THE MORNING OREGONIAN, SATURDAY, APRIL 6, 1907.
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PORTLAND, 8ATTKDAY. APRIL 6, 190J.
PLOTS DARK AND DIRE. .
That a definite oonspirary has been
formed among certain plutocratic inter
ests to defeat the nomination for the
Presidency of any Republican whom
Mr. Roosevelt may prefer is not at all
"unlikely. The sum which they are said
to have subscribed for the purpose, $5.
000,000. looks large to a man .who has to
earn an honest living, but to persons
like Harriman. Hearst and the Stand
erd OH eombinatlon, who ran collect
tribute from the whole Nation and
sweep together millions in a day by
preying upon the misfortunes, the folly
and the. woaknoss of their feUow-tfnen,
it Is but a trifle. One year of unre
strained opportunity to plunder the
country would repay their investment
many times over, while. If their plan
should succeed, they would have not
only one year, but four at least. The
predatory pro-consuls of Rome used
to pay large sums of money to the cor
rupt Senate for the privilege of plun
dering the provinces of the empire
without Interference. Why should not
our pro-consuls of the trusts do some
thing similar? Only they would deliver
their payments, not directly to the Sen
ate, but to a multitude of bosses and
vorporate heelers throughout the coun
try. The artificial panic which the mag
nates have been prophesying so vocifer
ously and trying so hard to bring about
by manipulating the stock market is
probably the first step in the conspfr
acy. Nothing would do more to dis
credit the President and his policies
among the weak, the timid and the
mercenary than a panic. Fools, of
whom there are many, would not stop
to inquire the causo of It, but would
ascrihe it at once to Roosevelt's efforts
to stop the thieving of the plutocrats.
They would rush to the conclusion that
if we would have prosperity we must
permit I he trusts to rob us as much as
they please.
If the conspiracy exists we may there-
f.Tc expect the preparations for a panU'
to continue under the fostering hand of
Rockefeller and his allies. And, slnco
their power is almost unlimited, at the
moment which seems to them auspi
cious for their purpose it will break
over the country. The gain from it will
be twofold to the conspirators, since
they will not only advance their polit
ical scheme, but also reap an abundant
harvest by buying in depreciated secu
iiles. We may expect the panic to oc
cur long enough before the next Na
tional convention to give them time for
the second step In their plot.
This will be to bring forward some
sate candidate, like Fairbanks, who has
none of the disturbing ideas which con
tro Mr. Roosevelt and whose adminis
tration would not interfere with the
plutocratic career of public robbery.
Money w ould be poured into every state
like the renewing showers of April, and
for a double object. It would be used
in the first place to Impress upon the
people the idea that regulation of the
trusts is dangerous to business. The
voice of the spellbinder would resound
In every schoolhouse with the great
theme that commercial prosperity Is
impossible without free license to thiev
ery. The second purpose would be more
subtle and more immediately effective.
It would be to manipulate primaries,
control conventions and bribe bosses In
order to secure "safe" delegations to
the National convention.
Where this could not be done It is
said that' the conspirators plan to have
i he delegates pledged to Roosevelt for
a third term. Such a pledge will be
futile, they believe, "because the Presi
dent will not accept the honor. The
delegates will thus be free to give their
votes wherever they please, and the
plunder trust hopea to be able to buy
them up. It Is their boast that they
can do anything with their money.
They assert that the whole Nation is
for sale and that they have the price
in their pockets. Undoubtedly they
have the price if the people are for sale;
hut it is doubtful whether many per
ii(, after being robbed of their prop
erty by these harpies, will trade their
manhood to et a fraction of It back
ligaiu. We venture the guess that
tlier la moru imcillgco.ee and mure
solid virtue among the voters of trie
United States than the conspirators
dream of. Their plot looka very well,
but in the working out It will disap
point them. The typical plutocrat is
exceedingly shrewd in money matters',
but in other respects he is stupid. He
goes too far In hi reliance upon the
unlimited venality of the American
voter.
In all probability some scheme exists
among the confederated plutocrats to
capture the Presidency by bribery and
corruption, although perhaps It Is as
yet only inchoate; but its probable re
sult will he something very different
from what they desire or expect. The
effort to carry out such a conspiracy
would almost certainly make Mr.
