Image provided by: Crook County Historical Society/Bowman Museum; Prineville, OR
About Crook County journal. (Prineville, Or.) 189?-1921 | View Entire Issue (May 21, 1920)
("ROOK DOfNTY JOURNAL PiMT" It ANGUS NORTH'S RETURN By LLOYD ROBERTS (Cupyrliht.) Three men dropped from an empty box our mi tha morning freight turned It back on Cro Creek settlement. Two of Itii'in Immediately Hlmik Into the encroaching underbrush, wlillo ttie third, a lull, angular mini with shifty eye, nmhled lastly Inward the sawmill on t (if lip of Hie bunk. A freckle faced Ind, who was atnrktiiR the fresh ly rtit board before the door, paused to wipe hi lirnw a the stranger ap proached. "Ain't the drive In yet?" Inquired th latter nhiirply. , "Must of It The hint o' the cut will be In tlm boom erlong crbnut dnrk, I gup!. I-ookln' for aoina one?" "You bet I ami" The fierce ton In which thla wn uttered stirred the youngster' curl oil ty. "Mnyhe you're a stranger here abouts?" be suggested. "Mnyhe 1 nm," wua the unsntlsfuc tory retort a the other walkid off. When the whistle blow for the mid day meal he presented hla sinister fare at tha cookhouse door and accept ed the conk'a Invltntlon to dinner In a aurly, matter-of-course manner Hint did not Include thnnks, nor afterward encourngo questioning. The alirlck of the tortured nw bad Ion been at 11 led; the new moon waa glimmering palely through the budding poplnra and hlrchea, when Mc Knlght'a logger flnnlly on mo slouch Ing up from the dam for their last meal of the drive. Khoutlug upronrlnui greeting to the fat-faced cook, they rraHhed their penveya and plke-pulc upon the floor and tumbled on the benchea Hint lined the long deal tntilea. Hunger la never kept In atmpeime In the lumber camps, and the atenin wna already rlalng from , hilla of potatoea and pork, Rata of Johnny-eiiko, and Inkea of black coffee. There commenced a cluttering din of ateel on tinware, and conversation waa confined to auch gruff communda aa "Chuck the breud. Sum!" "HuhIi the aow thla way, Hobby I" and "lfcm't hog all the beana, yer dern alligator I" Bobby' phonograph waa the pride of hla heart. It waa auppoaei! to he hla one lino of dissipation for he neither amoked, chewed, drank, nor fell In love and Indulged In It at every opportunity and on all occasions, Presently the feet of the logger begnn to mark time to a rollicking bnck woods chantey aa a fiddle and a me tallic voice (truck up with: "Jack has ant a scarlet ma (rung around hla hul. Bill has lout hla dollar watch In tha Devil's Vat. Bqulnt'-oya Murphy bint tha Jmn-Jumpln' Ilka a cm. Sunday 'III eee ua eatln' off a labia.' Tho audience Joined In the chonia with a ronr and a thumping of toea that shook the tlna and aent the dust Into the air to mlnglo with tho clouds of plpo-mnoke. "Blrl a Ing, blrl a log, blrl a lot. boy.. Ram a log, cram a lc, slam a log, boya. There's Iota of lima for loalln' when tha mwi begin their noise. And tha kIb coma troopln' down beside tha mill." The atrnnger leaned bock with fold ed arm and half-crossed eyes. All day the nights, aounda and ainells of a punt existence bad been atruggllng to nwnken aome responso In hla Indexible aoul blotting out the unclean men orlea of hla exile and telescoping time until It seemed aa though he had never been absent from the settlement. And now he wna bock with hla old com rndes of wooda and rlvera Heddy Jones, I'ollte Williams, nig John Ncv era nnd mnny more Including hla boy' hood chum, Hugh McKnlght. But thlnga bad changed considerably In five years. From the most populnr man on tho river, he bnd become on outcast of clvlllxutlou, unrecognizable to his old associates, and the sworn enemy of the burly woodsmnn oppo site him who so complacently sucked on his black cigar. Well, he was glad that McKnlght ap peared so prosperous and content Evl- dently life meont something worth while to him something worth cling ing to aa long aa he could Just as his would have been If Madge had for given. Robbing him of It would be even more satisfactory thnn he had Imnglned; end now thnt vengeance was so sure and Imminent, he could afford to gloat a few minutes longer before he gave It rein. "Sandy's hoppln' Uvaly, for he's left a kid at home. Davey's heiirt Is achln for a peBky gram' mvnhone. For It ain't In human nature for a man to live alone When the drive la lyln' Idle Sunday mornln'." And once more