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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (July 11, 1903)
1 THE MORNING OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1903. Jtatwre t the Postofiee at "Portland. Ore sea. . aa second-class -matter. REVISED SUBSCRIPTION KATES. Xy Mull (post&te prepaid, in advance) Dally, Witn Sunday, per month.. -.....10.85 PHy. Sunday excepted, per year. ........ 7J tily. with Sunday, per .year 9.00 Sunday, per year 2.00 The Weekly, per year .. 1.60 Tha Weekly. 8 months.. ....... JW To City Subscribers lly. per week, delivered. Sunday xeepted.l8c Stlly. per week, delivered. Sunday lncluded.20c POSTAGE RATES. United States, Canada and Mexico 30 to 14-page paper.... .. ............ Jo . 16 to 80-page paper ...... .....2o W2 to 44-page paper ......Sa Foreign ratM double. Hews or discussion Intended for publication 1b Tbe Oregonlan should be addressed Invarla My "Editor The Oregonlan." not to the name I any individual. Letters relating- to adver tising, subscription, or to any business matter should be addressed simply "Tbe Oresonlan." Tbe Oresonlan does not buy poems or stories xrom Individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to It without solici tation. No stamps should be Inclosed lor this .purpose. Eastern Business Office, 43. 44. 40, 4T. 43. 40 Tribune building. New York City; 810-11-12 Tribune building. Chicago; the S. C. Beckwlth Special Agency, Eastern representative. For sale. In San' Francisco by L. E, Lee, Pal ace Hotel sews stand; Goldsmith Bros., 239 Butter street; F. W. Pitts. 1008 Market street; J. K. Cooper Co., 746 Market street, sear the Palace Hotel; Foster & Ore sr. Ferry news stand; Frank Scott. SO Ellis street, and N. Wheatley, 613 Mission street. For sale in Los Angeles by B. F. Gardner. 350 South Spring street, and Oliver & Haines. 90S South Spring street. For sale In Kansas City. Mo., by Kicks ecker Cigar Co., Ninth and Walnut streets. For sale in Chicago by the P. O. News Co., XI 7 Dearborn ftreet, and Charles MacDonald, S3 Washington street. For sale In Omaha by Barkalow Bros., 1012 Farnam street; Megeath Stationery Co.. 1303 F&rnaxn etreet. For eale In Ogden by W. G. Kind. 114 25th street': Jas. II. Crockwell. 242 25th street. For eale In Salt Lake by the Salt Lake News Co., 77 West Second South street. For sale In Washington. D. C. by the Ebbett House new stand. For eale in Denver Colo., by Hamilton & Kendrlck. 808-812 Seventeenth street; Loutban & Jackson Book & Stationery Co.. Fifteenth and Lawrence streets; A. Series. Sixteenth and Curtis streets. YESTERDAY'S WEATHER Maximum tem perature, 85; minimum temperature, 60; pre cipitation, O. TODAY'S WEATHER Fair; probably cooler; 'westerly winds. I - PORTLAND, SATURDAY, JULY 11. TURNING OF THE TIDE. . "The wave of prosperity which has rolled over the United States through five unexampled years has reached its crest, and from now on will begin to recede. Of- the refluent movement many irrefragable evidences appear; but on the other hand there is as yet no ground on which to base fears of panic. We printed yesterday the monthly analysis of the metal .situation .from the Iron Age. Its deductions are too plain to be misread. June production of pig-, iron is less than May's, yet consumption is .falling behind the reduced supply. Northern and Birmingham markets are ruling lower. The steel market is quiet and is receding slowly. Offerings are more liberal and production is falling off. t The failure of the shipbuilding trust is nob an isolated phenomenon. It be longs, in a general realization of the in vestment world that the day of reckon ing, -of profit-taking, of estimating losses,' of writing off deteriorations, has superseded the day of enthusiastic pro motion, - purchase and . underwriting. ' Enormous 'sums have been put into rail-' TOpA and industrial stocks on valua "kms, not necessarily fraudulent, but so .nigh as to involve doubt of adequate dividends, when plants are required to show tremendous earnings in spite of swift approach to the state of aged and outdated. Seven months of dividend payments in New York City, including July, are reckoned at $606,000,000. This is probably high-water mark for this sort of tribute from the Nation's indus try. .Railway construction, for the first six months of 1903 shows a falling off from last year. It is believed that operators have determined to curtail new enter prises. Including J. J. Hill, of the Great Northern lines, and possibly E. H. Har rlman, president of the Union Pacific board. Here in the Pacific Northwest this cessation, If enforced, means hard ship, for more roads are badly needed, both north and south of the Columbia "River. Expectation was that 1903 would see 6000 miles of railway built, but the first slji months show only 2221 miles. A most impressive element in the situation is the remarkable- fact that organized labor is unable to win any great struggle. Since the victory of Mitchell in the anthracite mines, no notable strike or lockout that we can now recall has resulted favorably tp the workmen. The meaning of this is plain. Operators will not take chances on a continuation of the present almost fe verish activity. This hesitation Is pre cisely that ominous feeling that in Itself prepares the way for financial depres sion. Panics are chiefly psychological. Here on the-Pacific Coast we see a slight but manifest weakening in the erstwhile buoyant resolution of labor. Such elementary manufactures as logs and salmon, representing little beside crude human labor, have already been reduced In price. Our participation in any general depression, however, will be slight. As compared with the East, ihlSTegion has elements of, growth that stringency will affect but little. The country is too far behind the status or weaitn ana population justi fied by its resources. A strong and steady immigration movement can be expected here,- accompanied by in creased production and continuous building. Hard .times, moreaver,..do not possess the terror they brought ten years ago. Our farmers are out of debt, our working people in