SGOM
The Farmers Society of Equity is
spreading over this county and the
Courier is spreading with it. Its ad
vertising columns are good as gold.
A factory pay 'roll of $100,000 a
month makes some town. Oregon City
is the best city in the state outside of
Portland. .Keep it on the move.
30th YEAR.
OREGON CITY, ORE., FRIDAY, FEB. 14, 1313.
No. 40
Oil
CITY
Protects two of Our Rivers.
In the bill to protect many Oregon
streams from being ttiade sewers of,
we notice that the Clackamas and
Molalla are included.
A Sensible Pair of Laws.
Arresting a man for vagrancy
when he is "broke" and can't get
work, is just about as sensible as ar
resting a man for getting drunk
when the law permits someone to sell
him liquor. Salem Messenger.
Energetic Lawyers.
John Lowenberger, who sued
the Southern Pacif ic, won a good
verdict because he got energetic
lawyers. Enterprise.
What a responsibility this new
measure of justice is taking from the
judge and the jurors.
Farmers, Watch Out.
Under the state pure food act, the
law provides that all butter made for
market must be properly stamped
with name of maker, giving 'also
weight of the rolls. There are butter
makers in this county that ignore this
law, and some of these days there
will be trouble, for the eaters are in
sisting on the provisions of the law.
Revive the Whipping Post.
Two men, one in Portland and the
other in Oregon City, have been ar
rested in the past week for beating
their wives. The Portland brute gave
as his excuse that his wife was lazy,
because she would not get up and go
to work eleven days after the birth of
her baby, and the poor woman is re
ported as being in a critical condition
as the result of the beating. Oregon
once had a whipping post. Where is
it? Salem Messenger.
Gives Verdict for $3,750.
Emma J. Palmateer, who lives in
the Estacada country and is one of
the old pioneers in Clackamas County
recovered $3,750.00 against the Port
land Railway, Light & Pqwer Com
pany, in the Circuit Court at Oregon
City, Clackamas County, Oregon for
an injury to her right arm, caused
by being thrown in a car of said
company in June 1912, while a pass
enger going from Portland to Es
tacada. Brownell and Stone were her
attorneys in said action.
Sleeping at the Switch.
The parcels post bill had hardly
been signed by the president when
Roberts Bros., for years steady ad
vertizers in the Courier, announced
parcels post packages .would be pre
paid to all points where charges did
not exceed five per cent of the pur
chase price, and packages amounting
to $5 and over prepaid for a hun
dred miles.
But not a merchant in Oregon City
ever mentions the parcels post in his
ad., and then they protest because so
much trade goes to Portland.
The farmer is wise to this parcels
post if the merchant is hot. The Cour
ier; covers the farming territory and
the farmers read the ads. If Portland
beats Oregon City to it in this field,
it is Oregon City's fault. '...
JUST A BILL.
All it Will do Will Be to Advertise
Mr. Gill of Clackamas.
I .note that Representative Gill has
introduced a bill to hit the "cig,"
making any newspapef or "magazine
liable to a fine of from $25 to $250
that advertizes any cigarettes.
AH right as far as it goes but 't
simply does not go.
" i Why didn't his bill provide for a
fine from 25 to $250 for any person in
Oregon who sold a cigarette or who
sold or gave away a cigarette paper?
' Then there would have been no
need of putting on a press muzzle,
for there would have been no adver
tizing cigarettes there would be no
buyers in Oregon.
Such a law would MEAN some
thing and- would do much to stop cig
arette smoking, and Mr. Gill's pres
ent bill, if it becomes a law, won't
have the least possible effect on the
vice. '.
I know" What excuse he will make,
and I am going to beat him to it. He
Will say such a bill would be in re
straint of personal liberty and would
not stand.
. The law that forbids the sale of co
cain is a restraint of personal liberty.
The Clackamas county jail is also.
The criminal code is. But back in
Kansas such a law is passed AND
IT STANDS. .
