1
K
Mt Site
VOL. XXII.
GRANTS PASS. JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1906.
No. 28.
1m
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A
MARKETING FRUIT VIA
THE ELECTRIC ROAD
A Forward Ulimpse of ths Possi
bilities of the Future of Rogue
River Valley.
The day is not far distant when
lectrio car lines will encircle the
Hogae River Valley, says the T'diugs,
and it it interesting to note how they
are being utilized in the middle
western states for marketing fruits.
Ad artiole in the New York Tribone
Faimei says
"Frait Growers iu the famous
Michigan fruit belt largely are em
ploying the trolley line to gather up
their shipments and place tl em on the
docks and at railway stations. Two
lines already are in operation, and
rails are now being extended to a
wider scope of the fruit country.
The cars are now being run as far
as the rails are laid, and here the
growers haul their packages and load
them into the cars of the electric
line.
"But in the country where the
roads have been completed, small
stations have been established right
in the orchard or truck garden. The
fruit or vegetables are plaoed on
these platforms and the crew of the
'iruit express,' as it is called, load
Vbem and run them to shipside.
"One of these lines, known as the
Tabor, now extends more than 10
miles out of Benton Harbor. It
reaches scores of orchards, some of
tbein located on the high bluffs over
looking the St. Joseph river. From
points on this line a fifth bushel of
peaches is carried to Benton Harbor
and shipped across the lake by the
Graham & Morton tteauier line for
1 cents. Of this the electric line
takes 40 per cent, while the steamer
people gH 60.
"In a good many instauces the man
who is Btanding on a ladder picking
frait may Hep into the car, so close is
the traok to the trees. In scores of
instances all hauling is done away
with. The frni": is carried from the
tree to the platform, where it may be
paoked.
' 'The fruit express consists of one or
more box cars, the entire crew of
which is the conductor and motor
man. These men load the stuff into
the cars. . In the case of the Tabor
line, the train makes two trips, one at
2 o'clock in the afternoon and the
other at 4. Fruit that is picked and
packed up to 6 o'clock in the evening
is gathhered up and ran to the decks.
It is in Chicago before daylight the
next morning.
"Farmers who take their fruit into
Benton Harbor or St. Joseph and sell
it there are still bauliug by team.
Some of them are Bending in by the
ehctiic line. All of the growers who
are consigning products to commission
men in Chicago and other big city
markets are using the. electric line
entirley.
"It ofel to be that most of the fruit
t I Soil Rpfll Fstatfi
a uuii
MY SALES FOR
6-roorn house and lot to F. M. Shrader ....... .. .$ SuO.OO
80 acres north town, woll improved, to 3 Smith L'00.00
8 acres east of town, well improved, to W Chase 2.800 00
5-room cottage and lot on D street to Noah Day. 1-.00
26 acres improved bo:tom land to Louu Loesch. 2,000.00
I NEED MORE PROPERTY TO SELL.
If yoo want your PROPERTY SOLD why not list it with
a man who can sellit? I charge no more than other agents (5f )
and do'not ask for the exoluslve right of sale.
W. L. IRELAND, "The Real Estate Man." K
Ground Hoor. courier uuutung, oranis rass, vie.
was gathered up by the fruit tchooner.
This is a long coupled, canvas covered
wagon. The boat people employed the
schoouer to travel along the highways
picking up consignments of all kind
and sizes. It often occurred that a
single wsgon would have products
from morn than a dozen different or
cnards and gardens. The steamer
people thus afforded a rate from the
orchard to the market, the schooner
rate being cheaper than the cost to
the grower if hauled by team.
"The trolley line has now taken
up the business of the schoouer, and
is doing the work in great loads and
in less time than it may be done in
any other way. These electric fruit
trains are destined to gridiron the en
tire fruit and vegetable district of the
stats. Two lines alreay have b;en
started in Benton county, and a sys
tem has been run from Grand Rapids
tu'Uraud Haven aud Holland, on the
lake shore, for some time. These
trains get the stuff from a very wide
area of country, doing all of the work
during the fag end of the picking
day. The fruit farmers are greatly
encouraging the movement."
