Oregon Historical jSoiiet),
City Hall
THE BANDON RECORDER
Bandon By-the-Sea has the Prettiest Beach on the Coast
VOLUME XXXI
BANDON, OREGON, NOVEMBER 9, 1915
NUMBER 44
PIRATES THRIVE
ON THE WRECKAGE
Freebooters Help Relieve Santa Clara
Freight Loss to Owners Total
Tho lives lost, tho dead bodies re
covered, tho persons missing have
taken a secondary interest in the news
from the wreck of the Santa Clara on
( oos Hay. After waiting with illy
concoalcd patience for permicsion from
the lioat owners to hoard the wreck
nnd get their freight, merchants have
LeL'un tho work of salvage with the
nctivo assistance of land pirates,
The law "Finders are Keepers"
under the lino of high tide at sea has
many adhetents along the bay side
and merchants acknowledge that when
they have stopped different people
from driving off with loads of plund
cr the act has been more or less of a
bluff.
There were liberal consignments of
whisky and cigars on board the, vessel
and those were free for the time be
ing. Men, soused, insido and outside,
walked tho beach witii their pockets
filled witii smokcs with I'ebbioford
plenty and hilarity abounding.
Saturday morning tho merchants
found the ropes which held the boat
to tho shore cut und the work of spoli
ation in progress.
According to the stories of Handon
people who have visited the wreck the
pirates have a certain interest. They
are described as pitching their camp
on tho blufr overlooking tha scene of
tho wreck with perhaps a blanket for
a tent and a firij of drift wood to
keep warm by while they wait for low
t Jo to enable t'icni to work at thoir
1 'at. It is rather heavy work at pres
ent when the stuff has to be dug out
of tho holds. When the wreck broaks
r.pnrt they are expecting to begin
work in earnest.
Many of theso campers are Indians
or half breeds and those who aro white
look the part. With a red bandana
: round the head, a red llanuel shirt
end with a ropa for a belt, they could
I"oso for a painter or for nmoving pic
ture film.
Tho Daily Tide describes some of
tho scenes.
Although discouraged by the scene
presented tho business men commenc
ed work nnd got off what was possible
to bo moved.
Flour was tho pressing need of the
day. There had been a le.ge ship
ment aboard and in order to get at
Bomo of the other stuff that was
thought to bo worth taking out the
ttour had to be unloaded first. This
was done by dumping it over board
Uio sides of the vessel into the water,
tho boats or the emus of those who had
TWTded out to receive it, or in any way
possible so long as it was lauded. A
great deal of this flour was not da
maged beyond nn inch or so on the out
side, the interior of tho sacks, perhaps
forty pounds in all, remaining intact,
nnd all of tho residents of the district
Lad as much as it was possible to ga
ther up put by for a rainy day.
One North Head business man who
was a visitor to the scone of the wreck
V.'as condemning the method pursued
to the unloading of the vessel. Much
of the freight was dumped overboard
there yesterday and tho day before
was in perfect condition when it came
out of the holds( but before it reach
ed the shore it was ruined. It was
tltrowu from tho vessel to tho water
irnd then picked up afterward. This
work was not dono by piintcs alone
but by men who thought they were
really saving tho goods.
"After they got It nshoro the goods
wero piled In piles and a watchmen
was kept over them. Tho pirates
would walk up and seeing roinethiiig
which they wanted would take It and
all that tho watrhmun could do or say
was "wcll.they shouldn't do it." I had
two packages roimigneil to my firm
which 1 managed to get oil' by them
u'lvvit and tried to keep guard over
then) Then I decided I would put
t em till together and git tlmin later.
When wont Ui'h u fow hour l.itur
(icy wfiv gwiin, I luiikuil to miu If
tin ' bod been ImiiiIihI uu'M) und If iy
nit it wu not ilutm liy wiy fnpiitu
u!'v ii of t hti bwimw limit.
