Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, October 19, 1906, Second Edition, Page 10, Image 10

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    THE MORNING OREGOMAX, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 19. 1906.
10
NEW THEORY FOR
E
Religious Black Sheep Now
Under Suspicion in Hutch
inson Case.
RECORD IS AGAINST HIM
Uencral t-crrrtary Stone Goes to
Falls City to L.ay Evidence
He fore Police There Sus
pect's Name Withheld.
A new theory ns to the identity of
Iteno If utchinsoa's assassin was ad
vanced yesterday with so many sup
porting features to lend color to its
plausibility that II. "W. Stone, jrenertil
secretary of the Y. M. C A., left last
evening for Spokane, where he will
have a thorough. Investigation made.
Suspicion was aroused that profes
Fiunal jealousy afforded a motive and
the line of circumstances leading up to
that conclusion is substantial to say
Tiie least. They afford a motive that
has niore than once prompted similar
murders.
Susplcinn is directed, under this the
ory, to a religious blu.cksh.eep whose
enmity Hutchinson may have aroused.
Once before this suspect was impli
cated in a crime or.o that shocked and
surprised those who had known and
respected him, and which brought
itbout his professional downfall.
Thus far the new theory has nothing
to mar Its plausibility and barring: an
alibi or conclusive evidence that the
fin spec t had nothing to do with the
p hooting, an arrest may follow. The
Spokane police have done nothing yet
on the new theory, but Sir. Stone will
Insist on a thorough investigation im
mediately upon his arrival at Spokane.
The name of the Buspect is withheld
for the time being, since the attaching
of his name to so heinous a crime
might prove a grave injustice.
A i though It was generally thought
that Hutchinson's body reached Port
hind late Wednesday night. It did not
get into the city until 3 o'clock yester
day n ft or noon. A late train was re
sponsible for tiie long delay. The re
mains were taken at once to the Klnley
undertaking establishment.
K. H. MacNaughton, who accompa
nied the body homo, brought back all
of Mr. Hutchinson's personal effects.
He made a thorough search of the dead
man's papers and correspondence In
the hope of finding some cloy to the
murderer. Ther was nothing, how
ever, ii the plies of letters, that will
prove of service in running the slayer
down.
lKIi;.MS PAY FINAL TRIBUTE
I uncral Sermon by Dr. House at
Congregational Church.
Tive hundred sorrowing friends and ac
quaintances of the late Reno Hutchinson
ath!rcd at the Kinst Congregational
Churrh yesterday afternoon to attend the
funeral services, which bepan at 2 o'clock.
Owing to unavoidable delay the body had
riot yet arrived, and it will He in state
from 9 until 9:30 o'clock this morning at
Iho Finley undertaking establishment. In
terment will be made this afternoon.
The funeral services were conducted by
Kev. H. 1 4. Hot we, pastor of the First
Coi ik relational Church. Tributes to the
deceased were paid by Pr, House, Rev.
"W. J. HIndley. of Spokane, and H. W.
Hume, general secretary of the local
branch of the Y. M. C. A.
Tim funeral service was read by Dr.
Hctu.se, who concluded with a eulogy to
Mr. Hutchinson, stating that he was a
great man In the things that make for
Kood; that his life was a flue example of
manhood which all men might follow.
The tragedy which ended his life was not
the will of God, he said, but the act of
some degenerate mind.
Mr. Hindley, speaking for Spokane, said
that St,0w) people in that city sorrowed
over Reno Hutchinson's death. The trag
edy had stirred the hearts of the people
ns had no other similar occurrence In the
history of Spokane, lie said.
"We did not know him in Spokane as
well as you people here." said the speak
er, "but In the ten weeks he was with us
ho revealed to us the promise we saw In
him when he first came to Spokane to
confer concerning the. association work.
An incident of his last night with us Is
eloquent of his character and exalted pur
pose in life. At the time of his death he
wms on his way to meet with association
workers. Wo had been dealing largely
with the financial aspect of the new Y. M.
C. A. movement in Spokane, but he was
coining to lay before us the need of a
greater spirituality. And he was on this
noble mission when the end came."
Mr. Stone followed with a brief tribute,
saying ho had been associated with Mr.
Hutchinson for live years and had always
been impressed by his tine character and
manhood.
AX FOR LA
OITICIAIi FROM IDAHO HERE
AFTER POINTERS.
