R. PRYCE, M.D.                                             E. P. GEARY, M.D.
Williams' Building.                                   Residence on C St.
PRYCE & GEARY.
PHYSICIANS AND SURGEONS.
Medford, Oregon.
Offices in Williams' Brick Building, Upstairs.

    Our citizens held a large and enthusiastic meeting at the town hall last Monday evening, at which the proposition to connect Jacksonville with the O.&C.R.R. by rail was thoroughly discussed. After considerable desultory talk it was agreed that a company with a capital stock of $25,000 be organized, to inaugurate this enterprise, shares to be $1 each, and a committee was appointed to solicit subscriptions to the same. A portion of this committee has been actively engaged in the work for the past few days and are succeeding admirably. When we went to press over $15,000 had been subscribed, and the prospects were favorable that our hopes would be realized. The town government cannot legally become interested in this project, but will no doubt render valuable assistance in its consummation. The people of Jacksonville are to be congratulated upon their enterprise and staying qualities. In less than a year they will probably have a railroad of their own, when a new era of prosperity and improvement will dawn. There is no computing the benefit a branch railroad will be, and without we would ultimately lose our importance as a business center.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, January 7, 1887, page 3



    A citizens' meeting was held Monday, January 4, 1887, in the town hall of Jacksonville, to devise a way or means of connecting the town with the main line of the O.&C.R.R. Judge Day was elected chairman and J. Nunan secretary. On motion a committee of five persons was appointed to open stock books and solicit subscriptions to the capital stock of the Jacksonville Branch O.&C.R.R., said stock being  25,000 shares of the value of $1 per share. The committee have already secured over $15,000, with a good number of people yet to hear from.

JONES--In Medford, Jan. 11th, to Mr. and Mrs. Geo. E. Jones, a son.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, January 28, 1887, page 3


    Mr. Stockton, recently foreman of the now-defunct Medford Monitor, was in Albany Monday. Medford is now without a newspaper, and is at a standstill.
"Social and Personal," Albany Democrat, January 28, 1887, page 3

MARRIED.

MEDFORD SQUIBS.

Big Sticky Items.

VALENTINE.

THE BRANCH RAILROAD A NECESSITY.

Railroad Meeting.

FROM JACKSONVILLE.
A Branch Line of Railroad--the City Election.

    Pursuant to call of the chairman, a meeting of the citizens of Jacksonville was held in the town hall Monday evening , February 28th.
    Frank Huffer, civil engineer, to whom the contract for a preliminary survey was given, made his report of the two routes surveyed, viz: From Jacksonville to Medford and from Jacksonville to Central Point; also estimated cost of construction, including rolling stock, etc.
    On motion of Mr. Klippel, Mr. Huffer's report was accepted and ordered placed on file.
    Messrs. Hanna, Klippel, Maegly and Merritt addressed the meeting.
    On motion, it was decided that articles of incorporation be entered into and filed with the Secretary of State, to build the Jacksonville branch of the O.&C.R.R., with the following persons as incorporators: A. L. Reuter, Will Jackson, Max Muller, Henry Klippel and J. Nunan.
    A vote of thanks was extended Mr. Huffer and his corps of assistants for the able and satisfactory manner in which they discharged their duty.
    A motion to adjourn, subject to a call of the chairman, was carried.
S. J. DAY, Chairman.
J. NUNAN, Secretary.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, March 4, 1887, page 2


    Miss Janie McClendon, who has been a resident of this place for several months past, has returned home.
    A majority of our citizens are now of a religious turn of mind, and amusements will be below par until a change occurs.
    The roads between this place and the county seat never were in a worse condition than at present. It is a shame that such should be the case.
    Chas. W. Wolters, the enterprising proprietor of the bakery in this place, was in Jacksonville last Tuesday on business. He established a depot for his bread at the S.F. Variety Store in that place.
    Our citizens should not fail to secure connection with the proposed Jacksonville branch railroad, as it will prove quite beneficial. It will be a sad mistake to allow any other point to be one of the termini of that road.
    Under the revised Medford charter all business houses, etc., will be licensed in order to raise the required revenue for maintaining our town government. The street commissioner will be chosen by the trustees, instead of being elected by the people, which will be found a very tame proceeding.
    Attention is called to the advertisement of Chas. W. Wolters, who not only furnishes this market with the best of bread and pastry, but keeps a first-class stock of fancy groceries, provisions, tobaccos, cigars, candies, nuts, etc., besides. If you want anything in his line don't fail to give him a call, for he will please you.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, March 4, 1887, page 2


    According to the report of Frank Huffer, engineer in charge of the preliminary work on the proposed Jacksonville branch railroad, it will cost the sum of $29,103.04 to build said road to Medford and $27.973.55 to build it to Central Point. These figures do not include freight charged on the O.&C.R.R. on rails, fastenings, motor and flatcar, neither the cost of the right-of-way, which will be inconsiderable, owing to expected concessions. Manager Koehler of the O.&C.R.R. estimated that the cost of building and equipping this line would be between $35,000 and $38,000, which is generally considered much too high. In our next issue we hope to be able to give a detailed statement of the estimates of both Messrs. Koehler and Huffer.
    At the meeting held last Monday evening Mr. Huffer's report was accepted, and a resolution passed to enter into articles of incorporation. Messrs. Nunan, Reuter, Klippel, Jackson and Muller have been designated as incorporators and the capital stock has been placed at $30,000. Two different sets of incorporation papers have been signed--one designating Medford as the terminus, the other naming Central Point. The route and town which offers the greatest inducements will be selected, and soon, too. The incorporators met Wednesday afternoon, and it was decided that two of them should interview the citizens of Medford, two the people of Central Point, while the fifth (Mr. Nunan) will endeavor to interest the wholesale merchants of Portland and San Francisco in our enterprise. Correspondence has also been opened with the S.P.R.R. Co., which will probably soon have control of the O.&C.R.R.
    Thus have the first steps toward the consummation of Jacksonville's most important enterprise been taken. It is sincerely to be hoped that such harmony and good judgment will prevail as to ensure success. There should be an entire absence of opposition that is not well founded, for a house divided against itself must certainly fall.
    About $18,000 has been subscribed to the capital stock of the railroad, and enough more has already been promised to make the sum $20,000. No doubt several thousand dollars will be subscribed by wholesale merchants in Portland and San Francisco, while other pecuniary assistance will be received from different sources.
    We consider that success is certain, if those most deeply interested are true to themselves, the welfare of our town and that of the people in general. That the branch railroad will be of great benefit to us all none can successfully dispute, and that our prosperity and importance as a trade center depends on rail connection with the O.&C.R.R. is equally as incontrovertible.   
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, March 4, 1887, page 3

