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About The Sunday Oregonian. (Portland, Ore.) 1881-current | View Entire Issue (April 28, 1912)
1IIK. MI.MJAV OKEGO.MAX. rORTLAXD, APRIL 28. 1913. AGED SOLDIER'FALLS HEIR TO FORTUNE AND SOON SWAMPED WITH PROPOSALS Trice Wed, 70-Year.Old Veteran at Stat Home Declares He Is Not Looking for a Wife, and Refers Hundreds of Letters From Women in All Parts of Country to His Friends. YOUR D BT W. A. PETTIT. ROSEBURG. Or, April 17. (Special.) Once a mao of independent wealth, but (or the past few year a charge or the United States. William Lyman Chittenden, an Inmate of the Oregon Soldiers' Home, la happy over the unexpected announcement that ha la heir to $175,000. the estate of a cousin. Charles T. Chittenden, who died at Ithaca. N. Y. Mr. Chittenden first learned that his name was connected with the fortune about eight weeks a so wher he re- reived Inquiry from an Eastern attor ney. Although skeptics, of the Inquiry the axed veteran replied and furnished Information ask'd of himself. Later, there came to RosebuHT. from Minne apolis. Attorney John C Sweet, IckhI representative of Chittenden. I'pon visiting- Chittenden at the home. Sweet " told him of his rood fortune Irai-tl-ally without funds save a pension of $. Chittenden entrusted Sweet to pro ceed and probate the eitate. Soon afterward Chittenden began re ceiving offers of marrlase by Leap Year letters from women In all parts or the I'nlted States. One of them, whlrh the a fed veteran carries around in his pocket and now and tnen shyly reads, follows: "Hlmrhainton. S. T, March St. 1911. Mr. Chittenden: Tou will be surprised when you read this let ter, but as I am alone In the world and 1 read In the paper you were alone. thought perhaps I could make life very much pleasanter ror you. and you ror me If we cculd be - together. I lost my dear husband four years ago and havs been very lonesome since and now It t Leas Tear. I hope you w;il pardon ma for writing this lettet. 1 i-ee yo have enough to take tare of both of ua. that Is. If you have no (-no to care for you. Aa far a I am con cerned there la not a word against ' me no way. I am In good standing In the church, but I am lone'.y. I am SS years of age. average in looks and In good health. My hus band was a soldier, a very f!r man. . If I was a man I coulc set Into the Soldiers' Home. Now write me a line and tell me If you think I have lost my head." Chittenden, who has keen twice mar ried, saya he Is not looking for a wife. and he la offering- his matrimonially Inclined friends all sorts of Lefcp Year proposals. Chittenden Is thought to be a de scendant of Charlea T. Chittenden's uncle, who went West 'n the early '40s. Despite his age he has a remarkable memory. He Is able tJ '.race tne faml.y TVIIIasa Lysaaa Ckltteadea. Whs Has Fallea Heir te 1740. history so closely that there cannot ha any doubt, he says, but that he is the rightful heir. When interviewed by an Oregonlan correspondent at the home today. Mr. Chittenden talked free ly of his past life, and of the days when he was counted among Portland's fore most business men. Ke was born In Lexington. Mass.. June 23, 1833. where he spent tits boyhood day. In 1 S 32 he crossed the plains. The following year he located at Portland, where lie en gaged In the general merchandise busi ness with his father at First and Mor rison streets. After remaining- with his father for a short time, be enlisted in Captain Powell's company of minute men for the relief of the blockhouse at The Dalles. During a battle with the Indians near that city, Chittenden re ceived a wound which crippled him for life. He returned to Portland where he as sisted his father until 18BS, when he engaged In business for himself. A few months late he retired, only to re engage In business In 1860. Following his latest venture he continued In active business until 1869, when he was ap pointed assistant postmaster at Port land under K. II. Wakefield. He con tinued In this capacity during the ad ministrations of E. H. Wakefield. George K. Cole and O. A. Stee-. retiring when C. W. Roby assumed charge of the office. He then went to The Dalles where he was employed for three years as bookkeeper by Brooks & Beers. Later he served as assistant postmaster at The Dalles for three years. Later he went to the postoffice ac Moscow. Idaho. After working in tho later office