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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1901)
P THE MORNING OREGON! AN. MONDAY, MAY 6, 19017 8 NEHALEM RAILROAD LINE portlaxd compjutt will build 43 miles this ybab. First Mortgage -5 Tec Cent Bondi, Amounting to $650,000," Offered. to Local Investors. In a report Trhich the officers of the Portland, Nehalem &j Tillamook Ball way have Just made to the directors of the company, a planoT -work for this year Is outlined- It proposes ' the JJraUdln'gr -of 43 miles of road; to-be In operation in No vember or December, and. the issuing- of 5650,000 of 5 per cent first mortgage bonds to meet the cost. Recent Investigation has demonstrated that it is possible to get a grade of 1 per cent at the sum mit. Instead of the 2 per cent grade reported last FalL It has been found that ihe timber belt tributary to the first 43 miles of road is capable of furnishing a revenue of $500,000 annually for at least 20 consecutive years, against an inter est charge of $32,500 on the basis of 5 per cent on $650,000. The report Is appended: Surveys. Incorporated February 2, 1901, our first duty was to ascertain the condition of the surveys heretofore made. The sec retary having reported from investiga tions he made last Fall, that the 2 per cent grade in the Coast Range summit might he reduced, -we find, after careful instrument elevations this Spring, that the summit can be reduced on a more eoutherly pass to a V& per cent, and pos elbly less grade, and still join our old line on both sides of the summit. As this 'will decrease the cost of construction, we recommend that the new line be adopted. Xilnes to be constructed, as you are aware, by the company's articles, are two in number one from. Portland, or "Willamette .River in the sub urbs of Portland, to Tillamook and Nehalem Bays, 93 miles, -with a branch of 20 miles to Grand Rapids, in Central Nehalem "Valley, the object be ing to locate these lines to connect -with all logging streams Tipper Nehalem, "Wil son River, Salmonberry and 29 other tribu taries as feeders to oun railways, so as to stop all logs going to the sea where practicable and carry same to Portland, to be there made into lumber and dis tributed, along -with lumber made at roadside stations and river crossings, to the various transcontinental lines in this city and to seagoing vessels for export abroad. The entire cost of such a rail "way system, when completed, according to our surveys and estimates, was $1,968,835, which was in no way to be made dependent upon or tributary to cither the Northern Pacific, Southern Pa cific, or O. R. & N. Co., we neverthe less co-operating cordially with them all for redistribution of our freights to those Eastern, Southern and Northern points to which these respective lines had access. "We felt in Portland's interests that de livers' of our loaded cars to them at no other point than in or near our city was an essential requisite to maintain our present supremacy as the largest lumber center of the North Pacific Coast Negotiations for Bonds. Upon this basis, and assured by the most eminent railroad operators in Ore gon and Washington it was the only true mode to increase -Portland's prosperity, we opened financial negotiations with men in New York whose representative, after arriving in Portland, was so satis fied that his firm, of the highest finan cial ability, could negotiate the sale of our honds and stock at prices which contem plated no profit to any one of our 52 stock holders, officers, or directors, that he desired and secured 60 days option to carry their plans into effect, and to whom our secretary furnished from time to time copies of plans, surveys, estimates of construction, and of traffic and volum inous matter otherwise. These financiers thereafter ordered from New York in vestigations by certain disinterested skilled persons here whose reports we found were not only confirmatory of everything our company had stated, but such skilled experts Indicated that our prospective traffic was far underestimated, and would probably be much greater, while the grades and alignment were satisfactory- We were, however, four weeks ago notified that our plan of a direct line Into the City of Portland did not meet with satisfaction. Thereafter we were Informed that railway connec tion with our lines could be obtained if we would contract to connect, and finan cial assistance given us also, at a point which was in our opinion too far away to benefit the direct commerce into Port land. Before we had organized the Port land, Nehalem & tTillamook Railway Company, however, we had opened cor respondence with three other syndicates, which we Immediately resumed. The representative of one of these is here now investigating; the