life VOL. XXV. GRANTS PASS,' JOSEPHINE COUNTY, OREGON, FRIDAY, MARCH 11, 19ifO No. 60. MANY CHINAMEN WERE AT GAUGE 700 OF THESE PEOPLE THERE IN EARLY DAYS MORE THAN $1,000,000.00 Over Thirty Thousand Dollars Were Taken from the Noted Almeda, Bar. The part that Chinamen played in mining in Southern Oregon is a story that has never fully been told. Dur ing first and last every camp in Jack son and Josephine counties had its full quota of men of the queue. The Celestials came early to the country", r following closely after the white men It can not he said that they were al ways welcome, on the contrary the feeling against them was so great that a war of extermination seemed imminent. Once or twice violence "was not only threatened but offered and the Chinamen were told to go, and they were followed out of the country and told not to return, but there were always some white miners who respected the Chinaman for his mining knowledge and his industry in Jila calling. 1 "George Green, a brother of the ld-tlmer, Dan Green,' is full of rem 'intBcenses relating to the days when the Chinamen were a factor in the mining business of Josephine coun ty. Mr. Green came to this part of Oregon very late in the fall of 1860. "He was one of the Pikes Peak crowd who rushed to Colorado in 1859, and so a year later he came on to this country to Join his brother, Dan 'Green, who had located in Josephine 'cotmty several years before. George tacto his first dinner in the Rogue River valley at Jacksonville on Christmas day, and on January 20, i 1861, he visited Gallce, where his brother was engaged in mining. He entered into business with him, and with the exception of two years spent in Baker county, he lias resided con tinuously in Gallce. Mr. Green says That at one time there were 700 Chinamen working In the mines 'around Gallce. Some of the white miners were opposed to allowing the Orientals to stay In the country and the matter was worked up to the point of holding an election to de termine whether or not they should be Bent out of the camp. This elec tion resulted in favor of the Chlnn 'men, much to the disgust of the agi tators. It is Mr. Green's opinion that (Chinamen first and last took out of the placers of Gallce more than a mil lion dollars In gold. In many ways they were skillful miners, doing their work quite as well as the average white man could do under like cir cumstances. They were experts at building wing dams, erecting water wheels, sluicing, etc. Fifteen or twen ty of these Chinamen did some good work on the Almeda bar, which Is located just below where the Almeda mine has been opened. In the early days some successful white miners worked this bar and took out an Im mense amount of gold, and after they gave up the work the Chinamen men tioned above worked this property over again. They built a wing dam find did some really np-to-date work on this. It was never known how much gold they got, but it has always been conceded that it amounted to more than $30,000. This gold un doubtedly came from the erosions on the big Almeda ledee where !t crosses the river. Taking the gold from this bar had much to do with the later development work on the Almeda property. Many of the best miners of the country wer of the opinion that the Almeda would be rome the one great producer of Southern Oregon, and Inte develop ments certainly confirm tMs opinion It should be Mated here In rloslnc this nrtlrle. that the Chlnnmnn miner 'Is no loneer In evidence In Josephine county. It Is barely possible that one or two are still In the business. but this number Is not exceeded. More Denver Arrivals. Victor Z. Havens and Armjn Doer ner, Jr., arrived In Grants Pass Thursday with a car of. household goods, three horses and two Jersey cows, poultry, etc., whliih will be taken to the ranch at Wildervllle re cently purchased by E. G. Harris. Mrs. Alfred Doerner and three young er children will arrive Sunday morn ing and will be with Mr. Doerner's sisters, Mrs. E. G. Harris and Miss Cella Doerner for several days, later taking up their residence at Wilder ville. Mr. Doerner 13 the head book keeper of the Colorado National bank of Denver, with which Institu tion he has been connected for the past 23 years. He will remain in Denver for several years, visiting his family at frequent intervals. Mr. Havens is a student of the Denver University in his third year, but he will work the Doerner farm for this year, resuming his studies. in the law department later. Runaway Tuesday Afternoon. A rather amusing runaway occur red on Seventh street Tuesday even ing. Mrs. J. Knighton, in company with another lady, was driving down the street when a fastening in the doubletrees worked loose and with out warning the tongue dropped to the ground. The horses became frightened at this unusual occurrence and finished the job by kicking the tugs loose and started pell-mell down the street. The ladies remained in the middle of the road in the wagon until the animals were out of sight. then climbed out. The horses were caught in a short time and matters righted. No one was hurt and no damage done with the exception of the breaking of the wagon tongue. Foot Broken by Falling Pole. A. B. Elllstfn was painfully injured on Monday by the falling of a tele phone pole which was being unloaded the south end of town. The pole Btruck his right foot, breaking the bones and badly crushing the mem ber, making