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Mail Tribune 100, Jan. 8, 1923 By Alissa Corman Jan 08, 2023 12:00 AM A A News from 100 years ago The following news items were drawn from the archives of the Mail Tribune 100 years ago Jan. 8, 1923 MEDFORD PEOPLE AND MAIL HELD UP BY FRESHETS The demoralized train service of the Southern Pacific since Saturday forenoon because of flooded conditions in the Willamette valley, the main trouble being the washing out of the approach to the railroad bridge at Jefferson, although there were lesser washouts at other points, has left a number of Medford citizens homeward bound from Portland marooned in the north since Saturday forenoon, and has kept others en route to Portland marooned this side of the trouble. Not only that, but the local post office has received no eastern mail or other mail from the north since Saturday forenoon. However, a mail train is expected to arrive here late this afternoon or this evening, as it was reported this forenoon that conditions had been temporarily remedied by this morning so as to enable through southbound trains from Portland to proceed this way. The first through passenger train is expected to reach here late this afternoon or this evening, bringing the Saturday afternoon and Sunday newspapers of Portland. The service north was temporarily restored by hasty repairs and by routing trains around the flood section by circuitous ways, making the time between here and Portland now four hours longer than usual, due to the detours and the soft condition of the bed of the tracks, making trains proceed very carefully. All trains from Portland will be from one to two hours late for a week yet at least, despite the rushing of repairs and strengthening of tracks. The northbound trains ran from here as usual on Saturday, Sunday and today, but up to this noon were only destined to go as far as Eugene. The northbound trains which left here Saturday and Sunday forenoon began to come back through the city this forenoon, running as local passenger trains or empties. It is understood here that the Pacific Highway is impassable with floods in a number of parts of the Willamette valley, and that a number of cars are stalled on the highway, half or more covered with water. It is also the understanding here that the branch railroads up north of the Southern Pacific are also blocked by floods and washouts. The telegraph companies here because of flood damage in the Willamette valley were without direct service to Portland yesterday and today, but managed to do business during that time by routing all telegraph matter to Portland by way of San Francisco and Salt Lake or Ogden. — Alissa Corman; [email protected]