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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 30, 1900)
THE SUNDAY 0REG0N1AX, POKTLAXD, DECEMBER 30, 1900. 19 VISITS FROM ROYALTY JCOVED EMPEIIORS TraO BEEX IX EXGLAXD. HAVE Only Four Have Sojourned In the KlngUom Darin s tbe Extent ot Her Existence. Between the downfall of the Roman Empire of the "West and the beginning of our own century, four Emperors have landed upon English shores, gays the Sat urday Review. The first of these, Bald win II of Constantinople, though ho was the son-in-law of the crusading hero Jean de Brienne for seven long years of war and strain the octogenarian Emperor of the East was at first hardly suffered to set foot upon the coast (April, 123S), as he came without an Invitation on the occa sion of his first visit. Though given so dubious a welcome, he managed to leave the country 700 richer than he entered It, and when he came a second time a penniless, fugitive beggar who bad been forced to sell the holiest treasures of Christendom, the cross on which Christ had suffered and the crown of thorns that once had circled the Savior's head he seems to have got nothing at all, even though he now trumped up a tale of kinship to tho King (1247). Mnnncl's Most Royal "Welcome. The next Imperial visitor was one of quite another kind. It was the last year of the 14th century (1400 A. D.), and Henry IV of England had Just supplanted his unfortunate cousin Richard II on the throne, when all Europe was startled by the news that Manuel II, Emperor of Constantinople, had already started on a pilgrimage to the "West to beg the lead ing monarchs there for aid against the Turks. His progress was a long, triumphal march. Wherever he went there was rev elry and feasting. At Venice he was lodged in the palace of a Marquis; at Padua-tbe citizens turned out with flam ing torches to escort him to his house; at Paris Charles VI rode out in state to meet him. In England he received a wel come such as never yet had been given to any foreign Prince. At Blackheath Henry iv met him and led him through London In state (December 21). Christ mas was spent at Eltham. There were Jousts and revelries of every kind. The grave Aldermen of London, with their little "sones" (sons) to help them, came out to the old Kent manor house In Christmas week and "maden him a gret mommyng" (I. e., masquerade with IClng of Misrule or Unreason In the true old style), for which "they hadde gret thanke." At the tournament Henry's eldest daughter, a little maiden of some nine "Winters, was Queen of Beauty; and, in the affected style of the age, strangely clad warriors from every realm of fairy land presented their homage or ran their courses In the lists before her Manuel looking down upon this strange scene either in bewilderment or delight. Every one was delighted with the visit. Man uel had never met with so gracious a host as Henry, who, so he wrote to a Greek friend, at Florence, was "full of charms" and "friendly unto all." Their Visitor Plensed Tliem. The English, on the other hand, could not gaze enough on this splendid-looking Emperor of 50, this model of manly ac tivity and well-proportioned vigor. They doubtless whispered to one another the tales that came from Paris as to his al most superhuman agility; how when the French King met him outside Paris, offer ing lhm a splendid milk-white horse, Manuel had, then and there, leapt from his own steed onto the strange courser without so much as setting even one foot vpon the ground. They wondered at his snow-white beard once of a full, rich go'den hue that fell down In profusion over his broad breast like the beards of the French heroes In the greatest of all medieval epics. They wondered at his simple dress of flowing white, and at his piety as mani fested In the dailj- services he frequent ed services conducted in his own Greek tongue, and not In the foreign Latin idiom to which they were accustomed. And they heard, perhaps, with deeper Interest still, rumors of a strange "band of "no bles" still living in Constantinople who claimed descent from British heroes now dead a thousand years and more "no bles" who still, In the far-off metropolis of the East, spoke their own English tongue and still bore In their hands the same huge battle-axes that had crushed the Norman down at Hastings. Emperor of tbe "West Then Comes. The next Emperor to islt England was Slglsmund the Emperor of the "West. He, like Manuel, came to England from Paris, and he, too, had great hopes of inducing the King of England, Henry V, to make peace with the King of France and join In one common effort against the conquering Turk. He was welcomed with a splendor that surpassed even the welcome of Manuel. Richard de Beauchamp, the great Earl of "War wick, called the "Prince of Courtesy" by his contemporaries, met him at Calais. The King's youngest brother, the "Good Duke Humphrey" of Gloucester, the founder of the Bodleian library at Ox ford, was sent down to receive him at Dover. At Canterbury he was entertained by Archbishop Chlcheley, the founder of All Souls' College: at Rochester and Dart ford he was met by two more of the rsyal brothers, the Dukes of Bedford