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB
ELECTS OFFICERS
Club Will Lend It Support to All
Efforts) Tending Toward the
Destroying of Fruit Pests.
The Grants Pass Commercial Club
held a meeting Tuesday evening for
the election of officers and such other
business as might come up.
The officers elected are : President,
L. L. Jewell; treasurer, R. S. Wil
son; and vice-presidents who are the
heads cf the various departments : In
dustrial, R. H. O'Neill; Municipal,
0. S. Blanchard; Agricultural W. U
Ireland; Irrigation, Geo. S. Calhoun;
Mines and Mining, G. L. Mangum ;
Timber, John Minor Booth. The
secretary is appointed by the execu
tive committee, who will retaiu W.
H. Patillo.
The membership committee has been
doing some good work aud reported 16
new members, representing the work
of a couple of hours.
Other matters of interest were dis-
oussod, among them the importance
of the frait industry and the need of a
fruit inspector who will see that the
law in regard to infested fruit and
trees is enforced. A vote of the club
was taken pledging tbe inspector the
club's backing and incral support in
all efforts tending toward the enforce
ment of the pest laws.
For Fire Insurance
The O. F. R. A. of McMinnville
are the cheapest and hnve 13 years
standiug without a peer in Oregon
for settling fire losses. That tells the
tale. Don't be deceived by other
agents who have selfish motives. In
no event will it cost you more than
the standard stock companies charge
peranrnm. H. B. HENDRICKS,
Agt Grunts Pass, Ore. 7-27 tf
Real Estate
SURETY BONDS.
FIRE INSURANCE
t
t
AND
RENT HOUSES.
SEPTEMBER
TO GET POINTERS ON
HOOD RIVER METHODS
Secretary Meserve Attends Fruit
Fair and Irrigation Convention
in Famoui Apple District.
Charles Meserve, secretary and
manager of the Grants Pass Fruit
Growers Union and frait inspector for
Josephine county, left Monday for
Hood River to spend the week iu that
Valley famous for its fine frait and
freedom from rests, to study the
methods practiced there in growing,
packing and marketing fruit and iu
eradicating the pests that have so
nearly ruined the fruit industry of
this country. Iu gaining this in
formation Mr. Meserve has the ami ve
co-operation of E. H. Shepard, mana
ger of the Hood River Apple Growers
Uniou, and A. I. Masou, one of the
officers of that Union and a leading
apple grower of Hood River and who
was one of the principal speaker! at
the fruit growers meeting held re
cently in this county. These gentle-
ment have generously offered to as
sist Mr. Meserve and to give bm all
the information at their commiud.
H. . Lounsbury of Portland, dis
trict freight agent for the Southern
Pacific, is taking an active interest on
behalf of his Company in tbe develop
ment of the fruit industry of Rogoe
River Valley and to ass.st the Grants
Pans Fruit Growers Union in their
efforts to secure better methods in
growing aud marketing fruits he sup
plied transportatou to Mr. Meserve
from Grants Pass to Hood River and
return.
Tbe Hood River Apple Growers
Union is conceded to be the best or
ganized aud most successful fruit
growers orgaoizaton in the United
States The proof of this is in the
fact that Hood River orchardists get
tor this year's crop of apples from
$3.25 to $3.15 a box. And the cash is
paid for each car so soon as it is
loaded, .and the New York firm which
bid in against a number of the largest
frait dealers in the world the entire
crop takes tbe apples without having
their inspector examine them before
they are loaded on tbe cars, a confi
dence not shown in the pack of auy
other union or grower in the United
States by this firm or any other firm.
And this remarkable achievement is
largely due to the ability and inde
fatigable efforts of manager E. H.
Shepard and to the painstaking work
of the members In growing strictly
fancy apples and delivering them to
the union's warehouse iu the most
perfect condition. Iu keeping with
the Hood River spirit of progress aud
co-operatiou Manager Shepard has
geuerously offered in a letter to Mr.
Meserve to give him all the informa
tion at his comamud as to the methods
and rules employed by the Hood River
Union aud himself iu marketing their
fruit.
