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THE MORNING OREGONIAN, FRIDAY. JANUARY 3, 1913.
PORTLAND, OREGON.
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PORTLAND, FRIDAY. JANUARY S, 113,
: EFFECTS OF THE PARCEL POST.
.;; All persons interested in business
and transportation and social economy
- will closely watch the effect of the
i: parcel post, which is now in operation,
v; How will it affect the express com-
. panies, the mail order business, the
., business of interior cities as compared
;j with Coast cities, the relations of town
;; and country, the price of farm prod
,1; uce in the cities, the movement of
'f. urban dwellers to the country, and, as
a consequence, the price of farm land
;;; within the EO-mile radius of cities?
' At the rates fixed by Congress the
parcel post will have the advantage
v. on short-distance traffic, the express
'.; on long-distance traffic. The parcel
post rates are much lower for short
than for long- distances, but much
4,
? higher for long distances. The reason
i1 is that the cumbersome system of re
celpts, bills of lading and accounting
! with each other and with the railroads
! places the express companies under a
" handicap which the parcel post eliml
nates by the use of stamps. This over.
,' head charge naturally bears heaviest
t. on short-distance business, for which
express rates are small, but becomes
" insignificant on long-distance business,
for which the rates are large. Ex
it press companies are likely to offer in
:r ducements to avoid losing1 business.
They can do so to better advantage on
long than on short hauls, though on
the latter also they have at the outset
the benefit of an established organiza
tion over one that is new and largely
, tentative.
But these advantages will be only
temporary. The parcel post rates and
zones as fixed by law are only initial,
l .for the law vests in the Postmaster
" General, subject to the consent of the
, a Interstate Commerce Commission, au
thority to change classifications.
; weight limit, rates, zones and other
conditions. He is therefore as free as
the traffic officials of the railroads to
i make competitive rates. He has ex
"pressed confidence In his ability to
, meet express competition if given this
freedom. He may be expected to
change rates as fast as express com-
; . panies demonstrate their ability to
.. compete in any class of business. But
J' tie cannot compete by changing rates
In order to capture business to any one
city, for whatever concessions he
;makes to that city he must make to
all other places in the same zone.
; , ' Interior cities are expected to bene.
-' fit by the parcel post at the expense
of cities on either coast. For example
, a shipper from New York to San
- : Francisco must pay the eighth zone
rate, while one in Chicago or St. Louis
'JWill not have to pay more than the
fifth zone rate to either New York or
- San Francisco. The interior cities will
have populated country throughout
-,'their four or five zones, while half of
the zones around the coast cities will
,be in the ocean. An inventor of patent
medicine who moved from Kansas to
Buffalo, N. Y., In order to get a better
freight rate to Western points will now
iTiind It to his advantage to return to
Kansas In order to get the benefit of
' parcel post rates.
The parcel post rate for parcels of
;: , one pound or less is so low that the
- express companies may be almost
.completely shut out of such business.
'i A parcel weighing four ounces can be
.carried any distance for 4 cents. A
A. one-pound parcel can be carried across
the continent for 12 cents. Above the
't one-pound limit the rate increases rap-
idly until it exceeds the express rate.
.As the Postofflce Department gets the
system into running order, gets an ac-
curate idea of the cost of the service
-and of where express companies sue
lT:eessfully compete. It Is likely to revise
X' rates and zones radically in order to
overcome competition. The complete
Alness with which the postofflce reaches
. lout to the most remote settlements by
means of star routes and rural routes,
-while express companies keep pretty
. closely to railroads and steamboat
.r routes, will, even under present rates,
secure it a large volume of long hauls.
But this will be the most costly busi
!; ness to handle, and the postofflce is not
likely to be content with it and to
. leave the more lucrative business of
large volume to express lines.
The farmer will be brought into far
closer relation with the urban dweller
; by the parcel post. He can go to the
. city, contract with a number of house
' holds to ship their weekly supply of
eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables, chickens,
by parcel post for months at a stretch
;: and escape the clutches of the com
mission man. He can buy from the
. city merchant with equal ease and
" have an eleven-pound parcel delivered
" at his house by the rural carrier at a
f cost of 15 cents the day after he tele
.phones his order.
These Increased, cheapened facili-
ties for buying and selling will tempt
; '. many city people to go out into the
: country and become truck gardeners,
1 fruitgrowers and poultry-raisers. They
" will gradually till up the fifty-mile zone
, around each city, taking with them
'.' tastes for all the conveniences of city
: life which are attaiable In the coun-
try. They will no longer be content
' ! with mud roads, but will demand ma.
! .cadani. They will require graded
' schools and high schools. They will
1 build churches and organize social
', - clubs and entertainments.
