Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 5, 1900)
THE MOBNINGK OBEGrOHIAK, FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1900. Entered at the Postoffice at Portland, Oregon, as second-class smtier. TEEEPHONE3. Editorial Booms.. ..1GS Business Office 667 REVISED SUBSCRIPTION BATES. By ilall (postage prepaid) r In Advance Jally. with Sunday, per month., ...$0 S3 IaHy, Sunday excepted, per year..... 7'50 DaHy, wKh-Sunoay. per year 9 00 Sunday, per year ..,............ ...... 2 OQ The Weekly, per jear. ...... 1 60 The TTeekl. Z months............. ........ 60 To City Subscribers Daily, per week, delivered, Sundays excepred.l5o Daily, per weej dellyered. Sundays tacluded.20c New or discussion intended for publication In The Oregonian-should be addressed Invariably "Editor The Oregonian." not to tne name of any Individual. Letters relating to .advertising, subscriptions or to any business matter should be addressed lmply The Oregonian." The Oregonian does not buy poems or stories from Individuals, and cannot undertake to re turn any manuscripts sent to It without solicita tion, "No stamps should be Inclosed for this pur pose. Puget Sound Bureau Captain A. Thompson, office at 1111 Pacific avenue, Tacoma. Box 255. Tacoma postofllce. Eastern, Business Office The Tribune building, New TDrk'dty; The Bookery," Chicago; the S. C. Beckwith special agency, New York. For sale to San Francisco by J. K. Cooper. 740 Harfcet street, near the Palace .hotel, and at Goldsmith Bros., 236 Sutter street For sale In Chicago by the P. O. News Co., 217 Dearborn street. TOrATSTVEATHEB.-OccasIonal rain; fresh ewutheast Grinds. ORTLAXB, FJUDAY, JAJOJAIIY 5. GREATEST OF TTRAXXIES. By the Pittsburg Times it is as serted that the profits of the Carnegie Steel Company for 1899 were from $40. 000,000 to $42,000,000. The nominal capi tal of the company is $25,000,000, but the actual value of the plant is many times that amount. Indeed, Mr. An drew Carnegie values the aggregate properties at $300,000,000, and at this figure the profits for this year are at the rate of 14 per cent. In ordinary times, it is stated, the company figures U a ton profit on steel, but this year It will be $10 or $12. There is little ad vance in the priceo? raw material, i Labor is slightly higher. The company is able to make such a gigantic profit because it has ItB own ore mines, cheap lake, road and boat haul, and its own railroad, coal, coke and gas. This year (1900), tinder higher selling contracts, the profits will greatly exceed those of 1899. Carnegie's dividends, based on his 2argeEtocTc,3x5ldhigsi'were $20,000,000 last year. H. C. brick's profits were $4,500, 000. This report is by a newspaper friendly to Carnegie, and to the system that has built him up in this magnifi cence. Will any one undertake to say why there should still be duties on iron and steel? These duties only make the profits of men like Carnegie greater, and enable them to sell iron and steel abroad cheaper than the prices they make at home. Every, day Carnegie poses as the great. American aemocrat. He pro fesses the highest and deepest solici tude for the great American republic, talks about it as the. hope of the world, and denounces the -course of the coun try in relation to the Philippine islands as a departure from the fundamental principles of liberty. He seems to sup pose that his profits of forty million dollars a year should entitle him to the credit of an oracle. 'Sot In fact it Is monopolists like Carnegie who have done most to endanger the great re public. They owe their present posi tion chiefly to monopolistic legislation. The protective tariff has been in their hands these forty years .an Instrument of colossal robbery, and Is even yet. It has enabled them to engross all the main sources of production, till now they can make ny profits demanded by their unconscionable greed. Tet Carnegie, who has devoured and continue to devour.the labor of tens of thousands, poses as a philanthropist, and attempts to support the claim by giving away to libraries part of the enormous sums he has succeeded in ex torting from others; while at the same time he exploits himself -in the maga zines as a great champion and defender of democracy. There Is no tyranny on earth equal to that of the man who anakes profits amounting to $40,000,000 a year. MILITARY MM3IOX SEXSE. England's defective, obsolete military system is proving unequal to the se vere test of the Boer war, just as our Wretched military system proved to be a. mere phantom of defense outside our little regular army of 25,000 men. Had the 17,000 regulars that General Shat ter carried to Santiago been as badly reputsedas-were the British under Me thuen and Buller, there were not 50,000 American volunteers in fit condition to have carried San Juan Hill and El Caney. The 12,000 regulars that carried the defenses of Santiago were obliged to fight all day to overcome the resist ance of not more than 2000 Spanish J regulars armed with Mausers. Had these regulars failed to carry the out works of-Santiago, 5O;OQ0 of our green volunteers armed with Springfields could not have succeeded. We succeed ed not because, of our "military sys tem,", for -we had none worthy of the name; we succeeded because we as saulted a --sick soldier who was unpre pared for action, without adequate supplies of provisions and munitions of war. , The desperate and well-nigh success ful fight that from 1500 to 2000 Spanish Tiflemen made against the assault of at least 12,000 of finely trained, well-disciplined and well-armed veteran Amer ican regulars ought to explain to cer tain ignorant admirers of the Boers that it does not require superior cour age or superior military endurance for a man armed with a modern magazine rifle to take a "'pot shot" from behind intrenchments at a gallant enemy mov ing against you in the open field. The superior gallantry and military endur ance is with the man -who marches In the. open- field against a house filled with sharpshooters as well armed and as good marksmen as he. Were the men of Pickett's column, who marched a mile under artillery fire against a stone wall lined with riflemen less brave Jhan.the men who from behind that stone Vail shot their column to rags? Were the 5000 men that under Hancock charged the "stone wall" at Marye's Heights and lett. some of their dead 100 yards from the wall less brave than the men .who "potted" them from behind that ..wall? Let us cease ignorant talk on this matter. Let us be just; the Boers have made war shrewdly In resolutely stand ing on the defensive," but the Boers, like all really brave men, have not been mean enough yet to impeach or Im pugn the splendid courage of the gal lant Englishmen who, whether well led or ill led, have died like men in their tracks, It is easy to criticise General BuIIer for -what -Is called blundering "bulldog". British tactics, but General Buller is a seasoned soldier, -who -was in the Boer war of 1881 and knows his .enemy thoroughly. The English gov ernment have sent their most experi enced and best soldiers to South .Af rica. It is possible they have ham pered them With orders, but it is ut terly absurd to assume that an able, experienced, .educated jSngllsh soldier, like General BuIIer, who is perfectly fa miliar by experience with the Boer method of warfare and their skill as riflemen, should have erred in his bat tle tactics through Ignorance of or con tempt for his enemy. BuIIer has fought side by side with the Boers against the Zulus; he knows their courage. and their marksmanphip, and "he did not err in his battle tactics from ignorance of his enemy. Now, we do not believe that Buller, Methuen and Gatacre bave all been beaten through ignorance, for they are all trained soldiers, who have campaigned in South Africa, the Sou dan and in Afghanistan-, and are accus-i tomed to the wiles of an enemy half soldier and half hunter. Buller at 60 years of age Is not an Impulsive, igno-1 rant trooper, and there must be some rational explanation for his battle tac tics. FROM A COMPETENT SOURCE. Through his latest article on the Phil ippine Islands, published in the Inde pendent (New York), Dr. Schurman, president of Cornell university, and of the Philippine commission, contributes largely to the materials of knowledge of conditions and affairs in the islands. He spent several months there, saw the state of affairs with his own eyes, and talked with representative Filipinos, face to face. "The belief of the best natives today he says, 'Usthat if. we leave the islands chaos will reign, and they tio not want us to leave. They ask us to stay until our work is fin ished. And we must stay, because they cannot do without us. Our staying is the only thing that will enable them to realize their best aspirations for freedGndkselfrgovernWntv'1 - wnat makes Xr. Schurman's testi mony especially valuable is the change in his own mental attitude, brought about by his personal observations. He was not of those who thought it was desirable for the UnltedLStat-es -toihaye new and distant possessions. He "did not want-,ths Philippines. But we are in the Philippines; and the question now la as to our duty and responsibil ity. "I believe," he says, "in uphold ing national honor and duty. I do not believe that some who advocate aban doningthe. Philippine-- islands realize just what such a policy would mean. We have put our hands to .the, plow, and we must stay and work out the problem before us. How long a perlGd that may be I do not pretend to say. It will certainly be a number of years. I think the question is hot now whether we want the islands; we have taken them, and we are there, and must stay until the problem is solved." AuflJ Jslnce it is not a simple prob lem, but a difficult and complicated one, it will take time. Dr. Schurman describes the situation in the several islands, the radical differences In lan guage of the various large tribes; their differences in religion or knowledge about religion; the subjection of many tribes to the Roman Catholic church, for 200 years; the tendency of some; toward Mohammedanism, apdhe, ab sence or an religious Knowledge by otn ers. There are forty to fifty tribes, several of them 300,000 strong, one 600, 000, one 1,500,000. These last are the Luzon tribes, distinct from all the rest in language and tribal traits, but mostly Roman Catholics. This church has been In Luzon more than three centuries. "We must credit the church with having done a great deal of good work among the natives," says Dr. Schurman. "We must reckon with, these facts when we send mission aries among them." But the natives, he adds, are confused by the different forms, observances and methods of the Protestantchurches, and cannot under stand how all these sects can have one religion. Hence he thinks that a free-for-all scramble of sects after con verts will be sl great mistake, and con sequently he Insists, as a condition pre cedent to useful, missionary work by Protestantism, that the Protestant mis sionaries sent to' these 'Islands should all belong to one branch of the Protes tant church. "We can have no ade quate Idea," he remarks, "how confus ing to the simple minds of an uncivil ized people the different forms of our Protestant faith appear. The Chinese, who areperhaps more intelligent than the Filipinos, regard our different de nominations as so many different relig ions." Moreover, he thinks the Protes tant missionaries would do better to confine their efforts to places where the Roman Catholic missions have not "pre-empted" the field. Afclash of re ligious1 systems would greatly' increase the difficulties of