THE MORNING OEEGONIAN, FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 1305.
It
St Johns Commercial Club Banquets Its Members
Nearly 100-residents of St. Johns and
Invited guests from Portland sat down at
b. banquet last night In tho Kew Central
Hotel, under the auspices of the St. Johns
Commercial Club. The dining-hall was at
tractively decorated with evergreens, and
the tables were Tendered attractive by a
tasteful disposition. At the head of the
table was seated A. S Douglas president
of the Commercial Club, surrounded by
Judge L. R. Webster, CJty Auditor T. C.
Devlin. W. M. Cake, of the Portland
Commercial Club; Tom Richardson, oi
the Oregon Development League; H. 1.
Powers. of Portland; William M. Kil
lings worth; F. C. Knapp, secretary Penin
sular Lumber Company; the committee of
arrangements, H. Bickner. T. J. Monahan,
G. H. Carlson. O. L. Chapel, J. C. Crome,
W. W. Hicko; Profeior John Teuscher. of
St. Johns School; Professor Long, of Co
lumbia University. The banquet was all
that could be desired.
President Douglss' Welcome.
J. C. Crome. acting as toastmaster, in
troduced President A. S. Douglas, who
eald:
"Neighbors and Honored Guests: In be
half of the St. Johns Commercial Club, 1
extend you all a most hearty welcome.
We have come together on this occasion
to get better acquainted, to promote a
spirit of good-fellowship and -show cur
guests what we have accomplished In the
past few years In the building of a city.
Welcome, then, to the new city of St.
Johns. While I cannot take you around
and show you what we have done, I can
call your attention to some things. In
1802, the O. R & X. Co. built a spur
along the water front and made it possi
ble to establish sawmills and manufactur
ing concerns that now give employment
to many hundreds of men. We have a
city of homes. We have mercanliie es
tablishments that would do credit to an
older city. We have many beautiful
homes. We have as line a public school
as can be found In the state. All these
things we have here; and we have
churches pointing their 6plres toward
heaven. To all these improvements we
call your attention. And to our guestir
from the city let me nay you are welcome
tonight to all the good things we have.
May you enjoy an evening that you vlll
noi soon forget. Welcome, guests, thrice
jrelcome. In the name of the St. Johns
Commercial Club."
Tom Richardson's Address.
After the applause to the remarks of
President Douglas had subsided, Tom
Richardson, of the Oregon''Development
League, was Introduced. His subject was
"Oregon Its Development." Mr. Rich
ardson said:
St. Johns Is one of the busiest centers In
the entire Pacific Northwest, but last Sunday
was the first time I over succeeded In getting
hero and I stood up all the way out and
half the way back. On two othor occasions
I was satisfied to set out of the crush at
Piedmont and return home. I don't know
whether this means that you have poor, serv
ice or that everybody else Is like myself
trying to see St. Johns.
I will say to you, however, that the minute
I saw It I made up my mind to own some
St Johns property, and tonight I have a
selfish interest in your advancement and I
think these selfish interests are the most
effective.
We are going to have marvelous progress
In the great Pacific Northwest, but don't let
us get the swell head, or as expressed by a
very successful Industrial captain of Port
land, get ,Jcocky." for we need every bit of
the prosperity that we can induce to come
this way. The United States Is almost cer
tain oT three or four years of splendid ad
vancement. Within the lost few weeks at
Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, two of the great
steel and Iron corporations have made plans
to actually Invest $130,000,000, not In worth
less stock or from a promotion standpoint,
but in actual addition to their plant, and
this will mean within five years a 50 per cent
addition to the output of these great In
dustries, and all of us have begun to be
lieve with Carnegie that steel Is cither a
prince or a pauper, and that for the imme
diate future he will occupy a very hizh
seat. We are in the center of the stage this
year, but we must Improve every business
opportunity and the people of St. Johns
should not be satisfied with adding one great
Industry they should add another and still
another, for each industry you locate here
helps every other one that comes.
