T he J acksonville M iner
2
bits of silent evidence of that far
away day on April 28, 1890, when
it was placed with careful hands
to bide its time down through the
years, helping to serve those de
vout people who saw their ambi-
j tions being fulfilled on that day,
By MAUDE POOL
and who made religious worship the
An idle rumor that $5 was con highlight of their life. There was a
cealed in the cornerstone of an old little red Bible to tell its story. Al
church house found welcome lodg though in a good state of preser
ing in some individual’s mind, and vation, its corners were worn, pnd
as a result an attempted robbery the cloth-bound cover was streaked
and removal of the stone was made with mildew from the years it had
some weeks ago at the quaint old lain untouched beneath the old
church standing deserted in a church. It belonged to May Matney,
wooded spot on the highway a short then 14, who later became May
distance below Ruch. The rock Roundtree. Midst the soft leaves of
foundation on which the stone set the old book lay a verse placed
had been pried to pieces, and the there by this girl, who it seems
stone itself bore marks of heavy might have had a presentment of
blows from a sledge or other tool her calling beyond, which occurred
in an attempt to break it. A neigh about 16 years later:
boring resident has since removed
the stone and has taken it to his Just as J am, though tossed about
home for safekeeping.
With many a conflict and many
The old gray slab contained many
a doubt;
With fears within, and fears with
out—
F red J.
Lamb of God I come.
Thief Pries Stone;
Dislodges History
McPherson
Candidate for
Republican Nomination for
SHERIFF
of Jackson County-
Subject to Primaries
May 20, 1932
“For Lower Taxes Through
Rigid Economy
Vote for
W. E. “S horty ”
MORRIS
Republican Candidate
for
County
Commissioner
▼
Subject to Primaries May 20
Mark X53 for
J udge
C. B. Lamkin
Republican Candidate
for
County Judge
Who is qualified by practical
experiences, a few of which
are listed below:
Iowa Offices Held
Board Supervisor (5 years)
State Legislator (1904, dur
ing term of Hon. A. B.
Cummings, when economy
and retrenchment were the
rule)
Came to Oregon 1908
School Board Member
Mayor of Ashland (6 years,
during World war period)
Nine petitions were circu
lated asking Mr. Lamkin to
serve a fourth term
At same time police judge
Reduced tax levy from 22.3
to 18.7 mills in Ashland;
also paid off $154,500 in
city debts
Appointed present County
Judge by governor without
any solicitation whatever
Other verses lay in the protecting
pages of the red book, one of which
was given by Margaret A. Matney,
then 45:
Remember thy Creator in the days
of thy youth.
A beautiful verse for the divine
guidance of her children was put in
the Bible by Mrs. A. Throckmorton,
and there w-as a calling card there
bearing a scripture verse which
had belonged to Rev. H. B. Swaf
ford. Others who chose to leave
their names and sentiments for
posterity were Manda Matney ■
(Bridges), Mollie Matney and Mrs.
M. M. Jeffrey, mother of Robert,
Anna, John and Mary Jeffrey. In
another page of the Bible lay the
following list of names: P. C. Chay I
and R. W. Kennedy; the remaining
people, some of whom lived on Wil
liams creek, were listed as trustees
of the church: C. B. Matney, E. B.
McKee, Henry Janes, T. J. Hartley,
L. O. McGee, Edgar Cox and James
Cox. Mr. Hartley still resides on
Williams creek.
Another interesting article found
in the cornerstone was a discipline
containing the regulations of the
church, which had a publication
date of 1882. Somebody else had
left a half cent coin bearing the
date of 1829, and an English cent
piece dated 1845.
With the resurrection of these
sacred relics of the past, there stirs
within the memory of several peo
ple the historical element of the
tottering old building and the vig
orous spirit of the church itself.
One day in ’89 or ’90 several Ap
plegate people were returning in
their wagons from a long trip to
town, and happening to stop near
one another on the old Jacksonville
hill to let their teams rest, began
a neighborly chat. It was Jeff Mat
ney, now a resident of California,
who said:
“Uncle Bill, we ought to have a
church house.”
“Alright, let us do,” Uncle Bill
replied, who was E. B. McKee. “It
would be a good thing to have.”
Both men were reflecting the
meagre efforts of the serious-mind
ed folks of their community who
were struggling for spiritual bet
terment at that time. Sunday school
was being held in the Drake (Ruch)
school house, and circuit riding
ministers often held sermons there.
Some fine congregational singing
resulted from this early day meth
od of training by these circuit rid
ers who would draw the music staff
on the blackboard and teach the
notes. Attendance at these meetings
was large.
