University Eugene, Ore 8 tC jfr iC tc& it v. 1 The Courier cov ers Clackamas Co (jjt it it jt jt Weekly Reader List of 2,650. ( ( 32d Y OREGON CITY, OREGON, THURSDAY, JNUE ll, 1914 Number 6 ear TEMPLETON 5TH STREET DEAL SOME FACTS THAT SHOULD IN TEREST TAXPAYERS AN IRREGULAR, ILLEGAL DEAL City Law and Taxpayers Utterl Ignored in the Matter A week ago Wednesday Council man Templeton declared from the floor of the council chamber that the editor of the Courier was so "steeped in falsehood" and the paper so generally given to misrepresen tation that it would not tell the true facts reeardiner the illegal improve ments of Fifth street. Mr. Temple ton made these remarks after a rather weak "whitewash" of himself had been delivered at his earnest . solicitation bv Mayor Jones who knew nothing about the real history of Fifth street and by Councilman Meyer, whose testimony was peculiar in the extreme. All this happened too near the Courier's time of going to press for detailed reply to have been made last week, so the Courier takes this op portunity of letting its light shine with some concentrated focus upon this Fifth street matter. Before go ing into it, however, the Courier de sires to state that the controversy has been entirely of Mr. Templeton's making, and that ample opportunity has been given him to clarify all cloudy points in mystery. So far Mr. Templeton has done nothing but abuse the Courier and generally com plicate the situation. In December, 1912, the city coun cil passed an ordinance declaring that the "life" of Fifth' street should ex pire December 31, 1912. The ordin ance also put the same limit on Sev enth street and' on Main street. "Declaring the life" of a street in Oregon City means setting a time after which no repairs shall be made on that street save at the expense of the owners of abutting property. The "life" was declared on the three streets grouped above because property owners on Seventh street were doing exactly what property owners on Main street are doing at the present time they were trying to get the street repaved at the ex pense of the general fund. The ma jority of the council objected to this, and they objected to resurfacing the street at the expense of the general fund. In spite of their objections somebody ordered rock laid on Sev enth street, and after a block had been partly resurfaced the council passed the ordinance, and stopped it. When the council took this action it did so with the intention of stop ping any further outlay of money from the general fund on these streets. It did it to stop all resur facing or other improvement of the streets except at the expense of the owners of abutting property. There was no "understanding" at that time that any of these streets should first of all be put in first class condition. Councilman Meyer, in defending Mr. Templeton said that he believed there was such an agreement or compro mise, and that the resurfacing of Fifth street this year was merely the fulfillment of that agreement a sort of "side agreement" that did ' not go on record. Members of the street committee who endorsed the declaring of the "life" of these streets knew why it was done, and this is what they tell the Courier about it: "To my recollection there was no understanding that Fifth street should be redressed before its life was declared. The street committee never, ordered any redress of that street, as I remember it, and the sole de sire in declaring the life of the street was to stop further expendit ure of the general, fund upon it." : Ex-Councilman Horton, who was ' chairman of the street committee at the time the "life" of Fifth street . was declared. "The whole matter came up In connection with Seventh street. When the council decided to stop repairing that at the expense of the general fund, it also determined to declare the life of Fifth street and of Main street. I know of no understanding that anv of these streets were to be repaired first, or that they were to be repaired even once after the life was set. As I recall it the life of these streets was declared expressly for the purpoe of shutting off any further expense of city money upon them. It was done, I believe, to stop work then being started." Ex-Councilman Tooze, who was a member of the street committee at the time the "life" of Fifth street was declared. "I never heard of any understand ing that Fifth street was to be re paired at the city's expense after its life - had been declared. I introduced the ordinance declaring the life of Fifth, Seventh and Main streets, and I did it because the council did not want to pay for any more work on these streets." Councilman Al bright, who was a member of the street committee at the time the "life" of Fifth street was declared, and who is still a member of that committee. "The life of Fifth street was de clared in 1912, and no further work could have been done legally upon it at the expense of the