comfortable cir cumstances, and mortgages will riot . need to be foreclosed over nearly .so Wide a circle "of real estate owners. Times -will be good on the Pacific Coast -long after the East has begun to com plain. The main reason why mobs succeed in lynching prisoners In the hands of the officers of the law is because the Sheriffs do not shoot quickly and shoot to kill. The officers of the law, when attacked, make a feeble show of re sistance. Sometimes they sympathize with the mob. but often the officers of the law are creatures without pride of office; they owe their election tp local sentiment If they should fight to death and kill a few rioters they would be marked for defeat at the polls at the next election by the rioters. Under a despotism or centralized constitu tional monarchy,, with plenty of -sol diers at -call, like England, Germany or France, where local" sentiment can be defied by Sheriffs and Constables, there is seldom any attempt at mob law, be cause the mob knows that the" officers of. the law will promptly shoot tpv kilL Aniline the Pittsburg riots of 1877 the mob defied the local anllltla, but when General Hancock sent some United States regulars to the scene the rioters were promptly dispersed, because the Federal troops -were sure to be indif ferent to local sentiment and sure to obey orders from nobody save .their military superiors. State militia are better than local police, but the regu lar Army In a great riot is better than the militia. This was proved in Chi cago In the riots of 1894; it was proved In the draft riots of 1863 In New York City. Our democracy must learn to en force its laws against the mob or our democracy will be driven to choose be tween military despot and mobocracy. HOW TO DEAL WITH RUSSIA. One would suppose that the anxiety of Russia to stand on good terms with the United States had been sufficiently well" attested to need no argument. Russia knows we are a Pacific power, certain of increasing influence, and demands In the Orient For all her projected enter prises In North China she needs Ameri can supplies, and for relaying the Trans-Siberian Railroad she needs and expects American .ties, and 'probably rails. She wants to borrow money here, she wants, our sympathy in her battles with European rivals, she relies on our abstinence from active resistance to her Asiatic programme. How shall we util ize this Russian ambition to our advan tage? It would be a piece of sheer stupidity to proceed on the hypothesis that the way for us to Russian friendliness and Russian markets, whether in Europe or Asia, is to ally ourselves w.lth her an cient and still open enemies, Great Britain and Japan. If this is what the Administration is aiming at in its threats about Manchuria, its occasional outbreaks at Russian diplomacy and its apparent effort to use the Jewish petition in some way of diplomatic re source, the mistake Is obvious. "We have no present quarrel with Russia on account of inability of our merchants to sell goods in her ports, and it Is very childish politics to take umbrage at something we are afraid she may do In some future time. There is a world of irresponsible guff floating about on the .subject of the so called, "open door." This open door we hear so much about is a sort of fetich, worshiped .blindly, Just as reciprocity was a few years ago, until; people found out by experience what a humbug it Is. Nobody knows what the open door Is, but everybody supposes it is something we must fight for, and are. Indeed, anx ious to light .for, If only some one will dare us. In fact, the open door Is a catch phrase, invented and exploited for no other "purpose than to drag this country into alliance with Great Brit ain and Japan. In -the open-door pro gramme we are the cat that Is to pull the .chestnuts -out of the Oriental fire for the Anglo-Japanese monkey. It Is no proper endeavor of ours to help England and Japan to sell goods in China or Siberia, Let them flght their own battles. It Is our business to require of Russia a fair chance to sell American wares in Russian ports. This we must do on our own account, but the way to do It is on an Independent basis with Russia, and not as an abettor of her European antagonists. It is a curi ous kind of reasoning that the way' to sell American goods in Manchuria Is to force open the door for England and Japan. Yet that is what the Anglo-American-Japanese programme amounts to. If the Administration will devote It self to negotiation direct with Russia for tariff concessions In Russian ports, it will likely accomplish something. If it rests its case on Russia's- attitude toward Great Britain and Japan, it will most likely get left. What has become of the neutrality we used to hear so much about, and our unbroken friend ship with all the world? Do we think to punish Russia for not liking the Buttinski petition which we have not yet presented? AN UNTAINTED LEGACY. The will of the late Paul B. du Challlu was filed for probate In New York Mon day, and the instrument shows the value of the estate left by the famous explorer to be less than $500: This sum would be Insufficient to purchase the kind of. a meal some of the-present-day multimillionaires frequently Indulge in, but It was enough for Du Challlu, and he left behind him a world-wide fame which money could never have pur chased. He penetrated the wildest jungles of the earth, and with tireless energy wrested secrets froni Nature and presented them to the scientific world. Steam and electricity had not yet smoothed the pathway of the ex plorer when Du Challlu was opening the sealed book of Darkest Africa, and the interest in his discoveries gave them a commercial value which a narrower minded man would have promptly coined into dollars. Not so with Du Challlu. Between ex ploring expeditions, in response to urg ent invitations, he made occasional short lecture tours, but never attempted to place his knowledge of these pre viously hidden mysteries on a commer cial basis. All of the results of his wealth of research in the unknown lands of the earth was at the disposal of the