14 TO LADDER SOME OBSERVATIONS THE TOP LOOKING DOWN I RT SHAD O. KRANZ. T may not be advisable to refer to a i youth of 26 years as a successiui man," yet. when a youth of 26 ac complishes more in his brier period 01 activity than many so-called successful men do in a whole lifetime, it prob ably is just as well to stop and call at tention to him. That's the reason for this story about Edgar W. Smith, successful ranch op erator the youngest life insurance agency manager in the United States, and prospective flour mill magnate. Incidentally, also, he is a native of Oregon. "Eddie"' Smith, as he commonly is called by his friends, is still so young that he doesn't exactly know what he wants to follow as a permanent occupa tion among the several lines of work in which he already has been reason ably successful. His early ambition, when he was going to school at Pendleton, was to become a farmer. He started out to realise that ambition, but got side tracked Into the insurance business. Yet he still maintains a heavy interest In his 3000-acre ranch in Umatilla County, and gives it enough personal attention to keep him in close touch with farm life. No. 1 wouldn't give up farming, he says. "I want to keep my interests In my farm and expect that some day 1 may eo back to It." .lust now, though, his other enter prises: are so attractive to him that he is kept Indefinitely away. Mr. Smith is a living proof of the fact, also, that a man can run a farm successfully without the scientific and technical training that in these davs seem required of a sucessful farmer. He considers "farming a busi ness proposition, especially Eastern Oregon farming, where' everything Is done on a big scale. Business Instinct Beg-in" Early. He got this idea about the business of farming when quite' a lad. It seems that when he was going to school he used to put in his spare time in so liciting subscriptions for newspapers and magazines, saving his money for higher education. Tiiat. maybe, is the way be became the affable, tactful, ap proachable young man that he is to day. He learned early how to form ac quaintances and how to keep them. With this farm plan of his firmly fixed in mind he went three years to the State University at Eugene, and one year to Cornell, at Ithaca, N. Y. He took an economic course, specialis ing in banking but keeping his farm plans constantly In mind. As soon as he was through college he returned to Pendleton and sought a suitable place to establish in tne dusi ness of farming. He secured a lease n i tract of 1600 acres. He borrowed from his father the money with which to equip the place. In fact, he leased the land from his father, who Is 13. L. Smith, head of a machinery house that bears his name. But he did business with his father just the same as he would with a stranger. He made writ ten contracts, gave notes for the money that he borrowed and paid the regular rates of Interest. "I think I owe my start wholly to the aid and good advice given by my father," says Mr. Smith, "but I wanted to demonstrate to my own satisfaction that I could do business successfully on an independent basis. That's the rea son I insisted on doing everything on a business basis, just the same as I would with anyone else. And I guess father was better satisfied that way. too. as he wanted me to make my own TThose are the conditions then under which Mr. Smith, in the Fall of 1909, started farming in Eastern Oregon. He considered farming a business proposi tion. He hired the best men he could to help him, but did not pre tend to engage in scientific methods. He followed the same methods of prac tical farming as those already in use in that part of the state. But he ap plied business principles to the admin istration of his place. He reasoned that if he could do his work with a given number of men in less time than was ordinary, or if he could do it in the same time with fewer men than was ordinary, he would be beating the old way and make money. Males Arc His First Innovation. His first step to accomplish this was to send to Kansas City for a carload of mules. "Mules walk faster than horses, he said "They ought to get over a field much quicker. Then I remembered the old saving about the mule being the poor man's friend. They will eat al most anything." But they had a lot of trouble with the mules for a while, getting them .