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TALENT NEWS The TALENT NEWS is published the 1st. and l5th. of each month. SUBSCRIPTION RATES. Entered at the Talent Post Office as second FROM OUR SPECIAL REPORTER. While at Central Point not long since I saw the Engineers drive the first survey pin towards laying out the canal to tap Rogue river at the falls, intending to bring an abundance of water to irrigate what is now known as the desert. It will cost considerable money, but will be of immense benefit to the whole county. The gentlemen that have the enterprise in hand are said to he financially able to carry out their plans, but they should have the encouragement of every citizen in the county, no matter what portion of the county he may reside. We had a pleasant chat with an old gentleman on the train, who was just six days from the snow fields of Nebraska. As we rode down from Ashland and could see the green fields around Talent and vicinity he seemed delighted, he casually remarked that he had just finished husking two thousand bushels of corn, and the snow was from a foot to 18 inches deep all the time, and mercury below zero. How would our Oregon boys like that business? I visited the Medford school a few days ago and was very much interested and pleased with the systematical manner in which the school is governed. There is an organized band of music formed from among the members of the school and the children form outside and march double file, into the large hall and separate to their respective rooms to martial music, keeping step; and all is quiet, no jostling or hurry. The desks are not marred nor the neighboring fences or buildings broken or destroyed. Order and system rule complete, which is as necessary to the future welfare of the pupil as book knowledge. It should be the duty of our school board in employing teachers to see that they have capacity and will, to govern with system, as well as ability to impart knowledge. When I saw the two hundred or more bright, intelligent pupils marching, my mind looked forward ten yeas when all these and the numerous others in all the schools of our county shall have become the men and women, who will do the business of the community, and I could not but think that great changes would have to take place in our financial and transportation system, for it will be impossible for so many to find the means of a livelyhood in the same manner that the past generation has. KLAMATH RIVER LOGGING-CAMP ITEMS. Real March weather, consisting of rain, snow, hail, sleet and sunshine alternately every day. The camp is unusually quiet just now owing to a good many men being laid off until better weather. The Pokegama mill whistle is a loud one. It can be heard very distinctly at this camp although we are at least thirty miles distant from the mill. The first log-drive down the Klamath river consisting of over five million feet is almost completed. It's now a demonstrated fact that floating logs down the Klamath river is a decided success, and it is said that logs can be cut, floated and delivered in the mill-pond at Pokegania for less than four dollars a thousand. J. Welborn Beeson, who has been suffering for sometime with rheumatism and kindred ailments resulting from the bad weather, is much better and hopes to be all right again as soon as "ethereal mildness" opens up. Jas. Purves, whose dwelling house was burned on the 20th ult, has transformed a large wood and store-house into a very comfortable, temporary dwelling into which his family moved the fore part of the week. [side 2] EDITORIAL NOTES. Wm. Coy, who murdered a fellow laborer on account of jealousy, was hung in Pittsfield, Mass., on the 3rd ult. Just before the trap was sprung, he stated, through his spiritual adviser, that he had "given his heart to God," that he ''forgave all who had spoken against him," and that he "goes hence with charity for all and with malice towards none." It seems that he had become a devout Christian since he committed the foul deed and of course had evidence satisfactory to himself that he would receive full pardon and forgiveness from his God. If this were true, he was, from a religious point of view, a pure, sinless man. In one sense he was another being. His sins were wiped out; he had received a new heart, a new nature. Was it not a barbarous act to hang him? We are reminded of a similar case: a murderer was duly tried and received sentence of death by hanging. During the criminal's imprisonment he had been converted to Christianity and shortly before his execution made a full confession of his guilt, but said that his sins were all forgiven and that he was a new being. His Spiritual adviser, a majority, of the jury that rendered the verdict, the judge who pronounced the sentence, expressed their belief that the conversion was genuine. Yet the hanging went on! O, consistency thou art a jewel! THE NEW SENATE