f, M. J. BROWN, BEING DULY SWORN, SAY THAT I AM EDITOR AND PART OWNER OF THE OREGON CITY COURIER, AND THAT THE AVERAGE WEEKLY CIRCULATION OF THAT PAPER FROM MAY 1,1912 TO MAY 1, 1913, HAS EXCEEDED
2000 COPIES, AND THAT THESE PAPERS HAVE BEEN PRINTED AND CIRCULATED FROM THE COURIER OFFICE M. J. BROWN. Subscribed and sworn to before me. .this 5th day of May, 1913. Gilbert. L. Hedges, Notary Public.
CTEL
The Farmers Society of Equity ii
spreading over this county and th
Courier is spreading with it. Its ad
vertising columns are good as gold
Clackamas County Fair
September 24, 25, 26, 27
Canby, Oregon
31st YEAR
OREGON CITY, ORE., miURUlliU JUNEC 1313.
No. 4
OEEGOM
T
E
WEEK AFTER WEEK ARE IGNOR
ED BY THE COURT
TAXPAYERS DEMAND ANSWER
And they Have a Right to a Full Ex
planation of these Charges
The Aurora Observer, a newspaper
published in Marion county and which
can have no personal or political bias,
recently stated in an editorial that if
one-tenth of the charges were true,
there was sufficient ground to recall
the county court.
There were many matters found by
the investigating committee that
looked as if the business of the coun
ty was not run for the interests of
the taxpayers. They were set fourth,
one after another and they were
printed in the newspapers.
Now we want to ask the readers of
this paper, in all fairness, WHAT de
fense has been made to these charg
es? And we want to ask you what is a
natural conclusion when no defense
is made to charges?
The only defense that has ever
been made were O. D. Eby's report to
the Live Wires, which ignored the
real charges; George C. Brownell's
declaration that it had not been
shown that Judge Beatie was a thief,
and the Enterprise defense that the
charges were a "frame up."
The charges are that the countj
court has been extravagant in its
management of the county business,
and that taxes are unnecessarily
high as a result of mismanagement.
That the court let numerous con
tracts for bridges 'without advertising
for bids without having competition.
That $163,000 has not been account
ed for or explained in connection with
the county courts claim that the coun
ty is out of debt.
That the county court, after re
ceiving bids for remodeling the court
house, rejected them all; had the
work done according to architect's
plans, and it cost from $7,000 to $9,
000 more than the architect's say it
should have cost.
That a contract was let to cruise
the timber of this county to a per
sonal friend of the judge, to, a man
at the head of a tiHOser company in
Portland; let without knowledge or
consent of the taxpayers, and let for
a price far in excess of what it could
and should have been let for, had the
matter been let under competition.
That a franchise was given to a
Portland gas company gor Clacka
mas county; given without any com
pensation or value received to the
county; a perpetual franchise, with
out any guarantee on the part of the
gas company when it should com
mence the work; given without any
knowledge of the taxpayers and giv
en without any demand for such a
franchise.
That lime was bought for ten cents
per barrell more than the price given
to Judge Beatie himself by a Port
land concern, and that court house
material was bought through a com
mission house in' Oregon City in
which Judge Beatie is financially in
terested, and that it was bought in
the name of a clerk to hide the trans
actions. Then there are any number of oth
er matters shown up of bridge build
ing matters which looked as if the
county was defrauded.
There was the matter of road im
plements that looked as if the county
was up against the three-shell game;
the matter of paying $350 for inspec
tion of the suspension bridge in this
city, and numerous smaller matters
of county supplies, etc.
What has been the defense to these
charges ?
George Brownell says it has not
been shown that Beatie ever stole a
dollar; asks why they hadn't recalled
former county judges, and the .bnter-
prise says the Courier editor, having
lived here only two and a half years
has no business to ask explanations
from a judge who has always lived
here. These, and Mr. Eby's famous
Live Wire report, are all the defense
that has ever been made.
Now men who pay taxes and do
their own thinking; men who are not
in the "county court ring" and don't
get any county court money, these
are asking why these charges are
not defended.
They ask why the proposition to
have the findings of the investigat
ing committee and Mr. Eby's report
submitted to a non-partisan commit
tee was not answered.
They ask why these charges are
not taken up, one at a time, taken
up by Messrs. Beatie, Blair and Mat-
toon and defended, denied and ex
plained.
Week after week these chargs have
been poked at them and explanations
asked.
If they could have satisfactorily ex
plained them, there would have been
few recall petitions signed.
The taxpayers have a right to ask
for a recall of pubile officials who
cannot and do not explain these char
ges not only a right but a duty.
The taxpayers have the same right
to discharge incompetent or dishon
est officials that a manufacturing
company has to discharge an incom
petent manager.
The county court needs a thorough
reorganization and a getting down to
a business basis. It wants men as
managers who are capable, honest and
who would have as much interest in
getting results for the county and for
the taxpayers as they would have in
getting results from their own bus
iness. Because the other fellow or other
county has done these things ,is a
weak excuse, and George C. Brown
CHARGES
T M.
NEVER
ell should be ashamed to look a tax
payer in the face and make it.
It s a time tor men with sand and
backbone to line up and change con
ditions. Fail now, and you'll get the
hook proper.
Rebating Their Own Taxes
In last month's county court ex
penses we find three interesting items
under tax rebates:
W. T. Mattoon $20.20
N. Blair 14.30
R. B. Beatie 4.00
The above rebates are to the three
members of the county court, audited
by themselves.
Many Going to Aurora
Quite a number from this city will
attend the annual barbecue at Aurora
Saturday of this week. The trains
run very convenient, leaving here at
about nine and returning about 4.
It is expected there will be 4,000 or
5,000 people at this picnic, as it is
an annual affair, with a fine pro
gram, and people come from far and
wide.
W. S. U'Ren of this city will de
liver the address.
RECALL NOTICE
The executive committee wants ev
ery recall petition in the county sent
in by Monday next, no matter wheth
er they are filled or partially filled.
He sure that every page on wnicn
there are signatures be sworn to on
on the back. If there are three or
four pages with names on, swear to
each page on the printed form on the
back.
Don't send them in without a not
ary's signature and seal, for they will
have to be sent oacK.
Let each circulator give this mat
ter prompt and careful attention and
have all petitions in by Monday.
Hixecutive committee
ELLIOTT BROS. BUSY
Take Over Ely Business and Will
Conduct Big Department Store
Elliott Bros, of Portland, have pur
chased of D. C. Ely his stock of goods
store and home on Seventh street and
are now in active charge of the bus
iness.
The Elliott Bros, know the mer-
cnnt.il business from the eround up
and they propose to conduct a strict
ly modern department store.
For three years they have been
looking for an opening in this city,
and this purchase gives them the
business and location they have been
looking for. They are making many
changes in .the store and stock and
will become permanent residents here.
They will buy all kinds of produce.
Mr. my cari.ea large siuck. uj.
goods. This stock has baen arranged
in departments, added to with new
summer goods. .
Elliott Bros, are decidedly live
ones. They are progressive business
men, pleasant, courteous fellows,
know buying and selling and they will
do business in Oregon City.
Mr. Ely will visit iriends in the
east for some time.
"WORTHY OF NOTE"
A Point or Two the Enterprise Didn't
Care to See
It is worthy of note that when
bids were opened for the con- .
struction of a county bridge
across Kellogg creek, near Mil
waukie, that sterling patriot and
earnest advocate of economy in
county affairs, Ed Olds, submit
ted the highest bid of all. His bid
was exactly two hundred dollars
and thirty-six cents above that of
the successful contractor. Per
haps Mr. Olds figured as "close
ly" on this matter as he did on
some of the other spans, for
which he charged the county had
paid extravagant sums. Enter
nrise. It is also worthy of note that the
bid of E. D. Olds on the public el
evator up the hluffs was the LOWEST
bid of all, yet the enterprise over
looked it.
Often the Enterprise has the high
est and often the lowest bid on a
printing job, but what does it signi
Olds isn't kicking. He contended
that the law irave him the right to bid
on these bridges and that they should
be let to the lowest bidder. They have
been. That's all.
Rut let us look back a little at this
Kellogg creek bridge business while
we are at it.
Weeks aero the county court hid a
little half-breed ad in a corner of the
Enterprise asking for bids on this
bridge, and providing that EACH
BIDDER SUBMIT HIS OWN PLAN
AND BID ON IT.
This was clearly such a rank at
tempt to pretend to obey the law, and
vet erive the court a chance to give
the contract where it pieasea, mat
the Courier went after it, showed it
up- as a bunco game on competition
and a joke on Lord's Oregon laws,
that the court DARED NOT PLUG
IT THROUGH.
When the day came to open bids
THEY WERE NOT OPENED. They
were handed back without explanat
ion. It was evident they dared not go
ahead with the deal.
So thev re-advertised, this time re
ally asked for competitive bids and
the lowest Didder got ine joo.
And mind vou. John Haft, a farmer,
a taxpayer and a sawmill man of this
county got it.
IT DIDN'T GO TO THE SAME
OLD COAST BRIDGE CO., WHEN
THERE WAS COMPETITION.
These points are also "worthy of
note," Bro. Phonograph, but you
would not note them.
Grand Jury Investigate
The crand iurv took up and con
sidered the story that was publish
ed in the Enterprise last week re-
e-ardin? the attempt to burn the
woolen mills, but for want of sub
stantial evidence it was dropped. The
erounds were that the matter was
canard, a frame up .and no attempt
was really made.
is
WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WIL
LAMETTE VALLEY?
IT IS SIMPLY OVER -BOOMED
Speculative Prices so High One Can
not Make 6 Per Cent Interest
Fifty real estate firms in Port
land nave gone out of business dur
ing the past six months.
i'he reason they have quit is be
cause they could not sell enough real
estate to stay in the game.
The reason they couldn't is because
real estate has reached a price limit
where people won't buy.
It's the same condition in Clacka
mas county and the whole Willam
ette Valley today.
If a manufacturer wants to locate
in Portland, an industry that would
give employment and help to make
steady and staple values, the location
necessarily is boosted to such a price
the promoters won't take the chances.
There are thousands of empty hous
es in Portland today. "For rent"
signs are thick on all the resident
streets. The population of Portland is
thousands less than it was a year
ago.
One might just as well plainly state
these conditions as to know them.
Portland speculators will call it
"knocking," but it isn't .knocking.
Portland wants more wheels turn
ing round, more men employed and
cheaper rents, and Portland won't get
these until the money mad let the gas
out of inflated values and create de
mand. The same condition is true of any
city or town in the whole Willamette
Valley, except two or three manufac
turing towns where business and val
ues are made by manufacturing.
This condition has got to be chang
ed or there will be a heap of trouble
out here on Balboa's Pacific coast.
We send out literature by tons ask
ing easterners to come to the Land of
Promise. They come and can't live on
promise.
Our climate and our "Golden West"
booklets entice thousands here. They
are largely a class of poor people,
who want to better conditions, lhey
come expecting Opportunity will meet
them at the st"V.n and drive them in
free hack to Realization.
Then they go up against high pric
ed land, no demand for labor, hit the
chutes and join the I. W. W's.
The quicker the Pacific Coast
blows up a few air castles, gets land
values down where a man can make
six per cent, and cuts out this five
and ten acre tract bunco, the sooner
will we see the thousands and thou
sands who are needed here come here,
stay here and get on the job.
The sou here will produce anything,
that isn't exaggerated, and the cli
mate is about the best in this big
country, but looking at soil won't
pay the. rent, and climate can't be
eaten.
There is no use telling a man what
wonderful spuds, apples, berries, cab
bages, etc can be raised on a 10-acre
tract, unless you tell that man what
he can sell them for. boaking a ten
acre tract on him that can't make a
living from is the worst form of bunco
and bad boosting.
We want less 10-acre tracts and
1,000 acre tracts in Oreiron. We want
to break up big idle, speculative hold
ings and put 40 acre tracts where a
man can afford to buy them. We want
more factories, more pay rolls, more
sound demand and more business.
And until we work along these lin
es and get results we had better send
out tons of literature to the east ad
vising easterners to stay east.
We're boomed to the limit. JNow it
is time to face it.
Ten Indicted, One Released
Ten of the men arrested in connect
ion with the telephone strike riot at
Oswego several weeks ago, at which
time Fred Ream of Willamette was
shot, have been indicted by the grand
jury on a charge of rioting, and will
have to stand trial.
J. C. Ainsberry, the man who did
the shooting, was not indicted and has
been released for bail.
To Go, or Not to Go
At the time the Courier goes to
press the elevator matter is being
considered by the city council.
Last week a bid for its construction
was accepted, but no contract made,
and since the Fourth street proposit
ion has come up and various other
matters, there seems to be a general
opinion that the matter will be delay
ed again.
CHOKING METHODS
Strangle Hold is not Barred, and Foul
Tactics are Allowed
The Courier was informed Tuesday
that certain men and interest in this
city had been looking up the records
to determine the Courier's financial
condition, in the hope of finding
place where they could put on the
squeeze.
Several little circumstances have
attracted our notice of late that bears
out this tip.
We would state for these persons
and interests that they could have had
all the information they got at the
Courier office, and had it a whole lot
easier. The Courier published this not
long ago. It will publish it again, if
it would please or convenience any
body.
And that isn't all it will do.
Here's the rest:
We know the people and interests
behind this blackmail scheme, and if
they try to carry it out; if they try
m
WRONG
WITH
0 1
to use money to cripple this paper
so it cannot publish what it wills; if
they continue to try to clip its cor
ners by keeping worK from it and
hunting for places where money can
be made to pinch and hush
Well, we 11 print their names in pat
ent medicine type in the middle of the
front page; we'll put a frame around
them and hold them up to th- CON
TEMPT of fair-dealing people.
We knew what we were stacking up
eainst when we went into this re
call fight, and we will take the con
sequences and come up smiling. But
at the same time we won't do any
meek-and-lowly stunts when you
try this sort of game. We'll play the
string out we'll go up against you,
and we'll go hard.
The issues of the recall should be
decided on their merits. If a man or
official is falsely accused, he can very
easily make himself good, and the
law provides ample redress for dam
ages for false charges. Malicious and
false statements can t be made in
Oregon and be gotten away with. And
these are the lines to fight along.
But when certain interests and men
would try to cripple someone, to get
strangle hold on a newspaper or ed
itor and try to choke him off you
bunch just go on with that game and
see what tne verdict is. And we n
make some of you ashamed to go
home to your families if you do.
And the Courier will come out
right on tick every week. The gang
can't stop it. We are doing far more
business than we did a year ago and
we 11 keep right on doing it, for there
are plenty of men in this county who
despise these tactics, and who believe
this paper is not only honest, but
right. ' '
Hop to it you fellows, go on with
the program, and the very next move
you make we will hold you up where
the public can look at you and know
you as Italians.
BEATIE'S SWEET REVENGE,
PUNISHING ENTIRE DISTRICT
TO GET TO HENRICI
What do the Taxpayers Think of Pet
ty Acts of Judge Beatie?
Editor Courier:
Yes! Who owns the county rollers?
Our conscientious county judge un
dertakes to punish the users of the
Highland road to gratify his personal
grudge against a man who is doing
his best in the interest of the taxpay
ers. In answer to a civil question the
judge gives a curt reply and leaves
the phone. "Some dignity, eh what.'"
The Highland road has been repair
ed in district fourteen to the extent
of having a top dressing put on the
old foundation. Of course this loose
rock should be rolled before it is all
kicked out of place. Some of the suck
ers we have had in the past would
keep the roller continuously at work
rolling a stretcn oi ten ieet at a time.
Supervisor Henrici had his road all
ready so that the whole could be rol
led at once with the lease possible
expense.
Hut alas! wnen tne supervisor cans
up the judge and asks what is the
show of getting a roller he received
the following reply: "No show at all.
They're all busy. You might go and
see your friends, Harris and Muralt,
They may be able to get -one for you."
With that he hung up.
Wonder what the judge thinks he
is Uf course nao tne request come
from one of the suckers who are wil
ling to stand by the court at all costs
the roller would have been forthcom
ing with all possible haste. As it is
the judge is boosting his own recall
with commendable enthusiasm.
However, perhaps it would be m
accordance with the advice of the
worthy dignitary for Mr. Harris and
Mr. Muralt to buy a roller through
the Oregon Commission Co., and hire
it out to the county at a rate or twenty-five
dollars per twenty four hours,
After using it for a year or two they
could sell it to the county for more
than it was worth new. It seems that
some of the judge's pets have used
this method of tapping the county
treasury in the past.
During his campaign for election
the judge repeatedly amrmed his in
tention of giving the strictest atten
tion to the county business and that
he would be found in his office at all
times. Mr. Henrici states that he has
had numerous business calls to make
at the judges office but with the ex
ception of one or two isolated in
stances has never found him in his
office.
Mr. Henrici insists on his right to
sign a recall petition without any ad
vice from the county judge. It cer
tainlv appears to a disinterested per
son that he has that right without
subjecting all the users of the nigh-
land road to punishment.
So far as the work of the present
supervisor in this district Is -concerned
he has accomplished about double
as much with the money as some
of the suckers did who were forced
onto the taxpayers in the past.
The judge is hereby challenged to
disprove this.
The Enterprise gloats facetiously
over what it claims a fact, namely
that a recall petition fell into a grave.
It is the prediction or the writer that
the Enterprise will welcome its own
grave after the recall is over and its
present subscriptions run out.
Hayseed
Fall Breaks Both Arms
A serious and painful accident hap
pened to Wallace Johnson Friday
last, when shingling on Torn Kel
land's new barn at Twilight, he fell
with a sliding bunch of shingles,
down the steep half-pitch roof over
the staging to the ground . He fell
head first, throwing out his arms for
protection, breaking both arms at the
wrist, and bruising and cutting his
face. The left wrist was a clean
break, but the right wrist was broken
in two places.
No danger of forest fires juat now.
FACTS ABOUT THE
E
IS AS SOUND AND SAFE AS THE
DAY IT WAS ERECTED.
PRINTED CHARGES ARE LIBEL
Mr. Olds Says he will Submit Same
to any Fair Bridge Expert .
Editor Courier:
June 5 there was printed in the Ore
gon City Enterprise (and afterwards
in the Portland papers) a vicious, ly
ing article, written for the solo pur
pose of injuring me as a bridge build
er and to take attention from the re
call movement under way to remove
the county court.
The article stated that the bridge
was seriously weakened, owing to
structural faults, carried the impress
ion that it was unsafe and was fall
ing down, and that experts would be
employed by the county to have same
repaired, etc.
1 have built many bridges in Ore
gon during the past 17 years, and
1 think I know something about the
bridge business. It is my trade, my
livelihood, and when a newspaper
openly states that my work is unsafe
"owing to structural faults," that is
a charge I cannot allow to stand, if
untrue and a charge that the news
papers which published it may have
an opportunity to prove, as it is of
damage to my business and my rep
utation as a bridge man.
I wish to state that the charges as
published in the Enterprise and sent
from that office to the Portland dail
ies, are absolute lies. Olds had been
talking too much about the County
Court and its flim-flam bridge con
tracts THAT was the reason. He
must be discredited. People were ask
ing why my charges were not denied
by the county court. They could NOT
deny them, so something else must
be done. The Enterprise was the ready
and handy medium for this Dago
work, so this damaging story was
printed, printed without a name to
substantiate it a sneaking, lying un
derhand trick.