Roosevelt the next President of the
United States. The people as a whole
can neither be fooled nor bribed, but
they can be frightened. This threat
ened display of power by the plutocracy
would arouse the voters to the dangers
which menace the institutions of the
country and would drive them to the
support of the man who has proved
himself in every emergency a true pa
triot and a genuine friend to the public
welfare. Mr. Roosevelt would hear a
mandate which he could not disobey,
He would be compelled to accept an
other nomination and election. Against
the unanimous demand of the Repub
lican party his private preferences
would have no weight. Measured
against the public necessity, his reiter
ated pledge must be revoked or ignored.
The statesman's desire to keep his rec
ord consistent must be subordinate to
the exigencies of his country. The ma
neuvers of Mr. Roosevelt's enemies are
likely to accomplish the very object
which they dread tie most.
"COMPETING" RAILROADS.
In an argument chiefly characterized
by circumlocution, Attorney MUburn,
speaking for Mr. Harrlman. argued
that "a restraint of trade, to be within
the anti-trust act, must be the direct,
immediate and necessary effect of the
transaction, and not merely an indirect
or incidental result." He further In
sisted that the motive cannot affect the
result.
If the members of the Interstate
Commerce Commission view the argu
ments as the people are likely to do,
they will give greatest consideration
to the practical rather than the neces
sary effects. When one man acquires
ontrol of roads that are competing
lines on transcontinental traffic, his un
doubted motive Is to make the most out
of them in every possible way, regard
less of the dividing line between neces
sary and incid?ntal results. When one
man owns the Union Pacific and the
Southern Pacific he. has the power to
compel the Western Oregon lumberman
to sell his product in the East Instead
of in San Francisco, thereby securing
for the road the. long haul and conse
quent revenues, and to divide and ap
portion much other traffic as he sees
fit. The Harriman attorney was care
ful to avoid the question whether the
two roads are or are not In fact com
peting, and whether the consolidation
of the two under one management is
not. in fact, In restraint of trade. But
this feature of the Investigation the at
torney for the Government Is not over
looking. NO GAIN BY PITTING PRCNES.
A prominent California prune-packer
is quoted by the New York Journal of
Commerce as saying that there is no
likelihood of the development of a pitted
prune industry. Last season a Califor
nia man invented a machine for pitting
prunes and several packers put up
small quantities of that fruit from
which the seeds had been taken. While
there was some market for the fruit
thus prepared, because it was someting
new, it is said that the fruit did not
give satisfaction, and packers will not
take the chances of putting up fruit in
that manner. The assertion is made
that the fruit loses much of its flavor
by reason of the removal of the pit,
thus counterbalancing the advantages
gained.
There 1s not the same reason for
seeding prunes as there is for seeding
raisins. The housewife who uses rais
ins in cooking must first remove the
seeds. Tho pit of a prune can as well
be removed by the consumer after the
fruit has been cooked and placed upon
the table before him. Tho chief advan
tage to be gained by pitting prunes
would ho in the saving of time in the
curing process, for It is readily appar
ent that a pitted prune would dry In
much less time than one with an un
broken skin. In Oregon this would
mean a saving of fuel, and in California
a saving of time and labor in carrying
out trays in the morning and stacking
them up at night. But this saving
would be offset by the expense of ex
tracting tho pits. There being no rea
son to believe that pitted prunes would
bring a relatively higher price than
prunes cured and packed in the ordi
nary manner, the new industry is likely
to be shortlived. ' .
CHANGES IN SCHOOL TEXTBOOKS.
The selection of textbooks for the
public schools of Oregon Is In the hands
of a commission composed of men who
have for the most part more nan a
superficial knowledge of the work re
quired, and .who will doubtless dis
charge the duty Imposed with discern
ment and care. That the commission's
choice from the groat array of books
submitted to its inspection by enter
prising publishers will be entirely satis
factory when the test is applied through
the schools cannot be reasonably ex
pected. But that this choice will be
governed by the best Judgment of the
men upon whom It devolves cannot be
doubted
There is an element in every school
district that is opposed to any change
In the textbooks used In the schools.