general fund." Livy Stipp. who was citv recorder at the time the "life" of Fifth street was declared. The men who make the above statements were looking after the ity's business at the time the "life" of Fifth street was declared, and they know what they meant to do, and why they did it The minute book of the city coun cil shows that an ordinance was passed setting December 31, 1912, as the limit of the "life" of Fifth street. And the minute book does NOT show that there was any conditional agree ment to the effect that Fifth street should be resurfaced at a later date and the work paid for by the general fund. . . When the present city council or ganzed in January of this year Coun cilman Templeton one of the three new members was appointed chair man of the street committee. His maiden speech upon the floor of the council chamber was a protest against the improvement of Fifteen th street. He said he opposed any further street work because Oregon City needed to exercise the strictest economy. Mr. Templeton did not live on fifteenth street he lived on Fifth street. Before the winter weather had ceased it was observed that crushed rock was being put on Fifth street Councilmen and other city officers wondered how it happened, but they supposed due authority had " been given from some source. At the same time that- work on Fifth street was being done by the city, property owners on seventh street were die ging down into their jeans to pay heavy assessments for the repair of seventh street. -Yet both Fifth and Seventh streets had been declared off the city expense list after December ai. 1912. Six weeks ago the Courier started on the trail of this Fifth street improvement. The trail led right up to Mr. Templeton. The Courier said so. Before it said so it gave Mr. Templeton a chance to go on record, over his own signature, and deny that he had ordered the im provements of Fifth street at the ex pense of the general fund. Mr. Templeton has steadily refused to sign this statement. Street work of any considerable extent is not supposed to be done in this city unless ordered by the street committee. Here follows what the members of the street committee told the Courier about this year work on Fifth street. "I signed no order for the resur facing of Fifth street. I know of no report made by the street committee authorizing any person. to order the resurfacing of Fifth street." Coun cilman Van Auken, member of the itrcet committee. "I have never signed any report luthorizing the improvement of Fifth itreet. When I saw that work was leing done on the street I spoke to Templeton about it and told him that the life of the street had expired two years ago. He said it hadn't." Councilman Albright, member of the street committee. "I don't know who ordered the work done" Councilman Temple ton, chairman of the street commit tee. Street Commissioner (Babcock supervised the resurfacing of Fifth street. He told a representative of the Courier that he believed the work had been ordered by the 1912 council and then stopped temporarily, and that when he was ordered to complete the resurfacing of the street he sup posed it was all right, and went ahead with it. Mr. Babcock is supposed to obey orders that he receives from the chairman of the street committee. Who ordered this work done? The Courier has already intimated quite pointedly that Councilman Templeton ordered it. Councilman Templeton has said that the Courier is so steeped in falsehood" that it can't tell things straight. He has also said that he didn't know who ordered the work. And he has also said that he had all the details about Fifth street written down in his memorandum book. More of that shortly. iNow, the issue being as it is, the Courier is just willing to take a chance on the libel laws of Oregon, and state here, in simple language: Councilman Templeton ordered Fifth street resurfaced at the ex pense of the general fund more than a year after the life of the street had been declared. Six weeks or so aeo, when the Courier was seeking light on Fifth street, one of its representatives met Mr. lempleton downtown, and asked him a somewhat carefully worded question. This was the question: "Mr. lempleton, how much rock did YOU order placed on Fifth street?" And Mr. Templeton said: "I can't tell you offhand, but I have all the figures as to the amount of rock and cost of the work in my notebook up at the house. J m'just oing home, and if you'll call me up ;n ten minutes I'll be glad to tell you all about it." The Courier reporter waited fif teen minutes and then he called the number "Mr. Templeton had given him. And the dulcet voice of central replied: "That number "does not answer." Central was asked to try again, and again she replied sweet ly: "I cannot get that number to answer.. And the Courier reporter was not really surprised. in seeking information about Fifth street, a Courier reporter asked Street Commissioner