r
TWELVE MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE
Sunday, January 26, 1958
FoinniDlDO
Due ifirm
Camp
Ths
Year
Statehood Bill
Predicted Soon
By Alaska Backers
Washington HP) Alaskan
statehood backers Saturday
forecast tha bill will come up
before congress shortly and
be passed by both chambers
by substantial majorities.
Alaskan "Senators - elect"
Ernest Gruening and William
A. Egan and "representative
elect" Ralph J. Rivers said
they are now in a position
to make a "firm" predicition
that the long-delayed Alaska
measure is now on the thresh
old of congressional approval.
: Gruening, former governor
of Alaska, said the delegation
could not identify the senate
and house 'leaders" they had
talked to, but added "we are j
assured the Alaska bill will
be brought up for a vote in
both chambers shortly."
The statement by the three
Alaskans was the most posi
tive they have made so far
ob the immediate possibilities
of statehood for the territory.
' One of the biggest breaks
for Alaska statehood came
just before the end of the
last session of congress when
Speaker Sam Rayburn D-Tex
promised he would support
statehood and help get it
through the house.
Rayburn, who had not
previously committed himself
on the Alaska issue, repeated
Lis promise when congress
opened its new session earlier
this month.
Senior, Junior
Citizens Named
Ashland Clarence Lane
was named Ashland's Senior
Citizen and Dale Williams
they city's Junior Citizen at
itne annual banquet cospon
sered by the Ashland Junior
Chamber of Commerce and
Kiwanis club here last week.
Harry Wright, Kiwanis
club president, and Dick Cot
tte, Jaycee president, made
the plaque presentations.
Other candidates for the
Senior Citizen award were
Wayne Wells, Henry Galey
and Frank Davis, and other
candidates for the Junior
Citizen award were Bill War
ren Jr., and Bob Boyce.
Lane, who was born in Ash
land 87 years ago, has been
active in business and civic
affairs here. Williams is en
gaged in many the city's bet
terment and welfare projects,
and during recent months ser
ver as one the chairmen for
the Ashland-Talent United
Fund drive.
Conies! Entered
By Cities Here
Medford and Ashland
among 25 Oregon cities
are
en-
tered in the 1957 Automobile
association's pedestrian pro
tection contest, according to
the Oregon State Motor as
sociation in Portland.
Each city is to turn in a
complete report of traffic ac
cidents and deaths that took
place during 1957. A board of
judges will then evaluate
various activities of traffic
safety programs and the traf
fic record. Awards will be
presented on a basis of ex
cellence of the safety pro
grams and pedestrain accident
reductions.
In the 1956 contest Oregon
placed first in its population
and motor vehicle use group
while Portland received a sec
ond place. Eugene was given
a honorable mention award
for its group in the nation
wide competition.
IKtS I
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! - - - .... ,
TAME DEER Salt licks outside Henry
Van Berger's cabin at Lake of the Woods
attracted many, deer during the 20 years he
Klan To Hold Rally
In Spite of Ruckus
In Recent Meeting
Burlington, N.C. OP) The
Ku Klux Klan intends to go
here. Saturday night although
state and local law enforce
ment officials expressed be
lief it had been cancelled.
The Rev. James W. Cole of
Marion, S. C, Grand Wiz
ard of the Carolinas Klan,
said Friday night the rally
would be held as scheduled
and would be the "greatest
show of strength in the his
tory of the Klan."
Cole said the rally would
be held four miles west of
here on U.S. 70A. It was the
first time the place of the
rally had been definitely es
tablished. Director Walter Anderson
of the State Bureau of Inves
tigation said Friday that FBI
sources had reported the rally
cancelled.
Cole told United Press "we
will have a meeting, all right,
but won't be done there."
Cole is a fugitive from
North Carolina, battling ex
tradition on a charge of in
citing riot in connection with
a gun battle between Lumbee
Indians and Klansmen a week
Ranger Reported ,
Better at Hospital
Robert Webb, district as
sistant ranger at Star ranger
station, who was taken by
Merer Flights to a Palo Alto,
Calif., hospital Monday for
medical treatment, is improv
ing, according to word re
ceived from Mrs. Webb, who
accompanied her husband on
the trip.
