V lg THE MORXISO OREGOXIAX. FRIDAY, DECE3IBEB 9, 1910. itm4 at pnrtlaad. Oiasea. uatafnm Hcaad-CIM Matter. . laaecrisUBa Rai Invariably In Aa-ranea, CBT XAXU. BaflT. Pn4r Ina.edad, ana year.. JJ ptuy. naBdar inanxKBO. six n-" Dallr. Suailay laeio4. tarae inoia- pallr. Suo4ar lnlulaa. M bobw. (tiatiar. ea year....- 7M satlar u4 vaaaly. yaar. CBT C1MUUI. Party, armeaay taaMad. eee Tr JT fcajlr. Iu4r Include, ana ' "'.1,'. Haw B. Rasnlt .a PoaKrfaca erCr. azpraaa adar ac peraoaal raw laeal aaak. It am pa. aola "2 vi at IBM e.ao.-e n.s. Gla J'lZ eldraae la fall, lacludlu eannty en "Z raataca Bali. ta 14 pa. I eeatt IS ta la BifM, a casta; la pae. e . " ' ta au paaaa, testa. JTaraisa poeiase aombla rata. Kaatara II I till I OrHuaa Verraa Ha N.w Tars. Hnmaartck keuaiaa, Cmi" faa Stacar talldiBS- rORTULMK IrTUDAT. DEC. t. Ml. WITH OR WITH OCT lUtTAX? Tha New Tork World has taken, ths ears of the raTlvlcg Democracy bo tit hands and la all alone dragging that patient . animal along tha only true way to victory In Tha Da rn oc racy must begin by abjuring Bryan socialism, and It must all tha time be cautious. Overconfldence loses many victories: now let tha Democ racy try tha untried rirtue of caution. Mr. Bom retorts that the World Is pleading for tha sama breed of "sane, progressiva and cautious Dem ocrat. Just aa In 104. a Democrat that "holds the word of promise to tha people's ear. only to break It In their ho pa." That's Parker. Another Par ker la too much for Bryan, lie wilW nare none such. Nor will the country- It aicreea with Bryan there. But If ilryan has discovered In any other of the new Democratic leaden any faithful friend who will not "holJ the word of promise to the people's ear. only to break it In the hope." he baa not conveyed the triad tidings to the waiting and wondering; world. Bryan cannot see what new and strange obseoslon has seized the country that It should break out with rapturous perspiration whenever the name of Wilson, or Harmon or Dlz. or Gaynor, Is mentioned. Where do they stand on the only true test of a Democrat, via.: "What do they think of ME"? Not much, we opine. There fore Bryan thinks the same of them. Beautiful prospect ahead for the Democracy Indeed In 1912. Here Is the East planning to make Bryan wallow "snne. progressive and cau tious candidate; and Br)'u planning; to eliminate the whole "sane, pro gressive and cautious" crowd when the time comes. , What Democrat can win under the weight of the Bryan Indorsement? What Democrat can win without It? TOI OIUNO I POX SEA1A. The Oregonlan prints today a letter from a Eugene attorney. Mr. S. D. Allen, who say that he was employed In tha case of Starkey and Lunz which we commented on not long ago. As might be expected Mr. Allen presents the facts of this lawsuit un der a different aspect from ours, but he doea not seem to vary essentially from our statement. Indeed we do not see how he could, since The Ore gonlan took the particulars from the court record. His argument against poor Luna. who. the reader will re call, was Jockeyed out of his property on a technicality, reads like any other piece of legal eloquence, and of course It will be estimated by the intelligent public at Its proper value. We dare say this side of the controversy may be left safely to the public as It stands, but It la quite possible that an In forming word or two may be added profitably to what has been said on the subject of the court seal. Mr. Allen's devotion to this hoary relic Is truly pathetic. It reminds one of the ardent worship which re mote villagers in the decadent Roman Empire paid to the heathen gnds long after the rest of the world had be come Christian. But his defense of the Judges for attaching tallsmnnlc virtue to the official seal is- worse than pathetic; It Is absurd. "Surely." says Mr. Allen, "nothing appears to surgest that the Judges made this de cision for any othT reason than that they renlly thought that under the Oregon laws, hlrh they had no hand In making but it ere only construing, such was the case." Of course they thought so and that is where the trouble lie. Intelligent and honest men like our Judges owe It to them selves to emerge from this primitive way of thinking and give their com mon sense a voice In their decisions. It will he remembered that Lunz lost his case because an official over whom he had no control whatever had omitted to stamp his seal on a document- We seised the occasion to say that the seul was of no con sequence and that enlightened Judges ought to have looked at the merits of his caso rather than at such a trifling technicality In coming to their decision. Mr. Allen asks solemnly If we think the mental proceaaea of tha court In this affair were "utterly foolish." In spite of our respect for those who Interpret tha law. we must confess that ha has chosen pretty nearly the proper adjective. The fact that tha Supreme Court of the United States on a certain oc casion reasoned aa much awry aa our Oregon Judge doea not disturb us. All courts sometimes lapse Into blind worship of precedent and hand down decisions which their successors are obliged to reverse. No matter how many Judges may concur In an opin ion which defies sense and reason, the publlo cannot be expected to ac cept it without critlc-Ura. But Mr. Alien, in his plea for tha sacred smJ, doea not rely wholly on those ancient precedents which are so dear to tha hearts of soma lawyers. He actually Invades the field of logic and ad vances an argument of his own which tt may not be. Improper to examine with some attention. What tt amounts to la that nobody could be aura that court documents were genuine unless they were