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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Sept. 24, 1909)
TTTE 3rORXTNG OREGOXIAX, FUTDAT, SEPTEMBER 24, 1900. 10 PORTLAND. OREGON. Entered at Portland. OTttiotv. Postoftlo mm i Eeoond-CUaa Mmtter. BubaertoUoai HU ImaiUhhr Im Umm. (Br Mall.) ICr, Sunday Included. on ymr. ..... ..$8.00 i Iai:y. Sunday included, six months 4.2a . iJaily. Sunday included, thr month. .. X-i Iaiiy. Sunday Included, one month "5 ' Ialiy. without Sunday, on year 00 Iraiiy. without Sunday, six montha 8 28 Dally, without Sunday, three montha.... 1-75 ; Dally, without Sunday, on month. ..... .60 'Weekly, on year t SO , Sunday, on year 2 M) . unday and waakly. on year .......... ft.60 (Br Carrier.) Tefly. Sunday Included, on year. ...... Xially. Sunday Included, ona month. ... -79 Mow to Remit eDd poatotnce money order, ezpreea order or personal check on your local bank. Stamp, coin or currency : are at the sender risk. Give postofflc Ad dress In fu!L. Including cotinty and state. i Poetae-e Rates 10 to 14 paaea. 1 cent: 16 , to 2s pages. 2 cests; 80 to 40 pares, 3 cents; ' 44 to eo paaea. 4 cent. Foreign postage 4ocMe rates. i Eastern Bnahmi Office The 8. C. Berk- wtrh Special Agency New York, rooms 48 to Tribune building. Chicago, room 010-611 j Tribune pnlldlng. ( X-O&IXAjrD. FRIDAY, SEPT. 14. ISO. WiTCB AND POWER SITES. Is It the intention of the Oovern . snent of the United States to adminis ter or operate the "water powers yet remaining- on the public lands? If not. It is certain they must be parted ;tWth by the Government before they can be Improved and used. All public lands on streams that may "afford water power are being with drawn as rapidly as possible from sale or entry. This is necessary, admit tedly, for conservation of the water and the water powers. But what Is to be done with the land, with the water, and with the power? Here Is resource that resembles money, in one Important particular. The owner must part with It. to make it of any : use to himself or to others. Will the Government sell to the highest -bidder the land covering the ( power sites? Then, certainly it will j pass into the hands of wealthy . Indi viduals, since poor people can't 'pay J for it. Moreover, only rich persons J can develop the water powers, or sup j ply the capital necessary for lrriga- tlon on a large scale. In this business and in the conse .' t-fu'ences, how about the conflict be ! tween state and national laws? If ' the General Government Is to go into the development of the water powers, the Jurisdiction over them and over ;the property that may be built on them i or around them will be taken away ! from or denied the state. The Gov ernment may, however, keep the power tFltes and sell the power; but the power J will be costly, and erection of the j power plants will require great sums of money, which only capitalists can ; supply. The Government will, 'how j ever, get the rent money, whatever ' It may be, and the state will not profit I by it. But if the sites shall be sold to ' highest bidders, the property will come ', at once under the Jurisdiction of the 'state; and in Oregon we have la. law that will subject the use of the water r&nd the power to jeo many encumbrances that It Is I doubtful what would be the financial ' result of the expenditures necessary i for improvement. This problem would have to be worked out through exper ience. It Is a problem Indeed that con- fronts owners of water powers now. j The state has enacted a law that may i obstruct and tax the use to the ex ' tent of virtual confiscation or destruc tion. Yet for the present we approve the ; withdrawal of the remaining power tItes, covered by public lands, from ' entry or sale. It will be necessary to wait awhile, however, to ascertain the ' results. But unless the sites shall be sold or leased, how are they to be im- proved? If sold, they will fall under ,' the Jurisdiction of state law. Then i who would buy them, and what prices would water rights thus encumbered by law. bring? If leased, the money, ; of course, would go to the National I Government. It is a tangle of con- ditlons and possibilities through which no one can see the way. " One thing, however, is certain, to wit: Deeirable as conservation Is, the ' methods necessary for it will obstruct improvement, and In many cases prob .' ably delay it Indefinitely. It la a sure prediction that everybody will see this, and acknowledge It, after a while. SKtrTTNO SEAPORTS IJTU4XD. All of the essential points In the I rase now under hearing before the Interstate Commerce Commission at . Bait Lake are inseparably a part of the original Spokane rate case, which . ngain comes up for hearing In Spokane next week. That representatives of ! the great commercial bodies of the Atlantic Coast cities are standing In ' this contest shoulder to shoulder ' with the representatives of similar organizations from the Pacific Coast cities, 3000 miles farther west, il lustrates the far-reaching effects of the proposed change In rates. Rail road rates throughout the country are so interdependent on each other that any unnatural disarrangement like that proposed in the original Spokane complaint is like the removal of a card from a card-house the whole structure is immediately precipitated into confusion. Spokane for yeara waxed great through the favoritism of an illegiti mate and unnatural freight rate in an artificially created "Jobbing lone," from which all competitors were ex cluded. Not satisfied with the enor mous growth which this favoritism of the railroads made possible, Spokane began clamoring for a water competi tion rate, apparently oblivious to the fact that the city was 400 mllea from the nearest point at which a iwater carrier could