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|
 Oregon Vortex Not so mysterious.
August 13, 1909: The Grey Eagle mine in the Sardine Creek district is showing up well, and a mill is now on the way to be placed on the property. The owners are very much encouraged by the outlook and will do considerable development work at once. "Ancient History from Our Files," Gold Hill News, August 16, 1934, page 3 (Special Correspondence).--The Grey Eagle mine, belonging to the Oregon-Gold Hill Mining Co., of Portland, has installed a 10-stamp mill and cyanide plant, which is expected to be in operation by December 1. They have a steam power plant, but electricity will be installed later. The processes will consist of amalgamation, concentration, and cyanidation. They purpose cyaniding the concentrate as well as the table tailing. J. R. Wolfe is general superintendent. The mine is six miles north of Gold Hill. Gold
Hill, October 25.
"Jackson
County," Mining
and Scientific Press, San Francisco, October
30, 1909, page 580November 19, 1909: The Oregon Gold Hill Mining Company has a new stamp mill on the ground at their Grey Eagle mine on Sardine Creek, which will be placed in position as soon as possible. New bunk houses, cook house and assay office have just been completed, the lumber for the same having been procured from the Gold Hill Lumber Company's mill on Sardine Creek. "Ancient History from Our Files," Gold Hill News, November 22, 1934, page 3 May 7, 1910: The new ten-stamp mill at the Grey Eagle mine on Sardine Creek started up this morning. There is enough ore on the dump to keep it busy for weeks, and with almost a mountain of rich rock behind it, as all indications attest, it will probably be busy for many years. "Ancient History from Our Files 25 Years Ago," Gold Hill News, May 9, 1935, page 5 June 11, 1910: A gold ingot weighing forty ounces and valued at about $700 was brought in from the Grey Eagle mine Monday by manager Van Houten. It was the result of three weeks' milling and represents only about half of the values that have been taken from the rock. "Ancient History from Our Files 25 Years Ago," Gold Hill News, June 13, 1935, page 3 The Grey Eagle mine, in Gold Hill district, has been leased by the Oregon-Gold Hill M. Co. to the Grey Eagle M. Co., for which W. B. Stevens is manager, and J. R. Wolfe consulting engineer. The property is equipped with a new mill, an air compressor, and drills. The plan of the lessee is to do 500 ft. of sinking from the 125-ft. station of the shaft. "Josephine County," Mining and Scientific Press, San Francisco, July 1, 1911, page 29 Cory Mattison, of Galice, accompanied by two other mining men of that vicinity, were in Gold Hill on Tuesday, driving out to the Gray Eagle mine on Sardine Creek that afternoon to examine the mill there with a view to purchasing. The machinery is said to be offered for sale by the Citizens Bank, of Portland, and if purchased by the Galice parties will be removed to that district. For the past two years the Gray Eagle mine has not been in operation. "Local News Notes," Gold Hill News, December 14, 1912, page 3 The Grey Eagle mine, also on Sardine Creek, is owned by W. I. Van Houten. The vein is opened by three adits on the hillside. At a certain point where the winze has been sunk 85 feet deep, it is said to carry $22 a ton in gold. It is equipped with a ten-stamp mill and gasoline engines. "Many Fine Gold-Bearing Quartz Mines Near Gold Hill, Gold Hill News, November 21, 1914, page 1 Gold Hill.--J. G. Davies of Sacramento, lessee of the Sylvanite gold mine, has purchased the electrically driven 10-stamp mill formerly operated on the Grey Eagle mine north of Gold Hill on Sardine Creek, and will place the equipment on the Sylvanite. This mine has been a steady producer of rich ore since the first of the year. The mill will treat the present output until contemplated development is completed, when a larger plant will be erected. "Oregon," Mining and Scientific Press, San Francisco, June 1, 1918, page 770 Grey Eagle Mine
The Grey Eagle is located in SE ¼ sec. 29, T. 35
S., R. 3 W., on the
east side of Sardine Creek at an elevation of 1850 feet above sea
level. The vein is opened up by three adits on the hillside,
the main
adit being nearly 400 feet in length with over 300 feet of that
distance on the vein, which is chiefly quartz and varies from 9 to 12
feet in thickness. Beneath a fault which strikes north 60 degrees W.
and dips 34 degrees NE., but produces but little offset, the vein is
locally 35 feet wide. It is said to carry $22 in gold at this point
where a winze has been sunk 85 feet deep and a raise extended to the
surface. The property is equipped with aerial tramway from the main
adit to a ten-stamp mill on Sardine Creek which has a 30-h.p.
and 10-h.p. gas engines, two amalgamating plates each
4½x10 feet, rock
crusher, and two concentrating tables.The property is being developed by the Millionaire Mining Company in connection with the work at the Millionaire mine. Medford Mail Tribune, May 24, 1924, page 3 Freak of Nature Provides Many
Thrills
Up on the left fork of Sardine Creek, at the old Gray Eagle Mining
Company's diggings, is a queer freak in the form of a house. The
building is the old assay house maintained at that property in its
heyday when the Gray Eagle was among the producers of this section. The
building was built upon the sidehill, with one side set upon
underpinning. In the years that have passed the old house has gradually
settled down until now the one side of the house rests upon the
hillside in the actual contour of the slope.
As a result of the alignment of the old house it provides a peculiar sensation for anyone attempting to enter. It has come to be known as the "crazy house" of Sardine Creek, and many people from all over Southern Oregon have journeyed up Sardine Creek to solve the mystery of the building and decide why those who enter are greeted with such a peculiar feeling. There are many solutions offered, but we believe that it is merely a matter of the freak lay of the building. At any rate, many of the valley have been treated to a queer sensation; some have even fainted upon entering the old building. Central Point Star, June 6, 1930, page 1 The article was originally published in the June 5, 1930 Gold Hill News--now lost--which was published by the same firm as the Star, with much of the same content. The June 5 article was quoted in its entirety in the Gold Hill News of October 16, 1941, page 1. Mysterious Cabin at Sardine Creek Thrills Curious
Phenomenal Forces Prevent Walking Straight in Ancient Building Once Abode of Gold Seekers By DOUGLAS H. FOX
There is a dilapidated cabin which leans against a huge elm tree about
three miles up Sardine Creek. Once the dwelling for Joe Beeman, who
operated the Lucky Bart mine about 15 years ago, it now remains
deserted--a landmark of days when mining paid rich returns.
Previous to our visit yesterday we had heard of strange tales from folk who had said that it was "haunted." Haunted mountain abodes are more or less ephemeral. But rumors increased in volume and, hearing yarns from some reliable sources, we decided to investigate. Coming to a stop just across Sardine Creek from the much-talked-of cabin, we climbed out of the car. H. B. Cady, gem hunter of these parts, led the way while the writer and Al C. Panzer, general manager of the Medford Daily News, closely followed. We noticed, upon approaching the cabin, that several people were already about and investigating. Somewhat puzzled and wholly curious, Cady was the first to enter. The two newspapermen also mounted the short step from the ground to the entrance of the cabin. And right here is where the fun started! As we stood in the doorway we watched Cady walk to the back of the cabin. Instead of maintaining an upright position, which one would ordinarily do, the gem hunter walked as though suddenly afflicted with cramps and, bent almost double, his legs seemed to bend beneath a huge weight. LIKE MOUNTING HILL
Then, too, Cady walked as though he were mounting a steep hill.Watching his progress from the doorway, it was absurdly funny. We could not control our laughter and burst into loud shouts of amusement. Then Panzer started to walk across the floor. He was immediately stricken as Cady. It looked to the writer as though both Panzer and Cady were being blown almost off their feet. To just what degree they varied from walking upright would be hard to say. But it is safe to estimate that both men could not possibly have stood upright on level ground at the angle they assumed in this strange cabin. The writer followed Panzer. I had a sickening sensation the moment I started to cross the floor. My sense of equilibrium was swept away and I experienced a keen sensation of dizziness. I almost fell to the floor. Both Panzer and Cady were urging me to walk faster. This was impossible. It seemed as though an invisible hand were pressing against my body and I knew that any attempt at walking straight was likewise absurd. Then we began to experiment. Instead of combating the invisible force we allowed ourselves to gain an almost upright position, only to be almost thrown to the floor. It was impossible to stand upright! The floor of the cabin slants. Not a deep slant, however. This is what makes the situation so positively ludicrous. One leans back heavily on thin air and does not fall. Nonsense? This narrative is as true as it can be. It is fact, and may be confirmed even as we confirmed the rumors. Panzer and Cady were likewise trying experiments with the peculiar sensations they were experiencing. All of us complained of pressure. But where in the world did it originate? A slanting cabin does not necessarily cause one to walk as though inebriated and grope for support. Sighting an improvised seat attached to the far side of the cabin, Panzer sat down--and was immediately dislodged by some mysterious force of which we knew not. Others all found it difficult to walk in the cabin. Watches were brought out, also plumb lines and a straightedge. These were applied to all sides of the building. When determined to "set" they appeared to the observer to be far "off center." There were many questions asked, but no one was answering them. What caused that sick sensation? Where does all the air pressure come from? Why can't one walk straight? What makes this watch swing away when it is suspended? REAL THRILL THERE
If you are looking for a real thrill--something that far surpasses the
ordinary commercial fun-houses of beach resorts--we heartily recommend
the Beeman place on Sardine Creek.There are a thousand laughs and all flavored with mysticism and curiosity. It's free and good clean fun for all the family! Medford Daily News, July 17, 1930, page 3 Mystery Cabin on Sardine Creek Stirs Curiosity
By DOUGLAS H. FOX "Well, I don't know what to think--"
"Sounds like a fake to me!" "Well, I'm going out to satisfy my curiosity." These and many other remarks were heard within the past two days, since the story of a mysterious cabin upon Sardine Creek. It seems that we have stirred up something of a sensation. We confess innocence to premeditated results. Hearing so much comment, we decided to listen in here and there and do a bit of interviewing. Learning that W. O. Webster, manager of the Associated Oil Company, had made a trip out to Beeman's cabin, we have his statement: "Nothing more than an ordinary optical illusion. Yes, I did have a sickening sensation. But I do not think that it was caused by an invisible force or by a source of unexpected air pressure upon the body. I think it is nothing more or less than an optical illusion caused by the peculiar slant of the dilapidated cabin." Well, well, maybe so--and maybe not. CITE MINERAL CONDITION
Next we overheard a prominent citizen declare that it was a mineral
condition. We will withhold his name for the simple reason that we were
eavesdropping. He hinted darkly that it may even be a radium
atmospherical condition. This was interesting to us. We would never in
the world have suspected that!Of course the "boys" about the chamber of commerce building had all sorts of ideas, which ranged from the affair being a total fiasco to that of a reporter's imagination. That last statement is the plank that broke the camel's neck. W. E. (Judge) Crews informed us, also, that it was an optical illusion. Crews delved into the subject with interest and tried to clarify the situation to us. But we will not aver that our own deliberations were swept aside. And here is the cream of the whole situation: A local seance [i.e., a medium], we do not know who she is, broadcast the information that it was the spirits of Indians, who formerly inhabited that locality, returning to voice their protests --in their own singular manner--that we of the 20th century were trespassing upon sacred happy hunting grounds. We will welcome any scientific explanation--or otherwise. Reports are that the dust is thick and heavy on the Sardine Creek road these days. Have you been up? Great thing for the curious! What is your idea of the Sardine Creek miner's cabin phenomena? Medford Daily News, July 19, 1930, page 2 Curious Quintet Thrilled at Cabin by Rattlesnakes
By DOUGLAS H. FOX
Five people, who yesterday visited the Sardine Creek Miner's Cabin, now
of Jackson County fame, were rewarded with thrills aplenty, according
to a report received here late in the afternoon.
