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VOL. XLVIII NO. 14,87fi. PORTLAND, OREGON, MONDAY, AUGUST 3. 1908. PRICE FIVE CENTS.
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CROWS 1ST
REGION IS 1
ASHEN WASTE
Six Towns Fed to
y Flames Raging
in Forest.
THOUSANDS IkMDE HOMELESS
Loss of Life Believed to Be
Greatest Since San Fran
, Cisco Disaster.
PROPERTY LOSS $10,000,000
Whole Country From Fernie to
Michel Seething Furnace.
CANADA'S GREATEST FIRE
Iealh Lift May Reach Ear Into
Hundreds Strong Wind Fans
Flames Human Hands Fight
Against Them In Vain.
S3 HE AO I?i ONE CAMP.
VAXroiTER. B. C. Aug S-
(Special. A report from Cran
brook. the first station west of Fer
nie. u)i that 61 men and 2 women
vrn burned to death In No. 4 log
ging camp of the Elk Blver Lumber
Company. The camp wi surrounded
by fire and not a single, person es
caped. Hundreds of refugees are being
sent through from Fernie to Cran
brook tonight.
VANCOUVER. B. C.. Aug. 2. (Spe
cial.) Fire between 4 o'clock yester
day afternoon and darkness tonight
burned for 40 miles along the Elk
River Valley, in what is known as the
Crows Nest region of East Kootenay.
Loss of life has been heavy. Some
reports make the death list between 70
and 13.
Property damage has been estimated
at from 15. 000, 000 to 110,000,000.
Fernie has been wiped out and. the
towns of" Hosmer. Elko, Sparwood,
Olson and Cokato are reported burned.
Michel is threatened unless the flames
are checked.
The fire is still raging
Towns Hemmed in by Flames.
The disaster is unique in the history
of Western Canada. For an entire
section of country, towns, railways,
bridges and forests were swept away.
Hosmer, the new pet town of the Can
adian Pacific Railway Company, and
Michel, 28 miles east of the point
where .Fernie stood yesterday after-
(Conluded on Page 4
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LOSES MILLIONS .
BY TECHNICALITY
AGED HEIRESS CAXOT COMPLY
AVITH GERMAN LAW.
Wisconsin Woman Unable to Recall
Remote Ancestor's Xante and
Produce Heirlooms.
APPLETON, Wis.. Aug. 2. (Specials
Because she cannot remember the
name of her great-grandfather, and be
cause she cannot produce . a silver
buckle and a silver knife and fork
gifts from the King of Prussia to her
great-grandfather, talismans required
by the will. Mrs. Frederika Lorenz.
V
X
Robert A. Bnottf Ex-State Senator,
Acquitted of Com. pi racy Charge.
aged 95 years, a pauper supported by
the town of Ellington, Wis., will lose
an tstate worth many millions fifty
millions, according to the attorneys.
There seems to be no doubt of the
woman's Identity, but the German laws
relating to Inheritances take nothing
for granted. The will requires that
she give the full name of her greats
grandfather, who was an Immensely
weaJthy brewer, and produce the art
icles specified in the will. These were
b'urled under a stone fireplace, but were
stolen by other relatives. All the chil
dren of the third generation were born
in this country and have had no oppor
tunity of knowing what was being done
with the estate, or what was required
of them.
It is said the money, which has been
tied up far 50 years, will soon pass to
other relatives and to ' the Prussian
government.
WIRELESS SETTLES STRIKE
Steamship Crew Ratifies Agreement
From Lake Michigan.
CHICAGO, Aug. 2. (Special.) Wire
less telegraphy was called into requisi
tion today to settle a strike. This, it is
said, is the first time the method ever
was used. It was Imperative that the
committees on shore, who had settled
the strike, should get into communica
tion with the captain of the steamship
Theodore Roosevelt, then in the middle
of Lake Michigan, apprise him of the
action and have Win verify the settle
ment before his ship touched port, in
order to avoid trouble. He was finally
picked up by wireless and the negotia
tions were completed. His seamen and
firemen were instructed by the same
method to stand by the ship, and pas
sengers were saved from trouble at the
docks on the other side and possibly from
being marooned on the sand dunes at
Michigan City.
