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About Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927 | View Entire Issue (April 23, 1909)
TIIK KOGl'E KIVFK COUIIKK. PAGE TWO HtltKmiOV I OR TIIK K,;ri; KIVF.lt VALLKV (Continued from Page One.) President Auilerson'"! Speech. M. J. Anderson, president of the Commercial Club, was Introduced and spoke as follows: Mr. President: I did not hear of your Intention to celebrate this occasion until this morning at Roseburg, where I have been attending to some land cases. Last week I was taken sick and when I found that you were to celebrate this occasion I rose from a sick bed determined to be with you at any cost. It has been my pleasure and pleasant duty to act as the president of the drants Pass Commercial Club, and I am deeply Interested In what you are doing. This Is the greatest event and will be more far-reaching In Its results than anything that ever happened at Grants Pass. Irrigation will completely reclaim every foot of available soil In Josephine County so that In a few years the whole valley will blossom with orchards and vine yards. The people of Josephine County have struggled for years to better conditions, but today you cast the die whereby the whole district Is emancipated and will no longer be subject to droughts. In the past we have been conscious of the presence of the "knocker," but from and after this day It will become him to hold bis peace and If he can't say some thing good about his home town to say nothing at all, (and holding up a printed card to the audience, which renu, iioosi. or tie milci ). i Ms Is the motto adopted In our offices rt the Forestry Reserve and It ought to be adopted as our motto at this tlm We are living In the beautiful val ley of the Rogue River proper, and are today taking our Irrigation wa ter from the stream of our own val ley. Notwithstanding the fact that some of our, neighboring cities over on Hear Creek, one of them twelve nlles and tho other 25 miles from I'omie River, would lay claim to be ing the Rogue River Valley and even fc so fur as to propose to put up signs at. Gold Kill and Ashland us tin! beginning of the end of Rogue Liver Valley, claiming that Grants Pass Is not to bo considered. Just let them wait until this Irrigation system Is In operation and they will learn that Giants Pass Is to bo con sidered, and since the real rule of progress Is to begin at the lower end and work up we will develop our re sources in our own way, for we are the "Roane River Valley proper" and are entitled to the full rights ami benefits of the name, and when the llelds and farms nbout Grunts Pass reach lis Ideal development we will not shut out our neighbors on Hear Creek us tributary beiietli luilon to the name of the Great ' Rogue River Valley," of which Grunts Pass Is the center and solo city lying along side nud wholly within lis natural boundary. Josephine County as a whole Is the richest district In Southern Oregon. The Mnest timber, (lie richest min eral deposits, the richest soil nud practically the only hoi f the (okay grape In Southern Oregon. Let us not forget our neighboring valleys. Let us work for the Inter est of all the vullevs. esneclallx In Josephine County. Let us not speak disparagingly of our neighbors In (lie county adjoining for In doing so we do ourselves an Injur. . The Rogue River Valley should ctnhiaie all Its tributaries and one i aunot speak against the others or nnx of them wlihoui condemning his own locality, ami It Is not a good thing any way to attempt to grow by tear lug anybody else down The Rogue River Valley N known far and wide its the most fertile and pro.luctlve In Oregon, and It Is well If the w hole T.Oley be praised by all Let us re joice together nt the advent of this day. Let us get together and work. Let us stand shoulder to shoulder In the great work of development which Is Just begun. Let us evert ourselve In season and out of season to bring to the