Some time passed before Mr. Mc
Kee and Mr. Matney met again.
Both had been thinking on the sub
ject.
“Are you still in the notion,
Bill?”
“Indeed I am, Jeff,” Bill an
swered. So it was from that casual
GEORGE W.
PORTER
As Candidate for Republican Nomination
for
REPRESENTATIVE
of Jackson County
If nominated at primaries and elected at the fall
ballot I will discharge the duites of the office
to the best of my ability.
remark mude by the roadside thut
plans began to take shape. These
two ambitious men obtained money
from the people of the neighbor
hood for the undertaking. For a
week they camped in the nearby
hills, cutting and hewing out foun
dation logs for the building. Lum
ber was obtained from a mill on
Forest creek, and the building was
erected on an acre of land donated
by Win. Ray, deceased. Carpenter
work was supervised by R. W. Ken
nedy, past minister, and through
donation work the house was soon
completed. Split nails were used
throughout the entire structure.
The cornerstone was obtained from
a ledge of rock in a bend of the
river near the old Matney place.
The urge for religious advance
ment was so strong that even when
the building was being constructed,
Sunday school was held bseide the
new church house under the shelter
of the trees.
The church itself finally became
established in the South Methodist
denomination, and the building was
known as the Matney chapel,
named after Jeff Matney, who had
forseen the need of the community,
and who had been instrumental in
guiding the endeavor through to
the end. The organization wel
comed any denomination which
might care to make use of the
building, and it enjoyed a large
membership. Many a time the
church house was filled from door
to pulpit, which marks a strong
contrast to the spiritual attitude of
many of the rural communities of
today. Rev. H. B. Swafford, who
resided at the Williams creek par
sonage, was the presiding elder.’R.
W. Kennedy of Uniontown, past
minister, presided during the ab
sence of Rev. Swafford. Oftentimes
people from Williams creek came
to the new church to worship. In
the last years of the church’s ex
istence Mr. Kennedy came back to
it to conduct services when he was
an old man, and Rev. Robert Ennis
of Jacksonville was one of the last
to hold services there, coming from
the mining town with a horse and
cart.
Even today old time residents
can recall incidents not altogether
FOR
County Commissioner
VOTE FOR
L. M. Sweet
THE TAXPAYERS’ FRIEND
V
He warns the people to arouse
and salvage their HOMES,
INDUSTRIES and PAY
ROLLS and care for the
POOR and NEEDY.
of u divine nature, which suggest
that in the days of old youth had
to express itself as it does now. For
many months a parasol graced the
topmost limbs of a pine tree, which
had been deprived of its lower
branches. A very devout brother
suffered the chagrin of having his
saddle put on backwards. Even the
maidens often giggled in church.
After 1902 people of the com
munity gradually moved away, and
the old church spirit dwindled down.
In later yours Mrs. J. B. Rice, now
of Phoenix, picked up the remain
ing threads of spiritual Interest
and organized a Sunday school in
the community, which continued for
a number of years. About five years
ago a neighboring rancher bought
the old building for its lumber, but
has neglected to wreck the struc
ture. It still contains its old home
made seats. So it stands today in
its rustic wood thicket setting, a
mute reminder of the colorful bit
of history which it can supply to
the romantic past of southern Ore
gon.
■
4.
...
1918. We saved the allied nations
from worse thun defeat, forgave
them many billions of dollars we
loaned them to make war, loaned
them many billions more to muke
peace with, and then found our
selves on the short end of the
greatest wave of ingrutitudo the
world has ever known.’’
■ —
BENEFITS OF W AR
The magazine Plain Tulk says
very truthfully: “We had our lesson
in the years which have followed
Delilia Stevens
Meyer
Candidate for the
REPUBLICAN
NOMINATION
for
County Clerk
•
If nominated and elected, I
will continue to conduct the
office efficiently and eco
nomically, as my record shows
I have in the past.
▼
You Would
Hire
Competent
Help
You wouldn’t hire a
blacksmith as your
dentist nor a carpen
ter as your doctor;
neither would you hire
a farmer as your law
yer.
Your county judge
should be a lawyer
able to handle legal matters coming before the
county court. He should also be capable in busi
ness administration.
You hire officials by voting for them.
WILLIAM E. PHIPPS
Candidate for County Judge
“Z Want to Be Your Hired. Man”
FACTS
About Coroner’s Office
Special stress is being laid upon
the fact that L have held the office
of coroner for two terms.
I would therefore ask each voter
to pause and consider what firm
held this office for four consecu
tive terms before I took over its
duties. Then if my services have
been satisfactory, I shall appre
ciate your hearty support.
H. W. CONGER
I