for several months his health failed and he went to Roslyn, Wash. There he opened a naws stand, which business he con tinued until 1S92. when he was again ap pointed assistant post.naster at The Dallas. After working in this capacity for two years he left this service for political reasons and went t- Grants Pas. There he Intended opening a general store, but after looking over the field abandoned the idea and came to Koaeburg. Arriving here he sold a small tract of land, the proceeds of which he expended in defraying the cost of living. Without any Income, his funds soon became exhausted and he was compelled to seek assistance. Well acquainted In Roseburg, he told sev eral persons the story of his hard luck and begged for something f do. He was told there was nothing for old men. Since then Chittenden has been at the home almost continuously. Chittenden has ascended Mount Hood three times. The first expedition was In 1857, the others In 15S and 1859. On each occasion ho was accompanied by Henry L Plttock, George T. Myrs, Wil liam Stephenson, Dr. and Mrs. Glen. T. 5 Wood. H. L. Penflc'id. W. F. Beck ley. L. J. Powell and his slter Miss Chittenden. SAN FRANCISCO PRESS CLUB HOST TO SOCIETY AT MIDNIGHT SHOW Innovation Inaugurated in Bohemian Spirit Scores Bi Success and Newspaper Men Decide to Make It Annual Affair Public Men Are Subjects of Quips. SAN FRANCISCO. April :7. (Spe cial.) San Francisco. tha borne of Innovations of a Bohemian sort. has something new. It was more or less an accident, as such Innovations usually are, but It has apparently come t to stay. The something new Is a midnight show and It was Inaugurated by the Press Club of San Francisco. The mid night show, which means Just what the words Imply, a show starting at midnight, took place last Saturday night, or rather Sunday morning, and met with such instant favor that It has been officially adopted aa a Press tTD Institution. The night affair came by way of liecesslty. Every year it has boen the k-ustom of the Press Club to give an annual show, the funds to go toward the support of the club. Thla year It was decided to give tne raunw the afternoon of April 18. anniversary day of the big fire, and to follow that up with a night performance. Plaaa Art Cheeked. Suddenly there came a halt. A t le ater could be secured for the afternoon performance but there wasn't a chance for anything at night that la at a respectable hour. -Why not rent a theater for a mid night show" suggested a daring pint. The directors discussed the Idea and finally decided that aa long as there wasn't anything else open, they might aa well try out the scheme. They went about It with fear and trembling, but they went about It Just the si ma. Four daya before the show f ley awoke to the realisation that the nov elty was appealing to the Oonesilan Instincts of the people. There was to be a good crowd at the matinee, but seats were at a f-emlura for the mid night performance. Shew la a Saeetsa. And also to the surprise of th. club, ther was a better audience tha' usu ally comes to a playhouse. : a the boxea were the society people of San Francisco, ready for something out of the ordinary. Evening gosns and dress suits ware sprinkled all through the orchestra section. Two full rows la the dress circle had been reserved for a crowd that had been In attend ance at a fan-;y dress baK. and their colors added to the ensemble. All told, the show was a success. Any number of people bad given din ner parties prior to the party and then came In for the show. San Franciscans aeem to enjoy the unusual, and with a good show they were never tired tor a moment of the two hours and a quarter. Pr rf eras aace If ease-Made. The performance was largely a home-made afair. with working news paper people and other members of the club taking part. There was a Dutch minstrel first part, with whlrh to lead off. and then bits of vaudeville. Waldem-ar Young, dramatic editor of the Chronicle, and William Jacobs, a "hT- cle man. were the principals in a sketch. "When Caesar Ran a Paper." and the show closed with a political take-off on the Presidential race. Burr Mcintosh took the part of Roosevelt and there were also repre sented Wood row Wilson. Champ Clark, President Taft. William Jennings Bry an and La Follette. Shew Net Clab SoOOO. It was Just good-natured fun. and not a chance for any one to become "sore.' The crowd