Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, December 28, 1900, Image 10

Morning Oregonian., December 28, 1900, Page 10, Image 10

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Newspaper Page Text10 TOE MOlttTCKG OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 28, 190D. PRUNES IN NORTHWEST INDUSTRY IS FOREMOST AMONG HORTICULTURAL INTERESTS. -So Says Professor Lake In Spealclns of Ills Visit to Europe to Secure New Varieties for Region. WASHINGTON. Dec. 22. Professor E. R. Lake, of Corvallls, Or., left here last week for his home. He spent the Sum mer in Germany, France and Austria, in vestigating the question of prune culture under the direction of the Department of , Agriculture, the object of his visit be ing to secure varltles of prunes for the Pacific North-west that could be grown with little likelihood of injury from the elements. "The prune Industry of the Pacific Northwest," Mr. Lake said before leav ing for the "West, "is the foremost horti cultural interest of that part of the coun try. Indeed, the extent or the industry, the aggregate of capital and equipment necessary to prepare and market the crop is understood by but few people. "While there has been many acres of unprofita ble orchards destroyed during the past five years, and more particularly the past two, yet there are hundreds of acres be ing set out -at the present time. In fact the new plantings of 1900-1S01 will be the largest made since the 'boom' days of 1S90-9L "This new movement in the planting of prunes Is upon a better basis than that of a decade ago. The people of the North west are better acquainted with the soil and site conditions desirable for this crop, and consequently a much more pro ductive and permanent area of orchards will result." Notwithstanding the growth of the in dustry. Sir. Lake says there has been a demand for better varieties of fruit than those already grown, and hence his trip, as special agent of the Agricultural De partment, to Europe. His report has just "been filed with Secretary Wilson, and furnishes some interesting data touching upon the prune industry in Oregon, Wash ington and Idaho. It is estimated by Mr. Lake that the acreage of prunes in the above states is about 50.000, ajid this, together with the equipment, including evaporators, packing-houses, etc. Is valued at rO.000.000. An average normal crop would be 75.000,000 pounds of evaporated fruit. Upon the basis of prices received for the-crop this year, this would yield an Income of 53, 500.000. It Is evident from this that the prune industry of the Pacific Northwest Is one of no little Importance to this comparatively undeveloped region. In the matter of new varieties It Is claimed tnat the recent introductions, providing they succeed, and fruit with as relative an earllness as In their native surroundings, will bo worth at least $500,000 per year to this section. In that they will enable the growers to lengthen the season of har vesting by at least 10 days, since these varieties appear to have all tho desirable merits of the ones grown at present, and ripen from 10 to 14 days earlier. Much has been suffered during the past five years on account of the early Fall rains and with these new varieties this will be obviated. And, while Mr. Lake states that It will not be possible to ob tain immediate results from these Intro ductions, yot, with the present system of propagation of new varieties. It will only bo a year or two from the date of the reports upon their behavior that will be made by those who take charge of the work of testing them until an ample sup ply of plants for commercial purposes will bo available. The report also contains Information relative to markets, methods of market ing and the outlook fr the prune crop of the future. The subject of secondary products Is considered at length, and the statement Is made that nine-tenths of the smaller prunes of France, Germany and Austria are distilled. DOG GUARD'S MASTER'S HODY. Allowed Hunters to Come Only Close Enonslito See Life Was Extinct. P.EPUBLIC. Wash., Dec. 27. Today two mf'i who More out hunting about three m'lcs Jiorth of the Tom Thumb mine were attracted by the howling of a dog some dlrfanee from the trail they were following Thinking that the dog had tred some animal, they went to the spot. The dog acted In a strange man ner, ard rcrented their approach. Upon getting vUhlr about 20 feet of the ani mal, they discovered a man sitting under the roots of an upturned tree. The dog would not let them approach, and they feared If they drove It off he might desert the body and leave It exposed to coyotes Thiy did not make any exam ination, and were not close enough to describe the man. The dog was a large hound, and sremed to be almost perish ing with hunger, which made them sup pose that the man had been dead for several days. The description they gave of the do; led people here to thinking the body is that of Harry Lowrey, a man who has lived here for several years and formerly kept the Montana Hotel, nnd whose wife now keeps the Columbia. He has some placer mines on Meyers Creek, and left there for home some five or six days since, but has not yet arrived here. The Sheriff and several others left here about sundown this evening to bring the body It is not probable they will re turn before morning, as ltwill be diffi cult to reach the spot on account of j-jfollen timber. IRRIGATION OF INDIANS' LANDS Secretary of Interior on "Work at Fort Hull Reset-ration. WASHINGTON, Dec. 23. The matter of Irrigation on the Fort Hall Indian reser vation is giving the Interior Department some