8
THE SUNDAY OREGOXIAX. PORTLAND, FEBRUARY 2. 1908.
mure PDirnir
Mlf IUI1 u UnilVlL
IS RECALLED
Chamberlain Letter' Concerns
Convict Whose Record Is
Full of Misdeeds.
GOVERNOR IS NOT SCARED
AViU Turn Threatening Communi
cation Over to Police, but Will
Not Take Special Steps
to Protect Himself.
Governor Chamberlain will not release
John Branton from the. penitentiary, just
because some anonymous person sent him
a threatening letter through his son, Dr.
Charles Chamberlain. Governor Chamber
lain will not hire a corps of special de
tectives to guard him, although the mis
sive will be turned over to the proper
authorities and an effort will be made to
run to earth the writer of the letter.
The letter writing habit seems to be
a set one with the Branton family. It
was a letter written to Marshal H. E. Un
derwood, a forgery committed by John
Branton. that led to his arrest and con
viction for the shooting of his partner,
John Fletcher. In this letter there was
the same miserable attempt at disguis
ing as In the letter that was sent to Gov
ernor Chamberlain. The only difference
Is that the letter threatening Governor
Chamberlain was laboriously printed with
. lead pencil' while a child, perhaps one
of Bran ton's own children, wrote the ad
dress on the envelope.
Words Carefully Misspelled.
The person, or persons, who had a hand
In composing the threatening letter took
particular pains to misspell simple
words, while the more difficult ones were
spelled correctly. This was evidently done
because John Branton was trapped
through the misspelling of the word
expense, which in his letter tn Marshal
Underwood he hud spelled "expenee,""arid
the similarity of certain characters he
used in his letter giving notice of Fletch
er's supposed suicide and in a letter that
he wrote after being imprisoned, asking
what steps he. Branton. should take in
order to be made administer of his third
wife's estate. In both of these letters he
not only misspelled the same word, but
the peculiarity of making tho letter "o"
was plain even to a most casual observer.
The criminal history of the Branton
fumily began with the murder committed
by Claud Branton. although there were
ugly rumors abroad about the sudden and
mysterious death of two of John Bran
ton's wives. Claud Branton and a man
named , Green murdered an old horseman
, named Linn. Linn was taking a band of
horses to market when ho was shot in
one of the lonliest spots In the Cascade
Mountains. The murderers waited until
the old man was asleep and shot him
from behind, just as John Fletcher was
shot. In an effort to hide their crime,
the murderers tried to burn Linn's body.
Green was captured and confessed, but
young Branton fled. from the state and
was away for a long time. One day he
turned up at Kugene, where he was ar
rested, tried, convicted and hanged for
the crime, about nine years ago.
Beyond the rumors that John Branton
had a hand in the sudden death of his
two wives.- both of whom had carried in
surance, nothing was known about him
until the shooting of his partner Fletcher.
This revived the old stories and cast
suspicion upon him. Branton and
Fletcher had a ranch near Cottage Grove.
Both were members of the Woodmen of
the World ' and both had attended a log j
Hum ut-in oy tne (. otrage Urova lodge.
Branton. It seems, had been a member
of the lodge, and his two former wives
had been insured in the Women or Wood
craft. Branton persuuded Fletcher to
.loin the lodge and to make him the ben
eilclary. promising to do the same for
Fletcher. This Branton did not do.
Told of Fletcher's Death.
On- the night of the log rolling,
Branton and Fletcher drank heavily.
They started home after the social,
but before leaving Cottage Grove!
Branton dropped a letter into the mails
addressed to the local marshal It
purported to have been written by
Fletcher, saying that by the time the
marshal received the letter the writer
would be dead and that his body could
be found on the road to Branton's
ranch. Fletcher was not killed, but he
accused Branton of attempting to mur
der him.
According to the story told by
Fletcher, Branton. on the " way home,
complained of being taken suddenly
ill and insisted that Fletcher build a
fire. They were at a lonely spot in
sight of the Branton ranch. Fletcher
said that he built the fire as requested.
He became drowsy and finally went to
sleep. The next thing he remembered"
was a terrific pain in his head, where
the bullet' had ploughed its way
through the cheek bone and destroyed
his right eye. Fletcher declared that
he saw Branton hiding behind a tree,
from where he fired a second shot.