I believe your present population will
treble before the close of lf0tJ, and that Is
certainly a marvelous growth and means an
Immense Increase in values here.
Your Commercial Association Is doing a
splendid work. It is one of the best in this
entire section of the United Stotes, and while
you may not appreciate It locally, people
outside have heard a great deal of It, and
through it of St. Johns.
Other Addresses Delivered.
F. C. Knapp, secretary of the Peninsula
Lumber Company, spoke of the wonder
ful lumbering Interests of Oregon: Will
iam Kiningsworth, "The Peninsula, Its
Commercial Future," predicting that, the
bulk of Portland's population would one
tday be between the Willamette and Co
lumbia Rivers; Thomas J. Monahan, "St
Johns, Its Present and Future"; "Where
2tolls the Oregon." W. M. Cake, of the
Portland Commercial Club; "Civic Gov
ernment." Thomas C. Devlin; "Public
Highways." Judge W. L. Webster; "Edu
cational Institutions," Professor Long;
"Unity and Harmony," E. C. Hurlburt;
"Our Absent Friends the Ladles." W. H.
Citing and Dr. W. W. Hicks. The closing
-was by singing "Auld Lang Syne." Tho
Portland Consolidated Railway Company
provided a special car at 12:30 o'clock to
-bring the Portland guests to their homes.
sA Portland orchestra discoursed during
.the evening.
Work of St. Johns Commercial Club.
The substantial growth of St. Johns is
largely due to the effective efforts of. the
"Commercial Club, which was organized
aiearly a year ago. with W. H. King first
president. It Is estimated that the new
city has a population of more than 2000
.people. At tho public school thero are
more than 330 pupils. Seeing the neces
Blty for action, the public-spirited men
of St Johns started the Commercial Club.
Through Its efforts, a new charter was
framed and passed by the last Legisla
ture, laying the foundation for a large
city. It was Instrumental In securing the
"Portland Woolen Mills, with Its great
plant representing J300.000 capital stock,
and other Industries, including a bank,
a public dock and other improvements.
Tho club has kept clear of municipal poli
tics, although it has a very deep Interest
In the selection of capable men to conduct
the government Before 1902 St Johns
had few houses and no Industries, but
during the Winter of that year the O. R.
& N. Co. built its spur. Its completion
Drought the water front into the markets,
with the result that It is lined with man
ufactories and great sawmills. These are
the Portland Manufacturing Company's
veneer and blanket factory, the Olsen
shingle mill. A. S. Douglas & Sons' saw
mill, 76.000 feet per day capacity; George
W. Cone Lumber Company, capacity 75,000
rcet a day; the Peninsular Lumber Com
pany. capacity 200.000 feet a day; Jobes
Flour Mill Company. -100 barrels a day;
Excelsior Mill. Portland Woolen Mills
two shipbuilding plants and the Portland
drydock. Other industries are lookln
for locations, and the Commercial Club
has out its committees for the purpose
of giving information to Investors.
Through the efforts of this club, the peo
ple of tho Peninsula now have through
car service. It is along these linos that
the club has made itself felt It has a
membership of .o active men. It officers
arc: President A. S. Douglas; vice-presl
dent Richard Shepard: secretary. J. C.
Crome; treasurer, Thomas J. Monahan.
It may be said with all truth that the
deliberations of club meetings have al
ways been harmonious, and every mem
ber hps been actuated by a desire for the
betterment of the whole district without
regard for personal desires.
St. Johns New Charter.
The charter over which the Commercial
Club rejoiced last night was tho careful
work of many weeks. Councllmen Thomas
J. Monahan. C. D. Hughes and W. H.
Hurlburt were appointed by Mayor C. A.
Cook to prepare this charter, getting such
w)M .aS-
S
assistance as they could. Thomas C Dev- drew up the Instrument, and a committee
lln. City Auditor of Portland, with the from the Commercial Club L. B. Chip
suggestions of the Council committee and man. W. H. King, R. Shepard and T. J.
the members or the Commercial Club. Monahan took It to Salem, where It was
RAMSEY IS ACTIVE
Makes Inquiry Into Acts of
' Matthews.
