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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 19, 1956)
TEN MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE Sunday, February 19, 1956 eorge Putnam Reviews 1 (Editor's Note: The foUowine story about Mrs. Mary Ramsey Wood, Ore eon resident who lived to be 120 years old, is one of the reminiscences of Georue Putnam, editor emeritus of the Salem Capital-Journal and a for mer editor of The Mail Tribune). By GEORGE PUTNAM Mis Mary Ramsey Wood, born in Tennessee May 20, 1787, who crossed the plains with her fam ily to settle in Hillsboro, Ore., here she lived until her death at 5 a.m., Jan. 1, 1908, was prob ably the oldest woman m the United States if not in the world. She was well past her 120th birthday when she died at Hills boro. Mrs Wood had been honored the year before by the Oregon Pionper society. In November, 1905, the writer, then on the Oregon Journal staff, had a long interview with Mrs. Wood at her daughter's home at Hillsboro. The late George M. Trowbridge, for many years managing editor of the Journal participated in ques tioning Mrs. Woods on the story of her interesting life. The inter view published in the Journal's Sunday edition, follows: About the time that the Ameri can colonies realized the neces- sity of federation, while the United States constitution was as yet unwritten and the nation still unborn, there came into the world on a farm near Knoxville, Tenn., a girl baby who was des tined to witness the marvelous changes that have since trans formed the world and to survive out of the old lime into ours. The child had " learned to lisp when Washington was president in the eighteenth century, still lives to talk to President Roose velt in the twentieth century, and eyes that -a hundred years ago looked lovingly upon her firstborn, today smile with a fading . light upon the "child of her old age," - a woman now past 75. Born in 1787 in Tennessee Mary Ramsey Wood was born as Mary . Ramsey on May 20, 1787. Now in her 119th year, she is still quite active and maintains a lively interest, in the world and its doings. Daily she walks Pledge Votes For Adlai Stevenson Salt Lake City (U.R Utah's 12 votes in the Democratic Na tional convention were pledged Saturday to Adlai Stvenson as the former Illinois governor con cluded a two-day visit with Democratic leaders from the intermountain states. The surprise . announcement by National Committeeman Cal vin S. Rawlings, that Utah's 24 delegates who will cast one-half vote each at the" Chicago conven tion in August, would be pledged to Stevenson, brought an im mediate protest from State Chairman Milton . L. Wielen mann. Wielenmann, His face grim', told a breakfast meeting that the state organization would support Stevenson. A few min utes later, Wielenmann told newsmen that he is resigning his state chairmanship. "I don't believe this is right, since the campaign has not even started and the state committee has taken no formal action," said Wielenmann, who has advocated a Democratic presidential nom ination of New York Gov. Aver ell Harriman. McKay Comments on A! Sareria Hearings Baltimore (U.R) Interior Secretary Douglas McKay said Friday night a recent congres sional, hearing showed there is "nothing to substantiate" charg es of a "give away" in the Al Sarena mining case. In a speech to the Maryland Press association, McKay Siad "the record shows that the de partment's action was dictated by law as written by Congress." "For political purposes," Mc Kay said, "an extensive cam paign was conducted in an ef fort to mislead the public about the department's handling of tins case." ' He referred' to charges that the department granted mining claims on government land in Oregon which -enabled the Al Sarena company to gain access to valuable timber. He said "many of the same irresponsible sourcses have at tempted to present a completely distorted picture" of oil and gas leasi-g on wildlife refuges. Man Accidentally Kills Himself Spokane (U.R) Harry ' A. Rehme. 24, Spokane, accidenal ly killed himself Friday night while practicing "fast draws." Behme; whose hobby was runs, was found in his home by . sheriffs officers. Rehme had cilled the telephone operator for h3lp. but died before officers and an ambulance arrived. The coroner said Rehme was shot in the hip with a .32-.20 caliber revolver and died from loss : of blood. l'-M -t- m.- - i ii-T twnJ-t - MRS. MARY RAMSEY WOOD Crossed Plains in Late 1700's about the garden or sits upon the porch in sunny weather, to chat with neighbors, to sew, or to live over "in memory scenes of long ago. And what a memory is hers! She was a tiny maid when the French revolution was dying the gutters of Paris red; she was a laughing school girl-of 7 when Tennessee was admitted as a state to the Union; she was a blushing bride when the great Napoleon ceded Louisiana to the United States, and a proud young mother when Lewis and Clark tramped over a continent to "where rolls the Oregon." And she well remembers her father taking down his old gun, shoul dering his blankets and going out to fight the . battle of his" country in the war of 1812. Though probably the oldest woman in the world, her intel lect is still, bright and keen, as is i tt n i7in jUTTers Burns From Turpentine Klamath Falls (U.R) A 7-year-old girl was in critical con dition in. Klamath .Valley hos pital Saturday after suffering extensive burns while playing in turpentine. The victim," Patricia Bowen, tried to light a 1 fire with, the turpentine with the aid of her brother, Robert,-10, and another 10-year-old companion. The children started the fire then tried to put it out with water. Patricia's dress caught fire and she ran: from her home. A passer-by smothered the flames. , . . ; Klamath Officials Question Suspects Klamath Falls (U.R) Kla math county police officers left here Saturday for Reno to ques tion two possible suspects in the Edison Tupper ' Duffy murder case. . "- " The 50-year-old Klamath res ervation' resident was found frozen and shot through ; the head near Klamath Falls last week end.' The Reno sheriff's office not ified Sheriff Murray Britton that Burdette Ochiho, 38, and Zelma Joan Putts, 34, had been arrested in the Reno Indian col ony as murder suspects. The Putts woman is from Chiloquin, Ore., on the reserva tion, and Ochiho from Ft. Bid well, Calif. -" , Authorities - here said a gun taken from Mrs. Putts in Altur- as, Calif., last week apparently was purchased at a Klamath Falls hardware store. Oregon crime laboratory officials said it apparently was the gun that fired the bullet found in Duffy's brain. Duphtheria Outbreak Serves as Warning ' Portland (U.R) The State Board of Health warned Satur day that the outbreak of four cases of diphtheria in Oregon this week "should serve as warn ing that communicable diseases can still strike if we let our guard down." . . Dr. Harold M. Erickson, state health officer, said all children and adults should have protec tive immunizations against diphtheria, smallpox, ' tetanus, whooping cough and typhoid fever. : The . health officer said the first series of injections against diphtheria, whooping cough and tetanus should be given to chil dren at about three months of age or earlier. . He said booster shots were usually repeated at 12 to' 18 months, of age, 6 or. 7 years, 9 or 10 years and 12 to 14 years -Dr. Erickson . said children usually are given a smallpox vaccination when they are about six months old, again when they enter school and atfout every five to seven years thereafter. shown by the fact that this last summer her testimony decided a lawsuit and settled the title to property which was deeded over 40 years ago. Her answers were to the point and efforts to con fuse her , were unavailing. She testified regarding minute de tails, showing that the years have not dulled her recollection. Older Than Government , We can scarcely realize the marvelous changes that have taken place in the world during Mrs. Wood's eventful life. When she was a child people literally lived the "simple life," none of the comforts and conveniences of today were in existence. Gentlemen still wore the fancy costume, knickerbockers, frilled shirts and cocked hats, while the common people wore homespun. She was - a babe of two years when this government began SOCIAL DIRECTOR The Rev. Ray Gibbons, New York, N.Y., pictured above, director of the council for social action of the Congregational Christian churches, will speak at Medford Congregational church Tuesday, Feb. 21, at 7:30 p.m. Delegations are expected from churches in Ashland and Klamath Falls. The council promotes church pro grams in. racial relations, inter national relations, economic . af fairs and Christian citizenship. In the summers of 1951 and 1953, Dr. Gibbons conducted a group of Congregational Chris tian ministers and lay leaders on a study tour of Western Europe. Regional CD Plan Organized at Olympia Olympia (U.R) A regional civil . defense plan for pooling transportation resources in aq emergency was adopted Friday by representatives of eight West ern states. . The plan for mutual aid in cludes rail, water, . bus, motor freight and air transportation facilities. Philip D. Batson, reg ional administrator .of the Fed eral Civil Defense Administra