Since this libel was printed, I have
examined this bridge from end to end,
top to bottom, not alone but with
competent proof, and the bridge is as
good as the day it was built seven
years ago. The reports of its faulty
construction is a frame up- a conspir
acy to discredit me and my work, and
this can be absolutely proven by any
man who is an authority on bridge
building. The only matter with the
bridge is absolute neglect by the
county court in not going over it and
having the shrinkage tightened up
a work that must be done to any and
every Howe truss bridge.
As a little circumstantial eviuence
that should convince any reasoning
man that this article is false and
was printed for no other purpose than
to injure me for the part I have tak
en in the recall, I would state (and
these statements can be backed up by
official records in the clerk's office)
that the plans and specifications for
this bridge were furnished by the
county court, were drawn by J. B.
Tilliston, now of Portland; the bridge
was built just as the plans and spec
ifications required, and THE BRIDGE
WAS ACCEPTED AND PAID FOR
by the county court as fulfilling the
contract.
Do you think it would have been
accepted if it was not according to
contract?
When it was accepted, was it not
proof of a contract fulfilled? Was not
the county court satisfied that it was
according to their orders?
Further. 1 would state that i am
willine to submit this bridge as it
stands today to J. is. inuston, tne
man who drew the plans, for his de
cision as to whether or not it was
built as his plans, approved by the
county court, required it to oe num.
Further, 1 am willing to suumit
this bridge today, after Beven years
wear and tear, to any competent
bridge man in Oregon, and let him de
cide whether it is in a dungerous con
dition as charged, whether or not it
faulty from workmanship, and wheth
er or not Olds and Reed are respons
ible?
I challenge the county court to
make this test. I challenge them to
submit the plans and specifications
side by side by the Estacada bridge
and let a competent bridge man de
cide whether these vicious charges
are true, or whether the whole mat
ter is tint, a Anmnsrina. criminal libel.
Who examined this bridge and
found it faulty in workmanship? Do
they tell you who the "expert was i
Do thev tell vou it was a road sup
ervisor or county court pet who was
sent out there to obey orders and to
drive wedges in to make the bridge
look bad?
W. T. Mattoon. with a husk in his
voice and Bob Beatie tears in his
eyes, met me one day and told me
the bridge was ialling aown, unu no
lied and knew he lied when he said
it. Aside from rank negligence in not
Innkinir after this bridge in the way
of keeping the truss rods tightened,
it is as good as the day it was duui,
wear excepted.
I defy any bridge builder, any com
nptont man with a renutation (out-
Ride of Bob Beatie's pets) to find
thin hridire faultv in construction
This is the county court's idea of
defense against recall charges.
It was told me months ago, when
the recall movement was frst being
agitated, that they would "get me."
If they will do it in the open and
iln it w ith truth, then I will take it,
but the cowards who will stick a knife
in a man from behind, who would ruin
a man's reDutation and injure his
business by publishing broadcast that
his work is faulty and will not
stand this class of assassins I will
fight to the last ditch.
E. D. Olds
Bib
Our Good Old Summer Time
And while they are drying up and
blowing away back east, the Oregon
thermometer does steady work be
tween 70 and 75. Only once this sum
mer has it got up past the 80 mark.
You Must Register
Every man and woman in Oregon
should get it thoroughly into their
heads that they must register before
they can vote again. Under the new
law every voter must register, but
after registering it will not be nec
essary again unless he. or she moves
from a precinct. But you must reg
ister this year.
Wonder What Next?
Last week the Enterprise had a
sensational story about an attempt to
burn the woolen mills in this city and
Sunday followed with a story of a
"dark laid plot" to recall the entire
city council. Wonder what next.
For P. M. at Jennings Lodge
There will be a civil service exam
ination held in this city Saturday,
July 26 to fill a contemplated vacancy
as postmaster at Jennings Lodge.
Blanks and full information can be
secured from the postmaster at Jen
nings Lodge and the local secretary
in this city.