other leaves Pitts burg within 14 days, ad the third wrote us that upon the return of their senior part ner from Europe to New York they would send to Portland their chief engineer to make the necessary examination of our Nehalem and Tillamook "plans and re sources. "We have to all three said, and shall continue to Insist to every one else, that construction must commence from and the terminus be at Portland or its suburbs, on the navigable "Willamette, and not otherwise. Coal and Lumber Investigations. Reports to the Secretary of War were made as far back as 1S5S that valuable steam and domestic coal alleged to be 10 feet In thickness existed on the military road between Central Nehalem and the" headwaters of Rock Creek. Mining men and coal experts have recently discovered these veins one nine feet, the other 4 feet thick much superior to that of "Washington State, with very little sulphur and which. In conjunction with those at Nehalem Bay, render the coal supply of Portland we are informed now beyond doubt. We have seen the samples and your directors can judge of same for yourselves. Including SO cents a ton of freight to our railway thereon, these coals can be delivered at ship's side, Portland, for $2 per ton. prime cost. Ex perienced cruisers, ordered by one of our would-be bondholders, now here from Wisconsin, report 32.000 acres of timber within a few miles of the nearest lum ber district tributary to our first 43 miles of railway. 25.000 of which will go the average of 25,000 feet per acre, lying on each side thereof. Assuming that this acreage is reduced to 20,000 acres, at 20, 000 fept to the acre, and the freight be also reduced from $1 50 to $1 25 per 1000 feet, whether in logs or lumber. $4000 In freight money "will be derived from each quarter section and would aggregate us from 20,000 acres freights alone $5,000. 000. Even If it should take 10 years to cut down these 20,000 acres now grow ing, like wheat ready to be harvested when desired, an income of $500,000 per year therefrom for that period is abso lutely certain, while the Interest yearly necessary for the bonded Indebtedness -over the whole first 43 miles is only $32. 500 annually; consequently it would be unnecessary to extend the railway beyond these flr5t 43 miles so far as income was concerned, unless to complete the rail way to Tillamook. This yield, too. does not estimate passengers, general freights, coal, merchandise, grain and produce, from these first 43 miles which we pro pose to construct this year from the sub urbs of Portland. Verification by mes sengers of these figures. If you send them to this 20-mile district. Is beyond any question, so that practically our first 43 miles of bonds will be absolutely iron clad In punctuality of interest and secur ity. Connections With Other Rnilrrays. None of the transcontinental lines seem to Xavor direct xallway connection -wltn. Portland, ana with the enormous power they possess of diverting freight nowa days to what cities they desire to build up. and the temptation of the long haul of lumber to the. Western States, it is a serious question .for your Portland board of directors to decide whetherit is wise to .feed these lines with the prospective traffic of Northwestern Oregon at points they suggest far away from this city. Nature has created Portland as the gate way or seat of commerce for that coun try, has supplied us with 50 to 60 years freight to carry without cultivating: the ground, as well as giy.en us low passes and shorter distances than to the Colum bia River in Columbia County. These passes do not exist on crossing the Ne halem Range to Scappoose, St. Helens, Goble or elsewhere, thus demonstrating that the traffic and the country through which we run to .the sea will in cheap ness of operation distance all competi tors. We have taken special care seeing the Portland, Nehalem & Tillamook Com pany was formed, not with the view of making money to the projectors, but to build up this city's lumber and other In terests from a new country, equal to two or three New England States, within 20 to 90 miles of our city, to give each of the transcontinental lines the option to build over and upon our route direct Into this city, without our asking any ree or reward. The Northern Pacific is dis posed to make as favorable connections as if we owned the portion of line they placed at our service, but this is not satisfactory, inasmuch as the power of the traffic may be diverted from Portland. To the O. R. & N. Co. we offered our surveyed line and rights of way free in exchange for a guarantee that they would build direct into North Portland and Union Depot. Their executive committee has declined the prqposltibn, expressing no desire to enter the Nehalem Valley at