a serious and very pain ful Injury. Dr. Loughrldge is In at tendance and reports Mr. Ellison as doing nicely, but it will be some time before he will be able to walk with out the aid of crutches. Excursion to California. On Sunday, March 21, an excursion party consisting of the members of the commercial clubs and chambers of commerce of Western Washington will pass through Grants Pass at 9 a. m., stopping at Grants Pasa for 15 minutes. The Grants Pass Commer cial Club desires as many of our citi zens as can possibly do so to be on hand at the depot to bid the excur sionists welcome to Grants Pass, the Italy of America. Visit of Department Commander. A fair sized audience attended the meeting Thursday night which was given out as a good citizenship meet ing, and listened patiently for an hour or more to the rarabllngs of an egotist In the person of Department Commander Shaw, of the G. A. R., who spent the day here on a visit of Inspection to General Logan Post and to inculcate patriotism In the schools. The most he did at the school was to brag of his achieve ments and at the meeting In the even ing he killed time. The Grand Army of the Republic Is an organization to which every old soldier is proud to belong and the organization and Its members are honored throughout the length and breadth of the Union. It stands for benevolence and loyalty and one of Its mission Is to instill within the breasts of the youth of the land the spirit of patriotism, and in these matters it has been a power, but when a man uses his office for per sonal glorification the principles of the order are lost sight of. Grading Sixth Street. Street Commissioner McLean has been at work during the week put ting Sixth street In order. The city grader was run over the surface to cut down the high places and fill up the hollows, which made a very jniooih surface. After tMs hnd been done the roller was put on and the ground rolled down so as to tunl.o the street smooth nnd desir able. This might have been done lust year but the city force was too busy to look after street Improvements. THE HILL PARTY ARRIVED SUNDAY A WORKING FORCE GOES TO RANCH ON MONDAY FARMING ON LARGE SCALE Improvements to Be Made on the Farm at the Mouth of Apple gate River. W. F. Hill, of the big ranch at the mouth of the Applegate, arrived In Grants Pass on Sunday last from Huntingdon, Penn., bringing with him from Pennsylvania eleven per sons, nine men and two women. All of these people will live at the ranch. On Monday the entire party went out to the place and on arriving there active operations were commenced. Mr. Hill has employed A. P. Mershon, a Pennsylvania farmer of large ex-, perience, to take charge of farming operations. He also brougnt with him Mr. Brattan, a landscape gar dener, who will look after the work of gardening and laying out plans for grading the property so as to be able to cover large areas with water from the irrigating ditches. It is Mr. Hill's purpose to put a considerable share of the ranch this season into grain and forage crops and later get the land ready to plant to fruit. He will put out apples, pears and peaches. The cul tivation this season will be on an extensive scale, so as to put the soil in proper condition for orchard pur poses. Later on building operations will be- commenced to provide homes for all the people connected with the enterprise. Plans for the buildings have not yet been completed, but it is expected that several bungalows will be put up, likewise a number of barns and outhouses. We learn that Mr. Hill expects to return to Penn sylvania about the 20th of March on a business trip, coming back later. Mr. Hill has undertaken a great work in this county and the general opinion seems to be that he has the technical knowledge and ability to carry it forward to success. He has the good wishes of everybody In his operations, as his success will mean much to agriculture and fruit grow ing In the Rogue River valley. It will be remembered an, article was published In these columns some weeks ago taken from a Pennsylvania paper urging Mr. Hill as a candidate In his district for congress. We now learn that he has decided not to med dle wrlth politics but'devote himself strictly to business, which will be a good thing for his farming and fruit venture in this county. Later, should he care to go to congress, the people of this congressional district will be glad to send him, for he possesses many qualifications which would make him a successful member of our national legislature. There Is Something Wrong. There is something wrong In the matter of handling diphtheria cases In this city. Just who Is to blame It seems past finding out. Every case Is quarantined and after the disease is over the premises are fumigated and the diphtheria stamped out, but In a day or two another case appears and thus the matter goes on and like the poor we have some of these cases always with us. The mayor, who fortunately h a physician, and at the same time president of the school board, must be called on to look Into this matter with more than ordinary care. He has the power, the ability and he must of necessity have the desire to get rid of the disease once for all. J. A. Dale Real IXale. John A. Dale, who arrived In Grants Pass recently from Minne sota, bns entered the rank of the real estnin dealers end tal:en rfflces In the Conklln building. Mr. Dale has nlrendy listed n