people, and money had no attrac tions for him beyond Its value in aid ing him to pursue his studies of Nature and her works. Less prominent and working in a more" restricted field on similar lines was the late A. J. Johnson, of Astoria, whose botanical researches on the Pacific Coast have added much to the knowledge of forestry and plant life In Oregon; "Washington and Cali fornia. The, knowledge -of Mr. Johnson, like that of Du Challlu, sprang from a love for the work In which "he was engaged,- and as financial wealth will al ways pay tribute to genius in any line, he could easily have made money out of his knowledge. This he: failed to do, but was content to wander through life studying the works of Nature and giving the world the benefit of the knowledge thus gained. The lives of these men, as well as Bcores of others who -have preferred to worship at' the shrine of Nature instead of at the altar of Mammon, are ines timably more valuable to the world than those of the millionaires who rush through life with no other object in view than the accumulation of vast riches. At Intervals some of these money-seeking individuals, .with due os tentation, endows a worthy scientific project, and thus by proxy aids in ex tending and increasing the world's knowledge of Nature and her works, but to such philanthropists much less credit is due than should be given to Du Challlu and others whose life work has been prompted by nobler motives. The vulgarity of wealth is daily becom ing more prdnounced. A lax system of political economy enables colossal for tunes to be plied up In a few years by men who m 1sxvm la- of any -benefit to society as a whole is concerned are mere ciphers. To these men the insig nificant 500 which was all the tangible collateral that was left to represent the life work of the dead explorer will seem the sum total of his efforts. Yet the memory of D'u Challlu will be cherished and his contributions to the cause of science appreciated by generations now unborn, while the names of most of the money kings and captains of industry now pursuing the almighty dollar will have b'een long forgotten. Du Challlu left but little money but he took as much with him as any of the million aires will take, and the world Is better for his having lived. ORIENTAL FLOUR PRICES. Eastern, newspapers do not appear to be very well Informed on the Oriental flour trade, and they And nothing In the Government reports that is of assist ance to them in their endeavors to learn. The New York Herald has a long article based on Government fig ures, showing that for the past .-ten years the Oriental buyers have been securing flour at an average of 74 cents per barrel less than has been exacted from the American buyers. The Gov ernment figures and Government fig ures on' Pacific Coast wheat and flour trade are always fearfully and won derfully made show that this advan tage in favor of the Oriental consumer as against his white brother on this side of the water amounted to 28 cents per barrel in 1892, and from that figure ran up as high as $1.50 per barrel in 1901. These figures, wblle perhaps to a certain extent correct, are -very mis leading, for the reason that the Ameri can consumer bought a superior article of flour, and naturally paid a propor tionately higher price for it. . Another factor to be considered in the price is the point at which the Oriental flour trade originates. Practically all of this business Is controlled by Oregon and Washington millers. If they grind for the European market they must sell In that market In competition with flour which goes from the Atlan tic seaboard at a much lower, freight rate than has ever been in effect from the Pacific Coast The European mar ket establishes prices for the world, and It Is on the Liverpool market quota tions that the Kansas miller and the Oregon miller buy their wheat The Kansan has a low freight to the sea board, and a still lower freight across the-Atlantic, and accordingly his manu factured product has that Increase In value which does not accrue to the Pa cific Coast article. . It Is worth more to him in Kansas than the Oregon flour is worth in Ore gon, simply because low freights to the European market establish the value, while high freights from the Pacific Coast establish the value here. Even with the quality equal, this would force the Pacific Coast miller to sell his flour on spot at less money than the East ern miller would be obliged to sell for. The Oriental trade, does not take very much of the best flour that Is made on the Pacific Coast, and if the Orientals were Inclined to purchase the best and had the money to pay for It the differ ence in price would be less noticeable in the statistical reviews. This disad vantage which the Pacific Coast miller suffers In the European market will assist him In holding his position In the Oriental trade impregnable against the competition of Eastern millers. From thls.lt will be understood that the seeming discrimination against the American consumer in favor of the Chi-. nese Is' .due to local conditions wnlch canndt well be overcome. The purchas ing power of the Chinese as Individuals is so small that flour cannot be forced on them at high prices, and any attempt at equalizing prices would necessarily require a reduction in the price to the American consumer instead of an ad vance for the Oriental. This, as stated above, would be Impossible so long as prices on both coasts are regulated by the Liverpool market and there Is a different freight rate to that market from the two coasts. That the matter Is a local affair and not entitled to the consideration which It has been given In the Government report Is evidenced by the figures given. For the first ten months of the season of 1902-03 the total shipments to Chinese ports were 1,549, 000 barrels, and during the same period over 15,000,000 barrete were exported to other countries. All of the shipments to China were from Pacific Coast ports, and nine tenths of the shipments to other ports were from Atlantic and Gulf ports. American millers have not been dis criminating