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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 17, 1903)
VOL. XLII. XO. 13,136. PORTLAND, OREGON, " CRD AY, JANUARY 17, 1903. PRICE FIVE CENTS. R-U B 3E BOOTS, SHOES, CLOTHING, ETC, BELTING, PACKING, HOSE Goodyear Ru 9 bbcr Company R. If. PEASE, President. 7.1-T.1 First St.. Portland. Or. JUST RECEIVED BETTER TIIAX EVER. FIXEIjY ILLUSTRATED. PRICE To CENTS. BLUMAUER-FRANK DRUG COMPANY Wholesale and Importing Druggists HAWS PURE America's ORIGINAL MALT WHISKY Without a Rivai Today BLUMAUER & HOCH 108 and 1 10 Fourth Street Sole Distributers for Oregon and "Washington. M ALT J. I". DAVIES. Pres. J. W. BLAIN. Sec and Treas. St Charles Hote' CO. (INCORPORATED). FRONT AND MORRISON STREETS PORTLAND, OREGON EHropean Plan Rooms 50c to $1.50 First-Class Restaurant In Connection ASK YOUR DEALER FOR 95 MEN'S "FLINTSTON The Greatest Shoe on Earth. Five styles. Our Stock of Spring Sho6s is now Arriving. ... n.. rtti Wholesale Exclusively. HOTEL PERKINS Fifth and Washington Streets PORTLAND, OREGON EUROPEAN PLAN Firart -Class Cheek Rcitanrant Osmsected Wltk Hotel. Roomo Single . Room Double Rooms Family .......TOo to 31. S3 per flay $1.00 to $2.00 per day S1.60 to $3.00 Br day POLITICIANS REQUIRING A STRONG PULL SHOULD PATRONIZE OUR Logging Engine Department WILLAMETTE IRON & STEEL WORKS, ' pSuegox? HI PORTLAND SAFE & LOCK CO. HIGHEST GRADE FIRE-PROOF S. ApE Have Stood the Test of 57 Years. TVB HAVE REMOVED TO ' 76 FIRST ST., CORNER OAK IF YOU COULD BE ASSURED $t000 in about eight years for the systematic saving of about 25c each day, would it not be worth investigating? Ask the Equitable Savings anAd Loa.n. 1 " . Association 240 Stark Street, corner Second. Cbas. E. Ladd, Pres. Theo. B. Wilcox, Vlce-Pres. F. McKercher, Secy. TME ESMOND HOTE OSCAR AKDERSOH, Manager. Front and Morrison Streets, PORTLAND - OREGON FREE 'BUS TO AND FROM ALL TRAINS. Rates European plan. 50c, 5c, $1.00, $1.50, $2.00 per day. Sample rooms In connection. FAT PAY FOR COMMISSION Members Dra-iv $1000 a Month Each for Canal Service. WASHINGTON, Jan. 16. The Secretary of State has supplied Senator Morgan, chairman of the Senate committee on lnteroceanlc canals, a statement of ex penditures made on account of the Isth jnlan Canal Commission. It showed that each member of the commission has been allowed compensation at the rate of $1000 a month, with traveling expenses added. The salaries wero fixed in 1899, when the commission was created, at the suggestion of the President, In the cases of Colonel Peter C. Haines and Lieutenant-Colonel O. M. Ernest, of the Army, the allowance Is equal to the difference between their regular salaries and $1000. Under this arrangement the aggregate amount paid to the nine commissioners as salaries up to February 2S, 1902, amounted to $225,280. The traveling expenditures of the ' commfssloners at that time had averaged about $18,000 each. ' Half a Million Fire Lom. NEW YORK, Jan. 1C The main building of the Nichol Chemical Company, in. the Borough of Queens, waa destroyed by fire tonight The damage is reported to Te NEW MINISTER PRESENTED Conies From Dominican Republic Wants a Commercial Treaty. WASHINGTON, Jan. 1C Don Leon Visque, who has been charge d'affaires of the Dominican Republic with head quarters in New York City, was presented to the President, by Acting Secretary of State Hill today as the Minister of the Dominican Republic to this country. There was -one significant departure from the speeches usual at such ceremonials, and that was the announcement by the Dominican Minister that he came to the United States empowered by his govern ment to negotiate a commercial treaty which he trusted, would be not only of pecuniary benefit to both countries, but would cement more closely the friendship now existing between the United States and his own country. The President In his response Indorsed the project saying: "The Government of the United States shares in your hope that the promised negotiations will draw closer the ties of friendship already existing between the two countries and enlarge and strengthen their commercial Interests." Loudon Artist Dead. LONDON, .Jan. 1C The death is an nounced of Henry Kenworth Wells, the orHct. National Livestock Meet ing in 1904 ALL CLAD TO GOME WEST This City Was Finally Select ed by Acclamation. EFFECTIVE WORK OF C. J. WILLIS By Unremitting Vigilance lie Kept Oilier Candidates From Malilni? Combinations Presented Port land's Advantage. KANSAS CITY, Jan. 1G. (Special.) The National Livestock Convention ad journed today to meet in Portland in January, 1G04. Choice of a convention city was made by acclamation, but it should not be inferred that Portland had a walk over. In fact the Oregonlans had the hardest sort of a