nh OREGON M VOL. XIV. ST. HELENS, OREGON, Fill DAY, AUGUST 13, 1897. NO. 34. NEWS OF THE WEEK From all Parts of the New and Old World. BBIEF AND IKTEEESTIKO ITEMS Uinrntmlil Review of the Iaip.rt' I eppealagt of tee Car- : : Ml 1Mb The native of New Guinea are mur dering Australian miner. Federal nd tate authorltle are again in tangle In Kane snd a olah 1 expected. The corn Crop In Kansas li now id to b damaged 60 per oent by the pre vail lug hot wout her. Senator Quay and Morgan are to go to the Sandwloh Island to pout them solve on the country and it possibll-Ulei.'.:-.-- Th Internal revenue office hue Untied onion to local collectors to suite tobacco prize package under the provision of the now turitT law. Over 100 tramp and harvester took possession of a freight train on the Northwestern line, near Omaha, Mob. The train wa sidetracked, and the sheriff and police were called npon for isslstanae. After an hour' delay th tramp were dislodged. The hrMf had a denporate fight in trying to jail the men, hut wa iiiccessful. The sur rounding oouutry I overrun with trump. Tli following I an extract from a private letter received in Kan Fran claoo from Manila, Philippine islands: "Here thing are in frightful men. Spanish dollar have been Introduced it 10 per oent 1m value than Mexican. Everybody want to sell out. Native broker are all over the plaee trying to ull their possession, and find no buy er. In the tugar province, cane plant are being burned up for lack ol rain." "7 .:; Hamuol Wolf, a Jersey City contract or, offered a dish of cream to the boy who would hold hi arm th longeat time In an toe cream freezer. A num ber of boy who were around Wolf more contested for the prise. Willie Lockwood outdid them all. Although differing great pain, he held hi arm in the freezer for (our minute. When he withdrew it the arm wa frozen (tiff. He wa taken to the honpltal, where it wussaid it would be necessary to am putate the arm. 5 A letter received In Portland from Juneau, Alaska ays: There are BOO people now at Dyco, waiting to get ovei tli pas. There are aevoral more steamer load now on the way, loaded to the guard. The Indian packer at Dye and pack animal have all the freight they can carry to the lake by the time winter et in. There will bo hundred camping at Dyea and on the lake ail winter, eating the provi sion they have taken with them. Other partie bound for the mine by thi route have to carry their own freluht over the mountain. The price! for naokiuB acme the mountain have riaen to 36 and 97 oent per pound, and the packer are independent at that. Kansas and Missouri are again being aon relied by bjat Biz person were killed in a moun tain lide a tew mile from Berlin Sat urday. S ' A non-union coal miner wa ihot and killed at Soottdale Pa., during quarrel with atriking miner The' potter of Trenton, N. J., and the aheet iron worker of Phillipsburg, N. II., now threaten to go on a atrik. The monitor Puritan broke her rod dor in New York and will be laid ur, for a month, and will coat about f 5,000. George H. Walker, a Washington, D. " 0., lawyer and former correspondent, ha beeu appointed assistant postmaster-general. .-''''-'. .. Four boy were drowned at Kansas C tv while In swimming, lour in win nineg and two more at Boston, one ol whom wa 80 year of age. Bluoiaeketa from the warship York- town and Boston were stoned and beaten by Japanese at Kobe, Japan, and om of them were batiiy usea up. Androe' north pole balloon is report rl to have been seen in several plaoe recently, but each time away off its ' course. Many have given him up at lUSt. . ' ,.".. '1 Professor Arion, a professional high- wire performer, fell from hi wire, distance of 75 feet, while riding a bl- Ynln at Ridirewood Park, N. J., and wa killed. . a The monthly statement Issued by th director of the mint show that during July, 1807, the coinage executed at th United Btale mini amounieu 1070,850. A Missouri Paolflo train ran Into frelirht standing on the main track at Yatea . Center, Kan., and Engineei Joseph Clown and Fireman Cal Rower were killed. Other person were in jured. , Captain General Weyler ha par doned forty political offender undei death and other hard sentences, at th suggestion of the home government. and 1,000 Cuban exiles have been granted amnesty. .; Assistant Secretary Howell ha ren dered a decision in which he hold that calfskin should be classed a '.'hides - of oat tie," and are therefore dutiable