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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 24, 1912)
TIIE MORXIXG OREGONIAN, TUESDAY. DECEMBER 84. 1913. 8 PORTLAND. OREOOX Entered at Portland. Orecon. Potofflc . cond-claa Matter. - Subscription Rate Invariably la Adranca IBT MAIL.) Dit.y. SnMJat tnelnded. ana year J"? Pally. Sunday Included, alx month.... J-J" - Daily. Sunday Included, threa month!, .a--; - Dal.-y. Sunday Included, one month Dally, without Sunday, ono year ! Daily, without Sunday, alx month!.. ... Dally, without Sunday, threa month!..- I WUIIVUI DJI1U., vu ill.- - . .Weekly, ono year S"o Sunday, on year J"50 - Sunday and Weekly, .one year V (BY CAP.RJER.) v Pally. Sunday Included, on year " Dally. Sunday Included, one month... '" How to Remit 6end Postofflca money or der. express order or peraonal check on Tour , local bank. Stamp, coin or '""tncj . at the senders risk. Olv postofflca adoren In full, including; county and itate. Poetaca Rate 10 to 14 paae. I at. v to 28 perea. 1 cenu; SO to 40 pages. !" 0 to 60 paces. centa. Forln poet. double rat. . "u - Eastern Bnalneaa Offices Verre lln New York. Brunswick buildlns. cm- cayo. Stecer bulldlnc San FrancWeo Office R. J. Bldwu CO . T.2 Market street. Enropean OfIce No. S. Recent atreet. B W.. London. .PORTLAND, TCKSDAT, DEC. . 191. . THE WINNING OF OREGON. . Robert H. Blossom's sketches of the early history of Oregon in The Ore- - gonlan, December 15 and December " 22, conduct the reader pleasantly through the series of events which ' transformed the "continuous woods" "where Bryant's "Oregon" rolled and heard "no sound save its own dash " ings" into a civilized and populous ' community. Some of Mr. Blossom's readers must have been surprised to : learn that a bill was introduced in the National House bf Representatives as early as 1820 by Dr. John Floyd, of - Virginia, to establish a territorial gov- ernment in Oregon. Very properly the bill came to nothing, for at that time 1 it was an absurdity. In 1820 there I could not have been more than half a dozen white men in the region south Z.ot the Columbia and north of Cali ; fornia. Including a straggler or two from W. P. Hunt's party of 1811 and ; perhaps as many old employes of the Hudson's Bay Company. The latter were not permitted to settle in the " company's domain before Dr. Mc- Loughlin's day, but no doubt some of .. them may have done so surreptltious- ly. though certainly not many. - " The first intelligent attention which T Oregon received in Congress was ex- - cited by William A. Slacum's report to the Government. This gentleman "was dispatched from California by -President Jackson to investigate the affairs of the missionaries and colo nlsts in 1835. He was one of the sub " scrlbers to the Willamette Cattle Com !" pany, which imported the first herd from the South, and thus established systematic agriculture in the Wlllam- ette Valley. President Jackson was Induced to send Slacum to Oregon by 'the woeful tales which Hall J. Kelley Z, had brought back from the Coast after his adventurous trip from California Z to Vancouver with Ewing Young. "Roth Hall and Young reached Van- 2 couver with an accusation of stealing horses hanging over their heads and - social attention from Dr. McLoughlin. . A ...... r. t. thn.r AA Vint ol TI1irh- AL I1U V a lv H 1 1- T uava ..V... n ... . .. and Kelley. wno was a gooa oeai mow than half cracked, resented the neg lect. Nathaniel .Wyeth, who was in Vancouver at that time, also ignored Kelley. but that slight was forgiven end all the vials of his wrath were poured out on McLoughlin and the British interests for which he stood. Kelley's lamentations came to Presi dent Jackson's ears and appeared to him important enough to warrant an investigation. So he ordered Slacum jo mane one. Slacum was an intelligent and high ly efficient agent. He charted the Columbia River, mapped the expiring Indian villages of the Willamette country, paid Dr. McLoughlin a visit, spent time enough with Jason Lee's missionaries to know. them well and, as we have seen, aided the cattle com jary with a subscription. He sailed for the East on February 10, 1837. This was three years after Jason .Lee's arrival In Wyeth's train and a little more than a year before he went back East for .reinforcements. Slacum's report, which was a master piece in its way, was laid before Con gress in the December following his departure from Oregon. The man who was particularly moved by it was Senator Lewis F. Linn, from Missouri. In January, 1838, Linn introduced a .bill to establish a territorial govern ment for Oregon. The bill failed for two reasons. The first was the gen eral indifference to the Oregon coun try and its affairs, which had not yet been overcome, and the second was the fact that Linn altogether oyer X looked existing treaty arrangements " with Great Britain. The Joint Occu- . pancy agreement was in force ana no '. proper steps had been taken to abr.o- gate it. But even if joint occupancy : had been legitimately terminated it "Would have been a high-handed pro : ceeding to erect a territory out of the Oreeon country without preliminary courtesies to our friendly neighbor. In March, 1838, two months after Linn introduced his bill, Jason Lee left Oregon for the East. It was upon this trip, at the Pawnee Mission, near Council Bluffs, that Lee got word from Dr. McLoughlin that his wife was dead. But he did not turn back. He forged ahead resolutely and as soon as he crossed the Mississippi he began to lecture on Oregon in every . church he came to. Immense crowds listened to him. He was a powerful preacher, as well as a consummate statesman, and It is to this propa ganda of his that we must ascribe the origin of the subsequent migrations from the Mississippi Valley to Oregon, not forgetting, of course, the hunger for cheap land and easy markets which helped the movement along. Jason Lee also brought with him a memorial from the settlers asking Congress to take charge of their af fairs, as Mr. Blossom notices in his account. It was presented to the Sen ate in January. 1839, by Linn, of Mis souri, whose interest in Oregon was persistent, but Its principal effect was to awaken the curiosity of Caleb -Cushing, then a Representative from Massachusetts. The Oregon situation appealed so keenly to his intelligence that he wroti to Jason Lee asking for further particulars. As he might have expected had he known Lee's energet ic and capable character, Cushing re ceived a full account of the popula tion and hopes of Oregon almost by return mall. To be precise, Lee's an swer was dated January 11. 1839. It supplied Cushing with data from which he framed a report on Oregon to the House Of Representatives. Lee's return to Oregon was speed ily followed by a heavy Immigration from the Mississippi Valley. Thus the population of the country with eet- tiers who made an American govern- ment natural and reasonable and the Interest In Congress -which finally se cured It must be credited to Jason Lee. HWtory has not treated this great man with the attention he de serves, nor was he honored by his own church as he should have been. He died In neglect, deprived of his mission appointment and pursued with calumnj ' WEBFOOT. The Portland, Eugene & Eastern Railroad the Harriman electric lines for the Willamette Valley has been advised to take the title "Webfoot route" for its system. "We object!" shouts some one. Object? Well, The Oregonian does not. It approves heartily. unreservedly,, delightedly. The name Webfoot may not be good enough for your unacclimated tender. foot, but it is good enough for us. For we are webfooted through ana through that is to say, where it has been ordained that we or anyone should be webfooted and we are proud of it. The name Webfoot' belongs to the soil, the climate, the rivers, the for ests, hills and dales, and the people and the spirit of Oregon. It implies j God-given moisture, bountiful crops. nowlng streams, green iieias, neaim wealth, prosperity, happiness and con tentment. It is distinctive, whole some, worthy, respectable. It belongs to Oregon; it Identifies Oregon; it is Oregon. We hope the Portland, Eugene & Eastern will adopt the "Webfoot route" as its very own. It Is all right. MVE AT FIRST SIGHT. Helen Gould's tender entanglement with Mr. Shepherd is clearly a case of love at first sight. She went to St. Louis on an errand as far as possible rpmoved from Cupid's wiles. Her mis sion was to look after the welfare of the T. W. C. A. foundations, to which she has been a generous and constant contributor. But as she flitted about her pious duties she beheld the manly beauty of Mr. Shepherd through the car window and she was lost. It was the same with him. When he gazed for the first time on Helen's countenance all the rest of the world faded from his vision and she alcne existed for him. His heart throbbed from that moment with Inextinguish able passion. The thread of a miracu lous affinity drew the couple together. Mr. Shepherd thought that Helen "was a most wonderful woman." She found in him her ideal of knightly beauty. How he first met her he "does not dis tinctly recall," as he confesses ingenu ously. Who ever does? "Where and how did I earliest meet her? What were the words she first did say?" All that is wrapped in a golden mist of blessed confusion. What we hope is that Mr. Shepherd will continue to find his Helen as won derful as she appears to him now, and that In her eyes he will always be a model of knightly beauty. Their union will be the story of King Cophetua re versed. "In robe and crown the King stepped down to meet and .greet" the beggar maid on her way, and he found her so lovely that he made her his bride, "that day." Miss Gould steps down from her opulent social pinnacle to meet and greet the assistant to the president of one of her railroads. We glory in her excellent taste. She has done better by far than, if she had chosen a withered French Count or some stale and battered specimen of British Dukedom. When American girls can no longer find suitable hus bands at home, there must be some thing wrong with the human race In this country. Helen Gould's choice of a lover from her railroad offices proves that the trouble is more with the taste of the girls than with the attractions of the men. It may be that the mat rimonial experiences of some of her near relations with foreign aristocrats have helped Cupid win his easy victory over Helen. UPTON TAKES AMERICAN VIEW. That cosmopolitan sportsman. Sir Thomas Llpton, does not agree with the moBt vociferous of his fellow countrymen about the Panama Canal tolls. He beUeves that the United States, as the owner of the Canal, "has a right to benefit over foreign nations through that ownership." He believes that 'England is endeavoring to drive the best bargain she can and that, "In doing so, some of its public men are resorting to jingoism," but that "when the question is settled, the desire of the American Government to favor its own shipping will prevail" and that the best of feeling also will prevail. This was said by Sir Thomas in an interview at New Orleans with the New Tork American. He continued in a Jocular vein: America ihould turn the Canal over to England. Before doing- ao. however, it should apend a few mora millions in' addi tion to what already has been expended in digging It and In properly fortifying the big ditch. Thia country should then make re quests for any concessions which it may desire and I am sure that the British Gov ernment would duly consider them. Tou know that the