10
THE MORNING OREGONIAN, "WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21. 1921
EfcTABLlSHKD bf HENRY 1.. riTTOCK.
l'ubMh?n by The Oregonian Publlshrnir Co.,
134 sixth St.eo', Portland, Onion,
a A. WORDFN. K. B. PIPER.
Uimitr. Editor.
The CWronlan is a member of the Aaso
rui'it lTri.ii. Tti-i Associated Frees l ex
clusively entitle') lo the use lor publication
.f all D;wa dlepKtclira credited to It or not
ctherwl-.e credit-! In thla paper and also
'ha lor! newa p-jb.ished herein. All rlKhta
of publvation of ape.cial diapatchea herein
re alao reserved
fubat-rlpi ion Rale. Invariably In Advance.
I By Mall.)
r ally. Su.iday Incluoed. one year SR no
7'aily, Sunday Ino uded. six montha ... 4 25
Pally, 8 i id ay inoluaed. three mom ha. . 2. 25
! ally. Su-lMav in. nrleri. one month.. .""
I'slly. without Sinday, one year .o0
T'ally, wllhout BjnJay, six montha .... S.2
Jally. wi1 houl Kuntljv. one month .... -AO
Weekly, i.ne year 1 "
Sunday, one year .. 2. AO
(Cv Carrier.)
Tally, 5u:iday Included, one year "
I'ally, H-i tday Included, three montha. . 2.23
T'ally, S inday In ;'..jded. one month ...
rally, without Sunday, one year 7. SO
T'eily, w. hout Pl tCy. three niont ha. .
Laily, without 8-inuay, one month 85
How to Rrnilr-Send postofflre money
order, expresa or peraonal check on your
local bank. stamp, coin or currency are
i own?r a risk, li.ve postotnee aoareaa in
fuM. Incl'ldlns county and atate.
Postage Rate 1 to IS pares. I rent: I.
io fia pie, 2 certs; 34 to 48 paces, 3
tenia; IU to 4 ifea, 4 centa: to SO
faaea, & centa: to 96 rosea, 8 centa
oretgn poetaze aouble rate.
Eaelei n flnainewk Off Ire Verree fonk
I'n. 3O0 Ma.lison avenue. New Tork: Verree
Conkln., Steje- bulldm. Chlraa-o: Ver
tex & 'nnklin. Prra Preaa bulldinc. Pe
Irolt, Mich.; Ver.te A Conklin, Selling
bulMlna, Portland.
ENTITLEn TO CONSIDERATION.
Thirty-six members of the house
t Salem have, It Is reported, entered
Into a solemn compact, one with an
other, to prevent submission to the
people through the referendum of
the 1925 exposition bill in its present
form levying a state tax for $3,
f'00,000. If tbey stand by their agree
ment an extra legislative pledge by
which they refuse to consider the
proposal on Us merits they will
have defeated the fair enterprise.
Doubtless some of the pledge-bound
signers will say that Is what they in
tended. Others will say that they
are for the fair, but they want no
property tax. There is no reason to
doubt their sincerity. They should
give and be given every opportunity
to demonstrate It. How?
One Idea is for a. personal Income
tax. But such a proposal rims coun
ter to all considerations that should
enter into the formulation of a. tax
scheme involving a revolution in
present tax methods. It Is a venture
that cannot be Justified without the
most searching investigation and the
most mature deliberation. Jt Is not
a subject for week-end consideration
and action. Snap legislation may,
and probably will, do more harm
than good through its inequities and
discriminations.
Then we hear about a gasoline tax;
but here It Is proper to ask first
whether it Is fair to divert tax reve
nues from gasoline to anything other
than roads and road construction;
and second, whether there Is cer
tainty of adequate returns from the
suggested plan. It Is that 1,000,000
automobiles will enter Oregon from
other states In 1925, and they will
each use on an average 100 gallons of
gasoline, which at 2 cents per gallon
would realize $2 for each car and
$2,000,000 for one million cars. Fine,
if there are a million cars and they
each buy 100 gallons' of gasoline In
Oregon. To The Oregonian, which Is
quite sanguine about the beneficial
results of the 1925 exposition, one
million visiting automobiles seems
rather a high figure. In any event,
it. is not enough of a certainty to de
pend on for revenifes to support a
scheme definitely committing the
state to large outlays of money. But
a gasoline tax, assuring a real in
come, is not to be dismissed lightly.
Here and there some one mentions
a poll tax. But the poll tax is to
most people an odious imposition
and it can be collected only with dif
ficulty and with large expenditure,
and, besides. It will not popularize
the exposition. Popularity for the
fair la vital.
There are other suggestions, and
they may be worth consideration.
Certainly it will be unfortunate if the
legislature fails to seek some method
of finance which will be practicable,
equitable and acceptable, and will
serve to guarantee the success of the
project before the people.
The people of Oregon, we believe,
want an exposition. They are will
ing, we also believe, to pay for it
within the reasonable limits of their
resources. It cannot be financed on
nothing, and it must be paid for. If
held. There is in some quarters a
flippant and thoughtless suggestion
that if l'ortiand wants a fair. It
rhould be paid for by Portland. But
l'ortiand has no thought of holding
a Portland exposition; It would have
an all-Oregon exposition, and that is
what it should be. It the legislature
has made a mistake In prejudging
the fair proposition before submis
sion, It is an error which can, in the
Interest of mutual good will and the
common benefit, be undone by re
solving to weigh the matter at its
Vorth, and to endeavor earnestly to
arrive at a solution which will ad
just all. present differences, and
make an appropriate distribution
of financial responsibility. The
state's should be the emaller share;
Portland's the larger. How small
and how large, the legislature should
Indicate to the people in a proper bill
for the referendum.
