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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Oct. 17, 1903)
10 THE MORNING OREGONIAN, SATURDAY,. OCTOBER 17, 1903 ELLS THE PI1CI! Dr. Hutchinson Answers J. H. Albert. SALEM WATf R .18 IMPURE State Board of Health Unani mous on Question. WILLAMETTE ONLY A SEWER Secretary, of Board Gives Complete Revieiv of Investigation and Con clusions Both City Water and Well Water Unsafe. (To the Editor.) So long as Mr. Albert confined himself to the realm of argu ment by wager, I. being neither a bet ting man nor a banker, was neither able nor willing to meet him. This stylo of controversy is too expensive for a mere professional man, besides it has nothing whatever to do with the facts in the case. The exquisitely logical reply to a statement of fact, "Put up or shut up," may be valid on the street and by the racetrack, but is utterly out of place in the discussion of a serious public ques tion involving the health of an entire community. Now, however, that he has at last en tered the domain of .fact instead of simple willingness to back opinions, I am Impelled to take Issue with him. Upon the personal Issue, which he has endeavored to inject into the contro versy, I have nothing to say, first, be cause I think it does not interest the general public; second, m because it has nothing whatever to do" with the facts at Issue; and third, because it Is not, in my judgment, a suitable spirit in which to undertake the debate of a ques tion Involving life and health. I will simply say that, from all that I can learn, I believe Mr. Albert. to be a gen tleman of high standing in his profes sion, and perfectly sincere in the posi tion which he has assumed, and shall ask him to grant the same concessions to me and to my attitude. No personal or sectional considerations should be allowed for a moment to cloud the real point at issue, namely, the oc currence in Salem and Its state institu tions during the last two years of nearly 200 cases of typhoid fever, and what is to be done about it! Board of Health Unanimous. The first statement upon which I take issue with him is that the statement of fact and opinions thereon given to the papers two weeks ago are simply my in dividual expression and not that of the State Board of Health: The facts are exactly opposite. The matter was care fully considered, upon the report of a committee appointed three months pre viously, at tho regular quarterly meet ing ot the Board in Portland on Septem ber 29 and 30. The board was absolutely unanimous, every member being present, with the exception of Dr. Alfred Kinney, who was on a visit to the East. It de cided, as published in tho papers, that. In view of the excessive prevalence of typhoid fever in Salem during the past two years, and the fact that the water supply of the city was taken from sources which were liable to contamination, the city should be urgently advised to take measures to prevent that danger in fu ture. Upon this there was absolutely no dissenting opinion in the board and every member is willing to stand by the de cision. How Investigation Was Made. The history of the Investigation in brief is this. At the meeting of the State Board of Health. June 16, on motion of Dr. Alfred Kinney, of Astoria, a com mittee consisting of Drs. Harry Lane and E. A. Pierce and the secretary, was appointed to investigate the water supply and prevalence of typhoid fever in the chief towns of the Willamette Valley, especially those towns containing col leges and state institutions. This work was begun at once with a visit the fol lowing day to Eugene, where the water supply was carefully inspected and the number of cases of typhoid .fever ascer tained. Our method of ascertaining the number of cases was the same in all the towns, namely, to call together as many of tho physicians as possible .and discuss the entire situation carefully with them, then to obtain from each one the number or cases or typhoid which he personally had seen and treated wunin tne past two years. This method, cf course, would not reveal all the cases, but, in view of the absence of any rec ord of eltfier diseases or deaths previous to the institution of the State Board of Health six months ago, it seemed to be the only feasible plan. About ten days later a similar ' visit of the committee was paid to Salem, a meeting was held with the physicians in the evening, and the following day was devoted to a care ful inspection of the water supply, both of the city and of the three leading state institutions, the Reform School, the Asy lum and the Penitentiary. Samples of water were collected from each of these places and were sent for chemical analy sis to Professor Knlsely of the Agricul tural College at Corvallls, and Dr. L. Victoria Hampton, of Portland. At that time it was discovered that In the prac tice of nine physicians there had occurred during 1902 some 98 cases of typhoid fever. About two weeks later the State Biologist, Professor A. R. Sweetser, of Eugene, paid a visit, at our request, to Salem and spent two days in examining the water supply and collecting samples for bacteriological examination. As soon as reports had been received from these chemical and bacteriological