- 8
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PORTLAND, TUESDAY. NOV. 1, 1909.
NO CENTRAL. BANK.
In every country political conditions,
and economic and financial legislation
must conform to antecedent custom,
and to the disposition and spirit of the
people. Systems good for one country
are not good for another. There may
be general resemblance, but nothing
more. No system, even if successful
in one country, can be foisted com
pletely on another,- The prejudice or
prepossession will control, because
that Is an active human element. In
finance and banking, for example,
there tre certain very well-defined
principles, common to all countries; but
no system can be quite like another.
In our own country we can have no
central bank, corresponding with those
of Old World countries. Really it Is
useless to talk about it. Our financial
system has developed on other and dif
ferent lines. It cannot be changed
radically or violently.
Our people cannot understand the
idea of a central bank of issue bearing
similar relations to the money of this
country that the banks of France and
rngland and Germany bear to the
money of those countries. They would
reject the proposition and wreck the
plan. Perhaps they don't know
enough about finance and money and
banking and bank notes to enable
them to decide what is best policy.
But every great country must work out
all this, in practice, for itself. "We
should, certainly, take lessons from
other countries, and we shall be com
pelled to take them; but the system of
no other country can we adopt for our
own. "This country," says the New
York Sun, "is traditionally and tem
peramentally unsuited to such an In
stitution as a central bank of issue."
Twice it has been attempted, and each
time it has failed. The people are
afraid they will be "ruled- by the
money power." That Is because no
democracy no democracy "in the
raw" ever can understand ti.e prin
ciples of banking and of credit cur
rency. With the Sun, we wish it were other
wise. "It is a national misfortune that
wa cannot create a bank of issue, reg
ulation and control like the Bank of
England. But it is a misfortune to
which we are habituated and which
is an accepted condltien of our eco
nomic existence. It might be possible
in time, but that time is remote. We
are yet, and for a long time vill be
"too raw" a democracy. Perhaps we
never shall reach, under our system,
financial conditions of a rational kind.
Our people imagine themselves able to
defy the laws of money and credit, and
to "keep the situation In their own
hands." They will have panics in con
sequence, and will pay for them.
President Taft has spoken In favor
of a central bank of issue. He may
recommend It :n his message. But the
people of the United States, the ma
jority, those who have votes but slen
der financial knowledge, will not have
it. It was exceedingly difficult to
make them understand silver. The
principles of a credit currency they
never can understand certianly not
yet, nor for a long time to come.
NO CANADIAN NAVY.
Canada has decided not to spend
$25, OD, COO as a starter for a navy to
assist the mother country in case of
war. According to Ottawa advices the
rumored agreement reached between
Germany and Great Britain has obvi
ated the necessity for aid from the
I -itish colonies. Details of thl: inside
information regarding a truce between
the world's greatest fighters and
bluffers have not been given out, but
all mankind will hope that the rumor
is true. It would be a distressing
waste of money for a new country
like Canada to spend (25,000,000 for
war ships at a time when, every por
tion of her great demain needs capital
for developing the country, and mak
ing homes for her people. That tidy
little sum would build fifty immense
ocean freighters which could carry
Canadian products to the foreign mar
kets, and it would also build good
many miles of new railroad into iso
lated regions not reached by the trunk
lines crossing the country.
" ' Canadian loyalty to the mother
country has never been questioned,
but it seems hardly right that a young
and growing country, which has so
many legitimate needs to be met,
should be obliged to lay such enor
mous tribute before the gods of war.
England has become impoverished
by wars, and only a small portion of
the impoverishment has been from
wars that have been fought. The
greater part of the burden has been
laid on her shoulders by the prepara
tions for wars that are yet to come.
Canac ., far across the ocean in a new
world, cannot participate in any of
the spoils of conquest that may fol
low the use of the big lighting ma
chines which England is steadily
building at such enormous co3t, but
she can reap great profits by the ju
dicious expenditure of the money at
home. The trend of political events
in the Old World is disquieting for the
lovers of peace, and, regardless of
rumors of secret peace pact- and alli
ances, there Is much in the situation
that points to a clash sometime in the
future. This clash, when it comes,
will come quickly, and, if Canada has
not arranged for her warships, there
may be no time for getting them ready
after the first blow is struck.
Meanwhile Americans are streaming
across the border by thousands, and
especially in Wrestern Canada they are
"Americanizing" the British colony.
Their influence is spreading, and when
returning reason forces the American
tariff "stand-patters" to eliminate that
dead line that prevents us from trad
ing with our neighbors on a fair basis,
it would not take long to establish
relations so pleasant and profitable
that Canada would lose much of the
interest now shown in the mother
country, i The extent to which Ameri
cans are taking up their residence in
Canada and the generous treatment
extended them by the Canadians are
assurance of mutual ' benefits, and in
time we may find a sentiment so fa
vorable to this country that annexa
tion would be easy. Canada is follow
ing a wise course by withholding that
$25,000,000.
PROTECTING CRIMINALS.
