Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, December 15, 1911, Image 1

Historic Oregon Newspapers

Rogue River courier., December 15, 1911, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextVOL. XXTU. JOSEPHINE COON ORE FOR EXHIBIT SOITIIERX OREGOX AND NORTH CALIFORNIA CONGRESS. MEETS AT MEDFORD JAN. 17 Co-operation of all Mining Men la This District is De sired. January 17 and 18 the Southern Oregon and Northern California mining congress will convene at Med ford. This will be the third meeting of the congress, the first being at Ashland and the second in this city July 18 and 19 last. "Josephine county is expected to make a good display of its mineral resources at the congress, and as the time is brief, it behooves every min ing man and every resident of the town and county who Is Interested In making a good showing of ores to lend all aid possible," said H. F. Herzlnger today, and continued: "Josephine county has received splendid advertising on the coast and in the east during the past seven months, and the proper thing to do Is to keep on advertising. Because this little mining congress is almost a local affair Is no reason for us to grow careless; we must make a good display. And I suggest that The Courier give the matter all the pub licity possible, to the end that min ing men and prospectors of the coun ty furnish ores from their various properties. "If the miners will send In or bring in theUore I "will gladly care for it at my office on Front street until It is" time to get it to Medford. And please say to the mine owners not to send ore In with charges to collect for transportation, as I have no fund for this purpose, every man furnishing ore will, I know, be pa triotic enough to see that it gets here without charges, that Is, he will If his attention Is called to it. "We will see that all ore gets on display at the congress, where it will be viewed by many men from other parts of the coast and by some from other states. This will aid the min ing man in his desires to sell or In terest capital in joining him. "Everybody should boost for the mining congress, as Medford will no doubt do the handsome thing for ns. and furnish some splendid features. Every man in this city and county who Is interested in mining or the welfare of the county at large should be in attendance both days. Let us show our appreciation to Medford and at the same time give old Jose phine county and her great mineral ledges fine advertising." SCHOOL TAX LEVY FIXED The school board of district No. 7 met Saturday and fixed the tax levy for the district at nine mills. This is the same figure as was fixed In 1910, which brought in a revenue of $25,130 on an assessed valuation of $2,792,258. This year the assessed valuation Is $3,200,000, and at nine mills levy will bring to district No. 7 a sum a little in excess of $29,000. In addition to this revenue of $29, 000 the district will get $3,000 from ithe county school fund, $3,000 from the state, $4,000 to be appropriated by the county11 court for the high school and about $500 from tuition and minor charges to students making a grand total of $44,500. AGED COUPLE HURT From Thursday's Daily. A. Morris, the O. A. It. teran, who, with his wife, was thrown from a buggy Tuesday evening when the vehicle was struck by an automobile belonging to R. W. Clarke of the Rogue River Electric company, was on the street today, showing bodi'y evidences of the accident. Ap.' 1 how he felt Mr. Morris said " " - ' 1 s. GRANTS "I feel sound from mv vnict from the waist up I d0 not feel very good. One rib on the right side Is cracked and ray right arm gives me much pain when I attempt to use it too freely. My wife is suffering acutely today from pain in one hip and back. The doctor says serious complications may result, and then they may not, only time will tell. "We would have escaped Injury had not the automobile struck our buggy the second time. When It first hit us the impact scared my horse, which plunged forward. I pulled back on the lines and spoke to the animal and had It down nearly to a walk when the machine rammed Into us again. Then I could do nothing more with the horse, and we In small box in the foot of the buggy, which was to be used as a seat for my daughter, who was soon due on the train, fell out ahead of me and on this box my side struck. This cracked one of my ribs. My wife fell On me. then to the ernnnH War foil on me saved her from more serious rjnry. ' Y0TE ON AMENDMENTS SAID TO BE ILLEGAL That army of Grants Pass voters which went to the polls last week and cast ballots for or against the proposed amendments to the char ter and for or against the commis sion form of government might a well have saved anxiety one way or the other, for, says Mayor-elect Smith, the whole proceeding was Il legal, and the two amendments which did carry are void. These two amendments were to increase the city treasurer's salary from $12.60 to $25 a month, and to require the city auditor and police Judge to give a bond for $5,000. The reason given by Mr. Smith for the Illegality of the vote Is that such measures should have been filed with the auditor 60 days before the election. As it was they were not filed until November 2, or there abouts. The mayor-elect, speaking of the matter said: "The reason ' why these two amendments are void Is because the state law providing for their submis sion was not complied with. "In the case of the state ex rel vs. Portland Railway Light & Power company. 