VOL. VII.
ltOSEBUltti, DOUGLAS COB XT V. OREGON. THlltSDAV, HECKMHKK l, IOIU.
So. aatk
Taxpayers
Favoring
Coos
Pass Resolution
Appropriation For
Bay Highway.
UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED
lion. Bingor Hermann Prepares Res
olution Setting Forth Uensous
Why Coos Hay Highway
Should Be Favored.
After a prolonged discussion of
various road matters and especially
the present supervisor system the
Taxpayers League yesterday after
noon passed the following resolution
which was prepared by County
Judge K. W. Maisteisi Attorney D.
L. Eddy and ex-County Judgo Dexter
Rice: "'Resolved, That it is the sense
of this meeting that the present
road laws should not be changed in
the matter iof vesting control of
county roads and bridges In the
county court or In the matter of the
appointment of road masters or su
pervisors." The discussion then turned to the
Roseburg-Coos Bay highway which it
Is understood is about to be wrested
from Douglas county by Lane county
and after a frrent ueal of discussion,
the following resolution, prepared
by Binger Hermann, who has father
ed the activity for this particular
highway, was road and adopted with
out a dissenting vote:
WHEREAS, Nearly 63 years ago
the first pack horse road was opened
by the early pioneers from Douglas
county to Coos county via Camas
Valley and the Coquille river, and
about 45 years ago a wagon road
was constructed by the two counties
on substantially the same lines,
omitting the coast section, and has
heen continuously traveled s.nce
then as the U. S. mail route and by
stage coaches and travelers. Much
of-it avoided the water level of the
Coquille river canyon because of the
cost of construction there along and
passed over the hilly portious of the
route That several surveys for
railroad construction liave been
made since 1880 and the route for
such road from Roseburg to Ccos
Bay approved by railroad companies
at a grade a little above one per
cent over and around the high"'
elevations. The state legislature an
propriated money many years ago
for this road and one in Curry co'ii.
ty which aided both, and
That about 1913 or 1914 the
county court of Douglas county, fol-
lowing like action on me pan oi j and are Ead t0 have pienty of capl
Coos county ordered a survey which (al )t ,s more than p0Bgne that the
being made followed mainly the ml vm De re,,iaceci by one of at
former road except that the water )(,aBt equal cal)acity, spite of tho
level In the Coquille canyon was fol- fa(,t ,nat no n9,lrance was carried.
lowed and so much of said Burvey in
Douglas county was approved by the
county court while Coos county ap
proved a similar survey In that coun
ty connecting with the other county.
Both courts ordered said respec
tive roads opened and there Is now
a legal county road from Roseburg
Mo Coos Hay. But little or no work
has been done on said water level
route In said canyon and for six
months in the year the entire road
from Camas Valley to tido water 1n
Coos county remains Impassable rorj
teams and autos, there being but:
about eight miles only for road
work to the Coos county line and
but about five miles from therein.
Coos county to Improve roadway.
AND WHEREAS, The state high
way commission of Oregon directed
a survey of the said roadway from
Roseburg to Coos Bay by State
Highway Engineer H. h. Rowlby,
which being done was approved June
3. 1914, and duly spproyed and
adopted September 5, 1914. by the, pertain nnd unsatisfactory for some
stale highway commission consisting! imP tliat there is Utile enrouragc
of Governor Oswald West, Secretary nicnt for capital to be Invested in It.
of State Ben W. Olcott and State j "The blow Is a hard one espect
Treasurer Thomas B. Kay, pursuant ally for Gardiner and community,
to diaper 339 laws of Oregon of i Hiirnnl Once Before.
191.1. An official mr.p of the sp- The Gardiner mill was destroyed
Daily "Weather Renort.
Ilaln Tonight nnd Friday;
Heavy Southerly Winds.
