TIIE SUNDAY OREGONIAX.. PORTLAND. DECEMBER" 21, 1913.
12
"THE CHRIST OF CHRISTMAS
99
Sermon Preached From the Pulpit of White Temple by
Rev. W. B. Hinson.
BT REV. W. B. HIXSOX.
GREAT is the mystery of godliness
God manifest in the flesh.
1 Timothy iii:l.
Great is the mystery of anything!
Take the world of Nature in which we
live, as an example. Is there anything
more common than a sea shell? But
is there aught more mysterious?
S what s, lovely r.he!l.
2-mall. and pura as pearl.
LyhiC clo to my foot:
Krail. but a work divine.
MbU so fairi.y veil,
With de'.nato spir &D(1 nilori.
HiiT exquisitely minute,
A miracle of desiRn.
" And one of our singers, in "The
Chambered Nautilus," draws a moral
from the shell that touches God. the
soul, and the eternities, as he says:
Build theo raore stalely mansions. O my
soul. .
As the swift seasons ro.l:
Ijeave thy low vaulted past,
lettins; each new temple, nobler than the
last,
Shut thee from heaven with a dome more
vast.
Till tbou at length art free.
Leaving thine outgrown shell by life's on
resting sea.
Or is there anything- more common
than a flower? Yet when Jesus walked
Palestine and had the weight of the
world's salvation upon him, he found
time to stop in his journeying and
pick up the fair little lily, and say to
men who were to be commissioned to
take the gospel to the ends of the
earth, "Halt long enough to consider
the lilies how they grow." For well
he knew that if they considered the
marvelous shaping and coloring and ,
fragrance of the lily they would soon
have God suggested to their souls. The
long centuries passed away, and one
day an English poet pulled a plant
out of the crevice of a wall, and look
ing at It with his clear gaze, ex
claimed: v
Flower in the crannied wall.
I pluck you oat of the crannies:
Hold you here, root and all, in my hand,
Little flower: but if I could understand '
What yon are, root and ail, and all In all,
1 should know what God and man la.
Jesus Christ was once talking with
a ruler of the Jews about the supreme
things of the souL And as he talked,
the night wind went moaning and
sighing around the city buildings: and
the great teacher paused in his lesson,
and with finger uplifted and listening
ear. he gently said: "Nicodemus. hear
the wind." And he taught how the
mystery of the wind was illustrative
of the mysterious movements of the
Holy Ghost.
Heard is the sound, but mortal minds
Are Impotent to tell.
The mystery of the rushing wind
Alternate fall and swell.
What knowcFt thou of the sights It has seen
As the world it goes rushing around.
Where it Is goinx or where It has been
Only thoc nearest the sound.
Jesus loved to contemplate the seeds,
and he talked one day about a field
where a man was scattering seed, and
he said: "I saw some seeds on the
hard path where they had no chance
for life, and some I saw on the rocks
where the fowls of the air would
speedily pick them up: and some I
noticed on the shallow soil where they
would quickly sprout and as quickly
die; and some fell among the brambles
to be speedily choked by -the weeds:
and some were rightly adjusted in the
good soil, and they produced the har
vest." And then another day he took
a mustard seed, and holding it on the
palm of his hand, said: "The kingdom
of heaven is like a grain of mustard
seed, small when sown, but so wonder-
ful is its growth that - upon the
branches of the mustard tree birds of
the air rest and sing." And so myster
ious is the seed that If you put a
thousand different seeds together, the
one sure method of separating them is
to plant them. For God makes no mis
take, and the pansy seed will produce
the pansy, and the poppy seed will pro
duce the poppy. So that we see how
the great mystery of Nature is such
that if only we opened our eyes and
unstopped our ears we should be lifted
up from Nature to Nature's God.
Great la Mystery.
Great is ' the mystery of anything!
Take human nature! Men are thinking
all the world over today about the
birth of a child. A child! One little
year ago it was not; but now it will
live when the stars grow old, and the
sun grows cold, and the leaves of the
judgment book unfold; and it will sur
vive mountains, and seas, and constel
lations, and Time itself. It is no -wonder
that at the birth of his child. Ten
nyson solemnly chanted:
Out of the deep, my child, out of the deep.
Where all that was to be, in all that was
Whirled for a million aeons through the vat
Waste dawn of multitudinous eddying
lisht!
Out of the deep, my child, out of the deep.
The mystery of human nature! The
mystery of an appearing life; of an
other creative act of God. For not in
utter nakedness; nor in complete for
getfulnes; but trailing clouds of glory
do we come, from God who is our home.