and, Clarence, while at Blackheath stood the King himself Henry V, fresh with ail the glory-of Aglncourt round his brow. and round him gathered some SOW of his greatest knights and nobles along with the Mayor of London, Master Nicholas "Wotton, the draper, accompanied by his Aldermen and the jdty companies In all the splendor "of their scarlet robes and many-colored liveries. "With characteristic modesty Henry quartered his imperial guest In his own I-lace at "Westminster, while he himself sought an humbler lodging at Lambeth. Parliament was not allowed to break un til the Emperor had arrived, and a few days later SJgismund was hurried off to "Windsor to be made a Knight of the Gar ter under circumstances of unusual tplendor. Two ICIng-n "Praised God Together. Several of our old English chronicles have preserved on elaborate account of te Inauguration banquet on this occa s.:n. and of the wonderful dishes set n the royal table dishes made up to present the exploits of that St. George. " c champion saint of England, In whose h:ncr the Order of the Garter had been - ded and In wnose name Henry hlm - f had bidden his little army strike me on the day of his greatest victory. C hes of an artistic perfection In design f h as would have gladdened the heart of such a master of the cookman's craft as Alcide de Mirobolant himself. Like Manuel, Sigismund perhaps the m?st gifted sovereign of his century vi -n the hearts of allT Whqn Henry heard of the great victory gained by his Irother at Harfleur (August 16, 141G), ho gi 'oped off from the Kentish village In which he was staying, and would .not dis mount from his horde's back till ho had carried the news to Slglsmund .at Cantar brrj. and then the two Kings together entered the great- minister to render sol emn thanks to God. Charles V Came Last. SIgismund's courtesy found expression in his declaration that not merely was Henry to be felicitated upon having gained so signal a triumph, but his very captives were to be congratulated on having fallen Into the hands of so noble a conqueror. As they left Canterbury for the coast. Slglsmpnd's sult strewed the streets with pamphlets on which were written Latin acrostics singing the praises of their English iiosts and the English land- verses doubtless written by tho Emperor himself, who was an unrivaled linguist among the monarchs of his time. And for J hundreds of years af'er his departure the English loved to tell each other of the parting advice he had given to their King the soundest advice pver given ny foreign Prince to English sovereign bidding him at all costs to guard the "narrow seas" and keep Dover and Calais safe as the very "eyes" of his dominion. The next Emperor to land In England was Charles V, but the story of his two visits especially the last one, when Lon don was decorated to greet him as It never was before, and probably as It never has been since would take too long to speak of here. He alone of all the Em perors we have dealt with had not vis ited Paris before he came to London. He alono came with the fixed Intention of making discord between two realms that both Manuel and Slglsmund had longed to reconplle. Once more we have an Em peror In England. He, too, has not vis ited Paris on his way. Is his role, then, that of Charles V, or Is It that of Manuel and Slglsmund? BERNHARDT'S FOOTGEAR. Tragedienne Has 120 Pairs of Shoes, With Stockings to Match. . , , . . . .. i For her American tour Sarah Bernhardt 1 Drougnt witn ncr j-w pairs oi snoeu. -n.u are low cut, with the typical high French heel. Mme. Bernhardt has not a pair of NEW RULER OF ICROwK Prince. GuSTAvAootPrt, ' Crown PRINCE! YlCTORiA Wfro now PrctiCvMy K.09 c$ Norwoy grjd bedcp J Wfro will ooQ be Qucgj) of Norway cnqcJ 5rredcp J LONDON, Dec 22. Crown Prince Gustav Adolph, the heir to the double crown of Sweden and Norway, Is in the King business just at present, and the chances are that it will eventually get him Into trouble. His aged and ami able father. King Oscar, to whom he bears a marked resemblance. Is ill and feeble, and Gustav has been appointed Regent. The King has so many ailments that It Is thought probable that he will never sit upon the throne again. When Prince Gustav becomes King In name as well as In fact, the world will begin to hear about him straightway, not because he is brilliant And daring, but because he Is going to get into hot water, which is now in progress of heating for him. The new Regent Is 40, tall .and good looking, with a strong will. He has rigid views upon Justice, but Jacks any great talent for diplqmacy. as. well as that pecu liar magnetism that marks the present King of Norway and Sweden. In 1SS1 ho married Princess Victoria, of Baden-Baden. He already has been Regent twice during Indispositions of the King. The members of the Storthing are lying In wait for the Prince, not only because he took sides against them In a recent crisis, but also because of certain passages at arms which they have recently been having with the King. In token of the union of the two peoples, a part of the colors of Sweden were added to the flag of walking boots In her wardrobe. She boasts that she never walks on tbe street or In