To many persons a schoolbook is a
achoolbook; only this and nothing more.
Of course there are no books nowadays
that compare favorably, in the est!
mation of many middle-aged persons.
with the well-thumbed books of their
own far-away schooldays. But there
are maj3y patrons of the public schools
who think one spelling-book or series
of readers Is quite as good as another.
while as to arithmetics the multlpli
cation table is the same in all and one
cannot help being as good as another,
To those of this view any change ir
textbooks is needless and entails an
expense that is by no means cheerfully
borne.
While practical people can readily
realize the hardship that frequent
change in the textbooks in use in the
public schools inflicts upon parents who
work for the maintenance of their fa
ilies and who have from two to six
children in the various grades, they can
also see that our schools cannot keep
pace with the requirements of con
stantly changing conditions if they are
i restricted to outdated books and obso-
Uet methods of prtEeoiing the subjects.
in hand. The free schools system is the
boast, not only of the state, but of the
Nation. Tet in point of fact nothing is
absolutely free in life that is worth
having. Teachers, buildings and a cer
tain amount of equipment are provided
for. American children of all grades of
life not free, but at the public expense.
Thus far in this state it devolves upon
parents to furnish the textbooks which
are used in the schools. These books
are chosen by a Textbook Commission
composed of men who give much time
and labor to the work. The books cost
something, of course; much more in
many instances, perhaps, than parents
feel that they can afford. Tet with all
of the safeguards thrown around this
expenditure, with generous provision
made for the exchange of books and the
evident desire on the part of the State
Board of Education to keep the school
equipment abreast of the times, there
would seem to be very , little cause for
complaint at the expense involved when
it becomes necessary to supplant old
and outgrown textbooks with new.
To what extent this will be adjudged
necessary when the Textbook Commis
sion meets in Salem, June 3, to consider
the matter, will at that time be decided.
That some changes will be made is cer
tain; that they will involve some ex
pense to parents when the schools open,
in September, is one of the things that
may Just as well be set down among
the legitimate expenses involved In
bringing up a family and met cheer
fully, even If at some sacrifice of things
less essential. There has been waste
fulness In this matter In the past.
Graft has entered into ft and publish
ers have been enriched by it. But as at
present engineered there Is every reason
to believe that these abuses are of the
past, and that only such changes In the
textbooks of the public schools will now
be ordered as are In the best interests
of education and of the rising genera
tion. JI ST A WORD OF CAUTION.
To those well-meaning but impetuous
persons who are circulating petitions
for the referendum upon the State
University appropriation bill, The Ore
gonian would speak a word of caution.
Two years ago, when petitions were in
circulation for the purpose of holding
up the normal school appropriation bill,
this paper protested against such meas
ures and advised that recourse be had
to the initiative instoad. The counsel
was disregarded, the bill was held up,
it was finally approved by the people
and the money was paid out of the
treasury, together with interest and in
creased cost of supplies. Holding up
that appropriation bill cost the people
of this state something like $40,000. The
Oregonian did not like tho appropria
tion bill of 1905 any more than the ad
vocates of the referendum did. but it
could not agree with them as to tho
methods that should be pursued in rem
edying the evil. Subsequent events
have justified the position this paper
took at that time, for we have spent
the money and still have the schools.
What newspapers or individuals may
think of the amount of the university
appropriation, or the form of the bill in
which it is carried. Is now of secondary
Importance. Because some do not like
it is no reason why they should strike
blindly at it when they can hope to do
nothing better than hurt themselves
and the university. If it bo granted
for the sake of argument tha.t the ap
propriation was a few thousand dollars
too high, there is still no reason why
the referendum should be invoked, for
we would ultimately pay the money.
with interest, and have the university
hampered and discredited in the mean
time. Taking the referendum will set
tle nothing. If the people are to de
termine the policy to be pursued with
Regard to the university or the normal
scnoois, tney must aci turougii use ini
tiative. To act through the referen
dum is a waste of time, a waste of en-
rgy, a waste of money, and an injury
to the reputation of educational institu
tions in our state.
