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About St. Johns review. (Saint Johns, Or.) 1904-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1910)
Historical Society ST. Johns review i IT'S NOW UP TO YOU J GET IN THE HABIT Of admtlitnt la THIS Paper and you'll nrmrrgrtt It, tie (In atoncaandkMprltlilat II Toiubicrlbo (or THIS Paper. jf All lh( newt wlillt It It newi It ourmottu. Call In and enroll J Devoted (o the Intercut of the Peninsula, the Manufacturing Center of the Northwest VOL. 7 ST. JOHNS, OREGON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1910. NO. 4 Greatly Exaggerated The Police Force The Hindu Cases Work Being Pushed High School Notes Old Folks Party Council Proceedings From last Thursday's Journal: , St Johns Is a veritable quagmire of mud as the result of delay and carelessness in the work of street improvements in that city. St. Johns is making a hard fight to be come a paved city, but through the carelessness of contractors, it is claimed that work has been delayed till it is evident that the people must suffer through the winter with Btreets that in many instances completely forbid travel over them. The city council of St. Johns hns shown but little interest in hurry ing this work, and in fact last night gave long extensions of time to con tractors. This removes the penalty which would otherwise fall on the contractors for failure to complete their work. As a result of con tinued plodding through the mud nnd the action of the council in falling to come to their rescue, the people of the little city down the Willamette arc very indignant. Protests were voiced in part this morning by the junior member of the real estate firm of Mv Kinney & Davis. "We are up against a com bination of circumstances which means loss of considerable money to the city," said Mr. Davis. "It Is next to impossible to hell real estate because people will not buy where they find such mudholes being mas queraded under the names of streets. ' The streets being paved nre among the leading streets used by team sters in getting about the city, and we cantiofrclutc 1111s evidence in selling property. As a result many u man who would buy here and settle down is settling clscwh re. The city council apparently has , but little of the people's interests at heart, for they arc giving the ' companies extensions of time, which mean further sufferings by the peo ple here." Extensions were given at last night's meeting of the St. Johns city council to Kilkenny brothers and F. O. Swan. It is claimed that Kilkenny brothers failed to go to work for six weeks after the con- tract was let to them and ao a re sult they arc behind with their work. 'When they went to work the rainy season hud started and they are 'often delayed from doing ony work in their job. The extension asked for was of 90 days length and was readily granted by the council. , F. O. Swan gives the excuse for the delay in his work as being uu- .able to obtain cement in this city. . He is far behind in his work and it is claimed that the real reason is tthat he has beeu too sparing in the number of men he has put to work ion his jobs. He was granted 60 idays additional to finish his work ) Swan is working on the Colum kbla boulevard. This strip of road Iwith the work left open by Kilken ny brothers ou Jersey street leaves ithe city with but one road into JPortlatid. ' Strangers reading the above would naturally imagine that St. Johns must be in a horrible couditiou. Of course the article is grossly exag erated and misleading. It Is true that several streets are in a more or Jess torn up condition, but this is always the case when street work is in progress. Jersey street has been In bad condition for pedestri ans, and the work should have been completed before the wet season set 'in. The contract was let in good time for its completion, in the heart of the business district at least, but Kilkenny Bros., the contractors, made the plea that they were utter ly unable to secure material until tang after the contract was given. iWhetber this was true or not, the council williugly took their word lor it nnd the delay resulted. The reason the contract was let so late was because the city dads hoped to have Jersey street' paved, this year, but w'ere-'uua'ble'to do so owing to a difficulty iu securiug an outlet through the Weyerhaeuser tract for the sewer, .which necessarily Should be laid before paving began Finding that it was impossible to settle the sewer controversy in time, unless radical steps were takeu, it was decided to have the sidewalk Iain and the contract was given, jf council was not anxious to have the work proceed, as the article