And as Wordsworth said, "Heaven lies
about us in our infancy." And that
mystery attends us even as we move
along the pilgrimage of life. Ana es
cape from it we may not. we cannot.
Strange the world about me lies
Never yet- familiar grown:
Still disturbs me with surprise.
Haunts me like a face half known.
Oar Exit From the World.
And then the mystery of our exit
from the world! Who has sounded
that? "To be or not to be, that Is the
question. Whether It is nobler in the
mind to suffer the Bllngs and arrows of
outrageous fortune, or to - take arms
against a sea of troubles, and by op
posing end them. To die, to sleep, no
more: and by a sleep to say we end
the heartache and the thousand nat
ural shocks that flesh Is heir to; 'tis a
consummation devoutly to be wished.
To die, to sleep, perchance to dream!
Ay, there's the rub! For in that sleep
of death what dreams may come, when
we have shuffled off this mortal "coil,
must give us pause." O the mystery of
human nature! The roysteriousness of
the great fact that I can say to memory
concerning aught I place in its keep
ing, "Do you hold that ready for my
use." 'And the long years go by till I
say, "Memory, produce for my use that
fact I gave you a scpre of years ago."
And memory obeys. And then the fac
ulty of judgment immediately gives
balance and adjustment to that
fact, and imagination moves In to
give color and emotional life. Ver
ily, the mystery that every one of
t -
r v cv.f;
X ' ;:
' Rev. W. B. Rlnsosu
i e
us is carrying about with him is such
that were it only rightly considered,
it would be sufficient to lead us to
God. This wonderful mortal we call
man, who can sweep the sky and re
duce Its shining orbs to a science; who
can dig In the earth and lay bare the
secrets of the primal world; who can
look up into the face of the omnipotent
God until a system of theology is
formed and classified: and who in
Imagination can walk the golden
streets, and who can picture hell and
hear the awful moan of those for whom
no sun will evermore rise; O the -massive
and mysterious heights of this hu
man nature; how they suggest relation
ship to the Eternal God.
Great is the mystery of anything! Of
the divine nature! The uncaused cause
of everything! For every effect moves
backward to its cause forever, until
you touch God, but God is not an ef
fect; He is the causeless cause of all
that is. What a mystery! The un
created creator of everything! For if
we go back far enough, we can fix a
date for the appearance of anything
and for the appearance of every one
until we touch God, and then we say:
The throne eternal ages stood
Ere seas or stars were made;
Thou art the ever-living God
Were all the nations dead.
The everlasting One! We can imag
ine when Portland was not; and when
Oregon was not; and when America was
not: and when the world was not: and
when the stars were not; and when an
gels were not; but God is the ever-living
One. We can bound the greatness of
the things we see; and we can define
the limits of every kind of strength we
know: and we can compute the square
miles of the mighty sea; and we can
tell how far away is the orb of day;
and we can weigh the moon; and we
can tell when the disappearing comet
will reappear, when the millenniums
have passed away; and we can imagine
the wreck of the universe. But up
above and beyond all human computa
tion stands God the Eternal. The
mystery of the Divine nature.
God! God! God!
Like flames in skies
That soar and rise.
And lose themselves in these
Years on years
And naught appears
Save God to be.
Manifestation of Divinity.
Great is the mystery of anything
even the manifestation of the divine
nature. God at sundry times, and in
diverse manner, spake in old time to
the world; and for the men of the long
ago. as for us, there was a strange
significance in the murmuring of the
wind In the pine tops at the twilight
hour; and for these men long centu
ries dead, as for us, there was solemn
significance in the rhythmic beat of the
advancing waves of the tide; and men
looked at the migrating bird tnousanas
of years ago, and wondered if when the
soul migrated there awaited it a home
in some distant clime; and men read
the heavens and hoped there was a
place for them beyond the starry sky;
and so they slowly discovered the great
facts of the - eternal power and god
head of the One who made this uni
verse. But their hearts ached, and
were empty, for the manifestation was
insufficient And God manifested him
self through great and good man in
the olden time as he does still. And
Abraham moved across the desert
places with a calm dignity that made
men think of God; and Moses appeared
as the man of massive silent strength,
and as men studied Moses they mar
velled as to what Jehovah must be like,
whose creatures arid subject Moses was;
and David sang sweet strains of melody
that refreshed the hearts of men until
they thought of the angelic choirs; and
John the Baptist stormed and thun
dered, until men shudderingly asked
what would the great judgment be like.