knowledge of the world the In llillte resource of Josephine County Let there be no one to pull back, but ever moxlng onward we are bound to In 1 thank you for th opportunity of Mvlng these few words, which I as sure you I'enie fiotn tny heart, but which lire expressed on the Impulse of th III lll"!lt . about this good, It Is very necessary that all things be first put together for that take its part purpose. I never could find any fault merce of the world with nature. The laws of nature ana above m an; am! ftiB iimrtiirtlnnH nf nature are all mountains, the hills . . . . , ,i t.r.uonno rt f'.od has lnad DOSS right; and when we become wise taps o. suu ,u mc .. , - u . , ; . ,p, ot man nut asander while below us lies , nere iu proi-iaon i unu mm. --- ... . I.r.ncfita anM-lna'ed In OUT What ha3 brOUglll bounding on us way to , " transformation? It Is the work of a in carry ng tin com- propane uora.. -- On either side But we are nere toaay wun me jo.oi .i.uo... the towering goods, gentlemen. We are here to 193S. It was the joining In happy Is who wear their rejoice ovtr that which the grace of wedlock of the water with the sible. We are thirsty eartn ana wnom uou nam enough to rightly use what nature Hi r"gal sin, his hand, on the ground, and placing his foot upon It, he sent the blade deep Into the soil, and threw out the first shovelfull of earth from the pro posed irrigating canal, depositing it beyond the line of stakes. This was the signal for the clapping of hands . . T i . . . 1 11 iU . bmIIa 1fV) (to I n n I o lvtntnncrnrt n - l xi the Rogue River Valley 13 to be an uus snaii me vaut-j mc wim auU a rivuscu ucuiuumrnuon of Irrigated valley, the preparations abundance and give support to enthusiasm. At the close of the May for which having gone so far that , thousands upon thousands of happy or's speech the plows were started In this biaitifa! valley we have had both. The s immer last pas cave us a wid ; experience with the ('.' giound M. J. ANDKRSON, FORMER PRESIDENT COMMERCIAL CLUB 'nothing ran stop it save the hand of families. Him who created the water and the Are you a booster today? If not, '!,.,. an(j ; get into line at once or the rising tid? of enterprise will run over you while you are stooping to tie your rotten shoe string. Do not be a while the winter jusr I knocker, for the next book to be .losing has finished an o.o" j written by the historian win oe ine abundance of witter. lint our !i''- i Fussing of the Knocker." iir ulty has been one of timely uml ! Do not allow your own finger to equable distribution. I point you in the face in after years, Thus has the parched earth looked j demanding an apology. Be a booster In vain to a cloudless sky for deliv- today. erance to the thirsty vegetation Irrigation is now to be an estab who.se roots rest within its heated j lished fact, and I wish to congrat bosom and thus have the torrents ulate you all upon the bright future, created by winter's rain3, rolled ; Put your shoulders to the wheel as away to the sea and been swallowed lone man. If the load should some up, no longer to do service, except , times seem heavy, never yield and 'o him who rides the rolling billows ! victory is assured, to conduct the commerce of the I thank you. world. ! But what opportunity have we ; Address of Mayor Kinney, here? God who created these tower- ! Mayor H. C. Kinney of Grants Ing mountains with their mineral ; Pass va3 the last speaker. He said: wealth also created this mighty i Every enterprise whether great or river to roll down the valley, and ' ; small requires a great deal of pre do not believe that the great arch:- liminary work and while some here tect of the universe ever pla-ed that i may thir.l- this is the beginning of river there for naught. I do not be- this irrigation work, It Is not so, for and after several furrows had been turned, the big teams with the scrap ers came In and carried the up-turned soil to the outer line of the pro posed