TIIE MORNING OREGONIAN. MONDAY, AUGUST 19, 1907.
TRAVELERS' GCTDE.
PHASES OF INDUSTRIAL GROWTH IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST
AlacIfV 1Qn7
8
FAIL TO KEEP L
Statute Requiring Killing of
Weeds Disregarded.
THISTLES GROW IN SALEM
Marlon County Road Supervisors
Liable to Fines for Failure to
Slaughter Pests in Their
Territory.
SALEM. Or., Aug. 18. (Special.) There
is evidence that there has been a pretty
general disregard of the provisions of the
Barrett law. passed by the last Legisla
ture, providing for the xtirpatlon of
Russian, Canadian and Chinese thistles
and other obnoxious weeds In this coun
ty, and If a strict enforcement of the
act were to be insisted upon many of
the Road Supervisors of the county, as
well as the majority of municipalities,
would be liable to the penalties imposed
for neglect in observing its provisions,
ranging from JoO to JoOO fines for each
offense.
This law. which Is the repetition of the
did laws upon the subject, except that
Its provisions are made more stringent
and Its scope enlarged to embrace white
musta.ru. coeklebur e nd silver salt bush,
commonly called, requires the Road
Supervisor of each district to make a
tour of Inspection of the properties
.within his territory and serve notice upon
all property owners upon whose land any
of the weeds mentioned In the list are
found to destroy the same before they
have bloomed and seedeu, and a copy
of the notice must be filed with the
County Court. If the landowner neglects,
falls or refuses to comply with the law
In thjs respect the Road Supervisor has
authority to employ men to destroy the
pests and charge the cost to the property
owner, which applies as a lien upon the
land.
Under the .laws of the state municipali
ties are removed from the Jurisdiction of
County Courts for road or street improve
ment purposes, but the Street Commis
sioner of each municipality Is recognised
as the ex-offloio Road Supervisor of that
district and the municipality is held re
sponsible for his neglect or Infraction of
the law. To date the county records
show that thistle notices have been
served In but eight cases In the county,
and these are divided among five dis
tricts, the greatest number In any dis
trict being three. In the dty of Salem
Canadian and Russian thistles are per
mitted to flourish unmolested along one
of the principal thoroughfares of the
business district of the city and, so far
vias is known, there has been no effort
made to enforce the provisions of the
law In any particular dn any part of the
city. Thistles are allowed to .blossom and
cast their seed upon the four winds right
In t.ie downtown district, and when
Mayor Rodgers' attention was -called to
the matter he took immediate steps to
have the evil corrected so far as pos
sible, . although it is now too late to
orevent the spread of the weeds.
Road Supervisor, or. in the ease of
municipalities. Street Commissioners, are
subject to a fine of not less than $50
nor more than 150 for careless or wilful
neglect of the duties Imposed upon them
by the act, and municipalities are sub
ject to a fine of not less than $50 nor
more than $500 for each eeparate of
fense. GOOD COAL IX IiAXE COTJNTE
Mine Ten Miles From Eugene Will
Soon Market Product.
EUGENE, Or., Aug. 18. There Is no
longer any doubt that coal exists in
reasonably large quantities In Lane
County and two months will see the com
modity from the mine of the Spencer
Butte Coal & Petroleum Company on the
local market. This concern has been
developing its properties for several
months past, and now knows definitely
Just what it has.
The mine is ten miles west of Eugene
and includes 301 acres of land. Consider
able of the land consists of a hill about
400 feet high, and large cropplngs show
near the base of this hill, a six and one-half-foot
vein being an average of the
cropplngs measured. At the very base of
the hill cropplngs are again plain and
here a drill has been sunk 233 feet, cut
ting five feet of coal. The miners are
now at work sinking a shaft to reach
this deposit of the coal.
StUl deeper drillings indicate another
layer of coal, but the engine used at the
time was too light to go further and the
matter of going deeper was temporarily
given up. Work on the shaft to the
known coal deposit will be i pushed and
the mine will pay the cost of development
as the work progresses from the sales in
the local market.
The assay of the coal shows the fol
lowing composition:
Moisture -- 4.00
Volatile combustible matter 85.00
Fixed carbon 47.50
Ash 3 3-50
Sulphur 00.00
Total 100.00
Men familiar with the coal fields of
6cranton, Pa., say the formation of the
coal here Is very similar to the forma
tions In the Scranton fields. Immediately
over the coal deposit is a Ave or six-foot
layer of slate rock, very hard, and above
this Is sand rock, which lies perfectly in
place.
RAIXS SAVE MUCH TIMBER
Fewer Fires in Eastern Washington
Than in Many Years.
SPOKANE, Wash., Aug. 18. (Special.)