avers, the matter would have been held over until next year. They have no reason, or should have none, for not pushing street work as rapidly as possible, but they realize that it is not good policy to kave cement sidewalks laid in the winter when the v;eather is not fit for such work, and are willing to extend more time rather than run the risk of having poor work. We believe the words accredited to Councilmau Davis are incorrect, be cause he is the councilman who made the motion that Kilkenny Bros, be given an extension of 90 Editor Review: Isn't it a fact that St. Johns has a larger police force than incommensurate with the business that is to be done? Would not two or three policemen do the work that four are now employed to do? It seems to mc there is very little drunkenness, little row dyism and very few burglaries in St. Johns, so that a smaller police force would accomplish just as much and be a saving to taxpayers. TAXrAYKR. In reply to Taxpayer, the query might as justly be raised: If the force was reduced, would there not be more crime committed? Would burglars, for instance, not have n better opportunity to ply their ne farious calling iu St. Johns, and would not the fact be bruited around to those ctmaircd in burclary? If a police force is not a preventive against wrong-doiug.tbcn we would quickly decide that the force is larg er than it should be. Whether the price we pay for police protection is greater than the benefit derived is liaul to determine, and is only a matur of opinion Seme favor a larger force and some u smaller. What a tn ti i itity lavur is a matter of Muuc doubt. Ah a mutter of fact our four policemen cost the city of St. Johns only as much us three policemen cost the city of Portland, their salaries being lower. It is n fact that St. Johns is the most orderly and best regulated city on the Pacific coast. How much the police force is responsible for this state of affairs would be hard to determine. If a smaller force will continue this happy condition, let us Have it by all means. But first be sure that it will do so. A policeman's life is not the snap that some people imagine it to be. If you think so, start out some morn ing at six o'clock and walk up nit I down the streets all day, even loi ter if you will n few minutes on the corners or drop irto a store or res taurant for awhile occasionally. When six o'clock in the evening comes the chances arc that you will say it was the hardest day's work you ever put in. It's good exercise, try it. Not many men will take the job at any price. days time on Jersey street at last week's meeting, it is ueuer 10 put up with a little inconvenience at this time iu the knowledge that there will be a fine sidewalk to travel upon for the balance of the winter. The letting of the Fessen- den street so late in the season saves to the property owners several thousand dollars. The contractor took it so low because it would af ford horse-feed over winter at least and this is quite a serious item to contractors. The situation is not nearly so bad as it has beeu painted in the Journal. If signs of activity and improvement keep Investors away, it is well for the city that those kind do uot come here. We have too many dormant, mossback investors in St. Johns now. What we want is people who believe iu improvement and progress, who like to see signs of activity, aud uot the kind such signs would turn away from investing here. One road to Portland is plenty at one time anyway, especially since in is the best one and the one that is in variably used. Investors were not tumbling over themselves to buy when the streets were not torn up, aud the fact of the matter is that they are not now turning away be cause the streets are being improved. As a rule there is little doing in the realty business in the winter months and this winter is likely to prove no exception. When we get more in dustries real estate will turn more rapidjy. Until that time little can be expected People who Ibuy homes aud live here.naturally want to be employed here. When the employment1 Is furnished, home seekers will follow as a matter qf course. And the more industries trie more business houses there, wijl be, Outside its inconvenience, the torn up condition of its streets is the best advertisement and at traction that S(. Johns ever had. fSAY, if you want good meat the kind that makes flesh and blood and builds up a vigorous constitution, go to Ward's market. He never sells meat from old worn out cows which is not fit to put in the human system. Sixteen meat market men have located in St. Johns and then departed since Ward came. He stays because he stuck up for Quality