AN INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPER 7 PRINTS THEEWS THE DAY IT HAPPENS
VOLUME XIV.
LA GRANDE, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 1915
NUMBER 177.
BMIWSMWARSHEP
SUNK
FORMIDABLE AND CREW ARE LOST
SKILLED OFFICERS AND SEAMEfj
GOLD MINING ON
ISLAND PROSPERS
SEVENTY-ONE SURVIVORS ARE RESCUED
SUBMARINE IS BLAMED
London, Jan. 1. The British bat-
tleship .Formidable sank in the Eng
lish channel today, it is officially an
nounced by the admiralty. - The state
ment said it was -uncertain whether
aiding in the fighting of the Belgian
torpedoed by a submarine. Seventy
one survivors were picked ujx and it
is possible that others were saved by
other ships in the vicinity and have
not reported.
Formidable Cost. Five Million.
The Formidable, was one of ' the
best English 18-knot battleships. ' It
had been doing, coast guard duty and
aiding in the fighting on the Belgian
eoVst. The complement ' in peace is
789 and in war it is probably 1000.
Despite the admiralty's expression of
uncertainty, it is generally believed
the work of destruction was done ly
submarines. In official circles it is
said the ship's loss wasn't a matter
of great importance, Since it is old and
somewhat obsolete. '- '
Loss of Officers Admitted.
" It is admitted however, that the
death of trained officers and seamen
was a serious blow. What other var.
ships accompanied the Formidable at
the time of the disaster, wasn't known,
She was built in 1901 and cost five
million. ;
V A British light cruiser picked up 71
of the rescued men, the admiralty
stated later.. If more were saved it
was by other ships in the vicinity.
NEW REFEREE NAMED.
R.
J. Green Succeds John S. Hodgin
as Bankruptcy Referee.
v. United States' Federal Judge Bean
has named R.'J. Green of La Grande
as referee in bankruptcy for Union
county. He succeeds John S. Hodgin,
resigned, and takes office at once.
. Mr. Hodgin has held .that position for
a considerable time Resigning on
: count of his duties ae county prose
cutor to succeed F. ".Slvanhoe com-
' Mr. Green received announcement
from the court clerk at Portland this
morning of his appointment..
0
HORSES 10
BE INSPECTED
MISSED TRAIN DELAYS INSPEC
TION HERE.
Russel and Two Army Officers Will
Be at Fair Grounds, r '
CROWDS ARE ORDERLY.
W. M.' Russell and party, who are
inspecting horses and who was to
Police Department Has but Little to have been at the fair grounds today,
Do as New Year Approaches. ,was delayed at Wallowa by missing
. their train yesterday. They will be
There was comparatively little of at the fair grounds tomorrow. '
the excitement class as 1915 dawned With Mr. Russell are two French
this morning. . Whistles and bells army officers who do the inspecting,
joined in a merry medley of siren About 300 horses, it is anticipated
greetings, innumerable homes were will be here for inspection tomorrow.
scenes of social functions, but there far as numbers now up for inspeo
was little to keep the police depart- tors has not changed the situation so
ment busy. ' One or two sipped too far as number now up for inspec
f reely of the vodka glass and landed tion is concerned. There is no limit
in the city jail, but on the whole it to the number of horses that can be
was an orderly celebration La Grande purchased, all those passing muster
gave in token to the new year of being put up for sale. t
1915. ' I .-..'..!
ELKS SPORT STRAW.
Railroads Discontinue Free Folders.
Chicago, 111., Jan. 1. After today
Sun Comes Out to Cheer Marching the traveling public throughout the
Lodgmen in Summer Garb. .West will not find it so easy to ob-
' . ' tain a time-card or folder. Heretofore
, Wearing strange 1 attire ranging 'such railroad literature has been sup
from overcoats to mid-summer flan- plied gratis to hotels and other pub
nels, but - everywhere evidence of lie places and has been obtainable for
strange looking strawhats, the Elks the asking. In itheir efforts to reduce
of La Grande marched in their first expenses the railroads decided that
annual strawhat parade today. . It by curtailing the supply of free fold
had been snowing up to the hour of ers they might chop hundreds of ithoii
the parade and then the sun came out. sands of dollars yearly from their
A band lead the way and several hun- printing Mils. While the most of the
dred of the antlered herd paraded in roads will continue to give away the
the ' vari-colored and ... vari-natured folders at their ticket offices, it is un.