voted the show a success and there Isn't any question but that it will be repeated anotner year. Financially, the club will profit to tho extent of 15000. An original Idea In table decorations was worked out for the dinner at the Bohemian Club a few nights ago by George M. Rolph. general manager of the California A Hawaiian Sugar Re fining Company. For seven years KoIdI) has given an annual dinner to the officers and directors of tho company, and every year special efforts are made to develop unusual effects. Claai HawaUaa Jaagle. lhts year the men who had charge of the decorations surpaued them selves. The red room of the club was converted into a Hawaiian Jungle, the walla and relllnKS being hidden behind the luxuriant flora of the Islands, in tlie. center of the room was a tank 'about feet In diameter, filled with salt water, and a fountain rose In the middle. In the tank swam all sorts f fish, the rarest found In Hawaiian waters. The diners, about to, were seated about the rim of the tank. On opposite slds were two wireless sta tions not toys, but the real thing and messages were flashed during the dinner. Hawaiian singers entertained. Amy aad Xavy Clash. The recent sailing of the Army trans port Logan was attended with peculiar Incidents. It seems that the Army au thorities who have the assigning of quarters to officers taking passage are woefully ignorant or the relative ranks of the Army and Navy. A passenger on tliei Logan was Commander II. R. Coontx. I'. S. N., who has been ap pointed Governor of Guam. When he arrived. Commander Coonts found the beat quarters asaigned to a Major In the Army. Aa Commander, Coontx ranks with a Lieutenant-Colonel, but as Governor of Guam he anks as a Governor of a state according to offi cial rulings, and was .thus higher than anybody else on the transport. Coontx demanded his rights, includ ing the best. quarters on the ship. The Quartermaster in charge had to give them to him. Having gone that far. Coontx carried the thing out to the end. He found among other passengers some Navy Lieutenant-Commanders, corre sponding to Majors, who had been giv en quarters beneath those of Army Captains, their Juniors. Coontx made a protest. Everything was fixed up by sailing time, but there was some lively shak ing up and hustling around in the staterooms before all was as It should have been. Tltaale Sarrlvor la Romaaee. The destiny of Mrs. Washington Dodge, wife of the San Francisco Coun ty Assesor, who, with her husband, was saved from the Titanic wreck, is evidently a star that does not Intend to travel in a conventional orbit and her experiences on the Titanlo are but an other evidence of the strange pranks of that star. Mrs. Dodge was born in San Fran cisco and her father. Dr. Vldaver, was for years the rabbi of a local syna gogue. When a young girl she was sent to Paris to have her voice trained and as her family soon thereafter moved to New York, only a few close friends knew of subsequent events. In Paris she married a man named Fountalne, who had cleaned up some thing of a fortune In sugar stocks. For a time they lived In great splendor, but before many years had passed Foun talne went to the wall and the Impact Golden or Antique Oak Low-Down Toilet $ 1 0.40 Did you ever make your Dollar work as hard as you had to get it? Do you realize the full purchasing power of a Dollar? You, like millions of others, have been taught to believe that you could only purchase "PLUMBING SUPPLIES" from the Plumber. We are now trying to show you that you can buy these supplies as cheaply as your plumber; but you ask, "Who will install them for us?" Ask us, and we will tell you of some Plumber near you, or will gladly draw you a working plan so that any man can do your work. It is very simple; there is no mystery about it, and no joints to wipe. We mark our prices very plainly on all material, so that you can compare them. It is all guaranteed, and if you will take the trouble to compare quality with the price you can easily see that your Dollar is earning its full capacity. Kindly note prices, in this advertisement, of the dif ferent material we carry in stock. Our prices are right, and we will gladly mail you our price lists and give you any information you desire on request for same. Castiron, While Enamel, 3 -Inch Roll Rim Bath Tub $11.00 We' Carry a Complete Line of Plumbing Supplies 4-Inch Soil Pipe, 15c Ft 4-Inch Soil Fittings 50c Per 100 Feet 12 -Inch Ga!v. Pipe at $ 3.50 34-Inch Calv. Pipe at $ 4.07 1 -Inch Galv. Pipe at $ 5.90 lV4-Inch Galv. Pipe at $ 8.00 H2-Inch Galv. Pipe at $ 9.60 2 -Inch Galv. Pipe at $12.00 FIGHTING :THE: PLUMBING TRUST 20x30 Sinks at . $1,75 Cement Laundry Tray $5 Pipe Vises at . . . 