Hood River has the reputation of
having the best fruit fair conducted
solely by the fruit growers iu the
United States aud their fair for this
year will be in sessioa the last three
days of this week. As it is the pur
pose of the Grants Pass Fruit Growers
Union to hold a frait fair in Grants
Pass next Fall Mr. Meserve will make
a note of all the features of the Hood
River fair and of the system of con
ducting it for use iu making the ex
hibit of Rogue River fruit next Fall
a success.
The annual meeting of the Oregon
Irrigation Convention wlil be held in
Hood River ou Thursday aud Friday
of this week aud Mr. Meserve will
attend the session as tbe representa
tive of tbe Grants Pass Fruit Growers
Union. On the request of the Uuion
and of the leading business men of
Grants Pass Mr. Meserve will make a
stro' g effort to secure the meeting for
next year at Grauti Pass to be held at
the same time as will be held the
fiuit and fine stock exhibit. Iu this
effort to secure ths next meatius of
the Oregon Irrigation Convention at
Grants Pasi Mr. Lounsbury and other j
officials of the Southern Pacific will j
heartily co-operate for irrigation
would double the productive capacity
of Rogue River Valley and thus
double the freight traffic for tbe
Southern Pacific from this section.
Reports from Hood River are that this !
will be the largest irrigation coven-j
tion yet held in Oregon and as the in- j
terest is steadily increasing it is cer-'
tain that the onnvpntinn at Rnni.
'Pass will have a large attendance
from all sections of Oregon.
HIS VOICE FAILED
TO MOVE BRUIN
Grants Pblss Singer Charms
Bear in the Wilds of Curry
County.
Fred Mensch returned Sunday
momiug for a few days vit.it at home
after an absence of about two
months, the greater part of which time
he has speut in Crrry county, makiug
snrveys of government laud. R. A.
Dean, Joe Dean and Walter Randle,
who have been with him on the trip,
retained on Tuesday, also for a brief
visit. The party left Grants Fbsb ou
the 18tb of August, goiug to Curry
county by way of Crescent City and
up the uoast by Harbor, Gold Beach
and Port Orford. It was a very en
joyable trip with a few mild advent
ures. One of the most noteworthy of
these was "fording the ferry" at the
Chetco river. The ferry was out of
commission and au attempt was made
to ford the stream. The depth in
creased rapidly toward the middle and
the bottom of the river dropped below
the reach of the outfit. The team
quietly struck ont swimming toward
tbe other shore aud tbe bulky load
floated easily after, the boys balanc
ing it precariously in the water.
A safe footing on the other side
was gained without calamity but the
outfit was badly watet soaked.
Another noteworthy, though peaoeable
inoideot, was the meeting of Mr.
Mensch with a large bear in the
Eck ley-Port' Orford trail. He was
within about 00 feet of the animal
before he saw it in the trail ahead.
rooting for acorns among the leaves.
He accosted it vocally, presuming it
would immediately give him the
right of way, but to his surprise aud
some annoyance it isnored him com
pletely and kept on rooting for acorns.
A second, shout had no better effect
and aa Mr Mensch did not desire to
larni tbe beast too violently, he
merely, stood iu his tracks until Bruin
should elect to move. The bear gve
bim no attontion or reooguition
whatever but went on with his search
for several minutes. Finally the bear
concluded to climb a tree and mounted
aloft into a tall tan oak, presumably
for more acorns. Tbe traveler then
passed nn aud in a short time returned
with a hunter whom he found a short
Beautiful new Combina
tion Desks and BookCases
$15.00 to $30.00
Our new
are
od the
way
will ar
rive this
week.
Hand
some
patterns, both inlaid and reg
ular prices right.
Our New Line of ROCKERS
and Dining Chairs
cannot be beat.
This fine Rattan
Rocker, no arms,
$3.75.
See the new goods.
The
Imperial Washer
'""SHsRITf WW HI
R
Call in and examine the Easy Running New Washing Machine.
The easy price will surely please you, too.
ThomaS (Q, O'Neill - CfcelHouse Furnishers
distanoe further on, bat the bear was
gone.
The last work of the party was on
the headwaters of the Sixes river in
an exceedingly rough country, inao
oessible to pack horoes and where all
provisions aud other impediments
have to be man-packed. This country
is the reputed haunt of the famous
"wild man of the Sixes" who was,
however, not seen by auy of the party.