Babcock what the work cost. He said approximate ly $1,400. The Courier printed this. And then Mr. Templeton, who says he doesn't know who ordered Fifth street improved, came down to the Courier office and said that the reporter who wrote the original Fifth street story was a liar. "And I'll prove he is a liar," said Mr. Templeton. "He said that the work cost $1,400. It didn't, it cost $1 fiRO. So you see he's a liar." The Courier , subsequently made the correction in regard to the cost of the work being but $1,400, but stll Mr Templeton says that its editor is "steeped in falsehood." No bill for the illegal improve ment of Fifth street was ever turned into the city council.' The labor was paid for among the great mass of street labor, and the 800 yards or so of rock that was used was all a part of the general "omnibus" bill for crushed rock that comes in each month. It appears, however, that $600 was paid in March, and the bal- (Continued on Page 2, Col. 4) E li CITf AFFAIRS MASS MEETING CALLED FOR SATURDAY JUNE 20, NEW MANAGEMENT PROPOSED Recent Disclosures Arouse Citizen and Petitions are Heaviyl Signed For many months the Courier has been endeavoring to convinc i the peo ple ot this city that its present sys tem of government is too small and coo loose for the impartance of its ousiness. Today there are petitions in cir culation caling a public meeting of the citizens for Willamete Hill on Saturday night, June 20, to take the initial steps for a change in the management in this city. The petition reads; "We the undersigned citizens and voters of Oregon City, re quest that a public mass meeting be held in Willamette hall, Ore gon City, on Saturday night, June 20, for the purpose of for mulating a more businesslike, economical and responsible form of government for the city." This call for a public meeting sim ply requests the people to meet and take the initial strfps for a changed system that will give this city a BUSINESS administration; put re sponsibility where it is DIRECT and cut out the extravagence under which yve now suffer. It is a call of the people to get to gether and remedy the present sys tem which is a joke aind almost a scandal today. It is a request of the people for a city administration based on business principals, whereby the present loosest of management may be changed to a systematic, practical basis, and waste and extravagance eliminated. It is a demand of the people for di rect responsibility; where one coun cilman can not hide his actions by the statement "I did not do it;" and where any man can know by asking what is being done and WHO is do ing it. The sentiment for this change is almost . unnimous. Present (Jouncil raen favor it; county officials back it. Of perhaps two-hundred citizens in terviewed only two have stood pat. One of tKe circulators, O'Don- nell, said that during a part of one day, Tuesday, he secured over 200 signatures in the down town district, and "if I should go up on the hill the paper would not hold out." He said he had nearly all the Main St. business merv, the attorneys office holders 'and four of the city council- men. He said not more Than a half dozen men had refused to sign the petition. The loseness of the present sys tem is a scandal, and the wonder is how the people have stood for it so long. That Fifth street deal has opened the eyes of the people to the way the city is being mismanaged. today Twelfth street has been re surfaced. It is aperfectly legal ac tion, and the street needs the repairs. BUT WHU UKDEKEU IT? Find out if you can. The Courier asked a member of the street committee about the matter an he replied: . I have never been consulted. I never ordered it. -1 did not know it had been ordered. The council does not know it was ordered, or ever gave it sanction." Mr. Templeton seems to be the onlv man who does know anything about it. He seems to be the only man who knows anything obout that JTifth street deal. What kind of management is this? Do you wonder that the people are' at last calling a halt? So far as the petetitions are con- cerened, they are simply in circula tion to measure sentiment. A citi zen who will sign one will naturally be interested enough to attend the meeting and help to remedy condi tions There are absolutely no politics or factions in the movement for a new form of city government. It is an open meeting to get the! ideas of the people as to the best! means to remedy present conditions, and the best form of management for our city. As we understand, the obwi of i Li ,h :i n tr to take initial st3n to brine about a chanced form of gov ernment to be formulated and put up to the people at the next city elec tion. W. S. U'Ren to Speak Dr. Ford, pastor of the First Me thodist Episcopal church, has arrang ed for the four candidates for gov ernor, Dr. (J. M. Smith, Democratic nominee; Hon. F. M. Gill, Progres sive nominee; Dr. James Withyeom be, Republican nominee, and the