United States Is an Infant In handling a canal, in spite of the fact that It has spent upward of t4OO.9O0.OO0 in constructing it. On the other hand, Eng land has had vast experience. His traveling companion. Colonel Duncan Nelll, objecting that "this country cannot discriminate " In favor of its vessels without disregarding the existing treaty. Sir Thomas replied: The views of Colonel Nelll and myself differ roost radically on the canal toll question. Ha think! that his Country should controi the canal, although the United Statea constructed It. When the .treaty was adopted, the enormous cost of the canal was not even contemplated. The United States tork a great financial risk in build ing the waterway across the Isthmus. Its work la liable to be undone at any time by great landslides, and now that It is built the American government certainly should be allowed to reap special advantages from It Treaties should be duly observed, but they should be altered from time to time to con form with the new conditions which arise. This is a caf. whero an existing agreement between two nations should be modified to meet a contingency which has arisen. But a all events the matter will be amicably adjusted and in a manner satis factory to the. United States, if not to England. Sir Thomas here brings to the front points in favor of the American con tention which should have great weight. The Oregonian has denied and still denies that exemption from tolls of American coastwise ships con stitutes discrimination against foreign ships. " We, therefore, deny that ex emption is a violation of the Hay Pauncefote treaty. But. assuming that such exemption constitutes dis crimination. Sir Thomas shows that we have a strong case for such modi fication of the treaty as will allow it. As new conditions which arose since the Clayton-Bulwer treaty was signed Induced Great Britain to release us from the agreement for Joint control of the canal and to consent to (our sole ownership and control, so new conditions have ' arisen since the signature of the Hay-Pauncefote treaty which warrant changes in that instrument. The Canal Zone was then under Co lumbian sovereignty: it is now under American " sovereignty. The cost of the canal was then estimaiea at. n, 000,000; it has cost nearly $400,000, 000. Foreign-built ships were then avoinAi fmm Amprlpan register; they are now admitted, when owned by Americans. Contracts between In dividuals are frequently modified by mutual consent in view of changed conditions; why not contracts oeiween Nations also? We have a good case In both law and equity. It remains to be determined whether we can get our case before a court so free from National self-interest that it will rec ognize the strength of our contentions. NEW LAND CODE NEEDED. . The necessity of a general revision of the land laws, not only for the pur pose of carrying out the policy of con servation, but to provide means by which several classes of 1-nd can be lawfully acquired, is made apparent by a paper read by Professor Charles G. Yale before the California Miners' Association. Coal land is being sold at appraised values considerably above the minimum price fixed by law at which all coal land was for merly sold, but oil, gas and phosphate land has been entirely withdrawn from sale awaiting legislation for Its disposal. . Water-power sites can be secured only under revocable permits, which are too insecure a basis of title to allow of large Investments. Unless mineral is exposed on the surface, a prospector has no security against the Jumper while making exploration pre liminary to location The present administration of the land laws is therefore a makeshift Phosphate, oil and gas development Is entirely suspended,,- Before with drawal such land could be acquired only under the placer mining law,' which is not applicable to deposits hlrMen rlfn underground and which can be discovered only by costly work. Rpr.rotarv Fisher recommends the granting of permits for such explora tory work, giving the noiaer exclusive possession so long as ne continues wnrir ijipk nf laws governing the acquisition of mineral springs, water- power sites and watering places in tne deserts tempts men to pervert the placer mining law. This law has been used to acquire water-holes which control vast areas of range, power sites where there IS no mineral, tmvnaiiH In National forests. Summer resorts, in fact land for almost any purpose. It should be so amended as tn nnr.lv onlv to land bearing mineral which shows on or near the surface and not in place. New laws are neea ed governing all classes of public land, for the present laws are a direct in citement to fraud. A large proportion of mining litlga Mnn pould be Drevented by repeal of the provision granting extra-lateral rights to holders of lode claims. This provision is based on a tneory long since exploded. It has Deen-provea practically impossible to identify a vein mined a thousand feet under ground with any particular vein crop-nino- rtn t"hA ftiirface. Hence have come underground war and endless lawsuits. British Columbia nas dis posed of this difficulty by granting to ac.ti minfir all the mineral within a square tract of 60 acres, the boun daries of which are extended vertical ly into the earth to any depth. A MUNICIPAL THEATER. Northampton, Mass., is a venerable college town of the most respectable habits. More than that, it is the site of a woman's college where staid con servatism has always been the rule. Nobody would have dreamed that Northampton would, at this time of day, shock the world by putting radi cal Ideas In practice, and yet that is precisely what it has begun to do, and, once started on this fascinating road, who knows where it will stop? The other day we read with amazement that the Smith