Heretofore the chief service of " the
wireless here in connection with lake
navigation has been to transmit racing
odds to boats which put out beyond the
three-mile" limit in order to avoid the
police
SCENES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA
inm nirnn n n .. i nniiTii n 1 1 r iiinif
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AT1ERICILM
Joint Maneuvers -Will
Open Today.
CITY OF TENTS IS A MODEL
AH Regulars and Washington
Guardsmen Under Canvas.
OREGON TROOPS AJ?E NEXT
Soldiers of Two States and Uncle
Sam's Men Will Participate
in Field Work of the
Coming Ten Says.
TACOMA. Wash., Aug. 2. Regular
Army and National Guard troops from
Guard stations and Army garrisons
throughout Oregon and Washington
are arriving with almost every train
at the American Lake district, south
and west of Tacoma, for participation
In the Joint maneuvers, which open
tomorrow morning. Tonight all Regu
lar Army troops and the "Washington
National Guard are under canvas, and
with the arrival tomorrow of two regi
ments of infantry from Oregon, the
entire force assigned to the first ma
neuver period of ten days will be
ready to take the field. '
Regulars numbering 2584 enlisted
men and 113 officers are now in camp
at Murray Station, eleven miles from
Tacoma. The National Guard of Wash
ington is represented by a full regi
ment of infantry and one troop of
cavalry. The Regulars comprise the
First Infantry, 10 companies, 25 offi
cers, 595 men. Major T. W. Moore,
commanding: the Third Infantry,
10 companies, 27 officers. B22 men.
Colonel T. C. Woodbury, com
manding: Sixth Infantry, 9 com
panies, 23 officers, 473 men, Lieut.-
Col. W. E. Mann, commanding: Fourth
Cavalry, 4 troops, 8 officers, 286 men.
Captain. H." E. Hope, commanding:
Fourth Field. Artillery, 2 batteries, 7
officers. 244 men, Major F. E.
McLaughlin, commanding: battalion
Second Infantry, 3 companies, 7 offi
cers. 163 men. Captain F. A. Shuttle
worth, commanding; Ambulance Com
pany, 11 officers. 90 men. Captain A. E.
Truby, commanding.
Establish Mode! Camp.
In addition to these troops, which will
represent the actual flgi.ting force, are
the engineers and signal corps men, and
the cooks and bakers. To Company B,
of the hnijiiiecr corps. Lieutenant u. 11.
Watkins commanding, has fallen the
work of laying out the big camp, in
which the entire force is being assem
bled. Perfect sanitary arrangements
have been perfected. The construction
of a model camp has required endless
work, as well as skill, experience and
intelligence. One of the most Important
things In connection with the maneuvers'
is the health of the troops engaged, and
to this the engineers and medical de
partment must attend.
Baking Made a Science.
Cooking and baking have likewise been
reduced to a fine art, and 41 men under
Captain H. T. Ferguson, will bake bread
for the entire camp, and bake bread
which will be nutritious and digestible,
a result not always attainable by hap
hazard company cooks and bakers who
(Concluded on Page 8.)
FIRE ZONE AND MAP SHOWING ITS GEOGRAPHICAL LOCATION, WITH SPOKANE AS BASIS
. fc. -.W'l,. I X if R H
ERA OF PROGRESS
AND PROSPERITY
, IN NORTHWEST
Portland's Remarkable Record
for Pirst Seven Months
of 1908.
It Is gratifying in the ex
treme to note the great prog
ress which Portland is making
in all lines of industrial effort.