Branton endeavored to create the im
pression that Fletcher had attempted
suicide because of a love affair.
Branton's arrest followed the shoot
ing. He was tried and convicted and
sentenced to serve a term of ten years.
Since he has been in the penitentiary
several attempts have been mado to
obtain his release. '
Suspevted or Wire-Murder.
i
Whether Branton was puilty of disposing-
or his throe wives will never be
proven. His first wife was insured for
$1000 and he collected the monev. His
second wife was insured for $2000. He
did not gvt all of the insurance because
thcro was a threat mode of exhuming
the body and he was forced into a set
tlement His third wife died on the
ranch near Cottage Crove. but she haa
refused to have her life insured, as she
suspected Branton had murdered his
other wives, shn did own some prop
erty in Cottage Grove. The manner of
the death of the third wife again roused
suspicion, but because Branton was
thoroughly feared, and because Dr J
K. Cupro-i. the attending physician!
signed a death certificate, no invest! "a
tlon was made. The woman died" in
convulsions, and when Dr. Capron was
.-ailed to the ranch, the only thing that
he took with him was an antidote for
strychnine poisoning.
Since John Branton has been in the
penitentiary. Clarence Branton has
been under suspicion of having knowl
edge of the disappearance of his father.
Both were in the vicinity of Prinevllle
at the time and the father was with
his son when last seen.
Promotion for V. W. C. A. Official.
Miss Mary B. Day, who for the past
two years has been Identified with the
educational work of the Young Women's
Christian Aiaoclatiyp ip til's tijy. left on i
uunM
Ul
Thursday evening to take chargre of th
branch of the association which has jti
been opened at Bollingham, Wash. Miss
Day has gained the esteem and affection
of every member of the association in
Portland, for her life, and character can
be summed up in one word winsome.
On Tuesday evening an informal fare-
the association on Sixth and Oak streets.
an interesting feature of which was a
handkerchief shower for the benefit of
Miss Day.
ABUSE OF POSTAL 'FRANK
Officials Known to Violate Free
Mailing: Privilege.
OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU, Wash
ington, Feb. 1. There appears to be no
doubt that the free mailing privilege,
commonly known as the franking privi
lege, is being grossly violated by Gov
ernment officials who are permitted,
under the law, to frank official letters
and documents. The law authorizing the
use of the frank never contemplated
that the free postage privilege would be
used for the circulation of private let
ters or private publications. Yet that is
being done, and the curious thing about
It is that Postrijaster-General Meyer,
who of all men, should observe the law,
has been guilty of its violation.
Postmaster-General Meyer is a great
believer in the parcels post and postal
savings bank, and has made many
speeches during the past few months in
Steunbu T&ivL
b to "Aw&r.xMeMnGw?tc.:p.
i.nosepQ m& n i'n.PrJSon
?wy.trm.hiS bcfviess.
iiti(e.eh:iU ren.Sqfoo.
liKZmrw'ncifhd,
Co. micron '
FACSIMILE
PAGE OF LETTER THRK.tTEMXG LIFE Cftf GOV
ERNOR. CHAMBERLAIN.
support of both projects. Some of these
speeches have been printed In pamphlet
form, and have been widely distributed
through the mails under the official
frank of the Post OfHce Department.
While these speeches were the utterances
of a cabinet officer, they were not of
ficial documents In any sense of the
word, and therefore were not entitled to
go through the mails without the pay
ment or postage. However, the Postmaster-General
has it in his power ar
bitrarily to control the franking matter
to a certain extent, and he has granted
himself the right to distribute without
cost unofficial speeches of his own.
Another abuse of the franking privilege
has been sanctioned by the Post Office
Department, namely, the free mailing
to the Forest Service of newspapers
containing press notices sent out by that
bureau. On every press bulletin now is
sued by the Forest Service is attached
a frank, addressed to The Forester, and
the newspaper receiving the bulletin is
requested to mail a marked copy with
the attached frank, thus "avoiding the
payment of postage. A newspaper con
taining a bulletin Issued by a Govern
ment bureau Is not an official publica
tion, and yet the Postofflce holds that
such newspaper can be mailed free of
cost provided it is mailed to the Forest
Service. On the same theory any news-,
paper publishing Items of news originat
ing in any department could have the
right to frank marked copies back to the
department from which . the news' orig
inated, but up to date the Forest Service
is the only bureau that has been so
favored with a special order.
That the Congressional franking privi
lege is abused has long been known.
Only a few years ago a Massachusetts
Congressman franked to his home a
box containing clothing, shoes, etc., and
to his embarrassment the box was broken
In transmission and his infamy exposed.
Yet he was never punished. Within the
past week a Western Congressman has
franked through the mails copies of a
newspaper containing a speech which he
delivered in Congress. The newspaper
contained much else that was not said in
Congress, and was not entitled to go
through the mails free of cost. Never
theless hundreds of Copies were dumped
into the mails, and the Government paid
the cost of distribution.
The Postal Service1 Is operated at a loss
in this country, and the Department is
continually looking for ways to oblit
erate the deficit. But it has never yet
occurred to any Postmaster-General to
rigidly enforce the law permitting frank
ing. As long as the Government carries
through the mails, tree of cost, thou
sands of letters and packages which are
unlawfully mailed, so long will the
Postal Service show a deficit.
Aberdeen Pioneer.
ABERDEEN. Wash., Feb. .-(Special.)
Abner A. Gray, aged 60. a pioneer of
the city, died today. He was a native of
Maine and came to Gray's Harbor from
Gardmer City, Or., when he was charter
member of the . Masonic, lodge. He has
been a member of the Masonic lodge here
19 years. He leaves no relatives.
Spectacles. '.00 at M'7rr
e i ninmrnsi nniiinn
st 1. 1 l 1 1 1 f 1 1 I I I ill U U ii Ul U
iLLH.'liJIU.. umiun
TO BE COMPLETED
Harriman System Will Resume
the Construction of New :
Lines in Oregon.
START BEFORE WEEK'S END
Order Goes Out to Assemble Men
and Materials at Once Where the
Work Was Left Orf Project
Is Important to Portland.
After the suspension of construction
work in the tate , for the past two
months, the Harriman lines are to re-
sume the building of Oregon railroads.
General Manager O'Brien issued orders
yesterday to assemble men and mate
rials and complete the Riparla-Lewis-ton
line at once. Before the week is
out work will have been resumed on
this project, which was almost com
pleted when the order withdrawing
construction forces throughout this
territory was made.
Just as soon as working forces can
be organized, men will be put on the
job and within the coming three
months the new line will bo com
pleted. The work is already well
along. When the order stopping work
was Issued, track on the new exten
sion had been laid from Riparia to
a point opposite Lewiston, and the
bridge crossing the Clearwater lacked
but little of completion. The enforced
suspension of all railroad work left
this partially finished bridge hanging
in the 'air and it waa not known when
itVouId be finished.
The Riparia-Lewiston line will be a
part of the O. R. & N. system and will
be 72 miles in length when completed.
The cost will be about $3,000,000. The
estimates call for more than $3,600,000
already without station buildings and
other Items of expense which the com
pany must provide for. As most of
the work is completed, about $150,000
remains to be expended to put the line
in ehape for operation.
Clearwater Bridge Uncompleted.
The track must be surfaced and bal
lasted for the entire distance and the
bridge completed. This structure is
practically finished with the exception
of the erection of one span. The bridge
is being built by the engineering- firm
of McCreary & Willard, of Spokane.
The construction of the remainder of
the line is being done on force ac
count or by the O. R. &. N. Company
direct. .
The time it will take to put up the
remaining span of the bridge at Lew
iston will depend upon the stage of
the Clearwater River, but unless un
usually high water is encountered, the
completion of the structure should be
a matter of a few weeks.
Just how many men will be set to
work on the surfacing and ballasting
of the line depends upon the condition
of the ground. If cold weather con
tinues for any length of time and the
ground is frozen, work will necessarily
proceed more slowly than If the ground
Is in good working condition. At any
rate just as many men as can be used
on the Job will be kept busy and as
the surfacing and ballasting will pro
ceed along the whole line simultane
ously, a small army of several hundred
workmen will be needed.
The importance to Portland of the
completion and early operation of this
piece of railroad has been appreciated
ever since work was started on the
project by the Harriman people. It
opens a rich wheat district making a
large section of the Idaho country di
rectly tributary' to this city) for "the
new JljirutPfliiecUoDjj-Illi the main
line of the O. R. & N. from Riparia to
Portland, offers a down-grade haul all
the way to tidewater at Portland.
Although the Idaho country has been
a bone of -contention between- the Hill
and Harriman interests for years. It Is
interesting to know that by the terms
of an agreement between the two in
terests, made In 3 905, the Harriman
people Were to build the line from
Riparia to Lewiston and the Northern
Pacific, which has a branch from Lew
iston to Culdesac, Idaho, was to build
from the latter point southeast to
Grangeville, Idaho. In- the Camas
Prairie country, a distance of 55 miles,
and both lines are to be operated
jointly by both companies.
There was nothing competitive about
this building, perhaps tho only instance
in the Pacific Northwest where the
two . warring systems agreed to build
and use the same tracks. This feature
or the construction is also a decided
benefit to Portland, ror the completion
or the Riparia-Lewiston line means the
adding ot 127 miles or new railway
to the lines that now radiate from
Portland as a center.
This agreement, made in 1905, is still
in force and the Northern Pacific is
now building its Lewiston-Grange-ville
line. About 15 miles of the road
has been completed and is being oper
ated. This road will serve a wheat
district that is unexcelled in the Pa
cific Northwest and. will add very
largely to the annual grain tonnage
handled every year at this port.
Passenger Agents to Meet.
John M. Scott, assistant general pas
senger agent for the Harriman lines in
this territory, and A. D. Charlton, as
sistant general passenger agent for
the Northern Pacific, left Portland last
night for-Coronado, Cal., where they
will attend the regular quarterly ses
sion or the Transcontinental Passenger
Association. They will be away rrom
the city about two weeks. Mr. Charl.
ton's rather, James Charlton, is chair
man of the association.
T
KOSE FESTIVAL- PUBLICITY COM
MITTEE'S PIiAX.
Contract for Designing and Issuing
250,000 LeaflcU and 10,000
Invitations to Be Let.
Designs for and bid? for printing 250.000
advertising leaflets' to be distributed
through the business district of the city
arc to be received up to Friday nixht by
the publicity committee of the Rose Fes
tival Association, and the successful de
signer and bidder will be selected at the
meeting of the committee to be held next
Saturday afternoon. The competition is
open.
Tender of bids for the 10.000 special in
vitations to the Festival, which are to be
sent to prominent citizens. Federal, state
and local officials all through the Union,
will also be received at this meeting and
thg contract awarded.
One of the most important schemes of
local exploitation of the Festival is the
plan to illuminate the windows of all es
tablishments in the business district with
Japanese balloon lanterns, over which
there will be attached the official trade-,
mark or the Festival. These -balloons-are
designed to be hung in the windows
of stores with electric lights fixed within
them, the purpose being to make them
an attractive advertisement for the big
celebration.
Tho meeting yesterdays afternoon re
sulted in a plan for entertaining- the 225
business men from the Inland Kmpire
who are to be here for a whole' day next
Saturday, but the committee will not di
vulge the plan just at present.
Bast Side "boosting" clubs have come
to the front within the past week and
conferences with special committees from
hair a dozen or these organizations- have
been held during the past few . days.
Each of these organizations promised to
pledge its parent body to erect a rose
arch over one of the Bast Side business
streets through which the main parade
is to pass. This is only a part or the
movement to enlist the support of all of
the 20 push clubs on the East Side on
behalf of the Festival, and within the
next few weeks it is believed that all of
them will have active committees at
work assisting the Festival management.
Conversion of the old-time garbage
crematory site into a garden of blooming
roses is a project which Superintendent
Daggett has taken upon himself to carry
out. As soon as the executive committee
of the Festival Association learned that
Mr. Daggett contemplated making a two
acre garden or roses out or the aban
doned crematory site, aet.on was taken
to do all It could to ass-ist in securing
the necessary number of rose bushes for
setting out the entire two acres, which
will be used as a public park and play
ground. In case the Park Board and the Execu
tive Board approve of Mr. Daggett's sug
gestion In time, it is prot able that the
setting out of roses on this large tract
will be made a part of the general rope
planting oampaign, which in all probabil
ity wlil culminate on Washington's birth
day, February 22.
This date meets the approval of the I
majority or the committee, and little re
mains to be done. The children of the
public schools will be asked to partici
pate in the rose planting.
Bids and designs for the 20-sheet post
ers which are to be distributed in the 77
leading cities and towns of the North
west will be received at Saturday's ses
sion of the publicity committee and final
action taken. '
KEEP BANK OPEN AT NIGHT
Merchants National Offers Oppor
tunity for Depositors to Come In.
For the benefit of depositors in the
Merchants National Bank who cannot
come to the bank during the day, offi
cials of the bank will keep tne institution
open at night this week, commencing to
morrow, from 7 till 10 P. M., thus giving
depositors a chance to come to the bank
in person and talk over the method of
reorganization. It is desired to have a
largo number of depositors sign for time
certificates of deposit in exchange for
demand deposits, and until a great ma
jority of depositors do so there is no
hope of reopening the bank. By leaving
the bank open at night it is expected to
attract a great many depositors who are
unable to come to the bank to talk the
subject over in the daytime.
President Watson said last nigh, that
the campaign is progressing satisfactorily
and all that is needed is for depositors to
come in generally and accept time cer
tificates. As soon as this is accomplished
the bank will reopen, but if they do not
come in and take time certificates, a re
ceivership Is certain.
Four Years Pastor of White Temple
Today marks the fourth anniversary
of Ir. Brougher's pastorate of thj White
Temple. . At the services this morning he
will review his work in this city. A re
ception will be tendered Dr. Brougher
by the members of the congregation next
Friday night, February 7. Dr. Brougher
will preach thig morning the fourth ser
mon of the series based on the "Some
Lst' Words From the Cross," the sub
ject being "Heartbreaking . Loneliness."
"Heads 1 Win .Tails You Lose" will be
the subject of the sermon at the services
tonight. -
psggi ni fiilii fiiv,!l
Finds Way to Ward Oil
Weather Fiend
"frn. It's Chilly," In the Printed
Motto With Which John M. Scott
.Anticipates durations About the
Temperature.
T HE "Is-lt-warra - enough-for - you?"
fiend in Summer is no more a pest
that the "Cold-day,-isn't-lt?" bore who
greetsyou on the streetcar, In your officeor
elsewhere on your daily rounds. How to
head off discussion of the weather has
racked the mind of many a busy man.
But to John M. Scott, assistant general
passenger agent for the Harriman lines
in this territory, a reward should be
given for devising a way to rid himself
of the man who inBists on talking of
the weather.
For two days Mr. Scott suffered in
silence. Kvery man who came tn the
office opened his conversation with some
inane remark about it being a cold day.
These gratuitous tenders of stale infor
mation became trying to Mr. Scott, who
already knew It was cold, and he grew
weary or being lnrormed of it every 10
minutes throughout the day. If he per
formed any feats in mental arithmetic
on the proposition, as it is likely he did,
he found that this innocuous conversa
tion took up a considerable portion of
his time during the day.
Then he hit upon an idea- He placed in
a motto frame that perches conspicuous
ly on. the corner of bis desk, this, legend
In prominent black letters:
"Yes, lt'a chilly."
This stares In- the face everyone who
enters the office, as Boon as the visitor
opens the door. The man who likes to
talk about the weather has to agree with
the concise statement of fact, and as he
sees no chance for an' argument, he
rarely says anything about It. If any
one remarks that it is a, cold day, Mr.
Scott waves the eye of the speaker to
the sign and goes on signing letters. It"
saves his time and keeps his nerves from
fraying at the ends.
New Books in Library
THE list ot additions to the library
follows:
BIOGRAPHY. ,
Martin Helena Fauclt, Lady Martin; by
Sir Theodore Martin. Kcl 2. l'JOO.
, DESCRIPTION" AND TRAVEL.
Crulckshunk &. . Crulckahank Christian
Rome. lo. -.
Martin Mexico ot the twentieth century. 2
v. 1907.
ftaville Antiquities or Manabt, Ecuador.
18117.
FICTION.
Campbell Ian of the Orcades; or. The arm
ourer of Glrnlgoe.
Frenssen The three comrades.
Merwin & Webster Comrade John.
Ray Ackroyd of the faculty.
Rod L.e sens.de la vie.
Sage By right divine.
FINK ARTS.
Berenon North Italian painters of the
renaissance. ltM7.
Fenollosa Masters of Ukioye; a complete
historical description of - Japanese paintings
and color prints of the genre school. lfciWi.
Foote Album of selected songs. Ilw7.
.. - HISTORY.
Chancellor A text book of American his
tory. IDOi.
PART,
hluni L ll IjciHii nrd
iTVOLOWERIlFLOORS
hi Ul I ill U H Psill hMUllh-.
OF TIIISfBUILDlNG
I Fletcher Introductory history of England.
2v. 1904.
j Shuekburgh A short history of the Oreeks,
from the earliest times to B. C. HO. 1901.
I Woodburn & Moran American history and
I government; a text-book for grammar schools.
LITERATURE.
Festival recitations and exercises. 1907.
PHILOSOPHY.
Hobhouse Morals in evolution; a study la
comparative ethics. 2v. li;t.
Smith, ed. Aspects of child life and edu
cation: by-Q. S. Hall and some of his pu
pils. liWT.
REL.IGIOV.
Carr The church and the Roman empire.
SCIENCE.
Rail A popular guide to the heavens. l&i4
. Davli & Snyder Physical geography. 1SDS.
Galton Probability, the foundation of cu
genlcs. 110".
Massee Text-book of fungi. l'JCfi.
Meyer The kinetic theory of gases; ele
mentary treatise with mathematical ap
pendices. lMtlh
I'eschel The races .of man and their geo
graphical distribution. Ed 2. 1006.
SOCIOLOGY.
Chicago. Statistics, Bureau of Statistics,
v. 6. No. 1-4. lji.
lUusehpnbusch Christianity and the eocial
crisis. 19t7.
USEFUL, ARTS.
-Allen, ed. Sanitation In the modern home:
a suggestive guide to the architect and
house-owner In designing and building a
residence. 1907.
Bowker Dynamo, motor and switchboard
circuits for electrical engineers; a practical
book dealing with the subject of direct, al
ternating and polyphase currents. 1004.
Brookes TTo automobile hand-book; a work
of practical Information for the use of own
ers, operators and automhlle mechanics. Kcv.
and enl. ed. lflOT.
Hodgson & Brown Builders' and contrac-
6o Years
IVe thoroughly believe in our remedies.
We Want you to believe in them, too.
Suppose you let your doctor decide.
jyers Cherry Pectoral
REVISED FORMULA
Sixty years of experience with Ayer's Cherry Pec
toral make us have great confidence in it for coughs,
colds on the chest, bronchitis, hoarseness, weak
throats, weak lungs. Ask your doctor to tell you
his experience with it.
will certainly have every confidence in it.
We have no secrets! We publish
the formulas of all our medicines.
J. C. 'AVER CO., Manufacturing Chemists, Lowell, Mais.
lift nm
tors' guide to correct measurements, l&ofi.
Hubbard dc Klersted Water-woihH manage
ment and maintenance. 1ljo7..
Mcintosh Industrial alcohol: the produc
tion and use of alcohol fur Industrial pur
poses and for use aw a source ot motive
power. .lfn7.
National association of master plnn-.bcis
Proceedings of the 25th annual convention.
1UU7.
Poultry house. and fixtnj-es: The plans ard
details for constructing closed front, sci-ateli-Ing
shed and curtain front poultry h'i:.-?es
and appliances for house and yard. Ed. H,
rev. and en I. 190H.
Roper The young engineer's own book. TC-i.
8. rev. 1M7.
BOOKS FOR CHILDREN.
Barbour Four n float.
Boys Soap.bubbies and., tne fortx-s which
mold them.
Gillie Story of stories.
Heath Primer.
Howe On . the birds' highway.
Lane and Hill American history In 'liter
ature. Burglars Active in South Bend.
SOUTH BEND, M'ash.. Feb. 1.
(Special.) The Northern raclfic depot
was again broken into last night by
burglars, but tlrey were unsuccessful
In blowing open the safe. The cash
drawer was pried open, but finding
nothing- but 60 cents in pennies, the
robbers passed them up. From there
tliey went to Nettleton's grocery store,
where they had better luc(k. By the
use of a heavy sledge and chisel they
managed to get the safe door open and
then broke into all the various draw
ers, but disturbed nothing but 60 in
cash. They left their tools on the
safe. A number of hard-looking char
acters have been seen hanging around
the town of late.
If satisfactory, then you .