-customed to the Oregon brands of fodder. In the end the experiment worked out fine and mule power is a great success on the smith ranch. Now tEmmSum re importu xmile8.w Of 6UCCC55 BY" THOSE UP NE&R. Soon, it is predicted, they will replace horses altogether on heavy farm work. In ' this way Smith harvested the wheat crops of 1910 and 1911, paying off his obligations to his father with the proceeds. Then his place was clear of debt -and the machinery and other equipment was his own. In 1911 he ac quired additional acreage, giving him a farm of 3000 acres. But to go Hack a few years. When his father lent him the money to equip his place, he didn't take a mort gage on the property, but required the young man to take out a life in surance policy to cover the debt. This first turned Smith's attention to life Insurance. It was in December, 1911, when he conceived the idea of himself trying to sell life Insurance.' He would solicit his neighbors, he thought, and earn enough commissions to pay the premiums on his policy. So he came to Portland and applied for an agent's commission in the Equitable agency. He went out and talkjed insurance. He didn't know, he admits, exactly what he was talking about at first, but he sold the insurance. After three weeks he received a telegram from the New York office. "Come and attend the presidential convention," it read. He didn't Jtnow what he had done to be summoned to. New York, but he went. When he arrived there he learn ed that he had made a wonderful rec ord for the amount of new business he had written. The fact that he was a green agent, right off the farm, made his feat all the more notable. Portland Agency Offered Him. While he was in New York he was offered""the management of the Port land general agency, in charge of all the Oregon territory." He wouldn't even consider the offer. When he returned to his farm an officer of the company followed him. Finally, in February, 1912. he was pursuaded to accept the Portland general agency, a position that he still holds. He was only 23 year's of age when appointed to this office. He was then, and probably is yet, the youngest man holding such a position with that or any other company. To continue the successful operation of his ranch he formed a partnership with George Stroud, who now has charge of the place. Meanwhile, he has continued his own remarkable record for new insurance business. Ever since he took the office he has written personally, more than 250,000 worth of new business every year. He wrote much in excess of that amount for the fiscal year just ended, and has more than $100,000 already to apply on his 1915 account. Most of this latter business was secured in May and June and reserved for entry in the new fiscal year. Mr. Smith's insurance record is re mnrkahl in another particular. He Mioses more contracts with a "binder' than any other agent of the same com pany. That is, he secures cash pay ments with the contract. This, he ex plains, is due to the fact that, when he first started, he didn't know that the company would allow a man a reason able time in which to make the first payment He required cash with the contract, and, finding this a good meth od, continues to practice it "I don't want to take much credit for my insurance work," he says. "Much of whatever success I have had has been accomplished through assistance given by the home office. Whenever I go to New York the officials of the company give me good advice and pound their insurance doctrines Into me. They have helped me a lot." But while he has been more than usually busy with his Insurance work, he has found time to develop a child of his fancy that now promises to grow into another mighty factor in his ulti mate success. Flooring Mills Last Fancy. This child of fancy recently took form as the Astoria Flouring Mills. The mills opened for operation only a few months ago, but already is turning out its daily capacity of 250 barrels of flour a day. It has a capacity of 500 barrels and has floor space enough to accom modate machinery for an additional 500 barrels. As early as four years ago, when he was working on his farm, he conceived the idea of building a flouring mill at or near the mouth of the Columbia River. This idea came to him when he found that some of his wheat was going across the mountains to Puget Sound for export "With the river so handy," he thought, "why not send this grain along the lines of least resistance to Port land?" Then, speculating on this theory, he concluded that. If it was a good thing to send the grain to Portland, it was better to send it on down the river to Astoria. But he was not a practical flour mill man. About this time, however, he went to Baker to write a life Insurance policy for a young man who was op- ratlug a mm mere, nut, yuuus umu Charte. B. Stout, live, energetic THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, AUGUST 2, 1914. fellow. Mr. Smith found in him the very man he needed for his Astoria project. The result was a partnership. The people of Astoria provided them with a site and they built the mill. It is worth $100,000. In its future de velopment the young owners expect to transport their grain from the interior to Astoria by water. The railroad rates are too high to permit of rail transportation. They intend to make practical use of the Celilo Canal. While Mr. Smith has enough self confidence to proceed along any line that his judgment