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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 1911)
TTIE MORXING OREGOXIAN. SATURDAY, APRIL 1. 1911. Bt (Dmnmtmt rOKIXAXD. OREGON. Entrd at Portland. Orf on. Postofftee as cac4-CiaM Maitsr. tubatrlpiMa Jiaws Invariably la Aareaee. BT MAIt I1Tt. dtay Incladad. on r-ar .? I'ailjr. in1r Included. six bodiM.... railr. un!r le:rtl. Inraa month,. ! In!lr. Suadar included, or month.... -"J Xai.y. without Sunday, ont yaar.. SOT I.lr. without Sunday, aia months..... J-JJ Xal!y. w?hout Sunday, thraa month... l aily. witaoui Sunday. month..... . Wakl. ona yar. ? rT Ftiaday. ana year... ....... -" aoaday sad vaakty. one yaay. (BY CARRIER rally. Sunday laeladad. ena yaar. Xt'r. Sunday Included, oaa month.. ... ow Raamll bnd poaioff tea msaay rdjr. aapraaa ordr or naraona! eha- on yoor local bank atampa. com or curraney ara at CA andar'a ru. Ota poatoffce Utrwi la full. UK-lading- county and etata. raotaca Rata 1 to 14 nacaa. I cant; l ta 2 p-oa. t canta; 14 to 40 rat, casta: 49 ta aaa-a. 4 casta, roraiga poataa doaMa rata. Eacar Bvataaaa Offlcta Varra at Confc Itn Naw Tork. Hi-an.wlc. bulldlns. Cnl caco. Slff. butMlr.s. rORTLA D. SATtRDAT. ArRIX 1. ltlU OCR HUEMM ALL AROCVD VS. If the United States makes an arbi tration agreement with Great Britain, for the determination of all questions between them. Germany will not be entirely happy, and will go right on building her dreadnoughts and super dreadnoughts, drilling and feeding her ImmeiiM army, keeping her powder magazines full and dry, and surround ing herself with bristling guns and embattled fortresses. Germany likes 11s well enough, and likes England well enough, but not well enough to low down or falter In the great race for International supremacy. Great Britain strikes hands with us because we are a powerful and indis pensable al!y. and for no otther rea son. Blood Is thicker than water: but so It "was a hundred years ago when It Towed freer than water. Japan looks upon us as a possible and even probable foe; and maintains n stror.f military and naval organiza tion for any emergency. No one really knows what Japan will do, not even Japan. Canada makes a reciprocity agree ment with us. because Canada thinks it is a good tnlng for Canada; but howls with rage at the very thought rf annexation. Does Canada really lore us? Mexico Is all stirred up over the prospect of American intervention, and angrily rises to Inquire why those troops are down on the Mexican bor der. Does Mexico really regard us with affection and confidence? Every little South American Repub lic hates us or has a feeling for us that approaches actual detestation, Why? China has reason to remember our humiliating treatment of the Chinese. Russia has not forgotten how we threw our hats in the air and shouted with Joy when Port Arthur fell. Spain has reason to remember the not re mote past. France regards us as bar barians and Indian. Italy and Austria are more or less indifferent. Have we any friends except our selves? Has any nation friends? Tet we talis of disarmament. m dpwkit" ai tkx rr.riAL The approach of the date for the special session of Congress, which the President called for April 4. makes the question what the Iemocrats are likely to try to do pointedly Interest ing. Being in full control of the House and within nine of a majority In the Senate, they are almost in a situation to legislate to suit them- 1 TT '-... . I 1 hv ma IrM t the pr lira. . y - - - - opportunity? Will they pass the reci procity agreement with, Canada and go quietly home? No doubt Mr. Taft would b excel lently well pleased should they do precisely that, but It is too much to hope that they will be so complais ant. The Democrats are not deeply concerned to weave a laurel wreath for the Presidents brow, which Is pre cisely what they would do If they adopted reciprocity and did nothing else. We may therefore rest assured that they will proceed to some other measures, but what they will be Is problem difficult to solve Just yet. The personnel of the ways and means committee, which will have charge of tariff action, commands the respect of the country. All observers praise the Integrity of the men who compose It and profess to expect much from their wisdom and experience. It Is further said by some that the Democrats have a thoroughly digested plan of action upon the tariff laid out for themselves, but if they have they keep It pretty safely guarded. Very likely' some vague preliminaries have been agreed upon, but not much more. In spite of a good deal of talk about harmony and the terrors of dis cord, the party Is not united In Its opinions of what ought to be done with the tariff. Robust well-wishers of the Democrats assert that the num ber of protectionists among them Is negligibly small, but as-ell-known facta point to the contrary. The truth Is. rather, that the Democratic party Is as ba'Sly divided on the subject as the Republican. Neither one of the par ties could possibly devise any cam paign scheme which would Include many more than half its members If they were free to express their per sonal convictions by their roles. How much liberty of this sort the Democratic Congressmen have extin guished by caucus methods of course nobody outside their ranks is in a po sition to say. The Indications are that they have suppressed a good deal and that they will act In the special session with something approaching unanim ity. If Mr. Bryan's wishes prevail the tariff will not be attacked as a whole, but one schedule after another will