THE DALLES WEEKLY CHRONICLE, FRIDAY, JULY 8, 1892.
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH
The 116a Anniyersary of Our Ameri
can Independence.
THE DALIES FITTINGLY OBSERVED,
The Oration Delivered by the Hon
' .. . . : . .''.''
Gilbert J. McGinn efrortland. .
XHK IMMORTAL WCCL AKATIOSf.
Report of The rocelon-Tue Oration
" la Full-Crowd Attendance
We give place to-day to the account of
the 4th ot J nly celebration in ine iu
. ion TsteriiftV to the exclusion of other
interesting matter, because the day -was
one long to be remembered by tbe
throngs in attendance. The programme
which was published on Saturday was
litterally carriod out, and the procession
was one of the greatest attractions. In
charge of Col. Thompson and staff it
paraded the principal streets headed by
The Dalles Brass band. The libei ty car,
with its full representation of the states,
and the goddess of liberty was greatly
admired. These were followed by car
riages in which were seated the officers
.f flu Aav. thon came the militia, fcr. A,
R.. fire department, A.O. W., Woodmen
etc. The display by the Woodmen was
narticularlv fine. . Their float repre
sented ax-meu, with a log, in which was
displayed a hugej wedge, maul, axe,
etc., in the procession. Then came
mounted Indian chiefs. Following
t.hene was the staoe coach, then came
the ponderous cigar float of Messrs. A,
Ulrich & Son. Jos. T. 'Peters & Co,
made a fine display of lumber, boxes,
etc. Cates & Allison appeared with
their ice wagon. John Booth made a
handsome display with a miniature
nollioDe. and a mounted guard. Maier
i Benton had a very creditable cxhibi
bition of their trades, representing
plumbing, etc, Then followed the rep
resentative Indian women on ponies,
singlo and double, as they ride on the
trail. Peters & Col had an extra fine
float in here representing the lumber
interests. The Carpenters'-Union .was
elaborately represented in a working
..iorce at labor, building a structure on a
large platform. The Umatilla honse
Buss, handsomely decorated, and Rus-
sell & Co.'s steam traction engine,
threshers, etc, drawn by steam, sup
plied a goodly portion, of. the last di
vision.
At the grand stand the exercises, con
sisting of music of a high order, both
instrumental and vocal, was greatly ap
predated. The singing was followed by
a fervent prayer by the chaplain. Rev,
AV. C. Curtis, after which the declara
tion was read in a clear tone and mas
terly manner by Mr. Nicholas J. Sin
nott. The oration, by Mr. Gilbert J.
McGinn, of Portland, was an intelligent
and instructive paper, which we publish
complete, as follows:
Mr. President, Fellow Citizeus,
Ladies and Gentlemen : On this glor
ious day, so dear to the heart of every
true American, it is meet and profitable
to recall the acbiveinents of the past, so
that both in the present and future,
having sure and safe guides, we act not
foolishly but wisely. On this day it is
fit and proper to revere the memory of
him, whose genius gave a continent to
mankind, and our love of country will
burn, with a more fervent and holier
light when we contemplate with feelings
of pride, and a desire of emulation, the
lofty deeds of self-sacrifice and patriot
ism of the 'founders of the republic. I
shall therefore briefly relate the story of
' the discovery and colonization of Amer
ica. I shall in the next place strive to
point out the salient causes that led to
the revolution of 1776, and the war for
American independence, paying a pass
ing tribute to the "men, who in order to
secure tor themselves and their posterity
tho rights , and privileges of freemen,
feared not to shed their hearts precious
blood. And lastly, I shall endeavor to
impress upon the minds of all present
that the responsibility resting upon us
to preserve and defend our.country is a
duty as solemn and as sacred as that of
our fathers in establishing it.
During the 15th century, the fancy
and imagination of Europe were' in
flamed to the highest degree by the ac
counts which Marco Polo had given of
his travels in Asia and the east, and
particularly by the account of his visit
to the great and mighty Eahn of Tar--tary.