nrst, last and ail the time. Quality was boutfd to win. and he knew it. Hence his continued success. For Rent Four-room furnished house. SeeXAV,.Val?ntiue. V Judge John S. Coke of the Marsh field circuit will be unable to come to Portland until January to hear the arguments 011 the motion for a new trial in the case of Gordon Dickie, who was convicted last June ai a leader of the St. Johns riots against the Hindus. Dickie has never beeu sentenced as the motion for a new trial must first be disposed of and Judge Coke has not been able to come to Port- laud since the case was tried. Dan J. Malarkcy, who was n special prosecutor in tuc case ns a repre sentative of the British government, has received word from Judge Coke that he will be here to listen to the arguments of the attorneys between January 1 and 15. The motion for a new trial raises a close question of law which Ma larkcy and Deputy District Attor ney Fitzgerald, who prosecuted Dickie, admit Is somewhat clouded with uncertainty. The indictment was drawn by the state with the idea that if convicted, Dickey should be found guilty of felony, it being charged that during the course of the riot, burglary, larceny, robbery nnd other penitentiary of fences were committed. The de fense contended that Dickie might be convicted of what is termed "simple riot," which does not in clude the other crimes and is only a misdemeanor. Judge Coke took the state's view of the matter iu giving his instruc tions, but intimated to the attor neys that he was uot entirely sat isfied and said that if Dickey was convicted he would give the ques tion more careful consideration an the motion for n new trial. The hearing in Juuuary will likely excite unusual interest, as the other riot cases,ncarly n dozen iu number, hinge upon the decision iu the Dickie case. They have been set for trial, awaiting the result of the fight iu the Dickie case. Journal. A Musical Treat Prof. Peterson, who is conduct ing a class in orchestral music with A membership of about a dozen, ranging iu age from 10 to 15 years, favored the Endeavor society of the Christian church with a well select ed number from their repertoire lust Sunday evening. It was their first public effort, we understand, aud the young artists acquitted them splendidly. Their time was fault less aud they followed their direct or 8 signals iu tlieir expression with remarkable precision for so young u class of beginners. The performance does great credit to the ability of Professor Peterson as a trainer. During the exercise the E string on the violin played by one of the pretty little Misses part ed with a loud snap, "btling bloke," remarked a little individual as a suppressed titter of merriment spread around the room. The em barrassed little player seemed to en joy the misshap in a philosophical manner aud quietly "reversed arms" until the finale. The young people invited Professor Peterson to visit them often. Can't Understand It S. M. McClave, formerly a well known business mau of St. Johns but now located .a( Montavilla,made this office a very pleasant, call Sat urdav. He said he did uot under stand what had gotten into the peo ple of St. Johns to want to annex to Portland, and thought they were more foolish than he had given them credit for. Living in a sub urb of Portland as he does, he real izes to the fullest extent the many disadvantages that accrue from be ing a part of that city without rep resentation, aud that it would )e so much worse than other sections as we have so much greater possibili ties than obtain elsewhere. He prophesied that if St. Johns did an nex to Portland- next July there would be many who would be glad to change their vote on the propo sition after a year or two of suburb an life, if it were possible to do so, The Women of Woodcraft will hold a bazar In the Odd Fellows' building on the afternoon and even ing of December 14th. Ice cream, cake, home made caudy, coffee, lemonade, sandwiches, pumpkin pies, etc., will be served. All kinds of articles will be on sale, from handkerchiefs to crazy quilts, Everybody invited. Admission free." Eugene Secor of Sunday in this city. Seattle, spent Street, sewer and sidewalk work is being pushed in St. Johns with more vigor than at any time this year. The 1 2-foot cement sidewalks on Jersey street arc going on at a rapid rate considering the weather and the three blocks between Phila delphia aud Chicago streets arc practically finished. Contractor Kilkenny is taking chauccs of get ting caught by frost in order to get this long delayed improvement completed. At the same time the streetcar company is reselling its poles and placing new ones where