government, which must .treat alL religions with equal tol eration. President Schurman considers the war practically at an end, believes there will be no more or little actual fighting, but thinks a large force will 'be necessary for a time toK"keep down the bandits." He thinks the insurrec tion against Spanish oppression Was at first as Jionest as righteous, but it soon degenerated Into an affair of personal ambition and greed, and he doubts whether "more than one-third of the money collected for the insurrection ever reached the Filipino treasury." It is natural, he says, thaC the natives should be suspicious of the Americans, becausetney khow thVwfitte race only by one specimen, the Spaniard; and the treacherous and tyrannical treat ment received from Spanish officials was enough to arouse suspicion, if not hatred, of all white men. This preju dice "cannot be overcome with words," but will require years of education, based on contact with right treatment, for its eradication. These are the conditions, this is the situation, we have to meet in the Phil ippine islands. The subject should not be made the football of party -politics at home. The natives would receive false impressions from such action on our part, and would act upon, them, greatly increasing the difficulties of a situation already great. There is an other matter upon which Dr. Schurman speaks with emphasis. He thinks it most important of all. "We must make," he says, "an honest civil serv ice a permanent Institution on jthe islands, Spain established the spoils system, and the corruption which has followed from it; has made three centu ries of evil government for the people, and finally resulted In her own over throw. We must not let politics rule, so that men will be appointed to the J islands for service to party. Promo- j tions and appointments must be found ed upon merit and fitnessjlf we are to achieve our greatest aspirations in that quarter of the globe. We need the best men for governing colonies, and the best man in the United States Is none too good to go to the Philippines as governor-general. By sending out such a man we will succeed, but if we send an ordinary political appointee, we shall fail." Surely all our people must see how .necessary It is that the "spoils system" be kept out of the gov ernment of the islands. The class who would press for appointments there are the very ones who ought not to get them. Tim "woorarv-Miijii proposition. Business men, having carefully can vassed the situation, see, or think they see, an excellent opening for the estab lishment of a woolen mill In this city. It has been found upon investigation that the woolen mills of the state are overcrowded with orders, having in'the past three months been compelled to refuse a large-amount of business, with flSff1 $& engagetj to tax their full capacity .for .half a year. Regarding this as sufficient proof of a demand for further enterprise in the line of woolen manufacture, the manufacturers' com mittee pf inquiry appointed .several weeks ago report favorably upon the proposition, and consider -the time now ripe for its undertaking;. The i matter will not be allowed to rest here, wait ing for outside capital to see the op portunity and close with it at leisure. On the contrary, , an effort, which will In due time be carefully defined, will &t -onceabe made to -enlist local capital in the enterprise on a share-holding basis. In the report furnished by the committee of the Manufacturers' Asso ciation, a. capital stock"tf ,$100,000 is suggested as sufficient to build, equip and put in operation a three-set mill. This estimate, accompanied by a plan for the formation of a stock company, Js preliminary merely, and will, of course, be subject to future considera tion and amendment. It furnishes, t however, a basis for action, and indi cates the energy with which the ques tion of the establishment of a woolen mill In this city has been taken up. Carefully planned and constructed, Intelligently supervised and operated, an enterprise of this kind will not be In the nature of a risk. Competent men having given time and attention to the matter, find here a good opening for the establishment of a woolen mill of moderate proportions, which they are firmly convinced will prove the nucleus of a growing and profitable business. They merely report favora bly upon the project as an Investment. That, beginning with sheep husbandry And ending with the wages of operat ives, such an enterprise would be widely beneficial in an industrial and even In an Individual sense, there is no doubt Xt may be hoped, therefore, that a well-concerted plan will be vde vlsed and put Into operation In the jnear future whereby the Idea of the gstabllsliment o-a. woolen mill In this city may become a reality. Briefly summed up, the situation is this: We raise the wool, we have the labor and our rapidly growing trade, local and export, is reaching out for the product. The case of demand seems, therefore, jo havfev,been clearly , ijiade out. The supply may reasonably be depended on to follow. r PAY UP OR MOVE. If Portugal has refused a good price k ror ner ueiagoa bay possessions, It Is nothing to her credit, economically or morally. If a man can't pay his debts .he goes through the bankruptcy court, or else the sheriff levies on his prop erty. If his town lots and suburban acreage go too long unpaid for, some body will bid them in for taxes or me chanics' Hens. If Portugal Is not ready for this process yet, she ought to un derstand the denial Is merely postpone ment. ' Portugal is an exceedingly dizzy spendthrift, and owes everybody. Bankrupt Italy or decrepit Spain would not be a circumstance to her. Over burdened France and embarrassed Russia are not to be compared with Portugal as a stupendous and unprofit able debtor. Here are the