Morning Oregonian., December 21, 1900, Page 5, Image 5

THE MOILING OEEGONIAljr, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1900.
NEXT SEASON SHIP
The Nederlands Is Now
Headed for Portland.
BY WAY OF SANTA ROSALIA
First Vessel Chartered for 1001 Crop
Loading; Steamer SIcarpsno in.
Trouble Overdue Ra.th.dowB.
' Tiro More "WTieat Cargoes.
The farmers "who grow -wheat with
which to fill the ships which annually
tie up at Portland docks after voyages
from remote parts of the earth are not
obllfred to look ahead nearly a year for
a buyer for the cereal. The exporter,
however. Is obliged to engage a supply
of tonnage before the -wheat Is In the
ground. The German ship Nederlands,
the ,flrst vessel chartered for ISM. crop
-wheat loading at this port, sailed from
Hamburg last Sunday. If the Nederlands
was coming direct to Portland, she would
arrive along with the Queen of the May
and other Spring features, but before
coming to Portland she must go to the
port of Santa Rosalia and discharge her
cargo of coke, etc., and afterwards take
In ballast. Santa Rosalia Is notorious the
world over for the slow dispatch given
ships, and it will probably be July or
August before the Nederlands resumes
her journey to Portland.
The Nederlands was chartered for Sep
tember loading, and, If she meets with
no mishap, will probably get around on
time. She was taken at 37s 6d, and. If
the wheat crop is a failure, and ships
.are plentiful at that time, all of the
profits made on a cheap ship during the
season of 1900 will vanish In thin air.
There have been but few ships chartered
past July, 1901, but engagements prior to
that time are more numerous. The Brit
ish ship Australian, which loaded in Port
land last season, has been chartered to
load In San Francisco at 35 shillings, and
the Nal has been taken at the same rate,
with the option of loading at a northern
, port. Ordinarily this would seem like a
very high rate for San Francisco, where
there is usually so much cargo tonnage
eecured, but the discovery of oil, which
takes the place of much coal for fuel,
and the duty on salt, tlnplate, etc, has
shut off a large amount of business form
erly given to sailers, and within another
year or two freights will be the same at
all Coast ports.
SIX NEW STEAMERS.
Fleet of Teasels A'ott Building: for
the Fruit Trade.
NEW YORK, Dec. 20. The Journal of
Commerce prints the following: L. G.
Surnham, the second vice-president of the
TJnlted Fruit Company, has contracted,
thropgh their brokers, Bennett, Walsh &
.Company, for six new steamers to meet
the requirements of their foreign trade,
and have also, through Bennett, Walsh &
Co., chartered these ssteamers for
four -years, with options. These steamers
are to ce from 2000 to 3000 tons cubic
capacity for cargo, and will be fitted
especially for carriage or perishable cargo
of fruit as well as general cargo, and
will be fully equipped with electric light
throughout, and every modern device for
handling fruit and general cargo. Ele
gant passenger accommodations for 24 to
SO passengers will be furnished, saloons,
staterooms, social hall, smoking-room,
etc, to be placed amidships on the upper
Vdeck, with extra large staterooms, to
meet the requirements of tropical trade,
fend all the conveniences found in modern
trans-Atlantic liners.
The contracts call for an average speed
of14 knots per hour, at sea, loaded. The
vessels will be ready for delivery next
Fall, and will Immediately enter Into the
different trades to which they will be
assigned. The United Fruit Company at
tlw present time owns or has under char
ter between 60 or 70 steamships. Every
modern device up to date, as to Improve
ment In passenger service, and the rapid
arid safe handling of cargoes which, on
account of their perishable nature, makes
spaed the all-essential feature In these
steamers, has been carefully attended to.
Names havo been decided upon for four
of the vessels, and they will be given them
at their launching. They are Preston,
Taunton, Brighton and Beacon.
The Preston Is now building at the Ber
gen Makanlske yards, Bergen, Norway,
and will be a spar-deck steamer, with
dimensions of 200 by 3S by 25. The Taunton
is being built at Aktwelselskabe, Bur-
mclster, and Wain, Maskln-Og K. B
Company, Copenhagen. 8he will be a
spar-deck steamer, with dimensions of
217 by 42 by 23.8. The Brighton and Bea
con,, are being built at Akersmekanlsk
vaerKstea, unristiania, ana will be par
tial awning-deck steamers, with dlmen-
siors of 227 by 3L6 by 16. The two un
named vessels will be spar-deck steamers.
2G0 Sy 3S by 25 feet, and are now In course
of construction at Craig's ship-building
yards, Toledo, O.
' THE UNLUCKY RATHDOWN. '
Steel Bridge's Assailant Making a
L'onc raxnnRe From the Orient.