The thrill-seekers, consisting of Mr. and Mrs. Seth Blake, William Kemp, William Hagan and Hortense Thompson, state that after a thorough investigation of the dilapidated shack, they began a little exploration of their own by lifting up one of the boards which lay loosely on the floor. Suddenly and without warning, an unmistakable rattle was heard. Someone cried, "Rattlesnake!" and out the reptiles poured. It was estimated that about 20 snakes were nestled beneath the floor of the cabin. According to report the snakes had their nest at the front of the cabin and at the deepest angle of slant. Following the routing of the reptiles and screams of the women present, further amateur exploration was made in an effort to determine the peculiar phenomena. Outside of the assertion that it "was an optical illusion," no more satisfactory explanation was advanced. DOCTOR TO EXPLORE
A doctor, whose name we did not catch over the telephone, reported
yesterday that he was on his way to the cabin and would forward us a
scientific theory of his findings. We hope that it is something
tangible, for we are being the subject of more or less good-natured
banter.At any rate, Medfordites who venture forth today to the shack will have to keep a sharp lookout for "rattlers." Hagan, who killed one of the large ones, reports they are apt to return to the nest. PHONE CALLS MANY
Phone calls are many as to where the exact location of the cabin is.
Here is the route: About one mile past Gold Hill a sign at the roadside
will read, "Sardine Creek." Turn off here to your right. When you come
to a small bridge with forked roads, take the one to your left. About
one mile from here is the cabin.Here's wishing you plenty of thrills! Medford Daily News, July 20, 1930, page 3 Believes in Early Bird
Something new in the way of sightseeing was demonstrated early
yesterday morning when John Winterhalder of the Cozy Nook drove to the
Sardine Creek country to visit a reputed haunted house with sloping
floors. He arrived at the scene at 2:00 a.m., took a good view of the
building, looked inside and lost no time in hurrying home. He was still
unable today to explain what he had seen.
"Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, July 21, 1930, page 2 100 Visit Old Cabin in Spite of Snake Nest
Despite reports of a rattlesnake nest being unearthed at the Sardine
Creek Mystery Cabin, about 100 people visited the dilapidated miner's
shack over the weekend, it was learned yesterday.
Although no snakes bothered intruders, plenty of thrills were had by all, it was reported. A party of 20 Medfordites visited the cabin last night. J. P. Waage, youthful airman, is reported to have been bereft of his equilibrium while attempting to "walk the straight line" from the entrance to the rear door. It was said that he was overtaken by a fit of laughter and consequently became incapacitated. Much watch-suspending and lowering of plumb bobs was also reported. Four tourist cars were counted at the cabin yesterday. This leads us to the belief that the chamber of commerce is boosting another Oregon marvel. We wish to remind visitors that they pass the Gold Hill Indian Mound on their way to the cabin. It is on the left just prior to crossing the concrete bridge leading into Gold Hill. The observant will also be able to see Table Rock Mountain, where the Klamath Indians are said to have made their last stand against the white men. [Klamath Indian territory was to the east of Jackson County; the story of a battle atop Table Rock is a myth.] We are still in hopes that someone will come into this office with a scientific explanation of the Sardine Creek Mystery Cabin phenomena. All suggestions will receive due consideration. We print anything that aids in the boosting of Southern Oregon! Medford Daily News, July 22, 1930, page 3 Local 'Savants' Blast Mystery of Miner's Cabin
Optical Illusion Theory Is Upheld by Scientific Test By HECTOR FOX It couldn't go on forever.
So Floyd "Einstein" Rush, Bill "Edison" Gates and the writer, loaded with a variety of radio instruments, a compass and several detectors, drove out to the mysterious cabin on Sardine Creek yesterday with the sole purpose of returning with a satisfactory explanation of the phenomenon. We inspected, surveyed, probed and speculated. Now we present the solution. It's an optical illusion, pure and simple. Thus, with one sweep of the pen, we blast into oblivion a hundred and one theories, explanations and deductions. There is no more need to ask why, where, how, when and what. WOULD STUMP SHERLOCK
Sherlock Holmes and his able assistant, Watson, could not offer a more
satisfactory explanation than that which we three investigators reached
on the site of the mysterious cabin yesterday afternoon.First, Rush, who is a radio technician of station KMED, Medford, found that a compass needle remained in a normal position when held on the same level as the floor of the shack. Second, it was shown that a watch, suspended on a chain, hung perfectly straight when viewed in line with objects outside the deserted dwelling. This experiment definitely proved the optical illusion theory because when viewed from the inside of the building, the orb of the eye was distorted in accordance with the shape of the interior, thus making the watch appear to be hanging at an angle. BLAST MINERAL THEORY
The third and final conclusion was drawn with the assistance of a
modulometer, an instrument tuned to detect any minute current or
magnetic influences within the structure. This instrument failed to
record such detections, proving conclusively that radium or other
metallic or mineral influences were not in the near vicinity."The sensation while walking through the shack affects the human vertigo, the medium of balance, and the sense of sight tries to override the sense of balance," Gates explained. "Distortion is emphasized by an angle, and the vision of comparative objects is lost by the slant of the walls. When you look out of a window or a door, your equilibrium is immediately restored. RELATIVITY THEORY
"In other words, you have to distort your sense of balance to get in
harmony with your distorted vision. It is merely an explanation of the
relativity theory."And as we gathered up the instruments, Bill rubbed his chin thoughtfully and remarked that he didn't think "there was a man in Jackson County who can balance peas on a knife in that house." Medford Daily News, July 23, 1930, page 3 Many Visitors Enjoy Thrills of
"Crazy House"
The past few days there have been large numbers of Medford people going
up on Sardine Creek to visit the old assay house on the site of the
Lucky Bart mining property, now the property of W. L. Van Houten of
this city. The old cabin has settled down on one side so that it rests
upon the contour of the hillside, and due to this fact a person
entering the place is thrown off their equilibrium. Thus the shack has
earned the name of crazy house. This paper carried a story telling of
the odd effects produced by entering the house and our opinion of what
caused the freak some two months ago. Most of the local people have
visited the site, and the past week the fame of the place reached
Medford, and some publicity was given it by a county seat newspaper,
with the result that many visitors have gone out to inspect its
mysteries.Gold Hill News, July 24, 1930, page 1 W. L. Van Houten, of Gold Hill, who owns the property where the "Crazy House" or "Mysterious Cabin" of Sardine Creek is located, has put up a sign to help visitors locate this freak, and has made other improvements. There is also a good sulfur spring in the creek near the cabin. Owing to the sudden notoriety of this cabin there is almost a constant stream of cars, including quite a number of tourists, coming and going at all hours of the day and night. And almost every home has been constantly annoyed by the inquiries of thrillseekers as to the location of this building, the history, the rumors, the reasons for its peculiar effect on one, and other questions too absurd to credit to mature minds, regardless of the hour of their visit. Lily Dusenberry, "Sardine Creek," Medford Daily News, July 30, 1930, page 8 There has been so many visitors out to the "crazy house" on Sardine Creek that it has now been fenced, and an admission charge is made for all those who are curious. "Local Happenings," Gold Hill News, July 31, 1930, page 5 How to Get to Mystery Miner's Cabin
So many people wishing to visit the Sardine Creek Mystery Cabin have
been inquiring as to the location of the cabin that it becomes
necessary to give an explicit road route. It is as follows:
Drive north from Medford on the Pacific Highway until about one and one-half miles past Gold Hill. Motorists will see a sign on the right-hand side of the highway at this juncture, reading Sardine Creek. Turn to the right here, cross the railroad tracks and drive about 3 miles to where the road forks at a small bridge. Take the left side road. From here it is about one mile to several dilapidated houses on the left side of the road. Park cars at this spot. The cabin is directly across Sardine Creek, about 100 feet distant. Since first discovered by the Medford Daily News, the "House of Optical Illusion" has drawn hundreds of local folk to its door and many tourists, according to reliable reports. The cabin is now under the supervision of W. L. Van Houten, owner, who is charging a small fee of admittance. Van Houten was forced to place the abode into a commercial enterprise, as hoydens and vandals were destroying the property, according to report. Medford Daily News, August 1, 1930, page 8 A merry bunch of young folk consisting of Dora Smith, Carl Koppe, Mabel Dusenberry and Jean Smith spent Tuesday picnicking at the "Crazy House." Lily Dusenberry, "Sardine Creek," Medford Daily News, August 5, 1930, page 12 Eerie Force Holds Sway in Old Cabin
Medford, Aug. 14.--Once the abode of a pioneer gold-seeker, an old,
weatherbeaten cabin on Sardine Creek has suddenly become a center of
interest for tourists and residents of the Rogue River Valley, through
the discovery of a strange, phenomenal force in its two rooms.Although "haunted" mountain cabins are more or less ephemeral, this particular shack has caused wide comment because of its unusual location and the existence of an unexplained air pressure. The first sensation experienced by the visitor after entering the cabin is a sudden feeling of dizziness, and many persons have been thrown bodily to the floor or against a wall by the asserted "force" while attempting to walk through the house. It is impossible to stand upright in either room, due partly to the slight slope of the floor, but it is possible to touch the floor with one hand when the body is properly balanced. Visitors to the cabin claim they have been conscious of a seemingly invisible hand pressing against the body, while others believe this feeling is caused by a distorted equilibrium. H. B. Cady of Medford, one of the original discoverers of the cabin, who has conducted numerous experiments on the site, claims the unnatural "pressure" is caused by sulfur gases emitting from a nearby spring. Others, well informed on mineral attractions, believe the condition is brought about by unknown radium deposits in the vicinity. To date, no one has yet advanced a substantial theory and the cabin remains a favorite spot for thrill-seekers, especially after dark. Oregon Journal, Portland, August 14, 1930, page 1 W. L. Van Houten this week erected a large sign at the junction of the Pacific Highway and the Sardine Creek road calling tourists' attention to the Sardine Creek House of Mystery. Mr. Van Houten is giving free gold dust to the tourists that visit the Mystery House, located four miles up Sardine Creek. "Local Happenings," Gold Hill News, June 30, 1932, page 8 Mystery House Miner Wins Crossword Puzzle Prize
A check for $100--prize money in a crossword puzzle contest--was
received Tuesday by John Litster, who lives on Sardine Creek near this
city. The puzzle contest is a feature of the Liberty magazine,
and this particular puzzle appeared in the May 21 issue, and the
announcement of the winners was in the July 9 edition.Mr. Litster, who is a writer by profession, lives in a cabin high in hills on the left fork of Sardine Creek, where he is seeking relief from tuberculosis. Besides his writing, he spends much of his time at the House of Mystery, working with W. L. Van Houten. Mr. Litster has a placer outfit on Sardine Creek, and the gold which he secures is an added attraction to tourists who visit the House of Mystery. Mr. Litster contributes articles and stories to many magazines and heads them as from the "House of Mystery Diggings." Gold Hill News, July 7, 1932, page 1 North Dakota Youths Find Nugget on Sardine Creek
Three young men, Ralph Page, Bob Cameron and Carl Hangland, of