SANTA CLAC8 IV ASBESTOS.
To the list of Christmas "don'ts"
which Fire Marshal Grenfell has
compiled may with propriety be
added another, which relates to the
garments worn by Santa Claus on
the festive occasion which . we are
about to celebrate with many lights.
It is better, of course, that there
should be no candles on the festal
tree, and that nothing but electric
lights should be used, but even then
It is wise to redouble our precautions
against fire. The cotton whiskers of
Santa Claus have caused untold fa
talities in times gone by, and the
Santa Claus garb, which is commonly
of highly Inflammable material, is
almost as dangerous as his snowy
beard. WherefoS-e; since the spirit
of Christmas seems to demand Its
Santa Claus, the National Board of
Fire Underwriters has a practical
fcuggestion to make.
It is that wherever possible asbes
tos be employed as a substitute for
cotton in the Santa Claus disguise,
and, since the costume might take
fire even If the whiskers escaped the
flames, that the latter be addition
ally protected by the application of a
solution consisting of two ounces of
carbonate of soda, two ounces of
boric acid and five gallons of water.
Thus armored, Santa may distribute
his toys with assurance that he l.J not
likely to be a menace to life, at least.
The other practices against which
Fire Marshal Grenfell warns us are
common enough to justify reiteration
on occasions like this. It would be
thought that the experiences of the
past might have taught their lessons,
but thore are always some who ignore
them. The custom of putting candles
in windows even now prevails In
some quarters, and paper Is all too
commonly employed in decorating
Christmas trees. It is well to remind
the fathers of children that smoking
lt dangerous, that fir trees are apt to
be highly inflammable, especially if
they have been cut for some time,
and that the waste paper and excel
sior in which Christmas goods are
often wrapped is perilous stuff to
keep around a house. The under
writers, who sacrifice no worth
while sentiment in their endeavor to
Increase the Joy of Christmas by mak
ing it wholly sane and safe, have the
tragic and unsentimental statistics of
many Chrlstmases to support them
In their contention that the precau
tions they recomruexd are altogether
worth while.
JiO AMNESTY.
President Harding' will celebrate
the gracious Christmas season by is
suing pardons to a "number of per
sons imprisoned for violation of va
rious war laws" so the carefully
worded Associated Press dispatch re
ports. If we correctly read the pur
pose of the president, there is to be
no amnesty for that self-righteous
but Incorrigible class of persons who
love to describe themselves as "po
litical prisoners."
A political prisoner la a" person
who has had a difference with the
government over a political question
and has been sent to prison for it.
He usually regards himself as a
martyr, and there are those who
take him at his valuation. When he
gets "amnesty," there Is ,at least an
implication that the government was
wrong and is willing to have the sub
ject forgotten and consigned to ob
livion. If the president Is moved by the
generous and forgiving spirit of the
season as we have no doubt he isl
and Is to lot a lot of convicts out of
prison as an act of grace, there can
be no objection if he includes some
of those who broke the laws and
sought by their acts to give aid and
comfort to the public enemy.
If Mr. Debs, now an old man, Is
let out because of that fact, or for
any humanitarian reason, few will
object; but if he is let out on the Im
plied assumption that his conviction
was wrong, or that he was not a
criminal who broke the laws of his
country, there will be many to ob
ject.
TIME TO TAKE STOCK.
There is timeliness In the resolu
tion presented to the legislature by
Senator Dennis, particularly in that
portion which calls for a financial
survey of the state. Oregon haa been
going ahead witn a good deal of
rapidity in the lending of Its credit.
Some of the obligations are similar
to fhose Incurred by the city of Port
land wherein It etands guarantor for
improvement bonds. The city must
apparently make good In large sums
of money. Is the state on safer
ground?
The state of Oregon guarantees
the interest on approved Irrigation
district bonds for a period of years;
It has established a rural credit sys
tem, issuing bonds from the pro
ceeds of which it lends money on
farm mortgages; it has bonded Itself
for large sums for the construction
of permanent highways, the prin
cipal and Interest of which, It is as
sumed, will be amply provided by
motor vehicle licenses; it has also
authorized -the Issuance of $30,000,-
000 In bonds for state aid to veterans
of the world war, an enterprise
hardly under way.
The state is engaged In other fi
nancial undertakings through the
lending of the common school fund
on farm land security and of the
other permament educational funds;
and It Is an Investor In other securi
ties Incident to the workings of the
industrial fhsurance law.
A financial survey carries no Im
plication of wastage, wrong-doing or
careless administration. State busi
ness Is the public's business and the
public by right should have knowl
edge periodically of how it stands
financially. Failure oSirrigaticn en
terprises, or impairment of farm
land credits, due to business depres
sion or over-optimism, incorrect cal
culations on motor vehicle licenses,
unwise investments of the industrial
accidents fund any of these would
Increase the obligations of the gen
eral taxpayer. A combination of
them would .ause financial hard
ship.
It is well to know Just how far we
can go with safety In the lending of
the state's credit and whether that
limit, under conservative estimate of
resources and careful audit of assets,
has been approached.
THE TREASURE OF THE BROTHER
JONATHAN.
Probably it Is the discovery that
the Brother Jonathan carried 364
barrels of whisky that has stimulated
new effort to raise that old wreck
from the sea bottom of Crescent City
rather than her over-estimated store
of gold. The story of enormous
sums in coin which were supposed
to have gone down with the ship in
1865 were pretty well exploded half
a century ago. Yet such Is the vital
ity of every treasure tale that it sur
vives every official denial. More at
tempts have been made to salvage
the Brother Jonathan, In all prob
ability, than have been put forth to
recover any other vessel ever lost
on the Pacific coast.
The wreck of the Brother Jona
than was the outstanding marine
tragedy of its time and in point of
loss of life has never been exceeded
In these waters. The vessel struck a
sunken rock off St. George's point,
near Crescent City, on the afternoon
of July 30, 1865. News, which
reached Portland by way of Jack
sonville, waa four days on the way.
The precise number of the drowned
was never ascertained, but is known
to have exceeded 200. Among the
lost were Brigadier-General George
Wright, (famous In the history of
early Oregon Indian warfare, and
his wife, who refused a chance for
rescue, preferring to die at his side.
Thero may have been $200,000 in
money aboard. It Is known that
among the passengers was Major
Eddy, U. S. A., an army paymaster,
with funds for the troops then sta
tioned in the northwest, and there
was a further sum intended for
payment of contractors who had fur
nished Indian supplies. Owing to the
scarcity of money in Oregon and
Washington at that time, and the
business depression following the
civil war, the delay in payment of
these claims which ensued while the
government was unravelling a maze
of red tape, resulted In widespread
pecuniary embarrassment among the
merchants of Oregon. This fact,
rather than the actual amount of
money lost, was responsible for the
report that the vessel had several
million dollars in her strong box.
The real sum was far short of that.
It would seem as if practically
every method known to wreckers
had been employed at one time or
another In efforts to raise the treas
ure. The financing of companies for
the purpose was long a favorite wild
cat sport in the seaport towns of the
Pacific coast. Only recently, how
ever, has the nature of the Brother
Jonathan's liquid treasure been
much talked of. We are about to see
what a brand new Incentive for
treasure hunting can do.
BROWN SNOW.
The occurrence of a fall of discol
ored snow In Wasco and Sherman
counties In this state comes In a
time, fortunately for our peace of
mind, that is measurably free from
superstition. Not a great while ago
any similarly unusual phenomenon
would have been hailed as a portent
of calamity. The spirit of investiga
tion slowly but certainly pushes back
the frontlerof fear, scientific expla
nation banishes dread, reason sup
plants superstition and new and un
expected visitations only stimulate
curiosity where a century or so ago
they might h,ave disturbed the entire
current of human events.
Students of the history of the
northwest who ha-ve' read the
"Travels" of Jonathan Carver, made
famous by the first occurrence In the
page of a printed book of the word
"Oregon," will remember that that
traveler records a fall of rain re
sembling Ink, and hints that It may
have been a warning of certain un
toward events which followed. The
unusual rainfall occurred in the
summer of 1762, and the years Im
mediately following were marked by
exceptional disturbances througnout
the northwestern frontier. But the
latter, it will be suspected by the
reader of history, may have been
only an aftermath of the French and
Indian wars, which were not pre
saged by a similar occurrence. Our
forefathers were apt to put undue
weight on mere coincidence, a habit
from which we are not entirely free
today.
"In the year 1762," says Carver, In
his Interesting account, "it rained in
this town (Detroit) and the parts) ad
jacent, a sulphureous water of the
color and consistence of fnk; some of
which being collected Into bottles,
and wrote with, appeared perfectly
intelligible on the paper, and an
swered every purpose of that useful
liquid." The writer continues:
Soon after, the Tndfan wara already
spoken of broke out In then parts. I
mean not to say that the Incident waa
omfnoua of them, notwithstanding It la
we known that Innumerable well-attested
Inatancea of extraordinary phenomena hap
pening before extraordinary eventa have
been recorded In almoat every axe by hls
torlana of veracity; I only relate the cir
cumstance aa a fact of which I waa in
formed by many persona of undoubted
probity, and leave piy readers, aa I have
hitherto done, to draw their own con
clusions from It.
Detroit hardly deserved the desig
nation "town" as early as 1762, in
which year it was held by a small
garrison of English rangers, but this
is a minor inaccuracy by comparison
with others of which Carver was
guilty. The point, which is sufficient
for the purpose, is that rain, of some
degree of discoloration, probably fell
in that vicinity some years before
Carver visited the west and that it
chiefly Impressed the Inhabitants by
its supposed relation to the events
which followed. But as a matter of
fact so-called black rains have been
recorded on many occasions, notably
In Ireland and less, frequently In
other portions of Europe. It is now
known that their blackness comes
from various sources, all explicable.
such as the soot from forest. -fires,
or black fungi or fungus spores, like
nmut, mildew and rust, gathered up
by gusts of wind and Subsequently
falling with the rain. It has come to
pass on rarer occasions that the
spores of black fungi, after being
wetted by the rain, have grown rap
idly on the ground, producing a
black coating which has not neces
sarily fallen with the rain. The re
cent "brown snow" in eastern Ore
gon belongs to a class of phenomena
peculiar to the dry plains country,
and It is quite likely to occur again.
MOONLIGHT SCHOOLS.
The tenth anniversary of the es
tablishment of the first so-called
"moonlight" schools comes as a re
minder of the potency of sentiment
In giving vitality to an idea. The
moonlight schools are also signifi
cant In other ways, for they repre
sent the beginning of the movement
in the United States to educate il
literate adults. Prior to ten years
ago no state had undertaken . the
work, which now is an Important
factor In the national educational
programme. The impression then
seemed generally to prevail that a
person who had lacked opportunity
for education in youth ought on that
account to be abandoned to his own
resources forever more.
Mrs. Cora Wilson Stewart, in a re
cent article telling of the genesis of
the moonlight school, tells how the
Institution came by its name, by be
ing opened in the seasons when the
moon was visible. In order to en
courage pupils, who were hardwork
ing farmers, to attend after their
day's work was done. As has so
often proved true In the modern his
tory of education, the children were
an Impelling influence upon the
older ones. A Kentucky woman to
whom belongs the distinction of hav
ing furnished the original Inspiration
for the plan, had a daughter living
in a distant city and Mrs. Stewart
used to read the daughter's letters
to the mother and write the latter's
answers for her. Presently the
mother taught herself to read and
with the assistance of the teacher
learned to . write, and out of the
pleasure that her newly acquired
knowledge gave her, the idea of
teaching others of the older gener
ation to read and write was born.
It has spread amaeingly since then.
and It has been observed that the
name "moonlight school" in Itself
exercises a peculiar fascination.
Where a "moonlight" school Is
opened in one locality, and a plain
night school" Is established In an
other, people go miles out of their
way to attend the former, although
the purposes of both are precisely
the dame.
The field of usefulness of the new
school soon divided naturally Into
three parts. The first comprised the
parents of Sons and daughters whf
had gone out into the world, where j
they had obtained better education
than their parents. The second con
sisted of a large number who were
unable to read the news of the day
and to whom the immeasurable sat
isfactions of books were denied. The
third included a not negligible num
ber who really possessed ideas but
were unable to give expression to
them. All were unlettered, but few
could fairly have been called unintel
ligent. In the progress that they
made as soon as schools were estab
lished they gave evidence of latent
power. Measured by a modern "in
telligence" test, rather than by an
"informational" rule, they would have
ranked well. They, came usually from I
excellent American stock. These Il
literates were not aliens: almost all
of them indeed traced their Ameri
can lineage to a time prior to the
founding of the republic. The ap
petite for knowledge which was com
mon throughout the region made the
work of the teachers relatively easy;
the chief difficulty was not to obtain
pupils, hut to procure the facilities
of instruction.
The narrow restrictions which the
term moonlight implies have long
since been abandoned. It was first
intended that school should be held
only in the light of the moon, with
vacations when the moon was dark,
but people were so eager to learn
that they got lanterns to light them
on their way and attended classes
continuously. Schools, at first
staffed by volunteer teachers, soon
took a more official character, and
communities which could afford to
do so paid for Instruction. It is a
testimony to the material benefits of
education that in many instances
school districts found the earning
power of their citizens so Increased
by schooling that added taxes were
not a burden.
It was to be expected that the
schools would create a demand for
text books of a new kind. The angle
of approach to the adult mind differs
from that which must be regarded
In dealing with children. But this
was a minor problem in pedagogy
and it not only has been solved but It
has given a new groundwork for
adult education in other places.
There are. It now appears, some 1,
230,000 adult illiterates In the stated
east of the Alleghanies alone, to
whom the slogan, "No illiteracy in
the United States by 1930," forcibly
applies. If. however, progress Is as
rapid In other regions as it has been
In the "moonlight" school districts,
it Is safe to predict that the goal will
be achieved considerably before that
time.
START THE IRRIGATORS FIGHT.
Much should be done to advance
Irrigation through the plan of the
Oregon Irrigation congress to give Its
attention to placing settlers on land
to which water has been conveyed
and helping them through the first
difficult years. The state now carries
the enterprise through this Initial
period by guaranteeing interest on
district bonds, but ability to earn in
terest on the investment as well as
cost of maintenance depends on the
men who cultivate the land and raise
crops on it. The work of construc
tion must be followed by systematic
effort to find these men and set
them going as farmers. They make
the project a self-supporting, going
concern.
We want the vacant spaces filled,
we want more farmers and fewer
city men, but we cannot get them to
suffer the hardships and privations
of pioneering that were the common
lot when practically everyone except
the people of the Atlantic coast
fringe was a pioneer. The way must
be made easier because it Is easier
for all than when the whole countrj
was raw; it must be made more at
tractive in order to overcome the
many counter-attractions. Many
future irrigators of Oregon have
never irrigated before, though they
may have been farmers, and they
will need instruction In irrigation
methods to insure success.
All this suggests an organized sys
tem of selecting men on the ground
of fitness, inducing them to take
land in a reclaimed tract and financ
ing them until they are able to pay
their way and to begin paying the
loan. If the whole operation were
undertaken by one organization, the
necessity of careful selection would,
insure that good, staying settlers
would be picked. The main part of
the security for the loan would be
the character and skill of the man,
for the application of these qualities
to production from the land must be
the means of paying the loan.
The state soldiers bonus law has
already provided such a system of
loans to ex-service men men whose
service gives them a preliminary
recommendation as good citizens. In
their cases the state will make the
loan, but some selective care is ad
visable in their case also, for not
every man who could bsyonet a
boche could run a farm. There is
room for co-operation between the
state and Oregon irrigation congress
In picking ex-service men to be irri
gators and tn giving those new to the
game the practical lessons which will
bring them success.
The men who accept work In the
municipal woodyard show they are
ready to work anywhere and should
be first choice for anything better.
Mayor Baker will see to that.
The little bank at Brookings won
Its contention against the federal re
serve bank in the federal court. This
rather upsets the "claims" of soap
box oratory.
To protect German youth, forty
thousand "wild west," Indian and
detective stories, American of course,
have been burned. It is a pity about
those boys.
Might be just as well to assure
Easterners that nothing like this will
happen at the 1926 fair.
Death or blindness may result
from some of the stuff "on the hip"
this Christmas season.
Anv old-timer can remember
Christmas weather just like this, if
mai IS any cnminn.
Wouldn't an old-time rain to the
music of the soughing of the south
wind be fine now?
If the boy does not own a sled,
wait a day or two and consult the
weather.
Conduct in the postoffice line
shows one's breeding.
Bad weather for golfers and other
birds.
BY-PRODUCTS OF THE PRESS
Observant Womna Detects Suspicious
Koaall Smack.
A. C. (Barney) Barnekoff. Portland
traveling man who makes eastern
Oregon at stated Intervals, told the
following rather good story while in
Heppner on his latest trip, according
to the Herald.
While at Condon, just before com
ing to Heppner, "Barney" was in
vited by Sheriff Montague to accom
pany him on a moonshine raid and
upon returning to the hotel with the
still and other apparatus, he assisted
the sheriff in exhibiting the outfit to
the hotel guests, among whom was a
young lady book agent who was much
interested and not a little shocked
at getting in such close proximity to
the unlawful contrivances.
It seems fhat the young lady In
ferred that "Barney" was a member
of the sheriff's posse perhaps a real,
federal agent for the next evening
when Barnekoff walked into the
Hotel Patrick, in Heppner, the young
book agent, who had arrived ahead
of him in another car, rather timidly
approached him with the .inquiry:
"Beg pardon, but you are a govern
ment man, are you not? 1 have some
rather important information that I
thought should be given to the au
thorities. I think the laws should be
enforced, you know, and the other day
when I was at Fossil, as I passed a
soft drink place I saw a man come
out and he was smacking his lips,
and well, I don't think men smack
their Ikps after drinking soda water
or root beer."
During thb steamboat days on the
Missouri, an old German named
Schaefer kept a saloon and billiard
hall on the levee at Leavenworth,
then an outfitting point for wagon
trains to Oregon, and Santa Fe, relates
Capper's Weekly. In those days
every billiard hall had a player rep
resenting the "house" and when any
body could beat him the expense was
"on the house." Schaefer's billiardist
was his young son Jake. When the
boy was so small they had to stand
him on a chair to use the cue, he was
able to defeat the average "crack"
player, and of course, his skill in
creased with his years.
One of the stunts was to get a
tenderfoot from the east, who con
sidered himself a billiard sharp, and
match him against Jake and then see
the kid run out the game after the
stranger had had his first shot. It
didn't hurt business at Schaefer's sa
loon. The Schaefer kid finally be
came the world's champion billiard
iat and held the title many years.
At Chicago last week a youngster
defeated Hoppe, billiard champion for
16 years. The youngster was Jake
Schaefer, son of the man who made
billiard history more than a quarter
century ago. Old Jake died in 1911.
He was known as the "wizard of the
cue." Now his son has defeated a
player who had lost only four games
in 16 years.
a
According to Lite at 5 the small
boy's sense of humor tinds Its highest
satisfaction in seeing his father fall
down the cellar stairs. At 10 he finds
his delight in teasing his young lady
sister about the wart on her beau's
nose. AC 15 he becomes greatly
amused at the ludicrous ideas of his
parents. In college he finds no event
so uproariously funny as the one
when he and a few others found an
old horse belonging to one of the pro
fessors, painted It green, and tied it
to the piano in the chapel. As a lover
there is nothing so keenly ridiculous
as the witticisms of his sweetheart.
After being married five years, he
sees the absolute of humor in his
bachelor friend's idea that he knows
anything at all. At 40 he Is secretly
amused at the seir-conr;dence of the
man of 30. At 60 ne looks with
amusement upon the strenuous ef
forts of his younger friends to
achieve a success they must abandon
in a few years. At 70 the wheel turns
around again and he finds nothing
so refreshingly delightful as the peals
of laughter of his grandchildren.
Experiments with a remarkable
type of battleplane which carries its
own scout machine poised at the tip
of one of its wings have been carried
out at Farnborough, England, says
the Kansas City Star. Two big bomb
ing planes have been flying oer
Aldershot with a diminutive airplane
fixed to the upper wing. So far it Is
understood that the tests have been
successful. The parent machines have
traveled at their usual pace, although
the engine of the scout machine was
kept running so that it was ready to
dive off at a minute's notice to pro
tect the larger and heavier craft.
An expert pilot Is carried by the
bombing plane and as soon as his
services are required he climbs
through the top wing and takes his
seat in the scout plane. By pressing
a trigger he trees the smaller ma
machine, which at once glides along
thi battleplane wing and dives off.
The Woman Pays club of New Tork
meets weekly at the Algonquin, ac
cording to the Atlanta Constitution.
Its membership consists of women
who write for the magazines and
newspapers. Each meeting day there
is a luncheon and two men are in
vited. The poor dubs are usually
speechless with fright with so many
brilliant and charming women around.
The other day two magazine editors
were the honor guests. One was
called upon to make a speech. He
stood up, said "Howdy," and sat
down, suffused with blushes. ' The
other was then called upon. He said
"Ditto," and, according to ringside
spectators, sank back Into his chair
in a half swoon. He Had just been
counting up guests and found that ten
of them had had stories rejected by
him. I
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For many centuries Norway has had
Its legends telling frightful deeds ot
the kraken, a great and mysterious
marine creature that was a danger to
sailors on the high seas, says an ex
change. Now scientists have found that the
localities in which these folk-tales
flourish are the habitat of giant
squids or "cuttlefish." of the genus
Architeuthus, that have frequently
been cast up upon sea beaches.
According to Dr. James Ritchie of
the Royal Scottish museum, the larg
est of these on ecord had tentacles
with a span close to 30 feet. It was
9 feet 9 inches long from the tip of
Its tail to the tip of its short arms,
but its tentacular arms were each H
feet long.
-
In Warsaw a shoe shine costs 2000
rubles. That Is what they must mean
by the Tolish problem, says Life.
Those Who Come and Go.
Tales of Folks at (he Hotels.
While Portland residents shivered
and complained at thecold weather
yesterday, one visitor in the city
spent the day in perfect comfort, even
In the. tind that seemed so biting to
most citizens. The comfortable and
uncomplaining visitor was L. M.
Roberts of Calgary, Alberta, at the
Benson. "I suppose It does seem
chilly to Portland people today," said
Mr. Roberts. "You are not used to
such weather and consequently are
not prepared for it. "We are accus
tomed to seeing the thermometer
register 24 degrees below zero in Cal
gary, and sometimes it gets really
cold. By that 1 mean weather at 45
degrees below zero. Although the
thermometer shows that the weather
is colder In Calgary than here, it
doesn't feel as cold." Business Is
somewhat slow In Calgary now, but
great improvement is expected in the
spring. Mr. Roberts said. He Is a
personal friend of Dr. C. S. Mahood.
Inspector of Police Richardson and
Sergeant Sam Waugh of the Royal
Northwest Mounted Police, who were
important witnesses at the trial of
Dr. Brumfield for murder at Roseburg.
Adventure is not dead in this hus
tling age, and members of the gentler
sex can qualify as true adventurers.
This was demonstrated in the remark
able trip made by Miss Myrtle King
and Miss C. T. Tucker. Starting from
Washington, D. C, last May, these two
young women hiked to the Tacific
coast In four months, camping out
along the way and sleeping each night
with the open sky for a ceiling. Such
a trip might satisfy most rovers, but
to Miss King and Miss Tucker it Is
merely the first leg on a trip around
the world. The former is teaching
French and Latin In a school at Canby
Or., and the latter Is a teacher at
Olympla, Wash. The next stop In
their world tour will be Hawaii, then
the Philippines. Will R. King, at
torney and politician of Washington.
D. C, Is the Justly proud father of
Miss King. He is registered at the
Multnomah, but will leave Portland
today for a visit with his daughter.
L. E. Tewksbury, manager of the
Placer hotel of Helena, Mont., and
formerly connected with the Multno
mak hotel of Portland, returned to
his old haunts here yesterday with a
message of cheer from Montana.
"While conditions have been quiet in
Montana," said Mr. Tewksbury, "there
is a widespread feeling of optimism
in the state. This is based on the un
derstanding that the copper mines
will be open about February 1. The
committee in charge of the com
munity chest drive In Butte recently
raised a fund of $50,000, much to the
satisfaction of the citizens of that
progressive city." Mr. Tewksbury
will spend several weeks on the Pa
cific coast before returning to Helena.
Wallace Benson, one of the leading
attorneys of Douglas county, who
practices his profession in Reedsport.
Is in Portland for a few days. Dur
ing his visit here he is to be married
to Miss Alice Royer of this city and
the wedding will take place tomorrow
afternoon. Benson was an officer
with the 26th (New England) division
during the war and served overseas,
where he saw much action In the
thickest 'of the fighting. He has
taken an active part in American
Legion affairs in Reedsport and was
last week elected commander of the
post in that city. He also is bonus
attorney for Douglas county.
The cold snap has caused many
Canadians and A mericans from north
ern cities to follow the example of
the birds and Journey to the warmer
clime of California. The more en
thusiastic motorists make the trip by
automobile, but for the most part the
travelers go by train. On one of the
southbound trains yesterday after
noon were 26 passengers, recruited
from Portland hotels, headed for va
cation visits to California cities. F. J.
Finucane and family, and R. M.
Srtlckland. all of Spokane, are at the
Multnomah for a few days before
starting south.
C. H. Coffin, president of the Boise
City National bank of Boise. Idaho, is
at the Multnomah, en route home
from a trip to sunny San Diego and
California beaches. He was accom
panied on this pleasant tour by J. M.
Clinton and family of Boise. Mr. Clin
ton Is one of the leading sheep rais
ers of Idaho. The California trip was
taken as a means of aiding his re
covery from a serious illnes.
The Intelligent and useful citizens
of the future are now In the schools
of the nation. Teachera trained for
the task of molding these youthful
minds are always needed. O. M. Elliott,
president of the state normal school
at Lewiston, Idaho, which is one of
the Institutions performing this
necessary work of training teachera.
Is in Portland, registered at the Mult
nomah. From the busy little town of Lorain,
O.. came W. L. Morgan yesterday. Mr.
Morgan is one of the leading con
tractors of Ohio, and a sample of hia
work Is the Morgan building of Port
land. He was the first president of
the Kiwanis club of Lorain.
Portland hotels are headquarters
for a small army of Christmas shop
pers from nearby cities of Oregon and
Washington who come here to take
advantage of the great variety of
wares in the large stores. Among the
Christmas season visitors yesterday
were Mr. and Mrs. F. I- Snow and
Mtss Margaret Snow of Corvallis.
One of the most Important factors
in building up the University of Ore
gon has been the friendly and co
operative spirit of tho citizens of
Kugene. In some university towns
there is disinterest ar,d even ani
mosity toward college affairs on the
part of the townspeople The citizens
of Eugene are noted fcr their sup
port of college activities of all sorts,
particularly in loyaky to athletic
teams of the state institution. Mr.
and Mrs. Grant Moore of Eugene are
registered at the l'ortiand.
The average traveler' often testi
fies that a railroad sleeping car is
fe ther too hot or too cold. It is
cften difficult to keep the cars
warmly heated under the handicap
of a blizzard or a Bevcre cold spell.
The railroad companies are making
every effort to keep passe.ngers com
fortable during this sort of weather.
according to W. Ballon or t-a -jrnnoe,
a well-known railroad man In the
employ of the Oregor-Washington
P.ailroad & Navigation company. Mr.
Ballons is at tha Oregon.
Valuable mineral deposits are num
bered among the nfarty natural re
sources of Idaho. A. P. Ramstedt
end John H. Wourms of Wallace, who
are interested In the big Hercules
silver and lead mine, are Portland
visitors. They are registered at the
I-ortland.
Ed W. Cole, cattleman of Haines,
Cr., joined the ranks cf the stock
men at the Imperial yesterday.
C. McC. Johnson, lumberman of
Reedsport, Or., is registered at the
Imperial.
J. W. Maloney. a leading banker
cf Pendleton, is at the Sew Perkins.
J. M. Tlgg of Dayville. Or., is at
tha Imperial.
Burroughs Nature Club.
Copyright. Houghton-Mifflin Co.
Can Yon Ana-rr Theae lueallonef
1. Po they have yellow fever in the
old world?
2. Are baby opossums born in the
pouch of the mother?
3. Does the Baltimore oriole ever
sing as late as August in Connecti
cut? Answers In tomorrow's nature notes.
Anavirera to Prrvloua Qaratlona.
1. Whera can I find a good book on
whales?
The best books are pr'tly tech
nical, tint in a well equipped public
library you might get F. W. True's
"Whalebone Whales of the North At
lantic." a Smithsonian Institution
publication. It has splendid pictures,
particularly of the bones. Scammon's
"Marine Mammals and American
Whale Fishinar" is another standard.
There Is a pretty comprehensive sec
tion in' volume V. of the Rivei'tldo
Natural history, on whales.
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2. Are a snake's ryps left exposed
when it sheds its k:n?
The snake has no eyelids, but the
eye is protected by a scale clear like
a crystal, under which Is a moisture
corresponding to tears. When the
skin Is shcdi the layer conies off from
over the eye also, hut the new epi
dermis Is ready for service before the
old skin is cast, so the eyo is not left
bare.
3. Will poison kill sparrows? If so,
what poison is best, and how admin
istered? Strychnine. Is recommended bv
Farmer's Bulletin 493 as tho most
satisfactory poison tested. One
eighth ounce pulverized strychnine,
gill hot water. 1 i teaspoonfuls
starch or wheat flour slightly moist
ened with cold water. llssolve
strychnine In the hot water and
starch and stir rapidly until mixture
is thick. Tour this poisoned starch
over 1 quart of wheat, stirring thor
oughly till every kernel Is coated.
Dry on a flat hard surface, and feed
out In small lots. Dangerous to le:ive
around. Sparrow traps are preferable.
WAR TOYS ARR IIF.LD 1IAR1IF1 L
rarenta 1'rgrd Not lo ;lve Present
That Arouae Thoughts of Maying.
PORTLAND, Dec. 20. (To the Edi
tor.) The conference at Washington
is of the most vital Importance to
everyone old enough to understand
the tremendous issues Involved, and
everyone should be asking: "What
ran I do to help to avoid war" the
most awful crime In the world.
With Its two dread followers, pesti
lence and famine. It causes such awful
suffering, blots out so many brave,
beautiful and innocent lives, that one's
soul shrinks with horror at the
thought of Its frightfulness.
Here Is one thing we can do so
many of us and it strikes at he
very foundation. It hesrins God for
give us with the little child the
giving of toy pistols and cannon and
the array of toy soldiers for him to
kill. .
We will soon be making gifts of
love In memory of the "Prinre of
Peace." The writer begs one and all.
not to bay any weapon, any toy sug
gestive of the taking of life, human
or animal, or that will bring thoughts
of harming any person or thing.
There are so many beautiful and
useful presents we can make, so many
bonks that will teach love and kind
ness to all, and "Love Is the fulfilling
of the law," and never harms anyone.
Have we not had lessons enough dur
ing the past year In the shooting of
litle children by other little ones?
No parent who allows his child the
use of deadly weapons to kill for the
love of killing will be held blameless
by Ood, whose command rinirs down
through the aRes, "Thou shalt not
kill."
In that day when we are Judged
"according to the deeds done in the
body." we believe many a parent at
the trial of his child will hear the sol
emn arraignment: "Thou art the
man!"
Let us spare no effort that will
teach the children what a solemn
thing the taking of life Is. One man.
beloved of all, wrote: "I would not
care to number among my friends one
who would not step aside rather than
crush a worm In his path."
M. W. H.
Danrei and War Tax.
BRIGHTON, Or.. Dec. 1!t. (To the
Editor ) If a dancing club Is organ
ized for social times and not profit,
is it neceosary to have a license? Also
are you BUbject to. a war tax?
SUBSCRIBER.
The government regulations pro
vide that dances held for amusement
only may have their exponse8 fi
nances! by collections among the
members of the club or by actual pro
rating of expenses among the mem
bera without paying a tax. Guests
must not be allowed to contribute,
however.
The city of Portland license regula
tions provide that where no admission
charge Is made, no license is required.
In your case It would depend on local
regulations.
search Without Warrant Illegal.
ILWACO, Wnsh., Dec. 19. (To the
Editor.) We understand that the res
ident deputy sheriff is In the, habit
of meeting automobiles which cross
on the Astoria and Long Beach ferry,
at McGowns. on the Washington side.
and there he searches persons and
autos for liquor, having no search
warrants against any particular per
son, unles possibly he has a "John
Doe'" warrant previously obtained
from a Justice of the peace and ap
plicable to anybody. - We. understand
that the federal conrTs of botji states
have held this to he Hlea-al and that
Judges Wolverton and Bean have both
held that no search and seizure can
be made without a warrant regularly
obtained and directed against some
particular person and that "John Doe"
warrants in such cases are void.
Kindly answer this. ILWACO.
The federal courts have held and
the statutes provide that warrants
for search and seizure must be made
for particular parties. If the offi
cers obtaining the warrants do not
know the names of the persons they
seek to arrest they must give an
accurate description In the warrant.
The reputed acts of the deputy men
tioned are illegal, according to the
federal attorney in Portland.
County Farm Patients Want Bonka.
TROL'TDALE, Or., Dec. 19 (To the
Editor.) Will you please find a dic
tionary and also a set of encyclo
pedias which are not In use or have
been discarded? We. the patients
here in the county tuberculosis pa
vilion, need such at times.
We wish the community at large a
Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year. TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS.
How Words Are Pronounced.
WASCO. Wash., Dec. 18. (To the
Editor.) Please give correct pro
nunciation of the name (1) "Tupper"
(proverbial philosophy); also of the
word (2). "Bucharest." MRS. H.
1. Tup-er:"u" as n up.
2. Boo-ka-rest; accent cn third syl
labi .
More Truth Than Poetry.
By James J. Montague.
THK WAY VP WITH APOLOGIES.
Mr. MrAdoo became attorney for a
film combination. Now it is pro
posed to make Will Hays the head of
another.
When Bill was a lad
His heart was set
On getting a portfolio
In the cabinet.
He always kept
This design in view.
And one day he succeeded
Mr. Cortciyou.
And when he'd served
11 is second term
They mado him the attorney
For a movie firm.
When Will was a boy.
He said, said be.
"I want to serve my country
As tho P. M. O."
He worked for the party
Tooth and nail.
And now he's the custodian
Of the U. S. Mail.
And so they've a:kcd him
To resign,
And be the general manacrr
Of a film combine.
So children all
Who think you must
Be the principal director
Of a movio trust.
Avoid the pictures.
And prepare
To be the proud possessor
Of a cabinet chair.
And when you've gained
A statesman's fame.
They'll make you the panjandrum
Of tho picturo game.
One of Our Dlffli alt lea.
The pay-as-you-go policy Is suc
cessful enough, but soma businesses
can t bo made to go.
Disillusion.
Bill Hart's admirers are disappoint
ed to learn that he married) his wife
In the ordinary fashion. Instead of
stealing her out of a desert cabin and
carrying her away on horseback.
Ion Can't ne Too rantrular.
Scrap, scrap, scrap with care
And let each nation scrap her share.
The Little Oak Chair.
By Grace F. Hall.
There's a little black mound on the
hillside today
That was not there a short year
ago.
And a little oak chair In the closet
must stay
When the others are placed in a
row;
And a little ehecked apron that she
used to wear.
Is hanging, all crumpled, beside of
the chair.
In a little hluo room that Is empty
and cold.
There is standing a little white bed.
And a gay little mirror, with flowers
of gold.
Seems waiting to frame a dark
head ;
In a low wooden cradle beside of the
wall,
Untouched, lies a treasure her bat
tered rag doll.
There's a twisted red tain on a nail
by the door.
And a coat that has buttons but
three.
Though their owner will need them,
alas! nevermore.
They hold their old place tenderly;
And a bit of a scarf, with the needles
a wry,
Is there In her basket of knitting,
laid by.
Oh, the berries will gleam on the holly,
blood red.
And prayers will be mumbled and
fast.
As little bare feet scamper swiftly to
bed,
The waiting of weary months past;
The 'stockings will hang by the grate
In a row
But a little hlark mound will be
under the snow.
And the scat will be placed by the
hoard Christmas day
But the little oak chair In the closet
must stay.
In Other Days.
Twrny-flve Yrara Ago.
From The Oreaonlan of December 21. isfrt.
Superintendent Qulnn of the street
cleaning department is pleased with
the results of his scheme of working
prisoners from the city Jail.
The return of Frank Bacon and his
company, with L. R. Stockwell, taxed
the capacity of Cordary'a theater last
night.
Secretary of State Olney has as
sured the Spanish minister at Wash
ington that President Cleveland would
not rerognlzo the Independence of
Cuba.
Mrs. Jennie Moore, who says she
was with Sell Bros, circus for nlns
years and that she has tramped clear
across the continent to see her chil
dren, was arrested in the railroad
yards yesterday as insane.
Fifty Yrara Ago.
From The Orerontan of December 21. 17!.
Captain Scmmes of the United States
navy i now on trial at the Brooklyn
navy-yard on charges of almost In
credible cruelty to the men in hl
command.
Agitation has been started to pro
vide the city with a fire alarm system
which will give the locality of tha
fire when the bell Is sounded.
The recent weather has had the
good effect of having noticeably re
duced the number of hangers-on
around the street corners.
The government Is conducting in
Interesting and Important series of
experiments on the strength of steam
boilers at Its reservation on Statea
inland. New York harbor.
Ship Mnka o Bottom.
WOODLAND, Waah , Dec. 19. i To
the Editor.) Will a steel ship that
sinks from the surface go to the bot
tom of the sea. or will it sink to a
certain depth and remain buoyant? I
alao claim that the Titanic and the.
Lu.ltanla sank to the bottom, and In
such cases would sink to the bottom
of any known depth in the seas. We
would appreciate a detailed explana
tion. Thank you. A STUDENT.
A ship that sinks always sinks to
the bottom, for the reason that the
force of gravitation Is not appreciably,
diminished at any ocean depth, and
for further reason that the specific
gravity of water is less than that of
the material of which a ship is con
structed, regardless of the depth of
water.
America's National Anthem.
HOT. Or., Dec. 19. (To the Editor.)
To settle a dispute will you kindly
advise me what tho national anthem
is? . J- A. MOORE.
By common acceptance it is the
"Star-Spangled Banner."