tion, said the program would provide "a means of transport ing people and urgently needed supplies as quickly and efficient ly as possible." Daniel Barbey, state CD chief, said individual states would be able to borrow facilities from other . states in the event of critical need. Daily's U-Drive Medford Airport $ 20 - Year Life of business. She was 20 years old when - Robert Fulton first ploughed the waters with his primitive steamboat, and 40 years old when the first railway was laid. In those old days the spinning jenny was not invented and the trust a thing undreamed of. - Of Old English Stock Mary Ramsey Wood comes from'good old English stock. Her ancestors were all long-lived peo ple. Her parents came from. England just after their mar riage and pushed on through the Carolmas to Tennessee, where they settled upon a farm that was afterwards the scene of the decisive battle of the Paducah Indian war. Here the couple set tled and here their children were born and reared. There were five girls and boys in the family, and Mary was the sixth child, accord ing to the old family Bible. Kate Ramsey, the mother, died after a few hours' illness, at the age of 110, 65 years ago The day before her death she had walked a distance of five miles, knit ting all the way, as was her custom. A few years before, the father, Richard Ramsey, had dropped dead from heart dis ease. He was a bricklayer and contractor, and burned the brick used and built the first brick house in Knoxville. Married at 17 When Mary was 12 years old, she joined the Methodist Epis copal church South. For 106 years she has been a communi cant and is still a devoted Metho dist: Her folks were well-to-do, were slave owners and possessed considerable property. She was married at the age of 17 to Jacoh Lemons," a prosperous farmer, and the couple lived happily to gether in their Tennessee .hortie for many years. She was left a widow 73 years ago, about the time that Andrew Jackson was nearing the end of his first term as president. Four children were bom to the couple, Mary J. Lemons, who died in Tennessee two years ago at the age of 98; Isaac Lemons, who died in Kan sas City, , Mo., 40 years ago; Nancy E. Bullock, who died at Hillsboro 38 years ago, and Mrs. C. B. Reynolds, who is now liv ing in Hillsboro, and who, though 75 years of age, is devot ing her life to the care of her aged parent. ' The way For the next 20 years Mrs. Lemons lived 'with her children, sometimes with one and some times with another. They were settled in Alabama, I Georgia, Kentucky and Missouri, and the widow lived with first one and then the other; In 1852 she ac companied her youngest daugh ter, Mrs. C. B. South worth, across the plains to Oregon, ar riving in Hillsboro in 1853. She was then 66 years old, but rode a bay mare the entire distance from Tennessee. while her daughter and her husband rode in an ox cart. The party came leisurely, bringing a dozen slaves with them, some of whom are still alive. After her arrival in Oregon, Mrs. Lemons built the first hotel in Hillsboro. Shortly after she married John Woo;l, with whom she lived until his death a score of years later. The couple an the hotel until 40 years ago, when they turned it over to her daughter, Mrs. C. B. Reynolds, formerly . Mrs. Southworth, her only surviving child. For many years, Mrs. Wood was postmis tress of Hillsboro, until advanc ing old age compelled her to take life more easily. Since then she has done housswork until the last few years, but now con fines herself to the care of her person, sewing and knitting. ' Memory Very Good Mrs. Wood talks in a quaver ing voice, but very distinctly, with a marked Southern accent. In speaking of her life, she said: "My memory of the past is very good; Sometimes things get a little clouded, but after I think a while, they straighten out. I have lived a quiet life and never had much excitement. I never had but one serious illness, which was 36 years ago, when I had typhoid fever, and as a re sult lost the sight of my left eye. My 'third sight' is well . worn, and -though I can see out of but one eye,, I can still thread a needle or read large type. Since my illness I have been hard of hearing, too, and you have to shout. . "I lost my teeth '41 years ago, and since then have, worn false teeth. A most remarkable thing happened last spring. I ; cut a tooth. Would you believe it? It caused some irritation and . is considerable annoyance, inter fering with the false teeth, but ' " S1 3t&v i ooo'w ... I figure it ADS make JOBS! Take me. I'm an aircraft worker. And take this 2d. It tells people how much time and money they can save by flying. . Advertising