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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (April 24, 1963)
Historical Society Pack Trains in Salmon River Country ireka - Jim McNeil, Dres Itrient of the Siskiyou County Historical society, spoke to Ithat group recently on "Pack Trains of the Salmon River Country." Having worked with pack It rains from an early age as IB "bell-boy", the speaker had ifir.st hand knowledge of his pubject, though he admitted Ihc couldn't "drag halters across the corral" with some :o thf old timers McNeil pointed out that Epiick trains were the earliest mode of travel and transpor Hation since the days when gjCortrz made the first Spanish explorations in the 16th cen Hury, on down through his Bory to the days of Lewis and Clark, and the Hudson's Bay Kompany in the early days of She West. I Trading posts were estab blished with the supplies tran Bborted by means of pack .r-trains. McNeil believes the Hargcst trains used, were own Kc! by the early Spaniards be Hore the establishments o f Syjnissions and roads connecting Hhcm, which made the use of kjOx carts possible. I In the northern California vaiua pack trains were used t the miners to bring their Heeds into the primitive area. gjWany of the early settlers jBiadc a living by this trade. Kach head packer trained a .bell marc to guide the rest Suf the mules or horses, not Bnly harnessing and loading, bin in conduct on the trail. Ht was a matter of pride of Ijyc packer when all were lin ed up in proper relation. Mule's Average Load rE The speaker said that the avnaue load for a mule was 30(1 pounds, but a few had bci u known to carry much heavier loads. He knew of a mule owned by the Denny Bar company, which had car ried a safe weighing 8 3 0 pounds for some distance. Some animals were especially Useful for carrying loaded barrels. Not all were willing to carry that type of load. A good pack mule and its rig giny cost an average of $120. . A good packer had to learn to pack the mule so that the load was well balanced, so it would not slip during the Hay's travel, or rub sores on f the mule's back. All sorts of hitches had to be perfected. Wages for a head packer aver aged St9 per month, while the hind-packer would get $45 and the top pay for the bell boy, who did the cooking and was the apprentice packer, i iff) a iSH All mnn in 1hr trarip iad to possess good horse Traveled H Miles a Day Average pack trains in the Salmon area were from 6 to 10 animals, but a few larcc ones oi m jd were Known FY ml I S wt e Superbly smooth and mellow Fine Straight Kentucky Bourbon Taste Favorite since 1869 tit oil maimi inmiiiT ttk ItlUtHU, It., 11 uoor to operate at times. An aver age days drive was 14 miles when loaded and 25 when empty. Great rivalry existed among t h e pack train operators. Many humorous incidents such as the necessity of drain ing the liquor barrels were re called. Whenever snow was deep enough that it came to a man's knees, it was time to put snow- ! n ine pack ammals- A wooden snowshoe was shown to demonstrate to the audience how they were applied and used. McNeil stated that mules Sacred Indian Spring Will Be Covered by Dam By JOSEPH H. CARTER Cawkcr Cilv. Kan.- WPU -A natural salt spring, once wor shipped by primitive Indians for its healing power, soon will be covered by the Glen Elder dam reservoir. The lake not only will cov er a place of Indian lore, but will bury a colorful chapter in the history of the Great Plains pioneers and Kansas a sanitarium-resort near the rich mineral waters. Indians told their children about the legend of "Wacon da," which means God or Great Spirit in the language of the Otte and Pawnee na tions. The story tells of Wa conda's love for a warrior of a rival tribe and the war it ignited. When she saw the young man fall in battle and tumble into the water, she leaped and drowned behind him. Healing Virtues Thus, the legend said, wa ters of the Waconda or Great Spirit Spring took on healing virtues. Indians drank it and bathed in it for health. When pioneers trekked across the plains, they heard stories of the spring. They were amazed at the 