95c Stock and Dies at $3.00 Toilet Seats at . . 85c Pipe Wrenches at . 60c 30-GalIon Boilers $4.60 AH Goods Delivered Free to Any Part of City, Dock or Railroad SIMO THE TRUST BUSTERS Front and Grant Streets Take "S" Car Going South of the man left something? of a dent In his reputation. About a dozen years ago Miss Fran cis Jollffe Introduced to her friends "Mrs. Brown of London." whom she had met abroad. - "Mrs. Brown of Lon don" was none other than the young daughter of the House of Vldaver. Dr. Washington Dodge was one of those who found her delightful and their marriage resulted. It was not until the marriage license was Issued that It became known the French divorce courts had allowed her to use a name other than Fountain, but after her marriage to Dr. Dodge she and her daughter by her first mar riage resumeo. tne name pi ar ..;. $5000 HIDDEN BY SOLDIERS NEVER UNEARTHED DESPITE LONG SEARCH Troop of Indian Fighters Dig Many Trenches to Uncover Buried Treasure, but Find Only Medicines Cached Along With Gold. ALBA.VT. On. April S7. (Special.) In the Sonolta Valley, near the southern line of Arizona, and not far from the town of Crittenden, more than 15000 In goM lies burled. Like most bidden treasure. It has been sought for In vain, and Its burial and the succeeding search, for It Involves a tale of the Civil War and the days of Indian fighting which followed on the Southwest plains. John Call In. for many years a police officer In Albany, and who. In the late 0s, was a trumpeter In the First United States Cavalry, tells the story. "In the Spring of ll? I was sta tion at old Fort Buchanan. In Arizona. I was then the trumpeter of Troop K, First United States Cavalry, and our, troop and Company H, of the Thirty-second United States Infantry, formed the garrison. "At the beginning of the Civil War In '1. Fort Buchanan was garrisoned by Company K. of the First Dragoons. Captain Ewell commanding. This was the same Ewell who afterward became a General In the Confederate army. He was a Southern man and resigned when the war began and cast his lot with the South. "When the war broke out all the Government troops In Arizona and New Mexico were called In to participate In the war. The soldiers left hurried ly and as they could not take their scores with them and were abandon ing the posts, not even leaving a guard, they buried everything they could not conveniently take. When Fort Buchanan was abandoned the quartermaster's department burled a large quantity of medical stores. In cluding a supply of first-class ll"uors: some ordnance supplies and more than 15000 in gold, which was there for the purpose of paying troops In the South west. The reason they burled the gold was that the1 officers thought the war would soon be ended and that they would return to the post in a few months at the longest and they would thus save carrying it on the long jour ney overland to and from tho "states. Army Treope Reorsraalsea. "The First Dragoons fought through the war and became the First United Slates Cavalry when the army was re organised at the close of the struggle. After the war, like many other volun teers, I enlisted In the regulars and was assigned to K Troop, of the First. Now It happened that this troop was sent back to Arizona. "Along la 186s our command was stationed at Santa Klta and Tucson and was engaged In almost constant scouting with the. Apache Indians, mho were hootile and were committing many depredations along the border. Some times raiding parties came In sight of Tucson nd other towns In Southern Arizona. As Uncle Sam was very short of cavalry In Arizona, we had to be on the move most of the time. "Finally when the Indians became a little less troublesome our troop and a company of infantry were sent to garri son old Fort Buchanan, and thus it happened that K troop was again In th-very fort it had occupied before the war. The old buildings which had been dlr-nantled when the fort was aban-dv-ned were reconstructed and the fort renamed .Camp Crittenden. Oaly Oae Trooper Reformed. "Of all the men of K troop who left Arizona for tho war, only one returned. Most of them had fallen fighting during the five years of the war and all of the others, but one. had not re-enlisted. This one was Reuben Sugdan. who came back as First Sergeant of the troop. He alone knew of the buried treasure In the Sonolta Valley. "Sugdan and I were bunkles and be rame close friends, and one day he con fided to me the secret of the burled gold. When the gold was buried Its location had been marked by Its rela tive location to rocks and trees, but Sugdan. being an enlisted man, had never had the key to Its location. The officers who knew Its whereabouts were all killed on Southern battle fields. "We had no Idea of the exact loca tion of the burled stores. All that Sug dan knew was that it was somewhere In a bottom along the Sonolta Creek, a stream coming down through a canyon from the Santa Rita Mountains, and running along the base of the mesa or tableland on which the fort was sit uated. The valley of the Sonolta formed at the edge of this tableland and the creek ran through the center of the valley for 12 miles and then entered another canyon and meandered on un til It ran Into the Santa Cruz River. Along this bottom and not far from the fort was the place where the treasure was supposed to be burled. Dig Earth for Hlddea Gold. "Though we had nothing whatever to guide us in the search, we thought a little prospecting wouldn't do any harm. So one moonlight night Sugdan and I went forth to dig. We spent most of the night sinking holes and cover ing them up again, so the other men of the garrison would not know the secret. Night after night we dug In various places, but found nothing. We had to be very careful so as not to be dis covered by the picket guards and also had to be on the lokout for rrowling Indians, so the Job was far from en couraging. "I was ready to quit after the third night, but the old Sergeant said as we had commenced we Just as well keep digging. The possibility of finding the Kentucky 'elixir of life' was about as Inspiring to the old man as the hope of getting the gold, and he Insisted that we keep working. Wt continued pros pecting for about two weeks, until one night we were caught fairly by the of ficer of the guard, who demanded to know what we were doing. "As all of the questions were put to the Sergeant he finally told everything, and we congratulated irselves that we didn't get a general courtmartlal. The secret was out, and the entire garrison Joined In the search at spare moments. As it was an open secret now, we worked in the daytime. Medical Supplies Vararthed. "It wasn't long before there were trenches all over the upper part of the valley. Wherever there was a combi nation of trees or rocks that might Indicate a cache, there the men dug. One day a party of searchers unearthed a big amount of medical supplies. They found quinine and all of the medicines which went with an Army Surgeon's outfit In those days. This gave the searchers renewed activity. But no gold ever was found, nor was It ever learned where the liquor was stored. At least if any man ever found any of it he kept it quiet. "One day when the whole garrison but the outpost and picket guards was down In the canyon digging, several shots were beard up on the mesa, and up back of the fort the Apache war whoop sounded. The men dropped their tools and we all ran for the fort, where it was ascertained that all of the horses belonging to the .troop had been run off-by the Indians. A Quartermas ter's mule tied to the picket line was the only 'critter' left. "After getting my bugle I mounted the mule and started out after the horses. About three miles from the fort I came In eight of the Indians, who were driving the band of horses with them. There were about 20 warriors In the party, all armed with bows and arrows. When I got close enough to the Indians I sounded the stable call, which every horse in the troop knew. "When the horses heard this call they commenced to whirl around, and I kept blowing the call and every other call I ever learned, as I rode for the fort as fast as the old mule could run. Tbs Indians soon gave up the effort to stop the horses, and, being afraid to follow them back, knowing the garrison would be out. stopped. The horses kept run ning and soon passed the old mule and beat me to the fort, where the men caught them without trouble when they reached