Medford mail tribune., June 19, 1960, Image 14

SUNDAY, JUNE 19. I960
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD. ORE. '
Life lis Interesting tfoir Moyntcaoim .Farmers
TAKES HER TO GRANGE Mr. Lester Wertz, of the Cli
max area northeast of Eagle Point, poses on the tractor which
sometimes took her to Grange meetings. When winter weather
made the mountain road from her ranch Impassable to cars,
she drove eight miles by tractor and the remaining 12 miles
by car which she picked up at her daughter's house. This
meant a 40 mile round trip on Grange nights getting her
back home after midnight.
LOG BATHTUB Lester Wertz made this bathtub by cutting
down a cedar tree and hollowing out the trunk. The tub was
made during the depression when regular bathtubs were too
expensive for many rural families. The Wertz family refused
to bathe in a washtub so this was the solution. The hollowed
out tree trunk is slightly larger than many modern tubs and
looks as good. The other end is slanted so when the two
Wertz girls were little they could soap It good and slide Into
the- water. Mr. and Mrs. Wertz still use it although some
friends have been urging them to donate It to the Jackson
ville museum.
Wertzes Residence
Picturesque Among
Mountain Scenery
By JOE COWLEY
Mail Tribune Farm Editor
Cradled in a small valley among mountain peaks north
east of Eagle Point is a rustic farm home surrounded by 160
acres of high mcadowland. Here Mr. and Mrs. Lester Wertz,
about 70 years old, continue to raise beef and hay.
The house of rough, weathered lumber and hand-split
roof shakes is a monument to the Wertzes. Like them it is
rugged, but mellow and comfortable. The house was con
structed before the Wertzes bought the farm in the early
1900's. It was built in 1869 or 1870. Water rights on the
Drooerlv go back to 1873.
"The Wertzes are remarkable people because they weath
ered the depression, really had to scrimp and save to make
their farm pay, yet it didn't mark them," a friend remarked.
The couple remember both good and bad times, but treat
it all as a great adventure. This seems to extend to the whole
family, to the two girls, the Wertzes' only children.
Dad Wertz, as he is called by his friends, laughs as he
tells how he wrote out a check for hospital expenses after
the birth of his older daughter then discovered his $300 was
wiped out when the Jacksonville bank failed. This was about
1920. And that was considerable money in those days.
This must have been a se-
vere blow to this mountain
farm family since their farm
already represented consider
able savings. Wertz, still wiry
and limber - muscled, had
worked six years in a logging
camp and saved $5,200. Fur
chase of the farm included
a Model T Ford.
Not new to furming, Wertz
had worked as a hired hand
for the Contrails on the Ap-
plegate when a young man.
It was there he met his wife,
Mabel, while she was teach
ing school.
'Yup. I guess you could
say she got her master's de
gree then,' ne cnucmea.
Never quite heard it put tnai
way betore, tnougn.
Suited to Farming
Mrs. Wertz seems well suit
ed physically to mountain
farming, also. She is small,
wiry and like her husband has
almost always enjoyed robust
health. They attribute it to
the good, clear, invigorating
foam MM
t??.?c tar saatrn
1 n ft-'4.
EVERYBODY SING1 Three generations
gather around the piano In the Wertzes'
mountain ranch home as Mrs. Lester Wertz
plays some favorite family tunes. From left,
young Lester Hill, his mother, Mrs. Otis
Hill, Mrs. Wertz, Lester Wertz and hij
granddaughter, Judy Hill, 13,
tl f .T . H ,v
4 ?w r
i t T' II
fr
n
SALTING CATTLE Lester Wertz. about
70, rides his horse around his Hereford)
scattering salt from a bag. Assisting him Is
his grandson,' 11-year-old Lester Hill. The
picture was taken up on the high, mountain
ranch recently. Wertz grazes about 200
Herefords on his high mountain ranch
land and on the old Bybeo place which he
owns In partnership with his son-in-law
Otis Hill, o boy's father. The spread totals
almost 2,000 acres.
mountain air, good food and
simple, active living.
"Mama said she thought 70
years was old until Daddy
reached 70 and now she
doesn't consider it old at all,"
the daughter said.
The early years were not
easy. The Wertzes raised their
own foodstuffs in a vecetable
garden behind the house. Mrs.
Wertz raised turkeys and her
husband the hogs. The custom
then was to let hogs run wild,
then round them up for the
market.
The old-timers talk about
hordes of hogs drifting from
the high mountain valleys to
the lowlands where they
would be rounded up, each
owner claiming his own. How
ever, in 1909 or 1910 the Jack
son county hog law was in
stituted. It was called the
Hanley Hog law since Mike
Hanley spearheaded its crea
tion. This law was resented
as much by the independent,
pioneering Jackson county
farmers as the recently passed
county dog control law.