This transformation of rural life will
have a most decisive effect on the
value of farm land, particularly within
the fifty-mile zone of any considerable
iity. With the aid of trolley lines,
telties will spread out more thinly over
a wider area, only the poorest, most
unambitious and most inveterately citi
fied remaining in the more densely
' built centers. This changing of con
,'ditions will enhance the value of land
through a wide circle, causing it to ap
proximate that of land in the immedi
ate suburbs. The parcel post will
prove a powerful instrument, working
out a silent, peaceful but irresistible
social revolution.
IDAHO'S LATEST BCLL PEN.
The archaic Supreme Court of Idaho
has erected a judicial barrier at the
boundaries of that benighted state and
posted thereon the strange device: "All
who enter here leave behind the right
of free speech." For the court has
summarily sentenced to fine and im
prisonment two editors who were rash
enough to assume that they had a con
stitutional privilege to criticise the
judges, and to publish in that connec
tion a public address by Theodore
Roosevelt.
Undoubtedly a newspaper editor, or
any other, who' by his words or deeds
interferes with the processes of a
court, or seeks to influence its deliber
ations, exposes himself to a charge of
contempt; but the court that is driven
to the pitiful extremity of relying on a
shallow technicality in order to bring a
newspaper or other critic within its
Jurisdiction exposes itself to the gen
eral contempt.
The remarks of Colonel Roosevelt
attacking the Idaho court, and the
comment of the Boise News, for which
the editors must languish in prison,
were all printed after the famous de
cision ruling the Roosevelt electors off
the ballot. Yet the court contends
that the case was still pending and
therefore under consideration because
a petition for rehearing had been filed
and not been passed on. When is a
case decided and closed in Idaho, or
anywhere? The court solemnly holds
that it is not decided when it Is de
cided, but when it is re-decided. It
holds, too, in effect that a petition for
rehearing is an act of right, and not of
grace. What sound lawyer will take
that position?
The court that must by such meth
ods protect its dignity and Independ
ence is sadly in need of protection,
OLD ARGUMENTS REVIVED.
Senator Bailey has not performed a
new service for opponents of direct
legislation by delving into the writings
of Alexander Hamilton and other
statesmen present at the formation of
the Republic. They have been quoted
before, time and again, by latter-day
writers on the subject. The legal pro.
ceeding instituted to test the validity
of the Oregon system also developed
lengthy argument on the question of
whether the Republican form of gov
ernment guaranteed by the Constltu
tion is not impaired by adoption of the
initiative and referendum. The views
of Hamilton and other statesmen ap
peared extensively in briefs and argu
ment. True, the Supreme Court elim
inated this factor in the case by hold
ing that the question Involved was
political, but In that angle the subject
has been pretty thoroughly exhausted.
The argument would still, perhaps,
merit some attention were it not for
the fact that in the most enlightened
view and purpose, substitution of rep
resentative government by a pure de
mocracy is not contemplated In adopt
ing the principle of direct legislation.
The principle is best defined as a sup
plementary power given to the people
to use at times when the legislative
branch of the government fails in what
its authors intended it to- be actually
representative. That It -will not grow
into a system of ordinary lawmaking
has been demonstrated in Oregon,
where the initiative and referendum
have been in operation longer than in
any other state.
While the submission of thirty-seven
measures in one election may, on its
face, seem to show a tendency toward
democracy, the freedom with which
the principle is applied cannot be
ascribed to desire by the people to su
persede representative government.
Rather it is due to the ease with which
laws may be initiated or referred. The
fact that they are on the ballot is not
proof that the people desired to pass
on them, for the test of public opinion
in this direction must rest wholly in
the action taken at the polls. Attempts
by the small minority who propose
minor laws or solicit from the people
legislation which has never been pre
sented to the Legislature are properly
and emphatically rebuked by the vot
ers. Continued defeats by increasing ma
jorities of this class of submitted laws
show a growth of public opinion not
toward an overthrow of the direct sys
tem nor of the representative system,
but a determination to keep the one to
Its proper function and maintain the
other without loss of prestige.
WALKING FOB PLEASURE.
The resolution of Governor Osborn,
of Michigan, to travel on foot here
after has aroused much interest in
walking as an exercise and as a means
of locomotion. The Governor has sold
his driving horses, given away his rid
ing horses and his automobile and will
hereafter go on foot, though perhaps
he will make an exception of railroads
when business compels haste.
Walking has never been a popular
exercise in this country to nearly the
same degree as in Europe. Americans,
a rule, walk only from necessity.
Walking, in the minds of Western
men, is associated with the toilsome
Journey over the Alleghenles to the
Middle West and across the plains to
the Pacific. Our bad roads, muddy in
Winter, dusty in Summer, make it un
pleasant. The American is therefore
little inclined to walk merely for exer.
else, to see the country or to enjoy the
fresh air. He makes a journey only
to go somewhere, to reach some defi
nite goal, and he uses the most expedi
tious means to get there, considering
the time thus consumed as wasted. As
he tears along on horseback, by train
or by motor, he forms but a blurred
impression of the country through
which he passes. When he goes for
an outing on his Summer vacation he
goes prepared to rough it and proves
equal to the occasion, regarding the
hike" as part of the roughing it, but
daily walk is no part of his
programme.
