(
8
. POKTI.AM), OKEOOX.
'' tint-red at Portland. Oregon. PotoBlc a
cund-Caba Matter.
Jr lbacripUon Hat InTarlabty U Advance.
(By Mall.)
Oally. Sunday Included, one year '?'!!?
illy. Sundiy Included. Hx roontn.... .-
I'allT. Sunday Included, three month.. J
J -ii -. Sunday Included, one month....
.Dally, without Sunday, one yetr
Dally, without Sunday. month".... J
T'aliv. without Sunday, three months..
Dally, without Sunday, one month.....
tVeekly. one year - J-j
Sunday, one ear J ?"
Sunday and Weekly, one year au
, tBy Carrier.)
Pally. Sunday Included, one year O0
Iaily, Sunday Included, one month . .
How to Remit Send poto!ce money
order, expreri order or personal check on
iur !oal bank. Stamps, coin or currency
-are at the eender- rlk. Oive poatodlce ad--dresa
In full. Including county and etata.
i 'oeta(r Katea 10 to 14 pegea. 1 cent; 1
i's pjeti. - centa; ao to 44 pases, 8 cents;
.ad to 60 pajea. 4 centa. Foreign poataae
double ratea
Kaelrrn Bualorwa Office Th S. C'. Beck--'l:h
Spec.al Ascency New York, rr-ome 4H
." Tribune building. Chicago, rooma Slo-Oli
tTrlbune building.
POBTLAVD. S-Tl RDAI. DEC. 18. ISO.
.. TAKE CARE. YOr TAX OFFICIAL.
When taxpaying time cornea round
troperty-owners are reminded, each
time with more force than before, of
the extravagance of their public serv
ants in office. They elect those serv
ants to administer the county, city and
state governments economically, but
very year the office-holders pile on
taxes faster than the community
ferows.
- The tax levy In Portland next year
threatens to reach 17 or 18 mills. This
will not provide for the huge Interest
on the new debt, that is about to be
Incurred for bridges, parks, docks,
water, fireboat and Port of Portland.
) The big tax increases axe to be lev
led for the city, the city schools and a
new county courthouse.
We suppose-school expenditures will
have to be considerably enlarged. But
the city expenditures should be held
within closer bounds than city offi
cials are apparently willing to allow.
i"he county can get along with the old
tourthouse until other needs, more
pressing, shaJI be provided for. Two
years ago the City Council refused to
heed the demand for a low levy. Sev
eral months later there was a city
election and a number of the members
if that Council have not been heard
of since. They were the men who
were sure that high taxes must be
wrung from property-owners. They
Wished to be re-elected, but were rele
. gated to the political boneyard. Next
May and June there will be more elec
tions. Two years ago tax assessments were
marked up to so-called cash valua
tions. Theretofore, assessments had
been held down to but a fraction of
their actual worth. In order to limit
the taxing power of the several de
partment of government and force
upon them economies! When this
system was abandoned it was said that
the tax levy would be' held down in the
same proportion as the assessment was
raised, and that taxes would be rela
tively no higher. But it seems to be
turning out that the old system was
better.
This city pays more than 11000 a
day interest. The new . debts will
iloubfe that interest. The municipal
ity Is going the pace too fast. There
will be a day of reckoning for the offi
cials who- pile on extravagant taxes.
K4II.RO An DEVELOPMENT WORK.
The Oregon Electric Railroad has
fih"d its first annual report As the
j-oad did . not begin operations until
January 1. the report covers only the
six months ending June SO. The. mad
was. not in a position to handle freight
until July 1. and the report according
ly covers only the passenger business
over a new', half-ballasted track at the
poorest-season of the year. In spite
of these unfavorable features of op
eration, the report shows revenues for
the six- months, 113,535.21 greater
than the operating expenses and taxes.
The showing. In the circumstances. Is
a decidedly flattering one, and offers
Incontrovertible proof of the value of
transportation as a means of develop
ing a territory.
Oregon has suffered too long from
that policy which has resulted in no
roads being built because there were
no settlers where the roads were want
ed, the obvious reason for the absence
of settlers being failure of the rail
roads to supply the transportation fa
cilities. It was simply a case of the
railroads mistaking the effect for the
cause, and it remained for the Oregon
EPr-tric to expose the fallacy of such
reasoning. The people living along
the .line of the Oregon Electric, prior
to its construction, despite the attend-,
ant difficulties, succeeded In reaching
i market with their products and 'in
retting supplies back to the their
Jiomes. But poor transportation and
iigh charges removed all incentive
Jhat might have attracted new seitlers.
They huddled In close to the cities, or
fettled in Washington, where suburban
Jlnes have made life more attractive
tor the people who do not care to live
In the city. With the coming of the
Oregon Electric appeared a host of
View settlers who scattered out from
yhe cities and began developing the
rich lands along the road.
This development is, of course. In
its infancy, but It is Increasing more
rapidly than ever before, and each ad
ditional mile of new electric line or
steam railroad means more people and
frnore traffic as soon as it is In opera
tion. The figures given In the Oregon
Electric report, of course, do not take
into account the Interest on the in
vestment, and it will necessarily be a
J.ear or two before the line can make
. very good showing for the men who
Siave put their money in it. At the
fame time' it has demonstrated that It
is possible to build up a traffic where
fione existed before, if the proper
transportation facilities are provided,
ftnilar results follow the construction
of all railroads In a new, rich country
like Oregon. Two years ago the terri
tory now traversed by the completed
portion of the TTIlamook Railroad was
ivractically an uninhabited wilderness,
e-nd today the "woods are full of set
tlers, all of whom will be supplying
traffic for the road as soon as it is
pompleted.