considerable number of fine tracts, which he of fers to thp buying public. Mr. Dale Is booster and will be a help to the Grants Pass boosting force. TLANT ROSES! Have you ever read the story Of the king and the blue flower, Which transformed his land and people By its sweet and subtle power? So let Grants Pass think .of roses, plant rose bushes far and wide, Talk of roses, dream of roses, Bid them bloom on every side! iiien their beauty and their fra grance Will shed sweetness all around, And the praises of the city Through the whole land will re sound. Even those of sordid nature, Worshiping the dollar sign, Will discover in the roses Wealth like that of richest mine Land will boom in town and country, Every tourist in the West Will stop off to see the city All in lovely roses dressed. Then there will be throngs of buyers, Settlers will come thick and fast, And prosperity's bright era Will be ushered in at last. ' And the children reared 'mid roses Of their sweetness will partake, And this dear old town of Grants Pass Soon a heaven on earth will make. Cella Doerner. Grants Pass, Oregon, March, 9, 1910. SPELLING CONTESTS CREATE INTEREST The monthly spelling contests In augurated by Superintendent Lin coln Savage have created consider able Interest In the grade schools of the county, so much In fact., that scholars who had never been known to study out of Bchool insisted on taking their spelling books, home to study. The next contest occurs March 25. In the first contest the Winona school, Chas. Thompson, Btood the highest, 96 1-5 per cent, and the Kerby school, Miss Augusta Parker teacher, standing second, 90 per cent. Six teachers failed to send in their reports. The percentages are as fol lows: District No. 2, Holland, 79 7-13 per cent. 13 in contest. District No. 3, Kerby, 90 per cent. 24 entering contest. District No. 6, Dryden, 84 per cent. 10 entering contest. District No. 8, Provolt, 53 1-11 per cent. 11 entering contest. District No. 10, Murphy, 71 per cent. 14 entering contest. District No. 11, Leland, 58 8-15 per cent. 15 entering contest. District No. 12, Murphy, 65 13-15 per cent. 15 entering contest. District No. 14, Murphy, 67 5-11 per cent. 11 entering contest. District No. 15, Placer, 82 2-11 per cent. 11 entering contest. District No. 16, Williams, 78 per cent. 8 entering contest. District No. 1., Grants Pass, R. D. 2, 72 per cent. 1 entering con test. District No. 20, Grants Pass, R. D. 2, 85 5-9. 9 entering contest. District No. 21, Kerby, Tt. D., 68 5-7 per cent. 7 entering contest. District No. 23, Grants Pass, R. D. 1, 74-. 8 entering contest. District No. 24, Merlin, 88 3-5 per cent. 20 entering contest. District No. 25, Grants Pass, 63 per cent. 4 entering contest. District No. 27, Wolf Creek, 86 6-17 per cent. 17 entering contest. District No. 28, Frultdale, 82 per cent. 4 entering contest. District No. 29, Grants Pass, R. D. 1, 96 1-5 per cent. 10 entering contest. District No. 30, Grants Pass, 11. D. 2, 81 per cent. 9 entering contest. District No. 32, brants Pass, R. D. 2, 82 per cent. 8 entering con test, District No. 38, Golden, 84 2-5 per cent. 5 entering contest. District No. 39, Wonder, R5 1-3 per rent. 6 entering contest. District No. 47. Merlin, 74 2-10 per cent. 10 entering contest. ('oiiImoii'a !'"MhI f'tr little chicks makes them grow. 40g Rih street. Miss .Ii'iikIo Hnle went to Medford this Friday to visit over Sunday wltft friends. Mrs. Winks Is at present an In mate of the South Pacific hospital, where she Is taking treatment for a light ailment. RANCH DEAL PRICE $100,000 CARNER'S. PLEASANT VALLEY PROPERTY SOLD NEW YORK PARTIES BUY Best-Fuller Co. Slakes Record Sale of the Year In Josephine County. One of the largest real estate trans actions ever made in this valley took place last week. It was the Bale of the O. H. Carner ranch 13 miles east of this city, and 4 miles north of Woodvllle. The property consists of nearly 1400 acres, and of this amount 650 acres are made up of a rich, black, sandy loam, under irriga tion. Besides the above, there is something over 700 acres of Al red land that is considered the equal of any soil in the valley. The property was sold by the well known real es tate firm, the Best-Fuller Co.. to New York parties, who did not care to have their names mentioned at this time, though the deal was closed by a substantial payment down, pending the preparation of the title papers. The amount of the purchase was an even $100,000. It is the intention of the purchasers to expend a considerable sum in im provements and they will at once put in grain and forage cropB, using all the irrigated land for this purpose. Isaac Best, of the Best-Fuller com pany, went to Hornbrook, Cal., a few days ago, where he met Noble Parker, of the firm of Parker & Burkhalter, of this city, of whom he purchased eight head of fine heavy work horses to be used on the big place. The plan of development of this property is the cutting of it into a large number of small farms of such size as can be worked to advan tage in a commercial way. There are very few large bodies of land in the Rogue River valley the equal in productive quality of this well known ranch. The locality of the' place is In Pleasant valley and the ranch Is called by that name. New Store for Hugo. Lynn A. Smith, who recently ar rived In Grants Pass from BoIhc, Ida., and has purchased property in this county, Is arranging to establish a