the picket line. "As soon as the men got the horses I hay mounted and started after the In dians, who, seeing us coming, scattered as was their custom. We had three days' rations tn our haversacks all the time, so kept scouting for them for five days before returning to the fort. This ended the search for the treasure, as after that experience the officers or dered the men to stay In camp. "So the hidden treasure was never found, and so far as I have ever been able to learn both the gold and the Kentucky blue grass' is still with Mother Earth." CHILDREN ARE AROUSED S-CHOOIj gakdex contest iias many entries. Prize Fund Already Amounts to More Than $300 Committee Announces Details. Interest in the school garden con test is growing steadily among the schoolchildren of Portland since the general committee Issued Its circular outlining the . plan under which the competition will be held. Not only are children entering into the movement, but numerous subscriptions to the prize list have been received by The Ore gonlan, which insure a successful out come. Already the fund amounts to mora than $300. Among some of the additions to the list yesterday was that made by H. W. Stone, general secretary of the Y. M. C. A., who offered ten memberships In the boys' department of the institution, each membership representing s and entitling the winner to full member- ship for one year. It Is expected that contributions to the fund for prizes will be even more numerous than here tofore. The circular covering the varieties of garden products, for which prizes will be offered to pupils under 13 years, includes the best specimens of beans, beets, cabbage, lettuce, carrots, onions, peas, early potatoes, radishes and tur nips. Instructions are included cover ing the proper kind of ground and its preparation. If tools are not available at home or from the neighboring store, the com mittee will, upon recommendation from the principal of the school, endeavor to supply a limited number of the nec essary implements. As the exhibition of garden products grown by the schoolchildren will be held in June, prospective contestants should lose no time in preparing their beds and in planting. As late frosts may be experienced, the new plants should be well protected. KLICKITAT FARMERS MEET Institute at Goldendale Attended by Many .Grangers. GOLDENDALE, Wash., April 27. (Special.) The Farmers' Institute held at Goldendale today was attended by farmers from all parts of the Klickitat Valley. The demonstration party from Pullman was met at Centerville Friday and taken through the valley In auto- ' mobiles. At the morning session to day Professor George Severance, super intendent of the Western Washington experiment station, at Puyallup, spoke on Summer fallow and soil manage ment and Professor R. C. Ashby, super intendent of farmers' institutes and extension work, discussed alfalfa and hog production. In the afternoon Professor O. M. Mor ris, head of the horticultural depart ment of the college, took up the sub ject of fruit growing and orchard man agement. A special meeting for the boys and girls was held at the courthouse in the afternoon. In the evening talks were made, illustrated with lantern slid.gjj on beautifying the farm. Albany College Fund Grows. ALBANY. Or.. April 27. (Special.)' William Fortmlller, of this city, re ceived a telegram from Harry Means Crook, s president of Albany College, who Is now in New York City, in the interest of the endowment fund of the college, announcing that he had re ceived another gift of J5000, and that the prospects were very favorable to ward securing more contributions. II II The Most Yon Can Get In Value and Quality Spring Valley Beer Large Bottles $1 Doz. - We want a chance to prove that even if our beer is lower priced than other beers that you'll like the flavor even better the first time you try it you'll be convinced. II II Better Wines and Whiskies For Less We always sell the finest Cali fornia Wines like this: Regular $1.00 grade, our price, the gallon Regular $1.50 grade, our pric-3, the gallon Regular $2.00 grade, our price, the gallon $ .75 $1.00 $1.50 Whiskies of the kind connois seurs prefer priced this way: Monogram, a Mary land Rye, the gallon Marble, distinctly high-grade Whisky Sunny Trail, rich and mellow, the gal. $2.50 $3.00 $3.50 II PHONES: MAIN 589, A 1117 II Spring Valley Entire Corner 2d and Yamhill