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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (March 13, 1914)
10 THE BIOTJXTXG OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1914. PORTLAND, OREGON. Entered at Portland. Orejon. Poatofrice as second-class matter. Subscription Ratea Invariably In Advance: BY MAIL) Dally. Sunday included, one year J8.00 Dally, Sunday Included, six months 4.25 Dally, Sunday included, three months ... 2.5 Daily, Sunday Included, one month 75 Dally, without Sunday, one year 6.00 Dally, without Sunday, six months -25 pally, without Sunday, three months ... 1.75 Daily, without Hnnriav una month ...... .60 Weekly, one year l-o cuouay, one year ................. fcunday and weekly, one year 3-0 1 (BY CARRIER) Dailv. SimHnv 1nrlMriri nr. vi- XB.00 Dally. Sunday Included, one month How to Remit Send poatofrice money or der, express order or personal check on your jvi-bj diqk. btamps. coin or currenc i Bonuere risa. uive postonice in full. Including county and state. Postage Ratea 12 to 18 pages. 1 cent; 18 to 82 pages. 2 cents; 34 to 48 pages, S cents; 60 to 60 pages. 4 cents: 62 to 76 pages, 6 cents; 78 to 82 pages, 6 cents. Foreign post. ie, aouoie rates. -atern Business Office Verree Conk Hn, New York, Brunswick building. Chi cago. Steger building. ...S?. rnclwo Office R. J. Bid well Co 742 Market street. duced exactly the effect 'they desired which was a reign of terror. A band of women who can scare the guar dians of the largest city, in the world are not ridiculous. They are a power to be reckoned with. ncy are address PORTLAND, FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 1914. PRESIDENT AND PARTY. A survey of opinions by the Ameri can press, representing all political parties, on the first year of the Wil son Administration, develops a gen eral agreement that, the President 'has made a demonstration of great (personal effectiveness in inaugurating mis domestic policies, but that the position of the United States before the world has distinctly receded as a result of his foreign policies. The one outstanding accomplish ment of President Wilson is his suc cessful party leadership. He has- de fined .and proclaimed his direct ac countability to the Democratic party and has assumed a duty to make ef fective the declared principles of his party. He is far more of a partisan as President than either Taft or Roosevelt. He has not despised the old instrumentalities of party, nor scorned to serve his party for parti san ends. He has employed the party caucus when he could to indorse and push through his measures and when he could not he has called upon the party leaders to save him. There have been no negotiations with any other party for any purpose, though there lias been In some instances a distinct effort to placate important Republi cans or Progressives. Yet it must be said that the most he has done for the Progressives is to steal their thunder. ' President Wilson appears to have proved that there is nothing, wrong with party bosses when they are party leaders and nothing wrong with party methods when they are used frankly for party ends. OPTIMISM WHERE IT IS NEEDED. The Medford Mail-Tribune Ms Democrat and an optimist. It is the former through sheer perversity and the latter through outright necessity It sees a bright future for the wool in dustry In Oregon, because a lucky grower in Umatilla County recently sold his clip at 13 jcents.'an entir- cent above last year's .sale price, and has contrived to stave off bankruptcy a little longer. "All of which shows," cries our little friend, "how much buncombe there is ki this tariff ca lamity howl." The woolgrower who can be cheer ful with raw wool at 12 or 13 cents is a wonder. But he is not cheerful. He has not been since the -free-trade agitation began, about five years since, and wool was made the sacrifl- cial lamb of the cry against the myth' ical wool trust mythical so far as the wool producer was concerned He hasn't made a dollar since that time. He has held on by his eye lashes, hoping against hope for bet ter times. He is still hoping. But his faith grows fainter, his purse poorer and the patches in his trousers larger as time rolls on and the wave of Democratic prosperity advances. If our little friend at Medford will produce an Oregon wool man who will testify that he is satisfied with a 13-cent market, or has made a dollar on raw wool for five, years, or if he can find a "consumer who will show that he has bought woolens for less as a result of the tariff, and not of some poor dealer's bankruptcy, The Oregonian will concede that the new tariff is a boon to Oregon. What does our little friend think of the Democratic times, generally? It must be very happy. PLENTY WATER, YET A SHORTAGE. Commissioner Brewster, we under stand from his letter published else where today, would narrow the water- meter controversy to a question of purchasing only 10,000 meters. There Is no -water shortage, he says, and none in prospect; the need of equaliz- ing rates by the meter system is yet to be demonstrated. His purpose in supporting the purchase of the first installment of meters is to enable the department to equalize the supply in districts where the distributing sys tem Is inadequate and to permit the