A credulous, world heard .with
wonder and' astonishment of regions
peopled by innumerable multitudes, of
.palaces of kings whose' very roofs were
of solid gold, of a country: whose wealth
in sweet spices and precious stones was
like the sands on the shore, or the leaves
of a gigantic forest, without beginning
and without end. '
To reach India by some route other
than the one across the burning sands
of the trackless desert, became an all,
absorbing problem, a problem at thej
time extremely difficult of solution, j
Christopher Columbus, a Genoese mar
iner, learned in the , science of naviga
lion, but who, poor, ragged, penniless
and advanced in years, were obliged
support himself by .making and selling
mariner's charts; conceived .the idea
that the earth was round instead of be
ing flat, as was then universally be
lieved, and that India might be reached
by sailing due west. He epoke to all
that would listen to him of the scheme
dearest to his heart. He spoke of
with so much earnestness, that men re
garded him as a visionary fellow, crazy'
inrWri from much brooding upon one
subject, and even the children pointed
to their foreheads in dension as be
passed them in the street. But Colum
bus was a man of genius, a man not to
be discouraged or. disheartened by the
insults of the ignorant, the sneers of the
scoffers, or by the scorn of the proud,
For twenty long and weary years he
wandered from court to court asking
aesistance. , The , ting -.oi rortugai
listened to him, but would not help him
For seven Veara he implored the aid of
Ferdinand,' king of Spain;, but without
avail. Finally when his heroic courage
and perseverance had -nearly forsaken
him, and cruel ' disappointment seemed
inevitable. Queen Isabella promised to
furnish him Bhips for the venture, and
so. on the third dav of August. 1492, he
set sail from the harbor of Palos in
Spain, crossed unknown and stormy
seas, and on the 12th day of October.
1479. discovered the land in which we
live, the land that we love so well.
When Columbus returned triumphant,
to Spain, and told of a land blessed with
a mild and delightful climate, of a land
possessing mines of inexhaustable riches
and what was more than all to bim of a
land peopled by. myriads of savages who
might be taught the religion of Christ,
all that was brave, noble, and romatic;
all that was base, cruel, and av
aricious in the character of the Spaniard
was kindled into madness. Thousands
flocked to the new world in an eager
scramble for gold. The power of the
Montezumasin Maxico fell before the
conquering arm of the invincible Cortez ;
and the crafty" and cunning- Pizzaro
usurped the power and . squandered the
wealth of Peru. Spanish settlements
were established in the West India
islands, and on the main land from
Florida to Patagonia; but the gold so
eagerly coveted and so cruelly and mer
cilessly obtained, sapped the vitality of
the Spanish character, and became one
of the proximate causes that led to the
decline and fall of the Spanieh Mon
archy, K ... . - ,.' ...
" The French, like the Spanish, were"
not slow in perceiving the immense .ad
vantages that would flow from the' pos;
session of territory in the new world, and
accordingly planted colonies in that
part of North America known as Canada.
Of the three great European nations,
the English were the last to come, and
the last to stay ; and the influence of
Britain on the character and destiny of
the people of America, will be felt till the
last svlable of recorded time.
The first English settlement within
the limits of the United States, was
made at Jamestown, Virginia, in the
year 1607, and Virginia enjoys the proud
distinction of being the mother of the
colonies, and the land that gave birth to
Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, James
Madison, John Marshall ; and above all
and beyond all to George Washington,
the father of his country.
