Medford mail tribune., February 10, 1963, Image 14

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4 B
SUNDAY. FEBRUARY 10. 19S3
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE, MEDFORD, OREGON
Ashlcumd s Chcay-CoucaiLiici Siiciir tied ifoir del fig ioos Qiroyp
Br JOE COWLEY
Mill Tribune Staff Writer
Much of early day enter
tainment In the Rogue valley
grew out of the skits and
musicals put on by the
wagon train pioneers as they
crossed the plains into
Oregon. -
But the Southern Oregon
Chautauqua in Ashland was
probably the first mass adult
education program attempted
for this area.
Chautauqua received its
name from Lake Chautauqua
in New York where the first
such series of lectures, semi
nars and entertainment origi
nated. The program in New
York started as a training
program for Sunday school
teachers, but quickly lost its
religious emphasis when a na
tionwide circuit was developed.
The later aim was to crowd
In as much entertainment as
possible in as short a time as
possible to obtain as mucn
profit as possible.
Maintains Background
The Southern Oregon Chau
tauqua maintained its religi
ous background from the time
it was founded in 1892 at a
Central Point Methodist camp
meeting to the early 1900's
when it faded out under cir
cuit management. Prayers
opened and closed each ses
sion and non-denominational
services were held Sundays.
The building was wood
frame In a beehive shape to
provide plenty of ventilation
for hot summer days and to
eliminate the need of view
obstructing pillars. Two large
heating stoves kept the build
ing tolerable in winter.
Later, in 1918, a $15,000
bond issue was floated to
build a large concrete struc
ture. The Shakespearean Fes
tival theater now uses these
walls.
In fact "Roper Grove" on
Ashland creek later became
the focal point for the de
velopment of present-day Li
thia park.
- From Ashland Man
Most of this information
comes from notes by Homer
Billings, Ashland, local his-
i torian whose father, G. F.
Billings was one of the found
ers. The late G. F. Billings
argued for the Ashland site
since the town could provide
electric lights, city water and
better hotel accommodations.
In the spring nf 1893 a visit
by the late Dr. C. C. Stratton,
president of Portland univer
sity, convinced the other
founders. Stratton came to
Ashland to find a site for a
new college or normal school
which would be an extension
of the Portland college. Upon
seeing "Roper Grove" he
turned It down as a college
site, out suggested Jt as a
Chautauqua site.
During a Central Point
meeting of June 14, 1893, the
founding committee was au
thorized to purchase the 7.72
acre tract for $1,500 and to
Issue bonds for $2,500 at 8
per cent interest for 10 years
to construct . the wooden
building.
Senior residents of the val
ley still talk of how they
used to hitch up their bug-
f i
CHAUTAUQUA The old wood frame bee
hive structure is shown In its prime at Roper
Grove, now Lithia park In Ashland in the
early 1900's. Chautauqua was named after
Lake Chautauqua in New York where the
first such group of lectures, seminars and
entertainment originated In the nation. The
Southern Oregon Chautauqua was conceived
in Central Point then located at Ashland
due to plentiful electricity, water and hotel
accommodations. Founding date was 1892.
gies, load it with camping
equipment and camp out in
the grove during the two
weeks of Chautauqua. People
learned to entertain them'
selves then and did not rely
on television, one old timer
recalled.
Admissions were kept low,
at first at $1, then $1.50 and
finally $2.50 for season tick
ets for the whole 10-day ses
sion. The low prvce kept the
support of the common peo
ple but made it hard to fi
nance the operation until it
finally crept into the black In
1901 to 1903. In 1905 the cir
cular building was cut in two
and half of it moved uphill to
make an oblong amphitheater
and nearly double the seating
capacity.
The first years programs
Included speeches by Dr.
C. C. Stratton of Portland
university, W. C. lluwlcy, of
the Willamette university fac
ulty, and Sclnh Brown from
California. Mr. Brown spoke
on "What I Saw In Dixie"
during the Civil War. A fea
tured attraction was Grand
Army of the Republic Day
which included plenty of ora-
lory and a sham battle. The
first year's program probably
cost less than $300, according
to Billings.
