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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 20, 1907)
i 10 THE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1907. M)P (Prcpnian subscription rates, invariably in advanced (By Mall.) Ia!ly, Sunday Included, one year $8.00 Daily, Sunday included, six months.... 4.25 laily, Sunday included, three month.. 2.25 Dally, Sunday included, one month 75 Daily, without Sunday, one year 6.00 Dally, without Sunday, six months.... 3.25 Daily, without Sunday, three months.. 1-75 Dally, without Sunday, one month GO Sunday, one year 2.50 Weekly, one year (Issued Thursday)... 100 Sunday and weekly, one year 8.50 BY CARRIER. Dally, Sunday included, one year 8-00 Dally, Sunday Included, one month 75 HOW TO REMIT Send postoffice money order, express order or personal check on jour local bank. Stamps, coin or currency re at the sender's risk. Give postoftlce ad dress Ja lull, including county and. state. rOSTAGE RATES. Entered at Portland. Oregon, Postoffice as Second-Class Matter. 10 to 14 Pages 1 cent lit to 28 Pases 2 cents SO to 44 Pages 3 cents 46 to 00 Pages 4 cents Foreign postage, double rates. IMPORTANT The postal laws are strict. Newspapers on which postage Is not fully prepaid are not forwarded to destination. EASTERN BUSINESS OFFICE. The S. C. Beckwith Special Agency New York, rooms 48-50 Tribune building. Chi cago, rooms 510-512 Tribune building. KEPT ON SALE. Chicago Auditorium Annex; Postoffice News Co., 178 Dearborn street. tit. Paul, Minn. N. St. Marie, Commercial Station. Colorado Springs, Colo. Bell, H. H. . Denver Hamilton and Kendrlck. 906-912 Seventeenth street: Pratt Book Store, 1214 Fifteenth street; H. P. Hansen. S. Rice, Geo. Carson. Kansas City, Mo. Rlcksecker Cigar Co., Ninth and Walnut; Yoma News Co. Minneapolis M- J. Cavanaugh, GO Eouta Third. ( levelund, O. James Fushaw, 807 Su perior street. Washington, D. C Ebbltt House, Penn sylvania avenue. Philadelphia, Pa. Ryan's Theater Ticket Office; Penn News Co. New York City L. Jones Co.. Astor House; Broadway Theater News stand; Ar thur Hotaling "Wagons; Empire News Stand. Ogden D. L. Boyle; Lowe Bros., 114 Twenty-fifth street. Orauha Barkalow Bros., Union Station; Mageath Stationery Co. lies Moines, la. Mose Jacobs. Sacramento, Cul. Sacramento News Co., 4.10 K street; Amos News Co. Salt Lake Moon Book & Stationery Co.; Rosenfeld & Hansen; Q. W. Jewett. P. O. corner. Los Angeles B. E. Amos, manager tea street wagons. Pasadena, Cal, Amos News Co. fian Diego B. EV Amos. Long Reach, Cal. B. E. Amos. bun Jose, Cal. St. James Hotel New Stand. Dallas, Tex. Southwestern News Agent. Amarilio, Tex. Tlmmons & Pope. Sun Francisco Foster & Orear: Ferry News Stand; Hotel St. Francis News Stand; L. Parent; N. Wheatley; Fairmount Hotel News Stand; Amos News Co.; United News Agents, 14 & Eddy street; B. E. Amos, man ager three wagons. Oukland, Cul. W". H. Johnson. Fourteenth' nuu rraiiHiin sireem. vvneaiiey; uaaiana News Stand; B. E. Amos, manager Ave1 wagons. (inldfleld, Her. Louie Follln; C. B. Hunter. Eureka, Cal. Call-Chronicle Agency; Eu reka News Co. PORTLAND, FRIDAY, DEC. 20, 1907. NOT REPRESENTATIVE. All party nominations for office must bo made under the primary law. It is the only legal proceeding. For this reason It will be adhered to, for the present. But it Is not a representative system. " Political bossism had made the old convention system unrepresentative. That was because bosses were allowed to take and to hold control. It was remediable; but the public mind turned to the method of the primary law. The primary nomination law upset bossism, but has not substituted for it a representative system. ' It has, on the contrary. Introduced a system loss representative than the former one, and therefore productive of greater dissatisfaction. It has introduced unusual strife, and destructive strife, for nominations. A small proportion or percentage of vot ers, constituting a limited plurality, get the nominees. Then because the nominees are not representative at all, the majority of the mem bers of the party refuse to vote for them. Under the old system there was a pretense, at least, that the nom inations made by a convention were representative. Under the present system there can .be not even a pre tense that those who are nominated by pluralities consisting of very small percentages of the vote are representa tive at all. The Oregonian states its views, it states the truth, merely as a looker on in politics. The primary law is not a representative system, and does not se cure representative nominations. It falls short of a representative system even further than did the old boss and machine method of making nomina tions. This Is not delivered' under the Im pression that It will have or can have any effect on present conditions. The primary law has been established, it Is In force, and It will stand. But the pretense that It Introduces and estab lishes the representative system In making nominations is a delusion, and the result Is merely a farce. Govern ment through party Is not possible un der our primary law, ' nor Is mainte nance of parties possible , under It The masses of a, party, having votJ against a man for the nomination, are not going to vote for him at an elec tion. What then? Just look the truth fairly in the face, speak It without fear or favor, don't worry, and- let things take their course. Only, for the pres ent, away with the delusive idea that the primary election. law will or can secure representative nominations. The primary law, not permitting rep resentative methods, breaks party up Into factions. Already this Is the dem onstrated result in Oregon, and It will surely follow this line more and