Latest on Law
"I still meet old-timers In
town who ask what's the lat
est on the hog law?" the vet
eran mountain rancher
chuckled.
The Wertzes had to "make-
do" during the depression
times. Lacking money for a
crib or bassinet for their older
daughter they placed her in a
dresser drawer.
The couple still uses a bath
tub fashioned from a cedar
log. The tree was felled with
a crosscut saw. Then Wertz
drilled a series of holes with
rachet augur, split out a
chunk of it with his double
bitted ax and hollowed it out
with a plane. Sandpapered
smooth and painted an aqua
blue, the tub looks as modern
the latest tub with the
smooth gently sloping sides.
It s probably the only bath
tub still in use where a per
son has to pull the cork after
taking a bath. Wertz piped the
water into the house himself
by gravity flow at a time
when many farmers were still
using old well pumps or
carrying water by bucket
from a nearby stream.
Wood At Fireplac
Another interesting feature
of the Wertz home is the hand'
hewn wood around the fire
place, particularly around the
mantle. The large rough stone
fireplace faces the livingroom
but projects rearward Into the
bedroom.
Adding to the rambling
home seems to blend into its
surroundings, is the front gate
hinged on an old buggy axle,
A long, low wooden veranda
seems designed for me- to tilt
back their chairs and prop
their feet on the porch railing.
An outdoor lawn swing is
shaded by a large oak tree
The jagged, rocky peaks tow
er all around this natural
bowl. In the distance is Chim
ney Rock with Its fire look
out. Pioneers, which included
relatives on both sides of the
Wertz family, took compass
sightings from this peak be
fore a trail was cut westward.
School ran from March to
October since children in that
general area had to come
sometimes as far as three
miles on foot, and the moun
tain trails and roads were
nigh impassable during the
winter. The Wertzes firmly
believe the best Insurance
policy Is a good education, so
the girls had to go to school
even when the younger daugh
ter was the only one of the 13
pupils attending. This was
Climax District 13. one of the
oldest county school districts.
Regular Drill Teacher
"We had a regular drill
teacher for a schoolma'am,"
the older daughter ;emarked.
"When the assistant countv
school superintendent made
her first Inspection of the
small one-room school house
V, '
AMATEUR GARDENER Mrs. Lester Wertz straightens a
small section of chickenwire fence at the back of her rockery
behind hot farm home surrounded by 160 acres of high
meadowland. A former schoolteacher and a woman of many
interests, Mrs. Wertz keeps busy at her farming, gardening
rock hunting and just enjoying mother nature. She said she
wouldn't know what to do down in town if she had to live
there all the time,
she listed a number of things
the teacher should do to bring
the school up to standard. Our
teacher waited until the coun
ty official was all through,
then erased her writing from
the blackboard and continued
with spelling drill."
To continue the girls' edu
cation, the Wertzes purchased
a home in Central Point so
their two daughters could live
there while attending school.
Relatives took turns chaper
oning them.
The girls went on to what
was then boutnern Oregon
Normal school in Ashland,
now Southern Oregon college.
They would hike home for
weekends often bringing class
mates with them. Then the
family and guests would ride
out to salt the cattle. A Sun
day horseback ride is still the
favorite family recreation.
Hike In Mountains
Mrs. Wertz likes to hike
around the mountains gather
ing beautiful stones and is
quite a rock hound as her
large collection of crystal
like rocks indicates, When
she works around the house
she likes to look out at the
mountain meadows where the
red and white Hereford cattle
form a picturesque scene
against the backdrop of lush
green mountain grass, jagged
peaks and clear blue sky. She
has cut many windows into
the walls so she ca.i always
look out on the ever-changing
picture of nature.
The house is as neat as a
pin and comfortably fur
nished. Large pictures of var
ious landscapes are on all
walls including the one by the
bathtub. A wood stove in the
the kitchen helps heat the
house. They read by kerosene
lamps.
Mrs. Werlz's schoolma am
habits stay with her. She has
a small blackboard in her
kitchen where she writes In a
firm, clearly legible hand her
duties and needs for the day.
Everything is spotless. Even
on the day she left early for
the state Grange meeting in
Roseburg things were in ap
plepie order.
Grange Important
Grange is important to Mrs.
Wertz. When the mountain
road is impassable due to win
ter weather she climbs on her
tractor and drives eight miles
down the steep road to her
daughter's house, then takes
the car. Often she returns
near midnight and slowly
edges back up the mountain
road on the tractor. One time
going down the mountain she
had to ford an Icy creek and
became stuck. Her husband
helped her on her way again.
Of the total of 1.990 acres
in the Wertz's holdings, 75
acres of the farmland is Irri
gated. This includes the old
Bybeo place eight miles be
low the home place. This
mountain meadow land pro
duces an average of 4,700
bales of wild timothy and
vetch.