College girls, that is to say, the Northampton College girls, had taken to cookery and dishwashing in the kitchen. This they are doing in spite of the fact that most of them come from gilded mansions and have been brought up in the lap of luxury. Most of them expect to dwell In the lap of luxury all their lives. Why, then, should they wish to soil their lily fingers with kitchen work? Per haps the true reason may be found in the circumstance that college girls in these days do not possess Illy fingers. Athletics have made their digital ex tremities so vigorous that the girls, with the robust common sense of their sex, think It Is a pity not to put them to some use. This irruption into the kitchen was only the beginning of Northampton's revolutionary proceedings. Swiftly following It comes the news that the city is going to start a -municipal the ater. Weary of the histrionic enter tainment provided by one trust and another, which amounts to nothing better than an endless round of inani ties with a play of some little merit sandwiched in from time to time, Northampton has made up its mind to have a playhouse of Its Own. The purpose is to train a company of actors who shall belong to the town and not spend their time straying from place to place throughout the country. It is expected that the people of Northamp ton will be able and well disposed to support the new enterprise, and we be lieve they will if it is rightly managed. The community Is as opulent as one could wish, and it Is probably as fond of good plays as most Americans, or even fonder. Very likely the college has improved its taste In that partic ular. However that may be, it is clear that Northampton is not to be satisfied longer with the insipid stuff that passes for drama with the various trusts that control our theaters, and It has made up its mind to regulate its own supply hereafter. Northampton's municipal theater should not be thought of in the same light as the famous "New Theater" which made so egregious a failure in New York. " We do not understand that the Northampton citizens have set about effecting any particular reform in dramatlo art. It is not so much their purpose to elevate the standard of the staga in general as to provide themselves with good amusement and have in the town a company of com petent players who can be depended on to serve its wants. It la believed by the Northampton innovators that better acting will be attained by their players if they are permitted to take a variety of parts instead of sticking to a single one for a whole Winter, as the practice is in. the commercial theaters now and then. Besides that, the play erB, living in Northampton and not being obliged to wander up and down the earth to obtain their livelihood, will naturally develop a sane and wholesome psychology and probably mature a more desirable art than Americans are accustomed to. Cer tainly their lives will be happier than those of the peripatetic players who are usually depended upon to provide amusement ' to theater-goers- in this country. The Northampton municipal theater, as we cipher it out, has not been pur chased by the city, but rather by a band of public-spirited men who plan to run it as if it were a library. They hope to make it pay expenses, but they are not looking for profits any more than the founders of the Port land Library Association did. Prop erly regarded, a theater is much like a library. It could do for Shakes peare and Ibsen what the library does for Gibbon and Milton. That is, or ought to be, the principal difference, The old notion that a theater is a satanic institution that cannot flourish without more or less immorality is out of date. People once supposed that a successful church festival required some little Indulgence of the looser passions. Humanity is outexowing those barbaric Ideas, thone-h it doesn't grow out of them as fast as it ought. The ex ample of Northampton is proving so attractive to other Massachusetts towns that they have already begun to follow it. The Outlook article Jrom which we have gleaned this Informa tion names a number of places which have taken up the idea of a municipal theater. Companies of public-spirited citizens usually set the project going and the people show their good sense by supporting it. The whole enter prise is working out almost exactly like the public library idea, wrucn nas become so widely popular in the United States. It only awaits some Carnegie to provide buildings. We hall then behold municipal theaters opening their doors everywhere and the drama will pass on from a money making institution of questionable morals to a great means of public ed ucation and enlightened "amusement The purpose of the municipal theater will not be so much to make silly persons laugh at Idiotic Jokes and grin over lewd displays as to reinforce the influence of the home, the school and the church. The handsomest of the commanders in the Balkan war Is Prince Danllo, of Montenegro, whose moustacne is sim nlv ffuminAttne-. But according to the pictures In current periodicals, all the allies are handsome, inven me Bul garian peasant soldiers are Ideally nrnnortloned. with faces of an ethereal charm. Beauty seems to belong to the victors in modern warfare. The Turk used to be portrayed as an Apol lo in the days of his prosperity, dui now he looks more like a scarecrow. Tho nronnnal comes from the East to cut the regular police off from all Hi, Ho nortalnlncr to social Droblems. These, it is said, ought to be assigned to women officials. Surprise is ex pressed by one newspaper that men should ever have been permitted to meddle with such matters. Certainly they have made a sad mess of them. It is suggested that social problems can be turned over to women officials even in places where suffrage