Category:Daily Eugene Guard (1898)

From Lane Co Oregon

THE DAILY EUGENE GUARD 1-14-1898

DAYS WHEN WHITE SETTLERS OF LANE COUNTY WERE FEW From the Salem Journal- " I met Charles Spores, a son of Met Spores, who lives up on the Mohawk, above Eugene. He is in partnership in a barber shop and doing well. His grandfather settled where Coburg now stands and run the ferry there. He used to haul flour to Portland with an Ox-team, taking six weeks for a trip, and knew every man and dog on the road. His nearest neighbor was Eugene Skinner, after whom the town was named. He thought he was the only white man in the county until some indians told him that a Boston man lived just across the river. They at once swam the river to see the only white neighbor in the county. The journal man should have got that other pioneer story about Uncle Elias Briggs, who took a donation land claim where Springfield is built; going over to the McKenzie one morning early after he had been made aware of the presence of a camp of white people on the bank of that stream, nearly three miles from his claim, he found the old pioneer, William Stevens at work on a cabin.

The story goes that he vehemently expostulated with Stevens for "crowding" him; and that was in 1847, when the only white settlers within the present borders of Lane county were Skinner on the present site of Eugene, Briggs and Stevens in Springfield precinct, Spores near Coburg, and Bristow on Pleasant Hill; but the old pioneer had a horror of being Crowded.

THE DAILY EUGENE GUARD 2-19-1898

COBURG FIRE

This morning about 2 o'clock the livery barn belonging to J. A. Holt of Coburg, was discovered on fire, and the flames gained such headway as to be beyond control. The building and its contents were soon a total loss. The barn of Henry Phillipi, situated just north, caught fire also and soon succumbed to the flames. Mr. Phillipi's residence caught fire a number of times and it was saved only by hard work of the citizens who turned out to help. As it was, the residence was badly damaged. From Coburg parties it is learned that Mr. Holt carried insurance amounting to $1000 in the American Fire Insurance Co. His loss includes the building, a number of buggies, sets of harness etc.. He is supposed to have had but little hay or grain in the building at the time. Mr. Phillipi carried some insurance, but the amount is not known. The cause of the fire is unknown.

THE DAILY EUGENE GUARD 3-8-1898

SAFE AT BOOTH KELLY SAGINAW MILL BLOWN UP Jack Davis who was at Saginaw yesterday brought down word this morning that the office safe in the Booth Kelly mill was blown open last night, leaving it almost a total wreck. The robbers secured coin to the amount of 33 cents only. A diamond ring valued at about $150 was in the safe, but in some manner was overlooked. Workmen who live near the mill heard two distinct explosions, but did not attach any importance to the same and no investigation was made at the time, so that the matter was not discovered until this morning. So far as could be learned no clue to the robbers has been discovered.

THE DAILY EUGENE GUARD 3-9-1898

UNCLE JOHN DIAMOND OF COBURG

The Albany Democrat has been raking up some pioneer history, and mixed up our friend Uncle John Diamond with past events. From Linn Co. records it appears that the boundary between Lane and Linn counties was the McKenzie river, instead of a line about 6 miles north of the point where the Coburg bridge spans the stream, as at present. The Democrat gives the names of election Judges of "Spores" precinct as follows: Spores M. Wilkins, Isaac Briggs and John Diamond. The name of this last precinct and the names of the judges prove that the southern boundary of the county at that time was the McKenzie River This election was just a little bit irregular, or we would now consider it so. If an election should be held now in the same way, the probability is that some unsuccessful candidate would ask to have the vote of the Spores precinct thrown out. Uncle Johnny Diamond, who is still living on his old claim near Coburg, acted as one of the judges, and at the next term of court after the election he appeared before the Judges and asked to be made an American citizen. Of course his request was granted and the oath he took is entered up in due form as follows: I do solemnly swear that I renounce all fidelity and allegiance to all foreign princes and states, and declare my intention to become a citizen of the United States.

JOHN DIAMOND There is no doubt that Uncle Johnny exercised the right of an American citizen in the case above while he was yet an Irishman. Old age has dealt kindly with John Diamond, he is 82 past, and the old man yet delights his friends with his cheery cordial disposition and presence and undimmed mind. May his days yet be long in the place he has seen grow from a wilderness to a land of homes blessed with all the conveniences and luxuries of modern civilization.

M. Wilkins and Isaac Briggs, the latter the original owner of the Springfield Water Power, and located on a donation land claim of which the site of Springfield is part, have passed to the majority.

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