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THE ONTARIO ARGUS
PI HIISIII l KVKRV THI RSDAY
Kntorpd In the poslnmce ut Ontario Orenon for tranHmlnHlon
through tin- mull uh nerond-clnsH inatlfr.
W. 0. Marili
Benefit of the Fair to the County.
A mimfwrnf moininent men of Malheur ( JoUII-
1v were interviewed this week regarding the v;il
be of the county '"". The men choeeu were
D1PT1 who have either been connected with the
fair or have followed its developement from
rear to year with Intelligent interest.
The iiuestioii Was put Up to them something
like this. The fair is costing the community
each j ear about ten thousand dollars. In your
opinion, what is the chief value of the fair to the
Oommunity, and is it worth the money that the
community puts Into it I . .
The answers were Ol course (intercut as me
benefits of the fair appeal to different persons
in a different way. All agreed however Unit tlie
mi.leitiikint- was worth to the community far
more than it was costing, ami that it had reached
a Stage in its developement where it could he
worth si ill more.
One of the greatest benefite that has come has
been due t the exhibits of eom. Tor many
ears oeonle believed that coin could Hot he
grown successfully In this eotmty, the reason
given being that the nights were too cold. It
was not until some one tried it and got his eorn
to the fair where others could see it, that the
people were eoiiviueed, and now, within a few
years, the acreage planted to corn has increased
to such an extent that it is now recognized as one
of the most important products of the county.
JSearly everyone spoKe as wen 01 tne auvcr
tisillg value, and the ehief virtue alxut
this advertising is that it is done with deeds
rather than words. If an intelligent farmer is
looking for a place to locate, the bent plan is to
show him something, in preference to talking to
Jinn. It is hard to argue against, corn that has
yielded a hundred bushels to the acre, or against
it hundred ton Stack of alfalfa that has been cut
on an eight or ten acre tract The fair has
doubtless been responsible for bringing many
progressive farmers into the county.
The same argument applies to DMple who are
already here. With the same soil and condit
ions one farmer can do what the other one has
done, but the trouble is that ordinarily all are ho
biisv that it is seldom that they get a chance
to compare their work with that done by others
The fair Is the farmers institute of the county,
the clearing house of progressive ideas, and fur
nishes the inspiration for better work and more
of it by everyone.
There Is one value id' the fair that can scarcely
be o it estimated, though it is not so easy to sec
its significance in dollars and cents. We refer
to the developement of a community spirit, a
general willingness to co-operate in anything
that is for the interests of the people of the
whole countj and state. It is in effect the de
velopment of a practical patriotism that can be
shown at all times and which will lead to a larg
er patriotism for the state and for the nation.
Is the Pair worth ten thousand dollars a year
to the community We think it is, and ten
tunes more.
One Year of the War.
A year ego, by Qermany'i declaration of
war agaiuse Russia, the greatest war in an the
history of the world was initiated. That t lit
action taken by the Kaiser's government on that
da meant the beginning of a most gigantic
itruggle was clearly furseen by every thinking
man, and the histoid of the past 12 mouths has
proven that the predictions as to the magnitude
of the eontliet were not exaggerated,
Itiil hi, kiiii. ill tli.. . I . . I . . 1 1. 1 1 1. 1 1 1 1 .mi. i illnr.
"' .' III! II' ., HF, 111! III.-, kM, ,,1111 I
ent than expected. Chief oi these is the dura
tion of the war. Everyone expected it would be
short, and the person who would have predict
ed hi the earlx sialics that the coutlict would last
a year would have been put down as a wild guess
er. Other phases of especial interest, because
not forseeu, arc The great use made by new
instruments of warfare, particularly the sub
marine, and the huge Willis used by the Hermans
and Austrian; the violent shaking of cstab
lished rules of international law, by unusual ac
tions mi both sides, which may result in the nec
essity of redrafting the code of international
law when the coutlict is ended; and, lastly,
the shaking of friendly relations between the
I'nitcd States and the bcligerants, particularly
with Germany on account of her persistence in
attacking vessels with submarines, endangering
the lives of neutrals.