LADIES GET TO JUDGE BEATIE
He Accepts Their Invitation to De
fend Recall Charges July 1
Tuesday afternoon, July 1, a com
mittee of ladies representing the Civ
ic Improvement League of Oak Grove,
came before Judge Beatie with copies
of the charges made by E. D. Olds,
the farmers' mass meeting committee
and others, and asked him if he would
come before that organization and de
fend and explain the charges.
Judge Beatie received the ladies
courteously and pleasantly, thanked
them for the invitation, and expressed
his willingness to attend the meet
ing and make public explanation and
defense of the charges.
The meeting will be held in the
school building at Oak Grove Tuesday
night of next week, July 1. The meet
ing will be public and all are invited
to attend and hear Judge Beatie's de
fense. He also stated he would speak
in every precinct in the county dur
ing tne recall campaign. .
BEAT STATE TO IT
County Court Didn't Wait for New
Law to Change Things
We are informed that Mr. Hackett
and his assistant, who have been ex-
perting the county books for months,
nave about completed their work, and
that tneir report will be used to de
fend the recall charges.
We are also informed that weeks
and weeks have been spent by these
experts in going over tax books that
the county court has probably never
seen, tax books that have not the
least to do with the county court on
the charges made, but which cover
the work of Sheriff Mass, the assess
or and deputies.
ne charges have nothing to do
with book experting, and this big ex
pense to be borne by the taxpayers,
looks like another useless, needless
expense, from the fact that the last
legislature passed a law, and it is
now in force, providing a state Cor
poration Commission to go over the
accounts of every county, revise the
system of account keeping and put
every court house on a practical, business-like
system, and publish a re
port of the condition of every county.
But the county court didn't mean to
wait for the state, so they appointed
he men to expert their own accounts.
But what the neonle wan to know
is WHY, not WHAT. It isn't figures
tney want, but explanations.
The Reason
Editor Courier:
Why
I see the Enterprise is wondering
why my bid on the Kellogg bridge
was higher than others. I am glad to
explain. The reason is that the plans
and specifications furnished by the
county court (either through incom
petously or a loop holel vary so that
a bidder must take a lot of chances
on what they mean and must make
his bid high enough to be sate espec
ially when he does not "stand in" with
the county court.
To illustrate: The plans furnished
by the County Court call for 10 x 10
posts and caps, while the specificat
ions furnished by them call for 10 x
12 posts and caps.
It is such matters as these that
make a bidder on the outside play
safe, for he wonders which they will
hand him.
The Enterprise might also have
noted that W. F. Halderman's bid
was next to mine in price. Mr. Hal-
derman is the man who signed his
name to a letter which I published,
and who afterward went before the
county court and apologized for doing
it.
E. D. Olds
Millsburg Mass Meeting
The residents of the proposed new
city on the West Side will hold a
meeting in Willamette Hall, Main St.,
Oregon City. Friday evening, June
27th. The meeting will be called at 8
o clock, and it is expected that all le
gal voters, both men and women, will
be present.
A petition has been received by the
committee in charge of incorporat
ion, signed by 129 residents of the
proposed city asking that the name
be changed. A two-thirds vote of
those Di-esent will be necessary to re
consider the matter, and only legal
resident voters will be allowed to
vote on reconsideration.
At the last session of the Legislat
ure a law was passed making it nec
essary for people to reside ninety
davs in the district proposed to be in
corporated before they have the right
of franchise therein.
Matter of boundary lines will final
lv be decided upon and the incorpor
ation papers signed, that all may be
in readiness to present to the County
Court at meeting of July 2nd.
TIE GATHERING
OF THE CLANS
OLD GLADSTONE CHAUTAUQUA
TO BE THE MECCA
FROM JULY 8-20TH INCLUSIVE
Portland and Clackamas County Peo
ple Coming by Thousands
Are you going to Chautauqua?
That's the question one hears on
every hand these days, and in almost
all cases the answer seems to be an
unqualified "yes."