Voters who are asked to lend their
aid to the movement by signing peti
tions should firmly refuse. Many have
already signed because they have been
ked by friends to do so, without re
alizing the seriousness of the conse
quences. They can very properly re
quest the privilege of striking their
names from the petitions. Those who
ire waiting their time In a movement
which cannot possibly be productive of
good, and will almost certainly be pro
ductive of harm, should decline to as
sist further in the work.
EFFECTTVK MEDIATION.
The settlement of the threatened
strike of the railroad men by mediation
and conciliation proves that there is
vitality in the principle of tho Erdmann
law. The strike would have amounted
to a public calamity Involving great
loss to all classes of people. The least
part of It would have fallen upon the
railroads and the trainmen. The con
crete interest which the public has in
these disagreements between laborers
and their employers justifies any rea
sonable interference to settle them
peaceably.
The Federal interference which the
Erdmann law permits is certainly mod
erate. It compels neither party to arbi
trate, nor Is either bound, except in
appearance, to obey the decision of the
arbitrators. On its face the law seems
fatally inefficient and many observers
agreed with the New York Evening
Post that "arbitration under such con
ditions might be better titan nothing,
but not much better." However, pes
simistic prophecies have been refuted
and the Erdmann act has proved suffi
cient to settle the greatest industrial
difficulty of recent years.
Both the railroads and the men have
yielded something. The latter have
postponed their demand for a,nlne-hour
day. while they gain a substantial in
crease of wages. Whether they would
have accomplished more by fighting
than through mediation may be doubt
ed. They chose well the time to make
their demands, since public opinion
happens Just now to be decidedly im
pressed with the shortcomings of the
railroad magnates and would perhaps
have leaned toward the side of the
strikers. Still, one may doubt whether
the country would have tolerated a
long suspension of business, with the
unavoidable hardships and disturb
ances of a great labor war. Undoubt
edly the men were wise in agreeing to
listen to mediation.
One of the lessons wbich the happy
termination of this difficulty impresses
upon the observer is that highly organ
ized labor is not only stronger than the
undisciplined mob, but that it is also
more rational. Arguments which would
be lost among the excited passions of
men without responsible leaders per
suade and convince those who are ac
customed to weigh pros and cons in
deliberative assemblies and submit to
tho decisions of their official heads.
Responsibility brings conservatism to
Uabor leaders as well as. to other men-
and the habit of discipline makes
strikes less violent and more amenable
to reason. One of the preliminary
steps to making arbitration universal
and efficient is the organization of the
workers in strong and recognized
unions.
The Council of Salem, having tried
to regulate the speed of trains through
the city and failed because this is the
twentieth century and people want to
see things move, would next regulate
dogs. An ordinance is pending which
would make it lawful for anybody to
kill on sight any dog "permitted to run
or be upon the streets or alleys or pub
lic parks of the City of Salem, unless
securely fastened or led by a rope or
chain, or other fastenings, by the owner
or keeper thereof." This is an invasion
of constitutional rights, just as sacred
as the privilege of bearing arms. No
self-respecting dog will allow himself to
be led that way. The author of that
ordinance evidently never owned a dog
when a boy, and as a consequence has
not the habit when grown. The man
who would haibitually lead a dog by
rope or chain or anything but kindness
that engenders affection that has the
hallmark must be in leading strings
himself, hopeless and abject. Tie up
a dog all the time! Whoof: Yet there
may be excuse Just a trifle, to be sure.
still excuse? for this freak legislation.
Possibly the Couucilmen read their
evening paper.
I. A. Manning;, who has been ap
pointed Consul at Cartagena, Colom
bia, and Thomas W. Sammons, who has
been promoted from Consul at Niu
Chwang to Consul-General at Seoul,
are both Western newspaper men and
have had training that qualifies them
for the work intrusted to them. Mr.
Manning was for a number of years
engaged in newspaper work at Salem.
Mr. Sammons left his journalistic work
in Tacoma several years ago to become
private secretary to Senator Foster,
and upon the latter's recommendation
was appointed Consul at Niu Chwang.