. $
Confers With HrfMol Concerning Ap
proved Methods of Convicting
Grabbers of Public Domain.
Vntted States District Attorney Ruick,
from Idaho, spent several hours, yester
day afternoon, in consultation with Vnited
States District Attorney Bristol, talking
over land-fraud matters. Idaho bids fair,
just now. to come in for considerable no
toriety through Its land frauds, for tim
ber grubbers have be .n active in both the
northern and southern part of the state.
Mr. Ruhk's purpose in visiting Mr. Bris
tol was to get pointers on the best method
of obtaining convictions, hoping to make
use of this information In the approach
ing trials of the Kester-Kettenbach crowd
indicted last year.
Since the Indictments were returned
ngu:nst the "K" crowd, as they are
known in land-fraud parlance, the frauds
in the southern part of the state were
unearthed by the Government asrents. who
had been working in the field for almost
a year. A number of Indictments were
returned and arrests made, but two of the
principal offenders, and those most urg
ently sought for by the Government offi
cials, have not been named as indicted be
cause it was impossible to locate them.
One of them, the .officials have learned,
is abroad, and the other has been located,
but has not been arrested yet.
The Government will be ready to take
up the land-fraud trials at the very be
ginning of the November term of court."
t-id Mr. Ruick yesterday. "Court opens
cq ttie Sth, and unless something should
SPOKAH
MURDER
prevent, I believe we will be ready to start
the trials of the Kester-Kettenbach crowd
about the 10th. This trial will mark the
first of the Idaho land-fraud trials, and
while the cases will not bring into court
people of great prominence as did the
first of the Oregon trials, nevertheless the
outcome will be watched with. Just as
much interest by Idaho people.
"We have only begun to uncover the
frauds in the southern part of the state,
but from the development so far, I am
of the opinion that they are more exten
sive than those in the northern part.- Yet
there has been a great deal of activity
in the northern part of Idaho since the
Kester-Kettenbach crowd was indicted.
I understand that something. over 600 tim
ber claim applications have been filed in
the Lewiston and Coeur d'Alene districts.
All of them, however, have been held up."
Mr. Ruick was of the opinion that the
Idaho Republicans would carry the state
at the approaching election. "I have been
away from home for some time." said he,
"and have not been able to keep'in touch
with political matters since I left Boise.
Nothing very serious could have happened
or I would have heard of it. The Demo
crats have been very active, and they
have waged a very bitter fight on Gov
ernor Gooding. Friends of Moyer, Hay
wood and Pettibone, the three men
charged with the assassination of ex-Governor
Steunenberg, have put up a most
determined fight against Governor Good
ing's re-election, hut In spite of this I
look for him to win out."
TRAIN SCHEDULE CHANGED
Xcw Service on Branch Lines of the
Southern Pacific.
In response to appeals from Lebanon
and other "Willamette Valley towns,
whose residents clamor for better train
service, the Southern Pacific has agreed
to put on a new daily train from
Springfield to Woouburn, where con
nections will be made with the South
ern Pacific trains of the main line, per
mitting people on the Springfield
branch to visit Portland and return
the same day. It is now the claim of
Lebanon people that It requires three
days to make the round trip. The new
service becomes effective October 2f.
The new train will leave Springfield
at 6:20 A. M. daily, arriving at Wood
burn at 9:05 A. M.. and connecting there
with the Cottage Grove train, which
will hereafter reacli Portland at 11
A. jr. Instead of 10:35. Returning, the
Cottage Grove train will leave here at
4:15 P. i.l., connecting with the new
train leaving Woodburn at 6 and. ar
riving at Springfield at 10. :
In order to complete the service there
will be two additional passenger trains
daily between Lebanon and Albany,
connecting with the trains to and from
Portland.
On the West Side division the Sheri
dan passengers will leave Sheridan at
7 A. M. Instead of 6:05 as at present,
reach Portland at 10:20. The train
leaving Forest Grove at-6:67 will leave
at 6:30 A. M., reaching Portland at 7:55
A. M.. returning, the Forest Grove train
now leaving Portland at 4:50 will leave
at 4, reaching Sheridan at 7:D0 P. M.
The Forest Grove train now leaving
Portland at S P. M. will, after October
2"s leave at 6:-0, arriving at Forest
Grove at 7:30.