debts of some of the bright stars in the galaxy of debt-ridden countries. The figures show the amounts per capita of pop ulation: United States $ 14 22 Huesla - 30 39 Spain 7254 Italy , 7708 Great Britain 8S 17 France 115 OT roraigai , 144 45 It is altogether superfluous fdr an empire to go to war for the purpose of dismemberment. Russia thought she was well rid of Alaska. The Louisiana purchase was as much Napoleon's pol icy as Jefferson's enterprise. Holland regarded her swap of New York for Dutdh "Guiana a triumph of sagacity. Here Is little Denmark wanting to sell us her West India holdings. Spahvsald Germany the Carolines, and apparently was even negotiating for the Philip pines when the war broke out and sub stituted an undreamed-of negotiator. If Portugal can't pay her debts in South Africa, she can move. She can sell outher nroperty'there to somebody that can pay for It. Probably she can never get a better price for It than Great Britain would pay today. She can take it, or she can go to war some fateful day and get nothing. Our G. A. R. critics think ouresft mate of 200.000 deserters for the Union army extravagant, he total number of men burnished for the armies of the United States, after deducting those credited for service in the navy, ex ceeds 2,850,000 men. Allowing fop man who re-enllsted, It Is fair to estimate the Union army at 2,500,000, and We suspect that few companies of the Union army of 101 officers and men'-dld not show a record of at least ten de serters in the four years of service. Probably a good many companies showed a larger lst. The pauses for desertion were chiefly covered by home sickness the first year of the war,-and by bounty jumping the last year of ficie war. That there were 200,000 deserters at the close of' the civil war is not an extravagant estimate. "' Santos, the great coffee port of Southern Brazil, has been brought prominently Into notice through the appearance of the bubonic pjagu'e. within its limits, and the detention ih quarantine m Ttfew' "York of several ships .that, mailed, coffee 3laden, fromJts wharves. The health officers, both Qf ftew York and Philadelphia, have re fused to permit this coffee to be-land- ed. If the exclusion of coffee from Santos should become general in the I United States, the order would shut out nearly halt of our coffeesupply. While the thought of infected coffee coming from this plague spot in Brazil, -where some filth disease is continually epi demic, is most unappetizing, the danger of contagion to consumers is slight, even if it can be said to exist, since the. imported green berry is roasted and the decoction from it boiled beare be ing taken into the stomach, The cof fee, however, comes in bulk or in sacks, .and in landing and handling itJthere is conceived to be great danger. The ex clusion of Brazilian coffee, or eventhe coffee from .Santos, would be a great blow to the commerce of Brazil, and would teach her people a costly lesson In sanitation, which heretofore they have wholly neglected to learn. It would, however, increase the trade of. the coffee-producing Islands of the West .Indies, where public sanitation under direction of the British govern ment is much more thorough than in .South American cities. The British government cannot draft citizens into the army under existing lawsv but parliament could empower it to i, draft them by passing a conscrip tion act at any time, just as our con gress nassed a conscription act in 1863. The maintenance- of a standing army In time of peace, without the. consent of parliament, was prohibited in England by the bill of rights, In 1689, following the famous English revolution of 1688, which forced James II to abdicate and 'replaced him with his nephew, Will iam, Prince of Orange, under the title of William IIL Since 1689 the number of troops and the cost tif the different branches of the service have been sanc tioned by an annual vote of parliament. The power of the draft has 'not been granted by parliament to the British government for generations. There has never been a general conscription in Great Britain identical with that en forced In Germany, France, Italy and Russia, simply because it has not been necessary. Generals Slocum, Barlow and Gibbon were among the very ablest and most gallant commanders of the civil war. General Barlow was wounded severely at Antletam, at Gettysburg, and again during the Wilderness campaign; Gen eral Gibbon was a soldier from 1847 to 1896; he was wounded at Antietam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg. These able and gallant soldiers belonged to the G. A. R ,' but were never honored by the G. A. R. Why? Because they all protested against the enactment of loose, vicious pension legislation, and the "pension attorney" faction of the G. A. R. always sat down on them when their names were suggested for office. Among the unexpected evidences of the country's prosperity is the state ment of the calamity paper at Rose burg. It proudly proclaims, in double leaded matter, well sprinkled with small capitals, that "the past year has been the most prosperous In its his tory," and makes claims of great in crease in its circulation. Further, it says that "advertising, foreign and lo cal alike, have crowded its columns as never before," bringing it "a net in crease of over one-third in cash re ceipts." Whch is much better than the silver standard,- with widespread panic and unspeakable disaster. The organization of a "Jeffersonlan democratic club" Is reported at Sump ten As Jefferson was the most con spicuous expansionist of his time, and a man who clearly declared the princi ple upon which the sound-money senti ment of the nation rests, viz., that "the ratio is a mercantile problem al together," it is to be supposed that the new club will not support Bryan In opposition to the principles which Jef ferson made conspicuous by enuncia tion and example. The Oregonian must request its cor respondents to prepare their manu scripts with care. Several Interesting letters have had. to be thrown away recently because of illegibility. The' linotypes can't, read poor writing. This applies especially Just now to the sub ject uppermost in the popular mind the war in the Transvaal. It makes no difference which side your letter takes; bur If must be in proper shape for the printer. The fact that Captain Clark, formerly of the battle-ship Oregon, took a quite prominent pail in the conference of Santiago captains with the president, Tuesday, does not Indicate that he is the physical and mental wreck that he I has been reported. n,,i aon .&. Wt The arraignment of the Manauense submitted by the army officers report ing on the voyage is in direct antagon ism to the protests from both San Francisco and Washington when she arrived at Manila. Somebody has been iying. Chandler understands that we Intend to continue -silver a.s a standard money and thinks there is something in "in ternational bimetallsm." And Chandler is an editor. ' Alack the day! Speculators In Theater Tickets. . New York Tribune. More power to the elbow and to the kicking apparatus and to all other ag gressive organs of every theater manager who takes a stand against the ticket speculator. There is no person in any occupation not actually criminal who de serves less consideration and more detes tation than the latter. He serves absolute ly no good nor conveiIent purpose. The sole,, object of his existence Is to extort from the public higher prices for seats than It ought to pay. He Is always un- tclean, usually insolent, and often dis- nonest. jtie compels meater-goers to Bar gain for seats on the street. In wind or rain, Instead of In a comfortable lobby; he deceives them whenever he can as to- the location of the seats; he makes a -Rnwlnlv rf irivincr th wrnnir iVhnnerf err "plugged" coins, or counterfeit bills; and. for these outrages, for which-he ought to be kicked into the gutter, he charges a fee of 50 cents or so on each ticket That 6yery one of the unsavory tribe was not long aga rpn out pf town by an infuriated mob of "our best society" isa-monumental and unapproachable tribute to the meek ness -and lonp suffering of the people of New York. Railroad Pensions. Chicago Record. The directors of the Great Southern rtauway, uj. A-rgenxina., nave lurmmaiea u. scheme: for the creation of a general pen- otnn fr.A iinAar- TtrVitoVi till amnlniroo TTrtin i have served the company In a faithful and merltprjous. manner for not less than 15 years will at the age, of 60 years be en titled to retire on a pension equal to one third of the salary that they are then xe ceivlng. To, put this, scheme Into opera tion the eunrof 10,000 has been, set.aside' from the net revenue balaacerwhlch is to be supplemented In the future by monthly contributions from other sources enuiv sler.t to 5000 per annum; but no part of the pension fund la to be accumulated by contributions levied on the salaries of'the" employes. Not only are all employes of the company whose names are carried on the regular -monthly pay-rolls and wno fulfill the prescribed conditions entitled to receive the benefit of a pension on reachlne the age of GO, but If at the ace of 55 employes who have served the com pany satisfactorily for 15 years show an Inability to fill their positions properly because of failing health, the company can place them on the .pension list. SWORD OF THE FINEST STEEIi. One. of the .Marvels of SmitUvrorlc Re cently Seen In Madrid. iNew York-Tribune. "Of all the cities I have visited in Eu--rope," said R. A. Stlnson, of Bpaton, re cently, "X found Madrid one of the most interesting? It has jl number of out-of-the-way features that appeal to one. While I was In Madrid I tiled to purchase. one of the famous Toledo blades. Tne old-fashioned two-handed .sward was what I wanted to get, one of those that -were built to cut through armor and "which fulfilled their mission completely, as many a bloody battlefield in ye ancient days bore witness. I had to give it up on ac c6unt of the expense. They cost :rpm $150 up, but while I was looking for one a shopkeeper showed me a most scientific trick. His store was very lofty, running up two or three stories, and he was des canting on the beauties of this particular sword, when, in order to prove the per fect temper of the metal he drove the point into the floor and bent the blade until point and hilt met. He then sud denly released the hilt and that six feet of gleaming .sword sprang up Into the air like a thing alive. Up and up it -went, almost to the lofty celling Itself, when It lost Us Impetus and began Its descent hilt first. It returned almost to the place whence It started, the shopkeeper catching It by the hilt with practiced ease, and returning It to Its case. I was crazy to try It myself, but the owner refused to allow -me, as he said I would probably not only wreck the store, but perhaps Injure myself as well. He told me that If I wanted to learn the trick I had better practice it In a large, open lot and that a suit of armor wouldn't be a bad thing to wear until I got the hang of It." a IMMUNITY PROM THE PIiAUE. Certain Races Are Not Affected by the 'Rubonle Pestilence. Pall Mall Gazette. Apropos of the bubonic plague now creeping into Portugal, has It ever been noticed In what an erratic manner Im munity from this disease seems to have been conferred upon certain races and even sects? Thus in 1584 it was noticed that the Protestants of Lyons escaped al most to a man. So did the Jews at the outbreak at Nlmeguen In 1736. Something of the same sort has been noticed with regard to other diseases, for while In the outbreak of typhus at Langoens In 1824 the Jews remained Immune, their core ligionists in Poland have always been the first to catch cholera. But the strangest thing In connection with the plague Is that in most cases the seeds of the dis ease seem to remain dormant In the sys tems of those exposed to the risk of con tagion until some nevr epidemic calls them Into activity. Procopius,- who observed the plague in Constantinople pretty closely during Jus tinian's reign, declares that If persons btirn In an Infected town settled in a town hitherto free from it they were ure to be the first attacked if th8 plague again visited the country, even after the lapse of several years. A similar fact was not ed during the Nlmeguen outbreak, where two children of one Van Dam were sent malned there in perfect health for three months. At the end of that time the plague came to Gorcunen, and they died there at the same time, as the rest of their family. Cnrpc Diem. "Go It while you're young," was a young fellow's very free translation of Horace's "Oarpe Diem." Here is somethlns; less boisterous: Carpe diem seize the clay Sang the, gentle Horace, He who In life's eerloua play Filled the role o chorus. Looking out on human life, In hi? critic fashion, He could note its atresa and strife, 2ote Its power and passion. Those, he saw, tlfat make their way In the boom and bustle Of life's never-ending fray, Are- the men. that hustle.. They are men that look afar With a wise precision; Quick to jselse the day theyare, And wjtb. sure decision. Horace practiced what he preached, For, 'tis clear Between us, He his day'a full goal had reached v When he charmed Maecenas. Seize -your day and hold It fast. E'en though first It hurt you; Belnc steadfast you at last Shall possess Its virtue. 4 iB The Horn That Willie Toots. Now York Mail and Express. Reports of the big panther hunt In Texas the other day, in which Mr. Bryan was an enthusiastic participant, say that the Ne braska nimrod rode thrpugh the streets of Austin carrying an enormous tin horn, which he blow continuously. The spec tacle must have been an inspiring one. Mr, Bryan is the champion long-distance horn blpwer of the United States. He plays only one tune, it Is true, but he does If with so much spirit and so many dellcatfe variations that his performance is an ..amusement of which his admirers never tire. And one fact which must never be lost sight of is that he always blow3 his l own horn. j p Taxed to Its Utmost. London Telegraph. The strain upon the transport depart ment of the admiralty has been abso lutely unprecedented, and one which no other country could have bprpe. They had to arrange ,f or the transport of 65000 men, 30.000 horses and mules and 100,000 tons of stores. They had chartered 130 ships, of 500,000 aggregate tonnage, these hlps giving an average speed of 300 miles per day. Never was Britain's power on the seas more clearly shown than in the security with which our transport fleet bad pursued its way, and never was the ne cessity for keeping open the great ocean highway more manifestly proved. irtiQ'fr A Deadhead In the Enterprise. New York Mall and Express. Mr. Roberts, of Utah, has not yet got a seat in the house, but it Is said by the Boston Herald that he is using the frank ing privilege to send out .documents pre senting his -defense. This gentleman may never be permitted to take a. hand in guiding the destiny of our glorious instl- - tutions, but he can rumble down the age3 as a statesman wno compelled this govern ment to deadhead his arguments before congress had passed upon his title. "i g E i i Only a Flurry. Chicago News. Mrs. Stubb John, isn't 'It strange? Here it was clear In Chicago yesterday and snowing in New York. Mr. 'Stubb Does the paper say that, Maria? Mrs. Stubb Well, John, it says there i,v . . . -rrr n Z i mi. Vi TZ3 ViA" Wal1 fltr6et- That 3 XNW XVI ft, 1511 K at-J 3 B . i Ideas That Go Toeether. Baltimore American. There are indications that'the 20th-cen-tury-beginS'-lff-lSOO idea will form a part of tne free-silyer platform. ' i in a Extreme Gases. Jamestown Journal. Some people are so "fond pf pets that they are always getting Into one. jincaDO about xhhe. The "United States commission of fish and fisheries has been doing a great deal of work of late and Issuing a -large number of bulletins containing much valu able Information on many subjects, as for example .the southern spring, mackerel" fishery, the mussel fishery and pearl but "ton industry, reappearance of the tile nsh, and experiments In photography of live fishes. -Some of the bulletins, however, seem of but little Importance to the pub lic, as, for example, one on the peripheral nervous system of the bony fishes, and one on tldepool fishes of Kadiak Island, Alaska. The latest bulletin giving descrip tlons of new genera and species of fishes from Puerto Rico, will strike many as farcical, when It Is known that In' order to secure this Information the fish com mission steamer Fish Hawk was em ployed for over--two months circumnavi gating that Island, while the scientific staff on board secured three new genera and at least 20 new species, a description of which goesto make up the pamphlet of H oages. The names of. those fish In nearly every case, are longer (than the fish themselves, of which as a general thing only one or fewp specimens were procured, averaging from halt an inch to two Inches In length. For asexample, a whole page- is devoted to a description of the Prlonodes baldwlnl, of which a num ber of specimens were secured' in 15 to 16 fathoms of water, rang ing in size from 0.55 to 2 inches In length. These fish have -two oblique stripes on each cheek, a heavy blotch on inter opercles and two on the ramus 'of the mandible, body elongated, covered" with ctenoid scales; eye, large; gillrakers, short, teeth small, conical and sharp, on. vomen and palatines, and so on for a whole page. Of the Boratonotus de coris, which is 1.45 inches long and the description of which takes up nearly a page, one specimen was taken in a aeine at' Ponce. Of the Goblus bavamonensis. Which is nine inches In length, only a single .specimen was seen, and it was bought In the Sah Juan market. Of the Malacoctenus . culebrae, 1.38 inches long, three specimens were secured. Of the Auchenfetlus stahll, which has nos trils with short tubes and a single flap above each eye, one specimen L2 inches long was secured. Several varieties of Auchenoupterus white, red, banded, etc., were secured, ranging from 0 S Inches to 1.63 Inches In length. The largest fish mentioned In the bulle tin Is the Lycodontls Jordan!, of which only one specimen was secured, hut It was nine Inches In length. Following is a small part of the description of this rara "avis": Head 7 In total length; depth about 14; eye S in head; snout 5; gape ,2.2; Interorbltal a little less than snout. Teeth untoerlal, strong, sharp, not close-set, all entire and. without basal Iobe9; tall considerably longer than rest of body; glll-openlng smaller than eye; snout. rather pointed, lower jaw the ahortcr, the mouth capable of being completely closed. Dor sal fin high, much higher than anal; nasal tube long, about 3 In eye. The fish was named for Dr. David Starr Jordan, though which of Its characteris tics suggested him as a recipient of this honor it is difficult to imagine. It may be added that the description of the fishes given in the bulletin are only preliminary, and thalt they are now being studied by .specialists and the results will be published In the detailed report upon the work of the expedition, which Is in preparation and will soon be ready for publication. ""- ' i q i" n Should Furbish Up His History New York Tribune. Bishop James Byan (Roman Catholic), of Alton, 111., exclaims: "I think of the desolation wrought in the Philippines which this Christmas will see, after a year of the hell of war In which more slaughter, destruction, looting and dese cration have been done than In all the centuries of Spain's control." This will surprise people who read in the histories that between 1603 and 1660 the Spaniards were guilty of four terrible massacres In the Philippines, In each of which nearly 30,000 natives were killed. In 1763 there was a massacre of 7000 Chinese and other foreigners, and In the rebellion of 1896-07 about 50,000 natives were killed. The Jblshop is doubtless a fine theologian, but he really ought to brush up his history. Bempsey'a .Grave. To the Chicago Times-Herald Poet. Sir, I admit your caustic claim. That fighters seldom should bave fame; But beg to add with equal right, sir. That you can neither write nor fight, sir; "And I accept your general rute That every poet is a fool ; But, as your lines may serve to show It, Every fool Is not a poet." Portland. Or., Jan. 4, 1900. Macilahon. i i O ' Comma In the TVronjr Place. A misplaced comma has got a Greeley county, Kansas, paper into a .peck, of trouble. The ioumal in question recently published an item, in -nhich the following sentence occurred: "Two young men from Leotl went with their girls to Tribune to attend the teachers' Institute and as soon as they left, the girls got drunk." The comma belonged after the "girls" and the latter are making it hot for the editor. i 0 f Wliy Sne Held On to It. Jeweler's 'Weekly. Mrs. "Wilful My husband told me If I didn't like this brooch, you'd exchange it for me. Jeweler Certainly, madam. I'll be only too glad, as four different ladles of your set wanted It. A Good Indian. That long-sought-for Individual, the "good Indian," has at last been found. He Is a New York cigar sign that, by his outstretched arm, caught a runaway horse's bridle and saved two lives. a "Where the Trouble Begins. Chicago News. Weeks I understand your baby has been very sick. Is the worst over? Meekv-1'm afraid not. His health Is all right, but we- haven't named him yet. His Own Publisher. Philadelphia North American. "My first book of poems will be out next "1 suppose you'll be out considerable yourself at the same time." . 1 6 ' Lnvrton. Caper 5. Yoat Jn St. Louis Globe-Democrat. A hero'e gone. We mourn the loss of one rohn ever stood upon the battle's front; A warrior who knew not iear -nor doubt. But, when hla couree was set, marched straight ahead. And never failed to reach the end he sought. Though frowning mountains blocked the path, still on; Though raging rivers Intervened, still on No obstacle Of nature or of man Was ever insurmountable t6 him. And yet hewas no rash. Impetuous knight Who led his men into the jaws of death. To snatch a fleeting glory from the tlpe Of bristling bayonets. He careless was Of danger ta himself, but held the lives Of those brave pien. committed to his charge A sacred trust, and never wasted blood. No vain desire to win, by brilliant deeds. The plaudits of the thoughtless multitude. Could draw him from the path that duty trod, For .Duty was his mistress; stern, but just. And vhereshe led he followed, e'en to death. In camp, a- father; in the field, a guide sWho always showed the way to victory; Adored by rank and file, beloved by all He lived as all true soldiers ought f live. He died as all true soldiers pray to die. NOTE AND COMMENT. Of coarse it's easy to get through on open water. "Everything, comes to him who waits." observedthe beerslinger, as he dodged a enspidok GovernorLeary evidently Intends that there shalnbet no -Roberts cases coming from Guam. There is nonelllng what Pitcher would do if he was put Into the field. (Thl3 Is too last offense.) y The pussy willows have come out; but they show theii distrust of nature by wearing their f uW. It is singular tliif; all the reports which gain currency ln Paris are