Webb had been under ob
servation in a Medford hos
pital for chest pains and was
sent to Falo Alto to be under
the care of specialists. He suf
fered a coronary occlusion
Tuesday in the California hos
potal but was considerably
improved by W e d n esday
night, Mrs. Webb said.
Webb will remain in Palo
Alto to recuperate and to
undergo further tests and ob
servation before returning to
Medford. Mrs. Webb, who is
a teacher at Washington
school in Medford, was to re
turn today.
David Webb, 12, son of Mr.
and Mrs. Webb, is staying at
the home of District Ranger
and Mrs. V..E. Taylor during
his parent's absence.
U HAUL IT
Nashville, Tenn. HP)
Thieves broke into a feed mill
Friday, stole a safe contain
ing S5.000 and took one of the
firm's trucks to haul it away
when their own transportation
was inadequate.
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WALKS TO CABIN Walking up to his cabin from the mid
dle fork of the Applegate river, Henry Van Berger looks and
acts a lot younger than his almost 78 years. For the past 20
years, he has worked at Camp McLoughlin during the sum
mer and spent the winters at his cabin south of Copper.
Two Injured
Accidents at
Two persons were injured
in separate pedestrian-car ac
cidents at the intersection of
Sixth and Grape sts. about
noon Friday, according to
Medford police.
About 11:09 a.m. Friday,
Victor Fred Yates, 9, of 145
West Ninth st., Medford, suf
fered a bruised shoulder when
he ran into the side of a car
operated by John William Po
age, 145 South Ivy st., Med
ford, police said.
Officers said the boy told
them he did not look before
running into the stree. No
citations were issued.
Walter Broyles, 79, of 1045
Lozier lane, Medford, suffered
leg injuries when he was
struck by a car operated by
Paul Stucky Jenny, 39, of
1240 North Riverside ave.,
about 1:20 p.m. Friday, police
said.
Making Right Turn
Jenny was making a right
turn onto Sixth st. when the
accident happened, officers re
ported. He told police he did
not see Broyles until it was
too late to avoid hitting him.
Broyles was taken to Rogue
Valley hospital by Medford
Ambulance service. No cita
tions were issued.
State police reported four
Hearing Secret
was caretaker at Camp McLoughlin. Above
three does and a fawn enjoy the salt and
pieces of bread left for them.
in Separate
Junction
relatively minor accidents in
the Medford area Friday
afternoon and night.
About 3:22 p.m. Friday cars
operated by Daugherty Lee
Couch, 24, of Gold Hill, and
Thomas Ramsey Pollocks 76,
of 605 South Third st., Jack
sonville, were involved in an
accident on the Jacksonville
highway near Matlack's mar
ket. Drivers Cited
Police said Pollock was
cited for violation of basic
rule.
Cars operated by Morris
Robert Jones, 58, of 204 Stark
st., Medford, and Simeon Wil
son Burrill, 75, of route 2,
box 137, Central Point, were
involved in an' accident about
a half mile south of Medford
on Highway 99, officers re
ported. They said the cars were
traveling beside each other,
when a third vehicle started
to pull onto the highway,
forcing the two cars to the
shoulder side of the highway,
and the Jones vehicle into a
ditch. No citations were is
sued, they said.
About 6 p.m. Friday, a car
operated by Floyd Roger East
wood, 36, of 940 Shaffer lane,
Medford, and pickup truck
operated by Charles Gilbert
Knikle, 70, of 242 West Glen
wood rd., Medford, were in
volved in a crash on Kings
highway near the Stewart
ave. junction, according to
police. No citations were is
sued. A car operated by Alva
Clein Hutton, 75, of Malin,
went off Highway 99 north
of the Tolo junction last night
and rolled over on its side,
police said. They said Hutton
apparently became confused
and thought he was on the
wrong highway. The car left
the highway, went up an em
bankment and rolled back
and over on its side, they said.
HE'LL NEVER LEARN
Statesville, N.C. (IP)
James A. Trent, 19, was re
leased from prison Wednes
day after serving a term for
car theft.Less than 24 hours
later he was arrested for
stealing a car from a parking
lot a half block from the po
lice station.