dictates, he fully U aware of his youth and of the possi bilities of mistakes. "My main difficulty now will be," he says, "to keep from having too many irons In the Are. Yet there are so many opportunities for a young man that I regret that I can't take advantage of more of them. All a man needs to do is to pick out the opportunities as they go by. They are aril around us here. "Any yaung man ought to be able to do what I have done." HEART TROUBLE FATAL JOHN H. SIMPSON, COUNCILMAN, IS VICTIM AT OUTING. Merchant, City Official of Albany und Corvallia, and Leading Mason. Dies at Camp. ALBANY. Or.. Aug. 1. (Special.) John H. Simpson, who died suddenly Tuesday night at a camp at Detroit, where he and his family, together with other Albany persons were enjoying an outing, was a victim of heart fail ure. Mr. Simpson was a member of the City Council of Albany, serving his sec ond term as Councilman from the First Ward. He was a member of the board of trustees of the First Presbyterian Church of this city and was prominent in the work of the local Masonic bodies, folding official positions in different organizations. Born In Pennsylvania 58 years ago. Mr. Simpson came to Oregon with his parents in 1S65. The vessel on which they traveled to the Isthmus of Pan ama was wrecked in the Caribbean Sea and the passengers lived amid great hardships on a coral island for several day's until rescued. The Simpson family located in Cor vallls and there Mr. Simpson resided continuously until about nine years ago. He was prominent for years in the business life of that city and also served in the City Council of Corval-lls- About nine years ago Mr. Simpson moved to Albany and has lived here since that time. M (a survived bv his widow and one daughter, Mrs. Merle Cathey, of thls4 city, and by one sister, Mrs. W. fa. wood cock, of Corvallls, wife of the president of the First National Bank of Corval lls. COUNTY DIVISION IS UP TWO PLANS PROPOSED FOR CUT TING NEZ PERCE INTO SECTIONS. One Would Take In Clearwater Towns, and Second, If Carried, Would Make Cottonwood First Town. GRANGE VILLE, Idaho, Aug. 1. (Special.) County division is an ab sorbing topic among the politicians of Nez Perce County and is having much to do with the filing of candidacies for county offices. There are two proposed divisions. One takes a large slice off the north part, commencing at a point in Lawyer's canyon and running due east to the Montana state line. It. in cludes a small part of Lewis County and suggests one of the Clearwater towns, Kamiah, Kooskla or Stltes as the county seat It Is proposed to call this county Selway. The name suggested for the other division Is Randall. It would begin in Lawyer's canyon and run south to Boise County, taking in the largest part of Camas prairie. Whitebird, Salmon stiver, Biggins, Domeque and Joseph Plains. The proposed county seat is Cottonwood. At a meeting July 28 at Whitebird representatives from Cot tonwood were present and a general plan of campaign for county division was outlined It was virtually agreed to try to nom inate a legislative ticket, pledged for county division, along these lines. The ticket suggested includes: E. S. Par ker, of Cottonwood, for State Senator; James F. Adair, of Kooskia. and the Rev. Mr. York, of Stites, for Represen tatives. They are Democrats, but prob ably will be supported by the Repub licans in those districts desiring county division. PRUNE FORECAST MADE Government Observer Says Picking Time Will Be About August 28. VANCOUVER. Wash., Aug. 1. (Spe cial.) Prunes on the lower lands next to the Columbia River will be ready for picking and drying about August 28 or 29.. declares A. A. Quarnberg, Gov ernment Weather Observer, who has kept an accurate record of prune crop3 in this county for the past 25 years. This Is 11 days earlier than In 1913, Mr. Quarnberg says. He has a certain sign that has never failed to compute to within one day when prunes will be ready for picking. y The strong winds prevalent .here for the paet several weeks have dried up vegetation greatly, more so than far many years, and as a result crops, other than grain, would be greatly benefited by rain. PEARS HURT BY DROUGHT Situation About Medrord Gives Im petus to Irrigation Plans. MEDFORD, Or.. Aug. L (Special.) The drought of the last six weeks se riously affected the pear crop in the Rogue River Valley. Picking probably will begin next week. Experts who have looked over the valley fear there will not be more than 60 per cent of the 1913 harvest. The crop is esti mated at 400 cars. The present experience, however, has done what months of irrigation cam paigning under the direction of the Medford Commercial Club failed to do, for all orchardlsts under the canal company ditch are clamoring for wa ter which the Rogue Lands Company cannot supply until the system is en larged. It is decidedly probable that the extension of