Jhi'iu Mum wiftj imm m ike
i'lt ''Hi it limy did oMfUAag tor ym 1
iiny uu4 ibir Id b$mw i
Tied Can To Wrong Captain
Hccausc of the slowness of the Til
lamook in making her last voyage
down from Portland the owners of
the boat tied a can to Captain John
son the venerable master who had tho
boat in charged and put a younger
man in his place. The now man,
known as Capt. Alec is't coming half
as fast as the old captain did last trip
When hunted up by local interested
parties the Tillamook was located at
Gardener in the Umpqua had been
thorn for some time and there vab no
relief in sight. Captain Johnson, the
old sli'pper, knows the bars and ports
m the Oregon "oast as well as any
pilot in the business. He has sailed
in these parts since 1808 and a part
of the time was a pilot on the Colum
bia. C. W. Cumbois of Marshfield, Coos
County ngent of the Standard Oil co
mpany was in Handon last night. He
left for Oold Ilcach this moring, in an
auto, with Clint Mnlchorn at the wheel
He said "I may be crazy taking out a
machine over such roads this time of
Yesterday saw tho largest tide but
one that will enter the river during
1011). I was over ten feet in height
and made the river channel assume an
appearance of flood time. It also did
a few other tilings one of which was
to float a part of the fishing pier to
the west of the Hreuer dock making
two or three rods of break in the pil
ing in that direction. Many of these
piles were recently driven but- as the
rock occurred before they were driven
very far and they had not been balast-
ed with rock from the quarry, they
yielded to the influence of the waves
and came up.
Local Moose Herd
-Strays From Home
Installs Lodge at Coqnille Wednesday And
Polishes Chicken Bones. Likewise Makes
a Night of it
A heard of Handon Moose, fifty two
strong journeyed to Coquille last
Wednesday night all in full dress ac
cording to the Moose requirements anc
bent on assisting to start a new band
of cervine mammals snorting with
in the precincts of the county seat.
representative of the higher councils
of Moosedom was expected to con
duct tho Coquille herd on their first
trail to tho pasture grounds but thr
gentleman failed in his connectionr.
somewhere and it was up to Dictator
Leflore of Handon lodge to do the hon
ors winch lie did with the full ac
companiment of trimming.
A lodge of Moose was regularly or
ganized and olllcers installed. The new
lodge starts out with 07 members.
After the labors of tho evening a
banquet was spread which with ora
tory continued for some time .When
all was at last finished, the chicken
bones had been duly polished and the
cigars turned into blue smoke, the par
ty though of tho return trip. The
staunch old steamer, the Coquille had
been chartered for the occasion but
at this time Captain Perkins announc
ed that a dense fog prevailed on tho
river and it would bo necessary to wait
until this raised sufficiently as not to
n tor fere with navigation. The party
uccepted the wait in good spirits and
it was not until four o'clock that tho
lxnt was ready to start toward the
due Pacific.
A self appointed committee took
upon itseit Die task or keeping every
body awake and prepared for any e
mergenoy on the way homo and they
performed their task very efiVctively.
Thorn wasn't a pair of white pants in
the party that was not ready for the
laundry next mniHng when the Ixint
tied up tit the nrciiHtoined pier lit 7:00
hut till Mere mire that they hud had a
grand old time.
Captain I'mMim tliinU the Handon
Mihmii me it bunch of good fellow.
Uwiully whun u bout I ilnluyeil Dime
Ui wjhWuiiI gi lulling und foiupliiliiliitf
hill Ull till IIMHIifuil ill) llllll WIIH Imp.!-
limi iuj all vwn amwml in let lb
waaUwj imUm lank ufiw IUdf.
Jfc (m iitk Dip (ialiUui I lulu
km
"HARD TIMES" DEAD ISSUE, AD
MITS REPRESENTATIVE MANN
Prosj dispatches from Chicago
under date of November 5th, in
summarizing a speech of the Re-
publican leader of tho House,
Representative Mann of Illinois,
quotes him as saying witii ref-
erence to the 191G electionsf
"Tho Republicans have no
walk away. Prosperity will be
here before the polls open. And
we can't win with a two-spot can-
didate."
(ytijS
Offers Site for City Hall
On behalf of Mrs Fannie Dyer, El
bert Dyer proposed to the common
council Wednesday night that the city
accept a tract of land fronting 80 ft.
on First street, to the west end of the
street on the south side for the purpose
of a site for a city hall and public li
hrary. The proposal is that the city
pay Mrs. Dyer $25 per month during
the remainder of her life and pay the
assessments against the property for
paving and sewer, a pro rata part of
$800 for the whole Dyer frontage at
this point. A committee of the council
look the matter under advisement but
individually the councilmcn have ex
pressed themselves as favorably in
dined to the proposition.
II. J. Peters has his mining machin
ery ready to start except for i belt
which appears to be hodood. He has
ordered the belt from Portland three
different times and has not to date
seen any of them. The first left
found its way to Gold Reach, whore it
was located and started northward on
the stage but has been sidetracked
somewhere between that point and
Handon. The second was on the ill-
fated Santa Clara and is probably
now a portion of tho spoils keep of
some of the Coss Hay pirates. The
third waa rdered on the Kilburn.