the camp vibrated with the ronr of the chorus. There was no music In the bitter heart of Angus North, nnd yet one foot was Involuntarily beating out the mensure. His mind was concerned only with the deed that had brought him hnek. It had Deen wen urrimijeu He hnd only to throw open the door and lot events take their course. Lefty nnd Bud would spring In with cocked nistols and hold up the campi vvhnr was that blasted tune they were playing? It had been knocking upon his ear-arums wnn a peisiBieuvc w uA forced him to give heed. "Mul- vorneyl" Another association of his iif. He hadn't heard It since thut terrible occasion when she had turned him adrift to founder upon the rock. Aa vividly aa ecena of yes terday, It flared before hla closed lids. It waa auch night aa thla; he had Just returned from the drive,-aa they were doing now. Hut then It had been the Upper Naahwaak not Cross Creek and they had atopped to celebrate their freedom at Htanley. Of course, he hnd sworn to let the bottle alone, and In those days hla word waa as good aa hla bond. Hut what If he had been a fool, and hla Intractable enemy had got the better of him? Hndn't man a right to kick over the trace once In a while without be ing called to aocount? Ktlll, he shouldn't have gone to Mndge In that condition he knew that. Hut be had only meant to catch a glimpse of her through tho window, until be saw that she had company. Even then he might avo restrained his Jealous rnge If Mc Knlght hndn't looked at her the way tin did, and she hadn't played and sung those very aotigs she nlwiy sang for in. Every one knew that McKnlght was after her, too. though he had never let that fact worry him before. It had ended with Ills entering and creating scene that no self-respecting girl could overlook. Ilfl could see the ex presslon of pain and pity In her eyea now, hear Hugh a quiet words of rea son, see himself fumble for hi clasp- knife, and have It Jerked from hi slinking fingers. Then, as be waa lcav- Ing, he hnd aworn to "get even." Thnt, at least, was an oath he had never forgotten. As he aank lower nil lower It tiad become more and more of an obsession become tho one ambition of hla bestlnl existence. Whnt was he waiting for? Curse the music 1 It was vengennce, not regret he wished to dwell on. The song came to an end, and he slowly rose to hla feet Hud and Lefty would be cowering In the shadows. cursing hi delay. Hefore he had token three steps, however, a singer's sweet voice held him again. Of all the dear songs thnt Mndge had sung to htm, The Hunks of Loch Lomond" wa the dearest, the one most pregnnnt with his passion; and with a atllled oath he lenned against the wall and surren dered himself to Ita spell. Tou take the high road and I'll take tha low road She seemed to be there In person pleading with his warped soul aa she had pleaded In the past, reminding him of nil those shattered promises and the love be hnd forfeited. The phonograph whirred and stopped. A draft caused the lamps to (lure and amokc, and .... "Up with yer paws, you louts "came harsh, nasal voice. Angus North awoke with an Innr- tlculnte about and sprang toward the door, where two muflled figures were standing with leveled pistols. The log gers hnd Jumped to their feet, and a few were obeying tho order. Hut the boss wns not of this number. For all his big frame, he had a brain and body trained for sudden action, and scarce ly had the words left Hud's mouth be fore he waa charging recklessly down the camp. Luckily for him the stranger was nearer the door, and as Lefty's finger contracted on the trigger he threw himself between them. At the report North pitched on his face, and Mc- Knight, clearing hla body without pause, wns upon the robbers before they could fire ngnln. Lefty went down before the knotted flst as If he had been struck by a peuvey, and though Bud made an effort to dodge, he waa caught by an arm and crumpled violently to the floor. A dozen rough hnnda made further resistance Impos sible. Then the boss dropped beside the mnn who Interposed and gently raised his head. The bullet hnd bored through his right shoulder, but without touch ing the bone, "I'm done for, Hugh," announced the tramp without emotion. Tho boss atnrted. "By Jove It's An gus North 1" he cried, and he stnred In amazement at the wreck of his one time friend. "Sure thing. Come bnck ter stay." "An' Jest In the nick o''tlme, too, He'd have winged me, I guess, If yer hndn't got In the wsy." The woodsmnn Is not demonstrative, nnd the tone rather than the words evidenced the gratitude he felt for the net North's weak features suddenly hardened. "Don't fool yourself. It was for her sake I done It I had meant them ter kill yer, but but that pesky phono graph got me all balled up an' I butted In 'fore I knew what I was erbout. Give me a drink, some one." The cook ran for a mug of water, and McKnlght held htm higher as he drank. "I had no Idea yer held a grudge against me, Angus. I only did my duty thnt night, an' I've been tryln' ter do It ever since. Madge made me write to nil the folKS I knew In the States to try nnd find out where you were. She'll be mighty glad to hear you're hack, North's features relaxed as pleasure fnded the pain from his eyes. ' "Is thut straight, Hugh?" he cried weakly. "Heaven's my witness. She was cer tain you'd return some day, when you'd got a grip on yourself, an' she's been waitin' an' lookln' for you ever since." "An1 she ain't your your " "Shucks, no I She said she'd never talk to another 'til she'd seen if you still wanted her. She's believed In you all erlong." "He's only fainted, boys," McKnlght explained to the silent loggers as he lowered his friend to the floor, "and I reckon this little accident will prove the making of him. One of you fellows had better go for Madge." THE GHOST AT j THE PHONE : : By GERTSON SCHAEFFER ICulorrlahM The end of the buay dny had come at Inst, and II. Miller Vlrry found the hendache still with him. All during the rush hour of the day. a he had watched hi assignment and Ideaa develop into stories u-der the deft work of the reporter, he had waited for thla hour. Awny buck there, somewhere, never quite bidden by the thousand of idea that whirled through the street of hi mind, there had been the one thought thut when the dny wu over he would write a letter. Hut about the headnche lately It hnd never left hlin. The malady seem ed to be seated In the very dome of hi head. Now It wns time to write. It wa Saturday evening, and he was alone. A furtive look came Into Vlrry's eye. He even crossed trie room ana looked behind a locker door that was standing open. Somehow It did not seem strange to him that he should do this. He wanted to be alone.' He wnlked over to the police report er's desk. The typewriter there waa the best In the office. MncDonald al ways kept his machine clean. The steady bum that rose from the sidewalk told him that It was six o'clock. The thought of the letter he would write came forward and waved away that other consciousness that he had not euten since breakfast and he seated himself at the typewriter again. He drummed with his long Ongnrs contemplatively, looked aboui the room a moment with a nervous glance, and then began writing, using bia Index fingers only, as they write who are self-tnught operators: "The Town Where You Are Not. "The Day When I Miss You Most "The Olrl Whom I Love; "1 Don't Know Where. "Sweetheart:" That cracking aound made him Jump ngnln. He begnn writing: This letter, wecthesrt will surely test your love, for I have so much trouble to put Into It that you will hardly be able to read It I'm hardly able to write It." He Jumped from his chair and hur ried to the telephone. "Hello," he wild. "Hello hello. He wns annoyed, but courteous. He listened a moment. Why, I don't wnnt any number. I thought you rang. All right Central He returned to his letter: Sometimes I think perhaps you know all about It. Then It seems senseless for me to want to write to you. At other times It seems aa If you had forgotten all about me. Then I yearn to tell you. If you do know, perhaps you can almost look over my shoulder now and see me writing. Thnt wouldn't .be senseless, though would It, milady? It would be Just like talking over old times that we both knew all about, but love to hear each other mention. If you don't know" He went over to the telephone again, "Hello," he said in his businesslike manner. There wns always a note of expect ancy in Vlrry's telephone "Hello ;" the ring of a telephone In a newspaper of fice may mean a great sensation. Ills left hand was on the top of his hend, where the ache was heaviest. I didn't ring," he heard Central say. A puzzled expression came over his face, and he went back to the typewriter. " you would be Interested to read this, I thought. rve been thinking about you every day. And here It Is Satuiduy night Saturday nights I am loneliest. When I first met you, we used to have our six o'clock Saturday dinners at the cafes, didn't we? And then I would take you home. After a while, I used to come to your home every Saturday night You said you liked that better. "So many Saturday nights have passed since I last saw you." He smiled. As he drew away from the desk the noise of his chair on the floor and the sound of his footsteps re sounded through the room. Long ago the presses had stopped their vibra tion, and the building was deserted and dark. His letter had been written slowly, for it required much thinking a letter of that sort. "Hello," he said as he took down the receiver. "Why why why I" There was an astonishment In his voice, and his eyes widened almost Irrationally. "This can't be you 1 Central, keep off, please. "Tell me, dear sweetheart what's the matter? I don't want a number I Now she's off the Uriel Quick, Central I Get her for me. I'll give you matinee passes, If you do. What's thnt? No one on the line! That's strange! Can't get her? No one to get? You didn't ring?" Vlrry hung up the receiver and hur ried back to the typewriter, with a smile on his face. "You have Just called me up, but something was the matter with the line. You'll call again, and so I'll go on with the letter and hand It to you as soon as I see you. "I was writing about the lonely Sat urday nights.- Somehow I don't seem o lonely since 1 began to writ to-Ight 1 have decided to write, anyhow. Now, a I write, I feel happier ex cuse me. Telephone again. Hope It you." "Central!" he fairly roared this time. That girl I on the line again. "You can't tell me she Isn't I know her voice. Ye, dear, thla Is L Sweet, heart, where are you? Tell me quick ly. I'll come right there. Tell me quickly I Hurry, before she shuts na off!" He spoke o rapidly that hi words formed one long, Incoherent yell that echoed wildly through the big room. "Central, I want that number I I want that girl who wa talking! God I I must talk to her I Get her! Some one did ring. Didn't 1 hear It? And I heard her voice. Now, there ahe Is. Yes, now I can hear you, darling. Now, Central, steady a moment un til I find out where thla girl Is. Where, dear? Where? Where? Louder! She' gone, Central I She' gone ! She' gone!" Hut suddenly he wna talking over a dead wire. At the other end, a badly frightened little telephone girl was re porting to the chief operator the strange call from the Telegram of fice. Vlrry walked back y the typewrit er and wrote: . 'It wa you again, but I couldn't bear you. "If I only knew where you were, Td come to you right away. If I only knew In what direction to go, I'd start out Hut perhaps you'll call again. and so I'll go on with my letter. "There are other nights than Satur days that are lonely. Sunday nights you used to go to the theaters with me. We always bad the same pair of seats, you remember. "How many songs I can remember that you and I have heard together I I Shall Never Forget My First Meet ing With You' remember It? 'Then there was 'A Woman's Just a Woman, My Boy, but a Good Cigar Is a Smoke.' I remember you didn't like the song, until It came to the last verse where It runs, 'A woman' still a woman when a cigar' gone up In smoke' I don't know about that though; I can always get another cigar. "Then there was that song, "Dearie.' How that word echoed and pulsed and beat through that magnificent chorus. Just as It echoes and pulses through my mlndl 'Oh, there were so many songs, so mnny plays, so many hours, so many events, so many thoughts, so many ex periences, so many pleasures 1 How do you suppose I can write them all down? 'They are crowding by the thou sands up Into the front of my brain, demanding a place on this paper but here you are again. If I don't get you this time I'll" The telephone really rang this time. In two bounds he reached It "Hello," he said. "Now, Central, be more careful this time. If you only knew how much I want to talk to her! Why, It's I! Why. Vlrry, the city adltor! Keep off the line, sir 1 Yes, dear, I hear you. I'll talk to you when this man gets off the line, Hurry up nnd tell me where you are before he bothers us again. I'll come right to you. The chief? Yes. But keep off the line, chief. I'll talk to you Inter. What am I doing here? It's eleven o'clock? Well, what of that Get off the line, sir! By God, get off the line ! You've got a story for me? No, I won't come downstairs. Walt a moment sweetheart. You'll send somebody up here? Well, I don't want to be both ered." A dogged tone was creeping Into Vlrry'a voice. Somehow It didn't seem strange that the chief of police should be asking him to come down to the sidewalk. He was determined to stay at the telephone until he talked with the srlrl. The pain In his head suddenly be came sharper; he thrust his long fin gers through his hair, right over the place where the ache seemed the greatest If she could only hear hlmt Sweetheart I Sweetheart !" he shouted frantically. Suddenly he be came silent. His eyes turned to one of the doors that opened Into the hall way. Suddenly he rushed toward the door, his arms extended. "Darling 1" he cried. All the longing of his man's heart sounded In that pleading, ecstatic cry. He folded his arms, and embraced nothing! His right hand went to the top of his head. He staggered and fell, face forward, agnlnst the door. His head struck the glass, which, breaking, made a rattle and crash thnt echoed and reechoed through the hallways of the great deserted, ten-story building. Vlrry fell to. the floor, miraculously uncut. But he did not try to rise. A big policeman carefully broke away the remaining Jagged pieces of glass, so that they might not fall on the prostrate form within. Then Hen nessy, the little police surgeon, climbed through the aperture. "Hemorrhage of the brain," he said shortly. "He stopped me on the street only Inst Saturday and told me that his hend never stopped aching. "I told him he was working too hard. But thnt wasn't It "He's never stopped worrying since his girl died." Bought a Town for $10,000. The entire town of Monetn, Wyo., on the Chicago & Northwestern rail road, Is owned by one man, who paid $10,000 for It Dromedaries Succeed Where Other Transports Fail in Manchurian Desert I r,-V'V3' 'Jmm 4 v-7 : - - . . 7''.-. wx-'w Photograph (hows upplie being carried across the Manchurian desert by mean of dromedarie. The. "hip of the desert" succeeded where mo tor and other vehicle failed. ' Men Who Develop Into Murderers Fire Feet, Seven Inches, Average Height Are you a murderer? If you are about 5 feet T Inches In stature, a little over thirty -five years of age and have a subnormal tempera ture, science may brand yon a mur derer. At least, such are the ideal specifications for a murderer, based on measurements of more than 1,500 con victed slayers at the Waupun (Wis.) state prison. Other Interesting data of the genus are that frequent headaches, insom nia and periods of Intense depression are common. Teeth that have grown bad through neglect are evident In half of the cases. A third of the murderers never at tended school, while only 3 per cent completed high school. More than half were at work before they were twelve years old and 90 per cent be fore they were fifteen. Almost half of them were unable to retain the same Job or position a full year. Half of them, records show, murdered while under the Influence of liquor. "Hello" Purely American Expression, but Originated With French Wolf Hunters You should try to learn the old wolf hunter's call, because you know the wolf Is a scout and that should be the sccut call, writes Dan Beard In Boy's Life. This call was used In France first and afterwards in England, but there are no wolves In England now and the tragla call has been forgotten In both countries, therefore we "paint It green and call It our own." Even though William Tell and Robin Hood bugled the same calls before America was dis covered, we can make It American the same as we have made the old French wolf hunter's cry American. French was spoken In English court circles, so the titled wolf hunters used the French cry "hab le loup" or "a' lou loup, loup," being pronounced loo, the cry being a la loo; the English put on the H and made It halloo, and we made it hell-o, which Is an American expression, as all the telephone girls Know. So the old wolf hunter's bugle calls which came here with the Huguenots will also be American when blown through wooden flat-bdutmen's trum pets. Cooksu, Korean Delicacy and Great National Dish The great national dish of Korea Is cooksu, Sumner R. Vinton writes