THE WEATHER
. OREGON CITY Probably $
fair; easterly winds.
Oregon and Washington Prob- "
ably fair; easterly winds. 4-
' Idaho Probably fair. " $
' i EDWARD A. BEALS,
i District Forecaster.
i
3 make ;
it's too jl
$ By the time some people
up their minds what to do
late.
- - t
- 8
WEEKLY ENTERPRISE ESTABLISHED 1866.
VOL. VL No. 146.
. OREGON CITY, OREGON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 23, 1913.
Pkk Week, Ten Cents.
BECOMES 1 ROARING ' VORTEX
CITY'S
BIG
STORE
$40,000 GOES IN
CONFLAGRATION
BURNING FURNACE TAKES THE
PLACE OF ELLIOTT BROS.
STORE AND STOCK
NOT A SHOE STRING LEFT INTACT
Everything Goes Before Ravages of
Demon and Crowd is Forced
Back By Intense Heat
of Flames
Forty thousand dollars worth of
property was burned early Tuesday
morning by the third midnight fire
within three days when the store
building and stock belonging to El
liott brothers at 807 Seventh street
was totally destroyed. The origin
of the fire is not definitely known,
although it was the common opinion
of all who saw the fire and knew the
circumstances that it was of in
cendiary orgin.
The fire broke out between mid
night and 1:30 o'clock .but it was
1:00 o'clock before the alarm was
turned in and the department re
sponded to the call. By that time
the blaze had broken out through
the roof in several places and the
interior was a raging furnace.
Several lines were stretched from
the hydrants one block west on 7th
street and on 6th street; Within a
few minutes after the first company
arrived, several streams were playing
on the blaze. The hottest part of the
fire was the upper story of the build
ing and the roof. In order to be able
to play the water upon these places It
was necessary for the fighters to
climb upon the roof of adjoining build
ings. The fight was, at first carried
on from the front and sides until the
entire rear of the building had be
come one solid mass of flames and it
was necessary to concentrate the
force of several streams on that part.
After the fire had burned for some
time and the department had found
it almost impossible to made any
headway against Its fury, a general
alarm was turned In and several other
companies responded to the call.
Fierce Battle.
The battle raged for more than au
hour before the men were able to
make any substantial headway
against the flames. One part of the
blaze would be quenched only to have
another section break out again. Time
after time the fighters and the crowd
thought that at last the fire was un
der control only to see the heavens
lit up by an out break in another part
of the structure.
Long before the fire was checked,
the roof of the building had fallen in
and the entire center of the large
frame structure was a mass of roam
ing flames.
Big Crowd Watches.
As soon as the alarm was sounded,
the crowd began to collect until there
were seve.ral hundred persons crowd
ed along Seventh and Madison streets
watching the fight between the fire
and the department. - They filled the
sidewalk on the north side of Seventh
street and toward the last were jamed
So close together as to make it almost
impossible to pass them without get-
(Continued on Page 3).
ZiZ GIFTS THAT xtr-'' f
MEAN SOMETHING '
Let Our Wagon Be Your
Santa Claus
IT will drive up to your home Christmas Eve
with whatever gift you select from our big
assortment of fine furniture. Presents for aS
the family on exhibition. Each one sure to please.
Start with Mother. She would rather have a
Hoosier Cabinet than anything "fancy" you could
choose. Because it will make cooking easy for the
rest of her life, save millions of steps and hours of
time each day.
Father would like an easy Morris chair or a fine
reading lamp or a good desk or table. Both boys
and girls want things for their rooms. There are
endless toys for the children.
Call now and make your selection while our stock
is complete. We will hold it for Christmas, play
Santa Claus just at the right time.
ADAMS DEPARTMENT STORE
Oregon City's Busy Store
SPECIAL PREMIUMS FOR RED TRADING STAMPS .
TWO RAILR
FIRE BUGS PUT
BELIEF THAT SHOP COULD NOT
HAVE BURNED FROM ANY
DEFECTIVE WIRING
SOME FEATURES OF CONFLAGRATION
Work Through Mud and Slush to Get
Water on Roaring Furnace
That Has Big Start When
Department Comes
Fire bugs probably started the blaze
that destroyed the Home Bakery on
Seventh and John Adams streets at
1 o'clock Monday morning.
Wrilliam McRoberts, the owner of
the stock had .just completed the fit
ting up of the shop and had installed
an entriely new set of equipment. Mr.
and Mrs. McRoberts had returned
from a visit to Portland when the fire
was discovered an the alarm turned
in. For the second time within 24
hours, the fire boys of the department
were called out to quench a roaring
blaze that had a good start before it
was discovered.
Flames HlgTi.
When the department arrived on
the scene, the flames were shooting
up into the air. The electric power
and light lines were cut and the poles
near the building were in flames.
Water was turned on in a moment,
however, as soon as the department
reached the scene and three streams
played for several hours on the burn
ing building in the effort to get it un
der control. The neighbor buildings
were well protected and though the
sparks were blown by the cold wind
in every direction, no damage was
done to any of the abutting property.
The case of the bakery, however, was
hopeless from the start and though
the building was thoroughly drenched
by the oceans of water that the fire
men poured into It, there was little
chance to quench the blaze that had
such a headway before the department
was summoned.
Wood Not Ignited.
The building is valued at nearly
$3000 and the furniture and fixtures
at much more than that sum. One of
the features of the fire was the fact
that the wood had been laid in the
furnace for the morning baking and
in spite of the intense heat and the
blaze all around the furnace it did not
ignite.
Mrs. McRoberts had just gone into
their private rooms and placed ber
furs over the radiator to dry. Look
ing down, she saw that a great hole
had been burned through the f'oor
and that the first story was aflame.
Several alarms were turned in by tele
phone and by the fire alavsn system
in rapid succession and th3 depart
ment responded promptly. The fire
boys had a difficult task to fight the
fire as the streets were soaked by the
rain and it was an almost impossible
thing to pull the heavy hose carts
through the mud and slush of the
streets. At the same time, three lines
MATGH TO BAKERY
ftflDS (1F.T RIGHTS
V mm m
BLAZE STARTS
AT
SMOULDERING FIRE IN BASE
MENT GIVES WARNING TO
THE JANITOR
BURNS IN BIG PILE OF RUBBISH
Employe Attacks Embers and Gets All
Under Control Before Teachers
or Pupils Learn Real
Truth of Trouble
Fire broke out in the high school hi
a pile of kindling and waste from the
manual training room Monday morn
ing but was extinguished before dam
age was done.
The fire had been smouldering in
the wood for sometime and was fill
ing the rooms with smoke. The mem
bers of the faculty through the build
ing thought that the furnace was
smoking and merely raised the win
dows. Janitor Myers, however, discovered
the cause of the blaze ami put it out
before it had reached the violent
stage. Most of the waste material
from the manual training room of the
high school was placed in the base
ment. By some mysterious method,
fire broke out there while the chil
dren were in school. The fact that it
smoked for sometime before the blaze
started, served as a warning and the
janitor at once located the cause of
the trouble. No damage whatever
was done. Had not the fire been
found -in time, it is possible that the
entire building might have been de
stroyed even if all of the children
managed to get away from the burn
ing structure in time. The janitor al
layed the fears of the children and
the members of the faculty by an
nouncing that he had extinguished the
fire and that it might have meant the
loss of the school had it not been dis
covered promptly.
This Is the third fire within the past
36 hours.
DAMAGE SUIT GETS
KNOCKED BY COURT
Because every taxpayer of the coun
ty would be interested in the outcome
of the suit and the plaintiff might not
get justice at the hands of the jury,
the litigation brought by H. M. Terry
against Clackamas county" was tried
Monday in the circuit court at Hills
boro. After the plaintiff had introduced all
of his testimony as to the condition
of the roads, Gilbert L. Hedges, coun
ty attorney, moved that the case be
non-suited and was sustained by the
court. The county, consequently, won
the first suit without even the intro
duction of testimony.
i -of hose were playing upon the Pre' in
I short order and the blaze was calmed
I down from a roaring furnace to one
! that was easily 'within control
! Mr. and Mrs. McRoberts a- short
! time ago suffered a similar fire at
i their other bakery In Hubbard. They
I believe that the fire Monday morning
i was deliberately planned and that the
i same person was propably responsi-
! ble for both. Several who investigat-
1 ed the premises think there was a de
i cided smell of kerosene about the
, place. Caleb Cross was owner of the
building and little insurance was car
ried on the property.
If a man is too lazy to stand up and
tell the truth he's apt to lie about it,
i r
WANTED!
Women and Girls
Over 18 Years Old
To operate sewing match Ines in
garment factory
Oregon City Woolen
Mills
ROYAL BREAD!
The best that money caw produce.
Always Fresh At
HARRIS" GROCERY
A Merry Christ
mas For All
This Includes ths poor. SL
Paul's Brotherhood is undertaking
to make this Christmas merry for
the poor in and about Oregon City.
' It is for ALL the poor, regardless
of religion. Send names of needy
families to Rv. C. W. Robinson.
Send money and rifts to Wm.
Hammond, treasurer, or any mem
ber of the. Brotherhood.
.Share your joy wltm those who
have little and you will have
double.
HIGH
SCHOOL
mm '
ION IS
NOW POSTPONED
WEST LINN GETS WRONG DOPE
ON SENTIMENT IN TOWN
ADJOINING IT
WILL AWAIT DEVELOPMENTS LATER
Plan to See What City Does Now It
Has Adopted Its Charter Again
and Whether It Wants to
Join Bigger Place
Because West Linn did not have tha
correct information on the sentiment
in that portion of Willamette that it
proposed to annex, the, election there
scheduled for December 31 has been
postponed.
The town believed that the people
in the neighboring city wanted to join
West Linn and called the election for
the purpose of giving them a chance
to get into the larger town if they
wanted to do so. The agitation now
started to incorporate the whole town
of Willamette with that of West Linn
also had something to do with the de
termination to postpone the election.
West Linn could see no reason for
a special election on the question of
taking in any one part of the town if,
later, the city were going to vote on
that of taking in the whole corpora
tion. At the meeting of the West Linn
city council Saturday night, the mat
ter was thoroughly threshed out and
a resolution was passed inviting Will
amette to join in boosting for all of
the west side under one form of gov
ernment. The sentiment has also
been expressed that both of the school
districts ought to be under one board
and that the best interests of all of the
people of the west side would be serv
ed were all of the government over
there under one control. The senti
ment now seems to bhave swerved
against the division of that side of the
river into two or more - towns and
school districts and the people have
now seemed to be in favor of concen
trating the governments -of both
places.
For this reason, the election has
been called off and the people of West
Linn will wait to see whether or not
Willamette wants to become a part of
the bigger corporation.
ULTIMATUM GOES
TO COMPANY
CITY FATHERS GET AROUSEO
OVER FACT OF CARS STAND
ING ON STREET
PROPOSE TO REVOKE FRANCHISE
Decide to Bring Matters to an Issue
At Once and to Take Trains Off
of Main Want Work
Started on Yards
Unless the Portland Railway, Light
& Power company comes to time with
in the next 30 days, the city council
plans to revoke its franchise.
Jack Albright moved, at the meeting
Monday night, that the city recorder
be instructed to notify the company
that it was violating the terms of its
franchise and that the city would take
action within 30 days unless the con
cern mended its ways.
The city fathers believe that the
company has no right to allow its
cars to stand on the tracks as they
claim it has been doing for the past
few weeks and think tnat some action
should be taken to prevent trains
standing on the line along Main streec.
The franchise is also said to con
tain a provision that the company is
to build yards inside of the city limits
for its freight "within a reasonable
time." The council believes that the
company has now had plenty of time
and that it has delayed matters for a
year. Unless the concern puts in
these freight yaTds and also takes its
trains off the tracks on Main street
in accordance with the wishes of the
council, the franchise may be revoked.
Under the provisions of the ordin
ance itself, the city council may, after
30 days' notice, revoke the franchise
given to the corporation if any of the
terms have been violated. The coun
cil believes that the company does
not have the right to allow its cars to
remain on the streets and proposes to
bring the matter to an issue at once."
Livy Stipp, as city recorder, will
send the notice to the company. Un
less Ihe demands are met, the cit?
proposes to take action and to attempt
to revoke the franchise,, according to
the motion that carried.
-An exchange says: "Silver Is less
valuable than eggs." Perhaps it is,
but a pocket full of silver causes less
uneasiness.
. O, well, whatever has or hasn't
happened, let's have a cherry Christ
mas season anyway.
ANNEaAT
OF WAY OVER WATFH 5TBFFT
w w " W
TWO TOWNS GET
WILLAMETTE AND MOLALLA TO
VOTE ON MEASURES SUB
MITTED AT ELECTIONS
BOTH CARRY BY BIG MAJORITIES
People Favor Regulations and Adopt
Them After Campaigns
West Side Celebrates
- With Fireworks.
Two Clackamas county cities, Will
amette and Molalla, adopted their re
spective charters Monday by large
majorities.
In Willamette the vote was two to
one in favor of the new charter or 8S
to 44. This is the second election
within the past five weeks, the first
one being held on November 17. At
the first election, the charter carried
by a majority of 78 to 70 but the ques
tion of its legality was raised and the
council, to be on the safe side, deter
mined to hold another election at
which the same charter would be
voted upon for a second time.
James Downey, who raised the ob
jections to the first election will, it is
said, protest this second one on the
grounds .that the charter has been
changed by numbering the sections
differently. Mr. Downey has been able
to nullify several charters which the
voters of the town have passed upon
in the past.
At Molalla the vote was light, prob
ably due to the fact that there was al
most no opposition to the new set of
laws. The final vote stood 63 for the
charter and 18 against it. This is the
first regular election at which the wo
men of Molalla have had the chance
to express their views.
After the election at - Willamette,
when it was certain that the charter
had, passed by- a large majority, the
large crowd, which waited for the
final returns, celebrated the victory
by shooting off fire works in front of
the polling place.
RELATIVES GET WORD OF
DEATH IN FAMILIES
Word has been received in the city
that Mrs. W. E. Hoyt, mother of John
R. Humphrys, died at her home at
Woodstock, New Brunswick, after a
lingering illness. Death came Sun-
cay morning. The funeral will De
held at the family residence Tuesday.
Mrs. Hoyt Is survived by a brother
and sister, also of New Brunswick.
Thomas Forest L. Sinnott, brother
of A. M. Sinnott, died at his home at
Rosebanks, N. Y., leaving a widow and
four children.
Just as good a tariff bill could have
been passed in June; just as good a
currency bill in September.
SUIT OF CLOTHES
- LIBRARY TABLE
TIE AND HANDKERCHIEF
SET
UMBRELLA
HEATING STOVE
" EASY CHAIR. . .
HAT
SHAVING SET
POCKET BOOK
WOOD BASKET.
PAIR OF BLANKETS
DAVENPORT
INITIAL HANDKERCH'FS
- RUBBER BOOTS
FUR TOP SLIPPERS
Big Selection At
Adams
Department
Store
TBe Home of
Hart Schaffher
w Marx
13 n
NEW
CHARTERS
W mWmmM., WW AAA JLJA A AJU4 XL
MAYOR
THREATENS
EXECUTIVE VETO
CLOUD OF OFFICIAL DISAPPROV
AL LOWERS OVER CITY
COUNCIL'S ACT
FATHERS FACE CHIEF'S DISPLEASURE
Pass Ordinances Even After He Says
They Should Be Held Up for
Further Consideration
and Changes
Mayor Linn E. Jones has threaten
ed to veto at least one of the fran
chises as passed at the meeting of the
city council Monday night.
At the meeting Monday morning,
the mayor informed the council that
he would veto the franchise if it pass
ed through in the shape that it was
then in and believed that he would be
justified in doing so. At the night
session, in the teeth of that threat, the
council passed both measures with
out crossing a "t" or dotting an "i.:
There are several provisions in the
measures that - passed through the
council to which the mayor took ex
ception and he , believed that they
should be changed in order to better
protect the interests of the city. He
thought that thn nrd
ing hurried through too rapidly and
aeciarea tnat were they passed before
the first of the year he should refuse
to sign his name to them when they
were brought to him by the city re
corder. '
In spite of that declaration, the city
council passed the measures without
making the slightest changes in them
and decided that, if the mayor were
going to veto them, he' had the chance
to do so after they came to him for
signature.
On account of private affairs, the
mayor did not attend the night ses
sion Monday. Councilman Holman
was in the chair while the following
members were present: Holman,
Horton, Albright, Tooze, Metzner,
Beard, Hall; absent, Long, Myers.
Several of the members favored the
franchises as they stood and argued
against any change believing them for
the best interests of the city even if
there are a number of tracks' on the
streets over which the franchises are
operative. , t'Ifa;i
The motion to pass both franch'ses
was made by Council Jack Albright,
The vote on the Clackamas South
ern line was unanimous while Tooze
alone voted against granting the fran
chise to Carver. He left the council
chambers immediately afterwards and
did not wait for the vote on the local
company's franchise.
SPECIAL SALE
Wednesday and Thursday, Dec 23d and 24th
At Anderson's Confectionery Store on all dolls, meerschaum and brie."
pipes, bulk and box candies. .
All one-half pound box candies . 20c
All one pound box candies . : : 40c
Also have a full line of cigars and tobacco. Remember we carry the
largest line of candy in the city.
E. B. ANDERSON, 610 MAIN ST.
We make a specialty of serving hot lunches at all hours
YE SI
We are giving away f
2-GEESE-2
Tonight at the
T
Tomorrow Night
2-TURKEYS-2
Special Christmas Feature
The Madonna of the Slums
A Beautiful Drama in Two Parts
Miller and Armstrong
-V; 'v. in :' '':V:..l
MUSIC AND EFFECTS
FRANCHISES RUSH
T
DISCUSSION CUT OFF AND BOTH
LINES GET RIGHTS ALONG
WATER STREET
LITTLE ERRORS CREEP IN UNSEEN
Companies Get More Than City Had
Bargained But Members Still
Believe Grants Will Mean
Much to Town
Both the Carver and the, Clack
amas Southern franchises were
rushed through the city council Mon
day night in spite of the threatened
veto of Mayor Linn E. Jones.
Only Councilman Tooze voted
against the Carver franchise. The
one granting the right of way up
Water street to the Clackamas
Southern went through without op
position. Speeches in favor of a
progressive stand for the roads and
arguments that the city ought to en
courage the lines to build as many
tracks on the street as their busi
ness would justify were made by
several of the council members.
It was a quiet, orderly meeting that .
gave two franchise to railroads Mon
day night. With little argument and .
discussion, the council voted to give
the two lines right of way up Water
street for a period of 25 years, keep
ing the companies under the control
of the council at all times.
Both companies were granted the ,
right to build double tracks the street.
Under the provisions of their fran
chise, they may have single or double
L. m..io vmvufell llic DU6CL. X
means that if the companies believe
they need them for their business,
there will be four tracks on the street.
Under the provisions, the council also
granted right of way on Center street
where the Southern Pacific now runs
and on Fifteenth street where the
Clackamas Southern already has , a
franchise. ' -
Council Regulates.
The life of both of the ordinances is
for 25 years. They give the city
trol the traffic on the streets and al
low the representatives to determine
just how and when the freight may be
brought in and out of town. After la
years, the council may also demand
compensation of some sort from the
companies and may make them con
tribute into the city treasury a certain
npr rpntapfi nf thoii- prnas reooints
But the franchises now provide that
the companies must improve. Water
(Continued on Page 2.) -
A W,
HROUGH COUNCIL