Meanwhile $10,000 worth of mining
mnchinery awaits the appearance of
one of those belts.
Copple For Marshfield Mayor
wane u. a. uoppio has ueen in
Hnndon superintending tho sale at
,'ie Golden Rule the people of Marsh
field have nominated him for mayor of
that city both on the Republican and
tiie Democratic ticket. In tho primaries
held in the bay city Monday Mr. Cop
ple was successful all along the line
The one nomination which he did not
.ret was on the Dr. Straw ticket and
he latter gentleman is nn .ounced as
preparing to carry off that honor for
himself. Mr. Copple nnd Dr. Straw
wero opponents four years ago and
Mr. Copplc's friends insist that he
was counted out on that occasion. Dr.
Straw's victory was only by a margin
of eight votes and it was declared that
more than that number of fraudulent
votes wero cast for the benefit of the
Joctor.
Was It A Typhoon
Waterspout at Sea Sunday With Tidal
Wave Startles Eye Witnesses
A dozen or less of Randcr.'s citizens
witnessed a typhoon Sunday about 2
o'clock cavorting over the waters of
tho Pacific Ocean, apposite tho bar of
the Coquille Harbor. Those who saw
it r.ay there was a great whirlwind,
which seemed to suck up tho waters
into a great column of water to hun
dreds possibly thousands of feet high
where spreading out, funnelsliaped is
meiged into tho intensely drrk cloud
above it. Tho sun was shining in
Hnndon at the time while the storm
cloud passed at sea, tip the const from
the south. There seemed to ho a great
wave .followed up with the column
which seemed practically at the mouth
of the ('oqiillln RJver nnd within tho
en ii me of a few ml mi ten, it panned,
with great rapidity up the count und
out of night l.i the vicinity of hu Coo
I lay liiiuiU, w inlli a way. The prin
cipal wll'ioxtu were the hoy of Hie
Omul (liiuid, und u fow of I he rtw
dmiU In Unit ImiiMlufu vividly who
liuvi- it vlnw of the bur. Vtutoim
Itolw uf Iliu ftUiUuti wlw Iiii HvH ImiP
(ur u p-j) nwjiy y, Am mjpJ tJiui Ull
m U umiiA mg wllMi) 111
Iflillau n4 by tit li-t Uutsi yf ih
DOUBLE FIRE
AT TWO MILE
District School House And House Belong
ing to Clarence Foster Burned Monday
Morning
Twb fires in the vicinity of Two
Mile have set the people of that sec
tion to speculating as to whether or
no they have a fire bug in their midst
or have merely borrowed oursforthe
time being. Both fires occurred with
in a short time of one another and in
botli cases while evidence is missing
the appearances warrant the suspi
cion of incendiarism.
The farm house on the ranch of
Clarence Foster of this city and occcu
pied by a Mr. Ell wood took fire be
tween three and four o'clock Monday
morning and was destroyed. What
ever household goods Elwood had were
lost in the ruins. The valuation of the
building is placed at $1,000 with no
insurance.
Within an hour the Two Mile school
house developed fire and also was to
tally destroyed. The school house has
not been occupied for two months.
Only summer sessions are held at this
school and the season ended in Sep
tember. In addition to the fact that
the building had not been used every
thing in the region was wet, tho rains
having pretty constant of late.
It is said there was talk of a meet
ing to discuss tho advisability of a
winter term. Tho neighborhood has
been gone over for evidences of arson
but so far, without results. Mr. Dun-
mire one of the directors was in Han
don yesterday conferring with Dip-
pel & Wolverton over tho insurance.
The school building was insured for
$000 with an additional $200 on the
equipment. Jt is probnblo that the
school house will be immeditely re
built.
Death Of Pioneer Mother
Mrs. John L. Walstrom one of the
pioneers of this section died at her
home near Parkersburg Tuesday night
in her sixty first year. She had been
ailing with a complaint of the stom-
rach and had consulted some of the
best physicians in this section of the
state hut none were able to afford
relief.
Her funeral occurs Wednesday at
one o clock with services in the El
lingson chapel. Hurial will be in the
K. P. cemetery.
Mrs. Walstrom's maiden name was
Elizabeth M. Swenson and she war
Jiorn in Skilefto, Sweden February
9th, 1885. She was married to John L.