In Travel. To make It you plunge a large lump of Ice into a bowl partly filled with steaming vermicelli of the endless va riety. Over this you pour a portion of hot beef stew. The Ice congeals the beef fat Into little islands of grease, and you never know whether the por tion dangling from the end of your chopsticks will be Icy cold or burning hot The vermicelli, wnicn is very tough, Is to be lifted to the mouth with the chopsticks. Keeping a firm hold on it with lips and teeth, you slip the chopsticks down to lift again and take up the slack by sucking. Kilt, Highlander's Garb, of Scandinavian Origin The kilt is part of the characteristic and ancient dress of the natives of the Hichlnnds of Scotland. The word means "that which is girded or tucked up." It is of Scandinavian origin. The Danish word kllte, in use today, means "to tuck up." The kilt of the Highland er Is short but has a very full skirt, belted In at the waist and reaching to about the knees. The early kilt was not a separate garment, but mere ly the lower part of the plaid In which the Highlander wrapped himself, hang ing down In folds below the belt i-v. imm j About 4-0,000,000 Tons of Anthracite Coal Are Mined Every Year by Wet Process The rivers of Pennsylvania yield about 250.000 tons of coal every year. About 40,000,000 tons of anthracite coal are mined every year by the "wet process" la Lackawanna, Luzerne, Car bon, Schuylkill and Northumberland counties. The process require the use of vast quantities of wfcter, which when It Is discharged carries In sus pension millions of tons of culm or coal dust fine enough to pass through the smallest screen In a dry process breaker. Much of the culm finds Its way Into the rivers of the anthracite district, the Lackawanna, the Susque hanna, the Schuylkill and the Lehigh. They carry culm waste for many miles downstream, to drop It at last In shallows and eddies behind dams and on valley bottoms. Much of the coal thus scattered Is recovered by dredging with suction dredges or with the more familiar bucket type of dredge. The machinery, which Is usu ally mounted on a stern-wheel, flat bottom boat dumps the coal Into scows that carry 12 to 14 tons. The recov ered river coal brings from 70 to 90 cents at the wharf. FACTS AND FANCIES It takes three men six months to make a cashmere shawl, which requires ten goats' fleeces. The skin of an elephant when tanned. Is very expensive, the tanning taking about six months. Corsica produces the largest quantity of wax In all the coun tries In Europe, if not in the world. When the average man ex presses his gratitude it Is mere ly an offhand way he has of ask ing for more. It is the easiest thing In the world to 'stir up trouble. All you have to do is to tell the truth at all times. Vast Quantities of Coal Remain in the Mines in an Unminable Condition Mining Is still conducted with seri ous loss of life and a waste of material amounting to $1,000,000 a day. A gov ernment estimate shows that of 6,000, 000,000 tons of coal mined In one year (1914-1915), 8,000,000 was left under ground In unminable condition, says Boys' Life. It Is believed that more than one-half of this loss Is preventa ble; $50,000,000 worth of petroleum Is wasted annually and $75,000,000 In cok ing coal. In 1914, 2,454 persons were killed In coal mines. To study and remedy such conditions the government established In 1910 a bureau of mines with headquarters at Washington, an experiment station at Pittsburgh, and an office for the study of smelter problems at San Francisco. This bureau Investigates mine explo sions and safety conditions, studies mining methods with a view to pre venting waste and inefficiency, and In structs miners in first-aid and rescue work. England Eats Larger Part of Europe's Cheese Output Statisticians have figured out that England eats the larger part of Eu rope's output of cheese. Europe's out put amounts to 340,000,000 kilograms. England alone consumes 180,000,000 kilograms of this amount Next comes Holland, which takes 56,000, 000; Switzerland takes 43,000,000; France, 81,000,000, and Germany 20, 000,000 kilograms. The only people on earth who eat no cheese are the Chinese. Chile's Claim to Distinction. Chile claims that the Island of ChUo oft its west coast, is the original home of the potato and that it has been cul tivated there since early in the fif teenth century.