Newspaper Clippings

Transcribed by the volunteers at GenealogyTrails.com



COOS BAY ITEMS

Says our Empire City correspondent under date of April 22d:

   Sampson Bros new tug building at San Francisco is expected here in six weeks.
   On the 15th inst the weekend schooner Jennie Thelin was placed on Luse's [Willian A. Luse] ways for repairs.
   The Arago Lodge I.O.O.F. will celebrate on the 27th (today) by a procession and ball.
   Twenty Passengers arrived per ----- on the 17th inst. Eight passengers were landed at Port Orford.
   The steamer L--p-- took away on her last trip to San Francisco 5200 pieces of last wood, 470 tons of coal and 200 boxes of apples.
   The amount of money apportioned to support the several school districts in this county for the year ending March 1st, 1874, was $2 ----/
   Bay City [a.k.a. Eastside] is the name given to the new town opposite Marshfield. Improvements are in order and we may soon see wharves, hotels, stores, etc. spring up.
Morning Oregonian, Portland, Ore. April 27, 1874


Bandon Recorder -One day last week, while quarrying foundation stone at Two-Mile, T.W. Crook and Jimmy Averill brought to light a most interesting fossil in the shape of a fish, which was imbedded in the solid sandstone.

The Oregon Southern Packing company filed articles of incorporation last week. The incorporators are G.W. Loggie, S.H. Hazard and Fred Schetter, and the capital stock is $50,000. The company intends packing fish, clams, and fruit of various kinds.
Morning Oregonian, Portland, Ore. December 18, 1886

Killed a Man for 75 Cents
Coquille, Or., Sept. 11.-A. Webster, proprietor of the Ocean House, shot and killed George Fales, a waiter, during a quarrel about 75 cents which Fales claimed was due him. Threats of lynching Webster are heard.
Aberdeen Daily News, Sept. 11, 1891


Amusement for the Baby
Myrtle Point, Or., - Mr. Waldrige [Waldridge] surprised his baby Sunday night. He didn't intend to surprise it; he intended to amuse. He had been to church, and on reaching home drew his revolver from his pocket to put it away. Baby reached for the weapon. If baby wanted it, baby must have it, so papa took out the cartridges - every one of them - and then to show baby how to operate the toy, he pulled the trigger. That was where the baby was surprised! It would surprise any baby to see its papa shoot the cook stove on a quiet Sunday night with an unloaded revolver, when the cook stove was quietly pursuing its vocation and digesting hard wood at the rate of an armful an hour.
Myrtle Point West Oregonian, Dec. 9, 1891


Life Savers Drowned
Coquille City, Ore., April 13 - While the life saving crew at Bandon was practicing yesterday afternoon the boat capsized and Captain Nelson and three of the crew were drowned.
Idaho Daily Statesman, April 14, 1892


Recent high water on the Coquille River in Oregon played havoc with Coos Bay and Roseburg railroad for a distance of eighteen miles. At last report driftwood was piled up along alone the line of the road the greater part of the way from Cedar Point to Myrtle Point and in many places only one rail could be seen. It is generally believed that there will be no trains running to Myrtle Point for a number of months. The flood has damaged the road many thousands of dollars but the exact amount will not be known until the waters have receded.
Salt Lake Daily Tribune Newspaper, December 12, 1893


Daring Robbery
Two masked robbers extorted $180 from Levi Grant, who lives near Myrtle Point, Coos county, by holding him in a blazing fire till he disclosed its hiding place.
The Mountain Democrat, Placerville California, February 26, 1898


Farm Employee Killed and Robbed of His Earnings Near Coquille City
    MARSHFIELD, Or.- May 23.—News has reached here of the discovery near Coquille City of the body of E. E. Daly, who evidently had been murdered for his money. Jesse McQuigg while walking on the railroad at Cedar Point saw a man digging in the "brush, and an investigation later resulted in the discovery of Daly's body, buried just below the surface. There was a bullet hole in the back of the head. Daly came from Blackwell, Oklahoma, and had been working several months for a Coos River farmer. He was paid on Thursday, receiving $170. No money, was found on the body.
The San Francisco Call, San Francisco, May 26, 1901


EXPELLED FROM COMMUNITY
Oregon People Have No Patience With Anarchist Sympathizers
    Marshfield, Ore., Sept. 18-John Peterson, a foreigner, who claims to be a Norwegian, was run out of Marshfield today on account of utterances derogatory of the late President McKinley. A party led by business men visited Peterson's residence last night with the intention of administering a coat of tar and feathers but he refused to come out and the attempt was abandoned. This morning he came down town and was immediately taken into custody by a committee of citizens.
    Tar and feathers were in readiness in a warehouse but the committee finally gave him one minute to make his choice between tar and feathers of leave the country within five hours. He chose the latter. Two men living on Coos river, are reported to have expressed satisfaction at President McKinley's assassination. A party has been formed to visit them tomorrow.
Idaho Daily Statesman, Boise City Idaho, September 19, 1901


