charge of
Avata, Mr. Knox not having time
by reison of his farm work to care for
the horse. Mr. Reed is one of the
most experienced horsemeu in Jose
phine county and this fine hotse will
be given the best of care and made a
proUtable investment to his owners
and to the farmers of this ootiuty.
Legal blanks at the Courier office.
Saving Prices-High Quality
Are firmly linked together at this store. This is con
firmed by the many compliments we receive on the
largest and best selected stock of Furniture and
Housefurnishings in Southern Oregon Your trade
with us is all based on the principle of
Satisfaction Guaranteed or Money Back
There's something doing here all the time. Watch our "ads."
RUGS Genuine Moquette Rugs, Brussels, Axminster and
Velvet at less than factory prices; they were sam
ple rugs and we are through with them, so close
them out.
RUGS Regular Jute, noc so-called wool, 95c, large size.
NEW CARPETS Some handsome new patterns just in
see the new samples Velvets and Axminsters.
ACME WASHING MACHINE We're the agenU (or the
best machine made; 30 days to try it.
FURNITURE New Couches, big variety; New Dressers, a
regular $16 Solid Oak Dresser, French bevel glass
for $12.50 '
BABY Go-Carts The new patterns, splendid values $3 00
to $13.50. '
LACE CURTAINS Only a few pair left; you can't afford to
miss this sale in Lace Curtains.
Thomas & O'Neill
. H0U8EFURNISHERS
JUDGE HANNA ADJOURNS'
CIRCUIT COURT
County Sustained in Making
Courier Official per Jen
nings Ca.se Appealed.
Judge H. K. llatiua will close this
Friday evening an adjonrned session
of the January term of circuit court,
which he has held for the last two
weeks. He will return to his home
in Jacksonville, where on next Mon
day he will convene the Spring term
of circuit oourt for Jackson county.
On Monday, April lfi, be will re
turn lo Grants Pass and convene the
Spring term of circuit oourt for Jose
phine. So large is the business io
this judicial distriot that Judge Han
na seldom has an intermission in his
terms of court and even then his
time is folly occupied in reviewing
testimony and making up his decis
ions. In fact none of the 18 oircult
judges in Oregon have more work to do
than has Jodgs Hanna.
Last Saturday evening the jury la
the case of August Fetsch vs. the
Niagara Insurance Company brought
in verdiot in favor of Mr. Fetsch
for $0800 Insurance and credit of
$283.40. The Insurance oompany had
refued to pay the insurance on the
brewery aud Ice plant owned by Mr.
Fetsch on the ground that he did not
own the land on which the buildings
were located. R. G. Smith repre
sented Mr. Fetsoh and Oolvig & Dor
ham the inuranoce company.
T. K. Anderson was given a ver
diet for $2000 against the Galloe Con
solidated Mines Company for damages
caused by the breaking of the Com
pany's ditch.
Oustav Poyer was given a Judg
ment for $229.25 against the Pacifio
Pine Needle Company, the property
was ordered sold to pay the judgment
and costs.
The case of Dorotha and John P.
Ranzao against W. B. Sherman and
L. M. Williamson was settled aud dis
missed. Rolla S. Kuapp was given a verdict
for $2ilH2 Tand posts and attorneys
fees of$400 agaiust E. T. Wallace and
the Althouso Miuiug Company.
In condemnation salts of the Cali
iirnia it Or.'umi Coast Kailroad for
right-of-way John II. Robinson was
awarded $100 for the laud taken and
$35 for damages, and Stephen Jewell
wus awarded $105 for land taken.
The supreme court having granted
stay of proceedings in tho caso of Jos
p ir Jennings, sentenced to be hung for
the murder of his father, his attorney,
H. D. Norton, was given to March 25
to file his transcript of appeal to the
supreme court, whsra he will ask for
a new trial.
The suit brought Vy F. W. Chaosss
aud J. F. Oalbralth, publishers of the
Observer to restrain the oonnty court
from appointing the Rogue River
Courier as the official paper was de
cided in favor ot the Courier, on the
ground that the proceedings of the
county court had boen regular and that
the Courier was shown to have the
largest circulation ot ny paper pub
lished in Josephine oonnty.