Manning served rive years as Consul at
Matagalpa, Nicaragua, and is a master
of the Spanish language. Each of the
men received his appointment, an
nounced yesterday, as a result of an ex
amination as to qualifications. Their
preferment will be very pleasing to
their many friends on the Pacific Coast,
A professor In Wisconsin Agricultural
College announces the discovery thai
wild mustard, Canada thistle, yellow
dock, cockle burr and some other nox
ious weeds can be killed by spraying
the fields with a 10 per cent solution of
sulphate of iron. The cost is said to be
75 cents an acre. The spraying is done
after the weeds have started to grow.
Instead of injuring the growing grain,
the treatment which kills the weeds Is
said to be beneficial to the crop. While
one would be Inclined to doubt the suc
cess of this remedy, anything that
comes from Wisconsin Agricultural Col
lege is bound to receive respectful at
tention. Our own college might try the
remedy on French pink, dog fennel and
other pests by which our fields are more
infested than by those mentioned as
doing injury in Wisconsin.
The New York Evening Post finds
little in tho general enactment of the
2-cent fare rate on railroads that Is
a menace to railroad profits, since leg
islation on this point runs parallel with
the anti-pass legislation. "It requires
only tne simplest mathematics, says
the journal quoted, "to show that a
company which formerly carried two
thirds of its passengers for 3 cents and
the other third for nothing will take lu
exactly as much money as If the whole
lot pay at 2 cents flat." Tho traveling
public includes pretty much everybody
in this day of sightseeing, visiting and
wide business affiliations sees in anti-
pass and 2-cent fare legislation a spirit
of fairness which Is commendable alike
in equity and In ethics. The purpose is
not to Injure the railroads, but to
equalize their benefits.
There is nothing especially new in the
theory that a man can be insane with
rage at one time and thereafter hav
ing vented his anger be perfectly sane.
Opinions differ as to whether an indi
vidual having been provoked to right
cous wrath is accountable for the mis
chief that he does or the crime that he
commits while the "brain storm" lasts.
It Is readily conceivable that the latl
tude allowed to an angry man by an
swering this question in the negative
would put society under a grave men
ace. The public, watts with some Inter
est the view of the Thaw jury in the
premises, not that it is specially con
cerued itbout Thaw's fate, for he Is at
best a vile fellow, but because of the
question of public safety involved In
the decision.
In Wisconsin the Legislature was
about to enact a drastic automobile
law, but some of the owners of the
most costly autos undertook to prove
that the machines are not driven too
fast. After the members had been
taken for a ride they took a different
view of the question of speed limit.
In nearly every part of the country
the newspapers arc reporting that there
Is a general epidemic of rabies among
dogs, and there are many speculations
as to the cause. No one has thought
to consider the question whether the
dogs have not read Jack London's "Call
of the Wild."
Portland has been selected as the
place for holding the annual convention
of plumbers of the Pacific Northwest.
How this class of philanthropists can
save enough money for traveling ex
penses Is a mystery.
Now that fears of a sawmill tie-up in
Portland, paralysis of railroads at Chi
cago and a panic In Wall street are re
moved, let's take up the march of prog
ress and quicken our pace.
Based on the fruits of its effort at
Chicago this week, mediation by the
Government is more effective than ar
bitration. At last we have found a solution for
the much-discussed question whether
Hamlet was insane. He had "brain
storm."
The poet's Idea of where a young
man's fancy turns at this season of the
year does not apply to Western Oregon.
Evidently Mr. Harrlman didn't sur
mise that the President was 'loaded.
And for big game. too.
Just as quick as this rain stops, be
gin to cultivate your roses for the June
carnival.
I It has net yet occurred to Mr. Harri
!mu la call Roosevelt, a, moUXacaddla. 1
K1REBOAT A A I) FIRE MAINS.
Plan to Kxpead (175.000 for Better
Protection on KJvrr Kront.
(The Oregonian purposes to print from day
to day a aeries of articles summarizing and
explaining; the several charter amendment
and ordinances to be voted on by the people
of Portland at the election June 3.)
SECOND ARTICLE.
With the expenditure of C7T..0CO for a
new nreboai. and a separate system of
Are mains, to authorize which the Council
has ordered submitted to the people in
June a charter amendment earning the
appropriation for that amount. Portland
would rank high among the cities of the
United States In regard to fire protec
tion. There is no doubt but that the ef
ficiency of the Fire Department would
be greatly Increased and the only ques
tion is whether the people of Portland
care to expend that .amount of money for
additional are protection. Among the
city officials and those familiar with the
conditions in Portland this particular
charter amendment receives practically
universal approval.