present. The Southern Pacific, under Mr. Huntington's administration, refused us trackage from Oswego Into this city be fore his death, or connections of any kind, while if connection was given at all in future we understand it would be on the basis of that which Is their custom to branch lines an exchange for what the traffic would bear between them and us, and at a point at Hlllsporo, 21 miles from Portland where we have no guarantee whatever; that all of the Nehalem and Tillamook traffic, or any, would pass through Portland, as it could be diverted south via Corvallis and Albany. Traffic of Railway Into Portland. Our stockholders, all Portland commer cial men, will thus realize the Importance of a direct line into this city, and an in dependent line only. Astoria Is seven miles farther away from us than Is Til lamook Bay. by one survey via Nehalem Bay, and by the other survey Tillamook City is only 80 miles distant from Port land, and yet our line commands the approaches to both. The vast lumber, coal, dairy and prospective fruit coun try between this city and the sea, with 15 miles of dairy farms, where are 15 per cent of the largest creameries in Ore gon, and 7000 milch cows along Tillamook Bay and Interior, with another 15 miles of improved grain, farming and dairy coun try, nearly all prairie. In Northern Wash ington County, whose nearest market Is Portland, 15 to 30 miles distant, demon strate that It Is not timber alone, nor coal, that will feed our railway. After we cross the Coast Range summit, the line proceeds down the Salmonberry, or via the Wilson River, by a branch, to intercept the logs and lumber there and divert them to Portland. Following the lower Nehalem. the junction with which is 16 miles above Nehalem Bay, not only precludes the possibility of logs passing our line there and going to that bay to any line which may come from Astoria, but gives us a traffic for 28 to 35 miles from the main Nehalem, above the Sal monberry, without interfering with the Northern Pacific's proposed terminus at Pittsburg. 27 miles farther distant than central Nehalem. Along the Salmon berry. lower Nehalem and north fork of the Nehalem, parallel to which our line to the sea runs, there are. with that above the Salmonberry's mouth, 210,623 acres of timber, averaging 25,000 feet per acre, which we shall have to carry to Portland, and when our line reaches Tillamook Bay, those five rivers, the Miami. Kil chls, Wilson. Trask and Tillamook, which fall into the bay, possess 306.000 acres tim ber, finer In quality spruce, cedar and hemlock averaging 30,000 feet to the acre, all tributary to Portland's local railway. In addition, a settled population Is there now. Then there Is a nine-mile sea beach near Nehalem Bay which is acknowledged as the best natural Summer 'resort of Or egon, with unequaled boating and yacht ing facilities, yet only 80 miles by rail (when finished) from Portland, against 120 miles to the Seaside House on Clatsop Beach. Competition "With Other Line. It will thus be seen that no comnetltlon is possible with thf Northern Pacific's Pittsburg terminus. 27 miles or more from our proposed terminus this year (1901 in the Coast Range, and that as other trans continental lines have been offered and decline the opportunltv to build over our surveyed lines and. selected route, direct to Portland (on account, we are led to believe, of segregation of territory), and as when we reach the Coast Range sum mit with our first 43 miles of railway. we command the two passes thereto, and are only 33 to 35 miles from the sea. any railway competitor behind us could not forestall us, far less the Northern Pa cific's Scappoose line. 73 miles from Its terminus at Pittsburg, to Nehalem Bay. since our surveys are made readv for anv contemplated opposition. Besides, the Northern Pnrlflc has given us assurance in writing that not only have they no hostility to the Portland, Nehalem & Til lamook Railway scheme to the bav. hut they desire to co-operate on favorable terms, should we use any part of their main line Into Portland: onlv. howevK. so far as our company remains an inde pendent line. As for any possible compe tition from Astoria via the seaside, even though that extension was made tomor row, it could not take awav at Nehalem Bay any traffic from our lines, because all the timber of Nehalem Valley and River, 109 miles long, with Its tributaries, must, in logs, have to go down that river the only medium for that entire coun tryand as we Intercept these logs hv our railway above the Salmonberry's mouth, and 18 miles above Nehalem Bay. and also go down to that bay. the idea Is preposterous of the Astoria-Seaside road securing any logs at Nehalem Bay. although it will jret the looal logs along the seaside for 24 miles from Grimes that's all. Besides, bear In mind that for the Astoria road to haul logs to Port land from Nehalem Bay, their haul would be '145 miles, against our haul to the bay from Portland of SO miles. Entrance Into Portland. This is the question of serious Import ance for the consideration of our board of directors, for If we make a mistake, however great our Interior traffic, the latter may be diverted away from this city. Surveys made for us of all -of the Portland mountain range for years, show but two practicable railway passes into this city the Cornelius Gap, on a 2 per cent grade, and the Oswego route, on a grade very much less than 1 per cent, re quiring seven miles extra track than via the Cornelius Gap. and when you get to Oswego you have to come over the Southern Pacific's track for six and three quarter miles. Into Jefferson-street depot, with no connection to .the Union Depot at North Portland. It would seem, there fore, more advantageous if the Oswego Gap route is chosen to there dump saw logs into the river for Portland's saw mills, and ship your lumber In barges for delivery at any wharf or railway depot In Portland, and charter a small steamer to carry our merchandise and freight be tween Oswego and Portland for our rail way, until such time as we obtained an independent line of our own and a rail road bridge across the river above Elk Rock, and five miles new track, thence into East Portland. In that case we would turn our passengers from Nehalem and Tillamook at Oswego to the 12 trains which the Southern Pacific now runs between Portland and Oswego. The extra seven miles to construct, and consequent extra expense of operation, and railroad bridge, some day to be built, seem to absorb the economy of the Oswego route. There Is. however, a very practicable route, which has been all carefully sur veyed for us, namely, "straddling the hills," diagonally from the summit of Cornelius Gap, by construction of 10 to 10& miles. Involving a tunnel of one-half a mile and costly rock work, nearly all J the way to Guild's "Lake, thence into Union Depot a lovely grade, under 1 per, cent, and the shortest possible line to the Nehalem and Tillamook, saving four miles in distance over the Cornelius Gap route to Linnton, hereafter described. Assuming, then, that the extra expense of this shortest line, $270,000 to $280,000, Is too heavy for any direct line from Port land to Nehalem at the outset to pay, although this line can at any time here after be adopted by us, we arc of opin ion that the Cornelius Gap -route snouia, In that case, be adopted now, not, how ever, to connect with the Northern Pa cific's line there, 11 miles from Port land, but to cross .that company's track and parallel the Willamette Slough for four to five miles, until you reach Linn ton or Sprlngville, or a point between, where ocean steamers of 5000 tons may load or discharge cargoes. A&vantagres of Tnis Sntmrnan Ter minal. , The saving at the outset of the com pany's career of the investment of $260, 0W more or less, to get to Portland, requires the expenditure of $635,000 for the entire completion of the first 43 miles of railway to our summit, yet absolutely securing for that small expenditure: First An independent line and termi nus at Portland, through which latter city all frelglit except logs and passen gers must pass before the three trans continental lines can secure our freights for the Western and Southern States. Second It becomes, as heretofore shown, an absolutely paying property, since $32,500 Is all that Is necessary to pay Interest on our 43 miles of bonded in debtedness, and even should our rail way never go a mile further, 10 years' In terest from revenue is secured upon the $635,000 of bonds: that after these 43 miles are completed, which can readily be done this year, seeing so much thereof Is level, we can then readily float next year, or later, In any financial market in the United States, the remainder of our bonds for additional mileage to be built to reach the sea. That " this temporary terminus is reached this year, from the summit of the Coast Range, without paying one dollar of trackage or freight of any kind to any other connecting line or dividing freights with the Northern Pacific, South ern Pacific or O. R. & N. Co.. yet each become at that temporary terminus solici tors for our lumber to carry to Eastern and Southern points, makes it a common point rate with Portland and saves the extra cost of extension, for the time be ing, into the terminal grounds at Union Depot. Still we have the right by law. and shall exercise it whenever we complete our extensions of railway Into Nehalem and Tillamook territories, to build to North Portland a right which all of the transcontinental lines, even If combined, cannot deprive us. We have thus these three lines competing with each other for our lumber and freight and passengers going over their respective lines to the East. In short, our property becomes one of value because it Is a line non-tributary to any other railway instead of a mere branch by connecting at Hillsboro or at Cornelius Gap with one transcontinental line. All these advantages are secured by the investment of only $636,000 on first mortgage bonds at the rate of $15,000 per mile and no more over our first 43 miles of railway. Indeed, It is doubtful whether a better or safer Investment Is offered anywhere, even to our own local Portland canltallsts, who, by subscribing these $635,000 or $650,000 bonds could not confer a greater boon or more quickly secure Port land's future prosperity -with the owner ship which would follow on the controlling Interest In the stock to the bondholders In Portland, in the hands of a trustee they might designate, with the management and directorate placed under their sole control. As a prospective Investment, its value would enhance year after year through the Increased traffic, while best of all the railway could never be sold out, as most of our railroads In Oregon have been, to other transcontinental lines, if kept in Portland's hands. As a dividend payer upon these $650,000 of bonds, the traffic already demonstrated and In sight shows that above the Interest on bonds, o30,000 or less, the surplus for stock is ample. Furthermore, in selling bonds for new extensions beyond these 43 miles of the railway, it cannot be doubted that the management and directors being here would strengthen the value of the bonds, and as no money consideration is payable to any one, the property is secured at prime cost, with no fictitious indebted ness like the bonds on some Oregon lines of $30,000 per mile, .against the company's proposed first 43 miles of Indebtedness of $15,000 per mile on bonds. The following Is the proposed expenditure for 1901: Construction of 43 miles railway from suburbs: For construction and engineering... $286,710 For superstructure and side-tracks. 318,975 For sundry Items, interest on bonds during construction, building, etc., per details 23,556 Gross cost of railway $634,250 Equal to $14,750 per mile, except rolling stock. The superstructure Includes five miles of 75-pound steel rails and 3S miles of 60- pound steel rails at $42 delivered at Linn-. ton by the Carnegie Steel Company, and Includes, also, ties, track-laying ballast ing, switches and frogs and fastenings. Financial Proposition for Bonds and Stock. The capital stock is limited, both pre ferred and common, to $5000 per mile of railway. The bonds for the first 43 miles arc limited to $15,000 per mile. We recom mend that there be issued for construc tion purposes this year 650 bonds of $1000 each, or 1300 bonds of $500 each, Interest 5 per cent, to be secured by a first mort gage over the railway company's 43 miles and property. Including terminals; that in order to equip these 43 miles, $100,000 be raised for that special purpose on pre ferred stock, to take priority in security and in dividends over the common stock or any other stock to be issued, and to have also, as a collateral security, the usual car trust mortgage or chattel se curity over the $100,000 worth of rolling stock in favor of the preferred stockhold ers, repayable by eight yearly Installments of $12,500 taken from the first surplus earnings yearly. Provision Is thus made for this year's proposed construction 'and putting the first 43 miles in operation by November or December next. It is under stood that whoever is selected by the bondholders as their trustee for the first mortgage bonds of 43 miles shall also have the control of the railway company's stock, to be kept In his hands as fully paid-up common stock, xn behalf of the bondholders who are expected to become owners of that half of the common stock when fully paid up. In this way the bondholders will also control the man agement and elect all of their directors and officers, irrespective of those now In office. Operation of Railway From Subur ban Terminus. The terminal grounds extend from the union depot northerly for one and a half miles and do not belong to any of the transcontinental lines, so that any new company's railway would, like that of the Northern Pacific's main line, commence at North Portland. Having already the Northern Pacific's written assurance that so long as we are an independent line go ing into Portland, it will give us author ity to use and run over any portion of that company's main line, consequently if we terminate temporarily at either Linn ton or Sprlngville, or between, we pro pose to utilize this valuable privilege by Tunning our trains for five or six miles oyer the Northern Pacific's main line to North Portland. If, therefore: First Southern Pacific, Northern Pacific or O. R. & N Co. desire to have our loaded cars go East, South or North over their respective lines, we propose they take delivery at our temporary terminus, or repay us the trifling extra cost of our locomotives taking their cars to them at the terminal grounds. North Portland, as -we shall certainly claim the common point rate from our temporary terminus, although If the O. R. & N. Co. prefers to take delivery of our cars there, they may barge them across to and from St. Johns at their own expense. With North ern Pacific acquiescence we would sea no reason why,, if one transcontinental line took our loaded cars at our terminus at Portland's gates, we should pay to de liver them to the other transcontinental lines at a higher rate to the same places. Second In delivering saw logs from Nehalem to the Portland sawmills, we would propose their delivery dumped into the river at our terminus there, as we are Informed that as tugboats must send for these logs, even although we deliv ered them at the Union Depot, the differ ence of cost of towing, if any, would be very immaterial to the respective sawmills compared to delivery at Union Depot. Third In delivering finished lumber, ce dar, cordwood, telegraph and other pole3 and piling, Including grain and dairy produce, from the 15 miles of farming land In Northern Washington and from Tilla mook dairies, our company's locomotives would, on the favorable terms which Northern Pacific has afforded us over the five to six miles of their track, run into the Union Depot with same, costing us very little additional expense. Fourth For merchandise, malls, passen gers and express, we must have one train daily each way going into and out of our terminus, anyhow, so this train would go six to seven miles further on Into the Union Depot at our own expense without change of cars or passengers, and return within an hour thereafter to the Nehalem, thus in no way incommoding freight or passengers, and still running our trains punctually on time. Fifth For coal and lumber cargoes go ing seawards, w would be able, on ac count of the same depth of water, to load steamers at the wharf at our ter minus six miles below Portland, and save hauling these logs over the six miles of Northern Pacific track into the city, seeing that ocean steamers of COOO tons can load there as easily and cheaply as at the Union Depot. If any unforeseen combination or cir cumstances arise to prevent us carrying out the foregoing mode, we have still the privilege of chartering a steamer or steamers, barge or barges, for six miles Into and out of Portland at much less ex pense than at Hillsboro. 21 miles distant, or at Cornelius Gap, both far away from the possibility of obtaining steam navigation to and from the ocean and Portland. Payments to Contractors. If contractors build the first 43 miles, we are advised they would ask no pay ments to accounts until the first 20 miles from Linnton tvere completed and ready for locomotives, and the second payment when the last forty-third mile was com pleted and an engine had run over the same. This removes the possibility of risk of non-completion to the bondhold ers through any failure of contractor, although possibly the railway company may do the work cheaper with, Its own funds. JOiiN M'CRAKEN. President. GEORGE T. MYERS, Vice-President. WILLIAM REID, Secretary. PORTLAND, .NEHALEM & TILLA MOOlC RY. CO. HAS PLA YED MANY PARTS. Colonel C. A. Recti's Acts Have Been More Than Seven Decades. A stranger In the city who was passing along Fifth street a day or two since, paused to read a collection of signs on the windows and door posts of the studio of Colonel C. A. Reed, near Madison street. He ran over them In the following order: "Notary Public;" "Marriages Solemnized;" "Art Studio;" "Houses Rented and Collections Made;" "Real Es tate, Loans Negbtlated;" "Landscape and Marine Views Painted to Order," and so on through the list. "Here Is evidently a man who has In his time played many parts," remarked the stranger. He stepped inside and found the Colonel busy glinting a view of Mount Hood from Bull un Lake, while a number of views of Columbia River scenery hung around In different stages of progress. Painting is one of the Colonel's strong suits. "I just dropped In," said the stranger, "to Inquire if notaries public are author ized to solemnize marriages in Oregon?" "No, sir," answered the Colonel. "From seeing on one of your signs 'No tary Public, Authorized to Solemnize Marriages,' I imagined they were." "If you will notice carefully you will see that there Tsa period after notary public. I am both a notary and a solem nlzer