examina tions, which were, as has already been stated through the press, negative to which point I shall return a second visit to Salem was paid by the Secretary, an other meeting held with the physicians, and the number of cases which had oc curred during the summer ascertained, and, although the general impression among them appeared to be that the epi demic was not on the increase, tho lists of 13 physicians added together showed the alarming number of 10S cases during the months of July, August and a part of September. Tke secretary then re mained for two days, carefully re-examining the water supply of the city. In vestigating the situation, endeavoring to trace the causation of a number of the more recent cases, and inspecting the condition of privies, cesspools and sewers of the city. About a week later a similar visit of the committee was made to Al bany and Corvallis, reports having in the meantime been received from the physicians of McMlnnvllle, Forest Grove, Newberg and Philomath, this practically completed the list of towns in the valley containing colleges. No Discrimination A grain tit Salem. This statement is made in order simply to show what basis there is for the fu rious and reiterated allegations of Mr. Albert that Salem has been especially discriminated against and persecuted. It yf simply included in the investigation of all the towns and the large amount of attention which It has received from the board is mainly due to the fact that Its sanitary condition, as Illustrated by the number of cases of typhoid, was found to be the worst of all. The report of the beard, It will be remembered, includ ed all of these towns in its statement and was the deliberate action of the en tire board, with the exception of the ab sentee. Dr. Kinney. Instead of the pre mature "slopping over" of a "loquacious clerk," as Mr. Albert elegantly terms It, it was an opinion based upon an Investi gation extending over a period of three months. Now, as to the alleged suppression of some of the facts in tho case; this is as utterly unfounded as the other charges, being based simply upon two facts; one, that the results of the chemical and bac teriological analysis were not specially alluded to in this report, because they had already been made public on the occa sion of the secretary's visit to Salem some t.vj weeks before; and second, to the fact that certain items of the Investigation w.te not mentioned, simply from the im possibility of covering tho whole ground in a single statement. The tests with the dye stuffs were one of these, and the question of the possibility of the disease being carried through milk was another. With all that Mr. Albert has to say in regard to the possibility of typhoid being conveyed through milk I have no quar rel whatever. His imposing quotation from the reports of the Senate committee showing that 000 cases of typhoid have been sc traced during the last ten or 15 years is all perfectly correct, but, when we remember that at least 100,00) to 125,000 cases of typhoid occur in the United States , every year, it will be seen at a glance what a mere drop in the bucket these 000 milk cases are. Water Chief Cause of Typhoid. This brings us to the crux of the entire position of the board, and that is that it is an absolutely accepted axiom with sanitarians the world over that from S5 to 95 per cent of all cases of typhoid fever are caused by contaminated drink- -" ' v. . .-...v. p.. f I is simply overwhelming. ' Typhoid may J also be coni'eyed by milk, but this would not cover more than 5 or 10 per cent bf all the cases which are found. It may also be carried by files, but this again would not account for more than 1 or 2 per cent of the t-otal number of cases. In short. It has become an invariable rule among sanitarians that, whenever typhoid is found to occur in a community, the first thing to do is to suspect the water supply. The next thing Is to inspect and investigate the milk. The very first thing that was done in Salem, after looking over tho general question of the water supply, was to In vestigate this point the possibility of spread through milk. This was carefully carried xut by several of the local phy sicians, inquiries were set on foot by the secretary and by the local member of the board at Salem. The result was that, while typhoid had occurred" in the families or among the employes of two of tho dairies supplying Salem, yet in only one of the customers of these two had a case of typhoid developed, the one probably to which Mr. Albert alludes. On the other hand, in no instance was more than one case fouhd among the customers of any one dairyman and a large number of .the cases reported were taking milk from their own cows or cows kept by neighbors. So that any attempt to con nect the distribution of typhoid in Salem with the milk supply failed utterly. Fur thermore, it must be pointed out that, even in the event of the infection spread ing through milk, the original source of that infection Is water the water with which the cans are washed, or with which, after the fashion popularly, but perhaps falsely, attributed to milk ven ders, the milk is diluted. The suggestion quoted by Mr. Albert, that it could be communicated