For years Astoria was denied rail
road connection because "the route
.could not supply business for a rail
road." and yet. as soon as the road
was built, new towns sprang Into exist
ence and new industries were started,
and today the traffic which pours off
that sixty-mile stretch of road between
Goble and Astoria is simply phenom
enal. That It is all new traffic Is
shown by the fact that the steamboats
are doing practically the same amount
of business that they were handling
before the railroad" was built. The
Oregon Electric Is a bright and shin
ing example of what an Independent,
well-managed transportation line can
accomplish. It Is entitled to hearty
support and liberal treatment from
the people, and the same treatment
should be given to all transportation
lines that can be Induced to come into
the field and aid In the development
and upbuilding of Oregon and the Pa
cific Northwest.
JCfJT A TRinXXC. TKllIMtAlJTV.
The question raised by the lawyers
In the Jew Nun murder case was a
pure technicality affecting the merits
of the case in no respect whatever.
Tk iinriunt svhh leeally charged.
tried and convicted. After he ap-
sunromA Court the con
stitution was amended by insertion of
a clause declaring that no person shall
be charged with crime In the Circuit
Court except upon indictment by
grand jury. Attorneys for the defense
then raised the far-fetched question
whether this did not Invalidate the
complaint filed against Jew Nun by
the District Attorney under a law ex
isting at the time the case was begun.
As Chief Justice Bean very clearly
pointed out in the opinion affirming
the case, the language of the amend
ment shows that it is prospective and
not retrospective. It applied only to
charges to be made in future and did
not in any way affect trials of cases
already begun.
But. aside from the language of the
amendment, common sense precludes
any such construction as was at
tempted in this case. Even If the
wording of the amendment had per
mitted an interpretation favorable to
the defense, it would be a reflection
upon the intelligence of the people of
this state to assert that they could
possibly intend to turn loose criminals
who had been legally charged with
crime and some of them tried and
convicted. In the interpretation ot
any law the first effort is to determine
the intent of the lawmaker. By no
course of reasoning could the conclu
sion be reached that the people, in
adopting an amendment., desired to
throw open the doors of Jails and
prisons. Nothing short of a clear ex
pression of such an intent would war
rant such an interpretation.
The decision of the Supreme Court
in this case not only puts an end to an
effort to secure liberty for a convicted
murderer, but it puts the seal of dis
approval upon a highly technical con
tention. The regular course of justice
will be pursued.
CRIME AS A PROFEWHIOX.
Conditions being what they are in
Portland and other cities, to a young
man of parts and energy in search of
a profession a career of crime offens
singular advantages. The arguments
for choosing it, as w shall try to
show, are numerous and weighty,
while against it can be cited nothing
except certain rules of morality
which are largely out of date. Indeed
In that wider career of crime in
which our Rockefellers and Hyans
have shone so brilliantly, morality
has been entirely superseded by a
higher law which permits them to do
anything they please without blame so
long as they make money by it. But
it is not our present purpose to ex
patiate upon the manifest and splen
did advantages of following up such a
glorious path as Mr. Rockefeller has
trodden. To do that requires more
than ordinary gifts and a steadfast
piety which most young men have,
alas! failed to cultivate. We purpose
to speak only of those humbler but
still very attractive and profitable
paths which lead into express cars,
bank safes and the pockets of lonely
wayfarers by night.
As to the advantages of a career of
crime In this lowly but lucrative field
one remarks In the first place that a
young man can engage In it almost
entirely without capital. A dirty rag
to cover his face costs little or noth
ing, while a gun he does not need at
the outset. A crooked stick Will do
quite well in those modest adven
tures to which he will naturally con
fine himself while he is learning the
business. Some have held up a man
merely by pointing a finger at him.
Almost anything will make a timid
pedestrian stand and deliver on a lone
ly street in a dark night. Thus if the
ambitious young man begins his career
of crime in an unpretending way, as
he should, he will be able to make it
pay from the outset, and he can grad
ually acquire from his profiis those
implements which are indispensable in
the higher walks, such as jimmies, a
supply' of nltro-glycerine and a first
class revolver. If he aspires to the
very highest summit of the profession
he must of course provide himself
with competent legal talent, which is
abundant and eager for the service but
never cheap.
In . the second p-lace a career of
crime offers distinct social advantages
to a young man of ambition and enter
prise. Of course at th beginning
things must be done which carry a
sort of stigma, but the same Is true
of every profession. To knock down a
woman and snatch her money does not
of its-Tf make one a drawing-room
favorite in select circles, but neither
does sweeping out a bank or master
ing the Greek grammar. In every
calling there are preliminary drudg
eries which bring neither fame nor
fortune, and yet without conscienti
ously working through them one can
never hope to rise high. When the
weary season of picking pockets and
holding up night passengers has
passed then come the really desirable
rewards of the profession both finan
cial and social. If the aspiring youth
chooses to loot a bank he will find
all doors open to him while his ardent
task is under way, provided he goes
about it without vain display. If he
prefers to imitate the truly able rob
bers who plundered the East Side
Bank the other day and secured
116.000 by a few minutes" of deft
activity social recognition will not be
so speedy, but as soon as .the pro
ceeds are safely invested it is sure
to come. If he has the sublime gifts
which make it possible for him to
plunder with the massive grandeur
of a Rockefeller or Carnegie he will
find all the world at his feet before he
dies. Professors will fawn upon him,
ministers will kneel to him, kings will
seek his company.