But 125,00uof the appropriation of J275.-
000 would be expended for the construc
tion of a new fh-eboat. With the re
maining $150,000 quite an extensive sys
tem of mains could be laid, which It is
planned to extend year after year aa the
city grows in alze.
A flreboat of steel construction is con
templated. It would have a pumping ca
pacity of 0000 gallons of water a minute.
whereas the present flreboat which guards
the waterfront has a capacity of but 6000
gallons. The new boat would be fitted
up with three pumpe, each capable of
throwing 3000 gallons every 60 seconds.
A boat of steel construction which is of
the latest and most approved type is de
sirable, say those who are in a position
to know. In battling with large fires
along the waterfront the George H. "Will-
lams has been hindered in its operations
because of its wooden construction. In
several Instances, if it had been a steel
boat, it could have accomplished more
effective work by approaching closer to
the flames, which could not be dona for
fear that the wood on the boat itself
would become ignited. If the new boat
is authorized a new station will be estab
lished along the waterfront and the
George H. Williams will continue hi
service.
No definite plan has been determined
upon for .the laying of the fire mains, but
the' would be located in portions of the
fire district where protection is most
needed. In time it is hoped to cover all
the districts with mains. The pipes com
pose an entirely separate system and In
times of fires the pressure will be fur
nished by the tireboats.
The mains will always be kept full of
water. At different streets which termi
nate at the river "chambers" will be lo
cated for the fireboats. Then in case of
serious blazes one or both of the fire
boats could connect with the "chambers"
arid force the" water from the river
through them Into the mains.
The largest engine now in use in the de
partment has a capacity of 1100 gallons a
minute. The new flreboat, with ita ca
pacity of 9000 gallons a minute, by con
necting with the "chambers" could do the
work of eight ordinary fire engines. This
enormous pressure could be made avail
able when the firemen simply attach
hose to the hy.trants of the mains. Sepa
rate systems of fire mains have been
established in several large cities where
they have proved very effective. Buf
falo. Milwaukee. Philadelphia and other
cities where fireboats can be used, have
them.
By the installation of the system the
fireboats would be capable of invaluable
work in fighting fires wherever in range
of mains. Fires might break out a half
a dozen or more blocks from the river,
yet the fireboats oould render aid. Then
two fireboats instead of one would give
the waterfront much better protection
than it now has. Now in case the George
H. Williams should become disabled the
waterfront would be left unprotected.
A plan originated by Chief Campbell
is to connect the water mains with the
standpipes on buildings. The pipes now
end about three feet above the side
walk;?, nut Chief Campbell plans to ex
tend them down to the fire mains if the
system Is installed. Then the firemen
could connect eight or nine separate linos
of hose on the standpipes and. with the
tremendous pressure furnished by the
flreboat. almost flood a building within
a few minutes. Now the tire engines con
nect with the standpipes ami furnish
the pressure, which is Just about one-
eighth as great as that which could be
furnished by the new flreboat that it is
planned to construct if the voters author
ize the appropriation of J27o,000.
The charter amendment specifies that
4 per cent interest shall be paid upon the
bonds, payable every six months. It pro
vides that J123.000 shall be reserved for
the flreboat and that the placing of the
mains, hydrants and other apparatus as
may be deemed necessary shall be deter
mined by the' Executive Board.
HOW SKATTLE SPIRIT DORS
Sella Postage Staiupel In Suburbs
Order to Swell Receipts.
tiJiiClKtihil OWN. W ash.. April (To
the Editor.) It might be interesting for
jou to Know just how the receipts of the
Seattle postofflce are swelled. I give you
tne ionowing racts which have recently-
come to light and which seem to indi
cate that unfair methods were used to
increase the receipts of the said postof
flee:
Iast week, just before the close or the
quarter, the Seattle postmaster solicited
the sale of stamps here in Georgetown
and succeeded in selling $300 worth to one
nrm who do business with this office.
ana wmcn ne had no right to do. How
many more sales were made we do not
know, nor do we know whether the same
methods were pursued in other suburban
towns. Dot in view of the facts stated
it Is only fair to presume that such is
tne case.