has not been granted. Being well acquainted with the Turks, the Balkan allies are not dis posed to help their game of procras tination by allowing them to revictual the besieged towns before peace is signed. The only way to hurry the Turk is to put his armies to flight in the open field or to starve them In beleaguered fortresses. - Newfoundland Is the graveyard of ships on, the Atlantic Coast, as Van couver Island is on the Pacific Coast. Its fogs seem to have been devised for the purpose of bewildering the mariner, that he may the more easily be cast on its bleak, rocky shores. Two thousand years ago the Romans and Carthaginians found it a toilsome voyage across the Mediterranean In their galleys propelled by oars. Now Garros flies across In a few hours. The world has made some progress since the Punic wars. Movement for elimination of the black man from the army comes with bad grace from New York. It was the black man who proceeded with the advance up San Juan after New York's white volunteers had laid down. Mary Garden knows that It pays to keep her name before the public. Hence her periodical interviews on love, marriage, diet, fashions and va ridus topics of the day. Many other Cabinets will emanate from sources exceedingly close to Wil son, but they all may be reduced to kindling wood about March 1. On this one night in the year do not turn down the needy applicant. Bet ter a dozen bums be given help than one deserving be refused. . If you have completely forgotten yourself in your plans to make others happy then you. have imbibed the proper Christmas spirit. "Watch Senator Milt Miller smile over announcement more or less defi nite of his peerless friend for Secre tary of State. - Pity the poor jobholder whom change of boss throws Into a cold world and help him into something Just as good. What' a lot of persons nobody ever heard of berore seem to be scheduled to 'become National figures early In March. Mexico is reported to be deeply un concerned over our latest protests. The time for words seems to have passed. ; The Navy deserter who insists on being locked up probably finds it tod much trouble to make a living as a civilian. - Be courteous and kind when shop ping today. It will te a tiring Christ mas eve to the girl behind the coun ter. ' The war correspondents in the Balkans may get to see a battle in the movies when they return home. If your special postman smokes, show him the error of his way by giv ing him your best brand. Anarchist tries suicide, says a head line. That's the ideal remedy for the ailment. Uncle Sam, as Chief of Police of the Americas, must tell Castro to move on. Let the Lake Geneva settlement in vest In dogs and tree the coon.- Santa, of course, will come by aero plane tonight FIRE NOT ONLY FOREST EXEMT Insect Injury- and Decay "Mnat Also Be , . Combated. PORTLAND. Dec 23. (To the Edi tor.) The probable legislative appro priation of 1100,000 for forest fire pro tection for 1913 Is admirable as a state measure to protect its timber wealth, yet it takes no cognizance of the more Invidious though less spectacular ene mies of forest societies, namely, their pathological foes. "Injury to . forest trees by Insects causes an annual loss of $100,000,000 in the United States.' (Bui. -18. Bur. Ent.. U. S. Dept. Agx 1904.) Oregon's share in this loss may be taken as the fractional part it rep resents in total board-foot measure of the Nation's timber, which simple cal culatton gives us an enormous loss of millions. Nor can we safely consider a lower estimate, for . here two of the most predaceous forms of insect enemies have a favorable habitat. Even elementary incursions among red cedar specimens will seldom fail to reveal tne aestruci iv Western cedar heartwood borer and every country schoolboy Is familiar with' the flat-headed bark borer, the larvae mines of which infest the Doug las fir. Fungi and other vegetable or ganisms are important factors in de struction. entering the cell structure throusrh the minutest wound In the epl dermal system. Conspicuous changes occur, causing profound modifications affectine the entire metabolism, 101 lowed by exhaustion, decay and death. The maxima of decomposition stim uli are represented in the foregoing characters, but senescence and natural death, phenomena hitherto ignored by plant pathologists, are important con siderations In the annual loss. Could the age be prolonged or, stated in versely, death be retarded, by giving the normal dying period an increased accentuation by the magnification of environmental aids, surmounting the mechanical difficulties of existence, or scouring the living plant serum and other media for possible bacterial de stroyers, natural death in trees might become a thing of the past. Discouraging physical difficulties confront one in experiments among conifers. Severing a cross section off a dying tree top Induces Hemorrhages, draining the cells beyond a zone where in favorabln observations could be con ducted, clogging masses of embryonic tissue and adulterating tne sap struc ture with totally foreign indicatives. Other agencies contribute detergent at tributes. Algae, mucor and forms up to the hepaticae teem with microscopic ob stacles in research work, and it ap pears that though the conifers, which should be made the first-hand subjects of investigation, but obviously cannot be so made, must be approached through more accessible channels. Some dav Burbank. Dotterlne; about his greenhouse, will discover the secret. Osmosis, transpiration, the phenomenon of hibernation, geotroplsm, dimorphism and srrowth reactions are only a tew of the subjects bearing on the matter. The state's flora, and particularly tnat flora which favors giantism and gives us an area of forest vegetation seldom surpassed, is of vital Interest to every citizen. From marine and half-aquatic plant zones to almost Ideal Alpine so cieties, we have ,a selection of mer chantable timber to be proud of. To save and conserve its use should be our first aim. These lines may make us regard the tree in a new light. It is a problem now- to prevent its de duction by fire, its natural enemies and death. C. A OLSUN. 