through the milk of cows which had drank of Infected water is pure superstition and was disproved by careful investigation years ago. So that, even supposing the milk is found to be the source of contagion, that brings us back to the water supply once more. Hovr Water Is Contaminated. The situation simply stands thus: That In Salem and its state institutions there have been reported nearly 300 cases of typhoid fever within the past two years. We presume that even in Mr. Albert's hardy optimism and vigorous patriotism, "my city right or wrong," he would hardly allege that this -Is an ideal state of affairs. It must be due to some defect in the sanitation. Milk having been ex cluded, the presumption is at least ten to one that it is the water supply which is at fault. Now, let us look for a moment t the source of this supply. So far as could be gathered from the estimates which were given by the superintendent of the water works, Mr. Park, and those given by the physicians consulted, not more than one fourth to one-third of the population of Salem Is supplied by water from the city pipes. This Is simply a rough estimate, but probably approximately near the truth. The supply then of from two thirds to three-fourths of the population of Salem is well water, and we will con sider this first. The soil upon which Salem is built is for the most part a deposit of sand and coarse gravel interspersed with layers of clay or concrete, some of these lay ers being more or less waterproof, but not until a considerable depth Is reached. Consequently a well dug in Salem simply becomes a settling basin into which will percolate through the highly porous soli all the water which falls or Is thrown upon the surface within an area of from 60 to 150 or even 300 feet from its mouth. Imagine a case of typhoid fever occurring in the middle of a block, the discharge from that case being thrown upon the ground, or what amounts to the same thing, emptied Into the vault of some privy. It is only a simple question of arithmetic how long it will be before that well will become infected with typhoid germs." So that any surface well In a city having such an enormous number of typhoid fever patients as have occurred in Salem for at least two years, and, as far as I can gather, for 10 or 12 years past, must certainly be regarded as an un safe and dangerous source of supply. Dic tates, of the commonest prudence would. It seems to us. Indicate that surface well water in a city in which typhoid fever is at all prevalent should be boiled, or filtered, or, if"posslble, abstained from all together. In fact, it is the undisputed principle of -sanitarians now the world over that wells in cities of more than 2000 population are to be regarded as an unsafe source of water supply. The av erage privy vault and the average well are simply a deep pit and a shallow pit dug side by side in a porous soil, and it is simply a problem of gravitation where tho contents of the shallow pit arej cer tain to turn up sooner or later. As an illustration of the porousness of the soil In Salem, when the state sewer was dug wells 300 feet away, that had never failed in 20 years, went dry Water Company's Supply Unsafe. Now, as to the other source of supply, which is the water supplied by the Salem Water Works Company. It is drawn, as Mr. Albert describes with great clearness and lucidity, from a crib or pit sunk in a sandbar in the Willamette Rlyer. The board does not regard this as a safe source of supply for the following rea sons: First of all, that the Willamette River, like any other river running through a broad, fertile and thickly pop ulated valley, becomes sooner or later the common sewer of the entire population of that valley. Intelligent sanitary authori ties today would never indorse as either safe or desirable the taking of public water from a stream of this description flowing through a thickly Inhabited dis trict. Not only do half a dozen towns higher up tho stream pour their sewage directly into the river (Albany, Corvallis, Eugene), but every farmhouse and barn yard up the banks of the river or of the creeks and sloughs emptying Into it dumps its manure, garbage and sewage directly into, or where it will bo ulti mately washed Into, Its current When we remember that time and again an epi demic of typhoid fever has been traced to the washing of the discharges from the bowels of a single typhoid fever patient into the stream or reservoir supplying an entire city, it is obvious how unsafe and unreliable as a source of supply is a stream flowing through such a thickly settled Valley as the Willamette. One single case in a farmhouse upon the bank of one of the innumerable creeks, sloughs or branches emptying Into- the river might poison the water supply of the en tire city and give rise to an epidemic mounting up into hundreds or even thou sands of cases. The famous epidemic of Plymouth. Pa, a town of 8000 people, which gave rise to nearly 1200 cases and 120 deaths, was all traced directly to the" contamination of the stream and reser voir from which the city drew its supply of water by the bowel discharges from one, typhoid fever patient miles above the town. Nor were these discharges thrown Into the stream; they