TTTE-" MOttXTNO OREGONIAN, THURSDAY, ArRIL 4. 1913. 10 rOBTLAKTK MOOH. r.nt.rad at Portland. Oregon. Pot office frcond-c flatter. . . Subscription Katee Invariably la Adirese. (BT MAIL.) li;y. Sunday Included, on year I'Bi.y. Sunday Included, si months.'... !::. Sunday Included. thre month.. -J I'al.y Sunday Included. oo month.... Ii:y. without Sunday, on yar I ... r. wti flout Sunday. i month- Iat:y. without Sunday. thr n-.oo.tn.. I-air. without Sunday. on monto "lso Weekly, on year ........ bund, out year a'a Sunday e4 Weekly, on re' (BT CARRJta) Ial!y. Sunday Included, ono year...... . Dai.y. Sunday Included, on month. H a. aVsmrt Send Poet o ffl c. TO d.r. uprm order or pronai ""c".!, . are lacal bank. Stamp, col. or """'j---, at th. adr-s rl- Give poatolflo adore In fu.l. including county and Stat. rtaa ataucav 18 to 14 PM-. ' to 2S pa,. cent. to o page. to u pa-. 4 auta JTora.n doabl rat. . Esw Boat Oirir--V.rTa Cooa I:b M Tors, BrUMWkH bulldln. Viu cago, fetr building. t-arap OoTee No. Regent re. w.. Loodoo, rORTLASD. TBXR8DAT. AFBIL 4. THE CUT Or FRAII. Anti-Taft leaders are trying to take a ay the stln. of defeat In New York by raisin; the cry of 'raud and by vague talk of a bolt at the National convention. Roosevelt denies any In tention to bolt, but continues his charire that the news of his campaign has been suppressed by the New York paper, and charges that "the men who had Mr. Taffs Interests In New York In their keeping In the most barefaced manner, cheated the people out of their right to as. honest vote. What basis is there for this cr) or suppression of news? Simply the fact that as much space was not given to the Colonel s speeches as he desired. He became accustomed to verbatim reports when he was President and expects as much attention now that he Is a private cltlsen. What basis is there for the charge of fraud at the primaries? Only the fact that the law proved unworkable and that In some precincts the ballots did not reach the polling places In time for an election, while In others they did not arrive until near the time of closing and that In those districts rto persons had an opportunity to vote except those who happened to be present -when the ballots arrived. This blundering shut out Taft votes as well as Roosevelt votes. The Taft major ity was so overwhelming In districts w here there was a full vote that there Is no reason to believe the result would have been materially different In the districts where this blundering pre vented a full vote. Even the New York Globe, a ram pint Roosevelt sheet, concedes that Taft has a fair majority In New York Cliy. saying: In th circumstances th return or not rf rreat value. There Is no doubt. however, that In Manhattan and tb Bronx, whrr n.arlv half the enrolled Republican ot th-irvote recorded In th pnmarM. a very flridd leaning to President Taft wa mown. Th fart that th organisation l fr Mm account for some part of thla Th half that voted do not neceeearlly apeak f..r th baif that aLayed away. Th new irtmary law cornea far ohort of opening th way to a fro eapreaelon of opinion. verthela. making due allowance for ll tliee clrcumstancea. It mall now be con reded that a majority of th strictly party r.-n on Manhattan Ialaad prefer Taft to Kooeevelt. The actual conditions are well eummed up by the Boston Transcript in these words, which are in harmony with the facts as stated In a special dispatch from New York to the Bittl more American: Wherever th people not th ballot, wherever th machinery of election worked amoothly. th will of th Republican vot er waa aa a who! unmlatakably recorded In favor of th renomlnatlon of the Preat dent. rjlaadvantaaea worked against on Id aa well aa th other. Taft men. Ilk Itoovlt men. had to go ballotlea In pre rlncta wher delivery of tb official bal lot did not take place or waa greatly de layed. But. after all allowance! ar made. It era a af to aay that In Greater New York, of tb vot caat. Taft sot two to very on thrown for Roosevelt, and up tat th ratio waa ven larger. Th aentl ment of New York waa expressed very plainly, for It la highly Improbable that enough prclncta war overlooked In th li.trlbntlon of tb ballot to bar materially affected th general reaolt. The only conclusion to be drawn from the cry of fraud is that despite his fame as a sportsman. Roosevelt is poor loser. The Brooklyn Eagle hits hhTt off to a "t" when it says: Of course, the Colonel ha beeo tricked, told out. betrayed, bambooxled and black larked by th organlxed gangatera In atat JtapobllcanUnn. We know thla muat b o becaua he paid aa much hlmeelf on leav ing for Chicago yeaterday before th reault at th poll could b announced, but when dlaaater aa already evident to himaslf and to hla campaign manager. Wherever a tato fight la loat tb defeat In Itaelf la yrima farl .vldene of fraud and violence. The New York Evening- Sun thus disposes of the Roosevelt cry of fraud: Aa to th -wicked fare" in thl city yea terday. th erte of fraud began long before tb dlaaatar and ar now. of eoure. at their height. No on I deslrou of defend ing th direct primary law under which th vot vraa taken, and nobody pretenda that th handful of voter who voted yeaterday wa th Dttr Republican electoral of th city. Bat there la on fact standing forth tn yaterdr fix urea which no on can eecap. That la that th great popular up rtetng ta thl city new budged an lncn. Only 16.000 patriot and freemen In a county of million! A d knowing. Indeed, and only tb Inpadence of deanatr could maintain the prevent groteqn talk of "rob berv" and "fraud." The Indianapolis News expresses the same opinion of Roosevelt's crv of fraud when it ra: Of eoure h dlapute the 'Verdict, aa h would dteput any verdict that a aa not la hla favor. But It will aland, aa It dreenre to atand. This