A man or boy can't buy a cigarette
or beg or buy a cigarette paper and
there is no use for a law to forbid the
newspapers to advertise them. There
are none for sale. .'. . .
And I would like to ask Mr. Gill if
he ever saw cigarettes advertised in
a newspaper in the State of Oregon?
If so, where and when ?
The fnagazines are the mediums
through which every brand of the
nasty paper things get before the
people not the newspapers and
NOT ONE of the standard magazines
is published in Oregon.
Oregon can't make laws telling
Munsey's Magazine, published in New
York, what kind of ads. to leave out
of its pages, nor Oregon can't have a
censor to cut out the cigarette adver
tisements before they cross the line
into this state. -
So Mr. Gill's bill, even if it should
become a law, would have absolutely
no effect, as there would be nothing it
could reach to work on.
A law such as Kansas has would
MEAN something, because it would
DO something, but forbidding a news
paper to advertise cigarettes would
have just about as much effect on
the young lads as would the sign
"Men Only."
HEALTH OFFICER
IS TO BLAME
NEGLIGENCE CAUSE OF CON
TINUED SCARLET FEVER.
MR. SPIESS MAKES CHARGES
Says Dr. Norris did not obey State
Health Laws.
Editor Courier: .
In the Enterprise of Feb. 7th ap
peared an article headed "Careless
ness Causes Spread of disease," in
which Dr. Norris is quoted as saying:
"that several cases of the scarlet fev
er might have been prevented had the
families of those afflicted been more
careful." Also that "in several cases
persons who were exposed to the dis
ease have been careless and thus
made it difficult to stamp out the con
tagion." He also charges people with
breaking quarantine saying, "If 'per
sona had been careful of keeping the
quarantine there might have been no
more cases at the present time."
This is adding insult to injury and
shooting at long range where the
people concerned were not supposed
to read his article. The facts are Dr.
Norris is charging the people with
his own guilt. Every time the cases
were turned over to Dr. Norris as
health officer there would be a new
outbreak of scarlet fever. He had his
deputy fumigate the house and
the people were told they could now
go where they wished. Now he blames
the people, the most of whom follow
ed his advice when he is the guilty
man.
Ha turned these DeoDle out In some
cases ten days too soon, others were
tnrnoH nnf. 91 Havr t.nn snnn find one
, was turned out 28 days too soon. To
make the matter plain, wnen ine nrst
cases occured they were placed un
der quarantine. There were then no
new cases for about five weeks when
Dr. Norris caused one house to be
fumigated and the people were told
they could go anywhere now. They
went to church and the girl went to
school.
Several new cases resulted from
this disobedience on the part of Dr.
Norr s of the rules laid down by the
Stata Board of Health. Was this fam
ily to blame ? No. They did not know
the law but followed the direction of
the health officer or Tils deputy.
The second outbreak was held in
check for more thiw.six weeks. Dur
ing a part of this time the schools
were closed and . the churches were
closed. It was agreed not to re-open
school until tne neaitn onicer, uv.
Norris, should pronounce the situat
ion safe. All went well; the school
was re-opened and so were the chur
ches. The houses where there were
cases the health officer caused to be
hv his order thev were
turned out and told they were free to
go anywhere. They went to cnurcn
and school.
.Wm thpv to blame? They believ
ed Dr. Norris knew or ought to know,
fha .lw. At least eiffht (8) cases
sprung up within a few days resulting
in the death of one. wnen an nau
taken it who were susceptible ana tne
people had kept, their children away
from school and public . gatherings
there .was. another .pause of several
weeks, until another batch of patients
were turned out and then we had-the
last outbreak.
Why wilt Dr. Norris blame the
people when he is the 'guilty man?