MARSHAL'S-ENEMIES AT WORK
Report Pernicious Political-Dealings
on His Part to Department of Jus
tice, and Special Examiner
Is Detailed.
Is the conduct of W. F. Matthews as
United States Marshal for Oregon under
the inspection of the Department of Jus
tice, and has a. special examiner been
sent to Portland to look Into alleged vio
lations of the reguations of the office un
der the administration of Matthews? This
is the question asked by those who know
that W. H. Ramsey, examiner for the
Department of Justice, either Is In Port
land or will be hero in a very short time.
Mr. Ramsey has been in Seattle for some
time looking into the charges which have
been made against J. B. Lindslcy and
George H. Baker, recommended by Sena
tors Ankeny and Piles for United States
District Attorney and United States Mar
shal, respectively. He has finished this
investigation. It is said, and has started
for Portland. Whether or not the exam
iner has reached Portland is not known,
for he Is not to be found at any of the
hotels. It Is known, however, that he left
Seattle for this city March 21,, and it has
been reported that he has reached the city
and is now working on his Investigations.
If Mr. Ramsey is In Portland making
investigations into the conduct of the Uni
ted States Marshal's office, the question
arises why and on what grounds are they
being made?
Captain Spencer Active.
Rumor has it that the trouble Is largely
due to Captain E. W. Spencer and others
of the political cnomles of the Marshal.
Since Captain Spencer was deposed from
the Port of Portland Commission at the
Instance of Mr. Matthews, who was desir
ous of seeing J. C. Alnsworth have the
job, it is said that the captain and his
friends have not been idle and that many
charges have been forwarded to the de
partment which may be productive of Ja
pleasantness to the occupant of the Mar
shal's office. In support of this story It
Is pointed out that Captain Spencer has
a standing deposit of $500 In room .0 of
the Chamber of Commerce building as evi
dence of his belief that the office of Uni
ted States Marshal would be vacated be
fore the present term of Mr. Matthews
expires. It may be said in passing that a
rumor yesterday said $200 of this sum had
i3 LETTERS FOR javA LETTERS FOR IJH LUIER& FOR i
EASTERN STATES gS SOUTHERN STATES 3f3 WESTERN STATES 1
on a
mi
MLGIN yimk
HI
Elgin, Watches
public and
OFFICERS OF THE ST. JOHNS COMMERCIAL
been taken by some one who had opposite
views on the subject
What charges, if any. have been made
are not known, but it Is said that they
arc many. Political entanglements are
reported to be the head and front of them.
It will be recalled that President Roose
velt through Attorney-General Knox,
was very plain In his orders to the effect
that United States Marshals should not
become mixed up in politics, and It has
been reported to the department, so It is
said, that Mr. Matthews has been a large
factor In Oregon politics for some time.
In Organizing Assembly.
The political enemies of the Marshal
have come back from the Legislature, it
Is reported, with the knowledge that he
was much in evidence at the organisation
of the two houses of the Assembly. They
have made the assertion. It is said, that
the Marshal's office was a place where
the legislators, or a large part of them,
went for Instructions before leaving for
Salem.
The department has been notified, so the
story Tuns, that Mills was elected Speaker
of the House and Kuykendall President
of the Senate In compliance with the
wishes and with the Influence of Mr. Mat
thews and his friends who were directed
by him. It has also been asserted, the
storv is. that the committees were ap
pointed under the eye of the United States
Marshal, that measures were passed or
killed by his smile, and that Speaker Mills
and President Kuykendall were both In
dally telephone conference with the office
of the United States Marshal.
All of these things are claimed by the
political opponents of the Marshal to be
not in accordance with the Instructions
of tho Attorney-General and of the Pres
ident, and it Is Into these In the main
that Mr- Ramsey Is supposed to be look
ing. Pcstofflce Involved.
There Is another assertion that the
postofflce figures In the case, that Mr.