AND THE BIG PROBLEMS. A corps of New York World reporters recently polled the new senate on some of the great problems of the day. On the repeal of the McKinley Act 41 were in favor, 33 against, 9 non-committal; on the annexation of the Sandwich Islands, 40 were for, 20 against, 23 non-committal; on the repeal of the Sherman Act, 39 were for, 23 against, 16 non-committal. QUICK RESULT. It will be remembered that mention was made in a recent issue of the NEWS of a discussion before the Talent Literary Society of the question of annexing Hawaii to the United States, that the general voice of the society was against the proposed annexation and that the ''powers that be" at Washington were at once notified of such decision. The effect was like magic. The general sentiment of congress was reversed, President Cleveland at once withdrew the whole affair from the senate and the Kanakas will probably have to stay out. See what a first-class Oregon debating so society can do! Don't forget that the Ashland News Stand is the place to subscribe for the various Magazines and Newspapers that you may wish to take. You will thus save cost of money order and postage. Don't forget that E. M. Deauvaul is the Talent shoemaker, and does his work up in good shape, for moderate prices. CALLED AWAY. That Sabbath eve the bells tolled forth. "Among us his work has never tired, No comfort could these sorrows find, He said, the Lord had called him forth. A. MILLSAP, For reliable Fire Insurance, in first-class companies, farmers should call on E. V. Carter at Bank of Ashland. Rates Low. [side 3] OBITUARY. Mrs. B. C. Goddard died on the 18th, ult. and was buried in the Stearns cemetery on the Sunday following. A large number of people, many from a distance, attended the funeral. The following brief address prepared by W. J. Dean was read by Welborn Beeson at the grave:-- Again we are called to pay the last rites that the living can pay to the dead. Again we are brought face to face with a mistery, the solution of which is as far from our grasp to day as it was in the dawn of human intelligence -- the mystery of death, a mystery only equaled by that of life itself. Man advances from helpless infancy to vigorous maturity, dwells for a brief time in the zenith of his powers, then, by reverse steps, decays and dies. As was said of old, "Man wasteth away and where is he?" Ah! that question "Where is he?" is the one question connected with death. Has an answer ever been given that completely satisfies the head and heart? Will the answer ever be given? Will man ever pass into the valley of the shadow of death with a full knowledge of what the end of the journey will be? It will be asked what was the belief of the deceased regarding these ever-recurring inquiries. I will say that she has answered them over and over again, briefly, yet clearly as it is possible to answer them -- she did not know. It is my duty and privilege to state that in matters of religion the departed one was an agnostic. She may have entertained a hope -- that hope, which though banished by reason so often finds refuge in the heart -- of a continued, conscious existence beyond this life, but her religion, if so it could be called, was the religion of humanity. It consisted in doing good, in kindly acts, in alleviating suffering, in sympathizing with the afllicted. The innumerable acts of kindness and charity her self-sacrificing nature for which she was noted, will lovingly linger in the memories of all who knew her as long as life shall last. In sickness she was a willing and devoted nurse, as so many can testify. Ungrateful indeed would be that recipient of her self-sacrificing devotion, in time of need, who would not drop a tear to the memory of the departed. It may be said that she possessed one belief, well defined, unmixed with doubt -- that, if there be a beyond, to do her duty in this life, as she understood it, would be the surest passport into the joys of the next. She was a devoted wife, an affectionate mother, a kind neighbor, a true friend. Patient in suffering, concealing her own ills and sorrows, she shrank from receiving that care and assistence in time of need that she was ever ready and willing to extend to others. Thus she lived and thus she died, And it can with truth be said that the world is better for her having lived in it. Mrs. Dameris Goddard was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, November 13, 1826. She moved with her parents to Ray county, Missouri, when about 9 years of age, and was married to Blin C. Goddard in 1844 -- 49 years ago. In the spring of 1864, she with her husband and four children made the long and tedious journey across the plains to Jackson county, Oregon, locating near Phoenix. Two years later they moved to Wagner creek, where she resided until the time of her death. She was the mother of four sons and four daughters, four of whom are still