Tne British ship Rathdown, which had
a costly collision with the steel bridge In
Portland harbor a few jears ago, is get
ting to be a pretty bad risk. She Is now
out nearly SO dajs from Yokohama for
Puget Sound, and reinsurance has been
steadily mounting upward, until It is now
quoted at S5 per cent. Soon after the ship
left the Oriont a typhoon was raging, and
it -is feared that she shirted ballast and
turned oer. Some of the fleet now due
at Portland are making long passages,
and unless they show up very soon after
the present storm abates, they will be
promising subjects for reinsurance, as a
ballast ship In such a storm as has been
tearing along the Oregon and Washing
ton Coasts for the past week Is not a
very safe place of residence.
i SICARPSNO IN TROUBLE.
Oriental Liner Readies Yokohama
With. Empty Coal Bunkers.
The Norwelgian steamship Skarpsno,
which sailed from this port late In No
vember, with a cargo of flour for the
Orient, was reported to have reached
Yokohama yesterday, with empty coal
bunkers and with the earrr hplnr- n
for fuel. The Skarpsno has oeen out
over three weeks from the Columbia, and
fears for her safety were felt until the
news of her arrival was received yester
day. No particulars of the voyage are
Bt hand, but she has undoubtedly had a
touch of the weather that has played
bavoc with the fleet coming this way.
Storms of unusual severity have been
sweeping over the ocean, and It Is feared
that some of the In-bound fleet for Port
land have suffered.
Majestlc's Christmas Mail.
NEW YORK, Dec 20. The steamship
Majestic, now on her way across the At
lantic, carries the largest mail. It Is said,
that ever left this port on a vesjaeL The
Majestic will not arrive on the other side
until the day after Christmas, hut she
carries 239S bags of mall and 111 sacks
containing 1S.946 registered packages.
Tivo More Wheat Cargtes.
The British ship Astracana "was cleared
yesterday for Queenstown or Falmouth
for orders, with a full cargo of wheat.
She was d1spatched by the Portland
Flouring Mills Company. The Eilbek,
which has-been loading at Balfour Guth
rie & Ca'slgdoclH finished, her'-cargo
yesterday afternoon, and will clear to
day or tomorrow. The approaching- holi
day will interfere with business next
week, but there will probably be three
or four more ships added to the outward-hound
fleet before the end of the
month.
Steamer Jeanle Overdue.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 20. Eleven days
ago the steamer Jeanle sailed from Seat
tle for San Francisco, with a cargo of
coal. Nothing has since been heard of
her. Ordinarily seven days would have
been sufficient for the trip. No fears are
entertained, however, by the Pacific
Steam Whaling Company, owners of the
vessel, that she will not reach port in
good condition. Officers of the company
expect her to pick up the big lumber
barge Washougal on the way down the
coast, making up in salvage what the
Jeanle has lost in time.
Pacific Mall Sued.
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec 20,-Jbhn J.
English and 120 others have filed a suit
in the United States District Court
against the Pacific Mall Steamship Com
pany to secure $60,500 damages for alleged
breach of passenger contract. The com
plainants are men who went to Nagasaki
some months ago In charge of a cargo of
horses destined for the Germany Army
In China. They allege that although their
contract with the defendant provided for
European steerage accommodations they
were herded In the Oriental steerage
among Chinese and Japanese.
Steamer Kimball Sprung; & Leak.
SEATTLE, Dec. 20. The steamer John
S. Kimball, which left Seattle last Sun
day for Honolulu, returned here today,
having sprung a leak In a violent storm
off Cape Flattery Tuesday morning, it
Is believed that her superstructure for
war4 was strained by the heavy seas. J5he
will be examined tomorrow.
Domestic and Forelfra Forts.
San Francisco, Dec 20. Arrived
Steamer Mackinaw, from Seattle; bark
Undaunted, from Comox; schooner West
ern Home, from Coos Bay; steamer
Jeanle, from Seattle. Sailed Steamer
Geo. W. Elder, for Astoria; schooner
John Miller, for Coos Bay; steamer Pro
greso, for Tocoma; steamer Alliance, for
Astoria.
Port Townsend, Dec. 20. Sailed Bark
entlne Klickitat, for Honolulu.
Tacoma Sailed Dec IS Schooner Min
nie A. Caine, for Sydney.
Victoria Arrived Dec 19 British
steamer Amur, from Alaska.
"Vancouver Arrived Dec 15 British
steamer Royalist, from Java.
Seattle Sailed Dec 19 Steamer Ellhu
Thomson, for Tacoma; steamer John S.
Kimball is at Port Angeles; will return.
Arrived Dec. 19-Steamer DIrlgo, from
Skagway.
Kobe Arrived Dec 15 Bergenhus, from
Portland, Or., for Yokohama, etc Sailed
Dec. IS Braemar, for Tacoma.