Walking enables a man really to
know the country. An Englishman
regards a walk as an almost necessary
daily exercise. He has fine roads on
which it is a pleasure to walk, but he
is not confined to them. The English
people have Jealously guarded their
rights to footpaths through fields and
woods, which have become established
by prescription. The walker can
pause by the roadside or in the field
or wood to study flowers, plants, trees,
rocks, soil. He thus gets to know the
country in detail as the rider cannot.
He knows the Individuality of each
house and barn, even of dogs, horses
and cattle in his neighborhood. When
he goes farther afield, he brings back
a detailed mind-picture of what he has
seen. Such a picture can be made in
no other way than by walking.
As we improve our roads and make
traveling on them a joy instead of a
torture; as we slacken our pace and
take life more leisurely; as we come
to regard a journey as something
from which to extract pleasure by the
way and not as a disagreeable neces
sity in order to "get there"; as we
come to appreciate the pleasures of
gentle, outdoor exercise, we shall be
come walkers. Then we shall become
more vigorous and less nervous; we
shall know our country and its people
better.
HIS FIRST CHOICE.
Some imaginative friend has thought
it worth while to send a telegram to
Senator Chamberlain, at Washington,
Informing him that The Oregonian,
through its Washington correspond
ence, had reported that he had de
clared himself for Mr. King for a Cabi
net position; but Mr. Teal was his "sec.
ond choice." "I never stated to any
body that Teal was my second choice,'
telegraphs the Senator In reply. "The
Washington correspondent of The Ore
gonian denies sending such a telegram.
I want Oregon represented In the Cab
inet. If Teal cannot get the appoint
ment, I want King or some other good
man."
We can understand thoroughly the
Senator's indignation over any report
or intimation that King was his first
choice and Teal his second choice. The
facts are, of course, that both Teal and
King repose securely in the Senator's
affections as the Senator's second
choice. There is, there always was,
and there always will be, only one
Chamberlain first choice for anything,
and that is Our George himself. Thus
we see him performing a very neat act
of balancing between Teal and King,
winding up by getting neither, but
firmly holding for himself what he
has. Our George's success in getting
something always for himself, and
nothing much for anybody else, is phe
nomenal.
GOLD PRODUCTION AND PRICES.
The increase in the world's produc
tion of gold during the year 1912 is
due entirely to South Africa. That
country shows an Increase of about
120,000,000, which not only com pen
sates for a decrease of $16,000,000 in
the United States, Mexico and Austra
11 a, but leaves a net increase of 4,
000,000. The Transvaal is expected
soon to reach its maximum produc
tion. As the higher levels of the
mines become worked out and as min
ing at deeper levels proves unprofit
able, it will begin to show a decrease.
We must then look to the virgin fields
of Rhodesia and to new fields yet to
be discovered for maintenance of the
present scale of production.
Great demand for gold from India,
which country has swollen Its imports
of the metal from $50,000,000 in 1909
to $140,000,000 in 1912, has gone far
to offset the effect on prices of the
Increased production in recent years.
If that country continues to increase
its consumption on the same scale and
if a demand arises from China and
other Asiatic countries as they come
Into closer touch with Western civili
zation and commerce, the value of
gold may return to the figure at which
it stood before output began to boom.
This is another way of stating that
prices of commodities would recede.
Of course, the depressing effect of
gold production on prices may be off
set by counteracting causes, but at
least the trend of prices would be less
upward than if gold production were
increasing simultaneously with a
growth of demand for necessaries out
of proportion to growth of supply.
ADVOCATES MABOLI.
We take it that Mayor Gaynor, of
New York, enjoys the part of devil's
advocate. He assumes it as often as
he can and plays it as naturally as if
he were born to It. His latest exploit
In that line may be found in his com
ments on the Reverend R. W. Mc
Laughlin's book, "Washington and
Lincoln." The minister sent Mayor
Gaynor a copy of the work asking for
his opinion of it. In his reply he
damned Washington with faint praise.
made Lincoln out to be an amiable
simpleton and lauded Judge Taney to
the skies. Perversity could have gone
no farther. "The general impression
of Washington," Mayor Gaynor says.
is largely mythical. We think of him
as a good man who never got angry.
suffered everything patiently and al
ways told the exact truth. He was of
great justice and accuracy of judg
ment, but not of genius or extraordi
nary ability. All this Is in the main
true of him." If the common notion
of Washington is "in the main true,"
how can it at the same time be
"largely mythical"? The Mayor
premised these platitudes to get a
chance to remind us that Washington
"was of warm blood and prone to pas
sion, that he swore like a trooper at
times, that his face was pitted and
his teeth bad" and that he had other
"physical imperfections."