sealed. "Seals of our courts re Impressed upon tha writ to show the common man that It Is in fact the act of the court." says Mr. Allen. If thst Is the purpose of the magic rite It falls miserably. "The common man" does not make up his mind that a document is genuine because It bears a seal, but because he believes that the official who serves it comes with the proper authority- If ha : aoe wiincat siaaaar, ana j t'a.lr. arltnael usdtr, sis aaoetba. T .7 ttlir. wttbovi Swariar. toraa motttaa I nr. wit. lout Suad. ene aioaia-.M receives tt by mall, then he trusts to tha accuracy of tha postoffice. Seals are usually a part of legal ceremonial and tha common man accepts them, as he doea tha remainder, without any particular comment. But a seal is far more easy to counterfeit than a signature la to forge and as a symbol of genuineness tt Is much less truly effective than an ordinary autograph. In fact, tha great mass of the world's important business is carried on by promissory notes and the like which are oertlfied only by autographs and which give, rise to comparatively llt tle trouble. The antiquated survival called a seal clings to deeds and writs merely because lawyers love their Idols. There Is not a solitary respectable reason why it should be retained. In the days when ordinary people could not write, seals were extremely use ful, since a man could certify a doc ument by Impressing his seal even If he could not sign his name: but con sider what the relic has degenerated to now. At the end of a deed It la a mere pen scrawl which means noth ing. There may be a lawyer here and there who knows what the mystical letters "L. S." signify, but very few "common men" do. An article In the December number of "Case and Com ment" expresses very clearly the opin ion of intelligent lawyers upon this subject. "Case and Comment" Is uniquely tha lawyers' magazine. It speaks tha best sentiment of tha profession. The article we refer to Is from the pen of Harry Selmlre Hopper, of the Philadelphia bar. Its heading Is "The Antiquated Seal." In the first paragraph we read that the seal "is a relic or antiquity and no plausible excuse can be Invented for continuing Its use." Farther on the author says that "an almost magical value Is given to it by dignified Judges which Is little less than ridiculous." And again, "it Is one of the blind. stubborn customs and formalities In herited from the common law of England centuries ago." At some future time we hope to show how many of these silly fetishes the Eng lish law has now discarded, while, to our discredit, we still retain and wor ship them. KKCAIX PI THEORT AM) PRACTICE. The theory of the recall Is that the people ought to have It In their power at any time by their vote to remove an unfaithful public officer. The recall in practice, however, ta likely to be employed as, an Instru ment of revenge or an opportunity for partisan or factional or personal advantage. So It has been in Oregon. It has been Invoked something like four times, each time In a minor town, as the result of the turbulent politics that mark the course ' of events often In small places. Arizona Is bound to have the recall. The constitutional convention Insists that It shall apply to all elective pub lic officers. Including Judges. There is vehement objection to applying the recall tJ Judges. There is an old fashioned 'Idea that appears to have reached Arizona that a Judge should be secure from the Influence either of political rewards or punishments, and should be far above .the reach of popular clamor. But in Arizona. If his decisions don't happen to su)t. they are going to have the recall on him. Why not the referendum also! Yet we have the recall In Oregon for Judges and for all public officers. No one has ever proposed to recall any Judge. Possibly no one will un less he is willing to make an Issue over some decision, or other Judicial act. Is there such a one? or will such an emergency ever arise? THE TARIFF AND WAG EM. One cannot help admiring the pluck of the Chicago strikers which enabled them to sing as they marched through the streets in the snow on Wednesday. The music must have been inspiring to hear, for. according to the reports, some 20.000 were In line, all women, and their voices no doubt echoed the pathos of their situation. It Is significant to read that these striking garment-workers sang In all tongues but English. Some of them were Kusslan, some Italians, and many were from the Interior countries of Europe, but none were Americans. This Is deeply Interesting In con nection with the plea so often heard that our blessed tariff Is levied for the protection of. American workers. How doea the tariff manage to pro tect American wage-earners from the competition of these starving girls? Their wages are at the lowest limit compatible with life, and native horn in ho r has to offer Itself In the same market with .them. There la Inherent absurdity In the pretense thai vnrkin can Te benefited by heaping taxes on their food and clothing, but when they are forced to compete directly with starving ior t the same time that the cost of their living is forced up to the last limit me aoeuraiiy Becomes tragic. The cruel hypocrisy or the plea that the tariff protecta American lohnr ta exhibited In Innumerable Jn- .it nvBtr tha cnuntrv. In tha Pennsylvania, coal mines. In spite of the exorbitant tariir, American taoor cannot exist. It has been driven out rnMi,n,r hn vork for vases on which an American cannot maintain his standard of living. In the higniy prolected factorlea of the Steel Trust we see the same condition. Protec tion was granted thla monopoly for the sake of American labor. It em nw, atarcelv anv American - labor. but It still has the protection. Was there ever a grosser imposition upon a patient Nation? Even the protec tirtnut, ihomMlvBi seem to have be come ashamed of the thin pretense that the tarlrr uenerits moor, ror iney now frankly say that they want It kariitu it ensures them a fair nroftt. This has the merit of candor, though It presupposes but slight intelligence in the people who pay the profit. YnrEN TO DOt BUS TTtE CO SONA.XT. Tartlv because he couldn't or didn't spell "allotted" according to Hoyle and partly because he was "sassy." a Montavtlla boy suffered the punisti of kirlnx his lacket tanned by Principal Wiley of the public school. As to the Justice or seventy or mis rtiaxinlln. The Ore gonlan offers no comment. It passes the case up to the Clvlo Council, which has assumed Judicial authority over the conduct of the School Board Itself a body elected by the voters of District No. 1. Let the tall go with the hide. In the matter of spelling "allotted." the strong probability isthat the lad fell down on the proposition of doub ling tho "t." There are others. Soma of them have college degrees. Mem bers of The Oregonlan staff whose duty It Is to edit communications written carefully by learned men, as well as those "Just dashed off" by busy subscribers, are competent to testify concerning the uncertainty in the average mind as to the rule which governs. In the hope that an ever present stumbling block may be re moved, the rule is here given! "Monosyllables and words of more than one syllable with the accent on the last syllable, ending In a single consonant preceded by a single vowel, double the final consonant before a suffix beginning with a vowel." Ex amples: Get. getting; rebel, rebelling; travel, traveling; appeal, appealing. This Is one of the really valuable rules of spelling, though it has a few exceptions. Many sound educators hold tljat it Is the only valuable rule for the reason that It Is easier to learn the spelling than It Is to learn . the rules for spelling and their ex ceptions. The rule quoted may be shortened for general use Into: "When the accent Is on the last syl lable, double the consonant." While this robs it of accuracy, as In the case of "appeal," It applies td so many words that It Is worth remembering. Besides It Is so easy to remember. THE At.RJfT LTVRAL JOKE BOOK.. The annual report of Secretary James Wilson, of the Department of Agriculture, is araiaborate affair and covers a wide range of subjects. "Tear after year." writes the honor able Secretary, "It has been my privl--lege to record "another most prosper ous year In agriculture,' " and in using the privilege he this year makes tho most remarkable showing In figures that his department has ever pre sented. IJke the numerous crop reports that have proved Interesting for their Inaccuracy, this annual report of Sec retary Wilson deals extensively In gen eralities. He places the grand total value of all farm products at JS.926. 000,000, but does not segregate this beyond the grain and cotton crops. The value of the grain and cotton frops Is placed at 13.610,000,000, and, despite the record yield of corn, the value of the cereals Is given at $230, 000.000 less than lost year. This decrease was made up In other directions, the Secretary explaining that "It has been a year of high prices for meat and animals, for poultry and eggs, and for milk and butter, and for these reasons the total value of all farm products increased In 1910 $304, 000,000 above the estimate for 1909." There is something pleasing in the contemplation of these "record" fig ures presented by the Secretary of ag riculture, especially wherein he grave ly assures us that "nothing short of omniscience can grasp the value of the farm products of the year." Appar parently Secretary "Tama Jim" was not omniscient, for his grasp was Insufficient to enable him to tell us how much of the 6.140, 896,000 bushels of grain produced was used ty the farmers who raised It In the production of "meat and animals, poultry and eggs, and milk and butter," in order that the latter-mentioned ataples could pull the grand total up so near 19,000,000. 000. Despite the pleasing nature of these remarkable figures, they should not be taken too seriously. While we may have a grain crop of 6,140,896,000 bushels, our annual exports have only once or twice exceeded 800.000,000 bushels. Until the Secretary Informs us how much of the remaining 4,800, 000.000 bushels of grain is represented In his livestock, poultry, etc., it will be Impossible to determine what dis count must be made from the 19,000, 000.000. Aside from this duplication of a few billions for the grain which the producer feeds to his own stock, the report has other interesting points. After an exhaustive review covering several pages, showing the prices paid by the carload, barrel, bushel and pound. Secretary Wilson arrives at the astounding conclusion that "the general fact was that the producer's percentage of the consum er's, price diminished as the quantity sold at retail was smaller." In other words, it has. been finally determined that the man who buys apples one at a time must pay more per apajle than the one who buys by the carload. If the Government ever gets out a Joke book, It should engage "Tama Jim" for editor RIVER TRAJiSPORTATtOX. President Taft. in his welcoming address at the National Rivers and Harbors Congress, displayed a thor ough understanding of the problem of river navigation. "There was a time In the history of this country." aaid the President, "when river navigation was greatly mare Important tfian It Is now. The-growth of railroads