against American consum ers. They have merely been governing themselves by the local conditions which surround them. The Interstate Commerce Commis sion's report for 1902 shows a total of 1,189,315 railroad employes and a total mileage of 200,154 miles. This means 594 employes for every 100 miles of rail road. In 1901 the average was 548 em ployes. Both of these years are In striking contrast with 1895, when the average number of employes per 100 nilles was only 441," the lowest point in 'recent years. The heavy movement of freight reflected lnthe reports of gross earnings Is the most important factor In the high average of 1902. When duller times come, a fa'lllng-off is to be expected. The St Paul Pioneer Press, however, an excellent authority on rail road questions, regards it as doubtful if the figures ever fall as low as In 1895, which represented the Irreducible minimum reached In the midst of com mercial stagnation and an epidemic of receiverships when every nerve was strained to avoid bankruptcy and pay rolls were cut down to the lowest notch. The probability Is that hereafter the railroads will not employ much less than five men per mile on the average. For, while. there has been marked prog ress toward larger cars and heavier loads, the development of population and of commerce has been .even more rapid. There has been, a rapid Increase in the density of traffic, much of which is 'undoubtedly permanent If every mile of new road means permanent em ployment to five men, and more or less continuous employment to almost six men, the significance of railroad-bulld-lpg activity from the standpoint of labor Is apparent Last year's record of about 5500 miles of new railroad means uninterrupted employment for 27,500 men and comparatively steady' employ ment for 5000 more. One way we are bearing the white man's" burden Iii the Philippines is brought out In a recent report to the War Department by the Governor of Albay Province, Luzon. Two years ago the hemp industry of that province, though large, was greatly hampered for want of transportation facilities. To remedy this a wagon road extending from Legaspl, the seaport, thirty or .forty miles into the interior, was built The result was revolutionary. Where it used to take three bulls three davs to make a trip, It now takes two bulls only one day with a load 50 per cent larger. This means that one bull can now haul 7.75 times more hemp In a month than he used to: Furthermore, traction engines hauling loads that would require forty bull carts are In operation, while many automobiles and over 400 bicycles, mostly owned by na tives, are In use. Still another Instance of a revolution effected by the building of a road Is that of the military road extending from Uigan to Lake Lanao, In North Mindanao, into the heart of the Moro country. In this case the ef fects were political primarily rather than commercial. The moral effect of what the Moros considered an impos sible achievement and their apprecia tion of the benefits of the road have practically brought peace to the region, tributary. The building of roads has proved to be a method of pacifying and spreading contentment even more ef fective than was expected. It was looked on at first rather as a necessary step to the development of the country and for military efficiency, but it has appealed strongly bptbr to Tagals and Moros as one of the advantages of our rule. 'Contrary to early reports, It appears that the gains of the Socialists in the German recent elections were made at the expense not so much of the Radical parties as of the Conservatives and Clericals, who, by acting In union, have been and promise to be the dominant power in the Reichstag. According to the complete returns .the Socialists will have 81 seats against 62 in the previous Reichstag, a galn.of 19 seats. The Cler ical strength has been reduced from 101 to 102, and. that of the two Conserva tive wings from 91 to 78, a total loss to these parties of IS" seats. The Richter and Barth Radicals, however, lost 10 or 12 seats. The National Liberals In creased their strength slightly, while the protesting parties, such as the Poles, Alsatians, Hanoverians, Danes and Independents, seem from the infor mation at hand to have also gained somewhat The classification oi the factions is, however, so Indefinite that an accurate comparison is difficult The important point is that the com bined Clerical and Conservative vote will undoubtedly continue to control legislation. The prospects of a fairer election 'law or of any marked mani festation of liberality are therefore slight Arid still the 1903 wheat crop Is shrinking, and atf It shrinks the Chi cago bears scurry for cover. Sixty days ago the Government crop report was so flattering that some experts were able to figure out a crop of more than 800,000,000 bushels in the United States, and on the strength of such splendid prospects the price was ham mered down below 70 cents per bushel. A month later the same experts were willing to concede that 750,000,000 bush els would be a fair yield, and that wheat was really worth more than 70 cents per bushel. Yesterday's report was the most unfavorable that has yet appeared, and It will be. a. difficult mat ter to figure out a 700,000;000-bushel crop, even though there be no further deterioration before harvest A large portion of the effect of this bullish re port has perhaps been discounted In the 4-cent rise in the..