Most 'of these people, would have com
plied with the law had they been told
what it was; What right had he to be
ignorant of the rules ; of: the State
Board of Health? If he knew and
willfully disobeyed, his crime is still
greater, In no instance were the peo
ple told that they must stay away
from school for 21 days. He broke the
rules when he turned out one case in
twenty-one ,(21) days when the law
provided - that they . were not to be
fumigated until thirty (30) days after
they took sick, and then the patient
must stay away from school for twen
ty one1 (21) days more; These facts
were brought out by an examination
of the records, '-
-Dr: Harvey Wiley says: "That for
every preventable . disease resulting
fatally, those charged with the re
sponsibility of prevention are guilty
of murder.'! . ;
The editor would perform a good
deed if he would get a pamphlet con
taining the laws and rules regarding
contagious diseases . and publish
them: ' "'" ''- r - '' '
The rules for scarlet fever are as
follows: ? -' '. : .'
"For the patient and children as
sociated with or in the family with
the patient quarantined for not less
than thirty days after the beginning
of the disease and until complete des
quamation, or scaling of the skin,
of the patient. Isolation of the pat
ient and children associated with the
patient for 10 day? after .removal of
quarantine. Patients shall not be per
mitte.d to re-enter school until 21 days
after quarantine is removed. Other
children in the family may be disin
fected and removed to another house
and shall there be isolated for a peri
od of 10 days and then released pro
vided they remain free from the dis
ease." . " , . , .
"For adults, living . in the family
with or exposed to' the patjent, while
the house remains quarantined, unless
said adults submit to thorough dis
infection of their clothing and remov
al from the premises during the time
said quarantine is maintained."
M HENRY SPIESS.
Perhaps it is not generally known
that the county health officer is paid
a salary of $1,000. . ..
WHAT. BRIDGES COST.
Mr.
Olds May Know if he Will Look
at Records.
Editor Courier:
Commissioners Journal No. 25,
page 151, will furnish the information
Ed Olds seems so frantic about.
On the Journal and page given
above is the contract the County had
with the Coast Bridge Company, for
the erection of the four steel bridges
and the prjee named in this contract
Four Thousand and Six Hundred Dol
lars, (4,600.00) is what the county
paid for erection. Mr. Taxpayer will
note that $4,600.00 is $1,400.00 less
than Sfi.nO0.0O. the amount Mr. Olds
says he (Olds) would be willing to do We have the subscribers. You may
the work for. see the names on the mailing list and
This contract-was entered in the ' count them j.m may have our sworn
Commissioners Journal, immediately statement.
after signing, and I presume, of The Courier has the largest cireu
course, that it was published in the lation between Portland and Salem,
Oregon City Courier and in the Ore- and we will make this assertion good,
gon City Enterprise, as under the law . ,
it is the duty of the County Clerk to' " '.
furnish this data to the newspapers' WANTED BACKBONES,
above named for publication. .
This is no doubt altogether super- Supply them to the City Council and
fluous for the reason that any one
who honestly desires to know about!
this matter, if he failed to find it. in
the public print could easily satisfy
himself by consulting the Commiss
ioners Journal, which is a public rec
ord and open to anyone who desires to
examine it.
. Very respectfully, ' -R.
B. BEATIE.
A HELL OF AN ARTICLE.
rhere are Yet Those Who Believe
in Eternal Fricassee.
I picked up a church paper the oth
er day and noted that back in. Buffalo
N. Y the Lutheran church, in district
conference, went on record as out ior
hell real, literal hell, with evtrlast-
ine fire, eternal torment and dam
nation.
' Back in Puritan days we used , to
believe in ghosts, witches, haunted
houses and so on with a string of "sup
erstitions. - ; , ' ; , .
As we became "more enlightened,
more educated and get to using more
of our brain cells, reason teaches us
better and we throw out superstition,
rise above the bogie-man beliefs, and
quit murdering witches.
In the primitive days of our coun
try, back in the days of log cabins
and corn bread; when circuit riders
were pretty much the whole works
from bishop down to class leader,
hell fire was the . issue, everlasting
torment the bogie-man, eternal dam
nation was the big stick that kept
the rather wild natures in line and
from bolting the convention. , " '
People didn't reason, they simply
believed, and they stood for anything
the horseback preacher handed out
took it with beautiful fear and lived
good because they were scared of hell.
- But we develop, - we' . educate, we
reason, we progress, and now when
a periodical comes out with an article
of fire and brimstone, a hell of soft
coal and sulphur, a place of ever
lasting torture that has the horrors
of the inquisition in the chart class
well, men and women who think, back
up and refuse to take the hurdles.
Our churches today teach a religion
of love; faith, piety, sanctity. They
teach a religion that . appeals, that
makes one accept as a means of liv
ing a better life a love of a Savior j
who died for us.
But because you inheritted a habit
that your will power cannot shake off
because of surroundings, environ
ments and temptations that go with
them, you one day stub your toe and
go over to the wild bunch.
' Do you think that the Christ who
died on the cross to help such sinners
as you, is going to damn you to ever
lasting, torture because he couldn't
save you ?
Do you believe that he keeps a
chamber of horrors working that has
anything in barbarity skinned a mile
and a half, and that you will get
yours just because you were weak and
fell?
Nix for me. .''
Men who will think of these things
a'nd who have anything to think with,
can't believe in a Christ who died
on the cross and a Christ who keeps
the gas turned wide open all the time
and a hell red-hot," and that doctrine
of eternal punishment henious, hor
rible, atrocious punishment is the
doctrine which makes unbelievers,
skeptics, atheists and scoffers.
We are not Aztecs in this day of
the Oregon system, and we cannot
belive in the old gods of war and sac
rifice. Fear of hell makes a mighty poor
Christian, a scared Christian, a Chris
tian by force, and I wouldn't trust
him to mail a letter.
The man who reads, reasons and
thinks can't associate a God of Love
and mercy and a furnace tender. He
is going to dump one or the other,
and you force them on him and hell
dump both.
Committees for 1913.
Following are the committees for
1913 as appointed by President B. T.
McBain of the Commercial Club at
the meeting of the Board of Govern
ors Monday night:
Publicity T. W. Sullivan, M. D.
Latourette, L. Adams, T. L. Charman
and B. T. McBain.
House R. L. Holman, Dr. L. A.
Morris and T. B. Fairclough.
Transportation 1 Adams, B. T.
McBain, W. A. Huntley, E. Schwab
and A. A. Price.
Entertainment M. D. Latourette,
B. T. McBain, C. W. Evans, Dr. Clyde
Mount and F. A. Olmsted.
Auditing Leo S. Burdon, Irvin
Rau, Bothwell Avison, H. A. Swaf
ford and Ralph Parker.
The annual ball will b held at
Busch's hall March 25th and will be
a masquerade.
Greatest in the Valley.
The Courier ia receiving an average
of ten new subscriptions each day in
the week through, the Farmers Soc
iety of Equity. ,
Our list is growing as no 'country
paper in Oregon ever grew. It is cov
ering every inch of Clackamas ccur
ty as fast as the Equity Society cov
ers it, and it is getting a strong foot
ing 'in Multnomah , and Washington
counties.
With this growing circulation the
Courier has the pull and the push for
advertisers. It is a matter this city
should take notice of. If you want to
reach the country the Courier reaches
It. ihlS IS no D1UIT, we Will SHOW VOU.
wiu De uniorcea.
This 'office received a letter this
week regarding Mr. Tooze statement
to the Live Wires and this paper's
comments on same. It was not writ
ten for publication, therefore we do
not publish it, but we will publish
some of the comments, as they are
along the lines this . paper contends
for:
"As you state city laws CAN be
enforced. I came here from a mid
dle west village, only about on-sixth
the size of Oregon City, yet we had
many 'of the same ordinances as this
city has, and. they were enforced, lit
erally enforced.
"Let the city council tell its police
officers to see that the laws ARE en
forced. That is all that is necessary.