of marriages, and I am prepared to draw up your .will or marry you, or to do both at a moment's notice." "Thanks," said the stranger, "you are very kind, but I am neither in a marry ing nor devising frame of mind at pres ent. Will you, however, please Inform me whence you derive your authority for solemnizing marriages? You do not look like an orthodox preacher." "Possibly not," replied the Colonel. "I imagine I more properly would be styled a heteredox preacher, If I preached. I have the honor to inform you, sir. that I am ap ordained minister of the Firs't Spiritual Association of Oregon, and have been for 15 years, and have my ordination papers ,to prove it." "Thanks, It Is not necessary, your word Is sufficient," said the stranger. "Will you, however, in view of the many lines of business in which you are engaged, permit me to ask how old you are. and how long you have been In this coun try?" "I shall be 76 years old In June, If I live. 1 have been 51 years on this coast,, having arrived in San Francisco January 1, 1S50." - "Have you ever practiced medicine?" "No, not exactly, but scarcely a day passes that some one does not call to be treated by me for some disease. I cure by the laying on of hands, cancer, ap pendicitis,, and such things yield readily to my treatment" "May I Inquire whence you derive your military title?" "Certainly. I was Adjutant-General in the state of Oregon for eight years, cov ering the period of the Civil War. To save you further inquiry, I will say that I have been a farmer, that I built one of the first sawmills, and one of t the first operahouses In Oregon and operated them both? and I have played more parts In my time than I hav,e time to tell you of. Now, If you will excuse me I will try' to put a few sunset tints around the summit of Mount Hood." PERSONAL .MENTION. 5 R. S. Finiger, manager of the D. O. Johnston music stores on Puget Sound, spent Sunday in Portland, the guest of Hy Ellers, who managed to convince him, pretty thoroughly of the pre-eminence of' Portland) as the 'business center of the est. f NEW YORK,&fay 5. Northwestern peo ple registered , at New York hotels today as follows: From -Seattle J. D. Mclntyre, at the Astor. i From Astoria J. E. Gratke and wife, at the Herald Square. From Walla Walla-J. R. Elliott, at the Murray Hill. "WBF00T" HARD WHEAT FLOUR Wins friends wherever It is tried, for bread making. After a trial one never feels like going back to soft flour. A lovely complexion commands admir ation. Improve yours using macical Sat-ln-JSkln Cream and Powder. 25c. I HeJp a, Cent aoi 1 i Costs to COolc fflk WJL in coTnort J w Comforteoble ? 11 rmrHflI"M It kir k nnif I HnrftlrN HAVr A IJKII I TWO COMPANIES ORDERED OUT FOR EARLY WORK., Novices Scaled the Ladders Right Heartily. Bnt "Were Shaky Abont Jumping: to the Iiife IVet. Fire horses and firemen gave an excel lent illustration, early yesterday morning, of the competency of the Portland Fire Department in a drill which' took place at the Snell, Heltshu & Woodard building, on Sixth and Burnside streets. Twenty one men, representing the crews of truck No. 1 and engine No. 1, participated, un der the supervision of Engineer Lauden klos. Sunday morning was chosen for the drill because the call men of the department were not then busy at their regular dally work and could give their whole attention to a drill. On week days these call men, when an alarm Is sounded, usually have to run four or five blocks from their places of employment to join the regular firemen. It was nearly a luxury then, yesterday morning, so far as the call men are concerned", to find themselves at fire headquarters, Fourth street, when the alarm sounded at 7 o'clock. The fire horses rushed from their stalls at the well-known signal, and pawed on the floor In 'their excitement to get out. It was as good as a real fire. Away the, horses raced down Fourth street, up Burnside, and turned into Sixth with a swing and" pre cision that spoke volumes for the careful training of the drivers. Very few people were astir as the firemen placed ladders and fire-hose on the big stone building which was chosen as the scene of operations. Several new firemen, act ing under the guidance of experienced fire-fighters, made their debut in carrying the heavy hose up the ladders, while the men attached to the fire engine tested bits of leaky hose, put clamps on hose where leaks were marked, and busied themselves making hose fast to connections at fire plugs. Practice . with scaling ladders was the next order, to get to the parts of the building not reached by ordinary ladders. The firemen left below then spread out the life net and their comrades on the third story knew It was "up" to them to jump. It was a dizzy moment for novices, but without a