metering of certain business estab lishments that use more than the do mestic consumer. Tet Mr. Daly, who is head of the water department, is committed to the universal meter system and the city budget contains an item of $250, 000 for water meters, But as a mere matter of correcting the inadequacy of distribution what assurance is there that setting of meters in the districts subject to shortage will ac complish the desired result? Remember there is no shortage in the direct source of supply. The main starts from the reservoir filled to ca pacity, but before an adequate sup ply reaches the end of the main or the higher levels the consumers at Intermediate points have used more than their share. The shortage must be due to the fact that all the con sumers along the main are attempting to use water at the same time. The meter will not cheek the flow at the water tap. If all consumers continue to turn on the sprinkling faucets at the same time the shortage at the end of the main or on the high places will continue. Convenience of the consumer re quires that sprinkling be done in the evening or in the early morning. At the same hours there is a demand for water for domestic purposes. In stallation of meters will not alter the working hours of the head of the household or change the meal time. Meters or no meters, the sprinkling will be done in the hours it is now done and the same shortage will ex ist. The engineer of the water depart ment in a statement heretofore pub lished cites the intent of Los Angeles to continue installing meters, al though a new supply of water has just been acquired. In passing it may be remarked that Los Angeles will ultimately be able to sell all the water saved at the tap to be used in Irrigation - or generation of pow-er. Portland will not. But the point we had in mind was Los Angeles' ex perience with a gas system that had Inadequate distributing mains. There was plenty of gas for every corfsumer at the initial source of supply and the supply pipe in every consumer's residence was metered, yet there was a time in Los Angeles when consum ers near the end of the main in some districts could not keep a single 'gas jet alight at certain times of day. In part of South Portland there Is today insufficient gas pressure during the time of greatest use. The' cause Is small mains. Tet every house has a gas meter. The City of Portland has a charter provision which has enabled real es tate speculators to plat an addition, lay small water mains and ultimately turn the mains over to the city at a small loss fo depreciation. The city Is- struggling with small-main water systems purchased from private own ers. Mr. Brewster mentions one in his letter. To attempt to alleviate conditions there with meters Is an extravagance, because the meters ac tually promise no relief. It is not a question of how much water the con sumer uses but a question of when he uses It If we buy meters we shall still have to enlarge the mains or regulate the hours of sprinkling by law. We can do the latter without meters. MURDER AND ' HOMICIDE. In a recent article Rev. C. F. Aked dwells with telling effect on the great number of murders in the United States and grows satirical over our preference for the euphemism "homl- fcide" over the frankly brutal Word "murder." In the year 1913, he says, there were 8992 deaths by violence in the United States, or "more than the aggregate for any ten civilized countries, exclusive of Russia, where the record is swollen by the murder of Jews." He quotes a Georgia judge as saying that there are more homi cides in that one state than in the whole British Empire, with its 400, 000,000 people. Then he adds:' "But in the British Empire some persons speak English. And they still call it murder." ' . To set against our 8992 homicides in 1913, we had 88 legal executions. London, with 7.000,000 people, had in the last year for which statistics are obtainable 23 murders. In 1909 London had 19 murders and of the murderers five comruitted suicide, four were hanged, four proved in sane, one died awaiting trial and one killed himself in jail. Louisville in one year had 47 "homicides" and not a single execution. Chicago, with 202 "hdmicides" In r. year, had but one execution. . I The facts are a sufficient answer to those who question the deterrent in fluence of capital punishment. Our repugnance to caling a spade a spade, our preference of "homicide" to "murder," goes far to explain our re luctance to inflict the death penalty and also to explain the freedom with which that penalty is inflicted by bloody-minded individuals. If we would but call a homicide a murderer and pursue him to the gallows or the electric chair, ure should have fewer murders. assiduity of his committee and ex plained its inaction "on the Cummins bill by the illness of some members and the necessary absence of others He promised an early meeting, at which the bill would be taken up. As that great apostle of white su premacy. Senator Vardaman, is member of the committee, we may look for an interesting session when the bill Is considered. The possibility that negroes voting freely at the Re publican primaries might bring into strong relief the suppression of their votes at elections cannot be pleasing to Mr. Vardaman. In