Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, December 25, 1901, Image 1

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VOL. XLL NO. 12,804.
PORTLAND, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1901.
PRICE FIVE CENTS.
m'fififiNim-t
jH kf. UlNP SassSt fit "hHsbssIs - - IB
WE ARE SELLING
Eastman Kodaks
and Cameras
AT 20 DISCOUNT
mi
I
"STRONGEST IN THE WORLD"
..$304,598,063.49 s . Surplus $66,137,170.01
L. Samuel. Manajjer. 305 Oregonlan Build Inr. Portland. Or.
Assets.
PHIL METSCHAN, Pre.
SEVENTH AM WASHINGTON
CHANGE OF
European Plan:
Adamant....
Is applied to over ne million buildings throughout
the United States. Made in forty different factories.
It is no experiment. Investigate. For information addrcn
THE
Phone North 2091.
THE PORTLAND
PORTLAND.
AMERICAN PLAN
m
User -xi -
COST ONE MILLION DOLLARS
HEADQUARTERS FOR TOURISTS AND COMMERCIAL TRAVELERS
'Special rates mnde to families sail single gentlemen. The maasse.
ment trill be plensed at all times to show rooms and give prices. A mod
ern Turkish bath establishment in the hotel. H. C. BOWERS, Manager.
Library Association of Portland ?
Heur from 9 A. M. io 9 P. M., except Sundays and holidays.
29,000 3ZOL.V7KTBS 250 PBRIODICKL3
$5.00 75 YBHR S1.SO A QUKRTBR
SPECIAL RATES TO STUDEKTJ.
The Sagebrush Philosopher
A patron of the house and a frequent visitor, has much to say, and we cannot
refrain from, quoting him. "Conventionality," said he. "is the refuge o the Ignorant
and the weak-minded. My neighbors all have pianos. Although none of them
can play, they seem satisfied In that they have complied "with the demands of
a useless conventionality. My Pianola, however, has caused the most acute of
them to dimly realize that a piano, to be of any use, should be played on once
In a while.
THE AEOLIAN COMPANY
31. B. WELLS, Sole Northwest Agent, Aeolian Hall, 353-355 "Washington t.
CREOSOTING WORKS BURNED
Valuable Plant of the Southern Pa
cific Destroyed at Houston.
HOUSTON, Tex.. Dec 24. The Immense
creosotlng works of the Southern. Pacific
Company, located two miles beyond
the city limits, were destroyed by
fire today. The plant extended about
six blocks in length along the Texas &
New Orleans tracks and was, a place of
almost constant activity. It is learned
that the loss will reach .about $100,000.
The value of the plant was estimated at
$72,000 and the amount of matter de
stroyed will reach from $15,000 to $30,000.
No Insurance was carried and the loss
falls wholly upon the company. The
Are broke out at 10:30 o'clock this morn
ing and Is supposed to have been due
to spontaneous combustion of gas gener
ated in one of the underground reservoirs.
Fire in a Pennsylvania Town.
CONNELLSVILLE, Pa., Dec 24. Al
most an entire square was wiped out by
fire today, entailing a loss of $75,000. The
Are lasted from 1 until 5 o'clock. By
hard work the firemen kept the flames
confined to the square The heaviest
loss is on the furniture store of B. P.
Wallace, $38,000.
Threatening Fire at Shrevepart.
SHREVEPORT, La., Dec 24. Fire
that started in Jackson Bros.' furni
ture store, In the heart of the city, threat
ens the entire block and may spread
further. The loss at this, time is esti
mated at over $100,000.
Queen Alexandra Improved.
LONDON, Dec 24. The health of Queen
Alexandra still Improves, but It will be
impossible for Her Majesty to leave Lon
don this week. The Prince and Princess
of Wales will spend Christmas day at
York cottage with their children.
JAS. E. PEPPER
Has Been the Leading
Whisky in America
Since 1780. ... Its
Purity is Unquestioned.
ROTHCH1LD BROS., Agents
Premo, No. 6, 4x5....$20.00
Poco, No. 5, 4x5 1 1.00
Montauk, 4x5 25.00
Cyclone Magazine,4x5, 7.00
Blumauer-Frank Drug Co.
Wholesale
and Importing Druggists.
W Lll
c. "vv. kxowlcs, aiarr.