Hon. W. S. U'Ren, to speak in his platform pulpit, and Mr. U'Ren will speak next Sunday evening at 8 o'clock on "Needs of Oregon as I See Them." Mr. U'Ren will speak , with entire freedom. The public if cordially in vited to hear Mr. U'Ren, and all the other gentlemen. Will Appear Next Week Although a night shift has been put on at the Courier ,yet several ar ticles are ommitted from this issue, for want of time to et them in type. A large rush of printing has made the newspaper a side consideration this week. The Courier is not a one-page paper. Every column on every page! is a live one. FO G GREAT LIGHT If CULTURE HEART-TO-HEART CONFLAB ON PERSONAL TASTE FUN, FROLIC, AND FRIVOLITY An Innocent Sermonette By a Poor Preacer on Amusements Occasionally some stunt is "pulled off" in this county which deserves the hearty commendation and support of every man, woman and child with in its boundaries. This fact was most forcibly brought home to the Courier editor this week as he perused the program for the coming Chautauqua follow ing a wasted half-day at the Port land Rose Show, from which he re turned feeling rather empty both mentally and financially. Viewed in the broad light, what a difference between the two forms of amusement! What a wealth of intel lectual treats, good music, mental in spiration and rest on one hand; and what a giddy, dizzy whirl of nonsen sical so-called festivities on the oth er! The Chautauqua thought of from year to year with most pleasant memories of something really worth while; the Portland high jinks fading away onthe morning after, with a yawn and a head-ache. Mebbe- it's a case of sour gfapes, but the Courier man believes the Gladstone Chautauqua has the annual frolic of the Portlanders backed off the boards from the standpoint of genuine community upbuilding the sort that produces a better as well as a bigger citizenship. Not that the Portland show isn't a thine of beauty. It is all of that and more, but the point is that the pretty festival isn't the joy forever. It costs money to join the mi throng of the great light way, to "do" the festival as it should be fittingly done under the 1914 Queensbury rules. And when the mad exhilara tion of the grand evening is over you slink off the 1-G. M. car at the Sev enth street landing and try your best to figure out just what the total gain is on the night's revelries. Ever been? Of course you have. - It's all a question of taste and perhaps a dark-brown taste at that. Compare the Gladstone outing id days of the best in music, art and lectures, refined entertainment and amusement, innumerable morning classes of vital interest, daily base ball games and countless other fea tures, and all taking place before your eye in the prettiest and most ideal camping spot in Oregon Glad stone Park. Twenty-six big pro grams in the main auditorium, fifty mornine hour sessions and all 'the rest for the magnificent sum of $2.50. Can you beat it? Well not at the rose festival. The editor does not profess to be up to snuff on the latest Taneo mel odies but as he sized up the Chau tauqua program to be given next month, he was visibly reminded of the late Broadway hit: "How Can She Do It on $6.50 Per?" the answer is dead easy. The Chautauqua is not a commercial pro ject in any sense of the word, and therein lies its success. It is engi neered by public spirited men and women of Clackamas county who be lieve that the Chautauqua is one of the great factors in the upbuilding of the social, moral and mental life of the community. These men and women give their time and shoulder the responsibility for the success of the assembly without reward, and the beautiful park has been donated to Chautauqua for fifty years, that the grand old institution mav more easily realize its ideals. the coming assembly will be the 21st birthday of the institution. The program is a dandy and it looks as if the directors intended to celebrate in a fitting manner. the Courier coneratulates the men behind the Chautauqua guns for the success of theft assembly our as sembly, in fact. Chautauqua is something really worth while. You should plan now to help celebrate the birthday party next month. Bridges at Barton and Molalla. The state highway engineer has drawn plans and the county court advertises for bids in this issue for two steel bridges, each 210 feet in length, one across the Molalla river at Molalla and the other across the Clackamas at Barton. Some Recommend This. Undertaker TomMyres, who re cently took the emblamers' examin ation, received the following letter from Dr. Calvin S. White of the state board of health: "I have the pleasure of in forming you that you have not only passed the examination for licensed embalmer but that your paper was the best this board has ever had, and you have been given a grade of 100." . Chief Catches Fugitive. Late last week Chief of Police Shaw arrested C. S. Coleman, 24 years old, and held him as