more. Under It an election becomes a gen eral melee with nothing but personal contention in It and with no principle behind it. ., PASSING OF THE SCALPER. A decision was recently handed down by the Supreme' Court of the United States by which the practice known as the "scalping" of railroad tickets is 'declared unlawful. By this decision, from which there la no ap peal, legal action against each indi vidual offender in this line is unneces sary. The practice Itself Is outlawed and has no standing whatever In the business world. . This ends what is generally conced ed to have been one of the most per sistent, vigorous,' eVen viciously-fought legal battles In the history of Ameri can transportation. As estimated by the New York Commercial, it is "a complete and crowning. victory for the railroad companies and one in which a vast majority of the public will share the satisfaction of the railroads." The temptation to buy a railroad ticket at a reduced rate, by means of an opportunity that was without the indorsement of a keen and exact sense of justice, ha3 been great; that many have yielded to this temptation to "beat the railroad" is witnessed in the enormous proportions to which the scalper's business has ' attained throughout the country.' Beaterf to a standstill, the scalpers will now be forced to abandon their vocation and the transportation business of, the country will be freed from a parasite that has, been fastened upon its vitals its passenger receipts for years. Against the complaint of legislative discrimination, loudly voiced by rail--road corporations in recent months, accompanied by thinly veiled threats at i retaliation, this judicial decision stands out boldly. Together with the relief afforded by the abolishment of passes, it should go far as a recom pense for loss sustained through the 2-cent-per-mIle passenger rate fixed by a number of State Legislatures. More- than thl3. It discredits, as with out foundation in fact, the assumption that the judiciary of the country is disposed ' to join In the prevailing clamor against the railroads. WHY COAL MINERS DIB. It would hardly be in accordance with the facts to say that the people of the United States were "shocked" yes terday at the news of another terrible . mining disaster In which several hun dred lives have been snuffed out. Dis asters of this nature have come on us with such frequency that they have in a degree lost their power to create a shock, except perhaps In the immedi ate vicinity of the tragedy. When death rides on the wintry gales, and gathers In the aged and Infirm who have lived out .their allotted span of years, we philosophically accept the decree as one of the benign workings of Providence. Apparently, by the same line of reasoning, we have come to regard these wholesale harvests of death In a similar light. 'This at least would seem to offer some explanation for the lack of interest In and absence of laws , to prevent such wholesale tragedies as plunge entire communities into mourning and leave behind them a wake of distress and sorrow which for thousands will find no allegation in this life. By a strange coincidence there ap peared, almost simultaneously with the news of the latest Pennslyvanla horror, a report on coal mining disasters, which was prepared by experts em ployed by the Interior Department. This report, while placing no blame on any one In particular, was a cerrible arraignment of the system which ad mits of the fearful sacrifice, of human life. There was a . time whea- the tiarth was younger, and the finer in stincts of humanity had not been com pletely subjugated by the craving for money that such a value wn pVice-I on life that no precaution was consid ered too expensive to use in prevent ing death. That this anctint belief has not been abandoned in other coun tries finds ample evidence Irt official ftatistics, which show that "he coal mines of thi United States kill three times as many men per thousand em-, ployes as are killed by the mines of European countries. Not only is the death rate per thou sand In this country three times as large as It is in Europe, but it is in creasing at an alarming rate, while that of Europe is actually decreasing, in spite ,of the gr,eatly Increased output from the mines in Europe. This de crease is said to be due to the effect of mining legislation in those countries for the safeguarding and protection of the lives of the workmen. The Gov ernment report, which was written be fore either the Alabama disaster or the Monogah disaster, prophetically says: - Both the number and seriousness oC-mlne explosions may be expected to Increase, un less, through investigations such as have proved effective In other coal-producing coun tries, information can be obtained and pub lished concerning the explosives used, the conditions under which they .may De used safely, and the general conditions which make for health 'and safety: Sueh Informa tion may serve as an Intelligent basla for legislative enactment and' - for agreements, among persons associated with mining oper ations. , f It Is absurd for a country so far progressed in arts, science and Inven tion as the United States to set up the plea that coal mining cannot be made as safe in this country as it is In Eu rope. None, in fact, attempt to make' such a plea. It is simply a case of coining the life blood of miners into dollars through neglect to -employ proper precautions which, would add an infinitesimal fraction to the cost per ton of mining coal. , Our railroads, like our coal mines, also have the un enviable reputation of killing more men In proportion to the number employed than are killed on any other roads in the world. ' That'thi3 Is also a needless sacrifice