St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current, 1906-06-29
OF INTEREST
To All Old Timers and New Corners
i'm St. Johns.


front one DAY last week, was walk
ing leisurely along. AS passed
old familiar landmarks my mind
naturally ran in retrospective
channel and ] began to muse on the
changes made by the march of old
Father Time. / went down Fes-
sender street and past what used
to be known as the Byers place. ]
thought of Irijlh Byers, whose
good natured smile and pleasant
Jokes will be remembered by all the
old timers. Next went along
Bradford street and stopped in front
of house wcathcr-beaten by the
wind and rain OF many years. !
thought of the joys and sorrows
that had passed beneath its roof. i
had seen marriages solemnized there
and the young couples start on life $
voyage with joyful anticipation,
soon to be turned TO sorrow by the
homecoming Of the bride a corpse.
1t occurred 50 many times that the
house seems TO have mournful
look. Next ! passed small house
standing OH the corner of the block,
known to old timers as BLACK
Hawk" Mason house--a charac-
ter we'll known to all for his pecu-
liar ways. Then | went down
around the block known as the
Taylor place man known by all
for his many sterling qualities.
Then on around the corner, and ]
look: and what rude awakening |
from my thoughlsl There before
me stands a modern sawmill with |
It's massive timbcrs and myriads OF
men at works Going over to where
q couple of men were saving a tree
wondered where it came from. On
taking second look | saw IL was a
cherry trce---JuOthcr old landmark |
that brought my mind back to a
quarter OF century ago. looked
around and saw IN my mind the
wagons going by loaded with cord.
wood. As they Wended their way
TO the wharf looked again and
saw man standing in front OF the
house under this same old cherry
tree. recognized him at once aS
l.. 4. uirank Smith-the noblest,
most gcncrou, public-s spirited citizen
that ever wal.yd the streets OF ST.
Johns; a man who did more To make
~, Johns what il j, today than any
one else. wish he could have
lived To see the fruits OF his efforts.
Across the street saw another
Did landmark gone-whcre the
founder OF the town lived. saw
him as lac used To- stand-with his
hands in his pockets. his form bent
ind his head bare and bald Any
lne seeing that head would never
.orgct tits peculiar shape aud
,ilc lor so snail a man, The wri-
er has sat aud listened to him tell
II his past, OF the present aud his
lopcs ior the IA ure; OF his past
when hc settled on the banks OF the
when his neighbors
we're the children OF the forest and
he wild animals OF the woods; OF
he present, when he looked around
nd saw the advance of civilization
Is the course of empire westward
ook IL, way. For the future he
aw great things for his iavorite
own; he looked forward To the
ime when there would be a city on
ithcr side 1T the river, aud in view
4 that fact he purchased a block
where the Claremont tavern now
,auds iog a ferry landing,
lett the scenes where 50 many
we're crowding on my
lind, only to be still more remind
Il 10y what saw. stopped where
Ohm Street crosses Bradford, II
,ed To bee Third street. saw the
ld house where b. O. Severance,
he first postmaster and pioneer
manufacturer. used To dispense his
ospitality looked the old street
nj SAW the maple trees that have
rown 50 much in the last quarter
/ a century. Across the same
rect stands the house where Frank
ld Alice IS we used to call them
we'd How many times the entire
opulation has turned ont to the
Ivitaliou ~ kindly given 10y Frank
ld Alice Learned None knew
DIV Ia entertain better.
Just around the corner stood the
d poStottice, where Billy Liver
an used To hand out the mail, aud
nj at the same time story to
hilc away the time. On little
riher, where the old mill used to
and, / saw few at work that old
ners will remember, There was
l.. Smith Ming saws, Levi Tower
oklug after belts, saws and ma
lnery in general, there is Otis
NTH at the resaw and Monahan
iug and doing the blacksmithing,
cross ON the other side | saw c.
, Thayer turning floats,
NorE.-The above was written
one OF the pioneer residents OF
{ city The article is a mental
cord of the observations taken on
recent trip along the water front.
le places described will readily be
,ognlzed by all the older residents
the city. The article will be
ntinued next week.
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