Mayor Gaynor seems to think that
nobody has been reading about Wash
ington since the far-off days when he
himself went to school and studied
fanciful textbooks of history. If it
were worth the trouble we might tell
him that schoolchildren no longer
study books of that sort. The text
books of history are fairly accurate
nowadays. They present Wash
ington as a human being, subject
to the usual imperfections, but, we are
glad to say, they do not present him as
"a man lacking genius or extraordi
nary ability." We concede to Judge
Gaynor that he was not a great his
torian, nor did he ever profess to be
a great economist. Who was in those
days? Economics Is one of the most
modern of the sciences. But Wash
ington was a genius, all the same, as
great in his way as ever lived. He
was a genius of the same type as Will
iam of Orange and Qulntus Fablus
Maximus, who overthrew Hannibal by
delay. William of Orange laid the
foundations of Dutch independence by
suffering defeat after defeat and mak
ing each successive disaster count for
a victory. He gained more from the
total loss of an army than most gen
erals ever could from the capture of
the enemy's entire force. This is
genius of the rarest variety, ' and
Washington had it. Up to the cap
ture of Yorktown, which he owed to
the French, he never routed the Brlt-
ish once except in the insignificant
fight at Trenton, and yet he kept up
the courage of the country, overcame
Insidious intrigues in Congress, won
France to the American alliance and
finally gained our Independence for
us. If genius is to be measured by
achievement, Washington had more of
it than almost any other commander
who ever lived. He did not move to
his ends by ordinary paths and so
Mayor Gaynor cannot see that he
moved at all.
One thing that be says about Wash,
lngton is Interesting. "He does not
seem," the Mayor remarks, "to have
had a single superstition, one of the
weaknesses of great men. Both parts
of this sentence are true.- Most great
men have been superstitious, often
grossly so, and Washington was not so
at all if the accounts of him are re
liable. Napoleon believed in his star.
Wallenstein, the great commander, who
would have extinguished Protestant
ism but for Gustavus Adolphus, trust
ed abjectly to his astrologers. Alex
ander toward the close of his life
thought. he was a God. Caesar be
lieved in dreams and so on down the
list. Washington was free from all
this nonsense, an excellence in him
which we owe more to Voltaire than
to anybody else. He and Frank
lin and Jefferson were disciples of
French philosophy, which had pretty
well escaped from the domination of
ghosts and demons. It is a foolish
mistake to say that they were "infi
dels." They had a far1 more enlight
ened idea of God and his government
than most of their contemporaries, or
their successors either for that matter,
To belittle Lincoln Mayor Gaynor
tells us that "the emancipation proc
lamation had to be almost extorted
from him," while "his Generals ridl
culed him and resented his Interfer
ence. McClellan showed contempt of
him." The fact is that Lincoln had
to ward off the premature efforts of
the abolitionists to extort an emanci
pation proclamation from him. If he
had issued it as soon as they desired
it would have fallen flat and the war
would have been lost. He saw that
emancipation must wait until the
North understood the underlying cause
of secession. As soon as the time was
ripe the deed was done. He showed
his superiority to everybody around
him by daring in the first place to
wait and In the second place to act
promptly when the day for action
came. A man must be singularly
blind who can contemn Lincoln for
what was in reality the wisest trait of
his statesmanship. There are millions
of men who can act hastily- in response
to clamor to one who can hold his
stand against everything until the cru
cial moment comes fop a decisive blow
It cannot be denied that McClellan
"showed contempt" for Lincoln. No
man is great to his valet. McClellan's
judgment was that of a vain and petty
person whom circumstances had put
in a position he was incompetent to
fill. War was to him nothing but a
theater for the display of his pompous
conceit.: To Lincoln it was the dread
tribunal which was to decide the des
tiny of the human race. The creature
of a day despised the statesman whose
eye was fixed -on eternity.
To cap the absurd climax of his
comments on our great men. Mayor
Gaynor discloses the remarkable fact
that Judge Taney, of Dred Scott fame,
regarded the negroes "with charity
and commiseration." He was so char.
itable to them that he stretched the
Constitution to doom them to ever
lasting slavery. He perverted the plain
intent of the Fathers by deciding that
there was in practice no such thing as
"free state" in the Union. Slavery
was legal everywhere and no state
laws could restrict it. It was thus that
Judge Taney and his subservient bench
loved and commiserated the negroes,
It is absurd to force the President
to shake hands with 7000 persons in
a day. Mr. Taft with his abounding
amiability may pretend to like it, but
we all know what he thinks of the
Imposition in his secret heart. We
need a handshaking machine in the
White House which shall relieve the
President of this onerous ceremony.
Properly constructed it will seize the
caller's paw, squeeze and shake it and
them push him along to make way for
the next. It is a reproach to our in
ventive power that we have no such
labor-saving machine.