Now there Is a chance for some of
our civic reformers, who are gravely
concerned about the moral welfare of
ihn .fin-, to do something practical.
Let them help Judge Bennett In his
I . . ... i a r
warfare against me orgamcu e"6
bunco-men, highwaymen, thieves,
pickpockets and the like, who are here
operating under police protection.
Chief of Police Cox, of course, will
do his duty, so far as he can; but he
has undoubtedly been hoodwinked
ar.d misled by certain of his subordi
nates in whom he necessarily placed
his confidence. The police protection
to Harvey Dale and his gang comes
from these men In the department.
They are a disgrace to the depart
ment, a dishonor to the city, and a
menace to the public safety.
It should be understood that The
Oregonlan does not assume that all the
police or even a great part of them,
or that all t!-e detectives, or a consid
erable number of them, have been en
gaged in the criminal business of giv
ing protectior. to notorious criminals.
But some of them have been. No
other interpretation is to be placed on
Judge Bennett's remarks in open
court yesterday; no other construction
can be pl-ced on the notorious fact
that swindlers, bunco-men, highway
men, pickpockets and others of that
gentry have been systematically oper
ating here, practically without moles
tation. How long since1 any of these
crooks have been arrested and jailed?
There is business for Heney and
Burns, if they are at an end of their
work in California. If they, or others
of equal energy, courage, and capacity,
will undertake to clean Portland of
its criminals and their criminal police
protectors, they will unearth a scandal
that, will smell to heaven and also
far in the other direction.
AS TO GIPSY SMITH.
It is amazing that anybody, espe
cially any minister, should fancy he
would promote the cause of the gospel
by bringing Gipsy Smith to Portland.
This "evangelist's" methods are riot
ously sensational. His language befits
a barroom better than a church. Still,
that could be forgiven him. If a man
really preaches the truth and- saves
souls, it is not very important how he
goes about the business. The trouble
with persons like Gipsy Smith is that
they do not preach the truth and they
do not save souls. The picture of the
Deity which they draw in their ser
mons is incredible and revolting. Ac
cording to them he is a magnified hu
man being moved by trivial motives
to deeds of extreme cruelty. He Is
passionate, revengeful and seldom rea
sonable. The general theology which men
like Gipsy Smith retail is crude and
childish to the last degree. They know
very little of what civilized thought
has accomplished in that science and
what they do know they despise. They
pretend to preach "the genuine gos
pel," as they conceitedly call their
ranting, but the truth is that they
preach a ludicrous mixture of fact, Ac
tion and base superstition. Too ignor
ant to discriminate between the real
record of Jesus' teachings and decep
tive Interpolations, they swallow the
whole, true and false together, as if It
made no difference. According to
them any nonsense is good enough to
pass for part of the gospel. But their
worst sin is their reckless disregard of
common scientific knowledge. One
rarely hears an evangelist's sermon in
which schoolboy facts are not flouted
and even denied. What possible place
is there in Portland for such a
preacher?
ANTICIPATIONS OF THE MESSAGE.
The public now knows the principal
recommendations which President
Taft will make to Congress when it
meets. Perhaps he has let them slip
out here and there in his speucb.es hi
order to learn hc-w the country would
take them before he embodies them in
his message and begins to battle in
their behalf. One may surmise that
frank discussion of them will be more
pleasing to his judicial intelligence
than reverent silence could possibly
be. It Is not to be supposed that he
deems all of them equally wise or
hopes that they -will all.be equally pop
ular. To make a dozen recommenda
tions of National scope which would
please everybody is a miracle that
there Is no reason to suppose Mr. Taft
has been ambitious to perform. If he
had, he certainly would not have in
cluded the odious ship subsidy project
among his favored measures.
The proposal to regulate the issue
of stocks and bonds by interstate cor
porations would simply extend to the
Nation a policy which has worked well
in New York. Governor Hughes' pub
lic utilities commission is charged with
this among a multitude of other duties,
and in one or two instances already
the power has been exercise " with
marked benefit to the public. It seems
to be pretty well settled that the Fed
eral Government may exercise the
same authority over interstate com
merce as a state may over what is en-'
tirely domestic, so that any question
of the constitutionality of this project
is apt to be superfluous. One would
naturally hope also that we might be
spared the usual array of constitu
tional quibbles against the postal sav
ings bank, which is another great
beneficial measure to which Mr. Taft's
'language rerrlains steadfastly loyal.
But a device like this which is con
spicuously for the general welfare
necessarily infringes upon private pre
serves to so-.ie extent, and the persons
who think the- will be injured must
be expected to invoke the constitution
and everything else which promises to
strengthen their selfish position.
It is hard for mere laymen to un
derstand the great benefits which Mr.
Taft looks for from a special Com
merce Court. His plan is to send ap
peals directly to this new court from
the Interstate Commerce Commission
instead of permitting them to pass
through the Federal District Courts as
they do now, the supposition being
that business would be got through
with faster. This may be doubted.
Courts of special jurisdiction never in
all their history have earned much of
a reputation for expediting business.