like this is one big reason why air transportation has just about tripled in the past ten years! ' And it's a big reason why there are more airplanes to build, more work for people like me, more money going into the pockets of everyone in the And more people flying helps keep the fares down, too. Maybe you've noticed that airline fares have stayed at about their 1939 level. Fact is, in coach fares, they're lower, - - The way I figure it, advertising air travel - or advertising most anything, else helps all of us, ' T ; ADVERTISING HELPS YOU LIVE BETTER FOR LESS! x Advertising Recognition Week, February 19-25 . . This advertisement sponsored by: MEDFORD Oregon s it is there all right. I haven't the least idea how it happened. Vegetable Diet "My diet in recent years has been principally Vegetables, though I have dieted myself. I eat three times a day, and have drank strong coffee all through life, and plenty of it. I have also eaten meat, principally pork, and still eat it occasionally. I was never any hand for sweet meats, such as preserves and cakes. ' ' -"I weigh about 130 pounds, which is pretty good for a wom an my height, about 5 feet 3, when I was young. I dress and care for myself, and do not need help from my daughter except when I have a sinking spell, as I do once in a while, when my extremities get numb. . "Until late years, I have . al ways been in comfortable cir cumstances. We had land and slaves, which was wealth in the South in the old days. My daugh er owns our home, and that is all that is left of our property now. "I plainly remember the war of 1812. My father fought during the last six months under An drew Jackson, but he was a paid soldier. We lived near the high way and I saw Andrew Jackson driving from his home to Wash ington to be president, and waved to him. We were all Dem ocrats, and are still. I haven't much use for the Black Repub licans. . Horseback,'Across Plains "It bewilders me to think of the many things that have -happened in my life.' l can remem ber when there were no steam boats or steam cars, and it was only yesterday that the tele phone and electric light . were invented. . "They called me an old. wom an when we came to Oregon, but HOTEL MEDFORD Have you ever tried our Beef Tenderloin or New York cut Steaks? They are the best ever. After flavoring them with-a-. hint of this and a rumor of that -Broiled for flavor sealing we will send it to your table Special Delivery. : Re sult? . . We hope' another lifetime customer. , COMPLETE DINNER ..r.:........... 7 Open From 7 a.m. Until 2 p.m., 5:30 to 9 p.m. ' - Oldest I rode horseback all the way, and that was 52 years ago. I re member the Mexican war plain ly, and the Civil War seems like last week. I was 72 when John Brown made his raid at Harper's Ferry, and although the news didn't reach us for months after wards, I remember the excite ment it caused. In the same year, Oregon was admitted as a state. Why, 40 years ago they said I ought to take things easy, so I sold my hotel to my daughter. The friends of my youth have been dead for half . a century, some of them a full century. My oldest boy would be a hundred this year if he had not died two years ago. Even the friends of my old age are gone, and I have only my daughter left. I am hard of hearing and blind in one eye, and yet I enjoy life, take an in terest in the world, try to be of as little bother as possible until the end comes, which cannot be long delayed now." A Cheerful. Neighbor - Mrs. Wood can be found any sunny day walking about the yard or sitting in her favorite arm chair at her daughter's home in Hillsboro. She is always glad to pass the time of day with neighbors, and has a cheerful "how-de-do" and! handshake for everyone. For many years the countryside has gathered upon her birthday to do her honor, and she greets all visitors cor dially and makes tea for the assemblage. ' ; One feels ' a- sort of awe in talking , with and . gazing upon one who has seen so much and lived so long in this world of ours. Her face is a study in wrinkles. Her voice is a quaver, but her carriage is good and her manner alert. And yet, no one can see her and yearn to live 118 years. v West. SM75 Resident if YOUR position in life calls for at least $io,obo more life insurance NEW YORK LIFE has a low cost policy that's right for .you Men caught in the squeeze . between today's high cost of living and the desire to estab lish a backlog for the f uturt . should consider this modern Whole Life policy. Because it has a minimum -face amount of $10,000, econ-" omies are possible which are passed along to you. 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