has diminished the importance of river transportation under existing condi tions, and the problem which you gentlemen have to solve Is the union and the co-operation of railroads and rivers." Thla is a very Important point that Is frequently overlooked by too ardent advocates of river- Improve ment. There Is nothing to be gained In fighting a railroad corporation with a water line that costs more to oper ate than can be collected for the serv ice. So long as people will submit to taxation to make up the deficit, a semblance of competition will be maintained, but In the end economic laws will prevail and the water car rier, like the railroad, will be subject to them. In the early days of the country, before railroads had opened the re gions lying well back from the river, the steamboats were the dominant factors In the transportation business. With the development of the Interior It was no longer possible for the boats to reach all of the traffic, and In due season that portion accessible to the railroads but Inaccessible to the steamers became overwhlemingly greater In volume than that which could be reached by the boats. This situation, of course, lessened the Im portance of river transportation, as it made it dependent on the railroads as feeders for all traffic except that which could be drawn from a narrow strip along the shore lines. In these circumstances and they prevail in all parts of the country wherever river navigation has been utilized tt Is obvious, as stated by President Taft, that co-operation of railroads and rivers Is a necessity. Whenever It is demonstrated that a river carrier, operated on Its merits, without either state aid or other form of subsidy, can carry freight more economically than it can be carried by a railroad, the latter, for strictly busi ness reasons, will, aa recommended by President Taft, co-operate with the river carrier for mutual profit and to the advantage of the region served by the two systems of transportation. It is the special fortune of ex Senator Turnei, of Spokane, to have Inspired In a large body of friends and acquaintances a general sentiment of respect for his great Intellectual powers and of admiration for his fine personal qualities. Now Judge Turner Is being urged for ap pointment as Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States; and the suitableness of such a choice by the President, If It shall be made. Is rec ognized throughout the Pacific North west and wherever the ex-Senator la known. Judge Turner was long a Republican, but In recent years has been more or less Identified with the Democratic party; yet the alliance Is not close. The President has made It clear that politics shall have little or no weight with him in selecting Judges; and In that view the choice of Judge Turner could not be proper ly criticised. He rendered distin guished service as a commissioner for the United States In the Alaska boundary contention and also In pre senting the case of the United States In tha fisheries dispute before The Hague Tribunal. He Is qualified to be a Supreme Judge of the United States. Higher commendation could not be given any lawyer or Judge. Traffic Manager Miller, of the Har rlman lines in the Northwest, pre dicts a population of 500,000 for Port land in 1920, and offers very plausible reasons for his estimate. Summar ized, these reasons are that Portland, with but very slight railroad develop ment, has In the past ten years In creased more than 129 per cent In population. This growth haa been achieved under most favorable cir cumstances, and nearly all of If has taken place In five years. If the great region which supports Portland can build a city of 200.000 people with developmetn of its resources Just be ginning, predictions of a 600,000 pop ulation ten years hence are not so ex travagant as at first glance they might seem. As the transportation system with which Mr. Miller has been connected since his boyhood is spend ing large sums to attract new settlers to Oregon, his estimates will receive due consideration. United States Marshal "Jack" Aber nathy, the bad man of the West, who kills wolves by tearing them In two with his bare hands, and who has a reputation for Seating 'em raw," has resigned and has departed for Oyster Bay to tell Teddy about It. Follow ing the precedent of his Illustrious friend, who secured his appointment. Marshal Abernathy objected to rules and regulations when they conflicted with his own Ideas, and, rather than submit to orders, he resigned. Nat urally, the loss of the world's cham pion wolfklller from the Government payroll will prove very embarrassing to President Taft, but his accession to the ranks of Gifford, Jlmmie and the mighty Colonel will certainly bring cheer to that band of reformers. The National Cloak Suit and Skirt Manufacturers' Association has de cided that the hobble skirt must go. The reason for the curt dismissal of the hideous contraption that gave the fair sex who wore it the appearance of a lot of kangaroos endeavoring to take short Jumps with their legs tied together, is that It was "calcu lated to bring derision upon the entire tribe of dressmakers and designers." T'is well, that even the people who get together the fearfully and wonder fully made "creations" that spoil the good form and style of some of the" ladles thus show vulnerability to the critcism of that portion of mankind and women-kind who would rather be comfortably dressed than to be "down to the minute" in style. Dr. Charles W. Eliot has written a public letter in which he says "the social evil and the diseases Incident thereto ought to be publicly discussed. I am entirely convinced that the pol icy of silence upon these subjects has failed disastrously." The . venerable ex-president has traveled a long way from the situation where it was deemed "Immodest" even to mention such subjects and vice enjoyed all the security of conniving silence. The Idea of naming the newly dis covered stone "Morganlte," after Mr. J. P. Morgan is singularly happy. He is himself a gem of purest ray serene and luster untarnished. We suggest In tnis connection that it would be equally felicitous. If no other precious stone Is likely to be discovered soon, to-change the name diamond to "Rockefellerlte." Thus' another illus trious citizen would be properly hand ed down to the eternities. , Viewed in the light of the official report on Secretary Ballinger we can now better appreciate what a small piece of ' business was Injected Into the Conservation Congress at St. Paul last Summer by the minority report. If the middleman gets most of the profits, as alleged by Secretary Wil son, how does the Secretary account for the miles of automobiles that Kansas farmers bought this year? Secretary Wilson's annual report covers the farmers' percentage of the price the consumer pays for many products but it is significantly silent on the subject of eggs."' The Republican Congressional com mittee spent much money and got few results. This Is customary' In an "oft" year. If It were otherwise. It would not be "off." Completion and dedication of thej Neigh Dornooa nouse oy pnutuuurvpiu Jewish citizens of Portland is a fine exemplification of the altruistic spirit if the age Those Canucks did not want the "pay" cars, so they smashed them. When the average Canadian . is warmed up he becomes a terror. And it Is " to be remembered that the report on Ballinger Is signed by Senator Knute Nelson, whose probity and Judgment no one questions. Maintaining speed of 88 miles an hour is a victory that Rene Barrier must divide with the man who made the gasoline engine. r'nnMArlnf thA methods of Mexi can Insurgents and those at Wash ington, we d rtuaer nave rait a joo. Rivalry la 1913 Too Remote to Causa Break of T. R. and GIffora. New York Evening Sun. How well do we remember those hr.ppy, care-free days upon the tennis court when Gifford swatted them down the side lines and Theodore volleyed aud thundered at the net. The Hon. James Rudolph Garfield brooded gloom ily over the scene and Cabot dropped in for tea. No cloud o'erspread that st'Blit sky, not even the lmpend'ng shadow of March 4, or the prospective Interference pf the Irritating Constitu tion then so utterly despised. Of course those blissful hours In time wera ended. New days, new ways. The greatest, tennis player of them all ntut off to Africa, the Hon. James was pried apartafrom his Job and Gifford aline was left to draw a salary. Of his fir.al uprooting the poets have sung end at thought thereof insurgent faces still are Irrigated with tears. But Gilford did not weep. As a holy martyr he was twice as Interesting as over before and he went about the land branding the criminals of the system wherever he happened to meet them. One branded gentleman refused to stay branded, but that is another story. At least Gifford had a gorgeous time and teams of publicity. Besides, it was Just about this time that the Presidential bee, buzrlng from flower to flower, suddenly bit deep Into the tender forehead of Gifford. And for a Presidential candidate there Is nothing so becoming as a neat, taste ful martyr's crown. This the friends, hangers on, attaches and subordinate martyrs at once perceived, and the great boom was on. As a professional martyr, we presume the country has never seen the equal of our friend. At times lately he has had difficulty In keeping enthusiasm at fever heat, but he has done his best. And now. Into this tale of gay friend ship, happy martyrdom and eager ambition, stalks the present tragedy. From the Washington correspondent of the Tribune come dark tidings that tne most beautiful of tennis friendships Is at an end that Gifford has seen fit to quarrel with his maker, in short, and Is off playing by himself. We grieve accordingly and who will not? What its effect will be upon this Intense nature no man can tell; and, of course, a blow to Gifford Is a blow to the country's vitals, for without his foster ing care our trees would cease to grow and our streams to run. What can be the explanation of this unfortunate quarrel? you ask. We own we do not know. Of one thing, how ever, we do feel sure and that is that thu reason assigned by our neighbor Is Incorrect. Rivalry In 1912. Is the occa sion of this snapping of anrlent bonds, the Tribune would have one believe. But that is nonjense. For Gifford, as Presidential timber, is simply a pleas ant perennial joke; and after the late events of November, the chances of Gil ford's former friend are not such as to keep even an emotional martyr awake nights. LOG CABIN FOR CONTEMPLATION Great Men May Think la Solitude la Woodland Retreat. New Tork Sun. One of the most peculiar building specifications ever filed in Richmond borough was received in the office of the bureau of buildings at New Brighton yesterday. Chief Clerk and Plan Exam iner James Nolan never saw anything like it in building specifications. As sistant Superintendent of Buildings Har ry Brown said: "I have been in the building business for 50 years and I never saw anything like it before." The document was filed by C. G. Kolff, secretary of the Richmond Holding Com pany, and Is as follows: I propose to erect from trees growing in the foreBts of Emerson Hill a log cabin 11 by 23 in size, with three win dows, one door and an open fireplace with an