JACKSONVILLE'S RAILROAD.
Bright Prospects for a Branch Line to Connect with the O.&C.
Jacksonville Times.

MEDFORD SQUIBS.

Frederick Barneburg to I. J. Phipps, property in Medford; $150.
The Oregon & Transcontinental Co. to Mary E. Gore, property in Medford; $125.
Walter S. Gore to Mary E. Gore, property in Medford; $50.
I. J. Phipps to George S. Walton, property in Medford; $376.15.
Oregon & Transcontinental Co. to Harriet B. Stanley, property in Medford; $200.
E. P. Geary to H. F. Wood, property in Medford; $75.
I. J. Phipps to Catherine Soren, property in Medford; $20.

    Spikenard has a new postmaster, Elias C. Benham having been appointed to succeed Scott Morris.
    Geo. Freeman has sold his fine team to the railroad company and ceased the freighting business.
    The Jacksonville branch railroad is not dead, nor even sleeping. It is necessary to our town's future prosperity.
    The property belonging to P. C. and Mary E. Witison, situated near Medford, and sold at sheriff's sale last Saturday, was bid in by Joseph Gaines, for $829.
    Notwithstanding that two or three of our citizens are throwing cold water upon the branch railroad scheme it is still prominent in the minds of the balance of the people. Nearly everybody considers that Jacksonville will be greatly benefited by it.
    D. Loring's red Irish setter, which jumped from the top of Labbe's four-story block at Portland a few days since, is recovering from his injuries and will be all ready for business when the grouse crop is ripe. The fact of the animal falling on the old, mossy, springy roof of a shed probably saved his life.
"Here and There," Democratic Times, Jacksonville, April 22, 1887, page 3

which has a reputation second to none.  Also, agent for the
of Rockford, Ill., manufacturers of Reapers, Hay Rakes and Mowers with spring attachments by which it carries the weight of the bar on the drive wheels, giving a cutting power greater than any other Mower, with less draft, and the only machine with Sickle Edge Guard Plates, which prevents the grass from slipping forward when the section strikes it, besides having the only guard that sharpens itself by use.
    Also manufacturer's agent for
celebrated standard Reapers, Mowers and Steel Wheel Hay Rakes of different lengths.
    Also manufacturer's agent for the
goods of Dubuque, Iowa, known the world over as the best ever made.
    All these goods are manufactured expressly for the Coast trade and shipped through by the low freights, enabling me to sell at very low prices. Call and see me before purchasing.

PRUETT--Near Medford, April 11th, to Mr. and Mrs. Irwin Pruett, a daughter.
Democratic Times, Jacksonville, May 6, 1887, page 3




    Medford has a Presbyterian church completed, and workmen are engaged in laying the foundation for a Baptist one.
    Mrs. J. Wimer, of Josephine County, planted orange seeds last fall and now has several fine growing orange sprouts.
    Jacksonville exchange: The cattle in this part of the country are doing very well. Southern Oregon holds its own in that line.
    Mr. R. Biberstedt, of Jackson County, caught a brown bear the other week of an enormous size. It is said the quadruped weighed over 500 pounds.
"News of the Northwest: Oregon," Morning Oregonian, Portland, May 9, 1887, page 4


    Democratic Times: Travel through the valley is perceptibly increasing since the staging was shortened. It is estimated that the trains daily carry about twenty passengers each way when they arrive at Medford for meals.
"News of the Northwest," Morning Oregonian, Portland, May 10, 1887, page 3


    In ten days the construction force of the California & Oregon road will have reached Cole's Station, and trains will then be run to that point. This will reduce the staging distance overland to California to twenty miles.
    Judge Deady has adjourned the United States courts until Friday, and in the meantime will take a trip over the O.&C. to Ashland, to take a look at the road which has so long been under his control through the medium of a receiver.
    Ashland Tidings: Mr. and Mrs. Van Dunlap and children came in from Klamath County last week to remain a short time in this valley. A few days ago Dr. E. P. Geary, of Medford, removed the injured and sightless eye of their eldest daughter, a little girl of three or four years. Her eye was punctured by the sharp point of a pair of scissors some two years ago, and it was thought best to remove it entirely. The little one is doing well since the operation.
    Byron Cole, of Ashland, was badly hurt at the little staging station of Kingsbury the other day. Just before the stage started out of the barn he climbed to a top seat. The crossbeam of the shed is too low to permit persons to ride under it on top [of] the coach, and Mr. Cole was struck by the beam as the stage passed under. He was knocked backward upon the top of the stage, but rode on up to Barron's where, the pain being so great, he was forced to stop and send for a doctor. Upon examination it was found that Mr. Cole had four or five ribs broken close to the breastbone, his collar bone broken near the shoulder, and the breastbone depressed upon one side.
"State and Territory," Oregon Statesman, Salem, May 12, 1887, page 1