Highest temn. yesterday 4 7
1-owest temp, last night 4 2
proved state highway of the state
was published by authority of the
state, and never changed and upon
the map appears outlined the Coos
Bay highway extending westwardly
from Roseburg to Coos Bay via Cam
as Valley and Myrtle Point
WHEREAS. In the year 1916,
there was approved by said highway
commission the sum of $5000 for a
survey of said highway which action
has never been rescinded, .but on the
contrary at a full meeting of the
highway commission and advisory
board thereof the matter was again
considered - In the month of Novem
ber last and the- formor action of
the board was affirmed unanimously
in the face of a report of the pres
ent Btate highway engineer which
is Interpreted to mean a diversion of
the above $5000 and its expenditure
on another proposed route from the
Willamette valley extending to Coos
Bay. Therefore be it, and It is
hereby
RESOLVED, On this 20th day of
December by an assembly of citizens
and taxpayers of Douglas c6uuty,
meeting in the city of Roseburg In
said county:
First. That any proposed diver
sion of said $5009 be unequivocally
opposed.
Second. That the state highway
commission, the legislative assembly
of tho state of Oregon . and the
county court of said Douglas county
be recommended to aid in the con
struction of said highway by such
funds as may become available from
the federal highway, appropriation
of -$75,000,000 from available state
funds and from the county appro
priations available for purpose of
road construction.
ILLS MAY
Nothing .ppfinite Known as
to the Intention of Owners
No Insurance Carried.
WHARF AND'LUMBER SAVED
Comimny Owns 2.1,000 Acres of
Tlmlier and 10,000 Acirs Logged
OIT Land Slain Industry of
Thriving City of Gardiner.
From tho papers published at
Marshfleld the following additional
facts are learned regarding the. dis
astrous Are which completely de
stroyed the large lumber mills at
Gardiner this week. Opinion seems
to be divided regarding the rebuild
ing of the mill, but as the company
has lnree holdings In that vicinity
The fire is presumed to have orig
inated from a hot box, and within
five minutes after It was first dis
covered by the night watchman, the
whole plant was in flames.
Steamers Fight Fire.
Tho Gardiner Mill Company's tug,
Cleaner, was lying alongside the
whnrf, and their steamer, the Snn
Gabriel, had just come in to load.
Both were used In fighting the
conflagration, but could accomplish
n fighting the fire In the mill
j tsc 1 f -
However, by hard work, the lum
Der on tne aoek and the wharves
was save(). About 500.000 feet of
umucr wa8 piled on the docks.
Slay Not Rebuild.
O. B. Hinsdale, general manager
of the mill, said thnt there was noth
NOT BE REBUILT NOW
Ing definite to give out just at pres- about 100,000 feet a day. The com
ent concerning rebuilding. pany operated logging ramps and
"I am a little afraid that we will
not rebuild now." ho sold. "The
lumber business has been so un
r.nre before ny nre, nnrning in
HS8. It was rebuilt nnd the plant
destroyed last night was started In
October. 1RS9.
The late W. F. Jewett was then
with the company. Since Mr.
Jewett' death, and even prior to
Ti
Personally Prepared Notes
Are Sent to All Belligerants
Offering Services.
RIGHTS ARE INVADED
Lansing Declared That America la
"Drawing Nearer to Verge of
War' and That Situation
Cannot Continue.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21. Presi
dent Wilson aa chief executive of
the greatest nation which has been
able to keep free from the Euro
pean war, has taken the initiative to
restore and maintain world peace. He
has directly addressed all of the bel
ligerents and neutrals on the subject.
Independent of the peace sugges
tions made by the Teutonic allies,
the president has called on the bal
Hgerents to "learn how near the
haven of peace may be for
which all mankind longs with an
intense and increasing longing."
Does Not Itoimso Peace.
He does ot propose peace, neither
does he offer mediation. He does,
however, call upon the belligerents
to "compare views as to the terms'"
on which the war can be ended.
Announcement of the action of
the president was made personally
by Secretary of State Lansing. The
greatest secrecy had enshrouded the
action of the chief executive. The
note was prepared by him personally
after conferring with Ms cabinet and
was sent in code on Monday to the
United States ambassadors and min
isters. Duplirnto Notes Are Rent.