If the city has laws that would be too
hard on the people if enforced then
let the city amend -or repeal them
"In our city today the ordinances
discriminate . against? the, law ', ob
server. He obeys the laws, keeps his
walks in good shape, his . curbs free
from veeds, wood off the street and
tries to keep "his property looking
nice,; while all this work is ruined by
a neighbor who will not observe the
ordinances, and the good work of the
one man looks conspicuous by con
trast. The street would look better
if all the residents violated or ignored
the charter provisions. "
, But keep up the agitation for the
enforcement of the laws. They CAN
be enforced, and everyone knows they
can. , It simply needs , men on the
council to whom every ordinance vio
lator looks alike, councilmen who do
not play ny favorites, councilmen
who have sand enough to instruct', the
officers to see that the laws are rig-
idly enforced. When you get such
men, they will not have to apologize."'
IF WAR BROKE OUT.
Charles F.
Ferrill Takes Issue
John Stark.
With
In your issue of your paper of the
7th inst. I notice an article written by
John Stark on abolishing the milit
ia. I want to say that -1 think Bro.
Stark is barking up the wrong Stump.
Senator Dimick was after the naval
militia on 'account of .some 'trouble
that had arisen on the Boston and
was due I think, to. the, company not
being properly officered. And if an of
ficer is found to be guilty of conduct
unbecoming and does not properly
govern his men ne can De replaced
by a better man, and if any citizen
knows of anything that looks wrong
and he will take the trouble to report
it to the general the matter will be
investigated promptly. I know this to
be true. I know that Gpvernor West
or General Finzer will not allow any
disorder. All they ask is that if you
KNOW anything report to tnem.
The militia should not be disband
ed unless other nations wijll stop prep
arations for war. We would be very
foolish to let our guns get rusty.
It is as you say, the trade of the sol
dier is to kill. This applies to soldiers
in foreign countries too, and if their
soldiers were to come here to kill us
how much chance would you and I
have without our trained men?
I have an old muzzle loading shot
gun that 1 mignt oe awe to 'Clean
the rust off and get it going within
an hour or so, but how much show
would I and my shot-gun have wifh
an army of trained men and up to
date rifles? And I believe I am just
about as quick and active and pat
riotic as the average citizen.
We don't need Chief of police bhaw
when everything is so quiet, but let
somebody start something and see
how quick we run for the police. .
The militia here in uregon iity is
officered by clean, conscientuous men
and the company is composed ot a
bunch of fine young men, selected
from the best stock we have. They
are drilled regularly; no . liquor or
rowdyism is permitted. Every Thurs
day night they have a physical direct
or from Portland come out and give
them a round of gymnastics. And by
the way the boys pay the bill them
selves, but let war break out, Bro.
Stark, and we would be glad that we
had the trained men ready to pro
tect our homes; glad that we had
trained them also in army maneuvers
so that they might protect themselves
against other nations. It is true the
militia has some worK to ao at nome.
Governor West called a company
out last summer to close up some "re-
nrts" all 'right though, wasn't ltT
and the good they did in one week
fully paid for their Keep for several
ye8"- ,ttt"
Eight Cars of Auto.
They go some in Clackamas county.
Monday Herman & Skinner of the
Pacific garage received eight car
loads of Ford autos, and they have
two cars more coming.
GREATEST GINSENG ROOT.
Oregon Beats the World, as Usual in
Growth of the Plant.
Do you know anything about the
growth of the ginseng root? If you
do, this item will surprise you, if you
do not, we will tell you.
C. A. Ramsey the ginseng grower
of Russellville was in the city Wed
nesday, and he said that a root was
dug in his garden the other day that
weighed two pounds and one ounce.
This is no doubt the greatest root
of ginseng that has ever been seen or
heard of. A pound root is a wonder
and they are mighty scarce. Mr.
Ranmsay says the root has been re
planted and he will take it to the San
Francisco fair two years from now.
In the eastern states where this
root is hunted by hundreds of people
it takes an average of 40 roots to
make one pound, and in Oregon it
takes an average of 12. So you will
appreciate that this is some gingseng
root.
Mr. Ramsay has three-fourths of an
a ore planted to ginseng, and he says
this year he will dig at least $3,000
worth of the roots. He said the in
vest to date has been $1,400, and con
sidering the 'size of the ground and
the size of the investment, where is
there a ranch that can come anywhere
near it for profit. .