a speech against the woman suffrage amendment the Senator said there "were probably 50,000 more adult male negroes than white men in Mississippi. If there were to be a full turnout of negroes at Republican primaries and - if it proved in consequence that there were more Republicans than Demo crats in that state, the fact would be very disconcerting to the Senator and his friends. The Republicans might not then submit tamely to Democratic domination through suppression of the negro vote. Mr. Wilson has not strengthened the affection of the black belt Sena tors for him by recommending Presi dential primaries, for he- has put them in an awkward predicament and has furnished their opponents with an effective weapon wherewith to plague them. If the London authorities should be frightened Into closing the museums and other public places, the suffra gettes will be greatly encouraged. They will feel that they have pro- KILI.ING THE GOOSE. Were we in a position to iffer good advice to Mrs. George Broadhurst we should urge her to pause and reflect. Her husband is a playwright and a brilliantly successful one, and she is bothering the wits out of him with court proceedings. He is the author of "The Man of the Hour," "Within the' Law," and other plays which have taken the country by storm. For the last two years they have paid him more than $100,000 a year. Unhap pily, the playwright and his wife are no longer agreeable to each other and are living apart. i It is said that Mr. Broadhurst Is consoling himself with another wom an. However that may be, his lawful wife has sued him for a separate maintenance, asking the court to as sign her ten thousand a year. Mean while she refuses to allow a divorce to be granted. Her attitude is that of the dog In the manger, which so many thoroughly good women assume when their husbands go astray. Their own lives blighted, they are deter mined to make everybody else suffer as much and as long as possible. But that is not the point we wish to em phasize just now. Mr. Broadhurst's dramatic tri umphs depend upon the exercise of his genius, which we may safely sup pose to be a delicate piece of mechan ism easily thrown out of order by un toward circumstances. His wife has dragged him into court and subjected him to endless worries. Can we be lieve that he is capable of writing an other "Within the Law" while these proceedings are wearing along? With one-half of his energies occupied in consultations with lawyers and the other half consumed in hating the woman who pursues him, the chances are that his muse has grown a little dull. We fear that Mrs. Broadhurst, good woman that she is and Intensely pious, is in a fair way to kill the goose that lays golden eggs for her. By-insisting on her ten thousand a year and driving her good man crazy she may end with nothing at all. Still there is one consolation out of it all. The lawyers will fatten in any event. NEW STORY OF PANAMA. "The Story of Panama," which has been told from one standpoint at a Congressional inquiry and from an other by President Roosevelt and those who were associated with him in obtaining the canal concession, has been related from a third standpoint by Philippe Bunau-Vr.rilla, who has been an active worker for the great enterprise for thirty years. His con nection with it began as a division en gineer in 18S5 and continued to the day in 1903 when, as Minister from the. new republic of Panama, he and Secretary Hay signed the treaty which secured the concession to the United States. In fact, Mr. Bunau-Varilla has made the Panama Canal his life passion, for he says that from his boyhood he consecrated his life to- its cause. He was educated as an engi neer with that view, became engineer in charge of the, Pacilic division, which included the Culebra cut, and at the age of 2(i was chief engineer. He devised a plan of construction which was adopted by the French company and which, he says, would have completed the canal in four ears that is, in 1892. The financial disaster which over came the company and the bad repute given it by political agitation in France, most unjustly, as Mr. Bunau Varilla contends, prevented execution of this plan. After vainly endeavor ing to revive the enterprise in France or with the aid of other European powers, Mr. Bunau-Varilla undertook to wean away American public opin ion from the Nicaragua route and ad vised the -new company to offer to sell to the United States. After much hesitation that company finally asked $40,000,000 when the Nicaragua route was about to be adopted and thus brought about a change to the Panama route. Mr. unau-Varilla, after successful wofk for a favorable vote by Con gress, aided negotiation of the Hay Herran treaty with Colombia, and, when the Colombian Congress reject ed the treaty, he engineered and financed the Panama revolution. Then, as Minister from Panama, he negotiated the canal treaty with Sec retary Hay and assured realization of his boyhood dream when he procured its ratification. The most interesting part of Mr. Bunau-Varilla's book is that relating to the Panama revolution. He tells a very different story from that brought out at the Congressional in quiry, takes to "himself the chief credit for having engineered and financed the revolt, and