Westhope, North Dakota, are writing to their friends back home these
days, giving Gold Hill much well-merited praise.Two weeks ago, in a tour of the West in search of work, they were attracted by the House of Mystery sign on the Pacific Highway at Sardine Creek. The offer of "Free Gold Dust to All Visitors" seemed almost too good to be true. However, they decided to investigate, and found that Mr. Van Houten's promise was, as always, as good as gold. Inquiring regarding the possibilities of mining in the vicinity, and after explaining that their finances and their larder both needed immediate support, they received the owner's permission to placer mine on nearby ground, the Berkeley Square claim. Two days later, with half an ounce of heavy dust already accumulated, they found the largest nugget that has been placered from Sardine Creek in present times. These young men are now wondering why people live anywhere except in the vicinity of Gold Hill. Gold Hill News, July 14, 1932, page 1 Communication in Daily News Raps Mystery House
The following communication appeared in the Tuesday issue of the Medford Daily News. Evidently the writer is peeved because he could not get any gold:"To the Editor of the Daily News: "May I ask the use of your columns to draw attention of the Better Business Bureau or your similar local organization to the advertising that is being given out by the people who are running the House of Mystery at Gold Hill. They claim to give free gold dust to all visitors, and have big signboards to that effect. Such advertising is too obviously misleading and also must have a bad effect on the district, because people passing through think gold can be picked up or else it could not be given away. This cheapens the Rogue River Valley in this way, besides being misleading advertising. We have enough trouble here now, without leading strangers to believe that we give gold away here, and I hope you will print this to put an end to such methods of doing business and misrepresenting the true state of affairs. No one can afford to give gold away, and anyone knows that, so why mislead the public. I am surprised that the state police don't do something about it, for it is certainly in their line of work to see that only those people do business in the state who are not deceiving the public. "Yours very truly,
"R. Thompson, Central Point." ----
In another column [above] of the Gold Hill News is a story about the House of Mystery which would tend to show that the Central Point man was a little hasty in his remarks.Gold Hill News, July 14, 1932, page 5
Local Chamber Endorses House of Mystery
Gold Hill Chamber of Commerce at their Wednesday evening meeting gave
their hearty approval to the House of Mystery and its advertising to
attract tourists as conducted by W. E. Van Houten and John Litster,
which have been recently criticized in a communication to the Medford Daily News.Signs advertising that free gold dust is given to all visitors have been placed along the highway recently, and the writer of the letter complained that everyone knew that no one could afford to give away gold dust. However, this is what is being done at the Mystery House, where the gold is placered from a rich deposit recently discovered by Mr. Van Houten, and each visitor gets the yield of one panning. Many tourists are being attracted by the signs every day, and the entire community is receiving valuable publicity. Several other matters were discussed by the club members, but no definite action was taken. President A. A. Walker presided at the meeting. Gold Hill News, July 21, 1932, page 1 Iowans Visit Mystery House for Biggest Thrill of Trip
Editor and Mrs. E. L. C. White, son Jimmy Donald, of Spencer, Iowa, and
Mr. White's sister, Mrs. H. E. Robinson and daughter Claire, of
Chariton, Iowa, wereguests of editor and Mrs. R. E. Blankenburg last Thursday for a short visit, en route to Los Angeles to attend the National Editorial Convention and the Olympic athletic contests. Mr. White is publisher of the Spencer News Herald, where Mr. and Mrs. Blankenburg were employed prior to coming to Gold Hill. Although such a short visit did not enable us to show as much of Southern Oregon to the Iowans as we would have liked to, we did our best. They didn't see Crater Lake. They didn't visit the Oregon Caves. They didn't eat one of the famous Rogue River Valley pears--but they did visit the House of Mystery on Sardine Creek--and the fun they had at this unusual cabin, was, in their own words, one of the high spots of their entire trip so far. Without warning of what to expect when we suggested the visit, they all got dizzy even before they were inside the enclosure, but each thought it was a slight attack of car sickness. Mrs. Robinson did not attempt to go farther but was content to watch the rest of the party leaning at all angles, falling foolishly from one corner to the other, and laughing hysterically at a heavy iron weight hanging on a wire at a 45-degree angle with the wall. Of course, Mr. White guessed the angle at which a rock would fall; stood with his eyes intent on the ground to overcome the optical illusion, had his picture taken in the doorway--but after all was said and done, he couldn't see why the old stump outside the fence made him feel dizzy. John Litster then panned gold for the visitors, each receiving a few coarse grains, but even that didn't furnish the thrill that the Mystery House had. In the evening we were guests of the Whites at the Fountain Auto Camp, where they spent the night, continuing their journey in the morning. Gold Hill News, July 21, 1932, page 1 249 Visitors at House of Mystery During July
Travelers from clear across the continent, and from as far away as the
Canal Zone, were among the 249 visitors at the House of Mystery on
Sardine Creek four miles from Gold Hill during the month of July.Attracted by signs on the Pacific Highway that promise them free gold dust, as well as a trip through the House of Mystery, tourists, visitors and many parties from our own valley are enjoying this unique side trip. W. L. Van Houten and John Litster, in charge of the resort, have during the last two weeks kept a record of states represented, which is as follows:
Gold Hill News, August 11, 1932, page 1 Mr. Johnson, who is in close touch with miners in this vicinity, says that every creek and nook has an overcrowded population trying to secure pork and beans by mining. Every old cabin and tumble-down shed has been patched up and made into a makeshift shelter. About the only uninhabited building in these parts is W. L. Van Houten's Crazy House on Sardine Creek, and the only reason it is vacant is it makes one so dizzy they can't stay in it. "M. S. Johnson Discusses Local Mining," Gold Hill News, March 16, 1933, page 1 Sardine Mystery House Gets Radio Publicity
More and more tourists will be attracted to the Gold Hill community
this summer due to the excellent publicity being secured by this region
in which the "House of Mystery" is located.Last Sunday, a fifteen-minute program devoted to the peculiarities of the Mystery House was broadcast over KGO at San Francisco, and was heard by innumerable prospective Oregon visitors. The Mystery House has become increasingly popular each season, and last year a new feature was added to interest its visitors. Each person saw gold panned, and was given whatever amount of gold was in the shovelful of dirt panned. Signs were placed at strategic points along the highway near this city, and many travelers visited the house. This year the more extensive advertising campaign has been attempted which undoubtedly will bring others to the "Mystery House." John Litster, who is in charge of the Mystery House, and W. L. Van Houten, owner, are to be heartily congratulated for their efforts, and local people should take every opportunity to do a little personal advertising for this interesting place. Gold Hill News, March 30, 1933, page 1 Mrs. John Litster was called to Berkeley, California, last Saturday morning when she received word that her mother, Mrs. Forsythe, had been injured in a car wreck. "Sardine Creek News," Gold Hill News, May 10, 1934, page 1 Improvements Being Made at Sardine House of Mystery
Quite a bit of an improvement is being made this spring at the House of
Mystery. Another room, and a large porch has been built onto the house
occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Fox, who are acting as caretakers of the
place. They are also putting in a coffee shop where hot coffee and
sandwiches may be obtained by any who care to have them, and a small
historical museum will be placed inside the shop, while a display of
various kinds of mining equipment is being arranged on a terrace
outside. Such things as these are of especial interest to visitors, as
the register shows that most of them come from non-mining regions, and
anything that explains or shows the methods of obtaining gold from the
earth holds a fascination for them. Quite a number from Klamath County
have visited the place during the past few weeks.Gold Hill News, May 10, 1934, page 1 Mr. Fox of the Mystery House was a business visitor at the home of Grant Powell this week. "Sardine Creek News," Gold Hill News, June 7, 1934, page 1 A number of new orange and black signs have been put up recently along the roads directing visitors to the House of Mystery, which is proving to be very attractive to tourists. "Sardine Creek News," Gold Hill News, July 5, 1934, page 4 Mrs. John Litster, who was called to the bedside of her mother, Mrs. Forsythe, in Berkeley, California, following a serious motor accident, has returned to her home here. Mrs. Forsythe, who received two fractured vertebrae in the crash, is improving sufficiently to enable her to walk about and help herself to a great extent. "Sardine Creek News," Gold Hill News, July 19, 1934, page 1 Last week saw the largest number of visitors in the history of the House of Mystery. Visitors came from all corners of the earth, many of them hearing the fame of the place before starting on their world tours. The register contains names from Puerto Amuelles, Panama; Calcutta, India; Seoul, Korea, Orient, and Queenstown, South Africa. The largest number from any one place in the United States still come from Klamath Falls. Of nearly as much interest as the house itself is the mineral exhibit, much of which was on display in Medford during the Diamond Jubilee, and the methods used in mining of gold from the virgin earth. Very few of the interested callers have ever seen gold in the raw state. A beautiful and interesting exhibit is one of opalized redwood, found in a mountainside at Bly, near Klamath Falls, owned by Robert I. Sloan of Klamath Falls. This material is used for making tile for use in fireplace facings, mantles, tabletops, jewelry, etc. Many inquiries come from men anxious to buy mining property, both for quartz and placer holdings. Persons having such property for sale could get in touch with Mr. Fox at the Mystery House, and h would gladly direct such inquiries to them. Also much local history is asked of the place and valley at large, and authentic data would be greatly appreciated. With the exception of one disgruntled elderly lady who visited the place on a hot afternoon, all have reported the experience well worth the trip to see it. "Sardine Creek News," Gold Hill News, July 26, 1934, page 4 MYSTERY HOUSE INDEX TO STATE OF BUSINESS
GOLD HILL--(Spl.)--The federal government may have its indices for
measuring and estimating the status of business; Wall Street may buy or
sell stock on the strength of reports dealing with steel tonnage, car
loadings and kilowatt hours; and economists may base their
prognostications upon the ups and downs of retail trade curves, but
Sardine Creek is content to judge conditions in the outside world by
its own barometer, the House of Mystery.When business is poor, the number of tourists who wend their way up the creek road to solve the mysteries of the queer shanty that once served as the assay office of the Gray Eagle mine registers a decline. When business picks up, so does the number of visitors to the house show an increase. It is a good barometer, the House of Mystery, say the local residents. They feel encouraged, therefore, with the report of John Litster, owner of the tourist attraction, that business at the house is at present running about 50 percent ahead of what it was a year ago. Medford Mail Tribune, May 22, 1935, page 2 NEWLYWED BLUE JAYS GIVE NATURE STUDENT
SARDINE CREEK.--(Spl.)--A study of nature at close hand often brings up
the question as to whether things are regulated any more sensibly in
the animal kingdom, which acts on instinct, than in the human kingdom,