A footnote to the copy which was
addressed to Ambassador V. H.
Page In London announced that a
similar communication had been
sent to the represetative accredit
ed to the governments of France,
Italy, Japan, Russia, Belgium,
Montenegro, Portugal, Koumania
and Serbia and to all the neutral
governments for their information.
The note to Ambassador Gerard
in Berlin said copies had been for
warded to Austria-Hungary, Turkey
and Bulgaria.
It was said at the state department
last night the representatives of
the United States in Great Britain,
Fiance, Italy and Russia and in the
countries representing the central
powers every indication of peace sen
timent. Appeal Mny Be KfTectlve.
Officials here. declare they believe
the belligerents must heed tho appeal
of the United States. And It is al
ready certain that a majority, it not
all, neutrals and the Vatican will
Join in the effort to not only end
the war, but to make further con
flicts of this stupendous character
impossible.
Shmv Down Ik Wanted.
WASHINGTON. Dec. 21. Lans
ing said a desire for a complete
show down by all the belligerents,
because American rights have been
invaded, was ,tho real purpose be
hind the note of Wilson. Ho de
clared frankly that . the United
States was "drawing nearer to the
verge of war," and the situation can
not continue, and he authorized the
that time, O. D. Ilinsdalo had been
general manager of the plant.
Was Old Fiudilmiod.
The mill which has just been de
stroyed was rather old fashioned.
Its maximum cut of lumber was
j furnished quite a large payroll for
the I'mpqua river rountry. The
company owns 25.000 acres of timber
and about 10.000 acres of logged off
land and a small logging road which
extends back to some of the timber.
The president of the company is
a son of the late Capt. Nowlln. who
resides In San Francisco and Mr.
Stcvons of San Francisco, Is thj sec
retary. W. II. Jewett, ot Gardiner
Is one of the directors.
The company owns the steamer
San Gabriel and also several sall
'.ng vessels. The company storo at
Gardiner is one of the largest gen-
eral stores In si uthwestern Oregon.
following statement: "Our rights
have been invaded, and the situation
Is becoming intolerable. The belli
gerents on both sides are invading
American rights more and more, ren
dering the situation Increasingly
f ritical. I mean by this that the
United States is drawing nearer the
verrto of war, and we are therefore
entitled to know what tl)e belliger
ents want, so we can regulate our
future conduct."
La n slug omphaslzeU positively that
the German peace proposal apd the
speech of Lloyd George were not
connected with the sending of Wil
son's note, and declared that the
president does not Intend to suggest
peace, but wants to render the posi
tions of neutrals less intolerable.
The whole talk of Lansing emphasiz
ed the idea that America must "do
something" In the event her rights
are further -invaded. The British,
Italian, Japanese, German, Bulgar
ian, Russian and Turkish ambassa
dors visited Lansing this morning
and received copies of tho note sent
their governments. Lansing said
that Wilson finally decided to send
the note on Monday, and It was for
warded on Monday night and Tues
day morning.
STEAMER TORPEDOED, NO WARNING
Six Americans Alionrd Hut All Were
Saved.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21. The
American consul at Malta informed
the stato department that tho Brit
ish steamer Saint. Ursula, with six
Americans aboard, was torpedoed
without warning, bflt the Americans
were saved
Would Have Legislature Pro
vide For Trout Hatchery
On the Umpqua.
PICTURES WILL BE SHOWN
Films Depleting Wild Life of Oregon
Will Ho Shown I rre to Children
and Become Part of Enter
tniniiicnit Tomorrow Right.
1
The sportBmefr of the city held a
very enthusiastic meeting last night
at the office of !g. V.. Young whore
a large number of them gathered for
the purpose of! discussing matters
pertaining to t)io Installing of
trout hatchery and the Increasing of
the present salmon hatchery, on the
North Umpqua. The fact has at last
been realized that unless some dras
tic action is taken the angling and
recreation facilities which mean so
much to Oregort, not only for pleas
ure, but In value of dollars, and
ccntB will be dissipated.