needed. The immense but unsightly and dangerous pole iu the center of the intersection of Jersey and Burling ton streets was taken out Wednes day. To remove this pole five others had to be set to carry the wires mid a large amount of wire work done. Contractor Seybold is pushing work on the Burlington street sew er and cxects toMiavc it done be fore his contract expires. P. J. Peterson is finishing up the Edison street Improvement uud has made a beautiful thoroughfare out of an al most impnssable roadway. Mr. Peterson also has the grading nnd sidcwalking well along ou Fessen den street, although it seemed at times as if that much needed street would never be opened in shape to improve. The street railway company Is also at work at the intersection of Jersey nnd Fesseifdcn streets chang ing its roadbed to-comply with the franchise recently grunted. Con tractor Swan has completed his large contract on middle avenue iu East St. Johns aud Contractor Thomas Cochran is working hard to complete the several street improve ments he has oil hand. Altogether $700 to $900 per week is paid out for street aud sewer work iu the city. Orcgoulau. NOTICE. i All JerSey street property owners are hereby request ed to meet in joint session with the city council Thurs day evening, De cember 8th, m the city hall to decide 1 1 ii upon tne Kma 01 hard suriace de sired for this thor oughfare. A full attendance desired. J, F. Hendricks, Mayor. A. C. Gesler of Calef Bros. St. Johns furniture emporium, accom panied by Mr. Calef of the Portland house, attended the Apple Fair at Hood River Saturday, and speak iu high terms of that neck of woods, Of the apples, Mr. Gessler says it was the finest display ot lite pomos he ever saw, and he was just as emphatic in his remarks re garding.the growers. They are a bright, progressive, energetic lot of fellows with not a mossback among them, He tried to walk up to the top of the hill so that he could see the valley, but his long residence on our level streets has so enervated his pedal extremities that his tongue was hanging out a foot by the time he .reached the last flight of steps and he slid down the ban isters and came away without see ing the niQst 'beautiful valley iu the world, according to the opinion of, the globe trotters who visit it. Some of .our citizens are agitating the proposition of erecting a hand some monument to . James John to be placed ou the public square at the corner of Jersey and Burlington streets. The idea is a good one and we believe little if any objection would be raised on the part of the taxpayers if the money for purpose was appropriated from general funds of the city after next tax levy is made. this the the Those twelve foot cement walks ou Jersey street certainly add tone and dignity to the city's appear ance, When completed from Pas seuden to Richmond street the ef fect will be still more entrancing. Remember December 9-, 10, J. II. Wmsr.HR, Editor. "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," fonder of basket ball. For further information sec Ralph Carlson aud Tlieo. Bugbcc. The girls have elected Elizabeth Stattlcr and Clara Nelson as joint captains of their basket ball team. The girls expect to show the boys this year how basket ball should be played. The high school students urc watching the operations going on down at the new high school build ing with tiic greatest interest, and the chief topic of conversation at the old building is: "When, Oh! When shall we get in?" ANONYMOUS. Our Loyal Junior sure was sick, Or else his brain was very thick, When he believed the Noble Seniors Would nsk for help from Loyal Juniors. There nre no Shakcspcarcs in our class, But yet we hope our work will pass. We arc a humble bunch of nags, But keep your eye upon our rngs. They will start aloft iu spite of all, They'll hang about in every hall. Go, Juniorsl Do your very worst, The Sophs have nlways been there first. PoitT Laukkatk. STUNOl A Junior aud a Frcshie gay Went out to take 11 walk one day, They saw a sight while they were out Which made their eyes come bulg ing out. Behind a house upon a line Hung two big pennants very fine. The Junior to the Freshman said: We'll fool that bunch who think we're dead. They went along upon their way Aud felt unite jubilant aud gay. They wcut-agaiutlmUA'erysjHiKhli And still remained tuc pleasant sight. They grabled those rags with green paint stained, And when they left no rags re mained. Now Sophs and Seniors sadly weep For pennants swiped while they did sleep. But we heed not this weeping for You know, all's fair iu love aud war. A Lovai, Junioh. HKADKKS. Perhaps those boastful Juniors kind Think that we have