which is supposed to act on reason.MATTER FOR THOUGHT Consider the two blue jays which this spring made their home at the edge of the old Dow property here. To begin with, they must have been newlyweds, for they built their nest less than six feet from the ground in a small fir tree sparse with foliage. Thus the nest was plainly visible and within easy reach of inquisitive humans, to say nothing of preying animals. In the second place, they very carelessly built the nest on an angle and it tipped more and more with the weight of Mother Jay during the hatching period, until all but one of the eggs rolled out and crashed on the ground. Even then instinct did not come to the rescue. The nest remained on a sharp slant, and finally when the remaining egg hatched the little bird fell out, and it would have perished but for Mrs. John Litster, who resides close by. She discovered the little bird, as naked as a pine needle, with the assistance of Chief, her fox terrier, and Flash, a neighbor's pointer, whose suspicious actions around the tree aroused her curiosity. Mrs. Litster straightened out the nest and put the baby bird back into it. All the while, Mother Jay looked on from a nearby tree with such misgivings that she emitted squawks that were more raucous than usual. When she found what had been done, however, she was highly pleased and now she permits her benefactor to inspect the nest daily without a sound of protest. The baby bird is growing very nicely, thank you, and soon will be on the wing. Perhaps next spring its parents will have sense enough to build higher and more securely. Medford Mail Tribune, June 11, 1935, page 5 Litster in Town--John Litster, owner of the House of Mystery and several mining properties on Sardine Creek, was in Medford today to purchase hydraulic equipment. He was accompanied by C. B. Holmes, his chief operator. Mining along the creek is now quite active, Mr. Litster said. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, December 24, 1935, page 7 Litsters in Town--Mr. and Mrs. John Litster of Sardine Creek and Berkeley, Cal., transacted business and visited friends in Medford yesterday. Mr. Litster owns the House of Mystery and operates several placer properties on Sardine Creek north of Gold Hill. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, February 13, 1936, page 7 Mildred Litster longing for the summer day when she can get out in her new car, now buried in snow mountain-high way up on Sardine Creek. "Side Glances," Medford Mail Tribune, February 22, 1937, page 1 From Sardine Creek--Mrs. John Litster of Sardine Creek visited friends here today. She reported that snow, which had marooned her car far up on Sardine Creek most of the winter, had now almost entirely melted. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, March 16, 1937, page 7 Mrs. John Litster of the "Mytery House" visited friends in Medford Tuesday, this being the first time that she has had her car out since the snow. "Sardine Creek," Medford Mail Tribune, March 19, 1937, page 10 Improvements Made--Several improvements have been made at the House of Mystery on Sardine Creek, and others are contemplated for the convenience of visitors. Improvements already made include construction of a parking area, enlargement of the fenced space about the house, erection of a cashier's booth, placing of directional signs and the clearing of a larger area where visitors may see how gold is panned. Souvenirs characteristic of the canyon are now also available. The road leading from the Pacific Highway to the House of Mystery was recently scraped and otherwise improved. Other betterments around the house will be completed before spring, it was said by John Litster, proprietor. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, January 24, 1938, page 5 Impressions and Observations of the Journal Man
John Litster lives on Sardine Creek, five miles from Gold Hill.By Fred Lockley "I was born at Alva, Scotland, not far from Sterling, April 30, 1886," said Mr. Litster. "A few centuries ago those in the dyeing trade were known as 'litsters.' One of my ancestors was an expert wool dyer. He lived at Norwich, England, in the 12th century. The British king ordered him to dye a large number of bales of cloth for the French king. He had no use for the French, and disobeyed the king. He was thereupon seized, beheaded, drawn and quartered; his head was impaled on a stake, and his four quarters were attached to the city gate of Norwich. "I left Scotland when I was 3 years old. My father, George Litster, was in government service and was ordered to South Africa. I lived in South Africa till 1 was 16, when I was sent back to Scotland, to college. Later, I returned to J'burg, as Johannesburg is usually called, and engaged in mining until I was 23, when I came to the United States. I had had a severe case of black water fever, and the doctor told me I must have a change of climate. As I had been educated as a mining engineer, I went to Denver. "I recovered my health in Colorado. I mined at Cripple Creek, Creed and Leadville. Then I came to Southern Oregon. I mined on the Rogue River and did placer mining near Chetco. After a few years I went to San Francisco and for five years wrote advertising copy and made good money. Eight years ago I returned to the Rogue River Valley. At San Francisco I published a book of verse entitled 'The Golden Years.' This was published in 1928. 1 still contribute verse to various publications. "My doctor at San Francisco told me that one of my lungs was impaired and I would have to live in the open. I came to Gold Hill, looked around awhile and filed on 20 acres known as the Berkeley Square mine. Mining claims are 1320 by 660 feet. I bought additional ground, including the site of an old assay office. This building, which was 12 by 30 feet, had slid down the hillside toward Sardine Creek. "The settlers told me that this building was hoodooed, since apparently the law of gravitation fails to operate in it and in its immediate vicinity. I found that within a circle of 125 feet in diameter the brass plumb-bob of a surveying instrument was deflected from the perpendicular about 145 degrees. I could have understood this if this power had been exercised only upon iron or steel or some metal affected by magnetism. But I found that glass, wood, rubber or any other substance was affected; that one could not stand upright within this 125-foot area; that a golf ball or a baseball thrown up would not return to the hand, but was deflected. If I tried to throw the ball over the fence yonder, instead of going over the fence it would return. I could form no theory. I saw the commercial possibilities of the place, so I put up a sign on the highway with an arrow pointing to what I called 'The House of Mystery.' Last year 35,000 people left the Pacific Highway to come up Sardine Creek to my claim. "Scores of scientists have investigated this 125-foot area and have been unable to account for it. Some think that a mass of some unknown metal in the form of a meteor has fallen here and been deeply buried ages ago. "I want you and your wife to try a few experiments. Take this rubber ball, try to throw it over the fence or toss it up, and try to explain why it will not fall straight into your hand. I have hung a heavy weight to a rafter. It hangs decidedly out of line. You can readily push if in the direction it leans, but it requires effort to push it into the perpendicular. Why an ordinary glass bottle will roll uphill on this table I cannot understand; there is a slope of more than 7 percent, yet this golf ball rolls uphill. I have put in spirit levels at various places in the building and elsewhere, so anyone can tell the actual level. "I hope that some eminent scientist will be able to figure out just what force is responsible for the topsy-turvy conditions in this old cabin and its surroundings. "I tried mighty hard to get into the World War but both the United States and the British enlisting agencies turned me down on account of my lungs. I lost 17 cousins in the World War, five of whom were brothers and all of whom were killed at Ypres." Oregon Journal, Portland, June 7, 1937, page 6 Mrs. Mabel Forsythe of Berkeley, Calif., is spending two weeks here visiting her daughter, Mrs. Mildred Litster, on her return from a year visiting in New York, Boston and Toronto. The ladies spent Tuesday with friends in Medford and Thursday motored to Crater Lake. "Sardine Creek," Medford Mail Tribune, July 1, 1937, page 7 An Appraisal of a Southern Oregon Mystery . . .
The Nut-Bug-Crazy House Wherein Is Offered a Scientific Explanation for an Extremely Puzzling Phenomenon Foreword
For more than six months the Oregonian has been trying to find out the truth about the Mystery House, alias the Crazy House, alias the Nut House. Three months ago Ripley started pestering the Oregonian for reliable information on the House. There have been phone calls and letters--all wanting facts. Geologist Earl K. Nelson, as related in Mr. Lundy's article, finally came to the rescue. Most persons will accept his verdict as authoritative and reasonable. This much is certain. All persons who visit the Mystery House talk about it for months afterward. This is probable: The owner very likely knows more about pure science than he would have visitors believe. This is certain: The owner of the House has a good thing. Many will envy his astute investment, because it costs two bits to get a sea-going stomach ache at the Crazy House, and thousands are willing to pay that amount each summer. By Herbert Lundy
Oregon claims the only house in the world where a fat man may stand at
ease with his shoulders back and see his feet. This house, in which
nobody lives, is situated on a circular area of Southern Oregon
hillside 125 feet in diameter in which the laws of nature take beating.Staff Writer, the Oregonian They call it the House of Mystery or the Crazy House or the Nut House or the Bug House, and 15 minutes in it is guaranteed to make an ordinary citizen goofy and an engineer begin to question his instruments. The fact that thousands of tourists and Sunday drivers--estimates run from 10,000 to over 50,000, but the owner isn't saying--visit the House of Mystery each summer lent impetus for the Oregonian's investigation. Shack Slid Down a Hill I visited the House of Mystery last summer, after Staff Photographer Del Burkhart came out with some dopey-doodle pictures and a headache from trying to focus his camera. Then I interviewed others who had been there, including a blind woman. I wrote letters and received peculiar answers. An engineer was induced to visit the place with his instruments. I still can't separate fact from fancy, so you're going to get the facts, and let the chips fall where they may. Midway between Crater Lake and the Oregon Caves, the House of Mystery squats dejectedly on a hillside overhanging Sardine Creek, four miles from the Pacific Highway north of Gold Hill. It isn't a house at all, but a two-room, vertical-board shack, which once served as an assay office and tool shed for the Gray Eagle mine, a gold quartz property on the adjacent mountain, which was worked in the late '90s and was closed down early in this century. The shack was built about 34 years ago, 40 feet up the hillside from its present location, where it arrived ten years later via some nocturnal perambulation not recorded in local history. In a circle 125 feet in diameter surrounding the present location of the crazily tilted shack a person just can't seem to stand upright. You lean, or appear to be leaning, as much as 7½ degrees off the normal vertical position of your body. And you always lean toward the magnetic north, which is slightly east of true north. The funny part of it is, you don't feel that your body is inclining. You might not even notice, except for a funny feeling in your stomach, if you didn't have a companion to look at. John Litster, ex-newspaper man and ex-miner, who owns the property, maintains that the 125-foot circle bounds a zone of influence that cuts up all sorts of didoes. The "force" within this zone is supposed to be shoving away from magnetic north--exactly contrary to the magnetic pull which makes a compass operate. But a compass, says Litster, is the only scientific instrument which will work in the area. Under the Heading: Fact or Fancy When you unconsciously lean toward magnetic north in the Mystery House, it is a compensating action of the muscles necessary to maintain equilibrium or balance against the push. Whether fact or fancy: 1. Anyone standing in this area, no matter which way he faces, leans toward magnetic north. 2. A 25-pound weight suspended as a plumb bob on a rope may be pushed toward magnetic south more easily than toward magnetic north. 