Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 18, 1960)
10 A SUNDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1960 MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE. MEDFORD. ORE. n lefoiboliifefton off U. tarted rJotte IsS Beekman Bank Among Buildings To Be Restored By JOE COWLEY Mail Tribune Staff Writer Small Worlds Around Us By Lynn M. Watkins CLEANS STOVE Mrs. Edna Valentine, Jacksonville postmaster's wife, daubs on stove blacking in a room of the old U. S. liotcl in Jacksonville. Mrs. Dwiglit L. Houghton, of the Siskiyou Pioneer Sites 0 PIONEER HOTEL This is the way the old United States hotel used to look in Jackson ville's pioneer days as pictured by pioneer photographer Peter Britt. Notice the band in uniform, the old gas light in the fore ground, the dirt streets and the sign United States Saloon. It was constructed by George W. Holt from bricks of clay taken from Stillwater, Okla.-A moment of absent-mindedness by Mrs. Clara Purdy was credited with saving a building on the Oklahoma Slate University campus. Once outside she remem Enter The ... MEDFORD JUNIOR CHAMBER OF COMMERCE CHRISTMAS LIGHTING CONTEST Just Fill Our the Blank Below MAIL TODAY TO: Medford Jaycees (Spomoring Orgnlsition) P.O. Box 251, Medford Courtesy of Medford Mail Tribune Z OFFICIAL ENTRY BLANK The Christmas Lighting Contest 2 Residential Contestant ! I would like to make this MEDFORD'S Brightest Christmas. 5 Please enter me in this year's Christmas Lighting Contest in S the division checked below: Home or yard NAME 1 ADDRESS Foundation looks on. The room was used recently for a meeting of the Sites Founda tion to discuss the rehabilitation of the pio neer hotel. Mrs. Houghton donated some of the fixtures in the room. Jackson creek north of town. H was complet ed in 1880. The organizations working on the rehabilitation of the hotel plan to con struct the broad second story veranda as it was when the hotel was in Its prime under the management of Madame Holt, the build er's wife. bered she had forgotten her purse. When she reentered the building she smelled smoke and called the . fire depart ment which found a blaze in a partition. Front entrance J2 MADAME HOLT Pionaer Hotel Keeper GEORGE HOLT Builder of U.S. Hole! 4-H NEWS Milk Pail Rangleri On Dec. 3, the Milk Pail Ranglcrs held their 4-H meet ing at Linda Somnior's house. We set our goals for the fol lowing year. Christmas presents were exchanged. Refreshments were served and the meeting was adjourned. Douglas Cook, Reporter Sweet strains of fiddle mu sic accompanied by the shrill tinkle of an old time piano stir the stillness of Jacksonville's historical past as ladies and gentlemen dressed in antebel lum costume swirl over the floor of the old U.S. hotel ballroom. Downstairs a mustachioed hotel clerk in frock coat pushes the hotel registry across the ornate counter to out-of-state visitors. Gas lights flicker overhead. This is the scene which many patrons and citizens of Jacksonville picture today as they go to work with hammer, saw and paint-scraper to re habilitate the living town oi pioneer history.' Two immediate goals are rehabilitation of the Beekman bank and the hotel. As inter est snowballs the people re sponsible for this rejuvena tion hope other projects will be started. Support Project Organizations pushing this work are the Jacksonville Lions club, Southern Oregon Historical Society and the Sis kiyou Pioneer Sites Founda tion. Backing the local histori cal society is the Oregon His torial Society, which has tak en over the lease of the bank to further its rehabilitation. Money is always needed in this kind of work. However, right now Jacksonville's George Brewer says they need nybody and everybody who can use a paint scraper, ham mer, saw and putty knife. Many of the windows have been repaired and the hotel's front door carefully scraped and rehung. A large hole pried through bricks in the rear of the building is being repaired. The Siskiyou Pioneer Sites Foundation recently met in the rehabilitated hotel lobby. There the old woodburning stove has been polished and two ancient gas lamps swung from davits in the ceiling. Old paintings have been hung on tne waus, too. Large Deluxe Roomi The old. hotel contains large deluxe rooms and dining room on the first floor, plus tne kitchen and lobby. The sec ond floor holds the huge ball room and smaller hotel rooms. The broad balcony on which guests could promenade or take the sun will be re stored along the two sides facing California st. and Third St.. According to historical notes on me in tne Jacksonville Museum, the U. S. hotel was completed in 1880 by George W. Holt a master brick ma son. Bricks for the hotel were made of clay from Jackson creek north of town. The property was pur chased from Sam Vore in 1879. He was given board and room for one dollar "for the rest of his natural life," ac cording to the agreement. Rooms Had Fireplaces The downstairs rooms had fireplaces and some had stoves. They were large enough for two or three room apartments. . Guiding spirit behind this early day venture was a viva cious, strong-willed French woman who married George Holt so she could have her "dream hotel,", according to early accounts. When out in public, so stories tell, Holt was made to walk behind his wife. Madam Holt celebrated the opening of the hotel with a Fourth of July ball in 1880. Many of southern Oregon's notables received especially engraved invitations. A small polished brass field piece glinted in the sun. Its lanyard was yanked and it belched out black smoke with a mar. This was a signal for dedication speeches from the broad second story balcony and unfurling of a silken stars and