earthen floor. It is not to be occupied as a residence, but as a tem porary place of retreat and contempla tion for lovers of nature, statesmen with political futures before them and behind them, those wishing to reflect on the gratitude of future generations and the Ingratitude of the present and past gen erations: for thinkers In general and philosophers born as such or grown to be such by the trials of professional, commercial, political strife and defeats. The building will be of logs. Cost, S50. Emerson Hill Is one of the residential parts on the eastern end of Clove Valley, Concord, Staten Island. It was named for Ralph Waldo Emerson, who lived there for a short time. Walter W. Price, a Wall street broker, and many busi ness and professional men lfave homes on It. Theodore Roosevelt, Henry L. Stimson, Timothy L. Woodruff, James J. Hill, Henry Cabot Lodge. Woodrow Wilson, Judson Harmon, Chauncey M. Depew and other men of note will be Invited to en Joy the hospitality of the cabin. It will be built by a Virginia negro, who was brought North for that purpose. Histories of the World. GRAYS RIVER, Wash., Dec 8. (To the Editor.) Would you kindly advise me In The Oregonlan which history of the world would be the most profitable to an average scholar. Thanking you in advance for the favor. Yours respect fully, A. B. MARTIN. There are Innumerable good histories of the world. Any bookseller or librar ian may be relied upon for good counsel in this matter. Rldpath's Universal History would probably be as desirable as any. Take Your , Choice. BULL RUN, Or., Dec 1. (To the Edi tor.) Above the approach of the Sandy River bridge the warning sign reads like this: "Notice, 2o fine for riding or driv ing across this bridge faster than the walk." A bets B that "the" is not cor rect, the sign should read "than a walk." Will you kindly settle the argument? A SUB3CRIBER. The use' of the article "the" In this connection is the better-English but is less commonly, used than "a." Either is correct Served Him Right. Chicago Record-Herald. "The husband of an actress recently whipped a man in a Chicago restaurant for staring at her." "It served him right. A man has no business to look at an actress because he has put on clothes that are intend ed to attract attention." Everything; In the Wash. Courier-Journal. "Family all back from the Summer trip?" "Yes." "I hear your wife is confined to her room. What does the doctor say?" "We haven't employed a doctor. The laundress promises to have her out In about four days." . Why la Ears; like Autof Indianapolis News. At present and prospective quotations an egg Is very much like an automo bile. It Isn't worth the money, but If you are going to have It you have to pay the price. Still, on the other hand, the upkeep Is not such a serious matter. Canae of the Change. Chicago Record-Herald. "I can't understand why you hate ber so. You used to rather admire her, I thought." "Yes. but he and I are singing in the same church choir now." Lawyer im Case Upholds Decision in Starkey vs. Luna. EUGENE, Or., Dec. 6. (To the Edi tor.) As one of the attorneys in the ,caae of Starkey vs. Luns, referred to In The Oregonlan last Sunday, it seems to me that I ought to challenge some of your statements. You there assert that Lunz "was robbed of his farm," and If this Is so, the matter will merit considerable space In public print. Permit me to give the facts of that case. . John Brown, a Minnesota butcher, failed, leaving no assets in Minnesota, but a timber claim in Douglas County, Ore gon. One of his creditors forwarded hto claim to a Roseburg attorney to have it enforced against the timber claim, this was Lawrence. Another, Starkey, for warded his to me at Eugene. Both were sent with a "rush order" lest the butcher should sell before attachment could be made. The Roseburg attorney had some what the advantage, and hie papers in dicate that he rushed things. I made as good time as possible, but my papers were filed later. I had no knowledge of the euit at Roseburg until my proceed ing was pretty far along. I Immediately notified my client, and was directed to redeem from Lawrence's sale. I went to Roseburg with that end In view, but I first examined the Lawrence proceeding. I could not expend the amount of my client's money necessary to redeem If the proceeding was Invalid. My exami nation disclosed three grave defects: The attachment writ was not under the seal of the court; the affidavit for publi cation of summons named Two Harbors, Minn., as defendant Brown's residence (it did not in any way mention Duluth), but the order based on It directed the eummons to be mailed to Duluth, and lastly the proof of the publication of sum mons was not shown to be made by one of the parties authorized to make it by statute. (The last of these three defects had been suggested as fatal in an early Oregon case, and was expressly so de clared In tho case entitled Ex Parte Laf ftrty, decided about a year ago; but let us forget that for the present). You quote a provision which says .that the court "may, before trial." supply cer tain omissions. You assert this in effect renders these omissions harmless whether the court allow them to be supplied, or whether application is made for that pur pose. This Is entirely new to me, and I cannot understand how that provision could be so construed. Certainly no ap plication was at any time made to supply any omission or correct any mistake in the Lawrence proceeding, and the time had passed when such application could be made. Deciding that it was unsafe to attempt redemption, we stopped efforts In that direction, and determined to stand on our own proceeding. Now I confidently assert that there is no reputable, practicing attorney in the State of Oregon who would advise s client that he could safely buy the Law rence title on such a record. Neverthe less this is Just the time that Lunz comes in as the new owner of the Lawrence title. You call him the "wretched Lunz.'" Surely that was a moment of Inspiration that led you to select that term, for whether he paid full value for the land to Lawrence, as you declare, or only a fraction of its value, taking a gamble on the result of the litigation, or whether as I suppose, he simply loaned his name In a friendly way, hoping thereby to strengthen Lawrence's case in appear ance, he cuts an equally "wretched figure in the case. But you seriously reflect on our court because it held that a writ of attach ment without the court's seal was no writ. They are known to be honorable men. learned in the law; the litigants , in,A-AtAi in the case were miu .uu. all non-residents. Surely nothing appears to suggest that tne guuges numu -incision for any other reason than that .i thiiiffhf that under Oregon UlCy ILOiiJ - - - - - , , laws, which they bad no hand in making. but were only construing, eucn was case. Was that conclusion utterly fool ish'" The Supreme Court of the United Stales, termed the most august judicial tribunal on earth, made the same deci sion and you may find it in Insurance Company v. Hallock, 6 Wal. 65. Other courts have made the same decision. The omission was not quite what you assert it to be, "the failure to paste on a bit of red paper." Private seals are some times made that way. Seals of our courts of record bear the name of the court and some device, and are impressed upon the writ to show the common man that it Is in fact the act of a court- The In dividual la not bound to surrender the custody of his person or his property to every person with a paper professing to be the writ of the court. He Is not com pelled to know the genuine signitures, or even the names of all the clerks of courts that may issue writs against him or his property. The law has provided him in the seal of the court a convenient method of ascertaining the genuineness of the command. If the paper is not shown him but only recorded in some office, the need of the seal is even more apparent From the record he could not Judge of the genuineness of the officers signature. , While the law does not in terms require the corporate seal to be impressed on corporate Instruments in most cases, busi ness convenience does. Suppose a certi ficate of stock In your own very solvent publishing company to be floating around in Minnesota, regular in other respects but without the corporate seal: Would not even the "wretched Lunz" shy at it? But suppose two. like numbered, like In . K-itK otia without the cor- wrate seal, would he make the "wretched choice" or tne one iui mo But a word -further: You speak of Btarkeys case as "perhaps a little fishy." You have not the slightest basis for this Insinuation. You talk of "red paper" and .. .i im,.,. ! nntMm about red paper and paste in the case. You speak of " , , Thar, irn, no "stealing a mans mim. " , ; farm. Lunz bought only a timber claim in litigation a law suit and that has ever been regarded as a hazardous under taking. Such terms as you use have no place, it seems to me, in any fair dis cussion as to. whether or not the court erred in the decision in the Lunz case. Very respectfully yours, Costs o Stop Train. - Buffalo News. According to Signal Engineer J A. Peabody, ot the Chicago & Northwestern Railway, who Investigated the matter on his own line, the cost of stopping a train of 630 tons and returning to a speed of 60 miles an hour is 42 cents. The cost of stopping a 2000-ton train from So miles an hour Is 81. Tha officials of another road estimate each stop of a six-car passenger train from 45 miles an hour at 35 cents and for a 1600-ton train from 16 miles an hour at 66 cents. ' The time lost for making a stop on a level, straight track has been estimated at 145 seconds. Bnddha Images in Demand. . New York Mail. The latest fad Is the collecting of Images of Buddha. The craze has ap peared in New York, but Is strongest in Washington, where the society woman who has fewer than three statues of Buddha Is looked upon as a person lack- , 1 - ...n ma ThT R nil Aft TR tO bO little or no religious sentiment in the fad it is merely (a raa nun more. But all the same it Is creating a i - .ww.rA fnr- R n H rl h fl R and the manufacturers will doubtless see that It is supplied. . Valid Excuse. Boston Transcript v - chKh, "Hanrv. that's twice you've" come home and forgotten to bring the lard." Subbubs "Yes. my iove; its iu iibj It eliied my mind. Life's Sunny Side Samuel C. Martin, warden of the Essex County penitentiary, was called to the door the other day by an in sistent individual, who had "business of importance." The warden went to see his visitor, and was somewhat dis pleased when the caller introduced himself as "Jimmy the Brick." lie stated a bosom friend of his was con fined there, and that as he had not seen him for some time, he would like to be shown to his cell, even though not a visiting day. The warden was not inclined to let him In. "The Brick." however, was not to be turned off easily, and unfolded some thing like this: "When dis guy was pinched I put up de swag fer de lawyers, consoled him by me dally visits, and worked brains loose tryin" to leadplpe de jury. It wasn't no use, but Just to let him see 'The Brick' an' his pals ain't backed on him, I would like to see him.' Touched by "The Brick's" loyalty, the warden helped him make out a card, and carried