garos. aerstooa that some of tttem con
After the parade which began at 3:30 template making a charge of 1 or 2
o'clock, a short dancing party was cents for the little publications that
enjoyed at the Elks auditorium. At have been handed out free ever since
4:30 further celebrations are in the first railroad in America began
store but the nature of these have operations. :
been kept secret from the members.
by the committees in charee. I Legal Flaw is Found
Arizona Now in "Dry" Column,
John Williams, alleged highway
man on trial in Circuit Court yester-
day charged with holding up and rob-
Phonix, Ariz., Jan. 1. Arizona bmg Harvey Leonard at the Pierce
joined the list of "dry" states today, ranch ' secured a new trial and Joel
this being the date fixed for the com- Richardson the youngest attorney in
ing into effect of the prohibition con- the city, who was defending Williams
stitutional amendment adopted by the is celebrating the legal victory scored
voters at the election last November. in his first cas6( when he picked a
Strenuous but futile efforts wore technical flaw in the indictment as
made to prevent the law from becom- returned by the grand jury. The
ing operative. An injunction to this faw made it necessary to take the
end was sought by a Catholic priest case back to the grand jury "for n ro
of Tucson, who held that the prohibi- hearing and in the meantime Will
tion law infringed on constitutitnal iams must continue an inmate of tho
religious rights in that it would pro- county until that time
hibit the importation of wine for sac-
ramental purposes. Other injunctions
were sought by druggists and liquor
New Year Babe Comes.
At 4 o'clock this mornimr there was
dealers on the ground that the law born to Mr. and Mrs. A. P. Nelson,
was confiscatory. All the injunctions Spring and Walnut streets, a daugh
were denied by the courts. , ter, . i, .
FORMER HILGARD CITIZEN
HOME TO VISIT RELATIVES :
AFTER YEARS ABROAD
MONEYED INTERESTS ARE ,
DOING WELL ON ISLANDS
J. V. Lafferty Home and Greets
Former Neighbors of County.
H- - WOMEN POLICE OF LONDON CAP TURING A CROOK.
- ' V
Gold mining in the Phillipine is
lands, to the man with capital to
install ' proper dredging material, is
a prosperous vocation according to
J, V. Lafferty, of Hood River, who
was in the city yesterday the guest
of Mr.- and Mrs. Chas. W. Noyes.
and calling on old-time friends. i.'uV
teen '. years ago the family lived ct
Hilgard, ainjd while here yesterday
they renewed acquaintances 'with
many of their old-time friends. From
Hood River the younger man went '
to the Phillipines. He servted two
years there during the , uprising, as
a soldier and went into the mining
business. At an expense of ' $150,
000 . he installed a dredger and , is
now operating the mine. He brought
home a bottle full of nuggets and
made a present of one to Mr. Noyes.
The Oriental gold is slightly' dif
ferent in appearance In its rough
state, to the local .material, .'
Mr.- Lafferty recites, interestingly,
hecustoms and . habits of .the nat-
ives. " 'American invasion aiiu 'Minti
have largely removed moSquitos .and
fever germs, and sanitary conditions
are greatly improved. j .
.Wages for common labor ranges
about 25 cents a day. Skilled help
such as engineers, get 40 and 60
cents a day. Living is correspond
ingly cheap. . , ; ' ' .
The Lafferty mine is. located about
150 miles from ' Manila, and in the
town of 6000 population there are
only 50 whites. - His help is largely
native. ,
After visiting with relatives on the
Pacific coast on the 9th he will sail
from San Francisco for his oriental
holdings. :
' The dredging system of mining is
the only profitable .one he says. Many
valuable properties have been aband
oned long ago, some as many a two
centuries since, because of lack of
pumping facilities, but these condi
tions are being overcome, and dredge
mining is now being conducted on a
considerable scale, although it re
quires, says Mr. Lafferty, consider
able capital to get started.
Native women sit in the water all
day long hungrily watching the tail
ings from the dredger for paystuff,
and sometimes make as much as 25
cents a day; again they glean noth
ing in their vigil.