moment's hesita tion the men gallantly jumped in the air and each one landed In the net in safety. This was looked upon as the star per formance by the little crowd that watched the drill. "Good boy!" was the comment when a fireman landed fairly and squarely In the center of the net. Several of the new men were well shaken up as the result of their first jump, but the experience was a novel one and they were anxious for more of It. "That Is how we make firemen," said Chief Campbell. "When a real fire oc curs the boys will know what to do. Some day I hope to see every man in the Fire Department a regular fireman on salary. But such drill as the present one makes the men of the department as efficient as they possibly can be under a call sys tem. At present we have the only call system among the firemen of the Pacific coast. In these drills each district en gineer Is in charge of the men of his dis trict." "How about the new engine? Are you to have experts test It?" queried the re porter. A. eleam of pride shone in the Chiefs eyes as he answered: "Oh, yes. The new engine will be tested all right, but in the members of the Fire Department we have those fully qualified to test any fire engine. They are as good at this branch of the work as any fire men in the country." The journey back to headquarters start- ei and it is sajd on the quiet that every 1 one of the athletes engaged In the drill did ample justice to his brealcfast. OUT OF IMPRINTED STAMPS. Documentary Stamps Should Be Used Until July. D. M. Dunne, Internal Revenue Collect or, continues to receive daily orders for bank checks on which the 2-cent stamp re quired by law is printed. The repeal of the law requiring the 2-cent documentary stamp on bank checks goes Into effect July L The office of Imprinted stamps was closed In San Francisco April 1 and In the district of Oregon May 1. As the period remaining In which stamped checks must be used Is short. Collector Dunne advises people to use stamps for this time, as, If imprinted stamps are ordered, it will be necessary to send East for them. There is likely to be considerable de lay In receiving supplies, as most of the Imprinted stamp offices In the East are closed, and probably there would be time to use only a few of the Imprinted checks before the repeal of the law goes into effect. Persons who run out of im printed checks will, by using the docu mentary stamps up to July 1, be saved the trouble of making reclamation for the Imprinted checks they might have on hand at that time. The repeal of the stamp law In regard to bank checks will be a great convenience to the public. but, it is understood, will cause a loss to bankers, as when they furnish their pa trons with books of Imprinted checks they charge for them, while when there are no stamps required on checks the banks are at the cost of providing check books, which In large establishments amounts to quite a sum annually. tttteit o..... ... oo.ocooesooeoo 0,0 o Squandering Vitality MKJN AND WOMEN who are continually doping themselves with strong drug combinations $ In a vain hope of finding relief from ailments o a Nervous character are simply aiding those ail ments to destroy their vigor and lay waste their physical structure. You can drug yourself to death and never touch the deep-rooted seat of your mal ady. Electricity when properly applied is the only remedy which may be depended upon to make a cure In every case. I guarantee my Electric Belt to oure and to cure perfectly If It fails I do not want your money. There are a great many electric belts (so-called) being offered to the public. You must not confuse my Belt with these; it is entirely un like them. Dr. Bennett's Electric Belt Will not burn and blister as do others, as It has soft-silken, chamois-covered sponge electrodes my exclusive patent. Others have bare metal electrodes. Has Interchangeable battery cells andean be renewed when burned out for only 75c; when others burn out they are worthless. xsaturahas a limit. If you have disobeyed Na ture's laws you are a sufferer; you are prematurely weak and lack the Vim and Vitality you should have. Electricity that vital fluid of every man's and woman's nerves will restore you to the Vigor Nature intended you to have. NOT A CENT PAY WILL I RECEIVE UNLESS YOU ARE PERFECTLY CURED. 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'S BELT Has no equal for the cure of Nervous and Physical Debility, Exhausted Vital ity, Varicocele, Premature Decline, Los3 of Memory, Wasting, etc., which has been brought about by early indiscretions or later excesses. ESTABLISHED THIRTY YEARS. Write today for my latest books. "Health in Nature," and "Strength; Its Use and Abuse by Men." DR. A. T. SANDEN Cor. FousJand JflorrTson PORTLAND, OREGON fo : : 1 I 1