it himself to the pris oner. "And what d'ye fink." 3aid "The Brick," angrily, talking to his pals a day later, "dat miserable mutt tells de warden to kindly Inform me he ain't In?" Newark Star. When the Crown Prince of Sweden married Princess Margaret, the pretty niece of King Edward, he arrived at St ' George's Chapel, Windsor. Just when the perplexed officials were at their wits ends to provide and observe due order of precedence. As the Prince was standing In the doorway with his attending grooms men, one of the officials bustled up. "Now, sir," said he, scarcely glanc ing at the Prince, "who might you and your party be, and where am I to send you." "Where you put me doesn't much matter," the Prince replied, meekly. "I am only the bridegroom." St. James Budget. a a The waning rumpus In Mexico re calls a little Incident connected with the Chamber of Commerce excursion to the Diaz Republic. The special train bearing the party was switched from one station to an other in Mexico City, and the Cham ber officer went to the first station to make Inquiries. Approaching a pair of dark visaged employes, he cudgeled his memory for the proper words from his phrase book. "Donde esta," he hesitatingly asked, and paused. The two dark visaged persons listened attentively. "Graclas," stammered the Cleveland man. "Donde ewtan?" Then one of the men looked at the other. "Say, BUI," he growled, "what in merry blue blazes is this fellow talk In', about?" And after that It was easy. Cleve land Plalndealer. VERACITY OF SCRIPTURES 'SHOWX Descriptions of Life Plainly Recognize able In Holy Land Today. Columbian Magazine. One thing cannot fail to impress every visitor to Bethlehem, and. indeed, to the Holy' Land generally, who Is imbued with true Christian faith and a proper sense of the sanctity of the location and of the events that have transpired there, and that Is the more than remarkable correspondence between the things and places shown us today as having been associated with the life and work of the Savior and other events that enter into the structure of our religious faith and the descriptions and accounts of them, as furnished us in the pages of the Holy Scriptures. They agree with them In every respect and it Is Impos sible, after carefully considering and comparing them, to doubt their identity, so exactly are they In accord with the Bible narrative. The work in the fields, the arrange ment of the buildings, the very articles of diet and clothing of ancient days are plainly recognizable In the doings and surroundings of today. Indeed, where modern methods have not become ob trusive the manners and customs of the people remain much the same as in the days of the presence on earth of the Savior. Between the descriptions given in the Bible of localities, climatic and geographical conditions, distances, etc., of these times and those of today there is hardly any discrepancy. Even a skeptic, considering this remarkable ac- cord of circumstances with the Biblical narrative, cannot but be convinced of its, veracity: to the believer it comes aa a iwonderful conviction, a satisfactory corroboration or encouragement to see things as those who described them so graphically saw them so long ago. On the Morning After. New York Evening Sun. "After mature thought I confess that I do not know absolutely whether I reached the pole or not" Dr. Cook. "After mature and careful considera tion I am not sure whether the cherry tree- I observed sprouting between the stag's antlers was caused by the cher ry pit with which I shot him or was merely the result of purely natural causes." Baron Munchausen. "After solemn deliberation I am un able to state that my election predic tions were absolutely accurate." Ezra Prentice. - "After a sincere period of introspec tion I cannot say with any degree of certainty that Mary-ol-the-vine-oov-oreri-rottase is an unqualified success. Senator Beveridge. "After a corning stuoy oi x"j ob ject I am free to admit that the Con stitution is not so absolute a back num ber as It appears at first blush." T. R. .. . tt.iin mvBAlf around the AlkBI i. 1 . ' n Dalace yard I am unable to aver that Arctic exploration is au , Ing." The King of Denmark. Needle Travel Many Miles. December Strand. nnAnla nrhn WlthOUt mere are uianjr - walking, are constantly moving some portion or tneir ooaies, auu ui- ; i -A- ,v.a a e-arreerate. an amount of space which is absolutely astounding, xane mo -who scarcely moves at all a tailor. Seated Turkish fashion, he piles his needle from morning to night in order to have an overcoat or a pair of trous ers ready for an impatient customer at the appointed time. His needle -,, ... i of tha rn t of about ines 10 u onco a second. If we reckon a spice . n..A aA h, f M Q of 20 lncnes as mat - ' - ' J - . -i. . 3 ; -liut shnnM VOU course OI me " - Imagine this distance amounts to in a vear? The rigure is, to any mo : .. K 19 mlloa for n It SUrpnsius . -T day's work of ten hours, or nearly 4000 miles tor a year oi -"-j . i . . i - .1, vaara thtk tailor's in a inns - " j - needle, and consequently his hand, will i.ave covered a distance equal to the circumference of the globe. Bible In Newspaper Style. New York Mall. Rev. W. H. Jordan, of Jerseyville, 111.. Is of the excellent opinion that the Bible written in newspaper style would h. vaatlT more Interesting. Let us give Rev. Mr. Jordan his way: "Adam and Eve, surnames not known, were evicted from their Summer home at Parad'se Park today. The cause is not known. Both are seeking employment." Or: "Battling Abel failed to come back last night and was KnocKeo out. in ine first round by Kid CaJ." It's too easy to multiply them.