Bryan Speaka
In 1807 William Jennings
Bryan spoke on "bi-mctal-
llsm" in the Ashland grove.
(The building was not large
enough to hold the crowd.)
The same day John P. Irish,
of San Francisco, trumpeted
bout "bound Money."
Other entertainers that
year were Joaquin Miller, Dr.
Charles E. Locke (later a
Methodist bishop), Edward
Page Gaston, Miss Jessie
Ackcrman and Miss Ida Ben
fey. These were most travel
lectures. Miss Bcnfey held
children's matinee in which
she read "A Tale of Two
Cities" and "Les Miserables."
Other featured Chautauqua
entertainers were William
Sterling Batlis, Dickens lm
personator; Capt. Jack Craw
ford, Indian scout and poet;
John Temple Graves, Atlanta,
Ga., editor: Ng Poon Chew,
San Francisco Chinese dally
editor; Col. Henry Watterson,
of Louisville Courier Journal;
Dr. William S. Sadler and
company, of Chicago; and
later, Billy Sunday and
Madame Schuman Heinke,
evangelist and opera star, re
spectively. Jacob Riis, fa
mous emigrant and author,
and Booker T. Washington,
Negro leader and educator,
also were included.
Musical features included
bell ringers, Swiss yodclers,
Chicago Operatic company,
the Simnscn University La
dies' glee club, Clricillo's Ital
ian band, and finally, in 1918
or 1919 Sousa s famous Ma
rine band.
The Chautauqua also In
eluded classes. Tnese were
for physical training, swim
ming lessons, nature study,
elocution, Bible study. WCTU
methods and others. '
In Its early days, the South
ern Oregon Chautauqua was
one of four such institutions
on the Pacific Coast.
Many of the lecturers and
entertainers who came to the
Southern Oregon Institution
A GOOD 2nd GAR
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4 Dr. Sedan, 4 Cyl Standard
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$499.00
LEA RAMBLER
Fifth and Birtltlt Phone 772-6185
were impressed with the peo
ple and the area s scenic
beauty. One, Frank J. Hanly,
ex-governor of Indiana,
climbed Mt. Ashland and
later whole a book, "A Day
in the Siskiyous." This book
Is still in the Ashland library
although out of print.
In the early 1920's Chau
tauqua faded out under a
combination of pressures, per
haps from the automobile,
radio and the attempted
razzle dazzle management of
the circuit which took it out
of local hands and lowered
the quality of performances.
And so in a few years
Chautauqua in Southern Ore
gon faded out. The mortgagee
foreclosed and the city took
the property over, much to
the relief of the morlagagee,"
Billings wrote.
"Mainly 1 think It failed
because Ashland as a commu
nity was a bit blind to what
was slipping away from them
and failed to produce -the
leader willing to meet the
emergency," Billings con
tinued. After about a dozen years
a young professor, Angus
Bowmer, arrived at South
ern Oregon State Normal
school and conceived a series
of open-air Shakespeare
plays.
The Shakespeare Festival
began as an inconspicuous
three-day community event in
1933, Billings wrote. Gradu
ally it grew from a local par
ticipation and audience to
national and international
participation and audience.
Capt Paul Morgan Reviews Police Work
SOC's Civil Defense
Plan Praised by Hicks
Ashland- "An excellent
plan" was the overall opinion
voiced by Maj. Gen. Joseph
Hicks, Jackson County Civil
Defense director, who review
ed the Southern Oregon col
lege defense plans recently.
General Hicks said that the
plan was particularly praise
worthy In respect to its provi
sions for manBgcriiil efficien
cy and the fact that it had
been placed on a continuing
basis by action of Dr. Elmo N.
ATTENTION
DOG
OWNERS!
