THE MOBNINGK OBEGrOHIAK, FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 1900.
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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.