ditch. The proceedings having ended, the crowd wandered over the grounds, visiting the dam. and In specting the large pump which will be used to fill the high line ditches The whole affair from Its very Incep tion at Grants Pass, the excursion, the speeches and return to the city was without mar or blemish of any kind. At 4 o'clock the whistle of the coming train was heard and the sig nal for the return being sounded, the excursionists once more got on board and in a few minutes were again In Grants Pass. All voted the occasion worthy of our city andt county and ho good people who are engaged in promoting the promising enterprise jf Irrigation. has given us, we will then see re- 'he buiutlful valley, spreading out suits never before dreamed of. like the s"ono of a great panorama 1 have no disposition to flatter the in the center or which, like the prin- siate of Oregon because I happen to ''iual Jewd In the diadem of a king, i i . , .. .. s .... . . . i . . 1 1 ... i. .. i i . i ..i , .. n .... ti lie a citizen OI UIH Stale, n.ll nature " s lmuiuh.u u) in umiun iua, hus done as much for us as she has 1 pm tpally deserted today as the j done for any ether part of North America. Our timber supply Is al most Inexhaustible, Our water s ip ply Is equal to, if not superior to, that of any other stat in the Union. Our climate Is certainly Ideal. And "euiia'e have come to this beautiful and historic pass, to celebrate an event, the results of which are de stined to reach away down the ajM. No wonder you are en ui 1 am not surprised that when our Irrigation system Is com- you are here and I only wish I were pleted, our soli will produce alfalfa, capable of saying the right tllng at I cereals, vegetables and fruits to coin- Uns hour. ' pare with any other part of the world. The good country Is the one In w hich all the p ople are lining something, and all the pcopl" enjoy ing the fruits of t i l 1 1- hoii 'st toil. In this enterprls w have thus who oppose, Just :n It ban ever been. When Robert Fult.'ii mi l uiook to propel his boat by si ''am power, the smart people on the slr"et corile; ; made fun of him ; b it they did not make fun of him a f"w years later. When It was h iifvsted that electric ity would some day be used to light our houses ami streets, men thought It an Idle dream, but now we see who was right In th' premUeu, We retneiiilcu- th" '! ave It lias b"en my very great pleas ure and duty to be present at, and parti Ipate In, every stage of the proeedingl win reby the events of I liis day w"re made possible. I a v I. "en honored by the as so latlon oT eight 'f the best men tliai I . v t knew. In an attemnt i ) -! ' 'I te .-Ions Incident to Irri ; ' i-ii :im1 never in niy life did 1 - - '.1 A-lf-ivi-tP. U'i devotion to : !i int--rests of all Lie p"oole, such I'.yclty to principle, such oneness of s ich . vUm lldelity :ri ! s I h Mrilllu-hiiig determination to ; iiccompUsh lb" thln .sought for, .is , these men have shown during Hie months of deliberation Just past. ' :. ' -... ' 1 !';.. :4f ;:.;; " mm 1 V--l-.i;- oV.f. -I " . . . c: . d ..'. .'..i ...r 'c .-ti-'i1 YOR II. C. KINNEY OT GRANTS PASS , hwakjhm - . . ,4,- 7 .: , 1 . ' - ' r- . A " . vi! ; y Vi: ......... j - , 4 , '. t ' KM. ,...,.., ,mi'j ,, ; , ...n.11f. ) m t j Heve that he ever made this. Jiea.iri- I fi'i spot just for s 'eiiery. Uut n was all place! here right at ban 1 for the use of n:;,;), t!iou;h that us lias been lit i : i :i .l i.nly ,,.;; now. i It is our p irpov. to harness this I mighty torrent uf unused wat"r and ! '"invert I; to our own us , v,. i an- '"" 1 : c I' i l.'ic i able. : ii be detain it will manifest Itself If b h" stopped it will i- ovirlcups the obstruc" g" ' 'o I lid , ;; .; on ' a ml roaring a-.d dash ' us if to l.i.ig'i lef'.d that soi:;ht to several months men have been work ing to bring nbout that for which we are gathered here. lint further lack than that, tho Messrs. Anient recognized this strategl - point