the park. "When she left the steamer on her ar rival in New York, she wore a pair of suede slippers. "Until she played "L'Alg lon" she never wore top boots. In the character of the Eaglet she must wear them. The boots are made of the soft est and flnest of leather. When not In, use they are kept in shape with boot trees. Bernhardt has a pair of low shoes to match each one of her gowns. Their colors range from white, pink and red to a delicate shade known as Spanish tobacco. The shoes arc of satin or suede, with the etraps not over the in step, but' near the toes. Some have ro settes, others have rhlnestone buckles, whllB many are perfectly plain. In each of the shoes Is rolled a silk stocking, opera length, of the same shade as the shoe and the gown. Bernhardt packs her stockings In her shoes when traveling and there Is never any trouble to get a perfect match when she has to dress In haste. Her shoes are packed In two enormous boxes, fitted with compartments. So methodical are her maids that each pair of shoes is numbered and catalogued, so when a certain gown is called for the shoes to match can be obtained without a search. Bernhardt has had one shoemaker make her shoes for years. The size worn is about a 2. The great actress Is proud of her feet and frequently has had them photographed. Her foot Is nearly classical in Its shape. The Instep Is high, the heel short, the toes long and straight and slightly spatulated on the ends. When Bernhardt makes her tour of the country she will carry her shoes and gowns In her private car. The Rambler. It Is one of her fads to have her full wardrobe with her wherever she goes. She saves her cast-oft shoc, and sends them to a Paris convent, where they are worn by girls taking their first com munion. Her shoes cost her about $10 a pair. She wears them only a few times. The style varies but little. All resemble the French, high-heeled slipper made famous by comic-opera chorus girls. The Impossible Cainamnn, Contemporary Review. The Chinese regard the arts of war and of mechanics as degrading, and literature only as a pursuit worthy the supreme at tention of the superior ram. Their Eti quette and polite bearing are generally diffused through all ranks of society, and are far more exacting, decided and practically effective than those of ftny Western nation. The universal knowledge of these, and the particular attention paid to them, smooth down in, a remark able manner, scarcely realizable In the West, the asperities and conflicts of life. Lick of knowledge of these, and want of attention to them on the part of West- ern peoples, have led the Chinese to style the latter "barbarians." The relations of the sexes are strictly defined, and a stern ctiquete, sanctioned by the legality of mUrder In certain circumstances, guards the sanctity of the home. A licentious soldiery is the surest means of stirring up the common people against the coun try represented by them. The greater freedom In the public intermingling of men and women belonging to "Western nations a freedom which cannot be un derstood and Is misapprehended by the Chinese together with other features common among foreigners living In China, has aroused the Indignation of the Chi nese, who declare that the life of "Western barbarians is the life of "birds and beasts." In addition to these outstanding dif ferences, there arc many other facts con nected with the Chinese and many other Ideals which they entertain wholly unlike If not at variance with those of the West. Thtse things will accoun. for the con tempt which tho Chinese feel for the "'outer kingdoms." It is rtl more casv for un to understand th's contempt when we reflect that while they regard the thor ough knowldgo of literature as the sole reason for ins greatest respect, they .be lieve that foreigners are Ignorant of that literature: while, on the other hand, they are Ignorant of the existence of the great literature of the west, excepting much thereof as has been translated by mislonarIos, whose alm l3 to publlsh th literature selected by them In such a way that their work will be generally under stood by the ordinary folk, and who aro NORWAY AND SWEDEN STIRRING UP TROUBLE AMONG HIS PEOPLE. not always solicitous to satisfy the extra reflned classical taste of the Chinese schol ar. The superiority, therefore, of the West In arms or In mechanics may sub due their bodies and Improve their loco motion, but It will not in the very least modify their, mental attitude. MY FRIEND. A Jewel lay within my hand, And. sparkllns brijlrc. Its dazzling light "With Joy and beauty flllsd the land. I held It -where the shadows lay, But Its pure gleam Its radiant beam Bade all the darkness steal away. I held It where the sunlight shone. The searching light Revealed no blight "Without a flaw. It reigned atone. Careless. I lost my Jewel fair. And where It fell -Oh! who can tell. Or give me baek ray gem so rare? At night, when all the stars shlae clear, Cager I gaze, My anas I raise; Bat they are far, and It was near. "When ea the flowers the dewdre-ps lay, I se its beam Aad catch Its gleam. But at my touch they fade nway. S all tbe Bights and days bet show Its matchless worth. My utter dearth. And tint is why I tntas you se. Jennie Bryan SkeHaberger. Victoria's Chrlitinns Dinner. -The Christmas dinner for Queen Vic toria and her guests, while not elaborate as to the number of courses, requires a good deal- of preparation. Tho baron of bef served for Hr Mai- , y Christmas weighs ISO .pounds. It was cut irom tne lines t 3-year-oia uevon- shire red bullock bred by Her Majesty, at the Flemish farmf In Windsor Great Park. On December 19 this splendid Joint was roisted before the kitchen Are In Windsor Castle; on the 2dth Is was care fully cooled, and on the 25th it was elab orately garnished and placed on the royal sideboard between the traditional boar's hoed and game pie. The Queen's Christmas pudding also re quires some little attention. It takes a week for five maidservants to stone the raisins, working about four hours each day. Nearly half a hundred weight of every kind of currants, raisins and sul tanas are uted. Fifty pounds of beef suet, 0 pounds of flour, S pounds of can dled peel. 14 pounds of sugar, 56 nut megs. 299 eggs and 16 bottles of old French brown brandy Are alio usd. When completed the pudding weighs a trifle over a hundred weight. A. L. Swaggart, of Athena, shipped a carle ad of lioss to Tacoma last week. THE HISTORIC TEMPER HOW DBT MUST AX AUTHOR BE TO BE TRULY SOUXD? Criticism of Morley's "Cronnv-cir- Attractivc Qualities Ja tke Great Historians. .There has been a good deal said of late about present writers of history and Ihelr absorption in scientific method to the neg lect of style, says the New Tork Commer cial Advertiser. The most auBtere lan guage is that af a reviewer of Morley's Cromwell in the London Athenaeum. He says it Is a good piece of work, but sub jective, not historical, the sole Interest be ing in Mr. Morley's personal tastes; it sums up accurately, generalizes suggest ively, and is almost perfest as regards ar rangement and style, but In spite of this is quite useless and perhaps harmful owing to a certain "silent revolution In" English historical methods." rhe writing of his tory now requires "a method of Investi gation as rigorous in Its investigations and as uncolored in Its motives as that employed by any of the empirical sci ences." But human nature is persistent, and he does not think It strange that a "last taint of subjectivism should linger Norway, and this act met with no favor from the Norwegian nation. The Storth ing passed three bills abolishing It, and each of them the King vetoed, and by virtue of the triple passage the kingly position was overturned. The Crown Prince not only openly espoused his father's views, but observed that possibly a march of Swedish troops through the Norse country would have a salutary effect. He has always been known to favor Sweden more or less. Should the King die trouble would certainly follow between the new monarch and his people, unless Gustav changed his Ideas to suit those of tho two countries. The Crown Prince Is generally credited with having the welfare of. his people at heart, but he Is an ardent admirer of the Emperor of Germany, and has also made military matters a study, and it Is no secret that his policy as King probably would be along the lines of William the Second to None. Norway and Sweden aro not fond of the idea of being launched as a military power. Gustay's younger brother, Oscar, Is far more popular than he. Oscar is tho Prince who gave up his prospects In succession to the throne In order to marry Ebba Munck, his mother's" pretty maid of honor. Incidentally Oscar's mother, Queen Sophia, has made a will leavlns to him all her money, some $15,000,000. Poor Gustav will be lucky if he inherits more than a pittance of $5,000,000 from hl3 father. among us, and that the historian yea, even tho scientific historian should still turn aside to sum up, characterize, praise or condemn. "There Is a good time com ing." and the function of such a writer as Morley will vanish before long. Histor ical fact should be as colorless as a fact of physics. "Fancy Englishmen today," says he, "unable to read the history of Cromwell without reference to modern questions: or fancy the United States of the twentieth century being influenced In their political conduct by the memories of the struggle for Independence." This Is the scientific view stated more fully and more logically than usual, and It Illus trates the way of thinking of a very scholarly and influential group of men. The quality that attracts us to what have been called the great historians appears to be nothing more than, an Interesting vice. The taint of subjectivism is In them all. Every one of them has been at some time guilty of characterizing, of summing up, or has disclosed a philosophic spirit, which, according to Mr. Morley's critic. Is another deadly sin. "The philosophic temper." he says, "will never be the basis of the historic temper. The historic tem per will servo as the basis of the philo sophic." It does not matter to the layman which of the tempers comes first, and It would be silly of him to mix himself up in tho metaphysics of the thing. But a practical question comes at once to his mfcd. Will this new historian- have any message for hlra? How draw the lino between the "taint of subjectivism" and the flavor of humanity? A recent writer quotes the great Stubbs as saying that "the useful part" of his work was "hard reading," and "the readable part trifling," which may be true; but what the layman wants to know Is whether truth always has that Stubbs manner when It visits In this world. In other words, Just how dry does a historian have to be to be good? Mr. Charles Francis Adams, who Is not a lay man, but no doubt rather old-fashioned, said In a speech before the Wisconsin His torical Society a few weeks ago that the research system had been carried too far. The ideal historian of the future would be something of a poet and" a prophet, he thought, more of an artl3t and, a philos opher than now, and "less of a pedant and colorless Investigator." "Soundness," he argued, "Is not always and of neces sity dull." It Is a delicate subject, for as soon as you lay any stress on the form of expression, they set you down as a disso lute pleasure-seeker who cares nothing for fact. On the other hand, if you ask the author of short cuts and beacon lights for a fact or two, he wants to know if you take him for a dryasdust. Yet is It not unfair to gay of the sci entific historian today that sometimes his nature is too much subdued to what it works in, like the dyer's hand. He should be as ready as Shakespere to admit It of I himself. We do not blame him for not I being a poet or a philosopher, but on the other hand he should not pride himself on being utterly without bowels. It Is a mistake in view of present tendencies to emphasize very strongly this negative side. The specialist often succeeds In being nothing better than a soct of malmad man. It is inhuman to wish tbe process to go any further than necessary It Is a question of profit and loss. Truth Is not always gained in proportion as you lose readers. There is no recipe for a great historian, but' it Is certain that his greatness will notjbe measured by what he lacks. The Englishman who is "un able to read Cromwell's history without reference to modern questions" ought not to be barred out " In order to read his tory without reference to modern ques tions he would have to spend his days in a vacuum. If present men strike you merely as "trees walking" you will not be a good Judge of tho men of the past. It is different from the case of physics. You have to be like men to understand them, and in taking out the color from our young Investigators we sometimes bleach away the soul -which Is an. essential part even of the scientific historian. The lay man Is a man and a brother. Do not de liberately held from him. Do not "abolish Mr. Morley just yet. Herodotus could never get his doctorate, but let him live. TRIED TO STEAL A BOY. Dnrlnsr Attnclc of Eng-lc Frustrated by Telephone Wires. A huge brown mountain eagle made en attempt to carry off a small boy from tho Courthouse lawn at 9 o'clock thisnorn Ingf says the Denver Post of recent is sue. Its Intentions were clear enough, but It was not familiar with metropolitan life, and In Its swoop downward the big bird struck a pair of telephone wires ana was made a prisoner by county employes. The occurrence, similar instances ot which are rare, was witnessed by many passers-by, and several of the clerks of the Courthouse. The boy, ft little fellow In kilts, about 4 years old. was sailing chip boats in the water in the north fountain. He was leaning over the stono coping, kicking his fat legs and enjoying himself to the fullest extent. The eagle came from somewhere out or. the sky. and was not observed until It came tobogganing down an air slan with the velocity of an arrow, maKlng straight for the boy When scarcely SO feet from the child. Its broad wings and heavy body encountered the telephone wire3 that leaa from the office of the clerk of the County Commissioners across the lawn to Tre mont street. There was a violent thump and thf wires swayed and rolled. The bird re bounded, turned beak over talons, limply, and fell with a heavy splash Into the pool of the fountain. The little boy's face grew white, and he stared at the big, cruel-looking brown bird but an instant. To his boat, wrecked by the wave from the bird's body, he gave no thought. He turned and scampered away as fast as his legs would carry him. The eagle was dazed by shock and, pos sibly, the novelty of the situation, ana was captured by John Stoddard, a clerk In the County Treasurer's offlce. He war In the storeroom of the basement when he heard the thump and the splash. Thinking a child might have fallen Into tho pool, ho hurried out and saw the big bird floating, with outspread wings, in the pool. It covered half the pool with its dark plumage. Stoddard, assisted by oth ers who had gathered, attracted by the unusual spectacle, fished the bird out. The eagle offered no resistance and was borne Into the basement and locked up In the hoseroom. Its spread was eight feet from tip to tip. and Its weight 40 pounds. Of its intention to carry away the boy or to attempt It there teems little doubt. The wires are scarcely 20 feet above the lawn and a little north ot the fountain. The velocity with which the bird darted down and its closeness to the boy show that It Intended to make him Its prey. Where the eagle came from, or what he was doing hovering over the city. Is a mystery. It Is thought that the heavy snows In the mountains may have driven It from its eyrie and forced it to seek fooa elsewhere. It seems to be a young bird, but nevertheless U a huge one. Christmas In this country gives work for months before the holiday of a vast army of people, and In this way the fes tival confers widespread benefits. Im mense sums of money are expended on the celebration. ASTORIA OFFERS WHAT? QUESTION ASKED BY INTERIOR OREGOX FARMER, Communication to Balccr City Demo crat Containing; Several Errors, bat Much. That Is Sound. Spokane, Seattle and Tacoma are to be wiped off the face of the earth, and Portland Is to- ba made a sidetrack on the Astoria transcontinental railroad, according to the Astoria townslte boom ers. Tons of paper have been used by the Portland and Astoria jourpals in printing the arguments of these advocates of the proposition of moving the port of shipment of the Columbia from Port land to Astoria. The latest addition to tills literature Is a long article, covering three column3 lb The Oregonlan of the 21st, by L, B. Seeley. Boiled down, he predicts that unless Portland moves to Astoria the Sound ports will take away all of her shipping: that if Portland will do her business In Astoria she can secure all tho trade now going via Spokane and other routes to Seattle and Tacoma, and that these cities will become trib utary to Portland. He says that It Is a matter of right and justice that the Astoria people, through its little rail road, should put their hands in the jpocket of. the O. R. &. N. Co. and with draw a fat slice of Its earnings to pay tho Astoria railroad at the rate of 40 cents per ton for hauling tho wheat of the Inland Empire from Portland to the ships at Astoria, instead of allowing the sblp3 to take it at Portland, as they are now dolnjg; that Astoria, like New York, is a natural deep-sea port, right at the ocean, not needing- Government expendi ture of money for dredging; that in 10 years It has cost 70 cents per tan to han dle the wheat shipments between Port land and the sea by ocean ship, as against 40 cent3 per ton by rail; that In the past 10 years 4,000,000 tons of wheat have gone out of the river at an excess of 10 cents per ton In ships over what Jt would have cost by rail; he calls on the Inland Empire to support their boom and tirade against Portland and the O. R. & N., because the producer has to pay the freight rate. But neither this letter nor any of its hundreds of prede cessors show how Astoria I3 going to compensate Portland or the O. R. & N. for their loss, nor do they present any business argument or statement of facts to prove that ships can load cheaper at Astoria than at Portland, or that the loading there will bring any more busi ness to that port than now goes to Port land, or even that ships would make less charter rates from Astoria to Europe than they now make from Portland, or how they are going to make the Northern Pacific and Great Northern Railroads, which have millions of dollars Invest ed in railroads In Tacoma and Seattle, and millions In docks and terminals In those cities, go out of the grain busi ness, tear down their warehouses and stop the vessels from going to the Sound ports, which the Astorians say are simi larly situated with reference to ocean as Is Astoria, and for that reason, the Sound will gobble Portland's traffic. In all this chaff there Is but one ques tion In which the Inland farmer Is Inter estedcan ships load cheaper at Astoria than at Portland, and would the farmer get any more for his product, other things being equal? We have always been a supporter of an open river to the sea, and believe that water transportation la always cheaper than rail In a new coun try, and, knowing that the Erie Canal and the Mississippi River were tho great fac tors which reduced rates in the first In stance in the East and Middle West, have carefully looked into thl3 subject, and believe I express the views of nlne ten.ths of the farmers and business men of the Inland Empire In the conclusions arrived at by interview and discussion with prominent shippers, business men and producers. Astoria cannot be compared to the Sound ports, for the latter are 160 miles Inland from the ocean, while Astoria Is but 10. Port Townsend and Port An geles might be compared to Astoria They have much shorter towage than Se attle and Tacoma. Why do not they do the business, with their fine harbors? Portland is today the largest flour shlpplng port In the world, and the sec ond or third In wheat shipments. Any vessel that can cross the Columbia River bar can go to Portland. Astorians better look to their own dooryard, help keep the bar open and dig out the channel which is filling up In front of Its own docks, and put up a few sawmills to get out the timber at Its doors for shipment to China. Thus in a few years she could have a big shipping business of her own, that no one could take away. It is well known that only recently work had to be done In the main channel at Astoria, and it Is difficult now for the San Francisco steamers to land at the Astoria docks at low tide. While Seattle and Tacoma are stealing Portland's traffic, what will Portland and the O. R. & N. be doing? On the other hand, If Portland should move to Astoria, does any sane man be lieve for a minute that the Northern Pa cific and Great Northern would abandon the ports on the Sound? The Northern Paclflc, which Is not so well situated on the Sound as the Great Northern, is said even now to be Iobklng for great terminals In Portland, and to be planning a line down the north side of the Columbia; but this Is apparently not so much be cause It might handle some of Its wheat business more cheaply there than at Ta coma 'as because It can better compete for the Portland local business than via the Sound route. ThetSound roads will always continue their fight for their share of the wheat export business, and As tiria and Portland cannot stop it. Tho Important thing to do Is to get more wheatralsers In Oregon and produce more wheat to ship. To attempt to force the O. K. & f. to pay for Astoria's fun of loading wheat shipments is ridiculous, and without busi ness reason- It will not make another blade of wheat grow, nor put another penny In the pocket of the farmer, and Is a squabble In which he la not inter ested, as will be shown. To compare Astoria with the port of New York, and Paclflc Coast freight rates with Atlantic Coast rates, and to claim that both ports are Inexpensive compared with Portland, Is silly to ono who is posted In the facts. New York Is almost as much of an inland port as Portland, being 200 miles .from, the At lantic via Long Island Sound, and over 30 miles via Sandy Hook. In the new river and harbor bill completed in Con gress the other day New York Harbor was allowed 5000,000 on a continuing con tract of 51,500,000. while Oregon gets $2,340, tiOO, the larger portion of which Is for the mouth of the Columbia and a large share for the Columbia and Willamette Rivers below Portland. It Is. true that there Is one down-grade railroad Into New York, but that port was located before rail roads were dreamed of. and when It had to depend upon the trade of the New England States near by. and the country opposite through New Jersey. There are now other roads besides the New York Central which feed New York, and but a small portion of their Immense traffic is wheat from the Hudson River Basin, and where they carry thousands of tons and thousands ot passengers the Oregon roads carry one ton and one passen ger, and at a much higher cost of trans portation. Given as large a population as the Eastern States, and with the Im provements gradually being made in road beds. Oregon roads can handle freight as cheaply as the Eastern roads, but to, say that to move Portland to Astoria would help the situation has not been proven. To say that it cost In the last 10 years 70 cents per ton to handle 4.000 000 tons of wheat In ocean vessels between Port land and the sea. as against a 40-cent rail rate, an.d that, deducting bar towage, the cost by rajl would be 10 cents per ton cheaper than by ship, is misleading, be cause they have figured in tne cost ny ohlp the cost of Columbia River cban- nel improvements. In figuring the cost of bar towage, why don't they count In the cost of the J3.000.000 Jetty at tho mouth of the river? Statistics show that last year It cost less than 11 cents per ton to handle the ocean vessels from sea to Portland and return. If it had cost 70 cents, and the cost by rail was only 40 cents, or even 50 cents, and it Is so much cheaper, as Is claimed, to load vessels In Astoria than In Portland, and ships will make less charter rates from Astoria than; from Portland, does not every farmer know that Portland would not have loaded a vessel last year, and that the wheat-buyers would have gladly paid the Astoria railroad a premium above the Portland rate to handle. their grain Trom Portland? The farmer is not Interested In the charter rate of vessels, and not so much in the rail rates as most people think. When the wheat Is once aboard ship, any salvage In charter rates goes Into the pocket of the wheat buyer, who was never known to divide with the poor farmer, and It makes no difference whether the road charges 54 per ton to Astoria or-only hauls the wheat to Portland for that price. In either case the farmer gets just as much for hl3 product. But there Is some hope of the farmer getting cheaper rail rates to tho vessel loading at Portland, and he pro poses to help keep the river open by vot ing for the right men to represent him in Congress and to aid tho railroads In im proving their roadbeds, and in bringing more people Into the country, so that they can eventually make lower rates of freight to the ocean vessel, which will come as near to his door as possible. Perhaps then the middleman will not take it all, as was the case a few years ago, when the Eastern trunk lines reduced tho corn rates to help out the stricken farmer, with the result that In 10 days the corn buyer had It all. as usual. The expense of keeping a river channel open '3 no more a proper charge against the traffic passing over It than is tho cost of dredging out a harbor or cutting out the bar at the mouth of the Colum bia. They are expenses charged to the people of the whole United States, raised by general taxation and for the benefit of all, and the people In Congress repre sented do not seem Inclined to abandon water as a cheap means of transporta tion. What the Inland farmer wants Is eomo proof positive that to move the Port ot Portland to Astoria would make more wheat grow, would reduce the cost of transportation from farm to ship, or would in some way force tho wheat buyer to pay him more for his product: otherwise he does not want to be mixed up in what appears to be a local town lot boom scheme. Into which he has been drawn to shoulder some of the sins of others. Put this thing fair and square with the figures from shipowners and the promises of wheat-buyers, and show that it will benefit the farmer, and all ot them will join hands to throw Portland into the lap of Astoria. INLAND FARMER. IN THE SOCIAL WORLD. (Continued from Fifteenth Page.) pie enjoyed a Colonial party at the gar rison, Christmas Night. Armory Hall was filled with masquers and spectators Christmas Night, the ball being given by Company I, N. G. W. Mrs. E. P. WInans gave a largely at tended reception Thursday afternoon In honor of Miss Janet Moore, of Olympla. Asa S. Legrow has gone to Matanzas, Cuba, accompanied by his daughter, the wife of Lieutenant-Colonel R. D. Walsh, Thirty-fifth United States Infantry, to visit his daughter. Mrs. Captain John B. Winn, Second United States Cavalry. They were joined at Pendleton by Mrs. S. B. Sturgls. They will be absent several months. Chehalls. Mr. and Mrs. J. G. Startup", of Seattle, are the guests of Mr. and Mrs. H. J. Miller. Mrs. H. Ed Tullls and Miss Kate Tullls of Seattle, are visiting friends In Che halls this week. Miss Katharine Montgomery, of New Whatcom. Is spending the Christmas hol idays with Chehalls friends. Mr. and Mrs. Max Shlllock, ot Portland, visited Mrs. Shlllock's parents. Mr. and Mrs. H. D. Godley, this week. There was a pretty wedding at Little Falls, on Christmas Day. when Miss Win nie Nicholson and Mr. Frederick Aldrlch were united In marriage by Rev. F. M. Fisher. Mrs. Marian Scott and Mr. John J. Banks were quietly married at the homo ot Mrs. 'Scott, Thursday, at noon, in tho presence of a few relatives. Rev. L. S. Mochel, of the Presbyterian Church, per formed the ceremony. Thursday night Miss Florence Coffman and Miss Ethelln Coffman entertained a large party of young people, at which the young ladies were dressed In char acters to represent the costumes during 100 years past. It was a most successful and pleasant entertainment. Wednesday evening Miss Newland, as sisted by Miss Godley. entertafned a party of friends at Miss Newland's home with "Coal Black Lady." Rose Cooper and Miss Maynard won the prizes and Will iam McDevltt and Miss Westendorf se cured the consolation offerings. A de lightful luncheon followed tho close of. the game. Wednesday evening Miss Maude May nard entertained a number of the young er ladles and gentlemen at playing games and puzzles, and Thursday evening Miss Maynard had a largo party of friends at her farewell party. The Misses Maynard are soon to leave for Olympla. and will be absent from Chehalls society during Mr. Maynard's term of offlce in Olympla. Centrnlia. Mrs. Norman Watson and children, ot Pe Ell. have been visiting friends In this city. Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Bachtell, of Aber deen, are spending the week In this city. Mrs. Lottie McDermoth. of Aberdeen, visited friends In this city during tha week. Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Robinson, of Olym pla, spent Christmas with relatives In this city. Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Wlgmore, of Se attle, am visiting relatives and friends Lin this city. Mrs. Wilbur Ferguson and son Harold are visiting the former's parents, Mr. and Mrs. H. F. McMillan, in this city. Mr. and Mrs. Harry McCormlck left this week for California, where they will spend some time In visiting relatives and friends. The masquerade ball given on Christ mas Eve by the members of the Opera House Orchestra, was -one of the most enjoyable and successful social events ot the season. Harry's Diplomacy. Little Harry was very fond of sweet things to eat, and especially of puddings, which were his favorite dessert. Ac cordingly his dinners were made a bur den to him, since his parents persisted that he must make his meals off the sub stantial, and leave what Harry callea the good things until last. One day while Harry's nostrils were tickled with the tantalizing odors of his most favored pudding, a scheme was born in his praln that points his way to future greatness. When his mother put before him a plate of meat and po tatoes he eyed It a moment In apparent ecstacy, then shoving it regretfully away, he said: "I declare that looks so good I guess I'll leave It till the very last thing ana get rid of that pudding first," What to Eat. A colony of colored people has more or less appropriately selected land In the vi cinity of Painted Rock, Mo., as the loca tion for establishing a farming commu- nity.