353
land grabbers, and shield tho bona fide settlor. This is
admitted, and though no more than lim duty, in deserving
of the highest priiae. Riaantly, however, he lms mm!
a ruling thnt the clause of the laud law which prohibits
locators from soiling or agreeing to sell their claims
prior to making final proof applies as well to mortgages
as to actual deeds of conveyance. Though possibly cor
rect in theory, it works a great hardship in practice.
The majority of pre-omptors are poor men who are, per
haps, compelled to spend all their ready money in locat
ing and making tho requisite improvement When tho
limit of time allowed for proving up approaches many of
them find thomselves without the purchase money, which
they can only secure, by mortgaging tho claim itself. If
they are not pormittod to do this their timo, labor and
money expended for a poriod of thirty-three months are
lost. It is to Im hoped that when the Commissioner is
mado to realize tho full clToct of his ruling he will so
modify it as to permit tho mortgaging of claims for pur
chase money, as such action would be in the interest of
actual settlors as distinguished from those of simulators.
The "Intorior World" is tho titlo of a short romance
from tho pen of Washington L. Tower, of Oakland, Or.
It is tho vehiclo by means of which tho author soeks to
convey a now theory of gravitation, which is sKJcially
explained in an appendix. Ho holds that attraction is
both positive and negative, and that tho dual action of
this force has made the glolm a hollow sphere with open
ings at both polos, and that tho open polar sen is a means
of communication between the exterior and interior
world The theory of an intorior world approachable
by way of the polos is by no means a new one. "Kymmes
IIolo" has had many warm supxrters since first de
clared to exist by tho brilliant Captain Hytnmes, and
even such great scientists as Kir Humphrey Davy have
admitteu the possibility of such a condition of tho glolx.
The romance falls far short of liulwor's " Coming lUeo"
as a literary production, and does not exhibit the fertility
of imagination nor command of scientific data of Jules
Verno in his "Trip to tho Centre of the Earth," yet it
servos to illustrate tho author's theory, and this was, no
doubt, all he attempted to accomplish. The open polar
sea has never boon accounted for by scientists on the
basis of our present theory of the earth's formation, and
a hollow globe seems to be tho only method of explaining
it. Published by Milton II. Tower, Oakland, Or. Cloth
bound, f 1.25.
When under the pressure of the great Civil War the
Uuitod Btntos undertook to become financially respon
sible for the construction of the Union ami Central
Pacific railroads, as means of firmly welding together
the East and West, it was looked um as an undertaking
of unprecedented magnitude, venture which nothing
but the patent alwoluto necessity of such a means of
communication between the BUU on the Atlantic and
Pacific ooaaU oould warrant It was a political rather
than a commercial measure, advocated by the statesman
rather than tho trader. If such an undertaking were a
pant one fur forty million of people, with Hi mnnhy
through which it would pass already partially dcveloNii,
with the terminus .n a mineral region producing millions
of dollars annually, and reaching on a magnificent hnrlsir
a city of over 200,001) people, what must be thought of the
task the throe millions of people of Cannda imposed
Um themselves, a few years later, to build throe thou
sand miles of railway through an uninhabited wilderness
of forest, across bleak and unsettled plains and through
four great ranges of mountains which presented en
giueering dilllcultics such as had never before !hou
encountered? Much was tho task the Dominion of Can
ada attempted fifteen years ago anil has now successfully
accomplished. It was a long struggle, carried bravely
on through seasons of prosperity and financial depres
sion, and notwithstanding predictions of failuro freely
made on every hand, is now brought to a triumphant com
pletion five years in advance of the allotted time. It
was a grand achievement, ami will rank in history among
tho greatest of modem times.
Htf.amiioat disasters on Puget Hound are apparently
averted only by Providential interferance, certainly not
by tho carefulness of the iusNctors in regard to either
tho vessels or masters to whom they issue certificates
and permits. Pugnt Hound is an inland sen, placid as a
mirror in summer, and in many places so sheltered that
oven tho strongest winds in winter have but little effect
itjx hi it; but in other localities whero the stretch of open
water is greater, notably opposite tho Htraits of I'uca,
the wind at times raises a considerable sea. Notwith
standing this the InsMtctor of Hulls, following of course
tho custom of his predecessors In office, grants certificate
to small, frail, shaky steamers, such as are fit only for
river navigation. It often occurs that these craft are
compelled to lie in xrt, because the master deems it tin.
safo to venture out; but there is no one, save the master,
to determine this question, and when cupidity Is arrayed
against discretion, it is very apt to prevail. This, how
ever, is not the greatest evil. Permits are Issued to unfit
srsona. In one instance in particular, a first-class mas
tor's certificate is held by an individual whoso nolo,
riously inteinorato habits render him totally unfit to
have in his charge the lives ami proxrty of others. This
Mrson is master of a steamer on which many Niple ami
thousands of dollar of property are carried daily, and Is
frequently in a state of Intoxication which render him
incompetent to handle his vessel. It can not lie argued
that the public need not travel on unsafe steamers, or
entrust their live to drunken captains; for the traveling
public has no means of knowing these things In advance.
It is eomMllod to assume that steamer and master,
licensed by Government officials, aro safe vessels and
proor (lersons. If officials can not or dare not fearlessly
ami justly discharge the duties of their office, they should
resign or he removetL Otherwise they will some day
be compelled to explain awsy their responsibility for
some heartrending disaster.