STREETS, PORTLWD, 0REG31
HAXAGEXEN'T.
S1.C0, $1.59, $2.00 per Day
The Perfection
of Wall Plaster
ADAMANT CO.
Foot of 14th Street, PORTLAND, OR.
ORBCON
W
$3.00 PER-DAT
and upward.
4&
SEVENTH AN
STARK STREETS
-Sl.OO A TKAB
TRIP FULL OF HARDSHIPS.
Utah Scientist's Adventures in Cen
tral America.
NEW YORK, Dec. 24.-J. B. Falrbank,
of Provo City, Utah, arrived here to
night on the Atlas liner Andes, from
South American ports. He was a member
of a party of nine which set out from
Provo City to obtain specimens, alive
or dead, of the fauna and flora of Central
and South America, for the Brighaxn
Young Academy.
After exciting adventures they reached
Mexico and proceeded to the interior of
the country. In Guatemala, four of the
adventurers were stricken with fever
and taken to Port Llmon. Falrbank and
the remainder pressed on, and quantities
of valuable specimens were shipped to
the school. Again the band split and two
who sought to go down the West Coast
intending to reach Valparaiso were tar
gets for rebel sharpshooters, after they
had been warned by rebel officers. Fin
ally all but Falrbank succeeded in reach
ing the Coast, and there found an avenue
of escape. All suffered from disease
contracted under the Intense heat of the
tropical sun. Falrbank proceeded up the
Magdalena River about 400 miles and
stayed with a planted until a chance
offered Itself a month later to get to
Santa Marta, where he took the steamer
Andes for New York. Fairbanks says
that, although he has traveled thousands
of miles and endured almost untold hard
ships, the trip was successful from a
scientific standpoint.
'
A Shooting at Bean&aont.
BEAUMONT, Tex., Dec 24. W. F.
Stelnman, of the firm of Whitney & Steln
man, architects and builders, shot and
killed J. A. Kinney, a carpenter, who had
been 1 nthe employ of the Stelnman firm.
The shooting occurred when the sidewalks
were thronged with people. The trouble
grew out of a settlement for work done
by Kinney.
,1 A
BUYS ALBINA PLANT
Water Committee Decides to
Pay $200,000.
PRICE CAUSES LIVELY DEBATE
J. N. Teal Favored $175,000 as the
Figure, and Allen Lewis 9157,729
Purchase "Was Carried t
Vote of 7 to 3.
The water committee yesterday decid
ed to purchase the pipes, pumps, real
estate and complete plant of the Alblna
Light & Water Company, for the sum
of $200,000. This decision was arrived at
in an adjourned meeting of the water
committee, at which the consideration
of a committee appointed to investigate
and report upon the advisability of pur
chasing this plant, had been made the
special order of business.
Chairman Corbett presided and there
were present the following named mem
bers of the committee: Knapp, Ther
kelsen, Joscphl, Haseltlne, Carson, Lewis,
Hill, Raffety, Teal and Ladd.
Report of Operating Committee.
The chairman stated the object of the
meeting and the following report of the
operating committee, Messrs. Raffety and
Ladd and Chairman Corbett, an ex-ofilclo
member, was read:
Portland, Dec 17. To the Water Committee
of the City of Portland. Or. Gentlemen: Tour
operating committee, which was Instructed, at
the meeting of October 15. 1001. to report a
plan for extending the water system of the
city so as to cover the district of Alblna and
adjacent territory, and with said report to
present a full estimate of the probable cost
thereof, and the probable earnings of said por
tion of the plant covering said territory, when
extended, and to report as to -the advisability
of acquiring any plant now covering or sup
pljlng said portion of the city with water, beg
to report:
That the proposed lines of distribution of
water in the Alblna district are shown on the
accompanying map, which lines would paral
lel the mains of the Alblna Light & Water
Company. The cost of same Is estimated by
the Engineer at $110,748 53. to which should
be added the cost of connection with the pres
ent graity system, necessitating the construc
tion of a large high - service main from the
high-service reservoir on Mount Tabor, at a
cost of $75,000, and of a low-service jnain
from the 24-Inch main In Division street, north
erly to Lower Alblna, at a cost of $00,000,
making a total cost of $251,748 53. The reve
nue from which would be seriously reduced
by competition between the city and the pres
ent Alblna company.
In answer to the advertisement of the oper
ating committee, inviting proposals for sale of
water plants, the Alblna Light & Water Com
pany offered to sell Its plant to the city for
$250,000. Your subcommittee has caused to
be made a careful examination of the property
of the Alblna company, as shown by the report
of Engineer Clark, hereto attached, and. has
investigated the matter of receipts, from water 1
consumers, as per report of Superintendent
Dodge, hereto attached.
The report of the engineer says the present
plant, including pumps, tanks and real estate,
could be duplicated for. in round figures, $172,
000, and the report of Superintendent Dodge
shows that th6 net earnings of the property
have averaged, for the past two years, about
$20,000 per annum.
Your committee, after due consideration,
made the Alblna Light & "Water Company a
counter offer of $200,000 for Its entire plant,
payable $160,000 in cash at the time of trans
fer; $25,000 on or before one year from date
of transfer, and $25,000 on or before two years
from date of transfer; the deferred payments
to bear Interest at the rata of 5 per cent per
annum.
Your committee, believing that It Is a sound
public policy that the water committee of the
City of Portland should control the entire sup
ply of water, and the distribution thereof, la
this city; and that the residents of Alblna
and of the territory served by the Alblna com
pany desire Bull Run water, and that they are
entitled to as good water as the rest of our
citizens; and that the revenue from such serv
ice should accrue to the city Instead of an In
dividual corporation; and that the present net
revenue will pay the Interest tipon bonds of
twice the amount of the purchase price; and
that said revenue will increase with the growth
of that section of tho city; and that the Alblna
Light & "Water Company have agreed to ac
cept our proposition, recommends that the wa
ter committee purchase the Alblna plant upon
the terms above named.
C H. RAFFETY, Chairman.
Teal Makes a Motion.
Teal moved that so much of the report
as stated that it is sound policy that
the Water Committee should control the
entire supply of water in the city and the
distribution thereof, and that the residents
of the territory served by the Alblna com
pany desire and are entitled to as good
water as the rest of the citizens, etc,
be adopted, leaving out the matter of
price.
A short discussion followed, and Teal
explained that the object of his mo
tion was to avoid conveying the idea,
in case the report was not adopted, that
those voting against it did not fully con
cur In that the citizens of Alblna are
entitled to be supplied with Bull Run
water, etc. They were all agreed on this
point, but he could not say whether they
should or should not buy the Alblna plant
at the price recommended by the com
mittee. In the end the motion carried
and the part of the report quoted was
adopted, leaving out the recommendation
as to the price to be paid.
He Suggests $175,000.
Teal then moved that the remainder of
the report be amended so as to provide
that the price to be paid the Alblna Light
& Water Company for their plant be $175,
000. He went on to speak at some length
in support of his proposition. He said he
did not believe that the city should uso
Its power to oppress a citizen or drive
him out of business, but by the report of
the operating committee it was proposed
to give the Alblna company a bonus on
It3 plant and real estate, and to buy
tools and other things which would not
hereafter be needed by the committee. He
stated that there was no Instance of such
an offer having been made for a public
utility. The Water Committee had con
tinuously refused to go into the territory
beyond an imaginary line bounding the
territory occupied by the Alblna company,
and he thought that the company had
been used as "white" as any company
could "be. He was not satisfied with the
price recommended, but was willing to pay
$175,000 for the plant When they went
this far he thought they were going Just
as far as they ought to, even further
than he thought right, but he was willing
to go so far. He thought that in dealing
with a member of their committee, and
giving him a bonus of $43,000, the people
would never sustain them. If he gets
$175,000 he is being treated better by thou
sands of dollars than any other company
had ever been treated by the committee.
He said the matter of competition did
not bother him a particle Moreover the
Alblna company made a claim that the
Aitv owafl it a. lareo sum for water
for street hydrants, etc, and was threat
ening to begin suit to recover this money.
Mr. Teal then explained at length the
methods adopted by the committee In the
purchase of the plant of the old Portland
Water Company, the McGuire Water Com
pany, and the Portland Heights Water
Company, and intimated that the commit
tee had practically forced these companies
to sell out to the city at lower price
than was just, and had established a
precedent for "close dealing" which ap
peared to have been -forgotten in nego
tiating with the Alblna Company for its
plant.
Chairman Corbett explained briefly the
reasons of the commute for fixing the
price paid the old Portland Water Com
pany and others, which was because their
plants were poor, and so the price was
placed low, considering the Income the
companies received.
Lewis Favors $157,729.
Lewis had looked over the report and
had examined Into the question of the
company's pipe lines. He was of opinion
that the price named for the real estate
was too high, and he did not like the
great amount of one- and two-inch pipes
on the Alblna company's system. He
considered it a second-class plant, and
not constructed in the way the water
committee would have constructed It. He
thought the committee should not go
e -
f
' ' "MEKRY CHRISTMAS!" I
" - X 1
T
c mmmmumkmi ----
above the precedent established and pay
the company a dollar more than
$157,729 50, the engineer's estimate of the
value of their plant. He thought the
company had received as much as it was
entitled to In the way of profits. He did
not desire to oppress any man, but the
city could not afford to be too generous.
Lewis' Motion Defeated.
Finally, at the suggestion of a member,
Lewis moved that the report of the com
mittee be amended so as to recommend
that the price to be paid for the plant of
the Alblna company bo fixed at the engi
neer's valuation, $137,729 50. The motion
was put and lost by a vote of ayes, 3;
noes, 8.
The motion of Teal to amend the re
port and fix the price to be paid for the
plant at $175,000 was next in order.
The construction committee had so far
refrained from saying anything In sup
port of Its recommendation, and while
nearly every member present had asked
questions or made some suggestions, tho
great part of the talking had been done
by Teal and Lewis.
When Teal's amendment came up, Ladd
explained briefly the reasons of tho op
erating committee for recommending- that
$200,000 be paid for the plant He would
not say that its recommendation should
be adopted In preference to Teal's mo
tion to pay only $175,000. In a few words
ho explained the undeslrablllty of enter
ing into competition with the Alblna
Company, the cost of constructing a new
plant, with means to supply the high and
low-service systems of the Alblna dis
trict, the impossibility of cutting rates
in view of the work before them In thn
next few years. All his statements were
to the point and when he had concluded
he asked to be excused as he had to
catch a train, leaving the city.
Teal's motion to fix tho price of the
Alblna plant at $175,000 was then put and
lost by a tie vote of 5 to 5.
9200,000 Report Adopted.
The motion for the adoption of the re
port of the operating committee, recom
mending that the plant of the Alblna
Light & Water Company be purchased
at a cost of $200,000, was then put and
carried by a vote of 7 to 3. Those vot
ing aye were Messrs. Carson. Hill, Hasel
tlne, Knapp, Raffety, Therkelsen, and
Corbett. 7; those voting nay were Jo
sephi, Lowls and Teal. 3.
Teal moved that It be included In the
purchase that the Alblna Light & Water
Company surrender to the city their fran
chise, furnish a perfect title to all their
real estate and other property, and that
all bills the company have against the
city for water be receipted, which mo
tion was carried by a unanimous vote.
' Chairman Corbett who had been
authorized to appoint a committee of
three to take such steps as they may
deem proper to have the books of the
water committee examined and reported
on by an expert every year, appointed as
such committee Messrs. Ladd, Teal and
Josephl.
The meeting then adjourned.
Livestock nt Charleston Exposition.
CHARLESTON, S. C, Dec. 24. The live
stock exhibit of the exposition here will
open January 6, continuing until January
20. In the competition many of the most
famous herds In the United States will
be represented, entries so far having been
.made from 17 states. Money premiums
will be paid to the successful contestants.
George F. Weston, of Vanderbilt's Bllt
more stock farm. Is In charge of the live
stock department.
Macedonian Mnrderers Frustrated.
CONSTANTINOPLE, Dec 24. The
Macedonian committee, whose murderous
proceedings he had denounced, has been
frustrated in a plot for the murder of the
Bulgarian Metropolitan of Monastir.
LONG PUT HIM OUT
Maclay Discharged From His
Position in the Navy-Yard.
AFTER HE REFUSED TO RESIGN
The Secretary's Action Was Taken
by Direction" of President
Hoosevelt The His
torian's Letter
WASHINGTON, Dee. 24. Secretary
Long has discharged Edgar Stanton Ma
clay from his position is a skilled la
borer In the Brooklyn navy-yard, Mr.