disposition to c't-spute the popu. lar verdict when it goes against him was displayed by Roosevelt at Chicago th day after the New York primaries and the Indianapolis convention and hla perch In that city was generally interpreted by the Chicago newspa pers as a threat to bolt. That Roose velt's backers are disposed to bolt and organise a new party under his lead ership Is recognized at political head Quarters in Washington, for the cor respondent of the Boston Transcript eas: Thee men. bv vupportlng Rooeevelt In the preeent campaign, have rauavd a break In the Republican party which will b hard to mend. Th tacUca of the Rooeevelt roan -agr have mad It evident that thy d p"t want thla break mended. They bellev Rooeevelt to be ac great a personality that once he la toot fre of th obligation of party and of party diaclplln h will rally to himself the radleala of both part lea. along lth enough Rooeevelt conservative t leav en the a hole lump and that out of thla conglomeration will come a new move Such statements as this and Roose velt's Chicago speech caused the ques tion to be put to him point blank at St. Louis whether he would bolt If not nominated. He replied: Any atatement Ilk that (that he would bolt l la untrue. Any tlrn 1 bar anything to aay on that subject. I will aay It myself, and anvthlng purporting to come from me. vnlea I aay It myself, la a fake. But the same men who Induced htm to become a candidate after he had repeatedly protested that he would not be one are now trying to Instill the third party Idea Into him. He may yield to them again. THE OVERXOBJ). The overlord of the Oreon people addresses them In an Imperial speech from the throne: You arc now on trial, not I. It Is up to you to dcmonielrate whether joa have) the lntdllirencc to rwognlie and appreciate fc-ood public service by retaining public wrvants who make good. I am sure of myself, says Senator Bourne In effect, but I am mighty doubtful about you. I place you on trial. I am Judge. Jury the whole court. If you find for me, you are intelligent; If you find against me, you are not Intelligent. You are fit to rule if you re-elect Bourne; you are not fit to rule If you do not re-elect Bourne. The Oregon system is all right, so long as its perfect product Is Bourne; It is not all right when it exercises Its option to choose some other than Bourne. Does Bourne own the Oregon system ? REFORMED BCT OT REPENTANT. Again, this time In the official pam phlet, compiled under authority of the corrupt practices act. Senator Bourne claims to have originated the Idea of a Presidential primary. Again, he tells what caused him to devote the power of his fertile brain to devising this bulwark of liberty. It was the suc cessful machinations of one T. Roose velt that harrowed the pure and sensl. tive nature of Oregon's Senator. "Having seen the manner In which the President was able to dictate the nomination of his successor, by the control of Southern delegates through the influence of Federal patronage, I originated the idea of a Presidential primary." says the "Information fur nished by Jonathan Bourne. Jr.," In the aforementioned pamphlet. There Is an old axiom about politics and strange bedfellows. . Everybody has heard It. Roosevelt, whose domi nation of the South through Federal officeholders so shocked Senator Bourne that he devised a preventative against repetition, now seeks space on the Bourne couch. He even seems to be trying to grab for himself the whole primary coverlet. In this connection we find these stirring words, written for Colonel Roosevelt by Senator Mul key. In the same pamphlet: "The rebellion of a boss-ridden con stituency against the dictatorship of a few Individuals has resulted In a pro gressive movement for" popular gov ernment. Freedom of choice through the direct primaries will bring about representative government, and will sound the death knell of the present convention system, where everything is cut and dried and the strings are pulled by political bosses." Of course nobody wants to deny the Colonel the right to reform his-ivays. but In the circumstances It does seem that either a denial of Senator BouKne's charges or a contrite admis sion of their truth embellished by a few words of repentance would be most appropriate. KHAIX OR EOfCATlON? In the course of an article on "The Courts and the New Social Questions" in the Green Bag for March, Edward Q. Keasbey, of the New Jersey bar. makes some pertinent observations on the recall of Judges. After noticing that the recall would unavoidably im pair the respect of the people for the courts, he goes on to say that the plan, as Its advocates admit. "Is only a last resort and only to be Insisted upon be cause the judges by their training and tradition cannot accept the new con ceptions of liberty and property and the power of the majority to make the laws." Mr. Keasbey believes that the prop er remedy for this incongruity Is a change In the state of mind of the Judges Instead of the recall. Give the judiciary a psychology .which Is in harmony with the spirit of the times and who would ever want to recall them? "The true remedy." In Mr. Keasbey's own words, "Is rather for courts and lawyers to keep themselves In touch with the facts of life as they are." This would Indeed cure every thing that Is complained of If it could only be done, but can It? Can lawyers keep themselves In touch with the facts of life as they are? Perhaps they can, but it is quite certain that they never have. Wher ever In the course of history we come upon lawyers we find them the same traditional, reactionary, blindly grop ing body that they are now. Their eyes are fixed upon the past and their ears are closed to the call of the fu ture. Precedent was Just as dear to the pupils of Lycurgus at ancient