nnder the new tariff, but at 15 per oent ad valorem. ;. ,. In the engagement of Chakdara the British troops suffered but alight loss, but the native loss was heavy. Six thousand tribesmen were preparing to attack the fort when they were at tacked by the British column, undei Colonel Meikeljohn, and completely 8ENOR CANOVAS 8HOT. Spanish Premier Assaenlneted by Italian Anarohlat. Madrid, Aug. 10, Honor Canovas del Castillo, the prime minister of .Spain, wa assassinated today at Santa Agueda by an anarchist. The murderer fired three shots, two of which struck the premier in the head and the other In the chest. The wounded man lingered unconscious for two hours, and died at 8 o'olock this afternoon. Ills wife was but a short distance away when he fell. Santa Agueda Is noted for it bath. The plaoe I between Sun Sebastian, the summer roaidence of the Spanish court, and vlttorls, the cupitul of the prov ince of Alava, about 80 mile south of Billlo. The premier went there last Thursday to take a three weeks' course of the baths, after which he expented to return to Han Sebastian to see United States Minister Woodford, when that gentle man should be officially received by the queen regent. The assassin wa immediately arrest ed, lie 1 a Neopoiitan, and gives the name of Klnialdi, but It is bolioved his real name 1 Angele Angolo Uolli. Th murderer declared he killed Can ova in aooumplinhmeut of a "Just ven geance" and as the outcome of a con spiracy. He is believe. I to have arrived at Santa Agueda the same day as the premier, and was frequently seen link ing in the pussage of the bathing estab lishment in a suspicious manner. The rernainsof Honor Canovas will be brought here tomorrow. Marshal Martines Campos has gone to San Sebastian to attend the queen regent. Benor Sagasta, the liberal lender, has sent the following telegram to the gov ernment: "I have heard with deep pain of the crime that has thrown us all in mourn- litg, and I plaee myself at the orders of the government and queen." Most of the liberal leader sent sim ilar message, placing themselves at the disposition of the government. The queen regent, on hearing the sad new, dispatched her own physician by a special train from San Sebastian. I.ater, on learning that Canova was dead, she wired her condolence to the widow. The health of Benor Canovas had im proved greatly of lute. Ho had been leading a quiet life, although he attend ed to the business of state. At the moment of the assassination he was waiting in the gallery of the bathing establishment for hi wife, who was to join him for lunch. Suddenly the assassin, who had the appearance of an ordinary visitor, approached and fired at him point blank, one bullet passing through the body and coming out behind the loft shoulder, and the other two lodging in the head. He fell instantly, and only recovered conscious ness Ions enough to siieak a tew words. Several medical men and his wife were unremitting in their attentions to the sufferer, but his wounds were mor tal, and he died in two hours. Extreme uncHion was administered amid a scene of mingled sorrow and Indignation. The assassin narrowly escaped lynch ins at the hand of the waiters and at tendant who rushed forward. Detec tive and civil guard immediately secured him. He wa very iiale, trein bled very much and evidently feared that he wonUI be killed on the spot, lie will be first arraigned before the local magistrate at Vergara. JACK HAM B LET ARRESTED. Will Be Triad In Long Creek for the Murder of Benjamin Gamranny. Long Creek, Or,, Aug. 10. Jack Hamblet, arrested in Boise City, Idaho, last week, and for whom requisition paper have been applied by Sheriff Livinestone, of this county, will be tried for the murder of 'Benjamin j Gammany, whom he killed In an niter- J cation at a dance at Itock Creek on the morning of February 38, 1894. The circumstances of the killing are as fol lows: Jack Hamblet, who lived in the mountain, and was considered a quarrel some and dangerous character, , was called to order during the nizht of the dance by Gammany, who was floor man- aeer. Hamblet resented the interior- enoe, and, using abusive language, the two men came to blows, uammauy, who was considerably the smaller, was getting the best of the fight, when Hamblet drew his pistol ine pisioi was taken from him and the men sepa rated. Everything was again compar atively peaceable until about 8 o'clock in the morning, when Hamblet renewed the