In the year 1620, the Pilgrim Fathers
landing from the Mayflower at Plym
outh rock, formed a settlement after
ward incorporated under the name of
the colony of Massachusetts. The de
scendants of those pilgrims have become
famous throughout the world for their
proficiency in the arts and sciences, in
law and polite literature; and today our
country glories in the names of their
illustrious sons, the patriots John and
Samuel Adams, Joseph Warren,, the
hero of Bunker Hill, the orator Web
ster, the philosopher Emerson, and
the poetry of Lowell and Longfellow will
perish only with the language of Milton
and of Burke. y
New York was settled by the Dutch,
but was afterward acquired by the
English.., Pennsylvania by the Quakers
under the great and good man William
Penn. Maryland by tbe Catholics,
under the auspices of the noble Lord
Baltimore ; and Georgia, the last of the
celebrated thirteen colonies, was settled
32, the year in which Washington
was born, who was destined to lead the
American army to victory and everlast
ing glory. "... ;
The colonists, often timea compelled
to defend their Uvea and 'property
against the treachery and rapacity of
the Indians, were a brave, hardy, God
fearing and liberty-loving people, and
the original thirteen colonies, consisting
of Virginia, Massachusetts, Rhode
Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire,
New York, New Jersey; Pennsylvania,
Delaware, . Maryland, South . Carolina,
North Carolina and Georgia, all pos-
I a free and democratic govern
ment, wherein the voice of the people
was considered the voice of God.- ' " '
Meanwhile frequent disputes 'arose
between tbe French settlements in Can
ada, and those of the English in the col'
oniee. These disputes were generally
determined by an appeal to arms, bat
the French 'government, having wars
enough at home to utilize her resources,
was unable properly to defend her pos
sessions in Canada, and accordingly Ft.
Duqueene, . . Louieburg," Tioonderoga,
Crown Point and Niagara, fell into the
! hands of the -English, . and - when in the
year 1759, the heonc Wolfe had cUmbod
to the Plains of Abraham and Quebec
bad, .surrendered, the .Brit ish - flag with
out a rival to dispute .her sway, ..waved
in triumph over a region, extendi ng from
the Arctic ocean , to- Jhev. Mississippi
river. , ..- .' v '-' V
In these wars with the, French the
Colonies were . obliged to, unite their
forces for mutual defence, and.thus were
taught the lesson,"that in unity there
is strength." 'They saw that the raw
American recruits so despised by the
British regulars, -were superior in valor
to the "red coats." : They realized that
the vast expenditure of blood and treas-
nre which these wars demanded, was
largely borne by themselves; and they
perceived that the government of Great
Britain, not content in denying them
protection from- theit-enemles, pursued
toward them a policy characterized by
rapacity and tyranny, :a "policy tending
to crush and suppress their liberties,
and to promoto., and maintain , foreign
depot ism. : - ...
The navigation act compelled Aineri
cans to send their produce to England
in ' English ships. Obliged them to
purchase manufactured articles in the
mother country and would not allow the
Colonists to manufacture anything, not
even a - nail. ' let this was not all,
England regarded the Americans as an
inferior and dependent people; and the
English parliament claimed the right
and exercised the' power of taxing the
Colonists without their consent. . '"
The famous stamp act required that
stamps should, be purchased ' from the
British government and affixed to all
legal instruments newspapers, pamph
lets and the like, to give theia validity.
But the Americans met these flagrant
encroachments upon their liberties with
prudence, firmness, courage and heroic
patriotism. Men" who had left dear
homeb and loving hearts, to settle in the
wild American wilderness, 4n order that
they might worship God according to
the dictates of their conscience; men
who had braved the perils of the sea and
the perils of the land ; who had suffered
the intense heat of summer and the kil
ling frost of winter; men who had battl
ed with the fierce and savage Indian,
that they injght breathe air of freedom,
were not the kind of men that could be
deprived of their liberties without a
itruggle. , In remonstrance after, re
monstrance to the king and parliament
of Great Britain j they solemnly declared
that, taxation ; Without representation
waslyraflny, and Patrick-Heury, theora
tor of the revolution gave utterance ' to !
the fixed and unflinching purpose of the
people of America, when in language
that will live as long as freedom is cher
ished by the sons of men, he exclaimed,
"give me liberty or give me death."
i The British government seeing with
what tenacity the Americans resisted
the stamp act, repealed that odious law,
bnt retained the tax on tea to maintain
the principle. The Americans however,
had not resisted the tax that they might
hoard up the paltry gold that would be
required to pay it, but they had opposed
it upon principles of right, justice and
equity. Therefore at " New York and
Philadelphia, ships laden with tea, were
sent back to England. At Charleston,
South Carolina, a large quantity of tea
was purposely stored in damp cellars
where it was rained, and at Boston 342
chests of this odious commodity w ere
publicly dumped into the harbor ; where
upon the British government declared
the colonies to be in mutiny and ordered
troops under Gen. Gage to occupy Mas
sachusetts. Gage learning that arms
and munitions of war, were collecting at
Concord, sent thither a regiment. On its
way, meeting a company of . seven
Americans,, at Lexington, fired, upon
them; aqd thus my countrymen, was
shed the first precious blood of the Rev
olution,' a revolution replete " with ad
vantages not only to Americans in par
ticular, but to humanity in general.