THE MORNING OREGOXIAX,. TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 16, 1909,
Quite the contrary has usually been
the case. They are perfect quagmires
of procrastination and dllatorlnees,
though this one might turn out better.
Unless the novel arrangement promises
results of greater worth than anybody
has thus far suggested, it migh be
hoped that the President, e a i-iere
piece of tact, would let It alone for
the preesnt. It sometimes looks al
most as if his love of logical symmetry ,
blinded him to practical considerations
which may prove of serious moment
in future elections.
Another example cf Mr. Taft's pref
erence for logical machinery over tact
is his project to pass all complaints I
against the carriers through the Bu- I
reau of Corporations before they reacn
the Interstate Commission. Mani
festly this thrusts the complainant one ,
step farther from his remedy. It in- ,
troduces a new wheel into a contri
vance already sufficiently complex, and
for that reasonJf there were no other,
it will be unpopular. But there are
other reasons. It has not been for
gotten that the big life insurance com
panies of New York once procured a
law which took away the right of in
dividuals to prosecute them without
the Attorney General's consent. It
worked out a complete immunity for
the companies, no matter what they
did, and deprived injured parties of
their day in court. The simple means
to this undesirable end was a com
pliant Attorney General. Measures
which bring remedial justice near to
the public and lessen expense and
delay may be counted upon as better
policy than the opposite Just now. The
country will not approve any bills
which tend to weaken the Interstate
Commerce Commission unless some re
sultant advantage Is made very clear,
Indeed.
IN BUSINESS. AT' THE OLD STAND.
Disregarding the warnings of de
cency, heedless of danger to themselves
or others, two more young girls have
gotten their names before the public,
in unenviable connection with the lure
of joy-riding and of booze dispensed
at th. Twelve Mile House.
There- is manifestly a class of un
supervised, silly girls in this city who
are willing and eager to accept an In
vitation from any one for the sake of
a dizzy whirl for a few miles in an
automobile. To this class belong the
two girls whose names were given to
the public in connection with this lat
est drinking bout and automobile ride.
They "took in" the Twelve Mile House
Sunday afternoon, started home at x
frightful pace under the guidance of a
chauffeur as dizzy with drink as them
selves; the wildly-driven machine
crashed Into a buggy, in which were a
man, his wife and two children, killed
the' horse attached to the buggy and
threw the occupants out. Every one
of the six persons involved in the
frightful impact narrowly escaped
death, but they all miraculously es
caped though some were more or less
seriously injured.
This proceeding was but a duplica
tion of what has happened before on
the same road, after a visit at the
Twelve Mile House. The place is a
standing menace to human life and
public decency. It should be shut up.
REGARDING RIVER IMPROVEMENTS.
The annual report of General Mar
shall, Chief of Engineers, contains a
number of recommendations for very,
important waterway appropriations in
the Pacific Northwest. Paramount to
all others is a recommendation of
$1,500,000 for continuing construction
of the jetty work at the entrance of
the Columbia River. An appropria
tion of $1,000,000 is asked for the
Celilo canal, with $1,000,000 annually
for that project until it is completed.
The Willamette River above Portland
is scheduled for $60,000, and the Co
lumbia River from Celilo to the
mouth of Snake River, $90,000. Tilla
mook Bay, Coos River, Grays River,
Lewis River, Cowlitz River' and other
waterways are also .recommendet". for
substantial amounts. Taking the re
port of General Marshall for a text,
a Medford, Oregon, paper Indulges in
a vicious attack on Portland. Among
other choice bits of this unwarranted
attack is the statement that "Once
more, the Portland hog is in evidence,"
and that "Pcrtland convinced Presi
dent Taft that Portland was Oregon.
It kept him two days and rushed him
through the state at night. It has now
convinced the Engineering Depart
ment also that Portland is Oregon."
This extraordinary tirade closes
with the announcement that "It is up
to the people of Southern Oregon and
Northern California to call a conven
tion and formally start the move
ment for the new state of Siskiyou,
and the sooner the better." Let us
see what "the Portland hog" gets out
of the appropriations, providing they
are made. There Is not a single proj
ect recommended in the report that
will not benefit all other portions of
Oregon proportionately as Portland is
benefited. Every shipper and pro
ducer in the great Columbia basin
will profit, in fact, is already profiting,
by the deepened channel which the
jetty is scouring out at the entrance of
the Columbia River. Eastern Oregon
will reap much greater benefits from
the opening of the Columbia River at
Celilo than Portland can ever hope to
enjoy.
