OREGON STATE ITEMS OF INTEREST
ERRORS IN STATE CENSUS.
Careless Work by Enumerators Evi
dent From Returns.
Salem That some very careless work
has been done in taking the Btate cen-
sub Is evident from the returns thus far
received by Secretary of State Dunbar
from county clerks. Only a few coun
ties have sent in their census returns,
but if the reports from those few are a
fair sample of what the whole will be,
it may safely be said that the census
will be very unsatisfactory. Not only
are there many glaring errors in minor
details, but the totals show that in the
enumeration of population thorough
work has not been done.
The returns from Klamath county,
lor Instance, will scarcely be pleasing
to the people of that growing section of
the state. The footings of the column
devoted to population show that Kla
math has now 3,830 inhabitants, while
the Federal census of five years ago dis
closed a population of 3,970, or 134
more. Only seven Indians are report
ed as residing in Klamath county, ac-
cording to the state census, taken by
the assessor, while the Federal census
contained the (information that Kla
math had 1,130 Indians. Of the 3,830
Inhabitants reported in 1905 by the as
sessor, 2,220 are males and 1,010 are
females. There are' 1,337 legal voters
and 1,047 men liable for military duty.
The Klamath county returns also fail
to show the population of the incorpor
ated cities, an item of information al
ways desired. Among the minor errors
are such as might be due to clerical
mistakes, such as classing a woman or
a minor as liable to military duty.
Errors of this . kind were apparently
due to making a mark inadvertently in
the wrong column, and such errors
make no material differences in the
total. The most important matter is
that of securing a .full enumeration,
and it is doubtful whether the people
of Klamath county will want to have the
records show a decrease in population
in the last five years.
Run Night and Day.
Eugene R. A. Booth, manager of
the Booth-Kelly Lumber company,
makes the announcement that the com
pany's big mill at Springfield will, as
soon as enough men can be secured, be
gin to run at night, thus doubling the
present capacity of the plant. It is
i said that the company's mill at Wend
ling, which has been idle ever since
the great shortage of cars on the South
ern Pacific railroad seven years ago
caused it to be shut down, will resume
operations in a short time. The mat
ter of a small difference in freight rates
on the Mohawk branch is said to be all
that prevents the immediate resump
tion of operations at Wendling.
No Timber Has Been Burned.
Tillamook The recent soaking rain
was timely. All fear of forest fires this
year has been allayed, for the timber
in the mountains had a thorough soak
ing, as well as the meadows, which
will help fall pasture. The rain also
put out the fires of the settlers who are
clearing up and burning brush. Most
all the settlers have been engaged in
clearing up land more or leas this sum
mer, and County Clerk G. B.Lamb has
issued 5,850 fire permits. Settlers
have used great care' in not allowing
the fires to get away from them, and as
a result not a stick of timber has been
damaged this year by forest fires.
Cement Right at Hand.)
Klamath Falls After a thorough
search and much experimenting, the
government experts have discovered a
formation here for the manufacture of
Portland cement. The exact location
of this formation is kept as a close
eecret so far, but those connected with
the government work here say the
samples have stood the test and a plant
will be put in here to manfuacture the
cement. Samples of the formation
were sent to the government mill at
Boosevelt, Ariz., where a small bri
quette was made.
Hop Yield Good.
Grants Pass Reports from the hop
. fields of Josephine 'county along the
Rogue and Applegate rivers state that
the output will be up to standard, both
in quantity and quality. The hops
are firm, well filled and free of lice.
The hot summer was f a benefit more
than a detriment, as the pests were
destroyed by the heat. Nearly all of
the larger yards are irrigated, and
damage by drouth was thus obviated.
Several hundred persons are employed
in and about the Ranzau yards.
Say Fish Are Destroyed.
Pendleton No fish and game warden
has yet been appointed for this dis
trict, and many'violations of the laws
are reported. The Northwestern Gas
& Electric comapny, which is taking
water from the Walla Walla river
i through a large pipe in Umatilla county,
is said not to have provided a screen
for the intake, and as a result many
fish are claimed to be drawn through
the pipe and destroyed.
PRUNES ALL SOLD.
Willamette Valley Growers Get Good
Prices for Their Crop.