"While the rains of this Summer have
caused the farmers of the Inland Empire
much alarm they have been of inestima
ble benefit to the big timber owners of
Eastern Washington and Northern Ida
ho," said William Deary, the manager of
the Potlatch Lumber Company, a Weyer
haeuser corporation. The forests of this
section have been freer from fires this
year than any season for a number of
years and the rains are responsible for
this. The wet season has saved the tim
ber owners many thousands of dollars.
UMATILLA wheat damaged
Rain Causes Loss of Weight in
Test; Yield Heavy, However.
PENDLETON, Or., Aug. 18. (Special.)
That Umatilla County's immense wheat
crop, which Is less than half harvested,
sustained more damage as a result of
last week's rain than was at first sus
pected became manifest yesterday when
the work of harvesting was resumed. It
was found that the berry had been
bleached and that it Is testing about two
pounds less than before the rain. Wheat
from the same field that was testing 62
before the rain is now testing 60.
Fortunately for the growers of the
county, the grain this year was ex
ceptionally heavy, and it Is not thought
that the growers will receive any lower
price because of the wetting which it re
ceived. Of 70 samples received by one
buyer only two tested below 60, and as 58
is the standard for first grade it will be
seen that practically the entire crop of
the county will stand the falling off of
two pounds and still make the test. The
samples received by this buyer corre
sponded with those received by every
other buyer in this city.
It has also been found that the Athena
and Weston mountain sections are not
the only ones who have suffered losses
by reason of "falling straw."- Through
out a large part of the reservation, and
In fact every part of the county where
the wheat was particularly tall, the
heads have proved too heavy for the
straw when softened by the rain and
have started toward the ground.
While the loss on this account will not
be considerable, probably not more than
live bushels an acre In any Instance, yet
a few bushels to the acre, with wheat the
price it is now, will be grudged by the
growers. Harvesting is now being car
ried on under some difficulties, as the
grain is not thoroughly dried out yet
and is very toufjh to thresh. The chaff
clings to the berry and if enough wind Is
put on to blow it out the grain is carried
over.
CLATSOP BUILDING XEW ROAD
Expects to Tap ' Rich Agricultural
District Back From Coast.
ASTORIA, Aug. 18. (Special.) Clatsop
County is building a publio highway
along what Is known as the coast route
between this city and the Tillamook
County line, the plan being to secure a
good road as soon as possible to Tilla
mook City. Today County Judge Trench
ard received a letter from Commissioner
H. V. Alley, of Tillamook County, stating
that he and his associates will have a sur
vey made in the immediate future to as
certain what grades can be secured for a
road to connect with the Clatsop County
highway at the county line. He also
urges the building of a road by the two
counties through a route further back
from the coast, to tap the rich agricul
tural district that is now completely shut
off from means of transportation to the
markets. The members of the Clatsop
County Court will leave In a few days on
an inspection trip over the route of the
proposed highway, and will also go to
Tillamook to confer with the officials of
that county relative to the improvement.
FAIR HAS MANY FEATURES
AXXTJAL EVEXT AT CORVALLIS
HAS GOOD PROGRAMME.
School Children Will Hold Competi
tive Parade for Portrait ot Hon.
George H. Williams.
MMINNVILLE. Or., Aug. 18. (Spe
cial.) Active preparations are on foot
for the second annual County School
Fair to be held in this city In connec
tion with the Livestock Exhibit, Sep
tember 24 to 27, inclusive. The com
mittee on programme has set apart the
first day for a parade of the school
children of the county, in honor of that
worthy pioneer. Hon. George H. Wil
liams, whose portrait is to be presented
to the school having the largest per
centage of Its pupils In the parade. The
second day will be devoted to the
Patrons of Husbandry.
Pioneers of the county will be hon
ored by having the third day for their
own. A pioneer log cabin Is to be
erected in the park, in which the relics
of early days will be stored. It will
be in facsimile of the first schoolhouse
erected In this county. In this connec
tion, a portion of Pioneer day will par
take of an educational exhibit. Miss
Virginia Olds is now the oldest school
teacher In the county. Members of
her first classes are living in this and
adjoining- counties. It Is proposed to
get as many of them togetHer as can
be found, and to use the old-time text
books for a public recitation, conducted
by Miss Olds. Modern textbooks and
present-day pupils will recite to repre
sent the present, as the others have
represented the past, and a class of
little tots will portray the education
of the future.
The fourth day of the fair will be
G. A. R. and Patriotic day, with exhi
bition drills by the militia and Spanish
War Veterans. ' Free vaudeville and
athletic entertainments will be provid
ed, and a balloon ascension from the
grounds will also be a feature. Scotch
bagpipes played by professionals . are
to enliven the week, together with
other musical numbers. A number of
noted speakers are expected to be
present. Invitations have been sent to
the following: Senator C. W. Fulton,
Governor Chamberlain, Congressman
Hawley, ex-Senators Gearin and Mul
key, II. W. Scott, Mrs. Clara Waldo,
President Kerr and Professor Wlthy
combe, of the Agricultural College;
President Campbell, of the State Uni
versity; State School Superintendent
Ackerman, and George H. Williams, of
Portland.