677 East Seventy-eighth street, city, WHOLE ORDER MUST BE CHANGED Writer Can See No Easy Solution of Maid and Bachelor Problem. PORTLAND. Dec. 23. (To the Edi tor.) I have read, with much interest, many of the articles on old maids and bachelors that have appeared In The Oreeonian, but no definite conclusion has been presented as regards the so lution, of this growing perplexity. I have no plan to offer as a solution of this question, except that if it were possible to change the present order of things we might be able to solve this and some other questions, but with the present condition of society and tne ever-growing complexity of everyday life, we are compelled to accept, not that which we desire to have, but rather that which comes to us day by day. That there is considerate misunder standing on the part of society as re gards old maids and bachelors has been brought out by the various contributors on this question. To place the entire blame upon society for the existence of old maids and bachelors, or ail tne other ills of mortal man, is futile, else where does Individual responsibility come In. In order to establish the object or life, the Author of Life ordered and ar ranged all things to harmonize, even made special provision lor man in al lotting him a helpmate. If this order of things has been displaced oy a sud stitute' devised by man's mind, then defeat and ultimate ruin can only be the result. It Is to be regretted that society as sumes an attitude of excluslveness to ward those people who are, more or less, but the victims by circumstances over which they seemingly have no con trol. Let it be remembered that those selfish people who Indulge in heaping abuse upon the heads of others, often abuse those who are powerless prop erly to defend themselves. AN UnSUKVJSn. Ltvtns; Cost and Marrlaitc Question. PORTLAND. Dec. 23. (To the Edi tor.) Some one has been showing: up the oause of the high price of living. I wan to call your attention to another thing. In The Oregonian Saturday was a story from Chicago stating that the grocers had reduced the price of eggs to 22 cents a dozen. Before that they were selling them for 65 cents a dozen. Why this sudden reduction? Because the Consumers' League was preparing to sell them at 24 cents a dozen, and the retail grocers were try- ng to break up the consumers league. As has been said by others, the en tire trouble lies with the useless mid dleman, who produces nothing and yet demands more for his services than we men get who produce the stuir. w tiy do not the women of Portland and other places get together and organize Consumers' Leagues and buy their pro duce direct from the farmer, who will be glad to sell for casn at reasonable prices? This matter of reducing the high cost of living Is more important than the question of marriage, for make living reasonable and then "Old Bachelor" and "Old Maid" and "Grouchy Bach" and "Widow" and the others who have been writing on the marriage question would then consider the marriage ques tion. Let us abolish the useless middle class, and then see how prices wHl drop. T Fraud In Marriage Like Polnon. OREGON CITY, Or., Dec. 23. (To the Editor.) In a letter in The Oregonian signed "Felix" it is asserted that "mar. riasrn is a contract" and again that "the sole consideration must be unqualified. absolute love." What a reduction in the material for divorce It would be if every one contemplating marriage took this to heart and fully realized that love can only exist and remain where perfect confidence is. Marriage Is a contract ana hiding any defect by either of the contracting parties, one from the other. Is fraud fraud cannot long be kept rrom discov ery. Strychnine was never a surer de stroyer of life than Is fraud and de ception of confidence and love. This is history; this is law of morals as un changeable as nature itself. He who wilfully diBObeys this law has certain and sure misery awaiting him In the near future. A. t,. ai. AIMS OF POULTRY ASSOCIATION Skews Not for Individual Front, but to I'pbulld Industry PORTLAND, Dec. 23. (To the Edi tor.) Permit me to go on record as to the intents and purposes for which ,the Poultry and Pet Stock Association was formed. First, last and all the time, the aim and teaching has been for "better poultry and more of it." For this pur pose, and for this alone, the associa tion was founded, and not as a money- making proposition for the benefit of its stockholders. We consider tne gooa will of the breeders our best asset. without their co-operation there would be no show, depending as we do enure in n thin, avhiViitimr their SDecimem for competition. Our success is assured in proportion to their entries, dui u. iin tA tha mu no cpmpnt nf the aSSOCi tion to see that all get a square deal and fair treatment. By exhibiting, breeders get to sho ha r,iKll hnw thAlr nkill and effOr have been rewarded by a closer ap proach to perfection in their poultry. Exhibitors pay an entry fee, the prize winners taking a percentage of the fees. The public pays an admission fee in order to see the show as a whni. After All exnenses and Inci dentals are paid the surplus, If any, r funnel nn hnnri thia to DrO- vMa fnr r-nntintrenclea that may arise. At the present time new coops are badly needed, put suincient tunus urtj not handy for renewal or ail. inis ami nthAr important matters have been lioft tn ihA -hidarment of the newly- elected board or airectors, wno at. me annual meeting were chosen to pu th, ahin fnr thA HTiBulnr Tear, and wl the hearty co-operation of the breeders and confidence or tneir associates, iu ture success is assured. xtanr,rt om.reaA nr the annual meet 4n- -hnwAi a mll net balance accru ino- fpnm thA IntA Show. WhlCh. added to balance on hand from shows held in nrrrtr vanm Annmaches the sum stated In The Oregonian's published re port. To the poultry snows neid in uii .iinnrhlv asfllKted bv the press. mnot ha rivnii mnat of the credit for the awakening of the great Importance of poultry-raising as an inuusuj worthy of man's best efforts. To be a with intent in mind, is com mendable; to be an actual, successful producer is better. &u vv in j. jjauu, FAULTS OF BUYING IX QUANTITIES. Conscmer Taken Risk, and Doee Not Always Have Furcbuae I'rice. PORTLAND, Dec. 24. (To the Ed itor.) One writer has attempted to place' the blame for high cost of living upon the consumer. He insists that the householder should buy food in large quantities at a time and thus consid erably reduce living expenses. I be lieve this would be an economical plan in the case of the person who keeps a boarding-house or a hotel, where there Is always need of a large quantity of provisions, but for the average home 1 think the plan would be a total failure. Of course, during the Summer months the housewife might be able to use a 100-pound sack of sugar to good pecu niary advantage. But the question arises, would it be wise for her to lay in a large supply of flour, oereals, etc., for use during the Winter months? Un less they were kept in a storeroom or other warm, dry place there would De danger of loss by dampness, decay, or germ development. Only the other day my wife discov ered several small worms In a sack of rice that had been In the pantry but a few days. The cereal was guaranteed to be of the best quality, too. We might eat the germs that are to be found oc casionally in grain and be none the wiser, but we could not relish them when developed Into full-grown worms. Of course, the remainder of the sack had to be thrown away. Had it been a. 100-nound sack instead of a five- pound one, the loss would have been ap preciable to a lamuy or moaemio means. Then, again, when the workingman receives a salary of but 75 or $80 a month. It is often found inconvenient to pay out t5 or $6 for only one kind of food; not only Inconvenient, but in many cases Impossible when the bills for other living expenses must be met. If one who is inclined to place the blame of the high cost of living upon the consumer could assume the position of the average bread-winner I think he would soon change his ideas upon whom lies the responsibility or our present economic conditions. FALSE TEACHINGS FROM GUTTER Socialist Declares Orators bo De nounce Christianity Are Impostors. PORTLAND, Dec. 22. (To the Edi tor.) Being first a believer In Chris tianity and secondly in Socialism as the farmer's executive instrument In our political Government, I beg to offer your many readers who desire to learn of unadulterated socialism a iew suggestions: - Do not attach any Importance or give any heed to the class of pretended Socialists, some of whom have a party banner near their street rostrum, who in the least speak disparagingly of Christianity, or twist the truth about Its Institutions. The voice of one or the sewer brand came to my ears as I was on the street today and he evi denced a penchant of the same cloth as a putrid Portland paper for pro claiming that the Y. M. C. A. Know inelv and indifferently harbors and condones the depraved acts of individ uals who were trusted with the honor of membership. He stated further to to the effect that The Oregonian de fended the Y. M. C. A. in these crimes or offenses. Such a writer or speaker Is not a genuine Socialist: no more .than is an impostor in the cloak of Christianity a true disciple of unnst. in connection with the question of how to learn of true Socialism I would suggest In brief that at our Public Library, near the reference entrance, in the lobby on the second floor, Is a list of works on So cialism, most of which one may read without danger of being insulted by fits and thrusts of profanity ana in decency. The works on hand are in three classes, nonpartisan, for and against Socialism. As our women are now voters, i would also suggest that they Include some of these works in their list of studies on economic and political sub jects. , C. A. Mclitatuitis. Bourne Not Fntr Illustration. BURMA VISTA Or.. Dec. 22. (To the Editor.) Mr. Lawry aeems to overlook thA far-.t that one man has just as mucn right to his opinion as another. And as far as my being troubled with pri mary on the brain is concerned, that is only a matter of conjecture. Just to prove to Mr. Lawry that we are on the right side of the fence, we will admit that the primary is far from being perfect. But, nevertheless, we can say without fear of successful con tradiction that it is a step in tne ngni direction. Wa are nf the opinion tnat Mr. uwry is unfair when he points out Mr. Bourne aa a, fair sample of tne primary prod uct. Mr. Bourne, like many others. championed the primary juit so long ax evervthine came his way. But the very moment the people demanded a change, Mr. Bourne reoeueo. ana re fused to work in the harness he had helped to devise. If it hadn't been for the primary the chances are Mr. Bourne would have spent the remainder of his life in Washington "laboring for the people Just as many others have done. The Lay of the Last Night By Dean Collins. Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the store The late shoppers surged with a rush and a roar; i An idea caught me. I sudden bethought me Of all of 'the presents my good friends had bought me; I stood for a moment dismayed, like a dumb thing, ' . "Gee whiz! I forgot! I must go and get something!" So while in my ear thus my conscience spake loud, I plunged through the doors and was caught in the crowd. 'Twas no time to try, or size up with my eye ' The sort of the presents I wanted to buy; I fought with the crowd and held onto my hat. And roared at the clerk: "Gimme that one and that!" My collar was busted, my coat sleeve was ripped, My necktie up under my right ear was slipped, I mumbled in doubt, in the hurry and rout: "I'm in, but, Great Scott, will I ever get out?" v And while thus I pondered, dismayed and forlorn, A big, heavy gentleman trod on my corn. But still I forged on in the midst of the rush, And busted a hand-painted plate in the crush. No chance for one stopping; one must keep on shopping, While back of the counters the sales men were hopping; For Christmas eve swiftly was scoot ing away. And I must get ready for glad Christ mas day. At last, about midnight, exhausted by hurry, I sat on the curbstone and gasped, I should worry. This sort of a spree very pleasing may be For some, but for this one well, no more for me." And holding my head, which was feel ing all whirly, "Next year, believe me, I shall go shop ping early!" Portland, December 23. Half a Century Ago Prom The Oregonian of December 24, 18rt2. Headquarters of the Army of the Potomac, December 16. During last night the Army of the Potomac evacu ated its positions on the opposite side of the river. The enemy never dis covered the movement until It was too late to do us any damage. The Mountaineer says an elderly man, known as "the Old Emigrant," fmmH lirnii in thA rivfr at the foot of Court street. The Dalles, on the morning of the 21st. The City of Portland has of late been on ltB good behavior. The police say that It is impossible to find a subject for the Recorder's Court. . M.r. wk. Ollmore & Co.. suc cessors to Johnson & Perkins, on the corner of Washington and First streets, keep up the holiday practice of their predecessors by having on han-d elegant and appetizing assortment of meats, poultry and everything in their line of business. rin ntnor fi an attemnt was made to fire the buildings owned by the Puget Sound Agricultural v-ompuny in t u.-1 Pnnntv WHshine-ton Territory. The Overland Press of November 10, published at Olympia, spoke of Horace iia-,- - hafno- thA Inrendiarv. Mr. Howe In Olympia on' December 20 saw the editor of the Press, B. F. Kendall, cn .ti-iir-k him with a hazel stick. Ken dall ran across the street, Howe fol lowing. K.enOAil orew a revuivins pistol and commenced nring at nowe, the third shot striking him. Howe's recovery Is doubtful. WOMAN RULES IN INDIAN STATE The Regain of Dbopul Has Governed for Eleven 1 ears. Springfield Republican. Thara nflVA haPII 1 fW OnPOl'tU n i tie! to know something of that Interesting and unusual woman, tne Began, ui Bhopal, who has for the last 11 years ho or, oilier nf hnr country, the small State of Bhopal, in the middle of Cen tral India. rnv.A T?A-am wtttt hnrn In lflKS. find the free, independent spirit of her family is shown by tne lact mat, tnouH" '. her advent was not unwelcome. When she was 7 years old arrange ments were made for her marriage, and the boy selected for her husband was Kn..-v,t tn tha court and shared her studies. When the Begam was 15 they were married and, strangely -enough. the marriage was a nappy one. i t in hor hnrhanrt a faithful friend, and it is said that she mourned his death very deeply. In 1888 the tfegam s eiaesi uauB"i" died. She would have been her nnir. the first born, irrespective oi sex, t- ing in unopai mo ueij . In 1901 she became ruler owing to the death of her mother, and at once set about improvements and reforms in all n,.',,a,iAiii tate departments. One of the Begum's chief Interests was educa tion, particularly, too, uie cum-cn.-.. girls. She decided, therefore, to open . , . nn.,nn(illv a e-lrl'S School. The education of girls in Bhopal was chiefly limited to a study of the Koran and the rudiments of the Urdu an guage. with here and there some slight know'edge of writing learned from ..v.. oni hrnthers. But their attend ance at schools and their advincement in general knowledge was looked upon as a dangerous Innovation. Vehicles Blamed for Slow Cars. - . .i-v ra. 9.1 CTa the Editor.) I have been riding on cars in this city for over three years, and have talked with quite a number Of the trainmen, and from personal observa tion find tnat me wuiol nuuuro cars have Is wun veuicieo auu mobiles of every description, which are extra slow in giving a car the right oC way. So whose fault Is it that we do not have faster car service? It isn t the company's fault. - . , . i . .t.- aa -A-,n tf thA people 1 tllintl men. o - . assure the company that they will help maintain faster service, that much sooner will they get it. ... Also the writer who claimed mere was too much discrimination between automobiles and streetcars vo fair. What does he expect, anyway : Does a man in an auto bound for town on a morning expect as mucn the car tracks as a car ioaueo wun o work on time? Well. I guess not. and I K oil Lt 111(3 . ' -"- right-thinking man with respect for no oth ers is going to eupw-i " . ' If UTBT Wisconsin Court Recorda. nftDTTMWn Tef V 4 1 T O th Kdi" tor.) Kindly Inform mc. first, If there i. nauranunnr nnhllHhed in Flnna- more. Grant County, Wisconsin: also. second, If a person wisnea m mm uui something from the court records how proceed to do so. wouiu iney novs par. if so, who, and how much? v SUB8CiUB15R. 1. The Times (weekly) is published at Finnamore, Wis. a. Write to the county i;ierK, wnere there would be a charge for Informa tion, and if so the amount would de pend upon what the inquirer desired to know.