clears ex- President Roosevelt of having con nived at it. He says that,, after Co lombia rejected the treaty, two ways were open to friends of the canal. One was for the United States to claim the right to construct the canal under the treaty of 1846, by which the republic of New Granada guaran teed the United States "the right of way or transit across the isthmus by any mode of communication that may already exist or that may be hereafter constructed" and to seize the isthmus and proceed with the work. The other was the secession of Panama from Colombia. He quotes no less an authority than John Bassett Moore in favor of our right to resort to this ex pedient and details circumstances which led hiih to believe that Mr. Moore had so advised Mr. Roosevelt. He quotes a conversation with Dr. Amador, delegate of the Panama junta, as evidence that W. N. Crom well had encouraged the Panamani ans to expect the active aid of the United States in their proposed revo lution and had sought this aid, but had been unceremoniously turned down and had dropped Amador. His inference was that Mr. Roosevelt wished to construct the canal at Pan ama and "was thinking of coercing Colombia on the strength of the treaty of 1846," but Mr. Bunau-Varilla came to the conclusion that the theory on which this plan was based was "too abstract to appeal to a great democracy." He. therefore decided' to foment a revolution. Through Frank B. Loomis, then As sistant Secretary of State, he obtained an interview with I.lr. Roosevelt. He says the President asked what he thought would be the outcome of the situation and he replied: "Mr. Presi dent, a revolution." He continues: The features of the President manirestea profound surprise. peated canal treaty with ft and gave it Amer ican protection. Mr. Bunau-Varilla shows that, when Mr. Roosevelt said he "took" Panama, he bluntly overstated the facts. He simply took what fell into his hand without any effort of his own; he took advantage of favorable circumstances, holding that Colombia had forfeited all claim to considera tion and had removed all cause for hesitation. William Allen White, in the Em poria Gazette, makes some admissions damaging to the Progressive party cause. Evidently alluding to the great Ormsby McHarg, he says: Two years ago a distinguished dub at the head of a great movement Htartpri lot of fake contests In a Presidential race for psycnoiogicai etlect, at the beginning of the contest. When they blew up they cast doubt over the whole movement, and dts colored some pretty decent contentions. He also permits Walt Mason to say on tne editorial page that "there are more featherheads in the Progressive ranks than efer assembled under one banner since the palmy days of Popu lism." Such remarks will sow dissen sion among the "soldiers of the pub lic good" and may checTt their on ward march. 'Stars and Starmakers BY LEONE CASS BAER. One thing I know. Pm not going to wear an orange-colored ..wig next Tuesday. To eat a good dinner cooked and served, by the domestic science pupils In a village school Is a charming ex perience. It marks the distance our schools have traveled since the futile old days of "readln, ritin' and reth metic," when "jogerfy" and cube root monopolized all the energy that was not devoted to spelling and paper wads. We assisted the other day at agood dinner for six persons served as a school exercise, which cost just one dollar. Most people will be glad that C. W(. Post ' has survived the ailment that made necessary a spectacular trip from Santa Barbara to Rochester, Minn., for surgical treatment. Mr. Post is consumed with idiosyncrasies and not without reason; but he is typical example of the American businessman, once down and out, who regains fortune on sublime nerve and considerable ability. The frantic suffragette who slashed up. the Velasquez Venus in the Na tional Gallery proved how defenseless society Is against an individual who s ready to stop at nothing and take the consequences. The police are powerless against a moderately shrewd and self-possessed fanatic until the mischieT is done, and subsequent pun ishments never make good the loss. Prohibition is a worse threat than the phylloxera to California vine- growers. The pestiferous mite can be extirpated by Pasteur's process, but what sage or saint can quell the Pro hibitionists? If the war on rum leads to victory the grape men must dig up their vines unless they can enlarge the sale of unfermented juice. Let us hope they can. When the wireless telephone is per fected, that convenient art ought to become as cheap as air or pretty nearly so, . Marconi is at work on the invention with cheering prospects of success. We dare say our Govern ment is shrewd not to be in haste about buying up poles and wires for postal service. In a few years such paraphernalia may be mere rubbish. INCONSIDERATE SENATOR CUMMINS. Senator Cummins does not intend to let his Presidential primary bill rest in a committee pigeonhole, much as President Wilson's Southern fol lowers would like to smother and eternally forget it. A few days ago he recalled to the memory of Sena tors the fact that his bill was intro duced in April, 1913, but that nothing had been done with it. When he called attention to it two months ago, the