the high-line ditch, which has been projected by the irri gation company for several years, will be carried out so that anyone who de sires water in 1914 can get it. Cottage Grove Gets Enough Ball. COTTAGE GROVE, Or., July 31. (Special.) If the expression may be permitted. Cottage Grove has been sur feited with baseball during the week. Cottage Grove won from Divide, 13 to 6. The Outlaws won from the Metho d'sts 9 to 4, and from the Presby terians S to 6. The Christians won from 'jjie Methodists, 5 to 3. The feature game of the season takes place Friday night when the Methodists and Presbyterians meet. Each have won a game and played one tie game. EVANGELICAL MEETING ON Gathering at Quinaby Park Opened by Dr. C. C. Poling, of Portland. QUINABY. Or., Aug. 1. (Special.) The United Evangelical Church began Its annual campmeeting at Quinaby Park Thursday night the opening address being by Dr. C. C. Poling, of Portland. Yesterday was Woman's Home and Foreign Mission day and addresses were made by Mrs. Myra Miller Stouf fer. of Hlllsboro; Mrs. Gellatly, of Cor vallis; Mrs. Cora B. Lovell, of Portland: Mrs. Alec Harold, of Clear Lake, and Mrs. G. N. Thompson, of Salem. Music was furnished by the Misses Lenore and Ruth Thompson, of Salem, and the ministerial quartet last night. Dr. H. Elliott, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church of Salem, formerly chaplain of the Isthmian Canal Commission, spoke on the subject, of "The Achievements of Modern Missions." Today a course of lectures was be gun by M. J. Baliantyne. D. M. Metzger and A. A. Winter on the subjects of "The Sunday School Teacher's Course." "The Mind "of the Messiah" and "The Social Aspect of Home Missions." LINN SOCIALISTS LINE UP Party in Albany Convention Nomi nates Entire Ticket. ALBANY, Or., Aug. L (Special ) Meeting in convention in this city to day, Socialists of Linn County nom inated a complete county -ticket for the coming election and adopted a plat form for the campaign. The nominees are: State Senator, Lane and Linn counties, Albert Ander son, of Crow, Lane County; State Sen ator. Linn County, W. O. W. Sheppard, of Lebanon; Representatives, Peter Lewis, of Lebanon; Oscar Ingram, of Lebanon, and T. J. Dannen, of Shedds; County Clerk, L. Neuhaus, of Foster; Sheriff, M. F. Hayes, of Albany; Coun ty Recorder, Charles F. Rendla, of Crabtree; Treasurer, Mrs. Adda Y. Dannen, of Shedds; County Commis sioner, Clarence Overholts, of Scio; Surveyor, Joseph Riggs, of Browns ville; Coroner, J. K. P. Tate, of Tall mur. w s Richards, of Albany, was chairman of the convention, and R. Veatch, of Lebanon, secretary. SEASIDE STREET PAVED Except for Broadway Xearly All Highways Torn Up. seaside Or. .Tulv 28. (Special) Broadway, Seaside's principal thor oughfare -unning to the ocean, is paved with a ntie nara-suriace pnycmcui throughout its entire length! with broad concrete sidewalks on both sides of the street. "Old timers" are some what inclined to b'ewail the passing of the picturesque shell road, that the modern Broadway has displaced, but the thousands of Summer visitors who have been accustomed to the luxuries of city life are well pleased with the change. Outside of Broadway and the side streets of the city practically every street inside the city limits Is torn up for the laying of salt water mains for dre protection, fresh water mains and sewer mains. Several miles of con crete sidewalk and hard-surface pave ment are still to be laid before Fall. CHILD GIVEN TO MOTHER Sir's. Mabel Hayes, of Corvallis, Wins Point in Divorce Case. 5 f' ' ALBANY, Or Aug... 1. (Special.) Mrs Mabel Hayes, of Corvallls, won the custody uf her little daughter at . . ,1,1,. uftnmnon of the inU LUUUluoivu ""o - - 'divorce case which she and her hus band. Alex -iiayes, navtj uni" terly In the Circuit Court here for the last three days. j Each sought a decree and the cus tody of the child and Mrs. Hayes asked for $10,000 permanent alimony and $60 a month for the support of herself and child. Judge Galloway did not decide the case flnallv, but announced his mind was made up on the question of the custody of the child. He said he would announce a complete decision August 11. ' CLARKE CANNERY GROWING Vancouver Plant Enlarges in Prep aration for Pear Output. VANCOUVER, Wash., Aug. 1. (Spe cial ) An addition, 16 by 18 feet, is being built to the sanitary cannery or the Clarke County Growers' Union, at the foot of Ninth street, to a"omo: date the normous crop of Barslett and other kinds of pears now ripening In this county. The canning of pears will begin in less than two veeks. Farmers and fruitgrowers who have patronized the cannery this- year are enthusiastic about it. Before a farmer can dis pose of his products to the cannery at market prices he must frst become a member of the union by buying at least one ;share of stock. KILLING HEIFER CHARGED Allegany 'Couple Accused of Taking