deliver freight. Quite naturally, this unreasonable demand set in motion a long train of similar complaints from interior cities. The granting of a water competition rate to Spokane could not be defended If r similar rate were refused Bait Lake, Denver, Boise and a score of other inland points, and we thus see an ef fort on the part of all these interior cities to secure an artificial advantage which nature denied them. The injustice which the granting ot such a rate would work on the ports having the advantage of water com petition is so clear and unmistakable that It Is but natural that 'there has arisen a determined opposition on both coasts of the United States. Were the contentions of the Interior cities to be recognized, all of the advantages of water competition which have been recognized since the dawn of civiliza tion would be nullified. On the Pa cific Coast, Portland. Seattle, San Francisco, Tacoma, Los Angeles and other ports, which at great expense have provided facilities for the eco nomical handling of ocean freight. would be placed in the same class as the cities hundreds of miles inland. The question Is one of vital im portance, pot only to the people of the Atlantic and the Pacific Coasts, but to every shipper and consumer In the United States. If the railroads can be thus forced to build up artificial Jobbing centers at the expense of natural entrepots for commerce, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to place any limits on the abuse. No other commercial problem, approach ing in magnitude this question, has appeared before the people of the United States, and the result of the series of hearings, which will be held la Salt Lake, Spokane, Portland and other points in September and Octo ber, will be awaited with keen in terest. A FARCE OT JT" STICK. A fair sample of the way in which technicality plays battledore and shut tlecock with Justice In the courts of Oregon, Is shown in the notorious Abe Hembree case. As long ago as De cember 28, 1905, this man, Hembree, was arrested In Tillamook County, charged with the murder of his wife and daughter, the latter 18 years old, and of the attempt to conceal the crime by burying the bodies in the shack which was their home and in which the murder was committed. The case had many revolting features. The poverty of the family was extreme, and a cause for the murder that was not brought out in evidence was dark ly hinted. The man was duly indicted for murder of the daughter and the case was brought to trial in Mc Mlnnville, resulting in a verdict of manslaughter. Hembree was com mitted to the penitentiary, where he served one year of an indeterminate sentence. He was paroled last year by Governor Chamberlain and re leased. Soon afterward, however, he was rearrested, this time on a charge of murdering his wife. Tried this time in Dallas, Polk County, on change of venue, he was convicted of murder In the first degree and sentenced to be executed as provided by law. Again technicality has come to his rescue and the case has been re manded for yet another trial. In the Interval covered between the death of these two women and the latest ac tion of the Supreme Court, Hembree has either been grossly wronged by the continual stress which he has been under, or Justice has been grossly vio lated In that he has gone all these years unhanged. There has been absolutely no ground, either in Justice or expediency, for the way in which the case has been handled. It would have made of the courts, including the Supreme Court of the state, a laughing stock, except that the spectacle presented In deal ing with It has been too humiliating to provoke or permit derision. It has Involved large expense to the taxpay ers of Tillamook County, many of whom, at least, are constrained by well-known facts to believe the man guilty. If this man killed his wife and daughter as charged, it was murder, most foul. Parole! Think of the glaring injustice and menace to the community to allow a man convicted on so grave a charge and under sen tence for manslaughter to go free. And now, after a second trial and convic tion of the crime of murder, to see the Supreme Court remand him to another trial on a far-fetched rendering of the law! No wonder that criminals come up before Oregon courts smllingljf and with full assurance that they will, in the end, win out. . RELIGIOUS MANIA. Today is the date fixed for the end of the world by the sect of the "Later Reign of the Apostolic Church." The devotees of that cult are now assembled In Duxbury. Mass., where they are waiting for the coming of the Lord In the East and the final consummation of all things. If the programme should not be followed quite as they anticipate and this day should turn out to be a good deal like the days that have gone before, still it may be some satisfaction to these enthusiasts, when night comes and disappointment takes the place of expectation, to remember that they have proved their faith by their works. So confidently have they looked for the dawn of the Judgment day this morning that many of them have given away all their property. Of what use would earthly possessions be In a city Whose gates are rearls . and whose streets are paved with gold, even if one could take them thither? Jesus told those of us who would inherit eternal life to sell all our goods and give the money to the poor. How many of us come as near obeying him as these New England fanatics in their pathetic delusion? People who fall under the temporary influence of religious mania ought not to be held responsible for their acts. Vhen "William Miller founded the Ad ventlst church. In 1831, he taught that' the end of the world was at hand and set the exact date for It. Many of his followers gave away their personal effects