Walstrom August 21th. 187.1. Tlicy
first settled in Marshfield in 1873 and
later came to Paikersburg where they
have lived on a ranch since that date
She was a homo loving person, de
moted to her family and honored and
respected by all who knew her.
Hcside her husband she is survived
by two sons and two daughters: James
E. Walstrom, Aimer E. Walstrom,
Handon, Florence W. Sanford, Co
luille, Ella T. Walstrom, Parkers
burg.
HUNTING DEER Y AUTO
Only A Slippery Hank PrevenlH Local
TravelerK from Ragging a Deer
Out of Season
Chas. Harrows took a party laht
'riilay to Coquille but did not
return until evening. As the cur was
near I-impa tho party aroused a
young buck in the road only a few feet
ahead. The deer blinded by the head
light of the automobile ran straight
into it and was knocked over. Pick
Ing himself up he found himpolf again
dazzled by the headlight and run to
ward it again. The machine had beun
turned around un.l tho chance present
ed itmdf to pin the deer between the
bunk and the vldii of tha rond. Al
though! it wun punt the cunoii bin pirn
neiigcru cliiiiioiid fur Chun, to Hlioot
the di'ur. He did the next bent thiiiK
Hid kiiki'i uded in Jmnblng (he unliiiut
Imlwpiin the ft out of the nmuliliu' uiul
Hie hunk.
Tlmm wim mighty hlklng niu)
wuhMm mimI muddy wuvr l)w In
Ull dlHUHU Itul Llw bunk m
tuuy ami tiiv ilw mthati U my fm
itm in bml$ UtiU iiim a
IMPROVEMENT OF COQUILLE
RIVER INLAND IS REFUSED
A letter from Arthur Williams, mn
jor, corps ot gove-nment engineers
stationed at Portland says: "In view
of the excellent condition of the chan
nel between Handon and Coquille and
jtho piesent extent of commerce of the
rive it is not believed the locality
is worthy of further improvement by
the government at this time: except
Ithe maintenance of the present pro
ject."
This though stated in n negative
way appears to bear assent to the pro
posal to extend the jetty with unused
appropriaion.
In n letter from Congressman Haw
ley ho expresses his regret that the
original project did not find favor with
the engineer. Mr. llawley had the
authorization for this survey incorpo
luted in the last river and harbor hill
lie is now en-route to Washington
where he will be glad to consider any
matter for the improvement of the Co
quille valley.
Truck Travels Over
Then Investigates
International Does Not Know Roads Are
Impassible Until it Has Passed Over.
Story of a Pleasure Exertion
A jovial and congenial party of (an-
don people, six strong steamed up the
delivery truck of tho Central Ware
house last Thursday afternoon and
set out for Coos bay to see the sights
connected with the wreck of the San
a Clara. Mr. and Mrs. Walter Snbin
Miss Lena Langlois, Zcno Gutcheli,
Victor Hreuer with Fred Harvey as
chauffeur composed the party and
they left Hundon at 11 a. m. arriving
at the scene of the wreck at about
o clock in the afternoon. The seven
devils road was supposed to he out of
commission, but tho delivery truck
travels over the road and then in
quires whether it is passable after
ward. The party got a fine sunset
view of the wreck although having a
full equipment of passengers it must
be exonerated of any charge of join
ing the C. H. pirates in tho pilaging
of the vessel. The truck was able to
handle its load of passengers hut it
wasn't looking for any more freight.
Eight o'clock found the party in
Marshfield and here inquiring 'it the
garages they were told the road to
Coquille was impassable and had not
been in use for something over a week
The road was being improved and was
a little too genteel for the common
run of vehicles.
Hut realizing that there was not
anything common about the truck the
party started on. A short distance
out of Marshfield the acetylino lights
of the machine began to develop traits
of feebleness. It was determined 10
return to Marshfield. Here Victor
Hreuer found his feet growing cold
and determined to stay in Marshfield
over night nnd warm up, and the par
ty proceeded without him.
Thoir lights were fired up n the
garage and though still radiating
light with the dazling brilliancy of
a tallow dip they proceeded on their
way. Soon tho lights developed more
nfirm characteristics. Their ilium
ination became fainter and fainter and
finally cast a few last agonl.ing
beams and died without a quiver,
field.
'red Harvey now demonstrated hint-
s-il f something of a machinist and soon
hud tlie lights in pod ordi.- ag.'ii, far
better than even when the party left
Marshfield.
