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CITY
MAGAZINE SECTION.
OREGON CITY, OREGON FKIDAY. MAY n, 1906.
PAGES 1 TO 4.
OREGON
Ton
JcK
MISS HELEN GANNON.
One of the First ladies of OMcial
Society at National Capital. .
She Often Graciously Presides at
War Councils of the Nation's
Chiefs. Democratic in Manner and
a Famous Housekeeper.
The distinction of being the best
posted woman in America on politics
and statecraft, is generally accorded
to Miss Helen Cannon, daughter of
the Speaker of the U. S. House of Re
presentatives. Speaker Cannon who
is genial and democratic in manner,
is a man of many close friendships, but
no one is so close to him as his only
unmarried daughter who has presided
over his household since the death of
his wife, many years ago.
Miss Cannon emphatically disproves
the theory that a woman cannot keep
a secret. As the confidante of the
official, who, next to the President, is
the most powerful man in the United
States, she probably learns more of
what Is going on "behind the scenes"
MISS HELEN
DAUGHTER OF THE SPEAKER OF THE
in official life than any other member
of her sex, yet never so much as once
has she let her tongue slip when
"mum" was the word, and this is more
than can be said of some men of exalt
ed position.
Moreover, Speaker Cannon's confi
dence in his daughter's discretion and
common sense is shared by the leaders
in the - lower house of Congress who
have occasion to confer frequently
with the presiding officer. Many of
these confidential confabs are held at
the unpretentious vine-covered brick
house which constitutes Speaker Can
non's Washington home, and many
times a newcomer at such a conference
has been surprised to see the wheel
horses of our national legislature freely
telling state secrets before the hostess.
Joya of Good Cooking.
Incidentally it may be noted' that
Miss Cannon is largely responsible for
so many of these political star cham
ber sessions being held at the Cannon
residence instead of in the Speaker's
private office at the Capitol or some
where else. Few readers of this need
be told that the average man sets
great store by good cooking, and the
popularity won by Senator Hanna's
famous "hash breakfasts" goes to
prove that the President and other
high officials of the nation are no ex
ception to the masculine rule.
Well, just here one has a hint as to
the magnet which helps to draw many
men of affairs to the Speaker's home
instead of to his office. Miss Cannon
is a splendid housekeeper, and Is an ex
pert in preparing or superintending
the preparation of those plain, whole
some dishes which never fail to make
a hit with men who are weary of hotel
cooking. In things to eat, as in dress,
Speaker Cannon does not go in for
much in the way of "frills", but no man
who knows what Is In store for him
ever declines an invitation to dine at
his house.
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When Congress is not in session,
Miss Cannon is mistress of her father's
home at Danville, Illinois. There, as
in Washington, she is always prepared
for company, for the Speaker's married
daughter with her children, spends
much time at the Cannon home, and
relatives and friends always feel free
to "drop in" at almost any time.
Official Feminine Calls.
In the social life of the national cap
ital, Miss Cannon occupies, by virtue
of her father s position, a unique posi
tion. Possibly not ail our readers are
aware of the many unwritten laws that
govern the exchange of calls between
women whose husbands or fathers oc
cupy prominent positions at Washing
ton. For instance, official etiquette
prescribes that the wife of a newly
elected Senator or Representative
must make the first call upon the wives
of all those Congressmen who are her
husband s seniors in service. Miss
Cannon, however, In accordance
with these same unwritten laws, is not
compelled to make a "first call" upon
any ladies in Washington, save the
wife of the President and the wife of
the Vice President. All this fuss as to
who shall call first may appear ridicu
lous to persons who are not brought
in contact with life at our seat of gov
ernment, and possibly Miss Cannon
who is thoroughly democratic may re-
CANNON.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
gard it in that light too, but the fact
remains that the enforcement of such
recognition is due the dignity of her
father's position, and she is too good
a politician not to insist upon the
Speaker of the House enjoying all the
prestige which is due him. Should Mr.
Cannon one day be President of the
United States, as is by no means im
possible, his daughter will by reason
of her kindliness and democracy, make
an Ideal First Lady of the Land.
URGES EASY SPELLING.
Supreme Court Justice Joins With
Other Weil-Known Men Carnegie
Gives Fund to Aid Cause.