general merchandise store at Hugo. The building Is now being fitted up r.nd the stock ordered and Mr. Smith expects to be ready for business about March 20. The establishment will be known as the Hugo Supply Co. Woodvllle Busy Boosting. The boosting spirit has Btruck Woodvllle and the Woodvlllans are making the most of it and setting a pace which many a larger town might have difficulty in following. One of their publicity moves is the printing of thousands of envelopes, the front bearing the picture of their pew $15,000 school house and the legend, "Why Don't YOU Come to Wood vllle?" On the back is printed the fol lowing: Woodvllle on the Rogue, In the famous Rogue River valley the homo of the big red apples and Dart lett pear In a warm, sunny vale, nestling at the foot of the Rogue River mountains, bounded on two sides by a sparkling mountain stream, lies the town of Woodvllle, Oregon, One.slde of the town Is on the banks of the swift rolling Rogue river the home of the Chinook salmon and the game Koine River trout the fisher man's delight. A young and rnnld Iv irrowlng town In the finest fruit, mining nnd timber belt, Nine b. Hon feet of yellow nnd smjar pine trlb'ttnrv nnd must, all be tnnnnfne tnred nt Woodvllle no other outlet. A new fifteen thousand dollar blah "-,nn building nnd n new twentv thousand dollar step) hrldee across Hogiie River. Woodvllle Is now hnv Ing Us (Treated building activity n bank and many other enterprises are tinder way for the soring opening. BIG Here we have the purest water most Ideal climate where drouths, cy clones and crop failures never corns. The homeseeker's home- For fur ther information address WoodvfiiA Commercial Club. Watch Woodvllle grow. Better still, come and see her grow. Cold Storage Team on a Frolic. Another runawav. cimiiir t jat.n to the one occurrlnar on TiiAflor hap pened thia Friday morning, the par- iifipanw in tne arralr being the ice wagon team. In thts eno . other one, the bolt In the doubletrees came out when the team was in front or tne cold storage, and the driver was Just on the noint nf ntorMn., his rounds. When the horses found they were free from the wagon they Hianea at a lively gait towards Sixth street. The driver held the lines, which were broken In two, and the horses departed, turning up Sixth sireei toward the court house, where they were caught by Isaac Best, the real estate man. Nn itomn,. ... done save the breaking of the lines .1 A mm mese were soon replaced with new ones and the Ice wagon was soon distributing Its cool burden over tha city as usual. Train Service Demoralized. During the past week the rails of the Southern Pacific tracks have been kept hot by the unceasing traffic which has passed over them. Some times as many as 20 passenger trains, passed through Grants Pass in one day, en route to and from eastern points, being diverted from their na tural route by the disastrous slides on the lines In Nevada. These extra trains have created havoc In the sche dule of our local passenger, limited and freight trains so that no train has been running on time during tha past week. The last of the specials was removed this Friday morning, so that we may expect something like schedule time In the future, al though It will probably be about two . weeks longer before we can expect anything like regularity In railroad traffic, as the ferry trouble which delays the arrival of No. 16, north bound, In the evening and conse quently Nos. 11 and 15, southbound, In the morning, has not yet been rem edied. No. 18 was on time this Fri day afternoon for the first time for many days. Last week no eastern mall was re ceived In the Grants Fass postofflca for four days and on the fifth there were 1439 pounds, represented by 39 sacks of papers and two pouches of letters. This was on Saturday and every day since has seen a propor tionately largo amount of eastern mall to keep the Grants Pass postal clerks hustling to work over. On Tuesday of this week there were 25 sncks, 'containing altogether about 1000 pounds of mall. It Is certainly a relief to the post- office department as well as the traveling public and community at large to see the break In the tie-up and to know that we will have only our own train troubles to contend with in the future, which of them selves are enough to try the patience to the extreme. Making Fruit Farm Improvements. A. J. Green Is making extensive Improvements at the Jones Creek crossing on the state road. He Is preparing to put out several hun dred apple and pear treos, He has tindef construction a new house and several farm buildings. He has evi dently made up his mind that no time shall be lost In getting his farm In such shape as will make It a pay ing Investment at the earliest pos sible date. Farmers' Institute. A farmers' Institute will he held at Williams, Ore., under the auspices of the Oregon Agricultural college and the citizens of Williams on Mon day, March 14, the first session com mencing at 10 a. m. Subjects relat ing to dairying, chemistry of soils and general agriculture will be pre sented. Everybody Is cordially In vited to come and bring the family and friends. Train KIIU Transient. GOLD HILL, Or., Mar. Chnrles A. I.nngew Ik h, ft transient, aged 36, was killed nt Talent yesterday by be ing struck by n iiotthboudn train. It Is thought he tried to board the pilot. His hat was missing and was found on the pilot at Grants Pass. i i Is