stripes. Open With Dance That night under the yel lowish glow of the gas lamps rough looking, heavily beard ed minors and "their gals' stomped to the rhythm of Pro fessor Scott's band, which opened the festivities with a rollicking tunc. They mingled with dandi fied gentlemen in their high stock collars and brocaded vests under jackets with vel vet collars and tails. They also wore the tight-fitting trousers and highly polished boots of the period. i Their ladies dressed In long full skirts sweeping the floor were gently swung to the flowing strains of Straus waltzes as the early evening merriment gave way under pressure of weariness to the CHECKING BANK The old Beekman bank in pioneer Jacksonville was open briefly recently as local historians and mem bers of the Southern Oregon Historical So ciety made an inspection of the biulding and its contents. Raymond Reter, prominent packing house operator and a director of the local society, checks some of the contents. Off in a corner under the ancient eight-day ',41 : w.r 4 K,M t ? A " ;"!-7, I ; f - SCRAPE PAINT George Brewer and Norman Butts, both of Jacksonville, scrape at some of the old blistered paint around a window frame in the pioneer U.S. hotel. Work parties have been at the hotel almost every day scraping paint, hammering, sawing and generally cleaning up the pioneer landmark. The people working on the hotel need donations of money and materials, but particularly need more manpower to continue the work. more dignified dances. Through it all bustled Mad ame Holt who smiled graci ously at the many compli ments on her hotel as she saw to the passing of imported brandy and wine and distri bution of dainty sweetmeats in a small ante-room reserved for the more distinguished guests and their ladies. President In Hotel This auspicious opening was followed that fall by the visit of President and Mrs. Hayes accompanied by General Sher man, famous Civil War com mander of union forces. Also in the party were a number of cavalry officers. President Hayes' physician and his wife. The special Presidential coach pulled to a stop in front of the hotel in a whirl of dust, and with the sun glint ing brightly on the sabers and sidcarms of the U.S. Cavalry escort as the troopers swung down from their mounts. They stood at attention as the Presi dent and his lady stepped from the carriage, followed by General Sherman. Slapping the dust from their pants and stamping the dust from their boots, the sol diers followed the party into the hotel where Madam Holt and town notables stood to greet the new arrivals. Sets New Custom That evening Mrs. Hayes set a new custom among the gentility by turning her wine glass upside down on the table as waitresses moved along the table serving wine. Out of deference to the President's lady none of the guests ac- How About a Gift Certificate for a New Pipe? PIPE IS?-- clock, Miss Claire Haniey and Ben Trow bridge examine what appears to be an old bank book. The local historical society has leased the bank to the Oregon Historical So ciety for its rehabilitation. Miss Mary Han ley and Miss Claire Haniey have been busy sweeping up the dust and generally tidying up the bank. cepled liquor. The men excused them selves later to sip wine and smoke Havana cigars of the period in the President's suite of rooms. The Presidential party left early next morning for Rose burg, but not before the bill was paid. And this provided one of the livelier anecdotes of the day. Madame Holt pre sented the President with a bill for $150. Looking sternly at the pro prietress, the President noted that the Palace hotel in San Francisco charged only $6 a day per person. "Madame, I did not want to purchase the hotel. All I wanted was to stay in it," the President stated. Whereupon Madame Holt looked the presi dent in the eye and repeated the price. She finally got it after much protest. Starts To Flourish The hotel directly on the Oregon-California stage coach route soon started to flourish. The French woman soon became widely known and loved for her hotel serv ice which included excellent food. She was reported as "very warm-hearted." An advertisement of that day in the Democrat-Times featured her Franco-American meals, thanked the patrons of the hotel for their response and solicited their continued patronage. Madame Holt was well-liked by the newspaper's Drinters since she reunlarlv brought them cake and wine. I Outside of President Hayes' complaint about his hotel bill, & GIFT SHOP SP 2-2474 36 ' i Se. Central Medford, Ore. Madame Holt is reported to have received only one other complaint. That was from the manager of the Franco-American hotel in Yreka, Calif., her chief competitor. Becomes Sick He claimed he became sick on her donuts. Madame Holt retorted he should "try a few more of the leguminous ber ries of which he is so fond." Madame Holt was well known and respected by everyone on the Pacific coast until she died when 63 on April 14, 1884. Services were held for her at the Jackson ville Catholic church and she was buried in the Jackson ville cemetery. Her "dream hotel" was left to her brother John DeRo boam since Madame Holt's husband had died some years before her. However, the hotel manage ment missed the enthusiasm and instinctive business sense of Madame Holt. It soon ac cumulated unpaid mortgages which were held by A. L. Renter. However, Henrietta DeRoboam was the highest bidder when the hotel went on the auction block and she saved it for the family by paying $4,325 in U.S. gold coin. On March 1, 1913, John DcRoboam deeded it to his son, Samuel. Business Dwindles As Jacksonville ceased to be on the main travel route between California and Ore gon and the railroad