quarrel by asking Gammany to step outside with him. Gammany com plied, and no sooner had tho two men reachod the outside when Hamblet turned and fired. The shot struck Gammany' loft wrist, and, ranging to the elbow, entered me Douy. v no his death wound, body bent, and hands crossed on hi breast, Gammany ran back into the room. Mambiet ioi- lowod him, and, reaoliing over ni shoulder, sent another bail into ins brain. ; ' Then, defying any one to arrest him, Hamblet mounted his horse and rod away. Armed parties started after him, but he got into the mountain fastness, and eluded all efforts to cap ture him. Before leaving the dance hall Hamblet made the remark that Gammany wag his fourth man. Those who touch each othor are wmetime farthest opart. Short In Ktern Peaoh SUts. Chambersburg, Pa., Aug. lO.The Blue Mountain peach bolt of Southern Pennsylvania and Western Maryland t the only part of the country that will have more than 80 to 86 per cent of a crop this year. According to the view of Colonel James Englore, of Chambers burg, who ha returned from a tour of the peaoh states, the shortage is es pecially great in Wisconsin, Ohio, Del aware and the Eastern shore in Wary-land. WEALTIIOF THE YUKON Hugh C. Wallace Talks ot the Great Gold Strike. EXTENT OF THE EICH DIGGINGS It Is estimated That 100,000 M Will Cto In th Spring- California!! Clhangn His Mind. Taooma, Aug. 10. Hugh C. Wallace, the prominent bunker, who has proba bly made a more careful investigation of the Klondike than anybody on the coast who has not actually been there, having interviewed a great number of the miners who came down on the Port land last month, and other people who have traveled in the upper Yukon coun try and prosected along the main river and its brunches, said to a press repre sentative: . "There is no doubt that the Yukon will yield more gold than has been taken from any river on this coast, or probably in any other part of the world. The Yukon runs through a country not yet explored by white men, and it bars are universally reported to be rlclu Miners who have worked along the river since 1888 agree that ground $5 to $100 per day is easily found. "The existence of gold in such quan tities slong the main river is abundant proof of rich diggings in other branches than the Klondike. It is certain there wo two months ago somewhere between f 0,000,000 and f 8,000,000 already taken out and. lent to Dawson City. Fully' one-half of this, it is believed, will come down on the next two steamers. "The gold thus far taken out hai come from two or three small oreeki emptying into the Klondike. ; Reports of other rich strikes have been obtained. Returning miners unite in declaring that prospecting has scarcely begun. Men engaged in profitable enterprises on Puget sound are leaving tbem for the Klondike. I am informed that profit able diggings and prosperous towns in Alaska are being almost deserted in the rush for the new eldorado. "There will be a mighty and contin uous stream of people from Puget sound for the next six weeks, and I believe it is no exaggeration to say that there will lie 100,000 men go in next Febru ary, March, April and May. To my knowledge, letter are being received daily from every section of this coun try, and from European cities as well, making Inquiry as to mean of reaching Alaska In the spring. "Old Yukoners say the trip can be made any month in the year. The perilous and difficult part of the trip has consisted heretofore of a climb over the mountain passes requiring a portage of 88 mile from salt water to the first of a series of lake, forming the Yukon headwaters. Thi difficulty i now over, for since the using of White' pass be gan, three week ago, horse can be used for packing outfits the entire dis tance over the mountains, and miners .themselves oan ride if they choose. It is three days from Puget sound to this pass..' "The- effect of these discoveries on business on Puget sound has been elec tric, and the effect of the immense in crease in the production of gold will stimulate every artery of trade." No Klondike for Blm. Port Townsend, Aug. 10 An evi dence that many people started for the gold fields of Alaska during the strain of mental excitement was given here last night, when the steamer Queen sailed for the north. Just after the steamer blew her whistle to cast off her lines, an exolted pansenger, who had $00 worth of provision billed through to Dyea, yelled out: "Boys, divide