Finally a career of crime is pretty
nearly the safest pursuit which a man
can adopt. Other callings are beset
with financial risks and come of them,
like war and engineering, are physi
cally dangerous, but that is not the
case with crime if one is ordinarily
cautious. The three bold men who
held up the train near Portland Thurs
day night must have seemed to inex
perienced eyes to run some risk, but in
reality they were perfectly safe. No
body ever shoots at a robber. Nobody
ever tries to do him the slightest in
jury. The police might possibly seek
to make things unpleasant for him If
they were present, but they are always
absent, so fhey may be left out of the
discussion. The old fancy that the
courts will punish a criminal If he is
caught may be laid aside with other
THE MORNING OltEGOXIAX, SATURDAY, DECEJITOSK IV, 1W3.
ancient superstitions. Almost the entire
time of the courts is taken up with
finding ways to avoid punishing crimi
nals when they are caught, but for the
most part they are never caught. This
Is no reproach to the police. There
are not enough policemen in Portland
or any other American city to prevent
crime or detect those who commit It.
Moreover the detection of a crime
planned with moderate skill Is almost
Impossible unless the author of It him
self furnishes a clew either In his cups
or by making Indiscreet confidences.
In real life there are no. Sherlock
Holmses. If a criminal Is caught it is
usually his own fault entirely. We
see therefore that to an ambitious
youth who cares nothing for morality
and has not the fear of God in his
heart few careers offer anything like
tlie advantages of crime either in
money, in safety or In social eminence.
The only weighty consideration on the
other side Is the possibility that the
legal profession may some time cease
to foster crime' and the courts begin
to puniah it. Then the advantages
will suddenly vanish.
SOLVCrtJ OXE FRUIT PROBLEM.
Establishment of a fruit cooling sta
tion at Salem next Spring will un
doubtedly be an Important event not
only for that immediate vicinity but
for the fruit-growing sections of the
state generally. Should the fruit
cooling plant be the success which is
confidently expected ' of it. Its erec
tion will mark the beginning of a new
era in the marketing . of perishable
fruits grown in this state. The great
problem has been to get fresh fruit
to the Eastern consumer in first-class
condition. In order that shipments
of perishable fruit may be profitable,
the fruit must not only reach the East
ern market in presentable condition,
but must be in such a state of preser
vation that it will stand up a day or1
two after being put on sale. It is not
sufficient that most of the shipments
reach the consumer in merchantable
condition. Even if four-flfths of the
fruit should reach the East In good
shape, the loss on the one-fifth that
spoils would wipe out the profits. The
shipper must therefore know that his
fruit will be salable when It gets to
Its destination.'
The purpose of a cooling plant is
to reduce the temperature of fruit to
near the freezing point before it is
packed In cars. If not so cooled, it
frequently will not stand 1 shipment,
even though ' transported in refriger
ator cars. If properly cooled before
the cars are loaded, the Ice in the cars
will preserve it while being trans
ported across the continent. The
quality of Oregon cherries and berries
is so superior that there can be no
doubt as to the market when we have
learned how to deliver the fruit In
good condition. No other fruit can
hold its own with ours In any market.
Since this cooling plant, is a practical
experiment In the all-important mat
ter of transportation. It means no more
for Salem than for every other sec
tion of Oregon where fruits are grown
In quantities materially larger than
necessary to supply local demand.
When the transportation problem has
been solved, there is practically no
limit to the market for Oregon fruit.
WllEX SHE WAS.-YQC'fta
Some discussion, has been excited by
a recent remark of Mrs. Amelia Barr's
about women who earn their own liv
ing. Mrs.. Barr la a novelist of mild
repute who began to write at the age
of 65 after bringing up fifteen chil
dren. She Is of the opinion that no
woman ought to take up breadwlnning
until she has Imitated this achieve
ment as nearly as conditions permit.
"A woman has no right fo a career
until she has married and had chil
dren," says Mrs. Barr a trifle oracu
larly. Perhaps, we may say the same of
men. There are zealots who maintain
that no man ought to be permitted to
live who is not a father, or at least a
husband, but a truly philosophic mind
would probably temper both Mrs.
Barr's opinion and the latter one with
a little mercy. A serious difficulty in
the way of making every woman
starve unless she marries Is the .fact
that in ail civilized countries they out
number the men. Hence Mrs. Barr
would practically compel several
women to share the same husband in
many cases. Remembering what poor
creatures sundry husbands are, it may
be doubted whether this plan would
work well.
It may be doubted, too, wHether It
would be well upon the whole for
every woman to bear fifteen children,
or even ten. A good thing may be
carried too far. If we apply the same
rule to both sexes, as In fairness we
must, and forbid men to enter upon
their careers before they have become
fathers t-o this perilous extent, shall
we not put an end to every other pur
suit? On may easily guess that Mrs.