56 Ore., 32, the supreme court of the state held that the amendment to the constitution re serving to the people of towns and cities the right of the Initiative ana referendum Is not self-executing, I. e., legislation was required to pro vide for the methods of procedure. The general law of this state (Laws 1907, p. 407) provides that all measures submitted by a city coun cil shall be filed with the city clerk for submission not less than sixty days before election. "The amendments and charter submitted at the last election were not filed with the auditor for sub mission till the second day of No vember." COUNCIL KILLS ALLEN'S ELECTRIC FRANCHISE John R. Alien got a franchise from the city council of Grants Pass to build an electric railway between this city and Ashland. That was In December 1909. Thursday evening the city council, not seeing any trol ley cars running up and down Sixth street, killed Mr. Allen's franchise. "As Mr. Allen has had from Decem ber 1909 to the present to get busy, p.nd as Mr. Allen has departed for greene pastures, we thought It about time to kill his franchise, as It had been forfeited long ago any way," said a member of the council. "And then we thought it best to pet rid of It as other people are premising to build the line, and will, so they say, ask for a franchise. Sow we will be ready for them If thtf nvan business and can wring the eoin out of eastern financiers with which to build the road." Yvii TWn arrived Tuesday from j,:!.,,n,h ya'Af ard after a short visit wit?, fri-nds here left Wednesday ,v.'!"- !"" bl home at Cottage Grovo to :nn& the holidays. TASa, JOSEPHINE COCXTV, OREGON. FRIDAY, DECEMBER J5, LOCAL TALK PROSPERITY LOCAL It I SI NESS MEN VOICE PROSPERITY' REPORT. OUTLOOK IS ENCOURAGING Many Merchants, Rankers and Oth ers Find no Stagnation iu " TIUs City. The regular monthly meeting of the Grants Pass Commercial club, held at the club rooms Monday even ing, was not as well attended as many, but greater Interest was taken in discussion than at any previous meeting for some time past. The club orchestra, which 1b always a feature of the meetings, was on hand and rendered music. Then the meeting was called to order and the secretary's minutes and monthly re port read, followed by reading of a number of letters of Inqury showing the character of requests whlch-.are received at the rate of 10 to 20 dally. The matter of a creamery, and alBO a milk condensory, which have been before the club, were discussed and letters from Interested parties read, showing that the probability of se curing one or both of these enter prises Is encouraging. The question of growing alfalfa and other fodder was discussed and the Imperative need for Immediate Irrigation shown, likewise the neces sity for land owners to clear and prepare land for crops If fodder was to be raised to feed the necessary number of cows. The garbage question, and the need for some practical means of removing garbage from residences weekly, was brought up and this evoked considerable discussion. It was finally decided that the secretary address a communication to the city council asking that the city take some steps toward a practical solu tion of this question. .. The matter of large ulgns on the business street was discussed and the secretary Instructed to bring the matter before the' Incoming council and ask that proper restrictions as to size of signs be made, In order that the beautiful street may not be obstructed. Grants Pass Prosperous. There has been Borne talk about depression in business and In order to combat this Idea the secretary read the result of personal Interviews with a number of business men of the city who all report conditions this year as superior to that of 1910. These Interviews follow: Statements of a number of Grants Pass business men regarding the con dition of business December 11, 1911, as compared with the year 1910: Cramer Bros. Hardware Co. Our business for every month of the year 1911, with the exception of Septem ber and October, has been better than any year since we have been estab lished. The year 1911 Is way ahead of all years. Grants Pass Hardware Co. Geo. Newlands, Manager, says: Business generally Is better now than for the same time last year, collections are much better; our business shows a large Increase, especially In builder's hardware and powder for land clear ing. Our powder Bales are double; wagons, buggies and pumping ma chinery also show a large Increase. We are well satisfied. Jewell Hardware Co. Business Is as good as at any time since we have been established. Collections are bet ter. Our chief Increase of business Is In mining and building supplies. Claus Schmidt, Grocer. Our busi ness Is Just about the same. We are growing steadily. H. C. Bobzeln. White House Gro cery. Our business Is about normal. We notice a steady Increase In cash sales. Rogue River Hardware Co, Geo. Riddle. President. Our volume of business Is greater than last year, the principal Increase Is In bullderi'bard- MERCHANTS ware, cement, paints and oils. Col lections are fairly good. We art carrying much