TITE MORNING OKEGOXIAX. WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 1912. ELGIN GEM CITY III THREE SCENES AT ELGIN. A Remarkable vent at the Emporium AGRICULTURAL EDEN Sale E Come here Wednesday. We invite you to inspect the greatest garment values ever offered in this city. You will be amazed. Growing Eastern Oregon Town Just Awakening to Won derful Resources. COAX More determined than ever are we to clear our racks at all costs. It's the chance of a lifetime savings that are possible here now SUITS Entire stock (excepting Black and Navy Serges) divided into 3 big lots, 1 timers LAND REMARKABLY RICH Lumber Industry ! 1-arjje and Soil Is Adapted for Production of All Varieties of Fruit. Residents FrozreaalTe. BT ADDISON BESNETI. ELGIN. Union County. Ore (con. Jan. IL (otafl: Correspondence.) The ordi nary traveler In passing- tbrouirh Union County to the east or west over the 0.-W. R. 4 N. railway and viewing the Grand Ronde Valley In all of Its wealth and beauty, may think that he has seen all of that wonderful section. But great would be the mistake made by such a supposition. From the point where the Grand Ronde River flows from the canyon of the Blue Mountains, a few miles west of La Grande, to Its confluence with the Snake, not far below Lewis ton, la considerably more than 100 miles. For Ions; stretches of hls dis tance the river winds through deep and heavily timbered canyons. Occasional ly It opens out Into fertile valleys, but for perhaps TO miles of the 100 there la bat a ribbon of lerel land along; the shores of the stream. Read Teaches Vomr Tcwu. Leaving La Grande for the north, on what Is now called the Joseph branch or the above-mentioned road, but whic for many years was known as th L'lgin branch, the route lies across th open country through the little town f Island City. Allcrl and Imbler. Abou Tour miles below the latter place the road enters what may be called the first canyon, which It winds up for flve miles to the little City of Elgin. I said this Is on a trip to the north. rut the road bears almost as much the east as to the north for the first 37 miles, to Rondowa. where It leaves the Grand Ronde and swings off alon the Wallowa River to the southeast ending at Joseph, which is almost da east of the starting point at La Grande. And this letter Is to deal with Elgin. with Its position. Its surrounding coun try. its resources Its explanation for being on the map. For very many years this town was known simply as a lam her ramp. The unthinking Imagined that when the 4.000.000.000 or 7.000.000. 00 feet of lumber tributary to th town had been eaten up by the II or sawmills in the Immediate vicinity, there would be no further reason to maintain anything more than a post orrice on the Elgin townslle. feaatry Belasj Developed. Like all successful communities there were from the very beginning those who saw with prophetic eye a tine city standing on the Ligin townsite. Bu even the moat optimistic did not see the half of the future advantages the embryo city. They could not, for II has taken years to demonstrate the fertility of the soil, to test the climate, determine the annual precipitation above all to learn what are the agrlcul tural products best adapted to the adjacent lands. And not the half these labors have yet been acrorn Vllshed. Every year there Is some new .product shown to be more successful than some one that was supposed t be the best op to that time. New blood Is coming In. new methods are being tried out. new products planted 'or sown. When the land owners find them selves, so to speak, the prices of th lands will be double, treble, perhaps quadruple what they are now. That I why I say this Is a place the land hungry should not overlook. "Let not the reader conclude from these few remarks that Lis In has not found her stride. The people have gone far enonrh to show that they have here a tributary country that Is no only now, but. from the geography the section, must always remain solely theirs. Some 300 square miles, with Klgln lying almost In the center, are so linked to the little city by grades and water courses that their trade will flow here as naturally and continually as the waters flow to the sea. The town Is situated In what la called the Indian Valley, to distinguish It from the Grand Ronde Valley In the I Grande. Union, Imblr. Cove and In tervenlng sevtlons. It takes this name from Indian Creek, a stream flowing In from the southesst. There are three other streams flowing Into the Grand Ronde aa It passes through Indian Val lr. and op each of these streams is found fine arable lands. The citizens assert they have about IS 000 acres of the choicest horttcul tural and agricultural lands suitable for diversified farming. and almost twice that amount of bench lands In their Immediate domain. The latter Is now largely riven to the raising of cereals and potatoes, and there are no better potatoes produced In the world than on these lands. Irrigation Is not necessary on any of these tributary acres, the precipitation here averaging about 30 Inches yearly. ttaew Prefects Crepe. A large amount