concern. The following remarks ap-. pear In the annual report of the Secretary of the Interior: "A portion of the canal constructed by the Idaho Canal Company on the Fort Hall Indian reservation, Idaho, hat proved a failure, owing to faulty con struction, and further payments under the contract have been suspended. The com pany Is in the hands of a receiver, and several thousand dollars of Hens have been filed on the work. As long as th work falls to meet the requirements or the contract and so long as claims on ac count of the work on the canal remain unsatisfied, which might be enforced to the injury of the Indians, no payments will be made. The default of the Idaho Canal Company, under Its contract. Is now being considered by the department, and such steps will be taken as are neces sary fully to protect the Interests of tho Indians and the Government In the mat tec. "The Commissioner gives a detailed his tory of the attempt begun In 1B96 to givo the Fort Hall reserve a water supply, aM suggests that some arrangement be effected whereby a sufficient quantity oi vntcr shaM be dellevered at the reserva t' n boundary the system within the r frvitlon to be finished and operated by thi 'Government. On the Crow reserva tion &r,Xto of the funds of the Crow In dim"? have been expended during the year rp n the Irrigation svstem. The head f of the great Big Horn ditch is prac t 1 11 v-completed, and a ditch on Pryor Ovek has been constructed, which will water from $00 to lCO acres. "The construction of this Irrigation sys ei which has been in progress during the past eight years, has resulted in great improvement and advancement among the Indians, aside from providing one of the lest systems In the country. The rroney, which belongs to the Crows, has been paid out, for the most part, to the Indians thcracclvos, and this money they expend much more judiciously than that which they receive as annuity payment and which comes o them without lnbor or effort on their paft." BLOCKED BY THE SPEAKER No Chance for Dill to Benefit State Mining: Schools. . WASHINGTON, Dec. 23. Among the meritorious measures now pending In Congress which are doomed to go down to defeat at the present session is the bill passed by the Senate at the last session providing that a portion of the proceeds of the sale of the public lands shall be applied to the endowment, sup port and maintenance of schools or de partments of mining and metallurgy In the several states and territories. In connection with the colleges, for the ben efit of agriculture and the mechanical arts. This Is one of the very few bills that has been referred to the House commit tee on mines and mining, and at a spec ial meeting of the committee last ses sion the bill was taken up and favor ably reported to the House, where It now occupies a place on the" calendar. The bill was reported by Representative Mondell, of Wyoming, who has given much attention to the subject, and who accompanied the report with a strong and convincing argument in support of the bill. This Is a bill which has aroused a great deal of Interest among Western members, and almost to a man they stand ready at any minute to take up and pass this bill. The obstacle, however. Is one that cannot be overcome In a short session. All matters of legislation In the House are called up by grace of the com mittee on rules, which means by the grace of Speaker Henderson. Several times Mr. Mondell, who has assumed charge of the bill, has pleaded with the committee and with the Speaker for recognition In order that he might call up this bill at the present session, but his requests have been Ignored, and in fact he has been told that his bill will not be allowed to come before the House at this session. When Speaker Hender son announces his opposition to a bill of this character at a short session, his will Is predominant.- and the Western mem bers are powerless to secure action, even though they unite;. As a matter of fact, the bill which It Is desired to pass Is a compromise meas ure which was agreed upon after several diverse bills for this general purpose pad been Introduced and referred to the committee. It now embodies the most acceptable features of the several bills. It provides an appropriation of $10,000 a year to each state and territory, to be paid from the proceeds of the sale of public lands, and "to be Increased by $1000 a year for five years. Several of the land-grant institutions have undertaken to malnt-'n departments of Instruction In mining, but the In creased demands upon them have been beyond their resources. The appropria tion now sought would supply the neces sary Implements and apparatus for a comprehensive study of all mining sub jects. The annual appropriation carried by this bill would lh the first year amount to J4SO.000, and at the end of five years to $720,000 per annum, wherefore the op position of the Speaker. The friends of the bill claim that If this expenditure result In an Increase of only one-tenth of 1 per cent of our present annual min eral product, the country would be more than repaid In the direct Increase of wealth, and In widely diffused Increase of Intelligence and skill. There Is no question but what the de mand for men fully equipped along the lines Intended to be provided for In this legislation Is yearly far beyond the sup ply, and there Is hardly a state in the Union that would not be benefited more or less If this bill should become a law. However. It has the Speaker against it, and that ends it as far as the present session of Congress is concerned. An attempt will be made in the first ses sion of the next Congress to get It through. OREGON HORSES FOR ARMY Number Purchased for Philippines Also Prices Paid for Grain. WASHINGTON, Dec. 23. Representative Tongue recently directed a letter of in quiry to the Secretary of War, asking for Information as to the number of horses purchased In Oregon and Washing ton for shipment to the Philippines, and as to the quantity and price of grains and fodder purchased in these states. In reply to his inquiry, he has received the following letter from the Secretary of War: "Since July, 1S99, up to tho present time, there have been purchased by the, Chief Quartermaster, Department of the Columbia, Vancouver Barracks, Wash., on behalf of the Government. 4859 horses at an average cost of $72 30. All these horses were purchased under the direc tion of the Chief Quartermaster, Van couver Barracks. The number delivered at Portland and Seattle, respectively. Is not known at this office. About half the total number purchased were shipped from Seattle, having been forwarded from Portland or purchasing points for that purpose. "The cost of oats purchased at Portland averaged $21 per ton: at Seattle, $23 30 per ton. The average cost of hay purchased at Portland, $17 S7 per ton; at Seattle, J18 52. "A large quantity of tho hay purchased at Seattle was baled by what Is known as the Lowry baling process, which pro cess compresses the hay to E5 or 60 cubic feet to the ton, and while It costs moro at the point of shipment when compressed In this manner, yet It results In a large saving In freight charges, the freight rate based upon 40 cubic feet per ton, ship's measurement." FOR MOUNT RAINIER PARK Change of Rejrulatlons Recommend ed by Interior Department. WASHINGTON, Dec 21 It is very evi dent that the present management of the Mount Rainier National Park, Washing ton, is not at all satisfactory to the In terior" Department, as evidenced by the. following comment made by tire Secretary in his annual report: "No regulations for the government of the park and for the preservation from Injurs or spoliation of all timber," mineral deposits, natural curiosities or wonder within said park, nnd their retention in their natural condition have been promul gated by the department, for the reason that It would not be practicable to pre scribe or enforce regulations which would not prevent or Interfere with the explora. tlon, development, location, occupation and purchase, under the mineral land laws, of any mineral lands lying within said reserve. Furthermore, no penalty is prescribed for any violation of regulations adopted, nor has an appropriation been made by Congress to enable the depart, ment to protect the reservation. "In my last annual report I stated, li discussing the status of this National park, that It was desirable that section 5 of the act of March 2, 1S09. setting aside the lands therein described as a National park, be repealed, and that a penalty be, provided for violation of any regulations prescribed thereunder, and that appropri ations be made for the protection of the reservation. I again- Invite attention to the matter, and have to recommend tht enactment by Congress of the desired lea lslatlon." Pnlitzcr and Harmsirorth. NEW YORK. Dec 27.-Josoph Pulitzer, proprietor of the New York World, and A. C. Harmsworth, proprietor of the Lon don Dally Mall, were passengers on beard the stoamer Teutonic, which ar rived here today from Liverpool. GREEN TERROR OF FRANCE IT IS ABSINTHE, THE FASHIONABLE DRINK OF PARIS. Many Bright Minds Have Been De stroyed by It Manufacture and Sale Have Been Forbidden. When the French House of Deputies passed a bill on Monday which forbids the manufacture or sale in France of ab sinthe and other alcoholic liquors which are pronounced "dangerous" by the Acad emy of Medicine, it recognized the terri ble spread of the "green terror," which is said to be responsible for the great In crease in Insanity and other similar af flictions among the French people, says the Chicago Tribune. Since 1S94. as was pointed out in the Chamber of Deputies, the amount of absinthe consumed in France has doubled, it now reaching the amount of 10,000.000 litres, or nearly 10, 050,000 quarts annually. This amounts to one quart of absinthe to each three In habitants, including men. women and children. In Paris the reports of the Min istry of Finance show that there is an absinthe seller to every three buildings in the metropolis. AJready the green ter ror has killed many of the most brilliant men of the country. Guy de Maupassant. "Wormwood from which, absinthe Is xnndc. Alfred de Musset, Baudelaire, who trans lated Poe's works Into French; Theodore Barrlere, Andrew CHI, the artist, and a host of other men of letters and of go nlus burned their brains away with the green flame and died miserable deaths. Even four years ago, before the habit had reached half its present strength, Henri Rochefort started a crusade against Us use. In his appeal to the people he said: "Absinthe is the bane of the Nation, and Is killing France." But absinthe Is not only the drink of fashionable and cultivated Paris. It has come to be the national drink of alt classes of the French people. Women drink It as well as men, and the children of absinthe drinkers are often deformed and partially paralyzed. The French Nation did not go into the drinking of absinthe of their own choice'. How It came to be Introduced Is a curious story. During the Algerian War of lSlv 47 the French troops In Africa suffered greatly from tropical fever, and man) things were tried as preventives. Among them was absinthe, and It was found to be effective. The soldiers were ordered to mix small quantities of It three times a day with the ordinary French wine which they drank. They objected at first to the new "medicine," declaring that It spoiled the taste of their wine. Gradually, how ever, they grew to like It, and within a few years they were much more willing to do without their claret than without their "green spirits." Finally, absinthe drinking became such an evil In the army that It was found necessary to entlrel forbid It. Now a French soldier or sailor who Is found sipping the insidious liquor Is severely punished. But the soldiers returning from Algiers took the habit back with them and It rap Idly spread among all classes of the peo ple. It cured or prevented the fever of the Algerian soldiers, but It has com? near "'killing the French Nation." Absinthe is a liquor made by pounding the leaves and flowering tops of various varieties of wormwood, which grow from two to four feet high In great profusion under cultivation, and various other aro matic plants and covering the mass with alcohol. After soaking for eight days the compound is distilled, yielding a .green liquor, to which a certain percentage of anise seed oil is usually added. It was first made by a couple of old Swiss wom en, who found It a good remedy and preventive for fevers. It Is said to bo still possible to get the pure absinthe In the better class of French cafes, but lh this country and In England, as In the greater number of French drinking places, the stuff served as absinthe Is said to be adulterated with all sorts of vile drugs. Including even vitriol, to give It an extra "bite." The best absinthe Is still made in Switzerland, Immense quantities of it be ing turned out at Neufchatel, from which canton more than 1,000,000 gallons Is an nually exported, a considerable portion Peventually coming to the United States. The effects of absinthe on people who drink It habitually are admitted by roeev lcal men to be worse than those which follow the use of brandy or other strong spirits. It soon becomes to its devotee the first necessity of life. To get It they will sacrifice anything. Taken by a nov- The absinthe hoar In Paris. Ice and In small doses. It has for a time pleasant effects. The brain and all the faculties are stimulated, and a dull per son may. under its influence, seem al most brilliant. It apparently has no ef fect when taken In small quantities on the steadiness of carriage or the deport ment of Its users. There is nothing about them to betray that they are under tho Influence of a drug. But If a single glass above a certain amount be taken the vic tim Is likely to fall like a log, all his faculties paralyzed and entirely uncon scious. He may lie in this condition for hours, and on recovering his conscious ness he will feel like a man who is suf fering from an agonizing disease Once the habit Is formed, it Is said to be more difficult to break off than any of the drug or liquor habits which are more common in this country. In Paris and In the south of France Its devotees are almost numberless. A Frenchman who goes to his cafe for luncheon "or dinner sits at a little table in front and, while his order Is being pre pared, sips his glass of absinthe as h looks over the papers. From 5 to 7 o'clock i I - OF In the evening Is the recognized "absinthe hour." The absinthe Is usually prepared by being poured into a glass with some syrup or lump sugar. Into which water ft. allowed to fall drop by drop. The fash ionable Frenchman Is not likely to drink more than one glass before a meal, and that diluted, though French women are said to drink It pure, and in the poorer sections of the city It Is drunk before, during, and after meals. In the better cafes it is sold at 10 cents a drink, and In the slums It may le had for a penny a glass. The allowance of an absinthe drinker must be regularly Increased In order to produce the desired nnd accus tomed effect, and so sooner or later the boulevard absinthe slppers are almost cer tain to become slaves of the liquor. On men who are far gone with Its poison the "green terror" sometimes has most remarkable effects. Baudelaire, for In stance, the poet who translated Poe Into French, wrote poems to "The Green Spirit" and addressed It ns his mistress. He lived apparently for nothing else than to drink absinthe, and once In a fit ot crazy enthusiasm actually painted his hair a vivid green so that It might corre spond with the color of the poison to which he was a devotee. Tortonl's famous cafe was In the old days the resort of a coterie of writers and artists who came there before the dinner hour to drink their absinthe. For many years the green liquor was drawn from the same old barrel, which was pe riodically filled with absinthe brought fromrNeufchatel. Among the young men who were present every evening In the crowd; was Theodore Barrlere. He be came a victim of the absinthe demon In Its worst phases, and his disordered brain was filled for months with the weirdest and most terrifying dreams and visions. Thus, for Instance, it Is related that one night he was lying upon the bed In his roim reading by the gaslight when a large baboon came Into the room and looked iat him In a sorrowful way. Then It went out, only to enter a moment later with a second baboon in Its arms. The two proceeded to stretch a slack rope across the room. Immediately above his bed. and then, walking the rope, they dis appeared through the wall. Following closely behind them across the rope, pass ing In through one wall and out through the other, came all the animals whlcn