Jackson County dog owners may apply and receive th.lr dog licenses and taS
unniiy IhllZ f'm b,l8W lnd mlill"B wi,h rqulr.d tea to E. M.
MADDEN, COUNTY CLERK, COURT HOUSE, MEDFORD, OREGON. Lic.n.a f.a,
V,!ll f,.V,B $J 00'' Pyd female dogs $2.00, f.m.l. dog. $3.00.
PLEASE SEND ONLY CHECK OR MONEY ORDER WITH YOUR APPLICATION
Your licama and tag will ba mailed to you Immediately upon application and
remittance. If you have moro than ona dog, pleat uia other forms of this nature
or attach a separata Schedule with lha required Information.
FINAL DATE FOR PURCHASING A DOG LICENSE WITHOUT PENALTY
IS MARCH 1, 1963.
Application for Dog License
Stevenson, SOC president.
Measures taken to assure its
continuity Included the for
mation of a permanent Col
lege Civil Defense committee;
the adoption of steps to be
taken to inform all new stu
dents, faculty and civil serv
ice employees; and the main
lainance of a close liaison be
tween college and CD author
ities. Some discussion was devot
ed to the possible uses of de
fense space areas in excess of
the 2, inn earmarked bv the
committee for campus use. It i
was decided that the spaces!
would be surveyed and as-!
signed upon Joint rccommen-:
dations made by Ashland and :
college defense officials.
Permanent CD committee
members consisted of those i
originally appointed by Slev
enson at the peak of the
Cuban crisis, Robert McCoy,
assistant professor of mathe
matics, chairman; Carson
Velirs. director of dormitory
services; Hugh Simpson, di
rector of information; and
Ixwell Lux, North Bend stti-1
dent, who was recommended :
for the committee by Fred j
Heard, editor of the college
newspaper, the Siskiyou.
By
PEGGYANN HUTCHINSON
Mail Tribune Staff Writer
"I never had to fire my gun
in the line of duty, but did
have to draw it several times
to stop persona - it had a
wholesome affect.
"In fact, my gun was the
first issued to any officer after
the Oregon state police was
organized. Got it in Salem
in 193 1-1 1 is a Smith and
Wesson .38 special."
Speaking was Capt. Paul E.
Morgan who retired Feb. 1
from the Oregon state police.
Captain Morgan reminisced
of his more than 34 years of
police work recently at his
home in Medford. The captain
has been commander of dis
trict three In southern Oregon
since Aug. 15, 1958. He was
transferred to Medford as as
sistant commander on May
15. 1947
"I started in police work as
a Saturday night policeman in
1928 at Cottage Grove," the
officer explained. "My boss
was the late Green Pitcher,
who was chief of police. The
pay was $5 for 12 hours," he
continued, then added, "those
loggers were pretty tough."
Sarvas Cottage Grove
"During the period I was at
Cottage Grove I served the
city as everything except may
or and councilman," the state
police officer commented. "1
was fire chief, traffic officer,
read water meters. . .
"A friend, Harold Howard,
who later was a state police
captain, suggested I join the
state traffic division, and
much to my surprise a short
time later got a letter from
the late Tom Rafferty, chief
of the traffic division.
"We had to buy our own
equipment and uniforms,
which were khaki, and we
couldn't enforce anything ex
cept traffic laws, the cap
tain recalled. "I had commis
sions in the sheriff's depart
ment in both Lane and Doug
las counties so I could make
other arrests."
Shooting Near Marcela
One case recalled by the of
ficer was a shooting near Mar-
cola in 1930. A police officer
was ambushed by a moon
shiner and killed. Later an
other officer was fatally shot
and two wounded.
"That night I was one of
the officers who waited for
the moonshiner to return," the
captain explained. I was
really scared as it was so
dark that night we couldn't
see a thing. Then I heard
steps and after waiting a bit,
eased my flashlight away from
me and holding it way out
spotlighted what I thought
was the moonshiner."
It was a cow! Boy, was I
relieved."
The moonshiner was killed
later," the captain recalled,
"but I wasn't there at the
lime."