thed d mess between you; I'm going back to California." ; The disgusted passenger refused to give his name, but said be would pre fer to give up his outfit than to take the ohances of crossing Chilkoot pass this fall. Evidently there were several disciple of counterfeiter Dean and wife, of San Francisco, yesterday bound for Alaska, for just before the Queen Bailed last night, several well dressed young men rushed around the oity in quest of change for greenbacks. They said they were going down the Yukon river in boats, and, in case they fell overboard, paper money would be ruined by get ting wet. In many cases they succeed ed in passing bills, two-thirds of whieh have been found to be counterfeit. One saloonist, in a batch of $340 in bills, received two $30 Confederate bills of the mintage of 1863. Investigation de velopcd the fact that they were left here by people who went north on the Queen. ;, ' ' -,J,"V '' ImpraetlcabU Exposition Bchames. Paris, Aug. 10. A hundred projeots for attraotious for the Pari exposition of 1000 were submitted to the commit tee today. They included the building of a copy of Bartholdi's statue of lib erty in New York harbor bOO feet high; the construction of restaurant under wator, to be built of glass; an enor mous vertical sorew, with a nut fitted as a cafej a reproduction of the Trojan horse, capable of holding 1,000 people, and plans for fitting the Eiffel tower with a spiral railroad and toboggan i,r.!o Th committee decided that none of the soherae were practicable. . Caught by a Mowr. ? ' Wilbur.Wash., Aug. 10. While cut ting grain yesterday afternoon the -year-old son of Peter McKay in some way managed to get in the tall grain in front of the machine, and had one of his little limbs completely severed. The other was badly mangled, but Dr. Young thinks that he can save it If he can save the ohild's life. A five-cent stamp must adorn every day book, ledger or other account book kept by a business house in Mexico. MOVED THEIR CAMP. Th Striken Wan th Day at Turtle and Sy Cmk. Pittsburg, Aug. 9'. Out of the 3,000 striker who camped at Turtle oreek last Saturday, barely 800 now remain at Camp Determination. In addition to the large number turned out of camp and shot off from the free food distri bution yesterday, many were drafted to Plum creek, where the great struggle for supremaoy between the strikers and the New York & Cleveland Gas Coal Company will be carried on. At Turtle and Sandy creeks the strikers have proctioally won. Turtle creek mine, known as No. 4, is closed down as tight as the striker can ever hope to close it by their present peace ful mean of agitation. It is true that a few men are still at work In the pit, but they are not putting out any coal. The same holds good at Sandy oreek. Report from Plum creek are conflict ing. Superintendent DeArmitt claims that 855 men are still working, while the striker say they counted but 80 go ing into the pit this morning. The deputies at Plum creek are hav ing a hard time. Many are complain ing, and a number have resigned. They are np from before daylight unitl long after the lun ha set They are on a constant (train. All the mines are con nected by private telegraph and tele phone wires, and every stranger or body of atrangera moving along the highway are reported to the nirest office by scouts, and the forenfen or manager of all the mines get notice. At the point upon which any march thus reported seems to be directed, there is a stir among the deputies. As these marches are of almost daily oc currence day and night in all direc tions,, the deputies are in a constant state of apprehension and activity. The feeding and lodging facilities are limited, and not adequate to the de mand made upon them, and what add to the deputies' discomfort is the fact that none of them are used to hard ships. ..... - " TESLA'S WIRELESS SYSTEM. ! May Bo Boat to Any Part of . tho Olobo. . New York, Aug. 6. Nicola Tesla announced today the completion of his latest discovery, the "simultaneous transmission of messages by mean of the earth's electrical currents to as many scattered points on the surface of the globe as may be desired." This he regards as by far bis greatest achieve ment To a few intimates he gave a thrilling demonstration of the operation of his device for arresting and subject ing to control under natural laws the natural substances in and about the earth .. ' ' . His latest invention or discovery