chairman. Senator Kern, said the committee would consider his bill as soon as the cases of Senators-elect Lee and Glass had been disposed of, but there had been no meeting since then. He therefore moved that the committee be discharged from fur ther consideration of the bill Mr. Kern In reply descanted on the 1 recognized the new" republic, made a A revolution?" he re- mechanically. Then he turned In stinctively towards Mr. Loomis. who re mained standing, impassible, and he said In low tone, as If speaKing to nimsen: -a revolution! Would it be possible? But if it became a reality, what would become of the plan we had thought of?" Mr. Bunau-Varilla infers that this plan was seizure of the isthmus under the treaty of 1846. He gave Mr. Roosevelt his reasons for predicting a revolution and the conversation ended there. He proceeded to plot the revo lution, on the theory that the United States would prevent any fighting on the line of transit, as It did under Cleveland in 1885. On that occasion Commodore McCalla prevented Co lombian troops from landing and thereby shielded the revolutionists from attack. Mr. Roosevelt, having been warned that a revolution was at hand, abandoned his, original plan, kept warships within call, and when the revolt broke out, hurried them to the scene, prevented fighting and kept transit open by forcing the de parture of -the Colombian troops which arrived at that juncture. Co lombia having aeted In an unfriendly spirit towards the United States, he Sterilization laws fare better with sentimental legislators than with the people or the courts. Our prize Ore gon statute was rejected upon a refer endum. The New Jersey act was can celed by the courts. Now the Iowa law is on trial and its "finish"' i3 in plain sight. The time, it seems, has not yet come for sterilization laws. A case of rifles stolen from a Cali fornia militia arsenal. Time for Hearst to trot out the yellow peril. Sixty cans of opium were found in a San Francisco man's home. The records do not state, however, whether or not hewas engaged in preparing single tax literature. Alary Jiageti Baker says that a Spring bonnet is rather to be chosen than great riches tor on great riches you have to pay an income tax. Ruth Holt Boucicault has launched a novel on the American reading public. She calls it 'The Substance of His House," and reviewers say it is un skillfully handled and that Mrs. BoucU cault's emotional tendencies have com pletely run away with her in print. Mrs. Boucicault was in Portland a few months ago as a member of Margaret Anglin's company in Shakespearean comedies. One kindly critic of the book says that since the author is an actress she naturally thinks In terms of the stage, which in some measure explains the way in which her story gets away' from her and runs into various theatrical situations "which not even the glamour of calcium can make the reader accept, and which a novelist has far less chance of putting over than has the playwright." , Evelyn Nesblt Thaw, probably the most talked of woman in America, Is coming soon to the Heilig in a singing and dancing act toplining a vaude vllle bill. Oakland, Cal., theatergoers are re joicing in thie engagement of their "favorite actress" Isabella Fletcher to head Ye Liberty Stock. Miss Fletcher is to Oakland what Izetta Jewel used to be to Portland before Dorothy Shoemaker stepped into the role of favorite." Since there is absolutely- no danger of Jack London's election the advertis ing he will receive will be worth the campaign. William Faversham "has beenunable to make Shakespeare pay. His revival of "Othello" in New York was a failure. So he has gone Into vaude ville in a condensation of "The Squaw Man," with a company of ten people at a collective salary of $2500. Catherine Countiss, who was at the Orpheum here recently, met her hus band, E. D. Price, in Chicago the other iay. As he is manager for another show they had not met since last August. This is what he wired her: "Will meet you at train. Wear a bunch of violets so I will know you." e Lady Constance Richardson's husband smashed a waiter for laughing while the artist-wife's feet - were being sprayed at the end of her act. Well, you can hardly blame the hus band, since Lady Constance's feet or feats are his meal ticket. But honest now, can you blame th waiter .either? Kitty Gordon and her player asso ciates including her husband who is not a player but a sort of manager, is to leave Los Angeles next Sunday for Boston, where she will open at the new Cort Theater. Her - musical comedy bill is "Pretty Mra Smith," which has had considerable of a run in Los An geles under Oliver Morosco's direction. Margaret Illington is to play a re turn engagement of "Within the Law" at the Heilig at an early date, on her way back to Canada' from a California tour. See where married women cannot be members of the police force. Well its all the average married woman'can do to police her own flat. Frances White, who was ingenue last season with Keating and Flood, is playing in that same capacity with Rock and Fulton in "The Candy Shop" in Los Angeles at the Morosco Thea ter. ABLE PROSECUTOR, BUT HCMAXE Novitiates In Crime Treated Mercifully by George M. Brown. ROSEBURG. Or., March 10. (To the Editor.) The short sketch