were in Noah's Ark. When the elephant started to walk across the slender coro. so close above his head, Barrlere gave a tremendous yell of terror, which brought assistance and a doctor. Alfred de Musset, the poet, became' such a devotee of the green terror that he made no effort In his later years to stop Its use. Regularly night after night he went to his cafe and sat there consum ing glass after glass, until he was in such a condition that he was often picked up unconscious on the streets. During the Paris Exposition, Just over, there was an example of the mad freaks of an absinthe fiend, which for a moment startled thousands of people. President Loubet was driving In his carriage to the exposition grounds, surrounded by cui rassiers, when a wild-eyed man broke from the crowd on the sidewalk, tore his way through, the line or soldiers, and threw himself at the door of the Presi dent's carriage. All who looked on thought htm an anarchist, and were cer tain that ho was about to assassinate the President. Instead, however, of mak ing any hostile demonstration he simply tossed an envelope Into the carriage. It contained the photograph of his niece. He was Jacques Mara, a waiter. In one of the man' phases, of an absinthe drunk ard. It would be unpleasant reading to detail the manner In which most pf the devotees of the green terror come to their death. One of the early effects of absinthe Is to Absinthe drinkers in the slums. practically destroy the power of the di gestive organs. A little later It paralyzes the nerves and upsets the mind. In the end It leaves nothing that can be said to resemble a man. LESSENED HIS POPULARITY Speaker Henderson's Action In Mat ter of Building: Appropriations. WASHINGTON, Dec 27. The arbitrary action of Speaker Henderson In the mat ter of public-building appropriations at this session has not served to Increase his popularity among a large number of members, particularly those who had hopes of securing appropriations for new buildings In their various states. The House committee had outlined a course which would In all probability have been qulto conservative, as compared to pre vious short sessions, but the Speaker went further, and dictated to the com mittee fl. course which was doubly as conservative as that laid down by them. As has been heretofore outlined, it was the Intention ot the public buildings committee to report two public-building bills at this session, the one carrying ap propriations for buildings heretofore au thorized, but as yet Incomplete, and the other for entirely new work. The Speak er, when the first bill was about ready for presentation to the House, had it brought before him, and struck out every provision for what he termed "new work," and assured the chairman that he would not tolerate any appropriations for new buildings at this session. More over, he took it upon himself to draw the line between new work and exten sions, a -step both unwise and untimely. Of course, whatever tho Speaker says generally goes In the House, but it is very much to be doubted If he has really helped matters much, for members who had bills which were cut off by his arbi trary ruling will not be disposed to sup port a bill from which their provisions have been stricken. There Is, of course. an opportunity for greatly enlarging the Ecope of the bill In the Senate, and this will undouobtedly be done. Property Sold for Taxes. The first sales of real estate In Stevens County under delinquent tax certificate Judgments took place at Colville last Saturady. The purchaser of the certifi cate expected to gather In the property, which comprised four lots close In to the center of the city, but there were others on hand anxious to secure the title. The property was sold by lots, and the first lot offered secured a bid of $S0 for the full width of the lot. which was 30 feet. A contesting bidder offered $30 for 29 feet of Its width; the tax-purchaser then bid $30. the amount of the taxes due. for 2S feet In width of the lot. and secured a certificate of purchase covering his bid. leaving the original owner a strip of land two feet In width by 120 feet In length In the heart of the block. A corner lot in the same block met with the same ex perience, with the exception that four feet In width of the lot for 120 feet in length along the street border was saved to the original owner, who will doubtless ask a fancy price for his holdings. Northern Pacific officials deny that tncy havo any Intention of buying the Everett & Monte Cristo Railroad, in Northwest ern Washington. I ... NEW WAY TO KEEP TIME ONE THING THAT MAY COME WITH THE TWENTIETH CENTURY. Day "Will Have Its Beginning: and End Within 24 Hoars All Over Globe Some Early Methods. The new century will bring about many changes, but perhaps none of such every day Importance as the proposed new method of timekeeping, says the Wash ington Star. One of the most practical results will be that noon at Greenwich will be 12 o'clock all over the world. At present each day Is spread over 48 and in some Instances 55-rrhours In dif ferent places. With the new system It will have Its beginning and end within 24 hours all over the globe. The hours on our watches and clocks, too, will run from 1 to 24. It would seem odd for a while to order theater carriages at 22:30 In place of 10:30. The waggish reply, "A quarter past 13." made by the policeman In the "Bab Bal lads," will become the correct way of Indicating a quarter past L But, after all. this will only be an enlargement of what actually began as far back as 1SS6. when the time for all "through" trains orr the