Sparta as it Is to our American trust attorneys. When Justinian set his committee at work to get the laws of Rome In decent order, the lawyers had plied up whole palaces full of prece dents and every one of them staggered under a burden of dead and gone formulas. Shallow technicality de frauded the Romans. of justice exact ly as It does us. Bacon fought out the battle for reform with Coke, the dis ciple of tradition, and lost it. Almost every statesman of genius who had the pwer to do it has under taken to revise the law, no matter what country he happened to live in, and the law has always needed revi sion. No doubt It always will until we discover some way to give Its practi tioners a living education instead of a dead one. kri:r a.wxrican in the i mted KTATEJ. Congress has at last awakened to the necessity of taking some steps to check the tide of emigration from the United States to Canada. The argu ment in favor of the three-year home stead bill which appealed most for cibly to Eastern members was the fact that In the year 1910 this migration totaled 125.000 and that the emigrants took with them about 1 125,000.000 to start their new homes In Canada. That country Is gaining population at the rate of 1000 a day. while the border states are yearly losing thousands of people and Iowa has had a net loss of population In the last census period. The explanation is the difference In the treatment accorded settlers on Government land in the two coun tries. Canada holds out the hand of welcome to them, has liberal land laws and gives them every aid and encour agement In making a start. The United States Imposes on homestead ers arduous conditions which exclude practically all except small capitalists, regards them with suspicion and has special agents dogging their steps. Settlers are likely to have their claims contested and to be kept in Ignorance of the grounds of the contest until too late to make an adequate defense. This condition exists, too, at a time when the whale Nation has become alive to the necessity of turning the tide of population back from the cities to the farms and of Increasing the proportion of food-producers to food consumers. By reducing the period of residence on a homestead from five to three years and by granting the settler five months' leave of absence each year, the three-year homestead bill will In crease the Inducement to settle on the public domain and stay the migra tion to Canada., A change In the Land Office regulations whereby a settler will have the same chance to know the charges and the witnesses against him as has a defendant In a court of justice in fact a change In the entire attitude of the Land Office to the set tle! will still further aid In keeping Americans In the United States. KOCIAUSM AND ITS AXTIDOTE. The best cure for Socialism Is to try It. Milwaukee, has tried It for two years and emphatically says It wants no more. The Montana cities have done likewise. The Socialist party has grown and thriven on the beauteous perfection of Its theories and the loud ness of Its voice. When the theories are applied to the practical affairs of life they evaporate into the superheat ed atmosphere of which they are com posed, and the voice Is lost. Mayor Seidel promises to recover the voice, but he cannot recover the, confidence in . his theories that has been de stroyed. Whenever in future people are in danger of becoming inoculated with the Socialist delusion, it will be necessary only to say, "Remember Milwaukee." and the Imperiled mental balance will be restored. But the sane voters must adopt not only curative, but preventive measures against Socialism. That theory owes Its vogue to the inequity of existing laws. or. when laws are Just, to the Impotence or indolence of the officials entrusted with their enforcement. The exactions of the exorbitant tariff, the supineness with which great monopo lies have been allowed to grow up In defiance of . law. the squandering of the public domain, the reckless giving away of franchises, and the perversion of the Governmental machinery to the service of these Interests instead of that of the people have bred discon tent. Socialism is mainly this discon tent organized. It has thriven and flourished on the wrongs which it professes to be able to redress. The task to which the Republican party has set itself Is the removal of the excuse for socialism by bringing back the law and Its administration Into harmony with Justice and equality of opportunity. The abuses which have recruited the socialist party are all departures from that principle of Individualism on which the American republic Is founded. The completion of the work of reform which was be gun by President Roosevelt and which has been continued and expanded with redonbled vigor by President Taft. will bring us back to that principle, and will dissipate the forces of social ism by depriving them of the food they feed on. JOHN ARnUCKLK. The death of John Arbuckle re moves from the world a picturesque and significant figure. He died the other day full of years and honors and worth Just how many millions nobody knows exactly, but It was a good many. The beauty of his career Is that pretty nearly all his money was made honestly as trade goes. Very little of it comparatively was actually s'nlen and that little waa lifted from the Government, which can well af ford to contribute some small pick ings to the fortunes of Its great Indus trial captains. Arbuckle's trifling pec cadilloes pertained to the sugar Indus try. He became an importer of this staple In competition with the Have meyer Trust and was almost as a matter of necessity led to follow trust methods In dealing with the Govern ment. A neat little device had been arranged at the New York Custom House, as the reader will