The effect oh the country of the shed
ding of American blood at Lexington,
was like an electrical shock, A cry of
indignation and outrage rent the air.
Volunteers from the country and from
the city, from the shop and from the
farm, flocked to Boston to aid their
countrymen in distress. Then came the
battle.of Bunker . Hill, and both sides
knew'that war, open' and unrelentless,
was inevitable. The Continental Con
gress, sitting at Philadelphia, appointed
Gen. George' Washington, of Virginia,
Commander in Chief of the American
armies. The appointment was an ex
tremely judicious One, for Washington
possessed bravery without rashness, had
the highest order of intelligence, and a
personal character commanding univer
sal admiration and respect. Other ages
and other nations may boast- of their
warriors, statesman and patriots. Some
may admire Alexander the Great, who,
having afflicted on mankind the scourge
of war for the sake, of conquest; wept
that he had not other worlds to conquer.
Some may point to Cresar as the con
summation of human greatness, bnt
Caesar waged war to gratify his insatia
ble ambition, and to promote his per
sonal aggrandizement. Some might
consider the hero of Marengo and . Ans
terlitz the foremost man of all the world,
had not Napoleon plunged France into
expensive and ruinous ' wars that he
might trample underfoot the liberties of
Europe. But Washington, actuated by
motivw pure, lofty and snblime, was
filled with sentiments of unselfish loy
aJty-aBd patriotism for his fellowconn
trynnnjnnparaUeled in the annals-" of
the world.' f ;" .. :. -
JWbeij victorious,- as at, Trenton
Princetown or at York town, some Amer
f icaps there were transported beyond the
bounds' of reason with' joy. When in
'fiie dark valley of defeat, as at German
town and Brandy wine, others there were
over whelmed by despair; bnt the, in
doznitable heart of George Washington
whether in victory or defeat, whether
shocked by tho treason of Arnold,' or
pierced with sorrow by the terrible snf
ferings of his troops at valley Forge, was
patient resolute and hopeful.
Surely he is the noblest man that ever
lived in the tide of time', and of him
with truth it was e id, "First in peace,
first in war, and first in the hearts of his
countrymen.'
On the 2d day of July, 1776, Richard
Henry Lee Virginia moved 5tbat the
congress of the United States, declare
that these colonies are, and of right
ought to ..be, . free '. and independent
states. A committee was . appointed to
draft a declaration, consisting of the
names of Thomas Jefferson, John Ad
aras, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sher
man and Robert R. Livingstone. The
declaration recommended by this com
mittee was writtenaby the immortal pen
of tbe illustrion8 Jefferson. On the 4th
day of July, 116 years ago, the conti
nental congrese, feilow citizens, per
formed its greatest and most important
dutv. .The question before- congress
was, shall these states be free and inde
pendent? Shall the American people
forever be bleesed with the inestimable
boon of liberty, or shall they -sink into
slavery and become the cringing serfs,
of a powerful despotism, that would
grind them into powder at the1 back of a
foreign despot? The debate was long
and protracted ; at length the vote was
taken, the result announced in awful
silence, and grand old . Independence
bell rang out clear and load, proclaim
ing liberty nnto the world. - Of a trnth
this day we commemorate is not a delu
sion and a snare, but a veritable reality,
prcgant with everlasting benefits to
mankind.
'Years followed in which the half fed,
half clad American soldiers, contended
with the thoroughly equipped and ap
pointed regnlars-of the British army.
