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