But there is a lot to the business if
you would make a success of it. You
have to wait six years for your first
crop to get ripe, and this is too long
for the average uneasy American.
A Pitiful Case.
Joseph Murray, son of Patrick Mur
ray, who lives on a farm a few miles
out, died Sunday morning of tuber
culpsis. He returned from Arizona
Saturday, where he had been for
some time in the hope of recovering
his health.
In connection with the young man's
return a pitiful story is reported to
this office. It is said that wing to
some misunderstanding as to the
train he would, arrive on, his parents
were not at the depot to meet him,
that he had ridden for many hours in
the day coach, that he was complet
ely exhausted when he reached here,
and that dying he was compelled to
sit in the uncomfortable seats of the
waiting room for two hours.
The Humane Society would have
vigorously taken up such a -case had
it been a dumb animal that was in a
like condition,
On the Punishing List.
Senator Dimick's bill to prohibit
the feeding of ducks and other wild
foul on lakes and streams in order
that they might be more easily
slaughtered, was killed by the senate
Wednesday. The -senate is "punishing"'
Dimick because he has stood out on
so any measures.
Will Meet Today. r
This (Thursday) afternoon and ev
ening the council committee will have
a hearing with two or more engineers
to investigate the source of water
supplies around this city and it is
probable that one of them will be en
gaged.
How Our Boys Voted.
The house killed the bill to submit
the home rule amendment to the
people in 1914 by a vote of 32 to 25
Mr. Schnoerr voted to submit, Schue
bel and Gill against, Lofgren excused
on account of illness. Schuebel made
hard fight for the defeat of the
amendment
What Will They Be?
Have you paid your taxes? If you
have, you know they are a little high-
er than last year. With a $500,000
appropriation for the next two years,
with a widows pension and several
more state institutions contemplated,
what do you: think your taxes will be
next year? Salem Messenger. -j
Congregational Church Topics.
At the Congregational church Sun
day morning : Rev. Edwards' will
preach on the subject "Lincoln the
Emancipator," at 10:30. Meade Post
G. A. R. has been invited to attend
this service. . , . 1 . .
At the evening service the topic
will be "The child in our Midst," and
the sermon will be along the line of
child welfare, and will be of especial
interest to parents and teachers. The
hour will be 7:30.
A "Real Estate" Deal. .
On the first page of the Enterprise
there has been running this display
ad.
"Let every voter in .Clackamas
county work for for the success of
Hon. Grant B. Dimick for governor
and Hon. R. B. Beatie for U. S. Mar
shall. No better men can be found in
the state to fill the two offices and
Clackamas County is proud of both."
As Dimick is a Republican and
Beatie a Democrat and both long time
bitter political enemies, the advertise
ment caused no end of fun and jokes,
becoming so much of a joke that
Thursday's Enterprise apologized for
it by saying the advertisement was
furnished by "an enterprising real es
tate man" but does not give his name.
However the Enterprise continues
to print the ad. on the front page
without any advertising marks.
Some one should show the publisher
a certain section of the Corrupt Prac
tice Act.
Ida L. Johnson and Penn W. Page
Little Rock, Ark., Clara E. Larsen
and C. N. Cathes of Canby.
C. W. Holdenburg. of Clackamas
was arrested Tuesday by Policeman
Griffith on a charge of having left
his horse hitched in the city longer
than is provided for by the city or
dinance.
PLAY THE GAME
IN THE WIDE OPEN
ONLY WAY PEOPLE AND COUN
CIL WILL HITCH.
INSIDE" DEALS WON'T PASS
Must Get Confidence of People And
Work Together.
"Half the government of Oregon
City is a government never seen"
said a voter the other day.
Will anyone bring an action against
this paper for libel, do you think, for
this statement?
One of the Live Wire members, in
commenting on Mr. Tooze's recent
statement that it was almost impos
sible to enforce the city ordinances,
said that the people would obey them
voluntarily but for the reason that
the city government and the city vot
ers were always at war.
