Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1902-08-01
THAT KERRY BILLIARD TABLE.

ing town of kerbyville, in Josephine
county and the story of the billiard
table that started it; the first billiard
table, so the story goes, that was
brought into Oregon. The interesting
story of the table is as follows:
The same wild stampede of gold
hunters that fiocked to California dur
ing the "'49 days, :" streamed over the
Siskiyous and poured into Southern
] Oregon in 1851. Gold was discovered
along the Rogue and Illinois rivers
and all of their tributaries. Along
every stream the gold-diggers swarm.
ed and millions in little grains were
Graded from the auriferous gravel
beds in few brief months. Towns
sprung up, mushroom like, in night.
Among these was Althouse. This
town soon beanie seething center of
many thousand gold-excited men.
Gambling dens, saloons and dance
halls it possessed by the score. The
proprietor of one of these was Jew,
known as Jake" in the camp. Jake,
like most Hebrews, was most enter
prising Jew. He was always awake to
new attractions for his Joint" in his
endeavor to get ahead of his COM
petitors of robbing the poor miners of
their hard earned dust.
Jake conceived the idea of getting
billiard table for his place of
business. 1t would have been just as
easy to have got an elephant, but
Jake was not the sort of man to let
difficulties bother him. The nearest
billiard tables were in San Francisco,
To get one would require its being
shipped to Crescent City by steamer
and then brought over the narrow
mountain trail to Althouse ON the
back of pack pony. After trying
nearly all of the packers in California
and Oregon, Jake at last found man
who would agree to undertake the
task. This packer was Spaniard
named Martinez, called Marti by the
miners. The pride of Marti's heart
was his pack mule, Anita. Marti
said that if Anita could not bring
the table over the mountains there
would be no chance for the next one
Accordingly Marti contracted to
bring the table over and was at .Cres-
cent City with Anita when the steam
er arrived.
Anita had packed many loads in
her time, but she staggered sidewise
when led up along side the big bill
lard table. The old mule got an
idea into her head at once that she
was going TO be imbposed upon.
Eight big men lifted the table to
lower it on Anita's back, but when it
came down Anita wasn't there. She
had side-stepped She absolutely re-
fused to carry the big package. all
of Marti's persuasion, arguments and
"cuss words" failed to impress the
old mule that it would be an easy
thing to get the table over the trail.
As last resort, rope and tackle
were brought into use. These were
fastened to the limb of a big oak and
the table raised aloft, Anita was led
in under and before she was aware the
pack was placed. Anita fairly stag
gered under her big load but she stood
up under it without a murmer. She
was started over the trail in the lead
of train of mules, and held her place
with no seeming difficulty. When
night came she was run up under a
tree, the rope and tackle brought out
and her big load taken off. In the
morning the reverse Of this operation
would put the pack in place again.
All went well for three days; but on
the evening Of the fourth Anita didn't
stop and run up under a tree as she
had previously done She kept right
on when the remainder of the train
halted for the night Marti did not
stop her as lac said the old mule had a
head of her own and knew what she
was doing. He concluded that Anita
had decided on force. march in order
to get through to Althouse that night.
She was evidently getting tired OF
her load and waited to get through
and be rid of it,
But Anita miscalculated hei
ability. The poor old mule was over
taken on the road next day, just nine
miles from Althouse. She was lying in
the middle Of the trail, with the great
pack on her back, asleep-that lonG
and peaceful sleep, from which NJ
mule has ever been known TO awake.
Anita, faithful Anita was game to Tia,
last So long as strength remained
she bore her heavy burden. Deatl
held her up nine miles from Althouse,
Marti cursed and cried by turni
when he found the pride Of his hear
dead on the trail He couldn't move
the table any further; there wasn'l
another mule in the whole Northwest
thha could bulge one corner Of it.
He went ON to Althouse and demanded
his money, but the jew would mt pay
ii. Marti had failed 20 deliver the
table. Marti told Jake what he
thought Of him and gave his opinion
of the Hebrew race in general, but Il
did no good.
An idea occurred to Marti II wa'
happy one 10 him and he decided "a
carry II out. He went back to his
billiard table, built a saloon around
IL, advertised grand opening" and
got ready for the rush With the only
billiard table north Of San Francisco
as a drawing card, the Althouse
iointgn were completely out Of bugi.