reports of heavy British disaiters. Since Lake Michigan has been turned ' into the Chicago river, that city'3 fuel supply has been cut. Sown pretty heavily. The fact that nothings has been heard from Funston since hW arrival in Luzon leads his friends to fear that he forgot his bathing suit. v Governor Taylor win bave to apply to some other state for tne Information ha wants. Election contests are settled in Oregon without bloodshed. If the papers axe to get any straight news from South Africa, they may asr well make up their minds to go throuch tho ceremony of swinging a few censors. A man In Germany is serving out four months for eulogizing- the- Chicago an archists. Altgeia, would get .about 10 years if he made one of his speeches over there. "You stand for liberty,, don't you?" asked tho anti-imperialist tourist of Agui naldo. "Sometimes," replied the patriot with a wink; "but usually I run for ft." Bavins got the end-of-ths-century dis pute temporarily calmed, we; may now proceed ta argue whether seeing or not seeing hla shadow i the causa that In fluences the groundhog to retire Into his hole for further hibernation. Philip D. Armourreays that George Sheldon, a Lake Shore station agent, wXb died ihe other day, once tjid him the gpat setvico of his life. "I was for four Jays a brakeman under him. when, ha xas a conductor." eays Mr. Armour, "and-he told me I was too much of a fool ever'to make a good railroader." . The arrest of a hurglsr at Pendleton was brought about by l young woman's courage and presence of mind. Seeing a man In E. T. "Waders residence on New Year's, when no one visa at home. Miss Gibson entered the door, demanded to know what he was doing there, and turned him over to an officer, At Corvallis the "eod of the century" is a live Issue, that gets more attention than "Imperialism," The Times reports that "on New Year's morning the discussion were so numerous, and so earnest along the street that men forget to greet each other with the compliments pf, the season. Kno's of men stood here and there, and the In variable words that fell on tho ear of the passer-by were tho familiar arguments on either side of the question. The scenes were a reminder' of the naveivendlnsr dis cussions of finandalquestlons in the 1SS6 campaign." 4 A stick of wood cut from the trunk of a small tree by the keen teeth of a beaver has been presented to the free museum by Joseph Paquet. It will be no -novelty to such as have fished alone; streams frequented , by beaver, but beaver are becoming scarce now. and there are thousands of people In Portland who have read of how beavers cut down tree3, but have never seen a sample of their work, and to these the stick will be very Inter esting. Just how large a tree a beaver or beavers can cut down only an old trapper can say, but It la no trick at all for them to fell an ash or alder tree six inches In diameter, and they have bet ter luck than the, average wood-chopper In falling trees Jn the direction they de sire. A popular preacher who was called on to officiate at a double wedding of Italians a few days ago never knew how near he came to having missed the job. The grooms were brothers, and came to the county clerk's office accompanied by their fiancees to procure the necessary marriage licenses, which were duly made out and handed over, and 5-1 60 credited to the county. As the two couples were going out, one of the men, evidently a thought ful fellow, stepped back and said to the clerk: "That's all right; I suppose we are married now, and no more trouble about It?" "Great Caesar, no!" yelled the clerk, "you are not married at all. The license only gives you the right to-get married. You must now get a minister or, justice of peace to do the marrying." It took some time to make the grooms understand, as they spoke hut little English, and as for the prospective brides, they spoke none at all. Had the clerk not been asked if everything was all right, the two couples would have gone off Imagining that they were married, and would doubtless have lived happily ever after. Reports from outlying residence districts indicate that the footpad nuisance has not yet been abated. Portland has now come to be so large a city that" It offers an attractive field for the evil-minded man behind the gun, and the reaping of a few fall crops of highwaymen does not serve to stamp out the Industry. It Is truo that for every genuine case of highway robbery there axe hundreds of "fakes" turned in by boys and men who happen to be in need of excuse for not having money they are expected to have, but It Is never theless apparent that one or more thugs are plying their trade In Portland, and with little fear of the police These thugs, as all policemen know, rendezvous in the North End, and are. so well pro tected by resident crooks, who, though lacking the daring to go out; and rob, are willing to share in the loot, that it Is al most Impossible to find and convict them. A rigid application of the "drag net," how ever, would be pretty certain to rid this quarter of the city of Its rascally visitors, and, having no place to fly! for protec tion, they would be compelled: to quit the city. The "OLnaz net" is merely tho whole sale ransacking of the town fcr men who hae no visible means of support their arrest on charges, of vagrancy, and Im prisonment Id. the county jail. TJnlle the hobo, the footpad does not relish detfntlo 1 In jail. It affords too abundant mens o Identification to officers from other blac-s who may be In need of him, and oijco he 13 out, he may be depended upon toimake himself scarce thereafter. There ar rea sons why It Is not desirable for the police to make these wholesale arrests; but When compared with the menace to public fafe y which the presence of armed and desterato outlaws involves, they are not of wejjht.