Record-breaking building per
mits. 'real estate transfers and
" Postoffice receipts all. point to
a degree of prosperity . that
six months ago even the most
optimistic -would not .have
dared-to predict. ' In view of
this remarkable recovery lt is
Interesting to note some of the
features that have contributed
to this prosperity and that
have inspired our people with
confidence In the future.
Among these features having
such an important influence
on our prosperity and not in
evidence a year ago are:
The North Bank road, open
ing to our merchants a terri
tory nearly equal in extent to
that on which we have t been
dependent for years.
The Lewiston-Rlparia- road,
making tributary to Portland
the rich Lewiston-Clearwater
country, from which Portland
has been barred for nearly ten
years.
The Oregon Electric system,
opening up a nearby territory
in which poor transportation
and no transportation have re
tarded development for years.
An increased steamship serv
ice to Coos Bay.
Preliminary work on a num
ber of important industrial and
transportation enterprises.
Positive assurance of greatly
increased depth of water at
entrance of Columbia.
Those are some of the fea
tures which Inspire confidence
in the future of the city. Here
are a 'few that have actually
brought prosperity with them:
For the first seven months
of 1908, Portland shipped
9,922,233 bushels of wheat.
For the same period of 1907,
3,205,153 bushels.
Foreign lumber shipments
this year to August 1 were '
67,622,056 feet; last .year,
41,253,089 feet. '
For the seven months this
year Portland cleared 414 ves
sels of 648,133 tons net regis
ter; last year, 327 vessels of
466,677 tons net register.
The value of wheat, barley
and lumber shipped by water
from Portland for the first
seven months of 1908 was more
than $7,000,000 in excess of
that sent out in the same
period last year.
An increase of more than
$1, 000,000 per month in water
shipments of grain and lum
ber alone offers some explana-
tion of an Increase in real es
tate transfers, Postoffice re
ceipts and building permits,
especially when it is - known
that the average of gain will
be excelled during the re
maining five months of the
'year.
All things considered, Port
land real estate is cheaper
today at $5000 per front foot
than it was a year ago aL
$4000. "
BOOTH CASE JURY
VOTES ACQUITTAL
Separate Verdicts for
Three Defendants.
RETURNED EARLY IN MORNING
Robert A. Booth Is Exonerated
on First Ballot.
HEAR RESULT IN TEARS
Defendants Are Greatly Affected
When Agreement Is Reached
After Juror .Gibson Had
Held Out for Hours.
Separate verdicts of acquittal were re
ported in the United States Court at
9:30 o'clock yesterday morning against
each of the three defendants in the
Booth-Singleton conspiracy case, Robert
A. Booth, ex-State Senator; James Henry
Booth, ex-Receiver of the Roseburg and
Office, and their brother-ln-lawr-Thomas
E. Singleton.
The jury retired at 2:40 P. M. Saturday
and agreed on verdicts In favor of all
three defendants at 9:15 o'clock Sunday
morning. Judge Wolverton was notified
and the verdicts were received and read
shortly . before 10 o'clock. Robert E.
Davis, of this city, was foreman of the
jury.
Friends Hear the Verdict.
It was a glorious Sunday morning for
the three defendants and, the members
of their families and several intimate
friends, who were in constant attendance
during the three weeks' tedious trial.
Patiently and confidently did they loiter
in the courtroom waiting for the message
"not guilty" from the jury room until
midnight Saturday njght, when Judge
Wolverton ordered the Jury locked up for
the night. Early yesterday morning they
were back in the courtroom apprehen
sive lest the Jury should fail to agree.
This feeling of uncertainty was ..dis
pelled about 9:30 o'clock, when it was
announced the Jury had a report to
make. When the Jurors entered the
courtroom the interested group, from an
Inspection of the 12 men, was convinced
that only good news was to be expected.
Give Way to Tears.