Wertz figures he gets US
to 2 tons an acre. Due to the
gcntlv sloping land, the vet
eran farmer gets better drain
age on his sticky" or gumbo
type of soil. This means more
clover and timothy.
On his overall acreage both
In the highlands and down be
low he raises Herefords. He
prefers Herefords becpuse he
says they can range for them
selves while Black Angus do
better in fenced pasture land
which doesn't require such
hardiness.
The Wertzes firmly believe
that the mountain thunder
storms plant nitrogen in the
ground which makes it un
necessary to use patent ferti
lizer. The second cutting of
hay is saved for pasturing the
cattle.
The cattle are allowed to
range with the Wertzes riding
out to check and salt them pe
riodically. Three saddle
horses are kept for this pur
pose. They used to have four
or five horses since the whole
family liked to go along. Lots
of good water and good hay
make the difference, this
mountain cattleman believes.
During the height of the de
pression, Wertz fashioned his
own dam a quarter of a mile
from the top of Grizzly moun
tain where a spring bubbled
up from Hurst creek. He had
to haul in and lay his own
pioeline. He finished it in
1937. Now the ditch Irriga
tion system through gravity
flow, provides a steady flow
over 75 acres. Wertz knows
once the gumbo type soil dries
up it takes considerable work
ing before it can be satisfac
torily irrigated again.
He is planning to install his
own electric power system
soon at a waterfall formed by
the same stram.
Resting contentedly under
a large oak shade tree by the
house, Wertz can look over
his land knowing it is all paid
for and will continue produc
ing for him. Few farmers can
say that now.
Farming Trend Opposite
His farming trend has been
the exact opposite for that
down on the valley floor. For
Summer Accidents
Subject off Program
"Summer Accidents" will
be the topic of the Adven
turers in Medicine television
program sponsored by the
Jackson County Tuberculosis
and Health association at 3
o'clock this afternoon over
Station KBES-TV.
The series of bi-weekly pro
grams is presented in cooper
ation with the Jackson Coun
ty Medical Society.
Appearing Sunday on the
panel will be Dr. Laurel G.
Case, general practitioner,
Dr. H. L. Boehnke, pediatri
cian, and Dr. Jack Ingram,
ear, nose and throat special
ist. Actual photographs, x-rays,
charts, and other visual aids
will be employed by the phy
sicians to illustrate and em
phasize the many hazards ex
isting around every house
hold, posing a constant threat
to the safety of the family,
and especially to small chil
dren. '
Film Announced for
Gold Hill Methodist
Gold Hill - "Saturation
Point" will be the title of a
film that will be shown dur
ing Church school at -Gold
Hill Community Methodist
churdh today at 9:45 a.m.
The Rev. O. L. Kendal, pas
tor of the church will present
the sermon message at 11 a.m.
The Intermediate Methodist
Youth Fellowship group will
recess for the summer. The
Senior MYF will recess dur
ing the month of June.
instance, the once large,
beautiful Applegate farms
have been divided and re
divided in recent years.
When Wertz bought his
original 160 acres of moun
tain farm land he bought it
from Jackson county for $1
an acre. In the early days, he
couldn't sell the mountain
timber on his land for 50
cents a thousand board fee.
Now lumbermen are clamber
ing for all the timber they
can get. Much more timber is
to come out of the alpine
farmland above the Rogue
valley. Most of the hardwood
trees are untouched.
This is the land which paid
for college educations for the
two girls, paid for the pur
chase of the old Bybee place
down below and has provided
comfortable, active later
years lor the pioneering
couple.
One daughter is married to
the supervising engineer of
the forest service at Corval-
The other has returned to
teaching in spite of the fact
her husband is a successful
farmer.
yffi MAR.22
PVi6C-al-M
STAR GAIEkHJ
Bj CLAY K. ruonn
TAUIUS
5v APS. 21
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154-57-72
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43 8r,ck. 73Mt
44 Duo 74 Exptcted
45 Hor 75 Deloy
46 Pfeoored 76 WoY
47 You'll 77 Todoy
41 Through 78 You
49 5et 79 And
50 Your 80 Know
51 Thing! 81 Personal
52 Not 82 Light
53 For 83 Protects
54 Privott 84 Matter!
55 To 85 Situation!
riA Controversy S6 Today
57 Dealing! 87 Slightly
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OCT. 23.1
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3 Everything
4 Build
5 Put
6 Moke
7 Seems
8 Refuse
9 Up
10 Evening
1 1 Invitation!
12 To
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14 Your
1 5 Old
16 Security
17 Good
IS Friend!
19 Be
20 Wont
21 Matter
22 Brick
23 You
24 8ound
25 Yourself
26 Progress
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28 Accomplish
29 In
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NOV.