The days were cold and dark, and
dreary. Washington, driven from New i
York, retreated with difficulty through J
New Jersey and reunsvlvania." Univer
sal gloom enshrouded the nation and all
seemed lost, irreparably lost; bnt in that
hour of darkness aind despair light came
from "." aeross the. ocean. France the
hereditary enemy of England, permeated
with a love of liberty which the writing
of Voltaire, Montesquieu, Diderot and
Rousseau had aroused in her breast, and
sympathizing with the Colonists, sent
forces to our assistance, and the glorious
memories of this day, ladies and geutle
men, would not be complete without the
name of the pure and faithful friend of
Washington, the Marquis De Lafayette.
At length the British government, real
izing that it would be folly to longer
strive-to conquer men, who, for their
countryt suffered in patience the hor
rors of war, and who, half shod, with
out a murmur, left on the frozen snow
the bloody prints of their mangled feet,
determined to abandon the further pros
ecution of the war, and accordingly, at
Paris, in the year 1783, after eight years
of hostility, a treaty was signed by the
contending powers, recognizing the in
dependence of the United States.
Peace having been established, the
government of the United States was
continued under the Articles of Fedcra-.
tion ; but this government, after years
of lamentable failure, was found to be
inadequate to.cope with the exigencies
of the times. The want of a strong and
vigorously centralized national govern
ment was keenly felt. Under such
favorablecircumstances the constitution
al convention met and framed a consti
tution, that from the first, received al
most universal approval, and having
been formally ratified by all the original
thirteen states, our present government,
with the inauguration of Washington,
April 30th, 1789 entered upon a career of
prosperity and glory, a career, let us
hope, destined to eclipse the splendors
of Greece and Rome, and to become the
brightest star iiy the firmament of the
modern world. . ,
It has been the felicitv of our beloved
country to have had in the chair of the
chief executive, Washington and Jeffer
son, Madison and Monroe, Jackson and
Lincoln; it has been onr happy lot
that the spotless ermine of the judiciary
dropped upon the shoulders of Marshall,
Taney and Waite ; the treasury depart
ment has been adorned by the genius of
Hamilton, Gallatin and Chase ; and in
the hour of peril, Taylor and Scott,
Grant, Sherman and Sheridan drew
their swords to defend and preserve the
nation.
The prosperitv of the United States
during the 'century of their existence is
at once the source both of surprise and
congratulation. The first census, that
of 1790, showed a population of over
4,000,000 of souls ; the last census, that
of 1890, disclosed the fact that 65,000,000
of people rest content under the pro
tection of the stars and stripes, and our
glorious flag, instead of only thirteen
stars, now sparkles with forty-four.
But if we have prospered in the past,
what must be our prosperity in . the
future. We should always remember
ladies and gentlemen, that other nations
and other" empires have also achieved
greatness, and yet have fallen "With
hideous rnin and combustion," never to
rise again. Egypt, Ninevab , and Carth
age, Babylon, Persia and Rome, each
attained to almost fabulous greatness
ii. i . i
iic-1-. n.eic-rs, mey nave passed away
leaving nought bnt ruins to tell that
once they existed. And shall this be
our lot? Having reached the con sum
uiauoii oi numan greatness, will our
country, "fall like a bright exhalation
in the evening and no man see it more?"
It seems to me that there are influ
ences, political, social, moral and relig
ious, at work among us, experienced by
no other nation, ancient or modern.
But eternal vigilance being the price of
liberty, we should always remember
that our duty to preserve intact the
declaration of, independence and the
constitution of the United States is as
. , - . .
imperative, ana almost as arduous as
that of our fathers in resisting" tyranny,
even unto death. . ...
The time has been when, it was ex
pedient to encourage unrestricted foreign
immigration.' Statistics., however, show
that within tho last twenty-five years
the better class of immigration, namely
that of France, Holland, Germanv, Eng
land, Scotland and Ireland has been per
ceptibly diminished ; while pn the other
hand, immigration made up of the crim
inal and pauper classes of Russia, Italy,
Poland and Hungary - has greatlv, in
creased. But happily for the republic.
this ymg evil of the day can be rem
ied bjr timely and intelligent legislation
Again our welfare is threatened by
vast corporate powers, that aim only to
enrich themselves at the expense of the
people The problem, how to deal with
these . powerful corporations, can be
easily eolved, if congress and the state
legislatures preserve their honesty and
integrity, and shrink from the odium of
becoming the corrupt hirelings of mo
nopolies and trusts.