replaced the stage coach business for the hotel gradually dwindled to nothing. Also, Medford soon became the commercial center and later the county scat was shifted from Jack sonville to Medford. The hotel later became the site for the Jacksonville mu seum, a meeting place for such local clubs as the Royal Neighbors, Boy Scouts, Lions club and Garden club. Part of the lower floor was used as the Jacksonville library un til the building was con demned as unsafe. In 1948, the Jacksonville Lions club gave it a new roof I cat Joe Hosick Funeral Director SISKIYOU 3 O in I) O O SP 2-5488 605 The Tick si One Pinhead Who Actually ii Dangerous It's not a very illustrious family. Well-known of course, but with one or two excep tions, the members of this class of living animals are rat ed pretty low in human esti mation. Of the entire group the daddy-long-legs is proba bly the least obnoxious to the greatest number of people. One of the members of the group, the spider, is tolerated, but even this one is objec tionable ,to many folks. The others are treated with hor ror, rage, or absolute disgust; they are the mites, chiggers, scorpions and the ticks. The ticks are probably the worst. There are many kinds; the cattle tick, dog tick, chicken tick, ear tick, and Lone Star tick. Millions Lost The cattle tick transmits tick fever to members of the bovine family of warm blood ed animals, and has caused millions of dollars loss to cat tle raisers. Peculiar, but the cattle tick only seems to in fect bovines with tick fever, other animals seem immune. It would seem to be the prize winning statement of all time, to have had the scien tist say that a tick is a mite. Somehow we always thought of a mite as something sort of cute, or very, very small. Although the tick is small, he certainly isn't cute. He's a monster, a creature that sucks the blood from warm blooded animals. Ticks are wingless, but they get around. They have four pairs of legs and, a grasping nature, along with an inex haustible amount of patience. They seem able to spend an entire lifetime waiting for some unsuspecting victim to come along close enough for them to get aboard. In actual stature, the indi vidual tick doesn't amount to much. A full grown one would be about l32nd of an inch in overall length. His head just about comes to a point. Unlike the sideshow freak, however, this "pin head" is actually dangerous. His one ambition in life is to drive his pointed head into the flesh of some animal, fill himself with blood, and later die on a full stomach. But that happy event of death us ually does not take place un til after a group of eggs are laid, so that the tick race can go endlessly on. Arms Act As 'Pointers' Located on either side of the tick's head are two arms which act as "pointers," and spread apart once the have entered the skin of the victim, making the tick's removal pretty difficult. Forceful re moval sometimes results in and reenforced most beams and braces. In 1959, the Gold Rush Jubilee proceeds went to the Sites Foundation for recon struction of the hotel. Jack sonville citizens and patrons hope these efforts will con tinue until all of the histori cal buildings are recon structed. - Season's Greetings FREE Evergreen branches for your Christmas decora tions. P h o n e SP 2-5488 or 2-2344 for directions and information. Reverent, Dignified, Sincere Service One Call MORTUARY CEMETERY MAUSOLEUM CREMATORY Highland Dr. INVESTIGATE f 1 pulling the tick in two, so se cure is its hold in the victim's flesh. Once attached, the tick sucks blood into its body until it can hold no more; then he drops off to lay eggs and die. But for the uncounted mil lions of ticks that patiently wait on grass stems, leaves, bushes, trees, or on the earth itself, only a relatively few can expect to make the trans fer. Most of them wait in vain and eventually die after seve ral months, their appetite for blood unsatisfied this should happen to more of them. (Released by the Register and Tribune Syndicate, 1960) Phoenix High to Use Readers in English Classes Phoenix-Use of qualified personnel to act as English theme readers recently was approved by the Phoenix school board. The program, according to E. B. James, superintendent, will go into effect immediate ly, and will provide a reader for each full time English teacher in Phoenix High school. The regular teachers will assign weekly themes to all high school students. About half of these will be corrected and evaluated by the teacher aides, and the other half by the regular English teacher. The themes will then be re turned to the students for correction under the supervi sion of the regular teacher. Purpose of Program The purpose of the program is to impress the quality, and increase the writing output of each high school student, with all themes being graded for content, usage, punctual tion, grammar, spelling, and style, ,and then returned to the student for correction or rewriting. Readers for this program have been available through ' the efforts of Dr. Arthur.;. Kreisman, chairman of the hu- manitarian division at South-1' em Oregon college. A group of more than 50 qualified aides were selected from 300 applicants on the ba-; sis of comprehensive and ex-' acting tests, as' well as per sonal interviews administered' by Dr. Kreisman and his staff. . These readers are qualified -for use by the schools of the area who may desire to cmv ploy them for this purpose. Use of this means for im-'" proving the writing ability of high school students has been' successfully pursued in a num-. ber of schools in the country in recent months, James said. 218 EAST MAIN . L. G. "lew" Miles Cemetery Manager SISKIYOU MEMORIAL PARK