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143-69-78
CAFtKOCM
. 4
JAN, 20 VS
U7-49.51-59rO
fc3-70-82-8tA&
AQUARIUS
'AN. 21
FEB. ! jjgfj
5-25-31 -3tVC
150-41-71 S
nscH
37-4r53-62! I
fo735-90V4
Call Ken Neal-SP 3-4739
for Quality Used logging
A Dirt Moving Equipment
Crirtr Like Machinery Co.
I"! laU en pramitat
4191 Eastside Rd.
REDDING, CAL.
TUES., JUNE 2a
10 00 A.M.
$466,350.00 Evaluation
jr Order of Owirar
WIXS0N & CROWE, INC.
Contractors
CONSTRUCTION EQUIPMENT
AND DESIRABLE INDUSTRIAL REDDING REAL ESTATE
CRANES
Koehrini 44S Truck Crant. 100'
Boom i ixtensiuns, 30 ho ex
tension I trailer. Crane an 4
aile truck. 1055 mi. on truck;
1100 hrs. on crane: Michigan
TMDT IS Mobile crant wshavej
auncnmeni, fax power
TRACTORS
(11) Cat D-I'i 2U Series
fuards, bulldozers. PCU'i and
ether desirable equipment doe
Wr-ieiiing wincn.
(3) Cat 0-7't, 17X Series and
3T Series wOoieri, PCUi. One
new a.
12) Alias Chalmers HD-20H.
IOADERS
.Ills-Chalmers ND-18 I wtric-
lomoim tongs, o lie. if. Bucset;
Ford wFront End leaden Oliver
Wheel Tractor Mod. 77 wfrent
end tiyd. loader.
CARRYAUS
Cat 80 end 70; Le Toomeao
12 Yd. end B E. Scrape Med. 845.
All TOOLS
Tremendaus Assortment ef Drills,
Drifters, Vibrators: Tampers. Im
pact Wrenches; Air Tuggsrs; (41
Viber 12' Elec. Vibrators: Svo-
Iron 12' Elec. Vibrator, etc
RIPPERS AND SHIfRSFOOT
Southwest 13.000 Ripper,
Plants Cheoto 4i4 Sheaoiluti
Southwest 5i5 Shetpiloot.
MOTOR PATROL
Cat Med. 12 wHydraulie Steer
ing ans scantier. 81 Series.
ROLLERS
(alien Tandem and Austin West
ern j-wneei Honors.
COMPRESSORS
(IS) Portable I Trailer Mounted
From 6 0 500 CFM wD-13,000
engine to le Rel Mod. 85, 8 I E,
en rewetvg.
HJUM -
(141 Centrifugal and SP Pumps
to 8", Gas Powered, Some On
2-Wheel Trailers. (2) Hamelite
J , una new in 55.
IIOHT AND POWER PLANTS
Cat 0-13.00 125 KW C Cener.
tor; Cat 03400 15 KW AC Gen
erator; r-m port 25 AW Gas
uriYin Generator; Kohler 5 KW
me riant on Wheels; (3) FM
iuuu watt Hen., gas powered.
TRUCKS AND CARS
Whits Truck Tractor. 5 Soeed
Main, 3 Speed Auxil. Transmis
sion; (3) 4-Wheel Drive Power
Wagons; (2) Che. 2-Ton Flat
neos; i960 Che. Plckep; (5)
Other Pickup Tracks. '58 Che.
4 Doer Impale; '58 Chrysler Tew
Imperial Sedan; (3) Che. Station
Wagons; '55 27 Ft. Hiaie Trailer.
(31 35" Semi-Trailers.
ALSO: Shop, Garage, Maintenance
Equip., Transformers, Construction
Tools, Supplies. Man Hems too
Numerous to List
REAL ESTATE AT AUCTION 1
Of. 1t etris frwit.re 374 ft. M Fiprtime SerWc, RrxrJ t 17J ft
panel oMim, Wrl lio., acWtii Vir ' ""
high rid snorter to owwrs .eccmsjct.
Ninon j. MnsHOw, Rivu. isivt broker
Iniftct i1
10 4.M.-4 P.M.
Ptwie. write or
Wir Hr Ft,
S eerier!
Milton J. WERSH0W Co,
.'.".!''' W"eert m fa PccMIe Cm if
7213 Melrose, les Angeles 48, Calif, WE. 3-8541
Oil N, I Hue Hen, Ptrtkxte, Or., St. -0Jt
v
Here are real
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spot, and at low sale prices, tool Shop now.
Station Wagon Sleeper .'..'....79.95
Giant-Size Pool, 12'x30"-. 99.50
Folding Griddle-top Picnic Grill 5.19
Redwood Picnic Table, 2 benches 18.88
"Super Jet" Fiber Glass Bow
Archery Set 12.54
Prks do not Include Woniportanotl chorgos. '
Shop by Phone - SP 3-6641
Shop in Person 117 S. Central
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