The importance of regulating the
seining and angling at the mouth of
the river which prevents the fish
from reaching tho headwaters was
also discussed at some length and
the necessity of suitable legislation
expressed. The sportsmen are unit'
ed in the opinion that some action
must be taken which will prevent the
commercial fishermen from taking
from the streams their entire life
and causing the extinction of the
myriads of fish which are even now
decreasing alarmingly In numbers.
The coming bnll and entertain
ment to be held Friday night at the
Armory were also discussed and the
Sportsmen urged to do their utmoHl
to Becure a large attendance as the
funds which will he raised will be
expended for the purpose 'if better
ing tho angling nnd recreation con
dltlons.
The men have spared no effort or
expense to make this entertainment
one of the finest of the year and
that their endeavor will not he un
rewarded Is shown by the lnrge num
ber of tickets already disposed of.
Tomorrow afternoon they have
made arrangements to show the lat
ent Wm. Finley fllni productions of
Oregon wild life to the school chll
dren at the Antlers theatre whlcn
h. heen donated hv the Elks lodge
free of charge. Thme pictures are
of the highest educational advantage
as they explain animal life to chil
dren in the best manner possible.
COUNTY TAX LEVY
FIXED BY COURT
Thirteen andFiveTenths Mills
Will be Rate For the
Year 1617.
COYOTE BOUNTY RAISED
County Court Follows Suggestion uf
TiuiMiyers nnd Increase Bounty
on Coyotes Which llnve Been
Ravaging County to $UO.
After a careful consideration of
the budget of estimated expenditures
for the coming year tho county court
today made an order placing the tax
tax levy for the state and county
purposes at 13.5 mills all increaso
from 12.3 mills of 1915 made neces
sary on account of tho great depre
tiatlon In valuation owing to the
withdrawal of the O.. & C. grant
lands from the tax rolls. The levy
has Beeuiingly met with popular ap
proval and tho court is being com
mended for the action which it has
taken in its attempt to reduce the
cost of county government which re
sulted in a decrease In the allow
ances for the various offices.
The county court was still fur
ther commended by the taxpayers
who met yesterday, each of. their
committees reporting favorably on
the budget. The sundry Items com
mittee reported thnt the amount es
timated by the court was too small
and recommended that It he In
creased for the p'urpose of raising
the coyote bounty and numerous
other small matters. The court fol
lowed Hi's suggestion and before
their adoption of the estimates and
the levy passed an order doubling
the amount of coyote bounty making
It $20 Instead of $10 as formerly.
This Is In order to rid the county
to as largo an extent as possible of
the presence of the undesirable ani
mals. The complete valuation of the
county Is estimated at $27,876,150,
Willi? tho corporation property with
in the county nnd which 'is assess
ed by the stato is valued at $0,207,
641.50. It Ifl proposed by the levy
of 13.5 mills to rniso tho Bum of
$375,328.10 to be used for the pur
pose of maintaining tho county dur
ing the year 1917. This levy Is one
tenth of a mill lower than tho bud
get and Is small in comparison to
the levy of 18.75 mills Tor Lane coun
ty. The levy and amount to be raised
In the various Items as prepared by
the court Is aa follows:
Hate
Amt. Raised
$ 73,662.75
90,943.17
1,000.75
702.48
50,003,19
, 1 4.634.98
139,330.78
Slate tax ....
Gen. Fund
Ind. Soldier
School l.lbr.
.0026425
.0032624
.0000359
.0000252
Com. School
High School
Gen. Road ...
.0020090
.0005250
.0050000
Total
.0135000
$370,328.10
FORMER RESIDENT PASSES AWAY
Veteran of Imllun Wars is Survived
hy Wife nt Mnrslilleld.
MARSHF1ELD, Or., Dec. 21. W.