Time will tell whether 13 Is still
Wilson's lucky number. But success
is more likely to bless one who begins
with confidence of its achievement
than one who is haunted by supersti
tious belief in a, "hoodoo." That is
about all there is to a "hoodoo."
A local department store which was
robbed by a shoplifter sent a big order
of groceries to the culprit's destitute
wife. This and tens of thousands of
such wholesome incidents fail to pro
vide themes for the soapbox ranter,-
however. 1
Boise editors are in jail for print
ing the Roosevelt message, and Idaho
is not a good field in which to hunt
elephants, hippos and other masto
don lc game just now.
The consumer welcomes the meter
for his electricity and gas, and should
not object to measuring the water, un
less he be one who uses it before and
after hours.
Taft has leased a private house with
the privilege of buying it eventually.
Perhaps he wishes to await possibili
ties of a return to his present place of
abode.
San Jose having mailed out a total
of two cars of produce, it wou,id seem
to 'be quite in order to suggest that the
new parcel post Is full of prunes.
San Francisco restaurants score on
the bread and butter lover who eats
all on the table with his small order
and asks for more.
Hotels patronized by rich San Fran.
ciscans are to charge for bread and
butter. Probably have to these days
of rich dyspeptics.
The swell negroes, too, turn down
Johnson when he essays to meet them
socially, and they are right in showing
their self-respect.
The mock marriage at Vancouver
with a real preacher officiating ap
proaches mighty near to the real
thing.
The best evidence that the parcel
post was needed is the liberality with
which it was patronized on its opening
day.
This Is about the time that the
weak-kneed and morally defective be
gin breaking their good resolutions.
McCarty, the new white hope, says
he will never fight a negro. Discretion
is the better part of valor.
Somebody is "playing horse" with
the foreman of the dynamiters' jury
by sending a threatening letter.
The , hand-picked Burns Juries of
days gone by seem to be coming into
odium.
Hist! Zounds! 'Sh! Colonel Ho-
fer"s novel deals with Oregon politics.
Since eggs go by parcel post the ham
actor's lot is now indeed a sad one.
The Sflver.Thaw
By Addison. Bennett.
When Peter Petersen and his wife,
Helea, came from their Northland coun
try to make a home In Oregon they had
but a meager supply of this world's
goods. But they had stout hearts,
sturdy constitutions, an abundance of
industry and perseverance. And above
all they were thoroughly schooled in
frugality.
No, not above all. Their greatest
gifts were pure hearts and clean minds.
They had been brought up in the Lu
theran faith, and their religion was of
the sort that never goes on a vacation
an every-day, every-hour adherence
to the strictest rules of their church.
The Petersens had, however, one pos
session natural above all, one that was
priceless a little girl nearly 7 years
old, who was the joy of their lives, lit
tle Helea. A child in years but almost
a woman In her ways, as could any
day be seen as she played with her rag
dolls and talked to them in a motherly
way, exhorting them to be good and say
their prayers and make no extra work
or trouble for their mamma or their
grandma.
Coming to Oregon with so little they
really "thought they had much. For was
not Peter able to do more work than
most men and willing to do so, And
was there not plenty of work to do
at a wage far beyond his brightest
dreams in his old home?
But the Petersens wanted a home of
their own and within less than a week,
he was told of a little piece of home
stead land down on the east slope of
the Coast Range, with a job awaiting
him at a logging camp but a few miles
away, so he could at least get to his
home once each week. In hls bit of
land there was but a trifle over 11
acres, and hundreds, perhaps thousands
had passed It by that they might use
their right on a full quarter section, or
at least half that.
This little patch lay in the deep
woods. The timber on it was not of
much value save for firewood, but the
tract lay level and sightly, and Peter
knew it would make him a fine little
farm when cleared.
To pass quickly over the next two
years it only need be said that Peter
and his wife had put up a comfortable
little cabin of one large room, a poul
try house, and had a garden patch of
two or three yards square cleared.
Their home was moderately furnished,
and they had nearly $300 in the bank;
when they reached the $500 mark Peter
was going to quit working steadily for
others, was going to get three or four
more cows, clear more of his land and
have a real home for himself and fam
ily. And in these thoughts, hopes and
expectations there were no happier peo
ple in Oregon than the Petersens.
The Winter rains had been coming
down In torrents for several days. The
weather was warm; more like Spring
than Winter. It was Saturday night,
Peter was at home with his wife and
child, the evening prayers had been
said and they lay down for their
night's rest, went to bed early for on
the morrow they had a long walk to
make to attend church in the nearest
village. Early In the evening, even be
fore the rain ceased, It turned cold,
very cold, Peter thought, as he was
awakened by the chill and sought more
blankets for the bed. After securing
these he looked out the door and he-
hold! the trees were covered with dia
monds! The silver thaw had cast its
beauty over the forest and turned every
leaf and branch into a crust of ice,
which glittered In the moonlight like
millions of precious gems. Peter called
Ills wife to see the loveliness of it-
and they marveled and thanked the
good Lord for allowing them to live in
country where he could work such
miracles.