Henry Van Berger
Retires to Cabin
South of Copper
By JIM FISHER
Next summer when Boy Scouts from Medford and vicin
ity return to Camp McLoughlin, their summer camp on the
shores of Lake; of the Woods, a familiar face will be missing.
For the first time in 20 years, Henry Van Berger will not
be there to serve as caretaker, mailman, master mechanic,
and advisor to young and old alike. The deer and chipmunk
that knew his kindness will probably miss him as much as
the campers and staff at Camp McLoughlin.
Henry was born April 11, 1880, in Rotterdam, Holland.
When he was 14, instead of joining a boy's organization such
as American boys now do at that age, Henry went to sea.
For the next few years, he sailed aboard a windjammer, vis
iting the many ports of Europe.
In 1905, Henry joined the Dutch navy and sailed twice
around the world before ending up at San Francisco in 1907
at the age of 27. Here he found work in the reconstruction
of the city that had suffered the terrible earthquake the year
before.
This work lasted for several
years, but Henry grew rest
less. He traveled the west
coast finding work whenever
he felt like working. In Wash
ington, Henry ran a logger's
"donkey," the portable steam
engine used in cable logging.
He ran an air compressor
for a mining operation in Ne
vada and also worked in the
mining industry in Arizona.
Eventually his travels
brought him to Medford
where he worked in a fruit
packing house.
Finds Work Her
While living in Medford,
Henry grew to love this area
and found work with the U.S.
forest service. He worked on
road construction and mainte
nance, bridge-building, fire
fighting, and many other proj
ects. For a while, Henry
worked in the Applegate area,
but was' later transferred
around on the Rogue River
national forest. He worked at
Fort Klamath and elsewhere
before ending up at the Lake
of the Woods ranger station.
Camp McLoughlin needed
a caretaker, so Henry went to
work in the summer of 1938,
but he still worked several
winters for the forest service
on bridge construction.
Henry spent his summers at
Camp McLoughlin and would
then move to his mining claim
south of Copper just over the
California line for the winter
months. Henry had built his
cabin in 1936 with the help
of a few friends. The 12 foot
by 16 foot cabin was built en
tirely out of native logs on
the banks of the Middle Fork
of the Applegate river.
Good-Nalured
The Boy Scouts grew to
love his good-natured person
ality and the way he always
had time to help them or lis
ten to their problems. In the
same way, Henry liked his
job and the people he met, so
he kept coming back each
year to make sure that the
camp was taken care of and
that it would be closed tight
I at the end of the camping sea
son.
He became an institution of
the camp and was known to
many parents, visitors, and
residents of Lake of the
Woods' summer homes as a
real friend.
Henry's day at Camp Mc
Loughlin always began eafly.
He would get up early to have
the stoves hot for the cook
and to make his morning cof
fee in his small cabin.'
Throughout his cabin were
gifts, carvings and other me
mentos of past seasons at
Camp McLoughlin. Each fall
these mementos were trans
ferred to his cabin on the Ap
plegate river.
Special Project
Henry would make sure
that everything was running
smoothly in the kitchen be
fore he had his breakfast.
Following that, some special
project might receive his at
tion for a while, such as a mi
nor building repair or a look
at one of the light plant mo
tors that were used until elec
tricity was recently made
available at the camp.
Shortly before 10 a.m.,
Henry would leave for the re
sort with the 'outgoing mail
and two or three Scouts that
had earned the special trip.
They would leave in a small
boat with an outboard motor
called "Henry V".
After arriving at the re
sort, Henry would visit
friends and wait for the mail.
When the mail-lady arrived
by car from Klamath Falls,
Henry was always there to
help unload the mail sacks
and take her into the restau
rant for a cup of coffee. Occa
sionally, Henry would ride
into town with the mail-lady
to get a haircut and do some
shopping.
Did Odd Jobs
After the mail was de
livered to Camp McLoughlin,
Henry would keep busy doing
odd jobs until lunch. After
lunch, he would generally
feed his pet chipmunks that
lived under his cabin. By this
time, the deer would also
start appearing to ask for a
handout from, their friend.
One summer, several years
ago, Henry made friends with
two small fawns and he
named them Suzie and Lizzie.
Each year, these two deer
would return to the camp,
growing into does and eventu
ally showing up one summer
with fawns of their own.