Matthews still maintains a hold on the
patronage of that place and has used it
but' this part of the trouble takes second
place in the entanglements caused by the
leadership -of the Marshal In state politics.
This investigation. If it Is now being
carried on. takes the danger flag from
the hand of United States District Attor
ney Heney. who has been reported to be
after Mr. Matthews. Mr. Heney has been
looking for any relation which the Mar
shal's office might have with retarding
or obstructing his land fraud investiga
tions, but otherwise -e has not been and
Is not now Interested the one way or tho
other. It is said that these same com
plaints have been made to Mr. Heney and
to his agents, but that they have been
pushed bacit as not having any bearing on
the land-frauds. When this attitude was
manifested it Is the opinion that the mat
ters were reported direct to the Depart
ment of Justice, and that the visit of Ex
aminer Ramsey Is the result of the re
ports. Gets Two Houses In North.
S. Morton Cohn, proprietor of the Star
and Arcade Vaudeville theaters, has been
In British Columbia for' the past few
days, and he sent word yesterday that
he has Just secured the Grand opera
houses at Victoria. B. C, and Vancouver,
B. C. which he will convert Into vaude
ville theaters. Each of the new houses
regulate the world's business,
private. Every Elgin Watch is
fully guaranteed. All jewelers have Elgin
Watches, in both men's and women's
sizes, and in all varieties of cases.
"TinvmsVers and Timekeepers," an ainstraied
history of the watch, sent free upon reqntst to
CLUB.
passed by the Legislature. While the
rifve rhnrfpr la not txrfeet it is consid
ered satisfactory, and one under which
St Johns may prosper and grow.
has a seating capacity of 1200. and will
form the northern adjunct to Mr. Cohn's
chain of dime vaudeville theaters. Mr,
Cohn, who is expected home this morn
ing, expects to have his two British Co
lumbia houses ready for business by
April Z.
Duke of Connaught In Madrid.
MADRID, March 23. The Dukiror Con
naught arrived here today, to visit King
Alphonso. The. Klnff with ail his Mln
Isters, the civil and military authorities
and the diplomatic corps, welcomed the
Duke on his arrival at the station.
Near the Junction of Snake
and Columbia' Rivers, In
Walla Walla County, Wash.
B. K. Davia, Pendleton. Or.
T. A. Utilise, The Dalles. Or.
Secley Co, Luzon building:, Tacoma, Wash.
Hereford Jt Fisher, 41-42 Jameson block. Spokane, Wash.
DEAL IS CROOKED
Contractors Dispute Leads to
an Exposure.
FRONT-STREET BRIDGE CAUSE
Mystery Why the Everett Company
Withdrew Its Bid May Soon De
velop as the Result
of -a Suit.
On the surface, the suit of Hoffman
Bros, against J. R. Bowles, George F.
Heusner, John Doe and Richard Roe. ap-
pears to be an ordinary dispute between
contractors.
Out of all the contradictions, misunder
standings, bickerings and denials that
surround the letting of the contract for
the Front-street bridge across Marquam
Gulch, just one thing stands out clearly.
It is the undisputable fact that there was
and Is a crooked deal somewhere. This
much Is admitted by those who know.
For several weeks the men who are
building the viaduct. have dreaded seeing
the name of the- bridge in the newspapers.
Bnt when the Hoffman Bros., concrete
contractors, finished their work about
J100O losers by the job, the split developed
and widened.
The Identity of John Doe and Richard
Roc adds a personal interest
Judge Charles H. Carey and John Doe
are believed to be identical. Tho attor
neys of the plaintiff arc seeking evidence
by which they can publicly name him as
one of the defendants.
Reason for Presumption.
The reason for this presumption is that
Judge Carey is connected in many busi
ness transactions with Heusner. He also
appeared before the Executive Board and
requested that the lowest bidders, the Pa
cific Construction Company, of Everett,
Wash., be allowed to withdraw Its bid.
He was then apparently acting as the at
torney of the Everett company. This was
granted.