35-foot high mound that the spring had built for itself. Dr. Carlos Bingesscr, who operates the nearby sanitar ium, said the mound-which forms a 50-foot round basin was formed by evaporation and the deposit of minerals on the other side. The pioneers called it "the Great Salt Spring,'' or "Wa conda." Bingesser's grandfather, G. F. Abrams, built a native stone building nearby and from 1890 to 1906, excursion trains brought thousands from the east and nearby cities to view the "Eighth Wonder of ANNOUNCEMENT I hermitage is now 6 years a's S mostpoPulat straight Hears Talk About I had to be broken in to the use of snowshoes before hit ting the trail. Not every mule could be trained to wear them. James Hartley, vice pres ident, conducted the business portion of the meeting. Some 50 members and guests were present. Mrs. Hazel Pollock, t h e curator, reported that more than 700 visitors had viewed the museum durinc the month of March, which included scv cra crouDs of school children An 0( the momenta ot the j iate Alec Rosborough have I been grouped in one show lease. the World or "A Bit of the i Lost Sea as it was adver tised. Gay Parties Race tracks, gay parties and dancing spiced the trips. But visitors came mostly to view the spring, taste its cleansing waters and to enjoy a spa or health bath. Abrams lated converted the four-story building into a san itarium. Bingesscr described his German-born grandfather as a "doctor who never saw a medical school . . a neces sity on the plains." Bingesscr, himself an osteo pathic physician, said the wa tcr serves as a laxative and to "neutralize poison in the body." He said it healed trou ble with mucous membrane He said the World's Fair at St. Louis judged the water as the "highest medicated wa ter in the world. 40 Parsoni At one time, up to 40 per sons came daily for treatment at the sanitarium. The doctor said publicity about Glen El der dam led many to believe the spring already was inun dated and business fell off. He said, however, the spring probably would be accessible until 1965, but he may leave sooner. Bingesscr said he can re member once when a group of "modern" Indians carried a woman to the spring. "They sprinkled her with water and she walked away," he said. "They believed in the water's great healing power. The spring was estimated at 8,000 years old, but govern ment scientists who studied Waconda spring said Hs source of water was "inde terminable." The flow is unaf. fected by drought and the temperature remains constant. "But I have seen it in at least seven different colors," Dr. Bingesscr said, "from milky to yellow to blue." old 44 V $00 '"" I " ?io' 'fijfti f m v .- .SE5 mti PEfc S Biade! " ,,mMI comfort & Bonus Miles! 6-V. lotttry C77 . 7"J mBSBmM BY Chev, '39- Ply., i.i ReB 11 ,ron' II d f I ,S0J0JsV: Dodge! Sae Now! r 1 6 59 only Ipd iiaashrik iMiMiMMuk yijpii jr'A?" V7 pro,ct r noor indud. p' st hrd, t" fcRMiTAcl Ptf P1 wEffm sa B?aa p k: I rtltrtHU-1 19" STEEL I HHHjJl !' ICACDAKr V(l f? Sstisfsction Guaranteed or Your Money Beck llSird M. S LEAP RARt CJ 25 Soilh Riverside Phoas 772-6217 m'&SSJl I 4-ff. Rosa rfT Decorative IJ ljght, Rugged atVkw Ifffl , n , k.: Vm.Tr.liis Whit. Wood k WjV Open Fridays RleStem MOtD mES3M - lit Lawn Fence gt fV. Until 9 p.m. mWIWUJJUlU vi-ilk: zr 22c DO I MajMBTnM Tom Bigclow. field trip chairman, has made plans for the next field trip to be to the Ski bowl. Strawberry val ley and Old Sisson sometime in late May. The definite date will be announced. Fred Stratton. membership chairman, announced the membership to be 1,066. He added that lie had honn a head narlcor fnr ih. oic Ul, ision of the U.S. Army during World War I. Ammunition and supplies were carried to the troops in France by mule train, usually 50 animals to a train. During attacks of poison gas the mules, as well as the men. had to be equip ped with gas masks. He re calls that many lives, both hu man and animal were lost by gassing. Old Millinery Modeled Musical enterainment con sisted of two numbers by Mrs. Maurice Dittner accompanied b y Mrs. Joyce Sanderson. During the singing of "Eas ter Parade" four old hats from the millinery shop in the base ment of the museum were modeled by Mrs. Athea Smith, Mrs. Orlo Davis, Mrs. Den nis Broderick and Miss Amelia Andrews. A record of "The Holy City" was played on the music box. Refreshments were served by Mrs. Hazel Rider and Mrs. Pollock. 