It must have been nearly 6. o'clock
In the morning when Peter and his
wife were awakened by a great crash,
and at the same instant their little
cabin was crushed like an eggshell, and
they were ground down through the
bed and pinioned to the floor by the
branches of a great tree which had fal
len, from its weight of ice, across their
little home. Little Helea was sleeping
in her trundle bed at the foot of the
one occupied by her parents, with her
dolls beside her, and they did not for
some tie hear any sound from her,
so they supposed she was dead.
The Petersens were crushed and
bruised, and worse than that, they were
hem as in a vise. Try as they would
they could not release themselves from
the great weight of the tree top which
pinioned them. They suffered great
pain for surely some of their limbs
were broken, the blood was running al
most In a stream from some of their
wounds but there was apparently no
escape from their imprlsonment.
The first ray of hope came from a
faint "Mamma from little Helea. and
by her voice they knew she was not
badly crushed. And then a prayer
went up from Peter and his wife, a
petition for help joined to a cry of
thanksgiving. Yes, they found even
in that dire moment great cause to
thank the good Lord for his mercies.
Little Helea was not pinioned like
her parents, but she could not reach
them. She could move around slightly
In her prison, but could not escape.
But she, as young as she was, knew
that if her parents were to be saved
it must be through her efforts. So she
begun to work her way out. She could
at first make no progress for the
branches and debris were beyond her
strength to move. But twisting, turn
ing, using every bit of her strength,
she finally got a little space in which
she could move. And then the great
miracle happened. Her hand clasped a
butcher knife that Peter had been
using during the evening to scrape an
ax handle! With this instrument she
began the task of hacking at the great
limb that was her greatest barrier.
For eight and 20 hours, until 10
o'clock on Monday morning, little Helea
hacked and dug at her prison bars.
Sometimes for an hour or so she was
encouraged by her parents, then their
voices would weaken and sink and for I
a long space she could hear no sound
from them. Along towards the end of
her struggles she thought several times
they were dead, but they were only un
conscious. When she escaped she was
naked. Her night dress had been no
protection, she had on no stockings and
her body almost from the crown of
her head to the soles of her feet was
bruised and bleeding. When she
emerged frm her prison it took but a
faint look at the pile of debris to know
that she could not save her parents
with her own labors. There must be
help from others. So she hesitated not
a moment, but went into the chicken
house and secured two or three gunny
sacks and wrapped them around her
bruised body and feet and fled down
the mountain towards the home of the
nearest neighbor, four miles away.
When she reached this house she fell
across the doorstep in a faint, she
could tell nothing. But there happened
to be a couple of men neighbors there
and they made all speed for the home
of the Petersons, and before. nightfall
they were released. Iso, Peter was re
leased, his wife had lain dead by his
side for several hours.
After a long illness little Helea re
covered, Peter came through the ordeal
with the loss of a leg, and now those
who pass the former site of the little
cabin may see a comfortable little home
on its old location, may see 11 acres of
fine cleared land, may see Helea and
her father busying themsleves about
their duties and Just at the point
where the tree was torn from its
standing place there Is a grave, and a
tombstone tells that It Is sacred to
the memory of Helea Petersen.
OVE SITE FOR FAIR AND CQLLEGE
Comblnattoa of Stnte Exhibit and Edn
eatloBuU I nstitutloaa Advoeated.
PORTLAND. Jan. 2. (To the Editor.)
The lack of good transportation be
tween Salem and the State Fairgrounds,
the poorly-drained drives and walks,
the lack of proper arrangements of
buildings, and poor accommodations in
general for a large crowd on the fair
grounds are well known to the many
people who have visited the fair and
are the chief reasons why they do not
do so again.
As a rule a state fair is a great suc
cess, where It is centrally located and
properly condncted. Salem Is not the
proper location for the Oregon State
Fair, and It is not properly conducted
owing to the lack of financial support.
The logical location for the state fair
is just south of Portland, east of the
Willamette River, which would be ac
cessible by river craft as well as by
land. Boat racing and hydroplane
flights veVmld add to the attractions of
the fair.
Owing to the natural division of the
state Portland Is more centrally located
than any other city in the state. "All
roads lead to Portland." The trans
portation facilities are or would be of
the best, and the hotel accommodations
could not be better. Thousands of the
citizens of Portland would attend the
fair that would not do so were it
located elsewhere, thus making the
fair self supporting and facilitating the
construction of handsome fire-proof
structures, with covered walks and
paved driveways connecting all build
ings, etc
The chief reason for the defeat of
the mlllage tax measure was that the
citizens of this state do not believe in
building up and maintaining two in
stitutions of learning, when one well
located and thoroughly equipped with
the best buildings and modern appara
tus would be much cheaper to maintain
and much better for all concerned.