The salary of the postmaster here is
gauged by the receipts of the office, and
in a small omce woo is no small item
me local papers refused to publish the
facts when the matter was called to the.ir
attention, and you are at liberty to make
sucii use or tne racts herein stated.
GEORGE "W. FRAMES.
- (
He Wants to Be Informed,
PORTLAND, Or.. April 4. (To the Edi
tor.) Will Mr. J. C. Cooper wear the garb
of an "Indian Chief" when he takes the
Oregon girls to Jamestown? Will he
drill them in the German "manual of
arms." or the dance of the "Grand
Ronde Indian?" Before subscribing to
tne tuna x snoura like to be informed.
J. F. THORN.
Half-crown Minted In 1777.
PORTLAND. April 5. (To the Editor )
It may be of interest in the coin contro
versy now going on. and to keep the pot
boiling, to know that the undersigned
has in his coin collection a half-crown
(which is equivalent to two shillings and
six pence. English currency) Issued by
the State of Delaware. May 1777. The
cola la In siijendid pondttkm.
OREGON WAR CLAIMS HISTORY
Veteran of First Infantry Regiment
w rites of Bonds and Bounties.
TURNER. Or.. April 4. (To the Editor.
.As an old soldier in Company F, First
Oregon Infantry" Volunteers. I have been
interested in the scraps of history of the
Oregon war claim, that appear in the
public press, from time to time.
In a communication from "Washington.
D. C it Is asserted that part of the Ore
gon war debt was occasioned by Oregon
adding $3 per month to the wages paid
the soldiers by the United States, which,
at the commencement of the Civil War,
was $13 per month. Now. the facts are:
"We received from Oregon three bonds
of $50 each, or total of $150, In bonds run
ning 20 years at 7 per cent interest. The
first $50-bond was given Company F.
Oregon Infantry men, April 14, 1865. at
Salem. Or., and the other two bonds
were delivered to us after our discharge
in July, 1866. During November and De
cember, 1865, the citizens of Linn County
collected a private bounty per each man
who enlisted, which in Lebanon precinct
was $26 per man enlisted in that pre
cinct. In other precincts of the county
the private bounty ranged from $20 to
$50 to each recruit. The private bounty
was all in coin. Oregon at that time w.as
on a gold basis. Taxes were required to
be . paid in gold. The salaries of all state
and county officers were paid In gold. Tet
the highest market price of her $50 bounty
bond was tBf, or 66 cents on the dollar,
in gold. Hardly so valuable as Uncle
Sam's greenbacks:
The United States paid ua $100 bounty
at the end of the first year and $100 boun
ty at discharge, at the end of 19 months'
service, and wages $16 per private, $18
for corporals and $20 for sergeants. This
was all in greenbacks or currency. .The
postmasters of Oregon bought postage
stamps of the United States for green
backs at par, and by tricks that would
discount the heathen "Chinee. com-
pelled the old soldier and other people i
to pay coin for stamps. There was no
currency less than $1 bills, and the post- i
masters would not sell more than 50
cents' worth of stamps to one person.
And he would not make change. But by
standing together, we evened up on them.
Two soldiers would appear at stamp
window. One would say: "Give me 50
cents' worth of stamps." and' when the
stamps were torn off, the other soldier
would eay. "Let me have 50 cents in
stamps." And then one of them would
lay down a dollar greenback and say,
'I will pay for both."
The old boys of the First Oregon Cav
alry and First Oregon Infantry Volun
teers, will stand together again In their
sixth annual reunion at Newberg, Or.,
June 25. this year. Mayor W. V. Rlne
hart has kindly consented to be with us
at that time and tell about the service
of the Oregon boys in blue. There will
also be reminiscences by O. H. Bylance;
"Battle of Burke's Creek. by W. M .
Hilleary. and other papers by Captain
T. Apperson, Cyrus H. Walker and
others. W. M. HII,"LEARY.
GODDESS OJC SVBSIOIARY COIVS
Mr. M'Kercher Dlallkes Her Keck and
Prefer That of c;ana.
PORTLAND, April 5. (To the Editor.)
