Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1911-10-06
THE VALUE OF ENERGY.

Inh VALUE OI hHbhU1.
By an overwhelming majority the
jackson county proposition to issue
$I,500,000 in bonds for the construc-
tiOn of good roads in thai county, was
accepted by the voters and, thus
while the Governor and others were
spending time threshing out a prema-
ture plan for an extra legislative ses-
sion, jackson county solved the prob
lem Of making the best Of the present
law and thus sets the pace for the
balance Of the state According to
the Jackson county plan the proposed
highway to be constructed under the
recent bond issne, will be a trunk
thoroughfare, running north and
south through the center of the
county and connecting the cities of
Ashland, Medford and Grants Pass
with smaller communities adjacent.
In connection with this vote it is
interesting to note that the largest
majorities for the bonds came from
the cities, the opposition generally be-
ing strongest in the rural communi-
ties which, in the event that the
road be built, will profit the most
The only opposition to the bonds
worthy Of note, in the cities, came
from Ashland, where a determined
effort to defeat the issue was appar-
ent long before the election, and it
was in this community that the fight
for and against the proposition was
hottest.
In this connection Ashland only
maintained its reputation and did |
what everybody expected. There are
a number Of citizens in that beautiful |
Southern Oregon city, happily now
IN the minority, who for years op-
posed all attempts at progress and
improvement. They insisted that
paved streets were unnecessary, that
concrete sidewalks were too expens-
i've and that new people would come
there anyway, because of the splendid
climate and other natural advantages.
They slept, like many other Oregon
and continued their
'lumber until, finally, they awoke to
he fact that they had been left so I
FAR behind in the race for CONNER !
nal supremacy that they can only
'lay second fiddle, and a very poor
econd at that, in Jackson county. q
Medford, a flag station and a water 5
ank, when Ashland was the CONNER q
ial metropolis Of Jackson county. b
nd was the largest town in Southern Il
'regon south Of Roseburg, had grown G
nto a metropolitan community while I
ashland still retained its village man a
ers and It's antiquated. back-number b
'ays. Then Ashland awoke. Her a
oosters got busy. They said that Hn
.shland must be up and doing. and Vi
lust improve if she expected TO take n
er place as live western eommun- ST
y. But the knockers. that have
.ndered and obstructed the growth Of m
many Oregon towns. were there in
'mdanee. They objected 10 the |M
odern methods. They didn't want rl
e STREETS paved because they never of
vi been paved. Their fathers got Iu
ong very well with the mud. and ia
ey didn Q see reason for a change. lb,
'ey didn't want a municipal light is
plant, because coal oil was les mr.
peusiye. it dida'; require a bond an
ue, and was good enough. They db
Int want the streets graded. he Inc
ise their fathers had been content tb
climb over them and nobody had ldo
y complained. But new blood and ou
2 energy had invaded the old townla
the new people said they wanted an
see Ashland progress. They had no to
apathy With the old traditions and eD
sshaekism that had held the com 10
nifty in a narrow rut They took lebr
ie IN TIE city. They started agita- i