Suzie was always having
twins until one summer she
had none at all. Henry says
that he really told Suzie off
and the next summer Suzie
went ' back to have twins
again.
Two years ago, Suzie and
Lizzie were both mothers of
twins and kept making their
daily visits to Henry's cabin.
Then one morning, shortly
after the deer season had
opened, the district ranger at
the Lake of the Woods ranger
station found Suzie shot to
death near his house. Even
though she had been within
the half-mile "no shooting
zone" of the lake and despite
the fact that no doe season
was on in that part of the
state, Suzie had been shot and
left to die.
Fawns Beside Her
Her two fawns were found
lying beside her. Henry felt
very badly because of this
and worried about her two
fawns. His worries vanished
the next day when Lizzie
showed up at Camp McLough
lin with her two fawns and
the two fawns of Suzie's.
Henry's afternoons at camp
were spent looking over his
pride, the fleet of camp boats
or helping some of the Scouts
in their merit badge studies.
If most of the Scouts were out
out of camp on hikes, Henry
would walk over to the ran
ger station arid visit the cook,
hoping for a cup of coffee and
possibly a sample of pie or
cake. He would relive his for
mer forest service days until
it came time to get back to
camp.
After supper, there was
generally some activity
around the campfire or spe
cial ceremonies and pageants
for visitors. Henry would al
ways attend and contribute
much to the show by his par
ticipation in stunts or ex
change of pranks.
Camp Bedded Down
When the camp bedded
down for the night, Henry
would make his check of
camp before turning in for
another day.
Henry's working season at
Lake of the Woods began in
May or June, depending when
the melting snow made roads
possible. He would say at the
camp until some time in' late
October or early November
when the snows once again
covered the ground. ,
Both in the spring and in
the' fall, Henry would have a
big job in the directing of
work for the opening and
closing of the camp. Volunteer
help from Medford was told
where to put the boats and
how the pipes were opened in
the spring. The next fall, shut
ters' were placed on the win
dows and everything put
away for the winter.
Amusing Stories
Henry can sit and tell amus
ing stories of his life for
hours. His Dutch accent com
bines with his strong sense of
humor to make interesting
tales. One of his favorite sto
ries concerns the time he sign
ed up for Social Security. The
office clerk asked him if he
was married and upon receiv
ing an answer of "no", joking
ly asked Henry if he had any
children. (
Henry came back with the
quick reply, "yes, 18,000!"
That was the number of
Boy Scouts Henry had known
at Camp McLoughlin by that
time. By the end of his last
season last year at Camp Mc
Loughlin, this number had in
creased to 22,000, not count
ing more than 1,000 . Girl
Scouts who had used the
camp and numerous church
groups of ' children from al
most every denomination who
also used Camp McLoughlin.
Several hundred members of
the Medford football team
that had attended summer
training sessions at the camp
9
JHm&tt3$ kiLVff $ fin 1 ? ; - n
MEMENTOS Henry Van Berger's cabin Lake of the Woods. Carvings, trophies and
on the Applegate river south of Copper con- several other gifts are displayed on the
tains many mementos he collected in the 20 cabin wall behind his stove,
years as caretaker of Camp McLoughlin at
were not included in the
22,000 boys.
Tested by Service Man
Another time, Henry was
tested by a visiting forest
service man who offered
Henry and others a cigarette
while walking ( around the
camp. Henry refused the
cigarette and told the others
that they should know that no
smoking was permitted ex
cept in certain areas during
the fire season.
While he was working for
the forest service, Henry was
sent to a fire near Camp Mc
Loughlin. Lightning had start
ed the fire in a tree that grew
in a big lava flow. No water
or dirt was available to put
out the fire, so Henry was
told 'tc stay with the fire until
it went out. He stayed there
for several days before no
smoke appeared from be
tween the lava rocks.
Two years ago, Henry had
a bad case of pneumonia and
was forced to leave5 camp for
a few days. His quick recov
ery surprised his doctor who
told him that his .remarkable
good health was probably due
to his living and working out
doors. "Yes," said Henry, "and be
cause I was never married."