After a few days rest the party re
turned to Don a las county where they
will work as long as the weather
permits.
FARMERS THRESH
ALFALFA SEED
Make Big Money on Their Third
Crop of Hay by Ssvving
the Seed.
A new industry has been developed
in the Rogue River Valley during the
past season, and one that promises to
add to the wealth of our county in
no small measure.
In the beginning, it is the old, old
story of the stranger coming into the
oountry and seeiug at a glance the
neglected opportunity that the older
residents had passed by.
A year ago George H. Post of Boise
Valley, Idaho, came to Medfor J and
wbile driving around looking at the
country was impressed with the fact
that alfalfa seeds were heavier here
than in most places, and that if the
alfalfa raisers would thresh their
second crop they could in all proba
bility clear 38 per aore from this
souroe.
After purchasing a piece of land, be
entered into partnership with John
D. Olwell, and they proceeded to
purchase the second orop of several
fields belonging to other parties. The
result exceeded their expectations.
One field prodooed seed worth at the
preterit market prior, $H0 to the aore,
$70 of which amount being clear
profit. The balance produced all the
way from four to 1 3 bushels of send
to the aore, worth from (30 to $70,
with an average of $:I0. But 60u acres
were threshed in the valley and tbe
seed iu every case was of the very
best quality. The straw after thresh-'
ing possesses some value for feeding
purposes, and it is a clear case of easy
money to the inhabitants of our much
favored country. Medford Daily
Tribune.
THOMAS k O'NEILL
Homes Furnished Complete
Satisfaction Guaranteed
Money Back if You Wantli
Interesting prices on
CARPETS this week. A
lot more new patterns of
Rockers, Parlor Stands,
Tables, Music Cabinets,
Bachelor Shaving Cabinets,
up-to-date.
HILL LINES WILL
ENTER CALIFORNIA
Will
Enter From the North by
evi Eevsy Pn.ss to the
Coail,
A recent press dispatch from
Eurka, Cal., says:
"Information that hasbeeu gleaned
at Eureka from persons who have been
making a reconnaisauce of the
Klamath river route, it is pretty well
assured that the Hill Hues propose to
enter California from the north by an
easy pass to the coast and theuce ou to
San Francisco bay through the timber
region of Western California. It is
ascertained that parties bave been en
gaged for tome time in making a pre
liminary examination of the Klamath
river canyon in Siskiyou and Hum
boldt counties, understood to be work
ing iu the interest of the Weyerhanser
Timber Company.
"In this connection It is stated that
the entranoe of the Weyerhanser Co.
into Northern California and North
ern Oregon nearly a year ago. by pur
chase of the Klamath take Railroad
and the large bodies of timber on tbe
Jenny creek plateau, was not alto
gether for the purpose of future lum
ber operations, but closely allied
with the interest of the Hill lines in
securing a practicable route into Cali
fornia that will at the same time tap
rich trafflo territory, Oue of the in
centives to early entrance into North
ern California is said to be the as
sured heavy traffic of the Klamath re
gion and the heavy shipments of soft
pine timber that can be claimed from
that section both for the local demand
of states to the east and for export by
the Hill steamship lines.
"Recognizing that the Harrinian
lines was to lose no time In complet
ing new railroad mileage that will
give it for a time absolute control of
the freight originating in an empire
of territory, with outlets to the sea
at both Portland and Coos Bay, the
Hill lines propose to form a connect
ion with the ocean at the northern
port of California, which is much
nearer to the Oregon and California
ooautry east of the mouutalns."
Send the Courier to your friend, so
he can learn the facts in regard to the
fxtnotis Rouue River Valley.
A splendid array of tasty
patterns in Wall Papers
10 to 7oc
silverware at less than
wholesale.
Knives and Forks, per set,
$2 50
Cake Moulds,
Pudding Moulds,
Patent Pie and
Cake Tins, all kinds.
Cake Spoons,
Egg Whips, all
kinds dover, 10c
Kraut Cutters,
35c to $1.50
The
Imperial Washer