Roseburg review. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 1885-1920, 1885-09-04
FROM JOSEPHINE COUNTY.
What aa UnPrejsdiced Taxpayer Has to
Say About Grants Pass.


EDITOR REvIEw:-As citizen of Jose
phlne county, have taken some little interest
an trying to find out the straight of this matter
about selecting the site of county buildings
In the first place, Grants Pass was not sny
choice for the county seat and therefore did
not vote for it. The election, however was
fair one and regularly conducted, and Grants
Pass, not ''the town Of Grants Pass" was
the successful candidate. There is no candid
man in Josephine county that will say that
Bournes, Willis, or any body else's addition
or survey of said town was ever discussed be-
fore the election. The fact is, the plain, SEN
sible men-not lawyers nor speculators-in
speaking of Grants Pass understood it to in
clude all that settlement that grew up around
and about the old stage station, including all
the business houses within a range of mile or
SO. Nobody voted for any particular place or
pot in Kerbyville, Wilderville or Grant S
Pass; let alone locating it on particular block
in portion of Mr.. Bourne's site, which other
wise would always be a keepsake in the hands
of real estate agents. The selection of the
ground for the court house and jail belongs
entirely to the County Judge and Commission
ers, and nobody but hairs splitting lawyers and
mischief making spectators have cheek
enough TO contend to the contrary. We have
sense enough to know that children called
twins are not born at exactly the same time,
f1 oU {la
belong to the same family. If any portion Of
this little community has any superiority over
another it would be the old station, where
there was store, hotel, blacksmith shop, post
office, (called Grants Pass long ago, before
Oregon ever knew a railroad, and perhaps be-
fore the British lion ever found out that Johna-
than Bourne, Jr., was one of its cubs, or be-
fore the Courier crowd ever thought that Sol.
Abraham was sharp enough to capture a
whole county court). repeat | have tried to
find out the merits in this matter and find that
there 'sain't any merits" about it. The county
court was compelled to have done as il did do,
or its officers would have been false to their
oaths. have read Mr.. Bourne's letter to the
County Board, wherein he offers block of
land and $500 if they would locate the build
ings upon his part of Grants Pass. In this he
did not claim that his survey was the only one
to be considered. Then he cajoled, after
wards resorted to threats and followed it all
up with a lawsuit, to be succeeded with a
grand finale of fizzle. Mr.. Abrahams offer
was four times as munifcent, and as a mere
matter of sound business policy, was accepted.
In this connection we cannot but suggest that
Mr.. "Fair Play" has been wretchedly imposed
upon as to Mr.. Abraham's responsibility
probably for the purpose of identifying him.
His representations upon this point is con-
tradicted by the records of Josephine county.
Mr.. Abraham did not deal in mere paper, but
in cash-gold- ld-money that jingles: and in SOL
emn deeds of conveyances that speak in no
uncertain words. 1t has taken your CORE
spondent one day to find this all out, and as it
is matter of official record, will give Fair
Play s.Justice" and the Courier from now on
until the crack Of doom to refute it. Before
doing SO they will take trip to that ''Bourne"
whence no traveller returns. So, then, say,
ta-ta, vale. TAXPAYER.
-ALTHoUsE, Aug. 80, 1885.