Barr Is a querulous old person who
tries to apply to the present genera
tion the unsuitable standard of a day
that is dead and gone.
THK CHRISTMAS STAMP.
The postal regulations of the Gov
ernment are simple but stringent. No
employe of the Postal Department is
authorized in any way, or by any con
tingency or emergency, to use his dis
cretion in the matter of enforcement
or of following the rules. He must
simply abide by them or suffer(the
pains and penalties provided.
In this connection- the eager, gen
erous public must know that the
Ch'rlstmas. stamp is not a postage
stamp: that mall clerks are not re
sponsible for the fact that when used
to. seal packages of merchandise they
elevate these packages to first-class
matter' upon which letter postage Is
required . for carriage and delivery
through the mails. In brief these
stamps are a gratuity merely. Indi
cating the Interest taken In and. the
pity felt for sufferers from tubercu
losis in whose behalf they were con
ceived, Issued and are. being sold end
used by hundreds of thousands. They
mean nothing whatever to the Gov
ernment in the way of revenue.- It
merely carries them when attached to
mail matter in a way that does not
infringe upon the postal rules.
These stamps represent a most
gracious charity a widespread gener
osity, the mite of pity bearing the
insignia of the Red Cross, which is
finding its way through the mails all
over the country. No one Is too poor
to pay this tribute to charity and few
will be chtirllsh enough to withhold it.
Let everybody use .these Christmas
stamps, remembering only that they,
are not postage stamps and that they
must not be used to seal packages that
are given to the malls as second-class
matter.
The Chicago. farmers who have such
a keen eye for the appearance of all
unfavorable factors which might affect,
the wheat market have about exhaust
ed their supply of Argentine scares.
and from this time forward must de
pend on American news. It Is a little
early yet for the chinchbug, the Hes
sian fly, or the variegated rust, but it
should bo rerr-erubered that the micro
scopic and telescopic, not to mention
telepathic, vision of the Board of
Trade farmers han in the past been
able to discern wheat pests that never
were disclosed to public gaze. The
wheat market throughout the past
week has been in a highly nervous
state, and this nervousness Is proba
bly only a reflection of a similar state
of mind experienced by the Investors
who have been attempting to follow
the bewildering maze of conflicting
news regarding the growing crop, not
only in this country, nut In other por
tions of the world.
A Seattle judge has decided tha ft a
husband flirts with other women while
walking on the street or riding in a
car with his wife, this does not con
stitute grounds for divorce in favor
of the wife. While this seems a rea
sonable decision, let's see to what it
leads. If a woman is not entitled to a
divorce for the cause stated, then it is
her duty to continue. to live with her
husband. Since flirting is not a crime,
she cannot have her wayward spouse
punished by the courts. Yet no one
will sa,y that she should submit pas
sively to such conduct. Two courses
are evidently open to her. Since he
will not listen to protest, she might
club him over the head with a rolling
pin or disregard her duty as a wife
and desert him. In either case he
would be entitled to secure a divorce
from her. -His conduct, therefore,
which, does not entitle her to a di
vorce, forces her to take measures
which will entitle him to a divorce.
Perhaps that is a proper penalty to
place upon a woman who Is so unfor
tunate as to make a mistake in accept
ing an offer of marriage.
The Socialist doctrine of the equal
ity of man is -not fully borne out by
the reports of a meeting of the sect at
Seattle. There was trouble, according
to the news dispatches, and it "ended
only after Parks was expelled from
the meeting and his wife, Winnie
Parks, had 'stood off four special ser-geants-at-arms
with a chair and was
escorted, fighting and scratching, from
the meeting." Winnie afterwards ad
mitted that "I pasted that Stevens one
on the nose," and regretfully sighed
for the lost opportunity to "have ham
mered one of them with that chair or
stuck him with my hatpin." Talk
about the "equality of man," when
four of them are required to handle
one weak sister armed only with a
chair and a. hatpin! Instead of quar
reling over a two-bit charge for a bowl
of mush, Upton Sinclair should hasten
to the Queen City and get the "uplift"
to working on the recalcitrants who
display such "inequalities."
A Paris cable announces that the
Castellane family has never been so
hard up as at this time, and that both
parents of Bonl are actually working
for a living. This is indeed distress
ing, but the tragedy has not "Yet
reached a stage where there seems to
be any possibility of the nasty little
Bonl being fprced to work. Such. -a
contingency is very remote, for, as a
last resort, this accomplished mac
quereau would probably come. y" to
America and trade his title for another
bundle of American millions attached
to some fool girl. The Interria'tierial
marriage business has demonstrated
that for every disreputable foreign
nobleman there is some silly American
girl waiting to purchase him. It is
deplorable, disgusting and disgraceful
that such a social condition should
exist, but, in the face of the evidence,
we cannot deny that it does exist. .
The Senate has passed the bill offi
cially changing the name of the cus
toms district from Willamette to Port
land, and by reason of the change
Portland will in the future be more
prominently on the commercial maps
of the world than ever before. This
city was originally named in honor of
Portland. Me., and it was a number
of years after it was christened before
it attained proportions that reflected
credit on the original Portland. The
situation has been reversed and the
far Western city became the "big
Portland" more' than ten years ago,
and has since been increasing the lead
until today it is better known through
out the United States than the more
ancient Maine city from which It se
cured its name.
The recent National political cam
paign was fought out with guaranty
of bank deposits as the main issue.