were mere ly thrown out upon the surface of the ground. As long as the ground remained frozen no typhoid fever resulted, but tho moment the first thaw In the Spring oc curred cases began to break out within ten days and continued until the source of the contagion was discovered and the water supply shut off. Gravel-Bed Not a Filter. As to Mr. Albert's allegation that tho FIVE-MILE RAPIDS ABOVE THE DALLES. At Five-Mile Rapids above Tho Dalles the great flow of the Columbia River narrows to 100 feet and deepens to 180 feet. Captain Harts planned tc dam the river here so as to "drown out" the rapids above. This project has been aban doned for a continuous canal and locks nearly nine miles long between Big Eddy and the head of Celllo Falls. For half the length the canal will be sunk in basaltic rock and the work will be highly expensive. The accompanying picture gives an Idea of the character of the rock. layers of gravel surrounding the crib are sufficient to act as a filter, it would not be considered worthy of a moment's con sideration by any competent sanitary body. The layers of gravel surrounding the crib are composed of pebbles ranging from the size of a pea up to that of a" hen's egg, nearly one-third of them being about the latter size. Filtration through a bed of this description is at best extremely imperfect and would have lit tle more effect in purifying the water than would the layers of soli surrounding an ordinary surface well. It will strain out, of course, most of the coarser im purities, but against disease germs and their toxlne It is as useless as a pile of straw or mass of brush. Filters composed of gravel and sand are effective only when first put Into use. In other words as long as they contain air and oxyzen in their meshes. The moment this is ex hausted they need to be opened and cleaned. What happens In a filter of this description In a short time Is that the water makes little channels varying in size from that of a timothy straw to that of an inch pipe, or even larger, through which the water rapidly and easily perco lates. Thousands of typhoid bacilli could march abreast through the smallest pos sible channel of this description. So that the board objects to the Willamette River "as a source of supply for any city upon Its banks, and would regard itself as lack ing in the plain discharge of Its official duty if it failed to warn cities so draw ing their supply of their danger. Water-PIpe Was Leaky. The verdict of the board against the safety of the Willamette River water does not therefore rest upon the alleged leak ages inthe pipe. But though this is real ly aside from the main line of my argu ment, I would like to say Just a word or two in regard to It in passing, as Mr. Albert's statement on this point is so crammed full of inaccuracies that I can not forbear briefly calling attention to them. The pipe, instead of being laid for five years, as he states, has been there for nine years; so far from "lying in exactly the same position as when placed In," it has at least once floated up to the surface and been bored full of holes to allow It to fill Itself with water and sink again. The marks of these holes, plugged up, were shown to Professor Sweetser and Dr. Pierce on their visit of investigation. Instead of being "pe riodically examined for the water com pany by a diver," I was Informed by the company's engineer, at the time of the first visit of the committee In June, that no diver had been along it for five, years. This Summer, however, after the visit of the committee, the company pro cured a diving suit for Its own engineer, who had had some experience In this sort of work, and had him make an Investiga tion of the pipe, which he reported to be perfe'etly tight and free from all leaks. Since his inspection this has probably been the case, but two reputably and re sponsible citizens of Salem have In formed two different members of the board other than the Secretary that during this past Summer one of them found a strawberry hull and the other a prune-skln in the water which came out of his faucet. 1 City Water Cannes Most' Casex. Now let us turn to the relation be tween this water which we regard as liable to contamination at any time and the occurrence of typhoid fever cases. Out of 98 cases reported In 1S02, 31 were re ported as having drunk well water and 48 city water. Out of the 10S reported in the Summer of 1903, 17 were reported as using well water and 78 city water. This makes out of the total number ofcases whose water supply could be traced, 126 had been using city water and 48 well water. This would give a preponderance of nearly three to one against the city water; and when we further remember that this city water Is used by probably not to exceed one-third of the total pop ulation It makes the apparent propor tional occurrence of typhoid between users of city water and users of well water as nearly nine to one.