14-8-C Elegont S-Pc. Canister Set 4.tS Vol g . Tewri Free When: You Open Handy Chirac e You Add Co Your Pres ent Handy Charge : Account In the amount of $10 or mere J tin famiLf 5iW I jp "'B,sseJTsa i fc j p,. SALE ENDS SATURDAY 771 , 'loiltliicT o hive cad Aurr i vcid ciume l-c lj res LLP L t m itkMmm aVWk I RRf,7awaWwafefe rQ Garden lYMf ""H Trowal, fWtedtr Cultivator 17c t Reg. 27c III1C1 CMC t;7 Re, 27c 1 . '1-47 i ltjtKlig Pocke Pert?beR TruttontTortoble '"l II-1" iifff 777 -12M" 1288"8- 1 y u jh ,m iZZ "r" fW m ructaa. 14.95 m batn. I afcV 149.9s " tpwddtr I 1 XXl&SS'W m SSJEl Complete with carry case, Lightweight. Suitcase 1 .TriS-JS V .W.tr.4. earphone, big antenna. ,lim. Clear picture-even ahelf! Safety-grooved tlili1iiltai,ailtJlJ rtifSSik 1 . i" "'" 'fin8 ,ep ,op,! Nowl iMTTTlTlTrm -.W.-'-'M'"-" 7.S0.14 Slack Tukeleu 10.SS ClferSOfMd 12 Manfflll - -- aw- ... ai,h, ., ten h.,w ViHLaTM BR I . BkVK-HCwaiBiBMr a. RIBBON WINNER One of the 10 blue ribbon winners at South Gate, Calif, art exhibit was an untitled "expression lstlc" black and white painting done by 22-months-old Theresa Bates, shown with her work. "Very sensitive and reminiscent of strange creeping insects" was the way judge Frederick Black, director of the Long Beach Museum of Art, described the work. Some of the artists were so shaken they picked up their entries and went home. (UPI) jiuMLHji u iMiaj run vnu-H-uHn JHfinuj; SAVE $100 ON THIS HOOE CAPACITY FROST-FREE REFRIGERATOR FREEZER! c05L-a.-.! I ..lA NATIONALLY ADVERTISED AT 399.95 . . . NOW Modern Design . . less than 30" wide! Acrylic exterior! Porcelain interior! Deep door storage for eggs, bottles, frozen juices, cans and ice cream! Big twin vegetable crispers! MeMi0eWw, Lk UcPSTAIRSI Oiant lOcu. Proa-Fr Rafrlgceroterl DOWNSTAIK5I Giant 171-lb. Pro(t-Fr FrMtarl Pay Nt Meney Dawn with HANDY CHAR6E 299 95 Sale Low Bids Opened For Astoria Bridge Salem- OT' Two low bids totaling nearly $14 millon for completion of the major part of the Astoria-Mcglcr bridge were opened Wednesday by the State Highy Commission. An apparent low bid of $10,121,862 for construction of the super-structure was submitted by U.S. Steel Corp, American Bridge Division, Portland. On the Dcsdcmona-Sands viaduct portion of the bridge, Pomcroy and Gerrick Co., San Francisco, submitted an apparent low bid of $3,777, 140 on alternate "A" and an apparent low bid of $3,870, 140 on alternate "B". Both alternates call for span construction using pre stressed beams, but the first calls for a pourcd-in-placc deck and the second for prc casting a portion of the deck slab. City Clock Watchers Complain to Mayor Midvale, Utah-OOT-The city hall clock, which had been running late, was corrected after a complaint to the may or. A petition was sent to May or Henry Beckstead signed by "Official Clock Watchers of Midvale City, Inc." It not ed the clock had been an hour behind, meaning it was hard to tell when quitting time came. GIANT ft. !ICJt Cloto Trim km vT-MSi IaQv Close to Walls, Bushes, etc. Wlierci , , , let edelce 1,400,000 iim:t e. xm" SECT'ON C Medford MEDFORD. OREGON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24. 1M3 DISCOUNT PRICES on Standard Brand PIANOS A NEW POLICY THIS YEAR Factory Priced Up to $930 Now Only $611 to $695 Easy Termi Tool Track-Ins Accepted Erskine's Piano Store 1304 KINGS HWY. PH. 772-4294 HOURS TO S OR ANYTIME IY APPOINTMENT PRICE CUT! Wixard 18" Power Mower 32 l .csy recoil starter! Dependable .'-cycle Clinton Engine! -i cutting heights! 18 turbo-arch blade lifts, grass easy cut! Hush-Tone Muffler for lot Cuts Bos Design Cut IW PAGES 1 to 6 Tribune 1X1717 Half the weight of rubber. Full-flow brajs coupling! Won't crack, roc or peelt 70CUil Vececfl let Chost Keeps cold 4 days on 1 filling! Built-in bottle opener on each end. I Yeef R I V "MWiatlr I Lieahwieiit rlcstk NtM 99 855 Rm. .4I