of human life is shown by the results achieved on the Union Pacific, which has spent $2,000,000 in Installa tion of safety devices, and as a result finds a decrease In the list of killed and injured from 2097 in 1896 to 1209 In 1807. In the mad rush' Xor wealth in this country our coal barons as well as other industrial masters have wofully cheapened human life, the most pre cious sof all things. If the long-overdue reform can be accomplished in no other -way, some of our missionary societies should temporarily abandon their crusades, in. behalf of the. foreign heathen and work for the salvation of the honest workmen who are being murdered by thousands at home. RURAL MAIL DELIVERY. ' The business' of the. postal depart ment, through th6 rural free delivery service, as shown by the recent report of the Fourth Assistant Postmaster General, has grown to enormous pro portions. It is gratifying to note that in this branch of the public service the appropriations made by Congress are fully equal to the demand, since, while extensions have continued during the fiscal year covered by the report, there has been a marked decline In the re quests for new service. As shown by this report, there were at the close of the fiscal year 1907 a total of 37,728 rural delivery routes in operation served -by 87,582 carriers. On 689 of these routes the service is trl-weekly. On nearly all of the re mainder there Is a daily delivery. In cident to this service 3076 postoffices were discontinued during the year, their patrons being served by rural carriers. The convenience of allowing the es tablishment of rural free mail delivery Is Incalculable, as is also the growth in Individual interest In the wider affairs of the world induced by it. The cost of the service is, relatively speaking, not great. The pay of the carriers for the current fiscal year will amount to $33,793,218. The service Is the un grudged tribute of the Government to the intelligent people of the "rural dis tricts, who, while pursuing .the daily routine of their.industrial lives, are en abled by this means to keep In touch with current events without neglecting their work.- Those who have suffered the depri vations incident td a" stinted . postal service, as In pioneer times, perhaps appreciate more than those who are accustomed to a daily mail service through the nearest postoffice the con venience'; and satisfaction that result from rural free mail delivery. ' Inher ited conditions, whether of wealth, po sition or civilization, are not prized as are those which follow individual ef fort and privation. The plowman who; coming In from the field at noon, sees the. tiny flag In an upright position on his mail box, showing that his dally paper awaits . his leisure, can hardly appreciate the difference between his time- and that of his father who. If he would enjoy his weekly newspaper on Sunday, must ride or walk some miles to the postoffice to get It after the week's work was done. '"BEATING THE ROPE." The public has probably read with the passing attention which It gives to such matters that the Supreme Court of Oregon has discovered '.'error" In the Circuit Court proceedings by which George L. Blodgett was convicted of murder in the first degree, and has or dered a new trial for him. The case Is of more than passing interest be cause it is "one of those where, al though there is not a scintilla of doubt of. the prisoner's guilt, and although his trial was admittedly fair in every important particular, nevertheless the higher court reverses the verdict of the lower on a point purely technical and gives Blodgett another .chance for his life. " Before his trial took place BlodgeA confessed his guilt to the Dis trict Attorney In the presence of three witnesses and he made the confes sion after he had been told that It ' would be used against him at his trial. It may be assumed, therefore, that whatever he said against himself was true. It may not be unprofitable to recall some fragments of this confes sionjn order that the public may see clearly what kind of a man it is who has been rescued from the gallows by the technical skill of our court of last resort, Blodgett is a man between 40 and 50 years of age, who has always made his living by running dives of. one sort or another. Sometimes he has owned a saloon, sometimes a dancehall; but there is .no reason to believe that he has ever done a stroke of honest work in his life, or that he has ever earned a dollar except as the wages of vice. The woman, Alice Minthorne, whom he murdered, was some kind of an actress." He began to cohabit with her at Kalispell, deserting his" lawful wife and children for that purpose. After a time the pair separated and the woman saw nothing more of Blodgett until he sent her a letter Inviting her to rejoin him, which 'he did, and thenceforward the couple kept up more or less of a vicious connection until the murder took place. Natural ly their life together was one of re crimination, quarreling and threats. On more than one occasion, it appears, Blodgett declared he would kill the wretched creature with whom he co habited, and finallyTie made good his threats. One morning he told a' lewd companion of his that he was going td the woman's room to invite her to take a drink with him, and if she refused he Intended to kill her. She refused and' he did kill her. He shot five bul lets, into her, body from a Colt's re volver, four of them while she was begging him not to murder her, and all of them either While she was help less ,in bed or writhing in her death agony on the floor. All these facts Blodgett confessed of his own free will, knowing that they would be used against him on his trial. That Is the kind of a man he