' Salem Practically all the prunes
grown this year in the territory tribu
tary to Salem have already been con
tracted or sold outright, at prices very
satisfactory to growers. The tasis
price generally paid has been 2 cents,
though a premium of M cent was paid
on the largest size. i
As a rule, the Italian prunes average
in the 40-50 size, thus giving the grow
er A cents a pound, or a fraction
better, for his entire crop. There are a
few orchards that have yielded prunes
that will average 30-40 to the pounds
thus giving the grower 5 cents a pound
f or his entire crop.
Petite prunes in this vicinity gener
ally average in the 50-00 size, making
the average price for that variety 3
cents a pound. Since the bulk of the
crop was marketed, prices have stiffen
ed a little, and orders have been re
ceived here at a basis of 2 cents and
even 3 cents.
Manager U.S. Gile, of the Wil
lamette Valley Prune association, esti
mates the prune crop triubtary to Salem
at 75 carloads, or 3,000,000 pounds.
Of this, 000,000 pounds are Petites and
the remainder Italians. The prune
crop of this vicinity will therefore yield,
in the neighborhood of $125,000. The'
yield is only about one-third of a norm
al crop. .
The stockholders of the Willamette
Valley Prune association held an ad
journed session of the annual meeting
last week and received the manager's
report for 1903 and 1904. The report
shows, among other things, that in the
last two years the association handled
6,000,000 pounds of prunes. A stock
holders' dividend of 10 per cent was
ordered.
Hop Pickers Are Scarce.
Salem "Short of pickers," is the
cry that is going up from nearly every
hopyard in Marion county. Nearly
every imporatnt yard in this vicinity is
short from 10 to 200 pickers, and all
efforts to fill the deficiencies have been
in vain. As an inducement for more
people to go to the hopyards, some of
the growers have raised the price paid
from (1 to $1.10 a hundred pounds, or
55 cents a box. The rains of last week
discouraged many pickers already in
the field, and wagon loads of families
and camping outfits have come back to
town.
" May Go Into Bankruptcy.
Pendleton The announcement has
been made here that proceedings will
soon be taken in the Federal court of
this district to throw the Pendleton
Woolen millB into bankruptcy. The
suit is being brought by H. C. Judd &
Root, of Hartford, Conn., which holds
a claim for $1,500 against the company.
For some time past it has been known
here that the affairs of the company
were in poor shape owing, to a heavy
indebtedness, and not long ago an at
tachment was filed against the mill by
the Baker-Boyer bank, of Walla Walla.
PORTLAND MARKETS.
Oats No. 1 white feed, $2324;
gray, $22 per ton.
Wheat Club, 71c per bushel;
bluestem, 74c j valley, 71.
Barley Feed, $20 per ton; brewing,
$21; rolled, $2223.
Rye $1.30 per cental.-
Hay Eastern Oregon timothy, $14
15 per ton; valley timothy, $1112;
clover, $89; grain hay, $89.
Fruits Apples, $11.50 per box;
peaches, 7585c per crate; plums,
5075c; cantaloupes, 50c$1.25 ; pears,
$11.25 per b-x; watermelons, lc
per pound; crabapples, $1 per box;
blackberries, $2 per crate; huckleber
ries, 8c per pound.
Vegetables Beans, l4c per pound;
pabbage,'llJic; cauliflower, 7590c
per dozen; celerv, 75 90c; corn, 8
9c; cucumbers, 1015c; pumpkins,
lKlcper pound; tomatoes, 25
30c per crate; squash, 5c per pound;
turnips, $1.251.40 per sack; carrots,
$1.251.50; beets, $11.25.
Onion Oregon, 90c$l per sack;
Globe, 75c.
Potatoes Oregon extra fancy, 65
75c per sack.
Butter Fancy creamery, 25 30c per
pound.
Eggs Oregon ranch, 2627c per
dozen.
Poultry Average old hens, 13
14c per pound; mixed chickens, 13
I3c; old roosters, 910c; young
roosters, ll12c; springs, 1315c;
dressed chickens, 14c; turkeys, live,
2021c; geese, live, 89c; ducks, 13
14c.
Hops Nominal at 13c for choice.