Transfers to Department
When the Oregon state po
lice was organized in 1931 to
enforce other laws in addition
to traffic on a statewide ba
sis, Morgan transferred to
that department.
Prior to his transfer he rc-
c -Ivert a letter from the late
Hal E. Hoss, then secretary of
state, expressing his apprecia
tion for Morgan's service. It
concluded, "You may at the
expiration of your term of
service with the state traffic
division, keep your badge as
a souvenir." 1
The badge, along with num
erous pictures, letters and
other articles accumulated
during more than 30 years,
was located. It was a fairly
large shield and with it was
another badge-the state seal
with wings-which was worn
on the cap. . ...
"Bet this is one of the few
remaining copies of this," the
captain remarked as he pulled
out of a box three type
written sheets of paper, slight
ly wrinkled.
District Ganeral Ordar
The three pages were Dis
trict General Order 1, effec
tive Aug. 1, 1931. Glancing
down the list of names one
stops at this notation:
"Paul E. Morgan. Patrol:
north, south and west; Equip
ment: car; Headquarters: Cot
tage Grove."
You mention the size of the
area patrolled by one man.
"We didn't have a very
large force in those days," he
commented.
"My first patrol car was a
white 1929 Chevrolet," the
captain continued. "Sixty was
Its top speed."
Prior to this time he had
used a motorcycle.
Uniform Hasn't Changed
Morgan explained that the
state police uniform hasn't
changed much since 1931. The
major change is the hat-they
did away with the wide brim
ones for the present caps. Now
the department also has a
summer uniform.
The first murder investigat
ed by the department was in
October, 1931, Morgan re
called. It was a railroad pay
roll holdup at Fields, Ore,
east of Oakridge.
"It was a rough one," the
officer remarked, "and an ed
ucation for the department."
In 1932 Morgan was trans
ferred to Eugene where he re
mained until 1937.
Police work in the 1930s
ranged from the lumber union
strikes, moonshiners to mur
der, the captain recalled.
Check Coses were in the news
then as now, he added. One
month in Eugene 27 persons
were sent to the penitentiary
on forgery or related check
charges.
Had Tear Gas Guns
"Even in the early days of
the department we had tear
gas guns," Morgan explained.
"The patrol cars had radio
receivers from the mid-1930s,
but we didn't get two-way
radios in the cars until after
World War II."
In 1937 Morgan was trans-
442 Dog Control
Cases Handled Here
County Dog Control Officer
Chris Hagler reported to the
Jackson county court Friday
he and his personnel had trav
elled 4,536 miles to handle
442 dog control cases for January.
A total of 149 dogs was
picked up, 77 were Drought to
the pound by various people,
25 found new homes and 40
were claimed by their owners.
A total of 99 dogs were re
ported lost. Dogs destroyed
totalled 170.
lie also reported that 31
cats were picked up and 35
cats were brought in to the
pound by various people. Five
lost cats were reported. Sev
enty cats were destroyed and'
three found new homes.
Six dog bite cases were re
ported. Miscellaneous pick ups in
cluded one goat, one rabbit,
one pheasant and a porcupine.
Courf Order Needed
To Cancel Trademark
Salem - ITP - Trademarks
cannot be cancelled from the
stale registry by the secre
tary of state except by court
order, Atty. Gen. Robert Y.
Thornton said Friday.
1963
Data.
Owner
Address
Indicate sex of dog by encircling ona of the Following:
MALI SPAYED FEMALE
Dog's Name ,
Amount of Money Enclosed
Color .
FEMALE
Bread
Signature of Applicant
BRILL
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BUILT-INS
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Reduced fo $185.00
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1116 North Riverside
772-5209
ferred to Salem where he re
mained for one year.
Chuckling to himself the
captain recalled the days
when state police patrolmen
had coupes, which always
raised a problem when a
number of persons had to be
taken to the station.
