o
o
O
o
o
o
O
o
o
MAIL TRIBU& Mtdfti.
. 0
. iuuhy, July 13, 1958
Med treasure
Old family Flintlock
May Really Be Snaphance
There are probably thous
ands of families in America
that have an old flintlock rif le
o r . smoothbore somewhere
among theurbelongings.
At least, they thir.k the
gun is a flintlock, and though
in most cases that would be
correct, in some it is actually
snaphance 0
But whoever fids he has
a snaphance shouldn't feel up
set about it. Quite possibly
it may prove as valuable as
anisjn. Both guns have a pan
for holding the powder, ig
nited by sparks from the flint
striking on steel, and which
in turn ignites the powder in
the barrel.
In the case of the snap
hance, however, the powder
has to be poured into the pan
directly from a powder flask
or cartridge case.
But with the flintlock the
powder can be poured down
the barrel from which it runs
one of the finest Kentucky through a vent into the pan. It
flintlock rifles. The reaso is
the snaphance is t h e older
weapon, the one from which
the flintlock evolved. It was
invented in Germany in the
1500s and represented almost
as big an advance in firearms
as the development of the
rifle. o
can't escape because of a steel
cover and flint. All the hunter
has to do then is cock the
piece and pull the trigger.
The value of the snaphance
in good condition runs from
$200 up, and it is mostly up.
One collector, who paid
$100 for what he thought was
The aphance used f flint a flintlock in rather poor con-
to ignite the powder, and as dition, discovered, when the
the gun developed, Jt became gun was cleaned and after
so like the Igitlock that it learning what . a snaphance
11 is easy ior a person ivyay was, uiai wuti uc iiiiu atiuciuy
to confuse the two.
The basic difference be
tween the two firearms- lies
in the priming r firing mech-
bought was a snaphance made
in Amsterdam in 1690. Its
market value today is from
$300 to $400.
.NEW BUILDING The
the new Bruce Bauer
building at 767 South Riverside ave., Med
ford, which was held Friday and Saturday,
-gave residents a chance to view what the
owners term the world's first "Builditor
ium," featuring a complete line of tools
and supplies for home building and do-it-yourself
fans. The 12,000-square-foot build-
grand opening of
Lumber company
ing is patterned after the popular "ranch"
style business houses now being built in
California towns, according to Manager
Paul Bauer. Finished lumber of small dim
ensions' all pre-priced, will be sold directly
from the floor, Bauer said. The firm is also
handling a complete line of garden tools
and supplies. Hours will be from ,8 a.m. to
6 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Nation's Capita! Is No Longer
A Cultural Sahara, Smith Says
CURRIER & IVES PRIMT STARTS ARGUMENT
The discussion was so heat
ed it took a little time3 for ma
to learn that Col. R. M. John
son was not going5 to be a
candidate for the next Vice
Presidental nomination.
And-it took a little longer
to learn the reason fte had
been dead for 118 years.
His memory had been reviv
ed because it supported the
argument that former Presi
dents, like Truman and Hoov
er, and former Vice Presi
dents, should have an ex-of-f
icio seat in the Senate.
"Who was this Colonel
Johnson?" I asked. "One of
our Vice Presidents," the host
said. He's the man who killed
Tecums."
The print was an 8-by-12-inch
item put out by Nathth
lel Currier in 1841. The pic
ture showed the death of Bri
tish Brigadier General Tijpum
seh at the hands of Johnson's
men in the battle of the
Thames, near Detroit. It was
one of those incorrectly dat
ing thef battle as Oct. 18, 1813,
instead of Oct. 5.
Johnson's political career
began in the State Legisla
ture. He served in the House
and Senate for 30 years and in
1837 had the peculiar distinc
tion of being elected by the
U. S. Senate as Vice Presi
dent of the Uniter States. He
died in 1850. ,
"And that's just it," his ad
mirer said. "The Senate
should have had the benefit
of his brains, rather than a
state legislature. And it ought
to have the benefit of Truman
and Hoover today, too."