heavier stocks and are satisfied with buslneas generally. Grants Pass Banking ft Trust Co., L. L. Herrlck, President. Business conditions show a marked Improve ment during the past three months, more realty sales are being made. C. P. Bishop ft Co., L. R. Steel hammer, Manager. Our business for 1911 has been a material Increase over last year In all departments. Cash sales show a large Increase. The outlook for Xmss trade Is good. Josephine Grocery Co. Our busi ness la ahead of last year. Cash re ceipts are heavier the put few months than for a corresponding time last year. Dixon & Co., Grocers. Our bus iness Is about normal. We find cash sales show an increase. Collections, however, are not showing any im provement. Geo. C. Sabln, Drugs. Buslnesa Is good. While we anticipated It would be slow this season we are agreeably surprised. Grants Pass Lumber Co. G. H. Carner says we have sold enough lumber to meet our expectations. We are handling more than we expected at this time of year. The building outlook is good. Gibson Grocery Co. Our business this year Is quite a little more than last. Our cash sales are greater and our business generally Is better. Kinney & Truax, Dry Goods, Shoes and Groceries. H. L. Truax says up to November lath our business was a big Increase and the Increase was cash. The Increase In all three de partments was surprising to me. Josephine County Bank. In a financial way there has been a mark ed Improvement the past sixty days. During the past summer there hat been a general business depression throughout the United States. This has perhaps been caused from the re adjustment of the trusts and large corporations, together with a presi dential election ahead. To any extent that It has been felt here I believe It has had a beneficial effect. It has retarded the taking hold of large holdings in real estate to get ad vantage of the advance In price and will have a tendency to cause the orchardists to use their orchards for the production of crops while they are watting for their orchard to come into bearing. I consider the future business prospects very encouraging. Sam Baker. First National Bank. You ask me how I find general business condi tions In town compared with other years. Notwithstanding we have a good deal of talk of dull times we find the volume of business transact ed to compare favorably with other years and some merchants show a decided advance. Bank balances are not as large as last year and money Is In greater demand, but we believe most business men are working on safer basis and have their affairs In better shape. There Is less speculat ing being done, which Is certainly a healthy sign. H. L. Gllkey. COI VCIL TO HAVE CI TV'S ROOKS AUDITED. At request of Judge M L. Op dycke, a request made several weeks ago, the city council has arranged for an auditing of the city's books. At the meeting of the council Thurs day evening this was provided for. The man who tackles the job will have no light task, as a vast amount of clerical work falls to the lot of the city auditor of this city, and the mass of documents is voluminous. The office Is no easy one for any body. KNIGHTS TEMPLAR OFFICERS. Mellta Commandery No. 8, Knights Templar, of this city held their an nual election Friday evening and se lected the following officers for the ensuing year: Eminent Commander Geo. R. Riddle. GeneraliHino H. C. Fobzlen. Captain General J. X. Nelson. Senior Warden A. H. Gunnell. Junior Warden R. L. Bartlett. Prelate A. E. Voorhles. Recorder G. W. Ltonnell. Treasurer Frank MaHhburn. Ever buy cold dollars for .'Or? Von i an do even Letter at tin Oi iinU Push Hardware 12-1 '.-It 1811. li. II, MOSES SELLS II4-ACRE3 RANCH MlTl'll I'l'HI'L'IfTl- I'iviv PRALL OF PORTLAND. PRICE PAID, $17,500 CASH Hops From This lbtm-li Rrlng Rec ord Price In th IJverpool Market. Horace R. Moses has sold hit hop ranch of 114 acres, located five miles west of Grants Pass, to C. T. Prall of Portland. Mr. Prall paid $17,500 cash for the property. Mr. Moses In turn has closed a deal whereby he purchases the ad Joining property of 24 acres from Eclus Pollock. Mr. Prall, In taking over the Moses ranch, secures one of the most valuable properties In the county. Mr. Moses had made many valuable Improvements, among thera being the Installation of concrete fence posts, the first of the kind In Jose phine county. The ranch contains 40 acres in hops and has the record of furnishing hops which sold on the Liverpool market at a world record price. Two residences are a part of the Improvements on the property. The tract faces one of the best high ways In the county, with the rear on Rogue river. Mr. Trail, the new purchaser Is president of the Oregon Good Roads aaanpfatlAn an4 la m.mliA. J V . ! commission named by Governor Os wald West to draft the eight Initia tive good roads bills which will be submitted to the people at the next general election. He Is one of the foremost citizens of the state and his entry Into the life of Josephine county means the addition of a live ly man and cultured gentleman. Mr. Moses, In purchasing the Pol lock ranch, has proven that Grants Pass and the county will not lose him. He stated to The Courier that he Intends to Improve the Pollock ranrh t n fha nnlnt uhnrA If will ha. come one of the show places of