Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-04-23
IRRIGATION FOR THE
ROGUE RIVER VALLEY
Continued from Page One.l


and spoke as follows:
Mr. President:
did not hear Of your intention to |
celebrate this occasion until this |
morning at Roseburg, where | have |
been attending TO some land cases
Last week was taken sick and when
! found that you were to celebrate
this occasion I rose from a sick bed
determined TO be with you at any
cost 1t has been my pleasure and
pleasant duty to act as the president
Of the Grants Pass Commercial Club,
and | am deeply interested in what
you are doing. This is the greatest
event and will be more far-reaching
in It's results than anything that ever
happened at Grants Pass. Irrigation
will completely reclaim every foot OF
available soil in Josephine County 80
that in a few years the whole valley
will blossom with orchards and vine
yards. The people Of Josephine
County have struggled for years to
better conditions, but today you cast
the die whereby the whole district Is
emancipated and will no longer be
subject to droughts. In the past we
have been conscious OF the presence
OF the "knocker," but from and after
this day 1t will become him to hold
his peace and II he can't say some
thing good about his home town to
say nothing at all, (and holding up a
printed card to the audience, which
read, Boost or be quiet'D. This is
the motto adopted in our Offices ri
the Forestry Reserve and It ought 70
be adopted as our motto at this time
We are living in the beautiful val.
ley OF the Rogue River proper and
are today taking our irrigation wa
ter from the stream Of our own val
ley. Notwithstanding the fact that
some Of our neighborlng cities over
on Bear Creek, one of them twelve
rules and the other 25 miles from
Rogue River would lay claim to be-
ing the Rogue River Valley and even
80 so far AS to propose to put up
signs at Gold Hill and Ashland as
the beginning Of the end OF Rogue
Liver Valley claiming that Grants
Pass Is not to be considered. Just
let them wait until this irrigation
system Is in operation and they will
learn that Grants Pass is to be con-
sldered, and since the real rule Of
progress Is to begin at the lower end
and work up we Will develop our re-
sources In our own way, for We are
the Rogue River Valley proper"
and are entitled TO the full rights
and benefits of the name, and when
the fields and farms about Grants
Pass reach It's ideal development we
Will not shut out our nelghbors on
Bear Creek as tributary benencIares
to the name of the Great Rogue
River valley of which Grants Pass
Is the center and sole city lying along
side and wholly within It's natural
boundary.
Josephine County as whole is the !
richest district in Southern Oregon. !
The finest timber, the richest min
eraI deposits, the richest soil and |
practically the only home of the |
tolIay grape In Southern Oregon
Let us not forget our ncIghborng
valleys. Let us work for the Inter-
est of all the valleys, especially in
Josephine County Let us not speak
disparoglngly Of our nclghhors In
the county adjoining for In doing so
we do ourselves an injury. The
Rogue River Valley should embrace
all It's tributaries and one cannot
speak against the others or any of
them without condcmniug his own
locality, and II * not good thing
any way TO attempt 10 grow hy tear
ing anybody else down The Rogue
River Valley is known far and wide
az the most fertile and productive
In Oregon, and Il ls we'll II the whole
valley be praised by all Let ms re-.
Joice together at the advent OF this
day Let us get together and work
Let us stand shoulder to shoulder In
che great worl, " development which
Is Just begun. Let as exert oursolyc.
In season and ont of season to bring
to the knowledge OF the world the in
hnlte resources Of Josephine County a
Let thcrc be NO one to pull back. but
ever moving onward We are bound to
win u
J thank you for the opportunity " i
saying these few words, witch / as X
sure You como from my heart, but s
which are expressed on the Impulse &
of The moment a
Remarks of Judge Jewell.
Tho next speaker Was Judge y