Image provided by: Josephine Community Library Foundation; Grants Pass, OR
About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Or.) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 9, 1937)
Illinois Valley News, Thursday, December 9, 1937 BETTER THAN BRITAIN (I'onllnued from Page Throe) aary of the Trail Blazer is to awaken in both groups and in all classes, an Illinois Valley con sciousness! The man to whom we all are greatly indebted for the school bus so lately installed, and the sight of which on the Redwood Highway delights us all,—the man himaelf pled with the Illinois Valley Cham ber of Commerce the other day for a program of development in educational facilities which can came alone with a deepened, chastened valley consciousness. ■------------- 0------------- WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 15 This is the date set for the 80th Anniversary Jubilee of the Trail Blazer. Everybody will be mindful of that heroic and stately figure who in 1857 blazed a trail over the mountains that there might be a roadway from Illinois Valley to the sea. But only a few know that the purpose first of all in arranging and promoting this significant event was not only to memorialize the Trail Blazer but at the same time highly honor the Highway Builder. A man known along the High way labored with undiscourage- able zeal to erect a fitting memor ial to the man who more than any other gave himself with dis tinguished ability to the building of the Redwood Highway. And the afternoon pageant on Decem ber 15th will be staged at the spring on the hillside north of O'Brien—staged there because the man who conceived this celebra tion wished to place there a mark er of remembrance to the man widely known and loved in Illinois Valley. After everything had been thought out and planned, it was discovered in Salem that such matters could not be carried through—for reasons not then known but now perfectly under stood. THE TRAIL BLAZER of 80 years ago will be with us in spirit on Wednesday afternoon, Decem ber 15th. THE HIGHWAY BUILDER will be with us in person. “EVERi VALLEY SHALL BE EXALTED” There is a tucked in valley in North Carolina that carries monu- mented the story of a pioneering spirit who lifted the floor level of his valley to the summit of the hills. Within a rudely constructed en closure there stands a simple weather worn stone which bears the name of a hardy and achieving soul. The inscription upon his tomb stone is one that should be remem bered forever since it tells a most illuminative story, the story of a life that was lived purposefully. This is the wording on his mark er: “Here lies Solomon Jones who always lived in the Valley but who toiled that there might be a Highway to the Summit of the Hills.” His valley home is encircled by majestic and rugged mountains. The road he labored faithfully to build runs by easy gradients to a commanding eminence which must have been to him, before he named it, the goal of his life endeavors. This high peak is well named In spiration Point. Standing at Inspiration Point and looking eastward you see the sea miles on miles away and look ing around you view the wonder of three states, Virginia and the Carolinas. The road way Solomon Jones dreamed over and finally built is so well surveyed that it may be said of him that he practically exalted the valley to the height of the hills. ------------- o-------------- THE HAND MAIDEN OF LOVE On a day in late July an assayer motored the man with an inquir ing mind to ever so far it seemed to meet the owner of the proper ty on which lies the former town site of ancient Sailors' Diggins, afterwards Waldo. The man with an inquiring mind conceived the idea of making the old store building erected in 1863 into a Memorial Museum. To even effect a most remotely possi ble purchase required the securing of an option. The owner was found up a tree, a cherry tree! This was a good introduction because historically there is something sometimes said about a certain cherry tree and the actions of a little boy after wards grown great,. Which story is a true story whether you be lieve it or not. The man with an inquiring mind has nothing as everybody knows, nothing except his love for folks. And he negotiated an opN>n with only his wovd and the better word of the owner between them, because his word means some thing. But this is the wonder in it all: Mr. Andrew Sommers the own er of the valuable mining property and who was then planning to placer mine more of it made such a generous offer as would inspire any community and showed the public spirited citizen he is. His willingness to do even more than the later formed committee could have hoped any man might do, is memorable: and gives assurance that -some day soon definite ar rangements may be made. This all is a glorious illustration of the high tensive value in coop erative working together: “and cooperation,”’ as an illustrious son of the Old South once said, “cooperation is the handmaiden of love.” THE VICTORY DINNER PROGRAM The theme for the Victory Din ner at the Redwoods Hotel in Grants Pass will be “Trail Blaz ing: Yesterday, Today, and To morrow.” This dinner must be served promptly at 6:30 p. m. The entire program must be over in time for our distinguished guests to catch the 9 p. m. South ern Pacific train for Portland and Salem. These men are largely officials of the state and heads of departments in important institu tions of higher learning. On "Trail Blazing Yesterday” each guest will be presented for a brief word, a necessarily brief word, but all guests will be form ally introduced. On “Trail Blazing Today” the message will be brought by Mr. J. C. Boyle of Copco, the logical choice of us all because of the ex tension of the light and power lines through the valley. On "Trail Blazing Tomorrow” Hon. N. G Wallace, Public Utility Commissioner of Oregon, will make the principal address. Governor Martin recently ad dressed, not only the people of Oregon in his magnificent radio message, but also the public in all America. Judge Wallace in his official capacity carries on the vital matters jn the Governor's ad dress. In the supplemental relation happily sustained between our Governor and tile Public Utility Commissioner we have the finest illustration of the cooperating of the Executive and the administra tive Judicial. --------------o------------- Viewing Illinois Valley for the First Time In planning the program for Wednesday December 15th, the Committee had in mind of course the many people who will form what is ordinarily thought of as the audience in a public gather ing. But the program of the 80th Anniversary of the Trail Blazer is mostly out of doors. To be sure there is the breakfast for the guests at the Redwoods Hotel in Grants Pass, and there is the Vic tory Luncheon in the Legion Hall, in Cave City, and the final dinner in the Redwoods Hotel at 6:30 p. m., all indoors. There will be crowds at all places during the day and they are being planned for. But what about the guest speak ers and their friends who are coming? The program for them is deter mined by the fact that Commis sioner Wallace wiJJ be seeing Il linois Valley for the first time. He has always wished, as every body does, to see the Oregon Caves, situated—(as not every body knows but ought to)—in the eastern part of Illinois Valley four thousand feet above the level of the sea. Following breakfast a motor cade will be formed of the guests and their friends to tour Illinois Valley, passing through Bridge view and Holland to the Caves. Tra zersing the Caves Highway they will return to the Legion hall in Cave City for the Victory Luncheon at which all the guests and their friends will be inform ally introduced. The speakers at the Victory Luncheon will be Mr. J. C. Boyle and Commissioner Wallace. Following the luncheon the mo tor cade with all the folks and others will form again in front of the Legion hall and take the Red wood Highway across the east fork of the Illinois river and there they will motor along the old Waldo trail to Waldo where Mr. Earl K. Nixon, State Director, Department of Geology and Mineral Indus tries, known to us all, will direct the exercises. From Waldo we motor to the fountain north of O'Brien where “The Life Story to All Trail Blaz ing” will be pictured. This program is planned through the courtesy of the following de partments and institutions: The Oregon State Agricultural College. The Bureau in which the State and Federal Governments coop erate to provide for purity of food and water, which we know as the Quarantine. The National Forest Rangers. The State Highway Commission. We have asked for the service of the Associated Oil Co.'s loud speaker to direct the crowd and to help us in the care of the High way when it must for a brief moment be closed to all traffic. After the exercises at the foun tain on the hillside we motor to The Willadora and there a rep resentative of Willamette Univer sity will lay the corner stone for The Friendly Mission chapel. We hope to come to the end of what may be a “perfect day” in the Victory Dinner at the Red woods Hotel in Grants Pass.