and deeded their land to scof fers. By these proceedings great dis tress was caused to many worthy peo ple. The law ought to hold all trans fers void which are made in circum stances like these. The persons who execute them are no more compotes mentis than maniacs In an asylum. The saints of the "Later Reign of the Apos tolic Church" are probably more ser iously disturbed In mind than most other fanatics, for many of them dwell in Rhode Island and they must find it very tryins to reconcile the power of Mr. Aldrich with the reign of the Lord through his church. Nervous disturbances of one sort and another seem to be an essential preliminary to the outbreak of relig ious waywardness. While the mind continues serene, faith proceeds In a humdrum routine which presents no startling phenomena, but let brain storms succeed one another for a long time and spiritual fireworks are almost sure to follow. For example. Just be fore the celebrated dancing mania broke out In medieval Europe, the world was ravaged sixteen times in swift succession by the bubonic plague. Smallpox and measles wrought deadly havoc everywhere. ' Leprosy, or what passed for it, had been imported from the East by the pious crusaders and. to cap the climax, the) Black Death In some sections left but one person out of five allver It was a time of fearful nervous strain. No wonder everybody began to dance. The mania, beginning perhaps at Strasburg, spread all over Germany under the name of St. Vitus' Dance. Young men would suddenly be possessed of it on the street and begin to leap about. At nrst, we are told, their movements would be grace ful, but presently they broke into a wild orgy, which ended only when the poor victim fell down unconscious. In Italy the trouble was called "taran- tlsm," because It was attributed to the bite of a spider, but the Germans, with stricter orthodoxy, ascribed It to the devil and sought to cure it with exorcism and prayer, on the principle of taking a hair of the dog that bit you. The excitement of the Crusaders, which contributed powerfully to kindle the dancing mania, was Itself a pro duct of Infuriated fanaticism. The population of Europe could never have set out on such a wild expedition. If It had not lost Its wits beforehand Knights and peasants, men, women and children took up the march to the Holy Land in a long and dolorous pro cession with grim death hovering over them at every step. Peter the Hermit must have been a wonderful preacher to stir people up so, but we may be sure he could have done nothing of the kind If the world had not been nerv ously overwrought to begin with. We felicitate ourselves that the dancing mania la now a thing of the past, with witchcraft and the Inquisition, but It Is well to be a little cautious aDOut such conclusions. At every "success ful" revival, phenomena are exhibited which differ but little from the ex travagances of tarantlsm. Professor Sumner, of Yale, has warned us that witchcraft Is liable to revive at any moment In' all Its fury, while occur rences like the gathering of the Saints at Duxbury prove that the human mind la Just as capable now as It ever was of falling victim to religious maul a. OIB HOST OF PROTECTORS. t.iv T.orri Rvrnn. Citv Milk In spector Mack has awakened all of a sudden and found himself famous. Yesterday, in his official capacity, nobody knew that he existed. Such hi inmnnlmt nlaciditv Dervad- ing his office that the public eye had overlooked It entirely. Today ne tanes Mo-Vi rnnk 1n the noble army of In spectors, commissioners and members of boards who serve the community Vitt rirmrinr their salaries. He seems to be no worse than the rest of the crowd, and no better. Probably up to the last day or two It never entered his head that any particular service was expected of him In return for his salary. Arcnn Multnomah County ana Portland together enjoy the blessing of at least nineteen separate and dis tint hrtnrria rnm m lssions and lnsnect- ors, charged with the duty of looking after our health. Our eyes, our hrnr(k nur ntomachs are all pro-1 vided for at good salaries. Sheep, cat tle, horses and microbes are careiuny mustered under the aegis of their re- ipectlve boards. Markets are mspect a Tiiir in rloiiblv and trebly In- cnoptt. Haw unvhndv nr nil v animal can possibly fall sick under such mul tiplied supervision and Inspection Is A.ainW a marvel n n , vpt there is Just' about as much Illness as there was before we began to ngm disease by propagating lazy ana incompetent officials. In the matter of protecting health, as in many others, the public has become a victim to a sort of mania f nffiMalrlom. We trv to accomplish everything by multiplying boards and ignore the fact that no Doaro. is oi any account unless it does its appointed duty. THE MONUMENT TO JOSEPH SMITgL T3 an .Mcr nt fh Mormon Church at Portland the attention of The Ore gonlan has been called to an error it is said to have co'mmltted a short time ago about a monument to Joseph Smith, founder of Mormonism, which it stated was soon to be dedi cated at his native place, Sharon, Vt. The error Is said to have consisted In this, that no monument Is now to be dedicated, but one was, In fact, erected and dedicated in the year 1905. One way or the other, it Is not material, yet a newspaper always wishes to give correct Information. Strangely enough, however, there has been, and still continues, a good deal of , doubt, and even dispute, on this topic. But Vermont newspapers report that a monument to Smith was actually dedicated at Sharon, Decem ber 23, 1905. They certainly ought to know. The doubt and -dispute, it seems, have arisen from a report that a branch of the Mormon Church was formally established at Sharon last July, and that Senator Reed Smoot was at some