Heart Works Hard
Last summer, the Boy
Scouts had left for the season
and a churqh group was using
Camp McLoughlin when Hen
ry became sick. A doctor's ex
amination showed his , heart
was having to work too hard
in the high elevation of Lake
of the Woods. No one can
imagine Henry's thoughts as
he lei": Camp McLoughlin for
the first time in 20 years with
out being chased out by the
winter snow.
Although many friends
wanted Henry to move into
town, he returned to his small
cabin in the Siskiyous where
he now spends his" time pan
ning for gold and enjoying
the small pleasures of life.
The cabin and cabin
grounds are kept as neat as
Camp McLoughlin ever was.
Trees have been planted to
fill in empty spots around
the cabin area and narrow
paths lead to the river.
Roof Over Woodpile
Henry has placed a roof
over his woodpile so that it
is covered and also attached
to the cabin. Inside the one
room cabin" are cases of
canned food to last him
throughout the winter in case
a heavy snow would fall. Hen
ry's mementos cover the walls
and add to the atmosphere.
He tells of his life at Camp
McLoughlin and elsewhere
using his pet expressions, such
as "big squeeze" meaning
boss, "little squirt" for a
tenderfoot .Scout, and "the
boys" meaning the many
Scouts he has known. v
Henry still gets around as
well as anyone for all of his
I " Trust 'Programs
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HENRY'S CABIN Just, over
Copper is the one-room 'cabin,
built by Henry Van Berger and
78 years, and his wide sus
penders and closely-smoked
cigarette are still as much
a part of him now as they
have been for years.
Rides to Copper
When good weather per
mits, Henry rides to the Cop
per store with one of his few
neighbors and then rides to
town with the mailman. He
visits friends, shops, and then
returns the next day, using
the same means of transporta
tion. He admits that doesn't
like to be away from his
cabin too long since he soon
misses the quiet, unhurried
life found there.
Henry plans on spending
more time with his gold min
ing .now that he won't be
returning to Camp McLough
lin each summer. One of his
biggest regrets is that he
wasn't able to stay with his
job for 25 years.
One of Henry's proudest
possessions amid all of his
gifts, trophies, and other me
mentos is not as spectacular
to look at as you might think.
It represents Henry's feelings
toward his adopted country
and the thousands of, Boy
Scouts that he has watched
grow up to become doctors,
military men, and business
men.
This possession is a 1958
membership card of the Boy
Scouts of America.
Ashland Drive-In
Broken Into Friday
Ashland The H a n b y
Drive-In Market, Litha way,
was broken into Friday and
about $40 in cash and an
undetermined amount of food
were reported missing, accord
ing to Ashland police.
Officers said the burglars
gained entrance by kicking
in the rear door after first
trying to break a window.
, An undetermined amount
of wine, coffee, cigarettes and
meat was taken, police said.
The money was on a shelf,
X i
the California line south of
with an attached woodshed,
his friends from native logs.
Olympia Man Finds
Local People Fine
Merle S. Farrow of Olym
pia, Wash., who has been stay
ing in Medford to be with his
son, Bruce D. Farrow, 20,
after he was critically in
jured in an automobile' ac
cident Jan. 19, feels that he
has never known any nicer
people than those he has met
in Medford in the past few
days.
The boy's parents credited
the ability of local police,
doctors and hospital staff
members with saving their
son's life and everyone they
met seemed to be willing to
help in any way they could,
he said. They were even of
fered free lodging by the
Navy Mothers organization
here, Farrow said. '
The extent of young Far
row's injuries called for the
immediate attention of bone
and brain specialists which
were available here and the
hospital care could not have
been better in any city any
where, according to Farrow.
Bruce Farrow recently was
released from the Navy and
was visiting friends in Rogue
River prior to the accident.
The boy's parents express
ed appreciation to everyone
in Medford for their thought
fulness and consideration. .
JUST LOOKING
Salem, 111. (IP) Two would
be burglers know the "ins"
of their profession, but flunk
ed miserably on the Vouts."
Floyd Weber. 39, and his nep
hew, James Melton, 29, stuck
their heads out of a service
station window Friday to see
if the coast was clear. Instead
they looked down the barrel
of a policeman's revolver.
they added. The break-in was
discovered when employees
arrived for work, police explained.