But still the revelation was insuffi
cient And though ten thousand altars
reeked with blood; and the death cries
of a million victims of sacrifice went
out on the air; yet was the manifesta
tion insufficient. But then there came
a night; an ever memorable night, when
the Mother of Sorrows in her hour of
anguish sought the stable; a night
when the ancient heaven could no
longer contain its holy ecstasy of joy,
but over the far battlements of the
golden city the sweetest music went
rippling like murmuring waves of lis,
until the shepherds listening, forgot
their flocks as they heard the angels
singing. "Peace on earth, and good will
to men." And the mystery of the In
carnation, and the great manifestation
of the mystery became a glad fact And
so divinely instructed men sought the
God who had coj-ie down within the
poor confines of human flesh. And in
the little town of Bethlehem, where
the sweet-breathed oxen were resting,
was found the woman whose eyes were
wells of adoring- worship; Joseph, the
silent man of justice and rectitude: and
the Holy Child peacefully breathing in
His quiet sleep within the poor boards
of a manger. And that was the revela
tion: the manifestation of the Divine
mystery. For when they tell you He
was born as others are born, they lie.
or. else the Book lies; for the Book
says, "This holy thing that shall be
born of thee, was begotten of the Holy
Ghost." O He breaks the history of
the race in twain: for he alone of all
since Adam was born of but one human
parent; and whoso denies the incarna
tion is a perjurer to the revelation that
God has given in the Scripture, be he
cowled priest or be he scientist: cull
he himself infidel, or call he himself
Christian. . '
But what is it, this wondrous'reveln
tion? Why, it is the divine come down
into the human. That is the mystery,
and that is the manifestation of the
mystery. And when that child grows
up, he shall pick tho flowers and hurry
home with them and give them to
Mary his mother, and receive for them
her loving kiss; and yet he shall say
one day: "Wist ye not that I. must be
about my Father's business?" And that
man shall lie all worn out and soundly
sleeping on the tossing deck of a
storm-driven boat en Galilee's Lake;
but when they arouse him, he shall
stand -up and say: "Be quiet. O wind";
and "Lie down. O turbulent wave." He
shall stand in Bethany by the little
cave in the rock, and he shall weep '
human tears and sigh and sob: and
then he shall say "Lazarus come forth," .
and the dead shall live. It is tho
union of the divine and the human.
That is the solution of the age-long
mystery. And so he shall become flesh,
bone of our bone, flesh of our flesh;
and he .shall walk the earth, and be
hungry, and thirsty, and weary, and
misrepresented, and slandered, and
struck, and thorn-crowned, and nailed
to wood; and he shall hang up there
against the horizon like some awful
blurr on God's blue; and he shall say
"I thirst": but then he shall say "It
is finished," and move grandly and god
like into his eternal triumph, having
consummated the union of the divine
with the human. O this is the grand
glad meaning of Christmas; that God
in Christ has come down to men pro
claiming that all reasons for despair
are removed, and all approaches of
good will have been opened by the
nall-pierced hand, and henceforth there
is peace on earth and good will to men.
FIGHT ON IMPURE TEXTILE FABRICS
URGED IN PLACE OF TARIFF STUDY
Mrs. Sarah A. Evans Discusses Doings of Women's Clnb3, Calls Attention to Issue of Year Book and Approach
ing Time for Payment of Federation Dues.
BT SARAH A. EVANS.
President Oregon Federation of Women's
Clubs.
WOMEN would be a little more
than human and a little less
than divine if they could solve
the problems of the new tariff regula
tions or the old ones, for that mat
ter. They are as complllcated as sin
gle tax and as intricate as the cur
rency bill. They are so local in thi'r
significance that to one section of t e
country they bring joy, to another sor
row, and not even the wisest lawmaker
knows, though they all pretend to. just
what the effetts will be upon the eco
nomic conditions of the country. But
one thing is certain, and that Is the
effect upon the Individual family will
be too insignificant to be worth the
serious study of a busy woman. This
is a question she can safely leave to
the lawmakers in high places at least
for a while, for big business will as
sume the responsibility, whether she
wills it or not. and she is not equipped
to contend with them, no matter how
well read or how well she may think
she understands the subject
But being a buyer of 90 per cent or
wording secretary. Mrs. H. F. Davidson,
Hood River.
Much annoyance and some expense
is always Incurred when the dues are
sent to the wrong officer. The secre
tary requests in her report that when
possible a draft or check ' be sent.
