West
Side
Enterprise
;VKNTH YKAU. INDKl'KNDKXUK, l'OLK COUNTY, OKKGON, MAUCII 10, 1901.
OL,K COUNTY BANK
Incorporated.
;MOUTIi,
IT IIAWIKY. I'. L. CAMPHKI.L,
. fiiiient. Vice President.
Iiu C. Poww.i., Canhicr.
ri ciii oo.ooo
DtB.. TOH-1-J. It. Hewley. I'. L. CamuMI. I. M. Simpson, J. B. V.
X-.'. t, John It. Hiump, J. A. Withrow, F. H. Powell.
Transacts General Bankl. snd Exchange business. Drafts sold
y allable throughout tlio Unitd HUlea td Canada.
THE INDEPENDENCE NATIONAL BANK
OAI'TtXx, BTOOK, S5O.000.0O.
HIRHIIIiKKU, ITd,t AURAM NKIJKW. Vic. I.ldo.
0. W. 1 UVIN K, Cashier.
.OIRECT0UH.-II. lll-"lCw77."Kri.ith. J. P. ''" nd
subject Utchwa.
DRINK SALEM BEER
A HOME BEVERAGE.
Made of
HOME GROWN HOPS
SPECIAL DREW
FOR FAMILY USE,
IT BEATS THE DUTCH
Josse & Bice,
UNDERTAKERS
Fino Parlors in connection. Day or night
calls promptly attended to. ,
Day phono 2T3 Night 393
Main St, Independence, Ore1
W. I HICK, Bmbalmer and Funeral Director.
THE? MONMOUTH LAUNDRY
H. D. WHITMAN, Proprlttor
A Home Industry Institutions
GOOD WORK, PROMPT DELIVERY
OUR WATCHWORDS
. Work Called for Tuesday Delivered Saturday
LIVERY, FEED AND 'BOARDING STABLE
I. W. DICKINSON, Prop.
Good Kigs for Commercial Men a Specialty.
Good accommodations. Horses well fed. Fino
i rigs. Horses boarded by day, week or month. .
Telephone JVo. Stt.'l
IT MAKES A MAN
KIEL UNCOMFORTABLE
i
To have hi collar ami cnffit how
raw edue, anil look like candidates for
retirement, instead of freMli jfrrtdimtei
from the liuindry. What we can't make
raw mlelit a well he thrown away.
It's like a patient too far none lor the
Victor. Hpotlcm linen i an indinn
4 ble dress factor which you must have
l A to be anionic the out.
akia Steam Eaundry,
Orders left at Kntch'i Barter Shop
will receive Prompt Attention.
ONE 411 230 LIBERTY ST.
OREGON
ImU'itcnttenrr, Oregon
.". V,! -r
, s -1 ':VaKV
- v- v t'S . u-
OX
f
A DYNAMITE
WITH FATAL RESULTS
Curtis Baker arid Gilbert McCabe Blown
Into Eternity While Thawing Out Dy
namite on the John Burton Hop
Ranch Saturday Morning
PolK County Hills Shaken Up and People
for Miles Around Aroused by
the Terrible Concussion
Teiribly torn nd mangled, and
blown into eternity U the fate met
by Curtis Baker and Gilbert Mc
Cabe while thawing out dynamite
on John Burton' hop ranch Fri
day morning, three quarter! of a
mile iiorth of Independence.
There was as explosion of 125
pounds of dynamite and 100 dyna
mite cans that caused a tremor ot
the Willamette river and shaking
of I'olk county hills that aroused
people for miles around.
The explosion took place while
the victims were thawing out dyna
mite preparatory to blastiog out
slumps. A small furnace had been
built by the side of a pig pen about
fifty yards from a tenant house In
which lived Arthur Baker, brother
of one of the victims. The pig sty
was blown from the face of the
earth, a great hple was torn in the
ground, and the bodies of Baker
and McCabe, terribly mutilated,
were blown nearly one hundred
feet away. Their legs from the
knees down were torn off and
bodies otherwise mangled. Baker's
eyeu being tor a out and a hole
made in his side would indicate he
was bending over the deadly dyna
mite whec the explosion took place.
The bodies were stripped of cloth
ing, shreds of which were found in
various directions. One shoeless
foot was found 100 yards from the
bodies and other pieces of flesh and
bone were scattered over the prem
ises. An inexplainable circumstance
in connection with the disaster is
the fact that neither of the pigs
in the sty were killed. One was
left blinded but that is the only
evidence left of injury to either,
though the furnace was up against
the sty which was shattered into
fine kindling wood and distributed
over acres of ground.