CAPTAIN OF THE SCHOONER ADVANCE DROWNED ON COQUILLE RIVER BAR
J. Jorgensen Is Washed From the Deck of Tugboat and After a Gallant Struggle for Life in the Boiling Waters is Picked Up by a Lifeboat Crew Only to Collapse Later and Die in the Arms of His Rescuers
    WORD was received yesterday of the death by drowning of Captain J. Jorgensen, commander of the big schooner Advance and one of the best known skippers on this coast. The fatality occurred October 12, on the Coquille River. Captain Jorgensen was washed overboard from a tug which was assisting the steam schooner Chico over the bar. A powerful man and a strong swimmer, Jorgensen made a gallant battle tor life, but when picked up by the life boat dispatched to his rescue he was terribly exhausted and apparently in a dying condition. He lest consciousness soon after being taken out of the water and in spite of heroic efforts made to revive him collapsed and died. His home was at Bandon, Ore., where he leaves a wife and four children. He had been for more than ten years in the employ of C. F. Doe, in whose esteem the dead sailor stood high. Jorgensen was about 40 years of age.
The San Francisco Call, San Francisco, October 15, 1903


SPARK SETS MINE ON FIRE
Serious Blaze in Coal Workings at Coquille City, Oregon
Coquille City, Oregon, Oct. 8 - Miners just arrived from the Beaver Hill coal mine say that an electric spark from a motor on the sixth level caused an explosion which seriously burned the motorman and another man and set fire to the entire mine.
   The Beaver Hill mine is one of the richest coal properties in this State, and if the conflagration is as serious as reported the damage will run in the millions.
The Philadelphia Inquirer, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, October 9, 1904


Man is Cut in Two by Train
Coquille, Or., Feb. 4. - As he was about to board the train to Marshfield to meet his wife from San Francisco, J.O. Christie was run over and instantly killed at the depot at 11 o'clock this morning. Christie was superintendent of the Coquille Coal and Lumber Company and came here from San Francisco. Mrs. Christie was due at Marshfield tomorrow on the steamer Breakwater.
   Standing on the track as the train was backing down to the depot, Christie gave no sign of hearing the ringing of the engine bell. He did not move until the rear car was upon him, when he tried to leap to safety, but was knocked down and his body cut in two by the car wheels.
The Evening News, San Francisco, California, February 4, 1905


LETTER FROM L. C. BARGELT TELLS OF QUAKE EFFECT. IT WAS NOT FELT IN OREGON
Former Norfolk Newspaper Man is Now Located at Myrtle Point, Oregon, Where He Has Charge of a Thriving Country Newspaper Plant.
L.C. Bargelt, formerly a member of The News staff, but lately of Marshfield, Ore., has moved to Myrtle Point, twenty-eight miles from Marshfield, and is now in charge of the Myrtle Point Enterprise at that place. His letter contains interesting features concerning the country and also concerning the effect on that section which will be felt as a result of the earthquake. Following is a portion of the letter:
   I am here to take editorial charge of the Myrtle Point Enterprise, having purchased a half interest in the plant. It is the only paper in a town of 800 or 1,000 people, located at the head of navigation of the beautiful Coquille river and the terminal of the only railway in this section of country. The line runs from Marshfield to this place, a distance of twenty-eight miles. It is, I believe, the prettiest little town I ever saw. It is located on a table overlooking the valley and to the east are splendid fir capped hills. It is the trading center of the best farming country in this section of the state, besides having gold mines, lumbering camps, saw mills, cattle ranches and other industries tributary. I like the country and the people and hope I shall be able to build up a fine country printing plant here. I have been making garden, but started in rather late, most of the gardens having been planted in February. I hope to have more time from now on than I had in Marshfield. The boys who have had the paper have been working about six hours a day, and issued quite a creditable little sheet, but I hope to improve it as rapidly as possible. Much of their material is quite ancient, especially their heading.
   Evidence of the generosity and promptness of the people of this section was furnished during the recent terrible San Francisco calamity. The Breakwater, the largest passenger steamer entering Coos bay, left the fated city before the calamity and arrived in Marshfield the day following the quake. A meeting of citizens was called that evening and before the boat left the following morning she was loaded with supplies and provisions for the sufferers and was one of the first to arrive for their relief. The bakeries worked all night making bread and many of the housewives did likewise while the committees, with wagons gathered up the stuff. Eight hundred bags of potatoes, several thousand loaves of bread, a large quantity of meat, bedding, clothing and about $ 4,000 was contributed by this county in the space of a few hours, and it stands ready to duplicate the contribution if necessary. On the Breakwater, coming in, was a cargo of provision for the merchants of this section, but none of it was unloaded, the stuff being all returned to the doomed city. The Coast Mail showed much enterprise, getting a special service and issuing extras, that were taken like hot cakes. I worked all night and am just recovering from my strenuous experience. This is but an evidence of the generosity of the people who are prompt to relieve any case of distress.
   Of the earthquake, but a very sleight tremor was felt in the Coos bay country, and it is the nearest port north that was not affected. It is possible that this country will benefit by the Golden Gate calamity. People who are afraid of quakes will naturally seek a place that has not known them and this is the nearest to Frisco. All that is needed is a transcontinental line to introduce this country to the world and it will come eventually, without a doubt, opening up the vast resources of southern Oregon to the world. People who have not been here have no conception of the value of this country and many who have been born and raised here fail to realize it. The development without a railroad, has been splendid, but it is not a "patching" of what may be accomplished. Its advantages are equal to those of Portland and they seem to fear its rivalry up there and are keeping this country back, but it cannot always do it. I may be considered overenthusiastic but am not different from others who have come in here from states of the east and mid-west. In the matter of climate I hardly think it could be better. It is simply splendid. Hunting for bear and deer and fishing for trout and salmon are among the sports.
The Norfolk Weekly News-journal (Norfolk, Neb.) May 04, 1906, Page 8