London Arrived Dec 19 Menominee,
from New Yorrk.
Liverpool, Dec 20. Arrived Common
wealth, from Boston. Sailed Belgen
land, for Philadelphia.
Muroran Sailed previous to Dec 15
Horda, for San Francisco.
Yokahama, Dec 20. Sailed Tacoma,
for Tacoma.
Antwerp, Dec 20. Sailed Nederland,
for Philadelphia.
Queenstown, Dec 20 Sailed Teutonic,
from Liverpool for New York.
New York, Dec 20. Sailed La Cham
pagne, for Havre.
New York, Dec 20. Arrived Bulgaria,
from Hamburg and Boulogne.
Idaho Notes.
A poultry show will be given at Lewis
ton, February 7-9.
A company has been formed at Sho
shone for the purpose of building wate
works for the city.
The Kettenbach Grain Company is be
ing Incorporated at Lewlston with a cap
ital stock of $50,000.
A creamery plant will be located at
Mohler. It will cost $5500 and will have
a capacity of 3000 gallons per hour.
The Ridenbaugh Canal Company has
started the construction of a reservoir to
cover 50 acres of land at Nampa. This
will be completed within five or six
months. The company purposes doing ex
tensive development In other directions
within a short time.
The Syndicate mine, on Gold Creek,
30 miles east of Kendrick, has been, pur
chased by Seattle people, who have been
hauling supplies from. Kendrick during
the past two weeks, preparatory to de
veloping the property. A new shaft will
be sunk and two shifts put to work. The
property was discovered two years ago
and caused considerable excitement for a
time, the assays showing ore of high
grade The new operators are owners of
the Dewey mine, in. the upper Clearwater
country.
Frank Nye and George Hlnman, two
woodchoppers residing near Ramsey, had
a desperate fight Tuesday at an early
hour. They have been living together for
several weeks, occupying a cabin about
half a mile from Ramsey. Hlnman
struck Nye and Nye retaliated by strik
ing a fork in his adversary's neck. The
fight was continued for several minutes,
Nye using the fork and Hlnman his fists.
Nye was getting the worst of the en
counter when he seized an ax. his oppo
nent grabbed a shotgun, and It looked for
a few minutes like there would be one
less woodchopper In that section of the
country. Hlnman kept his opponent at
bay with the gun, until he saddled his
horse and rode to town. He swore out
a warrant for Nye before the Probate
Court, charging him with assault with
Intent to kill. Deputy Sheriff Dyer went
out to serve a warrant but Nye had tak
en his departure.
A Plucky Klickitat Woman.
Dalles Chronicle.
There's a plucky woman living over on
the old Short place, across the river,
which is now owned by Mr. Harris, of
the Portage Road Company. Officers of
the law, armed with writs of execution,
have Invaded that country for weeks and
carried away everything lying around
loose that belonged to any one remotely
related to the portage road. Two or
three days ago a Justice of the Peace,
Constable and a couple of able-bodied
Kllckitaters went to the Harris ranch
and, exhibiting a writ of attachment,
demanded possession of half a dozen cows
that Mr. Harris caretaker had driven
into the barn before going afield to work.
The demand was made of the caretaker's
wife and the plucky little woman. In
stead of opening the barn door to the In
vaders, excused herself for a , moment
while she stepped Inside the house and,
returning with a loaded Winchester In
her hand, addressed the four men in
these words:
"You see this gun? Well, she's loaded
for bear and I know how to shoot. You
see that road that leads back to where
you came from. Now you hit it, and hit
It quick."
It is said one of the men threw -up his
hands and whined: "Don't shoot. I
didn't come here for any trouble," but
this Is probably not true. It Is true,
however, that the men hit the road In
short order and the woman still has her
cows.
Admiral Philip Memorial.
NEW YORK. Dec 20 Almost $17,000
has been contributed for the Admiral
Philip memorial fund, named In memory
of the famous Commander of the Texas,
and later Commandant of the Brooklyn
navy-yard. It Is hoped the fund may
amount to at least $50,000. The Income of
the fund Is to go to Mrs. Philip as long
as she lives, and after her death it will
be devoted to the maintenance of the
naval branch of the Y. M. C A., In
Brooklyn, a work In which Admiral Philip
was deeply interested.
A new plant, operated under the name
of the Northwest Anchor Fence & Manu
facturing Company, Is about to be located
at Spokane and by the first of the year
will be turning out large quantities of
rigid Trtrefence. -
TOO MUCH POLITICS
Bosses Oppose Civil Service
Reform.
PROTESTS PROVE UNAVAILING
Abstract of the Report of the In
vestigating: Committee of the
Civil Service Reform
Leagme.