changed our mind; But what we say we always mean, We do our work up slick and clean, Perhaps they think they have us beat Those boastful Juniors, aren't they sweet? But just mind this, my gentle readers, At school the Sophs are still the leaders. Poht Laukkatk Loyal Oregotiiaus have reason to feel proud because of the tribute to Oregon apples paid by Professor H. E. VanDeman, judge at the Spokane Apple Show, who declared the car of Spitzeubergs winning the sweepstakes prize, which were grown at Hood River, were the most perfect apples he had ever seen. Prof. VanDeman is a noted judge of fruit, having awarded the prizes at the Columbian Exposition at Chicago aud he has also acted in a similar capacity at the leading fruit shows of the country. Portland leads the entire United States iu wheat exports for the first ten months of 1910. At the pres ent lick, it is not unlikely the Bea ver metropolis will stand first iu the country for the entire year. In creased wheat production in the tributary country and additional railroad lines that bring a wider area within the city's reach as a marketing point are adding to Portland's prestige all the time as an export center. February 1, 191 1, is the date fixed for the inauguration of train service into Interior Oregon over the new Hill line up the Deschutes. By then it is expected the line will be in operation to Matolius, 150 miles south of the Columbia river. Grading has beeu completed through Madras.six miles north of Mato lius. Rails are now laid more than 30 miles south of the Columbia. Christmas next. The "Old Folks' Party" at the Baptist church Thanksgiving after noon was a grand success and en joyed by over 40 of St. Johns' "oldest inhabitants," none be ing under 65 years of age. There was n program, a social hoiu and then a great, big lunch, partaken of by 31 of the old folks. Tlie program included addresses by Rev. C. L. Owen,, the pastor, and Rev. E. A. Leonard, who was the first pastor of the church. The 'Hit or Miss" quartette rendered several selections in a pleasing manner. Miss Lillian Perkins gave two readings in her usual inimita ble style, convulsing her audience with her description of an old col ored "mummy" scolding her off spring for stealing a okkkn water melon. Little Miss Nye told the troubles of n man who tried to change work with his wife, but who finally concluded that his wife could do more work iu a day than he could iu eleven. A vocal num ber by Lucinda Davis aud an in strumental selection by Pauline Young were much npplaiidcd,whilc the story of "the other wise man," told by Mrs. Belle Collins, the originator of the plan of the party, was n lesson that till should take to heart. Perhaps the most impressive number on the program was the recitation oP'The Mistletoe Bough" by Mrs. Abblc Graves, who was much the oldest crson there, be ing nearly 94 years old, aud greatly in contrast witli the next speaker, little Florence Nye, 8 years old. Those who partook of the spread were: Mesdamcs Nancy Caplcs, Sarah Terrill, Jennie Nelson Chris tiauii Swan, Charlotte Beam, Ari zona Leonard, Ann Suiter, Mary Ellicott, Margaret Ford, Tercssa Becker, Ruth Trumbo, Mulliula Gillmore, Lavina Salmoud, Iltildu Bogardus, Rosalc Guile, Mary Foss, Martha Mitchell, Ann Mason, Lucy Guthrie, Helen Jones, Louisa York; Messrs. Thos. Wisbcy, Win. Turner, II. A. Mitchell, C. II. James,. E. A. Smith, Joel Rush- fwortffj"-!.' A.- Leonard; H, Smith, W. Bogardus. G. Pillow, and M. Building Permits No. 1.J9 To II. E. Wagoner to erect a dwelling ou Holbrook ave nue between Willis boulevard and Weyerhaeuser tract; cost $750. No. 1 so To J. J. Karr to erect dwelling ou Seneca street between Newton aud Buchanan; cost 11950. No. 151 To John Heinnen to erect dwelling 011 Buchanan street between Hudson and Portland boulevard; cost $700. A Worthy Case There is a case iu this city wherein the charitably inclined might well become interested. The father of a large family has been confined to his home for some time with serious kidney trouble, his wife is dead and he has five child ren aud a mother well up in the seventies. Three of the children are small, the oldest sou is em ployed at $20 per mouth aud the oldest girl is keeping house and taking care of her father. The family is quite destitute and de pending entirely ou the sou's small salary aud what the old mother can earn by going out and doing house work. The attending physician states that there is no hope for the father's recovery unless he is re moved to a hospital. Ou account of lack of funds this out of the question. The family have not asked for charity so far, but help must come from some source, Therefore, if