That the war has been waged for a year
with all its fierce intensity, costing millions of
lives, and main millions of dollars every day, is
the great, overpowering fact in contemplating
the historx since the first warlike step was taken
on August 1, 15M4, together with the fact that
there has been IW decisive gain on either side and
that no one can hazard a guess as to when it will
all end. It is apparent now, as pointed out by
Premier Asquith a few days ago, that the contest
is one of endurance. It is a hideous fact, hard
lv of the understanding which calls for advance
ment made by civilization in this enlightened age
that the great nations must continue locked in
I struggle to the death until one side or the other
finally succumbs through sheer inability to fight
longer.
What good has been accomplished by the
war? None. What destruction and misery has
it entailed I The human mind cannot grasp the
immensity of the undertaking which all for
the supreme efforts of powerful governments
of the bin nations of the World Neither can we
appreciate the horror and havoc caused We
know that it is terrible, cruel beyond our ability
to recognize, but the most significant fact is that
the slaughter is all so wickedly foolish.
The war to date has been a draw, and DO
human being can give an opinion of who will win
that is not a mere guess. The nearest approach
is the conclusion that it will continue to be a
draw that the fighting will go on until all sides
are exhausted. For several months after hos
tilities began, and until quite recently, an un
prejudiced observer believed that Hcrmany and
Austria must ultimately be brought to their
knees. That outcome now seems far less likely.
On the other hand, it is not likely that the allies
will be completely whipped, Hcrmany is ahead
at most every point on land, and her submarine
ad i vities have ceased to be a .joke. But her lead
at the front is offset by the loss of practically her
entire colonial possessions, and the driving of
her commerce from the sea. The chances that
the allies would win seemed to rest on the prob
ability that she would be starved into submiss
ion. But that probability now seems less likely
than at the beginning.
Some Government "News."
Among many of the activities of the various
departments of the Federal government at
Washington there are vast quantities of various
sorts of printed and type-written documents is
sued for distribution to the people, copious quan
tities of which find their way to the desks of
newspaper editors throughout the country
and also find their way a good deal more prompt
ly and with equal regularity into the waste paper
baskets.
Of course, everything of this sort which
is written and printed Is not utterly foolish.
Theoretically it is for the edification and conven
ience and general welfare of the people who
must ultimately pay the cost, while practically
it keeps many a clerk out of mischief, prevents
clogging of the cells of gray matter in the brains
of a few subordinate officials, and prevents type
writers from becoming rusty.
The foregoing observations are prompted
by a glance at a printed document issued regul
arly by the department of agriculture called the
"weekly news letter," in which the hailing ar
ticle iu one just received deals with the "liar
venter thresher" or "combine." The people of
this section of the country can judge DM them
selves of the value and timeliness of this article
from the following which we quote without fur
ther comment:
"To a large extent on the Pacific coast and
in some localities of the plains region, wheat is
harvested by means of tin- combined header and
thresher, which is almost universally called by
farmers the combine. Until recently these
machines were quite large, requiring 2t to M2
horses to draw them, or an engine with equiva
lent power. For the most part, they have been
drawn by horses for two reasons: Kirst, an en
gine in a ripe grain field gives rise to danger
from fire; second, on much of the best wheat
land, especially In Oregon, Washington and
Idaho, the topography is so rough as to render it
Impracticable to use a tractor in harvesting
wheat.
"Recently a number of smaller combines
have been put on the market and interest in
them is becoming more general."
The Greater Ontario
( lining lite nrt of a aeriea of Heriuoua by Kev I) K. Httker,
puMor of (lit HuptUt Church of Ontario.)
(leu. 4:17. "And Tain buildcd a City."
Luke 19:41. "And Jeaui saw the City and
wept over it."
1. Men build Cities. They build cities
suited to their nature. Men settle in places
where they can carry on business pursuits suit
ed to their inclinations of life.
Cain chose a land. The land of Nod. mean
ing shaking, trembling, Those that depart from
God cannot find rest anywhere else. Cain
found no rest afterwards.
2. Cain budded a city. Cain is a type of
the worldling cut off from !od, whose all is in
this life, and who has no hope of heaven. His
thoughts were only a habitation.
We have no record that an alter was erected,
or that he ever made another offering unto the
Lord.