be taken up and handled separately, be ginning, perhaps, with wool and cot ton and going on to the steel and sugar enormlMes before they get through with It. Champ Clark holds the same opin ion as Mr. Bryan on this subject. The two leaders seem to have adopted a perfect concert of opinion and action which may by and by lead to conse quence not entirely favorable to the Presidential prospects of Woodrow WUson. who. next to Bryan, is the most popular champion of progressive Democracy. There is no question, so far as we can discern, that Mr. Bryan Is the roost popular and powerful man In the party at present. Should the House of Representatives follow his views of revision to the letter It would not be surprising. Nor Is there much reason to. suspeot that the results would displease Mr. Taft. He would prefer, of course, to see the Demo crat put off everything but reciproc ity until next December, but, assum ing that tni-r w111 BOt w m,r 'cel pretty confident that he would sign a bill reducing the taxes on wool, cotton materials and sugar. - If he did so, he would again cull the laurels which the Democrats would prefer to wear on their own brows, and they would not reap much party advantage after all from the special session. ' All this assumes that reductions made in the House will be accepted by the Senate. It Is fair to suppose that they will. The Democrats, as we have said, need only nine more votes to command a majority In the Senate, and their ranks may be strengthened any day by an election In New York. The Insurgent Republicans will help them to cut down sugar and cotton duties and especially those which keep up the price of farm machinery so that the reductions may look for easy going In the Senate. There will be alluring temptation, naturally, to set about a wholesale revision of the tarjff, but we do not believe the Democrats are silly enough to yield to it. They must understand the working of that trap as well as anybody, and even a very small sup ply of sense ought to keep them from stepping Into It- Nothing would de light the Republicans more than to see them bring ruin upon themselves by this piece of folly, and there are plenty of Democratic Congressmen who. In the Interest of prolonged ex tortion, hope for the same thing, but upon the whole, the party is likely to pass by on the other aide. From the revision of two or three especially hateful schedules, which Mr. Taft will accept, they cannot gain anything brilliant for their party, but they wlU gain something, and. better yet. they will not throw their cake, which looks so luscious now, into the ashes. To come out of the special session without disappointing tho public or gratifying their oppo nents will be well worth while, and, in our opinion, that Is what the Demo crats will try to do. rKOTECnXJ THE IEroITOFS. A correspondent write to ask The Oregonlan whether It would not have been far better for the general welfare, and a measure of Justice, fairness and perhaps of charity to the unfortunate depositors If we had a state bank guar anty law by which the losses In the recent failures at Mount Scott and at Stayton might have been evenly dis tributed and thus easily . borne?" These were small and comparatively unimportant bank failures, and the burden of compensating the depositors might Indeed have been assumed through some scheme of guaranty without disturbance or Inconvenience. But that Is not the point. The crux of any discussion over any general scheme of bank guarantee must be that It not only requires the strong to support the weak, but the honest te be penalised for the misdeeds of the dis honest. It subjects the safe and sane banker to the blunders, mistakes, ex travagances and criminalities of the unsafe and intone. It makes no dis tinction between bankers like Mr. Ijidd or Mr. Alnsworth and bankers like this fellow Myers. Character Is not an asset; the bank guaranty law makes Myers Just as good and trust worthy a banker as the oldest and best banker anywhere. The state cannot undertake to pro tect the public from the consequences of its own errors In trusting fellows like Myers. But the state hits a duty In preventing such adventurers as Myers from going Into the banking business without the most complete showing of good faith and adequate resources, and In subjecting his. so called bank to the closest and most continuous scrutiny and Inspection. Why was Myers ever permitted to start a bank at Mount Scott, or anywhere? His record was notorious: his methods scandalous. He had nothing but a sweaty personality and a pervading nerve. Yet he got the confidence of good people at Mount Scott and In Portland, and swindled them. His ac complices should not be permitted to escape. Bank guaranty as a state duty or obligation Is on the wane. Eighty state banks in Oklahoma are now ap plying for charters as National banks. The wildcat days of banking expert meats through enforced co-operation are over in Oklahoma. They should not be begun in Oregon, and we think they will not be. the rtaTin.Koi ctr. The Health Department of New Tork City has undertaken to put In force after October of this year that section of the sanitary code prohibit ing the use of a common drinking cup In any public place or Institution, hotel, factory, theater, public school or In any railroad station or ferry house In the city of New York, or the furnishing of such common receptacle for use In any such places. This means that the time-honored but otherwise discredited cup. at tached by a chain to any public drink ing fountain, must rest upon