Indefinite time to deliver an address at that church on the life and work of the "Prophet." Also, that on this occasion there would be a more formal dedication of the monu ment. It Is an unimportant matter, and The Oregonlan makes this further reference to It only because It has re ceived notice that it had been misled, and had fallen Into mistake. Men tion of the monument was only inci dental to Its remarks on Joseph Smith, and on the mysteries that surround the origin of religious beliefs, which never can abide the tests of historical and rational examination. Whether the monument to Prophet Smith has al ready been dedicated, or is to be dedi cated afresh, or whatever the fact may be, needn't concern The Ore gonian further. BOTH FOUND THE POLE. Dr. Cook tells a plain, unvarnished tale of his Arctic Journey, which cul minated in reaching the Pole. The probabilities all favor the statement that he reached this long-sought goal. This Is not to discredit the statement of Peary, that he, too, reached the Pole,- though at a later date. Still other intrepid and enduring men may accomplished the same feat later since no one can bear away with him as a trophy the extreme point where all parallels of longitude aonverge and where, look .which way he will, the observer gazes to the south. Proceeding, apparently, upon the basis that there is not glory enough in having reached the Pole to go round, Peary has chosen to deal with Dr. Cook as an adversary Instead of a co explorer in the broad field of Arctic ri su-n vpt v. This Is to be rerretted and can hardly redound to his credit. Many men. have failed and not a rew nave perished miserably In the attempt to score the triumph which fell to the lot of these men. Americans both, let honors be even. The long quest is ended; both "got there." That should suffice. ROBERT HOE. A man. more than ordinarily useful In his day and generation passed away when Robert Hoe died in London on September 22. Son of his father, Robert H. Hoe, and grandson of his grandfather, Robert Hoe, he was the third of his name, in direct descent, to place the stamp of his wonderful Inventive genius upon the world through the perfected printing press. A marvel of cogs and belts and cyl inders, working together, each uner- ringly contributing to and supplement ing the marvelous power of the other seemingly animate creature, la the Hoe cylinder press of today. Equally mar velous in conception, construction and execution for its time was the "Hoe Cylinder" of 1846. Robert Hoe, who has Just died at the age of 70 years, was a lad of 17 when letters patent were first granted to the Inventor of the press that has made his name known throughout the world. The three score and three years that have passed since then were years of mighty achievement in the mechanical world. In the foreground of this achievement and of the power that it represents stands the name of Robert Hoe the greatest of a family that for three generations has stood for the tremendous effectiveness of the printing press. He has done his work and passed, leaving to the world a priceless heritage. Based on the attendance at the pub lic schools, opinion prevails in Port land that the city has been gaining about 10 per cent In population an nually for the past six or seven years. When the Federal census Is taken, next April, the pppulatlon . of Mult nomah County will probably be shown to have Increased correspondingly. Under the rules of the Census Bureau, only residents within the city boun daries are enumerated as the city's population. Suburbs, like St. John, are taken by themselves, while ad jacent districts, not Incorporated, are simply "lumped" In with the county population. The boundaries of School District No. 1 are larger than the city boundaries; annexation for school purposes has exceeded municipal an nexation. There are probably not fewer than 20,000 persons served by streetcar lines for a 6-cent fare, prac tically a part of Portland, and earn ing a living In Portland, who will not be included In the city's enumeration unless between now and April 15, next, they choose to annex their various territories. The exceedingly high skill necessary to placing rough boards covered with burlap In the hold of a vessel, as "lin ing," to protect wtieat cargoes la re ceiving due recognition in this port. Some of the skilled "ship-liners" are affiliated with an international union, while others hold a charter from a Pacific Coast union. The presence of two separate and distinct organizations of union men engaged in the same line of work has precipitated a strained sit uation on the Portland waterfront, 'and a settlement of the difficulty awaits the coming of the president of the In ternational Union.. One of these unions seems to be objectionable to the other, and as men who have devoted long years to learn the trade of ship-lining have probably unfitted themselves for any ordinary class of work, it is not Improbable that we may witness the uniiBiial Krvectacle of one set of union men in good standing, opposing an other set of the same standing, en gaged In the same line of business. The big steamship Janeta, with a $200,000 cargo of wheat, steamed out of Portland Harbor yesterday after noon, beginning a 14,000-mile voyage to Europe. She was preceded on Wednesday by the French bark Bidart. From this time forward there will be continuous procession of Portland grain ships covering the route between this city and the consuming markets of the Old World. The disadvantage in rHstnnc. which the Pacific Coast now suffers, can be understood when It is noted that by the time the sail ing ship Bidart reaches Europe, new crop Argentine wheat, of which the plant is now hardly peeping out of the ground, will be arriving in Europe hw ctoamer. to enter Into competition with the Oregon wheat harvested six months earlier. This accounts ior tne decided aversion of foreigners to any display of strength in prices unless It Is forced. t Wnrshtna will fill the lower Hudson River tomorrow. The little "Half Moon," quaintly fashioned and storm vA .a.. iaH tni wlrle pirnanse of water nil to 'herself 300 years ago her prow, turned up stream, her intrepid - . . . .v... loot .Via commander xruimms ma.i - Western route to China lay before him. 