But, admitting that Portland Is to
absorb all of the benefits of this river
and harbor work; which, of course,,
would be an impossibility even were
it desirable, there would still be some
excuse for favoritism which has never
been extended. "The Portland hog"
has contributed more than $2,000,000
to the improvement of the river be
tween this city and the sea. For this
project, General Marshall' recommends
an appropriation of $175,000 for the
two years' work. . This year, the Port
of Portland is spending more than
twice that amount, and will undoubt
edly spend the same, or more, next
year. In other words, for every dol
lar advanced by the Government in
deepening the channel over which the
products of Oregon, Washington, Idaho
and portions of Montana, find their
way to the high seas, the Port of
Portland is spending about four dol
lars. The Southern Oregon paper com
plains because Crater Lake received
no recommendations in General Mar
shall's report. Perhaps, if Southern
Oregon would contribute in the ratio
of four to one, the Government might
be induced to assist that project, al
though It is not clear that the pro
ducers of the entire Pacific Northwest
would be benefited as they have been
as a result of the $2,000,000 expendi
ture by Portland. It is monstrously
ur Just that Portland should bear alone
this burden, which is increasing the
profits of all producers in the Colum
bia basin, but, until the spirit of fair
play and justice replaces the narrow
sectional sentiment reflected in the
complaint of the Southern Oregon
paper, we will not receive our just
dues.
The new fruit in Eastern markets
from the Pacific Northwest seems tJ
be awakening the thought that im
provements might be made in the mat
ter of growing similar fruits in the
older Northern states. "Pretty much
all the Eastern States," we are told,
"are becoming aroused to the possi
bility of profitable fruit-growing where
proper care is taken of trees." This
statement is added:
The state zoologist of Pennsylvania, for
example. H. A. Surface, of Harrisburg. is
to conduct a campaign of Instruction for
the farmers in methods of fighting the San
Jose scale. The plan is to establish 500
demonstration orchards throughout that
state, supplying the owners with P"t ad
vice in fighting the scale on condition that
the orchards be open to Inspection by
growers accompanied by state offf"'"
Wavne MacVeagh has offered the orchards
on "his farm for such ue.
It will be interesting to watch the
results of these experiments, and to'
make comparisons of them with those
of fruit-production in our Pacific
Northwest States.
In opposing the big strike which is
proposed as a means of showing
labor's resentment for the punishment
inflicted, on Gornpers, Mitchell and
Morrison, Mr. John Mitchell, one of
the prospective victims, again displays
that rare common sense that has
lifted him above so many of the
leaders that at times have drawn- him
and his organizations into trouble.
Just where the cause of labor would
be improved by ordering thousands
of men who need employment to re
main idle for two weeks is not easily
discernible. Such a display of fool
ishness would be on a par with that
shown by the Industrial Workers of
the World who have been flocking
into Spokane for the purpose of se
curing an opportunity to indulge in
a voluntary fast. Labor without a
few leaders of the Mitchell type, would
at times become involved in a great
many ridiculous positions.
A billion-dollar copper merger Is
the latest product of high finance.
As the perfection of the plans Is in
the hands of J. P. Morgan & Co., who
raised the steel trust to its present
high eminence, there is but. little doubt
of the success of the affair. This means
that every consumer of copper in the
United States will be obliged to pay
much more than the copper is worth,
while foreign buyers will enjoy the
same preference in price that is now
shown in so many American products.
The big merger is to include nearly
every copper property of prominence
in the United States except the Calu
met & Hecla. Later In the game, Mr.
Morgan will probably work up another
panic and in the excitement induce
the President to assist him in turning
another trick similar to that by which
the steel trust secured control of the
Tennessee Coal & Iron propertie .
November, 1896, still holds the rec
ord for "the coldest" in this part of
the country. On Thanksgiving Day of
that year, an evil wind came out of
the East and on the following morn
ing exposed water pipes throughout
the city were frozen solid. Two days
later a temperature of eleven degrees
(above zero) was reached; snow fell
tp the depth of several inches and
business was at a standstill for nearly
a week. The cold snap passed, there
was no more freezing weather that
Winter, as beautiful a Spring as was
ever enjoyed came early and a fruitful
Summer singularly exempt from Insect
pests followed. Upon this basis, or
following this precedent, we should be
able to endure cheerfully for a few
days, a much lower November tem
perature this year than has yet been
predicted by the Weather Bureau.
Nobody has occasion to worry much,
when joy-riders, "ginned up for a
great time," .kill themselves or each
other. But when they run over others
on the road, there is room for protest.
The inspiration of joy-riding is in the
loose -conduct of young women. Liquor
is its common adjunct. 'Many girls
and young women are so mad for the
Joy-ride that they seem willing to sac
rifice everything for it, including rep
utation. The men care little for the
joy-ride. Their object is the woman.
Can any young woman be ignorant
of the purpose? If so, she has been
very insufficiently instructed. The
automobile and the liquor beat any
combination for a downfall ever
known before.
Winter has caught many farmers
with their potatoes still in the ground.
There Is excuse for this apparent neg
lect in the very heavy rains that fell
during the first two weeks of Novem
ber the time which, fruit picking well
out of the way is usually devoted to
potato digging. However, there Is
small reason to fear that the weather
will be cold enough thus early In the
season to freeze potatoes in the
ground, hence the loss from delayed
digging will hardly be serious.