"Caught five men in a hop
yard one night near Salem,"
Morgan recalled, "had two of
them in the trunk under the
lid and three in the front with
me. Made it to the station,
though," he added.
Promottd to Sergeant
On Dec. 27, 1938. Morgan
was promoted to sergeant and
assigned to Grants Pass where
he stayed for six months. He
was then transferred to Rose
burg and"emained there until
being sent to Medford in 1947.
"We didn't have too much
equipment in those days,"
Morgan recalled. "I remember
one time when we had gotten
a new car with all the acces-sorles-we
were really proud
of it."
"Spent the war years in
charge of the Roseburg of
fice," he added. "Since the
war evacuation plans from
the coast were inland through
Douglas county I had ten
bridge guards stationed
throughout the area."
"Some of the men who
started with the department
then were assigned to bridge
guard duty. One of them is
with me here," the captain
continued. "He is Sgt. Russell
H. Brendle, who is assigned
to the Medford district. An
other is Sgt. James Joy, who
is in charge of the Curry coun
ty station at Gold Beach."
''In fact," Morgan continued
"many of the sergeants as
signed in the district at out
posts now originally started
in this district with me. One is
Sgt. Bruce Lattin, who is in
charge of the Klamath Falls
station, and another is Sgt.
Robert Keefe, who is in
charge of the Roseburg of
fice." Transferred to Medford
Upon being transferred to
Medford in 1947, he was pro
moted to lieutenant.
"One of the more exhaus
tive cases was tracking down
Gerald Theodore Macomber
in 1952," the captain ex
plained. "With three men I
spent 40 days and nights
tracking the man after he es
caped from the state peni
tentiary where he was serv
ing a ten year sentence for
larceny. Spotted in the Upper
Applegate officers searched
for him from there to the
Cave Junction area in Jose
phine county before he was
recaptured after being shot."
Recalled as the most vi
cious murders that he inves
tigated were the Billy Junior
Nunn killing of a 14-year-old
Klamath Falls boy in a road
side park on Highway 66 in
Jackson county in 1956 and
the murder of Mrs. Fern Hile
in Medford in 1954 by James
Norman Jensen.
Both men were found guilty
of 'first degree murder, but
had their death sentences com
muted to life imprisonment.
Mentions Another Case
Another case mentioned by
the state police officer, which
has a direct bearing on his
retirement, occurred in 1956.
The case concerned a narcotic
charge against Donald La-
Verne Ambuehl. Prior to Am.
buehl's arrest he attempted to
escape from police officers. In
the resulting chase his car
and the one driven by Mor
gan, collided.
As a result of the collision
Morgan suffered injuries
which have been continually
aggravating, causing his re
signation from the department
at this time.
Morgan was promoted to
captain following the retire
ment of Capt. Paul Parson.
With his promotion he became
commander of district three
which comprises Jackson, Jo
sephine, Klamath, Lake, Coos,
Curry, and Douglas counties
and includes some 123 police
officers.
In looking back over his 34
years as a police officer. Cap
tain Morgan said that he has
no regrets about entering that
profession.
RESTAURANT
"A good place to eat"
Sunday breakfast here is
a grand treat for the
entire family.
Open Dally . . . 6 a.m.
Social Hour Nightly S te 7
510 No. Rivanide
A TOAST...
TO THE
Scouts of America
Building today's boys
into the
Men of
Tomorrow
OUR NATION'S
FUTURE
IS IN CAPABLE
HANDS!
We all owe a debt of gratitude to the Boy Scouts of
America, tor it is through this fine organization that
millions of young boys throughout the country are being
trained to take on the responsibilities that will one day be theirs as
American citizens. In the Boy Scouts, each boy is pledged to build,
serve and achieve, and to do his best always. Because of this excellent
training in the formative years, we are confident that the Boy Scout
of today will grow up into the kind of man who will someday provide
the best leadership for our country.
Boy
BQtj ScOlltwEEK FEBJI
2sxw
BOTTLING CO. 600 No. Grape MEDFORD