is to produce such a disturbance of the electricity of the earth which can be felt and noted simultaneously at all parts of the globe. - "I am producing," said he in the course of his demonstration, "an elec trical disturbance of intense magnitude, which ia continuing throughout the en tire earth. In other words, I am pro ducing a disturbance Of the earth's charge ot electrioity whioh can be felt to the uttermost parts of the earth." "And the result will be?" "That is almost incomprehensible. This electrical disturbance by means of certain simple instruments, can be felt and appreciated at any point of the globe. In this way messages can be sent the entire earth around, and be taken up at any part of the earth with out the aid or intervention of wires io any way at all." Mowed Down With Cannon. London, Aug. 9. The London Mews publishes a letter from a Calcutta vol unteer reiterating the statement that during the recent rioting there the artil lery fired at a mob of 6,000 mill hands who we.re marching to join the rioter, with the result that l.SOOof the natives were killed. The secretary of state for India was questioned In the bouse of commons July 9 as to thre accuracy of the native report that 1,500 persons were killed during the rioting, whioh had just oo ourred in the vioinity of Calcutta, as one of the results of the stringent meas ures taken by government offloials to prevent the spread of and stamp out the bubonic plague. He replied that about seven persons were killed and 80 were wounded during the riots referred to. . - ' - - ' To Complete Budeon River Tunnel. New York, Aug. 6. The Hudson river tunnel project to connect New York and New Jersey has been revived. Plans are now being perfected to re sume construction where it was dropped five years ago. Engineers say that an expenditure of $1,500,000 will com plete the work. Four million dollars had already been spent before the work was abandoned, at which time there were 8,916 feet of completed tunnel go ing east from the shaft in Jersey City. One thousand feet of this distance ex tends east of the middle of the Hudson river. - - President Will Hot Come West. ; San Francisco, Aug. 9. Mayor Phelan today received a dispatoh from Attorney-General McKenna, stating that President McKinley had assured him that the proposed trip to the Pa ciflo coast had been abandoned for this year;..'' ' ' California Wheat for Brasll. Washington, Aug. 9. The bureau of Amerloan republios had Information that merchants of Rio Janeiro have ohartered two vessels in San Franolsoo to take cargoes of California wheat to Rio. This is the first time that such a thing has occurred and is attributed to the short crop in the Argentine repub Ho and Paraguay. ,:. . ; The common house' sparrow fiiea at th rate of 98 miles an hour. , A MOST TRAGIC FATE Three Gold-Seekers Perish in Alaskan Ice Fields. OVERTAKEN BY SEVERE STORM One of Them I,eft a Note Giving- an Ae . count of Their Terrible Suffer . Inge From Cold and Hunger. , Seattle, Aug. 9. There now remains no doubt as to the fate of Charles A. Blackstone, George Batoher and J. W. Malique, the Cook's inlet miners who have been missing since April. , Black stone's body has been found, and on his body was a diary stating his part ners had frozen to death. When the steamer Lakme sailed from Seattle for Cook's inlet, Alaska, in March, 1898, she carried among her passengers Blackstone, Batcher and Malique. The men attempted to cross the portage glacier on s prospecting tour and were frozen to death. It is evident Blackstone made his way down the glacier to where it pitches into Prince William sound. His body was found at the foot of the glacier, to gether with the remains of his dog. On his body was the following memo randum: "Saturday, April 4, 1897. This is to certify that George Batcher froze to death Tuesday night, J. W. Malique died Wednesday forenoon, C. A. Black stone had his ears, nose and four fingers on bis right hand and two on his left hand frozen an inch back. The storm drove n on before it overtook us within an hour of the summit, and 'drove us before it, and drove everything we had over the cliff, except our blankets and moose hide, which we all crawled nn der. The temperature is supposed to have been 40 degrees below zero. Fri day I started for salt water. I don't know how I got there with the outfit Saturday afternoon. I gathered np everything and have enough grub for ten days providing the