3. A plumb line shows a distinct "bow" in the direction opposing magnetic north, that is, 22 degrees west of true south--but you can't pull the bow out of the line. 4. At one spot in the house, a person standing on one side of a crack between boards and facing southwest will be leaning backwards with his weight almost entirely on his toes. When he steps across the crack and brings his feet together again, not more than 12 inches advanced, he will still be leaning backward at the same angle but his weight will be on his heels. 5. An ordinary exposure meter used by a photographer, which tests the intensity of light by photoelectric cell, did not work accurately within the area. 6. Any object tossed into the air appears to fall back away from north. 7. A golf ball or bottle placed on a board or table appearing to be level will start rolling of its own volition and continue in motion, without gaining or losing speed, in any direction except against magnetic north. 8. Some persons become dizzy, some actually nauseated; nearly all feel muscular or nervous strain after being in the house for some time. 9. You won't find any birds nesting in the trees or bushes of the area. Litster says birds sometimes start nests and work for a couple of days, but never finish them. 10. Radio reception inside the area is better than outside, according to tests made by Litster. 11. A heavy majority of the trees in the circle--maple and madronas--lean slightly or decidedly toward magnetic south. Everything about the House of Mystery is cockeyed, including the visitor after a few minutes. To get there you drive up a hill-road which follows Sardine Creek into a country of history and legend. Sardine Creek, they say, was not named because sardines ever swam in it, but because a native of Sardinia made the first big gold strike on it. [The more credible derivation is that the creek was prospected by a miner who left a trail of sardine cans.] Since that time, it is declared, nearly $30,000,000 in gold has been taken from placer and quartz mines of the vicinity. The Visitor, Also, Becomes Cockeyed You park your car and cross Sardine Creek on a footbridge to be greeted either by Mr. Litster or his assistant, a grizzled prospector named Shorty Berrow. The weathered, listless old plank stockade which surrounded the House of Mystery last summer was replaced during the winter tourist slump by a neat fence set on a more nearly vertical plane than the old one. The entrance now is on the northwest side, instead of the southwest, but nothing in the house has been changed. The guide will explain that the "zone of influence" first was noted by teamsters hauling freight to the mines and prospectors with their pack animals. Horses and burros appeared to lean sidewise when passing over the area. The center of the 125-foot circle, a point inside the rough shack, is the center of greatest "attraction" or "force," according to the guide. At that point the body will incline toward magnetic north at an angle of 7½ degrees; if you stand there very long you may feel sick at the stomach. I went into that circle and it appeared as if all my companions were about to topple over, but they kept on walking--with some difficulty--across the down-slanted floor of the shack at a crazy angle. I pushed the 25-pound plumb bob and it did seem (after the guide had suggested it) that it pushed easier toward south than north. Blind Woman Gives Her Reactions "This weight is used to demonstrate the difference in weight in any object towards magnetic north in relation to its weight in the opposite direction," explains Mr. Litster. "By a spring balance this shows a one-pound 12-ounce differential in the opposing directions, the difference being easily noted without the use of the balance." Shorty Berrow explains that this variance in "push" sometimes ranges up to 3½ pounds. "The attraction is stronger when the moon is full," he said. "Also, it is at minimum strength at dawn and grows stronger as the sun gets higher, diminishing in the afternoon. It doesn't make any difference if the sun is behind the clouds." Well, I went through the rest of the tests and they looked like the McCoy, but I couldn't trust my eyes so when I got back to Portland I talked to Miss Myrtle Buzan, 2088 Southeast Forty-seventh Avenue, who has been blind for many years. Miss Buzan visited the House of Mystery with her sister, Miss Laura Buzan, and Mr. and Mrs. Oren McDonald of Medford. "They said they were going to take me to the Crazy House but they wouldn't tell me anything about it," she said. "They were all laughing and cutting up when we started up the incline to the house. I felt rather peculiar. Walking uphill had never bothered me like that before. "As soon as we stepped on the floor of the house I felt funnier--it was like something pulling at my stomach, not a feeling of illness, but as though an enormous magnet were drawing me. "I put my hand down at my side and leaned a little and I was surprised to touch the floor! I turned half around and put my hand down behind me, bending a little, and touched the floor again. "The guide was interested in getting my reactions and didn't tell me what to expect. I pushed a weight, and I didn't know which way I was pushing it. It was easy to push one way, but the other way I had to brace myself. "It was almost impossible for me to walk across the floor, and someone in another party fell down. Even if the floor was tipped at a 20-degree angle, as someone said, I should have been able to walk across it easier than that. "They placed me at a point on the floor which I later learned was supposed to be the center of the force. Standing on one side of the line, I felt behind me until I touched the floor easily, indicating I was leaning backward--but I couldn't tell that without feeling. All my weight was on my toes. Then I stepped across the line, as directed. I leaned back and again touched the floor, indicating to me that my backward lean hadn't changed. I straightened up again. Then I became aware that my weight was on my heels. And I hadn't been aware of any change at all. Shorty Berrow Takes a Flier "I know there is something down there in the ground. I feel that when they do find out what it is, it won't be any force that we know now." Mr. Litster refuses to accept the theory of optical illusion to explain the mysterious "phenomena." "As owner of the property, I have naturally sought a tangible basis for the phenomena," he said, "but I have to admit that I am at a complete loss to ofter any logical explanation." Shorty Berrow was not so reluctant to take a flier in theory. He unwound a long one about the house being on the true line between magnetic north and magnetic south and the possible presence of some vast mineral or meteor substance under the house which would break the "flow of current." Almost any scientist will tell you, of course, that the source and nature of the earth's magnetism is still one of the great unsolved mysteries, and that invisible lines of force stream over the entire world from the south pole to the north pole. Finally the Oregonian asked Earl K. Nixon, director of the state department of geology and mineral industries, to gather up his gadgets and take a gander at Southern Oregon's best-known shanty. In the course of a recent trip to Southern Oregon, Mr. Nixon made an excursion to the House of Mystery. He reported: "We stood at a point in the yard, as directed--heels together and facing southwest--and were asked to note that the body weight seemed to be on the heels, that there seemed to be a tendency to lean backward slightly--toward the northeast; then we stood in reverse position facing the northeast and were asked to note the tendency to bend at the waist and lean forward slightly. Then we stood at 90 degrees from the former position. "I confess that whether it was the power of suggestion or my host's telepathic influence or some psychic quirk in my normally agreeable disposition, I don't know, but it seemed to me that there might be an infinitesimal tendency to lean northeast as my host indicated. "However, with my companion standing at 90 degrees to the magnetic direction, I carefully sighted my Brunton clinometer compass at the crease in his trouser legs; I sighted from his nose through his belt buckle and down to his heels, and on both tests the level bubble showed that he was standing perfectly erect and vertical, although from casual observation I would have said that he was leaning slightly. "By that time I was afraid to trust my own offhand estimate of verticality. Engineer Testifies to a 'Queer Sensation' "Next, we turned toward the house itself. Windows and doors are gone, thus enhancing the eerie effect. Nothing about the slant of the floors, walls or roof of the building is normal--everything is askew. "As our guide entered and took a turn around the slanting floor of the nearest room, I immediately felt a queer sensation, a fleeting dizziness. He seemed to be walking with his body at an angle of 45 degrees, with his feet out from under him over to one side. "I then entered and walked across and around the slanting floor. My feet seemed to want to go west or creekward and the rest of me the other way. Something seemed to be slightly awry with my sense of balance. "I walked deliberately back out into the yard and turned to regard the room I had left. My companion was still standing in the middle of it, and appearing to lean strongly uphill. "I got out the level and found that he was in reality standing vertically. I entered again and still the illusion persisted." Mr. Nixon did not react per Hoyle to the weight-pushing test. He said that when the guide balanced a broom, brush down, on the slanting floor and pointed out that the handle was not plumb, "it looked anything but plumb and the level showed it slightly out of plumb, but I was mean enough to note that the slight curvature of the broom's straws at the bottom would prevent the collimation of the handle from being vertical so long as the whole broom was in balance." The level also showed a plumb line to be plumb, despite the apparent curve. "He then demonstrated that a golf ball will roll the length of a little trough without gaining momentum, which is not according to the rule book or to the laws of falling bodies. I felt compelled to note that a trough might be held at such an angle that the resistance of the surface of the board would tend to counteract any tendency the ball might have to accelerate." Optical Illusion Believed Explanation The engineer found that many of the trees in the area actually do lean as claimed. Mr. Nixon said he "could not discount the peculiar sensation of unstable equilibrium I sensed while walking about that warped floor." But he offered an explanation: "The answer to the mystery, in my opinion, is optically illusory and mental. We human beings lead a normal life. Our horizon, literally and figuratively, is level. Our streets are straight, our corners square. All our buildings, factories and homes are constructed on a basis of verticality and horizontality, with plumb line and level. Our trees, fences and telephone poles are vertical. We have well-ordered minds, geared to a balance scheme of verticality and horizontality--in other words, normality. "In the case of the House of Mystery, everything registers abnormal optically. The whole scheme is cockeyed--awfully cockeyed. On first viewing the house, your senses are offended. On entering it and trying to walk about, the combination of irregularities seems to throw your sense of balance slightly out of gear. In trying to compensate for the tendency of leaning one way, you swing past center or lean too far the other. The effect is a bit weird. To one with a delicate stomach the effect might be fleetingly nauseating, as on the tilted deck of a ship. I can detect nothing awry from an engineering standpoint. One can't fool a level bubble, but one's eye--that's different." Which appears very reasonable. But how about Del Burkhart's photographic exposure meter, which registered an amazing 65 units near the house and a normal 160 units in the same kind of light outside the "charmed circle?" And how about Miss Myrtle Buzan, who is blind? Oregonian Magazine, Portland, April 3, 1938, page 1 Mystery House Filmed--Mr.
and Mrs. John Litster, owners of the House of Mystery on Sardine Creek,
transacted business here today. Parris Emory, Universal cameraman in
Portland, spent several hours last Sunday taking motion pictures of the
House of Mystery for a release in the near future, Mr. Litster said.
The weird tourist attraction has been bringing considerable publicity
to Southern Oregon of late. Recently a lengthy, illustrated article on
the House of Mystery was published in the Sunday Oregonian magazine section, and a short time later an Oregonian editorial cartoon was devoted to the place. New folders on the house are now being distributed widely by Mr. Litster.
"Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, April 29, 1938, page 11 From Sardine Creek--Mr. and Mrs. John Litster, owners of the House of Mystery on Sardine Creek, visited friends and transacted business here today. Much interest outside the state continues to be shown in the mystic house, Mr. Litster said. Recently Hearst-Metro newsreel men took pictures of the place, shortly after the house had been filmed by Universal News, Mr. Litster related. A few days ago, he added, he received a request from a Detroit agency for 500 folders on the house. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, May 11, 1938, page 7 OREGON'S "CRAZY HOUSE" BAFFLES SCIENCE
Four miles from Gold Hill, Oregon, stands a dilapidated shack, built
some thirty years ago as a mine assay office. Ten years ago it slid
downhill from its original position to land squarely in the center of a
125-foot circle, within whose bounds there operates, or appears to
operate, a strange "force."By J. A. REYES Shell Touring Service A person standing in this tip-tilted shack leans, or appears to lean, as much as 7½ degrees from the normal vertical position of the body. In the area are other strange upsets in the laws of gravity and other natural laws. What the "force" is no one definitely knows. While standing in one of the rooms in this "mystery house" a solid ball may be thrown into the air but the ball, in descending, describes a wide arc in the opposite direction away from this strange "force," as if blown by a gust of wind. Anyone standing in this area cannot help leaning toward magnetic north, regardless of what direction he may face. Whether fact or fancy, a 25-lb. weight suspended as a plumb bob on a rope may be pushed toward magnetic south more easily than magnetic north. The plumb line shows a distinct "bow" in the direction opposing magnetic north, that is, 22 degrees west of true south--but you can't pull the bow out of the line. Trees within this area all lean without exception toward magnetic south. An ordinary exposure meter used by a photographer, which tests the intensity of light by photoelectric cell, does not work accurately within the area. Some persons become dizzy or nauseated, and practically all feel a nervous or muscular strain after they have been inside this house for an extended length of time. Radio reception is better inside the area than outside according to tests made by Mr. Litster, owner of the property. At one spot in the house a person standing on one side of a crack between boards and facing southwest will be leaning backwards with his weight almost entirely on his toes. When he steps across the crack and brings his feet together again, not more than 12 inches advanced, he will still be leaning backward at the same angle but his weight will be on his heels. Birds will not nest within this circle but there have been times when they have started nests, worked a couple days and then have abandoned them. A golf ball or bottle placed on a board or table which has been checked as being absolutely level will start rolling of its own volition and continues in motion, without gaining or losing speed, in any direction except against magnetic north. There have been many theories advanced by many scientists as to this strange "force," but there are loopholes of doubt present in all that have been advanced so far. Each year thousands of tourists visit and experience the strange sensations in connection with this phenomenon and leave unable to explain the reasons for the "cockeyed" way in which this "cockeyed house" acts. Evening Herald, Klamath Falls, August 31, 1938, page 8 Publicized--An article on the House of Mystery on Sardine Creek above Gold Hill is contained in the current Wheel, widely circulated monthly magazine published by the Studebaker Corporation, for motorists. The article is illustrated with photographs. John Litster, owner of the House of Mystery who was here today, said he was recently invited to appear on the John Hix "Strange As It Seems" radio program in Hollywood to tell about the phenomenal place. Mr. Litster stated that he declined the invitation, but at Mr. Hix's request was sending data to be used in a possible "Strange As It Seems" cartoon. The cartoon is a feature in the Mail Tribune daily. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, January 3, 1940, page 5 From Country--Mr. and Mrs. J. Litster, owners of the House of Mystery on Sardine Creek north of Gold Hill, transacted business and called upon friends here yesterday. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, June 4, 1941, page 7 John Litster of the Mystery House wondering if the "Mystery House" in the Rialto film is a different one or if California is now claiming the famous Jackson County attraction. "Side Glances," Medford Mail Tribune, September 4, 1942, page 1 Marriage Licenses
Perry A. Polk and Gloria Jean Litster."Court House News," Medford Mail Tribune, September 15, 1942, page 5 Science Baffled by Nature's Crazy House
Crazy House hangs on a hillside overlooking Sardine Creek,
midway between Crater Lake and Oregon Caves, in the southwestern corner
of Oregon.Forty years ago it occupied a position of dignity on the crest of the hill. But after 10 years it went on a nocturnal spree and woke up dangling dizzily. It hasn't been the same since. It is called Crazy House because ever since it tumbled down the slope, it has rested in a circular area 130 feet in diameter where nothing proceeds according to plan. That is, the laws of nature behave insanely. Nothing happens the way it should, such as gravity and magnetism, as man has learned them down through all the ages. The house itself is aslant and everybody who enters it walks aslant. Plumb lines won't hang true. Balls roll with increasing momentum in one direction. One has a feeling of nausea. And there is an eerie light. Don't ask why. Scientists say it's all an optical illusion, anyway. But a lot of things happen in and around Crazy House--in the radius of the 130-foot magic circle--that are unexplained by scientists or anybody else. Crazy House isn't really a house at all. It is a two-room, vertical board shack, which once served as an assay office and tool shed for the Gray Eagle mine, a rich gold deposit in a field that was worked for $30,000,000. When it slid drunkenly down the hill the mine already had been abandoned, and nobody was interested in lifting the house up. John Litster, an ex-newspaperman and sometime miner, finally bought the property and discovered that he had a gold mine as well. Not one for digging. But a real bonanza, because of its curiosity. People were anxious to pay a quarter to experience the strange sensations that they felt while inside the magic circle, and Litster's customers are counted in the tens of thousands. No matter what the rules of science say, here's what happens in and around the Crazy House: The body leans at an angle of as much as seven and one-half degrees toward magnetic north, which is slightly east of true north. Litster has all sorts of gadgets around so people may make tests for themselves to find out how cockeyed the whole business is. He operates on the theory that what one sees, one believes. For instance, a 25-pound weight, suspended as a plumb bob on a rope, may be swung easily toward magnetic south. It takes a harder push to send it toward magnetic north. A plumb line bulges distinctly in the direction opposite magnetic north and the bow can't be pulled out. Anything tossed in the air seems to fall away from the north. A ball on an apparently level table will start rolling of its own volition, neither gaining nor losing speed, except against old debbil north. Trees on the property, too, lean against the breeze, And birds won't nest in them. The stomach does handsprings as soon as one steps into the house. And there is a difference in the light. A photographer made a test with his light meter and discovered, to his amazement, that it measured 65 units near the house and 160 units outside the magic circle. "I don't try to explain it," Litster declares. His assistant, Shorty Berrow, offers another oddity. "The attraction is stronger when the moon is full. It is at minimum strength at dawn and grows stronger as the sun gets higher, diminishing in the afternoon." Earl K. Nixon, director of the Oregon State Department of Geology and Mineral Industries, went to cast a skeptical eye on nature's hijinks. He went through the whole works, determined to deal with them in a scientific way. But he had to admit that there was something screwy. "I confess," he said, "that whether it was the power of suggestion or my host's telepathic influence or some psychic quirk, I don't know, but it seemed to me there might be an infinitesimal tendency to lean northeast. "As our guide entered and took a turn around the slanting floor, I immediately felt a queer sensation, a fleeting dizziness. He seemed to be walking at an angle of 45 degrees with his feet out from under him, over to one side." Nixon carried a level with him and made some measurements. "I found that he was standing vertically," he said. "But when I entered the house the illusion persisted. "The answer, in my opinion, is optically illusory and mental. Our horizon, literally and figuratively, is level--straight streets, square corners, vertical poles and fences, buildings level. "In the case of this house, everything registers abnormal optically. The combination of irregularity seems to throw your sense of balance out of gear. In trying to compensate for the tendency to lean one way you lean too far the other." Let's listen to Miss Myrtle Buzan, who is blind and cannot possibly be cast under the spell of optical illusion. "When we started up the incline I felt peculiar," she said. "As soon as we stepped on the floor I felt like something was pulling at my stomach. "It was almost impossible for me to walk across the floor. I pushed a weight and I didn't know which way I was pushing it. It was easy to push one way, but to push the other way I had to brace myself. "I know there is something in that ground that pulls people." Shorty Berrow thinks the house is on the true line between magnetic north and magnetic south, and that, in the ground, lies a meteor or some vast mineral substance that breaks the natural flow of current. Crazy business, whatever it is. American Weekly, May 28, 1944, page 18 Similarities between the text of this article and the April 1938 article above--and the fact that the photos for both were taken by Del Burkhart--suggest that this was written by Oregonian staff writer Herbert Lundy. Crazy House
Oregon's Crazy House on Sardine Creek in Southern Oregon was the subject of a page writeup in the American Weekly
last Sunday [above]. Thirty years ago the house fell off the side of a hill and
landed on a ledge where it has leaned precariously ever since. It was a
two-room shack for a mining firm before its fall but now it just acts
crazy. Trees on the property lean against the wind and a ball on the
table will roll from side to side without anyone starting it. A
25-pound weight suspended as a plumb line on a rope bulges out of line
in the opposite direction of north, and people cannot stand up straight
in the house. People who enter the house after paying a quarter for the
privilege say the floor seems to pull at their stomachs, and it is hard
to walk across the floor. Anyway, it is a crazy house and the owner is
doing all right and may take out as much in quarters as the mine owners
took out in gold. The gold mine is reported to have been worth 30
million dollars, but the owner, John Litster, now has a gold mine in
this crazy house which is visited by thousands of people every year.
Francyl Howard, Greater Oregon, Albany, Oregon, June 2, 1944, page 1 NATURE'S CRAZY HOUSE
Near Sardine Creek between Crater Lake and Oregon Caves, in the
southwestern corner of Oregon, stands a mine shack in a circular area
of about 130 feet in diameter. In this area the laws of physics grow
cockeyed. Plumb lines won't hang true, balls roll with increasing
momentum in one certain direction, and it isn't downhill. Anything
tossed into the air always falls away from the north. Trees on the
property lean against the breeze, while visitors walk at a slanting
angle without realizing it.