He produced another pic
ture of Johnson, by Currier,
with an 1840 date, and of the
same size. He had bought the
Jwo for $40 and wanted to
know what I thought of it
Considering their condition,,
he had made a lucky buy.
They would have been cheap
at twice the price.
A.
GROG OR RUMBULLION EITHER GOES IN RUM:ZR
The captain opened his liq
uor cabinet, removed two glas
ses "rummers" he called
them and asked what I'd
have to drink.
O Just climbing the gangplank
had given me such a nautical
feeling all I could think Of
to say was "grog."
"Grog," hsaid. I nodded.
He poured half a finger of
rum and filled it up with wat
er. Then he poured his own.
The same, except there -fere
enly two fingers of water and
4ne big finger of run?.
"I don't see how you can
andQt,'ohe said, "I prefer
rumbullion, myself."
I allowed I woiSd switch
to rumbullion.
"Ever hear how grog got
its name?" he asked. "It was
back in 1740 when Admiral
Vernon ordered his sailors to
split their rum, one to six of
water. The British tars, wean
ed on rumbullion, hated the
stuff, and since the Admiral
was nicknamed 'Old Grog' be
cause he always wore a coat
of program a silk and mo
hat j fabric, they gave the de
tes&ble drink his nickname."
Ed never heard of grogram
. . i i
Alaska Governor
Visits in Portland
Portland (UPI) Gov. and
Mrs. Mike Stepovich of Alas
ka and their eight children
arrived here Friday for a
week end visit with the gov
ernor's mother .before return
ing to the northland.
Photographers trying to take
a picture of the children found
it a difficult task as the
youngsters hid behind automo
biles or darted out of camera
range.
"Since Alaska has been in
the news the children have
been photographed so often
they've developed a phobia
about cameras," the gover
. nor's wife said.
Stepovich said he was still
undecided about running" for
the elective position of gov
ernor when the territory final
ly becomes a state but that
he would make a decision
"within two weeks."
or how grog got its name, but
I did know the rummer in
my hand -got its name from a
type of German wine glass.
My glass was typical short
stemmed, a three-inch deep
bowl, wider at the belly than
the lip. Engraved on its sides
were the Masonic symbols of
the eye, compass and square.
It was a genuine 18th Cen
tury piece that I automatic
ally appraised at least $50.
"Very interesting, Captain,"
I said. "And by the way, do
you know this rummer is cal
led that only because of a
linguistic accident?"
"Accident," the captain re
plied. "Corruption, rather.
This type of glass was proba
bly introduced into England
by Van Dyke. It was called
'roemer' by the Germans who
used it for drinking Rhine
wines, and ..."
Next morning, there' was a
small package at my hotel
desk, left there by a sailor.
Inside it was the rummer, or
roemer, of the night before.
The note with it suggested
that it be used only for rum
bullion, not for grog.
(Released by McClure News
paper Syndicate)
By A. ROBERT SMITH
Mail Tribune Correspondent
Washington The notion
that the nation's capital is a
cultural Sahara, "offered to
his readers
the other day
by an other-
i w i s e articu
late and trust
worthy Ore
gon editorial
writer, be
longs in the
file with those
expressi o n s
Robt smitb about AiasKa
being a land of igloos.
It is no longer the case.
The town is fairly loaded
with "culture" these days.
There has been a movement
afoot for some years to build
an opera house to give our
entertainers a more classy
setting in which to perform
for foreign dignataries and us
home folks. Congress, never
noted for placing a high (dol
lar) value on culture in Wash
ington (somehow they think
it would be hard to defend at
election time in Topeka, Eu
gene or Trenton if they voted
for cultural spending), has
yet to put up the funds.