Certain it is that the city and the
people don't trot together with any
degree of rhythm.
Ihey, haven t the same gaits.
The people haven't confidence in
their government. They are against
the governors. They are irritated.
They say the government is always
putting something over on them; that
there is always a wheel within a
wheel; that there are powers behind
the .throne which push and pull and
these are more potent than protest.
And the people have had just cause
for a lot of protest the past year.
The government of the city or
rather the governors of this city
have on any occasions been a spec
tacle for boys to laugh at.
The one matter of city gossip now
is the city engineer exhibition that
has just been pulled off or pulled over
and those who like vaudevill say it
has Charlie Schram's play house
in the side- track for funniness.
Here it is.
Charles Yale is appointed by Mayor
Jones as city engineer, and the coun
cil confirms.
Yale appoints Major Noble as his
assistant and salaries are raised.
Protest is made that Yale is not
eligible to the office, as he is not a
resident of the city( and action is
commenced to have him removed.
And then Yale resigns. He doesn't
get up and have, a hemorrhage of
rough stuff; he doesn't tear loose and
tell the eounni) what he thinks of his
prosecutors; he doesn't paw up the
earth or muss thingB up in the least.
He just resigns sweetly, calmly,
peacefully quits the job and stays
quit for several hours.
And the council doesn't start any
thing either. ,
No protests : burn the air,- no en
treaties are presented. They simply
accept and appoint his assistant to
take his place. Only two voices pro
test at the way the roller rolled
Councilman Holman and Mentzer.
And the published reports in the
daily papers tell you the rest all the
rest you are supposed to know.
They tell you that Noble at once
appoints -Yale as his assistant (as
appears of city record) while the two
men will exchange checks and remain
in ; the same positions in reality as
before the resignation and the coun
cil's "action." i
And what the papers do not pub
lish but what men make public gossip
of is that there are political debts be
hind the whole business, financial
debts back of it all, obligations and
promises made long ago; that the
city engineer offer has been made to
others if they would appoint the as
sistant that had been framed up
and so on with a line of talk that goes
into banks and banking, into tele
phones and telephone companies, un
til one wonders where Oregon City is
really at.
Now if there were reasons why Mr.
Yale should not hold the office of city
engineer there are equal reasons why
he should not be assistant in name
and engineer in fact, and if the city
council was a party to this arrange
ment and slipped this nicely greased
one over on the people the council
added one more to its Pile of Mistak-
m
es. '
The Courier editor has lived less
than two years in Oregon City and he
has seen three engineers on the job
in these few months.
Orezon Citv is doing a gigantic
work in street improvements and has
already expended over a quarter of
a million dollars.
And it is almost as foolish to
change engineers on this work as it
would be to shift them on the Panama
canal at this time if they were big
enough for the job, competent.
Oregon City is some city now. it is
far past the 6,000 mark. It is a city of
big propositions, big things, and it
needs a government as Dig as tne city,
needs men. who measure up to the
We have'cot to have a city council
the people believe in, a body of men
who the residents will trust.
No city can afford to have the
people gossiping of its council as
petty, as acting as a collection agency
for some interest's debts, as being
governed by before election political
promises.
Other cities of Oregon are governed
without trouble while our dissens
ions go on forever, our troubles have
made press dispatch stories for the
newspapers of all Oregon.
If Mr. Yale and Mr. Noble are the
men Oregon City needs for the big
works now under way and to come,
then why doesn't the council come out
and say they are needed AND THEY
ARE GOING TO BE MtLuitui
The people of Oregon City won't call
any indignation meetings if the right
man is in the right place, whether he
lives in the first house on the first
street in Oregon City or in the last
house on the last streeX in Canemah
or Parkplace.
It's service this city wants a dol
lar's worth for every dollar of salary.
And if the men are not capable,
then fire them at the dron of the hat
and put men in who are and then
Keep them there. For when a city en
gineer gets onto all the curves and
straight lines of this hilly city, that
man is worth a dozen engineers who
are strangers to the work.