-$heat market' this week, but it Is not improbable that prjees may be crowded up-ii little higher- before. the effect of the scare Wears off. After that prices will be regulated to a considerable extent by crop cdndl tlons and prices in other sarts of the world. Collections of over. $3000 per day for duties at the Portland Custom-House for the month of June show a very sat isfactory condition of foreign trade. No other port north of San Francisco will make so good a showing for the month, arid both Seattle and Tacoma: combined will need Increase their usual figures quite materially in order to show so large a total for June duties collected. Portland handles less of the through freight between the Orient and the East than Is handled by some of the other ports on the Coast, but In local business transacted In the Pacific Northwest Portland importers lead those of all other Northwestern ports combined. Thi3 is a class of business that Is profit able to handle, while the only benefit derived by a port from the through business Is the Insignificant sum paid" for stevedores' and longshoremen's wages. Silver and wheat, the Siamese twins of many a Pop campaign, are drift ing so far apart that a decree of ab solute divorce will shortly be needed. One year ago the white metal was quoted at 52 cents per ounce, and September wheat sold in Chicago at 72 cents per bushel. Yesterday silver had advanced to 53 cents, and wheat sold up to 79 cents. If this continues, the mixed metaphor of the befuddled states man who said that If Bryan was elected we would "see wheat and silver on even terms, each worth a dollar a bushel," may seem less ridiculous. Still, silver Is not without friends. There is Tsl An of Pekln and Bry An of Nebraska, not to mention a large number of silver mine owners, who would! rather sell their product to the Government to be manufactured Into money than to sell It to the Jewelers and the. foundrymen for baser purposes. After Santiago fell, a long-headed man epitomized the future thus: "Great Britain and America will oc cupy the best part of the temperate zone, arid will say to Russia, You can have what we don't want'; to Germany this: 'Your civilization equals ours and you may Join us, if you like, as limited partner.' The Latin races will soon be out of the game. Under this arrange ment the world will have the most sat isfactory government and we shall then be ready for universal peace." Recent social events of the very highest char acter indicate that the prophet just quoted overlooked one Latin people. France seems to be paving the way for a share in the pictured bloodless con quest of the world. Sir ThomasLipton recently sajd that If he should win the cup this time it would represent an outlay of $2,000,000. This year's expenses will amount to more than $1,000,000. lpton is very rich and can afford it But he sets a deadly pace for those who can't For the first six months of .1903 busi ness failures in Oregon numbered sixty-four, with liabilities of only $216, 754. Here is proof of commercial health. Shamrock III Is a good boat. There Is no doubt about that As to whether Reliance Is a better one no one can say. August will tell the. story. PAYING TRIBUTE TO NEW "YORK Washington Post Some of the newspapers that give spe cial "attention to financial and speculative news, have prepared statements showing that the disbursements on dividend ac counts for some of the large corporations of the country will amount to $146,635,000 to bo paid out during the month of July. This Is an Increase, of some $7,000,000 over the corresponding month of. last year. The July dividend payments will bring the total for the first seven months of the present year up to something more than $606,530,000, or more than $50,000,000 In excess of the record for the same period of last year. For the year ended with June 30 the total dividend disbursements were $905,482,662. These figures, bewildering in their great j ness, explain the-secret of how New York lives and "Wall street flourishes. They show that the Nation is called upon to pay annual tribute to New York, because of the fact that in the earlier days of the development of the country New York fin anciers furnished the money that built rail roads, opened and developed mines; estab lished factories, plastering mortgages and bonds over tnem all, and is now waxing fat on the usufruct The dividend-earning Industries are not located In New York Six railroads that do not have a mile of track east of Chicago will contribute more than $1,000,000 each to the dividend pool, which will be .divided among New York bond, mortgage and stockholders. Tele phone and telegraph companies that reach every cross-roads in the Nation will con tribute about $3,000,000. The coal and iron mines of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Col orado pay .their tribute to Gotham's pros perity, and every anvil arid. forge and mill and mine and factory in the Nation bears. Its share of the collection for the support of New Yorkers in luxury. In a most striking manner these divi dends illustrate the earning power of money. The accumulated savings of New Englanders were originally placed In savings banks at 2 per cent interest The financiers promptly used this accumulation in farm loans In the Central and Western states at from S to 12 per cent fattened the earnings by investments in railroads and industrial enterprises and placed them selves In position to secure control of ev ery enterprise that promised great wealth through speedy development These inter ests have been merged, consolidated and forced to work along lines satisfactory to the flna.nclers,.untll today the Wall street money 'owners take their percentage of profits from every prosperous venture of Importance in the .country, without any of the work or worry necessary to produce these dividend-paying results. RAILWAY BUILDING ACTIVITY. St Paul Pioneer Press. The Railway Age in a summary of rail way building for the first six month? finds that the total construction not only falls to come up to expectation entertained at the opening of the year but falls a little below last year's record for the corresponding period. At the opening of the year it was expected that at least 6000 miles of new road would be laid this year, against 56S4 miles laid in 1S02. But so far only 2221 miles have been laid, against 2314 miles last year duriiig the same period. The epidemic of strikes, which unsettled confidence, and the high prices of track material have caused the postponement of a number of important projects contemplated earlier In the year. Roads begun last year are being pushed to completion, but nfew pro jects are not very numerous or extensive. As has been the case for some years, the states