was and is. His defense was that he was insane when he shot the woman, the insanity being caused by prolonged drunkenness. In his address to the jury at the trial of Blodgett the District Attorney ridi culed the plea of. insanity and cited the jury to- other notorious murders where the same plea might have been advanced but was not; drawing the In ference that if those murderers were hanged, much more should such an abandoned scoundrel as Blodgett suffer the same fate. The Supreme Court holds that the lower court should not have permitted such remarks to be made because neither -those other mur ders nor Blodgett's character were part of the evidence. And because the trial court permitted the District At torney to say what he did, the defend ant was deprived of his just rights and must have a new trial. Doubtless this is excellent law, but to the lay mind it is sufficiently amazing. The Supreme Court admits that Blodgett's confes sion was perfectly legitimate evidence; and that confession is one continued revelation of Blodgett's depraved char acter. The. .District Attorney could have said nothing-vworse about the wretch than he had said about himself. It is 'still more amazing to think that a man may by drunkenness and vice bring himself into a fit of murderous passion, actually commit a hideous nurder while in such a fit, and then offer his own quintessence of deprav ity as' a defense for his crime, under the specious name of Insanity. The Supreme Court plainly suggests that perhaps this unspeakable villain was truly insane when he shot his misera ble dependent. ' More specifically, this is the argu ment of the court: insanity produced by hard drinking is a legitimate de fense. There was some evidence of fered that Blodgett was thus Insane, and the Jury might have believed it If the District Attorney had not ridiculed it by bringing up other murders. Hence the trial Judge erred in allow ing the District Attorney to comment on those murders. This, together with what was said to the Jury about Blodgett's character, are the grounds for reversing the judgment and or dering a new trial. Of course nobody can tell how the new-trial will turn but. Blodgett himself expects that he will now "beat the rope,", and from what we know of such matters he is probably -right. As a rule second trials are largely, farcical, though, that is not always true '. - If there were the slightest doubt of Blodgett's guilt the public would ac cept the reversal of the trial court with equanimity-. Of course the main thing is to reach a just verdict, and no expenditure of time and labor is too great if that end is secured. But in this case justice had already been at tained by the judgment which the higher court overturns, and the prin cipal if not the sole effect of the de cision is to jeopardize justice and the welfare of society for a purely techni cal reason. The court Itself raises no doubt of Blodgett's substantial guilt. It only questions whether or not his vices had not made him insane. Even if they had, what of it? Who better deserves the gallows than a man who has made himself a hienaee to society by destroying his own mind? Despite the tendency in the minds of most juveniles to place the circus man on a pedestal far above that on which all other kings of the earth are resting, the profession has 'not yet been elevated to a very high rank. But the life of Gus Ringling, head of the fa mous family of brothers who control practically all of the large circuses in the United States, presents certain features that are worthy of emulation. One in particular was his steadfast and unswerving adherence to the line of effort which he took up while still a boy. There has been no division of energy or talent in the Ringling fam ily. The" circus business received all their attention alf the time from the days when Ringling's show traveled In one wagon until it developed Into an enterprise employing thousands of people and representing millions In capital. History has always given prominent place to the leaders in any profession, and among the great show men who have appeared on earth up to the present time the name of Ring ling will be prominent. A Democratic paper that has a habit of "poking It3 nose in" makes this statement: In 1886 The Oregonian supported the Dem ocratic candidate for State Treasurer, George W. Webb, who was elected for the reason that the Republican candidate, Mr. Marston, had 'when a member of the Legislature voted for Mitchell for Senator. Yet that paper rails at Republicans for ever voting for a Democrat. That was not the only reason why The Oregonian opposed Marston, but that reason alone .would have been good enough. The Oregonian . then knew-and long had known that Mitch ell was addicted to corrupt and crim inal practices, like those of which long afterwards he was convicted. The Oregonian doesn't wish to be harping always n this, unpleasant subject. But. the friends and supporters and apologists of the late Senator might well drop It. The Yaduis are again reducing the population of Mexico, their last report ed sortie resulting In twelve killed and a number wounded. Perhaps the strangest feature in connection with the disgraceful massacres Is the no ticeable absence 'of any fatalities among the Indians who commit the deviltries. The mystery surrounding the movements of these red devils is almost as great as that which hides the reasons for ; non-interference with their operations by troops. It would seem as though the 'depredations had reached a stage where a halt should be called, even if a great international Indian hunt had to be organized. The St. Louis brewerymen have made a proper move toward counter acting anti-saloon sentiment by refus ing to sell beer to any saloon guilty of violating the law. In some cases this belated recognition 66 the cause for so much hostility toward saloons will be locking the stable door after the horse has been stolen, but if the policy of the St. Louis brewers is generally adopted by the respectable element In the liquor trade the most powerful weapon in the hands -of the prohibitionists will be removed. Judge James A. Waymire, well known in Oregon in the early time, but for many years past a resident of California, is in hard financial luck. He was quite wealthy a while ago, but invested heavily in unremunerative en terprises, and has lost everything. His wife was a Yamhill girl. Waymire be gan as a schoolteacher and stenogra pher. He became -private secretary to Governor Gibbs, of Oregon, in 1863, and studied law. About 1867 he went to California. J. Hamilton Lewis favors Hughes for the reason that the New York chief executive has "given to a certain style of whiskers official .status." There is, of course', a similarity in the facial adornment of Hughes and Lewis, but the Hon. J. Ham should not forget that, while it was whiskers of a pe culiar curl and hue that made him fa mous, "it was Hughes that made the whiskers famous. The man out of a job who is de pendent on a brief "ad" in the "help wanted" column for assistance In find ing it can realize what a tremendous advantage Mr. Hamilton has in that line. Communications, news Items and editorials relating to Mr. Hamilton's quest for a job have already run into columns, and the end -is not yet. It will certainly be an elusive Job that escapes him. It is eminently fitting that the brew ing interests which found it immensely profitable in the past to multiply sa loons Irrespective of the keeper's char acter, should now seek to repair the damage by trying to eliminate the dives, deadfalls, thieves dens and dis orderly resorts. College and high Bchool debating teams are now at the center of atten lton in the educational world. The forensic contests are even more im portant In the making of useful citi zens' than are the football and basket ball games. In which so much interest 13 felt. ' The Supreme Court has decided against Mr. Hume in his suit for ex clusive control of Rogue River fish eries. Mr. Hume has the usual twenty days In which to ask for rehearing and an Indefinite period thereafter In which to "cuss" the court. State Treasurer Steel says he Is not worrying about his new bond, as his friends are looking after that for him. Wasn't it his most immediate friend that got him into all this trouble? Tennessee Republicans favor Taft. This attitude would Interest .him far more if that state could match votes in the Chicago convention with vote3 in the electoral college. Whatever the friction between Mr. Cortelyou and the President, George B. is certain of hearty personal support from the Secretary of the -Treasury. Away out Wrest an opinion prevails among Republicans that Mr. Cortel you's hat is several sizes too small. BEGINS SUIT TO BREAK WILL Sister of Polk County Pioneer Wants Estate He Left to Benefactress. HILLSBORO, Of.. Dec. 19. -(Special.) Mrs. Rebecca Tongue, wife of the late Anthony Tongue, and mother of the late Congressman T. H. Tongue, has filed suit in Probate Court, asking that the will of her late brotner. Thomas Otchin, who died about a year ago. be set aside, and that she be al lowed to participate In the division of property, which amounts to about $30. 000. Thomas Otchin came to Oregon in 1839, under the employ of the Hudson Bay Company, and for many years was head dairyman for that concern. In 1842 he took up a donation land claim five miles north of this itty, and was one of the many thus favored, to keep the land until his death. By Industry and frugality he acquired considerable wealth, and after his death it was found that he had devised the bulk of his property to Miss Mary Ann Simpson, who had cared for the diseased many years, while he was suffering from a hip trouble that compelled him to be on crutches and later to abandon walk ing. The will gave Miss Simpson prac tically all of his personal property, the Otchin home in Hillsboro, and the best part of the original donation. Some of his heirs in England were given a small share and 100 acres went to the heirs of the late Congressman Tongue. The sister and petitioner was left no part of the estate. Mlas Simpson was ready to visit Eng land and intended starting this month, but the filing of the suit caused her to abandon the trip. DESERTER'S IIEAvY SENTENCE Convicted Eight Times for Deser tion, He Must Do Hard Labor. VANCOUVER BARRACKS, Dec. 19. (Special.) In the last regular sessions of the courtmartials throughout the De partment of the Columbia, three sol diers were convicted of crime and sen tenced to Alcatraz Island. Bert R. Buck, Fourteenth Cavalry, charged with dissertion, was convicted and sentenced to be dishonorably dis charged, to forfeit all pay and allow ances and to be confined at hard labor for two and one-half years. In passing sentence, the court mentioned that the apparent heavy penalty was a result of seven previous convictions of the prisoner, which were considered in passing the sentence. Elmer B. Martin, Fourth Artillery, was convicted of being absent from Vancou ver Barracks without leave. He was sentenced to be dishonorably discharged, to forfeit all pay and allowances and to be confined at hard labor for three months. William C. Flee.ton was convicted of simple larceny and was sentenced to serve one month at hard labor. STOCKMEX ELECT OFFICERS Convention -Also Indorses Alaska Yukon Exposition. SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 19. (Special.) At the closing session of