'Truly the 'world moves. Dr. Wallace Buttrick's declaration thnt "Portland Dresefhts the best un occupied field in the United States for an Institution of higher education," shows that he is a remarkably observ ant, "onen-mlnded man, despite the fact that he is a Yankee. ' The milk dealers will take "the in creased expense of inspection" out of their customers by ratsing'the price of the article. The wood dealers have not this excuse, but may If prosecu tions for selling short become frequent, 1 Tn thn.casa of the latest victims of "trvv rlriM" at Seattle Wednesday night, it will be observed the parents of the girls killed reside in tne muu towns. The lure of the city is strong and tends downward. No one who has followed Cook's story as published in The Oregonlan, will susDect that he has introduced fiction. His latest chapter gives details that the world has hungered for. ' Anrl now the Portland milk trust milks the ultimate consumer further hv nrlrllnir 10 ner cent to the price. This prosperity that Taft is talking about has its disadvantages. At.... mn mnntha from nnw in- terest will be centered in the original ji-nnarAr if thn Nnrth Pole. Cook and Peary can't always put Santa Claus into eclipse. Tn view of recently reported stunts nf other distinguished Americans In a cooler clime, it Is doubtful whether Roosevelt's book will be the best seller Oregon postmasters, in convention assembled, think politics should be eliminated from their Jobs. That's what their predecessors thought. The scientist who says that in twenty years "we shall all be flying" overlooks the fact that many of us will live much longer. Eight people kept alive three weeks on fifteen nuts is, a clincher for the argumentative vegetarian. But they were cocoanuts. For obvious reasons, mostly visible, the President declined to, go into any old swimming hole in Colorado. Tha only necessities of life not sub ject to price-boosting In Portland are Bull Run water and f resh air. v "WHAT DO YOU THINK f Tne State of the Liquor Question la Pendleton. Pendleton East Oregonlan. The report submitted by the grand Jury Saturday but proves the difficulty of enforcing a law requiring absolute prohibition. Only two indictments for selling liquor illegally were returned by the grand Jury. Yet it Is a matter of almost common knowledge that the law Is being openly violated in Pendle ton and doubtless in all other towns in the county. What do Pendleton's 12 or 13 "near beer" saloons exist for If not to sell liquor? Yet the grand Jury which Investi gated the cases last week was one of the best the county has ever had. It was composed largely of stalwart pro hibitionists. 'They were Intelligent men and they had lull power to sum mon witnesses and to Investigate af fairs to the limit They tried to do their duty. But not only is liquor being sold In Pendleton. ' An enormous legitimate "mall order" business Is being carried on. It is well known that a former local saloonman, now located at Pasco, is doing an enormous liquor business with the people of the city. He ships beer by the barrel to Individual pur chasers. Walla Walla, it is said, sells this county $4000 worth of beer each month. From the-llquor business now car ried on Pendleton gets no revenue. The liquor men keep the J25.00O they for merly paid the city. They have turned lawbreakers. It is true, but they thlnK. it all right to break the prohibition law If they can. . They have made law breakers out, of half the population of tne city. Now, would Jt not be better to let the pendulum swing back a trifle by legalizing the liquor business, yet un der such rigid restrictions that the moral welfare of the public would be fully protected? This paper thinks it would. BLACKSMITH "CUSSES' PRESIDENT One Dave Totten, of Beverly, Dfiua, Foils Foul of Mr. Taft. N'ew York Herald. David Totten, the Village blacksmith" of the city of Beverly, is in deepest dis grace. "Dave" Is the first Beverly man to "cuss" the President of the United States. Down at the Royal Arcanum meeting the other night they seriously discussed sending "Dave" over to the Witch House in Salem, and leaving him to his fate, Automobiles don't help blacksmiths, and "Dave" Is for the horse every time. In common with some other Beverly citizens, he thinks the steam cars monop olize the road, which was made for horses and wagons in the first instance. So when he came up the avenue the other evening driving one horse and leading two behind, which were inclined to be fractious, and met an automobile he got excited. "Turn out!" he shouted, and the auto mobile answered, "Honk, honk." Then, as the car rushed closer and kept the middle of the road, he lost his temper. "Why don't yer turn out, d a yerV he yelled, as the big car whirled past. At the next house "Dave" stopped and told "Jim" Portcullom about the danger ous and high-handed ways of the auto mobiles. "Meet one Just now?" asked "Jim." "Most run over me and scared the horses, d n him," replied "Dave," his anger rising at the recollection. "Why, Dave!" said "Jim," In horror, "guess ye don't know who that was, do ye. That was the President ye met down below." "Git ap,". said "Dave." and turned into a side street thoroughly crestfallen. An Offer to Portland. Oak Grove News. The Portland papers are full