relating to Hon. George M. Brown in The Ore gonian March 10 relates a few facts regarding his career as District At torney for many years. A long person al acquaintance with Mr. Brown im pels me to say a few words more regarding George M. Browri, the man, and George M. Brown, the prosecutor. Many times I have sat in court and marvelled at his eloquence and master ly skill in the piecing otthe evidence together, bit by bit. until all was com plete, while the defendants sat and flinched as their crimes were laid bare by a master mind. There were cases of cold-blooded crimes by hardened criminals, but there is another side showing Cieorge M. Brown, the friend to the unfortunate; where he has gotten up in court and asked mercy for some poor, misguided first crime man. and has grasped the friendless one's hand, cheered him up and sent him forth a free man, to breast the stream of life again, with out the felon's taint to retard him. On many farms and in hundreds of homes in Southern Oregon the name of George M. Brown is well and fa vorably known. His friends are le gion. He Is a native son, an honest man, a friend to the friendless and an attorney who has no peer as a prose cutor and has no .equal before the bar of this Coast in his profound knowl edge of the law. George M. Brown fears no influence in the prosecution of the liquor laws. and in his legal fights before the bar of justice for the people whom he rep resents. There is no poor man or la boring man in all Southern Oregon who ever asked George M. Brown for mercy in court or a favor elsewhere but It was granted if within reason and his power to do so. To him the wealthy are poor and the poor wealthy. His life has been an open book all the years he has been a prosecutor in aoutnern uregon ana tne pages are pages of able prosecution of criminals for the benefit of good citizens with out malice towards mankind and with out fear or favor of any one. F. M. M Twenty-five Years Ago Secretary Bryan, it Is reported, sup ports Governor West in his theory that the way to use the militia is to order them to close he saloons.. It is at least interesting to discover that Secretary Bryan has found something for the Army to do. Governor Johnson suggests "clean-up week." There are those, no doubt, who will insist that the activi ties should be centered on the John son administration. , ' Portland pulls off a million-dollar fire before breakfast and attends to business all day. Portland Is neither spectacular nor hysterical. Portland Colts get a deaf and dumb pitcher. How on earth will he know what we're thinking on his "off days" ? It took fifty French Judges, eight years to decide a case involving 25 cents. We'd hate to have a couple of dollars involved there. The strange thing" about it is that the rich -young man who was sen tenced to the rockpile for speeding Is actually doing time. Baker plans a special tax levy for an annual fourth or July celebra tion. Patriotism is not dead everywhere. Washington is still hopeful' that Carranza will recede from his bellig erent altitude. Also that Huerta will resign. A railroad paid an enforced rebate of $175.20 in four belated install ments. Parting is such sweet sorrow. Chicago men have traded a sky scraper for Oregon land. Shrewd traders, those Chicagoans. Soon the charge of the eleventh hour brigade will be staged at the registration office. Coal in Alaska costs $57.80 a ton. That does not include safety deposit vault charges. We still are able to get an occa cional shower to refresh the lawns and flowers. "" And now even liver is too high for the liver to live on in San Francisco. There are great possibilities in a fire sale on grain. (By all means give something for the Rose Festival. Sunny Oregon, of cQurse, saw the eclipse. " Edward C. Woodruff, of the Baker Stock, says his idea of a joke is not the report he read in an evening paper's society column that he and "Mrs. Woodruff" were among somebody's guests. There isn't any Mrs. E. C. W. you see. - The height or depth of vulgarity has been reached apparently in Mrs. Minnie Bond's vaudeville offers. A Kansas City "backer" plans to have Mrs. Minnie appear in a sketch on the order of her allegations against Sena tor Gore. Mary Elizabeth, who writes it simply that way with no surname and comes over the Orpheum circuit every once in awhile, has annexed a name to take the place of the blankness. Mary Elizabeth is now Mrs. Ralph Davis, of Memphis, Tenn. Bryan Lee and Barney O'Neill are having a polite row in the pages of Variety, each claiming" rights to be billed as the "Chauncey Olcott of vaude ville." They have rowed back and forth over several editions of the paper and now the original Chauncey has taken a hand in the discussion. He says: "In reference to the two gentlemen, who claim the billing of "The Chaun cey Olcott of vaudeville," after having them both sing, I've almost decided to change my name." Herbert Kelcey and Effie Shannon are playing a brief engagement at the Alcazar in San Francisco. "Peg o' My Heart" with Peggy O'Neill, a San Francisco actress In the title role, is headed Heilig: way. J. Hartley Manners wote it for his wife Lauretta Taylor.. Henrietta Crosman is bringing to this city her entire New York cast and production of "The Tongues of Men." This