The contract was awarded to the Pacific
Construction Comnany, of San Francisco,
which sublet the contract to the Ameri
can Bridge Company, and Heusner, the
practical partner of Judge Carey, did the
w.ork.
The bid of tho Everett company was
533.0CO. The price now to be paid by the
city Is ?3S,0OO. The framework of the
bridge Is not completed yet
Apparently it was the understanding
that the concrete should not be paid for
according to the cubic yardage in place.
but the City Engineer would allow one
and one-fourth yards for each yard ac
tually accounted for in the measurements
made by the men of his department.
Ex-City Engineer W. C. Elliott declared
yesterday that he had made no such
promises cither to any representative of
Heusner or to Hoffman. He also states
most positively that he never gave out
any measurements or estimate of the
amount of concrete In the viaduct.
But for some reason Hoffman Bros,
took the sub-contract on the concrete at
55.25 a yard. Concrete can scarcely be
placed on the ground for less than J5 any
where. Therefore, when City Engineer
Wanxncr announced that there were
13S5.13 cubic yards of concrete in the job.
and laughed at the Idea of paying one-
fourth more than called for. the sub-con
tractors saw themselves up against It
J. R. Bowles, acting with Heusner, had
the sub-letting of the concrete contract
The price which the city Is to pay for this
same concrete is J3.75 a yard. The differ
ence. 54.50. goes Into the pocket of Mr.
Bowles. Concrete work Is done for rail
roads almost anywhere for JS a yard. So
Mr. Bowles was ahead about SSO0O. and
ORCHARD
LANDS
AT TWO
Watered by the Snake River Irrigation Co.'s
Immense Power Plant
Choicest lands in the Northwest. Warm, sandy soil, with southerly slope, insures the
earliest crops of any place north of Los Angeles. Snake River furnishes the water
supply, which is unfailing. . . . . Two transcontinental railroads afford quick and
easy access to all the markets of the Pacific Coast, the Orient and the East.
5, 10 and 20-Acre Tracts Offered at From
$60 to $100 Per Acre
Strawberries grown in this neighborhood
last year were on the market two weeks
before any others in the Northwest, and in
some instances netted the grower nearly
$700 per acre.
Can you afford to overlook this oppor
tunity? Prepare your ground and raise a
crop this year.
An investment in these lands means a
handsome income for life. To induce set
SEE OUR AGENTS AND ARRANGE FOR TRANSPORTATION
EXCURSION RATES MADE FROM ALL RAILROAD POINTS TO TWO RIVERS
E. S. JACKSON, Gos'I Sales Agent, 246 Stark Street, Portland, Or.
Beyer
Jea&
J. F.
C.a,
the Hoffmans wcro out money by the job.
Therefore the Hoffmans have begun suit
against those who held the general sub
contract, alleging that there was a con
spiracy to defraud the city out of a large
sum.
Where the mystery is concerns the
manner in which the Pacific Construc
tion Company, of Everett. ash,, was In
duced to withdraw its bid.
Some of those who know just how it
was done admit "something was doing."
but declare they can never disclose the
Interesting details.
Councilman C. E. Rumelin has been
mentioned as "Richard Roe." But he
says no papers have been served upon
mm and laughs at the suggestion.
Judge Carey started East Tuesday eve
ning. .
District Attornev Mannlnglhas listened
to several witnesses on the subject But
each stated that all he knew was hearsay
evidence.
FIRE CHIEFS ALSO.
They Will Hold Convention in Port
land Cook, of Seattle, Is Here.
Dates for tho 1905 convention of the
Pacific Coast Association of Fire Chiefs,
to be held In Portlahd, were set yesterday
as September 12 to 15, inclusive, after
a. consultation between Chief Ralph Cook,
of the Seattle department and Chief Dave
Campbell, of the local department Both
are members of the executive board.
Campbell being chairman, and Cook being
vice-president for Washington. Other de
tails are to be arranged today, berore
Chief Cook leaves Portland for Seattle.
