Bissell is at present employed as a janitor in the First National Bank building in this city.
Medford Mail Tribune, April 8, 1912, page 1


    Following an informal reply to a letter sent from the office of the State Immigration Commission, calling attention to a second "famine letter" which had been issued from the Portland Labor Council and published in Eastern papers, A. W. Lawrence has sent to State Immigration Agent. C. C. Chapman a formal letter in which he reiterates his declaration that the Labor Council has not broken faith with the immigration authorities, since the letter was mailed prior to the conference called by Governor West.
    Mr. Lawrence, however, defends the Labor Council in its action in having sent out the letter and asserts that the essentials stated in it are true. He implies that the immigration agent is trying "to inject a two-months-old affair into a political campaign."
    Judge William Colvig, president and manager of the Medford Commercial Club, visiting in Portland yesterday, said that a letter similar to the "famine letter" sent out by the Portland Labor Council was sent out from Medford some time ago, warning people away from that city. Since that time, he says, the movement has fallen into bad favor with many members of the labor associations and that the typographical and plumbers' unions have both withdrawn their support from the campaign of unfavorable publicity, and several other unions have indicated their purpose to do likewise.
Morning Oregonian, Portland, April 10, 1912, page 14

    Along with the reductions in the cost of living in Medford that the public market will accomplish by lowering the cost of produce and meat, should come a reduction in rents, which are too high--higher in many instances than business will justify.
    The shortage in buildings during the period of phenomenal growth of the past five years forced rents in the business district up to exorbitant figures--to far in excess of a reasonable return upon the actual investment. Many of the landlords are trying to secure returns upon an inflated valuation, and by so doing, they are forcing unnecessary hardships upon merchants and through them upon the public--hence retarding the progress of the city.
    The majority of buildings in the business district are little better than shacks remodeled with modern fronts. There are few modern structures. Most of them are owned by the persons who bought them for small sums years ago and have owned them since, but now demand four or five times as much rent as they formerly demanded. As a result, for the first time in the history of the city, there are several vacant stores in the heart of the business district.
    Rents in Medford are higher than in Eugene or Salem, both larger cities. They are almost as high as in Portland. It is an unhealthy condition and should be remedied, and the landlords should be longsighted enough for their own future welfare to see it, and voluntarily reduce rentals, even where they have a lease that works a hardship upon the renter.
    A first-class modern, up-to-date store was recently driven out of the city because of exorbitant rent and the entire stock moved and a new store opened in another town. After remaining vacant for some time, the building was rented at half the amount or less paid by the firm forced out. This should serve as a warning to other landlords, who are likely to find themselves in the same predicament.
    Merchants who tack on excessive profits soon kill their own business. The same holds true of the property owner who demands unreasonable rentals, which must be based upon the business the tenant does as well as upon the original investment. There is no quicker way to kill a city than by driving people away by high rentals and consequent high prices.
Medford Mail Tribune, June 4, 1912, page 4


River Falls Journal, River Falls, Wisconsin, January 23, 1913, page 1

    Oregon and the Northwest are suffering from the effects of land speculation. The era of rapid development of the past decade attracted in its wake a flock of speculators, whose contribution to prosperity consisted in inflating values.
    It is doubtful if any form of gambling is harder upon a country than land gambling. It upsets and unsettles communities. Give a touch of the get-rich-quick magic of buying on margins today to sell at an advance tomorrow, and the individual is spoiled for the humdrum life of toil.
    Land speculation is the same in theory, farther reaching in results, as faro, roulette, poker and other games of chance. It not only demoralizes the individual, but the community as well. It retards rather than builds up, creates a fictitious base and supplants plodding development with feverish expectancy and anticipation, a hectic flush that counterfeits real health.
    Land speculation not only withdraws individuals from useful production, but also land. No permanent prosperity can be built upon the process of swapping property, increasing valuations or staking out town lots. The citizen who lives by a raise in the price of property due to the growth of the community fulfills no useful part in the community's existence--is simply a parasite upon it.
    Inflation of land values is simply trying to discount today the development of tomorrow. The speculator is trying to cash in advance the industry and enterprise of the next decade or two. His contribution to society is no more beneficial than that of any other gambler.
    Productive work is the real basis of prosperity. Land is worth just what it can be made to produce. Without labor it is unproductive and therefore valueless to the community. No one is entitled to more than he creates, but everyone is entitled to all that he creates. But what does the speculator create?
    Every section has to go through the land speculative era--sometimes several succeeding speculative crazes. After artificial inflation has had its day, there is always the reaction--the period of depression--and the community is then in much better shape, much healthier, much sounder. When the artificial inflation has been squeezed, and people cease trying to live without labor, cease discounting the future and get "down to brass tacks," quit grafting and go to work, then the community has an assured future--and the sooner it realizes this the better.
    The entire Pacific coast country is going to have a phenomenal development during the next decade, following the completion of the Panama Canal, the San Francisco exposition and the railroad and highway development in prospect. But care should be exercised in every community to make prosperity permanent by preventing land speculation and inflation, that the future may not be too far discounted and that there may be no prolonged period of depression following.
Medford Mail Tribune, March 18, 1913, page 4