Through misdirections last year sev
eral money orders were lost and, while
the Government is a safe custodian. Its
red tape supply seems never to be ex
hausted when It cooies to recovering
a lost postofflce order.
The red-letter pages of the year book
should impress themselves upon every
club officer. Two copies of the book
have been sent to the president of each
club for herself and her secretary and
one to each committee member and
several to each chairman. Last year
the supply of books was exhausted be
for the year was well along, but this
year more have been ordered and may
be had by applying to the correspond
ing secretary, Mrs. Dunbar. To par
tially cover the expense those who want
extra copies are requested to inclose
15 cents with the order, as that is just
about half their cost to the federation.
There are still a nnmber of copies
of the last report of the San Francisco
the clothing worn, she does know and I convention in the hands of the state
has a right to assert herself when It president, which should be disposed of
comes to having these things genuine during the Winter. These reports con-
and what they pretend to be.
Some years ago the women of the
country were aroused against the pur
veyors of colored and adulterated iooas.
With a protest that swept from ocean
to ocean and deluged Congress, they
forced through, against one of the
strongest lobbies ever sent to Con
gress. a pure food bllL
The same - resentment that was
aroused against impure foods is now
brewing against impure fabrics, and if
Representative IJndquist's bill falls to
pass at this session of Congress history
will repeat itself, for club women do
not Intend, much longer, to stand the
impositions of adulterated fabrics. It
Is one of the measures now being
taken ud actively by the General Fed
eration and much literature Is being
oirculated with the intention of edu
cating the club women of the country
to the necessity lor action in tno matter.
' A few weeks ago Charles Coopey, one
of the most active men In the country
for the promotion of a pure textiles
law, gave an able address before the
Portland Woman's Club on the subject
Among other things he said:
"The whole wool clip of the world
would provide each person, outside of
those living in the tropics, witn aDout
13 ounces of woolen cloth, or about one
vsrd of 54-inch-wlde lightweight clotn.
As it takes four or five yards to make
a suit for one of you ladies, you can
get an idea as to what many of you
get when you buy some of those all
wool suitings, or suits, as well as other
woolen clothing, both outer and under
garments.
"We are Informed that all the wool
goods made in the United States and
sold as wool about 25 to 30 per cent
la virgin or sheep's wool. The other 70
to 75 ier cent is compose! oi snoaoies.
mangoes and cottons. These shoddies
and munsroes are made from the old
rags gathered chiefly from the ash bar.
Tels and gutters of large cities, but
modern Ingenuity has given this stuff
a new name they call It "wool extract.
to give It somewhat of a respectable
aonearance.'
Throughout the paper was so in
structive and Illuminating that Mr.
Coopey was Induced to place a copy of
It in the hands or tne state president,
that any club which is Interested in the
subject and can find time on the pro
gramme may have It Already several
clubs have asked for it and others can
have It by applying to the president.
Pure textiles is one of the most im
portant subjects clubwomen have en
countered for some time and as there
mill be a contest over It. In which club
women will play an important part. It
behooves them to Inform themselves
on the subject.
A competent Index to th growth of
me Oreson Federation or r, omen 8
Clubs may be found in the year book,
which left the printer's hands a few
days ago.
It Is, by a dozen pages at least,
larger than any vt its predecessors.
which the growth or tne ciud directory
the increased number of committees
and the enlargement of committee work
made necessary.
The book contains the names of the
officers of the National and state fed
erations, necessary dates for reference
or Information, the president's address
and the reports of all the officers, with
the full report from all the committees.
Including the report of the trustees of
the scholarship loan fund.
These committee reports, no doubt
will be carefully read, as they should
be. at a meeting of every club in the
state. They are most Interesting and
instructive and should be a wonderful
source of Inspiration to the clubs.
Two reminders are inserted In flam
ing red. namely, that the last "Wednes
day of January is scholarship loan fund
day and that the dues are payable Jan
uary 1 and should be sent to the re-
tain all the proceedings of that won
derful convention and all the ad
dresses of that notable gathering of
distinguished men and women. Every
address' is given by someone who is an
expert upon that particular line and
every branch of club work or club ac
tivity is represented. New clubs or
those engaged in other club activities
than study would derive special benefit
from the report though the splendid
literary work of Mrs. Potter and others
will be found in it These reports are
50 cents and are sold, as the state year
book, at a price that only partially
covers the cost
see
Mrs. H. F. Davidson, of Hood River,
recording secretary of the Oregon Fed
eration, who is in New York for
several months, has written the fol
lowing interesting letter to the state
president who feels she must share
with the clubwomen of the state the
pleasure she had in reading it Mrs.