living, Hendrick, Reno, Mrs. M. H. Coleman and Mrs. W. J. Dean. In early life she was strong, being able to perform a prodigious amount of labor, but about fifteen years ago she became afflicted with heart troubles from which she never recovered and which resulted in her death. For the past 14 months she has lived alternately with her daughters that she might receive their personal care and attention. She gradually grew worse, becoming prostrated about three weeks ago. All was done that loving hearts could suggest and willing hands execute to stay the progress of the disease and alleviate her sufferings. No one could have received more watchful care and nursing. It were fitting that she should have the same loving care and sympathy during her fatal illness that she had willingly devoted to scores of others under like circumstances. "Sweet may she slumber while the ages shall roll; [side 4] TALENT NEWS. LOCAL ITEMS. Remember the social dance at the U. M. L. this evening. Nice new board fences going up in every direction in and about Talent. Grant Rawlins is teaching a three-month's term of school at Brownsborough. Several from this vicinity were in Jacksonville this week to square up their indebtedness to the county. Arthur Abbott started for Pokegama, Cal., last week, where he expects to be employed for the season. G. H. Lynch, who has been quite feeble for several months is seen again on our streets, much improved in health. Robt. Purves, who has been over on Applegate for several months, came home when he heard of the burning of his father's House. He will return tomorrow. Jesse Adams made four trips on foot to Talent in one week recently and found a pocket knife each trip but one. That's what we should call monotonous luck. Anyhow it was a good week for finding jack-knives -- and losing them. The literary society, which temporarily lost its grip on account of the wretched roads and weather, is again in full blast. The meeting on Friday evening of last week was very enjoyable. The exercises were voluntary and consisted of songs, speeches, recitations, etc. A certain company of capitalists, who are engaged in prospecting a ledge not a hundred miles from Ashland, are not experts in the science of mineralogy and depend upon their foreman for instruction. The latter is giving them some new terms. Noticing a strange substance in a piece of rock they hurried to their teacher for information concerning it. He gravely informed them that it was "cloride of assessment, a very valuable metal." HORRIBLE ACCIDENT! A party of young people from Talent were out riding on the Ashland road late last evening and were just nearing the railroad crossing at Wyants when a train was seen coming rapidly round the curve at the north. It was too late to turn and the driver plied whip to the horses in an attempt to cross ahead of the train, but the young horses, taking fright at the shrieking of the locomotive, became unmanagable and overturned the carriage directly upon the track. In another instant the engine, like a devouring monster, rushed upon the struggling mass of -- April fools, would ye wisdom choose? On the 19th ult, the day that the funeral of Mrs. B. C. Goddard took place, a couple of sneak thieves, taking advantage of the circumstances, went to the home of Mr. Goddard and stole all the eggs to be found about the premises. We were aware that there were some tough hoodlums in this part of Jackson county, but it was hard to believe that anyone could be found so wanting in every element of honor and decency as to deliberately take advantage of such an occasion to engage in sneak theiving. The parties are "located" however, for they either felt too secure or were not adepts at calculating on the circumstantial evidence that might crop out, and it might not be healthy for their constitution and by-laws to be seen prowling about Mr. Goddard's barn in the future. We spent a few hours in Medford one day this week and were pleased to note the general energy and enterprise displayed by its leading business men. The town is not "booming" yet it is growing rapidly and will continue to grow. Of course we took in the Mail office and succeeded in appropriating about a half hour of the editor's valuable time for which we should have received a "printers blessing," but Bro. Bliton was genial indeed, showing us through the printing room and giving us odd bits of information that we can make good use of. We don't know whether to congratulate Medford on its good fortune in capturing such an entergetic newspaper man, or Bro. Bliton for having cast his lot in so thriving a town, but congratulations should come in somewhere. While in Medford we added to our subscription list the names of A. W. Tayler, of the leading boot and shoe store; Davis & Pottenger, dealers in groceries and crockery; G. J. Woody, of the firm of Bess & Woody, butchers; and J. W. Lawton, the Medford harness maker. |