There is absolutely nothing in the
returns to indicate that the people
have any desire whatever for the en
actment of such dangerous experimen
tal legislation. The Oregon Legisla
ture will do well to let the project
alone.
Bro. Nutting, an Albany editor, and
Governor Chamberlain have just re
turned from Eastern trips. Strange
to say they saw. on their travels, none
of those "nonpartisans" that constitute
the majority of the patriots of Ore
gon. It must have been a revelation
to them that folks elsewhere are not
so easily fooled.
It would bother any man to suggest
twenty-five subjects upon-which legis
lation is needed, yet, if past experi
ence is a safe basis for prediction,
there will be something like 300 bills
introduced at the. coming session.
Castro dismisses the Venezuelan
revolution by remarking, "I don't be
lieve it." Wasn't so because it
couldn't be so. There's a great fu
ture for Castro as a Christian Scien
tist. Of course everybody who wasn't In
that train hold-up knows exactly what
he would have done to those robbers
if he had been there. Why is it that
the brave men never travel?
Mayor Lane certainly does not
wish the office of Fire Chief to be
vacant after he shall have "fired"
Campbell. Then who Is the man that
is to take the Job?
The City Jail Is said to be a very
uncomfortable place for Winter resi
dents. The city probably ought to
hire for them the Portland Hotel.
Castro won't believe the uproar
news from Venezuela. The surgical
operation he needs is one to get things
through his head.
Plumbers ought to regard this cold
weather as their Christmas gift from
Santa Claus.
Too cold to stir out, eh? We told
you to buy those presents early.
Those train robbers, seeklnga-safe
refuge, headed for -Portland.
CRISIS TOR CHRISTIAN SCIENTISTS
New Turk Woman Rebels Airnlmst Mrs.
loddy, wkom ! Hopmi to Snecrtil.
New York DUpatch - to Chicago Inter
Ocean.
New York. Deo. 18. Christian Scientists
throughout the world are watching devel
opments in Boston and in New York with
deep and anxious interest. The very gen
eral Impression prevails that a ctIbIs in
the history ot the cult Is at hand.
The crisis centers around the apparent
approaching death of Mrs. Mary Baker G.
Eddy and the remarkable defiance of an
official edict Issued by those surround
ing her in her name by Mrs. AueuBta
Stetson and her followers of the First
Church Christ, Scientist,, at Ninety-sixth
street and Central Park West, this city.
In direct disobedience of the officially
declared wish of Mrs. Eddy, the members
of Mrs. Stetson's congregation last week
voted to build another church edifice to
accommodate the rapidly growing mem
bership, which overflowed the parent
church. This action was a deliberate re
pudiation either of Mrs. Eddy's author
ity, never questioned before, or of author
ity which is being exercised In her name.
Close students of the remarkable situa
tion insist that Mrs. Stetson, the fore
most figure in Christian Science next to
Mrs. Eddy herself, would not have ven
tured upon this daring move but for her
accurate knowledge of the aged leader's
true condition.
The great congregation which Mrs.
Stetson has gathered about her filled the
superb edifice at Ninety-sixth street and
Central Park West It was a distin
guished gathering in appearance and per
sonnel. Men and women of wealth and
social position crowded the pews.
From 4 until 7 o'clock the discussion
continued behind doors closed to the gen
eral public. The result was a decision to
build the new church, for which the site
along Riverside Drive, between One Hun
dred and Eighth and One' Hundred and
Ninth streets, will cost 3SO,000. Upon
this costly piece of realty in New York's
most beautiful residential section Mrs.
Stetson will rear another temple at an
outlay of close to $1,000,000.
Information in the hands of the Chris
tian Science leaders in Boston leaves no
doubt that Mrs. Stetson's purpose is to
succeed Mrs. Eddy in supreme authority
in the church. Failing in this, she will
build up a new Christian Science estab
lishment upon the broad foundations
which her genius has already laid in this
city. The new church, in Riverside Drive,
is a detail in this plan and will be man
aged by an advisory board under the
chairmanship of Mrs. Stets'on.
No other Christian Science church was
ever established under like conditions.
This will be a church built by Mrs. Stet
son and managed by Mrs. Stetson.
' Ashland City Election.
' ASHLAND, Or., Dec. 17. (To the Ed
itor.) Ashland goes dry' again. R. N.
Snell, former Yamhill man, elected
Mayor. Terms of office changed from
one to two years. "Bank crowd"
snowed under.
Ashland has just closed the most
exciting and important election- in her
history. With the development of her
water power and installing of electric
light and power municipal plant, using
the surplus water from Ashland Creek
in the canyon above the city to gener
ate electricity, the important paving,
park and civic improvements projected
forajhe ensuing year, and the fact that
the city again went dry, this election
marks an epoch in civic progress.
There were two tickets in. the field, one
of which has been called the "Bank
ers' " ticket, which consisted of C. W.
Root, Mayor; Hon. E. V. Carter, Hon.
L. L. Mulit end Robert Neil for Coun
dlmen. This ticket, although pledg
ing themselves to accept no compensa
tion if elected (the ticket carried an
amendment providing the Mayor a sal
ary of $100 a year and Councilman
each $75), and making numerous ante
election pledges, was overwhelmingly
defeated.