The big list of twenty-six after
noon and evening programs, coupled
with over fifty summer school morn
ing lectures, the base ball games, the
music, the ideal camp life all these
features will prove so attractive that
people will find it absolutely impos
sible to stay at home.
Already the "Chautauqua family"
is falling into line here in Clackamas
county, and it may surprise people to
know that patrons are coming from
as far over the mountain as Prineville
from Seattle on the north, and from
Eugene on the south, notwithstanding
the fact that the lower Willamette
Valley will be worked to death this
year with one-horse commercialized
Chautauquas.
During the past two weeks 15,000
program-booklets have been sent out,
one to every family in Clackamas
county and the balance to the women
of Portland who annually attend
Chautauqua in "droves," literally
speaking. The result of this onslaught
of publicity is far-reaching and hun
dreds of letters from "anxious en
quirers," so to speak, are being effi
ciently handled by Secretary . Cross
and his assistants. Years ago, (for
the Chautauqua, you know, is this
year celebrating its 20th birthday), a
few people used to attend the assem
bly. More recently they came by the
hundreds, but the year, of 1913 will
mark an epoch in Chautauqua attend
ance records, if early predictions
count for anything.
Maybe its the Portland ladies band,
which is to give daily concerts on- the
grounds; perhaps its the thought of
good cooking "a la cafeteria," by the
capable women of Canby; or it might
be the baseball series to be played
each day between the two Oregon
City teams, Clackamas, Logan and
Oswego; or perhaps the fireworks
or perchance a combination of all
these features which are added to the
regular Chautauqua program. At
any rate interest in the coming as
sembly is becoming intense.
Ihe rush for season tickets will be
gin in earnest next Monday and will
continue from then on until the 8th
when the assembly opens. The" book"
plan met with Buch success last year
that this year the management will
again permit books of 10 season tick
ets to go for $2.00 each. This is a sav
ing of 50c per ticket, as the regular
price is $2.50. Under the book system
the holder gets everything the Chau
tauqua has to offer for $2.00. Simply
get names of ten who are planning
on attending the sessions, take their
names, and two dollars from each of
them, to Mr. E. G. Caufield at the
Bank of Oregon City, or the office of
the P. R. L. & P. Co., at First and Al
der, Portland. They will fix you out
in a hurry. Anytime after Monday
next.
But say if you plan on camping
this year and wish the assembly to
reserve a tent, phone or write Mr.
Cross, the secretary at once. The
assembly has only a limited number,
and they are going fast.
Not the Point
Assessor Jack in the Enterprise
shows him the county is a gainer of
$800 by the timber cruising off a tim
ber company's holdings.
What the taxpayers want to know
is the amount of gain the county
could have made if this contract to
cruise had been let out in the open.
That is the point.
Report of Civic Improvement Com
mittee to the Live Wires June 24
At this time your committee wish
es to report much satisfactory pro
gress. A great deal of the work at
tempted has been tiresome and tedi
ous, much of it being done in spite
of opposition from the most unlook
ed for sources. However, we believe
that slowly a sentiment for better
sanitary conditions is being aroused
in Oregon City and that already the
town is beginning to show signs of
improvement along certain lines.
The work will be actively pushed
thruout the summer months and as
this is probably the final meeting of
the Live Wires pending a short sum
mer vacation, we will report regular
ly to you and to the public thru the
columns of the press.
1. At a meetinsr of the Committee held
last night, it was decided to make an
inspection trip covering the barns oi
the city. We know that many of these
have recently been greatly improved
and the value of this single movement
in the way of guarding the city health
cannot be overestimated. Plans were
also adopted for closing up several
matters which have been hanging lire
for a long time but which we believe
are now ready to be consumated.
Excursion and Picnic
Sunday, June 29th, at Estacada
Park, Dancing, Athletic Sports, good
prizes, Best Union Music, Admission
25 cents to dance. Given by Kirkpat
rick Council No. 2227, Knights and
Ladies of Security. The public is cor
dially invited to come and have a
good time. The best of order will pre
vail. "Jeff will make the coffee."