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Mail Tribune 100, Sept. 20, 1922 By Alissa Corman Sep 20, 2022 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 Sept. 20, 1922 JEFFERSON DAVIS HEARD IS VISITOR IN VALLEY AGAIN Jefferson Davis Heard, known to every resident of Medford and the Rogue River valley during the “boom” days as Jeff, an ardent fisherman and master storyteller, returned last evening to revisit old friends and vistas, and engage in his favorite pastime of fishing. He is accompanied by his wife and daughter, Mrs. Gladys Abbott and will spend three of four days before resuming their journey to Los Angeles by auto. Jeff held open court this morning on his old stamping grounds — the Nash — a building he claims to have packed the mud for, and regaled his old cronies and some new friends with vivid descriptions of his wanderings and experiences. This afternoon he went fishing in the Rogue with Toggery Bill Isaacs, Colonel Kelly, Court Hall, and other local Isaak Waltons. When Medford was in the throes of the “boom,” Jeff was he most entertaining citizen. He was superintendent of the Sterling mine, and engaged in the real estate business. He knew everybody, and everybody knew him. The crowning event of his Jackson County career was the issuance of orders to Bill Haywood, now hiding in Russia from a prison sentence, to get out of the valley. The notorious one-eyed apostle of discord came here to organize his cult, and was scheduled to mount a soap box on Haymarket square. With the assistance of Judge E. E. Kelly, Jeff “kicked the soap box into kindling wood and after we interviewed this anarchist, he left town ahead of a freight.” Jeff knew the agitator when he was raising ned in Idaho. Jeff is now a bosom friend of Jack Dempsey, heavyweight champion of the world. “Nobody will lock Dempsey until he gets as old as I am,” opines Jefferson. “As far as Harry Wills is concerned, he has less chance than Mose Barkdull.” Next to the Haywood debacle, the most exciting experience undergone by the visitor was a tooth repair engagement with Dr. J. M. Keene. There was an election on, and it closed abruptly when Jeff knocked Doc up in the corner with a righthander. That was 15 years ago, and the crown is still there. The two held a reunion this noon, but the incident was not broached. “The best fishing I have found since I left here,” said Mr. Heard, “was in the bayous and rivers of Mississippi, where every fish that grows can be found. I have fished all over the land and have found nothing to compare to the valley.” — Alissa Corman; [email protected]