Davidson is a keen observer and It will
be noted that her observations of New
York, cover many fields, from home
economics to politics.
Mr. and Mrs. Davidson are comfort
ably ensconced in a rosy little apart
ment at 165 West Third street She
says:
"New York. Dec IS. I received
a copy of The Oregon La n of Sun
day today. This Is the second I
have had since I left home. Of course.
i went right to the woman's page for
club items, and I tell you It seemed
good to see some familiar names. I see
you are having monthly meetings,
which I think is a fine thing, for it
will bring out a good many things for
the good of the federation as well as
for the Individual clujj. I do not know
whether I will be home for the one
In February or not Miss Davidson is
taking care of my mail for me, so any
thing of a club nature will be forward
ed to me at once. I have not received
any dues yet, but they seldom begin to
come before January 1. I am ready
for them, as I have my receipt books
and ledger with me. and will take care
of them as I did last Winter, which was
done without any trouble.
"I notice at the meeting the moving
pictures were mentioned as being
shown outside of Portland after the
censors had passed on them. If you
remember. the one Mr. Winstock
showed us at Portland when the fed
eration met there, which he said was
bad. was shown at Hood River soon
afterward. It was the one which had
a kidnaping scene, then the woman.
who was a cigarette-smoker and the
keeper of a dive, killed the kidnaper
and then committed suicide.
I have failed to see Miss Mary Hay
yet I went there several times, but
she was either out or too busy, and
then she set an hour just before she
left for Washington, but I was moving
and I could not go. I will go as soon
as she gets back, for I think she is still
over there. I just missed Mrs. Pank-
hurst by about an hour. I went down
to see Mrs. Hughes, who bas charge of
the woman's floor at the Hotel McAl
pin. and is the lady mentioned In the
Federation Bulletin on the little card
sent out by It this Fall. Mrs. Waters.
the editor of the Bulletin, lives on this
floor at the hotel, but I failed to see
her. I am going to look Miss Boswell
up soon and try to get to some club
meetings.
"So far I have had a very pleasant
time. Several evenings we have been
out to dinner and had some auto rides
and have another one promised for to
morrow night with a supper at the
end of it We were to go last Sunday,
but it rained hard all day, just like
Portland. I went to church In the
morning at First Church, and heard
that beautiful echo organ.
"It seems so hopeless here for suf
frage. The way the women work at
it I went down to the office to meet
Mr. Davidson yesterday and something
came up about suffrage, and I told
them I voted in Oregon, and they
looked at me perfectly amazed. I told
them I found instead of 1: degrading
the women, it elevated the men. I told
them of our election at Hood River,
when the men put bouquets of flowers
on the table and took off their hats
and left their cigars outside, and fur
thermore I had found the men In
Portland more gentlemanly in regard
to their treatment of women than I
had found In New York or places
where women dia not vote. 1 told
them I went to church with the men,
I walked down the street with them, I
went Into the stores where they were,
and to the postoffiee, and went up and
paid my taxes, and why should I not
go to the booth and vote. They did not
see why either, when I got through
with them. I told them that I believed
I had a higher opinion of the men than
they had, for I had always found them
very nice to me, and especially so at
the polls. Mr. Davidson then gave
them a broadside. They content! we
will vote as our husbands 3o. and then
I told them how I had changed my
husband's vote on two questions last
Fall at our called election. I told them
he was usually so busy he did not take
the time to read the questions, and I
did, and then when we got into an ar
gument I would get the little pamphlet
and read to him. I think they had a
little better Idea of suffrage when I
got through with them.
"The weather has been very pleasant
here with the exception of one or two
days. Yesterday was very cold, but to
day . Is nice and warm again. It
changes so fast I cannot keep up
changing clothes to suit the weather.
We are on the fourth floor of the
house, so get all the sunshine there is
to be had. Our little apartment is very
comfortable and cosy. I have gas and
electric lights, - and it is fun to go
shopping. I went- out the other day to
buy some spinach and the man said 10
cents a quart. I smiled and said I
would take a quart, and I know it
amounted to nearer a half bushel. Ap
ples by the quart and sweet potatoes
by the quart I am getting good fresh
eggs for 35 cents a dozen, but the fresh
New York state eggs are 57 cents.