such reputation a It has, and go. It means also that the prudent, fore-handed person will carry his indlrldual drink ing cup. as he carries his own hand kerchief, for his own use. There Is no reason why he should not and every reason why he should. It is all a matter of habit. A little training of ones self, and of children Jn the first element of prudence and decency In this matter would make the thought of the common drinking cup only less revolting than that of a common toothbrush. It Is objected that while the Indi vidual drinking cup Is all right In theory, it Is not always accessible. There is no reason why It should not be as accessible as a pocket handker chief. "Collapsible cups" of alumi num, for example, are light and easily kept clean and can readily be carried In the pocket. The cost of these cups la trifling, which Is a great recom mendation for their general use. How clearly In this connection arises the memory f the water pail sitting on the sloppy bench upon a sloppy floor space near the door of the old country achoolhouse! How the children trooped In from recess, hot and Hushed with strenuous play, took turns at the rusty tin cup that hung when not In use on a nail above the water pall, drank deeply and slop pily and took their seats panting and fanning themselves with their open spelling books! And how measles and whooping cough did rage, periodically, through the district!" How the dread ed scarlet fever took frequent toll of Juvenile life! Prevention of these dis eases was not thought of. Thcywere supposed to be as natural an accom paniment of childhood as the cutting of the milk teeth. But some way most. or, at least many, of the children got through them, and by the light of modern sanitary science look back shudderlngly upon ,the rsau- aantina- to.." that thev were com pelled to swallow to "bring the mea sles out ; the bitter aecocuons 01 hnnMt and wnrmt-OOd W'lth Which they were dosed for whooping-cough; the abominable "doctors'turi w men they took for weeks, lying In a stuffy, darkened room while scarlet fever and its aftermath of glandular swell ings and eye and ear troubles held them In thrall. Good old days we are wont to call the time when our pious forebears took all of these things and many more as visitations of Providence, tninrilnr meanwhile to mitigate their severity, by the use of pills and po- Hons and by withholding water from . the fever-stricken and fresh air from . ail who ailed. But a little reflection will suffice to shadow with disgust J the time wherein the school drinking cup was an active disseminator 01 what is now known as "filth diseases" and to Induce a spirit of thankfulness that m are In touch with these d'9 only In memory, though truth to tell ih. noottfarotin drknklnz ctin still sur- . vlves to mock at enlightenment and scoff at the warnings of modern sani tary science even in up-to-date New York City, with Its costly equipment for the prevention and control of con tagious diseases. THE COCNtTLMANIC MtTFE8T. These re'velarlons our excited Coun cllmen are making about one another are more than Interesting. They are highly instructive. Perhaps they are not all true. We hope not, and are avllllna- to admit that we think not. Tet that is to say that some Council- men have lied, at icasi in pun, others, and we are as reluctant to Impeach the veracity of any Council man as we are his record for correct and straightforward conduct In office. It Is a sorry dilemma. Tet the mudsllnglng is not altogeth ed an unedlfying spectacle. It teaches the public that It ought to regard the actions of Its Councilmen. of whom It has known little, but. we fear, sus pected much. Now what la to be done? The Council is Just as Important as the Mayoralty more Important, per--haps. There are ten new Councilmen out of fifteen to elect this year. Who are the candidates? Who has nomi nated them? They have nominated themselves, of course, and under our system there appears to be no other way. But is nobody Interested in the Council, except the candidates for Councilmen? Tho public of course has a vital In terest. But so far there has been no organized movement or effort to bring out good men for the Council. The public spirited men In the various wards ought to get together, canvass tho various names, and induce suit able candidates to stand If there are none such already In sight. Let the partisan press and the Inspired clacque yell "assembly." There Is tio other way to rescue the coming Coun cil from the undesirables. ' AX OITIM1STIC FINANCIER. President Vanderllp. of the National City Bank of New York reports "an extremely sound business situation" in the country, and has "every reason to believe that we have a better con dition confronting us than we had last year at this time." This optimistic view on the outlook for 1911 is of ex ceptional value for the reason that Mr. Vanderllp has a National reputa tion as an expert on general trade conditions. His observations and de ductions are seldom faulty. Like most of the Eastern financiers who are in close touch with the money market. Mr. Vanderllp sees In the anti-corporation sentiment one reason for the timidity of capital, and also notes some uneasiness over the effect of coming tariff legislation The investor who refuses to place his money in railroad securities is merely display ing the same caution that is excusable In anyone who is desirous of getting the best possible returns on the money. With the gross returns of the rail roads gaining, and the net returns de creasing, with operating costs and maintenance charges advancing, and no advance permitted In freight rates, there la nothing attractive for the in vestor, even In the best railroad stocks: and until the roads can mar ket their new Issues and secure money neeeded for Improvements and exten sions there will be continued dullness In the greatest factor In our industrial life. The Pacific Northwest apparent ly made a good Impression on Mr. Vanderllp, and he regards the Willam ette Valley as a "chosen country" In which "It should be every man's duty to secure for himself and his children a piece of land, for it Is the land, after all. which Is the base of all value." The visits to the West of Mr. Van derllp and other Eastern financiers are of Inestimable value to this country, as It Is through such men that Eastern capital Is directed to the most prom ising fields for Investment The rail roads are already spending many mil lions In this state, but there are still numerous opportunities for more roads and for highly profitable Invest ments in other Industrial lines. While this country is probably enjoying at this time greater prosperity than any other portion of the United States, we will not suffer If It Increases In vol ume, and trust that no unfavorable symptoms will arise In the East to prevent a fulfillment of the eminent financier's prophecies. Tint UTTUE FLURRY AT SALEM. Mayor Lachmund, of Salem, and his little midnight indiscretion in a bar room ought not to be taken too seri ously, though the episode has aspects that are serious enough. The Mayor and a few of his choice friends were celebrating the return of a convivial soul from abroad, and neglected to look at the cltfck when its moving hands Indicated the hour of lawful closing. When the Mayor was re minded that It was time to put up the shutters he dreiw himself up haughtily and warned the venturesome meddler that he was the Mayor, and the time In Salem was whatever the Mayor said It was. The sequel, painful to relate, was that the Mayor and his merry company were turned Into the street. We guess that the Mayor has been sufficiently humiliated by the publicity given his llttlo adventure, and that there is no occasion for the recall. Is the recall to be Invoked for every little error or transgression of a public offi cer?. If a saloon Is a proper place for any cltixen, it ought to be a suitable resort for a Mayor p visit and even to entertain his friends. If they like that style of entertainment And evi dently the Salem Mayor's friends, or some of them, do like it. That he ovesstepped the bounds as the hour of closing drew on was doubtless due to the enthusiasm of the occasion and n tha eoatinr not nrhollv unnatural. that some latitude was due the Mayor. The Salem Mayor is elected for two years. It will be time enough then for Salem to determine whether it wants another Mayor. The Oregonlan thinks it a mistake to make the recall appli cable for short-term officers of any kind. If the conduct of any such public official should make it advisable or necessary that he be dismissed from, office, the old-fashioned process of impeachment Is still open. But trivial offenses or occasional minor lapses of private conduct do not Jus tify the bitter controversies and pro found agitation of a recall election. The Oregonlan bespeaks for the Mayor of Salem a lenient public Judg ment, and especially the forgiving consideration of Brother Robinson. 1 is not likely to happen again; and worse things far worse have hap pened In Salem without creating great public excitement or bringing' about anybody's recall. We hear that Mayor Lachmund Is making a first-rate Mayor. He Is a good business man. knows what Is good for the city, be lieves In public improvement, and is doing much for the progress and bet terment of tbe town. Advices from the Orient state that the Chinese government has ordered the construction of a number of mer chant steamers In Germany. These vessels are Intended for the trans-Pa-clfic trade and for Australian ser'ice. If the report Is true and China should build up a merchant marine, we would hear a few years hence of the superior wisdom of the Chinese In providing a merchant marine. But let no good American citizen make the mistake of believing that this Government would permit any foreign yards to build ships for the Government or for pri vate citizens. Any attempt to build up a merchant marine by the methods followed by England, Germany, Japan, and now by China, would provoke a roar of disapproval from the ship-subsidy people. The American plan for securing a merchant marine Is to force out citizens to buy ships In the high est markets in the world, which, of course, makes it easy for us tp com pete with cheap ships of other nations. The "sport" Indulged by certain stu dents of the Agricultural College at Pullman, Wash., which was character ized by the recent Invasion of the girls' dormitory In the dead of night and overturning the beds whereon tho inmates were sleeping, is of a type that might have been indulged by Igorrotes or Australian bushmen. Passing all limits of propriety and trenching bold ly upon decency, the conduct of these students la utterly inexcusable. It may be hoped, for the sake of the college that they have thus disgraced, that these youth will be discovered through the Investigation now being made and promptly expelled. The great State of Washington cannot afford to stand sponsor for young men of the hoodlum class. Nor can It afford to permit young women seeking Instruction In a state school to be subject to Indignity of this character. There