remember, whereby It was simple and easy tjO underwelgh sacks of sugar from for eign parts. With the connivance of th customs officials the trust gar rered a comfortable harvest by this trick. Ultimately it was found out and the thieves were obliged to dis gorge a small part of their thrift, some $2, 000, 000, but a mysterious rise in the price of sugar to the consumer fol lowed hard upon this calamity and the persecuted trust was thus provlderri tially enabled to replenish Its coffers. The Arbuckle firm were Innocently caught In the wiles of the knaves at the New York Custom-House and wealth to the amount of some $600, 000 waa thrust upon them without their knowledge or consent. At least this was the sum they turned over to the Government when the exposure was made. How much more they blindly accumulated through the sins of their wicked subordinates nobody will ever know. Let us hope for the sake of John's soul that it was not very much because the Judges In the next world are apt, ss some say, to neglect the fine distinction between agent and principal which is so Impor tant here. Qui faclt per a! him faclt rer se Is said to be applied far more rigorously In the courts of heaven than In our terrestrial tribunals. But It Is ungracious to dwell too emphati cally upon the one conspicuous short coming of so good a man as John Ar buckle. If he defrauded the Govern ment he defrauded nobody else, so far as the records show, while he did val orous service in many a righteous cause. For example, he brought the great Sugar Trust to its knees and made the omnipotent Havemeyers beg roundly for mercy. St. George's slaughter of the dragon was a petty feat compared with this. The tale ought to be told In lofty rhyme for the consolation of future generations who will no doubt look back to the days when there were no trusts to rob them as we regard the vanished Eden of Adam and Eve. In modest prose we may say that the glorious struggle began over sugar In five-pound packages. From such small sources flow mighty rivers. Ar buckle had out of the wealth of his fertile genius invented a machine for putting up coffee In packages for sale to the bibulous public. Coffee was his Joy and pride. He had already grown opulent importing and selling it at that time, but he naturally desired to become more opulent. Hence the packages, warranted to be up to the mark in every respect and seductive beyond all description to the house wives of America. Why not use the same machine to dole out sugar? No sooner said than done, and In a short time behold the Arbuckle firm flood ing the land with sealed paralleloplp edons of sugar, whose contents of course they had to buy of the trust. Naturally the trust looked wiLh en vious gaze upon the Arbuckles' sugar business. It waa nothing less than a lawless invasion of a field which had been pre-empted by the Havemeyers and something had to be done to pun ish the trespassers. The punishment took the form of a sally Into the do main of coffee by the Havemeyers. They began to import the fragrant berry and sell It at prices which cut the profit terribly low. Arbuckle re taliated by erecting a sugar refinery and offering the product at half a cent above the cost of raw sugar. In the course of the war It is said that the .combatants spent some 125,000, 000, or appeared to spend It. It stands to reason that they presently took an opportunity to assess the expense of the war upon the meek public, but whoever paid the bill the size of it 1s imposing. The strife ended, as most strife does. In a compromise. Ar buckle received from the trust per mission to refine 6000 barrels of sugar a day, while the Havemeyers with drew from the coffee business. White winged peace reigned once more In th: world of high finance and the great industry of plundering the con sumer was quietly resumed by both parties to the conflict. There are other achievements to Arbuckle's credit besides the conquest of the sugar trust. He had a heart as big as his bank account. It is said that one snowy day in January when he was about to ride home from his office sumptuously In his carriage he saw a group of weary women leaving his mill door to plod knee deep through the drifts to their hovels. Soft-eyed Pity took possession of his soul and he sent the carriage to carry them to their dwellings one after the other while he waited in his office. It was an hour and a half before he got away. We dare say the recording angel dropped a tear on the story of the customs frauds when he heard of this deed and blotted It out forever, as he did Uncle Toby's oath long be fore. . John Arbuckle bought a farm to which he Invited worn working peo ple from the cities to disport them selves on the grass and pluck flowers in the dewy twilight. He had a ship on which he took working girls sail ing when the vigor of life had been squeezed out of them In the New York sweat shops. He did many other deeds of this kind which turn Into diamonds and pearls when the news of them reaches the sky. He was one of those Scotch-Irish boys who have done so much to make America a tjountry worth living In. Pittsburg was the town where he settled In his boyhood and went to school and Andrew Car negie was one of his schoolmates, but Pittsburg and Carnegie combined could not spoil him and he lived to become a benefactor of his kind of the grand old-fashioned sort. He was not too good to sin. but he loved vlr ture. There never was a better fighter, but he preferred peace and the great est of his Joys was doing good. Roosevelt Is not Indorsed even by the university from which he gradu ated Harvard. The Boston Globe, expecting a result favorable to him, took a straw vote, which gave Taft a large plurality and almost a majority over all other Republicans. The re sult was: First Second Candldale Cbolce. choice. Total. 1 W. H. Taft 7X3 SSH 1.1 1 2 W. yilson '- 18 3 T. Roosevelt efS 27H 7tW 4 R. M. La Follette.. r2 IMS 'JB5 6 J. Harmon S3 INI 6 O. W. Underwood.. 87 IBS 2'IU 7 C. E. Hughes 43 112 C. Clark - - 18 B E. V. Deba ON 2. S3 It) A. B. Cummins ... T 22 2 11 W. J. Bryan 7 12 1 12 E. N. Koss 5 0 10 The water which Is now devastat ing the Mississippi Valley will be needed next Summer, long after it has been swallowed in the ocean, to Irri gate the farms of the arid West. Con servation would Impound these flood waters In the mountains, prevent or minimize the floods and turn the wa ter loose as it is needed. Not only Is the water worse than wasted while scattering ruin, but it carries away with it a great part of the most fertile soil, never to be recovered. Probably Just such Improvidence has made a desert of the once fertile and populous valleys of the Euphrates and Tigris. Roosevelt's cry of fraud In the New York primaries has provoked the usual scorn for a poor loser in the Eastern papers. The following from the Worcester, Mass., Telegram Is a sample of their comment: If the people but get a chance to vote for delegates at primaries upon a ballot 14 feet long, they were sure to vote for Teddy. It was said. Th people did vote the 14-footer and they voted eight to one for Taft. The people ar unfriendly to th people. The people were bought by malefac tors. The people will now b recalled, along with the Judges. Indiana and New York people ar Mollycoddles, but they know how to hammer braes. The frequent deaths which have heretofore been attributed to over worked brains must now be accounted for In some other way If we may trust Professor Mills, of Pennsylvania. "Brain work does no harm," he de clares. No doubt it is overworked stomachs which do a good deal of the mischief. This abused organ, laboring hand In hand with an underworked conscience, will bring almost any man to an untimely grave. The "Men and Religion" movement Is about the most practical undertak ing In the religious world that mod ern times have seen. Its admirable freedom from tradition and theory is apparent everywhere. It strikes bold ly Into practical life. In Denver It Is agitating for eugenic marriage. Verily in the religious world some of the former things re passing- away. Mr. Bryan emphatically tells his friends his name must not go on the primary ballot; but about the fourth day at Baltimore well, that will make another story. The Scott expedition has found two kinds of wingless Insects In the Ant arctic. The old-tlmj whaler always found 'em In the Arctic. A Callfornian has found dog oil a genuine cure for consumption. It j might loosen a barking cougn. Wisconsin stood pat for her favorite son. It would be a mighty poor com monwealth to do otherwise. . Two super-dreadnoughts of the Ca nadian navy will be great help when the time comes. A man has found a way to grow four-leaf clover, and the charm is dis pelled. The "honor" man who escapes Is al ways a "good dog" after recapture. Let us hope the rain will have run j out before Easter Sunday. Stars and Star-Makers By Leone Cam Baer. Larry Keating, of Keating & Flood's Musical Comedy Company, leaves Port land for Spokane on Saturday, to be present at the opening of his company in the American Theater In that city. This organization is Identically the same in principals that has played since the opening of the season at the Lyric Theater here. They call the Spokane company the Number 1 not so named In point of excellence, but to distin guish it from the Rice & Cady com pany, now on its second week at the Lyric, and which is called the Number 2 company. e e e Ida Adair, who was leading woman with the Baker Stock Company last season, closes her present engagement In leads with Thurston Hall at the Garrlck Stock Theater In Salt Lake next week. Miss Adair's husband, Wal ter Gilbert, is light comedian with the new B-Ver Stock Company. . a e Bennett Southern, who took neneral. character roles in George L. Baker's first stock company in Portland, will be with Katherlne Grey and company in "Above the Law" at the Orpheura in a fortnight. Mr. Southern remained with the Baker Stock Company for three seasons. A peculiar gift that adapts him particularly for character roles Is that he has three voices. Mr. Southern changes his speaking voice from basso to two higher ranges at will. His ordinary speaking voice is shrill. e e e The Ferris Hartman Company closes Its engagement In Los Angeles on April 6, and begins a tour of the Pa cific Coast late In the season, paying a lengthy visit to Portland via the Bak er Theater, after the stock season is ended. e e e Next Monday the Armstrong Musical Comedy Company, once of Portland, will begin an indefinite engagement at the Grand Theater in Los Angeles. Principals of the organization are Ed Armstrong, Will Armstrong, Ethel Davis, Gus "Leonard, Eddie Mitchell, Clara Howard, Hazel Wilson and Minnie Rhoades. eve William C. Dowlan, who played a brief season as leading man at the old Portland Theater here when Dad Rus sell, of Seattle, had a stock company there three years ago, has opened with the Belasco players In Los Angeles as leading man, replacing William Gibson, e e e Max Flgman. who played a season of stock at the Helllg last Summer, and who Is now in the role of a heroic journalist in Oliver Morosco's play, "The Truth Wagon," has now appeared in a new role, according to his sworn and attested statement In last week's Dramatic Mirror. Here It is in all Its startling effect. For three days last Summer Mr. Flprman asserts that he enjoyed the distinction of being held prisoner by Floyd -Allen, who curiously enough transported him to Sldna Allen's home and to Devil's Den. the very places which were destined to have even greater fame thrust upon them. A con densed version of Mr. Flgman's thrill ing narrative is appended. "In Roanoke last year a gentleman told me there was very good hnunting In the Blue Ridge Mountains and sug gested he and 1 take a two weeks outing after my season closed, fao. in Julv, we entered the quiet, peaceful little town of Hillsvllle, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains. My friend, being well known there, had a letter to Sheriff Lewis Webb, who was very kind to us; he showed us through the jail and courthouse. Although Sheriff Webb and others warned us that we might be mistaken for Internal reve nue officers by members of the Allen family and that it was possible they would deal harshlv with us until they found out our Identity, we left Hills vllle the next day in good spirits. About noon at the house of Floyd Allen we stopped to ask if we could get some dinner. Floyd Allen himself put our horses In the stable and then accom panied us to the house. After a good dinner, we asked for the bill, and were told there was nothing due. Thanking our host, I asked him where we could find the best hunting. He answered all of my questions courteously, so you can Judge of our surprise, when, as we turned to go, Floyd Allen picked up a Winchester rifle, leveled It at us, and said, "Throw up your hands, you hounds!" . "Up went our hands. Then bldna Allen and his sons, Victor and Claude Swanson Allen, and his nephews, Iriel Allen. Sidna Edwards and Wesley Allen rode up. It seems Floyd Allen had sent for them soon after we arrived. To them Floyd Allen remarked he had two Internal revenue officers whom he thought It best to kill on the spot. "After a conference, the Allen boys set out for Hillsvllle to investigate the story we told, while we were put on our horses and taken to a large mansion some distance away, which was the home of Sidna Allen. In the house, which is really a beautiful three-story structure, we had to stand while the Aliens and their friends ate supper. After they had finished, we were marched to a corn crib, where we slept on bare boards all night. Early the next morning we were again ordered to mount our horses and, after a three hours" ride, came to a large cave which we afterwards learned was called Devil's Den. , "The cave Is really a natural fortress, well guarded by huge and Insurmount able rocks. From its mouth, a large corridor extends some distance Into the mountains to an opening which forms a room containing a spring of water. Here we were kept for two days under ?-URrd, until word was received from illlsville that we were not Internal revenue officers. At the point of rifles we were ordered out of the mountains, and we went." . , , , Were Mr. Flgman not a truthful Jour nalist on the stage, one might almost but then, truth is said to be stranger than fiction, and sometimes is as en tertaining. , A diminutive beauty Is Eugenie Le Blanc real, not stage name who is soubrette with the Lyric Musical Com edy Company. This is her fist visit Coastward, and she gave up a place with one of Joseph Gaite"s Broadway productions to make the trip. She's such a tiny little maid It s difficult to imagine she has big ambitions, but she has. She "wants a company all her own some day." e e As one of the attractions next month at the Helllg will come Margaret Anglln. She recently appeared In the Henry Arthur Jones play, "Lydla Gil more." but It scored a failure in New York. Therefore she revived her suc cessful comedy of the previous season, "Green Stockings." and It Is In that play that she will come here. H. Reeves Smith will be her leading man. e e e William Faversham, accompanied by his wife. Julie Opp. will play a brief engagement at the Helllg Theater next month in "The Faun." a comedy satire by Edward Knoblouch. author of Otis bKlnner's play, "Kismet." The author has lifted his leading character, the faun, from the very cradle of nature and placed It In the lap of modern civilization. The faun then rebels at the artificiality around him and begins a campaign to revolutionize things. STEAM AXD ELECTRIC RAILWAYS Cost of Two la Not Comparable, De clares Correspondent. PORTLAND, Or., April 3. (To the Editor.) Some of our fellow citizens seem very much wrought up because Mr. C. M. Clark, chairman of the board of directors of the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company, was good enough at a recent dinner given him by his friends at the Arlington Club, to divulge some interesting lpforma tion regarding his company; and be cause he was wise enough to with hold other facts which belonged to him and his business associates, and were none of our business. I quote the following from a recent communication in The Oregonian: From a published atatement made three days ago, Mr. Clark admits that his com pany has Issued and there is now outstand ing a bonded indebtedness on his property of S34.0O0.OOO and that the stockholder have paid 1.25,000 on their $25,000,000 of stock and that this stock la receiving from tho people of Portland per cent annual divl denda on water and all. There la ther, ac cording to this statement, a stock: and bond Hen against the property of this company of .-9.000,000, for which the people of Port land have" to dig up dividends upon. That la a big pile of money and goes farther in explaining the high cost of living than the monthly grocery bill. But is Mr. Clark's statement reasonable? A railroad for all the usea and trade of Central Oregon can be constructed and equipped all over Cen tral Oregon for 30,000 a mile. At that price the outatanding stocks and bonds of trie Portland Railway. Light A Power Com pany will build, equip and put in operation a nrst-clasa railroad from Portland, Oregon, to Kansas City. Missouri. Is Mr. Clark's statement believable ? The writer seems to me to have made a ridiculous comparison. Sup pose a railroad can be constructed and equipped all over Central Ore gon for $30,000 a mile, and allow that the $59,000,000 Invested in the Portland Railway, Light & Power Company would build and equip a railroad from Portland, Or., to Kan sas City, Mo., our good roads enthu siasts will tell us that very few miles of this distance is hard surfaced; and there is a marked difference be tween the cost of laying a few ties and stringing a couple of rails over a prairie country and building a road bed along' city streets and paying one half of the cost of the street improve ments. There is a difference too be tween operating a few trains daily over several thousand miles of road and maintaining a five to 10-minute service over 40 or more lines all cen tering in a small radius in the busi est section of the city; avoiding con gestion and catering to fully 100,000 people a day. , This correspondent says, referring to Mr. Clark's address: It would have been far more sstisfactory to the readers of The Oregonian, his pa trons and supporters. If he had given the public some Information, some real facts about the cost of electric light and power at Portland. I suppose if I were employed to audit the city or county books it would be very satisfactory to the pub lic If I should publish Just what it cost me to perform the work, and how much money I made on the Job. What the public is Interested in Is what the work costs them and no: what I made on it. The power and light using pub lic the traveling public, is interest ed in what it costs them for power and light, in what It costs to ride In a streetcar from their home to the office. It is Interested in knowing that when it rides three to six miles to the office for 5 cents, when 6 o'clock comes they can get back home on payment of 5 cents more. It Is none of their business whether the company pays 2 cents or 4T cents to supply this service. "If power for manufacturing pur poses can be supplied tn Ottawa, Can ada, at $10.40 per horse power per annum, and the local company pro poses to furnish it at a higher rate, why don't some of these dissatisfied members of our community organize a company and enter Into competition with them; or why does not the munic ipality operate its own plant? Surely either of these propositions would, be a big money maker because this cots respondent shows what an enormous profit there is in the business. Now as to the "stealing" all the elec tric energy and the water power of the Sandy and Clackamas Rivers; this electric energy and water power has been here for centuries, in fact has been going to waste for centuries, and the laws of our Government have pro vided that you could file upon It, or I could file upon it. or anyone else could have It, by simply going through the necessary formalities. Who Is to blame, then. If the public goes to sleep and stays, asleep while this corporation steps In and files its claim and puts millions of dollars into the develop ment of power and turns around and rouses the public from its nap, and of fers to sell lts product to It. You and I and the public at large who have been asleep are to blame. These gentlemen were clever enough and far-sighted and awake enough to see the value of this wasted energy, and credit is due them for harnessing this power and putting it Into market able and serviceable condition. "Give the devil his due." GEO. T. MURTON. Skyscrapers and Skyline. PORTLAND, April 3. (To the Ed itor.) It is a matter of gratification to those who advocate skyscrapers to find that question Is arousing public senti ment and will become an Issue in the city. I refer particularly to the arti cle in The Oregonian, March 31. Without repeating what was said previously on this subject, I would still beg the privilege of further comment. Taking up the question of a uniform sky line, it would appear very doubtful if this matter would work out auto matically In view of the present ordi nance restricting, as it does, the height to which a building may go. Rather It would be better to revoke the ordi nance, thus leaving a fair field to both the opponent and friend of the high structure. To those who declare skyscrapers do not bring the best returns on tlie In vestment, I would present two items: The most valuable parcel of ground In New York City. Broadway, at Wall street, 30x40 feet, improved with an 18 story structure. In Portland. Or., south east corner of Washington, at Sixth street. Improved with a 12-story build ing. In regard to congestion, any one who has given this subject study knows that it is the soul of values. Therefore, re voke the ordinance and remove the ban on enterprise; then time would show how capital and business would regard this question. C. R. DANNELLS. 923 East Seventh street, North. PORTLAND. April 3. (To the Edi tor.) If dealer In bridge whist makes clubs trump, opponent on left "is satis fied." then dealer's partner makes hearts trump, then opponent on right Is also satisfied, can the dealer then an nounce "no trump"? A SUBSCRIBER. Llcenses to Wed. PORTLAND, April 3. (To the Edi tor.) Kindly tell me what age a girl has to be to marry in the State of Washington with the consent of both parents. J- V. The County Auditor' cannot Issue a license to a child less than 15 years. Coat of IJvlna; Thermometer. New York Satire. "The cost of living Is going up terri bly; rents, market prices everything is going up." "Yes, we have a motorcar, too " Reflections on the Jinx By Dean Collins. That jinx was on the job again: But is there anyone who thinks The first game hoodoo ever was. , At any time, the Beavers' jinx? Nay, nay, 'tis not our jinx at all That opes the season of baseball. Look o'er' the record of the years. And read about the rennant race; And see who, at the season's close. Have always held the topmost place. Say was it ever yet the ginks Who failed to meet the first game jlnxT If I should dare to prophesy, And play the part of baseball voodoo, I should insist the first game jinx Cannot be called the Beavers' hoodoo: We've met him many times before. But still we copped the season's score, Ofttimes we've lost the op'ning game; But then we'd win, and win again. Till, when the season reached its cloi We brought the pennant in again. It always happened just the same. When we dropped that initial game. So hail the little first game jinx. That wise, prophetic little elf. Who gave the tip. in Tuesday's game. That hist'ry will repeat itself. In the bright annals of baseball. That jinx is not our Jinx at all. Portland. April 3. Half a Century Ago From The Orep;onlan of April 4, 1S2. Floyd was compelled to leave the Cabinet before the close of Buchanan's Administration. Mr. Holt, who suc ceeded him, ordered a thorough exam ination to be made of the distribution of arms by Floyd from the first of Jan uary, 1860, to 18th of January, 1861. It was found that arms had been taken from the Springfield and Walensteel Armories and distributed South. The arms thus distributed were seized, as they were intended to be. Floyd also sold in the Southern States some 250,000 percussion muskets for $2.60 each, which cost the Government an average of $12. Large quantities of cannon, powder and ball and shell were also sent South, which were also seized. An attempt was made to send South for the use of the rebels 24 battering guns from Pittsburg, an order of Floyd's, which Holt countermanded. The work on The Daftes & Deschutes Railroad Is commenced in goodearnest. The workmen are obtaining $60 a month for their labor. Hotels at The Dalles charge 75 cents for meals, 50 cents for lodgings. Letters from Powder River say that the mines -are yielding $20 to $30 a day to the hand. From the Steilacoom Herald The past severe Winter has destroyed most of the fruit trees. The Sound country now has no mails by steamer. The mail contractor re ceived notice from Washington that he could not receive the mails any longer or be paid for those he had carried until he filed the required oona, wnere upon he abandoned the contract. Judge Ollphant, of Washington Ter ritory, will leave this city in a few days for the judicial circuit to which he has been assigned east of the moun tains. He will hold court in Walla Walla, Colvllle. Oro Fino and Florence. Next Monday the election for city of ficers will be held. No call for a meet ing has yet been made in which suitable nominations and in accordance with the wishes of our citizens could be made. Our citizens should take the matter in hand and see that good union men are placed in nomination. The theater was crowded last night to witness the first appearance in this city of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Pope in "Camille." Several miners arrived on the Ex press yesterday from Oregon City on their way to Salmon River. . Wells-Fargo & Company's express of fice is being remodeled and fixed up anew. The increasing business of this firm requires some step of this kind. The theatrical world of Portland fell into a contagious excitement yesterday, owing to the fact that Mr. and Mrs. Pope were to appear last night in the play of "Camille." Ninety tickets were sold before 12 o'clock noon. We understand that the gymnasium Is to be opened again in this city. Fountains and Other Need. PORTLAND, April 2 (To the Edi tor.) Anent the gift of the public fountains to the City of Portland by Mr S. Benson, writer wishes to call the attention of the City of Portland to the fact that it should provide pub lic comfort stations throughout the city. They would keep people out of the saloons and preserve and conserve the public health. The sanitary condi tions of the city would be greatly iin jroved as well. The writer has brought this matter up before the Improvement clubs. Civic Council and It has been bc for the Common Council, and all to no effect. If our fair city is ton poor to put this matter through, let us pray for some other public-spirited philanthropist who will furnish the means so to do. C. H. PIOGOTT. (.ausrlnK a Flnbln: Supply. Washington (D. C.) Star. "Goin' flshin' next Summer?" asked the man who tells tall stories. "No" replied Mr. Growcher. "If you caught all the fish you said you caught last Summer, there won't be any use of going fishing next Summer." Husband as Boot Buttoner. Harper's Bazar. Mrs. Knicker Can you get your boots buttoned without bending your knees? Mrs. Bocker Certainly; I make my husband do it. A SOLILOQCY. By Ralyf Rhoades. I have met up in Nebraska that pro gressive Billy B. And they say back in Ohio lives pro gressive Billy T. And Teddy's thrown his hat in. and he'll be with us all the while. And I hear that Debs stills greets us with his socialistic smile. And there's Bobble from Wisconsin, a progressive through and through. And you hear them shouting Champ "Clark. In Ozarks of Missu. Every homestead In New Jersey has a Woodrow on Its wall. And they say that half the babies an swer to the Woodrow call. To a man who Is progressive this is getting quite distresslve. For each one comes howling loudly, "I'm the one, I am progressive." They have got me quite bewildered, "tls true I will confess. So I'm going to take a ramble and leave it to the rest. Yes. I'll roll my little bundle and grab a pair of rods. And beat It out in Kansas and go to busting sods. I'll get a drove of Jerseys and a dozen Kansas hens. And to the gods of nature I'll confess my daily sins. I'll beat it out in Kansas where they still can meet their rents. Where they're hatching blooded roost ers, not progressive Presidents.