Tears mingled with hearty congratula
tion when Clerk Marsh finished reading
the verdicts, which declared the Inno
cence of ' the three accused men. It
was not until the acquittal of his two al
leged co-consptrators was assured from
the reading of the verdicts that Robert
A. Booth surrended to his emotions, and,
with tears rolling: down his cheeks, joined
with the other defendants personally in
thanking each of the jurors.
The verdict acquitting Robert A. Booth
of any complicity in the alleged conspir
acy amounted to a complete vindication.
It was apparent to those attending the
trial that the Government failed to con
nect him with the transaction and that
the jury so regarded the case was con
firmed by the fact that it voted unani
mously on the first ballot for his ac
quittal.
Only Two for Conviction.
But it was in considering the cases of
James Henry Booth and Singleton that
the jury failed to agree for several hours.
But at no time did more than two of the
12 men vote for conviction as against
either of the defendants. For the first
(Concluded on Page 9.)
N0C0NS0LIDATI0N,
SAYS HARRIMAN
ERIE DEAL MADE TO SAVE BAP
SITUATION".
Roads Will Not Be Abandoned, De
dares Magnate in Chicago on
His Way to Oregon.
CHICAGO, Aug. 2. (Special.) "There
not going to be any abandonment of rail
roads,' nor is there to be any combina
tion or consolidation of railways over
night. What has been done has been
done to save a bad situation, financially
speaking."
This statement was made with emphasis
J, H. Bboth, Ex-Receiver Rosebunt
Land Office, Acquitted for Second
Time in Federal Court.
by Edward H. Harriman tdnight, discus
sing the deal whereby a syndicate of
bankers paid in effect $8,000,000 for $12,
000,000 worth of Wheeling & Lake Erie
short term notes.
Mr. Harriman, accompanied by his
family and- large retinue of servants,
stenographers, telegraph operators and
other assistants in a special train of five
cars, arrived here this evening on his
way to Oregon. Important conferences
are scheduled for tomorrow and number
of men prominent in railroad and financial
affairs here got into communication with
Mr. Harriman shortly after his arrival.
Among his callers will be representatives
of the J. Osden Armour interests.
Julius Kruttschnitt, director of main
tenance and operation, of Union and
Southern Pacific systems, joined Mr. Har
riman here and will accompany him on
his Western trip. J. C. SUibbs, traffic
director for the Harriman lines, it is
thought, will also bo one of the party.
SHOT BY CLAIM JUMPER
California Man Killed and Com'
panion Dangerously Wounded.
RANDSBURG- Cal., Aug. 2. Two men
were shot, one being killed ajid the other
dangerously wounded, six miles west of
Garden station this morning. The news
was brought In by J. N. Witt, who did
the shooting. There had been trouble
over the action of Witt and a man named
Chesborough in Jumping a claim owned
by M. S. Tarkington and Bradford Peck,
Jr. Witt says Peck and Tarkington came
into his yard and began driving a stake.
He ordered them off and went toward
them, carrying a Winchester rifle. When
within a dozen feet of Peck he shot him
through the heart, then turned the gun
on Tarkington, shooting him in the face
and neck.
Tarkington begged " Rim not to shoot
again and struggling to his feet, started
for a railroad camp several miles away.
Word was received that after reaching
the camp he fainted and it is feared he
is mortally wounded.
Witt took his family to Johannesburg,
then came here to give himself up.
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GIVING ODDS 10
TO 1 ON TAFT
Betting Like Lobsters,
Says Wellman.
WALL STREET AN EASY MARK
New Yorkers Know Little of
National Politics.
GOOD TIMES ARE COMING
Hopeful Over Bright Business Ont
look Vsual Repressing In
fluence of Presidential Elec
tion Hardly Felt at All.
By Walter WellmaB. to Chicago Record- !
Herald.
NEW YORK, Aug. 2. (Special.) Down !
in Wall street they are living In a fool's
paradise, so far as the election Is con- '
cerned. They think Bryan has no earthly
show to win. They can't see even a
possibility of his success. They talk
about odds of 10 to 1 and 8 to 1, and 6 ;
to 1 against him, and even at that no !
one has the courage to take the Bryan
end of it.