WAGES HIGH FOR THRESHERS
Expenses of Running a Threshing
Outfit $100 a Day.
COLFAX, Wash., Aug. 18. (Special.)
A warm wind Is rapidly drying the wheat
fields and the harvest Is on again in full
blast today after three days of rain and
cool weather. Farmers claim no damage
has been done, but say they are anxious
to ge their grain threshed and under
cover. Dooks Frye started a .thresher
near Colfax today, his running expense
being about $100 a day. Sack sewers re
ceive $4.50 a day, also sack giggers, who
load the sacks. Wagon drivers get $2.50,
and their teams bring them $1.50 a day.
Men who pitch to the machine and all
other help are ' paid good wages, and
board is given all help. A cook wagon
follows the machine and two cooks are
kept busy each day. Sixteen hours' run
Is called a day's work during the thresh
ing season. Each machine has what is
called a "roustabout" a man or boy with
a team, who hauls provisions and water.
Should a man quit lie is taken to town
and another hired by the roustabout.
Mines Busy 1n Jackson.
JACKSONVILLE, Or., Aug. 1$. (Spe
cial.) Reports are coming in to the effect
that the Seattle Mining Company, which Is
virtually the Blue Ledge crowd. Is prepar
ing to erect a large smelter at Joe Bar,
five miles below the Blue Ledge mine.
Besides doing their own work, It is said,
they will treat the ores for the smaller
companies. This week a syndicate of
capitalists from Saginaw, Mich., pur
chased a half interest in the Copper City
group of claims on Siad Creek, 'south
of the Blue Ledge. They have already put
a large force of men to work and will run
a day and night shift In order to de
velop the property as fast as possible be
fore the snows of Winter set In. If the
property comes up to their expectations,
they will erect a smelter.
GOOD FRUIT YIELD
Ashland District' Reports a
Bumper Crop.
HIGH PRICES BEING PAID
All Varieties Are Doing Well and
.Are Contributing Largely to Gen
eral Prosperity of the South
ern Oregon Country.
ASHLAND, Or., Aug. 18 (Special.)
The fruit season of 1907 in Ashland and
vicinity is now well advanced and shows
that, all varieties of fruit considered, K
will prove fully as profitable as any that
have gone before. For this section of
Southern Oregon has come to that stage
In Its development wnere it is not de
pendent upon any one crop of fruit for
its prosperity. Wmle the peach crop
Is not as large this year as it has been
In some other vears. we have had bumper
cherry, strawberry. Loganberry and
blackberry crops, while apples promise to
yield more abundantly than ever .before.
Pears will also be a big factor in the
situation. The quality of all the varieties
named is not excelled by any section of
the Coast.
Inquiries at both the Ashland Fruit
and Produce Association and Wells, Far
go Express office show that the volume
of business In the shipments of green
fruits has been immense. -Manager D.
A. Applegate, of the latter company, says
that the records o- that office were
broken early In the season. The month
of June went far In excess of any pre
vious June since he has had charge of
the office. Cherries rained in on him for
weeks, and berries came Just as plenti
fully. Manager S. F. Johnson, of the
Fruit Association, tells the same story.
The Willamette Valley has heretofore
claimed to be the banner cherry section
of Oregon, but with mis year's Ashland
cherry crop In view, she had best look to
her laurels. The averages of settlement
have not yet been made up at the As
sociation warehouse, but Manager John
son says the price will run about 7
cents per pound.
Just now the Early Crawford peaches
are beginning to come In, and the pros
pects are good for a fair crcfr. although
shorter than most years. The going
price is $1 to $1.35 per box. The quality
Is good. The Bartlett pear harvest Is
now on In earnest, and the price runs
about $1.50 per box. Nearly a carload
of the Fall Butter, or early pear, has
been shipped by the Association to points
east of Portland. Gravenstein apples are
also coming In freely and are bringing
$1.25 to $1.50 a box.
The promise for average large crops of
Mulr, Salway and Late Crawford peaches
Is excellent, and prices will be remuner"
tlve Manager Johnson says there is more
fruit here thts year than there was last,
but one of the things that has militated
against a satisfactory market has been
the irregular train service. The lateness
of the trains has frequently occasioned
the delay of a day in the placing of
fruit on the Portland market. Figures
as to the exact number of boxes sent
out from thts station will not be available
until later in the season.
William N. White, of the firm of W.
N. White & Co., apple buyers of Park
Place, New York, was in Ashland Tues
day, and n company with B. V. Carter
visited a number of the apple orchards
in this vicinity. The number and beauty
of the orchards he saw, he said, were
a revelation to him, as heretofore he had
not known that apples were ' grown In
commercial quantities in the southern
part of this county. He was very en
thusiastic in his praise of me A. D.