fight, and won only by working from the minute they landed, staying up all night, and watching to see that no promised delegation broke away. The result was that tho opposition was unable to make a successful combination, and before balloting time all other can didates had discreetly withdrawn, except Detroit When the convention this afternoon reached the convention city order of busi ness. Chairman Springer called upon C. J. MIUIs to present the claims of Portland. He read Governor Chamberlain's invita tion and in a concise 10-mincte speech summed up the advantages of Portland as a convention city and set forth the glories of Oregon scenery and the vast natural resources of the state and the educational value of a trip to the Northwest John V. Davis, of Idaho, made a very strong speech in favor of Portland. He promised the delegates that the conven tion stage in Portland would be decorated, not with preserved or greenhouse palms. but with real January llowers, grown out doors. F. B. Bennett, of Boston, a finished orator,--made asttrring ,address .favoring. Portland. He dwelt upon the beauty of Oregon and the desirability of stockmen familiarizing themselves with the far West Ex-Congressman Jerry Simpson, of New Mexico, said that all his life he had been moving westward, but he had never quite reached the Pacific Ocean. Now he begged the convention to go to Portland next year that he might round out his career. Jesse M. Smith, of Utah, said his state favored Portland last year and would vote the same way now. Colorado, Kansas and Nebraska delegates, speaking for their states, seconded Portland. Howard Da'vldson, of New York, moved that Port land be chosen by acclamation. Chairman Springer said it was evident Portland was the convention's choice, but the mo tion was not in order, ns other cities had sent Invitations, which were still unread. It developed, however, that representa tives of all these cities but Detroit had, shrewdly withdrawn their Invitations, that the ballot might not show weekness. De troit's Invitation was read, but no spokes man appeared for the Michigan city. Mr. Springer then put the Davidson motion, which was carried amid great cheering"; Mr. Millls was the center of attraction after the result was announced, delegates crowding around him to congratulate him and pronounce him a consummate politi cian. The Oregon delegation began to break up tonight, F. E. Beach going to Chi cago and several starting West Mr. Millis said tonight: "We were confident of success from tho start but took no chances. We held the delegates to promises made last year, looked up old friends and made new ones. Our success illustrates the value of per sonal contact "Congressman Tongue was to have presented Oregon's invitation to the con vention. He died after we had started from Portland, otherwise our plans were carried out precisely. Wp feel under deep obligations to the press and people of Kansas City and wc didn't know Ore gon had so many friends. "It is Impossible to estimate the value of the convention to Oregon. The dele gates will go there with plenty of money to spend, but, better still, will go to look for homes and Investments. Many of the delegates here have promised to go to Portland, among them Jerry Simpson, who told me today that he would take socks with him. "We arc all tired out tonight, I have had only 10 hours' sleep since Tuesday morning. The apples were a great help to us. We had the showiest badges, too." H. Campbell, agent of the Portland &. Asiatic Steamship Company, was a guest of Mr. Mlllls today and will go to St. Loui3 tomorrow. AGAIXST THE PACKING TRUST. Livestock: Men Go on Record With a VlKoroxiH Protest. KANSAS. CITY. Jan. 1C The sixth an nual convention of the National Live stock Association adjourned at 5 o'clock this afternoon, to mpct nprt vom- nr-t land, Or., after electing all the old officers J.U1 iu ensuing year ana taxing ine in itiative in a systematic campaign of leg-, islation against the proposed packing house merger. William A. Springer, gen eral counsel for the association, in a spir ited address, outlined a bill which he had formulated, "to protect trade and com merce against unlawful restraint and mo nopolies," and which he said was merely an adaptation of the Shorman anti-trust law and the Hoar bill, now pending in the Senate. Ia the discussion that followed President John W. Springer said that a : bill along the linc3 suggested by Judge Springer would be printed within a week by the association and sent Jo every Leg- , islature in the land. In further discuss- Ing the subject. President Springer said I that if the proposed mercer was ever con summated the National Livestock Asso ciation would string packing-houses from Chicago to San Francisco. In response to an