- The position of the board, then, is simply this: There have been an excessive number of cases of typhoid fever In Salem. In nine cases out of ten, typhoid fever Is due to water contamination; the well water supply of Salem is liable, to con tamination at any moment and can only be regarded as entirely unsafe. The wa ter company's part of the water supply, being taken from a river which is. noth ing more than a common sewer for the entire valley above, is also liable to con tamination, at any time. Therefore the urgent advice of the board is to take prompt steps to purify and place beyond the possibility of danger the water com pany's supply and to close altogether the wells in the densely populated parts of the city. FactH Are AgrnlnKt the Water. The board, haa not stated, and does not state that the water in the city mains at Salem is contaminated; all. that it does Is to report the facts'and allow the public to draw their own conclusions, ad vising that steps ibo taken at onco to render future contamination impossible. This will explain its position in regard to the results of chemical analysis and bac teriological examination of tho water. All that any of these results can deter mine Is a discovery or failure to dis cover the presence of typhoid bacilli. If these latter be discovered, It is of course a decisive proof. If, however, they are not discovered, it by no means renders the water above suspicion; It simply places the burden of proof again upon clinical evidence. No matter how many times the water may be examined and found free from bacilli, if the drinkers of that water are suffering from typhoid fever, and if that water, from the nature of its source, is liable to contamination. It would be unhesitatingly condemned by any sanitary body. The detection of either typhoid or common colon bacilli, in large bodies of swiftly-flowing water, like the current of the Willamette River, Is so difficult as to be almost Impossible. This' is due both to the exceedingly mi nute size of the organisms and also to the further fact that they are now be lieved by our leading sanitary authori ties, such as Professor Victor C. Vaughan. of Ann Arbor, Mich, to undergo changes of form in running water which render their detection almost impossible. Chem ical analysis and bacteriological exam inations of the Salem water have been made, and- other samples arc in process of examination, and further examina tions will be steadily continued by the board, but the State Board does not pro pose to wait and allow the epidemic to run unchecked until It can positively dis cover typhoid germs In the water pipes. It believes that the commonest prudence, under the present circumstances, would dictate the taking of measures to render this supply above suspicion and future contamination impossible. The only desire of the board is to get something done, and done at once, to put an end to an intolerable and dangsrous situation. It Is perfectly willing to give ear to any representative of Salem as to the best means of remedying the pres ent state of affairs. I have informed the City Board of Health of Salem that I am ready to meet with It at the earliest possi ble opportunity after Its organization, to discuss the problem, and if it can be shown that the water is above suspi cion and not the probable cause of tho 1 conditions present, to discover the true cause and plan its removal. If Mr. Albert will devote one-tenth of the energy which he displays in attribut- I ing personal motives to the board ana furiously resenting our "slanders" upon the fair fame of Salem, to investigating tho situation and co-operating with us In trying to get It remedied; if he will . offer either of the amounts ho has so willingly staked upon the purity of the water, said staking having no more to do j with the facts at issue than the , cele-. brated "flowers that bloom in the ; Spring," to the payment of a competent . sanitary inspector for the City Health Board of Salem to abate nuisances and close up poisoned wells, the board will be most happy to cordially co-operate with him, and we shall soon see actual results in an Improved situation and a lessened death rate. The board regrets exceedingly that Salem should have taken In such ill part its well-meant advice. No other town In the valley has received our suggestions in this spirit. Practically, the same thing was said at Corvallis and at Albany and at Eugene, namely, that the water supply of the town was not above suspicion and was not satisfactory as a public source of supply. Albany promptly agreed to go further up the ditch' and put in a series of settling basins. The president of the water company at Corvallls Im mediately offered to put in a filter for his plant as soon as he could get the requisite authority from the City Council. Salem alone has resented our advice, and It certainly did not need It least. We do not. however, believe that the public ut terances of Mr. Albert fairly represent the temper of the mass of the citizens of Salem. They are the chief sufferers from the present situation, they drink( the water and they die of it, and many' have been the personal words of encour agement which have come to the mem bers of the board In their investigation and of commendation of their consequent advice. We believe that steps will be taken and taken soon to place the entire water supply of the Capital City above suspicion. WOODS HUTCHINSON. Secy. State Board of Health. TAKES SIDE OF CHINESE. Bonton 3InnH Meeting; Denounces Raid of Immigration