Helms orchard, southeast of this city,
saying it was the finest he had ever seen.
Mr. White says he is the first man who
ever exported apples from Southern Or
egon to Europe, having bought the first
carload out of the old Stewart orchard.
Just north of Phoenix. Mr. White made
bids to growers on the output of several
orchards while here.
GOOD MOXEY IX PEACH CROP
Douglas County Markets Success
fully G 0,0 00 Boxes.
Roseburg Review.
Shipments of early Crawford peaches
from Roseburg this year will aggregate
a total of nearly 20,000 boxes. This is the
estimate given by E. P. Drew, who is
handling the shipments of the local fruit
growers' association, .whose membership
embraces nearly all of the peach-growers
of this vicinity. Shipments have been
made regularly since July 3 up to now,
and will continue for the early Crawford
variety for about one week longer. At
the end of that time the late Crawford
and cling varieties will commence to go to
the markets. Ten days will suffice, how
ever, for shipping all of the late peaches,
the crop of which will not exceed a total
of 500 boxes. This is the first time In
three years there has been an appreci
able crop of early Crawfords.
Growers have realized good prices for
their product. Peaches of average size
and quality brought from 65 to So cents
per box, while those of higher grade
brought as high 'as $1.25 per box. After
deducting transportation charges, these
prices left the growers a neat martin of
profit. Most of the fruit was marketed
in Portland.
In quality the fruit was unsurpassable.
Only one complaint has so far been regis
tered, and that was an injustice. A ship
ment of peaches that arrived in Portland
one Sunday morning was not deliverd to
the consignee and as a result the fruit was
partially spoiled on Monday.
The price was threatened only once, and
that was on last Monday, when the deal
ers became combative and forced the price
down to 40 cents per box. The reduction
lasted only for that day. however.
MAY BUILD WATER SYSTEM
Willamette Valley Company Has
Designs Upon Salem.
SALEM, Or., Aug. 18. (Special.) Vague
rumors are again in circulation to the ef
fect that the Willamette Valley Company,
which owns the electric light and power
and waterworks plants in many points
In the Willamette Valley besides Salem,
and Is backed by the Rhodes, Sinkler &
Butcher syndicate, of Philadelphia, has
designs upon Salem and has under con
sideration the scheme of entering the Sa
lem field with a gravity waterworks sys
tem In competition with the Salem Water
Company. It is understood negotiations
are on at present for a deal, upon the out
come of which depends the promotion of
the waterworks .system. If established,
it is proposed to pipe water into tire city
from the headwaters of the Santlam, an
abundant supply of pure cold water be
ing available from a distance-of between
25 and 30 miles.
President James S. Stephens, Vice-president
I. W. Anderson, Manager A. Welch
and Director Howard Butcher, Jr., of the
Willamette Valley Company, passed
through Salem last week on a tour of in
spection of the several valley plants and
Mr. Welch dropped off for a hurried con
ference with F. W. Waters, the local rep
resentative, regarding the status of his
application for a franchise through the
city for a new electric railway project
which is now before the City Council, but
beyond saying . that the company had
some Important deals under consideration,
he declined to discuss the subject. He
was also silent upon the ultimate pur
pose and backing of the proposed new
electric railway enterprise being pro
moted by him between this city and Al
bany, except as is shown upon the face
of the petition.
FIGS THRIVE IX POLK COUNTY
Seven-Year-Old Tree in Monmouth
Is Heavily Laden With Fruit.
Dallas Observer.
Figs as large and perfectly developed
as those raised in the most favored por
tions of California are grown at the town
home of Mrs. E. F. Lucas, In Monmouth.
Specimens of the fruit were brought to
Dallas Wednesday by Mrs. Martha Cos
per, who had been visiting in the Normal
School town. The figs were of delicious
flavor and were far superior to the Cali
fornia fruit usually found In the Oregon
markets.
Mrs. Lucas' tree is seven years old, the
cutting having been brought from Cali
fornia in 1900. The tree is making a
luxuriant growth and has already reached
a height of 12 feet. Three crops of fruit
are borne each year. The specimens
brought to Dallas by Mrs. Cosper Included
ripe and green frulfof the second crop
and half-grown fruit of the third crop.
The tree has been In bearing four years.
It has long been known that certain
varieties of figs will thrive and bear
abundantly in the Willamette Valley, but
no effort has yet been made to raise this
fruit as a commercial crop. A tree on the
farm of Dr. Victor Fink, on Salt Creek,
bears abundantly each year, and a num
ber of fine, healthy trees are to be found
In James Elliott's orchard south of Dallas.
The successful experiments In producing
this semi-tropical fruit in the Wlllam
mette Valley are only another evidence of
the wonderful soli and climate of Western
Oregon.
THIS ROAD BEING BUILT
OXE PROJECT NOT TJXDER COS.
TROL OF HARRIMAX.
Corvallis & Alsea River Railroad Is
Being Graded Into Rich
Timber District.
CORVALLIS, Or.. Aug. 18. (Special.)
The grading gang of the Corvallis &
Alsea River Railroad Is making good
progress in spite of the scarcity of men
and teams. With harvesting operations in
progress and a general scarcity of horses
and men the construction work has been
much handicapped. General Superinten
dent Carver is, however, anxious to get
the first 25 miles of the grade completed
before the heavy rains of Winter set in,
and is doing everything possible to push
the work.
About half a mile of grade is now prac
tically completed, and an additional sec
tion Is In an unfinished Btate. The heavy
part of the grading work Is done by a
machine Instead of the old-fashioned plow
and scrapers. The machine is a very
heavy plow, the moldboard of which
throws the dirt on a draper, which in turn
carries and dumps it on the grade, a dis
tance of 15 feet, perhaps, from where the
plow takes up the earth. A dozen horses
and four men are required to operate
the machine, but it does the work of 10
or a dozen scrapers.
Steel rails for several miles of road are
on the ground, and contracts have been
let for large quantities of piling, bridge
timbers and ties. The first 20 miles of
the road will be through a country in
which construction cost will be ex
traordinarily low. Three billion feet of
merchantable timber will be brought Into
market by the construction of this road,
and throughout its entire length it will
tap a region of vast agricultural and
dairying resources. The fact that it con
nects at Corvallis with steamboat navi
gation on the Willamette and has the
C. & H. and Southern Pacific for connec
tions Is accounted a very favorable Inci
dent in the project, which its promoters
claim will make it a paying property from
the day it Is completed.
Sportsmen Haunt the McKenzie.
EUGENE, Or., Aug. 18. (Special.)
Each year the number of people who take
their outing on the famous McKenzie
River and in the nearby mountains, in
creases. The resorts all along the valley
and into the mountains, including Bel
knap and Foley Springs, are already
well patronized though there has yet been
no hot weather. While many people
from this county and other parts of the
state go yearly into the McKenzie coun
try, a good per cent of the sojourners are
from California and tlje Eastern states.
Every year hunters and fishermen from
the East, who hear of the splendid hunt
ing and fine trout streams of this country
spend their vacation season there, re
turning again with others to whom they
have given their experiences. And it, is
the same with the Californlans. Jeffries,
the champion heavyweight pugilist, took
his first trip into the McKenzie country
last year. He is coming again with a
party next month. At the close of his
trip last year it was the opinion of Jeff
ries, and his party agreed, that the Mc
Kenzie country was the best place on
earth for the sportsman.
Ashland Is Forging Ahead.
ASHLAND, Or., Aug. 18. (Special.)
Ashland has not been saying much about
a building boom lately, but an observer
calls attention to the fact that there are
now 55 dwelling houses building In- Ash
land, besides four large brick blocks in
course of actual construction at the pres
ent time and two more to be started with
in a few months, as soon as arrange
ments can be perfected for caring for ten
ants now occupying wooden buildings to
be replaced. Ashland has spent over $36.
000 In extending her sewer system dur
ing the past year and now has over eight
miles of sewer mains, which, with an ad
dition to the system now being surveyed,
will give this city the best system of
sewers of any city in Oregon, unless it be
Portland. Bids are now being asked for
a mile of paved streets.
Better Prices for Fruit.
NORTH YAKIMA, AVash.,' Aug. 18.
(Special.) Deputy Horticultural Inspector
Brown prophesies that prices for fruit will
be from 20 to 30 per cent, higher this
year than last. He estimates that the
crop this year will amount to at least
1400 car loads. The orchards are much
freer from pests than ever before. Mr.
Brown believes that the codlln moth will
be absolutely exterminated within a few
years.
WRITES OF OREGON
Sidelights on Beaver State by
Cornell Professor.
FOURTH MOST IMPORTANT
Finds 30,000,000 Acres Unappro
priated Lands in Northwestern
State, Largest Body Public
Area Open to Settlement.
BERKELEY. Cal.. Aug. 18. (Spe
cial.) In his recent book on "How to
Choose a Farm. With a Discussion of
American Lands," Professor Thomas F.
Hunt, of Cornell University, devotes
several complimentary paragraphs to
farming conditions of the Pacific
Northwest and to the resources of Ore
gon in particular. Professor Hunt oc
companies his descriptions with tables
ot statistics which throw several in
teresting sidelights on the conditions
existing In the Beaver State.
"This region Is characterized by its
imdsn . forest resources. Its fishing
industries, and the high production of
wheat by dry farming in tne eastern
part of Washington and along the Co
lnmhla River in Oregon," writes Pro
fessor Hunt of Oregon. Washington
and Idaho. "One-third of the area is
covered by forests of Immense com
morMni imnortance. while at least one-
fifth more is covered by trees of less
Importance. In Western Oregon and
Washington are to be found millions
of acres of the densest forests, wlft
coniferous trees of great .height and
large diameters, of which the Douglas
fir and the red cedar are perhaps the
mast Important. It is not uncommon
for five acres of land to cut a million
feet of lumber.
"Wheat and hay constitute about
one-third the value of all crops. While
general farming is somewhat more de
veloped than in the Rocky Mountain
states, the grazing or iivestocK is ua
one of the Drlncipal industries. Cer
tain areas in Oregon. Washington and
California furnish ideal conditions of
soil and climate for the production of
hops. These three states oroluce two
thirds of the product of the United
States.
"The Cascade Mountains divide this
region, climatically and agriculturally,
Into two parts. Between the Cascade
Mountains and the Coast Range are
fertile, well-watered valleys, already
thickly populated. Upon the western
coast, owing to the Japan current, the
temperature is the most equable In
North America. The climate is more
like England than that of any other
part of the United States.
"The soils are mostly of a volcanic
origin and are unusually fertile and
enduring. The prairies consist of an
expanse of rolling hills. The layout of
the farms and general aspect of the
Improvements are similar to those in
the newer portions of the Jorth Cen
tral states. The people are mostly
native-born Americans from the older
settled states. There is a general air
of 'hopefulness and prosperity among
them.
"There are still 80,000,000 acres of
unappropriated and unreserved publio
lands ready for entry in this region.
While some of this is forest land and
some is arid, this region probably con
tains the best lerge body of public
land yet open for settlement in the
United States."
Oregon, Washington and Idaho are
credited with about 90,000 farms. The
area In farms is about 25,000,000 acres,
the improved area being about 9,000,
000 acres for the three states. The
average size of the farms is a trifle
over 250 acres, and the average size of
improved farms is nearly 100 acres.
The State of Oregon alone has about
11,000.000 acres of land fn farms an
ranches, which is estimated to be
worth about $13 per acre.
RAILS COME, WORK RESUMES
Pilot Rock Branch of the O.'R. & X.
Xearing Completion.
PENDLETON. Or., Aug. 18. (Specials
Steel rails for which those in charge of
the work on the Pilot Rock branch of
the Oregon Railway & Navigation Com
pany have been waiting for a few days,
arrived yesterday, and the work of track
laying has been resumed. The rails were
sent here from the Washington division
of the O. R. & N., having been replaced
there by heavier ones. They were taken
to the Birch Creek spur at once and the
crew of 44 men, which has been compelled
to do other work during the past few
days, at once took up the work where
It was left oft. The . big steel bridge
across the Umatilla at the mouth of
Birch Creek has been completed and
about a mile and a half of the track has
been laid.
The new steel bridge 'across the Uma
tilla, on the O. R. & N. cut-off, just west
of this city. Is also completed, with the
exception of the tightening up of the
bolts, which is now In progress. The
long fills have been made and the mile
and a quarter of track is nearly ready
for trains. This cut-off not only shortens
the distance, but eliminates three bad
curves and greatly lessens a heavy
grade.
BEST PAYIXG PIECE OF ROAD
Electric Line Between Aberdeen and
Hoquiam Holds Record.
ABERDEEN, Wash., Aug. (Special.)
The Gray's Harbor Electric Light &
Power Company has a big crew at work
on their power buildings being erected
between here and Hoquiam.
Between $200,000 and $250,000 is to be in
vested in the new plant. The company
has added several cars to its rolling stock
the past few weeks showing that the
business of the line between here and
Hoquiam is growing fast.
It is stated that the four or five miles of
track which the company operates be
tween here and Hoquiam and Cosmopolis
at a 10 and 15-cent rate for passengers
makes It by far the best paying piece of
property for the length of line anywhere
in the United States.
Xew Bridge Is Finished.
HARRISBURG, Or., Aug. 18. (Special.)
The steel bridge spanning the Willam
ette River three-fourths of a mile south
of this city speaks well for the enterprise
of the Southern Pacific Company. It is
an up-to-date structure in every par
ticular. It is equipped with a draw
through which steamboats may pass. This
draw is Operated by machinery that does
the work automatically and one man can
handle it.
The company maintained a draw in the
old wooden bridge which this new struc
ture will replace. But the absence of
steamboats on the Upper Willamette
River is a sad commentary on the help
less condition of producers in this portion
of the Valley. The steamer Eugene passed
through the draw in 1S99 and 1904. The
Gray Eagle a supply boat for the Spauld
Ing logging company, is now the sum
total of navigation through this draw
bridge. Thl3 traffic could be restored and
made profitable to the owners of a line
of suitable boats and at the same time
relieve the paralyzing effect of present
freight rates. The river from .Eugene to
Corvallis is In better condition for navi
gation than for many years which Is
shown by the progress being made by
the big log drive of the Spauldlng Com
pany which report a gain of ten days
time in the run to Corvallis as com
pared with the running time of much
smaller drives last year and the year be
fore as well.
FIR BLOCKS ARE THE BEST
Oregon Product Excels Other
Woods for Switch-Blocks.
' SALEM. Or., Aug. 18. (Special.) An
other Instance of the superiority of fir
wood over the harder varieties of forestry
products for commercial and industrial
purposes Is Illustrated In a communica
tion to the Railroad Commission received
this morning from Manager E. Lyons,
of the Northern Pacific Terminal Com
pany, of Portland, who states that fir
wedges will be used in future for switch
and frog blocks In place of hard wood
blocks because Its superior adaptation to
this use has been demonstrated fully by
past experiments.
Mr. Lyons' letter is in reply to a notice
from the Commission calling attention to
the dereliction of the company in permit
ting switch and frog blocks to remain out
of place in the terminal yards, and Mr.
Lyons assures the Commission that this
matter, the blame for which he attaches
to the neglect of the track department,
will be attended to more carefully in fu
ture. He says that the hard wood blocks
work out of place on the light track and
under heavy traffic, while fir blocks re
main securely wedged where driven.
OBTAIX MORE DOCK FROXTAGE
Newport Adds 250 Feet by Sluicing
Down Hill.
NEWPORT, Or., Aug. 18. (Special.)
Newport is gaining a dock frontage of
250 feet by sluicing down hills for a
fill at the north end of Front street, the
only business thoroughfare of the
town. The fill is 250 feet long and 80
feet wide and will contain 6500 cubic
yards of earth. It is being made by the
city for the purpose of extending Front
street, and the city thus acquires the
water-front adjoining, which will be
valuable for leasing purposes.
The work has been in progress two
weeks and from 200 to 400 cubic yards
of earth are being conveyed daily from
the big hills to the fill on the mud
flat. The earth is being dislodged by
hydraulic force. The work is being
done under contract to Charles Loomis,
a local merchant, who owns the hill
which are, being sluiced down into the
fill. A part of the bulkhead which 3ep
arates Taquina Bay from the fill
washed out last week and this has de
layed the work.
New Home for Prison Warden.
SALEM, Or., Aug. 18. (Special.) The
new Warden's cottage, provided for by
the last Legislature, has been finished
and Warden Curtis, of the Penitentiary,
Is taking possession with his family to
day. This cottage was constructed en
tlrely with convict labor, under the super
vision of Engineer George Labree, who
also prepared the plans, and the only cost
to the state will be that of the material
used and the salary of Engineer Labree,
which has not been figured up as yet. It
was understood that Engineer Labree
was assisted in the preparation of the
plans for the structure by Frank Mc-
Daniels. of Portland, who is serving a 15-
year sentence for murder. McDaniels has
finished a course in architectural engin
eering with a correspondence school since
his Incarceration, and makes himself gen
erally useful along that line.
Three Opals in Chicken's Craw.
Wallowa Sun.
One day last Winter, Mrs. C. E. Hood
found three peculiar-Tboklng stones In the
craw of a young chicken she was dress
ing for dinner. They looked like opals,
so she sent the smaller of them through
the Jeweler, L. J. Coverstone, to Chi
cago, where It was cut and polished and
proved to be a fine quality of opal. Last
week Mrs. Hood received the opal back
and will have it set in a ring. The young
chickens were raised on Mr. Hood's lot in
town and had ranged nowhere else. This
is another proof ot the rich natural sur
roundings of our little city.
To Vwn eool. nvnirl mmh
Qexertion and the unneoes-
,'sary expenditure oi energy.
uo not eat xoods tnat tax
the stomach to digest them,
and consume energy. Drink
Pabst
BlueRibfoon
TLe Seer of Quality
It is rich in food-values, low in '
the fjercentage of alcohol and
practically predigested. There '
Is no waste energy in assimilating
the food-values in Pabst Blue
Ribbon. Drink it and keep cool.
Charles Kohn & Co.,
Cor. Third and Pine Sts., Portland.
Phone Main 460j
VICTOR MANGANESE STEEL
BANK SAFE.
NEVER BURGLARIZED
GLASS & PRUDHOMME CO..
' AGTS., PORTLAND,. ORE
I11UUUU M. S J U
EXCURSIONS
NOME ROUTE.
8. S. Umatilla Aug. 3fl
President Sept. 23
B. E. ALASKA ROUTE.
Calling from Seattle for
Ekagway, Sitka. Juneau and way porta.
Sailing 9 P. M.
Cottage City, via Bltka Aug. 29
City of Seattle Auk. 2T
H. S. 8. Co.'s Humboldt Aug. 22
SAX FRANCISCO ROUTE.
Balling a A. M. rrom Seattle.
President Aug. IS
Sonoma Aug. 28
Spokane Aug. 23
City Office, Mt Washington St.
Jamestown Exposition
Low Rates
September 11, 12, 13.