Our townsman, Bird E. Nosler, Friday received the sad news of the death of his father, J.H. Nosler, at his home in Coquille, Oregon, on the 4th of this month. The deceased had been a resident of Coquille since the year 1870. He was elected county judge of Coos county in 1874, was re-elected in 1878 and held office for eight years, and was an honored citizen of his state.
Imperial Valley Press, El Centro, California, Saturday, May 11, 1907


Looked to Stars in Murder Scene
    Marshfield, Ore. Oct. 13 - Plans for the deliberate slaying of prominent residents of Coos County with their families were laid by Arthur Covell, 47, a cripple famed as an astrologer, according to his reported confession to authorities here.
       With his 16 year old nephew, Alton Covell, he is held in the county jail after indictment  on a murder charge in connection with the death of Mrs. Fred Covell, Sept. 2, last.
       The nephew, it is said by the authorities, has confessed that he killed his stepmother while under the influence of his crippled uncle. The confession, it is declared, tells how the youth, hypnotized by the bed-ridden man, crept up behind his stepmother the morning of Sept. 2, while she was at work in her kitchen, and clamping an ammonia-soaked cloth over her face, smothered her to death.
       The astrologer, according to his purported admissions and to the confession of the nephew, based his schemes for the killing of Mrs. Covell and for wiping out at least a dozen persons of Coos county, upon the stars.
Fitchburg Daily Sentinel, Fitchburg Massachusetts, October 13, 1923


Coos gets Two New CCC Camps
    Marshfield, Dec. 5 (Special)- Two new CCC camps have moved into Coos county to spend the winter, offering citizens much relief from thier fire worries. The enrollies will build permanent fire trails at several spots in the county where communities may be in danger from possible future outbreaks.
       Both companies are from Texas, each containing 160 men. One is at Coos head, near Coos bay, under Lieutenant Willard D. Barr. The other is at McKinley, replacing a camp that moved out this summer. Sitkum also had a full company camp.
       The Coos head camp, with entirely new men, went into action the day after the men arrived from Texas, protecting the town of Charleston from destruction after two homes had burned.
The Oregonian, Portland, Ore., December 12, 1936


Oregon District Fears Fire, Flood in Wake of Storm
    Portland, Ore.- Road-plows and milder temperatures gave the Pacific northwest partial surcease from traffic-halting snow today but danger of fire and growing fears of flood hung over the storm-battered populace.
       At least six persons have lost their lives in winter's latest assault on the northwest.
       Nine inches of rain fell at Marshfield on Coos bay. Scores of lowland ranchers were driven from their homes. Streets were turned into rivers throughout the area.
       At Bandon, 36 miles southeast of Marshfield, a 3 month old baby was found alive caught on a tree branch near the roof of the home from which flood waters forced a family two hours previously. Water had swept the child out a second story window.
       Floods swept down on Bandon as it was still recovering from the ravages of a forest fire which virtually destroyed the little lumber town last summer.
    In many communities only main highways were passable.
Appleton Post Crescent, Appleton Wisconsin, February 2, 1937


Woman Marches On
Marshfield, Ore., Mar. 22 - Out dated proponents of a masculine world will shudder at this one- a woman has been elected president of the Coos and Curry county bar association. At their annual session in North Bend, Ore., the lawyers chose Mrs. Mable McIntuff of Marshfield as their 1944 chief. The new president has been secretary of the Oregon American Legion auxiliary for many years.
The Daily Courier, Connellsville Pennsylvania, March 22, 1944