showing the largest mileage are those of the Southwest The aggregate for this group is 956 miles,- of which 240 miles was laid in Oklahoma, 205 miles In Texas, 203 in Indian Territory and 122 miles in New Mexico. The only other states showing more than 100 -miles of new road were Pennsylvania, with 128 miles, Iowa with 117 miles, Utah with 103 and Arkan sas with 103. Minnesota's new mileage was 46. Among the groups of states the Pa cific States Tanked second with 269 miles. The South. Atlantic and the Gulf and Mis sissippiStates, both of which have gained heavily during the last few years, show 265 and 200 miles, respectively. That there should be any decline In rail road building activity Is unfortunate, since every 100 miles of road not only affords temporary employment to labor and helps' to keep the rail mills active but gives per manent employment directly to between 500 and 600 men, sustains the demand for equipment and opens new markets. There is, however, plenty of time to bring the record up to that of last year. The last six months are always the most prolific in new mileage, and It would under favorable conditions not be remarkable If the "slight setback in the first half were more than made up, now that the prospects look brighter. How to "Preach Christ.'" Kansas City Star. It is a significant cause for felicitation that the. gospel preachers of Missouri are paying less attention to the conversion of the Chinese and more to the elevation of moral standards at home. There is no more politics in preaching purity and hon esty In the public service of an American state than in asking contributions for mis sionaries to Invade the joss houses of the Orient It ought to be pretty well under stood by this time that there Is more need for the saving grace of Christianity ifs ethics as well as its spiritual influ enceamong the public men of Missouri than among the slant-eyed followers of Confucius. The clergy could not engage in a better work than to stir the con science of the people to a realization of their social and political duty. There would be in such a course no interference with the affalra of government no union of church and state. One hears much In the capital city of Missouri of the "ad ministration church," but imagine John Wesley regarding with silence the polit ical leprosy of this time! What denun ciation would not come from his lips! What Impassioned exhortation to throw off the torpor which makes spiritual re generation Impossible! It is still the duty of the Christian ministers of Missouri to preach Jesus of Nazareth; but it was a part of the mission of Christ to drive the money-changers from legislative halls as well as from the Temple. Colonel Clem to Marry. Army and Navy Journal. FORT SAM HOUSTON, Texas, June 29, 1903. Lieut Col. John L. Clem has re turned from Washington, where he has been to visit his son Jack. Colonel Clem is soon to Join tbe benedicts, as he Is en gaged to one of San Antonio's most noted belles. Not only Is she charming, but sHe is the daughter of one of the wealthy men of San Antonio. Jack Clem has been ap pointed to West Point for next year, and his friends in Texas wish him every suc cess. Rnsftla Mast Spcalc Out Utica Press. Russia Is making signs that It does not want to receive our protest against the treatment of the Jews. But President Roosevelt docs not pretend to understand signs. He wants Russia to say right out that she doesn't want to hear anything, from us on the subject The Idea at Washington seems to be that Russia has been guilty of much duplicity and that It is worth while to have the Czar put him self definitely on record once in a while. From the Portugaeae. Westminster Gazette. Will yoa not strive to come to m? 1 am alone and far: Your hand, perchance, the link might be--'Twlxt me and where souls are. Your voice, perchance, my heart might bring From distant, lonely wandering. " ' Far, far away my soul baa strayed. On-driven by distress; And now tonight am" I afraid In the vast loneliness. Will you not strive to bring me back. Friend, by tbe lost, tbe homeward track? A SPIRITED KENTUCKY JUDGE. New York Sun. The Hon. James F. Hargis is County Judge of Breathitt County, now the most famous region of Kentucky. He is also head of the great Hargis clan, whose little controversy with the Cockrell clan is much appreciated by dealers In firearms. He is also the chief counsel for the de fense in the case of Jett lately tried for the murder of James B. Marcum. He Is also a member of the Democratic State Central Committee. Some Democratic newspapers of his state object to Judge Hargis. They fear that his connection wltlj the Breathitt County private wars may hurt the Democratic nartr. "Tf he does no.t resign," says the Lexington Her-, hjo. me mentity of Judge Hargis with the Democratic party and Its state or ganization may prove disastrous." The Midway Clipper "heartily Indorses the sentiment that Judge Hargis should either resign or be forced off the Democratic State Committee." And so on. As might be expected of a man of his proved courage and firmness. Judge Har gis la not shaken by this clamor of the press. He stands like Tenerlffe or the Atlas, unremoved. "Lwill do as I damn please," he says, with his habitual can dor. And he will, and the rash editors who are thrusting these offensive sug gestions upon him had better crawl Into the cyclone cellars. In his treatment of the press Judge Hargis is determined and forcible. The Hon. R. R. Perry, edi tor of the Winchester Sun-Sentinel, gives an Interesting account of the Judge's pro ceedings with two of his esteemed contem poraries and "home papers": "There are two papers published in Jackson. Breathitt County the Hustler and the News. The editors. T. M. Morrow and J. Wise Hagins, are nice gentlemen, and under ordinary circumstances would give the news. But they both know that If they were to publish the facts about the conditions In Breathitt County they would bo killed. If the Harglses do not own the Hustler they control it absolutely. "The News some time since published some facts In which the name of one of