These I am buying are shipped from
Michigan and are very fine. I find
things even more reasonable here than
In Portland and I believe we are living
a great deal cheaper than in Hood
River. Where I went to buy my vege
tables this morning I found a lot of
big flies sitting in the sun on them. I
Immediately went to the other side of
the street It might be as bad there
some other time in the day, but I did
not see it. They are not very careful
here, and I have had quite a time look,
ing around for the best place to trade."
A Few Definitions. '
Trial marriage Any marriage.
Chauffeur A man . who takes life
easily. .
Bachelor maid A spinster wno nas
given up hope. '
Heroine A woman wno can taiK
back, but doesn't
Pull The resource of those wh
have no push.
Salad days Those in wnicn tne long
green Is plentiful. -
CALIFORNIA CITRUS GROWERS RAISE
$3,500,000 FUND TO FIGHT FROSTS
Mammoth Sum Is Paid Up in Cash and Is Indication That Fruit Raisers Are Not Suffering From "Hard
Times" Los Angeles Investment Company Weathering Storm Highway System Seems to Be Dying.
Q3
9
&n Carlp CJrfetmas Carol
By BEN H. LAMPMAN in Cold Hill JOr.J Newt
fc fc
God rest you. Merry Gentlemen!
For Christmas draws anigh.
The very Btars its portent fling
Across the happy sky.
The wind, that's whirled around the,
world.
Bears mumbled bits of prayer
From girls and boys who ask for toys, ,
Here, there and everywhere.
In every Christian land that lies ,
Beneath the star-strewn night
There are a million childish eyes
Aglow with wistful light. . '
And there are many little lips
That "whisper gentle pleas
For dolls and drums and sugar-plums
And candled Christmas trees.
I guess, at such an hour as this,
Within this very town, ' -A
score or more of little knees
Beside their beds are down.
That, ere the coverlets are smooth.
When darkness comes with dreams.
The Keeper of the Scroll has smiled
Above his written reams.
For Christmas time is very near,
And very dear, to them,
And they are very like, indeed.
The Boy of Bethlehem!
God rest you. Merry Gentlemen!
I would not break -your peace,
But that you are the stewards of
The happiness of these.
For well you know, that high pr low, "
Upon the Christmas morn, v
Tls meet that childish Joy should greet
The day when Christ was born.
Sure, there is not a one of you
Has grown so bald and dour.
But that he does not call to mind
The Christmas morning hour.
I guess that every one of you
Would rather sponsor joy
Than mock the faith and merriment
Of any girl or boy;
7 -
Than hear one lone, unanswered plea
Go down to childish grief;
Than know the wise old world had
grown ...
Another disbelief.
For Christmas time is very near (
And very dear, to them.
And they are very like. Indeed,
The Boy of Bethlehem!
LOS ANGELES, Cal., Dec. 20. (Spe
cial.) Under Its new management
of directors, -the Los Angeles In
vestment Company,-which last month
was investigated by the Government
and its officials Indicted, seems to be
slowly weathering the storm. Judge
Wellborn, in the United States District
Court, has refused a petition to appoint
a receiver, believing . that the present
board of directors are capable of di
recting its affairs and again putting
the company upon a sound financial
basis.
The. future of the company will de
pend to a great extent on the outcome
of the annual .election, which will take
place at the stockholders' meeting to
be held January 10, 1914.
Those now in control cannot plan
ahead with surety until the personnel
of the board, after the election, is as
sured. A committee selected at a meeting of
a portion of the stockholders held on
November 22 to investigate existing
conditions, have sent a letter to the
stockholders asking for proxies to re
tain the present board of directors In
power. The board is now composed of
D. A. Hamburger. Stoddard Jess, R. A.
Rowan, W. H. O'Melveny, J. E. Fish
burn, W. H. Allen, Jr., and Harry
Chandler.
That a stubborn fight over the selec
tion of the board of directors will be
waged in the stockholders' meeting is
indicated by the fact that a number
of the complaining stockholders met
Friday night and organized "The Los
Angeles Investment Company Stock
holders' Protective Association."
: The purpose of this organization Is
announced as being To conduct a care
fully planned campaign to secure prox
les to make a fight on the floor of the
stockholders' meeting to put in a board
of directors who are interested finan
daily In the company and who will
give all their time to the affairs of the
company.
Final Tunnel Measure Passes.
The final ordinance for the lowering
of the grade of the North Broadway
tunnel, to cost about $150,000, which
will increase property values sur
rounding the tunnel hundreds of thou
sands of dollars, was passed by the City
Council last week with, the dissenting
vote only of Councilman Betkouske.
Adoption of the ordinance was urged by
scores of prominent Broadway 'mer
chants and hundreds of property own
ers in the assessment district, who will
be called on to pay for the work.