Don't ask us what the answer is. Some scientists claim it is only an optical illusion. However, a photographer made a light test and showed that the intensity of light within the circle measured 63 units while at the same time it measured 160 units outside the magic circle. The queer magnetic distortion is weakest at dawn and strongest at noon. Maybe this is another sunspot, folks. Anyway, every visitor is strangely affected by the phenomena of the place. Thrilling Wonder Stories, Fall 1944, page 30 House of Mystery Subject of Topic in Facts Magazine
Wonders of the House of Mystery,
located on Sardine Creek near Gold Hill, are described in the February
issue of Facts
magazine in an article written by Howard Harris. A copy of the magazine
was presented to the Jackson County Chamber of Commerce by John
Litster, owner of the House of Mystery.Harris explains how a strange geophysical phenomena [sic] in the area prevents a person from standing upright, rolls objects uphill and makes it possible to stand a cane or umbrella up without a visible means of support. Stones thrown over the fence come back, like a boomerang, Harris relates, and smoke or a scrap of paper spiral around with increasing velocity. The phenomena, unexplained by science, has [sic] attracted countless visitors over a period of many years. Medford Mail Tribune, February 8, 1946, page 9 Mrs. John Litster's Mother Succumbs
Mrs. Mabel Hall Forsyth of Berkeley, a frequent visitor to the Rogue
River Valley for many years, passed away suddenly at her home in
Berkeley last week.She was the mother of Mrs. John Litster of Gold Hill, and is also survived by two other daughters, Mrs. Florence McGee of Berkeley, and Mrs. Goldwin Stewart of Toronto. Mrs. Forsyth was the widow of John W. Forsyth, New York architect, and in her earlier years was a nationally known concert pianist. Medford Mail Tribune, March 10, 1946, page 14 In Medford--Mr. and Mrs. John Litster of Sardine Creek spent today visiting in the city. Litster, owner of the House of Mystery, reports the greatest volume of visitors at the house in years. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, June 18, 1946, page 7 SCHADE DAUGHTER IS FEATURED IN MAGAZINE PHOTOS
Madelyn Klinefelter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Larry Schade, 989 South
Oakdale Avenue, is featured in a group of pictures made in the interior
of the House of Mystery, located on Sardine Creek east of Gold Hill,
and appearing in the April issue of Mechanix Illustrated.The accompanying article, written by a Mechanix Illustrated photographer, told of the writer's amazement at the phenomena encountered at the House of Mystery. Telling of his experiences, the writer stated, "I got the assignment because I wasn't born yesterday and because I know my camera angles. They figured if there was any optical trickery involved I'd catch it. I'll say right here that the House of Mystery is still a house of mystery to me." Also shown in accompanying photographs are John Litster, owner of the House of Mystery, and a scene inside the house showing a group leaning at a precarious angle due to the strange manifestations which have given the house its name. Medford Mail Tribune, March 30, 1947, page 10 Haywire House
I've been there, I've seen, I've taken pictures--but I still don't see how such things are possible.By R.W.K. The editors of MI heard some wild stories about a place called the House of Mystery. What stories! People go around ten degrees off the vertical! A golf ball thrown straight up comes down several inches to one side! A bottle rolls uphill! A broom stands by itself--at an angle to the floor! People grow taller or shorter, depending on where they stand! All this happens in Oregon, in a peculiar area called the Oregon Vortex, a circle, or rather a sphere, exactly 165 feet 4½ inches in diameter up in the Gold Hill country! The editors, always hot after new science angles but. suspecting trickery, arranged that I be sent up after the story. Right off, I'd better say I'm not a trained scientific writer at all, but a photographer. I got the assignment because I wasn't born yesterday and because I know my camera angles. They figured if there was any optical trickery involved I'd catch it. I'll say right here that the House of Mystery is still a house of mystery to me. I was plenty skeptical when I arrived. Right away John Litster, owner of the works, looked me in the eye. "Keep alert here," he warned. "You'll need all your skill. I won't promise that your pictures will come out. You may have to come back several times." I certainly tried to be alert. First he took me to a place where there were two concrete blocks a couple of feet apart, separated by a line. The line, he said, marked the edge of the Vortex, one block being outside and one in. He stood me on one block and himself stood on the other. "Now, sight along a line level with your eyes and see what part of my face comes into view," he directed. I did it, and found myself looking at the top of his head. I was the taller one. "Now let's swap positions," he said. We did that--and now I found myself looking squarely into his eyes! I couldn't help myself! I was amazed! He was taller! I tried it again. I experimented. The concrete blocks were level and even with each other in the ground! While I was trying to fathom the secret, a dozen tourists gathered to be taken through the House, and I joined them. As we stood outside the Screwy Circle, Litster told us to cross over carefully, then stop and stand perfectly still, and we'd actually feel the change of balance. We did it. He was right! It were as though a strong wind were blowing us over toward magnetic north? We were to remain at this odd angle, sometimes greater than 10 degrees, during all our stay. After this were led through a rickety gate in a high board fence, and inside found ourselves in a small yard flanked on one side by the House of Mystery itself, left just as it had fallen during an earth slide many years ago. The crooked doorway captured our eyes. One elderly woman, livid with fear, refused to go a step farther. At the doorway our guide told us to watch our balance carefully when entering because we could very easily fall up! At this advice a few ladies giggled and one old gent smiled and expertly arced a gob of tobacco juice between two rotting boards. But when we filed in we found he spoke the truth! The floor was at an angle, and standing was made difficult by the pull of some mysterious force! In the House the experiments began. A girl was told to push a 28-pound weight, suspended from the ceiling, in a certain direction. She did it with ease. But when she tried to push it the opposite way it took all her strength! A golf ball tossed straight up fell inches to one side! These aberrations were due to the magnetic pull of the vortex of electrons, according to Litster, who says the House of Mystery puzzle is based on the same principle as a vortex. I looked up that word "vortex" as soon as I got back, and I guess I'd better put down what the dictionary says. It was: "1. A mass of fluid, especially of a liquid, having a whirling or circular motion tending to form a cavity or vacuum in the center of the circle, and to draw toward this bodies subject to its action. 2. A supposed collection of particles of very subtle matter endowed with a rapid rotary motion around an axis which was also the axis of a sun or a planet. Descartes attempted to account for the formation of the universe, and the movements of the bodies composing it, by a theory of vortexes." That same golf ball, put on the floor, began rolling uphill! And it was uphill: any customer who doubted that could check it with a level. A girl, on instructions from the guide, was told to back slowly up into a corner. She did so, but couldn't control her momentum; she suddenly felt herself "fall up,'' and slammed noisily against the wall! At one place there were two poles marked off in inches. On one, a man's height would be six feet, say, but on the other, only a few feet away, there would be a difference of an inch, and sometimes more! A plumb line was suspended from the branch of a tree. Normally the bob and cord would hang straight down--but when we stood in back of it with the bob between our feet, the cord passed nearly in front of one ear! I learned that many years ago the Indians regarded the area of the Vortex as a place of evil spirits. It is said that horses shied when they neared the place. The House of Mystery was erected as an assay office when the white man first came that way in search of gold, and its present owner, John Litster, claims he discovered the oddities of the area some 17 years ago and now stars them in a roadside sideshow to finance his study of the region. I must say that the place seems a very profitable attraction, and I also must say that Litster was very friendly and cooperative. These, then, are the highlights of the story. You see the pictures, just as my camera caught them. To me, the House of Mystery is still a mystery. I'm not enough of a physicist to understand just what this vortex force is. I bought Litster's "Notes and Data" booklet on it, but I bet Einstein himself couldn't make head or tail of that. The editors of MI smile whenever I tell how wonderful everything was, and when I ask why, they smile even more--but they won't tell me a thing. Maybe they're putting on an act, but I don't know. I was there. I saw these things. What can account for what happens? Mechanix Illustrated, April 1947, page 66 Hex or Hoax?
It may, as one school of thought insists, be mere illusion. Or it may
be indeed a significant scientific phenomenon. To the former school
Oregon's House of Mystery is merely an old assay office, which slid
down a steep hill one day, and came to rest in a position which sets a
crazy pattern for everything around it, giving all, house, trees, even
you, a seeming independence of the laws of gravity and perspective. To
the latter nature has used the 165-foot circle in which the House is
located to teach an important lesson in geophysics, wherein, seemingly,
she blithely uses the exception to prove the rule. If you're bored with
gravity and all that, go see for yourself. You have only to turn four
miles off Route 99 at Sardine Creek, about halfway between Grants Pass
and Medford.Seeing may not always be believing. But whether or not he can believe what he sees, the average tourist leaves Oregon's charmed circle feeling undeniably dizzy! Better Homes and Gardens, November 1947, page 28 Visitors Increase at Oregon Vortex
Although most auto court owners and others catering to the tourist
trade generally agree there are fewer travelers on the highways this
year than might reasonably be expected, at least one tourist attraction
is finding the reverse is true. According to John Litster, owner of the
Oregon Vortex on Sardine Creek, the former Mystery House, visitations
there this year has run ahead of 1947."During the first six months of this year we have had 7.3 percent more paid admissions than was the case in the same period last year," said Mr. Litster. Medford Mail Tribune, July 14, 1948, page 7 Magazine Tells of Mystery House
John Litster and his two-room "House of Mystery" are featured in an article in the August issue of Holiday.
Carried in the magazine's "Under the Sun" department, the article tells its readers that more than 1,500,000 persons have visited the mystery house, "where the world suddenly stands on its ear and all Nature's laws appear to be null and void." The article continues: "No carnival fun house with carefully prepared effects comes up to this cockeyed shanty, where everything and everybody inclines toward the magnetic north, objects roll uphill, brooms stand unsupported at an angle on the floor, people seem to grow taller as they walk away from you and shorter as they approach, and a plumb line just adds to the confusion. "Mr. Litster meets his sightseers on level ground, delivers a brief history of the place, and hands out scientific literature. He tells people to be sure to bring their cameras with them 'to prove that illusion is out of the question.' Even down-to-earth scientists are occasionally confused by the Vortex and Mr. Litster's explanation for it: "'Experimentation shows that the energy wave involved in both the Vortex and the Terralines is transverse. Its power of penetration is neither affected nor minimized by a heavy lead shield. The reverse oscillation of the D Terraline is confirmed at the center of the Vortex, and can be checked, as can all other oscillations, by its reaction on the posture of the individual conducting the test.'" The article tells its readers that the shanty was formerly a miner's assaying office, and became the House of Mystery some 30 years ago when "a fortuitous landslide nudged the shack 40 feet downhill to its present site, knocking walls, floor and ceiling askew in the process." The magazine quotes Dr. John Eliot Allen, Oregon State Geologist, as saying: "The whole thing is a marvelous illusion, a first-class example of what happens to one's senses when all normal planes of reference are removed. There is no horizon, no vertical trees (they were all moved by the same landslide that twisted the house), nothing from which to gauge verticality or horizontality. It was an accident that tilted all the trees in the area north. The Vortex is, of course, pure tommyrot, and there is no 'field of force.' But all other phenomena do appear as stated." Central Point American, July 29, 1948, page 5 Reprinted from the Mail Tribune of July 25. HERE'S THE DOPE
By Manly Banister Dear Ed: You can pull up your proverbial pants now--here's the dope on the Oregon Vortex:
About fifteen years ago, as I was engaged in pursuit of certain literary research on the subject of Oregoniana (did you ever see such a hell of a word?), I ran across this touted "Vortex" in the nature of certain alluring invitations (advt.) that tantalizingly described a most unusual spot upon the face of the earth--a spot about 50 yards or so in diameter, more or less (let us be accurate, by all means!)--in which up is down and vice versa, and mules respond gee when you yell haw. In short, it was said (in the circular) that normal laws of nature reverse themselves and stand up and do tricks within the mystic circumference of this vortex, and the only cost was two bits to come and see for yourself. Well, sir, I discovered in the course of research that not everybody agreed as to the alleged properties of the so-called Vortex. Unscientific observers, having paid their respective two bitsus for proving the spiel, swore that within the circle they climbed downhill, rolled uphill and stood at a slant. It was further claimed that if you hung a plumb line within the periphery of the magic circle and another without and sighted along the two, the plumb lines hung not parallel but crossed each other. Scientific elements investigating would not certainly say that any of it was true and largely agreed it to be optical illusion. Fact of the matter: A tumbledown shack rested on a steep side hill. No level territory any place for the observer to get a bearing. (Wonder if that same shack is still there? It was in lousy shape fifteen years or so ago.) Consensus: There seemed to be a slight deviation of the perpendicular at that particular spot which might or might not be. Could be the aforementioned optical illusion--it could be a large amount of meteoric or magnetic matter buried in the mountain that actually drew the gravitic lines (?) slightly out of plumb. You paid your money (two bits in this case) and took your choice. The general effect of the Oregon Vortex upon the public…has been a loud yawn. In a country where it's so mountainous you can't tell up from down anyway, what's the difference? As for the "newly located accompanying four fields of counter force," never heard of 'em, having been divorced from the state of Oregon, lo, this past decade.… 1905 Spruce Avenue, Kansas City 1, Missouri. Thrilling Wonder Stories, December 1949, page 142 Snow at Vortex--John Litster, owner of the House of Mystery, the Oregon Vortex, up Sardine Creek from Gold Hill, is spending the day in Medford and reports 11 inches of snow fell at his place last night. Snow totaling 37 inches fell there at the height of the January 13 storm, Litster said. The road to [the] Mystery House is now clear of snow, however. "Local and Personal," Medford Mail Tribune, January 24, 1950, page 9 Henry Morris, who can tell all about the House of Mystery near Gold Hill which came down the hill in a slide and lodged intact at a 30-degree angle, has returned from the hospital in Portland. He is taking physiotherapy and prefers it to hospital routine. He worked four years for John Litster on Sardine Creek. "Pickin' Pears: News from Camp White," Medford Mail Tribune, June 4, 1952, page 11 $562,500 Asked in Damage Suit by House of Mystery
Los Angeles--Hearings began in superior court here today on a suit
brought by "The House of Mystery" in Jackson County, Oregon, against
"Confusion Hill," in Mendocino County, California. The suit, which
charges plagiarism and pirating of ideas and methods, seeks damages
totaling $562,500, and an injunction against the continued operation of
"Confusion Hill."Alleges Ideas Stolen
The suit was brought by Mr. and Mrs. John Litster, proprietors of "The
House of Mystery," against the partnership operating "Confusion Hill."