Neighbor's Animal. MARSHFIELD. Or..Aug. 1 (Special.) L. j Petrimoulx and wife, of Allegany, a. country district 18 miles from here, were bound over to the September grand jury today, after preliminary hearing on.a charge of killing a two-year-old heifer belonging to Charles Rodirie. a neighbor. When the Petrimoulx ranch and home were searched the head and legs of a heifer were found and a barrel In their house had 250 pounds of corned beef, of new preparation. Petrimoulx and his wife were for merlv in the real estate business here and called their firm the French Realty Company. . MONTH DRY FOR ASTORIA Rainfall in July .13 of an Inch, .92 Less Than Average. ASTORIA, Or., Aug. 1. (Special.) July was an exceptionally dry month in Astoria, according to the records In local Weather Observer Gilmore's of fice The total rainfall during the month was 13 of an inch, or .92 of an inch less than the average for the corre sponding month of previous years. Rain fell on two days, while there were 25 clear three partly cloudy and three cloudy days. The maximum tempera ture for the month was 69 degrees and the minimum was 47. Xo Postmasters Xamed. OREGONIAN NEWS BUREAU. Wash ington Aug. 1. Two postmasters were appointed in Washington, as follows: Clay T. Offut, Rexboro, vice Walter G Offutt, resigned; Lillian C. Slater, Slater, vice Bessie Glaspell. resigned. RARE BEAUTY FOUND IN OREGON'S MARBLE HALLS Caves in Josephine County Should Be Electric-Lighted and Banked With Wonders of World, Says Writer Who Has Explored Caverns. r BY FRED L. CARLTON. IN THE famous gold region of South ern Oregon, near the quaint old towns of Kerby and Holland, the mountains are dotted with gold pros pectors and small fortunes are still won and lost in search of the fickle goddess. Kerby is the third oldest town In the state, and its population during the early mining days Is said to have been more than 6000 people at present 300 would be a large estimate. The country between Grants Pass, Or., and Crescent City, Cal., in Its rugged grandeur and undeveloped con dition truly can be designated "The Last of the Old West." It was only July, 1914, that the old-time four-horse stage was replaced by the automobile. The two old coaches, odd-looking types of former days still can be seen at Grants Pass, and are well worth the time of the tourist to view. In the heart of the Siskiyous with a grizzled old miner, who had been to the nearest large town, Grants Pass, only once in eight years, and who had never seen a movie, living In a log cabin built entirely from the virgin forest with his own hands, we had our first experience panning gold. These old-timers, representatives of the days of " '49," with the unquenchable gold fever still In their blood, live with their dreams uf a rich strike and manage to eke out an existence by their crude methods. , In the evenings around the fireplace two or three of these old fellows would gather with us, eager as a schoolboys, plying us with questions and drinking In every word of our descriptions and explanations of the many new inven tions and happenings of the day. This must not be construed to moan that there are not rich mines in Ore gon; on the contrary some of the large "placers" pan out an enormous quan tity of gold. These, however, are prac ticably all operated on a large scale with modern machinery by develop ment companies. Oregon Caves Goal. After a few days In this section, liv ing on fish and game to our hearts' content, we reluctantly left our genial host in search of new fields of ad venture, and as he bade us farewell with tears In his eyes we left with the as surance that the breath we brought of the big outside world wouid live long and pleasantly in his memory; then with a last wave of the hand we passed out of sight In the forest on our way to the Oregon caves. Located in the heart of the forests near the center of Josephine County is one of the masterpieces of nature's laboratory, the Oregon caves. Described as the "Marble Halls of Oregon," the wonderful caverns and catacombs sur pass in architectural beauty any work that man has ever been able to pro duce. The word "caves" seems to convey in terms all too small the magnitude of this natural wonder. They are com paratively new to the tourist world and it Is less than four years ago that their full value was recognized by the United States Government when by order of President Taft they were set aside as a "National monument." From Three Creeks Camp, the nearest point for the accommodation of tourists, the caves are reached only by a five-mile trail through the forest. No more beautiful sight can be im agined than to see these gigantic firs and pines towering toward the sky with occasional openings on the crests of the mountains, innumerable springs and brooks were crossed where we quenched our thirst with the coldest, purest water we ever tasted. Occa sionally from