Chief Cook, accompanied by Marine
Architect McAllister, arrived In Portland
yesterday morning. They spent the day
visiting fire station, Inspecting the fire
boat George H. Williams and touring the
Lewis and Clark Fair Grounds. This
morning at 9 o'clock a special exhibition
of the boat will be given on the river,
between the bridges, for their benefit.
Chief Cook and Architect McAllister are
In Portland to Inspect In an official ca
paclty Portland's flreboat. They were
commissioned by the Board of Public
Wcrks, of Seattle, as new boilers are to be
placed In the flreboat Snoqualmie there.
and It was desired to ascertain how the
boilers in the Williams were working. Fur-
theremore. Seattle is to build a modern
steel flreboat soon, and ideas for this ves
sel are to be furnished largely by Chief
Cook.
"I have eeen fireboats in Chicago. New
Tork and other large cities, but none are
more modern or better equipped than
Portland's," said Chief Cook, last night
"Further than that, the water tower on
this vessel an Idea original with Chief
Campbell is something no other flreboat
has. It Is a splendid thing, and I shall
recommend one for our new boat
"Portland has a good Are department
There Is much Improvement over the old
call system, but there Is urgent need of
a modern water tower, to be used at the
large buildings In cases of Are. We have
one in Seattle, and at the recent Schwa-
bacher hardware lire, it more than paid
for itself. It only cost J650O.
"I visited the Fair Grounds with Chief
Campbell. There is a good company
there, but were I to handle the business
during the Exposition. I should urgently
request hand chemical apparatus and a
man for each building. Then, in case of
Are, until tho regular apparatus arrived.
the flame- could be kept down to an ap
preciable extent."
Great Rush of Immigrants.
NEW YORK, March 23 The Spring
rush of immigration has almost
swamped the Government officials at
Ellis Island. In the last three days
16,000 Immigrants have reached this
port
Reports received from abroad indl
cate that the rush will continue to in
crease during April and May, and it Is
feared that Ellis Island will be taxed
beyond Its capacity. Demands for
steerage passage are being made at
nearly every port of immigrant em
barkation. The steerage capacity on
all of the large steamship lines already
is booked many weeks ahead, and the
RIVERS
tlement we are offering a limited number of
acres at these low prices and upon easy
terms.
At the opening of the Clarkston district
similar lands sold at $250 per acre, and now,,
are rated at from $1000 to $1500 psr acre.
At Kennewick lands which sold two years
ago for $40 per acre now command $400
and upwards. Kennewick is an object
lesson.
fc Newcomb, 10 K. Second street, Walla
A. loreas, Colfax, Wash.
Grlaer, Chehalls. Wash.
Farrow & Co., Eugene,. Or.
"It Didn't
Hurt a Bit"
DENTISTS
Who are graduates and hold licenses
in Oregon, are
DENTISTS
Who should do all your work.
DENTISTS
Who arev honest with you and, do
wnat is best for your teeth
DENTISTS
Who warrant satisfaction in every
case, are the
DENTISTS
to satisfy you as we do all others,
Chicago Painless
Dentists
303 Washington street, opposite
Perkins Hotel, Cor. of Fifth.
Phone Main 38S0. Open evening and
aunuays.
Good set teeth 55.00
Gold crowns $30
Gold fillings $1.00
Silver fillings 3 .50
Wc do strictly as we advertise.
And give you a ten-year guarantee.
we employ 110 siuaenis at toe
Chicago Dental Parlors
companies are compelled " to put on
extra steamers to meet the European
exodus. Over 7000 Hebrews have
reached here since March 1. but the Im
migration from Italy leads the list in
point of numbers. In the last 22 days Ellis
Island received 18,000 Italians. The per
centage of Hungarian immigration la
also showing a remarkable Increase.
IMMEDIATELY OPPOSITE
THE FAMOUS
KENNEWICK DISTRICT
Walla. Wash.
J. H. ElvreM, "Vancouver, Wash.
Front & Bryant, Moro, Or.'
E. Z. Fergusoa, Astoria, Or.
J. A. Moeaake, Oregon City, Or: