Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937, March 21, 1916, Image 8

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Morning Oregonian., March 21, 1916, Page 8, Image 8

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Newspaper Page Text8 TUT! OTJFr.OXIAN. TUESDAY. MARCH II, 1016. PORTLAND, OEBGOS. Entered at Portland (Oregon) PostoKice as Tcona-cia88 matter. Subtcription Rates Invariably in advance: By Mall.) "Ity. Sunday Included, one year $8 00 Dally, Sunday Included, ;x months 4.23 J-)slly, fcuntiay Included, three months... JS.25 rai!y. fiunday Included, one month..... -"5 X'aiiy, without Sunday, one year........ 6.00 Xally, without Sunday, six months..... ::.25 rmily. without Sunday three months.... 1.T5 TJniiy, without Sunday, one month r0 Weekly, one year l.0 Sunday, one jar., 2.30 Sunday and Vve!:Iy, one year 3.60 (By Carrier.) rally, Funday Includd. onl year " ahi.v, bunrtay mcuutled. on tnoma to Mow to Item it Bend postofflca money or der, express order or personal check on your local hank. Stamps, coin or currency are at eeraer s risK. Give postotnce addresses iu Ju'l. including rnimtv nml (In I A I'iKlsef Kates 12 to lt paces, 1 cent: 18 to v,-& pRtjes. 2 cents; 34 to 4JS paices, :i cents: to CO paces. 4 cents; 62 to 7rt pges. 5 "-tus: 7S to y2 pages. 6 cents. Foreign post age, double rates. Katni Rn.in Office Vpttp, a. Ponk- lln, Brunswick bulldinc. New York: Verree e conKim. stecer building:, tjncaco. an 2rancifico representative, R. J. Bid-well. 742 Market street. rOBTUM), TUESDAY, MARCH 21, 1916. SLANDERS HUT HCF.T. Secretary of the Navy Daniels re fusal to send the cruiser Pittsburg up the Columbia River is but the latest in a long series of acts by which it is sought to ignore the Columbia River as a navigable channel for ocean going ships and to discredit Portland as a port. Only by a determined, united and aggressive fight on the part of the people of the entire Columbia Basin can the Columbia River secure fair treatment from the Government and from the shipping interests. The action of Mr. Daniels in the Pittsburg affair is a good illustration of the manner in which this discrimi nation is practiced. The Twenty-first Infantry Regiment was to be trans ferred from Vancouver to San Diego. The natural, easy, direct and therefore economical way to make the transfer was to send a ship to Vancouver or Portland, to embark the men there and to carry them direct to San Diego. Or. ders to this effect were actually given, but the detractors of the Columbia River, by the occult means at which they are adepts, set about having ar rangements changed. They raised doubt in Mr. Daniels' mind whether the water was deep enough for the Pittsburg, and he made inquiry. He learned that tho low-water depth In one channel across the bar is twenty-six feet and in the other thirty-five feet and that the least depth at zero stage in the river channel to Portland Is not less than twenty-six feet, al though Port of Portland authorities insist that the governing depth is thirty feet. In considering these facts he ignored the deeper of the two bar channels and fastened his attention on the shallower. He also ignored the additional depth gained by high tide. As to the river channel he assumed twenty-six feet to be the full depth of water available and gave no thought to the fact that the river has not been down to zero in March in thirty-seven years and is now ten feet above that point, plus the addi tional depth given by tide. He did rot consider the fact that the Maryland, a sister ship of the Pittsburg, and the battleship Oregon have safely come into and gone out of Portland harbor. In fact, he eagerly seized upon every fact which could be used to Portland's disadvantage and sought no further in formation which might turn in the city's favor. He ordered the Pittsburg to make the long circuit by sea to Tacoma and caused the troops to be sent by rail to that port, abandoning the direct route at the instigation of the ever busy knockers. Thus he shows that ihe North American Review correctly describes him as "a pottering country politician." It does not appear that in any of the proceedings either Senator Chamber lain or Senator Lane exerted himself to see that Mr. Daniels had correct information for his guidance, though the state which they represent is most Vitally interested in all matters con. cerning the Columbia River. Mr. Chamberlain, as chairman of the com mittee on military affairs, holds a po sition which would command atten tion to any requests he might make' regarding the movement of troops, but he appears to have done nothing. He does well to occupy himself with the reorganization of the Army as a great National duty, but he might also find time to protect the interests of his own -state In military affairs. Dr. Lane, we know, has taken the Oregon aborigines under his special care, but he need not entirely neglect his white constituents. There are other things in Oregon re quiring the attention of a Senator be tides Indian reservations. A glance over the situation will prove the anomaly of it. The Colum bia is the second greatest river in the United States. It drains a watershed of 250,000 square miles, as against 18, 000 square miles draining into Puget Sound and 80,000 square miles Into the San Joaquin Valley, which is trib utary to San Francisco. It is the only river which cuts through the Cascade Mountains In the United States and hence gives the only water grade from the interior to the coast. Nature de signed that the products of its water shed should drain to market over the same route as its waters and that its Imports should enter by that route. The Government has made a ship channel thirty-five feet deep at the mouth and twenty-seven to thirty feet deep at low water through the rest of its length to Portland. It has made a navigable waterway reaching 400 miles farther Inland. Thl3 area can supply many of the staples which an Army and Navy need and it haa the cheapest route for Importing all other supplies, either by land or water. Being en tirely within the boundaries of the United States, the Lower Columbia is superior as a naval base to Puget Sound, where the navy-yard is reached by straits, one side of which is foreign and possibly hostile territory. Before the high-water season of 1916 is past, the present dredging opera tions will have given a minimum depth of forty feet on the bar and thirty feet In the river. The stage of water being rarely down to zero, this Is suf ficient depth to float any ship in ex istence. That fact makes the Colum bia River superior as a naval base to Mare Island, which is reached by a creek originally too shallow for battle ships. Notwithstanding these facts, troops never embark for foreign stations on the Columbia River, and military sup plies for the Army are loaded on ship board at either San Francisco or Puget Sound ports. The Columbia Basin Is the great reservoir of gTaln, hay, live stock and lumber, but the War Depart ment asks bids for supplies delivered at other ports and buys chiefly from merchants at other ports. The reason is that a systematic campaign of de traction has fostered the belief that ships cannot navigate the Columbia and by thus preventing many from coming here has strengthened that be lief. The falsehood can only be dls- 1 proved by causing1 bis ships to come in and by spreading- accurate informa tion, obtained from Government engi neers, as to the depth and width of the channel. Oregon Senators can see that this information, constantly brought up to date, is supplied to the Navy De partment. The Portland Chamber of Commerce can supply It to every port and every shipping- firm in the world. Tho Oregon delegation in Congress can constitute Itself a vigilance committee to foil the efforts of the knockers to prevent the Government from learn ing, acting upon and disseminating the truth. The activity of the knockers is the strongest evidence of the intrinsic merits of the Columbia as a port, for it is prompted by fear lest the truth should become known and lest the Co lumbia come into its own. IKDEB WHICH FIAOT A body of ministers of the gospel of Christ yesterday In Portland made known to the world their loyalty to their country by the following: To the President: The Portland Metho dist preachers' meeting heartily sustain you and the National Conaress In your efforts to care for the safety and peace of the country, to protect American citizens and American Interests at home and abroad, on land and on sea and In all necessary prep arations to maintain the honor of the Na tion's flag. It is not easy to see how any pa triot in the present grave situation of our foreign relations could say or do less; it is amazing to learn that there are preachers who do not subscribe to sentiments so moderate and cor rect. Such men resent the charge that they are not patriotic, or that they are for peace at any price. They are not for preparedness or are" for only a little preparedness. But if preparedness Is not to be ade quate, why any preparedness? There is no middle ground between peace as an ideal to be sought in every emergency and under every kind of provocation, and safety to be had through suitable equipment to meet any foe. The American who is a patriot and the American who says he is a patriot must alike elect to take their stand with the group which would have peace at any sacrifice or the group which would preserve the National existence at any sacrifice. He Is but fooling himself and imperiling his country when he says he will stand with neither, but between them. THE ASXCAL ROW. The Portland schools have again passed, and have again somehow sur vived, the annual altercation over elec. tion of the City Superintendent. The disturbed public, which is interested but little less in school decorum than In school efficiency, ought to be spared the periodical spectacle of a great row over the superintendent. To be sure, it has not heretofore found expression in ugly taunts and open personalities, but there has nearly al ways been a sharp controversy over the election of a director because he favored, or was supposed to favor, this or'that candidate. Through many years the previous superintendent continued to hold his Job by his expertness in practical poli tics as well as by his exceptional quali fications as an educator. The Ideal su perintendent ought not to be a poli tician, of course; but he cannot other wise last long, under the system of annual elections, provoking and in volving always an issue which sensa tional newspapers and notoriety- seeking busybodies seize with infinite gusto. We can think of but one method of procuring a superintendent worse than the present. It is to abolish the board of directors and to invite all aspirants to enter a popular contest for the Job. The Oregonlan does not at all assert that Mr. Alderman is the best obtain able talent for superintendent. But it Is willing to be shown. It is decid edly of opinion that he has not had a fair deal. The essence of the charges of Director Lockwood appears to be that at least two of the directors who were voting for him did not have pure motives because they were under ob ligation to the superintendent for fa vors rendered. It seems to us that the specifications cited by the com plaining director resolved the whole dispute into something quite triflinsr. The large question, and the only ques tion worth considering, 13 Mr. Alder- mans competency. v e will not refrain from saying in passing that Director Munly met the Lockwood assault with as much firm- ness and coolness as the occasion called for and he certainly made a good defense for the board. But what business had anyone to introduce re ligious matters? PERSISTENT "PATIENCE WORTH." Whatever the explanation of Pa tience Worth may be, she is a persist ent jaae. After two years of third degree cross-examination by experts in psychic research and lay doubting Thomases, Patience patiently persists in pressing her primitive poems over the ouija board with the kindly assist ance or Airs. John H. Curran. a sub stantial St. Louis matron, who first discovered Patience. All efforts at so lution of the puzzle by cross-examination have failed. Mrs. Curran stands by her guns. In 1913 she was toying with the ouija board when it began clicking a signal from the spirit world. "I am Patience Worth," read the in troductory message and thereafter Patience proceeded to dictate poems, blank verse and stately prose. Although the messages were In old English, Mrs. Curran persisted trial- she knew nothing of old English. Al- tnougn tne writings revealed consid erable knowledge of rural England, Mrs. Curran. proved that she never saw rural England and was not equipped to provide the peculiar at mosphere and literary flavor of the oulja-board writings. Hence it all must emanate from the spirit world, possibly from some suppressed writer of sixteenth century days whose pas sion for publication had been denied her during mortal existence. Here is a specimen of her verse: The moon doth, at the even's creep. Reach forth her whitened hand and soothe The wrinkled brow of earth to sleep. Not bad at all. Tet Mrs. Curran might have written, it without the aid of PaUence Worth, one suspects, even as she might have written all else that Is accredited to the eternal memory of Patience Worth. One need not doubt her statements concerning Patience. It is possible that Mrs. Curran Is wholly sincere and believes implicitly in Patience Worth. The mere per sistence of her contention implies sincerity. But then Mrs. Curran may be deceiving herself. She may be the victim of suggestion which causes her to believe the ouija board 13 transmit ting messages which, in fact, proceed from her own mind. The development of such a susceptibility might easily ex plain tne fact that she is unable to produce a single line except when In communication with Patience Worth across U ouija board, n brief, she interprets as a spirit the same influ ence, the same conscious and subcon scious processes, that a normal writer would regard as his muse. The ouija board likely corresponds to tho yellow ribbons that one writer had to have before him in order to write, or the faded smoking-jacket without which a certain writer was unable to produce. Rather than a caso for psychic re search societies, one is led to suspect that alienists and specialists in disor ders of the nervous system would reach the true solution of Patience Worth's baffling mystery. PLAINT OP THE POOR RICH MAN. A writer in an evening paper, who signs himself "A Man in the Ditch" and talks feelingly of "us fellows dig ging in the sewers," has attracted our interested attention. A sewer-digger who, after washing up after a hard day's toil, changes the habiliments of labor for something that will not soil the leather upholstery of his home, takes fountain pen in gnarled hand and writes learnedly of the number of wage earners in the country, per capita tax, cost of Government and standards of civil service all in good diction, cer tainly deserves attention. Still it would be more interesting to bo told how a man of such attainments hap pened to be working in a sewer trench. Need it be said that we suspect that the only digging he does is with a neat little trowel in. the flower beds that grace the lawn of a comfortable home? The letter is a protest against re tirement on half pay of superannuated postal employes and an editorial in dorsement by The Oregonlan of a bill to that end. This laborer with lily white hands is aghast at the added burden of taxation that the bill would impose upon the working classes. Ac cording to actuarial estimates tho first year's cost under the retirement bill would be $362,000. which would Im pose a tax upon the 10,000,000 wage earners in the country of 3.6 cents a year, provided no one else contributed. But the wage earner is taxed for the postal expenses chiefly in the postage stamps he buys. His contribution Is but a small part of the postal revenues. There is no proposal entailed to in crease postal rates. But if our friend will leave his imag inary ditch long enough to contemplate a few other conditions Jn the postal service ie may discover where a sav ing could be made In directions that would a great deal more than off set the little worthy consideration car riers and clerks are asking. The post mastership, except in minor offices, is a political job, sought and obtained by men who know nothing of the busi ness. The wage earners are taxed yearly to educate thousands of swivel chair martinets, whose duties so far as real work is concerned are, at that, performed by civil service employes at small salaries. The department is topheavy with red tape and inspection. We are told of one instance where a special agent made a trip from Seattle to Portland to trace the loss of 3 0 cents from an envelope, when the money had already been found and had been turned in to the proper official to await inquiry. The department's attitude toward Its under-employes Is. niggardly and one of suspicion and distrust. A dime lost behind the railing is subject for ex haustive inquiry, but the robbery of a Portland sub-station of $200 by an outside sneak thief the other day quickly proved unsolvable, the clerk in the sub-station was charged with the amount and her fellow-employes by popular subscription made good most of the loss. The expense of politics and exag gerated espionage is more cause for an arousing of the masses, which the amateur ditch digger predicts, than In auguration of a retirement system af fecting the workers in the postal serv ice. " Pensions for superannuated em ployes are looked upon by private cor porations that have installed them as In part measures of economy. It is recognized that an employe's value to his employer deteriorates with age. It would, of course, be cheaper to kick him out in the cold when old age or disability renders him worth less than his pay. On the other hand, it is economy to pension him rather than keep him on the payroll. The same alternative that confronts the corporation confronts the Postal Department. If it would give good and economical service it must do one of two things: Revise the civil service rules so that a man may be dismissed when he has worn himself out at long and faithful service, or retire him on part pay. The humane method, we imagine, will appeal to the broad minded citizenry of the country. CAR SHORTAGE AND ITS CAUSE. The shortage of railroad cars is due to a variety of causes. One is the rush of export freight to a few ports on the North Atlantic Coast, which has been beyond their shipping capacity and failure to distribute this traffic more widely, so as to use the southern ports. Tet another is tho sudden boom in buying by merchants whoso stocks were depleted during the time of de pression, and by consumers whose buying power has been increased by prosperity. The influence of the lat ter cause is seen in the statement that not only are Eastern roads congested with traffic but conditions on West ern roads are intolerable. However, the worst congestion is in the East for the Eastern roads have on their lines 13.12 per cent more cars than they own, while the Western roads have 10.5 per cent less than they should have. The evil is progressive, for the worse the congestion becomes the slower is tho movement of cars. Before the rush began, a freight car moved between New York and Chicago in seven or eight days; now the trip takes twenty days, and occasionally as much as two months. The West is experiencing perceptible relief through the action of Eastern roads in sending 20 per cent more cars west than arrive eastbound until the balance is restored. Railroads demand that free time for holding cars bo re duced. Shippers retort that more cars and locomotives should be provided and that delays are due to inadequate lighterage and to faulty methods at Atlantic Coast terminals, which require increased forces of workmen. The summing up of the whole story is that our transportation facilities, and particularly terminals, have been outgrown by the development of busi ness. We are planning for a great permament increase in foreign com merce after the war as compared with pre-war times, and we must perma nently Increase our means of handling It. The Panama Canal will help much, when reopened, but it will also swell the volume of our commerce. A sys tematic development of all our means of transport rail and water and of all our ports is necessary to unob structed flow of commerce. Water ways must be developed and used; railroads must be put on a footing where sureness of earnings will enable them to obtain capital for expansion of fatalities; pooling of traffic should be legalized, in order that it may be divided among all ports instead of be ing forced through one choked passage to New York; and the United States should carry its commerce in its own merchant marine. The car shortage is only one feature In the broad prob lem of transportation, the solution of which demands the talents of a busi ness statesman. - The Pittsburg incident serves to im press on us once more a fact which has been borne in upon us often enough that the Columbia River can get its deserts only by fighting. It is one of the three great natural har bors on the Pacific Coast, the others being Puget Sound and San Francisco Bay. Its people have no desire 1 to take away- from the other ports any thing which rightfully belongs to them, but it should fight without respite for all that which rightfully belongs to it. Much has been taken from the Colum bia and given to other ports, and much has been denied to it which it should have. The Columbia River Basin, and Oregon in particular, as the state most interested, must ceaselessly use for their interest the same weapons which have been used against them. We must galvanize into action our Senators and Representatives and our Chambers of Commerce, and must keep them at it. We should enlist the aid of the Con gressional delegations and cominercial bodies of the entire intermountain country. Since others seek to "down us" by resort -to political pull and se cret lobbying, we should combat them by like means. The story Is told that at a conference' of Methodist ministers in Iowa, pre sided over by Bishop Ames, some years ago, a member who posed as a con verted burglar, or reformed gambler, or something equally reprehensible in his past, began togive testimony as to his many misdeeds. He was inter rupted by the bishop, who silenced him by saying: "Brother, if I were as bad as you have been and as good as you evidently think you now are, I would say precious little about my wicked ness and let others testify to my good ness." There are others besides the bishop who think that the place for converted gamblers is not in the pul pit, If they are to pose merely as con verted gamblers. Appointments of West Point cadets from the ranks of the Army, as pro posed by Senators Reed, Gallinger and Smith, of Michigan, would help to democratize the Army, which draws the distinction between commissioned officers and enlisted men from the monarchist countries -of Europe. In republican France the democratic Ideal of equality Is preserved, and It does not seem to weaken discipline. The greatest incentive to efficiency, next to patriotism, is the possibility of attaining the highest rank. The up-to-date Duke of Westmin ster charges into a panic-stricken swarm of fuzzy-wuzzies in Egypt with an armored automobile. The Dukes of a few centuries ago carried the ar mor around on themselves and their horses and charged with lance at thrust. It Is far easier and more ef fective to let an engine do the carry ing and to let a machine gun do the fighting. Douglas County is specializing in broccoli, just as part of Lane does in asparagus and Washington in onions. It takes 405 crates to fill a car. The yield is about 270 crates to the acre, and last year the growers netted a dollar a crate. Brains and energy are needed to make a profit of $270 an acre, but some men are doing it and others can- Young fellows in Germany will be taught thrift by official edict and have money on which to marry after the war. They can use but small part of their wages and must salt the rest in savings banks to remain until peace comes. More than likely the first buy will be a steamship ticket. The railroads do well to cut no mel ons when cars, locomotives and termi nal improvements are so much need ed, when the cost of materials has ad vanced and when employes threaten to strike. Under the circumstances a full treasury is the best defense. A few days more and the eleventh hour squad will be shut out from vot ing. But then a man who hasnt the ambition to register probably lacks the intelligence to vote advantageously. It must be fine to be the biggest thing in the land and without a boss. The Supreme Court began another two weeks' recess yesterday. It is charged that Mexican regular soldiers let Villa escape them. And anon we may find them arrayed under his banner. In a few weeks the fight for the Presidential nomination will pale be side the contest to reign over the Rose Festival. The Governor of Missouri wants Marshall's job, although the Vice President has not signified a desire to quit. So far we have5 heard of no cele bration being planned of the annual Spring opening of the Panama Canal. Officially just a fraction of an inch of rain fell yesterday morning, but people going to work think otherwise. New and stricter regulations on but ter and potatoes are in effect in Ber lin, but nothing is said about gravy. Cow trails started the streets of Boston, while out here the' logging road develops Into a railway. A woman who has Just escaped says the Mexicans respect only the British flag. The campaign is young. August Paulsen will soon know all the tricks of the blackmailers and be able to catch them himself. The dog who steals the daily paper at Vancouver has a discriminating sense to get the best. Now that Taggart is a Senator, "Tom" must be displaced by the more respectful "Thomas." Time is limited for performance of two civic duties by the citizen pay the tax and register. The foundling who reaches the right doorstep was born a lucky child. Old Sol Is having a hard time cross ing the line. It is not good -war to torpedo a hos pital chip. PRnCll'LES BEFORE PERSOXALITV Republican Una Pometblnjr to Soy of Psrty Fealty and eiT Freedom." KLAMATH FALLS, Or., .March 18. (To the Editor.) John M. Watson, 510 Gilsan street, in The Oregonian, March 12, claiming to speak for the younger generation of voters, professes to find considerable amusement in the fact that some "elderly rock-ribbed" breth ren are prating that they have not scratched a ticket for a quarter of a century or longer. And proud to state that the "younger generation are in terested no longer in party pollticis, but in political principles that the party espouses." claiming that his state of mind (common, as he says, to the younger generation) is both analytical and synthetical. Isn't it just possible that this young man voter is of that class of philosophers who hasten too much and often from the analytic to the synthetic method? That Is, draw general conclusions from too small a number of particular facts, observa tions and experiments? x Under his own statement "that tho younger generation of voters are in terested not in party politics, but in political principles espoused by polit ical parties," the elderly rock-ribbed brethren are at least partially justified, if not glorified, in their record of a quarter of a century of "voting her straight." They, at least, should stand accredited with fidelity to the political principles "finding expression in the policies advocated by the Republican party. It is possible, of course, that the young man. if he succeeds in finding that "big, broad and strong man" (and I presume it won't make any difference whether, he stands on a platform of his own or that of the Free Silver party) he will be found supporting him in preference to a standard-bearer se lected by the Republican party to carry out a well-defined governmental policy, expressed in a platform publicly pro claimed. It Is unquestionably the belief of this "dead timber cluttering the Re publican party" that well-defined gov ernmental policy is expressed in such a piatform to be carried out and stood upon by the selected standard-bearer is safer and saner, even for a quarter of a century, than individualism, even though personified by the big, strong man of our youthful friend's idea as a political substitute. Mr. Watson announces "that when the time comes to pick a leader. In the Nation's affairs the younger voters are going to do it regardless of party lines." Well, may be so. But Isn't it just barely possible that there will be thousands of tho younger generation entertaining advanced but sane Ideas of goverrment who will line up with the G. O. P. without re quiring the "old guard" to submit to a sanitary treatment in advance? The "new-freedom" idea has its ex potent in President Wilson, of the "new school," and a goodly number of the younger generation of voters have been successfully innoculated. Be cause a member of the Republican party has seen fit to cast his ballot for its different standard-bearers in the past in preference to the Demo cratic. Prohibition, . Populist, - Free Silver or Progressive advocates, in no wise stamps him irrevocably or other wise as a reactionary. Neither does the fact of his refusal to follow Roosevelt in his bolt and attempt to form a new party with himself as standard-bearer stamp him as a reactionary. Neither does the mere fact of Roosevelt's new party assuming the name "progressive" give its adherents any greater claim to political progressiveness than thev en Joyed before. A. L. LEAVITT. THE POET HUSBTER. "Them poets," said the editor. "they make me sick a ad sore; "Here's another elevatorfull a-stoppin' at this floor. Boy, get the poet-husher out we're goin' to see some fun Set that there door Just on the 'Jar, and swat 'em one by one!" Soon sounds of many shuffling feet the office entrance neared; Then through a narrow opening a poet's optics peered. "Good morning, Mr. Editor; I have an odo on Spring." The poet-husher dropped on him, as quick as anything. "Just kick him in that porner," cried the editor with glee, ' "His MS. is declined with thanks. Boy, have a smoke on mo. Now get behind that door and lay for poet number two." Soon in he peeped, with bow and smile: "I'm bringing, sir, to you," Said he, "a thing I've just dashed off a verse or so on love." Just And then the poet-husher fell from somewhere up above, suddenly the poet dropped and crumpled up and died. "Good work!" sang out the editor, who laughed until he cried. A solemn looking visage next was thrust in at tne door; A voice sepulchral said :"Here are some lines denouncing war. War must be stopped! War shall be stopped! We want not war nor blood " Then that sad voice was silenced by a sickly sounding thud, editor, he capered, as the blood oozed on the floor, ' cried he, "I'm happy, happy as The "Oh, I've never been heretofore!" He was not really cruel, but he'd suf- ferred much, I guess. From poets swarming in on him and from their MSS. An ordinary man, as good as either you or I; Kind hearted, somewhat timid, of good grammar even shy. Yet as dead poets dropped and dropped, xut rang his joyful laugh; Sometimes he shook hands with the boy sometimes with all , the staff. Thus he gloated o'er dead poets thus the busy hours wore. Till through the pane the setting sun lit up a slippery floor. "It grows! It grows!" cried out the boss. "It grows that poet pile! But to clean that mussed up floor will take the woman quite a while. Bqy, is all them poets coppered?" asked the editor at last. The boy said "Yes." "Then," said the tbosn, "our day is done and past; But search the elevator once, and look along the stairs; Be euro there's not one poet left no poet anywheres. Oh, what a buBy day! Our work will bring -us great renown. Arid now, let's measure that heap, where them poets was chucked down." But suddenly those poets all leaped up on nimble feet. And bent on him such glances as I should not care to meet; Then marched out of that office with their heads held firm and high. "I thought o," sighed the editor. "Them fellers never die." F. P. WILLIAMS. La Grande, Or. AC POO TAIT. ' (Mount Hood.) Cold, beautiful and sublime. It stands a sentinel, capped with snow. Its base well serened with lofty pine. An ambush for the gorge below. Storm swept by many a chilly blast, For all the ages that have past. Yet still, on every sunny day. It starts the Hvuleta on their way To fill the mighty gorge below With melted waters from its snow. Could It but speak of years gone by, Of battles fought, of shrill war cry. Of thousands slain, as it stood nigh. Until It burst Its sides with fire. This, for the dead, a funeral pyre. P. G. REYNOLDS, Portland. Dublin, IN. II- LA GRANDE, Or., March 18. (To the Editor.) Please give the adl."os of George do Forrest Brudh, American painter. H. J. RITTR. FIRST MILITARY FORCE f.V 1840 Fort Vancouver Lost Many First Sol diers to Gold Fields. PORTLAND, March 20. (To the Ed itor.) In The Oregonian, March 15, is tho picture of John Dowd, said to be the "Oldest man in Oregon 104 years old." It is also said that "Mr. Dowd came to Oregon In 1840, was a regular soldier and was stationed at Vancou ver Barracks." Historically these statements cannot be correct. In 1840 and for nearly a decade thereafter. Fort Vancouver was held by the Hud son's Bay Company as one of its for tified trading posts. It had been built by the company a score of years before, and its possession had never been questioned by anybody, although our Government, as well as that of Great Britain, had claimed the right of possession ever since anyone had begun to think the country would ever be worth claiming by any nation. At the time of which I write. Fort Vancouver was held by right of the treaty of joint occupancy between such time as this treaty should be ab rogated the company had undisputed right of possession. It also had such defenses and armament as made it appear strong enough to copo with any such force as was likely to ap pear before it. Again, at the date of "1840." there had never been a United States mili tary force in sight of Fort Vancou ver. The first United States military expedition that came across the "plains" was at the close of the war with Mexico. It arrived at Vancouver in the Fall of 1849. I think this was the Fourth Infantry, commanded by Colonel Loring. In the meantime, the ownership of the country had been settled by tho treaty of 1S46, and the military com pany took possession of the place. But they did not find any "barracks," only a stockade fort and a lot of buildings which Uncle Sam afterwards paid for at a good round price. In the next year, 1850, Vancouver Bar racks was built. So that up to that time Mr. Dowd could not have been stationed there. . Upon examination on their arrival at Vancouver it was found there was not sufficient shelter, ' as an abiding place was found for a part of them at Oregon City for the remainder of the Winter. But as these soldiers had spent a year or two in Mexico and many months in tramping from there to Oregon, the tramping habit had become fixed, the "wanderlust" was upon them. The California gold mines had Just been discovered and it was not an uncommon occurrence for the "boys" to straggle away from camp and fail to find their way back. Had the Sergeant wanted to call the roll of the Fourth Infantry he would have received more hearty re sponse had he stood on the: banks of the Sacramento River than he would have received in Vancouver Barracks. ED C. ROSS. "MOTTIEH, TUCK MB UP IX BED." When the nights were wide with won ders. And the moon shone faint and new; Then your years were few in numbers. And your heart few troubles knew; Yet when weary eyes grew droopy. And the last good-night was said; Slumber came not 'till you'd trebled "Mother, tuck me up in bed." Little hurts and paltry bruises Left their scars at close of day; Greater pain, and growing heartacnes Came to fill you with dismay; Still, when Btars peeped through the window At a frowzy pillowed head. All was well when you had whispered: "Mother, tuck me up In bed." , Older grown, life's burdens pressing. Vexed a soul yet immature; Nameless fears the heart compressing. Filled long nights with goblin lure; But because a hardy youngster Should outgrow his childish dread. You were .checked by pride from cry ing: "Mother, tuck me up in bed!" Then sometimes while others slum bered. Mother tiptoed to your bed; Seemed to know your heart was aching For her cool touch on your head; Then, ah, then! your fears all vanished; Babe again, you sobbing said: (Kindly night the scene concealing) "Mother, tuck me up in bed." Manhood comes, and time has severed Earlier ties; new loves are born; Strife for bread and fight for power Bring new hurts, and crown of thorn; Life's mistakes bring shame upon you 'Till your way looms black ahead; On your knees your spirit whimpers: "Mother, tuck me up in bed." Comes the end: Life's story finished; Loved ones softly gather near; Note the smile light up your features. Breathless stoop your words to hear; But they cannot grasp the meaning Ere the soul from body fled; For this message rose to heaven: "Mother, tuck me up in bed." HERBERT A. WATTS. THE PLANTERS. I found two tender vines in early Spring; They grew, one by the other. In the quick'nlng sod. The sun's warm rays had. kissed them both alike Both were created by the breath of God. Mere fancy prompted, me to dig them up. I planted one upon a hill where thistles grew; Its mate in fertile soil beside my door I set. Where It was nourished by the light, sunshine and dew. The weeks went by. Rare blossoms cheered my sight. Gloaming In varied colors there be side my door. Green leaves and op'ning buds the Sum mer through. That well-nursed vine In richest beauty bore. In spirits high, I climbed the rocky hill. To view the other, planted long be fore; The mullen leaves and. thistles growing thick. An hour had passed e're nij keen search was o'er. And when at last I found that once green vine. The leaves hung withered and the stalk drooped low. No bud nor bloom adorned the shriveled thing 'Twas dead; for want of love and care, I know. I pondered long, and marveled at my Ignorance, In planting vine midst rocks and thistles' shade. Yet strangely do we so with human flowers. Then punish them when progress Is not made. Mark Dalrymple, Salem Or. Montana Hears, of Oregon Hen. HELENA, Mont., March 18. (To the Editor.) I thought you might be in terested to know that the fame of your Oregon hen has reached this place. This morning's Independent carried an item to the effect that a hen at Corvallis, Or., had broken the world's record by laying 1000 eggs. Immediately on the perusal thereof the writer was much moved and broke out in a poetical frenzy with result as follows: A frisky old hen at Corvallis. Quite up at th top of them all is. How she strutted and hopped. When the thousandth eprgr dropped. fht aur ia a red-hot tamallla. N. N. !, In Other Days Half a Ccntnry Ago. From Tl-.e Or.-Konian of iinreh '.'I. 16. There are constantly recurring re ports of Indian depredations on the Canyon City road, ijhe Mountaineer of the 18th, referring to the fact, says there has not been a day in the last four years in which the road could be traveled in perfect safety. There is too much truth in that statement. General .Tool P.ilmrr arrived in this city yesterday from Dayton, having in charge several well-preserved parts of the mammiferous animal known as the mastodon, now extinct, and only rep resented by fossil remains. The dis covery was made one day last week while excavating on the west bank of Palmer's Creek, about 300 i-ards from the Yamhill River. Yesterday afternoon a man having more whisky than brains in his head was seen embarking ia a skiff at the foot of Salmon street with a little girl. After maneuvering badly and up setting the boat, the child was taken from him and he was sent away to sober up. The steamer Alert, of the Willamette Steam Navigation Company, will leave her wharf in this city today at 1 o'clock and remain at Oregon City over night, which will in tho future be the arrangement as the result of the com bination between the company and the People's Transportation Company. The steamship Sierra Nevada, which is supposed to have left San Francisco yesterday, will bring 2000 feet of sub marine cable to replace that now in the river at this city connecting the telegraph to Vancouver and then north. The Corvallis Gazette announces that a plowing match is in contemplation in Benton County some time this Spring to be open to the competition of all parts of the state. Twenty-five Yearn A (to. From, The Oregonian of March 21, 1801. Millard O. Lownsdale, who has jirst returned from an extended trip to the wildest parts of Mexico, disgusjed with tortillas, frijoles, carnisica and Mexico and Mexicans in general, started for Bachelor's Island yesterday with the avowed intention of slaughtering a million canvas-back ducks. The Portland & Oregon Railway Company, incorporated a short time ago, haa organized by the election of Dr. L. M. Davis, president; H. M. Wasco, secretary and treasurer, and A. D. Rockfellow, superintendent. They will put surveyors in the field next Mon day to locate the line to Oswego. The stone work at the Armory is about completed and Contractor George Langford says he will begin .. to lay brick next week. The rock for the jetty at the mouth of the Columbia is being furnished as fast as it can be used at present from Joseph E. Smith's quarry above Os wego. With tho close of the Lenten sea son, the sturgeon fishery on the Co lumbia will come to a close for tho Summer. The amount of these fish caught this season is enormous. Will iams Bros., at Kalama, have landed more than anyone else on the river, having taken as high as 18 tons a day. The connection of Charles N. Stewart with the Metropolitan Street Railway Company as superintendent has been severed and the duties of the office will be attended to by George A. Steel. An equinoctial gale may be expected any day now, as this is the vernal equinox and the sun has entered Aries. CONDITION ClIAItGI.il TO WILSON If Villa Escapes It Will Be Due to " "Sissy, Spineless Tactics." "' MARSHFIELD, Or.. March 18. (To the Editor.) I read with interest your editorial March 13, "Getting Ready in a Hurry."" Quite so, and then some. Everything is left in Funston's hands and Funston says, "be patient, we can not do this thing In a hurry." Cer tainly not, thorough preparation must be made, for it is no small task to go into that country with hostility on every hand and capture this murderer. Villa the same Villa that "Watchful Waiting Woodrow" gave arms to only a few months ago, that he might clean up that other murderer, Huerta, But about this preparing business. What has Funston been doing ever since he went down there? What has this Administration been doing in the last three years on the border? Now they arevsaying, "be patient"; wait un til Villa is lost in the mountains and his band of cut-throata are securely hidden where they can do serious dam age to an invading army. All these things are the result of one man's sissy, spineless tactics, supported by a bunch of good-fellow politicians. And I notice some self-styled Repub licans are bragging that they will vol i to continue this programme if they cannot have Just the particular nom inee they fancy. Pah! Such Repub licans. They are fellows who, with one hand behind their back in "George's hand," with the other jammed a knife in Booth's back at our last election. G. W. WADS WORTH. Wronc Idea Entertained. PORTLAND, March 19. (To the Edi tor.) The letters of the Rev. U. S. Crowder and the would-be mother of 14 seem based on a misunderstanding of the birth control idea. Those who advocate birth control do not wish to dictate to anyone the elze of their families. If parents wish to have two, four, 14. or 30 children and do not burden the rest of society by so doing, these parents have a perfect right to do so. On the other hand, those who have this large family wish or ideal have no right to impose this ideal upon those who are phyeically unable to bear large families, or who cannot provide for large families, or who really do not wish large families. A child has the right to be born of willing parents. Even those who wish large families might have much healthier families by use of birth con trol so that children might be spaced out and mother strength conserved. F. ANF1NDSEN. Position on New B rid ate. PORTLAND, March 20. (To the Edi tor.) Can you tell me how the po sitions on the new Columbia River bridge are to be filled? READER. Already 100 applications have been made for the dozen positions available. The positions will be filled by the Inter state Bridge Commission, Courthouse, Portland. The Why of It National manufacturers find news paper advertising the easiest and most efficient road to the market. It Increases sales and lessens costs. Certain looal dealers are going to profit greatly by this market-making work of the manufacturers. They are the ones who will be alert to their opportunities and who will have the goods ready when the public begins manifesting an inter est in them. They are going to reap their share of the dollar crop which the man ufacturers are sowing through newspaper advertising.