bad weather don't set in. Sport was blown over the cliff I think I hear bim howl every once in a while." . It would appear that Blackstone went over the cliff with the intention of finding his dog. From his diary it seems that he found his dog, and finally in order to prevent starving to death he was forced to kill and eat the animal, but it was of no avail; no relief came and he starved or froze to death. On May 87. just two months after the men left Sunrise City, the body of Blackstone was found by George Hall, a prospector from . Seattle, and the re mains were buried. Blackstone was 89 years old, was a native of Oregon and bad lived : in Portland, Centralis, Wash., and Seattle. Batoher was a native of Montana, was 86 years of age, and for many years followed mining. Malique was a native of Indiana, was 88 years of age, was a graduate of Hamilton college, Mo., and was a prac tical miner. For many years he bad as a partner Mr. Hall, the hero of this story. ' : . FATAL CHICAGO FIRE. five Firemen Were Killed and Fifty Wounded. Chicago, Aug. 9. Five lives were lost in an explosion this evening dur ing a fire in the Northwestern grain elevator, at Cook and West Water streets. Four of the dead are firemen: the body of another fireman is thought to be buried in the rnins. From the force with which the explosion swept the spot on which they were standing, they must have been 'instantly killed. Either the bursting of a boiler or the explosion of mill dirt caused the havoc.- The four firemen, who were killed by the falling walls of the elevator are: Jacob J. Schnur, Joseph Strikman, John J. Coogan and Jacob S. Strainer. An unidentified man was blown into the river, but the body was not reoov- sred. -!.'..."' Besides these dozens of firemen and passers by were more or less cut and bruised by glass and flying debiis. ' In all 61 firemen were injured. A SLUMP IN SILVER. The Prlee Reclined One and One-Quarter Cent at Mew York. New York; Aug. 9. Silver bullion experienced today the most violent break of the season's decline. . In Lon don, the price dropped per ounce from yesterday's price, selling at 25j4d per ounce, as against 97d a month ago. ..The New York price fell to 65?i'c bid, a break of ljc an ounee from yes terday and 14c within a month. At this price the bullion value of the sil ver dollar is a trifle more than 43 cents. ". :'' ;;" London dispatches ascribed todav's great weakness in silver to liquidation of New York holder of the bullion. Such a decline as today's has not been witnessed since June, 1893. The India mints were closed to free silver coinage June 38 of that year. . On the news, bullion fell in London from 87d per ounce to a price below 80d, but it rallied sharply later. A huge cypress tree in Tule, in the state of Oxaca, Mexico, is 154 feet in circumference.: ' Flour on the Blae. Chioago, Aug. 9. Flour is rising in prioe, and has reached $5 a barrel. Last April it cost $4.10, the low price of the year. . The advanoe has been steady sinoe, and some of those in the trade think it will continue until war-time prices prevail. ' - . St. Petersburg, Aug. 9. Word has been received that during the recent floods 88 persons were drowned by the oollspse of a bridge at Kertle, province ti Esthoni. CLAIMS ARE ALL TAKEN. Clondrke Thronged With Disappointed ' - (. p Hunter. '.. San Francisco, Aug. 9. Speaking of the Clondyke output of gold, the chief elerk of the mint (aid: "All the gold brought to thi city from the Alaskan mines will not ex ceed $800,000, and all that has been taken out this year and sent to tho other mints of the country will not ex ceed $3,000,000. The gold from that part of the country is generally from 700 to 800 fine and some of it rates 900, the average being worth from $15.(5 to $17 an ounoe." ; J. C. Butler, of the Pullman Car Company, is in receipt of a letter from K. P. . Taylor, a financial broker of Seattle. A few days ago Taylor re ceived word from some men whom he sent to the Clondyke region last spring, in which they inform him that every claim within 160 mile of Dawson City has been taken up, and that men are rushing all over the country look ing for locatiton. He (ays that star vation and hardship stare many of them in the face. Captain Niebaum, of the Alaska Commercial Company, who ha made a careful study of the situation, fears there will be a great deal of suffering in the mining region thi spring. He think the people going are far in ex cess