a fugit ive from Portland. Earlier in the week Chief Shaw had received a tele gram from Captain Baty of the de tective department in Portland ask ing him to .look for the man. Baty sent a good description, except that he estimated Coleman's age as 34. Ed "made'-' his man on the street, again proving his detective ability. Coleman is charged with laceny by bailee. DOCTORS AFTER VAN BRAKEL AGAIN STATE BOARD OF HEALTH HELP ING THEM TO "GET" HIM STATE HEALTH LAWS IGNORED And Vital Statistics in County Abol sihed by Calvin White The fight of the local physicians against County Health Olticer, Van Brakle, an osteopath, has broken out again, and this time in tne form oi ignoring the state law by ignoring the health officer. The state law directs physicians to send all vital statistics, and reports of contagious diseases to the county health olticer each month. Dr. Calvin S. White, who is the czar of the state board of health, or ders the physicians to ignore Dr. Van Brakle, the county health officer, ig inore Oregon'3 laws, and report all vital statistics to his office, in Mult nomah county. May 28th, there was a meeting of the Clackamas County Medical As sociation, at which time it is said this matter of ignoring Dr. Van Brakle as health officer, and the btate laws re garding vital statitics was taken up. The Enterprise quotes Dr. Strickland as replying to the inquiry as to what action the physicians took, "it is none of the public's business." A Courier reporter went to Dr. Van Brakle Saturday last, regarding reports that there were several cases of typhoid fever in the city and coun ty, and asked him regarding the mat ter, lite replied that no cases had been reported to his office, and there were no county records of such cases. So we have the situation as report ed by physicians, of Dr. Calvin S. White directing the county physicians TO IGNORE THE STATE HEALTH LAWS. And we have Dr. M. C. Stricland, as quoted in the Enterprise , saying the action of the County Medical As sociation as "NONE OF THE PUB LIC'S BUSINESS." What does the public think of these actions? For ' nearly a year the county physicians have been playing foot ball with health conditions in this county to "get" Dr. Van Brakle. Twice they have brought actions to remove him and made them ridic ulous by failures. Court actions have been brought in "the name of the people" so that the dear tax-payers would have to pay the expenses of litigation the ex penses the doctors should have went down in their jeans for. And failing in the courts, the State board of health directs, and the coun ty medical association obeys, that plain state laws be violated that the medical doctors may harass a doctor who does not prescribe medicine. This is SOME delegation of power and authority. This is SUME right ot mignt ex ercised by a person in virtue of his position of public trust. This is SOME usurption of power and conferring of authority by an official who is no more than a hired man of the tax-payers of Oregon. And the Courier wonders whether the people will stand for it, or wheth er they will rise up and abolish a pub lic office that plays medical favorites. Dr. Van Brakle says that he wel comes the new attack, as it gives him an opening to bring to conclusion whether or not the office of county health is to be made a farce of, or whether it is to be recognized ac cording to law, and no doubt there will be some interesting develope ments in the near future. MRS. W. A. WHITE FOR SCHOOL DIRECTOR Petitions are Out Nominating Compe tent and Popular Lady for Place Several petitions are in circulation in the city, which we understand are being freely signed, requesting that Mrs. W. A. White of Jefferson street, become a candidate for school direc tor, and that her name be placed on the ballot at the regular election, Monday, June 15. Mrs. White is a thoroughly com petent and popular lady of the city. She has always been thoroughly in terested in school and parent-teacher work and the active interest of the people in this matter would seem to indicate the people think the board of education would be improved by having her as a director. Of late there has been considerable dissension in the schools, and much criticism of the board of education m its several actions. It is an open secret that the board is not harmo nious; that is ha.ving all kinds of troubles and bickerings, and it seems to be the sentiment of the people that when wrangles 'start in school matters it is time for new members to step in. i The Courier believes that the elec tion of a lady of Mrs. White's capa bilities to the board would be for the best interests of the board and for the schools at this time of factional strife. It believes if we had more women on the board we would not have se cret sessions, where the minutes, of the meeting were denied to people requesting, and that we would have more economy and better feeling gen erallv. A large majority