The general scheme for the lowering
of the tunnel grade contemplates the
first step to be taken by the city for
the entire rearrangement of traffic
conditions north of First street.
John Wolfskill, owner of the famous
Wolfskin ranch, lying west of the
city and one of the last of the argo
nauts, died at his beautiful home in
Pasadena from infirmities incident to
old age. the possessor of an estate
which . Drobably will total" J2.000.000.
He was 77 years old and had lived in
Southern California for b3 years.
Mr. Wolfskill early became con
vinced that the way to wealth lay
the pastoral resources of the state
rather than in the gold diggings and
came to Southern California. In 1S6S,
In partnership with the late Edward
McGary, of San Francisco, he bought
the Escondido ranch, near San Diego,
and ran sheep and cattle on its 13,000
acres. He sold his holding for $100,-
060 and bought the Los Angeles County
ranch.
Onlv once venturing Into politics, ha
represented San Diego and San Ber
nardino County in the State .Senate
during the term of Governor Stone
man.
Much of the Wolfskill ranch land is
now under lease for oil development
Jack Frost to Be Fought.
Three and one-half millions of dol
lars to fight frost! This, according to
Manager Hutchens, of the Fruitgrow
ers' Supply Company, is the expendi
ture California's citrus growers have
made to date on the premise that an
ounce of prevention is worth a pound
of cure. As the value of the citrus
crop is estimated conservatively at
S28.000.000, the expenditures made to
extract j.he sting from old Jack Frost
are comparatively small particularly
as $3,000,000 of the total represents
permanent not ephemeral, expenditures
In the frost-prevention line.
Figures furnished by Hutchens show
that all told tbe citrus growers have
SDent $2,500,000 this year in precaution
ary measures against the frost. Inci
dentally this outlay is spot cash, evi
dence that last year's freeze did not by
one whit decrease the growers' confi
dence that the future of the citrus in
terests in the state is embellished with
assured dividends. It also shows.
which is more to the point that the
pessimists' howl of "tight money" in
the citrus belt is mere vaporing, noth
ing more. " m
Another evidence of confidence Is ad
duced by Secretary Wallschlaeger, of
the Citrus Protective League, He nas
been busy lately collecting data, on the
new citrus plantings in the state, bo
far Ventura County is the only one to
furnish him with up-to-date informa
tion. In Ventura County there was
an increase In lemon acreage from 273R
in 1912 to 55S0 acres this year, with the
orange plantings in the same time in
creased by 528 acres. Though Wall
schlaeger frankly admits that Ventura
County will probably show the greatest
percentage of increase, preliminary re
ports from other counties show that
many trees have been planted, adding
up a large total for increased plantings
this year.
Relief of traffic congestion in the
business district of this city was fore
cast recently when the Los Angeles
Railway Corporation and the City Rail
way of Los Angeles filed articles of
incorporation here and with the sec
retary of State at Sacramento provid
ing for consolidation under the name
of the Los Angeles Railway.
Under the reorganization, with W
E. Dunn, C. A. Henderson, G. E. Ward,
S. M. Haskins, J. E. Brown, Frank
Griffith and Albert Crutcher as in
corporators, the $5,000,000 of the stock
of the two former companies will be
wiped out and the capital of the new
company set at $20,000,000, fully sub
scribed. According to ' Dunn, who returned
last week from a conference in New
York with H. E. Huntington, the new
company will issue bonds to cover
the $23,500,000 indebtedness of the two
old companies and will authorize an
additional issue of $26,500,000 in bonds
to build tunnels and otherwise care
for such improvements as are necessi
tated by the growth of the city.
The issue of these bonds will be sub
ject, however, to the sanction of the
State Railroad Commission.
One of the greatest attractions that
California might offer to the millions
of her guests In 1915 Is seriously
threatened with failure, and that is
the state highway along the coast
Long ago far-sighted men with the
interests of the state at heart were
convinced that one - of the most im
pressive .showings during exposition
year would be the two great state
highway trunk lines extending from
San Francisco down the coast to San
-Diego, one near the coast and the
other farther inland.