. More than the usual number of fa
talities due to the careless handling of
firearms have been reported since the
shooting season opened. The victims
and gun-handlers In very many in
stances have been boys, some of them
of tender age. There is manifestly no
remedy for this sort of thing except in
prevention. Pistols, shotguns and rifles,
as well as the traditional edged tools,
should be kept away from young chil
dren. Doubtless Mr. Merrill is right. He
served no cocktails Sunday to those
joy-riders. His license will not permit
him to sell liquor in quantities under
a gallon. . There's a booze-dispenser
who is no piker. Look at that Sunday
night wreck. It couldn't have been
caused by anything or any amount less
than a gallon.
That good old stand-by, the range
cow, who , rustles her feed and raises
her calf, is never bothered by tuber
culosis. Perhaps there Is too much
coddling and pampering of the blood
animal.
The blend of coffee or chocolate
that inspires a chauffeur to take a
wheel off a buggy should become pop
ular enough to make Tom and Jerry
throw up -!.e firm's working card.
The proposition to refrain from
work for two weeks when Sam Gomp
ers begins his prison sentence will
strike a popular chord if the cooks
will ignore it.
Prohibit the woman, the auto and
the llquor,fand the roads will be safe.
BOYS IV THE CIVIL, WAR.
Some ot the Fellow Then Yonng Sur
vive In the Pension Lists.
Lowell (Mass.) Citizen.
Since the recent talk about the pension
system and its cost has been common,
there has come to light a rather interest
ing tabulation of the ages at which the
fighters of -the Civil War enlisted rather
more interesting than accurate, we Im
agine, for It seems quite' Incredible that
any such list should be particularly ex
act. . However that may be, the table
gives the following figures as the num
bers enlisting at various ages:
At age of 10 and under. 26
At age of 12 and under z'-
At ag of 14 and under
At age of 16 and under....'. 844, S01
At age of 18 and under 1.151.438
At age of 21 and under ..2,159. .98
At age of 22 and over 628,516
Old men for counsel, surely, and young
men for war. But how happens it, If so
many got In under the legal age, that we
are able to know so much about it today
where so little was realized about it at
the time? Is it, in short, likely that the
figures given are anything more than a
slight approximation, from which one
may draw a general, but not a particular,
truth? In other words, if at the time of
enlistment those who were under the dis
ability of nonage were able to escape the
vigilance of enlisting officers by repre
senting themselves as being older than
they were, how is It that one may now
give figures down to the odd numbers of
those who did the act? That 223 boys en
listed at 12 years and under is marvelous
particular figuring!
Nevertheless there is no doubt of the
general value of the table. It is unques
tionably true that the soldiers who en
listed in the war and who have become
veterans of today were in fact mainly the
young between the ages of 16 and 21.
Those over 22 years were in the great
minority. Those who survive today are
the remnant of the boyish army alone
and their average age at present Is 68
only, although the war ended 45 years
ago. It is pointed out that there is small
wonder many of these youths tin emerg
ing from the army failed to attain their
proper measure of bodily or mental
growth, having entered on the hardships
of a bitter war at an age too tender to
support them. And it is small wonder
that a proportion of them, who had given
the best years of their preparatory period
of the rough life to camps and campaigns
became derelicts.
Unanimous; Republican Opinion.
Tillamook Headlight.
The Republican party in Oregon ap
pears to be on the road to become safe
and sane again. Republicans allowed
themselves to be enticed away from one
of the fundamental principles of the
country, that of a representative govern
ment, and to lose their heads over the
U'Ren fallacies, with the result that the
Democratic tail is wagging the Repub
lican dog. They are now beginning to
realize that the Republican party and the
laws of Oregon are becoming muddled up
so badly that other states are holding
Oregon up to ridicule on account of freak
methods of legislation and foolish pledges
imposed on candidates. We cannot im
press it too strongly upon our readers
that this Is a representative government,
and the safe and sane thing for Repub
licans, who have been hoodooed and
buncoed by U'Renism, is to pitch the fal
lacy overboard and ever after stick to
the system of representative government.
The Biggest Zoos.
London Daily News.
The best zoo In the world, alas! is not
that of London, if we take as our cri
terion the number of inmates. London
has only 2972 animals, while Berlin has
2149 and New York 4034. We hasten to
say that the result is not entirely due
to protection. The climate of Berlin,
though foreigners denounce it. Is better
for the purposes of a zoo than London's.
And New York has the home market to
draw upon. The animals of the Ameri
can continent are countless. You can
scarcely name a genue that is not rep
resented, while there are a good many
American animals that have no near
relatives elsewhere. The very first
marsupial discovered by Europe was the
American opossum, and neither Europe,
Asia nor Africa can produce an indigen
ous member of that order. .
Pope as a Witness.
London Chronicle.