Cities arc often built by fugitives and vag
abonds from Coil. In Milton, Oregon, the
loom were voted out, so they moved just outside
the city limits, built and continued their busi
ness until the people of the new town voted l!ietJB
out.
Cafn brought up his family in the eity he
built. It was in this eity that we have the first
record of polygamy.
I."t pitched his tent in Sodom and brought
up his family there and his wife and children
became infatuated with the social affairs of the
city, and the wickedness became so offensive
that 0od said to get out, "I will destroy the
city." They started aixl his wife looked back
on the sinful recreations which she was leaving,
and turned to a pillar of salt. The lives of man
have become as salt with the savor gone on ac
count of the sin and wickedness of a city.
Man is a social being, and Cod intended that he
should not live a life of mere solitude. It is
the duty of the eity to build up such social fun
ctions that will be for the building up of a bet
ter character,
3. Cities are scenes of luxury and vice.
The city is Satan's throne. There are hours iu
ones ministry when he longs to go back to the
country scenes of his boy-hood days. These
days are free from the contaminations of city
life. "Turn backward, turn backward ye years
in your flight, ami make me a child again just foj
tonight."
"Christ beheld the city."
Let us observe:
1. It is our duty and obligation today to see
the city. Most men standing where .Jesus did,
would only have seen the architecture and beau
ty of the eity. They never would have thought
of looking into the status of human conditions
from a humanitarian standpoint. Many can
only see the city airs, but never behold its moral
condition. Cities are Doted for specialities.
What is the specialty of our city t
It is a person's duty:
1. To look into the sin of his city.- There
is a theory abroad that it is better not to know
anything of the moral rottenness id' a community
That theory is born of a man's indisposition to
do his duty toward his city. Men do not like to
face the proposition of cleaning up a city. It
might hurt their business.
Have you noticed that the people who are
most opposed to Christian investigation of the
slums iu the city are those who are personally
solicitous to see the sin continue .'
2. It is the citizen's business to sec some
thing f the suffering of his city. Jeans went
to the Infirmary in the city, the Pool of Betheada
and helped the poor man that had lain there
thirty and eight years. Would you emulate his
his example It is not enough to act the y
of the good Samaritan, but to remove the thieves
that are destroying the inhabitants. Are we too
busy to be engaged in sueh a work Then our
haste is our dishonor, our degradation.
When the great Gladstone had all British
and Irish interests at heart, he could Mini time
to pray with wax ward boys, and visit poor men
trying to reform them from drunkenness, and
read his Bible to the street sweep in the attic.
Surely men on whom press only the lesser burd
ens of private business, could give some time to
personal work for God and their fellows.
This is an unending work that all can find
.something to do.
II. The christian who sees the city as
Christ saw it will sorrow over it. He beheld and
wept over it. The city is not a soul-less thing.
It is not a house without inhabitants. It is not
a body untenanted of spirit. It loves, it sins, it
suffers, it dies, it goes before Cod iu judgement.
For example see the account of the destruction
of Sodom and ioinorrah, both of which were de
stroyed became of their wickedness.
1. Christ wept because His city's sin had
not been forsaken. How can the christian be
happy so oug as unholiiiess is supreme in his
city ( Knox prayed, "Oh, Hod give me Scot
land Or 1 die." He listened then repeated twice.
Have Christians no such love for our beautiful
cities Will tiny give a portion of their time to
the cleaning up and making better and more
wholesome the atmosphere for the bringing up
of our children '.
2. Christ wept also because the sorrows
of His city had not been relieved. In every eity
there are many of Cod's children half Hedged in
Intellect! In hope, out of the neat of the church,
with their wings of faith bruised and broken.
Have we no time to help.' Have we no obliga
tion to restore them to their rightful place, to
save them from the horrors of Spiritual hunger
and dreadfiu death f
Have we no obligation to Cod In this inter
est? It should beget in us a spirit of soru.w,
and weep over the city as Jesus did over .Jerusa
lem. :. Again Christ wept because Judgement
was coining to His city, (.Jerusalem.)
He saw the end in which the Children of Is
rael would be slain, or scattered. Men must be
saved or every city will come to such an end.