NEW YORK, Dec IS. The committee
of the National Civil Service Reform
League appointed to Investigate the
condition of the Federal Civil Service,
and the enforcement of the reform law
and rules under the present Administra
tion, has submitted the following report
and conclusions:
In enacting- the civil service law; In
1SS3, the committee shows. Congress in
tended that the system should ultimately
embrace the entire subordinate executive
service, or, as the Senate committee de
clared in "reporting the bill, "all that vast
number of appointed officials who carry
into effect the orders of the President .
. . whose duties do not chance with a
change of Administration, and who have
nothing to do with framing the political
poL es of the Government." Section 6
of the act. made provision for a gradual
extension of the system, through the ac
tion of the President and heads of de
portments, until this end might be ef
fected. From the date of the passage of the
act, until May 29, 1S99, this extension con
tinued almost without interruption, each
President making Important additions to
the classified list. The latest of these
additions had been In effect for about a
year when the present Administration
came into power, but by far the greater
part of the work necessary to the com
pletion of the reform remained to be done.
With this fact In view the Republican
party, at its convention In 1S96, had "re
newed its repeated declarations not only
that the law should be thoroughly and
honestly enforced, but that it should be
extended wherever practicable."
The committee reports, however, that,
while In many of the branches that have
been longest classified, the system has
been unimpaired and has continued to
produce excellent results. It cannot be
said that the law has been "thoroughly
and honestly enforced," while conspicu
ous and unusual opportunities for Its ex
tension, where clearly "practicable,"
have deliberately been set aside.
On March 3, 1S97, approximately 85.000
positions were In the classified service,
while 92,000, Including 5000 Presidential
officers, several thousand laborers, and
other miscellaneous classes, and the
great army of fourth-class postmasters,
remained unclassified.
While It might reasonably have been
expected that proper compliance with the
law and recognition of Its principles on
the part of both Congress and the heads
of departments would have secured the
appointment through competition of al
most all the great body of officers and
employes In grades of the sorts that are
classified, the committee, from the data
It has at hand. Is obliged to report very
different results. During the first year
following the order of May 29, 1S99, that
ending on June 1 last, the appointments
made within these classes were as fol
lows: Through. Competitive Tests.
Appointments from competitive eligible
lists 4,G40
Without Competitive Tests.
Appointments to excepted positions, not
subject to examination 234
Appointments to excepted positions, sub
ject to "non" competitive examination. bOO
Appointments under "temporary" certifi
cates '2,242
"Temporary" appointments made perma
nent without examination 973
Reinstatements without examination 1,170
Transfers of unexamined persons within
the service 107
Unexamined persons having "special
qualifications" 7
Appointments to clerical positions In the
departments under the war appropria
tion acts 1,200
Appointments to clerical positions In the
Census Office 2.400
Total 8,153
Full returns for last month of 1899 lacking.
These figures show that the "excep
tions" from the requirements of the
civil service law, whether brought about
through Executive or Legislative action,
have been, during the year they cover,
almost twice as numerous as appoint
ments made in the manner the law In
tended. The committee gives the following
summary of the general course of the
Administration and of the present Con
gress In relation to the civil service:
Presidential Appointments.
L So far as the committee has been
able to learn, appointments of local Fed
eral officers of the Presidential class have
been controlled almost exclusively by
Senators and Representatives, or unoffi
cial political leaders, whose selections the
President has ratified. While good men
are not Infrequently secured through this
system. In the majority of cases those
appointed are active local politicians,
whose disposition to provide places for
their adherents furnishes a serious ob
stacle to the satisfactory administration
of the civil service rules at the outset.
In the Consular service, for Instance,
more than 90 per cent of the salaried of
fices were refilled during the first year
of the Administration, and In the Indian
service, during the same period, 62 per
cent of the arents.
Chances in "Excepted Positions.
n. Positions In the classified service
excepted from competitive examinations
are -virtually unclassified, for removals
may be made from them without re
straint, and appointments are absolutely
at the will of the appointing officer. The
number of these positions has been great
ly Increased. On March 3, 1S97, at the
close of the preceding Administration,
there were, all told, only S66, of which
number 570 were of assistant Postmast
ers. On July 27, 1S97, President McKlnley
added 533. deputies and others, In the cus
toms and Internal revenue services, pre
viously subject to competitive examina
tion, and on May 29, 1S99, approximately
4000 more, besides the number removed
absolutely from, the classified service at
that time.
Violations In Competitive Positions.
m. As the classified service has
grown, it has been observed that vio
lations of the civil service law, both now
and heretofore, have occurred most fre
quently In the branches most recently in
cluded. After the change of March 3,
1S97, there were many Irregular appoint
ments in the classes brought under the
rules a year, or three years before, and
not a few In branches longer estab
lished, coupled very frequently with ir
regular removals. These were mainly in
the Internal Revenue Service, the Land
Office Service, the Government printing
office, the field forces of the Department
of Justice, and the Pension Bureau, and
in certain of the Custom-Houses and
Postofflces notably at the Postofflce In
'Philadelphia. The Civil Service Commis
sion addressed repeated protests to the
departments concerned in these viola
tions, but in hardly an instance with
satisfactory results.
Although the President's order of July
27, 1S97. seemed to furnish the first sub
stantial check upon removals to be em
bodied in either the civil service law or
rules an advance .for which Mr. McKln
ley was most heartily commended at the
time by the League It was feared that
through imperfect enforcement the value
of this rule, also, would be greatly im
paired, and experience has since shown
that it has been.
Evasion of the Rules.
TV. While direct violations of the rules
have been more or less common. Indirect
evasions have been more so. "Temporary
appointments" are an Instance in point.
Under the rules, persons may be appoint
ed without examination Tor 90 days' tem
porary service, in the absence of an eli
gible list, for emergency work. It Is re
quired that these shall he permitted only
when, the Civil Service Commission has
given its certificate that there is no ade
quate list. In practice the vast major
ity of these appointments have been made
at pleasure and without inquiry as to
the state of the lists, continued indefi
nitely, and reported as long afterwards
as the appointing officer chose. Within
the 13 months following the amended
rules of May 6, 1S96, 729 temDorary ap
pointments were authorized, and during
the 11 months from -June 1, 1S97, to May
3L 1S9S, 23C5. of which not more than 80
were authorized by the commission in
any manner. The figures do not include
War Department appointments in either
case.
Another common method of evasion is
the appointment of persons (generally
women) as "laborers" In which class ex
amination Is not required and their as
signment immediately to duties of a
higher class. The growth of this prac
tice the commission frankly discusses In
Its 15th report. "Excepted" places are
also used to bring persons surreptitiously
Into the competitive service, as in the
San Francisco Custom-House. where the
principal deputy was made chief clerk,
and the son of the Collector appointed,
without examination, to the vacancy,
only to change places with the deputy
when it came to the assignment of du
ties. The Postofflce Department has adopted
a device for evasion that the committee
deems peculiarly contemptible. When
a small postofllce Is about to be given
free delivery (which of Itself brings the
office force into the classified service),
persons are brought from other cities,
and even from other states, to take
positions In such offices Just before they
enter the free-delivery class, to be trans
ferred Immediately afterward to the of
fice for which they are really destined,
thus escaping examination altogether.
Nearly a hundred appointments of this
sort have already occurred,-despite the
earnest protest of the Civil Service Com
mission. Restraint Deliberately Removed.
V. One of the most serious features
of the sftuatlon Is that, no matter how
Rlalnly or how frequently appointments
may be made in violation of the law, the
Civil Service Commission is powerless to
prevent them. In the Cities of Now York
and Chicago, and in almost every other
place where a civil service system has
been es-tabllshed. fiscal officers are for
bidden to pay salaries to persons whose
appointment Is not made in the manner
the law prescribes. The Federal com
mission assumed that the same rule ap
plied, of necessity, at Washington, and
three years ago asked the Secretary of
the Treasury to aid It In establishing a
proper system of audit. Falling to se
cure that officer's co-operation, lists of
persons known to je illegally In office
were sent to the Controller, Mr. Trace
well, with the request that their claims
for salary be not recognized. The Con
troller declined to Interfere, although the
commission, under date of December 12,
1S9S, wrote to him: "A state of anarchy
in these appointments obtains at the
present time. Involving the honor of the
administration of the civil service act.
With the information given you by the
commission, which Is capable of easy
verification In case of the slightest doubt
concerning the facts, can you not take
official cognizance of the matter?" Mr.
Tracewell did not answer this communi
cation, but on April 1 following gave a
remarkable opinion, addressed to a
United States Marshal, to the effect that,
even though the civil service act de
clares that "no officer or clerk shall be
appointed" to a classified position except
in conformity with Its terms, an appoint
ment otherwise made Is not Illegal; that
the civil service rules have no force ex
cept such as the Executive or head of de
partment chooses to give them; and that
all persons whoso names are on pay-rolls
presented to him will be assumed to be
regularly appointed, the Civil Service
Commission's denial notwithstanding.
Again, in the Treasury Department,
non-competitive examinations are re
quired, under the President's lato order,
for certain positions In the Customs and
Internal .Revenue Services. Few of these
have been held, but In cases where they
have, and where the candidates have
failed absolutely to secure the minimum
of 70 per cent, qualifying them for ap
pointment, they are still retained, their
rejection by the commission notwith
standing. War Emergency' Appointments.