of this Is snow, which almost universally covers the ground to a depth of several Inches during the cold weather, to protect the crops from the frost and later to melt and sink Into the soil for the nourishment of the vegetation during the Summer months. One peculiarity of this entire section la that scarcely ever do they have any rainfall worthy of moment during the months of June. July and August. But the soli does not need It. II. H. Weath ers poo n. Mayor of the town, and one of the most progressive men here, took me through, over or under a little pile of potatoes. Just a small pile, only 11.000 sacks, which are stored In a frost-proof fruit bouse here In town, end almost all of these were produced on these uplands without -a drop of rainfall from the time the seed was placed In the ground until the tubers were dug. Mr. Weatherspoon Is Just now sorting and grading these pota toes for shipment, and he says those to be sold for table use will bring from 10 to 10 cents more a 100 than any others shipped to the Eaa Francisco market. And this Is a new Industry. Not four years ago three or four wagon loads of potatoes would glut the Elgin market. Three years ago "a whole carload" was shipped at one time "and all Elgin wondered." This year there will be shipments aggregating 7 5 carloads. And the price paid to the growers will average a dollar a hun dred. The varieties grown are the American Wonder and the Burbank. But you must remember even this busi ness Is In Its very Infancy, In Its ex perimental stages. The day before I arrived two car loads of apples were shipped to Ger many, and another car la now being li , v." f -- .... ? 1 hip- ;-r;.-- a V - ' 1 f ABOVE, CITV H ALL CEMTER, VIEW OF TOWN BELOW, ELCIJ SCHOOL. UGH prepared for the London market. These shipments are not sent on consign ment. They are sales made to former rustomers. Fine Aaplee Crown. I rale lit go on and say that Elgin can and does grow as fine apples as any section of Oregon, and keep well within the truth. I need not say that. like all sections, there are certain va rletles here that do not do as well here as In other vicinities: on the otne hand. I could say that some of the best varieties, like the Rome Beauties an Jonathans, come nearer perfection here than anywhere else, because they will remain at their best two months after those of the same "breed" grown in other sections are past their stage of usefulness. Oh. yes: I could preach a lengthy sermon on Elgin's fruit, could tell of enormous yields, wonderful profits and the magnitude the Industry Is reach lng. I might give the dimensions o some of the largest strawberries ever produced grown here In the Indian Val ley. You might question ma It I said ther are the best in the world, and many have been seen that were more than eight Inches in circumference, four of them filling an ordinary quart box. But is not the future of Oregon more dependent upon diversified farm Inr than upon the apple" The Elgin people agree with me on this subject. I know they do, for last night 18 of the leading citizens of the place held banquet at the Sommer House and was an Invited guest. The subject was talked over, and the wise, enterprising and progressive land owners of this section are not going to put all of their products In one basket not by a long shot. The cow and the hog and the potato are not to be simply by-products, with sp pies and other frnlta as the chief In dustry: they are going to diversify, di versify and keep diversifying. They know they ran excel In many products. such as celery, potatoes and straw berries. How many others they do not know, but they are going to find out. And then when, not many years hence. the O.-W. R. N. Is extended down the Grand Ronde to the Snake, giving a water-level haul to Portland, and th Panama Canal is finished, you will find here one of the most prosperous sec tions of Oregon. Laad Prleea "let High. Of all the places I have visited in Oregon I find the land prices ths lowest Wallowa county and here In the Indian Valley. Wheat land that will produce every year (remember there are no off year, no Summer fallow ing) from SO to (0 bushels of wheat an acre Is selling for less than . 175 acre. I would be ashamed to tell you the low prices asked for undeveloped lands Just as good. The shipments by rail from Elgin during the year are approximately 500 carloads of lumber, twice that of logs, a hundred carloads of grain, half much flour counting fruit, pota toes, hay. cattle, hogs and sheep, per haps C000 carloads. The population of Elgin la given by the census as 1120. It is a splendid tttle city. The water system Is good. but must soon be enlarged, the city avlng grown very rapidly in the last two years. The electric light system Is ot city-owned, but the service Is much better than the ordinary, and the prices very low. The city prides Itself on having. as good a school sys tem as there is in the Northwest. The city superintendent. Professor E. O. Bailey, is one of the most efficient In fractors and organizers In the state. The city Is Just now nnlshlnga mu- Iclpal building, a large brick struc ture. SO by 105 feet, two stories, whteh will be a novelty, but a great adver- sicg feature. The-city offices occupy front part, beneath Is the library and hose house, then there are other fflces, and the rear part Is one of the finest little theaters In Oregon. The Sommer House Is one of the best hotels east of the mountains. The pro prietor is R. A. Greene. But this letter must en a. no. How ever, without saying mat t.. it. r iagg s conducting a splendid country week ly .here, the Elgin Recorder. GERMS SPREAD FEAR ti the Labor Federation Condemns Carrying Around Bedding. IMMIGRATION PERIL TOLD Governor's Pentltentlarj Policy In dorsed by State Body In Big; Annual Convention at The Dalles. THE DALLES. Or., Jan. 16. (Spe cial.) Practice of loggera and other workmen carrying their bedding from place to place was condemned today by the Oregon State Federation of Labor, which Is in ninth annual session here, Labor men consider this custom endan gers the health of the people of the state, as it often results in spreading contagious diseases, such as smallpox, scarlet fever, etc. Many of these ail ments, it Is contended, originate in ramps, and are disseminated by work' Ingmen carrying their bedding about. A resolution Indorsing Governor West's policy regarding the admlnlstra tlon of the state penitentiary and con' vlcts wa adopted today. w. J. McConnell, United States Immi gration Inspector and ex-Governor of Idaho, addressed the convention on the perils of immigration. Reports of officers and committees took up much of the delegates' time to day. A public meeting was held to night. State Senator Slnnott and Judge R. R. Butler, of this city, and President Daly and W. H. Fitzgerald, of the Fed eraton. being the principal speakers. WOMAN'S SUFFRAGE APPROVED State Federation of "Labor at The Dalles Is Unanimous In Opinion. W. M. Davis returned Monday from The Dalles, where he presented a reso lution before the State Federation of Labor. In session there. In favor of woman's suffrage. The resolution was unanimously passed. Ofnccis of the Federation asked the locals to support the measure and to work among mem bers and individuals throughout the state in its favor. The resolution as presented was in part as follows: That, whereas, the question of equal suf- fraxe will be placed upon the ballot at the aext election, in November of tills year, in the following form: "In all elections not otherwise provided for by this constitution, every cltlsen of the United States, of the axe of Zl years and upwards, wno snail have resided In the state during the six months Immediately preceding such election, and every person of foreign birth of tbe age of SI years and upwards, who snail have resided in this state during the six months Immediately preceding such elec tion, and shall have declared his or her mention to become a citizen of the united States one year preceding such election, con formably to tne laws ot tne l alien states on the subject or naturalisation, snail oe ntltled to vote at all elections authorized by law": and. whereas. There aoes not appear to oe any reason why women snouid not nave equal rights with men In voting: be It, therefore. Resolved. That tne Mate Federation ot Labor of Oregon, hereby assembled, recom mend, and Indorse the Initiative petition which has been heretofore filed with the Secretary of State, giving women the right of suffrage In tbe State of Oregon; and be It further Reeolved. That this body recommend to every subordinate body in the Ktate of Ore gon, that equal suffrage be Indorsed In the tate of Oregon, and that every voter in he State of Oregon, members of this body. or any subordinate body, ase their utmost FOR $17.50 to $21.50 SUITS You'll be agreeably surprised In these splendid Suits, all this season's best styles, in pretty mixtures of grays or browns. They're genuine bargains. FOR $22.50 to $30.00 SUITS A beautiful lot of the season's most fashionable Suits in novelty mixtures and cheviots in every wanted shade. High-class Suits at the price of the most ordinary. FOR $32.50 to $40.00 SUITS The woman of taste will find this lot very much to her liking. Highest-' grade, beautifully tailored Suits at such a ridiculously low price. $101 $132 $18i Our entire stock in 3 big lots. Come choose your Coat early. FOR $14.75 to $16.50 COATS Smart Coats in plain tailored, polo or fancy styles in a big selection of ma terials, all shades. A mos$ extraordi nary offering. FOR $17.50 to $21.50 COATS At this price we have grouped a won derful lot, every wanted style and color of Coat. They're too numerous to describe here. Just come in and look at them. FOR $22.50 to $30.00 COATS All our highest-grade novelty Coats are grouped at this price. Stylish misses and women should not fail to see them. Navy Serge Suits Entire Stock Less Fur Goats 8121 $141 Half Price $13.50 Satin Dresses, Clean-Up A very charming style of Duchess Satin Dresses, prettily trimmed with pointed collar of contrasting shades. One the very newest models. Sale price only ? $7.75 Big Reductions on Waists $1.35 Tailored and Lin gerie Waists Of pure linens, madras, linene, lawns and batiste in very dainty styles, and exceptional bargains. 90 Cents $4.50 to $6.95 Silk and Net Waists. In very attractive styles of mes salines, taffetas and nets in all shades. A real bargain at Raincoats $9.85 Coats t ? or are now P J,OD $14.75 Coats are now .... $19.50 Coats are now .... $23.50 Coats are now 10.00 $13.35 $16.95 furs at half price efforts, and vote for said initiative ballot at the neit election to be held In November. N. J. Slnnott and Judge R. R. Butler have promised to campaign Eastern Oregon for the cause of suffrage. Salem Seeks Next Convention. SALEM. Or.. Jan. 16. (Special.) Mayor Lachraund today telegraphed an Invitation to the State Federation of Labor meeting at The Dalles to hold Its next meeting in Salem during Jan uary of next year, as the Legislature will be in session here at the time. EUGENE AFFAIRS HALTED University Regents Adjourn Until After Supremo Court Rulings. UNIVERSITY OF OREGON, Eugene. Or., Jan. 16. (Special.) Assured by the respective counsels In the Parklson referendum case, involving the legis lative appropriations for the State Unl veralty, that the completed briefs are about to be filed in the Supreme Court. the University Board of Regents at their regular semi-annual meeting to day adjourned after momentary delib eratlon to meet at the call of Presi dent Campbell. Only the local regents. Friendly. Dixon and Fisher, were pres ent at the meeting. President Campbell is hopeful that the present litigation will have terminated at the end of another month, when he expects to rail the adjourned meeting of the Board. If he final decision is favorable plan will be formulated immediately for th erection of the new buildings, while if the Galloway opinion la reversed emer gency measures will oe outlined to meet the current fiscal needs of the university. of Vancouver, and two sisters, who belong to the order of Sisters of Char ity of Providence. Sister Donalda ar rived Saturday morning from North Yakima, the other. Sister Dominica, Is herself seriously ill in St. Joseph's Hospital. John Steffan was a member of the local council of Knights of Columbus. The funeral will be con ducted at St. Joseph's Catholio Church Thursday morning at 9:30 o'clock and burial will be in the Catholic cemetery. The English 120 languHs. prayer book is printed in GIRL'S FRIENDS ARRESTED Tacoma Academy Student Deceives Parent and Relatives. TACOMA, Jan. 1. According to the police, a charge of kidnaping a 14 year-old girl will be placed against Charles Parkhurst, age 19, a cashier at a vaudeville theater, and Howard Cop pock, age 20, a clerk in a cigar store. The girl, who attends a school in this city, bad been visiting her home In North Taktma. An uncle in South Tacoma received word she was re turning and would visit him before returning to the school. Instead of going to her uncle she went to friends and later attended the theater. The Tacoma police traced the girl to a hotel In this city, where they found ber In a room occupied by Cop pock. The police say Coppock bad tried to conceal the girl. He was arrested, as was also Park hurst. The girl was taken to the home of her uncle. The men will be charged with attempted abduction. CITY MAY PAY OFFICERS Special Election Will Be Held at Grants Pass March IS. GRANTS PASS. Or Jan. 1. (Spe laL) A special election will be held in this city March 15 for the purpose of submitting to the voters three ordi nances, one of which is intended to provide salaries for all city officers. Another proposed amendment by the initiative covers franchise privileges in which a franchise may not be granted without popular expression of he voters, thus taking the entire mat ter out of the hands of the Council. The last proposition is to Issue 180.000 in refunding bonds, by redeeming the outstanding warrant indebtedness. Sawmill Foreman Loses Leg. CAMAS, Wash.. Jan. 16. (Special.) W. C. Bennett, sawmill foreman for the Crown-Columbia Pulp & Paper Com pany, suffered the loss of his left leg today. Mr. Bennett was replacing a belt on an overhead pulley when he lost his footing. His leg was caught be tween a joist and some drive gear and was broken, the knee joint torn open and the leg severed. John Steffan, Jr., Dies. VANCOUVER, Wash.. Jan. 16. (Spe cial.) John Steffan. Jr., 23 years old. a native of Portland, died today at 10 o'clock In St. Joseph's Hospital. He is survived by his father, John Steffan, . viiM "ScUite in Brown Bottles' has a - full, fine flavor which brings to you the taste of trie barley and trie hops. WJW It lias the sfarlde and life due to WMr J J a perfect yeast. r fal Tne freedom from germs snows careful sterilization. 6 It does not cause biliousness or fer- v ment m your stomacli, as it is properly ! ' aged before leaving the brewery. iwr; M"Tie Brown Bottle insures 0 V i - " A " ute protection against the vs ging effects of lignt. v PKonesJMa . (0W . Sfe iV Henry Fleckenstein & Co. fcs'O C " ' .W ' ' 204-206 Second St. V-?- - - MwJS Portland, Ore, V jfw vf - : 7 -l 1 he Beer' That Madfi Miiwaife Famous. See that crown or cork is branded "Schlitz"