Outdoor Performances
But the frustration of going
without an opera house hasn't
precluded having opera. In
fact this town is so crazy for
opera it will watch it indoors
or outdoors, n-very summer,
a barge-like stage is pulled
up on the bank (the left bank
as you head downstream) of
the Potomac for outdoor per
formances. The saddest trage
dies in the , reportory of any
opera company are put on
beneath the most beautiful
starlit skies. Lovers paddle
up in their canoes and drop
anchor at the barge's edge.
Did old Vienna have any
thing like that?
In Rock Creek park there
is an outdoor theater which
this summer features a long
list of entertainers who might
not qualify as "culture"
can devolution, got a black
eye some years ago when the
Daughters refused it to Mari
an Anderson, the great Negro
singer. Miss Anderson and
other fine singers have been
here frequently since to per
form with the National Sym
phony. Heifitz doesn't play
here nightly, but he and Ar
thur Rubenstine and other
instrumentalists perform peri
odically with the symphony
in the Hall.
Service Bands
Speaking of concerts, the
three service bands perform
every other night in the sum
mer in front of the Capitol
and sometimes in indoor audi
toriums downtown. In the
offing the Navy band is going
to perform on that Potomac
barge especially, for Oregoni-
ans. It will feature its new ar
rangement of the Oregon state
song, "Oregon, My Oregon."
Ballet is a popular art form
these days here. Every danc
ing troop in the world seems
to stop here, including the
Russian dancers who were
such a sensation. And along
with French and English com
panies, we now have the
Washington Ballet of local
dancers, who performed most
professionally the other night
in their debut.
Ex-Convict Suffers
Abdominal Wounds
some quarters, but they do
quite well. They include Louis
Armstrong, who seems to send
culture cats in foreign quar
ters where possibly Johann
Strauss is losing his appeal.
Legitimate Stage
The condition of the legiti
mate stage was. never better
in Washington, if ever as
good. Drama had a dark peri
od some years ago here before
the issue of racially mixed
audiences was settled in this
crossroads city between North
and South. The historic Na
tional theater was dark. But
all public places are now in
tegrated here and the stage
is booming. Three theaters are
operating with first rate
plays, many en route to New
York for their Broadway
openings.
Constitution Hall, owned by
the Daughters of the Ameri-
Portland (UPI) Alfred
E. Kiefer, 35, ex-convict w.ho
has been linked with James
E. Elkins, was reported to be
in critical condition Saturday
in Portland General hospital
with abdominal stab wounds.
Hospital attendants said
Kiefer was brought to the hos
pital by an unidentified man
late Friday. They said doc
tors spent four hours in stitch
ing the wounds.
Kiefer had been released
m j from Multnomah county jail
at 10:15 a.m. Friday where he
had been held since June 4
on charges of extorting money
from nursing homes. Kiefer
and James Q. Jenkins were
arrested on the charge.
Both men are awaiting trial
for three indictments brought
against them by the Mult
nomah county grand jury.
Medford Firm Low
Bridge Job Bidder
, Salem (UPI) The State
Highway Commission Thurs
day opened bids on 33 projects
in a session marked by close
bidding.
Apparent low bidders in
cluded: Peter Keiwit Sons'
Company, Medford, Rogue
river bridge at Grants Pass on
the Pacific highway in Jose
phine county, $349,305.
The dairy industry pro
duces 19 per cent of the gross
national income from agricul
ture. Dairy products account
for 15 per cent of total retail
food sales.
Forest Green
Patrol Agency
P.O. Box 425-Medford, Oregon
Phone Temporarily TA 6-2701
24 Hour Service
MERCHANTS!
Stop and think! Take time to read this ad! Why work hard
for.whatyou have gained then let someone take it away?
Let us relieve you of that worry-you can have our 24
hour protection for your business -establishment at very
little cost. Now is the time you need Forest Green most,
due to prevailing conditions throughout the country.
With our protection you can be confident that your. estab
lishment is secure by our 5 time checkup (or more) every
night. Stop and think! Then
Dial TAIbot 6-2701 or TA 6-2201 - Chief O. A. Koch
The ballet dancers have the
unusually delightful setting
of the Rock Creek park am
phitheater in the summer.