VI. On the plea that the Civil Service
Commission had no means of meeting
the emergencies growing out of the War
with Spain, about 1200 further appoint
ments without examination were made
In different departments under special
provisions In the war-appropriation acts.
There is no means of securing exact
figures, since these appointments have
not been reported to the commission, and
the league's request for access to the
proper records In the Treasury Depart
ment has been denied. On August 1, 1S99,
however, the number was known to be
at least 1042. At the time of these ap
pointments there were on the commis
sion's list of eligibiles 61S0 names, so that
practically the entire force required
might have been selected therefrom In
two or three days.
The Census Force.
VTI. Although Mr. Carroll D. Wright,
ad Interim Director of the Census, In
formed Congress that more than $3,000,000
had been added to the cost of the 10th
census by reason of the failure to select
the working force through the merit sys
tem, this system was again deliberately
set aside In the taking of the present
census, and, though the heads of bureaus
have been efficient and were trained
men, otherwise the methods adopted In
the former census, which proved such a
ccstly failure, were followed almost ex
actly. The Order of May 20, 1S09.
V1IL It was while the state of the
servloe was as low as the committee de
clares, that the President's order of May
29, 1S99, was Issued. That order and Its
effects are to be reviewed in a separate
report. It Is stated In connection with
the present report, however, that It re
moved from the competitive to the "ex
cepted" list about 4000 places, and from
the classified to the unclassified service
about 6000 more; that It validated nom
inally many appointments previously
made In violation of the law, and weak
ened the rules governing transfers, rein
statements and removals, so as to per
mit new and very serious abuses; and,
finally, that It marked the first great re
duction In the area ot tne merit system.
The committee presents this review of
what It considers a very unfortunate sit
uation, not only that the action of the
President may be asked where he has
the power to correct, but that every other
necessary step may be taken to regain
the ground that has been lost, and again
to turn the direction of the reform to
wards the ends that the framers and
advocates of the civil service law had In
view. The committee will submit a num
ber of specific recommendations for ac
tion on the part of the league.
Succeeds Dr. Everett.
BOSTON. Dec 20. The Rev. Dr. Will
iam Wallace Fenn, pastor of the Church
of the Messiah, Chicago, has been elected
Bussey Professor of Theology, at Har
vard University, to succeed Dr. Charles
Carroll "Everett, who died last month.
Dr.' Everett wa3 also dean' of the Divinity
School, but Dr. Fenh. will not hold that
position, which it Is expected will go to
the Rev. Dr. Francis G. Peabody, the
Plummer professor. Dr. Fenn was Jborn
in Boston, and was graduated from Har
vard in 1SS4, and the Divinity School in
1SS7. He -went to Chicago in 1S9L
SMOKING $4.50 to
JACKETS $3o.oo
rIP3'
.-v "tlKjfl- lull !"" If gg
$3.00
Invested In a "Brewer" Hat makes one of the most elegant
Christmas gifts one can find. We are selling these hats to
the best-dressed men in Portland. There's nothing better in
style and fine appearance. AH the latest styles in Derbys,
Fedoras and Golf shapes. All the popular shades.' It's high
grade, hand finished and union made.
UP TO THE
TIMES ALL
THE TIME
rVf
8rM
IX
BS
$
B-WJ
SUMPTER STILL GROWS
JIA5T MARKS OF PROGRESS IN
THRIVING MIXING CENTER,
Brief Review of Town's Continuous
Development From Its Boom Days
Up to Present Time.
SUMPTER, Dec 20. Sumpter Is closing
the second year of Its existence a3 a town
without loss of prestige or good name.
Bapld growth has not been of the mush
room order. Nothing can be found in
Sumpter today indicating a collapse, and
nowhere are the monuments of a deserted
village. Houses are filled, new buildings
are In course of construction, "for rent"
is a rare placard; business houses are
changing from wood to brick. More ex
tensive, substantial and costly blocks are
rising on the sites where a large business
has heretofore been accommodated in
smaller structures. Sumpter's boom Is
gone, but, unlike tidal waves In most
mining camps, a healthful, well-organized,
progressive business condition remains In
the track of the receding flood.
Over 100 new houses were erected In
Sumpter the past five months. During
the month of November 24 houses were In
course of construction. Miners and busi
ness men who were long prone to regard
the town as a mere mining camp, are
now bringing in their families and mak
ing homes. School children have multi
plied, while the voting population, as In
dicated by a comparison of the Spring
registration and the recent municipal con
test, has decreased. The transient Bet
tier Is vanishing, and the homemaker is
taking his place. The aftermath of Sump
ter's boom Is quite unusual In boom ex
periences. A solid growth, with all the
earmarks of permanence, has filled the
boundaries marked In flush times.
During the year 1900 several brick struc
tures have gone up or been completed.