My plan is this: Combine the Ore
gon Agricultural College and the Ore
gon University into the Oregon State
University. Use the present buildings
and ground and part of the equipment
of both colleges for state normal
schools and as agricultural experiment
stations. Obtain a large tract of land
near Portland to be used as a site for
the Oregon State Fair and the Oregon
State University. Most all of the build
ings used for fair purposes could be
used by the agricultural department. A
large auditorium used for concerts and
lectures during the fair could be used
by the university for the many func
tions which require such a building,
such as lectures, - musical recitals, re
ceptions, etc. It could also be used, as
well as the many other fair buildings
for the annual livestock, poultry, land
products and industrial exhibitions.
From which the agricultural students
would derive great benefit. The large
area of land inside of the mile race
track, as well as the track itself, and
the large grandstand, which are used
only one week in 52,- could be put to
good use as a place for holding foot
ball, baseball, lawn tennis and other
games too numerous to mention.
Such a combination would be a great
saving to the state, both in first cost
and in maintenance. It would be one
of the greatest advertisements for the
state to the thousands of visitors that
will stop off on their way to and from
the great exposition to be held in San
Francisco in 1915. It would be easier
of access at Portland than at any other
place in the state. More young men
and women wishing to work their way
through school would find plenty of op
portunities for doing so in Portland.
Oregon would then be able to take its
place in the front rank of states having
up-to-date universities and fairs.. Last,
but most important, the citizens of the
state will not hesitate to sanction a
tax levy to support such an institu
tion.
I believe it would be a very good idea
for our Legislature at Salem to divide
the much-talked of building . appro
priation of $500,000 between San Fran
cisco and . Portland. Half of it will
build us a most excellent building at
San Francisco, and the other half will
buy the land requisite for the fair and
university and leave quite a margin to
be used for the construction of the
necessary buildings.
GEORGE GARRETT.
GIVE US BACK THE OLD NAME
Correspondent Would Rather Be l)n-k
Than Rodent.
G RE SHAM, Or., Jan. 1. (To the Edi
tor.) Vive le Webfoot! At last we are
getting sane again and The Oregonian
is with us. Only a few years ago we
were all howling for a change from
"Webfoot" to "Beaver." The howl took;
"Beaver" struck in, and henceforth, but
not forever, we were transposed from
Webfooters Into Beavers.
What some of our ardent freshies
from back East failed to do to Bull
Run was successfully done to Webfoot
and we were converted into rodents.
I'd rather be a duck or a goose than a
beaver and as I am a Webfoot. figura
tively speaking, I would like to die in
the faith of my fathers who realized
that a goose or duck is like Oregon In
that she files with her own wings.
Give us back the old name, paint it
on your banners and mail them to your
editorial masthead, thus preserving one
of the traditions of old Oregon to the
discomfiture of the newcomers who
perhaps are ashamed of their nick
names back borne and are trying to
change ours. Give us back our "Web
foot" again; we want it.
E. L. THORPE.
Jack Rose's Story
in
The Sunday Oregonian
My Life in the Underworld This is the subject of a series of eight
remarkable stories by Jack Rose, the gambling- partner of Lieu
tenant Becker and the chief witness against bim' for the murder of
Rosenthal. This series forms a remarkable revelation of methods
among the 200,000 criminals of New York and how they work un
disturbed by the police.
Theodore Roosevelt's Hunting Tales In the fourth of the Colonel's
hunting articles he describes the thrilling events of a hunt for big
game in the . Louisiana eanebrakes.
Leading the Life That Kills A special interview in which Edward B.
Phelps analyzes the conditions and habits that are killing Americans
off by the thousands. Half the 1,500,000 funerals every year are
preventable, he says.
An American Woman Explores Africa Mrs. Marguerite Roby in
vades the darkest part of the dark continent and while there acts as
peacemaker between two tribes of warring cannibals.
Where Is the Perfect Woman? A man's idea and ideals are set forth
in an illustrated special article of unusual charm, interest and
strength. "
Is the World Becoming Americanized? Hauptmann, greatest of Ger
man's literary lights, says that Americans, by their wonderful
achievements, are making their influence felt everywhere.
Tuxning Butterflies Into Gold An attractive page in colors of the
delightful enterprice whereby a California girl earns an ample and
, easy livelihood- ;
New Color Comic Features Four whole pages of striking new comic
features will be introduced. These are the best that could be
obtained in a careful canvass of the comic supplement field.
Features for Women Two full pages for women, including new em
broidery design feature.
Two Short Stories and Many Other Features.
ORDER TODAY FROM YOTJR NEWSDEALER.