Canadian Pacific Railroad was first reckoned In hours running from 1 to 24. Will Prevent Complications. The fixing of a universal prime meridian will do away with the ambiguity which, as railways and telegraphs became multi plied, lead to such confusing complications In social and commercial affairs, to errors In chronology, to litigation in connection with succession to property. Insurance matters, contracts, etc. The present vari ations of time are readily demonstrated by selecting points In four regions of about SO degrees apart for Instance, Japan, Arabia, Newfoundland and Alaska. On Sunday at midnight In Japan It Is noon In Newfoundland, and on two dis tinct days viz., Sunday and Monday. To explain this apparently contradictory statement, note that Arabia, being west of Japan, the time there (at midnight In Japan) would be 6 P. M. Sunday, while In Alaska, being east of Japan, it would be 6 A. M. on Monday. At 6 P. M. on Sunday In Arabia it must be Sunday noon in Newfoundland, and at 6 A, II. on Monday in Alaska It must be Monday noon 90 degrees further east 1. c.ln New foundland also. Thus It., will be seen that by tracing time botheast and west from a given point to Its antipodes the clock on the one hand becomes 12 hours slower, and on the other hand 12 hours faster. And therefore It follows, as al ready stated, that when It Is midnight on Sunday In Japan, at precisely the same moment It is noon at Newfoundland on two distinct days namely, Sunday and Monday. Perplexing Problems. It Is only another application of this complicated method of time reckoning which gave rise to the following Incident: A telegrapnls message, dated "Simla, 1:55 A. M., Wednesday," was received In London at 11:47 P. M. bn Tuesday. The clerk very naturally exclaimed: "Why, this message was sent off tomorrdw." The same perplexing problem has been presented by imagining a car suspended from the sun, and in tho car a man who inquires the day and time as a town rolls eastward beneath him. The answer, "12 o'clock noon, Monday," is given. Presently another town comes under tho car. The man asks the same question and receives the same reply; for, of course, It must always be noon, the town being Immediately beneath the sun. Now comes the question, "When will the man in the car first receive the answer, '12 o'clock noon, Tuesday'?" The solution Is found In the fact that In traveling across the Pacific from west to east one day has to be repeated before reaching the Amer ican coast. If, for example, the correc tion be made on Saturday, July 4, there will be two Saturdays In the same week, and two days of the month dated July 4. It Is this variation of time, too, which forms the pivotal point of the story, "Around the World in Eighty Days," In which the traveler, who wagered at his London club that he could go around the world and be back at the club In SO days, so nearly lost his bet. He had forgotten this difference of a day, and thought that he had completed his Journey 24 hours too late. Order Oat of. Chaos. Does any one ask, "What Is going to straighten this out and bring about order out of the existing chaos?" The answer Is by simply putting In operation the results of the deliberations of the International Meridian Conference, which met In Wash ington at the Invitation of President Ar thur In October. 1884, for the express pur pose of establishing a prime meridian and a universal day. This matter was freely discussed at the time by navigators and astronomers, and the hope was every where expressed that the change would be effected January 1, 190L At any rate. It does not seem possible that the adop tion of the new system can be deferred very long after the commencement of the 20th century. Crude Timekeepers. Even with our present defective system of time reckoning, consider how many advantages we enjoy over the ancients. In the 6th century before Christ the sun dial, which Is supposed to have been In vented by the Chaldeans, was Introduced Into Greece, probably by the Babylonians. It was only a pillar or staff, and was not graduated so as to Indicate the pas sage of any particular fraction of a day. When It cast a shadow sir feet long, the hour for bathing had arrived, and supper was eaten when the shadow became 12 feet long. Simple as It was. It seemed to satisfy the needs of that primitive race. It could not, of course, be used indoors, nor was it of any use on a cloudy day. It was merely a crude timekeeper, and could not even be used for checking off certain brief periods. To accomplish this the "Clepsydra," or water clock, was In vented, and Greece seems to have been the land of Its origin. Fifty years be fore the Christian era a clepsydra was erected in the "Tower of the Winds" In the market place at Athens. A running stream Kept the water In an upper ves sel at a constant leveL The discharge raised a float in a lower vessel. On this float was an Indicator or hand, which, as It rose, traveled over an adjacent scale and so gave a time Indication, visible at a distance. This was the public time piece of Athens, and Us Indications could always be compared with those of the sun dial on the frieze of the ootagonal building by which it was enclosed. At the top of the roof was a weather vane In the form of a Triton, who pointed with his trident toward the prevailing wind. Thus the double purpose of a naval ob servatory and a weather bureau was ac complished. Cncoannt Clocks. A similar device has been found In use among the Malay boatment, where a per forated cocoanut shell floating In a bucket of water permits the fluid to en ter gradually When the shell