there are any persons in this city who are willing to help raise a fund to defray this citizen's hospital expenses, the contribution may be left at this office and the acknowledgement made iu the fol lowing issue of the Review. Who will be the first? The Jamesl brothers have pur chased the Princess Theatre aud propose to make that place of pop ular amusement the best that time, money aud skill can produce. Mr. James says it cannot all be done iu a minute he knows, but he has re modelled Tacoma's famous rooter's cry to read "Watch the Princess Grow." Mr. James has many good friends iu St. Johns, won by his genial disposition, who will wish him success aud will gladly dig up the dimes of tlieir daddies for an occasional evening's amusement to boost him aloug on the road. He is certainly deserving of our pat rouagc, All members were present at the regular meeting of the city council Tuesday night with Mayor Hen dricks presiding as usual. A petition for an arc light at the corner of Pierce aud Edison streets was read aud on motion of Coun cilman Dobic accepted aud ordered filed. Matter will be investigated. A proposed ordinance for the Oregon & Washington R. R. to lay sidetrack to Lauthers' ware house ou Bradford street passed to third reading, and then held over n week for further information ou re quest of Councilman Cook. Ou motion of Councilman Dow ney the petition for the improve ment of Bradford street from Rich mond to Fcsscudeu street was res urrected and the engineer will get busy upon same at once. Bills to the amount of $336.13 were allowed. An ordinance assessing the cost of improving Leonard street from Chicago to New York was passed. A resolution was ordered drawn providing for the laying of the sewer 011 Jersey street so that pav ing in the spring will not be handi capped. On motion of Councilmau Davis the mayor was authorized to call a meeting of the Jersey street prop erty owners to ascertain what kind of hard surface is desired for that thoroughfare. The dote set by the mayor was December 8th. Annual Dairy Show That Oregon should have an an nual dairy show of large proKrtlons is the belief of Dr. W. S. McClurc, chief of the bureau of animal indus try iu the Northwest. That the greatest exposition in the country, with the possible exception of the National show at Chicago, could be held this year is his state ment, basing this prediction ou the manifest advantages of the climnte aud all conditions that favor the dairy industry. "Western Oregon1 sain he, "should becoufc the great est dairy country iu America. Nat ural advantages here nre equalled nowhere else aud the state should exert an effort to increase Its dairy output too er cent. Au annual dairy product of $100,000,000 is be low the capacity ot uregou aloug these lines. If Portland would pro mote and develop n Western dairy show, it will in a few years become the largest and most interesting livestock exposition held wast of the Mississippi river. The result of such a show would be the stimu lation of the dairy interests aud hundreds of people would come to Oregon to engage iu the industry." A whole family is reported to be dying iu Hillsboro from eating un cooked sausage spread upon bread. Their bodies are pronounced by at tending physicians to be fairly im pregnated witli trichina from the raw )ork. These breed witli great rapidity aud it is only a matter of a short time until the victims are literally eaten alive. There seems to be known method of eradicating the avaricious worms after they have gained n foothold iu the hu man system. o The Owls held a delightful social session iu the Eagle hall Sunday evening. The Owl orchestra, bet ter known as the Willamette Four, rendered a number of very pleasing vocal selections, appetizing refresh ments were served, cigars were iu evidence iu abundance aud a royal good, congenial time wus had. Those members uot iu attendance missed something worth while. The St. Johns Sand & Gravel Co., has secured the contract for improving the grounds surrounding the high school building on Hayes street. The ground is to be terraced off nicely aud will mean a striking improvement to the school property. Work upon same began Wednes day morning. Hon. K. C. Couch received the sad intelligence Sunday that his father died rather suddenly at his home in Ohio. He was over 87 years of age and was buried Wed nesday, 0 Merchants, now is the time to advertise your holiday stocks. Don't be tardy and let Portlaud get the cream of the trade by hiding your "candle under a bushel." Advertise. Mrs. F. W. Valentine has re turned from a delightful ten days visit in Spokane. She took iu the apple fair while there,