SOCIALISM AND CHRISTIANITY
Member of Party Condemn Speakern
Who Rant Abont ReltKlon.
DALLAS, Or.. Dec 31. (To the Ed
itor.) A clipping taken from The
Morning Oregonian, December 10, en
titled "Socialism and Religion" was
handed to me by a presiding officer of
a certain church, who stands high In
his denomination, and my opinion re
garding It solicited.
The article to which I refer Is by
Moses Baritx, of Canada, accredited
organizer for the Socialist party In
the Province of Ontario. Mr. Baritz
published his reply In the Toronto
Globe. I will quote enough of the ar
ticle to show the ground taken:
The Socialist position is founded upon
science, both sociological and economic. As
such it is opposed to all reunions, which wo
maintain were products of given social con-
dltlons.
With the establishment of a social regime-,
Christianity, Judaism and all supernatural
ideas clirtKlne; to mankind will be abolished.
The Socialist party of Canada Is opposed to
the unscientific worship of Christ. We do
not believe in the salvation of the, churcu.
It is far better to have the people under
stand this now. than let the confusion exist.
Socialists cannot believe in any supernatural
God. If they do they are not Socialists.
The church will find in us Its unrelenting
foes. Christianity with Its superstitions
must be overthrown before the workers ob
tain their complete emancipation. That Is
our slogan. That Is our challenge.
Finally, a Christian cannot be a Socialist,
and a Socialist cannot be a Christian.
I must contradict every position tak
en by Mr. Baritz. Christianity is not
antagonistic to socialism, nor is true
socialism at war with Christianity.
Christianity is love, peace, purity, jus
tice, unselfishness, fairness righteous
ness, sacrifice, self-denial; how, then,
can it be against socialism? The teach
ings of Jesus are wholly just and right;
how can they be set against anything
that claims to be after their nature?
If socialism Is right and It is right
then Christ is not against It, and any
thing that Christ condemns in his
teachings may well be shunned by the
world. This is a safe position.
Mr. Baritz would hate Christianity
and Its founders as bitterly if he were
a Republican. There Is a swarm of
Infidels who have come into the So
cialist party, and they are using it as
an avenue throuirh which they can In
dulge their skeptical views to the
great detriment of the Socialist move
ment. It is' amusing to hear soap-box
orators, with sadly mixed English,
taking positions on science that would
make Locke himself dizzy-headed. If
Mr. Baritz should realize his dream
we would have a world without a re
ligion, without a belief, without a
prayer, without a hope, without a
moral standard. Men would be as the
herd upon the prairie, and less re
spectable a iworld without a God.
It matters little what such men as
Mr. Baritz believe, individually. But
when he advances such views as those
of the Socialist party we must object.
He does not represent the movement In
any sense, nor is he backed by the
great leaders of this country- Mr.
Debs constantly quotes from the words
of Christ in his speeches, and Mr. War
ren is the son of a minister. There is
not in all the claims of socialism
ground for such unmatched folly as is
set forth by this man. It Is utterly
out of harmony with socialism to at
tach it to a religious idea, and those
who assail religion In the name of it
are making the greatest mistake pos
sible. Socialism has nothing to do with
what men believe. It is only a social
reform and effects morals only In a
reflex way. One man may believe that
socialism is right as a means to better
the economic conditions, and be an In
fidel; another may believe the same
and be a Christian. The Socialist
'speaker who goes out to abuse faith
In God and to rant about the super
natural does the party he represents
more harm than Its open enemies. So
long as such men are employed to
speak on Socialist platforms Just so
long will the party be misunderstood
and opposed by all who hold faith in
the Cross sacred.
The very philosophy of propaganda
ought to forbid such methods. If they are
not frowned down by our leaders, then
the day is not distant when there will
be a division, serious and lasting, in
the Socialist ranks. It Is very clear
that Mr. Baritz has simply Inverted
the aims of the inquisition. They
sought to force all men to be Chris
tians; he seeks to force all men not
to be it is the same spirit
Let Mr. Baritz believe what he
pleases, but let him not drag the aims
of socialism in the dust, nor hinder
the spread of its splendid and unde
batable views by his unwarranted and.
uncalled for assaults upon the sacred
beliefs of men. I am a Socialist, and
L am one because 1 am a Christian.
GUY FITCH PHELPS.
A Snrprlse In the Future.
Philadelphia Record. 1
Blobbs Do you think we shall
know each other In heaven? Slobbs
Well, if we do, there will be lots of
people there who will be Just as much
surprised to see you, as you'll be to see
them.
A Parade: His Own Make.
Yonkers, N. Y., Statesman.
Mr. Bacon That Mr. Crossley, who
called last evening, is a self-made man.
Mrs. Bacon Too bad he couldn't have
made himself a little more agreeable.
A AVoman and n Man.
New York Press.
A man speculates with his money,
a woman with her heart.