The changes on the West Side divis
ion will make It possible for passen
gers to connect with the trains East
and South.
BARRED WHITE SCHOOLS
Consul I'yeno Will Enter Protes; on
ISclialf of Japanese Students.
SAN FRANCISCO. Oct 18. Japanese
Consul Uyeno intimates the possibility
of international complications between
the United States and Japan unless
Japanese children are allowed to at
tend all the public schools, instead of
being relegated to the Oriental schools
with Cnineso, Indians and negroes. The
Japanese Consul is to appear before
the Board of Education and make a
formal protest in this matter on behalf
of the Japanese school children of this
city. He alleges that the section of the
school law In accordance with which
the Oriental schools were established
by the Board of Education is unconsti
tutional and that before it Is enforced
It should be tested by the highest
courts of the state.
If in this eventuality the law is up
held, it is said that Mr. Uyeno will ap
peal from Us decision to the represen
tative of Japan at Washington.
The Board of Education recently de
termined that Nil Japanese children
must attend Oriental schools, and the
first of these was opened last Mon
day at Ciay and Powell streets. '
Girl Students In Boys' Clothes.
RENO, New, Oct. 18. Attired in clothes
of the masculine sex. the girl students of
the University of Nevada will attend a
Jinks at a gymnasium Friday night as
guests of the Theta Epsilon Sorority, a
Greek letter society in the college. Dress
suits with shining shirt front, high col
lars and opera hats will berworn by 'some.
SCENE OF THE
Key to thr Diagram:
while others will affect the dress of typ
ical college boys, of corduroy trousers,
sack coats and blue college hats. The se
lect, dignified members of the party will
wear the clothes of the college professor
and will act as mock chaperons for the
occasion.
In order to prevent young men from
looking upon the pcene. the Theta girls
have asked Chief of Police Leeper for a
detail of five policemen to guard the en
trance to the gymnasium. The boys
threatened to enforce the rule that none
but masculine seniors in the college be
allowed to wear corduroys.
Hanker Acquitted of Fraud.
IDA GROVE, la., Oct. 18. Oscar Ber
gr, accused of fraudulent banking, was
acquitted today. The Jury was out IS
hours.
In li R r C y ngf'i fe 1 i 1 1 ki
0 it Ms h I P W H m m J 2fl W
m 11 I-1 i f It - H 1 4 1 f m A
mmmmmm W o Pill
; '"'"T11'1'''" .;t., 1 tdJfc t
'""""'"vm"-r-"..m,..m,l
Portland's new Masonic Temple, the cornerstone of which s to be laid tomorrow with appropriate ceremonies. ie to he one of tho handsomeet fraternal buildings in th
West. The site is a quarter-hlock at the southwest corner of West Park and Yamhill streets. The edifice will be feet hlph. the usual height -.of a six-story building1, but
divided Into only four stories. It will coat $125,000, and the money hae all been subscribed, by members of the Masonic" Building Association.
The exterior will be of light-colored,, pressed brick, resembling somewhat the Scottish Rite Cathedral on Morrison street. The main auditorium will be 6x$0 feet, with
gallery, and will have a seating capacity of 1500. There will be clubrooma, banquet-rooms, apartment for the blue lodges, and the upper floor will be set aside for the use
of the Knights Templar. The specifications for the temple were prepared by Richard Martin, Jr.
HONORED BY SCOTS
Portland Business Men Enter
tain Sir John Leng.
IS GUEST. AT LUNCHEON
Distinguished Editor and Politician
From Dundee Meets Expatriated
Sons of Land o Cakes.
He Praises This City.
Forty-six Scotsmen and others born un
der the British flag- assembled yesterday
afternoon in one of the parlors of the Ho
tel Portland and partook of a "carnation
lunch" gU'en by the British societies of
this city in honor of a distinguished Scot
tish newspaper editor. Sir John Leng, of
Dundee, Scotland.
Sir John is 78 years old. and althouRh
born in England, was caught while young
and taken to Scotland, where he pros
pered exceedingly as a newspaper pro
prietor and Liberal politician of the Glad
stone persuasion.
Up to now he retains his English accent.