Pope, like Garrick, made but a poor
figure In the witness box. He was cited
to appear in defense of Bishop Atterbury
when the prelate was tried for high trea
son in the House of Lords in 1723. "I
never could speak in public," he told
Spence afterward, "and I don't believe
that, if it was a set thing, I could give
an account of any story to 12 friends
together, though I could tell It to any
three of them with a great deal of pleas
ure. When I was to appear for the
Bishop of Rochester in his trial, though
I had but ten words to say, and that on
a plain point (how the bishop spent his
time when I was with him at Bromley)
I made two or three blunders in It; and
that notwithstanding the first row of
Lords (which was all I could see) were
mostly of my acquaintance."
Hunters in Gay Costumes This Fall.
Milwaukee (Wis.) Sentinel.
Manufacturers of sportsmen's apparel
have seen a new field this year and have
turned' out special costumes for deer
hunters. Red Is the predominating color.
There are stripes of red down the back,
across the shoulders, around the chest
and down the arms and legs.
Then, too, is a special cap. It is a re
versible affair lined with red. and this
color Is worn on the outside when in the
woods. If the proverbial "ounce of pre
vention" is of any avail the alarming
death rate of the Northern woods should
be cut down this year.
Has Lost the Boose Vote at Seaside;
Seaside Signal.
We have always had the highest regard
for the intelligence good sense of our
friend W. H. Taft, President of the
United States by the grace of God and
the votes of the American people. But
we take It all back. We can never have
the same confidence in him that we had
before he turned down, or rather, before
he failed to turn down, that mint julep
in Macon, Ga. We can see now where
some people were right who thought he
was wrong and failed to vote for him.
But Vou Cant Tell.
Baker City Herald.
While it is doubtful if The Oregonian
will keep up Its educational campaign
regarding the Oregon Supreme Court
long enough to achieve results, it is
a fact nevertheless that a whole lot of
people are thinking the matter over as
they have never done before.
CURRENT SMALL CHANGE.
jell "Don't you think Maude dresses
with a great deal of taste?" Belle "Yes:
but It's generally bad." Philadelphia Rec
ord. The teacher had written a difficult prob
lem on the blackboard. "Now, children,"
she said, "what Is the first thing to do with
this?" "Erase it!" shouted the bad little
boy on the front seat. Chicago Tribune.
Percy "Me' physician advised me to aw
take more exercise, doncher know." Algy
-How will you do it. deah boy?" Percy
"Heahafter I shall woll me own clgahwettes
doncher know." Chicago Dally News.
Irate doctor (finding bottle of quack
medicine) "Why didn't you tell me you
were taking this wretched stuff?" Patient
-Well. It was my missis, sir. She says
I'll dose you with this and doctor he'll try
his stuff, and we'll see which'll cure you
first." Punch.
"You've got a bad cold, old man." "Yes;
don't know how I caught It, but it seems "
"Now. look here, I know a sure cure. That
Is If you take it right away." "No use.
Seven men have made me promise to try
theirs first. So I can't take yours right
away so It won't be any good at alL Sorry,
good-bye!" Cleveland Leader.
WIFE SUES PORTLAND MAN
Mae C. Dixon Seeks Divorce From
Spouse, Alleging Desertion.
OREGON CITY, Or., Nov. 15. (Special.)
Mae C. Dixon has filed a suit for di
vorce from her husband, George W.
Dixon, to whom she was married June
10. 1902, at Denver. Colo. In her com
plaint Mrs. Dixon states that her hus
band deserted hec on April 17, 1908, and
since that time she has been forced to
make her own living.
Dixon is a newspaper man, and is at
present ,the publisher of the Hotel News
of Portland. For several years he was
editor and owner of the Canby Tribune.
About a year ago he sold out his Inter
ests in Canby, and has been a resident of
Portland since that time.
M'BRIDE IS GIVEN BANQUET
Supreme Court Jurist Celebrates
6 2d Birthday at Salem.
SALEM, Or., Nov. 15. (Special.) On
the occasion of his 62d birthday, Su
preme Court Justice Thomas A. Mc
Brlde was the guest of honor tonight
at a brilliant Jianquet given by the
bench and bar of Marlon and Polk
counties. Circuit Judge W. A. Gallo
way acted as toastmaeter and the fol
lowing responded to toasts:
William P. Lord, "Our Guest"; Judge
McBride, response; Judge F. A. Moore,
"Sociability"; Judge C. E. Wolverton,
of Portland, "Separation of the Judi
ciary From Politics"; J. K. Weather
ford, of Albany, "The Practitioner";
Judge L. T. Harris, of Eugene, "A Dry
County."
ROBNETT GOES BEFORE JURY
Ex-Cashier of Lewlston Bank May
Implicate Others."
MOSCOW. Idaho, Nov. 15. (Special.)
The time of the Federal grand jury
today was given almost exclusively to
Clarence W. Robnett, who was held
by United States Commissioner O'Neil,
under a oharge of having misappro
priated $93,000 of the $137,000 missing
from the Lewlston National Bank..
It is not known what disclosures the
witness may have made, but from his
published interviews, which he admits
are correct, there'is no doubt but what
Robnett has Implicated others who
.were associated with him.
The grand jury Is not expected to re
port before the latter part of this week.
COOS INJUNCTION CASE IS SET
Commissioners Contend Step Injures
Port Hearing Wednesday.