the trail could be heard the noise of some waterfall far below In the canyon, but upon aproachlng the crossing of Lake Creek not only the thunder was heard but the vision of a beautiful falls several hundred feet below burst upon us. For quite a distance along the trail the name Rho dodendron Grove might be applied aptly. This beautiful bush is growing on all sides and its crimson flowers can be seen for a long distance. Entrance Is Hidden. Nature has protected this treasure underground with great cunning. The entrance to the caves might pass un noticed to the untrained eye. TJle lime rock outcropping on the mountainside Is covered with deep moss, scarcely discernible from the surrounding ver dure. It is only when passing the lower entrance and feeling the cold wind blowing outward that one might be led to wonder what would be re vealed by a visit Inside. It Is as if the Great Builder had intended that no careless thoughtless person should bo allowed to gaze on the mysteries ana wonders within. The Mammoth Caves of Kentucky are just what their name implies mammoth the Mammoth Cave i great for the size of its chambers, but its pronounced poverty as to its adorn ments is everywhere to be seen. They are caves that are mammoth and that is all. The Oregon caves are a laby rinth of chambers- from a few feet In size to others of great dimensions, i ormiug one .of the finest and most Uf FW sr. spectacular stage settings that the eye ever witnessed. There are few decorations Just In side the entrance to tho caves, hut the rugged grandeur causes the ad venturer to gasp. A devious passage In followed for some distance through cracks and Assures, narrow, crooked, with sharp turns, sometimes opening Into chambers of considerable size, and on each side narrow passages leading away Into the darkness. The first chamber one enters is known as "Old Nick's Bedroom." It is low and rugged, but was probably considered quite good enough for the repose of his satanic majesty. The next widen ing of the passage Is called the Petri fied Garden and Is noted for Its re markable diamond-like crystals. Fur ther In the main passage becomes very ivfoo-uin nn thA hottoin and Is known as Satan's Backbone across the Back bone are Prison Cells, pertect repro ductions in limestone. Water Cut Fantastic UrntK". One is now at the threshold of a wonderful maze of halls, corridors and chambers cut out of limestone by the action of water, said to be charged with carbonic acid. Unlike the Mammoth Cave of Kentucky, they are not only mammoth, but a theater of beauty, be ing a great marble mountain, honey combed with passages and chambers decorated in a most fantastic fashion, with architecture In crystals and prisms beyond description. Compared with the Mammoth Caves, they are like the scenic mountainous country of this section as against the prairie states of the Middle West. The trip through this wonderful palace comes now to where stalactites and stalagmites first appear and. we enter Adam's Tomb, gray and somber, strength rather than beauty depicted In Its adornment. At the edge of this chamber Is a dark and forbidding hole known as Jacob's Well and clambering Into it there Is a sheer descent of some 50 feet from which you enter a cham ber Irregular In outline, about 100 feet long from 16 to 50 feet high and from 10 to 50 feet wide. The decorations in this room are superb, being strong and regular of design and unlike any of the other explored caverns. From here, with our lights held high as we traversed for several hundred feet a corridor. Irregular, swelling- and contracting, but which at every turn and angle would force exclamations of surprise at the eccentricities displayed In the architecture which has been growing In endless night for millions of vears. Past these we reached the Bee" Hive, considered by those compe tent to Judge as one of the most per fect and beautiful groupings of pure white stalactites known to exist un der ground. Beyond the Bee Hive and a great distance underground Is lo cated the Bottomless Pit a chasm of unknown depth. Stones thrown into the pit are never heard to -strike bot tom. "Dante'a Inferno" Found. Dante's Inferno Is classed as one of the largest grottoes in the caves, so large that an ordinary light will re veal but a small portion of Its beau ties at one time. From this grotto an ascent Is made to Paradise Lost This room Is draped on all sides with the most beautiful stalactites. many of wuich, upon feeing struck with a piece mxSZMEi ii I of metal, give forth various musical notes. One of the weirdest most areweome and awe-inspiring caverns of all la the Ghost Chamber so large that Its ex act slse Is not known and so called because the first glance within with a light reveals a number of shostllae pillars and formations, which turn out to be masslTe pillars of stalactite and stalagmite grown together. It wn Off this Ill-omened