For years his friends have hoped that he
would annex a Scotch "burr, and there
by become a Scot, but these hopes have
not been realized as yet. Slightly under the
medium height, his beard and hair are
white- as snow, and a pair of kindly eyes
look at you through gold-rimmed spec
tacles. As a speaker he is thoughtful and
deliberative, but shows that he is a ecus-
MURDER OF RENO HUTCHINSON
A Hart son Residence. B raterson Residence. C Where Murder
Was found. E Route of Escaping Murderer.
tomed to public speaking. His years sit
lightly on him for a man who can boast
of 30 grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
-
But the lunch must not be kept waiting.
It was a pleasant, social success, and re
flects great credit on Chairman A. H. Bir
rell, Secretary James Cormack and the
other members of the committee who ar
ranged it. Mr. Birrell, who was born In
Dundee, and knew Sir John there, gave a
most appreciative address of welcome to
the guest of the afternoon.
"Allow me to express the pleasure I feel
In meeting here so many Scots, from Dun
dee and other neighboring towns, such as
Brechin, Montrose, Aberdeen, Glasgow,
etc.," remarked Sir John, as he-got out
his typewritten notes. "You all seem to
have prospered exceedingly. Great
changes have taken place in Oregon since
I was here in 1876, when I sailed in a
1 P h u HI li I J' I
H
"mrrmmftrytrifi ,
'It fttl,lt,
NEW MASONIC TE.WLE OF WHICH THE
steamer from San Francisco to this city.
Had I then been agriculturally inclined I
should have settled in your beautiful "Wil
lamette Valley. Since then I have been
kept informed of the progress of Oregon
through the annual numbers of The Ore
goniun and the consular reports, of the
British Consul at this port, Mr. I-iaidlaw."
Sir John then drifted into a discussion
of the system of graft as observed in
American politics and reviewed hopeful
political conditions in the old land. He
spoke in an optimistic vein as to the future-
of this country, and eulogized Pres
ident Roosevelt and King Edward.
Addresses were also given by "W. J.
Burns, who spoke on "The Country of
Our Adoption," John Cran on "The Iand
AVe Left," and Dr. K. A. J. Mackenzie on
"The Ladies." Sir John, in proposing
Chairman Birrell's health, also spoke
briefly on the appealing qualities of Scotch
music, saying: "I am more affected by
the auld Scotch sangs than by any Italian
folderols." Good fellowship prevailed.
The guests were:
filr John Ieng, Chairman A. H. Birrell,
George Black, A. T. Smith. John Patereon,
James Cormack. "W. M. Laughton, H. Heggie,
A. S. Tattullo. J. Whyte Evans. B. II.
Xicoll, James Laid law, William MacMastcr,
Georjye McGowan, I. C. Htuart, W. R. Mac
kenzie, A. M. Wright, A. H. Kerr. Samuel C.
Kerr, K. K. Baxter, Miiirr Murdoch. James J.
Burnesa, John Cran. Alexander C. Rae. Munici
pal Judge Cameron, Councilman George S.
Shepherd, G. J. Burns. R. W. Blackwood, Dr.
J. F. B1I, Alexander Gavin. John M. Scott,
A. G. Brown, L. A. Patttillo, W. J. Burns,
Dr. K. A. J. Mackenzie, I. C. Burns. John
Ba ik ie, W. G. McPhereon. Peter Taylor. L.
Russell, G. M. Fraser. John Dickson, D. G.
Duncan. Joseph Macqueen, Dr. S. T. Link
later and Archibald McCorquodale.
GIVES VITAL STATISTICS
Report of State Board or Health
Shows Considerable Typhoid.
The report of the State Board of
Health for September indicates that there
is still considerable typhoid fever In the
state, although it is pretty well scattered.
Lane County has had 16 cases and two
cVaths, but there are several counties
IN SPOKANE
Was Committed. D Where Victim
with a greater number of cases. Umatilla
takes the lead with 23 cases and two
deaths while Klamath follows with 18
cases and Union with IT; the former has
two deaths and the latter none. Wasco
County is credited with 11 cases and
Wheeler with ten, while Douglas reaches
15 cases without deaths. Multnomah de
veloped one new case and had four
deaths.
There have been seven new cases of
tuberculosis reported and 30 deaths, 22
cases of diphtheria and 20 of scarlet
fever. Measles has 23 cases credited
and smallpox one.
There were 5n5 births and 376 deaths,
while the marriages numbered 306. The
State Bacteriologist, Dr. Ralph 3Iatsont
made 14:2 examinations in the labratory of
the State Board of Health during the
month, including 23 for water and 13
for diphtheria.
