Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1911-10-20
HOTEL JOSEPHINE BANQUET
Continued from Page ID

cording to your law We replied
We did. that there was no need tc
make the guests use 1t. Then how
about a seven-story building ask
cd Metschan, that coil OF rope In
o room would be thirteen and one
half feet In diameter and there
would be no space In the room for
the guest to go to bed We suggest
cd to Mr.. Metschan that the guest
could sleep inside the coil Of rope.
But he didn't see It that way. Fin
ally, the old bill was killed.
"Then that bed-sheet bill. Every
gentleman Of more length than
breadth wanted hotel sheets to be
nine feet long. The bill passed all
right Then men built like my
friend DR.. Smith and my friend Phil
Metschan asked about these bed
sheets two and one-half feet wide
and nine feet long-how they were
going to cover up. We told them
they could turn the sheet cross wise
Now we have a modern and ele-
giant hotel In our midst and we truly
hope our friends who are respon-
sible for It will prosper"
Toastmaster Hawley arose to say:
THAT was a good speech. | will
tell you how he got 1t. He has stol-
en- Gilkey's funny paper each Sun
day for four Sundays"
II. L. GiIkey.
II have been delegated to respond
to the toast Commercial Club and
Financial Advancement as the
question applies to Grants Pass.
hope can say something on the
subject without running away too
far from the subject, like the cow
boy who lit the grass to get fire
to cook his breakfast OF slapjacks,
and. who had to follow the blaze,
holding the pan over 1t. Asked by
friend II he succeeded in getting
them cooked the knight of the sad
die replied that he did, but he had
to walk back seven miles to the
place Of beginning to get his bron-
cho. | hope won't have to walk
back seven miles In this case.
Grants Pass has shown healthy
growth. / do not believe Grants
Pass Is to make a city of 100000
inhabitants, but | do believe 1t will
make one Of the best cities in Ore
gon. While our enterprises have
shown healthy growth yet we are
apt to neglect those things, those re-
sources right at our very doors.
Sometimes we work up enthusiasm
In meetings and whirl around like
a flying jenny, and make about as
much progress. But comparing
Grants Pass now with Grants Pass
ten years ago we find that ten years
ago we had population of less than
$500, now we have 5000, and
think more. Ten years ago we
had one bank with deposits Of $125,-
600 to $4,000; now we have three
banks with total deposits of from
$S60,000 to $1,000,0OO. Ten years
ago We had no paving and wagons
loaded with tier and half of
wood mlred In our Streets now we
have paving covering a goodly por-
tion OF our streets. Ten years ago
we had two school buildings; today
we have four brick school buildings
which would be credit to a city
many times the population OF Grants
Pass, and high school edflce equal
to any In Oregon outside OF Port
land, There were 500 pupils In our
schools ten years ago; today there
are l400.
7 81 could 30 on and multiply In
stances OF our growth, but | do not
think II necessary.
For the past five years we have
felt the pressing need OF hotel ac-
commodations. In this regard we
have enjoyed, or have had repu-
tation most unsavory, all the way
from British Columbia to Mexico.
When travelling men met on the
road and Grants Pass was mention
cd, there was always someone TO
say don't Al times while | have
been absent from Grants Pass |
have heard rumors about our hotel
facilities that didn't sound like a
n paeau OF praise. At times. did
not want TO tell where | was from
but now ! am proud to be citizen
OF Grants Pass, Also am proud of
the financial condition OF the city
and county. We have no burden
some debt due In the near future
that we canno, take care Of and
we have many resources