Now because the people most in-1
terested, county officers, chambers of
commerce, boosting clubs and other
organizations have shown an apathetic
lack of interest there appears prac
tically no hope that even one of the
lines can be built
When the people of the state voted
to spend $18,000,000 on a system of
state highways they did so with the
realization that the roads would be a
tremendously valuable asset to Cali
fornia and a good investment Coun
ties at once undertook plans for lat
eral or connecting highways aggre
gating even more. A great plan for a
$40,000,000 highway system to sup
plement the good roads already con
structed was auspiciously launched
with an able board of State Highway
Commissioners to direct it
The Commission then adopted a
policy of building highway sections In
those counties or communities that
were able and willing to float some of
the bonds. This policy has been main
tained and the amount derived from
the sale of each block of bonds has
been apportioned according to the de
sires of the communities buying or
arranging for the purchase of those
bonds.
Of the $18,000,000 issue about $5,000,
000 has been sold. Most of this. In
cluding the amount on hand, has been
apportioned according to the Commis
sion's rule. All unpledged funds were
used long ago.
Public spirited bankers of this city
arranged for the purchase of $670,000
worth of bonds and pocketed the loss,
the market value being 96 or a trifle
less, although a recent bid by one of
the leading bond houses on the Coast
was only 93. The state law prohibits
the sale of any of the bonds at less
than par.
The problem, therefore. Is to arrange
for the sale of the bonds at the loss
of the difference between par and
market and find some practicable
method In which the loss can be ab
sorbed without working undue hard
ship. -
It is possible, tne commissioners
say, to complete both lines, even at
this late date, so they can be used
early in 1915. provided the funds can
b3 secured. But there is no more mn
to be lost.
DEATH OF W.W. FINLEY
BREAKS "12 GREATEST"
Late President of Southern Eailroad Belonged to Modern School and
Public Was Well Informed of Development Going Ahead.
T THE death a few days ago of
W. W. Finley, president of the
Southern Railway, the combina
tion of "the 12 greatest railroad men
in the United States" is broken up.
Mr. Finley was the first of the group
of 12 which was selected oy exj-'erLa,
including bankers, engineers and rail
road directors in all parts of the coun
try to die. wneiner anoiner yuio w
be taken to fill his place is problemati
cal. The combination of the "12 great
est" exists only In fancy anyhow, but
It represents the composite opinion or
tha mn who orobably are the best
judges of railroad men in the country.
One of the men who received com
plimentary votes when the original list
was made up probably would be nameu.
C. E. Schaff. of the Missouri, Kansas
Texas, doubtless would be a favorite.
as would B. F. Bush, of the reorgan
lzed Gould system, although he has yet
to prove his capability In holding the
lines under him together.
Miod Is Mentioned.
There is a chance now for W. C.
Nixon, the new president of the Frisco
system, to make himself, one or tne
"dozen." If he can get the road out
of the receivership and make it a use
ful agency for the development of the
territory that it serves he will De count
ed among the, near-great. If not the
really creat
The late Mr. Finley was one or mat
modern school of railroad presidents
who believed In acquainting the public
with what the corporations are doing.
He succeeded Samuel Spencer, who was
killed in an accident on his own road.
Contrary to Spencer's methods, which
provided for expansion and extensive
development, he adopted a more con
servative course. Under his direction
the Southern has become a powerful
factor in the rejuvenation of the South.
Like nearly all present-day railroad
heads, he began work at the foot of the
roverbial ladder. His nrst job was
that of stenographer and he advanced
gradually.
Death Comes at 60.
A few months aeo rumor connected
him with a proposed reorganization- of
the Harriman lines and It was reported,
for a time that his energy and his
I -v .'I? !
rSf fell !
"Jr.i! i
W. W. Finley, Prrxldent of tile
Southern Hallway. Whose Death
Breaks Up Oroup of . "Twelve
Greatest" Hallrond Men.
X
i
t .
knowledge of transportation afTairs
would be given lo the further develop-
ei't of the Coast, but ne denied having
designs or. any position other than ins
own, saying that there was so much
work to do in the South that he wanted
to pass the remainder of his active days
there. He was not an old man only 60.
Those In the group of the "12 great
est" besides Mr. Finley are: James J.
Hill, "the Empire Builder." who was
unanimously selected to head the list;
Marvin Hughitt. of the Chicago &
Northwestern: Frederick D. Underwood,
of tbe Erie; Jul. as Kruttschnltt of the
Southern Pacific; E. P. Ripley, of the
Santa Fe; Howard Elliott, of the New
York. .New Haven & Hartford; Frank
Trumbull, of the Chesapeake & Ohio;
W. C. Brown, who has just retired as
president of the New York Central sys
tem: Samuel Rea, of the Pennsylvania;
Milton H. Smith, of the Louisville A
Nashville, and Daniel Wixlard, of tha
Baltimore & Obit.