London has women police now, and i en this man ov tne wviat with Ijlt nvr.i
this illustration shows two of them under his elbow. Thus a levami?c is
taking a crok. : Inasmuch' as their
strength is not equal .to that of the
average male crook they had to learn
expert methods of subduing him. They
have studied - jiu . jitsu, .. the Japanese
wrestling system, by which a very
smell . ; woman' may protect herself
from a very large man who doesn't
imderstanid it. Each woman has tak-
formed, and a single quid: downwnrd
movement on the vrrt will .crack 'ais
arm at the elbow. The victim hate
is helpless, for he cannot stand the
pain of the slightest forward pres
sure on his wrist. Were he to start
a desperate struggle both arms could
be broken before he had done any
damatre. "' :'
HORSE BUYER
ATTEMPTS HIGH
FUME OH
'EN THOUSAND DOLLAR BANK
DRAFT TURNED DOWN BY
PORTLAND BANKERS. i
ALLEGED CANADIAN CUTS '
. STRANGE AND FAST PACE
Union Horpe Owners Have . Experi
ence With What is Termed Bogu
Horsebuyer Union Bank Preseaf
' ed With Big Draft, but Arrest Or
ders Follow Man Hurried to Ba-
. ker Yesterday. . .. . ' . '
TAKES OWN LIFE
UNIDENTIFIED MAN LEAPS 126
FEET.
HEAIir WIND
TOPPLES WALL
FIRE WALL ON NEW ELKS'
BUILDING DAMAGED. .
Letter in Pocket Give Some Clue ln Grocery Store Front Blown in and
Identity. . . i , Policemen Guard Groceries.
Portland, Jan. .' 1. Broken and
mangled the body of an unidentified
man, believed to be A. C. Cook, was
found' in the Jefferson street canyon
this , morning under , the Ford street
drive, from which he has jumped, a
distance of 126 feet.
In his pockets was an empty enr
velope addressed to Mrs. A. C. Cook,
San Francisco. - -
Mrs. Cook Located.
San Francisco, Jan. 1. Mrs. A.'C.
Cook collapsed today when told that
a man believed to have been her hus
band leaped to his death in Portland
She refused to say whether or not her
husband had been in Portland, but it
is learned from friends of the fami'y
that he had been engaged in publicity
business there. '
BIG SAN DIEGO IB OPENS AT
TOUGH OE BUTTON BY WILSON
San Diego, Cal., Jan. 1. From the
White House, promptly on the first
stroke of twelve announcing the de.
but of the New Year his morning,
President Wilson started the electric
spark which turned on a myriad of
lights, and amid the tumultous shouts
of thousands, the music of a dozen
bands and the waving of flags ths
great Panama-Clifornia Exposition
became a reality. An event of such
magnitude could not have been ini
tiated under more favorable auspice,
from the moment that the gates were
opened to the public last evening until
a salute of guns announced the con
clusion of the dedication exercises to
day. Everything moved with the
smothness of a well regulated mili-
,tary family, amid all the music, the
cheers of the great throngs and the
animated scenes in an about tho
handsome structures composing the
exposition. Secretary of the Treas
ury McAdoo was present as the per
sonal representative of President Wil
son and was the central figure at the
dedication exercises today. Other prom
inent participants in the program
were,, the exposition officials and the
governors of California, Utah and
other of the Western states.
Governor Ferris Begins Second Term.
Lansing, Mich., Jan. . 1. Wood
bridge N. Ferris today entered upon
his second term as governor of Mi
chigan. At the same time Lieuten
ant Governor Dickinson., Secretary of
State Vaughn and other state offi
cials elected in November were in
duced into office. .The inauguration
ceremonies were of a simple charac
ter. The oath of office was adminis
tered to the officials by Flavius L.
Brooks, of IKetroit, ,the Infcw chief
justice of the Supreme court.
