Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-07-23
MERLIN.

Pass, spent very enjoyable day last
Sunday at Galedyn, near Hellgate.
Thomas Pearson, recently from
California, has accepted position in
Williamson's blacksmith shop. He
is a good workman and has already
added to the popularity Of that in
stitution.
C. J. Ham, who'has been working
at Medford the past few months,
came up last Sunday and made ar
rangements for the shipment OF sew
eral carloads Of wood, for which he
has found sale in that place.
The surveyors have completed the
plating OF the Turner and Kirkpat-
rick places, south Of town, which are
being cut into 20-acre tracts by the
w. B. Sherman company, who will
place them on the market in a very
short time.
The vacation fever has taken Mer-
lin by storm and the town seems
lonely on account Of the absence Of
so many familiar faces, They have
taken to the hills, the streams, the
coast and the lakes, and are scatter
F.. ed to every point Of the compass.
Frank Thompson has returned
from his trip to Eastern Oregon,
where he went for the purpose Of
purchasing a winters supply Of grain
for his store, From the showing
that has been made this year by our
farmers in the production Of grain
on our valley lands, we predict that
this IS the last year such a shipment
will be necessary.
A few weeks ago II seemed as
though there would be general
exodus Of Merllnites toward the In
dian reservations being opened up
in Washington and Idaho, but when
the time came Adam Schaffer was
the only one who mustered up the
courage to go, A few others are still
talking OF going, but the Rogue
River valley is a hard place to tear
away from.
The boys OF the town have made
start towards brass band. Don
Mnssie has acquired B-flat cornet
and Lee Enyart Is the possessor of a
slide trombone and the noise they
make In their practicing draws O
large crowd OF onlookers who dc
everything they can to encourage
them Their rapid Improvement Is
very noticeable, and from the re-
marks made by the other boys there
will soon be large addition to thelI
number.
The news OF the closing up OF the
Grants Pass booze joints Is a great
satisfaction TO Merlin, and II Is gen.
orally hoped that cleaa sweep will
be made, Since the prohibition law
went into effect year ago, Merlin
has been comparatively free from
even rumors Of the Illegal selling of
liquors and the tone of the town has
materially improved Even the sign
on the vacant building where there
wns formerly n dspensary, has been
erased, and the extremely light pa
tronage given the soft-drlnk estab-
llshment In the town indicates that
the proprietor keeps within the law.
In order to show our confidence In
our belief that Merlin is free from
this Illegal traffic, Il Is being arrang-
cd to offer a reward Of 500 to any
one who can prove that liquor Is
sold or given away IN tho district
Considerable resentment Is OK
pressed by the owners Of the formors'
telephone lines that have recently
been constructed here towards the
Pacific states Telephone company
on account of the delay that com.
pEny has caused In providing switch
inr nriyilcrcs both IN Merlin and
Grants Pass They had am under
standing with a representative OF the
company as to what they could do be-
fore fho gystoms were Installed, but
now that they ave ln the company
seems to be trying TO hold them mp.
Th'ro vs. a growing sentiment toward
changing the system and going It
alone, II seems strange that so
largo mn institution as the Pacific
states cannot see that Il ls suicidal
20 try 10 gougo even 80 small an ag-
proentlon az few Merlin farmers,
for IN this American country some
way will be found 20 get out from
under with proper handling there
never would have been but one tele-
phone system In the country, but Just
such treatment os this has caused In
dependents TO spring up all over
Tho Pickett Creek district IL show
ing q noticeable activity In mining