becomes ful an hour Is recorded. In northern In dia a copper bowl is used, and at the moment It sinks the attendant strikes the hour upon the metal. In China the same idea occurs, but with this difference, the vessel is filled and drop by drop the water is allowed to flow out. Coming down to our own day, what else Is the sandglass, which a few years ago was in common use In kitchens to show the cook when the eggs were boiled? And Is not the modern clock based on the same principles? In the clepsydra the water is the motor; the perforation, the escapment; while the sinking of the shell or bowl is the In dex of the completion of a definite period. Timing: Speeches by Water. A curious use of the clepsydra In Greece was for limiting the length ot speeches in the courts. In very Import ant cases an additional amount of time was allowed, and each side was permit ted as much as 5Q gallons of water, ne cessitating the use of unusually large amphorae. When a speaker was "inter rupted, to save the time being charged against him, he would order the official to "stop the water." This practice might be revived with profit. The system of timekeeping in Rome di vided the day and night Into four watches, which were determined rough ly by observing the courses of the sun and stars. Noon was publicly announced by an official, who. from the Senate, watched for the appearance of the sun at a certain point. Amonff the Indiana. Among the Montagnala Indians a crude form of sun dial Is used In hunting to let the squaws, who follow their lords and masters, know whether they may "take it easy" or "hurry up." for they might fare badly If they lagged behind when their husbands were ready for sup per. And so the men when hunting erect In the snow a stick at some well-known place and draw the exact line of the sticks shadow In the snow before go ing on. When the women arrive there with, their pots and other cooking uten sils they note- the new line of the shadow nnd, by observing the angle which it forms with the line already drawn In the snow they can tell how far ahead their husbands are. With all Indian tribes the season of the year Is Indicated by observing Nature's own processes and not by months. Thus the changing of the moon, the budding of the trees, the falling of the leaves, the coming and going of the birds, all are symbolical of the various seasons. Even among the farmers In Virginia not so very long ago the proper time for planting- corn was "when the hickory leaves became as large as a squirrel's ear." The Indians have no clocks or mechanical de vices for telling the time, but It Is known that In ZunI and Mokl the Pueblo In dians tell the arrival of noon by setting up stones and noticing when the shad ows are shortest. It is not uncommon on farms even nowadays to have the "hands" say that when they can "stand on their heads" it Is time" to go to din ner. The old Japanese method of tlmkeeplng was very cumbersome. The clock was m charge of an attendant, whose duty It was to change the hapds so as to keep pace with the constantly changing length of the days. It was all right so long as the man attended to his duties. Reverting once more to ancient times. It Is well to bear In mind that had It not been for Julius Caesar, who established certain regulations which were formu lated as the Julian calendar, and Pope Gregory xni, who In the 16th century recognized several errors and defects In time reckoning and succeeded In devislnir his now well-known method for correct lng them, we might still be hedged about with such confusing conditions as would make it hard for a man to know whether he should get up or go to bed. PAYING RANSOM. Grent Desirability of Severe Punish ment in Cudahy Cose. New York Tribune. It is easy to blame Mr. Cudahy for pay ing a ransom to get back his son ana say that he owed a duty to the commu nity to teach kidnapers that their pro fession offered no rewards, even at the risk of the boy's sight. That Is the Spar tan ideal to which many people would give heroic utterance without stopping to ask if their own devotjon to the public welfare was great enough to arouse them to protest against wrong and extortion even to the extent of going to the police station to complain about It. Perhaps Mr. Cudahy was too easily im pressed by the threats of the kidnapers, and yielded In a panic to empty bluster which would not have been followed up at once by action. That, however. Is a sort of calculation which nobody away from the scene and unfamiliar with all the facts is competent to make, and It Is a sort of calculation which the persons chiefly concerned would find It difficult to make in cold blood. Supposing Mr. Cud ahy had said he would not encourage kid. napers, and the boy had come back wltn eyes put out to reproach him through k life of misery. The virtue of having rt fused to make terms with villains for the preservation of the boy's sight would not be particularly consoling to the father or particularly satisfactory to the son. Tha Ross case Is quoted as offering an exam ple of good citizenship; but, unfortunately for its effects as a bracer for fathers and mothers. Charley Ross never came back. The failure of his abductors to get any thing doubtless did discourage the prac tice of abduction, but It did not tend to reassure the victims of the trustworthi ness of police promises to recover stolen children. Any successful crime tends to breeo more crime, and Mr. Cudahy's payment of ransom is likely to encourage othei criminals to plot the stealing of rich men's children. Regardless of the moral ity of what has been done.lt behooves the