Maclay having refused to resign when
"MEKRY CHRISTMAS!"
requested to do so. Mr. Maclay criticised
Admiral Schley in his naval history as
a "caitiff, poltroon and coward."
Secretary Long's action was taken by
direction of the President, and followed a
conferenco between the President and tne
Secretary, who took to the White House
with him a letter from Maclay In re
sponse to the request for his resignation
sent by the Secretary last Saturday. In
this letter Maclay submitted that he
could not be removed or be compelled to
resign without definite charges being
made against him and without having an
opportunity to answer those charges. Al
though the civil service rules give em
ployes of tho service the opportunity of
answering charges that may be preferred
against them, the President exercised his
prerogative In the present incident and
directed Maclay's removal," It being held
that the latter was aware unofficially, If
not officially, of the reasons which actu
ated tho Executive In. taking the course
determined upon. Secretary Long said
the action taken today would dispose of
the case finally.
Mr. Maclay's letter to Secretary Long,
replying to the request for his resigna
tion, is as follows:
"Navy-Yard, New York, Office of the
General Storekeeper, Dec. 23, 1901. Rear
Admlral Albert S. Barker, "U. S. N., Com
mandant, Navy-Yara New York Sir: I
have the honor of acknowledging the re
ceipt of your communication of this date,
in which you forwarded the following
communication of this date from the Hon
orable Secretary of War: 'I am directed
by the President to ask Edgar S. Maclay,
special laborer, general storekeeper's of
fice, navy-yard. New York, to send in
his resignation.'
"I respectfully submit that I was reg
ularly appointed to my present position,
after having duly passed a clerk's ex
amination in accordance with all the re
quirements of the civil service regulations,
and, therefore, cannot be removed or be
compelled to resign without deflnito
charges being made against me,
and without having an opportunity
to answer those charges. I have
been in this office 15 months, have
1 been promoted for efficiency, and,.EOfar
as I know, my work is 'satisfactory to
I my superiors. 1 nave viuimeu u ruca
or regulations or tms omce or 01 me navy
yard, so far as I am aware.
"Such being the case, I feel that it
would not only be an injustice to myself
to resign under such circumstances, but
it would be establishing a precedent that
vltallv concerns thousands of civil serv-
i ice employes, both National and state.
Very respectfully yours,
"EDGAR S. MACLAY."
Secretary Long's dispatch to Rcar-Ad-mlral
Barker directing Maclay's removal
was as follows:
"Washington, Dec. 20. Rear-Admiral
Barker, U. S. N., Commandant Navy
Yard. New York: By direction of the
President, Edgar S. Maclay Is discharged.
LONG.'
ixuuiy mm.
NEW YORK, Dec 25. When seen at
his home and Informed of his dismissal
from his position In the navy-yard by
President Roosevelt Edgar Stanton Mac
lay said:
"I have written to the civil service
authorities at Washington asking for a
formal opinion on this subject I shall
be guided In my actions by the advice
received from this source."
Schley at Xew York.
NEW YORK, Dec 24. Rear-Admiral
Schley and his wife have arrived In this
city from Washington. They will spend
the holidays with their daughter, Mrs. R.
M. S. Wortley. Admiral Schley refused to
talk about the reprimand of General
Miles and the contradiction, of Admiral
Deweys judgment
"I am here to enjoy Christmas with my
family." he said, "and I have nothing to
say about anything connected with my
I duties or with the Army or Navy or the
President."
Miles Is "Sot Talking ow.
WASHINGTON, Dec. 24. Lleutenant
General Nelson A. Miles returned to the
city today from his brief visit to New
York. The General declirfed to discuss
the question of the reprimand given him
by the Secretary of War for his published
observations on the report of the verdict
of the court of Inquiry in the Schley case,
and In renlv to lnaulries as to his future
course In the matter said he had no state- i
ment to make. He did say. however, that
the report that he would apply for a
court of inquiry was entirely unauthor
ized. SOLD HIS BIRTHRIGH T.
Edna Wallace Hopper's Brother
Gave Up His Claim to the Estate."