appeal from the legis lative committee for a legislative fund. $7503 was subscribed in less than 30 min utes. Aprnliittt Packer Merger. A resolution Introduced by Frank M. Stewart, of South Dakota, protesting against the packing merger, was adopted. It rays: "While wc fully appreciate the natural desire of the men who have risked such enormous capital in the building up of the packing Industries to protect that capital from ungoverncd and unreasonable com petition which might prove disastrous to all, yet we believe that the plan proposed will lead to the more feared dangers of uncontrolled greed and avarice, and as the producers of the raw material wc must naturally protest aganst the unreas onable tax that will be necessarily placed upon our labor and investment through the adoption of the plan proposed." During an address at the afternoon ses sion Jerry Simpson favored tariff reform, and snld that the enactment of the tariff iaw by Germany was a discrimination against American products, and should teach us how our present tariff system discriminates against other countries. He asked of those members of the Woolgrow ers' Association present if It were not a fact that wool was not worth as much In London and Liverpool as in this country. Senator Warren, of Wyoming, replying to the question, said that any one who knew anything about the question knew that ; such was not the case, and a lively tilt between these two delegates ensued. The selection of a place for the next convention was disposed of quickly. Ear lier In the week there were 10 cities In the race, but so thoroughly had C. J. Mlllls, who had charge of the fight, worked in the interest of Portland that there re mained but one competitor, Detroit, when the matter came to a vote today. Tonight the delegates were entertained at an elaborate smoker at Convention Hall, the chief attraction at which was j me .uegapnone .umsireis, an aggregation of 200 funmakers, who had been trained for the occasion by St. Clair Hurd, a well-known actor. Tomorrow 200 or more of the delegates will start for Memphis and New Orleans on a special train over the 'Frisco, where they will be the guests of those cities. The Routine Proceedings. The officers re-elected are: President, John W. Springer, of Denver; first vice president, John A. Holt, of Miles City, Mont; second vice-president F. J. Hazen barth, of Salt Lake City; treasurer, George L. Goulding, of Denver; secretary, Charles E., Martin, of Denver; assistant secretary. Fred P. Johnson, of Denver. The counsel, who last year were Judge ' William M. Springer, of Washington, D. C, and Hon. Ralph Talbott, of Denver, were also named by the convention. The fight for the 1901 convention was taken up the last thing In the afternoon. Although there were half a dozen cities In the race for the honor, Portland, Or., seemed to be far in the lead, and the delegation from that stato was confident o&cwinolng 'out. The delegates of the American . Goat- breedcrs' Association hs!r a 'caucun and unanimously Indorsed Portland, and other agencies were actively at -work for the Coast city. The addresses on the morning pro gramme included one by Hon. William M. Springer, on "The Proposed Merging 'of the Packing Plants of This Country; the Effects and Remedy"; one by Captain Britton Davis, of Chihuahua. Mcx., on "The Livestock Industry In the Republic of Mexico, and Its Relations to the United States." and a third by Professor C. F. Curtlss, of Iowa, on "The Benefits De rived From Experimental Stations." Judge Springer's address, which was well received, led to considerable discus sion. Mr. Springer detailed at length- the proceedings in equity begun by Attorney General Knox, in Chicago, last May, "against the so-called, "beef trust," and declared that If members had lnformn- tlon that the defendants had violated the ; temporary injunction granted by the Fed- i eral Court, such information should be furnished at once to the Attorney-General of the United States. Mr. Springer analyzed the pleadings made by the defendants in support of their demurrer to the Attorney-General's bill and declared the defendant's con tention, that no restraint of interstate commerce had been shown, and that the arrangement complained of. which only touched the livestock at the point of Work at Mouth of River to Go Forward. $300,000 FOR THE DREDGE Will Be Ready for Work in the Summer. JETTY REPORT BY FEBRUARY I (Concluded on Second Page.) Engineers Examining Another ProJ. ect "Which Secretary Had Under stood Was to Be Preferred Letters to Senator Mitchell. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash ington, Jan. 16. Senator Mitchell, at the instance of the Portland Chamber of Commerce, recently sent to the Chief of Engineers a strong letter, urging the prompt beginning of work at the mouth of the Columbia River. He pointed out that the experiences of the past two years have been unfavorable to the navigation interests of Portland, and asked that ac tual work begin without any unnecessary delay. General Gillespie, In reply to the Sen ator's letter, says: "I can assure you that this office Is most fully impressed with the urgent desirabil ity of inaugurating the new work at tha mouth of the Columbia at the earliest date practicable. Tho securing of the transport Grant was promptly effected, and arrangements for Its conversion Into a dredge are being pushed as rapidly as possible, and it can be confidently pre dicted that such dredge will be available for operation some time during the com ing Summer. "The last river and harbor act provided for improving the Columbia River, in ac cordance with tho latest approved project and such modification thereof as may be approved by the Secretary of War. At the same time there was a plan and est! mate before Congress for work which could uavobeenu proceeded with rapidly but for the fact, aa reported to the Sec- rctaryof War, that such; plan flldnot meet wiui we approval or . tn-' senators from Oregon, and the further fact that it was tho evident Intention of Congress tor call for some other plans which had been presented, including one from the Reac tion Jetty Company, which should have due consideration. "Such consideration of plans necessi tated the constitution of a board of en gineers to consider the various plans. Such a board was formed of five neutral officers experienced In the class of work under consideration. A consideration of the plans of the Reaction Jetty Company necessitated hearings and an examination by the board of the work at Aransas Pass, Tex., upon which the company bases its assurance of success at the mouth of the Columbia. I regret the apparent de lay, but the Importance of the work and the conditions named have resulted in de lays which could not possibly have been avoided. Tho board has been 1 giving the matter earnest consideration, and it is ex pected that a report will be received by February L When the report is received action thereon will be taken at the earl iest date thereafter practicable." The Senate public lands committee to day ordered a favorable report on the C. J, MILLIS, LIVESTOCK AGENT O. R. & N. MAS WHO GOT XATZOXAL LIVESTOCK ASSOCIATION TO COME TO PORTLAND. House bill increasing the size of home steads In Alaska to 320 acres, but declined to Insert a provision permitting commu tation. The committee maintains that bona fide settlers cannot possibly object to the five-year residence requirement; hence homesteads are to bo made under the same conditions in Alaska as In the states, save that the lands must not necessarily have been surveyed at the time entries are made. The committee also favorably reported the bill passed by the House authorizing local land officers to compel the attendance of witnesses before them In cases pending. The com mittee maintains that this law Is neces sary In properly administering many of the land laws where testimony of disin terested parties is often very essential. Both bills will probably become laws this session. Dnllca Wnfson-Rond Settlers. Some consideration was given to Senator Mitchell's bill for the relief of settlers on The Dalles military wagon road funds in Sherman County, but no final action was taken. The bill will be considered again next Tuesday. The House committee on Industrial arts and expositions today favorably reported the bill appropriating $30,000 for the erec tion at the Exposition grounds, in St. Louis, a building for exhibits from Alas ka, on condition that the people of Alaska promise to furnish ample exhibits and bear all expenses of collection and ship ment to and from St. Louis. No nction was taken today In the case of Surveyor-General Meldrum or his chief clerk. United States Attorney for Alaska. The vacancy in the Attorneyship of the United States for the First District of Alaska has brought out numerous candi dates. Senators Perkln3 and Bard and Representatives Mctcalf and McLachlan today recommended J. J. Boyce, of Santa Barbara. The President Is going over the list of candidates and the various recom mendations with the aid of Attorney General Knox. No immediate choice Is expected. Columbia Telephones BoughtJxy Rivals, ONLY ONE CENTRAL NOW IX THE MATTER OF THE GRANT. Acceptance of Ki.silou Bid ?;iOO,000 for Mining Dredge. WASHINGTON. Jan. 16. I have just re ceived the following letter from the Sec retary of War, together with the report of General Gillespie, Chief of Engineers, which I forward for your consideration: Wnr Department. Washington. Jap. 15. Hon. John H. Mitchell. United States Senate Dear Sir: The department duly received your letter of the 9th Inst., addressed to tho Chief of En gineers, United States Army, inclosing, and commending to favorable consideration a tete gTam from certain leading citizens of Portland, Or., recommending acceptance of bid of the Rlsdon Iron Works of $267,000, for converting the transport Grant Into a bar dredge for work on the Columbia River bar. Replying thereto. I beg to Invite attention to the accompanying' copy of report of the Chief of Engineers. United States Army, on the subject, which has this day received department approval. Very respectfully, ELIHU ROOT. Secretary of War. Following Is a copy of the report re ferred to: Office of the Chief of Engineers, United statMrarmy"t-aansUO.' in laccordanco witn. the authority tjio cr'etafr otrWarhlnS uitim mis uaiuicncu iu mis ucpnriiueni for conversion into a dredge for use at the mouth of the Columbia River. A contract has been made for the construction of the neces sary jump. Plans for conversion were pre pared, and Captain Sanford was sent to San Francisco to receive bids for the work. No report has yet been received from Captain San ford, but from the within letter .and other sources it Is known that the lowest bid re ceived Is very much In excess of the price which was anticipated. The apparently exces sive bid arUes from the neccsjity of having the work done on the Pacific Coast, whero competition Is somewhat limited, and where prices for labor and material are at all times greater than on the Atlantic Coast, and also from the general recent Increase In price for (Concluded on Second Page.) Pacific States Company An nounces Purchase, TWO SYSTEMS TO BE MERGED Independent Organization Was Capl tallzcd at S?GOO,uO( and Had JLOOO Subscribers Was Formed Eigrht Years Ago. The Columbia Telephone Comnany, which had been bought out by the Pa cific Statss Telephone & Telegraph Com pany, has about 1000 subscribers in the City of Portland and In the suburbs; has no long-distance lines; employs be tween 25 and 30 people, and has a cap italisation of $600,000, 5100.C00 of which is paid up In full. CONTENTS OF TODAY'S PAPER. Korelsrn. Reichstag rr quests the government to denounce the most-favored-natlon clause of troatfcs that are injurious to Germany. Page 3. French Chamber of Deputies approves govern ment order forbidding use of Breton dialect by pntsta of Brittany; pViests lose pay. Page 3. A fund s being raised for prosecution af those responsible for recent failure of London & Globe Corporation. Page 3. Domestic. Bid of Rlsdon Iron Works for converting tha Grant Into a bar dredge will be accented. Page 1. Delay with Jetty contract was occasioned by examination of new project; board will re port by February 1. Page 1. Four persons were killed and three seriously Injured In railroad accident caused by m(f eengcr boy fooling with train signals. Page -. Lieutenant-Governor Tillman says It will be shown that he had ample provocation for shooting Editor Gonzales; Gorizalos Is In critical condition. Page 2. How checks of more than $34,000,000 each fig ured In the Northern Securities deal. Page 7. Two coal operators refuse to answer questions of Senate investigating committee. Page 3. Xorthwest Lcjslalatare. Olympla lawmakers have left town; no new developments In' Senatorial fight. Page S. Senator McGinn Introduces bill to rerulate child labor. Page 4. Quietude again reigns at Salem. Page 4. Bill to create new county of Stockman. Page 4. Oregon referendum may be annulled by Dakota court decision. Page 4. Pacific .Coast. Whitman, wins debate with University of Ore gon. Pase 7. Ex-Deputy Sheriff Whitney arrested for short age of accounts In Baker. Page 7. Successful bidders for Vancouver Barracks im provement named. Page 5. Description of the State of Idaho. Page 6. Commercial and Marine. Grain yield of North Pacific Coast States in the past year. Pago 13. Armour's buying sends up wheat at Chicago. Page 13. Apathetic trading In stocks at New York. Page 13. Favorable tone of tho mercantile reviews. Page J 3. Three spot ships chartered for grain loading. Page 12. Atlantic liner St. Louis is safe. Pago 13. Portland and Vicinity. Pacific States Telephone Company buys Colum bia system. Page 1. Fire Chief David Campbell to be reapDOlnted. Page 10. Other probable appointments under the new charter. Page 10. Traffic agents hold meeting and banquet. Page 12. No clew to murderer of Henry Meyer. Page 11. Federated Trades invites National executive committee to Portland. Page 12. C W Fulton talks of his Senatorial candidacy. Page 10. Port of Portland Commission makes b!"nlal report. Page 10. District Manager J. H. Thatcher, of the Pacific States Telephone and Telegraph Compmy, made the announcement yes terday that that 'corporation had pur