of the approaching trip of our friend, Bill Taft, and we note the comment as to who shall entertain the Chief Executive and how he, shall be entertained. Every leading organization of the Rose City is clamoring for the honor, and we fear that If these bodies cannot come to some amicable understanding the President will not re ceive a proper ovation at the hands of the people of Portland. In the event that such Is the case we might be able to do something for him at Oak Grove. We will admit that we could not give him a game of golf, or lawn tennis, or basketball. We could, however, give him a high seat on a rail fence where he could watch the Oak Grove Juniors pro duce some classy baseball, after which he could be conducted to the river and watch the little tots flounder around In the WiUataiette, to fill in any other time waiting for the leading chefs to prepare the banquet for the occasion which would not cost $10 or $12.50 each. We hope our leading citizens will consider this grave matter seriously and quickly, so that the President of this great Na tion will have proper entertainment and inform Bill that he will be welcomed at Oak Grove in case of any disappointment in the trend of things in Portland. Oak Grove Is ready to do her part. . i Time nf the North Pole. London Chronicle. At the North Pole time Is nothing, and If one were residing at the North Pole it would be unnecessary to wind one's watch. You are always at 12 o'rlock and can't walk out of the hotel without walking south. All times of day meet at the Pole, as the meeting place of all the meridians. A man sit ting with the invisible mathematical point right under him would be in all 24 .hours at once. Or a 24-hour watch placed on the Pole could be made to point to the correct time in every part of the world. There used to be some thing of an approximation to this in the extreme north of Norway, where the degrees of longitude squeeze In, until recent days. Captains of Nor wegian coasting schooners will tell you how inconvenient it was to change be tween the time of Holland at Bergen and that of Crete at the North Cape, while correct local time was main tained. General Norwegian time be came Indispensable. Great Problem Solved. Portland Advocate (Afro-American.) The rushing manner In which the widows are marrying and being married here and elsewhere, has caused a num ber of young ladies to Inquire why it is that they cannot do likewise. The ans wer is easy as pie. In the firs place, most of them are not stable enough, and In the second place they want some thing and have nothing to offer in ex .hantm -lot avpii horse Kens?. Third. they talk too much about what their J husband will have to do when they get one. flirt, tease and tantalize the man who keeps their company, while the wid ows study to please the man, saws wood and says nothing. An Outcome Worth Watching. Kansas City Star. Here is the next test for Congress: Tha Chicago platform said: "We faVor the establishment of a postal savings bank system for the, convenience of the people and the encouragement of thrift." Speaker Cannon' is against the postal savings bank. So is Senator Aldrich. President Taft has declared himself in favor of it. Which will dominate Congress the plat form and the president, or the Cannon Aldrich organization? Watch for the outcome. It Might Take a Bullet or To. Charles R. Angel) In Puck. ' When Roosevelt hag nothlne to du He might take a shot at the gnu. To knock off the O Would nil him with slee. And wouldn't embarraas tha no. W. E. Curtis Observations on City of Portland With His Estimate of the Character, Growth and Spirit of the City, nnd Comparison With Other. It will, perhap. alTord gratification to our, people to read the letter written about Portland by William E. Curtis, the well known traveler, longr in the service' of the Chicago Record-Herald. , There will be dis sent In various quarters from some ov his statements; but the estimate is, on the whole, highly complimentary to Portland; and the letter Is republished by The Ore gonlan for the purpose of letting our people see what an observant visitor says about their city. In comparison with others on the Pacific Coast The bead lines ot his letter contain these expressions: "Portland's Progress, Solidly Permanent" "Most Con servative City on the Pacific Coast Is Only Sixty Tears Old." "Strangers Are Wel comed" "Its Success Follows Judicious Ad vertising Campaign." It is not necessary to enter into dispute about the relative rank and growth of Pacific Coast cities. The Ore gonlan content Itself with reprinting Cur tla' letter as he wrote It: (Special Correspondence of the Chicago Record-Herald.) PORTLAND, Or.. Sept. 16. 1909. Van couver, British Columbia, is said to be growing faster than any city on the Pa cific Coast. Seattle comes next, and Portland third. This statement will be disputed by Los Angeles, San Francisco and Tacoma. But Portland is not a boom city. Its growth is gradual, solid and permanent. It is not spasmodic or sensational. Portland is the most con servative city on the Pacific, and more mature than any other, even San Fran cisco. For many years, notwithstand ing the fact that It Is only 60 years old, Portland has been ranked among the first three or four cities tn America In per capita -wealth, and although Its population has been growing very rap idly, it still maintains that position. This means that the people are making and saving money quite as fast as they multiply in numbers; and for that rea son there Is very little done here ex cept by local capital. You seldom hear of a Portland pro moter in the Eastern money center. If an enterprise of merit is organized' there is always a sufficient number of local investors here to carry It through. For example, there