Mr. Haskin informs us that we are to
have new dies for our gold coitus. I wish
to voice my protest especially as to the
$20 piece, which I believe to be usually
considered the handsomest coin extant.
Why then this passion for the removal of
all the landmarks that bind our present
greatness to our Dast?
Mr. Haskin also states that our sub
sidiary coins our dimes, quarters and
halves "are quite the most artistic and
beautiful of American coins." Did you
ever! I defy Mr. Haskin to tell whether
the head on those pieces is that of a
goddess or a Caesar, a coarse woman or
a prizefighter! Let him lift the liberty-
cap and display the back head. There
is none to display. The ear and a pos
sible small knot of hair would be the
only things lu evidence. Then that neck.
it must arouse envy in the heart of Sulli
van and Fitz. GanR and Herman can
display necks possessing more feminin
ity. I hope l need not judge all of Haskin's
conclusions by this one. This head is
an offense to every artistic sense and
ought to be changed. President Roose
velt cannot change it until we have
suffered 25 years, but Congress can. Per
haps the Congress will, as soon as it
revises the tariff.
F. M. M' KERCH ER.
Bad Condition of Steel Bridge.
PORTLAND. Arjril 4. (To the Editor )
I think that something should be said
in The Oregonian about the condition of
the Steel bridge. When it rains the east
end of the bridge is a pool of mud. which
the automobiles and streetcars splash all
over the unfortunate pedestrian. At the
west end approach tliere is just room for
the individual to squeeze between the car
and the railing, and to add to his dis
comfort, a flshstand has been erected,
tnough it is not used at present.
J. P. ADAMSON.
Flme'ii Admission.
New Orleans Times-Democrat.
"Oh. follow me quick." said Fame;'
"Oh, how can I go." says r.
"With all o' my clothes Just laundered
Stretched out on the beach to dry?"
"Oil. follow nie quick." said Fame;
"Oh, how can I go," snys r,
"With a purty girl on the sand there
A wlnkin' the other h'eye?"
"Oh. follow me quick," said Fame;
"Oh. how can I go," says I.
"When it's c, o'clock of an evening
An" a dinner well cooked Is night?"
"Lord love ye, me boy." said Fame,
With a found twiXt a lauah and a eigh,
"Don't mention the words in public.
But you're pretty darn right." says I!
A POSSIBLE END
BOMJTTHXNf. MAY
IN THE
SUNDAY
OREGONIAN
TOMORROW
SEEING THINGS WITH THE GO0
GAN GIRLS.
First of Series of Very Humorous
Articles, Shotting a Novel Vocation
for Two Clever Young Women.
WAYS MEN TAKE TO GET THEIR
NAMES UP.
Sudden Growth of Love for Art
Among New Rich Americans How
Harriman Took a Sweet Revenge.
HOW TO LAY OUT A VEGETABLE
GARDEN.
Applicable Especially to Portland.
Miss Tinple Shows Plans Taken,
From Plots in the City.
STEAM SHOVEL WORKING AT
MOUNT TABOR.
Full Page Illustration in Colors,
Showing How Thousands of Cars
Are Loaded With Gravel for Fills.
j MOST BEAUTIFUL WOMEN IN
ALL ENGLAND.
Six of Them, so Decided by Popular
Vote, Lady Beatrice Pole-Carew
Ranking at the Head of the List.
REMINISCENCES OE JOAQUIN
MILLER.
The Venerable Poet Tells of Early
Farming in the Willamette Valley
and His Start for California.
WHERE MEN WORK FOR TWEN
TY CENTS A DAY.
Frank G. Carpenter Writes of The
Tell, Once the Granary of Rome,
Now the Granary of France.
EDUCATING THE HAND AND
THE HEARX
Annie Laura Miller Writes of a
School for Aristocratic Japanese
Girls Who Pattern After America.
HONORED OLD MAIDS LIVING
AND' DEAD.
Noble Women Who Have Removed
the Stigma That Once Attached to
the Appellation.
THE ROOSEVELT BEARS IN HOL
LAND. They Take a Ride at Breakneck
Speed Through the Air on the
Arms of a Dutch Windmill.
IF YOU ARE NOT A
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dealer Today
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