of the Rogue River and harnessed its wa- DIM BUILDING NOW GOING ON TO DEVELOP ABOUT EIGHTEEN THOUSAND ACRES READY FOR THIS SEASON l our Ditches Under Construction ut the Present Time, Two North and Two South of River. Work on the Irrigating ditches which are to supply the Rogue River valley in Josephine county was com menced on the ISth day of February of the present year and construc tion has been pushed from that time down to the present. The one idea has been to have the water for ir rigating the present season, and there is every reason to believe that this will be accomplished, at least on the land under three of the ditches. The fifty miles of Irrigating ditch es whi h are under construction around Grants Pass will water in the neighborhood of eighteen thousand acres and later from six to ten thousand can be added to the num ber. The canals or ditches will be long to the fanners and within two years the great dam across the Rogue river which supplies the ters. We have tried several times to IV.a igunite an irrigation scheme but K"1' will also be a part of the ditch l aV" tailed because the f-irmnrai ostein and be owned hv tho : In pow ei . rise inn u I tlon an 1 iu; way rushing ing Us iii-v 'a; the i.e': 1 confine it . The Ainet.'j !, ax on w ard li;a h mantle the hi! to X . ! 1 i;;, ; , the us- of uia: We are her, , 'liis mighty t i itit . i i haunt Is ' o I not he interested. All great enterprises In this county must have the supoort (lf the farmers and last fall ."P- the dry season and the fall "v f the crops, the farmers were r 'adv t give their support, and so we a- hero toi'ny to begin work on irs tit the soil. This irrigating sys tem when complettd will be as near perfect as any on this continent. irrigation has been the one thing needed in this valley but its ex exponse was s,, jifetn that It was un undertaking seemingly beyond the partly curbed ic-1 for -c.l ii i -, ,h -. thus tau-i:ig them ir mineral wealth to I1'" di,"h whl h shall loin. ir,. .reach (f the lain! owtieru ,.f ti, '."s rtvn imj tar "i.i-o.eritv t th.ls part of the Rogue 'll.v. hut d iring llins the matter was s Liver Valley. 'taken up In earnest and by untiring We want better things In this I exertion and the enthusiasm of the county. We want a better city, bet- i many it became possible to get the today, not to chain ' in, but to divert It 1 I tlsel illness. We liaxe t arel uliy laid a s stein of , ban ;" ' 'I"" i-.li w a the water It to puss colistluit--,l as to unite the 'l'i''ii liing wait r with the thlrstv tt'i- streets, better lawns, more flowers and more of vverything that goes to make our city more attractive. And so In this first shovelfull of earth from these Irrigation ditches that shall encom- homes, . better j necessary capital to eomnic m e the .work. In the neighborhood of Liu business men became Interested and : put up the money necessary to In augurate i oust ruction. At the present time the company Is building four ditches, a gruvit'v L K Ili.VVII U. VAWtiKK l OMMKKCl l. CU h pass our city and valley, I pledge 1 , iu.ii.1 I .... UMA....t. 1.. . M . .1U..1. t i... . . ... ........ e"oo- t "iiint imoiimi us onifcrs u'"u noiu u point oeiow tile Anient to more larti'st work for the w-el. dam down mul tin Il I .1... ... . . I '. "I '" " ii'sncuitiiral , fare of the county ami iH.riicuItural service ail down,,eals tlmt the products of the far- covering I lie Ml t-xs ti tin. r.,., tlon. ., it. . . .... m .. , . it un- slopes ami in the hills. done something for the good of t!i world, and not so mu.h the men who h.txe talked an, I xx rliten Tills enter I'l 1st' Is going to he a Slid es. e know that It t an be done, w e knew it should he done, and we hellexe that those who have the xxeil, in l ,u,, a'e able to do It a i lveoi irks of ,1ide Jewell. The lic! i-pe.iker was Judge Stephen .Lot c.l, who r-.iU Mr Pies-,lci t, J.iul'iN and dentli"- llo'll A tho d'Te'-ci ! oi i:.ini ii'lens of Jtxephlne I'n; uty aic iip.escuti'd hero nt Ihln time, H ! ti; .ui.l pioper that tho ounty ,r. 'itige Khocld ho ll'IU OHC tit I'd. I h.iv, ill.x t '.'. i a a st -)g : x l 111 the deed In- that all '.l.lngs W 01 U tegl't'l' f f ",' ..". ', M t I" f uil t hl:u; i ,t h w . ;. : egt 1 . : ' Spots Ii of Set'iclai x ril.inili.ini. Mi I'lcslih n:, 1 a,i, . ,;, . , men This h an o. . a .,. ,.f ,.,, , f"l' Ing It I w aM, in ,. , .. . 'tl CO to e; i ...h a w e ,! , t '. .. , ... t hat x oil ii,. I ; on, lei p. a; I w s.o man) i hingt m :,, h . weak l'i s ate 1" t . : l .: I am " o-.d !', . ., o( Hee 1, s ' " 1 I- I l , . ! I 'I i x ! thou ;l:t anil i. p iii.iiiiico ,s i 1 " ' what ii ! . We did I ,c ., w II h ac. I I a , p-opetH et a'l I tlllllk to. ',;. I- ,, the lilt, ;, .l. i I I listed M'v !,. bate g:x. :i c lll.e.glltt ,,,,..;, I'! .' tt l'i ::!:, " i.'.'e ,1 it, ,i i " a ii' .1 o ,:' , a h U, hai, ..i, c. ".'!,s , : .. x. l i' ' ': ,'., : a - ,1 " ' 1; '' , ; t xx , ' ; W , " : ix , M ted il their Pes! I" xou their Today xou We want better Grants Puss and beyond to a point the rich bottom lands ho mers may be brought to the market Itween tho Rogue river and tho high with the least exnense. 'bench that u ,ii..,. ,u I,..-!,. ,H., i,.,. i .... : " '""in ""s iii.iii- iitui 1 1 ii 1 1 iu i pioiigo tho Commercial Club .side of tho vullov. I'lto this nuestlon ' "'litis, ating the in. neither did we cm of permitting ill" pco.'le Who " a lillced Wo '-' i ai i ful and I .l!i'". to I'VOt'N liid as larefully "ta.;, s and tlisad- W1. I . J i . . ... stay. The rainbow of promise Is through Its nresldent to cre.iter nf. 1 cover in th ..V,,i ' ... ..... Sl.Sliell.le.l oi..,- I I ..... ' " . """ "IX , iions towards unifying tho business ; thousand acres. oh ,e , u ,' "::;w;1':'-;'"-'"nn(ores,. In building up our cler construction Is what is known " """ " mul lotting tho outside world as the L'no.fnot level i ! I lauuscape anil Know of the opportunities with side """" un "r""11 '" T,,"1', vall.v. ; which wo are 9nrround.nl. iieiiseiy i.opiiiate.i iitui furnlslilng an nio ugl'lciutiiuil t.rodmls Indl- gem in us son an,! elexation. in tin foothills and w i: hoiit ell'.e tun, ' i . . s I ' . x .: I .'serve. , with i't the ii an lone U t ast ti'lbuiarv on the b or. hards and prune. Above these on tho slopes and '!,. t, rraced hills h, hold the ltl'' ai ds. not unlike the Xine i lad lulls or Swlt;e, :,,,, and all of tie s,, prod 1 1 1 s.ipp'.etnontlng . a, h other to p.al e r.p ;l perfect an .phi- Another ditch tin- hat Is known on the north if. nils ditch starts from a point "II the hillside "DO feet v..M I,.,. IK- 1 pledge tho city through Its Conn- above tho dam and is siiiuilled with '11 and Mayor to more efficient labor water by u pump which it is said Is In bringing about bettor conditions the largest In the world The ditch theat. ft: a ii. I : e! grew vaii.xs atitl 1 1) nut t.tu it -i i . . .it ,., . , ,, , ,,. "tu peii i roots i.'iiows aiong the contour of the ' i' n ii null u i i i n niit i.T'itw. !.. n .. nt . " "1 -"""is us. u xxi;i lllso S1ippv tho going to bo things done from now on lawns and gardens of the city ' The and 1 pledge you ono and all that two dlt.hes lu.ntlonod are both on heti Improvements are proposed the north side .,f tho river that you consider th. ni well and then On tho south side there Is n 330- use every bit of your Influence in the foot contour ditch which starts on ilcht direct! en that our city may b0- the hillside over the dam and follows " it surroundings call for along southwest - .no prettiest city on the coast. 1' ,1'ltx , ", lure '!t tVc fvag-v: r l In !' ' dra::1 is.ind, i : 1 and me- a: e tx' leal- of and covers the noted sottlotnotit known ns Frult- lIa1'" Work Is lirogresslng rapidly The Mayor's ppooch wa wdl re- on this ditch and It is hoped to furn :n1 at n ,10 l,:'-'l l-h ".iter to all the settlers In thl sl.ex.i xxhi.h ho had boon holding iu dWii.t on or before the first dav i-t x iA s ' f