The high wind that swept over the
valley about midnight last night left
its effects on the new Elks' building
where about 60 feet of the fire wall
five feet, high on the .Depot street
side was blown down, the debries fall
ing inside of the building. . The firo
wall was just completed yesterday,
winding up all of the brick and terra
cotta work on the . building with th
close of the old' year. The fact that
the wall was still green caused it to
yield to the pressure of the high wind
which otherwise would ' n6t have af
fected it. . ; '
The damage will not in the least at
feci the carpenter work on the build
ing as the wall was only blown down
to the roof joists and the work o
putting on the. roof which was under
way at the time will proceed. The
greatest delay will be experienced in
replacing the damaged terra cotta
blocks which formed the coping on
the building. Thee blocks must all
be made to order and require about
sixty days to complete so that the
building otherwise will .be practically
completed before the fire wall can be
rebuilt.
Plate windows in the Berry Bros.,
store, located in the Haworth build
ing, Fir and Adams, were blown in
by the storm and the police depart
ment had to keep a watchman-at the
window during the night. The plat
h:id previously been cracked and thu
heavy yind last evening tipped the
guns in, exposing the entire line of
goods to the public.
Georgia Has Child Labor Law.
Atlanta, Ga., Jan. 1. Georgia is
no longer to bear the unenviable dis
tinction of beinz one of the worst
states in regards to the conditions of
child labor. Under a new state law
which went into effect today children
under fourteen years old are prohi
bited from working in any manufac
turing plant, laundry or place of
amusement. Exceptions are made in
the cases of orphans dependent upon
their own labor for support.
Chas. G. Thomas, giving his resi
dence as Calgary, Alberta, Canada and
posing as a horsebuyer in the em
ploy of the British army, is badly
wanted in Union county just now fol
lowing a week of high finance un
precedented in its boldness in the
annals of the county. A $10,000 bo
gus bank draft marks his trail.
Thomas appeared in Union Sunday
evening ostensibly for the purpose of
buying horses, taking all of the ani
mals that were offered, buying them
on the spot, paying from $5.00 to
I $10.00 more than other buyers were
offering and paying for them with
his personal checks. He is said to
have purchased between 60 and 70
head of animals from the farmers in
the neighborhood of Union, all of the
animals having been delivered at the
Gussett livery barn awaiting shipment,-.,
but none of them., having been
'shippeV eo" &lf ika -owners "of -the
horses 'are only out', their time and
efforts in bringing the' stuff to the
market, and : at the same time aio
ahead considerable in -experience.
Wednesday Thomas deposited with
the Union National Bank a bank draft
on the Ladd & Tilton bank at Port
land for $10,000, leaving it in the
hands of the . bank for collection.
Cashier : Hutchinson of the Union
bank stated this morning that no mon
ey had been advanced by .the bank on
this paper but that it had been sent
in to Portland immediately, a' tele
gram being received yesterday to tho.
effect that no such person was known
to that bank and no funds had ever
been deposited in that name. In tho
meantime Thomas had succeeded in
cashing a check for $125 at the G. F.
Hall store, and this with $30 advanced
him by Tom Johnson of that city U
all of the money that he is known to
have gotten away with. .
The sheriff's office here was noti
fied late : yesterday evening but so
far no trace has been obtained of the
man. Ben Shores ' of this city waj
called to Union Wednesday night to
bring Thomas to ithis city and he left
here at 3:30, yesterday morning to
take Thomas to Baker where the man
claimed a big deal awaited his com
ing a profit of not less than $500 de
pending upon his arrival in Baker
ahead of No. 4, This was the last
that has been heard of Thomas. Ad
vices from Baker state that he didn't
register at the hotels in Baker and as
Shores saw himross the street from
the automobile in the direction of a
hotel it is presumed that this was
simply a "stall" and that he went only
as-far as the lobby from where ha
immediately made his way to the de
pot and boarded No. 4 eastbound.
Thomas was less particular than
others in the horses he accepted, and
spread the report that he would pay
more than do the inspection buyers
who are in the county at present, and
with whom are associated local men.
Thomas went his own game and in
not a part of the Grandy-McKennon-
Russel contract horse buyers. Prac
tically the only horse purchases at
Union for which he paid in full, are
two said t-o have been paid for prior
to delivery. Tbe owners of these
horses still have their money' and the
horses, and it is thought this was
done as a blind to indicate sincerity
and conscientiousness on the part of
the buyer.
V Union Wins Game.
Union, Jan. 1. (Special) Union
high defeated Joseph high last even
ing 38 to 16.