of the teachers of our city schools are ladies, and there is no argument against the justice of havine competent lady represen tation on the board to be consulted in the selection of these teachers. A woman takes far more interest in these matters than men. It is regrettable that politics and factional differences have entered our board of education a nd schools. It should be stopped. A lady member on the board will do much to end it. A petition has been left at the Courier office to place Mrs. White in nomination, where any one may sign it who desires. Teusday is School Election Next Tuesday. June 15, is the an nual school election for the election of a director. Wrs. W. A. White has been placed in nomination by large petitions, with far more than the re quired number of names, and will be a candidate tor the place. Easy Picking Sure tiling, Economy is worked to death in Oregon City. There was no money to grade East street, where the owners are willing to be assessed for the improvement. Lots of dough for Fifth street. Lots of coin for a semi-private tennis court. Lots of ducats lor a water tall about sz.uw and then that nasty water wouldn't fall. Oh! you blue-sky bunch. Lucke Warehouse Started William Lucke, a commission merchant of Canty, was in this city Monday arranging for the erection of a building on Eleventh and Center street, this to be used as a commis sion house in connection with the one at Canby. The building will be of one story, the dimensions to be 40x60 feet. A siding from the main track of the Southern Pacific to be con structed at the completion of the building. Mr. Lucke has been in the commis sion business at Canby for the past soven years, having made a success nf this business. He is to handle all kinds of produce in this city, Brings Suit for $25,000. A damage action for $25,250 has been brought in the circuit court here by Henry McNaughton, guardian for his son, barl, against William Mum- power and Norville Kirchem of Stone. Last July young McNaughton and a companion were motorcycling along tne Clackamas river when a bull dog ran out at them, when McNaughton shot the dog. The dog was owned by Kirchem. William Mumnower. a deDutv sheriff, chased the boys in an auto, caught and arrested them. A few minutes later the McNaughton boy jumped on his motor and rode off. mumpower shot him twice. 1 he complaint alleees the bov will be a cripple for life. SNAKEY EELS, NASTY - EELS,. STINKING EELS Mr. City Council, Please Take the 11,,,.... l,.f I!.,,., I, fM. VTUI UIU 4JUI J il, Shakespeare once defined stink as "the rankest compound of villain ous smell that ever offended nostrils," and the wonder is if there wasn t an eel factory in his vicinity when he wrote it, with the wind blowing toward him. Facing Water street on the river bank is an eel factory, where they boil 'em up, cut 'em up ,fry 'em up, or something, and the stench from said extractor would stink a dog off the river front. A glue factory or phosphate plant would be otter of roses in comparison. Why this place was allowed to be erected where it is, keeps one guess ing, it is said the proprietors have permission from both the city, which claims title to the land and private parties who have title (tax) to the property, and that they have legal right to make oil, hen feed and stink 24 hours a day. And they are certain ly putting in the full-hours on aroma. We would suggest to the city council to. see how very suddenly the nuisance can be abated or moved, and during the waiting would further suggest that they scatter asafetdia and burn-a quantity of old rags as a couter irritant. ' This dead eel fryerv or live eel fricaseery rrfay be an infant industry in disguise, and may grow in size and smell and payroll, but it occurs to us it should be located nearer the free raw material, that it should be speedily and forcibly shoved about a half mile up the river, near the falls where Canemah and West Linn could share in the suptile quality of its Hoyt's German Cologne-like odors, and have equal credit in the industry as it grows bigger and stinks louder. lhe Courier voices a lone strine of supplicants when it entreats please take the thing away. Never more will it raise a whisper against the sulphur fumes from the Jiawley paper mill; never more will we protest against the dead eels and salmon on the falls rocks. Take away the infant eel industry before it grows on us, and give us aloes fc chew in the meantime. Canned Goods If vou are hrnkft or nnnrlv bnnfpH don't ltrpjik t.hft lnw in Orpo-nn Pilv for you'll got soaked the limit. If you nave a pull and influence you can do as you blame please. The of ficers will t'entlv tell vnu that mn had better be careful, as somebody nas reported you as an offender. Per- n,ipn your line win be uncollectable like Stewart's? Pprhnnn vnu will a to old and respected a citizen to give evidence in a Blind-Pig case, espec ially ii you are an accessory before the fact and own a drug store? Per haps there is a hell and some people will go there? Perhaps? UNK WHO KNOWS. Girls Wanted! (Over 18 years of age) To OPERATE SEWING MACHINES IN GARMENT FACTORY Ogreon City Woolen Mills T ENDS SIFT'S LIFE LOCAL RAILROAD MAN DIES AS RESULT OF ACCIDENT FOUR OTHERS BADLY INJURED Willamette Valley Southern Terminal Scene of Sudden Disaster F. M. Swift, construction manaer of the Willamette Valley Southern railroad, was fatally injured in the Oregon City terminal yards Monday afternoon, and four other men were ' so seriously hurt that they were all sent to hospitals. Early Tuesday morning Mr. Swift died of his inju ies, after making a brave but futile battle for life. Mr. Swift sustained a fractured skull and internal injur ies in the accident, and attending physicians at no time had hopes of his recovery. The accident occured when a new electric hoist, just installed to drag gravel ballast and other material from the river to the terminal yards at the foot of Fifteenth street, was being tried out. Though there was no load in the big bucket of the hoist the joists and supports that upheld it proved too frail to stand the strain, and the big timber that bore the greatest stress; snapped, its shattered parts mowing down the men standing nearby like chaff. Those injured were: Edward Rain ey, conductor on the construction train, who sustained fractures of the right thigh and left leg, as well as lacerations about the head; J. Eby, timekeeper, cut on head and shoul ders Harvey Dix, laborer, injured in the back and badly bruised; A. G. Sullivan, an employee of the P. R. L. & P. Co., badly bruised. All the above will recover, physicians in attendance say, though Rainey may be crippled for the remainder of his life. The men injured had gathered near the head of the hoist to watch its operations. The powerful electric machinery replaces a gigantic don key engine that had been used by the Clackamas Southern management. When the local road was re-financed by the Portland Railway, Light & Power . company, the donkey engine was discardeu ai,:",. an electric hoist, operated by power' from' the interur ban line, installed in its place. It wus this hoist that was being tried out. The windlass and motors of the hoist are upon a platform erected some 18 feet above the level of the terminal yards, so that cars may be run underneath and loaded with the material hauled up from the river. Apparently the framework support ine the hoist was not heavy enough to stand the strain of its operation, and when a part of this gave way hve of the men watching the operation of the contrivance were flayed by the pieces. i p Particular sadness attaches to the death of Mr. Swift. He has been identified with the Clackamas South ern project since its inception, and has worked with all his heart and soul to make it a success. Day and night he was ever ready to do his share towards bringing the local "road to completion, and the recent pro gress that has been made on the line since outside capital was secured de lighted him greatly. His fellow workers on the line found him a con stant insniration for their enthusi asm, and his death is mourned by all with, a sincerity they can but half ex press. A MATTER FOR MR. TEM PLETON TO EXPLAIN Will He Tell the People Under What Authority He Improves Streets I If Mr. Templeton, chairman of the street committee, is not too busy trying to find out who ordered the crushed rock put onto Fifth street, we would ask him to answer these questions, he being chairman of the the street committee, ne anuuiiU know. Paee 33 of the city charter, sec. 87, says the council shall have power to award contracts for street improv ments "such contracts TO BE LET TO THE LOWEST BIDDER." When he has finished this section we would ask him to look up a con tract for crushed rock, dated Sep tember 23, 1912, signed by G. B. Dimick, then mayor, for 1500 cubic yards of crushed rock. Now we would like to ask Mr. Templeton under WHAT contract and under WHAT authority he is having crushed rock put on the several streets of the city? I his contract was lone airo filled and has expired. The charter says this material SHALL' BE BROUGHT UNDER COMPETITIVE BIDS. It isn't beine boueht under any bids. It isn't being bought under any contract. It isn't beine boueht with the knowledge or consent of the other members of the street committee. It isn't being bought legally. tl is just being put on. If you want to know how much and the cost, you can't find it in the city records, out in a private book Councilman Templeton carries in his INSIDE POCKET. This column is vours, Mr. Tem pleton, to explain the LEGALITY of this crushed rock deal, and to explain what right you have individually, and as ONE member of the street committee to run up these big cost bills without contract or author ity from tne city council. The Courier and twice a week Journal, both one year, $1.75. BREAKING M