is the play from the pen of Edwards Childs Carpenter, which had a splendid run at the Harris Thea ter, New Yorti. HOISES ARK BUILT TOO LARGE Leas Indoor Work and More Gardening Would Reduce Living Post. NEWBEKG, Or" March 11. (To th Editor.) Some of the causes for th high cost of living could be avoided If people would quit building larg houses. I was just taking a look ove this little town of about 3000 inhabi tants and most of the houses are nicely duiii ana nave irom six to ten room and are mostly nicely furnished and nave Irom two to three people livin In them. Now these people don't need these big houses. They would be much more comfortable in smaller houses and it would lessen the work of the women and they would have more time and could put in that time in the garden and raise a few fresh ve; tables. It don t take a very larsre nlace to raise gar-aen truck enoueh for a small family. I for one don't think it hurts woman to work and helrj alone- little especially when she hrs no small children. If they would work in the ooen air Dotn tne women and children would sleep better and have good appetites. Another thing that would lessen the high cost of living would be keeping lew hens. There is hardly a home that hasn't room enough some place in the yard for a henhouse that would hold at least six hens and room enough to plant something green for them to eat. or course they have to be at tended, to right or they will not do welL One can raise sunflower seed. Sunflowers don't take up much room and look better than weeds. Kale, cabbage and lettuce are good. Some thing like this might keep some of the girls and the boys off the streets. Nowadays most people seem to think the boys and girls must put in all their time at school and some of them when they get through school don't have anything but book learning. They hike off and get. married and lay their book learning on the shelf. Many of the girls are afraid to soil their hands to help make a living. Often idleness is the cause of domestic trouble. If people keep busy they are more apt to Keep nappy. SUBSCRIBER. ELIMINATION IS BEST FOR ALL Grrek. Thinks Countrymen Would be Better Off Without Coffec-Houses. PORTLAND, March 11. (To the Edi- tor.) In conjunction with the other places of public nuisance, the so-called Greek "coffee-houses" have been offer- ng their share of trouble. Beins a Greek myself, I believe that I am qualified to say a word concerning these places whose maintenance, to my regret, is still tolerated by some of my countrymen. in conee-nouses recently were suspected as being used for gambling. and raids proved the suspicions to be true. Later the coffee-house" keep ers were arrested and fined for em ploying girls under age as waitresses. Certainly no better results could be expected from places of this kind. Their origin is Turkish. They have a tendency to deteriorate the working men. especially the idle who spend their time in the "coffee-house" and do not look for work. Once the "coffee-house is eliminated doubtless the Greek will patronize the Public Library, the night school, the museum and the theater. He will spend less money and improve his intellect, which will tend to make him a good citizen. My opinion is that the frequent raids of the police and the periodical fines imposed upon the "coffee-house" keeper, will not have any substantial effect leading to the abandonment of his business. He can always pay the fine for he relies upon the profitableness of his business. Therefore it depends upon the authorities to rid our hosts, the Americans, as well as the Greeks, from this inexcusable nuisance by having the license of the "coffee-house" withdrawn. C. PSYCHOM. From The Oregonian of March 13. 1SS9. Washington, Match 2 The Presi dent has sent to the Senate the nomi nation of Cornelius H. Hanford to be Chief Justice of the Territory of Wash ington. New York. March 12. The final ex periments on dogs, calves and horses were made this afternoon by the New York state authorities to satisfy them selves as to the best means of execu ting condemned criminals by elec tricity. Salem, March 12. The Governor, to day appointed the officers of the new county of Harney with the countv seat at Harney City, as follows: W. E. Grace. Clerk; A. A. Cowing. Sheriff. T. J. Shields, County Judge: J. T. Mor rison and T. B. James, Commissioners: William Harvey. Assessor; L. B. Bar ber, Superintendent of Schools; W. R. Gradon. Surveyor and V. J. Miller! Treasurer. Spokane Falls, March 12. A large force of men are at work in the ex cavation for a new brick building by L. B. Whitten and others. Opposite tho Review office, on Howard street. It will be 50x90 feet and three stories high with a basement. S. C. Hyde ami others have purchased the corner ad poining for $16,500 and are having plans made for a handsome building. The directors of the North Pacifiu Industrial Association last evening in dorsed the contracts made by the ex ecutive committee for music, . etc. Standing committees were appointed by the president. A. H. Breyman has just returned from Seattle, where he consummated the sale of between $50,000 and $60. 