MARSHFIELD, Or., Nov. 16. (Spe
cial.) Judge Coke has fixed next Wed
nesday as the date for the hearing on a
petition to dissolve the injunction
against the Commission of the Port of
Coos Bay.
It is held by the Commissioners that
the port is suffering an irreparable in
Jury because of the injunction and it
will also be held that the bond given by
those asking for the Injunction is to the
Commissioners only, and not In form of
the port. These will be the grounds on
which it will be asked to dissolve the in
junction, UNCLE SAM WANTS PRISONER
V. S. Marshal Goes to Cottage Grove
for Robert Blake.
COTTAGE GROVE, Or., Nov. li. (Spe
cial.) Robert Blake, captured by Marshal
Snodgrass, is being held until the Uni
ted States Marshal from Portland ar
rives tonight. Blake will doubtless have
a number of complaints lodged against
him. Some of them will be breaking
into the Southern Pacific depot at Cres
well, robbing the Wells-Fargo Express
at that place of $61, about three weeks
ago: robbing the Halsey Postofflce and
doubtless guilty of other crimes, as he
had 15 gold rings on his person.
Ferry Pontoon Raised.
VANCOUVER, Wash., Nov. 15. (Spe
cial.) All night tonight a crew of men
set at work by the Portland Railway,
Light & Power Company will work at
the foot of Washington street, raising the
pontoon on which the ferry lands a dis
tance of 18 inches. Its length will also
be Increased several feet, so that when
the ferryboat is in the slip, the deck
wjll be on a level with the pontoon, thus
making It easier for teams to disembark.
Huge Bear-Hunt to Start.
LYLE, Wash.. Nov. 15. (Special.)
D. E. Witt, a business man of Lyle and
a leading member of the Mount Adams
Bear Hunting Club, has left Lyle to Join
in the hunt with a pack of 40 bear
hounds. The field this year will lie be
tween the breaks of the Klickitat and
White Salmon Rivers. Mr. Witt expects
to be gone for two weeks, or up to the
time the hibernating period begins.
Two Bodies Recovered.
MARSHFIELD, Or., Nov. 15. (Spe
cial.) Two of the bodies of the Smith
mill employes, who were drowned In the
bay Sunday morning, were recovered this
afternoon. They were Gus. Bloom, aged
21, and Otto Alexson, aged 30. The body
of Carl Carlson, 30 years old, Is still
missing. The funerals will be held at
the same time from the Swedish Luther
an Church Wednesday.
- Asotin to Show Fowl.
ASOTIN. Wash.. Nov. 15. (Special.)
The Clarkston poultry-raisers are mak
ing great preparations for the Third An
nual Pocltry Show of Asotin County,
which will be held at Clarkston, Decem
ber 7-11. Elmer Dixon, one of the fore
most poultry men In this section, has
been secured as judge. Seven cups have
been given as awards by Clarkston mer
chants. Grain Buyers Grab Up Wheat.
ASOTIN, Wash., Nov. 15. (Special.)
Over two-thirds of the 1,000,000-bushel crop
in this county has been sold to grain
buyers. The grain prices this year have
ranged from 75 to 90 cents for wheat and
95 cents to $1.12 for barley. Grain ship
ping is now very regular and river steam
ers are busy shipping grain to the lower
river points.
Sawmill Changes Hands.
ELMA, ' Wash., Nov. 15. (Special.)
Swan & Johnson have disposed of their
timber holdings, sawmill, stock and
ranch on the Mox Chehalis, seven miles
east of Elma, to the Vance Lumber Com
pany, of Elma. for $60,000. The mill's
capacity will be increased.
Drain Landmark Burns.
DRAIN. Or., Nov. 15. (Special.) Fire
early today destroyed a two-story land
mark on Main street. The house was
unoccupied, tottering in decay, and has
long been an eyesore. The volunteer fire
boys did good workln saving adjoining
buildings.
Coos Gets Good Mail News.
MARSHFIELD. Or., Nov. 15. (Spe
cial.) The Second Assistant Postmaster
General wired the Chamber of Commerce
today that an effort would be made to
give a better mall arrangement to Coos
Bay and to provide a Sunday service.
MILDER WEATHER PREDICTED
Storm Center Over Walla Walla Is
Broken, Says Beals.
After the coldest November weather In
the Pacific Northwest in a quarter cen
tury, the District Forecaster of the
Weather Bureau, last night announced
that 'warm weather may be expected to
day. In Portland. Monday, the mercury got
down to 28 degrees above zero, one de
gree above the November record of 18Sti.
Pendleton reports that thermometers in
Umatilla County registered 6 below zero
Monday morning, but the Government
thermometer at Pendleton showed a
minimum of two above zero.
Baker City reports three above zero
and many water pipes frozen. North
Powder reports 3 below. La Grande is
shivering with the mercury 3 above zero.
A mantle of snow covers the Grand
Rondo Valley.