The First Bank of Sumpter and the Bank
of Sumpter each are Installed In two-story
bricks, of neat architectural appearance,
substantial In structure, which cost about
10,000 apiece. A two-story hardware es
tablishment, with a stock of goods that
would be a credit to a town of 10,000 In
habitants, Is another feature of Sumpter's
business life pointed to with pride. A
general merchandise store carrying a
stock of JSO.000, although In a frame
building. Is a credit to Eastern Oregon
business enterprise. The Sumpter Town
site Company has erected within the past
year a 2S00 one-story brick office build
ing for their own use. Three other one
story bricks have gone up. Two are used
for stores, and the third as a hall by
the Sumpter Social Club.
But the building which citizens regard
with more consideration than any othpr
Is the new brick hotel. This is 100x100
feet, two stories in height, all brick, will
have 44 rooms for guests when completect,
besides a large office, dining-room and
kitchen on the lower floor. Steam heat,
baths on the upper floor, modern furnish
ings and up-to-date management are
promised the public. The contractors are
to complete the hotel for $45,000. How
soon It will be ready for use cannot be
foretold, as weather may Interfere with
the work. No cessation has been made
yet for a considerable period. The wall3
of the upper story are already nearlng
completion, and early in the Spring it is
believed that the hotel will be opened.
Sumpter now has four or five hotels, all
wooden buildings.
Many bright new cottages have sprung
up around the business center since last
January. Carpenters have been busy
all Spring, Summer and Fall. The rick
ety shacks thrown together in the dead
of "Winter to accommodate the rush last
December, January and February have
been removed, except in the extreme out
skirts and well constructed cottages, ox
one, and one1 and onehalf stories and a
few two-story residences occupy their
places. Sumpter boasts of zaygg pretty
homes already, and It can be sau to havo
little more than two years to its credit.
The social life of the town is keeping
Let husband or father throw off the worries of
the day with his coat, and take on the pleasures of
an evening at home with a Smoking Jackot.
Smoking Jackets are not a side line at this store.
It is a strong and popular department, whero you
will find an immense gathering of choice Domestic,
and Imported Smoking Jackets, Lounging Coats and
Bath Robes.
We please every taste because our stock Is the
largest, the newest and the best. Whether the price
be large or small our values will be found without a
comparison.
HOLIDAY NECKWEAR, 50c to $5.00
EVERY HAT GUARANTEED
STORE OPEN EVENINGS
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S. E. CORNER FOURTH AND MORRISON STREETS
pace with material progress, If not ex
ceeding it. Instead of the rough mining
habits and coarse rowdyism usual in new
mining camps, Sumpter possesses a se
date social manner inviting to any modest
family. Miners visit the town and havt
their carousals, but that Is regarded as
an element incident to pioneer conditions,
and families have their circles removed
from contact with all this. The Social
Club has a membership of ISO. A visit
to the Social hall on the occasion of one
of the bi-weekly programmes preparer
by the club Is refreshing. Social parties,
social dances and religious meetings are
frequent. Two churches, the Methodist
and Presbyterian, hold services In the
town, the former In a room rented for
the purpose, and the latter In a church
constructed by the congregation. Four
or five fraternal orders hold regular meet
lngs.
A Business Men's League has recently
been organized, with Mayor-elect J. H.
Bobbins as chairman. This body will
take up all the ordinary work regarded
within the Jurisdiction of a Chamber of
Commerce. "As much should be done
looking to Improvement of roads and
keeping in touch with the mining Inter
ests of the district, the achievements
of the Business Men's League should un
questionably be great.
In the matter of pure water and good
electric light. Sumpter is a city. Located
as It Is, well up In the mountains, a
comparatively easy problem was solved in
conducting to the town an abundance of
fine mountain-stream water. The pips
line taps "Wind Creek eight miles from the
town. Two reservoirs on the hill above
the place, one of over 1.000,000 gallons ca.
paclty and the other 20,000 gallons, afford
strong pressure for fighting fire or dis
tributing water to any section desired.
At the opera-house there is a pressure of
SS pounds to the Inch, and when both
reservoirs aro connected up and all water
turned on, this pressure may be Increased
to over 100 pounds. Twenty-four hyd
rants, distributed over the town to the
best advantage, give a good supply ot
water for fighting Are. Six more hyd
rants are soon) to be placed in good posi
tions. There are two hose carts, a hoolc
and ladder company and a 55-galIon
chemical engine in the department,
manned by 150 volunteer firemen, who
elect their own chief. Drills once a week
make the "laddies" efficient In the use of
the apparatus. Thirty hand chemicals
and between three and four dozen Fryl
clde fire extinguishers form the reserve.
"With the hose carts Is 1500 feet of two
and one-half Inch standard hose. "Very
recently a bad blaze was discovered In a
two-story frame lodging-house. It was
only by skillful work, under Fire Chief
Jewett, that a general conflagration was
averted, with the loss of only the upper
portion of that one building.
