THE XOEHTNG OEEGONXAJT, THtTKSDAT, JA25TTAET 3, 1895
x&nxwoL
Entered at the .PcstoHce at Portland, Oregon,
- c second-class matter.
REVISED SUBSCRIPTION KATES.
By Mall (postase prepaid) la Advance.
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Dalty, Sunday excepted, per year.-..... 10 00
Dally, with Sunday, per year 12 00
Sunday, per year.... ............. ....... - 00
The "Weekly, per year.- 1 5
The Weetfly, three months - 50
TO CITY SUBSCRIBERS.
Dally, per -week, delivered. Sunday excepted..2Sc
Daily, per week, delivered. Sunday lncluded..S0c
Xews or -discussion Intended for publication in
The Oresenlan Should be addressed invariably
'Editor The Oregpnian," not to the nane ol
any individual. Letters relatlns to advertising
subscription or to any business matter should
fee addressed almply "The Oregonlan."
The Oreconian does not buy poems or stories
front individuals, and cannot undertake to re
turn any manuscript pent to H without solici
tation. No tsamps should be inckfeed for this
purpose.
DAILY METEOROLOGICAL BEPORT
PORTLAND. Jan. 1. S P. M. Maximum
temperature, S3; minimum temperature, 29;
Jieleht or river at 11 A. M., 3.0; change In the
Jiast 24 hours, 0.0: total precipitation today,
3.61; total precipitation from September 1. 1S9
net season), to date, 12.73; average, ttt.SS; de
Uclency, 8.07.
WEATHER SYNOPSIS.
A heavy snow storm occurred In Oregon to
day. Fifteen inehes fell In Portland, which,
vrhen melted, made 1.C4 of precipitation. It is
snowing; at Portland. Walla Valla. Baker City,
3elena, Miles City and Idaho Falls. The snow
Sail is as follows:
Inches. I Inches.
3'ortland iri.OjBaker City 4.3
;Val!a Walla 2.01
A heavy rain occurred, at Rosburg-, where
the'jemperature is IK! degrees, against 2S de
j;reesf at Portland. Since the storm is central
at Rosebunj and, moving- in the direction of Salt
2oke, it is apparent that an area of high
pressure is following, which will likely produce
fair weather for a portion of Thursday.
WEATHER FORECASTS.
Forecasts made at Portland for the 24 hours
ending at midnight January 3:
For Washington Fair weather and slightly
cooler, with fresh northerly winds.
For Oregon Light snow, followed by fair
eather and cooler, with fresh northerly winds.
For Idaho Heavy snow in the southern por
tions, and light snow in the northern portions;
stationary temperature, with fresh variable
Jvrinds.
For Portland Snow, followed by fair and cool
er weather, with fresh northerly winds.
m B. S. PAGfE. Local Forecast Official.
PORTLAXD. THURSDAY. JAX. a.
JtVORDS SY HE JUGGLED "WITH;
VALUES CAXXOT.
The doctrine of flat creation of wealth
was never more representatively set
out than in an article recently pub
lished by the San Francisco Chronicle,
framed as a reply to a statement by
The Oregonian. We quote a passage
or two, beginning; with the following,
viz.:
The Oregonlan says "silver is worth CO
cents an ounce, and can be bought any
3lace on earth at that price," and sneers
at any one so shallow and absurd as to
think that it ought to command $129 an
ounce. The Oregoinan makes the mistake
of confounding terms. It uses th- word
"worth" when it really means price.
Men may amure or deceive them
selves by juggl're; with words in this
Sashlon, but they can't juggle with val
ues. Silver has the place in the world
to which the judgment of the world has
assigned it; its value is the same the
world over, and if we change the terms
5 li 'Which its value is expressed we do
not change the valiie. The ratio of .sil
ver to gold In our coinage --is 16 to 1,
and this formobly was near the world's
market ratio. But during twenty-five
years the world's market ratio has been
changing, till now the ratio Is C2 to 1.
rrhat is, one ounce of gold will buy 32
ounces of silver anywhere in the world,
and we can no more reverse this rela
tion by an act of congress than we can
double by an act of congress the mar
jcet value of wheat. To say that silver
"ought to command $1 29 an ounce" s
as futile as to say that wheat ought
lo command $1 a bushel. The world's
rmarket value will rule In every case.
Sior can we change It by altering the
terms In which the measure of value, or
$rice. is expressed. The Chronicle says
further of silver:
The government has prohibited its use
as money, and the price has fallen in
consequence, but silver possesses its old
"tlrrio utility, -and would, if its use were
jiermltted, be worth as much as It ever
was for monetary purposes. The en
forced diminution of the demand has re
duced the price, but has not impaired the
;worth of silver.
The government has not prohibited
Hhe use of silver as money. On the
contrary, there is an Immense amount
of silver in use as money, full money
fifty times as many silver dollars hav
ing been issued during the last fifteen
years as during the preceding eighty
five. But we cannot allow further
coinage of silver at present, because
the world's market ratio lies drawn far
away our mint ratio. It is the same
in all countries, except those petty,
half-civilized states, whose sole money
is silver, worth in the terms of our
Snoney 50 cents on the dollar, and In
the terms of the world's market 60
cents an ounce. Not only have we not
"prohibited the use of sliver as money,"
but, on the contrary, we have coined
anore than we can use. Much of it re
mains in the government's vaults; every
effort to force it into circulation falls,
because it is distrusted; every man to
whom it is paid puts it off as soon as
he can; the merchant and the banker
Who get it throw it back on the govern
ment, knowing that it is worth actually
Dnly one-half what it purports to be
worth, and fearing exhaustion of the
sold reserve, which would reduce this
silver and the paper based on it to the
uctuarbullion value of silver that is.
to 60 cents an ounce, or less thai! 50
cents on the dollar of our money.-
The assumption that the price of sil
ver has fallen to 60 cents an ounce in
consequence of the discontinuance of its
coinage by the United Stales Is another
phase of this persistent error. We do
not control the market of the world, but
are controlled by It. The fall of silver
is not a consequence of the discontinu
ance of its coinage by the United States;
we have heen compelled to discontinue
its coinage, to repeal the Bland act, and
then the Sherman act. in consequence
of the fall of silver, or go to the silver
basis. It is extremely irrational or
shallow to suppose that the United
States could make a value of silver for
the world. There is nothing else in
which men of ordinary intelligence
would make so absurd a mistake. It
takes now thirty-two ounces of silver to
equal one ounce of gold. This Is the
ratio the world over. Are they reason
able, are they really sane on this sub
ject, who profess to believe that by
an act of congress we can change this
ratio, this rolatlve value, to 16 to 1?
What we could and should do
by making the attempt would be the
substitution of the sliver standard
for the gold standard, the debase
ment of our money, to the level of
the silver market, the complete ex
pulsion of gold, and the institution of
silver isonoraetalism as- the monetary
policy of the country. There are
enough who know this to- prevent so
disastrous a "blunder. We make still
one more' extract from the Chronicle:
Some people imagine that a thing Is
only worth as much as it will sell for, but
that is a narrow view to take of the
matter. If the government would issue
an effective edict prohibiting the use of
wheat by the people of the United States
the price of that cereal would undoubted
ly fall, but wheat would still be worth
as much as ever as an article of food.
The .same may be said of silver.
There are many persons at all times
who find it hard to realize the truth
that a thing is worth and only worth
what it will bring. The facts of ex
perience upon which this economic prin
ciple is based are hard sometimes to
learn, as many a luckless holder of
property can testify; but he has always
found that, whatever his own concep
tion of his property's worth, the' real
and only true test of its worth Is to
put it up for sale and find out. Polit
ical economy teaches the student this,
and until he can learn it, there is not
much purpose in what he says about
.values. Yet those who have never
learneci this elementary fact are setting
themselves up as financial guides and
censors. That is one reason why finan
cial fallacies are so rife. The cold facts
of political economy are characterized
as "narrow views."
If the government were to issue an
edict prohibiting the use of wheat by
th& people of the United States, the
price of that cereal would be practically
unchanged, because the edict would not
be worth the paper it was written on,
any more than a fiat dollar with no
intrinsic value in sight for its redemp
tion. An edict forbidding the use of
wheat would be of equal force and ef
fect with an edict establishing the price
of silver at $1 29 an ounce. Purchase
lot silver by the government would af
fect the price of that commodity only
as any demand operates in the face of
the existing supply. The government
can get all the silver it wants or may
want at present prices. Any slight in
crease in demand would be promptly
met and annihilated by an increase in
supply from silver mines now closed.
A few miners might be temporarily
benefited; but the whole country's In
dustries would be put in renewed jeop
ardy and paralysis. Government edicts
cannot make things worth more than
they are worth; neither can they abro
gate the law of supply and demand.
Is it possible that the people do not
see this plainly? Is it possible that
they are blind to the fraudulent claims
and assertions of charlatans and dema
gogues ?
A USELESS DEFENSE.
Though prompted doubtless 'by the
highest and most womanly motives, the
effort made by the members of the
"Daughters of the Revolution," in
Memphis, to establish a boycott against
W. C. P. Breckinridge, when he visited
that city recently for the purpose of
delivering a lecture, will fall to ac
complish the purpose indicated.
These good women have, it seems,
taken up the cudgel of righteous indig
nation and attempted to wield It in
memory of the late wife of Breckinridge,
a faithful, gentle and much-wronged
woman, whose death, according to Mad
eline Pollard, was impatiently awaited
for a number of years, both by her hus
band and his mistress. The appeal
made to decent women to discounte
nance any courtesy to Breckinridge, to
the end that "the dignity and purity
of American womanhood may be up
held," commends the women who make
it as womanly women, strong in the
courage of their convictions. The ef
fort in behalf of the late Mrs. Breckin
ridge is, however, futile; first, because
it comes too late to be of any possible
solace to her, and, second, because
there is no evidence that she possessed
the "spirit or determination to herself
"discountenance" in the way suggested
by these good women that of the boy
cotther recreant husband.
No effort is- more utterly wasted than
that which seeks to help or vindicate
in any way a spiritless, cringing wo
man, who cannot, or will not, rise or
speak in her own defense. Sympathy
Is without avail In such a case, since
it is powerless to console; and even the
white heat of righteous indignation is
chilled in the bootless attempt t
awaken an answering spark upon the
nature or the passive creature whose
capacity is bounded by silent, inert
misery.
There is but one refuge for a woman
of this nature, outraged as was she
whose bitter wrongs the good women
of Memphis seek to avenge, and to that
refuge this long-suffering woman has
retreated. Since she did not boycott
the man whose daily life was a gross
insult to her wifehood, a standing indig
nity to her womanhoood, her loyal
friends have no particular call to do
so, though decent women everywhere
may, with credit to themselves and
honor to their sex, "discountenance"
him upon general principles, when oc
casion presents itself.
There Is said to be a movement In the
city of Washington for restoration of
the voting privilege to its citizens. It
is safe to say that no enlightened tax
payer or intelligent upholder of good
city government supports this move
ment Popular suffrage was tried in
Washington twenty-five years ago, and
the experiment culminated in such ex
travagance, corruption and misrule un
der Boss Shepherd that congress went
to the rescue of the taxpayers and
abolished the system of elections. Since
then the District of Columbia has been
ruled by a board of commissioners ap
pointed by the president, and there is
no municipal administration in the
United States which has given the peo
ple of a city better government than
Washington has enjoyed. There is a
good deal of latent political activity In
Washington, of all types and colors,
which has chafed under exclusion
from the excitement and profits of
municipal politics. The only outlet
this fermenting element has is in choice
of delegates to national conventions,
which is contested much nfter the fash
ion of ward elections in New York, or
congressional elections in the South in
reconstruction times. If congress is
wise, it will not re-establish popular
suffrage in Washington.
The ex-king of Naples, who died the
other day, was a son of the worst of the
later Bourbons, and was little better
than his father, though he reigned only
two years. Ho was called Bomballno,
the diminutive of the title of Bomba,
given to his execrated father,- Ferdi
nand, for his oruel bombardment of
Messina. In the insurrection of 134S.
.Francis earned his nickname by bom
barding both Messina and Palermo, n
the insurrection which broke out when
Napoleon HI entered Italy in 1S50. He
had been rather a decent Bourbon be
fore. When he succeeded to the throne,
in 1S5S, being then 22 years old, his first
act was to liberate all the Neapolitan
patriots, who for 10 years had been im
prisoned. But the approach of the
French and the insurrection in Sicily
frightened him into revolting cruelties.
Garibaldi's campaign in Sicily soon
freed the island, and moving over the
straits to Naples the revolutionists oc
cupied that city, drove the king and
queen to the fortress of Gaeta, where
they capitulated to the troops of Victor
Emmanuel in February, 1S6L Francis
took refuge In Rome, where, under the
protection of the pope, he endeavored
to organize opposition to the hew king
dom of Italy until the people of Italy
captured Rome also, and made it their
capital. Since that time the ex-king of
Naples has been loafing around Eu
rope, living on the royal plunder of his
family.
PURE MOOXSHIXE.
3Ir. Edward Atkinson is credited by
the Springfield Republican with a
financial proposition so amazing that,
unless he has lost his senses. It must
be concluded that the newspaper has
misunderstood or inadvertently mis
represented his project. If congress re
fuses at this session to authorize the
issue of 3 per cent bonds for gold, in
which to redeem the greenbacks and sil
ver notes, he would advise the people
to proceed to force the funding of this
money in bonds In the following way:
Let the holders of greenbacks present
them for redemption in gold as fast as
the notes come into their hands; as the
government Is committed to the policy
of gold redemption and will sell bonds
in unlimited quantity to get the neces
sary gold, the upshot of this course
would be that the whole issue of $850,
000,000 of greenbacks, treasury notes
and silver certificates would finally be
redeemed in gold and held locked up In
the treasury.
Bu. what possible good would this
do, even if such concert of action among
noteholders could be brought about?
Under the present law, none of these
notes could be retired. The treasury
would be obliged to pay them out as
fast as redeemed. The Republican
thinks this plan "would give a shock
to the financial structure of the coun
try worse than could come from the
reopening of the mints to silver," by
bringlng about sudden and violent con
traction of the currency, causing a dis
astrous fall of prices. It would not
contract the currency In the least, be
cause the treasury would pay out the
notes as fast as they came in; where
upon they would come in again, com
pelling sale of new bonds to get gold to
redeem them. The only effect of this
project would be rapid increase of
our bonded debt and annual interest
charge, without reducing in the least
the volume of our demand notes or
stopping the drain of treasury gold.
' The policy recommended by Mr. At
kinson is precisely that now pursued
by New York bankers with the accumu-'
Iated surplus of treasury notes they
are able to control. They draw gold
out of the treasury till the government
is compelled to sell bonds to replenish
it. The treasury reissues the notes
with which the gold is drawn out. The
banks gather them up and draw out the
very gold paid in for the bonds, leaving
the treasury in the same case as before,
except that it must pay Interest on the
bonds sold. This absurd game has
been going on for a year. The dent has
been increased 5100,000,000 and the an
nual interest charge $5,000,000, without
Increasing the gold reserve or diminish
ing In the least the drain upon it. If
all the noteholders in the country were
to imitate these bond speculators, the
only effect would be to increase the
bonded debt more rapidly, if, indeed,
the treasury were not made bankrupt
by failure to sell bonds. But sale of
51,000,000,000 of bonds, if It could be made,
would not improve our condition in the
least, if treasury notes redeemed with
them were constantly reissued. It
would only compel us to pay J50,000,0,00
more interest for nothing.
Mr. Atkinson's scheme if it Is his
scheme is pure moonshine. No step
can be taken to reform our currency
without legislation by congress.' The
president and the secretary of the
treasury have done their best. The
banking interest has done Its best. Not
a step has been gained, though the debt
has been increased $100,000,000 in futile
attempts to maintain the gold i-eserve.
Nothing can be done, except to appeal
to congress to permit retirement of
treasury notes when redeemed, ana
thus stop the drain of gold from the
treasury. When that is done, bonds
may be sold to some purpose. A law
for a new bond issue at a low rate of
interest, 'and a law for retirement of
the surplus treasury notes should go
together. This congress never will pass
such a law. The next may have more
sense. That is the only hope.
The daughter of Elbridge Gerry, who
died a few days ago in New Haven, at
the age of 92 years, was a woman of
.a type that forms a connecting link be
tween the gentle memory women of
the past and the more aggressive, ac
tive, real women of the present. Of fine
intellectual fiber and sturdy revolution
ary stock, she came closely upon a cen
tury of life dominated to the last by
patriotic and philanthropic purpose.
Her father was one of the immortal
signers of the Declaration of Inde
pendence, and one of the early vice
presidents of the republic. Forced from
her great age and the physical feeble
nets that attended her later years, to
a life of retirement, Miss Gerry was still
one of the honored residents of New
Haven, where her home had been for
half a century. Although for obvious
reasons her death left no void in the
community, her memory is revered as
that of one who, during her long day
of life, registered her endeavor, and
threw the influence of her name and
position for humanity.
The New York Journal of Commerce
concludes that the depression in bus
iness has affected the incomes of the
rich much more than those of poorer
people. It finds that stores which cater
to the trade of people of moderate
means and the poor have been having
a better holiday business than last
year, even in the concededly pros
perous year of 1S92. while the stores
which look to the wealthy people for
their patronage admit a marked de
cline in holiday activity. There is no
such differentiation of custom in pro
vincial stores as in those of the metrop
olis, but tradesmen here undoubtedly
would confirm the judgment that per
sons in moderate circumstances are
spending more money in proportion to
their means than those of greater
wealth. The heaviest burden of the de
pression has been borne from the first
by the very rich, dependent upon In-
comes from invested money and upon
the fruits of extensive industrial and
commercial enterprises, and by the
very poor, dependent upon the rich
and upon these same enterprises for
employment. Persons of moderate
means and ambition content with the
humdrum employments and enterprises
of the ordinary trades, which supply
the necessaries of life, felt the depres
sion least of all, and were the first to
recover from it. These persons bought
about as many holiday presents as
ever this year.
The first of the state official reports
is the report of the board of railroad
commissioners. It Is a bulky pamphlet
of nearly 400 pages, filled chiefly with
information that the public could do
very well without. That the commis
sioners have performed diligently all
the work they had to do, we cannot
doubt. Nevertheless, the report Is use
ful chiefly for the reason that its ap
pearance adds emphasis to the demand
that the commission be abolished, and
a big bill of expense saved to the state.
Mr. E. Teesdale expresses himself
to the effect that ir. construction of the
water works extravagance ran ram
pant, and that the works are practi
cally a failure; and he says, patheti
cally: "i belong to that class of men
who eventually will have to pay for all
this ignorance and stupidity." Ah, no,
Mr. Teesdale; cheer up! The class cf
men to whom you belong those who
make their living with their mouths
will have just as easy a time as ever.
The story that New York bankers
have made a formal demand upon the
president for removal of Secretary Car
lisle is ludicrously, improbable. If Mr.
Carlisle has established a literary
bureau to advance his claims to the
democratic nomination in 1896, it is not
earning its money by such silly fiction
as this.
Senator Dolph will be re-elected, vir
tually without opposition. A lot of
cheap, shallow people will be talking
Pennoyerisms to beat him; but by mak
ing this issue they will surely re-elect
him. Oregon tolerates a lot of cranks
with their vapidities and stupidities
and fatuities, but is no fool herself.
Mr. Thomas H. Tongue says The Ore
gonlan has misrepresented him on sil
ver, possibly because it has misunder
stood him. If Mr. Tongue wishes to be
understood positively as opposing free
coinage of silver it would be an easy
thlng for him to say so, and then there
would be no misunderstanding.
This, from the Milwaukee Sentinel,
is a judicious remark, towit: "We ask
unanimous consent to have it consid
ered as settled that. whatever is is wrong
so' far as ex-Gevernor Pennoyer is con
cerned, In order that the public may
proceed with the regular order of bus
iness." John W. Thurston, whose election as
senator from Nebraska is assured oy
the republican caucus nomination, is
well known in Oregon as the general
counsel of the Union Pacific railroad.
The man who shall stand In the way
of reduction of public expenditures and
consequently of taxation at the coming
session of the legislature should have
very few friends.
Madeline PtfHard is around after
Willie Breckinridge, attaching the box
receipts; but'his audiences are so small
that it is going to take her a long time
to get her $15,000.
Portland is a town that just sits down
or lies down when it snows; yet it may
be hoped there will be energy enough
to get the snow off the sidewalks.
No office of any kind should be cre
ated by the legislature this session, but
a good many should be abolished and
the pay of many others reduced.
Every port in Europe now is closed to
our cattle and beef products as a re
sult of the discriminating duty for ben
efit of Mr. Havemeyer.
PERSONS WORTH KXOWIXG ABOLT.
Jonas Lie. a fascinating figure in Nor
wegian literature, is 61 years' old. He has
just been honored in the capital with a
banquet.
Palmer Cox produced the first of his
quaint "Brownie" pictures about 13 years
ago, when Arthur Gilman, dean of the
Harvard Annex, asked him for drawings
to illustrate a humorous manuscript about
the alphabet. '
The Massachusetts W. C. T. U. will
give a reception and banquet to Lady
Henry Somerset in Music hall, Boston,
today. There will be after-dinner speech
es by Miss Wlllard, Mrs. Llvermore, Dr.
Little and others.
Mackenzie Bowell, who Is now j prime
minister of Canada, is about 71 years of
age. He Is a native of England, but has
been in Canada since he was 10 years
old. He is an extreme Protestant, and
has been grand master of the Orangemen
in Ontario and president of the Triennial
Council of the World.
Queen Victoria can walk only a few
steps and cannot raise her feet from the
ground without pain, so it is necessary to
provide an inclined gangway when she
leaves or enters any kind of a carriage
where there are steps, and when this can
not be arranged her majesty is carried up
or down in a chair, which has been con
structed for the purpose.
"Prince Kung," says a Japanese resi
dent of New York, "is indeed a forlorn
hope for China. He has been for years al
most a wreck from overindulging in
opium-smoking. When the efforts of his
enemies resulted in his overthrow some
years ago he took to hitting the pipe for
comfort and forgetfulness, and I doubt
if he retains sufficient will-power to han
dle the great crisis placed In his care."
John G. Whlttier was greatly loved by
strangers, who not only called on him
but thriftily Insisted on putting up with
him all night. "Thee has no idea." said
his sister, "how much time Greenleaf
spends trying to lose these people In the
streets. Sometimes he comes home and
says: 'Well, sister, I had hard work to
lose him, but I have lost him. But I can
never lose a her. The women are more
pertinacious than the men; don't thee
find them so, Maria? "
"College students of 20 years ago." says
the Sprinsfleld Union, "remember with
delight the historical lectures delivered by
Dr. John Lord, whose death has just
been announced. Before his time history
had been a dull study, but he threw the
glamor of romance over it. As a speaker
he was uncouth, his voice was raucous
and his gestures ludicrous, but the lis
tener son forgot the lecturer In his lec
ture. He dealt with all the great epochs
in history, and his portrayals of famous
characters was so clear and lifelike that
the past was transferred to the present,
and the listener became a spectator of
history as of current events."
The manuscripts of the 16th and 17th
centuries In the possession of Lord Ken
yon have just been calendered by the
historical manuscripts commissioner In
London. In those days there was no
dining-room at Jhe house of commons,
and no refreshment bar. So. in one of
the letters written toward the close of
the 17th century. Mistress Alice Kenyon
expresses anxiety at the growing length
of the sittings of parliament, of which
her husband was a member. "Pray thee,"
she says, "keep warm as thou can, and
take something in thy pocket to the house
to sup off; thy age and weakness require
it." This is probably the first mention
of a pocket flask.
THE LATE JAMES G. FAIR.
Of the Five Bonanza IClngs Only One,
Mackay, Is Left.
San Francisco CalL
Of the five bonanza kings, only one sur
vivesJohn W Mackay and he Is domi
ciled on the other side of the continent.
O'Brien died in 1878, Sharon in 1SS5. Flood
in 1SS9, and now Fair has joined the list.
The first named can hardly be said to
have enjoyed his wealth; he died before
he had settled on the throne of the bo
nanza king. The other four had a lease "of
wealth which averaged about 15 years.
To all of them riches came late, after a
long course of years of toll. Mr. Mackay
lately said that he worked for 20 years
as a miner before he had saved anything
worth mentioning. Flood and O'Brien
kept a saloon in the sixties. Fair was a
mining superintendent 25 years ago, and
even later. They all made money when
they struck It rich, but the money took
wings when they struck it poor, and one
extreme of fortune followed the other with
monotonous regularity. The great for
tunes which they finally realized were,
of course, due in part to luck. But they
may also be traced to the dogged perse
verence with which they pursued their
aim, to the fortitude which enabled them
to bear up against disappointment after
disappointment, and to the skill and
knowledge which they acquired In the
course of their long apprenticeship to
their calling.
Mackay and Fair were only two among
a multitude of fortune-seekers when they
went to Mount Davidson. The camp was
no new discovery. Several years before
1SG1 outcrop had been observed and had
been traced along the surface of the
ground. Scores of locations had been
staked out. Men who had made money In
Nevada county and Eldorado county
took their savings to Virginia City, bought
a few feet oh a vein, spent all they had in
sinking shafts and driving levels, and de
serted the camp, penniless and despairing.
The late Senator Hearst used to tell a'
story of his first visit to Mount Davidson,
He was a pretty good judge of a mine and
was keen at a trade; he made a few deals
in locations and feet, and when he had
realfzed $C0,000 or $70,000 he came down
"to the bay," content that some one else
might have the rest. Mackay and Fair
were not mining for any trifling stake.
They stuck to the camp, in good fortune
and in evil fortune, and, as it often hap
pens to men of pertinacity, they finally
won their reward. It Is a nice question,
though, whether they would ever have
figured as very rich men if the Con. Vir
ginia had petered two years before it did.
Mr. Fair was a born money-maker. His
mind was surprisingly active. With the
large capital which he acquired at the
mines he embarked In all sorts of lu
crative enterprise, built railroads, culti
vated ranches, laid out vineyards, estab
lished stock farms, studded San Fran
cisco with factories and big hotels and
business buildings. His foresight was re
liable and he rarely Incurred losses.
Whenever he planted his money it took
root and bore fruit. He shunned corpo
rations and partnerships. His great
undertakings were planned and carried
out by himself alone; he had a remarka
ble capacity for the management of de
tails. He was as careful of mlnutae when
he was administering a fortune of millions
as when he was directing his miners to
follow a stringer of ore. He possessed
the qualities characteristic of the Scotch
Irish stock from which he sprang; In
domitable energy, untiring Industry, un
quenchable vigor in the pursuit of the
purpose he had set before him.
His later years were clouded by fam
ily troubles, which turned his thoughts
upon business as an occupation for his
mind. He had undertaken one voyage on
the sea of politics and desired no more.
To him the conduct of public affairs was
not satisfying. He was an adherent of
the doctrine that the citizen best fulfills
his duty to the commonwealth who In
dulges a spirit of enterprise with a common-sense
view to emolument; but he was
a liberal giver to objects of charity.
It is safe to disregard the published esti
mates of his wealth. No one lives who
can truthfully appraise the various pieces
of property which go to make up his
estate. The conjectures which are float
ing round are predicated upon haphazard
words uttered by the dead millionaire, per
haps In a thoughtless moment. His will,
already filed for probate, throws no light
on the question. It simply provides for a
number of legacies to relatives, friends
and employes, divides $125,000 among the
Roman Catholic, Protestant and Jewish
orphan asylums of San Francisco, and
puts the rest of the property, however
much it may be, in the hands of trustees
for the benefit of his children, brothers,
sisters and their descendants.
AFTER THIRTY YEARS.
A Mnnchnsetts Xewspnper Mnn Pays
A Debt Incurred. In Corvallis.
About thirty years ago, says the Cor
.vallls Times, a man named Houghton, re
cently arrived from Massachusetts, con
ducted a tannery on the ground now oc
cupied by the Corvallis Water Company's
pumps and engines. For some time Mr.
Houghton was in poor health, and be
fore his death Horace N. Hastings, a
brother-in-law, came out from Massachu
setts, and after his death was appointed
administrator of the estate, which was
insolvent. N. P. Briggs had a claim
against the estate for $113, and Mr. Hast
ings stated that he would probably for
ward the amount of the bill at some fu
ture time, as the deceased's father had
considerable means.
Mr. Briggs had almost forgotten his
cleam of $118 after a lapse of 29V years
and was most agreeably surprised on last
Wednesday to receive a check for $220 on
the First National bank of Boston, from
Mr. Hastings. "Mr. Hastings stated he
was not legally bound to pay the debt,
but sent the principal with interest com
puted at 5 per cent, the legal rate in
Massachusetts, and trusted the settlement
would be satisfactory.
In these days of panic-stricken, burst
corporations and unsatisfied creditors, it
is refreshing to hear of men of Mr. Hast
ings' caliber, and color is lent to the state
ment that the world is growing better.
Mr. Hastings has been engaged in the
newspaper business for many years, and,
with his sons, publishes of the Dally and
Weekly Items, at Lynn, Massachusetts.
Mr. Hastings, during his .stay in Oregon,
was, for a short time, foreman In The Ore
gonlan's composing room. This was
about 2S years ago.
"BARBARIC" JAPAX.
DRAIN, Or., Jan. 1. (To the Editor.)
This matter of reports of Creelman & Co.,
correspondents, and the remarks of metro
politan (American) papers themselves,
anent recent massacres, with reference to
the late evolution of the Japanese from
barbarism. Is enough to make an old resi
dent of Japan, and one who heard their
history from previous resident ("civilized"
and white) foreigners, simply tired. I lived
in Japan in 1S78, and for three years
thereafter, and there met English and
American foreigners who had lived In
that country for 20 years previously.
Before we go any further, we would bet
ter hunt a definition of the word "barbar
ism." I never saw any of it, commonly
so-called. I never saw murder, arson,
rape, adultery, embezzlement, robbery,
etc, and general rascality half as com
mon as I have se.en those attributes of
civilization In so-called civilized countries.
What the United States troops would
have done if they had discovered many of
1 their comrades beheaded and mutilated
ahead of their fighting ranks I leave to
Creelman and critics to Judge. I have no
doubt about what the Germans and
French and Rns3lan3 all civilised) would
do; and history tells what Cromwell's
British troops did without such an in
centive, about Drogheda and other places
soma two centuries ago.
To 'make a long, story short, the less
moralizing correspondents of sensational
newspapers have to say about involution
or evolution of civilization, so far as their
very limited experience Is concerned, the
better. "Comparisons are odious." said
Lord Byron, but if they were not, it
would be mighty easy to make some com
parisons which would not be "odious"
to the Japanese. As for European pro
fessed civilizations, let them always re
member, "Let him who Is without spot
cast. the first stone."
MICHAEL LIBER.
THE CITY OF SPOKAXE.
ia Excellent Showing Xotwitlistanu
infr the Hnrtl TJrues.
Spokane Spokesman-Review.
Through the varying vicissitudes of the
past six years Spokane has never ceased
to expand. At times her progress has
been furious like a battle charge, but at
no time has she- lost ground or stood
still for a moment. Each month and year
has seen new homes erected, new places of
business completed, more children In the
public schools, more voters at the polls.
It may be questioned If Spokane's own
people realize the full extent of this prog
ress. Substantial growth is never ap
preciable to one who sees it day by day.
Only by reflection and consultation of
the records of the past can the mind of
the resident grasp the full extent of his
city's progress.
We have before us a copy of the Morn
ing Review of January 1, 1SS9, six years
ago this morning. At that time Spokane
was In full surge of her so-called "boom."
It was the year of the great fire, of ex
traordinary building of homes and busi
ness blocks, of Inflation In real estate
values. Many entertain a vague belief
that the city was as large at that time as
now, and some in the outside world even
have an impression that Spokane has
gone backward since that exciting year.
The records of then and now tell a differ
ent story.
The Review of January 1, 1889, esti
mated the city's population at 13,000, and
Major E. A. Routhe ventured upon the
prediction that "a decade hence we shall
have fully 50,000 inhabitants.; The city
has today easily SO.OOO people, and we have
until 1899 to reach the 50,000 mark to ful
fill Mr. Routhe's prophecy.
A real estate advertisement declared to
the world that within five years Spokane
would have four transcontinental rail
roads. They are here.
It was estimated In the same paper
that 1200 pupils were In the city schools.
Today the enrollment Is 4703. There were
15 teachers then in the schools. The last
report of the city board of education gave
a iist of 73.
The assessed valuation of all property
in the county at that time was $7,217,974.
It is now $22,106,755. The assessed valua
tion of all property In the city was then
$3,C92.2C0. It is now $15,180,033. The pres
ent assessment is based upon real values.
The city then had three railroads in
operation. It now has nine. It then had
one transcontinental railroad. It now
has four, counting the connection with the
Canadian Pacific.
These comparisons might be made to
fill columns of this paper, for every other
line of industry has kept pace with the
Increase. Business, industry, learning,
churches, newspapers, street railway
transportation, electrical development
al! have gone forward In safe proportion.
Of course all this progress "Is merely a
reflex of the general advancement of the
surrounding country. Railroads have
opened up new regions, thousands of
homes have been built In the forests and
upon the prairies, orchards have been
planted and brought into bearing, pros
perous mining camps have sprung up in
the wilderness.
In the light of these facts, in view of
such progress in such times, no doubt
or fear need be entertained respecting
the future. When the sunshine of pros
perity shall again flood every portion of
our common country, and hard times be
come a memory of other days, Spokane
will spring forward like a fleet young
runner long held under the restraint of
an easy pace.
Even the Fire Horse Doomed.
Electric Review.
The electric railway has been put to
many novel uses for the pleasure, profit
and convenience of humanity, but the
most novel use of all was one at New
burgh, N. Y. A hosecart being drawn to
a fire by men happened to pass the elec
tric railway carbarn. The roads were
heavy, and, as the superintendent Instant
ly observed, the hosecart would not be
of much service at the fire unless it got
there quicker than it gave promise of
doing. Without more ado, he ran a trolley
car out of the barn, hitched the dragging
rope of the hosecart to the rear platform,
bundled the tired firemen Into the car
and towed the whole outfit off to the Are
In rapid order. The day may soon be here
when we will have trolley cars equipped
with regular fire-engine pumps and then
the poor fire-department horse will be
forced to join his brother, the car horse.
Xot Tlint Kind of a Party.
New York Press.
The republican party does not apologize
or retreat. It never passed a fugitive
slave Uuv. It never proclaimed that the
state was greater than the nation, and,
that the federal government was power
less to maintain the unity of the American
republic. It never pronounced the war for
the Union a failure. It never asserted
that the natianal debt could not be paid.
It never declared that protection to the
Industries of American citizens was un
constitutional. Each of these positions
has been assumed by the democratic party.
It has formally retreated from every one
of them exespt the last, and it is now get
ting ready to run away from that.
Hebrew, Israelite and Jew.
Rochester Tidings.
Jew refers to the religion which the
Jews profess. Hebrew refers to a lan
guage which they no longer speak, and
has consequently no meaning at the pres
ent time. Israelite refers to a nation
which they at-one time formed, and it has
at present no significance except when
reference is made to the ancient nation.
The Jews are a religious community, and
that is all that separates them, or rather
distinguishes them, from their fellow citi
zens. The Jews do not call themselves
Hebrews. A few who do not know any
better may call themselves so, but they
are wrong. Those who know what Is
right call themselves Jews, and that is
the only correct name.
i
Sonth. Carolina's Sins.
Boston Journal.
It was South Carolina which first forced
the tariff as a party Issue Into American
politics by the famous declaration of the
nullification convention in 1S32. that pro
tective duties were unconstitutional. Nor
did the evil consequences of this great
wrong end with the war of the rebellion.
The resurrection of this old South Caro
lina dogma in the democratic national
platform of 1892 helped to precipitate the
severest industrial disaster of our history
a disaster which, in the opinion of com
petent authorities, cost the productive in
terests of the country more than the war
did.
A Hard Row to Hoe.
Sprague Mail.
This is the last issue of the Mail until
the first Wednesday In January. We have
had a hard row to hoe since turning the
Mall Into a populist paper, but have been
able to stay with it by living on wind and
expectations. However, the Mail wilt be
reorganized on January 1 and many new
features added - -
,XEVS OF THE NORTHWEST.
Orcson.
A. Fetsch, a Medford tailor, drew $oo0
in a lottery last week.
"Uncle Billy" Gilliam Is circulating an
initiative and referendum petition in Mor
row county; also one for a new state
constitution.
A very pleasant family reunion was
held at the residence of J. P. Humphreys, i
In the Waldo Hills, near Macleay. on
Christmas day. There were present
seven children and 26 grandchildren.
Ten years ago the thermometer at
Baker City fell to 40 degrees below zero,
and 60 degrees below at North Powder.
Weather prophets predict a regular Da
kota winter during the next few weeks.
A visitor at Pendleton, from Haines, re
ports nine degrees below zero at that
place a day or two ago.
J, W. Hockersmlth will ship six or eight
cars of cattle out of Soulhem Oregon to
the San Francisco markets this week,
probably today. Half a dozen carloads,
mostly gathered from the Applegate
stockmen, will be loaded at Medford.
G. W. Dunn, of Ashland, will send one
load of fat beef with the shipment.
Will Lee, while attempting to separate
a couple of dogs engaged in a fight at
Long Creek, last SUnday, accidentally
stabbed himself in the left leg with a
knife he had In his hand at the time cut
ting an artery. A doctor was at once
summoned and "stopped the flow of blood,
but It will be some time before Yill will"
be able .to be about.
Lizzie J. Anderson arrived at Lake
view with her witnesses" from Bowden,
Or., last Saturday, to prove up on her
land in that section. Bowden is about
200 miles east of Lakevlew, in the ex
treme southeast corner of the state, and
as they had to travel in a roundabout
way, they traveled over 400 miles and
were more than a week on the road.
A year ago Uncle Billy Wright, of
Salem, attended the Congregational Sun
day school in Albany, and offered $1 to
every member of the school who attended
every Sunday in the year. Last Sunday
he was present at the school to keep his
word. It only cost him $1. He ha3
made that promise several times and the
most it ever cost him at one time was $2.
The 12-year-old son of W. E. Finney
met with an accident at Medford which
will disable him for some time. He was
playing on one of the nuiherous ice
covered ponds about town when he slip
ped and fell, seriously fracturing the
right thigh bone. He was assisted home
and Dr. Geary called to reduce the frac
ture. The boy will likely be disabled, for
several weeks by the misfortune.
Lane county farmers are not well
pleased with the weather of the past
week. Four or five nights in succession
the ground froze, several times to a
depth of two or three inches, and then
next day would thaw out. This is the'
worst thing that could happen to fall-
sown wheat, and the farmers either want
snow or warmer weather. There is a
large acreage of fall wheat in the county.
During the past week several valuable
dogs have been poisoned and killed at
Silverton. The large mastiff belonging
to Charles Webb, was killed. A valuable
dog belonging to Julius Ohm, died Tues
day from the effect of what was sup
posed to be strychnine. Mr. Ohm brought
the dog from Dakota, and feels very bad
over the loss. It is the supposition- that
some person of little principle is doing
the cowardly work for spite.
Wsuington. .
Spokane built 4Q0 houses In 1S94f at a
cost of something like $750,000.
Fred Harford, of Pataha, is experiment
ing with a new current wheel, for which
he has secured a patent. It Is for Irriga
tion purposes.
Colfax school district, at first errone
ously reported to have voted repudiation
of school warrants, voted to validate
them, by an overwhelming majority.
The "cross-cut tunnel at the CSavaland
mine near Springdale. was completed
through to the ore on Sunday. The large
body of. ore was found intact, and of a
higher grade than on the surface. Min
ing men are jubilant, as they believe this
decides that the mines In the Huckle
berry range are valuable.
The Lumber Manufacturers' Associa
tion will probably hold a meeting in
Olympia some time this month and dis
cuss the lien laws of the state with a
view of having them amended at the
coming session of the legislature. It is
claimed that the present law protects
neither the buyer nor seller of logs, and
is a dead letter. On account of the ex
pense attendant upon litigation, a great
number of loggers will accept almost
any compromise before resorting to Hens.
The handsome new residence of Dr. W.
P. Grubb, with Its entire contents, was
totally destroyed by fire at Rockford.
Mrs. Grubb was having the fires built
early for the purpose of getting every
thing ready for a happy new year, and
when the fire was discovered it was too
far advanced to extinguish. It burned
with such rapidity as to barely give time
for the father and mother to arouse their
three little children and get them to a
place of safety. Mrs. Grubb, bareheaded
and thinly clad, was found later on by
her husband, in the snow in an Insensi
ble condition, and for a short time fears
were entertained of a severe sickness.
Loss about $2500, with $1000 insurance.
On Christmas day the Coulee City
News man met the wife of a prominent
stockman. After the usual salutation
she was asked for news, and replied:
"I have no particular news. I have not
seen a white woman, since lost August
until yesterday. My husband has been
away most of the summer." "How do
you pass the time alone?" "My two" lit
tle boys are good company, and we kill
rattlesnakes." "Are there many rattle
snakes?" "I killed 63 last summer my
self, and my youngest child killed one
with a piece of sage brush. Then ducks
are plentiful and I am a pretty
good shot; I have killed sev
eral on the wing." Her looks indicated
nothing but perfect satisfaction with her
lot; and health was pictured in every,
line of her smiling countenance.
PARAGRAPHERS' PLEASAXTRIES.
"When does Miss Ansoforth make her
debut in society?" "Just as soon as soci
ety will give its consent." Chicago Rec
ord. Operator How do you wish to be taken,
madam bust or full length? Miss Prim
ley No, sir; I'll stand up. New York
Ledger.
No matter how others of his race may
have to live, the colored sleeping-car por
ter always insists upon good quarters for
himself. Buffalo Courier.
South Streeter Jakey, how you spells
fife? Jakey Vot you dinkin' of, dot lee
dle flute or de mark on dem tree-tollar
pants? Philadelphia Record.
Conductor How old are you, little
girl? Little Girl If the company doesn't
object, I prefer to pay my fare, and keep
my own statistics. Vogue.
Among the things that Indicate
A winter mild, we note -
That even man has bought a great
Big, heavy overcoat.
Chicago Tribune.
"Fifthly I believe In the moving spirit.
Do you know that sometimes I select
my text after I get in the pulpit? "No,
I didn't know It. but I've thought so
many times." Atlanta Journal.
She (daughter of a millionaire) Really,
Mr. Price, I don't understand what you
find attractive In me. He (with emotion)
Ah, can it be your father's daughter
who asks me that? Buffalo Budget.
Wife The price of the clock was only
$10, but I got a discount, so it cost me
only $8. Husband Yes, But you could
have got the same thing at Beezle's for
.$5: Wife That may be, but then Beezle
wouldn't have taken off anything. Bos
ten Traascrjpt.