CHICAGO. Dec. 24. Thomas Wallace,
the only brother of Edna Wallace Hopper,
tho actress, and a Joint heir with her to
a fortune of over $200,000, today relin
quished his claim to the estate for $o00
cash and a promise of $100 a month dur
ing his life. The negotiations were car
ried on secretly at the Auditorium Annex,
and as soon as the agreement was signed
Mrs. Hopper, with her attorney, returned
to New York. Thomas Wallace has lived
In Chicago for years, and Is engaged In
the saloon business. Mrs. Wallace, the
mother, after being a widow for many
years, married A. L. Dunsmulr, a wealthy
Callfornian, the marriage taking place
after Edna Wallace was divorced from
De Wolf Hopper. A few weeks after the
marriage Mr. Dunsmulr died, leaving his
widow the entire estate. Soon after Edna
Wallace Hopper announced that she would
never marry again as long as her mother
was living, and while she was preparing
for a visit with her she received word of
her mother's death. When the will was
probated It was found that Mrs. Duns
mulr had left the bulk of her fortune to
I her daughter and $50,000 to her son, to be
paid to him when he reached the ago of
45 years. Since the death of his mother
Thomas Wallace has frequently appealed
to his sister for assistance. Feeling that
some kind of agreement should be made
with her brother, Miss Hopper came to
Chicago, accompanied by her attorney.
Thomas Wallace met them at the hotel,
and at tho end of a long conference tt
stenographer was called and an agree
ment dictated by which he relinquished
his Interest to his sister for the consider
ation named.
WRECKED AND BURHED.
Accident on the Missouri, KniKim t
' Texas Xcnr Dnllus.
DALLAS, Tex., Dec. 24. The Missouri,
Kansas & Texas north-bound passenger
train due in Dallas at 11:20 o'clock last
night was wrecked and almost complete
ly burned, six miles south of here, just
before midnight Three persons were In
jured, but no one killed. The baggage,
express and mall-cars were saved. The
Injured are: Jenks Clark, engineer, Denl
son, Tex., injured about shoulders and
legs; William Kevney, fireman, also of
Denlson, injured about head and legs;
Joseph Henry, colored, Injured Internally.
The engine and one Pullman are all
that remain, five cars having been de
stroyed. .zThe engine Is bottom up in the
ditch. ?
Bucket Shops and Poolrooms Closed.
DENVER, Dec. 24. Judge Johnson, of
the District Court, today notified the pro
prietors of poolrooms and 'bucket shops
operating In Denver, and the Denver Min
ing Stock Exchange, through the Sheriff,
that they must discontinue business at
once. The poolroom operators, who have
been protected against the city authorities
by nn Injunction issued some months ago
by Judge Palmer, of the same court, say
they will obey Judge Johnson's order, as
Judge Palmer's Injunction does not apply
to the county authorities. The others af
fected, however, declare the court has no
right to make such an order in their case
and that they shall be open for business
as usual Thursday morning. Besides the
poolrooms, the following were served
with Judge Johnson's notice today: Den
ver Mining Stock Exchange, L. M. David
son, John G. Morgan Brokerage Compar
and W. B. Ray.
Expulsion of Grain Traders.
CHICAGO, Dec. 24. The expulsion of
Arthur Jones and Michael J. Ryan, presi
dent and secretary, respectively, of A. R.
Jones & Co., brokers on the Board of
Trade, was pronounced effective and valid
by Judge Hanecy today, when he dis
solved the temporary Injunction obtained
before Judge Tuley December 20 to re
strain the board from enforcing the act of
expulsion.
Captain Mahan's Xew Book.
LONDON, Dec. 24. The Times devotes
an editorial this morning to Captain Alfred
T. Mahan's recently published "Types of
Naval Officers."
NEW ARID LAND BILL
An Eastern View of the Irri
gation Question.
LITTLE CHANCE THIS SESSION
Objections to the Compromise Meas
ure Recently Agreed Upon Put
ting a Quietus on the Am
bitions of Shaw.
WASHINGTON. Dec 24. There Is no
hope of securing the passage of any gen
eral irrigation legislation during the pres
ent Congress, and very little hope of se
curing an appropriation for even an ex
perimental system.
Eastern members of Congress have ex
amined the compromise bill recently
agreed upon by the Irrigation advocates,
and are already taking radical exception
to its provisions. A general bill, in order
to pass, must provide that the right to
water shall remain in the land and the
price at which irrigated lands may be
obtained, under the homestead law, t.hall
be equal to the amount expended by the
General Government in their reclamation.