the Hargis brothers was mentioned. This so enraged Mr. Hargis that he went to the News office and kicked the editor and or dered him, on pain of death, never to men tion his name again. He then went to the typesetter and told him that he must expect the same fate. To save Messrs. Morrow and Hagins from any suspicion on which they might be assassinated, I will state that the printer, who left Jack son by the next train, gave me this In formation." This conduct of Judge Hargis may seem a little arbitrary, but we must remember, as the editor of the Jackson News should have remembered, that Breathitt is a pe culiar county and that its leading citizens are not to be criticised with impunity. In reducing the punishment of the editor of the News from death, the natural pen alty, to the comparatively trifling one of a hearty kick or series of kicks, Judge Hargis showed a magnanimity and a mild ness which even his opponents ought to appreciate. Judge Hargis is not alono among Ken tucky statesmen in his view of the news papers. We gather from a recent defense and defiance issued by Governor Beckham that the troubles In Breathitt County were either Invented or heightened monstrous ly by Northern and Eastern papers In which "the slaughter of an. entire family in their locality Is not dignified with a dozen lines." OX WOMAN'S POWER. Horr Mrs. Lenne Swayed the Popu lists Against Grettham. Washington Post "I attended two conventions where the name of Walter Q. Gresham cut quite a figure," said Judge Charles E. Magoon, the law officer of the Bureau of Insular Affairs. "It Is, of course, a matter of hlstqry that Bob Ingersoll was driven from the platform while talking to a crowd in convention hall at Chicago "in 18SS, when he declared for Gresham. Four years later I was at Omaha when the Populist convention was held. Ignatius Donnelly, of Minnesota, stood upon the platform and reada telegratn which said1: " If unanimously nominated by the Peo ple's party for President I will accept " 'WALTER Q. GRESHAM.' "This convention went wild. The ban ners of the states were gathered and paraded up and down the aisles and then clustered about the Illinois standard, where that delegation was seated. It looked as if the work of the convention was over. Then was seen the figure of a woman making her way toward the platform, waving a yellow telegraph blank. Soon she faced the convention and continued to wave the piece of paper. It was Mary Elizabeth Lease. As soon as quiet had been restored, she read in that clear, forceful voice bo well known throughout the West: " 'If unanimously nominated by the Peo ple's party for President I will accept " 'BENJAMIN HARRISON.' "Then she cut loose. 'Such a telegram might be sent by Grover Cleveland, James G. Blaine, or any other man. Of course, any man receiving the unanimous nom ination of this convention would accept. I propose a candidate who does not re quire the bribe of unanimous nomination.' In one of her characteristic speeches she presented the name of James B. Weaver, and be was nominated. Ten minutes be fore Gresham's nomination was inevit able, but this woman clearly turned the tide." Are We BIufllng-.RnswIa? Minneapolis Tribune. This little display of heat at Washing ton provokes the suspicion whether the United States may not, under sufficient provocation, go beyond a bluff. Certainly we are strengthening' our hand in Chi nese waters by drawing all the battle ships and cruisers that can be spared elsewhere Into the fleet of Admiral Evans. When all orders have been executed, ho will have 15 to 20 vessels under his com mand, including five battleships, In the Gulf of Pechiu. Probably there are a3 many more cruisers In Philippine waters, and all the marines In the Islands have been concentrated at Cavlte under wait ing orders. England and Japan haye over 100 ships of war in these waters, to wnlch Russia opposes about 50. including a num ber of new and powerful battleships. The situation, is approaching. a point of ex treme Interest in whatever way the set tlement of clashing interests shall bo reached. BHngiown,SInbvllle and Lonelyopolls New York Mall and Express. A net annual profit of JS.450,733 on a year's business of the New York Post office enables Uncle Sam to keep the post offices at Bungtown, Slabville and Lone lyopolls open. The up-staters should re member that the next time they have oc casion to bleed the metropolis. The Friend Gone Before. Robert Louts Stevenson. Though he that ever kind and true Kept stoutly step by step with you Tour whole long gusty lifetime through Begone awhile before. Be now a moment gone before. Yet. doubt not. soon the seasons shall restore Your friend to you. He has but turned a comer still He pushes on with right good will. Through mire and marsh, by heugh and hill That self-same arduous way That self-same upland hopeful way That you and he through many a doubtful day Attempted still. He Is not dead, this friend not dead, But, In the path we mortals tread. Got oome few.- trifling steps ahead. And nearer to the end. So that you, too, once past the bend. Shall meet again, as face to face, this friend You fancy dead. Push gaily on, strong heart! The while You travel forward mile by mile. He loiters with a backward smile Till you can overtake. And strains his eyes, to search his wake. Or whistling, as he sees you through the brake, Walts os a stile. ' NOTE AND .COMMENT. Any nasty remarks now about Oregon weather? Once more is the Northern Pacific building down the "north .bank.! of the Columbia on paper. "Walt two months before" you "fire me from Manchuria." asks Russia. The Czar is sparring for time. A scientist asks: "The sun: Is it heaven?" Back East this week they think it's well, that it isn't heaven. Of what does popularity consist? "In the medical profession, a carriage is of more Importance than skill." Balzac. America, England, Germany and France still exchanging bouquets. Did any one- eversee a four-handed game more delightfully played? Theater managers cry for streetcars . up to 1 A. M. Why don't they ring up' the curtain at S o'clock and dismiss