000 worth of cattle. Mr. Rankin, of Fairview, has juwt completed the new butter factory. He will put the milk into the machine and It will come out butter. William Sherlock is president and Martin Winch vice-preshJent of the Swan Island Real Estate Association, which recently purchased Swan Island for $90,000. John Kiernan bought Ross Island for $10,000 and now asks $150, 000 for it. Postmaster Roby yesterday received a dispatch from D. H. Gumm, postmas ter at Castle Rock, W. T., informing him that the mall carrier between Cas tle Rock and Seattle was robbed yes terday by masked men. W. S. Werschkul will give a concert at the Y. M. C. A. hall tonight. Amon? the soloists will be Mrs. D. Goodsell, Mrs. D. E. Mitchell. Mrs. Wetzell. Mrs. J. A. Childs, Mrs. H. R. Duniway and Mrs. C. W. Beers. Articles incorporating the Sellwood Ferry Company were filed yesterday by M. G. Morgan, J. E. Caden, F. R. Lyon. F. C. Briggs, H. Clark. J. . Hor ner. S. H. Eenn. George Rich. David Penny, G. L. Read and J. A. McNeill. The differences between the O. R. & N. Company and the employes of its river division were all amicably ar ranged yesterday. Ellensburg, March 12. Colonel A. N. Hamilton, editor of the Ellensburg Capital, is still enthusiastic in the be lief that Ellensburg should be made the capital of the new state. Chief of Police Parrish recommends the installation .of a police telegraph alarm system. The old wooden house which has stood for so many years on the cornoj of Fourth and Morrison streets . will soon be "on the wing." Wilson Benefiel has received the ap pointment of sexton of Lone Fir Cem etery. In the United States District Court yesterday. Mrs. Bridget Grant, John Grant, Mrs. Mary McCormiek and Law rence Sullivan were arraigned on charges of obstructing the due admin istration of justice by advising a wit ness not to obey a subpena. Saloons and Schoolhouses. PORTLAND. March 12. (To the Edi tor.) Is there an ordinance or law in this city or state limiting the number of feet a saloon should be from a pub lic school? If so, how many feet is a saloon required to be from the school? OLD SUBSCRIBER. There is a city ordinance and a state law prohibiting any saloon within 400 feet of any block on which a public schoolhouse Is located, the 400 feet to be measured by street lines. What Is the Age of Discretion f Philadelphia Record. Sillicus What is the age of discre tion? Cynicus There isn't any. I know a man over 70 who married his fourth wife the other day. Mayor Must Be Citizen. HOLLEY. Or., March 10. (To the Editor.) What was Judge Kelly's rea son for his decision in the Woodburn Mayorality contest? SUBSCRIBER . The only question presented to Cir cuit Judge Kelly in the Woodburn Mayorality case was whether Mr. Lon don was a citizen of the United States, which was decided in the negative. The charter of the town of Woodburn provides in effect, writes Judge Kelly, that only citizens of the United States are eligible to hold the office of Mayor. Mr. Landon testified that he was born in Canada, and had never declared his intention to become a citizen of the United States nor applied for or re ceived ..any order from any court de claring him to be such a citizen. His father was a native citizen of Canada, who came to the United States while Mr. Landon was about 3 years of age and declared his intention to become a citizen. But -no record was disclosed of the issuanee or entering of any final order of his admission to citizenship or of any application therefor on the part of Mr. Landon, Sr Poem Identified. CORVALLIS. Or.. March 11. The poem for which J. H. Bristow. M. t., asks in The Morning Oregonian March 9 is "Keramos," by Henry W. Long fellow, the title being Greek for pot ters' clay. MRS. E. F. AYRES. Catching Elk for Portland's Zoo A new herd arrived a short time aao and is now at home in the City Park. ' The story of how these animals were rounded up anc tamed is an unusual one. It occu pies a full patre, illustrated with splendid photos and diagrams. Why Is a Mode? . The inner facts about the origin of fashions. Starting a style is as difficult as cranking up a rusty motor. It must be turned often arid coaxed along before it will go, Dreams it Thev are the echoes of a pre historic past, says a German psychologist, who has a new and most interesting theory about the origin of nocturnal visions. Pen Pointers Another page of character read ings, by Edith Maeombcr Hall drawn from handwriting specimens submitted by readers of The Ore-, gonian. A Breeder of War It is only a mild-appearing little "plant, but it has fire in its vines, and it reajly has much to do with the present state ot chaos in Mexico. Taming Wilhelw They've shorn the Gennon Em peror of most of his power and left him helpless. Just how this was done is described by a Berlin correspondent of The Oregonian. St. Patrick's Fold Interesting facts and figures about the Irishman in America. An appropriate St. Patrick's day fea ture in colors. The Labor Question It is discussed by Theodore Roosevelt in chapter 52 of his autobiography. "Motor Goose" Puhymes An illustrated feature for the children, together with a half page of stories and pictures for the little ones. FICTION FEATURES The Prince of Graustark Sec ond installment of George Barr McCutcbeon's story of love and adventure. Together A domestic comedy, bv Thomas L. Masson. Many Other Features Order early of your newsdealer.