R N. Snell, formerly of old Yamhill,
making no pledges but standing on his
honorable record as Councilman the
past year, defeated hie opponent by
more than 3 to 1..
One factor leading- to Mr. Snelfs suc
cess was his unvarying policy of fair
ness to all parts of the city in the ex
penditure of public moneys. F. W.
Moore, Councilman from the Third
"Ward, defeated Hon. E. V. Carter, 1S3
to 61. William Myer, in the Second
Ward, defeated Hon. L. L. Mulit, 157 to
83. W. F.. Loorais. in the First Ward,
defeated Robert. P. Neil.- 262 to 77.
The city recently voted to install a
municipal electric light and power
plant by a vote of 4S3 to 6, and for this
purpose voted $80,000 bonds. Frank
Kelsey, of Portland, was employed to
plan and construct the work, and the
same has .been pushed this Fall. The
city expects to have one of the best
and most economical plants on the
Coast. VOTER.
Bis Champ Clark.
Boston Traveler.
Everything about Champ Clark, the
new minority leader of the House, is
big. He is big in avoirdupois, big -of
heart, big of voice and he has a big
and abiding faith in the Democratic
party.
The biggest thing about Clark Is his
voice. His oratory is the noisest in
Congress. As a lawyer he Is at home
as a cross-examiner. He can brow
beat and bulldoze a witness to the
point where the witness will tell the
truth if it kills him.
Mr. Clark was chairman of the Demo
cratic National committee in 1904 and
chairman of the committee which no
tified Alton B. Parker of his nomina
tion for the Presidency. He was once
the youngest college president In Amer
ica. Clark Is 68 years old, and was born
in Kentucky. He is a tall, handsome
man with square shoulders and a big,
deep chest.
Phnnber Really Reduces His Bill.
New York World.
This is a true story.
George Scholze, manager for John F.
Ryan, a prosperous plumber of Flush
ing L. I., was before a Surrogate Noblo
in Jamaica, testifying as to work he had
done for Mary McCardell. administratix
of the estate of Bernard Carraher, of
Flushing.
"J find a discrepancy in your bill, said
the Surrogate, "you agreed to put in a
bathroom for $210. while In your bill
you charge only $193. How do you ex
plain' it?" 1
"I found that some of the work was
not necessary, and so the bill was re
duced," replied the plumber.
There was a tense stillness in the
courtroom until Surrogate Noble, the
first to Tally, warmly commended
Scholze for his honesty.
MrjKkrats Predict a Wet Winter.
Winsted, Conn., Dispatch to the New
York World.
Basing their predictions on the work of
muskrats, weather seers prophesy an
abundance of rain before the Winter is
over. The sharps have noted that the
animals have built their homes high
upon the borders of lakes and rivers.
This, It is asserted, is regulated year by
year by the height to which the water
is expected to rise.
Force of Habit,
Tid-Bits.
"I wish, John." said the editor's wife,
"that you'd try not to be so absent-minded
when we are dining out."
"Eh? What have I done now?"
"Why, when the hostess asked you if
you'd have some more pudding you re
plied that, owing to a tremendous pressure
on your -space, you- -were- compelled to
decline."
KLOPING OF MINORS TO END
Judco Prater WouM Have Two
Weeks Notice of Weddings.
SEATTLE, Wash., Dec 18. (Spe
cial.) If the bill now being framed by
Judge A. W. Frater, of . the Superior
Court,' becomes a law, the eloping in
dustry recently so popular with young
people who have not attained legal
age, will receive a severe Jolt.
The Judge completed the first draft
of the measure this morning. The
striking section Is that which provides
that two weeks' notice must be filed
with the County Auditor by parents or
guardians of applicants for marriage
licenses, and that these notices must be
made of record in the county in which
the bride-elect resides. Judge Frater
expects that the newspapers will give
publicity to the applicants for license
as they do to licenses .issued. The
same section of the bill also provides
that a marriage license to minors shall
be issued at the direction of a Justice
of the Superior Court.
Auditors failing to comply with these
provisions will be deemed guilty of
misdemeanor and punished by fine.
"I think this bill will put a stop' to
boys and girls !under age running away
to other counties to be married," said
Judge Frater.
OXK COUPLE DIVORCED TWICE
Each Married Three Times Hus
band Alleges Cruelty.
VANCOUVER, Wash., Dec. 18. (Spe
cial.) Married twice to each other, di
vorced twice from each other within less
than seven years, and both having ex
perienced wedded bliss before they mar
ried each other, is the extraordinary
record of Elmer J. Martin and Frances
Martin, recently divorced In this city.
The couple were first married June 22.
1!X2. They were divorced January 13.
1005. They remarried ten months later.
November 18. 1905. and divorced a few
days ago. According to the state stat
ute the couple cannot be remarriPd be
fore July 4. 1909.
A peculiar feature of the case Is that
Martin is always the plaintiff In the ap
plications for divorce, alleging cruelty
and inhuman treatment. Both persons
are now living at La Center, Clark
County, Wash.
DEATIXG DESERVED, SHE SAYS
Woman Who Has Husband Arrested
Refuses to Prosecute Him.
SEATTLE. Wash.. Dec. 18. (Special.)
Three or four nights ago Patrolman
O'Brien arrested William Wilson, oc
cupation unknown, on a charge of beat
ing his wife. This morning the wife
refused to testify against the man,
who, it is alleged, was choking her.
"Don't vou remember the night your
husband choked you?" asked the City
Attorney.
"No. I don't," said Mrs. Wilson. "I
was not feeling very well that night.
In fact. I had been drinking."
"Well, you deserved a licking." said
the City Attorney.
"I know It," said the woman. "I
deserved three or four lickings."
The case was dismissed for want of
prosecution.
PHILOMATH GETS SAWMILL
Noon Lumber Company, of Portland,
Buys Tract on Woods Creek.
ALBANY, Or.. Dec. 18. (Special.) A
big industry for Benton County is assured
by the completion of a deal in this city
today whereby the Noon Lumber Com
pany, of Portland, purchased a big tract
of timber near Philomath. The company
will establish a big sawmill on the Cor
vallls & Eastern Railroad, four miles
west of Philomath, on Woods Creek.
In this deal, the Noon Lumber Company
has St-cured between fK) and 900 acres of
timber land. Fish & Hodges, of Albany,
who have been selling out the old 1'a
qulna Bay wagon road grant, consum
mated the final transfer here today.
Work has already begun on arrange
ments for. the Installation of the saw
mill. HUNTS HER SJPOUSE WITH Gl'X
Baker City AVoman Starts Excite-
nieiit, but Is Soon Arrested.
BAKER CITY, Oc, Dec. 18. (Special.)
Mrs. Lizzie Fuller, of South Baker,
turned that portion of the city into a
state of excitement tonight by placing
a revolver in her grip and proclaiming
to neighbors that she was going down
town to kill her husband.
The police were informed and took
charge of the woman before she fulfilled
her threat. Mrs. Fuller tried to commit
suicide by drinking acid a few days ago.
Reynolds' Defense Technicality.
CHEHAL1S, Wash.. Dec. 18. (Special.)
Today was occupied by the defense in
the Reynolds case, a large number of
witnesses being examined. One of the
strongest points brought out by the de
fense is that the scene of the autobo
bile accident is not a street crossing
within the legal meaning of the term
and that being true, the defendant was
not violating the speed limit when the
accident occurred.
$ 10,000 for Chehalis Library.
CHEHALIS. Wash., Dec. 18. (Spe
cial.) The trustees of the Chehalis
library received final word this week
from tho agent of Andrew Carnegie, an
nouncing that the donation for the new
library in this city will be $10,000. The
architect has been directed to go ahead
at once with the preparation and comple
tion of the plans and specifications for
the building.
Club Entertained at Hood River.
HOOD RIVER, Or.. Dec. 18. (Special.)
The University of Oregon Mandolin and
Glee Club sang and played to a large
and appreciative audience here last night
in the Opera House. After the entertain
ment the members of the club were given
a reception by the High School students
in Odd Fellows Hall. The glee club will
appear at Pendleton tonight.
' Eugene ' High Wins Debate.
EUGENE, Or.. Dec. 18. (Special.) The
debate here today between the Eugene
and the Albany High Schools resulted
in a victory for the Eugene. The local
team was considered the stronger on all
points except rebuttal. The judges were
Senator J. A. Buchanan, of Roseburg;
Earl Strong, of University of Oregon,
and J. J. Bryan, of Springfield.
Troops Sick With Mumps.
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash., Des. 18.
(Speclal.V-Forty artillery corps recruits
who reached Fort Worden today for as
signment to companies of the Puget
Sound district are quarantined for the
measles and mumps. Practically every
member of the party is afflicted with
either of the diseases.
Dalrymplo Out on $2500 Bail.
THE DALLES, Or., Dec. 18. (Special )
Alexander Dalrymple. convicted of
manslaughter at the November term of
court, and whose case was appealed,
was llbnrated today from the County
Jail on J2600 ball, awaiting the action of
the Supreme Court.
STALLCVP ANSWERS " ' fCRXER
Lawyer Thinks CJovornor May Re
ceive Certificate Out of Slate.
TACTMA. Wash., Dec. IS. (Special.)
Ex-Judge John C. Stalli up. a prominent
lawyer of Tacoma, takes Issue with ex
Senator George Turner on tha Governor
ship question. Judge Stallcup s:iys:
"The laws of this state provide that
tho Legislature shall issue to the Gov
ernor a certificate of election and t!ie
delivery and the receipt of that cer
tificate qualifies him for the office. There
is no law requiring the Governor to take
any oath and it seems strange to mi-.
that Senator Turner should hold that he
is required to do bo.
'"To my mind the only question that is
in any doubt is whether or not .the cer
tificate of election could ,b8 delivered
to the Governor and received by his
agent in the state. The delivery of the
certificate and the receipt of it by tho
Governor would be a rubernat.orial act
and must take place vitbin the state.
"So far as the question of who would
be the Actinsr Governor in cue Governor
Cosgrove lives until after the certificate
of election is formally and legally re
ceived by him there is no doubt what
ever but that Lieutenant-Governor Hay
would at once take office. Cosgrove
would become the successor of Governor
Mead, who would thereupon become al
solutely out of it and Cosgrove beina;
out of the state Hay would at once be
come the Acting Governor."
SALEM TEAM! WINS DEBATE
Conquers Lebanon High. School,
Champion Last Year.
SALEM, Or.. Dee. IS. ( Special.) It.
tho first debate of the Oregon Hifr".