Almost everyone will be willing to con- ,
cede that this early in the campaign and
as matters now stand, Taft's chances
must be' considered better than Bryan's.
But talk of odds of front 6 up to 10 to
1 is simply ridiculous. Two to one would ,
be more lirfe a fair sporting proposition.
Good Risk at Three to One.
If there are any men in the West who
think Bryan's chances are as good as one
out of three, and that is my judgment,
they can get a nice mathematical equa
tion in their favor by sending their money
down to New York to bo placed. Bet-
Hlng on election or anything else is, of
course, a foolish business, especially tho
way they do it here, that Is, without
any sense or knowledge.
I call attention to the betting odds In ,
Wall street only to illustrate the point '
I have In mind the utter, tho well-nigh
Inexplicable inability of the average New
Yorker to gain even a Small glimmer of .
the true values in the National game of '
politics, .
Every other sort of game he under
stands, and plays a pretty good hand at
that, but In National politics he Is a
child, a foreigner, an outsider, a ten-
derfoot, a chump, a rube, a jay, a soft
one, an easy mark, a lobster. Ho getji
his general Ideas from the New York '
papers, and the peoplohe talks with are
his own kind, the men who believe just
the way he does.
These Wall-treet oddmakers know
nothing whatever about tho rest of the j
country. The West, to them, is a sort ;
of terra incognita which thoy indicate,
if they deign to consider it at all, with
vague sweep of the hand In the dircc- 1
tion of Hoboken. They know and caro
nothing about some of tho peculiar things
going on in the minds of the people in j
all that region, "out West" things which
may give Bryan a better chance than
most people think he has.
Jubilant Over Good Times.
In one respect the Wall-street people
appear to be right; at least it is to be
hoped they are. Over the business out
look they are more than hopeful they
are optimistic, confident. Tiny believe
real prosperity is near at hand and that
the disturbing or repressing Influence of
the Presidential election is not going to'
be great enough to do much harm.
There is a gradual, steady Improve
ment in business and employment, more
noticeable in the East than in tho West, '
because in this part of the country the
depression was much more severe than ;
farther west. Down town they feel so
sure of the election of Taft that they are
already discounting the outcome on the "
stock exchange.
INDEX OF TODAY'S NEWS
The Weather.
YESTERDAY'S Maximum temperature Si
degrees; minimum 53 degrees.
TODAY'S Fair; winds mostly northerly.
Foreign.
Venezuelans defend Castro's action in Rues
affair. Page 2.
Domestic.
Wellman says Ne -v Yorkers are wagering 10
to 1 on Taft; bet Ilka lobsters. Page 1.
Harriman and party reach Chicago en routs
to Oregon. Page 1.
rolltles.
Bryan comments on Bonaparte's opinion of
the Omaha banking law. Page IS.
Call me BUI, says Mr.- Taft to newspaper
men. Page 4.
8ports.
San Francisco defeats Portland m 20-lnnlng
game. Pago 6.
Better batting by Seals accounts for Port
land only breaking ven during past
week. Page 6.
Pacific Coabt.
Forest tires raging In Crows Nest region,
B. C. : most ai-palllng disaster in Can
ada's history: loss of life msy reach into
hundreds. Page 1.
Troops gathering for maneuvers at American
Lake. Page 1.
Portland and Vicinity. ,
Jury acquits all three defendants In Booth
conspiracy case. Page 1. .
Many land-fraud cases pending In Fedc-ral
court will be dropped. Page 0.
Judge Morrow discusses need of large new
Courthouse. Page 7.
Real estate and building activity continues. '
Page 13.
Cornerstone of new I. O. O. F. temple on
East Side Is laid. Page 11.
Dr. Luther R. Dyott says more personal
work is needed in churches. Pag a.
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