It charges that the ideas, lectures, physical construction of the
premises and methods of demonstration for "Confusion Hill" are
virtually identical to those used at "The House of Mystery" and which
were originated there. They are used without permission of Mr. and Mrs.
Litster, who have a common-law right to them, the suit maintains.The court is asked for a judgment against the defendants of $62,500 for loss of revenue; $250,000 for depreciation in the value of the business, which is placed at $500,000, and $250,000 for unfair competition. It also asks a permanent injunction, and "such other and further relief as to this court may seem just and proper." Say Revenue Cut
The amended complaint which is the basis of the hearing sets forth that
prior to 1950, when "Confusion Hill" began business, the annual income
of "The House of Mystery" was about $100,000, and that since that time
the income has been less than $75,000. The decrease in revenue was
attributed to confusion in the minds of the public, for whose patronage
the two are competing.The imitation, copying, plagiarism and pirating of "The House of Mystery's" building, place of business, concrete form and combination ideas and the identical manner of presentation of lectures, demonstrations, exhibitions and method of operation, constitute, the complaint alleges, infringement of the "common law copyright" of the plaintiffs. Medford Mail Tribune, July 15, 1952, page 1 House of Mystery Seeks Injunction on Uncanny Canyon
John Litster and Mildred Litster, owners of The House of Mystery on
Sardine Creek Road northwest of Gold Hill, have brought suit against
owners of Uncanny Canyon, east of Shady Cove on the Rogue River, county
clerk's records revealed today.The suit asks that the circuit court enjoin the defendants from imitating and copying the plaintiff's business, and from so advertising, intimating and representing their business as to cause the two to become confused. Named as defendants are John F. Dunlap, Paulene F. Dunlap and a John Doe. The Litsters' complaint asserts that the defendants have "willfully appropriated, plagiarized, copied, pirated and taken" the physical properties, accessories and ideas used in The House of Mystery without the consent of the plaintiffs. Uncanny Canyon has been in operation since Jan. 26, 1952, the complaint alleges. The complaint states that, since 1930, the plaintiffs have expended a sum in excess of $250,000 for operation and maintenance of The House of Mystery. Attached to the complaint is a chart which lists 35 alleged points of similarity between the two operations. The House of Mystery is built around the so-called Oregon vortex, where the owners claim effects of gravity are different than that in the area outside of the "vortex." Hugh B. Collins, Medford attorney, is acting as counsel for the plaintiffs. Medford Mail Tribune, April 28, 1953, page 1 And John Litster, owner of the House of Mystery, reports he was much surprised on the weekend when visitation at the Sardine Creek attraction tripled. Only reason he could think of for the sudden surge of customers was a little ad he ran for two days in the Mail Tribune calling attention to the inauguration of winter visiting hours. Well! Of course. "Potluck," Medford Mail Tribune, October 9, 1953, page 4 A Good Suggestion
John Litster, skipper of the House of Mystery, came in from his Sardine
Creek stronghold this week with an idea which he thinks might help to
take Oregon out of the confusion which marks the rest of the nation's
timetables.John points out that in most of the principal cities and in at least nine states the people are going and coming on Daylight Saving Time. In 24 states, some are on D.S.T. through and through while some others permit pockets of Daylight Time. In fifteen states adoption of the sun-saving schedule is optional. The Mystery House man encounters thousands of tourists from out-of-state points as they flock in to visit his palace of phenomenon in the summer, and he has found in previous years that a large majority do not know what the time is in Oregon and many aren't even too sure whether D.S.T. prevails in their home states. At least some of the uncertainty could be removed, believes John, if Oregon state offices, chambers of commerce, business places and others which send out much mail would have the words: "Oregon is on Standard Time" on their outgoing mail. Where postage meters are used this could be done by having the message included in the meter stamp. Many postage meter users now have advertising matter or slogans on their meter imprint, and the change suggested by Mr. Litster would involve only minor expense. It has been estimated that 43 percent of the nation's population is under Daylight Time now as compared to 37 percent in 1948. To make the time matter even more confusing, some eastern states are planning to extend D.S.T. an extra month this year, until the last Sunday in October. This will put them out of step with the rest of the nation, where D.S.T. traditionally ends on the last Sunday of September. The Litster plan, if adopted throughout the country, could serve at least as good a purpose as most of the imprints currently in use. E.C.F.
AN ADVENTURE IN LIVING!
COMMODIOUS LOG CABIN
located in ideal secluded area. On county road. 120 acres. A little
more than 20 miles from Medford or Grants Pass. On Sardine Creek. 1
mile north of House of Mystery. Immediate occupancy. Large screened
sleeping porch, water piped into cabin. Creek runs full length of
property, ½ mile. First-class bathroom facilities: partly furnished.
Ample timber for domestic use. This was the original home of the owner
of the House of Mystery, and the area includes some of the richest
placer ground in the West. A perfect location that can be expanded into
an ideal mountain ranch. Unlimited free water, grazing and good
hunting. Rogue River only five miles distant. Power line connected.
Valid reason for sale. Estimated over a million and a half cubic yards
of high-grade placer gravel on property. Taxes fully paid up. Clear
title guaranteed, no encumbrances. The famous Oregon Vortex gold
collection was mined here.FOR SALE: Contact owner: John Litster, Rt. 1, Box 537, Gold Hill Medford Mail Tribune, November 2, 1958, page 28 John Litster of Gold Hill Dies Unexpectedly
John Litster,
73, of Gold Hill, died unexpectedly at his home Friday. He developed
and was operator of the Oregon Vortex at the House of Mystery on
Sardine Creek.
Mr. Litster was born April 30, 1886, in Alva, Scotland, the son of a British foreign diplomat. He was reared in South Africa, returning to England later where he received his mining engineer degree from London University, and his master of arts and science from Glasgow University. Mr. Litster was employed for many years as a mining engineer by the Guggenheim Corporation. He was a graduate of the Kilmarnock Academy in Scotland, where he was a classmate of Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. He spoke nine languages fluently. In 1930, in Oakland, Calif., he was married to Mildred F. Forsyth, who survives. Mr. Litster also was a writer, many of his wrirings appearing under the pen names of Alva Romanes and John Litster. He moved to Southern Oregon about 30 years ago, where he developed the Oregon Vortex at the House of Mystery. Surviving besides his widow si a son, Jack Litster, who is living in Eastern Oregon. Private funeral services will be read by a Christian Scientist in the Conger-Morris downtown chapel Monday morning. Committal will be private. Medford Mail Tribune, December 6, 1959, page 15 House of Mystery Reported for Sale
The House of Mystery on Sardine Creek near Gold Hill, developed about
30 years ago by the late John Litster, is for sale, the Mail Tribune learned today.The tourist attraction, known as the Oregon Vortex, has been operated since the Dec. 4 death of Mr. Litster by his widow, Mrs. Mildred Litster. It was reported that following the sale she plans to make her home in Medford and to travel. The House of Mystery, located on 20 acres of land, is being offered for $75,000. Buildings on the property in addition to the tourist attraction include a warehouse, office with sleeping area for a caretaker, souvenir shop and trailer house. Also for sale is a parcel of land one mile north which includes 120 acres of gold placer ground with rustic four-room log house. The property is being offered for $10,000. No mining has been reported conducted in recent years on the property. Medford Mail Tribune, February 17, 1960, page 1 Coopers Purchase House of Mystery
Gold Hill--Mr. and Mrs. Ernest H. Cooper, Gold Hill, have purchased the
House of Mystery at Oregon Vortex from Mrs. Mildred Litster, widow of
the late John Litster, founder of the attraction.The House of Mystery, which has been open to the public since 1930, is located north of Gold Hill on Sardine Creek Rd. The Coopers, proprietors of Ernie's Shell Station and Wrecker Service, Gold Hill, have lived in Gold Hill since 1946. Prior to moving here they lived in Coos Bay. Medford Mail Tribune, April 4, 1960, page 2 MILDRED F. LITSTER Services for Mrs. Mildred F. Litster, of 225½ South Holly St., who died Sunday, will be read by a Christian Scientist at Conger-Morris downtown chapel Wednesday at 9 a.m. Committal will be private. Medford Mail Tribune, December 19, 1961, page 9 The Oregon Vortex Phenomenon
by John Eliot Allen, Emeritus Professor of Geology, Portland State University, P.O. Box 751, Portland, OR 97207In June. a full page in the Oregonian was devoted to the tourist attraction known as "The Oregon Vortex." which lies north of the Rogue River, about halfway between Grants Pass and Medford. While living in Grants Pass in 1937, I visited this reportedly anomalous location, which apparently violated the physical laws of gravity and magnetism. The phenomenon centered in a small weather-beaten and dilapidated wooden cabin, which stood at an angle on a gently sloping hillside, apparently the surface of a landslide. And yes, balls did appear to roll uphill. And when one stood erect, one appeared to lean at an angle from the vertical--and all of this was attributed to a mysterious "magnetic vortex." A field geologist always carries a compact surveying instrument known as a "Brunton," which consists of both an accurate compass and a bubble level. With the compass, I could find no local horizontal or vertical magnetic anomaly; with the bubble level I convinced myself that the balls rolled downhill, not up. I had a faint memory from a lecture in my Psych 202 class at Oregon in 1927, which reminded me of a skewed room that has a weird optical illusion of shape and size and slope, so I decided that the "Vortex" cabin represented such a skewed structure. Since reading the Oregonian article, I have checked out that memory with a modern psychology text (Bernstein and others, 1994) and find that this illusion is well known as the "Müller-Lyer Illusion." However, the "Vortex" is a fun thing to see, and I strongly urge everyone to take this short side trip from I-5 on the next trip south. And take your Brunton with you! REFERENCES Bernstein, D.A., and others, 1994, Psychology: Houghton-Mifflin, 674 p., p. 193. Gregory, R.L., Visual Illusions: Scientific American, v. 219, p. 66-67. Oregon Geology, November 1995, page 141 |
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