The proposed bill is so worded that tho
water rights may be absorbed of pur
chased by any individual or corporation
and diverted from the landi upon which
the water was Intended to be turned.
Furthermore, a uniform price of $5 an aero
for irrigated lands is fixed, which Is only
half of the cost of reclamation. Eastern
men are now beginning to open their eyes
to the fact that the. creation of a reclama
tion fund from the sale of public lands
Is practically appropriating so much from
the treasury under another name. Until
a bill is framed which will insure the
full return to the Government of all
money expended in the reclamation of arid
lands, and, furthermore, making strict
provision to prevent speculation in water
rights. Eastern support cinnot be had,
and without Eastern support any bill will
fall.
The bill now proposed provides that no
reservoirs shalf be constructed where the
cost of reclamation shall exceed $10 per
acre. Officlalswho are familiar with con
ditions in Eastern Oregon and Washing
ton say that there are but few sections
of those states where the arid lands can
be reclaimed for such a small amount,
hence these states would practically derive
no benefit from the billThls would with
draw the support of some Western States,
combined with the solid East, which does
not propose to expand $10 andreceive but
$5 hi the creation of new homes. Further
more, the East will not lend Its support
until It Is clearly established that re
claimed lands are to be used solely for
farms and homes and not for grazing pur
poses, nor Is there likely to be any agree
ment In favor of the construction of an
experimental system, as each Western
State is clamoring for the location for
such system within Its boundaries, and
there can probably be no compromise.
Putting Shaw Out of the "Way.
The selection of Governor Shaw as a
successor to Secretary Gage is regarded
here as a political move to put a quitu3
upon the Presidential ambitions of tho
Governor, at least for several years to
come. As a member of Roosevelt's official
family he could not with propriety pro
claim himself a candidate for the Presl-
dency In 1904.
Dinner to Irrigation Advocates.
Senator Mitchell and Representative;
Cuahman were guests at a dinner given
last night by Representative Newlands to
Secretary Wilson and other Irrigation ad
vocates. A "tt" D
Gypsum Companies Combine.
CHICAGO. Dec. 24. The consolidation of:
25 companies controlling the principal gyp
sum fields of the United States was ef
fected today under the name of the Gyp
sum Company. The company has a paid
up capital of $10,000,000. It will have no
bond Issue, and its stock will not be of
fered for sale, as It has been underwrit
ten by the pertons entering into the com
bination. The company's avowed purpose
is to develop the use of gypsum In tho
manufacture of plaster Instead of lime.
SUMMARY OF THE DAY'S NEWS
Phlllpincs.
A brother of Slxto Lopez was hanged for trea
son. Pago 3.
General Chaffeo refused to interfere In tho
court-martial ot a Filipino murderer. Page 3.
Tho insurgent General, Sampson, surrendered
in Bohol. Page 3.
Governor Taft left Manila for home. Page 3.
Foreign.
Chile and Argentina come to an agreement
Pago 2.
Germany has not yet sent an ultimatum to
Venezuela. Page 2.
United States Consul Bole points out soma
of England's fallings. Page 3.
Domestic.
Secretary Long discharged Maclay from the
Brooklyn navy-jard. Page 1.
There is little hope of an Irrigation bill passing
this session. Page 1.
Governor Shaw says the Treasury position has
not been tendered to him. Page 2.
Pacific Coat
General Randall Is greatly amused by yarn
that Army headquarters are to be moved
from Vancouver to Seattle. Pago 4.
Another hold-up near Oregon City. In which a
shot was taken at the highwayman. Page 4.
Totem Club, a largo Seattle gambllng-houoe,
was blown up. Page 4.
Commercial and Marine.
Sugar was the feature of the New York stock
market. Page 11.
Local sugar market declines 25 cents. Page 11.
British ship Wendur makes a fa3t passage from
Valparaiso. Page 5.
Fulwood's owners lose nearly $0000 by waiting.
Page 5.
German ship Flottbek is again afloat. Page 3.
Portland and Vicinity.
Water Committee decides to purchase Alblna
water plant. Page 1.
Murderers "Wade and Dalton sentenced to hang;
January 31. Page 8.
Teamdrlvcrs made donation to Lewis and Clark
fund. Page 7.
Architect Kleemann wins suit for his fee.
Page S.
Christmas exercises begin. Page 10.
i