    Rogue River Valley in general and Medford in particular should and will enjoy a most prosperous year in 1914. Our lands are maintained at good prices, none of our first-class orchard properties are offered at a price less than in 1910. The fruit production should exceed that of 1913 by 25 percent. We are again doing something in the way of shipping out meat products. In 1910 we shipped in 75 carloads of potatoes; the year just closed we exported many carloads of garden products. Everything agriculturally is tending towards a stable and solvent condition which will bring in its turn a satisfactory prosperity.
    The Toggery feels very optimistic as to the future business prospect of the Rogue River Valley and city of Medford. The big volume of trade this fall, and especially the past thirty days, we feel is due to the successful fruit season and is only an indication of what a few industries which furnish permanent payrolls would mean toward additional prosperity.
    I have more than one reason to believe the prospects for the Rogue River Valley for 1914 will be good. The correspondence received by the Commercial Club has more life to it than a few months ago. People are really in earnest about coming to Oregon. The majority are in comparatively moderate circumstances but want assurance that while they are willing to work hard they want to know about our markets and net profits. The crop reports that have been collected for The Mail Tribune New Year edition are splendid, and 1,000 copies will be sent out to these people. We think it will be convincing, and the plans mapped out by the Commercial Club for 1914 is to give Medford a larger payroll. The public will be invited some time soon to hear Mr. D. M. Lowe of Ashland give his illustrated lecture and experiences at the Chicago land show, and if you are looking through blue glasses you will not need them after you hear him.
    Much is the concern of many people regarding prospects and prosperity of the Rogue River Valley for the coming year, and justly so, for perhaps there is no other country in the West so widely known and looked to as a criterion of future prospects as is this valley and Medford.
    Never in history has this valley been blessed with such abundant crops and good prices, causing all to wear an optimistic smile, not only farmer or fruit grower, but the merchant as well.
    Our business passed all previous records in 1913, and, taking a view of 1914 from all angles, one can only predict greater results for the coming year.
    Our best wish for all is a happy and a prosperous New Year.
    We are very optimistic as to future business conditions in the Rogue River Valley. Considering the condition of [the] valley at the beginning of the year 1913, we have had an exceedingly good trade. The conditions now, at the first of the new year, are much better than they were a year ago, due to a good fruit crop bringing good prices, also to the farmers raising a more diversified crop, and more stock to put on the market.
    The prospects are for more advancement in the country than in the towns, and this in itself is a very satisfactory indication to the merchant, as a town will always keep up with the country.
    The year 1913 did not start out very promising, but it has far exceeded our expectations and has turned out to be the most prosperous one for us that we have had. We start the new year full of confidence in the future of Medford, believing that it is the best place to live, the best place to do business, and has the best people in America. There is no reason why 1914 should not be the best year for everyone. Let us do our best to make it so.
    In my opinion, said T. E. Daniels of the Daniels for Duds store, there never was so much reason for optimism on the part of the business man as at the present time. Locally we have passed through the trying period that every small city experiences after a rapid growth. Medford has stood the test, and in spite of all that has been said to the contrary, when compared with the other cities of the state we find our city has had its full share of business and has felt a comparatively small depression which has existed generally throughout the country since the Roosevelt panic in 1907. I am extremely optimistic in regard to the effect of the currency bill on business in the very near future, and the endorsement of the measure now that it has passed by a great number of the banks and other financial institutions of importance, I regard as evidence that we have a bright future to look forward to in business during the coming year. I have enjoyed a splendid increase in my business through the entire fall season, which to me is somewhat of "the proof of the pudding."
    The new year gives hope for the return of prosperity, and conditions without optimism point to, all things being equal, the most prosperous and happiest year so far recorded. The woes of 1913 were caused by man. In the readjustment now under way, the mistakes will be overcome. There was no unkind visitation of providence, nature was kind, and a new spirit of hope and optimism abides in the heart of the Rogue River Valley today with 1914 and its golden promises.
"How Medford Merchants and Leading Firms View 1914 Prospects from Prosperity Angle; Optimistic," Medford Sun, January 1, 1914, page 6


