Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1912-09-27
"UNCLE Bob" 20 YEARS
T.. NJ, QUITS HIS JOB.

Uncle Bob" Cook, the hero OF the
following tale from the Gold Hill
News, is well known throughout the
entire valley. a daughter, Mrs.
henry Woolridge, and two grand
sons, the Cook Brothers OF the Ber-
lin Dye Works, are residents of this
city:
Uncle Bob Cook, Oldest post
master in Oregon and hearty as a
pine tree, has notified the department
at Washington of his desire to leave
the service, and devote the remainder
of his youth to the joys of a carefree
existence in the country of his earlier
choice-sunny southern Oregon. Al
though he has not yet received his
release. the establishment of the ru-
raj free delivery service to Foots
creek on November 1st will abolish
the little inland office of Draper,
where Uncle Bob has sorted mail
since Sc, and the usual departmental
red tape of appointing a successor
will be dispensed with.
The mere fact that Uncle Bob has
served as Diapers postal factotum
for twenty-six years might well es-
tablish his claims to the fraternity Of
old pioneers, did not his right to this
distinction bear a still more ancient
date. A native son of Tennessee, he
formed one of that advance guard Of
hardy heroes who crossed the great
plains long before the first steel was
laid-making the journey by plod-
ding progress of an OK team and ar
irving in Salt Lake City on August
/ 9th, 1853. In 1859 the young pio-
neer came to this section, and estab-
lished himself upon ranch at Drap-
er in 1865, where he has since con-
tinuously resided. Under Slas Drap-
er, whom the oldest of old timers will
remember, he served as postmaster
of Draper from "a to 'S6, receiving
the appointment himself in the lat
ter year.
when in reminiscent mood Uncle
Bob can delve into the annals of the
past and produce much unrecorde
and interesting history of the old
days He was one of the first miners
to reach the famous Steamboat dig
gings on the Applegate in 1860 and
his relation of how the stirring old
camp came by its name is character
istic OF the time in which the incident
occurred. Two miners, Dutchmen
and brothers, were working small
property on the Applegate. one Of
them had joined the rush to the
I 100000 Gold Hill pocket and in
some manner secured a small sack Of
very rich float Upon his return to
home and brother he displayed the
specimens to three prospecting argo-
nauts, and displayed ignorance OF
the true value of the rock. These
three, miners of long experience lit
orally but secretly went wild at the
prospect and easily persuaded upon
| the possessor to disclose the where
abouts of his find. In the vernacular
of the times the fun-loving Dutchmar
steamboated" the trio, directing
them to the most unlikely spot in the
neighborhood--near the base of .
great rock in the mountains along
Bush creek. Following his directions
and practically at the surface they
disclosed the big Steamboat find,
which passed into the annals of the
west as one of the largest of an era
of large strikes. Bill Billups, Tom
Ferris and George Hinckle, who To-
Gated the Steamboat diggings. are
names that today live only in the rec
objection of Uncle Bob Cook. whose
memory is a store house of bygone
archives when the west was young.
and who is himself just as young as
he ever was"