Is a state school at Chehalls that Is better suited to tb,e tastes and talents of these young fellows than Is that at Pullman. Small colleges In the Central States will receive from Dr. D. K. Pearsons nearly $300,000 In aggregate as a ben efaction of his 91st 'birthday. Dr. Pearsons Is not more noted for his generous donations to religious and educational institutions, in need of help, than for the type of philan thropy that makes a man of wealth his own almoner. His gifts have ag gregated about 15,000,000 all told, most of which has been given to small colleges. These gifts have been in the nature of pledges made from year to year to be fulfilled as his Interests ma tured. These he has regarded In the nature of debts, the last of which will be discharged April 14, his 91st birth day. Dr. Pearsons has derived pleas ure from his benefactions unknown to millionaires who leave to their heirs or executors the task of distributing their wealth. It is a plan to be com mended to men whose wealth is greater than Is good for their heirs at law. . The apparent difference of two thirds of a cent a pound in potato price at Seattle and Portland Is ac counted for this wayr Seattle quotes the selling price by Jobbers and Port land quotes the buying price from the grower. The Puget Sound metropolis Is caloric In all things. A postofllce clerk who stole much money from letters passing through his hands, and who should have known and did know better, received a year in the County Jail. A man who steals a sheep gets more. For a region with a reputation like Oregon, there Is an appalling defi ciency shown In rainfall statistics, 'but old reliable Bull Run is suplying it lo cally. Perhaps the campaign of education will come from the South. Arkansas bars free lunches In saloons and Mis souri says "no seat, no fare." Once there was a man who would not pick up a pocketbook full of money on a day like this because he feared It was a Joke. The vacuum cleaner is suggested as a ready and efficacious means whereby the average man may clear the cob webs from his brain. There are as many styles In auto mobiles as In women's hats. The sim ilarity does not end, there. All cost big money. This is undoubtedly a sporting Na tion, for even women with children In arms stop to look at the baseball bulletins. There Is a lot of good eating in the local markets and some, of It Is within reach of people not millionaires. Developments show the Pullman hoodlums were more or less drunk. That makes the offense worse. The Skagit County rancher who ran amuck is entitled to credit for one good deed. He committed suicide. These Councilmen will tell some thing if they continue. There Is no April foolishness about this weather. Watch the "wise guy" bite today. Even the trout get fooled today. USE OF OIL OX COLUMBIA BAR, Pioneer Tells How Breakers Were Quieted la Days of '59. ALBANY, Or March 28. (To the Ed itor.) In The Oregonlan of March 22 in the items of "Half a Century Ago." appears one giving an account of the good work of the little steamer Santa Cruz, and It brought to mind a little ex perience of my own on the same steam er during the Winter of 1859. I had received word from Victoria, B. C that times were very lively there and that wages for mechanics and la borers were very good. I told this news to Bruce Smith, a young printer, whose father was Sheriff of Linn Coun ty during the early days, and we con cluded that Victoria would be a fine place for us to go to. We took a steam er from Portland. Iam not sure wheth er It was the old Pacific or John L. Stevens, but Connor was the captain. We arrived at Victoria after a very rough passage, and much to our dis appointment found that we were too late to get employment, every available place having been filled by the Cariboo miners, who had come down from the mines to Winter In Victoria and wished 10 make expenses during their ytay. Finding no work in Victoria and hearing that Port Townsend needed workmen, Bruce and 1 took passage on the steamer Eliza Anderson and went to that place. When we arrived at Port Townsend our combined bank ac ount was rather low. After we had counted it over three or four times it Just lacked 6 cents of being 1. Bruce, being a printer, found employment on a iaper at very small wages. I re mained In Port Townsend seven days, but could not find any work to do. Bruce's wages were too small to keep both of us very luxuriously, though up to that time we had not missed a meal at our boarding-house. We were there seven days and had eaten 21 meals each meal was Just like the other, and consisted of bread,- coffee and clams. On the evening of December 21, 1859, Bruce and I were very much rejoiced to see the little steamer Santa Cruz land at the wharf. We learned thai, she was going to Portland. Among her passengers I found my friend. Joe Bach man, an old-timer of Portland, who had been to Victoria with a lot of chickens for sale. He was much sur prised to see me and wanted to know what I was doing there. I replied that I was there for my health, and found that dieting of clams was very bene ficial. The next morning the faanta Crux started for Portland, and through the kindness of Joe, I was one of her passengers. Our trip down the Straits and to the Columbia River Bar was not bad. but the bar was quite rough, in deed. I had often heard of . "pouring oil on the troubled waters." but had never seen it done, although I had had consider able experience at sea, having crossed the Atlantic Ocean three times on sail ships from Liverpool to Boston and New York, and from New York to San Francisco via Aspinwall and Panama. On the morning of the 23d. as we were approaching the bar I was tolking to the first mate, when Captain Staples came aft and. addressing the mate said: "Now, Charlie, you had better get the oil and stand ready to use it when we go into those rollers." Charlie got the can of oil, which did not hold more than a half-gallon, and lashed himself In the stern of the ves sel. As I was very anxious to wit ness fhe calming of those turbulent breaker,, he told me to take a rope and do as he had done, which I very Sulckly did. When the little steamer was going throuBh the breakers they would follow after us and roll up 30 Tact above the stern of the vesse and looked as though they would surely pour into the steamer; but no. Chr lie would be there In time to pour a small stream of oil on the-base of the breaker and it would sink down like a rope of sand. It worked C' and the Santa Cruz was none the worse forhe trip. REASON FOR "PIN MONEY." Once i pon a TuZT Men Gave Their Wives Stlckera- lor Presents. Detroit Free Press. The common, ordinary pin has been quaintly and pointedly termed the em blem of attachment." and it Is a. won der that women ever live without .them, for there Is hardly an hour of the , day when there Is not a need of pins. They hold many of our hats together, and a woman even has been an obstreperous shoe button in place with their aid. ., The ordinary pin was first invented and brought into use about the begin ning of the 16th century, though there were pins made of metal In their pres ent form as early as 1543. In that year an English statute was passed called "an act for the true making of pynnes. which limited their cost not to exceed C shillings a thousand. Previous to this pins were made of boxwood, bone and sliver, but only the rich, of course, could afford to buy these. The poorer classes used pins of common wood, like our skewers. When pins first came into use they were a favorite New Year's gift. Men presented them to the girls of their acquaintance much as they do flowers in these days, or husbands gave their wives an equivalent in money, which was called "pin money." an expression which later on grew to be known as the amount of money which a husband laid aside for his wife for her private expenses. How Long. Do Animals Live? Chicago Tribune. Dr. Chalmers Mitchell, in making in vestigations Into the longevity of the animal kingdom, asserts that only man kind, whales, elephants, eagles and parrots live to be 100 years old. In a recent lecture In the Royal Institution In London Dr. Mitchell presented a schedule of the average prospects of life In lower orders of birds and ani mals, of which a number of his tabu lations are reprinted here: Average Animal ' Elephant l'f Whale Easl Parrot - I'HJ Owl tl Urans-outans. chlmpaniee, swilla 0 Khlnoceroa Crow and raven W I.lona. tlners. bears JO Hnrae. deer JO rattle, sheep -0 Syuirrel - Goo?. duclc 'o Canary -(l Cat - Considering the food of the animal kingdom. Dr. Mitchell says tliat man consumes his weight of food in about six weeks; the lion eats his weight of meat every 60 days. In the main the more highly organized animals are the longer lived, as the doctor shows In comparing the chimpanzee, with 70 years, to man's 100 years, and to the 23-year life in the lower orders of apes. Amenities to Be Observed. Chicago Dally News. Careful study of the grievance felt by the Mexican revolutionists in Lower California discloses, among others, the fact that Cncle Sam will not allow them to come across the border at will and board at American restaurants be tween battles. That may be a delicate compliment to American cooking, but there are some neutrality laws that must be obeyed. The Baseball Season Is On. Washington (D. C.) Herald. First Office Boy How'U you get off for the opening game? You killed your grandmother off last season. Second Office Boy I'll get off to go to grandfather's wedding. What's the matter with the old gentleman getting married again PORTLAND SPIRIT COMMENDED. Visitor Given Tp California Trip and Decides to Remain Here. nnpTT.ivn rroh 29. CTo the Ed itor.) I am glad to be able to give testimony to tne f ortiana spun, which a great deal is spoken in the East, On my way to California I stopped over here for a few days, and the cour tesy and good feeling prevailing In this beautiful city have so Impressed me that I have given up my trip to California and will locate here. Everyone It has been my good fortune to meet, so far, seems absolutely con fident of the progress and continuous prosperity, not only of Portland, but of a . f it? rwffnn OnA zentle- man, who, after being introduced to me. insisted on taxing me 10 see accm-i men In town whom It would be to my Interest to know, summed up the local feeling when I protested against his taking any time from his business by saying, "We here in Fortland consider it our duty to make the newcomer wel come and to feel at home," and I can truly say that In an experience cover ing several years in California and a number of years spent In the Middle West and New York, Portland for courtesy, goodwill and apparent pros perity beats them all. ' CHARLES H. LEHMAN. Phases of Homestead Law. PORTLAND, March 29. (To the Ed itor). Has a homesteader the privilege of leave of absence in the 14 months' residence required? What Improve ments must he make in tho commuta tion period? Are there any marsh land homesteads in Oregon, and if so, where and under what conditions may they be taken up? Can the wife live on a home stead and the husband work in the city to make ends meet, so long as he fur nishes all Improvements required and the homestead is his only home? OREGONIAN. The homestead law requires that a homesteader live on a claim five years; or he may commute in 14 months by paying the required sum to the Govern ment in lieu of the other three years and ten months' residence. It is pos sible' to secure a leave of absence dur ing this time, but if it Is secured this time is not counted and must be made up by actual residence on the land. There Is no specified value given In the law which improvements must reach, a man being required to make only such improvements as are customary in establishing a home. The homesteader must show he Is acting In good faith. Whether or not a man can work in town and have his family living on the homestead depends upon circumstances. If he were acting in good faith in doing this It might not be contrary to law, but if he did not act In good faith, or could not prove that he acted in good faith, he would likely lose his home stead. There are no marsh lands in Oregon which can be homsteaded, so far as we know. A a Man Grows Older As a man grows older two things happen to him. . He grows bald and he grows fat This is nine times out of ten. If he grows neither fat nor bald he attracts com- mThe trouble about the fatness and the baldness Is that each time some one meets him after a lapse of a year or two, that some one is sure to say: "You're getting a little bald, or "You've gained considerably. One can conceal his baldness; he may keep his hat on all the time, and In doors there is the ever-present aid of a wig to be utilized. But fatness refuses to be concealed. It advertises itself when one walks, climbing stairs is a wheezy proposition dancing is an occasion for grief, and when one sits down he has to keep , v.. r.t what ha Is doing or he will spread out fat-man-ically. v,h Dieting, exercise, massage, hot baths nothing stops fat any more than any thing rivets hair in the head after it has decided to quit the Job. Yet moth fatness and baldness might be endured were it not for the folk who do not see one for a year or so Tnd then only see him to tell ifhi m. "You are getting a little bald, or "You've gained considerably. Romance of Cold Water. London Chronicle. Two lovers were strolling along a canal bank on the outskirts of Paris the other day when the woman sud denly ran from her companion and threw herself into the water. Though but a bad swimmer, her companion at once Jumped In to rescue her, but he was unable to do so. and both were in peril of drowning. At this moment a stranger came along, and seeing the struggling couple, bravely Jumped in nd succeeded in bringing both the man and the woman to the bank, where they were soon revived. A cheering crowd assembled to con gratulate the rescuer who. however, showed great reluctance to be lionized. He was quickly walking away when two policemen came on the scene and insisted that the name and address of so brave a man should be taken. Their surprise was great when they found that the gallant rescuer was a burglar for whom the police were anxiously searching. He was taken into custody and will be brought up for sentence. It Is expected that the gallant rescue will lead to his dismissal, or at least to a reduction In any sentence that might otherwise have been passed on him for his less heroic deeds. Rights of Convict. . CASTLE ROCK, Wash., March 28. (To the Editor.) There is a law in the State of Washington which says that an ex-convict cannot enter a saloon, neither can he be served with alcoholic drinks. Now our contention is that a man who has served his time has paid the full penalty of the law. but ac cording to this statute he is forever branded as a felon. Is this constitu tional? . What does a gallon of 85 proof whis ky weigh? A SUBSCRIBER. Traffic in intoxicating liquor is rec ognized as a privilege, not a right. It can be safeguarded by rigid police reg ulations, such as the prohibition of sale to ex-convicts, without infringing on the constitutional rights of the ex-con-virt. Resides this, a man convicted of felony in Washington forfeits his citi zenship. Citizenship is restorea at tne end of the term of Imprisonment only at the option of the Governor. A gallon of 85 proof 'whisky weighs a little under eight pounas. Half a Century Ago From The Oregonlan. April 1, 1S61. A large delegation of the Masonio fraternity went up to Oregon City yes terday to attend the burial of A. E. Wilson. The deceased came to Oregon In 1842 with Captain Couch. The Overland Mail will be carried in 16 days. Postage on all letters passing over this route, 10 cents. Report of district school No. 1. Port land, for the month closing March 29, 1861: Principal George C- Chandler; teachers, & Pennoyer. Miss E. J. Way, Mrs. Mary HensilL Attendance in all departments: Boys. 132; girls, 134; total, 266. Average daily attendance, 214. The late rains have raised the Wil lamette considerably and if there is anj further rise the Oregon City boats will be shut out of the basin. This must prove a serious detriment to the farmers. Timely Tales of the Day Passers-by on Second street one day last week were puzzled by the sight of a business card tacked to the door of a store with a crape bow above it. On the card were the words: "Back in 2f minutes." A little kr.ot of people gathered in front of the store and speculated on the meaning of the card and the sash, which they naturally connected. The first question which agitated the mind of that portion of the public was to which place the man who would be back in 20 minutes had gone the one symbolized by white wings, a harp and a wet cloud or that other place sym bolized by a pitchfork, horns, hoofs. red paint and a leering smile. Why did he wish to come back? The departed one was by general agreement a good citizen, a good husband and good father. Therefore the odds were greatly in favor of his having gone aloft instead of below. This made the problem why he should wish to come back all the more knotty; if he had gone below, the answer would be sim plicity itself. One man suggested a solution by sayinp: "Perhaps he would rather live in Portland than in heaven and made up his mind beforehand to fix St- Peter for a return pass." "Why, of course that's it," said two or three others, and all the others silently assenting, the problem was re garded as solved. "The first time I heard the expres sion I tried to let on that I was wise, but after I -had been hearing "hay burner" every hour or so without get ting the least inkling of what was meant, I confessed to one of our party and asked 'What Is a hay-burner?' " said L Y. Keady, who has just returned from an extensive tour of Central Ore gon. "And then when one of the Redmond pioneers explained that It was one of the big 'freighters' used in moving ma terial, supplies, hardware and products between Shaniko and interior points. I was still as much at sea as ever and I asked the origin of the term. "Finally I learned that it was a sort of expression of contempt for the slow and ponderous vehicles of transporta tion that some automobile man had originally applied in retort to the ex pression 'benzine buggy,' as applied to a motorcar. " 'Hay-burner' refers specially to the custom of stopping at various stages along the route to feed and change horses, but the days will soon be num bered and thousands of dollars which have been invested In the numerous freighting lines will either be a dead loss or will be realized upon at a tre mendous sacrifice. The railroads and the automobile have done all this and now since there are two new railroads piercing the great inland empire, It will not be many months before the 'hay-burner' will be entirely unknown save in the . remotest sections of the state. "There are already hundreds of an-' tomoblles now being used exclusively for stage and livery purposes and the importation of huge motor trucks has already begun. "The per-ton mileage for freight Is not much more than 25 per cent of what it used to be. and the cost of pas senger travel Is cut in half." Postmaster Merrick, as a member 0 the Michigan volunteers, served In tlra Cuban campaign of the Spanish-American war. During the struggle at San tiago he was with his regiment through all of the fighting. He tells a story of Colonel Roosevelt which, he declares, illustrates his peculiar attitude with reference to the red tape of the Army. One day two Rough Riders waiked through the burning tropical sun to the camp at Siboney, a distance of two miles. They gave every evidence of their long walk and seemed exhausted when they approached the commissary department. They made known their wants and stated that they had traveled the two miles in the sun because the "boys" were out of tobacco and they wanted some. They were notified that It was necessary to have an order from a commissioned officer before they could be given the tobacco. This they did not have. "Do we have to walk back the two miles and secure the order?" inquired the two Rough Riders. "That is the rule," said the commis sary officer. The two soldiers walked away crest fallen and going down to the camp met a small man with spectacles and to him told their story. "Come with me," said the man. On approaching the commissary officer he said: "Can you not break .the rules and let these fellows have some tobacco?" "No, sir. the order of the department is imperative and unless they show a written order from an officer they can, get no tobacco," said the commissary orderly. "Well, If that is the case," said Colonel Roosevelt, for he It was, -I want to leave a general order that any Rough Rider coming here for tobacco, that It be given to him without writ ten evidence of any kind or character.' BEST FICTION IS SECURED FOR THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN In tomorrow's Oregonian there will be stories by two of the ereatest of shurt story writers jack Lonaon and E. Phillips Op penheim. "A Thousand Deaths," a weird tale written in the compelling London style will be the first of several stories from London's pen that have been secured by The Oregonian. This will mark the beginning of a great new series, the list of contributors to include Rupert nugb.es, Elliott Flower, George Randolph Chester, Charles Bat tell Loomis, John Kenneth Tur ner, Frank Lillie Pollock, Cleve land Moffett, Frank Bailey Mil lard, Sewell Ford and many others. By way of special articles there is a strong and absorbing account of the last roll-call of the Forty niners, a page study of our mili tary resources, an article on mod ern methods of identifying crim inals and a number of others. Is it really true, as military pessimists aver, that the United States is helpless even against in yasion? An optimistic answer is presented to that question and some disconcerting facts are pre sented to detractors of our capa bility for war. Davenport's "Country Boy" ' serial is completed. "Cap." An son unreels another chapter of his baseball experience. Sambo, Mr. Twee Deedle and the Widow Wise all do new stunts. 1