... '""
ll'"
,ttttit ti'
CORNERSTONE WILI, BE LAID TOMORROW.
JOSS IS SLIGHTED
Portland Chinese Turn From
Worship of Heathen Gods.
REFORM ELEMENT STRONG
Oriental Colony Divided Over Cele
bration of Annual Harvest Fes
tivalFaithful Find It Hard
to liaise Moncj.
Chinatown Is divided this year over the
celebration of the Harvest Festival, the
conservatives favoring the observation of
the feast in the good old style of heathen
splendor, and the "reform element be
ing oppot-ed to the large sum of money
annually "burned' in the josshouscs of
FortlanH. They think a like sum should
be spent for a Chinese school in this city.
Tomorrow morning the Harvest Festival
Is scheduled to begin. Preparations have
been going on for some time. It has been
difficult this year to raise sufficient money
to defray the expenses of altar services,
of importing high priests from San Fran
cisco and of erecting special Are burners
to be installed along Second street to
protect the asphalt pavement. tThis ia
due to the attitude of many wealthy Chi
nese, who have heretofore given liberally,
but who are now casting their lot with
the reformers and propose to make their
contributions to educational purposes, if
at all.
This lack of co-operation on the part of
the reform Chinese has handicaped those
who are faithful to joss, and it is doubt
ful if the celebration this year will be as
elaborate as it has been In past years. It
will be worth seeing, however, as the
rites of the faithful will be performed as
usual, and not one ceremony will be
omitted. The celebration is to start to
morrow morning and will end Monday
night. The big climax is the burning of
the devil.
Lack of support from hitherto loyal fol
lowers of joss is not the only handicap
this year; the police stepped in and com
pelled the Chinese to erect special burners,
as the new asphalt pavement would bo
ruined should they build tires on It as has
been the custom in former years. It re
quired considerable extra money for this
purpose, making the burden greater for
the few to bear.
Chun? Sal Tat Pot otherwise "The Chi
nese Daily Paper," the most influential
Chinese publication on the Pacific Coast,
lias been advocating the abolition of Joss
worship for a long time, and the result
of its policy Is now being strongly felt in
Portland, as elsewhere. Editorially, it
calls upon the Chinese to rise above what
it terms the superstition of joss worship
and to educate the rising Chinese genera
tion instead.
Chinese reformers in Portland explain
that with the $2000 consumed yearly in
the celebration of Harvest Festival and
in burning incense to joss a good school
for their children could be maintained and
the ra-e uplifted.
BRIDAL BED BROKEN
UP
Charivari Party Makes Wreck
Home at Chippewa Falls.
of
CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis., Oct IS.
Philip Bellier, a bridegroom of a day. Is
wondering If. after all, it pays to get
married. Immediately after the ceremony
his misery began.
A crowd of 100 men and women, bent
on giving a charivari to the newly mar
ried pair, appeared on a farm near the
town of TilcJening, Bellier's new home.
The house was stormed when refresh
ments were refused, windows were
broken, lace curtains torn down and
trampled upon, and even the bridal cham
ber was invaded. Here the raiders seized
the bed. took it to pieces, and carried it
away with them. Even the mattress and
bed clothing were not spared Nor was
this all. The mob broke into the milk-
house on the farm in search of liquor,
and, finding none, turned all the milk
there Into a creek.
The bridegroom, who had been hiding,
then made his appearance. He was
seized by the women of the party, "who
hugged and kissed him until he shrieked
for mercy. Finally a financial agreement
of release was arranged, and the bride
groom, with the clothing nearly torn from
his back, was released. The gift of
money satisfied the crowd, which dis
persed at once.
The sight that greeted Bellier a eyes
when he returned to his house made him
furious. The whole inside of the place
was a mass of wreckage. Broken furni
ture. window glass and trampled cloth
ing were strewn about the floor. In the,
corner or one room ne round nis bride
crying. The aged parents of the brlcle
were terror-stricken and had been unable
to come to his aid.
Then Bellier decided on revenge. He
and his mother-in-law visited the District
Attorney's office today, and as a result
It is expected that nearly litO warrants
will be sworn out for the arrest of the
marauders.
WOMAN SEES PEON CAMPS
Chief Witness AgalnAt Xew York
Employment Agent.