the Washington Livestock Association today, a resolution was passed indorsing the Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition, and the management of the fair was asked to appoint John L. Smith, of Spokane, superintendent of the livestock department. The following officers were eleqted: President, A. J. Splawn, North Yakima; vice-president, E. F. Benson, Prosser; treasurer, F. M. Rothrock. Spokane; sec retary, F. H. Gholke. The following are the members of the executive committee: William Dullng, Garfield; Peter McGreggor. Colfax; C. C. Churchill, EUensburg; Mordo McDonald, Walla Walla; Dr. S. B. Nelson. Pullman; Paul Clagstone, Clagstone. Idaho, and O. C. Canfleld, Whitebird, Idaho. It was resolved to increase the mem bership of the state organization until the list reached 1000. The executive commit tee will meet at Walla Walla January 3, to organize an auxiliary association. GLEIfDALE BANK TO REOPEN Receiver Appointed Tuesday Is Dis charged Depositors Confident. GLEN DALE, Or., Dec 19. The Glendaie State Bank will open its doors tomorrow morning, and is now ready to meet every demand of its depositors, notwithstand ing reports which have been sent out that this institution had gone under. The bank was closed this week, not because of any run on it, but In order to give it an opportunity to get in condition to meet demands, if any should be made, with cash. The utmost'eonfidence Is felt by the Business men and large depositors here in the strength of the bank. The reason for the bank officials taking the step they did, was that the recent fire in the banking rooms, had set all kinds of rumors afloat, and the directors wished to be prepared in case a panic should en sue. The receiver appointed at Rose burg has been discharged. The institu tion has obtained, money to pay all de positors, If necessary. The receivership was only a temporary expedient. BEQtTEST WITH STRING TO IT Son Must Abstain From Tobacco Till 21, If He Expects $500". SPOKANE, Wash., Dec. 19. (Special.) On condition that he abstain from the use of -tobacco in any form until he at tains the age of 21 years, Vance Albert Wolverton, son of A. P. Wolverton, formerly of this city, will receive at his majority the sum of $500 from his father's estate. The will of A. P. Wolverton, a.ploneer, of Spokane, who for years was engaged In the real estate business in this city, was filed for probate this morning. Sev eral codicils to the original will were executed in California, where Mr. Wolverton died. A niece of the deceased, Mrs. Rera Tuf ford, of Portland, Is given the sum of $500, and another niece, Irene Wolverton, Is bequeathed $300. Grass Specialist at Monmouth. MONMOUTH, Or., Dec. 19. (Special.) W. J. Spiilman, Government agrostologist from Washington, D. C, spent yesterday evening "and a part of today in Mon mouth. While here Mr. Spiilman visited the stock farms of J. B. Stump and others, and last evening was given an in formal reception at the Normal School chapel, where a large number of friends renewed acquaintances formed some 13 years ago when he was a member of the State Normal School faculty. Since leav ing the Pacific Coast, Mr. Spiilman has developed his scientific reserch, until now at the head of one of the co-ordinant departments under Secretary of Agricul ture Wilson his work is taking the widest scope and is being recognized by the scientific world In agricultural pursuits. Calvin Heilig Granted Divorce. 'HILLSBORO, Or., Dec 19. (Special.) Calvin Heilig, the Portland theatrical manager, was granted a divorce by Judge McBride. in this city, this week. The findings of fact set forth that plaintiff and Mrs. Ella Heilig were married In Hillsboro, Or., November 6. 1906, and that two days later she deserted the husband, and has since .that time resided in Ta coma. Mr. and Mrs. Heilig had been married and divorced prior to their last marriage. The property rights were settled out of court. There are no chil dren. The complaint charged simple de sertion and refusal to live with plaintiff. HEAVY DOCKET IN KLAMATH Court Business' Piled l'p During fRecent Holidays. KLAMATH FALLS, Or., Dec. 19. (Spe cial.) Judge H; L. Bens'on has ordered a special term of Circuit Court to convene at Klamath Falls, January 6, 1908, for transaction of business with relation to 41 suits in equity and actions at law. This is the entire number of cases on the docket of the court and includes a number of long s'taniiing. The regular venire of jurors drawn for the regular term of court last month were discharged owing to doubt as to legality of their having been called during the proclama tion holidays. An entirely new venire will follow for the approaching special term. Conclusion of the legal holidays caused no unusual commotion in Klamath County aside from the filing of a great number of cases and legal documents with the clerk of the court and County Clerk. Tho banks in tills county have gone steadily forward conducting business in the regular way Irrespective of the proclama tions of the Governor, though posting notices of the Clearlng-House Associa tions as a matter of information to their depositors. The reserve in all Klamath County banks is very high, as compared with the amount of deposits received. SLATED FOR LAND OFFICE JOB Frank C. Bramwell Recommended for Register at La Grande. LA GRANDE. Or., Dec. 19. (Special.) Frank C. Bramwell, who has been recom mended by the Oregon delegation for the position of Register of the United States Land Office at this place, was born at Plaine City, Utah. December 21, 1SSL He attended Brigham Young College at Logan, Utah, for a period of three years. After he left college, he went with his parents to St. Anthony, Idaho, where ne resided