are 21 business blocks and office buildings eight or more stories' In height within a, nar row radius in the center of the town which have been erected within the last six or seven years at a cost ex ceeding $6,000,000. Every penny of it was Portland money and there Is not a dollar of Incumbrance upon any of the buildings. The deposits In the local banks are $53,000,000 an increase from $10,000,000 In 1889. The per capita of deposits to the population of the city is $212 to every man,, woman and child. - There are no such large fortunes as have been amassed In San Francisco nd Los Angeles, but there are a great er number of rich men In proportion to the population than in any other city on the Coast It is said that there are more people in Portland worth between $100,000 and $500,000 than In any other Western city. But what Is better than great riches and more to be admired than the costly buildings that are rising so rapidly In this city is what" is known as "The Portland Spirit" the friendly disposi tion of the business men toward each other, and their habit of co-operation in enterprises that affect the public welfare. An old banker farther up the Coast, speaking of this peculiarity, de clared the other day that Ladd & Til ton, the oldest firm of private bankers here, and the First National Bank of Portland saved the entire Pacific North west from disaster during the panic of 1893, by their patriotic" public spirit and liberal policy. He said that every di rector and officer in those two banks placed their private fortunes at the call of their cashiers, and assisted every financial institution in this territory that applied to them for help. "When I went down to see them they asked for a statement of our condition, and I gave it to them," said the banker. "They looked it over and asked what was the smallest amount that would carry us through. I gave them my opinion and they replied very .promptly that I might draw for that amount, but must not ask a penny more than I ab solutely needed because everybody wanted help those days." Another illustration of the Fontland spirit can be found in the history of the Lewis and Clark imposition mat was neia here a few years ago. It was a model in every respect and an example that all persons who propose to manage similar enterprises Bhould study. it was tne first and only exposition that I ever heard of that paid expenses ana leit a surplus. It is the only one that seemed to satisfy everybody associated with it There was no complaint from any source about the management, but compliments and assur ances of satisfaction from every sloe. And you never hear of any criticism of a mercenary spirit in Portland as you do of other places on the CoaBt. When a stranger come here to engage In busi ness he is cordially welcomed, and if his credentials are genuine he receives all the credit and assistance he deserves. He is invited to the Commercial Club to meet gentlemen who are most familiar with the matters to which his business relates, and they give him such encouragement as they can, on the theory that the suc cess of the individual is the same as the success of the community. In other cities on this Coast, which might be men tioned, this spirit does not appear. In a neighboring city when I asked what was the first thing for a stranger to do, the answer was, "Button up your pockets." But nobody ever said that about Port land. On the other hand, strangers who come here are more apt to add to their fortunes than to be deprived of what they bring. A great part of the success of Portland Is due to Judicious advertising. The peo ple 'boast a great deal, but seldom go beyond the truth. The advertisements approximate the facts. It is a bad thing for a town to attempt to promote im migration and investment by misrepre sentation. Everybody who Is induced to come by reading advertisements is sure to Investigate for himself, and those who discover that they have been deceived are apt to resent it and give the place a bad name. There has been a great Improvement In the advertising methods of the towns out here, both in the appearance of the printed matter as well as the contents. This Is chiefly due to an intelligent, com prehensive and systematic co-operation between the railway companies and the commercial clubs and similar local or ganizations which was organized two years ago by William McMurray, general passenger agent of the Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company at Portland. It is known as "Community Publicity," and is under the management of William Blttle Wells, of Portland. Until about two years ago the pro gressive towns in the State of Oregon were issuing promiscuous advertising and circulating it the best way they, could. Much of it was wasted, much of it was ill advised and full of misrepresentations. The lack of system and of proper meth ods of distribution prevented the greater part of it from being as effective as it should have been. Recognizing that a great opportunity was being wasted, Mr. McMurray undertook to inaugurate a re form, and began with the Commercial Club of Medford, Or., which Is the center of the great pear district. That organiza tion agreed to "share with the publicity bureau of the railway company the ex pense of publishing an attractive bonk de scriptive of that city and the. Rogue River Valley, and the railway company agreed to undertake its distribution. The plan worked so well that It was followed up by other towns, until now, Mr. Mc Murray tells me, the railway company i co-operating with 60 commercial clubs in Oregon and 12 in Idaho, and the llpt is re ceiving additions every week. The publication and circulation of an immense amqunf of literature has brought toaOregon an immense number of home seekers" from