Associate Justice David J. Brewer of
the , United States Supreme Court is
deeply interested in the adoption of a
scientific regulation of English spell
ing. .
Justice Brewer is a member of the
board of which Brander Mathews, of
Ttfew York, is chairman. About 750
have agreed to adopt for customary
use in their own personal correspond
ence the following twelve simplified
Rnpllinirs heretofore recommended and
used by the National Educational So
ciety, namely, program, catalog, aeca-
log, prolog, demagog, peuagog, mo, ai
tho, thoro, thorofare, thru and thruout.
In May and June, 1905, many distin
guished scholars, literary men, and
cclPTiHsta Rie-nerl the nromise. and now
the committee has been permanently
organized, under the name of the Sim
plified Spelling Board. Funds ade
quate for the purpose have been given
bv Andrew Carnegie, the justice
thinks, to the amount of $15,000, the
income of which is to be devoted to the
interests of the organization.
imnnu- th memhers of the board
are E. Benjamin Andrews, chancellor
of the University or .NeDrasKa; uavia
J. Brewer, associate Justice of the Su
rt nf the United States:
Nicholas Murray Butler, president of
Columbia University; Andrew Carne
gie, Samuel L, Clemens (Mark Twain),
Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Will
iam Dean Howells, Prof. Lownsbury
of Yale. Prof. .Tames of Harvard. Ben-
iamin E. Smith, editor or the century
Mneazine. W. H. Ward, editor of the
independent, and Andrew D. White.
ICEBERG IN DELAWARE,
Iluge Mountain of Ice Towed From
Grand Banks of Newfoundland,
The Strenuous Work of a Tug's
Crew One of the Strangest and
Perhaps the Most Valuable Prize
Ever Taken by a Ship.
In order that the city of Philadel
phia might be rescued from an Ice fam
ine a powerful ocean-going tug has ac
complished the almost impossible feat
of capturing a huge iceberg, and tow
ing it into port. Never in the world's
history has this wonderful achieve
ment been duplicated, and contrasted
with it the fascinating exploits re
counted by the marine historian Sin
bad, the sailor, appear commonplace
and trivial.
With its mountain of ice in tow, the
tug passed up the Delaware River
creating consternation among the float"
ing world on the strep m, as observers
could not imagine other than that the
floating mountain was being driven up
the bay by some freak of wind and cur
rent, to the great danger of shipping.
Its approach was responsible for some
frenzied telegraphing, which threw the
shipping interests into a panic. Orders
were issued to hold up the sailing of
every vessel due to leave, and mes
sages were dispatched to lower Dela
ware station to intercept several out
bound steamers and warn them to seek
anchor? ge out of the berg's path.
Maritime Interests Excited.
For several hours maritime "Inter
ests were intensely excited by the unheard-of
presence of an iceberg in the
bay. Later, when the true story of the
wonderful feat was flashed over the
wire, it seemed so utterly incredible
that the excitement, if anything, was
increased. It was not until one of the
fastest tugs in the harbor had steamed
down the bay and wired verification of
the story that the panic was allayed.
Only the providential co-operation of
the winds and tides, and the most fa
vorable weather conditions enabled
the tug to accomplish the feat. In spite
of the almost inconceivable risks at
tendant upon the berg's capture, not a
member of the tug's crew was Injured.
Two Men Frost-Bitten.
Two men suffered from bad frost
bites, but this was due to their own
carelessness in braving the arctic tem
perature in the berg's vicinity without
pi'Gper ciumiu& t)Aiuiw.ww .
a warning to the rest of the crew, and
when the tug with the prize passed the
Breakwater every man aboard was
muffled as if for a Peary relief expedi
tion. The length of the Iceberg was 500
feet, and it is estimated that it will
yield fully 500,000 tons, which is nearly
sufficient to make up the shortage in
ice crop due to the mild winter, ihe
work of cutting up the mountain of Ice
will have to be pushed because of the
rapidity with which it will melt under
the spring sunshine.
The monster berg was captured on
the Grand Banks of Newfoundland.
It was made fast at great risk by the
daring men on the tug, who, In small
boats tied, staunch ropes around the
mountain of ice, and then let out a
long tow-line from the tug and, with
grappling hooks, secured a fastening
which held firm after several attempts
had resulted in failure The crew of
the tug will share in the money the
prize will yield, As icebergs are brok
en off portions of glaciers, the ice
yielded will be of good quality.
School Garden Education.
Everv child likes to clay in the mud
and dirt, to -make sand houses and
caves, mud pies, and even to plant a
garden, breaking oft the twigs of trees
and pulling weeds, which are carefully
planted and watered, furnishing diver
sion and pleasure for the day. It Is
an easy matter to direct the youthful
mind a little further along tnis line
and Interest it in a real miniature gar
den. It is not an untried theory, but
a fact, abundantly proven in all the
large and many of our small cities.
Philadelphia has what are called
"Municipal Gardens;" Boston has a
dozen "School Gardens;" Chicago,
Detroit, Washington, Cleveland, Los
Angeles, In fact, almost all cities have
successfully worked out either the
school garden or the vacant lot culti
vation Idea, two separate propositions,
it is true, but closely allied. The
school garden idea opens up an easy
and agreeable avenue to what proves
more of a diversion than a task to the
young. New York has only one such
farm garden, but on Its one or two
acres, the children plant and raise both
flowers and vegetables, while in an
extemporized cook-house they prepare
the vegetables for the table and enjoy
the flavor of the fruits of their labor.
Besides this instruction in the culinary
art, a bedroom in miniature furnishes
an opportunity for the girls to learn
how to care for rooms. In Phila
delphia the relation of the municipal
gardens and the schools is intimate.
But to see this idea worked out, per
haps, at Its best one must study it as
It is In Boston. There, a private organ
ization known as the School Garden
Association, for six years or more has
been developing little centers where
the children delight to plant and culti
vate, furnishing object lessons of the
utility of such work which it is hoped,
may lead to its addition .to the school
curriculum, and with this , idea In
mind these school gardens are located
quite generally on land adjacent to
school-houses, some of the regular
school teachers gladly acting the part
of instructors. The effect upon the
little workers In these plots is in every
way happy and should lead to their
more general use.
MAPS FORTUNE IN WORMS.
Maine Florist Returns to Sweden
After Breeding Bait.
By far the most popular bait for
all kinds of fishing in Maine are liv
ing earthworms, which have the odor
of the ground about them and which
seem to be choice tidbits, not only ror
trout and landlocked salmon, but also
tor pickerel, perch, black bass and, in
deed, every species of food fish that
swims in fresh water. As the Maine
soil is deficient in humus and lacking
in decaying vegetable matter, angle
worms are not plentiful.
More than ten years ago Carl Beers,
a florist of Bangor, went into the busi
ness of rearing earthworms for the
purpose of selling them to the local
fishermen, as well as for shipment to
Boston. He Imported a breed of dark
purple worms from Belgium, which
were prolific breeders, though
course and strong flavored, and later
he secured a box of giant angleworms
from India. In the course of a few
years he was able to supply live
worms by the million to his custom
ers. Those shipped to Boston were sold
in job lots of 75 cents a pound. To
the home customers he sold worms of
average size for 10 cents a dozen.
Though his green house was a small
one, and though his trade in flowers
was never extensive, he made money
rapidly from the sale of worms, un
til last year, when he retired and
went to his old home in Sweden, a
wealthy man.
Sidney Cook, of Presque Isle, the
inventor of several diving appliances
used by men who work in deep wat
ers, was the next man to attract at
tention as a public benefactor in the
bait line. Mr. Cook says his inven
tion was made possible through hav
ing watched the Indians of Canada
when they sought worms for bait.
"All earthworms come to the sur
face at night," said he, "and feed on
the grasses and rotting leaves neat
the entrance to their burrows. While
the worms were busy eating, the In
dians of Canada had a habit of drag
ging a blanket with Its under side
smeared with bird lime along the sur
face of the land, thus picking up the
fat worms together with sticks and
lumps of earth and small pebbles.
"After dredging the land for a time
the Indians carried the blanket to the
camp, picked off the worms, and add
ed another coating of bird lime.
much for my invention, it is not mine
by rights, as I gained the idea from
Indians.
Already the
Scenery
Around the
Falls is Marred
by Power
Plants.
The only change I have made Is
to go out with a light giving forth a
violet color and allowing it to shine
for a few minutes upon the land to
be visited with the smeared blanket.
Most lights frighten earthworms and
drive them underground, which Is the
reason why they feed in the dark, but
a light that carries a blue or a violet
blue shade seems to soothe the crea
tures and makes them careless of
danger.
"Or perhaps the worms are hypno
tized by the Btrange glare and cannot
get away. That is the way a dash
lamp acts upon deer at night, and I
think a deer should know as much as
an angleworm."
IN ROCKEFELLER'S CLASS.
Chief Quanah Parker, of the Co
manches, has all the great man's hor
ror of the camera. While waiting for
a train at Stanton, Okla., a young
man began making photographs of
him. The Indian grew angry, opened
his pocket knife, and threw It at
the camera man. As this did not de
ter the latter, Parker went indoors,
took a revolver from his valise, and
started on the warpath. The police
had to disarm him.
J. Plerpont Morgan, John D. Rock
efeller, H. H. Rogers, and others
doubtless have sent messages of ap
proval to the big Comanche.
p F y 'n? ! V ii-M 1
III I f I jlEXVl; j
NIAGARA FALLS IN DANGER.
Jdint Resolution in Congress For
Their Preservation.
Proposal to Unite With Caaada in
an Effort to Stop Further Depre
dations Which Will Destroy the
Scenic Grandeur.
At last the national law-makers
have come to a realizing sense of the
danger which threatens Niagara Vails,
the most beautiful of all the worlds
natural wonders.
By a joint resolution of the Senate
and House of Representatives the
International Commission, created un
der the River and Harbor Act of 1902,
was requested to report to Congress,
at an early day, what action was, In
their judgment, necessary and desir
able to prevent the further depletion
of water flowing over Niagara Falls
and were further directed to exert,
in conjunction with the members of
said Commission representing the
Dominion of Canada, if practicable,
all possible efforts for the preserva
tion of the falls in their natural con
dition.
Report of Committee.
This Commission promptly reported
that if any benefit was to be derived
by legislation, immediate action was
necessary and outlined a plan which
It believed would have the desired
effect, providing Canada would unite
with this government in curbing the
greed of promoters and speculators.
The report says, In part: "As a step
in that direction we recommend that
legislation be enacted which shall con
tain the following provisions, viz:
The Secretary of War to be author
ized to grant permits for the diversion
of 28,500 cubic feet of water per
second, and no more, from the waters
naturally tributary to Niagara Falls.
All other diversions of
water which is naturally tributary to
Niagara Fulls to be prohibited, ex
cept such as may be required fot
locks in navigation of canals.
The foregoing prohibition to remain
In force two years, and then to be
come the permanent law of the land,
if, in the meantime the Caniuliau
government shall have enacted legis
lation prohibiting the diversion of
water which is naturally tributary to
Niagara Falls in excess of 30,000 cubic
feet per second."
Dependent on Canada.
It wnr uw uuicu um unless tL
British government, unites with this
(country iu its etjtort to save the natural
The American
Falls Threat
ened to be
Destroyed by
Water
Diversion.
beauty of Niagara Fails little fiance
accomplished, and from past experi
ence it seems more than doubtful that
such will be the case. In the matter
of. the international boundary aud ;J!e
seal controversy, Canada certainly did
not show nn over friendly spirit and
there is no reason to assume that her
attitude has changed in the' least, but
It would seem probable that she will
use all her great Influence with the
mother country to defeat any friendly
agreement that might be proposed.
This conclusion of Canada's probable
attitude is not reached entirely on ac
count of any unfriendly feeling, but
because of two very important facts:
one of these is the greater width and
depth of the channel on the Canadian
side, which would Insure a splendid
flow over the Horseshoe Falls after
the American side Is entirely dry.
It Is asserted that Ontario Province
now receives from the Commissioners
of Queen Victoria Niagara Park,
minimum annual rental of $tlO,XK) for
the water rights granted there, and
when the plants for which these
rrnnts were made are in full operation,
the annual rentals to the government
will amount to over $:i(K),000.