until the Fall of 1S99, when he came to Baker City, Or. He came to Grande in May, 1SCO. For a year and a half he was in the employ of the Far mers and Traders National Bank of this city as teller and bookkeeper. In July, 1904, he was appointed Deputy County Clerk of this county, which position he holds at the present time. In February, 1903, he was married to Miss Jennie B. Stoddard, of Logan, Utah. They have" two children. Mr. Bramwell is a man of excellent clerical ability and has the reputation of being one of the most efficient Deputy County Clerks this county has ever had. TEACH CHILDREN TO GAMBLE Wheel of Fortune Pays Caramels in Penny Arcade. TACOMA. Wash., Dec. 19. (Special.) For conducting a wheel of fortune in a penny arcade, where children were al lowed to play money In the hope of winning a box of candy. J. Sweeney, one of the proprietors, was arrested to day charged with gambling. Tho youngsters paid 6 cents for the privilege of turning the wheel and re ceived In exchange three . numbers. Should the wheel stop on any of these numbers they got a box of candy worth about -0 cents. By giving every one who played the wheel a single caramel the owners thought they were circum venting the law, it is claimed. The wheel of fortune has been con fiscated. A penny machine showing obscene pictures was ordered removed from the place. Injunction in Election Contest. -ASTORIA, Or., Dec. 19. (Special.) The plaintiff in the Injunction, suit of A. E. Miller vs. W. E. Butke, Auditor of Sea side, H. C. Anderson and E.' S. Hennin ger, filed a bond in the sum of $200 and the temporary Injunction, as prayed for. was granted by County Judge Trenchard. The suit was brought to restrain Burke from issuing' certificates of election to Anderson and Henninger and to restrain the latter two from assuming municipal offices to which they were recently elect ed. It Is said. , however, that before the injunction was granted the certificates had been issued. Schooner Total Loss. ABERDEEN, Wash., Dec. 19. (Special:) Fred Hart, secretary and' treasurer of the Hartwood Mill Company, w;hich con cern purchased the schooner Solano, toT night received a dispatch from Captain Stream confirming the report of the total loss of the vessel. The Hartwood Mill Company Is out between $5000 and $10,000 on the vessel, and Captain Stream was promised an additional $5000 if he succeeded in getting the Solano off the beach. Passengers Feared Holdup. SALEM, Or., Dec. 19. The Southern Pa cific Cottage Grove passenger train, south bound, was flagged and boarded by a gang of tramp? a short distance out of Woodburn yesterday evening ,and it was fully 15 minutes before the crew was able to fight them off and get the train under headway again. Panic reigned among the passengers, who mlstosk the excitement for a hold-up. Search for Wreck Survivors. VICTORIA, B. C, Dec. 19. H. M. S. Shearwater may be ordered to the South American coast from Esquimau to search Islands off chile for possible survivors of the crew of the mlstfng Liverpool ship Silberhorn. which was reported having burned at sea August 23, about 90 miles off the Chilean coast. There are slim hopes that survivors may have reached islands off Chile. Convict Falls to His Death. WALLA WALLA, Wash... Dec. 19. Archie Mitchell, a convict, fell from the top of the new prison hospital building yesterday morning, sustaining Injuries from which he died this evening. He was sent up from eTacoma a month ago and was 40 years old. He was carrying brick when he slipped and fell. Little is known of his crime or history at the- peniten tiary. Will Spend Holidays at Home. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, Eugene, Dec. 19. (Special.) Vacation for the Christmas holidays begins tomorrow and continues until January 5. The railroads have granted reduced fares for students, and most of them will take advantage of the' offer, to spend the holidays with horaefolks and friends. Crippled by His Own Gun. ROSEBURG, Or.", Dec. 19. Charles H. Smythe, of Oakland, accidentally shot himself in the thigh while hunting near that town yesterday afternoon. He lay in the cold rain almost four hours and was nearly dead when found. Dr. Page, of Oakland, says recovery is possible, al though Smythe will be left a cripple. Burglary at Grants Pass. GRANTS PASS. Or., Dec. 19.-(Special.) Burglars entered the Banks Restaurant and Lodging-house last night, ransacked the building and carried away several valuable articles of clothing belonging to the occupants. Clears With Lumber Cargo. ASTORIA."' Or., Dec. 19. (Special.) The schooner John A. Campbell cleared at the Custom House today for San Pedro with a cargo of 550,000 feet of lumber, loaded at the Tongue Point- Lumber Company's mill. lTHKOUSgiOLDW BY LILIAN TINGLE. ON one of the large department stores In this city there is a green mailbox that has nothing to do with Uncle Sum and the ordinary postal regulations or officials. It has no little printed notice of the hours of collection on week days and holidays, but a large placard which reads, "Santa Claus' letter-box. Do not put any mall lu this box except for San ta Claus." And does lie get a heavy mail? Indeed he does, in spite of the fact that he attends every day in person, from 2 to 4 o'clock, in order ,to receive communications from those of his. young friends who have not yet learned to write. They call him up over the phone, too, for Santa Claus is quite willing to make use of modprn inventions, in the way of business, and it is chiefly affec tion for his faithful reindeer that keeps him from traveling always by automobile or airship; though as a matter of fact those same reindeer are much more swift and satisfactory than either o tlicir modern rivals. v. A few days ago a little boy called him up with a lengthy request which included "a garden set, ah' a toolchest, an' a train of cars, an' a rocking-norse, an' a . gun, an" a gocart, an' a Teddy bear, an' a automobile." "What horsepower automobile?" inter rupted Santa's stenographer (of course, he has one; he hu3 to, with all his cor respondence). "I dunno what a horsepower is." said the ' youngster, "but I want the biggest they is." Nothing small about that boy. While piles of letters are daily placed in the mailbox, many more come through the regular mail, directed in care of the firm with whom this Santa is at present collaborating. Many of them bear no ad dress and only . the first name of the sender, who has completo trust in me good Saint's memory for all the rest; but unfortunately the postal authorities and Santa's other helpers are such stupid, though well'meaning people that only those letters are answered which tell exactly where the writer lives. All such letters are answered, however. Pic ture postals with a good portrait of San ta In his auto are sent to every address given, even though for various reasons It may be impossible to grant every re quest. What do they ask for? Most of the girls want dolls or doll clothes and dishes; the boys usually ask for guns, drums, trains of cars and auto mobiles; and botli sexes make tremend ous demands for Teddy bears and candy, e Here are a few specimen letters: Dear Old Santa: I, have been a very good, boy all year. I will ttU you what 1 want. 1 want a passenger train and a water pistol and a boat. My !ter wants a doll as biff as a baby. My father wants some cuff but tlns and very pretty ones too. My mother wants some shoes, the sleze' she wants is No. 4. I remain as ever your loving friend Karl. Here is another good boy, but evi der.tly one with more ego in his cosmos: Dear Santa: 1 WTOte to you to tell you what for Christmas, and I have been a good boy the year around. I want a prenting prees and a punching buff and a foot ball and a llttlo attomobobille with ruber tires with two seats in the front and two in the back and a little fire wagon and the huking lader ami the hose cart. A little trislcle tow and if you have plenty you may send me a nice han-car two. Lloyd. And he pastes his picture on the letter in order to avoid any possible mistake. Tills little girl is more modest in her desires: Dear Santa Claus: I want a wash tub and ringer and clote pin. from your friend Ade laide. Here is another easily satisfied little mortal: Dear Santa Clause: I thought I would write and tell you what 1 want for Christ mas. I want a big teddy bear. I am only 1 yeans old. that is al I want for Chrlst mua. ' Your freud Edith. One thoughtful little girl says: . Don't feet scared and run if Papa snores the night thut you come he does that every night and he won't hurt you. Another says: , 1 will leave ths door oupen tor I have no fire-place and . 1 want you to till my teddy bears stockings to and All them plum full with candy and nuts and all good thing. One with a thought for the reindeer, concludes hopefully: I think there it going to be some snow before long. . Last year there was another small per son, newly come to Portland from a colder climate, who watched tho weather anxiously as Christmas drew near. One pouring wet day she looked out on the flowing gutters and . quick-forming pud dles until horrible doubts assailed her, and turning a worried face to her mother, she asked: "Mama, can Shanta Clautli thwfm?" Living on a farm In a Middle Western state there was a dreadfully well-bVought-irp 4-year-old whoso mother had the Montgomery Ward habit In a marked form. She spent many happy Hours over their illustrated catalogues, and tho boy usually got the old ones for painting and other purposes. There was to be "no nonsense" in the education of this boy, so he knew nothing of Santa Claus or fairies or anything of that sort, al though Christinas gifts, in moderation, were allowed. On Christmas eve instead of the usual petition for blessings on his numerous relatives and the making of himself Into a good little boy, his as tonished mother listened to the following extemporaneous prayer: "O. Lord, I'm awful tired tonight, so jusf bless every body; and you can look In the catalogue In my box If you want to know what I'd like for Christmas because Ive marked them and you've made me a pret ty good boy, I think. Amen." Sunday Will Still Be Bluish. NEW YORK, Dec. 19. Kven If Mayor McClellan signs the new. Sunday amuse ment ordinances as he Is expected to do. New York's Sundays will be at least tinged with blue in the future. Dancing and regular theatrical per formances will not be allowed, and the German, Yiddish and French companies which have been playing on Sunday nights to crowded houses will be forced to close. The vaudeville houses will, in all probability, open next Sunday, if the ordinance Is signed, but the en tertainment will consist largely of vocal and Instrumental music and mov ing pictures. Ministers have asked the Mayor to give them one more hearing before he signs tho ordinance. They believe that the ordinance allowing music and lectures of a "sacred or edu cational" character Is altogether too broad. ' Coach Chase Remeinhers Scrubs. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, Eugene, Or., Dec. 19. (Special.) While acting as asrfstanf coach at tho university, Carroll Chase, Michigan '0.V formed quite a friendship with the-members of the sec ond team of which he had charge, and was presented with a handsome - purse not long since by them. Tonight, the coach, by way of appreciation, gave each varsity "scrub" a handsome stick-pin with the wording "Oregon Reserve" thereon,