NEW YORK. Oct. 18. The case of a S.
Swartz. who was arrested on July 27,
charged with peonage, camo before the
Federal Grand Jury here today when
Assistant United States District Attorney
Clarence Houghton will produce his wit
nesses, chief among them being Airs. Mary
Grace Quackenbos. an attorney, who made
the complaint that caused the arrest of
Swartz.
Swartz ran an employment agency, and
was charged with enticing thousands of
'young men to go South to turpentine
camps In the swamps of Florida, lumber
mills, copper, coal and phosphate "mines.
Numbers of them escaped and returned to
their homes in the North, full of fever
and broken in health.
When Swartz was held in $3000 bail on
July 27, Mrs. Quackenbos decided to go
South and investigate mtters personally.
In a seven weeks' trip sha visited the
camps mentioned in the evidence against
Swartz, saw the peonage system in op
eration, and returned suffering from fever,
but with 46 affidavits. ,
DOWIE LIVED DOUBLE LIFE
"Leaves of Healing" Is to Publish
All the Details.
CHICAGO. III., Oct. IS. Names of
women who figure in the scandal and
charges of the dual life made against
Alexander Dowie, will be given with ex
plicit details of their relation with the
fallen prophet of Zlon when the charges
which led to the overthrow of the "First
Apostle" are published in full in "Leaves
of Healing" on next Saturday.
This was announced today by Overseer
Wilbur Glenn Voliva, who outlined what
the. charges are to be.
' I shall not only publish the names of
these women,'' said Voliva, "but I shall
give the names of witnesses who can sub
stantiate every detail of the charges. Mr.
Dowie's scandalous secret life will be
fully exposed.
"I have sent notice to Dowie of this
plan and offered him space in which to
make answer. Each charge to be men
tioned has been made known to him. He
can answer each one, but I do not believe
that he will attempt to defend himself in
the face of our evidence," said Overseer
Voliva.
"Dowie will go to his grave before he
will answer any of the charges made
against him," agreed Overseer Spelcher.
Lays Claim to Xo-JIan's-Land.
KANSAS CITT, Mo., Oct. 18. Attorney
General Herbert S. Hadley, of Missouri,
has decided to Institute proceedings In the
United States Supreme Court to establish
title to Island Park, in the Missouri River,
between Clay County, Mo., and Wyan
dotte County, Kan. Island Park com
prises nearly a section of land in the
Missouri River. Prizefights and other
lawbreaking have taken place without
hindrance on the island, it being outside
all state jurisdiction. After the Joe
Wolcott-Billy Rhodes fight last month,
Governor Folk took action to have the
ownership of the Island determined.
Keep the liver and kidneys in order.
Hood's Sarsaparilla is the remedy to
regulate these organs.
CITY TO PAY
DAMAGES TWICE
Lewis, Flanders and Couch
Heirs, Once Compensat
ed, Come Again.
HURT BY BURNSIDE BRIDGE
Wharf Owner9 Seek Free Gift ol
Water 1-Yont From .Harbor Area,
IXealleging Injuries That City
Taid Them for In 1891.
Though the cltv paid the Lewi.
Flanders and Couch families $18,000 in
1894 for damages done to their wharf
properties at the foot of Burnslde
street by the bridge then bulldinK
across the Willamette River, and this
sum ws accepted by them as compen
sation also for future damages from
that public viaduct, the owners now
represent that injuries since resultliiK
to their wiiarves, partly through river
shoaling-, which tlicy allege is due to
the bridge piers, entitled them to ex
tension of the harbor line out into the
river and the free gift to them of ad
ditional wharf and warehouse space
from the city's already narrow harbor.
Acting with the Lewis, Flanders and
Couch heirs is C. F. Adams, president
of the Portland Gas Company, which
would benelit even more than the other
interests. Mr. Adams is a member of
the Port of Portland Commission, and
Induced that body to recommend the
extension. Two years ago these allied
forces were rebuffed by Major Langfltt,
United States engineer, then in charge
of this district. Now they are trying
to secure a smaller p:rant, hoplnsr that
it will incur less opposition. The mat
ter is before Colonel Roessler, who is
in charge of this district, and the own
ers have not yet overcome his objec
tions, A Illgh-Prlccd Gift.