George Winkler's escape also is
little short of the miraculous.
Winkler had just driven a team
into a hop-house only loO feet
away. Outtmle the hop-house and
between it and the furnace, a horse.
hitched to a buggy was tied The
building seemed to be in direct
line with the full force of the
shock, and shingles were lifted
from the roof and plastering sha
ken from walls and ceiling but
Winkler and the horses escaped
unhurt.
A teaant house fifty yards away
in which lived the family of
Arthur Baker, brother of one of the
victims, was occupied at the time
bv Mrs. Baker and her baby and
uelther received injuries beyond a
severe shock though the window
panes were broken out and furni
ture tumbled down.
The bodies of the unfortunate
victims were sent toward the river
EXPLOSION
in divergent directions. Tracks of
blood and shreds of clothing along
the course of the bodies are evi
dence that they were forced along
on the surface of the ground ratber
than lifted in the air.
It was mere chance that Willie
Woods, another boy working for
Mr. Burton, was not with Curtis
Baker and Gilbert McCabe when
the disaster occurred. With Mr.
Burton he was working in the
brush a few hundred yards away
and had in mind to go with George
Winkler to the hop-house with a
load of wood a few minutes before
but upoa asking; Mr. Burton what
to do next, was directed to remain
with him.
Scarcely fifteen minutes before
the explosion C. M. Baker, a broth
er of Curtis, passed by where they
were thawing out the dynamite,
The brother observed Curtis open
ing caps and placing them in his
vest pocket and Curtis was warned
by his brother to exercise care in
handling the dangerous explosives,
These words of warning were the
last words spoken to Curtis and it
was the last time he was seen alive.
The probabilities are the terrific
explosion was caused by dropping
of a cap into the fire while bend
ing over the furnace. It was not
caused by striking the dynamite
box with an axe to open it as first
reported as Mrs. Baker had ob
served the boys open the box
earlier.
Gilbert McCabe was not working
as a hand but merely visiting with
his friend, Curtis Baker. He had
stayed with Curtis the night before
at Mr. Burton's home and walked
down on the ranch to see stumps
blasted out.
The disastrous explosion occur
red shortly after 8 o'clock Friday
morning and the concussion was
felt by all Independence and for
many miles away. The Polk coun
ty bills quaked in their place as
though an earthquake was on and
the shock was plainly felt across
the river on the Marion county
side. The greater force of the
shock seemed to extend in a north
western and south-eastern direction.
At Perrydale, thirteen miles to
the northwest, the neighborhood
was aroused and Ed Richmond
rode into Independence to learn of
the results. Houses were shaken
in Dallas and telephone messages
were coming in from that point a
few minutes after the occurrence,
making inquiry into the cause. At
McCoy, 18 miles to the northwest,
spools of thread were shaken from
the mantel. At Derry, nearly six
miles northwest, window panes
were broken out. "There has been
a surface explosion somewhere" re
marked George Harris, an old
miner who was shaken up at his
home 5 miles north, h. M. Young
Dlainlv felt the shock as he was
driying past Ab Weal's residence
on the Ilayden place, four miles
north. "Are you trying Id im
us?" asked Mr. West m he aod bin
family came to the door to inquire
into the cause of the disturbance,
as Mr. Young passed. Steve Coop
er, sitting by the stove at bis home
four miles north, reports that bis
bouse fairly reeled. Very few felt
the shock at Monmouth, three
miles west, but at Salem, eleven
miles north sod across the river, it
was plainly felt.
Rickreall people, six miles to the
northwest received a eenerall shak
ing up and many from that vicini
ty came into town immediately
afterward.
Curtis Baker was twenty-one
years and six months old. He was
a son of M. A. Baker, an old soldier
who recently entered the Boldiers
home at Itoseburg. He leaves four
brothers and two sisters. Curtis
Baker was w ell known and repect-
ed here where he has lived for a
number of vears. He was ac
customed to handling dynamite
and bad offned been cautioned as
to its dangers. He seemed to be
aware of the responsibilities of one
entrusted with explosives and
often explained under what con
ditions only he considered the
thawing out or handling of dyna
mite dangerous. A brother of
Curtis Baker was killed by a
maniac at Oregon City two years
ago.
Gilbert McCabe was 17 yearsold.