every part of the East, and investors who have bought timber land, farms and town lots and other property. It would- be impossible to say how many have remained hero, but you may be positive that a large proportion of the Increase in the population may be Justly attributed to this work. During the last two years travel has increased enor mously. This will be the greatest year ever known. The passenger-movement in 1908 was SO per cent greater than in 1907, and there will be a similar increase re ported for 1909. The colonists' movement to Oregon has been 100 per cent greater this year than ever before, and it will continue to increase. Up to September 1, 1909, 102,000 pieces of baggage had been handled at the Portland station, as against 93,000 in 1905, the year of the Port land Exposition, which has been the ban ner year. The people of Portland new claim a population of 275,000, as against 90,426, the ofllclal return for the census of 1900. In 1880 the population was 17.577, and in ISM it was 46,385. The present claim Is based upon the recent school census, which showed 34.264 children between the ages of 7 and 14, an Increase of 2054 from the previous year. The city directory for 1908 contained 240,000 names, and the edi tion for 1909 contained 255,000 names. The building department reports that notwithstanding the panic, 190S was the banner year for the erection of new build ings, the number being 4873 and the value $10,528,066. It is believed that the permits for 1909 will exceed 6000 in number and $15,000,000 in value. The permits granted in April last represented an investment of $1,625,220, making It the banner month in all history. The number and the value of the new buildings erected has doubled during the last four years, and has multi plied two and a half timet since 1900. The real estate transfers in Portland In 1908 represented the sum of $22,000,000. The postal receipts for Portland and the neighboring cities show an expansion of business that is marvelous. The Jobbing trade of Portland increased from $160,000,000 In 1906 to $225,000,000 In 1908, which is a good measure of the prosperity and growth of the country. The manufacturing industries of Port land now represent an output of about $75,000,000 a year. The lumber output, $30,000,000. Wheat and flour, $26,000,000. Oats, barley and other grains, $30,000,000. Cattle and hogs, $10,000,000. Fruit $5,000,000. , Salmon, $3.0u0,000. Potatoes, $3,000,000. 1 Wool, $2,500,000. The Swift Packing Company, of Chi cago, has selected Portland as its head quarters on the Pacific: has purchased a tract of 8100 acres of the peninsula formed by the union of the Columbia and Wil lamette rivers, and is now covering 15 acres with pens and buildings which will have a daily capacity of 1000 hogs and 600 cattle. This entire Investment will , represent about $3,000,000. This has given a tremendous impetus to the livestock Industry, and the farmers In all the country around are making preparations to fatten cattle and hogs and to raise sheep for mutton as well as for wool. Good Walking; Also In Portland. New York Mail. WJiat we wsnt is city orTlclal and city employes' with leg, not automobiles. They do not need machines to travel around on th oitya buslnte. I go all over th city on the car and. they can do the same. These reasonably sane and pointed words are G. Waldo Smith's preface to a resolution adopted by the Board of Trade to begin an investigation of cer tain city expenditures, and his com ment on the published statement that municipal automobiles cost the tax payers, $1,000,000, with $550,000 addi tional for expenses. The walking Is good in this town, and there are frequent subway and "L" expresses as well as ' satisfactory short hauls on the surface lines. YOCTHKIX H I'M OH. TTncle BUery Now I'll learn ye to milk the cow. Nephew from the city Oh, unkle, I'm kind er 'frald o' the row; couldn't I Just aa well learn on th calf? Lit. Indignant old lady You wicked, wicked boy! Aren't you ashamed of yourself, siaush tering those lnnocant birds? Boy I ain't vlaughterln' m, la3y! I'm out gettln" specl ments for de Smit'sunian Instltoot. Puck. Teachei" Bessie, name nna bird that Is now extinct. Little Bessie Dick. Teaoher What sort of bird io that ? Little Bespie ( Uir canary. The cat extincted him. Thtj Presbyterian. Tftacher (sternly) Willi Waffles, you wer late this morning. Willie Waffles (blushing) Yesm, I had to get up in the night and go for the doctor. Tei-her--tVcll Willis, I will excuse you this time, but I hope it will never happen again. Willie That's what my father said I Truth. Sunday school teacher All th boy who want to go to heaven will pleas rise. Willie Green Why, teacher excuse me but that's the only way they can go to heaven I Bohe mian Magazine. He was telling tha young woman about hi fine cows and called her attention to a calf grazing not far away. "That calf Is only 6 weeks old." he said. "Isn't she a beauty?" "Only 6 weekw old!" questioned the young lacly in amazement, "and walking so eoon?" Life. In the Magazine Sections of the Sunday Oregonian SUCCESSORS TO ROCKEFELLER & MORGAN Men slated to manage the af fairs of the Standard Oil Com pany and the great banking con cern with its many ramifications. ROMANCE OF NEAH-KAH-NIE MOUNTAIN A bit of Oregon's wild coast, rich in Indian history and pirate legend. TOGO INTERVIEWS DR. CHARLES W. ELIOT The Japanese schoolboy gets a rise out of Harvard's ex-president in a department store. DAVY CROCKETT, QUAINT BACKWOODSMAN In the American Hero series, Mr. Spillane tells of the picture esque man of the wilderness who wanted to be President. MR. DOOLEY ON THE TOPIC OF THE HOUR Evidence in the Peary-Cook controversy summed up and a ver dict rendered. Order early from your newsdealer.