That the owners attach high value
to the strip they are trying to obtain
from the public for nothing Is evi
denced from the fact that in 1S94, when
resisting the city's clfort to obtain
ground for the Burnslde bridge, thev
put In a claim in the Circuit Court for
$106,000, simply for the narrow street
area, 60 feet wide, now occupied by
the bridge at the foot of Burnsldo
street, and for alleged damages to the.
continuity of their long wharf. The
jury awarded them $18,000 for 60 feet
of wharf and street, though they had
asked for $16,fli)0 in court, and as com
pensation for the remaining $60,.i0l)
claim declared the benefits arlslntr
from the bridge sufficient. Said the
Jury:
"And as to each of the other claims for
damages, set up In the several answers
filed by the several defendants, we find
no damages that Is to say, the damages
as to the property not taken or sought !
be appropriated, are no greater than the
actual and special benefits and advant
ages to accrue to same by reason of tho
building of the proposed bridge."
Bridge Adds Big Values.
The bridge built by the city undouhterV
ly has added value to the frontage prop
erty. On each side of the bridge ap
proach stores have been opened, enhanc
ing the worth of the frontage contain
ing them. A stream of traffic courses
over the bridge, benefitting the abutting
property in large amount. These wero
tho "special benefits and advantages"
which the jury In 1S54 placed against the
damage claims.
But, forgetful of these "special 'bene
fits and advantages" and the $18,000 paid
by the city, the Lewis Interests, headed
by L. A. Lewis and the Flanders and
Couch interests, headed by J. Couch
Flanders-, represent that the public should
compensate them twice, though they ad
mit that the present claim is not legally
binding.
They consider their water frontage of
high value; and so it is. And they rep
resent that the public will lose little by
allowing the grant; yet they themselves
undoubtedly would put high value on the
free-gift area, could they get it, or should
the city, at some time In the future, need
to recover it for public use. When the
city sought to recover, for Burnside
bridge, a 60 foot space, from the frontage
which the United States gave free to Cap
tain J. H. Couch and his wife In 1S51.
under the donation land law, it was met
with a demand for $106,000 damages.
Originally a Free Gift.
Under that law. Captain Couch secured
title to the area which he laid off in
Couch Addition. It was supposed that he
dedicated the foot of Burnslde street, be
tween Front and the river, to the city,
and under that supposition the city pro
ceeded in 1S93 to build Burnside bridge.
But the Lewis, Flanders and Couch fam
ilies won from the Circuit and Supreme
Courts in 1S93 decrees establishing their
ownership of the street. Though Captain
Couch and his wife might have Intended
the street to belong to the city, that could
not be proved from the records. In the
early days the land afterward In dispute
was not considered of much value and
the ownership evidently was not consid
ered important.
But when the city came to need it Alien
& Lewis, C. H. Lewis, Mary H. Couch and
Maria L. Flanders were in possession with,
a wharf. They claimed for the land th
value of $1.,000: for that of 60 feet of
wharf, $4000; and for damages to the re
maining wharf frontage, 490 feet north,
of the street and 230 feet south of the
street, $60,000.
The $60,000 claim was made for the al
leged reason that "those portions of said
wharf and warehouse not so taken will
be greatly impaired, and they will be ren
dered very much less valuable than they
now are." It was also contended that
"said proposed bridge will greatly Inter
fere with and obstruct the landing and
mooring of ships and other vessels at any
part of said wharf."
The "mooring of ships," which the own
ers allege has been impaired by shoaling
Influence on the river channel, was in
cluded by the jury among the damages
balanced by the special benefits and ad
vantages to accrue from the building of
the proposed bridge.
The city also paid to the Ladd estate
$1200 for damages to a roadway entrance
to a lot of ground south of the ridge. .
RATES REDUCED.
Commencing Saturday, October 20, the
Astoria & Columbia River Railroad will
reduce their Seaside rates as follows:
Thirty day round trip excursion tickets
$4. Saturday morning return Sunday even
ing excursion $2.00 and every Sunday
round trip excursion $1.50. Seaside is ad
mitted to be the warmest Winter resort
on the Coast. Hotels have reduced their
ratea to promote Winter patronage.
Spend a few days at the beach and
rejuvenate. Information and tickets at
248 Alder street and the Union depot. C.
A. Stewart.'Com'l. agent. Main 906.
Apply 6atin ikln cream to wet l(!n, wipe
dry. Secures eailny, emooth Bkin. 5c.