At Dufur, in Wasco County, the mer
cury dropped to 8 above, and it is feared
that apple trees have suffered. Much
of the light fall of snow has disappeared.
Puget Sound felt the cold wave more
severely than did Portland, the ther
mometer at Bellingham dropping to 21
above zero. Half the potato crop re
maining in the ground in Whatcom
County is reported frozen. In Seattle,
a minimum of 29 Is reported, the coldest
November day since 1892.
According to the Weather Bureau, the
storm center over Walla Walla was
broken last night, and although cold east
winds will continue today, the tempera
ture will be milder.
COLVILLE RIVER IS FROZEX
Thousands of Sacks of Potatoes In
Palouse County Lost.
SPOKANE. Wash.. Nov. 15. (Special.)
Half an Inch of lee covered the shad
owy St. Joe River in Kootenai County,
Iduho. impeding the progress of early
day steamers this morning, and the mer
cury in the vicinity of Coeur d'Alena
went to the zero mark.
The rapid Colville River, in Stevens
County, was last night frozen over and
although little snow has fallen in that
vicinity, the ground Is frozen three inches
and the weather is raw.
Central Washington fought a nasty
wind yesterday and tonight the drifted
snow Is plied two feet in fence corners
and against-outbuildings.
The temperature is lower in the irri
gation belt at North Yakima and Ellens
burg than yesterday, 12 above zero be
ing recorded. Eight above is reported
at Colville, 2 above at Harrison, Idaho,
moderating at Walla Walla and about
14 above at Spokane. Colder weather
Is predicted.
Thousands of bushels of potatoes
sacked and left in the fields of the Pa
louse country because the ground was too
soft to haul them out, are frozen stiff.
PIPES BURST IN BARER CITV
Mercury Is Falling and May Drop
to Below Zero.
BAKER CITY, Or., Nov. 15. (Special.)
Many water pipes burst in this city early
this morning, when the thermometer
dropped to 3 degrees above zero.
The day was warmer, however, and a
bright sun tempered the atmosphere.
This evening, however, the thermometer
is dropping, and it is expected that zero
weather will prevail here before tomor
row morning.
At North Powder, which is' located in
the north end ot Powder Valley, the ther
mometer registered 3 degrees below zei-3
this morning.
FRUIT TREES MAY BE INJURED
Wasco County Wheat Safe Unless
Cold Continues.
DUFUR, Or., Nov. 15. (Special.)
This vicinity is experiencing tho cold
est November weather known here for
many years. This morning the ther
mometer registered eight above, and
the indications are that it will go still
lower tonight. A light snow which
fell Friday Is about gone, but It is
not thought that the wheat will be
hurt unless the cold spell is long con
tinued. Many of the fruit trees, espe
cially apples, were still in green lau?.
and orchardists fear the trees will be
injured.
WALLA WALLA IS SHIVERING
Temperature Lowest Known for
Month of November.
WALLA WALLA, Wash., Nov. 15.
With lowering temperatures throughout
the Walla Walla Valley, this section is
experiencing tiie coldest November
weather on record.
At Athena, Or., 1 degree below zero was
registered early this morning. Minimum
temperatures at other points show ves
ton. Or., 5 degrees above zero; Pasco
Wash.. 10 above; Waltsburg, Wash.. 14
above; Milton, Or., 15 above, and Walla
Walla. 17 above.
Seeding, which has been in progress, Is
stopped, and 'some damage Is reported to
the potato crop.
FROST BORES TO POTATOES
W inter Breaks Record for November
at Bellingham.
BELLINGHAM, Wash., Nov. 15. Half
of the potato crop remaining in the
ground was destroyed by frost last night.
The mercury here dropped to 21 degrees
and much lower at the points away from
the coast. All 'potatoes lying close to
the surface were found frozen solidly
today. , ,. ...
Much colder weather is indicated to
night. All cold records for November
have been broken.
SEATTLE SHIVERING IN FURS
Temperature Falls to 29 Above in
Puget Sound City.
SEATTLE, Wash., Nov. 15. The tem
perature this morning fell to 29 degrees,
breaking all records of the local Weather
Bureau for the first half of November.
The records run back to 1S92.
Vancouver Suffers From Cold.
VANCOUVER, Wash., Nov. 15. (Spe
cial.) Twenty-one degrees Hbove zero
was what the thermometer at the Gov
ernment weather bureau in this city
registered last night. This, according
to A. A. Quarnberg, weather observer, is
the coldest here at this time of year
during the past 13 years. November
28, 1896, the mercury dropped as low as
six above.
Carriers Suffer Defeat.
The Oregonian carriers went down to
defeat Sunday before the fast eleven of
the Union Drug Company by the score of
16 to 0. The druggists average 135 pounds
and would like to hear of some team not
averaging over 140 pounds for Sunday.
November 28. Call up Ernie Magtus at
Albany Folks Shiver.
ALBANY. Or.. Nov. 15. (Special.) The
Government thermometer at Albany
reached 2! degrees above zero last night,
recording the lowest mark thus far this
Fall.