chamber. In a hith erto unknown cavern, that George E. Love, of Portland, was lost for It hours, part of the time unconscious. This cavern was later chrlsl-neo "Neptune's Grotto" with all due formal ity by the Portland young men. Among other formations to be seen In different parts of the caves are nu merous almost exact replicas of well known objects Included In these are the Lion's Head, the American and Niagara Fails, the Meat Room, with It marble slabs of bacon, the Pipe Organ, the Brussels Carpet and Menagerie Hall, with its counterparts of elephants and other animals. Joaauln Mlller'n rbaprl Tfcerr. This description would not be com plete without mentioning tho Joaquin Miller Chapel, named by Miller him self, who was struck by Its marvelous beauty. This room is decorated pro fusely long, slender tubes, clear as glass, not larger than pipe stems and very fragile. A broad table projects from the wall three or four feet above the floor about 20 feet long and five or six feet wide. From this table Is a dranery. long and delicate, snow white and glistening. Beneath this table Is a museum or Deauiy mm ui mmwm 1, riii.-,t.. rro.it lik, crystals and filled with water, so clear that ono must touch It to mU sure; iiirn yond this little crystal lake tubes, pedestals and statuettes continue. In this cavern the Plutonic designer has combined complexity and confusion in his decorations and an Infinite va riety of articles Is brought to our vision stalactites from the top are wedded to stalagmites from the bot tom, forming pillars from celling to floor. If the caves are ever lighted by elec tricity, colored lights should be put In this chamber, with switches to proper ly manipulate them. In order to bring out Its true and wonderful beauty. The effect will be far beyond any stage set ting ever conoelved by man. A red light would also bring Dante s Inferno before the eye with all Its weird effulgence and unearthly spec tral delusions; every pendant would seem tipped by fire and the brilliancy throughout the entire chamber would appear beyond description, whllo one might expect to Bee old Nick himself appear. There urc many wonderful corridors, chambers and hallu lhat have not been mentioned; neither have all the passages yet been explored, but to give some Idea of this wonder, let the reader pause and contemplate and bring to mind this beautiful architecture twi miles under a vast mountain, reminded of angels bv the pure white stalac tites, the whole Inexpressible with silence where millions of years of darkness have held undisputed sway. They are wonderful, beautiful and In structive and the writer ventures to predict that within a few short years they will be classed high among the wonders of the world. FIRE TOWER BEING BUILT Lookout Mountain Mi ni t urc Mini.- of Haw Material In I'oreM. PENDLETON. Or.. Aug. 1. Special. ) Forest rangers on the I'mstllla for est are engaged In erecting a tS-feot "fire tower" on the top of Lookout Mountain, one of the highest peaks in the forest. Owing to the fa. t that only the raw material to be found In the fort.t was available for building the tower, its construction wus a difficult task. It Is nearlng completion, how ever, and will be equipped with a pow erful glass and "fire finder." A man will be on duty constsntly und with the Sid of the equipment at his command will be able to locate every firs within a radius of 75 miles, almost ss soon aa It Is started. Other "fire finders" are to be estab lished on Arbuckle Mountain and on lit tle Baldv With these In operation the forest service men will be able accur atly to locate any fire which may be started anywhere in the forest. SANITARY QUARTERS IS AIM Pincus Hopyards to Sec That Pick ers Arc Proiwrlj Cared For. CHEHALifl, Wash.. Aug. 1 (Spe cial. ) Sanitary quarters for hopplck ers with a careful Inspection of tho weils the closets and everything con nected with the Plncus hopyard two miles west of Chehalls. Is the plan of J. C. Bosh, who has charge of the aAU the wells of the farm are to be examined by the state medical authori ties Refuse cans will be furnished, lavatories will be remodeled and made fly proof and Mr. Bush believes that pickers will appreciate the efforts to better conditions and prevent sickness. A Bed Bug Cure Ask for Insecticide. lunTmer Drug Co.. Id and Madison. PI Adv. Birmingham (Englsnrt) unmkrs rsport a .horlsne of Mll-d labor. SEE THAT .CURVE on your Eyes It is wisdom to consult a special ist of experience an.l standing. It will save your eye aad pre vent you waking a hart har gain. From our 96 yearn' experience as experts in eye examination ami the fitting of correct glasses we are in a osition to advise as to the very boat course to take. You can consult us with confi dence. We absolutely refuse to supply glasses in any cue that doe not need them. THOMPSON OPTICAL INSTITUTE 209-10-11 Oorbett Bldg.. 5th and Morrison. 1