the house between 10:30 and 10:45? Her husband hasn't missed five, games this season. And when, after seeing Danny Shea's picture in yesterday's pa per, she asked in all Innocence whether they could put him in jail for stealing third base, she couldn't understand why John was speechless. Professor Franz WIrchoff, of the Uni versity of Vienna, has been charged by the Vienna Academy of Science to visit all the public and private galleries of Europe to discover how many genuine works of Raphael they contain. The pro fessor, who Is an expert declares that of the pictures and drawings attributed to Raphael not more than 150 are genuine, the rest being either imitations or works of his pupils. There is something of grim humor in a recent reply made by Clark Howell, of Atlanta, to a Northern man who asked if it were true that the negro In the South abstains from voting because he fears bodily harm. "Not exactly," said Howell. "It Is rather because he knows that on the whole his life will be longer and freer from care If he refrains from the ballot box habit entirely." In Newburyport Mass., there lived at one time two preachers named John Mur ray. One was quite liberal In his views, the other strictly orthodox. It was some times difficult to distinguished them, both having the same name. To meet this dif ficulty, as far as possible, the one was de nominated "All Hell" and the other "No Hell" Murray. Once at an auction in Bos ton Mr. Murray gave his name, when the auctioneer Inquired: "Which Murray?" "Rev. John Murray." "Which, Salvation or Damnation Murray?" Living In Matamoras, Pa., are two daughters of a member of, Washington's Army, who participated In tho battle of Monmouth. These women, who are among the very few original daughters ,of the Revolution, are Mrs. Phebe Galnford, aged- ?S years, and Mrs. Lucinda J. Val entine, aged S7. These women are daugh ters of Jacob Rockwell, who served In the Seventh Connecticut Regiment of the Con tinental Army, and are probably the only living children of a Revolutionary soldier who suffered at Valley Forge. President Tucker, of Dartmouth College, Is "telling one on himself." In fact, he avows the entire story a. little too personal to be enjoyed. - Last Summer-.he went to a Maine town for.a short rest and boaded with a farmer who was in the habit of taking a few Summer guests into bis house to help "lift the mortgage." Soma time ago the president received a letter from his former landla'dy asking for his patronage -during the coming Summer. "There are several little matters that I desire changed should my family decide to pass tho coming Summer at your house," wrote President Tucker in reply. "We don't like the maid, Mary. More over, we don't think a sty so near tho house Is sanitary." And this Is what he received In reply: "Mary has went. We hain't had no hogs sense you went away last September." Miss Pauline Astor, by all accounts, is a true daughter of her father, William Waldorf Astor, the man who gave up his citizenship to become a subject of the British sovereign. Nothing pleases her more than to snub aspiring Americans who happen to cross her social path. Miss Astor seems to have full appreciation of the fact that her father Is worth some thing like 1200,000,000. Here Is a story they tell of a woman who met Miss Astor at a London entertainment The two women were in the dressing-room and the elder woman tried her best to engage the girl in conversation. Miss Astor answered in monosyllables and at last the woman dared to call Miss Astors attention to her glove. "You have a tiny rip. in your glove, my dear." Miss Astor glanced at her glove and replied: "I like it that way." The elder woman felt the sting and retorted, with sarcastic sweetness, "Well, then, I hope the other tears." PLEASANTRIES OF PARAGRAPHERS "Pop, what Is an assassin band?" "An assassin band, my son. Is one which murders good music." Yonkers Statesman. Reddy Do yer 'spose dat dog knows wat day It Is? Jlmsy Well, ez soon ez 1 get dls bunch of firecrackers tied to his tall he'll be sure It ain't Easter. Puck. Sorrows ot a "ChaunTeur." Ancient dame What d'yn say? They call he a " Shuwer." do they? I see. They put ha to walk behind and shove 'em up the hills, 1 reckon. Punch. "The Chinese are a very ancient race, are they not?" queried the Information seeker. "Yes," replied the laundry-strike victim. "They belong to the Iron age." Chicago Dally News. "Row did he get his title of Colonel?" "H9 got It to distinguish him from his wife's first husband, who was a Captain, and his wife's second husband, who was a Major." Cleve land Plain Dealer. "Professor, I know a man who says he can . tell, by the Impression on his mind, when his wife wants him to come home to dinner. Is It telepathy?" "Not at all. miss. I should call that mendacity." Chicago Tribune. A reversible headline. Hasty headline writer got It "Reign of Breathlessness In Lawless County" Instead of "Reign of Lawlessness In Breathitt County." and concluded to let It go at that. St. Louis Globe-Democrat. "Have you anything to say," asked the Ken tucky Judge, "before sentence Is pronounced?" "No," replied the feudist, "but you'll hear from my friends If the sentence you pronounce don't happen to give satisfaction." Chicago Record-Herald. "You have been conspicuous In the halls of legislation, have you not?" said the young woman, who asks all sorts of questions. "Yes, miss," answered Senator Sorghum, blandly; ""I think I have participated In some of tha richest hauls that legislation ever made." Washington Star. Editor You wish a position as proofreader? Applicant Yes sir." "Do you understand the requirements of that responsible position?" "Perfectly, sir. Whenever you make any mis takes In the paper. Just blame 'em on me, and I'll never say a word." New York Weekly. The husband Do you think, my dear, that all this so-called culture, these fads, these lectures and ethical and philosophical move ments of yours really do you any good? The wife Incalculable good! Why, every day I live I appreciate more and more fully what an Insignificant creature man 4s. Life.