For the week ending Sept. 4, 1910

JOHN STEIDL IS BLACKMAILED

John Steidl, of Bend, recently received a letter threatening his life and that of his family unless the sum of $650 was paid to the blackmailers. A picturesque feature of the holdup scheme, which smacks somewhat of the dime novel, is the demand that the money be put in a can and buried beside a certain telephone pole near Mr. Steidl’s residence.

The alleged reason for the blackmailing is that Steidl located the writers upon worthless land in the “High Desert” country. Evidently this is an attempt to turn possible suspicion from the perpetrators of the letter, for Mr. Steidl says that he is on excellent terms with the 10 men he has located in the country referred to, whose names he has recited as well as the amounts paid by them to him, the total of these location fees being considerably less than the amount demanded.

While there is some possibility that the writer of the letter really thinks he can bluff Steidl out of the cash by threatening to “blow his family to hell,” as well as make him keep the matter quiet by similar threats, Steidl and his friends are inclined to treat the matter as a “raw” practical joke.

Steidl has buried the can, as ordered. But instead of putting the $650 in it, he enclosed some lava rock and a note requesting the blackmailers to call in person for their money. The invitation as yet has not been accepted, nor has the can been disturbed. Both the sheriff and the postal authorities have had the facts of the case placed before them. As yet, no clue to the letter’s authorship has been run down.

ICE CAVES DISCOVERED

Fred Hughie, George and Claude Vandevert, who were out with Ranger Jurd fighting fire west of Spring River, about two weeks ago discovered some interesting caves. Two of them were ice caves and one a spacious bear’s den bearing evidences of use as winter quarters. They did not have the time or facilities for making full explorations but expect to make further examination later. These caves are about 12 miles due west of the Vandevert ranch on Little River, in an infrequented locality. From one of the caves, ice was carried to Vandevert’s and used in making ice cream for the party.

Fred Hughie, a settler who was assisting the rangers in fighting fire, was the first man into these caves and claims the right to have them bear his name. Ranger Hurd is said to desire to attach his name to them because they are within the territory over which he watches and he must make official report of the discovery.

75 YEARS AGO

For the week ending Sept. 4, 1935

THE STORY OF A JAIL

To Sheriff C.L. McCauley we are indebted for information on the Sisters jail, which bobbed into prominence some weeks ago when a Sisters resident asked and received of the county court permission to wreck the structure. Incidentally, it might be added, the jail is still there.

Erected in 1911, the jail is unique perhaps in the fact that it has never had a prisoner, Sheriff McCauley assures us. Today, of course, it could not hold a prisoner, but time was when it could have done nobly if it had been given the opportunity.

The Sisters jail was a branch of the Crook County jail. At the time of its inception, buckaroos had developed the picturesque but unpleasant habit of galloping their horses on the margins of the main street, customarily reserved for pedestrians. Citizens, displeased, complained, and Wells Bell, district attorney, authorized them to build a jail.

A subscription was taken up, for the town then, as now, was unincorporated. Construction started, and a feature of the construction was the door, built by Hardy Allen and sturdily reinforced with wagon tires. One hundred and seventy six holes were drilled in putting on the iron. Allen, so the record goes, was never fully reimbursed for his work.

Finally the jail was complete, ready for customers. But the riders decided abruptly to do their riding in the middle of the street. There were no customers; and there never have been.

County division came, and Sisters was presently a Deschutes County community. The jail still stood; it stands today, a decrepit monument to the effectiveness of law enforcement preparedness.

SPEED

Sir Malcolm Campbell, that great British sportsman, continues to break his own speed records — and to make advertising testimonials for a brand of cigarettes. It would be difficult to calculate which activity has the greater value. He established a record of 301.1292 miles per hour in his racing car, the Bluebird, on the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah.