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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 24, 1900)
THE MOKNING OHEGONIAN, SATUEDAT, FEBEUAEY 24, 1900. 8 ASTORIA A LUMBER PORT 3f DOUBT AS TO HER. FUTURE GKBATSBSS IX THAT LETE. Billions of Feet of Merchantable Timber at Her Door Fresh-Water Iesbeem FriTllesre. ASTORIA, Feb. a. (Special correspond ence.) Astoria, as a possible lumber ex port point, lswithot a rival on. the Pa cific Oo&et, yet hitherto no account has been made of It In lumber circles. The Industry has been smothered by peculiar conditions that have put Astoria at a. dis advantage "with other lumbering points of the coast. One o the chief drawbacks trae lack of railway connection and common-point rates on lumber for the interior markets. Another was supposed to be its lack of & relatively large local market for Its second-class lumber. The natural ad vantages of Astoria as a port for lumber exports are: (1) Its immense amount of timber accessible to tide -water; (2) its vast area in bays and tidal estuaries for mill sites, with fresh-water privileges for log booms; (J) its closer proximity to the Immense California market it being hun dreds of miles nearer than the Puget Sound ports; (4) its central position on the Pacific Coast line and greater proximity to the foreign markets it being the most westerly potat of land (except Cape Men docino) south of Canada; and (S) its water level grade through the Cascades to the summit of the Rockies, In which last par ticular It has no rival on the Coast ex cept Portland, wMch has to draw its own timber supply largely aum the forests surrounding Astoria. The recent railway connection with As toria and the common point on lumber destined for Eastern markets, accorded by the Northern Pacific and. by the Southern Pacific, and soon to be accorded no doubt by the Union Pacific, has changed the peculiar conditions referred to, and San Francisco can be made to serve for a lo cal market for knotty and. second-clasa lumber, which has to be disposed of on favorable terms la order to a prosperous sawmill business. Searces of Timber Supply. There are six great and distinct sources of lumber supply in the gigantic forest! that surround Astoria forests so great that they have hitherto isolated that City from nearly all the world. The first ana most convenient of these sources is that which has an outlet in Young's Bay down the Lewis and. Clark, Young's, Claska nine (three forks) and Walluski Rivers, all of which rise to the southeast of As toria some 90 or 86 miles distant, in the Nehalem (or Crescent) range of moun tains. For many years the local sawmills have drawn their supply chiefly from those forests. The result Is that much of the good timber has been logged, and It Is necessary to get high up towards their sources and far back to the summits of the divides between them In order to find ample timber. Still there is even yet a vast quantity of Oregon pine and much spruce to be found in those great forests, to say nothing of hemlock, which is very abundant, especially on the Lewis and Clark, and cedar, which is well scattered. The next most accessible body of timber Is that found on the Oregon slopes of the Columbia above Tongue Point, and which finds, or can find, outlet down Mary's Creek, Bear Creek, Ferris Creek, Gnat Creek, BMnd Slough, Plympton Creek and Westport Slough. Much of this, within a few miles of the Columbia, has also been logged, mostly for the -Cortland market, which is now reaching out for the Young's Bay product. But on the higher slopes, for 16 miles back to the summit of the Nehalem divide, crowning the northern extremity e the Coast Rang, the Oregon pine is much in evi dence for a distance of SO miles east of Tongue Point. In fact, this continuous forest extends to the South Scappoose, al most at Portland's gates. The third most accessible body of tim ber Is that on the north, or Washington, slopes of the Columbia. These slopes are from three to M miles long up to the highest summits and plateaus of that rugged region and extend from a point near Fort Canby, on the west of Astoria longitude, to Cathlamet Heights, nearly opposite Westport, some 46 miles up ths Columbia. This is indeed a great forest of yellow fir. Its outlet to the Columbia Is by numerous little rivers and bold log ging creeks, that, like those on the Ore gon side, are famous trout streams. These Include the WalHcut and the Chinook, flowing into Baker's Bay; Deep River and Gray's River, flowing into Gray's Bay; several creeks running into Billot's Bay, and the Skamokawa, the Elokomln and other classic streams further up the Co lumbia. Great Spruce Belt. The fourth accessible great body of tim ber supply is known as the Necanicum spruce belt. The Necanicum River, with two branches, is some 26 miles long, and its watershed is on an average perhaps 10 miles wide. It flows Into the ocean near Tillamook Head, and taps the A. & C. R. R. at Seaside. It is the most westerly of the little rivers heading In Saddle Mountain and, being nearest the ocean, Its forests are chiefly spruce, with hem lock a good second. The spruce belt. It may be remarked, is within IS miles of th sea coast. jCS? a consequence of this sci entific fact, the Lewis and Clark basin has much spruce timber in it, while only In the lower part of Young's River basin is any spruce to be found. So, too, the other regions and timber basins on the Lower Columbia farther away than 12 miles from the sea coast have none or but very Mttie spruce. This Necanicum region will average about 8.000,00a feet of spruce to the section. The sect great timber belt within As toria's roaoh is the basin of the Nehalem River. That river is about 160 miles long, with a watershed averaging some 36 miles in width. It rises in the eastern slopes of the Coast Range northwest of Forest Grove, makes a big bend to the eastward, and, turning west, cuts through the Coast Rang in Clatsop County and empties into the Pacific below Tillamook Head. All of this timber, which consists of the lar gest and best Oregon pine, spruce, larch and cedar, is tributary to Astoria sawmills. An extension of the Seaside branch of the Ajetorla & Columbia River Railroad, now bilng agitated, down the Coast to Tilla mook would tap all of this immense belt of timber. Or a small outlay of public money would insure Its being brought around to Astoria In teg rafts along the Coast Inside the Jurisdiction of Oregon. The sixth great timber belt belonging to Astoria for export is that region south of the Nehalem Basin on the slopes of the Coast Ramre and which can be run down into Tillamook and Netart's Bays. It Is some W miles long and perhaps 26 miles wide, with the best spruce, Oregon pine, larch, cedar and hemlock In the West. All this great region is tributary to Astoria sawmills. In like manner as the Nehalem Baetn ttssber, by rail and ocean, through log rafts. These immense forests are included In the Oovnttes of Clatsop, Columbia and Tillamook and the Nehalem basin (which runs through all three of these Counties) in Oregon. It also includes Wahkiakum, Cowilt and part of Pacific Counties la Washington State, embracing an area of nearly M miles square, and constituting ore of the greatest timber beRs in the West winch is, at the same time, easily accessible to one of the most desirabte ports on this Coast for lumber exports and a location where all the economies is favor of sawing lumber exist In the highest degree. Recently an estimate of the quan tity of merchantable timber in this re gion has been made by United States ex perts ta the Interior Department. It dis closes the startling fact that it contains about 7MM.MMM feet "of merchantable timber. Of this, there are only 14.OO9.O00.- X on tfee Washington side, while Bome 56,000,000,000 are on the Oregon side of the Columbia. Ho Damage From Teredo. The fresh water logboom privileges of the Astoria saw mill sites are of Immense value en account of the need for protec tion of the logs from the teredo that In fest all other great seacoast ports and the porta of Puget Sound. Its greater prox imity to the San Francisco market and other markets in California not only gives Astoria an advantage over Puget Sound and other ports In the lumber belt for that trade, but enables It to get rid of all Its second-class lumber at a profit. It really does not need to compete with Port land saw mills for the trade of the sage brush interior. One of the most important items of the Astoria saw mill bua.nass Is Its water situation its three great bays and numerous tidal estuaries, all In a per fectly sheltered harbor. The estuaries of Alder Creek, Tanzy Creek, Sklpanon Creek and John Day River are all Important features of this great situation. Tongue Point offers peculiar advantages, both for foreign and interior markets. But there Is nothing lacking at almost any point, that Is, nothing that cannot be achieved so soon as this shall become an established port for foreign exports. Within the limits of the City there are only two saw mills at this time. These are beginning to feel the impulse of the new situation resulting from common point rates on. lumber over the railways eastward. They have all they can do, and are running overtime. One of these mills Is the Clatsop Mill Company. The other Is the Astoria Box Company. Both of them own fine mill sites in the heart of the town, fronting on the Columbia River In the Bay of Astoria. The former Is located near the depot grounds of the A. & C. R. R. In fact, these depot grounds, some 600 feet wide and 1800 long, parallel with the river, cat through the property1 to its damage, yielding to It, however, a right of way for its lumber to the channel front. This mill is located on a great piece of property, a block of 300 feet in width and extending from the high ground out to the channel, a distance of some 1200 feet, less the space Included in the railroad depot. Since the new impulse given the business In Astoria last April, this mill claims to have cut at the rate of 18,000,000 feet of timber per annum. During the current year it expects to cut 25,000,000 feet Last spring It loaded only one steamer for South America as its foreign business. It has shipped 6omo spruce over the Northern to the East; but with completion of Its new box factory' and railroad switch con necting It with the A. & C. R. R., it Is get ting ready to do an extensive business with Eastern points, principally" In spruce lumber, for which there is more demand than supply both on the Columbia and Puget Sound. This mill has added two new planers and Increased Its capacity to 82, 000 feet dolly. Local demand for lumber and boxes occupied most of the time of this mill. Woman Satv Mill Manager. Upon the untimely death of W. S. Kin ney, chief owner and manager, last June, his widow (nee Strong, of Salem,), suc ceeded to that Important position. Luck favored and soon the mill began to run on full time and one-fourth overtime. An other improvement soon followed. A trained and capable superintendent from Puget Sound was put In charge of the operating department and many reforms are being Instituted, Including a prompt payment of b'lls, the lack of which had handicapped the mill for many years. Whether It Is due to the woman's wit or luck Is not established, but sure it is that Manager Kinney Is winning out she helng the second woman In Astoria to make a distinguished success In business. The other saw mill In Astoria, the As toria Box Company, has likewise a great site for Its mill. It Is 330 feet wide. It runs out to deep-ship channel, some 800 feet, across the railroad track, switches from which are being also run Into the mill premises in preparation for the pend ing Eastern trade. Heretofore the As toria Box Company has had less capacity than the Clatsop Mill Company, but It has always been Tun on sound business principles and has always made money under Its manager, Mr. W. F. McGregor, who Is president of the company. It will soon be much enlarged to meet the new 6tlr, and will be made a great export mill. Its daily capacity for years has been about 30,000 feet; a snug, thriving local business, that never "bit off more than it could chaw," but dealt with the actual situation. It Is branching out to meet the new situation. Its new box factory, now nearly completed. Is strictly up to date. It Is 166 feet long, and 65 feet wide, with all modern machinery, and has numerous tracks for loading the cars upon the switch. Mr. McGregor Is laying his plans for developing both the Eastern and for eign trade. The local business of the company Includes the supplying of many San Francisco houses with shooks for the frultcannlng trade In California and for salmon canning In Alaska. The Astoria Box Companj'e mill Is located at the east ern end of the Astoria street-car track on the line between Upper Astoria and Alderbrook. In Its front, at the deep-ehip channel, Is a 28-foot depth of water at low tide. When It gets In trim for the export trade It will have its wharf out at this deep water. Other Sutp Mills. The West Shore Mill Company's m'll ceased operations a number of years ago, and Its buildings rotted away before this new life came to the old, moosback town. The Trulllngers, who own that very fine mill site, however, turned their attention to electric lighting, and have a large plant on the land near by the old 6lte, wnicn is located at the western end. or the street-car line, with some of the best water In the bay. The old Warrenton saw mill, on the Sklpanon, across Young's Bay, which had gone Into "Innocuous desuetude," has lately been started up by C. F. Lester, who is understood to be operating with Banker Warren, the king of Warrenton. The capacity of this mill Is small, and Its trade is waiting on the accumulation of a supply of seasoned lum ber. The old Seaside saw mill, too, has : been rescued from decay and Is now being operated to great advantage by W. F. McGregor and N. P. Sorensen (chief own ers), who have acquired the bulk of the best spruce timber in the Necanicum basin. This concern Is now named "The Necani cum Spruce Lumber Company," and Bank er Patton, of Astoria, Is president, with N. D. Bain as secretary. It makes 5000 boxes a day, and it has a dally lumber ca pacity of 25.000 feet It has such freight rates over the Seaside Railroad Into As toria that it can easily compete with the Astoria saw mills for the Coast trade In spruce lumber. A distinct feature of Astoria's saw mill business Is the Soren sen Lumber Company, of which W. F. McGregor Is president and N. P. Sorensen is secretary. Its shares are held by the Clatsop Mill Company, the Astoria Box Company and N. P. Sorensen, the latter being also one of the wide-awake lumber men of the West, and he and McGregor constituting a team that is attracting at tention through their shrewd moves in the lumber field. This Sorensen Luitfber Com pany owns or leases all the log booms of the Astoria saw mills, and supplies logs to them and other customers. It Is ac quiring timber In the first, second, third and fourth great timber belts herein de scribed, and Is destined to cut a great figure in Astoria's lumber future. Rumors are rife of the purpose of the Astoria Company, A. B. Hammond, man ager, to enter the lists with a great ex port saw mill of a dally capacity of 250,000 feet, to be erected at Hammond, near Fort Stevens. That company has been acquir. lng much timber In the Necanicum basin and down the Coast far Into Tillamook along the projected line of the A. & C. R. R. extension, which timber Is mostly spruce. That timber, except In the Necani cum basin. Is not at present accessible for Astoria mills. The Astoria Company has not invested In any of the more ac cessible timber belts thus far, which may account for the rumor of Its purpose to start a mammoth paper mill near here a rumor that has disturbed the Willamette Pulp & Paper Mill Company no little. Its investments In the Nehalem Basin are limited to the mouth of the river, where the railroad would cross it It is asserted, though, that It will take In all of that Basin, which the experts estimate at 17, 000,000,000 feet Some persons surmise that Hammond's real objective point for his saw mill site Is Tongue Point, and that the New Astoria or Hammond rumor is a bluff to scare an offer of a site at Tongue Point on good terms out of property-holders In that region. It needs no savant to enforce the Im portance to Portland of this great lumber supply depot By furnishing cargoes to seeking ships It will make Portland char ters very much cheaper, and thus build her up as a commercial emporium. ANNEXATION TO U. S. People of Xicarns"ua Want It, Poli ticians Do Not. CHICAGO, Feb. 23. Discussing the pend ing Nicaragua Canal treaty, L. C. Cooley, the well-known engineer, said today that perhaps the easiest way out of the confu sion would be for the United States to an nex Nicaragua. Not long ago Mr. Cooley visited Nicaragua as a member of a con tracting syndicate, to Investigate the feasi bility of the Nicaragua Canal route. Dur ing his stay he talked with all the high ofliclals of the NIcaraguan Government. Alluding to his observations In Nicaragua, he said: "The Impression I acquired while in Nic aragua was that the people of all classes, including the highest officials, were ready and anxious for annexation to the United States. It might be asked If such Is the condition of public sentiment In Nicaragua why It Is that the country does not pro pose annexation to the United States. I asked this question of a high official of the NIcaraguan Government and was an swered that there were so many rivalries and conflicting political interests that if the adherent of any one faction proposed annexation, all the other elements would Immediately pounce upon him and try to make It appear that he was trying to sell the country out Any proposal by an offi cial of the NIcaraguan Government looking toward annexation to the United States would probably be utilized to begin a rev olution. "A high official of the NIcaraguan Gov ernment asked me what the Government of the United States would expect In the way of a right of way. I told him that we would expect 'to have a right of way under United States control. He re marked that he believed a proposition to annex the entire country of Nicaragua would not be unpopular, and that it would be accepted as readily as the proposition to Americanize a small portion of the country through which the canal might pass. "The same high official whom I have quoted above asked me what kind of labor would be brought Into Nicaragua to con struct the canal. I told him that undoubt edly any treaty that would be made with the United States in regard to the matter would be observed, and that I had no rea son to believe that the government of the United States would be insistent by the introduction of any particular kind of la bor, especially if it was against the accept ed policy of the NIcaraguan Government I said In addition that the chances were that 10,000 white laborers would come Into the country to build the canal, and If they remained they would bring others, and that together they would Americanize the country If the Nlcaraguans were not care ful. To this, the rejoinder was that such a tendency would be welcomed by all the people, as It was recognized that such an Infusion of Americans into NIcaraguan politics would Insure immunity from rev olution. "I took measures to confirm the state ment made by the official with whom I conversed, and found that he had in no degree overestimated tht sentiment among the people. I was also convinced that to be popular the proposition of annexation, should emanate from the United States Government, and not from any NIca raguan official." a A CUBAN ROMANCE. Varied Experiences of One of Roose velt's Rough. Riders. NEW YORK, Feb. 23. A dispatch to the Herald from Havana says: Emlllo Cashua, who was a Rough Rid er, has been released from jail by Gov ernor Wood. He was serving a three years' sentence for having killed Lieuten ant Martinez; of the Cuban army, last March. Cashua was at the time lieutenant of police, and the shooting occurred In the progress of a fight In the Iglaterra Hotel over the distribution of the $3,000,000 to the Cuban veterans. Cashua was born In It aly, but Is an American citizen. Feeling ran high against him among the Cubans, who threatened lynching. A wealthy Cu ban girl, Miss Castillo, became Infatuated with Cashua, and married him in jail about a month after his Imprisonment She had given away a fortune to the rev olutionists during the war, and after the marriage appealed to General Gomez to use his influence for her husband. Gomez refused because Cashua was an American citizen. Since then she has spent another fortune striving to gain her husband's release. She pleaded with Governor-General Wood, oGvernor Roosevelt President McKlnley and the military authorities here. Noth ing daunted her. To gain her purpose she offered jailers large bribes, until orders were Issued denying her entrance to the prison. She disclosed to the military au thorities last summer a plot of Cubans to blow up the Tacon Theater, and anoth er municipal building In Santa Clara, on the night of the Fourth of July. This In formation caused alarm In military cir cles, and for her conduct her husband's pardon was promised If the conspirators were arrested. Havana was put under military guard that night, and a regiment of soldiers watched the buildings In Santa Clara. An attempt was made at both places, exactly according to the details furnished by Mrs. Cashua. Three men were caught in the act of placing pack ages of dynamite under the Tacon Thea ter. Since Governor-General Wood's arrival he has taken an Interest In the case, and, considering Cashua's heroism at Santiago, he granted the pardon. Cashua left Ha vana secretly after his release, and will probably go to the United States with his wife immediately, as he fears death at the hands of the Cubans. a t PASSENGERS WERE SHOCKED Electricity Escaped in Trolley Car. a Chicago CHICAGO. Feb. 23. Fifty passengers on a HalstedtStreet electric car were shocked by electricity last evening. A panic followed, but nobody was seriously hurt. Two passengers felt the effects for some time after, but were able to move about without assistance. At Polk street the passengers wearing rubbers were surprised to see the others suddenly jumping about Conductor Crawford was collecting fares, when sud denly he leaped from the floor and re marked that needles were passing through his legs. The floor of the car had be come thoroughly soaked with water and made a good conductor for the electricity. Women and children felt the shock and were panic-stricken when several of the men were thrown from, their feet The car was stopped by some one pulling the trolley-pole from tho wire, shutting off the electricity. An investigation showed that the insu lation of a wire connected with the heat ing apparatus had fallen off, allowing the copper wire to come in contact with the water-soaked floor. o Those unhappy persons who suffer from nervousness and dyspepsia should use Carter's Little Nerve Pills, mode express ly for this class. a "Beauty and folly are old comnanlons " Likewise Hood's Sarsaparilla and good ueuuu. LEASING PUBLIC LANDS SEVERAL REASONS FOR OPPOSI TION TO THE SYSTEM. Would Shut Out Homesteaders, Ar rest Development of State, and Revolutionise Stoclcsrowlnc;. PRINEVXLLE, Or., Feb. 20. (To the Editor.) I discover, from letters received here, as well as through your columns, that our congressman, In common with congressmen from other grazing states, seeks counsel from his constituents In regard to the best method of procedure In leasing the public domain. Agreeable to this considerate request I desire space In your columns for a brief expression of opinion upon a subject of very direct and vital importance to all who are in terested in the welfare of Oregon this section of Oregon, In particular. I desire briefly to consider the effect segregating the public domain Into large tracts and parceling it out to certain in dividuals will have upon Industries, es tablished and otherwise, In the state of Oregon. How will such a system work in our state? It Is my humble, yet positive and un equivocal opinion, that any leasing sys tem that may be devised at this time would be premature by many years, to say the least My principal reasons for such belief might for lack of space, be summed up as follows: First Such a system would undoubt edly have a tendency to arrest the set tlement and development of Oregon. Second It would suddenly and entirely revolutionize the present system of graz ing In this state. Third Any leasing system would have an undoubted tendency toward concen tration of land ownership into the hands of a few people. Of other objections, there are many, but for present purposes, these three will suffice. In regard to tho first objection that leasing the public domain would tend to check Oregon's development It must be admitted that a lease Implies o. lessee and a lessor. One must be the landlord; the other, the renter. In order to secure the validity of the contraot the lessor must guarantee the use and benefit accru ing from the land to the lessee. That Is, the government must secure the renter from Intrusion- on the part of any one else as to the occupancy of the land. In other words, any system of leasing the public domain must disallow the occu pancy of such lands by the homesteader or homebullder. Any leasing system In which the government does not guarantee title to the land during the tenure of the lease Is of no avail, and amounts to noth ing except to cause bitter strife between the renter and the homesteader. On the other hand, when the govern ment proceeds to lease the public domain, by that action it does away with thfc long-established American policy of en couraging home-bulldlng by donating to each citizen so much of the public land as may be considered necessary for such purpose. Nor can this effect be avoided by undertaking to make exceptions of certain tracts for settlement by virtue of the judgment of any individual. Such a procedure would simply be putting it within the power of one person to declare what portion of the West shall be de veloped, and that portion shall be devoted to pastoral purposes. Upon this feature of the subject, I do not believe It to be within the power of any single Individual, or set of individuals, to penetrate the unknown sufficiently to declare what por tion of the West Is susceptible to settle ment and development Into homes, and what not. I do "not except even the heads of any or all the departments of the present or next succeeding admin istrations. The future development of our own state of Oregon 13" a sealed book, even to those of us who have lived here con tinuously and beheld Its gradual prog ress during the past generation. Judg ing from the past, to say nothing of the present trend of the times, who is there, what head of a governmental department Is there, who has any license to foretell even for the brief period of 10 years what lands In Eastern Oregon, through private enterprise, will bo settled and converted Into homes, and what not? Are we pre pared to declare all the remaining public lands unfit for other than pastoral pur poses, and proceed upon that basis to shut out Immigration and parcel It out among ourselves S I think not, and I think many otht 1 will be of the same opinion upon mature reflection. My second objection, that It would sud denly and entirely revolutionize the pres ent system of grazing In this state, Is, like the first, a very vital one. Under the present system,. we use the low-lying hills, valleys and desert lands for winter ing purposes. As summer advances, we move our stock to the higher altitudes, which abound in -the soft nutritious grasses, which produce the proper growth upon the young, and the accumulation of flesh upon the mature for marketing pur poses. The topography of Eastern Ore gon Is such that, under the present sys tem, we are enabled to carry a very large amount of stock with a minimum amount of friction, and, all the reports of the secretary of agriculture notwith standing, will. If let alone, continue so to do for years to come. I do not believe any better scheme con be devised for utilizing the public domain In Eastern Oregon for years to come, than tho present system, whereby we are enabled to contribute to the aggregate wealth of the state our countless herds of cattle, sheep and horses. Such, at least, are the practical results which we have to show for the present open system of grazing. Suddenly reverse the system. Inaugu rate a barbwlre era throughout Eastern Oregon; throw all" our stock Into pastures constructed from this miserable stuff; shut us out from the mountain ranges, if may be; and if anything further can be'thought of to hedge us about, enact that into law also and what have you done? Have you preserved a slnglejyiade of grass? No; for pastured stocjp will always destroy more grass, header head, than when not confined. HaveJ?8u Increased the output of the stock pgFiUct? No; you have di minished thaw You have simply and suddenly revolutionized the grazing of stock In Eastern Oregon, as now con ducted, with all that Implies In the way of loss to present Investments and future development, and have Inaugurated in Its stead a very douhtful, not to say danger ous, experiment, which Is sure to fall short of satisfaction- in the way of either immediate or ultimate results, save to those people Id the East who own barb wire factories. In support of my third objection that any leasing system would have an un doubted tendency toward concentrating ownership of land I desire merely to call attention to the fact that It Is the history of the leasing idea when applied to public lands In, all nations of ancient or modern times, that such a system of disposing of the public domain results ultimately In vested rights. Take each of the measures now pending before congress. Every one provides for re-leaslng the same landa to the same Individuals, consequently to their heirs and assigns the only logical con cusion from such a beginning being the vested right of the lessee to the land. He already has the Indefinite option to lease the land, which only requires another turn of the congressional wheel to result in absolute ownership. It is but fair to presume that as In all cases of this "na ture, history will repeat Itself. It occurs to me to be a much easier matter not to lay a foundation for such an evil than to undertake to arrest It when once well along In the stages of development. It Is another Instance wherein an ounce of prevention is preferable to a pound of cure. In conclusion I will state It as my be lief that this whole supposed need of leasing the puhllc domain Is based large ly upon an erroneous impression 1. e., that we are destroying ourselves by destroying . .1th-0 grass. Our graEs is not all gone. Let me ask him who sets up such a claim. How Is it that Eastern Oregon is carry ing Its usual amount of stock through the present winter in better condition than for 20 years, with little or no artificial feeding? If tho grass Is destroyed, why do our stock llva and thrive? That tho hills are not covered with the same qual ity of grass as when they were untrod save by the American Indian seems to be token by some people as ample reason that we should be cared for by the barb wire process. Do ever those who Indorse such a theory take as much as a cursory glance at ex isting facts? If so, do they not behold us maintaining even more stock 'to the acre of public domain than we did a quarter ot a century ago? Are they aware of the fact that there now grows upon our ranges, Instead of the large, woody grasses of old, a number Of even more nutritious, yet smaller, varieties qt grasses? Do they comprehend what a wonderful adjunct to the range alfalfa culture has become? That even among some well-watered districts, where the grass may have "become somewhat the worse for the wear, that alfalfa culture has more than counterbalanced the evil done? There may come a time in the distant future when prudence will require some disposition of the fragmentary remains of our public domain. But let us wait until we are sure that nothing is left but fragmentary remains. When, as yet. there are thousands, yes, millions, of acres susceptible of being converted Into homes, It is surely too soon to begin parceling out the public lands In large tracts among ourselves. Such action, especially at this particular time, when all eyes are turned westward, would, by any construction whatever of the signs of the times, be entirely premature. At least. It eo appears to me. J. N. WILLIAMSON. ASSESSMENTS FOR TAXES. Recommendation That State Asses sors Be Substituted for Connty Assessors. SALEM. Feb. 22(To the Editor.) In his address to the convention of Coun ty officials lately held In Portland, Gov ernor Geer, as reported in The Oregonlan of the 21st Inst, aptly stated the true principles upon which to effect equality of taxation. It is for Assessors to obey the law and assess property at its true cash value. Tho difficulty of the situation, however. Is not so much in the statement as in the application of the principle. "True cash value" is a good theory, but the condition which confronts us was properly charac terized by Judge Potter, of Lane County, at that same convention, as a "struggle between the Counties to escape payment of their just proportion of the State tax." In the present tax-dodging condition of public sentiment, it seeirs safe to assert that no candidate for the office of County Assessor could be elected In any County of the State over any opposition, however weak otherwise, if it were known that he favored listing all property for taxing purposes at Its actual fair cash value. Further: Experience has shown that no Assessor of any County has ever yet had the moral courage to comply with the spirit of the law In this respect Various remedies have been proposed for this acknowledged evil, which seems to be growing more formidable every year. The hitherto untried remedy of "precinct Assessors" would only multiply the sources of unequal valuation and In crease the difficulty of properly locating the responsibility for existing conditions. Tho State Board of Equalization! was ob jectionable chiefly because the struggle between the Counties, of which Judge Pot ter spoke, was not thereby abated in? the least, but was only concentrated Into smaller compass. In the meetings of the Board there was a continual contest among the members to effect combinations among certain sections of the State for the purpose of laying1 Increased propor tions of taxation on other sections. A State Board, composed of County Asses sors, would only aggravate the evil com plained of In the old Board. The result of this condition of affairs Is that the State Is practically a mendi cant depending for support on what the several Cuontles may choose to contrib ute for that purpose. It matters not what rate of taxation the State officers may Impose; so long as the County au thorities have what .Is substantially the exclusive power to fix property values, the struggle will continue with its attendant inequality of taxation. It would seem that If relations of the State and the Counties to the matter of listing and appraising property for tax ing purposes were reversed, the reason for the presnt obnoxious conditions would be nearly, If not quite, removed. It Is suggested that better results would be achieved If the office of County Assessor as at present constituted were abolished. Let the Governor, or a Board, composed of the Governor, Secretary of State and State Treasurer, appoint a sufficient num ber of Assessors throughout the State to list and value the taxable property at Its actual cash value in the several Coun ties. It would be desirable to arrange property Into convenient classifications and to detail for the duty of listing and valuing each class men who are familiar with that kind of property. For example: Appoint men experienced in mercantile affairs to assess merchandise and intelli gent herdsmen to assess livestock. Itwould also be desirable to appoint men without reference, necessarily, to their residence; so that a resident of Clacka mas County might be sent to list property In Multnomah or Washington. When the lists of property in the sev eral Counties were completed, opportunity would have to be given to the individual taxpayers to be heard as to the correct ness of their several assessments and such hearings should be had before some officer appointed by State authority for each County or other convenient district, On final completion and revision of the lists the State would have a sound and equitable basis on which to calculate Its revenue and, by the present authority constituted for that purpose, could levy the State tax at a proper rate, appor tioning the same among the several Counties according to the amount of taxa ble propertyin each County. The lists of property In the several Counties ought then to be turned over to the proper au thorities In each County as a basis for the levy of the County taxes as at pres ent Taxes of all kinds could then be collected by the method now In vogue. The struggle between the Counties to avoid taxation would cease because the means of continuing it would be taken away. A better and more uniform assess ment would result bpcause the manage ment of and responsibility for It would be located within a smaller compass. An other element contributing to an Im proved assessment would be the fact that the several Assessors would be more dis interested than at present; they would be responsible only to the power that ap pointed them and would not be seeking re-election at the hands of the voters whose property they would assess. The State's power to tax would be, as it should be, coupled with the power to de termine the values on which Its rates are to be levied aqd the State would cease to be, as It really now is, subordi nate to the Counties In all its fiscal con cerns. There Is crying need for reforming the present jumble of laws on the subject of taxation, and the foregoing Is offered as a contribution to the discussion. G. H. B. a In Defense of Mrs. Nelson. PORTLAND, Feb. 23. (To the Editors Having just returned from Salem, and hearing of the death of little Marguerite Nelson, daughter of Mrs. Alice Nelson, I would ask the privilege of saying a word through The Oregonlan,. Allow me to say that I do not believe at all In Christian Science, but I do be lieve in Mrs. Nelson, having known her and her family for several years. I am very sure she would not knowingly and Intentionally expose iher neighbors to a Mother's Sto ry of Ba by's Gore Of a Most Distressing Humor by the Cuticura Remedies. 'When oqt baby was a week old, eczema appeared OQtbeiopof be? stopped .monoed used cuba g&Q i itu Mf j2tgV . . 3t , -WftM- j S CUBA. KJIQI ALLfL traces of Jrl J skin and i ,. . r j ?-' ana I Jh C W tftfe. v &.'IW My oldest boy, age nine years, was tnmbkd'with floras on different part of the body, especially on the leg, about twenty-tear la all. They were about the size of a five-cent piece, and would 1 eeter very mach and eject a pas. They were very painful. After my above experience with toe cure of my little girl with Cuticura Eemedi3, I did not bother wkh the dootor la thi3 case, but gave him tho Cuticura treatment which completely cure him In four week3. 2Ius. E. BTJTLEE, 1269 3d Ave., S. Brooklyn, ST-T. Sleep for Skin-Tortured 6 Aim Best for Tibed Mothebs in a warm bath with Ccttcuba Soap, and a single appB. cation of Cuticura Ointment, greatest of emollient ekin cares. This teeatmeat, assisted In the severer cases by Cuticuju. Bxsolvsst, to cool and cleaaee the bleed, affords in stant relief, permits rest for parent ana sleep for cauu,a&a pomw to a speeay, permanent, and economical curs of torturing, disfiguring, Itohing, burning, WeetBBg, scaly, pteply, and crusted skin and scalp humors with loss of hah-, wnen all else fails. Sold throughout tho world. Complete Extebsai. jutd Internal Tbhatmbkt. Prtoe, Ths Set, 81.88; or, CuTicxntA. Soap, 23c., Cuticuba Ointment, B0c., Cutjcuxa RESOLVzrrr, Wo. Ponsa Dbuq ahd CnsM. Cob?., Props., Boston. How to Cure Every Kind of Buaor," free. Save Tour Hair with warm shampoos of CctktobA SeAaad Xgbt dress, logs of Cuticuba, purest of emollls&u aad greatest of skis owes. TM staple, refreshing, and inexpensive treatment -wiX otter tits sealp and hair of orostt, scales, and dandruff, sootho Irritated aad ltebiag ssrfaees, sMeralato the hair follicles, supply tho roots with energy aad aoarlsksaeat, aad- ssake ibo hair grew on a clean, -wholesome scalp when, all else fails. malignant disease. I feel very sorry that things have been said which cut deeply Into hearts already broken. No one can oppose the teachings of Christian Science any mora positively than I do, but let us not forget that many very excellent and Christ-like peo ple are believers in this, to us, very strange system. But our Great Master has said to us: "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy"; "Be kindly af feotloned one toward another." RAT PAUJBR, Pastor Second Baptist Church. o MAUD GONNE'S TALK. Allesed 111 Treatment of British, Re cruits. NEW YORK, Feb. 23. Miss Maude Gomie, who has Just returned from a lec ture tour In New England in the inter ests of the Boers, said last night: "I find I was not deceived in my be lief that a vast amount of sympathy with tho Boers exlstB here in America. I have lectured In every Instance so far to full houses, and almost Invariably people have been turned away. I shall resume my tour at Cincinnati and go as far "West as Omaha. I intend sailing on March 8, as I must return to Ireland, where we have an anti-recrultlng campaign in progress. "All the information I receive from the United Kingdom leads me to believe that recruiting there 13 extremely unpopular and that the volunteer forces which they now purpose raising will fall far below their expectations. Rosebery has pub licly said that It might be that not more than 50,000 would volunteer, and hag warned the public not to expect a greater number of enlistments, but from what I have heard, they will be lucky If they get 10.0C0. The way the militia has been mal treated has not tended to make the army popular. The militia, which was organ ized only for service within the boundaries of the United Kingdom, has now been compelled to go Into active and, I think, absolutely Illegal service In South Afri ca. When any of the men remonstrated they were taken on board the transports, handcuffed, and under threats of their officers with loaded revolvers. "It Is like leading sheep to slaughter," concluded. Miss Gonne, "but men with this feeling will not fight, and I cannot believe England, will gain anything by such methods." CENSORSHIP OF OFFICIAL CABLES. England's Latest Move Causes a Dis agreeable Impression. NEW YORK, Feb. 23. A special to the Herald from Washington says: Great Britain has announced her purpose to censor official as well as private cable grams sent to international representa tives at Pretoria. This declaration is one of the most Important steps, affecting International relations, taken by Great Britain since the war with the Transvaal began. It is likely to provoke correspond ence which will be of great moment in respect to tho future neutralization of cable lines. Following so close upon the heels of the alleged violation of the American con sular mail, it Is understood the announce ment has created a disagreeable Impres sion in official circles. It will be difficult for the United States, however, to do more than represent to Great Britain the desirability of its dispatches passing the censor without interference. The lines connecting South Africa with the rest of the world belong to England, and the British Government at the time of sign ing the convention of 18S4 announced that "the Government of Her Majesty under stands article 15 of the treaty in this sense: In time of war, a belligerent signatory of the convention shall be free to act in relation to the submarine cables as If the convention did not exist." There is no doubt that the purpose of the censorship Is to prevent Dr. Leyds, or other Boer agents, from communicating with the Pretoria officials. Mr. Macrum, In his official report, said: "I was privately Informed by the Belgian and German Consuls at Pretoria that their official cables In code to their Gov ernments had been refused by the censor." i D Christian Citizenship Meeting:. The East Side W. C. T. U. gave a New England dinner and Christian Citi zenship rally yesterday at the headquar ters on Powell street. From 5:30 until 7:20 in the evening the women of the Union served a real New England dinner, consisting of the same things in which the early settlers delighted. A large sum was realized from fee dinner, which will be utilized in the various charitable reforms of the W. C. T. U. At 8 o'clock a programme, consisting of music, recitations and addresses, was given. The exercises opened with "Amer ica," sung by the audience, after which Mrs. Sarah Kern, President of the Union, read a selection from the Union Signal, containing a brief statement of what Christian citizenship really means to the W. C. T. U. workers. After a recitation by Miss Maggie Miller, Rev. Hawley, of tho Trinity Methodist Church, was called upon. He responded with a talk on "Chris tian Citizenship; What Is Itr It meant, according to his interpretation, temper ance, honesty .and strict adberance to the right. Christian citizenship demanded the use of the five senses. Every one must feel the things his party did, said the speaker, and see them and weigh them as to their right or wrong effect upon the world. He closed with the statement that a Christian: citizen must ask before acting. "What would Jesus do in my place?" m. , , .. -cm tt-uj -c xuu nutuioi. ui. ura un uuikm iiau-jj JD JC4 TV S B U Ja&BLXKTi C bead and Bpre&d aU over &er scalp, face, and forehead, forming ooe raase of sores. Yon can realize bow ravoh she wmb bave Buffered, wbensbe scratched at times till the blood ran intermingled -with water. Our family doctor's treatment proved ineffectual, as the disorder, instead of abating, developed more. "We then all medical treatment, and com with Ccnctnu. Bsxxnrje. Wa tho Cuticura Ebsolvkst, Cuti Ointment, and Ootioura Soap, all the eczema disappeared, the annln laff -rwifaf1't ixfoa - y y-, . smootn, ana sue was entirely curea. Mas. E. BUTLER, abies 3 gellcal Church, followed with- aa excellent ly rendered selection. "True Citizenship and the PubllO Schools," by Professor "W. Ll Hoover, was especially Instructive. Be first paid a high tribute to tho accomplishments In reform, of fee women of the W. C. T. U., and then proceeded to show that the rudiments of Christian citizenship should be instilled la the hearts ot the children. He said that a part of the teachers' work was to in struct the children under their care In, true patriotism, for they were the cominsr citizens aad voters, and such instruction would be valuable then. The speaker stat ed that the idea of patriotic Instruction tn the schools was new; that it was formerly thought only necessary to maintain, good discipline and give intellectual Instruction. Mrs. M. Ij. Driggs then gave "Woman 3 Part in Christian Citizenship" in a con cise manner. She was of the opinion that women were not quite ready for suffrage, as they needed more education along the political line. They took, she thought, too little concern hi the matter and did not embrace the opportunities they had al ready gained. Mrs. L. H. Addfton closed the programme with a very interesting talk on the sub ject, and summed up the whole matter by the statement that the women needed more perfect organizations for their work. e COEUR D'ALENE RIOTS. Further Testimony Before Hease Investigating1 Committee. WASHINGTON, Feb. 38. The invest!- gatkm. in the Coeur dAJene labor riots was continued today by the House committee on military affairs. H. W. Stlnson testified at length as to life ha the "bull pen," where the accused miners -were held. His description was illustrated by a large number of photographs show ing the prison Incloeure, consisting of 1 number of rude shanttes, surrounded by a wire fence. The witness was a Soho 1 Commissioner, and was removed for alleged sympathy with the miners, and was sub sequently arrested. He said, the "bull pen" was very filthy. Men ata off the ground and the food was bad. There were practically no sanitary arrangements. The witness said his mall was opened, and on one occasion wn his wife was badly injured and in a deli cate condition, he was refused permission to go to her Stinson also told of the guardhouse, a part of the "bull pen" where he and others were held most of the time. The rain beat through It, and the inmates were often soaking wet. Straw had been trampled into the ground, and officers in charge of the United States j forces refused to allow bay to be brought In. Many drunken soldiers were put in the guardhouse with the accused. An extended discussion occurred among members of the committee over an effort of Lentz and Sulzer to introduce a newspa per interview by Bartlett Sinclair, 3 tats Auditor of Idaho. The committee finally voted not to admit that line of testimony. Sulzer noted the exception and Lentz said the House was a superior body to which; an appeal could be made. Chicago Baseball Clan. CHICAGO, Feb. 38. President Hart has Issued the call for the practice season of the Chicago Baseball Club. The players are ordered to report on Mareh 8 for pre liminary training. After that date they will be placed at the disposal of Manager Loftus to wander through the Southern States until the playing season opens. The players who will report are: Catchers, Donahue, Chance, Nichols; pitchers. Grif fith, Callahan, Taylor. Killen, Garvin, Harvey, Phyle, Monefee, Cogan; infleld ers, Everett, McCormack, Clingman, Wolverton, Connor, Magoon, Bradley, out fielders, Ryan, Mertes, Green, Dungan, Dexter, McCarty, Qulnn. The programme for the preliminary sea son la about completed. What place will be the scene of the early practice has not been finally decided. Manager Loftus will set out today to inspect several places which are under consideration. He will visit Selma, Ala.; Ylcksburg. Miss., and Tuscaloosa, Ala., before deciding. The University of Alabama has offered the use of its grounds at Tuscaloosa with the hope of getting some practice games with the leaguers. Before returning Man ager Loftus will visit Memphis and prob ably arrange for several games to be played on the return of the team from, the South. 1 e ' Array It Goes. Headache when you use Wright's Para gon Headache and Neuralgia Cure 2Be. IN TABLET FORM-PLEASANT TO TAKE. Works marvels In tho human body. Combnts disease la every lorm and chases it away. Cares have been effected that border on impossibilities and sound Hie a dream. If yon have not the priee of a trtment l win jrive yon a wiai rree 01 cost see ean claim that I forsook him to hnor of cMatrMft. Foot months' treatment of Vegetable Compound mired me of KhomnaUsia, i Catarrh, Stomach Trortbiee and Female I weasaees 01 eignt years staoainpr. IdaQorraa BSNhnhSt, ClncmnaU, "EVvriinlAhrnlldnvraiy. ThlrtT da forXc ; Sevemy days' treatment Mo. ; 1 treatment tl.W.:ita trial tro!niir Ztadkaatt k nfOMFDUND. K