C. Maine, lacking seven months of
being a centenarian, died yesterday
at his home In Marsbfield. Mr. Mnlnoj
j was born In Syracuse, N. Y., and In
I later life lived in Wisconsin, Minne
sota, Idaho ad Oregon.
He waB a resident of Hosehnrg for
four years and came to Coos Hay In
1915. Before St. Paul waB founded,
Mr. Maine fought the Sioux Indians
on Its site. T.Ir. Maine is survived by
Mrs. Maine, hlB wife for 0 years.
Mr. Maine was well known In tills
E. B. Maine on I'lt.er street for a
The same pictures will be shown at
the Armory In the evening as a part
of the entertainment.
Two committees were appointed,
one for the purpose of soliciting
members for the organization and to
call a meeting In January to draft
resolutions to submit to the legisla
ture and the other to sell tickets
and attend to further details for the
sportsmen's hall.
STATKMKXT IS 1SSI Kll
WASHINGTON, Dec. 21.
Lansing had a conference
with President Wilson late
this afternoon and issued a
supplementary statement la
which he said that the United
States does not Intend to
ubandon Its neutrality. Lans
ing said that be had learned
that his earlier statement had '
been subjected "to various
constructions which he had
not meant to convoy."
number of years. Mr. E. B. Maine
was employed as truckman by a lo
cal firm and only rocently moved
with his family to Marshfleld.
KOHM MOW ACSTUl.W CABINET.
COPENHAGEN, Dec. 21. Dis
patches from Vienna state that '
Clom Mdrtiultz had organized a
new Austrian cabinet. Count von
Spltzmuller failed In his efforts to
form a new ifitnlstry.
"BEARS" RAID STOCK MARKET
lVleos Fall Following Tiiuuiintfs
Explanation of Note.
NEW YORK, Doc. 21. -Prices on
the stock exchange crashed following
Lansing's Explanation of Wilson's
note. Despite the efforts of Mr
banking Interests to support the
market 3,175,000 Bharesl of stock
were dumped on the market. This
was the wildest day since tho North
ern Pacific panic of 1901;
REFUSE TO PUBLISH
PRESIDENT'S NOTE
English Public Expresses In
dignation at Interference
In Affairs..
WILSON IS RIDICULED
Censors Halt All Cablegrams BeiU'Uig
on Message Foreign Office
Iti-fuscs to DlvuliiO
Information.
NEW YORK, Dec. 21 Private ad
vices here said that high British of
ficials openly expressed the most In
tonso Indignation over tho note, of
President Wilson, and this attltudo
may be responsible for the action of
the Ilrlllsh government In refusing a
permit for the publication of tho
notes In London. Tho censors hailed
all cables relating to tho noto. Tho
rorelgn office received its official
copy, but refused to divulge the con
tents. Cuiuidu Resents Interference.
TORONTO, Dec. 21. Tho Cnnn
dlnn officials and ptr.s condemned
the Wilson note. Hon. G. H. Fergu
son called tho move as "gratuitous
and Inopportune". Hon. F. O. Me
Dlamld predicted that the British
would strongly resent the action.
Tho Morning World headed the story
"Wilson Slnrtfl His Knitting," nnd
Bald that iho action merely safe
guarded tho American Interests. It
does not believe that tho United
States fears the allies will mako
trade deals among themselves after
the war closes, barring neutrals not
participating In the mnlntennnce ot
tho liberties of the world.
CAR SHORTAGE CLOSESFORD PLANT
rrollts Will Jin Harrlllril nn Twenty
live Thousand Curs.
DETROIT, Dec. 21 General Man
ager KMngensmith announced that
the Ford plant would close tomor
row until January 3, for tho pur
pose of relieving tho rallrond con
gestion. Forty two thousnnd em
ployes will recelvo no pay during
the suspension. This means a wage
loss or two million dollars, and the
factory will sacrifice the profits rn
approximately twenty-five thousind
cars, as the output of tho plant fl
twenty-five hundred dally.