But for the love of Mike and Ore
gon City cut out the sharp practices;
quit pulling cards out of sleeves; get
closer to the people; get confidence;
Quit bewailine. auit examine, nnit
apologizing, get on the job and run
uregon uity so that the people will
quit making fun of and cracking iokes
at the city.
Play ball!
BOYS SEE BIG BRIDGE.
Forty Live Wires Take Ride on Clack.
amas Southern Railroad.
The forty members of the Live
Wires who went out to Newell Creek
bridge and looked over the Clackamas
Southern's new road Tuesday feel
pretty well satisfied that the Wires
have done what they have to brincr
about this road, for they know it is
the best investment this county ever
made.
The track isn't as smooth as the
New York Central road as yet. The
ties have not yet been tamped in and
the rails leveled, but all this will
come, ihe rails are laid and the cars
are running to Newell Creek and
this is far more than the knockers
said ever would be done.
Business is waiting for the road to
finish to Beaver Creek and the other
towns on the line the company
hasn't got to hunt for it. There is all
the work this railroad can ask for all
ready in sight and it is bound to prove
the best of investments. The country
it opens is rich, in every product and
this road provides the outlet
Now that the weather has settled
work will be rushed on the road. New
ell Creek bridge has been one of the
big obstacles to meet It is over a
quarter of a mile long, 120 feet high
and the bridge built in five stories.
This is now completed and now the
engine can cross and work will go
much faster to Beaver Creek.
And one of these sunny Sundays
take a walk to the big bridge and see
what the company has done. It is not
far and the sight will well repay
you.
HOUSE BILL NO. 69.
A Great (?) Product of a Great (?)
People, Thinks Writer.
Editor Courier:
The gentle springtime, which the
Courier spoke of some time ago,
seems to be busy with its self-imposed
task of keeping the venerable
Ground Hog chased into his hole, and
having nothing better to do, we were
spelling laboriously through the col
umns of the weekly newspapers, but
stopped short, read and re-read when
confronted by House Bill No. 69.
That is certainly going the limit
for a class of men or people that
claim to be civilized and christians to
propose or even suggest such a crime
to a poor inmate of the penitentiary
when they have him caged in by
stone, cement and locks and steel and
also guarded by day and night by
men ready to shoot them down at a
moment's notice. And then finish up
the crime with House Bill No. 69.
And the worse part of the program
was that the lobby, which was oc
cupied by the ladjes( ? ) who listened
with much interest to the argument
both pro and con, and who cheered
lustily for Mr. Schuebel when he be
came excited. But no one seemed to be
the least excited or have any sym
pathy for the condition of the poor
inmates of the State Penitentiary.
And it looks to the majority of
common old hayseeds (like myself)
that these ladies, society leaders no
doubt, could have accomplished more
good at home, making warm clothing
for the inmates of our state penitent
iary, as the inmates abound in great
luxury in the way of comfortable
clothing having two suits of under
wear every eighteen months, having
to keep themselves warm by wrap
ping jute sacks around their limbs.
Oh, Ohl but it does make us feel
patriotic to think we have sent such
a brainy set of men to Salem to make
such glorious laws.
I think it high time for the men in
Oregon (those not in the pen.) to hie
to Africa. Then bring forth Caruso's
educated chimpanzee, clad in the lat
est hobble skirt and large picture hat,
that our modern society may take a
few much needed lessons and event
ually be benefitted that the race
might descend back from whence it
ascended.
A. M. GRATIS.
Mrs. J. G. Pilsbury of Portland, but
formerly of Oregon City, was in Ore
gon City Tuesday visiting her sister,
Mrs. Mary L. Barlow of Twelfth and
Washington streets. She was accom
panied by her brother-in-law, Free
man Pillsbury of Boston, who is visit
ing in Portland.
WANTED!
Girls and- Women
To operate Sewing Machines
in garment factory.
Oregon City Woolen Mill,,
Y