Sumpte.r has a live city administra
tion. The recent municipal contest was
one of the most exciting experienced, nol
excepting November 6. J. H. Bobbins,
president ot the First Bank of Sumpter,
was elected Mayor by a substantial ma
jority. Other members of the new admin
istration are A. "W. Ellis, T. D. Bellin
ger. H. B. Griffin, J. B. Stoddard and
"William Stlnson, Aldermen; E. L. Man
ning. Recorder; "W. R, Hawley, Treasurer;
Ed Rand, Marshal. The appointive offi
cers at present holding positions are J.
"W. Fleegle, nlghtwatch; Dr. L. T. Brock,
city physician, and A. H. Hllller, health
officer.
Communication between Sumpter and
all the adjacent mining districts Is main
tained by the Sumpter Transportation
Company's numerous stage lines. There
Is a separate line to several of the larg
er mines, such as' the Columbia, North
Pole, Golconda and Red Boy. The Sump
ter Transportation Company's lines ex
tend" to Canyon City, Prairie City and
Intermediate points, including Granite.
Many stages leave Sumpter every day,
carrying light freight and passengers.
In the "Winter, when snow falls to some
depth, this trofHc Is continued by the
use of sleds.
"Within the past two weeks a project
for tho construction of an electric road
from Sumpter to Bourne has caused a
thrill of excitement in the district. The
distance Is slightly over six miles. A
grade not exceeding- 4 per cent, up a vale
offering barely any obstacle to construc
&: THE
)2?5 RELIABLE
& CLOTHIER
tion WOrk. and SUnerfllinim wnf. nnrrra.
for generating the electric current, are
some of the favoabla rnnr?tMnn nffa.o
Munch freight passes from Sumpter to
Bourne and many passengers. The Gol
conda, North Pole, Columbia and E. &
jk. mines, Desiaes numerous other prop
erties attracting much attention, would
be accommodated bv th !fvt-iHf -mn
Men who are familiar with the amount of
machinery and other freight hauled over
me roaa tne past season state unresltat
lngly that the road wnnlrt -nmr A .n
poratlon ha3 been, formed, of which
Thomas McEwen is president. During the
past two weena this company, which
owns the franchise for such a road, bond
ed it to Milwaukee capitalists, and with
in tne next day or two two electrical en
gineers representing the Milwaukee peo-
Dle Will visit SumTlter In InmnpjM- tha
proposition. On their report will doubt
less aepena wnetner tne Teopie of Mil
waukee are to furnish the capital for
the enterprise. "Winter hauling over this
section of the country is a serious hand,
leap. Much valuable machinery i3 now
sidetracked at tho Sumpter depot await
ing transportation to tho mln.es, which,
is well night Impossible while the roads
are in their present soft condition. "When
snow falls this machinery will be moved
on sleds. If the electric road was. oper
ating there would be no delay in handling
all freight. People of the entire district
devoutly hope that the project will bo
found inviting to capital.
Oreson Industries.
The Harrisburg flouring mills are run
ning day and night shifts.
New machinery has been ordered for the
Baker City light plantiu,Thercapacity of
the plant will be increased'' thereby E0
per cent
One box" In the Baker City new Opera
House was sold for 575, and another for
$45 for the opening night. The proflts or
the first performance will go towards- fur
nishing tho theater.
The Burns Electric- Light & "Water
Company, which was. granted aE0-year
franchise in January, 1597, will imme
diately begin work. The work must be
completed before the expiration ot flvo
years.
No More Dread
of thC Dental Chair
TEETH EXTRACTED AND FILLED
ABSOLUTELY WITHOUT PAIN by our
late scientific method applied to tha
gums. No sleep-producing agents or co
caine. These are the only dental parlors In
Portland having PATENTED APPLI
ANCES and Ingredients to extract, fill
and apply gold crowns and porcelain
crowns undetectable from natural teeth,
and warranted for 10 years, "WITHOUT
THE LEAST PAIN. All work dono by
GRADUATED DENTISTS of from 13 to
20 years' experience, and each depart
ment in charge of a specialist. Givo U3
a call, and you will find us to do exactly
as we advertise. "We will tell you in ad
vance exactly what your work will cost
by a FREE EXAMINATION.
SET TEETH .................. .?.00
GOLD CROWNS $5.00
GOLD FILLINGS $1.00
SILVER. FILLINGS SOcr
NO PLATES
New York Dental Parlors
MAIN OFFICE:
Fourth and Morrison Sts., Portland. Or.
HOURS-8 to 8; SUNDAYS, 10 to 4.
BRANCH OFFICE:
C14-First Avenue, Seattle, Waaiu
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