the county. He will construct concrete posts on fencing lines, as he did on the property he sold to Mr. Prall. and will Inclose It with Page fencing. He will construct a modern bungalow, clear up the remainder of the land and In other ways create nn Ideal country seat. ROGUE RIVER ELECTRIC GIVES UP 50-YEAR TALK (From Wednesday's Dally.) At eleven minutes to 11 o'clock this good day, December 13, 1911, that document demanding that Grauts Pass give to the Rogue River Electric company a franchise for a half a hundred yeras and at the same old eut-'em-a!lve rates was yanked out of the city auditor's office on or der of the corporation powers that bo. Where It Is now Is not known, but it Is dead suro to never again be flaunted in the face of the people of (J runt s Pasa. Microbes can't stand sunlight, say the wise men; clnchern corporation schemes can't staud the spotlight, say the political econom ists; light and lust are deadly enem ies said the bard of Avon; GO-yetr electric f ram lilacs can't staud the wrath of the people of Grants Pass, said a city councilman today, and that city councilman knows, because he has had the hornets of public querrlcs swarming about his head ever since The Courier gavo public ity to the whole stinking business. Grants Pass welcomes capital and capitalist In ber midst. Capital and capltali.sts'are needed to develop the great latent resources of Josephine county and aid In setting tho city forward en tho road to wealth and prosperity, but Grants Pans will not longer tolerate tho giving away of the heritage of herself, of her chil dren and "f her children's children, j Hence the angr at the insolent de-( NO. 36 maud of the Rogue River Klectrlo company, which carries away thous ands annually, but which leaves not even any crumbs behind. That would-be franchise has been withdrawn in good time to save the nerves of the city council and that judiciary committee la particular, which had the "painful" duty of re porting on It at the next meeting; and that judiciary committee la com posed of Strtckor, Wolfserherger and Daniels. "Now let the Rogue River Elec tric company come back with a de cent proposal, a abort term franchise and a wad of money to pay for It and it will no doubt be granted," thus said a resident thla morning when informed that the corporation had gotten flabbergasted and was on the run, Just whon the scarod word got here from the corporation bosses to hush up the talk by pulling down the demand Is not known, And in the meantime If there are any more corporation harpies that would like to sink their talons In the throat of Grants Pau Just trot them out, and they, too, will get a punch In the paunch. lUlllKiE COMPLETE DEC. 18. The Courier's correspondent at Williams, In news from that place last week, criticised delay of work on the new bridge being constructed there. J. E. Klnsie, of the Colum bia Bridge company, and who Is ta charge of the work, states to the Courier that the delay has been caused by trouble with water, but that the bridge will be finished by December 18. All structures put In by the Co lumbia company are of the highest standard of material and workman ship, and when the Williams creek brtdge Is finished another first class courseway will have been addod to the already long list In the county. Mritpiiv. Adolph Maler returned to the mine Monday, after a ten days' absence In California. Mrs. Matilda Cook, who recently sold her farm on Applegate, Is visit ing her brother, J. W. Gllmoro and family. Quite a number of young people attended the party at the home of Fred Knox Saturday evening and re port having an enjoyable time. George Swlnney was here last week repairing telephones and put ting on new receivers and transmit ters. Now sonio of the phones "talk worser" than they did before they were fixed, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Carson attend ed the theater at Grants Pass Thurs day night, December 7. returning home the following day. Itoiid Supervisor Gllmoro has sev eral teams and men hauling gravel on the roads near Murphy. They hnvo been working for. two weeks nnd hnvo several days more to put In before they finish graveling. "Grandma" Williams of Murphy, aged grandmother of Al Mathews, met with a serious and painful ac cident last Friday morning. She w-u standing In front of tho fireplace with her bock to the flro when her clothing became Ignited, presumably by a spark, and was quickly In Humes. f 81io cried out and Mr. Johnson, who was n the kitchen, seized a pall of water and ran to her asalHtance, dashing tho water over ber and ex tinguishing the fire. .Mrs. Williams' body was painfully burned from her walnt to her knee. Dr. Sweeney dressed the burns and the uned lady Is Improving rapidly as could bo expected for one of her age, she being nearly 80 years old. (luifice for a Jol Tho United States Civil Service commission announces that a local nfrcnt examination will be held In this city January 10 to secure ellglbles from which selection may bo made to fill a vacancy In the position of local Aent nt $600 per annum, bu reau of flKherles, department of com merce nnd labor, Seattle. Persons desiring to compete, should apply at once to the secretary, Eleventh Civil Service district, Seattle, Wash., for application blank' and full Information.