The learned historian of the decline
and fall of the Roman Empire points
out, among , others, two deadly in
fluences; the one, that of granting citi-
enship nnto every subject of tbe Em
peror, thereby depriving Roman citizen
ship of its time honored distinction and
its incentive to deeds of dignity and
high exploit." The other,-that of the
corrupt use of money in purchasing of
fices of honor, trust and emolument.
Ann, inueea, tne venal and impious
praetorian, who auctioned off the empire
of Augustus to the highest bidder, was
not a bigger scoundrel, traitor and vil
lain than the lobbyist who bribes legis
lators, or the American citizen who lar-
ters away' his Jbirthright.
It has been said that ' the United
States will fall in the twentieth century
as Rome fell in the fourth. Bat there
will be this difference, the enemies of
Rome came from without, while those
of the republic will come from within
To guard against domestic insurrection,
and civil strife, we innst have a wide dif
fusion of learning, and an abiding and
enduring love for the Union. Thorough
instructions as free as the air we breathe,
not only in the rudimentary, bnt also in
the higher branches of learning shonld
and ought to be the heritage of the poor,
as well as the privilege of the rich ; for
an active and vigorous youth manhood ;
a pure and gentle young womanhood, is
molded and perfected by tbe genial in
flnence of a broad and liberal education
TBK CTRKM AN9 TOURNAMENT.
I'lnt J'rlae Awarded Moan He
Hon Team. .
Following is the report oS the judge
on the tournament yesterday, addressed
to Chief Engineer Jud. S. Fish, of The
Dalles fire department: v
Sib: The judges selected to decide
upon the hose tournament held at The
Dalles, July 4th, 1892, in accordance
-with tbe articles of agreement, beg to
report that at 2 :30 p. m three teams, :
entered for the race, viz :
Mt. Hood. Hose team, Columbia Hose
team, and Jackson Hose team.
The captains of the three teams drew
lota for the position in the contest, re-t
suiting as follows :
Mt. Hood to run first i- Colombia 2d.
and Jackson 3d. . .
According to the report of the time
keepers we find that.
Mt. Hood team won first prize. Time
32 seconds.
Columbia second -prize. Time 32Af
seconds. j
Jackson third prise. Time 32i sec
onds. .
The three teams did their work ad
mirably, and we deem the tournament
great benefit to The Dalles fire de-
department. Respectfully submitted.
J. MPattiesos, Chairman.
The judges were E. Schutz. Taos.
Joles, T. A. Ward, H. M. Beall and J.
M. Patterson.
Time keepers: J. O. Mack, Otia Sav
age, J. P. Mclnerny and S. E. Farris. .
Following is a list of the officers and
members o'f the winning company ; ,
L, L. Phillips, foreman ; J. T. Jack- '
eon, 1st asst. foreman ; J. B. Harjr, 2d
asst. foreman ; A. L. Reese, R. Y. Gib
ons.J. Davidson, H. Williams, R. J..
Steward, James Fisher, James Harper,.
N. A. Boyer, Cora McDonald, Charlea
Townley. . v
The first prize is a silver cup, the sec
ond prize a medal. The race was 500
feet ; 300 feet to hydrant, 200 feet of reg
ulation hose,, break, connections and
attach nozzle, and throw water, making
three half turns or one and one-hall
turns complete on nozzle and bvdrant.
Twelve men or less to run.
Cnrrrnt Topic.