    To the Editor: I wish to make a few remarks as to an article published in the Pacific Rural Press of January 10 in regard to T. E. Scantlin's wonderful pear story, as he stated one grower received over $3400 from one acre. Now, I wonder how large one of these acres must be?
    I will say Rogue River Valley is a good pear country, but there is plenty of hot air, too. I lived in Rogue River Valley nine years, and six years near Medford, and was in the fruit business myself, and have some knowledge about pears. My Bartletts were second to none, but I did not get returns such as a person reads about.
    I am also sending you clippings from the Medford Mail Tribune, so you can see what the Medford boosters think of California. It seems to be their hobby to come down to California to boost for Rogue River Valley and knock this country. Dr. W. S. Goudy says he has not seen the sun since leaving Medford. Well, I have seen such times in Rogue River Valley, too. And he says California is catching retribution for her misdeeds. If there were anything in that, the Medford boosters have something coming to them, too. Mr. Westerlund was connected in a large orchard tract when I lived there, and probably is yet. He evidently wants to turn the suckers to Medford.--M. DEMMES, Gridley.
    [Mr. Demmer sends us a choice collection of misrepresentations, which we will not kill space with. The proverb says that such things always come home to roost.--EDITOR.]
Pacific Rural Press, San Francisco, February 14, 1914, page 209


May 13, 1920
    This is a strange town with residences scattered out all around and miles of paved streets that are partly lined some places for blocks and blocks with shacks and vacant lots. A peculiar town. I can't see any great future for it.
Diary of Fred Alton Haight




    Once upon a time Medford had a boom. Like most booms the Medford boom busted. Also like most booms the Medford boom was followed by several years of acute depression, rendered all the more painful by the contrast between abnormal activity and subnormal activity.
    That Medford boom has never been forgotten. Its aftereffects have never been forgotten. But what has been forgotten, what very few local residents have apparently realized, is that several years ago Medford recovered from this boom collapse, regained its normal health, and since then has been going steadily forward, until today Medford is in every way in better condition than it has ever been before.
"Medford Has Found Itself," Medford Mail Tribune, November 30, 1923, page 3




Medford Mail Tribune, July 10, 1925, page 7


    Medford had just undergone its first big boom when Gates arrived, and even the advent of his numerous and healthy family did not save it from a heavy decrease in population. The city had been paved enthusiastically, but the assessments didn't yield enough to meet the improvement bonds, and the city government was as broke as if it had been located in Florida. There was a million dollars due and nothing to pay it with except real estate and future prospects.
    Pop made himself part of Medford, and he was there to stay. The business men and taxpayers turned to him to take the job of mayor. He did so on condition that at the same election when his name was submitted, a charter amendment would be carried abolishing the salaries of mayor and councilmen. The measure carried almost unanimously and Pop was elected. He served six years without salary or expense account, from 1916 to 1922.
    Refinancing the city was the first task. Improvement bonds had been sold as low as 66 in order to get paving in front of every lot before new lots were subdivided. Pop's administration succeeded in refunding the city debt by selling a big new bond issue at par, and was smart enough to stick the bond buyer with the $1,575 cost of engraving and printing the new bonds, so the city got the entire face value of the issue without a nickel discount.
"'Pop' Gates Has 'It'," Medford Mail Tribune, July 13, 1930, page 7


Editor People's World
Mr. Harrison George
San Francisco, Cal.
Dear Sirs:
    Reading William Z. Foster's homestead adventure in the Progressive Weekly, that excellent magazine supplement to the People's World, reminds me of our experience on a small ranch in Ashland, Oregon for five years, and how slick guys with long pencils behind their ears welcome strangers when you alight at the town stations; next they lure you to "splendid tracts" of fruit land that "rapidly increase in value."
    I would like for Mr. Foster to read the sad experience of an Ashland, Oregon school teacher, portrayed in her poem "My Orchard 'Tis of Thee" [above]. I am sure he would be pleased to see this.
    Not knowing where I could reach Mr. Foster, I am taking the liberty of asking you to dispatch it to him.
    Thanks.
Daily Worker, New York City, May 2, 1939, page 7


    The fast-talking realtors had assured the greenhorns from the East that in six short years the profits from the fruit trees would allow the owners to spend their winters in sunny southern California among the palm trees, and no irrigation was required due to the natural sub-irrigation of the soil on the valley floor. What prevaricators those eager promoters turned out to be.
    A big land boom hit the valley in 1909 with so many buyers getting off the trains that the Southern Pacific Railroad company set up tents on the Medford station property to bed down as many as two hundred investors every night. Dad was offered double his investment, but we were settled in the new home and he turned it down. Within three years nine out of ten of the new orchardists had moved on or returned to their former homes. The value of the young orchards had taken a nose dive. The land boom actually ended in two and a half years, and without irrigation water, the young trees didn't have a chance.
George W. Vilas, Tales of a Rogue Valley Rogue, 1974, page 28