Tt is further asserted that additional
witter could be granted by Canada
which would produce an annual rental
of another $.1f)0,0(X), and still not serl-
onslv affect the Canadian side of the
Fall's, while the American Falls would
be entirely drained long before this
enormous rental was due.
I There would seem, however, to be a
remedy for the evil which Is belnfc
done, and one which Is not dependent
on Canadian co-operntion. This
remedy could be accomplished by New
York State alone, and would be to so
deepen the river channel south of
Goat Island, between that Island and
the New York State bank, that Un
American, Falls would divide with the
Horseshoe whatever water was not
diverted from its natural bed. Th
Treaty of Ghent places the American
boundary at a point well out Into the
deep part of the river channel and
affords ample opportunity to make
necessary excavations.
k 1
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(From sketch In Ladles' Home Journal. )
HOW THE AMERICAN FALLS MIGHT AP
PEAR IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
If anything is to be accomplished
In the mutter it is necessary to act
at once, for if more corporations ob
tain control of the water rights it
will be impossible for either the nation
or New York State to repurchase them
without an absolutely enormous ex
penditure of money.
Lack of Interest.
It Is certainly to be regretted that
the American people have so long
neglected the most beautiful fall of
water in the world, and have allowed
any part of it to lie converted to pri
vate gain or corporate greed.
Even now, In the face of all that
bns been said imU written on the
subject, there Rooms to be an attitude
of half-hnartetlness on the part of
t rated by the fact that Senator L'Honv"'
UH'dleu, of the New York State legln
lutnre, haft asked the Senate to kill his
bill restricting the taking of water
from Niagara River above the falls for
power, purposes mnl says lu defense
of his action, '1 cannot find any senti
ment iu favor of : protecting Niagara
Falls, and I'm tired of being attacked
on the subject of my bills relating to
this subject."
MAMMOTH INCUBATOR.
A Hatching Machine That Hoes the
Work of Vme Thousand Setting .
Hens. , N
The largest incubator in the world, ,
with a capacity of 15,000 eggs, has
Just been completed by W. P. Hall of
Pembroke, N. Y. It vis 102 feet long,
and 4 feet 4 inches wid. Partitions
divide it into 100 compartments, each
accommodating two trays. The trays
have wire bottoms, and hold 75 eggs
each. To fill this incubator a single
time with common not thorough
bredeggs woud require an expendi
ture of 6,000, for eggs of the requis
ite freshness would cost forty cents a
dozen. As one hen covers fifteen eggs
for hatching, the incubator does the
work of 1,000 fowls, or has the capa
city of one hen sitting constantly for
nearly ten years.
The incubator Is heated by means
of a coil of eight steam pipes passing
over the top of the egg chamber on
one side and returning on the other.
These pipes are connected, at one end
of the structure, to a water tank and
heater. The water flowing through
the pipes is heated to exactly the
right temperature,, a thermostat at
tached to the stove opening and clos
ing the drafts to make this possible.
The only attention required by the
hea.ter is supplying it with coal night
and morning. The thermostat is an
expansion tank, 10 by 18 Inches,
which stands over the heater. The
tank is filled with oil, in which lg a
float. As the heat of the furnace
warms the water, the water in the
jacket surrounding the heater ex
pands, and the float in the oil rises.
This movement closes a throttle at
tached to the floatarm, and shuts the
draft of the heater; another lever at
the same time opens the cold-air draft
of the furnace. In this way the tem
perature Is regulated automatically,
with extremely little variation, the
eggs being kept at 102 degrees F.
A second novel feature Is that the
heat of the eggs is regulated by rais
ing or lowering them in the egg cham
ber, which Is nearly a foot high in
side, burlap separating it from tne
pipes. The egg trays rest on double
frames hinged by galvanized arms
or levers. As the chicks develop, the
trays are lowered on these supports,
the first drop being made In six days,
and others at Intervals, until, on the
twenty-first day, the trays are rest
ing on the bottoms of the chambers.
All infertile eggs are tested out on
the seventh day.
Mr. Hall built smell Incubators at
first, but the oil bill for forty of his
Bmall incubators, with 8,000 eggs ca
pacity, was $150 for a season, while a
large Incubator was run three months
at an expense of less than 18 tor
coal.