They wero not quite sure which part
of the road it was tiiat was impass
ible hut think it possibly was a mud
hole which ho truck went bravely
over without floundering or swimm
ing, They arrived In Coqulllu short
ly after midnight und hud the good
fm t utio to find tho ferryman on the
died und went wifely put on the
Hundon Hide of the river.
Hut why detail I lie nt of thul inu-
inoniblii trip. Murk In u mudhole
they found nn unli-llp Luln for u
driving wheel jiiMnjf und found it
lii !y flhiwg Iwnk l the fmry.
SS'hm tlie Wwlw wu itijikMNuJ Miu pur
ity umtmtM utn&iu UtwunJi Usmiw
gait witii mu it im iiw uilvtmiur'
tin mdUK if irlWY
NINE BODIES
ARE RECOVERED
Six Others missing In Wreck of Steiraer
Santa Clara Oa Coos Bay. Story of the
Wreck
The bodies of ni lo persons have boon
recovered, victims of the wii-rk of the
Santa Clara of the North Pacific line
at tlie entrance to Coos bay last Tues-
lay evening. According to reliable re
ports tlie boat struck bottom in tlie
trough of tlie breakers, making tlie
bar and damaged her steering gear.
In a helpless condition she diifteil on
the south spit oil' P.asteiuiorf's le:uh.
Instead of wair.'ug for He lifesav
ers an eifort was made made inimed
..Uely to pet pasacn.rers and crew olf
in the borts boat?. The water in the
shoreward direction seemed to war
rant the attempt to put down the boats
md with due legard to marine etti
piitte the women and children went
first boat out. Naturally witii most of
its cargo inexperienced people the
' oat tipped over and the weaker onos
were drowned. The Coos Hay Harbor
gives tho following description.
Tlie last boat to br lowered contain
ed the captain and six members of bis
crew who nearly lost, their lives when
the ropes with which the boat was be
ing lowered, broke precipitating the
men into tho boiling surf. They swam
to the side of the ship and climbed
:iboard by means of the ropes where
they at once set about o rig up the
breeches buoy. Tley had trouble in
getting the line ashoro because the
caps which fire tho ur. could not to
found. As a last resort this was fired
with powder lighted with paper. Sig-
nals were carried on by Captain Lof
stcd of the Santa Can and Captain
Olson vhn witl two men appeared
on the high cliff onaosile to the lioat
and caught the lino when it was fired
ashore. They then pulled the hawser
ashoro and assisted the crew ashore
in the breeches buoy.
The passenger.H and crew s.uTcrod
intensely from exposure and from in
juries recm.'cl. pl:cy were eared f.r
by willing workers who rushed upon
tho scene from all directions and cv-
eiything possible was done.
number of physicians were on
the ground and i)wu took charge, the
their direction in an effort to rovive
life and relieve suffering.
On account of tlie heavy fog, rain
and darkness which set in a few min
utes after the accident, work of re-
ieving the injured or patroling the
icach for bodies was difficult and un-
pleasant.
Captain Lnfstedt said lie believed
the boat was soon to go to piceces as
die pounded tlie bottom for hundreds
of feet as sho was driven towards the
South Spit. He was certain that the
bottom was torn ofT und as the heavy
ship creaked and twisted, believed she
could not last long. The passengers
and crew thought likewise.
When Captain Lofstcd decided lo
tuk a chance on getting his passen
gers ashore he told them he be-
ieved this was for the best as the
surf in tlie lee of the boat was not
ough and that they could be lauded
without very much trouble. Every
one bad confidence in him nnd obeyed
without protest. The first boat was
owered successfully and carried the
women anil children, being manned
iy the third officer and two seamen.
The boat was nearly ashore when it
struck a sandbar and upset causing
tlie Ioks of life and explaining why tho
death list is made up so largely of
women and children.
Mrs. Crowley, with her Ill-months
old child was in this boat und her child
was torn from her arms und lost. The
xcrond und third boats reached shore
siifely nnd awdHtcd In the roHciiu work.
The fourth bout contained ull mini,
moktly the crew. The fifth bout wun
iipKct In launching und In now bung
ing fiom llui Hblp'd idu. TIiIm fontuln
thii ruptuln unit uiv miuiibiti'n of Iliu
dew, hIio wiui' upnt'l by Dm bri'iildng
of the liiuiifhlng i opt Mililu of whom
wiii ufUrwunl iuuid by Iliu iimnii-
buoy.
A In llr m hli ill
iHWt&lw Mr. Hi John
Qfewhp ml baity AIjJ. wJj m