La Grande evening observer., November 29, 1912, Image 4

LA GRANDE EVENING OBSERVER,
FRIDAY; NOVEMBER 29, 1912.
J'
PAGE FOUR
TOE OBSERVER
BRUCE DENNiS
EDITOR IKD flflXIE.
Entered at the poklofflre at La Graide,
Oregon, as second class matter,
fcrUSCKIPTIOX SITES.
Daily, tingle cop; fie
Dally, per neck lie
Dally, per month Cie
0. TI-MUEK FIttE LOSSES.
While It la difficult to secure ac
curate data on the amount of damage
done annually by forest fires, the lubt
report of the division throws interest
ing light upon the matter through nu
merous tables estimating the approx
imate losses In various parts of the
country. This report also contains
historical data showing that forest
fires have been occurring ever since
there were forests, fire-scarred trees
Id California dating back to 1245,
1441, 1580, and 1797, and traces of
forest J! res in Colorado going as far
back as 1C7C."
The annual fire loss In the United
States la approximately about 25,
'000,000 in value of trees, with many
millions more lost In stock, crops,
buildings, with at least 70 human
lives. The loss runs much higher
when the destruction of young trees'
growth is taken Into account, as well
as losses Incurred by Interruption of
business and depreciation of proper
ty. According to the report, lightning
al responsible for about 17.S per cent
of forest fires, with railroads, camp
ers, brush burning. Incendiary and
sawmills classed as contribute! y
causes. Even spontaneous combus
tion is credited with having some
share of responsibility In causing
forest fires.
That the recorded "dark days" In
history have been caused by forest
fires, instead of having any dire sig
alficance, Is another fact brought out
In the division of forestry report.
The dark day of 1780. known as i
"Black Friday," and dark days of
1819, 1881, 1894 and 1903 are all
shown to have been caused by the
smoke-laden air from forest fjres.
That the most serious loss from
forest fires is the timber destruction
la shown, finally, by an estimate that
the forest area, which Is two-fifths
of the entire land area of the United
States, is being seriously depleted by
forest fires. Three-ourths of the ori
ginal standing timber has been culled
'or cut, and the present rate of de
struction Is three times that of the
growth.
"At present," says the report, "ihe
standing timber Is about 2,800 b'.lllon
board feet. The annual cut Is about
100 billion board feet, and tho loss
from fire, covering 10,000.000 acres,
varies according to whether the
greater areas are virgin forest cut
lands or re-burns. We are prodigal of
our heritage, both principal and In
terest. Wte tut each year 3',i per
cent of the stand and burn almost alt,
if not all, of the growth."
At this rate. It will not be long
before the tlmter growth In the coun
try will be entirely gone.
PLENTY TO READ.
With 500 new volumes as the au
tumn contribution to book lore, It is
very evident that the author of the
book of Proverbs put it rightly when
he said: "Of the making of books
there la no end."
It Is a much mooted question as
to how much of the yearly literary
output Is adding anything of value to
the world's thought. Unquestiona
bly the bulk of reading matter which
Is put out Is of the frothy kind which
Is purely transitory, and which, in
point of influence, is scarcely worth
the paper it Is printed on.
At the same time, It is perfectly
evident that the vast majority of
readers demand light, entertaining
reading, and that they are growing
more and more clamorous for read
ing matter which Is strictly up-to-date.
Love of the classics Is being re
vived to a gratifying extent among
discriminating, readers. This is es
pecially evident from the wieespread
Interest la this country, and the gen
uine tributes paid to the works oi
this master of his craft. At the sain
time It must not be forgotten that
here Is, In this country especially, a
big percentage of tollers who are too
tired at night to read ponderous
tomes, and want something light and
pleasing in the way of entertainment.
These readers do not read to weigh
and consider, but to be amused.
The uOO books just added to the
bookshelves are largely of the en
tertaining class. These authors, a
good many of them, are students who
have 'found It possible to deal with
weighty topics In an interesting man
ner. Magazines have proved this in
recent years by presenting a good
many ; topics! formerly relegated to
very ponderous tomes, by skillfully
treating these . subjects in a light
conversational way pleasing to read
ers of all classes.
Many a deep thought has been dis
guised In a popular novel which
is not Infrequently classed among
the "best sellers."
Of course we did not need 500 new
books this fall, but slnce they ar.t
here, let us exercise critical dlscriin
crlmination In choosing which ones
we read. Wholesale condemnation of
book reading Is not only unwise, but
shows lack of discernment as to the
great mental awakening going on in
this country. The fact that people
are reading anything at all is one of
the most hopeful signs of the time.
II
GET YOURjl
SKATES
SHARPENED
Elghty-four a Pennsylvania town oi
700 Inhabitants, ts declared to he the
strongest, ueiuocratic community in
the entire country. No Republican
candidate has ever made a respect
able showing there. This town, which
is situated In Washington county,
was named In 1S84, after Grover
Cleveland's first victory, in honor of
that event. Previous to ' that time
It was called Fifty-six, because B'l
chnnan was elected president In that
year. A movement is now on foot
among the residents to rename the
plame Nineteen Twelve, In celebra
tion of rhe Wilson victory.
i
A vigorous nation or community
gives evidence of Its virile powers
through action. Action is the Bee re'
of life. Football indicates that the
spirit of action In La Grande Is
strong. Energy expended In the
Tight channel wards off decay and
stagnation.
An Easterner now declares that a
safety razor is a dangerous weapon.
He must have tried to strop the
blade with one of those patented appliances.
Begin Your
Xmas Shop
ping To-Day.
Only 21 Shopping Days till Christmas
Don't put off your shopping until the last few days before Chri:-'u.':s when you
will find it inconvenient to make your selection among the Lurrying crowds of
Holiday shoppers.