Men. BOSTON, Oct. 16. The arrest of 350 Chinamen In this city last Sunday night was characterized as "high-handed and outrageous," and the United States immi gration officers and the Boston police offi- j cials were severely criticised by various J speakers in Faneull Hall today. The meeting was called In protest against the I proceedings of the authorities in an at tempt to nna Chinamen wno naa no reg istration papers, by Colonel S. W. Nlck erson, Chinese Vice-Consul in this city; William Lloyd Garrison presided and speeches were made by several prominent speakers. Resolutions were adopted by the 500 persons present, condemning the acts of the officials concerned as danger ous to personal liberty, and In defiance of constitutional rights, and invoking pub lic sentiment against a possible repeti tion of "such an outrage." Price of 'Change Seats Falling;. NEW YORK, Oct. 16.-A sale of a seat on the stock tacnange, at Joi.tw, was re ported today as against $52,000 last week. A year ago memberships were held at over $50,000. FLOATING SPOTS BEFORE EYES, Dimness of Vision and weak eyes, cured by Murine Eye Remedies. A home cure for tye,? tyf 3&i. car a. Sold everywhere. FACE A HARD TASK Engineers1 Big Job to Open Columbia River. NINE-MILE CANAL TO BE BUILT Cost Will Be Between 4,000,00O and 95,000,000 Steamboats Will TJien Run to Priest Rapids, and to LeiTiston and Beyond. Uncle Sam's engineers will undertake a big Job In opening' the Columbia River to navigation below Celllo Falls. Tho canal, which they are going to build. In l Pacific mill yesterday at noom. The engl i ncer of a freight train, running nearly lieu of the Harts' submerged dam at tho L33 miles an hour, did not see the pros head of Five-Mile Rapids, will be nearly trate form of the helpless fiend on the nine miles long. Half of that length ' rails. Startled from his drug-Induced will be excavated In basaltic rock. j slumbers by the roar of the locomotive. The cost of the improvement Is likely Randolph tried to leap from the track to be between $4,000,000 and $5,000,000. lust as the fender caught his right arm. though this .is yet to be determined upon by the special Board of Engineers. The board Is composed of Lieutenant-Colonel wiuiam Jti. nener 01 ban f rancisco, Major W. L. Marshall, of New York, Major Ed Burr, of Washington, D. C., Captain C. E. Gillette, of Newport. R. I., and Captain Charles McKlnstry, of Wash ington. D. C. The board will meet at New York next Monday to consider tho report of the surveys made by Major Langfitt. The report contains estimates of the cost of the work, which will be passed upon by the board. By Captain Hart's plan a canal and locks was to be built between Big Eddy and Five-Mile Rapids, a distance of 9300 feet. At the head of those rapids, the Columbia River was to be dammed, so as to "drown out" the rapids between that place and Celllo Falls. By another canal and locks at the Falls, boats were to pass that obstruction. The whole Harts' project, therefore, rested on the feasibility ' of the dam. But the dam has been rejected a3 Im possible by the special Board of Engi neers. In its stead they propose to build a canal the entire distance between Big Eddy and tho head of Celllo Falls, on the Oregon"shore. The latest project will be virtually an extension of the canal which Captain Harts proposed between Big Eddy and the head of Five-Mile Rapids. Captain Harts' canal was to be 9300 feet long. By the modified project the canal Is to be 4o.OOO feet long, The engineers will encounter their fffiGH E The better class of druggists, everywhere, are men of scientific attainments and high integrity, who devotc their lives to the welfare of their fellow men in supplying the best of remedies and purest medicinal agents of known value, in accordance with physicians' prescriptions and scientific formula. Druggists of the better class manufacture many excellent remedies, but always under original or officinal names and they never sell false brands, or imitation medicines. They are the men to deal with when in need of anything in their line, which usually includes all standard remedies and corresponding adjuncts of a first-class pharmacy and the finest and best-of toilet articles and preparations and many useful accessories and remedial appliances. The earning of a fair living, with the satisfaction whiclj arises from a knowledge of the benefits conferred upon their patrons and assistance to the medical profession, is usually their greatest reward for long years of study and many hours of daily toil. They all know that Syrup of Figs is an excellent laxative remedy and that it gives universal satisfaction, and therefore they are selling many millions of bottle3 annually to the well informed purchasers of the choicest remedies, and they always take pleasure in handing out the genuine article bearing the full name of the Company California Fig Syrup Co. printed on the front of every package. They know that in cases of colds and headaches attended by biliousness and constipation and of weakness or torpidity of the liver and bowels, arising from irregular habits, indigestion, or over-eating, that there is no other remedy so pleasant, prompt and beneficial in its effects as Syrup of Figs, and