Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-05-31
SUPERWQNAN TELLS
OF VICTORY IN OREGON
Miss Fern Hobbs, Once Sec
retary to Governor, Visits
Salt Lake

Under the above heading the Salt
May 27, has the following alleged in
terview with Miss Fern Hobbs, which
if correct shows the little lady has be-
come fully awake to her abilities and
Importance. The Telegram story follows
"What the state of Oregon has been
trying to accomplish for the past twen-
ty five years and failed, one frail lit
tie woman has brought about in less
than nine months.
''And to this woman belongs the
credit of taking from the railroad oc-
topus 100000 acres of land, valued
at more than $50,000,000, and placing
| it in reach of the homesteadeT.
''The little person who was respon-
sible for this reversal of form is Miss
Fern Hobbs, attorney at law, and one
| time secretary to former Governor Os-
wald West of Oregon.
Miss Hobbs is a guest at her Sis
ter s home in Midvale and of friends
in Salt Lake, where she attended school
for number of years. She is one OF
the many noted women of the west
who have been written up and 'pic-
tured' in the national magazines as
one who does things.
"It was Miss Hobbs who, as Govern
or Vests secretary, closed the notorl-
GUS gambling houses and saloons. which
were operating i'll violation of the law
at Copperfield, Ore, after the sheriff
of Baker county and all his deputies,
to say nothing of the town constables,
had rallied, being afraid to enforce the
law.
Was Acting Governor
During the governor s absence and
because of the death of the secretary
of state, Miss Hobbs was for three days
acting governor. of Oregon.
"Since Governor West g retirement
to private life Miss Hobbs has been
admitted to the bar and in the capacity
of attorney she has been employed by
the state on some of its most intricate
cases.
After the attorney generals of Ore
gon for years past had failed to bring
about a satisfactory settlement in the
famous Oregon land grant controversy,
in which the Southern Pacific refused
to return to the government millions
of acres of valuable farming land
which had been granted it when the
country was Just being opened to set
tlement, Miss Hobbs was asked to take
the case.
She has been working incessantly
for the past nine months and she is
now on her way home from Washing
ton, D. c., carrying the gladstone news
that she has successfully combated
that corporation and the state of Ore
gon will be greatly enriched therefrom.
g 'It was Just hard work-that S
all, said Miss Hobbs, modestly, at her
sister s home yesterday.
'' when l took the position as sec
retary to Governor West, and | made
up my mind to do any and everything
that is required in such a position,
continued Miss Hobbs, - was deter
mined that if ! must visit penitenti-
aries, insane asylums, or, in fact, any
where that man would be asked to
do, | would do it.
Beating Gamblers Easy
'''I always felt that since / was
backed by the laws and the state of
Oregon, could do anything | set out
to do. That is why 1 experienced no
great difficulty in closing gambling |
dens in the town of Copperfield. 1t was
not |, but the governor S secretary and
the state of Oregon.
Miss Hobbs, who has spent several |
weeks in Washington, says that in the |
East people are making plans in antic- |
ipation that the war will last indefinite |
Iy. She says the West does not take
the entrance of the United States into |
the European conflict nearly so seri- |
Ouslv as the East.
Around the capitol, she says, the air
Is surcharged with secrecy The SEN
ate gallery is no longer open to the
public, except by pass, and those are
scarce. They are issued for only one
lay.
"'She states that employees in the cap
tol, who have been there for fifty |
years, must have pass to go from
)ne department to another.
II suspect that l will receive
warm welcome when | reach Salem,
,he said, because of the winning of
his case and / would be foolish to say
hat / am not elated at the outcome.
Of course, 1 started out to win, but,
you know, there always are plenty of
hanees to fail.
Miss Hobbs left for Oregon yes