111. Our obligation to the city is to so live
as to save it. It is one thing to live in a city;
and another thing to live for a city. There are
men iu our city who have lived In it for years,
and have lived for it twenty minutes. Some
may be chuivh men, but not Christ's men.
Christ's men will seek to bring the city to
Christ. To live iu a eity just for the gains one
may acquire and do nothing to better its condi
tion, is beyond what ought to be the thought and
principle of any man.
tMMti&l
1; To live fot-n eit one must live ill it right
eously'. Think of n city without a church.
Think of those who do nothing for the exten
sion of Christianity, or the church in the com
munity. Ten men like Lot would have saved Sodom,
but that would not have hindered it from rott
ing out with corruption.
Lot was saved, but burned out. We have
no record that Lot ever gave one dollar to help
save his city. Better would it be for some men,
especially for their souls that they were burned
out. Their wives might turn to a pillar of salt,
or die looking back on the social corruption of
the eity from which Hod may be sending her.
Men live in these cities of rotten-ness with their
children taking up with it, and marrying the
people that are propagators of such things,
Oh, that we had men and women that it
could be laid of M it was said of ( leddie when he
went to Aneityuni. and this was the inscription
that was placed upon his tomb, "When he came
in 1848 there were no ( Miristians here; When he
left iu 1872 there were DO heathen."
Such could be the case with every citizen.
if only they could see the need of a good, clean,
upright and wholesome city.
Do we know the time of visitation, .Jesus
Christ, pomes to the City, and asks admittance
into its affairs. Will we give Him a place in the
government and regulations of our city.' He
seeks for it. He asks for it. Will we give it to
llimf May we ask Him in.
There is one eity that will be destitute of
sin and wickedness. The new Jerusalem that
comes down out of heaven to occupy this old
earth again. Thank Hod the cause of wicked
ness will be removed. Satan shall be chained
and be placed in the bottomless pit where he be
longs, no more to molest and spoil the character
that God has given to man.
Let the Students Help.
Most of the work iu connection with the Coun
ty Fair is done each year by the business men of
the town who for the interest of the whole com
munity, give a great deal of their valuable time.
It would be an interesting situation if about
fifty high school students who are rcechiug
their education at the expense of the community
would volunteer their services and do all the
routine work they could and thus relieve the
pressure on the people whose time is perhaps
more valuable. We also venture the suggestion
that they would find this experience quite as
valuable as that gained in reading in i.etai. how
Caesar built a bridge so he could get to the other
side and butcher up a few more heathen.
. ,
It Is Not So Bad.
The weather has been hot, but, after all, that
is what brings the corn, the peaches, tomatoes,
watermelons and all the good things the country
affords. We wonder sometimes, when we hear
complaints about the heat, if people wotuV really
rather have cooler weather and do without some
of the good things we have to eat, or go ahead as
it is and have the satisfaction of living iu a
country that grows about everything one could
desire.
Roumania Slipping Away.
That the next neutral country to go over to
the allies will be Boiuuauia appears to be evi
dent. The only reason she has not yet joined in
the eontliet is said to be the desire to harvest her
grain before trusting her destinies to the result
of war.
The crops in all the Balkan states, with the
exception of Servia, whose agriculture has been
prostrated by the war, are said to be bountiful.
Similar consideration, probably, is holding back
Greece and Bulgaria, although their problem
are more complicated. It is even possible that
the latter may continue neutral.
That at least one of the three will join forces
with the allies does not seem to he room for
doubt, and it does not appear to be within the
range of possibility that any one of them will
range its forces with those of the Teutonic allies.
The most that the Herman diplomats hope for
is that something will transpire to prevent a
coupling with the enemies of the Kaiser.
The initial step toward the adoption of a
Pan-American doctrine, to supercede the Mon
roe doctrine, deemed by Winfleld Jones to be
necessary to meet changed conditions is sug
gested by President Wilson in declaring that
before aecording the moral support of the Unit
ed States to any Mexican faction, the adminis
tration wants the moral supimrt of the Pan
American republics.
It is not surprising, even to his admirers,
that Henry James, the novelist, has declared
himself and has surrendered his American cit
izenship to become a British subject. He has
been an Englishman at heart and residence and
in literary work for a generation or so, and
where the heart is the allegiance might as well
follow. England ia welcome to him. .,