of the supplies that have been for warded.':'.. :' ' A letter from Hart Humber, a pros pector, dated Dawson City, June 18, just received, shows that the gold seek er needs plenty of capital. After reach ing Dawson and paying the heavy doty on his outfit, besides 80 cents a pound for getting it over Chilkoot pass, be will have to pay 95 cents s pound to get bis stuff from Dawson to the dig gings mi t. . .1 .i - - - -i i 1 is affecting ' the mineowners of the mother lode in the vicinity of Bonora, Jackson and Sutter Creek, and if it con tinues will cause the closing down of the mines in Calaveras, Amador and Tuolbmne counties, or their operation with depleted forces. v '..-... In the past week 900 men have left Amador county alone for the gold fields in the north and others are preparing to follow. Some of them were hired by mineowners in Alaska, but many df them went- on their own resources. The other counties have also sent ex pert seiners in large numbers. : ; ; An Expedition From Brooklyn. New York, Aug. 9. A half dozen ambitious Brooklynites are organizing an expedition to Alaska to search for some of the Clondyke gold. . David P. Watsons, of Brooklyn, cerijbt the Re publican general committee, ia making up a party, of which be will be one, and which will leave early in February to seek fortunes in the gold fields of the North. E Taeoma Is Clondyke Mad. J Tacoma, Wash., Aug. 9. Desire t rush off to the Alaska gold fields at once, without waiting till next spring is increasing all the time. Fourteen steamers are scheduled to sail from this port between now and the first of September. - TO LAY THE DUST. ' Kevel Scheme of a Mew Jersey Hallway ' New York, Aug. 9. A dispatch to the Herald from May's Landing, N. J., says: The recent discovery of Chief Engineer Nicholas, of the West Jersey & Seashore railway, that crude oil ap plied to the ground along the railway tracks would effectually lay the dust, has proven after thorough tests to work ftr better than was first expected. Both lines of track leading from Cam den to Atlantic City are being thor oughly saturated for a distance of six net on both sides of the track. The oil is applied on much the same plan as streets are sprinkled. A water and recently an oil train with sprin kling apparatus sprinkled more than 20 miles. The work will be completed in a few days. One sprinkling a year at a cost of $S0 per mile, it is claimed, will lay the dust effectually, but two applications may have to be made. The Pennsylvania system is to be sprinkled with oil as speedily a possi ble.... . -;. : v .''.' :: '.' A Michigan Tragedy. Grand Rapids, Mich., Aug. 9. Last April A. H. Dailey, of Jennison, sent a letter to Mayor Swift, saying he wanted a wife. The letter got into the newspapers, and as a result Dailey received 600 answers. From among the offers he seleoted Mrs. Hattie M. Newton, a Chioago widow, and they Were married. They quarreled and finally separated. Dailey gave his wife three days to return. The time was np at midnight last night and she refused to return. Dailey forced his way into her bedohamber and shot her with a musket. Dailey was arrested, and on his way to jail was allowed to go into a saloon to drink. ; He slipped strych nine into his beer and fell over dead in a few minutes. The woman will recover. ' Fatal Quarrel Over Cattle. , Madera, Cal., Aug. 9. In quarrel over cattle in Crane valley, at Mc Swain ranch, yesterday, between Patsy Reardon and L. A. Woodford, the lat ter was shot ' and instantly killed. Reardon gave himself up. Over Seventy Million. Washington, Aug. 9. The latest offi cial estimate of the population of the United States is 77,000,068. This is made by the actuary of the treasury an officer whose duty it is at fixed intervals to report on the per captia circulation of money in the United State. He estimates that the present' holdings of money are $39.53 for every man, woman and child in the United States. - It is much easier to find th man you ewt than the man who owe yon NORTHWEST BREVITIES Evidence of Steady Growth and Enterprise. ITEMS OF GENERAL INTEREST from All the Cltle and Towns of ' the Thriving Sinter States --Oregon. . A large cougar, measuring 6 feet from tip to tip, was killed near Alsea last week.. ' ' :.' ':.' ' The Oregon Press Association will meet in Baker City on October 16, 17 and 18. . . Quite a number of the Umatilla In dians are in the Grand Ronde valley, in Union county, digging