His father was found dead, pro
bably of heart disease, in the hay
loft, about a year ago. The father
was owner of the Independence
tile factory and also of a 10-acre
prune orchard near towu which
were left to the boy. His mother
lives in New York and upon re
ceiving notification wired that she
would like to be here but could
not.
The funeral services were held
from the Presbyterian church Sun
day afternoon and the remains
were buried immediately after
wards in the Odd Fellows ceme
tery. The church was crowded to
overflowing during the ceremonies
which were very impressiye. The
services were conducted by Dr. E.
J. Thompson, of the Presbyterian
church, assisted by Rev. Edmond
son, of the Methodist church.
CANDIDATES NAMED.
The Prohibition Mass Conven
tion Pnts Outs Full Couty
Ticket In Polk.
Dallas Ore., Mar. 5, '04 Polk
County Prohibitionists met in mass
convention here today. County
chairman Coff was elected tempor
ary chairman and Prof. Forbes of
Monmouth secretary. Resolutions
urging the enactmant of the local
option liquor law were adopted.
W. P. Miller ot Dallas was chosen
chairman of the County Prohibi
tion Committee. Delegates to the
dietriot aud state conventions were
appointed aud a full county ticket
put in the field: The following
were mominated:
State Senator, Prof. D. M. Metzger,
Dallas College.
State Representative, J. R. Fawks,
Oak Grove.
County Judiie. J. R. Shepard,
Tena.
County Clerk, 0. S. Clark,
Dallas.
County Treasurer, J. Rodabarger,
Falls Citv.
Co. Supt. Schools, Prof. G.A Forbes,
State riorum Monmoutn.
County Assessor, A. N. Poole,
Monmouth
Co. Commissioner, T. J. Pettit,
Monmouth.
County Surveyor, Wm. Lee,
Bridgeport
NUMBER 15
RANDOM SHOTS
Snap-St)ot Interview Taken of
Ben Hayden as he Passed
Through Town
Saturday
TOUCHED RIGHT AND LEFT
Respects to Scott, Boise and Myers.
Governor Erred. - County
Judgeship. District
Attorney
There was no use in sending
Harvey Scott, Whitney Boise and
Jeff Myers back to Washington to
get a Lewis and Clark fair appro
priation. Scott s a smart man but
Myers and Boise are not St to go
back there. It's a useless expense
on the people. Neither Myers nor
Boise could make a speech before
the senate. It's merely a kind of
admiration society. Myers nomi
nates Scott for vice president and
Myers is mentioned for something.
Governor Chamberlain is a big
ger fool than I thought he was.
else he would not have answered a
letter from Woods. Woods was
never in the Indian war. Cham
berlain told me more than a year
ago that Woods was the d nest
rascal in Portland. It was no in
formation to me. I knew it and
now Chamberlain has gone and
answered him through the press.
That's just what Woods wanted.
A county judge should know
something. County judge is moro
important than circuit judge. Es
tates go through their hands. They
appoint guardians and dispose of
wards estates. I'd rather have a
fool on the circuit bench than on
county judge bench. Last year I
paid $300 taxes and have to pay
the same this year. It's an out
rage. I got just as good protection
in '62 when the tax rate was 5
mills. It's time to elect a good
man. . It's all a farce to give com
missioners $600 a year to ride
around in buggies. There's been a
good deal of work done between
Dallas and Salem and there's been
lots of idleness while working the
road. It's a bad law putting
money in the hands of a court to
distribute where it sees fit. It's a
needless expense for it costs to col
lect and distribute again. Better
let men work out their tax.
The district attorney's oflice is
the best in the state for the amount
of labor required. One term is
enough for any man. Hart is
very clever but he's a school
teacher, not a lawyer. I say, Hart's
a school teacher, net a lawyer.
Edward Kosendorf Dead.
Edward Rosendorf died at 2:30
o'clock Sunday afternoon in Phila
delphia where he was attending
medical school. His mother Mrs.
Rosendorf, formerly of this placo
but now of Corvallis, was on the
way to his bedside when his death
occurred. The remains will be
brought baek to Oregon.
Dallas vs Willamette.
The Dallas college team defeated
the Willamettes at a game of
basket ball, Tuesday evening by a
score of 4 to 16. The Willamettea
were the heavier but deficient in
catching the ball and in landing
it in the basket. The Dallas team
excels the Willamette in dexterity
of action as it does most team
with which it has met.