Nestled on a wooded hillside,
it is surrounded by trees
which form a natural back
drop for the stage.
There is another company
in town that has been per
forming outdoors for years,
and, as is customary, is now
ballet-dancing 18 games be
hind the New York Yankees
in last place in the American
League. There's a bill in Con
gress to build them a big
stadium. Here's one group of
Washingtonians who really
ought to go back to Pocatello.
But an opera house would
be a fitting addition, for cul
ture abounds here now.
Search Starts for
Missing Aircraft
Milwaukee, Wis. (UPI)
The Civil Aeronautics Ad
ministration Saturday ordered
a land and air search for a
single engine, private plane
wilh four persons aboard
which is long overdue on a
flight from Milwaukee to Des
Moines, Iowa.
"We have to assume the
worst," a CAA spokesman at
Gen. Mitchell field said.
The CAA set up headquar
ters for the search at the
Rock County airport near
Janesville. It had 15 planes
airborne, hunting for the
missing aircraft at mid-morning.
The Air Force Air Res
cue service also joined the
search along with state high
way police.
The pilot was identified as
Lester W. Weber, San Fran
cisco. Believed with Weber
were . his wife and another
couple.
The CAA said San, Fran
cisco was the ultimate desti
nation of the plane ' but it
planned to reach Des Moines
by 1 p.m. today.
The plane, a Navion, de-parted-from
the field at 11:11
a.m. Friday for the two-hour
flight to Des Moines. The
plane had a five-hour fuel
supply.
The Resolute weather, sta
tion on icy Cornwallis Island
greets visitors with a sign
reading: "Welcome to Reso
lute, pronounced D-e-s-o-l-a-t-e
in the heart of Canada's
Northland, surrounded by
miles and miles of nothing but
miles and miles."
The song "Dixie" was comd Katydids he a built-in dl-
rectiot finder. Their ears are
located on their front legs and
directed forward. One hearing
the male's call, the female
katydid orients herself in the
direction of the invitation and,
like an airplane flying on in
struments, follows the beam.
posed by Dan Emmett, a Yan
kee from Ohio, as a "walk
around" for a minstrel troupe.
Early in the Civil War, the
lively tune was claimed hv
both sides, but eventually it
became associated almost en
tirely with the Confederacy.
Contract Awarded
Yreka -- A. J. McMurry
Construction company was
low bidder at $587,646 for
construction of the new Weed
High school, District Superin
tendent Jere E. Hurley said
Saturday.
Construction of the new
school will start tomorrow,
and is is expected to be com
pleted in one year.
The Weed High school is
the fifth and the last of the
district's state aided building
projects to get under way.
WHO WILL PAY THE BILLS
when you are
unable to work?
. . . your family
...charity
"" ir
or
By Company?
Surety Life gives you
Income Protection
and we also pay you
if you stay well.
Phone SP 2-4534
or write
DON M. CHASE
211 Leverette Building
Medford, Oregon
-
't''' ' PICNIC .
ViyM'Xf MUST!"..'1
YOUR ' TRI P . . . -&t-
your: TRIP...
To The Beach
A picnic just wouldn't be complete
without your favorite ice cream,
rich milk, coffee cream and butter
. . . those dairy foods so essen
tial to EVERY complete meal. To
be SURE of the BEST, always ask
for "Jorgensen'."
M
n
V & P
. To The Mountains .
TOP OFF WITH COOL REFRESHING
o
Always
Ask
for
Jorgensen's
It's VACATION TIME and you and the family will enjoy
Sunday and week-end trips to the beach, to Rogue River,
Diamond Lake or Lake o' the Woods. When you get home,
a heaping dish of your favorite FIESTA (CE CREAM will bo
doubly welcome. It's rich, nourishing, delicious, refreshing
. ... in your favorite flavor with the added "oomph" pro
vided by "NUTRIMIXI" You can't choose finer ice cream than
Jorgensen's FIESTAI