cmas. : Just outside of the town of Athena a field of 25 acres of wheat has just been harvested, and the yield was 69 bushels to the acre. The salary of the principal of the Rosebnrg school has been reduced to $70, and the nnder-teachers to $37.60. The janitor' salary was cut down to $18 from $30. Last week a piece of bridge timber 70 feet long and 40 inches in diameter was cut at Saldun's logging camp, near Clatskanie, for the Astoria & Columbia River railroad. ' At the custom house in Astoria one day last week $1,200 duty on coal was paid nnder the new tariff, or $300 more than would have been required nnder the old law. . Thirty-six bounty warrants for squir rels and eopher scalps were issued by Manea ffFrff - MPfce for which the warrants were issued amounted in the aggregate to $94. 10, Mr. Mercy Simons, of Sodaville, is said to be the oldest person in Linn county, and perhaps in the state. She is 105 years old. Mrs. Fisher, who is 95 years old, is the oldest resident in Albany. The Columbia river annual confer ence of the Methodist Episcopal church will be held in Pendleton during the week commencing August 25. The con ference baa about 85 ministers and more than 90 charges. It is expected that 1 to visitors will be present -Bishop Foss will preside. I- A dispatch was received in Baker City from Weiser, Idaho, announcing the arrival of a smelter and that the same would be immediately forwarded to the Seven Devils. This is the first move of importance toward opening np this vast copper belt. One carload of sawmill machinery was received at the same time. The smelter is said to be of 75 tons capacity, and one ton of matte will equal four tons of ore. As the Peacock ore averages 20 per cent copper, the lessees of the mines expect to reap a rich harvest. Several arras tras are being put up for the purpose of working some ot the rich gold ledge which abound in the same district. Washington. Aostin has a new flouring mill. ' The State Bar Association will hold its next annual meeting in Spokane, More than $1,000 was paid the gill netters in Blaine for one night's catch. The annual report of the auditor of Adams county shows that the county only owes $5,000. ; v John W. Troy, the alleged defaulting auditor of Clallam county, has been takes back to Port Angeles. It is prob able that his case will be settled out of court. . The telephone line to Goldetn tale will soon be completed. Tho poles are all set, and the wire in place as far as Winans. The line will oross tne river at Winans' places being stretched be tween their big stationary fishwheels. It is reported that the General Elec tric Company, of Portland, has had a survey of the Klickitat tails made re cently for the purpose of furnishing electricity for The Dalles and Gollen- dale and to build an electric line irora Lyle to Goldendale. ; So many men are leaving Skagit county that there is a fear of crippling the shingle industry in this county, as the manufacturers say they can't got enough men to keep the mills in opera tion. Even the farmers come to Mount Vernon daily looking for help to work in the hay fields. The Walla Walla Statesman says that when the petition of the Commer cial Club of that place to the war de partment to have two troops of cavulry sent to Walla to replace those sent to Fort Yellowstone was referred to the commanding oftloer of the department of the Columbia, that official made a favorable report upon the petition. Mrs. Espey and her daughter, Clara, of Rockford, Spokane county, who walked all the way from Spokane to New York oity, returned a few days ago to their home. ' Both mother and daughter report having had a good time, and declare that their health wa never better, although the long journey reduced them in flesh. Their object in making the trip was for the purpose of making enough money to lift a mortgage from their farm. They were in demand at the various museums and other places, where salaries were paid them as curiosities. The receiver ot the hank of Puyallnp has received permission to sell the real estate and other assets of the institu tion. '..'.' The report of the commissioner of fish and fisheries recently published how that the government has dis tributed in Washington state during the fiscal year, 625 large-moutbed black bass, 450 yellow perch and 350 tench; in Idaho, 495 carp, 758 teneh, 1,475 brook trout, 400 yellow perch, 170 large-mouthed black bass and 2, 940,000 whitefiab fry. routed.