chased the Columbia Telephone Company, of this city, and that the systems cf tho tw organizations would be consolidated In the very near future. This transaction is the result of negotiations which have been under way for some time past, and which have nmilly reached a head within the last few days. Tho Columbia Telephone Company has always been looked upon as a home insti tution, being as It was of the "independ ent" class, as opposed to the general Bell class, and was founded here about eigtt years ago. Mayor W. S. Mason, Napoleon Divis, and other prominent Portland bus iness men were back of the company in tho beginning, and during the time thit it had been in operation in this city It had gradually worked up a good patron age, and given a service of the first class. The instruments used were of the "crank- grinding'' variety, orthose- in w'nicb thd. ptfntfalb.eJ&Iafrtt turning a handle on tne slue or tne in strument, and not by simply taking tha receiver off the hook. The capital of tha company was at first small, but was gradually increased to $600,000, at which ilgure it stood at the time of the trans fer. Of this $600,000. $100,000 is paid up in full. The Columbia Telephone Company served about 1000 telephones in the city at the time of the sale, and employed be tween 25 and 30 persons In various ca pacities, such as otiice force, linemen ana switchboard operators. The Willamette Valley Telephone Company, which was closely associated with the Columbia Com pany, has a long-distance line In opera tion to McMinnville, which was U3ed la connection with tho local Columbia sub scribers, and the Inuependent Telephone Company operates a similar line to Tlllx mook, with an exchange of 100 subscrib ers at Forest Grove. It could not be learned yesterday whether these two long distance lines and the Forest Grove sys tem were Included In the transfer with the local company, bat It Is supposed that they were not, for the reason thit tha Pacific btates CcmpAny already has lines paralleling those of the independent com panies in this territory. The oiliccrs of the Columbia Telephone Company up to the present time were: President. A. A. Dekum; directors, R. L. Sabin, F. D. Chamberlain and Sylvester Farrell, and General Manager F. H. Stow. The last named gentleman sent in his resignation yesterday to Manager Thatcher, of the Pacific States Company. The Pacific States Telephone & Tele graph Company has about 12.C00 subscrib ers In Portland, and about 140,000 on tho whole Pacific Coast, extending from Nel son. B. C, to Riverside, Cal. It has a capitalization of $17.000,CH. incorporated under the laws of tho, State of Oregon, and working under the American Bell patents. When seen last evening, Mr. Thatcher said to a representative of The Oregonian: "The two telephone companies will, in a few weeks, be operated under one man agement, and from the same central of fice; that is. from the Pacific States Com pany building, at the corner of West Park and Alder streets. The two companies' lines will be united, so that a subscriber of one will be able to converse through central with a subscriber of the other. "We had an. offer from the Columbia Company owners some time ago and se cured an option. But our management hesitated for a time, fearing that if tho Columbia system were to be taken over at the present time," while we are Install ing our new multiple switchboard, wo would have more business than we could attend to. Then, too, we did not care to act without seeing what the subscribers of the two companies might think, but when we made the necessary Inquiries, we found that they were in favor of ona company rather than two. as being less expensive in rentals, we finally accepted the option. "We shall not be able to advance our rates by closing out the competition, be cause the franchise that wc recently got from the city will permit of no such ac tion on our part." When the new switchboard goes into operation, an Important change will be made in the Pacific States Company's system, and the numerous prefixes that are connected with the many numbers of the local phones will be 'done away with. Instead there will be but two prefixes, "Main" and one other, which has not yet been decided upon by the management. All two-party lines will have the "Main" prefix, and thus the work of telephoning will be gnently simplified, both for sub scriber and for operator. It is stated upon good authority that the Thomas Independent Company, which has asked for a franchise In Portland, will fill the position vacated by the Co lumbia Company, as regards being an In dependent organization goes. It Is also stated this Thomas has unlimited cap ital back of him, and will go ahead at once toward connecting with the other systems on the Pacific Coast.