they are glad to sell it because it gives universal satisfaction. Owing to the excellence of Syrup of Figs, the Universal satisfaction which it gives and the immense demand for it, imitations have been made, tried and condemned, but there are individual druggists to be found, here and there, who do.not maintain the dignity and principles of the profession and whose greed gets the better of their judgment, and who do not hesUate to recommend and try to sell the imitations in order to make a larger profit. Such preparations sometimes have the name u Syrup of Figs" or "Fig Syrup" and of some piratical concern, or fictitious fig .syrup company, printed on the package, but they never have the full name of the Company California Fig Syrup Co. printed on the front of the package. The imitations should be rejected because they are injurious to the system. In order to sell the imitations they find it necessary to resort to misrepresentation or deception, and whenever a dealer passes off on a customer a preparation under the name of "Syrup of Figs" or "Fig Syrup," which does not bear the full name of the California Fig Syrup Co. printed on the front of the package, he is attempting to deceive and mislead the patron who has been so unfortunate as to enter his establishment, whether it be large or small, for if the dealer resorts to misrepresentation and" and deception in one case he will do so with other medicinal agents, and in the filling of physicians' prescriptions, and should be avoided by every one who values health and happiness. Knowing that the great majority of druggists are reliable, we supply the immense demand for our excellent remedy entirely through the druggists, of whom it may be purchased every where, in original packages only, at the regular price of fifty cents per bottle, but as exceptions exist it is necessary to inform the public of the facts, in order that all may decline or return any imitation which may be sold to them. If it does not bear the full name of the Company California Fig Syrup Or. printed on the front of every package, do not hesitate to return the article and to demand the return of your money, and in future go to one of the better class of J ia 1 tit n . - t t ,1 tit it. !;!; x u ruggmiB jfuo win sen you wnat you wisn ana xne oesi 01 every tiling hardest work in digging the 9300 feet of canal between Big Eddy and the head of Five-Mile 'Rapids. For that distance the canal will be driven through rock. For the next 1100 feet, up to the foot of Ten Mile Rapids, the work will be easier, for only sand and gravel will be encoun tered. Thence to thoj head of Ten-Mile Rapids. 8000 feet is Tock. Thence to the foot of Celilo Falls, 11,000 feet, is sand and gravel. From the foot of Celllo Falls to the top, 4000 feet Is solid rock. Steamboats run no farther up on the Co lumbia than The Dalles, which Is SS miles above the mouth of the Willamette. Celllo Falls is 12 miles above The Dalles. Between Celllo and Priest Rapids, 210 miles, steamboats are not plying at pres ent. Beyond Priest Rapids to the British Columbia line, 350 miles, navigation is much obstructed by rocks and rapids, If the Improvement at Celllo Is accom plished the Columbia will be navigable from the sea to the mouth of Snake River and thence to Priest Rapids, Wash., and up to Lewiston, Idahb, and beyond. Lewiston is 363 miles above the mouth of the Willamette and 133 miles above the mouth of the Snake. Removal of the 10 miles of obstructions below Celllo would make the Columbia and Snake Rivers navigable for a distance of 543 miles Inland, as follows: From the sea to Miles. Mouth of Willamette 100 The -Dalles .... SS Celllo Falls 12 Wallula 115 Snake River ( 10 Riparla 67 L; wis ton 71 Asotin 7 Total 470 Priest Rapids are 73 miles above the month of the Snake. PLEADS FOR THE DRUG. 1 Morphine Fiend Narrowly Escapes Death, and Goes to Poor Farm. Clinging with palsied hands to tho drug ! which, a few hours before, had come : within an ace of causing his death, Harry 1 Randolph, an habitual user of morphine, ; was taken to the County Poor Farm ! yesterday afternoon from the City Jail. 1 Led to the carryall of the Institution, ; the poor nerveless victim of the drug. ; clasped In his hand the hypodermic nee , die, still charged with a sufficient "shot" of morphine to Induce the beautiful I dreams of the drug fiend. ! "You can't use that out there," said ' Superintendent Courtney, of the Poor I Fram. ' Randolph whimpered at the thought c-f losing his dose of the poison. But Jailer Ben French stretched out his hand and took the nauseous, gummy tube from the feeble grasp of Randolph. With a world of anguish In his eyes, Randolph saw the merphlne needle disappear. Then with the noor victim looking tremu- I lously at the spot where he had lost his precious drug. Superintendent Courtney drove to the Poor Farm, whose regula tions do not permit the use of morphine. Wandering in a half-dazed state, brought on by the constant use of mor nhlne Infections. Randolph lay upon the Northern Pacific track near the North Thrown high in the air and landing in a ditch at the side. Randolph, through the , protecting care ot that providence which also watches over drumcaras, escapea with nothing more than a broken wrist. POLICEMEN MAV GET PAY Claane of Charter Discovered Which Seems.to Authorize Extra Pay. Through a section of the City Charter apparently undiscovered hitherto, the po licemen who did extra work and were then forced to turn the money thus earned Into the relief fund, may be re paid, and In the future will probably be allowed to keep what they earn by doing police duty for private persons outside working hours. Loud have been the complaints arising from the fact that the members, of the first night relief who did police duty at the recent Irvlngton track races before they went on duty had to give up the money they earned In this way. Chief Hunt told them It was give up or get out, and so the policemen paid in the few dollars they had made by losing sleep. Mayor Williams and Chief Hunt had read section 197 of the charter, which says that: "All fines and forfeitures from police men or firemen, all rewards, fees, proceeds of gifts, and amount of compensation for any extraordinary 1 service of- any member of the po Class Druggists AND OTHERS. FOR THE FALL TRADE An Immense Line of- Fine Pianos in Special Art Styles. Low Prices on Them All, Moderate Payments and aMore Than Rea sonable Length of Time in Which to Complete Purchase. Eilers Piano House saves many dollars on the cost of every piano and organ it buys. All its purchases are made direct from the factory, doing away with middle men and hl3 heavy commissions". -It buys heavily to supply four ot the largest stores on the Pacific Coast one at Port land. Or.; one at San Francisco. Cal.; one at Spokane, Wash., and one at Sacramen to, Cal. Big buying insures largest dis counts obtainable from the factories. It also secures the very low car-load freight rates granted heavy shippers by the rail way companies. Instead of paying the expense of boxing the instruments and the additional freight on the boxes our Instruments all come to us in our own patented harness device, which makes an immense saving In the cost. We own our own warehouse, drays and teams, all of which are material money-saving Items. Taken all together these Items Involve a great saving to us in the actual cost ot a piano or an organ. Add to this a policy always adhered to. of quick sales at small profit, and many of them, and you can readily understand whv we save pur chasers all the way from $50 to $150 on the pianos they purchase. THE PIANOS We are now showing some especially choice styles of the Weber make of New York, the Chlckerlng of Boston, and the Kimball of Chicago. Designs are the Chippendale, whose classic simplicity never falls to delight Colonial. Renais sance and Louis XIV. all of them artis tic and popular styles. OTHER PIANOS The Vose of Boston, HaddorfT, Hobart M. Cable. Bush &. Gerts?. Lester, Weser. and many others. Terms $10 to $20 down and $6 to $15 a month, according to Instrument chosen. See our pianos, get our prices and compare them with those asked elsewhere before purchasing. Ellors Piano House, Washington street, corner Park. lice or fire force, all moneys aris ing from the sale of unclaimed property or money, after deducting all expenses Incident tnereto. shall be paid into tho City Treasurv to the credit of the police and fire relief fund. Another section of the charter, however, has something to say on the subject. It is section 1S5, as follows: No member of the police force shall for his own benefit, under any pretense whatever, receive or shase In any pres ent, fee, gift or emolument for public service other than the regular salary and pay, except by the consent of the Execu tive Board and the Chief of Police, pub licly given. The attention of Sig Slchel, of the po lice committee of the Executive Board, was called to this section. Seeing that It placed a new Interpretation upon the requirements of .the charter, he asked Mayor Williams for his opinion. The Mayor promised to give his opinion as u lawyer upon the section In question. It Is probable that the next meeting of the executive Board will take up the matter. "If the rule stays as it is now It will mean that the policemen cannot be com pelled to do extra work outside their eight hours of regular work," said Mr. Slchel. If policemen cannot be obtained at theaters, games, races, etc., there will be a mighty "holler" from the managers of these affairs. Heretofore officers could always be obtained for extra work on nc count of the extra pay. If this Is cut off they can refuse to accommodate any one, and still be backed by the charter, which specifies eight hours' work a day for all employes of the city. Cabinet MeetliiK Unimportant. WASHINGTON, Oct. 16. Owing to the absence of four members, nothing of special consequence was discussed at to day's Cabinet meeting. The Postmaster General went over some phases of the postal investigation. The statement was made that this was a matter of detail and of no public concern. Knlfrhtx of Golden Eagle Adjonrn. HARRISBURG. Pa.. Oct. 16. The Su preme Castle of the Knights of the Gold en Eagle of the United States closed Its business today and adjourned to meet at Washington. D. C. the first Tuesday of October. 1904. William H. Rut. of New Jersey, was elected supreme chief. in nis tine at. reasons me prices. 1 f 1