Lastlv this glorious Union, brighter
than diamonds, richer than gold, we
must love more than ere Athenian loved
the city of the "violet crown," or Roman
the city of the seven hills. History and
experience warn ns to beware of local
jealousies, and sectional strife. From
the past we hear the pathetic voice of
Demosthenes speaking fervently
and
eloquently, but without avail, to per
suade Greece weakened by civil war, to
nnite against the encroachments of the
Macedonian despot. With us there
should be no North, no South, no East,
no West. Those who live nnder the sky
of the sunny south, those who dwell on
the shores of the great lakes, those who
hear the incessant roarings of the Atlan
tic and the Pacific; and we who inhabit
this region, where oncp rolled the Ore
gon, and heard no sound, save his own
dashings; should all feel that we are
bound together by ap Indissoluble
Union of indcetructable states. If we
are actuated by motives such as those
the republic will go on', and ou, until her
mild and beheficient p6wer shall extend
from Greenland to Patagonian,and from
ocean to ocean, aye shall circle the large
circumference of the globe, and may the
God of our fathers, who did comfort and!
sustain Washington the father, and Lin
coln the savior, in the hour of tribula
tion and impending chaos1, preserve tbe
republic in the bloom of an eternal
youth, till the consummation ol ages,
till time shall be no more. '
It wonld be impossible, in the space at
hand, to particularize every feature of
the day. The music by The Dalles
citizens band was first class. The choir
singing likewise ; and the event ' passed
off pleasantly and agreeably to all. The
fire-works being equal to any similar
exhibit in the state undoubtedly, was a
fitting termination ' of the festivities.
The city was handsomely decorated and
the citizens generally vied with one
another in matters calculated to enter
tain the cities guest.
The Omaha convention nominated -
Gen. Weaver for president., and J. G.
Field for vice-president.
The report of the escape of Chas. Wil
son, the murderer of Mamie Walsh,
while being conveyed to Salem for safe
keeping is confirmed.
Judging from tho way in whitrlv some
British mobs greet some British candi
dates, the act of running for office In
that conntrv roust be performed lit
erally. " ...
-Referring to an open Colombia river,
the Pendleton Tribune voices pXiblic .
sentiment by saying enemies to- these .
improvements are enemies to the ma
terial progress of tbe nortwest, and we
should jot their names down in our note
books for future reference.
It has been discovered that more than
half the prisoners in Idaho's peniten
tiary are insane to a greater or lesser
extent. The only noted patient is a
man named II at ton. It is not known
what has produced the dementia of the
convicts, as they are well treated and
well fed. '
The estimable Philadelphia Times in
forms an amazed public that "Victor
HugO has been traveling in Belgium, .
but couldn't be prevailed upon to visit
the field of Waterloo. Gr?at geniuses,"
continues the Times, "arc not exempt
from small sorenesses." Yet how can "
M. Hugo be blamed? Possibly he re
flects that at Waterloo he is likely at
any time to meet Wellington ana au
the German kings and princes since the
time oi Luther. . ' . .
Collectors this month report cash
easier. One of the best indications of
easier nnancial anairs is noted in the
sheriff's office. The whole collection
up to Saturday amounted to $07,619.57,
which is a better showing ' than any
former year. The roll called for $65,
538.49, but Sheriff Cates had assessed
about 18,000, making it $73,538.49.
After deducting collections made, bnt
fo.918.92 remained to be collected Sat
urday. . '
Oae I.nne Sheep. ' -
Grant County News. Last Thursday
a huge mountain sheep wandered down,
from the everlasting crags and peaks of
Canyon mountain to Myers mine near
tbe creek a mile and a half above town, -
and grazed around nntil the miners went
to the cabin and brought forth ' tbe
trusty ifle. They got him. Mountain
sheep and ibex were numerous in these
high mountains in early days, bnt
hooters have thinned their ranks.
A Haatloc Item
Texas Sittings. "Is the coon a smart
animal?" asked a stranger of old Si
Jackson on Onion Creek, near Austin,
Texas. "Talk about coons bein' smart. I
should say dey was emart." "Well how
smart are they?" A coon played ine the
meanest trick you eber heered tell on. I
foun' a hole whar de coon went ir.t?r de
groun' and I waited dar all day long to
shoot dat coon, and when he did come
out he was a polecat."
i
All leaves of absence in the house
were revoked yesterday, except for sickness.
"V