By Beginning To-Day You Profit
ly having larger stocks to select from and more time to consider the individual
preferences of your friends.
You Can Please Everyone from Our Showing of
Useful Gifts
The most appreciated of all gifts is always the one that finds some real use and
all over our enormous stock is s elected with a view of real usefulness in each
jrift.
vS5T
We Can WaitonYouWcllthe Day Before Christmas
But We Can Wait On You Much BetterTo-Datj
a
WEST'S-
THE QUALITY STORE
J
Uesolution.
The Dutch Pond is frozen
The River is freezing
And the big fun is on.
LEIGHTON
Sharpens Skates a little
better than anyone else
One Chicago book store sold 5,0
j Bibles in September. Probably some
body told' the Chicago people that It
was one of the latest publications
out.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox says the ma
jority of the men He to their wives.
It would seem as though Col. Lil Rus
sell would be a better authority on
this subject.
John D. says he is a progressive
In church affairs. Then he Is in fa
vor of more than one oyster In each
bowl of church social soup. ,
Rut the war In Turkey does not
stop the manufacture of genuine Im
ported Turkish cigarettes made in
New York and Cincinnati.
We Now Have On Deposit
$800,000.00
of money accumulated by residents of La Grande and the Grand
Koude valley.
We Now Have Loaned
$700,000.00
to business men. farmers and other In this communltv.
The money depos'ted here U not "laid awav" as some of it might
be K Its owners had not ilejii;:, ',! it, but It Is Industriously at wor
all about us. doing good.
By depositing our income ;.... ,,,, ;lpn account and paving It out
by check, you will saleguaid vmir merest, nnlld vour credit ami
cultivate an acquaintance at a strong Mnnmlal institution, whlca
can and will help you when ym n.ed help.
Don't delay, you run begin wt;'i a small deposit at the
La Grande Nationai Bank
La Grande, Oregon
Cnnltal $inn nun on. Surplus, fJ9.oon on. Rcouurs, fttltiocooH
t'KKII J. IIOI.MJS W. J. t IIVM II.
President Ice l'rcldrtit
. U .VMTUS K.Wtl. 71MH..
lu.-ltlir AVt Cashier
325 SACKS OF BALD BARLEY .V
Conlev warehouse for sale. See
Frank Ilrldses, at Wade 'Rooming
house, La Grande. 11-2S-U
t i- y .
WITH THE NOXEKS
George Carpentler. w ho recent
lost a battle to Hill Papke. will meet
Marcel Mareau In Paris Jan. 1.1.
Sammy Trott. the Cleveland 'f.)l
weight, has announced his Intention
of Invading Australia in the near .'ti
t'tre. Promoter John J. Pay. of Kenoslui.
! Wis., is trying to stage a bout bc
i twern Packey McFarlaml and hiild e
i Murphy, of Huston.
I The followers of the boxing game in
' New York are anticipating a great
; clash when Eddie McGonrty an i
: Mike Gibbons meet on Dec. .1.
It looks like a little more easy
money fur Johnny Kilbar.e U-. i:.:
lampion meets Monte Ait'li .i
i Cleveland on Pet ember 4.
Gi'm-p- M.insV who Is hov.ii;
der the name of Fred Corbet' . h.:
iij u.iiK.ng iime a i ieuu-up of l.u
union the tmvets in the nor: '.two !
Tin- Now Orleans promoters ha
I i imcrll-.M lic proposed Matty !aM-
wln-.loo Sherman bout as PhMV'ii
Ir.fnds to leave shortly for t!;. l'.i-
Be It Resolved, That the recorder
of the city of La Grande be, and h".
Is hereby authorized to give ten (10)
days notice by publication in the La
Grande Evening Observer and uy
posting notices thereof in three C!l
public places In each ward of toe
city., of the general election to hi?
held In said city and that the foi
lowing officers are to be elected :!
said election:
One mayor.
One recorder.
One treasurer.
Oise chief of police.
One councilman from the first ward
One councilman from the second
ward.
One councilman from the third
ward.
One councilman from the fourto
ward.
Re It Fuithcr Resolved, That th"
polling places designated for said
election, and the Judges and clerks
appointed to conduct said election
are as follows:
First ward: Polling place, court
house: Judges, Don Turner, Hall
lame and W. N. Monroe. Clerks, EJ.
Kauimerer and W. A. Worstell;
Second ward: Polling place, citj
building; Judges H. W. Stoner. Clay
Ellsworth and O. F. Coolldge: Clerks,
Geo. Lamoreaux and C. L. Mackey.
Third ward: Polling place. 1907 an!
Street; Judges, J. M. Hlltz, C. C. Pen
ington, W. D. Grandy; Clerks, How
ard Davis and Will Hamilton." j
Fourth ward: Polling place, Ged-j
des' store; Judges, John Ladd, It.
Logsdon and C. S. Miller; Clerks, W.
A. Thompson and J. M. Kochenspar-ger.
Be It Further Resolver, That sai
election be held on Monday, the 9th
day of December, 1912.
Adopted by the council November
20th, 1912. y
N. J. MAXSAGER,
Recorder.
Nov 2"-10t
New Shipment
of
Swift's Premium
Hams and Bacon
Just In
CITY GROCERY AND BAKERY
cm
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mmmmhi;'r(
w
IV-'fi - - v
VMM ;!
if-
The
Wardrobe
Classy Suits And Overcoats
Tailored to Measure
$20 to $30
.If you were in Paris or
London and saw the crisp,
dashing styles I have cn di3-fl-y.
you would not need
any argument to persuade
you to buy and vou should
not need any here. My goods
do their own talking
A. J. McLeod, Prop.
Fancy Cleaning and Preuing of Any Kind
A.