police to take extreme measures to hunt down the kidnapers and teach them and all of their kind everywhere that even It they can scare a father Into meeting their demands it will do them no good. The Canteen. New York Times. One of the points In which the Army bill, as reported to the Senate, is a bet ter measure than that which passed the House, is the partial restoration of the canteen. The military committee of the Senate proposes that the sale of beer alone shall be permitted In the post ex changes. Why the light wines which are now allowed to be sold are not also in cluded does not appear. It Is certain that, to many constitutions, pure wines are more wholesome than beer of the same alcoholic strength, and moreover they are commonly drunk diluted. There seems no reason why an enlisted man should not have his choice between two equally innocuous, or, if Mr. Dunne and the W. C. T. U. will Insist upon it, equally noxious beverages. But that Is a small matter compared with the Importance of preserving the canteen, as the only method of preserving the post exchange, which an overwhelm ing majority of officers report to be a most valuable and even Indispensable agency for promoting temperance, disci pline and contentment In the Army. It is the enlisted man's club, -and It does so much to mitigate the asperities of Army life that It prevents desertions and en courages re-enlistments. This Is prac tically the unanimous testimony of those who know Its workings best and are most Interested in the morale of the Army. On the other side are the liquor dealers and the theoretical prohibitionists, who are now found working together, not for the first time. One party or the other of them Is evidently taken In by this alliance. It behooves the theoretical prohibitionists to Inquire which. Nobody else will believe that It Is the saloon keepers. At least the W. C. T. IT. is not now holding a convention In Washing ton. There is thus a fair chance that the amendment will be considered on Its merits. That Is a Joyful prospect to those who are personally and officially Inter ested In the "promotion of discipline, con tentment, and particularly of temperance in the United States Army. Tforthrrest Postal Orders. WASHINGTON. Dec. 23. The postoffice at Varsycle, Umatilla County, Or., will be discontinued December 31, mall go'nj to Helix. The postoffice at Blkhorn, Marion Coun ty, Or., has been moved four miles to the northeast, and Jennie M. Pope ap pointed Postmaster. A postoffice has been, established at Jackson, Cowlitz County, Wash., -to be supplied by special service from Castle Rock. Adolph J. Torgerson has been named Postmaster. The postoffice at Fife, Pierce County. Wash., will be discontinued December 31, mall going to Wedgrwood. THE PALATIAL Not a dark office in the bulldlnffi absolutely fireproof) electrlo lights nnd artesian water) perfect sanlta tlon and thorough ventilation. Ele vators run day and night. Rooms. ATNSLIE. DR. GEORGE. Physician.... 60S-C09 ANDERSON. GUSTAV. Attorney-at-Law... 013 ASSOCIATED PRESS; E. I Powell. Mgr..SW AUSTEN. F. C. Manager for Oregon and Washington Bankers' Life Association, of Des Moines. la 302-503 BANKERS' LIFE ASSOCIATION. OF DES MOINES. IA.; F. C. Austen. Manager.502-303 BAYNTUN. GEO. R.. Manager for Chaa. Scrlbners Sons 313 SEALS. EDWARD A, Forecast Official U. S. Weather Bureau '. 010 BENJAMIN. R. W.. Dentist 3U BINSWANGER, DR. O". S.. Phya. & Sur.410-11 BROOKE. DR. J. M., Phys. & Surg....70S-709 BROWN. JITRA. M. D 313-314 BRUERE. DR. G. E.. Physician. ...412-413-414 CANNING, M.n C02-C03 CAUKIN. G. E.. District Agent Travelers' Insurance Co 713 CARDYVELL, DR. J. R 303 CHURCHILL. MRS. E. J 710-71T COFFEY, DR. R. C. 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Manager.... 200-210 MUTUAL RESERVE FUND LIFE ASS'N; Mark T. Kady, Supervisor of Agents.. 604-603 McELROY. DR. J. a.. Phys. & Sur. 701-702-703 McFARLAND. E. B.. Secretary Coiumbla Telephone Co 600 McGUIRE. S P.. Manager P. F. Collier. Publisher 413-419 McKIM. MAURICE. Attorney-at-Law 500 MUTUAL LIFE INSURANCE CO. of New York; Sherwood Glllespy. Gen. Agt.... 404-5-0 NICHOLAS. HORACE B.. Atfy-at-Law....713 NILES. M. L-. Cashier Manhattan Life In surance Co., of New York 203 OREGON INFIRMARY OF OSTEOPATHY: Dr. L. B. Smith. Osteopath 403-409 OREGON CAMERA CLUB 214-215-216-217 PACIFIC CHRISTIAN PUB. CO.; J. F. Ghormly. Mgr 303 PORTLAND EYE AND EAR INFIRMARY. Ground floor. 133 Sixth street PORTLAND MINING & TRUST CO.; J. H. Marshall, Mancger 513 QUIMBY. L. P. W.. Game and Forestry Warden 710-71T ROSENDALE. O. M., Metallurgist and Min ing Engineer 5J. 313-518 REED & MALCOLM, Opticians... 133 Sixth st. REED. F. C. Fish Commissioner 407 RYAN. J. B.. Attorney-at-Law... 417 SAMUEL. L.. 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Phys. & Surg..507-503 WOOD. DR. W. L.. Physician...... 412-413-414 WILLAMETTE VALLEY TELEPH. CO... .013 A ferr more clcgrant offices may be had by npplylnpr toPortland Trust Company rf Oresron. 109 Third mt., or ts the rent olerli In the building;. PROMIN'EXT PEOPLE. Testify to the Efficacy of the New Scientific Dandruff Treatment. A, B. Lanier, Denver, sayst "Herplclde has made my hair grow rapidly." Mrs. A. Guerln, Great Falls, Mont., says: "I find Herplclde an excellent dan OH BUILDING ill IB HIS 8S 19 9 IIS druff cue." fi xa. ureemana, .romana, or., says: "Newbro's Herplclde stopped my hair's falling out." J. D. Israel, Dayton. Wash, says: "Herplclde has completely cured my dandruff." Charles Brown president First National Bank, Vancouver, Wash., says: "Herpl clde Is excellent for keeping the acala ( clean."