School Debating League Salem defeated
Lebanon this evening. The judges
voted tw-o for Salem and one for Leb
anon. Lebanon won the championship
of the state last year, hut is eliminated
in the first debate of the series this year.
The question debated was. "Kosolve.l,
That the law applying to Chinese immi
gration into the Tinted states shouM
be extended to Japanese immigration."
Lebanon's team, supporting the allirmat
live. was comjxsed of Clarence Them.
Beatrice Snencer and Harold Hnrlhur;
Salem's team was composed of Howard
Zimmerman, Robert Mintin and Soph
Axley. The judges were. Judge Robert
Kakin. Attorney-General Crawford and
Judgo J. C. Moreland, none of theiiv
Salem men. City Superintendent J. M
Powers presided. This was one of font
debates held tonight in the central dis
trict of Western Oregon.
ABERDEEN" INCREASES POLICE
Plaiii-Clothes Men to Protect City
Agulnst Crooks and Thieves.
ABERDEEN. Wash.. Dec. IS. (Spe
cial.) Following the arrest this morninn
of two suspects, believed to ho ex-con-victs.
six plain clothes men will be added
to the police force of the city to guard
against the influx of crooks, petty crim
inals, burglars and yeggmen from the
I'ligcl Sound cities and Portland. TH's
action was taken at a special meetiiitr
today of the police committee of (ho
Council and Acting Mayor Hart. Tho
additional officers will be appointed im
mediately by Chief of Police liiemin.
ham. but their names will not bo made
public. They will he Instructed to watch
all incoming trains and to arrest an;
suspicious characters.
Thomas Dillon and Thomas Sullivan
are the names given by the two nic;i
who were arrested this morning. Th:i."
were taken into custody at the Northern
Pacific depot.
ROBERTS TO RESKiN, IS WOK1)
Land Office Receiver at La Grande
to Give Vp Position.
BAKER CITY. Or.. Dec. IS. (Special.)
Report that Al Roberts is sonn to r?
sign his position a? Receiver of the La
Orande Land Office has set local politi-.
clans stirring here, and sll factions of
the Republican party of Haker County
have indorsed W. L. Patterson for tho'
place. If precedent is followed tho ap
pointment will go to Baker County. Mr.
Patterson is a lawyer of this -city.
Roberts a few weeks ago was found
short In his accounts. He made good
the amount.
I Vancol,Tfr Mcrclmnts Duped Again.
VANCOUVER, Wash.. Dec. 18. Spe
cial.) A stranger cashed two J2o clieekv
in Vancouver stores today and escaped
before the forgeries were discovered. The
first check was presented to George
Hausch by a man who claimed to o -i
J. Jackson. The check was signed J.
Benet. The second check was cashed by
Seney, of Cawley & Seney, proprietors
of the North Bank Saloon. It also was
signed by J. Benet. and indorsed by A.
Johnson. The forger is described as past
30 years old. 5 feet 9 inches in height and:
weighing about W) pounds-. He was wear
ing a dark suit and light-colored hat.
Dalles Debaters Victor.
WOODBURN, Or.. Dec. 18. (Special)
In a debate in this city tonight Tho
Dalles defeated the Woodburn High
School on the subject of "Woman Suf
frage." Woodburn had the affirmative
and The Dalles the negative. The de
baters were: The Dalles. Elliott Robort3.
Viva StoKsdlll and Marion Driver: Wood
burn, Annie Dinwoodle, Marvel Frost and
Ernest Mt Kee. The Judges were Su
preme Justice R. S. Bean, of Salem:
County .ludce O. B. Dimlek. of Oregon
City, and President Homan. of Willam
ette University.
Doctor Sues Dead Child's Mother
VANCOUVER. Wash.. Dec. 18 (Spe
cial.) Judgment for a doctor's bill con
tracted by her deceased daughter was as
sessed to the mother, Mrs. James Dol an,
today by Judgo E. M. Scanlon. Mrs.
Birdie Shy. the daughter, was 111 at her
mother's home, near Ridgerield. Dr. R.
S. Stry-ker was summoned and rendered
medical attendance, and when the woman
died, presented his bill. tS to the mother
for payment. She refused, so the. doctor
brought suit against Mr. and Mrs. Jamn
Dolan.
Oarline Extended 14 Blocks.
VANCOUVER, Wash., Dec. 18. (Spe
cial.) The Vancouver Traction Company
extension from Eleventh street to Twenty-sixth
street, in the northwestern part
of the city, will be opened to travel to
morrow. A large crew of men is busy
constructing the track still farther north
and the company expects to have it.;
cars running out two miles into tho
country toward Felida by January 1.
Find Train Robbers' Cache.
SPOKANE, Wash., Dei. 18. The police
today found a cache of dynamite and a
railroad torpedo, supposed to have been
hidden by two bandits who the night of
December 9 held up the Great Northern
passenger train and robbed the Seattle
registered mail.
Vancouver Loses Debate.
VANCOUVER. Wash.. Dec. 18 (Spe
cial.) Word received tonight from Aber
deen states that the Vancouver High
School lost the debate with the Aberdeen
High School.
Prison for Forger Sweeney.
VANCOUVER, Wash., Dec' 18. (Spe
cial.) C. J. Sweeney, convicted of
passing forged checks in this city, w:s
sentenced today to an Indeterminate
sentence in the Penitentiary.