Wool Eastern Oregon average best,
1921c; lower grades down to 15c, ac
cording to shrinkage; valley, 25 27c;
mohair, choice, 30c per pound.
Beef Dressed bullB, 1 2c per pound ;
cows, 34c; country steers, 44)c.
Veal Dressed, 3 8c per poand.
Mutton Dressed, fancy 67c per
pound; ordinary, 45c; lambs, 7
Pork Dressed, 67c.
" LOOKING TO JAPAN.
China Prefers to Seek Knowledge
' From Her Neighbor. ,
New York, Sept. 19. What ' effect
the war in the Far East will have on
the propaganda of the Christian relig
ion in Japan was the subject of a lec
ture at the West Branch Young Men's
Christian Association by Dr. Ibuka,
president of an institution of learning
in Tokio, and himself a Christian.
That the recent outbreak in Tokio
and the attack upon the churches was
the result of merely & local feeling and
did not represent any widespread anti
foreign feeling in the empire, was the
assertion of Vhe lecturer.
"When the war with Russia first
began, I and my fellow Christians in
Japan were uneasy for fear that the
struggle should result in a lasting ani
mosity toward the Christian religion in
the empire. At first the cry waB raised
that it was a struggle of Buddhism ver
sus Christianity, and the Russians did
many things to foster this sentiment,
but it was not long until this illusion
was dispelled and the people were
brought to see that religion and re
ligious beliefs had no part in the war.
"Already China has become aroused
to the fact that she has much to learn,
and she is seeking this knowledge from
Japan rather than from European
countries. Hundreds of the young men
of Japan are taking positions as in
structors in the Chinsee institutions of
learning, and hundreds of the young
men of China are coming to the col
leges of Japan for instruction. It is
vitally necessary that the young men
should be taught the truths of the
Christian religion if it is to be spread
in China." '
REVISE LAND LAWS.
On Great Measure Roosevelt Will
Recommend in Message.
Washington, Sept. 19. President
Roosevelt, in his forthcoming message
to congress, will urge the remodeling
of the public land laws, and among
other things will specifically recom
mend the repeal of the timber and
stone act, the law which has been re
sponsible for more fraud and which has
caused the government greater actual
loss of money than any other public
land statute. The president will base
his recommendation upon the report of
the Public Lands commission, consist
ing of Commissioner Richards, of the
general land office, F. H. Newell, "iei d
of the Reclamation serrice, and Gifford
Pinchot, chief forester.
This commission submitted to con
gress at its last session a second report
on its investigation, and, among other
things, said:
"Instances of the beneficial operation
of the timber and stone act may be cit
ed, but when it is considered from the
point of view of the general interest of
the public, it becomes obvious that this
law should be repealed."
Since the foregoing report was pub
lished, the commission has submitted
to the public printer a great appendix,
containing data and facts upon which
its conclusions were based. This ap
pendix has not yet been made public.
SCARED BY THE TARTARS.
Russian Troops at Baku Refuse to
Leave Barracks.
Baku, Sept. 19. The situation
through the Caucasus continues to grow
worse and worse and the authorities are
unable to do anything towardB check
ing the Tartars, who continue to ravage
the countryside, murdering all who op
pose them and ravishing and torturing
all females without regard to station.
The troops are so badly scared by the
rioters that they refuse to leave their
headquariers and content themselves
with firing a few shots at long range at
small bodies of armed Tartars, who oc
casionally approach the barracks.
During the past 24 hours armed
bodies of Tartars have attacked and
burned the remaining oil towers in
the district and at the present time
not one of them remains standing.
No one can estimate the loss, which
will run into the millions. A conserv
ative estimate of the killed during the
past week by Tartars is 5,000, includ
ing many women and children.
Leaps Off Cliff to Death.
Manila, Sept. 19. Felizardo, a chief
of the outlaws in the province of Ca
vite, who for a long time has made
trouble for the authorities, was sur
rounded today near the Batangas border
and jumped over a cliff. , He was killed
by the fall. The death of Felizardo
will, it is believed, end the disturb
ances in the province of Cavite. On
January 24, 300 Ladrones, led by
Felizardo and Montalon, attacked the
town of San Fran de Malabon, looted
the municipal treasury of $2,000 and
escaped.
Old Ship May Turn Turtle.
Boston, Sept. 19. The Herald to
morrow will say: The ancient frigate
Constitution, familiarly known as the
"First ship of the American navy,"
which has for years, been" one of the
most valued possessions of the Charles
ton navy yard, is in danger of "turning
turtle,'.' and it is learned that the good
ship cannot last many years in its pres
ent state.
ONLY FOUR REMAIN
Many Changes To Be Made In
President's Cabinet.
SPECULATION ON NEW MEMBERS
Roosevelt Will Consider Man's Ability
Before He Considers His
Place of Residence.
Washington, Sept. 19. It is proba
ble that only four members of the pres
ent cabinet will remain to the end of
President Roosevelt's term: Elihu
Root, secretary of state; William H.
Taft, secretary of war; G.B. Cortelyou,
postmaster general, and C. J. Bona
parte, secretary of the navy. '
Considerable uncertainty snrrounds
the future of the other five members
of the cabinet, or rather, four mem
bers, for it is known that Secretary
Shaw will resign next February.
Some speculation is indulged in as to
whether or not the president, in re
forming his cabinet, will have a regard
for geographical lines, or will pick the
men best suited for the places, regard
less of where they come from. In the
present cabinet New York and Iowa
have two members, and Ohio, Massa
chusetts, Maryland, Missouri and Cali
fornia one each. The South is not rep
resented, but all other sections are.
New York will continue to have at
least two members (Root and Cortel
you) ; Iowa will lose one in Shaw and
another if Wilson resigns, but Ohio
and Maryland will retain their repre
sentation. If Hitchcock retires, some
Western man is almost certain to suc
ceed him, but it would be utterly im
possible to pick the man. And so it
goes. The probabilities ae that the
new cabinet will be composed oi men
from all parts of the country, but Pres
ident Roosevelt will consider a man's
ability before he considers his place of
residence.
9URNING THE FORTS.
Incendiaries Make Repeated Efforts to
Destroy New York Defenses.
New York, Sept. 19. Four mysteri
ous fires in three of the four forts pro
tecting New York harbor within the
last two months have caused the mili
tary authorities of the department of
the East much concern.
Two of the fires have been at Fort
Hamilton, one on the night of July 17
and the other last Friday night. On
the night in July of the fire at Fort
Hamilton there was a disastrous fire at
Fort Wadsworth. The lateBt fire was
at Fort Slocum, on the David island,
in the Sound, Sunday night.
In each case there have been suspi
cious circumstances concerning the or
igin of the fires. Magazines, barracks,
hospitals, forage and even big siege
guns have been destroyed and damaged
in these fires, and despite the most
thorough investigation nothing is
known definitely as to how the fires
started.
NEEDS MANY MOTOR CARS.
Union Pacific Must Build 330, and
Will Enlarge Shops.
Omaha, Neb., Sept. 19. The Union
Pacific needs 300 gasoline motor cars of
the type just finished, according to i the
statement of W. R. McKeen, superin
tendent of the motive power and ma
chinery. At the rate of 50 a year, he
says, the road cannot be supplied with
the cars as rapidly as it will require
them.
The present facilities for making
them are being Rested to the limit, but
they are far from adequate. Additions
to the shops are to be built at once, at
a cost of $700,000, which will increase
the facilities. Representatives of other
roads and of suburban lines who have
sought to place orders for cars with the
Union Pacific have been told they can
not be supplied.
Can't Grow Cotton In West Africa.
Washington, Sept. 19. The depart
ment of Commerce and Labor has just
published a report stating that the re
sult of the attempt to grow cotton in
West Africa has been discouraging,
owing to the absence of transportation
facilities. The Cotton association
tried American seeds, but the planta
tion did not prove to be a success.
Under the most favorable conditions,
Sierra Leone could produce 140,000
bales, but for the next ten years not
more than 0,000 bales a year may be
expected.' ,
New Mexico Irrigation Project.
Washington, Sept. 19. The secre
tary of the interior has ordered the
withdrawal from entry of 300,000 acres
of land in the Roswell, N. M., land
district, on account of the Carlsbad ir
rigation project.