Chicago and return, $71.50.
St. Louis and return, $67.50.
St. Paul, Minneapolis, Duluth, Su
perior, Winnipeg and Pt. Arthur an
return, $60.
S TRAINS DAILY 3
For tickets, sleeping-car reserva
tions and additional information, call
on or address H. Dickson, C. P. and
T. A., 122 Third St, Portland, Or.
Telephones Main 680. Home A 2286.
COOS BAY
Weekly Freight and Passenger
Service of the Pine Steamship j
Breakwater
Leave PORTLAND every Monday, 8:04
P. M., from Oat - street Dock, f o
EMPIRE, NORTH BEND
' AND MARSHFIELD
Freight Received Till P. II. on Dajj
of Sailing.
PARE From Portland, lat-elaaa,
910.OO 2d-claas, S7.0O, Including berth
and meals.
Inquire City Ticket Office, Third and
Washington sts.. or Oak-street Dock.
PORTLAND AND PUGET SOUND ROUT3
S.S.Redondo"
Balling' from Couch-street dock, Portland,
for Seattle, Ta.com a. Everett ml Belling
ham. August 14 at 6 P. M.
rREIGHT
Connecting at Seattle for Nome. Golofntnla.
St. Michael, Chana and Fairbanks wits
steamers Pleiades, Hvadea. Lyra, Mackinaw
Ohio. Scbubach A Hamilton. General Agents,
Seattle. Wash. j
J". P. Banmgartner, Agent. Portland,
Couch-Street Dock.
Phones: Main Ml: Home A 4164.
Ho ! For Astoria
FAST STEAMER
TELEGRAPH
Round trips dally (except Thursdays))
2 A. M. Landing, Alder-street
Dock. Phone Main 665.
Leaves Sunday at S A. M. Round
trip 11.00.
-
North Pacific S. S. Co's. Steamsshlp
Roanoke and Geo. W. Elder
Sail for Eureka, San Francisco and
Los Angeles direct every Thursday at
8 P.M. Ticket office 132 Third St.,
near Alder. Both phones, M, 1314,
II. Young, Agent.
CANADIAN PACIFIC
EMPRESS tINE OF THE ATLANTIC
QUEBEC TO LIVERPOOL.
Less . Than Four Days at Sea.
Empresses sail August 23. September
A, 20. First cabin, SftO up; second cabin.
S45 up; third-class. 128.T8.
Write for particulars.
r. R. JOHNSOX, Pass. Agt
142 Third St.. Portland. Or.
Columbia River Through Line
8teamers of the "OPEN RIVER" line leava
OAK-STREET DOCK every Monday, Wed
nesday and Friday at FIVE O'CLOCK A M.,
for all points between Portland, the Dalles
and- Umatilla. Leave early and see all the
river. Arrive early . Low rates. Prompt
service.
Telephone Main 3201. Home. A S32T.
SAX FRAXCISCO PORTLAND 6. 8. CO.
Only ocean steamers affording; daylight
trip down Columbia River.
From Alnsworth Lock. Portlsnd. 9 A M.
8. 8. Panama. Aug. 22, Sept. 3, 15, etc.
8. 8. Costa Klra, Aug. 28. Sept. 9, etc.
From Spear street, San Francisco, 11 A. M.
8. 8. Costa Rica, Aug. 22, Sept. 3, 15. etc
8. S. Panama. Aug. 28. Sept. 9, 15, etc.
JAS. H. H3WSON. Agent,
248 Washington St. Phone Main 263.
WILLAMETTE RIVER ROUTE
Steamers Pomona and Oregon for Salem
and way landings leaves Taylor-street Dock
6:45 A. M. dally (except Sunday).
Oregon City Transportation Company
Phone 40, A 231.
SIR. CHAS. R. .SPENCER
Washington-Street Dock,
Dally, except Sunday, for The Dalles ard
way landings, at T A. 'M.. returning 10 P
M. Fast time, best service.
Fhonesi Main 315-1 1 Borne, A 11S4.
Columbia River Scenery
REGULATOR LI"E 6TEAMJERS.
Dally servlcs between Portland and Tbs
Dalles, except Sunday, leaving Portland at
7 A. M., arriving about 5 P. M.. carrying
freight and passengers. Splendid accommo
datlons for outfits and livestock.
Dock foot of Alder St.. Portland) foot ot
Court at. The Dalles. Phone Main 814,
Portland.
FOR WOMEN ONLY
Dr. Sanderson's Compound 8av
In and Cotton Root Pills, the
best and only reliable remedy
for FEMALE TROUBLES AJiD
IRREGULARITIES. Cure the
-nost obstinate cases In A tn la
days.
Price $2 per box. mailed In malm
wrapper. ouiu ay aruggcinis everywnere.
Address Dr. T. J. PIERCE. 181 Firs
treats Cortland prsgou.
!