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About Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 5, 1909)
I IS I VOL. XXIV. GRANTS PASS, JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1909. HO. 45 IXTH STREET IN i BAD CONDITION t Must Be Paved With i out Delay. ? TO PROPERTY OWNERS : " 'et There be Prompt Action so as to 4 Commence Paving on Com j pletion of Dridge The city fathers are reminded that Tlxth street stands "very much in teed of paving as It is surely dis graceful beyond measure to have the principal thoroughfare of this lm lortant city of the far famed Rogue river Valley in the condition it is. Nearly or quite three-quarters of the trade that comes to us from the out ride of town passes over the bridge tnd up Sixth street. Two-thirds of the length of this street is so abom inably bad that many farmers re fuse to come to town oftener than they are absolutely obliged to. If there is an important street in any ether town in the country in as bad condition as our Sixth street, it has r ot been heard of np to the present time. There is much that might be ciid regarding the efforts in the past t j have this popular Btreet payed, .tufflce it to say that it has not been the fault of the property holders. They have been willing and even tixlous to have the pavement laid end have voted for it and they will tote for it again if that is necessary. '.Tie whole trouble In the past has ! sen in the council but we hope that 'ils administration will neither de "iy, linger or wait beforer taking '.ae nece&Wy steps to put through Tils most important matter. This iprovement should be taken in and at once and as soon as the Ixth street steel bridge is completed verythlng should be In readiness to I iy the pavement. The mayor and ouncil, we are certain, understand he importance of paving this busi ness street and it will In our opin ion, hardly be necessary to go fur ther into the matter at this time. The people, it may be stated, want the street paved before the hot Treat her sets in. It is even too long to wait for the bridge to be complet ed, but we suppose this must be done but please, gentlemen, do not add another week to that time. While on this' ripe subject it is not out of place for us to mention the fact that tour blocks on either side of the rail road track is by no means the limit Of this needed Improvement. Some thing must be done In the way of Im proving the streets all the way down to the bridge. During the past bIx months the work which has been done in the way of repairs has fallen short of doing any particular good. It is possible that from M street to the bridge a macadamized road properly constructed will answer the purpose but right here Is the diffi culty. It requires' experience to We have got to make room for our New Stock of Wall Now on the way 25 Per Ct. off ON A Mi CASH PURCHASES Come while the assortment is fine ! O'NEILL build a good road and money st ent for this purpose by some one lacking this important essential is ' n.orey wasted. There ia too much material on the street now to permit the making of a good road. It has cost a large amount of money to make tha tail's, hollows, nd mud holsu which now cause it to be well nigh impassable for loaded or even light teams. Far be it from us to claim that the Intent was not good, yet one of our great reformers and church fa thers has said that "Hell Is paved with good intentions." It might be pointed out that we need a reform in street construction, and when it shall be undertaken, let it be under the direction of a street committee thoroughly Informed regarding mod ern road making. Since writing the above we have been fortunate enough to have a most satisfactory interview with the mayor, who says neither the council nor himself can do anything in re gard to paving Sixth street until the property owners make the re quest to have the work done and he further says- that there is abso lutely nothing In the way of paving this important street if the owners of the property so desire, bo it is up to them to take the necessary steps to secure the paving of the street. CITY COUNCIL ALLOWS TELEPHONE FRANCHISE Regular Session of City Council Thursday was a Lively one The Council met In regular session Thursday night with Mayor Kinney In the chair and the following oouncilmen present: Burkhalter, Cheshire, Cramer, Cronk, Fettchjuid Rlggs. Absent, Myers and Tuffs. A large amount of routine busi ness wa transacted. A communica tion was received from the Alaska Yukon Exposition offering the city of Giants Pass, July 16th as Grants Pass day at the Exposition. The of fer was accepted and the recorder Instructed to thank the Exposition people for their courtesy In the mat ter. The ordinance for the granting of a franchise to the Citizens' Tele phone Co., was read the second time. Councilman Burkhalter moved that there be Inserted a clause that would prevent the transfer of the franchise to another company, which was car ried. Under Its proper head the Citizens Telephone Co. Ordinance was read a third time and put on Its final pass age. The vote was five for the ordi nance and one against. A large number of friends of both the old and the new telephone com panies were prepent and took an act ive part in the discussion of the sub ject. The city property committee rec ommended purchase of five acres ad joining the city park. This was re ferred back to the committee for further action. The council Instructed the mar shal to notify owners of property to take down liquor signs on buildings. 'aper fjAaHousefurnlsher South Fide of Railroad on C St. SOME BIG REAL DEALS BY The Immediate Outlook ... , - Acuvuy in urcnara in Desirable Fruit Valley and f During the last few days there has been numerous deals in real estate and some of them have run up Into the thousands. It cannot be Bald that the busy season has arrived, but it is believed that the sales already made are an indication that the coming months will bring with them a large amount of business. Real es tate men claim that everyone is look ing for an official announcement that work will commence on the irriga tion canals at a definite time and that this will be the signal for many transactions of moment. There is said to be considerable money in readiness not only in Grants Pass but in Montana, South Dakota, Wyo ming and other states. Below will be found some of the sales that have been closed since our last Issue. ChurchilMtiggs Land Company. One of the largest real estate transactions of the past 12 months has been closed by the Churchlll Rlggs land Co. and Joseph Moss the agent of Miller Bros., the owners of the property In question and was made to S. H. Riggs of this city. The sale comprises the Miller ranch of 920 acres at the confluence of the Applegate and Rogue Rlers. The price paid was $40,00-0. The prop erty comprises 720 acres of choice bottom land under a complete sys tem of irrigation and cultivation and choicest quality. The water right IS one of the earliest filed on the Ap plegate River and the ranch Is with out doubt one of the very finest hold ings in Jouenhlne county. For many years It has been uner a high state of cultivation and holds the record of having produced heavy yields of grain of all kinds, iiay and other crops. via seiners ie;i us inai me biggest yield of corn ever harvested In Southern Oregon, grew on the ranch. There is a good bearing or chard of about 25 acres of well se lected fruit, and it is Mr. Rlggs in tention to add to the orchard each year until fully one-half of the en tire place will be planted with the choicest varieties of appleB, pears and other fruits. The land will be laid out In 20-acre orchard tracts, each one to be placed under a high state of cultivation by the most careful management and when ready will be placed on the market as model fruit farms of the most productive kind. This Beason the acreage of alfalfa will be largely Increased so as to meet the demands of the Grants Pass market. There has already been raised on the place as high si 1500 tons of this forage In a single sea son, grain crops will each year oc cupy a considerable space until the orchards are developed. S. II Rlggs is a thoroughly practical busl ness man and has handled large forma mirreHftf nil v In the past. He was one of the pioneers In South Dakota and remained there long enough to see the state developed In to one of the great commonwealths the middle west, when he left that How-mis climate to locate In the n " - - Rogue River Valley where the con lltlons wern more favorable to those In search of health and financial op portunltles. The choice of this city and county for a location by a man of Mr. Rlggs' large experience Is in itself a commendation of this section. Last year he purchased number of fine properties quite near to Grants Pass, all of which he has Improved and Is now one of the larg est land owners In the county and It can be said that he belongs to that class who have made the west by the development of Its broad acres and showing its fertility. Klinnk and Hull The R. A. N. Reymer place Just below town, so well known to the public was sold by 8hank A Hall this week to C. E. Mason and W. 8. Maxwell, both of Butler, Ind. The farm consists of 75 acres, mostly ESTATE LOCAL FIRMS Would Indicate Coming , rroposmons ana Lands in This County. fine, deep bottom land. There are 15 acres in bearing orchard from eight acres of which 6000 boxes of apples were picked the fall of 1906. Besides this orchard there are 15 acres planted to two-year-old apple trees which give great promise for the future. There are 10 acres in alfalfa and clover. The remaining land is on the bench and part in brush. The place has a practical Irrigation plant and orchard outfit. The improvements on the property are valuable and the whole place Is in every way first-class. We are glad to welcome Messrs. Mason and Maxwell, both being de sirable citizens. They come to us bearing the highest recommenda tions and they will be a great help to this part of Josephine county. This sale, together with the ElBmann property sale made a short time ago by the same firm shows the value of improved propositions in this sec tion. Messrs. Shank & Hall have made several other sales since our last issue but we have no data in regard to them. W. n. Sherman. A large sale of timber lands, was made during the week by W. B. Sherman for O. C. Sether to the Grants Pass Timber Co. The prop erty consist! of 1000 acres in sec tions 5, 6, 7,and 8 in township 33 south, range 6 west, the considers- tlon being $25,000. This will make 10,000 acres of timber lands Bold by Mr. Sherman io this same company, which Is r.neXof the st-..i;e.t biul- hess orpnnlzaljfons in the country, It is composed or seven men rrom seven different Btates, an weauny ana representing sju.uuu.uuu. ineir principal umoer noiumB ur uu Evans creek. Mr. Sherman is ai- ways at home when he undertakes to carry through a big deal. He came In from the Bouth Thursday morning and went on through to Portland, where he expects to secure another body of timber Kales by Joseph Moss. Joseph Moss sold 40 acres thla week four miles south of Merlin, be- onglng to Henry H. McGrath to W. A. Donaldson, consideration, $1000. Also a property of Mrs. Will Jackson on E street, back of the R. L. Coe & Co. store to Arthur Conklln, con- sideratlon $1000. Mr. Moss also sold for John H. Williams and others to William II. Shatil. lot 8. In block 51 Railroad addition. Price not named THE QUESTION OF r.DANTINf! FBANrnKFS UIWtnilMU innuvuuuu Kliouhl TIh'hc YuIuttMe Akkcw be CJIven Away Without Compel it Ion? Another valuable franchise of the people has been given away by the city for the nominal sum or amiing. This time the application haB been for a telephone system, huvlng for Its object the Installation of a new plant. The grantees were given permission to operate within corporate limits for a period of 35 years without paying one cent to the city treasurer. It looks like the common interest of the community had been over-looked when It ap pears that no bond was required to comply with the terms of the fran chlse, thus leaving tne grantees 10 do aa they please, without a roneii- ure of money or damages. A11 that Is required is that worK musi be begun within three months and days and the etaolnBhdelatolreatos written acceptance filed within 10 days and the performance of the grantee has been completed so far as the city 1 concerned, and rhe crantee is ready to begin selling stock to the pubtlc, which perhaps sufficient assurance that it is not well to reason any further in the matter. Notwithstanding a valuable fran chise was being handed out, but one councilman saw fit to vote against it and that was T. P. Cramer. Those who were in favor, were Riggs, Cheahlre Bkhaiter. cronk and ""' iuuo auu iiijeio. It is not known who is back of the company or what their assets are or whether it has any or not At any rate many business men are not in favor of a divided telephone service as it would force every business man In town to have two phones where In the present Instance one Is all that is required. Whether or not this pro- test coming oeiore me council naa any effect is better told in the man ner in which each councilman voted. i nese are they who entered a protest and desired to have but one tele- would be installed within 11 months L th paciflc tf trra n n -n vn fia n - i o'v" v.fuu, . 1 H Horning, James Holman, D B Russell.Grants Pass Banking & Trust Company, Dr. W. H. Flanagan, , C. B. Fowler, J. V. Schmidt, Mashbura & Company, C F Dixon, A J Mc- Kinney, H L. Andrews, M. Clemens, JXF. Galbralth, J. L. Calvert, Jewell Hardware Co., B I Plummer, WeBt- ern Hotel, P H. Harth, Bert Barnes, C. C. Presley, Robert G. Smith, Cold Storage, Kinney & Truax, Jno. D. Fry, F Elsmann, Geo. S. Calhoun, B. F. Banks, R. H O'Neill, J. Pardee, J. O. Gibson, R. W. Clarke, Dr. F. W. Van Dyke, J A. Slover, C. H Clements, Dr. H C Dixon, Dr. B F Devore, R L Bartlett, R L Coe & Co, Ed Llstr, Dr F W Strieker, M O Ament, C E Harmon, H C Bobzien, M J Goodnow, A Willard, Amy Booth Holmes, C H Demaray, Dr W Booth, J E Peterson, Claus Schmidt, T E McKoln, Grants Pass Steam Laundry, John Minor Booth, A Gig- ler, Dr D P Love, J J Hanson, C H Elsmann, E S VanDyke, B M Hall, W S Barrle It is aUo worth while to consider the rates as are provided in the f ran- chlse to tne new telephone company, whlch are as follows: Individual business one party line, $3 per month. Two party business line, 250 per month, which is the mini- mum t0 business houses. Dwellings Individual one party 1ne Bervlce, $2 per month. Two na tv llne i B0 Der month. Four party line $1.25 TEACHERS' EXAMINATIONS. Notlce is hereby given that the County Superintendent of Josephine County will hold the regular exam I- nation of applicants for state and county papers at Grants Pass, as fol- lows: For State Papers. Commencing Wednesday, renru- ary 10, 1909 at 9 o'clock a. m., and continuing until Saturday, February 13, 1909 at 4 p. m. Wednesday Penmanship, history, spelling, physical geography, read- lng, psychology. Thursday Written arithmetic, theory of teaching grammar, book keeping, physics, civil government. Friday Physiology, goography, composition, algebra, English lltera- ture, school law. ,,,. n1nin frnnmctrv. general history. For County Papers. Commencing Wednesday, Febru ary 10, 1909, at 9 o'clock a. m. and continuing until Friday, February 12, 1909, at 4 p. ra. WorinPHrtnv Penmanship. HIS- tQ 0rthograiI,hy, Reading. Physical Geography. Thursday Written Arithmetic, Theory of Teaching, Grammar, I 'by- Biology. Friday Geography, 8chool Law, Civil Government, English uiera- ture. LI.NCUL.IN BAV AUCi, County Superintendent, Grants PaBS, Ore., Jan. 23, 1909. Ludle Auxiliary Meeting. The regular meeting of the Ladles Auxiliary to the Commercial Club win be held at the club rooms Mon day afternoon, February 8, at I o'clock. A full attendance is fle ,treni as buBlneBS of Importance a t0 come up Mrs. C. h. Clcvenger, Pres. A man's sympathy is like M bank account. It Is best not t draw too heavily upon it if you nhh to retain Is hit friendship. LINCOLN'S BIRTH DAY CELEBRATED U Program in All the Schools. A WORLD .CHARACTER Takes a Loading Place la the His- tory of the Niuetenth Century. , Frof- Turner has ffiade arrange- Uenti for Lincoln's birthday to be . u 1 &j iipd t rn mib - ..1. 11 a. -x iu. an uio yuuiic BCUOOIB of the city on Friday of next week. The exercises will be with a view to giving the pupils in each of the rooms an opportunity to grasp a little of the spirit of the man whose birthday they celebrate and to some extent they wll2 go into the history' of his times. ' Each Bchool and grada will have a distinct' program suited ' to the occasion. The people of Grants Pass are deeply Interested in this subject and will take pride in having the schools of their city take up this study In the thorough man- ner in which It is planned. Such a program will be of great advantage to each and every child participating In the patriotic exer- clses. The state of California leads In the celebration of Lincoln's birth- day. , The legislature has provided especially for these exercises and they are under the direction of the state authorities. Oregon should at least make the birthday of Lincoln the one great day to be kept in re- membranes by all public schools of the state. Lincoln was never a pol- uician but always a patriot. The newspapers of the whole country are giving more and mora space each year to this subject, and as they lead het the legislatures and officials of every grade follow their example. hn a few words the history of Lin cm can be told and If thla L dnn In the schools It will lead to the read ing of history, and this in. turn will bring about a broader knowledge of the great men of our nation. Next Friday will mark the cen- tury birthday of one who lived, la- bored and finally gave his life for his countrymen. Ills name will go aoWn ja history as one of the great- est of world characters; a man wlth- out spot or blemish, who conquered his foes by love, saving a nation in itB entirety by his wisdom, and lay jng the foundation for a great re I public which should lead the world n all the arts of peace. This man WttB Abraham Lincoln, who waa born February 12, 1809. He was bom of humble parentage, too poor to give the son even an ordinary edu cation. Thomas Lincoln, his father was a man without ambition, but ks mother, whoBO maiden name was Nanoy Hanks, possessed more than ordinary ability and laid the founda- I Hon in the education of her son that resulted In his final success by his own etlorts. Mrs. Lincoln aiea when Abraham was only nine years old, and yet her Influence guarded him throuKh lffo. He said, after honors and reputation had come to lt,m All tin I nn nm anil nil that . e' t to b, t attribute to my mother's love and training." This ,r,lutfl to his mother Droved hta hlah manh0od and accounts for his slm pllclty and honesty of character. Up to Abraham Lincoln's time popu lar government by the people wa In Its infancy, and really untried. He made a nation out of Independent Btates, and taught men to put away solfiHhness in the Interest of the whole people. When the enemies of th nation laid down their arms, his nla . were airea(iy made to help - to establish their broken homes 3 .. tn hll,i,, un tll0ir i0cal eovern - mpnt nn . broader Dlaln than be- is ore The j,and of an assassin most unfortunately Interrupted thla great work and caused not only this nation but the world to mourn the Iohb of ono of the noblest of earth, a man who stands as a type of the best of the human race. It is well (Contlnnod on pane four.)