NEW HAGUE CONFERENCE.
Peace in Orient Clears Way and Call
Will Be Issued Soon.
Washington,. Sept. 18. President
Roosevelt has decided to shortly issue
a call for the peace conference at The
Hague. This information is from a
high source. The time ofjjthe meeting
has not been determine!, but it will be
decided before the president returns to
Washington. His great victory in
bringing about peace between Russia
and Japan has encouraged his belief
that a great step forward can now be
adopted in promoting international
peace. ' "
Several months ago he had the mat
ter under consideration and received
satisfactory assurances from all Euro
pean nations except Russia. ' The czar
informed him that, while he favored
another peace conference, he could not
see his way clear to aiding such a
movement until war between Japan and
Russia had been brought to a conclu
sion. It is understood that the United
States and the leading European powers
have practically agreed upon a provi
sion which stipulates that war shall
not be waged except for vital reasons
and only after exhaustive efforts have
been made to adjust the differences.
Other subjects that will receive con
sideration are the firing of explosives
from balloons; better protection for the
Red Cross; floating mines; ownership
of interned ships.
HIGHEST ON COAST.
Mt. Whitney, of California, Accorded
Honor by the Government.
San Francisco, Sept. 18. A report
fraught with deep interest to the people
of the Pacific coast has just been for
warded to Washington by Professor
Alexander McAdie, who is at the head
of the Weather Bureau service in this
section of the country. The report
states that, according to measurements
made during the summer of this year,
Mount Whitney, situated in California,
is the highest peak in the United States.
It reaches 14,502 feet above the level
of the sea. Mount Rainier, situated in
Washington, ranks second, its height
being 14,394 feet. The figures for
Mount Shasta are not definitely fixed,
but are known to be between 14,200
and 14,380.
This report will settle the question
which has occupied the attention of
scientists on the Pacific coast for sever
al years. Professor McAdie states that
his figures may be considered as final,
for the variation will not xsceed more
than a few feet in either case. -"
Mount Rainier was measured in Ju
ly, and at that time the announcement
was made that it overtopped Whitney.
Calculations have shown this to have
been incorrect. The figures for Rainier
were found to correspond closely to
those obtained by Professor Edgar Mc
Clure, the well known scientist, who
lost his life on the great peak after he
had completed his measurements.
PLENTY OF WORK AHEAD.
Navy Department Will Not Discrimi
nate Against Puget Sound.
Washington, Sept. 18. Through his
secretary, Senator Piles today made in
quiry at the Navy department regard
ing the report that the force of employ
es at the Puget sound navy yard was to
be materially reduced on account of the
lack of work. He finds, on the contra
ry, that abundance of repair work has
been set aside for the Puget sound yard,
which will give employment to all the
men now on the rolls. Some say $112,
000 will be expended in repairing the
transport Zafiro, necessary repairs will
be made to the cruiser Chicago, the
revene cutter Perry will go out of com
mission at Bremerton for extensive re
pairs to be paid for by the Treasury de
partment, and as soon as some vessel is
found to relieve the battleship Oregon
in Asiatic waters, that vessel will come
to Bremerton for a complete overhaul
ing. The Navy department assures Mr.
Piles that there is no intention of dis
criminating against the Puget sound
yard. -
Two Roads on North Bank.
Portland, Sept. 18. President How
ard Elliot, of the Northern Pacific,
through A. D. Charlton, assistant gen
eral passenger agent of the company,
has announced to the peop'e of Port
land and of the Pacific Northwest that
the Portland & Seattle ,Railway com
pany, already engaged in constructing
a railroad down the north bank of the
Columbia river, is owned jointly by the
Great Northern and Northern Pacific
companies, and that traffic of both
roads will be moved to Portland from
Kennewick over he new trackage.
Iowa Losing Population.
Des Moines, la., Sept. 18. Accord
ing to preliminary figures of Iowa's
state census the state had a total popu
lation January 1, 1905, of 2,201,372, a
loss of 30,481 since the census of 1900,
when the state was accredited with a
population of 2,231,853. Practically
all of the larger cities and counties
showed gains. The loss was almost
entirely in the rural sections.